News from Assemblyman Phil Goldefeder

October 30, 2015 In This Issue Rockaway's NYPD Hero JFK Parking Issues No to Port Ambrose Safer Streets _________ Office Locations   Howard Beach    162-38 Cross Bay Blvd. Howard Beach, NY 11414718-641-8755 Rockaway Beach 95-16 Rockaway Beach Blvd. Rockaway Beach, NY 11693  718-945-9550  Albany LOB 542 Albany, NY 12248 518-455-4292      Quick Links   ______  News   Photos YouTube  NYC Police Foundation Judicial Diversion Program Explained  KAAMCO  JFK Chamber of Commerce  Submit a Comment on Port Ambrose Dear Neighbor,  As we mark the 3rd Anniversary of Sandy, recent events once again have brought our community together to weather a tragedy. The murder of NYPD Officer Randolph Holder, a son of Far Rockaway, made clear to us all the tremendous sense of duty and sacrifice shared by so many families across southern Queens and Rockaway. In dedicating his life to the service of others, Officer Holder exemplified the best of our community and served as a guiding light for us all.  Det. Randolph Holder 1982 - 2015 The criminal charged with Officer Holder's murder skipped court hearings as part of his enrollment in the state's Judicial Diversion program, a treatment option for non-violent drug offenders. Judicial Diversion allowed this alleged cop killer to slip through the cracks. It pains me to think that if law enforcement had been able to find this criminal, Officer Holder may still be with us. To prevent this from happening again, I introduced a bill requiring electronic monitoring of program participants. This will ensure that these potentially violent offenders are accounted for at all times.     Stay Strong,   Working with JFK Community     More than 37,000 people work at JFK Airport, making it as much a neighboring community as it is a transit hub. That's why I brought our community concerns over parking by airport employees to the two organizations that bring the airport community together: the Kennedy Aiport Airline Management Council (KAAMCO) and the JFK Chamber of Commerce. Speaking at the monthly meetings for both groups, I called for partnership on resolving the parking issue for surrounding communities. I look forward to working with KAAMCO and the Chamber to find lasting solutions that work for both airport employees and our families.  Protecting our Environment   Next week, the federal goverment will hold its final public hearings on the dangerous Port Ambrose plan to install a deepwater Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) port off Rockaway.Only two hearings are scheduled for our state: Nov. 2nd and 3rd from 6-10pm at the Long Beach Hotel. This is a three hour roundtrip by public transit for families in southern Queens and Rockaway. I've called on the Maritime Administration (MARAD) and the U.S. Coast Guard to hold additional hearings in the community so that our families can voice their opposition to a plan that could potentially destroy the environment and put our Sandy-recovering communities at risk. Safer Crossing on Seagirt Blvd.    For families in Far Rockaway, crossing a busy Seagirt Blvd. to access the park or beach is often very dangerous. Currently, there is only one crosswalk between Beach 9th and Beach 17th Streets, requiring families to go blocks out of their way to cross safely. I'm pleased to announce that, in response to my letter, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has agreed to install a stop light at Seagirt Boulevard and Beach 13th Street by this February. Huge thanks to DOT Borough Commissioner Nicole Garcia for working to make our streets safer for everyone.