Officials testify on staffing concerns; Gutierrez introduces the ‘SEED Act’ City needs more early childhood educators
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
As the city moves closer to universal childcare, members of the City Council are warning that the workforce needed to sustain it is not keeping pace.
The Council’s Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education, chaired by Councilmember Jennifer Gutiérrez (D-Brooklyn, Queens), convened a joint oversight hearing last Wednesday alongside the Committees on Higher Education and Workforce Development to examine the city’s efforts to strengthen the early childhood education pipeline and address persistent staffing shortages.
Testimony from Emmy Liss, the executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Child Care; Donna Anderson, the executive director of the NY Early Childhood Development Institute at the City University of New York; Ashleigh Thompson, CUNY’s dean for education; and Simon Hawkins, the city’s deputy chancellor for early childhood education, highlighted both progress and significant gaps.
While programs such as the Family Child Care Network Project, NYC Early Childhood Apprenticeship and Early Childhood Work Readiness Program are helping bring new candidates into the field, it was emphasized that a comprehensive, long-term strategy remains absent.
The city’s early childhood workforce has between 33,000 and 40,000 members, according to an estimate from a press release from Gutiérrez’s office. To meet projected demand under a universal childcare system — which aims to serve children from 6 weeks to 5 years old — that number will need to double.
Despite that urgency, officials acknowledged there is no multiyear staffing plan outlining how to meet demand over the next
Councilmember Jennifer Gutiérrez, center, recently introduced the Supporting Early Educator Development Act to address shortages, retention issues and certification bottlenecks in the early childhood education workforce.
PHOTOBYWILLALATRISTE/NYCCOUNCIL
two to six years, nor centralized data fully capturing the scope of the workforce gap.
“We heard about a lot of promising programs today — and that’s exciting,” Gutiérrez said. “But excitement has to be matched with a plan. Degrees in this field take up to six years to complete. Our classrooms require lead teachers with advanced credentials. The demand to become an early childhood educator is there but the pathways are too narrow, too expensive and too
fragmented. If we don’t map this out now for the next two to six years we will not have the workforce ready when we need it.”
A key challenge discussed during the hearing was retention.
The workforce, largely made up of women of color, Liss said, faces wage disparities tied to education level, workplace setting and union status. Many workers in nonpublic school, centerbased and home-based programs earn low wages, contributing to high turnover rates.
According to Council data, the city must recruit at least 5,000 new educators annually to keep pace with attrition.
A survey of childcare providers found that more than half of centers report new teachers leaving within five years, Councilmember Julie Won (D-Long Island City), chair of the Committee on Workforce Development, said.
“We cannot attract talent and grow the early-childhood workforce, lower barriers to entry, improve retention, or support New York families if we continue to under-resource the programs that make this work possible,” Won said. “The testimonies we heard today made one thing clear: agencies want to solve this problem, but they lack the resources and a clear, long-term plan. Alignment is not enough; the city must invest in this workforce and deliver a multiyear strategy to recruit, train and retain the educators our children depend on.”
Testimony also revealed strong interest in training pathways, though capacity remains limited. A CUNY apprenticeship pilot program drew 400 applicants for just 30 slots, Anderson said. Expanding that program to 200 apprentices would require an estimated $3 million over three years. Meanwhile, enrollment across CUNY’s early childhood education programs reached 3,516 students in 2025.
continued on page 16
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Rajkumar unveils anti-corruption bills
Legislative package aims to increase transparency and trust in government
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar (D-Woodhaven) on April 16 announced a package of ethics and transparency bills aimed at tightening oversight of government contracting and curbing what she described as systemic abuses that erode public trust.
The legislative package targets no-bid contracts, undisclosed relationships between contractors and public officials, unauthorized vendors receiving taxpayer funds, lobbying efforts and campaign donations tied to government business. As the legislation was only recently introduced, most of the bills do not yet have co-sponsors or state Senate versions.
Rajkumar framed the package as an effort to restore confidence in government by increasing scrutiny and closing loopholes that allow misconduct to flourish.
stricter conditions under which they can be awarded.
The bill would require competitive bidding unless the governor issues a formal declaration of emergency, and it would task the state comptroller with determining whether emergency contracts were awarded fairly. It also calls for contractors to disclose any relationships with public officials that could pose a conflict of interest.
Another bill, A10461, would require New York City contractors to disclose personal or professional ties to public officials before contracts are awarded. Rajkumar’s office said the bill comes in response to a series of scandals in which contracting decisions bore the appearance of impropriety due to personal relationships.
the firm only submitted 29 percent of its vendors for the required review.
Bill A9559 would require lobbyists to disclose their positions on specific bills, including amendments and appropriations. Current law requires disclosure of clients but not their positions on legislation, allowing ambiguity and the potential for misleading representations about legislative intent.
The bill is being carried in the Senate by Sen. Shelley Mayer (D-Westchester), chair of the Ethics and Internal Governance Committee.
The final bill in the package, A826, aims to close a campaign finance loophole allowing businesses awarded contracts in New York City to give big donations. Current law puts a cap of $400 on donations by firms involved in contracts with the city worth at least $5,000.
“I have personally seen how corruption at the state and city levels stalls government and stands in the way of helping people,” Rajkumar said in a statement. “New Yorkers are sick of backroom deals, insider influence, and a government that too often serves the well-connected instead of the public. These bills take aim at the loopholes and hidden dealings that let corruption thrive in the shadows, whether through no-bid contracts, undisclosed conflicts of interest, unauthorized vendors, secretive lobbying, or political money tied to government business.
government, because public service must always belong to the people.”
Details of the bills were shared exclusively with the Chronicle.
“I am fighting to restore trust in
Among the measures is A10881, which is meant to limit the use of no-bid contracts by establishing
A10462 is designed to prohibit government payments on New York City contracts to contractors who are not properly authorized, requiring that all vendors and subcontractors be properly vetted before receiving public funds.
Rajkumar’s office said the bill follows findings from a comptroller’s audit highly critical of the city’s contracting for migrant services with the firm DocGo. The audit found that 67 percent of reimbursements for DocGo went to unauthorized contractors, while
However, Rajkumar’s office said, contracts on a retainer basis are entered as $1 or $0 if the final cost is not known. That loophole allows law firms with lucrative city contracts to donate tens of thousands of dollars. The bill addresses that by applying the same donation limit for any contract with the potential to exceed $5,000. Q
Senior arraigned for murder of wife, 33
Defendant allegedly dismembered woman and scattered her remains
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
A South Ozone Park senior citizen was indicted April 17 for the alleged gruesome murder and dismemberment of his 33-year-old wife, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced.
According to the charges and investigation, Rupchand Simboo, 75, and his wife, Salisha Ali, 33, were both at Simboo’s home in the evening hours of July 13, 2025.
The following morning, Ali failed to show up for work and was never seen or heard from again.
At the request of Ali’s mother, Simboo reported her missing on July 19.
Then, on Sept. 22, 2025, at approximately 7 a.m. two city Department of Sanitation employees at work near a wooded area in the vicinity of 149th Avenue and Brookville Boulevard, near JFK Airport, observed a blue and black moving blanket wrapped with yellow rope that appeared to contain a large object inside, the charges said.
The workers opened the blanket and discovered what appeared to be a decomposed female torso.
It was later determined the remains belonged to Ali.
A search warrant was subsequently issued and executed on Simboo’s home, the DA’s Office said, resulting in the recovery of plastic wrap and yellow rope, which the NYPD Laboratory determined was consistent with the yellow rope used to bind the victim’s torso.
A second search warrant for Simboo’s work garage resulted in the recovery of a moving blanket, identical to the one in which the torso was found.
Months later, on March 5 and 6, 2026, additional remains — including a head, legs and arm — were discovered in the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge off Cross Bay Boulevard in Broad Channel, just south of the North Channel Bridge, authorities said.
The Office of Chief Medical Examiner’s forensic analysis determined that the additional remains also belonged to Ali.
The DA’s Office said detectives then searched the wooded area in the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge based on Simboo’s GPS coordinates from Life360, a popular location-sharing phone application.
The data showed that the defendant was present at that loca-
tion on July 14, 2025, the day after Ali was last seen alive.
The location data also showed that the following day, Simboo was present at the location off Brookville Boulevard and 149th Avenue, where the victim’s torso was discovered.
Simboo was arraigned on charges of second-degree murder and two counts of tampering with physical evidence. He was remanded and ordered to return to court on June 5.
If convicted, Simboo faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
In a statement, Queens DA Melinda Katz said the analysis and investigation that led to Simboo’s arrest were only possible using modern tools and data collection.
“As alleged, the defendant ruthlessly murdered his 33-yearold wife and tried to conceal the crime, spreading dismembered body parts in the wilderness near Kennedy Airport and Broad Channel,” Katz said. “Thanks to the diligent sanitation workers who found the first set of remains, my office and our partners in the NYPD were able to pinpoint the person allegedly responsible.
“A grand jury has now indicted the defendant on murder and evidence tampering charges as we seek justice for Salisha Ali and her loved ones who continue to grieve her loss.” Q
Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar recently introduced a package of ethics and anti-corruption bills in an effort to increase transparency and restore trust in government.
’Tis the season for a car-free Freedom Drive
Just over two weeks after Freedom Drive in Forest Park seasonally closed to traffic, neighbors returned to the roadway April 16 to celebrate with bikes, bubbles and craft tables — and to signal they want to do so year-round.
Advocates and families, including students of nearby PS 66, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, gathered on the Richmond Hill side of Freedom Dr ive, which is closed to traffic from April through October under a seasonal compromise enacted by the city Parks Department.
Some have argued the road should be open to cars yearround for emergency vehicles and as a shortcut for drivers. But for the event’s organizers, the afternoon was proof that the road functions best as park space.
“Today we celebrate the return of car-free season here on Freedom Drive,” said Andrew Smith, in white polo shirt at top
left, an organizer with Safer Streets Richmond Hill who has long lobbied for the road to remain closed to cars. “More than anything, your support and presence today demonstrates just how important this space is to Richmond Hill, its people and the surrounding communities.”
As children happily busied themselves riding bikes and scooters, the director of advocacy and policy at New Yorkers for Parks, Kathy Park Price, with megaphone at top center, said the scene reflected what residents have demanded.
“This serves so many more neighbors as a car-free, vibrant space, and so we’re here to reclaim that this is a place where our kids can play,” Price said during a pause in the festivities to rally, wherein kids and families held up signs showing their support, top left and right.
“We should be demanding solutions that actually make our
parks safer, not settling for compromises that put people at risk,” said parent Eli Dvorkin, top left, second from left.
One area parent, who only identified herself as Marta, was passing the park during the rally and begged to differ. She told the Chronicle, “I love parks too, but roads are made for cars. Sidewalks are for people.”
Advocates tied their efforts at Freedom Drive to a broader push for car-free parks, buoyed by Mayor Mamdani’s proposal to pedestrianize Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn.
“New York City’s parks should be entirely car-free — including Freedom Drive here in Queens,” said Mae Francke, top center left, Queens organizer at Transportation Alternatives.
The Mayor’s Office has not responded to advocates’ inquiries about permanently closing Freedom Drive to traffic, Francke said. — Kristen Guglielmo
A later start and end for schools in 2026-27
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Families can finally start planning their vacations and childcare for later in the year, as New York City’s 2026-27 public school calendar was released Tuesday.
The full calendar can be viewed at tinyurl.com/yej2nfnh.
The first day of school will be Thursday, Sept. 10, almost a week later than when classes began in 2025. Classes usually start after Labor Day, which is Sept. 7 this year.
With a later start comes a later-than-usual end. The last day of classes is Monday,
June 28, 2027.
State law requires at least 180 days of instruction, which may include up to four professional development days for teachers wherein student attendance is not required.
There are three of those on the 2026-27 calendar: Feb. 1, June 8 and June 10.
On Monday, Feb. 1, Professional Development Day, students who attend high school or a school that serves only grades 6 to 12 will not be present, but the attendance of all other students is required.
Tuesday, June 8, is Clerical Day, with no classes for students attending 3-K, Pre-K,
elementary schools, middle schools, K-12 schools and standalone District 75 programs.
On Thursday, June 10, Anniversary Day/ Chancellor’s Conference Day for staff development, all students will not attend school.
Other unique aspects of the 2026-27 calendar include the addition of a remote day on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3. While students have had the day off in previous years, this year they will be expected to join classes online.
While legislation has passed in recent years ensuring that students are off for
Lunar New Year, Diwali and Juneteenth, those days are not observed on the school calendar in the 2026-27 school year. Diwali and Juneteenth fall on weekends, and Lunar New Year is celebrated during the midwinter recess, which runs Feb. 15 to 19.
While Good Friday, March 26, is a day off, students are expected to attend classes on March 29, the day after Easter.
Other long breaks include the typical Thanksgiving Recess, Nov. 26 and 27; Winter Recess from Dec. 24 to Jan. 1; and Spring Recess from April 22 to 30, which encompasses Passover. Q
PHOTOS
Orkin, DSA-backed AD 38 challenger, sues to get her removed from ballot Rajkumar accused of petition fraud
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Democratic socialist, immigrant rights attorney and Assembly District 38 candidate David Orkin alleges in a lawsuit that the campaign of incumbent Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar (D-Woodhaven) forged petition signatures in an effort to secure her a spot on the ballot in June.
The suit, filed in Queens State Supreme Court on April 16 and first reported by City & State, alleges that at least nine residents of the district had their signatures forged on Rajkumar’s petition, identified during a standard review by the Orkin campaign.
sheet with a fraudulent signature,” Tilton said in a statement. “Signing this petition would fly in the face of every action and decision I’ve made in years and is an impossibility.”
Additional neighbors had their names appear multiple times on the petition sheets, Orkin’s campaign alleges, signatures they said they confirmed are fake.
While Rajkumar’s campaign submitted more than 2,500 signatures, easily passing the 500 required to get on the ballot, Orkin’s lawsuit called into question the credibility of seven individuals who claimed to witness more than 70 percent of the purported signatures.
The Orkin campaign said it uncovered “a disturbing pattern of fraud,” including multiple entries for voters who confirmed not to have signed the petitions; signatures that do not match voter registration records; whole petition pages with similar, illegible signatures; and entries with nonexistent addresses.
“Upon information and belief, the Designating Petition likely contains additional forgeries purportedly witnessed by additional subscribing witnesses,” the lawsuit states.
One of the signatures in question is that of Cary Tilton, a Democratic Socialists of America member and Orkin campaign volunteer.
“You can imagine my shock and anger when I saw my own name on a Rajkumar petition
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“Running for office is a privilege; one that I do not take lightly,” Orkin said in a statement. “Our volunteer-led petitioning efforts connected our campaign directly with hundreds of residents in District 38 looking for a candidate who will stand up to corruption and fight for a more affordable city.
“We look forward to a swift and transparent review by the Board of Elections and Queens Supreme Court to ensure that election rules are applied fairly and that the voices of Queens’ voters are protected.”
Rajkumar responded to the allegations in her own court filing, also on April 16, in which she
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tions are riddled with fraud. No counterattack can distract from those troubling claims.”
Latinos Against Socialism has called for investigations into the petitions of Orkin and Assemblymember Claire Valdez (D-Sunnyside), a DSA member who is running for Congress. No objections were filed to Orkin’s petition signatures at the city Board of Elections or in court, per City & State.
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Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, left, has been accused in court of petition fraud by her challenger David Orkin.
PHOTOSCOURTESY
NYASSEMBLY,LEFT,ANDVIADAVID4QUEENS.COM
said her “petition is in all respects valid and in due and proper form.”
In a video posted to social media on Sunday, Rajkumar said the DSA is running a “hate campaign” against her, targeting her religion, questioning her qualifications as an attorney and now “manufacturing baseless accusations against my petitions.”
Rajkumar campaign spokesperson Arvind Sooknanan in a statement said, “Assemblywoman Rajkumar’s inspiring, tireless grassroots campaign crushed the DSA political machine, collecting nearly 1,000 more signatures than they did and six times the number legally required. DSA’s mudslinging is a desperate attempt to deflect from serious allegations by Latinos Against Socialism that its peti-
Sooknanan called Orkin’s lawsuit a “blatant political stunt from a DSA-backed campaign that knows it cannot compete on the ground. You cannot litigate your way out of weak grassroots support.”
He added, “Team Jenifer looks forward to a resounding win at the ballot box.”
Then, late Monday, Rajkumar released a statement saying a Board of Elections Clerks’ Report confirmed that her campaign submitted 1,494 valid signatures. She alleged that the DSA’s fraud claims were “false from the start.”
However, Orkin in a post on social media called her statement “deliberately misleading.” The question of fraud, Orkin said, had not been addressed by that report.
“Today’s report does NOT mean that the remaining 1,494 signatures are valid — it simply means that they were not invalidated on these administrative grounds,” Orkin wrote. The court is expected to schedule a hearing and make a ruling by mid-May. Q
Bill could improve safety for kids with disabilities
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
A state bill that aims to establish comprehensive evacuation and lockdown plans at schools for children with disabilities recently passed the Senate.
In the event of an emergency, children may be told to run, hide or fight — but students with disabilities may not be able to comply with those instructions.
The bill, S1197, sponsored by state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven), would require boards of education for all school districts and daycare providers to work corroboratively with local law enforcement, fire safety personnel, staff, parents and other relevant stakeholders to develop individualized emergency response plans.
The plans must be maintained on-site and readily accessible in the event of an emergency, Addabbo’s office said.
“Every child deserves to feel safe and protected, especially in moments of crisis,” Addabbo said in a statement. “Standard emergency protocols often assume that individuals can run or hide, but for many children with disabilities, those options may not be realistic. This legislation
ensures that no child is left behind when it matters most.”
He added that parents and guardians of children with disabilities have expressed concern about how their kids would be protected during a crisis.
“This bill provides families with peace of mind,” Addabbo said. “By requiring comprehensive planning and coordination, we are ensuring some of our most vulnerable students in both schools and daycare settings are receiving the critical protection they deserve.”
Emergency plans, per the bill’s text, would be required to include evacuation and lockdown procedures for children with disabilities, as well as a list of those attending the facility who would need assistance during a crisis.
The Senate version of the bill has five co-sponsors, per nysenate.gov. The Assembly version, A3433, also has five in addition to its prime sponsor, Assemblymember Angelo Santabarbara (D-Schenectady), with no co-sponsors from Queens.
S1197 passed on April 13, and its Assembly counterpart was referred to the Education Committee. Q
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EDITORIAL AGEP
Delay climate law mandates
As state budget talks drag beyond three weeks past the deadline, Gov. Hochul is right to stand firm on amending the state’s climate law. Lawmakers should compromise.
The goals of the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act may be noble, but they cannot be met in the time frame the law demands. Hochul knows this, but legislators apparently insist that the CLCPA remain as is, so dedicated are they to grandstanding on climate change regardless of the cost to individuals, businesses and, eventually, the state, in the form of tax revenue.
The problem is demanding reductions in emissions from the use of petroleum products when alternative sources are not yet at the point where they can fill the gap without huge cost increases.
As Hochul wrote in a recent op-ed in the Empire Report, meeting the 2019 law’s emissions targets for 2030 cannot be done without “new and crushing” costs on the people of the state.
“Absent changes to the law, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
found the impact of meeting the Climate Act’s 2030 targets would be staggering — more than $4,000 a year for upstate oil and natural gas households, and $2,300 more for New York City natural gas households,” she wrote. “And gas prices at the pump would jump an additional $2.23 per gallon above where [they] would otherwise be.”
None of that is remotely affordable.
Environmentalists determined to give no ground on the law may find comfort in knowing that New York would be in good company. California is unable to meet its most ambitious climate goals, and the entire United Kingdom has had to step back from its promises, too. What all these laws have in common is simply trying to achieve too much too quickly.
The cost of everything is up, energy included. We only just barely avoided double-digit hikes in gas and electric bills. President Trump’s economy, and his war, are making things tougher for people. Delaying the climate law a few years would not be a disaster; hurting people more now would be.
Crack down on car crazies
Once the cops catch the lunatics who turned the corner of 69th Street and Eliot Avenue in Middle Village into a Mad Max movie over the weekend, they must come down on them like a ton of bricks. Prosecutors, too.
That’s the only way to approach those driving the estimated 100 cars that gathered there early last Saturday morning, especially the nuts who blockaded the street so they could do donuts. Donuts around a ring of fire obviously lit with gasoline in the middle of the intersection. A short video of the mayhem is online; it’s insane.
We’re seeing more and more of these car meetup-street takeovers, in Ozone Park and Malba most notably. It’s got to stop. People
need to be arrested and prosecuted on the most serious charges available. Even those in the crowd blocking the streets should be targeted, for disorderly conduct, unlawful assembly and anything else our assistant district attorneys can think of. Make them rat out the leaders or give them a few days in jail. Why not? After all, a lot of them are lucky they’re not dead, standing a scant few feet from cars burning rubber in circles, whose drivers could lose control anytime. A lot of us did reckless things with cars in our youth. Not like this. These guys are taking lawlessness to a new level and scaring the heck out of people. They must be taught hard lessons. Let’s see charges brought and licenses lost.
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LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
It’s more than FHJC
Dear Editor:
Your Central Queens cover story “Sold!” (“Forest Hills Jewish Center to be sold,” April 16, multiple editions) talks about the Forest Hills Jewish Center moving from its central location due to the building being sold, but its members are not the only ones.
The building also houses the Selfhelp Senior Center and its several hundred senior members. It also is a pre-K center and is used by camp groups in the summer.
While it’s understandable that there is a need to sell the present central location, the location at the old Parkway Hospital site will be difficult for senior members of both the congregation and the senior center to reach. There should be some provision under which the congregation and senior center can move back to a space in the new building when it is completed.
Louis Kramberg Rego Park
Albany’s pension pirates
Dear Editor:
Re your April 16 editorial “Can’t afford to lose Tier 6”:
No wonder so many New York State legislators are pushing for the repeal of the Tier 6 pension program for public employees. One third of them will benefit big time from “the coming public pension giveaway,” notes the New York
Post (April 17, “Albany’s Greed Knows No Shame”). Seventy-four state legislators, including 11 Republicans, are among the 780,000 public sector employees who “are in line for a windfall” if Albany rolls back the 2012 pension reforms that lowered retirement payments for workers hired after that year, says the Post.
Public employee unions, who make hefty campaign donations to state lawmakers, also demand an end to Tier 6. Along with pension benefits, legislators receive an annual salary of $142,000, the highest compensation paid to any state Legislature in the United States. Not bad for what is essentially a part-time job, since the Legislature holds sessions only twice a year. Nice work if you can get it.
A rollback of Tier 6 would force local governments to make “impossible choices,” such as cutting essential services, eliminating jobs or raising property taxes, warns the State Conference of Mayors, Association of Counties and Association of Towns (Post, April 17). Taxpayers can respond to this threat by voting the pen-
sion pirates out of office. All state representatives face re-election this year in the June primary and November general elections. Greedy “public servants” who mostly serve themselves don’t deserve your vote.
Keep our bus stop as is
Dear Editor:
A vital bus stop in Sunnyside that is relied upon by seniors, children, and families is slated for relocation as part of the MTA’s bus network redesign and proposed changes by the NYC Department of Transportation (“Sunnyside bus stop relocation assailed,” April 16, multiple editions). This move would put some of our most vulnerable residents at unnecessary risk.
The current bus stop at 39th Place an d Queens Boulevard provides safe, easy access to the programs and services offered by Sunnyside Community Services, where I serve as Execu-
Richard Reif Kew Gardens Hills
LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
tive Director. At present, our Older Adult Center and our early childhood programs can be reached without crossing 39th Street, a heavily trafficked road that is frequently used by trucks.
Under the proposed changes, that critical safeguard disappears. Seniors, including those who depend on canes and walkers, as well as families with young children, would be forced to cross a busy and potentially dangerous street to access essential services.
This is a needless change that compromises safety without clear benefit. The city must listen to bus riders and the broader community. We urge officials to keep the bus stop where it is and protect those who depend on it most.
Judy Zangwill Executive Director Sunnyside Community Services Sunnyside
Speech and taxes
Dear Editor:
As the April 16 Chronicle editorial “Paladino’s paramount rights” puts it, “progressives on the City Council, all too willing to police speech, were not satisfied” with letting City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino plead freedom of speech as defense against charges of “harassment and discrimination” in connection with her offensive language about Muslims.
Those progressives ignore that Paladino — despite a reputation as a conservative firebrand with a history of shooting from the hip — has always punctiliously refrained from any complaints or even mentions about how homeowners in her district pay four times the rate of property tax as stately liberal Park Slope, Brooklyn. That would be harassment and discrimination against our most revered ruling elites, a big no-no the entire city, without exception, keeps quiet about outside brief, controlled Overton window openings. Progressives and Paladino alike mind their Ps and Qs when it comes to that omertà.
Practically speaking, Paladino’s theatrical embrace of ugly class stereotypes serves a dual purpose in diverting constituent attention from their perpetual unfair tax burden while further marginalizing them as an interest group worthy of any political redress or elite concessions. Quite brilliant, actually.
As long as Whitestone voters can continue to buy into this ultimately indifferent councilwoman and her unprofitable hijinks, Council progressives should drop their opportunistic charade in deference to the First Amendment and what Paladino finally is: A team player.
Edwin Eppich Glendale
Write a Letter!
We want to hear from new voices! Letters should be no longer than 300 words and may be edited for length, clarity and other reasons. They may be emailed to letters@qchron.com. Please include your phone number, which will not be published. Those received anonymously are discarded.
Women disenfranchised
Dear Editor:
I will presume that, like fellow reader Edward Riecks, I am a white male. Unlike Edward, I am cognizant that the proposed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or SAVE Act, will try to disenfranchise millions of voters in order to cure a virtually nonexistent problem (“We all can get ID,” Letters, April 9).
Let’s presume for a moment that Mr. Riecks is married like I am. Neither of us changed our name upon marriage. Thus our current name matches our birth name. My wife, on the other hand changed her name when we married almost four decades ago, and it no longer matches her birth certificate.
In order to vote in 45 states she would have to jump through hoops and pay extra costs in order to procure documents. That is an unconstitutional poll tax. Residents of many states have to drive great distances to government offices that are closed most days. The New Hampshire Republicans just passed a law to prevent students from using their student ID cards to vote while GOP states permit hunting licenses (primarily held by white males) to be used as voter ID.
Given the hyperbole from the red side of the aisle, one would think that there is a huge amount of voter fraud. However, it is exceedingly rare. The conservative Heritage Foundation found 100 cases of noncitizens voting from 1982 to 2025 — a miniscule 0.000008 percent of more than 1.3 billion votes cast in 43 years.
The GOP is understandably running scared. You would too if unconstitutional (as per the Supreme Court of the United States) tariffs and a disastrous Middle East war of choice had inflation going through the roof, leading Trump to be even more unpopular than after he launched his seditionist coup attempt on Jan. 6, 2021, in order to overturn a free and fair election he lost to President Biden. They have decided the only way they can prevent Americans from justifiably firing them at the ballot box is to make it impossible for millions of Americans (majority women) to vote.
I urge Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand to fight this horrible proposal.
David S. Pecoraro Rosedale
Mayor misleads on race
Dear Editor:
It does not make me happy to say that our new mayor is either missing a few screws or is an outright liar. His latest misstatement, as it was printed in the Chronicle, was that nonwhites are being driven out of the city (“City releases draft racial equity plan,” April 16. So I checked the numbers and what they indicate is just the opposite.
In 1950, slightly less than 10 percent of the population was African American while less than 2 percent was Hispanic or Asian. Today, white people constitute 31 percent of the population in the city, while 69 percent are Black, Hispanic, Asian or other. These figures have been relatively stable since 2010 and indicate only a slight rise in the non-white population. By simply mouthing the slogans of the thoughtless left, the mayor shows that he lacks continued on next page
Summer
Make Summer Count at
Session 2026
Queens College
Queens College is offering in-person and online classes over three summer sessions:
Session 1: June 1–24 (4 weeks)
Session 2: July 6–29 (4 weeks)
Session 3: June 29–August 17 (7 weeks)
LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
continued from previous page
the ability or desire to dispassionately look at the facts and draw rational conclusions. Sloganeering will prevent the mayor and his advisors from being able to identify and deal with the real problems that this city faces. We deserve a better mayor.
Michael Gallagher Forest Hills
Both sides gerrymander
Dear Editor:
On Tuesday, Virginia voters approved a change in the state’s Constitution to enable Democrats to gerrymander the state to their advantage. Democrats claimed it was their response to what the Republicans were doing in Texas.
In reality, both parties have tried to gerrymander states for years, so for the Democrats to claim they were just trying to even the playing field is a false charge.
Democrats in states such as Illinois and Maryland have gerrymandered their states to their favor. In 2022, New York Democrats tried to circumvent the state’s Constitution by doing their own gerrymandering but the state Supreme Court stopped them.
ety that sees our daily views as being partly sunny or partly cloudy. Somewhere in the middle we have the ability to enjoy the same things without appearing either too hopeful or hostile towards others. As spring broadens our awareness of warming temperatures, perhaps we can consider kindness has a better impact than the constant barrage of negativity all around us. Somewhere in the middle is common ground.
Craig Schwab Glendale
Aid in Flushing and beyond
Dear Editor:
Miss an article or a letter cited by a writer?
The recent fire in Flushing is a tragic example of the need for humanitarian aid. Four people were killed in the incident, including a child. In a matter of a few hours, families were broken, homes lost and belongings destroyed. This demonstrates the need for immediate support: food, shelter, medical care and much more, even in a location that is well-resourced, such as New York.
Want breaking news from all over Queens?
Find the latest news, past reports from all over the borough and more at qchron.com.
Gerrymandering is always wrong, and it is being done by both parties. I just don’t want to hear the bogus claim that it is only the Republicans’ fault.
Lenny Rodin Forest Hills
Stuck in the middle
Dear Editor:
In our modern world, we can either choose to live in harmony or opt to be on the side of dissenting opinions. Most, if not all letters, calls to radio programs and TV newscaster interviews are wrought with negative comments. Criticism outweighs optimism in more ways than thought possible.
Turns out, hateful rhetoric is more prevalent in America today. This did not happen overnight. Now, more than ever before, everyone is a part of the daily conversation. Aged wisdom is scrutinized more times than can be respected, especially by those who refuse to acknowledge their past may not fit into the narrative of how history is being written nowadays.
What once seemed rational is now challenged as an attempt to justify our past indiscretions. The adage that “hindsight is 20/20” plays a role in how people perceive things. Forgotten is the ability to keep an open mind. Some people have no problem telling others they are wrong without truly knowing themselves what is right. The phrase “better to remain silent and thought a fool than to speak and remove any doubt” has never been more applicable. Of course, this too has its merits, depending on what we choose to believe. It would be funny if not so sad. Without realizing, we have become a soci-
OPINION
Slow down, put safety first in all work zones
by Erik Koester
In the past year, due to unsafe driving practices, tragically, two members of our New York State Department of Transportation family died in the line of duty.
In May 2025, NYS DOT Highway Maintenance Supervisor Robert Bornt, 54, died after being struck by a vehicle in a work zone on Route 7 in Pittstown, Rensselaer County. Closer to home, in New York City, in September 2025, Isabel Alvarez, 44, a contractor employee working on the Van Wyck Expressway project, was fatally struck by a hit-andrun driver while directing traffic near the expressway.
This local tragedy reflects a broader global reality. As organizations such as the World Food Programme and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees report, millions of people worldwide face similar needs due to armed conflict, displacement and instability. Every new conflict generates a parallel demand for humanitarian assistance. What we see on a small scale in Queens is happening on a far larger scale across the world, where resources are often far more limited.
I urge Congresswoman Grace Meng to support the $8.7 billion for U.S. humanitarian aid for the fiscal year 2027. Timely humanitarian aid is essential to respond to conflicts, help support as many people as possible, and prevent further disasters.
Cheryl Zheng Flushing
The writer is a fellow with the Fund for Global Health.
What war is really for
Dear Editor:
Written history glorifies conquerors. Yet, the beneficiaries of the conquests were mainly royalty and others at the top of society. Those who did the actual fighting returned to being farmers, common laborers or slaves, as they were previously.
Most of us have been indoctrinated rather than educated about wars of conquest. What we are experiencing today is no different from the past. In due time, the fallacious justification for going to war will be exposed, while those at the top reap the benefits of imperialistic expansion, valuable resources and increased wealth. Military technology has become more sophisticated but the minds justifying its use are still stuck in the past.
Glenn Hayes Kew Gardens
As we mark the 27th annual National Work Zone Awareness Week, from April 20 to 24, we are keeping the memories of Robert and Isabel at the forefront of this year’s campaign theme: “Safe Actions
a hit-and-run driver while directing traffic around the junction of the Van Wyck and Nassau expressways. PHOTOVIANYSDOT/FACEBOOK
Save Lives.” This year’s theme encourages drivers to take simple safety steps during New York’s construction season and shares these simple solutions to make New York’s highway workers safe: Slow down, stay alert, avoid distractions and buckle up when traveling through work zones.
In 2025, there were 366 work zone crashes on NYS DOT-owned roads that resulted in 58 injuries and two fatalities. These startling numbers call out the need to bring not just awareness on work zone safety, but action to change behavior on those who endanger our workers, themselves, their passengers, other motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists.
In 2021, the governor signed into law the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement program, administrated by NYS DOT and the New York State Thruway Authority to slow motorists down in work zones and make our highways safer. Last year, the program was extended to 2031 and expanded to double the number of work zones eligible to participate, including properties of MTA Bridges and Tunnels and the NYS Bridge Authority.
Despite these robust measures to make our work zones safer, the passing of both Robert and Isabel serves as a stark reminder that work zone dangers remain and makes our awareness and education efforts ever more crucial to assure the safety of all and our workers in the work zone. Q
Erik Koester is Regional Director for New York State Department of Transportation Region 11.
Spark connections in W’haven
All are welcome to Puttin’ on the Glitz, a free networking event for the spring and summer season, this Saturday, April 25, at Woodhaven Manor, at 96-01 Jamaica Ave., from 1 to 4 p.m. Sponsored by Woodhaven Manor, the Queens Chronicle and Tekk Talks, and organized by creative director and Queens Chronicle Account Executive Ree Brinn, the event promises a plethora of opportunities for people to connect.
“The purpose of this event is to promote spring and summer foot traffic and shopping to Woodhaven and its surrounding areas, and to showcase the old-school charm of this
neighborhood,” Brinn said. For more information, one may call her at (718) 669-0628, or send an email to reeb@qchron.com.
Confirmed attendees include Assemblymember Jennifer Rajkumar (D-Woodhaven); the Woodhaven BID, JTechnoQuilter and the Woodhaven Mural Project; Naturally Beautiful Fab; Attainable Joy; Wound Care Warriors; Deto3xia Sauna; the Kiwanis Club of Ozone Park-Woodhaven; guest speaker Tyra Emerson discussing the 30th anniversary of the Jamaica Arts & Music Summer Festival; and more. Q
— Kristen Guglielmo
Isabel Alvarez was killed by
Making change early in the game: Council
Lawmakers pass ‘substantial’ bills in their first 100 days, expert says
by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor
The City Council got right down to business during its first 100 days, between passing bills, breaking records and ruffling feathers in the Mayor’s Office.
As of April 17, lawmakers had passed 111 bills and introduced more than 1,200 pieces of legislation, more than any other in Council history, according to a press release. Lawmakers also overrode 17 vetoes by former Mayor Eric Adams and held 84 oversight hearings.
“Over the first 100 days, this Council has moved with urgency to advance an agenda centered on affordability, public safety, and quality of life for New Yorkers,” Deputy Speaker Nantasha Williams (D-St. Albans) said in the press release.
St. John’s University political science professor Brian Browne concurred, saying via email that the Council has had “one of the more active starts” out of any recent term, with accomplishments in legislation, budget oversight, labor protections, affordability, public safety and governance reform.
impact how public safety is administered in the borough,” Browne said, noting also that it passed with a veto-proof majority.
“We are building a foundation of accountability and action, but our work is far from over,” Deputy Leader Sandra Ung (D-Flushing) said in the Council’s release, citing “tangible wins” such as “taking a firm stand against hate and housing insecurity.”
Among the other accomplishments touted by lawmakers was the “creative solutions” in their preliminary budget response, which they say identify efficiencies, generate revenue and protect city services.
Mayor Mamdani slammed the proposal earlier this month, saying it’s “unrealistic” to say the city’s multibillion-dollar gap can be closed without a lot more money coming in.
Mamdani said lawmakers’ plan had double counted previously identified savings, overestimated revenues, exaggerated debt service savings and would slash agency budgets if implemented.
“So far in 2026, the NYC Council has asserted itself as a more active and coequal branch of city government,” Browne said. “The overwhelmingly progressive legislative body has passed substantial legislation aimed at prioritizing childcare, strengthening labor standards and worker pay, and expanding fiscal oversight.”
Still, he noted that while the Council consists of several new members, most lawmakers in the chamber this session are returning. Many of the 1,200 bills are ideas that have
been introduced previously, he said.
Lawmakers say their efforts have focused on affordability, including steps toward universal childcare — laws by Councilmembers Jennifer Gutiérrez (D-Brooklyn, Queens) and Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills) mandate quarterly reports from the city Department of Education on invoice payments to providers, and require the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to provide Health Code guidance to prospective programs applying for a permit, respectively.
Universal childcare legislation is citywide, Browne noted, but he said Queens stands to gain significantly from it.
Among the other measures with direct impacts on Queens is one by Council Speaker Julie Menin (D-Manhattan) that aims to curb antisemitic incidents. Prompted by events including a large pro-Hamas rally outside a Kew Gardens Hills synagogue last January, it requires the NYPD to establish a plan to address and contain the risk of physical obstruction, injury, intimidation and interference at places of worship.
“Queens has the highest religious diversity of any U.S. County; this legislation will
He hopes to raise taxes on high earners, but he needs state approval, and Gov. Hochul has resisted. Earlier this year, he floated unpopular property tax hikes as a “last resort.”
Browne applauded Menin for demonstrating a willingness to stand up to the mayor, as well as strong organizational skills “in a brief time.”
“Because New York City operates under a strong mayor-council system, in which the mayor serves as the city’s chief executive with substantial authority over municipal operations, this counterbalance is critical,” he said.
Asked about the line between productive legislating and just too many rules, Browne said that is a “classic tension of governing,” and that overregulation occurs when laws build up faster than agencies can implement them or the costs of compliance outweigh perceived public benefits.
“100 days does not make or break a mayor or a legislative body,” he said. “How Mayor Mamdani and the NYC Council move forward together (or not) will be tested not just at City Hall but also at the NYS Capitol, in courthouses, and in communities across Queens County and beyond.” Q
Led by Speaker Julie Menin, the City Council has had an active first 100 days, with 111 bills passed and 1,200 introduced. PHOTOBYEMILCOHEN/NYCCOUNCIL/FLICKR
Wildlife management, green space, water testing and more on the table Pols OK enviro bills ahead of Earth Day
by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor
Just in time for Earth Week, lawmakers passed a series of measures that look to make the city cleaner, greener and safer.
Among them was a measure by City Councilman Phil Wong (D-Maspeth) to develop a citywide wildlife management plan. An advisory board would make policy recommendations to promote biological diversity, the humane treatment of wildlife and public health and safety.
The bill also looks to require city agencies to consider their actions’ impacts on wildlife, and to have the Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare release yearly reports on wildlife management problems.
“Residents deserve a clear and responsible approach to wildlife issues that protects public safety while treating animals humanely,” Wong said in a statement. “I thank Speaker Julie Menin for helping move this important legislation forward.”
Prior to the measure’s passage, he and wildlife advocates, including conservation and animal welfare
groups within the Lights Out Coalition, rallied in support outside City Hall.
“New York is home to hundreds of species of wildlife, with hundreds more passing through each year,” New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets Executive Director Edita Birnkrant of Fresh Meadows said in a statement. “Today’s vote sends a clear message that their protection matters.”
Councilmember Selvena BrooksPowers (D-Laurelton) said the city’s natural environment is key to the vibrance and resilience of its communities, citing a responsibility to be “thoughtful stewards” of its wildlife.
The bill was among those in an Earth Day package that passed unanimously April 16, except for another measure by Wong, which saw three abstentions. It calls for a “cool pavement” study and pilot program in and near city Parks Department playgrounds, and would have at least one heat-vulnerable community in each borough examined.
to consider how projects that upgrade or create trails improve public access.
Another bill by Gennaro pertains to water quality. It would require the city Department of Environmental Protection to conduct regular testing — monthly from November to April and weekly from May to October — in at least 15 sites in bodies of water used for boating or fishing, or that meet other criteria.
A bill by Councilwoman Sandy Nurse (D-Brooklyn) looks to designate organic waste as recyclable, and require the city Sanitation Department to regulate the source separation of such waste generated by city agencies when preparing and serving meals.
The passed bills now await Mayor Mamdani’s signature. City Hall did not immediately respond to requests for comment as to whether he will sign them, and when.
Other measures aim to prioritize green space. One by Councilman Ty Hankerson (D-Jamaica) would require Parks and other relevant agencies to identify at least 10 community districts in the city with the least of it and recommend ways to create more.
Another by Councilman Jim
Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows), who chairs the Committee on Environmental Protection and Waterfronts, calls on Parks to post a map of the trails in each property under its jurisdiction. The agency also would have
A resolution by Councilman Harvey Epstein (D-Manhattan) also was adopted, which would recognize the contributions of the federal Endangered Species Act to the city’s natural environment. Q
Prior to the passage of a bill by Councilman Phil Wong, center, to create a citywide wildlife management plan, he rallied with advocates outside City Hall. PHOTOBYEDITABIRNKRANT
Perps drive donuts around ring of fire
Police car’s windshield was smashed in raucous Middle Village takeover
by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor
A ring of fire blazed between two gas stations in the early hours of April 18, when a car meetup took over an intersection in Middle Village. Cops say eight perpetrators remain at large for reckless endangerment, and two vehicles tied to the incident have been seized.
The group was reportedly drag racing at around 1:48 a.m. near Eliot Avenue and 69th Street, according to the NYPD. Upon arrival at the corner, police saw a blue car doing donuts, along with a silver BMW X3 occupied by three unknown men and a white BMW with two men and a woman inside.
Authorities say two men jumped onto the hood of a marked NYPD vehicle and cracked the windshield before fleeing in a black Nissan. No injuries were reported.
Video footage of the takeover on social media shows a sport utility vehicle with a passenger waving a Palestinian flag as it drives in circles around the flames. That car and several others can be seen driving away as soon as an NYPD vehicle arrived on the scene. A crowd of dozens standing in the street and on the sidewalk also fled.
Wong (D-Maspeth) said police arrived on the scene at approximately 1:50 a.m. Around 100 cars were involved, Wong said, and most fled northbound on 69th Street and eastbound on the Long Island Expressway.
He said the group was found after the incident, but fled again. At least one summons was issued for reckless driving, and the investigation is ongoing.
Wong met with Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch on Tuesday, when he was informed of the two vehicle seizures. He said afterward that he appreciates the NYPD’s work, “but this never should have happened in the first place.”
“You do something like this, you should definitely lose your license.”
— Bob Holden, former city councilman
“This is totally unacceptable and we need to ask why this continues to go on,” the Juniper Park Civic Association said on Facebook, adding that Mayor Mamdani and the NYPD do “nothing.”
The group later posted an email from Det. Michael Berish of the 104th Precinct, saying the crowd had placed a construction barrier in the street that blocked police cars. Suspects shattered the NYPD vehicle’s windshield when it tried to drive around the obstruction, Berish wrote.
Another car meet had taken place in the 110th Precinct shortly before the Middle Village takeover, he continued, and officers from the 104 had been monitoring common spots for drag racing in the area.
Both Berish and City Councilman Phil
“We need more police officers on the streets, period,” Wong said. “Not just reactive policing, but proactive enforcement to stop these car meetups before they spiral out of control.”
He added that car takeovers are a “growing problem” across his district. Tisch committed to ensuring that more officers are assigned there, he said, and he “will be pushing to make sure that happens.”
The raucous meetup was among several recent ones in Queens. The Chronicle reported last year that Ozone Park, specifically Rockaway Boulevard, was a hot spot for reckless car meets. Perpetrators mocked police and vandalized their vehicles during one incident on March 29, 2025, which ran late that night and into the next morning.
Another street takeover in Malba last November devolved into mob violence — a 19-year-old was hit with several charges related to the incident, including gang assault. One resident ended up with multiple broken bones.
Bob Holden, Wong’s predecessor in the Council and a longtime civic leader, recalled cars doing donuts in Middle Village near PS 49 last year, but said that incident pales in comparison to the April 18 takeover.
Whitey Ford Field cleanups
The group Friends of Whitey Ford Field in Astoria is planning spring cleanups at the park from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 25; and 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 2.
The ballfield is on 26th Avenue between First and Second streets, overlooking the East River. Volunteers will clear litter, pull weeds and conduct general sprucing up.
Registration and additional information can be found by calling (929) 6658315 or at friendsofwhiteyfordfield@ gmail.com.
The field was named in 2000 for the Yankees lefthander who grew up on 34th Street and pitched his way into the Hall of Fame, being inducted in 1974. Ford died at age 91 in October 2020.
“The Chairman of the Board” spent 16 seasons in pinstripes, losing two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He earned six World Series rings and the 1961 Cy Young Award. He still holds Yankee records for wins and shutouts, as well as the all-time record with 10 victories in World Series play. Q — Michael Gannon
“It’s disturbing that so many of these guys can do this and just take the liberty,” Holden said. “I mean, just light the street on fire. You can’t make this stuff up.”
He said the incident is a symbol of the “lawlessness” that he ascribed to state officials “coddling criminals,” from bail reform to the 2017 Raise the Age law, which increased the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18.
When he was in the Council, he said, most of its members were “pro-criminal” and “really didn’t want to get tough on crime.” He called on the NYPD to make a plan to combat future incidents, otherwise people are going to leave the neighborhood — people are already saying they want to, he said.
“There has to be accountability,” Holden said. “You do something like this, you should definitely lose your license. Period, no questions asked.” Perps also should get jail time, he said.
Mamdani said at an April 21 press conference that Tisch is “very much aware” of
the issue. She is working to hold individuals accountable and ensure that such incidents are not “becoming normal in our city,” he said.
“This is unacceptable for drivers to be acting in this manner,” Mamdani said. Wong shared a photo of the intersection last Saturday in the aftermath of the takeover, and skid marks could be seen all over the road. He said more units would be out that night, including drones and helicopters.
“I’m grateful that no officers or community members were injured,” U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) said on Facebook. “There’s no place for this dangerous behavior, damaging vehicles and disrupting public safety efforts.”
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. Q
Early childhood ed workforce
continued from page 2
Council members also pointed to bottlenecks in certification, credentialing and language access, as well as ongoing concerns about pay parity between early childhood educators and their K-12 counterparts.
To address those issues, Gutiérrez introduced Int. 0820, legislation known as the Supporting Early Educator Development, or SEED, Act, which would establish a city-backed workforce development pipeline to recruit, train and retain early-childhood educators.
The proposal includes support for individuals without prior childcare experience to complete required education and certification programs through the Departments of Education
and Health and Mental Hygiene.
The legislation comes as the city expands access to early childhood programs, including the addition of 2,000 new 2-K seats this fall as part of a broader push toward universal childcare.
Council members said that without a clear roadmap, those expansion efforts could outpace the workforce needed to sustain them.
“Today’s conversation made one thing clear: While we are making progress to meet nearterm demand, New York City must take a more strategic, data-driven approach to building a sustainable pipeline for the years ahead,” said Councilmember Rita Joseph (D-Brooklyn), chair of the Committee on Higher Education. Q
Cops are looking for eight perpetrators after a raucous car meetup in Middle Village the morning of April 18, which involved vehicles doing donuts around a ring of fire. PHOTOSCOURTESYNYPD
HB Kiwanis scholarships
The Kiwanis Club of Howard Beach is supporting higher education by awarding scholarships to students living in the 11414 ZIP code. Applicants must be high school seniors who will continue their education at an accredited college or university in fall 2026. They must demonstrate academic excellence and financial need, and have a record of community service and extracurricular activities.
This year’s programs will feature three $2,500 awards, as well as two $1,000 scholarships, benefiting five total honorees. The application, along with more information, can be found online at howardbeachkiwanis.org.
The completed application with supporting documents, including recommendation letters, should be sent to the Kiwanis Club of Howard Beach Scholarship Fund, at PO Box 140235 in Howard Beach, NY 11414. Those with questions may call (917) 745-2713.
The club’s scholarship committee will review all materials and make decisions by late May. Scholarships will be presented at the end of June at Lenny’s Clam Bar. Q
A lasting legacy celebrated at Simonsen Field
Richmond Hill High School students and faculty, as well as NYPD officers and friends and loved ones of the fallen Det. Brian Simonsen, gathered last Wednesday for the first baseball game played at Det. Brian “Smiles” Simonsen Field, the diamond at Victory Field in Forest Park.
The site on Oct. 25 of last year was renamed for the detective, who died by
friendly fire in 2019 in Richmond Hill after responding to a robbery while on duty with the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct.
Simonsen’s widow, Leanne, at right, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
The home team came out on top, as the Richmond Hill High School Lions handily beat Long Island City’s Aviation High School Flyers, 13-3. Following the game, the precinct
took to X to share photos from the field.
“Yesterday afternoon, Richmond Hill High School played the 1st baseball game at the newly updated Det. Brian ‘Smiles’ Simonsen Field,” the command’s post read. “Brian’s wife Leanne threw out the first pitch to kick it off! What a way to honor our hero detective’s legacy! Thank you RHHS for honoring Brian.” — Kristen Guglielmo
BP Richards wants rec center to be named after slain teen Jaden Pierre State AG James: They know who you are
by Naeisha Rose Editor
“They know who you are. They know where you are,” said state Attorney General Tish James at a vigil in Roy Wilkins Park on Monday as the family of Jaden Pierre, 15, broke down in tears and people chanted the name of the youth who was fatally shot at the very same spot April 16. “Surrender as soon as possible before the NYPD gets to you or the community.”
James said thanks to cell phones and cameras in every corner, the assailant in Jaden’s murder “will be caught.” As her voice echoed throughout the basketball court within the St. Albans park, which was packed with hundreds of people, some who held onto balloons that said “I Love You” as family members such as Jaden’s grandmother, Nellie Washington, kept a photo of him close to the chest and his parents, Gardy Pierre and Shanelle Weston, pulled their daughter, Nellie Pierre, close as she broke down in tears at the loss of her brother.
Richards said he played on the very same basketball courts as a youth.
The borough president said he wants the park’s brand-new $140 million recreational center, which is expected to open in 2029, to be named after the ninth-grader and hopes the place is a safe haven for other youths.
“We ought to name that damn center after Jaden Pierre,” said Richards.
“He was everything to me.”
— Gardy Pierre
“That was my twin,” said Pierre about his son as the crowd called Jaden a guardian angel. “That was my man. I would do anything for my kid. ... He was everything to me. ... Until we meet again, baby boy.”
Borough President Donovan Richards said the teen “should have felt safe in this park.”
“That is how we honor the legacy.”
Richards also said he also needs the men in the community to step up as leaders in mentoring young boys.
“We have to invest in our young men,” said Richards, the father of a 10-year-old boy.
Former City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, who is now running to be lieutenant governor with Gov. Hochul, who is seeking reelection, noted that Jaden and her grandson attended the same school, Eagle Academy for Young Men, as she looked on at Washington in tears.
“My heart grieves for you,” said Adams. “This could have been me. Bullets have no names. ... When we speak about circumstances in our community, the horrible scourge of gun violence — it is more than the guns, it’s a
mentality.”
Watching someone get beat up is not a spectator sport and it is not OK, said Adams.
“It is something that tells our children in order to be strong you got to pick up a gun or you got to bully your fellow student,” said the former speaker as she looked at Jaden’s two younger cousins. “It is not OK. It is up to us as a community to recognize our dysfucntion. What is happening in our homes? ... We have a responsibility to make sure that our beautiful children have a tomorrow to look forward to.”
James Johnson, chair of the Southern Queens Parks Association Advisory Council, said he blames “us.”
“How many adults walked past as they saw the kids in this court right here?” said Johnson. “How many adults walked past on the boulevard knowing the kids were doing something they had no business doing and ... kept walking? This is on us. We failed these young men.”
The Rev. Alejandro Zayas of United Clergy Coalition said the assailant is a coward and whoever is hiding him is a coward.
“NYPD better do good and find him,” said Zayas. “Bring that reward up like you have done for other things and other people. ... This
young life was lost too young.”
Ramel Jones of South Jamaica said he was thankful to Southeast Queens elected officials for doing their jobs by investing in the community with Cure Violence programs, but that the funds for those initiatives need to be audited and the people who run them need to be looked into.
Jones specifically called out Erica Ford, head of LIFE Camp, an anti-violence group, for not being in attendance.
He said the shooting occurred on the hottest day of the year and noted that the warmer seasons are when youths get up to trouble.
“You should have been here the day my little cousin got killed,” said Jones. “He ended up in a tragedy and never made it home. Where is [crisis management system] at? ... People are supposed to be here but the money is being spent on a lavish lifestyle.”
Ford and LIFE Camp weren’t available by press time to comment.
Moises Montos closed out the vigil singing “More Than Anything,” as people held up peace signs, strangers and loved ones hugged each other and white and red balloons were released in memory of a life cut too short. Q
Maspeth arson charges; four hurt in another fire
by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor
Days after a homeless woman allegedly set three fires in Maspeth, two blazes in Ridgewood impacted dozens.
Shaniqua Fort, 36, took a trash bag from a bin outside 888 Chinese Restaurant at around 9 p.m. April 13, placed it into an alcove leading to an entryway, set it on fire and walked away, the Queens District Attorney’s Office said. Minutes later, Fort allegedly set an American flag in front of D’Angelo’s Funeral Home ablaze and stole a second flag, before throwing a brick through
the glass window of an Allstate insurance office on Grand Avenue.
She then shattered a glass window at the Maspeth Jewish Center by throwing an unknown object at it, per the DA’s Office. Then, she allegedly lit several objects along the side of the building on fire, and placed an unknown object into the flames.
As the first fire blazed at the restaurant, an occupant of the apartment above it broke a window with his arm to escape, sustaining lacerations and bleeding, the DA said. Another victim jumped out a window to get away — at the hospital, she got surgery for
two broken heels and was treated for a finger fracture, multiple burns to her fingers and legs and soot inside her throat and nose.
Fort was arraigned April 17 and charged with second-degree arson; two counts of third-degree arson; two counts of seconddegree assault; first-degree reckless endangerment; second-degree criminal mischief; two counts of third-degree assault; three counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief; two counts of fifth-degree arson; petit larceny; and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. She was remanded and ordered to return to court May 13, and she faces up to
25 years in prison if convicted.
In Ridgewood, a blaze was reported by the Facebook account NYC Fire Wire at 18-12 Linden St. at around 4:30 p.m. April 16. EMS responded later that evening to take a civilian reporting leg pain to the hospital, but the FDNY reported nothing else on that date. Per the office of Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar (D-Woodhaven), the fire displaced 14 people.
Another fire, burning on the second floor of 57-29 Catalpa Ave. after midnight on April 18, sent four people to the hospital with minor injuries, said the FDNY. Q
Nellie Pierre, front center, broke down in tears at a vigil for her younger brother Jaden Pierre, 15, who was fatally killed in a shooting. Gardy Pierre, left, had to hold her up. Cousin Ramel Jones, rear center, said Cure Violence programs need to be audited for their effectiveness. PHOTOSBYNAEISHAROSE
Elected officials offer support to grieving family members of Jaden Pierre, 15, including to his grandmother Nellie Washington, far right.
Man stole thousands in cash, merch: NYPD
Perp targeted Ozone Park phone store
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
A man is sought by police after stealing thousands of dollars in cash, and tens of thousands of dollars worth of cell phones at a store in Ozone Park, within the confines of the NYPD’s 106th Precinct, on April 10.
Cops said it was reported to them that an unidentified individual entered 96-21 Rockaway Blvd., a Metro by T-Mobile store, at around 7:30 p.m., where he then hit a 32-year-old male in the head with a firearm.
Cops are searching for this man after he recently stole thousands of dollars in cash and merchandise from a cell phone store in Ozone Park.
PHOTOCOURTESYNYPD
He forcibly removed approximately $4,000 from the register, cops said, along with 29 cell phones valued at $21,000.
The perpetrator then fled the location on foot in an unknown direction, according to the authorities. EMS responded and treated the victim at the scene.
The sought man is described by cops as having a medium complexion and slim build, and was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt, black surgical mask, black sweatpants and black 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 online to crimestoppers.nypdonline. org; or by texting 274637 (CRIMES) and entering TIP577; or by going to @nypdtips on X. All tips are strictly confidential.
According to NYPD CompStat data through April 12, robberies are up in the 106th Precinct by 11.2 percent this year to date. At this time last year, the command had 52 robberies compared to 58 now. Q
Man punched Q56 bus driver, stole his phone
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
A man is wanted by police after assaulting a bus driver in Woodhaven and stealing his phone.
Cops said that on April 19, at about 7:40 p.m., a 35-year-old male MTA bus driver was aboard a westbound Q56 bus stationed at 98th Street and Jamaica Avenue, within the confines of the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct, when an unidentified man engaged in a verbal dispute with him.
The individual became irate, cops said, and punched the bus driver in the face, causing him to fall and drop his cell phone.
The perpetrator then exited the bus and fled the location on foot to parts unknown with the victim’s phone.
EMS responded to the scene and transported the driver to Long Island Jewish Forest Hills hospital in stable condition, cops said.
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.
Robberies are down 8.6 percent within the 102nd Precinct this year to date, according to the most recent NYPD CompStat data through April 12. There were 35 incidents by this time in 2025, and 32 so far this year. Q
Police are searching for a suspect who they say punched a bus driver and stole his phone.
PHOTOCOURTESYNYPD
Eat, drink and be merry in LIC Tuesday, May 12
Queens Taste returns for its 22nd year with 50 entities near the Anabel Basin
by Naeisha Rose Editor
If you are a foodie, May 12 can’t come soon enough.
Queens Taste returns in its 22nd year with more than 50 restaurants, beverage purveyors, dessert makers and more to offer samples of their products at Sound River Studios, located at 4-40 44 Drive near the Anabel Basin in the East River in Long Island City. The event is from 6 to 9 p.m.
At Queens Taste 2026, people will get to enjoy skyline and river views as they snack and sip the night away with delicious top shelf delights, said Queens Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Ben Guttmann. Plus, there is a parking lot for drivers three blocks away from the 1,300-square-foot outdoor terrace.
“Skip breakfast. Skip lunch. You’ll want the room,” said Guttmann in a statement. “This will be your best eating day of the year.”
Some of the entities that have already confirmed their presence at the LIC event include: Addictive Wine + Tapas Bar; Althea’s Tropical Delights; Applebee’s; Austin Ale House; Ay Güey, a Mexican restaurant; Bevo’s Kitchen; Chef Papa Vietnamese Kitchen; Cooking with Ayana; First Choice Brew, a coffee purveyor; Heritage Bread Pudding, traditional Puerto Rican food; Il Nonno; Jack’s Pepper Heist, a
Grab a bite at Queens Taste 2026, which will be held at Sound River Studios in LIC near the Anabel Basin in the East River. PHOTOCOURTESYQEDC
hot sauce; Jora Peruvian; Kakes NYC; LM Café; London Lennie’s; Mayahuel Mexican Restaurant; Moon Man, who offers traditional Chinese mooncakes; Mum’s Kitchen; Nabhya Restaurant; New York Bagel Fest; NY Indonesian Food Bazaar; Oh! Calcutta; F. Ottomanelli’s Burgers + Belgian Fries; Principle Events, a party animator; Rincón Salvadoreño; Rockaway Brewing; RW Prime; Sayra’s Wine Bar,
Shari’s Tea; Schmidt’s Candy; Southern Peach Squeeze; TAT2 Spirits; The Wine Room of Forest Hills; Tipsy Scoop, who sells ice cream spiked with alcohol; Trini Treats; Tootles & French; and Wild Flour Bakery, which does wedding cakes.
To wash it all down, there will be brewers, wine makers, nonalcoholic fruit juices and teas, along with mixologists who will be on
Long-lost hero coming home
Nicholas Governale will be laid to rest in Ridgewood
by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor
U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Nicholas Governale, formerly of Brooklyn on the Ridgewood border, was killed during World War II, when his B-25 bomber hit several trees and crashed into the sea during takeoff from Guadalcanal. His remains could not be found after the war, and he was deemed nonrecoverable in 1949.
But today, April 23, he’s coming home.
The late Marion Veneziano of Middle Village had stopped believing her brother’s body would ever be found, according to Christina Traverson-Mace, her granddaughter and Governale’s great-niece. But his nephew, Anthony Veneziano, had hope, after he saw a documentary about the organization Project Recover, which aims to locate prisoners of war and servicemembers listed as missing in action.
Governale’s sister was resistant, but ultimately gave the group a DNA sample in 2000 to help find him.
“She was like, I’m not doing this, I’m never going to find my brother, it’s been too long, I don’t want to do this,” TraversonMace told the Chronicle. “And I had a talk with her, saying you never know, crazier things have happened in this world.”
In 2017, Project Recover investigated the
Nicholas Governale, “Uncle Nicky” to his greatniece, will be honored with a military funeral April 24. He had been declared nonrecoverable in 1949. PHOTOCOURTESYCHRISTINATRAVERSON-MACE
Solomon Islands and found aircraft wreckage consistent with the bomber that Governale was killed in. Excavation went on from 2022 to 2024, and he was identified last
tap, according to the QEDC.
Among the participants is Entrepreneur Space, a food-and-business incubator that the QEDC operates in Long Island City, whose members will provide their artisanal specialties.
The QEDC is a nonprofit; therefore tickets for the event, which are $125 each or $200 for two people at eventbrite.com, are partially tax deductible. To learn more about the QEDC and the event, respectively, visit queensny.org and queenstaste.org. Funds from Queens Taste go toward attracting, creating and maintaining jobs in the World’s Borough.
Rob MacKay, the QEDC’s community deputy executive director, said the nonprofit is still searching for more food and drink purveyors, who may contact him at rmackay@ queensny.org or (718) 219-6243 if interested in being in the event.
“There’s going to be Caribbean, Asian, Latin and more types of food,” MacKay told the Chronicle. As for the vendors, “get your paperwork ready to go.”
Previous events were held at Citi Field, JFK Airport, the Sheraton LaGuardia and the New York Hall of Science. Last year’s Queens Taste drew more than 500 people.
“We sell out every single year, and once you step inside the event, you immediately see [and smell, and taste] why.” Q
No soccer hike on LIRR fares
May following analyses by scientists from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and Armed Forces Medical Examiner System.
Veneziano died in 2019, so she never learned her brother was found.
Traverson-Mace said it is a “miracle” and a “blessing” to give her great-uncle a proper send-off, but she wishes her grandmother could have seen it.
“I do believe that they are together and they’re all looking down on us,” she said.
Governale will be honored with a full military funeral April 24, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Brooklyn. He will be buried at Ridgewood’s Linden Hill United Methodist Cemetery, joining his parents and sister.
Governale is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines. A rosette next to his name will note that he has been found.
“We want to share his story to obviously honor his memory, but also honor the memories of those who haven’t been that lucky and haven’t been able to return to their families,” Traverson-Mace said.
“What might seem impossible could happen ... you might one day be in a similar situation with us, and you might be able to find your loved one. So don’t give up.” Q
Any Queens soccer fans worried that the MTA might jack up fares during World Cup games, like New Jersey Transit reportedly plans to, need not be concerned.
A spokesperson for the Long Island Rail Road confirmed for the Chronicle on Monday that tickets will remain at their regular prices during the soccer tournament, set for June 11 through July 19, with some games at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.
NJT has come under fire from the likes of U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for allegedly planning to raise round-trip fares to as much as $150 — from the usual $12.90 — for people taking trains to the games from Manhattan. Anyone riding the rails from Queens will not have to worry about that until they get to Penn Station and switch from the MTA to NJT. Bus and subway fares here also will stay the same.
The potential for the games to impact New York policy was made clear earlier this month when the city Parks Department announced heavy restrictions on large-scale gatherings this summer because of both the tournament and the 250th birthday of the United States. Q — Peter C. Mastrosimone
Highs
and lows
by Stephanie G. Meditz
We all know the saying — time heals all wounds.
It’s certainly true in some cases, but maybe not when you’re at your 20-year high school reunion, reliving what never really felt like “the good old days” with people you’ve never really forgiven.
Maybe it wasn’t time or healing as much as it was distance and distraction, and maybe what you hoped would be closure just reopened wounds you thought you’d stitched up for good.
Or maybe that’s when you learn to keep your feet underneath you, honor what was and make peace with what is.
Headwall Theatre Co.’s production of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ “The Comeuppance” at The Secret Theatre is a darkly funny, occasionally uncomfortable and endlessly thought-provoking exploration of how to remember the past while staying grounded in the present. As the characters reflect on old relationships, struggles and inside jokes, they are faced with both how much and how little has changed, without even a clue what comes next.
ttle ext. registered to someone else.”
Play sees old friends reopen old wounds over drinks and drags
“When I read it, I immediately connected with the play and the characters and everything that it was about, like the exploration of memory and how different people can remember the same event very differently,” director Josh Lombard said. “Or sometimes, something that deeply affected one person stays with them forever, and it might not even have
Emilio (Benjamin Cardona) is the first to arrive for some pregaming before the
is the first to arrive for some pregaming before the reunion. The host is Ursula (Le’Asha Julius), who is losing her sight and does not plan to go to the actual party. The evening begins with giggles, jungle juice and talk of the Covid-19 pandemic, before it devolves into awkward hellos, secondhand embarrassment and recollections of Columbine and Sept. 11, 2001. Eventually, truths and emotions are
unearthed that leave each of the characters questioning everything.
The show has its fair share of darkness and hurt, especially as each member of the Multi-Ethnic Reject Group — particularly
King Crossword Puzzle
I HAVE OFTEN WALKED
Nancy McKeon had a cup of Jo in Forest Hills
by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor
Donald Charles McKeon was the firstborn child to James and Marjorie McKeon, born on Dec. 8, 1934. Two sisters followed. His father was a well-known and loved local tavern bartender. They owned a house at 10116 Ascan Ave. in Forest Hills.
Donald graduated Forest Hills High Schol in 1953. He owned his own successful travel agency. On a trip to London he met a girl named Barbara, brought her home and married her in 1962. They set up home on 163rd Street in Flushing but soon moved out to Westbury, LI, when their first child, Philip, arrived on Nov. 11, 1964. Their daughter, Nancy Justine, followed on April 4, 1966.
Preschooler Philip had a modeling gig for Sears and Roebuck. Nancy, then 2, was on hand and also was hired. That led to 65 commercials over the next seven years.
Perhaps to be closer to the city for acting gigs, and Donald’s family, they moved to 68-34 Olcott St. in Forest Hills around 1970. In 1980, Nancy got the role of Jo Polniaczek in “The Facts of Life,” co-starring in 189 episodes over nine years. When the show ended,
she produced movies through her own film company, Forest Hills Entertainment. Her father helped manage her funds.
McKeon married Texan Marc Andrus in Travis, Texas, on June 8, 2003, they have two children. He was working as a key grip when she met him on a Hallmark movie set.
Still active today, McKeon was most recently working in the off-Broadway play “Pen Pals” in 2025. Q
B SPORTS EAT
by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor
Poet T.S. Eliot wrote, “April is the cruelest month” as the opening line in his poem “The Waste Land,” written in 1922. I have a feeling if Eliot were alive today, he would be a Mets fan. After getting off to a respectable 7-4 start, the team hit the skids by going into a double-digit losing streak. While it would be hyperbolic to say the season is over, there is an understandable lugubrious feeling amongst the Flushing faithful that it’s getting late incredibly early.
Mets fans might be slightly more charitable if this stretch did not look like an extension of the 2025 season from mid-June right through the end of September. Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns tried to do damage control by meeting with the media last Friday in the Mets dugout in Wrigley Field before their matinee with the Chicago Cubs.
Stearns attempted to convey an “everything is all right” and “all teams go through this” message. I am not sure if he grew up reading MAD Magazine, but his “What, Me Worry?” shtick would have embarrassed Alfred E. Neuman, and it failed to assuage the fan base. The Mets went on to lose their ninth straight game, which marked their longest losing streak since 2004.
There is no doubt the absence of slugger Juan Soto, because of a right calf injury, has been a big reason for the club’s malaise. All teams endure
injuries to star players, but good teams find a way to overcome them. It is telling of the Mets culture that they have never been known for their “next man up” attitude. As we have seen all too often, they do not fare well when adversity strikes.
The leading culprit for the Mets’ putrid April has been shortstop Francisco Lindor. It has been a struggle for him to get to the .200 batting average mark. I am willing to overlook that because (1) Lindor always has slow starts, and (2) he is recovering from hamate bone surgery in his left hand.
Perhaps Lindor does not feel the bone in his hand is fully healed, or something else has been distracting him, because he has endured several embarrassing mental lapses such as being picked off third base; forgetting how many outs there were in an inning; and being out of position for some ground balls. That is very uncharacteristic.
The same starting pitchers who let the Mets down in the second half of 2025 are picking up where they left off. Opposing hitters have pummeled Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea and David Peterson. To be fair, Peterson pitched well in his four innings of work against the Cubs on Sunday.
Following Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Cubs, SNY’s Todd Zeile called out the team for its popgun offense, and for implying they lacked grit compared to the Mets squads he was on.
See the extended version of Sports Beat every week at qchron.com
The home of “The Facts of Life” star Nancy McKeon at 68-34 Olcott St. in Forest Hills, as it looked when she lived there. INSET,REAGAN
You won’t outsmart either of these Matildas
by Mark Lord qboro contributor
A multigenerational, multiethnic, multitalented group of performers has been assembled for the latest theatrical offering from The Gingerbread Players of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Forest Hills: “Matilda,” a musical based on the popular Roald Dahl novel of the same name. Three performances remain this weekend.
It tells an emotion-filled story, one which will make you laugh one minute and touch your heart the next. Its messages revolve around the importance of knowledge, courage and, perhaps most significantly, justice.
The plot centers on the title character, a child prodigy who is abused by her family but, not surprisingly, triumphs in the end, only after overcoming some overwhelming obstacles. Another show, the ever-popular “Annie,” comes to mind.
The music and lyrics were written by Tim Minchin and the book is by Dennis Kelly, who won a Tony Award for his efforts.
The current production was directed by Gingerbread mainstay Jean Tessier, who, once again, displays an ability to put on quite a show on the troupe’s postage stamp stage.
The cast, including veterans and newcomers to the group, is headed by Hazel Lau
Gleich, left, and Hazel Lau
and Yaelle Gleich, who alternate in the demanding title role.
At the performance being reviewed, the final dress rehearsal the night before opening, each young lady was on stage for one of the two acts. Each displayed confidence beyond her years, a sweet singing voice and a thorough understanding of the complex character entrusted to her.
Brooke Lynn McGowan proved a real menace as Miss Trunchbull, the child-hating,
the
tyrannical headmistress at Matilda’s school. She was offset nicely by Aglaia Ho’s Miss Honey, an understanding teacher who appreciates Matilda’s special gifts.
Bart DeFinna was a standout as Mr. Wormwood, Matilda’s father, an unscrupulous businessman who is addicted to watching television. His post-intermission address to the audience was delightfully over the top.
Matching his histrionics as his ballroom
dancer wife was Farah Diaz-Tello, who surely possesses the most eye-popping pair of eyes since Carol Channing. At the other extreme was the equally effective Suzanne Schick, who brought much sensitivity to the kindhearted librarian, Mrs. Phelps.
Hats off to the nearly two dozen youngsters who have been drilled in their paces by Tessier and choreographer Gabby Fidis. Among them, Alexander Gropper took honors as the most animated child imaginable.
Special kudos to Liat Zalait, in a very brief appearance as a scary teacher.
Musical director Lulu Chen single-handedly provided all the accompaniment that was required.
The colorful costumes by Guy Queen added greatly to the overall effect.
Remaining performances at the church, at 85 Greenway South in Forest Hills Gardens, are on April 24 at 8 p.m. and April 25 and 26 at 2:30 p.m. The suggested donation for tickets is $20, or $15 for seniors.
For further information, call (718) 2687772 or visit gingerbreadplayers.org. Q
In LIC, reflect on the past through present eyes
continued from page 21
Kristina (Lanisha Javon Gholston) and Caitlin (Tanya Perez) — grapples with the choices they’ve made and whether they can, or should, still chase their happiness.
Javon Gholston puts on a gripping performance — Kristina first presents as a funloving Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps member-turned doctor, but the audience soon sees her as a scared, increasingly drunk woman who feels trapped.
Crossword Answers
Perez, too, is a standout, in that Caitlin is visibly quick to defend her choices and subtly afraid when she dares to ask herself what she really thinks and wants.
Exasperated, haunted and impassioned at exactly the right moments, Cardona stuns in the role of Emilio. Arisael Rivera’s portrayal of Francisco also succeeds in creating a palpable sense of unease.
But with the show’s darkness comes a glimmer of hope, like the balloons on the sides of the stage during the performance.
Each character is an unreliable narrator, and at times, the past seems almost as uncertain as the future.
As watchers, the audience is privy to just some of what comes next, but the characters are not. It’s easy to dread the unknown future, but there’s always a choice to see beauty in that, take each moment for what it is and just keep going.
“This play does a beautiful job of trying to get you to let go of the past traumas, let go of the toxicity of the world that’s not in our control, and really try to be present and be good to those around you,” Lombard said. “Because that’s what we can do.”
The remaining performances are at 7:30 p.m. April 23, 24 and 25. Tickets are available on a sliding scale, from $35 to $55. One may visit headwalltheatrecompany.org to learn more, and email headwalltheatre@ gmail.com with questions.
The Secret Theatre is located at 10-10 44 Ave. in Long Island City.
“We don’t have the past,” Lombard said. “We don’t have what happened yesterday ... yes, it might have left a mark on us, but it doesn’t have to consume us.” Q
Yaelle
alternate in
starring role in “Matilda.” Brooke Lynn McGowan, right, plays Miss Trunchbull. Three shows remain. PHOTOS BY MARK LORD
Arisael Rivera, left, Tanya Perez, Le’Asha Julius and Lanisha Javon Gholston unearth old conflicts onstage as they play characters attending their 20-year high school reunion in “The Comeuppance.” On the cover: Flanked by Perez and Julius, Benjamin Cardona in the role of Emilio shares baby pictures with his old friends. PHOTOS BY ALEXIA HAICK
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Notice is hereby given that a Summer Restaurant On Premises Full Liquor License, Application ID NA-0341-26-101203 has been applied for by Rockaway Ocean Club Rooftop LLC d/b/a Rockaway Ocean Club serving beer, wine, cider and liquor to be sold at retail for on premises consumption in a restaurant for the premises located at 157 Rockaway Beach Blvd., 3rd Floor, Rockaway Park, NY 11694
Notice is hereby given that an On-Premises, Profit Private ClubLiquor License, NYS Application ID NA-0425-26-106868 has been applied for by Rockaway Ocean Clubhouse LLC d/b/a Rockaway Ocean Club serving beer, wine, cider, mead and liquor to be sold at retail for on premise consumption in a Private Club with one addtional bar under the ABC law at 157 Rockaway Beach Blvd., Rockaway Park, NY 11694.
Notice of Formation of 1010 47TH AVENUE LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/12/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LLC, 5001 5TH STREET, 2A, LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11101. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
25TH AVENUE PROPERTY LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 01/28/2026. 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, 101-05 Lefferts Blvd., Ste 207, S Richmond Hill, NY 11419. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
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.
Notice of Formation of CONNECTA SOLUTIONS LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/17/2026. 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: Giovanny Ospina, 3031 42ND STREET, APT 2, ASTORIA, NY 11103 Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of CROWN REGO LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 10/24/2025. 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: OSHER NIYAZOV, 161-10A UNION TPKE, FRESH MEADOWS, NY 11366. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
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 Formation of GAN STAMFORD HOLDINGS LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/13/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o 220-46 73rd Ave., Bayside, NY 11364. Purpose: any lawful activities.
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 Formation of IVY AVENUE LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 04/01/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: TINA NGUYEN, 3450 43RD ST., #1R, LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11101 Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
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.
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.
EQUAL HOUSING. Federal, New York State and local laws prohibit discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, marital status, familial status or disability in connection with
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NOTICE OF SALE
Supreme Court County of Queens The Bank of New York Mellon FKA The Bank of New York as Trustee for the Certificateholders
CWALT, Inc. Alternative Loan Trust 2005-36 Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2005-36, Plaintiff AGAINST Juan Pimentel, Leidy M. Pimental, Alexis Cordero, et al, Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on May 14, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Queens County Courthouse, 88-11 Sutphin Blvd., Second Floor Courtroom 25, Jamaica, NY 11435 on May 8, 2026 at 10:00 AM premises known as 133-12 129th Street, South Ozone Park, NY 11420. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the County of Queens, City and State of New York, BLOCK: 11787, LOT: 42. Approximate amount of judgment is $696,327.70 plus interests and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 705485/2024. This sale may be subject to the US Dept of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Real Estate Reporting Rule. In such event, all purchasers are required to provide the information needed for proper reporting in accordance with the terms of sale. For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction. com or call (800) 2802832. Frances Yetta Ruiz, Referee FRENKEL LAMBERT WEISMAN & GORDON LLP 53 Gibson Street, Bay Shore, NY 11706 01-025057-F01 89657
PARALITOS LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/06/2026. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Nikolaos Grigorios Kavnoydias, 23-31 28th St., Astoria, NY 11105. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
ADMINISTRATION CITATION File No. 2021-61/A
SURROGATE’S COURT - QUEENS COUNTY CITATION
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
By the Grace of God Free and Independent TO Public Administrator of Queens County, Hugh McIntosh
THE HEIRS AT LAW, NEXT OF KIN AND DISTRIBUTEES OF ALICE
DIXON, the decedents herein, if living and if any of them be dead, to their heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, legatees, executors, administrators, assignees and successors in interest whose names are unknown and cannot after diligent inquiry, be ascertained A petition having been duly filed by Kinsey Bartlett, Assistant Secretary of Compu-Link Corporation as attorney-in-fact for WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, not individually but solely as trustee for FINANCE OF AMERICA STRUCTURED SECURITIES ACQUISITION TRUST 2018HB1, domiciled at 3900 Capital City Blvd, Lansing, MI 48906. YOU ARE HEREBY CITED TO SHOW CAUSE before The Surrogate’s Court, QUEENS County, Jamaica, NY on amay 21st, 2026, in Courtroom 62 at 9:30 in the forenoon of that day, why a decree should not be made in the estate ALICE DIXON lately domiciled at 196-12 104TH AVENUE, SAINT ALBANS, NY 11412 in the County of QUEENS, New York, granting Limited Letters of Administration to Unknown Heirs, distributees of decedent and if they fail to qualify, then to the PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR OF QUEENS COUNTY, and if they are permitted to renounce, Hugh McIntosh or distributees of the decedent, and if they fail to qualify, then to the Public Administrator of QUEENS County, and if they are permitted to renounce, then to Melissa D. Mohan, Esq., nominee of the petitioner, upon duly qualifying, AND, that the authority of the representative under the foregoing Letters be limited as follows: For the limited purpose of accepting service of process in the residential foreclosure action currently pending in the Supreme Court of QUEENS County under index number 725744/2021; HON. Cassandra A Johnson, Dated, Attested and Sealed, March 25, 2026, (Seal) Janet Edwards, Chief Clerk, Name of Attorney for Petitioner: Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, Tel. No. (516) 280-7675 Address of Attorney: 900 Merchants Concourse, Westbury, NY 11590. NOTE: This citation is served upon you as required by law. You are not required to appear. If you fail to appear it will be assumed you do not object to the relief requested. You have a right to have an attorney-at-law appear for you.
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.
Notice of Formation of PROSLOT BOS LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/20/2026. 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, 5031 211th STREET, BAYSIDE HILLS, NY 11364 Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS SUMMONS Index #706189/2025
THREE IN ONE EQUITIES, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/19/10. Latest date to dissolve: 12/31/2080. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 31-10 37th Avenue Ste 500, Long Island City, NY 11101. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of Woodside North Condominium LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with NY Dept. of State: 3/26/26. Office location: Queens County. Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: 203 Park Lane, Douglas Manor, NY 11363, principal business address. Purpose: all lawful purposes.
Original filed with Clerk March 4, 2025 Plaintiff Designates Queens County as the Place of Trial. The Basis of Venue is that the subject action is situated in Queens County. Premises: 189-02 120th Avenue, St. Albans, NY 11417 MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC, Plaintiff, -against- TONY A. RICHBERG AKA ANTHONY RICHBERG AS HEIR OF THE ESTATE OF MAGLINE RICHBERG; TAIKEYA RICHBERG AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF MAGLINE RICHBERG AND MAGLINE RICHBERG’S UNKNOWN HEIRS AT LAW, NEXT OF KIN, DISTRIBUTEES, EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, TRUSTEES, DEVISEES, LEGATEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, AND SUCCESSORS IN INTERST AND GENERALLY ALL PERSONS HAVING OR CLAIMING UNDER, BY OR THROUGH SAID DEFENDANT WHO MAY BE DECEASED, BY PURCHASE, INHERITANCE, LIEN OR OTHERWISE, ANY RIGHT, TITLE OR INTEREST IN THE REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN THE COMPLAINT HEREIN; DAVID CEDER AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF SIMON CEDER AND HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF HANNAH CEDER AND SIMON CEDER’S UNKNOWN HEIRS AT LAW, NEXT OF KIN, DISTRIBUTEES, EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, TRUSTEES, DEVISEES, LEGATEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, AND SUCCESSORS IN INTERST AND GENERALLY ALL PERSONS HAVING OR CLAIMING UNDER, BY OR THROUGH SAID DEFENDANT WHO MAY BE DECEASED, BY PURCHASE, INHERITANCE, LIEN OR OTHERWISE, ANY RIGHT, TITLE OR INTEREST IN THE REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN THE COMPLAINT HEREIN AND HANNAH CEDER’S UNKNOWN HEIRS AT LAW, NEXT OF KIN, DISTRIBUTEES, EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, TRUSTEES, DEVISEES, LEGATEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, AND SUCCESSORS IN INTERST AND GENERALLY ALL PERSONS HAVING OR CLAIMING UNDER, BY OR THROUGH SAID DEFENDANT WHO MAY BE DECEASED, BY PURCHASE, INHERITANCE, LIEN OR OTHERWISE, ANY RIGHT, TITLE OR INTEREST IN THE REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN THE COMPLAINT HEREIN; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; SIMON CEDER; HANNAH CEDER; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, and JOHN DOE AND JANE DOE #1 through #7, the last seven (7) names being fictitious and unknown to the Plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, oc cupants, persons or parties, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the mortgaged premises described in the Complaint, Defendants. TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff’s Attorney(s) within 20 days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York); the United States of America may appear or answer within 60 day of service hereof; and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: The foregoing Summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Hon. Karina E. Alomar, a Justice of the Supreme Court, Queens County, entered March 12, 2026 and filed with the complaint and other papers in the Queens County Clerk’s Office. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the amount of $525,000.00 recorded in the office of the clerk of Queens County on January 8, 2009 in CRFN: 2009000006098 covering premises known as 189-02 120th Ave, Saint Albans, NY 11412 a/k/a Block 12664, Lot 24. The relief sought in he within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. 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 fi led this foreclosure proceeding against you and fi ling the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Dated: Uniondale, New York March 4, 2025 Respectfully submitted, Pincus & Tarab, Attorneys at Law, PLLC By: Linda P. Manfredi, Esq.Attorneys for Plaintiff 425 RXR Plaza Uniondale,
Notice of Formation of YNH NOTARY SERVICES LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 04/07/2026. 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: YOMARI NUNEZ HINRICKSEN, 28-24 STEINWAY STREET, #111, ASTORIA, NY 11103. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
