Queens Chronicle 10-16-25

Elected officials and others comment on the ceasefire, release of hostages Queens reacts to the Israel-Gaza peace deal

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

After two years of war, a peace plan between Israel and Hamas, brokered by President Trump, was signed on Oct. 9. At home in Queens, residents, activists and elected officials celebrated the return of hostages, release of detainees and ceasefire.

Gov. Hochul said she’s grateful to the Trump administration for its role in securing the hostages’ release, and added, “With their return and a permanent ceasefire, I’m hopeful that vital aid will soon reach families suffering in Gaza and that today marks the beginning of a new chapter of lasting peace and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”

Among those to react were the candidates for mayor. The Democratic nominee, Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani (D-Astoria) in a statement said the scenes of Israelis and Palestinians were “profoundly moving.”

Mamdani said, “There is finally a glimmer of hope that this ceasefire will hold and the long difficult work of reconstruction can begin. I also know this news brings solace to millions of New Yorkers, who’ve felt the pain of the past few years. We have watched as our tax dollars have funded a genocide. The moral and human cost will be a lasting stain and requires accountability and real examination of our collective conscience and our government’s policies. The responsibility now lies with those of us who believe in peace to make sure it endures, and that it is just.”

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, running for mayor as an independent, said on X, “This is more than a diplomatic success; it is a moral moment, a reminder of our shared humanity and the sacred value of every life. We must never forget the terrorist act that brought us here, and we must stand together to say, with one

Days after the attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, residents united at a vigil in Forest Hills. Two years later, the community is celebrating a possible permanent end to the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

voice: never forget and never again. Terrorism has no place in Gaza, in the Middle East, or anywhere in the world.”

Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa said the end to war is something to be celebrated.

“The 20 surviving hostages are reunited by families and loved ones after 738 agonizing days in captivity. 7+3+8 = 18, which means Chai, which means ‘life’ in Judaism,” Sliwa said. “A number that embodies life, hope, and blessing. We pray that these hostages coming home can recover, and live peacefully again.”

Mayor Adams said, “Our hearts are filled with joy as an end to the war in Gaza appears to be on the horizon and families have finally been united. ... We pray that this news will bring lasting peace, justice, and prosperity to Israelis and Palestinians alike.”

Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-Brooklyn, Queens) in a statement said the ceasefire is “a moment of great hope” and that she is thankful hostages are returning home.

“This agreement is an important step toward peace, but we cannot forget the atrocities of October 7th and the years that followed. Over 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, countless families destroyed, most of the population forced from their homes, and Gaza reduced to rubble. Much of this violence was enabled by U.S. weapons and a policy of impunity. I will continue to press for the Block the Bombs Act so that American-made weapons never again fuel this kind of devastation.”

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said she is encouraged by the deal and added, “This is also the best approach to surging resources and food into Gaza to alleviate the humanitarian suffering of Palestinian families. Now, we can turn to our Arab partners to help with the long and important work of rebuilding Gaza, working toward a two-state solution, and establishing an enduring security and economic alliance in the Middle East.”

Assemblymember Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside) on X said, “After 738 days, they are finally home. The images and videos of the Israeli hostages reuniting with their loved ones are incredibly emotional. Today I’m thanking the advocates for never giving up hope. I remain hopeful that this news can bring a lasting peace to the region.”

Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar (D-Woodhaven) said the peace deal offers a “long-awaited glimmer of hope” and added,

continued on page 14

CONZA | MCNAMARA

CYNTHIA J. CONZA, ESQ.

PHOTOBYMICHAELGANNON/FILE

Three casino pitches left in the running

Empire City drops out, leaving Resorts World, Metropolitan Park and Bally’s

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

And then there were three.

The competition for one of three downstate casino licenses to be awarded by the New York Gaming Facility Location Board in December of this year has narrowed down to just three contenders: Resorts World New York City in South Ozone Park, Metropolitan Park, in partnership with Hard Rock International in the area surrounding Citi Field in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, and Bally’s Bronx.

More on the casino proposals can be found online at nycasinos.ny.gov/ applicants.

MGM Empire City in Yonkers, once thought to be a leading contender for a license, withdrew its application Tuesday.

“Since submitting our application in June, the competitive and economic assumptions underpinning our application have shifted, altering our return expectations on the proposed $2.3 billion investment,” MGM Resorts said in a statement. “The newly defined competitive landscape — with four proposals clustered in a small geographic area — challenges the returns we initially anticipated from this project.”

MGM added that its proposal to renovate and expand the Empire City casino was “predicated on the receipt of a 30-year commercial casino license” but, based on new guidance from the state, it expected to qualify for only a 15-year license.

“Taken together, these events result in a proposition that no lon-

ger aligns with our commitment to capital stewardship, nor to that of our real estate partner in Yonkers, VICI,” MGM said.

But just because three contenders are left in the running doesn’t mean they are all guaranteed a license.

“There are three licenses to be awarded,” a spokesperson for the

State Gaming Commission told the Chronicle via email. “The board may award one, two or three licenses. There is no assurance that all three applicants will be awarded a license.”

The Bally’s Bronx site, formerly the Trump Links golf course, is right over the Whitestone Bridge. If the casino gets built, the Trump

Organization, according to multiple reports, would get $115 million it is owed for the property after Bally’s acquired the lease in 2023.

The two Queens contenders, Resorts World and Metropolitan Park, did not comment on the newest developments in the process.

Last month, RWNYC and Metropolitan Park’s proposals were unanimously approved by their respective community advisory committees to advance to the Gaming Facility Location Board. Bally’s Bronx was approved in a 5-1 vote.

The applicants were all required to submit supplemental material to the board by Oct. 14. In a press release Tuesday, RWNYC said it is projected to deliver “unmatched scale, the highest Gross Gaming Revenue, the highest casino taxes of any applicant — regardless of how many licenses are awarded and to what combination of the [three] remaining bidders.”

In its own supplemental material, the team behind Metropolitan Park said, “Hard Rock Metropolitan Park has been found by all independent analyses to be the most impactful gaming proposal among the final applicants who received support from their local Community Advisory Committees.” Q

CB 9 airs concerns about area crime

Commanding officer of the 102 Pct. answers questions at monthly meeting

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Members of Community Board 9 were able to ask questions and express their concerns regarding crime directly to Capt. Pratima Maldonado, the commanding officer of the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct, Tuesday evening at Queens Borough Hall in Kew Gardens.

Maldonado told the board that among the most troubling crimes in the 102 are jewelry scams targeting the elderly.

“There’s a whole crew going around in mostly SUVs,” Maldonado said. “They’ll stop an elderly person with a sob story. They’ll say, ‘My dad died. I’m really lonely.’ They’ll be crying, they’ll hug the person, and by the time they’re done, they will swap the jewelry and give them a fake one.”

She added, “By the time the elderly person realizes what happened, they don’t even know they have fake jewelry on, because [the perpetrators] took the real ones off.

“Call 911 if anyone approaches you with

this kind of story,” Maldonado said, adding that people should notify seniors they know about the issue.

Members of the board submitted questions to Chair Sherry Algredo prior to the meeting, and she read them to Maldonado. Responding to concerns about delinquent youth, the captain said she has officers in the problem areas who observe and talk to people there.

“We had a robbery the other day, and there were two 10-year-olds, and I couldn’t do anything about it,” Maldonado said, adding that they were cursing at her. “I want to talk to their parents like, ‘What’s going on here?’ Because the juvenile desk tells me I can’t do anything about it. They’re gonna go home. But that’s the problem we’re dealing with.”

Public Safety Committee Chair Albert Gamarra suggested that Maldonado call the Administration for Children’s Services if possible to escalate matters.

On 311 reports, Maldonado said the 102 has the highest volume of those calls in Patrol Borough Queens South. This past Monday, the precinct started participating in a pilot program in which four traffic agents — two in a car — are assigned to respond to 311 calls from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“I was checking my 311 queues yesterday, and instead of seeing 90 of them, I saw like, seven,” Maldonado said. “I’ve never seen only seven.” She said the program is working, and she’s glad to see it.

“It was not fair to you guys, and it was not fair to my cops to have to have all these 311s and the 911 jobs and being criticized ... because they were stuck on something else,” Maldonado said. Q

Capt. Pratima Maldonado, the commanding officer of the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct, fielded questions on area crime at Community Board 9’s monthly meeting Tuesday evening at Borough Hall. PHOTOBYKRISTENGUGLIELMO

There are just three remaining applicants vying for the three downstate casino licenses to be awarded by the state Gaming Facility Location Board in December.

Port Authority says federal budget impasse not hindering its operations Shutdown not hard on Queens airports

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

With the partial federal government shutdown now in its third week, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is saying there are not any operational problems yet, but that officials are keeping an eye on things.

The shutdown began on Oct. 1.

Under the law, essential federal workers, including air traffic controllers and officers with the Transportation Security Administration must continue to work. While most federal employees who have not been furloughed are required to work without pay until there is a deal, CNBC has reported that air traffic controllers received partial checks on Tuesday.

The report also said some controllers were outside of LaGuardia Airport on Tuesday handing out leaflets urging the public to ask lawmakers to end the shutdown.

“As the Port Authority is a self-sustaining non-federal agency, a government shutdown does not impact our ability to operate our own facilities, like the airport terminals,” the agency told the Chronicle in an email last week. “However, as we saw in 2018-19, a federal government shutdown does affect federal workers who are essential to the functioning of the Port Authority’s airports — including TSA and [Customs and Border Protection] agents and air traffic controllers — which could result in

The Port Authority is saying the partial federal government shutdown has not had an appreciable impact on operations at its airports, including John F. Kennedy International, above, LaGuardia, Newark Liberty and New York Stewart International. PHOTOCOURTESYPANYNJ/FILE

delays and severe operating challenges at the airports.”

The PA added that to help mitigate any potential impacts on its customers, it is continuously monitoring staffing levels at TSA checkpoints and CBP inspection areas, deploying additional customer care resources as needed “and closely coordinating with our fed-

Howard Beach marked Columbus Day on Sunday with a festive celebration at St. Helen Catholic Academy, hosted by the Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic and Councilmember Joann Ariola, above at right. The day was packed with excitement, as DJ Mike Nappi and Nicolas King, above right with mic, filled the air with upbeat tunes and smooth Italian classics. Nick “the Balloonatic” Rotondo, near right, kept the kids smiling with his whimsical balloon creations. Ariola after the event took to social media to write, “So much fun at today’s Columbus Day Italian Fall Festival! I love partnering with the Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic and St Helen Catholic Academy for fun events for the children of the community. Thank you to our amazing entertainment — DJ Mike Nappi, Nicolas King singing Italian songs and our very own District 32 Balloonatic! The rain didn’t stop us from having a great day!” — Kristen Guglielmo

eral partners and the broader airport community.”

Projected wait times related to standard TSA and CBP operations are available on the websites of the PA’s four airports, including John F. Kennedy International Airport (jfkairport.com), LaGaurdia Airport (laguardiaairport.com), New York Stewart International

Airport in Orange County (swfny.com) and Newark Liberty Airport (newarkairport.com).

For national flight status updates, visit the National Airspace System nasstatus.faa.gov.

The PA is encouraging travelers to allow extra time and check the status of their flights prior to heading to the airport.

Representatives of Delta Air Lines, a major carrier at JFK and LaGuardia, and JetBlue, which has its headquarters in Long Island City, did not respond to requests for comment.

The Airline Pilots Association which represents 80,000 pilots, also did not respond, but on its X page called for an end to the shutdown on Monday,

“Our aviation system safely moves millions of passengers & pounds of cargo daily. Now, thousands of federal aviation workers are doing it without pay,” the union posted.

Published reports state that a number of smaller airports across the country have had delays due to shortages of controllers, but the New York region has not been hit.

The Chronicle was unable to schedule an interview with a representative of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the controllers’ union. A message on the union’s website said the group does not support any type of job action on the part of federal employees that would reflect on them, the union or related professions. Q

Haunt ’n’ Treat returns 10/18

Put on your best costume and head to Howard beach this Saturday, Oct. 18, for the Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic’s annual Halloween Haunt ’n’ Treat event.

Attendees will stroll down Cross Bay Boulevard to visit a multitude of themed tables and collect treats, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The festivities begin at 156th Avenue and Cross Bay Boulevard, at the Flagstar Bank. Children should check in no later than 11:15 a.m. Registration is required, and the cost is $5 per child. To sign up, one may call Phyllis Inserillo at (917) 4885067, send an email to hblcivic2014@ gmail.com, or send payment through Venmo to @HBL-Civic or Zelle to hblcivic2014@gmail.com. Please include a reservation name, phone number and email address in the memo. Tickets are limited and there will be no refunds. The rain date is Saturday, Oct. 25.

Table spaces are still available for businesses, organizations and families, which will be responsible for bringing their own table to decorate along with nut-free wrapped treats or novelties to distribute. One may contact the civic for more information. Q

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Firms of 200 or more people targeted, with eye on ethnic, gender inequities Council OKs bills to monitor private pay

by Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief

The City Council on Oct. 9 passed two bills designed to close wage gaps, foster salary transparency and advance equal pay in New York City by requiring that large companies reveal what compensation they provide and how it breaks down by sex and ethnicity.

Mayor Adams does not support the measures, but his office stopped short of saying he would veto them. The legislation passed the Council by “veto-proof supermajorities” anyway, supporters pointed out.

The package consists of Intro. 982, authored by Councilwoman Tiffany Cabán (D-Astoria), which passed 41-8, and Intro. 984, written by Councilwoman Amanda Farías (D-Bronx), which passed 42-7.

Under the first, private companies operating in the city that have 200 or more employees would have to compile annual pay reports and submit them to a city agency. The records would include employees’ compensation, hours worked, race, ethnicity, sex and, possibly, gender identification. The information would not be tied to individual identities.

Under the second bill, the city would analyze the data to see whether disparities exist by gender, race and ethnicity, identify industries where the gaps are most prevalent and track trends in “occupational segregation” — the

concentration or lack thereof within a given profession of a given group.

The goal is to reduce disparities.

“Together, these bills create a system of accountability: companies must provide accurate pay data; the city will study and publish results; and industries and employers will be expected to respond to recommendations,” a press release on their passage says.

Cabán said in a statement that women and people of color have been underpaid and undervalued for generations. “Injustice persists when it’s allowed to hide in the shadows,” she said. “With this historic pay equity package, we’re pulling back the curtain. By requiring large employers to report pay data and by mandating rigorous, public analysis, we’re giving policymakers the information needed to close wage gaps at their root.”

According to data included in the press release from Sharaon Sewell-Fairman, president of the organization Women Creating Change, for every dollar earned by white men, white women earn 86 cents, Asian women 72 cents, Black women 57 cents and Hispanic or Latina women 54 cents. Bill supporters say similar laws in other nations reduced pay gaps.

Some organizations, such as the Cato Institute, say pay disparity claims are misleading because the data derive from the choices individuals make, such as how much or how little

to work, and which occupations to enter, as well as other factors that distort the figures. Cato says teacher salaries, for example, are reported as if they work 52 weeks, when most work 38, making it appear that those in the field make less per hour than they really do.

But the Council vote was overwhelming and, if it were to remain the same, would override any potential veto by the outgoing mayor. Still, his office declined to say what he will do.

It did say the administration had launched Women Forward NYC: An Action Plan for

Gender Equity, a $43 million investment to address the inequities women face.

“We support the goal of these bills, but unfortunately this legislation is yet another unfunded mandate from the City Council, that will cause a burdensome data collection effort,” a mayoral spokesman said via email.

Among Queens lawmakers, the bills’ only dissenters were Councilmembers Bob Holden (D-Maspeth), Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) and Vickie Paladino (R-Whitestone).

Holden’s chief of staff, Dan Kurzyna, said via email the pay-monitoring idea was one considered and abandoned by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

“Intro 982 basically copies the EEOC’s dropped ‘Component 2’ pay-data reporting,” Kurzyna said. “The feds moved on because it was too burdensome and hard to administer. I don’t see why the City should bring it back, and it may not even hold up in court.”

Ariola had another reason to vote no.

“I cannot, in good conscience, vote on any pay equity bills until our EMS workers finally get the pay equity they deserve,” she said in an email. “These latest bills are just studies and data gathering. We have the power to bring about real pay equity right now for our first responders, yet it keeps getting delayed while our heroes struggle to make ends meet. That’s simply not acceptable.” Q

City Councilwoman Tiffany Cabán wrote the bill on monitoring large companies’ pay packages, and it passed 41-8. COURTESYPHOTO/FILE

EDITORIAL AGEP

Congratulate, and support, QCH

Queens Community House is in its 50th year of service, and is celebrating the milestone with a gala event on Oct. 23. There’s a lot to celebrate!

The nonprofit social service organization has grown from humble beginnings in Forest Hills in 1976, when it was established to bring together the economically, ethnically and racially diverse residents of a community then divided over a controversial housing plan. It started out with just three staffers and a board of directors including people from both sides of the issue. Its first offerings were a children’s program and a summer day camp.

Today QCH is a $44 million organization offering an array of programs at 40 locations in 15 neighborhoods. If you’re not among those partaking of its services — and nearly 30,000 of your neighbors are — you’ve seen its trucks delivering hot meals to those in need or its shuttle buses getting seniors where they need to go, all with the distinctive Q exclamation point logo on the side.

If you can make the gala, that’s great. Tickets are not cheap (information is at qchnyc.org/fallgala), though it promises to be a spectacular night, at a prime venue, the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria.

It’s more likely you can provide support in another way, and that is political backing. Let your elected representatives know that they should support the great work QCH does. Even though it’s vital that wealthy patrons, corporations and others who have the means make donations to the organization, the fact is it gets 92 percent of its revenue from government grants. Most of the allocations come from the city and state, but the feds contribute, too.

And right now, those dollars are in danger of drying up. Just a week ago, the state budget director sent a letter to agencies advising them to “do more with less” and show “true leadership and fiscal discipline,” mostly because of federal policies that could prove costly to Albany. And, therefore, to groups such as QCH that serve people.

Eighty-three percent of its spending goes to program services. QCH links families with young children to early learning programs. It provides afterschool programs, sports, tutoring and college prep. It connects kids to paid internships. It assists LGBTQ people, old and young. For seniors, it has centers, aging-in-place programs and more.

QCH really lives up to its name, and with support could benefit our borough for another 50 years at least.

Intru$ive city bills

The mayor doesn’t like it, and a similar effort at the federal level was dropped, but the City Council is determined: It wants companies with 200 or more employees to report salaries along with racial, ethnic and gender data, in order to find and try to reduce pay disparities among different groups. It sounds noble, but it’s extremely intrusive and is sure to ignore the many factors that go into compensation. Thinking it’s all discrimination, that white men are at the top just because they are is simplistic. And to what degree are private-sector salaries the government’s business, even if some are unfair?

The Council just passed two bills to monitor pay by overwhelming margins. The mayor opposes them as an unfunded mandate but may not veto them and is a lame duck anyway. The likely next mayor will certainly support the efforts — the more government influence over the private sector, the better, to him.

Businesses will just have to find the time to comply. And if it costs money? Oh, well. They can raise prices, and the Council can complain about and monitor that.

MARK WEIDLER

President & Publisher

SUSAN & STANLEY MERZON Founders

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LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

Feds fail on scams

Dear Editor:

I can certainly empathize with Kathleen Schatz (“End fake robo calls,” Letters, Sept. 25). Like her, I receive a dozen or more calls a day from creeps in call centers in India working on behalf of criminal organizations in Eastern Europe looking to steal my Medicare account info. I’m not even on Medicare.

I also get calls from scammers claiming to offer free solar panels, free medical alert devices, free or low-cost car and life insurance, rebates on my electric bills, home improvement services, legal services, tax debt relief, hardship loans, extended car warranties and more.

I, too, am on the Federal Trade Commission’s National Do Not Call Registry, which is a joke. Criminals use robo-dialers and telephone number spoofing to illegally reach people on that list, and the FTC is powerless to enforce anything.

The FTC also created an online complaint form (donotcall.gov/report), where consumers whose numbers are listed on the Do Not Call Registry can report unwanted calls. This reporting mechanism is more of a joke than the registry itself. For years I have been reporting each and every call to the FTC via the online form. After hundreds of complaints in all that time, the agency has yet to take any action whatsoever against these creeps.

The fact that these scammers are able to carry out their schemes for years with no

response from the FTC is inexcusable. Why are we spending taxpayer money on an agency that is so utterly weak, incompetent, and unable to carry out its mission?

I’ve reached out to many of our local politicians (including U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer) and none has expressed any interest in pursuing this issue. In the meantime, I and millions of other consumers continue to be harassed endlessly by these criminals, who are becoming more and more emboldened every day.

Leonard Klie Glendale

Modest hike in housing

Dear Editor:

Your offhand comment in the Oct. 9 editorial, “Eight Stories is Beyond Enough in Bayside,” about City of Yes representing a “massive rezoning” ignores the actual math.

Proponents claim it will result in about

80,000 units of new housing over 10 years. That’s 8,000 units annually. If evenly sprea d across every community board, it’s just 136 new units of housing per year. Certainly a manageable number for communities to absorb to help solve our housing crisis.

Steve Strauss Forest Hills

Bus crash was predictable

Dear Editor:

Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day arrived with a bang around 8:27 a.m. around Sanford Avenue and Bowne Street when one MTA Q27 bus rear-ended anothe r MTA Q27 bus.

Actually the accident occurred on what should be renamed “Sanford Superhighway,“ heralding the number of buses that now traverse that area, namely the Q13, Q26, Q65 and their “Rush” service counterparts. All

LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

this recent ridiculous rerouting is courtesy of the Queens Bus Network Redesign, aka “Going Your Way” no longer.

The upcoming election cycle on Tuesday, Nov. 4, will include a down-ballot race for Councilmanic District 20, which includes key portions of the aforementioned bus routes. Councilmember Sandra Ung can garner more votes, in my opinion, by jumping off the careening carousel of photo-ops and instead leading the charge to re-redesign portions of the Queens Bus Network Redesign that are 24/7 negatively impacting an overwhelming number of her constituents, especially those who live or work in nearby Downtown Flushing.

Or rather will Stephen Sondheim’s brilliant “Send in the Clowns” lyrics, “But where are the clowns? ... Don’t bother, they’re here” be the swan song discovery of the 14 injured taken to local hospitals for treatment?

Frances Scanlon Flushing

Peace, but not in DC

Dear Editor:

I am appalled to learn that the Congress cannot get together and finally compromise and reopen the government. If Hamas and the United States can make a deal, why not our government?

America has to be strong, and a house divided cannot stand.

Cynthia Groopman Little Neck

No radioactive river water

Dear Editor:

(An open letter to the public)

As chair of the New York City Council’s Committee on Environmental Protection, Resiliency & Waterfronts; and as someone who has spent more than 30 years fighting to protect the Hudson River — including taking on General Electric over its toxic PCB discharges — I am outraged by Holtec International’s callous plan to dump radioactive wastewater into the Hudson River. The Hudson River is not just a local treasure — it is a delicate ecosystem that stands to be selfishly disrupted by corporate greed if Holtec moves forward with this reckless plan. Make no mistake — Holtec’s pursuit of the cheapest disposal method shows a complete disregard for the health and safety of millions of New Yorkers. It is a disgrace.

Holtec claims the radioactive levels are “safe.” But when we’re talking about tritium — a radioactive isotope linked to cancer and known to pose heightened risks to children and pregnant women — we are still unsure if any level of exposure is safe and acceptable. Therefore, as stewards of our environment and our communities, we must demand caution and safer disposal methods. Holtec has alternatives, but they refuse to consider these options because they cost more than dumping it into our river.

I stand with Gov. Hochul, Riverkeeper, our state lawmakers and all New Yorkers in our message — we will not allow radioactive waste to poison our river.

James F. Gennaro

Trump brings peace

Dear Editor:

I was watching the news and saw the love the people in the Middle East gave to President Trump. I applaud what the president did to bring peace in the Middle East and to bring home the 20 hostages. I applaud him for ending the war between Israel and Hamas, as well as his victory against the various terrorist organizations.

The 20 hostages could well be singing, “Free at last, free at last; thank God almighty, we are free at last.”

President Trump is the man of the hour. In my opinion, he will go down in history as the president we needed in this time to bring peace. Thank God for President Trump.

Frederick R. Bedell Jr. Bellerose

Trump brings problems

Dear Editor:

Michael Gallagher’s letter of Sept. 18, “Nasty and ineffective,” claimed that calling someone like President Trump a Nazi, racist, sexist or homophobe simply means you don’t like them (or perhaps you just don’t like prejudice?). He says people should specify what they don’t like and why their position is better. Here’s a list of grievances, and the reasons they are objectionable are self-evident.

Taking healthcare away or making it unaffordable for millions of Americans.

Tariffs that will increase the prices of many goods.

Firing experts and replacing them with unqualified people like Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., then allowing him to cast doubt on vaccines that protected us for decades. After 20 years without the measles, it has now returned.

Arresting undocumented immigrants with no criminal record and placing them in jail without charges or trials. They were allowed to stay because they provided cheap labor, and by law employers should have been penalized, which would have stopped the influx.

Preventing foreign aid from reaching people whose lives depended on it and allowing food meant for them to rot in warehouses.

Making government agencies that once protected us less effective, such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There have been several outbreaks of tuberculosis, etc. in the U.S. that we weren’t informed about.

Turning the presidency into a moneymaking enterprise by selling merchandise and accepting gifts like airplanes.

Allowing more companies to become monopolies that rip us off because there are no affordable alternatives.

Penalizing and threatening media outlets that don’t agree with his agenda.

This is just a partial list of grievances against Trump and Republicans. If this isn’t enough to satisfy Mr. Gallagher, I can provide more examples.

Linda

Imhauser

New York City Councilman for the 24th District Fresh Meadows

McGriff hit with 15 murder charges: DA

Man accused of killing Bellerose couple is arraigned on a 50-count complaint

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

The alleged killer of a Bellerose couple has been arraigned on a 50-count indictment.

Jamel McGriff, 42, of the Bronx, is accused of robbing and killing Frank Olton, 76, and his wife, Maureen, 77, on Sept. 8 during a five-hour home invasion in their 254th Street residence after forcing his way inside after feigning to need help.

Authorities say he set the house on fire before leaving the Oltons to die.

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a press release that McGriff has been charged with 13 counts of firstdegree murder and two counts of second-degree murder.

He also is facing two counts each of first- and second-degree kidnapping; three counts of firstdegree burglary; two counts of second-degree arson; three counts of first-degree robbery; two counts of second-degree burglary; third-degree criminal possession of a weapon; two counts of

fourth-degree grand larceny; two counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property; three counts of fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property; second-degree identity theft; three counts of third-degree identity theft; three counts of thirddegree unlawful possession of personal information; and six counts of third-degree attempted identity theft.

McGriff is being held without bail. Queens State Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Holder, who presided at the arraignment, continued remand and set the defendant’s return date for Nov. 12. If convicted, McGriff faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Law enforcement sources say security videos allegedly show McGriff knocking on doors in the neighborhood the morning of Sept. 8. He allegedly approached Frank Olton just after 10 a.m. asking to recharge his cell phone before forcing his way into the home as Olton tried to resist.

He allegedly was seen at 3:08

p.m. leaving the residence and carrying a duffle bag. A few minutes later, the Oltons’ son received a notification from an alarm company that there was a fire at the residence.

When the FDNY responded, Maureen Olton was found in the living room with extensive burns to her body. She also had sustained

Woman charged for OZP crash

Defendant was driving drunk with her kids in the car, DA says

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

An Ozone Park woman was arraigned on an 18-count indictment Oct. 7 after an alleged drunk driving collision with her children in the car, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. The incident left her children with significant injuries.

According to the charges, Mariam Alli, 24, of 104th Street, and a 21-year-old companion were inside the Tropix Lounge on Lefferts Boulevard in South Ozone Park on Aug. 13 at about 9:30 p.m. Alli drank multiple beers, the charges said, and the pair left the lounge around 11:30 p.m. The defendant’s two children, ages 2 and 3, were allegedly left unattended inside Alli’s car while she was in the lounge.

The DA’s Office said that at about 12:02 a.m., Alli sped through a steady red light and was driving on the wrong side of the roadway through the intersection of 84th Street and Rockaway Boulevard. Alli struck a Mazda SUV being driven by a motorist who had the right of way, the charges said.

The defendant’s 3-year-old son was taken to the hospital and treated for a hip fracture and a broken tibia. Her 2-year-old daughter was treated for a liver laceration, pulmonary contusion and adrenal hematoma. Neither

A woman was charged after an alleged drunk driving collision at the intersection of 84th Street and Rockaway Boulevard in Ozone Park, above.

child, per the charges, was secured in an appropriate car seat.

Alli’s 21-year-old passenger was taken to the hospital with two broken legs, missing teeth and other injuries. The defendant was treated for a neck fracture, fibular fracture and other injuries, and the operator of the

Mazda was treated for chest pain.

The charges said the Honda’s data recorder showed the vehicle was traveling at 57 miles per hour just prior to the collision. The posted speed limit is 25 miles per hour. Alli’s blood alcohol level was measured to be between .132 and .159 percent about an hour after the crash, above the criminal threshold of .08 percent.

Alli was charged with three counts of aggravated vehicular assault, three counts of second-degree assault, second-degree vehicular assault, two counts of aggravated driving while intoxicated, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, two counts of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving, driving in excess of the maximum speed limit, failing to stop at a steady red signal and two counts of operating a motor vehicle without a passenger properly restrained with a seat belt or safety seat.

“It is a miracle that no one was killed because of the defendant’s alleged reckless actions,” Katz said in a statement. “We will aggressively prosecute those who choose to ignore the rules of the road, which are designed to keep us all safe.”

Alli is ordered to return to court Nov. 20. If convicted, she faces up to 15 years in prison.

a fractured larynx and had soot in her trachea and one lung.

Frank Olton was discovered in the basement with his hands bound with a cord and tied to a pole. He was stabbed multiple times in the neck and chest, which caused his death.

A fire had been set in the living room and a separate one in the basement.

Beginning at approximately 5:54 p.m. that day, McGriff allegedly used two of Frank Olton’s credit cards to make two clothing purchases totaling $796.10 at Macy’s Herald Square in Manhattan. McGriff allegedly provided his own Macy’s loyalty card number for the transactions.

The next day, from approximately 7:44 a.m. to 7:52 a.m., McGriff allegedly deposited two cell phones belonging to the Oltons into a machine at a store on Fordham Road in the Bronx. The machine provides instant cash for phones. He allegedly used his own identification for the transaction. He was arrested in Manhattan on Sept. 10. Q

Cops are seeking the above man for a residential burglary in Forest Hills. It was reported to police that at 4:15 p.m. Oct. 7, an unknown perp entered a residence near 112th Street and 73rd Avenue through the front door. He then stole a cell phone worth about $600 and fled on foot through a courtyard, moving westbound toward Queens Boulevard.

Police said he has a medium complexion and was last seen in a black long-sleeved shirt, dark pants and multicolored sneakers. Anyone with information may call Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1 (888) 57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit tips by logging onto nypdcrimestoppers.com, or by texting 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577, or at @nypdtips on X.

Frank and Maureen Olton of Bellerose were murdered in their home on Sept. 8 after allegedly trying to help their accused killer. PHOTOCOURTESYLOCAL2507/FILE

IS YOUR BANK NO LONGER OFFERING

Finding feathered friends

Residents basked in the views of nature on Oct. 4 for two bird walking tours hosted by state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr., top left, Ian Resnick, president of the Queens County Bird Club, and the city Parks Department.

The walks were led by Resnick and two club members, Akilah Lewis and Coco Huang. The participants saw plenty of birds, as well as chipmunks and squirrels.

Some of the birds observed were the blue jay, above left, golden-crowned kinglet, ovenbird, chimney swift, American robin, white-breasted nuthatch, red-bellied woodpecker, yellow-bellied sapsucker, war-

bler and sparrow, Addabo’s office said. The senator in a statement thanked the Queens County Bird Club and Parks for their support and added, “My office team and I work every day on serious issues, so it was a good, slight change of pace to sponsor an event that would bring some people enjoyment.”

He added, “Forest Park is a natural treasure in our district, and these bird-watching tours are a chance for residents to connect with the environment, learn about local wildlife, and advocate for preserved green spaces for future generations.”

Reactions to the peace deal

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“Here’s to American diplomacy and leadership paving the way for healing, safety and a lasting peace — as families reunite and the world bears witness.”

Borough President Donovan Richards took to X to write, “An emotional day as hostages are reunited with their families. Let’s continue to pray and work for peace in the Middle East. May peace prevail, for all people.”

Councilmember Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) wrote, “This is an enormous day not just for Israel, but for the entire Middle East as well, as we step forward into what is hoped to be a new era of peace between Israel and Palestine. President Trump promised to end the suffering that engulfed the Gaza Strip, and today it seems that — under his 20-point peace plan — he is doing just that.”

On Facebook, Councilmember Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills) said, “As a Jew, October 7, 2023, was heart breaking and mind numbing. Since that fateful day, I have been working with several organizations, including #BringThemHomeNow, to advocate for the release of the hostages. This day has finally arrived! I pray for the well-being of those who were released today and for the families of those who didn’t make it but who will be able to finally lay their loved ones to rest. Am also hoping for lasting peace in the region.”

Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach) said it’s the “moment we have been waiting for.”

She added, “Around the world, and here in New York, we never stopped fighting, praying, and outwardly demanding for their release — and it has finally happened. Welcome home! May this next phase lead to a true and lasting peace in the Middle East.”

Within Our Lifetime, a Palestinian-led New York City-based advocacy group, on X celebrated the freedom of what it labeled nearly 2,000 Palestinian political prisoners, but called for the release of “nearly 10,000 Palestinian political prisoners.”

The group added, “The struggle to free our prisoners in Palestine is part of the same struggle to free all political prisoners from the U.S. to the U.K. to everywhere free people continue to resist zionism, imperialism, colonialism, and the machinery of racism and oppression. Until every cage is broken and every captive is free, our fight for collective liberation continues.”

Ashreynu, a Jewish community in Astoria led by Rabbi Jonathan Pearl, wrote on its Facebook page, “This time two years ago, we sat together singing and weeping; last year, we danced through our mourning; this year, we begin to piece back together the joy and healing as our people return home.” Q

QCH to celebrate 50 years

Nonprofit will host gala at the Museum of the Moving Image

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Queens Community House, among the borough’s largest nonprofit organizations, will celebrate five decades of service with a gala on Thursday, Oct. 23, at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, at 36-01 35 Ave.

The event, which runs from 6 to 9 p.m., will honor Turner Construction and highlight QCH’s legacy of empowering Queens residents through a wide range of essential programs.

The evening will include a cocktail reception and exclusive video premieres, promising an unforgettable experience filled with networking and great food and drinks in a one-of-a-kind setting.

To purchase tickets or view more information, one may visit qchnyc.org/fallgala.

The gala, which QCH called “one of Queens’ premier annual events” will spotlight the organization’s work to build inclusive, resilient communities. Past honorees have included U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, former New York Mets All-Star Edgardo Alfonzo and the Queens Museum.

Since its founding in 1975 as the Forest Hills Community House, QCH has grown into a multisite, multiservice settlement house serving more than 27,000 people each

Lifeguard tests begin Oct. 25

Qualifying exams for summer lifeguards begin this month, the city Parks Department announced Oct. 8. The tests are the first step to becoming a lifeguard for city beaches and pools, and begin on Oct. 25.

To qualify to become a lifeguard, candidates must be at least 16 years of age by the start of employment, have at least 20/30 vision in one eye and 20/40 in the other without corrective lenses and be able to swim 50 yards in 50 seconds or less with proper form. Glasses or contact lenses may not be worn during the eye exam.

After passing the qualifying test, applicants move on to the 16-session training program. To register for the exam, go online to nycgovparks.org/reg/ life-guard-test.

“Lifeguarding is an incredibly rewarding job that teaches you critical skills, hones judgement, and connects you with lifelong friends,” Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa said in a statement.

year across 40 locations in 15 neighborhoods.

Originally established to help heal the wounds of neighborhood conflict, the organization has expanded its reach to support

residents of all ages through programs in youth development, family services, senior care, housing stability, education, workforce development, immigrant support and LGBTQ youth support. Q

“NYC Parks has made incredible progress in rebuilding our lifeguard corps after the pandemic and we’re getting an early start recruiting the City’s newest heroes. Now, we need your help to make Summer 2026 the best summer ever.” Q

Happ Happy

Queens Community House, a nonprofit organization with a variety of programming for people of all ages, is marking 50 years of service with a celebratory gala on Oct. 23 at the Museum of the Moving Image. SCREENSHOTVIAQUEENSCOMMUNITYHOUSEVIDEO/YOUTUBE

Hochul tells agencies to do more with less

Directs them to review outdated regs

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

A letter dated Oct. 9 to agency commissioners from state Budget Director Blake Washington was expected.

A paragraph directing that “state agencies should review agency rules, regulations, or public facing policies and propose for repeal or reform those which are outdated or obsolete” may not have been.

With the state facing a projected $34.3 billion deficit over the next three years, Washington’s letter not only asks commissioners to submit at or near level budget requests for next year, but challenged them to “offer a more efficient and consumer-friendly experience while continuing to protect affordability and public safety. We have an obligation to do more with less, and by showing true leadership and fiscal discipline, we can further support the Governor’s vision to meet the needs of the people we serve.”

The Hochul administration lays blame for the shortfall strictly on the White House.

“Unfortunately, federal assistance crucial for programs supporting New York’s most vulnerable have been curtailed, foisting new costs upon New York State,” the letter continues. “Due to imprudent federal policies, economic headwinds remain as labor markets are cooling and inflation remains elevated.”

Patrick Orecki, director of state studies with the Citizens Budget Commission, told the Chronicle that the letter is different from those in the recent past.

“The call letter is something that goes out this time of year, every year,” Orecki said. “And most of the time it requests that the departments present a flat budget for the next year as the governor begins making the budget. What was new this year was the call for agencies to also try and come up with areas to reform their regulations. That was a new bit.”

The state’s fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31. The CBC long has called for the state’s executive and legislative branches to take a more cautious approach to spending.

Ex-Met

“I think it’s definitely a good start,” he said. “It’s something that probably should be the normal course of action for the government to be identifying ways that it can streamline and get rid of old regulations on the books that aren’t necessary ... It is always good to look for ways to find savings and reduce costs for the public.”

Orecki said an update on the state’s financial plan is due by Oct. 30. On Nov. 15 Hochul and the Legislature will hold a public meeting to discuss next year’s outlook, complete with updates on dealing with federal cuts.

Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach) in an email backed Hochul’s move.

“A failure to plan is a plan to fail,” she said. “I think this a responsible and proactive move by the Governor and her team in what has been projected to be a very difficult budget year due to the actions of the federal government. In my opinion, this proposal represents a competent leader who is trying to do what is best for New York State.” Messages left with the state Senate Democratic leadership’s office and Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris (D-Astoria) were not returned.

Nick Encalada-Malinowski of the Brooklyn-based Voices Of Community Activists & Leaders, or VOCAL-NY, which works with low-income people affected by HIV/AIDS, the drug war, mass incarceration and homelessness, was livid in a press release.

“By requiring state agencies to cut programs that everyday New Yorkers rely on, while also slashing regulations for the benefit of corporations doing business with the state, Kathy Hochul is once again demonstrating that low-income New Yorkers are not part of her affordability agenda,” he said. “She is seeking to fill a $3 billion budget gap that, ironically, she helped create with her sales tax rebate boondoggle which gave $200 million to Trump, up to $400 each to wealthy New Yorkers yet intentionally excluded more than 1 million of the poorest New Yorkers from receiving any benefit at all.” Q

Alomar Sr. dies at 81

Sandy Alomar Sr., who played 15 games for the Mets during a 15-year big league career and later served as a coach for the team from 2005 to 2009, died Monday in his native Puerto Rico. He was 81.

“He had a heart of gold and was a great baseball man,” said Jay Horowitz, the Mets team historian, in a comment on X that was reposted by the Mets.

Alomar debuted with the Milwaukee Braves in 1964. He began 1967 with the Mets, and had 22 hitless at-bats before a trade to to the Chicago White Sox. He was an All-Star with the California Angels in

1970, and played on the New York Yankees’ 1976 American League championship team.

Alomar’s eldest son, Sandy Jr., was a major league catcher for 20 years. He was the 1990 AL Rookie of the Year with the Cleveland Indians and a six-time All-Star. He played for the Mets in 2007 and coached in 2008 and 2009.

His other son, Roberto, was a Hall of Fame second baseman with 10 Gold Gloves, 12 All-Star selections and a .300 batting average in 17 seasons, including a two-year stint with the Mets from 2002 to 2003. Q — Michael Gannon

Gardens Corp. alleges unlawful street seizures for stadium shows Forest Hills folks sue city over concerts

by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor

The Forest Hills Gardens Corp. on Monday sued the city for its claimed “unconstitutional” seizure of private streets for concerts at Forest Hills Stadium.

Filed in federal court in the Eastern District of New York, the suit says the group in 2022 terminated all licenses for the concert-related use of its private streets, finding the shows too “disruptive,” “loud,” “frequent” and inconsistent with the area’s character. The plaintiffs allege that the NYPD still closed those streets for shows and directed concertgoers to walk through them, preventing residents from “being able to fully access, use, and enjoy their property.”

“Our private streets are not a shortcut for a commercial concert business,” FHGC President Anthony Oprisiu said in a statement. “For over a century, Forest Hills Gardens has been a carefully stewarded residential community. The City cannot trample the rights of more than 4,000 residents and commandeer our property without consent or compensation.”

The FHGC also has a case pending against the West Side Tennis Club, where the stadium is located.

Concerts faced a potential halt in March, when the NYPD’s Legal Bureau said it could not grant the necessary sound amplification permits for them because the FHGC ceased issuing license to the club to use its property, meaning the NYPD was not permitted to close those streets for shows. After Tiebreaker Productions, which runs concerts at the venue, proposed a plan to deploy private security on the streets, a conditional permit was granted in April for the first show of the 2025 season.

The FHGC maintains that it never agreed to let private security close its streets, and residents said they were unaware of the plan’s specifics before the first show.

“The City has taken FHGC’s private property despite the NYPD’s explicit concession that the streets and sidewalks of Forest Hills Gardens are private, and that it has no right to close them,” the suit reads.

The Forest Hills Gardens Corp. is suing the city for its alleged unlawful seizure of private streets for concerts at Forest Hills Stadium, such as the packed three-day All Things Go festival, above.

“If the police choose not to come on our property, that is the choice of the police,” Mandell said. “We’ve always said we would never interfere with law enforcement.”

An NYPD spokesperson said in a statement that officers patrol the public streets around the stadium and conduct crowd control before, during and after events, but barring an emergency, they are not present on the FHGC’s private streets.

But not all Gardens residents agree.

“This is true regardless of whether the NYPD itself closes the streets or delegates this function to a private security force.” Plaintiffs now seek compensation for the alleged unlawful taking.

Forest Hills Gardens Stand Up, a group of nearly 300 residents, said in a statement that it is “deeply concerned” by the board’s decision to file the lawsuit. The group claimed that the board is “expressly prohibiting” the NYPD from being on FHGC streets on concert days.

Forest Hills Gardens Stand Up said the FHGC board intentionally failed to mention the new lawsuit during the community’s recent annual budget meeting, lamenting “massive legal costs” and leadership by a small minority. Mandell said fewer than 10 percent of Gardens residents voted against the budget, and that it is “not a realistic way to govern” for the board to poll the community before every decision. He added that a “clear majority” of voters continue to OK the budget and elect the board.

Matthew Mandell, who chairs the FHGC’s law committee, told the Chronicle that notion is “absurd.”

JP Evangelista, an FHGC member who co-founded the Stand Up group, said the board has repeatedly outspent projected legal expenses. While

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PHOTOBYGREGGCOHEN

OPEN HOUSE

Saturday, October 18th

11am-3:30pm

Stadium suit

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group leaders did not instruct members to reject this year’s budget, Evangelista said, there was significant opposition to it.

“There’s a very real feeling that there has not been a true attempt to settle this with West Side Tennis Club made from the Gardens Corp.’s standpoint,” he said.

The FHGC has made several “good-faith proposals,” Mandell said, but the club and its tenant have refused to provide long-term protection.

“We’re objecting to the use of our property in this manner because it creates too many

Defying the forecasters like Christopher Columbus defied the naysayers of his day, the Federation of Italian-American Organizations of Queens held its 48th annual Columbus Day parade through Astoria last Saturday, with only a little rain coming down on the intrepid marchers as they celebrated the renowned explorer.

At top right, the organizers and some key players gather at the end of the parade at Columbus Square.

At top left, the march is underway. At center left, Deputy Consul of the Republic of Italy Alessandra Oliva speaks, flanked by parade Grand Marshal Antonio “Nino” Vendome, left, the restaurateur known for his philanthropy after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001,

nuisances, too many problems,” Mandell said, citing issues with crowd control, sanitation and emergency vehicle access. Noise also is a common lament — the stadium received nine noise code violations this year, including one for each day of the three-night All Things Go festival last month, the Queens Daily Eagle reported.

Stadium spokesperson Grace Smoker said the venue has no comment on the lawsuit. A rep for the city’s Corporation Counsel said the case is under review.

“I hope that our lawsuit is a wake-up call to the city and that they’re going to start taking the event management seriously so that these concerts can continue in a responsible manner,” Mandell said. Q

and federation President Joseph DiPietro. Below them, clockwise from top left, Ralph and Gianfranco Curatolo cruise in their 1975 Alfa Romeo Giulia Super; the New York Naval Cadet Corps marches; one young participant celebrates at the end of the route; Vendome’s grandson Luca recites the Pledge of Allegiance, joined by Columbus and Spanish Queen Isabella, aka Joe and Mayra DiRico; and Deputy Inspector Seth Lynch, commanding officer of the 114th Precinct, speaks. Above are two of the participating groups, St. Joseph Catholic Academy in Long Island City and the Astoria Italia Soccer Club. Until next year, ciao! — Peter C. Mastrosimone, with reporting by Walter Karling

Donating blood saves lives

“Donate Today, Save Lives Tomorrow” is the motto of the New York Blood Center, which is seeking donors as the state continues to face a blood shortage.

All types are sought, but O-negative is especially useful. To help via a blood donation or a financial gift, visit nybc.org.

There are four places in and around Eastern and Southeast Queens listed now where people may donate:

• St. Nicholas of Tolentine, Tolentine Hall; 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 19, at 150-75 Goethals Ave. in Jamaica Hills; blood drive coordinator Nilda Vargas;

• Martin Van Buren High School, auditorium; 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 230-17 Hillside Ave. in Queens Village;

• St. John’s University, Student Organization lounge room 128; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 13, at 8000 Utopia Pkwy. in Jamaica Estates; blood drive coordinator Paul Lazauskas; and

• United Sikhs, main room; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 23, at 95-30 118 St. in South Richmond Hill; bood drive coordinator Inderjeet Singh. Q — Naeisha Rose

PHOTOS BY WALTER KARLING

Honoring Guru Tegh Bahadur

In what Councilmember Lynn Schulman, center, called a “historic first,” a New York City intersection last Saturday was conamed “Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji Marg Way,” in honor of the ninth Sikh Guru. The site, at 114th Street and 101st Avenue in Richmond Hill, is said to be the first street location named after him outside of India.

The co-naming was the result of legislation introduced by Schulman. At a City Council hearing last December, the councilmember said Tegh Bahadur “was a poet, philosopher and warrior whose teachings of love, compassion and justice resonate

deeply across generations.”

Attendees at the ceremony included Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, Community Board 9 Chair Sherry Algredo, a representative of Assemblymember David Weprin and members of the Gurdwara Baba Makhan Shah Lubana, which sits at the intersection.

In a Facebook post, Schulman wrote, “114th St & 101st Ave. in Richmond Hill, home to Gurdwara Makhan Shah Lubana, will now be known as Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji Marg Way, to honor the 9th Sikh Guru’s legacy of sacrifice, compassion, and unwavering stand for justice.” — Kristen Guglielmo

Sunday, November 2nd 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Albert H. Mauro Playground 73rd Terrace & Park Drive East, Kew Gardens

Follow our spooky Halloween map and pick up clues along the trail. All Families must pre-register via email at JeanFMCPC@gmail.com

Meet at the start of the Pat Dolan Trail to get your map and get started.

First 50 kids who pre-registered will receive a goodie bag.

Summer in the Borough Photo Contest!

The winner of the Queens Chronicle’s 17th Annual Summer in the Borough Photo Contest is Anette Szydlowski, at far right above, who took a gem of a selfie in Rockaway with her mother, Vicki, and Vicki’s great friend Rosemarie Italico, of the windblown hair. No clouds could put a damper on their smiles that day on the boardwalk. Saying they were “caught in a windstorm,” Italico joked, “I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore, Auntie Em.” As the winner, Szydlowski will receive a $50 gift card good to use anywhere.

As always, we had many fantastic entries, and the distance from first place to the near runners up is minute. They’re all magical.

At top left is a wondrous sunbeam peeking through the trees on Park Lane South in Richmond Hill just before sunset, captured by Michele Bornfeld of Woodhaven.

At left, an osprey in the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge clutches its

precious catch of the day while deciding where to eat it, as snapped by Flora Savitzky of Fresh Meadows during a hike.

Below that, Pulp performs at Forest Hills Stadium, with Ivy Hammer of Rego Park getting the shot that is all you need.

At top center, fireworks accompanied by music go off at Citi Field after the Mets pounded the Marlins 19-9 in a wild Aug. 29 game, and Marjorie Duverge of Howard Beach captures the sight.

Above center is a September sunset scene in Broad Channel, looking west, as beautifully photographed by Mike McGevna of South Richmond Hill, a prior contest winner.

Many more photos than we could fit on this page are posted at qchron.com. We thank all of our dozens of entrants and remind everyone to keep an eye out for our 18th Annual Holiday Photo Contest, coming up soon! — Peter C. Mastrosimone

from

are a bee trying to take a nap in photographer Ary Markowski’s Bayside garden; a glorious sunflower by Jessica Watz of Glendale; beautifully tended beds at Rochdale Village in Jamaica, taken by Judith Walker, who said, “The flowers on the ground are eye candy that calms the heart”; and a young girl picking some blooms during the US Open’s Fan Week at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, photographed by Frances Scanlon of Flushing.

Flower power is always evident in the Summer in the Borough Photo Contest. Above,

left,

Above is Alex at Rockaway Beach, by Ava Lorenzo of Sunnyside, a Lindenwood native. Above right, the Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Memorial Concert in Sunnyside, by Robin V. Marion of Long Island City. Right, the Throgs Neck Bridge over Little Neck Bay, by John A. Titone of Jackson Heights.

Estate Planning Fundamentals: Proper Tax Planning with Irrevocable Trusts

By Cynthia J. Conza, Esq.

An important issue for estate planning practitioners had been the impact of IRS Revenue Ruling 2023-2 on Irrevocable Trusts. This Revenue Ruling clarified the IRS’s position that assets received from an Irrevocable Trust are not eligible for a step-up in basis and would be subject to capital gains tax. Fortunately, proper drafting of an Irrevocable Trust can ensure beneficiaries can claim a step-up basis on their inheritance and eliminate the capital gains tax.

Step-up in basis is a tax provision under 26 U.S. Code § 1014 that provides for a step-up in cost basis on inherited property. This allows the basis of an asset to be “stepped up” to the fair market value of the asset upon the grantor’s death. For example: If a decedent purchased a home for $250,000 and it was worth $1,000,000 at the time of death, the person who inherited it would likely receive the stepped-up basis of $1,000,000. Without the step-up provision under § 1014, the unrealized capital gains would

otherwise be $750,000 ($1,000,000 market value less $250,000 cost basis).

Revenue Ruling 2023-2 caused some alarm as it stated that Irrevocable Trust assets are not eligible for a step-up in basis, and therefore could be subject to capital gains tax. However, experienced estate planning attorneys have long known this was always the law, even before Revenue Ruling 2023-2. Fortunately, we also understand that Irrevocable Trusts can be drafted so a transfer to the trust can be deemed an incomplete gift and includible in the decedent’s taxable estate. As a result, the beneficiary can claim the step-up in basis upon inheriting the Irrevocable Trust asset and eliminate the capital gains tax.

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

- ADVERTORIAL -

‘I’m endorsing both’: Holden

Reiterates stance after social media post vexes some

by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor

After an endorsement video on social media caused some to question his position, term-limited City Councilman Bob Holden (D-Maspeth) expressed his support for both of his staffers in the race for his seat.

Republican candidate Alicia Vaichunas, Holden’s deputy chief of staff, posted a video Oct. 10 of her boss expressing his support for her candidacy. Also in the video, filmed outside Vaichunas’ campaign office, are Minority Leader Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) and activist Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee for mayor, both of whom also have given her their nods.

know that’s unusual, but they’d both make great Council members. They both know the neighborhood. They have a long track record of volunteering in the neighborhood.”

He explained that he told both Wong and Vaichunas that they can put out their own campaign videos, but they cannot say he is only endorsing them. He also advised both campaigns to avoid negative remarks about the other candidate, as he does not want a “family squabble.”

Phil Wong, Holden’s constituent services and budget director, also is on the ticket. After Wong’s victory in the June Democratic primary, Holden told the Chronicle he would endorse both of his staffers in the general election, but he is “not picking one over the other.”

Holden said Tuesday that his position has not changed.

“What I essentially said is I’m endorsing both of them,” he told the Chronicle. “And I

“I’m certainly in a situation where very few Council members or elected officials have been in, where both my friends are running for the same seat,” Holden said. “So may the best person win.”

But the post came as a shock to Wong, who understood that his boss would stay out of it.

“I don’t know what to make of it,” he told the Chronicle Tuesday, stating that only the councilman could speak to that.

Holden said in the video that “nobody knows this area of District 30 like Alicia Vaichunas.”

Vaichunas told the Chronicle she is proud to have Holden’s support.

“I’m running to carry on his great legacy

Alicia Vaichunas, center left, posted a video of his endorsement. She faces Phil Wong, inset.

SCREENSHOTVIAFACEBOOKVIDEO/ALICIAVAICHUNAS AND,INSET,COURTESYPHOTO/FILE

and continue the important work we’ve done together to make our neighborhoods safe, strong, and thriving,” she said via email. Q

Det., SSA and civilian in cuffs

Three off-duty members of the NYPD have been arrested in Southeast Queens over nine days.

Police said that Joseph Torres, 38, a detective, was arrested on Oct. 6. Torres was charged with menacing, aggravated harassment and criminal possession of a weapon at around 5:41 p.m. within the confines of the 116th Precinct.

When asked about further details into the incident, a police spokeswoman told the Chronicle that it was a domestic situation.

Munetta Johnson, 56, a civilian member of the Police Department, was arrested Oct. 9, at approximately 1:40 a.m., also within the confines of the 116th Precinct.

Johnson was charged with assault. The police spokeswoman said that too was a domestic situation.

Anthony Williams, 56, a school safety agent, was arrested on grand larceny and harassment charges on Oct. 1, at 1:35 p.m. within the confines of the 105th Precinct. There were no specifics surrounding the arrest, said the spokeswoman. Q

— Naeisha Rose

Councilman Bob Holden, right, said he endorses both candidates vying to replace him, after

Tejas Desai’s ‘Bad Americans: Part I’ evokes array of harrowing truths Queens author pens pandemic-era novel

by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor

Five years after the Covid-19 pandemic left an indelible mark on the world, a Queensbased author’s latest novel reminds readers of the humanity behind the horrors.

Set after the Covid lockdown in the summer of 2020, Flushing native Tejas Desai’s “Bad Americans: Part I” follows 12 people from all backgrounds and walks of life as they are invited to stay in reclusive billionaire Olive Mixer’s mansion in the Hamptons. Their stay echoes modern reality TV shows, as the visitors date, dine and even fight during their 12-day stay, but each of them must share a personal story with the group at night.

“It both operates as a panoramic portrait of the pandemic experience during Covid in America, and particularly in New York City and the surroundings, and it also operates as a standalone novel,” Desai told the Chronicle. With elements reminiscent of “The Bachelor” and “Big Brother,” his novel incorporates humor alongside its intensity.

realities. The first one, entitled “On the Frontlines,” centers on the experiences of healthcare workers at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, where Desai’s mother worked.

It starts as a relatively quiet hospital tableau, and in the blink of an eye, employees must fight to save their patients’ lives, as well as their own.

“It shows in a really intense way how the pandemic really affected lives, especially at Ground Zero,” Desai said. The novel offers multiple points of view, not only from healthcare professionals, but also from patients, bus drivers, delivery workers and more.

“All the characters are very different from each other, and they all kind of battle just like in real life, but at the end of the day, they’re all Americans,” Desai said. “They’re all human beings. They all have to live on the earth together.”

Desai, who started penning stories at just 8 years old. He said he was already writing novels by the time he reached middle school, and he finished his first one at 17.

“Bad Americans” is Desai’s fifth book. Among his other works is the Amazon No. 1 bestselling crime trilogy “The Brotherhood Chronicle.” “Bad Americans” is part of a series entitled “The Human Tragedy,” whose first volume, “Good Americans,” was published in 2013.

Desai also is an assistant manager at the Queens Public Library’s Cambria Heights branch. He holds two master’s degrees from Queens College, in creative writing and library science.

The novel, which contains six characters’ tales, came out on Sept. 15, and the individual stories were published as Kindle eBooks before that. The first story in “Bad Americans: Part II” came out on Oct. 15, and the full book will be released April 15.

Iconic literary works such as “The Decameron” and “The Canterbury Tales” inspired his frame narrative and stories within a story, which are fictional, but based on harrowing

Even before the pandemic hit, Desai said, he was already planning to write a novel set during one. And when he experienced it firsthand — he and several relatives contracted the virus early on — he knew it was the perfect time to start writing.

“I enlisted all these people I knew ... even people I barely knew in college, but I contacted them and they were willing to help me out.

People who were in these professions that I was writing about,” Desai said.

Writing the detailed, in-depth stories was the relatively easy part compared to crafting the frame narrative, he said.

Being a writer was always the goal for

The books are published by The New Wei, a literary movement that Desai founded in 2012. It started as a literary salon in 2023, in which writers came together at different venues across the city to find ways to support each other’s work.

“Bad Americans: Part I” is available anywhere books are sold online. It also is available as an eBook on Amazon. Q

Flushing native Tejas Desai’s frame novel “Bad Americans: Part I” is the first of two that depict a range of human experiences during the Covid pandemic. COURTESYPHOTOS

Make a stride at Flushing Meadows

Breast cancer walk returns for 32nd year Sunday, Oct. 19, starting at 8 a.m.

by Naeisha Rose Editor

The American Cancer Society will host its 32nd Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Queens at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Sunday, Oct. 19.

People interested in attending the event, which will have music and a variety of activities, may meet up at the Fountain of the Planets at Universe Court, starting at 8 a.m. To register, become a vendor or learn more about the event, people may visit makingstrideswalk.org/queens or call 1 (800) 277-2345. At 9:30 a.m. there will be a survivor ribbon cutting.

Last year, the national nonprofit raised nearly $540,000 at FMCP and this year it hopes to hit that target, said Michele Steigerwald, an ACS development manager.

Steigerwald said there are a lot of great sponsors at this year’s event.

“NewYork-Presbyterian/Queens is sponsoring our giant pink chair, which is lots of fun,” she said. “People can jump on it and take photos with Mrs. Met.”

Steigerwald. “All the nurses and people from different divisions at New York City Health and Hospitals were there and raised more than $25,000 last year. Northwell raised ove r $17,000 last year.”

MediSys, which includes JHMC and Flushing Hospital Medical Center, and MSK raised $17,000, while Kinray, which is part of a multinational healthcare service provider based in Ohio, raised $11,000 in 2024.

Food sponsors include Applebee’s an d Raising Cane’s.

Steigerwald said Applebee’s activated all its restaurants throughout the city, including its Queens locations, which raised the most money last year. Of the nearly $100,000 the chain brought in for the Big Apple, more than $50,000 was raised in the World’s Borough.

Raising Cane’s will have fun giveaways this year.

“Main Street Radiology sponsors our Survivor Tent and our Bell of Hope,” said Steigerwald. “When a cancer survivor finishes their last chemo treatment, they get to ring the bell. We re-created it for our Survivor Tent, which

Other health providers expected at the event include MediSys and Memorial Sloan Kettering, which are collaborating on a cancer center at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center; Northwell Health; NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst and NYC H+H/Queens; and MetroPlus Health.

is exclusive to our survivors, thrivers and previvors.”

Steigerwald said that NYC H+H and Northwell have a competition, in which the providers try to outraise each other.

“Northwell had some creative bake sales last year in honor of their survivors,” said

“Firstrade Securities will be sponsoring our first mile and our volunteer T-shirt and tent,” said Steigerwald. “Boroughwide, we will be doing our 360-video photo opportunity. Resorts World NYC will be our start line, finish line photo roller and our Who I Stride For bid sponsor. People like to give back to the community

Nearly $540,000 was raised at last year’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk by the American Cancer Society. The nonprofit hopes to reach that goal this year. PHOTOCOURTESYACS

In Observance In of Breast Cancer of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast cancer: what you need to know

What is breast cancer?

A breast is made up of three main parts: lobules, ducts and connective tissue. The lobules are the glands that produce milk. The ducts are tubes that carry milk to the nipple. The connective tissue (which consists of fibrous and fatty tissue) surrounds and holds everything together.

Breast cancer is a disease in which cells in the breast grow out of control. There are different kinds of breast cancer. The kind of breast cancer depends on which cells in the breast turn into cancer.

Most breast cancers begin in the ducts or lobules. Breast cancer can spread outside the breast through blood vessels and lymph vessels. When breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it is said to have metastasized. Q

Kinds of breast cancer

The most common kinds of breast cancer are:

• Invasive ductal carcinoma. The cancer cells begin in the ducts and then grow outside the ducts into other parts of the breast tissue. Invasive cancer cells can also spread, or metastasize, to other parts of the body.

• Invasive lobular carcinoma . Cancer cells begin in the lobules and then spread from the lobules to the breast tissues that are close by. These invasive cancer cells can also spread to other parts of the body.

There are several other less common kinds of breast cancer, such as Paget’s disease, medullary, mucinous and inflammatory breast cancer. Ductal carcinoma in situ is a breast disease that may lead to invasive breast cancer. The cancer cells are only in the lining of the ducts and have not spread to other tissues in the breast. Q

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

Some warning signs of breast cancer are:

• new lump in the breast or underarm (armpit);

• thickening or swelling of part of the breast;

• irritation or dimpling of breast skin;

• redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or on the breast;

• pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area;

• nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood;

• any change in the size or the shape of the breast; and

• pain in the breast.

Keep in mind that these symptoms can happen with other conditions that are not cancer.

For more on what is a normal breast and what do lumps in a breast mean, go to cdc. gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/symptoms. Q

Cancer is a disease in which cells in the body grow out of control. Except for skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States. Deaths from breast cancer have declined over time, but breast cancer remains the second-leading cause of cancer death among women overall and the leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic women.

Each year in the United States, about 240,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women and about 2,100 in men. About 42,000 women and 500 men in the U.S. die each year from breast cancer. Black women have a higher rate of death from breast cancer than all other women.

Studies have shown that your risk for breast cancer is due to a combination of factors. The main factors that influence your risk include being a woman and getting older. Most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old or older.

Who is at high risk for breast cancer?

If you have a strong family history of breast cancer or inherited changes in your BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, you may have a high risk of getting breast cancer. You may also have a high risk for ovarian cancer.

Talk to your doctor about ways to reduce your risk, such as medicines that block or decrease estrogen in your body, or surgery.

What can I do to reduce my risk of breast cancer?

Many factors over the course of a lifetime can influence your breast cancer risk. You can’t change some factors, such as getting older or your family history, but you can help lower your risk of breast cancer by taking care of your health in the following ways:

• Keep a healthy weight.

Q

Some women will get breast cancer even without any other risk factors that they know of. Having a risk factor does not mean you will get the disease, and not all risk factors have the same effect. Most women have some risk factors, but most women do not get breast cancer. Talk with your doctor about ways you can lower your risk and about screening for breast cancer.

• Be physically active.

o r s y o u Risk factors you C A N N O T CANNOT c h a n g e change

R i s k f a c t

Getting older. The risk for breast cancer increases with age. Most breast cancers are diagnosed after age 50.

Genetic mutations. Women who have inherited changes (mutations) to certain genes, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, are at higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Reproductive history. Starting menstrual periods before age 12 and starting menopause after age 55 expose women to hormones longer, raising their risk of getting breast cancer.

Having dense breasts. Dense breasts have more connective tissue than fatty tissue, which can sometimes make it hard to see tumors on a mammogram. Women with dense breasts are more likely to get breast cancer.

Personal history of breast cancer or certain noncancerous breast diseases. Women who have had breast cancer are more likely to get breast cancer a second time. Some noncancerous breast diseases such as atypical hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ

are associated with a higher risk of getting breast cancer.

Family history of breast or ovarian cancer. A woman’s risk for breast cancer is higher if she has a mother, sister, or daughter (firstdegree relative) or multiple family members on either her mother’s or father’s side of the family who have had breast or ovarian cancer. Having a first-degree male relative with breast cancer also raises a woman’s risk.

Previous treatment using radiation therapy. Women who had radiation therapy to the chest or breasts (for instance, treatment of Hodgkin’s lymphoma) before age 30 have a higher risk of getting breast cancer later in life.

Exposure to the drug diethylstilbestrol. DES was given to some pregnant women in the United States between 1940 and 1971 to prevent miscarriage. Women who took DES, or whose mothers took DES while pregnant with them, have a higher risk of getting breast cancer. Q

i s k f a c t o r s y o u Risk factors you C A N CAN c h a n g e change

Not being physically active. Women who are not physically active have a higher risk of getting breast cancer.

Being overweight or having obesity after menopause. Older women who are overweight or have obesity have a higher risk of getting breast cancer than those at a healthy weight.

Taking hormones. Some forms of hormone replacement therapy (those that include both estrogen and progesterone) taken during menopause can raise the risk for breast cancer when taken for more than five years. Certain oral contraceptives (birth control pills) also have

been found to raise breast cancer risk.

Reproductive history. Having the first pregnancy after age 30, not breastfeeding and never having a full-term pregnancy can raise breast cancer risk.

Drinking alcohol. Studies show that a woman’s risk for breast cancer increases with the more alcohol she drinks.

• Choose not to drink alcohol, or drink alcohol in moderation.

• If you are taking, or have been told to take, hormone replacement therapy or oral contraceptives, ask your doctor about the risks and find out if it is right for you.

• Breastfeed your children, if possible. If you have a family history of breast cancer or inherited changes in your BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, talk to your doctor about other ways to lower your risk.

Staying healthy throughout your life will lower your risk of developing cancer, and improve your chances of surviving cancer if it occurs. Q

Research suggests that other factors such as smoking, being exposed to chemicals that can cause cancer and changes in other hormones due to nightshift working also may increase breast cancer risk.

Q

What is a mammogram?

A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast. For many women, mammog rams are the best way to find breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat. Mammograms can find cancer before it is big enough to f eel or cause symptoms. Having regular mammograms can lower the risk of dying from breast cancer. At this time, a mammogram is the best way to find breast cancer for most women of screening age.

How is a mammogram done?

You will stand in front of a special X-ray machine. A technologist will place your breast on a plastic p late. Another plate will firmly press your breast from above. The plates will flatten the breast, holding it still while the X-ray is being taken.

You will feel some pressure. The steps are repeated to make a side view of the breast. The other breast will be X-rayed in the same way. You will then wait while the technologist checks the X-rays to make sure the pictures do not need to be redone. Keep in mind that the technologist cannot tell you the results of your mammogram. Each woman’s mammogram may look a little different because all breasts are a little different. A doctor with special training, called a radiologist, will look at the X-ray for early signs of breast cancer or other problems.

What does having a mammogram feel like?

Having a mammogram is uncomfortable for most women.

Tips for getting a mammogram

• Try not to have the mammogram the week before you get your period or during your period.

• On the day of your mammogram, don’t wear deodorant, perfume or powder. These products can show up as white spots on the X-ray.

• Some women prefer to wear a top with a skirt or pants, instead of a dress. You will need to undress from your waist up for the mammogram.

COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL IMAGING

3T MRI • MRA • 1.2 OPEN MRI LOW DOSE CT • CTA • FLUOROSCOPY

DAT SCAN • NUCLEAR MEDICINE

PET/CT SCAN • ULTRASOUND • DEXA X-RAY • INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY

CORONARY CT ANGIOGRAPHY CALCIUM SCORING

ECHOCARDIOGRAM • LIVER BIOPSY THYROID BIOPSY

PEDIATRIC RADIOLOGY

WOMEN'S IMAGING

3D DIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY

BREAST ULTRASOUND MRI BREAST

STEREOTACTIC BREAST BIOPSY

ULTRASOUND GUIDED CORE BIOPSY

MRI GUIDED BIOPSY

Some women find it painful. A mammogram takes only a few moments, though, and the discomfort is over soon. What you feel depends on the skill of the technologist, the size of your breasts, and how much they need to be pressed. Your breasts may be more sensitive if you are about to get or have your period.

An example of a normal mammogram, left. Each woman’s mammogram may look a little different because all breasts are a little different.

About the results

When will I get the results of my mammogram?

You will usually get the results within a few weeks, although it depends on the facility. A radiologist reads your mammogram and then reports the results to you and your doctor. If there is a concern, you will hear from the mammography facility earlier. Contact your health care provider or the mammography facility if you do not receive a report of your results within 30 days.

What happens if my mammogram is normal?

Continue to get mammograms according to recommended time intervals. Mammograms work best when they can be compared with previous ones. This allows the radiologist to compare them to look for changes in your breasts.

What happens if my mammogram is abnormal?

An abnormal mammogram does not always mean that there is cancer. But you may need to have

additional mammograms, tests, or exams before the doctor can tell for sure.

You may also be referred to a breast specialist or a surgeon. It does not necessarily mean you have cancer or nee d surgery.

These doctors are experts in diagnosing breast problems. Doctors will do follow-up tests to diagnose breast cancer or to find that there is no cancer.

Where can I get a mammogram and whom can

I talk to if I have questions?

• If you have a regular doctor, talk to him or her.

• Contact the National Cance r Institute.

• For Medicare information, you can call 1 (800) MEDICARE (633-4227) or visit The Centers fo r Medicare & Medicaid Ser vices. Q — Centers for Disease Control

Getting support

Someone is diagnosed with breast cancer every day. The World Health Organization says breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women around the world, as well as a leading cause of cancer death. Unfortunately, roughly half of all breast cancers occur in women with no specific identifiable risk factors beyond age and sex, so there may be no warning signs that a cancer diagnosis is coming.

Chances are a newly diagnosed breast cancer patient will need some measure of help and support but may not feel comfortable asking for assistance. Getting help also can be overwhelming for certain individuals. But supportive friends or loved ones can step up to the plate and offer support in various ways.

• Provide meals. Take turns with other friends and family members to prepare and deliver meals. If you don’t cook, arrange to have takeout delivered.

• Go grocery shopping. Help stock the refrigerator with plenty of healthy and convenient foods. While the person battling cancer may experience various degrees of hunger, keeping food available helps the rest of the household.

• Straighten up. Take care of cleaning around the house. You may wash some loads of laundry, vacuum and iron clothes. If budget allows, you can hire a cleaning service to come in once or twice a month for a deep cleaning.

• Care for the dog. If fatigue makes it challenging for the person battling cancer to take

the dog on walks, you can step up and handle dog walking or trips to a dog park.

• Provide caregivers a break. The primary caregiver will be working overtime to offer support, and you can give that person a much-needed break. Step in to go to doctors’ appointments or watch a young child so the caregiver gets a day or two off.

• Take on chauffeur duty. Take on the task of driving the patient to and from checkups or scans. A friendly face can make a big difference in taming anxiety.

• Pay bills. Household tasks may seem overwhelming, so you can help manage the finances by paying bills or sorting through mail. If medical paperwork has begun to stack up, you also can organize and sort items of importance.

• Make home more comfortable. Transform any living spaces, whether they are home or temporary apartments or hotels, with creature comforts. This can include high thread count sheets, newly framed family photos, comfortable pillows and blankets, and more.

• Sit and listen. Sometimes the greatest comfort can be sitting with and listening to the person who is fighting cancer. Don’t offer advice or recommendations unless prompted, but listen to any concerns and offer time and support. Support for friends and loved ones after a cancer diagnosis can come in many forms and make a significant difference in people’s lives. Q

— Metro Creative Connection

Make a stride

continued from page 26

and they can write who they stride for, who they walk in honor or in memory of.”

The city Department of Correction, NYPD Patrol Queens North, NYPD Patrol Queens South, NYPD Jamaican American Law Enforcement Organization and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are some of the agencies expected at the walk.

“The United Federation of Teachers and all the schools come out,” said the development manager. “When schools come out and they raise $1,000, they are awarded a banner. Our schools raised $70,000 last year, which is awesome.”

Brooklyn & Queens Lions Clubs District 20 raised $25,000 from walks between the two boroughs, said Steigerwald.

There will be an interactive magazine cover, within a large photo booth, for participants to step into to take pictures along the route, a boutique with Stride and Spread Love merchandise and a business village.

“SimplyJennsCreations and Chi Chi Nail Room are under our business tent and others,” said Steigerwald. “Gleem donated some creams for our survivors.”

SimplyJennsCreations is a small business that hand paints items.

Marlene Wallach, a breast cancer survivor, founded Gleem.

“The owner is a survivor and launched it because of her cancer journey,” said Steigerwald. “It’s aloe-based skincare.” The creams

will be given out at the Survivor Tent.

Karen “DJ Nett” Lawson and the Nettwork will be on the ones and twos.

“We love her. She is amazing,” said Steigerwald. “She serves the Queens community. She’s our deejay and our emcee.”

The Nettwork is a nonprofit that teaches youth how to deejay, does community cleanups and provides mental health and wellness workshops.

Steigerwald said that those without a history of breast cancer in their family should start getting screened at 40 years old, however, people are getting breast cancer earlier, including one survivor who is a fundraiser for Making Strides.

“We have a new participant this year who is only 29 years old,” said Steigerwald, who has had family members on both her mom and dad’s side of the family battle breast cancer. “Recently, a lot of younger women have been diagnosed ...

“If you do have a family history of breast cancer, we encourage people to speak with their doctors to see if they should get screened earlier, at age 35 or even 30. That is up to the patient and the doctor.”

Steigerwald said she started getting screened early because of her family history.

“Men get breast cancer also,” she noted. “An estimated 2,800 men will get diagnosed with breast cancer this year.”

That statistic is nationwide.

The purpose of Sunday’s event is to celebrate previvors, survivors and thrivers, as well as caregivers, said Steigerwald. “It’s a celebration of hope,” she added. Q

Abroad at home

by Marlee Wollman

Queens, the most ethnically diverse urban area on the planet, is the epitome of diaspora. It is a diasporic homeland, contradictory as that may sound.

Filipina artist Xyza Cruz Bacani delightfully brings the beauty of this paradox to light, illuminating the intricacies of the immigrant experience in Queens in her new exhibit, “The Diaspora is Home.” Housed in Flux IV, a stunning waterfront gallery space in Long Island City, the show blends vividly evocative visuals and engaging experiential space.

Upon entering, viewers are immediately confronted with a challenge:

“Are You Ready to Welcome a Stranger?” Bacani explained, “when immigrants come to a host country ... the responsibility to adapt, assimilate, to change is always with the immigrants.” Her work flips that expectation, instead prompting communities to consider their role in creating a welcoming atmosphere.

“Everybody’s a stranger to somebody,” Bacani remarked, addressing me and another visitor last Friday afternoon. “So how do we treat

them? Do we treat them like those we immediately like? Are we like, hey, wait a minute, this person is different from me ... or should we accept them as kids and be more understanding of their journey?” The artist herself embodies this welcoming attitude. With a warm smile, she graciously invited us on a personal tour of her work.

“The Body is a Vessel” introduces Burmese sushi chef Taboo, who came to the U.S. without speaking English.

“He worked so hard, and now he’s a businessman,” she said. The tattoos on his body map out his journey from Burma, from building a life in the U.S. to helping other Burmese immigrants by teaching them to make sushi and connecting them with jobs.

“Reminder of Homeland” follows Farah and Shiku, a Filipino- and Bengali-American couple, whose love story transverses geographical limits. They met in Queens, got married in Bangladesh and returned to live here. Bacani has photographed them since 2015 and keeps part of their wedding regalia from 2012. The clothes are modeled on mannequins alongside

continued on page 33

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS, Index No.: 704432/2021, Filed: 1/24/2024, SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS, Plaintiff designates Queens County as the place of trial. Venue is based upon the County in which the mortgaged premises is situated. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Plaintiff, -against- Scott Gordon, Esq. as Limited Administrator for the estate of Everol A. Ellington and Everol A. Ellington and Everol A. Ellington’s unknown heirs-at-law, next-of-kin, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, 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 the real property described in the complaint herein, Scott Gordon, Esq. as Limited Administrator for the Estate of Roxanne G. Lambert and Roxanne G. Lambert’s unknown heirs-atlaw, next-of-kin, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, 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 the real property described in the complaint herein, Sherene W illiamson aka Sherise Williamson as Heir to the Estate of Everol A. Ellington if living, and if they be dead, their respective heirs-at-law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignees, lienors, creditors and successors in interest, and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendants 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, K.E. Minor Heir of the Estate of Everol A. Ellington and as Heir to the Estate of Roxanne G. Lambert, Raven Shaw as Heir to ‘the Estate of Roxanne G. Lambert, Roy Shaw as Heir to the Estate of Roxanne G. Lambert, New York City Environmental Control Board, New York City Parking Violations Bureau, New York City Transit Adjudication Bureau, United States of AmericaInternal Revenue Service, New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Tarranicki Clyburn, Defendants. TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANT(S): YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your Answer or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a Notice of Appearance on the attorneys for the plaintiff within twenty (20) days after service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service; or within thirty (30) days after service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York; or within sixty (60) days if it is the United States of America. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: The foregoing Summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Hon. Claudia Lanzetta, a Justice of the Supreme Court, Queens County, entered Sept. 17, 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 $333,805.00 and interest, recorded in the office of the clerk of the County of Queens on July 11, 2011 in CRFN 2011000241812 covering premises known as 112-44 Dillon Street, Jamaica, NY 11433 a/k/a Block 12178, Lot 144. 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 REPSOND 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 25, 2022, Logs Legal Group LLP,Attorneys for Plaintiff,175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, NY 14624 (585) 247-9000 Fax: (585)247-7380 Our File No. 23-094418, #102555, TO: Scott Gordon, Esq. As Limited Administrator of the Estate of Everol A. Ellington, Scott Gordon, Esq. As Limited Administrator of the Estate of Roxanne G. Lambert, United States of America-Internal Revenue Service, New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, K.E. Minor Heir of the Estate of Everol A. Ellington and as Heir to the Estate of Roxanne G. Lambert c/o Donnette Ellington, 1007 N. Ocean Breeze Lake Worth, Florida 33460, Raven Shaw as Heir to the Estate of Roxanne G. Lambert,1606 E. 56th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11234, Roy Shaw as Heir to the Estate of Roxanne G. Lambert, 1606 E. 56th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11234

King Crossword Puzzle

Train lines (Abbr.)

I HAVE OFTEN WALKED

Aptly named footballer Strong was tough in Bayside

by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor

Elmer Strong married Christine Nelson on Oct. 19, 1898, in Orange, Conn. Their first child, Evelyn, died in 1902 at age 3. They went on to have four more children: Earl, Elmer, Norman and Virginia.

Elmer, who decided to use his middle name, Kenneth, was born on April 21, 1906 and excelled in both baseball and football. He decided on football at NYU and thrived.

He eloped with a Ziegfeld Showgirl, Rella Harrison, on Dec. 12, 1928. Incompatibility followed, with their divorce in 1931. By December 1931, he had married 19-year-old Mabel Anderson. He also played on five NFL championship games with the New York Giants, starting in 1933.

The home of New York Giants great and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ken

at 48-15 215

Bay-

as it looked in the 1940s shortly after it was built.

Now with a son, the couple purchased a brand-new home at 48-15 215 St. in Bayside in 1936. Strong retired with the Giants in 1940, leading the league in scoring three times. He came back as a kicker in 1943, during the war, and retired again in 1947. He

was always regarded as a triple threat as he could run, pass and kick. He still played hard when injured and was regarded as one of the NFL’s best in the early years of the league. In retirement Strong worked as a coach and liquor salesman. He died in Manhattan of a heart attack at 73, on Oct. 5, 1979. The same cause of death had taken the life of his father 47 years earlier. Q

Strong

St. in

side,

You be the judge at the Queens Short Play Festival

by Mark Lord qboro contributor

The Secret Theatre is celebrating its return to Long Island City with the latest installment of its popular Queens Short Play Festival, which runs through Nov. 9.

An estimated 50 pieces, selected from over 130 submissions, are being performed in a total of seven different programs, each including at least four plays.

“One of the great things about this festival is its breadth,” curator Cassandra Gutterman-Johns said via email, calling the event “a community hub, with lots of opportunities for artists and audience members alike.”

Among the plays is “A Four-Letter Word,” written by longtime LIC resident Robert Long II.

Originally written as a short story, the piece, set in the not-too-distant future, was expanded and turned into what Long described in a telephone interview as “a drama with a touch of sci-fi.”

This marks Long’s third go-round as a playwright in a Secret play festival, in addition to his appearance as an actor in the festival’s 2022 edition.

“It’s a great experience,” he said. “I love seeing other people’s pieces.” He is particularly open to experiencing plays that express points of view not necessarily seen before.

R.

and

II in “A Four-Letter Word.”

The “bite-sized” plays, he said, allow an audience to be “briefly immersed in a world,” providing “a great escape.”

A first-time entry in the festival is Sarah Hoogenraad, a resident of Astoria, who hap-

are

are

pened to get married in LIC, a stone’s throw from the theater.

“I had been following the Secret Theatre for a while,” she said in a telephone interview. “I started taking writing seriously last

year. I got excited because [the festival] was in Queens.”

Her piece, a rom-com entitled “This Stop,” is set in the subway. “It starts in our world,” she said, “and devolves into a magic world.”

According to the playwright, the piece features two characters and an unseen train announcer. And, as a teaser, she added, “Maybe a stranger comes in at the end.”

In addition to writing the play, Hoogenraad, who was a drama major at Hofstra University, takes on one of the leading roles.

Calling the festival “very exciting,” she seemed optimistic that, because of it, “We’re getting so many eyes” on the Queens theater scene.

The festival, a competitive event that just got underway, offers audiences the opportunity to vote on plays they see. The top two from each program move on to the semifinal round, with eight advancing to the finals. Cash awards will be given for the best play, actor, actress and director.

“There’s something for everyone at the festival this year,” Gutterman-Johns promised.

The Secret Theatre is now located at 10-10 44 Ave. Tickets for the festival are $27; $22 for seniors; or $16.75 for youngsters 3 to 17. For more information, call (718) 433-9030 or visit secrettheatre.com. Q

A photographer’s intimate look at immigrant lives

continued from page 31

mannequin parts representing the shedded aspects of oneself under the pressure of assimilation.

At the core of the gallery is a cozy living room simulation, complete with the nostalgic plastic-covered couch that Bacani calls “an homage to our grandmothers and how they take care of their first couch, first furniture.” A painstakingly handcrafted lamp displays photographs of immigrants danc-

Crossword Answers

ing. “The culture they’re born with and the culture that they’re sharing to everybody ... it’s like a light,” she said.

“When I visited all these people inside their homes, they welcomed me in their living room,” Bacani shared. “And I want people who come to the exhibition to feel that. Hey, welcome. Sit with me. Let’s talk.” Visitors of the gallery also have the pleasure to partake in this comforting ritual, and to take in the sweet aroma of burning incense emanating adjacent to a set of prayer candles, part of a set of photos exploring the central role of faith in immigrant life.

White Rabbit Candy, a sweet cream toffee-like sweet, is offered in a decorative bowl in the center of a playful installation titled “Spicy or Not Spicy?” The generosity of Asian immigrant communities is palpable through the co-offering of candies and inviting photos revealing copious amounts of food being provided and enjoyed.

When asked about her evolution as an artist, Bacani recalled working as a nanny in Hong Kong for nearly a decade. During that time, she developed an interest in photography and began taking photos after

borrowing money from her employer to buy a camera. A New York Times feature in 2014 brought her international attention, but she remains true to her focus on amplifying the multifaceted lives of immigrants. She calls those she photographs her “collaborators” rather than “subjects”, and this perspective shift is evident in each piece.

“The Diaspora is Home” is a show you don’t want to physically leave, especially

with its intrinsic hospitality and exciting sensory provisions. The visceral qualities pleasantly remain with you long after you leave, along with a refreshing perspective on the rich immigrant communities with deep roots in our city. The show runs until Nov. 2, and is open Saturdays, 12 to 6 p.m., or by appointment at Flux IV, at 56-21 Second St. For info, email Curator Meghana Karnik at meghana@fluxfactory.org. Q

Rehearsing “This Stop” are Chandler Holloway, inset left, Sarah Hoogenraad, seated, Rebecca Wilson

Cooper Cardone. At right

Madeline Ilona Christian and Robert

Long

Both

part of The Secret Theatre’s Queens Short Play Festival. COURTESY PHOTO, INSET LEFT; PHOTOS BY CHANDLER HOLLOWAY AND, RIGHT, LOREN CHRISTIAN

Artist Xyza Cruz Bacani with her dog, Pokki, and just some of the photographs at her exhibit at Flux IV. On the cover: Bacani before a mirror imprinted with inspirational text, surrounded by more of her work. PHOTOS BY MARLEE WOLLMAN AND, COVER, NICHOLAS PAPANANIAS

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Legal Notices

Community Notice: Share Your Feedback on Accessible Transportation Jewel Human Services, Inc. is seeking input from individuals with disabilities, older adults, families, and community partners about local transportation challenges and needs. The agency is applying for Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5310 funding to purchase a wheelchair-accessible vehicle and supporting technology that will expand safe, reliable, and affordable transportation options in Brooklyn and Queens. Your feedback will help shape how these transportation services are designed to improve access to day programs, employment, medical appointments, and community activities. Please share comments or suggestions by emailing anelson@jewel humanservices.org or calling (347) 280-9339. Public Comment Period: October 17 – November 17, 2025 Location: Jewel Human Services, 163 Buscher Ave., Valley Stream, NY 11580

Ozanam Hall does not discriminate with regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or disability in the admission and care of its residents.

Notice of Formation of ARAL SIMTECH LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 07/07/2025. 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: AGA ARCEDO, 40-15 81ST ST, APT B12, ELMHURST, NY 11373. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Legal Notice

& Information,

NOTICE OF LEGAL

POSTPONEMENT OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS ATLANTICA, LLC, Plaintiff AGAINST SIMIN AKAVAN A/K/A SIMINE AKAVAN, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF PETER SENTOUKARIS AKA PETER SENTOUKARAS; ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered June 9, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, on the second floor in Courtroom 25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, New York on October 24, 2025 at 11:00 AM, premises known as 221-53 Horace Harding Expressway, Oakland Gardens, NY 11364. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block: 7527 Lot: 53. Approximate amount of judgment $1,807,066.76 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #711758/2020. Original sale date: October 3rd, 2025. Jerry A Merola, Esq., Referee Fein, Such & Crane, LLP 28 East Main Street Rochester, NY 14614 LHFJC006 87632

Notice is hereby given that an On-Premises Food & BeverageBusiness Liquor License, NYS Application ID NA-0370-25-131198 has been applied for by OTG JFK T5 Venture II, LLC serving beer, wine, cider, mead and liquor to be sold at retail for on-premises consumption in a Food & Beverage BusinessLiquor establishment located at JFK International Airport, Terminal 5 Space 7NC, Jamaica, NY 11430.

PROBATE CITATION File

No.·2018-504/C SURROGATE’S COURT - QUEENS COUNTY CITATION. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE: OF NEW YORK, By the Grace of God Free and Independent. To: WALTER JOHNSON JR., Tyrell JOHNSON., DONNELL JOHNSON, SHAQUILLE JOHNSON, JOAN JACKSON; if living and if dead, to his/her heirs at law, next of kin and distributees whose names and places of residence are unknown and If he/she died subsequent to the decedent herein, to his/her executors, administrators, legatees, devisees, assignees and successors in interest whose name and places of residence are unknown and to all other heirs at law, next of kin, and distributees of WATER JOHNSON, aka WALTER CECIEL JOHNSON aka WALTER CECIL JOHNSON, the decedent herein, whose names and places of residence are unknown and cannot be ascertained after due diligence, A petition having been duly-filed by Shantl Westen Johnson who is domiciled at 116-40 196th Street, St. Albans, Queens, New York 11412. YOU ARE HEREBY CITED TO SHOW CAUSE before the Surrogate’s Court, Queens County, at·88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, New York, on the 4th day of December, 2025 at 9:30 A.M. of that day, why a decree should not be made in the estate of Walter Johnson aka Walter Cecil Johnson aka Walter Ceciel Johnson , lately domiciled at 116-40 196th Street, St. Albans, Queens, New York 11412, a will dated April 10, 2009 copy of which is attached, as the Will of Walter C. Johnson deceased, relating to real and personal property, and directing that [x] Letters of Administration issue to: Shanti Weston Johnson (State any further-relief requested) Deny probate of will and grant letters of administration. HON. CASSANDRA A. JOHNSON Surrogate OCT. 02, 2025.

JANET EDWARDS TUCKER

Chief Clerk. Jason C. Bost, Esq. (718 361-0299 Attorney for Petitioner. 45 Exchange Boulevard, Suite 802, Rochester. New York, 14614 (Note: This citation is served upon you as required by law. You are not required to appear. If you fail to appear it will be assumed you do not object to the relief requested. You have a right to have an attorney appear with you.)

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR GSAA HOME EQUITY TRUST 2006-2, ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, -against- AKILI PARRIS ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens on June 9, 2025, wherein DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR GSAA HOME EQUITY TRUST 2006-2, ASSETBACKED CERTIFICATES is the Plaintiff and AKILI PARRIS ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the QUEENS COUNTY COURTHOUSE 88-11 SUTPHIN BLVD., COURTROOM #25, JAMAICA, NY 11435, on 10/24/2025 at 10:00AM, premises known as 14202 174TH STREET, JAMAICA, New York 11434; and the following tax map identification, -12591-248. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDING AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE BOROUGH AND COUNTY OF QUEENS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK, Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 703182/2020. Amy J Barrett, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/ CLERK DIRECTIVES.

Notice is Herby Given that a license, #NA-0340-25-107063

For Liquor, Beer, Wine and Cider has been applied for by the undersigned o sell Liquor, Beer, Wine and Cider at retail in a restaurant under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at WAKKYS D RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE LLC. 153-41 Rockaway Blvd., Jamaica, NY 11434, for an premises consumption.

Real Estate

HOUSING. Federal, New York State and local laws prohibit discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, marital status, familial status or disability in connection with the sale or rental of residential real estate. Queens Chronicle does not knowingly accept advertising in violation of these laws. When you suspect housing discrimination call the Open Housing Center (the Fair Housing Agency for the five boroughs of New York) at 212-941-6101, or the New York City Commission of Human Rights Hotline at 718722-3131. The Queens Chronicle reserves the right to alter wording in ads to conform with Federal Fair Housing regulations.

Legal Notices

Notice of Formation of 22-24 99TH STREET 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: THE LLC, 106-20 31ST AVENUE, EAST ELMHURST, NY 11369.

Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of 23-39 98TH STREET LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 06/16/2025. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LLC, 106-20 31ST AVENUE, EAST ELMHURST, NY 11369. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

24-32 27TH STREET LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 09/30/25. 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, 24-32 27th Street, Astoria, NY 11102. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Legal Notices

76-15/17/19 69TH PLACE, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 09/02/25. 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, c/o Camille Driscoll, 23 Hoffman Road, New Hyde Park, NY 11040. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of 94-50 MERRICK BLVD. LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 08/11/2025. 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: 94-50 MERRICK BLVD. LLC, 94-02 150TH ST., JAMAICA, NY 11435. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

CORRA REALTY GROUP, LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/09/2025. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 3907 Prince St. 6B, Flushing, NY 11354. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS DEUTSCHE BANK

NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR AMERICAN HOME MORTGAGE ASSETS

TRUST 2007-5, MORTGAGEBACKED PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2007-5, -against- BEULAH FIGEROUX F/K/A BEULAH BLAKE ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens on October 1, 2024, wherein DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR AMERICAN HOME MORTGAGE ASSETS TRUST 2007-5, MORTGAGE-BACKED PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2007-5 is the Plaintiff and BEULAH FIGEROUX F/K/A BEULAH BLAKE, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the QUEENS COUNTY COURTHOUSE 88-11

SUTPHIN BLVD., COURTROOM #25, JAMAICA, NY 11435, on 11/21/2025 at 10:00AM, premises known as 14306 FERNDALE AVENUE, JAMAICA, New York 11435; and the following tax map identification, -11935-3. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ETRECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE BOROUGH OF QUEENS, COUNTY OF QUEENS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 714058/2020.

Michael A. Cervini, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing.

*LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/ CLERK DIRECTIVES.

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR HARBORVIEW MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST, MORTGAGE LOAN PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-5, -against- STACIE C. GRANT A/K/A STACIE N. C. GRANT, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens on July 10, 2024, wherein DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR HARBORVIEW MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST, MORTGAGE LOAN PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-5 is the Plaintiff and STACIE C. GRANT A/K/A STACIE N. C. GRANT, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the QUEENS COUNTY COURTHOUSE 88-11

SUTPHIN BLVD., COURTROOM #25, JAMAICA, NY 11435, on 11/21/2025 at 10:00AM, premises known as 115-112 225TH STREET, CAMBRIA HEIGHTS, New York 11411; and the following tax map identification, -11306-57. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE FOURTH WARD OF THE BOROUGH AND COUNTY OF QUEENS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK, Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 722456/2022. Scott H. Siller, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/ CLERK DIRECTIVES.

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY AS TRUSTEE FOR INDYMAC INDX MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2006-AR25, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2006-AR25, -against- BIBI GOPAUL ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens on February 11, 2020, wherein DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY AS TRUSTEE FOR INDYMAC INDX MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2006-AR25, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2006-AR25 is the Plaintiff and BIBI GOPAUL ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the QUEENS COUNTY COURTHOUSE 88-11 SUTPHIN BLVD., COURTROOM #25, JAMAICA, NY 11435, on 10/24/2025 at 10:00AM, premises known as 9339 205TH STREET, HOLLIS, New York 11423; and the following tax map identification, -10480-29. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, SITUTATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE BOROUGH AND COUNTY OF QUEENS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 722933/2021. Everett Hopkins, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC, -against- JACQUELYN GRANT A/K/A JACQUELYN G. JOHNSON, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF VESTA COUCH, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens on June 5, 2025, wherein MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC is the Plaintiff and JACQUELYN GRANT A/K/A JACQUELYN G. JOHNSON, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF VESTA COUCH;, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the QUEENS COUNTY COURTHOUSE 88-11 SUTPHIN BLVD., COURTROOM #25, JAMAICA, NY 11435, on 11/07/2025 at 10:00AM, premises known as 19130 113TH AVENUE, SAINT ALBANS, New York 11412; and the following tax map identification, -10987-19. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE BOROUGH AND COUNTY OF QUEENS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK, Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 701783/2022. Lois Marie Vitti, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing.

*LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/ CLERK DIRECTIVES.

Notice of Formation of ECO AIRE, LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 10/03/2025. 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: YVONNE WHITTER, 104-09 209 STREET, QUEENS VILLAGE, NY 11429. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC, -against- SHERRIE FOOTMAN AS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF WILLIAM CHATSON, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens on June 27, 2025, wherein MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC is the Plaintiff and SHERRIE FOOTMAN AS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF WILLIAM CHATSON, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the QUEENS COUNTY COURTHOUSE 88-11 SUTPHIN BLVD., COURTROOM #25, JAMAICA, NY 11435, on 10/24/2025 at 10:00AM, premises known as 15029 YATES ROAD , JAMAICA, New York 11433; and the following tax map identification, -10131-50. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE BOROUGH AND COUNTY OF QUEENS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 718726/2018. Fearonce G. LaLande, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/ CLERK DIRECTIVES.

Notice of Formation of Jobe Park Edge LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State (SSNY) on 9/8/25. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Jobe Development Corp., 115-15 Merrick Blvd., Jamaica, NY 11434. Purpose: any lawful activity.

NOTICE

OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC, Plaintiff, vs. MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC., ACTING SOLELY AS A NOMINEE FOR COUNTRYWIDE BANK, FSB, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on August 16, 2022, 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 October 24, 2025 at 10:00 a.m., premises known as 10607 177th 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 10334 and Lot 6. Approximate amount of judgment is $1,274,777.57 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #701502/2021. Lawrence M. Litwack, Esq., Referee Vallely Mitola Ryan PLLC, 6851 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 165, Syosset, New York 11791, Attorneys for Plaintiff

Notice of Formation of NIKI NIXX GLOBAL LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 05/29/2025. 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: NORTHWEST REGISTERED AGENT LLC, 418 BROADWAY, STE N, ALBANY, NY 12207. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

K NAIL STUDIO LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 09/19/25. 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, 12816 23rd Ave, College Point, NY 11356. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

October 16, 2025 For the latest

File No.: 2021-3023 /D CITATION THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK BY THE GRACE OF GOD, FREE AND INDEPENDENT

To: Peter Vattiato, Claudia Pringles, Michael William Vattiato, if living and if dead, to their heirs at law, next of kin and distributees whose names and places of residence are unknown and if they died subsequent to the decedent herein, to their executors, administrators, legatees, devisees, assignees and successors in interest whose names and places of residence are unknown and cannot be ascertained after due diligence. Being the persons interested as creditors, legatees, distributees or otherwise in the Estate of Catherine Vattiato, deceased, who at the time of death was a resident of 60-77 71st Street, Maspeth, NY 11378, 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 Administrator of the Estate of Catherine Vattiato, 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 20th day of November, 2025 at 9:30 o’clock in the forenoon, why the Account of Proceedings of the Public Administrator of Queens County, as 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 $8,885.41 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 Last Will and Testament dated December 1, 2015, copy attached, should not be admitted to Probate; and why the Letters of 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 net residuary estate should not be paid pursuant to the Last Will and Testament as follows; 100 % to Claudia Pringles as Successor Trustee of the Peter Vattiato SNT dated December 1, 2015 Dated, Attested and Sealed 15th day of September, 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

Notice of Formation of KK MANAGEMNET NY LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 09/10/2025.

Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: KK MANAGEMENT NY LLC, 40-51 61ST STREET, WOODSIDE, NY 11377. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS HSBC Bank USA, N.A., as Trustee for Structured Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loan Trust Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 20051, Plaintiff AGAINST Sabrina Edery, as Administratrix of the Estate of Ann Lewitinn; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered October 22, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435, on the second floor in Courtroom 25 on November 14, 2025, at 10:00AM, premises known as 431 Beach 45th Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block 15968 Lot 96. Approximate amount of judgment $480,940.23 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 703588/2015. Michael A. Cervini, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792Dated: September 24, 2025

Notice of Formation of Reem New York LLC Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 07/10/2025. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: 44-70 21ST STREET, #3119, LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11101. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity.

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC, -againstCHITROWTIE GHANESS et al. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens on August 6, 2024, wherein NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC is the Plaintiff and CHITROWTIE GHANESS et al., are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the QUEENS COUNTY COURTHOUSE 88-11 SUTPHIN BLVD., COURTROOM #25, JAMAICA, NY 11435, on 10/31/2025 at 10:00AM, premises known as 90-23 184TH STREET, HOLLIS, New York 11423; and the following tax map identification, -9905-58. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE BOROUGH AND COUNTY OF QUEENS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK, Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 700221/2021. Lamont Ramsey Bailey, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT QUEENS COUNTY U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE ON BEHALF OF GCAT 2021-NQM7 TRUST, Plaintiff against NINA RIENZI, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Knuckles & Manfro, LLP, 120 White Plains Road, Suite 215, Tarrytown, NY 10591. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered April 4, 2025, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at the Queens County Supreme Court, Courtroom #25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on November 7, 2025 at 10:00 AM. Premises known as 34-11 29th Street, Long Island City, NY 11106. Sec 4 Block 585 Lot 24. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $1,294,298.19 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 700029/2023. Cash will not be accepted at the sale. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 11th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. Referee will only accept a certified bank check made payable to the referee. Martha Taylor, Esq., Referee File # 3000-001443

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY.

Notice of Formation of THAT TAKES THE CAKE 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: ZENBUSINESS INC, 41 STATE STREET, SUITE 112, ALBANY, NY 12207. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of VCS CONSTRUCTION SERVICES LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/17/2024. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: CONCEPCION NAVARRO, 2536 22ND STREET, APT 1B, ASTORIA, NY 11102. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of LITTLE ROSE FLORALS, LLC

Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 10/02/2025.

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: JULIE MAK MOTAYNE, 141-10 82ND DRIVE, #234, BRIARWOOD, NY 11435. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of ROSMUC INVESTIGATIONS LLC

Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 08/08/2025. 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, 6731 52ND AVE, MASPETH, NY 11373. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of Sarvis Psychotherapy Mental Health Counseling PLLC 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: THE LLC, 160 1ST STREET, BOX 165, MINEOLA, NY 11501. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

NAME: MR 2 REALTY, LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 06/18/2025, 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 the process to the LLC, 44-06 31st Avenue, Astoria, NY, 11103. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Roadwork to close Van Wyck ramp

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

The New York State Department of Transportation is advising motorists that the Rockaway Boulevard entrance ramp from the southbound Van Wyck Expressway Service Road to the southbound Van Wyck Expressway in Queens will close to traffic beginning at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, and remain closed through mid-December, to facilitate an ongoing construction project.

To access southbound Van Wyck Expressway, motorists should cross over the Van Wyck at Rockaway Boulevard, proceed north to Linden Boulevard, cross over the Van Wyck at Linden Boulevard, and use the entrance ramp from the southbound Van Wyck Expressway Service Road at Linden Boulevard.

More information is available on Facebook, X or Instagram, or on the agency’s website at dot.ny.gov. For up-to-date travel information, call 511, visit 511NY.org or download the free 511NY mobile app. Q

B SPORTS EAT

by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor

The term “tiebreaker” will certainly upset New York baseball fans this winter as both the Mets and the Yankees wound up on the short end this past season.

The Mets and the Cincinnati Reds ended the 2025 campaign with 83-79 records. The Reds, however, earned the third and final National League wildcard berth by virtue of the fact they won the six games over two series, 4-2.

Of course, no one should feel sorry for the Mets. Manager Carlos Mendoza said it best when he told reporters, “We put ourselves in this position,” following their season-ending loss in Miami. The only consolation for Mets fans is the Reds were quickly eliminated by the Dodgers in Los Angeles in two straight games.

The Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays finished with identical 94-68 records this season. Unfortunately, for the Bronx Bombers, they only won five of the 13 games played with Canada’s baseball team. While the Yankees, unlike their colleagues from Queens, qualified for the postseason, they had a steep climb.

Whereas the Blue Jays were able to draw a first-round bye, the Yankees had to play their ancient rivals, the Boston Red Sox, in a best-ofthree wildcard series. The Yankees did not make it easy for themselves, dropping the series

opener before prevailing in the next two games. Playing the Red Sox is always grueling and emotionally draining for the Yankees and their fans. There was little time to celebrate as the Yankees had to immediately catch a charter flight to Toronto for a 4 p.m. Saturday game to start the American League Divisional Series.

The Yankees were as flat as an open bottle of ginger ale left on a counter for a month. The Blue Jays outscored the Yankees 23-8 in their two games at Toronto’s Rogers Center and the games were even less competitive than that 15-run differential would indicate.

Even in the one game the Yankees won, Game 3 in the Bronx, they were down in the third inning, 6-1, before rallying to top the Jays, 9-6. Under normal conditions, a win like that would create momentum for a long October run. Unfortunately, the Yankees were out of gas for Game 4, as they wasted a solid performance from rookie pitcher Cam Schlittler.

Bronx Bombers second baseman Jazz Chisholm went 0-for-4, and committed an error in the eighth inning of Game 4 leading to two runs to salt the game away for Toronto. In fairness, the ball was a bullet off the bat of ex-Met Andres Gimenez. While Chisholm had a forgettable series, he is not the main culprit in the Yankees’ failure to make the World Series. Q See the extended version of Sports Beat every week at qchron.com

The southbound Van Wyck entrance ramp at Rockaway Boulevard will be closed for two months. IMAGECOURTESYNYSDOT