By Bob Harris
She said she visited several locations that the city was denied access to several times, called “no access.” This is the weakness of the DOB enforcement. Someone would have to sign an affidavit so a court order could be issued to allow an inspector to enter a private house. After several “no access” complaints are checked, the DOB lists the case as “closed.” What a way to run a city!The May 2006 report told of representing CB 8, with Martha Taylor, at a Town Hall meeting with Mayor Bloomberg. The Mayor announced that a new EMS station is being built at Queens Hospital Center. While this is good for Queens, I find that some homeowners feel the density pressure of all the building taking place at the Queens Hospital Center. Residents from the Hillcrest Estates Civic Association are especially concerned about the proposal to build an enlarged Gateway High School For Health Sciences on the northern part of the area.The mayor reported that CB 8 has the best schools in the city and the teachers are 100 percent certified. Our area has a very high life expectancy, which he attributes to the smoking ban. Cohen and Marc Haken attended the “Embracing Diversity and Bridging the Gap Between Children's Services and the Moslem Community Forum” at Queens Borough Hall, in conjunction with the Northeast Queens Community Partnership ACS/Neighborhood-based Services, Borough President Helen Marshall and the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs.In June 2006 Cohen reported that CB 8 had donated arts and crafts supplies to the Briarwood Shelter for transitional families in need of temporary housing. Archbishop Molloy HS students tutor the children there after school. On Saturday mornings, students from Queens College act as “big brothers” to the youngsters. The Briarwood Civic Association and the advisory board helps the shelter in various ways. July 2006 was a busy month. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn spoke a Queens Borough Hall and announced expanded services at the libraries, expansion of litter pickup (too many cans are still overflowing), that the DOB will hire more workers (I will believe it when I see illegal things stop happening), more funding to health and hospitals, expanded pre-K and added money for parks to do pruning. St. John's presented its eighth annual Queens Symphony Orchestra summer concert, Queens Historical Society had a free puppet theater show, Alley Pond Environmental Center held a white elephant sale, there was “Hands on History” at King Manor, “Jewish Music Under the Stars” and the New York Philharmonic in Cunningham Park. CB 8's sidewalks were rated 98 percent clean and the Briarwood and Hillcrest libraries were closed for renovations. These are some things you can look forward to next spring and summer.The Department of Buildings has a homeowners night, each Tuesday evening from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. where people can ask about construction on their homes. Contractors can work between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and on one- and two-family homes on Saturdays and Sundays as long as they are not within 500 feet of a house of worship. Complaints can take between 40 to 60 days to investigate (stupid) but emergencies will be inspected within 11/2 days. Violation of a stop work order is now a criminal offense. They are posted on the DOB Web site www.nyc.gov/buildings Call 311 or CB 8 at 718-2647895 for information.Incidentally, Diane Cohen retired on Dec. 29. Temporarily taking her place will be office workers Barbara McKeon, Stella Rakhman and Jennifer Phillips. The phone number is 718-264-7895.GOOD AND BAD NEWS OF THE WEEK: We know that education is important. We know that skills will help people out of poverty and to be good citizens. In Afghanistan, the Taliban recognize the value of education so they warned two sisters to stop teaching. When the sisters kept teaching, they were killed by the Taliban along with three other family members. Twenty educators have been killed by the Taliban this year in Afghanistan. That is how they keep the people ignorant and under their control.
