By Zach Patberg
Marshall, a Democrat, trounced her Republican challenger Philip Sica in the November elections on the platform of strong advocacy for seniors, immigrants and working class homeowners — demographics prevalent in Queens. She entered office in 2001 after serving in the state Assembly and City Council, replacing Claire Shulman, Queens' first female borough president, who was forced out by term limits.”I trust I have lived up to your expectations in the past four years,” Marshall said in an address to hundreds of elected officials and residents at Terrace on the Park Tuesday morning. “And I hope to do so in the next four.”One major priority Marshall highlighted for her next term is “the coming hospital crisis which I am afraid looms in the future.”Last year Flushing's St. Joseph's Hospital closed before its parent, St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Centers, filed for bankruptcy protection. Parkway Hospital in Forest Hills also sought relief from its creditors. Then in December, St. Vincent's put to other Queens hospitals-St. John's in Elmhurst and Mary Immaculate in Jamaica-up for sale.Marshall, pointing to the borough's declining number of hospital beds, said she plans to work with state legislators on the problem and testify before the governor's commission on health care in Albany.”I will not tolerate the closing of any hospitals in Queens,” she said.Marshall also called for more affordable and inter-generational housing complexes that lease 80 percent of their units at market rent and 20 percent below.On education, she said learning should expand further to sports, art and business, with the Queens Chamber of Commerce encouraging its commercial vendors to offer student internships.To give an ear to teenage concerns, Marshall said she was sponsoring a youth forum this spring as well.Development was another central priority in the borough president's agenda, given the number of battles that have broken out in borough neighborhoods over balancing progressive building with preserving residential character.Applauding the successful rezoning of a dozen neighborhoods to prevent overdevelopment, Marshall also gave a nod to the recent construction of several facilities, including a health center in Arverne, a high school in Woodhaven and a performing arts center in Jamaica.As for downtown Flushing, “Willets Point will be born anew,” she said, pointing to the reviving of the RKO Keith's Theater as well as a new plaza in Parking Lot 1.”There is so much going on in the borough Queens,” Marshall said. “Queens is constantly changing and I believe for the better. My job as borough president is to raise the will to get these things done.”Reach reporter Zach Patberg at news@timesledger.com or at 718-229-0300, Ext.1 55.
