THE FORUM NEWSGROUP | MAY 18, 2017

VOL. 16 • NUMBER 20 • MAY 18, 2017

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

South & West

PHASE WON

As Proponents of the QueensRail Anxiously Await the Findings of the MTA Feasibility Study, the Trust for Public Land and Friends of the QueensWay Announce Completion of the Schematic Design of the Park’s First Stage

See Story on Page 5 Rendering Courtesy of DLANDstudio Architecture + Landscape Architecture

Page 3

Armed Duo Pull off Bold Daytime Robbery of South Ozone Park Body Shop

Page 7

Assemblywoman, City Unveil New Emergency Evacuation Signs

Pages 12

Ozone Park Community Reopens Beloved Library after Renovations

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 16 • Number 20 MAY 18, 2017 | 1

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Former Diocese of Brooklyn Bishop Thomas Daily Dies at 89

Armed Duo Pull off Brazen Daytime Robbery of South Ozone Park Auto Body Shop

By Michael V. Cusenza

The Rev. Thomas Daily died on Monday.

By Forum Staff The Rev. Thomas Daily, Bishop Emeritus of Brooklyn, died on Monday at the Immaculate Conception Center’s Bishop Mugavero Residence in Douglaston. He was 89.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn serves the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. Daily was installed as the sixth bishop of the Diocese in 1990 and, according to the Diocese, “served during a time of racial tension and financial hardship.” He served as bishop of Brooklyn from 1990 until his retirement in 2003.

According to the Diocese, Daily was born on Sept. 23, 1927 to Mary McBride Vose and John F. Daily, in Belmont, Mass.

Upon completion of his studies at first Boston College and later St. John’s Seminary in Brighton, Mass., he was ordained as a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston in 1952 by Cardinal Richard Cushing at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. Following ordination, he was assigned as curate for St. Ann’s church in the Wollaston neighborhood of Quincy, Mass. He remained in that post through the rest of that decade.

After returning to Boston, he was assigned again to St. Ann’s, where he served as assistant pastor until 1971. He was appointed to the position of secretary to Cardinal Humberto Sousa Medeiros and later Vicar for Temporalities. In 1975, he was consecrated as an auxiliary bishop in

Photo Courtesy of the Diocese of Brooklyn

the Archdiocese of Boston and in 1976 was appointed vicar general of the archdiocese. Because of his fluency in Spanish, he was given special duties regarding the Spanish-speaking members of the archdiocese.

From 1987 to 2003, Daily also served as the Supreme Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus. Together with the Knights of Columbus, the Diocese of Brooklyn hosted His Holiness Pope John Paul II for a celebration of the Holy Mass at Aqueduct Race Track on October 6, 1995.

On Aug. 1, 2003, Daily announced that his resignation as Bishop of Brooklyn had been accepted by the Holy Father. Daily remained the Emeritus Bishop of Brooklyn, was a member of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, a member of the boards of the Society of St. James the Apostle in Boston, and a member of the National Catholic Office for Persons with Disabilities in Washington, D.C. “Bishop Daily was a man who personified the Second Vatican Council’s call for a preferential option for the poor,” said the Rev. Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn. “He ministered to indigenous people amidst poverty in Peru, women in crisis pregnancies, as well as new and often poor immigrants living in Brooklyn. He never acted out of malice or to further his own self-interest. At heart he was a missionary. I suspect he wished he could have remained in the missions his entire life.”

City Police Department investigators on Monday reached out to the public for help in locating and identifying the two men wanted in connection with a recent bold broad daylight robbery of a South Ozone Park vehicle repair shop.

According to police reports, the two suspects entered Ozone Auto Body on Rockaway Boulevard near 125th Street around 1:15 p.m. last Saturday, displayed silver firearms and demanded “the payroll money.”

The men then forced the owner and four employees to the ground and removed money and other personal property from them. The suspects fled the location on foot, heading eastbound on Rockaway Boulevard and then southbound on 126th Street where they hopped into white SUV, possibly a Dodge Nitro. No injuries were reported, cops said.

The first suspect is described as a black man in his 30s, 5-foot-10, last seen wearing sunglasses, a black hooded sweatshirt, a black jacket, blue jeans, and black sneakers.

The second suspect is described as a black man in his 30s, 5-foot-10, last seen wearing sunglasses, a red hooded sweatshirt, a black jacket, black pants, and black-andwhite sneakers.

According to the latest available NYPD statistics, robberies in the 106th Precinct are slightly up this year compared to 2016.

There have been 69 reported robberies over the first four months of 2017 in the south Queens command, compared to 64 last year at this time.

Anyone with information on the Ozone

Photo Courtesy of NYPD

Police said this is one of the men wanted in connection with Saturday’s armed robbery.

Auto Body incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at (800) 577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, (888) 57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit info by logging onto NYPDCrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All correspondences are strictly confidential.

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THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 16 • Number 20 MAY 18, 2017 | 3

Howard Beach Attorney, Activist Mike Scala Enters Race for 32nd Council District

By Michael V. Cusenza

Howard Beach attorney and public transportation activist, Mike Scala, announced on Monday that he will be running to represent the 32nd District of the City Council.

“It’s time to wage an aggressive battle for better transportation,” Scala said. “This means working to improve and expand ferry service. It means diligently and dutifully advocating against Select Bus Service on Cross Bay and Woodhaven boulevards, a plan that every community along the proposed route rejected. It means forcefully promoting the QueensRail to reduce the commutes working people are making to and from Midtown Manhattan by up to 45 minutes. It means never giving up the fight, even in the face of resistance.”

The 32nd Council District covers Howard Beach, Lindenwood, Ozone Park, Belle Harbor, Breezy Point, Broad Channel, Lindenwood, Neponsit, Richmond Hill, Rockaway Park, Roxbury, South Ozone Park, West Hamilton Beach and Woodhaven.

Scala, as first vice president of the Queens Public Transit Committee, has written opinion pieces for The Forum.

But, as he said on Monday, he plans to also focus on holding the City more ac-

Scala is an attorney and the first vice president of the Queens Public Transit Committee.

countable to communities, citing the Build It Back fiasco; stopping the warehousing of homeless families without input from local leaders and elected officials; as well as contending for better education and health care access for his constituents.

According to Scala’s campaign, prior to his admission to the New York Bar, he worked for the legal department of the State United Teachers union, as well as for the healthcare non-profit National Hospice

Photo Courtesy of Scala

and Palliative Care Organization.

According to his campaign, during the 201st New York State Legislature, Scala served as legal counsel and legislative director in the State Senate. His duties included drafting, managing and negotiating proposed laws. Several of them, including an initiative to help veterans find work in the state, passed the Senate, including legislation requiring police reports of missing adults, was signed into law by Gov. Andrew

Cuomo last September.

In this capacity, Scala was also involved in the state budget process, which included a $12.94 million allocation for transportation improvements in Rockaway and $10.15 million for St. John's Episcopal Hospital.

The challenger, who is presumably running on the Democratic line, also addressed the incumbent, long-time City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), on Monday.

In March, Ulrich announced that instead of taking a shot at Gracie Mansion this year he would be running for a third Council term.

“It’s something that I’ve been considering for quite some time now, mulling it over these past few months with my family, my friends, and my supporters, and I’ve decided that this would not be the right move for me to make,” Ulrich said of a possible run for mayor.

Scala said that, while he believes that Ulrich “has done an estimable job in certain respects,” term limits as adopted by the people of NYC should be followed. Under current law, city officials can serve two consecutive terms. Scala ripped Ulrich for seeking “to take advantage of a loophole that allows officials elected prior to 2010 to run for an extra term – a loophole the councilmember once said we had a ‘moral obligation’ to close.”

Addabbo, Miller Host Successful Springtime Recycling Event

By Forum Staff The numbers are in, and it seems that State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) and Assemblyman Mike Miller (DWoodhaven) have once again organized a highly successful Spring Recycling Fair.

According to Addabbo, nearly 500 vehicles rolled through the Forest Park Bandshell parking lot on April 30 to drop off unwanted items, including electronics and household goods, tattered American flags, as well as documents to be securely shredded on site and properly recycled later. Residents came from all over the borough to safely dispose of televisions, computers, printers, clothing, books, dishes and other items that cannot be thrown out in the trash, the senator said.

This year’s event contributed nearly 10 tons of electronics, more than two tons of paper, and two trucks full of household items for donation. Since 2009, the fair has collected more than 153 tons of electronAddabbo thanked borough Boy Scouts for their help during the Spring Recycling Fair. ics to be recycled and 44 tons of shredded paper. the needs of our environment and the im- CERT, for volunteering to help out with “This event is a good reminder to resi- portance of properly discarding of unwant- the event.” dents of the community’s renewed commit- ed refuse. I thank all our recycling vendors, Miller added, “It was great to see resiment of protecting our environment,” said the Lower East Side Ecology Center, Data- dents come out to get rid of their junk.

Addabbo, a member of the Senate Environ- Struction Paper Shredding, and the Salva- Every time we hold this event at the Forest mental Conservation Committee. “It helps tion Army, as well as Assemblyman Miller, Park Bandshell, I am reminded of just how prevent several tons of potentially harmful the 102nd Precinct and the Department of much this event helps individuals get rid of items from ending up in landfills and harm- Parks and Recreation for their cooperation. household items that otherwise may not be ing the environment. I am proud to repre- I also extend a special thanks to the Boy taken by conventional means. This event sent a community that is so conscious of Scouts, the Glendale Kiwanis, GCOP, and essentially is their way of recycling what 4 MAY 18, 2017 • Number 20 VOL. 16 • THE FORUM NEWSGROUP

Photo Courtesy of Sen. Addabbo’s Office

they normally can’t.”

Another recycling event has been scheduled for Sept. 9 at St. Camillus Catholic Academy, located at 185 Beach 99th St. in Rockaway Park. Addabbo and Miller have also tentatively scheduled their next Fall Recycling Fair for Sunday, Sept.

24, at Forest Park, where they will once again collect electronics, paper and household items.

QueensWay Proponents Unveil Schematic Design for First Half-Mile of Proposed Park

By Michael V. Cusenza The two organizations leading the charge to establish the QueensWay announced on Monday that they have finished the schematic design for the first half-mile of the proposed linear park and trail.

The QueensWay project involves converting the long-abandoned Rockaway Beach Rail Line of the Long Island Rail Road—a 3.5-mile, 47-acre swath of the borough, from Rego Park to Ozone Park—into a $120 million public park, similar to the Highline in Chelsea, boasting trails and amenities.

The design stage of Phase I began in earnest last summer, Friends of the QueensWay and the Trust for Public Land announced in June 2016.

Phase I, which is next to the neighborhoods of Forest Hills and Glendale, could be built and open to the public by 2020 as a City park. According to the two groups, the phase dubbed “the Metropolitan Hub” will greatly improve access to Forest Park, running from Metropolitan Avenue south to Union Turnpike, where an existing path provides pedestrian and bike access to the park. This section will also provide learning gardens

Rendering Courtesy of DLANDstudio Architecture + Landscape Architecture

According to supporters, Phase I of the QueensWay, which is next to Forest Hills and Glendale, could be built and open to the public by 2020 as a city park.

and outdoor classrooms for the over 2,000 students in the three schools comprising the Metropolitan Education Campus.

So far, The Trust for Public Land and Friends of the QueensWay have combined more than $2 million in private funds and State grants to move the project forward.

“Today’s announcement is a tremendous step forward for the QueensWay, which would not have

been possible without our partners in government and the community, who enthusiastically provided ideas for safe routes for biking and walking, outdoor classroom space, and enhancements to baseball fields,” said Andy Stone, NYC director of The Trust for Public Land. “The completion of a compelling design for the first phase will bring us that much closer to making the QueensWay a reality for hundreds of thousands of

people who live within a 10-minute walk.”

For the past several years, the debate over what to do with the span of abandoned rail track has come down to QueensWay vs. QueensRail: park land vs. public transportation in the World’s Borough.

Proponents of the QueensRail are devoted to the reactivation of the Rockaway Beach Rail Line either as part of the Long Island Rail Road or,

more likely, the City subway system.

The defunct spur was put into service in the late 19th Century under the control of the LIRR and connected Rockaway and southern Queens with Rego Park, provided area residents with expedient access to other parts of the city, and 40-minute commutes to Midtown Manhattan from the Rockaway Peninsula.

In April 2016, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced that it would conduct a feasibility study of the RBRL, including an assessment of transportation options and issues identified with restoring the QueensRail. Former MTA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Thomas Prendergast said the agency would submit findings of the analysis by no later than June 30, 2017.

“While the Friends of the QueensWay are wasting taxpayer money on fancy schematics and consultants, a bad idea is still a bad idea,” Mike Scala, first vice president of the Queens Public Transit Committee, told The Forum on Monday. “The momentum is on the side of the QueensRail because using a transportation asset to improve public transit is the right thing to do. We eagerly await the MTA’s feasibility study.”

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see manager for details THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 16 • Number 20 MAY 18, 2017 | 5

Corona Man Charged with Possessing and Selling Deadly Mix of Heroin and Fentanyl

By Forum Staff An investigation into an overdose “epidemic” in Queens that started at the beginning of this year, has led to the arrest of Hubert Harris, of 102nd St. in Corona, charging the 66 year old with selling and possessing narcotic drugs laced with the opioid painkiller Fentanyl. District Attorney Richard Brown noted that to date there were 57 fatal overdoses and more than 60 non-fatal overdoses in the county and that the lives of some overdose victims were saved only after the administration of Naloxone, a medication developed specifically to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses.

“Heroin, unfortunately, has made a deadly comeback in New York City and in the surrounding suburbs,” said District Attorney Brown. “Over the past four months, Queens has had 57 fatal overdoses – far exceeding the number of homicides and vehicular deaths that have occurred in the borough so far this year. Most troubling is that we are witnessing heroin being mixed with the synthetic drug Fentanyl, which is thirty to fifty times more potent than heroin. This is creating a deadly cocktail for people who may be using such a mixture unknowingly.” He went on to note that

Photo Courtesy of Google

Cops stopped Harris on the corner of 41st Road and 12th Street in Long Island City as he rode a bicycle and allegedly recovered 98 white glassine envelopes, which they believe to contain a mixture of Fentanyl and heroin.

defendants that sell Fentanyl to a buyer who dies from an overdose, they will face a minimum of 20 years in prison. “A seller is responsible for what he or she sells and we will now be tracking people who sell drugs containing Fentanyl.” The efforts launched in Queens County to stem the tide of what is being perceived as an epidemic situation include not only the office of the DA but

their colleagues in the NYPD and federal law enforcement.

Data from the New York City Department of Health shows there were more than 1,300 fatal overdoses in New York City in 2016, and perhaps more disturbing, is that approximately half of the drug overdoses in the last six months of 2016 involved Fentanyl.”

Hubert Harris was arraigned before Queens Criminal Court Judge Karen Gopee on a criminal complaint charging him with third- and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, thirddegree criminal sale of a controlled substance and resisting arrest.

According to the complaint, an undercover detective observed a man purchase several glassine envelopes from Harris on April 6, 2017. The buyer was stopped by police, who recovered five white glassine envelopes and five blue glassine envelopes.

After conductiong a thorough toxicology screen on the substance in the bags it was determined the white envelopes contained Fentanyl and cocaine, while the blue envelope contained Fentanyl and Tramadol (a prescription painkiller).

Criminal charges say that on May 9, 2017, members of the NYPD’s Queens North Narcotics Division stopped Harris on the corner of 41 Road and 12th St. as he rode a bicycle and allegedly recovered 98 white glassine envelopes, which they believe to contain a mixture of Fentanyl and heroin.

Harris, who faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted, was ordered held on $100,000 bail and to return to court on May 24, 2017.

State Pols Look to Expand Speed Camera Program in City School Zones “Under Vision Zero, we have had three successive years of declining traffic fatalities, bucking State Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East national trends that show fatalities Elmhurst), Assemblywoman Deborising. Speed cameras have been inrah Glick (D-Manhattan), and City strumental to our success in slowing Department of Transportation Comdrivers down and saving lives – and missioner Polly Trottenberg joined so we look forward to getting this transit safety advocates in Albany critical legislation passed this seson Monday to unveil a bill aimed sion,” Trottenberg said. at cracking down on motorists that According to the Peralta and speed near City schools.

Glick, the pilot program that alUnder the proposed legislation, lowed for the installation of the 140 the City could install an additional speed cameras has been a success.

610 speed cameras, on top of the 140 Between 2014 and 2016, there was a cameras permitted under current law, 63-percent decline in speeding violafor a total of 750. tions issued at a school zone camera “This bill will save lives and make location. In addition, 81-percent of our streets safer for everyone,” Peralta motorists who received a violation said. “Every day, more than one milfor speeding in school areas have not lion children, teachers and parents received a second ticket. Injuries to travel to and from school, so we must pedestrians, motorists and cyclists ensure we deter drivers from speedalso have declined by a 13-percent ing to keep everyone safe. Speeding average at locations where cameras is a leading cause of traffic fatalities in are located, despite the fact that the New York City, and with this mechadevices are not in operation during nism we will crack down on reckless weekends and nights. drivers. The safety of our children, “Don’t want to pay $50? Then and all New Yorkers, is a top priordon’t speed, and you won’t get a tickity. It is my hope we pass the measure et,” said Amy Cohen, founding memand keep saving lives.”

Photo Courtesy of Sen. Peralta’s Office ber of Families for Safe Streets. “Far According to the proposal, the Elected officials and advocates detailed the proposed bill in Albany on Monday. from being a trap or a money-maker, cameras will be in operation from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m., seven days a week. schools is limited to school hours lation of warning signs within 300 within 300 feet of a highway exit. The these cameras are having a real imCurrently, the use of these speed and times of student activities. Ad- feet of a camera, and it would man- new legislation would expire on July pact on changing driver behavior and making streets safer for everyone.” monitoring devices around City ditionally, the bill calls for the instal- date that a camera cannot be placed 1, 2022.

6 MAY 18, 2017 • Number 20 VOL. 16 • THE FORUM NEWSGROUP

By Forum Staff

Pheffer Amato, OEM Tout New Emergency Evacuation Signs

By Forum Staff Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach) and the City Office of Emergency Management on Monday unveiled “new, more effective” evacuation signs for the 23rd Assembly District.

To help account for the city’s denser street grid and crowding along the coasts, there will be signs installed by OEM in a greater number of places, according to Pheffer Amato. Signs will direct evacuees to higher ground, using a zone system of elevation and the tag line “Know Your Zone.” The program is designed to educate New Yorkers about storm dangers in low-lying areas, so as to help residents become familiar with the route to higher ground and understand the need to get there quickly in the event of

a storm, the assemblywoman added.

“We saw the worst happen in 2012, and we’re still recovering five years later,” Pheffer Amato said. “I appreciate NYC Emergency Management for their hard work to plan for the next time around, by launching this year-round education program and hopefully changing how we think about preparation and evacuation. I encourage everyone to ‘Know Your Zone’ and to take advantage of NYC Emergency Management’s other great resources, so that you and your family are as secure as possible during hurricane season.”

According to Pheffer Amato and OEM, the new signs replace the model used in the less-trafficked American south, which guide all motorists to centers along a limited number of specific routes.

Photo Courtesy of OEM

MTA Touts Six-Point Plan to Improve Public Transportation System Reliability

By Forum Staff The beleaguered Metropolitan Transportation Agency on Monday announced a comprehensive six-point plan to address the top causes of subway delays in order to reduce the disruptions that impact service reliability for customers.

The agency also indicated that it will work with Albany to advance legislation this session to separate the chairman and chief executive officer positions into two, in order to, as the organization said, further strengthen the MTA’s leadership team and leadership structure.

“Increasing delays are simply unacceptable which is why we have to commit to addressing the immediate problems with all the tools at our disposal. We are implementing long-term capital improvements. But we also need a comprehensive approach that focuses on reducing the system’s failures while our capital investment is underway,” said MTA Interim Director Ronnie Hakim. “We know riders are frustrated – we are too – which is why we are embracing this new plan. Attacking the five key causes of subway delays enables New York City Transit to take a targeted approach that can produce results.”

According to the MTA, the improvement plan covers six points: reorganizing MTA leadership structure; new subway cars and improved car maintenance procedures; improving tracks and signals; mitigating delays associated with sick passengers and law enforcement activity; streamlining

Streamlining Passenger Loading and Unloading in Stations According to the MTA, allowing customers to board and unload trains in a streamlined manner is key to reducing “dwell” time – the amount of time a train needs to stay in a station. The MTA is testing a number of different strategies that will allow staff to better communicate to passengers the location of less crowded areas within stations and on arriving trains. The MTA has pledged to improve wayfinding on the platform and train cars themselves to distribute passengers more evenly. The agency is also introducing new training procedures and protocols for platform Photo Courtesy of the MTA/Patrick Cashin controllers. Platform controllers According to the MTA, the plan will expedite delivery of 750 new subway cars and target the most frequent causes of delays. will be more visible to customers, provided with new technology, passenger loading and unloading average, and cause delay not only Improving Tracks and Signals and be trained to better inform in stations; and targeting system to the affected train but to trains The MTA has 837 track miles, passengers about station condibottlenecks. all along the line. The MTA will do over 1,600 mainline switches, and tions.

Key parts of the plan include: a top-to-bottom revamp of its car 13,000 signals. The system is built maintenance procedures and the to be fail-safe, which means that Targeting System Bottlenecks The subway system has nuNew Subway Cars and Improved MTA will seek the direct involve- when a sensor is tripped, all lights Car Maintenance Procedures ment of the original manufacturers go red and everything stops. It merous points where lines merge • New Cars: The MTA is ex- in this new maintenance regime. keeps people safe, but it also causes and diverge, making the system pediting the delivery of 300 new This new initiative will add addi- delays. In order to limit switch fail- remarkably flexible and providing R179 subway cars with the first tional inspectors and redeploy re- ures, signal failures, and rail defects customers with many options to arriving this fall and all being de- sources to ensure every car receives that cause outages, the MTA is tak- get to their destinations. Howevlivered by September 2018. Addi- pre-service inspection before a car ing four steps: a new and intense er, as ridership has grown and the tionally, New York City Transit will ever leaves the rail yard to reduce preventive maintenance program MTA has increased the number of accelerate the delivery of 450 new the likelihood of a mid-trip failure. that aggressively targets compo- trains in the system, these merge R211 cars. This will involve both In addition, key components will nents that are most prone to fail- points can present bottlenecks, an acceleration and expansion of be proactively replaced on a regular ure, a new initiative to decrease delaying trains and slowing trip the pending portion of the order schedule before they fail. This new response time when problems do times. This program includes more for the “standard configuration” component replacement initiative occur; an accelerated move to the active management of these merge R211 cars. will initially focus on doors, heat- use of longer rails with fewer joints points, utilizing experienced, dedi• Improvements in Mainte- ing and air conditioning, and mas- that therefore have fewer points of cated service managers and better nance: On the 8th Avenue line car ter controllers, which historically potential failure; and more effec- technology to ensure trains move equipment breakdowns occur 25 have been the source of the most tive track clearing to reduce track quickly through hub merge points to avoid delays. times per month, last 19 minutes on frequent failures. fires.

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 16 • Number 20 MAY 18, 2017 | 7

Comptroller Proposes NYC Citizenship Fund

By Forum Staff City Comptroller Scott Stringer on Friday called for the creation of a publicprivate New York City Citizenship Fund to help tens of thousands of legal immigrants cover the ever-rising costs of the federal application to become a U.S. citizen.

Stringer indicated that he has decided to present the idea of the fund now because President Donald Trump is “ratcheting up its attacks on immigrant communities, including more frequent raids.”

“No family should have to choose between applying for citizenship and putting food on the table,” Stringer added. “Now, more than ever, we need to embrace bold, innovative strategies to protect our immigrant communities. If we want to fight back against President Trump, this is a smart, commonsense, policy-driven strategy that all New Yorkers can help to support.

Immigrants make our city run—that’s who we are and who we’ll always be. President Trump is trying to take us backwards, and we have a moral, economic, and social imperative to keep New York a place that welcomes all. The more people we help become citizens, the better off we’ll be. Immigrants are being targeted. Families are fearful. And new policies from Washington are eroding

Photo Courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

Comptroller Stringer also sent a letter to the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs to jumpstart a conversation around launching a new City-run fund aimed at supporting citizenship.

American values. This fund will help give low- and moderate-income immigrants not just a fair shot to become citizens, but also give all New Yorkers a chance to help.”

Stringer also sent a letter to the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs to jumpstart a conversation around launching a new Cityrun fund aimed at supporting citizenship.

The fund would be administered by the City as a 501(c)(3), akin to the Mayor’s

Fund to Advance New York City or the Fund for Public Schools. A modest initial investment by the City into the fund could then leverage additional private, charitable funds from those interested in helping their fellow New Yorkers become citizens.

According to the comptroller, data show that the high cost of citizenship serves as a monetary barrier to naturalization: The need is large: More than 670,000

New Yorkers – over 20 percent of the city’s immigrant population – are eligible for naturalization, but have not taken the final step to citizenship.

Costs are soaring: Including biometric fees, the fees associated with the naturalization form have increased from $60 in 1989 to $725 today, an increase of 500 percent when adjusted for inflation.

Price matters: After it was announced that the form-filing fee would be increased from $400 to $675 at the beginning of FY2008, the number of citizenship applications surged 89 percent from the year prior. After that price increase took effect, applications plummeted again by more than half.

“The NYIC is committed to ensuring that all eligible New Yorkers become US Citizens as soon as they want to. One of the most frequent reasons we are given for why New Yorkers don’t apply is financial.

We commend the Comptroller for calling on the creation of a public private partnership to support New Yorkers through this critical step. The benefits of citizenship are well established and we urge the Mayor to take this recommendation seriously and to act on it in this year’s budget,” said Steven Choi, executive director, New York Immigration Coalition.

Angry Commuters Demand Action from State, React to MTA Plan

By Michael V. Cusenza City public transportation commuters, elected officials, and transit advocates last Thursday gathered outside the Manhattan office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo to demand that he take action to fix the growing crisis of subway delays and overcrowding.

The “Rush Hour Rally” was organized by the Riders Alliance, “a grassroots membership organization of subway and bus riders dedicated to winning better transit” in the five boroughs. The demonstration, according to the group, followed the fourth major subway meltdown of the last month, with Tuesday’s power outage affecting hundreds of thousands of riders who were subject to extensive delays and train rerouting. The extensive delays of the last week were not an isolated incident, according to the organization: a Riders Alliance analysis of MTA data released in January found that subway delays had more than tripled over the previous four years.

Other major system-wide delays this year have been caused not only by power outages but also by equipment failure, signal malfunctions, broken trains “and myriad other problems that reflect an out-

Demonstrators rallied outside of Gov. Cuomo’s City office last week.

dated transit system that has not been sufficiently maintained.” Angry subway riders demanded immediate action from Cuomo, who ultimately controls the state agency.

“Subway riders get on the train these days without knowing when or whether they’ll ever get to work.

For a wealthy professional, subway delays can be a serious nuisance.

But for an hourly wage worker, getting caught in transit can mean losing pay or even losing a job. New

8 MAY 18, 2017 • Number 20 VOL. 16 • THE FORUM NEWSGROUP

York is a dynamic, prosperous city, but our transit system feels increasingly like third world infrastructure.

Through all of the misery riders are experiencing, Gov. Cuomo has been conspicuously silent. No announcement, no action, no plans.

Angry subway riders want to know: where is the governor?”

The group laid out a series of demands for Cuomo last week, including: • Accelerating his timetable

Photo Courtesy of the Riders Alliance

for delivering promised funds to the MTA for the agency’s capital program, which purchases new subway cars and pays to upgrade signals and equipment.

• Putting forward a comprehensive vision for how to address the day-to-day concerns of transit riders, including what the Riders Alliance called a “Marshall Plan” to modernize technology that is in some cases almost a century old.

• Convening independent experts to look into immediate changes that could reduce delays and improve reliability, including adding staff to deal with problems in real time and changing methods of dispatching and controlling trains through the system.

On Monday, it seems that the group’s prayers – and demands – were answered. The MTA announced a six-point plan to restructure management of the agency, and improve system reliability and service.

“With this plan, the MTA is taking the right first step: acknowledging that riders are suffering and need immediate action to improve subway service,” Raskin said on Monday. “These short-term plans must also be matched with a longterm vision that acknowledges the scale of the problem and invests the billions of dollars we’ll need to get to reliable, quality service. Fixing the problem will require real funding for our subways and buses, as well as sustained attention from Governor Cuomo, who ultimately runs our transit system. But for today, we recognize the MTA for responding to riders’ concerns, and we hope that ideas in this package will work well and can be expanded throughout the system.”

EDITORIAL

OFF THE SIDELINES Borough native and U.S. President Donald Trump famously campaigned as the proverbial political outsider – the agent that, upon taking office, would disinfect the democracy that career politicians had corroded for decades.

“It is time to drain the swamp in Washington, D.C.,” the former Jamaica Estates resident said last October, adding that he would bring ethics reform to the capital, and “make our government honest again.”

Whatever you may think of the man, his politics, his general grasp of checks and balances, his hair, anyone who has the gumption to stand up, be counted, and make the effort to change a staggeringly flawed system should be applauded.

That’s why we have been heartened to hear that several borough civic leaders – political outsiders – have recently announced their runs for public office. That is in no way meant to be construed as any sort of endorsement – we have a few months to go before we establish those.

However, you can say that we endorse the energy, the desire to effect change from inside the belly of the beast.

So why not you?

The time has come for those who have

been commenting and complaining from the sideline to do something about that which has confounded, frustrated, and angered them for so long. You don’t have to run for office, you don’t have to raise funds for someone else, you don’t have to become some sort of insider.

What you must do is get involved in any way you can.

Go to the next meeting of the Howard

Beach-Lindenwood Civic; reach out to all of your elected representatives – never forget that part of the title, because they are supposed to represent you and operate in your best interest; spread the word – responsibly – on social media.

But DO SOMETHING. Each ad notifying the public of the upcoming meeting of the HBL Civic features this note:

“Our meetings are attended by representatives from the NYPD, NYS Senate, NYS Assembly and the NYC Council.

Have your questions and concerns addressed, as well as, receiving updates on issues that were discussed at past meetings.”

Perhaps another president said it best about civic engagement: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

– President Theodore Roosevelt

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Keller Williams Realty Liberty Celebrates ‘RED’ Day of Service in Howard Beach

Photo Courtesy of Keller Williams

Keller Williams Realty Liberty, of Ozone Park, recently celebrated RED Day, its annual Day of Service.

Every second Thursday of May, Keller Williams associates spend the day away

from their businesses to serve worthy organizations and causes is their communities.

Last year, Keller Williams Realty Liberty held a blood drive and donated more than 60 pints of blood to the New York

Blood Center. This year, Keller Williams able to paint more than 30 benches, remove Realty Liberty teamed up with the Charles weeds, and restore the cobblestone surPark Conservation Society to help clean rounding the bleachers by Fields 2 and 3. and restore Frank M. Charles Memorial Park in Howard Beach. Together they were

Ozone Park Community, Elected Officials Open Renovated Library

By Michael V. Cusenza Ozone Park families joined elected representatives and Queens Library officials on Friday for the grand opening of the remodeled community library on Rockaway Boulevard.

The facility was closed for more than a year for the $1.2 million renovation project.

New and improved library features include: • A teen area with five computers and three booths with power outlets • An adult area with six computers and five powered reading tables • A new, larger 540 square-foot meeting room space • All new décor and furniture • Self-service book sign-in / sign-out kiosks • A children’s area with six computers; a new ADA-compliant restroom; an Early Learning Center equipped with a play kitchen and toys; and a large mural depicting phases of the moon • Electronic sign-up for computer use The offices of State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach), City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), and Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach) and her predecessor, Phil Goldfeder, and the State

“The wait was worth it,” said Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (with book).

Department of Education footed the bill for the renovations.

“It is important that we continue to invest in our libraries, which play such a vital role in our communities,” Ulrich said. “This new selfcheckout equipment will help the residents of Ozone Park – and all of Queens – better

12 MAY 18, 2017 • Number 20 VOL. 16 • THE FORUM NEWSGROUP

enjoy Queens Library and all the educational opportunities it has to offer. My constituents have long deserved these upgrades and renovations at Ozone Park Library, and I am proud to have funded this project.”

Pheffer Amato added, “This is a great day, a long time coming. Libraries are one of those

Photo Courtesy of Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato’s Office

quintessential community resources. I spent a lot of time at my local library as a kid. That’s where we learn, where we delve into new ideas, and increasingly, where we go online. Kids, adults, people seeking jobs – everybody uses this resource. And it’s been over a year since Ozone Park had one available.”

De Blasio Signs 14 Bills into Law

By Michael V. Cusenza Mayor Bill de Blasio recently signed 14 pieces of legislation into law, including bills that address bedbugs and several proposals pertaining to the City Department of Buildings and construction site safety.

The first bill signed, Intro. 648A, requires landlords to disclose bedbug infestations in their buildings and provide any tenant signing a lease with bedbug history.

“Bedbug infestations are incredibly grueling experiences, draining tenants and owners of their energy, money and time,” said City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights).

“Infestations can be particularly stressful for low-income families, seniors, people with disabilities and others who are already facing physical and financial hardship. The more tenants and owners know, the better prepared they will be to take preventative measures and detect any burgeoning infestation. By requiring owners to disclose a property or apartment’s bedbug infestation history, my bill ensures that all New Yorkers have access to the information they need to protect themselves

Photo Courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

The mayor last week held public hearings for, and signed, 14 pieces of legislation into law.

from these vermin. The bill offers further protection by requiring owners to distribute tenants with information on bedbug prevention, detection and removal. I thank Mayor de Blasio for supporting this important effort that will protect millions of people from these blood-sucking menaces.”

Introduction 965-A requires

the City Department of Transportation to create a citywide transit study. In particular, focusing on how to bring increased transit to less well served communities.

“By taking a close look at disconnected communities and thinking about ways to deliver quality transportation services, we can continue to expand opportu-

nity, making a healthier city for all.

Intro 965-A is an important step in this process and I look forward to the results of DOT’s study,” said Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez (D-Manhattan), chairman of the Transportation Committee.

Construction bills that were signed into law include: Intro.

81-A requires DOB to notify the

Occupational Safety and Health Administration about Construction Code violations that may endanger workers; Intro. 1433-A requires DOB to list online incidents that have occurred on a construction site; Intro. 1448-A, requires construction superintendents for all major projects at buildings over three stories; Intro. 1421-A requires certain types of complex cranes to have GPS or other locating devices or for DOB to be notified when these cranes are moved on or off a work site; Intro. 1435A requires certain cranes to be equipped with data-logging equipment to record operations and work conditions; Intro. 1446-A requires Class-B hoisting machine operators to get a license rating to use cranes with a long boom or jib configuration.

“If New York City is going to prevent another 33 construction worker fatalities over the next two years, we need to make sure that the Buildings Department is communicating with OSHA about violations that could jeopardize worker safety. We cannot solve the problem if the left hand is not working together with the right hand,” said Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Hillcrest).

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City Set to Invest $90M in Reducing Low-Level Arrests for People with Behavioral Health Needs

By Forum Staff

The City will invest approximately $90 million in two new 54 “diversion centers” that will open next year and offer short-term stabilizing services for individuals with mental health and substance use needs, providing police officers the option to bring these individuals to a diversion center as an alternative to arrest, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Friday.

According to the administration, the facilities will be able to divert approximately 2,400 people annually who would otherwise be arrested on low-level charges.

“These two new diversion centers will provide police officers with a new option for responding to the needs of some of our most vulnerable New Yorkers – instead of making an arrest, police will be able to connect people to the mental health or substance abuse care they need,” de Blasio said. “Safe alternatives to arrest that give people the tools they need to get back on track are key to our criminal justice reforms and bringing down our jail population.”

According to de Blasio, the centers will offer a range of clinical and non-clinical services, includ-

Photo Courtesy of Rob Bennett/Mayoral Photography Office

New Yorkers who struggle with mental health and substance use issues end up in our criminal justice system, when the best path is to connect them to treatment,” said City Health Commissioner Mary Bassett, M.D. (r.)

ing overnight shelter and basic need services, such as food, laundry and showers. Clinical services will include health and behavioral health assessments, counseling, advocacy, peer-to-peer engagement services, medication, medically supervised substance use stabilization and withdrawal management services, and naloxone training and distribution.

The centers will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week with a no-refusal policy for individuals brought in by the police.

Length of stay will vary from hours to days depending on the person’s needs, with a cap of five days, the City said. When there is clinical need, such as more supervision of withdrawal services, the stay can be extended to ten

days. Once the client is stabilized, the centers will connect them to healthcare, social services and other supports. The centers will not be used as a replacement for permanent housing or long-term shelter for homeless individuals.

According to the mayor, the City will award approximately $90 million to two non-profit vendors, Project Renewal and

Samaritan Daytop Village, to operate the diversion centers for the next 10 years. The contracts will be overseen by the City Health Department. The contracts will begin in June and September. The initiative includes funding and programmatic support from the State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services and the State Office of Mental Health.

“Too often, New Yorkers who struggle with mental health and substance use issues end up in our criminal justice system, when the best path is to connect them to treatment,” said City Health Commissioner Mary Bassett, M.D. “Opening Diversion Centers builds on the City’s commitment to expand mental health services for all residents. I commend Mayor de Blasio for taking a public health approach to reform the criminal justice system.”

The two centers are expected to open in early and late 2018, respectively. The facilities will be located in two areas with need and a high concentration of police officers who have been trained in how to deescalate interactions with individuals with behavioral health needs. Specific locations will be announced later this year.

City Correction Commissioner Ponte Announces his Retirement

By Michael V. Cusenza Embattled City Correction Commissioner Joseph Ponte announced on Friday that he is retiring effective immediately.

“I want to thank the uniformed and non-uniformed staff of the Department of Correction for the tremendous job they have done over the past three years to bring about meaningful reform and build a culture of safety at the department,” Ponte said in a statement made public last Friday.

“Without their hard work, the comprehensive reforms of the 14-point anti-violence reform agenda would not have gotten off the ground. That agenda is their agenda.

“I am happy to have spent the last chapter of my career in New York City,” he continued. “It was a privilege to work with the men and women of the department as we reduced violence and the overuse of punitive segregation, brought on 3,700 new officers, retrained a large part of the staff, added thousands of security cameras, and provided new opportunities for education and training for inmates, among many other initiatives. I’m confident that all the hard work we’ve accomplished has positioned the department for even more meaningful reform in the days ahead. It has truly been

Photo Courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

De Blasio (r.) appointed Ponte commissioner of the City Department of Correction back in 2014.

my honor to serve as commissioner of the New York City Department of Correction.”

The City Department of Investigation recently revealed that Ponte, 70, used his City-issued car for personal business on several occasions.

“I do believe that Commissioner Ponte

14 MAY 18, 2017 • Number 20 VOL. 16 • THE FORUM NEWSGROUP

should step down,” City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito said last week. “Obviously there’s just been a lot that has been going on in the agency, and I think that it’s demonstrated that it has compromised the ability to move forward.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio, who named Ponte

City jails chief in 2014, struck a defiant tone when addressing calls for the commissioner’s ouster.

“I think this agency has done extraordinary work dealing with decades of mistakes that they inherited, and finally making profound changes on Rikers Island, in particular,” de Blasio said on “The Brian Lehrer Show” on WNYC-FM last Thursday. “I really think people are missing the forest for the trees. Joe Ponte made a mistake; he’s acknowledged it, he’s paying back for the mileage. I’m convinced he did not mean to do anything wrong.”

De Blasio also issued a statement on Friday.

“Joe Ponte has spent his life reforming jails. New York City owes a debt of gratitude to Commissioner Ponte for his tireless efforts to change the culture and improve the effectiveness of one of the nation’s most challenging jail systems,” the mayor said. “While much work remains, there is no doubt that our city’s jails are safer, more rehabilitative, and more humane as a result of Commissioner Ponte’s work. As we continue the search for our next commissioner, I will be looking for the same experience and progressive commitment to smart, effective correctional policy that Commissioner Ponte’s career has epitomized.”

Controversy Surrounding Federal Immigration Officials Visit to Maspeth School

By Michael V. Cusenza Federal immigration officials’ visit to a Maspeth elementary school last Thursday sparked outrage among advocates and elected representatives – and pushing President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and City Department of Education protocols under the microscope.

According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, two agents stopped at PS 58 The School of Heroes on Grand Avenue for an immigration benefit request of a fourth-grade student. Published reports indicated that school officials, as per DOE policy, did not produce the child and turned away the officials.

According to a Spectrum News New York 1 report, USCIS said the student was not the subject of the request, the agents did not ask to see or speak with the child, and that school visits are not routine, but are not unusual.

Several elected officials were incensed over the stopover.

“As a mother, I am deeply troubled and horrified at this attempt on the part of fed-

Public School 58 is located on Grand Avenue in Maspeth.

eral immigration agents to reach any child in our schools. PS 58 officials did the right thing by following proper protocols of the city administration, stopping the agents at the door and protecting their students. No parent should have to worry about any unauthorized persons or entities reaching their children while in school,” said Queens Borough President Melinda Katz. “All schools must remain a safe space, where children’s safety is paramount. The city’s protocols help instill confidence throughout school

Photo Courtesy of Google

communities and prevent widespread disruption and fear. Queens schools are to be off-limits to federal immigration agents.”

U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) on Monday sent a letter to James McCament, acting director of USCIS, to demand answers about the situation.

“We want to know about the agency’s policies, protocols and circumstances that led to the agents entering the school, and I eagerly await answers to these important questions,” Meng said.

The Queens congresswoman also requested that the agency provide the following information: • A detailed description of all USCIS policies regarding sensitive locations.

• A detailed description of all USCIS policies or protocols in relation to inquiries made at schools regarding students.

• A detailed description of the circumstances that led to USCIS agents to enter PS 58 The School of Heroes, on May 11, 2017 and to why an in-person visit was necessary, as opposed to an email or a phone inquiry?

• A detailed description of any approvals for provided to the agents in question that would allow them to enter the school.

• Any determination as to whether the agents in question followed USCIS policy when they entered the school.

“The protocols we have put in place to protect immigrant families particularly are not only being reinstated, but they have been instated and will be reinstated over and over again,” City Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña said on Tuesday, according to a New York Daily News report.

Administration Expands Roster of Community Schools

By Forum Staff The de Blasio administration recently announced the expansion of the Community Schools Initiative to 69 new schools this September.

The expansion will bring the total number of Community Schools citywide to 215, exceeding the City’s original projection of 200 Community Schools by 2017. The new 69 Community Schools are funded through the 21st Century Community Learning Center grants, which awarded $25.5 million per year for up to five years.

According to the administration, the research-based education model provides an integrated focus on academics, health and mental health services, youth development, expanded learning opportunities, and family supports are critical to improving student success.

“To reach success in their classes, our students often require some extra support outside the classroom. This expansion allows us to provide additional after school activities, mental health counseling, enhanced family engagement, and so much more,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Community Schools, according to the administration, provide resources, with the core elements being: expanded learning time, health and wellness services, enhanced family and community engagement and targeted attendance improvement strategies. The core structure of a Community School includes a defined partnership with a communitybased organization, a dedicated Community School Director, shared leadership and accountability and enhanced data tracking to

Mayor de Blasio (c.) and City Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña (center l.) made the announcement last week.

preemptively address challenges like absenteeism. Based on the local need, and availability of additional resources, Community Schools may also offer a range of services, including SchoolBased Health Centers, vision screenings, food pantries and adult education courses.

Additionally, the citywide expansion includes 25 CBO partners at the 69 schools.

CBOs were selected by schools, based on proven experience working in the community, demonstrated capacity to coordinate partners and deliver comprehensive services through a dedicated on-site Community School Director.

In the fall of 2016, the NYS Education Department released a request for proposal for 21st Century Community Learning Center Funding. The State Department of Education allocated $47.9 million in 21CCLC funding to the City, with $25.5 million awarded to

the City Department of Education directly and additional $22.4 million awarded to nongovernmental organizations. The 21CCLC grant supports school-CBO partnerships, afterschool and youth development and the DOE aligned proposals with the Community School Strategy to ensure that funding will support expansion. The Office of Community Schools worked with Superintendents to identify schools that met the priorities of each proposal and demonstrated capacity to partner with CBOs, the administration noted.

“It’s essential that we invest in the whole child, and through the Community School model, we are bringing additional social emotional supports, mental health services, and deepening family ties,” said City Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña. “Schools are anchors for the entire commu-

Photo Courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

nity, and by embedding high quality Community Based Organizations into schools, we can meet the needs of students and families. With this expansion, these game-changing resources will benefit more than 108,000 students in all five boroughs.”

City Councilman Daniel Dromm (DJackson Heights), chairman of the Council Education Committee, added, “Community Schools empower our children by offering a wide range of services including support groups and childcare for parents, access to healthcare, mentorship and other valuable programs. Thanks to this expansion, 215 NYC public schools will benefit from the initiative. I am pleased that the administration has embraced this common-sense, holistic approach to education. I will continue to work to bring this successful model to additional schools across the city.”

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 16 • Number 20 MAY 18, 2017 | 15

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LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given that an order entered by the civil court, Queens county, on the 3 day of May, bearing Index Number NC-000431-17/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) LORRAINE (Middle) CYNTHIA (Last) CHAMBLEE. The city and state of my address are 63-67 72nd Street, Middle Village, NY 11379-1856; the date of my birth is September 27, 1946; place of my birth is Brooklyn, NY; my present name is (first) CYNTHIA(middle) LORRAINE (last) CHAMBLEE aka Lorraine C. Chamblee, aka Lorraine Chamblee-Ramos, aka Lorraine Cynthia Chamblee aka Lorraine Chamblee, aka Lorraine Rae-Chamblee ACE DEVELOPMENT LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/24/17. 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 the LLC, 202-16 45th Avenue, Bayside, NY 11361. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice is hereby given that an order entered by the civil court, Queens county, on the 1 day of May, bearing Index Number NC-00006717/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) RAMEL (Middle) MALIK (Last) HUGHES. The city and state of my address are 109-15 132ND STREET, South Ozone Park; the date of my birth is January 13, 1979; place of my birth is Queens, NY; my present name is (first) Ramel (middle) Marlik (last) Mosley aka Ramel M. Mosley, aka Ramel Finnie, aka Ramel Hughes

Notice of Qualification of C2U HOMES, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with NY Dept. of State on 5/01/17. Office location: Queens County. NY Sec. of State designated agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served, and shall mail process to THE LLC, 17214 133RD AVENUE, APT. 7G, JAMAICA, NY 11434. Purpose: any lawful activity.

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Notice of formation of JJN SHIMON LLC. Art. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/03/2017. Office location: Queens County.

SSNY designated as service for process. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 75-35 167th Street, Fresh Meadows, NY 11366. Purpose: any lawful purpose.

Notice is hereby given that license #1301048 has been applied by the undersigned to sell liquor wine and beer under the alcoholic beverage control law at 36-36 Prince Street#102 Flushing, NY 11354 for on-premises consumption. Uncle Sheng’s Ramen LLC dba: Sheng Ramen

KEMZURI MANAGEMENT LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 03/28/17.

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 the AYESHA BILAL. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice is hereby given that an order entered by the civil court, Queens county, on the 31 day of March, 2017, bearing Index Number NC-001215-16/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 SABRINA LEE RUDDOCK. The city and state of my address are 87-27 129th Street, Richmond Hill, NY 11418-2728; the date of my birth is May 1, 2005; place of my birth is Manhattan, New York; my present name is (first) SIBRANA (middle) LEE (last) GREEN aka (first) SIBRANA (middle) LEE (last) RUDDOCK (infant).

Notice is hereby given that an order entered by the civil court, Queens county, on the 3 day of April, bearing Index Number NC-000274-17/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 DANIELA CARLAN. The city and state of my address are 32-25 90TH STREET, APT #407, EAST ELMHURST, NY 11369-2306; the date of my birth is November 18, 1966; place of my birth is Romania; my present name is (first) DANIELA (last) COICEA aka DANIELA CARLAN

Notice is hereby given that an order entered by the civil court, Queens county, on the 16 day of May, bearing Index Number NC-000472-17/ 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) RAYMOND (Middle) ALBERTO (Last) ANGLADA. The city and state of my address are 9007 ROCKAWAY BOULEVARD, Ozone Park, NY 11416; the date of my birth is May 20, 1968; place of my birth is Manhattan, NY; my present name is (first) RAMON (middle) ALBERTO (last) ANGLADA (SENIORITY) JR aka Ramon Anglada aka Raymond Anglada Notice is hereby given that an order entered by the civil court, Queens county, on the 16 day of May, bearing Index Number NC-001242-16/ 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) IAN (Middle) SANTIAGO (Last) SALAZAR. The city and state of my address are 25-62 100th Street, Apt 1, EAST ELMJURST, NY 11368; the date of my birth is January 7, 2012; place of my birth is Queens, NY; my present name is (first) IAN (last)SANTIAGO SALAZAR aka IAN SANTIAGO (infant)

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Notice is hereby given that an order entered by the civil court, Queens county, on the 10 day of March, bearing Index Number NC-001129-16/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 STEPHAN RAMCHARAN. The city and state of my address are 120-65 132nd Street, South Ozone Park, New York,11420; the date of my birth is September 7, 1998; place of my birth is The Republic of Trinidad and Tobego; my present name is (first) ANAN(middle) STEPHAN (last) RAMCHARAN aka Anan Stephan , aka Anan S. Ramcharan Notice is hereby given that license #1301048 has been applied by the undersigned to sell liquor wine and beer under the alcoholic beverage control law at 36-36 Prince Street#102 Flushing, NY 11354 for on-premises consumption. Uncle Sheng’s Ramen LLC DBA: Sheng Ramen

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 16 • Number 20 MAY 18, 2017 | 17

Legal Notices Notice of Formation of Layer New York, LLC. Articles of Org. filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/9/2017. Office location is Queens County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Bo Liu, 107-12 90th Street, Ozone Park, NY 11417. Purpose: any lawful activity.

ARTHUR GRIFFITH LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 3/8/17. Office in Queens Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to ARTHUR GRIFFITH LLC, 93-17 208 STREET, QUEENS VILLAGE, NY 11428.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Limited Liability Company. Name: A&R TRANSPORTING, LLC. Art. of Org. were filed with Sec’y of State (SSNY) on 03/17/17, Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, UNITED STATES CORPORATION AGENTS, INC. 7014 13TH AVENUE, SUITE 202, BROOKLYN, NY, 11228.Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

SLOWER COAST LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/06/2017. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 154 Beach 120th St, Rockaway Park, NY 11694. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF WHHUSA, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/10/2016. Office location: QUEENS County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process may be serviced and shall mail copy of process against LLC to: 39-01 MAIN STREET, SUITE 203, FLUSHING, NY 11354. Principal business address: 39-01 MAIN STREET, SUITE 203, FLUSHING, NY 11354.

Purpose: any lawful act.

MERCURY HOME INSPECTIONS LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/14/2017.

Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Hubco Registered Agent Services, Inc., 238 W. Jericho Turnpike, Huntington Station, NY 11746. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF POND VENTURE LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 12/08/16. Office located in 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 EDWARD M. VARGA III, 23-58 33RD STREET, ASTORIA, NY 11105. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of formation of LEVEL 101 Studios, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the SSNY on January 31, 2017. Office located in Queens.

SSNY is designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to 139-68 86th Avenue, Briarwood, NY 11435. Purpose: any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation: M & M Toledo, LLC Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on February/2017. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copies of any process served against the LLC to 36-36 Main Street Suite 1NA Flushing NY 11354 Purpose: Any lawful purpose or activity

Legal Notices Jimmy Jazz Jamaica Ave LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) on 2/17/17. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 85 Metro Way, Rm. 1025, Secaucus, NJ 07094. General Purpose.

Notice of Formation of HOLAND DEVELOPMENT LLC Art. of Org. filed Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 3/15/2017. Office location: Queens County. SSNY Designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: The LLC, 4136 COLLEGE POINT BLVD, FLUSHING, NEW YORK,11355. Purpose: any lawful activity.

BLESSED QUEEN LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/03/2017. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: C/O Adejoke Babalola, 11546 Mexico Street, Saint Albans, NY 11412. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

FDP, LLC. Filed 2/2/17. Office: Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: C/O Tomasz Makowski, 25b Jennifer Pl, Staten Island, NY 10314. Purpose: General.

Notice of formation of OneSource Accounting, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on March 15, 2017. Office located in Queens county. SSNY has been designated for service of process.

SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to 8410 Main Street, Unit 447, Briarwood, NY 11435. Purpose: any lawful purpose.

BLISS STREET CREAMERY LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 03/27/2017. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Bliss Street Creamery LLC, 45-06 Queens Blvd., Suite 317, Sunnyside, NY, 11104. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Notice of formation of SUTPHIN REALTY GROUP LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 5/3/17. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to: 133-47 Sanford Ave., Unit C1E, Flushing, NY 11355. Purpose: any lawful act.

223 Development LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/26/17. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 259-36 149th Ave., Rosedale, NY 11422. General Purpose.

Notice of Qualification of Packard Hospitality Management, LLC. Appl. for Auth. filed with NY Dept. of State on 1/31/17. Office location: Queens County. NY Sec. of State designated agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served, and shall mail process to Michael Saul Goldstein, 9555 Chesapeake Dr, Ste 202, San Diego, CA 92123. CA addr. of LLC 9555 Chesapeake Dr, Ste 202, San Diego, CA 92123. Cert. of Form. filed with CA Sec. of State, PO Box 944228, Sacramento, CA 94224-2280 on 10/15/12. Purpose: any lawful activity.

18 MAY 18, 2017 • Number 20 VOL. 16 • THE FORUM NEWSGROUP

Supplemental Summons and Notice of Object of Action Supreme Court Of The State Of New York County Of Queens Action to Foreclose a Mortgage INDEX #: 714403/2016 Nationstar Mortgage LLC Plaintiff vs Evan Ramsey Individually And As Surviving Joint Tenant With Rights Of Survivorship Of Maxcine Jenkins Aka Maxcine L. Jenkins If Living, And If He/She Be Dead, Any And All Persons Unknown To Plaintiff, Claiming, Or Who May Claim To Have An Interest In, Or General Or Specific Lien Upon The Real Property Described In This Action; Such Unknown Persons Being Herein Generally Described And Intended To Be Included In Wife, Widow, Husband, Widower, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assignees Of Such Deceased, Any And All Persons Deriving Interest In Or Lien Upon, Or Title To Said Real Property By, Through Or Under Them, Or Either Of Them, And Their Respective Wives, Widows, Husbands, Widowers, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assigns, All Of Whom And Whose Names, Except As Stated, Are Unknown To Plaintiff, Administrator Of The Small Business Administration, City Register Of The City Of New York, Queens County, Discover Bank, New York City Parking Violations Bureau, New York State Department Of Taxation & Finance, Commissioner Of Social Services Of The City Of New York Obo Nyree N. Duncan, Criminal Court Of The City Of New York, New York City Environmental Control Board, People Of The State Of New York, United States Of America Acting Through The IRS, John Doe (being fictitious, the names unknown to Plaintiff intended to be tenants, occupants, persons or corporations having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the property described in the complaint or their heirs at law, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, guardians, assignees, creditors or successors.)

Defendant(s) Mortgaged Premises: 72-21 Burchell Avenue, Arverne, NY 11692 SBL #: 16065 – 31 To the Above named Defendant: You are hereby summoned to answer the Complaint in this action, and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Supplemental Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff(s) attorney(s) within twenty days after the service of this Supplemental Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this Supplemental Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York). In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. The Attorney for Plaintiff has an office for business in the County of Erie. Trial to be held in the County of Queens. The basis of the venue designated above is the location of the Mortgaged Premises. TO Defendant In this Action. The foregoing Summons is served upon you by publication, pursuant to an order of HON. Thomas D. Raffaele of the Supreme Court Of The State Of New York, dated the Tenth day of April, 2017 and filed with the Complaint in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens, in the City of Jamaica. The object of this action is to foreclose a mortgage upon the premises described below, executed

by Maxcine Jenkins AKA Maxcine L. Jenkins (who died on August 7, 2012, a resident of

the county of Queens, State of New York) dated the April 9, 2007, to secure the sum of $233,000.00. The Mortgage was recorded at CRFN 2007000261288 in the Office of the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County on May 18, 2007. The mortgage was subsequently modified on May 10, 2010. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed May 15, 2013 and recorded on June 7, 2013, in the Office of the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2013000226776. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an executed April 17, 2014, and recorded on April 28, 2014, in the Office of the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2014000141991. The property in question is described as follows: 72-21 BURCHELL AVENUE, ARVERNE, NY 11692 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. DATED: April 20, 2017 Gross Polowy, LLC Attorney(s) For Plaintiff(s) 1775 Wehrle Drive, Suite 100 Williamsville, NY 14221 The law firm of Gross Polowy, LLC and the attorneys whom it employs are debt collectors who are attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained by them will be used for that purpose.

REFEREE’S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE SUPREME COURT – COUNTY OF QUEENS NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC, Plaintiff – against – MARIA ROSARIO, et al Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on December 20, 2013. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at Courtroom #25 located at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, Queens County, New York on the 17th Day of June, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Fourth Ward of the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York. Premises known as 95 30 92nd Street, Ozone Park, (City of New York) NY 11416. (Block: 9031, Lot: 20) Approximate amount of lien $779,459.48 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale.

Index No. 9656-2008. Eugene Crowe, Esq., Referee.

Davidson Fink LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 28 East Main Street, Suite 1700 Rochester, NY 14614-1990 Tel. 585/760-8218

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 16 • Number 20 MAY 18, 2017 | 19

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