Serving Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, City Line and JFK Airport
Liu bill poised to close legal ‘loophole’ that allows last-minute commissions Mayor may be able to nix charter panel
by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor
Former Mayor Eric Adams broke new ground last year when he convened a Charter Revision Commission on his last day in office, one that his successor could not dissolve. But legislation to change that was included in one of the budget bills approved by state lawmakers last week that Gov. Hochul is poised to sign today, May 28.
The Election-Related Requirements for Initiating Charter Commissions — ERIC — Act, introduced by state Sen. John Liu (D-Bayside), would let the mayor choose to confirm or annul a panel created by his or her predecessor between 60 days before a municipal general election and Jan. 1 of the following year. It was incorporated into the Public Protection and General Governance fiscal measure.
Per a press release from his office, Liu drafted the measure in response to Adams’ midnight commission. The legislation applies retroactively — once signed, it will have been effective as of Nov. 4, 2025.
“It was a loophole to allow outgoing mayors to convene a commission that would do its work within a new administration,” Liu told the Chronicle Tuesday. “It’s a loophole that I closed with this legislation.
“To the average person in the community, it would seem unseemly for an outgoing mayor to
State Sen. John Liu’s bill that would make former Mayor Eric Adams’ last-minute Charter Revision Commission subject to mayoral dissolution is included in the budget package expected to be signed today.
convene such a commission on the last day of office, which is unfortunately what happened.”
Liu said the panels have “never been without controversy,” and while they are set up to make charter changes less political, they inject other politics into the process.
Charter revision commissions are tasked with recommending changes to the city’s
founding document that are then subject to voters’ scrutiny on the ballot. The panels can be created in a number of ways, but under state law, mayoral ones take precedence — referenda set forth by other commissions are knocked off the ballot if a mayor’s panel proposes its own.
Hochul last year vetoed a bill that would
have prevented those ballot bumps, which have occurred in recent years.
Questions arose after Adams created his commission at the end of last year, including whether Mayor Mamdani could dissolve it or form his own. State law has not previously allowed standing commissions to be disbanded, and, per an explainer from Citizens Union, it is “reasonable to assume” that the sitting mayor could create a parallel panel.
To political analyst Brian Browne, the ERIC Act is “defensible but situationally opportunistic.” It closes the loophole that lets outgoing mayors project power into the future without voters’ approval, Browne said, but its enactment comes “in medias res” and “in a way clearly designed to resolve one specific political standoff.”
Earlier this year, shortly after Adams created his 2026 panel, Browne called the former mayor’s move a “blatant abuse of power.”
“This episode demonstrates a deeper tension in NYC governance: by design, Charter Revision Commissions are supposed to be independent, democratic tools, but the way they are often strategically created by mayors makes them inherently political instruments,” he said in an email. Browne added that it raises questions about “the stability of quasi-independent bodies” and the rise in controversial local
continued on page 18
CONZA | MCNAMARA
J. CONZA,
EDWARD R. MCNAMARA, ESQ.
Harvard University, A.B.
St. John’s University School of Law, J.D.
PHOTOS BY DANIEL HAYNES / FILE, LEFT, AND MICHAEL APPLETON / NYC MAYOR’S OFFICE / FLICKR
NYC Reads, Solves get an expansion
DOE’s literacy and math curriculum initiatives get a $17.3 million boost
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Mayor Mamdani and city Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels on May 21 announced the expansion of two reading and math curriculum initiatives, a $17.3 million investment from the Mayor’s Office.
NYC Reads and NYC Solves, first implemented under former Mayor Eric Adams, aim to ensure students learn to read confidently and graduate with the math skills needed to succeed through the use of curricula selected by superintendents from approved lists.
NYC Solves, the math initiative, will expand to elementary schools for the first time. As is the case with upper grades, participating districts will use a singular curriculum across schools, per a City Hall press release.
In Queens, elementary school students in Education District 25 will use the Amplify Desmos Mathematics curriculum, which, according to Amplify, uses a structured, problem-based approach to build on students’ curiosity while strategically developing math fluency and lasting grade-level understanding.
NYC Solves in the past has drawn criticism from some teachers, who allege that the practical, problem-based material may be too time-consuming, rigorous or complicated for students to understand.
But one Forest Hills teacher who has experience teaching the Illustrative Mathematics curriculum, which is required in high
school math classes under NYC Solves, told the Chronicle, under a condition of anonymity, “It was a learning curve for both me and the kids when it was implemented — but I think it’s great.”
She continued, “Students having to make sense of the problem before actually solving it takes extra time, but I find that it helps them.”
An example of a high school algebra IM task, as seen on the IM website, asks students to determine which is larger of two animal populations, represented by variables P and Q, with Q being greater than P. Students are then given multiple pairs of
expressions and asked to determine which is larger between each pair and explain.
Posing the question in terms of animal population rather than just bare numbers encourages students to think about variables as numbers and provides avenues for them to use common sense in explaining reasonings, according to IM.
NYC Solves will also expand to Queens Education Districts 24, consisting of Glendale, Ridgewood, Maspeth, Jackson Heights and Sunnyside; 27, in Richmond Hill, Woodhaven, Howard Beach and South Ozone Park; 28, in Rego Park, Forest Hills and Kew Gardens; and 30, Hunters Point,
Long Island City and Astoria.
The math initiative will also continue to support all high school districts this fall with a focus on core instruction and supplemental support, according to the city.
NYC Reads is set to expand to middle schools in Queens Education Districts 26, comprising Floral Park, Little Neck, Bayside and Fresh Meadows, and 29, in Rosedale, St. Albans, Cambria Heights and Queens Village. It will also expand to District 75, which serves students with disabilities.
EL Education and Wit and Wisdom are two common NYC Reads curricula options that use research-based approaches to teach kids the science of reading — including phonics — while keeping it fun and engaging, according to their websites.
In a third-grade ELA module, seen on EL Education’s website, students read poetry and “pourquoi tales,” fictional stories meant to explain something, about different frogs to generate “why” questions. They write their own narratives in an attempt to answer their questions, and then dive into research to find the real answers, and write paragraphs to communicate their findings.
The students, later in the module, are asked to form research groups on frogs with unusual adaptations, which helps build their reading, research, writing and collaborative discussion skills. Throughout the module, students reflect on the role of literacy in building and sharing expertise, all culminating in a student-created book on “freaky frogs.”
continued on page 18
Ariola, UFA commend the effort to reinstate the position at 86 engines City Council pushes for fifth firefighter
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
The New York City Council is pushing to have $91.7 million added to the city budget to reinstall the fifth firefighter position at 86 FDNY engine companies in the busiest corridors across the five boroughs.
The position was first removed from a number of engine companies under former Mayor Ed Koch, who cited cost-cutting measures, and the Bloomberg administration did away with the position altogether in 2011.
Following public outcry, former Mayor de Blasio restored the fifth firefighter at 20 of the busiest engine companies, leaving 176 of them without the additional crew member.
“The fifth firefighter is a vital position that never should have been removed in the first place,” said Councilmember Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park), who also serves as the chair of the Council’s Committee on Fire and Emergency Management, in a prepared statement. “From my first day as the Chair back in 2022, this has been a priority and I am glad to see that this is getting pushed forward in the upcoming budget.”
She said if the planned budget increase goes through, it would mean the fifth firefighter position would be restored in
more than 100 engine companies rather than just the 20 that have it now.
“This would be a critical step towards reducing the evergrowing FDNY response times across our city, and would save critical minutes in an emergency that will no doubt save lives,” Ariola said. “And not just that, but it will also help to alleviate the burdens placed on the other members of the engine. That will be one extra man to help stretch a hose line, so water can get on a fire faster, and it is one extra set of hands to perform the lifesaving tasks our heroes do day in and day out.”
The Uniformed Firefighters Association, the union that represents the city’s firefighters, in a press release from Ariola’s office also celebrated the Council’s push. In particular, Ariola and the UFA are advocating to add 40 of the newly slated fifth man positions to firehouses in the Bronx, where they can have an immediate impact on the city’s busiest borough when it comes to fire response, Ariola’s office said.
“NYC Firefighters are doing a historic amounts of runs,” said UFA Vice President Bobby Eustace. “In the Bronx in particular, engine companies are doing close to 2,000 more runs than companies in every other borough. Having the fifth firefighter on every engine company in the Bronx would have
an immediate impact on public safety.”
Eustace added, “The fifth firefighter was added to every engine company in NYC during the city’s most trying times because this is the safest thing that can be done. We applaud the City Council’s efforts in budgeting more fifth firefighters and hope they are deployed appropriately.”
UFA Queens Trustee Dennis Tveter said that oftentimes Queens engines are pulled away to help cover fires in the Bronx, leaving some Queens areas at risk.
“Having fifth men in companies up there would relieve that issue, and allow our rigs to remain in the borough they are meant to serve, and having fifth men in more Queens companies would help us handle our own fires even more effectively,” Tveter said.
City Council Speaker Julie Menin (D-Manhattan) on X wrote, “We need to take action. ... A fifth crew member means faster response times, safer conditions for firefighters, and a greater ability to save lives when every second counts.”
In Queens, fifth firefighters are currently placed at Engine 260 in Dutch Kills; Engine 298 in Jamaica; Engine 308 in South Ozone Park; and Engine 324 in Flushing, per Ariola’s office. Q
The city last week announced the expansion of NYC Reads and NYC Solves, its reading and math curriculum initiatives.
NEUROPATHY
If You Suffer From A Single One of These Torturous Symptoms – Numbness, Tingling, or Sharp Nerve Pain – Then OUR LASER ENHANCED CHIROPRATIC PROTOCOL for Neuropathy
may be the most important treatment you ever have in your life.
Okay that might be a little much but… Neuropathy affects every part of your life – walking, sitting, and even sleeping.
Maybe you’ve had multiple tests, only to fi nd out no one has any idea what you have. Maybe you’ve been put on drugs with heavy side effects.
My name is Dr. Robert Gucciardo, director at Gucciardo Specific and Natural Health Center. I’ve been helping people with neuropathy and nerve problems for 30 years.
More than 20 million Americans suffer from peripheral neuropathy, a problem caused by complications due to spinal injuries, diabetes, cancer treatment and/or damage to the nerves that supply your arms, legs, and feet.
This painful condition interferes with your body’s ability to transmit messages to your muscles, skin, joints, or internal organs. If ignored or mistreated, neuropathy can lead to irreversible health conditions.
Why not get help by those trained to correct the major cause of peripheral neuropathy?
The Single Most Important Solution to your Neuropathy
By using a NEW cutting-edge PAINLESS treatment called Class IV LASER THERAPY and combining that with Chiropratic and other therapies, our Neuropathy program is getting unsurpassed results.
With the combination of these new technologies it is possible to:
• Re-educate the nerve pathways to stop the shooting pain
• Re-polarize the nerve membranes that may have been disturbed by neurotoxins
• Improve synaptic conductivity and nerve impulse transmission
• Re-energize nerve cells
• Return normal feeling to feet/hands promoting better balance and dexterity
• Decrease painful symptoms to promote a full restful night sleep
• Bring an improved quality of life due to increased mobility and reductions in numbness and pain.
How to Find Out If This Will Work For You
It’s time for you to fi nd out if this may be your NEUROPATHY SOLUTION.
Due to availability… For the FIRST 10 CALLERS
$97 will get you all the services I normally charge new patients $597 for!
You’ll get to see everything first hand and fi nd out if this amazing care will be your pain solution, like it has been for so many other patients. The appointment will not take long at all. And you won’t be sitting in a waiting room all day either.
Here’s What To Do Now
The offer is only good for the FIRST 10 Callers. Call today 718-550-5790 and we can get you scheduled for a consultation as soon as there’s an opening.
Our office is called Gucciardo Specific Chiropractic and Natural Health Center and you can fi nd us at 162-07 91st Street in Howard Beach, NY. When you call, tell the receptionist you’d like to come in for the Neuropathy Evaluation so she can get you on the schedule and make sure you receive proper credit for this special offer.
Sincerely,
Dr. Robert F. Gucciardo, D.C.
P.S. At our office, we have specialized treatment programs for patients who suffer from neuropathy. Why suffer the misery?
That’s no way to live, not when there could be an easy solution to your problem.
Don’t live in pain when we may have the solution you’ve been looking for all along.
Do you have any of the following symptoms…
• Pins and needles feeling
• Numbness in the hands or feet
• Tingling or burning sensations
• Weakness in the arms or legs
• Sharp, shooting or burning pains
If so you may have a condition called peripheral neuropathy.
Don’t let neuropathy hold you back from enjoying life.
The threat of a downpour did not deter residents of Howard Beach on Monday from attending the annual Memorial Day Parade, hosted by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2565.
The patriotic event both kicked off and ended at Coleman Square, and marchers made stops along the way for moments of reflection, including at Walter J. Wetzel Memorial Triangle, named in honor of a soldier who died in the Vietnam War. At top right, Wetzel’s family gives remarks at the stop.
In the second row, a veteran salutes the flag during the final ceremony in Coleman Square,
left; residents watch the service at Wetzel Triangle; and Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato and Raimondo Graziano, chief of staff for state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr., make remarks during the Coleman Square ceremony.
In the third row, observers cheer on the procession, above; and to their right, families are all smiles as the route passes their homes.
At right, two Girl Scouts with Troop 4467 show off their Pup Scout during the procession; and two boys wave flags during the parade’s stop at Howard Beach Assembly of God.
— Kristen Guglielmo
PHOTOS
Pols advocate for resources, assist with relief after May 20 rainstorm Queens recovering after severe floods
by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor
Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms caused severe flooding and road closures across Queens the night of May 20, prompting relief efforts and renewed advocacy by area representatives.
The city was hit with about 2 inches of rain in an hour, according to several published news reports. The National Weather Service issued a flood advisory for Brooklyn, Staten Island and Manhattan as well as Queens, due to the boroughs’ low elevation and poor drainage, per an alert from Notify NYC.
The city’s sewer system is designed to handle just 1.5 to 1.75 inches of rain per hour.
“What used to feel like once-in-a-generation storms are becoming far too common, and our infrastructure has not kept pace,” City Councilmember Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills) said in a statement. “We cannot continue asking residents to simply brace for the next storm while flooding becomes a regular occurrence.”
Parts of Schulman’s district were among the areas that saw severe water buildup May 20. The social media account Bukharian Community posted video footage of flash flooding on Austin Street in Forest Hills.
“I don’t know what happened out here,” said the person who shot the video. “It seems like devastation, like we just went through some type of tornado. A blizzard in Queens is crazy right now.”
Schulman said also that businesses on Metropolitan Avenue saw flooding that “disrupted livelihoods and damaged storefronts.”
She commended City Hall’s investment to replace catch
Flooding was spotted in Rego Park the morning after the May 20 storm, on southbound Woodhaven Boulevard next to St. John’s Cemetery, near the Cooper Avenue-Yellowstone Boulevard intersection.
PHOTO BY PETER C.
basins citywide — the work is set to start in Queens Community Districts 12, 13 and 14 this summer — and promised to push for resources in her district.
The office of Councilmember Linda Lee (D-Oakland Gardens) on Tuesday partnered with the city Sanitation Department, the Office of Emergency Management and other organi-
zations to help provide relief, including food, to families in Hollis affected by flooding that she said engulfed vehicles and entered homes. Mayor Mamdani also visited the area May 21 to meet with impacted families.
At around 8 p.m. the night of the storm, the city sent out a text alert that all lanes of the Van Wyck Expressway were closed in both directions at Jewel Avenue. The NWS also reported blockages on several roadways, including on the Long Island Expressway at 188th Street in both directions.
The Q27 bus had to pause service just before 9 p.m. on Springfield Boulevard near Hollis Avenue in Queens Village, due to a manhole cover that popped up from the water pressure. A vehicle also was damaged at Springfield Boulevard and 110th Avenue.
Water also seeped in through the doors of the Q110 bus as it drove on Jamaica Avenue.
One user posted in the Glendale Civic Association Facebook group after 10 p.m. that the Cooper Avenue underpass, a lowlying stretch of roadway, was shut down due to flooding.
The storm had lasting impacts.More flooding was spotted last Thursday just before 9 a.m. in Rego Park, on southbound Woodhaven Boulevard next to St. John’s Cemetery, just north of the Cooper Avenue-Yellowstone Boulevard intersection.
Later that day, City Councilman Jim Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) posted on Facebook that his district office had flooded, and would be closed for in-person services for the foreseeable future.
Those whose property was damaged in the storm are encouraged to report it to reportdamage.nyc.gov. Affected parties also may request services by calling 311 or visiting nyc.gov/311. Q
Naeisha Rose contributed to this story
MASTROSIMONE
EDITORIAL AGEP
Adams’ parting gift returned
We welcome Gov. Hochul’s signature, expected today, May 28, on legislation that will block New York City mayors from having undue influence over policy after they’re gone.
We dislike, however, some of how the measure came to be and how it will take effect.
The bill, called the Election-Related Requirements for Initiating Charter Commissions Act, will allow mayors to block their predecessors from playing the trick Eric Adams did on his last day in office: creating a Charter Revision Commission to rewrite law as they see fit — though subject to voter approval. Authored by state Sen. John Liu of Flushing, the bill is called the ERIC Act, even though it should be the ERRICC Act (pols get some poetic license on these things).
It will enable Mayor Mamdani to junk the CRC Adams created in his final hours in office — a parting gift that political analyst Brian Browne of St. John’s University rightly called “a real blatant abuse of power” meant to disrupt the new administration.
The panel is looking into the possibility of instituting open primaries, with people getting to vote out-
side of the party in which they’re registered, and possibly other matters. The other matters are where it might act as an unaccountable mini legislature, up against the mayor, City Council and state lawmakers.
All this may seem like real inside baseball, but elections matter, as you know whether you like the result of the last mayoral one, the last presidential one, or neither one. Just look at what’s going on.
So we favor letting mayors nix such 11th-hour hijinks committed by their predecessors and are glad Liu’s bill will be enacted. Our concerns are twofold: One, as with so many policy questions in Albany today, it was not decided on its own, on its merits — it was approved and will be signed as part of the state budget. That’s a way for legislators to say they had to vote for something (“I couldn’t say no to the budget!”) without taking ownership of it. Our second concern is that the bill is retroactive, specifically so that Mamdani can nix Adams’ panel. That could leave it up to a legal challenge centered on due process. We’ll see.
At least we’re getting a state budget. Inside baseball is an interesting pastime in its own right, isn’t it?
Yes, improve curricula
In all the debates about school spending, class size, mayoral control and other issues, one big concern sometimes seems to be lost: what schoolchildren actually are being taught. Elected officials and the teachers union generally agree on wanting to throw more money into the system, even though New York City already spends more per pupil — $44,000 — than any other place in the country, to get rather pedestrian results overall. Class sizes are smaller than they were during times of far more effective education decades ago. Enrollment is way down. Yet the arc of improvement usually seems to be one step forward, two steps back. Outside of charter schools, standardized test score improvement is generally negligible.
So we’re glad on those rare occasions that we see actual improvement in curricula. This is one of those weeks, with the city announcing the expansion of two good programs: NYC Reads and NYC Solves. Ignore the silly names. The first teaches reading in large part through phonics, which is absolutely vital. Trendy “whole language” methods are worthless. The second teaches math in the context of reality, which keeps students more interested. That’s also vital. Under the headlines the mayor sought, and got, with this announcement is genuine good news.
MARK WEIDLER
President & Publisher
SUSAN & STANLEY MERZON Founders
Raymond G. Sito General Manager
Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief
Michael Gannon Senior News Editor
Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Stephanie G. Meditz Editor
Naeisha Rose Editor
Stela Barbu Office Manager
Jan Schulman Art Director
Moeen Din Associate Art Director
Gregg Cohen Editorial Production Manager
Joseph Berni Art Department Associate
Dennis O’Brien Proofreader
Senior Account Executives: Jim Berkoff, Beverly Espinoza
Account Executives: Ree Brinn, Patricia Gatt
Contributors:
Lloyd Carroll, Mark Lord, Ronald Marzlock
Photographers: Walter Karling, Michael Shain
Office: The Shops at Atlas Park 71-19 80th St., Suite 8-201
Glendale, NY 11385
Phone: (718) 205-8000
Fax: (718) 205-1957
E-mail: Editors@qchron.com Website: www.qchron.com
LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
Ban LIRR strikes
Dear Editor:
Re your May 21 report “MTA, LIRR unions reach four-year deal”:
Senior News Editor Michal Gannon wrote that the Long Island Rail Road settlement “has unions claiming victory,” while Gov. Hochul said the deal “will not penalize riders.” But riders could suffer another strike when the deal expires in four years unless Congress fixes a century-old federal law that enabled this year’s strike. That law is the Federal Railway Act, which exempts LIRR workers from New York State’s Taylor Law, which prohibits all publicsector employees, including most MTA workers, from staging strikes (New York Post, May 20, “LIRR Unions Rob New Yorkers Again”).
Congress passed the Railway Act in 1926, when the LIRR was privately owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad. The MTA acquired the LIRR in 1966, and the Taylor Law was enacted in 1967. State leaders invoked the Taylor Law to quickly quash an NYC subway workers’ strike in 2005, noted the Post.
Congress must revise the Railway Act to end LIRR workers’ exemption from it and make them subject to the Taylor Law’s ban on strikes. Queens and Long Island’s congressional representatives should introduce and support legislation to make this happen. Those House representatives include Grace Meng, Tom Suozzi, Nydia Velazquez, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. If they fail to act, they will demonstrate loyalty to greedy union campaign donors, rather than to their constituents who depend on reliable transportation. Voters should hold them accountable. Richard Reif Kew Gardens Hills
Veto pricey GRAS bill
Dear Editor:
I represent the Korean American Grocers Association, or KAGRO. We include hundreds of small grocery owners across the state, serving our communities from Queens to Buffalo. Many of us are immigrants who worked hard to realize our dream of owning a business.
The new GRAS bill will make that job harder. Gov. Hochul should veto it.
GRAS stands for generally recognized as safe. I understand what the sponsors were hoping for, but they just didn’t pay attention to the
harmful effect this bill, officially the Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act (A.1556/S.1239), will have on people. The reality is that this bill will be expensive. I joined a coalition letter that shared the results of a recent study that said it would cost local businesses $1.8 billion while also making our stores less competitive with ones in neighboring states. Those estimates were disregarded.
Where are the Legislature’s reports on how much this will cost? Why weren’t they able to show them to us? And why don’t our concerns carry weight with the people who represent us?
Legislators say this bill is meant to strengthen oversight of food ingredients. In practice, it creates a second layer of review on top of the federal system that already exists. Businesses will spend more time and money trying to meet another set of standards.
It seems that very little thought has been put into considering the negative results of this bill. The Legislature has put forward no plan on how
LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
to implement it, and the state doesn’t have the budget to do so. The bill’s sponsor claimed “interns” would be responsible for running the process. Is that treating our concerns with respect?
In a tough economy, we need policies that strengthen our local businesses, not punish them. New York legislators must stop adding costs and complexity and instead help lift up our businesses and relieve burdens that are hurting us and the communities we serve.
Kwang Min Park Chairman, Korean American Grocers Association Bayside
Meat without death
Dear Editor:
There are few policy proposals that have the potential to do more good than a massive public investment in cultivated-meat research.
For those who don’t know, cultivated meat is grown from animal cells, without slaughter. My hope is this technology will help sweep fish trawlers and slaughterhouses into the dustbin of history. However, if cultivated meat only replaces a small percentage of the existing meat market, it would save billions of animals from suffering and premature death every year.
While the technology currently exists to make cultivated meat, it’s too expensive to mass-produce. I have no doubt this can be rectified with further research. We should build facilities like the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture at schools across the country. Compassionate political leaders should direct government resources toward this effort. As dark as our politics feels right now, with corruption and hatred seemingly everywhere, the possibility of building a better world remains.
Jon Hochschartner Granby, Conn.
Mayor must do homework
Dear Editor:
The Blackfeet Indians tell a tale about the origin of death which ends with the belief that “It is better that we die forever,” rather than the alternative, which the story explores. It asserts that grief is an experience that scars everyone, and through it we learn sympathy for one another. Grief connects us to strangers.
So, I have a homework assignment for Mayor Mamdani. A new nonfiction book powerfully declares in its title what needs to be said — “The Future Is Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land.” He needs to read it. We all need to read it. I just ordered a copy from the Queens Public Library. In it, a Palestinian peace-builder and an Israeli entrepreneur bonded because they share personal loss and tragedy, which the Israeli-Palestinian conflict makes too common.
I know that the mayor needs to read this because during the last two weeks he reaf-
Write a Letter!
Letters should be no longer than 300 words and may be edited for length, clarity and other reasons. They may be emailed to letters@qchron.com.
firmed that he wants to take sides. He was freer to do this when he was a private citizen; now taking sides has terrible ramifications. He deferred acknowledgement of Israel’s Independence Day and then he posted a poignant video in commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba, even though there are poignant interviews of Holocaust survivors testifying to the need for a state of Israel. Mayor Mamdani could have talked about this book, “The Future Is Peace,” citing the historical tragedies on both sides.
As a New York City teacher, I would not have made a classroom statement favoring either anniversary because my classroom was home for different students with different histories and opinions. NYC is home to many different New Yorkers and now he has unequivocally taken sides in ways that are affecting the level of safety that people feel in their everyday lives. Do more homework, Mayor Mamdani.
Debra Michlewitz Bayside
All-Schoolyard at PS 79
Dear Editor:
One of my fondest memories from back in the day is when I coined the phrase “AllSchoolyard” on the playground of PS 79 in Whitestone, Queens, in the mid-1960s.
A bunch of neighborhood guys and I got together regularly to play touch football on Saturday mornings. I can’t remember the spelling of the last names but as memory serves, their first names were Billy, Denny, Donnie, Howie, Huey, Irving, Larry, Richie and Vic.
After playing weekly for quite a while, I thought it would be fun to make the games more competitive and name an MVP after each game. I called that player “All-Schoolyard,” the ultimate compliment and expression of excellence. To “up the ante” even more, I added the perk of awarding that guy a commemorative football jersey.
We all pitched in to buy a customized jersey with “All-Schoolyard” printed on the back and “ No. 1” on the front. After each game we voted as to who would be the lucky recipient, and that player would have the honor of wearing the “All-Schoolyard” jersey for the week. It became an award we coveted and a jersey we wore proudly.
Sixty years later, my football-playing days are long over, but I often wonder whatever happened to the old gang, and that special jersey. Maybe one of them will read this and reach out!
Daniel Donofrio Montauk, LI
Editor’s note: Anyone who wants to reach the writer may email peterm@qchron.com or call (718) 205-8000, ext. 127, to be connected with him.
Trump’s avarice
Dear Editor:
In his first term, President Trump claimed he loves spending other people’s money. Now, without the protection of Congress, American working families and taxpayers are feeling the brunt of his selfish tendencies.
Glenn Hayes Kew Gardens
MASS SCHEDULE
Monday, Tuesday, Friday at 8:30AM
Wednesday & Thursday at 12:00PM Saturday at 8:30AM & 4:00PM
Sunday 8:30AM - 10:30AM & 12:00PM Holy Hour: Monday 9:00AM to 10:00AM & Friday 3:00PM to 4:00PM
FLEA MARKET
718-843-6218 parishofficeolg@gmail.com
CORPUS CHRISTI
Sunday, June 7th Mass at 8:30am, 10:00am & 12:00pm Procession at 11:00am Saturday, June 6th, the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed from 5pm to midnight in preparation for Corpus Christi
FEAST VENDORS
– 6 days total
Registration is open for our Religious Education program Grades 1 to 8 for kids OCIA program for adults who need to receive their sacraments is also available Come to the Rectory office or call 718-843-6218 for more information
Sunday, July 12th
from 10:00AM to 5:00PM
Call for more info or to sign up 718-843-6218 parishofficeolg@gmail.com FOOD TRUCK VENDORS FLEA MARKET NEEDED
Call to Reserve your spot 718-843-6218 or email parishoffi ceolg@gmail.com
Woodhaven Post 118 honors fallen heroes
American Legion Post 118 in Woodhaven marked Memorial Day with two separate community-centered events.
The first, on May 21, saw attendees meeting at the intersection of Forest Parkway and Jamaica Avenue for an annual observance ceremony, top right. At that location, next to the Chase bank, there is a marble monument honoring Woodhaven soldiers lost in World War II.
Then, on May 25, Post 118 took its annual
Memorial Day observance ceremony indoors at its headquarters, at 89-02 91 St., due to the rainy forecast.
At noon, however, the veterans and other attendees went outside to the Garden of Remembrance, which contains hundreds of crosses and Stars of David representing Post members who died in service, for a flag raising ceremony and a moment to honor the fallen. — Kristen Guglielmo
NO CHASER, JUST THE TRUTH
can increase the risk of several cancers, including breast , colon and throat cancer. Drinking less can lower your risk. Get the facts. Visit nyc.gov/alcohol.
A sentimental t r a d i t i o n c o n t i n u e s tradition continues in Woodhaven
Driving down Forest Park Drive in Woodhaven this time of year, one can see flags along the road decorating the memorial trees — trees that were planted at the end of World War I in memory of soldiers who fell fighting for the country. The display is a longstanding Woodhaven tradition that continues on through the efforts of the community.
On Tuesday, May 19, in an effort spearheaded by Ed Wendell of Project Woodhaven, families
met near Oak Ridge to keep the tradition going.
“The reason we were all there was never far from our minds,” Wendell wrote of the event on the Project Woodhaven Facebook page. “Each of the Memorial Trees on this drive were planted in the name of young soldiers who left Woodhaven to fight in the war and never returned home. At the end, we stopped for a moment of silence during Taps — and then we sang God Bless America.” — Kristen Guglielmo
Angel wings honor KG’s fallen
New memorial unveiled for slain World War II soldiers
by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor
Just ahead of Memorial Day, the 27 soldiers from Kew Gardens who died fighting in World War II were remembered in a special new way.
As part of commemorating the holiday, the Friends of Maple Grove last Saturday unveiled a new memorial consisting of 27 pairs of angel wings, one for each of the fallen area servicemen. The temporary display outside the cemetery’s Celebration Hall was spearheaded by Eagle Scout Justin Mogollon, of Jackson Heights’ Troop 201.
The original memorial honoring the neighborhood’s fallen World War II soldiers was dedicated at Lefferts Boulevard in 1948. Last year, the cemetery released a book telling the men’s stories, which includes more than 160 pages of news articles, letters, documents and photos.
“These angel wings rising before us today are not merely metal. They are symbols,” Friends of Maple Grove President Shahriar Hossain said in his remarks. “Symbols of sacrifice. Symbols of ascent. Symbols of eternal remembrance. And they stand here because of something deeply beautiful. They are a product of a new generation.”
Hossain added that the memorial stands in what Maple Grove Cemetery Association
Eagle Scout Justin Mogollon, center right at left, presented his 27 Angel Wings project May 23 to honor Kew Gardens’ fallen World War II soldiers. At right, Friends of Maple Grove President Shahriar Hossain delivers remarks, alongside Senior Vice President Helen Day and WW II veteran Dominick Critelli. PHOTOS COURTESY FRIENDS OF MAPLE GROVE
President Philip Rash Flynn first termed the Sacred Trinity of Kew Gardens, referring to the cemetery as well as the nearby PS 99 and First Church of Kew Gardens.
Along with the 27 fallen area residents, the names of the 84 soldiers killed in action who are buried at Maple Grove were read aloud.
Dominick Critelli, 105, a World War II veteran and Battle of the Bulge survivor who grew up in the area, played the national anthem on the saxophone during the service. Former Maple Grove intern Sean Miller also shared World War II artifacts from his extensive collection, as he wore a vintage uniform.
Honor country’s 250th on 6/13
All are welcome to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary in Woodhaven on June 13 during an event hosted by Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven) and Sail4th 250.
Residents can head to American Legion Post 118, at 89-02 91 St., from noon to 2 p.m. for the festivities, which include live music performed by Harmony 4 All; light refreshments; complimentary gifts, while supplies last; and a chance to sign up for free tickets to the maritime celebration at the Port of New York and New Jersey from July 5 to 7. Attendees also can watch educational archival footage from past maritime celebrations that took place in 1976, 1986 and 2000.
Addabbo will present Sail4th 250, described on its website as an “international tall ship and government project formed to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States,” with a proclamation. The senator said in a statement that the event will provide a great afternoon of patriotic spirit “as we commemorate this important semiquincentennial and recognize the selfless bravery and courage of our veterans. I hope attendees will enjoy themselves, feel a sense of pride in our nation and share what they have learned with others.” Q
Mamdani to lower rent for some of the poorest Plan also includes new senior housing and opportunities for home ownership
by Samantha Maldonado THE CITY
This article was originally published on May 26, 5:00 a.m. EDT by THE CITY
Mayor Mamdani plans to lower the rent for some of the poorest New Yorkers.
The mayor announced on Tuesday that New Yorkers who are considered “extremely lowincome” — no more than $50,880 for a family of four — will pay a quarter of their income on rent, down from 30 percent, on city-subsidized apartments.
“One of the things we’re trying to do is think about ‘affordable to whom,’” said Dina Levy, commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
The rents set at a quarter of household income will apply to HPD-financed new projects that close on their financing as of June 2026. The rental level will not apply to households that use vouchers.
The change in rent requirements in affordable apartments for the lowest-income New Yorkers comes as part of the administration’s plan to address the housing crisis, one that touches on everything from preserving existing affordable apartments to creating new ones, code enforcement and land-use changes to spur new housing.
“At a moment when working people are
being pushed out of the city they built, New York cannot afford halfmeasures or delays,” Mamdani said in a statement. “This plan meets the housing crisis with the urgency it demands.”
200,000 affordable homes
The Mamdani administration has set a goal of building 200,000 affordable homes over a decade. It plans to build 8,000 new affordable apartments each year for the next two years, a 35 percent increase from the previous two years. That includes about 2,400 new apartments per year for people whose incomes fall into the 30 percent area median income or less, and 1,600 apartments for households that earn between 31 percent and 50 percent of the AMI.
sional funds after Hurricane Ida in 2021 to turn two developments — in Brownsville and Coney Island — into centers that offer refuge, resources and social services in the wake of emergencies.
Doubling homeownership chances
Beyond affordable rentals, the new housing plan touches on several other aspects of the overall housing ecosystem in New York City.
The plan aims to double homeownership opportunities in the next two years, compared to the 2024 and 2025 average, through both new construction and converting rentals to cooperatives.
The AMI is a federal measure set by the Department of Housing and Urban Development that is based on market rents, not actual household earnings. The city creates income bands as a percentage of the AMI when it builds affordable housing and sets rents based on those income bands — typically 30 percent of the income.
Levy said preserving already-existing
Curriculum initiatives expand
continued from page 4
Beginning in September, the DOE will expand in-school educator support for implementing multitiered systems of supports, a framework that helps schools identify student needs and provide targeted academic instruction, at middle schools across those districts. High schools participating in the expansion will also receive MTSS support.
While 2026 test score data will not be available until the summer, in 2025, math proficiency levels for students in grades 3 through 8 increased by 3.5 percent from the previous year, according to data found on the DOE website. Students at those same grade levels were also 7.2 percent more proficient in English language arts compared to 2024.
investing in what works: rigorous instruction, strong support for teachers and a public school system that doesn’t give up on anyone. This expansion will help make sure every student, in every neighborhood, succeeds.”
Councilmembers Shekar Krishnan (D-Jackson Heights) and Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills), who also sit on the Council’s Education Committee, thanked Mamdani and Samuels for their commitment and lauded the expansion.
“Every student gets only one chance at a good education.”
“Every New York City Public Schools student deserves to be in a classroom that is both academically rigorous and deeply supportive, and expanding NYC Solves and Reads moves us closer to that goal,” Samuels said in a statement. “As a Superintendent I saw firsthand the transformative impact of these initiatives and remain committed to their success as Chancellor. The strong academic gains we’ve seen underscore what’s possible when we invest in evidence-based instruction and support.”
— Councilmember Lynn Schulman
Krishnan said, “As the parent of two young children, I know how important it is for children to learn foundational math skills as soon as they can, which is why City Hall’s investment in NYC Solves in our schools is so important. I’m thankful that these early and innovative investments are coming to Queens.”
affordable housing, focusing on homeownership opportunities and leveraging construction via tax credits that don’t require capital funding will bring the city closer to the goal of 200,000 homes.
“It is a big leap toward getting to that 200,000 units,” she said. “There’s a ramp up period, so we are in the first phase of that ramp up.”
As part of the housing plan, the administration will commit to building 1,000 new senior homes per year — a 20 percent increase over the average in 2024 and 2025. And it will pursue a new strategy of building not just apartments solely for seniors, but intergenerational projects that mix senior housing with homes for New Yorkers of any age.
“It’s a way to produce more senior housing, particularly as the federal government has retrenched from their obligations to affordable housing,” Levy said. “Section 8 is a pretty critical component when you’re building senior housing, and because we’re not seeing expansions — and in some cases we’ve actually seen retreating by the federal government — doing mixed-generational projects is a way to create more without the need to increase Section 8.”
The Mamdani administration also wants to create two new “community resilience hubs” in buildings with lots of seniors. That work would expand on a program that began using congres-
To help existing homeowners afford their homes, the administration plans to stand up a new program offering no-interest loans for up to 100 households each year to help pay their mortgage if they’re at risk of falling behind. And the city will increase the amount of loans offered for home repairs, from $60,000 to $100,000.
The housing plan indicated the Mamdani administration would pursue plans for new housing growth in neighborhoods that have not produced as much housing as others in the past and in areas with strong transit access.
The administration will initiate rezonings to change land use rules to allow for more housing development on the neighborhood scale, including in the areas just southeast of Prospect Park and in the north Bronx, as well as on a smaller scale, such as the community district level or even a collection of several blocks. Q
THE CITY (www.thecity.nyc) is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to hard-hitting reporting that serves the people of New York.
tives. We regret the error. Q Correction
Mayor may be able to nix CRC
continued from page 2
actions getting undone by “must-pass budget riders,” if the state can change the rules to let an existing panel be disbanded.
Mamdani said, “This administration is
“Every student gets only one chance at a good education,” Schulman said. “The expansion of these critical programs into additional school districts, including NYC Solves in Districts 27 and 28 in my council district, is an important investment in our students, educators, and families. By bringing high-quality, evidence-based instruction to more classrooms, we are helping students build confidence as readers, critical thinkers, and problem-solvers from an early age.”
Liu said the situation at the end of last year was a catalyst for closing “a loophole that needed to be closed.” His bill will apply for all future administrations and is not about the former or current mayor in particular, he said.
Adams’ 2026 commission is holding public hearings — the first one was scheduled for yesterday, May 27, in the Bronx.
When it was formed, the panel was set to examine whether to bring open primaries to local elections, which would let voters not affiliated with a given political party cast ballots for
that party’s candidates.
Also being considered are moves to build more affordable housing, stop elected officials from increasing their own salaries and address antisemitism, hate crimes and protests near houses of worship, City & State reported last week.
Adams’ previous commission set forth several questions last year looking to speed affordable housing production, and lawmakers challenged them in court. All the panel’s ballot proposals were approved, except for one that would have aligned local and presidential election years.
City Hall did not respond to inquiries by press time about what action Mamdani might take, upon the bill’s enactment. Q
Mayor Mamdani spoke with THE CITY ahead of a press conference in the Bronx, April 10, 2026. PHOTO BY BEN FRACTENBERG / THE CITY
The May 21 story “Claire Valdez: House could use a unionist” misstated, in one instance, where Assemblywoman Claire Valdez hopes to be. It is the House of Representa-
September New school finds ways for D75 pupils to thrive
The Queens Academy for Innovative Learning is
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
A new District 75 school in Queens is hoping to reshape how students with disabilities experience education, combining technology, project-based learning and individualized support to help them prepare for life beyond the classroom.
The Queens Academy for Innovative Learning, serving students in grades six through 12, will open this fall across three campuses in Astoria, Woodside and Jamaica.
The new school is one of five opening citywide this September, including the Academy of Cultural Excellence in Long Island City and West Q Elementary in Woodside.
The middle school will operate out of IS 125, the Thomas J. McCann Woodside Intermediate School, at 46-02 47 Ave. in Woodside.
The high school programs will be housed at William Cullen Bryant High School, located at 48-10 31 Ave. in Astoria, and at 165-15 88 Ave. in Jamaica.
The three sites will serve about 200 students combined, according to the DOE.
Founding Principal Jenna O’Shaughnessy, a Bayside native, last served as assistant principal of Maspeth’s PS 277, the Riverview School. She has worked with a diverse range of students of different abilities in kindergar-
set to open in
ten through age 22.
She told the Chronicle the new school was designed to meet students where they are academically, socially and emotionally.
“Our goal is really to create a school environment that is built around what the students need,” O’Shaughnessy said.
The Queens Academy for Innovative Learning will emphasize exploration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as community-based instruction,
NEW YORKERS CARRY
work-based learning and interactive technology that allows students to engage with lessons in different ways depending on their needs.
“It’s about finding ways for all students to access the curriculum and bring the curriculum to life,” O’Shaughnessy said.
Among the technologies being introduced into every classroom are Promethean boards — interactive, touch-sensitive whiteboards — and interactive smart tables that allow students to write, draw and manipulate lessons
directly on the surface. The school will also utilize assistive technology that can read to students and provide additional supports for different learning styles.
“We are really going to pride ourselves on looking at curriculum and making sure students have access points to understand it and interact with it,” O’Shaughnessy said.
While academics remain a priority, the school also aims to help students develop independence, communication and self-advocacy skills that will support them after graduation.
“Yes, academics are extremely important, but we also want students to be independent and be able to advocate for themselves and their needs,” the principal said.
Some students will work toward earning traditional high school diplomas, while others will focus on post-secondary concerns such as employment opportunities, community involvement and independent living skills.
O’Shaughnessy said she hopes the school helps challenge misconceptions about students with disabilities and instead highlights their strengths and potential.
“I want people to look at their abilities,” she said. “We’re helping find what makes them shine and letting everyone else see that it’s not a disability, it’s just a different way they need to access something, and they’re going to shine just as bright as anyone else.” Q
Zohran Kwame Mamdani Mayor
Alister Martin, MD, MPP
Jenna O’Shaughnessy, seen above at the city Department of Education’s New Schools Fair on May 5, is the founding principal of the Queens Academy for Innovative Learning, a new District 75 school with three campuses, in Astoria, Woodside and Jamaica. PHOTO COURTESY NYC DOE
Estate Planning Fundamentals: Strategies for Parents
By Cynthia J. Conza, Esq.
Clients with children often ask whether they should prepare a will or set up a revocable trust for their children. To answer that question, it is important to understand the differences between these two important estate planning tools.
Fundamentally, both a will and a revocable trust are designed to transfer your assets to your beneficiaries when you die. You will also name an individual to carry out your wishes: the executor in your will or the trustee in your trust. Both a will and a revocable trust can be changed as many times as you wish while you are still alive. You also retain complete control over the assets you identify in your will or revocable trust. There are also significant differences between a will and a revocable trust. A primary difference is by putting your assets into a revocable trust you are allowing your beneficiaries to avoid the probate process in Surrogate’s Court. Probate can be expensive and may take
many months. By avoiding the delay of probate a revocable trust gives beneficiaries immediate access to assets upon death. A revocable trust also prevents a will contest by an heir you purposefully left out of your will or received less than they think they deserved.
A revocable trust can also ensure the inheritances you leave remain in your bloodline for your grandchildren and not end up with in-laws. Similarly, a revocable trust can protect the inheritances you leave from your children’s divorces or creditors. Married couples with taxable estates can also reduce and often eliminate estate taxes with a revocable trust.
Choosing between a will or revocable trust is an important decision and will have a significant impact on your children and beneficiaries. Please feel free to contact me at cynthia@conzamc namara.com or (718) 845-5555 if you would like to discuss further.
- ADVERTORIAL -
FREE DENTAL CARE
Free dental care is here for children aged 2-17! Plaza College proudly invites families to Shiny Teeth of Queens, a special initiative hosted at its Community Dental Clinic in Forest Hills, Queens. The clinic serves over 100 children from the five boroughs and Long Island, offering dental exams, cleanings, x-rays, sealants, and fluoride treatments–all completely free! No insurance? No problem. No fees are charged during the month of June, ensuring every child has access to top-notch dental care. To date, this initiative has provided thousands of dollars in services to families in need.
Shiny Teeth is more than just dental care; it’s a celebration of community. The College’s student dental hygienists work together to create a fun, family-friendly
‘Lion
environment where children learn best practices for maintaining their oral health. This hands-on experience also helps students complete capstone presentations in their “DH240-Oral Health Promotion” course. Every child leaves with a Certificate of Participation, goodie bag of dental essentials, and a smile they’re proud of. School letters are available if needed.
The Community Dental Clinic will be open in June on Monday and Wednesday from 8 AM to 8 PM, Friday from 8 AM to 11 AM. To schedule an appointment or learn more, call 718-779-1432 or email ShinyTeeth@PlazaCollege.edu. Don’t miss this opportunity for free dental services! Together, let’s make June a month full of bright, healthy smiles across our community!
King’ a roaring success
Throughout the past several months, students at PS/MS 146, the Howard Beach School, have dedicated countless hours to rehearsing, singing, dancing and acting — and on May 20 and 21, all that hard work paid off.
The young thespians put on two nights of showstopping performances of “Disney’s The Lion King Kids” as part of the highly competitive Disney Musicals in Schools program, according to school staff.
The production was a collaborative effort led by the PS/MS 146 arts team, including dance teacher Rachel Kampuries, above left, visual arts teacher Christine Panaro and
music teacher Martha Nelson. The team worked closely with students on all aspects of the performance, from music and choreography to stage production and visual design. The show gave students the opportunity to build confidence, teamwork, creativity and leadership skills while experiencing the excitement of live theater.
“As the arts team at PSMS 146, we are incredibly proud of the dedication, creativity, and growth our students showed throughout this entire experience,” the team wrote in an email. “Watching them gain confidence and shine on stage was truly rewarding for all of us.” — Kristen Guglielmo
Teacher benefit boost in budget
City schoolteachers will be able to retire at age 58 and still get full benefits as long as they’ve been on the job for at least 30 years, under a new agreement within the overdue state budget being worked on by Gov. Hochul and the Legislature.
The move reverses part of the costsaving pension reforms of 2012 known as Tier 6, under which new public employees had to work until age 63 to get full benefits. The change, along with reduced contributions to benefits for other public workers, will cost taxpayers about $557 million more per year, according to published reports.
The changes are seen as a compromise because unions had wanted more. “Albany heard us and took a major step in correcting the injustice of Tier 6,” Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, said in a statement, as the lower retirement age “will make pensions better and fairer for current and future employees.” He added that he looks forward to more pension reform to “end this inequity.”
Fiscal watchdogs, contrarily, lamented the increased strain on city and state budgets and the taxpayers who fund them. Q
— Peter C. Mastrosimone
Glendale firefighter dies suddenly in race
by Stephanie G. Meditz
Editor
Glendale’s Engine 286/Ladder 135 firehouse is mourning the tragic loss of one of its own Myrtle Turtles.
Firefighter Karan Thadhani, 29, died May 24 after experiencing a medical episode while running a race, according to a GoFundMe page to support his family. One Reddit post says Thadhani collapsed during the Forest Park Runners’ annual 4M Road & Trail Race.
“His sudden loss has left his loved ones and the community heartbroken,” reads the fundraiser page, organized by Troy Gaugler.
Thadhani was a hero to those he served, as well as a cherished friend, son and colleague, the page continues. He brought “warmth and positivity to every moment” whether he was on duty or with loved ones, it says.
Thadhani served as an FDNY EMS paramedic before he became a firefighter.
“FF Thadhani was a beloved member of Ladder 135 and dedicated himself to serving others,” his firehouse posted on Facebook, saying he was always known
Glendale firefighter Karan Thadhani died unexpectedly while running a race on May 24. PHOTO VIA
for bringing a smile and positive energy to work.
The GoFundMe had raised more than $41,000 as of Wednesday morning and, per the Reddit post, the race proceeds are being donated there. Funeral arrangements were not publicly available as of press time.
“We extend our deepest condolences to his family, loved ones, and the members of E286/L135,” the Uniformed Firefighters Association said on X. Q
NYBC urgently seeks donors
The New York Blood Center is calling on donors of all blood types to donate as the region faces the start of the summer trauma season, which it called one of the most difficult and critical times of year for maintaining the blood supply.
Donations are down nearly 15 percent in the region, per the NYBC, meaning there are about 4,500 fewer than needed to meet hospital demand. To make an appointment, one may visit nybc.org. There are several upcoming blood drives in South Queens:
• Richmond Hill South Ozone Park Lions Club, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, in a busmobile at 120-01 Liberty Ave. in South Richmond Hill; blood drive coordinator Amanda Sancler;
•United Sikhs-Queens, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 14, in the main room at 95-30 118 St. in South Richmond Hill; blood drive coordinator Inderjeet Singh; and
• Knights of Columbus Council 197, 8:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, June 20, in the main hall of 94-04 Linden Blvd. in Ozone Park; blood drive coordinator Paul Eggert. Q
GOFUNDME / TROY GAUGLER
Forest Hills didn’t need fair weather on May 24 to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation.
Marchers, including Girl Scouts from Daisy Troop 4800 at top right, trekked down Metropolitan Avenue with their umbrellas, raincoats, boots and smiles at the area’s annual Memorial Day parade. It was hosted by American Legion Post No. 1424 — at top left, members carried their banner proudly.
Below them, Law and Order Award recipient Officer Elvin Lugo of the 112th Precinct, left, First Responder Honoree Thomas Caldwell and Civil Community Service Grand Marshal Jimmy O’Reilly marched with their sashes. Also honored was Military Grand Marshal Sgt. Dana Evans,
who served in the U.S. Air Force and Army.
At center and to the right, the Women’s Club of Forest Hills, Achilles International and Community Board 6 were just some of the organizations that participated. Marching along in uniform were students from Queens Metropolitan High School’s Knight Battalion, above left, and Richmond Hill High School’s Lion Battalion, to their right. Hot Dog, the FDNY’s fire safety mascot, even made an appearance.
Spectators of all ages gathered to remember fallen servicemembers — at near right, one youngster posed for a rainy day selfie before the parade. Also preceding the march was a solemn ceremony at the American Legion hall, far right. — Stephanie G. Meditz
PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE
G. MEDITZ
Workshop to combat hate
Following recent antisemitic incidents in and around Forest Hills, community organizers are working to foster peace.
The Central Queens Against Hate coalition will host “Rising Strong Together,” a community healing and resilience workshop, from 6 to 8 p.m. June 4. The event aims to bring those impacted by bias and discrimination together in dialogue.
The workshop, set to be held on the seventh floor of 68-60 Austin St., will begin with a presentation about hate’s impact on mental health. Discussions will then be had in smaller groups, and the event will end with somatic exercises to help the mind and body heal from trauma.
Light refreshments will be served, and one may RSVP at tinyurl.com/59825b8j.
The workshop is one of several events CQAH has planned, after receiving a grant from the city’s Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes. Another on June 18 at Forest Hills’ Azal Coffee will cater to young people, and a third that is still in the works will focus on solidarity among different religions.
Reward posted in Itzkowitz shooting
by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor
Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $3,500 for information about the shooting death of Albert Itzkowitz, 75, of Kew Gardens Hills.
Itzkowitz, a retired bakery owner and resident of 73rd Avenue, was found shot to death shortly before 5 p.m. on Monday, May 18, near Kissena Lake in Flushing. He had been shot in the back and neck, and the NYPD is asking the public’s help in its ongoing investigation.
Officers from the 109th Precinct responded to a 911 call reporting an unconscious man along the Kissena Lake shoreline.
EMS personnel declared Itzkowitz dead at the scene. The Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled the case a homicide.
The Daily News reported that Itzkowitz was killed just over two weeks after the death of his wife.
The May 18 death of Albert Itzkowitz has been ruled a homicide.
No arrests have been made as of the Chronicle’s deadline on Wednesday.
Body found at Forest Park Dr.
The body of a deceased woman was found on Forest Park Drive Wednesday.
Cops in Woodhaven on Wednesday morning blocked off part of Forest Park Drive, from just after the entrance to the eastbound Jackie Robinson Parkway to Myrtle Avenue, after a body was discovered.
Police told the Chronicle that at around 7:43 a.m., officers responded to a 911 call reporting a person needing aid at Forest Park Drive, but cops did not detail where specifically on the road.
Upon arrival, officers discovered a 41-year-old female, unconscious and unresponsive, authorities said. She was declared deceased at the scene, cops said, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death.
One may email CQAH2022@gmail. com or call (917) 745-7431 to learn more.
Q
— Stephanie G. Meditz
The paper said he was the former owner of Mendy’s Bakery on Main Street, now a restaurant in the Holy Schnitzel chain; and that he was a longtime volunteer with the Hatzolah ambulance service.
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 strictly confidential. Q
The woman’s identity was not immediately made public.
Police sources told the Chronicle that no foul play was expected, but that the investigation is ongoing. Q
— Kristen Guglielmo
Protect their Protect future from throat cancer with the cancer HPV vaccine.
k to your child’s doctor or Talk to your child’s doctor or visit visit nyc.gov/hpv nyc.gov/hpv. For 20 years, the HPV vaccine has been For 20 years, the HPV vaccine has been proven to reduce HPV infec tions that can proven to reduce HPV infections that can lead to cancer. Vaccination is recommended to cancer. Vaccination is recommended st ar ting at age 9. starting at age 9.
Zohran Kwame Mamdani Alister Martin, MD, MPP Mayor Commissioner
SCREENSHOT VIA CITIZEN
Queens fans ready for Knicks to make history
Forest Park Drive, Woodhaven, NY
TUESDAYS
Morning Walk with DEBBI
MAY 5th- NOVEMBER 17th 10:00–11:00 AM
Inspire your day with an invigorating morning walk in scenic Forest Park with Debbi Meet at Bandshell
Chair Yoga Chair Yoga with DEBBI
11:15 AM–12:15 PM
Relax, rejuvenate, and recharge your body & spirit with this uplift ing & calming exercise.
WEDNESDAYS
L I N E D A N C I N G LINE DANCING with MICHELLE
MAY 6th- NOVEMBER 18th 10:30–11:30 AM No classes held in inclement weather.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2026
by Marcus Washington Chronicle Contributor
The New York Knicks are going back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. It’s been 27 years since the Knicks came out of the East, and now they’re set to make history.
Jalen Brunson has led the team on its historic run this whole postseason. He averages 26.9 points per game, and drove New York to its sweeps of the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers.
“No one can guard Jalen Brunson.” one Queens fan said.
Residents in Queens are in celebration mode. “I’m not worried about who we go up against,” one said, predicting, “the Knicks in five.”
Another simply said, “No one can guard Jalen Brunson.”
The Knicks had a rough run in the middle of the season, going 2-9 from Dec. 31 to Jan 19. There were doubts whether they could beat the No. 1 seed, the Detroit Pistons, who ultimately collapsed in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals
against the Cavaliers. But Knicks fans, even those who have had their doubts, are very pleased with what the team has accomplished. Many say it’s a long time coming.
“They make it to the conference finals and win,” one fan said. “You know, I was thinking that would be cool, you know what I mean? With just winning that, because I was like, ah, you know, they still are not ready for some of these teams.”
So far, they’ve been ready for all of them. Fans are yelling, “Knicks in four!” or “We want Victor Wembanyama!” — the San Antonio Spurs star. They took over Radio City Music Hall and a bit of Seventh Avenue celebrating Monday’s win against the Cavaliers.
New Yorkers have been waiting for this moment for years. The Knicks are on the verge of being called NBA Champions for the first time since 1973. They go up against either the Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder starting next Thursday. Q
Fu n a nd Fit ne s s
Fun and Fitness
Summer Kickoff Picnic at Forest Park at Forest Forest Park Drive, Woodhaven
Jumpstart your day with seven invigorating morning fitness sessions at the Forest Park Seuffert Bandshell, followed by a delicious lunch in the new picnic area.
7 FITNESS CLASSES
From 8:45AM to 1:30PM
9:00AM to 11:00AM Coffee, Tea & Danish Hour
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
Italian Garden Picnic 1:45 PM
Wine & Cheese Board Appetizers
Assorted Sourdough Breads
Baked Fresh Flounder Italian Style
Spinach Quiche
Pasta Primavera
Mixed Garden Vegetable Salad — Dessert — Fresh Fruit & Custard Éclairs
Suggested Contribution: Only $20.00
B SPORTS EAT
Bosses of the Bronx
by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor
Veteran New York Post sports columnist Mike Vaccaro undertook a herculean task in writing “Bosses of the Bronx,” as it is the definitive book on the history of the Yankees’ ownership. Let’s face it — if you are going to write a book about Yankees CEOs, there is not going to be much interest in Jacob Ruppert, Del Webb, Dan Topping or the suits at CBS who owned the team in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Despite the title, Vaccaro knows there was only one “boss” who will be remembered. Although there have been many books about George M. Steinbrenner III, this one is by far the liveliest read.
Brian Cashman has overseen Yankees personnel matters for more than 30 years, so it is easy to forget how unstable the general manager’s job was for most of Steinbrenner’s tenure. Vaccaro describes how former GMs Gabe Paul, Lee MacPhail, Tal Smith, Bob Watson and Gene Michael butted heads with Steinbrenner, with only Michael having any success in getting “The Boss” to agree with his decisions.
Those were nothing compared to his battles with Yankees legends. Vaccaro provides all the details about Steinbrenner’s’s dustups with Reggie Jackson, Don Mattingly, Dave Winfield and Yogi Berra. The feud with Berra lasted well over 20 years, with the star catcher refusing to attend
Old-Timers Day ceremonies at Yankee Stadium for years. Happily, they patched things up late in their lives when Steinbrenner visited Berra’s home to apologize for mistreating him.
Writing about Steinbrenner without doing so about Billy Martin would be like writing a biography of Stan Laurel without discussing Oliver Hardy. Steinbrenner hired and fired Martin so often Miller Lite beer had them star in a commercial with Steinbrenner firing him for disagreeing on whether Lite’s chief virtue was its great taste or its being less filling.
Martin had five separate tenures as Yankees manager, and Vaccaro reveals there would have been a sixth had he not died in a car crash on Christmas Day, 1989.
Vaccaro tells the story of how in the summer of 1978, Mickey Morabito, the club’s media relations chief at the time, was worried about losing his job because he convinced Steinbrenner to let him host a luncheon for Martin and Yankees beat writers.
An inebriated Martin gave the writers plenty of fodder, and Morabito thought he was finished. As luck would have it, there was a newspaper strike the next day, and no one found out. Morabito, now the Athletics’ travel secretary, confirmed that account when I saw him at Citi Field last month. Q
See the extended version of Sports Beat every week at qchron.com.
PHOTO BY ERIK DROST VIA WIKIPEDIA
by Peter C. Mastrosimone
Sculpting for Donnelly Marks is a fluid thing, a stream of consciousness, a process in which not every step is planned ahead of time but instead flows one from another.
She’s an additive sculptor, taking her found materials — metal, plastic, mylar, paper — and pushing, pressing, tying them together, then topping them off with color.
“I will take paper, and it’s almost like I turn off the thinking and turn on the intuition and just go with, ‘What is the process coming from my brain?’” the Astoria-Long Island City artist told the Queens Chronicle. “You know: Cut here, crush here, staple here, and do it with intention — so I would say that I might start out with one movement and then allow that to be the direction that will point to the next movement.”
She continued, “It’s kind of getting out of the way ... and allowing intuition to drive how the piece evolves over time.”
The result will be on display from June 6 to Aug. 15 in the solo exhibit “Power Play: Sculpture and Photography” at the Garage Art Center, at
26-01 Corporal Kennedy St. in Bayside. An artist’s reception will be held the opening day and a workshop on June 13. Details are posted at garageartcenter.org.
Warrior figures soon to deploy in ‘Power Play’ exhibit
The dynamism of Marks’ creative process is reflected in the figures she creates. Though static, they exude an energy that makes it seem they could suddenly come to life, perhaps to battle one another. Several, in fact, have vaguely humanoid shapes and militaristic names: “Metal Warrior” and “Two Samurai” are among the dozen or so that will be on display at the gallery.
“This exhibition celebrates the power of play — not as escape, but as liberation,” Garage Art Center Director Stephanie S. Lee says in part in her description of the show. Lee adds, “Through photography and altered perceptions of scale, the sculptures are transfigured: the small becomes monumental, abstraction crystallizes into metaphor, warrior-like figures arise, and casual constructions transform into symbols of power, survival, and strength.”
The works certainly do show strength, and call to mind several examples
continued on page 27
King Crossword Puzzle
I HAVE OFTEN WALKED
Jamie Dimon could bank on Jackson Heights
by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor
Theodore Dimon was born on Jan. 3, 1931, the only child of Panor and Theonia, who came from Smyrna, Greece. He changed the family name from Papademetriou to Dimon. He was an officer in the Bank of Athens Trust Co. and later stockbroker for Shearson, which enabled them to buy a home in Williston Park, LI. Theodore was married in 1952, at age 21, to Themis Kalos.
Firstborn was Peter, followed by twin boys James and Theodore Jr., on March 13, 1956. Perhaps because of his job in the city they made their home in a building called The Tower at 33-16 81 St. in Jackson Heights. James, aka Jamie, went to a private school for boys, graduated Tufts University and got his MBA from Harvard in 1982. There he met his wife, Judith Kent, whom he married in 1983. They had three daughters.
Dimon became the CEO of Bank One in 2000. Not long after it merged with JP Morgan Chase in 2004, he became the combined firm’s CEO. He has had setbacks with lung cancer in 2014 and an aortic dissection in 2020, but recovered. He is repeatedly includ-
The childhood home of Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JP Morgan Chase, was at 33-16 81 St. in Jackson Heights, seen as it looked when he lived there in the 1950s.
ed on lists of the world’s 100 most influential people. Forbes says his wealth is $3 billion. Dimon also has been repeatedly encourage to run for president. At 70, he has more chapters waiting to be written. Q
INSET PHOTO BY LAUREN HURLEY / NO 10 DOWNING STREET VIA WIKIPEDIA
Unisphere Film Festival returns to LIC July 6-12
by Michael Gannon senior news editor
The Unisphere Film Festival will be back for its third season from July 6 through 12 at Court Square Theater in Long Island City.
And with five weeks to go before its July 6 opening, Mridul Sharma, founder of the festival, says no such endeavor is easy, but it can still be fun.
“It’s going well,” Sharma said in an interview last week. “It’s a lot of work, but the schedule is set. The programs are set. We’re just promoting nonstop online ... But I think I’ll get more rest this time around. We still need the final touches, but I’m much more relaxed this year.”
The festival will showcase 36 films this year in nine separate blocks, broken down by common themes. The first block, “Queens Born, Made, and Raised,” will show films shot in Queens or made by directors from the borough from 7 to 8 p.m. on July 6.
They include “Gorilla Warfare,” a dark comedy about an 8-year-old boy coming of age in the 1970s; “Forever Home,” a short about a dog who is coming down with dementia; and “All the Queens Houses,” Astoria director Sean Mowry’s film about architect and artist Rafael Herrin-Ferri’s book capturing the surprising beauty of the
city’s largest borough.
Tickets for all blocks are $20, but starting times vary. Information and tickets are available online at unispherefilmfestival.com
Born and raised in Flushing, Sharma began a few years ago to work at film festivals in Brooklyn.
“We don’t seem to brag as much about our borough,” Sharma said. “I didn’t see a
lot of film festivals in Queens.”
Sharma said the organizers still have to make sure they post calls for submissions on both general social media and sites more specific to the film community. But he also said this year that more filmmakers sought them out specifically.
Victims of their own success?
Sharma said he’ll take it.
“We screened over 100 films,” Sharma said. “We have a lot more features this year. We’re still mostly shorts, but we have more features.” He said July will see their largest number of international showings to date.
The July 7 block has seven films with the theme “Fighting the Pain.” It runs from 5 to 8:30 p.m.
“Paths Traveled-Part 1” examines characters from different walks of life and the choices they make that will determine their future. It will run from 3 to 6:50 p.m. on July 8. July 9 features “Love for One, Love for All,” with three films from 4 to 8:40 p.m.
Two blocks will show on July 10. “For Love of Cinema” has two movies from noon to 3 p.m. about those who love to make movies. “The Love of the Game” offers two stories of athletes who refuse to quit when facing adversity from 3:30 to 6 p.m.
“New York Stories” on July 11 has two films from noon to 12:40 p.m. “Saving the World” from 1:30 to 3 p.m. has two films dealing with the climate crisis.
The festival closes on July 12 with “Paths Traveled-Part 2,” showing four films between noon and 3, and Part 3, with three films running from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m.
The Court Square Theater is located at 44-02 23 St. in Long Island City. Q
Small sculptures wield great power in Bayside
of it, from popular fiction to fine modern art.
Marks herself sees echoes of the kaiju, the Japanese movie monsters epitomized by Godzilla, in some of them.
When she takes the power of the creative process and turns it into figures, she finds that “they’re referencing those powerful Japanese monsters.” And, she adds, “They have energy, they are for good.”
Crossword Answers
The viewer might also see in them echoes of the Transformers, especially in their later, less boxy shapes: Think the title character in the 2018 movie “Bumblebee.”
One piece, a figure that makes up half of the work “Two Samurai,” calls to mind the Ents in the film version of “The Lord of the Rings” as they withstand the onrush of a river flood. Twigs that arise from the top of the figure appear to be blowing branches, bent by a wuthering wind.
How did they get incorporated into the work? “I pruned a little cherry tree I have and I looked at the pieces and I’m like wow, those are pretty cool looking,” Marks said.
“Two Samurai” and many of her other warrior figures are small, less than 6 inches tall, but that’s where the photography comes in, much as it did with models in films such as the original “Godzilla.”
“I enjoy the ambiguity photography can create, playing balance, perception and scale where a piece 4 inches tall appears monumental,” Marks said. “The ‘Two Samurai’ would be a good example.”
Aside from science fiction and high fantasy, Marks’ warrior figures also echo a notable work of modern sculpture from
The artist Donnelly Marks with several of her works including, in silver, “Metal Warrior.” On the cover: Some of the other pieces in her “Power Play” exhibit, including the dual-figure “Two Samurai.” They go on display June 6 at the Garage Art Center. COURTESY PHOTOS
more than a century ago, one taught in many an art history class: Umberto Boccioni’s “Unique Forms of Continuity in Space.”
The 1913 Futurist sculpture, later cast in bronze, depicts a striding figure “who forges ahead as if carved by speed,” as the Museum of Modern Art says in its online entry on the piece. MoMA goes on to link the work to an even more vital master-
piece: “While born of Futurist aspirations, it also remains evocative of an ancient statue: the wind-swept, striding Victory of Samothrace in the Musée du Louvre in Paris.”
The outer power of art, from Samothrace through “Two Samurai,” is, for Marks, also within: “For me, making things is a very powerful healer and coping mechanism and I feel like there’s a power in that.” Q
“Forever Home,” about a senior rescue dog coming down with dementia, will show July 6 in the “Queens Born, Made, and Raised” block of the Unisphere Film Festival in Long Island City.
PHOTO COURTESY UNISPHERE FILM FESTIVAL
Personal Assistant Needed for part-time, one day a week, to run errands, answer phones, and provide light office work. Laurelton, Queens. Send resume to: tony@tonytaxassociates.com or call 718-413-6126
We buy 8,000 cars a week. Sell your old, busted or junk car with no hoops, haggles or headaches. Sell your car to Peddle. Easy three step process. Instant offer. Free pickup. Fast payment. Call 1-855-403-3374
DIRECTV—All your entertainment. Nothing on your roof! Sign up for Direct and get your first three months of Max, Paramount+, Showtime, Starz, MGM+ and Cinemax included. Choice package $84.99/mo. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-888-534-6918.
AFFORDABLE TV & INTERNET. If you are overpaying for your service, call now for a free quote and see how much you can save! 1-877-461-0663.
INJURED
IN AN ACCIDENT? Don’t
Accept the insurance company’s first offer. Many injured parties are entitled to major cash settlements. Get a free evaluation to see what your case is really worth. 100% Free Evaluation. Call Now: 1-877-315-0990. Be ready with your zip code to connect with the closest provider.
Donate your car today, running or not. Support Patriotic Hearts for our Veterans and their Families! Free fast pick up. Max tax deduction. Se habla Espanol. Call now: 844-415-1229
Get a break on your taxes! Donate your car, truck, or SUV to assist the blind and visually impaired. Arrange a swift, no-cost vehicle pickup and secure a generous tax credit for 2025. Call Heritage for the Blind Today at 1-855-484-3467 today!
Ozone Park, INDOOR FLEA MARKET, Sat 5/30, 9am-5pm. American Legion, 91-11 101 Ave. Variety of Items. Vendors Wanted. 718-843-8706
BAHAMA PALS FOR TRAVEL & Personal Assistance call or WhatsApp 1 (242) 466-4224. “We’re simply the best!” SAVE ON YOUR TRAVEL PLANS! Up to 75% More than 500 AIRLINES and 300,000 HOTELS across the world. Let us do the research for you for FREE! Call 877-988-7277
Get DISH Satellite TV + Internet! Free Install, Free HD-DVR Upgrade, 80,000 On-Demand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 in Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-866-782-4069
Howard Beach, Sat 5/30, 7:30am-12pm, 160-60 89 St.
Something for everyone! Clothing, toys, household goods, jewelry.
Howard Beach, Sat 5/30, 9am-4pm, 85 St betw 160 & 161 Aves. MULTI-FAMILY SALE! Rain date Sat 6/6.
Howard Beach, Sat 5/30 & Sun 5/31, 9am-4pm, 157-16 101 St. Something for everyone.
Howard Beach, Sat 5/30, 9am-3pm, 158 Ave betw 83 & 84 Sts. BLOCK SALE! Lots of items. Great prices!
Howard Beach, Sat 5/30, 9am-1pm, 160-12 81 St. Rain date Sun 5/31. Lazy Boy Electric Loveseats, jewelry, luggage, shoes, handbags, women’s & men’s clothing.
Howard Beach, Sat 5/30, 10am-6pm, 159-19 91 St. Rain date Sun 5/31. Something for all!
Howard Beach/Lindenwood, Sat 5/30, 9am-3pm, 155-48 84 St.
Something for everyone! Some cool collectibles!
Prepare for Power outages with Briggs & Stratton PowerProtect(TM) standby generators — the most powerful home standby generators available. Industry-leading comprehensive warranty—7 years ($849 value.) Proudly made in the U.S.A. Call Briggs & Stratton 1-888-605-1496
AGING ROOF? NEW HOME OWNER? STORM DAMAGE? You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind their work. Fast, free estimate. Financing available. Call 1-877-318-7982.
BEAUTIFUL BATH UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Superior quality bath and shower systems at AFFORDABLE PRICES! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Call Now! 1-877-271-0003.
Do you know what’s in your water? Leaf Home Water Solutions offers FREE water testing and whole home water treatment systems that can be installed in as little as one day. 15% off your entire purchase. Plus 10% senior & military discounts. Restrictions apply. Schedule your FREE test today. Call 1-866-247-5728
PEST CONTROL: PROTECT YOUR HOME from pests safely and affordably. Roaches, Bed Bugs, Rodent, Termite, Spiders, and other pests. Locally owned and affordable. Call for service or an inspection today! 1-877-290-0023. Have zip code of property ready when calling! Prepare for power outages today with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5-Year warranty with qualifying purchase. Call 1-877-516-1160 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move.
Safe Step. North America’s #1 Walk-In Tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-the-line installation and service. Now featuring our FREE shower package and $1600 Off for a limited time! Call today! Financing available. Call Safe Step 1-855-916-5473
Consumer Cellular—the same reliable, nationwide coverage as the largest carriers. No long-term contract, no hidden fees and activation is free. All plans feature unlimited talk and text, starting at just $20/month. For more information, call 1-844-919-1682
ATTENTION OXYGEN THERAPY USERS! Discover Oxygen Therapy That Moves with You with Inogen Portable Oxygen Concentrators. FREE information kit. Call 1-877-536-0251
Attention: VIAGRA and CIALIS USERS! A cheaper alternative to high drugstore prices! 50 Pill Special—Only $99! 100% guaranteed. CALL NOW: 1-877-468-3979 Get Boost Infinite! Unlimited Talk, Text and Data For Just $25/mo! The Power of 3 5G Networks, One Low Price! Call Today and Get The Latest iPhone Every Year On Us! 844-329-9391 Notice is
Legal Notices
NOTICE OF SALE Supreme Court County of Queens Nationstar Mortgage LLC, Plaintiff AGAINST Drupatee Rampersad, Rick Rampersad, et al, Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on December 17, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Queens County Courthouse, 88-11 Sutphin Blvd., Second Floor Courtroom 25, Jamaica, NY 11435 on June 12, 2026 at 11:00 AM premises known as 104-12 121st Street, South Richmond Hill a/k/a Richmond Hill, NY 11419. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the County of Queens, City and State of New York, BLOCK: 9574, LOT: 11. Approximate amount of judgment is $663,104.65 plus interests and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 720229/2024. This sale may be subject to the US Dept of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Real Estate Reporting Rule. In such event, all purchasers are required to provide the information needed for proper reporting in accordance with the terms of sale. For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832. Richard Gutierrez, Referee FRENKEL LAMBERT WEISMAN & GORDON LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 01-100156-F00 89969
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS MORGAN STANLEY MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE OF CSMC 2021RPL8 TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. FRANCES CHARBONIER, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on February 27, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, on the second floor in Courtroom 25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on June 12, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., premises known as 91-16 91st Avenue, Woodhaven a/k/a Jamaica, NY 11421. 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 8985 and Lot 8. Approximate amount of judgment is $451,541.33 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #710670/2023. Lois M. Vitti, Esq., Referee Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC, 10 Bank Street, Suite 700, White Plains, New York 10606, Attorneys for Plaintiff
Doubleu Labs, LLC Auth. filed w/ SSNY 4/15/26. Off. in Queens Co. Cert of Form filed w/ SSDE 3/31/26. Process served to SSNY - desig. as agt. of LLC & mailed to Discern Registered Agent Inc., 1252 Forrest Ave, Dover, DE 19904. Add. maintd. in DE: 1252 Forrest Ave, Dover, DE 19904. Name & add. of auth. officer in DE where Cert of Form filed: SSDE, Div. of Corp, John G Townsend, Bldg, 401 Federal St, Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Any lawful purpose.
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 12, 2026 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 SALE SUPREME COURT QUEENS COUNTY FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION, Plaintiff against ABDOOL ZAHEER RAMJITT A/K/A ABDOOL Z. RAMJITT, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC, 420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 840, New York, NY 10170. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered December 16, 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 5, 2026 at 10:00 AM. Premises known as 110-31 196th Street, Saint Albans, NY 11412. Block 10936 Lot 209. 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 $562,897.73 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 708334/2024. 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. For sale information, please contact XOME at www.Xome. com or call (844)400-9633. Frances Yetta Ruiz, Esq., Referee File # 23-13993NY
Notice of formation of Grand Palm Enterprises LLC, a domestic LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on April 22, 2026. Office location: Queens. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 154-36 23rd Avenue, Whitestone, New York, 11357. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Real Estate
EQUAL HOUSING. Federal, New York State and local laws prohibit discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, marital status, familial status or disability in connection with the sale or rental of residential real estate. Queens Chronicle does not knowingly accept advertising in violation of these laws. When you suspect housing discrimination call the Open Housing Center (the Fair Housing Agency for the five boroughs of New York) at 212941-6101, or the New York City Commission of Human Rights Hotline at 718-722-3131.
The Queens Chronicle reserves the right to alter wording in ads to conform with Federal Fair Housing regulations.
Apts.For Rent
Sunnyside, 50-22 40 St, #5E. 1 BR, 1 bath apt. $2,600/mo. Newly renovated, elevator Co-op bldg, brand new carpet, full kitchen, brand new countertops, board approval required. Avail NOW. Call Javier Cortes (347) 200-0315. Williamsburg, 141 N 8 St, #1R. 2 BR, 1 bath apt. $5,500/mo. Newly renovated, W/D, SS, new kitchen, HWF, decorative fireplace. Avail June 1. Call Theo Eastwind (718) 536-7787. Capri Jet Realty Williamsburg, 99 Meserole St. #4. 3 BR, 2 bath duplex apt. $4,700/ mo. Fully renovated, shared courtyard, separate kitchen, LR. Cats OK. Avail NOW. Call Agata Landa (914) 255-7284. Capri Jet Realty
Legal Notices
Notice is hereby given that an On-Premise Restaurant Wine License, NYS Application ID: NA-0240-26-109977 has been applied for by SSP America JFK T5, LLC serving beer, wine and cider to be sold at retail for on premises consumption in a restaurant, for the premises located at JFK International Airport Terminal 5, #40CC Jamaica NY 11430.
6 SMITH LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/18/26. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 31-11 35th Street, Astoria, NY 11106. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Howard Beach. Furnished Room for Rent. All Utilities Included. Close to transportation & shopping. $250 per week plus security deposit. Please call or text: 718-772-6127 or 631-839-0334
East Elmhurst, Sat 5/30, 12pm-3pm, 30-06 90th St. CALL BRIANA @ 646-808-9982. Tudor style heart of Astoria Heights. Single Family, 3BR, 1.5 Baths, LR, DR, Kitchen, Full Basement, private Garage & Backyard. Jerry Fink Real Estate, 718-766-9175
Lindenwood, Sat 5/30, 12:30pm-2pm, 84-29 155th Ave, Apt. 2B. 1 BR L-shaped Co-op. Price reduction.
Lindenwood, Sat 5/30, 3pm-4pm, 151-20 88th St #2G. 2 BR, 2 bath Co-op. Call Janice, by appt only, 718-490-8023.
Howard Beach , Sat 5/30, 1pm-2:30pm, 161-24 84th St. 4 BR. C21 Amiable II, 718-835-4700. S. Ozone Park, Sat 5/30, 11am-1pm, 135-48 115th St. 3 BR, 1.5 baths. Broad Channel, Sun 5/31, 12:30pm-2pm, 120 East 6th Rd. 2 BR, 1.5 baths. C21 Amiable II, 718-835-4700
Having a garage sale? Let everyone know about it by advertising in the Queens Classifieds Call 718-205-8000 and place the ad! Classified Ad Special. Pay for 3 weeks and the 4th week is FREE! Call 718-205-8000
Classified Ad Deadline is 12 Noon on Tuesday for Thursday’s paper.
Legal Notices
Notice of Formation of AHASTEY LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/20/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 24-39 38th St, D2, New York, NY 11103. Legalzoom Usca, Inc. desig. as agent for SOP 45 Main Street, Suite 238, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Formation of Aura Medical Of New York, PLLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 12/16/2025. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LLC, 23-25 31ST STREET, SUITE 800, ASTORIA, NY 11105. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
SUPREME COURT – COUNTY OF QUEENS BANK OF NEW YORK
MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE OF MORTGAGE
ASSETS MANAGEMENT SERIES I TRUST v. EILEEN HOWELL-LEE, et al, Defendants. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale (the “Judgment”) entered on December 15, 2025. I, the undersigned Referee will sell in one parcel at public auction to be held at Queens County Supreme Court, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, New York 11435 on June 26, 2026 at 10:00am, the premises described by said Judgment to be sold and therein described as follows: ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land situate, lying and being in the Borough of and County of Queens, City and State of New York, known and designated as Lot No. 1638 and part of lot No. 1639 as shown and designated on a certain Map entitled, “Map of St. Albans, Heights, Addition No. 3, Property of Greater New York Homes Company, surveyed November, 1905 by Robert Kurz, C.B. & S.,” and filed in the Office of the Clerk of Queens County on November 28, 1908, as Map No. 706 and No. 1481, which lot and part of lot, when taken together are bounded and described as follow: BEGINNING at a point on the Easterly side of 192nd Street, formerly Queens Street, distant 225 feet Northerly from the corner formed by the intersection of the Easterly side of 192nd Street and the Northerly side of 118th Avenue formerly Carter Avenue. RUNNING THENCE Easterly parallel with 118th Avenue, 100 feet; THENCE Northerly parallel with 192nd Street, 37 feet 6 inches; THENCE Westerly again parallel with 118th Avenue, 100 feet to the Easterly side of 192nd Street; THENCE Southerly along the Easterly side of 192nd Street, 37 feet 6 inches to the point or place of BEGINNING. Said Premises known as 117-19 192nd Street; Saint Albans, NY 11412. (Block 12609 Lot 40) The amount due as per the Judgment on the mortgage is the sum of $834,984.81, plus interest, and Plaintiff’s advances, costs and expenses, all due as per the Judgment. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the Judgment and terms of sale. Index No.: 712495/2023; David Woycik Jr., Esq, Referee Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, LLP Robert J. Malatak, Esq. Attorney(s) for Plaintiff Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. as Trustee for Mortgage Assets Management Series I Trust 156 West 56th Street New York, New York 10019 Tel: (212) 237-1000
Notice of Formation of JMEDDY LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/24/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: NORTHWEST REGISTERED AGENT LLC, 418 BROADWAY, STE N, ALBANY, NY 12207. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
PROBATE CITATION File No. 2024-4655/B SURROGATE’S COURT-QUEENS COUNTY CITATION THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, By the Grace of God Free and Independent To: Public Administrator of Queens County, and the distributees, heirs at law and next of kin of Gloria C. De Fina, a/k/a Gloria De Fina, deceased, if any be living; and if any be dead, their respective distributees, heirs at law, next of kin, legatees, devisees, executors, administrators, assigns and successors in interest, all of whose names, whereabouts and addresses are unknown and cannot be ascertained with due diligence, being any persons interested in the estate of Gloria C. De Fina, a/k/a Gloria De Fina, deceased, as distributees or otherwise, AND Dana Moxley, Linda Miles, Stephanie Hagan, Joe De Fina, Pamela De Fina, Angela De Fina, Robert De Fina, Barbara Burns; and Anna DeLuca, Rosie DeLuca, Michael DeLuca, whose whereabouts and addresses are unknown and cannot be ascertained with due diligence, being persons interested in the estate of GLORIA C. DE FINA a/k/a GLORIA DE FINA, deceased, as distributees or otherwise, A petition having been duly filed by Henry J. De Fina Jr. who is domiciled at 14 Nye Avenue, Whippany, New Jersey 07981 YOU ARE HEREBY CITED TO SHOW CAUSE before the Surrogate’s Court, Queens County, at 88-11 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica, New York, on June 4, 2026, at 9:30 o’clock in the fore noon of that day, why a decree should not be made in the estate of Gloria C. De Fina a/k/a Gloria De Fina lately domiciled at: 22031 Union Turnpike, Oakland Gardens, NY 11364 admitting to probate a Will dated September 29th, 2014 (a Codicil dated N/A), a copy of which is attached, as the Will of Gloria C. De Fina a/k/a Gloria De Fina, deceased, relating to real and personal property, and directing that [x] Letters Testamentary issue to: Henry J. De Fina Jr. Dated, Attested and Sealed April 06, 2026 HON. Cassandra A. Johnson, Surrogate, Janet Edwards Tucker, Chief Clerk, Gregory P. Kramer, Esq.-Law Offices of Kramer & Associates, p.c. 516775-0300, 99 Tulip Avenue, Suite 406, Floral Park, New York 11001. Email: GPKramer@Kramer.Law. [NOTE: This citation is served upon you as required by law. You are not required to appear. If you fail to appear it will be assumed you do not object to the relief requested. You have a right to have an attorney appear for you.] P-5 (10/96)
THREE IN ONE EQUITIES, LLC.
Notice of Formation of CNPB GROUP LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 04/02/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: CNPB GROUP LLC, 28-13 DITMARS BOULEVARD, ASTORIA, NY 11105 Purpose: For any lawful purpose. Hometown Lawyers You Can Rely On Where Every Case is
Notice of Formation of CROWN REGO LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 10/24/2025. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: OSHER NIYAZOV, 161-10A UNION TPKE, FRESH MEADOWS, NY 11366. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of SD GLOBALEDU LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 04/21/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: LEKI, 76-11 37TH AVENUE, JACKSON HEIGHTS, NEW YORK CITY, NY 11372. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/19/10. Latest date to dissolve: 12/31/2080. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 31-10 37th Avenue Ste 500, Long Island City, NY 11101. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of YNH NOTARY SERVICES LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 04/07/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: YOMARI NUNEZ HINRICKSEN, 28-24 STEINWAY STREET, #111, ASTORIA, NY 11103. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, HARRY ENTERPRISE INC, Plaintiff, vs. MAX RAHAMAN REALTY, LLC, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on December 16, 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 12, 2026 at 11:00 a.m., premises known as 127-20 Liberty Avenue, Richmond Hill a/k/a South Ozone Park, NY 11419. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block 9581 and Lot 10. Approximate amount of judgment is $1,398,418.00 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #703419/2021. Lois Marie Vitti, Esq., Referee. Margolin, Weinreb & Nierer, LLP, 575 Underhill Boulevard, Suite 224, Syosset, New York 11791, Attorneys for Plaintiff
Notice of Formation of LONG WAY CARRIER LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 02/08/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LLC, 144-45 41ST AVE 4K, FLUSHING, NY 11355. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
NORTH CONDUIT BG LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/20/2026. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Umulnisa Bukhari, 219-25 North Conduit Ave., Springfield Gardens, NY 11413. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF QUEENS, The Bank of New York Mellon FKA The Bank of New York, as Trustee for the certificateholders of the CWABS, Inc., Asset-Backed Certificates, Series 2007-10, Plaintiff, Against Yves-Merry Telemaque; Commissioner of Social Services of the City of New York Social Services District; Discover Bank; Estate of Cleo Veal, by Pub admin of Queens; New York State Department of Taxation and Finance; Bank of New York Mellon, John Doe and New York City Parking Violations Bureau, Defendant(s), Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 06/30/2025, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, in Courtroom #25 of the Queens County Supreme Court, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435, on 6/26/2026 at 10:00AM, premises known as 116-52 218th St., Cambria Heights, NY 11411, 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 Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York. Block 11318, Lot 3, The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $885, 433.77 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 721638/2019 For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction. com or call (800) 280-2832. Michael A. Cervini, Esq., Referee. SHELDON MAY & ASSOCIATES, Attorneys at Law, 255 Merrick Road, Rockville Centre, NY 11570. Dated: 4/8/2026, File Number: 36774 CA
Notice of Formation of OBS EVENTS LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 04/17/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: OSCAR MARTINEZ RUIZ, 24436 88TH ROAD, BELLEROSE, NY 11426. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
Thursday, May 28, 2026
For the latest news visit
ALL
U.S. DIMES PRE 1965
QUARTERS PRE 1965
HALF DOLLARS PRE 1965
HALF DOLLARS 1965-1969
We buy all Gold 10K, 14K, 18K, 22K, 24K & Platinum. Designer, Vintage & Antique Jewelry, charm bracelets, wedding bands, high school rings, pocket watches and dental gold. Visit us today and take advantage of Historic Prices and the Highest Payouts around!
SILVER DOLLARS PRE 1936
PROOF & MINT SETS WANTED
STERLING FLATWARE ALL FRANKLIN MINT SETS ANYTHING MARKED STERLING / 925 BOWLS, PLATES, CANDLESTICK HOLDERS, TRAYS, ETC. ALL SILVER COINS, DOLLARS, BARS & JEWELRY ARE WANTED REGARDLESS OF CONDITION
