The Forum South 01 2014 by Michael_AG

VOL. 13 • NUMBER 1 • JANUARY 2, 2014

VOL. 12 • NUMBER 4 • JANUARY 24, 2013

BEWARE:

VOL. 12 • NUMBER 6 • FEBRUARY 7, 2013

HAIL TO THE CHIEF

VOL. 12 • NUMBER 15 • APRIL 11, 2013

VOL. 12 • NUMBER 13 • MARCH 28, 2013

ADDING TO ATLAS

FINALLY!

E Y B D O 3 1 O 0 G 2

OPEN DOOR POLICY

FEMA has no Faith Religious Institutions Denied PAGE 9

New Retailers Spell Promise

Forest Park Stun Gun Sex Attacker Still At Large Page 4

Please Help 19-yearold in her Fight Against Leukemia PAGE 5

You & the Flu

Human Rights Activist Speaks In Queens

She's A Ten - Ozone Park Teen Places in Top of Miss New York Pageant

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Parents at M.S. 146 are concerned their children are totally vulnerable when a sign appeared on the from door of the school advising them school doors cannot be locked because first responders must have access. The Forum went inside the school. See what we learned. Story on page 12

Since taking over the Shops at Atlas Park, retail management icon Macerich is taking giant steps to re-energize the mall in Glendale with the addition of two popular stores, Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe and an outdoor performance and entertainment space slated to open this summer.

...AGAIN!

Love for Loren

Story on page 22

VOL. 12 • NUMBER 21 • MAY 23, 2013

Over half-million raised

Photo Courtesy of Macerich

Jonah Cohen was sworn in for the fifth time as Chief of the West Hamilton Beach Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Corps as they celebrated their 85th Anniversary last Thursday evening at Russo's on the Bay.

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GETTING CLOSER TO A CURE

SEE STORY ON PAGE 3

St. Helen's Student Wins Forum Essay Contest

Marione Ingram: Surviving the Holocaust Through Hope

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The Homestead Deli: A Look Inside

Celebrating Easter All Over Town

page 16

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VOL. 12 • NUMBER 24 • JUNE 13, 2013

HB RELAY MARKS

5 YEARS OF HOPE

A crowd of well wishers gathered under sunny skies on Sunday morning to witness the long awaited ribbon cutting of NYFAC’s state of the art autism center, which was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. See coverage on page 22

RETURN TO LIFE

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VOL. 12 • NUMBER 33 • AUGUST 22, 2013

VOL. 12 • NUMBER 28 • JULY 11, 2013

SUING FOR A

The State of the Queens GOP

TO BE CONDEMNED…

'Bachelor' Star From Howard Beach Mourned Page 8

$12K Reward Offered In Woodhaven Stabbing Page 19

See Coverage on Page 10

The Sixth Annual Walk To Cure Diabetes in Howard Beach raised more than $70,000 dollars over the weekend, bringing the total contributions from the community walk up over $500,000. Those devoted to eradicating Type 1 diabetes say the cure is within reach. See coverage on page 22

The survivor’s lap has marked the opening of the Howard Beach Relay for the last 5 years. The HB Relay has become one of Queens’ most successful, having raised more than $750,000 since its inception in 2008. See Coverage on Pages 12-13

The 120 Breezy Point home and business owners who filed a lawsuit against the Long Island Power Authority and National Grid last week said they hope the suit will help them to rebuild their homes and businesses that burned to the ground during Hurricane Sandy.

Patricia Adams/The Forum Newsgroup

Neighbors of this abandoned Ozone Park house say its vacancy has introduced horrible living conditions to the surrounding area. Residents say squatters living in the house with suspected drug deals and acts of prostitution going on all through the day and night have turned their quiet little street into a “hell hole.” Now one elected official has called on the Dept. of Buildings and the NYPD to shut the trouble down by condemning the house and evicting the squatters. See Story on Page 9

Rocking Out At Onderdonk Page 30

Patricia Adams/The Forum Newsgroup

Photo Courtesy of Sullivan and Galleshaw

August 27 & 28 3:00 PM TO 8:00 PM

90-55 DESARC ROAD, OZONE PARK • stepsheaddance.net 718.641.2005 • stepsaheaddancestudio@gmail.com

Weiner’s Back in the Ring Page 4

14-year-old Killed On Jamaica Bus Page 14

Got Landmark? Carousel Hearings Underway Page 11

Vets Raise Money To Rebuild Broad Channel Post Page 3

Barbara Sheehan: The Appeal Page 4

FEMA Releases Revised Flood Maps Page 11

Jamaica Bay Geese Slaughtered Page 3

Queens Kids Share Artwork At Gallery Page 13

Tap Jazz Ballet Lyrical Modern Hip-Hop Contemporary Technique Competition Nursery Program Private Lessons Zumba Zumbini

New Tick Bacteria – What To Watch For Page 23

Audition for l our Nationa Champion n Competitio Teams!

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • August 22, 2013 | 1

VOL. 12 • NUMBER 37 • SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

OUT WITH THE OLD, WANTED

IN WITH THE NEW

VOL. 12 • NUMBER 45 • NOVEMBER 7, 2013

VOL. 12 • NUMBER 44 • OCTOBER 31, 2013

GIVING THANKS

VICTORY!

Police Say Forest Park Rapist Is Connected To Other Sex Attacks Page 9

Five-Alarm Blaze Devastates Middle Village

Councilman Eric Ulrich was joined by his wife, Yadira, in Howard Beach Tuesday night to celebrate the incumbent winning his bid to once again represent South Queens' 32nd Council District. Melinda Katz was also cheered on by supporters after she handily won her campaign to become the next Queens borough president. See coverage on page 16 and 17

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VOL. 12 • NUMBER 50 • DECEMBER 12, 2013

A HERO COMES HOME

Ellen Buonpastore, of Lindenwood, welcomes her son, Sgt. Kristian Peter DiStefano-Buonpastore, home from Afghanistan last week. The U.S. Army hero's return was celebrated by a large crowd of family, friends, military members, and community leaders in Howard Beach.

See story on page 3 Patricia Adams/The Forum Newsgroup

Photos by Patricia Adams and Anna Gustafson/The Forum Newsgroup

Former Councilwoman Melinda Katz defeated Councilman Peter Vallone, Jr. in the Democratic primary for Queens borough president on Tuesday. She now faces Republican Tony Arcabascio in November's general election. See Story on Page 4

Thousands Flock to Fresh Pond Road Street Festival Page 26

Patricia Adams/The Forum Newsgroup

Exactly one year after Sandy, South Queens residents gathered at St. Helen's in Howard Beach and reﬂected that the storm was not only a time of great pain and loss, but of community strength - when people reached out their arms to catch anyone in need and held them until they could stand again. Residents said the community was tested, but because of love, faith and the goodwill of neighbors, it has persevered - and will continue to do so. Special Section Coverage Begins After Page 22

106 Lands Additional Officers Page 3

FDNY Family Needs Help for Sick Son Page 8

Queens Honors Veterans at Parade Page 34

Fighting Fraudulent Contractors Page 4

Concerns Aired Over Rockaway Rail Line Plans Page 12

Battling Diabetes at Little North Pole Page 20

Approved! Massive Ozone Park Rezoning Gets Green Light Page 34

Anna Gustafson/The Forum Newsgroup

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • October 31, 2013 | 1

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • November 7, 2013 | 1

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 12, 2013 | 1

2 2 | THE THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014 FORUM NEWSGROUP • October 25, 2012

In 2013, South Queens Sees Increase in Crime Over Last Year By Anna Gustafson Crime rose in South Queens this year, with both the 106th and the 102nd precincts experiencing increases in overall crime numbers reported by the NYPD, according to city statistics. In the 106th Precinct, which covers Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, Lindenwood, and Howard Beach, murders, rapes, robberies, felony assaults, and grand larcenies all increased, according to numbers released by the city program CompStat. Burglaries and grand larceny auto decreased. There were six murders in the 106th Precinct - a 200 percent spike over the two murders last year. Rapes jumped by 26.7 percent, going from 15 in 2012 to 19 this year. The precinct recorded a 4.2 percent increase in robberies, increasing from 308 last year to 321 incidents in 2013. There were also more felony assaults this year, with 246 such incidents reported in 2013 compared to 187 in 2012. Grand larcenies jumped by 5.9 percent, from 474 last year to 502 this year. Burglaries dropped by 7.9 percent, decreasing from 368 in 2012 to 339. As for grand larceny auto, there was a 13 percent decline, going from 215 to 187.

Overall, felony crimes increased by a total of 3.25 percent from last year in the 106th Precinct. An increase in felony assaults, grand larcenies and grand larceny auto was recorded in the 102nd Precinct, which covers Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill East, Richmond Hill, Woodhaven, and the northern part of Ozone Park.

There was no change in the number of murders, and there was a decline in the number of reported burglaries, robberies and rapes. The precinct recorded a 28.2 percent jump in felony assaults, with the number of incidents going from 245 in 2012 to 314 this year. Grand larcenies increased from 430 last year to 468 -

ALDO'S Pizzeria and Restaurant

representing an 8.8 percent spike. Additionally, there were more reports of grand larceny auto in the precinct, with 246 such incidents being recorded in 2013, compared to 225 in 2012 - a 9.3 percent increase. There were seven murders in the precinct this year - the same as in 2012. The number of rapes decreased this year, dropping from 29 in 2012 to 24 this year. The area also experienced a decline in robberies, dipping slightly from 312 to 303 - a 2.9 percent decrease. Fewer burglaries occurred in the 102nd as well, going from 310 last year to 282 this year - a 9 percent drop. Overall, crime rose by 5.52 percent. Despite the increases in crime in both precincts this year, the NYPD often points out that crime has plummeted over the past 12 years while Mayor Bloomberg has been in office. In the 106th Precinct, overall felony crimes have dropped by 24.12 percent during the past 12 years - and by 74.51 percent over the past two decades. The 102nd, meanwhile, has experienced a 35.5 percent decline in major felony crime over the past 12 years, and a 76.67 percent drop over the past two decades.

Happy 100th Birthday Frank Sciame

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fY oTHE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014 | 3 n o i t ecia

As Borough’s Pedestrian Injuries, Fatalities Rise; Community Seeks Solutions By Alan Krawitz The recent death of 8-year-old Noshat Nahian, who was struck and killed on his way to school in Woodside by a tractor-trailer making an allegedly illegal left turn on Northern Boulevard has residents, politicians, safety activists and even emergency room doctors looking for real changes to help make the borough’s streets safe for pedestrians. Sadly, Nahian’s death on Dec. 20 was not an isolated incident but rather part of what many area leaders and residents are calling a disturbing trend of rising pedestrian injuries and fatalities in the borough. A recent pedestrian injury summit, held at Elmhurst Hospital Center, confirmed that such injuries have been rising for about a decade and peaked last year with nearly 300 injuries, second only to falls as the major cause of injuries treated at the hospital. Dr. George Agriantonis, Elmhurst Hospital’s director of trauma, said he noticed pedestrian injuries really start to climb noticeably about two years ago. “We’ve been seeing some very serious pedestrian injuries including severe head traumas, abdominal Injuries and pelvic fractures,” he said. He also noted that while Queens Boulevard used to be one of the most dangerous thoroughfares for pedestrians, in the past few years both Northern Blvd and Roosevelt Avenue have become increasingly dangerous spots for walkers and bicyclists alike. Drawing on some of the data brought out at Elmhurst’s recent summit, Agriantonis said that overall prevention of pedestrian accidents is something that is both within reach and of the utmost urgency. “What can be done is a combination of education, redesign of roadways and traffic devices and

Photo Courtesy Make Queens Safer

Legislators and residents gather at a vigil for Noshat Nahian, an 8-year-old boy who was killed after being struck by a tractor-trailer while walking to school.

taking a look at streets and finding ways to make them more pedestrian friendly,” he said. He added that some intersections can be made safer and that law enforcement can examine how pedestrians cross major roadways and also better monitor drivers and how they obey traffic signs and signals and whether or not they yield to pedestrians. Moreover, Agriantonis said that the hospital is currently in the middle of a separate study, examining the circumstances of each and every pedestrian injury to try and see what each person was doing and what was going-on at the time of the accident. He said he is hopeful that the study will show some other trends as well, such as whether or not

4 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014

distractions such as cell phones, texting or earphones played any part. “Right now, all we can do is speculate,” Agriantonis said. Cristina Furlong, a Jackson Heights resident and spokesperson for MakeQueensSafer, a group formed to bring awareness to issues such as reckless driving, unsafe street design, and lack of enforcement of traffic laws, said that more focus is needed on pedestrian safety in the borough. “It is so important, especially in Queens, to get people to stand up and demand change when tragedies, such as the death of an 8-year-old school boy occur,” said Furlong.

Furlong, who both attended and helped organize a recent vigil for Nahian, called Northern Boulevard a “major danger,” especially because there are three schools along the route that make crossing the boulevard a necessity for scores of school children. Among the changes MakeQueensSafer is hoping to see include development of a strong community-based movement that sees pedestrian and cyclist fatalities as intolerable and 100 percent preventable; safer street designs; stronger enforcement of traffic laws; driver accountability and helping to provide resources and education materials on driver, pedestrian, and cyclist safety on Queens’ overcrowded streets. In the short term, Furlong hopes to protect kids with crossing guards and street safety education programs. But, long term, she said the community needs to reach out to elected officials in Albany and ask them for changes to laws regarding reckless driving as well as highway redesign. “There’s an epidemic of drivers who walk away from fatal collisions with little more than a few tickets,” she said, adding that stiffer penalties for reckless driving are needed. State Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) has introduced legislation that would crack down on reckless drivers after a crash by empowering police to remove the involved vehicle’s plates and impound the vehicle pending an accident investigation. Furlong made the comparison to how police can seize and impound vehicles involved in felony drug offenses. “Reckless driving is a crime,” she said. “We need to start treating it like one.”

Parks Department Manager Arrested For Sex Abuse

Queens Man Sentenced to Thirty Years

The Forum has learned that the man who serves as the New York City Parks Department Regional Manager for Community Boards 5 and 6 has been arrested in the confines of the 102nd precinct and charged with 3 counts of sex abuse according to police. According to a police complaint the abuse is alleged to have taken place in 3 separate incidents between October 2008 and September 2009 and involved an 11-year-old female. Less than two years ago, Rene Herrera, 57, was described in a profile in the Juniper Berry magazine as " a personable, likable guy ...determined to be helpful." Juniper Park Civic Association member Lorraine Sciulli went on to write "we are fortunate to have Rene Herrera as our Parks Regional Manager ." His career with the Parks Department began in 1988 where he worked his way up the ladder, earning promotions along the way and eventually winding up as a Parks Regional Manager in 2002. Many details concerning the arrest are still unclear as is the exact familial relationship between Herrera and the alleged victim. The arrest File Photo took place on Sunday afternoon, shortly before Rene Herrera was well liked and considered very helpful 3 o'clock at Herrera's home after a complaint to the communities in which he served. was filed by the mother of the victim, now 16. Herrera lives on 86th Street in Woodhaven The Parks Department has suspended Herand is married with three children. rera without pay according to a spokesperson.

Fatally shoots wife, blinds stepdaughter A 54-year-old Queens man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for fatally shooting his stepdaughter and murdering his estranged wife during a 2011 incident. On the day their divorce proceedings were scheduled to begin, the defendant, Guerino M. Annarumma, 54, of 40-15 12 Street, Long Island City, opened fire on his victims in their home. According to the criminal charges and statements he made to police, Annarumma rented a car with New Jersey plates on the morning of Monday, December 5, 2011, and drove to the residence of his estranged wife, Olga Annarumma, 57, sat in his car and waited for her armed with a .380 semi automatic handgun. When

she stepped out to walk her dog sometime before 9:00 a.m., the defendant confronted her and threw her to the ground and kicked her in the face. He then dragged Mrs. Annarumma to her door and rang the bell. When Mrs. Annarumma’s daughter Valeria Kuzmina Lowery, 32, opened the door the defendant stepped inside and shot both women – striking Mrs. Annarumma in the head and Ms. Lowery in both the head and body. Annarumma then fled and disposed of his weapon by putting it in a trash bag at the curb on 35 Avenue. Both women were taken to a local Queens hospital where Ms. Lowery later died from her wounds. Olga Annarumma was left blinded and cognitively impaired by the shooting.

Queens Killer Gets 95 Years Shoots victim at home, others on Q111 bus A 34-year-old man will spend the rest of his life in prison after a judge sentenced him to 95 years for the shooting death of 18 year-old Keith Murrell, who jumped from the window of his apartment after he was shot. After the shooting Darnel O. Burton fled from the scene

and walked to the Q111 bus stop where he got aboard the bus. While on the bus he fatally shot Marvin Gikes, 36, in the back of the head and another man, Jojuan Lipsey, now 31, in the face. Lipsey underwent successful surgery for a gunshot wound to the mouth and face.

SULLIVAN’S COURT

I recently called a lawyer’s office seeking a consultation for a possible lawsuit I thought I had against a Cityowned hospital. I was brushed off and told the “statute of limitations expired." Can you take a few minutes and explain what the statute of limitations are and what type of cases they apply to. I hear it joked about in the context of criminal conduct but never knew it applied to civil cases as well. Thanks! -Dan C.

hhh… you have touched on the worst nightmare of every lawyer - “the expiration of the statute of limitations." Lawyers make their office staff partake in physical and mental jujitsu to ensure that lawsuits are filed before the statute of limitations expires. Most firms also invest in the latest technology software to assist in tracking all of the various filing deadlines to ensure the cases are filed well before the statute of limitations expires. Failing to file a client’s claim compromises the client’s rights since their right to file a lawsuit is forever barred, triggers a malpractice claim against the lawyer who dropped the ball and under certain circumstances can be sanctionable by the attorney disciplinary committee. You may recall that Vice President Joe Biden once whispered to President Obama, “This is a BIG ____ deal!” Well, no truer words would be more fitting when a lawyer blows the stature of limitations on a case. The purpose of the statute of limitations is to protect the defendant. The length of the statute of limitations var-

ies based upon the type of case, the age of the plaintiff and who the defendant is. The notion behind the legal principal is that a plaintiff with a valid case should pursue it with reasonable diligence in a timely fashion so the claim does not linger out there over the defendant’s head for an eternity. Also, it is premised in fairness, since the defendant never knows if he will be sued or not the longer it takes for the suit to be filed he may lose or discarded necessary evidence and thus compromise his ability to fully defend himself. For plaintiffs who are unable to protect their legal rights, because of their young age, military service or who are suffering from a mental disability, the statue of limitations is tolled or suspended until the person is old enough or of sound mind to pursue their rights more fully. In a typical personal injury case for example, the statue of limitations would expire three years after the disability ends or three years after the minor reaches 18 years of age. In your scenario, any claim against a municipality, city, town, village or the

state you must first file a Notice of Claim within 90 days of the incident. This tells the defendant that you intend on suing them at some later time. Failing to do so precludes you from filing the lawsuit. The actual lawsuit must be filed within one-year and ninety days from the date of the injury causing event. Many attorneys make the mistake of thinking the lawsuit must be filed one year and ninety days from the Notice of Claim filing. This erroneous understanding of the law creates major headaches for otherwise wholly competent lawyers. The length of time for the statute of limitations varies among the numerous causes of action. For example, here are some statue of limitation periods followed by typical claims that you might be familiar with; 20 years statute of limitations (alimony and child support arrears, adverse possession against the

state); 10 years (adverse possession against a private individual, money judgments or liens); 7 years (workers compensation claim); 6 years (contract actions, fraud, negligent misrepresentation); 3 years (negligence claims such as products liability, car accidents, slip and falls); 2.5 years (medical malpractice); 2 years (wrongful death); 1 year and 90 days (notice of claim for negligence against a municipality); 1 year (intentional acts such as battery, assault, malicious prosecution, slander, employment discrimination); 30 days (remove a state case to federal court, file an appeal, file a Notice of Claim). The statute of limitations puts and ends to stale claims and the uncertainty they bring with them for all parties involved. It has been said that long dormant claims have more cruelty than justice in them.

Keith Sullivan is a partner with Sullivan & Galleshaw, LLP, an adjunct law professor and a lecturer for the national bar exam. He is also a Deputy Commissioner for the NYS Athletic Commission. Keith can be seen providing legal analysis on various television networks such as FOX News, CNN, HLN, NBC and MSNBC. You can e-mail your questions for Keith Sullivan to SullivansCourt@gmail.com. Sullivan’s Court provides general legal information only, is not intended as legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014 | 5

Types of Drivers Dear Editor: Sometimes I really wonder how in the world certain people obtain a driver’s license. There are countless drivers along Cross Bay and Woodhaven Boulevards that should absolutely not be on the road for multiple different reasons. The No Blinker Guy: How hard is it to slightly flick the turn signal switch? I believe it takes all of two seconds and takes very little effort. Yet, by not taking part in this activity, you force others behind you to go bananas. Stopping short, possibly even rearending the car in front. It’s ridiculous. Use the switch. The King/Queen: This title goes to those drivers who think the rules simply do not apply. Triple park? Of course – it’d be preposterous to park a block away. U-turns wherever I feel like it? Yes, those double yellow lines don’t matter. Stop sign? What’s that? I would just like to ask these people one question… who are you? You put so many lives in danger just to make anything and everything of more convenience to you. Disgusting. The No Thank You Guy: I do not have much to say to this type of driver but… If I let you in, you better give me a thank you of some sort. Wave, nod, smile – you pick. If you do not thank me, I will hate you forever and then possibly cut you off on purpose for revenge. The Lunatic: Just the other day I was approaching a red light and I saw there was only two second left on the crossing sign. I also noticed there was a bunch of people waiting to cross the street. So, as a normal human being, I slowly rolled down the street to come to a full stop at the now red light. Well, the man behind me apparently was displeased with my decision not to go through it and cursed me out like a lunatic. Seriously? The next light was red so where are you even going? Calm down please. The Dinosaur: I have no problem with senior citizens driving. Hey, they’ve got places to be, too. But if it comes to the point where you are literally driving 7 miles an hour down a busy boulevard, please retire your license and call a cab. 6 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP •

The Chatter: I know in this day and age, people have to multi-tasl all the time to get everything done. So I think thhat handsfree phone calling is a great idea. However, some people are simply not built to be multi-taskers. If, when on the phone, you become completely oblvious to the world around you, please wait until you are off the road to make or recive a call. Personally, I can't talk on the phone in the car. I seem to forget that I have a destination and just continue driving on whatever road I am on at the time. I have missed my exit oh so many times due to this. I'm not sure why it happens but at least I have come to terms with it. I no longer talk on the phone. I will pick up a phone call, tell the person I'm not capable of talking while driving then call them back. It's really better for everyone. I can admit to this. So if you have a similar situation, come to terms with it. There are many more drivers to identify but I can’t go on forever. My point is that all drivers need a few new pointers about road rules and manners. Open your eyes and put down your phone! And I’m done now. Drive safely. Lou Giamatti Ozone Park

Female Athlete of the Year Dear Editor: The Associated Press female athlete of the year has been chosen. The winner? Tennis player Serena Williams. Among the other top nominees were a basketball player, a golfer, and a skier. Hmmm, I seem to remember a woman named Diana Nyad doing something that might have made her worthy of receiving this award. Oh yes, now I remember, she swam from Cuba to Florida. Again, from Cuba to Florida! That’s almost 3 days in the water. Water infested with sharks and jellyfish! And did I mention she was 64 years old? A woman who is in the prime of her life, runs back-andforth and hits a tennis ball is awarded the female athlete of the year award, yet a woman (age 64) swims from Cuba to Florida and gets one "write in" vote? What a comJanuary 2, 2014

plete travesty. The voters should be ashamed of themselves. What a disgrace. Then again, Tiger Woods has won the award previously and what amazing feat did he accomplish? He strolled around the countryside for four hours hitting a ball with a little stick. Granted, he did do this four days in a row. How strenuous. Robert LaRosa Whitestone

Gaga for Golf Dear Editor: Can someone please explain to me people’s fascination with golf? I find it extremely boring. I understand it’s a sport and it takes extreme skill to have the ball land within a certain distance of the hole. But seriously, how long can you watch it for? For the players, I’m sure it’s a different story because they are living it and are full of excitement and anticipation. Although I do think even some of them get bored from time to time. I mean the guy stares at the ball he’s about to hit for like 3 full minutes sometimes while bopping his legs around. Hit it already. Okay, okay money’s on the line (for the professionals) – I get it. Someone in the golf world really has to spruce up the sport for watchers, though. I mean maybe even just on TV, so the players don’t get distracted, they could put up little thought bubbles of those on the field with funny jokes. It’s just such a silent sport; I need a little something to get me going. I think humor would be a great addition. Anyone else have an idea? Jane Bobei Forest Hills

Useless Council Members Dear Editor: Republican city Councilmember Vincent Ignizio will be elected as the new City Council Minority Leader beating Queens’ last GOP Councilmember Eric Ulrich. This result is based on two of the three last GOP council members being from Staten Island while Ulrich, as the last GOP Queens Council member, has no one to vote

for him. This is the political equivalent of three eunuchs in a whore house. No wonder Ulrich cut his own deal to support Melissa Mark-Viverito for city Council Speaker rumored to be in exchange for becoming chairperson of the Council Waterfronts committee. New York City Democrats have gerrymandered City Council district lines for over fifty years. At one point, after the borough wide councilmember at large positions were abolished in 1982, there was only one Republican city council member – Susan Molinari of Staten Island. During the 1990s, the GOP elected Charles Millard and Andrew Eristoff in Manhattan, Martin Golden in Brooklyn along with Mike Abel, Tom Olgibene and Alfonse Stabile in Queens with Fred Cerillo of Staten Island.

This resulted in their caucus growing to a record seven members. Flash forward to the 2013 general election results. Ignizio will be accompanied by fellow Staten Island/ Brooklyn Councilmember Steven Matteo and Ulrich from Queens for a total of three GOP Council members. As minority leader, Ignazio will have a larger office than some other Council members. The other 48 Democratic Council members will meet behind closed doors to elect a Council Speaker. As a newly elected city Council member in 2001, Democrat David Weprin said, "the Office of Council Speaker is too important to allow the handful of Republican Council members any say in the selection process." It will be the same in 2013. The CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

PUBLISHER Patricia L. Adams EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Anna Gustafson PRODUCTION Marisa Pilato EDITOR REPORTERS Alan Krawitz Samantha Geary CONTRIBUTING Hannah Sheehan REPORTERS Kerry Goleski Kate Bubacz Michael Florio Ben Kleine DIRECTOR OF Donna DeCarolis MARKETING PHOTOGRAPHERS Robert Stridiron Richard York _____________________________________________ THE FORUM NEWSGROUP 155-19 Lahn Street, Howard Beach, NY 11414 phone • 718-845-3221 | fax • 718-738-7645 e-mail • forumsouth@gmail.com site • theforumnewsgroup.com THE FORUM NEWSGROUP publishes every Thursday. Ad space reservations by Monday, 12 noon, preceding date of publication. Editorial submission must be made by Monday, 3 P.M., preceding date of publication. All letters to THE FORUM NEWSGROUP should be brief and are subject to editing. Writers should include a full address and home / office telephone number. Anonymous letters are not printed. Name withheld on request. No such ad or any part thereof may be reproduced without permission of THE FORUM NEWSGROUP. The publisher will not be responsible for any error in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Errors must be reported to THE FORUM NEWSGROUP within five days of publication. Ad position cannot be guaranteed unless paid prior to publication. Genesis Print Media & Consultation assumes no liability for the content or reply to any ads. The advertiser assumes all liability for the content of and all replies. The advertiser agrees to hold THE FORUM NEWSGROUP and its employees harmless from all costs, expenses, liabilities, and damages resulting from or caused by the publication placed by the advertiser or any reply to any such advertisement.

EDITORIAL

By the time you read this editorial, it will be That Time of Year. You know what I mean: The time of year when you’re supposed to make a list of resolutions - and then stick to them. But, instead of talking about No More Cookies and Sleep More and Spend Less Time Watching Television, we’d like to dedicate this space to some 2014 resolutions for Queens. One, for our newly elected mayor: Do not forget our borough. We all know the slipperiness of campaign promises. But, please, everything you said about remembering that New York City is more than just Manhattan when it comes to resources? Let’s not forget that. Because, here, in Queens, there is much that we need. We have families who are still unable to return to their homes that were destroyed in Hurricane Sandy. One of our local religious leaders said it best during a vigil last week: While city

2014: A Year to Focus on Queens

politicians are parading around, saying how great they’ve been in the aftermath of Sandy - holding up Build It Back as though it were the Holy Grail itself - people are living in houses with no heat. Or unfinished bathrooms. Or with friends as they wait for their own homes to be rebuilt. So, from your perch in Park Slope or City Hall? Remember that Hurricane Sandy happened more than 14 months ago. Fourteen months. It’s time for City Hall - and Borough Hall, and hey, while we’re at it, Washington D.C. - to not only talk about the future - about all those impending Sandys, but about what can be done right now for so many people who are hurting. Speaking of our nation’s capital, it’s time for the legislators who decided passing the Biggert-Waters Act would somehow not spell financial ruin for coastal communities across the country to, well, re-

solve to think again this new year. For months, we’ve been hearing about how Washington is going to fix the legislation that is expected to result in flood insurance premiums skyrocketing so high that there will be nothing left but a sea of foreclosures. And no one coming to buy those homes because no one will want to pay those exorbitant rates. The U.S. Senate is expected in January to take up a vote on the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act - which would for four years delay flood insurance increases stemming from the 2012 Bigger-Waters Act while the Federal Emergency Management Agency conducts an “affordability study.” It’s time to pass this bill. And finally figure out how to fund a bankrupt national flood insurance program without bankrupting our Year. Here at The Forum, we raise coastlines still inhabited by the our proverbial glass to a 2014 filled people who have always called it citizens. To everyone else: Happy New with rebuilt and warm houses and their home.

LEGALLY SPEAKING

I have been writing about Workers' Compensation in this column for the past couple of months. By now, most people understand the concept of an accident on the job, which occurs at a fixed place and time and includes things like lifting, tripping and falling. Accidents also can involve auto collisions or injuries at work sites, and are unexpected event causing a specific physical or mental consequence. Today I will discuss occupational injuries/diseases and repetitive stress injuries. An occupational disease arises from the conditions to which a specific type of worker is exposed. They are due to causes and conditions normally and constantly present on the job and are characteristic of your particular occupation. There must be a recognizable link between the illness and some distinctive feature of your job common to all other workers who do the same type of work you do. Examples of occupational diseases are asbestosis from asbestos removal, or silicosis from working in tunnels as we have seen in sandhogs. Repetitive stress injuries are ones

that affect workers who engage in repetitive tasks, and are caused by forceful exertions vibrations, mechanical compression or sustained or awkward positions. They usually involve musculoskeletal pain affecting ligaments, tendons, spinal discs, nerves and muscles. We see many claims of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in computer operators and bank tellers, or Raver’s Wrist in supermarket workers who use bar code scanners, and bursitis of the knee, shoulder or elbow to construction workers repeatedly forced to work in cramped spaces. Carpet installers are vulnerable to knee injuries and nurse’s aides are vulnerable to back injuries as a result of lifting patients to change and bathe them. A person disabled by a workrelated occupational disease receives the same benefits as for an on-the job injury. However, the time limit for filing a claim is the latter of two dates – either two years from the date of the disabled worker's disability, or two years from the time the disabled worker knew or should have known that the disease was due to the nature of employment. (In the case of death, dependents must file within the stated time limits.) When workers become ill from an occupational disease, they may be disabled even if there is no lost time from work. For purposes of determining an employee's right to benefits, the date of disablement is determined by a Workers' Compensation Law Judge.

If you think you have sustained an occupational injury or repetitive strain injury, it is very important to seek legal representation, as these types of injuries are almost always objected to by the Workers' Compensation insurance carrier and must be litigated. In addition to time limitations, an injured worker must have a medical report indicating causality between the injury, illness or disease and the work performed; therefore, it is important to speak to a medical provider familiar with Workers’ Compensation. These medical professionals will take an in depth description of the type of work you do and a medical history, and issue a report if they believe there is a connection between the work and your injury. While it is not likely that your job will make you sick or cause you injury, it is important to know what to do in the event the unexpected occurs. Here’s to a safe and healthy 2014!! Catherine M. Stanton is a senior partner in the law firm of Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano, LLP. She focuses on the area of Workers’ Compensation, having helped thousands of injured workers navigate a highly complex system and obtain all the benefits to which they were entitled. Ms. Stanton has been honored as a New York Super Lawyer, is the past president of the New York Workers’ Compensation Bar Association, the immediate past president of the Workers’ Injury Law and Advocacy Group, and is an officer in several organizations dedicated to injured workers and their families. She can be reached at 800.692.3717.

Letters Cont'd Democratic Council 48 member caucus will determine the next Council Speaker. Whoever becomes Council Speaker will give the three last remaining Republican Council members whatever crumbs fall off the table. Each will receive a lulu for chairing a Council Committee and some token amount of pork barrel member item spending after the Democratic Council members first finish rewarding themselves. To the victor belong the spoils of office. Without a Republican mayor to work with, Ignizio, Matteo and Urlich will be next to useless. Larry Penner Great Neck

Limited Free Speech Dear Editor: As Obama continues to lose ground politically, his defenders no longer extol Obamacare. They have become unhinged and call on the government, more specifically the National Security Agency (NSA), to spy and monitor Americans for what they say. The left has become so endeared to "Che" and "Mao" that they have accepted their means of dealing with unsavory free speech: suppress it by government monitors and

intimidation. The shortsightedness of someone who calls for such actions really hasn't been thought out. The socialist bent of this administration will never be mainstream in a successful United States. It has taken five years to unveil the president, whose policies– foreign and domestic–underscore his lack of executive experience and his detachment from governing. When the pendulum swings and brings the opposition into power, would you really like the NSA now spying on you? I think not. Rather, such talk, prompted by crude statements by Phil Robertson, a character from A&E’s popular show “Duck Dynasty,” induces that phony righteous indignation that has now gone nowhere despite unsuccessful pressure by has-been Jessie Jackson and the Glad & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) organization. The very acerbic tirade here by Robert LaRosa is no different than Robertson’s and equally tests the bounds of free speech. The only difference is that LaRosa wants the right to say it, week after week, and wants everybody else banished to the gulag. Happy, happy New Year! John T. Urban Howard Beach

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014 | 7

2013

January

Sandy Lingers FEMA Slated to Redraw Flood Zones: FEMA’s announcement to redraw the city’s flood zones came three months after the storm, addressing the fact that two-thirds of the properties ravaged by the storm were outside of Zone A on the old maps last updated in the ‘80s. With the new maps, many as 35,000 homes and businesses in the New York City metropolitan area will now be situated in flood zones, compelling more city property-owners to buy flood insurance. The new FEMA maps were preliminary and likely won’t be adopted until 2015, they were drawn to establish changes in both city building codes and insurance rates and regulations for years to come. Areas like Howard Beach would be moved up from Zone B to Zone A, including them in future plans to evacuate threatened communities.

FEMA Releases Revised Flood Maps: FEMA released revised flood maps that unveiled as many as 35,000 homes and businesses in the NYC metro area that would be situated in flood zones, compelling more city property-owners to buy flood insurance. Officials announced that maps were preliminary and likely won’t be adopted until 2015, but would be used to establish changes in both city building codes and insurance rates and regulations for years to come. (See photo 1) Among the numerous implications of the redrawn maps for residents of south Queens include homeowners who were previously not included in flood zones and thus did not ever budget for flood insurance premiums. The city’s old flood maps were last updated in the 1980s. Senate Approves Sandy Aid Package: Three months after Superstorm Sandy hit, the U.S. Senate passed a $50.5 billion aid package that included funding to repair transit systems in New York and New Jersey and for housing and other needs in the affected regions. Additional funds would go to the FEMA for disaster relief, while others were ticketed for repair and restoration of highways.

bad news that because of the constitutional separation of church and state, they were not entitled to any disaster assistance from FEMA despite the fact that many in Queens as elsewhere serve as de facto community centers providing essential social services including food pantries and after-school programs to diverse groups of people. Local legislators including Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Rep. Grace Meng made continual pleas to FEMA asking for a change in regulations so that provisions would include religious institutions. ____________________________ Spotlight on School Safety: After the horrific school shootings in Newtown, CT where 20 children and six teachers were slain by a gunman, schools across the country made various considerations to beef up safety including posting armed guards at schools. In Howard Beach when major concerns arose over the NYC Dept. of Ed’s Open Door Policy, the principal of P.S. 146 decided to go against regulations and lock the door. His stand resulted in the issuance of a mandate from the DoE to re-open the doors of the school immediately. A sign posted on the main doors of the school offered no comfort to parents worried about the safety of their kids while in the school building. It read: Dear Parents and Guardians, We were notified today by the Office of School Safety, that the main entrance doors could not be locked. The doors must be opened to allow first responders entrance to the building. I was also informed that due to union regulations, our security agents are not required to open the doors. HB Kiwanis Member Elected to Top Position: Former Howard Beach Kiwanis President Steve Sirgiovanni was elected to the position of Lt. Governor of the Kiwanis. The local HB Club has had other presidents named to the position of distinction including HB Kiwanian Wayne Scheriff. (See photo 2)

Howard Beach Steps Up to the Houses of Worship Denied Aid Plate: Friends and family of Loren Lifrom FEMA: Houses of Worship causi, asked their community to join in decimated by the storm received the plans for a fundraiser to help cover ex-

orbitant medical costs for the beloved 19-year old Howard Beach teen, after she was diagnosed with AML and ALL leukemia. Middle Village Centenarian Passes: Carl Berner was a fixture in the Middle Village community since he bought his first home there in 1938 for little more than $5,000. The Middle Village Centenarian was 110 when he passed on January 7, 2013. (See photo 3) West Hamilton Gets A Shot in the Arm: West Hamilton Beach Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jonah Cohen (left) accepts a $25,000 donation from Duane Reade/Walgreens senior director of store operations Greg Calvano. The money went towards replacing an ambulance destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. Arrested for Hate Crime Murder: Erika Menendez, 31, of 98-01 67th Avenue in Rego Park was arrested for shoving a 46-year-old man, Sunando Sen, onto the tracks as a train approached at the 40th StreetLowery Street station in Sunnyside. At the time of her arrest, Menendez admitted pushing Mr. Sen and said, “I pushed a Muslim off the train tracks because I hate Hindus and Muslims. Ever since 2001 when they put down the twin towers I’ve been beating them up.” (See photo 4) Cannibal Co-Conspirators: After NYPD Officer Gilberto Valle who grew up in Forest Hills and attended Archbishop Molloy High School, was arrested on charges that he was plotting to kidnap, sexually torture, cook and eat women, the case took on another twisted turn when details of plans with an internet co-conspirator were released. Michael Van Hise, a 22-year-old auto mechanic, conspired with Valle to kidnap and perpetrate crimes, not only against various women, but against children in his own family. The two ghouls planned to use Van Hise’s 3-year-old daughter as a sex slave in addition to offering his two minor nieces, 7 and 9-years-old, out to be raped. Van Hise is charged with crimes that carry a maximum of life in prison and a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison. (See photo 5)

1: A newly proposed flood map shows areas devastated by Hurricane Sandy that were excluded from being categorized as flood zones in former maps—nearly 30 years old. 2: Pictured: Kiwanis New York District Governor Albert Norato, Lt. Governor-elect Steven Sirgiovanni, past Lt. Governor, Wayne Scheriff and Kiwanis Club President Edward Tudisco. 3: Carl Berner was remembered each year on his birthday at a party in his honor held by the Juniper Park Civic Association. 4: Erika Menendez is led away by detectives after her arrest. 5: Michael Van Hise & Gilberto Valle

8 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014

2013

Ozone Park Teacher Appears in Oscar Nominated Film: Maureen Span, a first grade teacher from PS 100 in Ozone Park who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, never dreamed that her trip to a beauty salon on Long Island would find her in the center of an Oscar nominate film—but it did. Span heard about the salon in Islip named Racines, where two sisters who had lost their mother to breast cancer offered free services to cancer patients. Span went there to have her head shaved before losing it to chemo, and the rest is history. The event was recorded as part of a documentary feature which made a place for itself at various film festivals around the world before the Oscar nomination for Best Documentary. Despite the fact that the film didn’t win the Oscar, Span, who is on the road to recovery says she has something much more meaningful than even an Oscar—a new lease on life. (See photo 6) Suspicious Richmond Hill Blaze Kills One: A grisly discovery was made at two-alarm fire in Richmond Hill which required more than 100 firefighters to get the blaze under control. After putting down the flames, firefighters discovered the body of a 43-yearold man in his bed. The victim was severely burned and was bound at the hands and feet. Fire marshals launched a fullscale inquiry into the incident because of the volume of the fire and how rapidly it spread. (See photo 7) Maspeth High School Opens: The long awaited opening of a state-of-the-art educational facility in Maspeth was accompanied by a grand ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the official opening of Maspeth High School. Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott was at the center of the action, joined by elected officials including Queens

Borough President Helen Marshall, Council member Elizabeth Crowley and Diana Reyena, Leroy Comrie and Assembly member Cathy Nolan. The school made its technical debut several months before and quickly was dubbed as one of the best schools in the city. The opening day ceremony revealed not only the obvious academic potential but an undeniable integration of music, art and language that promises to make it one of the leading learning facilities in the city. 106th Precinct Council Treasurer Arrested: Shock spread throughout the South Ozone Park community this week when Chan Jamoona, founder and former executive director of the United Hindu Cultural Council (UHCC) was arrested and accused of stealing more than $50,000 from a lunch program for senior citizens over a period from 2007 through 2010. Ironically, the 66-year-old also serves as the treasurer of the 106th Precinct Community Council, but when police brought her into the precinct after her indictment, it wasn’t to file a financial report— she had been taken into custody and she was wearing handcuffs. (See photo 8) Helping Hands in Howard Beach: Orange and white balloons filled Father Dooley Hall at St. Helen’s, tables of raffle prizes lined the room along one side of the wall, across the floor from tables filled with heroes, pizza, pasta, salads, cookies, candy, cupcakes, all donated and sold to help in the fundraising efforts when crowds of supporters came together in Howard Beach to pitch in and lend a hand and a heart to 19-year-old Howard Beach teen Loren Licausi, diagnosed with a life threatening combination of AML and ALL leukemia. Organizers of the Dance Party

in her honor raised over $25,000 to help offset the expenses associated with her condition. (See photo 9) West Hamilton Beach VFAC Celebrates 85 Years: The West Hamilton Beach Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Corps (WHVFAC) held its 85th Annual Installation and Dinner Dance at Russo’s on the Bay last Thursday evening. Holding true to tradition, the Corps installed their new officers, recognized members for outstanding achievements and also named honorary fire commissioners for their past, present and future support that allows them to continue providing their invaluable service to the community. (See photo 10) Ozone Park Native Finished in Top Ten of Miss New York Beauty Pageant: Ozone Park native Kelly Bojos placed in the top ten finalists out of 130 girls in the recent Miss New York Pageant in what was her first time competing in a beauty pageant. Bojos, 19, who is of Colombian, Dominican and Lebanese descent, attended St. Mary Gate of Heaven in Ozone Park before being accepted to LaGuardia High School’s “Fame School” of music and performing arts as a dance major. Middle Village Man Found Murdered: Middle Village native, 54-year-old Joseph Benzinger, was found dead in his room at the Crown Motel in Elmhurst. He had been strangled and had a shirt wrapped around his neck. Benziger’s murder was one of three involving the strangulation of gay males, in their forties or fifties, in the city over a three week period. Authorities pointed their fingers in the direction of on-line dating which may have been the deadly commonality among the murders. Activist groups and local elected officials put out repeated warnings for everyone in the online dating community.

February 10

6: A clip from the Academy Awards shows a tearful moment as a stylist at Racine’s shaves Maureen Span’s head. The scene was viewed by millions of people all over the world. 7: The Queens County Medical Examiners Office removed the body of an unidentified 43-year-old male who was found severely burned in his bed. 8: Chan Jamoona with then senator, Hillary Clinton. 9: Howard Beach turned out in full force to support 19-year-old Loren Licausi, who is suffering from two forms of leukemia. 10: Undoubtedly WHVFAC’s favorite benefactor, attorney D. Marjorie Centrone, has been recognized by the department more times than Jonah Cohen has been appointed chief. THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014 | 9

2013

March

Ozone Park Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking: A 22-year-old Ozone Park man, Gary Council, was sentenced to two to six years in prison after he plead guilty to sex trafficking charges for forcing a 15-year-old runaway from Long Island to work as a prostitute and to turn over all of her earnings to him. Council was the ringleader of a 6-person gang that took the victim and a friend to a house on 101st Avenue, where they were squatting. Council and his cohorts were indicted for gang raping, kidnapping and prostituting the teen from Suffolk County.

NYC Council Honors Volunteer Fire Departments: Five volunteer fire departments in Queens Council District 32, represented by Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Howard Beach) were honored for their heroic efforts during and after Super Storm Sandy rocked the areas they serve. Each of the departments suffered extensive losses, to equipment and their home bases, yet they continued their rescue efforts throughout their communities. Efforts to rebuild and restock essential equipment continued with all of the departments remaining operational, despite the fact that resources were dangerously limited. (See photo 1) Drunk Driver Kills Woodhaven Man: John Eberling, 76, was mowed down on Jamaica Avenue as he was crossing he intersection of Jamaica Avenue near 80th Street. He was rushed to Jamaica Hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. He was struck by a drunk driver, 45-year-old Viveshdyal Thakoordyal, who was behind the wheel of a Nissan Pathfinder. Eberling was the fourth pedestrian to die at the hands of a motorist

in the last six months in the area. and local elected officials as responsible for the initial consid(See photo 2) eration of the project. Claims Jimmy Meng Gets A Month: stated that existing zoning does Former Assemblyman Jimmy not closely reflect established Meng was sentenced to a month building patterns of guide new in prison as a result of his offer to development to appropriate lobribe prosecutors in the hopes of cations. Goals and objectives of getting a sentence reduction for the project will be protecting the businessman Eric Hu, charged neighborhood character while rewith tax fraud. Hu reported inforcing existing one- and twoMeng’s offer to the authorities-a family developments. guaranteed sentence of no more than one year, in exchange for Queens “High-Line” Plans an $80,000 payment and they Move Forward: An elevated indicted Meng. Facing at least a public park was made a considyear Meng had the opportunity to eration for a 3.5 mile stretch of tell the judge he wasn’t such a bad abandoned railroad track on guy after all--he admitted to losing the old LIRR Rockaway Beach sleep over the incident and that it Branch after an environmental had been a stupid aberration--his group asked for a design and feasentence was reduced to only one sibility study for the project. The month. (See photo 3) Trust for Public Land issued a Request for Proposal that would Two Bodies Found in How- institute a beautification project ard Beach Brush Fire: Two bod- for the tract of land that would inies were recovered after a fire that clude restaurants and retail space. started across the street from 159- (See photo 5) 19 78th Street about 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 6. Gary Rapid Repairs Draws Praise Lopez and Rudolph Superville, from Broad Channel: Rumboth from Brooklyn were found blings throughout storm ravaged by firefighters with a plastic sub- communities over the Rapid stance melted over the surface of Repair program slowed down in their bodies. Broad Channel when residents Authorities believe the two her welcomed Mayor Michael victims found after a Howard Bloomberg and city agency ofBeach brush fire last week may ficials to praise the affectivity of have died as a result of a dis- the program. A first of it’s kind pute in a turf war over drugs. A program in this city or any other, 34-year-old Brooklyn man, Rog- Rapid Repairs was instituted in elio Rodriguez, has been charged the immediate aftermath of the with the murders. (See photo 4) storm in order to provide free repairs to thousands of homeownPlans to Redraw Ozone Park ers left without heat, power and Zoning: Councilman Eric Ulrich hot water following the storm. In announced plans for the rezon- tallying its results Mayor Blooming of Ozone Park at the March berg was pleased to report that meeting of the Ozone Park Civic work had been completed on Association. The Department of 99% of homes and had helped Design Development and Con- more than 90,000 families—apstruction (DDC) cited concerns proximately 54,000 people—to expressed by Community Boards return to their homes following 9 & 10, local civic organizations the devastation they suffered.

1: Councilman Eric Ulrich and Speaker Christine Quinn were presented with T-shirts from the departments as they received proclamations from the City Council for their heroic efforts. 2: Police administered a Breathalyzer test at the scene and took Thakoordyal into custody immediately following, charging him with driving while intoxicated and first-degree vehicular manslaughter. 3: Jimmy Meng on his way into sentencing. 4: Rudolph Superville and Gary Lopez. 5: An artists rendering of what visitors to the proposed Queensway will have to look forward to. This projection for a restaurant is just on feature of the planned beautification project.

10 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014

2013

Indictments for Dirty Queens Pols…Again: Corruption in Queens county politics continued when NYS senator, Malcom Smith was forced out of his bid to secure the Republican line the New York City mayoral contest and into jail. In order to secure a Wilson Pakula certificate—the only way to get the Republican line as a Democrat—chose an series of illegal tactics including cash bribes and political favors, to get on he ballot. His 5 co-conspirators— including City Councilman Dan Halloran, vice chairman of the Queens County GOP Vince Tabone, Bronx GOP chair Joseph “Jay” Savino, Spring Valley Mayor Noramie Jasmin and Deputy Mayor Joseph Desmaret—were also arrested and charged with Conspiracy to Bribe New York City Political Party Officials, Wire Fraud, Hobbs Act Extortion, Wire Fraud and Mail Fraud. Burglary Spree in Forest Hills Runs Rampant: Over 400 Forest Hills residents came together in response to n invitation from leaders at the 112th precinct to discuss the recent rash of burglaries plaguing their community from early February through mid- March. Police detailed their efforts to bring a halt to the spree that included nine incidents between Metropolitan Avenue to 70th Avenue and down to Fleet Street and 69th Avenue. NYFAC Dreams Come True, Center Finally Opens: Dreams to bring New York Families for Autistic Children’s (NYFAC) state of the art autism center to Howard Beach were shattered by Hurricane Sandy when the storm destroyed the first floor of the

unopened facility. All of the electrical work had to be started over along with replacing the walls, flooring, computers, instruments, kitchen cabinets, appliances and equipment. The building was near completion right before the storm broke with security cameras recording the flood waters rolling through the front door until the cameras themselves were submerged. Despite the tragic loss, the community, politicians and private benefactors emerged for a drive to replace funds and a dream that began in 2004 finally came true when the center opened its doors on Crossbay Boulevard in order to provide comprehensive services to the autistic population and their families. Photo caption — Community leaders, elected officials and residents joined with NYAC founder Andrew Baumann to finally cut the ribbon on the new NYFAC building. (See photo 7) Forum Readers, Community Joins in Fight For Life for 1-Year-Old: In February the newspaper issued a plea for help after hearing the story of Macalister Davison, a one-year-old identical twin, suffering from a deadly pediatric cancer, neruoblastoma. The story attracted the attention of many caring and generous readers who sent donations and well wishes. But one 7 yearold at the Ave Maria Catholic Academy took the matter more seriously than most, approaching the principal, his teachers and his family to get everyone in his path to donate to the cause. By the time everything was wrapped up John Mullaly, of Howard Beach had raised almost $500 and the best news of all is that Little Mac’s family was able

to report to the newspaper several months later that treatment had been 100% successful and Little Mac was in remission and on the road to recovery! (See photo 8) Building Collapse on Jamaica Avenue: Hundreds of firemen responded to the collapse of a roof on Jamaica Avenue in Woodhaven, where there were no reported injuries. Following the collapse, senior citizens were forced to take shuttle busses to alternative centers because the building housed theirs. Officials from the buildings department confirmed that the structure had 11 registered violations, nine of which were open at the time of the collapse and more that $18,000 in fines facing the owner. The same building also had a number of citations at the property, including those for illegal plumbing work, work without a permit, and structural stability infractions. Residents and community activists expressed serious concerns over he fact that a similar incident could easily occur in the future because of a lack of enforcement by appropriate city agencies. (See photo 9) Swindler Busted After 7 Years on the Run: The end of the road came for the 26-year-old swindler who bilked an elderly Howard Beach man out of nearly $1 million dollars in October 2006. Natasha Munchkin Marks, 26, was running from New York authorities for the last 7 years after being convicted in 2007 under New York State’s hate crime statue with stealing more than $800,000 from an 85-year-old man. (See photo 10)

A pril

6: Queens public school teacher Daniel Reilly is faced rape, child endangerment and sexual abuse charges for allegedly carrying on an eight month sexual encounter with a 14-year-old student. 7: A crowd of well wishers gathered under sunny skies to witness the long awaited ribbon cutting of NYFAC’s state-of-the-art autism center, which was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. 8: Second grader John Mullaly, of the Ave Maria Catholic Academy, holds up the issue of The Forum where he first saw Little Mac's picture and knew he had to do something to help. 9: The top view of the structure, which miraculously, did not land on pedestrians who were walking by the building at the time of the collapse. 10: Natasha Munchkin Marks was apprehended in Oklahoma, 7 years after fleeing New York after her conviction in a hate crime directed at an 85-year-old man. THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014 | 11

2013

May 1

Howard Beach House Explodes, Owner Severely Burned: A Howard Beach home undergoing complete reconstruction after Sandy destruction, exploded in a ball of flames, sending its owner to the hospital. Shocked neighbors poured out of their homes to watch the blaze as it seemingly melted one floor of the home into another. Fireman battled the blaze from ladders above and from the ground, trying desperately to insure there was no spread. The owner of the home, Teresa Pepitone, was taken to the hospital with severe burns over most of her body. Her husband, Joseph, was not at home at the time of the fire. (See photo 1) Queens Pols Ask Governor for Table Games: Legislators in south Queens sought Gov. Cuomo’s ear when he announced there would be a plan to develop six casino locations in New York State that would include table games and casino gambling. Queens pols tried to make a case that the economy of the county would be served greatly by the addition of table games to the existing casino already built at Aqueduct Racetrack. About half of the $1 billion revenue already generated at the casino has been tossed back to the state for use in education. Although Cuomo’s plan does not feature Resort World as a possibility for table gaming right now his plan does include protection for Resort World because he aims to ban developers from erecting gambling institutions in New York City and Long Island for five years.  All of the new ventures would be upstate according to Albany sources.

Red Cross Holds Back Sandy Money: Victims of Hurricane Sandy were enraged after published reports were released claiming that the American Red Cross was holding back on the distribution of funds collected, despite the fact that nearly six months had passed since the storm. The Associated Press released information proving the nation’s premier first-responder aid organization collected a total of $303 million dollars in the wake of the storm but had yet to disperse $110 million in unspent funds, clearly while plenty of use for the money still exists among thousands of victims of the storm. The organization said they were waiting to see how New York and other hard hit states would spend the $60 billion they received from federal funding, before they would fill in the gaps with funds in their possession. Barbara Sheehan Loses Appeal: After being acquitted for murder charges in the 2008 shooting death of her husband, Barbara Sheehan lost an appeal for an associated gun charge and learned she would face prison time for that crime. Her defense team, led by domestic violence specialist Michael Dowd, vowed to continue to try and free Barbara permanently calling the loss of appeal a “throwback to the days when domestic violence just didn’t matter.” (See photo 2) Howard Beach Kiwanis Honors Community Leader Joann Ariola: Long time community leader and lifelong Howard Beach resident Joann Ariola was honored by the Howard Beach Kiwanis club when they presented her with the Clem Vicari Service Award. The

award is traditionally given each year to an individual who is recognized by the club as an outstanding supporter of community activities that enrich the lives of everyone in the neighborhood, especially children. The award embodies Clem Vicari and represents a commitment to the community which is unending and knows no bounds. Ariola is the Founding Chair of the Lindenwood Alliance, Vice President of the Ronald Reagan Republican Club, a member of the 106 Precinct Community Council, as well as being a member of Community Board 10. (See photo 3) Gang Violence: Teen Shot to Death on Bus: On her way home from a sweet sixteen party for a friend, Daja Robinson was shot to death on the MTA bus she was riding home on. The 14-year-old did not have any gang affiliations and was not the intended target but was killed because the shooter mistook her for another teen who had previously received death threats after having an altercation with a gang member. The intended target was on the bus however remained unharmed. Howard Beach Helps Juvenile Diabetes: The annual walk to cure juvenile diabetes organized by the International Society of SS Cosma and Damiano for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation ( JDRF) drew thousands of walkers dedicating to eradicating the disease which strikes more than 30,000 children and adults each year. Despite the community being decimated by the hurricane, loyal supporters were not swayed from the cause and joined together to raise more than $70,000 at the event. (See photo 5)

1: A gas explosion drew dozens of firefighters and emergency workers to the scene at 84th Street where the house completely collapsed due to the strength and intensity of the flames which tore through the private residence in just minutes as horrified neighbors looked on. 2: Barbara Sheehan 3: Kiwanis honoree Joann Ariola surrounded by friends and family after being presented with the Clem Vicari Service Award 4: Daja Robinson 5: Thousands of supporters shared in the pledge of allegiance and a prayer before embarking on their annual walk through the streets of Howard Beach to raise money to wipe out juvenile diabetes.

12 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014

2013

Howard Beach Relay Marks Five Years of Hope: The Howard Beach Relay for Life celebrated its first landmark anniversary and commemorated the fifth year of the event that was originally brought to the community by Phyllis Inserillo and Melissa Fochetta. To date the Howard Beach Relay event has raised over $750,000 and has become the most successful of the American Cancer Society Relay events in all of Queens. (See photo 6) South Queens Residents Pack St. Helen’s for Sandy Town Hall: More than 120 residents gathered in Father Dooley Hall at St. Helen’s in Howard Beach for a Hurricane Sandy town hall meeting that was hosted by U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder and which aimed to help residents still struggling close to a year after Hurricane Sandy devastated the area. The event included representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the state Department of Financial Services and Neighborhood Revitalization – a city program aimed at addressing mold, and other water, issues in houses impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Ridgewood Reservoir Plans Unveiled - But There is No Funding For Any of It: The proposals for the Ridgewood Reservoir that city Parks Department officials unveiled released were the culmination of more than five years of work – including numerous contentious meetings with area residents and surveys given in multiple languages – and range in ideas from stone entranceways to rock climbing. But no matter what the city and residents decide is the best plan for the 62-acre three-basin reservoir, which provided water for Brooklyn from 1858 to 1959 and has reverted to wetlands, meadows and forests after being decommissioned in 1990, there is currently no funding for

June

$200,000 they raised for the American Cancer Society will help to stamp out the diseases that claims hundreds of thousands lives in the United States each year; hope that someday they will not have to say goodbye to the family and friends Celebrating the Long-Awaited who bravely battle cancer; hope that Opening of a Skate Park: Legisla- future generations will ask: Cancer, tors, Parks Department officials, area what is that? (See photo 9) civic leaders, and, of course, skaters After Ruling, Sheehan Heads celebrated the official opening of a 10,000 square foot skate park in to Prison: Following a decision by the London Planetree Playground the state Court of Appeals, Barbara at Atlantic Avenue and 89th Street. Sheehan, who was acquitted of a In addition to the skate park, the second-degree murder charge in the $1.72 million project also included shooting death of her husband, fornew basketball courts and adult fit- mer NYPD Sgt. Raymond Sheehan ness equipment. Councilman Eric in 2008 but found guilty on a weapUlrich allocated $723,000 for the ons charge, had to report to prison. project, while former Queens Bor- Currently, a petition on Change. ough President Helen Marshall allo- org is being circulated in support of Gov. Cuomo grantcated $1 million. (See photo 7) ing clemency for Sheehan. Iconic Forest Park Carousel The conviction and sentencing for Landmarked: The Forest Park Car- the gun charge has been contested by ousel, a 1903 structure steeped in her trial attorney, Michael Dowd, and history and beloved by the commu- her appeals attorneys, who had asked nity, was officially designated a city that the state’s highest court review landmark following a unanimous vote the case because, during Sheehan’s by the Landmarks Preservation Com- trial, an expert witness on battered mission. women’s syndrome was not allowed Built just after the turn of the to testify. Sheehan had been abused 20th century, the carousel holds for nearly two decades of her 24-year some of the last surviving creations marriage, and her attorneys have said of master wood-carver Daniel Carl it was crucial that jury members unMuller, including 49 sculpted hors- derstand her psychological state at es, a lion, a tiger, a deer and two the time of the shooting, which jurors chariots. It has garnered the love of decided happened in self-defense. residents throughout the area and is After 34 Years, Woodhaven’s frequently referred to as the “jewel of Forest Park Senior Center Closes Woodhaven.” (See photo 8) Doors: After nearly three and a half Curing Cancer One Step at a decades of being the place where Time in Middle Village: For the seniors from Woodhaven, and more than 650 people who partici- throughout Queens, would gather pated in the 11th annual Middle Vil- for afternoons of dancing and playlage Relay for Life at Juniper Valley ing cards with the friends they credit Park last weekend, there was one with giving them a reason to get up word that reverberated through- in the morning, Forest Park Senior out the crowd as they spent an Center closed its doors because it no emotional two days cheering, hug- longer could afford to operate, the ging, laughing and crying: Hope. center’s executive director, Donna Hope that the approximately Caltabiano, said. (See photo 10) any of it to be accomplished – leaving residents wondering just what will happen to the site that is located alongside the Jackie Robinson Parkway on the border of Queens and Brooklyn.

6: The Howard Beach Relay for Life celebrated its 5th anniversary this year. 7: A skater spends time in the then-new skate park at the London Planetree Playground in Ozone Park. 8: Built in 1903, the Forest Park carousel includes 49 sculpted horses, a lion, a tiger, a deer and two chariots. 9: Cancer survivors cheer one another on at the Middle Village Relay for Life. 10: Loretta Phillips, left, Joe Palladino and Forest Park Senior Center Executive Director, Donna Caltabiano, spend time together just before the Woodhaven center closed its doors for good after 34 years. THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014 | 13

2013

July 1

Council Approves USTA Expansion Plan: Following a year of contentious debate over the United States Tennis Association’s proposal to expand its complex in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, the City Council approved the $500 million expansion plan that includes replacing two stadiums and adding about 7,000 seats in exchange for ongoing funding from the USTA for the park for years to come. In a dramatic departure from what the USTA had originally said it would do, the organization agreed to, beginning in 2014, provide $10.05 million for Flushing Meadows Corona Park – including $5 million for capital projects, $350,000 a year for three years for maintenance and programming, and $200,000 a year for the next two decades. Community Mourns Death of Beloved Forest Hills Monsignor: Hundreds of people packed the pews of Our Lady of Mercy Church in Forest Hills for the funeral of Msgr. Gerald “Jerry” Langelier, remembering the institution’s pastor of almost 30 years as a man of great heart and integrity who loved nothing more than spending time with worshippers. Langelier, 78, the pastor emeritus of Our Lady of Mercy, located on Kessel Street died July 19. He was found unresponsive at the bottom of his pool at his home in Southold, Long Island, just before 5 p.m., according to police. (See photo 1) PS 207 Parents, Ulrich Urge City to Install Fire Alarm System at School: After months of students attending school in a facility with no fire alarm system, Councilman Eric Ulrich and other area residents pleaded with city officials to remedy the situation at PS 207 in Howard Beach. The fire alarm system at 207 was wiped out in Hurricane Sandy, and once the school reopened last January, the city Department of Education stationed 12 “fire watchmen” at the school, who

were tasked with keeping an eye out for smoke or flames and for whom the city paid $13,000 each week. The city recently announced it would begin replacing the fire alarm system during this winter break, and PS 207 received close to $2 million in federal funding for repairs to damage inflicted by Sandy. (See photo 2) Vandals Strike Howard Beach: Rim and wheel thieves returned to Howard Beach, striking three vehicles within a seven-block radius. Part of a larger pattern of grand larcenies in the area, these three incidents took place on 85th Street off 159th Avenue and 89th Street off 162nd Avenue. Wounded Warriors Make a Big Splash at Rockaway Sports Festival: War veterans who were injured while serving after Sept. 11, 2001, often in Iraq and Afghanistan, gathered for the Wounded Warrior Project’s 10th annual adaptive water sports festival in Far Rockaway - an event during which the former military members do everything from scuba diving to surfing. The festival got a boost this year from Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder, who secured a landing dock for the event. After Hurricane Sandy, Wounded Warriors was left without a landing dock for the festival, placing the event in danger of being altered or cancelled. Howard Beach’s Ragtime Gourmet Market also provided food for the festival for the fifth year in a row. (See photo 3)

dious process - in order to help them return to their houses that were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. Jamaica Bay Geese Killings Enrage Animal Rights Advocates: The United States Department of Agriculture rounded up and killed more than 260 geese from the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge last week, which federal officials said was an effort to decrease the number of birds striking planes but which animal-rights advocates said is an unnecessary slaughtering of the geese that tried to take refuge while molting in the national park. The USDA said it began removing, and killing, geese in city parks beginning in 2009 in an attempt to decrease the likelihood that a plane would strike one or more birds - an event that caused a U.S. Airways jet to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River. But animal rights representatives, including the founder of GoosewatchNYC, said government officials could, instead of killing geese, chase the birds from the area using dogs, or manage the population with egg oiling.

Breezy Point Residents Sue LIPA, National Grid Over Sandy Fires: About 120 homeowners and business owners whose houses and shops had burned in a fire that devastated the area during Hurricane Sandy filed a lawsuit against the Long Island Power Authority and National Grid, alleging that the failure to de-energize the power grid to the Rockaway peninsula before the storm hit caused one of the worst residential fires in the city’s history. Legislation Cuts Red Tape, (See photo 4) Paves Way for Post-Sandy ReAnn Maggio: A Life of Fighting building: Gov. Cuomo signed legislation sponsored by Assembly- for Ridgewood: Antoinette “Ann” man Phil Goldfeder that expedited Maggio, a civic leader who dedicated repairs to Sandy-damaged homes in much of her life to fighting for RidgeBreezy Point. The bill allowed Breezy wood, died at the age of 90, causing residents to bypass a state regulation an outpouring of grief from commuthat had mandated that they receive nity members who said the neigha variance to rebuild - something borhood would be forever changed that can be a time consuming and te- thanks to Maggio. (See photo 5)

1: Msgr. Gerald Langelier was remembered as a man who taught others the meaning of love. 2: Councilman Eric Ulrich urged the city to replace the fire alarm system at PS 207 in Howard Beach. 3: Wounded Warriors - veterans who have been injured in Iraq and Afghanistan- have fun during the nonprofit's annual adaptive water sports festival in Rockaway. 4: Breezy Point residents sued LIPA and National Grid over the Hurricane Sandy fires that tore through their neighborhood. 5: Ann Maggio, left, pictured at a meeting last year reading a letter her group, Citizens for a Better Ridgewood, received from Grover Cleveland High School thanking them for helping staff and students fight the city’s plan to close the school. After proposing to phase out the school, the city opted to keep the institution open last year.

14 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014

2013

Woman Raped and Robbed in Rego Park: A 52-year-old woman was violently attacked in Rego Park after police said a man followed her from the R-train stop at 63rd Drive and proceeded to harass her. After she rebuffed his come-ons, he threw her down a flight of stairs, raped her and robbed her, according to police. Rallying to Reactivate Rockaway Rail Line: In an ongoing effort to reactivate the long abandoned Rockaway Beach Rail Line, South Queens and Rockaway residents held a number of rallies in August, as well as throughout the rest of the year, to support reviving the form of public transportation many have said would help jumpstart the Rockaway economy. Building New Memories in Broad Channel: Close to 300 people, including residents, volunteers from JetBlue and organizers from the national nonprofit KaBOOM, gathered in Broad Channel to build a playground that was in part designed by area children whose families were devastated by Hurricane Sandy. The new site – which includes everything from a rock climbing wall to a small tunnel – is located at the Broad Channel Athletic Club at 125 Cross Bay Boulevard in Rockaway and was born from a partnership between JetBlue and KaBOOM. After Hurricane Sandy, the two organizations have reached out to communities up and down the eastern seaboard to find areas to build playgrounds for children whose lives were turned upside down by the storm. According to those who participated, a big part of the project was meant to help children and their families begin to cultivate new, happier memories following the

devastation of Hurricane Sandy. by her boyfriend, NBA star Ryan (See photo 6) Anderson following “an apparent suicide attempt,” her publicist said Rim Thieves Plague South in a statement. Queens: Rim thieves struck again in Lindenwood, targeting a late Key Food Says it is Coming model Mercedes Benz - the first to Howard Beach: A banner protime such a model was hit in a claiming the coming of Almonte’s series of similar crimes that typi- Key Food was hung at the site that cally targeted Hondas, Nissans and formerly housed Duane Reade, Toyotas. The previous command- relieving residents who have long ing officer of the 106th Precinct, said they have had far too few opDeputy Inspector Thomas Pascale, tions when it came to grocery said that while crime was, in gen- shopping. However, Key Food has eral, down in the area, rim thefts still not arrived - and company rephad plagued the neighborhood in resentatives have not responded to part because of a lack of officers. The Forum’s numerous attempts at finding out what is going on with (See photo 7) plans for the site. Kew Gardens Hills Woman In Area Underserviced by Allegedly A Sandy Scammer: A Kew Gardens Hills woman who Mass Transit, New Subway Stop was honored by Queens Borough is Welcomed: Celebrated with President Helen Marshall as a moves from the Knicks City DancCitizen of Distinction in 2004 ers and music from rapper Doug E. and who served on the Borough Fresh, the official opening of the President’s Advisory Council for Aqueduct Racetrack subway station People with Disabilities, was ar- and skybridge paved the way for adrested and charged with grand lar- ditional tourists to access the city’s ceny, insurance fraud and falsifying only casino – as well as for South business records for reportedly Queens residents to more easily stealing nearly $90,000 while pos- hop on the A train in a neighboring as a victim of Hurricane Sandy. hood underserviced by mass transAccording to state Attorney Gen- portation, officials said. The $15 eral Eric Schneiderman, Caterina million project was entirely footed M. Curatolo, 48, allegedly ob- by Resorts World. (See photo 9) tained more than $87,000 in benWoodhaven Teen Stabbed efits and services - including free hotel rooms - by falsely claiming Steps From Her Home: A to have been a victim of the storm. 17-year-old girl from Woodhaven, Natasha Martinez, was stabbed in (See photo 8) the back at least 10 times as she Howard Beach-Born ‘Bach- prepared to climb the front steps of elor’ Star Dies: Gia Allemand, a her home on 85th Street off 88th Howard Beach native and finalist Avenue, according to police. Maron the reality television show “The tinez was coming home from her Bachelor,” died Aug. 14 after report- job at McDonald’s in Ozone Park, edly hanging herself in her New and as she approached her home, Orleans home, devastating family, the attacker came up behind her friends and fans across the country. and repeatedly plunged a kitchen Allemand, a 29-year-old who was knife into her body, authorities born in Howard Beach, was found said. (See photo 10)

A ugust 10

6: Hundreds of people, including residents, JetBlue volunteers, KaBOOM organizers and Councilman Eric Ulrich, gathered at the Broad Channel Athletic Club to build a playground that was designed in part by neighborhood children affected by Hurricane Sandy. 7: John Corona, Lindenwood resident, woke to find his Mercedes up on bricks after parking around the block from his home. He joined the list of frustrated vehicle owners left without wheels. 8: Caterina Curatolo is led out of a Brooklyn hotel by authorities after it was charged that her claims for assistance were fraudulent 9: Resorts World Casino New York City President Edward Farrell, far left, speaks at the Aqueduct Racetrack Subway station's grand opening as members of the Knicks City Dancers look on. 10: The bloody handprint of a 17-year-old girl who was brutally attacked remained on a car at the scene of the crime, just steps from the victim's Woodhaven home. THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014 | 15

2013

September 1

Changing of the Guard at the 106th: Deputy Inspector Thomas Pascale left his command at the 106th Precinct in September and was replaced by Deputy Inspector Jeffrey Schiff, who had previously been stationed at the 76th Precinct in Brooklyn. Pascale returned to the 106th as its commanding officer in 2010 after having served the precinct from 2000 to 2004 and had earned a place in the community as a well-respected law enforcement figurehead and beloved part of the neighborhood. Schiff assumed his new leadership role in the 106th as a 17-year veteran of the NYPD with a long history of focusing on community involvement. Katz, de Blasio and Lhota Win in Primary: Melinda Katz beat former Councilman Peter Vallone (D-Astoria) in the primary election for Queens borough president in a bid that was once packed with opponents, including former Councilman Leroy Comrie - now deputy borough president, former Deputy Borough President Barry Grodenchik, state Sen. Jose Peralta, and state Sen. Tony Avella. Katz ultimately won the general election as well, besting her Republican opponent Tony Arcabascio. Meanwhile, a roller-coaster of a Democratic race for mayor that began with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) as the frontrunner and diverted into the ultimate spectacle that was former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner’s bid came to an end with current Mayor and former Public Advocate Bill de Blasio securing more votes in the primary than his eight challengers. Former Republican mayoral candidate Joe Lhota handily clinched the GOP’s nomination for mayor, beating billionaire John Catsimatidis.

Ozone Park Residents Celebrate Condemned House: After years of dealing with squatters, drug dealing and prostitution at an Ozone Park house, city officials condemned the home and evicted those who were illegally residing there. The move, which was greeted with open arms by homeowners who had been extremely frustrated by the situation, followed pressure from Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder and The Forum. (See photo 1)

their fight to landmark the nearly 100-year-old Maspeth firehouse. Maspeth natives Steve and Maxine Fisher have, along with a host of others from Community Board 5 and elsewhere, been advocating for the structure that has, for nearly a century, been a place where people routinely rush out, without a second thought, to put their lives on the line for neighbors they often have never met. And, on Sept. 11, 2001, the Maspeth firehouse became a place where After Tragic Maspeth Acci- 19 of its firefighters were lost dent, Calls for Change: After a more than any other firehouse in driver slammed into five students the city. on their way to school in Maspeth, Five-Alarm Fire Rips parents demanded the city Department of Transportation immedi- Through Middle Village Homes: ately make the area from around A raging blaze that began in the 69th to 80th streets along Grand airshaft between two attached Avenue safer – particularly for the homes in the hart of Middle Vilapproximate 4,000 children who at- lage displaced seven families and tend class in the neighborhood. The destroyed their belongings. More accident sent three girls to the hos- than a dozen children, between pital with serious injuries. One of the ages 2 to 19, lived in the row the two who officials said sustained of destroyed homes. Following the minor injuries in the accident, Mi- fire, many neighbors rallied to help chael Gomez, 13, died not long af- those affected by the fire, donating ter from what officials said was an everything from clothes to toys. (See photo 4) asthma attack. (See photo 2) Ridgewood Reservoir Project Opens to Public: A $6.92 million project to improve access to Highland Park’s Ridgewood Reservoir was completed, and the site opened to the general public. The project included new lighting, restored pathways, wheelchair-accessible entry points, and new fencing. Access to the pathways is available at Vermont Place, Highland Boulevard and Cypress Avenue. (See photo 3) Residents Battle to Preserve Maspeth Firehouse: Led by a brother-and-sister duo, residents and civic leaders continued

Mumford and Sons Concert Marks Revival of Historic Forest Hill Stadium: Mumford and Sons, the Grammy-award winning band from Britain, played their bluegrassrock hits to a sold-out crowd at the 90-year-old Forest Hills Tennis Stadium at a concert that marked the revival of a site that previously drew the likes of the Beatles and Bob Dylan. Fans trekked from all corners of the city, and beyond, to the 17,000 seat stadium for the first in a series of 19 musical events scheduled for the next three years at the locale that once hosted the U.S. Open Tennis Championship. (See photo 5)

1: Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder shares a laugh with residents who were overjoyed after the city condemned an Ozone Park house where, according to neighbors, there had been squatters, drug dealing and prostitution. 2: An accident in Maspeth sent three IS 73 students to the hospital with serious injuries after an SUV driver plowed into them as they walked to school. Another two individuals sustained minor injuries, but one of them, a 13-year-old boy, died from what officials said was an asthma attack not long after the tragic event. 3: Residents and civic leaders celebrated the opening of a nearly $7 million project at the Ridgewood Reservoir, which included lighting and walkways. 4: A baby's crib can be seen through the window of a home devastated by a fire in Middle Village. 5: The 17,000-seat Forest Hills Tennis Stadium was packed with Mumford and Sons fans for the first concert at the historic venue in years.

16 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014

2013

Fighting Biggert-Waters: Nearly 1,000 people from Howard Beach, Broad Channel and the Rockaways gathered at the American Legion Hall in Broad Channel to stop the federal government from enacting the 2012 Biggert-Waters Act that many have said will cause flood insurance rates to skyrocket so dramatically that it will drive people from their homes and causing whole neighborhoods to be riddled with foreclosures and, ultimately, become ghost towns. Those who protested in Broad Channel joined tens of thousands of others who gathered in more than 15 states across the country for the same reason. The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on a bill - the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act - that would delay the flood insurance increases stemming from the Biggert-Waters legislation. (See photo 6) Community Marks One-Year Anniversary of Hurricane Sandy: There cannot possibly be a way to summarize everything that has happened in South Queens and Rockaway since October 2012, but, out of all the pain and tragedy that occurred because of Hurricane Sandy, we have certainly learned the strength and resiliency that exists within this community. As we marked the one-year anniversary of Sandy, the community reflected on the battles that have been fought - and won during the past year. With the arrival of 2014, however, there are still many who have not been able to move back into their homes, or get the needed funding to make repairs, and community members must continue to show the strength that we know is there to help all those in need. (See photo 7)

of a series of public meetings on how to best prepare for future natural disasters. Howard Beach’s chapter is slated to receive about $18.3 million from the state as part of the program, and committee members and area residents have been discussing plans on everything from flood relief measures to designating a place for the community to gather during or immediately after a disaster. For more information, visit www.stormrecovery.ny.gov/community-reconstruction-program.

after a devastating fire ripped through the Maspeth bar O’Neill’s, the beloved community mainstay reopened to a nearly nonstop stream of customers. The popular eatery, which has been owned by the O’Neill’s family since 1933, has for decades been a source of entertainment - and strength - for residents who gathered there for celebrations of marriages and births, as well as to spend time with loved ones after funerals and following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Avonte Oquendo Goes Missing: Avonte Oquendo, a 14-year-old with autism, went missing Oct. 4 after running out of the Center Boulevard School on 51st Avenue in Long Island City, setting off a massive, citywide search for the Rego Park boy who still has not been found. Most recently, the attorney for the Oquendo family has said that a city Department of Education investigation into the boy’s disappearance suggested that school officials did not respond to, or report, the incident as quickly as they should have.

After Years of Pleas, PS 87 Celebrates $20M Addition: Students, teachers, parents, and area legislators celebrated the opening of a $20 million project at PS 87 in Middle Village that added 120 classroom seats, a new gym, and other building facilities. For years, students, parents and staff had pleaded with the city to address a wide range of problems at PS 87, including overcrowded classrooms and inadequate spaces for gym and lunch. (See photo 9) Geraldine A. Ferraro Campus Celebrated in Ridgewood: Geraldine Ferraro, the longtime Forest Hills resident who smashed the political glass ceiling and became the first female vice-presidential candidate from a major political party, was honored with a ceremony dedicating a Ridgewood school to her. The $46 million Geraldine A. Ferraro Campus, which will house the A.C.E. Academy for Scholars beginning in 2014, is a five-story institution that will have 616 seats serving students in pre-kindergarten to fifth grade. Ferraro, a former public school teacher who launched her career in education at PS 85 in Astoria, was also a former criminal prosecutor and Congresswoman who many of the city’s leaders at the ceremony -including former Council Speaker Christine Quinn - said paved the way for them to hold public office. Ferraro died in 2011 following a long battle with cancer.

Remembering George O’Neill, Heart of Maspeth: More than 100 people gathered for a ceremony to coname Maspeth’s 60th Drive as George Gibbons Jr. Way in honor of the man known to many as the heart of his community. Remembered as someone who never failed to make people laugh - or lend a hand to a neighbor in need, Gibbons was killed Oct. 15, 2011 when the livery cab he was taking home after closing his bar, Gibbons’ Home, was hit by a vehicle traveling in the wrong direction. Now, his family and friends said they hope the community will remember the 37-year-old son, brother and uncle for generations to come with the co-naming of 60th Drive and Mt. Crafting Plans to Protect South Olivet Crescent. (See photo 8) Queens from the Next Sandy: Howard Beach’s chapter of Gov. Cuomo’s O’Neill’s Reopens to Jubilant New York Rising program held its first Crowd: A little more than two years

October 9

6 6: There were somber faces among the crowd at a protest against the Biggert Waters Act in Broad Channel in the beginning of October, when residents slammed the legislation that many have said will drive people from their homes and even wipe out coastal communities. 7: Exactly one year after Sandy, South Queens residents gathered at St. Helen's in Howard Beach and reflected that the storm was not only a time of great pain and loss, but of community strength - when people reached out their arms to catch anyone in need and held them until they could stand again. 8: Family and friends of George Gibbons Jr. joined Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley for a ceremony to co-name 60th Drive in honor of the Maspeth community leader who was killed by a hit-and-run driver. 9: PS 87 students perform a dance routine for a crowd of peers, parents and teachers following the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Middle Village school's much anticipated addition. THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014 | 17

2013

November 1

De Blasio, Katz, Ulrich, Crowley, and Koslowitz Claim Victory: November kicked off with a changing of the city’s, and borough’s, political landscape, as Mayor de Blasio and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz won their respective races in landslide victories. The first new mayor in 12 years, de Blasio, the city’s former public advocate and a former Democratic councilman from Brooklyn, pummeled his Republican opponent and former chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, landing 73.6 percent of the vote. Katz, who replaced Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, won 80.3 percent of the vote in her bid against Republican Tony Arcabascio. Meanwhile, City Council incumbents from this area reclaimed their seats, with Council members Eric Ulrich, Elizabeth Crowley, and Karen Koslowitz all sliding into victory against their competitors, Lew Simon, Craig Caruana, and Jon Torodash, respectively. (See photo 1) After Sandy’s Devastation, St. Barnabas Celebrates Rededication: Almost exactly one year after Hurricane Sandy devastated St. Barnabas Church in Howard Beach, the community commemorated the reopening of the beloved facility’s sanctuary hall. The reopening of the sanctuary hall was one feted by numerous religious and community leaders, who all described the event as an important day in the area’s revival following Sandy. (See photo 2) 106th Lands New Cops: Community leaders heaved sighs of relief after the 106th Precinct received 16 new officers - something for which they had long asked. The officers, all of whom hail from various impact NYPD impact units, were expected to help the precinct further combat

such issues as car thefts and break- Village, Maspeth, and Elmhurst conins. (See photo 3) tinued to raise their voices against a longstanding problem in the area: At City’s Airports, Fighting a Airplane noise. Assemblywoman Life of Poverty: Hundreds of work- Marge Markey held a town hall meeters protested at John F. Kennedy ing to address concerns with resiInternational Airport, as well as La- dents, civic leaders, and officials from Guardia Airport, in November and the Port Authority and the Federal December against two companies Aviation Administration. Officials that employees and legislators have from the two government agencies accused of paying “slave wages,” and, said they are attempting to reduce in some cases, even illegal wages. Ac- noise, including by better tracking cording to protesters, as well as Coun- sound levels. cilman Donovan Richards and U.S. Tension at QueensWay MeetRep. Grace Meng, Airway Cleaners and Alstate Maintenance - two of the ings Run High: At a series of meetings largest private contractors at the city’s about the proposed QueensWay plan, airports - do not provide jobs with which would transform a 3.5-mile living wages and adequate benefits, portion of the abandoned Rockaway including health care and sick time. Beach Rail Line,emotions ran high as supporters and opponents traded (See photo 4) barbs. Others, including a number of Brooklyn Diocese Sues Christ people from Woodhaven, accused the the King HS: Following the Brook- QueensWay representatives of not lyn Diocese’s announcement that giving an adequate voice to those with it was suing one of its own facilities, concerns, and, in response, the WoodChrist the King High School in Mid- haven Residents’ Block Association dle Village, both the diocese and the held their own forum on the topic. school went on a warpath of words, Three main proposals for the area are accusing the other of wrongdoings currently being debated: Implement that they argued could spell the de- the QueensWay, revive the rail line, or mise of the more than 50-year-old leave the area as is. During November, Queens colCatholic school with close to 1,000 lege also announced it would study students. The Diocese said it had “no op- the impact of the Rockaway Beach tion” other than to sue the school in Rail Line proposals. an attempt to force Christ the King to In South Queens, Seeing the turn over school property to the Diocese when the Diocese determines Face of Hunger Change: About there is no longer a Catholic school 1,000 families stood in line for hours being run at the site. While the Dio- to get a free Thanksgiving turkey, as cese insisted it would not close the well as other food items, at the River school should it become in charge of Fund’s food pantry in Richmond Hill. it, Christ the King officials accused Representatives from River Fund, a the financially struggling Diocese of nonprofit, said they have seen a signifattempting “get out of Catholic educa- icant increase in the number of people tion” and close the facility in order to who have turned to their weekly food sell what could be lucrative property. pantry for help. Among those seeking help were veterans, retired teachers, Residents Urge for Change in individuals currently working, school Plane Noise: Residents from Middle children, and more. (See photo 5)

1: Melinda Katz was elected in November as Queens’ next borough president with a decisive 80.3 percent of the vote. 2: Rev. William Baum, the pastor at St. Barnabas Church, left, Bishop Robert Rimbo, and Councilman Eric Ulrich attend the rededication of the Howard Beach parish. 3: Police officers Adolpho Berrios, left, Vincent Brites, Brendan Storz, Vincent Guerriero, Michael Martinez, and Andrew Rosen are six of the 16 new cops assigned to the 106th Precinct. 4: Shareeka Elliott, front left, makes about $12,000 a year as a full-time cleaner at JFK, leaving her with little money to take care of her two young daughters. Elliott was one of hundreds of workers, from both JFK and LaGuardia, who have recently protested conditions at the airports. 5: The line of people waiting to receive free Thanksgiving turkeys and other food from the River Fund's pantry in Richmond Hill stretched for blocks.

18 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014

2013

Senior Housing Officially Opens in Howard Beach: The ribbon was cut on the $31 million Catholic Charities Peter J. Striano Residence at 155-55 Cross Bay Blvd., which opened earlier in the year but was officially dedicated in December. The facility was touted by Catholic Charities officials, legislators and other civic leaders as one that bring much-needed affordable units to an area that is home to one of the largest population of older residents in the entire city. (See photo 6) Glendale Homeless Shelter Panned: After the news that the city Department of Homeless Services told Mayor Bloomberg that it was backing the opening of a controversial homeless shelter in a former factory on Cooper Avenue in Glendale, civic leaders and legislators went on the warpath. At a city public hearing on the homeless shelter, which would be run by the nonprofit Samaritan Village, numerous outraged community members testified that it would overwhelm the area’s already crowded schools and pose safety concerns for nearby homes and businesses. The city DHS, however, has stressed that those who would live at the 125-family facility would likely be single women who may be domestic violence victims with young children. Goodbye Bloomberg: As Mayor Bloomberg’s tenure came to an end, Queens leaders weighed in on what the past 12 years have meant for the borough. There are mixed reviews of Bloomberg, with some giving him failing grades on support for South Queens and Rockaway residents in the wake of Hurricane Sandy and others lending high praise for boosting the borough’s economy - including helping to grow the area’s tourism industry. Many civic leaders noted a frustrating lack of response from City Hall on everything from 311 complaints to what

some said was a lackluster approach to conservation in Queens and addressing overcrowded schools. A prevailing theme among those interviewed by The Forum was the mayor seemed to have well-intentioned policies and heavy-handed tactics that could alienate the middle- and working-classes. PS 207 Lands $1.8M Federal Grant for Sandy Repairs: U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that $1.86 million in federal funds was allocated to repair Sandy-inflicted damage at PS 207. The Howard Beach school was devastated by the hurricane, with a total of about 84.475 gallons of water and oil ultimately being removed from the facility that was closed to students until January 2013. Homecoming for a Hero: U.S. Army Sgt. KristianPeter DiStefano-Buonpastore’s return home was celebrated by his family, including his mother Ellen Buonpastore, of Lindenwood, and a large crowd of friends, military members, and community leaders in Howard Beach. (See photo 7)

neighborhood’s character while funneling business to appropriate commercial corridors. (See photo 8) Interfaith Vigil Calls on City to Help Sandy Victims: The signs said it all: “Left out in the cold,” “Build It Back is too slow,” and “Jobs, Housing, Repairs.” The dozens of people who gathered in Howard Beach and Hamilton Beach as part of the nonprofit Faith in New York’s vigil were representative of families throughout South Queens and Rockaway who have yet to be able to return to their homes destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, or are waiting on funding to repair their housing while they live in substandard conditions. Those attending the event called on the incoming de Blasio administration to bring muchneeded relief to those still struggling more than one year after the storm. (See photo 9)

Changing of the Guard at the WRBA: The Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association announced Martin Colberg will replace Ed Wendell as president come January, while Giedra Kregzdys will serve as the new vice president and Stephen Forte will continue as treasurer. Colberg will become the first Latino to preside over the organization in the civic group’s 42-year history.

Community Board 9 Addresses Board Infighting: Long plagued by internal strife, Community Board 9, which covers Richmond Hill, Kew Gardens, Ozone Park, and Woodhaven, began to mend this month and held its first cordial meeting in recent history. The board had been rocked by fighting amongst members, which included arguments over whether or not to remove CB 9’s longtime district manager, Mary Ann Carey, as well as a vote to remove a board member who had been accused of making anti-Semitic remarks. After the board did not vote to remove the member, another individual resigned in protest.

Massive Ozone Park Rezoning Lands Final Approval: The New York City Council approved a plan to rezone 530 blocks in Ozone Park, giving the final green light needed to implement far-reaching and longawaited changes that area leaders, including Councilman Eric Ulrich, and residents said will help to maintain the

Howard Beach Residents Concerned with Spike in Crime: Following two carjackings in Howard Beach, as well a man who said he was armed demanding money at Ragtime Newsstand, area residents said such incidents have become far too prevalent and called for additional law enforcement coverage.

December 9

6 6: Elected officials and Catholic Charities representatives gathered for the ribbon cutting on the new affordable housing complex for seniors on Cross Bay Boulevard. 7: U.S. Army Sgt. Kristian Peter DiStefano shares a moment with his sister, Arieanna Distefano-Buonpastore, after arriving home from Afghanistan. 8: Councilman Eric Ulrich speaks about the massive Ozone Park rezoning that was approved by the City Council in December - the final step needed in order for the plan to be implemented. 9: South Queens residents and area faith leaders held a vigil in Howard Beach and Hamilton Beach at the end of December to remind the city that far too many individuals whose houses were impacted by Hurricane Sandy are still waiting for help more than year after the storm. THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014 | 19

2013

Year in Photos Pia Toscano - Published Oct. 17

Glendale Sept. 11 - Published Sept. 12

Linda Catalano, of Glendale, honored her friend, Firefighter Lt. Robert F. Wallace of Woodhaven, at a Sept. 11 ceremony in Glendale.

Howard Beach singing sensation Pia Toscano sings at the Angels of the Bay fundraiser in October, an event at which a $500,000 check was presented to the St. Mary's Children's Sandy Vigil - Published Oct. 31 Hospital for the Angels on the Bay Fitness Center. The Residents who attended the candlelit vigil at St. Helen's Church in Howard Beach center will serve as a rehabilitation facility for severely said they wanted to mark the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy with the injured children and those with needs that cannot be met people who had helped them the most during, and after, the storm: Their neighbors. at other facilities.

Woodhaven Building Collapse - Published April 18 A building collapse in Woodhaven on April 12 sent a storm of bricks crashing onto Jamaica Avenue during the evening rush hour, when the area is often packed with vehicles and pedestrians. No one was injured in the collapse, but a car was crushed and the incident brought scores of firefighters and other emergency responders to the area. Civic leaders are now attempting to get the city to tear down the partially collapsed building, saying it poses serious safety concerns to passersby.

Charles Park Sandy - Published Oct. 31 Howard Beach neighbors gathered on Oct. 27 in Charles Park to reflect on Hurricane Sandy almost exactly one year after the storm hit the neighborhood, devastating residents in a way no one thought possible. While holding hands and during a moment of silence, residents remembered how their lives were turned upside down by the storm - as well as the strength and resilience of a tight-knit community that immediately came together for those in need. Foot Pursuit Arrest Published Aug. 15

Rocking in Ridgewood - Published Aug. 22 A musician entertains the crowd at the Out in the Streets Festival, a two day indie rock event that featured 16 bands at the VanderEnde Onderdonk House in Ridgewood.

Kew Gardens Trench Collapse - Published June 20 About 50 emergency personnel worked for more than two and a half hours to rescue a worker who fell 25 feet into a muddy trench at a Kew Gardens construction site that had been issued a stop work order, according to city officials. Marcos Castellon, 30, was pinned under hundreds of pounds of mud when he fell into the trench at 119-02 83rd Ave., and it collapsed around him, the FDNY said. Castellon was transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center with injuries that were not life threatening.

De Blasio Crowd - Published Nov. 7 Thousands of supporters swarmed the Park Slope armory where Mayor Bill de Blasio held his victory party on election night. 20 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014

After leading police on a chase through the streets that ended in two cops being injured, a man screams as he is arrested in the 106th Precinct. Police said a woman came to the 106th Precinct to report the man for a domestic violence incident, and she informed them that there were weapons in the house. When detectives arrived, they did not found the suspect but discovered two unlicensed handguns. Police staked out the house, waiting for the man's return, but he fled when he arrived home and discovered the cops waiting for him and led police on a chase that had officials jumping fences and going through backyards for several blocks.

Richmond Hill Murder - Published Dec. 12 Family and friends of Noel Hidalgo, a 58-year-old who was found beaten to death inside his studio apartment on Jamaica Avenue near 108th Street in Richmond Hill, Howard Beach Gas Explosion - Published June 6 An explosion that was triggered by a gas leak ripped through a private one-family console one another after Hidalgo's nephew home in Howard Beach while the homeowner, Teresa Pepitone, was in the residence. reportedly discovered his uncle on the floor She was transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center with second- and third- with his hands tied behind his back on the afternoon of Dec. 4., according to police. degree burns covering more than 50 percent of her body.

2013

Editorial

We are continually amazed at all that we have seen and covered over the course of the year and never is it more evident then when we are putting together the Year in Review issue. It is sometimes overwhelming to relive or be reminded of so many events that have touched our communities in the last twelve months, but it remains our duty and our privilege to bring you those happenings with the greatest degree of knowledge, insight and accuracy that we can provide you with. This year has certainly served to reinforce that which we already knew--the communities we serve have demonstrated tremendous resiliency and have stood together to put back many pieces, all the while on a mission to return to living a "normal" life. One of the greatest privileges in publishing a weekly newspapers is the opportunity to express the opinion of the newspaper on the editorial pages each week. We hope you enjoy the conclusion to the year in Review by sharing with us some of what we found to be among the best moments in editorials from this year. The Forum would like to thank our loyal readers and advertisers for their continued support. The Failure of Justice February 21, 2013 The tragic result of the slip of a finger—that is how the attorney for cop killer Lamont Pride described his client’s actions on the night he shot Police Office Pete Figoski in the face, killing the 22-year NYPD veteran. We along with everyone else involved in this case waited anxiously for Lamont Pride to be brought to justice for his heinous crime. We along with everyone else waited with the certainty that NO jury could ever return anything less than a guilty verdict of the top charge and every lesser one filed beneath it. And when the Brooklyn jury returned with a not guilty verdict on the top charge we were as stunned, disappointed, shocked, horrified and unwilling to believe it as was everyone else. One of Sgt. Figowski's fellow officers, Sgt. Jean Woods expressed the outrage of the juty's failure best: We watch, ever vigilant, to protect this city from another attack against us, against you. We would take a bullet for you. We DO take bullets for you. We sometimes die for you. We are the first line of defense, but we need support. So when we catch the one that broke all rules of humanity, and we turn him over to the legal system that we worked so hard to maintain, we trust that the prosecutors will follow through. We trust that 12 other people will follow through. We trust that the public will understand why murdering a Police Officer is an atrocity against humankind, and serve justice according tot he letter of the law. We would do it for you. PO Peter Figoski would have done it for you. DID it for you, but that jury in Brooklyn didn’t serve him the way he served them for 22 years. Peter Figoski was murdered by Lamont Pride, and let down by those 12 jurors, leaving the rest of us to carry his memory.

are proposing is to knit our immediate area together— Rockaway, Broad Channel and Howard Beach—get all of our facts straight and assemble a package of demands, as is being done across the country all around us. Look to our immediate neighbors in New Jersey and as far off as Louisiana and Florida. Seeking to overturn and modify legislation is a quest for the entire coastal community burdened with the threat of storms. We must remember that to be part of this national movement is not a pipe dream, it is a ticket for our survival. This is perhaps the strongest evidence that there is strength in numbers that we will witness in our lifetime. Memorial Day, In The Words of a Soldier May 30, 2013 Several years ago at the Howard Beach Memorial Day Parade, a new tradition was introduced where a letter from a soldier from the community was read at the parade about what Memorial Day meant to them. We thank 1st Lieutenant Gerard Connolly for taking the time to share his thoughts from Afghanistan where he faces the dangers of combat as so many have done before him. Happy Memorial Day from Paktika, Afghanistan. At first I was reluctant to send a message, but upon further consideration I realized that I need to express my thoughts. Not for any one individual, but for men like Bernard Coleman, Frank M. Charles, Jack Fitzgibbons, Walter Wetzel and the rest of the names on the memorial that dominate Coleman square. Men who much like myself had the privilege of growing up in Howard Beach and serving this country on foreign soil. I regret that I have never met any of these men. They were killed in our defense before most of us were conceived. They are the reason for Memorial Day. It is not about the flags, parades, or uniforms. It is only about their sacrifice. Each name we see written on the memorial was once a human life that walked around our community. It is our duty to remember them. It is our duty to remember the time they exchanged so that we can live freely. This is why we gather every Memorial Day. It is what makes this day important in our community and our country. I am offended when Memorial Day is about anything else. Now that I bear witness to the commitment of our young men and women in service, I am more appreciative of the price paid for our freedom. It is both hopeful and terrifying...I will be home soon. May God Bless America.

Flooded with Concern – The FEMA Fight Begins April 18, 2013 For the immediate future we urge you, BEG you, not to be misled by FEMA officials who are going around and telling people not to worry, offering their assurances, saying things are not official yet and still a long way off —we caution you : THEY ARE LYING. Everything will not be alright if we do not act together. What they are trying to do is to It Could Become a Ghost Town remove the sense of urgency from the situation June 13, 2013 Now that the Federal Emergency Manand lessen the severity of the need to unify. If we step aside now we will be left fraction- agement Agency released another round of ated, alone and vulnerable. Instead what we preliminary flood insurance maps, it is be-

coming increasingly clear just what kind of future could be in store for coastal communities in Queens and in places across the city – and country – with the implementation of the new proposed maps and the impact of the Biggert-Waters Act. And it’s one where the term ‘ghost town’ could very well apply time and again. Legislators have been scrambling to address the impact of Biggert-Waters, attempting to at least slow the impact of the act, but it seems pretty clear that immediate action is needed if residents are going to be able to afford to stay in their homes. Already, people in neighborhoods like Broad Channel are debating whether they should stay or go. And that is a tragedy. People should not be forced to leave the homes they have lived in for decades, that their families have owned for generations, just because their government has failed them. Residents should not have to pack up and leave, praying that their home will not fall victim to a block full of foreclosures. There’s a reason people rebuild houses that were destroyed by Sandy. There’s a reason they dip into retirement funds, into college savings, to make their houses inhabitable again. That reason is these are not just houses. These are homes. These are places where you got married, where you watched your children grown up. These are places with history – and it’s your history. And that is something that should not be taken from you. A Hopeful Goodbye August 1, 2013 Dear public: Thank you. Thank you for finally realizing that Anthony Weiner – his sexts, his tweets, his crotch shots, his massively inflated ego and delusional idea he could run the city – is not good enough for New York. Thank you for realizing that this is not about a man’s right to a private life.This is not about behavior that is salacious but completely unrelated to one’s ability to do a job. This is about Anthony Weiner lying – again and again and again. This is about Anthony Weiner being given a second chance from an all-too forgiving public – and blowing it. This is about Anthony Weiner being a complete distraction from a campaign that has turned into a circus. We should be talking about education, about crime, about homelessness, about pensions, about plans for the next Hurricane Sandy. Or, at the very least, we should be talking about anything but Anthony Weiner’s apparent inability at keeping a cell phone camera away from his pants.

– Pat Adams

Remembering What it is to be Human September 12, 2013 Outside the burnt buildings that families once called home are the remnants of life: an “Annie” doll, winter coats, a slipper, a baby carriage. They are important reminders that, while so much was destroyed in the fire that devastated residents in Middle Village earlier this week, life is not over. They are reminders, for those who lost so much, that, in a sea of all that has vanished, there are still pieces of you, waiting for you to reclaim them, to start building lives once again. So many of us know what it is to lose everything. So many of our readers, who saw everything they owned floating in basements and living rooms and bedrooms in Hurricane Sandy, know, still vividly, how that feels. These are the times, when our neighbors are, all of a sudden and without warning, living in very dark moments, that we have to take it upon ourselves to step away from our busy lives and remember one of the most important parts of what it is to be human – helping. A Chance to Make It Right December 27, 2013 Barbara Sheehan went on trial for the murder of her husband in 2008. The portrait of a sick and deadly abuser, masterfully presented by her criminal defense team during her trial was more than enough to assist a jury of her peers in reaching the decision to acquit her on murder charges. But they did not carry justice to the next step and found her guilty of a gun charge. Now instead of being allowed to rejoin society without standing under the umbrella of terror she lived under for twenty years, she shares every day and night with nearly twenty other woman, strangers, inmates, in Albion State Correctional Facility. More than eight hours away from her nearest family member or friend. She’s scheduled to sit there, in her cell, for the next five years– not only as the victim of her abusive husband Ray Sheehan; but also as the victim of a failed justice system, and one who we believe to have been targeted by an overzealous assistant district attorney who decided Barbara Sheehan should be punished and made an example of. That is why we ask you to join us in signing a petition instituted online at the site Change. org. The petition represents the voice of the people in the Sheehan case and when it is complete will be used as an integral part of a request for Governor Andrew Cuomo to grant executive clemency and release Barbara.

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014 | 21

De Blasio Taps Former Deputy Chancellor Carmen Farina to Lead Schools By Anna Gustafson Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio appointed Carmen Farina, a former deputy schools chancellor and teacher, as his incoming administration’s schools chancellor in a move that landed him praise from Queens legislators and education officials. Saying Farina will further his goals of working with parents, establishing a universal pre-kindergarten program, and prioritizing college and career readiness over standardized testing, de Blasio praised the incoming chancellor who replaces former Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott as the leader of the country’s largest public school system. “Carmen won’t just be my chancellor as mayor - she’ll be my chancellor as a public school parent,” de Blasio said Monday in a statement. “For years, I’ve watched her innovate new ways to reach students, transform troubled schools and fight against wrongheaded policies that hurt our kids. “Carmen has worked at nearly every level of this school system,” de Blasio continued. “She knows our students, teachers, principals, and parents better than anyone, and she will deliver progressive change in our schools that lifts up children in every neighborhood.” Farina has 40 years of experience in New York City public schools and launched her career as a teacher at PS 29 in Cobble Hill. She later became principal at Manhattan’s PS 6 and the superintendent of Brooklyn’s District 15. Farina was appointed deputy chancellor for teaching and learning in 2004, under

Carmen Farina

Photo Courtesy NYC Council

Mayor Bloomberg, and later went on to become a vocal advocate outside of government for comprehensive early education and parental involvement in school policy. “True change happens not through mandates and top-down decision making but through communication collaboration and celebrating the successes along the way,” Farina said in a statement. “Raising the success rate of our students is the only goal.”

The emphasis on parent involvement comes at a time when parents have grown increasingly frustrated with a City Hall and Department of Education that they said routinely turn their backs on parents and teachers. Queens legislators lauded de Blasio’s announcement. “Our next chancellor has excelled as a teacher, a principal and a superintendent,” said Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan (DRidgewood), chairwoman of the Assembly’s education committee. “She knows every aspect of this school system inside and out. She knows how to help teachers improve their skills - and how to train principals to lead.” Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) also backed the decision. “As a former public school teacher, I could not be more excited to have a chancellor who understands what it means to step inside a classroom,” Dromm said. Dmytro Fedkowskyj, who served as Queens Borough President Helen Marshall’s appointee to the city Panel for Educational Policy - a decision-making group that has been dominated by mayoral appointees and votes on such matters as school closures and co-locations, too congratulated Farina. “I’m ecstatic over the decision and delighted to see such a great educator appointed as our next NYC public schools chancellor,” said Fedkowskyj, who was recently tapped as a member of de Blasio’s transition team and serves on the education subcommittee. “Mayor de Blasio made the right choice, and this decision will benefit every school community across the city.”

Ulrich Defends Council Speaker Support Swap By Phil Corso A Queens City Councilman’s change of heart helped spur Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito’s (D-Manhattan) camp to declare an early victory in the race for the body’s next speaker. Mark-Viverito boasted support from 30 Council members, including one of three Republicans casting votes in the race – but not without a bit of drama first. City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) gave his vote of confidence to the Manhattan-based Democratic Councilwoman nearly two months after saying the complete opposite because of reports that she was reluctant to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Ulrich said he had since met with Mark-Viverito and changed his tune after she assured him she would stand for pledge and recite it in the future. “I was going up until that point based upon what I had read and what I had been told by others,” Ulrich told reporters. “I don’t judge her patriotism. The issue was resolved behind closed doors.” Ulrich’s support crossed party lines, leaving behind his two Republican colleagues: City Councilman Vincent Ignizio (R-Staten Island) and City Councilman-elect Steve Matteo (RStaten Island), who told reporters last week he

Photo Courtesy William Alatriste/NYC Council

Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito (D-Manhattan) said she has enough votes to become the next City Council speaker, though another legislator, Councilman Dan Garodnick (D-Manhattan) said the spot is still up for grabs.

was disappointed with his fellow Republican’s decision to switch. But nevertheless, the Queens Republican, who did not respond to a request for comment for this article, said his decision to support Mark-Viverito was independent of any outside influence or motivation of seeking a leg-up on any top committee assignments under Mayor de Blasio’s new administration - of which he has been accused.

“I want to congratulate my colleague Melissa Mark-Viverito on winning a hard-fought race for speaker of the City Council,” Ulrich said in a statement. “I am happy to be part of a diverse coalition of councilmembers and look forward to working with them in a bipartisan fashion on behalf of the working and middle class families in my district and throughout the five boroughs.” Mark-Viverito’s campaign released a state-

ment detailing 30 letters of support, which would be enough to secure her spot as the Council’s first Latina and second female speaker, provided she lands all those votes in early January, succeeding outgoing Speaker Christine Quinn. “I am humbled to have the support and confidence that my colleagues have placed in me,” she said in a statement. “Today is the culmination of over two decades of my work at the grassroots, in non-profit organizations, in labor and as a public servant. I know that my fellow members will work with me in the City Council to create more inclusive legislative body where every member’s voice is heard and validated.” Her claims of victory came despite rival City Councilman Dan Garodnick (D-Manhattan) saying the speaker spot has yet to be decided after receiving endorsements from former speaker candidate Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens), Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (DForest Hills), among others. “It is premature to declare victory,” Garodnick said in a statement. “We are going to elect a speaker on Jan. 8, and I hope to earn the votes of my colleagues then.” The final vote will be held when the Council reconvenes for legislative session in January, when 51 members will decide the next speaker. It takes 26 votes to win the spot.

Need to Park? Pay for it on Your Cell Phone New York drivers will soon be able to pay for parking by cell phone and online, former Mayor Bloomberg and members of his outgoing administration announced last week. The new parking program is expected to bring wireless payment to all five boroughs by early 2015 - which will completely eliminate the need for motorists to place paper receipts on their dashboard. Instead, drivers will be able to pay by launching an application on their smartphone or other device, or by calling a toll-free number and identify-

22 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014

ing their location by entering a number displayed on munimeters. The system would also allow payment by cell phone, landline phones and via any internet-enabled device. Motorists would pay the posted meter parking rates; there would be no surcharges. Individuals would also be able to pay for additional time, up to the maximum allowable limit, without having to go back to the meter itself. The citywide project follows a successful pilot endeavor

with similar technology along Arthur Avenue in the Bronx conducted earlier this year. “Residents and visitors of Arthur Avenue have put this technology to the test, and now the rest of the city is ready and waiting for the expansion of the pay-by-phone technology to reach the city’s 14,000 parking meters,” Bloomberg said in a statement. “Innovative solutions like these are making it easier for everyone to get around New York City and will be a boost for business across the five boroughs.”

FORUM FUN & GAMES ACROSS 1. Kenyan warrior 6. That male 9. *____ down snow pile to build fort 13. Graven images 14. E in B.C.E. 15. Coveted publicity spot 16. Flooring choice, pl. 17. Bag in Paris 18. Get up 19. *Ice fisherman's gear, pl. 21. *Christmas, e.g. 23. Of a female 24. Farmer's joy 25. Nile viper 28. Famous bus rider 30. Comes clean 35. Denials 37. "National Velvet" author Bagnold 39. Like 1950s style, today 40. Put one over 41. Paisley in paisley fabric, e.g. 43. Large aquatic tetrapod 44. Impede 46. Lush 47. *"I flew like a flash, tore open the shutters, and threw up the ____" 48. Sci-fi weaponry 50. Snaky swimmers 52. Yellow river tributary 53. "Twelve ____" of "Gone with the Wind" 55. Feverish 57. *Cozy fabric 61. Dough 64. Sanctioned by law 65. Boiling blood 67. Pontifical 69. Convex molding 70. Convent dweller 71. Manicurist's file 72. Pay for work 73. Down Under bird 74. Ranee's wrap

DOWN 1. Technology school 2. Mine entrance 3. Solo activities 4. First in Hebrew alphabet 5. Federal Reserve in relation to U.S. currency 6. Hitler's deputy 7. George Gershwin's brother 8. "_____ Man" (Village People) 9. Reality TV actress Spelling 10. Full of enthusiasm 11. ___ Verde National Park 12. Mouse to a snake 15. Less agitated 20. Intro 22. Stupid person 24. Groups of lay people 25. *Winged impression 26. Composer of U.S. military marches 27. *Hides or skins used for hats and gloves 29. *From above in winter 31. Shorter than seconds 32. Scarecrow stuffing 33. Jagged, as a leaf's edge 34. *2014 Olympic site 36. ___ gin fizz 38. Can be done in our out 42. Manuscript sheet 45. Quick, to Dora 49. Ed.'s request 51. *To be hit in winter? 54. "A Fish Called Wanda" star 56. Andean animal 57. Move like lava 58. Bulgarian money 59. All excited 60. Cairo's waterway 61. Maitre d's list 62. Copycat 63. Fabled racer 66. *Hot buttered ___ 68. Caustic chemical

CROSSWORD

SOLUTIONS FROM LAST WEEK'S PUZZLE

SUDOKU

TRIVIA

1. Black-eyed peas are not peas. What are they? 2. What was the name of Cheerios when it was first marketed 50 years ago? 3. What food is the leading source of salmonella poisoning?

4. What was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles favorite food? Answers from Last Week: 1:Snapple. 2: Easier for toasting. 3: A&P. 4: Rice. THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014 | 23

THE HAPPENINGS Through Jan. 3

The Librarians Exhibit at Queens College

largest gingerbread exhibit. And, come, Jan. 12, you’ll be able to take a piece of the gingerbread extraordinaire home with you. Gingerbread houses will be given away while supplies last. The line will open at 10 a.m., and the giveaway starts at noon.

Through Jan. 19

Queens International Thursday at noon. For more information, call (718) 990-8502.

Friday, Jan. 3

Queens College Art Center 62-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing Many of us have spent some time in a library, but few have actually spent time with a librarian. This exhibit celebrates the keepers of books, folios and prints - the people who have quietly kept the annals of contemporary culture and history.

Through Jan. 12

Gingerbread Lane at New York Hall of Science

Howard Beach Senior Center Bridge

155-55 Crossbay Blvd. The Howard Beach Senior Center offers a variety of bridge playing experiences. There is supervised bridge on Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and duplicate bridge is offered on Fridays from 12:45 Queens Museum p.m. to 2:45 p.m. The Howard Beach Senior Center Flushing Meadows Corona Park is now located across from Waldbaums on Cross Bay Queens International is a biennial that showcases Boulevard and is open to anyone 60 or older. the borough’s vibrancy and diversity via artists who For more information, call (718) 738-8100. live and work in Queens. The exhibit celebrates the museum’s grand reopening and expansion and is curated by Meiya Chang and Hitomi Iwasaki. For the first time in the biennial’s history, the exhibit welcomed artists from all genres to submit their proposals. For more information, call (718) 592-9700.

Yoga in Howard Beach

Thursday, Jan. 2

Howard Beach Senior Center Art Class

47-01 111th St., Corona Be sure to meander through the facility’s “gingerbread lane” before it ends Jan. 12. While at the lane, you’ll be able to marvel at homemade gingerbread houses that are drafted, designed, baked, planned, built, and decorated by chef Jon Lovitch over the course of an entire year. Gingerbread Lane is a 1.5-ton, 300-square-foot village made entirely of edible gingerbread, royal icing, and candy - and it’s a contender for the Guinness World Record for the

155-55 Crossbay Blvd. The Howard Beach Senior Center will offer art classes with a certified teacher from 9:30 a.m. to Howard Beach Senior Center 11:30 a.m., as well as from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. 155-55 Cross Bay Blvd. 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. All individuals age 60 and older are welcome to All seniors, ages 60 and over, are welcome to attend attend. The center is located on Crossbay Boulevard yoga with Charlie Roemer every Friday morning. across from Waldbaums. For more information, For more information, call (718) 738-8100. call the center at (718) 738-8100.

Exercise at Ridgewood Older Adult Center

59-14 70th Ave., Ridgewood 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Seniors age 60 and older are welcome to attend the one-hour Richard Simmons exercise activity each Thursday beginning at 10:30 a.m. For more information, please call Karen at the center at (718) 456-2000.

Writing Club

Yoga at Ridgewood Older Adult Center

59-14 70th Ave., Ridgewood 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Seniors age 60 and older are welcome to attend a yoga class with Rosemarie Augoustatos every Friday. For more information, please call Karen at the center at (718) 456-2000.

Job Search Help and Computer Training

Queens Library at Seaside Queens Library at Ridgewood 20-12 Madison St. 92-25 Rockaway Beach Blvd. 12 p.m. Are you having a tough time finding a job? Do you The writing group at the Seaside Library meets every need help formatting your resume, creating an email 24 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014

We'll show you how to have a good time... Enjoy your community. account, deciding which jobs to apply for, or filling out job applications online? Visit the library during dropin hours for individual assistance. Drop-in hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays. Preregistration is required at jobmap.queenslibrary.org. Please call (718) 990-8625 for more information.

Dance Fitness for Adults

Queens Library at Richmond Hill 118-14 Hillside Ave. 5:30 p.m. Instructor Narupa Deonarine teaches easy-to-follow dance steps to increase cardiovascular fitness and tone your body. Space is limited, and participation is on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, please call (718) 849-7150.

Saturday, Jan. 4

O’Neill’s Hosts Beach Party to Benefit Rockaway

Monday, Jan. 6

Job Search Help and Computer Training

Howard Beach Chair Aerobics

Howard Beach Senior Center 155-55 Cross Bay Blvd. 10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. All seniors, ages 60 and over, are welcome to attend chair aerobics with Charlie Roemer. Queens Library at Ridgewood For more information, 20-12 Madison St. call the center at (718) 738-8100. Are you having a tough time finding a job? Do you need help formatting your resume, creating an email account, deciding which jobs to apply for, or filling out job applications online? Visit the library during dropin hours for individual assistance. Drop-in hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays and from 11 a.m. Queens Library at Ozone Park to 3 p.m. on Fridays.Preregistration is required at 92-24 Rockaway Blvd. jobmap.queenslibrary.org. All adults are welcome to attend the free computer Please call (718) 990-8625 for more information. courses: introduction to computers, Microsoft Word, the internet, and email. Space is limited, and preregistration is required. To register or for more information, please call (718) 845-3127.

Thursday, Jan. 9

Computers for Beginners

Exercise at Ridgewood Older Adult Center

59-14 70th Ave., Ridgewood 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Seniors age 60 and older are welcome to attend the O’Neill’s Restaurant one-hour Richard Simmons exercise activity each 64-21 53rd Dr., Maspeth Monday beginning at 10:30 a.m. 1:30 p.m. Rego Park Jewish Center 9:30 p.m. For more information, 97-30 Queens Blvd., between 64th and 65th roads O’Neill’s will host its first annual “Halfway to Summer” please call Karen at the center Come play bingo at the Rego Park Jewish Center beach party to benefit the charitable organization at (718) 456-2000. every Tuesday afternoon in January and February. Friends of Rockaway. Sponsored in part by Corona, There are cash prizes and friendly games. Everyone the beach party will feature renowned surf band age 18 and over is welcome. Doors open at 1:30 “Strange But Surf,” which will play two sets beginning Ridgewood Older Adult Center p.m., the early bird game is held at 2 p.m., and regular at 9:30 p.m. 59-14 70th Ave., Ridgewood games begin at 2:15 p.m. A $4 admission includes 12 All bottles of Corona will be $3, and O’Neill’s 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. games. bartenders will serve a special cocktail in honor of Seniors age 60 and older are welcome to attend a There are also special games, including Jackpot, the occasion called The Rock Lobster. Proceeds jewelry making class every Monday. Early Bird Share the Wealth game, Diamond from all sales of the specialty drink will go to Friends For more information, Share the Wealth game, and Tri-color game, for an of Rockaway. please call Karen at the center additional charge. They are all paper games. Representatives from Friends of Rockaway will be on at (718) 456-2000. There is a progressive jackpot bonus - win the jackpot hand to share their cause with those in attendance in 55 or less numbers, and bonus ball games. A food and to detail both the progress made since the concession is available, and there is no smoking. devastation of Hurricane Sandy and the daunting Ridgewood Older Adult Center For more information, work that still remains. 59-14 70th Ave., Ridgewood call the center at (718) 459-1000. In addition, Corona representatives will be at the bar 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. to raffle off some of their beach gear, including flip Seniors age 60 and older are welcome to attend a flops, towels, coolers, umbrellas, and an Extra Weber computer class every Monday. grill. Proceeds from the raffle will also go to Friends For more information, please call Karen at the of Rockaway. center at (718) 456-2000. For more information, call (718) 672-9696.

Tuesday, Jan. 14

Afternoon Bingo in Rego Park

Jewelry Making in Ridgewood

Computer Class for Seniors

Saturday, Feb. 9

Tai Chi in Howard Beach

The Frog Prince & Peter and the Wolf

Queens College, LeFrak Concert Hall 62-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing 3 p.m. Come and hear Victoria Bond’s lively new score for the wonderful tale, The Frog Prince. Paired with Prokofiev’s timeless introduction to the instruments, Peter and the Wolf, these two classic tales will be brought to life by the Queens Symphony Orchestra and are sure to resonate with the young and young at heart alike. Additionally, join the musicians in the concert hall atrium at 2 p.m. as they warm up for the afternoon 118-14 Hillside Ave., Richmond Hill concert. There will be the opportunity to meet the 5 p.m. musicians and try out some of the instruments. Children ages 6 to 12 and their families are invited Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children age 13 and to the Richmond Hill Library’s game night htat is held under, and $10 for adults over the age of 65. Tickets every Monday evening. There will be board games, may be purchased online at www.kupferbergcenter. puzzles and Legos. org, by phone at (718) 793-8080, or in person at the For more information, Kupferberg Center for the Arts bo office located in the call the library at (718) 849-7150. Colden Auditorium.

Howard Beach Senior Center 155-55 Cross Bay Blvd. 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. All seniors, ages 60 and over, are welcome to attend the tai chi classes, taught by Elaine Fleischman. For more information, call the center at (718) 738-8100.

Game Night at Richmond Hill Library

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014 | 25

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Legal Notices SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK – COUNTY OF QUEENS INDEX # 3003/13 FILED: 10/7/2013 SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS AND NOTICE Plaintiff designates Queens County as the place of trial. Venue is based upon the County in which the mortgage premise is situated. JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, S/B/M CHASE HOME FINANCE LLC, Plaintiff(s), against FRANK ALI, his respective heirs-atlaw, next of kin, distributes, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignees, lienors, creditors and successors in interest, and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendants who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise, any right title or interest in and to the premise describe in the complaint herein, CITY OF NEW YORK ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD, CITY OF NEW YORK DEPARTMENT TRANSPORTATION PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE, ANITA JAVIER, JESSIE CRUZ, Defendant(s). TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEYS FOR THE MORTGAGE COMPANY WHO FILED THIS FORECLOSURE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT, A DEFAULT JUDGMENT MAY BE ENTERED AND YOU CAN LOSE YOUR HOME. SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY OR GO TO THE COURT WHERE YOU CASE IS PENDING FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON HOW TO ANSWER THE SUMMONS AND PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY. SENDING A PAYMENT TO YOUR MORTGAGE COMPANY WILL NOT STOP THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not

serviced with this summons, to serve a notice of appearance on the Plaintiff’s attorney within 20 days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York); and in case of your failure to appear judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT: THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is to foreclose on a mortgage which was duly recorded under CRFN: 2009000137904 in the office of the Clerk of the County of QUEENS, on May 8, 2009, and the New York State recording tax was duly paid thereon, covering premises known as 130-38 125 Street, South Ozone Park, NY 11420. (Block: 11762 Lot: 66). The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt described above. To the above named Defendants: The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of the Hon. Thomas D. Raffaele, Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, dated November 15, 2013 and filed on November 22, 2013 along with the supporting papers in the office of the Clerk of the County of Queens. This is an action to foreclose on a mortgage. ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York. BLOCK: 11762 LOT: 66 said premises known as 130-38 125 Street, South Ozone Park, NY 11420. YOU ARE HEREBY PUT ON NOTICE THAT WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. By reason of the default in the payment of the monthly installment of principal and interest, among other things, as hereinafter set forth, Plaintiff, the holder and owner of the aforementioned note and mortgage, or their agents have elected and hereby accelerate the mortgage and declare the entire mortgage indebtedness immediately due and payable. The following amounts are now due and owing on said mortgage, no part of any of which has been paid although duly demanded: Entire principal

26 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014

Balance in the amount of $770,798.23 plus interest and late charges from September 1, 2008. UNLESS YOU DISPUTE THE VALIDITY OF THE DEBT, OR ANY PORTION THEREOF, WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER YOUR RECEIPT HEREOF THAT THE DEBT, OR ANY PORTION THEREOF, IS DISPUTED, THE DEBTOR JUDGMENT AGAINST YOU AND A COPY OF SUCH VERIFICATION OR JUDGMENT WILL BE MAILED TO YOU BY THE HEREIN DEBT COLLECTOR. IF APPLICABLE, UPON YOUR WRITTEN REQUEST, WITHIN SAID THIRTY (30) DAY PERIOD, THE HEREIN DEBT COLLECTOR WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR. IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED A DISCHARGE FROM THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT, YOU ARE NOT PERSONALLY LIABLE FOR THE UNDERLYING INDEBTEDNESS OWED TO PLAINTIFF/CREDITOR AND THIS NOTICE/DISCLOSURE IS FOR COMPLIANCE AND INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE New York State requires that we send you this notice about the foreclosure process. Please read it carefully. SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT You are in danger of losing your home. If you fail to respond to the summons and complaint in this foreclosure action, you may lose your home. Please read the summons and complaint carefully. You should immediately contact an attorney or your local legal aid office to obtain advice on how to protect yourself. SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE The State encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. In addition to seeking assistance from an attorney or legal aid, there are government agencies, and non-profit organizations that you may contact for information about possible options, including trying to work with your lender during this process. To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by New York state Banking Department at 1-877-Bank-NYS or visit the Department’s website at www. banking.state.ny.us FORECLOSURE RESCUE SCAMS Be careful of people who approach you with offers to “save” your home. There are individuals who watch for notices of foreclosure actions in order to unfairly profit from a homeowner’s distress. You should

be extremely careful about any such promises and any suggestions that you pay them a fee or sign over your deed. State law requires anyone offering such services for profit to enter into a contract which fully describes the services they will perform and fees they will charge, and which prohibits them from taking any money from you until they have completed all such promised services. Section 1303 NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving the copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you may lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING AN ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Leopold & Associates, PLLC, Attorney for the Plaintiff, 80 Business Park Drive, Suite 301, Armonk, NY 10504 File # 201202223 Notice of Formation (LLC). Name: SEMPERIDE LLC Articles of Organization filed with NY Dept. of State on 10/25/13. Office location: Queens COUNTY. NY DOS shall mail copy of process to: 9153 79TH STREET, WOODHAVEN, NY, 11421 Purpose: Any lawful activity Notice of Qualification of 41-25 CASE STREET, LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/13/13. Office location: Queens County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 09/11/13. Princ. office of LLC: c/o A & E Real Estate Holdings, LLC, 1065 Ave. of the Americas, NY, NY 10018. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Douglas F. Eisenberg at the princ. office of the LLC. DE addr. of LLC: Corporation Service Co., 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

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Legal Notices DMSB REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT LLC, a domestic LLC, filed with the SSNY on 11/21/13. Office location: Queens County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to The LLC, 100-18 40th Rd., Apt. 1RB, Corona, NY 11368. General Purpose. NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: JJM REALTY HOLDINGS LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of NewYork (SSNY) on 12/06/13. The latest date of dissolution is 12/31/2113. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to the LLC, c/o Kalb & Rosenfeld P.C., 283 Commack Road, Commack, New York 11725. Purpose: For any lawful purpose. MWB PROPERTIES, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/30/05. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 32-75 Steinway St., Ste. 212, Astoria, NY 11103. Purpose: any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of SOCIETE RACINE LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on 05/01/13. Office located in Queens. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC at 110-06 72nd Avenue, Apt #2A, Forest Hills, NY 11375. Purpose: any lawful purpose.

TRI FUTURE VISION LLC Arts of Org. filed NY Secy of State (SSNY) 10/9/13. Office:Queens Co. SSNY design. agent of LLC upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy to 5822 Hewlett St. Little Neck NY 11362. Purpose: any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of 34-09 83RD STREET, LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/13/13. Office location: Queens County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 09/11/13. Princ. office of LLC: c/o A & E Real Estate Holdings, LLC, 1065 Ave. of the Americas, NY, NY 10018. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Douglas F. Eisenberg at the princ. office of the LLC. DE addr. of LLC: Corporation Service Co., 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of 11-11 CLIFFS, LLC, a domestic LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/14/2013. Office location: QUEENS County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: The LLC, 16741 147TH AVENUE JAMAICA NY 11434. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose. Notice of Formation of ADVANCE ALARM ASSOCIATES, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/13/13. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 7014 13th Avenue, Suite 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Legal Notices Notice of Formation. Name: UNPLUG KIDS LLC Articles of Organization filed with NY Dept. of State on 10/29/13. Office location: Queens COUNTY. NY DOS shall mail copy of process to: The LLC 3908 44th Street, Sunnyside, NY 11104. Purpose: Any lawful activity. KTG NYC LLC, a domestic LLC, filed with the SSNY on 11/14/13. Office location: Queens County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Todd V. Lamb, Esq., 424 W. 49th St., Ste. 4B, NY, NY 10019. General Purpose. Name of LLC: 37-66 72nd Street, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with NY Dept. of State: 11/22/13. Office loc.: Queens Co. Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: Omar Lopera, Esq., 37-21 75th St., 2nd Fl., Jackson Heights, NY 11372, regd. agt. upon whom process may be served. Purpose: any lawful act. NOTICE OF FORMATION OF NORTHERN MOUNTAIN LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/6/13. Office location: QUeens County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to principal address: 5115 Bowne St Flushing, NY 11354. Purpose: any lawful act. Tani’s Group Family Day Care Limited Liability Company Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/4/13. Office in Queens Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 101-15 34th Ave, Corona, NY 113681116. Purpose: General. Notice of Formation of P&R ASTORIA, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/06/13. Office location: Queens County. Princ. office of LLC: 15450 12th Rd., Whitestone, NY 11357. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF FORMATION of CASA BARROSO, LLC. Art. of Org. filed w/ Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/8/13. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent for service of process. SSNY shall mail process to: 45-16 44 St. #6E, Sunnyside, NY 11104. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of MAY SQUARED REAL ESTATE LLC. Arts of Org. filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 4/24/13. Office: Queens. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to The LLC, 255-07 61st Avenue, 1st Floor, Little Neck, NY 11362. Purpose: any lawful activity. DATE WRITE LLC, a domestic LLC, filed with the SSNY on 8/28/13. Office location: Queens County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: James Swierczewski, 79-17 Pitkin Ave., Ozone Park, NY 11417. General Purposes. Notice of Formation of C & D JIAN LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/3/13. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 43-18 Main Street, 1/F, Flushing, NY 11355. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of 1128 DECATUR STREET, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/05/13. Office location: Queens County. Princ. office of LLC: 210 Hollywood Ave., Douglaston, NY 11363. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity. NOTICE OF FORMATION of DIGITAL VILLAIN STUDIOS, LLC. Art. of Org. filed w/Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/5/13. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent for service of process. SSNY shall mail process to: 7014 13th Avenue, Suite 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: Any lawful activity. SAYEED DEVELOPMENT I LLC. Articles of Organization were filed RHIZOME HOLDINGS LLC filed an with the Secretary of State of New App. for Authority with the Dept. of York (SSNY) on 09/24/13. Office State of NY on 3/26/2013. Jurisdiction: location: Queens County. SSNY has DE and the date of its organization been designated as agent of the is: 3/25/2013. Office location in NYS: LLC upon whom process against Queens County . The Secretary of the it may be served. SSNY shall mail State of NY (“SSNY”) is designated as a copy of process to the LLC, c/o agent upon whom process against it BraunsteinTurkish LLP, 7600 Jericho may be served, the address to which Turnpike, Suite 402, Woodbury, New the SSNY shall mail a copy of such York 11797, ATT: Harry Braunstein. process is: 104-29 37th Road, Corona Purpose: For any lawful purpose. NY 11368.Address maintained in its jurisdiction is: 615 So. DuPont Hwy, Amira & Afia LLC Arts. of Org. filed Dover DE19901. The authorized with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on officer in its jurisdiction of organization 10/7/13. Office in Queens Co. SSNY where a copy of its Certificate of desig. agent of LLC upon whom process Formation can be obtained is: DE against it may be served. SSNY shall Sec’ty of State, 401 Federal St. #4, mail process to c/o Suleman Merchant, Dover DE 19901. The purpose of the 6265 Booth St, Rego Park, NY 11374. company is: any lawful act. Purpose: General. THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014 | 27

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Father of Young Boy Killed in Hit-and-Run on Christmas By Anna Gustafson The 29-year-old father of a young son was hit and killed while crossing Astoria Boulevard near 104th Street in East Elmhurst early Christmas morning, according to police and other reports. Enrique Clemente-Ovando, who lived in Elmhurst with his wife and 4-year-old son, was struck around 4:30 a.m. after reportedly leaving a Christmas celebration with his family. The driver sped off, and police are continuing the investigation. Clemente-Ovando was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the NYPD said. Originally from Mexico, Clemente-Ovando had moved to Queens about eight years ago with his wife and had been working as a dishwasher at a restaurant on Northern Boulevard. Police said the vehicle that struck the young father may be a beige Toyota Camry with a Pennsylvania license plate. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the NYPD at (800) 577-8477, visit www. nypdcrimestoppers.com or text

274637 end enter TIP577. The man’s death comes at a time when borough legislators, civic leaders and other residents are calling on the city to take a closer look at Queens - a borough that has been plagued by pedestrian accidents. Last week, an 8-year-old boy, Noshat Nahian, was killed after being struck by a tractor-trailer while walking to his Woodside elementary school last Friday. The student, who was carrying a present for his teacher, was accompanying his 11-year-old sister to PS 152 when an allegedly unlicensed truck driver struck and killed him at the intersection of Northern Boulevard and 61st Street, according to police. Mauricio Osorio-Palominos, 51, of Newark, was arrested and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and operation of a vehicle in violation of safety rules, cops said. Residents throughout the borough have said that intersections near schools must be made safer for students - and many have called for an increase in crossing guards, positions that have been cut under outgoing Mayor Bloomberg.

ed Family own 4 years. r5 o f d e t a r e and op tion, c e l e s n i t The bes ng. i c i r p d n a service

At a vigil held by the group Make Queens Safer and Woodside on the Move, as well as a number of borough legislators, safety advocates called for the NYPD to enforce existing traffic laws, the city Department of Transportation to expedite the installation of 20 mile-per-hour speed limits and traffic calming infrastructure to protect pedestrians, and for the city to involve community members in changing laws and increasing local action to save pedestrian lives. Additionally, just one day after the 8-year-old boy died, a motorcyclist and elderly pedestrian died after the biker struck the woman crossing Queens Boulevard in Woodside last Saturday, according to the NYPD. Darien Baker, 31, of Yonkers, crashed his motorcycle into a 78-year-old woman crossing Queens Boulevard and 58th Street, police said. Both Baker and the woman were pronounced dead at Elmhurst Hospital. Following an increase in pedestrians coming to Elmhurst Hospital after accidents, the hospital recently held a pedestrian injury summit to address the problem they said is plaguing Queens.

Boys and Girls Club Dedicate Center to Boro Pres

In her final appearance as Queens borough president, Helen Marshall, right, attended the dedication of the Helen M. Marshall Learning Center at the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Queens in Richmond Hill last Friday. The new learning center will host educational programs, including homework help, tutoring, and a new technologically advanced literacy and math program that will aid students in meeting new core competency standards. Marshall has long supported the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Queens and allocated $4.75 million to the club’s ongoing

expansion and renovation efforts during her tenure as borough president. From part of that funding, the club will in 2014 open a new building adjacent to its current facility at 110-04 Atlantic Ave. Renovation of its existing facility will also begin in 2014, thanks in part to Marshall's support. Joining Marshall for the unveiling of the learning center’s ceremonial plaque was Joseph Ferraro, pictured at left, chairman emeritus of the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Queens. Photo Courtesy Borough President’s Office

Bob's Tropical Pets Proudly Announces The Opening of our State-of-the-Art

PUPPY NURSERY

Come down and check out our wide selection of quality puppies. From Teacups to Toys and a select number of large breeds. If you don’t see what you like let us find it for you!

Open Monday-Saturday 10 am – 7 pm Sunday 11 am – 5 pm

Bob's Tropical Pets 57-45 Myrtle Ave in Ridgewood

718-821-2872 NO CAGES The puppies spen d their time in safe and sound glass en closures that feature customized drinking adaptors and individual drai nage systems to ensure the height of sanitary conditions. Get to know puppies in private viewing rooms.

MONEY BACK GUARANTEE 100% MONEY BACK Plus a one-year heredity guarantee. EVERY PURCHASE INCLUDES UP TO DATE SHOTS AND A FREE VET VISIT holiday needs. We'll stay open as late as you need us to!

E E PURCHAS WORRY FRE from a u meet comes yo y pp pu ry ve E rd USDA breede quality, license PY MILL. NEVER A PUP

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014 | 29

Blaze Tears Through Richmond Hill Radiology

WHBVFD Rushes to Two-Car Collision in Howard Beach

Richard York/The Forum Newsgroup

Firefighters battled a two-alarm blaze in a two-story structure that houses Richmond Hill Radiology at 116-14 Myrtle Ave. on Saturday, Dec. 21. The FDNY responded to the blaze at about 11:30 p.m. that night following a report of a heavy fire on the second floor and in the attic. The building houses the radiology business on the first and second floors and file storage in the attic. The fire was declared under control at 12:45 p.m., according to the FDNY.

Richard York/The Forum Newsgroup

The West Hamilton Beach Volunteer Fire Department responded with one of its newest ambulances to a two-car accident on 157th Avenue and 99th Street on Dec. 24. One vehicle ended up on the front lawn of a private dwelling, while the other came to a stop in the street, according to onlookers. The volunteer fire department transported one driver with minor injuries to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. The accidents marks the first emergency run taken by a new ambulance at the WHBVFD - one of two that the department recently received to aid the fleet after being impacted by Hurricane Sandy last year.

Runners Hit Road Race in Forest Park

Photo Courtesy the Queens Economic Development Corporation

More than 50 participants, including members of Queensboro Tri, Alley Pond Striders, North Brooklyn Runners and Prospect Park Track Club, hit Queens green space last Sunday during the Toy Drive Forest Park 5 Miler. Organized by the newly formed nonprofit Queens Distance Runners, this first-ever run made loops through the park before finishing near Metropolitan Avenue. Ricardo Cauhizo won the men’s division, while Blanca Lucero took women’s division honors. The event had a charitable aspect as well, as some joggers brought toy donations for the Queens Centers for Progress to distribute to needy children. Plus, a portion of the event’s proceeds went to the Queens Tourism Council. The next Queens Distance Runners event will be a 10-kilometer tag team race in Cunningham Park on Feb. 15, 2014.

Because we know how much you love them…

VETERINARY CARE UNLIMITED

www.vetcareunlimited.com Like us on Facebook 84-09 Rockaway Blvd., Ozone Park 718-296-7700

At Veterinary Care Unlimited, our practice is centered around compassion. Our doctors and nurses are committed to excellence and constantly avail themselves to changes in technology, equipment, medications, therapies and nutrition. The team at Veterinary Care Unlimited has the tools to keep your pet healthy and give out all the help you need to care for them. Centrally located, at Veterinary Care Unlimited, you’re never more than 10 minutes away from quality pet care you can count on and trust. 30 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014

Hospice/Pallative Care for Aging Pets Laser Treatments and Puppy Kindergarten Classes

VACCINE DISCOUNT ON TUES., THURS. AND SUN

At Veterinary Care Unlimited, Dr. Theresa Paoloni and the entire staff are animal lovers who treat the members of your 4 – sometimes more or less – legged family members the same way you do. We understand those paw (and claw, feather and fin) prints on your hearts. We have them all over ours!

DISCOUNTS TO SENIORS, VETERANS, SERVICE PETS, AND MULTI-PET OWNERS WE OFFER BOARDING

OPEN 7 DAYS

ALL EXOTICS WELCOME

WHAT’S NEW AT GLENDALE IN 2014? NEW EXPANDED CLASSROOM WITH BRAND NEW CLASSES SUCH AS: SURF SET FITNESS AND POUND FITNESS BRAND NEW EQUIPMENT: HACK SQUAT Z CORE TRAINING BENCHES A WHOLE NEW SCHEDULE OF LIVE CLASSES INCLUDING: • ZUMBA • ZUMBA TONING • SPIN • BOOT CAMP • YOGA • KICKBOXING • ABS/CORE AND MUCH MORE!

GIFT

CERTIFICATES

AVAILABLE

$0 ENROLLMENT FEE Only good at Retro Glendale. Cannot be combined with other offers or passes. Expires 01/31/14.

$19.99 PER MONTH GUARANTEED FOR LIFE

Only good at Retro Glendale. Cannot be combined with other offers or passes. Expires 01/31/14.

1 FREE MONTH

Only good at Retro Glendale. Cannot be combined with other offers or passes. Expires 01/31/14.

1 FREE RETRO BLEND SMOOTHIE

Only good at Retro Glendale. Cannot be combined with other offers or passes. Expires 01/31/14.

23,000 SQ. FT. OF FITNESS!!! Tons of Cardio with 17” LCD Screens Large Free Weight Area Enjoy Your Favorite Movies in our Huge Retro Theater

Boxing/MMA (Equipment) Fitness on Request: Kickboxing, Hi-Lo Aerobics, Cycling, Yoga, Pilates, ‘70s Dance, Senior Stretch Child Sitting & Tanning Available

Functional Training: Kettlebells, Battling Ropes and TRX® Trainer Totally Awesome Retro Blends® Smoothie Bar Access to All Retro Fitness Locations

So Much Equipment You’ll Never Have to Wait Again! Plenty of Parking Available DirecTV® NFL Sunday Ticket™, Watch Every Game While You Work Out

150

GLENDALE • 347-625-9445

65-45 Otto Road (right off Fresh Pond Road)

FREE PARKING SPACES! THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014 | 31

FREE HOME DELIVERY SALE STARTS 1/02/14

Star Cookies 2 lb. box ...................................................... $3.99 Lavalle Kidney Beans 14 oz. can ...................................... 99 ¢ Dozen Extra Large Eggs ................................................... $1.99 Maxwell House Coffee Regular 11.5 oz. can .................. $3.99

SALE ENDS 1/8/14

Bell & Evans Split Chicken Breast ...................................... $2.69 lb. Bell & Evans Thighs & Drumsticks ..................................... $2.69 lb. Bell & Evans Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast .............. $2.69 lb. Bell & Evans Whole Chickens ............................................. $2.69 lb. Bell & Evans Chicken Tenders ............................................ $2.69 lb. Bell & Evans Sliced Chicken Cutlets .................................. $4.99 lb. Center Cut Pork Chops Bone In .......................................... $1.99 lb.

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the thrill of a bargain has passed.

IT PAYS TO BUY THE BEST:

Boars Head Honey Ham ................................................. $7.99 lb. Boars Head Honey Turkey ............................................. $8.99 lb. Boars Head Swiss Cheese ............................................. $6.99 lb. Homemade Egg Salad .................................................... $2.99 lb. Homemade Chicken Salad ............................................. $4.99 lb. SANDWICH SPECIAL: Philly Cheese Steak Hero .................................................... $5.99

Not Responsible for Typographical Errors

California Iceberg Lettuce ......................................99 ¢ each Bananas ........................................................................59 ¢ lb. Eastern Potatoes 5 lb. bag ............................................. $1.79 California Tomatoes ....................................................99 ¢ lb. Broccoli ..................................................................$1.29 each Onions 2 lb. bag .............................................................. $1.49

32 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • January 2, 2014