FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM APRIL 27, 2017 • THE QUEENS COURIER 3 Cross Island car fi re was suicide: cops Detectives determined that a man who died in a car fi re on the Cross Island Parkway in Bayside on April 19 apparently killed himself. Th e incident took place at 5:26 a.m. on April 19 along the parkway’s southbound lanes near the Bayside Marina, between the Bell Boulevard and Northern Boulevard exits. Fire Department units and the 111th Precinct responded to 911 calls about the incident. Aft er putting out the fi re, law enforcement sources said, fi refi ghters discovered a body inside the vehicle. During a preliminary investigation, police determined that Fnu Paramjitkumar, 41, of 251st Street in Bellerose allegedly pulled his sedan over to the side, then doused himself in gasoline and set himself on fi re. Police recovered a can of gasoline with him at the scene. Robert Pozarycki Property crimes plaguing 109th Precinct Grand larceny off enses lead crime in Flushing, Whitestone and College Point, according to the commanding offi cer of the 109th Precinct. According to Inspector Judith Harrison, while the recent work van theft crime trend has “curtailed itself,” property theft and monetary scams still continue to drive crime numbers in the precinct. To avoid falling victim to the prevalent mail fi shing crime, where perpetrators pull mail from mailboxes, the inspector encouraged residents to invest in Uniball 207 pens. Th e gel impact pens contain an ink that sticks to checks and documents, making it harder for thieves to wash and alter them. She also encouraged residents to invest in paper shredders to properly dispose of all important documents thieves may look out for in the trash. Suzanne Monteverdi Ulrich says he likes ‘Bo’ for mayor Republican Councilman Eric Ulrich, who represents Ozone Park and Howard Beach, took to the steps of City Hall on April 24 to announce his support for independent mayoral candidate Richard “Bo” Dietl. Dietl is a fellow Queens native and a former NYPD detective who founded Beau Dietl & Associates, a NYC-based investigative and security fi rm. He’s a frequent guest on television and radio political talk shows, made a cameo in the 1990 Martin Scorsese fi lm “Goodfellas” and was once a pitchman for Arby’s. Dietl offi cially announced his intent to run in March. A lifelong Republican, he originally tried to re-register as a Democrat to run against de Blasio in the primary, but couldn’t over what he said was a paperwork error. He is instead running as an independent. Ulrich himself considered challenging de Blasio last year, but announced in March that he would instead seek re-election to the City Council. Suzanne Monteverdi Photo by Suzanne Monteverdi/QNS THE TURMOIL ENDS After a long battle, Townsend Harris HS fi nally gets new principal BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI [email protected] @smont76 Aft er months of tumult, allegations and protests, a change in leadership is coming to Townsend Harris High School. Sighs of relief and cheers erupted from the dozens of community members who piled into the school’s library on April 20 as School Leadership Team co-chair and Parent Teacher Association co-president Susan Karlic announced that the Department of Education (DOE) had offi cially named Brian Condon permanent principal of the school. He will offi cially assume the position on May 1. “To new beginnings,” Karlic said. Since her arrival at the school in September, interim acting principal Rosemarie Jahoda has faced opposition from all sides. Students staged a sit-in in December to bring attention to alleged faculty harassment and changes to programs and course off erings without community input. Later that month, teachers, students, alumni and lawmakers rallied outside of the school to call for Jahoda’s removal. In February, the community took their fi ght to City Hall, frustrated with the lack of communication from the DOE’s mandated C-30 principal hiring process and calling attention to Jahoda’s alleged refusal to address discrimination faced by a group of students during school hours. Condon, who most recently served as principal at the School for Tourism and Hospitality in the Bronx, was selected by Superintendent Elaine Lindsey for the job in Level II of the C-30 process. In Level I, select community members could interview, score and rank each candidate and hand that information over to the superintendent for her consideration. “I think, as an entire school community, I can say that we’re completely relieved,” said Vanessa Lau, a senior student. “We’re ecstatic that we’re getting new leadership and the students who were able to research Conlon and learn about him approve of him.” Alex Chen, the student union president who took a leading role in the series of protests and rallies, also spoke of relief. “Conlon is a very capable leader, and I’m very ready to see him and help him integrate himself into the school community,” he said. Franco Scardino, a teacher at the school for 17 years, said he hopes students take away a number of lessons from the months-long experience. “Th at their voices matter,” the educator said. “Th e importance of organizing and civic engagement … Th ey are the future voters; they are the future civic activists.” “While the search for the next leader of Townsend Harris was certainly full of bumps and many frustrations, the end result is clear: We feel that in Mr. Condon, we have the right person to take our school to the next level of excellence,” said Townsend Harris Alumni Association co-presidents Craig Slutzkin and Selina Lee in a joint statement. “We applaud the Department of Education for its wisdom in making this selection.” Assemblymember Nily Rozic, who is a Townsend Harris alumna and stood with the community at their rally at City Hall, also praised the city’s decision, but continued the call for a revised mandated hiring process. “With the end of the C30 process and a new principal placement at Townsend Harris High School today, I would like to thank Mayor de Blasio and the Department of Education for heeding the call of our community and choosing a candidate that will move this school forward,” Rozic said. “Over the last couple of months, the community came together to have their voices heard and showed that through continued activism, positive change can happen. I look forward to working with the new principal in order to ensure that Townsend Harris is the best it can be for our students and to continuing to work with the administration to create a more transparent C30 process.” “Replacing the interim acting principal at Townsend Harris High School is a welcome move and quite frankly, it’s about time,” Congresswoman Grace Meng said. “Clearly, Rosemarie Jahoda did not serve the school well. Her lack of leadership, ineff ectiveness and complaints from parents and teachers caused unnecessary stress and havoc, and it distracted hard-working students from their important studies. It is my hope that the situation at Townsend Harris will soon improve, and I welcome and look forward to working with the school’s new principal Brian Condon. I am also thankful to all the parents and students who spoke out and raised concerns. Th e education and future of our students must always be the top priority of our schools.” The school community reacts to the announcement.
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