THE FORUM NEWSGROUP | NOVEMBER 17, 2022

Pheffer Amato Sues to have all 23rd Assembly District Race Votes Recounted

By Michael V. Cusenza

See you in court.

Assemblywoman Stacey Phe er Amato (D-Howard Beach), still trailing GOP chal lenger Tom Sullivan by a scant 246 votes, this week has led a lawsuit calling for a recount of every ballot cast in the bruising race.

“ is is a democracy. As Americans, we have the right to decide who represents us in public o ce. As we continue to count mail-in and in-person ballots from Election Day, we are commi ed to making sure every valid vote is counted. at is our responsi bility as Americans, and as participants in

our democracy,” Phe er Amato wrote in a statement posted to social media Tuesday.

Taking to Twi er on Saturday, Sullivan said, “Brief Campaign Update: Holding a 246 vote lead as of this morning. My trust in the process and faith in our political sys tem is strong. However, the longer the pro cess takes my trust wanes. I truly appreciate everyone's support and kind words. More to follow when available.”

Phe er Amato added in her statement, “My opponent would like to stop count ing votes before all votes are tallied. at’s shameful. Our brave men and women serv ing our nation overseas, older New Yorkers, homebound individuals, and anyone who

could not get to the polls on Election Day still deserve to have their vote counted and their voice heard. Our country is deeply divided, and we’ve su ered greatly from

repeated a empts to stop valid voted from being counted by those who seek to sub vert our democracy for their own bene t. We will not allow that to happen here.”

Co-Defendants Plead Guilty to South Richmond Hill Slayings

By Forum Sta

Queens District A orney Melinda Katz announced Tuesday that Richard Dav enport and Neville Brown have pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter for the shooting deaths of two men in South Richmond Hill in late 2017 and early 2018.

Davenport, 46, of Jamaica, and Brown, 42, of Hollis, each pleaded guilty on Mon day to two counts of rst degree man slaughter before Queens Supreme Court

Judge Michael B. Aloise, who indicated he would sentence Davenport to 29 years and Brown to 15 years in prison.

Sentencing for Brown is scheduled for Dec. 13; sentencing for Davenport is set for Jan. 12.

According to the charges, at approximate ly 3 a.m. on Dec. 19, 2017, Brown was the driver and Davenport the lone passenger in a Mercedes Benz that drove several times past a Cadillac Escalade parked on 125th Street and Atlantic Avenue in South Richmond Hill.

Security camera video footage shows the de

fendants parking the Mercedes and Daven port and Brown exiting and approaching the Cadillac from opposite sides. Davenport is then seen ring several times into the vehicle, striking Dail Ramessar, 21. e defendants ed the scene in the Mercedes. Ramessar was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Additionally, according to the charges, at roughly 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 16, 2018, se curity video footage shows the same Mer cedes Benz stopped on 105th Street near 135th Avenue in South Richmond Hill.

Davenport is seen exiting the vehicle and approaching Omaree Morrison, 19, as he walked along 135th Avenue. Davenport red several times, striking and killing Morrison.

Ballistics tests showed that the shell casings recovered from the January 2018 shooting matched those found at the De cember 2017 crime scene.

“ e scourge of gun violence that has brought heartache and grief to our com munities will never be tolerated,” Katz said.

File Photo

Assemblywoman Stacey Phe er Amato

File Photo

Tom Sullivan

Photo Courtesy of Google

Dail Ramessar was shot as he sat in his car parked on 125th Street at Atlantic Avenue.

Photo Courtesy of Google

Richard Davenport red several times, striking and killing Omaree Morrison as he walked on 135th Avenue near 105th Street.

By Forum Staff

A woman traveling from the Dominican Re public was arrested ursday at John F. Kennedy International Airport for allegedly a empting to smuggle approximately 28 pounds of cocaine into the United States, Customs and Border Protection o cials said on Monday.

Emelinda Paulino De Rivas, a citizen of the Do minican Republic, arrived on a ight from Punta Cana, D.R. De Rivas was traveling in a wheelchair when CBP o cers decided to interview her. CBP o cers noticed that the wheels on the wheelchair were not turning, so they x-rayed the wheelchair and discovered the problem in all four wheels: each one contained a white powder that tested positive for cocaine.

De Rivas was arrested for the importation of a controlled substance and was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations. e weight

of the cocaine seized was approximately 28 lbs. with an estimated street value of $450,000. is translates to approximately 75,000 doses (100200 mg.); a lethal dose of cocaine is roughly one to three grams, so the amount seized by CBP and kept out of our neighborhoods amounts to roughly 6,000 lethal doses, o cials noted.

“CBP stands steadfast and determined in working with our partners to identify the transnational criminal networks responsible for im porting these deadly drugs into our neighbor hoods.” said Francis Russo, director of CBP’s New York Field Operations. “CBP’s mission is to guard the borders and ports of entry 24/7, 365 days a year to prevent these dangerous drugs from potentially killing our family, friends, and neighbors.”

De Rivas now faces federal narcotics smuggling charges and will be prosecuted by the U.S. A or ney’s O ce in the Eastern District of New York.

Photo Courtesy of CBP

CBP o cers noticed that the wheels on the wheelchair were not turning, so they called for an x-ray of the whole wheelchair.

Dominican Republic citizen Emelinda Paulino De Rivas was arrested on ursday at JFK Airport.

Three City Correction Officers Charged for Lying to Stay on Sick Leave for Over a Year

By Forum Sta

Two criminal complaints were unsealed ursday in Brooklyn federal court charg ing three City Correction o cers at Rikers Island with federal program fraud. O cers Steven Cange, Monica Coaxum and Eduardo Trinidad were ar rested ursday, prosecutors said.

As alleged in one complaint, Cange fraudulently obtained more than $160,000 in salary by being on sick leave from March 2021 to the present. Although Cange claimed that he su ered from symptoms of vertigo and side e ects from the CO VID-19 vaccine, evidence obtained by law enforcement demonstrates that Cange was able to work. During his sick leave, Cange submi ed more than 100 fraudulent medi cal notes to DOC demonstrating that he was at physical therapy or another medical provider when records subpoenaed from those providers demonstrate that Cange was not at those appointments.

Law enforcement also observed Cange engaging in normal life activities with no apparent di culty.

As alleged in a separate complaint, Monica Coaxum fraudulently obtained more than $80,000 in salary by being on sick leave from March 2021 to May 2022, and her ancée, Correction O cer Edu ardo Trinidad, fraudulently obtained more than $140,000 in salary by being on sick

leave from June 2021 to November 2022. Although Coaxum claimed to su er from multiple injuries, evidence collected by in vestigators shows that she was able to work. During her sick leave, Coaxum submi ed

When approached by law enforcement, Coaxum admi ed to forging some medical documents.

Trinidad likewise obtained more than $140,000 by claiming to be too injured to

abroad, without any di culty or help from equipment like a boot, sling or cane.

“As alleged, in the midst of an ongoing sta ng crisis at Rikers Island, the defen dants defrauded New Yorkers by fraudu lently obtaining their full salaries while taking over a year of sick leave. ese cor rection o cers abandoned their oath to protect inmates and put the safety of their fellow correction o cers at risk,” said Brooklyn U.S. A orney Breon Peace. “To day’s arrests demonstrate that this O ce remains commi ed to rooting out corrup tion at Rikers Island and protecting New Yorkers from public o cials who steal their tax dollars.”

Department of Investigation Commis sioner Jocelyn Strauber added, “As charged, these New York City

Correction O cers feigned illness and submi ed false medical documentation to take sick leave during a sta ng crisis, de frauding the City of New York of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

nearly 50 fraudulent medical notes to DOC stating that she had gone to a medical ap pointment at times law enforcement de termined she was elsewhere. Additionally, evidence shows that on some occasions where Coaxum claimed to be injured and at home, she was traveling and at parties.

work for over a year. Although he went to medical appointments with DOC wearing some combination of a sling, cane, and/ or boot, photographic and video evidence during the same period showed Trinidad doing normal life activities like home im provement work, bowling and traveling

Today’s arrests hold these Correction O cers accountable for the shameful der eliction of duty alleged in the Complaints. I thank the United States A orney’s O ce for the Eastern District of New York and the Federal Bureau of In vestigation for their continuing partnership and e orts to bring to justice those whose misconduct jeopardizes the safety and sta bility of the City’s jails.”

File Photo

e three DOC o cers were assigned to Rikers Island.

By Forum Sta

The Adams administration on Thurs day announced $14.5 million in new fund ing to create a cleaner city through a ma jor upgrade to cleanliness protocols across the five boroughs. The “Get Stuff Clean” initiative will invest $14.5 million this fis cal year alone to clean more than 1,000 “No Man’s Land” neglected areas around the city, increase litter basket service, ex pand camera enforcement against illegal dumping, and bring on additional rat ex terminators—resulting in faster and more reliable cleaning of every corner of the five boroughs.

“Get Stu Clean” includes the following initiatives and new funding:

• 200 new DSNY workers will be added to support cleanliness across the ve boroughs.

• NYC Parks will add new evening shi s for hot spot cleaning and rat miti gation within City parks, made up of 240 NYC Parks’ posts.

• $7.1 million for DSNY this s cal year alone and more than $6.5 million annually therea er to regularly clean ap proximately 1,500 ‘No Man’s Land’ areas around the city — areas that past adminis trations put under the jurisdiction of other city agencies without dedicated cleanliness resources. DSNY will also organize a new unit, the Targeted Neighborhood Task force (TNT), to give these areas regularly scheduled cleanings.

• $4.9 million for DSNY to imple ment Phase Two of the li er basket servic ing plan this year, and resources in upcom ing years, to service li er baskets at the entrances of bridges and along the perim eters of city parks. Phase One of the li er basket service plan that went into e ect on July 1st is already showing promising re sults: A 55 percent reduction in li er bas ket complaints, bringing complaints back in line with pre-pandemic levels. Phase Two covers additional baskets at some of

the city’s most highly-tra cked tourist ar eas.

• $470,000 this scal year and $1.1 million annually therea er for a DSNY and DOT partnership to take on regular clean ings of highway on- and o -ramps. Like bridges and park edges, highway ramps are o en one of the rst places seen by visitors to New York City. ey must be cleaned thoroughly and regularly, but this DSNY function was defunded at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and is now being re stored.

• e Adams administration is deepening its investment in dumping en forcement by adding $1.4 million this s cal year, and nearly $400,000 annually therea er, for expanded camera enforce ment against the scourge of illegal dump ing. People engaged in illegal dumping will face $4,000 nes and vehicle impounds on a regular basis with these new cameras as part of an expansion of a highly successful and popular enforcement strategy.

• $630,000 this scal year and near ly $1 million in the next year for DOHMH to expand rat mitigation e orts.

• DEP will accelerate hiring 50 ad ditional sta to inspect and clean sewer grates, also known as catch basins. Clean, clear, and unclogged sewer grates minimize ooding and improve the functionality of the sewer system.

“For much too long, portions of this city have been neglected and allowed to become inundated with trash and debris,” Council woman Joan Ariola (R-Ozone Park) said. “With this latest initiative, the mayor, DSNY, DOT, and NYC Parks are nally rectifying those years of neglect, and are making a considerable investment towards improving the quality of life for New York ers throughout the ve boroughs. From the much needed rat reduction measures to the enhanced illegal dumping enforcement and beyond, the ‘Get Stu Clean’ initiative will make New York City a be er, brighter, and cleaner place to live for us all.”

PROTECTING YOUR WAISTLINE AT THE HOLIDAYS

Is it just me, or do the holidays seems like they are coming faster and faster ev ery year? We can all get stressed around this time and tend to avoid the focus on health, especially eating.

We overeat at parties or forget to stop the cookie ow wrapping gi s late into the night.

Here are some tips to help avoid weight gain, dull skin and elevated blood sugar levels that can result from overeating. Fol¬lowing them will keep you healthier and still allow for a fun season.

Start each meal with a soup or salad.

Rich holiday foods are heavy and our calo¬rie intake rises. Start with a brothbased soup or a salad and your desire for huge portions will go down naturally.

Stay hydrated.

When you're running around like a nut, it's easy to forget to keep the wa ter flowing. Drinking water maintains balance of body fluids. It also helps control calories by aiding with diges tion, transportation and absorption of nutrients. Foods with a high water content absorb slower and make you feel full.

Don’t go to a party hungry.

It's very hard to resist a plateful of hors d’oeuvres if you go out on an empty stom ach.

Pack snacks to avoid fast food. You're in a rush and you spot a drive through. Avoid this by taking some

healthy grab and go things with you when you leave the house. Apples, carrots, hum mus, air popped popcorn, string cheese. You know the drill.

Get adequate sleep.

Late nights are hard to avoid but the Mayo Clinic has proven that less than 5 hours a night makes you famished.

Drink smarter.

We know we are not cu ing out alco hol so limiting it with a li le trick really helps. Have a glass of water in between drinks. And if you love those sweet con coctions try subbing in a spritzer or have your po¬tion switched to neat or on the rocks.

Wear ed clothes.

Leave the elastic waists behind. Wear things that will remind you where you're headed while the fork is on its way into your mouth.

Don’t eat mindlessly. ink about what's going in before it parks on your waist permanently.

Indulge a li le.

Don't deprive yourself a li le goes a long way. Savor each bite. Making it last will give you the taste you crave and a waistline to accommodate it.

Until next week...

Stay tuned.

Presented by Frank Pantina, R.Ph

Photo Courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography O ce

City Sanitation Commission Jessica Tisch delivers remarks on ursday regarding the “Get Stu Clean” initiative.

City Councilwoman Joann Ariola (ROzone Park) this week hailed the quick work of the City Sanitation Department a er it cleaned up the exterior of an

doned New Howard Beach home that has

Photo Courtesy of Councilwoman Ariola

From the Streets to Permanent Homes: City Takes Steps Help NYers Access Housing More Quickly

By Forum Staff

Mayor Eric Adams on Monday an nounced a package of major new hous ing reforms that will help New Yorkers exit the shelter system – or avoid it en tirely – and move more quickly into per manent affordable housing, including in higher-income neighborhoods that have long been out of reach for lower income families.

The reforms include significant im provements to the City Family Home lessness and Eviction Prevention Sup plement (CityFHEPS) housing voucher program that will ensure more New Yorkers are eligible for the program and make the voucher more flexible and eas ier to use; a groundbreaking pilot pro gram – "Street to Housing" – that will place New Yorkers experiencing unshel tered homelessness directly into sup portive housing; and a major expansion of the city's housing mobility program, which helps families with federal hous ing vouchers access apartments in more neighborhoods across the five boroughs.

Together, these reforms deliver on key commitments in Mayor Adams' "Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness," which reoriented the City's approach to home lessness, treating it as a housing prob lem. This package also complements other key initiatives in the housing blue print, including efforts to accelerate the creation of supportive housing, expand overall housing supply, and eliminate unnecessary obstacles New Yorkers face to obtain housing.

The administration will implement a package of reforms to the CityFHEPS city-funded housing voucher program that will make vouchers more widely ac cessible and easier to use more quickly. As part of this package, the administra tion is:

• Expanding CityFHEPS eligibil ity to include single adults working fulltime on minimum wage, even if their in come is slightly higher than 200 percent of the federal poverty level,

• Putting money back in New Yorkers' pockets by reducing the month ly contribution by CityFHEPS tenants who move into single-room occupancy units from 30 percent of their income to a maximum of $50 per month,

• Supporting working families by reducing the number of hours families are required to work to become eligible for CityFHEPS from 30 to 14 hours per week,

• Covering the cost of apartment application fees for New Yorkers living in New York City Department of Home less Services shelters,

• Creating an option for CityF HEPS voucher-holders who choose to secure an apartment that rents above the CityFHEPS maximum to utilize a voucher by paying up to 40 percent of

their income,

• Expanding Supplemental Secu rity Income eligibility for CityFHEPS families from an adult in the household to any household member, such as a child,

• Piloting a limited bonus equal to one month's rent for landlords rent ing to CityFHEPS voucher-holders in high-cost neighborhoods,

• Significantly increasing staffing at the City Department of Social Servic es (DSS) to speed up voucher process ing and increase placements,

• Significantly increasing New York City Human Resources Adminis tration staff presence in Housing Court to ensure eligible clients get quick ac cess to financial assistance that will al low them to stay in their homes, and

for-profit provider-partner Volunteers of America Greater New York (VOAGNY) as they complete the application from the very unit that can become their permanent home.

The city will fund the supportive housing units during the transitional pe riod when VOA-GNY staff work closely with each client to connect them to vital housing supports, including rental as sistance. VOA-GNY case managers will work closely with participants to con nect them to key housing supports, such as rental and cash assistance; the Sup plemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); and referrals for health and mental health supports. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) is providing fund ing for additional social workers at each

metrics included in the 2022 Mayor's Management Report.

Making the Most of Federal Housing Vouchers

Many families with federal housing vouchers live in neighborhoods that lack amenities, like high-performing schools, easy access to parks, public transit, or fresh food. They often face barriers that limit their ability to move to higher-rent neighborhoods with these amenities, including landlord and broker discrimi nation, a lack of information about their ability to move, and voucher benefits that pay too little. As a result, more than half of the city's federal housing vouch ers are used in a small number of com munities representing only 10 percent of the city's census tracts.

Using $7 million in grants from En terprise Community Partners and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the New York City Department of Housing Preser vation and Development (HPD) will expand its housing mobility efforts to reach 1,400 families through 2027, up from 50 families in 2020. HPD's hous ing mobility programs support families' ability to move to new neighborhoods with:

• Pre-move counseling, which in cludes credit counseling, banking, bud geting, saving, and identifying and ad dressing barriers to accessing housing;

• Housing search support, which includes payment of brokers' fees and assistance in identifying available apart ments and attending viewings;

• Financial assistance for public transit and moving costs; and

• Creating consistency across CityFHEPS, Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV), and the Special OneTime Assistance (SOTA) program by providing a "unit hold" incentive pay ment equal to one month's rent for land lords who agree to hold an apartment while an EHV holder or SOTA partici pant's materials are processed.

The implementation process for the benefit enhancements and pilot pro grams listed above will begin imme diately. For the reforms that must be implemented through DSS rulemaking, the process will begin immediately and include legally mandated public hear ings.

Launching a Street to Housing Pilot

The Adams administration's Street to Housing pilot program creates a di rect pathway for New Yorkers experienc ing unsheltered homelessness to access permanent supportive housing without having to go through the shelter sys tem. This initial pilot will connect up to 80 single adult clients with supportive housing. Once placed in housing, clients will be supported by experienced not-

of the VOA-GNY supportive housing programs to provide dedicated mental health and other health supports.

This pilot builds on the city's ongo ing efforts and unprecedented invest ments to address unsheltered home lessness and commitment to exploring every avenue to further expedite moves to supportive housing, especially for the most vulnerable. In its housing blueprint, the Adams administration committed to accelerate the creation of supportive housing by completing the 15,000 supportive homes promised by 2030 two years ahead of schedule. The blueprint dedicates an entire chapter to reducing administrative burdens and unnecessary paperwork that slows down the process of getting New Yorkers –particularly those in the shelter system – into permanent, supportive housing. The administration also initiated a shift in focus from deals closed on paper to New Yorkers moving into homes, as re flected in the thousands of New Yorkers who had formerly experienced home lessness who moved into permanent homes in Fiscal Year 2022 and the new

• Higher rental assistance pay ments to reflect market conditions (available to all HPD Section 8 voucher holders in eligible neighborhoods).

“Our administration is tackling this crisis head-on by focusing on moving New Yorkers into stable, high-quality, affordable housing. That’s what will de fine success for this administration, and that’s what these reforms are about,” Ad ams said. “Like our housing blueprint, these changes were informed by those with lived experience of homelessness and on the front lines of this crisis. And today, we’re starting a major effort to fast-track New Yorkers in need to per manent housing and getting stuff done for those who need help the most.”

Queens Borough President Dono van Richards Jr. added, “While we con tinue to build affordable housing across Queens as a long-term fix, we must also invest heavily in short-term solutions. The litany of reforms announced today will not only divert homeless New York ers away from the shelter system and into supportive homes; it will prevent families from falling into homelessness to begin with. I look forward to working with the Adams administration on these programs and more.”

Photo Courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography O ce

“Our administration is tackling this crisis head-on by focusing on moving New Yorkers into stable, high-quality, a ordable housing. at’s what will de ne success for this administration, and that’s what these reforms are about,” Mayor Adams said.

Adams Releases November Financial Plan Update for Fiscal Year 2023

By Forum Sta

e City’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget is $104 billion and remains balanced, Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday as he released the November Financial Plan Update.

Adams has been outlining the scal challenges facing the City. Today these in clude the impact of increased pension costs caused by stock-market losses, new needs related to aid for asylum seekers, the threat to the budget of impending healthcare and labor cost increases, and economic stresses like high energy prices and elevated in a tion.

In response to these challenges, the mayor said he has taken actions in the No vember Financial Plan to protect the City’s long-term scal stability and the ability to deliver quality programs and services with out interruption by achieving substantial savings through an aggressive Program to Eliminate the Gap (PEG), controlling new spending, and maintaining a record level of reserves.

e PEG was a success, achieving more than $2.5 billion in gap closing savings without service reductions or layo s over this scal year and the next – more than $900 million in FY23 and more than $1.6 billion in Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24). Addi tionally, the administration achieved $1.5 billion of PEG savings in both Fiscal Years 2025 (FY25) and 2026 (FY26). As always,

agencies must continue to nd more e cient and e ective ways to serve New York ers.

As a result of the PEG, the FY24 budget gap was reduced by more than $1 billion and is now a manageable $2.9 billion. Gaps are $4.6 billion in FY25 and $5.9 billion in FY26 because of the FY22 stock-market losses.

Budget growth in FY23 since Adoption in July 2022 is the result of federal grant funds, including a projected $1 billion to

fund the on-going cost of providing shel ters and other services to the new asylum seekers in New York.

New agency spending of $211 mil lion in FY23 and $138 million in FY24

for the medallion relief program to help struggling taxi drivers.

• $14.5 million to launch “Get Stu Clean,” an initiative that will create a clean er city through a major upgrade to clean liness protocols across the ve boroughs. is includes funding to clean over 1,000 ‘No Man’s Land’ neglected areas around the city, increased li er basket service, ex panded camera enforcement against illegal dumping, and funding for additional rat exterminators. New Yorkers will see faster and more reliable cleaning of every corner of the city.

• $15 million for the Shelter to Housing Action Plan, which includes a package of reforms to the CityFHEPS cityfunded housing voucher program to make vouchers more widely accessible and easier to use more quickly.

is more than offset by PEG savings. As a result, the November Financial Plan shows a surplus of $705 million in FY23, which is used to lower the FY24 budget gap.

New FY23 investments include:

• $19 million in additional support

• $3.0 million to modify school boilers to burn cleaner fuel in support of the mayor’s “Leading the Charge” initiative to combat climate change. e conversion to cleaner-burning biofuel will improve neighborhood air quality, largely in Black and Brown communities disproportion ately impacted by higher rates of respira tory illness, by reducing disease-causing particulates from onsite combustion.

• $2.6 million to run a pilot residen tial curbside organics collection program in Queens, which was announced by the mayor and began operating in October.

Photo Courtesy of Caroline Willis/Mayoral Photography O ce

e November Financial Plan Update sparked a smile on Mayor Adams face.

At Myriad Veterans Day Events, The World’s Borough

Honors Military Heroes who Made Ultimate Sacrifice

By Michael V. Cusenza

As we do every year on Veterans Day, residents of e World’s Borough joined the rest of their Gotham family on Friday in honoring military service members who have sacri ced their lives in con icts all over the world over the past several centu ries.

“On Veterans Day, we re ect on the debt that we owe to all the heroic men and women who have sacri ced for our free doms. We stand especially proud of the veterans who continue to answer the call of public service as prosecutors and sup port sta in this O ce,” Queens District A orney Melinda Katz said. “We owe the

veterans of this great nation our apprecia tion, respect and gratitude. It was a special privilege to honor the individuals who have served and sacri ced for our freedoms dur ing our annual Veterans Day Ceremony at Queens Vietnam Veterans Memorial. ank you heroes!”

Locally, Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) and State Sen. Joe Add abb, Jr. (D-Howard Beach), Jr. each hon ored South Ozone Park resident and World War II veteran Joe Cerese with citations from the City Council and the State Senate.

“He is 97 years old and still goes out ev ery day to raise the ag that hangs outside of his home,” Ariola said. “May God con tinue to bless him and all of our veterans.”

Photo Courtesy of Councilwoman Ariola City Councilwoman Joann Ariola honors South Ozone Park resident and WWII U.S. Army Sgt. Joe Cerese, 97, with a council citation. ey were joined on Friday by South Queens community leader Romeo Hitlall.

Photo Courtesy of Councilman Holden City Councilman Bob Holden (D-Maspeth) thanks a former service member at the Queens Veterans Parade.

Photo Courtesy of Sen. Addabbo Ariola (far r.) and Addabbo (c.) joined fellow pols on ursday at a Veterand Day ceremony at the Southside Cemetery in Ozone Park.

Photo Courtesy of DA Katz

Elected o cials and veterans joined Queens DA Katz at the Queens Vietnam Veterans Memorial at her Veterans Day Ceremony on Nov. 7.

Photo Courtesy of Benny Polatseck/Mayoral Photography O ce A family enjoys the Veterans Day Parade in Manha an on Friday.

Queens College Prof. Establishes First Link between Low IQ in Infants & Greater Risk for Childhood Autism

By Forum Sta

Infants with very low IQ are at risk of developing childhood autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a new study in autism research released on Monday by Queens College.

Led by Kristina Denisova, associate professor of psychology and neurosci ence at QC, “The importance of low IQ to early diagnosis of autism,” also estab lishes that both verbal and non-verbal delays suggest the need for early evalu ation and intervention. While many re searchers accept the importance of ver bal delays, a breakthrough finding of Denisova’s study shows that any sign of lower cognitive ability—for example, not transferring toy blocks between two hands during play or not actively look ing for a utensil such as a spoon when dropped–-is potentially important.

e study was supported by funding from the Simons Foundation Autism Re search Initiative and the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health (NIMH).

Autism researchers already knew that many children with ASD also have low IQ scores and accept that verbal delays are reliable signs of ASD. About 35% of eightyear-olds with ASD in the United States have intellectual disability (ID), meaning an IQ below 70. However, low IQ was not

believed to be a major feature of ASD, and no previous prospective study looked spe ci cally at the cognitive abilities of infants from the general population in order to as sess their risk for autism.

Denisova found that if an infant has low verbal or non-verbal early cognitive abilities, there is a 40% greater likelihood of developing ASD in childhood. Her ndings should pave the way for parents

and caregivers of infants to seek a medical evaluation at any sign of atypical cognitive development, and she hopes this will be especially helpful to underserved popula tions, in particular African American and Hispanic families. Rates of both ASD and ID are especially high in children in the African American community, and o en there are delays in age of rst diagnosis of their children.

“Low IQ can be considered an early sign of abnormal brain development that leads to autism,” Denisova suggested. “Early low IQ scores in early diagnosed children in this study may be an indicator of the impaired integrity of nascent neurodevelopmental function or structure. ese children may di er in the cause of their condition from individuals who receive diagnoses in ado lescence or adulthood and whose IQ scores are in the average range. e early-diag nosed individuals (versus later-diagnosed children) may need di erent clinical man agement and treatment.” She believes that future research may need to conduct mag netic resonance imaging (MRIs) scans of the brain structure and function of at-risk infants and to follow up as they grow.

In her new study, Denisova set out to as certain speci cally whether infants having low IQ were at risk of developing ASD by ages two to four, which would allow for ear lier and therefore more e ective interven tion and supports for children and families.

“ e average age at ASD diagnosis is relatively late, around four to ve years, highlighting the importance of establish ing early and reliable ASD markers,” she noted. “Earlier evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment could alleviate the burden for families and society associated with an ASD diagnosis, which is estimated to reach $276–1,011 billion by 2025 in the United States.”

Top NYC Planners Release City of Neighborhoods Map

By Forum Sta

Department of City Planning Director Dan Garodnick on Wednesday announced the publication of New York

City: A City of Neighborhoods map. e map, Garodnick said, helps New Yorkers learn about their neighborhoods and Community Districts, providing useful info so they can be er advocate for their community's needs.

“If you love New York City, you're go ing to love our City of Neighborhoods map. It provides a unique overview of all of our community districts and neighborhoods and sets out key demographic and topo graphical details. It's a must-have for those who want a be er understanding of New York City,” Garodnick, who also is chairman of the City Planning Commission, added.

According to DCP, this 2022 edition of the map – which was rst published in 1994 – be er represents the hills, valleys, and ridges that de ne the unique contours of New York City neighborhoods and our surrounding waterways – which have inspired many neigh borhood names – than previous maps have.

It o ers important statistical information about the Big Apple, including key data from the latest decennial census and American Community Survey. is includes the percent of foreign-born New Yorkers (36.2 percent), the number of languages spoken (more than 200) in NYC, and the total number of housing units enumerated in the 2020 Census count.

In the face of New York’s ongoing hous ing crisis, these statistics, among many others, are key to planning for a fairer and more a ordable city, DCP o cials added.

Printed versions of A City of Neighborhoods—avail able at CityStore—have been enhanced with a QR code linking viewers to the digital version on the DCP’s website.

On DCP’s website, viewers can also nd a link to DCP’s popular Population FactFinder (h ps://popfact nder. planning.nyc.gov/) where users can explore an array of de mographic and socioeconomic data related to 8.8 million New Yorkers. Population FactFinder allows users to de ne areas for which they’d like to see demographic facts, be it all of Gotham or part of a neighborhood.

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia/49andrewr

e study was led by Kristina Denisova, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Queens College.

Courtesy of DCP

e City of Neighborhoods map.

Photo Courtesy of Director Garodnick

“It provides a unique overview of all of our community districts and neighborhoods and sets out key demographic and topographical details,” DCP Director Garodnick said.

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Legal Notices

HEDWIG PUBLISHING LLC

Arts. of Org. led with the SSNY on 03/08/2022. O ce loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: LE GALINC CORPO TE SERVICES INC.1967 WEHRLE DRIVE, SUITE 1 #086, BUFFALO, NY, 14221, USA. Pur pose: Any Lawful Purpose.

AMIR 115TH STREET LLC, Arts. of Org. led with the SSNY on 10/04/2022. O ce loc: Queens Coun ty. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: e LLC, 86-30 108th Street, Rich mond Hill, NY 11418. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

111-10 Owners LLC, Arts of Org. led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 6/17/2022. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to Mohammed Hossain, 143-05 85th Dr. Briarwood, NY 11435. General Purpose

FAVORITE VEGETABLE LLC

Arts of Org. led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 09/23/2022. City: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom pro cess against may be served & shall mail process to MA HEW DURKIN, P.O BOX 2399, AASTORIA, NY, 11102, USA. General Purpose

RHYTHM AND KDNNS, LLC

Arts of Org. led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 8/17/2022. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom pro cess against may be served & shall mail process to KIE N DENNIS, 2735 21ST STREET, 7C, ASTORIA, NY, 11102- 4227, USA. GeneralPurpose

MBLE & ROAM CO LLC Arts of Org. led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 09/06/2022. City: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom pro cess against may be served & shall mail process to THE LIMITED LIABILITY COMAPNY, 61W16TH RD, BROAD CHANNEL, NY, 11693, USA. General Purpose

76-05 113th St. LLC, Arts of Org. led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 9/15/2022. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to Lonnie G. Tishman, Esq., 980 Broadway, #532, ornwood, NY 10954. General Pur pose

A Notice of Formation of Jin Xin Realty LLC, Art. of Org. filed Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/1/2022. Of fice location: Queens County. SSNY Designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: The LLC, 27-13 Utopia Pkwy, Flush ing, NY 11358. Purpose: any lawful activity.

e Kidz Campus LLC, Arts of Org. led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 10/27/2022. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 134-01 89th Ave., 2nd Fl., Richmond Hill, NY 11418. General Purpose

MATERNAL HEALTH COACH ING LLC led w/ SSNY on 10/10/22. O ce: Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: THE LLC, 118-35 QUEENS BLVD, SUITE 400, FOREST HILLS, NY,11375 USA Purpose: any lawful..

CAVALIERE 6617 LLC. Arts. of Org. led with the SSNY on 09/20/22. O ce: Queens County. SSNY designat ed as agent of the LLC upon whom pro cess against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 6906 Grand Avenue, Maspeth, NY 11378. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

104-14 118 STREET LLC, Arts. of Org. led with the SSNY on 10/25/2022. O ce loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Kevin Kaly an, 86-30 108th Street, Richmond Hill, NY 11418. Purpose: Any Lawful Pur pose.

W & C PLAZA LLC led Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 09/27/2022. O ce located in Queens County. SSNY has been designated for service of pro cess and shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to 10867 Roos evelt Ave Corona, NY 11368. Purpose: any lawful act.

B HARRIS CONSULTING LLC Arts. of Org. led with the SSNY on 10/26/2022. O ce loc: Queens Coun ty. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: BRYAN HARRIS, 6861 YELLOW STONE BLVD, APT 615, FOREST HILLS, NY 11375, USA.. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Flushing 162 LLC led w/ SSNY on 9/29/22. O ce: Queens Co. SSNY des ignated as agent for process & shall mail to: P.O. Box 610026, Bayside, NY 11361. Purpose: any lawful..

WALLFLOWER MU L COMPA NY LLC led Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/06/2022. O ce located in Queens County. SSNY has been des ignated for service of process and shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to WALLFLOWER MU L COMPANY, 83-35 139TH STREET, #3N, BRIARWOOD, NY, 11435, USA. Purpose: any lawful act.

Middle Village Enterprises, LLC, Arts of Org. led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 10/13/2022. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom pro cess against may be served & shall mail process to Eric Faulkner, 6430 69th Pl., Middle Village, NY 11379. General Pur pose

49 NORTHERN BLVD. LLC. Arts. of Org. led with the SSNY on 09/30/22. O ce: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it maybe served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 91-10Metropolitan Avenue, Rego Park,NY 11374. Purpose: Any law ful purpose.

Notice of formation of CONNEX ION 8 LLC. Arts of Org led with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/3/22. Of ce location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of pro cess against LLC to: 77 Bowery, 6th Fl., NY, NY 10002. Purpose: any lawful act..

Notice of Formation of 6801 NORTHERN LLC Arts. of Org. led with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/02/22. O ce location: Queens County. Princ. o ce of LLC: c/o Citi zens Development Co., 111-15 Queens Blvd., Forest Hills, NY 11375. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. o ce. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

AHAA Management LLC, Arts of Org. led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 8/24/2022. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom pro cess against may be served & shall mail process to Aaron Ivatorov, 211 Beach 148th St., Neponsit, NY 11694. General Purpose