Daily News from New York, New York • 292

Kers (71 S) 793 3323 Fax (718) 793-2910 Home Delivery 1-800-692-NEWS groups end entertain mem see the EUOET11 20ARO PACE 4 3 (Iqmd tun mm aJi I 4 i i ll 'ill 1 a- -v- By BLANCA M. QUtNTANH-LA News Staff Writer Rose Frisina had a stroke two years ago that left her partly paralyzed and in need of a wheelchair. She's the first to admit that moving around her Ridgewood apartment af-, ter the stroke was never easy, but now the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development is making the task a bit harder. The problem began about two months ago, when HPD hired contractors to replace Frisina's bathtub as part of a general rehabilitation of the six-unit, city-owned building on Linden St. near the Brooklyn border.

The new tub has since been installed but the bathroom walls have not, and that infuriates Frisina a 20-year resident of the building because she needs the special bars that would be affixed to the walls to help her maneuver in and out of the tub. Cassandra Vernon, a spokeswoman for HPD, says the walls can't be put up just yet because the contractor is waiting for a special "one-arm" shower for handicapped people to outfit Frisina's bathroom. "I can't say exactly when the shower is coming, but it shouldn't be too long," Vernon said. "We have done a lot of work on this building. We are trying very hard." She said HPD had originally intended to replace just the aging pipes throughout the building but then determined that the Fixtures needed replacement, too.

Frisina said Friday she's tired of hearing excuses. "I can't even use the bathroom, and I've been waiting for months," she said. Frisina's granddaughter, Debra La-padula, who lives in the same building, agrees. "My grandmother is an elderly person and she is handicapped," she said. SUSAN WATTS ITS LIKE WATER TORTURE for Rose Frisina, who's been waiting months for walls to be installed in the bathroom of her apartment.

"She needs her safety bars. What hap- Community Board 5, said Lapadula ing. pens if she slips and falls in that bath- and Frisina registered a complaint Frisina has also complained that the room? The contractor even left a big with his office on May 3, when family contractor left a big hole in her kitchen hole in the bathroom floor." members brought in photos of the ceiling after doing some plumbing Lapadula said HPD completed work stalled bathroom work. work. Lapadula said she has not had on her bathroom Thursday after she "I haven't visited the building, but light in her bathroom for several days, complained for several weeks to Com- it's not a good situation," he said, add- Vernon said the work will be community Board 5 and to HPD.

ing that he personally called HPD and pleted soon. "We are doing an up- Gary Giordano, district manager of asked it to speed up work at the build- grade of the whole building," he noted. Lr EUiiii ILIA'S 3 i is -J By SURAEXI AVASTKI Special to The News The Unisphere in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is on the brink of becoming the borough's newest landmark. The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission has voted to designate as a landmark the silver globe, which was built for the 1964-65 World's Fair. The decision requires City Council approval.

The news was announced Wednesday at a celebration for the 30th anniversary of the city's landmark preservation laws. City and local officials, as well as champions of historic preservation, attended the event at St Marks Episcopal Church in Jackson Heights. Borough President Claire Shulman told the group of about 50 the Unisphere is "the official symbol of our bor- ough." Shulman also honored Queens residents who helped preserve the borough's landmarks. As a designated landmark, historic sites are legally protected from any changes and renovations that could mar their original character. The Unisphere is the third site to be designated by the commission this year.

The Lewis Latimer House in Flushing and the Onderdonk House in Ridgewood were made landmarks in March. "My first three designations have been in Queens," said LPC Chairwoman Jennifer Raab, who stressed the commission's interest in declaring more sites as landmarks. "This is not the end of our work here," she said. "It's just the (. g.

'9 I a. a ANOftEW SAVUUCII DAILY NEWS III ED I A AWARD is given to Daily News by Patricia Boothe, managing editor of Everybody's Magazine, at Calypso Awards on Friday at Calypsocity in Richmond Hill. The News was honored for coverage of Caribbean cultural activities. Other victors included actor Sullivan Walker, who received lifetime recognition award, and Calypsonian Preacher, winner of the SocaCalypso Hit of the Year award. 4.