Queens Chronicle 03-26-26

NTSB combing wreckage, runway and records for clues in fatal collision Crash investigators have a long road

Iby Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

nvestigators for the National Transporta-

tion Safety Board are continuing the painstaking process of determining just how an Air Canada Express passenger jet and a massive emergency vehicle both came to be cleared to be in the same place Sunday night on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport.

The crash killed pilots Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther and injured more than 40 others. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said Tuesday that it could be several days before her crews have gathered, photographed and measured all they need at the crash site before the runway is open again. They will be analyzing electronic data and interviewing air traffic controllers and others.

Homendy also said jumping to any conclusions based on only the preliminary information available is far too premature.

“I would caution against pointing fingers at controllers and saying distraction is involved,” she said. “This is a heavy workload environment. You have the United Airlines flight. We still have to determine what happened at [control tower] shift change. We have to determine who was in the tower ...

“One thing I will close with before taking questions is we rarely if ever investigate a major accident where it was one failure. Our

aviation system is very safe ... So when something goes wrong, that means many things went wrong. And so that’s why we are here, to prevent this from happening again.

“And that is going to take some time.”

That said, investigators on Tuesday listed several questions that need answering.

Flight 8646 was inbound from Montreal. The truck, a firefighting vehicle manned by two Port Authority police officers, was responding along with others to a United Airlines plane reporting a strong odor in the cabin.

As of Tuesday the NTSB still had conflicting information as to who was in the control tower, and just who was responsible for handling ground traffic.

While LaGuardia has sophisticated ground radar in place, the rescue truck that was hit did not have a transponder on board that could have given controllers real-time information as to its identity and location.

A runway incursion warning system did not sound as the multiple trucks lined up to aid the United plane made it difficult for the system to get a clear fix.

The plane’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorders have been recovered.

Doug Brazy, the NTSB’s investigator in charge of the inquiry, read a summary of the final three minutes before the voice

recorder stopped.

Two minutes and 17 seconds before impact, Forest and Gunther received clearance to land on Runway 4. Truck 1 exchanged calls with the tower.

Twenty seconds before impact, it was cleared to cross Runway 4 from Taxiway Delta. Nine seconds before impact the tower repeatedly tells Truck 1 to stop. One second later the CVR picked up what Brazy said is the sound of the plane touching down on the runway.

Authorities were not sure if the truck heard the stop order or if Forest and Gunther saw the vehicle crossing into their path. If they did, the pilots would have had about six seconds to diagnose the danger and react.

Runway 4 is the north-northeastbound direction of Runway 4-22, with numbers based on a plane’s compass heading while taking off or landing. The east-west runway is 13-31.

Data from LaGuardia Airport’s website showed that taking half of a major airport’s runways out of action for several days was having a lingering impact.

Information posted on the flight tracker as of 10 a.m. on Wednesday listed 215 departing flights scheduled between 7 a.m. and 12:52 p.m. Eighty-four were listed as canceled. Q

CONZA | MCNAMARA

CYNTHIA J. CONZA, ESQ.

EDWARD R. MCNAMARA, ESQ.

First responders examine wreckage from the obliterated cockpit of Air Canada Express Flight 8646 early Monday morning at LaGuardia Airport. U.S.DOTPHOTOVIAX

Teachers are able to use AI for some tasks

City Department of Education gives first iteration of guidelines to staff

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

New York City public school teachers may use artificial intelligence to generate lesson plans and draft documents, according to an announcement from the city Department of Education.

The agency on Tuesday released guidance for educators and staff on AI, laying out rules for how they may use the technology while emphasizing limits tied to academic integrity, student privacy and data security.

The directive, which school officials described as a first iteration, is intended to help schools use AI “safely, thoughtfully, ethically and responsibly,” while making clear that human judgment must remain central when evaluating AI-generated materials.

At the center of the policy is a “traffic light” framework, a system designed to help educators and staff determine which AI tools and uses are appropriate.

The DOE said no tool can replace the care, instruction, support or judgment of educators, and that any approved use must protect student privacy.

and grading.

School officials said the guidance was developed over the past year in collaboration with the New York City Public Schools AI Task Force, the Panel for Education Policy’s Data Privacy Working Group and an AI Advisory Council made up of industry leaders, scholars, educators and school leaders.

More information on the DOE’s new AI guidelines, as well as a link to provide feedback, is available at tinyurl.com/cu2rdkun.

“While there is no tool or resource in the world that can replace what our teachers bring to their classrooms every day, AI can be used as a powerful tool to make the work of our educators more efficient, giving them more time to focus on supporting our students as they develop essential critical thinking skills,” Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels said in a prepared statement.

“AI can be used as a powerful tool.”

—

Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels

“AI tools cannot and should not replace: the relationship between students and teachers, the professional expertise of educators and school leaders, the trust and partnership with families and communities, or human-based instructional services and educational programs,” the DOE website reads.

Under the guidance, recommended “green light” uses of AI include brainstorming, organizing information, creating initial drafts of nonsensitive communications, scheduling and formatting documents.

Prohibited “red light” uses include care and counseling, behavioral monitoring, development of individualized education programs, accommodations for student with disabilities

Samuels said the guidance is designed to empower educators to choose tools that support students without compromising on safety or academic integrity, while teaching children when and how to use AI appropriately.

A Brooklyn-based teacher who works in Long Island City told the Chronicle, under condition of anonymity, “It all makes me nervous.”

She said that while AI is unavoidable as technology evolves, some teachers will not abide by the guidelines.

“There’s a loss of personal touch,” the educator, who teaches high school English, said. “While the DOE is explicitly stating what [AI] can and cannot be used for, I’m afraid that not everyone will listen to those rules. We’re paid to do our jobs, and do them well, and I think that permitting AI in certain circumstances will muddy the waters for the future of education, whatever that may look like.”

She added, “They said we can’t use it for grading. You know people absolutely will use it for grading — many already do.”

A longtime DOE administrative employee told the Chronicle he views the new AI guidelines as a thoughtful and practical step toward helping educators and families navigate fastchanging technology.

He praised the document for going beyond broad statements to include concrete tools and framework.

“There’s a lot of different pieces, but then embedded within this are tools,” he said. “It’s not just policy.”

He added, “It was great that they had this plan, which, of course, includes stakeholders at every level,” and singled out the “red light, yellow light, green light” framework, saying, “I advocate similarly for a framework when I speak about AI.”

He highlighted the guidelines’ language around “cognitive offloading,” saying he agreed with the idea that effective AI integration preserves the intellectual work of learning.

While acknowledging that some teachers may look for shortcuts, the DOE employee stressed that AI should “help them process in terms of the planning” without automating their role.

“Remember, it doesn’t replace your thinking as a teacher,” he said.

One Forest Hills educator said she has used AI at work in her history classes, and that she’s happy to see the DOE implement a framework.

“I’ve used it a few times to generate photos for PowerPoint presentations,” she said. “I’ve also used it for scheduling purposes. ... I would never in a million years use AI for IEPs. I’m glad they made it clear that’s not allowed.”

Another educator, a math instructor from Woodhaven, said she has not used AI before in teaching, but has used it outside of school.

“I don’t know how I would best utilize it for classroom purposes,” she said. “It’s interesting to think about the methods in which I can use it, in terms of efficiency purposes. But I’m excited to look into it.” Q

NYPD: Man wanted for Rich Hill stabbing

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Police are searching for a man accused of stabbing another in the torso last week in Richmond Hill, within the confines of the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct.

At around 1 a.m. on March 16, cops said, a 30-year-old male victim inside a lounge at 110-12 Jamaica Ave. was approached by an unidentified man, who engaged him in a verbal dispute.

The suspect displayed a “sharp instrument,” cops said, and stabbed the victim in

the torso. Police said EMS transported the victim to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in stable condition.

The suspect fled the location on foot in an unknown direction.

The sought individual is described as having a medium complexion and was last seen wearing a black sweater, blank pants, black hat and white sneakers.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 577-TIPS (8477), or, for Spanish, 1 (888) 57-PISTA (74782). One may also submit tips by

going to crimestoppers.nypdonline.org; or by texting 274637 (CRIMES) and entering TIP577; or by going to @nypdtips on X.

All tips are strictly confidential.

Felony assault is up 5 percent this year to date within the 102nd Precinct, per NYPD Compstat Data through March 15, with 63 incidents so far in 2026 compared to 60 at this time in 2025. Q

Cops are searching for the above suspect in connection with a stabbing in Richmond Hill last week. PHOTOCOURTESYNYPD

Lesson planning may become less strenuous on teachers, as the city Department of Education on Tuesday said educators are permitted to use artificial intelligence for certain purposes, and are barred from utilizing the technology in other instances.

April

April

Thirty nights of community and service

The Cityline Ozone Park Civilian Patrol has been busy the last month, with 30 nights of patrol, 10 evenings of free halal hot meals, continuous food pantry operations with two special distributions and a community Eid celebration to close it all out.

For more information on COPCP, one may visit copcp.org.

Every night of Ramadan, observed by Muslims as a month of fasting, prayer and reflection, volunteers with COPCP made their rounds around area masjids, hot spots and other areas of concern, staying out until around midnight.

For the sixth consecutive year, COPCP hosted its free halal

hot meal distribution during the final 10 nights of Ramadan, which ended March 19, at Little Bangladesh Way, at the corner of Drew Street and 101st Avenue. Between 130 and 180 meals were served each evening, COPCP said, with menus made up of halal Bengali, Guyanese and Italian food. On the final night of Ramadan, Aldo’s Pizzeria and Restaurant in Ozone Park donated more than 200 slices.

The Ozone Park Pantry ran every week throughout Ramadan, and as the month drew to a close, the group partnered with Bangladeshi American Community Development and Youth Services for a pop-up Eid food pantry at Liberty Avenue

Youth trades fair on April 11

High school seniors and recent graduates interested in learning a trade instead of going to traditional college are encouraged to head to Woodhaven on April 11 for a Youth Career Trades Fair hosted by state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven).

The event, from 1 to 3 p.m. located at Monsignor Mulz Hall at 88-08 Jamaica Ave., the gymnasium of St. Thomas the Apostle Church, aims to help fill area job openings by connecting students with opportunities that businesses need.

Occupations include electricians, plumbers, mechanics, painters, culinary artists,

cosmetologists, CDL drivers, phlebotomists, dental hygienists and more.

Those interested may call Addabbo’s office at (718) 738-1111 for more information.

“Traditional college may not be the right fit for everyone, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of solid job opportunities out there,” Addabbo said in a statement. “I encourage our young residents to explore for themselves and see what’s out there. Some might be eyeing a specific trade, while others could stumble onto a new passion they didn’t even know they had.” Q

Plaza, providing fresh produce, oil, flour, halal chicken and fish to those in need. More than 300 families were served in a single day.

To close out Ramadan, COPCP hosted a family Eid celebration March 22 at Liberty Avenue and Drew Street in City Line. Children played in bounce houses, enjoyed cotton candy and balloons and watched a magic show.

“Seeing families out there together, children enjoying themselves, everyone celebrating Eid as a community, that is what this work is for,” said Mohammad Khan, COPCP’s executive director, in a statement. — Kristen Guglielmo

One of District 32’s favorite events is back this spring, as Councilmember Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) partners with Esquire Realty, Nick “the Balloonatic” Rotondo, Resorts World New York City and the city Department of Parks and Recreation for the annual senior prom.

On April 14, senior citizens living in Ariola’s district are welcome to head to Oak Ridge at Forest Park from 12 to 3 p.m. for an afternoon of fun, food and dancing.

Guests must register to attend by calling (718) 738-1083.

“We hear so many stories of older peo-

ple who are stuck by themselves, and this event helps to break that loneliness and monotony and give our seniors a day of fun,” Ariola said. “Our seniors deserve to feel valued and celebrated, and this event is one small way we can do that.”

“It is my honor each year to decorate the senior prom hosted by Councilmember Ariola for senior citizens in our communities,” said Rotondo, who provides the entertainment. “Our seniors have worked long and hard in our communities and it’s great to be able to give back to them.” Q — Kristen Guglielmo

voters City Hall’s new arm for community safety

Mamdani says office is a ‘first step’ toward the agency he promised

by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor

Mayor Mamdani on March 19 signed an executive order establishing a new Office of Community Safety, a step toward one of his major campaign promises.

The office will aim to address the “root causes” of violence, streamline and expand crime prevention programs and bolster mental health services, according to a City Hall press release. Mamdani on the campaign trail had pledged to launch a $1.1 billion Department of Community Safety that would focus on mental health response efforts, including dedicated outreach officers in subway stations.

“Crime is one of the most complex issues we face, and yet our city’s approach for far too long has been to rely on a patchwork of programs to deal with interconnected problems,” Mamdani said at a press conference last Thursday. “No longer can we sustain such a cobbled together approach to an issue of such immense importance.”

The first-ever deputy mayor in charge of the new office is Renita Francois, who worked in former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Office of Criminal Justice. A commissioner, who has yet to be announced, will lead the OCS and report directly to Francois.

City Hall says the newly formed office will develop new community safety strategies, coordinate the work of several existing offices and focus on mental health crisis response efforts.

Francois is set to oversee the expansion of the Behavioral Health Emergency Assistance Response Division, or B-HEARD, which launched in 2021 as a pilot program in Manhattan. Under it, mental health pro-

fessionals and FDNY medical technicians respond to 911 calls during mental health emergencies.

Mamdani said expanding B-HEARD will make sure police are not the only available option in such cases.

“Today, officers have to handle 200,000 mental health calls a year,” he said. “That is not a system that is working.”

He recently spoke against the prosecution of 22-year-old Jabez Chakraborty of Briarwood. Chakraborty, who has a history of mental health issues, was shot in his home by police Jan. 26 after he rushed toward the officers with a knife raised.

“This is about finding a way to allow our police officers to do the job that is best suit-

ed for them,” Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said. “Stop asking them to do the job of everyone.”

The New York Times reported that unlike a city agency, the office could easily be undone by future mayors, unless it is codified into law.

Mamdani said his administration still plans to form a Department of Community Safety, and the new office is a first step toward doing so. He also noted that several agencies, such as the departments of Homeless Services and Emergency Management, began as offices.

City Councilmember Lincoln Restler (D-Brooklyn) in January introduced legislation to create a Department of Community

Safety. It was at that time referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations, State & Federal Legislation.

“Our communities have long known the true sources of safety — addressing poverty, mental health, substance use, and getting to the root causes of conflict and violence before they escalate,” said City Councilmember Tiffany Cabán (D-Astoria), a cosponsor on the bill. She also sits on the Criminal Justice Committee and chairs the panel on Mental Health and Substance Use.

Councilman Phil Wong (D-Maspeth), a member of the Public Safety Committee, said he supports improving mental health responses and “real prevention efforts,” but a new office “raises real questions” about costs, coordination and payoff.

“We can’t lose sight of the basics,” Wong said in an emailed statement. “Supporting our police and core public safety services has to come first. The goal should be solutions that work together and actually make people safer, not more layers of bureaucracy.”

Also on the committee is Councilmember Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park), who said it’s not the right time to create a new multimillion dollar office, even if the funds were diverted from other programs.

The city faces a multibillion dollar budget gap that Mamdani hopes to narrow by raising taxes on corporations and high earners. But he needs state approval, and Gov. Hochul has long opposed tax hikes.

“Not just that, but the mayor is looking to take an end [run] to get this passed without having to go through the Council by making this an office instead of a department, and that does not sit well with me at all,” Ariola said in a statement. Q

Civil summonses to replace criminal charges for traffic infractions City changing e-bike summons structure

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

Mayor Mamdani last week ordered an end to the city’s policy of issuing criminal summonses to e-bike operators caught on alleged traffic violations.

Beginning March 27, the NYPD will begin addressing such violations with civil summonses, just like those for motorists — except that riders need no license and e-bikes are not registered.

“Every New Yorker on our roads, whether driving or biking, deserves to be treated fairly,” Mamdani said in a press release. “By ending criminal summonses for low-level traffic offenses, we’re ensuring cyclists and e-bike riders — including those who deliver our food and groceries — are treated like others on the road.”

“At the same time, we’re making our streets safer for everyone. In partnership with the City Council, we’ll strengthen safety standards, hold app companies accountable and expand training

for delivery riders,” the mayor added.

The criminal summons policy was enacted under Mayor Eric Adams in 2025. Riders could be criminally charged for minor violations such as disobeying a stop sign — forcing them to appear in criminal court, with failure to appear risking a bench warrant or arrest.

Mamdani’s office last week called it a punitive system that has disproportionately burdened working New Yorkers.

The mayor said the city’s Department of Transportation will launch a comprehensive safety training program for delivery workers. Mamdani said he wants to work with the City Council on legislation to address unsafe practices by delivery app companies that he says often incentivize dangerous riding through unrealistic delivery times.

Mamdani’s office also said it will seek authority to mandate enhanced training for delivery workers who repeatedly engage in unsafe riding behavior.

The city will launch an enhanced safety training program in April for all bicycle and e-bike delivery workers. The program will be accessible online through secure accounts and available in six languages.

It is slated to cover workers’ rights and responsibilities, safe e-bike and bicycle operation and traffic laws. The DOT will oversee compliance and implement the program in partnership with delivery worker advocates to ensure that trainings are completed and workers’ rights are protected in the process.

The NYPD told the Chronicle police will comply with the new directive.

But Commissioner Jessica Tisch, in an op-ed written for the New York Post last year said the criminal summonses were the only way to hold reckless riders accountable.

Tisch wrote that unlike bike riders, drivers have an incentive to appear for a civil summons because they can face fines, suspension or loss of their licenses and more if the fail to show up.

She wrote that e-bike operators do not need licenses “so their operators can simply ignore a traffic summons with virtually no meaningful repercussions.”

Mamdani’s office did not respond to request for comment on the points made by Tisch last year.

Most of the city officials quoted in the mayor’s statement joined him in placing the onus on delivery app companies.

“For too long, third-party delivery companies have incentivized dangerous cycling behavior without proper oversight or accountability,” Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn said. “To truly deliver safe streets for all New Yorkers, we will be taking a multipronged approach that holds delivery companies accountable for their impact on street safety, provides training and resources to delivery workers and expands bold new street designs that better accommodate e-bike riders and pedestrians.” Q

Mayor Mamdani last week tapped former city official Renita Francois as Deputy Mayor for Community Safety. PHOTOBYMICHAELAPPLETON/NYCMAYOR’SOFFICE/FLICKR

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EDITORIAL AGEP

It’s Opening Day at Citi Field — Let’s go Mets!

After such a difficult winter, we deserve a fine spring day to shine over Queens, and the nearly 70-degree beauty predicted for today, March 26, is perfect for Opening Day at Citi Field.

And after such a difficult 2025 baseball season, Mets fans should be excited to start another 162 games with high hopes of leaving last year’s disappointments in the past.

We’re certainly hopeful! Inside this week’s editions, and at qchron.com, you’ll find our detailed analysis of the 2026 team, written by veteran Sports Beat columnist Lloyd Carroll. Along with his insights comes the season schedule.

There’s no need to look back in detail at what went wrong last year. Nobody was happy, not us fans and not Mets execs such as President of Baseball Operations David Stearns, who set the tone for the offseason by saying the team needed better “run prevention.” Ouch. Run production would be nice, too. It was beyond disappointing to have the secondhighest payroll in baseball and start strong, only to lose it and not even be one of the 12 teams to make the playoffs.

Gone were the magic and fun that animated the 2024 campaign, the “OMG” and Grimace excitement. Also gone now are stars Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo, two players

the Flushing Faithful were hoping would wear blue and orange for their entire careers. We can’t dwell on that.

There are a lot of new faces on the team, and we’re sure they’ll build new excitement, starting today against the Pittsburgh Pirates and their ace, Paul Skenes. The Mets will have our own ace on the mound, newly acquired Freddy Peralta. Peralta had 17 wins last year and an earned run average of 2.70. We just might have a pitchers’ duel today. Whatever happens, we hope it will be Amazin’.

The whole season could be. Aside from Peralta, the Mets have two perennial all-stars: Juan Soto in the outfield and Francisco Lindor at shortstop, along with two rookie-of-theyear candidates: Nolan McLean on the mound and Carson Benge in the outfield. McLean has fans excited, and Benge is the first Mets rookie to debut on Opening Day since Alonso did in 2019. Fans have high hopes for him, including us!

We do need our pitchers to make a big collective comeback. Kodai Senga looked sharp in spring training, but Sean Manaea’s velocity was down, resulting in a demotion from the starting rotation. Whether David Peterson, now the longest-tenured Met, can repeat his stellar performance from the first half of 2025 and not get burnt out is a key question.

We’re eager to see Lindor recover from his injury — his bat and glove are key — and are hoping Francisco Alvarez will have his breakout year after last season’s challenges.

Fans are hopeful everything will come together and result in the Amazin’s first World Series appearance in more than a decade. We would have to get past some serious rivals to do it — top among them the Philadelphia Phillies, the Atlanta Braves and those powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers. But dreaming big is the beauty of Opening Day!

On a practical note, construction is beginning on the casino project outside the stadium, so parking is challenging and expensive at $50. Take public transportation when possible.

The team does have a special new good-luck talisman outside the ballpark — the “Queens, The World’s Borough” sculpture. It’s been freshly moved to a spot outside Citi Field. This page admittedly wanted it to stay in Forest Hills, where it was for a year, but now it’s got good company, with the Tom Seaver statue and Home Run Apple both nearby. Hey, maybe the Mets can be The World’s Team this year. As in the World Series. With this squad, it’s possible. Whether it’s going to a game or watching from home, restaurant or bar, let’s support the 2026 Mets. Ya gotta believe!

Published every week by

MARK WEIDLER

President & Publisher

SUSAN & STANLEY MERZON Founders

Raymond G. Sito General Manager

Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief

Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Stephanie G. Meditz Editor

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E-mail: Editors@qchron.com

Website: www.qchron.com

LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

We lost a landmark

Dear Editor:

There was a wonderful coming together on March 8, at which Borough President Donovan Richards, City Councilwoman Lynn Schulman and U.S. Rep. Grace Meng all spoke to celebrate the first anniversary of the “Queens, The World’s Borough” sign on Queens Boulevard (“World’s Borough party,” March 12, multiple editions). Fifty-plus local vendors, 10 sponsors and anchor partners were there.

This sign was a source of pride for me and many others in the area.

The sign has been moved to Citi Field. Why did this happen?

Stanley Mayer Rego Park

Progress over mediocrity

Dear Editor:

Last week’s front-page article in the Central Queens edition not only misrepresents the issue of relocating the Queens sculpture on Yellowstone Boulevard, but also perpetuates a narrative driven by hearsay rather than fact (“Just our type” / “Queens sign should stay put: neighbors,” March 19). It is misleading and lazy journalism to cast one or two so-called “activists” as the voice of an entire neighborhood.

Let’s be honest: the sculpture in question, which is little more than 3D-printed “word art,” is as uninspired as the chain restaurants and

factory outlets that have taken over Austin Street. Clinging to this generic piece is not a sign of community pride, but a stubborn refusal to embrace progress. The same voices now demanding the sculpture remain once declared that the new residential development nearby would ruin McDonald Park. Those doomsday predictions were proven spectacularly wrong. Our neighborhood deserves better than settling for the status quo just because someone finally paid us attention. Let’s champion real progress: give new artists a chance and demand genuine improvements that elevate our community.

Shalom Weberman Forest Hills Gardens

School speed swindle

Dear Editor:

There were a few errors in your article about Mayor Mamdani’s plan on lowering all speed limits throughout NYC, especially in so-called “school safety zones” (“City to limit speeds to

15 mph near schools,” March 19).

First, regarding the reason for all this Sammy’s Law. While it is a tragedy that a 12-year-old boy was killed, it was not the result of speeding. Sammy ran into the street without looking while chasing a soccer ball. The ca r that hit him was not even speeding.

However, the anti-car movement decide d that if all cars are forced to drive slower, then if someone isn’t paying attention when they cross the street, or if they cross against the light, or if they jaywalk, then they will not be injured as badly. (By the way, last year the Adams administration made these infractions legal.) In other words, force every driver to reduce his or her speed to protect the pedestrians who are behaving dangerously.

Back in the 1960s, they used a different approach. The city ran public service announcements teaching children (and adults) to cross at the green, not in between. And not to cross in the middle of the block. Plus, parents and teachers drummed these lessons in our head.

LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

As for protecting students while walking to and from school, the enforcement with speed cameras is nothing more than a money grab. If safety were the main concern, the cameras would only function during the days and times that children are going to and from school.

Again, up until recently school zones with reduced speed limits were for just one block around a school during a few morning and afternoon hours on actual school days. This was only at elementary schools, since older teens were expected to know how to cross streets safely. Today, under the guise of “student safety,” these zones extend for one quarter of a mile around every single school, regardless of the age of the students. They are enforced by cameras that are active 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In other words, the city is “protecting” students on days and times when schools are closed. Why, you ask? Because these cameras make big money, to the tune of $2 million per day. So now in order to balance the budget, Mamdani wants to expand the program with another 2,300 “school safety zone” cameras in order to protect more children while they are not attending school.

Lee Rottenberg Middle Village

Don’t disparage the dead

Dear Editor:

When Charlie Kirk was assassinated many on the left cheered his death. I couldn’t believe that people could be so cold and obnoxious, wishing harm on someone just because of one’s political beliefs.

Now, President Trump posted on social media that he was glad that Robert Mueller died. Our elected leaders, especially the president, should be held to a higher moral standard. His comments are indefensible and any criticism of Trump in that regard is totally appropriate.

I just want to point out that anyone who previously applauded the assassination of Kirk or those who did not speak out against those comments because they also disliked Kirk’s politics are in the same moral category as Trump. As a country we should be better than that.

Lenny Rodin Forest Hills

Cancer screening for free

Dear Editor:

The Cancer Services Program of Queens offers free colorectal cancer screening to uninsured people aged 45 and older. New York State data from 2024 confirm that people 45 to 75 years old who do not have insurance are much less likely than people with any type of insurance to be up to date with screening for colorectal cancer, only 36.8 percent compared to 75.7 percent.

Is screening really that important? Yes! Colorectal cancer screening saves thousands of lives every year. Getting screened regularly can help prevent colorectal cancer. Screening helps find the growths that can turn into cancer so they can be removed before they do! Screening tests can also find colorectal cancer early when treatment may work best.

The CSP uses an easy, stool-based screening test that you complete at home and mail in to a lab. If the screening test result is not normal, the CSP will pay for a follow-up test. If cancer treatment is needed, the CSP, which is located at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens hospital, will help clients get enrolled in the Medicaid Cancer Treatment Program.

Call us at (718) 670-1561 to find out if you qualify for this easy, but important, screening.

We provide breast and cervical cancer screening too! Don’t delay — call today.

Maureen Burns Health Educator Cancer Services Program of Queens Flushing

Save vital adult-care funds

Dear Editor:

More than 20 years ago, a Pulitzer Prizewinning New York Times investigation exposed a crisis in New York’s adult homes: deaths, dangerous conditions and residents left without basic medical care or any meaningful voice in their own lives. The state was forced to reckon with its failures. A lawsuit was filed and won. Slowly, self-advocacy and accountability structures were built and funded.

Gov. Hochul’s executive budget plan would dismantle that progress.

Buried in the budget proposal is the elimination of three programs protecting some of New York’s most marginalized residents: lowincome adults, many elderly, many with mental health challenges, most covered by Medicaid, living in licensed adult care facilities in Queens, Staten Island, the Bronx and across the state.

These cuts total roughly $7 million, a rounding error in a $252 billion budget. The harm they would cause is anything but small. Programs facing elimination are:

• CIAD, or Coalition for Institutionalized Aged and Disabled ($175,000 cut): The only advocates who regularly enter New York City adult homes, training resident leaders and organizing councils so people have a voice in decisions that govern their lives.

• Adult Home Advocacy Program ($230,000 cut): Helps residents fight evictions, access public benefits, and navigate a system stacked in favor of facility operators by providing legal representation, rights training, and community organizing.

• EQUAL Program, or Enhancing the Quality of Adult Living ($6.5 million cut): Funds basic quality-of-life improvements like clothing, air conditioners, and capital repairs — with a requirement that residents have a say in how funds are spent.

Adult home residents can’t afford lobbyists or campaign contributions. That’s why the state’s commitment to protecting them matters, and why eliminating support is a consequential choice.

Legislative leaders have moved to restore some of this funding in their one-house budgets. The final budget must restore it in full. The cost is modest. The stakes are not.

Kate Breslin President

Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy

Albany

VILLA RUSSO

156 cases Report uncovers DOE corruption and fraud

Nearly 12,000 complaints sent to SCI;

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

The most frequent categories of substantiated investigations involving the city Department of Education in 2025 involved employee misconduct, theft of service, falsification of official documents and inappropriate or sexual relationships or communications, per a new report from Special Commissioner of Investigation for the New York City School District Anastasia Coleman.

Coleman’s report highlights efforts to uncover corruption, protect students and safeguard taxpayer dollars.

The SCI received 11,775 complaints last year, alleging fraud, criminal activity, financial misconduct and abuse involving the DOE, which serves more than one million students and employs more than 40,000 staffers.

The office initiated 471 investigations, closed 393 and substantiated wrongdoing in 156 cases involving 202 individuals or entities.

Coleman’s report also identified nearly $2 million in financial losses to the DOE and the city’s retirement systems, double the amount identified in 2024.

The SCI conducted 157 investigations involving allegations of inappropriate or sexual misconduct, and substantiated allegations in 62 cases. In 23 of those, DOE personnel initiated or maintained inappropriate relationships with students through personal cellphones or social media accounts.

The SCI recommended that the DOE amend its employee guidelines to prohibit staff, volunteers and vendor employees from contacting students using personal communication platforms.

Investigations also uncovered significant fraud, corruption and misconduct.

In one case, the SCI substantiated that Ari Corbin, a community associate at the East-West School of International Studies in Flushing, stole more than $415,000 from the DOE over three years. Corbin allegedly used her role as the school’s business manager to submit fraudulent purchase orders and invoices through DOE financial systems to benefit her personal cheerleading company. Her alleged purchases included cheerleading uniforms and equipment, event expenses and tickets to professional sporting events.

wrongdoing substantiated in

Corbin, of Laurelton, allegedly issued checks from the school’s general fund account to her business using the principal’s signature stamp. She has since resigned from the DOE and faces criminal prosecution.

A report released last week by the the Special Commissioner of Investigation for the New York City School District substantiated that a teacher at William Cullen Bryant High School in Long Island City, above, engaged in inappropriate communications and misconduct with a student. GOOGLEMAPSIMAGE

In a notable misconduct case, the SCI substantiated that Daniel Matuk, a teacher at William Cullen Bryant High School in Long Island City, engaged in inappropriate communications and conduct with a female student over several years, from when she was 15 until she graduated at age 18.

Matuk allegedly communicated with the teen hundreds of times across multiple platforms, including encrypted messaging applications, and used inappropriate and derogatory language, requested secrecy and engaged in unwanted physical contact in his classroom.

His improper hugs, coupled with preferential

treatment and relentless attention, demonstrated a pattern of grooming, the SCI said, as corroborated by extensive message and phone records reviewed by investigators.

The SCI also released a report examining procurement rule violations at the school level, which found that DOE schools procured approximately $386 million in goods and services during fiscal year 2025, including $153 million in service contracts.

Violations of procurement rules can lead to financial losses and criminal prosecutions, and prevent the DOE from working with qualified vendors at fair market prices, per the SCI.

Additionally, the SCI received 22 whistleblower retaliation complaints and completed

reviews in 16 cases.

“SCI plays a vital role in protecting students and safeguarding taxpayer dollars,” Coleman said in a statement.

“Our investigators, intake staff, attorneys, and support personnel work every day to root out corruption, expose fraud, and ensure accountability in the nation’s largest school system, and when wrongdoing occurs — whether financial misconduct or inappropriate conduct involving students — we investigate it thoroughly and will not allow it to go unchecked.”

She said she is confident the SCI’s work this year has strengthened accountability and helped improve the quality of life for students, families and educators across the city.

Asked for comment on the report and its findings, a DOE spokesperson in a statement said, “These kinds of allegations are deeply concerning and wholly unacceptable. Strong reporting and oversight systems like the ones we have in place are essential to protecting our students, and when misconduct is substantiated, we act immediately.”

The spokesperson continued, “We quickly take disciplinary action where necessary in accordance with our policies and regulations, up to and including termination, and referring cases to law enforcement where appropriate. Importantly, we updated our guidance last year regarding employee-student interactions using personal cell phone numbers.” Q

Gov. Hochul calls for climate law rollbacks

Presses legislators to enact extended deadlines and methodology changes

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Gov. Hochul on March 20 outlined her proposed changes to the state’s climate law.

The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, passed in 2019, requires the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 40 percent by 2030, and no less than 85 percent by 2050. It commits to zero-emission electricity by 2040.

In an op-ed published by The Empire Report and later distributed by her office, the governor said she wants to delay enforcement of the law due to economic factors.

Hochul said she’s “fully committed to the blueprint for a sustainable future” laid out in the law, but that “so much has radically changed” since it was enacted, necessitating “common-sense adjustments.”

Post-Covid inflation and supply chain disruptions have led to a challenging economic landscape, Hochul said, compounded by federal tariffs and a “dramatic shift in Washington.”

Also factoring into her decision, per the op-ed, is energy affordability issues exacerbated by the war in Iran driving

up the price of oil and gas.

“Put simply, something has to give,” Hochul wrote.

A state Supreme Court judge ruled last October that the Department of Environmental Conservation violated the CLCPA by failing to release required emissions regulations. While directed to release regulations by last month, the state appealed and the case was stayed.

In addition to delaying enforcement of the CLCPA until 2030, Hochul is seeking to change what emission limits the regulations are tied to, “including a new 2040 target and the existing 2050 statewide emission limits.”

calculated every 100 years.

“We need our partners in the Legislature to enact these needed and practical revisions,” Hochul said.

The state is late in the midst of budget negotiations, with an April 1 deadline.

“Put simply, something has to give.”

— Gov. Hochul

“Nothing else in the CLCPA is changing regarding the existing statewide emission limit targets and these new regulations would still require the state to make timely progress, ensuring long-term policy stability,” she said.

She also wants to change the methodology used to count emissions to align with international standards and other states. In New York, methane emissions are measured every 20 years, while in other states, save for Maryland, they are

While a group of 29 Democratic state senators urged Hochul to comply with the CLCPA earlier this month, lawmakers have been largely publicly silent since Hochul’s proposed changes last week.

In response to Hochul’s proposed changes, Lanessa Owens-Chaplin, the director of the New York Civil Liberties Union’s Racial Justice Center, said the rollbacks are “an affront to Black and Brown communities that have long borne the brunt of pollution and rely on these protections.”

Owens-Chaplin said the state must strengthen its commitment to protecting disadvantaged communities, and added, “Black and Brown New Yorkers cannot be treated as an afterthought in the fight for climate justice. We urge the state legislature to reject these harmful rollbacks and uphold the promise of the CLCPA.” Q

In HB, helping families in need

The student council of PS/MS 207, the Rockwood Park School, in Howard Beach hosted a fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House Charities of New Hyde Park at McDonald’s on Cross Bay Boulevard on March 18, from 4 to 6 p.m.

Ronald McDonald House was selected by the student councilmembers as their charity of choice.

The organization, located next to Cohen

Children’s Medical Center, provides support for families of kids who are ill or injured, allowing them to stay in close proximity to the hospital.

About three dozen students participated, according to Melissa Meric, the school’s social worker, and around $500 was raised. The school hopes to do another fundraiser in May, Meric said, and gather more community involvement. — Kristen Guglielmo

PEP applications are open

If you’re a parent of a student in a public, noncharter city school and are interested in joining the Panel for Educational Policy, the voting body overseeing the school system, applications are open now through April 15.

The panel consists of 24 members, with each borough president having one appointee; community education council presidents selecting one member from each borough; and 13 members appointed by the mayor, including four NYC public school parents, with at least one parent of a child with an individualized education program,

at least one parent of a child who is in a bilingual or English as a second language program; and at least one parent of a child attending a District 75 school or program.

The chancellor and city comptroller serve as ex-officio members, and two high school students are nonvoting members.

Those interested in joining the PEP as one of the parents elected by the CEC presidents should visit tinyurl.com/4a69p2e4.

Parent representatives will serve a oneyear term, from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. Q — Kristen Guglielmo

PHOTOS

COURTESY PS/MS 207

What started off as one branch in LIC has grown to 66 throughout borough QPL celebrates its 130th anniversary

by Naeisha Rose Editor

Color-themed clothes, family-friendly projects, giveaways, scavenger hunts, easy access to the most popular reads and more were just a few ways the Queens Public Library celebrated its 130th anniversary March 19.

“For 130 years, our libraries have opened doors to opportunity for the people of Queens,” said QPL President and CEO Dennis Walcott via email to the Chronicle.

“Growing from one location in Long Island City to 66 branches across the borough, we have continually evolved, expanding beyond books and beyond our walls to offer everything from children’s storytimes and [English for Speakers of Other Languages] classes for new Americans to free Wi-Fi, computer access, job skills workshops, and other essential services that meet the changing needs of our diverse communities.”

To highlight its rich collection, the QPL provided instant access to its most frequently checked-out e-book titles and series through the Libby app and OverDrive platform.

The app allows people free e-books, audiobooks and more. OverDrive is a distributor of e-books, audiobooks and online magazines.

Readers can check out the books at queenslibrary.overdrive.com and libbyapp. com/library/queenslibrary.

The library system said some of its most popular e-books include “Katabasis” by R. F. Kuang, “The Let Them Theory” by Mel Robbins, “The Astral Library” by Kate Quinn, “We Are All Guilty Here” by Karin Slaughter, “The God of the Woods” by Liz Moore, “Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver, “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt, “James” by Percival Everett and “Kin” by Tayari Jones.

Other available e-books include Rachel Reid’s “Game Changers” series that includes “Heated Rivalry,” a gay hockey romance which was adapted for HBO Max in 2025 and became a sensation for the streamer; and Maggie O’Farrell’s “Hamnet,” a fictional account of William Shakespeare’s family and how the author and his wife dealt with the tragic death of their son, Hamnet. The latter

story was adapted for the silver screen by critically acclaimed director Chloé Zhao and stars Paul Mescal as Shakespeare and Jessie Buckley as his wife. Buckley won the Oscar for Best Lead Actress at the 2026 Academy Awards.

The Queens Public Library made it easier for patrons to access its most popular books, such as “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah Maas.

Some of the trending children’s and teens titles include “Dog Man: Big Jim Believes” by Dav Pilkey and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Partypoopers” by Jeff Kinney.

Other popular books include “Sunrise on the Reaping” by Suzanne Collins, which is a prequel to her “Hunger Games” series, and “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah Maas. The latter book had a canceled TV adaptation on Hulu, as the author wanted more creative control. However, she will be releasing a sixth book installment to her fantasy series on Oct. 27 and a seventh on Jan. 12, 2027, as she works to bring her books to the small screen. The former will have a movie adaptation on Nov. 20.

The books had more than 3,000 holds combined prior to the launch of the campaign on March 19, said a QPL spokeswoman.

One key library event was a scavenger hunt, which was launched last Thursday. The challenge was for patrons to explore every QPL location during the library network’s release of its trading cards that highlight a unique feature of each branch, said the library spokeswoman. The hunt started with 20 cards, and additional sets will be released during National Library Week in April.

The Auburndale Library organized a birthday card writing activity for teens and adults, while some branches created special displays and staff throughout the system wore purple, the QPL’s signature color, last Thursday.

Queens Public Library CEO Dennis Walcott, inset, reflected on how the system grew from one location, the Nelson Branch in Hunters Point, above, to 66 sites. PHOTOSCOURTESYQPL

The North Hills Library in Douglaston offered grab-and-go bags with crafts and small giveaways on March 20.

There is a digital celebration at the Queens Memory Project’s Name Explorer website, which features curated collections highlighting places named after individuals who have contributed to the QPL and its communities, said the spokeswoman. Queens Memory is the QPL’s community archiving program, which can be found here: nameexplorer.urbanarchive.org/pr/ nameexplorer.

During the Central Library’s 60th anniversary on April 20, it will host an in-person recording station inviting community members to share their experiences with the library and the QPL more broadly, while it also collects “QPL Stories” via an online form at shorturl.at/RsofO.

The QPL Foundation is also holding a challenge to recruit 130 monthly donors in honor of the anniversary.

The Flushing Library hosts the QPL’s next major event, titled A Legacy of Learning: The Life and Impact of Mary Shaw, on

March 27 at 4 p.m. Shaw was an activist, philanthropist and school principal who lived in Flushing in the mid-to-late 19th century, who upon her death in 1905, bequeathed $1,000 to purchase books for the Flushing Free Library, now part of the QPL. The talk will highlight her contributions to the vibrant Black free settlement.

The QPL’s Long Island City Public Library was founded March 19, 1896, via the New York State Board of Regents, the agency that supervises all educational activities within the state. The Nelson Branch in Hunters Point opened its doors on Aug. 3 that year. The Steinway Free Circulating Library became QPL’s second branch later that year and was founded by William Steinway, the son of Henry Steinway, who established the prestigious Steinway & Sons piano company. A third branch opened at a rental storefront on Fulton Avenue in Astoria in February 1898 and later moved into a new Carnegie library building at 14-01 Astoria Blvd. It is now undergoing renovations.

Today, the QPL is one of the largest and busiest library systems in the country. Q

Ariola to co-chair the Italian Caucus

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Councilmember Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) is the new co-chair of the Italian Caucus, her office announced in a joint press release on Monday.

Ariola will share the post with Councilmember Frank Morano (R-Staten Island). The two are committed to expanding the caucus’ work promoting Italian-American culture, history and community institutions throughout the city, per their announcement.

Ariola emphasized the importance of pre-

serving traditions and strengthening cultural connections across generations.

“Italian Americans have played a vital role in our city’s and in our country’s history, and I am honored to serve as co-chair of this caucus to ensure that the Italian-American story remains a vibrant part of 21st-century New York,” Ariola said in a statement.

“I have always been immensely proud of my family’s Italian roots, and from a young age I have been keenly aware of the trials, tribulations, and triumphs Italians faced when coming to the New World. That is exactly

why I introduced legislation to formally recognize the Innocent Eleven who were murdered by an anti-Italian mob in New Orleans, so more New Yorkers understand the challenges and discrimination ItalianAmericans once faced.”

Through their work in the caucus, Morano and Ariola will strive to celebrate Italian culture, preserve traditions and ensure that future generations appreciate the contributions of Italian-Americans to the city, and the struggles their ancestors faced as they planted roots in the United States, Ariola said. Q

Councilmember Joann Ariola was recently elected co-chair of the Italian Caucus.

Sign gets a new, permanent home amid push to keep it in Forest Hills Queens sculpture moves to Citi Field

by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor

Larry Ng’s vibrant “Queens, The World’s Borough” sculpture now shares a home with the New York Mets.

The stainless steel, 6-foot tall artwork was relocated to Citi Field from Forest Hills’ MacDonald Park Monday, just in time for Opening Day today, March 26. It had been placed next to the team store, but was moved to a more high-traffic area by the 7 train, not far from the ballpark’s Tom Seaver statue and iconic Home Run Apple.

“As a lifelong Mets fan, I’m especially proud that it will now be displayed at Citi Field — one of Queens’ most iconic destinations — where millions of visitors will be able to experience and celebrate the diversity that makes our community so special,” City Councilmember Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills) said last Friday, in a press release announcing the move.

Per city rules, the sculpture could not stay in its original spot in MacDonald Park — it was installed there last year for a temporary, yearlong display through the city Parks Department’s Art in the Parks program.

The sculpture, which is the same red, white and blue as Queens’ flag, was crafted to represent the borough’s rich history and cultural diversity. The release from Schulman’s office

“Queens, The World’s Borough” traveled from Forest Hills’ MacDonald Park to Citi Field on Monday. The ballpark is planned to be its new permanent home. PHOTOCOURTESYLARRYNG

called Citi Field a “fitting new home” for the artwork, saying its message will continue to reach a wide audience.

“This collaboration allows us to preserve an important symbol of borough pride while giving our fans a fantastic new landmark to enjoy and photograph during their visits to Citi Field,” said Katie Haas, the Mets’ executive vice president and chief of ballpark oper-

Wi

s h

ations. “It is a privilege to help keep this artwork accessible to the public in the heart of Queens.”

“I’m happy it’s here because it’s in good company,” said Stephen Melnick of the Friends of MacDonald Park. “We’re just glad that Citi Field has it.”

Stancy Saji, program manager of community and government relations at Northwell’s

Forest Hills hospital, said it was “rewarding” to see people in the area connect with the sculpture, especially during a March 8 block party that became “an unofficial farewell.”

“As the official sponsor, Northwell is proud to support its next chapter at Citi Field, where it will reach an even broader audience,” Saji said via email, adding that the health system looks forward to welcoming new exhibits that bring people together in the same way. A series of murals by Deborah Camp is slated to come to MacDonald Park next.

But some didn’t want the sculpture to leave. Forest Hills native Carmen Montijo had started a petition to have it stay put, calling it a symbol of the community’s identity, strength and aspirations, a position supported by this paper’s editorial page.

Montijo’s online petition had more than 430 signatures as of press time, after an event to garner more support was held March 22. It had 50 additional handwritten signatures, she said on Facebook.

She told the Chronicle she was concerned that community input was not adequately considered when the move was decided.

“If we voice our opinions, they should be heard by the politicians,” Montijo said.

“I’m not going to fight too too hard for this, because it’s still a good thing that it’s going to

continued on page 21

i n g Ev e r y o n e Wishing Everyone

A Joyous Passover!

METS 2026 SEASON PREVIEW

by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor

The miserable last three and a half months of the 2025 Mets season, which culminated in the team losing two out of three games to the Miami Marlins, causing them to miss the postseason, obviously upset the Flushing faithful.

It clearly enraged Mets Baseball President of Baseball Operations David Stearns, who held a press conference five days after the season ended. Stearns told the media the Mets needed to drastically improve on defense. He used the term “run prevention,” which became the catchphrase of the off-season. He also said he could not see “running it back” with the same team.

Stearns quickly showed he was not kidding around. He traded the longest-tenured Met, outfielder Brandon Nimmo, to the Texas Rangers, for 35-year-old second baseman Marcus Semien. He followed that deal up by dispatching Jeff McNeil to the Oakland Athletics for a low-level minor leaguer.

What upset most Mets fans were not the trades, but how Stearns handled the two marquee players who became free agents at the conclusion of the 2025 season.

He refused to make even a cursory offer to first baseman Pete Alonso, who had broken Darryl Strawberry’s all-time Mets career home run record that summer. Alonso wound up signing a five-year, $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles.

Stearns wanted to bring back the best closer in the game, Edwin Diaz, but he botched the negotiations. Rather than make his best offer from the get-go, which would have knocked Diaz’s socks off, Stearns told him he had a little wiggle room to improve his offer. The backto-back World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, quickly pounced, and silenced the trumpets at Citi Field. They did not even have to commit themselves by today’s standards for a superstar, as Diaz signed a three-year, $69 million deal.

Here is a look at the 2026 Mets team coming out of spring training, which manager Carlos Mendoza will have to get the most from. He will also have to hope the Amazin’s can stay healthy, which was not the case in 2025.

Starting pitching

The failure of the starting pitching staff was the chief culprit for why 2025 was a season

Mets fans would like to forget. Yes, injuries to Tylor Megill, Griffin Canning, Kodai Senga, Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea were factors, but that does not tell the entire story. The simple truth is when many of them were healthy, they either had poor control or appeared to be throwing batting practice as opposing hitters pummeled them.

Senga was the team’s ace early on, going 7-3 with a 1.47 earned run average in his first 13 starts before suffering a hamstring strain in June. He was demoted to the Mets’ Syracuse AAA team in the second half because his control was so awful. Senga is still on the roster, but he has gone from ace to question mark.

Stearns knew the Mets needed a real ace. To achieve that, he acquired Freddy Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers. To get a quality player like Peralta, you must be willing to pay a steep price. The Mets met the Brewers’ demands for two of their top prospects, pitcher Brandon Sproat and infielder Jett Williams.

Rookie Nolan McLean excites Mets fans in a way they have not been since Jacob deGrom left Flushing. He pitched superbly for the Mets’ Binghamton and Syracuse farm clubs, and that success carried over in his eight starts with the team from Flushing last season. McLean started the World Baseball Classic Championship game last week, giving up two runs in fourplus innings to a formidable Venezuela lineup.

Lefthander David Peterson had such a strong first half of the 2025 season that he was named to the National League All-Star team. It turned out 2025 was a season of extremes for Peterson because he was out of gas by August and so were the Mets. If our Flushing heroes are to have postseason aspirations, Peterson is going to have to pitch deep into games the final two months of the season.

missed all of 2025 recovering from Tommy John surgery. He was impressive in his 2024 starts, and you can expect him to be a major contributor this year. He will begin the season in Syracuse after having a mediocre spring training in which the rust of missing the entirety of last season showed. That will give Scott a chance to build up his velocity and control away from the Citi Field spotlight.

Bullpen

Replacing Diaz, the best closer in the game, and a fan favorite for years, is not an enviable position for any potential successor. It must be extra dicey for Devin Williams, who was an integral part of one of the greatest moments in Mets history.

It was Williams who gave up the three-run home run to Alonso in the ninth inning of the decisive Game 3 of the 2024 National League Wildcard Series in Milwaukee to let the Amazin’s advance past the Brewers to the National League Championship Series. Mets fans are hoping he does not give up any dramatic home runs at their expense.

Williams was traded to the Yankees a couple of months after that lamentable loss. Whether it was the Alonso home run or suddenly playing in the biggest market for professional sports’ most famous team, Williams struggled in the first half of 2025. The good news is he returned to his All-Star Game form in the second half of the season.

Manaea was Stearns’ best signing in his first year running the Mets. He made 32 starts in 2024 as he struck out 184 batters while posting a 12-6 record with an impressive 3.47 earned run average.

2025, however, was a season from hell for Manaea as he missed half of it with a strained right oblique. Just as he was fully recovered from that, it was discovered he had loose fragments in his left elbow. He tried to pitch despite the discomfort, but he could not go deep into games. Manaea should be able to return to 2024 form if he is healthy.

I was among the doubters when Stearns signed veteran Yankees reliever Clay Holmes to be a starting pitcher. Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake told me the Bronx Bombers had never considered him to be part of their rotation. It turned out Holmes was the Mets’ most reliable starter as he made 31 starts while posting a 12-8 record and a 3.53 ERA. The Mets must hope his 2025 season was not a fluke.

The Mets rushed 22-year-old Jonah Tong from the AA Binghamton team to AAA Syracuse to the big club in late August. Unlike Nolan McLean, The Mets’ brain trust wisely decided Tong could use more seasoning in upstate New York and they sent him to their minor league camp on March 10.

A top Mets prospect, Christian Scott,

Williams will be joined in the bullpen by another veteran of the Yankees relief corps, Luke Weaver. Weaver closed games when he was in the Bronx, so he is a ninth inning option for manager Carlos Mendoza.

One reason the Mets were so awful for the last three and one half months of the 2025 season is because their starting pitchers frequently were out of the game by the fourth or fifth inning, which quickly wore out the bullpen.

The Mets lacked someone who could pitch in long relief. Stearns remedied that by acquiring Tobias Myers from the Brewers in the Peralta trade. The durable Myers is a hard thrower who can give a team five solid innings with little notice.

Huascar Brazoban quietly had a good 2025 season. He was able to give the Mets two innings of quality relief in most of his appearances.

Brooks Raley, who missed the first half of 2025 recovering from Tommy John surgery, was Mendoza’s most effective left-handed relief pitcher.

Mendoza is hoping to have back another lefty in the bullpen this year as AJ Minter, who missed most of last season with a torn left lat, which required surgery. Minter was signed as a free agent and was an excellent reliever for the Braves for many years.

Catcher

Mets fans have been waiting for Francisco Alvarez to live up to the promise he showed as he progressed through the Mets farm system. He has shown flashes such as belting 25 home

Ace pitcher Freddy Peralta, who had a career-high 17 wins and a stellar 2.70 ERA, was acquired from Milwaukee in January. The two-time all-star will start on opening day today.

PHOTOVIA NYMETS/X

lunging at pitches far out of the strike zone and his batting average plummeted. More concerning, however, was how Alvarez’s offensive futility affected his defense, going by the numerous passed balls and wild pitches when he was behind the plate.

Alvarez was demoted to Syracuse for about a month. When he returned, both his defense and offense picked up. One hopes he will not be visiting central New York State in 2026 and will stay healthy.

The Mets were fortunate to have Luis Torrens as Alvarez’s understudy. Torrens calls a good game for his pitchers; provides excellent defense; and is not an automatic out. In fact, Torrens has surprising power.

The third-string catcher spot will go to longtime Mets farmhand Hayden Senger. Former Dodgers backstop Austin Barnes and onetime Yankee Ben Rortvedt had been in the running but were dropped from consideration in the days leading up to the season’s start.

Infield

It is debatable which player’s performance will be scrutinized by fans and the press more: Williams, replacing Diaz as the Mets closer, or Jorge Polanco, taking over first base from Alonso.

Polanco signed with the Mets after enjoying some very productive seasons in the Pacific Northwest with the Seattle Mariners. He is a better contact hitter than Alonso, and has respectable power, but he will not put up the gaudy home run numbers Pete did.

The big question about Polanco is “Can he continued on page 18

Superstar Juan Soto was stellar in his first season in Queens, finishing second in National League MVP voting after slugging 38 homers and stealing 38 bases. PHOTOCOURTESYNYMETS/FILE

Mets 2026

continued from page 16

play first base considering he has never done that in his career?” With Stearns being so fixated on run prevention during this off-season, any defensive shortcoming on Polanco’s part will quickly become sports talk radio grist. Polanco’s neighbor on the right side of the infield will be another newcomer to Queens, second baseman Semien, who was obtained from the Texas Rangers in exchange for outfielder Nimmo. At age 35, Semien’s offensive stats are not as good as they once were, but he is still a Gold Glover in the field.

When their pursuit for free agent Kyle Tucker fell short — as those of most teams do when competing with the Dodgers — the Mets pivoted less than a day later to another high-end slugger, infielder Bo Bichette. His natural position is shortstop, but with Francisco Lindor ensconced there, Bichette will try his hand at third base. Bichette has slightly more experience playing the “hot corner” than Polanco does playing first, but his defensive skills there are unknown.

The only player returning to the Mets infield in 2026 is the incumbent shortstop, Lindor, who is coming off a pair of outpatient surgeries. As soon as the 2025 season ended, he had a procedure to remove fragments from his right elbow. This past February he had surgery on his left hand to repair a fractured hamate bone. It was the latter surgery that forced him to miss most of spring training, which meant he could not get practice reps with his new double play partner, Semien. There is also concern that Lindor, who is known for slow starts, will

struggle at the plate because he will not be able to grip the bat as well as he would like.

Lindor’s hand issue could present an opportunity for the perennial Mets “next big thing,” Ronny Mauricio, to finally get some consistent playing time in Flushing. Mauricio has gone from a trade untouchable to an afterthought for Mets executives. With Lindor fully recovered, Mauricio will start the season in Syracuse, where he will get consistent playing time.

Mark Vientos — who was considered to have been Alonso’s replacement had the Polar Bear not returned to the Mets in 2025 when he first opted for free agency — struggled the entire 2025 season. Currently, he is the odd man out in the infield.

Outfield

Even though he has set it as his goal, the odds of Soto supplanting the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani as the National League Most Valuable Player in 2026 is doubtful, given both Ohtani’s innate talent, and the strong lineup that surrounds him. Nevertheless, Soto justified Mets owner Steve Cohen’s faith in him in the first year of his 15-year, $765 million contract by slugging 38 homers, driving in 105 runs and stealing 38 bases. Not too shabby. Soto will move from right to left field this season.

On paper, it appears Stearns got a great deal by acquiring centerfielder Luis Robert Jr. for excess infielder Luisangel Acuna. The reason Stearns could acquire Robert in the trade bargain aisle is because he is two years removed from his superb 2023 season, when he hit 38 home runs while winning a Gold Glove.

Robert’s offense has diminished over the last couple of seasons, and injuries have played a huge part in the decline. To his credit, Rob-

ert’s ailments and alarming number of strikeouts did not affect his top-tier defense. The Mets are hoping Robert can stay off the injured list in 2026.

If Robert does miss playing time, the Mets will not lose anything in centerfield defensively because his understudy, veteran Tyrone Taylor, is one of the best defenders in the game. Taylor’s offense is adequate, at best, but he has enjoyed his share of clutch hits as a Met.

Outfielder prospect Carson Benge has drawn more interest at Mets spring training camp in Port St. Lucie than any other player. He certainly played well enough to be on the Opening Day roster, and on Monday, Mendoza announced that Benge would be the starting right fielder for the game.

Acknowledging the Mets are thin in the outfield, Stearns signed veteran Mike Tauchman, who has always been a tough out, to a minor league deal. Unfortunately, Tauchman suffered a miniscus tear late in the spring and will start the season on the injured list.

Mets Swiss army knife Brett Baty is another possibility for right field. Although his best position is third base, the athletic Baty has handled a variety of positions with aplomb. In fact, Baty seems to hit better when he is moved around the diamond, compared to when he has been handed the third base job.

The forecast Mendoza knows he is on the hot seat if his team gets off to a slow first two months of the season. Cohen, as well as the fan base, will not accept injuries as an excuse for losses.

It is hard to win in professional sports when a team has so many new players at the same time. That is a key reason Stearns’ counterpart

in the Bronx, Brian Cashman, and in Philadelphia, Dave Dombrowski, were very conservative this past winter when it came to tinkering with their respective rosters.

The Phillies have won the NL East for the past two seasons. They had one of the strongest pitching staffs in baseball in 2025 until their ace, former Met Zack Wheeler, was shut down because of a dangerous shoulder blood clot. Wheeler’s shoulder surgery was successful, something to be thankful for, and he is expected to return to the Phillies sometime in May.

The Phillies lost one of their top starters, Ranger Suarez, to the Red Sox in free agency, but they are hopeful highly touted pitching prospect Andrew Painter will pick up the slack. And any team with a lineup with Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner is a dangerous one.

The Braves struggled last year because of poor pitching and countless injuries. 2025 was one of the rare years where they missed the playoffs. The pitching is still a question mark, but they are a contender just based on having terrific offensive players such as Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Drake Baldwin, Ozzie Albies and of course, Ronald Acuna Jr. And yes, they still give the Mets a tough time.

The pesky Miami Marlins always aggravate our Flushing heroes. What is most frustrating to Mets fans is they seem to roll over and play dead for every other team.

The Washington Nationals are in total rebuild mode, and the odds are they will lose at least 100 games again in 2026.

My prediction is the Mets will not catch the team down the NJ Turnpike, but they should win enough to come in second and earn a wildcard playoff berth. Q

Howie Rose to retire after 2026 season

Once a teen in the upper deck at Shea, he spent decades in the booth

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

Longtime Mets broadcaster Howie Rose will be the first one to tell you he has lived his dreams. That led to some laughs and choking back a few tears on March 19 when he announced he will retire after the 2026 season.

“With the reaction I’ve received today, don’t think I don’t have a few misgivings,” Rose said in an online press conference. “But it’s time ... I’m very comfortable with the decision, just feeling amazing thinking back to being a kid in the upper deck at Shea Stadium and knowing there was no way I was ever going to get down to the field as a player that I would move what is it — two levels down?

“From the upper deck to the press box, that was just fine. And that I would be able to achieve that and stay there for so long is something that I’m not even sure I’ve come to grips with yet.”

He didn’t know how long it would take to respond to all the phone messages, texts and emails that had been coming all day Thursday. He was humbled by the sentiment.

“Now I know what cool kids mean when they say their phones are blowing up. It means the world to me.”

The kid from Benjamin N. Cardozo High School and Queens College followed the Mets from their inception in 1962, and grew up listening to Hall of Fame broadcasters Lindsey Nelson and Bob Murphy and Hall of Fame slugger Ralph Kiner call the games on radio and television.

He would join the Mets broadcast booth in 1995 after eight seasons of Mets Extra pre- and postgame shows.

He also entertained a generation of hockey fans, winning two Emmys for his play-by-play work with the New York Islanders.

And perhaps the most famous call of his career came in 1994 while he was working for the New York Rangers, when Stéphane Matteau scored against the New Jersey Devils in sudden-death double overtime to send the Rangers to the National Hockey League finals — and their first Stanley Cup in 54 years.

“HE SCORES! MATTEAU!

MATTEAU! MATTEAU ...”

Rose now lives in Florida. He will

ASK QUESTIONS GET ANSWERS VACCINATE

SCREENSHOTVIANEWYORKMETSVIDEO

work all Mets home games this year as well as three Subway Series tilts at Yankee Stadium.

Rose said he will join the team on the road in the postseason.

“My bucket list includes meeting Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, and calling the final out of a Mets

World Series championship,” Rose said. “Paul and Ringo are in their 80s, too, so I gotta hit the gas here.”

Rose also has been invited back to emcee major Mets events in the future.

Rose said his family, his age and his health all came into play.

“My wife and daughters have sacrificed so much for so long,” Rose said. “I’m 72 now, so in reality I’ll be retiring at 73. And to me that’s just enough. If I’ve lost a tick or two off my fastball, I’ve learned to compensate for that. But I don’t want to hang around too long ... I don’t want to be one of those guys where people say, ‘What is he still doing on the air?’ I want to be able to screw up on a golf course, try other things I no doubt will stink at.”

Rose spoke of his father, who introduced him to baseball at Yankee Stadium before the Mets even existed, and who passed on his own love for the game.

“Everything I love about the game I got from my dad,” Rose said. Their time would be too short, with his father dying as a result of Alzheimer’s disease in 1978.

“I’ve carried a chip on my shoulder about that my entire life,” Rose said.

Among his favorite moments are calling Johan Santana’s no-hitter in 2012; calling the pennant-clinching game in Chicago in 2015; and calling Francisco Lindor’s grand slam home run against the Philadelphia Phillies in 2024. And, of course Stéphane Matteau.

Another one didn’t even take place during a game.

Rose keeps a framed photo of Nelson, Murphy and Kiner in the booth, not just as a tribute for all the joy they brought him as a youth, but to keep him grounded and professional when a game is going on too long or being played too poorly. He said it took him a while to grasp that fans had come to feel the same way about him, that he was a part of the continuity and the history he had always admired.

“As the years passed, and I guess I established some longevity, Mets Vice President Dave Howard told me, ‘You’re this generation’s Bob Murphy,” Rose said. “I told Dave, ‘You’ve said a mouthful there.’” Q

Zohran Mamdani Mayor

Alister Martin, MD, MPP Commissioner

Howie Rose will retire from the Mets’ broadcast booth after the 2026 season.

Serving authentic Spanish cuisine for three generations of family Marbella celebrates 50 years in Bayside

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

The United States was four months away from celebrating its bicentennial anniversary in March 1976 when brothers Servando and Delfin Cid opened a restaurant, Marbella, dedicated to authentic Spanish cuisine in Bayside.

The restaurant business in itself is tough, made tougher in a city and borough where there was and still is no lack of choices for diners wanting something different.

But Marbella, now in its monthlong 50th anniversary celebration, has weathered the test of time, still in its original location at 220-33 Northern Blvd. Delfin Cid retired nearly 20 years ago. Servando Cid is retired but remains the majority owner.

Juan Estevez, the manager and co-owner with Servando Cid — ”He’s my cousin. He still comes around,” Estevez said — believes a lot of the success is because the family business treats guests like family, too.

“We have three generations of customers,” Estevez told the Chronicle last week. “We have parents who brought their daughters here for their Sweet 16 parties. Now they’re bringing their daughters here for Sweet 16 parties. We have one of those just about every month.”

As with every restaurant, it comes down to the food. Estevez said aside from adding

some continental dishes over the years, the menu has remains uncompromising on its Spanish tradition.

“We are very traditional,” Estevez said. “We have authentic Spanish cuisine. There used to be about 15 restaurants in the area with authentic Spanish cuisine. Some will mix their cuisine. Now there’s only a handful of traditional Spanish restaurants left.”

And, he added, there are not a lot where customers can still get a good deal of personal, tableside service.

“There are a few, like some old Italian places, but not many,” Estevez said. “We do flambés at table side. Crepes. We make salads at table side. People watch us make the sangria at their table.”

The March celebration includes nightly dinner specials, and some nights feature live music, but the basics never change. And Estevez said the work still is fun, even when times get challenging.

“I’ve been doing this since I was 15; I love this business,” he said. “A good day in the restaurant business is a full restaurant ... It’s not always simple. It’s hands-on management. It’s an owner on the premises, family members. People like to see the owner greeting them when they come in, asking ‘How are you? How is your family?’ Treating them like family.

“The heart and soul of a restaurant is the staff — and, of course, the customers.” Q

Co-owners Servando Cid, left and Juan Estevez, right, join Chef Gerardo Martinez and a sampling of old-fashioned Spanish cuisine at Marbella in Bayside. COURTESYPHOTO

Queens sign

continued from page 15

Citi Field,” she continued. “We just wanted to get more of a response from our officials that we put in their position to listen to us.”

Area historian Michael Perlman concurred, saying city agencies and politicians “should not ignore” residents.

Per guidelines set by Parks and the city’s Public Design Commission, permanent installations must be selected through a juried process and lengthy review period. The sculpture was approved for display in MacDonald Park through March 17, after it had been on view for a year. When time was up, Ng worked with Schulman and Parks on next steps.

Perlman enjoyed seeing the sculpture against MacDonald Park’s natural backdrop, saying it had a “larger than life feel,” but he thinks Citi Field’s facade overshadows it. He also worried about its accessibility yearround, wondering how much foot traffic it would get with no events going on.

“The relocation of ‘Queens, The World’s Borough’ feels like a longtime friend abandoned Forest Hills, and all that is left is banal mismatched cement,” Perlman said.

Views on social media were mixed — fans of the artwork were either sad to see it leave Forest Hills or happy about its new location. Others weren’t so keen, and didn’t think it was a good fit for MacDonald Park.

Ng said he was “thrilled” about the move, and he told the Chronicle that Citi Field is planned to be his sculpture’s forever home.

“Queens loves the New York Mets!” Ng said. Q

PS 66 and Aigner Chocolates raise the bar

PS 66, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, recently proved that when chocolate is involved, fundraising can be pretty sweet.

The Richmond Hill school teamed up with Forest Hills’ Aigner Chocolates for its first annual chocolate bar fundraiser. It raked in more than $2,000 to be used toward student programs and PTA initiatives.

Overall, 1,000 chocolate bars were sold, which PTA leaders said made it the most successful school fundraiser to date for both PS 66 and Aigner Chocolates.

Four students, at left, were the fundraiser’s top sellers: Logan Roman, left, Evan Bride-

Roman Narine and Julia Galoppi.

The PTA’s executive committee, right, is Emilee Wyner, left, Amanda Osman, Afsana Guzman and Cristal Rivera.

Every chocolate bar came with a prize. Silver tickets offered discounts, while golden tickets unlocked special rewards from area businesses, including Here We Go Fitness, Queens Dance Academy, Eddie’s Sweet Shop and the Queens Theatre.

“The PS 66 PTA is proud to support a locally owned, woman-run business through our first major school fundraiser,” said Rivera and Wyner, the PTA’s co-presidents, in a

Plan Ahead with Love

statement. “Our parents, students, and community came together in a fun and friendly competition — and together, we raised over $2,000 for our kids. We’re excited to build on this success and put these funds to meaningful use in our school.”

Rachel Kellner, the owner of Aigner Chocolates, said the shop’s mission is to spread joy and hope through the magic of chocolate.

“This collaboration with PS 66 truly brought that to life,” Kellner said. “It’s been incredibly rewarding to support the school while creating something fun and meaningful for the community.” — Kristen Guglielmo

monhan,

Honduran immigrant flees poverty, forms soccer community in Astoria Achieving his goals on and off the field

by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor

Soccer was his escape from the hardships he endured, growing up in poverty in Honduras. Now, he’s helping hundreds of kids in Astoria find solace in the sport, too.

Nahun Romero, 41, founded the 5 Star Soccer Academy in 2016, more than a decade after he immigrated to the United States. Romero, who has been playing soccer since he was 6, said he owes much of his resilience to the game.

“I grew up poor. I didn’t have enough food to eat a day,” he said. “Soccer helped me to forget about problems and forget about the situation that I was living.”

He was 12 when a team started in his town, but players had to be at least 14. Romero said he urged the coach to give him a chance, and was told to come to the next training session.

He went on to train with Club Deportivo Marathón’s semiprofessional team.

A hard worker who knew he had a bright future ahead of him, Romero crossed the border as an undocumented immigrant in 2005. The journey was long and grueling — he said he could not afford a hotel or bus in Mexico, so he made his way to the southern border by train, with help from the people he encountered.

He even lived and worked in Mexico City

for a while to save money to continue his passage. Once he crossed the border, with help from his aunt to pay the required fees, it took him several months to get to New York.

“It was very tough, because I didn’t speak English,” Romero said. “Also, I did not have friends and that much family.”

When he arrived in the city, he worked in

construction and washed dishes in restaurants, but he still played pickup soccer and on local teams.

Romero said the sport helped him not only meet people and make friends, but also stay positive and driven.

“Soccer was the motivation in my life, and soccer brought a lot of opportunities in my

life,” he said, later adding that since he never finished school, all his education, respect and discipline came from the sport.

Now, he’s sharing all that he’s learned with young people — the 5 Star Soccer Academy started with just three students, and it now serves close to 500.

“We want to make the kids welcome to the club, no matter where they’re from or what nationality they are,” Romero said. “We want to make sure the kids feel happy in 5 Star, they make friends.”

The 5 Star Soccer Academy helps athletes from ages 3 to 13 discover their passion for the sport and develop their skills. Classes are available for both beginners and advanced players.

Its spring season is set to start April 6, with training at Astoria Park and Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City.

“We get kids from different countries and they don’t speak English, but they come here and they don’t need to speak the language to meet new friends or have fun through the sport,” Romero said. More information is at 5starsocceracademy.com.

Romero and his wife, Sarah, have two kids of their own, ages 4 and 7.

He now has his residence card and can apply for U.S. citizenship.

“I wouldn’t be the person that I am right now without soccer,” he said. Q

City, FH Gardens Corp. settle federal lawsuit

by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor

The Forest Hills Gardens Corp. last week finalized a settlement in its federal case against the city, which involved security during Forest Hills Stadium events.

The FHGC sued the city last October, alleging that the NYPD unlawfully seized private streets by using them or authorizing their use for security during shows without consent or compensation. The group in 2022 had terminated all licenses for the concert-related use of its streets.

er is designated, agree to consult with the FHGC board president or designee about security on Gardens property in and around the venue as long as there are events there.

Court documents filed March 17 detail the terms of the settlement and the suit’s discontinuance. The case, filed in New York’s Eastern District, was dismissed last month, the filings show.

Court documents say both parties wished to resolve all related disputes without further intervention, and explain the details of the city’s $150,000 payment to the FHGC.

One provision states that the NYPD, via “the captain of the 112 Precinct” or whomev-

It continues that the NYPD will consider “reasonable requests” by the FHGC, which acknowledges that police have the final say on safety protocols. An NYPD spokesperson said the settlement lets police work with the FHGC to plan security on its streets, and that police had gotten “caught in the middle” of a longstanding dispute between the group and the venue’s operators.

Board member Jeff Mitchell said in an email that the Gardens Corp. is happy to have reached a settlement and looks forward to working with the police going forward. Mitchell was one of seven new members elected late last year, whose platform favored an end to the FHGC’s legal battles.

The group’s suit against the West Side Tennis Club remains pending in Queens state Supreme Court. Q

Forest Hills Stadium.

Buoyed by ambition and love for his sport, Nahun Romero, left, fled poverty in Honduras and went on to form a kids’ soccer academy in Astoria.

COURTESYPHOTO

by Stephanie G. Meditz

Spring has sprung, and there’s never been a better time to enjoy Highland Park’s 101 acres of majestic natural space.

But what’s even more enjoyable than basking in the park’s lush landscapes is making sure they stay healthy and beautiful.

The city Parks Department and the Forest Park Trust have ample opportunities this season for visitors of all ages to cultivate a green thumb and do their part.

Wake and rake Help keep Highland Park splendid this spring season

“People really feel like they’re a part of the park and they’re a part of their community when they’re able to volunteer with us,” Forest Park Trust community engagement associate JillianMae Prego said. “It also reconnects people who have office jobs to nature and allows them some time to feel like they can do something outside of themselves.”

Coming up at 10 a.m. tomorrow, March 27, is the next event in the Restoration Fridays series, which takes place in Highland and Forest parks on alternating weeks.

Prego said volunteers have been working to remove invasive species such as Japanese knotweed from the vernal pool, or temporary wetland, in the park’s forested area. It’s a great spot for birding, too, she said.

“A vernal pool is not always there,” said Emily Walker of Cypress Hills, a frequent volunteer who also sits on the Forest Park Trust board. “It’s a wetland that appears seasonally, but then kind of dries out when we don’t have as much rain. But it’s really a critical habitat for a lot of wildlife.”

The event teaches volunteers to steward the land, identify plants and remove invasive species without contributing to erosion.

“When they’re doing these projects, it’s really about trying to educate the volunteers,” said Parks’ Portia Dyrenforth, also a Forest Park Trust administrator.

“You’re kind of helping to chip away and make it possible for our native plants and trees to thrive in a landscape that they’ve been in for millions of years,” Walker said. “So there’s something, we think, really special about that.”

continued on page 25

King Crossword Puzzle

I HAVE OFTEN WALKED

Arthur Lih didn’t choke under pressure in KG Hills

by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor

Arthur Lih Jr. was born July 2, 1934 in Brooklyn, son of an immigrant from Grimstad, Norway, who served as a fireman with Engine Co. 240 on Prospect Ave., which is famous today for its 1896 architecture.

Arthur Jr. became an engineer and married Barbara Muncie in Manhattan in 1958. They moved to Queens, making their home at 156-28 71 Ave. in Kew Gardens Hills, across from the southern section of the Pomonok Houses.

LifeVac inventor Arthur Lih III briefly lived as a child at 156-28 71 Ave., an apartment in this Kew Gardens Hills complex, seen as it looks today. GOOGLEMAPSIMAGE;PHOTOVIAFACEBOOK/LIFEVACUSA

Their first child, Lisa, was born Aug. 3, 1963. Their second was Arthur III, born on Nov. 27, 1964. After a while, they jetted out to Jetmore Place in Massapequa, LI.

Lisa became a doctor. Arthur III, inspired by the story of a boy who died after choking on a grape, invented and patented the LifeVac in 2016. The airway-

clearing device works on the theory of a toilet plunger, as an alternative to the Heimlich maneuver. He has saved thousands of lives with it. Lih married the former Lee Ann Podgorski, and they have a daughter. He and his daughter are on TV commercials every day; LifeVac can be seen on Facebook; and he tours the country spreading the word to police departments and EMS personnel about the invention. Q

B SPORTS EAT

Howie to hang it up

by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor

Last Thursday, longtime Mets radio play-byplay voice and Cardozo High School and Queens College alum Howie Rose announced he would be retiring at the conclusion of the 2026 season. Previously, he stated he would only be calling Mets games played in New York City this season.

Rose’s decision to “put it in the books” for good at the end of the current season can be attributed to several factors, even though his voice is still strong and youthful and his observations and humor are as sharp as ever.

He has been public about his recent bout with bladder cancer, which, while successfully treated, has taken a toll on him physically. In a Zoom conference call, Rose spoke emotionally of the loss of his dad from Alzheimer’s disease in 1978. Time is a finite resource, and that played a huge part in his decision. He can now spend more time with his family and enjoy more months in his South Florida home. I have a feeling his golf game will improve.

The Mets sent Ronny Mauricio down to their Syracuse farm team to start the season. Mauricio had a so-so spring training both offensively and defensively, but that may not have been the reason he will not be starting the season in Flushing.

He has long been near the top of the Mets’ prospect list and is down to his last option. That means if the Mets call him up to Queens, they

can no longer demote him to the minors for any reason outside of an injury rehabilitation assignment. If they try, Mauricio will undoubtedly be claimed on waivers by another team and the Mets will get nothing back for him.

Mets Hall of Famer Mookie Wilson will have a food kiosk at Citi Field this season. Legacy Catering by Mookie Wilson and Family will serve southern cuisine favorites such as pulled chicken sandwiches, collard greens and cornbread.

Wilson follows in the footsteps of former baseball players such as Boog Powell, Greg Luzinski and the late Randy Jones, who opened food concessions in the ballparks where they played after they retired. Wilson told me he had not spoken with either Powell or Luzinski about being a stadium restaurateur. He did say he would be at Citi Field as often as he could to greet fans and get their feedback.

With gas prices high and Citi Field parking neither plentiful nor cheap, the Mets are offering public transportation promotions. You can take $5 off the price of a Long Island Rail Road ticket if you purchase a Mets ticket on their website. The suburban ferry line Seastreak is offering service from Staten Island, Stamford, Conn., and Highlands, NJ, to the World’s Fair Marina. It would be nice if the Mets could partner with NYC Ferry to offer ballpark boat rides. Q

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

A mother’s wisdom, filled with heart and humor

by Kristen Guglielmo editor

Life’s big lessons don’t always arrive in classrooms.

Sometimes they’re served at a Bayside kitchen table by a wise mother who knew when to send her kids off to school, and when to keep them home under the quilts sipping tea and watching “I Love Lucy.”

In “Life Lessons from my Mom: The Jewish Dalai Lama,” Bayside- and Manhattanbased author Randee Mia Berman pays tribute to her mother, Anna Orenbach Berman, a chic, sharp, endlessly quotable Brooklyn woman whose everyday sayings became a blueprint for living.

The book is available for purchase online at store.bookbaby.com/book/ life-lessons-from-my-mom1.

Berman said the idea grew out of long hours spent perusing family photo albums.

“When I’m in Bayside, I have at least 30 photo albums from my parents’ past,” Berman told the Chronicle. “They’re very evocative and bring back so many memories of our times together.”

What would have been her mother’s 100th birthday was approaching, so Berman wanted to do something special to honor her.

“Life

Lessons from my Mom: The Jewish Dalai Lama” is a heartfelt photo-rich book containing 12 chapters of a wise

woman’s

pearls of wisdom, written by Randee Mia Berman, above. PHOTO BY PAOLO SORIANI, ABOVE, AND VIA BOOKBABY.COM

Anna, Berman said, was fascinated by words — so much so that she kept a copy of Roget’s Thesaurus close at hand. Though she died in 2008 due to a malignant melanoma, through the book, Berman keeps her words alive.

One of her mother’s sayings distills a signature blend of humor and calm: “Don’t worry in advance. There’s plenty of time to worry later.”

It’s a sentiment that has resonated with readers, Berman said.

“Everyone is searching for wisdom, from monasteries to mountaintops, and I got my guru right at the kitchen table, and that was my mother,” Berman said. “I like to say that her grandchildren called her Bubala, but maybe they should have called her Buddhala, because she was so wise.”

The book has even deepened family bonds.

“One of my nieces said she learned so much about her grandmother that she didn’t already know,” Berman said.

Berman calls it a master class in approaching life with humor, logic and passion.

“I’d like readers to take these nuggets of wisdom from my mom, Anna Orenbach Ber-

The result is a slim, photo-rich book built around 12 thematic chapters, each beginning with a literary quote and ending with one of Anna’s own.

man, on laughter, time, age and friendship and use them on this tumultuous ride to live a fun, tranquil and beautiful life,” Berman said.

The book’s subtitle, “The Jewish Dalai Lama,” nods to Anna’s blend of spirituality and streetwise practicality.

Berman hopes readers will treat the book as a companion they can dip into anytime.

“The book is designed so you can open it up to any page and find a story, a nostalgic photo, a humorous quote from my mother, and a practical message for any mood at any time that you can use every day,” she said. Q

Get in the weeds this spring, at Highland Park

continued from page 23

On March 28 at 10 a.m., volunteers will help maintain and beautify Highland Park’s horticultural beds. They can brush up on their gardening skills at the Horticulture Helpers event, which may involve weeding, planting, mulching or raking leaves.

Walker said she brings her kids, ages 6 and 8, to those and other weekend events as often as possible, so they see the importance of giving back to the park they love.

Crossword Answers

No prior experience is needed for either free event, but registration is required and may be completed via nycgovparks.org. All tools are provided, and volunteers are asked to bring their own water bottle and wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes.

“All we ask for people to bring is an open mind and the ability to get their hands dirty,” said Christina Perdos-Vullo, Highland and Forest parks’ landscape coordinator.

Also coming up, at 11 a.m. April 4, is the Urban Park Rangers’ Signs of Spring Hike, a forest walk to observe early indicators of the new season. No registration is required for the free hike, which starts at the Highland Park Playground.

It’s always a good day to nurture and respect the planet, but guests are still welcome to celebrate it with arts and crafts, planting and more at the Forest Park Trust’s free Earth Day event April 18.

Highland Park’s community garden, one of the oldest in the city, also has regular volunteer opportunities, typically on the second Saturday of every month.

A full list of events at Highland Park can be found on its page at nycgovparks.org. One also can visit forestparktrust.org to

The Forest Park Trust is always looking for more stewards at its many volunteer events. On the cover: You can play a hands-on role in maintaining the lush, pristine Highland Park, a mainstay in both Queens and Brooklyn

learn more about the group’s work.

Walker sees people leave volunteer events feeling good that they’ve given back to their community.

“I think it is very personally satisfying to help contribute to the park and your community by volunteering,” Dyrenforth said. She later added that grants and other

sources of funding have helped increase volunteerism at Highland Park, and she hopes that continues to be the case.

“We provide everything you possibly need, and we try to keep it as safe and as informative as possible,” Prego said. “And we really look forward to being able to connect people to our parks.” Q

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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. Purpose: Any lawful activity. 12920 HOLDING LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/15/2025. 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, 2455 Francis Lewis Boulevard, Whitestone, NY 11357. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

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Legal Notices

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR GSAA HOME EQUITY TRUST 2006-2, ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, -againstAKILI PARRIS, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens on June 9, 2025, wherein DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR GSAA HOME EQUITY TRUST 2006-2, ASSETBACKED CERTIFICATES is the Plaintiff and AKILI PARRIS, 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 04/17/2026 at 10:00AM, premises known as 142-02 174TH STREET, JAMAICA, New York 11434; and the following tax map identification, -12591-248. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDING AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE COUNTY OF QUEENS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 703182/2020. Amy J Barrett, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/ CLERK DIRECTIVES.

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR PARK PLACE SECURITIES, INC. ASSET-BACKED PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2005-WHQ3, -against- DAVID LINN, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens on March 4, 2024, wherein WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR PARK PLACE SECURITIES, INC. ASSET-BACKED PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2005-WHQ3 is the Plaintiff and DAVID LINN, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the QUEENS COUNTY SUPREME COURT, 88-11 SUTPHIN BLVD, COURTROOM 25, JAMAICA, NY 11435, on April 24, 2026 at 10:00AM, premises known as 144-04 70TH ROAD, FLUSHING, NY 11367; and the following tax map identification: 6657-7. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE BOROUGH OF QUEENS, COUNTY OF QUEENS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 713419/2020.

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

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

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC, -against- CHITROWTIE GHANESS, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens on August 6, 2024, wherein NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC is the Plaintiff and CHITROWTIE GHANESS, 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 04/10/2026 at 10:00AM, premises known as 90-23 184TH STREET, HOLLIS, New York 11423; and the following tax map identification, -9905-58. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE COUNTY OF QUEENS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK, Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index 700221/2021 . Lamont Ramsey Bailey, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.

Notice of Formation of 5634 WALDRON LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/05/2026. 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: 5634 WALDRON LLC, 56-34 WALDRON STREET, CORONA, NY 11368. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS FAREVERSE LLC

I/L/T/N FINANCE OF AMERICA REVERSE LLC, -againstGLORIA CASTORIA, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens on February 3, 2026, wherein FAREVERSE LLC I/L/T/N FINANCE OF AMERICA REVERSE LLC is the Plaintiff and GLORIA CASTORIA, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the QUEENS COUNTY SUPREME COURT, 88-11 SUTPHIN BLVD, COURTROOM 25, JAMAICA, NY 11435, on April 24, 2026 at 10:00AM, premises known as 9459 PLATTWOOD AVENUE, OZONE PARK, NY 11417; and the following tax map identification: 11487-31. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND SITUATE LYING AND BEING IN THE BOROUGH AND COUNTY OF QUEENS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 718865/2023. Scott H. Siller, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/ CLERK DIRECTIVES.

BUCCIARI NEW YORK LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/20/2026. 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, 10 Holder Place, #4H, Forest Hills, NY 11375. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT QUEENS COUNTY THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON F/K/A THE BANK OF NEW YORK AS TRUSTEE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CERTIFICATEHOLDERS OF THE CWABS INC., ASSETBACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-SD4, Plaintiff against JYNELL ROLLINS, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Leopold & Associates, PLLC, 80 Business Park Drive, Suite 110, Armonk, NY 10504. 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 Court, Courtroom #25, 8811 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on April 10, 2026 at 10:00 AM. Premises known as 204-05 115th Avenue, St. Albans, NY 11412. Block 11021

Lot 7. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, lying and being in the Fourth Ward of the Borough of Queens, City and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $698,808.73 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 710627/2019. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 11th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. Referee will only accept a certified bank check made payable to the referee. Autrey Glen Johnson, Esq., Referee File # 8986695

Notice of Formation of COLLIN’S WIRING AND HOME IMPROVEMENT LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/07/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: HUON RHODEN, 22919 MERRICK BLVD., #532, LAURELTON, NY 11413. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT QUEENS COUNTY U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE ON BEHALF OF GCAT 2021NQM7 TRUST, Plaintiff against NINA RIENZI, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Knuckles & Manfro, LLP, 120 White Plains Road, Suite 215 Tarrytown, NY 10591. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered April 4, 2025, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at the Queens County Supreme Court, Courtroom #25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on April 10, 2026 at 10:00 AM. Premises known as 34-11 29th Street, Long 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 and State of New York. Approximate 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. 700029/2023. Cash will not be accepted at the sale. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 11th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. Referee will only accept a certified bank check made payable to the referee. Martha Taylor, Esq., Referee File # 3000-001443

Notice of Formation of DUSTY DAWN 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: SHALINE SUSAN CAREY, 9032 187TH STREET, HOLLIS, NY 11423. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME

COURT QUEENS COUNTY NEWREZ LLC D/B/A SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING, Plaintiff against SANDRA LORE

A/K/A SANDRA M. LORE, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Leopold & Associates, PLLC, 80 Business Park Drive, Suite 110, Armonk, NY 10504. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered February 3, 2026, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at the Queens County Supreme Court, Courtroom #25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on April 10, 2026 at 11:00 AM. Premises known as 10-43 116th Street, College Point, NY 11356. Block 4023 Lot 53. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City 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 Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. Referee will only accept a certified bank check made payable to the referee. Guy R. Vitacco Jr., Esq., Referee File # 10741107

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 SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, HSBC Bank USA, N.A., as Trustee for Structured Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loan Trust Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2005-1, Plaintiff, AGAINST Sabrina Edery, as Administratrix of the Estate of Ann Lewitinn; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered October 22, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435, on the second floor in Courtroom 25 on April 24, 2026, at 10:00AM, premises known as 431 Beach 45th Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block 15968 Lot 96. Approximate amount of judgment $480,940.23 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 703588/2015.

Michael A. Cervini, Esq., Referee, LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC, Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff, 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624, (877) 430-4792. Dated: February 26, 2026

Notice of Formation of GSLW PROPERTIES LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/21/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LLC, 5441 71ST ST, MASPETH, NY 11378. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of HOUSE CALLS BY MONIQUE MELLO NURSE PRACTITIONER IN FAMILY HEALTH PLLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 04/12/2024. NY office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the PLLC to: THE PLLC, 52-30 39TH DRIVE # 2M, WOODSIDE, NY 11377. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, NYCTL 2021A TRUST, AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN FOR THE NYCTL 2021-A TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. 103 26-28 123RD LLC, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated on January 29, 2026 and entered on February 6, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, on the second floor in Courtroom 25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on April 24, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., premises known as 10326 123rd Street, Richmond Hill, NY 11419. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block 9559 and Lot 20. Approximate amount of judgment is $38,215.35 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 720161/22.

Bruce S. Povman, Esq., RefereeBronster, LLP, 156 West 56th Street, Suite 703, New York, New York 10019, Attorneys for Plaintiff

Notice of Formation of JZCOLLECTZ LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/23/2026. 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: JIUEN ZOU, 13417 60TH AVE., FLUSHING, NY 11355. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of MARATHON RELOCATION LLC

Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 02/06/2026.

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, 2067 SHORE BLVD., #1B, ASTORIA, NY 11105. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS INDEX NO. 725622/2023. Plaintiff designates QUEENS as the place of trial situs of the real property. Mortgaged Premises: 128-07 PEARL ROAD, COLLEGE POINT, NY 11356 Block: 3930, Lot: 1025. DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR HOME EQUITY MORTGAGE LOAN ASSET-BACKED TRUST SERIES INABS 2007-B, HOME EQUITY MORTGAGE LOAN ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES SERIES INABS 2007-B Plaintiff, vs. TJADER BROWN, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF CAROLINE BROWN; KELIF K. BROWN, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF CAROLINE BROWN; JESSICA D. PETERSON, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF CAROLINE BROWN; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF CAROLINE BROWN, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; BOARD OF MANAGERS OF SILVERPOINTE ESTATES CONDOMINIUM; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Defendants. To the above named Defendants YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $325,000.00 and interest, recorded on June 25, 2007, in Instrument Number 2007000326657, of the Public Records of QUEENS County, New York., covering premises known as 128-07 PEARL ROAD, COLLEGE POINT, NY 11356. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. QUEENS County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Dated: March 6, 2024

ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Attorney for Plaintiff Matthew Rothstein, Esq. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310 Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675

MM 21 Holding LLC

filed 12/9/25. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. for process & shall mail to: 4217 208th St, Bayside, NY 11361. Purp: any lawful.

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 Formation of POKENOBI LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/16/2026. 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: ZENBUSINESS INC, 41 STATE STREET, SUITE 112, ALBANY, NY 12207. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

March 26, 2026

For

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

First 3 therms or less

Next 47 therms, per therm

Over 50 therms, per therm

Current Rates 04/01/26

$25.85 $28.50

$2.9324 $3.8335

$0.8928 $1.1672

S.C. No. 1B, 5-1B – Residential Heating Service

S.C. No. 1BR, 5-1BR – Residential Heating Service

Monthly usage

First 3 therms or less

Next 47 therms, per therm

Over 50 therms, per therm

Current Rates 04/01/26

$25.50 $27.50

$2.0482 $2.3651

$0.4823 $0.5568

S.C. No. 1B-DG, 5-1B-DG – Distributed Generation

Monthly usage

First 3 therms or less

Over 3 therms, per therm

Current Rates 04/01/26

$37.00 $38.00

$0.3133 $0.3594

S.C. No. 2-A, 5-2A – Non-Residential Non-Heating Service

Monthly usage

First 3 therms or less

Next 87 therms, per therm

Next 2,910 therms, per therm

Over 3,000 therms, per therm

Current Rates 04/01/26

$45.00 $50.00

$1.9393 $1.9519

$0.5376 $0.6339

$0.3987 $0.5006

S.C. No. 2-B, 5-2B – Non-Residential Heating Service

Monthly usage

First 3 therms or less

Next 87 therms, per therm

Next 2,910 therms, per therm

Over 3,000 therms, per therm

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

Current Rates 04/01/26

$45.00 $50.00

$1.9397 $1.9524

$0.7136 $0.8554

$0.6311 $0.7895

Current Rates 04/01/26

$90.00 $95.00

$0.6929 $0.7925

$0.4802 $0.5655

S.C. 9, 5-9 – Uncompressed Natural Gas Vehicle Service

Monthly usage

First 3 therms or less

Current Rates 04/01/26

$ 45.00 $ 45.00

Over 3 therms, per therm $ 0.8215 $ 0.9430

S.C No. 15, 5-15 – High Load Factor Service

Monthly usage

First 10 therms or less

Over 10 therms, per therm

Current Rates 04/01/26

$180.00 $180.00

$0.3073 $0.3549

S.C. No. 16, 5-16 – Year-Round Space Conditioning Service

Monthly usage

First 3 therms or less

Current Rates 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

S.C. 17 – Baseload Distributed Generation –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 –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

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).

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

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. 1A, 17-1A – Residential Non-Heating Service

S.C. No. 1AR, 17-1AR Residential Non-Heating Service

Monthly usage

First 3 therms or less

Next 47 therms, per therm

Over 50 therms, per therm

Current Rates

$20.50

$4.2751

$2.1827

S.C. No. 1B-DG, 17-1B-DG – Distributed Generation

Monthly usage

First 3 therms or less

Over 3 therms, per therm

Current Rates

$35.00

$0.3857

S.C. No. 2-1, 17-2-1 – Non-Residential Non-Heating Service

Monthly usage

04/01/26

$23.50

$5.1543

$2.6864

04/01/26

$35.00

$0.4741

Current Rates 04/01/26

First 3 therms or less $47.50

3,000 therms, per therm

S.C. No. 3, 17-3 – Multi-Family Service Monthly usage

First 3 therms or less

997 therms,

S.C. 4A-CNG, 17-4A-CNG – Compressed Natural Gas

Over 1,000 therms, per therm $0.3992 $0.4720

S.C. 7, 17-7 – Seasonal Off-Peak Service

Monthly usage

First 3 therms or

3

S.C. 21, 17-21 – Rate 1 – Less than 1MW

Current Rates 04/01/26

$55.00

$0.3559 $0.4272

S.C. 21, 17-21 – Rate 3 – Equal to or greater than 5 MW but less than 50 MW

Monthly usage

First 10 therms or less

Over 10 therms, per therm (Apr – Oct)

Over 10 therms, per therm (Nov – Mar)

Current Rates

$1,003.00

$0.0511

$0.0710

04/01/26

$1,080.00

$0.0643

$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

First 10 therms or less

Over 10 therms, per therm

S.C. No. 1B, 17-1B – Residential Heating Service

S.C. No. 1BR, 17-1BR-Residential Heating Service Monthly usage

First 3 therms or less

47 therms,

S.C. No. 2-2, 17-2-2 – Non-Residential Heating Service

S.C. 4A, 17-4A – High Load Factor

S.C. 4B, 17-4B – Year Round Air Conditioning Service

S.C. 22 – Non-Firm Demand Response Sales Service –Tier 2 (Commercial & Governmental / Multifamily)

Monthly usage

First 10 therms or less

Over 10 therms, per therm

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).