Queens Chronicle 03-12-26

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. 11

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2026

QCHRON.COM

ROUND TWO CB 9 executive officers handily reelected

PHOTO BY KRISTEN GUGLIELMO

PAGE 6

Community Board 9’s election of its executive officers on Tuesday evening at Borough Hall was about as quick and easy as it could get. Second Vice Chair Cristal Rivera, left, Chair Sherry Algredo, First Vice Chair Andrew Taranto, and, not seen here, Treasurer Kirpal Billing, were all uncontested in their bids for reelection and will assume their positions together for a second year.

3-K GETS A BOOST City adding 1,000 seats

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026 Page 2

DOT standing by its daylighting policy Commissioner says intersection safety fixes depend on conditions

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

N

ew DOT, same as the old DOT — at least when it comes to the criteria for selecting which dangerous intersections should be redesigned to incorporate daylighting to increase driver and pedestrian visibility.

In a March 3 meeting of City Council’s Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, new Department of Transportation Commissioner Michael Flynn testified that their agency is sticking by existing department policy of using daylighting when and where the conditions and engineering deem it an appropriate fix at a given intersection, rather than implement a broader, less specific approach.

His testimony left some surprised looks on the faces on Committee Chairman Shaun Abreu (D-Manhattan) and Councilwoman Shahana Hanif (D-Brooklyn) during discussion of Hanif’s bill that would require the DOT to place curb extensions at a minimum of five dangerous intersections per borough per year.

The extensions would prevent parking within 15 feet of crosswalks.

Flynn and a deputy said in some cases, unhardened daylighting, with no physical objects impeding parking, can be more dangerous than doing nothing at all.

Flynn said the agency daylighted 444 inter-

Concrete blocks and bike racks are two of the items that the Department of Transportation uses for hardened daylighting at intersections proven dangerous to pedestrians.

NYC DOT PHOTO / FILE sections last year. He also said 2025 was tied for the fewest traffic deaths in city history.

“Daylighting is definitely one important tool,” Flynn said in a video that can be found on the Council’s online calendar. “But as someone had mentioned earlier, we always take a holistic approach. We really look at the unique

conditions and contexts of each location.”

Both Council members and members of the public said at the hearing that they were looking forward to the Mamdani administration being more active than that of former Mayor Eric Adams when it comes to meeting mandates for projects such as bike lanes and bus lanes.

But the DOT appears to be sticking by a report it released in January 2025.

The study found that while hardened daylighting works very well to reduce accidents and injuries when used situationally at specific intersections under specific conditions, using it could cause an estimated 15,000 more injuries per year if used improperly on too wide a scale.

The report can be found on the DOT website at tinyurl.com/6dvffeas.

“What is the solution if you don’t support my bill?” Hanif asked Flynn.

“I think we find we can be most effective when we have the flexibility to match the right treatment to the right locations,” he said.

Abreu elicited that the final year of the Adams administration fell far short, with 8.2 miles of protected bike lanes installed as opposed to the 50 required; and just over 20 miles of bus lanes vs. the 30 required.

Flynn said some projects were stopped for political reasons and others, such as the bike lanes proposed for 31st Street in Astoria, were subjected to legal challenges.

“The mayor has been clear that we can and must do better, and that safe and viable streets are a priority for this administration,” Flynn said. He added that Mamdani has loosened some of their hiring restrictions.

“We’re interested in outcomes, not just outQ put,” he said.

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026 Page 4

CB 10 prepares to navigate the future Leadership on budget priorities and duties ahead of casino’s expansion

by Kristen Guglielmo

expansion as a key factor.

“New York City’s only casino is Community Board 10 members right now located fully within our during their March 5 meeting dis- precinct,” Braton said. “Many milcussed the group’s push for more lions of people visit it annually, and police officers and school capacity, other locations in this city with outlining budget priorities as the similarly high numbers of visitors area faces growth, crime concerns have more officers in relationship and major development tied to to the people that they serve living in their districts than we have here.

Resorts World New York City.

“We feel that that’s an inequity, Board Chair Betty Braton discussed the testimony of the district and we’re asking for our fair share manager, Karyn Petersen, at Febru- of the Police Department’s resourcary’s Borough Board meeting, dur- es in this precinct.”

Frank Gulluscio, the board’s secing which Petersen highlighted the board’s No. 1 expense priority, ond vice chair, used the discussion police, and its primary capital bud- to underscore how limited the get item, the constr uction of board’s own resources are, even as it is tasked with reviewing and schools.

Braton, during the Thursday advocating on multimillion-dollar meeting at the Old Mill Yacht Club projects.

“A lot of people don’t realize that in Howard Beach, said the board’s community budget submisboards in the sio n s t r e s s e s Cit y of New construction of York a r e t he n ew s ch o ol s , ur institutional s m a l le s t c it y reduct ion of knowledge will agency with the class sizes and budget “a full range of become a history.” smallest to run an ser vices” in office,” Gulluseducational — Frank Gulluscio, cio said. “I’m facilities to CB 10 second vice chair personally address acaspeaking — it’s demic and social needs that intensified after a disgrace that the community boards haven’t had an increase in the pandemic.

On public safety, Braton said, our budget to run the office.”

He added, “We don’t have “Our population, both residential and ambient, continues to grow. We authority — we have suggestions. need additional officers to keep We are the bully pulpit for everypace with the crime rate and our body that’s local.”

Gulluscio said the board can crime share,” Braton said.

She also pointed to Resorts only recommend, not spend, and World New York City in South warned that flat funding and term Ozone Park and its impending full limits for its volunteer members are Editor

For the latest news visit qchron.com

“O

Community Board 10 leadership, including Second Vice Chair Frank Gulluscio, center, and Chair Betty Braton, right, discussed budgeting and member responsibilities during the group’s March 5 meeting. SCREENSHOT VIA YOUTUBE / CB 10 weakening a key layer of local government.

“Our institutional knowledge will become a history,” he said. “So I need everybody young ... to start to step up and get involved more and more.

“It’s time that the community board took a strong stand on the things that we really need.”

Later in the meeting, David Tanis, representing RWNYC, said the operator is in a “massive” hiring phase as it prepares for full casino operations.

“The goal is to hopefully hire close to 2,500 people by the end of this month, and we’ll be looking to onboard the rest of the folks by the

moment that we actually go live and open to the public,” Tanis said.

Braton backed the push for area hiring, calling RWNYC and JFK Airport two “economic engines” for southern Queens.

“Every dollar that anybody earns in that casino recirculates in our community,” she said. “It pays their rent, it pays their mortgages, it buys their food and they buy their things in local stores.”

She framed the coming years as a test of how well the volunteer board can balance growth, services and quality of life.

“You got a big job ahead of you,” she told members. “We will listen and we will try to build consensus

and act in the best interest of the community.”

Gulluscio also reminded members that their decisions regarding the casino will be scrutinized, as RWNYC will be the first of the state-approved city casinos to be fully operational.

“The other people that went for the expansion will be looking not only at Resorts World, but the other community boards will be looking to see how we navigate this whole situation,” he said. “The bottom line is we are in the right spot at the right time, and we ... have to take advantage of this, because [Resorts World has] been Q a great partner to us.”

Teens learn dangers of gambling addiction

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

In recognition of March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month, state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven) partnered with the New York Council on Problem Gambling to host two educational sessions last Friday at John Adams High School in Ozone Park.

Robin Singh, the team leader of the Queens Problem Gambling Resource Center of NYCPG, with council Executive Director Michelle Hadden and Assistant Executive Director Kristin Sweeter, gave an overview of problem gambling. He told the teens that it

harms daily life through lying or stealing to pay debts or using money meant for bills.

“Chasing losses means putting more money back in to get the money back that you lost,” Singh said. “It’s like trying to dig yourself out of a hole with a shovel.”

Treyvon Paul and Scott Meyer, both NYCPG-certified peer recovery advocates, shared personal stories. “[Gambling addiction] doesn’t care how much money you have, how old you are, or where you live, because it’s right in the palm of your hands,” Meyer said. “It’s right around the corner.”

For help with gambling addiction, one may call the state Office of Addiction Services and Supports Hopeline at 1 (877) 846-7369.

“Teaching kids about the risks of gambling addiction is more than a responsibility — it helps their future,” Addabbo said. “If we raise awareness and understanding, we help them make smart choices and protect themselves from addiction that can ruin their dreams.” Q

State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr., right, hosted problem gambling awareness sessions at John Adams High School in Ozone Park last week.

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Board 9’s officers keep their seats Group discusses code of conduct and votes on three education resolutions

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Members of Community Board 9 on Tuesday night voted for their new executive officers.

The decisions weren’t difficult.

Paper ballots were handed out to each member to jot down a choice for the positions, with the board’s Steve Forte giving the group instructions.

But tallying the votes took next to no time at all, as Chair Sherry Algredo, First Vice Chair Andrew Taranto, Second Vice Chair Cristal Rivera and Treasurer Kirpal Billing were all reelected unanimously in uncontested bids. The four officers will serve together for a second year.

After the results were announced, Algredo, who will be entering her fifth term as chair, thanked the members for their confidence and reflected on the past year, saying she had been supported by a “wonderful” treasurer and first and second vice chairs, and by District Manager James McClelland.

“I want to thank you guys for your service, and welcome back,” she said.

Tariqua Mensah, the chief of staff and special counsel to Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., visited the board to walk members through the code of conduct.

Mensah began by thanking them for their service. She laid out the expectations around

well School in Ozone Park — but 15 attendance, nondiscrimination, elementary schools. respectful behavior and conflicts of The resolution urges the city to interest, stressing that disagreement prioritize new middle school capacion issues is healthy — but harassty and to reconsider the use of the ment is not. planned elementary school at the “We are all going to disagree at former Rubie’s Costume Company, some point, right?” Mensah said. at 120-08 Jamaica Ave. in Rich“We have hot-button issues. We have mond Hill. folks who really care about the neighBoard member Alyssa Velez said borhoods they live in and what’s she appreciated the resolution. going on. We just ask that even if you “As somebody who lives in the disagree with someone, you maintain district, I didn’t go to middle the quorum as public servants.” school in the district because there She reminded members that comweren’t any seats,” Velez said. “I plaints about discrimination or went to school out in Rockaway, so harassment can be sent to the borI completely u nderstand what ough president’s legal team. you’re saying.”

Education dominated the comA third education resolution pressmittee reports, as the Education After electing its officers on Tuesday evening at Borough Hall, much and Youth Services panel, chaired of Community Board 9’s discussion focused on education resolu- es the DOE and SCA to move quickby Rivera, brought forward three tions that were ultimately adopted.

PHOTO BY KRISTEN GUGLIELMO ly on soon-to-be available school properties, particularly St. Thomas resolutions that were all adopted by tion urges the DOE and School Construction the Apostle Catholic Academy in Woodhaven the board.

First, the group backed an expansion of PS Authority to secure the site to help meet class- and St. Elizabeth Catholic Academy in Ozone Park, which are set to close in June, as well as 99, the Kew Gardens School, at 82-37 Kew Gar- size mandates and pre-K needs.

The second resolution calls for more middle to evaluate the former RKO Theater site at 117dens Road, into an adjacent building, at 80-15 Lefferts Blvd., which was originally construct- school seats within School District 27, high- 09 Hillside Ave. in Richmond Hill.

“This is really just to urge that they actually ed to be part of the school but never acquired by lighting a stark imbalance.

The committee’s research found there is just take possession of these sites and start to build the city Department of Education.

Rivera said the school community is “very one public middle school in the entire commu- on them or take possession and use them,” Q much in favor of this extension,” and the resolu- nity district — JHS 210, the Elizabeth Black- Rivera said.

Men’s homeless shelter set to open in Rich Hill

by Kristen Guglielmo A men’s homeless shelter will open in Richmond Hill in July 2027 — but its exact address is unknown at this time.

Community Board 9 District Manager James McClelland shared with the group on Tuesday night, during its meeting at Queens Borough Hall, that he had received a notification from the city Department of Homeless Services about the opening of a site on Jamaica Avenue near Lefferts Boulevard.

The shelter will have the capacity for 127 single adult males and will be operated by VIP Community Services. A City Hall spokesperson told the Chronicle it is slated to open in July 2027.

The shelter’s address, however, is under wraps. McClelland was not told an exact location, and City Hall did not provide one to the Chronicle when asked.

Last year, a permit was filed for a men’s homeless shelter at 118-08 Jamaica Ave. It is unknown if that is the site in question.

Upon learning news of the shelter, the area’s elected officials, state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven), Assemblymem-

ber David Weprin (D-Fresh Meadows) and Councilmember Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills), released a statement.

“Addressing homelessness requires thoughtful planning, strong partnerships, and a commitment to solutions that serve both vulnerable New Yorkers and the communities in which services are located,” the officials said. “We recognize the importance of expanding access to supportive housing and shelter services that help individuals stabilize their lives and transition toward permanent housing.”

They said that while providers such as VIP Community Services play an important role in supporting individuals in crisis, the proposed location raises “serious concerns” due to its proximity to multiple schools, including PS 51, the Queens Elementary School, and PS 56, the Harry Eichler School, and another planned for the area.

“We therefore urge the administration and relevant agencies to work collaboratively with local stakeholders to identify the best way to accommodate these services in consultation with the affected comQ munity,” they said.

NYPD PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK

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Editor

Cops nabbed robbery suspect Two officers from the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct on March 3 were presented with Cop of the Month honors by the precinct’s commanding officer, Capt. Pratima Maldonado, third from right, and its community council during its most recent meeting.

The gatherings, led by Simcha Waisman, second from right, are usually scheduled for the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m., at 110-08 Jamaica Ave. in Richmond Hill.

Officer Gurshan Singh, center, per a post

on the precinct’s Facebook page, was able to positively identify a suspect in regard to burglaries in the community.

Officer Jeff Biondo, center left, spotted the wanted suspect, gave chase and safely apprehended the alleged perpetrator, according to the NYPD. “Burglars tools were recovered on the suspect as well,” the post on the 102’s Facebook page read. “Great work officers!”

— Kristen Guglielmo

Page 7 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026 Page 8

City announces new 3-K seat expansion 1,000 spots added across 56 ZIP codes, including 21 in Queens

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

New York City will add 1,000 new free 3-K seats in 56 ZIP codes this September, Mayor Mamdani announced Tuesday.

Families in five ZIP codes in the Bronx, six on Staten Island, eight in Brooklyn, 16 in Manhattan and 21 in Queens will see expanded 3-K access in an effort to fix and strengthen the program, the city said.

Children often have been waitlisted for 3-K or assigned to a location miles from their home. The city’s efforts aim to mitigate those issues.

Queens can expect the new seats across six education districts, with sites in Glen Oaks, Floral Park, Astoria, Long Island City, College Point, Little Neck, Douglaston, Fresh Meadows, Auburndale, Corona, Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst, Forest Hills, Maspeth, Middle Village, Ridgewood, Glendale, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park, Hollis, Bellerose, Jamaica and Far Rockaway.

The ZIP codes were chosen based on historical enrollment patterns, early application data and potential provider capacity, the city said, and both new and existing providers will open the additional seats.

As 3-K options are expanded, increasing services and program availability for children with disabilities where there is unmet need

Mayor Mamdani, center, alongside city Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels, left, and Emmy Liss, the executive director of the Office on Child Care and Early Childhood Education, announce the addition of 1,000 new 3-K seats in 56 ZIP codes on March 10 during a press conference in Staten Island.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL APPLETON / NYC MAYOR’S OFFICE will be a priority, per a press release from City Hall.

Families who have already applied to 3-K do not need to take any further action now.

As new programs are confirmed, the city Department of Education will notify families in those communities. Applications may be updated to include newly available programs until April 24, 2026.

The expansion is part of the Mamdani

administration’s push for universal child care, with the plan first announced on Jan. 8. Gov. Hochul allocated $1.7 billion in additional state funding, which included $100 million for 3-K, to help the city reach that goal.

“An investment in universal child care saves parents more than $20,000 per child,” Mamdani said at a press conference in Staten Island on Tuesday alongside city Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels and Emmy Liss, the executive

director of the Office on Child Care and Early Childhood Education. “It will allow our kids to grow up happier and healthier. .... Put simply, universal child care will transform our city in a way that will be felt by every single New Yorker. As we expand access to 3-K, as we launch for the first time in city history free 2-K, we are making what Wall Street would describe as a good investment.”

Samuels said the earliest years of a child’s life are the most important ones.

“And so, academic rigor should begin in every child’s first classroom to lay the foundation for future success and for lifelong learning,” Samuels said. “For too many families, the promise of 3-K has not always matched the reality. Today, we are taking an important step towards fixing that.”

Among those to react to the news was Councilmember Jennifer Gutiérrez (D-Brooklyn, Queens), the chair of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education.

“For four years, I fought tooth and nail just to make sure we weren’t losing seats, so to see this administration committing to 3-K expansion into every borough is nothing short of a breath of fresh air,” Gutiérrez said in a statement. “This is what we’ve been working toward: a program that is truly universal, that meets families where they are, in every zip code, in every community across this city.” Q

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026 Page 10

P Wage hike a bad idea EDITORIAL

T

om Grech, president of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, summed up the problem with the City Council bill calling for a $30 an hour minimum wage pretty well in comments made to CBS News.

“You’re going to see businesses close, a lot less hires,” Grech said. “Thirty dollars an hour, 2,000 hours a year. That’s $60,000 plus fringe [benefits]. How can an entry-level person make close to $80,000 [with benefits]? It is not sustainable.”

What he told the New York Post was even better. “Going to $30 an hour is a showstopper for most small businesses in Queens and New York City,” he said. “Small businesses will close and those that can survive will cut their staff and hours.”

The increase from today’s $17 minimum would be phased in over several years, with bigger companies forced to pay $30 by 2030 and smaller ones getting a break until 2031.

Meanwhile, city and state lawmakers are

AGE

Keep our sculpture where it is

swapping ideas on which taxes to raise and by how much. Mayor Mamdani says income and business taxes have to go up. Gov. Hochul disagrees and is searching the couch cushions for more money to give the new mayor, whose mantra is “There is no problem too large for government to solve, and no concern too small for it to care about.”

But the state Legislature leans toward Mamdani and is proposing tax hikes. Now lawmakers will face off against Hochul over the issue in budget talks that by law should conclude in two and a half weeks.

Meanwhile, Moody’s Investor Services on Wednesday downgraded the city’s financial outlook to negative. That’s what years of projected deficits get you. To balance the books, the city needs all the revenue it can get — at existing tax rates. It should not drive businesses and job creators away with either tax hikes or large jumps in the minimum wage.

We hope lawmakers drop both ideas.

T

he steel sculpture “Queens, The World’s Borough” has livened up the southeast corner of Queens and Yellowstone boulevards for about a year now. The community has come to adore it. But its time at the edge of MacDonald Park is about to end under Parks Department rules, and it soon will be moved to who knows where.

We hope someone in power can stop that from happening. There’s no reason the sculpture cannot be taken out of the Art in the Parks program it’s in now and given permanent status. That’s what should be done.

Borough President Donovan Richards. City Councilwoman Lynn Schulman. Northwell Health, the sculpture’s sponsor. State Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi. State Sen. Leroy Comrie. You all wield political power. Step in —

now, there’s no time to waste — and preserve the sculpture’s location. Phone calls, permits, legislation, whatever it takes — just do this nice thing.

The next artwork slated for MacDonald Park is a series of murals that would not be impacted in any way by keeping “Queens, The World’s Borough” in place. It should stay.

There’s a petition to retain the sculpture online. Go on and sign it, though it’s the officials who can make the difference. “Queens” is a simple sculpture, just words — think “I♥NY” or the old “LOVE” pop artwork. In fact, the piece uses the same font as “I♥NY.” Its appeal is similar but goes beyond that.

It brings a clean, simple elegance to its location in the heart of the borough. It’s done in nice colors. You can sit on it.

Powers that be: Keep it where it is!

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Office: The Shops at Atlas Park 71-19 80th St., Suite 8-201 Glendale, NY 11385 Phone: (718) 205-8000 Fax: (718) 205-1957 E-mail: Editors@qchron.com Website: www.qchron.com

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Dear Editor: Kristen Guglielmo’s March 5 article “Forest Park Drive to be fully repaved” (multiple editions) addressed the dangerous potholes that have made traveling along Forest Park Drive increasingly difficult for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.

As someone who has grown up spending many weekends at Forest Park, I can personally attest to how important this space is for our community. My childhood friends and I often meet there on Saturday mornings to walk along the paths, talk and take a needed break from the pace of city life. One afternoon last fall, a group of us spent hours sitting near the trails watching the sun set through the trees and listening to the sounds of the park. It reminded me how special Forest Park is as a place where people from all walks of life can come together and enjoy nature.

However, the deteriorating road conditions have concerned me for a few months now, as they have made getting around the park more difficult and potentially dangerous. Deep potholes not only damage vehicles but also create hazards for cyclists and pedestrians who share the roadway.

Investing in repaving Forest Park Drive is an important step toward maintaining the park as a safe and accessible reprieve for Queens residents. But maintaining public spaces cannot be a one-time effort. City leaders must continue © Copyright 2026 by MARK I PUBLICATIONS, INC. All rights reserved.

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to prioritize infrastructure repairs, routine maintenance, and safe road conditions throughout the park. Ongoing attention and investment will ensure that Forest Park remains a welcoming and safe place for future generations.

Sama Daga Forest Hills

Free up parking spots Dear Editor: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has relocated and eliminated multiple bus stops in New York City, but it has not removed the No Standing signs from these sites! So the transit authority is eliminating parking spots that should be available. Each violation for parking in these non-bus stops is a $115 fine, plus a surcharge. The MTA or the New York City Department of Transportation should have these non-bus stop No Standing signs removed.

Alexander Glatt Woodhaven

Dear Editor: Re your Feb. 9 editorial “Mayoral Trumpdani’s tax ploy”: You urged our mayor to find alternative ways to close a $5.4 billion budget gap rather than raise property or income taxes. Here’s one idea. Don’t waste $400 million on 27 empty pre-K sites that have remained vacant for over five years, with no indication of when they will ever open (New York Post, “Ghostly Figure,” March 6). At least two of those sites are in Queens. One is a building located at 18-31 131 St. in College Point, with a price tag exceeding $28 million, according to NYC’s Department of Education. Another is a $20 million site in Ridgewood, notes the Post.

This $400 million outlay began in 2020 under former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s “3K for All” program, with all 27 facilities slated to be up and running by September 2025. Even though they’re not, the DOE continues paying rent to private landlords who own the proper-

Offended by Paladino Dear Editor: The vile, un-American, anti-Muslim filth coming from Councilwoman Vickie Paladino should disgust us all (“Paladino charged by Ethics Committee,” March 5, multiple editions). First George Santos, now Paladino — such representation would be risible if it weren’t so embarrassing!

Francis Murray Bayside

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Waiting for an ICE answer Dear Editor: In the past month I wrote two letters asking Rep. Gregory Meeks, Rep. Grace Meng and Borough President Donovan Richards how they feel about having an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office at Rikers Island (“ICE at Rikers: yea or nay?”, Feb. 12, and “To dox or not to dox,” Feb. 26). They never responded, even though the issue is one of importance to New Yorkers.

Therefore, I would like to ask the Chronicle to do a survey of all our elected officials on how they feel about this issue and why. Maybe President Trump is right when he said Democrats care more about illegal immigrants than they do about citizens. I hope our officials will prove me wrong.

Lenny Rodin Forest Hills

©2026 M1P • CAMI-085276

ties, reports the Post. DOE officials in Mamdani’s administration provided no updates on when parents will be able to send their kids to these pre-K centers, despite a huge demand.

The DOE’s wasteful spending on projects like this must be stopped in order to balance Mayor Mamdani’s proposed $127 billion budget. DOE, in my opinion, really stands for “Delinquent, Odious Excess.”

Richard Reif Kew Gardens Hills

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Dear Editor: Thank you to Debra Michlewitz for nominating me for a “public service announcement Invest in childcare staff award” regarding my letter about Jasmine Dear Editor: Crockett (“PSA award to LaRosa,” Letters, If you’ve dropped off your child to head to March 5 and ““Crockett for president, Feb. 19). work, you know the important role that child- The fact is, if the Chronicle allowed me, I could care educators play for our fill an entire issue with facts perfamilies and our economy. Here taining to the criminality and ONLINE in Queens and throughout the corruption permeating every city, parents depend on childaspect of this administration.

Miss an article or a care workers to be able to show letter cited by a writer? Free of charge, of course. As for up at our jobs, knowing that our Want breaking news the PSA award? If it existed, children are safe and well taken from all over Queens? Trump would steal it from me. care of.

Speaking of criminal acts, Find the latest news, Taking care of children is one past reports from all Trump gave the order to attack of the most important jobs in our over the borough and Iran based on his “feelings.” Not society. And yet, childcare workon intelligence supplied by the more at qchron.com. ers are not being compensated CIA, Secret Service, FBI or any fairly for nurturing and educatof our allies. But I guess if Putin ing our children at the most critical time in had given him advice, he would’ve followed it. their lives, when their brains are developing the No matter what it was. fastest. Childcare educators make an average of Lastly, Kristi Noem was fired as secretary of $36,000 to $38,000 per year, and many qualify the Department of Homeland Security. Trump for public assistance. No wonder so many are has now put her in charge as special envoy of a being forced to leave the sector they love, worsnew agency, “Shield of the Americas.” What ening our childcare shortage.

As a mom, I know that the people who help happens when she gets fired from this position? care for my children are my partners, and I Will he appoint her as “protective umbrella of want them to be able to take care of their own the U.S. Virgin Islands”? Then what? “Athletic families. That’s why I’m calling on Gov. supporter of the men’s U.S. soccer team”?

But let’s be clear — Noem maintains she Hochul and state legislators to ensure that they was not fired. She just self-deported herself do not leave out the childcare workforce as they from that job. are working on the upcoming budget.

Robert LaRosa Sr. While the governor’s proposed investments Whitestone in childcare are historic, achieving universal childcare will only happen if we invest in the childcare workforce.

It’s a war for investors Making childcare affordable for families and paying childcare workers a fair and living wage Dear Editor: Neutralizing Iran and its proxies is not to go hand in hand. After all, we can’t drop kids off in empty rooms. It’s time to ensure child- protect the United States but to make the care investments support families and those region more secure and enticing to the realwho are taking care of our kids, the workforce estate billionaire investors who will be buildbehind the workforce. It does not matter how ing the hotels and casinos of the future Gaza many seats become available, if there aren’t Riviera. That possibility emphasizes the need for Congress to be consulted and given the enough early educators to match.

Diana Limongi opportunity to ask questions before military Astoria action is initiated.

Glenn Hayes The writer is Senior Campaign Director for Kew Gardens Early Learning at MomsRising.

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026 Page 12 For the latest news visit qchron.com

Fired DM: ‘They want someone younger’ Dismissal of Debra Markell Kleinert after 18 years at CB 2 draws criticism

by Andrew Karpan Chronicle Contributor

Ousted Community Board 2 District Manager Debra Kleinert is accusing board members of “ageism” after they voted to fire her, as she tells the Chronicle that “they want someone younger and they want someone who would do things their way.”

Last month, members of CB 2 met in a closed session, inside the Melting Cups cafe in Sunnyside, and voted 32-6 to fire Kleinert.

She did not show up to the next meeting.

“Oh yeah, she was as welcome here as anyone else,” Board Chairman A natole Ash raf told the Chronicle, laughing a bit when asked, following the board’s general meeting last Thursday, held at Sunnyside Community Services.

“She’s still the district manager.”

Her last day on the job, the board had decided, would be the next day.

“Sad, I’m very sad,” Kleinert told the Chronicle last Friday when asked how she felt. “I’ve given my life to the city. I enjoy what I do. I work very hard and I care about the community and its constituents.”

Kleinert is more direct about what she suspects are the board majority’s motivations in getting rid of her. During last month’s meeting, she used the presentation of her district report to accuse members of making her feel “dispensable for self-serving reasons.”

“Ageism,” she tells the Chronicle now. “They want someone younger and they want someone who would do things their way, and not follow the rules and regulations of the City of New York.

We, as the office, keep books and records of the City of New York, we follow rules and regulations — they don’t like to follow rules and regulations.”

She continued, “Ever ything they’ve asked me to do, I’ve complied with. They told me to fix something on YouTube called a thumbnail and when I complied, they told me, ‘Yeah, that was a test but it’s still unsatisfactory.’”

She said she was particularly “taken aback” because she had put in her retirement papers the afternoon before the board voted to fire her. She had decided to go out this June “so that I could close out the budget.”

But the board wanted her out sooner.

“That, to me, is retaliation,” she added. “They wanted to be able to

Longtime Community Board 2 District Manager Debra Markell Kleinert, seen at a meeting last fall, was let go following a vote in February. Two Bronx district managers, Jeremy Warneke, with glasses, and Rafael Moure-Punnett, attended last week’s CB 2 meeting, with Moure-Punnett taking the board, led by Chairman Anatole Ashraf, right, to task over the firing.

PHOTOS BY ANDREW KARPAN terminate. They wanted to be able to say they were able to terminate.”

Ashraf told the Chronicle that the board had decided to f ire Kleinert for “performance-based” reasons and declined to elaborate further.

It’s not the first time that Kleinert has clashed with a chair of the community board in her years since taking the job in 2006.

In 2020, she f iled an equal employment oppor tunity complaint against Ashraf’s predecessor, Denise Keehan-Smith, that accused her of targeting Kleinert “using age, disability and religion especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.” A month later, KeehanSmith was out, by order of Sharon Lee, then-acting Queens Borough President.

Asked if she plans to file a complaint this time, Kleinert says she’s “figuring that out now.”

“I have not had a conversation about this prior to all this going down,” she said. “The only conversation was about them wanting Zoom passwords, which are run by a city account. [The board members] are volunteers and I’m told by the city’s Office of Technology [and Innovation] that I can’t just give out passwords.

“In what world do you share passwords with people that are not vetted through the City of New York? They are not fingerprinted, they do not have to do financial disclosures.”

The heated issue over the Zoom passwords had spilled into a meeting of the board last year. Back in October, members debated passionately for nearly 20 minutes over whether to require the password for the board’s virtual meetings on Zoom to be shared among its executive committee and com-

mittee chairs.

Markell Kleinert from Community The board’s move to ultimately Board 2,” said Moure-Punnett, fire Kleinert has drawn fire from a from the podium. “While we don’t number of Queens politicians, such know the exact details of the teras Councilwoman Vickie Paladino mination, we were quite disturbed (R-Whitestone), who called her about Debra’s claim that charges dismissal “a disgraceful political against her were unsubstantiated.” purge that should alarm every New The letter was published in the Yorker who cares about fair, com- Feb. 26 edition of the Chronicle. petent local government,” per a “We’re also quite disturbed Feb. 27 post on Facebook. about the chair’s own admission The same day, both Councilman that there were two performance Phil Wong (D-Maspeth) and his reviews conducted for an employee predecessor, Bob Holden, also put of 18 years,” Moure-Punnett said. out similar statements, also on “This, to the outside public, does Facebook. Holden echoed Paladi- not provide the impression that the no’s claim that the firing was “a board did its due diligence in cordisgraceful political purge,” and recting whatever issues it had and Wong ref lected on his own time invites questions about ageism in working with the termination Kleiner t as a of your district staffer for manager.”

Holden.

Both district performance-based “I always managers, as move or ageism and found her very well as Kleinex p e r ie n c e d , r t herself, retaliation combined? eallege ha rdwork i ng, that the and genuinely closed meeting committed to the community,” last month, at which board memWong posted. “This firing does not bers voted to fire her, broke New sit right with me, and I feel bad for York’s Open Meetings Law, for a Debra being treated this way.” host of reasons. Kleinert says she The firing also has been draw- n eve r a t t e n d e d t h e m e e t i ng ing attention from other district because she was never given notice managers around the city, two of of where it was taking place, as its whom showed up at Thursday’s CB location had changed from a room 2 meeting in Sunnyside: Rafael at the Long Island City Public M o u r e - P u n n e t t a n d J e r e m y Library to Melting Cups, a cafe Warneke, district managers of that opened in Sunnyside two years B r o n x C B 6 a n d C B 11, ago. respectively.

Warneke, the district manager In Kleinert’s absence, Moure- from CB 11 in the Bronx, didn’t Punnett publicly admonished the address the board, but told the board over two minutes of public Chronicle he had made the trek to comment.

Sunnyside because he knew Klein“I want to bring to your atten- ert personally and knew “she obvition a letter issued by 54 New York ously isn’t happy.”

City community board district “We don’t think anybody should managers to the Queens Chronicle, be treated that way,” said Warneke, about the termination of Debra an Iraq war veteran who told the

A

Chronicle he had been the subject of at least two evaluations by his own community board, in a series of affairs that culminated with his filing a discrimination complaint, followed by the subsequent firing of CB 11’s vice chairman Anthony Vitaliano.

“More than anything, I hope that things are done properly,” Warneke told the Chronicle. “You can’t close a public meeting by citing ‘personnel matters.’ You have to be more specific than that. It’s a process; it needs to be followed.”

At the podium, Moure-Punnett had waved around a printout of the calendar listing for the meeting posted on the community board’s website.

“I just want to explain to you all that if you hold a meeting that is not publicly noticed, then it’s not a community board meeting, it’s a private meeting of individuals,” said Moure-Punnett. “You don’t have the right to discuss public business at a private meeting and call it a community board meeting.

You definitely don’t have the right to terminate a New York City employee of 18 years at a private, illegally run meeting.”

Ash raf declined to respond directly or comment on the criticism and, instead, told the Chronicle that the meeting was properly held.

He said that Melting Cups was a more “accessible location” and that notices were sent out “on social” and “via our newsletter list.” Per his count, 33 board members had shown up in person to vote on firing Kleinert, as well as five who were on a Zoom channel Ashraf had set up.

“We will look at our budget and see if we can hire the next person,” Q he added.

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Father, son charged in SRH arson Home robbery Duo allegedly seen setting up fire on their own security cams

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Narinder Singh, top, and Jawahar Singh have been charged with allegedly setting fire to their printing business. Interior security footage, above, allegedly showed the duo setting up the blaze.

PHOTOS COURTESY U.S. ATTORNEY, EDNY towels, accord i ng to cou r t documents.

They are seen moving the table to a different area of the shop, with the younger Singh plugging an extension cord into a smart plug, authorities said, which connected to an outlet on the store’s wall.

Several minutes later, the footage shows a roll of paper towels

atop of the hot plate, and four more positioned nearby, according to the criminal complaint. The Singhs appeared to leave the scene, and four hours later, the paper towels caught fire.

Exterior footage from two adjacent stores shows the father and son entering the shop at multiple points in the hours prior to the fire

and leaving the scene.

No other person appears to enter or leave the shop between the time that the Singhs left it and the time the fire started, per the criminal complaint.

The duo was charged with malicious use of fire to damage property used in interstate commerce.

Court proceedings are ongoing. Q

PHOTOS COURTESY NYPD

A father and son facing the eviction of their South Richmond Hill print shop were charged by federal prosecutors on March 5 with allegedly setting the building on fire last month.

According to a criminal complaint from the Eastern District of New York, the defendants, Narinder Singh, 56, and Jawahar Singh, 29, both of Nassau County, had for years been in a state legal battle with the landlord of the building, accused of squatting.

In the early hours of Feb. 18, a day after the defendants’ application for an emergency stay was denied, the building, at 114-19 101 Ave., went ablaze. Significant portions of the print shop were damaged.

Firefighters at the scene said the younger Singh told them of internal video surveillance cameras, according to the authorities.

Interior footage from the shop at about 8:10 p.m. on Feb. 17 showed the duo standing by a table with a hot plate and rolls of paper

Cops are looking for these two men for a home invasion robbery in Ridgewood.

Two male victims, aged 20 and 27, were in their residence near Fairview Avenue and Woodbine Street at 11:05 p.m. March 1, when the suspects knocked on their door claiming to represent a gas company, the NYPD said. When the elder resident opened the door, the perps forced their way in, pulled guns, took his cell phone and ran.

One of the men, left, was last seen wearing glasses, tan pants, a white hat and a green jacket. The other wore a white face mask, black jacket and gray sweatpants.

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

NYPD: Two wanted in Senior murdered his OZP gunpoint robbery younger wife: NYPD Allegedly stole cash on Valentine’s Day

by Kristen Guglielmo

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Editor

Cops are seeking two suspects wanted for an alleged armed robbery that occurred in Ozone Park last month, the NYPD announced last Thursday.

It was reported to police that on Feb. 14, at approximately 5:13 p.m., a 19-year-old male and 45-year-old female were in the vicinity of 97th Street and Liberty Police are searching for two unidentified male susAvenue in Ozone Park, within the pects in connection with a Feb. 14 gunpoint robconfines of the 106th Precinct, bery in Ozone Park.

PHOTOS COURTESY NYPD when they were approached by two no injuries reported. unidentified men.

The suspects were both last seen wearOne of the men displayed a firearm and removed about $25 from the 19-year-old ing a black jacket and black pants.

Anyone with information is asked to victim’s wallet, police said.

The second man grabbed the woman’s call Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 577-TIPS purse from her shoulder and searched (8477), or, for Spanish, 1 (888) 57-PISTA through it, but did not remove any (74782). One may also submit tips by going to crimestoppers.nypdonline.org; or property.

The two men then fled the location on by texting 274637 (CRIMES) and enterfoot, traveling westbound on 97th Street ing TIP577; or by going to @nypdtips on Q to parts unknown, cops said. There were X. All tips are strictly confidential.

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

After human remains were found within the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Broad Channel on March 5, police on Wednesday arrested a suspect: the deceased woman’s husband.

Cops were alerted to the grisly discovery at the wildlife refuge at approximately 10:30 p.m., the NYPD said.

Af ter an investigation, detectives later determined the remains to be those of Salisha Ali, 34, whose torso The remains of Salisha Ali were discovered at the Jamaiwas found in a trash bag last ca Bay Wildlife Refuge last week. On Wednesday, her September near Idlewild husband was arrested for her murder. GOOGLE MAPS IMAGE Park.

In that incident, workers with the city Ali’s husband, Rupchand Simboo, 75, Department of Sanitation came across within the confines of the 116th Precinct.

Ali’s remains after noticing a foul odor He resided with Ali on 135th Street in while picking up trash near 149th Avenue South Ozone Park. and Brookville Boulevard.

Simboo has been charged with murder, According to multiple reports, Ali was obstructing governmental administration a mother of three. and two counts of tampering with physiQ The NYPD on Wednesday arrested cal evidence, police said.

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Rego Center I sold to Northwell Health Organization weighs options for the site; some neighbors glad about sale

by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor

After months of speculation as to what will become of the “dead” mall, Rego Center’s phase I building was sold to Northwell Health in a $235.5 million deal.

The healthcare giant bought the property at 96-05 Queens Blvd. from owner Alexander’s, Inc., the real estate investment trust announced Monday. The property sits on 5.9 acres of land and consists of three stories, 338,000 square feet of leasable space and a parking garage with 1,236 spots. The sale is slated to close by the third quarter of this year, Alexander’s, Inc. said.

The beloved former Alexander’s department store occupied the space from 1959 to 1992, when it declared bankruptcy. Anchor tenants Sears and Marshalls came into Rego Center’s phase I building years later, and the complex also housed chains including Ikea, Bed Bath & Beyond and Old Navy.

It has been vacant since Burlington and Marshalls moved to Rego Center’s phase II property at 61-35 Junction Blvd. last year.

Asked what Nor t hwell has planned for the space, a spokesperson said the health system is still weighing its options.

“Northwell has a long-standing commitment to ensuring our neighbors and patients across Queens can access world-class health care regardless of their ZIP code or their ability to pay,” Northwell said in an emailed statement. “We’re excited to explore ways this strategic investment can serve more New Yorkers and meet the diverse health care needs of all the communities we serve.”

Records from the city Department of Buildings show that the agency permitted Northwell to use the property as a temporary training center for providers. Queens Boulevard is already home to more than one Northwell facility, including a practice inside 95-25 Queens Blvd. just a block away.

The Chronicle in January ran a story about the history and possible future of the site, as area residents took to social media to note that the once bustling commercial property was completely empty. Ideas for the space included a rebirth of Alexan-

Northwell Health has bought the vacant Rego Center phase I building, formerly Alexander’s and other stores.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL SHAIN der’s and a mixed-use residential building with affordable units and community space. The paper editorialized that Northwell could move its Forest Hills hospital there.

Social media posts about the sale abou nded shor tly af ter it was repor ted. Some users say they would rather have a medical facility there than another apartment complex, while others called the acquisition “disappointing,” as the site is

“prime retail space.”

Leslie Brown, president of the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce, said the news of the sale was “exciting.”

“We need more hospital spaces in Queens. It’s a great central location,” Brown said, adding that it would be an “asset,” since the nearby Long Island Jewish Forest Hills hospital is “pretty small.”

“Northwell has been an amazing community partner in Forest Hills

for the past few years,” City Councilmember Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills), who chairs the Health Committee, said in a statement. “As someone who ran on the platform of expanding hospital capacity (which includes all aspects of healthcare), I welcome Nor thwell’s plans to expand their world class care further into Queens.”

Community Board 6 Chair Salua Baida said the building provides “ t remendous oppor t u nit y” for things such as medically aligned housing that could benefit seniors and foster youth.

Area historian Michael Perlman said he favors preserving the current building’s architecture, from the partially retained former Alexander’s facade to the features added on in the mid-1990s.

“Alexander’s with its Apple Tree restaurant and the recent department stores were my go-to shopping and dining destination, dating back to my childhood,” Perlman said. “Besides preservation based on aesthetics and history, let’s also embrace the environment by stopping the throwaway Q culture mentality.”

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Ethan earned second place in the U15 Recurve age group in both the USA Archery Nationals and JOAD National Championships, finishing among the nation’s top competitors.

Coaches Tung Ying Chu and Joe McGlyn in a statement expressed their pride.

“This achievement reflects not only remarkable skill and dedication, but also the discipline, perseverance and character that define a true champion,” the coaches said.

“Watching their growth over 5 years as an archer and as a person has been an honor.

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PHOTOS BY ANDY DONG

Three young archers from Flushing who train at Pro Line Archery Lanes, at 95-11 101 Ave. in Ozone Park, made Queens proud last month at the USA Archery Nationals and Junior Olympic Archery Development Nationals in Fiskdale, Mass.

Brothers Ian Chong, top, and Ethan Chong, center, led a strong showing for the club, joining Jaden Phan, above, in bringing home titles and a runner-up finish.

Jaden captured two national championships, winning the JOAD National Championship in the U15 Recurve age group, and earned the USA National Championship in that same division.

Ian won the USA Archery National Championship in the U13 Recurve age group.

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026 Page 18

Army Guard engineer dies in Middle East Cambria Heights man leaves behind wife and six children; was in Kuwait

by Naeisha Rose

career was defined by service — to his country and to New York City.”

Gov. Hochul, who described Davius as a A Cambria Heights man died overseas last Friday, leaving behind a wife and six kids, “Citizen Soldier,” thanked him for his serannounced the New York Division of Mili- vice, including his work on the joint task force in New York, protecting the state’s most tary and Naval Affairs on Monday.

New York Army National Guard Major high-profile locations from threats.

“His life is a powerful reminder of the Sorffly Davius, 46, died of undetermined causes while serving as a data systems engi- extraordinary sacrifices made by our Nationneer with the 42nd Infantry Division at Camp al Guard members, who balance their roles as citizens, first responders, Buehring in Kuwait. a n d s o l d i e r s ,” s a i d Davius, an NYPD offiHochul in a statement. cer, was on military leave ervice to our state “Major Davius was a and serving as an activedevoted husband and dut y member of t he and nation is the father. I personally conNational Guard’s Joint veyed my deepest condoTask Force Empire Shield highest calling lences to his wife and prior to his deployment. one can make.” will keep his family, colHe had a “medical epileagues, and all who sode” in support of Oper— Major General Ray Shields, k new him in my ation Epic Fu r y, the adjutant general, thoughts. We continue to department reported on New York Army National Guard pray for the safety of its X page March 7. every service member Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and Mayor Mamdani issued a and first responder protecting us at home and abroad.” joint statement the same day.

Davius deployed to Kuwait in the summer “Officer Davius devoted his life to public service — rising to the rank of Major in the of 2025 for Operation Spartan Shield, U.S. Army National Guard and joining the according to the DMNA. Operation Spartan Shield is the Army eleNYPD in 2014, when he was assigned to the 79th Precinct,” read the statement. “His ment in the Middle East, said the DMNA. Editor

“s

Major Sorffly Davius, an NYPD officer who was on military leave, died overseas on March 6.

He was an engineer in the New York Army National Guard’s 42nd Infantry Division.

PHOTOS COURTESY NYPD, LEFT, AND NYS DMNA

Soldiers are supporting Operation Epic Fury, and part of that is to handle incidents that arise in the region.

Operation Epic Fury is the U.S.-Israel campaign against Iran, meant “to protect the American people from the Iranian regime’s murderous ambitions and imminent threats,” said the White House March 5.

Davius was with the division’s Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, based in Troy, NY. As a data systems engineering officer, he was responsible for computer and

communications network security. He joined the Air Force in 2004 and transferred to the National Guard in 2013.

Davius was previously deployed to Kuwait from Oct. 2010 to July 2011 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. OEF was the off icial U.S.-led military operation in Afghanistan, launched Oct. 7, 2001, in response to the 9/11 attacks — its primary goal to destroy Al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban regime from power. Major combat operations ended in 2014, which is when he entered civilian life and joined the NYPD in northern Brooklyn.

Davius’ remains just arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, the New York National Guard said Monday, prior to being transported back to New York, allowing for funeral arrangements.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Major Davius at this most difficult time,” said Major General Ray Shields, the adjutant general of the New York National Guard. “The U.S. Army and the New York National Guard will do all we can to assist his family.”

“Service to our state and nation is the highest calling one can make. We pray for Major Davius, and all our service men and women here at home and across the world,” Q Shields said.

Lawmakers like idea of tax hike

For the latest news visit qchron.com

PHOTOS COURTESY NEIR’S TAVERN

Honoring four dedicated healthcare heroes To mark Women’s History Month, the Neir’s Tavern Ambassadors Club is honoring four healthcare heroes. Each will receive a free meal and drink at the bar, at 87-48 78 St. in Woodhaven, and be featured on its social media channels. They may opt to donate the free meal to a person in need.

The honorees are, from left: • Sandra Lindsay, a registered nurse, the vice president of public health advocacy at Northwell Health and the first person in the United States to receive the Covid-19 vaccine outside of a clinical trial. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and was an honored speaker at the tavern’s 196th anniversary block party;

• Jennifer Ierardi, a nurse practitioner at Manhattan’s Weill Cornell/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital with more than a decade of service. She was given an award from Neir’s last year for her work supporting homeless animals, and has organized a karaoke event at the tavern benefiting area animal rescue Puppy Kitty NYC; • Tina Bianco, a registered nurse for more than 30 years, spending the last 20 at the NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island emergency department. She supports free health clinics, helps people access medical equipment and supports those experiencing homelessness through clothing drives; and • Stancy Saji, the program manager of com-

munity and government relations at Northwell Health’s Long Island Jewish Forest Hills Medical Center. She has built partnerships that expand maternal health, preventative care and wellness programming, and has often collaborated with Neir’s on events. She also founded Queens Girls Who Walk, a wellness and belonging initiative.

The idea to spotlight the women this month came from Liam Castro, a Neir’s Ambassador whose wife works in healthcare.

“These four women represent the best of healthcare — service, leadership, and community — so we’re putting their names and stories in the spotlight,” Neir’s Tavern owner Loycent Gordon said in a statement. — Kristen Guglielmo

Gov. Hochul says she is not willing to raise taxes, but the majority in each house of the state Legislature has no such hesitation. Each proposed tax increases, especially on the highest earners, in the budget proposals they released Tuesday.

Hochul put forth her own fiscal 2027 budget plan in January, and the parties must reach an agreement by April 1.

The Assembly would raise taxes on income of $5 million or more a year from 10.3 percent to 10.5 percent, going higher in steps. The rate on $100 million would go from 10.9 percent to 11.75 percent.

The Senate would raise the rate on income of $5 million or more to 10.8 percent and the rate on income of $25 million or more to 11.4 percent.

Both houses also would authorize hikes in taxes on city businesses, highend real estate sales and more.

Mayor Mamdani, who says he will have to hike property taxes if the state does not raise personal and business levies, said he is grateful to the lawmakers for recognizing the scale of the city’s fiscal crisis and for “asking more from the Q wealthiest.”

— Peter C. Mastrosimone

Page 19 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026 Page 20

World’s Borough party

Hundreds came to MacDonald Park from all over Queens last Sunday to celebrate a year of its vibrant World’s Borough sculpture.

Attendees of the block party, hosted by Northwell Health/Long Island Jewish Forest Hills hospital, got to explore the sculpture’s current home — it is on temporary display as part of the city Parks Department’s Art in the Parks program. At top right, local organizations, small businesses, food

trucks and more set up shop for the day.

The sculpture by Larry Ng, left, honors Queens’ cultural diversity. The Queensboro Dance Festival’s performances, above, were testaments to that.

At right, guests enjoyed lively martial arts demonstrations by Purple Dragon International New York. Deborah Camp, the next artist slated to show her work in the park, also paid tribute to Ng’s beloved sculpture.

— Stephanie G. Meditz

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Amid opposition, company intends to start building ‘in the near future’

by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor

NineDot Energy says it intends to start construction on a controversial battery energy storage system across from PS 128 in Middle Village “in the near future,” upon receipt of all required permits.

Since it came to light last year, area leaders have opposed the proposed BESS location at 64-30 69 Place, which is near childcare facilities, homes and an animal hospital, in addition to the school. NineDot recently evaluated other sites proposed by area City Councilman Phil Wong (D-Maspeth), but the company’s vice president of strategic development, Sam Brill, said in a March 9 letter that they are not feasible.

“We engaged NineDot in good faith and supported what we believe was a reasonable alternative that would have addressed the concerns of residents while still allowing this type of infrastructure to move forward in a more appropriate location,” Wong said in a joint statement with numerous elected officials, along with the Juniper Park Civic Association, Middle Village Chamber of

NineDot is going ahead with a BESS in Middle Village that some, including Councilman Phil Wong, speaking, have long opposed.

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE G. MEDITZ Commerce and United Federation of Teachers. “Unfortunately, we do not believe the proposal was legitimately considered.”

Wong and his staff at a Feb. 19 meeting with NineDot requested that the company speak with a landlord who offered to buy the 69th Place property and provide a lease for a nearby alternative BESS site, Brill said. That landlord said the other property in question, 46-46 Metro-

politan Ave. in Ridgewood, would not be available for lease until next year.

Another landlord offered 56-41 56 Terrace in Maspeth, which NineDot evaluated last September and did not pursue.

NineDot conducted a “due diligence” investigation into both sites, Brill’s letter says, but it also cites the “impossibility” of moving a BESS from one spot to another, since each

undergoes its own process.

Both sites are more than two miles away from the 69th Place location, meaning they connect to different electrical feeders and serve different areas, he said.

“As a result, it is not accurate to call a proposed BESS at this location an ‘alternative,’ since the benefits of grid reliability and resiliency would not accrue to Middle Village residents,” Brill said.

Neither location allowed for a workable interconnection to Con Edison’s grid, Brill said, pursuant to an interconnection policy enacted after an agreement was signed for the 69th Place location.

The Ridgewood site also would have been subject to approval by the Board of Standards and Appeals, and was located within the 1 percent floodplain, the letter states. Pursuing the Maspeth site, also located near homes, would have required six residential units to be demolished.

A rally against the Middle Village proposal was held Feb. 26, where Wong said it would take one incident t o “ b u r n d ow n t h i s w h o l e neighborhood.”

Citing coverage of the protest in the Chronicle and the New York Post, Brill’s letter addressed that statement directly, saying “no credible expert in the field of fire safety” believes that to be true and reiterating that the FDNY has a rigorous approval process.

He added that the Middle Village project was as-of-right even before a change related to energy storage sites in the City of Yes plan was enacted.

“It’s disappointing that Council Member Wong says he will fight against bringing more reliable, more affordable, and cleaner energy to Middle Village,” a NineDot spokesperson said. “Like every one of our battery energy storage sites, our Middle Village project will fully adhere to the FDNY’s best-in-the-nation BESS safety standards.”

Brill in his letter also mentioned NineDot’s outreach over the last year, including to PS 128’s Parent Teacher Assocation a nd other elected officials.

But Wong’s office on Tuesday issued a statement reacting to the circulated letter, saying it contained continued on page 22

Page 21 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026

NineDot to go ahead with MidVille BESS

NS O I T S QUE S

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Zohran Mamdani Mayor Alister Martin, MD, MPP Commissioner

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AV E H S E IN VAC CD ER V O ES V I E L V N A S IO L L I M O N E T H E 9 0s! .

S I N C E or parents to waonrdr y

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026 Page 22

Overreporting of POC families causes pain ACS says it is focusing more on services instead of removing kids from parents

by Naeisha Rose

school performance and chronic anxiety were some of the severe psychological conseTo address decades of the overreporting of quences for children subjected to ACS interchild abuse among impoverished Black and ventions, reported the Bronx Times on June Latino families and the Administration of 25, 2025.

A New York Civil Liberties Union analyChildren’s Services sending those parents’ children into the foster care system more so sis of ACS data found that the majority of than their white and wealthier counterparts, ACS cases and entries into the foster care the City Council’s Committee on Children system were concentrated in the Bronx. The data were from 2022 and 2023. and Youth held a hearing on Feb. 26.

In Queens, 603 children were placed in A U.S. Commission on Civil Rights report, released in 2024, said that Black fami- foster care in 2025, and of that number, 236 lies in poverty, especially those reliant on were African American and 238 were Hispublic-funded social services, are surveilled panic, said the ACS via email last Thursday.

The Council did acknowledge that in June and scrutinized more often than aff luent 2 0 21, t h e AC S families, who can pay announced a redesign for services. of its foster care sys“They are more likehey are more likely to tem, along with several ly to experience trauma to reduce racial from child removals experience trauma ...” reforms disparities at earlier and foster care placepoints of involvement. ment,” said Council— Councilwoman Althea Stevens The hearing was also woman Althea Stevens meant for the commit(D-Bronx), chair of the Committee on Youth Services, at the hearing. tee to evaluate the progress the agency made The 135-page report said Black youths when it comes to childcare outcomes in made up 22 percent of the city’s population in regards to racial disparities.

Jess Dannhauser, the commissioner of 2019, yet 41 percent of children involved in investigations were Black and more than 53 ACS, who was appointed in 2022, said in his percent of children sent into foster care were testimony, despite the overwhelming reporting of Black and Latin families to the New Black.

Bedwetting, sleep disorders, declining York Statewide Central Register, which leads to the ACS investigating the cases in the city, recent programs to redirect folks toward social services programs and a hotline instead have resulted in significant drops in those children being sent to foster care.

The USCCR report said when examined further, reports of child abuse, neglect and malnour ish ment did not differentiate between intentional parental abuse and neglect or conditions stemming from poverty.

By working with the public school system and NYC Health + Hospitals, along with the Departments of Homeless Services and Councilwoman Sandra Ung introduced a bill Health and Mental Hygiene and the Mayor’s that would require ACS to provide multi-lin- Office to End Gender-based Violence, as well gual disclosure forms to people being investi- as other private hospitals and social services organizations, people now try to direct struggated by the agency. gling families toward aid instead of calling PHOTO BY PETER C. MASTROSIMONE / FILE Editor

JOSEPH PATRICK ADDABBO, JR. New York State Senator - District 15 DISTRICT OFFICES: 84-16 Jamaica Avenue 66-85 73rd Place Woodhaven, NY 11421 Middle Village, NY 11379 (718) 738-1111 (718) 497-1630 addabbo@nysenate.gov

Black children were more likely to be removed from families and placed in foster care compared to those in other racial groups, according to the U.S. Commision on Civil Rights.

NYC FAMILY POLICY PROJECT GRAPH the child abuse hotline.

Families seeking aid may reach the ACS’s Support Line at (212) 676-7667 or connect@ acs.nyc.gov. Parents may also learn more about services at nyc.gov/forfamilies.

“What has changed is that today, far fewer families are involved in a child protection response to an SCR report,” said Dannhauser. “The number declined 16 percent from 2017 to 2024, from 50,864 to 42,778.”

Latin families saw a 3 percent decrease (20,683 to 20,154) in a child protection response to an SCR report; Black families saw a 19 percent decrease (18,880 to 15,217); white families saw a 25 percent decrease (from 3,692 to 2,779); and Asian families saw a 4 percent decrease (from 2,244 to 2,145), according to Dannhauser’s testimony.

In December, the ACS released key findings from its annual family experience survey, which indicated prevention services are helping families achieve goals.

Of the more than 2,400 caregivers to children participating in the survey, 94 percent said the services were helping them achieve their goals; 95 percent said they are happy with services their families received; 92 percent said they would recommend services to

a family member or a friend; and 92 percent said they would go to their service provider for help again in the future; and 97 percent were satisfied with the work of their case planners.

The agency previously told the Chronicle that ACS prevention programs in Queens served nearly 2,500 families from January to November 2025.

During the hearing, three bills were recognized.

Stevens’ Intro. 0449, would require childcare protection specialists investigating child abuse to provide those parents who are subjects of reports information verbally.

Intro. 0466, sponsored by Councilwoman Sandra Ung (D-Flushing), would require the ACS to provide a multilingual disclosure for m to parents or g uardians dur ing investigations.

Intro. 0466, sponsored by Councilwoman Pierina Ana Sanchez (D-Bronx), would require the city Department of Health to provide free mental health services to children who were subject to a removal.

The bills were all introduced Jan. 29. As of Wednesday, Sanchez’s bill has 12 sponsors.

Q Stevens’ and Ung’s bills have eight.

MidVille BESS set to go ahead

Prayers for peace and justice in Ireland Happy St. Patrick’s Day To All!

JOSA-085308

For the latest news visit qchron.com

“T

continued from page 21 “serious inaccuracies” about how the project came to light.

He responded to Brill that his predecessor, Bob Holden, was not first informed about the project by NineDot, but once he learned more about it, he understood that the plan was not going ahead.

Wong said that was his impression upon taking office, until last month, when a PS 128 parent contacted his office about NineDot’s proposals to financially support the school.

He said he will support “whatever lawful action” residents deem appropriate to oppose the project, including potential litigation, if necessary. Wong also promised to contact relevant

city, state and federal entities that oversee energy infrastructure, as well as financial partners involved in NineDot projects.

“When a company chooses to move forward with a project of this magnitude directly across from a school while dismissing the concerns of an entire community and the elected officials who represent it, it should expect that decision to be met with sustained public scrutiny, regulatory attention, and determined opposition,” Wong wrote.

Brill’s letter said that while NineDot respects the community’s feelings and has tried to allay concerns, they are “contrary to the determination” of experts and policymakers that BESS Q facilities are safe near homes and schools.

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The program is also open to multilingual learners, who will receive instruction targeting language and literacy Q development, too.

Queens has two super speeders Two of the city’s top 10 speed-camera scoff laws are drivers who get most of their tickets in Queens, according to a new analysis by the advocacy groups Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets.

They used public data on speeding tickets issued via the school-zone cameras to specific cars for the study.

They found that tied for fourth place as the city’s worst super speeder is a gray 2022 Chevrolet Malibu that racked up 177 school zone speeding tickets in 2025 and owes $18,549.27 in fines, having paid none yet. The car was most often caught

at Cross Bay Boulevard and Shad Creek Road in Broad Channel. It also got tickets in the Bronx.

No. 10 on the list is a gray 2024 Honda Passport that got 132 tickets in 2025 and owes $30,916.32 in fines, also having paid nothing yet. The car was most often caught at the Whitestone Expressway service road and 25th Road on the edge of Flushing and Whitestone.

The advocates seek a law requiring intelligent speed assistance devices in the worst scofflaws’ cars, to keep them from Q going too fast.

— Peter C. Mastrosimone

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026 Page 24

Paladino files suit over Council charges Complaint claims protected free speech and politically selective enforcement

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

The City Council leadership is calling four of her social media posts harassment and disorderly behavior. Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (R-Whitestone) is calling them constitutionally protected free speech.

And as promised, Paladino on Monday morning filed a lawsuit in Manhattan State Supreme Court to end disciplinary proceedings against her in the City Council.

The lawmaker on March 2 was charged by the committee that handles ethics complaints with engaging in disorderly behavior and violating the Council’s anti-harassment and discrimination policies.

The charges could result in penalties ranging from censure to expulsion.

The committee has accused her of making Islamophobic comments on social media back in December after the murder of 15 Jews at a Hanukkah celebration in Australia.

Paladino posted comments on X that included calling for the expulsion of Muslims from Western nations and developing a legal format to denaturalize some in the United States “before we wind up with another 9/11 or worse.”

Speaker Julie Menin (D-Manhattan) in January called Paladino’s alleged offenses “numerous, too many to count.”

This past February, commenting on an appointment by Mayor Mamdani, Paladino asked, “Does this administration have one single actual American in it?”

Attorney Jim Walden, who is representing Paladino, excoriated the Council in an email, backing the councilwoman’s assertion that her remarks are constitutionally protected speech.

He said in an email that Paladino has until April 17 to respond to the charges.

“We all have First Amendment rights, our most cherished liberty,” Walden said. “City Council has no power to police private speech on a personal social media account. And it also is unconstitutional to selectively prosecute a Republican for disfavored speech, giving Democrats a complete pass for all the offensive things they have said on social media and in Council chambers itself.

“Neither party should be doing this to the other — it is a prime example of why our politics is so broken these days. They complain about President Trump going after his political opponents and, on a dime, they turned around and did the same thing to Council Member Paladino. The hypocrisy is staggering. I trust our Courts to stop it.”

Aside from the Council, the suit names Menin, committee Chair Sandra Ung (Flushing) and committee members Shekar Krishnan (D-Jackson Heights), Linda Lee (D-Oakland

Gardens), Nantasha Williams (D-St. Albans), Shaun Abreu (D- Manhattan), Kevin Riley (D-Bronx), Elsie Encarnacion (D-Bronx), Chris Banks (Brooklyn) and David Carr (Staten Island).

Banks was absent from the meeting and Carr voted against charging Paladino but both are considered to be “a necessary party.”

The 30-page lawsuit says that “the Charge is based on the absurd notion that public advocacy might offend members and staff of the Council and thus constitute ‘harassment’ under the Council’s internal HR policy using an interpretation found nowhere in the language of the Policy.

“With the disciplinary hearing against Petitioner, the Council intends to set a dangerous precedent for every legislator: if we don’t like your speech, we are coming after you.”

It states further that in doing so under the theory that “workplace harassment” can include public advocacy not directed toward employees, “the Council wants to assume the right — and will thereafter have the obligation — to surveil and police the speech of each and every Council member and staff to assure a ‘safe workplace.’

“The Council has no power or jurisdiction to do so.”

The lawsuit also accuses the Council leadership of discriminatory enforcement, citing numerous incidents involving Councilman Chi

Councilwoman Vickie Paladino has responded to formal ethics charges with a lawsuit against the Council. PHOTO BY PETER C. MASTROSIMONE / FILE Ossé (D-Brooklyn), including one in Council chambers during a meeting; and others in the recent past by Democrats that have not resulted in charges, including one in which Councilwoman Susan Zhuang (D-Brooklyn), bit a police officer during a protest in her district, causing injury.

The city’s Law Department said the case is Q under review.

Man dies on Rego subway tracks Donate blood Officials say deceased trespassing; train couldn’t stop

by Michael Gannon and Naeisha Rose

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Senior News Editor and Editor

Authorities have not yet released the identity of the man who was killed on the subway tracks Tuesday afternoon at the 63rd Drive-Rego Park station.

The incident temporarily stranded rushhour commuters as the subsequent investigation halted service on the E, F, M and R lines along Queens Boulevard.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, in an email to the Chronicle, said a person described as a trespasser who was not authorized to be on the tracks was struck at approximately 5:14 p.m. by a Manhattanbound F express train.

About 200 passengers from the train were escorted safety to the station platform.

“The train was unable to stop,” according to the NYPD in an email.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene, and police said no criminal activity was suspected.

Published reports quote the MTA as saying power to the tracks was restored by about 6:45 p.m. and that service restarted at about 7 p.m.

The delay led to jammed platforms inside the 74th Street/Roosevelt Avenue subway station, and long lines outside to get onto

Police officers attempted to assist stranded commuters at the 74th Street/Roosevelt Avenue station in Jackson Heights Tuesday after a man was killed on the tracks down the line at the 63rd Drive-Rego Park station.

PHOTO BY NAEISHA ROSE packed buses as people sought alternate transportation.

Auto traffic began to get tied up in the streets around the mass transit hub with

lines for buses sometimes spilling out into the road.

A number of riders were seen arranging Q for pickup by rideshare services.

in your area The New York Blood Center is always looking for donors of all types.

To make an appointment to donate, visit nybc.org. There are several blood drives in Central and Western Queens listed now: • 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; • 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 Pinkett; • NYPD 114th Precinct, muster room, 12 to 6 p.m., Thursday, March 26, 34-16 Astoria Blvd. in Astoria; blood drive coordinator Det. Monique Holly; and • The Shops at Atlas Park, Little Pulp near TJ Maxx, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, March 29, 8000 Cooper Ave. in Glendale; blood drive coordinator Armando Q Echeverry.

Page 25 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026

Our World Neighborhood Charter Schools

Art

Film

Apply Now!

¡Aplica ahora!

Lottery-based admission process with application accepted December through March for all grades.

Proceso de admisión basado en lotería con solicitudes aceptadas de Diciembre a Marzo para todos los grados.

AS TO R I A

LO N G ISL A N D CIT Y

H OWA R D B E ACH

CO RO N A

OWN 1 Elementary School

OWN 1 Middle School

OWN 2 Elementary School

OWN 3 Elementary School

3 36-12 35th Avenue Astoria, NY 11106 A

3 38-27 30th Street LLong Island City, NY 11101

1 135-25 79th Street Howard Beach, NY 11414 H

1 108-68 Roosevelt Ave Corona, NY 11368 C

((718) 392-3405

((718) 274-2902

((347) 390-3290

((347) 639-1300

admissions@owncs.org a

admissions@owncs.org a

admissions2@owncs.org a

admissions3@owncs.org a

ForCthe latestS news visit qchron.com HARTER CHOOLS S ECTION • 2026

OW N C S .O RG

STEAM

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026 Page 26

Charter schools are for all students What are Charter schools?

Charter schools are free public schools open to all students, including students with disabilities and multilingual learners.

Charter schools are independent of the New York City Department of Education, which allows them the freedom to try new approaches, respond to community needs, and put student learning first.

Public charter schools are held accountable for advancing student achievement; if they do not meet their goals, a charter school can be closed.

Charters schools are for all students Did you know that charter schools are free public schools open to all New York City students?

Today, there are 286 of them serving over 150,500 students from all backgrounds, including English language learners and students with special needs. Charter schools don’t select students based on their academic background. Parents simply fill out a short application and students are admitted through a random lottery.

Charters schools serve students from pre-K through high school and are located in all five boroughs of NYC.

longer school days and a longer school year, which contribute to students’ success in preparation for college and career.

Charters prepare students for college and career Studies show that New York City has one of the highest performing charter school sectors in the country.

The most recent available testing data shows charter school students consistently passed the state academic tests at higher rates than their district counterparts, especially Black and Latino students.

Charters innovate!

Charter schools operate independent of the NYC Department of Education. This allows them to be more flexible in the ways that they run their schools, design their academic programs and hire staff.

Many charter schools not only emphasize the core subjects of English and math, but also offer arts, science and language programs.

Charter schools often use innovative approaches to learning, such as

For the latest news Svisit qchron.com C HARTER S CHOOLS ECTION • 2026

One of New York City’s top three charter school networks, Zeta combines worldclass academics with exceptional opportunities for students to explore their interests and discover their strengths.

Our schools are built on the belief that academic excellence and personal growth go hand in hand. Through a rigorous curriculum and a supportive, engaging environment, Zeta students develop the skills, confidence, and curiosity they need to thrive in school and beyond.

At Zeta, students build strong foundations in literacy, mathematics, and science while also participating in a wide range of special classes and clubs that encourage exploration and creativity.

Programs such as chess, music, soccer, and Taekwondo allow students to develop teamwork, discipline, resilience, and leadership. These experiences extend learning beyond the classroom and help students discover passions that can last a lifetime.

Zeta’s next-generation school model is designed to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly

How to apply: Don’t miss the deadline!

The application period starts each October and ends by April 1, so don’t forget to submit your application on time!

There are 3 easy ways to apply to a charter school: 1. You can submit an application through the Common Online Charter School Application where you can apply to multiple schools at once.

Visit nyccharterschools.school mint.net today!

2. You can visit a school of your choice and pick up an application in person.

Visit nycchar terschools.org/ school-search to find charters in your neighborhood.

3. Or you can visit any school’s website and download an application.

Attend a charter school open house Families are encouraged to visit and lear n more about char ter schools.

Check out the Open House Calendar to find events in your area.

— Courtesy nyccharterschools.org

26 years of NYC charter schools New York City’s charter schools have shaped the lives of a generation of students! Since the City’s first public charter school opened in Harlem in 1999, the sector has grown to 285 charters spread across 420 campuses in all five boroughs.

The proliferation of charter schools has been steady; New Yorkers want high quality public school choices. Boasting achievement that surpasses their district school counterparts, charter school students – now more than 150,000 – and their families, are committed to these neighborhood schools.

Even as the cap on the number of charters that can open in NYC has been reached, charter schools continue to grow, expanding grade levels, developing Pre-K programs and seeking innovative partnerships. Advocates are working to remove the arbitrary cap on the number of high-quality public schools!

NYC charter school finder The New York City Charter School Center has officially launched a new NYC Charter School Finder.

This eDirectory serves as a definitive catalogue of the city’s 285 charter schools located in all five boroughs. Students and families will be able to use the expansive database to search for campuses based on criteria including grade level, borough, neighborhood, and/or Community School District.

The directory is the most comprehensive database of its kind in New York, collating information on each school and individual campus across the five boroughs to deliver families the best match for their individual criteria. Each campus has its own directory page with contact info, location, grades served, and school data, including achievement available.

The NYC Charter School Finder eDirectory can be found on both CharterNYC.org and the Charter Center’s website.

— Courtesy nyccharterschools.org

OUR WORLD NEIGHBORHOOD CHARTER SCHOOLS evolving world. Our classrooms emphasize critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving, ensuring that students are not only mastering academic concepts but also learning how to apply them in meaningful ways.

Through daily opportunities to ask questions, test ideas, and engage with new perspectives, students gain the confidence to pursue their goals and the purpose to make a positive impact in their communities.

In the 2026–27 school year, Zeta will continue expanding its impact across Queens. Our Elmhurst and Jamaica schools will serve children from Kindergarten through 2nd grade, providing young learners with a strong start to their educational journey. In addition, our new Flushing school will welcome students in Kindergarten and 1st grade, bringing Zeta’s innovative approach to even more families and strengthening our growing community of learners.

APPLY TODAY! WWW.ZETASCHOOLS.ORG/APPLY

Our World Neighborhood Charter Schools better known as (OWN), are located throughout Queens, NY. At OWN, we offer a nurturing environment for young learners, focusing on active inquiry, experiential learning, and social justice. Our students become independent thinkers and lifelong learners, thriving in a supportive community.

OWN is a non-sectarian, tuition-free public charter school that celebrates diversity. Our programs and admissions are open to all, fostering a welcoming atmosphere regardless of background.

We are proud to serve a rich, culturally, and ethnically diverse community. OWN has identified

ten Pillars of a Positive Community.

These core values play an important part in building and supporting our school culture. By teaching and modeling these traits, teachers help create a strong learning environment.

Our teachers guide students toward knowledge through imaginative exploration and the mastery of skills.

We urge you to visit our schools to see our mission and philosophy brought to life.

For more information: Please contact the Admission Of fice at 646-509-3702 or 646-415-2775 or you can email us at admissions@ owncs.org.

Our web address for how to apply is; www.owncs.org/admissions/ how-apply

- ADVERTORIAL -

Page 27 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026

Top-Ranked Elementary Schools in Queens Escuelas Primarias de Primer Nivel en Queens

Apply Now for 2026–2027! 二❣䣸循 2026–2027 ⽉㉒

¡Aplique ahora para 2026–2027!

zetaschools.org/apply | enroll@zetaschools.org

FLUSHING | ELMHURST | JAMAICA

ForCthe latestS news visit qchron.com HARTER CHOOLS S ECTION • 2026

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026 Page 28

2025 state assessment scores and NYC charter schools While schools received their own individual results in the summer, the state Education Department released the ELA and math exam results for all schools and subgroups. New York City charter school students continue the multi-year trend of attaining proficiency at higher rates than their New York City Public Schools school counterparts in both ELA and math.

On the ELA exam, 67.5 percent of NYC charter school students scored proficient in comparison to just 56.3 percent of NYCPS students—an 11.2 percentage point difference. The difference between charter and NYCPS school students was slightly larger with 68.6 percent of charter school students scoring proficient—11.8 percentage points higher than NYCPS students’ 56.9 percent.

Black and Hispanic charter school students continue to outperform their NYCPS peers. In math, Black charter students are significantly more likely to be proficient as their district peers (68.7 percent vs. 43.0 percent); the same holds true for Hispanic students where 65.7 percent of charter school students were proficient compared to 43.1 percent of NYCPS students.

Assessment results for students with disabilities follow the patterns above: in ELA, 42.8 percent of charter school students with disabilities scored proficient as compared to 26.7 percent for their NYCPS’ counterparts. In math, the gap is greater: 47.5 percent of charter students scored proficient compared to 29.1 percent of their NYCPS peers.

The continued success of NYC’s charter schools is likely one reason for the increase in enrollment of charter school students across NYC. Over a six-year period (2019-2020 SY to 2024-25 SY), the NYCPS enrollment for kindergarten through grade 12 decreased by more than 11 percent, while charter school enrollment increased by nearly 14 percent for the same grades.

— Courtesy nyccharterschools.org

Discover Academy of the City: Where All Children Reach Their Full Potential Academy of the City stands as a welcoming and vibrant school option for families across Western Queens seeking a school community where children are known, supported, and inspired. As a community-based, tuition-free public K–8 school located in New York City School District 30, Academy of the City proudly serves a diverse population of students from Woodside, Astoria, Sunnyside, Long Island City, East Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights. For over 15 years, Academy of the City has been committed to being an inclusive, equitable and joyful school community.

A Supportive Environment for Every Learner and Their Families

For the latest news Svisit qchron.com C HARTER S CHOOLS ECTION • 2026

We recognize that every child learns differently and are committed to meeting students where they are. Academy of the City offers comprehensive IEP and ELL support services to ensure students with diverse learning needs receive the specialized attention they need to thrive.

Small class sizes and personalized instruction allow teachers to support each student as an individual while partnering closely with families to promote academic, social, and emotional success. A dedicated multilingual family coordinator also helps families navigate school life and access resources, ensuring every parent feels welcome and informed.

Preparing Students for What Comes Next Our K–8 model supports students through important years of growth and preparation. As students approach high school, our High School Admissions Program provides families with guidance, workshops, and personalized support throughout the application process.

Middle School students can participate in Regents preparation courses to build confidence for high school-level work. Students also have opportunities to explore their interests through extracurricular activities including basketball, volleyball, soccer, esports, Student Government, and the Media Team, where they learn filming, editing, writing, and storytelling.

Academy of the City also offers Specials including Art, Music, and Spanish, giving students opportunities to explore their creativity, build new skills, and grow as leaders both inside and outside the classroom.

Apply Today The deadline to apply for the 2026-2027 School Year is Wednesday, April 1st. We encourage families to visit our website to learn more and submit an application: www.academyofthecity.org - ADVERTORIAL -

-- nyccharterschools.org

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Johnnies claim Big East; Ejiofor earns top honors Senior sweeps awards before Big East and NCAA tourneys

by Gregg Cohen Chronicle Contributor

For the second consecutive season, the St. John’s University’s men’s basketball team is anticipating a busy and fruitful long weekend with the ongoing Big East Tournament running March 11 to 14 followed by the release of the NCAA’s 2026 March Madness Championship bracket on Selection Sunday, March 15.

The Red Storm won the Big East regular season title with an outstanding 18-2 mark, finishing with a 25-6 overall record, heading into this weekend’s Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. The team is seeded No. 1 in the tournament, similarly to last year when St. John’s won the Big East Championship in Hall of Fame Coach Rick Pitino’s first season.

Ranked No. 13 in the latest Associated Press poll, the Johnnies, with a first-day bye, will play the winner of Wednesday’s Providence vs. Butler matchup. It will be a virtual

SPORTS

The St. John’s Red Storm men’s basketball team, led by senior Zuby Ejiofor, right, celebrates the 2025-26 Big East Regular Season Championship after a victory at Seton Hall last weekend. Ejiofor was named Big East Player of the Year yesterday. SJU MEN’S BASKETBALL PHOTO VIA X LEFT; PHOTO COURTESY SJU ATHLETICS home game, as the tournament takes place at Madison Square Garden.

The winner of the Big East championship will receive an automatic bid to the “Big Dance” on Sunday, though St. John’s is a lock to receive one regardless of the tournament’s outcome.

Following the First Four play-in games on March 17 and 18, the first round with the remaining 64 teams runs March 19 and 20, with the Final Four scheduled for April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Meanwhile, individual postseason honors

for the Red Storm have been rolling in with full force. On Wednesday, the Big East announced that senior forward Zuby Ejiofor swept the top individual awards for 2025-26, becoming the first St. John’s player to do so in the 27-year history of the basketball conference. It was announced that the 6-foot-9 native of Garland, Texas, earned Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors.

The Big East had previously named Ejiofor the Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year and the only unanimous All-Big East first team selection.

Ejiofor leads the team averaging 16.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 blocks per game. He is the only player in high-major basketball to rank top-10 in his respective conference and lead his team in all four of those statistical categories.

Additionally, guard/forward Bryce Hopkins (13.3 points, 6.0 rebounds) was named to the Big East second team and forward Dillon Mitchell (8.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists) was selected to the Big East’s Q third team.

Michael Gannon contributed to this story.

BEAT

by Lloyd Carroll

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Chronicle Contributor

The 2026 National Football League free agency period has begun. One player who will be returning to the New York Jets, whether he likes it or not, is running back Breece Hall. The Jets announced last week they are slapping the “franchise tag” on Hall, which means he will be paid millions of dollars by them, and thus will be precluded from becoming a free agent.

Hall is one of the best running backs in the game, and the Jets are cognizant of his value. The last thing they want is for Hall to leave them for a division rival, the way Saquon Barkley left the Giants as a free agent in 2024 to go down the New Jersey Turnpike to join the Philadelphia Eagles, who proceeded to win a Super Bowl.

Hall, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 2025, admitted he is frustrated with the Jets’ chronic losing. Gang Green fans can certainly commiserate as it has been 15 years since their favorite team has taken part in a playoff game.

To give you an idea of how long ago that was, high-definition television did not exist.

Beyond the economics, Hall feels his statistics are not as gaudy as they should be, due to the Jets’ poor personnel. For years, they had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, which is deleterious to a running back’s success.

The Jets, to their credit, improved their offensive line in 2025, but their awful quarterback

play meant that opposing defenses could key in on the run since the Jets rarely completed a long pass. Hall had to battle twice as hard as most NFL running backs to gain yardage.

If the Jets hope to retain Hall past this coming season, they are going to have to find a quality quarterback. Justin Fields and Brady Cook aren’t going to cut it.

On the diamond, outfielder Starling Marte, who played for the Mets from 2022 through 2025, signed with the Kansas City Royals as a free agent last week.

Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns had considered bringing Marte, who is still a productive hitter, back to Flushing, but he did not have a roster spot for a 37-year-old player. That is understandable considering he needs to keep right field open for rookie Carson Benge, veteran Mike Tauchman or the very flexible Brett Baty.

With all the recent talk about Mets captaincy, it was Juan Soto who surprised many, but not me, saying he considered Marte to be the Mets’ leader. Marte played hurt and never complained. He made it a point to speak with media who were not granted access to the Mets clubhouse. He was always smiling and giving fist bumps to fans and the press.

Q Marte will be missed.

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

PHOTO COURTESY QUEENS BOROUGH PRESIDENT’S OFFICE

Breece will be back

Naclerio takes center court He taught generations of players how to pass and score from in and out of the key, and now he’s scored the key.

The Key to Queens, that is — which Cardozo High School varsity boys basketball Coach Ron Naclerio was granted Tuesday by Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. in a ceremony attended by family, friends and former players.

Naclerio has won more basketball games than any high school coach in city or state history. Richards presented him with a proc-

lamation declaring Jan. 30 — the day he broke the record with his 973rd win — as Ron Naclerio Day in the borough. A poster at the celebration tacked on two since then, lauding his 975 victories on the hardwood.

Naclerio knew he was getting the proclamation but the key was a surprise. It’s one more honor for the living legend who has been coaching for more than five decades and just two weeks ago was inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame.

— Peter C. Mastrosimone

March 12, 2026

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Page 31 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026

ARTS, CULTURE & LIVING

by Michael Shain

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continued on page 33

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Kenny Barron didn’t have a choice.

All five children in his North Philadelphia family were forced by their mother to take piano lessons.

It worked out for Barron, now 82 and, by just about any measure, a piano player who qualifies as jazz royalty.

Different search engines have different answers, but in the six decades he has been working, he has been the leader on either 40 or 50-plus albums. The number of albums he’s recorded as a sideman number in the hundreds.

He himself is not sure, either.

Barron is the headline-name in this year’s edition of the Jazz Masters concert March 20 at Flushing Town Hall, a show that nearly didn’t happen. But more on that later.

In Queens at least, the Jazz Masters concerts, which began in 2006, are a one-of-a-kind event — the Cooperstown of jazz.

The title Jazz Master is awarded by — of all things — the federal government. It is a highly selective list of musicians chosen each year by a secret panel of fellow performers, writers and record executives on behalf of the National Endowment for the Arts.

It is the highest honor in the art form and, for the last 21 years, Flushing Town Hall has hosted a concert — intimate and practically patrician — featuring past masters and, when possible, some of the freshman class.

Barron was named a Jazz Master in 2010.

The performers shift from year to year. The lineup depends heavily on which Jazz Masters are not on tour and — given the ages of some jazz all-stars — who is feeling well.

Jimmy Owens, the affable trumpeter and Jazz Master (class of 2012), is in charge of finding the players every year and establishing a theme for the show. This year’s concert will built on the music of Miles Davis.

The annual one-off jazz concert — usually scheduled for November — nearly didn’t happen this year. President Trump all but ended NEA funding for small arts groups around the country in his first days in office.

Hundreds of arts organizations around the country that

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026 Page 32

I HAVE OFTEN WALKED

King Crossword Puzzle Colleen Corby was the girl next door in Rego Park

ACROSS

1 Makes a choice 5 Pear-shaped fruit 8 “The Black Prince” author Murdoch 12 High point 13 Hostel 14 Central point 15 “Citadel” actress Chopra 17 Only 18 Brooch 19 Rappers’ improvisations 21 Signaled “Hi!” 24 -- Bator 25 Battery fluid 26 Female royal 30 Roulette bet 31 Carried on, as war 32 Pickles on “Rugrats” 33 Inmate 35 Chorus syllables 36 “I dropped the fruitcake!”

37 How distant stars shine 38 Politico Nancy 41 Parcel of land 42 Latin 101 word 43 Archbishops, e.g.

48 Get overemotional 49 Slithery fish 50 Prime-time hour 51 Villa d’-52 Tofu source 53 Bigfoot’s cousin

DOWN

For the latest news visit qchron.com

1 Antonym (Abbr.)

2 Capita lead-in

by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor

3 -- chi 4 Used a Zoom alternative 5 Twain hero 6 Squid squirt 7 More knotted, as a tree 8 Harmonious 9 Leeway 10 Between jobs 11 Beholds 16 Help 20 Royal flush, e.g.

21 Get bent out of shape 22 Computer brand 23 Caesar’s “I saw” 24 Implores 26 Primitive flutes 27 Wax-coated cheese 28 Ledge 29 Do in 31 Courts 34 Mollify 35 Lengthy list

37 -- Perignon 38 Leaf 39 Flightless birds 40 Endure 41 Easter bloom 44 Classic car 45 Dead heat 46 Sinusitis doc 47 Six, in Sicily

Robert Corby married Ma rga ret “Pegg y A n n” Lenahan on May 17, 1943.

Their first child, Colleen, was born on Aug. 3, 1947 in a hospital in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., five miles from their home in Luzerne. On Feb. 2, 1949, they were blessed with twins Robert Jr. and Molly.

In 1959, while in New York looking for summer work, Colleen was signed by the Ford Modeling Agency. The childhood home of 1960s teen model Colleen Corby at As work poured in, to be 65-65 Wetherole St. in Rego Park, as it looks today.

GOOGLE MAPS IMAGE; INSET PHOTO VIA WIKIPEDIA near the city, the family moved into a newly built sixstory apartment building at 65-65 Wether- our. Every girl wanted to be her.

In 1979 Corby married Peter Bernuth. ole St. in Rego Park. Colleen did commercials, but her top claim to fame was They had two children, she retired from appearing on 15 covers of “Seventeen” the business and they settled in Florida.

Her sister, Molly, and brother, Robert magazine (five times in 1964 alone). She defined 1960s teen fashion. Her look Jr., dabbled in modeling, as well. Molly is bridged a childlike, wholesome innocence now living in Vermont. Robert Jr. still lives Q with grownup, subtly sophisticated glam- in Rego Park.

Answers on next page

Gregory W.

MEEKS

Congressman - Fifth District of New York

@GregMeeksNYC

GREM-083053

Paid for by Friends for Gregory Meeks

by Stephanie G. Meditz editor

The course of true art never did run smooth.

Those aren’t his words, or even Shakespeare’s, but Anton Chekhov would have agreed. His 1895 play “The Seagull,” filled with subtext and suffering, follows several artists as they are driven to destruction by ambition, desire and doubt.

City Gate Productions is bringing playwright Emily Ann Banks’ fresh take on Chekhov’s tragicomedy to The Secret Theatre from March 19 to 21, as creators today strive to make honest, high-quality art while trying to survive in an increasingly commercial industry.

“I find some deep frustration in commercial theater and Broadway as kind of fueling some sort of fame and popularizing all of these celebrities onstage and ... making all this money where we’re not even thinking about the art itself at all anymore,” Banks said. “And I think that’s what ‘The Seagull’ came to be for me.”

At the start of Chekhov’s work, tortured playwright Konstantin Treplev casts aspiring actress Nina in his new experimental work, which he stages for his famous actress mother, Irina Arkadina, and Boris Trigorin, her lover and a successful writer. Not only

Actors including Camille van Putten, left, Leo Merrick and Anushka Savale will bring Emily Ann Banks’ adaptation of “The Seagull” to life from March 19 to 21. PHOTOS BY ROSE GONZALES does Arkadina make a mockery of her son’s play, but Nina, with whom he is desperately in love, catches Trigorin’s eye.

A “love octagon” ensues, as Banks put it, and underlying the main characters’ developments are questions of what it means to make it as an artist, and whether that is enough to find happiness. “‘The Seagull’ obviously talks about being famous and art itself,” she said. “So

then it became, who gets to make art, and who are you if you aren’t famous? And art as a selfish act, versus how are we meant to create art if we don’t have money?”

Among Banks’ original twists is having one actor play both Treplev and Trigorin, emphasizing the “inner saboteur” of a successful playwright and tortured artist.

“I’m sure that people can relate to it.

One play, you’re at a really high high, and

then the next performance, you suck,” she said, adding that the casting also adds incestuous, Freudian elements, as one actor plays both Arkadina’s lover and son.

Banks first adapted Chekhov’s play back in 2024, and she is now revisiting “The Seagull” with fresh eyes and a new script.

But there are numerous repeat actors from the first time around.

“I really love this play, because it was my first crack at adaptation,” she said. “And it’s really shown me how much I grew in the last two years.” Not only did Banks write the script, but she also is directing and sound designing her play.

She hopes it makes artists feel seen, and prompts non-artists to support those who have chosen such a difficult path.

“I think it’s a wake-up call ... I think the seagull itself, as a metaphor, is an omen,” Banks said. “It’s a prophecy, it’s a destiny, and we see that before anything, truly, in this piece.”

“The Seagull” will run from March 19 to 21 at The Secret Theatre, located at 10-10 44 Ave. in Long Island City. Shows are at 8 p.m., plus a 2 p.m. matinee March 21.

Ticket info is at citygateproductions.org, and one can learn more by emailing info@ citygateproductions.org or calling (929) Q 377-7495.

Page 33 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026

A critique of commercial art via Chekhov, in LIC

Jazz Masters show draws living legends to Flushing

Crossword Answers

“This is different and distinct from other NEA grants,” she said in a prepared statement. “In addition to the support of our community and loyal funders, we were awarded the grant to help underwrite this program and this year’s monthly jazz jams.”

In all, 50 Garden of Heroes grants of $25,000 each were awarded to groups like FTH to make up for the loss of the traditional support, according to the NEA. This is the first year in memory when no members of the latest class of Jazz Masters will be on the bill. Info on the players and tickets is at flushingtownhall.org.

Not surprisingly, Barron has substantial histories with nearly everyone else set to appear next week.

“I’ve known Jimmy Owens since the early 1960s,” he said. “We met on the road. I was maybe 18, 19 with Dizzy Gillespie. He was with Hank Crawford’s band.

“We talked about doing a band back then of players all under 21,” he said. “But time got by us.”

They did finally make an album for Atlantic a few years later called “You Had Better Listen.” It was their first album as

Kenny Barron onstage and Jimmy Owens backstage, at prior Flushing Town Hall Jazz Masters concerts. Both will perform March 20. On the cover: Barron with pal Antonio Hart, who is not playing this year, and Donald Harrison, who is. PHOTOS BY MICHAEL SHAIN leaders though both of them were barely past the legal drinking age.

It’s a similar story with the drummer for the Masters show, Terri Lyne Carrington, whom Barron first met when she was 12.

Carrington was a 16-year-old, teenage phenom when Barron played on her histor-

ic first album, “TLC and Friends.” She has been a Jazz Master since 2021.

Jazz Master Donald Harrison (Class of 2024) will be the sax player that night. He and Barron recorded an album together 30 years ago of — oh, yes — Miles Davis Q standards.

For the latest news visit qchron.com

continued from page 31 rely on NEA money were left stranded.

“The arts are not a priority for some people,” Barron told the Chronicle last week.

A last-minute, special Garden of Heroes grant from the NEA — named for the president’s ambitious plan to build a new monument park on the Washington Mall — came through late last year, according to Ellen Kodadek, executive and artistic director of FTH.

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026 Page 34

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Notice of Qualification of 42-02 MEZZ LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/24/26. Office location: Queens County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/09/26. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Harfenist Kraut & Perlstein LLP, 3000 Marcus Ave., Ste. 2E1, Lake Success, NY 11042. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE19901.

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026 Page 36 For the latest news visit qchron.com

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.

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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

Notice of Formation of FHL INOQ LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 08/21/2025. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LLC, 23-01 41ST AVENUE, LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11101. 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 SALE SUPREME COURT QUEENS COUNT Y T H E B A N K O F N E W YO R K MELLON F/ K / A THE BA NK OF NEW YORK AS TRUSTEE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CERTIFICATEHOLDERS OF T HE CWA BS INC., A S SE TB A C K E D C E R T I F I C AT E S , SERIES 2006-SD4, Plaintiff against J Y NELL ROLLINS, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintif f ( s ) Leopold & Associates, PLLC, 80 Business Park Drive, Suite 110, A r mo nk , N Y 10 5 0 4.

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered November 24, 2025, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at the Queens County Supreme Cour t, Courtroom #25, 8811 S u t p h i n B o u l e v a r d , Jamaica, NY 11435 on April 10 , 2 0 2 6 a t 10 : 0 0 A M .

Premises known as 204-05 115th Avenue, St. Albans, N Y 11412 . B l o c k 110 2 1 Lot 7. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon e r e c t e d , l y ing a n d b e ing in the Four th Ward of the B o r o ugh o f Q ueens , C i t y a n d S t a t e o f N e w Yo r k .

Approximate Amount of Judgment is $ 698,808.73 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index N o 7 10 6 2 7/ 2 0 19 . T h e foreclosure sale will be conduc ted in accordance with 11th Judicial District’s C o v i d -1 9 P o l i c i e s a n d foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing.

Referee will only accept a certified bank check made payable to the referee.

Autrey Glen Johnson, Esq., Referee File # 8986695

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 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.

OVELIA GREEK COMFORTS LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 03/03/2026.

Office loc: Queens County.

SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: Chris Giannakas & Peter Giannakas, 32-06 84th Street, East Elmhurst, NY 11370.

Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

NOTICE OF SALE

To Advertise Call 718-205-8000

Legal Notices

Legal Notices

SUPREME COURT OF THE S TAT E OF NE W YOR K COUNTY OF QUEENS N AT I O N S TA R M O R T G A G E LLC, -against- CHITROWTIE GH A NESS, E T A L. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure and entered in the O f fice of the Clerk of t he C o un t y o f Q ueens o n A u gus t 6, 2 0 24, w herein N AT I O N S TA R M O R T G A G E LLC is the Plaintiff and CHITROW TIE GHANESS, ET A L . are the Defendant ( s ) .

I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the QUEENS COUNTY COURTHOUSE 8 8 -11 S U T P H I N B L V D . , COURTROOM #25, JAMAICA, N Y 11435, on 04 /10 / 2026 a t 10 : 0 0 A M , p r emis e s k n o w n a s 9 0 - 2 3 18 4 T H STREET, HOLLIS, New York 1142 3 ; and t he following tax map identification, -9905-58. ALL THAT C E R T A I N P L O T, P I E C E OR PA RC EL OF L A ND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED S I T U AT E , LY I N G A N D BEING IN THE COUNTY OF QUEENS, CITY AND STATE OF NE W YORK , Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index 700221/2021 .

L a m o n t R a m s e y B a i l e y, Esq. - Referee. Rober tson, A nschut z, S chneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbur y, New York 1159 0, At torneys for Plaintif f. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with C o v i d -19 g u i d e l i n e s 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 is hereby given that an On-Premise Restaurant Wine License, NYS Application ID: NA-0240-26-104629 has been applied for by Opportunity Pancakes LLC d/b/a IHOP serving beer, wine and cider to be sold at retail for on premises consumption in a restaurant, for the premises located at 211-33 26th Avenue, Bayside, NY 11360.

We Court Your Legal Advertising.

For Legal Notice Rates & Information,

Call 718-205-8000

Notice is hereby given that an On Premises Tavern Full Liquor License, Application ID NA-037026-103449

has

been

applied

for by Running Water 6 LLC d/b/a Sky Bar LIC serving beer, wine, cider and liquor to be sold at retail for on premises consumption in a tavern for the premises located at 23-20 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101

To Advertise Call 718-205-8000

Real Estate 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 212941-6101, or the New York City Commission of Human Rights Hotline at 718-722-3131.

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

Houses For Sale Howard Beach, 159-36 88 St. HiRanch, 4 BRs, 2 full baths, solar panels, in-ground saltwater pool. radiant heat in drvwy & walkway.

Jerry Fink Real Estate, 718-766-9175

Houses For Sale Howard Beach, 102-23 Russell St. 1-level, 4 rm bungalow, updated.

New siding, door, windows. lg deck w/waerfront view. Jerry Fink Real Estate, 718-766-9175

Open House Howard Beach, Sat 3/14, 1pm-2:30pm, 161-24 84 St. Updated 4BR. Living area w/HW flrs, cathedral ceilings & 4-season room.

C21 Amiable II, 718-835-4700 Kew Gardens, Sun 3/15, 11:30am-1pm, 118-14 83 Ave, Apt 3G. Recently renov, spacious layout, king-sized BR, lg LR, HW fls. Pets welcome, access to onsite gym. C21 Amiable II, 718-835-4700 Old Howard Beach, Sun 3/15, 12pm-1:30pm, 98-08 164 Ave. 3 BR Ranch. $879K. Call Brina, Esquire Realty Ciaramella & Co., 917-257-1584 Richmond Hill, Sat 3/14, 2pm-3:30pm, 94-33 111th St. 3 BR, 2 full bath, 1/2 bath. $939K. Call Brina, Esquire Realty Ciaramella & Co., 917-257-1584

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.

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.

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.

Notice

of

Formation

of

VL LUXE IMPERIAL GROUP LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/10/2026. 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: VL LUXE IMPERIAL GROUP LLC, 1834 126TH STREET, COLLEGE POINT, NY 11356. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY

To Advertise Call 718-205-8000 NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT QUEENS COUNT Y NEWREZ LLC D/B/A SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING, Plaintiff against SANDR A LORE A / K / A S A NDR A M. LOR E, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintif f ( s ) Leopold & Associates, PLLC, 80 Business Park Drive, Suite 110, A rmonk , N Y 10 5 0 4.

P u r s u a n t t o a J u d gm e n t of Foreclosure and Sale entered February 3, 2026, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at the Q ueens C o un t y S upr eme Court, Courtroom # 25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on April 10 , 2 0 2 6 a t 11 : 0 0 A M .

Premises known as 10-43 116th Street, College Point, NY 11356. Block 4023 Lot 5 3. A ll t hat cer t ain plot , piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in t he B o r o ugh a n d C o un t y of Queens, Cit y and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $ 581,747.29 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 719102/2022. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 11th Judicial District’s C o v i d -1 9 P o l i c i e s a n d foreclosure auction rules.

The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. Referee will only accept a certified bank check made payable to the referee. Guy R. Vitacco J r., E s q., R e fer e e F ile # 10741107

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1 LLC, -against- PAMELA P. CARTER, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF GEORGE CARTER, JR, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final

EARNINGS

Judgment of Foreclosure and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens on November 19, 2025, wherein REGAIN CRF FUND 1 LLC is the Plaintiff and PAMELA P. CARTER, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF GEORGE CARTER, JR, 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 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

GET A

% 0.50 APY

BONUS1

on an IRA CD including a SEP IRA CD.

STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 703101/2019. William T. Driscoll, Esq. - Referee.

Open an account today. ridgewoodbank.com

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 DAY

To advertise, call today

718-205-8000

ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/ CLERK DIRECTIVES.

OF

TO

CHANGE

qchron.com

GROW YOUR

IN

1. Annual Percentage Yield. Promotion valid 11/1/25 through 4/15/26. Bonus offer not applicable to special promotion CDs. Early withdrawal penalties apply. Fees could reduce earnings. Special APY bonus offer is limited to one CD account per customer. Minimum to open is $100. None of the funds used to open this account may come from funds on deposit at Ridgewood Savings Bank or from funds transferred out of Ridgewood Savings Bank within the last 12 months. Employees of Ridgewood Savings Bank and its subsidiaries and their immediate family are not eligible for the account bonus. Additional terms and conditions apply. Products, services, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. © 2026 Ridgewood Savings Bank | Member FDIC

For the latest news visit qchron.com

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT QUEENS COUNT Y U.S. B A NK N AT ION A L ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACIT Y BUT S O L E LY A S T R U S T E E O N B E H A L F O F G C AT 2 0 2 1N Q M 7 T R U S T, P l a i n t i f f against NIN A RIENZI, et al Defendant ( s ) At tor ney f o r P l a in t i f f ( s ) K nu c k le s & Manfro, LLP, 120 White P l a i n s R o a d , S u i t e 2 15 Ta r r y t o w n , N Y 10 5 9 1.

P u r s u a n t t o a J u d gm e n t of Foreclosure and Sale e n t e r e d A p r il 4 , 2 0 2 5 , I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at the Q ueens C o un t y S upr eme Court, Courtroom # 25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, J a m a i c a , N Y 114 3 5 o n A p r il 10 , 2 0 2 6 a t 10 : 0 0 A M . P r e mi s e s k n o w n a s 3 4 -11 2 9 t h S t r ee t , L o ng Island City, NY 11106. Sec 4 Block 585 Lot 24. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City a n d S t a t e o f N e w Yo r k .

A pproximate Amount of Judgment is $1,294,298.19 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No. 7 0 0 0 2 9 / 2 0 2 3 . C a s h w ill not be accepted at the sale.

The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 11th Judicial District’s C o v i d -1 9 P o l i c i e s a n d foreclosure auction rules.

The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. Referee will only accept a certified bank check made payable to the referee. Martha Taylor, Esq., Referee File # 3000-001443

OF QUEENS REGAIN CRF FUND

Page 37 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026

SUPREME COURT OF THE

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026 Page 38

KEYSPAN GAS EAST CORPORATION d/b/a NATIONAL GRID NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by KeySpan Gas East Corporation d/b/a National Grid (“Company”) that it has filed with the New York State Public Service Commission (“Commission”) proposed tariff revisions to its Schedule for Gas Service, PSC No.1 – GAS, to become effective, on a temporary basis, April 1, 2026.

These revisions have been filed in compliance with the Commission’s Order issued August 15, 2024 in Case 23-G-0226. The table below compares the Company’s current rates (prior to April 1, 2026) to rates effective April 1, 2026 by service classification.

S.C. No. 1A, 5-1A – Residential Non-Heating Service S.C. No. 1AR, 5-1AR – Residential Non-Heating Service Monthly usage Current Rates First 3 therms or less $25.85 Next 47 therms, per therm $2.9324 Over 50 therms, per therm $0.8928 S.C. No. 1B, 5-1B – Residential Heating Service S.C. No. 1BR, 5-1BR – Residential Heating Service Monthly usage Current Rates First 3 therms or less $25.50 Next 47 therms, per therm $2.0482 Over 50 therms, per therm $0.4823 S.C. No. 1B-DG, 5-1B-DG – Distributed Generation Monthly usage Current Rates First 3 therms or less $37.00 Over 3 therms, per therm $0.3133

S.C. No. 16, 5-16 – Year-Round Space Conditioning Service 04/01/26 $28.50 $3.8335 $1.1672

04/01/26 $27.50 $2.3651 $0.5568

04/01/26 $38.00 $0.3594

For the latest news visit qchron.com

04/01/26 $50.00 $1.9524 $0.8554 $0.7895

S.C. No. 3, 5-3 – Multi-Family Service Monthly usage First 3 therms or less Next 997 therms, per therm Over 1,000 therms, per therm

04/01/26 $95.00 $0.7925 $0.5655

S.C No. 15, 5-15 – High Load Factor Service Monthly usage Current Rates First 10 therms or less $180.00 Over 10 therms, per therm $0.3073

04/01/26

$260.00

$260.00

Next 497 therms, per therm

$2.3195

$2.6690

Over 500 therms, per therm

$0.3976

$0.4575

Rate 1 – Less than 1MW Monthly usage

Current Rates

04/01/26

First 10 therms or less

$216.73

$234.79

Over 10 therms, per therm (Apr – Oct)

$0.2373

$0.2750

Over 10 therms, per therm (Nov – Mar)

$0.3047

$0.3534

S.C. 17 – Baseload Distributed Generation – Rate 2 – Equal to or greater than 1 MW but less than 5 MW Monthly usage

Current Rates

04/01/26

First 10 therms or less

$393.86

$426.69

Over 10 therms, per therm (Apr – Oct)

$0.2373

$0.2750

Over 10 therms, per therm (Nov – Mar)

$0.3047

$0.3534

S.C. 17 – Baseload Distributed Generation –

S.C. No. 2-B, 5-2B – Non-Residential Heating Service Monthly usage Current Rates First 3 therms or less $45.00 Next 87 therms, per therm $1.9397 Next 2,910 therms, per therm $0.7136 Over 3,000 therms, per therm $0.6311

S.C. 9, 5-9 – Uncompressed Natural Gas Vehicle Service Monthly usage Current Rates First 3 therms or less $ 45.00 Over 3 therms, per therm $ 0.8215

Current Rates

First 3 therms or less

S.C. 17 – Baseload Distributed Generation –

S.C. No. 2-A, 5-2A – Non-Residential Non-Heating Service Monthly usage Current Rates 04/01/26 First 3 therms or less $45.00 $50.00 Next 87 therms, per therm $1.9393 $1.9519 Next 2,910 therms, per therm $0.5376 $0.6339 Over 3,000 therms, per therm $0.3987 $0.5006

Current Rates $90.00 $0.6929 $0.4802

Monthly usage

04/01/26 $ 45.00 $ 0.9430

04/01/26 $180.00 $0.3549

Rate 3 – Equal to or greater than 5 MW but less than 50 MW Monthly usage

Current Rates

04/01/26

First 10 therms or less

$1,139.22

$1,234.16

Over 10 therms, per therm (Apr – Oct)

$0.0588

$0.0682

Over 10 therms, per therm (Nov – Mar)

$0.0803

$0.0930

Demand charge per therm of MPDQ

$6,252.00

$6,252.00

S.C. 18 / 19 – Non-Firm Demand Response Sales Service – Tier 1 Monthly usage

Current Rates

04/01/26

First 10 therms or less

$375.00

$375.00

Over 10 therms, per therm

$0.2853

$0.3576

S.C. 18 / 19 – Non-Firm Demand Response Sales Service – Tier 2 Monthly usage

Current Rates

04/01/26

First 10 therms or less

$375.00

$375.00

Over 10 therms, per therm

$0.2279

$0.2858

These revisions have been filed in compliance with the Commission’s Order issued August 15,2024 in Case 23-G-0226.

Copies of the proposed revisions are available for public inspection and can be obtained on the Company’s website at https://www.nationalgridus.com/Long-Island-NY-Home/Bills-Meters-and-Rates/ or the PSC’s website (dps.ny.gov).

KEYSPAN GAS EAST CORPORATION d/b/a NATIONAL GRID

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by The Brooklyn Union Gas Company d/b/a National Grid NY (“Company”) that it has filed with the New York State Public Service Commission (“PSC”) tariff revisions to its Schedule for Gas Service, PSC No. 12 – GAS, to become effective, on a temporary basis, April 1, 2026.

These revisions have been filed in compliance with the Commission’s Order issued April 1, 2026 in Case 23-G-0225. The table below compares the Company’s current rates (prior to April 1, 2026) to rates effective April 1, 2026 by service classification.

S.C. No. 1B, 17-1B – Residential Heating Service S.C. No. 1BR, 17-1BR-Residential Heating Service Monthly usage Current Rates First 3 therms or less $22.50 Next 47 therms, per therm $1.9789 Over 50 therms, per therm $0.7389

04/01/26 $24.50 $2.3010 $0.8592

04/01/26 $50.00 $1.0784 $0.7969 $0.5871

S.C. No. 2-2, 17-2-2 – Non-Residential Heating Service Monthly usage Current Rates First 3 therms or less $47.50 Next 87 therms, per therm $1.0415 Next 2,910 therms, per therm $0.9624 Over 3,000 therms, per therm $0.7068

04/01/26 $50.00 $1.2388 $1.1448 $0.8408

Current Rates $46.00 $0.6741 $0.6007

04/01/26 $46.00 $0.7815 $0.6964

S.C. 4A, 17-4A – High Load Factor Monthly usage First 10 therms or less Next 990 therms, per therm Over 1,000 therms, per therm

Current Rates $300.00 $0.4084 $0.4084

04/01/26 $325.00 $0.4832 $0.4832

S.C. 4A-CNG, 17-4A-CNG – Compressed Natural Gas Monthly usage Current Rates First 10 therms or less $300.00 Next 990 therms, per therm $0.3992 Over 1,000 therms, per therm $0.3992

04/01/26 $325.00 $0.4720 $0.4720

S.C. 4B, 17-4B – Year Round Air Conditioning Service Monthly usage Current Rates First 1 therms or less $145.00 Next 199 therms, per therm $1.3641 Over 200 therms, per therm $0.6822

04/01/26 $160.00 $1.6182 $0.8093

S.C. 7, 17-7 – Seasonal Off-Peak Service Monthly usage First 3 therms or less Over 3 therms, per therm

Current Rates $55.00 $0.3559

04/01/26 $62.00 $0.4272

S.C. 21, 17-21 – Rate 1 – Less than 1MW Monthly usage First 10 therms or less Over 10 therms, per therm (Apr – Oct) Over 10 therms, per therm (Nov – Mar)

Current Rates $306.00 $0.2110 $0.2691

04/01/26 $330.00 $0.2655 $0.3384

S.C. No. 1A, 17-1A – Residential Non-Heating Service S.C. No. 1AR, 17-1AR Residential Non-Heating Service Monthly usage Current Rates First 3 therms or less $20.50 Next 47 therms, per therm $4.2751 Over 50 therms, per therm $2.1827

04/01/26 $23.50 $5.1543 $2.6864

S.C. No. 1B-DG, 17-1B-DG – Distributed Generation Monthly usage Current Rates First 3 therms or less $35.00 Over 3 therms, per therm $0.3857

04/01/26 $35.00 $0.4741

S.C. No. 2-1, 17-2-1 – Non-Residential Non-Heating Service Monthly usage Current Rates First 3 therms or less $47.50 Next 87 therms, per therm $0.9246 Next 2,910 therms, per therm $0.6590 Over 3,000 therms, per therm $0.5226 S.C. No. 3, 17-3 – Multi-Family Service Monthly usage First 3 therms or less Next 997 therms, per therm Over 1,000 therms, per therm

S.C. 21, 17-21 – Rate 2 – Equal to or greater than 1 MW but less than 5 MW Monthly usage Current Rates 04/01/26 First 10 therms or less $433.00 $466.00 Over 10 therms, per therm (Apr – Oct) $0.2110 $0.2655 Over 10 therms, per therm (Nov – Mar) $0.2691 $0.3384

04/01/26 $375.00 $0.3793/0.3153

S.C. 22 – Non-Firm Demand Response Sales Service – Tier 2 (Commercial & Governmental / Multifamily) Monthly usage Current Rates First 10 therms or less $375.00 Over 10 therms, per therm $0.2591/0.2156

These revisions have been filed in compliance with the Commission’s Order issued August 15, 2024 in Case 23-G-0225.

Copies of the proposed revisions are available for public inspection and can be obtained on the Company’s website at https://www.nationalgridus.com/NY-Home/Bills-Meters-and-Rates/ or the PSC’s website (dps.ny.gov).

THE BROOKLYN UNION GAS COMPANY d/b/a NATIONAL GRID NY

04/01/26 $375.00 $0.3034/0.2524

For the latest news visit qchron.com

S.C. 21, 17-21 – Rate 3 – Equal to or greater than 5 MW but less than 50 MW Monthly usage Current Rates 04/01/26 First 10 therms or less $1,003.00 $1,080.00 Over 10 therms, per therm (Apr – Oct) $0.0511 $0.0643 Over 10 therms, per therm (Nov – Mar) $0.0710 $0.0893 Demand charge per therm of MPDQ $5,611.19 $5,950.33 S.C. 22 – Non-Firm Demand Response Sales Service – Tier 1 (Commercial & Governmental / Multifamily) Monthly usage Current Rates First 10 therms or less $375.00 Over 10 therms, per therm $0.3239/0.2693

Page 39 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026

THE BROOKLYN UNION GAS COMPANY d/b/a NATIONAL GRID NY

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, March 12, 2026 Page 40 For the latest news visit qchron.com

EVERY WEDNESDAY IS

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FRI. SAT. SUN. MON. TUES. WED. THURS.

Sale March March March March March March March Dates 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

102-02 101st AVE. • OZONE PARK • 718-849-8200 PHONE ORDERS GLADLY ACCEPTED

We Accept All Major Credit Cards WIC - EBT

STORE HOURS: Mon.-Sun. 8 am to 9 pm

We reserve the right to limit quantities to one can or package on sale items. Items offered for sale are not available in case lots. Alcoholic beverages may not be available in all locations.

We are not responsible for typographical errors. Some Items Not Available in all Locations.