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By WIlliam Kregler

TimesLedger Newspapers

UFT President Michael Mulgrew is on record that he does not support the idea of his members (teachers) carrying firearms in school.

In general, I agree. New York City teachers have the enormous task of teaching one million students at a cost twice the national average which only produces a 70 percent graduation rate. I agree that the vast overwhelming majority of teachers do not have the ability to obtain the needed level of training, knowledge and discipline on handling a firearm to qualify to carry it.

A very small percentage of New York City teachers could possibly qualify based on their military or law enforcement backgrounds. These individuals have the training and discipline to meet the high level of responsibility in carrying concealed weapons and have the understanding of the Penal Law in carrying and using them. It’s only this selected group that President Trump is focusing on in adding another layer of protection and possible deterrent to an active shooter incident.

From Columbine to Stoneman Douglas, the lack of a proper and/or timely police response and engagement has contributed to the deaths of students and teaching staff. The latest tragedy in Florida also showed that even the presence of an active uniformed police officer assigned to a school does not guarantee that proper and timely action will be taken.

Even with a career in public safety, law enforcement and as a first responder, time is of the essence in handling an active shooter situation. The longer the situation continues, the more deaths occur.

As a consultant and lecturer on emergency preparedness and response, I believe adding an additional layer of protection of on-scene firearm professionals would definitively add to the safety and protection of students and teaching staff alike. Through all the tragic school shootings, it is the teaching staff that has performed beyond the call of their duties in sacrificing themselves for their beloved students.

Having a select few trained individuals carry firearms in schools gives them a viable option to engage a shooter with more of a chance of survival for them and their students.

Adding to the emotional, knee-jerk reaction to these tragedies, our elected officials passed a “Gun-Free School Safety Zone” (New York City Charter – Chapter 18-C: Public Safety, sec. 460) that prohibits any individual from possessing a firearm on school grounds. This poorly written and ill-conceived law prohibits a retired police officer with an unrestricted full carry permit from entering onto school grounds.

Though these individuals possess all the qualifications and authority to carry a firearm, they are prohibited from doing so for no legitimate reason. This law diminishes safety in our schools rather than enhancing it.

We should stop using these tragedies in promoting political agendas or making villains out of certain groups and focus on legitimate, meaningful policies and laws for the benefit of all concerned.

William Kregler

Woodside

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By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

Hunters Point community members and children from area schools rallied with City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) March 9 on Center Boulevard as he renewed his call for the city’s Department of Transportation to implement comprehensive traffic calming measures along the stretch of road on Long Island City’s waterfront.

Van Bramer had previously urged the DOT to address unsafe conditions on the street and has again demanded that the agency take action after the devastating crash in Park Slope, Brooklyn, last week where a 1-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl were killed.

“It is clear to everyone here today that this street is not safe for the children and families who cross this street every day,” Van Bramer said. “We can’t wait for a tragedy to happen to make this street safe. DOT must act now, before someone is injured or, God forbid, killed. The safety of our children is at stake and comprehensive safety measures must be implemented immediately.”

The area lacks traffic signals and cars speed through an area with three schools and Gantry Plaza State Park.

DOT sent representatives to the Hunters Point Civic Association’s monthly meeting Tuesday night and listened to members’ complaints and proposals and promised to conduct a traffic study on Center Boulevard in the next few months, according to Hunters Point Civic Association President Brent O’Leary.

“DOT will collect additional data and counts this spring, and we will review the Hunters Point Civic Association’s suggestions as we evaluate the area for additional treatments,” a DOT spokesman said.

O’Leary said the dangers of Center Boulevard have been a major topic of conversation with his group for years and they met with a DOT team several weeks ago and presented them with a detailed 13-page proposal. While many of the proposals could be easily implemented, a few would not work with the large cobblestone sections. O’Leary was told painting of crosswalks was not possible because paint will not stick to cobblestones.

The civic association conducted a survey which indicated the cobblestones were an important part of the neighborhood and needed to be preserved, so that calming measures need to be done without interfering with them.

“If nothing is done, the question is not if there will be a fatality here but when,” O’Leary said. “There are three schools on this street and hundreds of families bring their children to the park on the other side. With no traffic lights and hard to see signage and stop signs, this street turns into a drag strip. We are imploring the city to act now before there is an incident.”

The DOT also announced it has rescheduled a town hall meeting in Sunnyside to present its updated proposal for corridor-wide safety improvements on Skillman and 43rd avenues. The area’s small businesses pushed back against the original proposal, fearing the loss of 158 parking spots , to make way for protected bike lanes, would devastate the neighborhood’s economy.

The town hall will be held March 26 at PS 150, located at 40-01 43rd Ave., beginning at 6:30 p.m.

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

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By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

Legislation that would make it easier for New Yorkers to become organ donors was passed by the state Senate Monday.

State Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst), the author of the bill, said New York state ranks third in the nation with the highest need for donors, and it is second to last in the nation per capita when it comes to registered organ donors.

Donate Life, a nonprofit organ donor registry in the country, pointed out that nearly 9,500 New Yorkers throughout the state are waiting for organ transplants. Over 1,600 New Yorkers have been on a waiting list for a life-saving organ transplant for more than five years. In 2017, more than 2,200 New Yorkers received a life-saving organ transplant.

“Signing up for the organ donation registry is the highest form of solidarity with others,” Peralta said. “One organ donated is one life saved. Unfortunately, far too many New Yorkers are waiting for organs.”

New Yorkers who want to become organ donors currently can only do so by signing up for the Donate Life Registry at the Department of Motor Vehicles, when applying for health coverage through the New York state health exchange, on voter registration forms, and separate stand-alone forms. Under the legislation passed by the Senate, student loan and student aid applications would include the question: “Would you like to be added to the Donate Life Registry? Check box for ‘yes,’ or check the box ‘skip question.’

“Simply put, this proposal will increase the number of New Yorkers who become organ donors by including an option to check if you want to be included in the donate life registry on student loan forms,” Peralta said. “This is a common-sense approach to increasing the number of people who register as organ donors.”

Peralta urged the state Assembly to follow suit and pass his proposal.

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

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By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

Bayside will be celebrating its first ever St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Bell Boulevard March 24 with dozens of community groups honoring Irish heritage.

The festivities, set to kick off at around 10 a.m., will travel between 36th and 41st avenues and will feature traditional music, dance and other cultural hallmarks reflecting the values of the Irish community in Bayside.

Inis Fada Pipe and Drum Band based out of Mineola will have 12 to 15 marchers in the parade and will be joined by the MTA PD Pipes and Drums, as well as Molloy High School Pipes and Drums.

“Many of us in the band — including myself — have lived or worked in Bayside and have deep connections with Bayside and Bell Boulevard,” John Graney from Inis Fada said. “Our band has been around for nearly 60 years and we march in the same parades each year. Adding Bayside will be very exciting for us as it is close to our home base in Mineola, and familiar to so many of us. We’re looking forward to meeting new people at Bayside, marching down Bell Boulevard and, of course, the after party.”

Traditional Irish dancers will also grace Bell Boulevard.

The Ciara Greene School of Irish Step Dancing, which holds classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament — located at 34-45 202nd St. — will be joined by the Fitzpatrick Academy of Irish Dance based in Levittown, N.Y.

“We are so excited and happy to be participating,” Ciara Green Erdman, owner of the Ciara Greene School, said. “Our dancers wait all year long to celebrate St. Patrick and show off their hours of hard work in learning and perfecting their amazing Irish Step Dancing skills.”

The Fitzpatrick Academy teaches classes in Middle Village, Woodside and Whitestone.

The grand marshal of the parade will be Pat Lynch who is president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association of the City of New York and he will be followed by march aides Mary McCauley, Jeff Reinhart, Francis McLoughlin, Fr. Robert Whelan and Frank Talty.

Other organizations joining the march will be County Cavan Association, County Down Association, County Mayo Society, County Roscommon Society, Fitzpatrick Academy of Irish Dance, Habitat for Humanity,Hispanic American Court Officers Association, Irish American Center of Queens Nassau, Suffolk and Mineola, North Shore Animal Hospital, North West Bayside Civic Association, Sacred Heart Catholic Academy and Saint Francis Prep High School Irish Club.

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

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By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

When the popular Queens International Night Market returns for its fourth season at the New York Hall of Science parking lot in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in April, the first two nights will be ticketed to alleviate traffic, enormous crowds and any disruption to the surrounding community.

Over its first three seasons the food-focused festival drew more than 600,000 visitors, helped launch 200 new businesses in New York, and represented more than 80 nations through its vendors and their food. Last year the event averaged 9,000 attendees each Saturday night, according to its founder, John Wang.

“In order to create a uniquely diverse and welcoming event, we have focused almost obsessively on affordability and accessibility,” Wang said. “As a testament to that we continue to draw perhaps the most divers crowd in New York City — it feels like a true cross-section of NYC is in attendance on any given night. That’s really what makes the whole endeavor worthwhile.”

Debuting in 2015, the city’s first and only regularly occurring night market introduced a $5 price cap on all food and implemented uniquely accommodating vendor policies with the goal of creating a cultural event that appealed to the widest possible audience and encouraged small business. This year the Night Market has received more than 300 vendor applications and has already assigned roughly two-thirds of the available vending spots.

“We’re still holding fast to everything important to us — affordability, accessibility, diversity,” Wang said. “The only thing we’ve really changed since Day One is that a few dishes are priced at $6, and that’s only where the margins are razor thin.”

Last year, the Night Market raised and donated nearly $40,000 to various charities and causes, including immigration advocacy, NYPD and FDNY family survivors funds, NYC Parks, breast cancer research, and disaster relief in Puerto Rico and Mexico. This year the Night Market hopes to raise significant funds to help feed those in need and is looking for organizations and community leaders who would like to partner in these efforts.

“The Night Market is all about community and culture, and we aspire to give back as much as we possible can,” Wang said. “Across all of last year, we ended up raising and donating more money to charity than we actually made in profits. We’re still exploring the best organizations to support this year and are certainly open to suggestion.”

Tickets for the first two nights, April 21 and April 28, are $5 and can be purchased in advance by visiting queensnightmarket.com. The Night Market will be free and open to the public again starting May 5 and for the duration of the season.

“We’re in discussions with several potential sponsors. Any deal would go a very long way to keeping this event free-to-attend and keeping vendor fees as affordable as possible,” Wang said. “I believe the Night Market can create value for sponsors from a marketing and brand equity standpoint; companies can engage directly with hundreds of thousands of people, while also demonstrating a visible commitment to our core value — cultural and ethnic diversity, accessibility, and small business.”

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

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By Naeisha Rose

TimesLedger Newspapers

State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) has called the Parks Department’s response to his constituents’ complaints regarding city tree conditions “shameful.”

Avella distributed a survey to his constituents in February about the condition of overgrown city trees in his northeast Queens district. More than 1,250 people responded, which prompted Avella to send the location of hundreds of troublesome trees for the Parks Department to inspect.

At a news conference last Friday the senator said that after a few weeks, the Parks Department responded with a list of 65 of the locations he had submitted, instructing the homeowners to call 311. Avella, who called 311 “barely capable,” said instructing constituents to call the city help number is “disgraceful and a clear dereliction of duty.”

Avella immediately sent a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio, Parks Department Commissioner Mitchell Silver and the Corporation Counsel of the City of New York to call out the Parks Department response as negligent.

“I’m almost at a loss for words at how disgraceful this response was,” Avella said at the news conference. “For them to completely ignore an elected official’s complaints is absurd. God forbid one of these trees, which have now been reported to them as problematic, injure someone or damage property. The mayor and the Parks commissioner will be personally responsible.”

Avella said that the trees were brought to Park’s attention because of the dangers they posed to New Yorkers and that the agency’s handling of these complaints furthers the notion that the de Blasio administration does not care about the residents of northeast Queens.

The initial survey was sent to homeowners throughout parts of Senate District 11, which covers parts of Bayside, Whitestone and College Point, and asked them to evaluate the condition of city trees in front of their property or on their block.

Of the 1,250 homeowners who responded, the results revealed that 66 percent said they feared for their safety as a result of a tree on their block. Nearly three-quarters — 71 percent — said they were completely unaware of the Parks Department’s “Tree and Sidewalk Repair Program,” a free citywide program that shifts the burden of responsibility for damaged sidewalks due to city tree roots back to the city for repairs.

Parks Department spokeswoman Meghan Lalor said that the letter sent to Avella was their responce to the first 65 letters and that they will continue to respond.

“Calling 311 routes tree service requests directly to Parks foresters,” she said. “It is the most efficient and effective way to address tree issues.”

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

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By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

A pair of Republican city lawmakers joined together to introduce a bill which will qualify Cold War veterans for a tax exemption currently only reserved for those who served in a “specified period of conflict.”

City Councilmen Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) and Joe Borelli (R-Staten Island) are the prime sponsors of the bill, which was originally signed onto by Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside) and two other legislators.

“As a proud advocate for our nation’s heroes, I am thrilled to sponsor this bill, which would expand New York City’s veterans property tax exemption to Cold War veterans,” Ulrich said. “Although it would be impossible to fully repay the debt we owe our veterans for their service, our government should make every effort to commemorate the sacrifices of our brave men and women in uniform.”

Although the Cold War can be viewed as little more than a series of spy games and proxy wars, the bill would grant the property tax exemption to U.S. troops who served in conflicts ranging from Latin American operations throughout the Cold War to the 1983 Marine Barracks bombing in Beirut, to the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979.

“The fact is, as a city, we have been excluding women and men who have served their country and stared down the tangible danger that accompanies combat because the engagements they’ve served in have not been sanctioned by bureaucrats which would allow them their due benefits,” Borelli said. “There is no one who would dispute the risks or dangers faced by the participants of these engagements and the semantics of what is or is not deemed to be a ‘specified’ combat engagement is insulting to the participants. The correction that this bill makes is long overdue, and I’m proud of the support that I’ve received from my colleagues right out of the gate, which exemplifies the importance of this issue to so many New Yorkers from such a diversity of districts across our city.”

The bill does not currently have a vote date at City Hall.

“Expansion of the Veterans property tax exemption to include Cold War Veterans will have an enormous impact for those who served our armed forces. Many veterans living in private homes, co-ops and condos have often expressed the difficulty of getting by on fixed incomes while dealing with escalating property taxes,” Vallone said.

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

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By Naeisha Rose

TimesLedger Newspapers

Students at the Al-Iman School in Jamaica celebrated different cultures around the world at the school’s annual Heritage Day event last Friday.

Students from kindergarten to grade 12 showed off their handmade projects, illustrating the diversity, customs and history of countries all around the world. The daylong event featured performances, including the singing of national anthems and stage presentations on projectors.

Program coordinator administrator Rizwan Rizvi said the event is meant to provide an opportunity to connect to diverse cultural backgrounds and to establish an understanding and common ground with the rest of their society and country.

The focal point of the event was the visual presentations on display. Students brought in food, clothing and artifacts as part of their research. One student who worked on the Middle East brought authentic coffee and dates from Iraq. Students assigned to Morocco contributed a hookah and traditional clothing they were able to borrow from family friends who lived in the region. Other aspects of the presentations included the monuments and cultural staples made by hand using clay and other arts and crafts materials.

“It provides a hands-on learning experience to the students of Al-Iman School, where they would learn, utilize and polish their educational and social skills they acquired in their classrooms,” Rizvi said. “Preparing for this occasion provided students opportunities to utilize their knowledge of subjects such as history, art and natural sciences to create the displays with the help and guidance of their teachers and parents.”

Teacher Brother Zakaria said that during Heritage Day, students have the opportunity to explore the multiculturalism of New York. He said that because it is an Islamic school, Al-Iman — located at 89-89 Van Wyck Expressway — usually tries to connect the history of Islam in different places. For example, students who worked on South America included information about some of the mosques in Brazil and Argentina where there is a large population of Muslims.

“We try to link Islam in,” he said. “It’s not the main point of emphasis, Islam in these countries, but we try to dive into it, if there is any.”

The Islamic students who ventured into parts of the world like South America and Europe were particularly excited to show off new information they did not have much insight into previously.

Nour Hakio, who worked with fellow 9th graders on Northern European displays including Finland and Serbia, said researching the history of other cultures led to a better understanding of her own.

“This is the first year we’re doing cultures other than our own,” she said. “I’m Lebanese so I got excited because I thought I was doing Lebanon, but it turns out we got to do Northern Europe this year which was actually interesting because sometimes when you sit down and learn about another country that isn’t yours, you can actually learn more about your own. I learned that my culture itself has a lot in common with countries I never heard of before. It opened my eyes to see more about the world. I learned about events I never heard about before as well.”

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

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By Tammy Scileppi

TimesLedger Newspapers

If you enjoyed “American Graffiti,” or grew up in Queens in the 1980s, or spent your teenage years cruising up and down Main Street, you’re bound to connect with “Cruise,” a nostalgic feature film coming out later this year.

Set in Whitestone during the summer of 1987, this coming of age story centers around an Italian-American teen named Gio Fortunato, played by rising actor Spencer Boldman, whose character is loosely based on executive producer Gino Cafarelli.

Like many guys his age, Gino spends his free time driving around with his buddies while checking out all the pretty girls driving by in their cars — much like young Gino back in the day, before social media became king.

“The film was inspired by me, and my nights and days cruising ‘Franny Lew’ — Francis Lewis Boulevard — back in the ‘80s. My neighborhood back in the day was like the nights of ‘American Graffiti,’” said Cafarelli, who grew up in Flushing on 33rd Avenue, and has a supporting role in his film. “That was how many young people connected with each other in those days. Our social media in the ‘80s and early ‘90s was Francis Lewis Boulevard.”

The year 1987 was especially memorable for Cafarelli. It was the year he graduated Holy Cross High School (located on Francis Lewis Boulevard). He was 17 and it would be the last summer of fun before going off to college at St. John’s University.

The producer recalled his free-wheeling days driving around without a care in the world in his 1981 Cutlass Supreme with a custom electric blue paint job, and blasting his favorite song, “Running,” by Information Society. It was the era of freestyle dance music.

“Your car smelled great. All washed up. Windows down. Music blasting on a summer day or night. No better feeling. You felt on top of the world.”

Cafarelli said his favorite “parking spots” were in front of Pioneer bank on Francis Lewis Boulevard and the parking lot at Parsons Boulevard and Willets Point Boulevard, a mile or two away from Franny Lew. It may sound boring now, but for Gino and his friends, that was their world, and it was an exciting time. That summer was their last hurrah before parting ways and going off to college.

“I hung out mainly in Flushing, Whitestone and Bayside, and then on some off-Franny Lew nights, my friends and I would visit other cruising spots and go into other neighborhoods, like 86th Street in Brooklyn, and Central Avenue in Yonkers. The clubs we would frequent in Queens were Avanti in Bayside and Paleds in Rego Park,” Cafarelli recalled.

As the son of immigrant parents from Pietrapertosa, Italy — Cafarelli described them as “old school Italians” — he got plenty of inspiration for his part in the film, playing “Gio’s” dad opposite Kathrine Narducci (HBO’s “Wizard of Lies,” “The Sopranos”), who plays his wife. The leading lady love interest is played by Emily Ratajkowski (“We Are Your Friends,” “Entourage,” “Gone Girl).

You may have seen Cafarelli on popular TV shows like “Blue Bloods,” “CSI,” “Dexter,” “Boardwalk Empire,” and “Nurse Jackie,” to name a few. He was cast as Vinny Pitts in an episode of “The Sopranos,” and had a cameo role as Joe Pesci’s bodyguard in “The Good Shepherd.”

The seeds for “Cruise” were sown when Cafarelli posted his very first reel to YouTube and was subsequently discovered by Robert Siegel, writer/director of the Oscar nominated film, “The Wrestler.” In 2009, Siegel offered him the supporting lead role of Jeff Aufiero, a fast-talking attorney, opposite actor/comedian Patton Oswalt, in Siegel’s film “Big Fan.”

“I filmed a short story pitch presentation in 2012 titled ‘Franny Lew,’ and showed it to Siegel. I told him about my days cruising, and how those days and nights should be told in a story. We moved forward, he started writing the screenplay and eventually directing the film as well,” Cafarelli said. “Currently, a few distribution companies are looking at the film before it’s released in a few major cities theatrically.”

Cafarelli recently directed the short film “Bricklayer’s Poet,” which screened March 15 at Astoria’s Museum of the Moving Image during the ongoing 8th Annual Queens World Film Festival.

He will also be appearing in Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” as Mayor Frank Rizzo of Philadelphia, in a scene in which he attends an event thrown by Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) for Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro). The movie is set for release in 2019.

In his work, the actor and producer says he has always tried to balance an interest in his cultural heritage with a desire to move beyond a strictly Italian-American experience.

Like “American Graffiti,” perhaps “Cruise” will remind viewers that you just can’t stay 17 forever.

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By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

Capt. John Hall plans to launch the latest programs while continuing the work of his predecessor as deputy inspector at the 111th Precinct in Bayside.

Hall, a Queens resident, hopes to bring his experience in developing the Neighborhood Policing program at 1 Police Plaza into the mix to tackle burglaries and illegal parking in the communities the 111th serves.

“Burglary is one of my primary concerns — it’s one of the crimes that’s been spiking lately — and also the quality-of-life issues that revolve around parking,” Hall said in an interview.

He explained how he plans keep up the work of Deputy Inspector William McBride, who was rotated out of the precinct — as is routine — to alleviate resident complaints about abandoned cars and those belonging to dealerships along Northern Boulevard by implementing towing operations. McBride was reassigned after three years,

Hall grew up in Pittsburgh and studied at Cornell University before moving to the city in 2004 to join NYPD. He served at two different precincts in the Bronx, where he dealt with parking congestion issues, and at the 5th Precinct in Manhattan’s Chinatown.

Hall is no stranger to the 111th Precinct after serving as an executive officer for six months in 2015.

The new deputy inspector’s most recent assignment was in the police commissioner’s office as part of the Neighborhood Policing Strategy Group for four months. He is familiar with the program and is looking forward to the full launch of the program in northeast Queens.

As part of the program, Neighborhood Coordination Officers will oversee sectors within the precinct and two subordinate officers will function as the “eyes on the street,” according to Hall.

Residents will be able to text these officers about neighborhood problems, since the 111th Precinct and others like it cover a large swath of the city.

“One of the advantages is we can break up that area and have officers assigned to each part,” Hall said. “Also, the patrol officers who typically run radio call after radio call, they’re going to have time off patrol to actually interact with the public and deal with the problems that come up… [Patrol officers] are going to be more community facing than they have been previously.”

Hall said he will be welcoming a new community affairs officer to the 111th after Officer Luigi Galano was assigned to Crime Analysis at the precinct.

The new community affairs officer coming to the 111th Precinct will have experience with the Metropolitan Police in London, according to Hall.

“It’s going to be tough to keep up with what [McBride] did. He made two successive years of crime decreases in a place that’s already very low on crime, so it’s going to be interesting just to maintain that,” Hall said.

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

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