THE FORUM NEWSGROUP | FEBRUARY 22, 2018

VOL. 17 • NUMBER 8 • FEBRUARY 22, 2018

Howard Beach • Ozone Park • South Ozone Park • Woodhaven • Richmond Hill • Broad Channel Forest Hills • Middle Village • Glendale • Maspeth

South & West

RIKER WRONG? Mayor, City Council Reach Pact to Replace Infamous Island Jails with Borough-Based Facilities – but is it the Proper Path to a Truly Smaller, Safer, Fairer System?

Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Corey Johnson (at mayor’s l.) announced the historic Rikers Island agreement at City Hall.

See Story on Page 7

Photo Courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 17 • Number 08 FEBRUARY 22, 2018 | 1

Schumer, Cuomo Rip Trump for Moving to Slash Gun Check System Funding

By Michael V. Cusenza Two senior New York pols this weekend blasted President Donald Trump for a Fiscal Year 2019 budget proposal that they said would cripple the gun background check system that is already on the books.

According to Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the recently released White House fiscal plan makes millions of dollars in cuts to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which is used by law enforcement to probe records on individuals who may be prohibited from purchasing firearms.

Trump’s budget slashes NICS by 16 percent, hitting the National Criminal Records History Improvement Program and the NICS Act Record Improvement Program especially hard.

“In the midst of the national tragedy in Parkland, Fla., and on the heels of now 30 mass shootings that have taken place this year alone, it is downright dangerous that the president’s budget would seek to undermine the gun background check system,” Schumer said on Sunday. “No child should have to live in fear of mass shootings and no parent should have to worry about the fate of their child after school drop off in the morning. Rather than working to strength-

Sen. Schumer said it’s “downright dangerous that the president’s budget would seek to undermine the gun background check system.”

en already lax gun safety laws, the White House is threatening to widen gaping holes in our protections by proposing to cut the NICS Background Check system by millions of dollars. While we are in dire need of an even stronger background check system in this country, like one that closes the Gun Show Loophole, the White House’s propos-

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al would hurt one of the only firewalls we have in place to stop dangerous people from legally purchasing guns. President Trump: how can you seriously say that ‘no child, teacher or anyone else should ever feel unsafe in an American school’ when your team is proposing to dismantle the background check system? As the author of the 1993

Brady Bill, I give the American people my word that I will do everything in my power to fight these cuts and make sure the NICS Background Check System is fully funded so that it can continue to live up to its lifesaving purpose.”

Cuomo called the Trump budget proposal “as shocking as it is dangerous,” later positing that the “reckless measure would undermine the very safeguards that protect us and put the American people in harm’s way.”

In ripping the White House plan, Cuomo lauded the Empire State’s austere gun laws.

“In New York, we are doing the exact opposite. Following the Sandy Hook massacre, we actually did something and passed the strongest gun safety law in the nation. As of December 2017, 75,000 people deemed to be dangerously mentally ill by a licensed mental health professional have been added to a database to keep guns out of the wrong hands,” the governor noted. “This year, we are taking new steps to keep guns away from dangerous people by proposing to remove all firearms from those who commit domestic violence crimes. Instead of cutting funding for critical security measures, the President should follow our lead and advance common-sense gun safety legislation. The American people have waited far too long.”

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Warm Temps, Rain will Increase Ice Jam Flooding Threats: Cuomo

By Michael V. Cusenza Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday urged New Yorkers who live in coastal areas and along streams and rivers – including Hamilton Beach, Broad Channel, and parts of Howard Beach – to take precautions against the effects of potential ice jams in the wake of unseasonably warmer temperatures and heavy rain this week.

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, an ice jam is an accumulation of ice at a given location which, in a river, restricts the flow of water. The National Weather Service notes that ice jams can develop near river bends, mouths of tributaries, points where the river slope decreases, downstream of dams and upstream of bridges or obstructions. The water that is held back may cause flooding or flash flooding upstream. If the obstruction suddenly breaks, then flash flooding may occur downstream.

Cuomo pointed out that the combination of warm temperatures,

Photo Courtesy of Mike Groll/Office of the Governor

Cuomo last month surveyed damage at Underwood Estates Mobile Home Park after flooding caused by ice jams on the Saranac River destroyed homes and displaced residents.

some rainfall, and snowmelt could lead to ice jam movement and possible ice jam flooding.

“Given this week’s weather forecast, I have directed State agencies to prepare for conditions that could increase the flooding risk statewide,” the governor said. “I urge anyone living…in areas that have expe-

Cops Seek Richmond Hill Burglary Suspect

rienced previous flooding, to pay close attention to weather reports and stay safe.”

The State also provided some flood-preparation safety tips: • Learn the safest route from your home or business to high, safe ground should you have to leave in a hurry.

• Develop and practice a “family escape” plan and identify a meeting place if family members become separated.

• Make an itemized list – as well as potentially photo and video documentation – of all valuables including furnishings, clothing and other personal property. Keep the list in a safe place.

• Stockpile emergency supplies of canned food, medicine and first aid supplies and drinking water.

Store drinking water in clean, closed containers.

• Plan what to do with your pets.

• Have a portable radio, flashlights, extra batteries and emergency cooking equipment available.

• Keep your automobile fueled.

If electric power is cut off, gasoline stations may not be able to pump fuel for several days. Have a small disaster supply kit in the trunk of your car.

• Find out how many feet your property is above and below possible flood levels. When predicted flood levels are broadcast, you can

determine if you may be flooded.

• Keep materials like sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting and lumber handy for emergency waterproofing.

• Check on your insurance coverage. Homeowners’ insurance policies generally do not cover flood damages. Only flood insurance can protect your home against flood damages. You can purchase flood insurance whether or not you live in a mapped flood zone.

In December 2016, legislation crafted by U.S. Reps. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) and Elise Stefanik (R-Upstate N.Y.) to help combat flood damage caused by ice jams was signed into law by President Barack Obama. The measure, part of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act that funds water-related projects throughout the country, would permit the Army Corps of Engineers to pursue new projects and technologies that are designed to prevent and mitigate flood damage associated with ice jams.

Resorts World Casino NYC Sponsors Borough ‘Black Panther’ Screening Challenge

By Michael V. Cusenza

Area investigators recently reached out to the public for help in identifying and locating the young black man in the accompanying photographs who is wanted in connection with a burglary last month in Richmond Hill.

According to the 106th Pre-

cinct, on Jan. 11, around 9:15 a.m., the suspect allegedly entered a residence near 105th Avenue and 103th Street and removed items.

Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Nick Barnard at (718) 845-2261. Reference case number 2018-6009.

Resorts World Casino New York City is now in the superhero business.

The South Ozone Park entertainment destination recently announced that it is a sponsor of the “Black Panther Challenge,” a campaign sparked by Shomari Martinez, a Springfield Gardens native who plays Jabari Drummer in “Marvel Studios Black Panther,” to bring more than 200 Queens students to a private screening of the international blockbuster at Jamaica Multiplex Cinemas.

Courtesy of GoFundMe Last month, Martinez set Shomari Martinez set up the “#BlackPantherChallenge Queens, NY” page on up a GoFundMe page – #Black- GoFundMe last month.

PantherChallenge Queens, NY – with the modest goal of rais- tunity like that. Unfortunately, the world around them.”

Resorts World noted that ing $4,000 to cover costs. As of many young people don’t have Wednesday it has already fielded these opportunities,” Martinez it has already connected more wrote. “The amount of light this than 50 deserving local kids from nearly $4,500 in donations.

“Growing up in Queens, NY film will shine is immeasurable. the YMCA, the Showing Hearts my parents tried their best to I am facilitating this initiative Foundation, the Dominicokeep us involved in extracur- because I believe it is important American Society of Queens, A ricular activities in the arts and to shine this light on the youth. Better Jamaica, and the I.R.I.E. sports. Fast forward, I am now a Light which will show them that Butterfly Foundation to the chalprofessional actor who was for- despite where they are from or lenge. The casino is also sponsortunate enough to be a part of the how rough it may be, they too ing the printing of promotional ‘Black Panther’ film. In my youth have the opportunity to be great, T-shirts that will be distributed I could only imagine an oppor- be kings, be queens and heroes in to attendees.

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 17 • Number 08 FEBRUARY 22, 2018 | 3

City Commission’s Harassment Probe Leads to Sunnyside Condo Board Resignations

By Forum Staff Three Sunnyside condominium board members have been forced to resign as part of a recent settlement between the City and the Board of Managers at 47-55 39th Pl. following a NYC Commission on Human Rights investigation into reports of tenant harassment, discrimination, and a hostile environment, including displays of Nazi and Confederate imagery, swastikas, and hate symbols in the lobby.

The agreement requires the resignation of board member Neal Milano and two others, removal of all offensive posters, symbols, and materials from the lobby, and changes to the condo “House Rules” to comply with the NYC Human Rights Law, including the removal of a provision requiring tenants to prove their immigration status and amending its “no pets” policy to include language about accommodating tenants with disabilities.

Additionally, the settlement requires the new Board of Managers to create and distribute new written policies detailing its housing obligations under the NYC Human Rights Law to all unit owners and tenants, post “Fair Housing” and “Notice of Rights” posters prominently in the lobby, and train newly elected board members on the Law. The settlement also allows the commission to be

Elected officials, tenants, condo owners, and advocacy groups rallied outside 47-55 39th Pl. last August.

present at Board of Manager’s annual meetings and elections to ensure compliance with the settlement and the NYC Human Rights Law and requires the new board to notify the commission of annual meetings for the next two years.

The CHR launched the investigation on behalf of the City in August 2017 after it learned of possible violations of the NYC

File Photo

Human Rights Law in the building from Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside), tenants, and condo owners. Several individuals reported that board member Neal Milano was harassing tenants based on their immigration status, national origin, and race and creating a hostile environment, including the posting of notices, photos, and slogans in the common area of the building to

demean, intimidate, and harass tenants. The commission indicated that it sent a Cease and Desist Letter to the board in September 2017, which warned that their policies and practices were potentially in violation of the NYC Human Rights Law and ordered Milano to stop, and began investigating the allegations by interviewing tenants and unit owners and reviewing the board’s rules and policies.

According to CHR, one tenant alleged that Milano stopped her as she was walking to her apartment with her boyfriend, who is of Puerto-Rican descent, demanding to see his passport and exclaiming that he “could be anyone illegal.” Another unit owner said that Milano left her a voicemail claiming to be Adolf Hitler and stating that “the grandmaster of the KKK is coming to the lobby.”

The same unit owner said that Milano also responded to her attempt to rent her unit to a Latina woman by declaring, “She’s Spanish.

They are low lives and don’t pay the rent.”

Additionally, the commission reported violations of the NYC Human Rights Law in the condo’s “House Rules,” including a provision requiring unit owners to provide to the board the U.S. passport or residency card of any tenant renting or residing in the unit, as well as a blanket “no pets” policy that does not mention accommodations for tenants with disabilities.

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Five Charged in Insurance Fraud Scheme

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“New Yorkers’ pay more when fraudsters cheat the system,” AG Schneiderman said.

By Forum Staff Four men and one woman were recently charged in a fraud scheme in which they allegedly purchased or increased automobile insurance policy coverage after their vehicles were already damaged, and then misrepresented the dates of loss in claims submitted to their insurance carriers, according to State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

The five suspects – Willie Mack Flores, 37; Priscilla Valdez, 34; Alston Jones, 54; Brian Correia, 34; and Victor Carrasquillo, 27 – were arrested last week on felony complaints filed in Queens, Brooklyn, and Suffolk County, and face charges including falsifying business records, insurance fraud, and attempted grand larceny.

“New Yorkers’ pay more when fraudsters cheat the system,” Schneiderman said. “Insurance fraud is a serious crime, and today’s arrests should serve as yet another warning that my office will continue to aggressively identify and prosecute those who try to

scam the system.”

According to charging documents, each of the suspects owned a car that was damaged. After their car was damaged, each allegedly bought car insurance, increased the amount of their insurance coverage, or reduced their deductible after the fact, and then filed false claims with their insurance company stating that the incidents occurred after the enhanced policies were in effect.

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raising our insurance expenses,” said Kevin Gallagher, regional director of the Northeast Region of the National Insurance Crime Bureau. “This investigation sends a strong message to others who may be contemplating engaging in insurance fraud.”

According to the attorney general’s office, the charges are the result of “Operation Crash & Buy II,” an investigation initiated by the AG’s Auto Insurance Fraud Unit in

conjunction with the NICB. The joint investigation targeted fraudulent claims made to auto insurance carriers for damage and thefts that occurred before the policy effective dates. The operation is a continuation of a prior proactive investigation seeking to hold accountable those who purchase or increase coverage after a loss already occurred.

Both operations have now resulted in 11 arrests.

Peralta Calls for Increase in Adult Literacy Education Funding in Final State Budget

By Forum Staff To offset recent federal alterations, State Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) on Friday urged the State Senate to include $15.3 million in the final Fiscal Year 201819 Executive Budget to support Adult Literacy Education programs.

The senator pointed out that the current allocation for ALE classes in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed Executive Budget is $6.3 million. According to Peralta, changes to the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act have resulted in $8 million that was previously available for English Language Civics to be allocated for other purposes.

The senator said this will put 17,000 adult New Yorkers at risk of not being able to access the programs.

“Simply put, [the programs] are a

“only 2.5 percent of those in need of language development skills are able to participate in State-funded classes. It is estimated that over 50,000 New Yorkers are currently on waiting lists to access adult literacy classes.”

Adult Literacy Education programs, described by Peralta as “lifelines to thousands of New Yorkers,” are designed to help New Yorkers increase their language skills and credentials to improve their earning and employment potential, the senator added.

Classes are provided through communitybased organizations, libraries, community colleges, and volunteer groups.

“A renewed investment in New York’s Photo Courtesy of Sen. Peralta’s Office ALE programs will allow us to capitalize Senator Peralta characterized Adult Literacy Education programs as “lifelines to thousands of New Yorkers.” on the potential of hardworking New Yorkers who are seeking to build better lives for springboard to a brighter future, with great- Albany’s upper chamber. themselves and tier families,” Peralta wrote er opportunity,” Peralta wrote in a letter to Peralta also noted in the missive that to his colleagues.

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 17 • Number 08 FEBRUARY 22, 2018 | 5

Two Men Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Prison for Slashing Whitestone Teen

By Forum Staff Two men have been sentenced to lengthy terms of incarceration for the vicious slashing attack of a teenage girl, who was mistaken for another youngster, as she walked to school in Whitestone, Queens, in December of 2015.

The two defendants are identified as as Wilson Lai, 26, of Oakland Gardens, Queens, and Devon Berkley, 39, of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Both men pleaded guilty last month to first-degree assault before Queens Supreme Court Justice Gregory L. Lasak, who sentenced Lai to 19 years in prison and Berkley to 18 years.

Photo Courtesy of Google Both defendants’ sentences will be fol- The 16-year-old victim was slashed twice on the left side of her face on 147th Street near 13th Avenue. lowed by five years’ post release supervision.

According to the charges, Lai and Berkley worked together planning the attack on a teenage girl that Lai knew. But on December 16, 2015, Berkley pounced on the wrong teenager and attacked a 16-yearold exchange student who was walking to school in Whitestone, Queens, that morning. The youngster was slashed twice in the face. The victim was hospitalized and eventually recovered from her injuries, however, two long scars still line the left side of her face.

District Attorney Brown said, “The victim in this case was not the intended target, but nonetheless she will have to live with the pain of the slashing for the rest of her life as well as the permanent scars that remain visible on her face.”

Jamaica Man Gets 65 Years for Killing One, Injuring Another in Botched Home Invasion

By Forum Staff A Queens man has been sentenced to 65 years to life in prison for murder and other charges for a violent home invasion in December of 2014, that left one man dead and another seriously injured. District Attorney Brown said, “The defendant in this case participated in an afternoon of horrors for one Queens family. This defendant was one of three masked men to force his way into a Jamaica, Queens, apartment.

When the culprits fled the scene, a 21-yearold man was shot and killed and his uncle Photo Courtesy of Fundly

Taquane Clarke, 21, was shot and killed during the December 2014 incident.

seriously injured. The sentence imposed by the Court… is more than warranted for this vicious crime.”

Elijah Gough, 31, of 116th Avenue in Jamaica was found guilty of second-degree murder, first-degree assault, first-degree burglary, first-degree attempted burglary, second-degree kidnapping and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth C. Holder sentenced Gough to 65 years to life in prison.

According to trial testimony, around 6 p.m. on December 5, 2014, three masked men forced their way into the 2nd floor apartment of the Legister family in Jamaica.

Mace was sprayed in the face of Jonathan Legister and then he was held at gunpoint,

along with his 74-year-old mother, Olive Legister.

Mr. Legister’s nephew, Taquane Clarke, 21, was killed when he was shot in the head in his bedroom. Mr. Legister was forced into the rear of the apartment, where one of the assailants demanded property and shot the victim in the leg and abdomen.

Mr. Legister survived his injuries. During the home invasion Gough was also shot in the leg and limped his way out of the apartment, but only got as far as the neighbor’s yard. The defendant hid for hours there until he got a ride and was taken to the hospital. Police recovered the defendant’s mask, a backpack and a sneaker in that yard. Analysis of the mask was a match for defendant Gough’s DNA.

MS-13 Gang Members Hit with Lengthy Prison Terms in Murder of Jamaica Man

By Forum Staff Three members of the violent street gang La Mara Salvatrucha have received lengthy prison sentences for their roles in the murder of a fellow MS-13 member four years ago, Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue announced on Thursday.

Milton Contreras, 22, was sentenced to 27 years’ imprisonment, while Oscar Welman Espinoza-Merino, 35, and Jose Osmin Rubio, 30, each were sentenced to more than 24 years behind bars for the calculated slaying of Sidney Valverde, 19, in Suffolk County in 2014.

And after serving their sentences, all three defendants will face deportation from the United States, Donoghue noted.

According to court documents, on Feb. 25, 2014, Contreras, Espinoza-Merino, Rubio, and a fourth assailant, Byron Lopez, 26, of Jamaica, who has not yet been sentenced, directed Valverde to travel to Long Island from his home in Jamaica under the false pretense gang’s activities to law enforcement. that they needed him to assist in gang business there. In After Valverde arrived in Long Island, the four killers fact, the co-conspirators planned to kill Valverde because shot him in the back of the head and left his body on Miller they believed that he was providing information about the 6 FEBRUARY 22, 2018 • Number 08 VOL. 17 • THE FORUM NEWSGROUP

Place Beach where it was discovered by a beachcomber approximately two weeks later.

“It is not a secret that MS-13 gang members are violent for the sake of being violent, and in this particular case exhibited their murderous ways by executing a teenager in Long Island,” said Angel Melendez, Special-Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security Investigations New York. “As they use violence to seek power through instilling fear into the neighborhoods in which they live, we will be relentless working with our partners to dismantle this vicious gang and bring peace back to the communities.”

Donoghue noted on Thursday that since 2010 alone, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 40 murders in Queens, Brooklyn, and on Long Island; and has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those homicides.

Abandonment, Disposal of Newborn Baby Boy ‘Did not have to Happen’: DA adhere to the law and instead chose to stuff the infant in a bag and discard him in a garbage can.”

A foul odor permeating Dutch Kills Playground at 36th Avenue and Crescent Street alerted passersby to the trash bin and the infant.

Police are offering a $2,500 reward for information on the incident.

A City Medical Examiner’s Office spokeswoman told The Forum on Wednesday that the cause and manner of death of the child are still pending.

By Michael V. Cusenza The abandonment and disposal of a newborn baby boy, whose decomposed body with attached umbilical cord was discovered on Saturday morning in a trash can at an Astoria park, is “tragic and did not have to happen,” according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.

“New York’s Safe Haven Law allows a parent to leave a child 30 days or younger with an appropriate person or in a suitable location, such as a hospital, police station, firehouse or church where the parent promptly notifies an appropriate person of the child’s location,” Brown added.

“Unfortunately, the mother of this baby did not

Photo Courtesy of Google

The boy’s body was discovered inside a trash can at Dutch Kills Playground in Astoria.

Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Kidnapping, Raping Canadian Teen

By Forum Staff

Courtesy of Facebook

Reyes met his 15-year-old victim on Facebook.

A 31-year-old Jamaica man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for kidnapping and raping a 15-year-old Canadian teen in August of 2014. District Attorney Brown said, “Social media is a great opportunity for youngsters to meet people from all over the world, but that access can also be dangerous.

The defendant in this case used Facebook to establish a relationship with the then-15year-old girl and convinced her to run away from her family when they visited New York City. The defendant had sex with the teen-

ager and held her against her will when she wanted to leave. As a result of his criminal actions, the defendant will be locked away from society for a long time.”

Santiago Reyes, 31, of 144th Street in Jamaica, was convicted last month, in a jury trial on counts of second-degree kidnapping and third-degree rape. Queens Supreme Court Justice Robert Kohm, sentenced the defendant to 16 years in prison to be followed by five years’ post release supervision.

According to trial testimony, Reyes met the teen, who lived in Toronto, Canada and

was 15 at the time, on Facebook.

He continued communicating with her online for nine months, urging her to run away after she had confided that her parents were too strict and she was being bullied at a new school.

When the girl and her family visited New York City, the defendant picked up the girl when the parents were out, and took her to his house. Reyes, who was much older than the teenager expected, manipulated her into having sexual intercourse with him. When she stated she wanted to leave, the defendant refused to let her go.

De Blasio, Council Reach Deal to Replace Rikers Island Jails with Borough-Based System

By Michael V. Cusenza The City is briskly moving forward on its plan to shutter infamous Rikers Island in favor of a smaller, borough-based jail system, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio and Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who made the announcement together last week at City Hall.

De Blasio and Johnson noted that they have agreed to a single public review process for four proposed sites in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens. These locations together will provide off-island space for 5,000 detainees, and will include the three existing Department of Correction facilities in Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, as well as a new site on the grounds of a former City Police Department tow pound in the Bronx.

“This agreement marks a huge step forward on our path to closing Rikers Island,” de Blasio said. “In partnership with the City Council, we can now move ahead with creating a borough-based jail system that’s smaller, safer and fairer. I want to thank these representatives, who share our vision of a more rehabilitative and humane criminal justice system that brings staff and detainees closer to their communities.”

The World’s Borough site is the Queens Detention Center on 82nd Avenue in Kew

Photo Courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

Mayor de Blasio called the pact “a huge step forward on our path to closing Rikers Island.”

Gardens.

“The reopening of the Queens Detention Center not only makes sense but is the right thing to do,” said Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills), who represents Kew Gardens. “This proposal restores the center back to its original purpose and ensures that Queens’ borough-based jail facility is located in our civic center, close to our courts. This smaller facility will bolster the safety for our Department of Correction staff, will create an environment that is more conducive to rehabilitation and will save taxpayer dollars

renovate, expand, or construct jails in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx into a single ULURP process, which will allow for a more expedited review. An application could be submitted for certification as early as by the end of 2018, and the design process could begin as early as next summer.

The City has noted, however, that because existing borough-based facilities have the capacity to house only approximately 2,300 people, there is no immediate way to close Rikers Island safely and house the population off island. Expanding the capacity in the boroughs while simultaneously implementing a series of strategies to significantly reduce the jail population is currently underway.

Critics of the pact are wary of the borough jails and the seemingly breakneck pace that has been implemented to get them up and running. Additionally, Bronx lawmakers blasted de Blasio and Johnson for shoehorning their borough’s facility into the deal without consulting them.

“I hope that, going forward, this lack of outreach is not a harbinger of the amount of community input the people of my borough will have in this process,” Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. lamented.

on transportation costs. I look forward to engaging with the residents of my district on this proposal and I thank the mayor and the speaker for continuing us down the path of closing Rikers Island.”

The borough sites will need to go through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure – the public scrutiny process that includes hearings and recommendations by the community board, borough president, the City Council and the City Planning Commission. According to the City, last Wednesday’s agreement will consolidate the proposal to THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 17 • Number 08 FEBRUARY 22, 2018 | 7

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Low-Income and Senior Property Owners Eligible for Funding to Upgrade Plumbing Fixtures

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Older, inefficient toilets can use anywhere from 3.5 to 5 gallons of water per flush, while modern, high-efficiency WaterSense® certified models consume only 1.28 gallons of water per flush, or less.

By Forum Staff A little-known citywide initiative that can help low-income and senior property owners upgrade their plumbing with new, high-efficiency fixtures recently went into effect, according to the City Department of Environmental Protection.

Up to $1 million in funding is available for the expansion of the Toilet Replacement Program, which provides $125 vouchers and encourages property owners to replace their older toilets with high-efficiency ones, saving approximately 40 gallons of water per toilet each day.

According to DEP, older, inefficient toilets can use anywhere from 3.5 to 5 gallons of water per flush, while modern, high-efficiency WaterSense® certified models consume only 1.28 gallons of water per flush, or less. To date, over 12,400 toilets have been replaced citywide through the Toilet Replacement Program, saving a total of about 500,000 gallons of water each day.

The City noted that the program is tar-

geted at approximately 4,300 three- and four-family property owners citywide.

These owners are already enrolled in DEP’s Home Water Assistance Program, which provides a $115.89 bill credit annually to low-income, senior, and disabled households. The agency indicated that it has begun mailing Toilet Replacement Program information to eligible properties and the initiative will continue through May 2019, or while funding lasts.

According to the City, DEP is currently funding several different water conservation initiatives, including the Toilet Replacement Program, as part of a larger effort to reduce citywide water consumption in preparation for the shutdown of the Delaware Aqueduct, which is planned for 2022.

The agency noted that water conservation efforts not only help to ensure an adequate supply of healthy drinking water, they also reduce the amount of electricity, chemicals, and other costs associated with operating the water system. A 5-percent reduction in water demand in the five boroughs will decrease carbon emissions from the wastewater treatment process by more than 15,500 metric tons per year, the equivalent of removing 3,300 cars from the road or planting more than 400,000 trees and letting them grow for 10 years.

As a result of water-conservation programs in the city, the transition from frontage billing to metered billing, the roll out of Automated Meter Readers and real-time feedback about water consumption, overall water use in the five boroughs has declined to roughly 1 billion gallons a day from more than 1.5 billion gallons a day in 1980. The significant reduction occurred while the city’s population grew to 8.5 million from just over 7.1 million in the same period.

The Pharmacist’s Corner Presented by Frank Pantina, R.Ph

URINARY INCONTINENCE: Your Pharmacist Can Help The condition known as urinary incontinence (UI), is often a difficult one to face and discuss for many patients. UI is defined as the involuntary leakage of urine, and it is a frequent and problematic chronic condition for many patients.

Statistics demonstrate that an estimated 10 to 30% of men and women are affected nationally. The numbers are believed to be even higher however, because of the unwillingness in many patients to acknowledge or address the situation.

Patients who suffer with UI symptoms can develop poor self-rated health, depression, and mobility disability. And in addition to the varied psychological burdens on patients with UI, there are also significant financial taxation on these patients. Studies from 2014 show that over $65 billion dollars was spent on the condition, its treatment and supplies.

UI can be transient and reversible, or it can be established and chronic. There are four main types of UI–stress, urge, overflow, and functional incontinence. Incontinence differs and is categorized according to individual types based on the symptoms.

Stress incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine on effort or physical exertion or on sneezing or cough.”

Urge incontinence is the “complaint of involuntary leakage accompanied by or immediately preceded by urgency.”

Overflow incontinence is related to an obstructed urine flow and/or bladder underactivity where an individual has a full bladder, but is unable to completely void at time of urination, which later leads to leakage.

Functional incontinence, unlike the other forms of incontinence, occurs when an individual has issues getting to the rest room due to an external factor (i.e. dementia, immobility, etc.), but is not associated with urinary tract dysfunction.

While these conditions are most commonly

found in the senior population, other patients who are much younger may be affected due to neurological diseases like prior stroke, high body mass index (BMI), recurring urinary tract infections (UTIs), and positive metabolic screening, which factors in triglycerides.

What actually causes UUI/OAB is unknown, however in patients with this condition, control is not well regulated. The main muscle of the bladder, contracts involuntarily even if the bladder is not full, resulting in the urge to urinate.

Your pharmacist can really offer you help in the management of OAB/UUI. We have the ability to explain and discuss with you non-pharmacological interventions and pharmacological therapy.

The first-line of therapy is always behavioral intervention, and on that front, pharmacists can provide education and abundant resources for patients to use.

Kegel exercises, done daily, can improve symptoms of urinary incontinence within weeks to a few months by building strength in pelvic muscles.

Counseling can be provided to explain these exercises and how to do them.

Pharmacists can also provide a medication review and identify medications that could cause or exacerbate urinary incontinence. If pharmacotherapy is warranted, pharmacists can assist in product selection based on age, adverse drug events profile, dosage form, dosage adjustments, and cost, as well as assess lifestyle and pharmacotherapy adherence on follow-up visits.

Pharmacists can provide a vital role in recommending therapy and providing direct care in patients diagnosed with OAB or UUI. Additionally, there are a host of products available at your local pharmacy, including pads, washes, creams and other preparations. We will help you create a changing schedule to prevent skin breakdown. Discreet help is always available , so please don't hesitate to ask for our help.

For your family’s prescription needs, please call

CROSS BAY CHEMIST at 718-659-9500 or 718-880-1644 or stop by either of our two convenient locations:

157-02 Cross Bay Blvd. in Howard Beach: Mon-Fri 9am-9pm. Sat-Sun 9am-7pm. or 96-05 101st Ave. in Ozone Park: Mon-Sat 9am-7pm. Sunday: Closed.

Addabbo Constituents Spread Love to Pantries

By Michael V. Cusenza Thanks in large part to the generosity of his 15th District constituents, State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) on Valentine’s Day was able to deliver food and toiletries to the Zion Tabernacle Food Pantry in Ozone Park and the Sacred Heart Food Pantry in Glendale.

“Our local food pantries are always looking for donations, not just during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons,” Addabbo noted. “I am so thankful that my constituents came together to help bring happiness and love to people right in their own community who depend on these pantries.”

Addabbo has represented the expansive 15th Senatorial District – Broad Channel, Elmhurst, Forest Hills, Glendale, Hamilton Beach, Howard Beach, Kew Gardens, Kew Gardens Hills, Maspeth, Middle Village, Ozone Park, Rego Park, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood, South Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Woodside and the Rockaways – since he was first elected to the seat in 2008.

10 FEBRUARY 22, 2018 • Number 08 VOL. 17 • THE FORUM NEWSGROUP

Borough Pols Demand Inspection of Maspeth Highway-Rail Crossings after Recent Signal Failure

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Rail crossing safety signals failed to activate earlier this month at the intersection of 56th Street and Flushing Avenue.

By Forum Staff Two borough congresswomen recently sent a letter to the Federal Railroad Administration urging an inspection of the highway-rail crossings in Maspeth after signals failed to activate earlier this month at the intersection of 56th Street and Flushing Avenue. “We write to express our grave concern about the safety of highway-rail crossings in the Maspeth neighborhood of Queens,� said U.S. Reps. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) and Nydia Velzquez (D-Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan) in their missive to FRA Acting Deputy Administrator Juan Reyes III.

According to Meng and Velazquez, on Sunday, Feb. 11, around 3:45 p.m., Christina Wilkinson, president of Citizens for a Better Maspeth, was walking down Flushing Avenue when a train barreled through the intersection of 56th Street and Flushing Avenue without the crossing signals activating or any rail personnel stopping traffic. Wilkinson reported this incident to City Councilman Bob Holden (DGlendale).

As Meng and Velazquez noted, the intersection does not contain crossing gates, making operational signals essential for the safety of pedestrians and drivers in the area.

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Meng said. “There is a history of crossing gate and signal malfunctions in the Maspeth community, and the FRA must inves-

tigate these issues with all due haste.�

This most-recent incident follows a July 2015 accident in which a freight train blasted a tractor-trailer at the Maspeth Avenue and Rust Street crossing due to gate and signal malfunctions.

Straphanger Advocacy Group Launches Worst Subway Commute of the Week Competition

By Michael V. Cusenza A leading straphanger advocacy group that in recent months has become a gadfly of Gov. Andrew Cuomo did little to endear itself to the Empire State executive branch on Thursday, launching what it characterized as “a new way to highlight the disaster that [subway] riders are experiencing every day: a weekly competition for ‘Worst Commute of the Week.’� “Yet again this morning, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers had what could well be the worst commute of the week,�

Danny Pearlstein, Policy & Communications director of the Riders Alliance, said on Thursday. “Governor Cuomo’s subway system suffered signal problems on eight lines, sick passengers on three and mechanical problems on three more, grinding service to a halt across the city. As a small consolation, the Riders Alliance will reward New Yorkers with a chocolate MetroCard for the worst commute of the week until the governor enacts a sustainable, progressive long-term plan to fund the modernization of the subway.�

Using the hashtag #WorstCommute,

the transit system,� the group said.

Riders Alliance on Tuesday announced the first Worst Commute winner. “I was in a hurry to get home and didn’t use the bathroom, figuring my 30-minute commute from Manhattan to Queens wasn’t going to be so bad,� Jennifer Tang, a City University of New York librarian, wrote in her contest submission on Friday. “I was one stop away from home when the R train came to a complete halt. The conductor said ‘signal problems’ at 71st-Continental Avenue (Forest Hills) were to blame. The last five minutes became TWO HOURS, as the train was stuck in the tunnel between the 63rd Drive and 67th Avenue stations. By the time the train pulled into the 67th Avenue station, I had to run to a nearby Starbucks in order to [relieve herself]. It was unbelievable and I still have post traumatic stress syndrome Photo Courtesy of Riders Alliance from this incident. Now, before boarding Worst Commute of the Week winner will be awarded a chocolate MetroCard. the subway, even if it’s for one stop, I use the bathroom before I get on the torture chamtransit riders are now invited to submit their of transit—every single week—with Cuomo ber that is the MTA subway.� own “infuriating experiences underground� and members of the State Senate and AssemSubway riders can submit stories via Facein 100 words or less to RA, which will select bly, “until the governor leads the Legislature book, by tagging @RidersNY on Twitter, or a weekly “winner� and share the worst tales to passage of a long-term plan to fund and fix on the website ridersny.org/worstcommute.

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 17 • Number 08 FEBRUARY 22, 2018 | 11

EDITORIAL FAMILIAR STORY We told you we’d return to this Godawful spot, right back in the thick of our nation’s endless nightmare directed by its slobbering love affair with automatic weapons and preserving unimpeded access to them.

Perhaps we were just holding out hope at the time – four months ago – but we didn’t think we’d find ourselves mired in the familiar sadness and frustration of yet another mass shooting so soon.

Alas, here we go again.

An unhinged former student, armed with the American gun nut’s mythical mistress of death, the AR-15 assault rifle, and plenty of extra magazines, unloaded in a Parkland, Fla. high school, killing 17 people and injuring more than a dozen others last Wednesday, Valentine’s Day. Below is The Forum editorial written on Oct. 4, 2017, a few days after the Las Vegas massacre. It looks like a template now.

And that’s truly disturbing.

Once again, America wakes to a living nightmare authored by a psychopath with an arsenal; a terrible, yet disturbingly familiar, true story, this one replete with the acrid odor of spent gun powder and a phenomenon known in the trigger-finger fraternity as “bump stocks.”

This time the auteur was Stephen Paddock, a 64-year-old retired accountant who on Sunday night hunkered down in his posh, 32nd floor suite at the Mandalay Bay hotel and casino in Las Vegas, and proceeded to unleash hell in the form of thousands

of rounds on a crowd enjoying a country music concert at a nearby venue.

The result: at least 59 dead and more than 500 wounded. The worst mass-shooting in American history.

And when you try to calculate the amount of such tragedies this country has endured, even in recent memory, you’ll quickly grasp the gravity of Paddock’s ignominious “achievement.”

While perspective may be difficult to find in the days and weeks following such a horrific event, we certainly appreciated the clear-headed, intelligent observations of two late-night television hosts.

“There are a lot of things we can do about it. But we don’t, which is interesting,” said Jimmy Kimmel, whose family

moved to Las Vegas from Brooklyn when he was young. “Because when someone with a beard attacks us, we tap phones, we invoke travel bans, we build walls, we take every possible precaution to make sure it doesn’t happen again. But when an American buys a gun and kills other Americans, then there’s nothing we can do about that.

And the Second Amendment, I guess, our forefathers wanted us to have AK-47s is the argument, I assume…Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, a number of other lawmakers who won’t do anything about this because the [National Rifle Association] has their balls in a money clip, also sent their thoughts and their prayers today — which is good. They should be praying.

They should be praying for God to forgive them for letting the gun lobby run this country.”

And Conan O’Brien commented on the moment he realized that these types of catastrophes have become commonplace in our country. According to the New York Daily News, when the TBS funnyman walked into his office on Monday, a writer handed him remarks he gave after the Sandy Hook massacre and the Pulse nightclub carnage in order for him to prepare what he would say in the wake of the Las Vegas incident.

“How could there be a file of mass shooting remarks for a late-night host?” he asked. “When did that become normal? When did this become a ritual? And what does it say about us that it has?…

The sounds of those automatic weapons last night are grotesquely out of place in a civilized society. It makes no sense to me as a reasonable human being and a father.

Something needs to change.”

Yes, something desperately needs to change Mr. O’Brien. However, we all know that nothing will. Everyone, from celebrities to elected officials to John Q. Public, will offer condolences, thoughts, and prayers for the victims and their families.

And life will go on. No laws will change.

Just give it a couple of weeks—if that. We will proceed as if nothing happened…until the next nutjob with an abnormal arsenal decides on the coward’s exit, and takes a few dozen innocent people with him.

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Ride Rite Transportation LLC Arts of Org filed with NY Sec of State (SSNY) on 10/23/17. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 2353 31st St, Astoria, NY 11105. General Purposes.

Notice of Qualification of RETRO-PERSPECTIVE, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/16/18.

Office location: Queens County. LLC formed in California (CA) on 04/01/16. Princ. office of LLC: Susanne Filkins, 43-01 21 St., #320, Long Island City, NY 11101. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. CA addr. of LLC: c/o Patrick McCabe, One Maritime Plaza, 18th Fl., San Francisco, CA 94111. Cert. of Form. filed with Alex Padilla, CA Secy. of State, 1500 11th St., Sacramento, CA 95814.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

LANGSIMM RENTALS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/20/17.

Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to:MICHAEL SIMMONS, 117-42 141st STREET, JAMAICA, NY 11436. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

BEN TOTH PRODUCTIONS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/19/17.

Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to REGISTERED AGENTS INC., 90 STATE STREET, SUITE 700, OFFICE 40, ALBANY, NY 12207. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of Thrivos Consulting LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/27/17. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 162-10 Powells Cove Blvd., Apt. 4B, Whitestone, NY 11357. Purpose: any lawful activity.

FE MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS LLC Arts of Org filed with NY Sec of State (SSNY) on 10/31/17. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: SOPHIE-ANNE NELSON, 9014 161St Street, Apt. 507, Jamaica, NY 11432. General Purposes.

Notice of Formation of CHIGGY & N LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/8/15. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 83-09 Talbot St., Apt. 4C, Kew Gardens, NY 11415. Purpose: any lawful activity.

22-73 28th Street, LLC Arts of Org filed with NY Sec of State (SSNY) on 12/08/17.

Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Jaclyn Fontana, 8 Sarah Drive, Hauppauge, NY 11788.

General Purposes.

AMIANTOS LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 11/14/2012. Office in Queens Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to United States Corporation Agents, Inc., 7014 13th Avenue, Suite 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Legal Notices

Notice of Formation of DREAMHIVE LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State

of NY (SSNY) on 12/18/17. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: REGISTERED AGENTS INC. , 90 STATE STREET, SUITE 700, OFFICE 40, ALBANY, NY 12207.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

CLEAN STAMP, LLC Arts of Org filed with NY Sec of State (SSNY) on 12/18/17.

Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: UNITED STATE CORPORATION AGENTS, INC. , 7014 13TH AVENUE, SUITE 202, BROOKLYN, NY 11228. General Purposes.

6 Roosevelt Pl, LLC Arts of Org filed with NY Sec of State (SSNY) on 11/30/17. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Xing Tao Zheng, 251-14 Van Zandt Ave, Little Neck, NY 11362. General Purposes.

LOST FOODS NEW YORK,LLC Arts of Org filed with NY Sec of State (SSNY) on 10/11/17. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Lost Foods New York,LLC, 49-15 Skillman Avenue, #3c, Woodside, NY 11377. General Purposes.

CLIFTON #1 NOTE LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/04/17. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: ELLEN CHARLES BOIS, 29-43 143RD STREET, FLUSHING, NY 11354. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

DATADASH SOLUTIONS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/06/18. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: MICHAEL CARNEY, 4146 70TH STREET, 3FL., WOODSIDE, NY 11377. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of Limited Liability Company NAME: 7227 66 STREET LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/16/2018.

Office of Location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to the LLC, 72-27 66 th Street Ridgewood, New York 11385. Purpose: any lawful activity.

AMIANTOS LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 11/14/2012. Office in Queens Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to United States Corporation Agents, Inc., 7014 13th Avenue, Suite 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT AN ORDER ENTERED BY THE CIVIL COURT, QUEENS COUNTY, ON THE 16 DAY OF JANUARY 2018, BEARING INDEX NUMBER NC-000914-17/QU, A COPY OF WHICH MAY BE EXAMINED AT THE OFFICE OF THE CLERK, LOCATED AT 89-17 SUTPHIN BOULEVARD, JAMAICA, NY, 11435, GRANTS ME THE RIGHT TO ASSUME THE NAME OF NEELAM SAMANTHA PERSAUD. THE CITY AND STATE OF MY ADDRESS IS 132-32 114TH STREET, OZONE PARK, NY 11420. THE DATE OF MY BIRTH IS APRIL 4, 1991; PLACE OF MY BIRTH IS QUEENS; MY PRESENT NAME IS SAMANTHA NEELAM PERSAUD AKA SAMANTHA N. PERSAUD AKA SAMANTHA PERSAUD

14 FEBRUARY 22, 2018 • Number 08 VOL. 17 • THE FORUM NEWSGROUP

STATE OF NEW YORK SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS CITIMORTGAGE, INC., Plaintiff, vs.

Any unknown heirs, devisees, distributees or successors in interest of the late James A. Hennings, if they be living and/or if they be dead, their spouses, heirs, devisees, distributees and successors in interest, all of whom and whose names and places of residence are unknown to Plaintiff; AMY LOWERY; MYRON HENNINGS; USA/IRS; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; and “JOHN DOE” and “MARY DOE,” (Said names being fictitious, it being the intention of plaintiff to designate any and all occupants, tenants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises being foreclosed herein.)

Defendants.

Filed: _09/25/2017_ Index No.: 713248/2017 SUMMONS AND NOTICE Mortgaged Premises: 11502 Van Wyck Expy South Ozone Park, (City of New York) NY 11420 TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on Plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a Defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service hereof. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint.

NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is for the foreclosure of: Mortgage bearing the date of February 18, 2012, executed by James Hennings to “MERS” Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., acting solely as a nominee for Citibank, N.A. to secure the sum of $166,403.00, and interest, and recorded in the Office of the Clerk of Queens County on March 8, 2012 in CRFN 2012000093424.

That Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (“MERS”), as nominee for Citibank, N.A. duly assigned said Note and Mortgage to CitiMortgage,

Inc. by Assignment dated January 5, 2016 and recorded on January 27, 2016 in the Office of the Clerk of Queens County in CRFN 2016000026897.

The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the Mortgaged Premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above.

Plaintiff designates Queens County as the place of trial. The basis of venue is the County in which the Mortgaged Premises is situated.

Block: 11678 Lot: 7 DATED: _09/20/2017_ Rochester, New York NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the Mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home.

Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property.

Sending a payment to your Mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action.

YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. SCHEDULE A LEGAL DESCRIPTION ALL that a certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected situate, and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, bounded and described as follows: BEGINNING at the corner formed by the intersection of the westerly side of Van Wyck Expressway (Boulevard), 360 feet wide with the southerly side of 115th Avenue, 80 feet wide, RUNNING THENCE southerly along the westerly side of Van Wyck Expressway, 33.34 feet; THENCE westerly at right angles to the westerly side of Van Wyck Expressway and part of the distance through a party wall 100 feet; THENCE northerly parallel with the westerly side of Van Wyck Expressway, 33.34 feet to the southerly side of 115th Avenue; THENCE easterly along the southerly side of 115th Avenue, 100 feet to the corner, the point of place of BEGINNING

Notice is hereby given that an order entered by the civil court, Queens county, on the 2 day of FEBRUARY 2018, bearing Index Number NC-001130-17/QU, a copy of which may be examined at the office of the clerk, located at 89-17 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY, 11435, grants me the right to assume the name of (first) FOZIA(middle) MARIAH (last) SATTAR. The city and state of my address is 29-24 Oceancrest Blvd, Apt 2, Far Rockaway, NY 11691. The date of my birth is JANUARY 07, 1987; place of my birth is AFGHANISTAN. My present name is FAWZIA SATTAR AKA FAUZIA SATTAR

Notice is hereby given that an order entered by the civil court, Queens county, on the 22 day of JANUARY 2018, bearing Index Number NC-000954-17/QU, a copy of which may be examined at the office of the clerk, located at 89-17 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY, 11435, grants me the right to assume the name of MATTHEW JAIRAM. The city and state of my address is 107-21 124th St. South Richmond Hill, NY 11419.

The date of my birth is APRIL 10, 1998; place of my birth is QUEENS; my present name is MATTHEW RAMSUBHAG

WE COURT YOUR LEGAL NOTICES For the best pricing & service CALL 718.845.3221

Notice is hereby given that an order entered by the civil court, Queens county, on the 24 day of JANUARY 2018, bearing Index Number NC-000981-17/QU, a copy of which may be examined at the office of the clerk, located at 89-17 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY, 11435, grants me the right to assume the name of (first) MANMEET(last) KAUR. The city and state of my address is 95-21 Lefferts Blvd, apt 2FL, South Richmond Hill, NY 11419.

The date of my birth is OCTOBER 15, 2013; place of my birth is QUEENS, NY. My present name is MANMEET MEET KAUR (infant)

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 17 • Number 08 FEBRUARY 22, 2018 | 15

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