Queens Chronicle South Edition 02-15-24

C M SQ page 1 Y K SOUTH QUEENS EDITION Serving Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, City Line and JFK Airport

YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER VOL. XLVII

NO. 7

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024

SIMONSEN HONORED Fifth anniversary of officer’s death

THEY WERE NO. 1

Section

New book keeps score of “Mets Firsts”

PAGES 18-19

SEE qboro, PAGE 27

YOUTUBE SCREENSHOT / NYC / FILE, LEFT; ILLUSTRATION BY JAN SCHULMAN

PAGE 4

CHARTER SCHOOLS

QCHRON.COM

Remote learning goes awry on first snow day PAGES 2 AND 10

In the face of a snowstorm, city schools were closed for in-person classes on Tuesday but students were required to engage in remote instruction. Many students and teachers were met with error messages when attempting to log online. At a press conference later that day, Chancellor David Banks, above, and Mayor Adams said IBM was to blame.

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 15, 2024 Page 2

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DOE remote learning flounders on snow day City’s choice to engage in digital instruction backfires early Tuesday

by Kristen Guglielmo

“S

Associate Editor

now days, my mother had to walk us to school with her arthritic knees. If you are a parent and you are not willing to navigate a computer for your child, that’s a sad commentary,” said Mayor Adams on Monday, after the Department of Education had earlier announced that schools would be engaging in remote learning on Tuesday instead of holding in-person classes due to the impending snowstorm.

It would be the first time the school system switched to entirely online instruction due to inclement weather — and it, according to most accounts, did not go very well.

On Tuesday morning, some teachers, parents and students alike said they were experiencing issues logging on to the New York City Public Schools system.

The DOE confirmed the technical issue on X, writing, “We are currently experiencing issues with services that require IBM authentication to login. We are actively working with IBM to resolve. We will provide an

update as soon as possible.”

Around an hour later, the agency wrote, “UPDATE: IBM has added capacity and improvements are rolling out across the system. For context: IBM provides support to validate NYCPS users logging in to NYCPS systems (Single Sign On) and verifying the user name and password.”

Later, Schools Chancellor David

“This was a test.

I don’t think we passed this test.”

— Schools Chancellor David Banks

Banks at a virtual City Hall press conference said, “To say that I am disappointed, frustrated and angry is an understatement.” He added, “This was a test. I don’t think we passed this test.”

Both Banks and Adams shifted the blame to the system administrator.

One Woodhaven elementary “IBM was not ready for school teacher told the Chroniprime time,” Banks said. “And cle, under condition of anonymithat’s what happened here.” ty, “There’s three camps here.

Adams said he hoped the sitThere’s the parents who are fine uation was a “teaching moment” with it and will happily boot up for the company. their computers for the kids.

Ingrid Lewis-Martin, the Then there’s the parents who mayor’s chief advisor, later don’t want to be bothered with said, “We’re not blaming IBM, remote learning because it’s a we’re just explaining. ... IBM is hassle to them. And then, finalat fault, and that’s just the realily, the parents who are irritated ty of it.” trying to find a sitter. And as we Banks also admitted that can see, the parents who didn’t IBM was not invited to the want to be bothered with remote DOE’s prestorm test runs. learning were certainly bothered When contacted for comment, this morning.”

IBM provided the following Another educator, who wantstatement to the Chronicle: “IBM has been working closely Students and teachers were met with error ed to be referred to simply as with New York City schools to messages when attempting to log online for Randy K., told the Chronicle address this situation as quickly remote learning during Tuesday’s snow day. At that the DOE and mayor were as possible. The issues have been a press conference later that day, Mayor “ i n c o n s i d e r a t e ” i n t h e i r largely resolved, and we regret Adams, above, and Chancellor David Banks decision-making.

“Some families don’t have the inconvenience to students said IBM was to blame. and parents across the city.”

SCREENSHOT / NYC MAYOR’S OFFICE access to high-speed internet.

Queens public libraries are Online reactions to Monday’s remote learning announcement had instruction before snow had fallen closed,” he said. “No one wants to been mixed, with some claiming the was a mistake. After the technical make the trek out during a snow day students deserved a “real” snow day, difficulties on Tuesday morning, it to find access to a computer if they with no remote learning, and others seemed many were exasperated with don’t have one.” continued on page 6 saying that canceling in-person the digital transition.

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Simonsen remembered five years later Friends, family ‘in blood and in blue’ come together to honor fallen officer

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

“People say time heals all wounds. After five years, you know those wounds are still there. You just learn to live with them.”

The words of Assistant Chief Chaplain Monsignor Robert Romano echoed through Holy Child Jesus Church in Richmond Hill Monday as friends, colleagues and loved ones showed up to pay their respects to the late Det. Brian Simonsen of the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct. Simonsen was killed in 2019 while on the line of duty, responding to an incident at a T-Mobile store.

For the fifth year in a row, Romano led the tribute Mass to honor Simonsen’s life and a c c o m pl i sh me nt s. T h e s e r v ic e wa s livestreamed by the NYPD. “As we gather together with the family of blood and the family of blue, we unite ourselves as one family to remember one who has fallen, and one who brings us together to always remember and to never forget,” Romano said.

Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny was one of many who gave speeches at the memorial Mass, also representing First Deputy Commissioner Tania Kinsella and Police Commissioner Edward Caban.

“We are here to recognize his sacrifice, but more importantly, we are here to celebrate a life well-lived,” Kenny said. He recalled how through the shock and grief of Simonsen’s death, the NYPD continued on.

Leanne Simonsen, left, speaks at the memorial mass for her late husband, Det. Brian Simonsen, NYPD LIVESTREAM SCREENSHOT; FILE PHOTO, INSET who was killed in the line of duty in 2019.

“In the end, it was Brian’s friends — notice I did not say co-workers — it was Brian’s friends who had to put their grief and anger on hold to focus on the mission at hand,” he said. “And that mission was to hunt down and apprehend those responsible for this tragedy.”

Simonsen was killed by friendly fire on Feb. 12, 2019 during an armed robbery in Richmond Hill.

Kenny said one of the perpetrators was apprehended by Simonsen’s friends using

Simonsen’s own handcuffs.

Sean Peterson, an officer with the Suffolk County Police Department, tearfully said Simonsen was his “cousin, friend and brother in blue.” He recalled Simonsen’s leadership, passion and courage.

Det. Rick Waters, Simonsen’s partner, recounted the day leading up to when Simonsen responded to the 911 call at the T-Mobile store on Atlantic Avenue and 120th Street. He was not wearing a bulletproof vest, Waters noted.

“He didn’t hesitate. He went,” Peterson said. “He went there and he didn’t leave. He stayed there to help those people in the back of the store.”

The last speaker was none other than Leanne Simonsen, who spoke about the loss of her husband and thanked her friends, family and the officers that came together to support her.

“You all know how much I miss and love Brian,” she said. “There’s no question about that. He still in my head is the most amazing man I have ever met.”

“Make You Feel My Love,” the sad ballad

by Adele, played during the Communion portion of the Mass. Simonsen’s widow said the song resonated with her.

“I hope he feels my love still — because I still feel his love,” she said. “Even with the wind — sometimes I know that it’s him.”

She said, “With Brian’s death, I learned to live,” in that the experience made her learn to not stress over small things and to appreciate everyone who comes to her life. She went on to create the Simonsen Foundation, which honors his life and legacy, and said she would donate $5,000 to the church.

The NYPD also posted a statement on its social media to remember Simonsen.

“Today marks the 5th Anniversary of our fallen Detective Brian Simonsen, who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a robbery in progress,” the agency wrote.

Q “We will never forget his sacrifice.

Affordable housing in nonprofit hands

City to create 1,500 permanent units using two new development models

by Naeisha Rose

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Associate Editor

Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park spoke to the Chronicle Feb. 9 about the city’s plans to create 1,500 affordable PHOTO COURTESY DSS housing units.

Mayor Adams just issued an emergency declaration to get more New Yorkers in the shelter system into permanent housing.

Last Thursday, Adams and the city’s Department of Social Services, which oversees the city’s Human Resources Administration and the Department of Homeless Services, announced the launch of Affordable Housing Services. AHS is an initiative designed to create about 1,500 permanent affordable homes for people in shelters with the City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement vouchers.

It is a part of the mayor’s “City of Yes” rezoning plan to allow for new housing density in every neighborhood throughout the city.

Through an emergency declaration Adams issued Feb. 8, DSS will fast-track 1,000 of such units, according to the agency.

Approximately 10,600 households of families and individuals with CityFHEPS vouchers are unable to find housing due to a severe

housing shortage, and the AHS program will create a “scalable pathway” to a housing site, which will come with locked-in long-term affordability and tenant protections for those with the subsidy, according to the DSS. “And as we act now to connect New Yorkers to the homes they need, we will continue to advance our historic ‘City of Yes’ proposal to build housing in every neighborhood and advocate for Albany to truly meet the need,” Adams said in a prepared statement.

People moving in will pay for the units with up to 30 percent of their income and the remainder of the payments will be covered by CityFHEPS, according to the DSS. DSS Commissioner Molly Wasow Park told the Chronicle she is excited about the program.

“It’s using Social Service dollars to either lease or acquire buildings,” Wasow Park said.

“We think we can cut the contract down significantly by doing a lot of the work in parallel rather than taking each step sequentially. That will help us get 1,000 households into units much, much more quickly.”

The city wants to help community-based nonprofits secure nine-year leases on 1,000 units immediately from buildings that are largely vacant.

“In that case, they apply to our open-ended [request for proposals] and they get a contract that covers operation funding and light-touch social services,” Wasow Park said. “We then fill the building with households that have CityFHEPS vouchers so the nonprofit is collecting the rent, it is operating the building and providing the social services and they are paying the landlord, the presumably for-profit owner of the building, for the space.”

The department’s second program will help nonprofits acquire buildings for the remaining 500 units that are in the pipeline for 30-plus years, but that process will take longer, according to the commissioner.

“It’s the same CityFHEPs rent operating funding and light-touch social services, but in this case the contract is 30 years and the CityFHEPS rent are part of the contract value. The continued on page 14

C M SQ page 5 Y K Page 5 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 15, 2024

ACCESSING CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR MWBES This information session will explore how MWBEs can access contracting opportunities at the JFK Redevelopment Program. Unionaffiliated and non-union affiliated MWBEs are encouraged to attend. The Port Authority of NY & NJ and JFK Terminal Developers are strong advocates for supplier diversity and want to ensure the New JFK is built in an inclusive manner that reflects the diversity of our neighboring communities.

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 15, 2024 Page 6

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Suozzi wins special election over Pilip Snow, money, messaging all at play in surprisingly large victory

by Sophie Krichevsky Associate Editor

Congressman-elect Tom Suozzi will return to his former seat in Washington, DC, after he defeated Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip in Tuesday’s special election to replace the ousted former Rep. George Santos.

“This race was fought amidst a closely divided electorate, much like our whole country. This race was centered on immigration and the economy, much like the issues all across our country,” Suozzi said Tuesday night. “We won this race — we, you, won this race — because we addressed the issues, and we found a way to bind our divisions.”

The three-time Democratic congressman, former Glen Cove mayor and Nassau County executive would go on to call the contest “a really tough campaign.”

The race comes as Republicans have a Democrat Tom Suozzi beat Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip in Tuesday’s special election to razor-thin majority in the U.S. House of Rep- replace ousted former Rep. George Santos.

PHOTO BY BETSY DAVIDSON / SUOZZI FOR CONGRESS 2024 resentatives, one that was cut to three when the chamber voted to expel Santos in early nee said in her concession speech. “We are paign, despite the race’s high profile. Often December, making him just the sixth person fighters. Yes, we lost, but it doesn’t mean Pilip appeared at events flanked by high proin the nation’s history to have that line on his we’re going to end here.” Pilip’s remarks last- file-area Republicans, like Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-Nassau) and Nassau GOP resume. On top of that, Santos flipped the ed less than two minutes.

St. John’s University political science pro- Chair Joe Cairo. seat in 2022 by about eight points, and PresiBrowne said Pilip’s low visibility may have dent Biden had also won it by eight points in fessor and analyst Brian Browne was sur2020, suggesting that what was already a race prised Pilip conceded so soon, but said she contributed to the loss, in spite of her being an “intriguing” candidate. “I don’t think she of great importance would be a close one. did “I think to get off the stage.”

“It was a very short speech, it didn’t say ran an effective campaign, frankly — it was a Polls throughout the eight-week special election period suggested as much; Suozzi was much,” Browne added. “It was kind of very stealth campaign,” he said. “I suspect that was by design, because they wanted to four points ahead of Pilip among likely voters emblematic of her campaign.”

Indeed, Pilip — an Ethiopian-born Jew avoid any slip ups.” in last week’s Siena College/Newsday poll, as who served in the Browne, who was surprised by the margin did one by Emerson Israel Defense Force, of victory, said the weather and its effect on College days earlier.

So some were surveryone said immigration is registered as a voter turnout likely played a role too. Given Democrat but cau- that special election turnout tends to be low, prised to see the race was the number one issue cuses with Republi- and that Democrats are more likely to vote called for Suozzi by and is a relative early than Republicans, Tuesday morning’s 10:30 p.m. Tuesday ... we just didn’t see that cans newcomer to politics snow may have kept some potential Pilip vot— at which point — was not particu- ers at home, he said. Indeed, the city Board of very few votes in in the results.” larly visible on the Elections said that while 2,879 votes were cast Nassau County — — Brian Browne, St. John’s University campaign trail. She between 6 a.m. and 12 p.m. in the Queens secwhich accounts for professor of political science only accepted one tion of the district Tuesday, 3,143 ballots were about 80 percent of debat e i nv it at ion cast between 12 and 3 p.m., when the snow the state’s 3rd Congressional District — had been counted. with News12 Long Island, which is unview- stopped and roads were clearer. Plus, Browne Shortly after, however, Pilip called Suozzi to able to the Queens portion of the district, added, turnout was not particularly low for a concede the race, which she’d end up losing though people could watch it online, and special election; 170,098 people, or about 32 many reporters said throughout the race they percent of active registered voters, cast ballots by more than seven points.

“We did a great job,” the Republican nomi- struggled to get in touch with the Pilip cam- in the election, per the state BOE.

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“E

Donate and save lives in Queens “Donate Today, Save Lives Tomorrow” is the motto of the New York Blood Center, which is seeking donors as the state faces a blood shortage.

If interested in helping either via a blood donation or a financial gift to the nonprofit, visit nybc.org. Just one pint of blood can save three lives.

There are four places listed now to donate blood in or around Southeast Queens: • Central Library, busmobile, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, Feb. 26, at 89-11 Merrick Blvd. in Jamaica; blood drive coordinator

Nina Luca Bolowsky; • York College; atrium, 12 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd. in Jamaica; blood drive coordinator Dr. Jean Phelps; • Holy Child Jesus Church, gym, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., March 3, at 111-02 86 Ave. in Richmond Hill; blood drive coordinator Helen Aviles; and • Immaculate Conception Church, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, March 3, at 86-45 Edgerton Blvd. in Jamaica Estates; blood drive Q coordinator Francis Johnson.

— Naeisha Rose

With 1,000 asylum seekers being housed in the parking lot of the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center as the city and the country navigates the inf lux of migrants coming from the southern border and beyond, immigration was a key issue in the race. While Pilip criticized Suozzi, a moderate, for his support of sanctuary cities, dubbing him “Santuary Suozzi,” Suozzi repeatedly said Pilip lacked specificity on the issue, as with others.

But Pilip’s calls to “secure the border” did not seem to sway voters near Creedmoor, even as those voters have expressed their distaste for the migrant center in their backyard.

Data from the NYC BOE shows Suozzi won every election district — the smallest geographic region for which the BOE has records — south of the Grand Central Parkway, many by dozens of votes and some by over 100 votes apiece.

That was something even Browne said he was “befuddled” by.

“I think what [Suozzi] did right was messaging bipartisanship ... the bipartisanship must have resonated,” he said. “I’m just really puzzled by [this] — everyone says immigration is the number one issue, and the neighborhoods immediately surrounding Creedmoor, are most impacted by this ... we just didn’t see that in the results.”

Browne also noted that, even as the campaigns spent a combined $22 million on ads, Suozzi outraised Pilip significantly; filings from earlier this month showed Suozzi had raised about $4.5 million to Pilip’s approximately $1.3 million. Browne also dismissed the idea that the election was a referendum on Santos, saying that voters “had him in their rearview mirror.”

But the victory is somewhat short-lived.

Not only will NY-3 voters head to the polls to elect their member of Congress once again in November (CNN reported that Pilip intends to run against Suozzi again), but to complicate matters further, the makeup of the district could change in a matter of weeks, as the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission is slated to release its court-ordered, redrawn district lines today, Feb. 15, before sending them to the state Legislature for a vote ahead Q of its Feb. 29 deadline.

Remote learning on snow day continued from page 2 Asked about those who do have access but simply do not want to log online, he said, “Teachers don’t want to spend the day scrambling with remote instruction either. I don’t blame them, but as educators, we do what we have to.”

The Chronicle contacted the UFT to ask its stance on snow days and the remote learning mishap, but did not receive a response, though the union later posted a meme on Instagram mocking the DOE’s missteps.

Cou ncil member Sheka r K r ish na n

(D-Jackson Heights), who serves on the City Council’s Committee on Education, said in a press release, “Every New York City child has a right to an education. This morning’s remote school mess fell far short of what our children and families deserve. For working parents who rely on schools not just for education, but also for childcare during work hours, a remote day is disruptive and stressful, and takes an incredible amount of planning and preparation. The experience of millions of parents this morning makes clear the Department didn’t do much planning or Q preparation of their own.”

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‘Plugging the gaps’ in Southeast schools Superintendents talk inequity, charters and opportunities in their districts

by Kristen Guglielmo

to Van-Ess with an opportunity.

After that, they rose through the Crystal Bonds, the superinten- ranks together and now work dent of District 29, and Josephine closely alongside each other as Van-Ess, the superintendent of superintendents, strengthening the Queens South High Schools, have bond they fondly refer to as “sister friends.” a unique bond.

One of the prevalent issues in Other than being superintendents for the city Department of Southeast Queens and D29 has Education, supporting each other been concerns with the disparity on operations and leadership, both in opportunities when it comes to women have profound emotional race and socioeconomic class. connections to the areas they Asked how the two go about addressing that concern, Bonds serve.

“I’m f rom Sout h Ja maica , recalled growing up as a student Queens, and I lead in South Jamai- within the district.

“I would have to agree, when I ca,” said Van-Ess, who made 17 years with the DOE this past Feb- was a student in District 29, I do ruary. As superintendent of QSHS, remember, especially Andrew her area encompasses high schools Jackson growing up in the ‘80s in in Districts 27, 28 and 29. “It’s a the crack era, the schools were not special place to be leading in as on par with our counterparts.”

She said as a teacher in the area, the superintendent because I lived she remembers D29 scores were there. I taught there.”

While Van-Ess was more of a subpar compared to neighboring Superintendent Crystal Bonds of District 29, left, and Superintendent Josephine Van-Ess of Queens South High writer, initially wanting to pursue districts: “There are definitely Schools work closely together and told the Chronicle they strive to provide the best education and opportunities for journalism, her father urged her to some dispar ities between the students throughout their districts.

PHOTOS COURTESY DOE haves and have-nots.” become a teacher.

In grades K through 8 in D29, tion and Social Skills program, the progressively.” silo bridging. We have to bridge Bonds also grew up in the same Van-Ess said that on the high all these silos that are happening area, having been a student at 97 percent are students of color, Horizons program, Sensory ExploAndrew Jackson High School. and 89 percent of students are low ration, Education and Discovery school level, D29 in particular has so that people know what we’re She, on the other hand, had a income, or economically disadvan- program and an additional District a 90 percent attendance rate, 90 doing.” taged, according to To further the bridging, the two 75 s cho ol w it h i n percent graduate rate and went knack for science.

D 2 9. T h e y a l s o down by 23 percent in chronic women last year engaged in a col“I love NASA,” she said. “And I Bonds.

“T his has been added District 79 for absenteeism. Scores went up by 25 laborative, recruitment effort that love dentistry. And I was told, a d u l t e d u c a t i o n . percent in Algebra I regents exams also boosted morale.

‘That’s not for you, for black systematic, it has he tone has been historical for so “Crystal Bonds led Hair Love, Bonds’ face lit up as last year. women.’” she s p oke on a n “I think sometimes there’s such which was an opportunity for her Bonds was guided toward social many years,” Bonds shifted.” aeronautics innova- a heavy focus on the fact that lower grades to come to one of my work, she said. “But once I started s a i d . “ B u t w h a t — Superintendent tion lab planned for there’s so many things that can be high schools to be able to engage and I got into the classroom, I we’re doing is we’re Josephine Van-Ess PS 52, an elementary done better that there’s not enough in a day of wellness that really never went back. I love what I do.” trying to dismantle s c h o ol , c o m ple t e focus on the progress that has been focused on students’ self esteem,” She’s since been in education for those disparities.”

Van-Ess said. At the same time, with drones, f light made,” Van-Ess said.

The two women 25 years.

The QSHS team has built sci- the younger students learned about Though Van-Ess is around 20 are committed to adding programs simulators and rocketry.

“It may take some time, but we ence, technology, engineering and the school existing right down the years younger than Bonds, their to the district for those who need paths crossed. Bonds said she them. The district added the Nest are definitely into making sure math innovation lab sites at each block.

The “silo bridging” has perhaps k new Van-Ess as a “f r iendly program for high-functioning stu- that we plug the gaps,” Bonds said. district in some of the most popuneighbor” who lived two blocks dents with autism spectrum disor- “We can’t do it all in one year, but lar schools, such as Thomas Edi- worked — enrollment is up in D29 away. Eventually, when Bonds was der, the Acquisition, Integrated our five-year plan is to make sure son and CTEA, Van-Ess said. Stu- and across QSHS. “I think it’s because of what a master principal, she reached out Services, Meaningful Communica- that we are reaching those [goals] dents from other districts within QSHS are welcome to visit schools we’re offering now,” Van-Ess said.

“All of our schools at the high with innovation labs.

The programs are helping stu- school level have to have a postdents stay within the district. In secondary plan for children. It is the past, Bonds said 12 percent of non-negotiable that every school fifth graders would go to a differ- provides some level of career creent district for middle school. To dential pathway for students.”

She said she feels a shift from combat that, the district holds virtual and in-person tours at schools her first town hall to now. At her first one, she fielded questions and middle school fairs.

On char ter schools, Bonds about what was being done about recalled how in the past, 12 per- low achievement and lack of cent of preschool students left to programs.

“And now, the conversation is go to charters, so the district started hosting open houses and fairs ‘Queens South proud.’ ... The tone has shifted.” She added, “I’m for pre-K. She later added, “Just because proud of the work we’ve done thus it’s charter doesn’t mean it’s better. far, but we have a tremendous Just because it’s private doesn’t amount of work to continue to do.

Crystal Bonds spends time with students in District 29 during an event, left; and Bonds and Josephine Van-Ess, mean it’s better ... Sometimes par- But I’m proud of the work that Q ents just don’t know. ... It’s about we’ve done thus far.” longtime friends and colleagues, smile for a photo.

Associate Editor

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C M SQ page 9 Y K Page 9 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 15, 2024

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P Phoenix Meadows just a dream EDITORIAL

A

nyone taken in by the recently released plan for 65 acres of new green parkland where the Citi Field parking lots now sit has to understand it’s just an exercise, a PDF, a PowerPoint. Its creators certainly put their hearts into it and believe in it, but the proposal known as Phoenix Meadows is never going to happen. There’s no money behind it.

Much more likely — though still improbable — is the plan Phoenix Meadows is meant to supplant: Metropolitan Park. That’s the tightly packed combination of casino, hotel, food hall, open space and more that Mets owner Steve Cohen proposes to build on the parking lots. He needs two things to do so: to win one of the three casino licenses Albany is going to grant downstate and for the state Legislature to alienate the parkland that the parking lots sit upon. Those are iffy.

Both camps say they’ll build parking garages with the same number of spaces that are there now. Both say they’ll provide paths for bicycles and pedestrians, connecting Flushing, Corona and the bay in new ways.

After that the similarities end. Where Cohen would team up with Hard Rock, the firm that has restaurant,

AGE

entertainment and gambling venues in 70 countries, the Phoenix Meadows folk envision food carts. Where Cohen would create nearly 15,000 jobs, Phoenix Meadows would get whatever Parks and Rec people it would be allotted after construction. Where Cohen would invest $8 billion — and could do so without even borrowing, not that he would — the Phoenix Meadows crew would go hat in hand to Congress and the state Legislature. One supporter at the town hall hosted by state Sen. Jessica Ramos suggested that she ask Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to throw her support behind the plan. Two problems with that: Ramos “can’t remember the last time” she saw AOC; and the congresswoman doesn’t actually get bills passed.

Five years ago this very week, the Queens Museum was wrapping up an exhibit called “Unbuilt New York,” which displayed plans for fantastical concepts that never came to pass, such as an apartment building rising out of the Hudson River, a dome over much of Manhattan and an airport on New York Harbor.

Phoenix Meadows doesn’t share their ambition, of course, but you can expect it to share their fate.

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President & Publisher SUSAN & STANLEY MERZON Founders Raymond G. Sito General Manager Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief Michael Gannon Senior News Editor Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor Sophie Krichevsky Associate Editor Naeisha Rose Associate Editor Stela Barbu Office Manager Jan Schulman Art Director Moeen Din Associate Art Director Gregg Cohen Editorial Production Manager Joseph Berni Art Department Associate Dennis O’Brien Proofreader Senior Account Executives: Jim Berkoff, Beverly Espinoza

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Deadly hydrant parking Dear Editor: If you have never been in a house fire or seen a house burning down, it is pretty scary.

Well, down here in Rego Park, and I am sure other areas too, we have a big problem with parked cars partially or fully blocking fire hydrants. Cars owners do not care. They are only looking for a parking spot, and they do not think of the families inside those homes.

The Police do not want to give out tickets. I personally asked them to give a ticket to a car parked in front of a hydrant. They tried to tell me that it had 15 feet, and I told them the law is 15 feet on each side of the hydrant. Reluctantly, they gave that car a ticket.

Just let the Fire Department put white lines and “No Parking” on the street in front of these hydrants and maybe that would work.

Something has to be done.

Save a life.

Kathleen Schatz Rego Park

Blvd. bike lanes are lame Dear Editor: At least the Grace Episcopal Church on Jamaica Avenue can give thanks for having no bike lanes (“City makes a key church suffer,” Editorial, Feb. 8). The Queens Boulevard bike lanes in Forest Hills and Kew Gardens are © Copyright 2024 by MARK I PUBLICATIONS, INC. All rights reserved.

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Drop remote ‘learning’

R

emote learning failed the test even by the schools chancellor’s own reckoning Tuesday, so can we just drop the charade and go back to the periodic joy of snow days?

Blaming IBM for not handling the tech challenge of the city school system’s first learn-from-home day due to snow since they cooked up the bad idea in 2022, both Chancellor David Banks and Mayor Adams stood by the concept. They shouldn’t. Aside from its technical challenges, remote learning just doesn’t cut it, especially for the younger students. Still, maybe the city can get a refund.

You know what does teach them something? The unstructured play a snow day can bring, when the lucky kids get to make up their own rules, in concert with friends, for whatever outdoor activity they choose, in a welcome break from the screens that encircle their lives. You remember that from your own childhood. You probably did not realize you were learning invaluable social skills when you were having fun, but you were. Learning happens in many ways, and not just from adults and the books they’ve written.

It doesn’t happen much via videoconferencing, for whatever reason. Rather than pretend it does, the city should go back to real snow days, stop adding holidays so it can afford them and not rely on a private company, however great its past, to teach kids today.

E DITOR

barely utilized by bicycles. All I see on them is motorbikes and motor scooters that belong in the regular vehicle lanes. Even worse are the concrete barriers that periodically block the service road.

Bring back the extra traffic lane or parking to help Queens Boulevard businesses and ease vehicular traffic congestion. I now avoid restaurants by Queens Boulevard and do all my mall shopping on Long Island, where you can park.

Scott Avidon Kew Gardens

Kudos to PuppyKittyNYCity Dear Editor: Once again the Queens Chronicle has reported animal related news in Queens where no other newspaper has picked up on the story (“More than 30 cats left to starve in Woodhav-

en,” Feb. 1, multiple editions).

I never even heard about the group called PuppyKittyNYCity in Queens, and thank God for its volunteers who were able to help the cats, but shame on some politicians and the ASPCA for not helping this rescue group.

We still don’t have an animal shelter in the Borough of Queens. As a resident living here since 1960, I wonder, when do we get help when we take it upon ourselves to do someone else’s dirty work? We pick up and trap the cats and kittens that other people put out there.

Those people don’t care. And it’s not up to the Police Department to respond to our needs when helping animals, either. But thank God they did help. These stray cats deserve to get help from other sources of funding, too. I have to resort to yard sales to raise money to help them. It’s not cheap living in NYC, nor paying to support these animals.

Please continue to shed light on the unfortu-

C M SQ page 11 Y K

nate circumstances that await the stray dogs and cats in all five boroughs of NYC. I have written to all mentioned in the article, and I also sent the article to them, and if this letter is printed in your newspaper, I will send them that, too. These politicians we elect and support, as well as the animal groups need to know how we feel, and should respond to our complaints. After all, we all have to work together.

Joan Silaco Queens Village

Emissions law costly hot air Dear Editor: Local Law 97 is the perfect example of why one party rule is a disaster in a democracy (“Local Law 97 already hitting home in boro,” Feb. 8, multiple editions). Usually when new billion-dollar requirements are enacted into law, already-existing properties are grandfathered in, so that they will not be unfairly burdened. Our City Council members, having no reason to fear that they will not be reelected to this, or some other political position, do anything that they want without input from the affected citizens.

My particular co-op, in which nearly 500 families live, is burdened with a $13 million assessment to be paid over a three-year period in order to meet this stage of the requirements of Local Law 97. The benefits of these environmental changes will not be noticed by anybody because the biggest greenhouse gas offenders are not touched by any American or New York laws. Not only is the required assessment highway robbery, but the decrease in property value caused by this and future Local Law 97 requirements is very harmful to people who worked hard, saved up and bought their co-ops.

Michael Gallagher Forest Hills

Clueless on congestion toll

ination, etc.?

Sadly, the only things congestion pricing will do are to drive more hardworking taxpayers out of New York and place additional hardship on the disabled, seniors and the disappearing middle class. Their load is heavy but Albany doesn’t seem to care about the average taxpayer.

By the way, Albany: Manhattan isn’t the only borough with heavy traffic and pollution. When you have time, visit the Bronx and Queens.

Linda Carlson Woodside

Shelter a safety concern Dear Editor: Re “Board 6 plans for its shelter response,”

by Michael Gannon, Feb. 1, multiple editions: As a citizen resident of Rego Park for over 30 years, I can say our neighborhood is well maintained and the people know each other and get along with each other. If the city brings a men’s shelter to our ONLINE neig hb orho o d , we are very worMiss an article or a ried that the letter cited by a writer? community will Want breaking news from all over Queens? be disturbed.

We are workFind the latest news, ing-class people past reports from all over the borough and concerned about our safety, more at qchron.com. including that of the elderly, children and the nearby school. With no discriminatory thought, we can welcome the shelter residents but still, safety is our concern. We don’t want our neighborhood to be on alert for any problem. Our community is for everyone; everyone here has to be protected.

Why, when our community organizes, is the City Council not coming with us?

Thanks for the Queens Chronicle and Senior News Editor Michael Gannon.

Wendy Wei Rego Park

Farewell, Father McBrien Dear Editor: The Rev. Kevin F. McBrien has served Our Lady of the Snows in Floral Park for the last 12 years and has served at various parishes for the last 37 years. According to church policy, it is time for him to move on to another parish or another station of duty.

Father McBrien has served Our Lady of the Snows in Floral Park with dedication, caring, love and a devotion to all.

My wife Eva and myself have been in the hospital and rehab on and off, and he came to visit with spiritual help. When I had cancer he called and visited to pray for my recovery.

He helped me in other ways as well.

I met Father McBrien in church when he first came to the parish. Then I met him the following week at Jelly Beans, a convenience store in Glen Oaks Village, and I wished him well in his new parish. He asked my name, which I said is Fred Bedell. He asked if I was Frederick R. Bedell Jr., and said he has been continued on next page

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FAITH TALK Pastor Stephen Roser

Stephen Roser is the pastor of Howard Beach Assembly of God Church From a human point of view, no one was anyone who more hopelessly unfit to take on the weighty has ever gone responsibilities of pastoring a church camping knows than Timothy, the faithful missionary how to do it. companion of the Apostle Paul.

You simply grab a stick, rearrange the patterns of wood and coal, and watch the Timid, prone to illness, and shy, Timothy surge of glowing fl ames. was nevertheless chosen by his aging mentor to inherit the leadership of the Within every sincere believer God has rebellious, heresy-filled church of Ephesus. placed a Holy Spirit fi re which the believer must continually fan into a fl ame by Paul sought to dispel the insecurities of stepping out and serving Him. the novice pastor by assuring him that the power of the Holy Spirit within Have you been feeling some strange, him would be both a source of suffi cient frightening inner stirrings to take a boldness for ministry and of self-control in dramatic change of direction? Such the face of fear or panic. stirrings come when God is calling you to a new work for Him. Perhaps the call He also admonished Timothy to “fan is to simply step up and serve where you into a fl ame,” or rekindle, that inner fi re are. Fan the fl ame by doing the work by stepping up to the challenge that God God asks of you. You will discover, through was surely placing before him. the Holy Spirit, enough power, love, and When it comes to rekindling a dying fi re, self-discipline to accomplish it.

HOWARD BEACH ASSEMBLY OF GOD 158-31 99th Street, Howard Beach • 718-641-6785 www.HowardBeachAssemblyofGod.com

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Dear Editor: I am constantly amazed by how out of touch some of our elected officials are. To present yet another financial burden on hardworking taxpayers such as congestion pricing, while not offering a travel alternative, is cruel. How many times have you heard the morning commuting report: “We have delays on the 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7 trains as well as the A, B, D, E and F lines”? It’s more often the case rather than the exception.

Richard Reif’s letter “MTA: Money Thrown Away” (Dec. 21, 2023) is right on point. I have been riding the subway since the early 1970s and trains are still delayed because of “signal problems ahead.” Billions have been poured into the MTA and fares continuously rise, but improvements are not significant enough for all the money spent.

With all our technological advances in the past 50 years it’s hard to believe that no one has been able to figure out how to fix signal problems.

Why not take revenue from fares and upgrade one subway line, top to bottom and end to end, with state-of-the-art improvements, including accessible entries, elevators, new electrical and signal cables, rodent elim-

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Page 11 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 15, 2024

LETTERS TO THE

LETTERS TO THE continued from previous page seeing my name in local newspapers including the Catholic paper, The Tablet, for years. He said he enjoys reading the papers very much, likes to see what others are thinking and finds my letters quite informative.

So, Father McBrien, I pray for your future endeavors with your love and kindness to others.

Frederick R. Bedell Jr. Bellerose

USPS: Thanks! Want a job?

Dear Editor: As the Jamaica Post Office starts a new year, I would like to thank all our customers for trusting us for another successful holiday season. Our entire team is prepared to consistently deliver our brand to your door and provide excellent customer service at our window operations.

We are pleased to inform you that three Jamaica Post Offices ranked in the top 20 in our district: Rochdale Village, Rosedale and Bellerose. These offices received consecutive 100 percent Retail Customer Experience results. The RCE program uses independently contracted “customers” who visit post offices and document their experience by answering a standardized questionnaire.

Rochdale Village Post Office takes the lead with eight consecutive perfect scores.

Rosedale had six perfect scores and Bellerose received five in a row.

We continually look for members of the community to join our team. If you, a family member or friend would like to know of the many opportunities the Post Office provides for a career, please stop in and I would be happy to assist you. For more information visit our website at usps. com/careers.

The Delivering for America plan was published March 23, 2021, to transform the Postal Service from an organization in financial and operational crisis to one that is self-sustaining and high performing. As the Postal Service enters the fourth year of the Delivering for America plan, the organization and the Jamaica team continue their focus on improving service reliability for the American public and business customers by modernizing the outmoded and aging postal network across the nation, maintaining operational stabilization, and providing new, competitive product offerings for our customers.

On behalf of the entire team at Jamaica Post Office, thanks for your continued support.

Dermot Tuohy Postmaster Jamaica

Support foster-care youth Dear Editor: In 2022, New York City announced College Choice, which was designed to cover tuition costs for teens in foster care. Twen-

E DITOR

ty-two states, including New York, support foster youth through college tuition waiver policies, but the lengthy and confusing application processes limit eligibility.

When applying to college as a foster youth, I was told it would be too expensive. Now, as a recent graduate of Five Towns College, I know the internal war that foster youth experience, and I want something different for future generations.

College is not something you think about when the only thing on your mind is survival. In fact, only 8 to 24 percent of college-age foster youth are enrolled in college, as compared to 60 percent of the general population.

Last week, alongside 10 youth leaders from across the state and Children’s Aid, I met with state Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky in Albany. We discussed the Foster Youth College Success Initiative, the challenges foster youth face when applying to college and the urgent need for transitional support, including extending housing for foster youth through age 24.

Foster youth deserve stability and pathways to thrive, just like all other young people. I’m calling on our New York legislators to pursue statewide policies that safeguard these resources, expand access and encourage young people aging out of the system to forge their futures.

Aqiera-Solai Clarke Corona The writer is an advocate with the Fostering Youth Success Alliance and Children’s Aid.

Haley’s husband’s honor Dear Editor: The baseless insults on Nikki Haley’s husband, Michael, are another reason to consider that Donald Trump is a mean old man or beginning to lose it.

At a recent South Carolina rally the former president kept saying, “where is Michael?“ Just for his information, as he should know, Michael Haley is a major in the South Carolina National Guard and has been deployed to Africa. He previously served in Afghanistan with the rank of captain and earned a bronze star.

I am sure Michael Haley would much prefer to be home with his wife and family, but he is 8,000 miles away on the other side of the world in uniform keeping America safe and is far away from Mr. Trump’s insults.

Kevin O’Leary Kew Gardens

Write a Letter!

We want to hear from new voices! Letters should be no longer than 300 words and may be edited for length, clarity and other reasons. They may be emailed to letters@qchron.com. Please include your phone number, which will not be published. Those received anonymously are discarded.

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 15, 2024 Page 12

C M SQ page 12 Y K

Bringing Broadway to D 32 PS 207 Rockwood Park in Howard Beach and PS 377 STAR Leadership Academy in Ozone Park dazzled audiences with performances worthy of a Broadway stage last week.

Inside Broadway, a nonprofit company that helps bring theatrical productions to students throughout New York, received $90,000 in funding from Councilwoman Joann Ariola to put on performances in neighborhood schools, her office said.

PS 377 gave Disney a run for its money with its “Aladdin” performance, and PS 207 was treated to a production of a play with actors

from Inside Broadway called “Land That I Love.” The nonprofit will later produce the play with performers from the school.

“Thanks to our partnership, children all across District 32 who may have never had any real interactions with the world of theater will now have their very first tastes of Broadway,” said Ariola in a statement. “And who knows, these productions may even set off the sparks that will bring us the next Nathan Lane or Idina Menzel! Getting theater into the lives of our young people is so important, and I’m honored to be a part of this.”

— Kristen Guglielmo

Addabbo collects for pantry State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Woodhaven) is opening his offices as collection sites where residents can donate to Sacred Heart Parish Ministries in Glendale, which needs personal care items and food donations.

Items can be dropped off at Addabbo’s offices at 84-16 Jamaica Ave. in Woodhaven, or 66-85 73rd Place in Middle Village. Both are open during regular business hours, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The list for suggested personal care and cleaning items includes hand soap;

dish soap; laundry detergent; shampoo and conditioner; toilet paper; paper towels; facial tissues; deodorant; toothpaste; and toothbrushes Food items that always are in need include flour; sugar; vegetable oil; shelfstable milk; pasta; noodles; pasta sauce; peanut butter; jelly; tuna fish and canned salmon; canned soup; white rice; canned meats like chicken, Spam or ham; coffee and tea; cereal; macaroni and cheese; canned fruit and vegetables; ramen noodles or cup-a-soup; and condiments such as ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise. Q

C M SQ page 13 Y K Page 13 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 15, 2024

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City fast tracks new housing

The votes are in and Middle Village Bagels at 79-16 Eliot Ave. was declared the winner of the inaugural Queens’ Best Bagel Competition, sponsored by the Queens Chamber of Commerce.

At right, Joseph LaRosa, center, who owns the shop with Frank Barbone, receives

congratulations from Assemblywoman Catlina Cruz and Tom Grech, president and CEO of the Queens Chamber.

Utopia Bagels of Whitestone and Rockaway Bagels of Rockaway Park took second and third place, respectively.

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continued from page 4 ership in the building until it is fully converted. Once that is complete, RiseBoro will nonprofit again identifies a building, applies fully own the housing complex. Slate will to our open-ended RFP and once they are exit as a owner once the development is finawarded they can take the value of the conished, said Meghan Smith, associate comtract and use that to get a loan.” missioner for rehousing operations at DHS. The nonprofit can then buy the building “The comptroller has been a terrific partand pay the mortgage back using the CityFner in thinking about ways that we can fast HEPS rent. track the rental projects — the 1,000 units,” “That is a great model because it gets the real estate into nonprofit-owned hands over Wasow Park said. “The cost of each project the long term but you do need to coordinate is going to vary depending on how big the building is and what the mix of units is financing with a private lender. It takes a litbecause rent obviously is different for a stutle bit longer and that’s the 500,” she said.

The JFK Hilton hotel, which will be con- dio than a three-bedroom and so on.”

Buildings brought to the attention of the verted into 318 low-income permanent housing units, with 192 designated for people DSS for permanent housing tend to break down into two catewith CityFHEPS gories, new construcvouchers, is an tion and older existexample of the secing buildings. ond model. he cost of each New developers The nonprofit projectis going to vary sometimes come to RiseBoro Communithe realization that it ty Partnership and depending on how big is hard work to lease Slate Property a new building and Group, a real estate the building is ...” look to have a nonlender and operator — Commissioner Molly Wasow Park, profit intermediary primarily focused on Department of Social Services take on that responsithe adaptive reuse of bility, said Wasow property for family Park. housing, acquired the “By having the nonprofit in — they’re site, located at 144-02 135 Ave. in South serving as the operator — it saves them Jamaica, for $64 million.

“It’s a really complex deal that includes from risk a little, and because it is new construction there aren’t upgrades that are necnot only us, but both housing departments in essary,” said the DSS commissioner. the city [the Housing Preservation Department and the Housing Development Corp.], “Another version is a nonprofit finding older and also the state housing agency and lots of existing buildings. Generally, the reason they are vacant is because there is a physical different funding streams,” Wasow Park said. “We do have this project base funding challenge there and the goal of the nonprofit from the Social Service agency to allow is to make sure the building is brought back moving that project forward ... It is a very to appropriate standards and it can be brought back into the housing stock. It’s the particular boutique model there. There is longwinded way of saying construction construction work that is happening there.” work needs to be done.”

The cost for the city to partially acquire The city will also be expediting housing and develop the property is $167 million, contracts from nonprofits to move people in officials said last year. the shelter system using the first model.

Because the hotel is also part of a housing “On a normal basis it can take nine to 12 conversion program, in which the city is taking on debt ($48 million from the state’s new months to register a contract,” said the commissioner. “Here we think we can do it in Housing Our Neighbors with Dignity Act about half that time.” program and $50 million from a senior loan If the program is successful, the agency from the city Housing Development Corp.) and ensuring the regulatory agreement that hopes to build on it by creating more housQ ing using the new models. will keep it affordable, it will have part own-

C M SQ page 15 Y K

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 15, 2024 Page 16

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Questions remain after casino town hall

Sullivan shares community benefits; Phoenix Meadows plan presented

by Sophie Krichevsky

But when Sullivan pointed to those addiction assistance programs, Sarah Ahn, director After her November town hall on Steve of the Flushing Workers Center and one of the Cohen’s proposal for a casino and several other architects of the Phoenix Meadows plan, sugamenities next to Citi Field in November, state gested that is precisely why a casino is an issue.

Sen. Jessica Ramos (D-Jackson Heights) said “It’s really depressing that we are talking about she would only introduce the necessary park- needing to fund addiction centers and all of land alienation legislation if her community got these things instead of going to the source of “iron-clad commitments” from Cohen’s camp the problem and saying you’re not encouraging or promoting gambling,” she said. and if there were “no better alternative.”

That encapsulated the crux of the argument And though Michael Sullivan, Cohen’s chief of staff, presented a community benefits agree- in favor of Phoenix Meadows: Ahn and her ment for the project called “Metropolitan fellow organizers with the Flushing Equitable Park” at Ramos’ widely attended town hall at Development and Urban Planning Coalition the New York Hall of Science last Wednesday envision a park on the Citi Field parking lot, night, neither the senator nor community mem- which is legally parkland. Acknowledging the bers seemed totally convinced that the grass- need for parking at the ballpark, the design is Hundreds of people attended state Sen. Jessica Ramos’ third town hall last Wednesday on the roots Phoenix Meadows plan, which would such that a parking garage would be built possibility of a casino being built next to Citi Field.

PHOTOS BY SOPHIE KRICHEVSKY under the park’s hilltop. The transform the Mets parking lot plan also includes climate- cy. Ramos was aware of that. “This plan got benefits into his team’s application, they would into a park, would be that “betresilient measures, like ponds started later, and has not had that time ... have to post a bond worth five to 10 percent of ter alternative.” the $8 billion project’s entire value. “Before we that would collect rain water to they’re not on exactly equal footing,” she said.

At the same time, many That prompted a question from Shanel can open the doors to the project, the Gaming be used in the park. remained skeptical of the Ramos’ search for an alter- Thomas-Henry, a Community Board 3 mem- Commission has to verify that we have delivpotential ills that could come native comes as Cohen pre- ber whose family has lived in East Elmhurst ered on the public realm elements that we’ve with a casino, such as gambling pares to apply for one of three and Corona for generations: “How long should committed to,” he added. addictions, even as union memWhile Ramos’ blessing is crucial for downstate casino licenses the we wait for your plan to come to fruition?” bers came in droves in support Though Ramos reiterated her point again in Cohen, the senator told reporters later there’s state Gaming Commission will of the jobs Cohen’s plan could award this year. But because response, the audience had more enthusiasm no guarantee it passes and is signed into law. create. the parking lot — which the for Sullivan’s answer to that: Should Cohen get “Just because I were to introduce a bill doesn’t Representatives of both city leases to the Mets and will the gaming license, he said, “We’re ready to be mean my colleagues are going to necessarily plans agreed on one thing: Climate change and years of pollu- Michael Sullivan, Me t s continue to do so for another 81 ready to go shovels in the ground. It might take support it,” she said. “If I decide not to introduce a bill, one of my other colleagues can tion in the area make leaving owner Steve Cohen’s chief years — is legally parkland, the us three and a half years to build.” of staff, presented a com- state Legislature would have to But the bigger question for the Phoenix introduce a bill despite it not being their disthe site as is a nonstarter.

The Metropolitan Park plan munity benefit agreement alienate the site to make way Meadows plan is how it would be funded. trict. That’s also a possibility.”

And it is not clear how the timing of Ramos’ for a casino to be built there. While the FED UP Coalition has suggested would include the casino, 25 last Wednesday.

W h ile Assembly ma n Jef f before that money could be attained from the choice — or lack thereof — would effect the acres of green space — five of which would be dedicated to athletic fields and Aubry (D-Corona) introduced that legislation state and federal governments, it was not until Gaming Commission’s decision, and when in all of which would be privately maintained and in his chamber, Ramos has yet to decide if she Wednesday that members got more specific, 2024 the panel will make its picks is unknown. pointing to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Ramos said she intends to make a choice by the operated — a concert hall, a Queens food hall will do the same.

Given that many of the hundreds of people (D-Bronx, Queens). “Last year, she put out a end of the legislative session. and a hotel. “Over the last three years, we’ve All of that would be moot if the Gaming engaged with the local community ... what who arrived before the NYSCI gates opened whole book of Environmental Justice Funding we’ve done is engaged an all-New York design Wednesday evening were union members, it’s Opportunities that Democrats were able to win Commission does not award Cohen a license: team to help us transform all that input and all no surprise that one of the biggest concerns the Biden infrastructure bill, totaling hundreds Without a casino, Sullivan said, there is no those ideas into a future entertainment and regarding both projects was whether each of billions of dollars,” said Zeke Luger of the Metropolitan Park. “In order to deliver [this plan], we need an economic engine. We haven’t sports destination that can tie together tennis, would create union jobs. Asked about that dur- Flushing Anti-Displacement Alliance.

Then he addressed Ramos: “Will you speak been able to figure out anything else that penbaseball and soccer into a transformative proj- ing the question and answer portion of the evening, Sullivan said, “This is a union project.” to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and ask her to cils out without the gaming license.” ect,” Sullivan said.

But like the leaders behind both projects, Ramos has been adamant that Cohen’s team He added that applies to all 15,000 construction take on this plan as a prime example of a Green New Deal project that can bring investment Ramos has been clear that the Citi Field parkpresent a community benefits agreement in and permanent jobs.

“All the parks that are around New York City back to our communities instead of selling off ing lot cannot remain as is. So what would she order to protect her constituents’ interests in do if she introduced the parkland alienation our public assets?” this project. She got that last Wednesday: In have jobs, great real jobs are Ramos, who had a dis- bill, and Cohen did not get a casino license? addition to the green space and food hall, related to landscape, life“There, I would argue, merits a conversation pute with the congresswhich account for $320 million and $150 mil- guards, concessions, buildwoman on X (then Twitter) with the Economic Development Corporation lion of the $8 billion project, respectively, ing maintenance — you hey’re not exactly in 2022 over her lack of — which is not one of the most functional state Cohen’s team is pledging to invest in the mod- could go on and on,” on equal footing.” presence in the district, agencies — and see what opportunities are ernization of the Mets-Willets Point No. 7 train responded Gita Nandan, an replied, “I can’t remember available. I think the biggest hurdle in everystation and make several other community architect with Thread Col— State Sen. Jessica Ramos thing is that the Mets do have that lease,” the last time I saw her.” investments. Those include $25 million for an lective, a landscape design on the two plans “I think that if I were to Ramos said. The lease requires, among other East Elmhurst health clinic, Corona youth and firm that is working on the meet with Congresswoman things, that the Mets provide stadium parking. senior center and Flushing addiction and men- Phoenix Meadows plan.

“If I, in theory, can introduce legislation to tal health services. On top of that, Cohen would “Yes, there will be jobs. We are at the tip of the Ocasio-Cortez, we’d have a lot of different invest $163 million that would be controlled by iceberg of the planning process. I do not know community projects to talk about, and I’m able amend the lease to allow a new entity — New Green Willets, they call themselves — to have a community impact trust — members of what the number of jobs is, but they are very to have that conversation, too.”

One of the main questions for Cohen and that parcel of land, logic would dictate if I can whom would be appointed by the three area dense, and there are good jobs that are citycommunity boards, among several others — funded ... if you talk to somebody who works in Sullivan, on the other hand, was how they do that for them, can I do it for someone else?” would be held accountable for the community Ramos went on to add. “But the problem is that that would focus on providing legal aid for the Parks Department, they’re there for life.”

Moments like that one highlighted the fact benefits agreement. To that, Sullivan said that the Mets would have to agree to it. And I don’t immigration, anti-displacement assistance, Q that the Phoenix Meadows plan is in its infan- in addition to incorporating the community know that they would.” addiction services and more.

Associate Editor

“T

C M SQ page 17 Y K

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 15, 2024 Page 18

C M SQ page 18 Y K

Learn about NYC Charter Schools

What makes charter schools different from traditional public (also called, district) schools?

Because they are independent from the NYC Department of Education, charter schools have greater flexibility in the way they operate. Charter schools are free to develop their own academic program and student supports, choose staff, set educational goals, offer a longer school day and school year, and establish their own standards for student behavior. Charter schools are required to raise student achievement. If they do not meet their performance goals they can be closed.

What are the benefits of enrolling my child in a charter school?

Charter schools provide an alternative to district schools. Charter schools allow families the opportunity to choose a school based upon what they think will work best for their child.

Many charter schools also tend to: • emphasize not only the core subjects of English and math, but also the arts, science, and languages; • have longer school days and year; • be smaller overall, providing a more personalized approach to education.

Are charter schools successful?

New York City charter schools outperform and outgain traditional district schools in both ELA and math annually. Black and Hispanic charter students also continue to outperform their district peers. In math, Black charter students are more than twice as likely to be profi-

cient than their district peers, and Hispanic students are nearly twice as likely to be proficient.

For example, in the Bronx, where many charter schools are concentrated and continue to grow, charter student performance far exceeds that of district school students. In 2022, 54.7% of charter students scored proficient on New York State’s ELA exam compared to just 33.2% for district students. The same holds true on the State Math exam, where 44.2% of charter students scored proficient as compared to 20.9% of district students. Overall, 13 of the top 15 schools on New York State’s ELA (2022) exam were charter schools. For more information on how charter schools performed on state assessments, see our data dashboard.

Do charter schools charge tuition?

No. They are free public schools.

Do charter schools have any religious affiliations? No.

Do charter schools serve English Language Learners?

Yes. All charter schools have outlined English Language Learner (ELL) supports in their authorized charter agreement. A majority of charter schools provide sheltered English instruction and English as a New Language (ENL) support, while a few offer dual language programs. Families should speak directly to school leadership to

Educating our students to be independent thinkers and lifelong learners

get a better understanding of the instructional strategies they use to support the academic success of English Language Learners.

Do charter schools admit students who are receiving special education services/have IEPs? Yes, charter schools work to meet the goals and objectives outlined in students’ Individualized Education Plans (IEP). However, just as with district schools, not every charter school provides an appropriate placement for every child. A majority of charter schools have appropriate placements and programs for children with less restrictive environments written into their special education program, while some offer a wider array of placements and services.

What is expected of charter school students?

As each charter school is independently run, expectations differ from school to school. Most charter schools are committed to providing their students with structured and safe environments where they can focus on learning. Many charter schools require their students to commit to a set core of values centered on respect, hard work and achievement. Some charter schools also require students to wear uniforms.

How do I know which charter school will meet my child’s needs?

To help families determine if a charter school is the right fit for their child, they should read about a charter school’s mission and education program by visiting its website or calling or visiting the school directly. The Charter Center

Can parents get involved in charter schools?

Yes, almost every charter school encourages family involvement in the school and in their child’s education. Some charter schools have parent representatives on their boards; others work with families through a Parent Association.

How do I enroll my child in a charter school?

There are three easy ways to apply to a charter schools.

1. Use the Common Online Charter School Application to apply to multiple schools at once. The application is open from October 1 through June 30 each year.

2. Visit the school’s website directly to apply online or download a hard copy of its application.

3. Stop by the school to pick up an application or call the school and ask staff to mail you an application.

How do I find a charter school?

The Charter Center map feature allows you to search for schools near your home address, in your Community School District, by borough and more.

— Courtesy nyccharterschools.org

Our World Neighborhood Charter Schools Free Public Charter Schools Escuelas charter publicas gratuitas en Queens SD 24, SD 27, SD 30 • Rigorous academic curriculum Plan de estudios riguroso

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provides contact information for each charter school in our map feature. After reviewing your top charter school choices, we recommend families attend an open house or schedule a tour with each school. Not only does this enable families to get a better feel for the school’s staff and culture, but they also provide the opportunity to ask questions in person.

• Study of world cultures Estudio de las culturas del mundo

• Social-emotional learning Aprendizaje socioemocional

• Spanish beginning in Kindergarten • Physical Education, Arts & Music Español comenzando en Kindergarten integrated into curriculum Educación física, arte y música • ICT program/SETTS integrado en el currículo Programaa de Co-enseñanza integrada

• Robust technology program Programa tecnológico robusto • Free breakfast & lunch Desayuno y almuerzo gratuitos

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C M SQ page 19 Y K At Success Academy, we believe every child is capable of great things. We’re on a mission to provide the best education and opportunities – for free. Every detail of our school is intentional to nurture your child’s love of learning and confi dence.

Our curriculum is planned backward, starting with the knowledge and skills needed for college success and working from 12th grade to Kindergarten. As a result, our students are outpacing their peers enrolled in other charter schools and larger state and city district schools.

Not to mention, 100% of our graduates are accepted into 4-year schools.

This K-12 approach means your child receives a seamless education without the need to apply for middle and high school once enrolled.

As a Success Academy student, we provide your child a laptop and tablet, uniform, school supplies, musical instruments and sports equipment, extra tutoring support, monthly fi eld trips, and more – all for free!

Your child will receive daily science lessons and have the opportunity to discover their passions through our co-curricular programs, including chess, music, dance, art, and athletics. As your child hones their talents, they will have access to exclusive programs with iconic NYC institutions – such as Sotheby’s and NYC Ballet – and have the chance to travel regionally and nationally to compete in chess, debate, and sports tournaments.

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Flushing celebrates Year of the Dragon

PHOTOS BY WALTER KARLING

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 15, 2024 Page 20

C M SQ page 20 Y K

The Year of the Dragon came in with a mighty roar last Saturday as Flushing highlighted Queens’ Lunar New Year festivities with its annual parade. Floods of people lined the streets, many wearing red in hopes of finding good fortune in the new year.

Though the dragon dance is customary no matter the year, attendees were especially excited to see the performance this year and to touch its head for good luck, as seen at top right. To the left of that, the Wang family poses with a balloon animal apt for the celebration, which the Queens Chamber of Commerce’s own Virgina Ferreira and Jacqueline Donado can be seen propping up. Below them, students from the East Taekwondo Academy in Flushing show off their skills. To their right, Assemblymember Nily Rozic,

left, Civil Court Judge Karen Lin and Michael Sullivan, chief of staff to Mets owner Steve Cohen, pose for a photo with Mr. Met. At center right, one parade goer smiles with her pup, who is dressed for the occasion, as the dragon checks out the traffic regulations before continuing to march down Main Street to their right.

Below them, the Lion Dance makes its way down Union Street. Left of that, young Abram reveals what he found in his lucky red envelope.

Above, several elected officials and community leaders, including Gov. Hochul, head up the parade. At far right, members of Falun Gong apply the finishing touches before stepping off, and at right, Joe “the Dancer” Ferrante boogies to the beat emanating from a passing float.

— Sophie Krichevsky

C M SQ page 21 Y K

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 15, 2024 Page 22

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FDNY raids Forest Hills e-bike shop

Lithium-ion cells ignite during seizure at Forest Hills e-bike shop inspection

by Michael Gannon

cells and replacing old ones in violation of the fire code.

“These are what we call ‘FrankenA Feb. 6 city inspection of a shop selling e-bikes and allegedly recondi- stein batteries,’ and we have been tioned lithium-ion batteries in Forest warning people not to build these for Hills benefited from some frighten- months.”

Kavanagh said they discovered ingly fortunate timing, according to F DN Y C o m m i s s io n e r L a u r a approximately 60 battery packs and hundreds of individual lithium-ion Kavanagh.

“Some of the [battery] cells began cells, about 25 e-scooters and 25 to fail and had to be extinguished in c ombi n at ion ele c t r ic - a nd -ga s the process of taking them out and mopeds.

She said the NYPD also removed packing them,” Kavanagh said two days later at a press conference out- seven scooters that exceed the side Wilson’s E Bike Shop at 101-19 20-mile-per-hour city limit.

The FDNY’s HazMat 1, Squad Queens Blvd.

In a video of the nearly 14-minute 288, Engine 305, Ladder 151 and Batpress conference, which can be talion 46 were onsite for the viewed at bit.ly/49qyhjd, Commis- inspection.

“If you recall, a single e-bike took sioner Vilda Vera Mayuga of the Department of Consumer and Work- out an entire shopping plaza in the er Protection said the investigation Bronx just a few months ago,” Kavawas initiated after a DCWP official nagh said. “This location had far beyond that.” allegedly fou nd She s a id t he Wi lson’s t o b e Bureau of Fire Preadvertising itself as hey have killed vention issued vio“a battery factory.”

The inspection people and they lations for storing more than five batwas carried out by will continue to teries and sorting the city’s Lithiumand repairing bation Battery Task kill people ...” teries; and sumForce, which has monses for repairmembers from the — FDNY Commissioner ing batteries, havFi r e M a r s h a l’s Laura Kavanagh ing fire extinguishOffice, the Bureau ers that were not tagged, electrical of Fire Prevention and the DCWP. “The work that they do and did hazards, obstruction of egress, storhere Tuesday literally saved lives,” ing gasoline and diesel fuel, and Kavanagh said. “There’s no other obstruction of government authority way to put it ... When we arrived for allegedly attempting to remove Tuesday, the task force discovered and hide batteries.

In addition, Kavanagh said, the that the business was building battery packs with individual lithium-ion city’s Department of Buildings issued Senior News Editor

“T

FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh, at mic, FDNY Chief Fire Marshal Daniel Flynn, left, and Department of Consumer and Worker Protection Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga discuss a multiagency inspection that allegedly netted numerous illegal lithium-ion batteries and several illegal twowheeled vehicles in Forest Hills two days earlier on Feb. 6. FDNY SCREENSHOT / X violations for illegal conversion, illegal occupancy and a bedroom in the rear of the business. The DCWP issued violations for selling noncertified batteries and scooters.

A man answering the phone at Wilson’s, who said he was the owner, texted the Chronicle to say he still was looking for a lawyer and that the Fire Department lied.

According to statistics provided by the FDNY, lithium-ion batteries caused 268 fires citywide in 2023.

They killed 18 people, and injured 150 more.

Chief Fire Marshal Daniel Flynn said they were luckier at a two-alarm fire in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, in the early-morning hours before last Thursday’s press conference.

“The cause of that fire was a lithium-ion battery that was meant to

power a moped,” Flynn said. “The person had bought the battery from someone on the street. It was not the original battery that came with the product, so he did not know if the battery was certified or where it was manufactured.”

He said vehicle owners should check with their machine’s manufacturer to assure themselves of getting a proper replacement battery.

“We have stressed time and time again that unregulated, tamperedwith and non-certified batteries are extremely dangerous,” Kavanagh said. “They kill people. They have killed people and they will continue to kill people if businesses continue to operate in this manner.

“I hope this is a message to other businesses that are operating like this that we will find you and we will shut

you down and that what you’re doing is dangerous.”

Kavanagh said when the hidden dangers of the batteries began to manifest themselves a few years go, most of the fires were in commercial and industrial sites.

“Because of [new] laws and the work of the inspectors, we’ve seen the deaths in those locations have gone down significantly,” she said.

She said some businesses worked with the city to come into compliance.

“The primary place we are seeing these deaths are in residential locations,” Kavanagh said “Luckily, last night didn’t result in a fatality. But it was in a residence. And so it points out really that we’ve made progress in commercial locations, but that we can’t enforce in residences.

“The hardest place we’re pushing to educate residents who have those in their homes. The best we can do is educate them. We can’t go into their homes and take the bike out. And that’s what happened last night.”

Mayuga said her office has carried out about 500 inspections since September, many in coordination with the FDNY; and has issued nearly 200 violations.

She said businesses seeking assistance with rules or residents looking to report a dangerous business or condition can reach out to her agency by email at nyc.gov/dcwp or calling 311.

“We do try to build a culture of compliance with our city’s laws, but we certainly will not hesitate to take actions against those who threaten the health and safety of our neighQ bors,” she said.

Scooter seizures quadruple to 133

by Peter C. Mastrosimone For the latest news visit qchron.com

Editor-in-Chief

Citing their “persistent involvement in crimes such as drive-by shootings and robberies,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced last Friday that her office and the NYPD have quadrupled the number of allegedly illegal scooters and mopeds they have seized in a week.

First it was 43, taken off sidewalks in Queens Feb. 1 and 2. Now the total is 176, with 133 being confiscated Feb. 6 and 8.

The vehicles were taken for being illegally parked, Katz’s office said, during operations carried out in Long Island City and Woodside, within the 114th and 108th precincts. Out of the 133 that were newly seized, 103 were unregistered, according to the office. In the prior operation, only one or two were registered, a spokesperson said.

Katz promised more of the same to come.

“Unregistered scooters are being used to

commit violent crimes, including shootings and robberies,” she said in a prepared statement.

“Through our proactive enforcement efforts in collaboration with the NYPD, we have taken close to 200 of these illegal vehicles off our streets in just one week. We will continue working with the NYPD to eliminate the threat illegal motorbikes represent to our communities.”

“The men and women of the NYPD, in close collaboration with our law enforcement partners, continue to make headway in reducing the illegal use of motorized scooters in New York City,” Police Commissioner Edward Caban said. “With nearly 200 scooters seized in Queens so far this month, the positive effect on quality of life is tangible. Together, we are providing the public safety that New Yorkers expect and deserve.”

After the first operation was announced, the leader of the activist movement Los Deliveristas Unidos, made up of delivery persons who often use mopeds, said the illegal use of them is

“extremely concerning” to the members, who often are victims of crimes committed by those riding illegally and recklessly.

Owners of scooters that were seized can pick them up from the precinct within whose jurisdiction they were taken, if the vehicles are registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles, according to Katz’s office.

While some officials, such as Katz, call the vehicles in question scooters, others call them mopeds; the Chronicle uses both terms. Standup scooters, even those with optional seats, and e-bikes, which have both motors and pedals, are different. Those are legal and do not get registered with the DMV. Even as the DA’s Office and NYPD have been cracking down on scooters and mopeds, the FDNY just raided a Forest Hills e-bike shop that allegedly was doing illegal work with the lithium-ion batteries that power them and have caused many fires [see separate story in some Q editions or at qchron.com].

Officers load a scooter onto a truck as part of an operation that saw 133 such mopeds get confiscated in Queens. PHOTO COURTESY QUEENS DA

C M SQ page 23 Y K

Page 23 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 15, 2024

For the latest news visit qchron.com H EALTH & FITNESS • FEBRUARY 2024

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 15, 2024 Page 24

C M SQ page 24 Y K

Preventive care guidelines for women 40 and older Vitamin D check Deficiency in vitamin D is a recognized pandemic. People are not naturally producing enough vitamin D from sun exposure, nor absorbing enough from the foods they eat. Vitamin D deficiency can be a serious concern in adult women, particularly those above the age of 40. Vitamin D deficiency can adversely affect mood, and an article published in 2018 in the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care found vitamin D determines the pattern of post-menopausal bone loss and age-related osteoporosis.

Verywell Health also says vitamin D is an important nutrient for preventing diabetes, cancer and age-related weight gain.

It may seem like adolescence is the time in a woman’s life when most of the biological changes she will experience take place. After all, puberty brings with it hormone fluctuations that can affect both physical and emotional health in various ways. However, as a woman enters mid-life and beyond, she may notice that she has to reevaluate her lifestyle to accommodate the evolution of her body and health.

Preventive health screenings and additional strategies can keep women fit and well as they reach age 40 and beyond.

Annual mammograms Most doctors now recommend that women get annual mammograms starting at age 40. Mammograms can detect breast cancer early on at its most treatable stage. Manual breast exams conducted at home and by a doctor also can be vital tools.

Colorectal cancer screenings A colonoscopy is recommended for all women between the ages of 45 and 50 (on the earlier side of that spectrum for African American women). This test can reveal the presence of polyps and cancerous growths.

Vision Annual eye exams should be a part of everyone’s vision care strategy. The American Optometric Association says that, between ages 41 and 60, people may notice differences in their vision. Some changes may happen more frequently, requiring new prescription eyeglasses. Therefore, it helps to visit an eye care professional to take corrective steps. It’s also important to note that, as one ages, the vitreous (clear jelly) in

Preventive health screenings and additional strategies can keep women fit and well as they reach age 40 and beyond. the eye can thicken, leading to increased floaters and flashes that should be checked by an ophthalmologist, as they may lead to retinal tears or detachment that can threaten vision.

Cholesterol screening Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cholesterol screening and other cardiovascular screenings can detect the presence of heart disease or indicate a person’s risk for it.

Annual physical exams likely will include cholesterol checks as well as tests investigating other lipids in the blood.

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Routine gynecological screening and Pap/HPV testing The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists say that it is important to visit a gynecologist annually for a woman’s health checkup. New guidelines emerged some time ago that indicate it is not necessary to get a Pap test at each visit. The recent guidance indicates women between the ages of 30 and 65 can opt for both a Pap and HPV test every five years; have a Pap test alone every three years; or only get the HPV test every five years. After age 65, cervical cancer screenings can cease if there has never been an indication suggesting the presence of abnormal cervical cells.

Moving into middle age brings about changes. Women should evolve health care plans accordingly to stay as Q healthy as possible.

— Metro Creative Connection

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Students shine at braille meet

Resident Michael Dunne is not completely opposed to a men’s homeless shelter in Rego Park, CB 6 SCREENSHOT / YOUTUBE but said he and his neighbors do have some concerns.

Rego residents remain wary of men’s shelter CB 6 resolution asks DSS to meet some conditions; others still not sold

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

For the latest news visit qchron.com

PHOTOS BY JENNIFER KRAUSS

Queens students with visual impairments or blindness fared well at the NYC Braille Challenge, held Feb. 3 at PS/IS 49, The Dorothy Bonawit Kole School, in Middle Village.

Among those winning recognition were, clockwise from top left, Mariam Rahman of South Ozone Park, a second-grader who came in second at the apprentice level, joined by her teacher Amanda Dias; her sister Maisha Rahman of SOP, 12th grade, who came in second at the varsity level; Rachel Yiu of Middle Village, eighth grade, who won first place in apprentice; Hao Wen Deng of Flushing, fifth grade, who came in second place at the sophomore level; Constance Chai of Jackson Heights, Queens, eighth grade, second place at the junior varsity level; Lorena Huang of Oakland Gardens,

second grade, third place in apprentice; Paige Pamesa of Astoria, left, eighth grade, honorable mention in apprentice; Lucy Ye of Flushing, 11th grade, honorable mention in varsity; and Nestor Alfonso, also of Flushing, also in 11th grade, also honorable mention in varsity; and Luohan Tang of Flushing, sixth grade, who came in third in sophomore, joined by teacher David Firestone.

The Braille Challenge features competition in reading comprehension, writing speed and accuracy, proofreading, spelling and reading tactile charts and graphs. Students also enjoyed a performance by the NYPD Marching Band, an interactive circus and opportunities to touch and explore an NYPD horse, K-9 dog, dump truck and city bus.

— Peter C. Mastrosimone

Since it can’t fight City Hall — or the Department of Social Services — Community Board 6 last week approved a list of considerations it wants from the city upon opening a pair of homeless shelters slated for Rego Park.

A shelter for 100 homeless men is schedule to open in the Wyndham Garden hotel at 61-18 93 St. in March, run by Community Housing Innovations. It is just across Queens Boulevard from a transitional shelter for families under construction by the Rego Park Post Office that could open in 2025 and will be operated by WestHab. “I’d also like to note that we don’t get a vote on this as to whether the shelter is allowed in the community,” said Keith Engel, chairman of Land Use/Housing/ Landmark Committee, as seen in a video of the board’s YouTube channel.

The nearly two-page resolution passed on Feb. 7 acknowledges that there are not yet any shelters within Community District 6; and that Board 6’s leadership is prepared to do its part during the city’s housing crisis.

Among their requests of the city and the shelter operators are that the DSS describe its selection process for the two sites; and that CHI and WestHab and members of a community advisory board meet to discuss any problems that may arise within 30 days of opening.

The resolution also states that should any dangerous conditions remain unresolved after two notices within 60 days, Board 6 will lodge formal requests with the Mayor’s Office and the Queens borough president.

The men’s shelter remained less well-

received by residents during the public portion at the start of the meeting.

“I really believe that the community en masse is opposed to the current proposal,” resident Sheryl Fetik said. “There are so many outstanding concerns that I don’t know how a resolution can be passed at this point.”

Fetik’s concerns echo those of other residents, including its location next door to the city’s Lost Battalion Community Center, and near a playground and PS 216.

Resident Michael Dunne said he personally is not worried about heading to the community center — the resolution contains many aspects of a draft measure he submitted to CB 6 last month — the nearby Burger King or other places, but that his mother and elderly neighbors are.

“They would be defenseless if something happened to them,” he said.

Dr. Victoria Bellot, who works at one of the many medical offices at 92-29 Queens Blvd., said she was speaking for herself, other doctors and thousands of patients, many of whom are elderly or disabled, in opposing the site of the men’s shelter.

“A homeless shelter in the area would undoubtedly scare away people who are elderly,” Bellot said. “If they see there are increases in crime, they will be missing appointments; the entire area will be impacted. And this will snowball into something much larger than just a homeless shelter.”

A protest with about 60 residents took place outside the hotel on Feb. 5. The group Rego Park United is advertising another demonstration at 3 p.m. on Feb. 18, starting with a march from 97-25 62 Ave. that will Q begin assembling at 2 p.m.

ARTS, CULTURE & LIVING

by Kristen Guglielmo Do you think you’re one of the biggest Mets fans? Let’s do some quick trivia.

Who was the first Mets player to drive in nine runs in a single game?

It was Carlos Delgado with nine RBIs against the Yankees on June 27, 2008.

Who was the first infielder to win a Gold Glove for the Mets?

The late Bud Harrelson at shortstop in 1971 — the second overall Gold Globe for the team after centerfielder Tommie Agee in 1970.

Page 27 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 15, 2024

February 15, 2024

C M SQ page 27 Y K

New book keeps score of

“Mets Firsts”

continued on page 29

For the latest news visit qchron.com

This should be an easy one: Who was the first Met to hit a home run at Citi Field?

O, Captain, my Captain — none other than No. o. 5, David Wright.

More fun facts and tidbits can be found in “New w York Mets Firsts: The Players, Moments, and Records That Were First in Team History” (Lyons Press), a book by Brett Topel.

Topel, who has written plenty of books about the th he Amazin’s in the past, delves into information that only the truest ue est fans of the blue and orange would know about the players, the hee stadiums and deep team lore.

When writing the book, Topel was given a bit off a challenge a interby his editor: He was told he should not conduct any p views, which had been the usual process with his previous Mets books. m “I set out to really find out what ‘Mets first’ meant,” bvviously, Topel said in an interview with the Chronicle. “Obviously, hee bookk you have first home run, first this, first that. But if the d probap was only that, it would be very short and it would rieed to bly, for the most part, end in 1962. So I really tried t.” ” expand what it meant to call something a Mets first.” co ould Topel said he decided to write as much as he could off the top of his head and then research heavily. you “It was a hard process to get into, because if you n, have an interview with people like Jerry Koosman, Jon Matlack, Howard Johnson or Jose Reyes, you work around the interview and you sculpt it together,” he said. “But this was really more of coming up with questions and moments in time.”

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 15, 2024 Page 28

C M SQ page 28 Y K

I HAVE OFTEN WALKED

King Crossword Puzzle Kelly Price was singing away in Rockaway as a girl

ACROSS

1 “Kapow!”

4 React in horror 8 Pitcher Nolan 12 Flamenco cheer 13 Genesis shepherd 14 Spanish greeting 15 Squealer 16 Drive- -- window 17 “-- the picture!”

18 2014 biopic about actress Kelly 21 Rowing tool 22 Expert 23 Japanese verse 26 Glutton 27 Ultramodernist 30 Rhine feeder 31 Golf prop 32 Basketball tactic 33 Tibetan beast 34 4, on a phone 35 Dollar divisions 36 Observe 37 Texter’s chuckle 38 Where something is created 45 QB Tony 46 Ocho --, Jamaica 47 Hollywood’s Thurman 48 Country singer Jackson 49 Gaelic 50 Fuel stat 51 Partner 52 Bump into 53 Sound from a hot wok

by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor

DOWN

1 McEnroe’s rival 2 Winged 3 Transcending (Pref.)

4 Fancy cake 5 Loathe 6 Lowly worker 7 Fruit-filled dessert 8 Horned beast 9 Meditative practice 10 Mr. Guinness 11 Post-WWII alliance

19 Pepsi rival 20 URL ending 23 Stable diet?

24 Small battery 25 Annoy 26 JFK Library architect 27 Convent resident 28 Tolkien creature 29 Approves 31 Math statement 32 Sub shop 34 “My word!”

35 Waist-cinching garment 36 Tea biscuit 37 Unfettered 38 Baby carriage 39 “Damn Yankees” role 40 Latin 101 word 41 Blaze 42 Periodontist’s concern 43 Rapscallions 44 Kvetches

Joseph Price was born Nov. 7, 1951, in New York. He fell in love with Claudia Norman (born June 30, 1951) shortly after she graduated from John Adams High School.

They were married in 1970 and had three children, with Kelly born on April 4, 1973.

They lived in the Edgemere Houses in Arverne. A few weeks before Kelly’s 10th birthday, in March 1983, her father, then the The childhood home of gospel, soul and R&B singer Kelly Rev. Joseph Price, passed away. Price at 56-16 Beach Channel Drive in Arverne, in the According to ancestry.com her former Edgemere Houses, as the building looks today.

GOOGLE MAPS IMAGE; INSET VIA WIKIPEDIA / BET SCREENSHOT mother, an evangelist, lived at 56-16 Beach Channel Drive and a classic holiday standard. later 111-15 130 St. in South Ozone Park.

Price has excelled in R&B, soul and gosKelly was blessed with a special voice pel, recording on many labels. She has raised they nurtured and developed from an early age. She wrote her first song at age 7 and did and donated generous amounts of money for breast cancer since her mother was affected her first recording at 10.

By the time she was 18, Price was record- with the disease. More recently, she was hit hard with a severe case of Covid, but is back ing and touring the world with diva Mariah Carey, providing background vocals on “All now and in the sparkle stage of love with her Q I Want for Christmas is You,” which became new husband, Darrell Crump.

Answers on next page

For the latest news visit qchron.com

NOTICE OF SUBMISSION OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION PLAN FOR CHAMPLAIN HUDSON POWER EXPRESS Please take notice that, on or about February 9, 2024, CHPE LLC and CHPE Properties, Inc. (collectively referred to as “CHPE” or “Certifi cate Holders”) submitted an Environmental Management & Construction Plan (“EM&CP”) for the AstoriaRainey Cable Segment of the proposed Champlain Hudson Power Express (“CHPE”) Project. This EM&CP includes installation of approximately 3.5 miles of buried alternating current (AC) transmission cable in New York City, primarily along city streets in Queens, connecting the Astoria and Rainey substations.

On April 18, 2013, the NYS Public Service Commission (Commission) issued to CHPE a certifi cate of environmental compatibility and public need (Certifi cate), pursuant to Article VII of the Public Service Law (PSL), to construct and operate the CHPE Project. The Certifi cate requires that, prior to construction of any portion of the Project, CHPE submit an EM&CP for review and comment.

Details of the planned work locations, including an overview map of the proposed route, is available on the Project website at: https://chpexpress.com/overview-of-public-documents/environmental-management-construction-plan/. In general, construction activities for this Segment are anticipated to commence in April 2024. Where possible, construction will generally occur during daylight hours, though some activities would extend to later hours where construction work requires continuous operations or where daytime work would unduly impact traffi c on city streets.

The EM&CP provides detailed information regarding how this Segment of the Project will be constructed, the specifi c locations of the proposed permanent right-of-way, Construction Zones,

and temporary work areas, as well as descriptions of work to be performed, plan and profi le drawings depicting the Project, protocols to be used during construction to protect the community and the environment, and to comply with the CHPE Certificate.

The EM&CP must be reviewed and approved by the PSC before construction on these Segments can begin.

The full Commission docket for the Project can be accessed via the Commission’s website at: http://documents.dps.ny.gov/public/ MatterManagement/CaseMaster.aspx?MatterCaseNo=10-T-0139 and electronic copies of EM&CP documents also will be available on the Project website at https://chpexpress.com/overviewof-public-documents/environmental-management-constructionplan/. Paper copies of the EM&CP submissions will be available for viewing at the following local document repositories: Queens Public Library Astoria Branch, 14-01 Astoria Boulevard, Astoria, NY 11102 and Queens Public Library, 37-44 21st Street, Long Island City, NY 11101.

Comments related to these proposed EM&CPs should be submitted to the Commission Secretary by email at secretary@dps. ny.gov or by mail to Michelle Phillips, Secretary, NYS Public Service Commission, 3 Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY, 12223, within 30 days of the EM&CP segment’s fi ling with the Commission. All comments should reference Case Number 10-T-0139.

CHPE has established a toll-free number for questions regarding the Project: 1-800-991-CHPE (2473). Questions or requests for further information can be directed to: publicoutreach@ chpexpress.com or by mail to Molly Hollister, WSP USA, One Pennsylvania Plaza, New York, New York 10119.

- ADVERTISEMENT -

C M SQ page 29 Y K

by Michael Gannon qboro contributor

In 1974, author Studs Terkel interviewed truck drivers, housewives, receptionists, construction workers, waitresses, business executives, a hockey player and dozens of others for his book “Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do.” This month the LaGaurdia Performing Arts Center is presenting five performances of “Working: A Musical,” the 1978 Tonynominated musical that was updated with some new music in 2012.

Performances are Feb. 15, 16, 23 and twice on Feb 24. The theater is on the campus of LaGuardia Community College at 31-10 Thomson Ave. in Long Island City.

The characters are interviewed and perform monologues on a deliberately spartan set. Handan Ozbilgin, artistic director at the center and director of the play, and Evelyn Lowmark, LPAC’s executive director, told the Chronicle the play is a natural selection for their company to perform.

“We were looking for a musical, and this is very much fitting for Queens and LaGuardia Community College,” Ozbilgin said. “It also allows us to localize it, because the copyright permits us to make some changes.”

Cast members of “Working: A Musical” portray everyday people — and tell their stoPHOTO COURTESY LPAC ries — on a simple set at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center.

The cast includes student actors as well as performers from the community, along with five musicians.

“LPAC’s mission is to be a bridge to the community from the arts, to bring art to the community, to bring them artists who maybe are not so available to our residents.” Lowmark said. “It’s essentially a local play, so easily accessible to parts of

New York City.”

Also, Lowmark said, it is at a CUNY school.

“Nobody who’s working here is getting rich — most of us are from working, middle-class families and this play is literally about working middle class families,” she said. “It seemed to be a perfect fit for our internal and external community.”

“It’s giving a voice to people who are sometimes invisible,” Ozbilgin said.

“These are people you see every day in their working environment,” Lowmark said.

But then you her their stories ... During Covid, you heard about drivers and nurses, because they were our front line. But they always had been there.”

As for elaborate sets the caliber of “Phantom of the Opera” or Disney’s next Broadway production, attendees won’t find them there.

Ozbilgin’s actors work with tables and chairs. Lowmark said she once saw a production that used scaffolding.

“It’s cast-driven,” she said. “We keep it as simple as possible, keeping room for the choreography and the music. We have eight chairs and one table. The chairs can become an office building. The table can turn into truck. We’re not relying on just one set.”

Performances are at 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 15; 7 p.m. on Feb. 16 and 23; and 2:30 and 7 p.m. on Feb. 24. Tickets are $20; or $15 for faculty and staff; and $10 for students. They can be purchased online at bit. ly/49wRnnN. Faculty, students and staff must use LaGuardia emails for the approved disQ count.

Page 29 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 15, 2024

Ordinary people tell their extraordinary stories

Topel’s newest Mets book covers all the bases

Crossword Answers

was Jesse Owens’ fault.”

Asked his own favorite Metropolitans first, Topel recalled the team’s first no-hitter, thrown by Johan Santana against the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012.

“It took forever for the Mets to have a pitcher throw a no-hitter,” he said. “And when they did it, it’s always kind of been with or without an asterisk.”

Carlos Beltrán, who was playing for the Cardinals at the time, hit a drive down the left field line. The ball was called foul by the third base umpire. There was no instant replay review in 2012 for balls that stayed within the park, and had there been, the call would have not been reviewable anyway.

“So to say that the Mets’ first no-hitter is not legitimate, is actually, not legitimate,” Topel wrote in the book, available at topelmetsbook.com.

Throughout the text, Topel manages to be informational, presenting facts in Q&A format while his poignant narrative shines through — especially within the book’s introduction and acknowledgements. And it is not only informational, but fun, too. In one of the final sections, readers can create their own first-string Mets lineup and com-

Brett Topel’s newest book delves into the “firsts” of the New York Mets throughout the team’s storied history. On the cover: David Wright, Bud Harrelson and Johan Santana are all in the book. COURTESY PHOTO, ABOVE, AND, ON COVER, FILE PHOTO, LEFT, PHOTO VIA WIKIPEDIA, RIGHT, PHOTO BY TOM THAI / WIKIPEDIA, CENTER, AND PHOTO BY SOPHIE KRICHEVSKY / FILE

pare it to Topel’s own.

He hopes even the biggest fans of the team can learn new, interesting information while reading.

“My hope is that when people read this,

they learn some new little nuggets. And to me, being able to expose Mets fans — or any sports fans for that matter — to some new information they may not have known Q — that’s the ultimate payoff.”

For the latest news visit qchron.com

continued from page 27 Though Topel already was a very knowledgeable fan of the team, he learned new things during his research.

Asked what surprised him, Topel said, “Jesse Owens was a Mets base-running coach. I thought that was interesting, since he’s perhaps the most famous track-andfield athlete of our time — of any time.

Unfortunately, they didn’t have a very good base-running team, but I don’t think that

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Notice of Formation of BELSER INTERNATIONAL CONSULTING FIRM LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 09/02/2023. Offi ce 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: JESUS F BELMONTE, 2 ADLER PLACE, BROOKLYN, NY 11208. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of DJ LOLYFE LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/27/2023. Offi ce 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 LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, 8441 169TH ST, JAMAICA, NY 11432. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 15, 2024 Page 32

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Legal Notices

Legal Notices

NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE STATE OF NEW YORK SUPREME COURT: COUNTY OF QUEENS WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., Plaintiff, v. KOBIE K. THOMAS, ET AL. Defendants. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT In pursuance of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the Office of the County Clerk of Queens County on September 18, 2023, I, Arthur W. Greig, Esq., the Referee named in said Judgment, will sell in one parcel at public auction on March 1, 2024 at the Courthouse Steps of the Queens County Supreme Court, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY, at 10:00 AM the premises described as follows: 175-07 137th Avenue Jamaica, NY 11434 SBL No.: Block 12570 Lot 6 All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Springfield, Long Island, New York, being known and designated on a certain map entitled “Golden Park, Fourth Ward, Borough of Queens, New York. The premises are sold subject to the provisions of the filed judgment, Index No. 707361/2018 in the amount of $471,037.15 plus interest and costs. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the Court System’s COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screenNotice of Formation of ing practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure FRUITY VENUS LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the sale. Woods Oviatt Gilman Secretary of State of New York LLP Attorneys for Plaintiff (SSNY) on 09/24/2023. Offi ce 500 Bausch & Lomb Place location: Queens County. SSNY has Rochester, NY 14604 Tel.: been designated as agent of the 855-227-5072 78634 LLC upon whom process against NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT QUEENS COUNTY MUNICIPAL CREDIT UNION, Plaintiff against TRACY WILLIAMS, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Stern, Lavinthal & Frankenberg, LLC, 103 Eisenhower Parkway, Suite 100, Roseland, NJ 07068.

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered July 12, 2018, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at steps of Queens County Supreme Court, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on March 1, 2024 at 10:45 AM. Premises known as 177-11 137th Avenue, Springfield Gardens, NY 11434.

Block 12991 Lot 42. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Springfield Gardens in the Fourth Ward of the Borough of Queens, County of Queens, City and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $288,935.80 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 708606/2022 F/K/A 6876/14.

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.

James Yoh, Esq., Referee File # 202100026

it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, 5934 MADISON ST #A, RIDGEWOOD, NY 11385. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

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Notice of Formation of BLEUMD AESTHETIC NYC LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/02/2024. Offi ce 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: JEISSON ARDILA, 79-19 ROOSEVELT AVE., APT 3R, FLUSHING, NY 11372. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, SC PARK LANE II, LLC, Plaintiff, vs. WALI AHMED, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on November 22, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the outside steps of the Queens County Supreme Court, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on March 15, 2024 at 11:00 a.m., premises known as 35-20 Leverich Street Unit B226 a/k/a Unit 226, Jackson Heights, NY 11372. 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 1270 and Lot 1111 together with an undivided 0.6091 percent interest in the Common Elements. Approximate amount of judgment is $647,245.66 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 724727/2020. The Referee shall comply with the Eleventh Judicial District’s COVID-19 policies concerning public auctions of foreclosed properties. These policies, along with the Queens County Foreclosure’s Auction Rules, can be found on the Queens Supreme Court - Civil Term website. Austin I. Idehen, Esq., Referee, Vallely Law PLLC, 6851 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 165, Syosset, New York 11791, Attorneys for Plaintiff

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, US BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR VRMTG ASSET TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. MARJORIE MORGAN, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on December 19, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the outside steps of the Queens County Supreme Court, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on March 15, 2024 at 10:15 a.m., premises known as 214-32 113th Avenue, Queens Village, NY 11429. 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 11136 and Lot 16. Approximate amount of judgment is $591,833.30 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 705287/2015. Cash will not be accepted. The Referee shall comply with the Eleventh Judicial District’s COVID-19 policies concerning public auctions of foreclosed properties. These policies, along with the Queens County Foreclosure’s Auction Rules, can be found on the Queens Supreme Court - Civil Term website. Gregory M. LaSpina, Esq., Referee Knuckles, Komosinski & Manfro, LLP, 565 Taxter Road, Suite 590, Elmsford, NY 10523, Attorneys for Plaintiff

Sky Lounge and Bar LLC, Arts of Org. fi led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 1/16/2024. Cty: Queens.

SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 180 Meacham Ave., Elmont, NY 11003.

General Purpose

109-10 15TH AVE LLC. Arts.

SKYLINE TOWER 603 LLC Art. of Org. fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 12/13/2023. Off. loc: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: SKYLINE TOWER 603 LLC, 3 COURT SQUARE, UNIT 603, LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11101.

Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

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EQUAL HOUSING. Federal, New York State and local laws prohibit discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, marital status, familial status or disability in connection with the sale or rental of residential real estate.

Queens Chronicle does not knowingly accept advertising in violation of these laws. When you suspect housing discrimination call the Open Housing Center (the Fair Housing Agency for the five boroughs of New York) at 212-941-6101, or the New York City Commission of Human Rights Hotline at 718-722-3131.

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

Houses For Sale Howard Beach (Old Side), 2 houses, both legal 2 fam, each w/2 BR, 1 1/2 bath, 2 BR, 1 1/2 bath, walkin 1 BR, 1 bath, gar & drvy. $1,088,000 each. Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136

221 LLC I, Arts of Org. fi led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 8/1/2023. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against

may

be

served

& shall mail process to 35-31 221st St., Queens, NY 11361. General Purpose Notice of FIVE POINTS

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Centreville/Ozone Park, Colonial, 1 fam, 3 levels + basement. Laminate flrs, updated kit w/ Quartz counters, new appli. All new doors, new boiler, water heater & roof. 3 BRs, 2 1/2 baths. 1 car gar, pvt dwvy.

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Call 718-205-8000 Notice of Formation of KBLAKE LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 09/07/2023. Offi ce 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 LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, 13520 241ST ST, ROSEDALE, NY 11422.

Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of ME SUPERVISIONAL DEVELOPMENT

of Org. fi led with the SSNY Articles of Organization were fi led LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary on 12/18/23. Offi ce: Queens with the Secretary of State of New 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, 110-32 15th Ave., Flushing, NY 11356.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

York (SSNY) on 01/10/2024. Offi ce 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: JOSEPH MONTEBELLO, 8605 BEACH CHANNEL DRIVE, UNIT #2, FAR ROCKAWAY, NY 11693. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of JUST A TOUCH OF BALLOONS LLC Articles of Organization were fi led on 01/08/24. Latest date to with the Secretary of State of New dissolve: 12/31/2124. Offi ce: York (SSNY) on 01/01/2024. Offi ce Queens County. SSNY designated location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC as agent of the LLC upon whom upon whom process against it may process against it may be served. be served. SSNY shall mail a copy SSNY shall mail copy of process of process to: ANDREA OBRIEN, to the LLC, 137-61 Queens 116-28 217TH STREET, CAMBRIA Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435.

HEIGHTS, NY 11411. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Arts. of Org. fi led with the SSNY

of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/09/2022. Offi ce 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: DANIEL LEVY, 184-30 AVON ROAD, JAMAICA, NY 11432. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

JPM 4 LLC. Art of Org. fi led with the SSNY on 01/25/2024.

Offi ce: 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. JOHN MCCABE 160-07 80TH STREET, HOWARD BEACH, NY, 11414.

Any lawful purpose.

C M SQ page 33 Y K

Legal Notices

Legal Notices

SHERIFF’S SALE

BY VIRTUE OF AN EXECUTION ISSUED OUT OF THE SUPREME COURT, QUEENS COUNTY, in favor of KUNGA GYAMTSO, the judgement creditor, and against SHAZIA KAUSAR, the judgement debtor, to me directed and delivered, I WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION, by Dennis Alestra DCA# 0840217., auctioneer, as the law directs, FOR CASH ONLY, on the 6th day of MARCH, 2024, at 1:00 PM, at: QUEENS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, 30-10 STARR AVENUE, LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11101 in the county of QUEENS all the rights, title and interest which SHAZIA KAUSAR, the judgment debtor, had on the 16th day of May, 2023, or at any time thereafter, of, in and to the following properties: Address: 25-07 Curtis Street, East Elmhurst , NY 11369 Block: 1655 Lot: 15 ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Queens, County of Queens, City and State of New York, known and designated on a Map filed or Intended to be filed in the Office of the Clerk of Queens County entitled Map No. 1 situated at East Elmhurst in the 2nd Ward of the Borough of Queens, County of Queens, City and State of New York, belonging to the Bankers Land and Mortgage Corporation, Homer L. Barlett, C.S.. April 1904, as and by the Lot Numbers 325 and 326 in Block-3, situated on Sound View Terrace, being more particularly bounded and described as follows: BEGINNING at a point on the easterly side of Curtis Street, formerly Sound View Terrace, 50 feet wide distant 60 feet southerly from the corner formed by the intersection of the easterly side of Curtis Street with the southerly side of 25th Avenue, formerly Schurz Avenue, 70 feet wide: RUNNING THENCE easterly and parallel with the southerly side of 25th Avenue, 100 feet: THENCE southerly parallel with easterly side of Curtis Street.

40 feet; THENCE westerly and parallel with the southerly side of 25th Avenue, 100 feet to the easterly side of Curtis street: THENCE northerly along the easterly side of Curtis Street, 40 feet to the point or place of BEGINNING.

NYC Department of Finance-Office of the Sheriff -nyc.gov/finance

450 Beach 125 Street LLC, Arts of Org. fi led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 12/21/2023. Cty: Queens.

SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to Jean Bagley, 461 Beach 136 St, Belle Harbor, NY 11694. General Purpose

85th Smoke Shop LLC, Arts of Org. fi led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 1/24/2024.

Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 85-01 85th St, Woodhaven, NY 11421-1923.

General Purpose

Legal Notices

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS–SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, COUNTY OF QUEENS – LONGBRIDGE FINANCIAL LLC, Plaintiff, -against- DAVID F. DOVER, AS HEIR, DEVISEE, DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF FRANCIS W. DOVER; ANDREW F. DOVER AS HEIR, DEVISEE, DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF FRANCIS W. DOVER; TINA R. DOVER, AS HEIR, DEVISEE, DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF FRANCIS W. DOVER; JUNE E. MAPP, AS HEIR, DEVISEE, DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF JEAN W. MAPP ; ULRIC PETER MAPP, AS HEIR, DEVISEE, DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF JEAN W. MAPP; ANY AND ALL KNOWN AND UNKNOWN HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES AND ALL OTHER PARTIES CLAIMING AN INTEREST BY, THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST THE ESTATE OF FRANCIS W. DOVER; ANY AND ALL KNOWN AND UNKNOWN HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES AND ALL OTHER PARTIES CLAIMING AN INTEREST BY, THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST THE ESTATE OF JEAN W. MAPP; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY - INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE ; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; “JOHN DOE” AS JOHN DOE #1, Defendants - Index No. 711659/2023 Plaintiff Designates Queens County as the Place of Trial. The Basis of Venue is that the subject action is situated in Queens County. To the above named Defendants–YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff’s Attorney(s) within 20 days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York); and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. That this Supplemental Summons is being filed pursuant to an order of the court dated December 21, 2023. 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 the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (LONGBRIDGE FINANCIAL LLC) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of the Honorable Ulysses B. Leverett, J.S.C. Dated: December 21, 2023 Filed: December 29, 2023.

The object of this action is to foreclose a mortgage and covering the premises known as 532 Beach 25th Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691.

Dated: January 16, 2024 Filed: January 16, 2024. Greenspoon Marder LLP, Attorney for Plaintiff, By: Meir Weiss, Esq., 590 Madison Avenue, Suite 1800, New York, NY 10022 P: (212) 524-5000 F: (212) 524-5050 No Service by fax) Service purposes only: Trade Centre South 100 W. Cypress Creek Road, Suite 700, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 P: (888) 491-1120 F: (954) 343-6982

For the latest news visit qchron.com

The above described premises being commonly known as 2507 Curtis street, East Elmhurst, NY 11369 and identified on the Tax Map of the City of New York for the Borough of Queens as tax lot #15 in tax block 1655.

ANTHONY MIRANDA DEPUTY SHERIFF V. LEONETTI 523 Sheriff of the City of New York LEONETTIV@SHERIFF.NYC.GOV (718) 707-2050 CASE# 23037982

Legal Notices

Page 33 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 15, 2024

To Advertise Call 718-205-8000

SUPREME COURT STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS SUMMONS WITH NOTICE Index No. 704459/2023, CITIZENS BANK, N.A., Plaintiff, -against- John Roe and Jane Roe, said names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiffs, the persons or parties intended being all unknown heirs-at-law and next-of-kin of Viola Williams, deceased, late of the City of New York, County of Queens, State of New York, CITY OF NEW YORK TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU, CITY OF NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU, CITY OF NEW YORK ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD, PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendants. TO: PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, and John Roe and Jane Roe, said names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiffs, the persons or parties intended being all known and unknown heirs-at-law and next-of-kin of Viola Williams, deceased, late of the City of New York, County of Queens, and State of New York: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED and required to serve upon plaintiff’s attorneys an answer to the complaint in this action within twenty (20) days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service is complete if the summons is not personally served upon you within the State of New York. The United States, if designated a defendant on this action, may appear or answer within sixty (60) days of service. In case of your failure to answer, judgment will be taken against you for the relief demanded in the complaint. The basis of the venue designated is that the mortgaged property is located in Queens County. SCHEDULE A-DESCRIPTION OF MORTGAGED PREMISES ALL; that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Far Rockaway, Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, known and designated as and by the Lot Number 16 to 19 inclusive on a certain map entitled “Map of Kirkman Estates in the 5th Ward, Borough of Queens” and filed on 9/30/29 as Map Number 5826 being bounded and described according to said map as follows: BEGINNING at a point on the southerly side of Beach 22 Street, distant 167.71 feet Westerly from the westerly end of the curve connecting the said southerly side of Beach 22 Street with the westerly end of Elk Court, said point of beginning being the corner formed by the intersection of the easterly line of Lot Number 19 on said map with the southerly side of Reach 22 Street; RUNNING THENCE Westerly along the southerly side of Beach 22 Street as same curves and winds, 84.02 feet to point where the westerly line of Lot Number 16 on said map intersects said southerly side of Beach 22 Street; RUNNING THENCE Southerly along the westerly line of Lot Number: 16, 126.87 feet; RUNNING THENCE North 75 degrees 38 minutes 50 seconds East alone the southerly line of Lot Numbers 16, 17, 18 and 19 as shown on said map 82.58 feet to the easterly line of said Lot Number 19; RUNNING THENCE Northerly along the easterly line of said Lot Number 19, 131 feet to the southerly side of Beach 22 Street to the point or place of BEGINNING. TO: PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, and John Roe and Jane Roe, said names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiffs, the persons or parties intended being all known and unknown heirs-at-law and next-of-kin of Viola Williams, deceased, late of the City of New York, County of Queens, and State of New York: The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Hon. Ulysses B. Leverett, Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, dated the 25th day of January, 2024, and filed with the complaint and other papers in the Office of the Clerk of Queens County. This is an action for foreclosure of a mortgage made by Isiah Williams and VIOLA WILLIAMS to TMS Mortgage Inc. dba The Money Store in the original amount of $50,000.00 with interest, dated December 11, 1998, recorded February 5, 1999 in the Queens County Clerk’s Office in Reel 5108 at page 1558.

The relief sought is the foreclosure of the mortgage lien and the public sale of the mortgaged premises and in case of your failure to appear, judgment may be taken against you extinguishing any interest or judgment lien you may have in the mortgaged premises.

The premises indexed in this action are described and commonly known as 422 Beach 22nd Street, Borough of Queens, County of Queens, City of New York, New York (Tax Map No. 15770-16). **See Schedule A Annexed** Dated: January 31, 2024 COOPER ERVING & SAVAGE LLP Albany, New York BY: Matthew E. Minniefield, Esq. Attorneys for Plaintiff, 20 Corporate Woods Blvd., Suite 501, Albany, New York 12211 (518) 449-3900

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, February 15, 2024 Page 34

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One of three men still in prison for the assassination of rookie cop Edward Byrne has been denied early release from prison by the state Board of Parole.

Todd Scott, 56, distracted Byrne’s attention as the 22-year-old officer sat in his marked patrol car at a Jamaica intersection in the early morning hours of Feb. 26, 1988, while David McClary crept up to the car and shot Byrne five times at point blank range.

Byrne died protecting a man whom New York City history will only know as Arjune, who agreed to be a witness in a narcotics case against drug kingpin Howard “Pappy” Mason. Mason ordered the hit on an NYPD police officer from jail. Scott, McClary, Phillip Copeland and Scott Cobb split $8,000 for the murder.

“We are relieved to learn that this vicious cop-killer will remain behind bars for now, but our work isn’t done,” said Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association, in a Feb. 11 press release on the union’s website. “Two of his murderous accomplices are up for parole later this year. We need New Yorkers to keep sending a message to the Parole Board: if you murder a New York City police officer, you must live out the rest of your days in a prison cell.”

The decision on Scott was made Jan. 23, according to the New York Post.

Hendry encouraged those opposed to the parole for those who kill police officers to sign a petition on the PBA’s website, nycpba. org, by clicking on “Keep Cop-Killers in Jail.”

Byrne had turned 22 five days before he was gunned down. Kenneth Byrne, brother of the slain officer, also praised the decision in the press release.

“My brother Eddie’s whole life was ahead of him when this violent drug gang took that precious life away,” Byrne said. “They tried to make an example of Eddie, sending a message to the police and the public that they ruled the streets. It’s very comforting to know that message wasn’t reinforced this time around. The best way to honor my brother’s sacrifice is to keep showing that there is no redemption for those who kill police officers.”

All four men at the scene were sentenced to 25 years to life and first became eligible for parole in 2013. The parole last August of Cobb, the getaway driver, sparked outrage from many corners of the city. Records on the website of the state Department of Correction say Scott’s next parole hearing is scheduled for August 2025.

McClary and Copeland remain in custody and are scheduled to appear before the parole board in April and November, respectively.

The 103rd Precinct had set up a protective

Rookie cop Eddie Byrne of the 103rd Precinct was murdered in 1988 while protecting a witFILE PHOTO ness in a drug investigation. detail by Arjune’s home at the intersection of Inwood Street and 107th Avenue after the family received numerous threats due to their cooperation, including a firebombing.

Mason ordered that a cop — any cop — be killed to send a message to the community and the NYPD. Two prior attempts were called off: one when the officer on guard was black, the other when it was a woman.

Byrne would be rushed to the former Mary Immaculate Hospital a mile away where he was pronounced dead.

Mason’s plan could not have gone more wrong. Rather than sending a message, he unleashed a citywide war on the drug trade.

Mason would be convicted of Byrne’s murder and other charges in federal court. He is serving a life sentence with no hope of parole at the maximum security federal prison at Allenwood, Penn.

Vice President George H.W. Bush, who later in 1988 would be elected president, carried Byrne’s badge, a gift from the Byrne family.

Every year, officers from the 103rd Precinct and NYPD brass gather after midnight at 107th and Inwood for a ceremony to mark the anniversary.

The street in front of the precinct at 168-02 91 Ave. in Jamaica has been renamed in Byrne’s honor, as has the Police Athletic League Center at 116-25 Guy R. Brewer Blvd. in Jamaica.

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant, run by the U.S. Department of Justice, provides millions of dollars in law enforcement funding to state and municipal Q governments.

C M SQ page 35 Y K

BEAT

CENTURY 21 AMIABLE II

Sat. matinees are back

by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor

The Mets have done little to bridge the talent gap between the Atlanta Braves, the Philadelphia Phillies and themselves this off-season, which has led to some rumblings in their fan base. The Mets did make one smart decision, however. Last week they announced all Saturday games at Citi Field for the first two months of the 2024 season will be day games.

Saturday matinees were a Major League Baseball staple for generations. In recent years, however, with cable and national television networks being in charge, Saturday games have been pushed to late afternoon or evening. TV executives believe those times generate better ratings. They can charge more for commercials.

The Yankees, to their immense credit, have never wavered in scheduling the lion’s share of their Saturday games for early afternoon. The Mets, however, have had most of their Saturday games start at 7 p.m. for the past 25 years.

Even with the effects of global warming, early spring evenings can be cold and damp, not exactly ideal conditions for spectators to enjoy watching games. Day games offer warmer temperatures, which make things more pleasant for fans from late March through late May. A nice day means more box office business.

Saturday matinees are an ideal time for families to come to the ballpark. I fondly remember

learning about baseball from my dad taking me to Saturday games at Shea Stadium. I speak for many of us who are over 40.

There are also convenience and safety issues.

Mass transit does not operate as frequently on weekends. Service is even more diminished on weekend nights. Older drivers frequently think twice about getting behind the wheel at night.

The time change should please visiting teams as well. Managers, coaches and players have told me over the years they are frustrated they rarely get a chance to enjoy the things that make New York City special, such as its incredible theater. Matinees would give them a chance to catch Broadway shows, which begin at 8 p.m.

Billy Eppler served as Mets general manager from 2021 until the end of 2023. He resigned when word filtered out MLB was investigating him for improper placement of players on the injured list. On Friday, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Eppler is suspended for the entire 2024 season.

Even if the allegations are true, he surely isn’t the only sports executive to try to create roster flexibility without the risk of losing a player through waivers. Manfred did not provide examples of Eppler’s violations. I believe Eppler is being treated too harshly. Losing his job with Q the Mets was punishment enough.

See the extended version of Sports Beat every week at qchron.com.

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