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By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

Members of FDNY celebrated the life and sacrifice of one of their own, Lt. Michael Davidson, after the 15-year veteran who grew up in Queens was killed quelling a blaze in Harlem last week.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan was filled with mourners Tuesday as FDNY Commissioner Dan Nigro and Mayor Bill de Blasio extolled the Floral Park resident’s natural leadership abilities and talents as a firefighter with Engine Co. 69.

“Many nights Mike led his company into a fire toward the danger, using his remarkable abilities and talents to extinguish the fire. On one occasion, in particular, very early in his career, with only two years on the job, he showed the incredible tenacity he possessed battling a growing third-alarm fire on multiple floors. Mike pushed forward, crawling and inching room by room to knock down the fire on the third floor,” Nigro said. “It was clear from the very beginning of his career that he was special. He showed it that night, he showed it every day of his 15 years of brave service.

“Mike commanded every situation and led his fellow firefighters into battle. He wasn’t their captain, he wasn’t their lieutenant, but he was without question a leader.”

Davidson, 37, was posthumously promoted to the rank of lieutenant since he had passed the exams in 2015 and was awaiting an open position.

He was the 1,150th FDNY member to have died on the job as he tried to find his way out of a smoky basement of a building converted to a film set during the five-alarm fire that broke out in Harlem March 23.

The tragedy follows the deaths of FDNY members and reservists Lt. Christopher J. Raguso, of Division 13 in Richmond Hill, and Fire Marshal Christopher T. “Tripp” Zanetis, of Long Island City. They were two of seven killed in helicopter crash on March 15 during an American military operation in Iraq.

Davidson served as “nozzle man” and was first into the building. The medical examiner determined he died of smoke inhalation. He left behind his wife Eileen and four children.

The firefighter grew up in Sunnyside’s Phipps Houses and attended St. Sebastian’s Catholic Academy. He graduated from Archbishop Molloy High School in Briarwood.

“Michael made this city great through his actions every day and for him it was not just enough to serve, he exhibited so many forms of leadership. He was a cornerstone, a cornerstone of his company as the nozzle man, cornerstone of his wonderful community, Floral Park. A firefighter’s firefighter, an example to everyone, someone the rookies looked up to and learned from,” de Blasio said.

“To Michael’s children, to Brooke, to Joseph, to Emily, to Amy, this is a difficult, painful, confusing time for young people there’s so much to wonder about. Let me offer you a personal thought. I had a dad who wore a uniform and served with pride as well, lost him too early in life as well. One thing you will find that you will remember your father as a hero, you’ll remember his goodness, in your own moments of challenge, in your moments of doubt. Your father will be there with you.”

De Blasio’s father was a World War II veteran who committed suicide when the mayor was 18 years old.

City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) recognized Davidson’s origins in his district with a moment of silence at a town hall meeting at PS 150 the night prior to the firefighter’s funeral.

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, whose district covers Manhattan, paid his respects to Davidson in a statement.

“This is a tragic day for New York City. Michael R. Davidson was a 15-year FDNY veteran whose service for our city included four separate instances in which he was cited for bravery,” Johnson said. “My deepest condolences to his wife, Eileen, and their four children. They lost a husband and father, and New York lost a true hero whose life was dedicated to keeping us safe.”

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

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By Gina Martinez

TimesLedger Newspapers

State Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Flushing) went to Albany last week to push for the passing of the Taxi Driver Protection Act.

Kim was joined March 13 by Assemblymen David Weprin (D-Fresh Meadows), Clyde Vanel (D-Queens Village) and Brian Barnwell (D-Maspeth), as well as the Bangladeshi American Advocacy Group, the New York Taxi Workers Alliance and over 100 community advocates and constituents at the state Capitol.

Together, they spoke about the importance of passing the bill in order to better protect for-hire drivers for this year’s session, after it passed the Senate, but failed to make it through the Assembly in 2017.

Kim has advocated for the introduction of an amendment to the Taxi Driver Protection Act that would stiffen punishments for anyone who attacks on-the-job taxi drivers.

According to Kim, the increasing number of attacks by passengers on taxi and for-hire drivers has brought greater attention to the dangers of the job. By changing the Penal Law, Kim’s amended legislation would raise the penalty for assaulting a taxi driver from a misdemeanor to a felony. The legislation would also add for-hire driving to a list of protected occupations, which currently includes public transportation workers.

A second provision of the bill would require adding signs in taxis and for-hire cars that inform passengers of the legal consequences of assaulting drivers. While this law already exists in New York City, Kim’s amendment would extend it to the rest of the state.

Just last week in Kim’s district an Uber driver was assaulted by three passengers. According to police, on March 9 at 4 a.m. a 35-year-old Uber driver picked up three passengers at 32-17 College Point Blvd. Police said the passengers began arguing with the driver once he realized the three were not his arranged customers. According to police, the driver pulled over and got out of the car demanding they get out, too, when he was almost punched in the face. Police said one of the passengers got into the driver’s seat and the three drove away in his car to an unknown location.

Last April, Kim held a press conference in Flushing with victims of assault who talked about their experiences. According to Kim, a large percentage of for-hire drivers in New York are South Asian, and 55 percent of cab drivers in New York City are from Queens. The accounts of the victims’ ordeals suggested race or religion may have been a factor in the violence. Victims who spoke about their attacks said the common connection was that the passengers asked them where they were from before they were assaulted.

Kim said studies have shown that for-hire drivers, including Uber and Lyft drivers, are 20 times more likely to be killed on the job than the average worker. New York is home to the country’s largest total number and concentration of taxis in the entire country, so Kim and fellow legislators argued that the state must take action to ensure the safety of its drivers.

“This bill, which previously passed the Senate but languished in the Assembly extends protections already given to our bus and train operators by making it a felony to assault drivers,” Kim said. “The surge in drivers and riders using apps like Uber and Lyft means we must move fast to protect those in danger. I urge my colleagues to take this bill up and protect the people whose work helps define the very character of our city and state.”

Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance — which has a membership of 20,000 and represents more than 50,000 taxicab drivers in New York — said he was proud to stand with Kim in support of this legislation.

“In addition to the specific protections the Taxi Driver Protection Act provides, the passage of this act is a show of support for one of New York’s most visible immigrant work forces,” he said. “We call on the Assembly to pass this legislation and protect drivers across New York state.”

Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmartinez@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Naeisha Rose

TimesLedger Newspapers

Two buildings in Far Rockaway were up for consideration as preserved landmarks last week in Manhattan.

The first was Firehouse and Engine Companies 264 and 328/Hook and Ladder 134, located at 16-15 Central Ave., according to the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission.

The second facility up for designation was the 101st Precinct Police Station — formerly the 53rd Precinct — located at 16-12 Mott Ave., which is five minutes away from the firehouse, according to LPC.

The Renaissance Revival-styled firehouse, affectionately called “The Big House” by locals, was built from 1911 to 1913 by architectural firm Hoppin & Koen.

Prominent architects Frances Hoppin and Terrence Koen designed the three-structure firehouse with limestone at the ground floor, three segmental-arched vehicle bays, red brick cladding on the upper stories, a cast stone entablature and a brick parapet, according to LPC.

The precinct is a combination of the Renaissance and Colonial Revival styles and was designed by the Police Department’s Superintendent of Buildings Thomas O’Brien, said LPC. It was built from 1927 to 1928.

O’Brien started his career as a carpenter and later joined the police force in 1898 as a patrolman, and was eventually promoted to sergeant and lieutenant, but spent his spared time taking night classes in architecture at Cooper Union in the East Village.

Former U.S. president and then Police Superintendent Theodore Roosevelt personally appointed O’Brien as the department’s architect.

The police station features a Renaissance palazzo with a granite base, the ground story has arch openings and a terra-cotta cornice. The main entrance has original bronze lamps below a carved tablet containing the city’s seal. The second floor of the precinct has a Dutch/English cross bond from the Colonial Revival style. A one-story garage was made in granite and terra cotta and faces Mott Avenue.

Both structures were built after Far Rockaway was absorbed into Greater New York City in 1898, resulting in the Rockaway Peninsula becoming a commercial center and experiencing a surge in population growth.

The growing construction boom of municipal buildings throughout Far Rockaway and greater access from transportation to get individuals to mainland New York created a need for the firehouse.

With the commercial center in Far Rockaway expanding, the peninsula transitioned away from being a year-round resort community, resulting in the 53rd Precinct growing out of a wood-framed dwelling into the brick structure it now resides to accommodate its ever growing police force.

Both structures continue to be prominent fixtures in the Far Rockaway community.

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

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By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

Second-graders from Queens helped name the new vessels in NYC Ferry’s fleet and, last week, Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen and City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) visited a class at PS 148 in East Elmhurst that submitted one of the 10 winning names, Spring Mallard.

Three other schools in the borough had winners in this year’s competition: “Rainbow Cruise” was submitted by PS 330 in Corona, PS 112 in Dutch Kills had “Starlight,” and PS 197, the Ocean School in Far Rockaway, entered “The Ocean Queen Rockstar.”

“The kids who came up with the name Ocean Queen Rockstar are why I love this town so much,” Glen said. “Every one of these NYC Ferry boat names have swagger and panache — and these students and their schools should be incredibly proud.”

The competition aimed to engage some of the youngest New Yorkers in the city’s newest mass transportation system.

“Kids say the coolest things, and for the second year in a row schoolchildren are not disappointing,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said. “These are inspired nautical names, ones our new boats will proudly carry.”

Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña was proud of the students for coming together and leveraging their ideas to create exciting and unique names.

“After today, these classes will have a lasting mark on our city’s waterways, and I’m looking forward to taking a ride on the ‘Spring Mallard,’” she said.

Dromm, a former public school teacher at PS 199 in Sunnyside, could barely contain his enthusiasm.

“Congratulations to the PS 148 students who won the 2018 NYC Ferry Vessel Naming Competition,” he said. “‘Spring Mallard’ is such a creative name for a vessel which will be known to millions of people who take the ferry each day. I join Deputy Mayor Glen in applauding all the work they and other students across the city put into this project.”

Last year, the NYC Ferry’s inaugural year, the system served nearly three million riders across four routes that are already in operation, including Astoria and Rockaway. At $2.75 a ride, and free transfers across the ferry system, the cost is the same as a subway ride.

The city’s Economic Development Corporation and NYC Ferry, operated by Hornblower, announced Monday they are hiring people for more than 75 new jobs, including captains, deckhands, customer service agents, ticketing, operations and other positions. New Yorkers of all backgrounds and skill are welcome to apply directly at ferry.nyc. With the expansion of two new routes this summer more jobs will become available.

“The expansion of NYC Ferry not only helps us take advantage of our city’s waterways to provide alternative transportation options to millions of New Yorkers, it is also creating new jobs with opportunities for growth and a strong career path,” City Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside), the chairman of the Committee on Economic Development, said. “I encourage anyone interested in this field to apply to NYC Ferry and become part of a team that is bringing excellent service to our city.”

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

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By Naeisha Rose

TimesLedger Newspapers

A Springfield Gardens man has been honored for his volunteer work with Project Warmth Night, a United Way project to provide heating funds to needy families during the cold winter months.

Juan Santiago was recognized by United Way, because of 20 years of donations and volunteer service. The nonprofit cited his volunteer work with National Grid and his recent efforts to help restore power in Puerto Rico after a hurricane.

United Way of Long Island partnered with the Long Island Nets basketball team during a home game on Feb. 23 to host the Project Warmth Night program at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, where they honored Santiago as a Veteran of the Game and for his service in the Navy, as well as National Grid as a Community Champion for their support of the initiative.

“I felt that there are a lot of people who deserved [the title] more than me,” said Santiago “but I was definitely appreciative, surprised and embarrassed.”

Santiago served during the Gulf War, was stationed in the Mediterranean and has earned a National Defense Service medal, a Navy unit commendation, a NATO Medal, two Armed Forces Service medals, two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons and a Meritorious Union Commendation.

Santiago has worked for National Grid for 25 years and has collaborated with Project Warmth in Long Island for over one year.

Project Warmth provides emergency heating funds during the winter months to energy insecure individuals and families who are unable to pay their heating bill in Long Island. They have serviced people in more than 1,600 homes with heating assistance.

United Way is a nonprofit that helps to uplift communities in the United States and 41 countries and territories across the world.

“For many years, National Grid has been a proud supporter of United Way’s Project Warmth,” said Bob DeMarinis, National Grid’s vice president of Gas Operations and Construction. “It was a tremendous honor to be part of this year’s Project Warmth Night, receiving the Community Champion Award and seeing our employee Juan Santiago featured as the Veteran of the Game was a true testament to the power of this program and the lives that it touches.”

Santiago is a manager of the Community and Customer Management Department at National Grid, and uses his skills there and as the son of Puerto Rican parents to act as a bilingual liaison in Freeport, a predominantly Hispanic area in Long Island.

“It was a great feeling to be able to help,” he said. “Through the program we were able to provide heat and energy services, help them pay their bills and support them during the cold frigid months.”

Not only has Santiago helped to keep people warm in Long Island, but he has volunteered his services along with several other utility workers from National Grid to provide electricity in Puerto Rico after the island was devastated by Hurricane Maria in 2017. The crews worked 16-hour days seven days a week.

From Jan. 8 to Feb. 5 he acted as a community liaison and translator in the towns of San Jose, Rio Piedras and Trujillo Alto and spoke with the townspeople about their concerns and gave them timelines about the restoration process as his colleagues surveyed the down power lines and later rebuilt wires to provide electricity for over 4,000 residents on the island.

“I gave them realistic timelines and I let them know that we weren’t leaving the area until everyone had power,” said Santiago.

After they also finished working on a local church and the Escuela Del Pueblo Trabajador (Town Worker School), the townspeople cheered, danced and honked their horns in celebration of the restored electricity, according to Santiago.

“It was amazing, [the reaction] warms your heart and this definitely made me feel good inside,” said the veteran.

To learn more about Project Warmth or United Way visit www.211longisland.org or www.UnitedWayLI.org.

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