Owners, consumers worry about local impact of uncertain policies Businesses in Queens brace for Trump tariffs
by Stephanie G. Meditz Associate Editor
To the chagrin of many global leaders, President Trump has held firm to his campaign promise of levying tariffs on foreign imports.
But although that has remained consistent since Trump took office, not much else has. Rates have fluctuated rapidly, and the goods to which they apply have changed often.
Just last week, the United States reached an agreement with China to pause their mutual triple-digit tariffs for 90 days. The United States lowered its rate from 145 to 30 percent, while China came down to 10 percent from 125. The U.S. administration’s universal 10 percent tariffs remain in effect.
“The degree to which this tariff pause is opportunistic in terms of helping us going forward, I think could be a significant positive,” John Buran, the president and CEO of Flushing Financial Corp. and Flushing Bank, told the Chronicle.
However, Buran said, higher interest rates have stunted loan growth for quite some time, as has a general sense of caution in the current economic climate.
A recent report from the networking platform Alignable in partnership with Harvard Business School and researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found
Mark Schienberg, left, and John Buran both spoke to the nation’s economic uncertainty in light of Trump’s tariffs, but discussed what stakeholders might do to keep costs low.
that 50 percent of small business owners anticipate revenue losses if tariff conditions continue. Some say they have already lost income due to rising trade costs.
While several stakeholders in Queens’ business community have not yet experienced any effects of tariffs, they are bracing for potential future changes.
“They can’t plan ahead, because one day
the tariffs are 145 percent, then they’re 80 percent,” Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce President Leslie Brown said. “So everyone’s pretty confused.”
Amid that confusion, the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce recently had a meeting with Joyce Moy, who oversees LaGuardia Community College’s Small Business Development Center, that focused on how to pre-
pare owners for changes in their business.
Among the tips shared was for them to consider taking out loans now and setting the money aside in case borrowing becomes more difficult in the future.
While banks have been especially prudent about lending as of late, Buran said that is not a bad idea.
“I think it’s always good to have some sort of precautionary view, particularly in an environment like this, which has been so erratic, to a degree,” he said.
Threats and risks are possible in any environment, he later added — it is simply a matter of adjusting one’s business model to accommodate changes.
“I’ve been in the business for 40 years, and the acceleration and the pace of change is such that we all have to be much more cognizant of what’s going on on a day-to-day basis and be willing to make those adjustments to accommodate whatever type of environment that you’re in,” Buran said.
The Trump administration in March levied 25 percent tariffs on imported cars. More recently, it imposed the fees on auto parts.
Mark Schienberg, president of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association based in College Point, said tariffs have been a “mixed bag” for auto dealers and
continued on page 18
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Fresh Mozzarella, Pepperoni,
A/S service returns to the Rockaways
The MTA’s 17-week resiliency and rehabilitation project is complete
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
The A train is back up and running through Rockaway, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced on Monday.
The Rockaway line, which carries the A and S trains, is the connection between the peninsula and the rest of the city, reaching a population of almost 125,000 residents.
Since January, repair work on a stretch of the A line between the Howard Beach-JFK Airport stop and Far Rockaway-Mott Av or Rockaway Park-Beach 116 St., part of the Rockaway Line Resiliency and Rehabilitation Project, left service suspended and commuters taking alternate routes.
During that time, New York City Transit ran a fare-free shuttle train that served all stations on the peninsula between Far Rockaway and Rockaway Park, led by Rockaways Service Lead Hugo Zamora. More than 100 free shuttle buses ran in place of the A train, the MTA said, with the Q97 delivering nonstop trips between Howard Beach-JFK Airport and Far Rockaway-Mott Av and the Q109 running between Howard Beach-JFK Airport and Beach 67 St. Select QM15 buses were extended and QM16s and QM17s made addi-
tional peak trips.
MTA Construction & Development carried out a complete reconstruction of Hammels Wye, an elevated structure that all trains must cross to reach the peninsula, the MTA said.
The South Channel Bridge, which must swing open to allow for marine traffic to cross Jamaica Bay, also
underwent an overhaul to update its aging electrical and mechanical components, which previously were often the source of significant delays in train service.
The work aimed to ensure the structures, which are more than 65 years old, can withstand future extreme weather events.
Other components of the Rockaway Line Resiliency and Rehabilitation project included building 12-foot-high, 900-foot-long wave barriers along the tracks to protect against coastal storm surges and can withstand future Superstorm Sandylike strength storms.
After 17 weeks of critical resilien-
cy and rehabilitation work, which the MTA said was completed on time and on budget, $393 million, officials on Monday celebrated the resumption of service. Assemblymembers Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach) and Khaleel Anderson (D-South Ozone Park), state Sen. James Sanders Jr. (D-South Ozone Park) and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards were among those who joined Gov. Hochul and MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber in Far Rockaway.
“The A train is a key artery of New York City, stretching all the way from Inwood to the ocean, and for residents of the Rockaways, it is a critical lifeline,” Hochul said in a statement. “That’s why we made a promise to this community that we would get the A train back in service by Memorial Day. Today, we deliver on that promise, bringing reliable service to the A line that riders will be able to count on for decades.”
“The Rockaway project reflects what the new MTA is doing — delivering capital work on-time and onbudget with minimal impacts to customers and maximum benefit,” Lieber said. “The line is now fully rebuilt and better prepared to withstand the extreme conditions we are facing in the age of climate change.” Q
Organizations promise to build up to 50,000 new units around NYC RW, Cirrus partner up for workforce housing
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
The five boroughs will be getting up to 50,000 new units of affordable workforce housing, Resorts World New York City announced last Thursday.
More than 150 members of the organized labor movement and leadership from Cirrus Workforce Housing gathered with Resorts World executives and area officials for the announcement on May 15 at RWNYC in South Ozone Park.
Most new housing development today targets either wealthy buyers or low-income earners, while middleincome families, those earning between 80 and 140 percent area median income, have seen 18 percent of the city’s new housing investments over the past decade, according to the city Rent Guidelines Board.
To address the issue, Cirrus Workforce Housing in March 2024 announced a memorandum of understanding with the city and the Building and Construction Trades Council to develop workforce housing on public lands using union labor.
That agreement laid the foundation for the new initiative, bringing a major investment from Resorts World, the single-largest employer of Hotel and Gaming Trades Council members, to supercharge the effort and expand its reach across the city.
The initiative will focus on largescale projects across the five boroughs, RWNYC said, and the partnership will begin to invest in new housing developments in the “immediate term.”
At the time of the March 2024 announcement, the city said pension funds affiliated with BCTC members
and other Building Trades unions, along with Cirrus, pledged more than $100 million in an initial fundraising stage. Cirrus expects to raise a total of over $400 million.
While a specific dollar amount from RWNYC was not disclosed, Resorts World officials said the organization has made a downpayment on a multimillion-dollar commitment over the next several years.
Kevin Jones, the chief legal and chief strategy officer at Genting Americas, RWNYC’s parent company, said the organization is committed to quickly addressing the housing crisis.
“Our partnership with Cirrus, labor pension funds and contractors will ensure there is union-financed, union-built, and union-lived in fair housing across the five boroughs. New Yorkers who power this city
Officials and MTA employees on Monday joined Gov. Hochul, center, and MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber, second from right, in Rockaway to celebrate the completion of of resiliency work on the A line. PHOTO BY MARC HERMANN / MTA
New bill by Rajkumar would hold irresponsible owners accountable Lawmaker pushes for dog handling rules
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
A new bill by Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar (D-Woodhaven) seeks to establish penalties for reckless dog handling, while tightening leash law enforcement. A8462, known as “Penny’s Law,” was drafted after two pit bulls critically injured a 10-year-old Chihuahua, Penny, in Manhattan earlier this month and the owners allegedly fled the scene.
As it stands now, an owner allowing a dog to attack or even kill a dog is not a criminal offense unless the owner personally attacks the dog or a person is injured: under the law, the dogs are classified as property.
The bill aims to create new legal definitions for mishandling dogs, and would mandate that all dogs be restrained in public places unless signage specifically states otherwise. All city parks would be required to post visible signs indicating leash laws.
Under the measure, individuals who allow dogs to run at large in violation of law on four or more occasions would be guilty of negligent handling, a non-criminal violation.
Reckless handling in the third degree would apply when a dog injures an animal or person without justification. In such incidents, the handler would be responsible for medical costs. A second attack involving the same dog would lead to the dog being labeled “dangerous” under state law.
If an attack results in hospitalization or death, the owner could be charged with reckless handling in the second degree, a misdemeanor of unstated class.
The most severe charge, reckless handling in the first degree, would apply to owners who command their dogs to attack without being in imminent danger. The offense would be classified as a misdemeanor and could result in the dog being
left. The proposed legislation calls for penalties for reckless dog handling. NYS ASSEMBLY PHOTO / X
seized. In such cases, all members of the household could be prohibited from holding a dog license.
The bill also introduces a violation for handlers who fail to report an attack. Judges could suspend or revoke dog licenses for those in violation.
A change.org petition calling for the bill’s passage, started by Lauren Claus, Penny’s owner, has received more than 20,000 signatures as of publication. Rajkumar hosted a rally at City Hall last Friday for the bill, and Claus was in attendance.
“Anyone who has known the love of a dog knows they are much more than ‘property’: they are family,” Rajkumar, who is running for public advocate, said in a statement. “The fact that it is not a crime for someone to let their dog kill or injure your family member is a glaring injustice that needs fixing now.”
At the K9 Korral Dog Run in Forest Park, dog owners were largely supportive.
Michelle T., an owner of an English bulldog called Riley, told the Chronicle, “I support accountability. My boy is gentle, but he’s been chased around by some larger dogs. I get worried because some people are so nonchalant.”
Helen, the owner of a Chihuahua named Kelly, said her dog has been “whacked” before.
“A husky came in and basically slapped her,” she explained. “She was fine, but took a tumble down the hill. The man who owned him didn’t offer so much as an apology. So, yeah, that bill sounds good to me.”
Martin Singh, the owner of a pit bull mix named Rocco, said he was worried that the bill could further the negative stigma about what are called bully breeds.
“It doesn’t sound prejudiced against pits, but I’m worried the policing of dogs could lead to banning pit bulls altogether,” Singh said. “They’re the best. I’ve owned them all my life, always bring them out and about, and I’ve never had an incident.”
He added, “But if this bill makes owners be more responsible, maybe we’ll see less attacks, and people will realize it’s on the owner, not the dog.”
The bill is in the Assembly Committee on Agriculture. As of publication, it has one co-sponsor, Assemblymember Harvey Epstein (D-Manhattan), and does not have a state Senate counterpart. Q
CPSC kills e-bike battery proposal
Withdraws notice that aimed to create safety standards
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Federal lawmakers on Tuesday slammed the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s decision to withdraw the notice of proposed rulemaking on lithium-ion batteries in micromobility devices.
The batteries are commonly used in e-bikes and electric scooters, and are often manufactured abroad without being subject to acceptable safety standards. As a result, they commonly cause fires that lead to damage and serious injuries, and even death.
In New York City, rechargeable lithiumion batteries have caused more than 1,000 fires since 2019, resulting in 523 injuries, 34 deaths and damage to more than 650 structures, according to the FDNY. In 2024, there were 279 e-bike and e-mobility device battery fires in NYC, a dramatic increase from the 30 that occurred in 2019.
Elected officials at the city and state levels have introduced legislation to address the issue, while lawmakers such as U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) have dealt with the concerns at a federal level.
Along with U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx), Schumer and Gillibrand introduced the Setting Consumer Standards for
Lithium-Ion Batteries Act, which would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue a consumer product safety standard for rechargable lithium-ion batteries used in micromobility devices. It was passed by the House of Representatives on April 28.
The CPSC on April 30 unanimously voted to advance a proposed solution that would start the process to finalize federal regulations for lithium-ion batteries.
“Any delay would have condemned more Americans to gruesome deaths,” a statement by thenCommissioner Richard Trumka Jr. read.
“So, it wasn’t a close call — it was our duty to advance this rule.”
2-0 to withdraw the notice of proposed rulemaking, effectively killing the CPSC’s planned solution.
“As New Yorkers, we know firsthand how destructive faulty lithium-ion batteries can be, causing hundreds of fires, including fatalities, just last year,” Schumer, Gillibrand and Torres said in a joint statement.
“These unregulated products have killed and injured innocent New Yorkers.”
According to Trumka, the solution included battery management systems, protections to ensure safe operation and making battery packs tamper-resistant, among other precautions.
— U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, and U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres
However, on May 13, after President Trump fired three members of the CPSC, including Trumka, the commission voted
“These unregulated products have killed and injured innocent New Yorkers, while putting our public safety officers, especially our firefighters, in harm’s way. We were pleased with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s initial decision to begin the rulemaking process that would make the lithium-ion batteries safer.” The lawmakers continued, “However, we are dismayed at their decision to withdraw the notice of proposed rulemaking. We need the CPSC as a partner to help make critical progress in our fight to crack down on unregulated lithium-ion batteries, and we encourage them to reevaluate their dangerous and faulty decision.” Q
Blood drives in South Queens
According to the New York Blood Center, the summer months are a difficult time for the blood supply, as school breaks, travel and busy schedules make blood donation less of a priority, leading to seasonal shortages.
The group is seeking donors of all blood types, whose donations will be used to aid those in need, including surgery patients, cancer patients, mothers, babies and accident victims.
Information on how to donate blood or schedule a drive is available at nybc.org.
Upcoming blood drives in South Queens include:
• Resorts World New York City, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 5, at 110-00 Rockaway Blvd. in South Ozone Park;
• Richmond Hill South Ozone Park Lions Club, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 7, at 120-01 Liberty Ave. in South Richmond Hill; and • Knights of Columbus Council 197, from 8:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, June 14, at 94-04 Linden Blvd. in Ozone Park. Q — Kristen Guglielmo
Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, at mic, introduced a bill, Penny’s Law, named for a Chihuahua who was viciously attacked, owned by Lauren Claus,
Machines removed from some subway stations; Nassau trips won’t cost double MTA countdown on MetroCards begins
by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor
With MetroCards being phased out by the end of the year, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has begun removing or deactivating vending machines in subway stations.
For those who can just switch over to the OMNY fare payment system, the changeover can be seamless, with multiple options available and machines in every station.
For people who must commute back and forth between Queens and Nassau County however — this reporter is among them — it gets trickier as the Nassau Inter-County Express, or NICE bus system does not yet accept OMNY, and as machines for buying and filling MetroCards get fewer and fewer.
But both the MTA and a NICE spokesman said this week that NICE will be on OMNY before MetroCards are discontinued; and the MTA said MetroCard service will remain available until after the changeover so that Queens-Nassau commuters will not have to pay double fares on their trips.
A visit by the Chronicle to 11 E, F, E-F and JZ subway stations last week found that while many no longer offer MetroCard service, most are near stations that do have one or more active vending machines.
we’ll be on board with the OMNY system,” Smith told the Chronicle.
The MTA said MetroCards will continue to be accepted into 2026, though the agency recommends spending them down before they expire. Balances can be transferred or reimbursed for up to two years after the card’s expiration date.
Customers can transfer value from a MetroCard to an OMNY card at customer service centers in select subway stations, at the MTA office in Lower Manhattan or at mobile sales vehicles.
The Chronicle’s visit to the subway stations, conducted in the late afternoon and early evening on May 15, found that most of the stations with no machines had conspicuously posted signs at their entrances.
They included 71st Avenue in Forest Hills and Union Turnpike in Kew Gardens. In Jamaica they included Hillside Avenue at 144th Street, Sutphin Boulevard, Parsons Boulevard, and 168th Street; and Jamaica-Van Wyck by Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.
Retail locations such as convenience stores and bodegas will no longer sell MetroCards as of this coming fall.
“The MTA is working with NICE and other affiliates to help customers reach the
In an email this week, the MTA said MetroCard sales will end after Dec. 31, and that it will continue removing MetroCard machines through the end of the year.
end of the year without interruption,” the MTA spokesperson said.
Mark Smith, a spokesman for NICE, said an exact startup date for its OMNY system still is under discussion.
“By the end of the year when the OMNY system is full and the MetroCard is retired,
Stations where MetroCards could be bought and refilled in Jamaica included 179th Street, Jamaica Center at both entrances, the Jamaica Long Island Rail Road station at both the subway and AirTrain-JFK levels, Briarwood and 75th Street in Forest Hills. Q
A woman at the Union Turnpike station in Kew Gardens uses OMNY while a deactivated MetroCard machine waits to join Redbird cars and subway tokens in history. PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON
‘Moana Jr.’ makes waves
Audience members were treated to a vibrant, high-energy production of Disney’s “Moana Jr.” at PS/MS 207 in Howard Beach last Thursday.
Through funding from Councilmember Joann Ariola, Inside Broadway, a nonprofit theater company, partnered with the school on the production.
“Knowing the kids at PS/MS 207 took the stage with confidence and talent was a reminder of why this program matters so much,” Ariola said in statement. “Every child deserves the chance to experience the arts in a meaningful way, and these performances allow that to happen.”
She added that she looks forward to con-
tinued partnership with Inside Broadway, whose executive director, Katie McAllister, in a statement said the group was thrilled to partner with the school for a second year, and thanked Ariola for the support.
“This was an incredible opportunity for our students,” said PS/MS 207 Principal Lisa Nevins. “Being part of a professionally produced show gives our kids a chance to really experience the magic of live theater firsthand, and gain all of the skills that go along with being part of such a great performance.
“We are thankful to Inside Broadway for the expertise and their dedication to our children, and to Councilwoman Ariola for making this all happen.” — Kristen Guglielmo
NYS codifies 20-year NYPD retirement plan
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
A bill authored by state Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach), A3968, was included in the state budget, her office announced last week.
The legislation will codify a 20-year retirement plan for all NYPD members. Previously, NYPD officers hired after July 2009 had to serve 22 years to qualify for retirement, her office said, while those hired before that date needed only 20 years. The bill, developed with the NYC Police Benevolent Association, addresses that inconsistency, aligning NYPD retirement options with those in neighboring counties, which offer a flat 20-year option.
“It isn’t fair to have our police officers work different lengths of time, especially if we want to be competitive in recruiting and retaining the best of the best in law enforcement,” Pheffer Amato said in a statement. “By establishing a flat 20-year retirement option, we can ensure our police have pension equity with their peers.”
PBA President Patrick Hendry in a statement said, “Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato’s tireless advocacy has
bill and resolution in support of officers.
delivered a landmark victory for both police families and the safety of every New Yorker.”
Pheffer Amato also was the prime sponsor of an adopted resolution declaring May 11 to 17, 2025, as Police Week. She spoke at the 2025 Police Memorial Ceremony in Albany, where over 60 names were added to the monument to commemorate fallen officers. Q
Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato spoke at a police memorial ceremony in Albany on May 7, following the passage of her authored
EDITORIAL AGEP
Politicized community garden group had to go
Among the commitments the Sunset Community Garden required of its members is that they show “respect for the land.” That makes sense for gardening, the noblest of avocations. Unfortunately, the garden’s leadership also required other pledges that have nothing to do with creating beauty or sustenance from soil of good tilth, but just insert discriminatory politics where they don’t belong.
As a result, the garden has been closed, the members cannot keep tending it and the city will find another group to take over the site at the corner of Onderdonk and Willoughby avenues at the western end of Ridgewood. Meanwhile, the plants that are in the ground are thriving, including many that will serve pollinators such as bees and butterflies when they’re in bloom. Some are flowering already.
Signs at the site even declare that it holds a “pollinator garden in progress.” But that progress has had to end, except for what nature does on its own (which is most of the work, anyway). The reason is that Sunset Community Garden’s leadership had to turn the place into a base for politics. Most egregiously, members had to pledge to be anti-Zionist.
Zionism is the belief that Jewish people the world over have a home in Israel. Being anti-Zionist means that one
opposes the very existence of Israel — whether within its current borders, within its 1967 borders, or within its ancient historical borders.
Zionism has nothing to do with the ongoing conflict. Israel’s defensive war against the terrorists in the Gaza Strip — which the Jewish state vacated in 2005 in hopes of bringing peace, uprooting 9,000 of its own people — is the excuse people such as those who ran the garden have for being antiSemitic. And make no mistake — being anti-Zionist means being anti-Israel, which means being anti-Jewish.
Note that there was a ceasefire up until Oct. 7, 2023, when the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust was launched from Gaza. Peace today is not on the table until every hostage, living and dead, is returned to Israel.
How dare the Sunset Community Garden insist that its members be anti-Zionist — in the very heart of the city that has the world’s largest population of Jews outside of Israel. It is atrocious that a Jewish person who supports a homeland for his or her people would not be welcome at the garden. This is one of its “community values”? What community? Only one with a particular outlook. The garden’s leaders also insisted on adherence to other left-wing tropes like criti-
cizing the very capitalism that pays the taxes that provide for spaces such as the one the city was letting them cultivate.
Whether it was pledges of allegiance to extremist values, politicized events that neighbors found off-putting or intimidating, or the unauthorized installation of an art piece they refused to remove, those running the garden spurned the Parks Department’s many entreaties to straighten out and keep the space. Instead, they have blamed others and complained, which is, of course, just what spoiled brats do.
So now they’re out. The area historian and activist Christina Wilkinson, who fought for nine years to turn the space into a garden, so as “to give local residents who lack yards a place to grow their own food and plants,” put it well: “No other city-owned garden is run this way, and they have only themselves to blame for this inevitable termination notice.”
A community garden is a place for people to share their love of growing things and of spending time with each other. It’s not a place to declare that those who disagree with you do not belong. The city had no choice but to evict Sunset and seek new garden management. We hope it happens soon so someone can tend to all those plants that are doing so well, despite the noxious air surrounding them.
MARK WEIDLER
President & Publisher
SUSAN & STANLEY MERZON Founders
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Dear Editor:
LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
Bill debt Blasio
Well, they finally caught up to former Mayor Bill de Blasio. His arrogance is astounding, and unworthy of a public servant!
The city’s Conflicts of Interest Board ordered him to pay back $319,794.20 in expenses for his out-of-state travel using NYPD cops for three days, in pursuit of a failed presidential campaign. It originally had fined him an additional $155,000 on top of all expenses, but the fine was reduced to $10,000 as part of the deal, rewarding him after he was told explicitly not to do this.
And the icing on the cake is the debt is erased if he dies during the period of repayment. His heirs and estate will not be responsible. That’s not how it is in the real world, where a friend our son was responsible for his father’s debt when he died.
Thomas and Constance Dowd Oakland Gardens
Hear concert concerns
Dear Editor:
(An open letter to Community Board 6 members)
I’m greatly concerned over the NYPD and Forest Hills Stadium concert promoter’s plan for security for the upcoming show on May 31 at the stadium.
The public has yet to see a safety plan — how will it work? How will a private security
company be able to manage crowd control when its people don’t even have the permission of the Forest Hills Garden Corp. to be on its streets? What happens if there are nuisance issues, such as trespassing, urinating on private property, vandalism, etc.? They can’t hand out citations, so how does this work? What happens if there needs to be an emergency evacuation? This hardly assures residents that safety is a high priority.
It’s also highly disturbing to this frustrated parent that 30 percent of the scheduled events are planned when children have school the next day. Even more appalling is that none of our city officials, politicians and community board members have bothered to publicly advocate on behalf of students whose educational careers are impacted by the noise, vibrations, and disruptions that come with concerts at an open-air stadium, in a residential neighborhood, that is only 50 feet from the nearest house.
Why is it so difficult to speak up for students who are impacted by this? Couldn’t they at least pretend to show they care about children and their educational futures, or has their silence been bought? I would love to see a
show of hands from community board members and politicians who have received freebies from the stadium.
Lastly, I would like to point out that the much needed Long Island Rail Road Americans with Disabilities Act improvements seem to be delayed to accommodate the concert schedule. Again, why are government resources prioritized on the wants of a private corporate business, which has yet to satisfactorily resolve quality-of-life issues, over the needs of the disenfranchised from the local community?
Jean Hahn Forest Hills
Bikes must respect cars
Dear Editor:
While I see many articles, both news stories and letters, supporting bicyclist needs, I have not seen one give a full picture of why car drivers often have issues with the bicycling-riding public.
Why is it that few bicyclists follow the rules of the road? Here are just some, the major ones, of the things that cyclists do that are not only
LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
dangerous but for which car drivers get blamed if something does happen.
1. Cyclists very seldom come to a complete stop at red lights and stop signs. 2. Cyclists play chicken with pedestrians. 3. If I’ve already started to make a turn, a cyclist will cut in front of me even though I started the turn when the rider was five car lengths behind me. 4. Cyclists weave in and out of traffic, coming very close to cars. 5. Cyclists go faster than the 25 miles an hour speed limit. 6. When driving, I pass the same cyclist over and over because they don’t stop when traffic has to stop.
Maybe if bicyclists started fairly sharing the road with cars and pedestrians, drivers would have more tolerance of them. Right now it’s so one-sided that if a police officer tries to give a cyclist a ticket, the poor cop is chastised for trying to keep the public safe.
Gerald Bollinger Ridgewood
Raise age for FDNY test
Dear Editor:
Hello, my name is Lamar Kelly. I am creator of the petition “Lift the Age Limit for FDNY Employees Firefighter Promotional Exam and Raise the Age for the FDNY Open Competitive Exam,” available at chng.it/8Z428TbBCN. It has more than 3,500 signatures now.
I currently work for FDNY Emergency Medical Services, and I, along with others on FDNY EMS, have unfortunately aged out for the next firefighter promotional exam or open competitive exam.
Please reconsider the existing law, modified by bill 1190 of 2023 that the City Council approved and Mayor Adams signed, which provides a one-time raising of the age for those who were on the job and aged out in 2019 and 2020. An age extension to the age of 36 was granted back in 2012, when there was a fiveyear hiring freeze. The last promotional exam was last given in the year 2016, nine years ago.
A new one-time age extension would be beneficial to help me and other members of the EMS who have aged out waiting to take the next promotional exam. It would enable many more qualified young men and women to serve as one of NYC’s Bravest.
Thank you for your time.
Lamar Kelly Cambria Heights
63rd Drive jammed up
Dear Editor:
I have made several attempts to find out what the new traffic pattern on 63rd Drive in Rego Park will look like after this new building that got put up at Austin Street, opens. Instead of putting back a Long Island Rail Road train stop at 63rd Drive, which was there many years ago and could be used again, they put up a building that really does not belong on 63rd Drive at all. Now, it would be nice to know how all this traffic will be adjusted when people move into that new building, when some of them will have more than one car.
Sixty-third Drive is a two-lane road with cars parked on both sides of the street. Trucks double-parked with deliveries are all over the place. Parents drop off the children to go to PS 139. School buses load and unload children for
school. Cars make U-turns from the stores on the road. Police cars, fire trucks, garbage trucks and ambulances use the road all the time.
I am not sure how much parking the new building will have. Where are they going to park the cars that cannot park under it?
I have tried to find out more from Community Board 6 and the city Department of Transportation. A DOT official informed me that the Department of Buildings handles that aspect of the building, not the DOT — which is strange to me, but it is the City of New York, where it seems that one agency never talks to another agency.
So I guess I will have to wait and see how they mess this up.
Kathleen Schatz Rego Park
CB 13 should go hybrid
Dear Editor:
I read last week’s response by the current Queens Community Board 13 parliamentarian (“CB 13 meetings are legal,” Letters) to your well-researched article written by Naeisha Rose about the clear violations of the NYS Open Meetings Law by the board (“CB 13 in violation of Open Meetings Law,” May 8, multiple editions).
While I am a member of CB13Q, I am not authorized to speak for the board. I speak as a concerned Queens resident and as the Parliamentarian Emeritus of the University Student Senate of the City University of New York.
Neither NYS nor I are insisting that the board return to only in-person meetings. Hybrid meetings are authorized under state law, satisfy all requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act and would meet the needs of all of our board and community members. Most city and state agencies in 2025 routinely use hybrid meetings to conduct business in a fashion that maximizes participation for all. In fact, I have observed the current board parliamentarian testifying remotely at hybrid meetings while I waited my turn to speak from my home.
Also, when I was interviewed for a seat on CB13Q in 2022 I was asked if I would be able and willing to attend meetings in person due to the end of the Covid emergency that prompted the move to solely Zoom meetings. I said yes. I presume I was not the only one asked the question.
In addition, the writer failed to mention that the September 2024 resolution that he referred to was adopted in clear violation of another part of the NYS Open Meetings Law. The resolution to stay with solely Zoom meetings was distributed mere hours before the meeting, rather than the 24 hours minimum required under the Open Meetings Law, which would have permitted time for members and the community to consider the full ramifications.
David S. Pecoraro Rosedale
What did Reagan say?
Dear Editor:
Now I know what Ronald Reagan meant when he said, “the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help.” It hardly made continued on next page
LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
continued from previous page
sense to me. However, the Environmental Protection Agency’s intention to eliminate the division that oversees the Energy Star Program is bringing this administration’s ineptitude to a washing machine near you. So now it seems that Reagan was prescient. We’re currently awash in a tub of examples demonstrating this surprising foresight with more to come. Buzz me when the rinse and spin cycles are over. I’m ready to dry, iron, fold, and put this load of wash in the back of the closet.
Debra Michlewitz Bayside
Read Republican minds
Dear Editor:
Is Maria Contreras Collier out of her mind (“Do not cut Medicaid,” Letters, May 15)?
The Republican plan to cut $880 billion from Medicaid and remove healthcare from more than 72 million Americans — including children, families, seniors, new parents, people with disabilities and low-income people across the country — must be passed. Medicaid allows families to stay healthy and financially stable. It keeps our state budget steady. And it keeps the doors of hospitals (that we all depend on) open. Medicaid provides care for nearly half of the nation’s births, approximately 62 percent of long-term care residents in nursing homes and one in three people with disabilities. That’s why it is essential that Republicans get rid of it.
How else are they going to give trillions in tax cuts to the super wealthy?
Robert LaRosa Sr. Whitestone
Dual eligibility co$ts
Dear Editor:
Re Maria Contreras Collier’s May 15 letter, “Do not cut Medicaid”:
I agree that Congress should not cut $880 million from Medicaid funding. It is an essential healthcare program, though plagued with waste and abuse. One example is a dual eligibility enrollment option in all 50 states that allows people to benefit from Medicaid and Medicare, subverting the original intent of both programs and wasting taxpayers’ money. Over 12 million people are enrolled in both programs, among a total of 72 million enrolled in Medicaid and 66 million in Medicare, notes Google AI Overview. Dual eligibility enrollees are more likely to incur higher healthcare costs than those enrolled in just one program, says AI Overview.
The Medicare and Medicaid bill passed by Congress in 1965, and signed into law by then-President Lyndon Johnson, established Medicare as the primary health insurance program for seniors 65 and older. Medicaid was for low-income people until they turned 65 and could be covered by Medicare. But over the past 60 years, Medicaid has transformed into a long-term care program for many nursing home residents. I don’t begrudge them this coverage, but if they
receive essential assistance from Medicaid, why do they also need Medicare? That is waste and double dipping.
Seniors are entitled to be covered by either program but not both. Here’s one way to achieve that goal.
Medicare is fully funded by the federal government, but Medicaid is funded by the federal and state governments. President Trump could threaten to withhold federal Medicaid funding to all states that allow dual eligibility enrollment. This will likely trigger lawsuits, but it’s worth a try. It is time to end dual eligibility duplicity. I voice my complaint as a taxpayer and as a Medicare coverage recipient. Seniors deserve a lifeline from their government, but not a license to steal from it.
Richard Reif Kew Gardens Hills
Musk is the man
Dear Editor:
Originally, most left-wing individuals loved Elon Musk for his attempt to decrease greenhouse gases by developing the first very successful electric vehicles. Now, they hate him and believe he is trying to line his pockets by working with the Trump administration to trim the federal bureaucracy. Musk himself says that in everything he does, his only purpose is to make the world a better place. Who is right? Let’s look at the evidence.
Regarding Tesla, since Musk has begun working with the Trump administration, the value of his stock has decreased by about 20 percent. Tolerating this loss does not seem to be indicative of a man obsessed with money. Additionally, Musk holds dozens of patents for electric vehicles but allows other companies to use them without charging royalties.
Perhaps most importantly, Musk is the main shareholder of a company called NeuraLink. Its purpose is to develop methods of repairing damaged brain functions. So far he has used implants to enable people who have lost the power of speech to use their thoughts to control a computer that prints out their ideas and enabled people who are blind to see using electrodes implanted in the visual cortex.
Finally, SpaceX and it’s subsidiary, Starlink. When astronauts were trapped on the space station for months, NASA was unable to rescue them, but Musk used SpaceX to bring them home. A rocket moonshot costs SpaceX $2 billion. It costs NASA $20 billion. During the vile attack on Ukraine, Musk gave Ukraine the free use of hundreds of Starlink satellites to help locate Russian deployments to improve the accuracy of Ukrainian attacks. When the Ukrainians wanted to use Starlink to attack Russia on its home soil, he deferred that decision to the U.S. government.
My conclusion is that Elon Musk is both a great humanitarian and a true scientific visionary, perhaps the greatest we will have in the 21st century.
Michael Gallagher Forest Hills
Cops, kids and community
The NYPD’s 102nd Precinct on Sunday hosted its annual Cops and Kids Block Party, a partnership between the Queens South Community Affairs Section and the 102 Precinct Community Council, in front of its headquarters at 87-34 118 St. in Richmond Hill.
The event, which fosters positive relationships between the NYPD and the community’s youth, saw plenty of food, drinks, games and more for all to enjoy.
Some volunteers and officers took charge of the food, serving up burgers, hot
dogs, cultural cuisine and cotton candy, while others, top, ran a table of toys and games.
Other engaging activities included carnival games, a rock climbing wall, a bouncy house and a mobile gaming truck.
“A sunny day, smiling faces, and stronger bonds,” the precinct wrote on its Facebook page, accompanied by photos of the gathering. “Our Cops & Kids Block Party was all about fun, food, and building bridges. Thank you to everyone who joined us!” — Kristen Guglielmo
Community baby shower 5/29
All are welcome to help expectant mothers in need by attending a community baby shower on May 29, from 12 to 3 p.m. at 108-11 Atlantic Ave. in Richmond Hill. The gathering will celebrate those expecting who otherwise would not have the opportunity for their own baby shower.
The event is sponsored by Councilmember Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills), City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica) and Nyasha’s Promise, a nonprofit group that helps unhoused mothers by creating a sense of stability and belonging, and helping them access the essentials
they need to prepare for the arrival of their babies.
Nyasha’s Promise also collaborates with community partners to offer workshops for expectant mothers. More information can be found on the group’s website, at nyashaspromise.org.
The community is asked to consider purchasing items from Nyasha’s Promise’s Amazon wishlist, which can be found at tinyurl.com/4rcdyujd, to make sure the mothers have the supplies they need to provide for their newborns. Q — Kristen Guglielmo
Why CB 13 insists it can meet online
Its resolution vs. state law requiring in-person or hybrid board sessions
by Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief
As it continues to meet solely on Zoom, despite the state law requiring government meetings to be held in person, Community Board 13 is relying on a resolution it passed last fall spelling out its reasons.
The Sept. 23, 2024 resolution, which passed 38-1, notes that the Eastern Queens board has been holding its meetings in a virtual format since the advent of Covid, “pursuant to government mandates to meet in an alternative setting when public meetings were not possible.”
The shift from in-person meetings to virtual ones came in then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Order 202.1 of March 12, 2020. The order was rescinded on June 25, 2021, restoring the legal requirement that meetings of public bodies, including New York City community boards, be held in person, as per the state Open Meetings Law, Article 7 of the Public Officers Law, specifically in Section 103-a(2)(c).
That section allows for a meeting to include videoconferencing while specifying that “members of the public body shall be physically present at any such meeting unless such member is unable to be physically present at any such meeting location due to extraordinary circumstances ... and provided, further, that the public body maintains at least one physical location where the public can attend such a meeting.”
Ideas in conflict: a portion of the state Open Meetings Law, top, cited by the Committee on Open Government, and the “Resolved” section of Community Board 13’s virtual meetings resolution.
“There is no provision in the OML which authorizes fully remote meetings,” senior attorney for the state Committee on Open Government Christen Smith told the Chronicle via email Monday.
“Without an in-person quorum, the Board
cannot conduct or discuss public business,” she added.
CB 13 met again on Zoom that night. The meeting opened with criticism of this newspaper for covering the violations of the Open Meetings Law in a May 8 article. When member David
Pecoraro, who cast the lone dissenting vote against last fall’s resolution, tried to discuss the article and the OML during the public speaking portion of the meeting, his microphone was muted by another board member.
The September resolution spells out several reasons to continue meeting online only. It says the members are volunteers, that most meetings are at night and that bad weather often inhibits participation. It says the board has seen significantly greater participation since going to a virtual format, among its members, the public and elected officials and their representatives.
It says continued public health concerns impact attendance at the board’s in-person meetings, “including the ability to field a required quorum to conduct its business,” and it says “Public Health, Accessibility and Mobility must prevail over any possibly applicable in-person meeting requirement.”
The board also says that the Americans with Disabilities Act “supports its findings.”
Having been provided with the board’s resolution for review, Smith said, “In our opinion, the attached Resolution is inconsistent with the requirements of the Law.”
The chairman of CB 13, Bryan Block, and District Manager Mark McMillan did not respond to emails regarding this story or
continued on page 18
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Man allegedly fondled girl, 11, in Forest Park
Victim was saved by father, police said
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
An 11-year-old girl was abducted late Tuesday afternoon in Forest Park, but her father scared off the perpetrator, who was later apprehended, police said.
At approximately 4:40 p.m., the child was riding her bicycle along a path in the park when Teddy Moussignac, 44, of 102nd Street in Ozone Park, allegedly grabbed her off the bike, dragged her into a wooded area and fondled her, authorities said.
When the girl’s father, a 37-year-old male who was nearby, allegedly saw Moussignac holding his daughter, he yelled, causing the perpetrator to release the girl and flee on foot.
Officers with the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct were notified and canvassed the park with the victim and her father. They located Moussignac, who was arrested at 5:27 p.m. The child was treated for minor injuries at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.
Moussignac was charged with first-
degree kidnapping, first-degree sex abuse, criminal obstruction of breathing, forcible touching, acting in a manner injurious to a child, third-degree assault and second degree harassment, police said.
Moussignac was arraigned early Wednesday in Queens Criminal Court, the District Attorney’s Office said. He is remanded with a bail of $150,000 and $450,000 bond, and the victim was given a full order of protection.
He is due back in court May 23.
Among those to react to the crime was area Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar (D-Woodhaven), who said she spoke with the 102nd Precinct about the allegations.
“I will not tolerate such vile crimes in my district, and I call upon the perpetrator to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Rajkumar said in a prepared statement. “In the coming days, I will be working closely with law enforcement and all stakeholders to determine the resources we need to end such heinous acts once and for all.” Q
Necklace thieves on mopeds sought
by Stephanie G. Meditz Associate Editor
Two individuals have been riding around the 102nd and 104th Precincts and stealing or attempting to steal necklaces, according to police.
Cops said that just before 3 p.m. on April 29, two unidentified males on a red moped approached a 13-year-old boy in front of 86-42 Forest Pkwy. in Woodhaven and took his necklace. They then fled southbound on Forest Parkway toward Jamaica Avenue.
Two men on a red moped nabbed a 17-year-old girl’s necklace at around 5:30 p.m. May 1, police said. She reportedly was walking near Cooper Avenue and 71st Place in Glendale when the men approached her, and they then fled northbound on 71st.
At around 6:30 p.m. the next day, in front of 82-49 Penelope Ave. in Middle Village, two males on a black moped allegedly pulled a knife and placed a 13-year-old boy in a chokehold before stealing his necklace. They fled east on Penelope Avenue toward Woodhaven Boulevard, police said.
A 64-year-old woman was allegedly approached by two males on a black moped
at noon on May 4 in front of 56-18 69 St., the address of Maspeth Federal Savings Bank. After trying and failing to remove her necklace, they fled on 69th Street toward Grand Avenue, police said. No injuries were reported in any of the incidents. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1 (888) 57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit tips by logging onto nypdcrimestoppers.com, or by texting 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577, or by going to @nypdtips on X. All tips are confidential. Q
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Police seek the above two men for several robberies on a moped. PHOTO COURTESY NYPD
Political ‘litmus tests’ for members drive city to end license agreement Parks moves to evict Ridgewood garden
by Stephanie G. Meditz Associate Editor
The city’s Parks Department on May 5 moved to terminate its license agreement with Ridgewood’s Sunset Community Garden, which required members to uphold “community values” including rejections of Zionism, homophobia and transphobia.
According to a Parks spokesperson, the agency told the group that it was out of compliance with the rules for community gardens by requiring prospective members to affirm its political and ideological viewpoints, regardless of the content.
“We’ve been working with the Sunset Community Garden group since September 2024 to address several violations,” Parks said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the group has not abided by the rules upheld by every other GreenThumb community garden even after Parks met with them and repeatedly offered solutions.”
The NYC Parks GreenThumb program supports hundreds of community gardens in the city.
Those interested in membership to the garden on the corner of Onderdonk and Willoughby avenues were asked to fill out a Google form and verify that they have read those values, attached in a document that says it was last updated in May of 2024.
Among the commitments required of members are to show “respect for the land,” uplift those oppressed under capitalism and colonialism and interrupt “violent behavior or rhetoric that expresses all forms of hate.”
PThe document states also that Sunset Community Garden stands in solidarity with marginalized people “in our neighborhood and across the globe, especially Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Hawaii, and Borikén.”
requirements violated the rules.
The release states that at the center of the group’s conflict with Parks about the “unjust termination notice” is an art installation honoring transgender activist Cecilia Gentili, who died last year.
arks ended its agreement with Sunset Community Garden due to the group’s member rules.
Parks ordered the memorial’s removal “following complaints from antagonistic neighbors,” the group said. It claims that the agency increased enforcement after a vigil for Gentili was held at the garden, and when members contested Parks’ authority to order the altar’s removal, a 30-day termination notice was posted on the garden’s gate.
According to a Parks spokesperson, the altar does not qualify for permanent installation.
suggested ways for the altar to remain on display, all of which the group refused. Alternatives included undergoing a temporary art permitting process to show the altar in the garden for a year and displaying it permanently at a non-city garden.
“As we have emphasized to the garden group and local stakeholders, the decision to terminate the license agreement has nothing to do with members’ political beliefs or gender expression, but rather the repeated refusal by group leadership to address outstanding issues,” Parks said in a statement.
Civic activist and area historian Christina Wilkinson said that although the group was given options to keep the altar on display, members “decided the rules didn’t apply to them.”
The New York Post reported last September that some Jewish residents felt uneasy about the group’s pro-Palestinian events and social media posts, especially given the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
“I am saddened to see the current stewards of the space demand that participants sign political and ideological pledges in order to garden, as well as fail to open the garden during posted hours, use open flames without authorization, and host events that are not only exclusionary but clearly meant to intimidate members of the community who have alternate viewpoints,” Wilkinson said.
The garden group said that, in response to complaints from a “small group” of individuals from the Facebook group “Zionists Brooklyn,” Parks has “fast-tracked enforcement” by invoking a clause in the license agreement that allows “unilateral termination without due process.”
Members have called to abolish that clause, also demanding that Parks rescind its termination notice; withdraw its order to remove the memorial; drop all “unjust violations”; guarantee community appeal rights against “retaliatory closures”; and revise agreements to protect gardens from “predatory tactics and harassment.”
“We have facilitated free fresh food harvests, cooking demos, Narcan training, land stewardship, herbalism workshops and farming education, all while providing a safe sanctuary for marginalized populations such as trans, BIPOC, and immigrant neighbors,” garden member Sasha Schaafe said in the release.
A Parks spokesperson said the space will remain a community garden, but public access will be limited temporarily as the agency seeks to reopen it under new operators.
Sunset Community Garden said in a May 9 press release that its leadership revised the “community agreements” several times as per Parks’ directives, but the agency still said the
The city observes a 20-year waiting period for memorials, and permanent displays on city property must go through a competitive process.
However, the spokesperson said, Parks has
HB Kiwanis offers scholarships
The Kiwanis Club of Howard Beach is continuing to support higher education by awarding annual scholarships to students living in the 11414 ZIP code for the ninth consecutive year.
The funds will benefit high school seniors who will be continuing their education at an accredited college or university in the fall of 2025.
According to the club, this year’s programs will feature three $2,500 awards available to community-minded individuals, as well as three $1,000 scholarships,
benefiting six total honorees.
The $1,000 awards are the James Giustizia Memorial Scholarship, the Matthew Pecorino Scholarship and the August Sirgiovanni Memorial Scholarship. According to club member Steve Sirgiovanni, the scholarships are named for their sponsors.
The application can be found on the club’s website, howardbeachkiwanis.org, and the application deadline is May 31, 2025. Those with questions can contact Sirgiovanni at (917) 209-3336. Q
Wilkinson, who played a major role in establishing the garden, also expressed disapproval of the group’s requirements for membership.
“My intention while working for nine years to bring the garden to fruition was to give local residents who lack yards a place to grow their own food and plants,” she said.
“No other city-owned garden is run this way, and they have only themselves to blame for this inevitable termination notice,” Wilkinson said.
The garden opened in 2023 on a previously unused portion of Grover Cleveland High School’s athletic fields. In addition to Parks, the city Department of Education, state Department of Environmenral Conservation and GrowNYC were involved in creating the space. Q
RW to fund workforce housing
continued from page 4
deserve nothing less, and we are excited to start investing in a solution that delivers for them,” Jones said.
Gary LaBarbera, the president of the BCTC of Greater New York, said, “The investment of union pension funds into the development of this workforce housing exemplifies labor’s historic role in boosting the middle class, generating family-sustaining careers, and providing our communities with economic stimulus. Hardworking New Yorkers, like our tradesmen and tradeswomen, deserve to live comfortably and raise
their families in the city they serve.”
“With far too many New York City families living on the sharp edge of homelessness, this generation affordability crisis can only be solved with an unprecedented investment in building affordable housing,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards. “I couldn’t be more grateful to Resorts World New York City and Cirrus for this historic, union-centric agreement to build tens of thousands of units of housing to support working families, and I look forward to working with all our partners to create these homes as rapidly as possible.” Q
The city’s Parks Department on May 5 issued a termination notice to Sunset Community Garden for requiring ideological commitments from members. PHOTO BY MICHAEL SHAIN
Stadium security plan unclear: FHGC
Residents say they are unaware of noise, crowd monitoring on May
by Stephanie G. Meditz Associate Editor
With the first show in Forest Hills Stadium’s 2025 concert series just over a week away, many neighbors remain wary of the venue’s security plan for it.
Members of the Forest Hills Gardens Corp., a plaintiff in one of several lawsuits against the stadium, told the Chronicle that the group has not been informed about the plan for security, sanitation or crowd control during the May 31 concert.
“The lack of transparency is troubling because our private property is extensively used to support the concert operations,” said Matthew Mandell, chair of the FHGC’s law committee.
The FHGC in March denied the city access to its private streets around the stadium, barring police from patrolling them. For safety reasons, the NYPD’s Legal Bureau then denied the necessary sound amplification permits to hold events there.
But after Tiebreaker Productions, which runs concerts at the venue, proposed a plan to deploy private security on those streets, the department said in an April 14 letter that it would grant a conditional permit for the first show on May 31, featuring Bloc Party.
Issuance of the permit depends on criteria such as compliance with the city’s noise code
and the closure of certain streets to traffic.
However, Mandell said, residents had been notified in the past when the city’s Department of Environmental Protection planned to monitor noise levels inside nearby homes. He said ahead of press time that they had not received any such notice yet.
“This is deeply troubling, as the incessant noise from the concerts is one of the top concerns of our residents,” Mandell said.
Following the NYPD Legal Bureau’s letter, the FHGC said it had not reached an agreement with Tiebreaker or the West Side Tennis Club, where the stadium is located, regarding the use of private streets. The group said in April that it would not allow private security onto its streets.
While it will defer to NYPD directives on concert days, Mandell said, the FHGC will continue to voice its objections and consider its legal options in the future.
“It appears that the NYPD has deputized a private security firm to take over a large portion of our private property, on behalf of a business that regularly generates significant nuisances, without a license agreement, due process, compensation, coordination, indemnification, or insurance,” he said.
Grace Smoker, a spokesperson for the West Side Tennis Club, said in a statement that concert operations are and always have been
31
guided by a “comprehensive and city-vetted plan” that the NYPD previously has shared with the FHGC.
“We have and will continue to coordinate with numerous city agencies and community stakeholders to ensure all necessary protocols for safety, traffic and noise management are in place for every show,” Smoker said. “These plans are designed to provide the best experience for both concertgoers and local residents.”
A DEP spokesperson told the Chronicle
that the agency plans to be at the May 31 concert to monitor for noise.
The stadium’s operators expect the 2025 concert season to go on as planned. The NYPD Legal Bureau’s letter only explicitly grants a permit for the show on May 31.
Asked whether permits would be issued for future shows, pending compliance with all conditions during the first one, the DEP deferred to police, and the NYPD’s press line advised the Chronicle to contact the DEP. Q
Some neighbors of Forest Hills Stadium say they have not been notified about the city’s plans to monitor noise levels during the first concert of the year on May 31. PHOTO BY MICHAEL SHAIN / FILE
Queens businesses anticipate Trump tariffs
continued from page 2
manufacturers.
Some have not yet seen any effects, as they had ample cars in their lots before the tariffs were implemented, but they could see prices go up once that supply runs out, Schienberg said.
Other manufacturers have said they would absorb some of the costs, he continued. Trump has pushed for corporations doing so, rather than raising consumer prices. He said on Truth Social last Saturday that Walmart and China should “EAT THE TARIFFS.”
“We’re still waiting to see how this is all going to fall out, but the bottom line is anything that increases prices to vehicles or affects the affordability of the purchase of a vehicle to the consumer is going to be a problem,” Schienberg said.
Some dealers are moving to lower their costs of operations with the idea that they may sell less cars in the future than they have before, he added. Consumers are worried, too, wondering if they should purchase a vehicle as soon as possible before rates skyrocket.
However, he said, the industry has a way of resolving some issues that may arise and keeping costs low, whether that’s by absorbing the tariffs or reducing interest on loans.
“The question is, how much can they cover on some of the costs, or is it just
going to affect the consumer’s pocketbook?” Schienberg said. “These are things we have to wait and see.”
“Consumers, I think they’re being careful also, because they know there are things they’re going to have to buy that are going to be way more expensive,” Brown said. “So they’re not going to be running out to buy the Corvette.”
Buran said that, in addition to tariffs, other factors such as the reestablishment of student loan payments can contribute to a more constrictive economic environment for consumers.
“The more people have to spend on essentials, we are going to have people cutting back on their spending,” said Leslie Ramos, executive director of the 82nd Street Partnership in Jackson Heights.
Other federal policies could have sweeping effects on local businesses, too. Brown said changes to Medicaid could drastically alter how health agencies operate. Ramos said some businesses have reported fewer customers, not because of the tariffs, but due to stress related to the Trump administration’s “direct attack on the immigrant community.”
Many businesses import goods from Latin America, she continued, and immigrants have tended to pull back their spending. Some businesses have needed to raise prices, she said, though their prices are below average as is.
“Any cuts to their businesses will be detrimental to our community, because we are very sensitive to price in a mostly immigrant, working-class community like Jackson Heights,” she said. “We have a very resilient community, but there’s a limit how much they can absorb in terms of price increases.”
“There’s no way to plan for this, that’s the problem,” Brown said, citing a “somber” feeling at the chamber meeting, in which members simply tried to absorb as much information as possible. She noted that small businesses cannot afford to stock up on inventory for the future in the same way that large corporations can.
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said the odds of a rise in inflation is higher than some people think, even amid a potential recession, Yahoo Finance reported Monday. The likelihood of the latter, known as stagflation, is double what the market might think, according to Dimon, who heads the nation’s largest bank by assets.
Though talk of a recession has been “dialed back” compared to last month, Buran said the Federal Reserve can lower rates and provide stimulus to the economy in the event of a downturn to benefit banks, lenders and consumers alike.
“I just think it’s a very stressful time, and I think it’s irresponsible to our economy to do this, but who knows what’s going to happen?” Brown said. Q
Meetings law
continued from page 13
voice messages left at a number listed on the board’s website for its office in Queens Village.
Neither did the chairwoman, Marialena Giampino, or district manager, Christian Cassagnol, of Corona-based CB 4, which holds some of its meetings in person and some online, via Webex.
All other Queens boards meet in person, with some offering an online element, too, creating a hybrid meeting, consistent with the OML.
The Committee on Open Government is responsible for overseeing the OML, along with the state Freedom of Information Law and the Personal Privacy Protection Law, and issuing advice on those statutes to the government, the public and the news media.
According to Smith, someone who contends that the OML is not being followed has the option to seek redress in the courts.
“Enforcement authority over the OML is statutorily reserved for the judiciary,” she said. “Anyone aggrieved by the actions or inactions of the Board, believing such actions or inactions were inconsistent with the requirements of the OML, may seek judicial review and enforcement through initiation of an Article 78 proceeding in state Supreme Court.” Q
by Kristen Guglielmo
Memorial Day weekend events across Queens honor U.S.war dead
Communities across the World’s Borough will gather this Memorial Day weekend to honor those who died serving the nation. From profound ceremonies to lively parades, there are plenty of ways to pay tribute — so don your best red, white and blue and join the festivities.
Bayside
The Bayside Historical Society and Bayside Hills Civic Association will host a wreath-laying ceremony at the Captain Dermody Triangle, at 48th Avenue and 216th Street, on Thursday, May 22, at 7:30 p.m.
Kew Gardens
The Friends of Maple Grove and Boy Scouts Troop 177 will host a ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday at Maple Grove Lake, next to the center at 127-15 Kew Gardens Road.
Forest Hills
Foreesst Continen te e fal with h led b he e A rican gion Continen s Sunday, th 11 a.m S nd , follow d y
Salute the fallen with a parade led by the American Legion Continental Post 1424. The opening ceremony begins at 11 a.m. Sunday, followed by the parade at 12 p.m., stepping off from 107-15 Metropolitan Ave.
1424. a.m o Post 1424. T ope e erem b at 12 m , s tepping of f fr m om 107 0 -15 Me p opo Av h
Maspeth
Maspeth Federal Savings’ annual parade will kick off at 1 p.m. Sunday at Walter Garlinge Memorial Park at Grand Avenue and 72nd Place, followed by a ceremony at Maspeth Memorial Park, on 69th Street and Grand Avenue.
College Point
The community will remember fallen heroes with a parade that begins at 2 p.m. Sunday, running from 26th Avenue and College Point Boulevard to MacNeil Park.
Laurelton
The 36th annual parade will start at 8:30 a.m. Monday, beginning at Merrick and Francis Lewis boulevards and ending with a closing ceremony at Veterans Memorial Triangle, at 225th Street and North Conduit Avenue.
King Crossword Puzzle
I HAVE OFTEN WALKED
The Browns put safety first in Springfield Gardens
by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor
Marie Van Brittan Brown, born in 1922, came from a hardworking family. Her father was Guyanese and her mother was from Trinidad.
In their house they spoke English, Dutch and French Creole. Marie was taught hard work and decided to serve, becoming a nurse.
Her husband, Albert, working hard too, as a electronics technician, decided to buy a 1,232-square-foot house at 151-58 135 Ave. in Springfield Gardens (rezoned and called Rochdale Village, Jamaica, by the Postal Service in 1959).
The couple kept irregular hours, which meant Marie Brown was often home by herself at night. The crime rate became high in their neighborhood by 1965, and the police could be slow to respond to emergencies.
Those issues inspired Marie Brown, alongside her husband, to create a security system that allowed her to tell who was outside their home.
On Aug. 1, 1966, she filed a patent for a
utility television surveillance system. On Dec. 2, 1969, U.S. patent 3,482,037 was granted. Though she built it for her own house, and the system to too expensive at the time for mass production, Brown laid the groundwork for the modern CCTV systems of today, and was cited in 38 other patents.
The Browns had two children, Norma and Albert L. Jr. Marie Brown passed away on Feb. 2, 1999 at age 76. Q
The home of Marie Van Brittan Brown and Albert L. Brown, the first house with a patented video security system, at 151-58 135 Ave. in Springfield Gardens, as it looked in the 1970s when they lived there.
A peachy keen performance in Forest Hills
by Stephanie G. Meditz associate editor
Those who wish to go on a wholesome adventure that starts off rough but turns out just peachy need look no further than Grace Lutheran Church in Forest Hills.
Parkside Players’ production of “James and the Giant Peach,” a musical by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul based on Roald Dahl’s classic children’s book, is a luminous, magical adaptation whose layers of meaning know no bounds.
“It was a challenge, but it was beautiful and I’m happy with what we discovered together,” Creative Director David Thomas Cronin told the Chronicle after the May 18 performance.
The musical kicks off when the orphaned James Trotter, played by Teddy Kai Schneider, is sent to live with his cruel yet comical aunts, Spiker and Sponge, portrayed by Shana Aborn and Kat Hine.
While the two women head to the seashore at James’ suggestion, leaving him home alone to chop down an old peach tree, in comes the divinely droll Ladahlord, played by Jessica Marie Lausell. She instructs James to choose from a book of potions, and when he mixes an elixir, its contents spill out and cause a magical chain reaction.
Spiker and Sponge come home to see the
allow themselves to reconnect with their inner child and remember what that was like — to be seeking adventure, to believe that magic really exists and that we’re all worthy of experiencing it,” Cronin said.
Found objects, from an orange ball to a massive umbrella, echo the show’s messages that family can be chosen and love runs deeper than blood.
Suspension of disbelief is not difficult for those who immerse themselves in the magic. From their costumes to distinct mannerisms, the actors playing insects and other creatures all perfectly embody their respective bugs.
In Parkside Players’ production of “James and the Giant Peach,” the title character finds family as he embarks on a journey overseas.
peach tree bearing a giant fruit, and their ire turns into joy when they realize how profitable it can be. Knowing they will not share their newfound luxuries, even though he made the fruit grow, James runs away — into the peach.
There, he meets a motley crew of talking insects who, over the course of a grueling journey to New York City, become family.
With its reliance on movement and found objects, the show is a break from
BY DEBBIE YOO-GALLIGAN
Parkside Players’ typical literal approach, he said. Revisiting Dahl’s book as an adult resonated with him immensely, driving him to adapt the source with the utmost respect, he continued.
The props and set are clear testaments to that goal. Crafted from book pages, the impressive insect puppets by Susan Young leap off the stage and bring the story to life, literally.
“I hope that [older audience members]
Attendees know they are watching an actor with tinted glasses and a pink buttondown act like an earthworm, but Phoenix Gray’s trembling voice and timid disposition paint a convincing picture. Earthworm becomes an instant favorite, especially after undergoing a fierce transformation in the Act II showstopper, “Plump and Juicy.”
The remaining performances will take place on May 23, 24, 25, 31 and June 1. One may purchase tickets at the door, by visiting parksideplayers.com or by calling (646) 847-9429. They are $25 each, $22 for students and seniors and $10 for kids.
“Magic is with us at all times, we just have to be willing to see it,” Cronin said. Q
This weekend, honor the fallen close to home
continued from page 19
Ridgewood/Glendale
Ridg ewood and Glendale will come together to honor fallen service members with a joint parade on Monday at 11 a.m., starting at Myrtle and Cooper avenues in Glendale and ending at Myrtle and Cypress avenues in Ridgewood.
Queens Village
The Queens Village Civic Association and
American Legion Post 301 on Monday will host a wreath-laying ceremony at 11 a.m., at Veterans Park, at Jamaica Avenue and Springfield Boulevard.
Howard Beach
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2595 hosts its annual parade Monday at 11 a.m. The procession begins and ends in Coleman Square, at 159th Avenue and 103rd Street.
Woodside
Catholic War Veterans Post 870 will host its annual parade on Monday at 11 a.m., kicking off at St. Sebastian’s Church, at Woodside Avenue and 57th Street.
Woodhaven
Woodhaven’s American Legion Post 118, at 89-02 91 St., will host a commemorative ceremony to honor the fallen on Monday at 11 a.m.
Rosedale
Queens will honor Memorial Day this weekend with a plethora of parades, such as in Howard Beach, above, and other ceremonies. On the cover: Scout Troop 153 braves the rain at Little Neck-Douglaston’s 2024 parade.
The Rosedale parade, on Monday at 11 a.m., will begin at 243rd Street and Mayda
Road and will end with a wreath-laying at Memorial Square on Sunrise Highway, as the community pays homage to the fallen.
Whitestone
The Whitestone Veterans Memorial Association Parade will step off at 11 a.m. Monday, beginning and ending at Whitestone Memorial Park, at 149th Street and 15th Drive.
Flushing
C o uncilmember Sandra Ung (D-Flushing) will host the annual Flushing Memorial Day Ceremony at the Kissena Park Korean War Memorial, near the Rose Avenue and Parsons Boulevard entrance, at 3 p.m. Friday.
Little Neck-Douglaston
The Little Neck-Douglaston parade will march at 2 p.m. Monday, starting from Jayson Avenue and Northern Boulevard and concluding at 245th Street with a commemorative ceremony.
Jamaica Residents will honor the fallen at a wreathlaying ceremony at 11 a.m. at Baisley Pond Park, at 125th Avenue and 154th Street. Q
PHOTOS BY KRISTEN GUGLIELMO, ABOVE, AND, COVER, SOPHIE KRICHEVSKY
PHOTO
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Legal Notices
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT QUEENS COUNTY U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE ON BEHALF OF GCAT 2021-NQM7 TRUST, Plaintiff against NINA RIENZI, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Knuckles & Manfro, LLP, 120 White Plains Road, Suite 215, Tarrytown, NY 10591. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered April 4, 2025, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at the Queens County Supreme Court, Courtroom #25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on June 6, 2025 at 11:00 AM. Premises known as 34-11 29th Street, Long Island City, NY 11106. Sec 4 Block 585 Lot 24. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $1,294,298.19 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 700029/2023. Cash will not be accepted at the sale. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 11th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. Referee will only accept a certified bank check made payable to the referee. Martha Taylor, Esq., Referee File # 3000-001443
ASHBY CENTRAL LLC
Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 5/2/25. Office in Queens Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 4/21/25. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
For Legal Notice Rates & Information,
SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF QUEENS. THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE CERTIFICATEHOLDERS OF THE CWABS, INC., ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-20, Plaintiff -against- JANETTE B. CARTER, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated September 4, 2024 and entered on September 17, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, 88-11 Sutphin Blvd., in Courtroom # 25, Jamaica, NY on June 13, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, known and designated as Block 10922 Lot 50. Said premises known as 21117 HOLLIS AVENUE, QUEENS VILLAGE, NY 11429
Approximate amount of lien $907,443.68 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 710662/2023.
RODNEY R. AUSTIN, ESQ., Referee Pincus Law Group, PLLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 425 RXR Plaza, Uniondale, NY 11556
14319 LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/16/2025.
Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 5030 65th Place, Woodside, NY 11377. Reg Agent: Shahriar Rahman, 5030 65th Place, Woodside, NY 11377. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
Notice of Formation of AK NORTHERN HOLDINGS, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/14/2025.
Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Lawton Leung, Withers Bergman LLP, 157 Church Street, 12th Floor, New Haven, CT 06510. Purpose: any lawful activities.
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF QUEENS DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY AS TRUSTEE OF THE INDYMAC INDX MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2006AR14, MORTGAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2006-AR14 UNDER THE POOLING AND SERVICING AGREEMENT DATED OCTOBER 1, 2006 Plaintiff, Against MICHAEL COLE, MOONACHI INC, et al Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 03/12/2025, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, in the Queens County Supreme Courthouse located at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY, on the second floor in Courtroom 25, on 6/13/2025 at 10:00AM, premises known as 10651 Roscoe Street, Jamaica, New York 11433, and described as follows: ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Certain Map Entitled, Hillside Gardens Jamaica, Fourth Ward, Borough of Queens, New York City, Erlandsen & Crowell, C.E. & C.S., March 1919 and filed in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens, now Register, on August 19th, 1919 as Map Number 3740 in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York. Block 10335 Lot 67 The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $708,505.50 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 704872/2015
William T. Driscoll, Esq., Referee. MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573 Dated: 4/9/2025 File Number: 272-0420ny CA
Notice of Formation of ESFIHA FINA LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 12/04/2024 Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: MAXWELL ALVES, 32-09 35TH AVENUE, APT3, ASTORIA, NY, 11106. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, GITSIT SOLUTIONS, LLC, Plaintiff, vs. 815 BAY 25 CORP., ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on March 7, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, on the second floor in Courtroom 25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on June 20, 2025 at 10:00 a.m., premises known as 815 a/k/a 8-15 Bay 25th Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block 15733 and Lot 1. Approximate amount of judgment is $669,416.04 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #719169/2022. Arthur N. Terranova, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.: 244281-3
FRAGRANCE PLUG NYC LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/25/2025. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Ashley Baichan, 3412 113th Street, Apt 9A, Corona, NY 11368. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
Notice of Formation of GARNTECH LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/12/2025 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: KWAME GARNETTE II, 108-53 62ND DR APT 8L, FOREST HILLS, NY 11375. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
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Supplemental Summons and Notice of Object of Action Supreme Court Of The State Of New York County Of Queens ACTION TO FORECLOSE A MORTGAGE Index #: 714246/2024 U.S. Bank Trust National Association, Not In Its Individual Capacity, But Solely As Trustee Of LSF9 Master Participation Trust Plaintiff, vs Javon A. Santos A/K/A Javon Santos A/K/A Jevon Santos As Heir To The Estate Of Casandra K. Devins AKA Devins Casandra K., Jasmine Snyder As Heir To The Estate Of Casandra K. Devins AKA Devins Casandra K., Unknown Heirs Of Casandra K. Devins AKA Devins Casandra K. If Living, And If He/She Be Dead, Any And All Persons Unknown To Plaintiff, Claiming, Or Who May Claim To Have An Interest In, Or General Or Specific Lien Upon The Real Property Described In This Action; Such Unknown Persons Being Herein Generally Described And Intended To Be Included In Wife, Widow, Husband, Widower, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assignees Of Such Deceased, Any And All Persons Deriving Interest In Or Lien Upon, Or Title To Said Real Property By, Through Or Under Them, Or Either Of Them, And Their Respective Wives, Widows, Husbands, Widowers, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assigns, All Of Whom And Whose Names, Except As Stated, Are Unknown To Plaintiff, New York City Environmental Control Board, New York City Parking Violations Bureau, Sustainable Neighborhoods LLC, People Of The State Of New York, United States Of America On Behalf Of The IRS John Doe (Those unknown tenants, occupants, persons or corporations or their heirs, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, guardians, assignees, creditors or successors claiming an interest in the mortgaged premises.) Defendant(s). Mortgaged Premises: 118-06 203rd Street Saint Albans, NY 11412 To the Above named Defendant: 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 Supplemental Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff(s) attorney(s) within twenty days after the service of this Supplemental Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this Supplemental Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York). In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. The Attorney for Plaintiff has an office for business in the County of Erie. Trial to be held in the County of Queens. The basis of the venue designated above is the location of the Mortgaged Premises. TO Unknown Heirs of Casandra K. Devins AKA Devins Casandra K. Defendant In this Action. The foregoing Supplemental Summons is served upon you by publication, pursuant to an order of HON. Anna Culley of the Supreme Court Of The State Of New York, dated the Fifth day of May, 2025 and filed with the Complaint in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens, in the City of Jamaica. The object of this action is to foreclosure a mortgage upon the premises described below, dated June 9, 2004, executed by Casandra K. Devins AKA Devins Casandra K. (who died on November 30, 2023, a resident of the county of Queens, State of New York) to secure the sum of $233,899.02. The Mortgage was recorded at CRFN 2004000492416 in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County on August 10, 2004. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed April 3, 2015 and recorded on May 22, 2015, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2015000172025. Said Mortgage was subsequently modified by a Loan Modification Agreement executed by Casandra K. Devins AKA Devins Casandra K. on April 4, 2016 and recorded April 27, 2016 in CRFN 2016000145110 in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed March 8, 2017 and recorded on April 12, 2017, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2017000142663. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by a corrective assignment executed June 10, 2024 and recorded on June 17, 2024, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2024000153976. The property in question is described as follows: 118-06 203rd Street, Saint Albans, NY 11412 NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this Foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. DATED: May 8, 2025 Gross Polowy LLC Attorney(s) For Plaintiff(s) 1775 Wehrle Drive, Suite 100 Williamsville, NY 14221 The law firm of Gross Polowy LLC and the attorneys whom it employs are debt collectors who are attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained by them will be used for that purpose. 85712
SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS
INDEX NO. 725427/2022 Plaintiff designates QUEENS as the place of trial situs of the real property
Mortgaged Premises: 104-35 212TH STREET, QUEENS VILLAGE, NY 11429 Block: 11097, Lot: 20 MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC Plaintiff, vs. DEA C. ADAMS, AS TRUSTEE UNDER THE JAMES C. ADAMS IRREVOCABLE TRUST; BENEFICIARIES OF THE JAMES C. ADAMS IRREVOCABLE TRUST, if living, and if she/he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; CRIMINAL COURT OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; SHANNON “DOE” (REFUSED LAST NAME) AS JOHN DOE #1 “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #2; “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #3; “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #4; “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #5; “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #6, “JOHN DOE #7” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last six names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Defendants. To the above named Defendants YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $652,500.00 and interest, recorded on June 08, 2009, in CRFN 2009000171188, of the Public Records of QUEENS County, New York., covering premises known as 104-35 212TH STREET, QUEENS VILLAGE, NY 11429. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. QUEENS County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Dated: May 2nd, 2025 ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Attorney for Plaintiff Matthew Rothstein, Esq. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310 Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675
Notice of Formation of CHOICE CLEAN LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/23/2025 Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LLC, 137-14 223RD STREET, ROSEDALE, NY 11422. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
HS 11, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/05/16.
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, 81-52 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park, NY 11004. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
JFK T1 LUXURY PARTNERS, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/04/25.
Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 540 Rockaway Avenue, Valley Stream, NY 11581. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS MORGAN
STANLEY MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2006-11, U.S. BANK
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO LASALLE BANK
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, -against- BERTHA CECILIA LEMA, ET AL.
NOTICE OF SALE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens on December 9, 2024, wherein MORGAN STANLEY MORTGAGE LOAN
TRUST 2006-11, U.S. BANK
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO LASALLE BANK
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE is the Plaintiff and BERTHA CECILIA LEMA, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the QUEENS COUNTY SUPREME COURT, 88-11 SUTPHIN BLVD, COURTROOM 25, JAMAICA, NY 11435, on June 20, 2025 at 10:00AM, premises known as 109-16 34TH AVENUE, CORONA, NY 11368; and the following tax map identification: 1753-8. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE BOROUGH AND COUNTY OF QUEENS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 709545/2019. Lois Marie Vitti, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.
Notice of Formation of STUDIO YP LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 10/07/2024. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LLC, 2218 JACKSON AVE APT 208, LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11101. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of RED WHITE & TRUE LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/18/2024. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LLC, 5110 BROADWAY, UNIT 1002, WOODSIDE, NY 11377. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of BRI’S BAKE HOUSE, LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/10/2025. 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: BRI’S BAKE HOUSE, LLC, 105-40 62ND ROAD, APT 7G, FOREST HILLS, NY 11375. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
BROOKLYN NORTH CREATIVE
ARTS THERAPY PLLC Filed
4/15/25 Office: Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 6256
82nd St, Middle Village, NY 11379 Purpose: Creative arts therapy
Supplemental Summons and Notice of Object of Action SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS ACTION TO FORECLOSE A MORTGAGE INDEX #: 703889/2019 NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC D/B/A CHAMPION MORTGAGE COMPANY Plaintiff, vs MILDRED HILLMAN-VASQUEZ AS ADMINISTRATRIX AND AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF VINNIE B. HILLMAN, ADA HUDSON AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF VINNIE B. HILLMAN IF LIVING, AND IF HE/SHE BE DEAD, ANY AND ALL PERSONS UNKNOWN TO PLAINTIFF, CLAIMING, OR WHO MAY CLAIM TO HAVE AN INTEREST IN, OR GENERAL OR SPECIFIC LIEN UPON THE REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN THIS ACTION; SUCH UNKNOWN PERSONS BEING HEREIN GENERALLY DESCRIBED AND INTENDED TO BE INCLUDED IN WIFE, WIDOW, HUSBAND, WIDOWER, HEIRS AT LAW, NEXT OF KIN, DESCENDANTS, EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, DEVISEES, LEGATEES, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES, COMMITTEES, LIENORS, AND ASSIGNEES OF SUCH DECEASED, ANY AND ALL PERSONS DERIVING INTEREST IN OR LIEN UPON, OR TITLE TO SAID REAL PROPERTY BY, THROUGH OR UNDER THEM, OR EITHER OF THEM, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE WIVES, WIDOWS, HUSBANDS, WIDOWERS, HEIRS AT LAW, NEXT OF KIN, DESCENDANTS, EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, DEVISEES, LEGATEES, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES, COMMITTEES, LIENORS, AND ASSIGNS, ALL OF WHOM AND WHOSE NAMES, EXCEPT AS STATED, ARE UNKNOWN TO PLAINTIFF, MARIAN THOMAS AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF VINNIE B. HILLMAN, JACQUELINE MILLER AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF VINNIE B. HILLMAN, LORRAINE HILLMAN AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF VINNIE B. HILLMAN, EDWARD HILLMAN AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF VINNIE B. HILLMAN, MORTGAGE EQUITY CONVERSION ASSET TRUST 2011-1 (A/K/A MORTGAGE EQUITY CONVERSION ASSET TRUST 2011-1, MORTGAGEBACKED SECURITIES 2011-1) BY U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS CO-TRUSTEE, PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ACTING THROUGH THE SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD, ESMAEIL HOSSEINOPOUR A/K/A ESSY HOSSEINIPOUR AND SEPIDEH HOSSEINIPOUR, JOINTLY AND SEVERALLY, ESSY HOSSEINIPOUR, SEPIDEH HOSSEINIPOUR, NYC DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, DEPT OF HOUSING PRESERVATION & DEVELOPMENT, NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU, FRANKLIN HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER, NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU, JACQUELINE M. HUDSON AKA JACQUELINE A. HUSDON AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF ADA HUDSON, SONYA H. HUSDON AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF ADA HUDSON, SANDRA M. HUDSON AKA SANDRA HUDSON AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF ADA HUDSON, BETTY A. HUDSON AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF ADA HUDSON, MARY F. HUDSON AKA ELAINE HUDSON AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF ADA HUDSON, UNKNOWN HEIRS OF ADA HUDSON IF LIVING, AND IF HE/SHE BE DEAD, ANY AND ALL PERSONS UNKNOWN TO PLAINTIFF, CLAIMING, OR WHO MAY CLAIM TO HAVE AN INTEREST IN, OR GENERAL OR SPECIFIC LIEN UPON THE REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN THIS ACTION; SUCH UNKNOWN PERSONS BEING HEREIN GENERALLY DESCRIBED AND INTENDED TO BE INCLUDED IN WIFE, WIDOW, HUSBAND, WIDOWER, HEIRS AT LAW, NEXT OF KIN, DESCENDANTS, EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, DEVISEES, LEGATEES, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES, COMMITTEES, LIENORS, AND ASSIGNEES OF SUCH DECEASED, ANY AND ALL PERSONS DERIVING INTEREST IN OR LIEN UPON, OR TITLE TO SAID REAL PROPERTY BY, THROUGH OR UNDER THEM, OR EITHER OF THEM, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE WIVES, WIDOWS, HUSBANDS, WIDOWERS, HEIRS AT LAW, NEXT OF KIN, DESCENDANTS, EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, DEVISEES, LEGATEES, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES, COMMITTEES, LIENORS, AND ASSIGNS, ALL OF WHOM AND WHOSE NAMES, EXCEPT AS STATED, ARE UNKNOWN TO PLAINTIFF “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the Subject Property described in the Complaint, Defendant(s) To the Above named Defendant: 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 Supplemental Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff(s) attorney(s) within twenty days after the service of this Supplemental Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this Supplemental Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York). In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. The Attorney for Plaintiff has an office for business in the County of Erie. Trial to be held in the County of Queens. The basis of the venue designated above is the location of the Mortgaged Premises. TO Unknown Heirs of Ada Hudson Defendant In this Action. The foregoing Supplemental Summons is served upon you by publication, pursuant to an order of HON. Denise Johnson of the Supreme Court Of The State Of New York, dated the Second day of April, 2025 and filed with the Complaint in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens, in the City of Jamaica. The object of this action is to foreclosure a mortgage upon the premises described below, executed by Vinnie B. Hillman (who died on October 28, 2010, a resident of the county of Queens, State of New York) dated the December 14, 2006, to secure the sum of $544,185.00 and recorded at Instrument No. 2007000016465 in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County on January 9, 2007. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed December 14, 2006 and recorded on January 9, 2007, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2007000016467. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed November 29, 2012 and recorded on December 13, 2012, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2012000489185. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed February 24, 2014 and recorded on April 23, 2014, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2014000138511. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed September 1, 2022 and recorded on September 21, 2022, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2022000365813. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed October 19, 2022 and recorded on October 20, 2022, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2022000398508. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed May 8, 2024 and recorded on May 16, 2024, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2024000125997. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed August 27, 2024 and recorded on August 30, 2024, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2024000226851. The property in question is described as follows: 214-18 112TH ROAD, QUEENS VILLAGE, NY 11429 NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this Foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. DATED: April 14, 2025 Gross Polowy LLC Attorney(s) For Plaintiff(s) 1775 Wehrle Drive, Suite 100 Williamsville, NY 14221 The law firm of Gross Polowy LLC and the attorneys whom it employs are debt collectors who are attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained by them will be used for that purpose. 85527
B SPORTS EAT
Overhyped Soto storyline
by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor
The leading storyline heading into this past weekend’s Subway Series at Yankee Stadium was the negative reaction Juan Soto was going to receive every time he batted. Soto was a major contributor to the Yanks playing in their first World Series in 15 years. The Yanks rarely lose players on their roster whom they want and who are heading into free agency. As their former first baseman Mark Teixeira told me after he signed with the Bronx Bombers, “When the Yankees want you, it is hard to turn them down.”
Soto proved to be an exception as he opted to cross the RFK Bridge and accept Mets owner Steve Cohen’s lucrative offer. I understand rooting for your favorite team can suspend rationality, especially when a player selects a team you despise. It is a childhood vestige.
The reality, however, is Major League Baseball is a multibillion-dollar business, and most players do not get many opportunities to earn a “set for life” contract in the destination they prefer. Every player who is a free agent is entitled to make his own choices based on the marketplace. Soto did exactly that.
Soto was only a Yankee for one year. He was traded to the Bronx by the San Diego Padres, who had made the decision not to bid for his services when his contract was up. Soto had no say in being a Bronx Bomber, but he never complained.
As expected, Soto was lustily booed every time he stepped up to the plate. To his credit, he handled it with aplomb by waving to the crowd, doffing his cap and offering a bright, wide smile. If anything, the intensity of the crowd’s reaction may have unnerved Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon, who walked Soto twice and did not appear to be in command of his pitches.
While Rodon had pitch control issues when facing Soto, Mets starter Tylor Megill had them with every Yankees hitter he faced. He walked five batters and fell behind the count to all he faced. He was able to escape trouble in the first inning, enjoyed a quick second inning but then fell apart in the third, giving up four runs. At least Megill will be able to tell his grandchildren that he struck out Aaron Judge.
A forgotten man in the Subway Series hoopla was Yankees third-base coach Luis Rojas, who managed the Mets for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Rojas was dealt a very bad hand. He inherited a bad team and then had to manage through the dreaded 2020 pandemic season. In 2021, he found himself working under the new team CEO Cohen, who already had made the decision to fire him. “I enjoyed my time in Queens, and I miss it,” the gentlemanly Rojas told me despite all the travail. Q
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