Queens Chronicle 02-05-26

Serving Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, City Line and JFK Airport YOUR

CRACKDOWN CONDEMNED

Elected offi cials and faith leaders came to Borough Hall last Thursday to condemn federal offi cials’ aggressive crackdown on unlawful immigration, especially in Minnesota, where two American citizens were killed during confrontations with agents. U.S. Reps. Grace Meng, at m ic, and Gregory Meeks said the Department of Homeland Security should not get funding until it reins in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, right, called to abolish ICE entirely, and the City Council enacted a law banning it from Rikers Is land.

Samuels says reaching benchmark will be difficult without more funds, space Chancellor expresses concern on class size

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

New York City Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels told state lawmakers that meeting New York’s class size mandate will require thousands of additional teachers, expanded classroom space and long-term financial support, calling the effort one of the school system’s most complex and costly challenges.

Testifying before a state joint legislative education budget hearing, Samuels described class size reduction as a cornerstone of his academic vision, arguing smaller classrooms are critical to improving student achievement and strengthening teacher support.

“I believe deeply in the spirit of this law,” Samuels said. “To me, class size is not simply a box-checking exercise. It’s about ensuring that every child has the attention and support they deserve from their teacher.”

Samuels said the city made substantial progress during the last school year, funding and staffing nearly 3,700 teaching positions.

As a result, 64 percent of classes across the system now fall below state-mandated caps, including

exemptions, Samuels said. He highlighted particularly strong gains in early grades, where kindergarten through third grade saw a “28.7 point increase in compliance.”

But the schools chief warned that reaching the next benchmark will be significantly more difficult, calling the 80 percent threshold a “formidable undertaking.”

State officials can withhold funding if the goal is not met.

understanding of the magnitude of that job,”

Liu said, noting that the mayor had already launched initiatives to increase teacher hiring.

But Liu said staffing alone will not resolve overcrowding and urged the chancellor to address the shortage of classroom space.

this legislation,” Samuels said.

It was a sentiment shared by state Education Commissioner Betty Rosa, who earlier testified, “We are going to have a major difficulty getting to 80 percent.” She cited concerns with both construction and staffing.

Based on feedback from schools and labor partners, Samuels said, the city must hire at least 6,000 additional teachers.

That expansion, according to the chancellor, would cost at least $602 million per year.

“This will be our most significant hiring target since the enactment of

As part of her executive budget proposal, Gov. Hochul said state education spending would total $39.3 billion, the highest level in state history.

While emphasizing the importance of smaller class sizes, Samuels said implementation must remain realistic and balanced with other priorities, including student support and integration efforts.

State Sen. John Liu (D-Bayside), chair of the New York City Education Committee, acknowledged Samuels’ comprehension of the challenge.

“I feel like you certainly have an

Samuels responded that the city is evaluating how existing facilities are being used before committing to large-scale construction projects. He said some overcrowded schools are located near underutilized buildings that could help relieve pressure.

Liu agreed that maximizing current space is necessary but emphasized that the city should build schools and additions to existing ones.

“There are some schools that have space outside their current buildings where you could build on the school property,” Liu said. “That is also an option to create more classroom space, and then finally, we definitely do need to build more schools, partic-

ularly at the high school level.”

He warned that such projects are costly and time-consuming but said the city cannot delay planning.

“The city has not yet put forth a plan,” Liu said, adding that lawmakers expect one soon. “I’ll be the one to say it — that you’re new, the mayor is new — but we’re going to need a plan from you as soon as possible, within the coming weeks.”

Samuels acknowledged the scale of potential construction needs, citing discussions with the School Construction Authority about adding as many as 30,000 new seats citywide. But he said focusing exclusively on new buildings would be prohibitively expensive.

“If we are supposed to make this all about buildings, that’s a $16 billion project,” Samuels said, noting that roughly $3 billion is currently available for additional projects.

After questioning, Liu ultimately expressed confidence in Samuels’ leadership as the city navigates the mandate’s implementation.

“We have very, very high hopes for you,” Liu said, “and I know that you’re going to do your best to meet them.” Q

CONZA | MCNAMARA

J. CONZA, ESQ.

CYNTHIA

EDWARD R. MCNAMARA, ESQ.

State Sen. John Liu, left, on Jan. 29 questioned city Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels on plans to meet the state’s class size mandate after the schools chief’s testimony during a joint legislative education budget hearing.

SCREENSHOTS VIA NYS SENATE VIDEO / YOUTUBE

Hearing gives clarity on Linden rezoning

Building proposal goes before the relevant City Council subcommittee

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Representatives for a proposed development at 78-08 Linden Blvd. used a City Council hearing to clarify any remaining questions regarding the Lindenwood site.

Appearing before the Council’s Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises on Feb. 3, Lisa Orrantia, one of four project representatives who testified, described the property as “in a transitional area, with higher-density commercial and residential buildings west of 79th Street, and lower-density residences east of 79th Street.”

Orrantia said the land is now zoned as R4/C1-2 — a lowdensity residential district with commercial space. The site is home to a shopping center and a Walgreens.

The development, proposed by Linden Canyon, LLC, would consist of two buildings, six and 12 stories, with 224,000 square feet of residential and community facility floor area; 267 income-restricted residential units, including 97 for seniors; and 86 residential parking spaces. It incorporates flood-resilient features and will be financed by the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development as 100 percent affordable housing.

In order to make the proposal a reality, the applicants are seeking a zoning change to the property along Linden Boulevard to R7D/C2-D and to R6A mid-block, which Orrantia said is “suitable for a spacious intersection and a major roadway with access to public transportation and outdoor recreation space.”

Per the Department of City Planning, R6A zoning allows for six- to eight-story apartment buildings at or near the street line, and is designed to be compatible with older buildings found in medium-density neighborhoods.

While typical retail uses include grocery stores and restaurants, C2 districts permit broader options. R7D districts promote contextual development along transit corridors.

The proposal also seeks to establish a Mandatory Inclusionary Housing area and modify a 1976 restrictive declaration to allow as-of-right development.

The proposed district changes are compatible with the Jewel Streets Neighborhood Plan land use framework, according to Orrantia.

The building design was improved based upon community input, according to both the applicants’ representatives and Councilmember Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park), who testified that she “wholeheartedly supports” the project. It has also received conditional approval from Community Board 10 and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr.

Ariola admired that the applicant came to the community early in the process for input in order to ensure the development proposal is beneficial to all parties.

“[The development] would include a community facility use, which is really needed at this location, and we appreciate how the applicants have responded to the feedback of using a stacked model,” Ariola said, adding that the height and bulk of the project will be away from the two-family homes on 79th Street.

Other changes made due to community input include a lower street wall and building height along 79th Street and senior housing, as well as space for two community facilities.

The representatives told Ariola they would have the developers commit the conditions set forth by relevant parties in writing.

Questioned by Councilmember Farah Louis (D-Brooklyn), the subcommittee chair, on if HPD gave a timeline for closing on financing, the representatives said they are “in the queue” but do not have a deed.

Asked about an alternative plan if the deal cannot be closed within the next couple of years, Steve Sinacori, another representative for the applicant, said the developer is familiar with HPD timelines, primarily develops affordable housing and has done so since about 2005.

“We’re in the queue, and we intend to do this as 100 percent affordable housing,” Sinacori said. “That’s really the plan.” Q

the Month awarded Officer’s sharp eye results in key arrest

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

When a 17-year-old boy was fatally stabbed in Woodhaven last month, the neighborhood was shaken by the disturbing crime. And thanks to the memory of one hero cop, one suspect who fled the scene was eventually apprehended, leading to accolades from the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct Community Council on Tuesday evening.

“We all know that modern policing is a lot of high-tech tools,” said Capt. Pratima Maldonado, the commanding officer of the 102. “We got cameras, forensics, but at the end of the day, the most effective tool we have is a sharp officer who knows what they’re doing.”

Though there were no witnesses to the Jan. 9 stabbing, there was some footage that enabled cops to grab still images and put out wanted fliers. Maldonado said that most people would just glance at the wanted image and go on with their lives.

But Officer Arlette Martinez Aguilar, a

102

Pct.

Cop of

cop with the 102, took a hard look and recognized a familiar face.

“About a month and a half ago, when

Officer Martinez Aguilar had a brief routine interaction with a juvenile, it wasn’t major. It wasn’t something she was arrest-

ing him for, it was maybe a summons or just talking to him,” Maldonado explained.

But Martinez Aguilar remembered him. She went back to her body-worn camera footage and told her squad she had an interaction with him.

“She brought up the videos, and you can see clear as day that the same person seen in the [stabbing surveillance] video is on her body-worn camera,” Maldonado said.

Within a day and a half, detectives were able to put a probable cause Investigative Card out, meaning a digital alert in the department’s database, and the suspect was arrested.

Because of her good eye and memory, Martinez Aguilar was awarded Cop of the Month by the 102nd Precinct Community Council.

A second suspect in the stabbing was later apprehended. One meeting attendee remarked, “When [Martinez Aguilar] did that, she got two people off the street — because she remembered one, it led to the arrest of both.”

Representatives for the proposed development at 78-08 Linden Blvd. in Lindenwood testify before the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises on Feb. 3.

SCREENSHOT VIA NYC COUNCIL VIDEO / YOUTUBE

Officer Arlette Martinez Aguilar, center left, was named Cop of the Month at the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct Community Council meeting on Feb. 3. PHOTO BY KRISTEN GUGLIELMO

Pols denounce ICE actions far and near

Meng, Meeks call to defund it, absent guardrails; Richards wants it abolished

by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor

“They’re standing outside the Home Depot on Jamaica Avenue,” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said, of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. “My wife works a few blocks away, so she sees them in the morning, targeting our immigrant neighbors.”

Immigrants comprise nearly half of Queens’ population, and as two American citizens have been killed amid an aggressive federal crackdown on illegal arrivals in Minneapolis, lawmakers here are calling to protect the diverse communities they represent. U.S. Reps. Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica) and Grace Meng (D-Flushing) held a press conference at Borough Hall last Thursday to condemn “brutality” by ICE and demand that agents cease operations in Minnesota.

“When the people who are supposed to keep us safe are shooting Americans in cold blood in Minneapolis or kidnapping my constituents in Queens, something is deeply wrong,” Meng said.

Renee Good was shot in her car by an ICE agent on Jan. 7. Videos show that she started to drive after officers ordered her to get out of the vehicle, and was shot by an agent who had been standing in front of it as she turned the wheel. Whether she hit him remains contested, but federal officials say she did.

Kristi Noem, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said Good was a domestic terrorist.

Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse for veterans, was shot by federal agents Jan. 24. He had been holding a cell phone when he stood between the officer and a person who was pushed to the ground, before he was knocked down himself and then killed in a struggle, according to video analyses by various news outlets. Pretti, who was licensed to carry a

firearm, had one on his person.

“When our neighbors are being snatched from the street by masked ICE agents, those courageous enough to stand up and speak out should not have to face death,” Meeks said. He said also that when constitutional rights are “trampled on,” “we the people” will stand up and demand accountability.

Meng said she co-sponsored legislation calling for Noem’s impeachment, and will soon introduce new measures holding ICE to

a “high standard.”

Both Meng and Meeks said they would not vote to fund the DHS without guardrails to rein federal agents in. A stopgap measure to fund the DHS amid negotiations was among several spending bills that passed the House Tuesday. President Trump signed it, ending the partial government shutdown that started last Saturday morning.

But Richards went even further, saying ICE in its current state must be abolished.

“You can’t fix what they’re doing,” he said, after using terms such as the “American Taliban” and “Donald Trump’s gestapo” to describe ICE. “We have to abolish ICE and prosecute these agents who are violating our constitutional rights on a daily basis.”

Meeks did not echo that call, but said ICE should operate according to its originally stated mission of targeting criminal illegal immigrants.

Meeks and Meng said also that ICE agents are not following the law themselves, when asked about the Constitution’s supremacy clause granting precedence to federal law.

“Federal law and common police practice is, you don’t shoot down people in the middle of the street,” Meeks said in part, adding that the law will continue to be broken without open, fair investigations. The Department of

continued on page 15

Rikers City, state pols look to boost sanctuary laws

Hochul aims to limit local collusion with

by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor

Lawmakers are taking steps to strengthen New York’s sanctuary status as the Trump administration’s crackdown on unlawful immigration continues in full force.

The City Council last Thursday voted 44-7 to override former Mayor Eric Adams’ veto of the Safer Sanctuary Act, a bill by Councilmember Tiffany Cabán (D-Astoria) that bars federal immigration officials from having offices on land under the city Department of Correction’s jurisdiction, including the Rikers Island jail complex. An executive order issued during Adams’ administration sought to allow U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to reopen its prior office there, but the decree was ruled illegal.

The move would have allowed federal officials to get custody of criminal illegal immigrants more easily than if agents must find them on the streets.

The bill also amends definitions, including of the term “federal immigration authorities,” in the city’s Administrative Code “to account for current enforcement practices.”

“The Safer Sanctuary Act was precisely designed to protect New York City from the Trump-Vance administration’s authoritarianism,” Cabán said in a statement.

The day after the override, Gov. Hochul introduced legislation that would bar state

feds; Cabán

bill bans ICE

also is pushing to limit cooperation between local and federal law enforcement on immigration.

SCREENSHOT VIA NYC COUNCIL VIDEO, LEFT; PHOTO BY SUSAN

and local police from “acting as federal agents,” according to a press release from her office. Under the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, resources and personnel paid for by New York taxpayers could not be used for civil immigration enforcement, and federal officials could not use local detention centers for that purpose.

The bill would not ban local and federal

officials from collaborating on criminal investigations.

“Over the last year federal immigration agents have carried out unspeakable acts of violence against Americans under the guise of public safety,” Hochul said in a statement. “These abuses — and the weaponization of local police officers for civil immigration enforcement — will not stand in New York.”

from

She also has proposed establishing the right to bring state-level action against federal officials for constitutional rights violations and ensure that “sensitive locations,” including homes, are protected from immigration enforcement, absent a judicial warrant.

The introduction of the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act and the Council’s override come amid tension between civilians and immigration officials in Minnesota. Two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were shot by ICE agents there last month during fraught confrontations.

The Department of Homeland Security said its work with local police is “key to removing criminal illegal aliens.” Since Jan. 20, the DHS said, New York’s failure to honor ICE detainers has led to the release of almost 7,000 criminals here unlawfully.

“Instead of working with us, Governor Hochul is choosing to RELEASE violent criminals from her jails directly back into our communities to perpetrate more crimes and create more victims,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said her office continues to work with the feds on criminal pursuits, but local police must remain at the forefront of everyday law enforcement.

“The success of our work is contingent upon the trust and engagement of the local community,” Katz said. Q

Councilmember Tiffany Cabán, left, wore an “Abolish ICE” T-shirt last December as she called to enact the Safer Sanctuary Act, which was vetoed Dec. 31 and overridden last Thursday. Gov. Hochul

WATTS / NY GOVERNOR’S OFFICE / FLICKR

U.S. Reps. Gregory Meeks, at mic, and Grace Meng, second from right, joined Queens clergy members and BP Donovan Richards, center right, at a Borough Hall press conference denouncing ICE brutality.

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE G. MEDITZ

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Calls for safety perimeters and DOE programs follow high-profile crimes Council bills zeroing in on antisemitism

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

Council Speaker Julie Menin (D-Manhattan) already had been working a long time to introduce a series of bills aimed at tackling the city’s anitisemitism plague; and for weeks planned to introduce them at the newly elected Council’s stated meeting on Thursday, Jan. 29.

Then on Jan. 20, more than 70 swastikas were painted on playground equipment in a Brooklyn Park. On Jan. 27, Holocaust Remembrance Day, a rabbi from the Bukharian Jewish community in Forest Hills was attacked at the intersection of Queens and Yellowstone boulevards in broad daylight.

“And just last night ... a vehicle struck the entrance to Chabad world headquarters [in Crown Heights] in yet another deeply disturbing incident that is under investigation by the NYPD,” Menin said in opening the meeting.

Arrests have been made in all three cases. But Menin made it clear that they only emphasized the need to pass comprehensive legislation.

“Jan. 27 was Holocaust Remembrance Day, when we honor the memory of millions of Jewish people and other victims who were murdered during the Holocaust,” she added. “I really want to say as the daughter and granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, I would not be here today without their courage and strength.”

Council Speaker Julie Menin last Thursday introduced seven bills aimed at striking back against antisemitism in the city. At left, a photo of a vandalized sign in Jackson Heights is one of many included in a complaint calling for a federal investigation into antisemitic incidents in Queens.

PHOTO COURTESY HIRAM MONSERRATE,

Menin said while Jews make up about 10 percent of the city’s population, they are the victims in more than half of its reported hate crimes. Intro. 731, which she sponsors, would require police to submit a plan to establish security perimeters at places of religious worship.

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“It will fully protect the right to protest — I want to emphasize that,” Menin said.

Intro. 751, sponsored by Councilmembers Eric Dinowitz (D-Bronx) and Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park), would require police to submit a plan to establish security perimeters at educational facilities.

Intro. 726, by Councilmember Mercedes Narcisse (D-Brooklyn), would build upon an existing security guard reimbursement program for nonpublic schools.

Intro. 722, sponsored by Councilmembers Virginia Maloney (D-Manhattan) and Dinowitz, would require the mayor to designate an agency or office that, in consultation with NYC Emergency Management and the NYPD, would support religious institutions in establishing emergency plans.

Intro. 796, sponsored by Councilmember Lincoln Restler (D-Brooklyn), would establish a hotline for receiving reports from the public regarding incidents motivated by antisemitic, anti-Asia, and gender-based hate or bias.

Intro. 757, sponsored by Councilmembers Shaun Abreu (D-Manhattan) and Linda Lee (D-Oakland Gardens), would require the city Department of Education to distribute ageappropriate materials to middle and high school students regarding the risks and dangers associated with social media.

Intro. 2066, sponsored by Dinowitz, will require the Police Department to report on the status of hate crime cases.

The Council’s action comes amid a rise in antisemitic incidents nationwide and heightened concerns about safety around religious institutions in New York City. According to the NYPD, antisemitic incidents accounted for 57 percent of reported hate crimes in 2025. Q

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EDITORIAL AGEP

Class-size law is too much

How is it that while city public school enrollment has fallen from more than a million just a few years ago to fewer than 900,000 today, complying with the state’s class-size reduction law is a virtually impossible task that will require hiring many thousand more teachers? The numbers just do not add up.

School spending, as always, is at a record high. New York now invests more than $42,000 per pupil, more than just about any municipality in the country. The city’s public school budget is $42.8 billion. Yet we get mediocre results and are constantly told that more, more, more! is needed. And now educators are using the class-size reduction law as justification to get it.

New Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels told state lawmakers last Thursday that the city had staffed nearly 3,700 new teaching positions last year. As a result, 64 percent of classes now comply with the class-size mandates Albany imposed in 2022, which range from 20 to 25 students, depending on the grade level.

But in order to get to 80 percent compliance, Samuels said, the city would have to hire at least 6,000 more teachers, at a cost of $602 million a year. And don’t pre-

tend for a moment the cost would stay there — those teachers get raises and promotions, and use their healthcare benefits and then their pensions. Future taxpayers are on the hook for any expansion in the workforce.

Meanwhile, the city is facing a $12 billion deficit in the upcoming fiscal years, under a new mayor and City Council who never saw a potential “investment” in a new government program they didn’t like. Yet they have to cope with a governor running for reelection who insists there will be no hike in personal income taxes, and a president and Congress who (at least for now) are more inclined to cut aid to New York than increase it.

Still, the city continues to “hold harmless” any school that sees a drop in enrollment, and therefore should have its funding cut under the law. It never does. And due to the end of the migrant crisis, this comes up a lot.

Smaller class sizes are beneficial, though they are no magic bullet. Maybe the law goes too far and needs adjustment, like the insane bail “reforms” of 2019, the Rikers Island closure fantasy and the state climate emissions mandates Gov. Hochul is in court trying to avoid. Just shrink class sizes at a more reasonable pace.

It’s the weather’s fault

The snow situation continues to be lousy across the city, even though crews are working to remove it round the clock. You can tell by all the traffic jams you’ve gotten into, whether in your car or on the bus, as they push it all into big hills on boulevards prior to carting it off for melting.

The mayor is taking heat for not getting the streets cleared more quickly. And look, this page did not support him in the election and disagrees with much of his basic approach to things. But we can’t fault him for the snow’s staying power. That’s all about the weather we’ve had.

You know the story: Usually a large snowfall is followed fairly quickly by a warming trend that helps clear it up. Not this time! We had a nine-day cold snap, maybe the worst in 60 years, with highs below freezing; and then we barely got above that mark for a couple days. Now come more freezing days. It’s February, and the groundhog done us wrong.

The most serious result of the weather is the death of 16 people who were out of doors. City policies may have contributed to that, though how much is hard to say. But the city is not the reason so much of our world remains a frozen mess. Nature is. Hang in there; spring will come again.

MARK WEIDLER

President & Publisher

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LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

Mail always missing

Dear Editor:

I just wanted to let you know I appreciate your keeping the focus on the mail theft and disappearance issues in Queens (“Mail delivery issues trouble OZP and HB,” Jan. 15, South Queens edition, and “Meng sees national issues as very local,” Jan. 22, multiple editions).

The Maspeth Post Office had multiple instances of theft from the green relay boxes in 2025 — sometimes, it seemed, on a weekly basis — and I just had a bank statement not arrive last week (I have “informed delivery,” so I know what doesn’t arrive).

The Maspeth Post Office also has been plagued with many, many incidents in which mail sent out of the post office (literally — not through a mailbox but brought inside to the window) has vanished, never getting to its destination. This has happened to checks I have mailed, but they never got cashed. This was at its worst during Covid, when I was teleworking 100 percent and was forced to use the Maspeth Post Office. Eight checks and packages never arrived to where I mailed them, yet the checks, to this day, never have been cashed. I’ve since avoided mailing anything from Maspeth, but my neighbors say the problem persists.

As to filing a complaint with the Postal Service, either locally or through the inspector general or a 1 (800) phone number, they simply don’t care, and take the complaint but sound like they’d rather not bother. Our local politi-

cians are sympathetic to a point, but — ditto. It’s frustrating since I’ve had multiple pieces of mail stolen and I don’t see any solution to it. Thanks for your coverage and thanks for listening.

Rosemarie DiCristo Maspeth

Crossing guard needed

Dear Editor:

Thanks so much for a wonderful front-page story about the need for a school crossing guard at Russell Sage JHS (“Parents still push for FoHi crossing guard,” Jan. 29, page one, Central Queens edition). You did a great job contacting the key players and you demonstrated that this problem has been going on for years and our community has been very patient with the round-robin game.

We now have a new administration in City Hall. We deserve better than this. Hopefully, we will see some movement.

Your article has helped a lot to raise aware-

ness in the community about this dangerous situation. Several neighbors have contacted me about it already. I’ll be in touch as this story evolves.

Dr. Ida Messana Forest Hills

Our own Daily Planet

Dear Editor: It’s no coincidence that Superman disguises himself as the mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. With disappointing exceptions, every newspaper is the secret weapon defending our form of government and society. It’s truth, justice, and the American way in action, again with too many disappointing exceptions.

Let’s take a moment to be optimistic. You r Jan. 22 article “Meng sees national issues as very local,” front page in some editions, truly fulfills the best mission of good journalism. I’m grateful for the comprehensive presentation about one of our Queens representatives.

LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

I’m gratified that Rep. Grace Meng is so well-informed, collaborative and measured in her thinking. Her connection between AI and Queens College is insightful and exciting. I’m hopeful because her priorities are good for Queens. She talks about plans, strategies and congressional oversight. She talks about being “on the lookout for potential negative impacts.” I also wish the article had discussed the Gateway Tunnel project, which faces defunding.

I hope that this can be the first article in an ongoing series that provides similar coverage of each of our other elected officials who represent the borough in Washington. We need to be informed, and you’re doing the good work that Thomas Jefferson said was most essential for a democracy to survive.

Debra Michlewitz Bayside

Meng and U.S. history

Dear Editor:

Thank you for affording U.S. Congressmember Grace Meng an opportunity for a sitdown with the Chronicle (“Meng sees national issues as very local,” Jan. 22, multiple editions).

Perhaps because this year is the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, and given history’s proclivity to engage reruns, today echoes scenes of the extraordinarily bloody War for American Independence, staged with key skirmishes throughout New York City.

There may be no bayonets or cannonballs in sight but indisputably face-to-face First Amendment expression is engaging both existential and real rebellion.

Oh, what’s a member of Congress to do?

The legendary speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Tip O’Neill, may provide counsel from “the other side.” It was his father, he said, who introduced him to Byron Price’s 1932 adage, to wit, “All politics is local.”

Congressmember O’Neill said he learned a great deal from that admonition, earning him 17 successful and successive election victories.

Of course, in any battle, political or otherwise, it may be prudent for Meng, a former vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, first elected in 2016, to also recall that knowing when to retreat can be redemptive.

Frances Scanlon Flushing

Let us vote freely

Dear Editor:

According to a recent Gallup poll, a recordbreaking 45 percent of Americans now identify as independent, but here in New York, our election laws are stuck in the past. Over one million independent voters are locked out of participating in New York’s closed primary elections. Independent voters are the largest and fastestgrowing voting bloc in the country. In fact, 56 percent of Gen Z voters now reject two-party labels entirely.

Yet, establishment insiders dismiss us as “swing voters” and “confused leaners.” These dismissive labels ignore a critical truth: Nearly half of all voters are choosing to reject the twoparty system. Independent is a distinct identity. For me, it means voting for the person, not the

party. I want my elected officials to represent as such and not be swayed by party loyalty.

Taxpaying independent voters, like me, are barred from the most critical stage of our elections: closed primaries. We pay for these elections, yet we are told they are “private club meetings.”

Organizations like OpenPrimaries.org and LetUsVote.org, for which I volunteer, are leading the charge to fix this broken system with a simple, powerful principle: Primaries should be open in all states to all voters.

It is time to bridge the gap between our modern electorate and our outdated election laws. We must stop punishing independent thinking and start welcoming it.

Legislators in New York need to hear us. Let us vote.

Alice Rydel Manhattan

No trash bin, no help

Dear Editor:

Re “Bin mandate causes backlash, confusion,” Jan. 29, multiple editions:

Thank you for shopping at Otto, the exclusive provider of the NYC Bin!

Your order number is GTULA-7WG3V5YNCA-PJGKB. Please save this number for future reference. Here are the details of your order placed on 11/10/2025 ...

The details are I never got a bin.

I contacted NYC Sanitation and they told me to email the company!? As an individual I have no power, but NYC should’ve gotten my refund for me. Especially if the company has abandoned NYC or NYS. Even though they still promise a bin, I can’t do anything!

Alexander Glatt Woodhaven

Mayoral jail insanity

Dear Editor:

Just when I thought that Mayor Mamdani might replace woke fantasy with harsh reality, he proved me wrong.

Our city’s chief executive appointed ex-convict Stanley Richards, who served prison time for robbery, to run NYC’s Department of Correction. This is restorative justice on steroids. What’s next? Will our mayor appoint a convicted arsonist to run the Fire Department?

But what can you expect from a mayor who allows 14 people to freeze to death on city streets because he refuses to demolish homeless encampments and force their occupants into shelters? His madness has no limits, despite his very limited leadership skills.

Richard Reif

Kew Gardens Hills

ICE shootings revisited

Dear Editor:

“Yes, and how many deaths will it take ’til [we know] that too many people have died? The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind. The answer is blowin’ in the wind.”

— Bob Dylan, 1962

Stew Frimer Forest Hills

• Howard

Says city faces ‘serious fiscal crisis’ with preliminary budget due Feb. 17 Mayor slams Adams, Cuomo for $12B gap

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

With his preliminary budget plan for fiscal year 2027 due on Feb. 17, Mayor Mamdani went on offense last week, blaming former Mayor Eric Adams and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo for a looming $12 billion hole that must be closed by then.

“I will be blunt: New York City is facing a serious fiscal crisis,” Mamdani said. He accused Adams of deliberately underestimating costs for line items such as rental assistance, shelter and special education and pushing the gaps out to the future. He said in some instances, shortfalls are nearly double what was publicly disclosed.

“In 2025, under the banner of what he called the Best Budget Ever, former Mayor Eric Adams handed the next administration a poisoned chalice,” Mamdani said, as per the transcript of his Jan. 28 press conference. “He systematically under-budgeted services that New Yorkers rely on every single day ... And knowing his time in office was likely coming to an end, Mayor Adams chose political self-preservation over fiscal responsibility. This is not just bad governance. It is negligence ... Time and again, Adams kicked the can of responsibility down the road.”

Mamdani said that is plain to see in the numbers.

“It was a pattern,” Mamdani said. “He budgeted $860 million for cash assistance this fiscal year, but current estimates are $1.625 billion, nearly double what he had accounted for. He budgeted $1.47 billion for shelter costs this fiscal year, but current estimates reflected an additional, unaccounted for, $500 million. He budgeted paltry fractions of what was actually required, undermining the city’s ability to fulfill its promises.”

He also said Cuomo — who left office in 2021 — broadened the gap between what the city sends to Albany and what comes back in terms of state investment and assistance.

“[F]ormer Governor Andrew Cuomo extracted our City’s resources, using our revenue to address state-level holes, while withholding from the City what it was owed,” he said.

Mamdani renewed his call on Gov. Hochul and the Legislature to grant tax increases on wealthy New Yorkers and corporations, a large plank in his campaign platform.

He campaigned largely on promises of free services such as daycare and bus service, among others. Hochul, who is up for re-election in November, has at least for now ruled out an income tax hike, though

Mayor orders agency efficiency review post

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

One day after sounding the alarm over a $12 billion budget gap, Mayor Mamdani issued an executive order for all city agencies to designate an existing senior employee as chief savings officer.

The designee will report directly to the head of the agency and will have 45 days to review its operations, determine services that deliver the strongest results for New Yorkers and locate opportunities to streamline processes and eliminate waste.

The aim, according to a statement from the Mayor’s Office last Friday, is to help protect the services that New Yorkers rely upon and improve the efficiency of city government.

“Delivering public goods requires public excellence,” Mamdani said. “That means a government that respects New Yorkers by using every dollar wisely. By designating a Chief Savings Officer at every agency, we’re taking direct aim at waste, cutting through bureaucracy, and making city services work. These Chief Savings Officers will help ensure that every dollar we spend is in service of a

safer, cleaner, and more affordable city — and that our government meets the standard New Yorkers deserve.”

Under Executive Order 12, each city agency was given five days to designate an appointee and ensure each is given the necessary staff and data to meet Mamdani’s mandate.

The CSOs will have 45 days to complete a comprehensive assessment of each agency’s spending — analyzing the most expensive programs to understand major drivers of cost, as well as the highest-performing ones to register services with clear and meaningful results. They also will determine opportunities to consolidate services, “insource” programs and reduce wasteful expenses such as duplicative programs.

They will present their findings to the offices of the first deputy mayor and budget director. They will not focus on onetime accounting measures but rather on recurring savings and sustainable efficiencies. Additionally, they will complete updated assessments every six months, evaluating progress and identifying new opportunities for savings and efficiency. Q

she has indicated she is open to higher corporate rates.

Mamdani said his team will deliver a balanced budget proposal on Feb. 17. His office did not respond to requests from the Chronicle for comment on the culpability of the Council; whether he is willing to challenge unions over efficiency gains; and his plan if Albany does not deliver the desired tax increases.

Questioned at the press conference as to whether New York City sending more to Albany than it receives back is in the spirit of his desire for a wealth tax, Mamdani said there is a distinction.

“I think what we are seeing, however, is that the intent of this cost shifting was not to take care of needy New Yorkers elsewhere,” he said. “It was, in fact, to punish this city.”

Mamdani said last week he would seek “efficiencies and savings,” [see separate story in some editions or at qchron.com], but that such measures would not close the gap by themselves.

He did not cite any specific budget cuts he would support, saying details will be provided on Feb. 17. Adams, on X, said the mayor seems to have changed his tune since taking office.

“This is the same Mamdani who spent years attacking me for not spending enough during the migrant crisis,” Adams posted.

Mamdani wasn’t the only one.

In the budget process, a deal must be hammered out between the mayor and City Council before July 1, when the new fiscal year begins.

Every budget must be passed by the Council, and most of the members who approved budgets in the Adams administration still are in the chamber.

And just about every preliminary and executive budget plan from the Mayor’s Office was criticized by then-Speaker Adrienne Adams and Finance Committee Chairman Justin Brannan as well as others, who said the mayor was undercutting vital services and that the Council’s finance people projected more revenue than the Adams administration was forecasting to have in the checking account.

Once the Council leadership and the Mayor’s Office settled on a figure, it was usually noticeably higher than Adams’ initial proffers. The same would happen in late summer or early fall in years when Adams’ fiscal team called for midyear budget reductions based on adjusted revenue and spending trends. The cuts are called PEGs, short for Program to Eliminate the Gap.

Councilwoman Linda Lee (D-Oakland Gardens) is the new Finance Committee chair. Her office said in an email that she voted “yes” on all four of the budgets passed in the Adams administration.

“The underbudgeting of critical programs on which New Yorkers have long relied — such as housing vouchers, cash assistance, due process, and overtime — has been a key concern raised by the City Council for more than a decade,” Lee said. “The Council has consistently advocated for more realistic revenue projections and the incorporation of systemic savings into the budget. These actions would provide the public with a more accurate assessment of fiscal needs and existing gaps.”

Lee added that the Council is conducting its own review and updating its revenue projections and will rely on the preliminary budget proposal to more accurately identify any remaining gaps at the time of its release.

“Every budget passed under my administration was approved by the City Council, including Mayor Mamdani’s City Council comrades,” former Mayor Adams wrote.

“And thank God I was there, because their reflex has always been to spend first and ask questions never.”

He said Wall Street bond rating agencies gave the city strong credit grades based on his administration’s fiscal discipline. Adams also wrote that he left office with $8 billion in the city’s reserve funds.

“Facts have a way of getting in the way when slogans replace math and blame replaces leadership,” he said.

In a statement to CNBC, Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said state aid to New York City schools rose 68 percent during his tenure, and the state absorbed billions in New York City Medicaid cost increases.

“Andrew Cuomo inherited an $11 billion deficit when he first took office and managed to close it through hard work and fiscal discipline — words that just aren’t in Mamdani’s vocabulary,” Azzopardi said. Q

Mayor Mamdani said his administration has inherited a $12 billion budget gap.

PHOTO BY ED REED / NYC MAYOR’S OFFICE

Court order returns stolen homes: QDA

One victim has to break into house that was sold and had locks

by Naeisha Rose Editor

The office of Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz secured a court order to restore the deeds of properties in Queens Village and Kew Gardens Hills to their rightful owners on Jan. 28. A third home in Jamaica Estates was in the process of being reinstated to its legal possessor last year.

A judge voided fraudulent deeds that were stolen and sold to third parties by defendants Torey Guice, 40, of Roselle, NJ; Autumn Valeri, 41, of Commack, LI; Lawrence Ray, 38, of Jamaica; and John Doe, a St. Albans man who stole the identity of Carl Avinger of Tennessee and whose real name remains a mystery, said prosecutors.

After pleading guilty to the deed theft scheme last year, all four defendants had to release their claim to the homes they stole. Valeri, a real estate agent, had to surrender her professional license and Ray, the last member of the crew to be sentenced, had to forfeit $403,829.22.

Katz’s office said it was the 11th time it utilized a recent state statute to return homes to victims of deed theft after a conviction for such a case.

“We will not stand by and let property owners lose their homes to fraudsters,” Katz said in a statement. “Prosecuting those who steal people’s homes is only part of our work — we are just as committed to returning those homes to their rightful owners.”

Guice pleaded guilty to falsifying business records in the second degree on Oct. 7 and was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge. Valeri pleaded guilty Oct. 8 to three counts of grand larceny in the second degree and was sentenced to five years of probation. Ray pleaded guilty Oct. 16 to defraud in the first degree and was sentenced to five years of probation.

changed

John Doe pleaded guilty in October to grand larceny in the first degree and two counts of grand larceny in the second degree. He also pleaded guilty to identity theft in the first degree in August and was sentenced to four and a half years to nine years in prison.

The corporations associated with the defendants also pleaded guilty to the scheme, said the DA’s Office.

Katz said, “... the victims have now been made whole with this court order.”

Maria Benedek, who inherited the Kew Gardens Hills home with her mother, Gloria Kubick, said she is glad the house will be in their names, but she is still filled with intense feelings of dread and sadness.

“I was told it will take some time for the title papers to be recorded,” Benedek said via text.

The buyer of the home, Navin Sookra, who did not want to give back the house, had changed the locks, she said. The windows and doors are also all boarded up on the property, which was bought for $600,000.

“So, we basically have to hire a locksmith and someone to remove the boards to break into our home,” Benedek said. “I’m bracing myself to come face to face with the fact that once we ‘break into’ our family home there will be nothing left inside.”

Heirloom furniture, her grandfather’s Purple Heart, his love letters to her grandmother, her mother’s wedding dress and more were taken from the home. Two cars were also removed from the property.

“I’m also worried about how devastating it will be for my mother to actually see it,” said Benedek. “We’re getting an empty house ‘returned’ to us that no longer contains everything that made it our family home.” Q

Cops want E train slasher

Police are searching for a man who slashed a teenage boy on an E train on Jan. 29, within the confines of the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct.

Cops said it was reported to them that, around 11:40 a.m., a 15-year-old male was on the northbound E train approaching the Jamaica-Van Wyck station when an unidentified man brandished a knife and slashed him on the left hand.

EMS responded and transported the victim to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. Police said he was listed in stable condition.

Cops want this man for an

Man charged with sex abuse at OZP school

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

A Long Island man was recently arrested for sexual abuse that allegedly occurred at a Catholic school in Ozone Park more than a decade ago, according to the authorities.

The NYPD Special Victims Squad arrested Jeffrey Connelly, 36, on Jan. 22 for sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a teenage girl in 2015, cops said, within the confines of the 102nd Precinct.

charged with three counts of third-degree sexual abuse.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The Queens District Attorney’s Office said Connelly was arraigned Jan. 23 and given supervised release, as the charge is not eligible for bail. He’s due back in court for the Queens case on March 18.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 577-TIPS (8477), or, for Spanish, 1 (888) 57-PISTA (74782). One may also submit tips by going to crimestoppers. nypdonline.org; or by texting 274637 (CRIMES) and entering TIP577; or by going to @nypdtips on X. All tips are strictly confidential. Q

According to the criminal complaint, between June 15 and July 17, 2015, Connelly, then a 25-year-old teacher at 103-12 101 Ave. in Ozone Park, the now-defunct St. Mary Gate of Heaven Catholic Academy, allegedly kissed and pressed himself against a 14-year-old student. He was charged with third-degree sexual abuse.

In addition to the incident in Queens, there is another on file, according to state court records, that also occurred in 2015, but within the NYPD’s 6th Precinct in Manhattan. In that case, Connelly is

A representative for the Diocese of Brooklyn, which oversees Catholic schools in Queens, said Connelly has not been employed there since September 2015, and is flagged in their system to ensure he is not eligible for hire.

Police believe there may be more victims. One may come forward by calling the NYPD’s Sex Crimes Hotline at 1 (212) 267-RAPE (7273), Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 577-TIPS (8477), or, for Spanish, 1 (888) 57-PISTA (74782).

One may also submit tips by going to crimestoppers.nypdonline.org; or by texting 274637 (CRIMES) and entering TIP577; or by going to @nypdtips on X. All tips are strictly confidential. Q

DA: Man left cousin for dead in Oz. Park

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

A Brooklyn man was indicted Jan. 30 for the alleged August 2025 assault of his cousin in Ozone Park that has left him hospitalized since.

The Queens District Attorney’s Office said that Jonathan Velez, 45, was driving from a birthday party in Manhattan with his cousin, Manuel Rivera, 39, of Queens, at around 4 a.m. on Aug. 2, 2025. The vehicle belonged to Rivera.

At approximately 4:30 a.m., Velez parked the car on Rockaway Boulevard in Ozone Park, according to the charges, where he and Rivera exited the car and engaged in a verbal dispute that became physical.

Velez allegedly punched Rivera, knocking him to the pavement. The DA’s Office said he went through Rivera’s pockets while he was unconscious, and then rummaged through the vehicle before fleeing the scene.

Left lying in the middle of the street, Rivera was run over by a passing vehicle minutes later, the charges said. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was

treated for internal bleeding, a fractured skull and loss of teeth.

The DA’s Office said Rivera remains in the hospital and is unresponsive.

Velez was apprehended the morning of Jan. 28 on 127th Street in Kew Gardens, per the charges. He was arraigned on a three-count indictment charging him with assault in the first and second degrees, and first-degree reckless endangerment.

According to city Department of Correction records, Velez was remanded without bail.

He is due back in court March 9 and faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

“As alleged, the defendant cruelly delivered a knock-out punch to his own cousin and then brazenly rummaged through the unconscious man’s pockets and car before leaving him for dead in the middle of Rockaway Boulevard,” Queens DA Melinda Katz said in a statement. “The 39-yearold victim was later hit by a passing car and remains hospitalized with a multitude of injuries.”

She continued, “Our thoughts are with the victim and his family as he recovers from this brutal act.”

assault on the E train last week.

PHOTO COURTESY NYPD

Jeffrey Connelly PHOTO COURTESY NYPD

Pols expand access to street vendor licenses

by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor

Thousands more street vending licenses will be made available to prospective sellers, after the City Council last week overrode former Mayor Eric Adams’ vetoes of several reform bills.

Intro. 431B, introduced by Councilmember Pierina Sanchez (D-Bronx), makes 2,200 more supervisory license applications to sell food and merchandise on the streets available annually from 2026 to 2031. In 2027, applicants will have access to 10,500 new general vending licenses.

Licenses to sell goods other than food had been capped at 853 for decades, and supporters of the bill say that limit has barred vendors, many of whom are immigrants, from doing business legally.

The bill, which was enacted 41-7, also expands vendor training and enforcement mechanisms, including the number of agents required to inspect setups and civil penalties for certain violations.

The veto of Intro. 1251A was overridden 42-8. It requires the city to make the relevant license applications available, as per the timelines in Sanchez’s bill.

Lawakers voted unanimously to enact Public Advocate Jumaane Williams’ bill, Intro. 408A. It creates a new Division of Street Vendor Assistance in the city’s Department of Small Business Services that assists merchants with education and compliance.

Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez, deputy director of the Urban Justice Center’s Street Vendor Project, said the trio’s passage is “a win for all New Yorkers.”

“This victory honors the tens of thousands of street vendors who suffered decades of injustice, and took to the streets time and time again to stand up for their rights,” Kaufman-Gutierrez said in a statement. “We are proud of the broad coalition built throughout this journey — from immigrant-rights advocates and small business associations to public-space advocacy groups — who pushed this vision across the finish line.”

Adams vetoed all three bills on Dec. 31, the last day of his tenure. Before that, a spokesperson from his office had told the Chronicle that his administration supports raising the cap on the number of available licenses and increasing enforcement. Q

Meeks, Meng denounce ICE

continued from page 6

Justice said last Friday that it will investigate Pretti’s death.

“They’re not even following the regulations and the statutes set forth in federal law and their own DHS regulations and rules,” Meng said. “And if you talk to local law enforcement in places like Minnesota, they’re giving them a bad name.”

Several clergy members also condemned the killings and called for justice at the press conference.

And while all eyes remain on Minneapolis, Queens representatives noted that fed-

eral agents are at work locally. Meng said one of her Corona constituents who wears a hijab was “plucked” from a TSA line and sent to be deported.

“Turns out, she had no criminal record and she was here legally,” she said.

Vanessa Ordonez, the BP’s director of immigrant affairs, said ICE is present in “any immigrant hub you can imagine” in the city, including Jackson Heights, Corona, Elmhurst, Flushing, Bayside, Sunnyside, Woodside and Jamaica.

“Even if you don’t see them, they’re there,” Ordonez said. Q

Deep freeze tests Sanitation workers

Lingering ice, snow create challenge as department prioritizes trash pickup

by Katie Honan THE CITY

This article was originally published on Feb. 2, 2:42 p.m. EDT by THE CITY.

City sanitation workers battling massive snow and ice piles left by last week’s storm have kept up with trash collection — but have fallen a day behind on recyclables.

“Given that the same sanitation workers who pick up trash have been clearing the foot of snow and ice that fell last Sunday, we are about one day behind on collection, and we ask for patience from New Yorkers while we catch up,” Department of Sanitation spokesman Josh Goodman told THE CITY.

ket trucks to collect from the approximately 23,000 litter baskets across the five boroughs. The city is running them in two shifts, as opposed to a normal three, to clear them out, he added.

The agency has also planned for garbage underneath the giant snow piles. The large snow melters seen across the city have filters to catch any loose trash, Goodman said. He also noted that commercial waste is collected through private carting companies, which could add to the trash-strewn streets.

“What we want is a city where New Yorkers can return back to their lives as they were.”

“We are prioritizing trash and compost — the stuff that can smell — over recyclables, but we are picking up all streams, all across the city, just on a slight delay,” he added.

The Department of Sanitation is running hundreds of trucks through extended 12-hour shifts until they’re caught up, Goodman said.

The department is also running 193 bas-

— Mayor Mamdani

Mayor Mamdani praised the work of the city’s Sanitation Department at a frigid press conference at the top of the municipal building on Monday. The agency is still being led by acting commissioner Javier Lojan, a holdover from Eric Adams’s administration.

Approximately 2,500 sanitation workers are putting in overtime in 12-hour shifts instead of the normal eight hours. The department also has 500 additional emergency workers doing the painstaking — and frigid — work of snow removal.

“I know that they are working with every-

Keeping neighbors warm

Approximately 150 coats were recently donated to New York Cares for the nonprofit’s annual coat drive on behalf of constituents of state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr., who ran a collection at his district offices.

The coats were dropped off to a representative of the nonprofit on Jan. 22 by Raimondo Graziano, left, Addabbo’s chief of staff.

For more information on New York Cares and its mission, visit newyorkcares.org.

“Every winter, the very generous constitu-

thing that they have to come up to speed, and that will continue to be a focus for us,”

Mamdani said. “What we want is a city where New Yorkers can return back to their lives as they were. We know that this cold is not going to help us.”

Last Sunday’s snowfall of around 10 inches and the sub-freezing temperatures in the days that followed have proven to be a logistical test for the new mayor in his first few weeks on the job.

Mamdani updated the death toll of people found outside to 16 New Yorkers, saying 13 appear to be due to extreme cold, and three were likely overdoses.

Ten of the 16 people were on a “by name” list of persistent street homeless people who interact with outreach teams, a spokeswoman told THE CITY.

Mamdani said that none of the people who died appeared to be living in encampments. The mayor has been criticized for changing a policy of destroying encamp-

ments to encourage people to go into more permanent shelter.

The city has deployed 20 warming buses near hospitals, opened warming centers at 11 NYC public hospital health centers and boosted outreach on city streets.

On Sunday, his administration announced an “emergency expansion” of 50 singleroom shelter rooms in upper Manhattan, which opened Monday.

But there have been issues with getting the word out about the available options to the most vulnerable. A report Monday from Gothamist showed that despite a warming bus parked outside the Staten Island Ferry, nobody inside knew it was there.

“I think we have to use every single option we have to get New Yorkers inside,” Mamdani said. Q

THE CITY (www.thecity.nyc) is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to hard-hitting reporting that serves the people of New York.

Help clean up Sunset Cove

ents of my district go through their closets and bring in their gently used coats to help countless New Yorkers prepare for the harsh cold,” Addabbo said in a prepared statement. “By partnering with New York Cares, we are taking a proactive step to ensure more New Yorkers are prepared to handle dropping temperatures.”

New York Cares will distribute the coats to people in the state facing hardship and isolation. — Kristen Guglielmo

If you’re a nature lover looking for a fun volunteer opportunity, head to Sunset Cove in Broad Channel on Feb. 27, where the city Parks Department is hosting a coastal work day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Volunteers will work with the Stewardship team to dismantle herbivory fencing — which keeps plant-eating animals away — and pick up garbage and debris in Sunset Cove’s restored salt marsh. Space is limited and registration is required. Volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a chaperone.

To register, one may go online to

tinyurl.com/3j5vb5ra. To sign up a group of five or more volunteers, send an email to stewardship@parks.nyc.gov.

Attendees will meet at the Sunset Cove parking lot, at West 22nd Road and Shad Creek Road. Participants are asked to arrive dressed in warm layers and sturdy boots or shoes that one would not mind getting dirty — and no Crocs allowed, per the Parks Department.

The program is funded in part by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Q — Kristen Guglielmo

Piles of trash sat in the snow along Lafayette Avenue in Brooklyn, Feb. 2, 2026.

PHOTO BY BEN FRACTENBERG / THE CITY

Stanley Richards tapped to lead DOC

Nonprofit leader and former inmate to preside over New York City’s jails

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Stanley Richards, a formerly incarcerated man who went on to become the executive vice president of The Fortune Society, a nonprofit where he helped individuals reenter society from jail, will now lead the city Department of Correction.

Richards, who was appointed by Mayor Mamdani on Jan. 31, will be the first exinmate to lead the agency in the city’s history. He served time at Riker’s Island in the 1980s for robbery.

the city said, and focus on improving safety, closing Rikers Island and ensuring the agency delivers on its responsibility to care for people in custody and support the staff who serves them.

“This is a chance to drive upstream change.”

In addition to his work at The Fortune Society, where he also promoted alternatives to incarceration, Richards previously served as the DOC’s first deputy commissioner.

— DOC Commissioner Stanley Richards

Mamdani, during a Jan. 31 news conference in the Bronx, said, “I will turn to Stanley as we work to build a city where justice is at the heart of our corrections system, where every Department of Correction employee and incarcerated New Yorker is safe and where every New Yorker reenters society seamlessly from corrections.”

Richards in a statement said he is honored and grateful to Mamdani for the role.

City Hall said he’ll lead the agency at a pivotal moment, with a clear mandate and strong support to improve conditions in the city’s jail system.

The announcement comes on the heels of the Jan. 27 appointment of Nicholas Deml as the remediation manager for Rikers Island. Deml was tapped by U.S. District Judge Laura Swain to oversee conditions and operations at the jail complex.

Richards will work closely with Deml,

“This appointment is an opportunity to lead from the top, advocating for both incarcerated individuals and correction officers to create safer jails and real pathways to rehabilitation,” Richards said. “This is a chance to drive upstream change, connecting people to services like those at Fortune Society that transformed my own life.”

He continued, “I will work tirelessly with this administration to ensure that we prioritize humane and safe conditions and ensure justice for all New Yorkers.”

Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association President Benny Bosco in a written statement showed willingness to work with Richards.

“Despite the many false narratives that have portrayed COBA as an ‘obstacle to reform,’ we have been ready, willing and

able to meet and work with anyone, as long as they respect the right of our Correction Officers and understand that their safety and security matter.”

Bosco said the union hopes Richards understands that dynamic and “demonstrates a commitment to putting safety and security before any political ideology.”

City Councilmember Selvena BrooksPowers (D-Laurelton), the legislative body’s majority whip and chair of the Committee on Criminal Justice, praised Richards’ appointment.

“This is an inspired choice by Mayor Mamdani,” Brooks-Powers said in a statement. “Commissioner Stanley Richards brings lived experience, credibility and moral clarity to a system that demands all three. ... I look forward to working with him to advance real accountability and safety.”

Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi (D-Forest Hills), who said he had worked with Richards at The Fortune Society, also lauded the new commissioner.

“Stanley brings a rare credibility to this position, and I am encouraged that under his leadership we will move toward a system where safety, accountability, rehabilitation, and humane conditions are not exclusive, but specifically intertwined and where one cannot fully exist without the other,” Hevesi said. Q

Mayor Mamdani, left, recently tapped Stanley Richards to lead the city Department of Correction. PHOTO BY MICHAEL APPLETON / NYC MAYOR’S OFFICE

Four stores padlocked in

takedown; fifth cited Operation Weed Whacker returns

by Naeisha Rose Editor

Seven people were arrested and more than 200 pounds of illicit pot, along with 300 pounds of illegal tobacco, were seized during a joint, months-long action with the NYPD/NYC Sheriff Cannabis Task Force during the third phase of what is dubbed Operation Weed Whacker, announced the office of Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz on Jan. 28.

alleged illegal pot

Operation Weed Whacker part three, carried out from Nov. 24, 2025, to Jan. 16, resulted in the padlocking of Love Story at 241-20 South Conduit Ave. in Rosedale; Cloud Corner at 47-03 Francis Lewis Blvd. in Auburndale; Oakland Smoke Shop at 215-09 73 Ave. in Oakland Gardens; and 18506 Convenience & Smoke Shop at 18506 Horace Harding Expy. in Fresh Meadows, said the DA’s Office.

A fifth shop, the Deli & Grocery Store Inn Linne at 184-19 140 St. in Rochdale, was issued a summons.

The third phase of Operation Weed Whacker included undercover buys and revealed that two of the locations had intricate traps to hide contraband, said prosecutors.

The Oakland Shop was hiding contraband behind a false TV, and at Love Story a fake electrical panel served as an entryway to a storage room for more illegal items, a spokesperson from the DA’s Office told the Chronicle via email.

“Unregulated cannabis stores sell products that pose a great danger to the surrounding community, and the store owners are now trying to escape accountability by hiding the contraband ...” said Katz in a statement.

A total of 100 pounds of cannabis flower,

Ex-speaker on Hochul’s ticket

Gov. Hochul has chosen former City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams of Jamaica as her running mate as she runs for re-election, multiple outlets reported Wednesday.

Adams, who grew up in Hollis, served on the Council from 2017 to 2025. Previously, she was the chair of Community Board 12.

Before leaving office, she ran for mayor against former Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (D-Astoria), former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Hochul’s predecessor, and several others, coming in fourth in ranked-

choice voting in the Democratic primary. She was also initially up against her Bayside High School classmate, former Mayor Eric Adams, who later dropped out of the race.

Hochul said in a statement, “Adrienne and I are no strangers to rolling up our sleeves and getting results for working New Yorkers.” Q — Naeisha Rose

DMV toughens ticket penalties

The Department of Motor Vehicles is increasing the number of points issued for traffic violations, making it easier for bad drivers to lose their licenses. The changes take effect Feb. 16, Presidents Day.

The number of points issued for speeding will rise from 3 to 4. The number for speeding in a construction zone will go to 8 (it had varied). Using a phone while driving will go from 5 to 6 points; passing or overtaking a stopped school bus from 5 to 8; reckless driving from 5 to 8; following too closely, aka tailgating, from 4 to 5; and leaving the scene of an accident involving

56 pounds of cannabis vapes, 69 pounds of cannabis edibles, 204 pounds of illegal flavored tobacco vapes and 149 pounds of other tobacco products were seized from all five locations, said law enforcement.

“Many of these items are designed to mimic popular brand-name candies, deliberately enticing young people,” said Katz.

The operation is part of a larger initiative by the DA’s Office to rid the borough of illegal cannabis dispensaries from brick-andmortar stores, trucks and vans, said Katz’s office. Since November 2022, enforcement operations have resulted in the prosecution of 457 individuals on felony-related charges for the sale, possession or both of cannabis or controlled substances in Queens.

Sajjad Syed, 26, and Abdul Khan, 32, both of New Jersey, along with Mohd Pasha, 25, of Flushing, all allegedly operating illegally out of Love Story, were charged with criminal possession of cannabis in the first degree and criminal possession of cannabis in the second degree. All three were arraigned on Jan. 15 and are due back in court on March 12, the DA’s Office said via email.

Cyril Smith, 20, of Bayside, allegedly operating illegally from Cloud Corner, along with Gerismar Fernandez, 18, of the Bronx, allegedly operating illegally from 18506, were both issued desk appearance tickets on Jan. 15 and are both expected in court on Feb. 4, said Katz’s office. Omr Afifi, 22, of the Bronx, allegedly illegally operated from Oakland Smoke Shop and was issued a DAT on Jan. 16 and is expected back in court on Feb. 5.

“My office, working closely with our law enforcement partners, will continue to shut down these operations so that residents are protected and legitimate operations can thrive,” said the district attorney.

The DA’s Office said a total of 335 shops in the World’s Borough have been padlocked since May 2024 by law enforcement, including members of the Police Department’s 107th, 111th and 116th precincts and State Police Troop NYC’s Queens Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Katz also thanked members of her Crime Strategies and Intelligence Bureau and Detective Bureau “for their continued work on this operation.” Q

Donate blood and save a life

personal injury from 8 to 11.

Some violations that had not yielded points before now will: equipment problems, such as broken taillights, will garner 1 point; illegal U-turns will get 2; obstructing traffic will get 2; and failure to move over for emergency vehicles will get 3.

In addition, the DMV will be able to suspend a driver’s license after he or she accrues 10 points in 24 months. The threshold had been 11 points over 18 months.

The DMV also is modernizing its systems over Presidents Day Weekend. Q

— Peter C. Mastrosimone

The New York Blood Center recently declared a blood emergency and has issued an urgent call for eligible donors. Holiday and winter weather disruptions led to a decline in donations, and in recent weeks, they have dropped nearly 40 percent below what is needed to meet hospital demand.

To make an appointment, one may go online to nybc.org. There are several upcoming blood drives in South Queens: • American Airlines, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at arrivals at JFK Airport Terminal 8; blood drive coordi-

nator Alex Perez; • Knights of Columbus #197, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14, at 94-04 Linden Blvd. in Ozone Park; coordinator Paul Eggert;

• Gurdwara Sikh Cultural Society, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15, at 95-30 118 St. in Richmond Hill; coordinator Inderjeet Singh; and • Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 18 in the private dining room at 89-00 Van Wyck Expwy. in Richmond Hill; coordinator Elmer Ariza. Q

Illegal cannabis items allegedly were recovered from Oakland Smoke Shop during phase three of Operation Weed Whacker. PHOTO COURTESY QUEENS DA

18506 Convenience & Smoke Shop in Fresh Meadows was padlocked. PHOTO COURTESY QDA

Adrienne Adams

PHOTO BY NAEISHA ROSE

His 973 victories in 51 seasons top Molloy legend Jack Curran Cardozo’s Naclerio sets NYS win record

by Michael Gannon

Ron Naclerio long has been a basketball legend in a borough with far more than its fair share of them.

Last Friday he climbed one of his few unconquered mountains when he became the winningest boys high school basketball coach in New York State history as his team from Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Bayside pulled off a 69-46 win over Julia Richman of Manhattan.

The 973rd victory of his 51-year career — all with Cardozo — gave him one more than another Queens legend, Jack Curran of Archbishop Molloy.

“Not a bad way to start off the second half-century of my career,” Naclerio told the Chronicle.

He admitted that his pregame talk was a bit different last Friday.

“It was the first time I used the word ‘I’ instead of ‘we,’” Naclerio said. “I told them once I get this monkey off my back — we lost at the buzzer in our last game against Francis Lewis — I said the rest of this season and the rest of my career it will be back to ‘we’ and you guys.”

Naclerio, who was the ball boy for the New York Knicks championship teams under Red Holtzman in the early 1970s, doesn’t light up a cigar the way Boston Celtics legend Red Auerbach did when he know

a game was won.

But he admitted he got his hopes up looking at his halftime lead.

“They play very good defense, but they weren’t scoring against us,” Naclerio said. “I figured if we could score 15 or 18 in the second half, they weren’t going to score 40.”

When the buzzer sounded, one of his

players grabbed the ball from the referee and handed it to him.

“I walked out to half-court,” he said. “I looked down and looked up. I slammed the ball as hard as I could to make it go as high as I could. I thought about my parents. I knew they were looking down on me.”

At that moment his players, coaches and

members of his and his Cardozo basketball family mobbed him on the court, including about three dozen of his former players.

Then it was back to practice the next day. Naclerio played pro baseball in the Chicago White Sox system before being derailed by an injury. Four of his Cardozo players — Duane Causwell, Rafer Alston, Royal Ivey and James Southerland — made the NBA.

He won city championships in 1999 and 2014, and went to the state tournament twice.

Naclerio was inducted to the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024, and will receive that honor from the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame later this year.

He still holds onto the possibility of getting a call from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.

“There’s only four high school coaches there,” he said. “And there are a lot of good people. I’ve thought about being number five. I’ve thought of Jack Curran being number five and me becoming number six.”

And he said it was amazing realizing he had one more won than Curran.

He still isn’t thinking about retirement.

“I know I’m not in the first quarter of my coaching career; and not my second or third quarter,” he said. “I know I’m in my fourth quarter of my career. I hope I’m in the beginning of the fourth quarter. But God has a plan and I’ll follow it.” Q

B SPORTS EAT

Two super football books

by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor

The National Football League season ends Sunday with Super Bowl LX with the New England Patriots playing the Seattle Seahawks in Santa Clara, Calif. If you are a football fan who is worried about withdrawal pains from not having games to watch, there are two new books that should satisfy your pigskin fix.

Ken Belson, a veteran New York Times journalist who worked in sports before moving over to the business section, gets to combine both worlds with his book, “Every Day Is Sunday” (Grand Central Publishing).

The title refers to how the NFL, largely due to Commissioner Roger Goodell and his predecessor, the late Paul Tagliabue, has kept football on fans’ minds even during the off-season thanks to free agency, the NFL Draft and the reveal of the schedule for the upcoming season.

Belson credits Tagliabue for working with Gene Upshaw, the late executive director of the NFL Players Association, for maintaining labor p eace for 25 years following the disastrous three-game players strike in 1987. Goodell was influential in getting the 2011 lockout ended; the stalemate did not result in missed games because it occurred in the off-season. Many owners thought Tagliabue and Goodell were too soft in dealing with the union. Goodell’s response was, “I can make more money for you

if you let me handle it my way,” and he did.

Goodell is the central figure. Belson sees him as the ultimate politician, who deftly navigates between ownership groups, as well as a magician who can extinguish public relations fires such as players committing off-field violence; the relationship between pro football and brain lesions; and Colin Kaepernick kneeling for the national anthem, among other issues.

For many baby boomer and Gen X football fans, the broadcast team of John Madden and Pat Summerall was the gold standard of NFL broadcast booths. They were a tandem for 21 seasons on CBS and Fox.

Author Rich Podolsky has crafted biographies of both men in his book, aptly title d “Madden & Summerall” (Lyons Press). Madden is the bon vivant everyman who suffered from claustrophobia, while Summerall comes off as popular but stoic, and someone who quietly battled alcoholism.

Podolsky collects testimony from broadcasters, television executives and talent agents. Belson saw Cowboys owner Jerry Jones as the key for the NFL dropping CBS for Fox in 1993, whereas Podolsky blames then-CBS Sports President Neal Pilson for not properly valuing NFL rights, while overpaying for MLB rights. CBS also lost the NBA in his tenure. Q

See the extended version of Sports Beat every week at qchron.com.

Estate Planning Fundamentals: Protecting the Family Home

By Cynthia J. Conza, Esq.

Placing a loved one into a nursing home or skilled rehabilitation facility is an emotionally trying experience. The immediate focus is to get your loved one the care they need, but the implications of the high costs of long-term care soon become a reality. Without proper planning the overwhelming expenses of a nursing home can drain family bank accounts and also put the family home at risk.

Medicaid is a federal and state program that will pay for the costs of long-term care. However, income and asset thresholds limit those who are eligible for Medicaid benefits. The best way to qualify for Medicaid and also protect the family home and assets from nursing home costs is through proper planning. A Medicaid Asset Protection Trust (MAPT) is one of the strongest tools available and is a trust that serves two general purposes: the

MAPT allows a person to qualify for long-term care benefits from Medicaid while also protecting assets from being depleted if long-term care is needed.

As long as the MAPT is created and assets transferred five years before applying for Medicaid benefits Medicaid will not impose a penalty for transferring assets and the MAPT’s existence will not impact Medicaid eligibility. When you transfer your home to the MAPT you can retain the right to live in your home for your lifetime and you will retain all of your real estate tax exemptions.

Proper planning will have a significant impact on your ability to protect your assets for your children and beneficiaries. Please feel free to contact me at cynthia@conzamcnamara.com or (718) 845-5555 if you would like to discuss further.

Ron Naclerio of Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Bayside won his record 973rd boys basketball game last Friday, setting a new state record.

PHOTO BY CESAR MUNOZ

by Mark Lord

“I always wanted to connect the African-American struggle in America with the Jewish struggle, so I decided to do it through music.”

And that is how “Soul to Soul,” an inspirational concert coming to the Queensborough Performing Arts Center for one performance only on Monday, Feb. 9, came to be, according to Zalmen Mlotek, the man who conceived it some 15 or so years ago and who will be conducting it once again in its latest incarnation.

A celebration of African-American and Yiddish folk music traditions, the show was inspired by the historic

February 5, 2026

ARTS, CULTURE & LIVING

partnership between the two cultural communities during the Civil Rights Era of the 1950s and 1960s.

Mlotek explained that the performance “tells many stories,” and includes, for example, references to a time in this country when African-American colleges were the first to hire Jewish

Mlotek himself had the opportunity to become an instructor at Queens College, where he offered classes in Yiddish songs. He was also, for a brief time in the 1970s, a student at the college.

The stories — and songs — are presented in English, Yiddish and Hebrew. Subtitles provide translations.

The show is presented by the Queensborough Community College Fund Board and the Kupferberg Holocaust Center, and performed by the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, for which Mlotek serves as artistic director.

It features Elmore James, Lisa Fishman, Cantor Magda Fishman and Tony Perry, with a special “Soul to Soul” debut performance by the 90-member Shireinu Choir of Long Island, as well as the participation, for the third time, of the IMPACT Repertory Theatre, a Harlem-based organization that strives to develop and empower urban youth. The presentation also includes narration and images curated by Motl Didmer.

While this engagement is only the second for “Soul to Soul” in the borough, the show has been performed around the world.

continued on page 23

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS INDEX NO. 724806/2025 Plaintiff designates QUEENS as the place of trial situs of the real property

Mortgaged Premises: 117-15 221ST STREET, CAMBRIA HEIGHTS, NY 11411 Block: 12738, Lot: 161 THE MONEY SOURCE, INC., Plaintiff, vs. DEBORAH ABRAHAM, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF GEORGE ABRAHAM A/K/A GEORGE G. ABRAHAM; ANTONIA ABRAHAM, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF GEORGE ABRAHAM A/K/A GEORGE G. ABRAHAM; LINDA ABRAHAM A/K/A LINDA KINGSVILLE, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF GEORGE ABRAHAM A/K/A GEORGE G. ABRAHAM; PATRICK ABRAHAM, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF GEORGE ABRAHAM A/K/A GEORGE G. ABRAHAM; ORLANDO ABRAHAM, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF GEORGE ABRAHAM A/K/A GEORGE G. ABRAHAM; CURTIS ABRAHAM, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF GEORGE ABRAHAM A/K/A GEORGE G. ABRAHAM; LEON ABRAHAM, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF GEORGE ABRAHAM A/K/A GEORGE G. ABRAHAM, if living, and if she/he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF GEORGE ABRAHAM A/K/A GEORGE G. ABRAHAM, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK; “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #1, “JOHN DOE #2” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last eleven names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Defendants. To the above named Defendants YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $756,000.00 and interest, recorded on June 30, 2017, in CRFN 2017000242324, of the Public Records of QUEENS County, New York., covering premises known as 117-15 221ST STREET, CAMBRIA HEIGHTS, NY 11411. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. QUEENS County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county. 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 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 can 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 the mortgage company will not stop the 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. Dated: January 15th, 2026 ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Attorney for Plaintiff Matthew Rothstein, Esq. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, NY 11590, 516-280-7675

King Crossword Puzzle

ACROSS

1 Table support

4 Mosque leader

8 Island near Java

12 Terre Haute sch.

13 Terse denial

14 Poetic tributes

15 Ecol. watchdog

16 Faints

18 Word list, for short 20 Japanese pond carp

21 Sty chow

24 Rebuffs

28 Review in detail

32 Pesky insect 33 Friendly leader? 34 Albacore and yellowfin 36 Playwright Levin

50 Begin anew, as on Jan. 1

-- Angeles 56 California valley 57 Egyptian river 58 Book-spine abbr. 59 Afternoon affairs 60 Darkens

Oklahoma city

1 Schreiber of “Ray Donovan” 2 Hockey legend Phil, to fans 3 Avocado dip, for short

“Mayday!”

23 Prison-related

Rice or Auburn (Abbr.) 26 Naked

Rating unit 28 Basil or thyme 29 Smoothie berry 30 Cushy

Yard tool 35 Locks down 38 Block-dropping video game 40 Resistance unit

42 Scoundrel

45 Connection

47 Edison’s middle name

48 Disposition 49 Actress Fisher

50 Retired jet

51 Dead heat

52 “I -- Rock”

53 Half of XIV

54 Shade tree

Answers on next page

Stephen A. Smith had plenty to say in St. Albans I HAVE OFTEN WALKED

by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor

Ashley and Janet Smith left Saint Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands in the 1950s and moved to the Bronx. Their firstborn child, Basil, was born on Nov. 11, 1958. Four girls followed. On Oct. 14, 1967 Stephen Anthony was born to complete their family.

Janet was a registered nurse at Queens General Hospital, while Ashley worked in a hardware store. By 1975 they had bought a four-bedroom house at 111-22 203 St. in St. Albans. Stephen struggled in school due to undiagnosed dyslexia and his father claimed he was unfixable. Eventually the father abandoned the family and his mother carried the house. Stephen’s sister and others taught him how to read and write.

Stephen got a basketball scholarship at Winston-Salem State University and graduated in 1991. The next year, in October 1992, firstborn son Basil was killed in a car crash. In 1994, Smith went to The Philadelphia Inquirer as a reporter and became an NBA writer and columnist. In 2003, he joined ESPN as a basketball analyst, and his stock rose quickly due to his penchant for being

The childhood home of ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith 111-22 203 St. in St. Albans as it looked when he lived there.

very outspoken. In 2014, Smith started his own show. His unfiltered frankness made him a star with fans. His mother passed in 2017 and his father in 2018. He reportedly is worth at least $25 million today and makes $20 million a year from ESPN.

Smith often ventures beyond sports into politics, and there even is talk about him as a potential presidential candidate in 2028. Q

INSET PHOTO VIA WIKIPEDIA / MOODY COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION

In Maspeth, growth beneath the stillness

by Kristen Guglielmo editor

In the quiet of Susan Classen Sullivan’s sculptures, nothing is ever really still.

Hushed tension animates “Silence,” an exhibition by the Connecticut-based artist on view now through March 14 at Mrs. gallery, across both locations: 60-40 56 Drive and 60-19 56 Road in Maspeth.

The show marks Classen Sullivan’s first solo presentation with the gallery and gathers works that dwell in liminal territory — between beginnings and endings, life and death, visibility and concealment.

For Classen Sullivan, the in-between space is essential to the act of making.

“In order to create any work — at least for me — you need to be fully and deeply involved with it,” Classen Sullivan told the Chronicle. “In my experience that is what is required for work to be fully realized and most completely itself.”

“Silence” draws from Elizabeth Bishop’s poem “At the Fishhouses,” which depicts an old fisherman repairing his net at dusk, guided by instinct as it disappears into darkness.

“Waterways #1,” above, and “Fable #2,” right, are two of the sculptures by Susan Classen Sullivan in her exhibition, “Silence,” on display at Mrs. gallery in Maspeth. PHOTOS BY OLYMPIA SHANNON

The image parallels Classen Sullivan’s attention to hidden energy and threshold states, where humanity and nature are interconnected, even as nature remains vast and unknowable.

Working primarily in ceramic sculpture, Classen Sullivan explores biological, ecological and structural systems that shape both the natural world and human experience, often beyond human awareness.

Trees recur throughout the exhibition as

central figures and metaphors, reflecting the artist’s life and practice in a studio surrounded by forest. Classen Sullivan is drawn to their vitality and silent internal activity — roots, circulatory networks and unseen growth — forms of labor that mirror her own process.

Several works borrow from the logic of fables and fairy tales.

In “Fable #8,” infants develop beneath a stand of trees, sheltered and hidden. In “Fable #2,” a female figure bends backward as trees sprout from her torso.

“Fable #1,” a kinetic sculpture incorporating altered Hummel figures and trees, rotates continuously, suggesting cycles of growth, mortality and transformation guided by influences beyond individual control.

Altered surfaces and repetitive motion across the works signal biological, emotional and psychological pressures that operate largely out of sight.

Material fragility comes into focus in “Waterways #1,” the work the artist said she feels most connected to.

“It is the most recent work being presented and I am almost always most deeply connected to work I’m presently involved with,” Classen Sullivan said.

The sculpture features a cube of water supporting a shelter-like structure from which trees emerge.

“For me it speaks to the ‘magic’ of the material world,” the artist said. “Water can transform itself depending on the environment it finds itself in, much like we are required to as we move through life. And water is life sustaining.” Q

Jewish-Black alliance is not forgotten at QPAC

“There’s no better way than music to bring people together,” Mlotek has found, pointing to “that voice we all have in common in humanity, whether it’s nursery rhymes, prayers, folk songs. When we can connect people, there’s nothing more powerful.”

It is a thought shared by Perry, a longtime Astoria resident who has been with “Soul to Soul” from the beginning.

Perry recently recounted an experience of presenting the concert in Romania. The performers had been cautioned that audiences there tended to be less than demonstrative.

“By the end of the show, they were dancing in the aisles,” Perry said.

Now, he is excited about performing it in his own backyard.

“It’s different,” he said. “It’s a weird business. You audition and prepare here and then go away to do the work.” He now looks forward to having friends and family in the audience.

Perry recalled the show’s first performance, which took place in the Hamptons.

“It has matured and grown” since then, he said.

During the concert, Perry, an African American, sings in both English and Yiddish. He explained that singing in a foreign language is nothing new to him.

“When you train to sing, you train to sing in other languages,” he said, noting that Yiddish is not generally among them. “So, the concept is not weird to me.”

And the songs that are sung are all “meaningful and straight to the heart,” he said. “We have so many common struggles

“Soul to Soul,” set for Feb. 9, was created by

and

as people, there’s no reason not to help each other. I’m talking about everybody.”

Mlotek concurs, calling the show “more relevant than ever” and saying, “It’s important to be an example of an organization that reaches out to other people.”

To this, he added, “We have not yet done it in an African-American setting. We’d love to find a big church that would welcome us.

top

and features

such

We’re working on it.”

The performance at QCC, at 222-05 56 Ave. in Oakland Gardens, takes place at 7 p.m. It is a benefit honoring Mark Kupferberg and the Center. Tickets are $36 (general admission); $54 (premium seating); or $180 (VIP seating, with cocktail reception at 5 p.m.). For more information, call (718) 631-6311 or visit qpac.qcc.cuny.edu. Q

Zalmen Mlotek,

left,

artists

as Zisl Slepovitch, left,

members of the IMPACT Repertory Theatre. On the cover: Tony Perry, left, Magda Fishman, Lisa Fishman and Elmore James perform. PHOTOS BY VICTOR NECHAY

FLY E-BIKE (FLUSHING, NY)

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Duties: Analyze sales data (retail/dealer/online) using stats & econ methods; identify trends & growth opps; prep monthly/quarterly sales reports & forecasts using quantitative model. techq.; conduct market & competitor analysis (e-bike); monitor product/territory/channel perf & recommend improvements; collab w/ sales & operations to align demand forecasts w/ inventory; provide datadriven insights to optimize revenue, mkt share & ops efficiency; other rel. duties assigned. Full time, M thru F. $109,500 per year. BS in Stats/Analytics (or rel. field) req. Mandarin proficiency req. No exp/travel req. Send resume/app. request to: flyebike.amy@gmail.com or mail to Fly E-Bike Inc, Attn: Amy Zheng, 136-40 39th Ave., Ste 202, Flushing, NY 11354

FLY E-BIKE (FLUSHING, NY)

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Notice is hereby given that a Summer On Premises (Bar/ Tavern) Liquor License, Application ID NA-0371-26-101285 has been applied for by Rockaway Ocean Club Concessions LLC d/b/a Rockaway Ocean Club serving beer, wine, cider and liquor to be sold at retail for on premises consumption in a bar/tavern for the premises located at 157 Rockaway Beach Blvd., Rockaway Park, NY 11694.

Notice is hereby given that an On-Premise Summer Cabaret Liquor License with 3 additional bars Application ID NA-041726-101237 has been applied for by Rockaway Ocean Club Events LLC d/b/a Rockaway Ocean Club serving beer, wine, cider and liquor to be sold at retail for on premises consumption in a cabaret for the premises located at 157 Rockaway Beach Blvd., East Rockaway Park, NY 11694.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR CASCADE FUNDING MORTGAGE TRUST HB8, Plaintiff, vs. MARIE CLEMONS AKA MARIE REDD, AS PRESUMPTIVE HEIR, DEVISEE, DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF JULIA MARION FAIN, DECEASED; ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on June 2, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, on the second floor in Courtroom 25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on February 20, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., premises known as 111-48 168th Street, Jamaica, NY 11433. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Queens, County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block 10205 and Lot 56. Approximate amount of judgment is $498,814.47 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 710033/2019. Judah Maltz, Esq., Referee Greenspoon Marder, 1345 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 2200, New York, NY 10105, Attorneys for Plaintiff

Legal Notices

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT: QUEENS

COUNTY CI NOTES LLC v. METRO GROUP 7512 LLC, et al. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated October 29, 2025 and filed with the Clerk of the Supreme Court, Queens County on November 5, 2025, bearing Index no. 711879/2024, I will sell at public auction on February 6, 2026 at 10:00 am on the second floor, Courtroom 25 of the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, 88-11 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica, NY 11435, the premises known as 75-12 Metropolitan Avenue, Queens, NY 11379 (Block: 3773, Lot: 12). Premises sold subject to filed Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Terms of Sale. Judgment amount $318,048.57 plus interest and costs. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with the Unified Court System Safety and Operational Protocols in effect at this time. Auction location and time are subject to revision based on Court policy, current protocols and health conditions. Richard Gutierrez, Referee. Harry Zubli, Esq., attorney for plaintiff (516) 487-5777.

Public Notice:

In accordance with our policy of Non-discrimination and applicable Federal and State Statutory provision, UNION PLAZA CARE CENTER, 33-23 Union Street, Flushing, NY 11354, declares that this institution operates without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, sexual preference, sexual identity, handicap or source of payment.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, BLUE CASTLE (CAYMAN) LTD, Plaintiff, vs. VANESSA HOLMESBENJAMIN, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on March 17, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, on the second floor in Courtroom 25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on March 6, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., premises known as 130-65 227th Street, Springfield Gardens, NY 11413. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Queens, County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block 12905 and Lot 5. Approximate amount of judgment is $787,660.31 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 711867/2017. Sally Attia, Esq., Referee Vallely Mitola Ryan PLLC, 6851 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 165, Syosset, New York 11791, Attorneys for Plaintiff

Notice of Formation of 101-18 Northern Boulevard LLC.

Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State (SSNY) on 12/19/25. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail/email process to: c/o United Corporate Services, Inc., 10 Bank St, Ste 560, White Plains, NY 10606, regis teredagent@unitedcorporate.com. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of AGING APPROPRIATELY LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 02/18/2024. 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: SANDRINE M. ETIENNE, 107-24 155 STREET, JAMAICA, NY 11433. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A AS TRUSTEE FOR MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT SERIES I, -againstCHARLES WALDEN AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ALBERTA NEWBOLD ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens on December 4, 2025, wherein BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A AS TRUSTEE FOR MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT SERIES I. is the Plaintiff and CHARLES WALDEN AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ALBERTA NEWBOLD, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the QUEENS COUNTY COURTHOUSE 88-11 SUTPHIN BLVD., COURTROOM #25, JAMAICA, NY 11435, on 03/06/2026 at 10:00AM, premises known as 120-04 146TH ST., JAMAICA, New York 11436; and the following tax map identification, -12043-14.

ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE COUNTY OF QUEENS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 706825/2014.

Stephanie S. Goldstone, Esq.Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing.

*LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/ CLERK DIRECTIVES.

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK AS TRUSTEE FOR THE STRUCTURED ASSET MORTGAGE INVESTMENTS II TRUST, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-AR8, -against- JOSE TAVAREZ, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens on March 10, 2023, wherein THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK AS TRUSTEE FOR THE STRUCTURED ASSET MORTGAGE INVESTMENTS II TRUST, MORTGAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-AR8 is the Plaintiff and JOSE TAVAREZ;, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the QUEENS COUNTY COURTHOUSE 88-11 SUTPHIN BLVD., COURTROOM #25, JAMAICA, NY 11435, on 02/20/2026 at 10:00AM, premises known as 62-22 BURCHELL ROAD, ARVERNE, New York 11692; and the following tax map identification, -16007-9. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE COUNTY OF QUEENS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK, Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 706209/2014. Fearonce G. LaLande, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.

EVERLYST LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/10/25. Office in Queens Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 42-02 Crescent St., 21C, Long Island City, NY 11101. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

EQUAL HOUSING. Federal, New York State and local laws prohibit discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, marital status, familial status or disability in connection with the sale or rental of residential real estate. Queens Chronicle does not knowingly accept advertising in violation of these laws. When you suspect housing discrimination call the Open Housing Center (the Fair Housing Agency for the five boroughs of New York) at 212-941-6101, or the New York City Commission of Human Rights Hotline at 718722-3131.

The Queens Chronicle reserves the right to alter wording in ads to conform with Federal Fair Housing regulations.

NOTICE OF SALE EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK (ISLIP)

Allison Lending, LLC.; Plaintiff v. NLL Properties Incorporated et al; Defendants Attorneys for Plaintiff: Hasbani & Light, P.C., 450 7th Ave, Suite 1901, NY, NY 10123; (212) 643-6677 Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale granted herein on 12/30/25, I will sell at Public Auction to the highest bidder in EDNYIslip, 100 Federal Plaza, Central Islip, NY 11722. On February 24, 2026 at 10:00 AM Premises known as 109-09 211th Street, Queens Village, NY 11429 and identified on the Queens County Tax Map as Block: 11 Lots: 7-9 All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the County of Queens, City and State of New York. As more particularly described in the judgment of foreclosure and sale. Sold subject to all the terms and conditions contained in said judgment and terms of sale. Approximate amount of judgment: $297,011.18 plus interest and costs. Docket Number: 23cv-9385 Janine T. Lynam, Esq., Referee

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, NYCTL 19982 TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN, Plaintiff, vs. ELDER AVE REALTY CORP., ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated December 15, 2025 and entered on December 17, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, on the second floor in Courtroom 25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY on February 27, 2026 at 11:00 a.m., 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 5137 and Lot 1162. Said premises may also be known as 138-35 Elder Avenue, Parking Garage Unit No. 162, Queens, NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $135,354.64 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index # 711997/2019. Nicole D. Katsorhis, Esq.,Referee The Law Office of Thomas P. Malone, PLLC, 100 Park Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, New York 10017, Attorneys for Plaintif

Jose ph A . Su r ac i Joseph A. Suraci

AT TO R N E Y- AT- L AW ATTORNEY-AT-LAW

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME

COURT QUEENS COUNTY

FREEDOM MORTGAGE COR-

PORATION, Plaintiff against ABDOOL ZAHEER RAMJITT

A/K/A ABDOOL Z. RAMJITT, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC, 420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 840, New York, NY 10170. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered December 16, 2025, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at the Queens County Supreme Court, Courtroom #25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on February 27, 2026 at 11:00 AM. Premises known as 110-31 196th Street, Saint Albans, NY 11412. Block 10936 Lot 209. 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. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $562,897.73 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 708334/2024. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 11th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. Referee will only accept a certified bank check made payable to the referee. For sale information, please contact XOME at www.Xome.com or call (844)400-9633. Frances Yetta Ruiz, Esq., Referee File # 23-13993NY

NOTICE OF SALE

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE, that in accordance with applicable provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code as enacted in New York, by virtue of certain Event(s) of Default under that certain Pledge and Security Agreement dated as of March 19, 2024 (the “Pledge Agreement”), executed and delivered by DEIRK L KEITT JR. (the “Pledgor”), and in accordance with it rights as holder of the security, NEXTRES CAPITAL, LLC (the “Secured Party”), by virtue of possession of that certain Share Certificate held in accordance with Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code of the State of New York (the “Code”) and by virtue of those certain UCC-1 Filing Statement made in favor of Secured Party, all in accordance with Article 9 of the Code, nand to the following: 11321 204 LLC (the “Pledged Entity”), and (ii) certain related rights and property relating thereto (collectively, (i) and (ii) are the “Collateral”). Secured Party’s understanding is that the principal asset of the Pledged Entity is that certain fee interest in real property commonly known 113-21 204TH STREET, JAMAICA NEW YORK 11412 (the “Property”). Maltz Auctions (“Maltz”), under the direction of Richard B. Maltz or David A. Constantino (the “Auctioneer”), will conduct a public sale consisting of the Collateral (as set forth in Schedule A below), via virtual bidding, on February 19, 2026 at 1:00pm, in satisfaction of an indebtedness in the approximate amount of $357,500.00 , including principal plus interest, and reasonable fees and costs, plus default interest through February 19, 2026, subject to open charges and all additional costs, fees and disbursements permitted by law. The Secured Party reserves the right to credit bid.Online bidding will be made available for pre-registered bidders via Maltz's online bidding App available for download in the App Store or on Google play and via desktop bidding at RemoteBidding.MaltzAuctions.com.

Bidder Qualification Deadline: February 18, 2026 by 4:00 pm.

Executed Terms & Conditions of Sale along with ten (10%) of Bidders intended bid amount (to be submitted via wire transfer) are required for consideration by any interested party and submitted directly to Maltz. Requests for wiring instructions should be sent to rmaltz@maltzauctions.com.

SCHEDULE A Pledged Interest

PLEDGOR DEIRK L KEITT JR. ISSUER 11321 204 LLC INTERESTS PLEDGED

100% membership interest

The UCC1 was filed on September 26, 2025 with the Secretary of State of the State of New York under the Filing No. # 202509260381115.

VALLELY MITOLA RYAN PLLC Attn: Erick R. Vallely, Esq. Attorneys for Secured Party 6851 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 165 Syosset, New York 11791 (516) 386-3900

Notice is hereby given that a Summer On Premises (Bar/Tavern) Liquor License, Application ID NA-0371-26-101291 has been applied for by Rockaway Ocean Club West LLC d/b/a Rockaway Ocean Club serving beer, wine, cider and liquor to be sold at retail for on premises consumption in a bar/ tavern for the premises located at 157 Rockaway Beach Blvd., West Rockaway Park, NY 11694

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS. FORETHOUGHT LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, Plaintiff against ROQUE ESTATE DEVELOPMENT LLC, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated December 15, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, 88 11 Sutphin Blvd., in Courtroom # 25, Jamaica, NY on February 27, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, known and designated as Block 1396 Lot 5. Said premises known as 31-08 85TH STREET, QUEENS, NY 11370 Approximate amount of lien $733,788.47 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 705201/2024.

CAROLYN CLYNE, ESQ., Referee DRUCKMAN LAW

GROUP PLLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 DLG # 39539

Notice of Formation of MICHEL LCSW THERAPY SERVICES PLLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/23/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent for service of process. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to: 2930 Bayswater Avenue, Far Rockaway, NY 11691. Purpose: any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of GLOBAL LINK CULTURAL PROGRAM

LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/13/2025. 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: ROSSANNA CAMURUNGAN, 7121 AUSTIN STREET, SUITE 202, FOREST HILLS, NY 11375. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., -against- GERARD CARTER, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF LORENZO SIMMONS AND AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE TO THE ESTATE OF NANCY SIMMONS; ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens on November 5, 2025, wherein BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. is the Plaintiff and GERARD CARTER, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF LORENZO SIMMONS AND AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE TO THE ESTATE OF NANCY SIMMONS ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the QUEENS COUNTY COURTHOUSE 88-11 SUTPHIN BLVD., COURTROOM #25, JAMAICA, NY 11435, on 02/06/2026 at 11:00AM, premises known as 14-28 PINSON STREET, FAR ROCKAWAY, New York 11691; and the following tax map identification, -15651-22. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE COUNTY OF QUEENS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 706162/2016. William T. Driscoll, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.

NOTICE OF SALE Supreme Court County of Queens Nationstar Mortgage LLC, Plaintiff AGAINST Drupatee Rampersad, Rick Rampersad, et al, Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on December 17, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Queens County Courthouse, 88-11 Sutphin Blvd., Second Floor Courtroom 25, Jamaica, NY 11435 on March 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM premises known as 104-12 121st Street, South Richmond Hill a/k/a Richmond Hill, NY 11419. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the County of Queens, City and State of New York, BLOCK: 9574, LOT: 11. Approximate amount of judgment is $663,104.65 plus interests and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 720229/2024. For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www. Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832. Richard Gutierrez, Referee FRENKEL LAMBERT WEISMAN & GORDON LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 01-100156-F00 88522

Notice of Formation of SAMMY COLLECTION LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/29/2026. 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: SAMAWIA HANSRAJ, 224-40 BRADDOCK AVE., QUEENS VILLAGE, NY 11428 Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

SKF AKADEMI LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/02/2026. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 11-20 37th Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

LEGAL NOTICE OF POSTPONEMENT OF SALE SUPREME COURT-COUNTY OF QUEENS. MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC, Plaintiff - againstUNKNOWN HEIRS of Loretta Sepe a/k/a Laura Loretta Sepe a/k/a Laura L. Sepe, if living, and if he/she be dead, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated October 20, 2025 and entered on October 24, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, 88-11 Sutphin Blvd., in Courtroom # 25, Jamaica, NY on February 20, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, known and designated as Block 11503 Lot 49. Said premises known as 133-34 CENTREVILLE STREET, OZONE PARK, NY 11417 Approximate amount of lien $414,326.17 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 704347/2019. JOSEPH F. DEFELICE, ESQ., Referee Pincus & Tarab Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 425 RXR Plaza, Uniondale, NY 11556 The above sale, originally scheduled for January 23, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. has been postponed. The new sale date has been rescheduled for February 20, 2026 at the same time and place. JOSEPH F. DEFELICE, ESQ., Referee.

Notice of Formation of VELTOR LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the SSNY on December 31, 2025. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: 8330 260TH STREET, GLEN OAKS, NY 11004. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS, Index No. 706091/2024, Date Filed: 01/21/2026, SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS, Plaintiff designates Queens County as the place of trial based on the location of the mortgaged premises in this action. Plaintiff’s principal place of business is c/o Celink, 3900 Capital City Boulevard, Lansing, Michigan 48906. WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIET Y, FSB, NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR FINANCE OF AMERICA STRUCTURED SECURITIES ACQUISITION TRUST 2019-HB1, Plaintiff, -against- MYRA MCCOY A/K/A MYRA MATEJA AS HEIR AT LAW AND NEXT OF KIN TO MAMIE I. MCCOY; ANTOINE MCCOY III AS HEIR AT LAW AND NEXT OF KIN TO MAMIE I. MCCOY; if living, and if dead, the respective heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignors, lienors, creditors and successors in interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendant who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and their respective husbands, wives or widow, if any, and each and ever y person not specifically named who may be entitled to or claim to have any right, title or interest in the property described in the verified complaint; all of whom and whose names and places of residence unknown, and cannot after diligent inquiry be ascertained by the Plaintiff; VINCEN T MCCOY AS HEIR AT LAW AND NEXT OF KIN TO MAMIE I. MCCOY if living, and if dead, the respective heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignors, lienors, creditors and successors in interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendant who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and their respective husbands, wives or widow, if any, and each and ever y person not specifically named who may be entitled to or claim to have any right, title or interest in the property described in the verified complaint; all of whom and whose names and places of residence unknown, and cannot after diligent inquiry be ascertained by the Plaintiff, MAMIE MCCOY II AS HEIR AT LAW AND NEXT OF KIN TO MAMIE I. MCCOY; CECELIA THAMES AS HEIR AT LAW AND NEXT OF KIN TO MAMIE I. MCCOY; JOHN DOE AND JANE DOE 1 THROUGH 50, INTENDING TO BE THE UNKNOWN HEIRS, DISTRIBUTEES, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, TRUSTEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, AND ASSIGNEES OF THE ESTATE OF MAMIE I. MCCOY, WHO WAS BORN IN 1927 AND DIED ON OCTOBER 14, 2023, A RESIDENT OF QUEENS COUNTY, WHOSE LAST KNOWN ADDRESS WAS 14405 HOLLY AVENUE, FLUSHING, NEW YORK 11355, THEIR SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST IF ANY OF THE AFORESAID DEFENDANTS BE DECEASED, THEIR RESPECTIVE HEIRS AT LAW, NEXT OF KIN, AND SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST OF THE AFORESAID CLASSES OF PERSON, IF THEY OR ANY OF THEM BE DEAD, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE HUSBANDS, WIVES OR WIDOWS, IF ANY, ALL OF WHOM AND WHOSE NAMES AND PLACES, ARE UNKNOWN TO PLAINTIFF; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT MIDLAND FUNDING LLC; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA O/B/O INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; “JOHN DOE #1” to “JOHN DOE #10,” the last 10 names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the persons or parties, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the mortgaged premises described in the complaint, Defendants. To the above-named defendants: 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 served with this summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the plaintiff’s attorneys within twenty (20) days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within thirty (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 or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. 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 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 CAN 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 (WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR FINANCE OF AMERICA STRUCTURED SECURITIES ACQUISITION TRUST 2019-HB1) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. This action was commenced to foreclose a mortgage against property located at 14405 Holly Avenue Flushing, New York 11355. McCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC By: Caren Bailey, Esq. Attorneys for Plaintiff One Huntington Quadrangle, Suite 4N25 Melville, NY 11747 631-812-4084 855-845-2584 facsimile File # 23-301829, HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE NEW YORK STATE LAW 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 office, 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 the New York State Department of Financial Services at 1-800-342-3736 or visit the Department`s website at www.dfs.ny.gov RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME AT THIS TIME. You have the right to stay in your home during the foreclosure process. You are not required to leave your home unless and until your property is sold at auction pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale. Regardless of whether you choose to remain in your home, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PROPERTY and pay property taxes in accordance with state and local law. 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. § 1303 NOTICE 16-12-20*

Notice of Formation of GARDEN OF EDEN NYC LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/21/2026. 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: JACOB SMITH, 121-27 194ST, QUEENS, NY 11413. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of KORTIVA, LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/01/2026. 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: CARL CHINATOMBY, 9101 138TH PLACE, JAMAICA, NY 11435. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of Miah Hosting Services LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/12/2026. 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: M M AREFIN HAQUE SHIRAZEE, 191-02 105TH AVE, SAINT ALBANS, NY 11412. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK - COUNTY OF QUEENS - Index No. 721253/2020. Date ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE filed 01/30/2026. Let Plaintiff, CARLOS SANCHEZ, show cause at the IAS Part 40 of this Court, to be held at the Courthouse thereof, located at 25-10 Court Square, Courtroom B-10, Long Island City, County of Queens, State of New York, 11101, on the 25th day of February, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. of that day, or as soon thereafter as counsel can be heard, WHY an Order should be made and entered granting the following relief: Pursuant to CPLR § 321(b)(2), granting THE GARCIA LAW FIRM, P.C., the present attorneys of record, leave to withdraw and be relieved as counsel for CARLOS SANCHEZ, the Plaintiff herein; Pursuant to CPLR § 316(a), granting service by publication on Plaintiff; Granting a stay for a period of ninety (90) days to allow Plaintiff the opportunity to obtain new counsel; and For such other, further and different relief as this Court deems just and proper.

CORTE SUPREMA DEL ESTADO DE NUEVA YORK - CONDADO DE QUEENS – Numero de indice 721253/2020. Fecha de presentación de la ORDEN DE MOSTRAR CAUSA: 01/30/2026. Que el demandante, CARLOS SÁNCHEZ, muestre causa en la Parte 40 del IAS de este Tribunal, que se llevará a cabo en la corte, ubicada en 25-10 Court Square, Cuarto B-10, Long Island City, Condado de Queens, Estado de Nueva York, 11101, el día 25 de Febrero del 2026, a las 9:30 a.m. de ese día, o tan pronto como se pueda escuchar a los abogados, POR QUÉ se debe hacer y registrar una Orden que otorga el siguiente alivio: De conformidad con la ley § 321(b)(2), otorgando a THE GARCIA LAW FIRM, P.C., los actuales abogados registrados, permiso para retirarse y ser relevado como abogado de CARLOS SÁNCHEZ, el demandante en la presente; De conformidad con la ley § 316(a), otorgando servicio por publicación en el demandante; Otorgando una suspensión por un período de noventa (90) días para permitir que el demandante tenga la oportunidad de obtener un nuevo abogado; y cualquier otro alivio adicional y diferente que este Tribunal considere justo y apropiado.

WE DO MULTIMEDIA LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 01/07/2026. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 65-24 162nd Street, Apt 6A, Flushing, NY 11365. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

ST NURSE PRACTITIONER IN FAMILY HEALTH, PLLC, a Prof. LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 01/23/2026. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The PLLC, 80-46 Kew Gardens Rd, 3rd Fl, Kew Gardens, NY 11415. Purpose: To Practice The Profession Of Nurse Practitioner in Family Health.

Notice of Formation of W & W Group Capital LLC. Art. of Org. filed Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 3/25/2025. Office location: Queens County. SSNY Designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: The LLC, 90-75 Sutphin Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11435. Purpose: any lawful activity.

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Notice of Formation of AGING APPROPRIATELY LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 02/18/2024. 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: SANDRINE M. ETIENNE, 107-24 155 STREET, JAMAICA, NY 11433. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

EVERLYST LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/10/25. Office in Queens Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 42-02 Crescent St., 21C, Long Island City, NY 11101. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of W & W Group Capital LLC. Art. of Org. filed Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 3/25/2025. Office location: Queens County. SSNY

Designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: The LLC, 90-75 Sutphin Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11435. Purpose: any lawful activity.

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Legal Notices

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT: QUEENS

COUNTY CI NOTES LLC v. METRO GROUP 7512 LLC, et al. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated October 29, 2025 and filed with the Clerk of the Supreme Court, Queens County on November 5, 2025, bearing Index no. 711879/2024, I will sell at public auction on February 6, 2026 at 10:00 am on the second floor, Courtroom 25 of the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, 88-11 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica, NY 11435, the premises known as 75-12 Metropolitan Avenue, Queens, NY 11379 (Block: 3773, Lot: 12). Premises sold subject to filed Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Terms of Sale. Judgment amount $318,048.57 plus interest and costs. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with the Unified Court System Safety and Operational Protocols in effect at this time. Auction location and time are subject to revision based on Court policy, current protocols and health conditions. Richard Gutierrez, Referee. Harry Zubli, Esq., attorney for plaintiff (516) 487-5777.

MEADOW PARK REHABILITATION AND HEALTH CARE CENTER

NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY

In Accordance With State And Federal Law, That, Meadow Park Rehabilitation And Health Care Center Shall Ensure That No Person In The United States Of America Shall, On Grounds Of Race, Color, Creed, National Origin, Sex Or Sexual Orientation, Religion, Handicap Or Mental Disability, Age, Marital Or Family Status, Blindness, Source Of Payment Or Sponsorship, Be Excluded From Participation In, Be Denied Benefits Of, Or Be Otherwise Subjected To Discrimination Under Any Program, Activity Provided By The Facility, Including But Not Limited To, The Admission, Care And Retention Of Residents.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS. FORETHOUGHT LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, Plaintiff against ROQUE ESTATE DEVELOPMENT LLC, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated December 15, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, 88 11 Sutphin Blvd., in Courtroom # 25, Jamaica, NY on February 27, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, known and designated as Block 1396 Lot 5. Said premises known as 31 08 85TH STREET, QUEENS, NY 11370

Approximate amount of lien $733,788.47 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 705201/2024.

CAROLYN CLYNE, ESQ., Referee DRUCKMAN LAW

GROUP PLLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 DLG # 39539

Notice of Formation of GLOBAL LINK CULTURAL PROGRAM

LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/13/2025. 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: ROSSANNA CAMURUNGAN, 7121 AUSTIN STREET, SUITE 202, FOREST HILLS, NY 11375. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of GLOW WITH THE FLOW, LLC

Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/21/2025.

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, 22-25 29TH STREET, ASTORIA, NY 11105. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, METROPOLITAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, Plaintiff, vs. GLORIA A. EDWARDS, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on October 27, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, on the second floor in Courtroom 25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on February 6, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., premises known as 109-65 198th Street, St. Albans, NY 11412. 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 10938 and Lot 95. Approximate amount of judgment is $259,858.77 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 720539/2024. Vincent F. Spata, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.:240364-1

Notice of Formation of Miah Hosting Services LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/12/2026. 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: M M AREFIN HAQUE SHIRAZEE, 191-02 105TH AVE, SAINT ALBANS, NY 11412. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

KIRBY ASSOCIATES LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/17/25. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 3999 48th Street, Sunnyside, NY 11104. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

NOTICE OF SALE

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE, that in accordance with applicable provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code as enacted in New York, by virtue of certain Event(s) of Default under that certain Pledge and Security Agreement dated as of March 19, 2024 (the “Pledge Agreement”), executed and delivered by DEIRK L KEITT JR. (the “Pledgor”), and in accordance with it rights as holder of the security, NEXTRES CAPITAL, LLC (the “Secured Party”), by virtue of possession of that certain Share Certificate held in accordance with Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code of the State of New York (the “Code”) and by virtue of those certain UCC-1 Filing Statement made in favor of Secured Party, all in accordance with Article 9 of the Code, nand to the following: 11321 204 LLC (the “Pledged Entity”), and (ii) certain related rights and property relating thereto (collectively, (i) and (ii) are the “Collateral”). Secured Party’s understanding is that the principal asset of the Pledged Entity is that certain fee interest in real property commonly known 113-21 204TH STREET, JAMAICA NEW YORK 11412 (the “Property”). Maltz Auctions (“Maltz”), under the direction of Richard B. Maltz or David A. Constantino (the “Auctioneer”), will conduct a public sale consisting of the Collateral (as set forth in Schedule A below), via virtual bidding, on February 19, 2026 at 1:00pm in satisfaction of an indebtedness in the approximate amount of $357,500.00 , including principal plus interest, and reasonable fees and costs, plus default interest through February 19, 2026, subject to open charges and all additional costs, fees and disbursements permitted by law. The Secured Party reserves the right to credit bid.Online bidding will be made available for pre-registered bidders via Maltz's online bidding App available for download in the App Store or on Google play and via desktop bidding at RemoteBidding.MaltzAuctions.com. Bidder Qualification Deadline: February 18, 2026 by 4:00 pm. Executed Terms & Conditions of Sale along with ten (10%) of Bidders intended bid amount (to be submitted via wire transfer) are required for consideration by any interested party and submitted directly to Maltz. Requests for wiring instructions should be sent to rmaltz@maltzauctions.com.

SCHEDULE A Pledged Interest PLEDGOR

DEIRK L KEITT JR. ISSUER 11321 204 LLC

INTERESTS PLEDGED 100% membership interest

The UCC1 was filed on September 26, 2025 with the Secretary of State of the State of New York under the Filing No. # 202509260381115.

VALLELY MITOLA RYAN PLLC

Attn: Erick R. Vallely, Esq. Attorneys for Secured Party 6851 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 165 Syosset, New York 11791 (516) 386-3900

Notice of Formation of KORTIVA, LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/01/2026. 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: CARL CHINATOMBY, 9101 138TH PLACE, JAMAICA, NY 11435. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

WE DO MULTIMEDIA LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 01/07/2026. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 65-24 162nd Street, Apt 6A, Flushing, NY 11365. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

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PLACING AN AD IS EASY, JUST…

NOTICE OF SALE EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK (ISLIP)

Allison Lending, LLC.; Plaintiff v. NLL Properties Incorporated et al; Defendants Attorneys for Plaintiff: Hasbani & Light, P.C., 450 7th Ave, Suite 1901, NY, NY 10123; (212) 643-6677 Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale granted herein on 12/30/25, I will sell at Public Auction to the highest bidder in EDNYIslip, 100 Federal Plaza, Central Islip, NY 11722. On February 24, 2026 at 10:00 AM Premises known as 109-09 211th Street, Queens Village, NY 11429 and identified on the Queens County Tax Map as Block: 11 Lots: 7-9 All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the County of Queens, City and State of New York. As more particularly described in the judgment of foreclosure and sale. Sold subject to all the terms and conditions contained in said judgment and terms of sale. Approximate amount of judgment: $297,011.18 plus interest and costs. Docket Number: 23cv-9385 Janine T. Lynam, Esq., Referee

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC, Plaintiff AGAINST AIDA RIOS, JASMYN C. STEVENSON, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered October 23, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, on the second floor in Courtroom 25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, New York on February 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM, premises known as 137-35 171st Street, Jamaica, NY 11434. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block 12577, Lot 16. Approximate amount of judgment $641,437.59 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #718306/2018. For sale information, please contact XOME at www.Xome.com or call 844-400-9633. Bruce S. Povman, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 18-007681 88161

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, NYCTL

1998-2 TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK

MELLON AS COLLATERAL

AGENT AND CUSTODIAN, Plaintiff, vs. ELDER AVE

REALTY CORP., ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated November 21, 2025 and entered on November 26, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, on the second floor in Courtroom 25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY on February 6, 2026 at 11:00 a.m., 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 5137 and Lot 1127. Said premises may also be known as 138-35 Elder Avenue, Parking Garage Unit No. 127, Queens, NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $153,866.58 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index # 711986/2019. Martha Taylor, Esq., Referee The Law Office of Thomas P. Malone, PLLC, 100 Park Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, New York 10017, Attorneys for Plaintiff

Notice of Formation of VELTOR LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the SSNY on December 31, 2025. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: 8330 260TH STREET, GLEN OAKS, NY 11004. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME

COURT QUEENS COUNTY

QUEST TRUST COMPANY

FBO ELIZABETH HAUG IRA #3101621, Plaintiff against CLARA YRVANIA DIAZ, et al

Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Margolin, Weinreb & Nierer, LLP, 575 Underhill Boulevard, Suite 224, Syosset, NY 11791. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered February 19, 2025, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at the Queens County Supreme Court, Courtroom #25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on February 6, 2026 at 11:00 AM. Premises known as 91-52 112th Street, Richmond Hill, NY 11418. Block 9318 Lot 14.

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. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $238,421.55 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 714155/2021. This is the foreclosure of a 2nd mortgage lien subject to an existing 1st mortgage. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 11th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. Referee will only accept a certified bank check made payable to the referee.

Lamont R. Bailey, Esq., Referee File # 20-0966

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME

COURT QUEENS COUNTY

FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION, Plaintiff against ABDOOL ZAHEER RAMJITT

A/K/A ABDOOL Z. RAMJITT, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC, 420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 840, New York, NY 10170. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered December 16, 2025, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at the Queens County Supreme Court, Courtroom #25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on February 27, 2026 at 11:00 AM. Premises known as 110-31 196th Street, Saint Albans, NY 11412. Block 10936 Lot 209. 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. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $562,897.73 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 708334/2024. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 11th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. Referee will only accept a certified bank check made payable to the referee. For sale information, please contact XOME at www.Xome.com or call (844)400-9633. Frances Yetta Ruiz, Esq., Referee File # 23-13993NY

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK AS TRUSTEE FOR THE STRUCTURED ASSET MORTGAGE INVESTMENTS II TRUST, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-AR8, -against- JOSE TAVAREZ, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens on March 10, 2023, wherein THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK AS TRUSTEE FOR THE STRUCTURED ASSET MORTGAGE INVESTMENTS II TRUST, MORTGAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-AR8 is the Plaintiff and JOSE TAVAREZ;, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the QUEENS COUNTY COURTHOUSE 88-11 SUTPHIN BLVD., COURTROOM #25, JAMAICA, NY 11435, on 02/20/2026 at 10:00AM, premises known as 62-22 BURCHELL ROAD, ARVERNE, New York 11692; and the following tax map identification, -16007-9. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE COUNTY OF QUEENS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK, Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 706209/2014. Fearonce G. LaLande, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION, Plaintiff AGAINST LUIS COLON INDIVIDUALLY AND AS SURVIVING SPOUSE OF METHABEL COLON, ET AL, Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered October 8, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, on the second floor in Courtroom 25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, New York on February 6, 2026 at 11:00 AM, premises known as 16702 118th Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11434. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block 12368 Lot 1. Approximate amount of judgment $494,041.10 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #718315/2022. For sale information, please contact XOME at www.Xome. com or call (844) 400-9633.

Katherine B. Huang, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 22-003046 88241

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, NYCTL 19982 TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN, Plaintiff, vs. ELDER AVE REALTY CORP., ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated December 15, 2025 and entered on December 17, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, on the second floor in Courtroom 25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY on February 27, 2026 at 11:00 a.m., 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 5137 and Lot 1162. Said premises may also be known as 138-35 Elder Avenue, Parking Garage Unit No. 162, Queens, NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $135,354.64 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index # 711997/2019. Nicole D. Katsorhis, Esq.,Referee The Law Office of Thomas P. Malone, PLLC, 100 Park Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, New York 10017, Attorneys for Plaintif

January 29, 2026