14 THE QUEENS COURIER • FEBRUARY 9, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM Bayside residents fuming over idling LIRR construction trucks near a local work site BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI [email protected] @smont76 Bayside residents living by a Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) work site are fed up with the noise and health concerns stemming from the space. Individuals living in the area between 216th and 220th streets along the north side of the LIRR Port Washington Line spoke out at the Feb. 6 Community Board 11 meeting about the quality-of-life concerns the work site poses to their families and neighbors. James Lollo, a resident of 218th Street, said he and his neighbors have been dealing with these conditions for years now. “Our lives have been and continue to be gravely aff ected by the LIRR’s work yard, construction site, junkyard and dumpsite that they planted in the middle of our clean and quiet residential neighborhood,” Lollo said at the Feb. 6 meeting. Lollo spoke about diesel trucks that are left idling “for hours and oft en for days” during the day and evening hours, interrupting residents’ sleep and posing environmental and personal health concerns. Another resident also spoke to the matter, stating the diesel fumes are a special cause for concern to her son and elderly father, who both have asthma. Lollo also said that workers at the site operate back hoes, tractor trailers and trucks “erratically” in the area, and claimed to have seen certain workers urinate and defecate in the open. Residents met with LIRR representatives during an on-site visit in Nov. 2016, at which time the railroad agreed to lessen the noise, Lollo said. Still, residents have seen no improvements. “We respectfully request your help in bringing about the immediate closure and removal of this work site,” Lollo said. “It is both urgent and necessary to the health and well being of our community.” A representative from Assemblyman Edward Braunstein’s offi ce said the lawmaker also attended the Nov. 2016 on-site meeting and has been working with residents and the LIRR since this summer to alleviate the issue. On Feb. 1, Braunstein sent a letter to Edward M. Dumas, vice president of market development and public aff airs for the LIRR, asking whether he could investigate the feasibility of shutting down the site completely and moving it to a non-residential area. Braunstein’s representative also said the LIRR has moved a signifi cant number of workers from the site within the last week. An LIRR spokesperson said there is a project underway to resurface the tracks of the Port Washington Branch between Bayside and Great Neck, and this work must take place between 1 and 5 a.m. when train schedules are lightest. Th e spokesperson also said what residents are hearing, especially recently, is more likely track work equipment, not diesel locomotives, and workers have been asked to minimize or eliminate truck idling and minimize the idle time of the equipment. “We want to be good neighbors,” the LIRR spokesperson said. “Ongoing overnight track work to resurface the tracks of the Port Washington Branch to ensure their safety has led to an increase in overnight activity in the yard. We’re about halfway through the project. We’ve asked our employees to be sensitive about idling of equipment and trucks, and minimize it to the extent they can.” Little Neck students compete in exciting robotics competition BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI [email protected]/@smont76 Th e RoboPandas of P.S. 94 in Little Neck geared up for a fast-paced robotics competition last weekend. A group of fi ft h-grade students and their robot, Panda Recruit Ginny, headed to the Bronx on Feb. 4 to compete among 60 teams at the FIRST LEGO League competition. Th e team of eight students and four coaches have met once a week aft er school since the beginning of the year in preparation, students explained at a sendoff event on Jan. 30. Split into researcher, builder and programming groups, students worked collaboratively to fulfi ll the contest’s two-part requirement: a research project and robot design. For the research project, the group had to come up with a real-world problem related to this year’s theme, “Animal Allies,” and come up with a solution to solve it. Th ey decided on “Feeding the Waterfowl is Fowl” — a campaign to deter people from feeding waterfowl living in public parks. Th e students created “MAM,” or Motion Activated Mallard: a device designed to deliver an audible message to passersby. Th e students presented MAM to judges at the Feb. 4 competition and are slated to present the real-life solution to the NYC Park Department at an upcoming meeting. Th eir robot, Ginny, was specially programmed and designed to complete a series of tasks at the competition. Students explained how they worked to give the robot a sturdy design while also making sure it was equipped with the attachments needed to perform. “What’s great about FIRST LEGO League is that one of the values is to have fun,” said Ellie Glus, coach and fourthgrade teacher. “Th ey do it not to win: it’s for their exploration. And it’s for them to learn and share.” Student Jiayn Yan explained that being involved in the program has helped her grow in a multitude of ways. “I’m a researcher,” Yan said. “We got to design the poster boards, research and learn about a lot of things. And we also got to know each other better and work with the robots.” Yan said she is interested in mathematics and aspires to be a fashion designer or an airplane pilot when she grows up. Councilman Paul Vallone also attended the RoboPandas’ send-off and wished them luck at the competition. P.S. 94 is located at 41-77 Little Neck Pkwy. Photo by Suzanne Monteverdi/QNS Students explain the mechanical design of their team robot. Photos via Wikimedia Commons and Suzanne Monteverdi/THE COURIER 217th Street along the north side of the rail tracks, where the LIRR has set up a work site.
QC02092017
To see the actual publication please follow the link above