THE FORUM NEWSGROUP | JULY 8, 2021

VOL. 21 • NUMBER 26 • JULY 8, 2021

UNLUCKY 21 Network of Borough Drug Dealers & Gun Runners Dismantled after Long-Term Investigation: DA

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Twenty-one suspects have been charged with possessing and selling illegal narcotics and firearms in South Queens, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Cops recovered guns, cocaine, heroin, heroin laced with fentanyl, and other illicit drugs between November 2019 and March 2021.

Photos Courtesy of Queens District Attorney’s Office

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 21 • Number 26 • JULY 8, 2021 | 1

Network of Drug Dealers, Gun Traffickers Taken Down after Long-Term Investigation

By Michael V. Cusenza A group of 21 suspects—mostly Queens residents, but some hailing from Long Island—have been indicted by a borough grand jury for allegedly running and/ or possessing guns and dealing drugs in Far Rockaway and surrounding neighborhoods between November 2019 and March 2021, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz recently announced.

Katz said the investigation began in November 2019 with a court-authorized eavesdropping warrant on a cell phone belonging to defendant Antoine Nance, 35, of Far Rockaway, who has been charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance, conspiracy and other crimes.

Monitoring this defendant’s calls led to the discovery of a network of two groups of alleged dealers in Far Rockaway. Law enforcement intercepted both narcotics and firearm-related communications between Nance and many of the other defendants.

According to the charges, calls and text messages between Nance and Kimiko Leonard, 34, of Jamaica, allegedly revealed that the female defendant was Nance’s main drug supplier. On a monthly basis Leonard, who works for the Metropolitan Transit Authority is alleged to have sold Nance his usual order of cocaine. The pair allegedly used code words to set up buys with Nance texting her that “he needed a ride to 200 Street,” which actually meant he wanted to buy 200 grams of cocaine.

Results of the investigation include:

Photo Courtesy of DA Katz’s Office

Police recovered firearms, cocaine, heroin, heroin laced with fentanyl and other illicit drugs during the long-term operation.

According to the charges, one of Nance’s associates, Keith Alston, 53, of Arverne, was heard on a wire-tapped line on July 20, 2020, allegedly telling co-defendant Paul Reed, 53, of Far Rockaway that he had recently assaulted someone and needed to hide a gun. The pair allegedly worked out a plan to pass the illegal firearm so that authorities would not find the weapon at Alston’s home. Instead, police recovered

the weapon in Reed’s residence following the execution of a court-authorized search warrant.

As outlined in the charges, another person with whom Nance was in contact with was Kasson Brown, 32, of Far Rockaway.

Brown is accused of being a top supplier of both cocaine and heroin in the region who, to avoid detection by law enforcement, used runners to sell the drugs on the streets. One

of his paid runners was allegedly Dewayna Edwards, 45, of Inwood, L.I. An undercover officer was introduced to Edwards as a drug buyer and at times when this “buyer” wanted to make a purchase, she would allegedly reach out to Brown to get the drugs. Brown, in turn, would allegedly contact defendant Resean Morris, 31, of Jamaica, to get him the needed heroin or Raymond Cowan, 57, of Freeport, L.I., for cocaine.

DA Katz said defendant Brown’s crew of runners even allegedly, branded their drugs, packing the heroin they sold in glassine envelopes stamped in red with the words “King of Death” along with a photo of the Grim Reaper. Tests on the substance within the little envelopes allegedly revealed a mix of heroin, fentanyl and tramadol. At times, tests showed the substance was pure fentanyl.

Another one of Brown’s alleged street runners, according to the charges, was Jason Bernadotte, 20, of Far Rockaway.

During a court-authorized search of Bernadotte’s home in the Redfern Houses in Far Rockaway on Sept. 29, 2020, police allegedly recovered 117 glassine envelopes containing a mix of heroin, fentanyl and tramadol. There were also 65 “twists” of cocaine found.

During a Nov. 1, 2020 court-authorized search of the home of defendant Sekou Santiago, 32, of Far Rockaway, cops allegedly recovered a Glock pistol, a high-capacity magazine, a loaded magazine, a laser sight, 114 grams of heroin and fentanyl, and 269 grams of cocaine.

Ariola Set to Take on Singh in Historic Battle for Council District 32 Seat

By Michael V. Cusenza “For the first time ever, my district will be represented by a woman next year,” Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) wrote on Twitter Saturday as he captioned the final results for the Republican and Democrat primaries for Council District 32.

Joann Ariola handily defeated Steve Sirgiovanni, garnering 83 percent of the Republican primary vote.

In a closer Democrat tilt, Felicia Singh (52.6 percent) defeated Mike Scala (47.4 percent).

Ariola and Singh will face off in the general election on Nov. 2.

“I’m honored that Republican voters have overwhelmingly chosen me as their candidate for this seat. I thank all the supporters, staff and volunteers who made it possible. Now, on to victory in the general.

Voters of all political stripes are crying out for public safety and I am the only candidate who will fight for it, in our neighborhoods and throughout the city,” Ariola said on Wednesday, June 23.

“So very proud of Team Felicia and

File Photo

Joann Ariola

what we’ve accomplished together,” Singh posted to Twitter on Monday. “We set out to do something that many people told me was impossible, and we did it in the last Republican-held district in Queens.”

In another important borough battle, incumbent Borough president Donovan Richards, Jr. has defeated former Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley by a slim margin.

2 JULY 8, 2021 • Number 26 • VOL. 21 • THE FORUM NEWSGROUP

Photo Courtesy of Singh Campaign

Felicia Singh

“I am honored that the voters have placed their faith in me to continue our Queens comeback. Our team has done so much in just over 150 days in office, opening an immigrant welcome center at Borough Hall, breaking ground on new units of real affordable housing, diversifying our Community Boards, and helping our small businesses. We’re ready to get back

to work and build a Queens that works for everyone,” Richards said. “I would like to thank everyone on my team for their incredible effort on this campaign, especially our devoted campaign staff and volunteers.

If you made a call, knocked on a door, or sent a text -- you made this happen! Let’s celebrate this victory and then, let’s get to work!”

Deficiencies in Efforts to Combat Illegal Curb Cuts, Driveways: Audit

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Photo Courtesy of Comptroller Stringer’s Office

Comptroller Stringer’s audit found that with respect to curb cuts and driveways, DOB did not adequately oversee its processes for responding to complaints and for issuing permits for their installation as well as deficiencies in all aspects of DOB’s complaint intake, inspection, and disposition processes.

By Michael V. Cusenza The City Department of Buildings has failed to adequately oversee complaint intake, inspection, and disposition processes for illegal curb cuts and driveways, according to an audit released on Thursday by City Comptroller Scott Stringer.

For the audit scope period, Comptroller Stringer obtained from DOB a complaint listing with 7,256 entries, of which 5,783 were individual complaints associated with 3,874 properties of potentially illegal curb cuts, driveways, and carports according to DOB’s internal reporting. For the 5,783 individual complaints received during the audit scope, DOB performed 3,238 inspections for 3,020 properties. Of these 3,238 inspections, DOB issued 1,435 OATH violations related to 1,203 properties.

Stringer’s audit found that with respect to curb cuts and driveways, DOB did not adequately oversee its processes for responding to complaints and for issuing permits for their installation as well as deficiencies in all aspects of DOB’s complaint intake, inspection, and disposition processes. DOB lacked training for its field inspectors regarding curb cuts and driveways and did not provide sufficient supervisory oversight of their inspections. Additionally, DOB lacked controls over the issuance of violations for illegal curb cuts and driveways and DOB field inspectors did not appropriately refer all complaints that fall under other agencies’ jurisdictions to those agencies.

The audit also found that DOB reports generated from its databases in response to auditor inquiries of curb cut complaints, dispositions, and supervisory reviews contained inadequate and/or inconsistent information and were therefore unreliable.

DOB also inappropriately issued permits in situations where the curb cut applications did not meet all the required conditions set forth in the City’s Zoning Resolution. By issuing these permits, DOB facilitated the installation of illegal curb cuts and driveways.

To address the issues raised by this audit, Comptroller Stringer made 27 recommendations including: In connection with deficiencies in processing complaints of illegal curb cuts and driveways, DOB should enhance its procedures to ensure that: • Triage officers correctly identify curb cut and driveway complaints that merit a field inspection and forward them to the Construction unit; • Allegedly illegal curb cuts and driveways referenced in the complaints are inspected timely, according to its standards; and • All assessed OATH violations are filed prior to the pre-set hearing date as required.

In connection with DOB’s inadequate oversight and training of field inspectors, DOB should: • Ensure that DOB supervisory field inspectors (supervisors) review the results of all field inspections prior to finalizing their results; • Ensure that field inspectors complete and submit a checklist as part of their inspections; • Ensure that field inspectors use appropriate measurement tools during inspections to ensure that homeowners are adhering to the proper dimensions of a curb cut and driveway; and • Establish specific training for curb cut and driveway inspections to ensure that field inspectors have the requisite knowledge to assess the legality of curb cuts and driveways.

In connection with DOB field inspectors’ inadequate inspections of curb cuts and driveways, DOB should: • Ensure that inspectors’ comments related to inspections of curb cuts and driveways are relevant, complete, and appropriate with respect to the complaint; • Ensure that field inspectors correctly identify violating conditions and issue violations as appropriate; and • Ensure that potentially violating conditions under DOT’s jurisdiction are referred and forwarded to DOT so that it may appropriately follow up.

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THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 21 • Number 26 • JULY 8, 2021 | 3

Suspect Extradited from California, Charged in 2018 Shooting Death of Jamaica Man

File Photo Photo Courtesy of Google

Williams and victim Darryl Whitfield bowled together at Whitestone Lanes the night of the murder.

By Forum Staff Charles Williams, who was arrested in March in Sacramento, Calif. by NYPD detectives for a 2018 murder, was finally extradited from California to Queens and charged with the crime last month, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz recently announced.

Williams, 35, was arraigned on a four-count indictment charging him with murder in the

second degree, two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, and tampering with physical evidence. Williams was remanded and ordered to return to court on Aug. 2.

According to the charges, on Sept. 30, 2018, Williams was observed on video surveillance bowling with the victim, Darryl Whitfield, 27, at Whitestone Lanes. Whitfield and the defendant left the bowling alley together in

“The defendant traveled thousands of miles to elude capture but is now in custody facing justice for his alleged crime,” DA Katz said.

a gray BMW around 4 a.m. Surveillance cameras tracked the BMW to an area gas station and later to an AutoZone parking lot where Whitfield’s dead body was later found, with a single gunshot wound to his head, by an employee.

Williams allegedly hid the revolver used in this homicide inside the garage of a Queens residence which was recovered the following day with a single round missing.

DNA testing of the firearm was matched to

Williams, Katz noted.

“What began as a night of bowling turned to deadly crime after the defendant allegedly murdered the victim and abandoned his body in a parking lot,” the DA added. “The defendant traveled thousands of miles to elude capture but is now in custody facing justice for his alleged crime.”

If convicted, Williams faces up to 25 years to life in prison.

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Mayor Touts Guide to LGBTQI+ Workplace Inclusivity

Photo Courtesy of Edwin Torres/Mayoral Photography Office

“LGBTQI+ New Yorkers deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, period,” said Mayor de Blasio.

By Forum Staff Mayor Bill de Blasio recently lauded the release of “Work It, NYC: A Guide to LGBTQI+ Workplace Inclusivity,” a new resource to help provider organizations deliver higher quality services to LGBTQI+ seekers of education and employment services.

According to the administration, the manual, created through a partnership between the NYC Unity Project and the NYC Center for Youth Employment, addresses the distinct barriers to high quality employment opportunities that many LGBTQI+ people face. These obstacles often are a direct result of stigma, discrimination, and violence experienced in work and educational settings. With awareness, preparation, and strategic interventions targeted to LGBTQI+ peoples’ unique needs, workforce providers can deliver the resources and services needed to support LGBTQI+ people.

The manual, according to Hizzoner, articulates the specific employment and training- related needs of the LGBTQI+ community for workforce professionals. It offers an in-depth overview of how workforce practitioners can create affirming services for LGBTQI+ people of various ages—and why it matters that they do so.

Although the manual includes specific information about disparities that face LGBTQI+ youth, and targeted resources to support them, it is intended to support LGBTQI+ people of all ages.

Highlights of “Work It, NYC…” include: Key Concepts and Vocabulary. To serve the LGBTQI+ community well, it is imperative to understand different LGBTQI+ identities and be familiar with and appropriately use LGBTQI+ terminology and the most respectful language.

Obligations Under the Law. A guide to the legal obligations that organizations and employers have to LGBTQI+ people, as well as resources available to LGBTQI+ individuals.

Building a Safe(r) Space. How to center the importance of maintaining a traumainformed lens in work with LGBTQI+ communities, information for supporting transgender, gender nonconforming, and non-binary program participants, and tips on establishing an LGBTQI+-friendly environment within workforce programs.

Making Affirming Placements and Referrals. How to get information from employers and other referral sites, which includes asking pointed questions about an employer’s experiences with LGBTQI+ people and cultural competency training.

De Blasio said the manual also can serve as a complement to in-person training sessions, and as a resource brought back to workforce programs by people who have undergone training, to digestibly summarize their training to those who were not able to attend.

“LGBTQI+ New Yorkers deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, period,” the mayor said. “The ‘Work It, NYC’ manual will give our providers and local organizations the tools to better serve LGBTQI+ jobseekers as we emerge from the pandemic and create an economy that works for everyone.”

City Human Resources Administrator Gary Jenkins added, “An inclusive workforce is a stronger workforce, and the ‘Work It, NYC’ guide will give provider organizations and partners a helpful toolkit for developing strategies and best practices that foster a more-welcoming workplace for the LGBTQI+ community.”

“Work It, NYC: A Guide to LGBTQI+ Workplace Inclusivity” can be accessed at nyc.gov/lgbtqwork.

The Pharmacist’s Corner

Presented by Frank Pantina, R.Ph

ENJOY YOURSELF: A PHARMACIST’S ADVICE FOR SAFE TRAVEL It may be easy to overlook the cautious side of going on vacation, especially since it might just be the first time for getting away from the madness of the last year and a half.

Hopefully you’re going off to some tropical relaxation spot and we here at Cross Bay Chemist can be of great help in assuring you make the most out of your vacation time.

Follow these simple tips and travel without complication—especially if you’re traveling out of the country or to a destination with a different climate and/or geographical changes, many things can occur and you definitely want to be prepared for them.

First of all, ask your pharmacist what you’ll need to include in order to have a travel kit that can address the issues that arrive most commonly while on vacation.

That list would surely include–sunscreen, painkillers, antiseptic, insect repellent and anti-diarrhea pills. No matter what, these will be useful.

We’ve spoken to you about skin cancer in this column before, and when traveling, the sun exposure that we are accustomed to on a daily basis, is different than that of our travel destinations.

Extra care must be exercised following these general rules is strongly advised in order to protect yourself from the sun:

• Spend time in the shade between 11am & 3 pm.

• Don’t get burned.

• Cover up with a T-shirt, hat and sunglasses.

• Use factor 15 or more sunscreen.

• See your doctor about any changes to moles or any unusual skin growths.

• When taking care of children’s skin-plain and simple-- cover them up and keep them in the shade.

When traveling for a long period of time without moving, you may have concerns about deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a condition that can occur in your legs and thighs when immobile for extended periods and lead to blood clots. Although instances of DVT are fairly rare, they have the potential to be fatal.

Follow these preventative measures to help alleviate concern: To exercise your calf and foot muscles in flight • Every 1/2 hour or so, bend and straighten your legs, feet and toes while seated.

• Avoid putting bags under the seat in front of you and recline when possible.

• To increase the blood flow in the legs press the balls of your feet down hard against the floor or foot rest • Walk up and down the aisle every hour

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FLAG Day for Lindenwood Teacher

State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) on Friday presented a citation of recognition to Cheryl Rizzo, a teacher from PS 232 in Lindenwood, who recently won the FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence, one of the highest awards in education.

Rizzo, an English Language Arts teacher, was nominated for the award by PS 232 Principal Lisa Josephson thanks to her creative, out-of-the-box thinking. Rizzo was named one of the grand-prize winners and was awarded a $25,000 cash prize as well as a $10,000 grant for her school.

Rizzo was instrumental in making the most of PS 232’s outdoor reading garden, where students — as well as faculty and staff

— can have a peaceful moment outdoors and learn about caring for nature or create inspirational art pieces. She also helped usher in the school’s Cookies and Conversations afterschool program to help build a literacy community. Rizzo’s creativity and giving nature extend far beyond PS 232 as she coordinated a fundraising campaign at the school for the Dolly Parton Foundation.

With the $10,000 grant, Rizzo said she hopes to remodel the school’s outdoor reading garden with new benches and other artistic upgrades. Whatever happens with the garden, she wants the students to be involved in designing the projects, she noted.

Photo Courtesy of Sen. Addabbo’s Office

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 21 • Number 26 • JULY 8, 2021 | 5

Mayor, City Council Reach Agreement on FY 2022 Adopted Budget

By Forum Staff Mayor Bill de Blasio, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Council Finance Chair Daniel Dromm and members of the City Council recently announced an agreement on the Recovery Budget, an on-time balanced City budget for Fiscal Year 2022. The foundation for the $98.7 billion Recovery Budget is the strategic investment of stimulus funds that will drive New York City’s economic comeback and build a recovery for all of us, the officials said.

The Recovery Budget meets five core goals: finishing the fight against COVID-19, building on strong reserves, boosting economic growth in every neighborhood, delivering an academic Photo Courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office and emotional recovery for every student, and “This budget is a historic investment in New York City and it’s exactly how we will achieve a recovery for all of us,” de Blasio said. keeping all communities safe. billion, with $3.8 billion in the Retiree Health for students at Medgar Evers College to pair Benefits Trust, $993 million in the Rainy Day academic pursuits with an opportunity to make Fund, and $300 million in the General Re- change and help our city recover ($500,000 in serve. At their highest, NYC reserves totaled FY22) $6.1 billion at the peak of the economic cycle Lastly, As New York City recovers from the in Fiscal Year 2020.

COVID recession and grapples with an evolvThe de Blasio administration has remained ing economy, the Recovery Budget will help focused on strong fiscal management and sav- hundreds of CUNY students and graduates ings, even when revenues were strong. The Ad- advance toward career success--while boosting opted Budget achieves $4.0 billion in savings the short- and long-term outlook of our City’s over Fiscal Years 2021 (FY21) and 2022 since economy: last June – the second largest two-year savings • CUNY Career Initiative: The Departtotal at Budget Adoption of this administra- ment of Small Business Services will work with tion.

CUNY and a set of industry partners to deliver Photo Courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office Tax revenues exceeded expectations in short-term training in high-demand fields leadDe Blasio and Council Speaker Corey Johnson shake hands one last time on a budget agreement.

FY21 by $2.1 billion, driven by personal in- ing to job placement for approximately 1,000 come tax and corporate tax receipts. The tax New Yorkers ($6.5M in FY22) Finishing the COVID Fight revenue forecast for FY22 remains unchanged • Advanced Manufacturing Career CollecA recovery for all of us begins with fighting from the Executive Budget. tive (AMCC): AMCC will create a pipeline of the COVID-19 pandemic. The City has spent skilled, diverse talent into advanced manufacmore than $8 billion in the fight against COBoosting Economic Growth turing careers through educational and workVID-19, administering over 9.2 million vacciThe Recovery Budget drives an econom- based learning experiences. The effort will nation doses. The City’s aggressive and equity- ic recovery for all of us, boosting growth in ev- engage and train an estimated 400 students in driven grassroots vaccination campaign has ery neighborhood. The previously announced year one, scaling up to support over 1,000 New driven down COVID cases, hospitalizations, Executive Budget made a $30 million invest- Yorkers annually. AMCC will also strengthen and deaths to the lowest levels since the pan- ment – the largest in city history – to promote the overall ecosystem of MWBEs focused on demic began. The Recovery Budget includes tourism. It also offered direct support for small advanced manufacturing ($4M in FY22) funding to finish the fight against COVID and businesses, including grants, low-interest loans strengthen the City’s public health infrastruc- and commercial lease legal assistance. The New Driving Academic Recovery ture in the long-term.

Deal-inspired City Cleanup Corps (CCC) is This Recovery Budget makes crucial inIn this Recovery Budget, the administra- on pace to hire 10,000 New Yorkers this sum- vestments in New York City’s public schools tion promoted public health by expanding the mer to clean and beautify our city. All of these to support students’ academic and social emograssroots vaccination campaign and making investments are already driving economic tional needs as they recover from the impacts investments to establish New York City as the growth. of the pandemic. public health capital of the world. That mission The Adopted Budget deepens these investThis year, the administration established a includes support for LifeSci NYC, a billion- ments in economic growth by committing path to universal free 3-K for All by fall 2023, dollar commitment over the next decade to $11 million to NYC Business Quick Start, a expanded early childhood special education create an estimated 40,000 jobs in this fast- program that will help slash red tape and help and Restorative Justice for Social Emotional growing sector. guide small businesses through City regula- Learning in middle and high schools, and tions. strengthened special education services.

Building on Strong Reserves The Recovery Budget also includes the JuTo support students and families over the Before New York City became the epicen- neteenth Economic Justice Plan to build gen- summer, the administration launched Sumter of the COVID-19 outbreak, the City had erational wealth and tackle the racial wealth gap mer Rising – the first-ever summer program maintained record levels of budget reserves by: for all New York students in grades K-12 who that were needed in the midst of the pandemic • Expanding NYC Kids Rise with Universal wish to participate. This program will lay the induced financial crisis to help balance the NYC Baby Bonds, a program that gives every groundwork for a full reopening this fall, probudget, prevent layoffs, and avoid disastrous kindergartner a college savings account with at viding students with a comprehensive summer cuts to critical programs and services. In Adop- least $100 this September ($15M in FY22) experience that includes rigorous academics, tion the administration partnered with the City • Establishing four-year CUNY Scholar- social emotional supports, and fun enrichment Council to add $500 million to the City’s first- ships at full scale for Black and low-income stu- programming. ever Rainy Day Fund, which now holds nearly dents ($4M in FY22) Also, the administration is launching the $1 billion. With $2.8 billion in reserves added • Providing paid internships in science, Universal Academic Recovery Plan, a bold, rigsince June, total reserves in FY22 are now $5.1 business, public health, and the green economy orous framework that will guide school com-

6 JULY 8, 2021 • Number 26 • VOL. 21 • THE FORUM NEWSGROUP

munities and support student achievement during the 2021-22 school year and beyond.

Building Recovery through Public Safety Since last June, the administration has added more than $44 million to expand Cure Violence and the Crisis Management System.

The NYPD has re-deployed an additional 200 officers performing administrative functions to the field full time, specifically assigned to high violence commands.

In the Adopted Budget, the administration has made targeted investments to break the cycle of incarceration and reduce gun violence. This budget uses housing and employment as an anti-violence measure. That effort includes: • Creating the Precision Employment Initiative to hire 1,000 people this summer in Mott Haven, Brownsville and South Jamaica who are most at-risk– violence prevention via employment and support services. ($24M in FY22) • Providing reentry housing with healthcare and employment counseling for justice involved New Yorkers returning to the community ($57M in FY22) • Expanding “Jails to Jobs” to provide more formerly incarcerated individuals, including those on State parole, with transitional employment ($6.6M in FY22) • Providing peer mentorship for incarcerated individuals and those who are reentering with Crisis Management System Credible Messengers ($5M in FY22) • Expanding the CMS-based Hospital Violence Intervention Program into new hospital locations to support victims of violence and their family and networks ($6M in FY22) • Expanding CMS Services in the 40th and 44th Precincts in the Bronx and providing additional CMS supports ($6M in FY22) “The Recovery Budget is a radical investment in working families. It will drive economic growth in every neighborhood, all while building on strong reserves and investing stimulus funds aggressively to put the pandemic behind us, once and for all. This budget is a historic investment in New York City and it’s exactly how we will achieve a recovery for all of us,” de Blasio said.

“I am especially proud to see a $44 million investment in community-based public safety programs, such as Cure Violence, of which I have been an early advocate. When we have neighborhood-based solutions, we see a decrease in gun violence and gang violence.

These programs are historically underfunded, but today our City is making progress in making the change. The Cure Violence model is a model I truly believe in, and one which centers our communities first and foremost,” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Jr. added. “It is also evident this pandemic highlighted a series of inequities in our City.

From securing 100 percent of the Fair Student Funding allocation to committing funds to food pantries, this budget sends a strong message to New Yorkers that no New Yorker should be left behind. That message rings especially true here in Queens.”

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THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 21 • Number 26 • JULY 8, 2021 | 9

Borough President Releases Community Board Demographic Report

By Forum Staff The Office of Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. on Thursday released the 2020-21 Queens Community Board Demographic Report, providing both an overview of borough community board demographics as of June 2020 and a detailed, multilayered breakdown of this year’s historically diverse class of community board appointees.

As detailed in the report, significant demographic inequalities existed across Queens’ community boards prior to Richards assuming office in December 2020.

The report indicates that Richards worked to correct that underrepresentation, beginning with women. Of the 110 first-time appointees, 62.4 percent are women — a massive 20.2-point increase from the current rate of female community board membership. Richards also made a concerted effort to appoint more young people to their local community board. A remarkable 74.3 percent of this year’s first-time appointees are 45 years old or younger, while individuals 35 or younger make up 43.1 percent of all new appointees.

Of Borough President Richards’ 110 first-time appointees, women comprised 62.4 percent of the class, a 19.1-point increase from the prior rate of women appointed to Queens Community Boards.

Photo Courtesy of BP Richards’s Office

“This year’s new community board appointment class is unprecedentedly diverse and represents an important first step in ameliorating the demographic disparities that exist on community boards across Queens,” the Queens Community Board Demographic Report reads.

Individuals 45 years old or younger comprised 74.3 percent of new appointees, while those under 35 comprised 43.1 percent.

Compared to 2020 board membership, the 2021 appointee class has greater percentages of those who self-identify as Latinx/Hispanic (24.8 percent), African American/Black (24.8 percent), immigrant (17.4 percent), East Asian/Pacific Islander (11 percent), South Asian (14.7 percent), African American/Black (24.8 percent),

and LGBTQIA+ (8.3 percent).

Borough President Richards’ community board appointments follow the Queens Borough President’s Office’s modernization of the community board application process and subsequent aggressive, culturally competent outreach earlier this year. Efforts to simplify the process included digitizing the application itself into an easily fillable online form that no longer required notarization.

The revamped process led to a diverse

pool of over 900 applicants, including over 700 people who were not existing members of a community board. Last year, the Queens Borough President’s Office received applications from only 252 such individuals.

“Queens Borough President Donovan Richards believes that local government is strongest when the voices of all the people it serves are elevated. To that end, under his direction QBPO spearheaded several important initiatives in 2021 to ensure that the 14 Community Boards of Queens more closely reflect the communities they represent. These efforts included simplifying the community board application process, reaching out to underrepresented constituencies to generate a record number of applicants, and employing new tools to streamline the collection and analysis of demographic information,” the report reads.

“This year’s new community board appointment class is unprecedentedly diverse and represents an important first step in ameliorating the demographic disparities that exist on community boards across Queens. But the unfortunate fact is that many of those disparities, although lessened this year, continue to exist. The Richards administration is dedicated to ensuring that community boards are demographically representative of their communities and will continue to work toward this goal.”

Be Aware of Delays in Processing Times for Passports: Meng

By Forum Staff Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-Flushing) on Thursday that borough residents seeking to travel abroad should be aware of delays in processing times for passports.

The U.S. State Department has informed Meng that Postal Service delays and operational issues involving other service partners have impacted when the agency receives passport applications for processing. As a result, the agency said that customers should expect the following timeframe: • Routine service can take up to 18 weeks from the day a customer submits their application to the day they receive a new passport. The 18-week timeframe includes up to 12 weeks for application processing and up to six weeks for mailing times on the front and back end.

• Expedited service (an additional $60) can take up to 12 weeks from the day a customer submits their application to the day they receive a new passport. The 12-week timeframe includes up to six weeks for application processing and up to six weeks for mailing times on the front and back end.

• The processing time for passports begin the day that the agency receives an application, not the day it is mailed. The State Department advises individuals to send

Photo Courtesy of the U.S. Department of State

Operational issues involving other service partners have impacted when the State Department receives passport applications for processing.

their applications via trackable mail which allows people to track their application before it enters the system, and can be done whether they are applying at an acceptance facility or by mail. Applicants can also opt for an extra $17.56 for 1-2 day delivery for the return of their new passports.

Meng said that she is also working to reduce the lengthy delays. Meng, who serves as Vice Chair of the House Appropriations

10 JULY 8, 2021 • Number 26 • VOL. 21 • THE FORUM NEWSGROUP

Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations – the panel that oversees the State Department – on Thursday morning secured a provision in a key spending bill that calls on the agency to address the long wait times, and inform Congress on how it is addressing the problem.

The measure, included in the House State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill – which funds the State Depart-

ment – urges the Department of State to dedicate the necessary resources to ensure passport and visa applications can be processed in a timely manner, consistent with processing times from before the COVID pandemic. It also directs the Secretary of State to submit a report to the Appropriations Committee detailing the demand and processing length of new passports, passport renewals, and visa applications including factors contributing to increased wait times, and an action plan to address such factors. The bill is expected to head to the floor of the House today, where it is expected to pass in the coming weeks.

In addition, Meng and other Members of Congress sent a letter last Wednesday to Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Ian Brownlee, and cc’d Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, calling for the application delays to be resolved.

“As our borough and city continue to move past the coronavirus crisis, local residents are once again interested in traveling, and are planning to seek passports needed for their trips,” said Meng. “As I work to address the long wait times, I encourage New Yorkers to be cognizant of the extended wait times, be informed about the processing timeframe, and follow the State Department’s guidance to ensure that passports are received without further delays.”

MTA Express Bus On-Time Performance Continues To Lag: Stringer

By Forum Staff Metropolitan Transportation Authority Express Bus on-time performance continues to lag, according to an audit recently released by City Comptroller Scott Stringer.

The report uncovered the following: The MTA has identified nine performance indicators, including (but not limited to) on-time performance and travel time, by which it measures express bus performance. However, the way the MTA has implemented these performance indicators appears to reduce their utility: • For six of the nine performance indicators, the MTA has not set goals for measuring its express buses’ actual performance.

Without such goals, it is unclear how the MTA can use those performance indicators to assess its performance.

• For two of the three indicators for which goals have been set, the indicators appear to be of limited value for assessing express bus performance.

• For on-time performance, the MTA has set a very modest goal of just under 60 percent. From that target, it appears that the agency expects that a significant percentage of its buses will not operate on time in accordance with its own schedules.

• Additionally, although the MTA can identify those express bus routes that are low-performing, such as on-time performance as low as 23 percent, the agency

Photo Courtesy of Patrick Cashin

“Riders who rely on and pay a premium price for express bus service shouldn’t be left waiting , uninformed of delays, or stranded at bus stops,” Comptroller Stringer said.

stated during the audit that it had not received any recommendations from its Road Operations unit for schedule or route modifications for any express bus routes during the review period.

The audit also found that the MTA does not have an adequate process for providing customers with real-time information regarding delays affecting particular buses along a bus route. When a delay impacts a

particular scheduled bus, the MTA generally notifies customers only if the resulting service gap is (1) twice the scheduled interval between buses or (2) more than an hour. This policy of leaving customers uninformed of delays of up to one hour creates a significant risk of seriously inconveniencing customers, the comptroller noted.

To address these issues, Stringer’s recommendations include:

The MTA should establish goals for all publicly reported performance indicators so that Road Operations personnel gain a clear understanding of management’s expectations.

For its on-time performance target, the MTA should consider increasing the percentage of express buses that it expects to operate on schedule.

The MTA should ensure that Road Operations: (a) identifies possible route and schedule modifications for express buses that do not meet performance goals; and (b) recommends appropriate modifications to the MTA’s Operations Planning department.

The MTA should provide customers with real-time notifications of service delays impacting individual bus trips and measure its performance in doing so.

“Thousands of New Yorkers rely on buses every day to commute to work, attend classes, see a doctor, and take their children to day care,” Stringer said. “Riders who rely on and pay a premium price for express bus service shouldn’t be left waiting, uninformed of delays, or stranded at bus stops. As New York City continues to work toward a strong post-pandemic recovery, I urge the MTA to start putting our recommendations into practice immediately because a 21st century city deserves a 21st century transit system–fast, reliable, and responsive.”

NYC311 Service Expanded into Subway System

By Forum Staff Mayor Bill de Blasio, the Department of Homeless Services, the Department of Information Technology, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Friday announced the expansion of NYC311 into the city’s subway system. For the first time ever, de Blasio lauded, New Yorkers will be able to request outreach assistance for individuals believed to be experiencing unsheltered homelessness; report physical conditions within subway stations that are obscuring public space and must be addressed; and identify non-aggressive panhandling for 311 to better connect those New Yorkers who are panhandling to support services.

“Over the past year-plus, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the MTA’s shutdown of overnight subway service, our staff at DSS-DHS, our contracted providers, and our incredible, dedicated outreach teams stepped up to meet the moment, redoubling engagement of New Yorkers in need on the subways, including every night at end-of-the-line stations as the subways closed, to offer them support and pathways to services and stability,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks. “Through these efforts, involving thousands of engagements focused on building trust, hundreds of individuals engaged

Photo Courtesy of Benjamin Kanter/Mayoral Photography Office

“This enables vulnerable New Yorkers in the subway system to be connected to the 311 system and all the significant resources and assistance it can offer,” said Sarah Feinberg , interim president of MTA New York City Transit.

by outreach teams on the subway train or subway platform are now in shelter, receiving services – a testament to the importance of our teams’ compassionate approach to encouraging people to accept services so they can get back on their feet. With this technology upgrade, we and our outreach teams, who continue canvassing the subways 24/7 offering services, will be able to further

pinpoint outreach efforts, responding to requests for assistance from New Yorkers as they may be reported directly from subway stations and platforms, so we can continue to build on this year’s progress.”

Officials noted that New Yorkers should continue to call 911 if they see dangerous or illegal activity in the subway system.

According to the de Blasio administra-

tion, the City has hired more outreach staff, provided outreach teams with new tools, and opened more than 1,300 specialized beds for unsheltered New Yorkers since January 2020, with hundreds more opening in the coming months. When overnight subway service ended during the pandemic, the City built upon existing programs to enhance overnight outreach efforts at end-of-line subway stations, including by increasing the number of outreach workers at those locations and providing them with expanded resources to encourage unsheltered individuals to accept services.

“This enables vulnerable New Yorkers in the subway system to be connected to the 311 system and all the significant resources and assistance it can offer. Customers and MTA employees alike can now use the 311 app to report anyone in a station who might need outreach from homeless services, or mental health assistance, and that person is now much more likely to get the help they need,” said Sarah Feinberg, interim president of MTA New York City Transit.

NYC311 is available 24/7, 365 days a year in nearly 180 languages through the call center, online, a mobile app, social media, and by texting 311-NYC (692).

NYC311 can also be reached through video relay service at 212-NEW-YORK (6399675) and through TT Y at 212-504-4115.

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 21 • Number 26 • JULY 8, 2021 | 11

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THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 21 • Number 26 • JULY 8, 2021 | 13

Legal Notices Notice of Qualification of RKP Dev DE LLC. App. for Auth. filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 5/12/21. Office location: Queens County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 5/11/21. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 166-07 Hillside Ave, Jamaica, NY 11432. DE address of LLC: National Registered Agents, Inc., 1209 Orange St., Wilmingtom, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with DE secy of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of formation of LIU, TAN & CHENG LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 4/27/2021. Office located in Queens. SSNY has been designated for service of process.

SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to: 38-08 Union ST. UNIT 2G Flushing, NY 11354. Purpose: Any lawful activity or purpose.. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of SUN WONG LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/02/21. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to Michael Wong, 4255 Colden St., Apt. 2E, Flushing, NY 11355.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of formation of 123 OFFICE LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 4/12/2021.

Office located in Queens. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to: YUN JUI YANG, 136-33 37TH AVENUE, UNIT 9D, FLUSHING, NY 11354. Purpose: Any lawful activity or purpose.

3766 Plaza LLC filed w/ SSNY on 6/4/21.

Office: Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 3766 103rd St., Corona, NY 11368. Purpose: any lawful.

Notice of Formation of BRAZILAINEXECUTIVE ADVISORS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/25/21. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to BRAZILIAN EXECUTIVE ADVISORS LLC, 2041 46th. St., APT 1, Astoria,NY 11105. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of DV EMPIRE LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/30/21. Office location: Queens County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: LEGALCORP SOLUTIONS, LLC, 11 BROADWAY, SUITE 615, NEW YORK CITY, NY 10004. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

SHAFIQUL & NAZRUL LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/09/2021. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designat¬ed as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: MD Nazrul Islam, 4222 64 St. 2nd Fl, Woodside, NY 11377. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Notice of Formation of CSSTECH LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/08/21. Office location: Queens County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to GILES JOSEPH, 186-01 HENDERSON AVE, HOLLIS, NY 11423. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

DICTUM SERVICES LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/28/2021. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designat¬ed as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: DICTUM SERVICES LLC, 164-42 97TH STREET, HOWARD BEACH, NY 11414. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

KUSTOMBYKINA, LLC Articles of Org. filed with the NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 04/19/2021.

Office in Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: sakina duncan, 145-61 179th Street, jamaica, NY 11434.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

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Managing Insects on Vegetables and Herbs

Cali Chanel LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/24/2021 Office: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served.

SSNY shall mail process served against the LLC to 9604 57th Avenue, Corona, NY 11368.

Purpose: any lawful act.

135-22 Flushing Realty LLC, Articles of Org. filed with the NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 06/09/2021. Office in Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom pro¬cess against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 135-22 61st Road, Flushing NY 11367. Purpose: any lawful activity.

WW Long Island City LLC filed w/ SSNY on 5/26/21. Office: Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 147 Greenway N, Forest Hills, NY 11375. Purpose: any lawful.

HUDSON YJ LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/07/2021. 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, 136-20 38th Ave. Suite 8C, Flushing, NY 11354. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

SPOTASTIC LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the

SSNY on 06/14/2021 Office: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served.

SSNY shall mail process served against the LLC to SPOTASTIC LLC, 8401 MAIN STREET, APT. 429, BRIARWOOD, NY 11435. Purpose: any lawful act.

SINCLAIR CONSULTING LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/29/2021 Office: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process served against the LLC to SINCLAIR CONSULTING LLC , 41-12 39TH PALCE, APT C5, LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11104. Purpose: any lawful act.

CSSTECH LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/08/2021 Office: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served.

SSNY shall mail process served against the LLC to GILES JOSPEH, 186-01 HENDERSON AVE., HOLLIS, NY 11423. Purpose: any lawful act.

14 JULY 8, 2021 • Number 26 • VOL. 21 • THE FORUM NEWSGROUP

Lady beetles are one of the good guys, helping to control populations of aphids and other harmful insect pests in the garden

Homegrown fresh vegetables not only taste better; they are more nutritious. Plus, you can control what products are applied to the plants to control insect pests and disease.The first steps to growing a productive vegetable garden and protecting your harvest begin with proper planning and care.

Select the most disease-resistant varieties available when planning your garden.Then plant them in properly prepared soil with the amount of sunlight they require. Provide the necessary ongoing care and your plants will be healthier and better able to tolerate pest problems.Even when you do everything right; problems can still arise. It’s just a part of gardening.Further reduce the risk with regular visits to the garden. Check along the stems and under the leaves for any clues that insect pests have moved into your garden. It is much easier to manage small populations of harmful pests than after they have had time to rapidly reproduce.At the same time, look for lady beetles, green lace wings and other good guys that eat a variety of garden pests.

Leaving a few pests to attract these good guys is often an easy, yet effective way to manage the harmful ones.Enlist the help of songbirds by attracting them with birdbaths and feeders.

Many birds supplement their diets with insect protein. Just protect young seedlings as many birds also like fresh greens.If you need to lend

nature a hand, remove small populations of insects by hand or use a strong blast of water to knock aphids and mites off plants. This is often enough to manage the damage and minimize their impact on your garden harvest.Barriers of floating row covers can keep cabbage worms, onion maggots, Japanese beetles, and some other insects from laying eggs on their favorite plants. Cover the plants with the fabric at planting, anchor the edges and leave enough slack for plants to grow.

Uncover flowering plants as soon as blossoms appear if bees are needed for pollination.Set out yellow bowls filled with soapy water. The yellow attracts aphids and some other harmful pests. The insects gravitate toward the yellow, then crash into the soapy water and die.

If the problem insects are winning the battle, you may be tempted to reach for chemical controls. Instead, look for the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) certification on product labels. This independent non-profit organization reviews products for use in organic gardens, production, and processing. As always, read and follow label directions for any organic, natural, or synthetic chemical used.

Heeding label directions ensures safe application and effective control.By working with nature and investing some time and creativity you can safely minimize insect problems and maximize your garden’s harvest.

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned for her expertise to write this article. Myers’ web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.

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THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • VOL. 21 • Number 26 • JULY 8, 2021 | 15

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$

Per LB

Boar's Head Muenster Cheese

5

$ 99 Per LB

17

99

Filippo Berio Pure or Extra Virgin Olive Oil

$

17

99 w/card