4 THE QUEENS COURIER • APRIL 27, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM Helicopter noise, immigration & more discussed at Whitestone town hall with Congressman Suozzi BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI [email protected] @smont76 Community members gathered in Whitestone on Tuesday night to air local, national and global concerns with their local congressman. Organized in collaboration with the We Love Whitestone Civic Association, constituents from northeast Queens and Long Island posed questions, comments and concerns to Congressman Tom Suozzi, who was elected to fi ll Steve Israel’s seat last November. Civic president Alfredo Centola began the forum, which took place at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church, with a major local concern: helicopter and airplane noise. “I’m one of the lucky people to live beneath the helicopter route,” Centola said. “At 4:44 this morning, there was a helicopter that started vibrating the house … I just want to make sure that we understand the airplane noise and the helicopter noise are two separate issues.” Suozzi, who was recently appointed as co-chair of the Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus, said the group is aware of the nuances of both issues. Th e lawmaker said the caucus very recently asked Photo courtesy of City Councilman Barry Grodenchik’s offi ce Timing changes at busy intersection near North Shore Towers Aft er years of appeals from North Shore Towers residents for safety improvements, the city Department of Transportation (DOT) is changing the signal timing at the corner of Little Neck Parkway and the Grand Central Parkway service road. As announced by City Councilman Barry Grodenchik on April 26, the change will eliminate vehicle and pedestrian confl icts, thereby making it safer for every driver or pedestrian to pass through. Grodenchik made the announcement along with DOT Deputy Queens Borough Commissioner Albert Silvestri, North Shore Towers Political Action Committee Chairperson Felice Hannah. Congress to fund a study of the health eff ects aircraft noise imposes on northeast Queens residents to provide objective evidence to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). He also said that Delta Airlines recently stopped fl ying its MD-88 jet, a particularly loud model, out of LaGuardia Airport. Still, Suozzi acknowledged, much more needs to be done to provide relief. “Helicopter noise has now evolved into what is literally an outrageous assault on our daily lives,” a lifelong Whitestone resident added later. “It’s here; it’s now; it’s today.” A resident who emigrated from Ireland to Whitestone took to the microphone to ask the congressman about his stance on immigration policy. Suozzi, who also sits on the House Armed Services and Foreign Aff airs Committees, said he does not agree with the president’s recent travel ban and “is very much in favor of a path to citizenship.” “I’m all for enforcing the rules; I’m all for shutting down the border,” he continued. “But I think that we should be creating a path to citizenship.” Topics also discussed at the town hall included the ongoing situation in Syria, illicit spas reportedly operating in northeast Photos by Suzanne Monteverdi/QNS Queens and Russian involvement in the presidential election. “Whitestone is a very nice community,” Suozzi said. “I’m really impressed by the questions here tonight. When I was campaigning in this area, I felt a very strong sense of neighborhood. People really look out for their neighborhood and they care … And I’ll be around.” Suozzi revealed that in his fi rst 100 days in offi ce, an astounding 35,000 people have contacted his offi ce and he has received 1,200 meeting requests. Th e Congressman also offi cially opened up his Queens offi ce in Little Neck on April 19. Congressman Tom Suozzi (center) addresses constituents in Whitestone. Body found in Kissena Park identifi ed as a missing person who took his own life BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI [email protected] @smont76 Th e badly decomposed remains that were discovered in a heavily wooded area of Flushing‘s Kissena Park on Feb. 8 were those of a man who took his own life, according to the commanding offi cer of the 109th Precinct. “While it was a very unfortunate situation, what it ended up being was a male who had gone missing,” Inspector Judith Harrison reported on April 18 at the 109th Precinct Community Council meeting in Flushing. “He wasn’t a victim of a crime; he wasn’t murdered. He had left a note and he had taken his own life.” In searching the vicinity of 164th Street between Underhill and Booth Memorial Avenues where the body was found, detectives discovered a box cutter they believe the individual used on himself, the inspector continued. Detectives would determine that the man had bought the box cutter months before his body was found. “He had some challenges in his personal life,” Harrison said. “We were able to close out that missing person’s case and we were able to give the family some closure.” Photo via We Love Whitestone Facebook group/Jimmy Johnson Th e 109th Precinct Detective Squad worked closely with the Medical Examiner’s offi ce and a forensic anthropologist to help close the case. Authorities on the scene at Kissena Park on Feb. 8.
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