THE FORUM NEWSGROUP | JANUARY 5, 2023

Maine Man Charged in New Year’s Eve Attack on Cops Camped out in Forest Park

By Michael V. Cusenza

The Maine man who has been charged with attacking two City cops on New Year’s Eve just outside Times Square with a machete-like weapon camped out in the Richmond Hill section of Forest Park hours before heading into Manhattan and slashing the officers, published reports said.

Trevor Bickford, 19, described by the New York Daily News as “a recently radicalized jihadist” is known by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, was charged on Monday with attempted

murder. As of Wednesday, Bickford remained in a City hospital after he was wounded in a shoulder by a third cop’s bullet Saturday night.

According to the News, Bickford spent Friday night at a hotel in the Bowery. The next day he camped out in Forest Park. Authorities found a sleeping bag and some food where Bickford had bedded down.

“In a diary found in his backpack after the attack, he apologized to his family, particularly his mother, for not doing well enough in life,” the News wrote on Tuesday.

Addabbo Updates Constituents on Laws Going into Effect in NY in 2023

By Forum Sta

State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) on Friday updated constituents on some of the 200 new state laws that will go into e ect starting on Jan. 1, 2023.

One of the new laws that will take e ect on the rst day of the New Year is Addabbo’s bill that adds siblings to the de nition of “family member” for the purposes of paid family leave.

New York back in 2016, and Gov. Kathy Hochul signed Addabbo’s bill to add siblings — which includes biological or adopted sibling, half-sibling or stepsibling — to the list of family members you can take time o to care for in 2021 to go into e ect this year.

Other laws that will go into e ect on Jan. 1, 2023 are:

• A law that will allow the counting of an a davit ballot of an eligible voter if the

county but in the incorrect election district. It also allows a ballot to be cast and canvassed where a person was entitled to vote, but the ballot envelope was invalid on its face due to ministerial error by the board of elections.

• Establishing a task force and annual report to examine social media and violent extremism.

• On Jan. 11, 2023, a new law will require instruction in pedestrian and bicyclist safety as part of the drivers pre-licensing course.

• e Electric Vehicle Rights Act prevents a homeowners association from adopting or enforcing any rules or regulations that would e ectively prohibit, or impose unreasonable limitations on the installation or use of an electric vehicle charging station. is goes into e ect on January 21, 2023.

• A new law goes into e ect on March 6, 2023 that will require that telemarketers and robocallers give customers the option to be added to their company's do-not-call list right a er the telemarketer's name and the person on whose behalf the solicitation is being made are provided.

endorsement compensation, prohibiting New York schools from taking away the scholarships or eligibility of any athlete making money from such endorsements.

• A new law starting Jan. 1 would require airports in New York State to provide a nursing space for breast-feeding mothers behind the security screening area equipped with a chair and an electrical outlet away from public view.

• Prohibits the making of selling cosmetics which are tested on animals.

• e New York Textile Act which looks to accelerate the growth of the animal and plant ber growing, processing, and textile manufacturing industry in New York by supporting it through economic development programs, including expanding annual farm recognition awards, state procurement process training for small businesses, and the Excelsior jobs program to include such New York products and processes.

voter

• e New York Collegiate Athletic Participation Compensation Act goes into effect which allows student-athletes to receive

• A new section of Brianna’s Law will go into e ect on January 1 that mandates boat safety instructional courses as a prerequisite for obtaining boating licenses for all operators born on or a er Jan. 1, 1978. Current law only requires boating classes to be taken by individuals born a er May 1, 1996.

Paid family leave became the law of the land in

appeared at a polling place in the correct

File Photo

Alleged cop slasher Trevor Bickford camped out inside Forest Park on Saturday.

Photo Courtesy of NYPD

Two cops were a acked by Bickford. ey are out of the hospital and are resting at home.

Photo Courtesy of NYPD e weapon used in the a ack.

By Forum Staff

John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) made it into the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) annual Top 10 List of most unusual items found at security checkpoints nationwide in 2022. TSA just released the list in an on-line video it posted on the agency’s YouTube account.

What was the item from the airport that ranked as #3 on the Top 10 List? Read on…

Just before Christmas, TSA o cers at JFK Airport stopped a passenger who was traveling with two jars of peanut bu er in a checked bag when the bag triggered an alarm. Upon closer inspection, the TSA o cers removed parts of a disassembled .22 caliber handgun that had been artfully concealed in what was packaged to look like two unopened

jars of peanut bu er. Each of the rearm parts had been wrapped in plastic and stu ed into the center of the jars. e gun’s magazine was loaded with bullets.

When the checked bag triggered an alarm in a Terminal 8 X-ray unit, a TSA officer opened the bag and upon closer inspection uncovered the concealed firearm parts. TSA officials notified the Port Authority Police, who came to the checked baggage room, confiscated the items, tracked down the traveler in the terminal and arrested him.

When TSA o cers come across something that has obviously been tampered with or artfully concealed, they’ll investigate further to make sure that what someone has a empted to hide is not detrimental to the security and safety of the passengers, crew members and aircra .

Photo Courtesy

Photo Courtesy

New York Nurses Vote to Strike

By Forum Sta

Late last month, more than 14,000 out of 17,000 nurses at NYC private sector hospitals have completed their strike authorization votes, with 98.8 percent citywide voting in support of authorizing a strike, the New York State Nurses Association said.

Voting has completed at BronxCare, Montefiore, Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Morningside and West, NewYork-Presbyterian, and Richmond University Medical Center. Voting is in progress at the remaining facilities, and NYSNA expects all 17,000 nurses to vote

overwhelmingly in favor of authorizing a strike.

Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, NYSNA President and frontline nurse at Maimonides Medical Center, said: “We don’t take striking lightly. Striking is always a last resort. But we are prepared to strike if our bosses give us no other option. Nurses have been to hell and back, risking our lives to save our patients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, sometimes without the PPE we needed to keep ourselves safe, and too o en without enough sta for safe patient care. Instead of supporting us and acknowledging our work, hospital executives have been ghting against

COVID nurse heroes. ey’ve le us with no other choice but to move forward with voting to authorize a strike for be er patient care.”

RNs have been speaking out and sounding the alarm about the short-sta ng crisis puts patients at risk, especially during a tripledemic of COVID, RSV and u. Nurses say hospitals aren’t doing enough to keep caregivers at the bedside, and instead of working with COVID nurse heroes, in some cases, are even threatening to cut their healthcare bene ts.

Aretha Morgan, RN, MSN, Pediatric ER nurse at NewYork-Presbyterian, said: “Right now, we are facing a tripledemic of

COVID, u and RSV. Our pediatric ER is over owing and short-sta ed on almost all shi s. It is unbearable to see children su er because we don’t have enough sta to provide safe patient care. And yet, NewYork-Presbyterian, which paid its CEO almost $12 million dollars in salary, bonus and perks in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, has failed to invest in hiring and retaining enough nurses.”

Approximately 17,000 NYSNA members at 12 hospitals in New York City, including some of the biggest private hospitals such as Monte ore, Mount Sinai, and NewYork-Presbyterian have contracts that expired on Dec. 31.

Photo Courtesy of Google

Flushing Hospital Medical Center

Photo Courtesy of Google New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Flushing.

Illegal Guns Number 1

Priority for DA Katz

By Forum Sta

Illegal rearms are still the number one priority for Queens District A orney Melinda Katz, she said in remarks delivered Friday.

“ e fact remains that limiting access to rearms saves lives,” Katz wrote. “I have made it my number one priority to rid Queens County of dangerous and illegal weapons that wreak havoc and place countless lives at risk.

“Not only does my O ce house the Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureauwhose sole purpose is to suppress gang and gun activity in this Borough - but I have also created the Crime Strategies and Intelligence Unit to nd ghost guns and home manufactured weapons throughout Queens.

“ ere is more to be done, but I am proud of the work we have accomplished so far working with our law enforcement, community, faith-based, and cure violence partners. Some examples of the work we have done over the past year include:

• Prosecuting nearly 3,000 criminal weapon possession cases, representing the sheer magnitude of deadly weapons that can no longer be used in our communities.

• Seizing nearly 200 ghost gunsunserialized and untraceable rearms that can be bought online, o en sold through “ghost gun kits,” and assembled at home.

Our ghost gun recovery e orts lead the city.

• Holding accountable those who pro t from the drug trade. Last month, I announced an indictment against an accused drug dealer for possessing roughly 2 kilograms of fentanyl. With a street value of $80,000, the amount seized would be enough to produce 20,000 counterfeit pills.

• Utilizing specialized treatment courts to screen and refer eligible defendants for appropriate interventions to help break cycles of crime driven by addiction. In 2022, my o ce screened 121 individuals for mental health treatment dispositions, and 79 of those defendants successfully entered into alternative sentencing mental health plea agreements.

• Securing dozens of indictments on hate-crime charges. Earlier this year, we secured prison sentences in two separate hate crimes cases: an eight-year sentence for slashing a victim a er hurling homophobic and racial slurs in Flushing, and a ve-year sentence for threatening a transgender woman with an illegal rearm in Jamaica.

• Cracking down on the tra cking of women and underage children.

• Securing a guilty plea and a 20year prison sentence for the murder of a World War I veteran, who had been missing since 1976, thanks to the work of the Cold Case Unit I created when I took o ce.”

PREPARING FOR A STORM

Although our area has remained out of the grip of a major storm thus far this year, we all have that gnawing feeling-- it’s coming.

In this case we think it’s prudent to take the path of the Boy Scouts––Be Prepared!

While snowfall can be a beautiful thing, many dangers and unforeseen problems can occur as the result of an extreme weather occurrence.

We've prepared a list for you that will help ensure your safety when home bound.

Water—at least a 3-day supply; one gallon per person per day

• Food—at least a 3-day supply of non-perishable, easy-to-prepare food

• Flashlight

• Ba ery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)

• Extra ba eries

• First aid kit

• Medications (7-day supply) and medical items (hearing aids with extra ba eries, glasses, contact lenses, syringes, etc.)

• Multi-purpose tool—a Swiss Army knife type that can perform many tasks

• Sanitation and personal hygiene items

• Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical

information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certi cates, insurance policies)

• Cell phone with chargers

• Family and emergency contact information

• Extra cash

• Baby supplies (bo les, formula, baby food, diapers)

• Pet supplies (collar, leash, ID, food, carrier, bowl)

• Tools/supplies for securing your home

• Sand, rock salt or non-clumping ki y li er to make walkways and steps less slippery

• Warm coats, gloves or mi ens, hats, boots and extra blankets and warm clothing for all household members

• Ample alternate heating methods such as replaces or wood- or coalburning stoves

Vehicles should also be equipped with similar kits. Free smart phone apps available from FEMA and the American Red Cross provide tips on nding shelter, giving rst aid, and seeking recovery assistance.

Stay warm, stay safe, and start this New Year o with the con dence that you can weather any storm.

Until next week…

For your family’s prescription needs, please call CROSS BAY CHEMIST at 718-659-9500 or 718-880-1644 157-02 Cross Bay Blvd. in Howard Beach: Mon-Fri 9am-9pm. Sat-Sun 9am-7pm. or 96-05 101st Ave. in Ozone Park: Mon-Sat 9am-7pm. Sunday: Closed.

Addabbo Comments on Bidding Process for 3 Downstate Casino Licenses

Downstate casino licenses.

“When mobile sports be ing went live in New York nearly one year ago, the New York State Gaming Commission did an incredible job in outlining the rules, regulations and timeline for operators to provide New Yorkers with top-of-the-line products. And the bene ts from that decision are now being felt across the state as New York has already taken in more than $500 million in tax revenue in just about one year,” said Addabbo, chairman of the Senate Commi ee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering. “I am looking forward to a transparent, accurate and speedy process from the New York Gaming Facility Location Board, under the guidance of the Gaming Commission, as they unanimously voted to issue a Request for Applications (RFA) to solicit proposals for up to three commercial casinos in New York State. I have faith that the Location Board will thoroughly examine each RFA and make the best short- and long-term decision, based on their set of criteria. e quicker the three licenses are approved, the quicker we can begin to realize the major bene ts to the state, such as thousands of construction and post-construction jobs, billions in revenue from the licenses, an increase in problem gambling monies and programs, as well as billions more in educational funding when the winning casinos go live.”

Presented by Frank Pantina, R.Ph

Photo Courtesy of DA Katz

Katz’s O ce has prosecuted nearly 3,000 criminal weapon possession cases in 2022.

Photo Courtesy of DA Katz

Katz’s O ce has prosecuted nearly 3,000 criminal weapon possession cases in 2022.

State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) on Wednesday released a statement on the kicking o of the bidding process for three

DOJ Files Nationwide Lawsuit against Pharmaceutical Corp. for Controlled Substances Act Violations

By Forum Sta

In a civil complaint led today, the Department of Justice alleges that AmerisourceBergen Corporation and two of its subsidiaries, AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation and Integrated Commercialization Solutions, LLC, collectively one of the country’s largest wholesale pharmaceutical distributors, violated federal law in connection with the distribution of controlled substances to pharmacies and other customers across the country, contributing to the prescription opioid epidemic.

e complaint led in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania alleges that over the course of nearly a decade, from 2014 through the present, AmerisourceBergen violated the CSA by failing to report at least hundreds of thousands of suspicious orders of controlled substances to the DEA as required by law. e alleged unlawful conduct includes lling and failing to report numerous orders from pharmacies that AmerisourceBergen knew were likely facilitating diversion of prescription opioids.

The government’s complaint specifies several pharmacies for which AmerisourceBergen allegedly was aware of significant “red flags” suggesting the existence of diversion of prescription drugs to illicit markets. The complaint asserts that AmerisourceBergen nevertheless continued to distribute drugs to the pharmacies for years and reported

few suspicious orders to the DEA. The five examples include: two pharmacies, one in Florida and one in West Virginia, for which AmerisourceBergen knew the drugs it distributed were likely being sold in parking lots for cash; a New Jersey pharmacy that has pleaded guilty to unlawfully selling controlled substances; another New Jersey pharmacy whose pharmacist-in-charge has been indicted for drug diversion; and a Colorado pharmacy that AmerisourceBergen knew was its largest purchaser of oxycodone 30mg tablets in all of Colorado. The government further alleges that for this Colorado pharmacy, AmerisourceBergen specifically identified eleven patients

as potential “drug addicts” whose prescriptions likely were illegitimate. Two of those patients subsequently died of overdoses.

e complaint further alleges that AmerisourceBergen not only ignored red ags of diversion, but also relied on internal systems to monitor and identify suspicious orders that were deeply inadequate, both in design and implementation. ese systems allegedly agged only a tiny fraction of suspicious orders, thereby enabling diversion and AmerisourceBergen’s failure to report orders it was legally obligated to identify to the DEA. In fact, the complaint asserts that in the midst of the opioid epidemic, AmerisourceBergen

intentionally altered its internal systems in a way that reduced the number of controlled substances reported as suspicious. Even for the small percentage of orders that AmerisourceBergen did identify as suspicious, the company routinely failed to report them to the DEA.

e government’s complaint alleges that for years AmerisourceBergen outed its legal obligations and prioritized pro ts over the well-being of Americans.

If AmerisourceBergen is found liable, it could face escalating civil penalties depending on when each violation occurred and the type of controlled substance at issue. Specifically: up to $10,000 for each reporting violation before November 2015, up to $16,864 for each violation between November 2015 and October 2018 and for each violation relating to a suspicious order for a non-opioid controlled substance not reported after October 2018, and up to $109,374 for each violation relating to a suspicious opioid order not reported after October 2018, potentially totaling billions of dollars in penalties. The court also may award injunctive relief to prevent AmerisourceBergen from committing future CSA violations.

“AmerisourceBergen, a wholesale drug distributor, agrantly and repeatedly violated its obligation to notify DEA of suspicious orders for controlled substances, which directly contributed to the epidemic of prescription opioid abuse across the United States,” said Brooklyn U.S. A orney Breon Peace.

NY AG Cautions against Price Gouging of Children’s Medication

By Forum Sta

State A orney General Tish James recently cautioned consumers and businesses of price gouging of children’s painkillers and fever reducers as demand increases for those medications due to this year’s “tripledemic” of COVID-19, RSV, and the u.

James said her office is aware of reports of children’s medication being sold online and in stores at prices two or three times their retail value. James urged New Yorkers to be on alert for potential price gouging of children’s painkillers and fever reducers, including Tylenol, Motrin, and acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin sold under other brand names, and to report any dramatic price increases to her office.

New York law prohibits merchants from taking unfair advantage of consumers by selling goods or services that are vital to their health, safety, or welfare for an unconscionably excessive price. Due to the nationwide shortage, the Office of the Attorney General

advises consumers to buy only as much children’s medication as they need and not to unnecessarily stock up as such panic buying may intensify the shortage and could encourage sellers to engage in illegal price gouging. The OAG also reminds consumers that it is not price gouging for retailers to limit the amount

of medication they sell to individual consumers.

“ is year’s tripledemic is keeping many kids and babies sick at home, and families trying to care for them are confronting the national shortage of children’s Tylenol and other medication,” James said. “ e last thing any family needs when a child spikes

a fever or is in pain is to be price gouged on the medication they need. I am pu ing pro teers seeking to take advantage of this shortage on notice. If New Yorkers see big price increases for children’s medication, I encourage them to report it to my o ce immediately.”

When reporting price gouging to OAG, consumers should:

• Report the speci c increased prices, the dates, and places that they saw the increased prices, and the types of medication being sold; and,

• Provide copies of their sales receipts and photos of the advertised prices, if available.

New Yorkers should report potential concerns about price gouging to OAG by ling a complaint online or calling (800) 771-7755.

1: “I am pu ing pro teers seeking to take advantage of this shortage on notice. If New Yorkers see big price increases for children’s medication, I encourage them to report it to my o ce immediately,” A orney General James said.

Photo Courtesy of AG James

“I am pu ing pro teers seeking to take advantage of this shortage on notice. If New Yorkers see big price increases for children’s medication, I encourage them to report it to my o ce immediately,” A orney General James said.

Photo Courtesy of Tylenol AG James said her o ce is aware of reports of children’s medication being sold online and in stores at prices two or three times their retail value.

Photo Courtesy of U.S. A orney’s O ce for the Eastern District of NY “AmerisourceBergen, a wholesale drug distributor, agrantly and repeatedly violated its obligation to notify DEA of suspicious orders for controlled substances, which directly contributed to the epidemic of prescription opioid abuse across the United States,” said Brooklyn U.S. A orney Peace.

Husband Charged with Mowing down Wife with SUV and Stabbing Her

By Forum Staff

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that a Jamaica man was recently charged with allegedly hitting his wife with his SUV and then stabbing her with a knife. The couple’s three children were in the vehicle at the time of the incident in front of her Flushing residence.

Stephen Giraldo, 36, was arraigned on a complaint charging him with attempted murder in the second degree,

assault in the first and second degree, reckless endangerment in the second degree, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. Judge Scott Dunn remanded the defendant and ordered him to return to court on Jan. 12.

According to the complaint, on Dec. 27, at approximately 5:20 a.m., video surveillance footage shows Giraldo enter the driver’s seat of a white Ford Explorer parked near the intersection of Parsons

“ e

Boulevard and Sanford Avenue. The defendant’s three children—ages 11, 9 and 6—were seated in the car. The defendant’s 41-year-old wife Sophia Giraldo walked in front of the vehicle. The defendant allegedly told the children to “keep your seat belt on” and accelerated, barreling the car directly into the victim. After colliding with the victim, the car turned onto its side. The defendant allegedly crawled out the passenger side window of the vehicle and stabbed his wife with a knife. Giraldo was at the scene when police arrived.

The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment of her injuries, including severe neurological damage, broken bones in her leg and a stab wound that punctured her liver.

“The brutality of the attack, and the fact that it was committed in full view of the victim’s three young children, stirs heartbreak and outrage in all of us. My thoughts are with the children,” Katz said.

If convicted, Giraldo faces up to 25 years in prison.

Photo Courtesy of DA Katz

brutality of the a ack, and the fact that it was commi ed in full view of the victim’s three young children, stirs heartbreak and outrage in all of us,” DA Katz said.

Photo Courtesy of Google

e a ack took place near the intersection of Parsons Boulevard and Sanford Avenue.

MTA to Begin Construction on Accessibility Project at Queensboro Plaza

By Forum Sta

e Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that it will begin construction to install two elevators to make the Queensboro Plaza a fully accessible station. is includes an elevator at the southern entrance of the station and an elevator between the mezzanine and the two platforms. e station is a busy transfer point in Queens that served nearly 70,000 riders on average every weekday in November 2022 – this estimate includes both customers who swiped in at this station and those who were transferring between the 7 and NW. e work will be completed in phases and will require weekends of service changes beginning with service outages on 7 line at 12:15 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4 and later, in May, on the N line.

For six weekends this Winter and early Spring, the 7 line will be closed between Queensboro Plaza and 34 StHudson Yards in Manhattan. Customers can transfer to/from the E, F and R at 74 St-Broadway or to/from the NW at Queensboro Plaza for service between Manhattan and Queens.

Free shuttle buses will be provided between Queensboro Plaza and Vernon Blvd – Jackson Av, and between Times

Square and 34 St-Hudson Yards. The Grand Central Shuttle will operate all night and W service will run Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. between Astoria-Ditmars Blvd and 34 St-Herald Square in addition to N service.

ese service changes are scheduled to be in e ect from 12:15 a.m. Saturday, February 4 until 5 a.m. Monday February 6, as well as from 3:45 a.m. Saturday to 10 p.m. Sunday, the following weekends: Feb. 11 – Feb. 12 Feb. 25 – Feb. 26

Mar. 11 – Mar. 12 Mar. 25 – Mar. 26 Apr. 22 – Apr. 23

Additional weekend service changes are anticipated later in 2023 and in 2024. Customers are advised to sign up the MTA Weekender, a weekly newsle er sent every Friday to inform customers of weekend service changes throughout the transit system. e MTA will post print and digital signs in stations, along with announcements in stations and on trains, before the work begins. Customer service noti cations will also be available on the

MTA website, the MYmta app and social media.

e project being carried out by the MTA consists of building of two elevators, one connecting the street and mezzanine level and another connecting the mezzanine to both platforms. e project will also consist of:

Expansion of the mezzanine by approx. 50 sq , improving customer ow within the station

New lighting for the expanded mezzanine

Updates to the pedestrian bridge New boarding areas compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with new platform edges

Upgrades to existing street and station stairs to current ADA standards

e project for building an accessible entrance on the south side is budgeted for $74 million and is expected to be complete by mid 2024. e station’s accessibility upgrade will be complemented with security and communication enhancements with upgrades to the re alarm system, installation of a new security camera system, a new public address system, and digital information screens, o ering be er communication with clearer announcements and greater access to information via screens.

Richards Launches 2023 Community Board Application Process

By Michael V. Cusenza

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. announced on Tuesday that he is again accepting applications from quali ed and civic-minded individuals interested in serving on their local community board.

As with the Borough President’s prior two iterations, the 2023 community board application can be lled out online, ensuring prospective applicants can complete the process quickly and easily, allowing for a more diverse applicant pool. e application requires neither notarization nor in-person delivery to the Queens Borough President’s O ce. e application is available online at queensbp.org/communityboards, and the deadline to submit the form is ursday, Feb. 16. is deadline applies to both new applicants and existing community board members seeking an additional term. For the upcoming round of appointments, the twoyear term of service will begin on Saturday, April 1, 2023.

Over the course of his administration, Borough President Richards has worked diligently to grow interest in community board membership and address numerous demographic inequities around age, gender, background and more that have existed for years across Queens’ 14 community boards.

Combining the 2021 and 2022 community board processes, the Queens

Borough President’s O ce received 1,825 applications to serve on a community board,

File Photo ere are 59 community boards citywide, including 14 in Queens.

with both years sha ering the pre-Richards single-year record for applications. e larger and more diverse applicant pools led to community board classes that were younger, more female and had greater percentages of members who identi ed as Latinx/Hispanic, African American, immigrant, South Asian, East Asian/Paci c

“Queens has never been closer to community board representation that is truly re ective of our borough’s vast diversity than it is today,” Richards said back in April 2021.

ere are 59 community boards citywide, including 14 in Queens, and each hold monthly full membership meetings.

e boards play an important advisory role in considering land use and zoning ma ers in their respective districts under the City’s Uniformed Land Use Review Procedure, in addition to holding hearings and issuing recommendations about the City budget, municipal service delivery and numerous other ma ers that impact their communities.

All Queens community board members are appointed by the Queens Borough President, pursuant to the City Charter, with half of the appointments nominated by the City Councilmembers representing their respective Community Districts. Each board has up to 50 unsalaried members, with each member serving a two-year term.

All community board members who wish to continue serving on a board are required to reapply at the conclusion of their two-year term and are subject to review and reconsideration.

“Government is at its most e ective and impactful when people who come from and understand the needs of the communities it is sworn to serve are in positions of leadership. at’s what we’re actively working to create here in Queens with our 14 community boards,” Richards said. “I look forward to building on the progress we’ve made to diversify and strengthen our boards over the last two years, and I strongly encourage anyone with an interest in public service to apply over the next six weeks.”

File Photo

7-Line service to be suspended between 34 St-Hudson Yards and Queensboro Plaza for six weekends this winter and spring.

Islander and LGBTQIA+, among other characteristics.

Hochul Sworn-in as 57th Governor of NY, Delivers Inaugural Address

By Michael V. Cusenza

Kathy Hochul on Sunday took the oath of o ce as New York’s 57th governor—and its rst female governor.

“To paraphrase one of our former governors, Teddy Roosevelt, ‘ e people have now chosen a woman to be in the arena.’ You’ve heard of the man in the arena. ere’s now a woman in the arena. And that man and that woman are willing to be marred by dust and sweat and blood to strive valiantly and spend herself in a worthy cause,” Hochul said in a stirring inaugural address. “As the sign says, I didn't come here to make history. I came here to make a di erence. And to pursue the worthy causes, pursue them together. And as your Governor, I'll keep ghting for you every single day. And this is what I know about New Yorkers, just like the Lieutenant Governor, Lieutenant Governors do a lot of traveling. I know every corner of this state. New Yorkers are tough. ey're undeterred. ey're unafraid. We're also innovators and creators. We can be optimists and realists, dreamers and doers. But above all, when we are united, there's no stopping us. And there is no ght for what is right that we will ever back down from.”

Hochul later added, “And just as we are re ecting on history today, when history looks back on our time, the question will be to all of us, in the present, the question will be whether we rose up to meet these challenges today and challenges yet unknown.

“Whether we took the torch that was passed to us from those trailblazers and made it burn even brighter before we passed it o to the next generation. ey'll ask whether we advanced the causes of

social justice and the progressive values that have set us apart from all the rest. Standing before you, I know the answer is yes.

“Because obstacles don't define us. Rather, it is the unparalleled courage and character of us that defines us as a people. So my confidence in the future is steeped in our glorious past - in the face of adversity, we always persist. We persevere, we prevail,” she said.

“New York stands for something extraordinary: Opportunity and ambition, compassion and tolerance, and the most fascinating people and places. Ultimately, a place where millions can come to, to build their lives, their families, live a good life. And that's why I'm energized. I'm enthusiastic to be in this arena, no ma er what comes our way. Because this is the New York I believe in, and the New York that I'll ght for every day,” the governor said.

Hochul defeated Nassau County Rep. Lee Zeldin in November to win a full-term governorship.

“So as I approach the next four years with the energy and the sense of purpose and optimism, I know I'm not alone. For I'm joined in that arena with others who will ght the good ghts and the worthy pursuits that Roosevelt spoke of. Let's use these coming years to truly make a di erence for each other and to make this state stronger than it's ever been in our glorious history,” Hochul concluded. “New York, just as you have put your faith in me, and I thank all the voters of New York, I also have faith in you. And to my very core, I believe there is nothing we cannot accomplish together, and so we will.”

ACS Touts Findings from Recent Survey about Families’ Experience with Prevention Services

By Forum Sta

e City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) recently released key ndings from its annual “ACS Prevention Family Experience Survey.” Approximately 94 percent of survey participants reported being happy with the services their families were receiving through ACS contracted providers. Survey participants also felt that the services were helping them achieve their goals, and that they would recommend the services to a friend or family member.

Prevention services are designed to help families overcome challenges that ultimately help keep their children safely at home and in their communities. rough a network of community-based providers across NYC, over 16,000 families receive prevention services each year.

“When families need a helping hand, ACS will connect them to one of our community-based service providers that can help provide family counseling, mental health counseling, access to child care vouchers, access to food or clothing, and so much more. According to the just-released survey, the great majority of participating families are happy with the communitybased services they’re receiving and would even recommend them to a friend or family member. ACS will continue to spread the word about how families can access these free and voluntary prevention services, and we will continue to nd new ways to hear

from those with lived experiences so that we can further improve our work,” said ACS Commissioner Jess Dannhauser.

In collaboration with provider agencies, the annual “ACS Prevention Family Experience Survey” was o ered to families receiving prevention services. irty-three percent of families receiving prevention services during the point in time of survey administration chose to participate in the survey. e survey included questions about household demographics, the type and

quality of services received, interactions with case planners, and suggestions for improvements. Findings from the survey will continue to inform further program and practice improvements, Dannhauser said.

• An overwhelmingly majority of survey participants were satis ed with the quality of services they received. For example, 93 percent of participants agree services are helping them achieve their goals; 94 percent of survey participants agree that they are happy with the

prevention services their families received; 90 percent of survey participants agree that they would recommend services to a friend and/or family member; and 89 percent of survey participants agree that they would go to their prevention provider for help in the future.

• A large majority of survey participants (90 percent) said the referral to prevention services from ACS was helpful for their families. e continuum of prevention services programs aims to meet the varying needs of families. Families can expect services to be free, trauma informed, and culturally responsive while also having exible hours to accommodate families’ schedules

• Nearly all survey participants were satis ed with the work of their case planners. Case planners are the primary sta members at the ACS-contracted prevention provider agencies with whom service recipients interact. ey are crucial to the work, as they deliver services directly to parents/ caregivers, children, young people, and families. Most families that participated in the survey reported that their case planner is available (97 percent); that they trust their case planner (96 percent); feel safe telling their case planner about their family (96 percent); feel listened to when se ing goals for their family as part of their work with the case planner (97 percent); and feel their case planner respects their cultural practices (96 percent).

Photo Courtesy of Mike Groll/O ce of the Governor

e school is o ering instant admission to the spring 2023 semester to veterans and active military service members Governor Kathy Hochul takes the oath of o ce on Sunday.

Photo Courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography O ce

“According to the just-released survey, the great majority of participating families are happy with the communitybased services they’re receiving and would even recommend them to a iend or family member,” said ACS Comissioner Dannhauser.

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