WHEELS IN MOTION
Legal pot shops file lawsuit against OCM after its proximity clarification Following rule change, dispensary owners sue
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Twelve legal cannabis licensees, including two in Queens, are suing the state Cannabis Control Board and Office of Cannabis Management after the agency abruptly reinterpreted a school-distance proximity rule, resulting in at least 152 applicants and licensees having to find new locations.
The OCM since 2023 had erroneously evaluated dispensary proximity based on whether a location was within 500 feet of a school building’s entrance, not the property line.
But, on July 28, the agency clarified that a dispensary cannot be within 500 feet of a school’s property line, and distance will be calculated from the entrance of a store to the nearest property line of a school’s grounds.
The rule change means 105 licensees, including two in Queens that are plaintiffs on the lawsuit, The Cannabis Place in Middle Village and Common Courtesy Dispensary, LLC in Jamaica, can still operate but will need to find a new location upon license renewal, and 47 applicants will need to find a new location before moving ahead in the process.
A relief program was created for impacted parties to seek up to $250,000 in grants to cover expenses related to finding a new location or capital improvements to their original space, and the OCM and Gov. Hochul are pursuing
The Cannabis Place, at 74-03 Metropolitan Ave. in Middle Village, is one of 12 plaintiffs on a lawsuit launched against the state Office of Cannabis Management after a proximity rule change that would force the business to relocate upon license renewal.
legislation that would grandfather the businesses into compliance.
The Aug. 15 lawsuit, filed in Albany County, petitions the state Supreme Court there to block the correction to the proximity rule and instead find the businesses still in compliance under the initial interpretation of the regulation.
“The consequences are staggering,” the suit states. “Petitioners’ investments, often more
than a million dollars, are now at risk. Their livelihoods are being threatened. ... All of this stems from no fault or misconduct by Petitioners, but from the State’s failure to adhere to lawful, transparent, and consistent regulatory processes.”
The OCM and the Governor’s Office could not comment on pending litigation. However, a spokesperson for Hochul’s office said in a state-
ment, “The Governor has been clear that she will work with the Legislature to ensure these hardworking businesses are able to continue to operate without interruption.”
A joint statement sent to the Chronicle by a coalition called Save New York Legal Cannabis for All said the licensed cannabis operators worked in good faith, invested their life savings and followed the state’s rules.
“OCM’s proposed ‘solution’ to the damage caused by its carelessness will not actually help us,” the statement, signed by the plaintiffs on the lawsuit, said. “This so-called solution, which relies on the State Administrative Procedures Act (SAPA), still leaves licensees out of compliance, and when a cannabis business is out of compliance, it cannot access banking, real estate, or investment — no matter what the state says. ... The state threatens to cement a flawed system that forces taxpaying licensees to start over again, which is something we cannot afford to do.”
Osbert Oduña, the founder and CEO of The Cannabis Place, was shocked when he received an email from the OCM informing him about the proximity rule change.
“It knocked the wind out of me,” Oduña said. “It literally felt like a punch in the gut to realize that arbitrarily, out of the blue, without warning, the state was reinterpreting a regulation that
continued on page 12
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Mayor to lobby state to change rules for those with substance use disorder Adams pushes for involuntary commitment
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Mayor Adams announced last week that he would pursue state legislation to authorize involuntary commitment of those with substance abuse disorder.
Under existing law, involuntary removal to a hospital for evaluation requires that a person appear to be mentally ill and dangerous. A clinician must diagnose a mental illness likely to result in serious harm to that person or to others in order for an individual to be against his or her own will admitted to a hospital for treatment.
The law does not allow involuntary transport of people who pose a danger to themselves or others primarily due to substance use disorder.
Adams said that in his next term, when the legislature reconvenes, he will lobby lawmakers to change that through the “Compassionate Interventions Act.” According to City Hall, the change would put New York in line with 37 other states that authorize involuntary commitment for substance abuse disorder.
Adams also announced a $27 million investment focused on improving access to substance use disorder treatment through outreach and enhanced treatment strategies.
But critics argue that involuntary commitment of those who abuse drugs or alcohol could be harmful.
“No New Yorker should be forcibly removed from our streets into dangerous involuntary treatment to boost Eric Adams’s reelection campaign,” Councilmember Tiffany Cabán (D-Astoria) said in a statement. She said forced treatment can double the risk of a fatal overdose, is not associated with improved outcomes compared to voluntary treatment and opens the door to human rights abuses.
“It is an inappropriate medical intervention for the vast majority of people living with substance use disorders and should only be used when deemed absolutely necessary by healthcare professionals,” Cabán said.
Donna Lieberman, the executive director of the New
New
commitment of those with substance use disorder.
York Civil Liberties Union, said Adams’ proposal is “part of the same old, failed playbook” of politicians trying to arrest and coerce people out of substance and alcohol use and misuse.
“Forcing people struggling with substance use into treatment will not deliver recovery to the person or real community safety,” Lieberman said.
Dr. Joe Williams, a doctor of social work and formerly incarcerated licensed clinical social worker who is inspired to help individuals regain control of their lives, said the idea sounds like “an extension of broken windows policies.”
“I think with this approach there’s a slippery slope,” Williams said. “Will this also apply to the woman from another
“You cannot mandate behavior that you desire.”
— Dr. Joe Williams
community who has had three or four DWIs? I do see this as a mechanism of targeting a certain population, certain demographics of that population, and I see it as a means of incarceration.”
Asked if involuntary commitment in general can be an effective tool, Williams, who practices remotely and will soon open an office in Queens Village, said there are two strategies.
“There’s an in-the-moment strategy, and there’s a longterm preventative strategy,” Williams explained. “In the moment, yes, involuntary commitment is a mechanism of keeping the public safe.”
He said while working in a psychiatric emergency department, he’s seen individuals come in having substanceinduced psychotic breaks.
“Now, in my opinion, it’s really a Band-Aid of services,” Williams said. “It does not address the issue. ... You cannot mandate behavior that you desire.”
Williams said he would advise a harm reductive and restorative leadership approach.
“Why someone uses these substances typically relates to some sort of trauma throughout their life,” Williams said. “What needs to be done is effective trauma treatment, and effective substance use education and treatment.”
He said more strategies need to be put in place to build up a team of agents who can help.
“Organizations and agencies are getting million dollar contracts to provide therapeutic services,” Williams said. “But my population is still considered a ‘hard to reach’ population. So how are you reaching?” Q
principal takes the helm at St. Helen
Tara Di Rico, a passionate educator at the school, assumes a new role
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Class is almost in session, and when school starts Sept. 3 at St. Helen Catholic Academy, at 83-09 157 Ave. in Howard Beach, a new but familiar face will be at the helm, as teacher Tara Di Rico was recently appointed as its principal. Di Rico has taught at St. Helen for two years, and has a longer history in Catholic education.
“I grew up in Ridgewood,” Di Rico told the Chronicle, “And I went to Catholic school my whole life.”
She attended St. Elizabeth Seaton in Brooklyn, and The Mary Louis Academy and St. John’s University, both in Jamaica Estates. Di Rico also taught at St. Matthias Catholic Academy in Ridgewood prior to its closure.
“I’m a Queens girl through and through, and my mom was a teacher, and so I always had a passion for education,” Di Rico said. “But it was really important to me to pave my way in
Catholic education, because it was so vital to me growing up. I wanted to make sure that I remained a Catholic educator.”
Di Rico said she was shocked when she learned of her new appointment.
“I always had a passion to be the teacher who was able to educate educators, and have other people find passion in Catholic education,” she said, adding that she wanted to be a vital part of choosing who would next lead the school.
“As I discussed it with co-workers and with the prior administrator, Peter Vercessi, they were telling me, ‘This could be a good role for you,’” Di Rico said. “And I met with the board, and we discussed it.”
She said she was pleasantly surprised and pleased that the board felt she was a fit to lead what she called “a really awesome school, and a really great place to be.”
“It’s really exciting, and there’s a lot to come
and a lot to learn as well,” Di Rico said. “I’m really excited they allowed me to take this position.”
Asked about her leadership style, Di Rico said she wants to “lead from behind.”
“I don’t want to be the type of leader who ever expects people to do something I wouldn’t do myself,” she said. “I’m also really big on Catholic identity, and knowing that it plays a huge role in how we lead and how we direct and how we move forward with educating our children.”
She said it’s important to understand that kids come first, and that she wants to allow for teachers and students to learn together.
“I want to build up that community aspect even more,” Di Rico said. “So that’s the biggest thing for me — more collaborative work between grade levels, more collaborative work between educators and showing that through Christianity and our Catholicism.” Q
Mayor Adams announced last week that he would push for the “Compassionate Interventions Act,” which would allow involuntary
Tara Di Rico was recently appointed as the new principal of St. Helen Catholic Academy in Howard Beach. COURTESYPHOTO
Big plans for Queens in greenway report
Miles of trails in store for cyclists, pedestrians throughout the boro
by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor
Queens features prominently in the city’s plans for a massive expansion of its greenway system for cyclists and pedestrians, according to a 90-page report released on Aug. 13.
Mayor Adams announced the report at a Manhattan press conference with city Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa and elected officials.
The illustrated “Greater Greenways: The New York City Greenway Plan” goes into the details of planned and ongoing projects to link existing greenways and construct others. It can be found online at tinyurl.com/9hve9tf5.
“Public spaces create vibrant spaces where New Yorkers can move, play, and thrive, and our administration is committed to increasing access to public spaces like parks and waterfronts for every New Yorker,” Adams said in a press release.
future goals include enhancing the city’s transportation network; promoting social equity and accessibility; supporting health and wellness; fortifying environmental resilience; and fostering economic growth.
Much of the strategy in Queens will be to fill in lengthy gaps between existing greenways. Plans for the borough’s western and northern waterfront call for a 16-mile network of paths linking Little Neck Bay with Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City.
That will require closing two gaps conforming roughly to the contours of Queens’ northern coastline. The first is between Fort Totten and Willets Point. The second runs between Astoria and East Elmhurst near LaGuardia Airport.
The city’s DOT, in coordination with other agencies, has been hosting periodic workshops since last fall.
“I am very pleased with the work currently going on in Queens ...”
— Borough President Donovan Richards
“New Yorkers love their parks and waterfront — and greenways are the way they increasingly reach and enjoy these wonderful spaces,” Rodriguez said. “Unfortunately, for too long, cyclists and pedestrians have mostly found greenways adjacent to the city’s wealthier neighborhoods ... Greater Greenways is a plan that gives us a clear map for the road ahead — freshly paved and fun to walk and ride!”
The city right now has 506 miles of bicycle and pedestrian corridors. The DOT and the New York City Economic Development Corp. said
A timeline on page 11 of the report states that workshops on preferred routes and a final implementation plan will take place over summer and fall 2026.
One workshop last October at the Alley Pond Environmental Center devolved into a series of shouting matches between cycling enthusiasts and area residents. A number of people had to be separated.
The proposed Southern Queens Greenway is slated to run seven miles between Spring Creek Park in Lindenwood and Brookville Park in Southeast Queens.
The DOT has said the planning process right now still is in development.
Upon final completion of the proj-
Citi Bike to ask for
With e-bike crashes on the rise and reckless teen boys reportedly riding them at full speed sans helmet, the operators of Citi Bike have agreed to insist upon age verification for rentals. Riders must be 16.
The change comes at the behest of First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro, philanthropist and consultant Bradley Tusk, who recently pushed for it in a Daily News column, and other advocates.
Lyft, the company that operates Citi Bike, said it has begun the complex work necessary to impose age verification, and that it expects the process to take three
ect, the new link also would allow easier access to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge to the south and west; the Idlewild Wildlife Refuge to the east; and John F. Kennedy International Airport in between.
It would also connect to the mostly completed Jamaica Bay Greenway, a 28-mile loop that runs through Lindenwood south to the Rockaways and then west before doubling back northeast to Lindenwood through Brooklyn.
“[O]ur administration is making sure every neighborhood has a frontrow seat to New York’s beautiful outdoors all year long for generations to come,” the mayor said.
“Our citywide network of greenways connects New Yorkers with their neighbors and with the great outdoors, providing safe and accessible places to work up a sweat or take a stroll, and to appreciate the beauty of the five boroughs,” RodriguezRosa said.
Queens officials joined in the celebration.
“As co-prime sponsor of Local Law 115 of 2022, which required the creation of this plan, I am proud to see the city’s first comprehensive greenway plan in more than 30 years come to fruition,” said Council Majority Whip Selvena Brooks-Powers (D-Laurelton), chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, in the mayor’s press release. “Greenways are more than pathways — they are vital connectors that open access to parks and waterfronts, promote active transportation, strengthen climate resilience, and improve quality of life. This plan will help close gaps in our greenway network and ensure that communities like Southeast Queens — too often left behind — can share in the health, environmental, and economic benefits greenways provide.”
proof of age
months, according to a letter from the CEO to Mastro.
Citi Bike General Manager Patrick Knoth said in a statement, “Safety is our top priority. We’ll work with the First Deputy Mayor’s office to implement an age verification option that minimizes friction for riders while helping prevent underage riders from accessing the program.”
Mastro welcomed Lyft “enforcing its own rules” on a safety and quality-of-life issue. Tusk said ebike crashes are up 20 percent in the city, to 400 so far this year. Q
— Peter C. Mastrosimone
Queens is a major cog in the city’s plans to expand and connect its greenway system for cyclists and pedestrians. Dark green represents existing routes, dotted lines show gaps and light green marks opportunities for new paths.
Borough President Donovan Richards also was appreciative.
“‘Greater Greenways: the New York City Greenway Plan’ is a comprehensive document that expertly outlines what needs to be done to effectively expand and enhance our city’s greenways,” Richards said. “I am very pleased with the work currently being done in Queens to expand our borough’s greenway net-
The free annual Veterans BBQ hosted by state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven) is returning to the Howard Beach Motor Club, at 59 Russell St., on Saturday, Sept. 6, from noon to 2 p.m.
Attendees are invited to enjoy an afternoon of food, music and drinks, all donated by several area businesses and organizations, to honor the sacrifices of the neighborhood’s veterans.
Veterans who live in Addabbo’s district will be given priority, as space is limited.
GREATERGREENWAYPLANIMAGE
work, and I look forward to additional work being undertaken as part of the implementation of the plan.”
“To become a truly world-class cycling city, we need a high-quality connected bike lane network — that means filling the gaps in the existing greenways, and building more greenways across the five boroughs,” said Ben Furnas, executive director of Transportation Alternatives. Q
A member of the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs, Addabbo has hosted the gathering since winning his Senate seat in 2008.
“I believe honoring our veterans is a responsibility we uphold every day, not just on a single occasion,” Addabbo said in a prepared statement. “This gathering offers a meaningful way to say thank you in person and to celebrate the courage and dedication of those who have served our country.” Q
To reserve a spot, one must call Addabbo’s office at (718) 738-1111. All veterans are allowed to bring one guest.
Mayor Adams vetoes minimum pay proposal; returns others unsigned Deliverista protection bills nixed over costs
by Stephanie G. Meditz Associate Editor
Delivery workers will start to see more workplace protections, but not all of the ones lawmakers approved last month.
Three bills introduced by City Councilmember Shaun Abreu (D-Manhattan) became law last Thursday after Mayor Adams returned them unsigned after 30 days. But Adams vetoed two other bills in that same legislative package the day prior.
Introduced by Councilmember Jennifer Gutiérrez (D-Brooklyn, Queens), Intro. 1133A seeks to grant grocery delivery workers the same protections as those who deliver food. Intro. 1135-A, sponsored by Councilmember Sandy Nurse (D-Manhattan), aims to set a minimum pay rate for grocery delivery workers at or above that of prepared-food deliveristas, namely $21.44 per hour before tips.
The city’s minimum wage for most workers is $16.50 an hour as of Jan. 1, 2025. That floor does not apply to delivery workers, who are considered independent contractors. Minimum pay was established for restaurant deliveristas in 2023.
“Mayor Adams is once again displaying hypocrisy — this time, by opposing commonsense minimum pay standards and protections for grocery delivery workers that his own administration negotiated with us to match
delivery services have signed a petition requesting the veto. According to a Council official, Nurse’s bill would not change the price of groceries, as app-based grocery delivery services charge extra fees that are separate from the cost the product.
Los Deliveristas Unidos, a campaign run by the Worker’s Justice Project, said the logic that New York City must choose between fair wages and affordable groceries is “false and hopeless,” adding that the mayor has sided with “the powerful tech companies that profit from this lie.”
“By rejecting these bills, the Mayor will only make it harder for these predominantly Black and brown workers to feed themselves and their families,” the group said, urging the Council to override the vetoes.
Lawmakers OK’d Gutiérrez’s bill in a 35-6 vote with one abstention. Nurse’s bill passed 36-5, also with one abstention.
existing ones for food delivery workers,”
Council spokesperson Julia Agos said in a statement. Lawmakers will consider their next steps, she added.
Adams said his administration is committed to extending minimum pay rate protections to other industries, including grocery delivery, but called for “the right balance” between fair wages and affordability.
Feast of fun in Howard Beach
The annual Howard Beach Feast, hosted by the Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic and sponsored by Councilmember Joann Ariola, returned last week, from Aug. 13 to 17 at the St. Helen Roman Catholic Church parish grounds.
The event was widely attended throughout its five-day stint, with plenty for families to delight in. Residents of the neighborhood might have seen some familiar businesses pop up, with delectable offerings from the
About a month after delivery workers rallied at City Hall to support legislation expanding their protections, three bills became law and Mayor Adams vetoed two.
likes of Empanada on the Rise, Mr. Smoothie and Alessandro’s Sausage and Peppers. The Fazio Dance Center, The Roadkill Country Outlaws and Yesterday and Today, a Beatles cover band, delighted the crowds with performances.
In a 50/50 raffle, $1,500 went to one lucky winner, and the other $1,500 will be used toward the creation of the civic’s planned September 11th Remembrance Plaza in Howard Beach. — Kristen Guglielmo
PHOTOCOURTESYWORKER’SJUSTICEPROJECT
“Grocery prices are already too high, so now is not the right time to do anything to drive these prices even higher,” Adams said in a statement. “Unfortunately, Intro. 1135-A and Intro. 1133-A would do just that at a time when too many working-class New Yorkers are struggling.”
A City Hall spokesperson said more than 11,000 low-income customers of grocery
Abreu’s newly enacted laws require thirdparty delivery services for food and groceries to offer a tipping option of at least 10 percent of each order’s price; include the option to tip before or at the same time an order is placed; and pay contracted deliveristas no more than a week after a pay period ends.
“Deliveristas deserve a clear understanding of how their pay is calculated, and customers deserve an easy and transparent way to tip,” Abreu said in a statement. Q
OZP pays respects to NYPD Det. Islam
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Family and friends of the late NYPD Det. Didarul Islam of the Bronx gathered alongside community leaders in Ozone Park to honor his life at an Aug. 14 vigil hosted by Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar (D-Woodhaven).
Islam was fatally shot in Manhattan last month, and is the first Bangladeshi American officer to die in the line of duty, according to his family and the NYPD at the vigil. He was killed while working as a security guard at a high rise when a gunman invaded with a semiautomatic rifle.
Groups who joined in on the memorial at Drew Street and 101st Avenue included the Bangladeshi American Police Association and the NYPD’s Desi Society, 102nd Precinct and 106th Precinct.
Rajkumar directly addressed Islam’s family in front of the crowd at Drew Street and 101st Avenue.
“We see you, and we stand with you, and we will carry his memory together,” she said. “To his children, your father is a hero in the truest sense of the word.”
“Detective Islam was the first Bangla-
The Ozone Park community, including Capt. Pratima Maldonado, the commanding officer of the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct, at mic, and Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, right, honored the late NYPD Det. Didarul Islam at a vigil on Aug. 14. NYPDPHOTOVIAX
deshi American NYPD Officer to give his life in the line of duty — a hero whose service and sacrifice will never be forgotten,” the 102nd Precinct wrote on its X page, accompanied by photos of the vigil. “May we continue to honor him through our service, our unity, and our commitment to one another.”
EDITORIAL AGEP
One pricey pot shop error
“Situation normal, all fouled up” is the clean version of the language behind the acronym snafu, which became a word decades ago. While first used to describe things faced by the military in World War II, it perfectly fits the mess that is the state Office of Cannabis Management, and its Cannabis Control Board.
Last week the snafu of the agency’s inability to read and apply the law properly took a predictable and welcome turn, as a dozen businesses put in jeopardy by Albany’s incompetence sued. See the story on page 2 of this edition or at qchron.com.
The issue is the minimum distance a legal marijuana dispensary has to be from the nearest school. It’s 500 feet. But the idiotic OCM was taking that to mean 500 feet door to door, rather than 500 to the school property line, as intended. Until it suddenly decided to reinterpret the law July 28.
Are they a bunch of stoners at OCM, or do they just act like it? They certainly didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn last night. This is idiocy, and expensive.
At least 105 dispensaries, including two in
Queens that are among the plaintiffs, will have to move when their licenses are up for renewal. That happens every two years. So they’re suing for relief.
In the real world, outside the OCM, retailers sign leases with landlords. Expensive, long-term leases. In Middle Village, a joint called The Cannabis Place has a 20-year lease. The monthly rent is in the five figures. That’s hundreds of thousands of dollars — how could it be made up to the landlord if The Cannabis Place is displaced?
A better answer is to pass legislation to grandfather in the existing dispensaries. Meanwhile, the relief fund the state promises, of up to $250,000 per business, should be available to those who got licenses approved but have not yet opened, as well as stores in operation. This mess is entirely the state’s fault, so it should fix it — The Cannabis Place was OK’d by seven agencies before opening. We were never fond of legalizing weed for fun, but it happened, and now legitimate businesses are facing possible shutdowns because of state stupidity. Albany must clean up its mess asap.
No rush-hour checkpoints
This page is all for cracking down on “ghost plates” — those that are obscured or altered in some way or are just fake, often used by drivers to avoid tolls and speeding and red-light camera tickets. When the tags aren’t even real, often the case with paper ones, you’ve got a “ghost car” — unregistered, uninsured, with no business on the street.
But the authorities have to be sensible about their crackdowns. On Tuesday, a task force comprising more than a dozen law enforcement agencies marked its 100th joint operation against vehicular scofflaws. It was held on the RFK-Triborough Bridge.
We don’t know at what time that one was done, but we do know that on a recent Monday morning, a similar operation was conducted at the Whitestone Bridge, with a checkpoint set up on Bronx side, the southbound approach. This was done before 9 a.m., at the height of rush hour, inconveniencing thousands of legitimate drivers. How many people were late to work? How many missed flights, or important appointments?
The agencies will say they conduct such operations when they do because that’s when the cars are there. But these bridges are full of traffic all the time. They should wait until after rush hour. As should the workers putting out cones to shut down bridge lanes for maintenance and repairs.
All incoming lanes should be open until the rush is over. It’s almost like this is another front in the war on cars, and it has to stop.
MARK WEIDLER
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LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
Promote the SHSAT
Dear Editor:
The Queens Chronicle is to be commended for its efforts in calling the public’s attention to the apparent lack of interest in applying for admission to schools that use the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test, in its Aug. 7 editorial “SHSAT and other top schools.” This downward trend merits immediate attention.
It may be that such high schools as The Bronx High School of Science, Brooklyn Technical High School, Queens High School for the Sciences at York College, Stuyvesant High School and others have wide implications for society at large, as well as for students who will have to earn a living as they compete for employment after their college education. If neighborhood schools and specialized high schools fall by the wayside, what remains?
Strictly vocational-oriented schools.
To stimulate interest in the number of applications to SHSAT schools, high school senior class advisors should stress scholarships, prizes and awards in their particular field of specialization. Guest speakers who are subject-matter experts might be invited to speak to selected student audiences on the political, social and cultural aspects of their field of endeavor. Specialty schools should conduct seasonal parties and cultural get-togethers periodically to build camaraderie among specialists and younger students who will be invited to these affairs. Also, the SHSAT schools should cooperate with a
wide variety of agencies, both those in the schools’ vicinity and distant organizations allied to their subject matter.
As someone who has spent 70 years of his lifetime in the classroom, I heartily recommend that the above-mentioned schools and specialized schools on college campuses adopt these suggestions to minimize, if not to eliminate, racial disparities.
William Isaacson Floral Park
The writer is a former interim principal of Bayside High School.
Bike lanes are better
Dear Editor:
Re “Bike lanes on 31st St. could crush these companies” (Editorial, Aug. 14):
It has been well established after decades of research and experience that bike lanes improve safety for all road users, including pedestrians and drivers.
Safer streets mean more foot traffic — pedestrians vote, quite literally, with their feet.
It is well documented that installing bike lanes along NYC retail corridors has significantly increased retail sales, by as much as 49 percent.
Not only that, the Department of Transportation has taken great pains to implement a thoughtful design that accommodates loading needs, while admittedly — as you point out discouraging the cut-through, nonlocal heavyvehicle traffic that only impedes vital commercial deliveries along the strip.
I for one look forward to being able to bike to and from Astoria more safely than I can now. Maybe when I do, I’ll spend some money at the businesses along 31st Street.
Roger Cost Jackson Heights
Make 31st Street safer
Dear Editor:
(An open letter to the public)
We are committed to making our communities safer. The NYC Department of Transportation’s Plan for 31st Street answers that call and we support NYC DOT as they defend
LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
their work in court.
This redesign will save lives: NYC DOT rated this corridor as among the top 10 percent most dangerous streets for serious injuries in Queens. In the last five-year period alone, there were 178 total injuries and 2 fatalities due to traffic violence in that corridor.
Just last week, our community suffered a devastating crash on 19th Avenue and 42nd Street. As we’re reeling from this tragedy, it is our duty as elected officials to do everything we can to prevent future tragedies with datadriven safety measures such as the 31st Street Safety Plan.
The Safety Plan would protect pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers while making our streets safer and less congested. Drivers will not lose a single lane for driving or parking.
Our offices spearheaded the Western Queens Safety Plan alongside community partners in a multi-year planning process. The Plan called for proven methods to increase street safety, including protected bike lanes, daylighting, and pedestrian plazas. The NYC DOT 31st Street Plan begins to make those plans a reality.
NYC DOT engaged with 52 different businesses within project limits, and 90 percent provided feedback that has been thoughtfully incorporated into the updated redesign. This project utilizes common design elements found on streets across the city that comply with local law and ADA regulations. We continue to stand in support of the 31st Street Redesign.
Tiffany Cabán
NYC Councilwoman for the 22nd District Astoria
Jessica González-Rojas
NYS Assemblywoman for the 34th District East Elmhurst
Kristen Gonzalez
NYS Senator for the 59th District Astoria
Require a majority
Dear Editor:
What New York needs is a law requiring runoff elections when no candidate gets 50 percent of the vote. This is especially important this year when many voters don’t want a radical 33-year-old with no managerial experience to become mayor of a city of eight million.
A runoff would make up for the anti-Mamdani vote being split since none of the other three candidates are willing to leave the race.
Michelle Canion Forest Hills
Hypocritical DSA and WFP
Dear Editor:
I am surprised that the Democratic Socialists of America and Working Families Party have not stuck to their principles and removed their endorsement of Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani for his saying he no longer believes in defunding the police.
The far left condemned comedian Bill Maher for meeting with President Trump. Why haven’t the DSA and WFP condemned Mamdani for meeting with New York City business leaders?
I know the DSA and WFP do not have the courage to do this. I am resigned to the fact that Mamdani will be our next mayor.
New York City Democrats are following the
famous New Yorker cartoon of the “View of the World from 9th Avenue.” The illustration presents the view from New York City of the rest of the world showing New York as the center of the world. The New York City Democrats do not care about the effect this will have on Democrats outside New York City. As soon as Mamdani wins, he will become the poster child for Republicans across the country to use to defeat moderate Democrats nationwide.
My hope is that after Mamdani’s four-year experiment with socialism, New York will see the error in its ways and elect a rational mayor in 2029.
David Soukup Sunnyside
Few dirty rats
Dear Editor:
There have been 14,000 rat sightings so far this year, and the number is decreasing. Reports of spotting a rat have dropped nearly 17 percent.
Garbage pickup times have changed, trash is put out later and containerization is also helping.
Cynthia Groopman Little Neck
We’ll pay for tariffs
Dear Editor:
Now that tariffs are coming into full effect, more businesses are admitting that they will not be able to absorb the higher costs and will have to increase prices to their customers. Rising prices could make consumers reluctant to spend, which would have a negative impact on the economy. However, the president is pushing the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates to make the use of debt instruments more attractive, which it might do in September.
Normally, the Fed makes small, incremental changes to interest rates, so households should still be cautious using debt instruments to pay for tariff-affected, higher-priced merchandise. Whether households use cash or debt, the tariff costs will be borne by them. During this precarious time, the mantra for American working families should be — not on our backs!
Glenn Hayes Kew Gardens
The world upside down
Dear Editor:
It’s only a story but an often-repeated one. It’s a scene in “Hamilton.”
When Cornwallis’s army surrendered to George Washington at Yorktown in 1781, the military band played “The World Turned Upside Down.” Britain, the pre-eminent 18th Century world power, was bowing to the upstart young new nation and its ragtag army.
Now we can hear faint whispers of that song as we view photos of the Putin-Trump Alaska summit and cringe. Russian leader Vladimir Putin can hardly contain his victorious joy as President Trump greets him on a red carpet, ostensibly ending the banishment of Putin from the forefront of world diplomacy. That moment is followed by Putin’s joyride in The Beast, the U.S. president’s official limousine.
News that Putin counseled Trump that mailcontinued on next page
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Half a dozen pot shops shuttered
Operation Weed Whacker cuts back from Sunnyside to Cambria Heights
by Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief
Law enforcement snuffed out six illegal pot shops across Queens over the last month, District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Monday.
The shutdowns were the result of a monthslong investigation dubbed Operation Weed Whacker, which involved undercover purchases of marijuana and led to the padlocking shut of the six sites, four arrests and the seizure of hundreds of pounds of both pot and tobacco products, the DA’s Office said.
Searches and closures took place from July 16 through Aug. 14, according to the prosecutors. The stores shut down were:
Hollis Convenience at 190-12 99 Ave. in Hollis; Moonrocks at 46-06 Utopia Pkwy. in Flushing; No Limit (where the sign reads Balloon Bar) at 231-01b Linden Blvd. in Cambria Heights; ZaZa Exotic (Linden Green Farms Inc.) at 231-07 Linden Blvd. in Cambria Heights; Sunnyside Clouds at 45-03 40 St. in Sunnyside; and Fumes Puff at 41-25 Queens Blvd. in Sunnyside.
Two men from Queens, one from Brooklyn and one whose home borough was not disclosed were charged.
Mahmud Hossain, 24, of Queens Village, was arraigned in July on a criminal complaint charging him with criminal possession of can-
“Illegal cannabis stores pose a threat to community safety and to the individuals who purchase their products,” the DA said. “My office, working with our law enforcement partners, will continue to ensure compliance so that legitimate businesses can thrive and our neighbors, particularly young people, remain safe from the unregulated products sold by illegal shops.
“Thank you to members of my Crimes Strategies and Intelligence Bureau, Detective Bureau as well as our partners at the New York City Sheriff and the NYPD for their hard work.”
Her office said 130 pounds of pot, 110 pounds of marijuana vapes, 74 pounds of cannabis edibles and 173 pounds of illegal flavored tobacco vapes were seized from the six locations.
PHOTOCOURTESYQUEENSDA
Marijuana aficionados will have to go somewhere besides Moonrocks in Flushing to get all spaced out now that law enforcers have been through the place and locked it up, along with five other stores in Queens. At top, some of the varieties on display at Fumes Puff in Sunnyside, including bubblegum blast and several types of cherry.
nabis in the first degree. He is due back in court Sept. 4 and faces a potential maximum of two and one-third to seven years in prison if convicted.
Michael Deblasio, 32, of Woodhaven, and Hemyar Naji, 34, of Brooklyn, were arraigned Aug. 13 on a complaint charging them with criminal possession of cannabis in the second
LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
in ballots are untrustworthy underscores the ascendency of Putin’s and Russia’s influence. Trump’s subsequent assertion on television that no other countries, besides the United States, use mail-in ballots, sometimes called postal voting, is patently untrue. Those other countries include Canada, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Poland, South Korea, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
This attack on our fundamental voting processes, along with Trump’s expressed desire to do away with voting machines, ties the bow on this week’s Pandora’s Box of unsettling news. Hopefully, we won’t have to open it until long after our future elections but hope might not be enough.
Debra Michlewitz Bayside
Germany and the U.S.
Dear Editor:
The summer I turned 20 I backpacked through Europe. I spent some time in Germany and kept wondering while there how many of the adults were enablers of the Nazis, even more how many had been members of the SS themselves.
I also wondered how many of their neighbors knew this and did absolutely nothing, guilty by their silence, knowing what their
degree. They are due back in court Oct. 14 and face a potential maximum of one and onethird to four years.
A fourth individual received a desk appearance ticket for an unspecified charge on Aug. 14. Katz drew a distinction between unauthorized pot shops and state-approved ones in her prepared statement on the operation.
“This operation is part of the District Attorney’s ongoing effort to rid Queens of illegal cannabis dispensaries, whether operating out of trucks and vans or brick-and-mortar commercial locations,” its press release stated.
Since November 2022, the office said, enforcement operations have resulted in the prosecution of 445 individuals for “felony-related charges” related to possession or sale of weed or controlled substances in Queens. And since July 2024, 310 shops here have been padlocked, through the assistance of the city Sheriff’s Office and the NYPD. Q
Man, 38, fatally shot in OZP
neighbors were doing to others, others who were just disappearing.
I am wondering that now about how so many of us are not speaking up, not talking to our neighbors, enabling by not doing anything, fearful?
I like to think that this is not Nazi Germany but as the son of survivors, it sure looks that way to me. So I ask all of you, are you going to be the enablers of your mindless neighbors or keep this as the USA? Is some 20-year-old one day going to ask you, “What did you do to stop it?”
Stew Frimer Forest Hills
We ain’t seen nothing yet
Dear Editor:
Cynthia Groopman’s letter of Aug. 14, “Vicious and vindictive,” expressing horror at the relocation of the presidential portraits, is small potatoes in relation to what President Trump has planned.
He would be unpleasantly flustered to think that one of his subjects feels so upset by that action. Stay tuned; the worst is yet to come.
Ray Hackinson Ozone Park
Editor’s note: Ms. Groopman writes frequent letters, including many regarding President Trump’s larger actions and policies. continued
A man was fatally shot on the evening of Aug. 12 at a residence in Ozone Park, according to the NYPD, with his own gun.
Police said that at approximately 7:44 p.m., officers responded to a 911 call reporting a male shot at a home on 103rd Street near 97th Avenue, within the confines of the 102nd Precinct.
Upon arrival, the officers observed Vick Ramjit, 38, with a gunshot wound to the head, police said. EMS responded and pronounced him dead on the scene, according to the NYPD.
A report by the Daily News said Ramjit got into a verbal altercation with an acquaintance inside the house, just a half mile from Ramjit’s own residence.
As they fought, Ramjit took out his gun. The two were struggling over the weapon, police sources told the News, when the firearm discharged and struck Ramjit in the head.
A person of interest was taken into custody following the shooting, the NYPD said, but no charges were immediately filed. Q — Kristen Guglielmo
Dispensaries sue the OCM
continued from page 2
had gone through the SAPA process, had gone through multiple public comment periods, had received approval from seven different governmental entities, including the governor’s office. To get that notice at 4:45 on a Monday afternoon was devastating.”
He lamented that thousands of employees throughout the state will be impacted.
“If businesses have to shut down and try to find new locations, that’s a process that can take 18 months or longer. There’s no quick fix.”
Oduña continued, “In our case, we have a
20-year lease. Who’s gonna pay for that? And that’s not just us, that’s all of the affected businesses.”
He said that the business owners all seek multi-year leases because they are looking for stability.
“You want to sign a long-term lease so you can have, you know, projections of operational costs,” Oduña said. “We count on stability to be business owners like any properly functioning business. ... But when from one moment to the next, the government changes the rules to the game — well, that’s government overreach, and that’s not OK.” Q
On defense for kids and families: Hevesi
The 20-year assemblyman talks Trump, trauma, energy, affordability
by Stephanie G. Meditz Associate Editor
Lawmakers have a key responsibility — balancing their own legislative priorities with the demands of the present.
For Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi (D-Forest Hills), the two have overlapped as of late, especially after President Trump took office. The enactment of the sweeping Big Beautiful Bill Act July 4 struck a chord with the 20-year lawmaker, who chairs the Committee on Children and Families.
But rather than focusing on their personal goals, Hevesi said lawmakers have needed to “play defense against a very scary federal administration.”
“It’s really just absolutely egregious,” he said in a sitdown interview with the Chronicle last Thursday. “So for us, we now have to decide how do you make up, or not make up in certain cases, for the federal shortfall, understanding that we will never have the ability to print that level of money.”
He and dozens of his colleagues last month wrote a letter to Trump outlining the bill’s effects — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will lose $186 billion in federal spending through 2034, they wrote, and more than 40 million people who receive that aid will lose benefits.
Children on SNAP would no longer automatically be eligible for free school meals and summer Electronic Benefits Transfer cards, the letter continues, and Hevesi said more than a million New Yorkers would lose healthcare.
And supporters of the bill who cite economic reasons for it are “lying,” he continued.
“In addition to cutting this, which they will argue that you need to be financially stable, they’re also blowing out our budget to give tax breaks to the richest people around,” Hevesi said.
The bill would also spend billions more on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — Hevesi said federal officials coming into communities has caused “rampant fear,” though he supports agents working with the NYPD to look for criminals. He also emphasized finding a pathway to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants without a criminal record.
But the lawmaker certainly remains committed to his own priorities — eight of his bills became law this past session, including one to adjust certain provisions of the Safe Landings Act such that respondents can be returned to foster care.
“What I really am focused on, what I really care about, is preventing childhood trau-
ma, and particularly in the context of when government is traumatizing kids,” Hevesi said. His bill barring law enforcement from arresting children under 12 for any crime except murder was signed in 2021.
He has five pieces of legislation awaiting Gov. Hochul’s signature, including one that would eliminate the anonymous reporting of
child welfare cases.
“The thought when we created the system was the more people calling in, the better. You want to investigate everything,” Hevesi said. “The problem these days is now those anonymous calls, that 7 percent, they are unbelievably unreliable.” The state legally
Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi told the Chronicle that what “gets [him] going” legislatively is when good-faith government systems adversely affect kids and families.
the interview
River Fund lends a hand
More than 3,000 backpacks with school supplies were distributed to kids and families on Aug. 16 during River Fund’s giveaway for Child Poverty Awareness Day. The event saw lines that stretched blocks, starting at 89-11 Lefferts Blvd. in Richmond Hill.
Among the eager volunteers were Michelle Stoddard of Resorts World, one of the event’s sponsors; Councilmember Lynn Schulman; Assemblymember Khaleel Anderson; Ty Hankerson, the chief of staff for City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams; Anthony Lemma, representing Assemblymember
David Weprin; Faran Sharif, representing state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr.; and Sherry Algredo, the chair of Community Board 9, who shared event photos with the Chronicle.
The event was organized by Swami Durga Das, the founder and CEO of River Fund, which has served residents in need for more than 30 years.
“River Fund is an example of everything that is good in the world,” Algredo said, adding that she is thankful for Das, his staff and volunteers for being friends to the community they serve. — Kristen Guglielmo
QBP’s new website set to launch soon
Redesigned page to debut roughly a year after ‘severe
by Stephanie G. Meditz Associate Editor
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards’ new website is set to debut after his former one was down for about a year.
Richards spokesperson Chris Barca said his previous site experienced a severe technical issue at around this time last year that forced a full rebuild in collaboration with the NYC Office of Technology and Innovation and an external web development team.
“That rebuild is quickly nearing completion, and we look forward to launching our brand-new, accessible and aesthetically redesigned website in the coming weeks,” Barca told the Chronicle via email.
A temporary page was created in the interim, Barca said. The site queensbp.nyc. gov said the BP’s team is developing a new website “in preparation for a late summer 2025 launch” when last accessed Tuesday.
The earliest captures of that URL in internet archive records are from May 23,
technical issue’
2024. The page at the time said the borough president’s website was “currently undergoing maintenance and will return soon.”
By that June, the site said the BP’s team was developing a brand-new page, the digital archive shows. It also included a list of online resources, including contact information for Richards’ office and an event calendar. Other links, such as ones to upcoming land use hearings and community board applications, were added over time.
Past borough presidents, including acting BP Sharon Lee, Richards’ predecessor, had sites under the URL queensbp.org. He was elected in November 2020, and the site bore his name by December, the data show.
Richards’ site was operational until the technical issue arose — a user trying to access the page’s history from May 2024 is redirected to queensbp.nyc.gov. Other borough presidents’ websites end in nyc.gov, except Staten Island’s, which is a .com site.
Barca said the temporary page will remain active until the new site launches. Q
OLG’s cross, flags destroyed
A man was arrested Aug. 16 after allegedly destroying property at Our Lady of Grace Church, at 100-05 159 Ave. in Howard Beach, and shoplifting beer.
According to the NYPD, it was reported that on Aug. 15, at about 6 p.m., an individual, later identified as 52-year-old Massimo Italico of Ozone Park, broke a wooden crucifix, knocked over an angel statue and destroyed miniature American flags at Our Lady of Grace.
The church’s pastor, the Rev. Dominick Dellaporte, told the Chronicle that Italico pulled a cross out of the ground outside
the church, broke it in half and began to yell obscenities. He also destroyed the miniature American flags, in memory of the area’s veterans, on the gate surrounding the church’s rectory, Dellaporte said.
Italico was arrested the following day after stealing a 12-pack of beer from the Stop & Shop on Cross Bay Boulevard, according to the NYPD. He was charged with third-degree robbery and fourthdegree criminal mischief.
“Most importantly, thank God, no one got hurt,” Dellaporte said. Q — Kristen Guglielmo
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards’ brand-new website is set to launch at the end of the summer, according to his temporary page, above.
QUEENSBP.NYC.GOV
At least one person hurt in HB collision
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
At least one person was injured in a vehicle collision on Sunday evening in Howard Beach, according to the NYPD.
Police said it was reported to them on Aug. 17, at approximately 6:45 p.m., that a 27-year-old male was operating a 2004 Honda sedan northbound on Cross Bay Boulevard, near 165th Avenue.
The driver, whose identity was not disclosed, failed to navigate the roadway, police said, and collided with a 2020 Toyota pickup truck traveling in the same direction.
At least one person was injured following a car crash in Howard Beach on Sunday.
EMS responded to the scene and transported the driver of the Honda to Brookdale Hospital Medical Center in Brooklyn in stable condition.
Photos of the incident posted to the Howard Beach Dads Facebook page by area
activist PJ Marcel, who was at the crash site, show the Honda wrapped around a pole near the entrance to the Joseph P. Addabbo Memorial Bridge. Marcel said there were three occupants in the vehicle.
Asked about additional passengers and injuries, cops could only confirm the one, saying the report was not yet finalized. Q
Estate Planning Fundamentals: IRS Revenue Ruling 2023-2 and Irrevocable Trusts
An important issue for estate planning practitioners had been the impact of IRS Revenue Ruling 2023-2 on Irrevocable Trusts. This Revenue Ruling clarified the IRS’s position that assets received from an Irrevocable Trust are not eligible for a step-up in basis and would be subject to capital gains tax. Fortunately, proper drafting of an Irrevocable Trust can ensure beneficiaries can claim a step-up basis on their inheritance and eliminate the capital gains tax.
Step-up in basis is a tax provision under 26 U.S. Code § 1014 that provides for a step-up in cost basis on inherited property. This allows the basis of an asset to be “stepped up” to the fair market value of the asset upon the grantor’s death. For example: If a decedent purchased a home for $250,000 and it was worth $1,000,000 at the time of death, the person who inherited it would likely receive the stepped-up basis of $1,000,000. Without the step-up provision under § 1014, the unrealized capital gains would otherwise
By Cynthia J. Conza, Esq. - ADVERTORIAL -
be $750,000 ($1,000,000 market value less $250,000 cost basis).
Revenue Ruling 2023-2 caused some alarm as it stated that Irrevocable Trust assets are not eligible for a step-up in basis, and therefore could be subject to capital gains tax. However, experienced estate planning attorneys have long known this was always the law, even before Revenue Ruling 2023-2. Fortunately, we also understand that Irrevocable Trusts can be drafted so a transfer to the trust can be deemed an incomplete gift and includible in the decedent’s taxable estate. As a result, the beneficiary can claim the step-up in basis upon inheriting the Irrevocable Trust asset and eliminate the capital gains tax.
Proper planning will have a significant impact on your ability to protect your assets for your children and beneficiaries. Please feel free to contact me at cynthia@ conzamcnamara.com or (718) 845-5555 if you would like to discuss further.
Marking 25 years of support
The St. Helen Support Group for the Physically Challenged recently celebrated its 25th anniversary with a luncheon at Lenny’s Clam Bar in Howard Beach.
The event saw more than 50 attendees, who were dazzled by the delicious food and musical stylings of Laura Lee and Richie D’auria, according to the group’s leader, Joan De Riso.
“We are grateful for the support and encouragement of our pastor, Rev. Francis Colamaria, the parish and the Howard Beach
COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL IMAGING
community,” De Riso said.
The group’s initial approval was granted by Msgr. Joseph Pfeiffer to co-founders John De Riso, Frank DeRicco and Phil Rosenberg in 2000. It’s still the only parish support group of its type in the diocese, according to De Riso.
The group’s members are of various faiths and its activities boast something for everyone, including guest speakers, discussions, game days, luncheons, holiday parties and musical guests. — Kristen Guglielmo
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Hevesi on defense v. Trump
continued from page 13
has to launch a roughly six-month investigation when abuse is reported, and about 10,000 families per year are found innocent, he explained.
Acknowledging the danger of missing information about a potential child abuse case, Hevesi said an amendment has been added that transfers anonymous callers to a supervisor, who reiterates confidentiality, recommends calling 911 or redirects them to another appropriate line.
“This is nonpolitical, purely policy,” Hevesi said. “We want to help kids, but it’s a dangerous area type thing, so I’m hoping she comes back either with a straight yes, or she’ll come back with a chapter amendment, sort of along the lines of what we did.”
Hevesi said he also is looking forward to continue developing Kyra’s Law. Named for Kyra Franchetti, a 3-year-old girl who was shot and killed in her sleep by her father during a court-sanctioned visit, the bill aims to prevent judges from “handing over cases to abusers,” he explained. It also will include a new civil definition for coercive control.
“I think this will be an incredibly important bill for domestic violence survivors, for child abuse victims and having coercive control as a new civil statute, which I will look to follow up with the criminal statute at some point,” he said.
In other potential state-level action, Hevesi said the Legislature bears some responsibility for Con Edison’s proposed doule-digit rate hikes — while he has consistently voted for environmentally friendly bills, they sometimes come with a price, he said.
But the Public Service Commission ultimately has the final say, and Hevesi said he has frequently spoken against rate increases during comment periods.
“At the end of the day, this is not something within my control, although I do have some influence,” he said. “But I don’t like it either.”
Hevesi said he also is not thrilled about Hochul stepping away from some emissions goals, but he emphasized the need to consider affordability.
One thing he is excited about is the Interborough Express, the planned light rail system linking Queens and Brooklyn.
“I think it’s a very good idea,” he said. “It’s just one of those things that’ll take a lot of money and a lot of years, so I hope it happens in my lifetime.”
On a local level, Hevesi said the legal battles involving Forest Hills Stadium are a “mess” that he does not see ending anytime soon, although he speaks to parties on both sides and “constantly” has issues come to his office.
“My personal problem is my wife loves the concerts,” Hevesi said. Q
Flushing remains ambivalent on vendors
Crackdown concerns some, but others note the problems
by Aaron Mok Chronicle Contributor
Flushing’s street vendors face increased city enforcement
On a typical day in Flushing, vendors line Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue with tables full of food, clothes and household items, drawing steady crowds to the neighborhood’s already-congested sidewalks. But in recent weeks, that familiar scene has become the focus of increased enforcement by the NYPD and other city agencies cracking down on unlicensed vending.
Street vending has long been a fixture of Flushing’s thoroughfares, especially for immigrant workers shut out of traditional jobs. According to a 2024 Immigration Research Initiative report, 96 percent of New York City’s 24,000 street vendors are immigrants. For many, it’s one of the few ways to earn a living. But as more vendors — many unlicensed — crowd sidewalks, community leaders warn that safety and local business are at risk.
“Every week, my office receives complaints from residents, small business owners, and visitors frustrated by the congestion caused when vendors block sidewalks, crosswalks, bus stops, and subway entrances,” City Councilmember Sandra Ung (D-Flushing) of the 20th District said in a statement to the Chronicle. “These vendors create safety hazards and overwhelm efforts of the Flushing [Business Improvement District] and the Department of Sanitation to keep the streets clean.”
That tension is now playing out on legal grounds. In recent weeks, the NYPD and DSNY have stepped up enforcement in Downtown Flushing, a designated “no-vending
zone” since 2018. Officers and other city agents have issued dozens of tickets for illegal vending, sidewalk obstruction and unlicensed sales, while confiscating food trucks, tables and hundreds of pounds of goods — from jewelry and electronics to crabs, according to the 109th Precinct’s posts on X and Facebook.
The precinct didn’t respond to the Chronicle’s multiple requests for comment when asked about the scale of the ticketing.
Ung praised the enforcement.
“I want to thank the 109th Precinct and the Department of Sanitation for their ongoing enforcement efforts,” she said. “But challenges remain.”
The recent crackdowns in Flushing come as enforcement surges citywide. A City Limits analysis found that the NYPD issued 9,376 tickets to vendors in 2024 — more than double the number of summons given out in 2023.
The Street Vendor Project, an advocacy organization, points to the city’s tight caps on permits for fueling the crackdowns, a bureaucratic hurdle that leaves thousands of unlicensed vendors on wait lists — sometimes for decades. As a result, 75 percent of food vendors and 37 percent of generalmerchandise vendors operate without licenses, according to IRI.
Thonest living,” Mohamed Attia, managing director of the Street Vendor Project, told the Chronicle. “Instead of supporting them and offering resources and pathways for them to formalize their businesses, the city is criminalizing their work and penalizing them without addressing their failure as a government.”
he sidewalks were widened, but illegal vendors took up much of the new space, an area leader says.
“What we’re seeing right now in Flushing is an attack on our smallest businesses and community members who are trying to make an
Undocumented vendors are especially vulnerable, warned Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez, deputy director of the Street Vendor Project, at a City Council hearing in May. She said the city’s crackdown comes as the Trump administration renews its push for mass deportations, intensifying fear
in immigrant communities. In Community District 7, which includes Flushing, Murray Hill and Whitestone, over 57 percent of residents are foreign-born, most from China.
In response to the permitting bottlenecks, the City Council passed Intro. 47-B in July, proposing to shift vending violations from criminal charges to civil fines.
Mayor Eric Adams vetoed it. Councilmembers are also pushing to gradually raise the cap on vendor permits over five years, aiming to create more legal pathways — especially for noncitizen vendors.
The recent crackdowns have divided residents. A recent Facebook post from the 109th Precinct detailing enforcement drew split reactions. Some defended vendors as hardworking people trying to scrape by selling goods to friends and neighbors in good faith. Others applauded enforcement as necessary for safety and lawfulness.
Some licensed vendors say they’ve grown used to the daily presence of inspectors.
One woman, who sells plants and has a license, told the Chronicle that she has observed the Departments of Health and Sanitation patrol the streets almost daily to sweep illegal vendors.
Meanwhile, brick-and-mortar shopkeepers are growing increasingly frustrated. DianSong Yu, executive director of the Flushing BID, says grocery store owners complain about unlicensed vendors selling fruits and vegetables just outside their doors – and for cheaper prices.
“You are creating an uneven playing field,” Yu told the Chronicle, adding that vendors are “taking their livelihoods.” Store owners, he added, risk fines for trash they didn’t leave behind.
Community Board 7 Chair Chuck Apelian said vendor activity has undermined recent sidewalkwidening efforts meant to improve pedestrian safety.
“After widening the streets and then having the illegal vendors take up most of that, we’ve completely defeated the purpose,” Apelian told the Chronicle.
State Sen. John Liu (D-Bayside), who represents the 16th District, said his office continues to hear complaints from both sides. Some say enforcement is too harsh. Others argue the city isn’t doing enough to eliminate illegal vending.
“We have a broken system that makes it nearly impossible for new entrants into the vending business, particularly new immigrants, to establish themselves with the proper credentials,” Liu told the Chronicle. “It’s still a system that needs to be fixed.”
Community leaders say they’re not opposed to vending altogether. They recognize most vendors are immigrants trying to make ends meet.
What they want is a system that works for both vendors and the communities they serve.
“It’s a very difficult balance to strike,” Liu said. “But at the end of the day, what’s needed is a functioning regulatory framework and enforcement mechanism that has been lacking for decades.” Q
A fruit stand is parked in front of an out-of-service Q12 bus on Roosevelt Avenue in Flushing. Passersby browse the produce as one woman has a chat with the bus driver. PHOTOSBYAARONMOK
Now on sale: shirts, hats and shades at the corner of Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue, left; fruit from a cart on Roosevelt; and freshly squeezed orange juice at the corner of Main and Kissena Boulevard, outside the library.
by Mark Lord
pro d e orm e t Alis me n each nce, and mbitious, and
ogram ,” th e ed hree
In a note in the program for “Legally Blonde,” the musical being performed by Royal Star Theatre three more times this weekend, Director Alison Kurtzman says it’s a show “about women lifting each other up instead of tearing each other down. It’s about community, resilience, and proving that you can be smart, ambitious, and completely yourself, even when people underestimate you.”
Royal Star Theatre Royal Star Theatre shines onstage with shines onstage with ‘Legally ‘Legally Blonde’ Blonde’
It’s also lively, funny and consistently entertaining.
With a book by Heather Hach and music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Neil Benjamin, the show, based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the very popular MGM motion picture, focuses on Elle Woods, the cute blonde president of the Delta Nu sorority, who is about to become engaged to a young man named Warner ... or so she thinks. Instead, the Harvard Law-bound student abruptly dumps her. Elle is understandably devastated and devises a plan — seemingly far-fetched — to win him back.
The groundwork is set for what follows — a high-energy diversion that should leave theatergoers feeling uplifted and, at least momentarily, relieved of the stresses of life.
Kurtzman has done a fine job of keeping the action moving at an almost relentless pace. She is supported enormously by a powerhouse fourpiece band, under the direction of Tyrus Mataban, and simple but lively choreography devised by Alessia Secli.
And the large cast contributes much to the show’s success.
Jessica Manion is a dynamo in the demanding role of Elle, who is on stage almost constantly. She has a terrific voice, which comes in handy when you’ve got about a dozen songs to sing. And she shares many a fine moment with Matthew Hazen McGuire, who is likable as Elle’s new love interest, Emmett. He’s no slouch in the vocal department, either. They shine together in the title song, which provides them with a memorable duet.
Kendra Marie Smith plays Paulette, owner of the Hair Affair salon, who has one of the best songs in the show,
King Crossword Puzzle
I HAVE OFTEN WALKED
John Coltrane played some great sax in St. Albans
by Ron Marzlock
Chronicle Contributor
John William Coltrane was born on Sept. 23, 1926, in Hamlet, NC. By the time of his high school graduation he knew his life’s vocation was to be music. His mother bought him his first alto saxophone on his 17th birthday. Coltrane became fanatical about practicing and developing his craft. In 1953 he met Juanita Naima “Nita” Grubbs and married her in October 1955, adopting her daughter, too.
for Alice McLeod, a pianist and harpist, in 1963. They married and had three sons: John Jr., Raud and Oranyan, “Oran.”
He got the call from Miles Davis to come in and help create the Miles Davis Quintet. They split, however, in part due to Coltrane’s drinking and use of heroin, in April 1957. He got clean and went back to work with the Thelonious Monk Quartet, as well as Davis.
In 1959 he decided to move to Queens and buy a house at 116-60 Mexico St. in St. Albans. Life was good until he left his wife
Coltrane shocked the jazz world when he passed away suddenly on July 17, 1967 due to a liver ailment at age 40. Bad luck continued when his firstborn son, John Jr., who was just starting his own music career, died in a car accident in 1982 at age 17.
Decades after his death, Coltrane is still influential, has received many posthumous awards and has been canonized by the African Orthodox Church. Q
B SPORTS EAT
by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor
Pete Alonso lifted the spirits of beleaguered Mets fans last Tuesday when he smacked a thirdinning home run off Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider. That blast, number 253 in his seven-year Mets career, made him the team’s alltime homer leader, as he surpassed Darryl Strawberry, whose record held for 35 years. It also underscored the fact that the Mets have not been good at developing power hitters throughout their history.
by the time August rolled around.
The Mets could live with Holmes’ workload limitations if their other starting pitchers were able to provide reasonable length in games. That has not been the case, however. Their two best pitchers in recent years, Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga, have lost considerable time this year because of injuries, and have also struggled.
Senga did make it into the sixth inning last Thursday, which earned him a standing ovation. The fans did not depart in a good mood, however, as newly acquired reliever Ryan Helsley gave up a pair of runs in the eighth to turn a 3-2 lead into what would become a 4-3 loss. Losing to a Braves team missing Met killers Ronald Acuna and Austin Riley was dispiriting enough, but the coup de grace for Mets fans was last Wednesday’s loss, when 2025 All-Star David Peterson got knocked out in the fourth as Atlanta scored nine runs after the Mets had built a 6-0 lead.
Alonso’s accomplishment was a rare bright spot for Mets fans who have endured a very dreary past two months. Despite Pete’s big night, during which he even added a second home run for good measure, the Flushing faithful were again aggravated. Starting pitcher Clay Holmes could not make it through the fourth, as he quickly relinquished a 5-1 lead. By the time the inning ended, the Braves had tied the game. The Mets would go on to score eight unanswered runs to earn a rare win, 13-5.
Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns signed Holmes, who had been a fine relief pitcher for the Yankees, with the intention of converting him into a starter. Clay racked up wins the first two months of the season, but even then, he was lucky to go the requisite five innings to get credit for a win. You did not have to be Nostradamus to foresee he would hit a wall
There has been plenty of talk about the Mets replacing hitting coach Eric Chavez because of the offense’s inability to hit with runners in scoring position. Juan Soto has been the biggest offender. Surprisingly, there has been little scrutiny regarding pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, who has held that position since 2020. Expect the Mets to replace their entire coaching staff if they miss the playoffs. See the extended version of
The home of jazzman John Coltrane at 116-60 Mexico St. in St. Albans, as it looks today. GOOGLEMAPSIMAGE;
Praising Black beauty with Lewis Latimer House
by Naeisha Rose editor
Myth, language and beauty will be explored at the Lewis Latimer House’s “ReVer(b)sions Poetry Lab: The Praise Poem,” Saturday, Aug. 23, from 2 to 4 p.m.
Leading the free interdisciplinary, experimental and speculative poetic lab is Sherese Francis, a poet and artist from Hollis.
Throughout the online poetry workshop, Black beauty, objectivity and objectification will be studied, including in a work by Latimer, whom the historical house, at 34-41 137 St. in Flushing, was named after.
“I was thinking about how can we expand science and knowledge-making to include thinking about culture and thinking about history, especially history of Black and diasporic people,” Francis told the Chronicle. “Lewis Latimer was both an inventor and a poet.”
The workshop this month is inspired by Latimer’s poem “Ebon Venus,” which is dedicated to his wife, Mary Wilson Lewis.
Throughout his poem, Latimer boasts about his Wilson Lewis’ ebony hue, fashion sense and her “matchless grace.”
Some other poems that will be examined are Robin Coste Lewis’ “The Voyage of the Sable Venus” and Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon’s “Open Interval,” Francis said.
PHOTO BY ROSALYN FERNANDEZ
what she chooses to pay attention to and the ways she chooses to honor and praise the Black people in these artworks,” Francis said. “I find that is similar to what Latimer did.”
Speaking of praise, people who attend the workshop will be making praise poetry.
“Praise poetry is when you write a poem that is in dedication or in honor of a person or a thing,” said Francis.
As for the title of the workshop, Francis, who is of Dominican and Bajan descent, said she loves to play with words and thought about creole languages.
“She talks about science and beauty and longing and desire,” the poet said about Van Clief-Stefanon’s work.
When it comes to Latimer’s “Ebon Venus,” Francis said seeing a love poem by a Black man from the past fascinated her.
“Now I see it more,” said Francis. “But in the past, I don’t ... often see love poems that are dedicated to a Black woman and seeing her beauty.”
What stood out to Francis about Coste Lewis’ work was that it was inspired by an art piece.
“The goddess Venus has been used as a metaphor for beauty,” said Francis. “But, what does that mean when Venus is used for a Black woman?”
Venus as a Black woman flips Eurocentric standards on their head, said Francis.
“For her, beauty is about attention and
“I was thinking about reversion, like going back,” Francis said. “Also, I’m Caribbean, so reversioning a song and remixing it into a new song made me think of various Black scholars talking about the importance of Black people creating their own language and creating their own verbs ... I was also thinking about verse and writing poetry. All those things went into me thinking about the title ‘ReVer(b)sions.’”
To register for the workshop, go to lewislatimerhouse.org/events/2png.
“If you are someone who wants to get into writing, or you want to practice your writing, I think it will be a fun workshop,” Francis said. “You also might learn something.” Q
The law’s not all song and dance — or maybe it is
continued from page 19
“Ireland,” which she delivers in a powerful voice. Benjamin Ranalli has his moments as a stuffy law professor with ulterior motives, as does Danny Bae as the opportunistic Warner. And a trio of Elle’s sorority sisters, serving as a musical Greek Chorus, weave in and out of the proceedings, offering Elle a great deal of support. They are played by Nicole Hepburn, Sydney Caudle and Cassie Walker, all of whom sing well and burst with energy.
Crossword Answers
JK Larkin plays a UPS delivery man who catches more than one pair of eyes in a show that is, admittedly, dominated by the ladies.
Special mention must be made of two four-legged performers, Magnolia and Barley, both of whom were on very good behavior during the reviewed final dress rehearsal.
The choral singing throughout is admirable, peaking in the musical number “Gay or European?” The choreographic highlight comes with the remix of the title song.
The set design was simple but efficient, with flats of different colors used to designate various locations, and the costumes were appropriate and varied. The sound was an improvement over some of the earlier RST productions, though the band oftentimes overpowered the vocals, making the lyrics difficult to hear.
Remaining performances at The Mary
Above, curtain call for “Legally Blonde,” by Royal Star Theatre. At left are Elle and Emmet and at right, Paulette with Elle. On the cover: Elle gets a lift from her cheer friends.
Louis Academy, at 176-21 Wexford Terrace in Jamaica Estates, are on Aug. 22 and 23 at 8 p.m. and Aug. 24 at 3 p.m.
Tickets are $21 online, $23 at the door; for children 13 and under and seniors 65 and older they are $19 online, $21 at the door. For more information, call (516) 521-5500 or write to royalstar.theatre@gmail.com.
Sherese Francis, a poet and artist, will lead the “ReVer(b)sions Lab workshop at the Lewis Latimer House on Aug. 23.
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NOTICE OF SALE
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE, that in accordance with applicable provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code as enacted in New York, by virtue of certain Event(s) of Default under that certain Pledge and Security Agreement dated as of July 20, 2020 (the “ Pledge Agreement ”), executed and delivered by Martin Perl, Miriam Perl and Chaim Zelik (collectively the “Pledgor”), and in accordance with it rights as holder of the security, 4545 39 Second Funding LLC (the “Secured Party”), by virtue of possession of that certain Share Certificate held in accordance with Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code of the State of New York (the “Code”) and by virtue of those certain UCC-1 Filing Statement made in favor of Secured Party, all in accordance with Article 9 of the Code, Secured Party will offer for sale, at public auction, (i) all of Pledgor’s right, title, and interest in and to the following: Emcee Realty LLC (the “Pledged Entity”), and (ii) certain related rights and property relating thereto (collectively, (i) and (ii) are the “ Collatera l”). Secured Party’s understanding is that the principal asset of the Pledged Entity is that certain fee interest in real property commonly known as 45-45 39th Street a/k/a 45-41/45-49 39th Street, Long Island City, New York 11104 (the “Property”). Maltz Auctions (“Maltz”), under the direction of Richard B. Maltz or David A. Constantino (the “Auctioneer”), will conduct a public sale consisting of the Collateral (as set forth in Schedule A below), via virtual bidding, on September 18, 2025 at 1:00pm , in satisfaction of an indebtedness in the approximate amount of $1,900,000.00, including principal plus interest, and reasonable fees and costs, plus default interest through September 18, 2025, subject to open charges and all additional costs, fees and disbursements permitted by law. The Secured Party reserves the right to credit bid. Online bidding will be made available for pre-registered bidders via Maltz's online bidding App available for download in the App Store or on Google play and via desktop bidding at RemoteBidding.MaltzAuctions.com. Bidder Qualification Deadline: September 17, 2025 by 4:00 pm. Executed Terms & Conditions of Sale along with ten (10%) of Bidders intended bid amount (to be submitted via wire transfer) are required for consideration by any interested party and submitted directly to Maltz. Requests for wiring instructions should be sent to rmaltz@maltzauctions.com.
SCHEDULE A Pledged Interest
PLEDGOR
Martin Perl, Miriam Perl and Chaim Zelik
ISSUER
Emcee Realty LLC, a New York limited liability company
INTERESTS PLEDGED
100% membership interest
The UCC1 was filed on July 28, 2020 with the Secretary of State of the State of New York under the Filing No. # 202007280315027.
VALLELY LAW PLLC
Attn: Erick R. Vallely, Esq.
Attorneys for Secured Party 6851 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 165 Syosset, New York 11791 (516) 386-3900
Notice is hereby given that an On-Premise Restaurant Full Liquor License, NYS Application ID: NA-0340-25-123679 has been applied for by BCL Hospitality Group Inc serving beer, wine, cider, mead and liquor to be sold at retail for on premises consumption in a restaurant, for the premises located at 107-04 Queens Blvd., Forest Hills, NY 11375.
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.
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF Queens, Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB, Not in its individual capacity but solely as owner trustee for Cascade Funding Mortgage trust HB8, Plaintiff, vs. Marie Clemons AKA Marie Redd, as Presumptive Heir, Devisee, Distributee of the Estate of Julia Marion Fain, DECEASED; ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on June 2, 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 11435 on September 12, 2025 at 10:00 a.m., premises known as 111-48 168th Street, Jamaica, NY 11433. 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 10205 and Lot 56. Approximate amount of judgment is $498,814.47 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #710033/2019.
Judah Maltz, Esq., Referee Greenspoon Marder, 1345 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 2200, New York, NY 10105, Attorneys for Plaintiff
Notice of Qualification of 8646 FORT HAMILTON PKWY SPE LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/18/25. Office location: Queens County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/26/25. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122070543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of DE, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 3, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Formation of Dectrah LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on July 15, 2025. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to: Republic Registered Agent Services Inc., 99 Washington Avenue, Suite 805A, Albany, NY 12210. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. The LLC is member-managed and has one member.
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF QUEENS
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A. AS SUCCESSOR TO JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR RESIDENTIAL ASSET MORTGAGE PRODUCTS, INC., MORTGAGE ASSET-BACKED PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-RSl, Plaintiff, Against VERNON R SAMUELS, VIOLET SAMUELS, KAREN J SAMUELS, KEVIN R SAMUELS, et al Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 06/05/2025, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, in Queens County Supreme Courthouse located at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY, on the second floor in Courtroom 25, on 9/19/2025 at 10:00AM, premises known as 143-35 228th Street, Rosedale a/k/a Springfield Gardens a/k/a Laurelton, NY 11413, and described as follows: ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York. Block 13506 Lot 136 The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $523,214.42 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 704556/2018
Dominic L. Chiariello, Esq., Referee. MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573 Dated: 7/25/2025 File Number: 560-2633 CA
Notice of Formation of FLOORING NYC LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 08/09/2025. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: FLOORING NYC LLC, 15729 88ST, HOWARD BEACH, NY 11414. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO WACHOVIA MORTGAGE CORPORATION, -against- MICHAEL C. BANKS A/K/A MICHAEL BANKS, 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 May 14, 2025, wherein WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO WACHOVIA MORTGAGE CORPORATION is the Plaintiff and MICHAEL C. BANKS A/K/A MICHAEL BANKS, ET AL., are the Defendants. I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the QUEENS COUNTY SUPREME COURT, 88-11 SUTPHIN BOULEVARD, COURTROOM 25, JAMAICA, NY 11435, on September 19, 2025 at 10:00AM, the premises known as 144-45 SPRINGFIELD BOULEVARD, JAMAICA, NY 11413-3453 and the following tax map identification 13490-22. ALL THAT CERTAIN PROPERTY SITUATED IN THE BOROUGH OF QUEENS IN THE COUNTY OF QUEENS AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 717410/2019; Lamont Ramsey Bailey, 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 of Formation of JAMES BUILT RIGHT LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 08/06/2025. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: HASSAN ISHMAEL, 104-25 202ND STREET, SAINT ALBANS, NY 11412. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
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 of Formation of JUSTTHE5OFUS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 06/30/2025 Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LLC, 110 YALE STREET, ROSLYN HEIGHTS, NY 11577. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
Notice of formation of K-Town Food Court, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/22/2025. NY office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The post office address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon him/her K-Town, 4818 Northern Blvd, Long Island City, NY 11101. Purpose/ character of LLC: Any lawful purpose.
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS Federal National Mortgage Association, Plaintiff AGAINST Roger Beckford; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered June 5, 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 September 12, 2025 at 10:00 AM, premises known as 10453 128th Street, South Richmond Hill, NY 11419. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Fourth Ward of the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block: 9582, Lot: 60. Approximate amount of judgment $565,892.00 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #704718/2014. Eun Chong Thorsen, Esq., Referee Frenkel Lambert Weisman & Gordon, LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 01-098135-F00 86191
Notice of Formation of ONE MEDIA NY LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 06/02/25. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LLC 2959 NORTHERN BLVD., APT 49D, LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11101. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of RASAI RESEARCH, LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 06/30/2025. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: RASAI RESEARCH, LLC, 229 BERRY ST., BROOKLYN, NY 11249. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
NOTICE OF UNCLAIMED PROPERTY HELD BY BROOKLYN UNION GAS OR KEYSPAN GAS D/B/A NATIONAL GRID, NEW YORK CITY / LONG ISLAND
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Section 402 of the Abandoned Property Law of the State of New York that
a) a report of unclaimed amounts of money or other property held or owing by the above named corporation has been made to the Comptroller of the State of New York, and that a list of names of the persons appearing from the records of such corporation to be entitled thereto is on file and open to public inspection at its principal office or place of business in (name of city, village, or county) where any such property is payable;
b) such deposits, payments, and refunds, together with interest due thereon and less lawful deductions, will be paid by it on or before the succeeding thirtieth day of September to persons establishing to its satisfaction their right to receive the same; and
c) in the succeeding month of October, and on or before the tenth day thereof, such unclaimed deposits, payments, and refunds, together with interest due thereon and less lawful deductions, still remaining will be paid to the Comptroller of the State of New York and that it shall thereupon cease to be liable therefore.
Brooklyn Union Gas or Keyspan Gas d/b/a National Grid 300 Erie Boulevard West, Syracuse, New York 13202
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.
8TH AVE BK CENTER LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 08/14/2025. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Jia Shu Xu, 112-15 Northern Blvd, #2, Corona, NY 11368. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
Notice of Formation of RPSL LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/11/2025. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Patricia Senior, 4720 Center Blvd., Apt. 909, Long Island City, NY 11109. Purpose: any lawful activities.
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS Index No. 722192/2024
Notice of Formation of SavorSeek LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 07/02/2025. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: SAVORSEEK LLC, 42 FERN DR., JERICHO, NY 11753. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of SS SECURITY TRAINING NYC LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 07/30/2025. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: MD SHAMIM HUSAIN, 87-23 168TH STREET, JAMAICA, NY 11432. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
WS6547 79TH ST LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 08/05/25. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 8303 Doran Avenue, Glendale, NY 11385. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Date Filed: 7/31/2025 Rocket Mortgage, LLC f/k/a Quicken Loans, LLC f/k/a Quicken Loans Inc., Plaintiff, -against- Kings County Public Administrator; Tawa Sarumi, if she be living or if she be dead, her spouses, heirs, devisees, distributees and successors in interest, all of whom and whose names and places of residence are unknown to Plaintiff; City of New York Environmental Control Board; City of New York Parking Violations Bureau; City of New York Transit Adjudication Bureau; State of New York, and “JOHN DOE”, said name being fictitious, it being the intention of Plaintiff to designate any and all occupants of premises being foreclosed herein, and any parties, corporations or entities, if any, having or claiming an interest or lien upon the mortgaged premises, Defendants. PROPERTY ADDRESS: 11137 Francis Lewis Boulevard, Queens Village, NY 11429 TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or a notice of appearance on the attorneys for the Plaintiff within thirty (30) days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may appear within sixty (60) days of service hereof. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: The foregoing Summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Hon. Anna Culley, a Justice of the Supreme Court, Queens County, entered July 24, 2025 and filed with the complaint and other papers in the Queens County Clerk’s Office. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure $355,490.00 and interest, recorded in the Queens County Office of the City Register on January 31, 2017, in CRFN 2017000043062 covering premises known as 11137 Francis Lewis Boulevard, Queens Village, NY 11429 a/k/a Block 10965, Lot 265. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. Plaintiff designates Queens County as the place of trial. Venue is based upon the County in which the mortgaged premises is situated. 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: March 11, 2025 Steven M. Palmer, Esq. Foreclosure Attorney LOGS LEGAL GROUP LLP Attorneys for Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (585) 247-9000 Fax: (585) 247-7380 Our File No. 24096423 #102473
Notice of Formation of WYTB WILLIS LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 06/23/2025. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LLC, 5812 FRANCIS LEWIS BLVD, OAKLAND GARDENS, NY 11364. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of TRYANGLE MEDIA LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/21/2025. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: SAMUEL HERRERA, 5409 83RD ST, APT 1, ELMHURST, NY 11373. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS, Nationstar Mortgage LLC, Plaintiff -againstNadia Toma’s unknown heirs-at-law, next-of-kin, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, devises, legatees, assignees, lienors, creditors, and successors in interest, and generally all persons having or claiming, under, by or through said defendant, who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise, any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, Maria Neagu as Heir of the Estate of Nadia Toma if living and if dead, any and all persons who are spouses, widows, grantees, mortgagees, lienor, heirs, devisees, distributees, or successors in interest of such of the above as may be dead, and their spouses, heirs, devisees, distributees and successors in interest, all of whom and whose names and places of residences are unknown to Plaintiff, Adrian Ghinea as Heir of the Estate of Nadia Toma if living and if dead, any and all persons who are spouses, widows, grantees, mortgagees, lienor, heirs, devisees, distributees, or successors in interest of such of the above as may be dead, and their spouses, heirs, devisees, distributees and successors in interest, all of whom and whose names and places of residences are unknown to Plaintiff, Nicoleta Stefan as Heir of the Estate of Nadia Toma if living and if dead, any and all persons who are spouses, widows, grantees, mortgagees, lienor, heirs, devisees, distributees, or successors in interest of such of the above as may be dead, and their spouses, heirs, devisees, distributees and successors in interest, all of whom and whose names and places of residences are unknown to Plaintiff, New York City Environmental Control Board, New York City Parking Violations Bureau, New York City Transit Adjudication Bureau, New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Board of Managers of Ocean Breeze at Arverne by the Sea Condominium I, United States of America-Internal Revenue Service, John Doe (Refused Name), Defendants. SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS Index No. 718703/2024, Filed: August 5, 2025, Plaintiff designates Queens County as the place of trial. Venue is based upon the County in which the Mortgage 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). 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 $176,000.00 and interest, recorded in the Office of the Clerk of the County of QUEENS on November 27, 2018, in Book CRFN 2018000391972, covering premises known as 260 Beach 81st Street, Unit 5B, Rockaway Beach, NY 11693. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. 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: Bay Shore, New York, August 7, 2025 By: Karen Sheehan, Esq. ,Frenkel, Lambert, Weiss, Weisman & Gordon, LLP, Attorneys for Plaintiff, 53 Gibson Street, Bay Shore, New York 11706, (631) 969-3100 Our File No.:01-100077-F00
No.: 2023-2978/D AMENDED CITATION THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK BY THE GRACE OF GOD, FREE AND INDEPENDENT To: Cheryl Chenet, Laurel Quainoo, Adrianne Robinson, Sylvia Powell, Rebecca West, Stacey Jackson, Corrie Jackson, Taja Linley, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, MBU Bridge Home, NYC Human Resources Administration, Atria Park, Hillside Manor Rehab & Extended Care, Attorney General of the State of New York The unknown distributees, legatees, devisees, heirs at law and assignees of Marjorie Evelyn Davis, deceased, or their estates, if any there be, whose names, places of residence and post office addresses are unknown to the petitioner and cannot with due diligence be ascertained Being the persons interested as creditors, legatees, distributees or otherwise in the Estate of Marjorie Evelyn Davis, deceased, who at the time of death was a resident of 120-20 198th Street, St. Albans, NY 11412, in the County of Queens, State of New York. SEND GREETING: Upon the petition of LOIS M. ROSENBLATT, Public Administrator of Queens County, who maintains her office at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, Queens County, New York 11435, as Temporary Administrator of the Estate of Marjorie Evelyn Davis, deceased, you and each of you are hereby cited to show cause before the Surrogate at the Surrogate’s Court of the County of Queens, to be held at the Queens General Courthouse, 6th Floor, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, City and State of New York, on the 25th day of September, 2025 at 9:30 o’clock in the forenoon, why the Amended Account of Proceedings of the Public Administrator of Queens County, as Temporary Administrator of the Estate of said deceased, a copy of which is attached, should not be judicially settled, and why the Surrogate should not fix and allow a reasonable amount of compensation to GERARD J. SWEENEY, ESQ., for legal services rendered to petitioner herein in the amount of $20,811.10 and that the Court fix the fair and reasonable additional fee for any services to be rendered by GERARD J. SWEENEY, ESQ., hereafter in connection with proceedings on kinship, claims etc., prior to entry of a final Decree on this accounting in the amount of 6% of assets or income collected after the date of the within accounting; and why the Surrogate should not fix and allow an amount equal to one percent on said Schedules of the total assets on Schedules A, A1, and A2 plus any additional monies received subsequent to the date of this account, as the fair and reasonable amount payable to the Office of the Public Administrator for the expenses of said office pursuant to S.C.P.A. §1106(3); and why the claim of NYC Human Resources Administration in the amount of $15,318.56 should not be paid; and why the claim of Atria Park in the amount of $15,095.00 should not be rejected; and why the claim of Hillside Manor Rehab & Extended Care in the amount of $1,803.00 should not be rejected; and why the Last Will and Testament dated April 27, 2021, copy attached, should not be admitted to Probate; and why the Letters of Temporary Administration issued to the Public Administrator should not be revoked; and why Letters of Administration CTA should not be issued to the Public Administrator; and why the specific legacies should not be paid pursuant to the Last Will and Testament as follows; STATEMENT OF PROPOSED DISTRIBUTION Laurel Quainoo - AT&T stock & dividends ($8,262.95), Cheryl Chenet -Verizon stock & dividends ($7,880.03), Mbu Bridge Home Inc. -$1,000.00, Stacey Harley -$1,000.00, Taja Linley -$1,000.00, Corrie Jackson -$1,000.00 and why each of you claiming to be a distributee of the decedent should not establish proof of your kinship; and why the balance of said funds should not be paid to said alleged distributees upon proof of kinship, or deposited with the Commissioner of Finance of the City of New York should said alleged distributees default herein, or fail to establish proof of kinship, Dated, Attested and Sealed 23rd day of July, 2025 HON. CASSANDRA A. JOHNSON Surrogate, Queens County Janet Edwards Tucker, Chief Clerk GERARD J. SWEENEY, ESQ. (718) 459-9000 1981 Marcus Avenue, Suite 200, Lake Success, New York 11042 NOTICE: THIS CITATION IS SERVED UPON YOU AS REQUIRED BY LAW. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO APPEAR; HOWEVER, IF YOU FAIL TO APPEAR IT WILL BE ASSUMED YOU DO NOT OBJECT TO THE RELIEF REQUESTED. YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO HAVE AN ATTORNEY APPEAR FOR YOU, AND YOU OR YOUR ATTORNEY MAY REQUEST A COPY OF THE FULL ACCOUNT FROM THE PETITIONER OR PETITIONER’S ATTORNEY
Ice cream, drinks and kosher, vegan and several gluten-free food options Queens eats at US Openʻs Fan Week
by Naeisha Rose Editor
The US Open will be back at Flushing Meadows Corona Park starting Sunday, Aug. 23, but if you are there for the food, you don’t have to wait to get a bite.
Fan Week is now through Aug. 23, and tennis fans, food connoisseurs and just plain foodies may try out the different eateries, which include some from Queens, ahead of the tennis championship games held at the Billie Jean National Tennis Center.
Dos Toros Taqueria is at the Food Village by the Louis Armstrong Stadium and has a second spot by the Grandstand.
People flying from out of town to get to the center and disembarking at LaGuardia Airport in East Elmhurst may get to eat at the taqueria, which is known for its burritos, earlier at Terminals B and C. For those flying internationally, the taqueria is also located at Terminal 8 at JFK Airport.
To learn more about Dos Toros, visit dostoros.com or call (718) 554-9550 for Terminal B, (718) 899-8702 for Terminal C or (917) 453-1268 for Terminal 8.
Fuku, a fried chicken sandwich joint, has three stands by Arthur Ashe Stadium at Promenade Level West and Promenade Level gates 26 and 34. It will also be at the Food Village between the Louis Armstrong
Stadium and Stadium 17.
To learn more about fuku, visit eatfuku.com.
For those also looking to catch a baseball game, Fuku is located at Citi Field.
Glatt Kosher, which serves Middle Eastern kosher, vegetarian and gluten-free options, is located near court 12.
The kosher restaurant can also be found at 90-17 63 Drive in Rego Park, not too far from the Queens Center and Rego Center malls if you are searching for somewhere to shop during the games, and it’s a short drive or bus ride from Forest Hills Stadium if you are hoping to listen to some musical acts while waiting for the tournament to officially start. To learn more about the restaurant, call (718) 397-1818.
If you are craving Mediterranean, King Soulvaki has you covered with Greek street food. It is by the Food Village, closer to the main entrance by the Louis Armstrong Stadium.
If you happen to be in Forest Hills, King Soulvaki has a food truck at 70-51 Austin St. It also has food trucks in Astoria at 22-02 Steinway St. by Ditmars Boulevard and 31st Street and 31st Avenue. It has another at Northern and Bell boulevards in Bayside. To learn more about it, go online to kingsouvlakinyc.com.
Seeking something healthier?
The Nourish Spot is ready to serve you fresh smoothies and salads, along with dairyfree, vegetarian and gluten-free options. The salad and juice bar will allow modifications to orders at its site, near Stadium 17.
Students at York College, nearby residents and visitors may get a taste of the goods at the juice bar, which is located at 107-05 Guy R. Brewer Blvd. in South Jamaica. To learn more about The Nourish Spot, visit thenour-
ishspot.com or call (718) 526-2099.
Red Hook Lobster Pound has New England-style grub for the seafood gastronome. Expect fish and chips, lobster BLT and Connecticut rolls from the nautical-themed food joint, which is by the Open’s main entrance. It also has a restaurant by Rockaway Beach at 97-01 Shore Front Pkwy. in Rockaway Park. To learn more, visit redhooklobster.com or call (718) 858-7650. Enjoy a beverage at Terrace Bar by the Louis Armstrong Stadium. When it’s not serving up drinks at the tennis center, it is providing them at two locations at Terminal C at LaGuardia.
Looking to cool down as the summer unwinds?
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream is located on the east and west sides of Arthur Ashe Stadium’s Loge/Promenade level and in Backyard 17, the Food Village and outside the Armstrong stadium and at its main concourse. Whether it’s ice cream by the cup, cone, with sprinkles or without, dairy-filled, dairy-free or vegan, the made-from-scratch ice cream joint will also serve guests from a cart at the village.
Van Leeuwen has a brick-and-mortar location at 33-01 Ditmars Blvd. in Astoria, which it opened about two years ago. To learn more, call (347) 242-2083.
The US Open concludes Sunday, Sept. 7. Q
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream will have a cart at the Food Village at the USTA Billie Jean National Tennis Center during Fan Week and throughout the US Open tournament. PHOTOCOURTESYUSOPEN
