Quality of life could be better, some say
Queens folks lament crime, e-bikes and more, mirroring recent survey
by Stephanie G. Meditz Associate Editor
When a report found quality of life generally lacking for city residents, many Queens folks concurred.
Just 33 percent of the borough’s respondents rated their quality of life “excellent” or “good” in the Citizens Budget Commission’s 2025 NYC Resident Survey. Citywide, 34 percent gave that same rating.
People from various Queens neighborhoods told the Chronicle that their quality of life leaves room for improvement, and even those who are mostly satisfied with their area had specific concerns.
“Fortunately, in our small enclave of NYC, the Glen Oaks Village residents feel safe but we don’t know how long this will last,” Glen Oaks Village Co-op President Bob Friedrich said via email. He said the city is plagued by a “sense of lawlessness” marked by crimes such as aggressive panhandling, shoplifting and car theft. Some go “virtually unpunished,” he said.
the behavior I just mentioned.”
Just 42 percent of city residents said in the June CBC survey that public safety in their neighborhoods is good or excellent, a decrease from 50 percent in 2017, but an improvement since 2023.
Old Astoria Neighborhood Association President Richard Khuzami said that while his area is safer than it was decades ago, quality-of-life enforcement has lately slipped. He, too, said minor infractions such as traffic violations can add up and erode confidence in public safety.
“Without some form of accountability for repeat offenders, even so-called ‘minor’ crimes add up and create the chaos we’re seeing on our streets,” Khuzami said via email. First-time offenders and one-off incidents should not be prosecuted, he continued, but those who repeatedly break the law should face consequences.
“Not long ago we were the safest largest city in the nation and now poor policy decisions by politicians that many voted for have created a diminished sense of quality of life.,” he said. “Without proactive policing, we will not come back from the abyss.” City Councilman Bob Holden (D-Maspeth) agreed that quality of life, which is “never where we want it to be,” parallels enforcement.
“The petty crimes that we’re seeing ... this all eats away at quality of life,” Holden told the Chronicle via phone last Friday, cit-
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ing examples such as public urination, derelict vehicles, turnstile jumping and riding e-bikes on the sidewalk. “It’s always tied in with the amount of police that we have. Usually the police handle quality of life, but then you also couple that with some of the laws that have been created to decriminalize
While he finds quality of life in his area “pretty good,” Auburndale Improvement Association President Henry Euler said there are always issues that could be improved upon. He told the Chronicle via phone Tuesday that his fellow civic members have felt afraid to drive because people on e-bikes do not pay attention on the roads.
“They just think they can point and go
continued on page 17
• Clubes: Arte, Teatro, Legos, Periódico, Anuario
Residents across the borough discussed their quality-of-life concerns after a recent citywide survey showed general dissatisfaction. Some mentioned derelict vehicles, such as the ones targeted by the 112th Precinct in a big rig towing operation seen above. PHOTOCOURTESYNYPD/FILE
Residents lament poor conditions and enforcement near contaminated park Safety a concern near Spring Creek
by Kristen Guglielmo
Editor
Residents sounded the alarm at Tuesday evening’s Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic meeting over escalating safety concerns in Spring Creek Park, citing rampant overgrowth, illegal activity and a lack of effective enforcement, issues that they say have left the neighborhood feeling at risk.
Queens’ section of Spring Creek Park has been closed to the public since late 2022 due to environmental investigations by the National Park Service and U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to assess and mitigate radiological contamination there.
During the Zoom meeting, a resident living near 164th Avenue and 83rd Street, by an entrance to Spring Creek Park, said an individual approached her window late Monday night. She said that while the NYPD responded to the scene, not much was done.
“We are not seeing any activity of police officers monitoring the area,” she said. “Even last night after the call was made, when they approached the home, not only were the lights not flashing, the lights in the actual vehicle were not on.”
She added that residents have been calling police for months
about people sitting in the area.
The 106th Precinct’s executive officer, Capt. Nigel Fenton, and Lt. John Gherardi said they would address the issue, with Gherardi promising to visit the location later that night.
Fenton said the precinct put in a request for more officers at the civic’s behest after residents lamented the 106’s officers being designated to other, high-impact areas.
“It’s a work in progress, but we made a request, and we should be getting back the officers sooner than expected,” Fenton said.
Phyllis Inserillo, the civic’s copresident, told attendees the NYPD does not have jurisdiction on the land in question at Spring Creek Park, but the NPS does, after residents said that people in the weeds at Spring Creek is an ongoing issue.
Inserillo urged residents with issues in regard to Spring Creek to call U.S. Park Police dispatch, at (718) 338-3988.
“You’re going to tell them that there were people in the weeds and it’s an area off-limits,” Inserillo said. “They know that. And then after that, you’re going to call me.”
She said she spoke with Lt. Mark Reeves of U.S. Park Police that day.
“The response of, you know, ‘Officers don’t really want to go back there because it’s off limits because of radium’ is not an excuse that we want to hear,” Inserillo said. “Their job is to respond to calls of illegal activity and things that aren’t supposed to be happening in our community.”
“You work for NPS as police officers, your job is to go back there.”
— Phyllis Inserillo, HBLC co-president
“We heard that the [U.S.] Park Police will not go in there,” Mia Scaramuzzino said of the park. “We definitely know that people are living in there now. There are people coming in and out.”
She said if the officers feel they should not have to respond to that area due to its contamination, NPS should put up the fully enclosed fence the civic requested last year.
“Since NPS doesn’t want to do that, and you work for NPS as police officers, your job is to go
back there,” Inserillo said.
On the overgrowth of the weeds at Spring Creek, Inserillo said the NPS has been contacted about the issue. She recalled that, last Friday, a 911 call was made of a woman stuck in the mud at Spring Creek.
“Basically, she decided to go on her own little nature hike, not understanding that you’re not supposed to enter the property,”
Inserillo explained. Because of a recent high tide, the area was satu-
rated and first responders described it as “like quicksand,” she said.
Chief Nick Spinelli, of the West Hamilton Beach Fire Department, received permission to use his drone to find the woman, who was eventually rescued.
“We made NPS understand that’s even more of a reason we need to fence the property better,” Inserillo said. “There needs to be giant signs that say, ‘Do not enter’ in red and white.” Q
Speakers were unanimously in favor of the casino at committee meeting Community is all in on Resorts World
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Resorts World New York City’s pitch for a full-scale casino license received unanimous support at an Aug. 22 public hearing at Queens Borough Hall in Kew Gardens.
More than 40 members of the public took to the microphone at the hearing, hosted by the Resorts World Community Advisory Committee.
That panel will issue a finding by Sept. 31, determining whether there is adequate support for the proposed project to move forward for review by the state Gaming Facility Location Board. There are three downstate licenses up for grabs.
The speakers praised the $5.5 billion proposal, which would transform the 73-acre Aqueduct site in South Ozone Park into an entertainment hub with a 5.6 million-squarefoot resort. Since 2011, Resorts World, at 110-00 Rockaway Blvd., has been the city’s
only “racino.”
Among the supporters was Dawn Kelly, owner of the Nourish Spot, a Jamaica-based eatery.
“What excites me most about Resorts World’s plans for the future is that they are not thinking small,” Kelly said. “They are thinking about intergenerational impact. They are envisioning a world-class integrated resort that will elevate Southeast Queens onto a global stage while continuing to center the voices and needs of families, entrepreneurs and community organizations right here in Queens.”
Tom Grech, president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, lauded the proposal’s creation of valuable work.
“These are more than jobs,” Grech said. “These are careers. Jobs come and go, but careers last forever.”
The proposal estimates the creation of more than 10,000 jobs, including construction
union jobs and 3,500 permanent positions, including opportunities in hospitality, information technology, security, food and beverage and community development. Hiring priority will be given to area residents.
“By prioritizing local hiring, building career ladders and supporting small businesses, Resorts World is helping preserve and grow the middle class in Queens,” Grech said.
Linda Derry, a senior at Queens College, said Resorts World’s philanthropy has made an impact on her.
“In 2022, I was one of the winners of the Showing Hearts Foundation Youthpreneur Summit,” Derry said. She showcased her photography business and used the prize money, supported by Resorts World, to build a website and buy camera gear.
“As someone born and raised in Queens, keeping millions of dollars in my community and my borough to support local families impacts me directly,” Derry said. Q
Linda Derry, above, was one of more than 40 speakers who spoke in favor of Resorts World New York City’s casino pitch at Queens Borough Hall in Kew Gardens last week.
Residents expressed concerns regarding Spring Creek Park to the NYPD 106th Precinct’s executive officer, Capt. Nigel Fenton, and to Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic co-Presidents Barbara McNamara, top left, and Phyllis Inserillo, at the group’s Zoom meeting Tuesday evening. ZOOMSCREENSHOT
Independent agency files case due to delay in mandated plan’s release Commission on Racial Equity sues the mayor
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
The NYC Commission on Racial Equity, an independent city agency, sued Mayor Adams last week for failing to release a plan to address racial disparities in the city for more than 580 days.
The commission was established after residents in November 2022 voted to amend the City’s Charter to require it to integrate racial equity planning — the consideration of longterm impacts of structural racism on the city, and government efforts to address and mitigate those impacts into its municipal budget process.
According to the lawsuit, filed in Manhattan State Supreme Court and dated Aug. 19, the Charter specifies that racial equity planning requires the cooperation of two governmental actors — the mayor and an independent Commission on Racial Equity.
2024, and a final version on Nov. 20, 2024.
“By mutual agreement, the Mayor received multiple extensions to release the Preliminary Plan, and the Mayor later promised the Preliminary Plan would be released by February 2025,” the lawsuit states. “But the Preliminary Plan still has not been released. Instead, the Mayor has now stated the Preliminary Plan is under indefinite review by Corporation Counsel.”
CORE in its lawsuit called upon the court to order Adams to release the plan and declare that his delay is “illegal, null and void,” as well as require the corporation counsel to approve the agency’s retention of outside counsel and pay them using public funds.
A spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office in a statement said the Adams administration is committed to protecting New Yorkers, especially communities of color, “in every way possible.”
“A plan that was passed into law should not be treated as optional.”
CORE is required to identify the racial justice priorities for the city through public input, and present them to the mayor. The Mayor’s Office then is to publish a preliminary racial equity plan to the public before CORE offers comments, and the mayor releases the final plan.
— Councilmember Nantasha Williams
Under the Charter’s timeline, the final plan’s release is supposed to coincide with the annual municipal budget cycle.
More than two and a half years later, Adams has not yet released a preliminary plan, which the lawsuit alleges is complete. CORE said it submitted a draft of its priorities on May 14,
“This lawsuit is incredibly misguided, short-sighted, and jeopardizes the wellbeing of the vulnerable communities it claims to protect,” the statement read. “The Adams administration will always protect communities of color from the challenges they currently face on the federal level, and remain focused on going through the responsible protocols for this review.”
CORE hosted a rally on the City Hall steps Aug. 20 to announce its lawsuit. Among those in attendance, according to photos posted by the agency on Facebook, were Councilmember Nantasha Williams (D-St. Albans) and
Assemblymember Khaleel Anderson (D-South Ozone Park).
“581 days without a Racial Equity Plan is far too long,” Williams said in a statement to the Chronicle. “I understand that the federal climate has made governing more challenging, but that cannot be used as a reason to delay a law designed to confront the inequities we see every day, from unequal access to housing and transit, to underfunded schools and neglected infrastructure.”
She continued, “In Southeast Queens and across this city, Black and brown New Yorkers live with the consequences of delayed action: disinvestment, marginalization, and broken
promises. When we say equity, it must mean accountability. A plan that was passed into law should not be treated as optional. The administration must honor its obligation to the people of New York and release the Racial Equity Plan.”
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica) publicly sided with CORE. “NYC voters approved the creation of NYC Commission on Racial Equity to ensure our city is taking steps to address longstanding disparities,” she wrote on her Facebook page. “Mayor Eric Adams has delayed the release of the Charter-mandated Racial Equity Plan by 500+ days. It must be addressed now — our communities deserve progress.” Q
St. Albans man allegedly steals nearly $900K from nonprofit: QDA Richmond Hill’s reverse Robin Hood
by Naeisha Rose Editor
A St. Albans man who allegedly swindled a nonprofit that he worked at for more than $870,000 is facing prison time, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
Otto Starzmann, 60, of Anderson Road, was arraigned on Aug. 21 on charges of grand larceny in the second degree and criminal possession of stolen property in the second degree, said prosecutors.
Starzmann, the former administrator for the River Fund, an anti-poverty nonprofit in Richmond Hill that feeds the needy, is alleged to have stolen $872,440 from the coffers of the organization and to have spent $429,508 of it to buy 22 acres of land upstate in Warwick, to pay for architectural services and to line his own pockets, said Katz’s office. The funds were supposed to provide fresh produce to families facing food shortages.
“Instead of paying farmers to fill his employer’s warehouse with healthy food for the
needy and vulnerable in our community, the defendant is accused of stealing the charitable funds,” Katz said in a statement. “He is alleged to have violated the professional trust of his colleagues ...”
Starzmann, who was the River Funds’s chief production officer, was responsible for securing grants and placing large food orders for the charity, which operates a food pantry and delivers goods to the families in need. But unbeknownst to the organization, he allegedly submitted five invoices from Foodgate to River Fund totaling $872,440 ”to secure” advance payments for future deliveries of prepaid green beans, corn, and squash, and have them delivered to the organization’s warehouse.
The invoices were allegedly made from May 10, 2022 to Oct. 26, 2022, said law enforcement.
No food deliveries or parcels in the organization’s warehouse matched the more than five months worth of invoices, and none of the prepaid farm produce was ever delivered, said prosecutors.
It was later revealed that Foodgate, one of the River Fund’s food providers, was a company allegedly formed by Starzmann and funds went from it to an Evolve Bank and Trust account, in which he was the sole account owner, said Katz’s office. Once deposits were made, approximately $753,075 was allegedly transferred into a second Evolve account tied to him.
At least 20 withdrawals were allegedly made from the account, including two transactions totaling $429,508.20 to a law firm for a closing payment balance and additional down payment on three real estate parcels in Warwick of vacant land, said prosecutors. Starzmann allegedly also made six payments totaling $60,388.97 to an architecture and design firm; took 12 cash withdrawals totaling $70,480.94; and saw an additional $77,000 sent to his personal bank accounts.
If convicted on the charges, Starzmann faces five to 15 years in prison.
A judge ordered him to return to court on Sept. 4. Q
The NYC Commission on Racial Equity at a City Hall rally on Aug. 20 announced it was suing Mayor Adams for his delay in releasing a mandated racial equity plan. COREPHOTO/FACEBOOK
NICU at Flushing Hospital now renamed after ‘Angel’
On Tuesday, August 19, Flushing Hospital Medical Center cut the ribbon for its brandnew, state-of-the-art Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The new NICU named in loving memory of Robert Russo, will provide an environment for Flushing Hospital doctors and nurses to deliver the highest-quality, specialized care to premature and low birthweight infants, as well as those born with complications.
the Bay’s generous contribution, Flushing Hospital was able to renovate and enhance its previous NICU to better serve the community.
Joining Flushing Hospital leadership to cut the ribbon was Frank Russo, above center, founder and CEO of Angels on the Bay, as well as members of the group’s Board of Directors. Russo is flanked here by FHMC Executive Vice President and COO Robert Levine, left, and President and CEO Bruce J. Flanz.
The new Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Flushing Hospital offers state-of-the art equipment to care for critically ill newborns including 26 cardiac care monitors, seven infant isolettes, which recreate an intra-uterine environment critical for neuro development care and growth, and Panda warmers to allow for easy access to care for babies. The NICU has three separate treatment areas and an independent lactation room for mothers.
Angels on the Bay is a Queens-based charitable organization dedicated to raising funds and awareness to help provide life-enhancing services for the chronically ill, developmentally disabled, and physically challenged children of our community and beyond. They provide funds to purchase pediatric-specific medical equipment and to assist organizations that provide specialized care, education, and outreach to children in need. Thanks to Angels on
The NICU is staffed by board-certified neonatologists and highly skilled, specially trained neonatal nurses. The unit has complete respiratory support and Flushing Hospital offers surgical capabilities if necessary.
The renovation of Flushing Hospital’s NICU is the latest step in the complete reimagining of the hospital’s mother baby services. Flushing’s “New Beginnings” construction project also includes a complete makeover and expansion of their labor, delivery and recovery suites, operatories, post-partum care unit, and outpatient OB/GYN center.
CUF study says city should better fund and support Flushing Meadows Report says a great park can be better
by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor
Stretching from Flushing Bay to Forest Hills, Flushing Meadows Corona Park is the most famous and diverse park in the borough.
But a 29-page report issued last week by the Center for an Urban Future, a city-based think tank, says FMCP has suffered decades of underfunding and neglect on the part of the city; and offers recommendations for infrastructure improvements and funding to transform it into “The Park Queens Deserves.”
“We’ve done a bunch of reports in the last few years about the vital role of parks and open spaces,” Executive Director Jonathan Bowles told the Chronicle. “And as a part of that we just had a real interest in Flushing Meadows Corona Park and its potential, its challenges and what it could be.”
The report can be found at nycfuture.org. It calls for a concerted effort to fund capital projects to control flooding; expand green space, recreational activities and food offerings; improve public access; and establish a 10-year strategic plan that would bring the city, private donors and all the institutions in the park together to make it happen.
Bowles said decades of neglect could begin to be reversed as early as January, when the winner of the mayoral election is sworn in.
“The next mayor, whoever it is, is really who
A new report states that Flushing Meadows Corona Park has been too long neglected and underfunded by the city, and makes 20 recommendations to better support it, upgrade it and realize its untapped potential.
this report is intended for, but not the only person,” he said. “This park is such a jewel and has been neglected so long. Part of that is city resources, and the mayor can rectify that ... This has been long overdue.”
Among the recommendations are to repair and replace antiquated water mains and catch basins (“Even on a sunny day you can see water bubbling up through the asphalt”); return
covered and buried portions of Flushing Creek to their natural state; open a restaurant or cafe near the Queens Museum and add food vendor options; increase green space for sports and athletic activities (“There’s too much asphalt in that park”); begin ferry service; and establish a flood fund that could be fueled by activities and events in the park.
Bowles said, for example, that just about any
revenue realized from FMCP goes not to the park itself but the city’s general fund.
The report also would like the Mayor’s Office to direct more coordination among city agencies, such as having the Department of Transportation help with road repairs in city parks; and the Department of Environmental Protection to assist more with things like broken water mains.
Jean Silva, the longtime executive director of the Flushing Meadows Corona Park Conservancy, said the history of underfunding can’t be understated.
“For 20 years I’ve been fighting for the park,” Silva said. “They’ve totally neglected it. [The city] always says the same thing — ‘We don’t have the money.’ Well, we know that. That’s part of the problem. What are you doing about getting the money?”
Silva cited a recent report on flooding funded by U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing), and another on FMCP’s needs from 2008.
“Nothing has changed the landscape,” Silva said. “What was bad in 2008 is even worse now.” Bowles also said city officials need to step up to cultivate private investment sources.
A spokesman for the city Department of Parks and Recreation said it continuously explores innovative and creative approaches to enhance its parks, and values the spirit CUF
continued on page 17
CONZA | MCNAMARA
PLANNING ATTORNEYS
EDWARD R. MCNAMARA, ESQ.
CYNTHIA J. CONZA, ESQ.
PHOTOBYMICHAELGANNON
EDITORIAL AGEP
If it’s autumn, it’s our Back to School and Fall Guide
Ready for the change of season? It’s upon us. Labor Day is Monday. That’s Sept. 1, which means fall both by tradition and by meteorological season. If you go by astronomical seasons, you get three more weeks, with autumn starting the afternoon of Sept. 22. But that’s it. Ready or not, it’s nearly time for kids to go back to school, for leaves to change color and for clothes to get heavier.
The change will be a little easier for you, though, because you’re holding the Queens Chronicle’s annual Back to School and Fall Guide special edition. If you don’t have a print edition containing the supplement in your hands and you’re reading this at qchron.com, you’ll find a link to it on our home page or you can get the stories under the Sections tab.
The supplement begins, as has become tradition, with an article on the new schools opening in Queens, as well as expansions. The former includes what a city agency calls “a crown jewel,” the Queens Innovation Center, a 3,066-seat building housing four high schools, on Northern Boulevard in Woodside. Other new educational space will be opening up from Long Island City to Hollis.
But learning can continue beyond the classroom, and our next article is about entities outside of the Department of
Education that foster it. It starts with the massive Queens Library, which offers countless programs in dozens of locations, but includes small outfits such as Projekt NYC, an Astoria-based group that educates and instills values.
What is taught is always an issue, and another article examines the ongoing drive to increase representation in school curricula. One way the city is trying to do that is through its Hidden Voices initiative, which provides lesson plans and other resources that include people of color, people with disabilities and people in the LGBTQ communities.
Another piece examines Success Academy, and features an exclusive interview with its founder and CEO, Eva Moskowitz. The former lawmaker with a drive to provide a sterling education gives an update on her new schools in Howard Beach and Ridgewood and touts the results Success students achieve, such as their high standardized test scores.
Meanwhile, at York College, the tenure of the new president has been made official, and now Claudia Schrader can put more of her own vision into action. An article on York’s future outlines some of those ideas, and other progress there.
A 2025-26 city schools calendar, compatible with all makes of refrigerator door, wraps up the education section.
Starting the Fall Guide section is our community theater preview, relating which shows are being performed, by whom, when and where. Expect everything from Shakespeare’s best to a compilation of original short works.
There’s a piece on fall fashion, which might go in the Back to School section given how conscience young people can be of how they present, but is really for one and all. It’s not a flashy season, overall, with muted colors and loose, baggy shirts and pants getting a lot of attention.
Where would you go in your latest gear? Anywhere, of course, but one place would be any of Queens’ many great art galleries and museums. We have a story laying out some of the exhibits that are up now and many of those to come. The environment is a theme common to several shows.
And speaking of museums, the day trip in this edition is one you might take to The Frick Collection, which is not the best known place to see art in Manhattan but has a stunning collection of pieces by the likes of Gainsborough, Turner, Manet, Monet and Vermeer. You could spend hours there.
So go on, watch football, have a pumpkin spice coffee, do your autumn thing — and with our Back to School and Fall Guide special section at your side, you’ll be all set.
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LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
Test scores skewed
Dear Editor:
Re Kristen Guglielmo’s Aug.14 report “More students score higher in math, ELA”:
”Figures don’t lie, but liars sure can figure,” says an old adage. That cautionary statement applies to NYC’s Department of Education, which boasts of improvements in the statewide math and English language arts standardized test scores for students in grades three to eight.
It says 56.9 percent of NYC public school students passed the math exam, while 56.3 percent passed the ELA, a significant rise from last year. One reason for this improvement, not noted by the DOE, is a lowering of benchmarks for passing grades by the New York State Education Department (New York Post, Aug 17).
For example, third-graders only had to get 57 percent of the ELA questions correct this year, compared to 60 percent in 2024. Why the change in standards? An SED spokesperson told the Post that many of this year’s questions were tougher than those of last year. That’s equivalent to saying: “Don’t raise the bridge, lower the water.”
Also not noted by the DOE is a comparison of district school scores to those of charter school students. A total of 68.6 percent of charter school students passed the math exam, while 67.5 percent passed the ELA. That’s more than a 10 percent across-the-board out-performance rate over district school students. Charter schools deliver better results at lower cost to
taxpayers than district schools. The DOE spends $35,941 per student in district schools, while charter schools spend $18,340 per student, according to the DOE.
One reason for this disparity, notes the Post, is that many charter schoolteachers are not unionized, while most district schoolteachers are union members. That’s why teachers unions endorse politicians like NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, the state assemblyman, who wants to cap the number of charter schools and ban their co-location in buildings also occupied by district schools (New York Post, Aug 18). He prioritizes teachers’ pay over student performance.
Richard Reif Kew Gardens Hills
End Rochdale pillage
Dear Editor:
As a 40-year shareholder of Rochdale Village and former chair of its board, I am deeply alarmed by the proposed 22 to 30 percent increase in carrying charges. Earlier this year, a
57 percent hike was floated. Both are unacceptable. They threaten to make one of New York’s largest affordable co-ops unaffordable for the very residents it was created to serve.
This crisis did not appear overnight. It is the result of years of mismanagement by the coop’s managing agent and inadequate oversight by the state. Under their watch, Rochdale accumulated nearly $17 million in unpaid wate r bills, refinanced into a $195 million predatory mortgage that has since ballooned, and signed sweetheart leases with commercial tenants like Chase Bank that include rent increases as low as 1.6 percent annually. Meanwhile, residents are told to absorb double-digit hikes while management cannot even produce paperwork for past property sales.
It is fundamentally unjust to make residents pay for debts and deficits created by poor decisions and a lack of transparency. Seniors, working families and civil servants who built their lives here cannot shoulder this burden.
The solution is straightforward: Freeze the proposed increase, commission a forensic audit and remove the current managing agent. State
LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
officials must step in now, release the $30 million already pledged to Rochdale and ensure accountability before a single dollar more is taken from shareholders.
Finally, I urge all Rochdale Village shareholders, neighboring community residents and New Yorkers who care about affordability to write to the Hon. Gov. Kathy Hochul — and, more importantly, NYS Housing and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas, at ruthanne.visnauskas@hcr.ny.gov — and tell them to protect middle-income co-op residents the same way the state saves and supports low-income tenants and even corporations with the actions above.
Rochdale Village must be saved — not sacrificed.
Rodney Reid Rochdale Village
Bus route roulette
Dear Editor:
In regard to the MTA bus route changes that began on June 29, I have to laugh when I hear a tape on the bus that says they are making the system “more reliable and direct.”
Tell that to the people who ride the lines that have been cut in half, such as the Q38, which now only goes as far as Fresh Pond Road, where you have to wait up to 15 minutes for a Q14 bus to take you the rest of your ride.
This is not reliable and direct.
But folks, wait — there are more cuts coming this Sunday, Aug. 31. Additional lines and stops are being eliminated. For example, the Q21 is going to be discontinued and replaced by three Q11 routes. However, the Q11 will no longer be going up Pitkin Avenue, and all the existing service to 157th Avenue will be discontinued.
So the choices that the customers have to get service are walking up to six blocks to Crossbay Boulevard to get a Q11 bus or taking the A train from the two Aqueduct stations and transferring at the Rockaway Boulevard stop. In the first round of cuts in June, if your stop was eliminated, you had to walk an additional two blocks.
But now, for the MTA to remove sections of bus service and for people to walk further or have to take a train to get your bus, when you have had your local bus for decades, is simply ridiculous.
Shame on the MTA. By far, this is not reliable and direct.
John Lynch Middle Village
Senseless bus stop loss
Dear Editor:
We had two buses stopping at Northern Boulevard and Bowne Street before the bus route changes, the Q13 and Q28. The bus stop was eliminated altogether with the new redesign. The Q12 replaced the former buses but eliminated every other stop to speed up service.
I can understand this during the rush hour, but I believe after 10 a.m. all stops could be made, especially for the sake of the elderly and handicapped. The weather is not always conducive, particularly in the winter, to have to walk to another bus stop.
The Q28 was made into a rush bus, which means all stops were eliminated from 150th Street and Northern Boulevard to Union Street.
Again, why the need for a rush bus after 10 a.m.? As an example, the 7 train stops express service after 10 a.m. and then goes local. Furthermore, there is a stoplight at this bus stop, so the bus has to stop anyway, at times.
John Semple Flushing
Editor’s note: See the story about the eliminated bus stop in some of this week’s print editions or at qchron.com.
Test for prostate cancer
Dear Editor:
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and it is time to stand up against prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in American men. This year alone, 313,780 men will be diagnosed with the disease, and 35,770 men will die of it.
The key is early detection, which will give a better outcome in fighting this disease. I know that only too well. I was diagnosed in January 2015. I was going to have knee surgery, but it was discovered my PSA was too high and with further tests I was diagnosed with an aggressive prostate cancer. In further discussion with my urologist, it was decided that the prostate had to be removed, which did happen.
At that time I was 65 years old and went into remission. Now I am 76, and it was discovered six months ago I now have metastatic prostate cancer, stage 4. I am now undergoing immunotherapy and am doing better. But this would not happen if I had not been tested once a year.
I truly recommend all men over 45 to get the PSA test for prostate cancer. It will save and extend your life. Your family will be glad you do it.
Frederick Robert Bedell Jr. Bellerose
Living life by the book
Dear Editor:
Every July 4, Woods Hole, Mass., the Village that Runs on Science, where more Nobel laureates are buried than any other place in the world, stages an amazing science-based Fourth of July Day parade. This year’s event included human-sized dancing embryos, blue and pink, and microorganisms. Best was the parade component assembled by the Woods Hole Public Library, which got the entire town chanting, “Read more books” with volume and conviction.
I truly appreciate Kew and Willow’s contribution to that cause and the Queens Chronicle’s recognition of this wonderful store (“In Kew Gardens, fostering community through books,” qboro, Aug. 14).
Debra Michlewitz Bayside
Pipeline: risky and costly
Dear Editor:
In March, Gov. Hochul and President Trump negotiated behind mostly closed doors, after which Trump claimed Hochul “caved” to his request. Shortly after, Oklahoma-based company Williams filed a permit to build the Northeast Supply Enhancement Project after being continued on next page
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continued from previous page
rejected multiple times since 2017. Gov. Hochul has been fast-tracking the pipeline approval process this year, providing a historically short public comment period for a project of this scale without any public hearings, virtual or in-person.
Yet, Gov. Hochul attempts to portray herself as a champion for the health of New Yorkers ahead of the 2026 election. She is signing orders to create “a More Affordable, More Livable New York” and ban phones in schools bell to bell, claiming to care about students’ mental health.
Her pipeline fast tracks are telling a different story. The Williams NESE pipeline would require the dredging of seabed laced with toxins from New York’s industrial era that currently lay dormant. This disruption would disperse chemicals such as lead, arsenic, PCBs and dioxin throughout New York’s waters, the effects being most pronounced in Southern Queens, which the pipeline is planned to go within three miles of. Exposure to PCBs is linked to causing developmental difficulties in youth. Exposure to dioxin, lead, and arsenic is linked to cancer across all age groups.
Health is not the only concern. On average, people in Queens pay $349 per month on electricity. Our rates of $0.30 per kilowatthour are 1.5 times the national average. The NESE pipeline will cost at least $1.23 billion without counting Trump’s steel tariffs. The cost will be pushed to us as a rate hike.
This is the time for New Yorkers to demand renewable energy, which costs between $0.037 and $0.16 per kWh, and that means not letting Gov. Hochul approve an expensive pipeline project.
Catherine Du Bayside Hills
The writer is a climate activist with Fridays for Future NYC and the Sunrise Movement and a rising freshman at Hunter College High School.
He’s got Dem voting
Dear Editor:
The administration in the White House moves our nation further into authoritarianism, as Republicans offer no contention and Democrats wring their hands with no constructive effect. However, the race for mayor of New York is becoming very interesting.
State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has energized his predominantly young base and other supporters to make their voices heard, not by marching in protest but by voting, which they did in large numbers, winning the Democratic primary election. If Mr. Mamdani becomes mayor, particularly by a comfortable margin, his candidate
Write a Letter!
We want to hear from new voices! Letters should be no longer than 300 words and may be edited. They may be emailed to letters@qchron.com. Please include your phone number, which will not be published.
endorsements will carry a lot of weight in many New York races.
Given that he considers himself a democratic socialist, the whole nation will be watching the result of this race. Yet, his messages of supporting working families, making life more affordable, backing unions and veterans, protecting retirement benefits and helping those most vulnerable are nothing new. These are the major issues traditional Democrats used to run on before they transitioned into what they are now.
Glenn Hayes Kew Gardens
Hogan’s crew no heroes
Dear Editor:
I was taught as a very young social worker the importance of “boundaries.” It became so intense that I actually wrote articles about it, realizing how important it is in working with people. In fact, without clear boundaries — values, roles, what is considered appropriate behavior — clarity of meaning can be lost and harm can be caused, especially when abuse and violence are concerned.
What does this have to do with “Hogan’s Heroes”? I happened to find the show on cable and thought, “Wait a minute, Nazis are not funny, prisoner-of-war camps are not funny.”
Nazis are about the Holocaust. It largely was perpetrated by impressionable young men. How are we allowing the blurring of boundaries with this show to leave the impression that any of this is funny? This is blurring boundaries of acceptable behavior, showing a lack of thought, lack of empathy, lack of critical thinking, from people who had turned against their neighbors.
Isn’t this what we are seeing now with Immigration and Customs Enforcement? The blurring of boundaries and people turning against their neighbors? Isn’t this show, which is still a money maker, with no consequence and no conscience, part of the problem perpetuating fascism in the United States?
Stew Frimer Forest Hills
Whoa, dude, like wow
Dear Editor:
President Trump still wants to get his mug engraved on sacred Mt. Rushmore. This is surprising from someone who says he never got stoned in his life.
Ray Hackinson Ozone Park
Keep calm, carry on
Dear Editor:
We all have moments when we are like, “Whoa, that’s intense.” People are people — live and let live. Time passes, you move on. There’s always someone better than you, always someone worse. Keep going! Eva Julietta Tortora Manhattan
Fracked-gas pipelines have no place in NYS OPINION
by Dr. Kathleen Nolan and Khaleel Anderson
We are a physician and an elected state official who are both deeply committed to protecting our communities and are deeply alarmed at the prospect of New York State going backwards on energy policy. For years, we’ve been moving toward clean, renewable energy.
But now President Trump is trying to bully New York into resurrecting the Northeast Supply Enhancement and Constitution gas pipelines. We urge Gov. Hochul to stand firm for our water and health and deny these dangerous pipelines once and for all.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation rejected plans for these two fracked-gas pipelines years ago, the first to be buried beneath the ocean floor between New Jersey and the Rockaways, and the second traversing the state from the Southern Tier to near Albany. Together these two pipelines would jeopardize the water quality of hundreds of waterbodies and wetlands, which is why New York’s environmental officials previously rejected them under section 401 of the federal Clean Water Act.
For over 10 years, New York physicians, scientists and other health professionals have collaborated in a comprehensive, ongoing analysis of the impacts of gas drilling and fracking, including the pipelines and compressor stations they require. These findings overwhelmingly point to the need to protect New Yorkers — especially those in already pollution-burdened communities — from these outdated fossil fuel projects.
tidal flooding, heavy rainfall and flash flooding. The Rockaways also contend with a peaker plant in Bayswater, heavy truck congestion and regular airplane flyovers — all of which contribute significantly to local pollution levels.
The proposals NYS rejected once before are unhealthy and unsafe.
Pipelines are accident-prone. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration documented 241 fatalities and 1,020 injuries associated with pipeline accidents, while some researchers believe the number may be much higher. New Yorkers care about our water and land and understand their connection to environmental and public health. The state’s past decisions to deny these pipelines because they endangered our water quality honored that.
The NESE pipeline would also threaten the marine ecosystem and its food chains, as well as the health of the surrounding millions of New Yorkers. Construction of pipelines on land degrades and compacts soil, reducing water infiltration and inhibiting plant productivity for years to come.
Pipelines routinely vent and leak methane — the primary component of so-called “natural gas” and a powerful contributor to climate change. Escaped methane also interacts with other chemicals in the air and exacerbates fine-particle air pollution, known as PM2.5. When New Yorkers are exposed to this type of pollution, their risk of conditions including heart disease and asthma increases. Much of New York State, including Queens County, still receives a poor grade from the American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” report, and building more pipelines undermines our commitment to changing that.
This pipeline represents yet another case of environmental injustice, with Black, Latino and immigrant communities disproportionately burdened by pollution, health hazards and environmental harm.
The Rockaways and the rest of Assembly District 31 have endured Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Ida and the growing impacts of sea level rise, such as frequent
In the Raritan Bay, which would be impacted by the NESE pipeline, endangered species like the piping plover and threatened plants like the seabeach amaranth would be threatened by long-buried toxic chemicals — including PCBs, dioxin, lead, and arsenic — that we cannot risk re-suspending.
Allowing these pipelines would be a tragic surrender of our autonomy, dignity, water, environment and public health. President Trump wants them because the fossil fuel industry can make some money off them on the backs of New York ratepayers, who will see costs go up. But New York has the authority to deny them — again — and indeed must, given the water quality harms they pose. It’s up to Gov. Hochul to tell Trump and the gas industry no, because in New York, we protect our water and public health. Q
Dr. Kathleen Nolan is a founder and board member of Concerned Health Professionals of New York who also works for Catskill Mountainkeeper; and Khaleel Anderson is New York State Assemblyman for the 31st District, in Southeast Queens.
Group fighting prostitution, laden with candidates, hits 37th Ave. site Activists campaign beyond Roosevelt
by Andrew Karpan Chronicle Contributor
On a quiet Sunday afternoon in Corona, blocks away from the colorful bustle of Roosevelt Avenue, about 20 people gathered suddenly in front of what appeared to be a nondescript spa that had opened recently inside a shuttered tax preparation business.
They were there to protest.
“Our community is being destroyed by prostitution,” Restore Roosevelt Avenue Coalition spokesperson Rosa Sanchez said in a speech in front of the building. Situated next to a bakery, the site at 96-15 37 Ave. was largely unadorned aside from a handwritten address and generic spa imagery.
A press release for the rally said the building houses a brothel. Sanchez said that her group fielded complaints about the building from people living in the apartment house across the street. In front of the apartment building, a smaller crowd grew of people watching the protest without joining.
“We are going to continue asking our elected officials, who are in power, to make sure they come out and answer our questions,” said Sanchez in her speech. “We want to unite this community to be how it was in the past.”
The protest had been organized by both Sanchez and the ousted former city and state lawmaker Hiram Monserrate, expelled by
the New York State Senate in 2010 after an assault conviction. He was later sentenced to two years in prison on unrelated charges of directing thousands in taxpayer funds toward one of his state Senate campaigns. In the years since, Monserrate has continued to run for elected office, eventually winning a spot as one of four local Democratic Party district leaders in 2018.
In recent months, Monserrate and the Restore Roosevelt group have been targeting alleged brothels in the area. In March, they said the Palladium Bar on Roosevelt Ave. was running a brothel in its basement. Last week, they made similar allegations about a basement near a bodega on 39th Avenue.
“We have a list of about 15 locations and we’re trying to do one a week,” Monserrate told the Chronicle. “We have people who are members of our coalition who go in [to the brothels] and get information and come back.”
The police are not involved in those efforts, though at least one site the group targeted was padlocked over the summer with an NYPD commander present. Monserrate has penned a public letter to the FBI telling the agency that he has information showing that the businesses are being operated by organized crime syndicates based in China, though he declined to share any information directly tying the spa on 37th Avenue to criminal operations.
Last year, Mayor Adams’ Operation Restore Roosevelt tasked itself to “end sex trafficking in this area.” By June, the city announced that prostitution-related arrests had risen nearly fivefold, though that has not stopped the string of protests from Monserrate and the coalition, who plan to organize another one on Roosevelt Avenue next week.
During Sunday’s demonstration, the alleged brothel appeared closed, though a woman was seen leaving wearing a black dress and a motorcycle helmet. Later, a tall man wearing a baseball cap did the same.
Both were heckled by protesters. The man responded “maybe” and laughed when asked if he was a brothel customer. He did not respond to any other questions before leaving.
“The politicians who are in office right
Blood drives in South Queens
The New York Blood Center is seeking donors of all blood types to help surgery and cancer patients, new mothers and babies and accident and crime victims in need. Information on how to donate blood or schedule a drive is available at nybc.org.
Upcoming area blood drives include:
• Knights of Columbus Council 197, from 8:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6, at 94-04 Linden Blvd. in Ozone Park; blood drive coordinator Paul Eggert;
• Geordie’s Joint, from 12 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, at 79-19 Jamaica Ave. in Woodhaven; blood drive coordinator
now, they don’t do anything. Where are they? We need a community that is clean and respected,” said Maria Giraldo, a publicist and longtime Monserrate supporter who has gone with him to multiple protests around other alleged brothels in the neighborhood.
Monserrate remains unpopular with most elected Democrats and his political allies appeared to be largely Republicans with longshot candidacies.
Two joined him on Sunday: Peter Kefalas, a Republican from Rego Park who is the party’s nominee for city comptroller against Mark Levine, and Ramses Frias, a longtime anti-prostitution activist and the Republican challenging Councilman Shekar Krishnan (D-Jackson Heights). He used the event to pass out campaign literature.
Kefalas told the Chronicle that he joined in because Monserrate showed up at protests against a men’s shelter at the Wyndham Gardens Hotel in Rego Park.
“We became friends, so when there’s an event [like this], not too far from where I live, I come,” said Kefalas.
“We need a community that is clean and respected.”
Monserrate says he remains a Democrat, though he doesn’t plan to vote for the party’s nominee for mayor, state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (D-Astoria). He hasn’t decided which of Mamdani’s rivals he plans to support.
— Maria Giraldo
“[Adams] is a Democrat, so is Cuomo. You’ve got two Democrats [who] are more Democrat than Mamdani, because Mamdani and that group, they’re not really Democrats. They’re radical socialists and they’ve hijacked the party,” said Monserrate. Q
MandiesinCrossIslandwreck
Patricia Robinson;
• Indo Caribbean Federation, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14 at 95-30 118 St. in South Richmond Hill; blood drive coordinator Frank Singh;
• NYPD 106th Precinct, from 12 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 103-53 101 St. in Ozone Park; blood drive coordinator Sgt. Navdeep Singh; and
• Holy Child Jesus Church, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 28, in the gymnasium at 111-02 86 Ave. in Richmond Hill; blood drive coordinator Helen Aviles. Q
A South Richmond Hill man was killed early Tuesday morning in what police say was a one-car accident on the Cross Island Parkway in Bay Terrace.
The crash took place at about 2:30 a.m., police said, near the Bell Boulevard exit, within the confines of the 111th Precinct. The deceased occupant of the car was identified as Bishinu Madray-Mootoo, 24, of 120th Street.
The NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad determined that Madray-Mootoo and an unknown individual were in a 1999 BMW 323i north-
bound on the Cross Island before it struck a guard rail located along the east side of the roadway. Police did not indicate who was driving. The vehicle crossed three lanes and struck a concrete median before overturning onto its roof.
EMS personnel transported MadrayMootoo to North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, LI, where he was pronounced dead.
Police said the second occupant did not remain on the scene. There were no arrests, and the investigation is continuing. Q — Michael Gannon
Rosa Sanchez of the Restore Roosevelt Avenue Coalition speaks against prostitution at a rally outside a reputed brothel, joined by fellow protesters including Peter Kefalas of Rego Park, the Republican candidate for city comptroller. PHOTOBYANDREWKARPMAN
A woman who left the alleged brothel wearing a motorcycle helmet is followed by protester Maria Giraldo. PHOTOBYANDREWKARPMAN
Friendly fire cited, during career criminal’s alleged carjacking spree NYPD detective is shot in Whitestone
by Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief
A police detective was shot a little before 9 a.m. last Friday in Whitestone, apparently a victim of friendly fire, as officers tried to apprehend a career criminal after his third carjacking attempt of the morning, officials said.
Kevin Dubuisson, 28, a four-time felon whose record includes multiple knifepoint robberies and assaults on cops, had just stolen a Toyota Highlander SUV from an Uber driver after assaulting the man, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
Det. Corey Fisher, who was on duty but wearing civilian clothing, was wounded after he and his partner blocked Dubuisson’s escape with their vehicle.
A mix of officers from the 109th Precinct responding to the victim’s call to 911 and on-duty narcotics detectives who happened to be passing by and stopped to assist converged on the suspect, Tisch said during a press conference held with other police officials and Mayor Adams.
The officials spoke at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where Fisher was being treated. Tisch said he was shot in the right hand and left leg and was in stable condition. He was released Monday.
faces up to 32 years in prison.
The shooting took place on the corner of the northbound Whitestone Expressway service road and 21st Road at 8:57 a.m.
The mayhem began at about 8:40, when Dubuisson allegedly attempted to steal a car from the Mobil gas station at the corner of Parsons Boulevard and 20th Avenue, just a few blocks away, but was scared off by employees, Tisch said. Two minutes later, he allegedly attempted to carjack a woman just steps away but was scared off by her husband, who ran out of the gas station.
At 8:52, he allegedly accosted an Uber driver who was parked on the Whitestone service road, assaulted him and stole his SUV.
Two victims who called 911 thought he had a gun, Tisch said, though none was found at the scene. Officers from the 109th Precinct discharged their weapons during the arrest, she said.
Katz said Fisher’s unmarked Chrysler Pacifica had its lights activated when he maneuvered into the path of the SUV before Dubuisson allegedly struck the side of the vehicle, stopping his getaway.
“That is criminal justice reform for you.”
— NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a Monday morning press release that Dubuisson was arraigned on a criminal complaint charging him with two counts of first-degree assault, three counts of firstdegree robbery, assault on a peace or police officer, three counts of second-degree robbery, second-degree attempted robbery, two counts of second-degree assault, thirddegree grand larceny, third-degree attempted grand larceny, fourth-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree attempted grand larceny and two counts of menacing.
Judge Joanne Watters remanded the defendant and ordered him to return to court on Aug. 27. If convicted, Dubuisson
The DA said Fisher and his partner had their guns drawn as they exited their vehicle.
The wounded detective has 12 years on the job and his wife is expecting a child, Adams said, citing “state laws that allow for the revolving door of criminal activity” as adding to the risk officers face on the streets.
“I want to be clear,” the mayor said. “Regardless of who shot our detective, there is one person responsible for starting the chain of events that landed us in the hospital today. This is a man who should have been behind bars, not on our streets. He’s a 28-year-old recidivist with a lengthy rap sheet of robbery and assaulting officers who was on parole for a robbery that took place in March and was literally arrested again
and released yesterday with a desk appearance ticket.
“This is the definition, I believe of insanity: arresting the same people over and over again and expecting different results.”
Adams met with Fisher’s wife and mother and said he is expected to make a full recovery.
Tisch echoed Adams’ sentiments, noting that “Mr. Dubuisson has a lengthy violent criminal history with 10 career unsealed arrests including multiple knifepoint robberies and multiple assaults on police officers” and has been convicted of felonies four times. Before the changes to the criminal justice laws passed in 2019 and enacted in 2020, someone such as him who was arrested on parole would not have been eligible to be given a desk appearance ticket and let go, as he was yesterday, she said.
“It is unconscionable that a violent predicate felon who pled guilty to two more rob-
beries was out on the streets to commit his crimes today,” Tisch said. “That is criminal justice reform for you.”
“[T]his defendant brought chaos to a quiet Queens neighborhood on Friday morning when he attempted to carjack multiple people and assaulted a livery driver — events that directly led to a responding New York City Police Detective being shot in a friendly fire incident,” Katz said. “Make no mistake, this defendant’s alleged actions set into motion the events that led to Detective Corey Fisher’s hospitalization. I wish Detective Fisher well as he recuperates from his injuries.”
Scott Munro, president of the Detective Endowment Association, said, “I have a message for Albany. Come off your vacation now, get up in Albany, and let’s start working to protect our police, our detectives that are out there working every day.” Q Michael Gannon contributed to this story.
Two West Nile cases confirmed in Queens
by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor
Health officials reported last Friday that two Queen residents have been diagnosed with the city’s first two cases of West Nile virus in 2025.
The city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene also reported that the virus has been detected in mosquito-infested pools in all five boroughs since July.
One individual was diagnosed with West Nile fever, was briefly hospitalized, and has since been discharged, according to a statement from the DOHMH. The second indi-
vidual was diagnosed with West Nile neuroinvasive disease and has been hospitalized with encephalitis, an infection in the brain.
In addition, the virus was detected in blood donations from two people, one a resident of Brooklyn and the other of Staten Island. Reports of two more individuals from Brooklyn are under investigation.
“West Nile virus can cause serious illness, especially among people over 55 and with weakened immune systems,” said Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse in a press release. “The Health Department’s vector surveillance and con-
trol program helps identify and reduce our risk, but there are simple things you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones.”
Mosquitoes infected with West Nile typically appear in the city from May through October, with peak activity in August and September.
Morse recommended an EPA-registered insect repellent and long-sleeved shirts and pants, especially at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are more active.
The department also is asking people to eliminate standing water so mosquitoes can’t breed, and make to make sure their
doors and windows have intact screens.
Symptoms of encephalitis can include fever, headache, confusion, seizures, and behavioral changes. Treatment varies depending on the cause. It can be fatal or leave lingering aftereffects.
Positive tests are down compared to 2024. An interactive map of where they originated us at tinyurl.com/2h7ja2nd.
More than two dozen Queens neighborhoods have had positive tests, though the city said a lack of positive results somewhere does not necessarily mean that the virus is not present. Q
NYPD Det. Corey Fisher was released from Jamaica Hospital Medical Center on Monday, three days after he was wounded in a friendly-fire incident in Whitestone. Fisher and his partner were on duty and in civilian clothes when they confronted the suspect in an alleged carjacking. A suspect has been charged.
Queens residents weigh in on quality of life
continued from page 2
without considering the other traffic on the road,” he said. “We don’t want to see anyone get hurt, but that is an issue.”
Over in Glendale, resident Edwin Eppich said traffic is often “a mess” with perpetually clogged streets, prompting him to drive only at certain times.
People from outside the area also tend to park their cars and leave them in one spot for days, Eppich said.
Scooters ridden on the sidewalk and endangering pedestrians are a concern for Richmond Hill resident and Community Board 9 Chair Sherry Algredo, but her top issue is unlicensed smoke shops “that are popping up all over.”
“We’re able to come out and move around, but I would say a lot of people have safety concerns,” Algredo said. According to the survey, those who feel safe or very safe walking alone in their neighborhood at night dropped to 59 percent citywide, from 70 percent in 2017.
While St. Albans Civic Improvement Association President Oster Bryan said there are “nuisances” in his area, the largely residential neighborhood is not characterized by high crime.
“I think over 30 percent of the population is over 60, to put that in perspective,” Bryan said. “They feel comfortable outside.”
Holden applauded the NYPD’s new
dedicated Q-teams for quality-of-life issues, which launched in Queens Aug. 18, but he was told those units also must handle 911 calls when the need arises. Due to the volume of calls coming into the 104th Precinct, he said, that issue has an especially strong effect on his district.
Just 51.9 percent of city residents rated 311 responses as good or excellent, a double-digit drop from the CBC’s 2017 data.
“The answer to all of these things that I’m talking about is cops,” Holden said. “We need more.”
Bryan said government services have always been a complaint in his area, where his neighbors feel their community gets neglected. Their sentiments echo those of most city residents, the CBC’s survey results show — 27 percent of respondents rated government services “excellent” or “good,” a decrease from the 44 percent recorded in 2017.
“That’s the perception, that we don’t get the attention from city agencies that other communities might,” he said. There are ongoing protests against a proposed lithium ion battery storage site near 179th Street and Linden Boulevard, he noted.
Several residents also cited specific policies when asked about quality of life, especially the zoning changes allowed under the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan, which passed last year.
Euler said many of his neighbors fore-
see more intense developments that will adversely impact the community. Many Southeast Queens residents opposed the plan, Bryan said, so they had an even greater sense that the city is not working for them.
“The community should not be subject to overdevelopment just so some people can make a huge profit,” he said.
Friedrich said Local Law 97, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for large buildings and reach net zero by 2050, has affected residents’ quality of life, especially seniors, young families and individuals living paycheck to paycheck. They fear they will no longer be able to afford to stay in their homes, he explained — failing to replace natural gas boilers with electric heat units could result in hefty fines.
Eppich said property tax increases are a concern for him — quality of life is deteriorating throughout Queens because money is getting drained out of neighborhoods, he said.
While Euler said he feels safe on public transportation, he cited concerns about the Queens Bus Network Redesign, which will enter its second phase of implementation Aug. 31. He noted that some stops will be farther apart, creating challenges for seniors and disabled individuals.
“There are things that have to be worked on, but in general, I think our neighborhood is very good,” he said. Q
continued from page 9
brings to parks funding.
“NYC Parks remains steadfastly committed to providing Queens residents with exceptional greenspaces and recreation opportunities at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, one of our city’s most treasured destinations,” he said in an email. “Our dedicated park maintenance and operations teams work tirelessly year-round to clear catch basins and pump areas during severe weather events, striving to keep the park accessible and safe for all visitors. With over $65 million in current projects containing flooding resiliency features, NYC Parks is staying focused on keeping Flushing Meadows ready for inclement weather conditions.”
The report does acknowledge millions in upkeep that has been spent; though it also says more than $50 million dedicated to restoring the towers of the New York State Pavilion from the 1964-65 World’s Fair does not benefit park-goers directly.
“We want this to be the start of the conversation,” Bowles said. “We like these 20 ideas. There could be 40 or 100 ... I think for too long, we haven’t thought big enough about Flushing Meadows Corona Park. We’re asking the questions ‘What can it be? How can we make it better for Queens residents? It is a muchloved park, a jewel of the borough. But it could be so much more.” Q
Open Houses
The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center was packed last Thursday amid the US Open’s Fan Week festivities.
Forest Hills’ Allen Sieh and Vinson Huang, at left in main photo, Long Island’s Savannah George and Irene and Pauline Bae of Little Neck enjoyed some tennis with a round of drinks. At top left, Jackson Heights native and veteran attendee Maria Pecora came with her daughter’s best friend, Antoinette Maggiore. Below them, Astoria brothers Aldair and Isaac Rojas joined Angela Luna of Long Island City to get a taste of the action. Bayside natives Marty and Lisa Clark, flanking Scott Clark at center, brought their whole family back to Queens.
To the right, Dimple Belani of Bellerose, a repeat attendee, took a break from the action
to browse the food court. Szonja and Csaba Gerencser of Forest Hills joined Astoria’s Gerry and Kathleen Vadas to do the same over poke, cocktails and plenty of laughs. The Villarico family of Elmhurst, above, fueled up with some pizza. Next to them, retired teachers Elissa Goldstein and Donald Nobles of Whitestone enjoyed their day at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Fan Week drew both local and distant crowds — at far right above, Mason Kennedy rode in from Scranton with grandmother Janet Valvano to take notes for his own tennis practice. Rick Spalding came from Nebraska with sons Wyatt and Weston for their first Open. The Wang family, at far right, call Albuquerque home and are loving their first stay in Flushing. — Stephanie G. Meditz
All l ve for tennis in and beyond ueens
PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE
G. MEDITZ
State sets hearings on Citi casino plan
Presentations, public input sessions at Borough Hall on Sept. 9 and 16
by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor
The Metropolitan Park Advisory Committee will host two public hearings in September on the proposal to license a casino in what now is the parking lot at Citi Field.
The casino is the anchor of the Metropolitan Park plan, an $8 billion entertainment and recreation venue backed by a coalition led by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International, Inc.
The group is seeking one of three downstate casino licenses that the New York State Gaming Commission is expected to award by the end of this year.
Among the other suitors for a license is Genting, the owner of Resorts World NYC in South Ozone Park [see separate story in some editions or at qchron.com].
Both hearings will be at Borough Hall on Queens Boulevard in Kew Gardens. The first will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 9, with doors opening at 3:30 p.m.
Following a presentation by the applicants, members of the public will be given up to two minutes apiece to offer their support for or opposition to the plan on a first-come, firstserved basis.
Information for those wishing to view the hearing on a live stream is available online at tinyurl.com/5btzw7kk.
nent positions.
Opponents have cited a number of points. Many disapprove of turning over public parkland to a private for-profit endeavor.
Others have expressed concern over the environmental impact of new water and sewer demands in proximity to Flushing Bay and increased automobile traffic. Further concerns include the possibility of present day residents eventually being priced out of their homes and potential social impacts, such as problem gambling and increased crime.
And while some opponents support repurposing the 50-acre parking lot with more emphasis on public green parkland than on businesses, any future project on the site, be it Metropolitan Park or something else, is required by the Mets’ lease with the city to include replacement parking for visitors to Citi Field.
Those wishing to speak publicly in support of or in opposition to the proposed casino and entertainment complex adjacent to Citi Field can do so at public hearings scheduled at Borough Hall on Sept. 9 and 16.
The second hearing is scheduled a week later but beginning at 10 a.m. on Sept. 16 and running to 1 p.m. Information for those wishing to view the meeting via live stream will be provided closer to the meeting date. Doors will open at 9:30 a.m.
The Metropolitan Park plan also includes a
RENDERINGVIAMETROPOLITANPARK.COM/FILE
Hard Rock concert venue, a 2,500-room hotel and convention space, a food hall, 25 acres of park space, a renovated No. 7 subway station at Mets-Willets Point, hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure upgrades to increase access to the Flushing waterfront and up to 23,000 union jobs in construction and perma-
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The advisory committee is expected to vote by Sept. 30 on whether to advance the application to the state’s Gaming Facility Location Board for consideration.
Borough Hall is located at 120-50 Queens Blvd., and the meetings will take place in the building’s atrium.
There is some nearby parking. The building also is served by multiple bus lines, and both the E and F trains stop at the nearby Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike station. Q
Aby Marlee Wollman
t MoMA PS1, the current exhibition “Gatherers,” on view until Oct. 6, presents waste not as an afterthought, but as a defining element of the world today. Curated by Ruba Katrib, the show brings into focus the transformation of discarded materials, insisting on a confrontation with the results of endless consumption.
The work of 14 international artists, bound by this common theme, traverses mediums and space through the reconfiguration of remnants into tenuous constellations. Each piece, manifesting in stark tangible distinction from the next, stands as a reminder of what has been squandered in the midst of ceaseless material expansion, evoking poignant sentiments of diminishment, depletion and the violence of global industrialization.
MoMA PS1 sits at 22-25 Jackson Ave. in Long Island City, and admission is free for New York residents.
The philosopher David Trotter once proposed a useful distinction: “Waste is a condition, mess is an event.” Waste, he suggests, belongs to systems, condemned to endless circulation; mess, by contrast, is contingent and temporary, appearing by chance before disappearing again. Artist Ser Serpas seizes on this instability.
In “tube of brief cadavers made sadder still,” the crumpled metallic strips cascading over the small orange slides transform an everyday object into a
A rtists decry r t i s t s d e c
monument of ephemeral chaos. The installation leaves the viewer to ponder functional utility alongside the unsettling accumulation of materials that at times feels overwhelmingly unruly.
Other artists press further into what Saskia Sassen has called “conceptual invisibility.” Sassen argues that ... “what is destroyed is rarely measured. For instance, dead land and dead water are
not marked, they are simply bypassed; thus I argue we should make them visible on our maps as a distinct type of jurisdiction.”
Klara Lidén’s practice responds to this imperative, with recuperated municipal objects found in the urban landscape such as bus stop signs, junction boxes and light fixtures. These transplanted objects
King Crossword Puzzle
I HAVE OFTEN WALKED
Young Al Greenwood was hot blooded in Flushing
by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor
Lillian Henrietta Zampini, 19, married Raymond J. Greenwood, 17, in November 1947. They were blessed with daughter Lynn on June 29, 1948, followed by son Alan on Oct. 20, 1951. The young couple set up home in Apt 1R in a 1926 multifamily building at 42-15 164 St. in Flushing. Census records show Greenwood drove a truck for his father-in-law’s dry cleaning business. Lynn and Alan were playing piano by the age of 8, while their mother played the accordion.
Alan picked up the guitar and started playing in bands at 13. Eventually, the family moved into grandfather Arthur Zampini’s house at 171-12 Gladwin Ave. in Flushing.
Greenwood studied arranging music at Queens College and The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. He became interested in keyboardist Keith Emerson’s focus on the synthesizer, bought Hammond L-100 and EML 101 models and was on his way.
The British-American band Foreigner was formed in late 1976. Greenwood was one of the original members and rocketed to stardom as Foreigner sold some 80 million
Baby parade returns Sunday
The annual Hamilton Beach Baby Parade and Carnival is strolling back into town on Aug. 31, hosted by the New Hamilton Beach Civic Association.
During the event, families bring their children and toddlers to march through Hamilton Beach in decorated strollers, wagons and floats.
The lineup starts at 12:30 p.m. and the walk kicks off at 1 p.m. from Hamilton Park, culminating in a carnival complete with popcorn, ice cream, other food, a DJ and a giant obstacle course.
Awards will be given to first, second
and third place winners in three categories: rag-a-muffin, most humorous and most original. One overall favorite will be crowned Best in Show and receive a trophy and $50 gift card.
One may pre-register by sending an email to nhbcivic@gmail.com with the name of your entry, your name, phone number, number of children up to age 12 participating and type of entry — float, wagon, stroller or walker.
The deadline to pre-register is today, Aug. 28, but same-day signups will be available at the park at 12:30 p.m. Q
Timetohonorouryoungfolks
October is Youth Empowerment Month, a time to celebrate brilliant young people throughout the city. People 25 and under who have been exemplary may be nominated.
If interested in nominating a changemaker to help spotlight his or her work and lift up his or her voice, visit shorturl.at/ou6d5. The deadline is Sept. 12.
Winners will receive certificates from the Mayor’s Office, their borough president and their area City Council member.
Overseeing the event, which is being led by young folks, is Queens Community
Board 12 Youth Committee Chair Linette Townsley. People may call her at (347) 4767650 or email her at octoberyouth empowerment@gmail.com to learn more.
“Resolution 193, which designates October as Youth Empowerment Month in New York City passed last year and aims to recognize and celebrate the successes and contributions of young people to their schools and communities,” said Townsley via text.
“This year’s theme is POWER: Protecting Our Wellness Equity and Rights. Together we are building legacies of joy ...” Q — Naeisha Rose
The childhood home of Foreigner co-founder and keyboardist Al Greenwood at 42-15 164 St. in Flushing, as it looked in the 1950s. INSETPHOTOBYTHUDFINGERVIAWIKIPEDIA
records with hits such as “Feels Like the First Time,” “Cold As Ice” and “Hot Blooded.” He has written songs for other major artists, too.
On Oct. 19, 2024, Foreigner was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Q
B SPORTS EAT
by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor
Hopefully, there will come a season when Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez does not spend any time on the injured list. However, it won’t be 2025 as he injured his thumb sliding head-first into second base to ensure getting a double. This will mark the third time in three years that Alvarez will require thumb surgery.
Hand injuries are part of a catcher’s job description. What is frustrating is this one was preventable. Mets coaches should have been working with Alvarez from the time he was in the minor leagues to slide into a base feet-first since that reduces injury risk even if it may result in being thrown out more often.
The Mets are hoping Alvarez can play through pain and finish the season before undergoing his thumb procedure. I don’t see any good coming from that, although I understand the hopes of Mets management. Alvarez provides a quality bat to an offense that sorely needs it. It is hard to imagine Alvarez being able to grip a bat the way he should, however.
Luis Torrens is a quality understudy who is a defensive wiz. As is often the case with backup catchers, he offers little offense, although he is not an automatic out. That honor goes to the current third-string Mets backstop, Hayden Senger, who has an anemic bat to say the least. I am still puzzled as to why the Mets never call
up their 2022 top draft pick, catcher Kevin Parada, who has had a decent though far from stellar minor-league career, when Alvarez is out of action. As the old cliche goes, it is time to fish or cut bait when it comes to Parada.
If the Alvarez thumb situation were not enough to further frustrate the Flushing faithful, outfielder Brandon Nimmo reported a recurrence of a stiff neck issue. Nimmo did not think it would cause him to be placed on the injured list, but like anyone who has ever had neck or back issues, it is impossible to place a timetable on recovery, and there are no guarantees it will not recur.
Major League Baseball asked Mets All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor to host a podcast called “Café con Lindor,” in which he gets to chat with boldfaced names from all walks of life. As expected, the personable Lindor is quite good at conversing with celebrities. In his most recent episode, Francisco gets hoops star, and huge Mets fan, Donovan Mitchell to discuss his rivalry with Knicks guard and diehard Yankees fan Josh Hart.
While I have always admired Lindor for his many interests and commercial endorsement deals, it would be good optics for him to pause his podcast until the season is over given the Mets’ struggle to earn a wildcard
See the extended version of Sports Beat every week at qchron.com
They are The Lorax, they speak for the trees
by Peter C. Mastrosimone editor-in-chief
“I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees,” says the title character in Dr. Seuss’ most controversial, most political book, a 1971 fable for the environment and against industrialization, particularly the logging business.
“The Lorax came out of me being angry,” said Seuss, aka Theodor Geisel, the author of numerous beloved children’s books bearing societal messages, from “The Cat in the Hat” to “Horton Hears a Who.”
“The ecology books I’d read were dull,” he said, as related in “Rethinking Human Need: Seuss’s The Lorax,” a piece in the winter 1994 edition of Children’s Literature Association Quarterly. “In The Lorax I was out to attack what I think are evil things and let the chips fall where they might.”
Where they fell, one might argue, is across the globe, as “The Lorax” became one piece of the nascent but rapidly growing environmental movement. And at least some chips landed in western Queens, where the Long Island City Artists are hosting an exhibit of dozens of environmentally themed works, entitled “The Lorax,” next week.
The exhibit kicks off Wednesday, Sept. 3, with an opening reception to which all are welcome, for free of course, from 5 to 8 p.m. It runs through Friday, Oct. 3, at the LIC-A
art space at The Factory LIC, at 30-30 47 Ave. Details are at licartists.org.
The show was the brainchild of Curator Charles Moore, who said he likes to come up with exhibit themes from literature.
“At a time when the climate crisis dominates political, personal, and cultural conversations, The Lorax engages viewers of all ages in a creative ‘eco-adventure,’” reads a
draft statement on the exhibit.
The works are of a wide variety.
Aristotle Forrester’s abstract painting “Remembering the Leaves When the Trees Are Gone” is a meditation on the disappearance of forests. The Chicago native said via email, “Driving from the city through Indiana to go up north as a child, I would look out the windows on old forest
swaths that had been decimated by tent worms and pollutants, miles and miles of barren wasteland. I would remember the leaves, even though the trees there were gone.” Today more people face the same, and with greater frequency, he said.
Heather McLeod’s realist painting “Wishbone,” featuring an apple tree against a red background, references the story of Adam and Eve and original sin, while questioning one’s desire for beauty.
“My work explores relationships between people and the world around us,” she said, adding that similar to how “The Lorax” makes complex ideas more digestible, her paintings allow for layered understanding. Indeed, the perspective “Wishbone” offers changes as one gets closer and sees the brush strokes more clearly, and it contains elements that are not obvious at first, including the one that gave it its name.
Pia Lindman’s “I Hate My Job” is a different kind of work, one that grew from the artist’s healing practice of subsensorial sessions, in which she senses energy in a person from her audience, which then takes the form of images, words and sentences that she puts on paper. The piece comes from the performance and installation, entitled “Nose Ears Eyes,” that she did at the 2016 Sao Paulo Biennal in Brazil. Q
MoMA PS1 artists confront the crisis of waste
continued from page 21
lend the viewer to visualize the absence they leave behind in their former locality. They are markers of infrastructure and public life, now stripped of function yet punctured and scarred with decades of utility. In the gallery, they finally disallow the ignorance that plagued their former lives, demanding attention in their new jurisdiction.
The exhibition asks us to consider ubiqui-
Crossword Answers
ty itself. Waste is no longer incidental; it is the background condition of 21st-century life. In Annie Ernaux’s words, “We did not age. The things around us didn’t last long enough to grow old, replaced and rehabilitated at lightning speed. Our memory didn’t have time to associate them with moments of existence.”
This dizzying and frenetic accelerated turnover finally comes to a halt at “Gatherers,” where objects are reduced to a mere silhouette of their former function, a testament to their durability while paradoxically proclaiming their dispossession.
The cycle is relentless. As Katrib notes in the exhibition’s catalogue, waste defines our social, political and aesthetic paradigms. From the extraction of minerals to the packaging that lands on our doorsteps, destruction is embedded in the very fabric of commodification. To shop online is to smooth over the labor and violence behind the product, until a viral exposé on sweat-
shops or microplastics briefly interrupts the flow. Detachment grows alongside the landfills. “Gatherers” renders that detachment visible, materializing abstract anxiety into physical form. As Sassen insists, we must chart what has been bypassed, even when it resists legibility.
“Gatherers” does not proselytize. It does something more urgent: It gives waste a grand stage for the public to witness and come to terms with the monumental scope of what humanity has created. Q
“Wishbone,” left, and “Remembering the Leaves When the Trees are Gone” are among the works soon to be on display in “The Lorax,” in Long Island City. IMAGES COURTESY LICA
Ser Serpas’ mixed-media work “tube of brief cadavers made sadder still,” above, and Klara Lidén’s “Untitled (Haltestelle),” left, are on display at MoMA PS1 in Long Island City. On the cover: Selma Selman’s “Motherboards.” PHOTOS BY MARLEE WOLLMAN
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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 is hereby given that an On-Premise Restaurant Wine License, NYS Application ID: NA-0240-25-126724 has been applied for by Opportunity Pancakes LLC d/b/a IHOP serving beer, wine, cider and mead to be sold at retail for on premises consumption in a restaurant, for the premises located at 21-61 31st Street, Astoria, NY 11105.
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR RCF 2 ACQUISITION TRUST, Plaintiff AGAINST LASEAN JONES, STRACY JONES, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered March 10, 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 26, 2025 at 10:00 AM, premises known as 11232 209th Street, Queens Village, NY 11429. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Queens, in the County of Queens and State of New York, Block 10985 Lot 36. Approximate amount of judgment $503,145.01 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #706174/2023. Valerie Katsorhis, Esq, Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 22-004417 86700
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 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 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.
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.
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF HORRY IN THE FAMILY COURT FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT Docket No.: 2025-DR-26-00113 Filed: Horry County 2025 Aug. 19 D1:28 Renee N. Elvis Clerk of Court Horry County, S.C. Athanasios Pavlou, Plaintiff, vs. Laura T. Lowe Defendant. NOTICE OF FILING COMPLAINT: TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANT, LAURA T. LOWE: YOU WILL PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a Complaint in this action for divorce is filed in the Office of the Clerk of Court for Horry County on January 16, 2025. LAW OFFICE OF STEPHANIE VAUGHT LITTLE, PC By: Stephanie Vaught Little Attorney for the Plaintiff Post Office Box 144 North Myrtle Beach, S.C. 29597 stephanie@ northmyrtlebeachlaw.com
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, BLUE CASTLE (CAYMAN) LTD, Plaintiff, vs. VANESSA HOLMES-BENJAMIN, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on March 17, 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 26, 2025 at 10:00 a.m., premises known as 130-65 227th Street, Springfield Gardens a/k/a Laurelton, NY 11413. 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 12905 and Lot 5. Approximate amount of judgment is $787,660.31 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #711867/2017. Sally Attia, Esq., Referee Vallely Mitola Ryan PLLC, 6851 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 165, Syosset, New York 11791, Attorneys for Plaintiff
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF QUEENS
The Bank of New York Mellon FKA The Bank of New York, as Trustee for the certificateholders of the CWABS, Inc., Asset-Backed Certificates, Series 2007-10 Plaintiff, Against Yves-Merry Telemaque; Commissioner of Social Services of the City of New York Social Services District; Discover Bank; Estate of Cleo Veal, by Pub admin of Queens; New York State Department of Taxation and Finance; Bank of New York Mellon, John Doe and New York City Parking Violations Bureau Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 06/30/2025, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse located at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY, on the second floor in Courtroom 25, on 9/26/2025 at 10:00AM, premises known as 116-52 218th St., Cambria Heights, NY 11411, and described as follows: ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York. Block 11318 Lot 3 The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $885,433.77 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 721638/2019 For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www. Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832. Michael A. Cervini, Esq., Referee. SHELDON MAY & ASSOCIATES Attorneys at Law, 255 Merrick Road, Rockville Centre, NY 11570 Dated: 7/24/2025 File Number: 36774 CA
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 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.
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 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.
REFEREE’S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF QUEENS MIDFIRST BANK, Plaintiffagainst - TRAVIS GREEN, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on July 25, 2024. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse located at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY, on the second floor in Courtroom 25 on the 26th day of September, 2025 at 10:00 AM. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York. Premises known as 620 Beach 69th Street, Arverne, (City of New York) NY 11692. (BL#: 16029111) Approximate amount of lien $676,203.69 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Index No. 705844/2023. Carolyn Salian Clyne, Esq., Referee. Davidson Fink LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 400 Meridian Centre Blvd, Ste 200 Rochester, NY 14618 Tel. 585/760-8218 For sale information, please visit Auction. com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832 Dated: June 4, 2025 During the COVID-19 health emergency, bidders are required to comply with all governmental health requirements in effect at the time of sale including but not limited to, wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing (at least 6-feet apart) during the auction, while tendering deposit and at any subsequent closing. Bidders are also required to comply with the Foreclosure Auction Rules and COVID-19 Health Emergency Rules issued by the Supreme Court of this County in addition to the conditions set forth in the Terms of Sale.
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.
Thursday, August 28, 2025
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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 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 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 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.
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.
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NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT QUEENS COUNTY
U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR VELOCITY COMMERCIAL CAPITAL LOAN TRUST 2023-1, Plaintiff against 5S CONSTRUCTION, INC., et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) McMichael Taylor Gray, LLC, 28 Corporate Drive, Suite 104, Halfmoon, NY 12065. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered July 22, 2025, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at the Queens County Supreme Court, Courtroom #25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on September 26, 2025 at 10:00 AM. Premises known as 13520 Denis Street, Springfield Gardens, NY 11434. Block 12993 Lot 36. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Queens, County of Queens, City and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $581,954.79 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 705106/2024. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 11th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. Referee will only accept a certified bank check made payable to the referee. Yvette Dudley, Esq., Referee File # 24-000442-01
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.
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THE CITY OF NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
DIVISION OF BRIDGES
CONSULTANT PROGRAMS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
The City of New York has Request for Proposals available for qualified Consulting Engineering Firms interested in the following Proposed Contract.
Project or Contract Title:
Request for Proposal – Independent Monitoring of Lead Paint Removal Operations and Environmental Remediation Projects at Various Bridge Locations, Citywide. Contract No. HBMPL10, Pin: 84125MBBR723
Expected Contract Term: 1095 Consecutive Calendar Days from the Date of Written Notice to Proceed.
Description of Services Required:
The services to be procured are Independent Monitoring of Lead Paint Removal Operations and Environmental Remediation Projects at Various Bridge Locations, Citywide.
A Pre-Proposal Conference (Optional) has been scheduled for September 3, Time: 10:00 AM through Zoom. Proposers who wish to attend the virtual meeting can access by using the Link provided in the “Prepare RFX” Section - SETUP Tab - Pre-Proposal/Pre-Bid Conference Section in PASSPort.
This Procurement is subject to participation goals for Minority-Owned Business Enterprises (MBEs), as required by Section 6-129 of the New York Administrative Code. The M/WBE goal for this project is 30%.
This Request for Proposals (RFP) is released through PASSPort, New York City’s online procurement portal. Responses to this RFP must be submitted via PASSPort. To access the RFP, vendors should visit the PASSPort Public Portal https://www.nyc.gov/site/mocs/passport/about-passport.page and click on the “Search Funding Opportunities in PASSPort” blue box. Doing so will take one to the public portal of all procurements in the PASSPort system. To quickly locate the RFP, insert the EPIN, 84125P0012, into the Keyword search field. To respond to the RFP, vendors must create an account within the PASSPort system if they have not already done so.
Release Date: August 25, 2025
Pre-Proposal Conference: September 3, 2025, at 10 AM Submission of Request for Proposals are due on or before 2:00 PM on September 26, 2025
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.
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.
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 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.
SOLUM
ENGINEERING PLLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 8/21/25. Office in Queens Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 4516 163rd St., Flushing, NY 11358, which is also the principal business location. Purpose: To practice Engineering.
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.
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 Accounting Citation
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
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS Index No. 722192/2024
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
