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Queens to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Naeisha Rose

TimesLedger Newspapers

The legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a beacon of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, will be celebrated throughout Queens from Jan. 13 to Jan. 15.

The Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Saturday at 161-04 Jamaica Ave. Honorees will include Paul Coty and Kenny Carter for outstanding community service, according to the center.

Expected to be in attendance are Jessica Douglas, Queens borough director; Jacques Leandre, president of the Rosedale Jets football team; and Dance Explosion founder Adrienne Strother-Brown.

Also expected to attend the are Carl Clay, founder of Black Spectrum Theater, and the Rev. Phil Craig of Greater Springfield Community Church.

Sweet Honey in the Rock, the Grammy-nominated African-American all-female a cappella group, will assemble at Queens College for its fourth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration in Flushing on Sunday.

The quartet consists of Carol Maillard, Louise Robinson, Nitanju Bolade Casel and Aisha Kahlil. Sweet Honey is known for its blues, gospel and spoken word performances about black history and culture, according to the group’s website.

Hazel N. Dukes, the president of the NAACP New York State Conference, will be the honoree of the night, according to Queens College.

Dukes will be honored for using her platform at the NAACP for furthering King’s work. She will receive an award from Jackie Arrington-Pinkard from the Greater Queens Chapter of The Links, an international not-for-profit consisting of professional women who volunteer their time to better their communities.

Public Advocate Letitia James will deliver the keynote address at the event.

“Queens College has long been committed to creating a community of diversity and equality, characteristics emblematic of Dr. King’s life work,” James said. “As we continue our efforts to move our society forward, we must spread Dr. King’s message of love and inclusion.”

The celebration will be held at the school’s Colden Auditorium of the Kupferberg Center for the Arts, at 153-49 Reeves Ave.

The Rev. Valerie Oliver-Durrah of Brooklyn Bethany Baptist Church will moderate a Martin Luther King Jr. Day program for Councilman I. Daneek Miller (D-St. Albans) on Monday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center, at 153-10 Jamaica Ave.

Both the national anthem and the black national anthem will be sung, according to a spokesman for Miller. The Edge School of the Arts will perform a dance, and there will be a saxophone solo by Khaled Jean. A string quartet by LaGuardia High School will also perform.

Reach reporter Naeisha Rose by e-mail at nrose@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.

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Source: Times Ledger

Mayor de Blasio: Traffic deaths in Queens drop to historic low proving Vision Zero works

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

Traffic deaths hit an all-time low in Queens during 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday inside the NYPD’s Central Garage in Woodside, not far from PS 152, where he signed initial Vision Zero legislation four years ago.

Queens saw a total of 59 traffic deaths during the year, surpassing its record low of 63 in 2011, and a drop of 9 percent from 65 in 2016, according to City Hall.

Terrace On The Park

Overall, New York City’s pedestrian deaths dropped 32 percent, making 2017 the safest year on record and the fourth consecutive year of declining fatalities under Vision Zero. These reductions run counter to national trends in traffic fatalities, which have risen 13 percent across the country, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“Vision Zero is working. The lower speed limit, increased enforcement and safer street designs are all building on each other to keep New Yorkers safe,” de Blasio said. “Now we must deepen this work. Not even a single tragedy on our streets is acceptable, and we’ll keep fighting every day to protect our people.”

The mayor provided updates including the third phase of the Queens Boulevard redesign, including 2.6 miles of protected bike lanes from Eliot Avenue in Rego Park to Yellowstone Boulevard in Forest Hills. City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) led the push for the first phase of the project that has transformed the so-called Boulevard of Death into a thoroughfare that in 2017 had a third consecutive year without any pedestrian or cyclist deaths.

“Queens Boulevard is proof that long-standing notions of intractable problems can be solved with determination, perseverance and fresh thinking,” Van Bramer said. “I’m really proud of Queens today because Queens is leading the way and Queens Boulevard is leading the way. If you can make Queens Boulevard safe, you can make every street in this city and country safer.”

City Councilman Robert Holden (D-Glendale), who now represents the district where the NYPD depot is located, on 58th Street, argued against many of the street redesigns while he was the longtime leader of the Juniper Park Civic Association.

“I was one of those Doubting Thomases on the civic level,” Holden said. “I was wrong, and I’ll admit that. You can’t argue with saving lives. That’s paramount here.”

He went on to say that while the city made great strides in improving safety and reducing motorist and pedestrian fatalities, there was still more work to do.

“Now that stretches like Woodhaven Boulevard are moving slower and seem to be more congested, cars and trucks have been using side streets to avoid traffic and our neighborhoods have been feeling the biggest impact,” Holden said. “We may be making some roads safer, but we may pay the price on our side streets. The Mayor and DOT must work with local communities to eliminate this compiling safety concern and to ensure there are no unintended consequences from Vision Zero.”

The mayor will continue to urge the Legislature to give the city additional speed cameras in school zones by passing legislation authored by state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst).

“One fatality is one too many, but as a supporter of Mayor de Blasio’s Vision Zero, it is encouraging to see how the plan has been successful in reducing, for the fourth consecutive year, the number of traffic-related deaths on our roads and streets,” Peralta said. “It is my hope that in 2018 we are finally able to pass my proposal to expand the school zone speed camera program. This is all about protecting New Yorkers. Together, we made and are making progress.”

Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.

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Source: Times Ledger

Fraternity sentenced for 2013 hazing death of Michael Deng

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

A judge in Pennsylvania issued a fine and a statewide ban to Pi Delta Psi, a national Asian-American fraternity, for the 2013 hazing death of Oakland Gardens resident Michael Deng, 18.

The frat, as a corporation, was sentenced to fines of $112,500 and was barred from conducting any business in Pennsylvania during a 10-year probation. The frat was also required to report its conviction within 60 days to universities where it has chapters.

The national Asian fraternity and 37 of its members were found guilty of manslaughter and numerous other charges in a seven-day jury trial in early December.

Deng, a student a Baruch College in Manhattan, was blindfolded and made to carry a heavy backpack loaded with dumbbells and other weights across frozen ground before being tackled and beaten in a hazing ritual known as the glass ceiling, according to the Monroe County, Pa., district attorney. The events occurred during a retreat at a rented house in Tunkhannock Township, Pa., in the Poconos.

“The case was very complex, involving dozens of defendants, including several charged with murder in the third degree,” District Attorney E. David Christine Jr. said. “In addition to the ‘natural-born’ defendants, the team, in a first of its kind prosecution, also charged the fraternity for its role in causing the victim’s death.”

Also sentenced on Monday were Kenny Kwan, 28, Charles Lai, 26, Raymond Lam, 23, and Sheldon Wong, 24, who all pleaded guilty in May to voluntary manslaughter as accomplices and hindering apprehension for concealing or destroying evidence for a sentence reduced from murder on Monday, according to the Monroe County district attorney.

Each received seven years probation on top of time already served.

Pi Delta Psi was acquitted of third-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter by Monroe County Courthouse’s President Judge Margherita Patti-Worthington.

Andy Meng, the younger brother of U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) and the former head of the national fraternity, was one of the members charged. Meng faces lesser felony charges of hindering apprehension, hazing and criminal conspiracy, the DA’s office said.

According to police officials, Meng was called by fraternity members when Deng lost consciousness and advised them to hide items with fraternity logos, disguise all signs of hazing and remove Deng’s clothing.

Meng pleaded guilty on Nov. 29 to the charges and was sentenced to 36 months’ probation, a DA spokesman said.

“Through this verdict, the fraternity has been held responsible for the senseless and completely avoidable death of a strong, smart, promising college freshman,” Assistant DA Kimberly Metzger said after the December conviction.

According to the DA, Deng was taken down in a three-person spearhead tackle while carrying the weights strapped to him as a result of having disobeyed the members.

Deng slipped into unconsciousness and was carried into the house the frat had rented, where it delayed seeking medical attention for up to an hour and a half before driving him 40 minutes to the nearest hospital, the DA said.

Deng died the next morning with his mother by his side.

Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.

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Source: Times Ledger

Cuomo to challenge federal tax overhaul as unconstitutional attack on states’ rights

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

Gov. Andrew Cuomo went on the offensive last week, using his State of the State address to attack Republicans’ tax overhaul and pledging to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration, proclaiming an unconstitutional assault on states’ rights.

Cuomo also urged New York state to fight Washington’s crackdown on immigration, environmental protections and health care spending.

“Our federal government is working to roll back so much of what we have done,” Cuomo said. “We cannot, we must not let those things happen. In the immortal words on John Paul Jones, we have not yet begun to fight.”

Cuomo said he would like to change the tax code as a way to balance the overhaul for New Yorkers and promised that details will be released after he presents his state budget proposal later this month. Mayor Bill de Blasio traveled to Albany for the speech and afterward offered rare praise of the governor’s stance.

“I think this is a smart and important move by the governor and his administration, to look for any way that could lessen the blow of the Republican tax bill,” de Blasio said. “We all agree the bill passed in Washington, signed by President Trump, is going to disproportionately hurt New Yorkers. We’ve talked about 600,000 New York City taxpayers who are going to see, on average, a $5,000 increase in their taxes — double taxation at its worst.

“It’s going to hurt people all over New York state as well. So I’m glad the governor is looking for creative alternatives that may provide a solution.”

Cuomo also announced plans to sue opioid manufacturers for violating regulations on the monitoring and reporting of drug shipments. He said money generated by the lawsuit would go to the fight against opioid addiction.

“They pumped these pills into society, and they created addictions,” Cuomo said. “Like the tobacco industry, they killed thousands. We will make them pay.”

Cuomo also proposed a new sexual harassment policy and sweeping election reform, including new disclosure rules for online political ads to bolster protections against foreign interference, making investments to increase voter turnout and enacting early voting.

De Blasio said he was “heartened” to hear Cuomo call for election reform. “New York State, unfortunately, is lagging behind the rest of the nation,” de Blasio said. “It’s very hard to vote here. This is underlying a lot of the problems we’re facing. We don’t have a good functioning democracy in this state. We have to fix it. That will be a top priority for New York City.”

Lutheran School of Flushing and Bayside

Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.

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Source: Times Ledger

Helicopter parenting makes kids more anxious

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Lenore Skenazy

TimesLedger Newspapers

It’s not your imagination. Kids are getting more anxious, depressed and hypersensitive.

A teacher in Education Week magazine wrote that anxiety “has become the most significant obstacle to learning among my adolescent students.” They’re not only skipping homework assignments, they’re skipping school — weeks and weeks of it.

“School refusal,” as it’s known, is becoming so widespread that a Pennsylvania school district just hired a social worker to work solely on this issue.

And the stats are, ironically enough, anxiety-producing too. Parents Magazine reports that 10 percent of kids are suffering from anxiety. By the time they’re in high school, that number is 25 percent, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

And when they get to college? The Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA has been asking incoming students if they agree: “[I] feel overwhelmed by all I had to do” since 1985. That first year, 18 percent said yes. By 2016, 41 percent did.

What gives?

In a giant article about anxiety, the New York Times reported that among teachers, “one word — ‘resiliency’ — kept coming up. More and more students struggle to recover from minor setbacks and aren’t ‘equipped to problem-solve or advocate for themselves effectively.’ ”

If only there were an easy, fast, free way to make kids less anxious.

I think there is.

The key is that this new deficiency is not innate. Kids aren’t suddenly being born less resilient. Something is making them that way, and that “something” is a lack of practice. You can’t get good at throwing a ball without practice. And you can’t get good at problem-solving and bouncing back if you never get practice at those.

Which kids don’t. Parents have been told that they must watch their kids 24/7 and smooth their path all the way. So it’s no surprise that kids can’t solve problems — we’re always right there, solving them! And when kids lose a soccer game, we’re there with a trophy. And when kids are old enough to walk to school, we walk them anyway (or, worse, drive them).

How can we get brave enough to give our kids back the independence that their mental health depends on?

Have them do the Let Grow Project.

The project, an initiative of the nonprofit I run, works like this: On a certain date, the teachers tell their students that they’re going to do the Let Grow Project. All they have to do is go home and ask their parents if they can do one thing that they feel they’re ready to do that, for one reason or another, they haven’t done yet: Walk the dog. Make dinner. Run an errand.

Because the project is endorsed by the school, and because other families are doing it too, most of the parents say yes. Then they figure out, with their kid, what their particular project will be. And then, sometime over the course of the week, the kid goes and does it, alone or with a friend.

When the kid walks through the door with the half-gallon of milk he got by himself from the deli, the parents are not just proud. They are ecstatic.

Their reaction is almost bizarrely out of proportion with the kids just did. Maybe they spent an hour outside with a friend, or took the bus to karate. Whatever minor thing, it is a major breakthrough.

In fact, it is so major that it might be the key to the resilience kids are lacking. That’s because after parents see for themselves — even once — how competent and safe their kids can be, their fear is replaced by joy. Then they are ready to let their kids do more and more independently. In turn, the kids become more and more capable and confident.

And less anxious.

Manhattan’s East Side Middle School is about to do the project, as is Booker T. Washington Middle School. The Patchogue-Medford School District on Long Island is already doing it in all seven of its elementary schools. The results, says Superintendent Michael Hynes, are extraordinary.

“Parents are actually saying: ‘Wow! I can’t believe that I’ve safety-wrapped my kids so much that they didn’t have they didn’t have the opportunity to do these things,’ ” Hynes said. The parents are so proud, they’re bragging on Facebook — and parents in other school districts are seeing it.

They’re demanding that their kids’ schools start doing the project, too. So it’s happening!

The Let Grow Project is spreading fast because deep down, many of us realize we’ve done something wrong. By trying to help our children all the time, we’ve taken away the normal childhood experience of learning to be part of the world. As a result, the world seems overwhelming — which is pretty much the definition of anxiety.

Letting kids go is the key to letting kids grow.

Skenazy is president of Let Grow and founder of Free-Range Kids. E-mail her at Lenore@LetGrow.org.

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Source: Times Ledger

JFK recovers from weekend crisis in storm’s aftermath

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

John F. Kennedy International Airport began returning to normal after a confluence of events that crippled one of the nation’s busiest airports Sunday.

All four runways were operational by Monday afternoon, and a majority of flights were on or close to schedule after the Federal Aviation Administration instituted a selective ground stop to help manage the air traffic volume and ensure there were adequate gates for arriving flights, according to the Port Authority.

“What happened at JFK was completely unacceptable, and we will investigate what went wrong and prevent it from happening again,” Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said.

JFK was trying to manage a backlog of flights that were canceled or delayed during Winter Storm Grayson last Thursday. Ground operations were slowed and understaffed, and equipment was frozen following the storm as airlines allowed too many arriving flights, overwhelming available gates and leaving many planes parked on taxiways with nowhere to go, Cotton said.

Problems persisted as temperatures plunged into the single digits over the weekend, culminating with a water-pipe break Sunday that caused flooding and the evacuation of Terminal 4 and the temporary suspension of international flights.

“While the water-pipe break that occurred appears to be weather-related, we have launched an investigation into the incident to determine exactly what occurred and why an internal pipe was not weather-protected and whether any other failures contributed to this disruption,” Cotton said.

The Port Authority was in close contact with FAA officials Monday, and it brought in additional staff and equipment to help the airlines and terminal operators. Meanwhile, domestic airlines and international carriers sped the process of returning baggage to travelers. The Port Authority deployed additional customer service representatives to assist with passenger communications.

“The primary problem appears to be international airlines arriving without available gates at the international terminals, but we thoroughly review all aspects of what happened leading up to and during the snowstorm, and the recovery period afterwards,” Cotton said. “We are fully committed to finding out what caused the failures and preventing them from happening again.”

Passengers are urged to contact their airlines for specific flight information before heading to the airport and to leave extra time to get to terminal gates.

Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.

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Source: Times Ledger

Cops search for two in connection with Jamaica Estates robbery

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Naeisha Rose

TimesLedger Newspapers

JAMAICA ESTATES — Police were searching for two suspects in connection with a robbery of a teenage boy in Jamaica Estates, according to police.

On Dec. 8, the 15-year-old victim was robbed at 9 a.m. after he exited the Q76 bus near the intersection of Francis Lewis Boulevard and Hillside Avenue in Jamaica Estates, according to the NYPD.

Police said the two unidentified male suspects approached the teen from behind and forcibly removed his backpack containing personal items and fled on foot without injuring the victim.

Police said one suspect was black and in his early 20s, last seen wearing a green hooded sweat jacket and tan overcoat.

The second individual was described as black and was dressed in all black clothing, according to authorities.

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Source: Times Ledger

Police seek suspect in connection with N train assault

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

The NYPD wanted to question a man they called a person of interest in connection to an assault on board an N train in Astoria last week.

The man police were looking for began arguing with a 59-year-old man as he entered the southbound train at the Ditmars Boulevard station last Thursday just before 10 p.m., police said.

The dispute escalated as the train got underway, at which point the man punched the victim in the head, causing pain and swelling. The suspect then produced an unknown object which he used to cut the victim’s forehead as the train pulled into the Astoria Boulevard station, according to the NYPD.

Terrace On The Park

EMS responded to the scene and transported the victim to Mount Sinai Hospital.

Police described the suspect as black and in his mid to late 20s, around 5 feet, 7 inches tall and 210 pounds. He was last seen wearing a green jacket and a T-shirt, and he had a military style book bag.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.

Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.

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Source: Times Ledger

Inspector General’s investigation targets CUNY staff research

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

Terrace On The Park

CUNY professors are under scrutiny from the state Inspector General’s office for possibly using pay-to-play publications to get easy tenure and advance their careers.

But what started as an investigation of up to 12 faculty members at Queensborough Community College, according to the New York Post, widened into a probe into the wider CUNY system last week, the newspaper reported.

But CUNY Interim Associate Vice Chancellor Daniel McCloskey responded to the negative press with an internal memo calling for faculty to open a dialogue regarding the issue.

“At this time, due to the rapidly changing landscape of publishing and the lack of frank discussion about this topic nationally or locally, it is difficult to know the nature and extent of this problem at CUNY, but the reputations of our faculty, colleges and the university are at stake,” McCloskey wrote. “In order to be sure that all faculty, review committees and college administrators follow best practices moving forward, we implore you to open a dialogue with your academic department, program, center or institution… While rigorous peer-review may not be an option for all scholarship, it is important to be ethical as well as judicious and thoughtful about your publishing choices by selecting trustworthy publishers and correctly reporting the publication on your CV.”

One such publication used by professors was World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, which is known to charge authors $600 to publish their research.

Neither Queensborough nor CUNY could be reached for comment by the TimesLedger Newspapers.

David Lieberman, chairman of the Queensborough Physics Department, had his name on five papers published by WASET between 2008 and 2015. Nidhi Gadura, chairwoman of the Biological Science and Geology Department at QCC, was also found to have authored three papers with WASET, the website showed.

Lieberman makes an annual salary of about $188,000 per year while Gadura takes home a salary of about $167,000 in taxpayer money, according to the Post.

“There are a growing number of disreputable academic journals all over the world, but fortunately the impact at CUNY is quite limited,” CUNY spokesman Frank Sobrino told the Post. “Based on internal reviews, few CUNY faculty have been involved with such publications and we are working with all faculty to share awareness and best practices in disseminating the high-caliber research they produce. The university has been reviewing this matter and of course will work with the IG in any review.”

According to the University of Toronto, WASET is regarded as scam and is described by Science Magazine as a “predatory publication.”

WASET does not reveal where it is based, various committees and editorial review boards regarding different topics list professors from around the world on the site. Conferences are held internationally throughout the year and scheduled through 2020 where professors can present their research.

Faculty Executive Committee head and QCC social sciences Professor Philip Pecorino condemned the practice of paid publishing in comparison to the more academically challenging and sound approach of having research peer-reviewed prior to publication and said it diminishes the credibility of the CUNY system, the Post reported.

Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.

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Source: Times Ledger

Schumer, Gillibrand urge DOT to enforce railroad safety

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

New York’s U.S. senators, Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, have called on the federal Dept. of Transportation to crack down on railroads that fail to implement adequate safety measures to prevent accidents such as the deadly Amtrak derailment in Washington state Dec. 18.

The National Transportation Safety Board announced in preliminary findings excessive speed was the cause of the wreck, which killed three and sent more than 100 people to the hospital.

Elected officials are claiming this and other disasters could have been prevented by the implementation of positive train control, which governs the speed trains can travel at through certain zones.

PTC will be required on all trains by the end of 2018 as part of a congressional mandate.

“Since NTSB first recommended PTC, more than 300 people have died, thousands have been injured, and millions of dollars in property damages have been incurred,” the senators said. “The PTC deadline is now almost one year away – Dec. 31, 2018. It is imperative that railroads complete implementation before the deadline. They must clearly understand that the consequences of failure will be stringent and prompt.”

Schumer and Gillibrand were joined by 11 other Democratic senators.

The derailment of the Amtrak train in DuPont, Wash. on the Cascade Line was a keen reminder of the deadly train wreck near Philadelphia in which the conductor, a Forest Hills resident, took a curve at near double the speed limit.

Brandon Bostian, 34, was the engineer of Northeast Regional Train 188 in the May 2015 wreck. Despite a 50-mile-per-hour limit, he was at the controls when the train sped around a curve at 108 mph.

Eight passengers were killed, including two from Queens, and more than 180 others were sent to nearby hospitals, some in critical condition.

Lutheran School of Flushing and Bayside

In May, the Philadelphia district attorney decided not to press criminal charges against Bostian, claiming that the factors in the incident did not fit the definition of criminal recklessness as described by Pennsylvania state law.

“We cannot conclude that the evidence rises to the high level necessary to charge the engineer, or anyone else, with a criminal offense,” the Philadelphia DA’s office said in a statement. “We have no evidence that the engineer acted with criminal ‘intent’ or criminal ‘knowledge’ within the special meaning of those terms under Pennsylvania law for purposes of criminal charges. Nor do we believe there is sufficient evidence to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, criminal recklessness, which would be the only other basis for criminal liability.”

Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.

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Source: Times Ledger