Meng Calls On U.S. Transportation Secretary To Eliminate LaGuardia Noise Flight Pattern
U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D- Bayside, Flushing, Forest Hills, Rego Park, Fresh Meadows, Glendale, Kew Gardens, Maspeth) earlier this month sent a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao urging her to eliminate LaGuardia Airport’s noisy TNNIS Climb, a controversial flight pattern over Queens that according to a new study negatively impacts the health of borough residents.
The study, “The Trade-Off between Optimizing Flight Patterns and Human Health: A Case Study of Aircraft Noise in Queens, NY, USA,” was published in the most recent edition of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
“This study further illustrates the need to get rid of the TNNIS Climb,” said Meng. ”The route has unfairly burdened our borough with blistering aircraft noise ever since it was implemented by the FAA in 2012, and this study confirms our suspicions about the adverse health impacts it has on Queens residents. I have met with Secretary Chao and explained to her the importance of combating the excessive airplane noise over Queens. Now, in light of this new study, she must take action. I truly hope that she’ll be our partner in this fight, and provide us with the relief we desperately need. I eagerly await her reply.”
A copy of Meng’s letter can be viewed here.
Ulrich Reveals Details Of Broad Channel Beautification Project
Council Member Eric Ulrich (R-Belle Harbor, Breezy Point, Broad Channel, Howard Beach, Lindenwood, Neponsit, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Rockaway Park, Roxbury, South Ozone Park, West Hamilton Beach, Woodhaven) Friday revealed a new beautification project in Broad Channel slated for the fall.
Queens Botanical Garden (QBG) Executive Director Susan Lacerte, QBG Director of Education Rebecca Wolf and Broad Channel Civic Association President Dan Mundy to announce the new partnership joined Ulrich in the announcement.
Funded by Ulrich, the $30,000 initiative will install 12 planters along the mediums of Cross Bay Boulevard. The project will focus on the mediums near the entrance into Broad Channel at 20th Road and is scheduled to be completed in October.
“We’ve seen a remarkable insurgence of rebuilding and resiliency, and now we’re getting into beautification. This is the first installment in our series of initiatives to beautify Cross Bay Boulevard and we wanted to bring it to Broad Channel first,” Ulrich said. “It’s a community that will appreciate this and really needs this. It’s in between Rockaway and Howard Beach and tens of thousands of cars, trucks and buses drive down Cross Bay Boulevard every single day. We want this to be something beautiful and this project is really going to spruce up the Boulevard.”
There will be a number of plant species within each of the 12 planters, including:
Ornamental grasses will include Pennisetum setaceum (crimson fountaingrass), Leymus arenarius (blue lyme grass) and Liriope muscari (blue lily turf).
Hardy perennials will include Yucca filamentosa (Spanish bayonet), Heuchera sanguinea (coral bells), Dryopteris marginalis (marginal shield fern) and Sedum.
A mix of annual plants and vines will include Lysimachia nummularia (moneywort) and Sweet potato vine.
All planters will be maintained by the Broad Channel Civic Association.
Dromm, Council Honor Rookie Cop
City Council Member Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights, Elmhurst), Council Speaker Corey Johnson, other council members and Deputy Inspector Carlos Ortiz, commanding officer of the NYPD 115th Precinct gathered in the City Hall Council CHambers last week to honor rookie Police Office Osvaldo Nunez for saving the life of a Jackson Heights child earlier this summer.
On July 30, Nunez administered CPR on Leah, an unresponsive toddler in front of Jackson Height’s 115th precinct station house after her distressed mother ran up to him crying, “My daughter’s not breathing, my daughter’s not breathing!”
Officer Nunez confirmed that Leah was unresponsive and had no pulse, took the child inside, placed her on a stool and began performing CPR. Moments later, Leah opened her eyes and was treated at Elmhurst Hospital.
“It was an absolute pleasure to applaud Police Officer Nunez for his act of heroism,” said Dromm. “Because of his quick thinking and immediate response, one of my youngest constituents is alive and well today. Remarkably, Officer Nunez had been on the force for only a few weeks! His career is certainly off to a wonderful start. We are so proud to have him here, serving the people of Jackson Heights.”
Miller, Adams, Comrie Attend Zanu G. Simpson Way Street Co-Naming Ceremony
City Council Members I. Daneek Miller (D-Cambria Heights, Hollis, Jamaica, St. Albans, Queens Village, and Springfield Gardens) and Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica, Richmond Hill, Rochdale, Village, South Ozone Park), along with State Sen. Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans, Cambria Heights, Jamaica, Hollis, Rosedale, Laurelton, Kew Gardens, Queens Village) on Saturday helped memorialize beloved Strictly Skillz Master Barber and community leader Zanu Simpson with the co-street Zanu G. Simpson Way at the Strictly Skillz Barbershop, 190-11 Hollis Avenue in Hollis.
Simpson was slain last July, seventeen days after celebrating his 32nd birthday. He was gunned down while sitting in his BMW after midnight at South Conduit and Lansing avenues.
Simpson was Jamaican born and opened Queens’ Strickly Skillz Barbershop with his brother.
The popular barbershop has thousands of followers on social media, and included clients from the neighborhood, as well as celebrities, like Future and Mobb Deep.
Katz, Queens Borough Board To Hear Presentation On NYC fair Housing Initiative
Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and the Queens Borough Board today will hear a presentation by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) on the City’s “Where We Live NYC” fair housing initiative.
Where We Live NYC is a comprehensive fair housing planning process to study, understand, and address patterns of residential segregation and how these patterns impact New Yorkers’ access to opportunities – including jobs, education, safety, public transit, and positive health outcomes.
According to HPD, Where We Live NYC will include extensive community participation as well as data and policy analysis that will culminate with the release of a public report in the fall of 2019 with measurable goals and strategies that are designed to foster inclusive communities, promote fair housing choice, and increase access to opportunity for all New Yorkers.
According to HPD, Where We Live NYC will also include a robust community engagement process to collect meaningful public input from New York City residents, including focus group-style “Community Conversations” to better understand the factors that contribute to housing and neighborhood choice, and how residential living patterns impact New Yorkers’ lives, families, and access to opportunity.
The presentation is slated for 5:30 p.m., today Sept. 17 at Queens Borough Hall, 120-55 Queens Boulevard in Kew Gardens.
