THE FORUM NEWSGROUP | MAY 9, 2019

VOL. 19 • NUMBER 19 • MAY 9, 2019

QUEENS DISTRICT ATTORNEY

RICHARD BROWN

See Story on Page 7

Nov. 13, 1932 — May 4, 2019

File Photo

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 19• Number 19 MAY 9, 2019 | 1

Goodbye, Mr. G: Howard Beach Mourns John Gurino

By Michael V. Cusenza Residents of Howard Beach shed tears and shared stories and smiles last week as they remembered the life of beloved neighbor and businessman John Gurino, who died on Monday, April 29. He was 92.

Gurino was born on July 9, 1926, in East New York, Brooklyn, one of Antonio and Carmella’s 13 children.

John Gurino entered the U.S. Army in 1944. The 18-year-old served in World War II until 1947. A year later, he met Lenora Sepe. In November 1950, the smitten cou-

2 MAY 9, 2019 • Number 19 VOL. 19 • THE FORUM NEWSGROUP

ple tied the knot at St. Michael’s Church in Brooklyn.

The Gurinos had three children: Anthony, John, and Angelo. They initially raised their boys in their first home in Richmond Hill.

John Gurino drove limousines before saving enough money to go into the construction business. He bought his first piece of property in Howard Beach. It was there, in 1965, that he built his second home.

Gurino continued working hard and investing in real estate along Cross Bay Boulevard. And in 1978, he purchased a piece of property at 157-48 Cross Bay Blvd. and

turned it into the Howard Beach gourmet food icon Ragtime. The Gurino family-run business served South Queens for nearly 40 years.

Family. His wife, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. That’s what it was all about for John Gurino. Sure, he enjoyed reading the newspaper every day, playing cards, going to the casino, and watching his cherished Yankees. But whenever he was asked about his favorite time, the answer remained unchanged.

“Sunday dinner, at the table, with my family.”

Photos Courtesy of the Gurino Family

New Zoning Measures will Allow Homeowners to Recover More Quickly from Future Storms: City

By Forum Staff New zoning measures will help floodproof buildings in vulnerable neighborhoods against storms and incorporate sea level rise into their design as projected by the New York City Panel on Climate Change, de Blasio administration officials announced on Thursday.

According to the Department of City Planning, the Zoning for Coastal Flood Resiliency initiative proposes several actions to make sure zoning promotes resilient buildings and reduces flood risks in the city’s most exposed areas now and in the future.

According to DCP, as home and business owners were recovering from Superstorm Sandy, many ran into building envelope constraints when they attempted to elevate or retrofit their buildings. This left many to choose between losing an entire floor of space or remaining vulnerable to flooding. In early 2013, DCP enacted emergency zoning measures on a temporary basis to address these constraints and accommodate the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s construction requirements for the areas covered by their Flood Insurance Rate Maps.

The recommendations released by DCP on Thursday would improve upon and make these rules permanent.

Zoning for Coastal Flood Resiliency would expand the area where flood resilient zoning provisions apply, more than doubling the number of buildings that could utilize these provi-

Photo Courtesy of Build it Back

A completed modular home in Broad Channel.

sions, DCP officials noted. It would accomplish this by allowing buildings in both the city’s 1 percent annual chance floodplain and 0.2 percent annual chance floodplain to fully meet or exceed flood-resistant construction standards, even when these standards are not required by FEMA and the City Building Code.

According to the administration, this change would allow building owners to proac-

tively raise living space and important equipment out of harm’s way.

Thursday’s proposal would: • Allow mechanical, electrical and plumbing equipment as permitted obstructions, to elevate them above the expected height of floodwaters, whether within a building or on a separate platform. These rules would also apply to resiliency measures like retaining walls,

Prison for Ozone Park Kidnapping, Torture Duo

Michael Crumble (l.) and Ramell Markus

By Forum Staff Two Brooklyn men have been sentenced to several years in prison for kidnapping and torturing an Ozone Park man in an attempt to obtain drugs, cash, and information, federal prosecutors announced this week.

Michael Crumble, 35, was sentenced on Monday to nine years’

File Photo

imprisonment for kidnapping conspiracy, kidnapping and committing physical violence in furtherance of an extortion relating to the December 2017 abduction, assault and extortion of Daniel Nieves. On May 3, co-defendant Ramell Markus, 36, was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for his role in the same crimes.

According to officials, on Dec.

17, 2017, Crumble, Markus, and a co-conspirator who later cooperated with the government kidnapped Nieves outside his residence in Ozone Park and forced him into a vehicle. Markus pistolwhipped the victim in a futile attempt to force him to give up narcotics believed to be in the victim’s home. Crumble, Markus, and their cohort then drove Nieves to another location in Brooklyn, and during the next eight hours tortured him—smashing a glass into his face and burning his arms with a hot iron—until the drugs and cash were given to them. “[Crumble and Markus] were seeking cash and drugs when they brutally assaulted the victim, but what they ultimately received as a result of their vicious conduct were lengthy prison sentences,” said Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue. “I commend our FBI and NYPD partners in the New York City Safe Streets Task Force for their outstanding investigative work in this case.”

berms and flood panels.

• Allow emergency generators as permitted obstructions in yards on a citywide basis.

• Exempt floor area for ground floor spaces that are wet-floodproofed (meaning water can freely flow in and out of the building), which can only be used for parking, access and storage.

• Exempt floor area for the first 30 feet of the ground floor of a commercial or community facility use, if it is dry-floodproofed (meaning water cannot enter the building).

• Allow mixed-use buildings to recover the loss of commercial cellar space as part of floodproofing the building by relocating it to the second floor in areas where this is currently prohibited.

• Exempt floor area for industrial buildings that build a small mezzanine or second floor to store essential materials or equipment.

• Provide a wider range of design options to soften the impact of elevated uses on the public realm.

• Create flexible curb cut rules, to allow for parking below elevated homes.

• Provide a pathway for expediting recovery efforts following a future disaster.

“We must give coastal residents and businesses the flexibility they need to prepare for the next storm—which is exactly what these changes will do,” Mayor’s Office of Resiliency Director Jainey Bavishi added.

For more information, visit www1.nyc. gov/site/planning/plans/proposals-studies. page.

City Honors Slain Correction Officer

Family, friends, and fellow Boldest gathered on Sunday at the intersection of 111th Street and Liberty Avenue as the City honored the life and work of Jonathan Narain by co-naming the corner “Correction Officer Jonathan Narain Way.” Narain, 27, was gunned down in September 2018 at 120th Street and 103rd Avenue

following an alleged road-rage incident. Gifford Hunter, 30, of St. Albans has been charged with second-degree murder in the incident.

City Councilwoman Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica) called Sunday’s ceremony “a beautiful celebration of life.”

Photo Courtesy of Councilwoman Adams’s Office

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 19• Number 19 MAY 9, 2019 | 3

Man Convicted in South Ozone Park Slay

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Nieves was killed inside his Peconic Street home.

By Forum Staff A Brooklyn man has been convicted at trial for the shooting death of a South Ozone Park man during a January 2016 home invasion, Chief Assistant District Attorney John Ryan, on behalf of Queens DA Richard Brown, recently announced.

A jury found Freddie Salgado, 41, guilty of second-degree murder, first-degree burglary, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and second-degree assault following a two-week trial. Sentencing has been set for May 17.

According to trial testimony, on the morning of Jan. 11, 2016, Salgado and an unapprehended perpetrator entered the Peconic Street home of Frankie Nieves, 50, who was upstairs helping his 5-yearold daughter dress for school. The victim’s brother, Edgar Nieves, was on the ground floor and fought with the two men who were armed with a handgun and a stun gun.

According to trial testimony, Edgar Nieves managed to free himself from the melee and ran towards the front door. As he escaped the house, he heard gunfire.

Frankie Nieves was shot once—at close range—in the chest. He was rushed to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he died.

Video surveillance captured outside the residence, according to trial records,

showed Salgado and another individual exit a white BMW, enter the Nieves home and then exit again and leave in the same vehicle. One of the two men left a red hat at the scene. DNA collected from the hat was a match for the Salgado’s DNA profile, which was on file in the State DNA Databank.

Furthermore, according to trial testimony, Salgado fled the five boroughs, but was apprehended in Miami in the BMW on Jan. 18, 2016. The BMW had been reported stolen and Salgado was held on charges related to the stolen vehicle; however, he provided police with a false name and was released on bail. Detectives from the 106th Precinct, with the assistance of federal marshals and local police, located Salgado and re-apprehended him; he was extradited to Queens to face murder charges. The BMW was also seized. A spot of blood was discovered in the vehicle by the NYPD Crime Scene Unit and was a match for the victim, Frankie Nieves.

“This kind of lawless gun violence is reprehensible,” Ryan said. “One man was killed and the child could have easily become a victim of this ruthless act of depravity. A jury has spoken and the defendant now faces a lengthy term of incarceration for his actions.”

At next week’s sentencing, Salgado faces up to 25 years to life in prison.

NYPD/Youth Meet & Greet Event at St. Helen’s The Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic Association and the Kiwanis Club of Howard Beach are set to host the second annual NYPD/Youth Meet & Greet this Tuesday, May 14, at 6:30 p.m. at St. Helen Catholic Academy cafeteria.

The parent-free event will be moderated by the Rev. Francis Colamaria and the Hon. Augustus Agate, Queens Supreme Court

Justice (Ret.); and feature officers assigned to NYPD Community Affairs, Neighborhood Coordination, Crime Prevention, Domestic Violence, Active Shooter, Internet Safety Division, and more, ready to address the current issues and concerns facing our community’s youth.

St. Helen Catholic Academy is located at 83-09 157th Ave. in Howard Beach.

4 MAY 9, 2019 • Number 19 VOL. 19 • THE FORUM NEWSGROUP

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Flushing Man behind Subway Bomb Plot Set Free

Najibullah Zazi

By Michael V. Cusenza Najibullah Zazi, a former Flushing resident and Flushing High School student who in 2009 brought explosives to New York City as part of an al Qaeda-supported plan to attack the subway system, was sentenced on Thursday to 10 years in federal prison.

However, considering Zazi, 33, has been in custody since February 2010, when he pleaded guilty to a three-count superseding information charging him with conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction against persons or property in the United States, conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country, and providing material support to al Qaeda, Thursday’s long-awaited sentencing essentially amounts to time served.

As Zazi admitted in his guilty plea allocution, he and others agreed to travel to Afghanistan to join the Taliban and fight against United States and allied forces. In furtherance of their plans, they flew from Newark Liberty International Airport to Peshawar, Pakistan at the end of August 2008. Although Zazi and others initially intended to fight on behalf of the Taliban, they were recruited by al Qaeda shortly after arriving in Peshawar. Al Qaeda personnel transported Zazi and others to the Waziristan region of Pakistan and trained them on several different kinds of weapons.

During the training, al Qaeda leaders asked Zazi and others to return to the U.S. and conduct suicide operations. They agreed.

Zazi later received additional training from al Qaeda on constructing the explosives for the planned attacks in the United States. Zazi had discussions with al Qaeda leaders about target locations, including subway trains in the five boroughs.

Photo Courtesy of DOJ

In a 25-page sentencing memorandum filed last Wednesday, federal prosecutors outlined in detail how Zazi—since he decided to cooperate in February 2010—has been an invaluable witness for Uncle Sam. “Over the past eight years, Zazi has provided extraordinary cooperation, meeting with the government more than 100 times, viewing hundreds of photographs, and providing information that assisted law enforcement officials in a number of different investigations even where Zazi did not personally know the subjects of those investigations,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Pravda wrote. “[Zazi] proffered at great length about every aspect of his conduct without minimizing his actions, nor were there any areas of questioning that Zazi refused to address. His cooperation included implicating his friends in terrorism crimes as well as telling law enforcement about various acts by Zazi’s own family members.”

Zazi on Thursday also penned a fourpage letter to the presiding judge, seeking mercy while touting his startling path to enlightenment.

“Your Honor, I have had a long journey in my short life, most dramatically, I went from an Islamic extremist to a cooperating witness,” Zazi wrote. “A New Yorker who had no real sense of what this country stands for, it would take prison, exposure to many different people, their beliefs, both good and bad, and a much better understanding of American culture to realize that the tolerance by America and freedoms of Americans is the heart of its greatness, and a beacon of light for those with hope in their hearts.”

Zazi’s lawyer told News 4 New York that he hopes his client will be home in a few days.

www.orderaplumber.com • (718) 522-0818 THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 19• Number 19 MAY 9, 2019 | 5

EDITORIAL Two Prisons All journalists become jaded at some point; for most of us inkstained schlubs it occurs shortly after embarking on this career as an intrepid member of the esteemed Fourth Estate.

And most of us are cynics— which, in most cases, is a good thing. A “healthy dose” of cynicism is an important tool of our dying trade.

But what you have to be mindful of in this business is the very real threat of desensitization. As journalists, we are tasked with chronicling all aspects of life. Yes, that includes death and, at times, acts of depravity of which you didn’t think humans were capable—prior to arriving at your first crime scene.

Scribes in this city have seen it all, so the danger of becoming desensitized is constantly lurking.

This week, we were reassured that, no, we hadn’t fully fallen off the cliff into the bottomless cesspool of emotional numbness.

On Tuesday, Kevin Paniagua, a reputed member of MS-13, was sentenced to more than 25 years in federal prison for the attempted murder of a 16-year-old boy suspected of being a member of a rival gang. According to prosecutors, in the early morning hours of Oct. 23, 2016, Paniagua and his co-conspirators confronted the victim in Jamaica. There, they punched and kicked him, and Paniagua pulled out a handgun and shot the victim in the face. Paniagua then attempted to shoot the victim a second time as he lay on the sidewalk, but the gun jammed.

The victim is a paraplegic as a result of the attack.

That young man, strapped to a wheelchair for the rest of his days, delivered an impassioned victim impact statement that had more than one of us hardened reporters reaching for the Kleenex: “When I woke up in the hospital, the doctor told me that I wasn’t going to be able to move. I started

to cry. My tears were rolling down my face. I thought about how I would never be able to play soccer again. I had many bruises on my face, on my eyes, on my chin and on my arms. Before they shot me, they punched many times. After they shot me, I dragged myself across the floor and tried to ask for help. But I couldn’t move my arms because the bullet was already affecting my nerves. I was dragging myself using my chin. I thought about how am I going to be able to go out with my friends and how I will never be able to ride my bike.

When the doctor told me that I wasn’t going to be able to move, my uncles became upset because they thought the doctor should have waited to tell me that until I was better. I asked myself how I was going to be able to travel in a wheel chair. And I really wanted to travel. Sometimes when I’m at school, I think about how instead of waiting for the elevator, I could have been running up the steps. I

see my friends boxing and training and I want to participate but I can’t the way my friends do it.

When I got a little better, I didn’t like to ask for help even though I couldn’t do things on my own.

I would cry from the anger I felt that I had to ask for help. All of that because I spent 5 minutes with those three guys. When I was in the hospital, they would tell me to press the button in case I needed anything. I would get mad because I didn’t want them to help me eat. Sometimes I would not eat because I didn’t want to ask for help. I was also mad at God. I asked him where was he in that moment and why did he allow this to happen to me.

I can’t do many things because of what happened to me. There is a video with me, my brother E , and my little sister A where we are playing on a trampoline. I can no longer play with them like that.

Before, when my mother would go to work on Saturdays, I would

look after my sister and make her a bottle.

I will not be able to drive like my friends. I had a lot of strength in my legs because I was always on my bicycle. I still have the bicycle and I look at it sometimes hoping that one day I’ll be able to ride on it again. I can no longer walk on the beach. I tried going on a wheelchair and it sunk in the sand. The only way I can go on the beach is to be carried in by another person.

When I left the hospital, in the beginning I was scared to go out on the street because I didn’t want people to see me. I used to roller skate and ride my scooter. I was in the hospital for one year without being able to go to school and now I’m behind 2 years in school. I remember I was taking so much medication in the beginning. I am still getting spasms in my legs and fingers.

Now my goal is to graduate in May and go to college to be an architect.”

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A Grateful Borough Bids Farewell to ‘Judge Brown’

Photo Courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

Brown was Queens’ top prosecutor for nearly three decades.

By Michael V. Cusenza Richard Allen Brown, Queens County district attorney for the last 28 years, died on Saturday in Meadow Ridge palliative care facility in Redding, Conn. He was 86.

Brown succumbed to complications of Parkinson’s disease following a protracted battle with the neurodegenerative disorder. His rapidly declining health forced him to announce that he would resign his post effective June 1, 2019.

On June 1, 1991, while an associate justice of the Appellate Division, Second Department, Brown accepted Gov. Mario Cuomo’s appointment as the district attorney of The World’s Borough.

“My father recognized Judge Brown’s brilliance when he appointed him…and 27 years later was proven right,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “Judge Brown fought successfully to create safer neighborhoods and reduce crime in his borough. He took on the scourge of opioid addiction, fought to protect domestic violence victims, worked to end human trafficking and so much more. We are forever indebted to Judge Brown for his service to this state; he will be sorely missed.”

Brown subsequently was elected to a full four-year term as Queens’ top law enforcement official at the general election held in November 1991, and was re-elected at the 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 general election.

Born in Brooklyn, but raised in Queens, Brown received his bachelor of arts degree from Hobart College in 1953 and graduated from New York University School

File Photo

“We mourn but we appreciate with all our hearts what he has left us. On behalf of all 8.6 million New Yorkers, may Richard Brown’s memory be a blessing,” said Mayor de Blasio at Brown’s funeral.

of Law in June 1956.

Prior to becoming a member of the judiciary in September 1973, Brown spent nine years serving in various legal positions on behalf of the leadership of the State Senate and Assembly, and at the 1967 State Constitutional Convention, and four years as the City’s legislative representative in Albany.

After serving as a judge of the Criminal Court for less than two years, Brown was appointed as supervising judge of the Brooklyn Criminal Court. In January 1976, he was designated as an Acting Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York.

It was during this unsettled, unnerving period in NYC history that Brown’s name became inexPhoto Courtesy of the Queens DA’s Office tricably linked to one of the most On Aug. 11, 1977, Brown was the judge who presided over the arraignment of serial killer David Berkowitz, a.k.a. the Son of Sam. notorious figures the Empire State has ever produced. On Aug. 11, 1977, Brown was the judge who presided over the arraignment of serial killer David Berkowitz, a.k.a. the Son of Sam. “We mourn but we appreciate with all our hearts what he has left us. On behalf of all 8.6 million New Yorkers, may Richard Brown’s memory be a blessing,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio in remarks delivered at Brown’s funeral on Tuesday. “To his family, to his friends, to his colleagues, to all who knew him, to the people of Queens, to the people of this city—let’s remember Judge Brown, let’s try and live like Judge Brown.”

Brown is survived by his wife of 59 years, Rhoda, their three children Karen, Todd and his wife Monica, and Lynn and her husPhoto Courtesy of the Queens DA’s Office band Bruce; and his granddaugh- In celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May 2017, Judge Brown bestowed his office’s Asian American Pacific ters Leah and Alana.

Islander Award on former Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 19• Number 19 MAY 9, 2019 | 7

Rego Park Doctor Charged with Running ‘Opioid Mills’

By Forum Staff Two physicians have been charged with conspiring to operate an opioid mill and fraudulently billing Medicaid, State Attorney General Tish James announced on Monday.

Ilya Smuglin, M.D., of Rego Park, and Rockville Centre resident Clarisse Clemons, M.D., were arraigned on Friday on a complaint charging them with criminal sale of a prescription for a controlled substance or of a controlled substance by a practitioner or pharmacist; first-degree healthcare fraud; and fourth-degree conspiracy. Both Smuglin, 50, and Clemons, 63, were ordered to surrender their passports and were released on their own recognizance. The case was adjourned to June 12.

According to James, the AG’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit filed papers alleging that Smuglin, Clemons, and other staff of the Miromedical P.C. and Ferrara Medical Care, P.C. clinics, conspired to create, enable, and foster an environment that encouraged and resulted in the excessive prescribing and sale of prescriptions for Suboxone, a narcotic drug

Photo Courtesy of Google

One of the clinics was located on Sheridan Avenue in the Bronx.

used to treat pain and opioid addiction. The prescribing and sale of prescriptions for Suboxone resulted in an influx of patients who were the means for the defendants and others to file and cause to be filed false Medicaid claims. These clinics, located in the Bronx and Manhattan, respectively,operated as unauthorized, uncertified providers of substance abuse treatment services.

State law mandates that substance abuse treatment programs

be certified by the Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Treatment Services in order to treat those suffering from addiction.

State and federal law further regulates how such treatment is to be conducted in order to heighten the chances of a successful recovery, James noted.

The attorney general’s office alleges that the physicians and their co-conspirators participated in a scheme to lure Medicaid patients to the clinics by paying kickbacks

and offering prescriptions for Suboxone, which has the potential for abuse. Once recruited, prosecutors allege that patients encountered the façade of a substance abuse treatment program. Appropriate and necessary medical histories were not always obtained, physicals and urine toxicology were not regularly performed, and patients were consistently provided with prescriptions for Suboxone at the maximum dose, without any effort to taper or wean the patient off the

narcotic in violation of applicable treatment guidelines. As part of this scheme, Smuglin and Clemons allegedly regularly gave pre-signed and otherwise blank prescription pads to medical and non-medical staff within the clinics, which enabled them to hand out prescriptions, including ones for controlled substances, to patients without medical need. Once the Suboxone prescriptions were obtained, prosecutors allege that patients were regularly offered money from drug dealers inside and outside of the clinic, often in plain view of physicians and employees.

Prosecutors further allege that relying on the accuracy of claims submitted for these Suboxone prescriptions, Medicaid and MetroPlus, a Medicaid managed care organization, paid pharmacies filling the prescriptions over $3 million in 2015 and over $2 million in 2016.

If convicted on the top charge, Smuglin and Clemons each face a maximum penalty of eight and a third to 25 years in prison.

“We will not tolerate attempts to fraudulently use the Medicaid program to take advantage of those suffering from addiction,” James added.

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THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 19• Number 19 MAY 9, 2019 | 9

Second Kosciuszko Span Set to Open this Year

The Pharmacist’s Corner Presented by Frank Pantina, R.Ph HELP WITH MIGRAINES: Part 1: A headache proof house...

Photo Courtesy of Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of the Governor

The Kosciuszko Bridge project has helped to support approximately 11,300 jobs in construction and related fields in the New York City metropolitan region, according to the administration.

By Forum Staff

According to the State, as the first cablestayed structures in the five boroughs, the two spans will create a signature skyline between Queens and Brooklyn, and will help improve travel speeds on this segment of the BQE. The Kosciuszko also promises to eliminate delays by 65 percent on this segment of the BQE during peak hours though a few different measures, including: • Standard driving lane widths— currently the lane widths on the main span are less than the required 12 feet for an interstate highway.

• Standard shoulder widths—currently there are no shoulders, so if a car breaks down on the bridge, a lane is automatically closed.

• Extra lanes in both directions.

• A reduced roadway incline, which will make it easier for trucks to maintain consistent speeds on the bridge.

The new bridge is also 35 feet lower than the old one.

The project to replace the Kosciuszko utilizes Disadvantaged Business Enterprise goals established by the Federal Highway Administration. For both phases of construction, NYSDOT expects participation funding to total $113 million.

In December 2018, Sergeant William Dougherty Park opened in Greenpoint, on the Brooklyn side of the bridge. The public park was expanded and completely renovated as part of the Kosciuszko project and includes a playground, skate park, basketball court, handball courts, a water play area with spray showers and a comfort station.

The State has pledged that a new park will be completed on the Queens side in 2022. Streetscaping enhancements such as decorative lighting, tree plantings, and new sidewalks are also being placed on local streets within the project limits of the Kosciuszko.

The second span of the Kosciuszko Bridge will open in September 2019—four years ahead of schedule and on budget, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday.

The bridge, which connects Queens and Brooklyn by straddling Newtown Creek, is part of an $873 million design-build construction project; it’s also the first new bridge built in the five boroughs since the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge opened to traffic in 1964, Cuomo noted.

Once complete, the new bridge will encompass five Queens-bound travel lanes and four Brooklyn-bound travel lanes of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, plus a 20-foot-wide bikeway/walkway on the Brooklyn-bound span.

The project has helped to support approximately 11,300 jobs in construction and related fields in the New York City metropolitan region, according to the administration.

The Kosciuszko carries approximately 200,000 commuters daily. Currently, the Queens-bound bridge is carrying three travel lanes in each direction of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway until the second, Brooklyn-bound bridge, is completed under a separate Phase II contract, which is valued at $318 million.

The first span of the Kosciuszko opened to traffic in April 2017, completing the $555 million first phase of the project and representing the single-largest construction contract in State Department of Transportation history, Cuomo noted. The spans of the former bridge were lowered to the ground through an energetic felling process in October 2017 in the first-ever implosion of a major bridge infrastructure using explosives in NYC. The first phase utilized 3,850 tons of U.S. manufactured steel.

10 MAY 9, 2019 • Number 19 VOL. 19 • THE FORUM NEWSGROUP

Many of our patients are among the more than 30 million Americans who suffer from migraine headaches. We’ve done some research and would like to offer some advice we feel will be very helpful, beyond what medication and therapy can do.

One of the most important steps you can take to curing migraines is to educate yourself on their causes and triggers and try to control them. Believe it or not, there are things you can do around your home to help ease the suffering.

We’ve taken the time to consult with a neurologist who says that migraine sufferers can cut down considerably on the number of headaches they get by controlling some very simple factors like lighting and smells around their homes.

Overly bright lights at home can be a huge problem. People with migraines are often extra sensitive to sensory input. Fluorescent lights have a flickering quality that can induce pain, and while there is no “perfect” light bulb option, getting rid of halogens and fluorescent bulbs and replacing them with dim incandescent can definitely help because of the steady, muted light they emit.

Install dimmers so you can turn down the lights when you feel a headache coming on you can lower the lights. And make sure you have shades and blinds to protect you from any streaming light.

Next up is getting rid of those hidden allergens, of which there are at least six in every home. Dander, dust mites and mold are all irritants which can trigger pain-triggering chemicals.

There are easy fixes for these situations. Invest in a quality vacuum and an air purifier with HEPA filters. HEPA filters can remove up to 99% of airborne allergens like cat dander.

Regularly run a dehumidifier to keep the humidity levels between 30% and 50%. That’s the dry zone where dust mites and mold are less likely to thrive.

Launder your bedding every week in hot water, and slip microfiber allergen-blocking encasements over your pillows, mattress, and box spring.

You may not believe this but air quality in our homes is oft times worse than outside and the culprit here is poor ventilation. Intense aromas of any kind irritate the trigeminal nerve, which runs from your nose to your brain and is responsible for most headaches. Do not use scented candles or air fresheners to mask the odors because they contain many of the agents we are looking to get rid of, they just have a pleasant odor.

Crack your windows and get the fresh air moving through the house and stick to unscented, non-toxic cleansers.

Finally, the myriad of gadgetry that crowds our everyday lives, i.e computers, iPads, cell phones have damaging glare. Turn down the brightness and remember that while using them your posture tends to slack . Sit straight so that you do not cause undue tension to your neck and back which can dramatically reduce the likelihood of getting a migraine attack.

We will be back next week with more ways to stay migraine free!

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FAITH TALK Only in the days immediately following the death of our beloved mother, Irene Roser, this past March, did my family and I know how much we really loved her.

At her funeral, we expressed heartfelt gratitude for all she was to us, but later found that grief focused our thoughts on her in a way that helped us to see qualities of her character that we could not see in happier times.

My mother lived an energetic, adventurous, and self-sacrificing life. She was vivacious, loving, and generous to a fault, especially to her children. The one thing that she could not tolerate in others was laziness, and she instilled a healthy disgust for it in all four of us. Her life reflects Solomon’s admonition: “Whatever your hand

finds to do, do it with all your might.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10) As vivid pictures of my mother continue to flash through my mind, the one regret I have is that I did not spend more time with her in the assisted-living home in which she spent her final months, telling her face-to-face of my gratitude.

In honor of her, and in thanks to the Lord for giving her to me, I am now more determined than ever to work hard at fulfilling God’s call upon me to preach the gospel. I intend to finish strong as Mom did. And I feel compelled to tell anyone who is blessed to still have their mother with them to go all out this Mother’s Day in showing honor to the one who gave so much and expected so little in return.

Pastor Stephen Roser Howard Beach Assembly of God

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Bills will Strengthen Environment: Miller

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Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Miroslav Duchacek

One of the pieces of legislation bans the sale of articles made from vulnerable species and designates the giraffe as a vulnerable species.

By Forum Staff The Assembly recently passed a series of bills designed to safeguard public health and protect the environment, Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven) announced on Friday.

Measures to strengthen environmental justice policies, ensure that New Yorkers have access to clean water and air, and the protection of Earth’s most vulnerable species were all included in the legislative package, Miller noted.

“With a federal administration rolling back environmental protections, it’s vital that we take substantive action here in New York,” the assemblyman added.

The Assembly put forth numerous environmental efforts earlier this year and this subsequent legislative package builds on those initiatives, Miller noted, including the state-wide ban on single-use plastic bags, and the ban of drilling for offshore oil and gas in New York’s coastal waters.

Miller also pointed out on Friday that, historically, low-income communities have been disproportionately affected by the siting of new projects with dangerous environmental impacts. Areas that already endure environmental hazards are frequently chosen for these new projects that have the potential to put more residents’ health at risk.

In an effort to correct this problem, one of the Assembly’s proposed laws requires the State Department of Environmental Conservation to publish a list of “high local environmental impact zones” and consider various factors that contribute to an area’s environmental health. An additional item will amend the State Constitution to include the right to clean air, water, and a healthful environment.

The Assembly has also passed a mea-

sure that would ban the use of chlorpyrifos, a pesticide linked to adverse health effects that was in the process of being banned at the federal level before the Environmental Protection Agency reversed that decision.

Additional legislation was passed to make light bulbs used in homes safe and sustainable by ensuring that light bulbs with mercury do not contain excessive amounts of mercury, Miller reported.

A staple of the Empire State’s tourism and agricultural industries is the plentiful supply of fresh water in New York, Miller noted. As severe droughts have become more common in other parts of the country, “it’s vital we do everything we can to protect our resources,” Miller said. To help maintain our water supply, the Assembly passed legislation to raise the water-saving standards of plumbing fixtures, including tank-type toilets, shower heads, faucets and urinals, to align with the guidelines set forth in the EPA’s WaterSense program.

And finally, the dangerous effects of climate change impacts wild species, especially those in colder climates. The selling of clothing and other articles made from vulnerable species “has put some of our most beautiful creatures at risk of extinction,” including the giraffe population, according to the assemblyman. However, despite attempts to list the giraffe as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act, giraffes are still not protected by any federal or state laws and the trade of their parts remains legal.

To combat this issue before it is too late, the Assembly recently passed a measure that allows the DEC to designate species as vulnerable and provide additional protections for them. Further, the measure bans the sale of articles made from vulnerable species and, at last, designates the giraffe as a vulnerable species.

12 MAY 9, 2019 • Number 19 VOL. 19 • THE FORUM NEWSGROUP

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1-800-404-9776 THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 19• Number 19 MAY 9, 2019 | 13

Legal Notices A ONE PARKER LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 3/18/19. Office in Queens Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the Registered Agent: Chang Hua Qin 32-40 213th ST Bayside, NY 11361.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

SOLACE FILMS LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 3/18/19.

Office in Queens Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served.

SSNY shall mail copy of process to the Registered Agent: Steven Levine 2307 30th Drive 3B Astoria, NY 11102. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

LAW OFFICE OF CHRIS PSOMOPOULOS PLLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/15/19. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the PLLC, 166-20 23rd Avenue, Whitestone, NY 11357. Purpose: For the practice of the profession of Law.

JAYEM 121 REALTY LLC Art. Of Org. Filed Sec. of State of NY 2/22/2019. Off. Loc. : Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY to mail copy of process to The LLC, c/o Meyer Jeger, Esq., P.O. Box 670637, Flushing, NY 11367. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity.

Discovery Genetics, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 2/27/19. 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, 83-20 98th Street, #5L Woodhaven, NY 11421. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF Verde Import Company LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/09/2019. Office location: New York, Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. The Post Office address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon him/her is: 60-30 Cooper Avenue, Flushing, NY 11385. The principal business address of the LLC is: 60-30 Cooper Avenue, Flushing, NY 11385.Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

Notice is hereby given that an Order entered by the Civil Court, Queens County, on the 25th day of April, 2019, bearing Index No. 000076-19/QU, a copy of which may be examined at the Office of the Clerk, located at 89-17 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica, New York, 11435, grants me the right to assume the name of (first) MD BABUS (middle) SALAM (last) EMRAN. My present name is BABUS S MOHAMMED AKA MOHAMMED BABUS SALAM EMRAN.My present address is Richmond Hill, NY. The month and year of my birth are June 1985. The place of my birth is Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Law Office of Park & Lee LLC. Filed w/ SSNY on 4/5/19. Office: Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 39-01 Main St, #608, Flushing, NY 11354. Purpose: Law GREEN LAND ABSTRACT, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 03/06/2019. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: GREEN LAND ABSTRACT, LLC 41-25 KISSENA BLVD. SUITE 116 FLUSHING, NY 11355. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

WAVRIDE, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 3/21/2019. Office in Queens Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 10-02 thru 10-08 44th Dr., Long Island City, NY 11101. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

UNLCKD ESSNTLS Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 2/25/2019. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: UNLCKD ESSNTLS LLC, 25-27 36TH AVE. LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11106. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Notice of Formation of JAGG Machining LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 4/5/19. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 808 Coolidge Avenue, Woodbridge, NJ 07095. Purpose: any lawful activity.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE NUMBER 1317383 FOR BEER, WINE, LIQUOR AND CIDER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL BEER, WINE LIQUOR AND CIDER AT RETAIL IN A RESTAURANT, UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT EL ATICO RESTAURANT CORP, 10311 39 TH AVENUE, CORONA NY 11368

Notice is hereby given that an Order entered by the Civil Court, Queens County, on the 27th day of February, 2019, bearing Index No. 001338/18/ QU, a copy of which may be examined at the Office of the Clerk, located at 89-17 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica, New York, 11435, grants me the right to assume the name of (first) BURTON (middle) SAUL (last) NEWBURG. My present name is BURTON SAUL NEWBURG AKA BURTON NEWBURG AKA BURTON S. NEWBURG AKA BURT NEWBURG AKA MALE NEUBURGH, AKA MALE NEUBURGH.My present address is Howard Beach, NY. The month and year of my birth are April 1931. The place of my birth is Manhattan, NY.

14 MAY 9, 2019 • Number 19 VOL. 19 • THE FORUM NEWSGROUP

LolyFit LLC. Filed w/ SSNY on 4/16/19. Office: Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 4102 Queens Blvd, Apt 3B, Sunnyside, NY 11104. Purpose: any lawful Notice is hereby given that an Order entered by the Civil Court Queens County, on the 25th day of April 2019, bearing Index No. 120/2019, a copy of which may be examined at the office of the clerk, located at 89-17 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, New York, 11435 grants me the right, to assume the name JERRY CAROPOLO. My present address is Woodhaven, NY 11421; the date of my birth is November 1947; My present name is JERRY CAROPOLA a/k/a JERRY CAROPOLO. Notice of Formation of I’M ERNIE AND HE’S GREGG, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/21/19.

Office location: Queens County. Princ. office of LLC: 45-39 Davis St., 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. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of formation of Limited Liability Company (“LLC”). Name: WFHA ST. ALBANS LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of the State of New York (“SSNY”) on April 19, 2019.

N.Y. office location: Queens County. The SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to WFHA St. Albans LLC, c/o Workforce Housing Group, 5-14 51 st Avenue, Long Island City, New York 11101.

Purpose/character of LLC is to engage in any lawful act or activity.

LIVADI, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/25/03. Latest date to dissolve: 03/15/2045. 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, 11-16 34th Ave, Long Island City, NY 11106. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

22-17 26TH STREET LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 01/29/19. 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, 14724 28th Avenue, Flushing, NY 11354. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 19• Number 19 MAY 9, 2019 | 15

16 MAY 9, 2019 • Number 19 VOL. 19 • THE FORUM NEWSGROUP