In Address, Marshall Sees a Borough On The Rise

Despite facing undeniable challenges in 2011, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall painted an optimistic picture of the year to come in Tuesday morning’s State of the Borough address. 

Marshall projected very little changing in Forest Hills in the next twelve months, though the neighborhood is likely to be affected by the myriad changes happening in other areas.

Citing difficulties ranging from an onslaught of to a who tormented the area in the fledgling days of the new year, Marshall nevertheless asserted that for every area in need of improvement, progress was being made. 

Education

Marshall was hard-pressed to muster enthusiasm for the state of Queens schools, which share the dual hardships of overcrowding and budget cuts faced across New York City.

Though 1,700 new seats were added to four new school buildings in September, troubles continue to plague the system. Already overstuffed schools are forced to pack in additional students, particularly in District 24, which encompasses western to central Queens, and holds the dubious distinction as the most overcrowded district across the five boroughs.

To alleviate the problem,

“It’s an unfair formula, and we are still fighting against it. As you know, we are no strangers in budget battles for fairness,” Marshall said.

Libraries

Despite receiving drastically less funding than the city’s other boroughs, Marshall said Queens has seen considerable success in strengthening its library program.

The Helen Marshall Children’s Library opened its doors in Jamaica last September, with a number of renovation projects planned for existing libraries in the coming months. The expansion of the Kew Gardens Hills Library, slated to begin in March, was of particular importance to the late Pat Dolan, a Queens activist last November. A plaque dedicated to Dolan will be placed in the library in recognition of her efforts.

Health

The outlook on health care in Queens is decidedly sunnier than it has been in the past. In contrast to her , in which Marshall lamented the closure of four hospitals in five years, this year has seen a condemned hospital in the Rockaways saved from financial ruin, as well as the opening of a new $300 million addition to North Shore-LIJ, which will open its doors to patients on Wednesday. 

Various large-scale renovations are being made to a number of hospitals across Queens, including a new dialysis center in Auburndale, which opened in October.

Parks

An expansive park system is one of the crown jewels of New York City, and a healthy amount of funding was allocated to ensure that Queens doesn’t get left behind. The borough is now home to two cricket fields in Baisley Pond and Idlewild parks, as well as a newly renovated playground at Juniper Park in Middle Village.  Marshall also said she has invested nearly $100 million to improve Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

Culture

Marshall noted that though Queens was vastly underrepresented in the census, the Department of City Planning has compiled a handful of interesting facts on the borough’s demographics. Marshall noted that nearly 200 languages are spoken in Queens, and that 47 percent of the population is foreign-born. She said her office is constantly working to address the needs of immigrants, an effort aided by the opening of a new U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office that opened in Long Island City last week.

“We will continue to work with my immigration task force to bring together our newest neighbors and longtime residents, to learn about programs and services that will help them to build their American dream,” she said.

The address concluded with Marshall offering her thanks to various borough heroes, including two sanitation workers who saved an entire family from a house fire in Far Rockaway.

"These acts are just a sample of the compassion and commitment you find on streets across our borough," she said. "I am proud of our diversity, but we also have so much in common."