Queens Chronicle 08-07-25

SALUTING SERVICE

Mayor has trash feud with Council

Free bins will be distributed in the fall via STAR and enhanced STAR

by Naeisha Rose Editor

Money, money and more money were at the heart of a trash and recycling bin feud between the Mayor’s Office and City Council last week.

Mayor Adams’ priority to rid the city of rats via lidded bins is costly, according to the Council, which unanimously voted on a bill saying the Big Apple should rebate one- to two-family homeowners for money spent on the items.

Not only did Intro. 1126 receive unanimous support, but bipartisan support, too, from the 42 members of the Council who were present to vote on the bill on Feb. 27.

The Adams administration, however, initially believed it was the responsibility of the Council, not City Hall, to fund such a giveaway.

“The rebate legislation that was voted into law unanimously by the New York City Council was precipitated by the mayor’s unfair mandate for taxpayers to buy bins from a distributor by the City of New York and have them in place for a certain date — June 2026 — or otherwise be fined,” said Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park). “There was not a law passed for the bins, it was a mandate from the Mayor’s Office. A mandate should come with some kind of incentive, especially for our more financially vulnerable who are receiving the STAR and enhanced STAR rebate.”

The bill says people who have signed up for the state School Tax Relief Program or the enhanced STAR program, get refunds under the initiative, and those who haven’t purchased a bin get free bins.

In a New York Post article, published Aug. 2, City Hall indicated to the outlet that it thought a giveaway, which would cost $14.5 million, was fiscally irresponsible and should have been prioritized during budget negotiations, which concluded around June.

On Wednesday, the Mayor’s Office said it became aware the initiative for free bins was not funded in the budget via the Post’s story, and said it was never told it was a funding priority for the Council, or that elected officials wanted City Hall to fund it. Once it became aware of the lack of funding through the press, not the Council, it decided to fund the program to help with trash efforts.

Ariola says the bins, which cost $43.88 for a 25-gallon container and $53.01 for a 45-gallon one, hurt the city’s most vulnerable population.

“When the law was proposed it was estimated that it would cost $10.7 million from the mayor’s executive budget,” said Ariola. “After passing and enacting after 30 days ... we found out quite by surprise that the mayor never put money in the budget for this bill, which has become law — a law that has to be complied with.”

Ariola said she is not surprised the Council voted unanimously on the new law.

“It just shows that in each and every one of our districts the residents, our constituents, are having a hard time with the financial burden of this mandate,” said Ariola.

Civic associations reached out to Ariola’s office via email, phone and in-person, said the councilwoman.

“They thought this legislation was necessary,” said Ariola.

The NYC Independent Budget Office estimates that about 255,000 homeowners qualify for the rebate.

“It’s a very small amount in such a large city budget,” Ariola said. “If he wants to talk about fiscal irresponsibility, the mandate was fiscally

irresponsible to the taxpayers of the City of New York, especially when those bins have not ... rid this city of rats. The rat population has increased and it is eating through the bins that are already being used. We’ve heard nothing but complaints about the bins.”

The Department of Sanitation, however, says garbage containerization, a key component of the city’s “Trash Revolution,” is making the streets cleaner and reducing the rat population.”

“Making New York City more affordable is our top priority, and when the Adams administration set out to containerize the city’s trash, we made sure it was affordable to working-class New Yorkers — utilizing the cheapest bins on the market that are about a third of the cost of similar bins,” said a spokeswoman for the Mayor’s Office on Wednesday. “But now we are making them even more affordable: We will be investing $14 million toward providing free bins to qualifying New Yorkers in one- and two-unit properties, which will help push our containerization efforts even further and continue to drive down rat populations.

“While the City Council chose not to fund their own law, the Adams administration will always invest in working-class New Yorkers, and we look forward to continuing to win the war on rats.”

Free bins are expected to be distributed in the fall. Q

CONZA | MCNAMARA

PLANNING ATTORNEYS

J. CONZA, ESQ.

EDWARD R. MCNAMARA, ESQ.

CYNTHIA

Lidded bins. PHOTOBYEDREED/MAYOR’SOFFICE

Men accused of staging crashes on city highways, including the Belt Two charged in car insurance scheme

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Two Brooklyn men last Wednesday were charged with staging crashes on city highways, the Queens District Attorney’s Office announced.

Jaime Huiracocha, 53, and Victor Murillo, 34, allegedly met with a group of individuals on Oct. 16, 2024 inside a medical clinic in East New York and gave them instructions on how to stage a car crash.

According to the charges, the participants were told to send photos of the crash scene to a particular woman and directed to go to a different medical clinic in Glendale after the crash. In exchange, they were allegedly promised thousands of dollars.

The participants then drove to a meeting location near the Belt Parkway, the charges said, where there were four vehicles present, including a silver Honda Civic and a red Kia Sportage. Huiracocha allegedly told the participants which vehicles to occupy, and the designated drivers had headphones to communicate with each other.

Murillo was told to drive the silver Honda, the DA’s Office said. The others in the Honda were given a black plastic bag and told to cover the window following the collision so Murillo could switch seats with a passenger without being seen.

All the vehicles entered the Belt Parkway and drove until the victim’s vehicle was identified, and the choice was communicated via the headphones.

At around 11 a.m., Asphia Natasha was driving north in the left lane of the Belt Parkway in Rosedale near the Nassau County border, where one segment curves and becomes the

pants of the Xterra totaling more than $3,000, the DA’s Office said.

Additionally, on Aug. 24, Alyssa Attanasio was driving westbound on the Belt Parkway near the Erskine Street exit in Brooklyn. A silver Honda Civic merged into the lane directly in front of her and she collided with the car, the DA said. Attanasio saw what appeared to be a black garbage bag covering the back window of the Honda.

Four men exited the vehicle, and one matched the description of Murillo, according to the charges. Dash cam footage from the victim’s car allegedly captured Murillo exiting the Honda and entering a red Kia that stopped directly in front of it after the crash.

An adjustor for Allstate received personal injury claims from occupants of the Honda totaling more than $79,000.

Cross Island, the charges say. Her vehicle was equipped with both a front and rear dashboard camera.

The Honda allegedly cut in front of Natasha’s vehicle and then came to a stop. The victim was forced to step on her brakes to avoid a collision.

The Honda then quickly backed into Natasha’s car, damaging both vehicles, the charges say.

The occupants of the Honda held up what appeared to be a plastic tarp in the rear window area, which partially obstructed the victim driver’s view inside the Honda. Murillo and another occupant then allegedly switched seats.

Following the collision, four peo-

ple exited the Honda, including a woman from the driver’s side, and a man who identified himself as Maikel Martinez and said the purported driver was his wife, the DA’s Office said.

The footage surrounding the crash, which went viral on social media, showed a red Kia Sportage following Natasha’s car. After the crash, the Kia stopped in front of the Honda and Murillo allegedly exited the Honda and entered the Kia, which then left the scene.

The Allstate Insurance Co. received a claim for damages to the Honda.

Martinez was charged in November and his case is pending.

Similarly, on Oct. 3, Alexis Mendoza reported driving his tractor trailer in the center lane of the Nassau Expressway near Cross Bay Boulevard in Lindenwood at around 12 p.m.

A Nissan Xterra, which was in the right lane, suddenly cut directly in front of Mendoza’s truck, the DA’s Office said. He was unable to avoid hitting the Nissan.

Murillo allegedly got out of the Nissan and entered another vehicle that had stopped in front of it. A woman told Mendoza she had been driving the car. After the second vehicle left, another car stopped at the scene. Huiracocha got out and spoke to the truck driver.

An adjustor for Allstate received personal injury claims from occu-

People who think they may have been victims of insurance fraud are urged to call the Insurance Fraud Hotline at (888) 372-8369 or visit dfs. ny.gov/consumers to file an online report.

The DA’s Office said Huiracocha and Victor Murillo are charged with insurance fraud in the second, third and fourth degrees; three counts of staging a motor vehicle accident in the second degree; three counts of second-degree criminal mischief; fifth-degree conspiracy; first-degree reckless endangerment; third-degree grand larceny; and attempted grand larceny in the second and fourth degrees.

Murillo is due in court on Sept. 4, and Huiracocha on Sept. 9. If convicted of the top count, they each face five to 15 years in prison. Q

NYPD searching for COPCP car vandal

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

The NYPD and the Cityline Ozone Park Civilian Patrol are asking for help identifying an individual who vandalized COPCP’s vehicle.

At around 1:20 a.m. on July 29, two tires on the car, a 2016 Ford Fusion, were slashed while it was parked on 89th Street near 102nd Road, police said.

Surveillance footage shared with the Chronicle by the Civilian Patrol shows the suspect fleeing in a vehi-

cle north on 89th Street.

“This wasn’t just an act of vandalism,” COPCP wrote on its Facebook page. “It struck at the heart of how we serve. That vehicle is how we respond to late-night calls, assist during prayer times, and stay present with extra eyes, ears, and hands to support our neighbors. We’ve used it to transport injured stray animals for emergency care, close roads during emergencies, and assist schools and houses of worship with events.”

To help with the cost of new tires,

visit copcp.org/donate.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to call the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct Detective Squad directly at (718) 805-3212.

“We’ve always shown up for our community,” the patrol said. “Please help us keep showing up.” Q

Cops are searching for a man who was captured on surveillance footage damaging two tires on the Cityline Ozone Park Civilian Patrol’s vehicle last week. SCREENSHOTSVIACOPCP

Two Brooklyn men were charged last Wednesday for their alleged roles in an insurance fraud scheme that saw multiple staged car crashes on New York City highways, including an Oct. 16 incident on the Belt Parkway, above, that went viral on social media last year. SCREENSHOTVIAYOUTUBE/HUDSONKUANG

102 says farewell to PO Adelman

Community affairs officer retires after decades of service to the city

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

After 15 years in the NYPD, Community Affairs Officer Scott Adelman, of the 102nd Precinct, has retired. His last day was on Aug. 5, during National Night Out Against Crime, where he was celebrated by his fellow officers, elected officials and the community he served.

Prior to community affairs, Adelman, who amassed 324 career arrests, was a neighborhood community officer, an anti-crime and plain clothes officer, a conditions officer and a patrol officer. He also spent time at the 75th Precinct in Brooklyn before joining the 102 in 2012. And, before joining the NYPD, he spent more than 14 years as an FDNY EMT.

Adelman was lauded by his peers as someone who was always available and ready to lend a hand to anyone in need.

“Scott has been amazing,” Councilmember Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills) said during National Night Out at Victory Field Tuesday evening. “He has 30 years of city service, but he’s been an

amazing officer in the 102.”

Councilmember Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) said Adelman’s service to the city went “above and beyond,” and has frequently publicly thanked both Adelman and his fellow community affairs Officer Nick Salamone for their work.

Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar (D-Woodhaven) said Adelman was “one of our best” and added, “We’ll always remember you in Woodhaven and Richmond Hill.”

Sherry Algredo, the chair of Community Board 9, told the Chronicle, “Scott Adelman was my best friend at the 102nd Precinct. He was so wonderful to work with — you could reach out to him at any time of the day for any situation,” and added that he will be “very, very, very missed.”

Adelman was presented with citations and proclamations from Schulman, Ariola, Rajkumar, state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven), U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-Brooklyn, Queens), the NYPD 102nd Precinct Community Council and plenty of others who had worked with him over the years, as

NYPD Officer Scott Adelman, right, with his partner in community affairs, Officer Nick Salamone, in 2022.

the 102’s commanding officer, Capt. Pratima Maldonado, proudly looked on.

“There are so many good memories with the 102,” Adelman told the Chronicle. “The lasting friendships and bonds that I made with community members and other agency members, and the impact they have had on my career.”

Adelman said he’s looking forward to having more time to spend with his family, including his wife, Michele, and kids, Ariana and Sky-

lar, but he’s going to miss the people and the friendships he’s made with his coworkers.

Salamone, who worked alongside Adelman as a partner for years before they reunited in a shift to community affairs in 2021, said the duo have shared a lot of laughs

“We were in sync with everything we’ve done,” Salamone said.

Ham Beach’s concerns addressed

MTA unveils updated plan for flood mitigation work

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Construction at the Hamilton Beach substation, at 104th Street and 164th Drive, is projected to be completed by early 2026, according to the MTA.

The agency went over the details of the resiliency work during a presentation to the New Hamilton Beach Civic Association on July 31, and the PowerPoint presentation was posted to the civic’s Facebook page.

The civic said the MTA acknowledged past lapses in communication and promised more transparency going forward.

“All of [the parties] have agreed to make sure we’re in the know of any design changes going forward, or anything like that,”

Roger Gendron, the president of the NHBCA, said during the group’s online meeting Monday night.

The project, which implements flood mitigation and prevention elements at the substation, including 16-foot concrete walls with gates, kicked off in May 2024.

Work there has been paused since April 15 when Tully Construction, the contractor leading the build, drilled a king pile, a component of a combined wall system, in an adjacent Department of Citywide Administrative Services lot, which was at the time to be used for storage only.

According to the MTA, Tully and DCAS have a new agreement that will allow the construction company to test and remove the king pile under the direction of DCAS and restore it to its original condition.

Five king piles will be installed on the east side of the substation and equipment movement and loud hammering activities will occur for approximately one week, the MTA said.

After the installation is complete, the test pile at the DCAS property will be removed. The details and scope of the pile removal will be shared with the community after the plan has been approved by DCAS and the MTA. A one-week notice will be provided to the community prior to the start.

All work will be performed between the hours of 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays, and notice will be given in advance if any Saturday work is scheduled.

Residents in April complained about quality-of-life disruptions during construction.

“One of the neighbors had a ceramic cookie jar fall off his countertop, shattering and landing a few feet away from his 15-month-old grandson,” Gendron said.

To address the issue, noise and vibration monitors will be placed on five nearby homes to track impacts as the king piles are installed, the MTA said. The agency also noted that all vibrations and noise captured by site monitors

did not reach nor exceed specified limits during the pile driving on April 11 and 14. Additional mitigations are not necessary as the project has remained in compliance with noise and vibration levels, it said.

But, as a courtesy to the closest adjacent residential property owner, Tully has placed additional sound blankets on the shared fencing to the project site in consideration of noise concerns, according to the MTA.

Weekly reports will be shared with residents while pile-related work is underway, and field representatives will be on-site.

Upcoming pile installation and removal will be the work to make the most noise and produce vibrations, the MTA said. The remaining project work after that should not have a significant community impact.

During previous construction, a pile driver truck crossed over the Hawtree-Ramblersville Memorial Bridge without a permit. Beneath the bridge run critical infrastructure lines, including sewer, gas and water.

The state Department of Transportation, however, performed a regularly-scheduled inspection of the bridge in July, as it does with all city bridges every two years. While the report is pending finalization for submittal to the city DOT, the MTA said the state DOT preliminarily indicated that no structural flags were found during the inspection. Q

“It’s hard to find a partner you can sit in the car all day with.”

Adelman said he was also going to miss the opportunity to help people in need.

“When they’re in their darkest day, sometimes just a conversation can make the difference in that person’s life or in that moment.” he said. Q

Library service gets expanded

Eleven additional public libraries, including five in Queens, will be expanding to seven-day service in September.

The libraries in Glen Oaks, Hunters Point, Jackson Heights and Rochdale Village will be adding Sunday service on Sept. 7, and the Kew Gardens Hills Library, already open on Sundays, will open on Saturdays, too, starting Sept. 13.

The five are joining the Central Library in Jamaica, Far Rockaway Library and Flushing Library in offering service every day of the week.

The expansion was championed by the City Council, including Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica), and made possible by a $2 million investment as part of new operational funding in the city’s fiscal year 2026 budget.

Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis Walcott in a statement thanked those who led the effort to secure the funding, including Mayor Adams and the speaker, and said, “We are thrilled to offer full weekend access to our spaces, programs, and resources for more people in more places across Queens.”

Q — Kristen Guglielmo

NYPD Community Affairs Officer Scott Adelman, third from left, received citations from elected officials on Tuesday evening to mark his retirement after 15 years of service to the department. PHOTOBYKRISTENGUGLIELMO

Badges, burgers and bouncy houses

South Queens went all out Tuesday evening for National Night Out Against Crime, an event that aims to foster connections between the police and the community. The NYPD’s 102nd and 106th precincts hosted their outings at Victory Field in Woodhaven, and at Harold Schneiderman Playground in Lindenwood, respectively, and hundreds of residents gleefully attended.

In row one, at left, volunteers dole out cotton candy for eager attendees at Victory Field; and cops from the 106 are all smiles. In the second row, delectable barbecue fare is served up by the 102; a child

waves Old Glory during the ceremony at Victory Field; and a group of kids belt out the national anthem in Woodhaven.

In the third row, Councilmember Joann Ariola, Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar and Councilmember Lynn Schulman join in on the 102’s festivities; families delight in some time together at the playground; and free ice cream was among the treats served in Lindenwood.

At right, a young girl gets her face painted with intricate floral designs at Harold Schneiderman Playground; and a child enjoys the bouncy house there.

— Kristen Guglielmo

PHOTOS BY KRISTEN

EDITORIAL AGEP On board with the IBX

The real population growth in New York City, and the rise in real estate values, has been in the outer boroughs, especially near the East River in Brooklyn and Queens.

We can expect those areas to keep growing, and gentrifying — witness the OneLIC rezoning plan that will make even more of Long Island City denser and taller. And it’s not just there; new high-rises are going up along the Queens Boulevard corridor in Elmhurst, Rego Park and Forest Hills, for one. Elsewhere, too.

Also increasing are the employment opportunities as developers include commercial components in their projects, which means further needed investment. Also needed, as existing residents correctly point out, is more infrastructure. Mass transit is a key component of that.

Gov. Hochul, to her credit, is the driving force behind a smart new transit project, which, when completed, will be “the first new end-toend rapid transit” route built in the city since the IND Crosstown line, today’s G train, was

finished in 1937, according to the MTA.

The project is the Interborough Express, or IBX, a light rail line that will run along an existing freight train right-of-way, from Sunset Park in Brooklyn to Jackson Heights.

It will not run right along the river, but it will make travel between Brooklyn and the western half of Queens immeasurably easier. The MTA says it will connect with 17 subway lines and 50 bus routes. The neighborhoods it will run through have 900,000 residents, while 260,000 people work there. Those numbers will grow.

There is $2.75 billion allocated for the IBX in the MTA’s 2025-29 capital plan. And just last week, the project took a major step forward when it entered the design and engineering phase, with two firms named for the work.

We look forward to riding the Hochul Local one day! Though the idea first surfaced under her predecessor, this governor is really pressing for the IBX, and it could be a major piece of her legacy. We hope it stays on track.

SHSAT and other top schools

After years of supposedly expanded efforts to get more Black and Hispanic children to take the Specialized High School Admissions Test, and to better prepare them for it, it’s disappointing to learn the numbers are not improving. In fact, they’re getting worse.

According to new city Department of Education data, 4,023 eighth-grade students were offered admission this year to one of the city’s “Elite Eight” schools — Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, Brooklyn Tech and their more recently established brethren. Admissions to the eight schools are based on SHSAT scores, as per state law, and this page remains in support of that, in order to maintain excellence.

However, only 3 percent of admission offers went to Black students,

down from 4.5 percent last year, and only 6.9 percent to Hispanics, down from 7.6 percent. The share for Asian Americans rose 2.4 points to 53.5 percent, and the share to whites dropped 0.2 points to 25.9 percent.

Apparently the city must redouble its efforts to prepare Black and Hispanic students for the test, and for the work that follows admission.

Meanwhile, there are other excellent schools. In Queens, Townsend Harris, Bayside and Forest Hills high schools all come to mind, as do Scholars Academy and several Catholic schools such as Christ the King, Holy Cross and, of course, The Mary Louis Academy. There are more.

With all the controversy about the SHSAT, remember that those schools are not alone in the top tier.

MARK WEIDLER

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LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

Make speedsters pay

Dear Editor:

Aggressive drivers and drag racers are causing a big problem on the Grand Central and Cross Island parkways. There has been a recent surge in bad drivers on both of these parkways — though cops cannot chase them because a bigger problem would occur when the idiots cause a crash.

Here is a proposed solution. Install a few speed cameras on both of these roadways. And every time one of these drivers gets caught on camera, make the idiot pay to have another camera installed at a different spot — and take the person off the road for a year! The problem would be solved quickly and the majority of the drivers would be safe rather than at risk.

Steven Palmore Queens Village

Policing’s vital roles

Dear Editor:

The mosh pit of New York politics this past week distilled a disturbing gem of truth: Policing extols lives, not only for the public writ large but its practitioners, as well.

NYPD Officer Didarul Islam had been an NYPD ticket agent before his upgrade in rank. Policing in New York was and will always be a pathway of public generational transfer of earned “wealth,” i.e., economic opportunity, overall demographic mobility and class status.

For those perceived to have little or none, policing confers access to power and power itself. Policing has been a crucial crucible for multitudes of first-generation Americans and very recent immigrants with a desire to serve society.

The public’s trust in policing is the societal adhesive against anarchy. Defund fakers, poseurs, make-believe policy-makers. This is no time for a shape-shifting failed rapper to con New Yorkers out of the righteous exercise of our most important shared treasure: our vote.

Frances Scanlon Flushing

Keep killers in prison

Dear Editor:

Re Thomas and Constance Dowd’s July 31 letter, “No cop killer parole”:

If convicted cop killer David McClary is released by New York State’s Parole Board, he will join a roster of 43 cop killers sprung by this agency over the past eight years (New York Post, June 22).

The board’s 16 members, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate, are

a perverse panel of overpaid ($190,000 a year), felon-friendly, far-left lunatics who sacrifice safety for a woke fantasy, “restorative justice.” Their parole decisions are heavily based on a convict’s “rehabilitation” in prison, rather than on the nature of the crime, according to critics (New York Post, April 13). Freeing 43 convicted cop killers is a total disgrace. But why does any convicted murderer deserve a secon d chance? Did the victims get a second chance? The board must be rebalanced to include more members with a law enforcement background and fewer with a public defender disposition. Gov. Hochul has an opportunity to do this with four new appointments to fill vacancies. Let’s hope she acts wisely to support public safety instead of “restorative justice.”

Richard Reif Kew Gardens Hills

Carriage horse cruelty

Dear Editor:

After reading the latest article on carriage horses in the Chronicle (“Push to ban horse carriages reignited,” July 31, multiple editions), I

LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

truly wonder what goes on in people’s minds. In the case of the horse Ryder, the animal was clearly unfit to work. Anyone looking at him could see he was little more than skin and bones. To expect him to perform the type of labor required of carriage horses is outrageous.

No matter how this case is twisted, spun, or minimized through legal wrangling, the fact remains: the time for this business has long passed, and it should be ended as soon as possible. This is just one example of animal cruelty. Anyone who reads the newspaper or listens to the radio hears weekly stories of the pain and suffering inflicted on animals, great and small.

The time to stop this is now, and banning carriage horses — given how high-profile the issue is — is the best place to start. It’s time to pass Ryder’s Law (Int. 0967) sponsored by Councilman Robert Holden. Before that can happen the NYC Council Health Committee chair, Lynn Schulman, must call a hearing on the bill. So far she refuses to do so.

Arthur E. Miller Maspeth

Editor’s note: The writer penned his letter before another carriage horse, Lady, died in Manhattan on Tuesday.

Move pot shops farther

Dear Editor:

After reading your editorial on improper granting of dispensary licenses by the NYS Cannabis Board, some readers might erroneously see their latest mistake of permitting the improper opening of “legal dispensaries” to be a glitch in the system (“Weed sold too close to schools,” July 31).

Unfortunately, after watching a parade of outsiders come before the Community Board 13Q Public Safety Committee to peddle their cannabis wares that they cannot/will not sell near their own homes, it is clear that the mistakes are a function of a process that totally ignores legitimate community concerns.

How else can one explain the wisdom of permitting the opening of a dispensary right across the street from the Rosedale Public Library? Or approving a license for a dispensary at the bus stop where students from Martin Van Buren High School catch their ride home?

Obviously the law needs to be changed to remove discretion from a board that has proven incapable of exercising normal common sense. That is why it is imperative that the New York State Legislature approve S.1244/A.1587 to enact an exclusionary zone of 1000 feet around our schools, libraries, parks, playgrounds, and child day care centers and send this badly needed legislation to Gov. Hochul’s desk for her signature so that we can protect our kids.

David S. Pecoraro Rosedale

FDNY acts, state should

Dear Editor:

(An open letter to the public)

The brave men and women of the FDNY deserve our deepest appreciation for their response to the devastating fire at Dry Harbor Road last week. The immediate and brave actions of emergency responders stopped additional destruction while safeguarding numerous residents and business owners who

live in Middle Village.

The dedication and professionalism exhibited by our firefighters, EMS personnel and all first responders during this challenging incident are truly commendable. I am relieved to hear that only minor injuries were sustained and that everyone is expected to recover. Their commitment to safeguarding our community is nothing short of heroic.

The fire occurred in the cockloft, which highlights the need for the Residential Structure Fire Prevention Act (S.1615/A. 2805) to be passed, a bill that I am advocating for with Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. The bill aims to encourage homeowners to fix cockloft fire hazards by offering tax credits, to encourage safety through insurance discounts for installing smoke detection alarm systems in cocklofts, and to make sure that repairs for fire prevention in cocklofts are eligible for state housing program funding.

My office will continue to work closely with the FDNY, local businesses and community leaders to ensure that safety measures are reinforced and that resources are provided to support the affected businesses as they rebuild and recover.

Joseph

P. Addabbo Jr.

New York State Senator for the 15th District Woodhaven

Prayers for the Bedells

Dear Editor:

We would like to send our warmest regards to letter writer Frederick Bedell Jr., after hearing of his recent diagnosis of stage 4 cancer. He mentioned in an earlier letter that his wife has medical problems, also. We’re sure that all readers will join us in sending our thoughts and prayers to both of them.

God be with you both!

Thomas and Constance Dowd Oakland Gardens

The wood in Woodhaven

Dear Editor:

It’s good to see that the medians on Queens Boulevard are getting some attention (“Keep Queens Blvd. medians clean: pols,” July 10, multiple editions). For far too long the city has neglected this major roadway where thousands of people live and travel every day. Year after year we have had to look at tall weeds growing in what many times are empty tree pits.

The same could be said about Woodhaven Boulevard, another major thoroughfare. Ten years ago I wrote to my elected officials and to the Parks Department to try and get trees planted. There are more empty tree pits than there are trees from Dry Harbor Road to Metropolitan Avenue, and the empty tree pits are full of tall weeds. The only response I received was that it was a budget issue. Well, maybe the Parks Department should plant trees on a major roadway where air pollution is greater before sticking them in front of someone’s home who maybe doesn’t want a tree.

Trees increase our quality of life, absorb air pollution, give us oxygen and shade and are nice to look at. Please put the wood back into Woodhaven Boulevard.

Richard Polgar Maspeth

LADY OF GRACE RC CHURCH

100-05 159th Avenue, Howard Beach, NY 11414 718-843-6218

Trip to St. Joseph Shrine, Thursday, August 21, 2025

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Bus Departing Our Lady of Grace 8:30am

The Feast of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of the Assumption Vigil Mass - Thursday August 14, 2025, 6:30pm Mass at 8:30am, 12:00pm and 6:30pm

Traditional Flowers are given to Our Lady and placed in front of her in church.

The flowers can be brought to Our Lady of Grace both Thursday and Friday.

Our Lady of Grace Recognizes and Supports families with children and adults with special needs.

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Fewer Black and Hispanic students got offers to the prestigious schools SHSAT still shows racial disparities

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Fewer city specialized high school offers were made to Black and Hispanic students who took the Specialized High School Admissions Test this year, according to data released last week by the city Department of Education. The test is the sole admission criteria for the city’s eight specialized high schools.

The DOE said 25,933 eighth-grade students took the SHSAT this year, and 4,023 received an offer of admission based on their exam store.

The data showed that only 3 percent of admission offers went to Black students, and 6.9 percent to Hispanic students — down from last year’s 4.5 percent and 7.6 percent, respectively. Asian American students received 53.5 percent of the offers, up from 52.1 percent last year. And 25.9 percent of white test-takers received an offer this year, down from 26.1 in 2024.

At the World’s Borough’s only specialized high school, Queens High School for the Sciences at York College in Jamaica, 148 applicants were given an offer. Of those, 117 students are Asian, six are Black, six Hispanic, four are multiracial, one is Native American, eight are white and six are “unknown.”

In 2024, there was a slight uptick in offers for Black and Hispanic students, and at the time, the DOE said it was “highest levels [of admissions for Black and Hispanic students] since 2013,” according to reporting from Chalkbeat.

The agency has long faced criticism regarding the racial disparities in specialized high school admissions. Many education activists have called to do away with the exam completely, citing those inequities, and

others have called to add different means of admission to the prestigious schools.

The department has tried to reform the process — which must comply with state law requiring the test — with free SHSAT tutoring, offering the exam at more institutions during the school day, more outreach and more seats in the Discovery program, which allows disadvantaged eighth-graders another chance at getting an offer if their SHSAT score is in a certain range.

In 2025, 785 students were given an offer as part of the Discovery program. Of those, 497 are Asian, 90 are Black, 120 are Hispanic, seven are multi-racial, eight are Native American and 53 are white.

New data from the city Department of Education showed that fewer Black and Hispanic students received offers of admission to specialized high schools.

After much discourse, last December the Panel for Educational Policy approved a $17 million contract for a digital version of the SHSAT.

“We’re dedicated to ensuring our schools are diverse, inclusive places where every student can thrive,” a DOE spokesperson said in a statement. “When our schools are segregated, students lose out on the incredible education that a richly diverse, inclusive environment carries.”

The agency pointed to the new accelerated high schools, including HBCU Early College Prep High School in Jamaica, that “boast prestigious educations and majority students of color.”

The DOE added that its Diversity in Admissions program is helping schools prioritize targeted groups of students, including

but not limited to students whose families meet federal income eligibility requirements, English language learners and students whose families are impacted by incarceration.

Crystal McQueen-Taylor, the executive director of StudentsFirstNY, an education advocacy organization, said, “In a school system where nearly 60 percent of students are Black or Latino, it’s deeply troubling that so few receive offers to the city’s most prestigious high schools.”

McQueen-Taylor said that public charter high schools across the city are delivering results by preparing students for college, careers and long-term success at rates that rival the best schools in the country.

“Our focus should be on expanding equitable access to these opportunities for all students,” she said.

Smitha Milich, the senior campaign strate-

gist at the Alliance for Quality Education, said, “Structural changes are needed in order to overhaul the current system that relies on a single test.”

She continued, “A system that sorts children into separate and unequal tracks has no place in our public education system and must be eliminated. While minor reforms have offered some relief, the inequities persist, and New York City continues to hold the #1 ranking as the most segregated school district in the country.”

One Woodhaven educator told the Chronicle, “I don’t know what the solution is, but something has to be done.”

She said that if the SHSAT continues to be the only method of admission into the schools, better education outreach and test preparation is needed, even on top of what the DOE has already done.

“Imagine being the only person who looks like you in a large classroom,” the math teacher said. “How lonely that feels. It can really negatively impact a child’s academics, feeling that different.”

While Parent Leaders for Accelerated Curriculum Education NYC, an education advocacy group, did not respond to emailed requests from the Chronicle, the group is staunchly pro-SHSAT. Its co-founder, Yiatin Chu, recently took to X to write, “The SHSAT is simply a multiple choice test — no name, no gender, no race, no face, no life story. Students who earn the 4000 highest scores get their choice of 8 specialized schools. One of the purest form of meritocracy still standing in 2025.” Q

Anti-Semitic graffiti around Kew Gardens

Area residents say hate speech keeps reappearing; NYPD says it is monitoring

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Some parts of Kew Gardens, including near its Richmond Hill border, have recently seen a rise in persistent anti-Semitic graffiti.

The Chronicle received photos and a list of problem locations, which include Lefferts Boulevard, between 84th and 85th Avenues; 118th Street and 84th Avenue; Brevoort Street and Metropolitan Avenue; and Lefferts Boulevard and 84th Avenue.

The back of a stop sign at 118th Street and 84th Avenue read, “Stop Genocide” and “Stop Zionism” with a swastika drawn on it. At Brevoort and Metropolitan, a mailbox bore the phrase, “From the river to the sea!” And on Lefferts, a no-parking sign had “end geno-

cide” and “Stop Israel” written on it.

James McClelland, the district manager for Community Board 9, who shared the images and list of locations with the Chronicle, said that the graffiti returns almost as soon as it is cleaned.

Sarah Kaplan of Kew Gardens told the Chronicle that the graffiti is “unsightly.”

“Wanting the genocide in Gaza to end is not anti-Semitic,” Kaplan, a Jewish woman, said. “But a swastika in a neighborhood that has a large Jewish presence can’t be labeled anything else.”

One area synagogue was not aware of the issue, and two others did not answer calls from the Chronicle.

The city Department of Transportation, Department of Sanitation and NYPD were contacted to find out what was being done about the issue. The DSNY referred the Chronicle to the DOT, which deferred to the NYPD.

A spokesperson for the police said that the commanding officer of the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct, Capt. Pratima Maldonado, is aware of the incidents. Officers continue to monitor the area for new graffiti, cops said.

“Anti-Semitism or any other type of hate displayed in our community will not be tolerated!” Councilmember Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills), whose district encompasses Kew Gardens and parts of Richmond Hill, told the Chronicle in an emailed statement.

“My office has been in contact with the NYPD, other city agencies, and the local community board with regard to the recent occurrences of anti-Semitic graffiti in the Kew Gardens/Richmond Hill area, and exploring ways to combat it,” Schulman said. “I am proud to fund graffiti removal in the district, along with combat hate programs, and am continuing to monitor the situation.” Q

Bill to decriminalize illegal vending nixed

Adams vetoes legislation to give only civil penalties to offenders

by Stephanie G. Meditz Associate Editor

Mayor Adams on July 30 vetoed a bill that would have taken away criminal liability for offenses related to street vending.

Introduced by City Councilman Shekar Krishnan (D-Jackson Heights) last year, Intro. 47-B sought to remove misdemeanor penalties for general and mobile food vendors. Violators of street vending laws would have faced civil penalties instead.

Adams said in a letter to the City Clerk’s Office that the legislation would have eliminated “an important enforcement tool” for street vending offenses. Queens neighborhoods such as Jackson Heights, Corona and Flushing see a lot of street vendors, both licensed and not, and many of the sellers are immigrants, both with and without legal status.

“As the Trump administration continues to attack working families and immigrant communities, Mayor Adams’ veto is yet another example of him supporting Trump’s agenda over New Yorkers,” Julia Agos, a Council spokesperson, said in a statement. Agos said the bill simply removed “excessive” misdemeanor policies that can block access to education, employment, housing and immigration relief opportunities.

more than 2,000 criminal tickets to vendors, and roughly 7,000 civil summonses. It is up to officers’ discretion whether to issue criminal or civil penalties, he said.

“A lot of people are not comfortable going to a criminal court,” Attia said. “They feel really intimidated and terrified, because they have no idea who’s going to be waiting for them there.” Having a criminal record could adversely affect those seeking immigration relief, he added.

Warrants are automatically issued for a vendor’s arrest if he or she misses a criminal court date, he said. One may ask to reschedule civil court appearances.

“By vetoing Intro 47, the Mayor is actively putting more New Yorkers at greater risk — harming their ability to potentially access educational and housing opportunities and subjecting them to more potential avenues of attack from Donald Trump and ICE,” New York Immigration Coalition President and CEO Murad Awawdeh said in a statement.

“The Mayor should be investing in real solutions that would allow immigrants to contribute fully to the city’s economy.”

“We cannot be so idealistic that we’re not realistic.”

People convicted of a misdemeanor may not hold certain jobs, nor can they live in New York City Housing Authority housing for at least three years after completing their sentence. Noncitizens also may face arrest, detention or deportation.

— Mayor Eric Adams

Mohamed Attia, managing director of the Street Vendor Project, told the Chronicle in an interview last week that he himself has gone to criminal court for forgetting to wear his license while vending in Times Square.

“It was in my back pocket, and an officer stopped by my cart and wrote me a criminal ticket for not wearing my license visible,” Attia said. “And we’re seeing more of that in the last couple of years.”

In 2024 alone, he continued, police wrote

Lawmakers passed the bill June 30 on a 40-8 vote, with three abstentions. It implemented a recommendation from the Street Vendor Advisory Board, a group convened by the Council in 2021 to evaluate the city’s vendingrelated laws.

Agos said the Council had negotiated the bill “in good faith” with the Adams administration, “only to have the mayor disregard the work of the advisory board and his own staff” by vetoing it. Attia said discussions on the issue date back to the previous mayoral administration, and city agencies, including the NYPD, always seemed to be on the same page.

But a spokesperson for the mayor said his safety concerns about removing a means of enforcement for street vending were clear from the beginning.

“Our law enforcement officers play a vital role in keeping our streets clear of unli-

censed vendors and protecting small business owners who follow the rules from being undercut by those who don’t,” Adams said in a statement. “We cannot be so idealistic that we’re not realistic — preventing the brave men and women of the NYPD from intervening, even in the most egregious cases, is unfair to law-abiding business owners and poses real public health and safety risks.”

The City Council’s Consumer and Worker Protection Committee held a hearing May 6 for other street vendor reform bills, including ones to expand licensing and assist sellers with compliance. But Attia said Adams’ veto has made vendors start to lose hope.

“He’s not a mayor who wants to be the mayor for street vendors,” he said, adding that while it would be “great” to collaborate with the Adams administration, vendors are going to work closely with the City Council and prepare to override any other potential vetoes.

Adams’ rejection also comes amid a slew of federal immigration actions. For one, the

Trump administration recently filed a lawsuit challenging New York City’s sanctuary policies, which limit cooperation between local and federal officials on immigration.

The NYC Street Vendor Justice Coalition in a statement said it is “unconscionable” that Adams decided to veto the bill at a time when federal policies have made immigrants more fearful.

“Choosing to veto a bill that simply removes the excessive criminal misdemeanor penalties that can block New Yorkers’ access to educational, housing and immigration opportunities, is nothing less than an attack on our City’s most vulnerable, hardworking families and entrepreneurs,” the group said.

“Rather than ushering in real change for our street vendors — moving toward a fair, comprehensive, and well-regulated system — Mayor Adams is playing politics with the lives of our city’s smallest business owners,” Krishnan said in part in a statement posted to X. Q

More lifeguard chairs coming to Rockaway

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Eleven new lifeguard chairs will be added at Rockaway Beach following sustained advocacy from community leaders, including Councilmember Selvena Brooks-Powers (D-Laurelton). It is a 73 percent increase.

Five chairs will be installed immediately between Beach 60th and Beach 64th streets, acccording to a July 30 press release from Brooks-Powers’ office, and an additional six chairs will be added early this month between Beach 47th and Beach 52nd streets when sea-

sonal nesting concludes at the Rockaway Beach Endangered Species Nesting Area.

The announcement comes just one week after a 22-year-old man went missing while swimming near Beach 20th Street and Seagirt Avenue in Far Rockaway.

A report by Gothamist said the swimmer was an immigrant from Niger who had just taken his second day off from work in two years.

During beach season, lifeguards are on duty daily, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to the city Parks Department. Swimming is

prohibited when lifeguards are not on duty and in closed sections, which are marked with signs and red flags.

“Water safety has always been a top priority in our district,” said Brooks-Powers, the City Council’s majority whip, in a statement. “Every year, we witness heartbreaking losses due to drownings, including one just last week. This 73 percent increase in lifeguards in our district is a critical step forward — thanks to community advocacy and partnership.”

She added, “I remain committed to safe-

guarding New Yorkers who enjoy our city’s beaches and pools.”

“The safety of every New Yorker who visits our beaches is our highest priority, so we have worked tirelessly to grow our corps of lifeguards in our commitment to protecting lives,” Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa said. “By significantly expanding our lifeguard coverage at Rockaway Beach, we’re ensuring that beachgoers can continue to enjoy our beautiful waterfront knowing that trained professionals are watching over them.” Q

Mayor Adams last week vetoed a bill to remove criminal penalties for street vendors, such as these in Jamaica.

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Fare, toll hikes on MTA’s fall agenda

Plan would increase subway, bus rides to $3; river crossings 7-plus percent

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

The Board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is expected to vote in the fall on proposals that would increase bus and subway fares by about 4 percent, and some bridge tolls by more than 7 percent.

The proposal was submitted July 30 at a meeting of the MTA Board. If approved, it would increase the base fare of bus and subway rides 10 cents to $3. It is the same increase that was recommended last December, which was intended to take place this August.

The increases now would go into effect in January in coordination with the elimination of the MetroCard in favor of OMNY devices as a means of paying for bus and subway rides.

It would be the MTA’s first fare increase since August 2023. MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said Wednesday that the increases are necessary, but also reasonable.

“We have to remember what really is driving affordability issues in New York and it’s not transit,” he said during a post-meeting press conference. “Transit is one of the few things that makes New York affordable and we’re keeping it that way.”

Quoting statistics from the state Comptroller’s Office, Lieber said transit has gone up just over 16 percent since 2018 while the cost

of housing has gone up 68 percent.

“We are controlling these increases,” he said. “We’re doing them small, we’re doing them predictable and we’re telling everybody when they’re coming so they can plan. What they also get is a lot more service and they are getting new discounts.”

The press conference and the entire meet-

ing can be seen on YouTube at tinyurl.com/yc437vt4.

Mayor Adams, in a Wednesday press release, said the fare already is too high for many people, and has forced the city to expand its programs for low-income reducedfare riders.

“And now, with congestion pricing set to

Small biz support continues at Kaieteur

As part of its ongoing effort to support area small businesses, Community Board 9 on July 25 dined at Kaieteur Restaurant, at 87-12 Lefferts Blvd. in Richmond Hill, in partnership with the Jamaica Rotary Club. About 75 people, including board members, other community figures and their families, joined in on the festivities, making it

the group’s biggest outing so far.

State Sen. Leroy Comrie was also in attendance, and certificates from him and other area elected officials were presented to the restaurant’s owner, Karran Rupansingh.

Community Board 9 also celebrated the July and August birthdays of its board mem-

generate billions in dedicated funding for MTA improvements, the agency has no excuse,” Adams said. “Proposing a fare hike without demonstrating meaningful improvements is offensive to hard-working New Yorkers, and that’s why I’m urging all board appointees to vote no on this proposal. We strongly oppose this fare increase and remain committed to fighting for a more affordable and equitable city.”

For drivers, a one-way toll would increase from $6.94 to $7.46 for E-ZPass users on the RFK-Triborough, Bronx-Whitestone, Throgs Neck and Verrazzano-Narrows bridges, as well as at the Queens Midtown and Hugh L. Carey tunnels.

Toll by mail rates would increase from $11.19 to $12.03.

On the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge between Broad Channel and the Rockaways, new tolls are proposed to go from $5.60 to $6.02 for tolls by mail; $3.59 to $3.86 by Minor E-Token; $2.60 to $2.80 for E-ZPass; $4.11 to $4:42 for Mid-tier; $2:33 to $2.50 for Rockaway Resident E-Token; and $1.70 to 1.83 for Rockaway Resider E-ZPass.

Additional information on proposed fares for all MTA services, including the Long Island Rail Road, MetroNorth, Access-A-Ride and others, is available at tinyurl.com/yenc8hyt. Q

Photo contest!

Hot town, sweatin’ in the city! Time to enter the Queens Chronicle’s 17th annual Summer in the Borough Photo Contest. We look forward to your entries!

Go out and take your best shots of families gathering, children playing, workers working, lovely landscapes, birds on the bay — whatever says “summertime in Queens.” If you need some inspiration, look at one of 2024’s co-winners, above, taken by Linda Barone: a canine car congress. As to the rules, there are a few, so please go to tinyurl. com/jnwmsxfk to see them.

bers with cake.

“The food was very good and reasonably priced,” Sherry Algredo, the board’s chairwoman, wrote in an email to the Chronicle. “Board members enjoy this community gathering, as it gives them a chance outside of a board meeting to really connect with each other.” — Kristen Guglielmo

Send your high-resolution digital photos to peterm@qchron.com, or mail prints to Queens Chronicle Photo Contest, 71-19 80 St., suite 8-201, Glendale, NY 11385. The winner will get a $50 gift card. The deadline is Monday, Sept. 22, the very day summer ends.

Good luck! — Peter C. Mastrosimone

PHOTO BY LINDA BARONE

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is entertaining a proposal to increase mass transit fares as well as bridge and tunnel tolls come January.

Shops at Atlas Park sold to developer

Billionaire CEO Ben Ashkenazy buys the open-air mall from Macerich

by Stephanie G. Meditz Associate Editor

Billionaire developer Ben Ashkenazy last week purchased The Shops at Atlas Park in Glendale.

The deal, which closed July 30, was Ashkenazy’s first purchase using a $750 million pool of funds from himself and other partners, Crain’s New York Business reported.

“We are excited to enhance and upgrade this extraordinary property into a best-in-class lifestyle center, similar to many lifestyle centers Ashkenazy owns, including Vernon Hills Center in Westchester County,” Joe Press, Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp.’s COO, said in a July 31 press release announcing the sale.

The mall on Cooper Avenue and 80th Street has become a neighborhood staple. It stands on 12 acres of land and includes stores such as TJ Maxx, HomeGoods and Regal Cinemas. The Queens Chronicle’s offices also are located there.

More than 15 lenders bid “aggressively” on acquisition financing for The Shops at Atlas

Park, the press release said, and the company Acore Capital emerged victorious.

“We’re proud to be involved in financing this acquisition and have strong conviction in the asset’s potential with Ashkenazy as the sponsor,” said Tony Fineman, Acore Capital’s senior managing director and head of originations.

Founded in 1987, Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp. is a real estate investment firm headquartered in New York City with assets across the country, the United Kingdom and Canada.

Ashkenazy’s portfolio includes more than 15 million square feet of properties, according to his website, benashkenazy.com. He acquired his first property in the Bronx at 18 years old.

Asked for more information about the sale and future plans for the mall, a PR representative told the Chronicle that the information in the press release is all Ashkenazy is sharing at this time.

Macerich, the mall’s former owner, did not respond to requests for comment. Q

Aug. 19th, 6 pm-7:30 pm Tues., Aug. 26th, 6 pm-7:30 pm

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Friday, August 15, 2025, Mass at 8:30am, 12:00pm and 6:30pm

Traditionally on her Feast Day, flowers are brought to church and placed in front of her or in honor or memory of a loved one. The flowers can be brought to church on Thursday and Friday.

Trip to St. Joseph Shrine

Thursday, August 21, 2025

Developer Ben Ashkenazy last week bought The Shops at Atlas Park in Glendale, which were formerly owned by Macerich.

Bayside blasted by rain, flash flooding

Some neighborhoods see 6.5 inches in powerful

by Michael Gannon and Peter C. Mastrosimone Senior News Editor and Editor-in-Chief

The initial videos and photos from Bayside last Thursday were daunting.

Members of the FDNY and Metropolitan Transportation Authority police rescuing passengers from a Long Island Rail Road train stopped yards from submerged tracks at the Bayside station.

A tractor trailer submerged almost up to its door handles on the Cross Island Parkway, and passenger cars nearby with their roofs showing only inches above the water.

And the miracle? No one was reported killed or even seriously hurt as information kept rolling in and authorities continue their assessments of the storm that dropped between 5 and 6.5 inches of rain on Bayside and neighboring communities in a very brief period beginning just after 3 p.m.

The figures were provided on the website of the National Weather Service station at Upton, LI.

Water inundated some homes and businesses, temporarily shut down the Cross Island Parkway and the Clearview Expressway in both directions north of Northern Boulevard, and shut down the LIRR’s Port Washington Branch until the start of the Friday morning rush hour commute.

“We didn’t get the rain [in Whitestone] that Bayside got, or Little Neck or Douglaston,” said Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (R-Whitestone) in a video on her campaign website Thursday night. “There’s just so much you can do when the rain comes down as quickly as it did.”

She credited the city for ample warnings beginning Wednesday night, and both its Emergency Management Office and Department of Environmental Protection for their actions.

“The response was immediate,” Paladino said, including direct phone conversations with the heads of both agencies.

One Bayside resident said FDNY personnel came down her block warning residents to get to the second floor of their homes immediately. Even some residents who never experience flooding were affected.

Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside) said his district office closed early Thursday because of the impending storm. He expected a better handle on the situation in the coming days.

“Right now we’re reaching out to the various agencies that have charge over those sites and getting a sense from them what happened and if there is anything we can help with going forward,” Braunstein said.

He said the next few days after the storm likely would see residents reaching out for help with insurance claims, or even in contacting the Federal Emergency Management Agency for financial assistance.

“We’ll have a better idea maybe late next week,” he said. Paladino said it is important that residents and businesses call 311 to lodge a complaint and get a case ID number so elected officials can expedite their claims.

Braunstein and Warren Schreiber, a civic leader and member of Community Board 7, said

summer thunderstorm

the Bay Terrace Shopping Center property on 26th Avenue had heavy flooding, but was back to normal by Friday morning.

“A few corner stores were flooded, but the property owner, Cord Meyer, was working with them,” the assemblyman said.

“Today, you couldn’t tell that anything had happened there, except for some cars being towed from the parking lot this morning because they couldn’t get them yesterday,” Schreiber said.

Bay Terrace resident Phil Konigsberg said the Baybridge Commons shopping area near the Cross Island, a flood-prone site the Bay Terrace Community Alliance has been lobbying to rectify for years. was hit hard as well.

Konigsberg said along with the closure of the Clearview and Cross Island, he was troubled by an aerial view above the intersection of Bell and Northern boulevards with the water as high as the green metal traffic control boxes attached to the traffic lights.

A spokesman for the MTA said about 80 employees worked through the night “including plumbers, power, signal, and track personnel. Both tracks were restored to service around 6:30 a.m.”

He said excessive water from street level at both the Bayside and Great Neck stations caused wash-out conditions where soil, ballast and even railroad ties were washed away. About 160 tons of ballast was used to stabilize the tracks.

No information on damage to roadways or possible repairs that will be needed was available from city officials as of the Chronicle’s deadline, but the Clearview and Cross Island both were operating in both directions by Friday morning.

Bayside businessman Ted Han said that while he didn’t see anything too unusual where he was, he had to cancel an appointment at a diner on Staten Island because he dared not cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in the heavy rain. Han, whose Bridge Enterprises sells promotional products, turned back just before bridge.

an email. “However, the branch has already been cleaned and disinfected, and the carpet has undergone a deep cleaning. We are planning to reopen the branch tomorrow, once the carpet is fully dry. As for Bay Terrace Library, some water entered the building, but the damage was minimal, and the branch reopened today as scheduled.”

St. Mary’s Hospital for Children in Bayside also was able to keep on top of the storm.

“St. Mary’s experienced flooding during yesterday’s storm, but thanks to the quick and coordinated efforts of our dedicated team, all issues were quickly resolved,” the hospital said in an email. “The safety of our patients and staff remains our top priority, and we’re proud to report there was no interruption in care. We’re grateful to our facilities and clinical teams for their professionalism and commitment in challenging conditions.”

The Bayside Historical Society on Totten Avenue dodged trouble completely, according to Executive Director Brita Kube.

“Thankfully nothing sensational happened at the Castle during the storm,” Kube said in an email. “We did not have any flooding issues.”

Noah Sheroff, executive director of the Bayside Village Business Improvement District, told the Chronicle that some of his members suffered flooding, but that most appeared to be open on Friday.

Sheroff did say that basement flooding for businesses often will damage inventory and equipment.

A short distance away, Bob Friedrich, president of Glen Oaks Village, said in an email that his residents had to deal with just over an inch of rain.

“We had no major flooding on the streets and only limited water leaks on some of the decks and terraces,” Friedrich said. “Our community room experienced some water seepage through the bottom of the door but I have seen worse in the past.”

Most institutions in the region reached by the Chronicle came through largely unscathed.

“Our new building fared really well in the storm, just some water at our front door entranceway,” said Irene Scheid, executive director of the Alley Pond Environmental Center, via email. “Some parents had difficulty getting to APEC to pick up their children from our afternoon programs, but my staff stayed here until all children were picked up. There was no evidence of flooding on Northern Boulevard just outside our Center, although we saw pictures of the flooding just to the west of us. The traffic light outside our building was glitching for a while but is working fine today.”

Ewa Jedrychowska, a spokeswoman for the Queens Public Library, said all its branches closed at 4 p.m. on Thursday.

“Bayside Library remains closed today due to flooding caused by the storm,” she said Friday in

Stephanie Lee, founder and director of the Garage Art Center in Bayside, said there already were preparations in place.

“We’re all fine here, thankfully,” she told the Chronicle in an email. “We did [an exhibit] installation yesterday, and just as we were finishing up, it started to pour. Luckily, everything (and everyone) stayed safe — we have a sump pump, which definitely helped.”

State Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-College Point) saw no damage around her home in Cryder Point. She was on the Cross Island Thursday, and told the Chronicle it is long past time to eliminate flooding in that area, calling it a recurring issue.

“I was on the northbound side, going toward Whitestone,” Stavisky told the Chronicle in an interview. “It was moving slowly, but not backed up. The southbound direction, one lane from the water, wasn’t moving. And it seems to me it’s time to start the capital construction study and then the implementation of that study on how to mitigate some of this flooding.

“Because it occurs every time there’s a heavy rainstorm. And unfortunately with global warming, there are more and more flooding issues. The minute one capital storm sewer is built, there’s a worse flood. And people can’t deny that it is because of global warming.” Q

Metropolitan Transportation Authority police officers, above, help a stranded Long Island Rail Road passenger up an embankment to safety. Below, New York’s Bravest move into position along the inundated station’s platforms. SCREENSHOTSVIAFREEDOMNEWSTVVIDEOS

Social Security transition to electronic payments

What beneficiaries receiving paper checks need to know

by Social Security Administration

Starting September 30, 2025, the Social Security Administration will no longer issue paper checks for benefit payments. This change is part of a broader government-wide initiative to modernize payment systems and enhance service delivery. By moving to electronic payments exclusively, we aim to improve efficiency, security, and ensure beneficiaries receive their monthly benefits promptly.

Who does this affect?

This transition primarily affects a small group of beneficiaries who have not yet switched to electronic payment methods. Less than one percent of b eneficiaries currently get paper checks. We encourage these individuals to enroll in direct deposit or opt for the Direct Express® card to continue receiving their monthly benefits timely.

Why the shift to electronic payments?

The transition from paper checks to electronic payments offers several

important advantages:

• Speed and Efficiency : Electronic Funds Transfers (EFTs) are processed more quickly than paper checks, helping beneficiaries receive their payments on time without delays.

• Cost Savings : According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, issuing a paper check costs about 50 cents, whereas an EFT costs less than 15 cents. This shift could save the federal government millions of dollars annually.

• Enhanced Security: Paper checks are 16 times more likely to be lost or stolen compared to electronic payments, increasing the risk of fraud. Electronic payments provide a safer, more secure way to receive benefits.

What we’re doing to help We’re proactively sending notices to people who currently receive paper checks, to explain the upcoming change and highlight the benefits of switching to electronic payments. In addition, all benefit checks will include an insert explaining the steps a beneficiary can take to transition to electron-

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ic payments, and our technicians are ready to assist. These efforts aim to ensure a smooth transition and help recipients understand their options.

Your payment options

People who currently receive paper checks have two convenient options to receive their Social Security payments electronically:

• Direct Deposit: Beneficiaries should enroll in direct deposit with their financial institution. Payments can be deposited directly into your checking or savings account.

• Direct Express Card: For people without a bank account, the Direct Express card is a prepaid debit card designed specifically for federal benefit payments.

You can update your payment information anytime through your personal my Social Security account online.

For more details and to learn how to enroll in direct deposit or obtain a Direct Express card, please visit ssa.gov/deposit/. P

Open your eyes to the threat of glaucoma

It is easy to take sight for granted when eyes are working as they should. When vision begins to diminish, people may seek the advice of an eye professional to determine if there is something they can do to prevent further deterioration.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world, advises the Cleveland Clinic. Unlike some other vision problems like cataracts that affect the lens or surface of the eye, glaucoma impacts the optic nerve directly. However, blindness from glaucoma often can be prevented with early treatment.

Under pressure

Glaucoma is brought on by abnormal pressure buildup in the eye. The American Academy of Ophthalmology® says the eye constantly makes a substance known as aqueous humor. When new aqueous humor flows into the eye, existing aqueous humor should drain out through an area called the drainage angle. But if the drainage angle is not working correctly, the fluid builds up and intraocular pressure in the eye increases. Over time, this pressure damages the optic nerve. The primary function of the optic nerve is to transmit visual information from the retina to the brain.

Open-angle and closed-angle glaucoma

The most common type of glaucoma is known as open-angle glaucoma, which occurs when the drainage angle becomes blocked or there is resistance to the fluid draining out, says the Cleveland Clinic. This disease may go undetected for years b ecause most people do not experience symptoms early on. The Mayo Clinic says gradual development of blind spots in peripheral vision and, in later stages, difficulty seeing things in central vision may occur.

In closed-angle glaucoma, also called

angle-closure glaucoma, a person's iris is very close to the drainage angle and the iris itself can end up blocking the drainage angle. When the drainage angle becomes completely blocked, pressure in the eye can rapidly increase. The AAO says this is known as an acute attack and is a true emergency that can result in blindness.

Signs of an acute attack include:

• suddenly blurry vision;

• severe eye pain;

• headache;

• nausea;

• vomiting; and

• rainbow-colored rings or halos appearing around lights.

Glaucoma risk factors

Glaucoma can affect anyone, but the risk increases with age (over 60) and is highe r among Black and Hispanic populations. Asian and Inuit populations are more susceptible to closed-angle glaucoma, says the Cleveland Clinic. People with diabetes also have a much higher risk of getting glaucoma. In addition, individuals with a family history of glaucoma; people with high blood pressure; and people with previous eye injury or surgery are at risk for glaucoma.

Treatment

The main treatment for glaucoma includes prescription eye drops that will decrease fluids and improve drainage in the eye. Laser therapy also may be recommended to help improve fluid drainage. Surgery also can achieve better eye pressure, but it is more invasive and additional methods may be tried first.

Glaucoma is not something to take lightly. Routine eye exams that measure intraocular pressure can help determine if eyes are healthy.

Glaucoma is not something to take lightly. Routine eye exams that measure intraocular pressure can help determine if eyes are healthy.

Magic onstage Magic onstage

ARTS, CULTURE & LIVING

by Stephanie G. Meditz

Marr have put on before — they have produced all but 10 of the Bard’s 38 plays, and Hip to Hip condenses them to about 90 minutes to engage audiences from all walks of life.

did not recognize every word in a given line.

After being usurped as Duke of Milan, the sorcerer Prospero, portrayed masterfully by Jason Marr, seeks revenge by conjuring a storm that shipwrecks his enemies, including his brother Antonio, played by Katie Braden. Other characters are on their own quests for love, freedom and vengeance.

Get thee to your local August for a free evening of laughs, tears and poetry by the Bard himself

Get thee to your local park throughout August

“One of the things that we really pride ourselves on is making all of our plays accessible,” Jason Marr said. He and his wife try to preserve as much of the plot, characters and poetry as possible while maintaining a digestible runtime.

Hip to Hip Theatre Co. is back for its 19th season, bringing Shakespeare plays to outdoor public spaces across Queens. This year, folks can take their pick of comedy, tragedy or both, as one cast of actors presents “The Tempest” and “Hamlet” on rot ation.

Both are shows that co-founders Jason and Joy August 7, 2025

They achieved just that — the Chronicle attended Hip to Hip’s Aug. 5 performance of “The Tempest” at Queens College, joining community members on the quad as the actors told a tale of love, magic, revenge and ultimately forgiveness.

Not only was the show free and public, but it was brought to life such that the plot and the characters’ emotions were unmistakable, even if one

Caliban, Prospero’s slave, portrayed as a silly, scaly fish-human by Anzi DeBenedetto, tries to overthrow his master, but not before his absurdity and penchant for wine elicit plenty of giggles. Antonio and Sebastian, portrayed by Anna Belden, try to assassinate Alonso, the King of Naples, played by Erick González.

But love ties the piece together, from the sweet ,

continued on page 25

Free Shakespeare in Queens parks in Queens parks all month

Crossword Puzzle

Tony Spargo drummed up support in Queens Village

by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor

Antonio “Anthony” Sbarbaro, aka Tony Spargo, was born in New Orleans on June 27, 1897. He joined the Original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1917 for their first recordings as a unique drummer. He used cowbells, Chinese tom-toms and a kazoo for sound effects.

Sbarbaro was married the same year to Ollie Alma West, who bore him a child, Beverly, in 1918. But they soon divorced.

By 1925 he had become the leader of the band, remaining so until they dissolved around 1960 due to rock ’n’ roll. He had two sons, Anthony Jr. in 1923 and Peter in 1930, who followed in the music business.

Public records show he married Cecelia Marren on June 10, 1937. They purchased a single family home at 215-16 Murdock Ave. in Queens Village.

Spargo performed at the 1939-40 New York World’s Fair with vocalist Constance “Connee” Bosewell. By 1950, the business had become lean, which prompted him and Cecelia to move in with their son Anthony Jr., also residing in Queens Village.

In his last years Spargo shuffled about

several different apartments on Austin Street in Forest Hills. On Oct. 30, 1969 at age 72 he passed away, having been the last surviving member of the post-World War I Original Dixieland Jazz Band. He was buried in Maple Grove Cemetery in Kew Gardens. Q

Estate Planning Fundamentals: Minor Grandchildren as Beneficiaries

By Cynthia J. Conza, Esq.

Our clients often want to ensure they provide for their grandchildren in their estate planning. If your grandchildren are over eighteen they can inherit directly by naming them as beneficiaries in your will or trust. However, providing for your minor grandchildren in your estate requires thoughtful planning to ensure they receive their proper inheritance.

One strategy to avoid this scenario is through a trust, where property is left to a trust for the benefit of your grandchildren. The property is legally owned by the trust and a trustee, chosen by yourself when you create the trust, manages the trust property for the benefit of your grandchildren. You may also use the trust to further control how the property is used by the trustee and how money is distributed to your grandchildren.

Further, a trust can be structured to protect the inheritances you leave for your grandchildren from your children’s divorces or creditors.

In New York minors can be named as a beneficiary in a will or trust, but they cannot own any of the property they inherit. Leaving an inheritance directly to a minor grandchild can result in court involvement that goes beyond the ordinary probate process in Surrogate’s Court. The court may appoint a guardian to control and manage the grandchild’s inheritance. This can lead to a long and expensive process where your family will have to attend court hearings and can last for years, and may involve the court appointment of an outsider to oversee the inheritance.

Proper planning will have a significant impact on your ability to protect your assets for your grandchildren and beneficiaries. Please feel free to contact me at cynthia@conzamcnamara.com or (718) 845-5555 if you would like to discuss further.

The home of Original Dixieland Jazz Band drummer Tony Spargo at 215-16 Murdock Ave. in Queens Village, as it looked when he lived there in the 1940s.

Designs encourage deep reflection in Bayside

by Stephanie G. Meditz associate editor

A new art exhibition in Bayside challenges visitors to engage in a moment of selfreflection amid life’s daily chaos.

Astoria-based Korean American artist Ami Park brings intricate textile patterns in restrained hues to the Garage Art Center through Aug. 31 with her solo show, “Echoes of Silence: Meditation in Monochrome.” It opened last Saturday and marks her first solo display in Queens.

“This exhibition is about one of my series, which is about my discovery about stillness and interconnectedness and the spiritual meaning and message that I found in Covid times,” Park told the Chronicle.

Amid all the uncertainties of the pandemic, she said, she found an opportunity to look inward and let herself be vulnerable. She then used the ample time she had to research different fabrics and plan how to actualize them in her work.

With a background in design and a fashion school education, Park employs techniques deeply rooted in materiality. She said she has always had a deep appreciation for all things made by hand.

By stitching together fiber materials such as yarn and rope, Park draws connections between the human mind and the physical world.

“It involves so much labor and time, but that is the main theme about my practice,” she said. The starting point of her work is to find stillness, look within herself and listen to what her mind and body have to say.

As she leaned into her authentic emotions during the pandemic, she said, raw colors and materials attracted her.

Park said a muted color palette allows for

a keener focus on texture, which is already loaded with meaning in her work.

“It gives you the time to look at what this texture is trying to tell me, without any distraction,” she explained, emphasizing the purity of the raw materials in her work.

Stephanie Lee, the Garage Art Center’s founding director, said Park’s “stunning” work fit perfectly with her vision for the gallery, adding that it is especially meaning-

ful to be able to uplift Asian artists.

“You can take a look at her pieces very up close in a kind of intimate setting to see each piece speak to each other in a small space,” Lee said. She added that viewers can see the beauty in Park’s work “instantly.”

Park said she feels excited to display her pieces in Queens — the borough’s art scene may seem quiet compared to Brooklyn and Manhattan’s concentrated circles, she explained, but creators and art lovers abound here, too.

“Knowing that, I think Garage Art Center is doing an amazing job as a representative of the art community in Queens,“ Park said. She hopes her show can help visitors find moments of stillness.

Park will give a free artist talk at the gallery on Aug. 16, at which attendees can gain more insight into her creative process.

RSVP is required, both to see the exhibit and attend the talk. One may go to garageartcenter.org to plan a visit, or email contact@garageartcenter.org.

“I just want them to be there and just be, see the art and just absorb whatever they’re feeling and thinking,” Park said. “Because that’s was what I was getting from the process of making, and I think that’s always the starting point — to look inward.” Q

Free poetry in the parks throughout August

continued from page 23

romance between Miranda, Prospero’s daughter, portrayed by Bree Marr, and Ferdinand, played by Wangai Maina, to the familial ties that are affirmed at the play’s conclusion.

Julia Whitcher gives a standout performance as Ariel, Prospero’s sprite-servant who does his magical bidding. She lures the shipwrecked sailors to a deep sleep with her strong, yet delicate and entrancing voice

and seamlessly transitions into whatever Prospero demands of her, with various costume changes.

“‘The Tempest’ is just a really special piece,” Jason Marr said, adding that it has “something for everybody,” from fairies and monsters to drunkards.

And no one is too young to appreciate Shakespeare. Hip to Hip’s “Kids & the Classics” program invites children aged 4 to 12 to partake in workshops 30 minutes before each show, in which they preview the plot and connect it to their own lives.

Some families who once attended with small children still come back, even when the kids move on to high school and college, Joy Marr said.

“We always see ourselves as sort of a gateway experience, because there’s no cost,” she said. “And so we hope that in doing that, we are possibly creating new theatergoers, because people come and see us and then they’ll say, hey, maybe I’ll go see something else at the theater.”

In addition to co-directing both shows with her husband, Joy Marr also plays Hamlet, the tortured prince of Denmark with a revenge plot of his own.

takes center stage

“These plays do sort of offer you two perspectives on what to do when someone’s wronged you,” she said.

Hip to Hip is bringing “The Tempest” and “Hamlet” to public spaces through Aug. 23. One may visit hiptohip.org for the full calendar. Guests are encouraged to bring a blanket or low chair.

“The Tempest” brought Queens Village’s Judith Rycar back to her alma mater — the regular Hip to Hip attendee studied English at Queens College, she told the Chronicle.

“I’ve gone to see them for a number of years, and I have always had a wonderful time when I go,” Rycar said. “They just do a fabulous job.”

Ami Park’s “Luba” from her Sweet Spot Series, left, and “Untitled” are among her works on view at the Garage Art Center through Aug. 31.

PHOTOS COURTESY GARAGE ART CENTER

Forgiveness

in Hip to Hip Theatre Co.’s production of “The Tempest.” On the cover: Jason Marr as the sorcerer Prospero.

PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE G. MEDITZ

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Date ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE signed 07/15/2025. Let Plaintiff, SIXTO MOCHA, show cause at the IAS Part 31 of this Court, to be held at the Courthouse thereof, located at 111 Centre Street, Room 623, New York, New York, on the 28th day of October, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. of that day, or as soon thereafter as counsel can be heard, WHY an Order should be made and entered granting the following relief: Pursuant to CPLR § 321(b)(2), granting THE GARCIA LAW FIRM, P.C., the present attorneys of record, leave to withdraw and be relieved as counsel for SIXTO MOCHA, the Plaintiff herein; Pursuant to CPLR § 316(a), granting service by publication on Plaintiff; Granting a stay for a period of thirty (30) days to allow Plaintiff the opportunity to obtain new counsel; and For such other, further and different relief as this Court deems just and proper.

CORTE SUPREMA DEL ESTADO DE NUEVA YORK - CONDADO DE MANHATTAN – Numero de indice 154338/2024. Fecha en la que la ORDEN DE MOSTRAR CAUSA fue firmada: 07/15/2025. Que el demandante, SIXTO MOCHA, muestre causa en la Parte 31 del IAS de este Tribunal, que se llevará a cabo en la corte, ubicada en 111 Centre Street, Cuarto 623, Condado de Manhattan, Estado de Nueva York, el día 28 de Octubre del 2025, a las 10:00 a.m. de ese día, o tan pronto como se pueda escuchar a los abogados, POR QUÉ se debe hacer y registrar una Orden que otorga el siguiente alivio: De conformidad con la ley § 321(b)(2), otorgando a THE GARCIA LAW FIRM, P.C., los actuales abogados registrados, permiso para retirarse y ser relevado como abogado de SIXTO MOCHA, el demandante en la presente; De conformidad con la ley § 316(a), otorgando servicio por publicación en el demandante; Otorgando una suspensión por un período de treinta (30) días para permitir que el demandante tenga la oportunidad de obtener un nuevo abogado; y cualquier otro alivio adicional y diferente que este Tribunal considere justo y apropiado.

Legal Notices

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT. QUEENS COUNTY. WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS CERTIFICATE TRUSTEE OF BOSCO CREDIT II TRUST SERIES 2010-1, Pltf. vs MARLENE DODD, et al, Defts. Index #724440/2022.

Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered May 28, 2025, I will sell at public auction on the front steps of the Queens County Supreme Court, 88-11 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica, NY on August 22, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. premises k/a 227- 07 108th Avenue, Queens Village, NY 11429 a/k/a Block 11193, Lot 15. Said property located beginning at a point on the Northerly side of 108th Avenue, distant 40 ft. Easterly from the corner formed by the intersection of the Northerly side of 108th Avenue with the Easterly side of 227th Street; being a plot 100 ft. x 40 ft. Approximate amount of judgment is $197,227.03 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. RICHARD GUTIERREZ, Referee. HILL WALLACK LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 261 Madison Avenue, 9th Floor, Ste. 940-941, New York, NY. File No. 022721-00029 #102423

Notice is hereby given that an On-Premise Restaurant Full Liquor License, NYS Application ID: NA-0340-25-119699 has been applied for by Pizza Vino serving beer, wine, cider, mead and liquor to be sold at retail for on premises consumption in a restaurant, for the premises located at JFK International Airport Terminal 4 Space HM02 Jamaica NY 11430.

Notice

&

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME

COURT QUEENS COUNTY WEBSTER BANK, N.A., Plaintiff against LETICIA M. CALUAG A/K/A LETICIA CALUAG, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Margolin, Weinreb & Nierer, LLP, 575 Underhill Boulevard, Suite 224, Syosset, NY 11791. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered June 4, 2025, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at the Queens County Supreme Court, Courtroom #25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on August 15, 2025 at 10:00 AM. Premises known as 84-92 Homelawn Street a/k/a 84-92 Home Lawn Street, Jamaica, New York 11432. Block 9862 Lot 76. 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 $137,839.57 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 708473/2023. 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. David I. Weprin, Esq., Referee File # 23-0243

Notice is hereby given that an On-Premise Restaurant Full Liquor License, NYS Application ID: NA-0340-25-118672 has been applied for by SSP America, Inc. and SSP America JFK LLC serving beer, wine, cider, mead and liquor to be sold at retail for on premises consumption in a restaurant, for the premises located at JFK International Airport Terminal 4 Space CA6 Jamaica NY 11430.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, NYCTL 1998-2 TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN, Plaintiff, vs. ELDER AVE REALTY CORP., ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated June 4, 2025 and entered on June 9, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, on the second floor in Courtroom 25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY on September 5, 2025 at 10:00 a.m., 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 5137 and Lot 1173. Said premises may also be known as 138-35 Elder Avenue, Parking Garage Unit No. 173, Queens, NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $145,672.31 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index #713123/2019. Guy R. Vitacco, Jr., Esq., Referee The Law Office of Thomas P. Malone, PLLC, 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 553, New York, New York 10165, Attorneys for Plaintiff

Notice is hereby given that an On-Premises Food & BeverageBusiness Liquor License, NYS Application ID NA-0370-25-118775 has been applied for by SSP America, Inc and SSP America JFK LLC serving beer, wine, cider, mead and liquor to be sold at retail for on-premises consumption in a Food & Beverage Business-Liquor establishment located at JFK International Airport Terminal 4, Space HM01 Jamaica NY 11430.

Notice is hereby given that an On-Premise Restaurant Full Liquor License, NYS Application ID: NA-0340-25-119638 has been applied for by SSP America, Inc. and SSP America JFK LLC serving beer, wine, cider, mead and liquor to be sold at retail for on premises consumption in a restaurant, for the premises located at JFK International Airport Terminal 4 Space CB29 Jamaica NY 11430.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS HSBC Bank USA, N.A., as Trustee for Structured Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loan Trust Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2005-1, Plaintiff AGAINST Sabrina Edery, as Administratrix of the Estate of Ann Lewitinn; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered October 22, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435, on the second floor in Courtroom 25 on August 22, 2025, at 10:00AM, premises known as 431 Beach 45th Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block 15968 Lot 96. Approximate amount of judgment $480,940.23 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 703588/2015. Michael A. Cervini, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792 Dated: May 8, 2025

Notice is hereby given that a license, number NA-0240-24138988, for beer, wine, and cider has been applied for by the undersigned to sell beer, wine, and cider at retail in a restaurant under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at Taqueria El Molcajete Inc., 566 Seneca Avenue, Ridgewood, NY 11385-1756 for on-premises consumption. Taqueria El Molcajete Inc

49-13, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 01/09/15. 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, 30-32 Steinway Street, Astoria, NY 11103. 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 212-941-6101, or the New York City Commission of Human Rights Hotline at 718722-3131.

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

Co-ops For Sale

Lindenwood, Eastwood Co-op. Gut reno, 5th fl, 1 BR, 1 bath + terrace. Asking $259K. Call Brina, Esquire Realty Ciaramella & Co., 917-257-154

Houses For Sale

Howard Beach/Rockwood Park, Classic Cape. Expanded w/extensions in bsmnt, 1st fl & full back dormer on top fl. High ceilings, gourmet kitchen, king-sized master BR w/en-suite, 5 BR, 3 full baths. Asking $1,079K. Connexion Real Estate 718-845-1136

Howard Beach/Rockwood Park. Elegant Hi-Ranch, 4 BR, 3 full baths, cathedral ceilings, custom kitchen w/granite & SS appli, central A/C, resort style yard w/gazebo & in-ground granite heated pool! Reduced $1,498,000. Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136

Open House

Hamilton Beach, Sat 8/9, 1:00pm-2:00pm, 102-23 Russell St. Jerry Fink Real Estate. Call Natalie 347-935-7064

Legal Notices

Notice is hereby given that an On-Premise Restaurant Full Liquor License, NYS Application ID: NA-0340-25-119735 has been applied for by SSP America, Inc. and SSP America JFK LLC serving beer, wine, cider, mead and liquor to be sold at retail for on premises consumption in a restaurant, for the premises located at JFK International Airport Terminal 4 Space CB26.1 Jamaica NY 11430.

Howard Beach, Sat 8/9, 12:30pm-2pm. 160-46 84 St, 4 BRs, 3 full baths, Hi-Ranch. 1 car garage, landscaped backyard. C21 Amiable II, 718-835-4700. Howard Beach, Sat 8/9, 2pm-4pm, 159-29 92 St. Updated Mother/Daughter Hi-Ranch. 5 BRs, 3 bathrooms, Solar Panels, Large above-ground swimming pool, private drive. Jerry Fink Real Estate. Call Richard 347-600-5860.

Howard Beach, Sat 8/9, 12-2pm, 164-33 97 St. Impeccably maintained mother/daughter style hiranch, 4 BRs, 2 1/2 baths, hardwood flrs & abundant storage space. Walking distance to Charles Park. Jerry Fink Real Estate, 718-766-9175

Howard Beach/Rockwood Park, Sun 8/10, 12-2pm, 159-16 92 St. Beautiful Empire Style Hi-Ranch. 40x100 lot. Updated. Sunken LR, cathedral ceilings, HW flrs, lg BRs, 2 full baths. Summer kitchen w/island, SS appli, lg yard for entertainment. Asking $1,198,888. Connexion Real Estate, 718-8451136

NEW HOWARD BEACH, Thurs 8/7 5:30pm-7pm & Sat 8/9 2pm-3:30pm, 159-42 81 St. High Ranch w/3 kitchens. Asking $999K. NEW HOWARD BEACH, Sat 8/9 3:30pm-5pm, 157-41 87 St. Cape on 50x100 lot. Asking $909K. Call Brina, Esquire Realty Ciaramella & Co, 917-257-1584 Ozone Park, Sat 8/9, 12pm-1:30pm, 8509 Sutter Ave. Legal 2 Fam (1 BR each unit). Asking $749K. Call Brina, Esquire Realty Ciaramella & Co., 917-257-1584

Notice is hereby given that an On-Premise Restaurant Full Liquor License, NYS Application ID: NA-0340-25-121720 has been applied for by SSP America, Inc. and SSP America JFK LLC serving beer, wine, cider, mead and liquor to be sold at retail for on premises consumption in a restaurant, for the premises located at JFK International Airport Terminal 4 Space CA11 Jamaica NY 11430.

HOWARD BEACH

Saturday, August 9 th 12:00pm to 2:00pm 164-33 97 th Street, Howard

This impeccably maintained mother/daughter style hi-ranch features 4 spacious bedrooms, 2.5 baths, beautiful hardwood floors, and ample storage space. It is just a half-block walk to Charles Park, six blocks to the A train/ AirTrain for easy commuting, and only 10 minutes to JFK Airport. Enjoy summer fun at Rockaway Beach, which is 6 miles away, or try your luck at Resorts World Casino, just 2 miles from the home. With quick access to major parkways, traveling to Manhattan is a breeze. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity! Lot size: 45X100, Building size: 26X47 Building Square footage is 2280

August 9th 1:00pm - 2:00pm 102-23 Russel Street

This 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home is a waterfront property in Hamilton Beach, featuring a stunning view of the marina. It boasts abundant natural light, a private driveway with ample parking, a boat dock, and a finished attic. Make this beautiful property your new home and enjoy the picturesque views! The property consists of two lots: Block 14250 Lot 161 and Lot 163.

August 9th 2:00pm - 4:00pm 159-29 92nd Street

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS U.S. Bank National Association, Not In Its Individual Capacity But Solely As Trustee For Merrill Lynch First Franklin Mortgage Loan Trust, Mortgage Loan AssetBacked Certificates, Series 2007-2, Plaintiff AGAINST George Defendini, Defbear 91 39 85th Street LLC, et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered June 9, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, on the second floor in Courtroom 25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, New York on August 22, 2025 at 10:00 AM, premises known as 91-39 85th Street, Woodhaven, NY 11421. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block: 8979, Lot: 48. Approximate amount of judgment $871,953.38 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #708974/2023. For sale information, please contact XOME at www.Xome. com or call (844) 400-9633. Joseph N. Armao, Esq., Referee Frenkel Lambert Weisman & Gordon, LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 01-096101-F00 86122

Notice of formation of HOMELY HEART DOULA NURTURE

LLC Arts of Org. filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on 07/21/2025. Office location: QUEENS. SSNY design. agent of LLC upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy to Homely Heart Doula Nurture, LLC 5745 134TH ST., 1F, FLUSHING, NY, 11355. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice is hereby given that an On-Premise Restaurant Full Liquor License, NYS Application ID: NA-0340-25-118749 has been applied for by SSP America, Inc. and SSP America JFK LLC serving beer, wine, cider, mead and liquor to be sold at retail for on premises consumption in a restaurant, for the premises located at JFK International Airport Terminal 4 Space CB12 Jamaica NY 11430.

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS DLJ MORTGAGE CAPITAL INC., -againstCARMEN L. SANTANA, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE TO THE ESTATE OF JOSEPHINE ROMAN, 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 April 28, 2025, wherein DLJ MORTGAGE CAPITAL INC., is the Plaintiff and CARMEN L. SANTANA, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE TO THE ESTATE OF JOSEPHINE ROMAN, ET AL., are the Defendants. I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at QUEENS COUNTY SUPREME COURT, 88-11 SUTPHIN BOULEVARD, COURTROOM 25, JAMAICA, NY 11435, on August 22, 2025 at 10:00AM, the premises known as 87-47 98TH STREET, WOODHAVEN, NY 11421 and the following tax map identification 9286-109. 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

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 702456/2020; Joseph N. Misk, Esq., as 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 is hereby given that an On-Premise Restaurant Full Liquor License, NYS Application ID: NA-0340-25-118133 has been applied for by SSP America, Inc. and SSP America JFK LLC serving beer, wine, cider, mead and liquor to be sold at retail for on premises consumption in a restaurant, for the premises located at JFK International Airport Terminal 4 Space CB4 Jamaica NY 11430.

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS. NYCTL 2021 A TRUST, and THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, as Collateral Agent and Custodian for the NYCTL 2021 A TRUST, Plaintiffs against WILLIE M. HARVEY, et al. Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated June 5, 2025 and entered on June 12, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, 88 11 Sutphin Blvd., in Courtroom #25, Jamaica, NY 11435, on Friday, on August 15, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. or at such other location in the courthouse that the Court may designate for conducting this foreclosure auction. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Queens, City and State of New York, bounded and described as follows: BEGIN-

NING at a point on the easterly side of Farmers Avenue, distant 176.92 feet northerly from the corner formed by the intersection of the easterly side of Farmers Avenue and the northerly side of Maple Avenue; THENCE easterly parallel with 105th Avenue 87.49 feet; THENCE northerly at right angles to 105th Avenue 40 feet; THENCE westerly parallel with 105th Avenue 82.83 feet to the easterly side of Farmers Avenue; THENCE southerly still along the easterly side of Farmers Avenue 21.21 feet to an angle; THENCE southerly still along the easterly side of Farmers Avenue 19.05 feet to the point or place of BEGINNING. Block: 10881 Lot: 14 Said premises known as 104 17 FARMERS BOULEVARD, JAMAICA, NY 11412

Approximate amount of lien $33,419.97, through August 22. 2024, plus interest fees & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 717974/2022. BRUCE S. POVMAN, ESQ., Referee Seyfarth Shaw LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiffs 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10018

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS

Nationstar Mortgage LLC d/b/a Champion Mortgage Company, Plaintiff(s), -against- Scott Gordon, as Administrator of The Estate of James S. McLaurin aka James McLauring aka James S. McLaurin; Sandra D. McLaurin aka Sandra McLaurin, as Heir to The Estate of James S. McLaurin aka James Mc Lauring aka James S. Mc Laurin; Unknown heirs to the estate of Barbara McLaurin, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; United States of America; New York State Department of Taxation and Finance; Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; New York City Environmental Control Board; New York City Parking Violations Bureau; New York City Transit Adjudication Bureau; Tanaeha McLaurin aka Taneah McLaurin as heir to the estate of Barbara McLaurin, as heir to the estate of James S. McLaurin aka James McLauring aka James S. Mc Laurin; Corey McLaurin as heir to estate of Barbara McLaurin, as heir to the estate of James S. McLaurin aka James McLauring aka James S. Mc Laurin; Latasha Sparrow as heir to estate of Barbara McLaurin, as heir to the estate of James S. McLaurin aka James McLauring aka James S. Mc Laurin; Laquan Sparrow as heir to estate of Barbara McLaurin, as heir to the estate of James S. McLaurin aka James McLauring aka James S. Mc Laurin; Arthur Wilkes, Jacqueline Saunders, Bonnie Saunders, Tyrell Oldham, Mark Shelton, Skyler Jennings and Franklyn Robinson, Defendant(s). Index No.: 710955/2015 Plaintiff designates Queens County as the place of trial. Venue is based upon the County in which the mortgaged premises is situated. TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANT(S): YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your Answer or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a Notice of Appearance on the attorneys for the plaintiff within twenty (20) days after service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service; or within thirty (30) days after service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York; or within sixty (60) days if it is the United States of America. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the amount of $495,000.00 recorded in the office of the clerk of Orange County on August 6, 2008 in CRFN 2008000313827 covering premises known as 129- 17 135th Place, South Ozone Park, NY 11420. The relief sought in he within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. DATED: July 3, 2025 Uniondale, New York. Pincus Law Group, PLLC /s/ Linda P. Manfredi, Esq., Attorneys for Plaintiff 425 RXR Plaza Uniondale, New York 11556 (516) 699-8902

Notice is hereby given that an On-Premise Restaurant Full Liquor License, NYS Application ID: NA-0340-25-119058 has been applied for by SSP America, Inc. and SSP America JFK LLC serving beer, wine, cider, mead and liquor to be sold at retail for on premises consumption in a restaurant, for the premises located at JFK International Airport Terminal Airport Terminal 4 Space CB31 Jamaica NY 11430.

Notice is hereby given that an On-Premise Restaurant Full Liquor License, NYS Application ID: NA-0340-25-120113 has been applied for by SSP America, Inc. and SSP America JFK LLC serving beer, wine, cider, mead and liquor to be sold at retail for on premises consumption in a restaurant, for the premises located at JFK International Airport Terminal 4 Space CB22 & CB23 Jamaica NY 11430.

Notice is hereby given that an On-Premises Food & BeverageBusiness Wine License, NYS Application ID NA-0267-25-118689 has been applied for by SSP America, Inc and SSP America JFK LLC serving beer, wine, cider and mead to be sold at retail for on-premises consumption in a Food & Beverage Business-Wine establishment located at JFK International Airport Terminal 4, Space CB24 Jamaica NY 11430.

B SPORTS EAT

Mets get some relief

by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor

One must give Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns credit. He said he was determined to upgrade both the team’s bullpen and centerfield position, and he accomplished that by acquiring relief pitchers Gregory Soto, Tyler Rogers and Ryan Helsley and centerfielder Cedric Mullins last week. Wayne Brady and the late, legendary Monty Hall would be proud of Stearns for that kind of deadline dealmaking.

Closer Edwin Diaz has been solid, despite giving Mets fans palpitations with some occasional wildness. Reed Garrett has been dependable as a setup man. Ryne Stanek, who was acquired at last year’s trade deadline, has not been a disaster, but he has had trouble protecting slim leads in late innings, and is more of what baseball experts call “a lower leverage guy.”

The major problem has been that Mets starting pitchers, many of whom have spent time on the injured list in 2025, cannot go more than five innings. This has taken a toll on the bullpen.

Huascar Brazoban was fine for the first two months of the season but started faltering in June from his increased workload. He was recently demoted to the Syracuse Mets.

Speaking of Syracuse, the Flushing Mets’ reliance on relief pitchers forced Stearns to keep calling up a rotating corps of relievers such as Ty Adcock, Brandon Waddell, Dicky Lovelady,

Chris Devenski, Kevin Herget and Colin Poche. While the Mets helped keep JetBlue’s Syracuse route profitable, they weren’t getting much help from any of the aforementioned.

The trio of talented relievers Stearns obtained cost the Mets several prospects, but none of their truly premium minor leaguers. The initial reaction among some fans was that the club gave up too much to the Giants for Tyler Rogers, who will be a free agent at the end of the season.

Going to San Francisco were pitchers Jose Butto, who never distinguished himself in his time in Flushing, and Blade Tidwell, who was a middling prospect and did not impress in his brief appearances with the big club; and minor league centerfielder Drew Gilbert, who was the centerpiece in the 2023 trade with the Astros that shipped Justin Verlander to Houston. He did not live up to expectations in the ensuing two years. Helsley and Soto will also be free agents, but their prospect cost was far lower.

Mullins will also be a free agent. He is 30, but it is easy to think he is older as he was the Orioles’ centerfielder seemingly forever. Mullins is a wizard with the glove, like current centerfielder Tyrone Taylor, but is a better hitter.

Of course, none of these moves matter much if the Mets lineup does not start hitting better, especially with runners in scoring position.

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