Queens Chronicle 02-26-26

SOUTH QUEENS EDITION Serving Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, City Line and JFK Airport

YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER VOL. XLIX

NO. 9

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2026

QCHRON.COM

JUSTICE FOR KARINA Conviction upheld in 2016 murder

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A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY Woodhaven’s ideas for empty land

THIS MUSEUM OF OURS MoMI reveals artifacts, hosts events for ‘The Sopranos’

qboro PAGE 21

PHOTO BY KRISTEN GUGLIELMO

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Queens blanketed by historic blizzard PAGE 6 The World’s Borough was hit hard by a snowstorm this week, the ninth biggest in recorded history for New York City, according to the National Weather Service. In parts of South Queens, including in Woodhaven, above, snow accumulation totaled more than 20 inches.

QUEENS’ L ARGEST WEEKLY COMMUNIT Y NEWSPAPER GROUP

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 26, 2026 Page 2

Tariff ruling results in some uncertainty After Supreme Court decision, Trump imposes 10 percent fee on all imports

by Kristen Guglielmo

Shipping company FedEx on Monday sued the federal government for a “full refund” of he United States Supreme Court last money paid for tariffs.

Trump, in response to the ruling, on Feb. Friday struck down most of President Trump’s sweeping tariff agenda, ruling 20 said he would impose a 10 percent global that he exceeded his authority in a 6-3 tariff on all imports not legally exempted.

The following day, he said on Truth Social decision.

Trump had claimed that the International that he would raise it “to the fully allowed, Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977, and legally tested, 15% level.”

But by Tuesday, the tariffs went into effect which does not contain the word “tariff,” allowed him to impose the levies without con- at 10 percent using Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which is designed to address gressional approval. trade deficits. Under that statute, such levies The Supreme Court disagreed.

“The president asserts the extraordinary can be imposed for up to 150 days unless power to unilaterally impose tariffs of unlim- extended by Congress.

According to multiple reports, the White ited amount, duration, and scope,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the decision. “In House has said it is working on raising the charge to 15 percent. light of the breadth, history, Then, during his State of and constitutional context of the Union address on Tuesday that asserted authority, he ’m demanding night, the president said he must identify clear congresbelieves tariff revenues could sional authorization to exera full refund.” “replace” U.S. income taxes. cise it.”

— Gov. Hochul The average New York Trump, in a post to social household faced about $1,751 media website Truth Social, called the justices who ruled against the tariffs in added costs due to tariffs since they were enacted last year, based on estimates by the “unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution.”

As a result of the ruling, the administration Yale Budget Lab, for an estimated $13.5 bilmay have to return more than $100 billion in lion total statewide impact.

Gov. Hochul on Tuesday called for the tariff revenue, but the Supreme Court did not Trump administration to refund that. advise on the refund process.

Editor

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President Trump has imposed a 10 percent global tariff on all imports after the United States Supreme Court last week ruled against the levies he imposed through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977.

PHOTO BY PATRICK RUDDY VIA THE WHITE HOUSE / FLICKR

“These senseless and illegal tariffs were just a tax on New York consumers, small businesses and farmers — and that’s why I’m demanding a full refund,” Hochul said in a statement. “I’ll never stop fighting for New

Yorkers, and that means staying focused on putting more money back in your pockets — not ripping it away.”

U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) in a statement said the Trump administration should “make every effort to return these funds to the American people and small business owners who paid them in the first place.”

U.S. Rep. Greg Meeks (D-Jamaica) on X wrote, “Of course I am ecstatic about the Supreme Court striking down Trump’s emergency tariffs! This is a win for the American wallet because his arbitrary tariffs hurt us here and our standing abroad. And when he tries to do it again, I will oppose them again!”

Elsewhere in Queens, initial reactions to the Supreme Court ruling were cautious.

John Buran, the president and CEO of Flushing Financial Corp. and Flushing Bank, said the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down President Trump’s IEEPA-based tariffs has “dramatically increased uncertainty.”

He continued, “This is true on several fronts: First, the question of potential refunds of collected tariffs. Second, the limits of the proposal to increase the global rate to 15 percent. Third, significant difficulty for businesses in their ongoing approach to limiting the impact to their bottom lines. All of this combines to further obscure both the short and continued on page 14

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Conviction upheld in Vetrano murder Lewis’ defense team claims he was targeted as part of ‘racial dragnet’

by Kristen Guglielmo

trial, as well as news articles and affidavits, including one from a genetics professor quesA judge last Thursday denied a motion to tioning the reliability of phenotyping.

Queens Supreme Court Judge Michael Alovacate the conviction of Chanel Lewis in the 2016 murder of Karina Vetrano of Howard ise on Feb. 19 ruled that the claim that a racial dragnet led to Lewis’ arrest was based on Beach.

Lewis was convicted in 2019 of first-degree information already in the trial record and murder, two counts of second-degree murder “must be raised on direct appeal.”

“Without sworn allegations connecting the and first-degree sexual abuse in Vetrano’s death. Vetrano, 30, was found strangled in defendant’s testing and arrest to the Parabon Spring Creek Park on Aug. 2, 2016, after report, the defendant cannot establish that the report was specifically going out for a r u n. utilized in any way in the Lewis was sentenced to apprehension of th is life in prison without he evidence of ... defendant and cannot parole. establish a legal basis for In his motion, Lewis’ guilt was proven his claim that he was illeattorney Ronald Kuby beyond a reasonable gally targeted as part of a argued that police targetracial dragnet,” Aloise ed his client as part of a doubt at trial.” added. “racial dragnet” after The judge also wrote receiving a DNA pheno— Queens DA Melinda Katz that additional media typing report from Parabon Nanolabs that allegedly indicated the sus- reports attached to the motion were publicly available at the time of trial and could have pect was of “African descent.”

Lewis’ defense contended that investigators been pursued then.

Trial evidence showed that NYPD Lt. then collected DNA from hundreds of Black men, including Lewis, and that prosecutors John Russo recalled encountering Lewis in failed to disclose information about the pheno- Howard Beach months before the killing typing in violation of their obligations under where “in Lt. Russo’s opinion ... [he] exhibited odd behavior and odd attire for the Brady v. Maryland and state discovery rules.

According to court documents, the defense weather on those dates.”

Detectives contacted Lewis’ mother, went relied in part on an anonymous letter, from an alleged whistleblower who self-identified as to his Brooklyn home and got his written and part of the NYPD, that was received during verbal consent for a DNA swab. The sample Editor

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A judge on Feb. 19 denied a motion to vacate the conviction of Chanel Lewis, center right, who is serving life in prison for the 2016 murder of Karina Vetrano of Howard Beach.

FILE PHOTOS matched DNA recovered from Vetrano’s body and the crime scene, authorities said.

Aloise said that hundreds of individuals of various backgrounds were tested and excluded during the investigation. He wrote that there was no evidence the alleged phenotyping report prompted police to seek Lewis’ DNA or undermined the validity of his consent.

The judge also rejected claims that any undisclosed report constituted newly discovered evidence, finding it would not likely have changed the outcome of the trial given what he described as “overwhelming evidence,” including DNA, cell site data and a videotaped confession.

Kuby told the Daily News that he plans to

appeal Aloise’s ruling, and said the judge should have granted a hearing before rendering a decision.

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz in a statement said, “The evidence of Chanel Lewis’ guilt was proven beyond a reasonable doubt at trial, and as such, the court dismissed the motion to vacate the judgment. Among all the other evidence presented at trial, the DNA evidence was credited by the jury and showed the presence of the defendant’s DNA on the victim’s neck and cell phone.”

She continued, “The profile is so rare that it is expected to be found in 1 in 6.8 trillion people. We continue to be prepared to litigate any Q challenges related to this conviction.”

NYPD: Crime down overall in the 106 Theft still an issue in some parts, the commanding officer tells area civic

by Kristen Guglielmo

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Editor

The NYPD’s 106th Precinct is seeing slightly less crime overall, but thefts remain a concern in parts of the command.

At Tuesday night’s Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic meeting, led by co-Presidents Barbara McNamara and Phyllis Inserillo on Zoom due to the weather, Capt.

Mario Deras, the precinct’s commanding officer, said the command had “a decrease in overall crime,” with 100 major offenses reported in the last four weeks, compared with 116 in the same period last year.

Year to date, crime is slightly down overall by 3 percent, Deras said.

Howard Beach and Lindenwood have largely been spared a recent uptick in robberies, Deras said,

The aftermath of the recent blizzard resulted in a shift to Zoom for the Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic’s monthly meeting Tuesday.

ZOOM SCREENSHOT / HBLC noting the area saw one robbery, a domestic violence case.

“Obv iously, we don’t t a ke domestic violence lightly,” the

commanding officer said. “However, it’s good to know we don’t have any random street robberies going on out there.”

Still, grand larceny remains an issue i n Li ndenwood , where thieves recently hit three vehicles in one night, stealing tires and rims from a Toyota Camry, a Toyota RAV4 and a Ford Explorer.

Deras also cautioned residents about workers stealing property from homes, locker thefts at Planet Fitness on Cross Bay Boulevard and a targeted gunpoint robbery of a casino winner who cashed their check at a Rockaway store instead of a bank.

“It was definitely not random,” Deras said of the robbery, but said the investigation is still ongoing.

“If you have any friends that go [to the casino], be mindful of that.

Just go straight to the bank to deposit.”

On 311 calls, Deras said the 106 handled about 600 last week with an average response time of two

hours and 16 minutes.

The civic’s co-presidents both lauded Deras’ work as the precinct’s commanding officer.

McNamara expressed gratitude for the off icers who worked through the recent blizzard.

“I know some of them stayed at t he pr e ci nc t i n t he pa lat ia l arrangements that you make for them there, and they slept there, so kudos to them,” she said. “And it goes to their character and to your character, because I’m not sure a year ago under someone else that they would have been so inclined to come in.“ Inserillo told Deras, “Whatever you’re doing is work ing. We appreciate you listening to our concerns and the concerns of the community of what wasn’t going right for us and correcting those Q behaviors, so thank you.”

Page 5 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 26, 2026

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 26, 2026 Page 6 For the latest news visit qchron.com

Snowstorm No. 9 dropped nearly 2 feet here Mass transit and airports were still recovering Tuesday after big blizzard

by Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief

Queens was buried in snow on Sunday and Monday, and ever since then, it’s been buried in numbers.

Whitestone was Whitestuff as the blizzard of 2026 blanketed Queens and much of the East Coast, with the deepest depths in the borough listed by the National Weather Service measured there — though the numbers may not be definitive and others were virtually the same.

Storm statistics Queens’ northernmost neighborhood had 23 inches on the ground at 1:39 p.m. Monday as the bomb cyclone nor’easter dubbed Winter Storm Hernando slowed down, according to a measurement from a member of the public.

Right behind it was LaGuardia Airport, where an official NWS observer recorded 22.5 inches at 2 p.m. Straight south of the midpoint between LGA and Whitestone, Howard Beach was a near match with 22 inches measured by a trained spotter at 3:30 p.m. Neighboring Kennedy Airport had a touch less, 20.1 inches, when the NWS took a look at 2 p.m.

Just about 20 inches also were seen in Elmhurst and Jackson Heights in the afternoon, while South Jamaica posted 21 inches at 10:07 a.m.

The NWS also posted some of the highest wind gusts recorded, showing 64 mph in Kew Gardens Hills, 62 at Kennedy, 52 at LaGuardia and 50 at Breezy Point in the Rockaways.

While Queens got its share of wind-driven snow, other parts of the region took more severe hits. Sections of Staten Island and central Suffolk County saw 29 or 30 inches of snow, while Montauk Point recorded a wind speed of 84 mph at one point.

The snow total in Central Park, the “official” New York City measurement, was 19.7 inches at 2 p.m. Mon-

day, making the storm the ninth biggest in recorded history for the Big Apple, according to the NWS, which has a list of the top 28.

The biggest brought 27.5 inches from Jan. 22 to 24, 2016, followed by 26.9 on Feb. 11 and 12, 2006, for second place, and 26.4 from Dec. 26 to 27, 1947, for third place.

In fourth place is the earliest storm on the list, recorded March 12 to 14, 1888, when 21 inches came down.

Sanitation out in full force Mayor Mamdani had his own numbers to tout on Tuesday, saying 2,600 sanitation workers deployed in 12-hour shifts used more than 3,000 pieces of equipment to plow every city street and put down more than 143 million pounds of salt.

“Alongside 1,214 Emergency Shovelers, they cleared 7,398 crosswalks, 1,777 fire hydrants, and 3,366 bus stops — although due to blowing snow after the storm, many will need to be readdressed,” he said in a statement. “That work continues today.”

He did not say how many of each still needed to be cleared.

New York City schools were closed Monday in the first genuine snow day, with no attempt at remote lear ning, since 2019, but were reopened Tuesday. According to Mayor Mamdani, the state Department of Education granted the city a waiver from the requirement that it have 180 days of school during the academic year in order to allow Mon-

This plow on 112th Street just off 109th Avenue in South Richmond Hill was blocked by a stuck rideshare car on Monday and had to back out and turn before the sedan could be freed. It eventually was. At left, the emergency alert that appeared on phones just after 8 p.m. Sunday.

PHOTO BY JERRY NUTTER day’s closure. Mamdani took some criticism for ordering schools reopened Tuesday.

Queens Library locations closed Monday and reopened Tuesday.

Transit recovery The Metropolitan Transportation Authority still had a special notice posted at mta.info on Tuesday, but it was gone Wednesday.

“There are ongoing changes to service on subways, buses, the LIRR, Metro-North Railroad, and AccessA-Ride because of the winter storm,” the notice had said. “Please use caution while traveling, and check service status before you go.”

On subways, it said, “Some express trains are running local.

Check the MTA app or Service Status to see if your train is impacted.”

On buses, it said, “Expect longer waits for local buses, since we’ve removed articulated buses from service during the storm.”

Of the Long Island Rail Road, which reduced service Sunday night and shut down altogether at 1 a.m.

Monday, it said, “The LIRR plans to operate limited service beginning 4 a.m. Tuesday on the Ronkonkoma, Huntington, Babylon, Oyster Bay, Montauk, and Port Washington branches,” then detailing what that means on each line.

Alternate-side parking has been suspended from Monday through Saturday, Feb. 28.

Thousands of flights were canceled at the airports. As of Tuesday morning, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s websites for Kennedy and LaGuardia still showed that no flights were going in or out.

That changed in the afternoon.

Con Edison’s website showed limited outages Tuesday morning, with the highest power failures in Queens being in the northwestern quadrant of the borough, where 249 customers were out. The next highest number

Restoring flights was a work in progress Tuesday morning, as seen at left, but the airports were back in business that afternoon. At center, a man named Alex pitches in to help clear snow from a common driveway in Forest Hills on Monday, in a scene repeated countless times across the Eastern Seaboard. And at right, someone endangers fellow motorists, and risks a reckless driving charge, on Woodhaven Boulevard at Jamaica Avenue in Woodhaven on Wednesday morning by hitting the road without clearing snow from the rear window.

PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY LEFT; PHOTOS BY PETER C. MASTROSIMONE AND, RIGHT, MOEEN DIN

was 30 in northern Queens. Otherwise there were just handfuls of customers out across the borough.

Mamdani declared an emergency ahead of the storm as well as a travel ban that forbade all nonessential use of private automobiles and powered bikes and scooters on city streets from 9 p.m. Sunday to 12 p.m. Monday. There were exceptions for emergency services and the like.

Snow must be off moving cars It is recommended that drivers clear all snow and ice from their vehicles before driving. People operating a motor vehicle with snow obstructing their vision can be charged with reckless driving, a misdemeanor, various media outlets say.

Under its instructions for “How to Drive in Winter,” the Department of Motor Vehicles says, “During ice or snow storms, do not drive unless you must. If you must drive, first clear the ice and snow from your vehicle. This includes the headlights and back lights, the windshield wipers, the hood and roof of your vehicle, and all of the windows.”

Legislation specifically making it illegal to drive without clearing all snow and ice off a car has been introduced periodically over the years but has never gone anywhere.

Multiple traffic signals were malfunctioning Tuesday, something observed in Central Queens, at least, several times over the last week.

One key thing that looks better about this storm than the one a few weeks ago is that it is not being followed by a string of freezing days.

Daytime temperatures over the next week are forecast to reach the upper 30s and low 40s. Snowfall No. 9 will Q dissipate over time.

Page 7 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 26, 2026

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Vacant property has plenty of opportunity WH lot has been empty for over a decade — and residents have ideas

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

It’s been more than a decade since the lot at 78-19 Jamaica Ave. in Woodhaven has had any real use.

The prior building there, a two-story structure, had been vacant for nearly a year when it collapsed in April 2013.

Since then, residents have lamented it as the avenue’s eyesore, often overrun with weeds.

The land, which sits at the corner of Jamaica Avenue and 79th Street, is for sale, with the realtor describing it in a listing as an “exceptional development opportunity in the heart of Woodhaven.”

The lot has R6A zoning, allowing for six- to eight-story apartment buildings at or near the street line, with a C2-4 commercial overlay, which allows for grocery stores, restaurants, beauty parlors, catering, funeral homes and repair services, per nyc.gov.

But what do those in the neighborhood want to see there most?

Janet Forte, the president of the Woodhaven Residents Block Association, said she would like to see a space for kids.

“I think it’s a nice area to really have something for children there,” Forte told the Chronicle. “The kids don’t have anything on Jamaica Avenue.”

Martin Colberg, a WRBA board member, said the group has asked if the location could house a town hall with programming for families, kids and seniors, as well as for community meetings.

“While some elected officials think it’s a great idea, getting a real conversation going over funding seems to be the blocker on the idea,” Colberg said.

Albert and Deyla Gamarra, a married cou-

A corner property in Woodhaven, at 78-19 Jamaica Ave., has been vacant for more than a decade, and residents have ideas as to what could be built there.

GOOGLE MAPS IMAGE ple living with their kids in Woodhaven, echoed the sentiment.

“My vision is increasing community and civic engagement,” Albert said. “Having an indoor location for kids to do activities would be amazing for the community.”

He said it would be nice to have a place to keep seniors engaged with pursuits such as fitness and board games, and that it could also be somewhere parents are informed of civic engagement with language access not available elsewhere.

“If you walk the Woodhaven fair, you see what our demographics say,” he said. “We have a lot of Spanish and Mandarin speakers who do not engage due to the language barrier for services.”

Deyla said she liked the community center idea, and added, as an alternative, “Affordable

housing is always needed.”

With parking in the area often being a headache for drivers, Woodhaven resident Carmela Isabella said, “I personally would like to see a multilevel parking garage for people who live in Woodhaven.”

Area elected officials also had thoughts on what could be put there.

State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven) said the property recently came up in conversation with former Assemblymember Mike Miller and the two reminisced about when the lot next door, 78-15, used to house the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps and the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Senior Center before 78-19’s collapse.

“Whatever is built there is going to affect us for generations,” Addabbo told the Chronicle.

He offered the idea of a social services

facility, noting it could both support residents and create jobs.

“And maybe something residential on top, because we need housing,” he said.

Cit y Cou ncil member Joa n n A r iola (R-Ozone Park) suggested that a responsible organization step in and turn the lot into a youth center so that young people have a “good, positive environment to spend some free time in.”

Ariola said, “Third spaces, especially for our kids, are severely lacking, and many children and teens have little option but to sit at home on the computer all day. A youth center would provide that much-needed third space and help foster the emotional and social development the next generation needs.”

Assembly member Jenifer Rajk u mar (D-Woodhaven) in a statement said she would love to see the lot “become a green heartbeat in the middle of our commercial corridor — a vibrant community garden and wellness courtyard where families can grow fresh food, seniors can gather, and young people can learn responsibility, teamwork, and pride in their neighborhood.”

She suggested raised beds tended by area residents, pollinator gardens and shaded seating areas for yoga, meditation and mental health programming.

“In a neighborhood as hardworking and fast-paced as ours, we deserve a place to breathe,” Rajkumar said. “It would be a peaceful oasis that supports both physical and emotional well-being. ... This site has the potential to nourish Woodhaven in every sense of the word.”

The realtor for the property did not respond to requests for comment by publication time Q Wednesday.

No more cancellation cardio, Mamdani says City sends warning letters to nearly 200 gyms on deceptive practices

by Kristen Guglielmo For the latest news visit qchron.com

Editor

New York City is flexing its consumer protection muscle — and this time, it’s aimed at the gym.

Mayor Mamdani and the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection on Feb. 19 announced a citywide “subscription trap” compliance blitz, sending warning letters to 187 gyms and health clubs, including PureGym, Planet Fitness and Equinox.

For gym-goers trying to shed not just a few pounds, but a membership, easily obtaining a cancellation can be frustrating.

Even Chandler Bing in one “Friends” episode quipped, “They make you go all the way down there, then they use all these phrases and peppiness to confuse you!”

But City Hall believes canceling a gym membership should no longer require a mental endurance test.

“If a company makes it easy to sign up but

nearly impossible to walk away, we will enforce the law and protect your time and your money,” Mamdani said in a statement.

The city’s warning letters urge gyms to comply with state law governing membership cancellations and the city’s Consumer Protection Law, which prohibits deceptive advertising practices.

Gyms often force consumers through cumbersome and unnecessary hoops in order to cancel memberships, the city said.

For example, a gym may offer a membership for free that turns out to be a bait-andswitch scheme in which New Yorkers unexpectedly incur fees after enrollment. It may also impose unnecessary hurdles without clear disclosure or burdensome administrative rules before honoring cancellation requests.

The action follows Mamdani’s Jan. 5 executive order directing the DCWP to crack down on hidden fees, misleading enrollment offers and bureaucratic mazes that keep customers

paying for services they no longer want.

According to the agency, gyms are frequent offenders. Some advertise free or low-cost memberships that later morph into unexpected charges.

Others require in-person visits, mailed letters or hard-to-navigate online portals to process cancellations — hurdles that may often feel tougher than the workout itself.

Even going in person didn’t help Chandler.

Instead, his friend Ross Geller got enticed into signing up, too.

“Going to the gym is good for your health, but having to jump through hoops to cancel an unwanted membership is a waste of your time and money,” DCWP Commissioner Sam Levine said. “Our citywide warning to gyms makes it clear that DCWP will not hesitate to take aggressive enforcement action against gyms using deceptive tactics that hurt consumers, as well as honest businesses playing Q by the rules.”

The city is taking action to prevent gyms and health clubs from making members sweat due to subscription traps and hidden fees.

Staff rallies on campus in response to university’s withdrawal of recognition

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

St. John’s University has severed its relationship with two unions representing faculty, according to an email sent to staff on Feb. 19.

The unions — the American Association of University Professors and the Faculty Association — had been in contract negotiations with the administration of university President the Rev. Brian Shanley since February 2025, according to a press release from the SJU chapter of the AAUP. Negotiations were focused on “reasonable and affordable improvements to faculty life that include raising adjunct faculty salaries from the lowest in New York City, keeping full-time faculty salaries above rising costs of living, and ensuring affordable employee healthcare,” per the union.

“This decision was not made lightly or rashly, and we are committed to providing clarity on what this means for you and the future of our university,” the email from Shanley and Provost Simon Moller read.

“We remain fully committed to ensuring that you continue to have the resources you need, and we will be honoring the last financial offer we made during the negotiating process,” they said.

The National Labor Relations Board — an independent federal agency that protects

Leadership at St. John’s University in Jamaica Estates, right, announced last week that it will no longer recognize its faculty as part of the American Association of University Professors or the Faculty Association. In response, the SJU-AAUP organized the “Hands Off St. John’s Faculty” rally, left, at campus on Feb. 25 to challenge the move. PHOTO COURTESY SJU-AAUP, LEFT, AND FILE PHOTO employees, employers and unions from unfair labor practices — in 2020 ruled that it has no jurisdiction over the faculty at religious institutions of higher education.

Brian Browne, a spokesperson for St. John’s University, told the Chronicle that for

more than 150 years, the school has been “steadfastly dedicated to its Catholic and Vincentian mission, with our esteemed faculty serving as the cornerstone of our academic community.”

He added, “As the landscape of higher

education undergoes a profound transformation, our commitment to providing an exceptional and sustainable educational experience consistent with our mission requires us to be agile and innovative.”

Browne said withdrawing recognition from the faculty unions was not something done lightly, but that it was “necessary to be able to advance our organizational mission.

This will allow St. John’s the f lexibility required to innovate while continuing to support our faculty and, most importantly, deliver on our promise to our students.”

AAUP President Todd Wolfson in a statement said, “This shameful attack on the St. John’s faculty union betrays the university’s history and most deeply-held Catholic values.

It’s outrageous that religious leaders are joining in the assaults on higher education that are happening nationwide.”

Fred Cocozzelli, the lead bargainer and past president of the SJU-AAU, said that throughout negotiations, the union continuously sought to arrive at a reasonable contract that would benefit not just the faculty, but the larger St. John’s University as well.

“We are tremendously disappointed that Father Shanley would disregard more than fifty years of constructive engagement with the faculty unions,” Cocozzelli said. “We continued on page 20

Page 9 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 26, 2026

St. John’s nixes its two faculty unions

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 26, 2026 Page 10

P CB members should attend EDITORIAL

T

he Queens borough president is charged with appointing community board members, and has a web page at which people can apply for the voluntary positions. Each member serves a two-year term, with the BP appointing half of them every year.

The page describes how the members are named, what role the boards play and much more. It also includes brief descriptions of members’ responsibilities and what is expected of them.

“What Is The Time Commitment Of A Community Board Member?” reads one header.

“Each member is strongly encouraged to attend their respective board’s monthly full board meeting, in addition to meetings of various community board committees they have joined,” comes the answer.

“Should a member apply for reappointment at the conclusion of their term, meeting attendance will play a significant role in Borough President’s decision on their candidacy.”

The application period just passed, and the BP is now tasked with deciding whom to appoint and reap-

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Dear Editor: I’m baffled by people wanting to make Freedom Drive a play street (“A push for a car-free Freedom Drive,” Feb. 12, multiple editions).

Right now there is a large playground at the corner of Park Lane South and Freedom Drive, and there are also 800 acres of Forest Park right there. As it is now, Freedom Drive is a nice treelined street with wide sidewalks, giving plenty of room for walking and playing.

Roads were made for a reason. Closing them will only bring more traffic to other areas and make drivers take a less direct route. This will create traffic problems in places, and drivers will waste time and fuel. Besides Woodhaven Boulevard, there are not many north-south roads in the area, and Freedom Drive connects to Jamaica Avenue, a major roadway.

If you want to play, go to a park or do as I did when we played in the street. Someone would yell, “Car!” and we would stop playing and get out of the way. Streets should be open to all.

Richard Polgar Maspeth

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Congrats to hoop stars

point. Given the importance placed on attendance, there may be some changes coming.

This week’s Southeast and Eastern Queens editions of the Chronicle report that Community Board 12, based in Jamaica and meeting in St. Albans, was unable to vote on whether to approve a drive-through for a chain restaurant because not enough members were present. Seventeen were present in person, with another eight taking part via Zoom. With 50 members, the board needs 26 to have a quorum.

State law says those 26 need to be there in person; online attendees do not count toward a quorum. So the board was short nine people, though it thought it could count the Zoom group and was only short one.

Either way, how is it that half a board can’t make a monthly meeting? Sure, things come up, but that’s a lot of things coming up for a lot of people at the same time. If someone cannot participate in the board meetings, he or she should resign the position.

The members of CB 12, and others who learn of the failure to have a quorum, should take it as a wake-up call and be sure to show up once a month.

Whose interests at CB 6?

Dear Editor: Writing as a private resident concerned for our neighborhood’s future, I find Community Board 6’s unanimous approval of Levy Premium Foodservices’ liquor license renewal a © Copyright 2026 by MARK I PUBLICATIONS, INC. All rights reserved.

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wo Queens basketball titans have new honors to add to their lengthy list of accolades. Sue Bird and Ron Naclerio were inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame at its Enshrinement Gala on Tuesday.

Who could be more deserving than these two legends?

Bird is one of the best WNBA players of all time: a four-time champion, 12-time all-star and top-10 record holder in a slew of categories.

Before that, she was an NCA A powerhouse. A nd before that, she was a star at Christ the King High School in Middle Village, where she led the Lady Royals to state and

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staggering snub to the people the members are appointed to represent. Rather than addressing documented quality-of-life issues, leadership has opted for a campaign of disparagement and denial.

Former Chair Heather Beers-Dimitriadis recently dismissed legitimate reports of code violations and safety hazards as the “constant weaponization of city agencies.” This isn’t just a difference of opinion; it’s a refusal to acknowledge reality.

By labeling facts as “fake” and residents’ concerns as “weaponization,” CB 6 leadership has abandoned its function as a community advocate. This approach of giving precedence to the “narrative” over the neighborhood echoes the tactics of Borough President Donovan Richards, who favors personal attacks against critics instead of addressing their substantive grievances.

One must ask why a notable community board member and an elected official are so keen to shield corporate interests from public accountability. When officials dismiss documented issues to favor deep-pocketed corpora-

national titles after an undefeated season her senior year.

Naclerio recently became the winningest high school basketball coach in New York State history, picking up his 973rd victory in 51 seasons, all with Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Bayside. His teams won the city championships in 1999 and 2014 and went to the state tournament twice.

No one is more about the team, the game and the players than Naclerio. He epitomizes the relentlessly dedicated coach who pushes his players to new heights of excellence.

We congratulate both these stars on the latest well-deserved honors in their stellar careers.

tions, the situation moves beyond a local disagreement and into the domain of a systemic failure in governance.

The Queens Chronicle should continue to draw attention to these dismissals, but perhaps it is time for city agencies to examine this concerning pattern of behavior. If our representatives refuse to engage with the truth, they are no longer representing the public interest.

Shalom Weberman Forest Hills Gardens

A better view of Fairview I Dear Editor: I am writing to express my deep frustration and disappointment regarding the recent press conference concerning the heating issue at Fairview, at 61-20 Grand Central Pkwy. in Forest Hills “FoHi co-ops lament flooding, no heating” (Feb. 12, multiple editions).

I personally know for a fact that reporters from other media outlets interviewed several residents who expressed opinions very different from those presented in the article. These resi-

dents spoke truthfully about how hard the management and board members worked during this heating crisis — working tirelessly under extremely difficult circumstances to restore heat and address the damage.

Instead, the press conference appears to have amplified the claims of a small minority group within our 425-unit building, along with two board members whose actions have not benefited our community. Presenting only their perspective creates a distorted and unfair portrayal of what actually happened.

This one-sided publicity has already harmed the reputation of our building. As homeowners, we are deeply concerned. Publicly characterizing the situation in such a dramatic and politically charged way puts all 425 units at risk of losing value, damaging our investments. Many residents have worked their entire lives to afford their apartments here.

I have lived in this building since 2005, and in all these years we have never had such a caring and dedicated board president as Alan O’Hare. He has truly put his heart into serving our community. To see his efforts — and the efforts of the entire board and management team — dismissed or ignored in a public forum is extremely upsetting.

I respectfully ask that you consider the full picture and the voices of the majority of residents who recognize the hard work that was done. Our community deserves balanced representation, not a narrative driven by a small, politically motivated group.

Janet Lukonina Forest Hills

A better view of Fairview II

For the last two years, management, alongside a project manager, has been pushing to upgrade the building’s heating system to PTAC units, which would have prevented this horrible fiasco. The process has been obstructed.

I would like to see a follow-up article that presents the facts and is not skewed to the side of misinformation.

Joanna Potempska Forest Hills

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Three ways to save Dear Editor: Re your Feb. 19 editorial “Is this Mayor Trumpdani’s tax ploy?”: Mayor Mamdani can erase the $5 billion gap in his proposed $127 million budget by correcting costly mistakes. I suggest three changes: 1. Reduce the Department of Education’s $36.9 billion allocation to reflect the enrollment continued on next page

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Dear Editor: In response to your Feb. 12 article “Discord at the board: DM’s job on the line” (Western Queens edition), we, the district managers of New York City’s community boards, unite in support of our colleague Debra Markell Kleinert, the district manager of Queens Community Board 2 for over 18 years.

We are outraged not only that a colleague who is known to have served with dignity, professionalism and distinction for such a long period can be made the subject of an attempt to summarily fire her. There is the appearance that personal animus may have driven this ouster.

New York City district managers are charged by the City Charter to execute their roles in leading their staff, empowering their communities and supporting the volunteer members. As an employee of the City of New York, Debra Markell Kleinert is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect. The community deserves a process that is transparent, principled and fair, one that reflects the values of good governance that community boards are meant to uphold. Certainly any district manager should not be subjected to an abrupt dismissal conducted in a way to silence them.

It was reported that Queens CB 2 Chair Anatole Ashraf claimed that “we don’t need a reason” to remove the district manager, after decades of service. It is our understanding that even at-will employees deserve due process and an understanding of why they were fired.

In solidarity as NYC community board district managers: Joseph Marziliano District Manager Queens Community Board 11 Little Neck Mark Diller DM, Manhattan CB 2 Greenwich Village Rafael Moure-Punnett DM, Bronx CB 6 East Tremont Michelle George Brooklyn CB 8 Weeksville The writers said 47 other district managers gave their support to the letter.

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Dear Editor: I would like to address some incomplete facts and one-sided views published in your article “FoHi co-ops lament flooding, no heating” (Feb. 12, multiple editions) about the Fairview Co-op. I have lived at the Fairview for over 15 years, and I am disappointed to see the building being falsely slandered by your inadequate reporting.

Let’s start with some important facts that were excluded from your reporting. The Fairview finally, for the past two years, has a board that is actually focused on making improvements to the building. This involves various capital improvement projects, such as updating to a packaged thermal air conditioner, or PTAC, heating system. Within hours of the boiler issue, management sent numerous emails to residents, informing them of what was happening, and had plumbers on scene.

Despite some ongoing pipe ruptures, the majority of residents had heat almost immediately (within 48 hours). Several apartments sustained major pipe damage, and heating could not be restored. Management provided these residents with space heaters. We had warming rooms set up in the building for residents. The majority of the residents were without heat for a total of about two to three days at a time.

I dispute the claims that Patricia Zhou has made about management not being transparent.

We received daily emails from the building manager, Luis Mercado. How much more transparency is needed? We received answers promptly. As one can imagine, it takes time to complete the work for over 400 units.

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Page 11 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 26, 2026

LETTERS TO THE

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 26, 2026 Page 12

LETTERS TO THE continued from previous page decline of 117,000 public school students since the prepandemic year of 2019 (New York Post, Feb. 19). The DOE spends $42,000 per student (nyc.gov), the most of any U.S. city. A reduction reflecting that perstudent cost would save taxpayers more than $4.9 billion, according to my calculations. (I majored in journalism, not math.)

2. Cancel plans to add 200 lawyers and 100 support staffers to NYC’s Law Department, which will cost taxpayers $70 million and raise that agency’s total budget to $341.4 million (Post, Feb. 19). The Law Department already has 760 lawyers and 685 support staffers (nyc.gov). That should be enough to handle the city’s legal needs.

3. Withdraw a pre-election pledge to spend $65 million on gender reassignment procedures, including treatment for minors (Post, Feb. 19). Why should taxpayers fund controversial procedures that are banned in many states and face ethical and medical challenges? But if we do pay for them, can we claim tax deductions for equipment replacement costs? Just asking.

If our mayor follows my advice, he won’t have to raise property taxes by 9.5 percent or hike income taxes on wealthy New Yorkers.

Richard Reif Kew Gardens Hills

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Reform, don’t raise, taxes Dear Editor: Whenever Gov. Hochul takes a stand against tax increases, she always makes sure to include the qualifier, income taxes. She knows full well those property tax revenues reliably go up every year, mostly paid by powerless communities with effectively no representation amidst an indifferent political system. Lest anyone think for a minute she means curtailing that easy gravy train.

Now all the hoopla over Mayor Mamdani’s threatened 9 percent property tax rate increase. As if the distinction makes any difference to homeowners outside elite areas innocently tax brutalized just because their house continues to appreciate underneath them. Funny how the city can do this via fiat but making elites pay proper assessments has to get state legislative approval.

How conveeenient.

Whatever. Queens pols thunder in righteous unison, “It’s a nonstarter.” The same bunch who without exception never demand reform of the system, which would cut property tax amounts substantially for the overwhelming majority (roughly 70 percent), not least their constituents. Hochul basically shrugs, says, go for it, Zohran. Brownstone Brooklyn must laugh, able to shrug off a 9 percent hike on their minuscule bill like another caffe latte.

The right approach is for the 70 percent to fully back Mamdani’s plan on condition of concomitant immediate reform, finally ending the nonsense of working people subsidizing fat-cat liberals and kicking those parasites while they’re down with the 9 percent hit. Alas, all we can expect for now is more milquetoast, Park Slope-pleasing, Queens-

E DITOR City outlines steps

hating grandstanding like that just editorialized in this newspaper (“Is this Mayor Trumpdani’s tax ploy?”, Feb. 19): “The only acceptable property tax rate hike is zero.”

Edwin Eppich Glendale

Antisemitism unreported Dear Editor: “You’ve got to be taught,” according to Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein.

The lesson they’re bemoaning is bigotry, racism and hatred of someone different. These two New York writers with Jewish heritage, who created so many beloved Broadway musicals, believe prejudice is something children don’t know until they’re reprogrammed by adults and media and society.

We, sadly, see it’s being taught somewhere and somehow in Queens, according to the Queens Chronicle’s coverage in “DA: Teen threatens ‘all the Jews’ in email” (Feb. 12, multiple editions). Even though David Baddiel, a Jewish comedian in England, wrote with bitter sarcasm that often the victimizations of “Jews Don’t Count,” it’s gratifying to see that our local paper feels different and took the time and space to report the threat made on the Jewish segment of a school population. I sincerely thank you.

Though the story has been carried by several national Jewish newspapers, aside from the Chronicle and one other outlet, this threat on Jewish students seems to have been ignored by our media. I’m hearing crickets. This bewilders and concerns me.

Debra Michlewitz Bayside

To dox or not to dox Dear Editor: Last week, the Chronicle reported that U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer and U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries had sent their Republican counterparts a list of “guidelines” for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“Rein in ICE, reform immigration: Meeks,” Feb. 19).

The guidelines included a mask ban and ID requirements.

While I agree in theory with these two points, I have one major problem with them.

Far-left agitators are doxxing the ICE agents’ names and addresses, making the information public. This has resulted in death threats to the agents and their families. That is why agents wear masks and hide their identities.

Rep. Jeffries is very vocal about ICE issues but has not commented on the doxing problem and how to protect the agents.

While I am on the subject, two weeks ago I wrote a letter asking Rep. Gregory Meeks, Rep. Grace Meng and Borough President Donovan Richards how they feel about having an ICE office at Rikers Island (“ICE at Rikers: yea or nay?”, Feb. 12). I am still waiting for a response. Why can’t our elected officials take a position about something as important as public safety?

We want to know.

Lenny Rodin Forest Hills

to improve Rikers

No more 12-hour shifts; limits on solitary from 2023 to be implemented

by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor

Mayor Mamdani last Thursday unveiled the city’s plan to improve conditions on Rikers Island — by undoing years of executive orders that suspended cer tain r ules there amid a declared state of emergency.

The plan provides a blueprint for coming back into compliance with dozens of provisions that were put on pause, beginning in 2021. Those halts came in response to staffing shortages and operational challenges that plagued the Department of Cor rection in the wake of Covid-19.

Mamdani had issued an emergency executive order on Jan. 6 instructing city agencies Mayor Mamdani last week announced the city’s action plan to develop a plan to comply to improve conditions at Rikers Island by coming back into with those rules once again. compliance with a slew of rules that had been suspended.

The order also mandated the PHOTO COURTESY NYC DOC / FILE implementation of Local Law 42, which passed the City Council in 2023. It people in custody of various ages, all 18 or includes solitary confinement restrictions, older, together. The DOC already has drawn due process protections, a set amount of out- up proposals to do that, but a change is not of-cell time for incarcerated people and more. expected until 2027.

“For too long, city government allowed “This plan marks an important next steps entrenched problems and operational break- in addressing issues that have festered for far downs to persist,” Mamdani said in a state- too long,” Stanley Richards, the newly ment. “This plan shifts us away from tem- appointed DOC commissioner, said in a porary stopgaps and toward sustainable statement. reform.”

Inmate deaths and violence at the hands of Corporation Counsel Steve Banks said the both correction officers and detainees have blueprint’s aim is clear — comply with the long been reported at the embattled jail comBoard of Correction’s minimum standards, plex. The city still intends to close Rikers, implement Local Law 42, strengthen over- which it is required to do by 2027, but the sight and improve conditions on Rikers. borough-based jails slated to replace it will Under the plan, correctional staff can no not be complete by then. longer work 12-hour shifts starting March 1.

Also released last Thursday was a roadThe city said the DOC also is in talks with map for bringing the city’s homeless shelter the NYPD and city Law Department regard- system back into compliance with rules that ing a memorandum of understanding about Adams suspended in 2022. The former security coverage of pre-arraignment court mayor declared a state of emergency after operations, expected by the third quarter of tens of thousands of asylum seekers came to this year. Nicholas Deml, Rikers’ newly the city. More than 250 emergency shelters appointed remediation manager, will be opened as temporary solutions. included in those discussions.

The plan aims to close the last shelter site The DOC has already returned to standard for asylees, which is in the Bronx, by the end procurement rules, as of Feb. 6. of the year; bring single-adult shelters operatOther moves are set to take longer to actu- ing over the 200-bed limit back into complialize, as they will require approval from U.S. ance by the end of 2027; and meet compliDistrict Judge Laura Taylor Swain, who is ance standards for family shelters. overseeing the Nunez vs. City of New York City Hall says it is committed to transicase, and Rikers Island’s federal monitor, in tioning away from emergency infrastructure addition to Deml. and toward a “unified, sustainable system” One move that will require their OK is to with a high standard of care for homeless Q end the practice of commingling, or housing New Yorkers.

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Zero funding for 5,000 more cops Adams had sought by July 2028

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

When Mayor Mamdani released his $127 billion preliminary budget last week, two things were conspicuous by their absence.

The proposal does not fund former Mayor Eric Adams’ proposal from last fall to start adding 5,000 new police officers to the NYPD. It also does not pay for a new Department of Public Safety, on which Mamdani campaigned heavily as a way to remove police from some of the calls fsor things like domestic violence and mental health incidents.

The NYPD has a budgeted headcount of 35,000 positions, but now has about 34,000 officers. There also is an attrition rate of 250 to 300 officers a month, according to the Police Benevolent Association, the union that represents rank-and-file officers.

Adams in the 2025 November Financial Plan Update called for adding 300 new positions by July 2026, with 2,500 by July 2027 and reaching 5,000 by July 2028 for a total of 40,000 positions.

Asked about the NYPD attrition rate and staffing issues at a Feb. 19 press conference, Mamdani made a pitch for the Department of Public Safety.

“We’ve seen an issue with retention in our department over the last few years, and I have said time and again that for too long, the city

Cold Case Squad and professor at John has added additional responsibilities Jay College of Criminal Justice, told onto the NYPD,” Mamdani said in a the Chronicle there has been some video posted on his official website. confusion over the 5,000-officer proHe said, for example, that police posal, as it was just that — a proposal handle 200,000 mental health calls a

by Adams. year, and a Department of Community But he also said nothing Mamdani Safety would take many responsibilidoes in connection with the NYPD ties away from police and let them surprises him. concentrate on crime.

“He’s a ‘defund the police’ person,” But the administration has been Giacalone said. “Believe who people short on details when asked about are the first time they tell you.” He how such a department would work. also says the mayor may have some Mamdani said money for a DPS unpleasant surprises waiting for him. will be included in his executive bud“I’ve got news for him — the sumget plan, which is due out in April. mer’s coming, when things kick off,” The administration and City Council are required under the City Charter to Mayor Mamdani’s preliminary budget plan does not have fund- Giacalone said. “And he’s been very have a balanced budget in place for ing for 5,000 new police positions proposed last November. lucky so far with the bad weather in the 2027 fiscal year before July 1.

The union says the hires are necessary. PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON January and February.”

He said the snowball incident in Last Sunday, Councilman Oswald “By the time each Academy class gradu- Manhattan’s Washington Square Park is a Feliz (D-Bronx), who chairs the Council’s Committee on Public Safety, was quoted in the ates, the NYPD is losing more cops now than good indication of the mayor’s feelings toward New York Post as saying Mamdani’s hiring it hired,” the union said. “We need the support police.

Mamdani has been quoted as saying he freeze comes as the department is “already of all of our elected leaders to retain the Finest.” does not believe anyone should be charged in facing unprecedented officer shortages.”

The preliminary budget plan proposes a $22 the attack that injured two officers.

“This is not good,” Feliz said. “Cutting “You can see reminiscences of Bill de Blapolice hiring will exacerbate problems related million cut to the NYPD’s $6.4 billion budget. to excessive overtime, slow response times and The mayor has said he intends to reduce police sio — an administration that doesn’t like overtime, among other things. cops,” Giacalone said. “The public takes its crime.”

Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant cue from it. That’s exactly what we saw The PBA concurred in a post on Facebook continued on page 19 from Queens, former commander of the Bronx Monday.

Page 13 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 26, 2026

No new positions in prelim NYPD budget

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 26, 2026 Page 14

Homeowners slam mayor’s tax proposal Southeast Queens residents say 9.5 percent hike is unacceptable

by Michael Gannon

ed, with dozens of motorists honking their horns as they passed.

“You have screamed, ‘Affordability!’”

“I want to start out by saying this: Mayor Zohran Mamdani, you are out of your god- Johnson said. “You ran on it. You said ‘Affordability, affordablity, affordability.’ damn mind.”

Cambria Heights homeowner and commu- You have our friends and peers thinking that nity organizer James Johnson was nothing if everything was going to be free ... and the not direct last Thursday afternoon as nearly first thing, not even three months into your 40 homeowners from Southeast Queens ral- administration, into your term, you want a lied to put Mayor Mamdani and Gov. Hochul 9.5 percent increase in our property taxes.

“Everyone knows how hard it is to mainon notice that the 9.5 percent property tax increase proposed by the mayor on Tuesday is tain a house, maintain a home,” Johnson said. b e i n g t a k e n a s a n a t t a c k o n t h e i r “We know how hard it is for young people to have a home in the community. If this hapneighborhoods.

Speakers also said homeowners have no pens, we might as well move out.”

Johnson also pointed out that Mamdani is intention of being pawns in any negotiations in no way only limited to the two funding between City Hall and Albany.

Mamdani, releasing his preliminary bud- schemes he laid out two days earlier.

“There are many other options,” he said. get for fiscal year 2027 on Feb. 17, said the Johnson and others mentioned that a tax city has “no choice” but to raise property taxes 9.5 percent unless the state approves increase would be on top of utility hikes and tax increases the mayor wants on corpora- other increases that have hit property owners tions and residents earning $1 million a year of late.

“National Grid, Con Edison and [the city or more.

The property tax is the only tax the city Department of Environmental Protection] can raise on its own without approval from were allowed to go rogue,” said Alicia Spears of Cambria Heights. the state Legislature and She and others said an Gov. Hochul. option that has not been Mamdani’s proposed hese are legacy acted on for decades is a $127 billion budget for homeowners. restructuring of the city’s the fiscal year beginning property tax regulations.

Ju ly 1 wou ld b e a n They don’t have “How is it that a perincrease of more than son in Man hat tan or $10 billion over the one any intention Brooklyn in a brownapproved by the City of leaving.” stone pays less in taxes C ou n c i l a n d fo r m e r than us?” Spears asked.

Mayor Eric Adams last — Resident Nadine Morency-Mohs “We are already paying June. our taxes. And what are The rally, announced the prior afternoon, took place at the inter- we doing? We’re not getting the basic servicsection of Springfield and Francis Lewis es we pay for now.”

“This will [also] affect tenants who rent boulevards on the Cambria Heights-St. Albans border. It also drew homeowners inside family homes,” Johnson said between from Rosedale, Springfield Gardens and speakers. “This will affect corridors with properties and businesses on it.” elsewhere.

Oster Bryan, president of the St. Albans And while Mamdani reminded people in his budget announcement that the proposal is Civic Improvement Association, who is chalpreliminary and called the 9.5 percent figure le n g i n g A s s e m bly m a n C lyd e Va n el “a last resort,’ the homeowners had one mes- (D-Queens Village), said he does not have a problem raising taxes on the wealthy. But he sage for the mayor on Thursday.

“Hands off our homes!” the group chant- also alluded to Johnson’s prowess as a schoSenior News Editor

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“T

James Johnson leads a rally of homeowners from Southeast Queens to protest Mayor Mamdani’s budget plan with a 9.5 percent property tax increase on the table.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON lastic football player to issue a warning to Mamdani and Hochul.

“Some people want to be the quarterback,” Bryan said. “Some want to be the running back. Some want to be a corner or a linebacker. But nobody wants to be the football. To Mayor Mamdani and Gov. Hochul — we don’t want to be the football in whatever political game you guys are playing. Keep your hands off our houses. Keep your hands off our community.”

Nadine Morency-Mohs, a real estate broker as well as a resident, said homeowners in Southeast Queens have worked too hard for too long to surrender without a fight.

“As we know, Southeast Queens is home to lots of senior citizens,” Morency-Mohs said. “This will dramatically affect how they can sustain themselves. We have been here since the 1960s and in some cases the 1950s.

These are legacy homeowners. They don’t have any intention of leaving.

“Southeast Queens is the home of many African-American families, and they worked hard to acquire their homes. They built equity. They struggled. They worked overtime.

You want to freeze rents for some tenant families but then you want to increase costs

for some other families?

“It doesn’t work that way.”

In a statement released the same day, Assembly woma n A licia Hy nd ma n (D-Springfield Gardens) told Mamdani that she considers the proposal to be a direct threat to Black middle-class homeowners in Southeast Queens.

“Just two weeks ago, at the Joint Budget Hearing, I asked Mayor Mamdani about his plans to assist homeowners with property tax measures and the devastating impact of foreclosures in our community,” Hyndman said.

“He responded that he would work with state elected officials to provide relief.

“Now, just a short time later, threatening a ‘nuclear option’ that increases the tax burden on these same residents — who are already struggling to keep their homes — directly contradicts the goal of providing relief.

While the reforms he seeks may have merit, they should never come at the expense of our homeowners’ stability.

“Black home ownership is a gateway to the middle class. The mayor is threatening that stability as insurance and utility costs rise; he is adding more to our plates with no Q middle ground in sight.”

Teen missing since Feb. 14 Supreme Court’s tariff ruling Police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating a teen who has been missing for more than a week.

Chloe Correa, 17, was last seen leaving her residence, which straddles the Richmond Hill and Kew Gardens neighborhoods, on 120th Street at approximately 3 p.m. on Feb. 14, police said, with i n the conf i nes of the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct.

She is described as about 5 feet, 6 inches tall and 120 pounds

with a thin build, light complexion, brown eyes and black hair.

She was last seen wearing a black bubble jacket.

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

Chloe Correa PHOTO COURTESY NYPD

continued from page 2 long-term economic outlook for the country.”

Leslie Brown, the president of the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce, in an email said the tariffs have been hard on small businesses.

“The court ruled that Trump overstepped his authority by relying on a decades-old emergency law to impose tariffs on goods from nearly every country,” Brown said. “But prices don’t go down once they’ve gone up.”

She said the fate of the tariffs is uncertain, as Trump indicated he would not back off and instead impose them using other laws.

“It is all very up in the air but I am hopeful that the ruling by the Supreme Court will hold,” Brown said.

Tom Grech, president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, said that the borough is uniquely positioned in the global economy.

“With JFK and LaGuardia serving as major international gateways, and as the world’s borough, home to businesses with deep ties across the globe, trade policy decisions have a direct and immediate impact here,” Grech said in a statement. “Tariffs don’t just raise costs for consumers — they increase expenses for our local businesses that rely on imported goods, materials, and international partnerships. Stability and predictability in trade policy are critical for the small businesses that Q power our borough’s economy.”

Amid calls for ‘transparency,’ owners praise leaders’ response to burst pipe

by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor

Residents from Forest Hills’ Fairview co-op have come out in support of its board and management, following public allegations of a lack of transparency surrounding a burst pipe last month.

City Councilman Jim Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) on Feb. 11 held a press conference outside the building, at 61-20 Grand Central Pkw y., to demand “ t ransparency and accountability” in the wake of the Jan. 26 infrastructure failure. The board members who gave remarks said even they struggled to get “clear, timely answers” as apartments flooded and residents lost heat.

But those views are not shared by the entire building, numerous shareholders say.

“Management communicated with residents multiple times each day with detailed updates, and staff personally checked on residents, including myself, to ensure our safety and wellbeing,” resident Yoshie Sakuma wrote to the Chronicle. “Witnessing this level of care and transparency during a crisis genuinely made me feel grateful to live in this building.”

“The Board President has spent countless hours responding to emails, informing all the owners of issues in the building and most importantly recently the heating issue,” wrote Lauren Ngai, who has been trying to sell her

“They don’t have a magic unit since 2020. “The Managing power to tell when everything is agent also has done nothing but going to be fixed, because we’re keep all the owners in the loop talking about a complex of over of the problems and issues and 420 apartments,” 11-year Fairview remedies.” resident Luis Bazoberry said. “So Hours after Gennaro’s press they had to make sure that every conference, property manager apartment was properly managed Luis Mercado, board President and properly fixed, so that they Allan O’Hare and Treasurer Ellen didn’t have the floods and they Yan, during a call with the Chronhad the heat.” icle, detailed the steps they have Work also is underway to taken since the incident, from replace all fan coil units with elecdaily outreach to repair efforts to tric heat pumps, taking the interim measures from warming decades-old water circulation sysrooms to space heaters. tem out of service.

Plumbers replaced the pipe the Bazoberry said the aging infraday it burst, but the issue was far structure, with “Band-Aids everymore complex. The long stretch of where,” had caused problems in freezing weather caused problems such as blockages, low pressure Following Councilman Jim Gennaro’s public demand for “transparency” from the past, and numerous residents and f looding when the boilers Fairview management after a pipe burst Jan. 26, numerous residents spoke mentioned the switch as one of resumed heating. to leaders’ swift response and frequent updates. PHOTO BY PETER C. MASTROSIMONE many positive changes initiated by the current board, whose mem“There were a couple of times that we did put the heat back on, but then we ed that pipes were going to break in the boiler bers assumed their roles in 2024.

They said also that Yin Zhou, a board had to shut it down due to the repairs,” Mercado room and that the system would empty itself, told the Chronicle Monday, referencing broken which it did,” O’Hare said via phone last Fri- member who spoke at Gennaro’s press confercoils in several apartments. “And this went on day. “And there was no way to predict what ence, has long opposed efforts to replace the for a week.” He said heating was fully restored was going to happen when we refilled the sys- heating system.

Bazoberry said Zhou started a petition last to all units by Feb. 11. tem and tried to repressurize it, which is why “Unfortunately, because of the tempera- eventually we had to do it piece by piece April opposing the switch. She later told the continued on page 20 tures, there was no way we could have predict- throughout 422 apartments.”

Page 15 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 26, 2026

A tale of two views at Forest Hills co-op

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Colleague’s firing was ‘abrupt,’ CB DMs say Coalition forms to back Kleinert of CB 2; says dismissal seems personal

by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor

Dozens of her colleagues from other panels across the city have teamed up to support Debra Markell Kleinert, Queens Community Board 2’s longtime district manager, who they believe was unjustly terminated.

Multiple sources told the Chronicle that Kleinert was issued a termination notice from her post, which she held for more than 18 years. A coalition of district managers in a letter to the Chronicle expressed “outrage” that their Woodside counterpart was made “the subject of an attempt to summarily fire her,” adding that there is an appearance of “personal animus” behind it.

“As an employee of the City of New York, Debra Markell Kleinert is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect,” the letter reads.

“The community deserves a process that is transparent, principled, fair and one that reflects the values of good governance that Community Boards are meant to uphold.”

CB 2 Chair Anatole Ashraf at the board’s Feb. 5 meeting said the personnel committee had met the day prior to continue work that had been ongoing for months. He also announced a special meeting Feb. 12 that would be closed to the public, in accordance with protocol for personnel decisions.

In her report, Kleinert spoke against a “sud-

could not comment further on the perden, unsubstantiated depiction” of her sonnel matter. service, saying her character and work “Due process for any city employethic had been “defamed.” She later ee or public official is important, and told the Chronicle she had received a if there is any sort of evidence, that list of “compliance issues,” and that should have been the first thing that the board wanted her to give up Zoom her board led with,” Marziliano said. passwords and other things she is “not “The fact that they didn’t is really allowed to, as a city employee.” troubling and really signals a lack of “We were kind of questioning fairness.” whether or not there was a real effort K leiner t did not respond to made to resolve this issue with the requests for comment for this story.

Zoom account, if that was really the Moure-Punnett said he does not on ly cause for ter m i nati ng an believe the firing was conducted employee of 18 years,” said Rafael legally, as the meeting was held at a Moure-Punnett, the district manager venue other than the one advertised. of Bronx CB 6, one of 51 who signed A public notice on CB 2’s website listonto the letter. ed the Long Island City Library as a Another signee was Joe Marziliatentative location, though it noted that no, district manager of Little Neckthat was subject to change. The meetbased CB 11. He called it “not just troubling, but disappointing and real- Numerous district managers across the city teamed up to ing was ultimately held at the Melting ly disheartening” that the firing was oppose the “abrupt” dismissal of their colleague Debra Markell Cups cafe in Sunnyside.

The Committee on Open Governconducted through “such closed-door Kleinert, above, from Community Board 2. PHOTO BY ANDREW KARPAN ment said any time a quorum of a actions.” public body meets to conduct public business, “The lack of transparency in this situation is discussing the matter in her report. just unconscionable,” Marziliano told the At that meeting, Ashraf told the Chronicle it must comply with all parts of the Open Chronicle last Friday. Since no evidence of that community boards do not need a reason to Meetings Law, which includes appropriate wrongdoing was shared publicly, he said, the fire district managers, as they are at-will notice of the meeting date, time and location.

The city Law Department declined to comonly explanation left is that the termination employees. He later said in an email that the was personal. He noted that at the Feb. 5 board board made a collective decision about her ment on the firing, as did the office of Queens Q meeting, Ashraf interjected as Kleinert began employment at the Feb. 12 special meeting, but Borough President Donovan Richards.

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 26, 2026 Page 18

PHOTOS BY WALTER KARLING

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All Flushing welcomes the Fire Horse

Flushing celebrated the year of Fire Horse on Feb. 21 with a parade featuring costumes, music, dancing and animals seldom seen elsewhere in Queens. It is the first recognition of the Fire Horse in 60 years.

National Geographic says traits of the fire Horse, top left, include power, loyalty and independence.

As with anything involving fire, it also can be volatile and unpredictable and sweep in massive, dramatic changes, but all while fostering new life.

In the top row, center, Chloe Kwai, Lucy Wong and Lisa Prainito pay tribute to the 2026 guest of honor, while at top right one of the many dragons meets the crowd.

The second row left features Grand Marshal

Peter Tu, left, of the Flushing Chinese Business Association, community activist Bernard Chow and City Councilman Phil Wong. Next to them are marchers ranging from residents, center, to lions on the right.

Above, elected officials and other dignitaries wave to members of the crowd along Main Street. In the third row, center, where else but in a place as diverse as the World’s Borough would a dragon be hanging out with a pair of bear cubs? Next to them, a dancer in traditional dress entertains the crowd.

At right, Vicky marched with a steed of her own creation, while at far right, Nancy brought Skylar in traditional Lunar New Year garb.

— Michael Gannon

Blood drives in your area PHOTOS COURTESY RICHMOND HILL AUTO REPAIR CENTER

continued from page 13 yesterday.”

He also said summer will test the mayor’s commitment to cutting overtime.

“Think about all the festivals and parades and all the things that go on in summertime,” he said. “You’re going to need cops in the subway system. You’re going to need cops in the street. And if he thinks he’s going to cut overtime and be able to do that, he’s making the biggest mistake he could ever make.”

Giacalone wouldn’t be surprised if some cops on the street have decided to just go about their business with at least some apathy toward what comes out of City Hall. “‘Who knows? Who cares? ... I’ll do what I’ve got to do,’” Giacalone said they might think.

He also believes the brutal winter weather has played a part in low crime statistics for January and February, masking the understaffing and other issues.

“If things go bad and crime starts creeping back up because there aren’t enough cops, all [Mamdani’s] delusions of grandeur will go out the window,” he said.

He said it is one thing to tout low crime stats for January and February with two major snowstorms and near-record low temperatures for a near-record stretch of days; and another to keep them down when the weather turns warmer.

“To say crime is down and take a victory lap in January and February is like picking who’s going to win the World Series now,” Q the professor said.

Different name, same service When the building housing Dorgler Auto Repairs, at 92-04 116 St. in Richmond Hill, was sold last late year, many residents in the community scrambled to find a new go-to mechanic.

But new owner Sunny Singh, right, kept the repair shop open, just with a new name to go with it: Richmond Hill Auto Repair Center.

Though the previous ownership, including Fred Dorgler, second from left, and the generations of his family who operated the

business, is no longer around, Singh told the Chronicle that clients will still see familiar faces on the staff, including mechanics such as Andrew, left, and Brandon, second from right.

Singh said service will be the same that the community knew and held in high regard, but there will be renovations to the building itself, including new gates and the addition of a seating area to the office space, so customers have a place to wait during repairs.

— Kristen Guglielmo

The New York Blood Center has declared a blood emergency amid winter shortages.

To make an appointment to donate, visit nybc.org. There are several blood drives in Central and Western Queens listed now: • The Church-in-the-Gardens, gym, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Sunday, March 8, 15 Borage Place in Forest Hills; blood drive coordinator James March; • Queens Place mall, former T-Mobile, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, March 8, 88-01 Queens Blvd. in Elmhurst; blood drive coordinator Jelson Santos; • NYPD 112th Precinct, muster room, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday, March 18, 68-40 Austin St. in Forest Hills; blood d r ive coord i nator Of f icer Jat a ra Edwards; • NYC Department of Design and Construction, first floor atrium, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 18, and Thursday, March 19, 30-30 Thomson Ave. in Long Island City; blood drive coordinator Abdonnie Holder; and • The Reform Temple of Forest Hills, garden room, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Sunday, March 22, 71-11 112 St. in Forest Hills; blood drive coordinator Jane Q Pinkett.

Page 19 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 26, 2026

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School in Bayside for the past 51 seasons. Already owning the NYC record, he recently won game 973 to become the all-time winningest high school basketball coach in New York State history.

Naclerio enjoyed his time at the podium, waxing poetically about his t wo city championship teams. He followed with a sharp turn, crediting his deceased parents and brother with his success, before reading a letter that his father, who was a surgeon, received in 1958 from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. He even ended his speech with a rap to the surprise of the 250 guests in attendance.

The three-hour celebration

continued from page 9 remain ready to return to the bargaining table and finish the work to make the University stronger.”

Following the email notification, current and former faculty members at St. John’s took to social media to lament the news.

“Obviously, we are going to court and fighting, but this is just insane!” one user wrote on the social media website Reddit.

“We never thought this would happen at our university.”

“As a proud union member and also a St. John’s alumni this is appalling,” one Facebook user said.

A petition calling on the university’s Board of Trustees “to send President Brian J. Shanley, O.P. back to the bargaining table with St. John’s faculty unions” has circulated on social media.

“For nearly 135 years, official Catholic teaching has affirmed the necessity of labor unions for ensuring economic justice and for society’s common good,” the petition read.

“Father Shanley distorts Catholic teaching’s affirmation of workers’ rights and the vital importance of labor unions.”

A rally was also held on Wednesday outside of D’Angelo Hall on the St. John’s campus in Jamaica Estates, where the Board of Trustees was meeting. Dozens of faculty and students attended, and the event was livestreamed by an attendee on social media.

When asked about the rally, Browne told the Chronicle, “We support everyone’s right to free speech,” but he maintained that the

decision to withdraw recognition from the unions was a First Amendment right and presents a chance to move the university forward.

The Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities in a statement said, “While ACCU does not take a position on unionization, the association respects the university’s choice, as a private, Catholic institution, to invoke its religious exemption, knowing St. John’s has made significant efforts to resolve internal differences collaboratively and in good faith.”

Barbara Mistick, the president of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, also supported the decision.

“The rights of faith-based institutions like St. John’s University to exercise their religious exemption has been repeatedly affirmed by multiple NLRB and court decisions. NAICU will continue to support its religious members in exercising this exempQ tion,” Mistick said.

Corrections The Feb. 12 story “‘Rhythms & Rhymes’ speakeasy honors iconic poet” misstated how many Queens library branches are named for people. There are a few.

The Feb. 12 story “S. Jamaica political staffers vie for D 32” misstated the status of the increase in carrying charges at Rochdale Village. It has taken effect.

Q We regret the errors.

Fairview owners on burst pipe

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 26, 2026 Page 20

Naclerio, Bird honored

Two Queens basketball legends, Ron Naclerio and Sue Bird, were honored Tuesday night at the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Gala. The event, celebrating the Hoops Hall’s classes of 2024 and 2025, was held at the New York Hilton in Midtown Manhattan.

Bird, born in Syosset, LI, played high school basketball at Middle Village’s Christ the King in the mid-1990s. She went on to play at UConn and in the WNBA, being hailed as one of the greatest female players in the history of the game. Bird was unable to attend the event.

Naclerio has been the head boys basketball coach at Benjamin N. Cardozo High For the latest news visit qchron.com

St. John’s won’t recognize unions

continued from page 15 Chronicle that her petition, which was certified by her attorney as having 157 signatures, said the board should not rush to make a decision about such a large project.

She also was concerned the board did not have the money for the new system.

“When I look at the number, it is not right,” Zhou said.

Some shareholders claimed Zhou’s opposition delayed the replacement project that could have prevented the burst pipe altogether. Zhou said the new system could not have been installed in time for that to be true.

“Certainly it is possible that we could have moved faster, if not for that kind of opposition,” O’Hare said, though he could not speak to whether the job would have been done in time to prevent the burst pipe. “It’s a board, you can have opposition.”

O’Hare also denied Zhou’s claim that she and Neil Breitkopf, another board member at the press conference, were excluded from talks with plumbers, and that information was withheld. She disputed some owners’ assertions that she was not among the board members who helped neighbors after the pipes burst.

Some residents, Bazoberry included, have called for an apology and retraction from Gennaro. He has inquired about an investigation by the Council’s Committee on Rules, Privileges, Elections, Standards and Ethics, calling it “unethical” to go to the press with “unvetted information.” A neighbor termed the press conference “incompetent, careless and naive.”

A spokesperson for Gennaro said he is

standing by it, and that it was prompted by constituent complaints and available information.

Gennaro never claimed the board was not addressing the situation, the spokesperson said — the issue at hand was a “lack of transparency” with residents and his office.

“We do not consider carefully curated emailed updates to be transparency,” Gennaro’s spokesperson said in a statement. “Transparency is explaining why this happened, who knew what and when, what mitigation steps were available, why they were not taken and how — after a catastrophic failure — a second round of flooding occurred just two weeks later.”

Zhou also requested documented proof of prewinter heating inspections. Mercado said standard maintenance protocol was followed, and that the boiler and heating system were checked in preparation for winter. Everything was OK until the pipe burst, he said.

“Two weeks without heat in sub-zero temperatures is not a minor issue. We received reports that seniors became ill,” Gennaro’s spokesperson said. “As the crisis continued, we felt we had no choice but to bring public attention to the situation in order to ensure accountability and urgency.”

The spokesperson said the board declined to participate in a proposed town hall meeting on a date “intentionally far enough out” to let members focus on immediate fixes. Yan replied that a shareholders’ meeting would be held before that — one was held online Feb. 19.

“We are an incredibly safe building,” Bazoberry said. “It just happens that this winter was not something that anyone was expecting.” Q

by Kristen ten Guglielmo

‘The Sop anos’

continued on page 23

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Tony Soprano’s world may maay have cut to black on our teleteleevision screens, eens, but his legacy still till lilives on.

Through May 31, the Museum of the Moving Image, at 36-01 35 Ave. in Astoria, is showcasing “Stories and Set Designs for The Sopranos,” an exhibition that dives deep into how showrunner and series creator David Chase and his collaborators built the show’s world, both on the page and on the soundstage.

“The Sopranos,” which aired on HBO from 1999 to 2007, followed Tony Soprano, a New Jersey mob boss who suffers from panic attacks, played by the late James Gandolfini, in his everyday life. Nearly 20 years after the finale, the series is still treated as a benchmark for long-form stor ytelling and complex characters.

Barbara Miller, the curator behind the exhibit, said the idea grew out of the museum’s sold-out screening series focused on Season 3.

From Feb. 26 through 28, Chase and key cast members will sit in on viewings of an iconic |episode from the show’s third season, followed by discussions. While the events are sold out, limited tickets may become available on standby, per the museum’s website, movingimage.org. The screenings are not included with museum admission.

Chase, Steven Van Zandt, who portrayed Silvio Dante, and Ariel Kiley, who appeared as Tracee, on Feb. 26 will focus on “University,” the season’s sixth episode. On Feb. 27, Chase will be joined by Dominic Chianese and Edie Falco, who portrayed Junior and Carmela Soprano, respectively, for “A Second Opinion,” the seventh episode of the season. And on Feb. 28, Chase and Annabella Sciorra, who played Gloria Trillo, will tackle “Amour Fou,” the season’s climactic penultimate episode.

The screenings are part of MoMI’s series “2001: The Year, Not the Movie,” spotlighting film and television from then.

From there, the museum decided to go bigger.

February 26, 2026

ARTS, CULTURE & LIVING

Page 21 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 26, 2026

This museum ofartifacts ours, hostsMoMIevents reveals for

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 26, 2026 Page 22

I HAVE OFTEN WALKED

King Crossword Puzzle Lamar Odom stood tall in South Ozone Park

ACROSS

1 Golfer Ernie 4 Gullet 8 Engine noise 12 Horror star Chaney 13 Costa -14 Inter -15 Past 16 Novelist Jennifer 17 Pealed 18 Fresh starts 21 Boom times 22 Small batteries 23 Humorist Dave 26 Flow out 27 Depot vehicle 30 “Iliad” setting 31 Shade 32 Spring honorees 33 -- Salvador 34 Supporting 35 Rolled-up sandwiches 36 Evergreen tree 37 Hindu honorific 38 Age-old knowledge 45 Soccer legend 46 Spring flower 47 Plastic -- Band 48 Verbal 49 Quitter’s word 50 Neighbor of Leb. 51 Duck’s hangout 52 Checks out 53 Tel. number add-on

DOWN 1 Flair 2 Theater section

by Ron Marzlock

The childhood home of of NBA star Lamar Odom a t 11 4 -1 8 131 S t . in South Ozone Par k , as i t looks today.

Chronicle Contributor

3 Winter fall 4 Eerie 5 Bobby who lost to Billie Jean King 6 Smoothie berry 7 Hopeful 8 Seine city 9 -- Bator 10 Saturn feature 11 Cleaning cloths 19 Conceal, in a way

20 Arrest 23 “Dynamite” band 24 Notre Dame coach 25 Harry Potter pal 26 Where Ger. is 27 Large snake 28 Ref 29 Radiator sound 31 “That’s wonderful!”

32 Hosp. scans 34 Charge

35 Places for bracelets 36 Relinquish 37 Pigs 38 Per person 39 Roman emperor 40 Family 41 Tea carrier 42 Rx amount 43 Cameo stone 44 Humorist Sahl

Cathy Celestine Mercer was born in the Bronx on Sept. 26, 1957, the third daughter born to Joseph and Mildred Mercer. Joseph, who had a good job with the electric company, was able to buy their first home at 114-18 131 St. in South Ozone Park in 1959 — an early black family coming into an Italiandominated neighborhood.

Joseph Odom was born Feb. 13, 1954, in Brooklyn. He joined the Army early, served honorably and was discharged after coming home from Vietnam. Cathy Mercer had a successful job as a Rikers Island correction officer. She gave birth to Lamar Odom on Nov. 6, 1979. Joe was an absentee father due to drug addiction.

When Lamar’s mother died in July 1992, he was four months away from his 13th birthday. Grandma Mildred continued to raise him with love. Lamar enjoyed the safety of living in his grandparents home.

He had a talent for basketball and eventually stood 6 feet, 10 inches tall. He played for Christ the King High School for three years before transferring elsewhere.

GOOGLE MAPS IMAGE AND, INSET, FILE PHOTO

In 1999 he was drafted in the first round by the Los Angeles Clippers and he became history. He played for 14 years in the NBA, scoring over 12,000 points and winning championships with the LA Lakers in 2009 and 2010. He also married Khloé Kardashian in 2009 after only a month of dating and appeared on the hit reality TV show “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”

Odom has been troubled by alcohol and drug addiction and was divorced from Kardashian years ago. He was arrested just last month in Las Vegas on DUI charges. We hope his luck changes and 2026 will turn Q into a better year for him.

Answers on next page

SPORTS

BEAT

Soul Power

by Lloyd Carroll

PHOTO COURTESY MOTHER EARTH

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Chronicle Contributor

Black History Month at JFK Nine people were recipients of a Black History Month award given during a celebration held at JFK Airport’s Terminal 8, Gate 38, last Thursday.

Some of the Community Hero recipients were Sonia Thompson, green scarf, Erica Ford of LIFE Camp and Nathaniel Hezekiah III, a City Council District 28 candidate, who received awards from the Rev. Roxanne Simone Lord Marcel of the Mother Earth Juice Bar and Southeast Queens Chamber of Commerce. Other recipients included Miss Cari-

com Monica Sanchez, in yellow and red, and Hanif Russell. U.S. Rep. Greg Meeks and state Sen. James Sanders Jr. also were honored but were not able to make it.

Ruth Settles, in fur, accepted an award for Joyce Denny of The United Neighbors Civic Association and Nacy McClary, in Yankees cap, held Tunisia Morrison’s award. Simbal Haldipur, second from left, received an Employee Appreciation Award from Mother Earth.

Malachi Stone, left, the juice bar’s new manager, also attended.

— Naeisha Rose

“Soul Power,” which debuted last week on Prime Video, is a terrific four-part documentary, narrated by actor and hip-hop star Common, which examines the tumultuous nine-year history of the American Basketball Association.

The documentary pays homage to the terrific teams and players of the ABA such as Dan Issel, Willie Wise, Mack Calvin, Mel Daniels, Rick Barry and Long Island’s own Julius “Dr. J” Erving. It credits the league for inventing the threepoint shot, for its physical play and great athleticism and for having truly integrated teams. It was not unusual for black and white players to room together on the road and socialize at home.

It is fun to hear legendary crooner Pat Boone, who is still as sharp as ever at 91 years young, recall his days as the owner of the Oakland Oaks. It was Boone who persuaded NBA star Rick Barry to leave the San Francisco Warriors and cross the Bay Bridge to play in Oakland.

Astoria native and famed sportscaster Bob Costas got his start doing play-by-play for the ABA’s Spirits of St. Louis. Costas provides the viewers with plenty of memories, including one in which he inadvertently used a sexual slang term to describe the Spirits’ penchant for blowing games in the final minutes Barry’s arrival, along with the signings of New York City high school and playground stars

Connie Hawkins and Roger Brown, who were blackballed by the NBA at the time, gave the ABA credibility with knowledgeable hoops fans.

It was the failure of the league to sign another Big Apple high school star, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then Lew Alcindor, that would doom it. The nine team owners pooled together $1 million, incredible money for an athlete in 1970, to sign Alcindor, who had made it known he would prefer to play with the ABA’s New York Nets.

The owners entrusted ABA Commissioner George Mikan, who like Alcindor had a Hall of Fame career, to make the offer. Unbeknownst to the owners, Mikan made an offer to Alcindor far below what the owners were willing to pay, and Alcindor wound up signing with the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. When the owners found out what Mikan had done, they immediately fired him.

On the debit side, “Soul Power” ignores players renowned for getting into fights with opposing players and fans, such as John Brisker and Wendell Ladner. The documentary also overlooks Lou Carnesecca, who left St. John’s University for three years (1970-73) to coach the Nets when they played in the Island Garden in West Hempstead, LI, and the Nassau Coliseum.

Louie was able to get Red Storm greats such as Billy Paultz, Joe DePre and Sonny Dove to play Q for the Nets.

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

by Stephanie G. Meditz editor

What happens in suite 719 at the Plaza Hotel stays there.

That is, unless it’s onstage in Forest Hills, giving audience members an inside look at the drama and hilarity that can ensue when we think no one is watching.

The Parkside Players’ production of Neil Simon’s ’60s comedy “Plaza Suite” is as juicy, shocking and humorous as it is human. Tableaux of love, loss, marriage and the wounds of time unfold over the course of three one-act plays, in which attendees are flies on the wall during intimate, vulnerable moments for each character.

“When I first took on the job, I figured, oh, it’s Neil Simon, it’s comedy. Just keep it light and keep it funny,” director Bernard Bosio said. “But as I started studying the script, I realized that there was a lot of stuff below the surface, a lot of personal dynamics that went into it.”

The audience is first introduced to girlish, romantic Karen Nash (Farah Diaz-Tello), who booked suite 719 to celebrate her wedding anniversary. But when her husband, Sam (Rich Feldman), arrives, he is preoccupied with work, his restrictive diet, the details of their marriage that he swears his wife misremembers and more. It

Farah Diaz-Tello and Kieran Larkin, left, play overbearing parents in “Plaza Suite.” Will Frenzel and Brooke McGowan act as former lovers. PHOTO BY STEPHANIE G. MEDITZ, LEFT; COURTESY PHOTO becomes quickly apparent that the pair’s honeymoon phase has long been over.

The comical, will-they-won’t-they second scene follows exasperated Hollywood producer Jesse Kiplinger (Will Frenzel) as he tries to restore his faith in women by reconnecting with his girlfriend from way back when, Muriel Tate (Brooke McGowan).

McGowan’s performance captures both the young maiden inside Muriel, thrilled

that her former beau has dined with Frank Sinatra, and the responsible mother and married woman who knows better. But audience members start to see cracks in her stern posture over the course of numerous vodka stingers with the goofy and charming, yet tortured Jesse.

In the last act, aptly titled “Visitor from Forest Hills,” Diaz-Tello returns to the stage for a dazzling encore as Norma Hubley, a

mother pleading with her daughter who locked herself in the bathroom on her wedding day. The short-tempered Roy Hubley (Kieran Larkin) joins the fray, bringing stellar timing and slapstick elements to the suite in his efforts to get inside with force.

Both Larkin and Diaz-Tello play the part of the overbearing parent well, as they dwell on appearances and trivialities. But they take on a gentler, even wistful tone as the scene unfolds and they must vary their approaches to their daughter’s reticence.

Though it is funny and, at times, deliberately absurd, “Plaza Suite” is deceptively complex in its portrayal of relationships and what goes on behind closed doors, even those of a luxury hotel.

“To maintain relationships, it takes work, and a lot of people are walking around with unresolved issues,” Bosio said.

“Plaza Suite” has vacancies for the next two weekends, at Grace Lutheran Church.

The remaining shows are on Feb. 27 and 28, as well as March 1, 6, 7 and 8. Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 p.m., and Sunday performances are at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $22 each, or $20 for students and seniors, and can be purchased at the door by cash, check or Zelle. They also can be reserved online at parksideplayers.com or by calling (646) 847-9429.

Page 23 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 26, 2026

Parkside Players stage love, loss in a luxury suite

In Astoria, an offer ‘Sopranos’ fans can’t refuse

Crossword Answers

museum’s collection. Visitors will see scripts, notes and research that map out how the show’s story arcs and character trajectories evolved as the series moved from the pilot into its first season.

Miller and her team focused on materials from the first season to see how those arcs were first set in motion. In the process, she stumbled onto a revelation that may fascinate even diehard fans — originally, Tony was supposed to kill his mother, Livia, at the end of the first season.

“When she’s in the hospital, and she’s sort of carted away after having a stroke, that was actually supposed to end with Tony going in and killing her with a pillow that he actually picks up and then puts down in [the final version of ] that scene,” Miller explained.

Because people loved Nancy Marchand, the actress who played Livia, a pivot was made so she could remain on the show.

The exhibit also spotlights how “The Sopranos’” four central locations — Dr. Melfi’s office, the Soprano home, the Bada Bing strip club and Satriale’s Pork Store — were conceived and built. Concept art, construction drawings and ground plans by pro-

James Gandolfini and Edie Falco captured audiences as Tony and Carmela on “The Sopranos,” and now, the Museum of the Moving Image is offering fans a chance to dive deep into the show’s creation with its exhibition “Stories and Set Designs for The Sopranos.” On the cover: Gandolfini opposite Annabella Sciorra in Season 3 episode “Amour Fou,” the Soprano bedroom set and concept art of the Bada Bing office, all atop the cover of the original pilot script. PHOTOS COURTESY HBO, ABOVE, AND PRODUCTION DESIGNER DEAN TAUCHER VIA THE MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE

duction designers Edward Pisoni and Dean Taucher show how practical decisions translated ideas into physical space.

For Miller, the goal is to give fans a new

way into a show they already love.

“I love the idea of being able to track how the stories and characters developed Q through these materials,” she said.

For the latest news visit qchron.com

continued from page 21 “It’s not just a general celebration of ‘The Sopranos’,” Miller told the Chronicle. “What we’re looking at is how a television show in general goes from a pilot, which is kind of made without necessarily the promise of anything after that, and then, once it’s approved, how it moves into a broader series.”

To tell that story, MoMI draws heavily from Chase’s personal archive, along with production design materials already in the

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 26, 2026 Page 24

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AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESET AL. are the Defendant(s).

I, the undersigned Referee

ASR Public Notice

will sell at public auction at

T-Mobile USA, Inc. proposes to register a 40-foot-tall Cell-On-Wheels tower with guyed-wires located at 83 Cargo Plaza at N. Service Ct., Jamaica, Queens, NY 11430 at Latitude N40º -39’17.4”, Longitude W73º -47’41.6”. The existing tower utilizes Medium-Intensity Dual White and Red Lights.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Antenna Structure Registration (ASR, Form 854) filing number is A1377439. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS – Interested persons may review the application (www.fcc.gov/ asr/applications) by entering the ASR filing number.

Environmental concerns may be raised by filing a Request for Environmental Review (www.fcc.gov/asr/ environmentalrequest) and online filings are strongly encouraged. The mailing address to file a paper copy is: FCC Requests for Environmental Review, Attn: Ramon Williams, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554. All questions, comments, and correspondence should also be directed to Julia Klima at Dynamic Environmental Associates, Inc., 3850 Lake Street, Suite C, Macon, GA 31204, 877-968-4787, FAAASR@dynamicenvironmental. com within 30 days from the date of this publication. Re: DEA#22602036 - NYTP007A

the QUEENS COUNTY COURTHOUSE 88-11 SUTPHIN BLVD., COURTROOM #25, JAMAICA, NY 11435, on 03/13/2026 at 10:00AM,

premises

known

as 115-92 230TH STREET, CAMBRIA HEIGHTS, New York 11411; and the following tax map identification, -11311-45.

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.: 703101/2019. William T. Driscoll, Esq. - Referee.

Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310,

Westbury,

New

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OF THE ESTATE OF GEORGE

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SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENSU.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE IF THE LEHMAN BROTHERS SMALL BALANCE COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-2, -against- ERA INTERNATIONAL, LLC, 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 U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE IF THE LEHMAN BROTHERS SMALL BALANCE COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-2 is the Plaintiff and ERA INTERNATIONAL, LLC, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the QUEENS COUNTY COURTHOUSE 8811 SUTPHIN BLVD., COURTROOM #25, JAMAICA, NY 11435, on 03/13/2026 at 10:00AM, premises known as 6626 MYRTLE AVE, GLENDALE , New York 11385; and the following tax map identification, 4-03699-0034.

ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THREON 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.: 700577/2021.

Guy R. Vitacco Jr., 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.

Page 25 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 26, 2026

SUPREME COURT OF THE

To Advertise Call 718-205-8000

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 26, 2026 Page 26 For the latest news visit qchron.com

To Advertise Call 718-205-8000

Legal Notices

Legal Notices

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNT Y OF QUEENS, BLUE CASTLE ( C AY M A N ) LT D, P la in t i f f, vs. VA NESSA HOLMESBENJAMIN, ET AL., Defendant ( s ) . Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and S ale duly entered on M a r c h 17, 2 0 2 5 , I , t h e under signed R e feree will sell at public auction at the Queens Count y Supreme Courthouse, on the second floor in Courtroom 25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on March 6, 2026 a t 10 : 0 0 a .m . , p r e mi s e s k n o w n a s 13 0 - 6 5 2 2 7 t h Street, Springfield Gardens, N Y 11413. All that cer tain 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 $ 787,6 6 0.31 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 7118 67/ 2017. S ally At tia, Esq., Referee Vallely Mitola R yan P L LC, 6 8 51 Jericho Tu r n p i k e , S u i t e 16 5 , Syosset, New York 11791, Attorneys for Plaintiff

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, -against- JEAN REED, 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 24, 2025, wherein JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION is the Plaintiff and JEAN REED, 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 21012 94TH AVENUE, QUEENS VILLAGE, New York 11428; and the following tax map identification, -10544-50.

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.: 704770/2023. Michael Dennis Benjamin, 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 Formation of COLLIN’S WIRING AND HOME IMPROVEMENT LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/07/2026. 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: HUON RHODEN, 22919 MERRICK BLVD., #532, LAURELTON, NY 11413.

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 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 LEGAL POSTPONEMENT OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure 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 SUPREME COURT, 88-11 SUTPHIN BLVD, COURTROOM 25, JAMAICA, NY 11435, on March 6, 2026 at 11:00AM, premises known as 14-28 PINSON STREET, FAR ROCKAWAY, NY 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 BOROUGH 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.

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.

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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.

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NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR RCF 2 ACQUISITION TRUST, Plaintiff AGAINST LASEAN JONES, STRACY JONES, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered March 10, 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 March 27, 2026 at 10:00 AM, premises known as 11232 209th Street, Queens Village, NY 11429. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Queens, in the County of Queens and State of New York, Block 10985 Lot 36. Approximate amount of judgment $503,145.01 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #706174/2023. Valerie Katsorhis, Esq, Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 22-004417 88818

HOUSE FOR SALE GREAT OPPORTUNITY! Spacious mother/daughter with a generous layout and private yard.

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Furn. Rm. For Rent Howard Beach. Furnished Room for Rent. All Utilities Included. Close to transportation & shopping. $250 per week plus security deposit.

Please call or text: 718-772-6127 Classified Ad Deadline is 12 Noon on Tuesday for Thursday’s paper.

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 interest s and cost s.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 720229 /2024. For s a l e in f o r ma t i o n , p l e a s e 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 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

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 GSLW PROPERTIES 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: THE LLC, 5441 71ST ST, MASPETH, NY 11378.

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.

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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.

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.

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.

For the latest news visit qchron.com

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.

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 SOCIETY, 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 every 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; VINCENT 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 every 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*

Page 27 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 26, 2026

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS, WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. SUCCESSOR

BY MERGER TO WACHOVIA MORTGAGE CORPORATION,against-MICHAEL C. BANKS A/K/A BANKS, 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 May 14, 2025, wherein WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. SUCCESSOR

BY MERGER TO WACHOVIA MORTGAGE CORPORATION, is the Plaintiff and MICHAEL C. BANKS A/K/A BANKS, 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 03/13/2026 at 10:00AM, premises known as 144-45 SPRINGFIELD BOULEVARD, JAMAICA, New York 114133453; and the following tax map identification, -1349022.ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT . PIECE PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVMENTS THEREON SITUATED 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.: 717410/2019. Lamont Ramsey Bailey, 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.

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 26, 2026 Page 28 For the latest news visit qchron.com

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