FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM OCTOBER 5, 2017 • THE QUEENS COURIER 37
oped
This photo from the Ridgewood Times archives in the 1970s shows bumper-to-bumper traffi c along the Grand Avenue overpass, looking
west above the Long Island Expressway, in Maspeth. Look carefully at the expressway in the background and you can see three
lanes of traffi c moving in each direction. The LIE was expanded to four lanes in each direction during the late 1980s. Send us your
historic photos of Queens by email to editorial@qns.com (subject: A Look Back) or mail printed pictures to A Look Back, The Queens
Courier, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361. All mailed pictures will be carefully returned to you.
letters & comments
WORST. PRESIDENT.
EVER?
People should stop criticizing
President Trump. Th anks to him
we’ve learned that Puerto Rico is an
island, and islands are surrounded by
water, big water, ocean water. We’ve
also learned from the president that
Puerto Ricans would rather drink
from puddles than help themselves.
Th at’s why while attending a golf
tournament in New Jersey, Trump
dedicated the “Presidents Cup” trophy
to the people of Puerto Rico. I
wonder if he’ll fi ll it with clean drinking
water?
Warren G. Harding is widely considered
by modern day historians to
be the worst president ever. Everyone
should take note that modern day
historians are aware of who the president
is right now!
Robert LaRosa, Whitestone
HEARTFELT THANKS
FOR A LOCAL HOSPITAL
Let me fi rst state my reasons for my
praise for Northwell Health Hospital
in New Hyde Park. My wife Eva was
feeling confused, felt a numbness in
her right arm and had suff ered memory
problems.
Aft er seeing a local doctor we
were directed to the ER at Northwell
Health hospital in New Hyde Park,
which was formerly LIJ. She was
eventually diagnosed with having
a TIA, a mild stroke. What was
remarkable was the kindness and the
concern of the doctors, nurses, health
aides and volunteers. Th ey took us
step by step with what had to be done
with the many tests that were performed
and put us somewhat at ease.
I feel at this time that not enough
praise can be given to all the doctors,
nurses and health aids who go the
extra mile and show compassion for
all that are ill. I know this fi rst hand
due to my observations in the ER.
Let me say kudos to all at Northwell
Health for all that they do extremely
well. Th ank you!
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.,
Glen Oaks Village
DOT SHOULD GIVE
BOARD BIKE PLAN
A CHANCE
As a member of Community Board
11, I supported the plan developed
by board member and retired professional
engineer Bernard Haber for a
bike lane along Northern Boulevard
between 223rd Street in Bayside
and Douglaston Parkway. Th e sidewalk
would be widened to accommodate
both the bicycle riders and
the pedestrians. Th e Department of
Transportation’s plan, on the other
hand, will have the bike lane take
up one lane of westbound Northern
Boulevard through the alley.
Mr. Haber’s plan is not only feasible
and cost-eff ective, it would be
much safer for the bicycle riders as
they navigate past entrances and
exits by the Cross Island Parkway.
All westbound lanes of Northern
Boulevard under his plan would be
preserved for motorists, thus easing
the fl ow of traffi c, which is oft en
very heavy in that location. Parking
on the north side of the boulevard by
the golf center would also remain an
option under the plan.
It was my hope that the NYC
Department of Transportation
(DOT) would postpone the implementation
of their plan for the alley
bike lane until a thorough review
could be made of the plan approved
by the board. However, the DOT has
already marked a westbound lane of
Northern Boulevard with bike lane
lines. Motorists will no longer be
allowed to use that lane.
Th e community board represents
all of the people in the area, and
although our role is advisory, our
vote should stand for something.
Time will tell how the DOT plan
for the bike lane will impact on our
shared community.
Henry Euler, Bayside
BLAMES COUNCILMAN
FOR ‘MORONIC’
BIKE LANE
Dear Councilman Vallone: I have
no idea where you got the brilliant
idea to put in a bicycle lane
on Northern Boulevard between
the Cross Island and Douglaston
Parkways, which is one of the busiest
parts of that road. Th at is bad
enough. Today, I noticed that the
bike lane is being extended into the
exact area where the Cross Island
exits onto Northern Boulevard west.
Whose bright idea was it to place a
bike lane directly in the exit lane of a
highway? Positively moronic!
Elizabeth A. Knajdl, Bayside
Editor’s note: Th e preceding was
an open letter by the author to
Councilman Paul Vallone. It should
be noted that the city Department
of Transportation (DOT) is responsible
for installing bike lanes and
has been expanding the bike lane
network throughout city, including
along Northern Boulevard.
Email your letters to editorial@
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are subject to editing. Names
will be withheld upon request, but
anonymous letters will not be considered
for publication. Th e views
expressed in all letters and comments
are not necessarily those of
this publication or its staff .
NYC is failing
our mentally ill
BY ASSEMBLYWOMAN NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS
Every one of us has a childhood memory of being
warned to stay away from that person who talked
to himself or was seemingly unstable but when we
looked through our innocent eyes into theirs we saw
sadness and confusion. Th ese are our mentally ill.
Th ey go by many names, including Jane or John
Doe, but they remain members of our community.
Statistics show that 18 percent of New York
City’s population suff ers from mental disorders.
Approximately 239,000 New Yorkers suff er from
severe mental illness. Th e severely mentally ill can be
found in our jail population, our hospitals and living
on our streets.
Many of the severely mentally ill are so sick that
they have no real appreciation of their illness and
therefore will not accept voluntary treatment. Nearly
half of these individuals have not received mental
health treatment within the past year. Th e current
“early intervention” and prevention programs for
mental illness falls short as many of the symptoms are
not recognized until much later in life and oft entimes
the cause is unknown. For instance, men tend to
develop schizophrenia earlier than women, between
the ages of 16-25 while the onset for women is closer
to 30. Th ese individuals then are without diagnosis or
treatment for a signifi cant amount of time.
While the mayor has committed to spend $800
million on his Mental Health plan (Th rive NYC),
this plan targets the highly functioning mentally ill,
neglecting the severely mentally ill who are the cause
of much of the public chaos and crime. While the jail
population has decreased, the percentage of mentally
ill who are incarcerated has increased. Incarceration
does nothing to address their need for treatment. It
simply detains their integration back into the community
still lacking the necessary coping skills and
mental health treatment they need to prevent them
from doing harm to themselves or others.
Our seriously mentally ill need a mayor committed
to help them achieve a better quality of life. As mayor,
I will address the needs of the seriously mentally ill to
reduce crime, violence and quality-of-life infractions.
As mayor, I will create programs that target the
seriously mentally ill and utilize Kendra’s Law to get
outpatient treatment for the seriously mentally ill. In
1999, 29-year-old schizophrenic Andrew Goldstein
pushed Kendra Webdale into the path of an oncoming
train. Kendra’s Law was enacted to increase public
safety by allowing family, friends and community
members to petition for an individual to receive
mental health treatment before they become a “danger
to themselves or others.”
Under this law, judges have the ability to order
someone with serious illness and a history of
non-compliance leading to incarceration or needless
hospitalizations to be transferred to mandated
and monitored treatment. Th e proper use of Kendra’s
Law benefi ts the individual, their family and the community,
reducing arrests by 83 percent, incarcerations
by 87 percent, homelessness by 74 percent and
psychiatric hospitalizations by 77 percent.
Targeting the serious mentally ill for treatment is
both humane and cost eff ective. As mayor, I will
focus mental health treatment of the most seriously
mentally ill to provide an elevated quality of life to
everyone involved.
Nicole Malliotakis represents parts of Staten Island
and Brooklyn in the New York State Assembly and is
the Republican nominee for mayor.
A LOOK BACK