Queens Chronicle South Edition 05-23-24

City 3-K rollout leaves around 2,500 behind

Concerns loom following Mayor Adams’

promise of seats to all who seek one

Oby Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

n at least three occasions, Mayor Adams has publicly told families that every child who needed a 3-K seat would indeed get one.

Last Thursday, some parents awoke to news that their young one did not receive a seat in any of the 3-K programs they applied for — around 2,500 families, or 6 percent of applicants, according to the city. Many of the families are on waiting lists or left trying to find childcare, which can often be costly.

During a May 20 appearance on NY1, Adams said of the rollout, “Nothing went wrong here. I was clear from day one. ... We’re not going to disrupt the lives of children and families. Every child that wants a seat will have a seat.”

He added that there were thousands of available seats.

The spokesperson said the DOE sent an updated letter to families, which conveyed there are approximately 9,000 seats still open for 3-K, and said City Hall will work with each family who has not received an offer to any of their choices to find the nearest location with available seats that works best for them.

But some are not entirely confident in the mayor’s promise.

Demaris Cortes of Elmhurst told the Chronicle that while her son did get a seat at a 3-K school, the location is not ideal.

“I did list it,” she explained, adding that 3-K applications allow up to 12 choices. “But it was last on my list. Now I have to go out of my way to get my son to school. It’s my own fault, but I didn’t expect the other choices to fill up the way they did.”

“We don’t want to see it fail.”

— Councilmember Jennifer Gutiérrez

On Tuesday, a City Hall spokesperson told the Chronicle, “The mayor was clear: Every child who wants a seat will have access to a seat and he will keep his word. The guidance sent [Thursday] to a limited number of families by New York City Public Schools, unfortunately, did not fully convey all the seats still available to New York City students.”

Cortes added, “I’m afraid of what would have happened had I not listed that school.”

Mayor Adams and schools Chancellor David Banks have said they inherited a “challenged state” of early childhood education from the previous administration. The city has had to make significant cuts to education programs, including to some that were previously funded with federal stimulus dollars. The Adams administration also pushed back on then-Mayor DeBla-

sio’s universal 3-K plan.

“I can’t over emphasize enough the state — the challenged state — that we assumed when we came into office as relates to early childhood,” Banks said at a City Council hearing last week. “We have made very, very significant progress, given what we inherited when we got here.”

The City Council has called for funding restorations and deeper investments in early childhood education, according to a press release last week. It desires the restoration of $170 million for 3-K and pre-K seats, commitment of $60 million to expand full-day and full-year seats to better meet families’ needs

CONZA | MCNAMARA

EDWARD R. MCNAMARA, ESQ.

Harvard University, A.B. St.

Around 2,500 families did not receive a seat in a 3-K program, despite Mayor Adams’ promise that every child who wanted a seat would have one.

More than 1,500 residents

voting Community gives $1M to schools, NYPD

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

City Councilmember Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills) on Monday announced the three participatory budgeting project winners in District 29, in which community members voted to decide how to allocate $1 million.

Voting was open to anyone 11 or older who works, lives or goes to school in the district, which achieved record turnout with 1,785 community members making their voices heard.

Richmond Hill High School won first place with 932 votes, according to Schulman’s office. The school will receive $500,000 for the construction of a classroom to teach students about cooking and culinary arts.

The future students of PS 62, also in Richmond Hill, will get a reprieve from the heat. With 509 votes to land it in second place, the school will receive $450,000 to install an upgraded air conditioning system in its gymnasium.

With 390 votes, the NYPD will get $405,000 toward the purchase of 10 security cameras in the 102nd and 112th precincts to be posted at various locations in the district at the agency’s discretion, Schulman’s office said.

made their voices heard with participatory

The councilmember visited each of the selected project locations on Monday to celebrate the winners.

“This process has shown students the power of voting, with many working hard to not only vote themselves but also to encourage their peers, families, and communities to do the same,” Schulman said in a

statement. “Largely because of their efforts, our voter turnout has tripled since last year and their votes will directly lead to tangible improvements in our community. The winning PB projects will improve public safety in the district and enhance opportunities for students.”

Richmond Hill High School Prin-

cipal Tarek Alamarie said the grant will help the school’s vision to invest in career connected learning.

“The culinary program, hydroponics and food safety at the Hill has garnered a lot of interest from the students,” he said in a statement. “It is an amazing opportunity for our students as we continue to expand

multiple career connected learning programs.”

PS 62 Principal Jordan Vitta said participatory budgeting is a “practical extension” of the students’ civic education.

“By involving our students in soliciting votes for this grant, we are teaching them invaluable lessons in civic responsibility, community involvement and the power of collective action,” he said. “As a result of their effort, the future students and surrounding community will be able to enjoy an improved gymnasium for years to come.”

The commanding officer of the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct, Deputy Inspector Jeremy Kivlin, said the announcement of additional security cameras is “truly a ‘win-win’ for both the police and the community.

“I’m especially thrilled that this funding is a direct result of participatory budgeting that was voted on by the community,” said Community Board 9 Chair Sherry Algredo, who was present during Schulman’s visits. “That’s what true partnership and engagement in government is all about.”

In Queens, seven councilmembers took part in participatory budgeting. Visit council.nyc.gov/pb/participate for more information. Q

Group talks Ozone Park drop-in site, problem areas and how to help Homelessness a concern for CB 9

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

What do we do if we see a homeless person?

Carmela Isabella, the chair of Community Board 9’s Health and Social Services Committee, last week provided the group with information on how to assist the unhoused.

Breaking Ground, a social services organization that helps those experiencing homelessness, has a drop-in site at 100-32 Atlantic Ave. in Ozone Park — the only one of its kind in the borough. It has a maximum capacity of 16. More information can be found at breakingground.org.

“Breaking Ground falls under the umbrella of the Department of Homeless Services,” Isabella explained. “They’re divided into two different sections. There’s the staff that actually works at the facility here in Ozone Park, and there’s the outreach center.”

The outreach team takes to the streets to assess and intake willing individuals. But how can the community help?

According to Breaking Ground, when encountering an unhoused person who wants help, call 311, or 911 if you feel like you may be in danger. Breaking Ground should

not be called directly, as 311 will reach out to it.

But what if you encounter someone you want to immediately help?

“Their response was that they could send us pamphlets with information that you can give to them, if you’re comfortable approaching someone that’s homeless,” Isabella said. Alternatively, you can tell the individual to call 311 on their own. However, unhoused people cannot be helped unless they want it.

Board members named specific sites where they observed encampments of homeless: the Jamaica-Van Wyck triangle — the meeting point for Jamaica Avenue, the Van Wyck Expressway, Kew Gardens Road and Metropolitan Avenue — and Clocktower Plaza in Ozone Park.

The Chronicle visited the sites late Tuesday morning and observed two unhoused individuals at Clocktower Plaza, near the Stop & Shop, and none at the triangle, though both locations were littered.

However, Lauren Cohen, who lives in Manhattan but takes the E train to Jamaica-Van Wyck daily for work, told the Chronicle that the triangle “gets bad.”

“I’ve had to come in early for work, and at 6 a.m., there’s people sleeping here,” she said. “And I went out for

The triangular area next to the Jamaica-Van Wyck E train station is an area of concern when it comes to homeless individuals, according to Community Board 9.

drinks once, and it’s bad late, too. During the day, they disperse — probably hop on the train or something.”

Asked if she had ever considered helping, Cohen said, “If they stopped me to ask, sure. I won’t walk up and disturb someone.”

Councilmember Lynn Schulman on Monday announced the results of District 29’s participatory budget voting Among the winners is Richmond Hill High School, which will receive $500,000 for constrction of a classroom to teach students about culinary arts.

PHOTO BY EMIL COHEN / NYC COUNCIL / FLICKR

PHOTO BY KRISTEN GUGLIELMO

Bill lets applicants deal with zoning later, but makes commission gamble Addabbo aims to hit gas on casino bids

by Sophie Krichevsky Associate Editor

State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven) is done waiting when it comes to the awarding of three downstate casino licenses.

The lawmaker, who heads up the Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering, has introduced legislation that would require the state Gaming Commission to close the application process by July 31. The commission would need to award the licenses by March 31, 2025.

As Addabbo explained, at this point, there are no set timelines the commission is required to abide by while awarding licenses, which he says is problematic. “[Having time frames] makes a process move, it shows transparency, creates credibility in a process ... Outside influence is eliminated to an extent. So the idea is, let’s start this process,” he said.

Addabbo’s move comes about two months after the Gaming Commission announced it would not award any licenses until late 2025 nor accept applications until early next year, citing the need for the city to pass a zoning text amendment that would allow for casinos in the city. The amendment has since been passed by the City Council.

“We thought because we were told certain things, that when City Planning and the mayor and the City Council got together and changed their land use issues for allowing casinos in the five boroughs, that then the state would move along. And it didn’t,” Addabbo said. “And I’m seeing this trend here of nothing with this process moving along. So the fact that nothing got done means that we, the Legislature, have to do something.”

Robert Williams, the commission’s executive director, also said in March it was unlikely

that, even if the amendment were passed promptly, those affected proposals would be done with the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure by the first quarter of 2025.

But Addabbo says when it comes to sorting through applicants’ zoning issues, it’s possible to walk and chew gum at the same time. “We can multitask,” the lawmaker said. “We’re New York, we’re adults — we can multitask. So let the Siting Board get started, let the [Community Advisory Committees] get started while the applicants figure out their zoning issues ... Let’s do everything simultaneously.”

Brad Maione, a spokesperson for the gaming commission, declined to comment on the matter, saying the agency does not comment on pending legislation.

But in terms of land-use issues, some projects have larger hurdles than others: Mets owner Steve Cohen’s Metropolitan Park pro-

posal would require the passage of a parkland alienation bill in the state Legislature, as the site — the Citi Field parking lot — is legally parkland. Though Assemblyman Jeff Aubry (D-Corona) has introduced legislation to that effect, state Sen. Jessica Ramos (D-Jackson Heights) has not. The senator has said she will make a decision before the end of the legislative session on June 6, but has been increasingly more open about her reservations about the project in recent months, beginning with a survey she conducted showing 75 percent of her district opposed a casino; one by Cohen’s team said 62 percent supported the casino, and that 75 percent backed the entire Metropolitan Park plan.

Since zoning issues would be dealt with after the July 31 deadline under the new bill, and applicants would have until March 2027 to do so, the commission would need to feel con-

fident that any proposal — be it Cohen’s or otherwise, such as Resorts World’s — would be able to overcome those issues before awarding licenses come March 2025, Addabbo said.

Though Cohen could get another senator to sponsor the legislation, as Michael De Valera, who serves on the board at the nearby Dorie Miller Houses and has backed the project publicly, put it when speaking to the Chronicle last week, “It would be an incredible slight.”

Karl Rickett, a spokesperson for Queens Future, one of Cohen’s companies overseeing the project, declined to comment on Addabbo’s legislation.

But state lobbying records from March 1 through April 30 show that Michael Sullivan, Cohen’s chief of staff, met with Addabbo and Assemblyman Gary Pretlow (D-Mount Vernon), who is carrying the accompanying bill in his chamber, to discuss “an act concerning [the] timing of gaming license application submissions and ensuring any acceleration maintains a level playing field and competitive process for all interested bidders.”

On Monday, Aubry, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and Councilman Francisco Moya (D-Corona) penned a letter urging Ramos to introduce the parkland alienation bill, a copy of which Rickett sent to the Chronicle Tuesday.

“Advancing permitted use legislation will not be the final word on this project. It is only the first step ... We all deserve to have a voice in this process and have our votes be cast after a thorough and transparent community discussion about the full details of the project included in the RFA,” the letter reads.

Ramos did not respond to the Chronicle’s inquiry on the letter by press time. Q

Federal judge hears three New York cases Oral arguments on congestion toll suits

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

Three groups of plaintiffs were in court last Friday trying to get a judge to either block implementation of congestion pricing or at least send it back to the state and the Federal Highway Administration for a more expansive environmental study.

U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman heard arguments from attorneys representing the United Federation of Teachers and Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella; New Yorkers against Congestion Pricing Tax, Inc., a coalition of residents, elected officials and businesses; and a separate group of city residents, according to reports by the New York Post and WNBC Channel 4 News.

The court also heard from attorneys for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the FHWA.

“We have been clear that this current

MTA plan moves pollution and congestion out of Manhattan and sends it into the other boroughs and neighborhoods already dealing with environmental hazards,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew in a statement issued by the union.

“The MTA then asks these same communities to carry all the cost of making life better in Manhattan,” Mulgrew said. “It is not fair, and we are asking the courts to tell the MTA to come up with a better plan.”

Plaintiffs in the UFT-Fossella suit also include the Municipal Labor Committee, which represents 400,000 city employees, the Staten Island Branch of the NAACP and nearly two dozen elected officials.

Congestion pricing is scheduled to go into effect on June 30. The aim is to raise $1 billion a year for the MTA’s capital budget.

It also is intended to reduce traffic congestion and pollution in Manhattan, though plaintiffs argued Friday that the plan simply

relocates the traffic and pollution elsewhere.

Cameras will allow most car drivers to be charged $15 for entering Manhattan’s Central Business District at or below 60th Street during peak hours. Trucks will be charged $24 or $36, depending on their size. Vehicles without E-ZPass will be charged more.

There are discounts for overnight crossings.

The Post and Channel 4 both reported that Liman is unlikely to issue a decision before June 30.

Both also reported that in New Jersey, federal Judge Leo Gordon last month said he plans to rule before June 30 on separate suits brought by Gov. Phil Murphy and Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich last year.

The Town of Hempstead, which is located in Nassau County and shares its entire western border with Queens, sued the MTA and others in federal court on May 1, lodging the fifth suit against congestion pricing. Q

oral arguments in federal court in three lawsuits aimed at stopping the looming toll on drivers entering Manhattan’s Central Business District.

Both sides of the congestion pricing issue presented

PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON / FILE

State Sen. Joe Addabbo’s new bill could prove challenging for the proposed Citi Field-adjacent casino.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL SHAIN / FILE

Boar’s Head

Boar’s Head

Council advances City of Yes proposal

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

The City Council’s Land Use Committee on Wednesday approved a modified version of Mayor Adams’ City of Yes for Economic Opportunity initiative in an 8-2 vote. The Council has proposed amendments to 14 of the administration’s 18-point plan for zoning regulation reform aimed at making it easier to start or expand a business.

A statement issued by the office of Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica) said the Council’s changes prioritize the preservation of manufacturing districts and bolster the development of the industrial sector.

The full council is expected to vote on the measure in June.

“As Chair of the Land Use Committee, I am proud to have worked alongside Speaker Adams, my colleagues in City Council, and community advocates to ensure the Zoning for Economic Opportunity text amendment works in favor of all New Yorkers,” said Councilmember Rafael Salamanca Jr. (D-Bronx).

Councilwoman Jennifer Gutiérrez

(D-Brooklyn, Queens) in the statement reiterated concerns about preserving manufacturing jobs that she discussed with the Chronicle in a recent sitdown interview.

“We knew that we cannot talk about the city’s economic future without highlighting the indispensable role of manufacturing and industrial jobs — and that this was a critical moment to leverage to protect them,” she said

Mayor Adams, in a statement from his office, said the changes will remove outdated limitations on businesses that go back as far as 1961.

“When we came into office two years ago, we had a mission: protect public safety, rebuild the economy, and make this city more livable for working-class New Yorkers,” he said. “Today’s votes advancing the ‘City of Yes for Economic Opportunity’ out of the City Council’s Zoning and Land Use Committees are important steps towards achieving these goals.

“We urge the full City Council to adopt these regulations in the coming weeks.” Q

NYPD warns residents about card skimming

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

Residents in Ozone Park were surprised when the NYPD’s 106th Precinct warned of card skimming in the neighborhood’s Dollar Tree store.

Card skimming is when a card reading device is attached over a reader. It usually looks identical to the real device and is able to capture financial information from inserted or swiped cards, later used to create “cloned” cards, according to police.

“Be Aware!!!” the precinct wrote on its X account. “Recently at a Dollar Tree store located on Cross Bay Blvd, there were two Skimming Devices found attached on top of their Credit Card machines. Please be vigilant and check/ tug on these credit card machines to see if any part of the machine is loose.”

Asked for more information, police told the Chronicle that the card skimmers were discovered on May 19.

Authorities said one device was brought to the attention of an employee after a customer attempted to pay with a credit card and had issues making the payment.

The customer tugged on the machine until the device was removed. It was then was taken into police custody and vouchered, authorities said.

There are no complaints of theft regarding the skimmers at the location, at 137-20 Cross Bay Blvd., but police said depending on the circumstances, a complaint may not be recorded. Q

The NYPD’s 106th Precinct warned residents of area card skimmers. NYPD PHOTO / X

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EDITORIAL AGEP

Library funding kabuki theater

It only takes two to tango, but it takes at least three to do the city library budget kabuki dance. Really it’s more than that, but there are three main costumed characters playing their overly dramatic, predestined roles: the mayor, the City Council and the librarians.

Act I sees the mayor propose draconian cuts to library budgets. A little background: the city has three library systems, Queens, Brooklyn and New York, the latter of which serves three boroughs, and each is technically a private nonprofit organization. But they get about 95 percent of their funding from government, 90 percent of it from the city, so they’re not exactly independent. In Queens, board members are appointed by the mayor and borough president (elsewhere some are elected).

So Mayor Adams played his role, proposing $58 million in cuts across the three systems, leaving them with about $425 for fiscal year 2025 in his budget plan. He proposed similar cuts to many agencies, but later rescinded them. The no-doubt legitimate reason to seek cuts was the migrant crisis, the flood of tens of thousands of people with no assets and no legal ability to work, for whom the city is required to provide food and lodging. The

ostensible reasons for restoring most of the funding: wise budgeting and the discovery of money in the city’s couch cushions. Yes, the mayor said that. But the libraries did not see their funds reinstated. Cops did. Firefighters did. Teachers did (and then some!). The people you never see who keep the city running did. Yet libraries did not.

Which means it was time for Act II, in which the hue and cry is heard far and wide across the land. Last Thursday Queens Borough President Donovan Richards joined Queens Library CEO Dennis Walcott and Friends of the Library types (good people, those) to plead for the $58 million to go back into the budget. Otherwise the libraries will have to cut hours, buy fewer books, reduce maintenance, halt reopenings of closed branches and more.

Next is Act III, in which the City Council will ride to the rescue by restoring the funds before the budget is finalized. This must by done by July 1. Certain members who need a political boost will get the bulk of the credit. But it’s all preordained. It’s all posturing. It’s all kabuki.

We’d gladly recommend seeing real kabuki theater, a cultural gem from Japan. We could do without the American political kind that adds such drama to budgeting.

Free federal family fun

It’s Memorial Day weekend! Time to honor the nation’s fallen, and Queens offers at least a dozen parades and ceremonies at which to do so. But it’s also the start of the summer season, and that’s where the reverence turns to reverie or, if you’re in a party mood, revelry.

Either way, southern Queens has you covered. You can go to Rockaway, or you can stop in Broad Channel, to visit the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Center. On Saturday, May 25, the National Park Service will host a birdwatching tour led by a ranger. The next day, naturalist and Jamaica Bay expert Don Riepe of the American Littoral Society will host a walk examining both birds and horseshoe crabs. That event is kind of a run-up to the annual Jamaica Bay Horseshoe Crab Festival, set for June 8 at Sunset Cove Park. See this week’s qboro, our Arts, Culture & Living section, for details.

All of this fun family stuff, with singles and seniors also welcome, of course, is free — and educational. Ecology is all the rage today. Studying “living dinosaurs” — birds are their descendants and horseshoe crabs predated them — is a great way to get kids interested in the natural world. Head to the bay for a great day putting nature above screens.

MARK WEIDLER

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LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

Better Bottle Bill now

Dear Editor:

New York is currently facing a solid waste crisis and a huge plastic pollution problem. We see litter in our communities, streets, beaches, and it’s ending up in our oceans. Not only is it harming our wildlife but it is also affecting our health. We need our lawmakers to support solutions to tackle these major problems.

The current deposit law, also known as the Bottle Bill, helps reduce litter and addresses our solid waste crisis. However, this 40-yearold law needs to be modernized and updated. This is why the Bigger Better Bottle Bill (S.237C/A.6353A) needs to pass before the legislative session ends in June.

Some key components of the updated Bottle Bill are:

The deposit will increase from 5 cents to 10 cents. Raising it to 10 cents will increase redemption rates, support some of New York’s most marginalized workers and reduce litter.

The beverage containers covered by the law will be expanded. If more types of beverages are redeemable, fewer items will be found in our communities and our oceans.

The “handling fee” will increase. The legislation increases the fee to 5 cents immediately and increases it again to 6 cents in 2026 and again to 6.5 cents in 2031. Doing so will strengthen businesses that are an important part of the bottle deposit system and cover

increased costs that they face. By modernizing the bottle bill, this legislation will reduce pollution in our oceans, beaches, communities, and bodies. We urge the Assembly and Senate to pass the Bigger Better Bottle Bill before the legislative session ends.

Lisa Salomon NYC Chapter Manager, Surfrider Foundation New York City Astoria

Pass co-op protections

Dear Editor:

Tenant rights and consumer protections should be a no-brainer when it comes to affordable housing, which is at a critical breaking point statewide. However, there are more than 25,000 New Yorkers who lack these basic protections.

These residents, who are from all walks of life, live in ground lease co-ops, meaning they own their home but not the land they live upon. My wife and I are among them. And we’re all

at risk of losing our homes due to predatory third-party landowners.

My family and my neighbors purchased ou r co-op apartments in Flushing to build a life in a culturally diverse community. The closeness of the Long Island Rail Road and subway provides access to our jobs, parks and other cultural, faith-based and social activities, which are the underpinnings of our lives.

Unfortunately, because we don’t own the land where our building sits, we’re at the mercy of multimillion-dollar landowners. We face the perils of involuntary relocation at the end of our lease agreements, which for some is as early as 2025. It’s physically impossible for a co-op to relocate to a different location, and this creates a type of quasi-monopolistic power for the landowner.

By passing S. 7825/A. 5031A, sponsored by state Sen. Liz Krueger and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, NYS can establish a co-op Bill of Rights to enforce an annual cap on rent increases; establish the right to borrow fo r repairs, maintenance, and improvements; insti-

LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

tute the right to renew our lease; and provide residents the right of first refusal to purchase the land.

Ground lease co-op residents need housing fairness, predictability, and affordability to remain in their homes. These are single parents, older adults on fixed incomes, and residents who have dedicated their lives to public service. I urge our elected officials to act now and protect the rights of homeowners.

Michael Tang Flushing

Saluting Private Walsh

Dear Editor:

While I was in the Umbria region of Italy last year, a fellow I know invited me to visit the city of Anzio, south of Rome. It sounded familiar and I realized it was right next to Nettuno, where an American Military Cemetery lies. It was July 4 when we boarded the train with our bikes. A New York friend of mine told me that her uncle was buried there, so, when we arrived I bought flowers for his grave.

As we walked through the gate I was astonished at the beauty of the grounds that could rival the gardens of Versailles. However, when I saw the sea of white crosses I was overwhelmed with emotion. Tears sprang into my eyes as I thought of all the tears shed by the parents who opened the door to receive the devastating news that their son or daughter had been killed.

We found the grave of John Andrew Walsh (Private first class, 143rd Infantry Regiment, 36th Division). He died on Nov. 19, 1943 at the age of 26 without ever knowing that Italy had signed a secret armistice with the Allies two months before. I said my prayers and left my flowers for the man who died before I was born.

There are 7,845 headstones, and on the white marble walls of the chapel are the names of 3,095 of the missing individuals many of whom were lost or buried at sea. (You can learn more at abmc.gov.)

If you travel to Rome this summer, take the train to Nettuno (one hour) and walk to the cemetery to honor these truly brave men and women. I wondered how many of those 10,000plus casualties might have had the talent to become a great statesman or president had he had the chance to live. We’ll never know.

Linda Carlson Woodside

Restore the X-51 bus

Dear Editor:

MTA congestion pricing opens the road for the return, hopefully citywide, of express buses. Where is the X-51 express bus that traveled throughout North and Downtown Flushing en route to Midtown Manhattan (east and west) for three decades? Has it been in depot storage for the intervening 15 years?

MTA: Please restore the X-51 express bus route for service to all (even on a pilot-project basis), new riders, veteran riders and everyone in between. What an economic stimulus X-51 express bus riders can give to New York’s economy. In the current climate of social and civil unrest, not to mention perception of crime, the X-51 express bus is an idea whose time has come yet again.

MTA: set the wheels in motion. Activate a

campaign to recruit express bus drivers citywide.

Flushing needs the X-51 express bus more than ever.

MTA: start spreading the news. New Yorkers have solid reasons to ride express buses. Express buses are truly going our way.

Get on board the green and affordable workhorse of public transportation throughout New York City.

Eileen and F.E. Scanlon Flushing

House them yourself

Dear Editor:

Re “Migrants need safe shelter,” Letters, May 16:

I have a great idea. Anyone who votes Democrat should be forced to house, feed and support an illegal migrant family. What do you think?

Michael Naimoli Ozone Park

Taxes unfit to print

Dear Editor:

Rabble-rousing New York Post headlines recently were screaming about “one of the most violent leaders of the Columbia University riots,” revealed as “a longtime anarchist” ... a “trust fund baby and heir to an ad empire ... who has a mansion, model baby mama — and long rap sheet.”

That mansion, the Post reports: a $3.4 million Park Slope three-story townhouse with four wood-burning fireplaces and a carriage house he bought in 2019 for $2.3 million, “according to property records and online listings.”

The Post leaves out that those same property records show the “professional agitator and limousine liberal” paying a measly $5,500.92 in property tax, typical for the elite enclave, around what Bill de Blasio pays. The notoriously trashy conservative tabloid obviously knows how far it can go. Just like the most august liberal broadsheet.

Edwin Eppich Glendale

Trump’s bigoted attack

Dear Editor:

(An open letter to the public)

Donald Trump’s newest bigoted comment against Judge Juan Merchan shows that an immigrant child can do everything right, can do everything by the book, and still be reduced to their immigration status.

Like most people in my community, Judge Merchan moved to Jackson Heights from Colombia with his family when he was a young child. His is the American story.

Judge Merchan went to NYC public schools, graduated from Hofstra Law, and has a long and respected legal career. He is a role model to all children.

The truth is Trump is facing real accountability in Judge Merchan’s courtroom, so he is falling back on the only tool he knows how to use: hatred.

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Price includes 1 Game Book additional cards can be purchased at the door. Prizes are $100 gift card each game and the Grand Prize is a $1,000 gift card Please come to the rectory to purchase tickets. Tickets must be purchased by May 28th. No tickets will be sold at the door.

Concession Stand BYOB

50/50 Outside Food Welcomed

Our Lady of Grace Feast is Back!

BIGGER & BETTER!!! SAVE THE DATES! Wednesday, June 12th Thru Sunday, June 16th

Rides, Food, Games, Live Entertainment, Raffl es and More!!! Call 718-843-6218 If Interested In Being A Vendor! Ca 1 2 18 ! BIG SA W Th R C

Reception includes baked ziti, meatballs, salad, soda, coffee and dessert. Cost is $20 per person

DAILY MASSES

Monday-Saturday at 8:30 am Wednesday at 12:00 noon

Sunday Mass Saturday Vigil Mass (Fulfi lls Sunday Obligation): 4:00 PM

Sundays: 8:30 am, 10:00 am & 12:00 noon Confessions at 3:00 PM

Adoration Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon; Saturday from 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Church is open Monday through Saturday 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Queens BP calls for restored library funds

QPL could lose almost 12 percent of its budget in City Hall showdown

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

Queens Public Library President Dennis Walcott picked up some vocal support in Forest Hills last Thursday morning in his fight to restore funding in the coming city budget.

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards joined Walcott at the Forest Hills Library along with employees and “friends of” supporters from several neighborhood libraries across the borough.

Mayor Adams, in his executive budget, restored billions to departments and programs that had been left out of his preliminary budget in January.

But $58 million for the Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan library systems remains on the cutting room floor, with just over six weeks remaining before July 1, when Adams and the City Council must by law have a new budget in place.

Richards said the impact on the Queens system would be devastating.

“That means nearly $17 million in cuts alone,” he said. “Which is more than 12 percent of the Queens Library’s operating budget. Is that acceptable?”

The administration’s proposed funding for the three libraries is just under $425 million.

The borough president said the reduction will come from new books, programs and ser-

vices and maintenance and repair budgets.

Richards and Walcott said it also could delay the reopening of three libraries that are at or near completion of massive renovation projects.

“The sad thing is we shouldn’t have to be here and raise our voices in defense of libraries, but here we are,” Richards said, calling them

Capturing nature’s melodies

In the 1970s, Howard Beach artist Theresa Bartol was given an old Horizon Magazine, which contained a page of J.S. Bach’s musical composition of the Prelude in B Minor. Upon seeing this page, she instinctively began to paint floral compositions inspired by the printed musical notes.

In her newest exhibition, “Bach to Nature,” Bartol’s paintings, such as the one

above titled “The Rock,” present a musical composition of light and colors inspired by nature and its messages.

“Bach to Nature” is running at the Blue Mountain Gallery, located in Chelsea, in Suite 200 at 547 W. 27 St. through June 15. For more on Bartol and the exhibit, visit bluemountaingallery.org/2024-bartol.

— Kristen Guglielmo

the heart and soul of their communities.

“They are where people of all ages and all walks of life come to read, come to learn, to connect, and, of course, to grow,” he said. “No matter your ZIP code, your socioeconomic status, Democrat or Republican, you come to the library, where our students study and our seniors learn how to use technology.

“And I cannot stress enough the importance of having these institutions open seven days a week.”

“They’re here to serve the people,” Walcott said of the staff at Forest Hills and elsewhere. “These are not scare tactics. These are not made-up stories.”

Richards also said the libraries stepped to the fore during the pandemic when Queens needed sites for testing and vaccinations.

“Then I’m reminded of just a few weeks ago — when people needed eclipse sunglasses, who did they come to?” Richards asked. “They ran out too fast, but all right. They’ll get it right in the year 2070.”

Walcott recalled a recent Fourth of July holiday when the city found itself in the path of a potentially dangerous heat event, with cooling centers needed in numbers. And needed quickly.

“The city contacts us at the last minute and asks, “Can you open on the Fourth of July to serve the public?’ We opened our doors. At Flushing Library alone we had 4,000 people take part in cooling.

“That’s who we are as a library. This is not a scare tactic.”

Walcott said even if cuts did not require layoffs, they would slow any hiring to a trickle. John Hyslop, president of Local 1321, which represents library workers, said they are down about 100 people from before the pandemic, including librarians, clerks, custodians, drivers and people in human resources, finance and information technology.

“We have one custodian at this branch, and you can see it — three floors,” Hyslop said. “He does an excellent job, as you guys can tell. But he’s by himself because we can’t afford to hire custodians. It’s a shame. It’s disappointing that we have to be here every year to fight for budgets. Baseline our budget.”

Walcott said he has no doubt that council members, Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica), Mayor Adams and other government officials are committed to libraries.

“Now is the time to move beyond commitment and put it into reality,” he said. “We need full restoration of our budget. Not just in Queens, but the New York Public Library and the Brooklyn Public Library. Because we are there for the public.” Q

HB Memorial Day parade on May 27

All are welcome to the annual Howard Beach Memorial Day Parade on May 27, organized by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2565.

After a 9:30 a.m. Mass at Our Lady of Grace Church, the parade will begin at 11 a.m. in

Coleman Square, near the Howard Beach subway station.

Following a ceremony, there will be an after party at The Rail Bar & Grill, located at 2 Coleman Square. Q

Rain barrel giveaway in R. Hill

State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven) is partnering with the city Department of Environmental Protection to host a free rain barrel giveaway on June 22, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Holy Child Jesus Academy, located at 111-02 86 Ave. in Richmond Hill.

To register for the giveaway, recipients must live within Addabbo’s district and call his office at (718) 738-1111 to have their name, address and phone number put on a list. There is a limit of one barrel per household.

The 55-gallon barrels, which attach to

a house’s rain gutter, store water to later be used for a wide range of tasks, including watering gardens, washing cars, cleaning windows and other chores.

Residents with rain barrels attached to their homes not only preserve some of their drinking water, but may save money on water bills, Addabbo’s office said.

At the event, registrants must show photo ID to confirm their names and addresses in order to claim their barrel.

Any leftover barrels will be given to the public on a first-come, first-served basis from noon to 1 p.m. Q

Queens Library President Dennis Walcott, left, and Borough President Donovan Richards, at the podium, with supporters at a rally at the Forest Hills Library last Thursday to get nearly $60 million in citywide library funding restored to the next city budget. PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON

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Giving back to the ASPCA

Last month, Lisa Murena and her family lost their beloved dog, Arya, days after she was struck by a stray bullet from outside their home late at night. The medical treatment Arya needed following her injuries was costly, but according to Murena, the ASPCA footed the bill.

To show her appreciation to the nonprofit

for its generosity and to honor Arya’s life, Murena started a GoFundMe fundraiser.

“Throughout this whole nightmare they have picked up the entire vet bill and I would like to show my appreciation and give back to them,” Murena wrote on the donation page.

To contribute, visit gofund.me/d2bdd9b0.

— Kristen Guglielmo

Pipeline to be a union plumber

The Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for Plumbers Local Union 1 will conduct a recruitment from June 10 through 24 for 50 apprentices, the state Department of Labor has announced.

Applications must be obtained in person by the applicant at the JATC training center at 37-11 47 Ave. in Long Island City from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday during the recruitment period. Only 1,000 applications will be given out, on a firstcome, first-served basis, and the recruitment will end once all have been dispensed, even if that is before June 24.

Applications must be returned during certain hours from July 19, 2024 through 25. Fees totaling $50 must be paid, though applicants may request to have the fees waived based on financial need.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old; have a high school diploma or equivalency; take and pass a drug test, at the expense of a sponsor, after selection and prior to enrollment in the apprenticeship; and be legally able to work in the United States.

More about the recruitment, and others, is at dol.ny.gov/apprenticeship/overview. Q — Peter C. Mastrosimone

Armstrong still tops the charts

The federal government on May 21 trumpeted the Louis Armstrong House Museum in Corona as one of just 10 recipients nationwide of the 2024 National Medal for Museum and Library Service.

Bestowed by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the award is the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries in this wonderful world that make exceptional contributions to their communities.

“We are filled with immense pride and joy to receive the prestigious 2024 National Medal for Museum and Library Ser-

vice,” Regina Bain, the LAHM’s executive director, said in a prepared statement. “This honor reaffirms our steadfast commitment to preserving and promoting the rich cultural, historical, and humanitarian legacy of Louis Armstrong and living the Armstrong values of artistic excellence, education, and community.”

Louis Armstrong was a legendary jazz singer and musician. The LAHM is located at 34-56 107 St. and has an annex across the street. The IMLS is an independent federal agency established in 1996. Q — Peter C. Mastrosimone

Will lead to fewer choices in everyday food products, like cheese slices, by banning their packaging

Will make everyday items, including groceries, more expensive

Will hurt businesses that makeup the backbone of our communities

Straddling the Brooklyn-Queens border, it’s the first one in NYC Highland Park disc golf course opens

by Sophie Krichevsky Associate Editor

Drivers heading east on the Jackie Robinson Parkway will no longer see just baseballs and softballs soaring through the air as they pass Highland Park: Now, they’ll see frisbees, as well, as the city’s first disc golf course has found a home.

The 10-hole course stretches across the Brooklyn-Queens border and is in the westernmost part of the park, just south of the parkway and north of the baseball fields that abut Bulwer Place. Following its soft launch on May 11, community members are able to take it for a spin.

Disc golf, sometimes referred to as frisbee golf, is exactly what it sounds like it is: As in golf, players are aiming to complete a hole in as few turns as possible, but instead of aiming to hit a ball into a hole, players are throwing a frisbee into a chain-link basket. In more competitive play, disc golfers will use frisbees of different sizes depending on how far they are throwing, much the same as using different clubs in golf. Casual players, however, only need one disc per player (and sometimes, don’t even require a proper course — landmarks in a park can suffice).

The push to install the city’s first disc golf course was led by Alex Bender and

With baskets installed and ready for action, the city’s first disc golf course just opened in Highland Park.

Alex Hoyle, co-founders of the New York City Disc Golf Association. Bender had fallen in love with the sport as he played in cities across the country while on a year-long roadtrip several years ago.

“So then when I moved to New York, I was like, ‘Hey, I just spent a year playing disc golf all the time, but there’s nowhere to play in the city whatsoever,’” he told the

Chronicle. He realized quickly that advocating for a course in the five boroughs was going to be a personal project of his. Soon, he met Hoyle, and things took off from there.

About 18 months ago, the duo got in touch with the Department of Parks and Recreation. Once they had the backing of the Paul McBeth Foundation, a nonprofit

group aiming to spread the sport of disc golf, Bender and Hoyle worked with the Parks Department and the organization to make it happen. According to Bender and the city agency, the Paul McBeth Foundation has invested about $25,000 for the entirety of the project

Bender said Highland Park was selected not only because it has ample open space, but also because it’s accessible on public transportation. “I think it presents an opportunity for people who have never encountered disc golf before to kind of see the benefits of the sport,” he said. He’d add later, “This a great introduction to the sport — [the course is] designed for beginners, for families, for people who are just getting started. It’s kind of a shorter course compared to some of the more traditional disc golf courses.”

Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue said in a statement that the agency is “delighted” by the project. “This new attraction furthers Parks’ commitment to providing New Yorkers with new and engaging recreation opportunities throughout our city,” she said. The course’s grand opening will be in June, once signage marking the course holes is installed. But in the meantime, that isn’t stopping anyone from grabbing some friends and a disc and trying their hand. Q

Popular Queens Boulevard strip mall has longtime large, small businesses Shopping center sold; neighbors concerned

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

A busy Forest Hills shopping center with some longtime and popular businesses was sold last month.

But given its very prominent location directly on Queens Boulevard — and recent neighborhood history — some residents are concerned that it might eventually be replaced with a high-rise building.

The shopping center, ranging from 10415 to 104-41 Queens Boulevard, includes Walgreens, a Chase bank, Forest Hills Bagel, the Fast Break convenience store, Eye Q Opticians, the Great Wall Chinese restaurant, a dental office, dry cleaner and a real estate office.

Paperwork filed with the city states that the land and buildings were purchased on April 10 for $25 million by Queens Blvd. 104 LLC, with an address on 70th Avenue in Forest Hills.

The sellers were David M. Felder and “other parties,” care of a law firm on Third Avenue in Manhattan.

Michael Perlman, a historian and preservationist who focuses largely on Forest Hills and Rego Park, told the Chronicle some residents he has spoken with are concerned that the property might eventually be replaced by a highrise building, with the possibility

of the businesses moving or closing.

That happened in Rego Park in 2022, when after years of back-and-forth, the strip with the Tower Diner and the Ohr Natan synagogue — the latter located in the old Trylon Theater at 98-81 Queens Blvd. — was torn down to make way for a 15-story apartment building that will have commercial tenants on its first floor when completed.

The Chronicle was not able to reach the new owner or owners, and businesses contacted heard nothing about any possible changes.

“We’ve heard nothing new,” said the manager of Forest Hills Bagel, who gave his name as Jeff. “We’re just going to keep serving our customers. We’ve been here for decades.”

“We have no announcements at this time regarding a closure of the store,” Walgreens said about its location at 104-25 Queens Blvd. in an email from its corporate office.

The Chronicle was unable to contact the owners of Benjamin Cleaners or Fast Break.

Perlman told the Chronicle that he and nearby residents have concerns.

“We’re tired of seeing longtime neighborhood businesses pushed out,” he said.

He did say there is precedent in the area for developers keeping existing businesses in place and building on top of them.

are wondering if the recent sale of a busy

major changes, or even a highrise building.

“Forest Hills Bagel has been there a long time‚ and has great food,” he said. “Eye Q Optical was a family business for years and was recently sold. The new owner has been very dedicated to the tradition. They just finished renovating beautifully.” Fast Break and Walgreens, Perlman said, offer great convenience.

“Walgreens hasn’t been there as long as

some of the others,” Perlman said, “I think it used to be a Grand Union supermarket. It’s not a mom-and-pop store like the others, but it has that feeling.”

Perlman said he also has spoken with residents of the adjacent Mayflower apartments, who are concerned that a high-rise on the site might harm their trees and community garden by blocking out sunlight. Q

PHOTO BY EUGENE MIM / NYC DISC GOLF ASSOCIATION

Neighbors

Forest Hills shopping center could bring

PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON

Grand idea$ win 20 grand each

A yoga studio, an olive oil distributor, a female healthcare provider, a sustainable mushroom farmer and a physical therapy service powered by artificial intelligence were publicly announced May 17 as the winners of the 2024 Queens Tech + Innovation Challenge. Each entity will receive $20,000 for business-related expenses.

The innovators worked and studied for months before submitting business plans to judges who picked winners in five categories.

Celebrating here at Resorts World New York City in South Ozone Park on May 8 are

RWNYC official Michelle Stoddart, left; Deputy Borough President Ebony Young; Enterprise Tech category winner Lola Omishore of TheraMotive; Consumer Tech winner Michelle Ng of Neuemoon Health; QEDC Executive Director Seth Bornstein; Sustainability winner Winson Wong of Afterlife Ag, whose cofounder, Sierra Alea, missed the photo op; Community winner Felicia Robertson of I Am Yogi Studios; Food & Beverage winner Bilal Othman of Huwa; and David Tanis of Patrick B. Jenkins & Associates, one of the competition’s sponsors. — Peter C. Mastrosimone

RHHS teens say ‘yes’ to the dress, and suit

Principal partners with nonprofits to host a free

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

It’s that time of year — students across the city are shopping for prom and graduation attire, seeking something new and special to celebrate their achievements. But for many, finding the right outfit can be stressful due to financial challenges.

prom expo giveaway

Recognizing this dilemma for students at Richmond Hill High School, Principal Tarek Alamarie partnered with The Gaton Foundation, a nonprofit with a focus on giving back, and Shonda’s Prom Closet, a nonprofit that provides students with free prom attire, to organize the school’s first prom dress and suit expo giveaway.

The event, on May 10, provided students with a wide array of choices, including dresses, suits, shoes and accessories — all free of charge.

The teens got to take the stage and model their chosen attire for their peers, and “say yes to the dress” — or suit — as fellow students cheered them on.

nowadays,” she said, according to a press release. “But then I tried on this really nice blue dress which was off the shoulder and really flowy. I just thought it looked cute and it was approved by my peers, so I am set.”

Other students, like Ahanaf, chose a versatile suit appropriate for different occasions.

“I feel great because I am graduating this year and I have some interviews coming up,” he said. “This is going to really help raise my self-esteem and I can wear it to the prom too. I am just so thankful to the foundations.”

New York State Senator - District 15 Member of the Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee

DISTRICT OFFICES:

84-16 Jamaica Avenue Woodhaven, NY 11421 (718) 738-1111 addabbo@nysenate.gov

66-85 73rd Place Middle Village, NY 11379 (718) 497-1630

“No student should feel less than any other student because they can’t afford a prom dress or suit,” Alamarie said in a statement. “That’s why I am committed to bringing in as many resources and partnerships as possible to support my students. These are students who began their high school journey during the height of the pandemic and have persevered through so much.”

Some students, like Nicole, chose two dresses — one for prom, one for graduation.

”I feel very happy because I got my prom dress and my graduation dress. I was struggling thinking about having to go out and find dresses because everything is expensive

Kristen Wiltshire, the CEO of The Gaton Foundation, said, “The high you get from seeing the students’ self-esteem soar as soon as they put on that dress and people clap when they say, ‘Yes!’ It’s just amazing.” She said it was uplifting to see how students of different backgrounds who might not ordinarily interact were excited for each other.

Candace Hutson, the director of Shonda’s Prom Closet, added, “It’s a lot of work to put on an event of this nature, but you get to the day of, and you see the students’ faces, and you’re reminded why you do it again and again each year.” Q

Richmond Hill High School had its first Prom Expo Giveaway on May 10 in partnership with The Gaton Foundation and Shonda’s Prom Closet. PHOTO COURTESY MONICA GUTIERREZ

C M SQ page 22 Y K

CB 12 residents say they want more bus service, parking DOT makes push for e-scooter share

by Naeisha Rose Associate Editor

At a Community Board 12 transit meeting last Tuesday, the city Department of Transportation laid out plans for an e-scooter share pilot program in the eastern section of Queens as a new way to travel. Some residents said they would rather have the MTA keep their bus stops and increase service, while others wanted to protect the few parking spots in Southeast Queens from being taken up by e-scooters, saying the devices would be unhelpful for seniors.

Finlay Scanlon, the DOT outreach coordinator for bike share and shared mobility, said the agency identified most of Eastern Queens, from Springfield Gardens and Downtown Jamaica to Kew Gardens and Cunningham Park to Flushing Meadows Corona Park and Downtown Flushing, as crucial for transportation investment based on demographics and density. She also said the plan will help the city cut transportation emissions in half by 2030 and achieve 80 percent sustainable mode by 2050. That will ensure streets are safe, clean and people have a livable environment, she said. The e-scooters provide an additional transportation option for straphangers, connect them to transit and are convenient for trips that are too far to walk but shorter than a ride on a subway or in a car, said Scanlon.

The eastern part of Queens from Springfield

Gardens to Downtown Flushing covers 20 square miles and has approximately 600,000 residents. People will be able to connect to key hubs like Queens College, St. John’s University, York College, Flushing Hospital Medical Center, Health & Hospital/Queens, NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, Queens Botanical Garden and Citi Field, Scanlon said.

The vehicles are dockless, they don’t take up as much infrastructure as CitiBikes and users can find, unlock and lock them through their smartphone apps, she added.

The city had a successful e-scooter pilot in the East Bronx, in which users had 3.8 million trips from August 2021 to April 2024. The average length of their trips was one mile, no fatalities were reported and there was one reported crash per 10,000 rides, according to the presentation.

“The top purpose was to connect to transit, followed by shopping,” Scanlon said.

The providers are Bird, Lime and Veo and they have varying discount memberships for SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, Medicare, Fair Fare, Social Security or Pell Grant recipients, those living in NYCHA housing, along with veterans and more.

“Rides are priced like a taxi and the longer you ride the more expensive it is,” Scanlon said. “They are $1 to unlock and cost about 40 cents a minute to ride.”

The standard discount prices are, for Bird, $5 per month unlimited for 45-minute rides and then $0.39 per minute afterwards; for Lime, one free 30-minute ride then 50 cents to unlock and 40 cents minute afterwards; and Veo $5 per month for one free 30-minute ride daily or 20 cents per minute afterwards.

“They all provide standing e-scooters and Veo has a seated e-scooter that you ride more like a bicycle,” Scanlon said.

Linus Levey, a DOT operations associate, said 15 existing parking spaces would help make way for 20 of the 41 parking corrals for the scooters, with the other 21 being on a sidewalk in Downtown Jamaica.

“This is not conducive to our area,” said Community Board 12 Chairwoman Carlene Thorbs. “We are a driving community. There are not going to be many seniors riding a scooter.”

Andrew Arcese, a DOT borough planner, said adding e-scooters to Eastern Queens would help provide another transportation option to an area that is a transit desert.

“That could be remedied with more bus service,” Thorbs said. “We say we need more Q6 line buses and the MTA’s redesign plan wants to cut the bus service. I understand the argument, but the contradiction is just add more buses like we are asking.”

Patricia Wooden, who said she is almost 70,

At a Community Board 12 transit meeting on May 14, the DOT said it plans to introduce an e-scooter share pilot program to the Eastern section of Queens. SCREENSHOT / DOT

agrees with Thorbs.

“I’m not getting on a scooter,” Wooden said. “It’s great for the young ones, but us people getting up there in age, no it’s not.”

A second CB 12 member said that she has to protect her senior father from people who have almost collided into him by riding on the sidewalk.

Another CB 12 member said that just because the program worked in the Bronx, doesn’t mean people want it in Eastern Queens. Rene Hill, from Addisleigh Park, said e-scooters would be all over their streets.

Jaclyn Tomlin said the community already has a scooter shop, so there is no need for e-scooters. Q

ConEd invests $1.2B for new substations

CB 13 members worry about bills

by Naeisha Rose Associate Editor

As the city sets its sights on electrifying buildings, buses and more, representatives for Con Edison say they will prepare for the inevitable increase in energy needs.

At Community Board 13’s monthly meeting, which was held at Next City Church in Floral Park on Monday, staff members for the utility said it plans to invest $1.2 billion to modernize the electric grid in Southeast Queens by creating two new substations and a new electric network called Springfield to meet the growth demand for the area by May 2028. The project will start summer 2024.

A new transmission substation called Eastern Queens will supply a new Idlewild distribution area substation and both will be indoors and storm-hardened. The new separate Springfield electric grid and the Jamaica network will be able to handle increased demand and help customers utilize cleaner energy for electric vehicles or heating and other equipment. The upgrades will lay a foundation that would help with the continued electrification and redevelopment of Downtown Jamaica, JFK Airport and the MTA’s bus fleet, while providing cleaner air for residents, said representatives.

The outreach, design and engineering phase of the project is ongoing. Starting in quarter 3 or 4 of this year, plans to begin construction will commence.

The new substation will be at 109-48 180 St. on a five-acre property within the Bricktown section of Jamaica within CB 12’s area, next to 13 ranch-style homes on one side and a commercial storage facility on another side, said Richard David, the regional director for Con Edison in Queens.

“We are building a bridge to the future,” said David. “We want to make sure that our infrastructure that supplies your homes and businesses are incredibly future-proof, as futureproof as they can be.”

One initiative is to introduce smart meters, said David.

“It is not perfect, but it is one of the steps that we are taking to increasingly put more information about your energy use at your fingerprints,” he said.

Michael Ragona, city chief engineer for substations at Con Edison, said that the Jamaica network’s service area runs from the western side of the Van Wyck Expressway to the Cross Island Expressway on the east, and from the Grand Central Parkway to the north, to south to JFK Airport, along with the airport itself.

“With the advent of electric vehicles, electric buses, home heating electrification and just economic growth, we really see that we will exceed the capacity of that facility and we need to build now to ensure that we have a secure energy future in this area,” Ragona said. “That area is currently served by one big block of

demand, and essentially we need to separate it in half ... [We have to cut] the network into two different separate networks so that we are more diverse and independent of one another.”

The facility on 180th Street will be built with climate change in mind, he said: It will have a green and solar roof, and the utility will apply for a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.

While members of CB 13 understood the purpose of the project, they were more interested in how it will impact their electric bills.

“What about the cost factor to the consumer?” asked Jackie Wilson of Laurelton.

Curlene Nelson of Springfield Gardens had the same inquiry and asked if the utility will visit stakeholders in her neighborhood.

Dwayne Moore, an Assembly District 29

candidate, asked if the front end costs due to the city’s climate laws will result in major upgrades to power plants to fuel the substation and what the price jump will be in five years.

David said the cost will be advertised on consumers’ bill for the entire service territory for a three-year period.

“There will be a change to the bill,” he said. “The Public Service Commission does an investment plan for Con Edison every three years and this project will also be factored into the bills going forward over a period of time.”

Con Edison does not own any electric or gas power plants due to state regulations enacted in the late 1980s that resulted in it becoming mainly a distributor of energy. It only has steam plants that supply buildings in the city, David added.

Bills are expected to rise 11 percent for residents and 7 percent for businesses this summer, but the increase is unrelated to the project, he said.

“There are a set of factors that influence price rises,” David added. “Con Edison does not profit — we cannot. We have to sell at the rate that we buy it at ... We are a regulated utility. We cannot change prices on our own.”

World factors like wars, other global events, seasonal events and changes to demand drive prices, he said. He added that people can go to the Con Edison website to learn of ways to become energy efficient.

Others had environmental and health questions.

Michael Ragona, left, city chief engineer for substations, and Richard David, regional director for Queens for Con Edison.

PHOTO BY NAEISHA ROSE

Two motorcycle passengers killed Police seek driver in fatal head-on crash

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

Two men were killed in an alleged hit-andrun crash in Elmhurst Sunday morning.

Police said the crash took place at about 8:20 a.m. in front of 81-15 57 Ave. when the two men, riding a motorcycle, were hit by a Volkswagen Golf hatchback when the driver of the car crossed into the oncoming lane.

The names of the deceased were being withheld pending notification of family members. The NYPD said the driver of the car fled the scene on foot.

Police said a preliminary investigation showed the Volkswagen was traveling westbound on 57th Avenue when it failed to negotiate a slight curve in the roadway. As a result the car crossed over the solid double yellow line into the eastbound lane of travel. It then struck the Baodiao motorcycle headon, ejecting riders.

The Volkswagen continued westbound on 57th Avenue, with the bike wedged in its front bumper. It then crossed back over into the westbound lane of travel, sideswiped a parked, unoccupied Mercedes-Benz SUV and then crashed into the left side of a Toyota Sienna minivan that also was parked and unoccupied.

Police said the Volkswagen, Mercedes and Toyota were engulfed in flames by the time police officers from the 110th Precinct arrived.

One victim from the motorcycle was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS personnel. The second was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad is investigating, and there have been no arrests as of Tuesday afternoon.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1 (888) 57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit tips by logging onto nypdcrimestoppers.com, or by texting 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577,

or by going to @nypdtips on X.

All tips are strictly confidential.

The crash took place near the same intersection where pedestrian Natalia GarciaValencia, 43, of Middle Village, was killed when she was struck by a city truck.

Roderick Mitchell, 38, an employee of the Department of Environmental Protection, has been charged with motor vehicle failure to yield and failure to exercise due care.

Transportation Alternatives, in a statement issued Monday, called for action from the city in the wake of five people being killed in Queens vehicle crashes over the weekend [see separate stories in some editions or at qchron.com].

The organization said this year has been particularly deadly, with citywide fatalities since Jan. 1 up 17 percent citywide above average in the decade since Vision Zero traffic safety efforts were implemented; and 43 percent above average in Queens.

Transportation Alternatives said GarciaValencia’s death made Queens the first borough to reach 750 fatalities in the Vision Zero era.

“We are heartbroken that five New Yorkers, including a five-year-old boy, were killed in traffic crashes over the weekend,” said TA Executive Director Danny Harris. “No one should fear death or serious injury on our streets, and we are devastated that traffic violence continues to rise, especially in Queens.

Harris said Mayor Adams knows how to prevent crashes from happening.

“Street redesigns that slow down traffic and increase visibility are proven to save lives, and the NYC Streets Plan requires the administration to advance life-saving safety measures — such as protected bike lanes, carfree pedestrian space, and bus lanes,” Harris continued. “Yet, year-after-year, the Adams administration has fallen further behind on this mandate.

“This is unacceptable. We need Mayor Adams to commit today to getting the NYC Streets Plan back on track and save lives.” Q

Pedestrian struck by NYPD car

A tragic accident occurred in Jamaica on Sunday.

A young man, 23, who was attempting to cross the Van Wyck Expressway, from east to west, near Archer Avenue, at approximately 4:32 a.m., was struck by a marked police vehicle traveling southbound on the center lane of the expressway, an NYPD spokeswoman told the Chronicle.

“The police vehicle was responding to a 911 call with lights and sirens,” said a second spokeswoman, based on a preliminary report from the NYPD Highway

Asst. principal charged with sex abuse in OZP

Michael Budhu, 52, pleaded not guilty

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

An assistant principal at John Adams High School in Ozone Park was arrested last Wednesday and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and third-degree sexual abuse, according to police.

Michael Budhu, 52, was arrested at 12:19 p.m. at the school, authorities said.

Budhu’s LinkedIn profile states he’s worked for the city Department of Education for nearly 18 years.

Michael Budhu, a John Adams High School assistant principal, pleaded not guilty to endangering the welfare of a child and third degree sexual abuse.

John Adams High School, where Budhu taught social studies, has since removed him from its website.

JOHNADAMSNYC.ORG PHOTO

Budhu allegedly rubbed the inner thigh of a female student last Monday, police sources told the New York Post.

The next day, he allegedly showed the

same teenager a video of himself having sex and told her, “This could be you,” according to the Post. The student then confided in another administrator at the school, police said, who notified the authorities.

According to the Queens District Attorney’s Office, Budhu pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In a statement to the Chronicle, DOE spokesperson Jenna Lyle said, “This alleged behavior is reprehensible, and nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of our students. This employee has been reassigned pending an investigation.”

The agency did not respond to an inquiry asking where Budhu had been reassigned. Q

Michael Chen, 5, hit,

killed in College Pt.

Boy died next to park blocks from home

by Sophie Krichevsky Associate Editor

A 5-year-old boy tragically died in College Point last Saturday evening after being struck by a car, the NYPD press office said.

District’s Collision Investigation Squad.

EMS rushed the man to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in Richmond Hill, where he was pronounced dead, said the second spokeswoman.

“The police vehicle remained on the scene and the investigation remains ongoing,” she added.

The driver of the police vehicle was sent to an area hospital for minor injuries, said the NYPD.

The identity of the deceased is pending family notification. Q — Naeisha Rose

According to the NYPD’s Highway District Collision Investigation Squad, a 25-year-old woman had been parked in her 2008 Honda CRV on the west side of 124th Street north of 21st Avenue shortly after 6 p.m. last Saturday evening, right next to Poppenhusen Playground. The car pulled away from the curb and began heading south when the boy, identified as Michael Chen, emerged from the western side of the street — the same side as the playground — from in between two parked vehicles and was struck by the Honda.

The crash was reported to have been in

front of 20-19 124 St., which is north of the intersection. Advocacy group Transportation Alternatives noted in a press release that there is no crosswalk going across 124th Street at the park’s southeastern corner. City records show there is no stop sign at that spot, either, though there is a stop sign for drivers on 21st Avenue.

EMS responded to the incident and took young Michael to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, where he was pronounced dead.

Michael lived just down the street from the College Point playground.

The driver remained on scene, police said.

As of press time Wednesday evening, the investigation remainedz ongoing. The NYPD press office said no arrests have been made. Q

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Estate Planning Fundamentals: Revocable Trusts

By Cynthia J. Conza, Esq.

Clients often ask whether they should prepare a will or set up a revocable trust. To answer that question, it is important to understand the differences between the two important estate planning tools.

Fundamentally, both a will and a revocable trust are designed to transfer your assets to your beneficiaries when you die. You will also name an individual to carry out your wishes: the executor in your will or the trustee in your trust. Both a will and a revocable trust can be changed as many times as you wish while you are still alive. You also retain complete control over the assets you identify in your will or revocable trust.

There are also significant differences between a will and a revocable trust. A primary difference is by putting your assets into a revocable trust you are allowing your beneficiaries to avoid the probate process in Surrogate’s Court. Probate can be expensive and may take

many months. By avoiding the delay of probate a revocable trust gives beneficiaries immediate access to assets upon death. A revocable trust also prevents a will contest by an heir you purposefully left out of your will or received less than they think they deserved.

A revocable trust can also ensure the inheritances you leave remain in your bloodline for your grandchildren and not end up with in-laws. Similarly, a revocable trust can protect the inheritances you leave from your children’s divorces or creditors. Married couples with taxable estates can also reduce and often eliminate estate taxes with a revocable trust.

Choosing between a will or revocable trust is an important decision and will have a significant impact on your children and beneficiaries. Please feel free to contact me at cynthia@con zamcnamara.com or (718) 845-5555 if you would like to discuss further.

The pins never had a chance

State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr., an alumnus of Archbishop Molloy High School in Briarwood, was back in his old stomping grounds on May 3 to recognize members of the school’s bowling team for their achievements in their recently concluded winterspring season.

At top, Addabbo, far right, was joined by

ConEd $1.2B

continued from page 22

“Is the site hardened for the flood plain ... of Southeast Queens?” inquired David Pecoraro of Rosedale.

Ragona said the substation will be elevated above sea level forecast to the year 2080.

Jax Dolly of Cambria Heights, a cancer survivor, asked if there are long-term studies surrounding cancer clusters in regard to the long-term exposure to smart technology, like smart meters.

Ragona said he is not an expert on smart meters, but the substation will have shielding to prevent any electric magnetic fields from

school officials as he presented certificates honoring the team for winning the Catholic High School Athletic Association championship in January.

Above, Addabbo recognized freshman MJ Sim, center, of Middle Village, with family members, for winning the individual boys’ state championship.

emanating outside the building.

Con Edison’s website says the smart meters have extremely low-frequency radio signals similar to levels produced by smartphones and radios. Organizations like the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute consider them safe.

“Electric fields around substations are very low, sometimes less than 0.005 kilovolts per meter,” said a Con Edison spokeswoman. “The equipment inside is grounded, connected electrically to the earth and the substation walls or metal fences act as shields. The new electric cables will be installed underground ... there is no sound scientific or medical basis to conclude that EMF causes health effects ...” Q

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Introduces bill to amend LL97 fines, co-sponsors squatting legislation CM Lee to vote ‘no’ to Adams’ City of Yes

by Naeisha Rose Associate Editor

Community Board 13 held its first in-person meeting in about four years on Monday. During the forum, which was held at Next City Church, located at 240-15 Hillside Ave. in Bellerose Manor, City of Yes, cannabis shops, Local Law 97, squatting and more were discussed.

To applause, Councilwoman Linda Lee (D-Oakland Gardens) said that she will vote no to City of Yes after getting feedback from CB 13 and the three other community boards that she represents, 8, 11 and 12, despite some problematic elements of the bill being amended by the Department of City Planning.

“They have made quite a few amendments to the economic zoning plan,” Lee said. “I know the big issue that quite a few people had was the potential for corner stores on every block ... They have completely taken that off that table.”

Lee also said the City of Yes provision to expand the types of businesses that may be operated from a home with up to three workers has been dialed back from the original plan.

The mayor seeks to allow more businesses such as nail salons, kennels and law offices, which can raise nuisance regulation concerns, to open within homes.

“The amendments have been made and will be voted on shortly,” said Lee. The councilwoman said the economic part of the mayor’s rezoning plan is being discussed this week and will be up for a full Council vote in early June. The housing part of the bill will be voted on later this fall.

“The housing piece includes the [accessory dwelling units] and stories on top of commercial strips,” she said. “I don’t have a clear picture of where other councilmembers are at, but it takes about 26 votes as you know to pass something. I would encourage you to reach out to those who represent this part of CB 13 and see where they are with their vote.”

Some CB 13 members like David Pecoraro said there should be a proposal that allows community boards to opt out of the mayor’s City of Yes rezoning initiative.

“It’s something that we can recommend and they will give us feedback on that,” Lee said.

Richard Adams, a resident, said that what bothers him the most about City of Yes is that it does not take parking into account.

“They are saying that in the future that people just won’t have cars,” Adams said. “We have people that already have four cars sitting in their driveways thanks to the fact they are ripping out their basement or upstairs [attic]. I have a neighbor that has six cars.”

Rich Hellenbrecht, CB 13 vice chair, said there will be a City of Yes information session on June 1, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at MS 172, at 81-14 257 St. in Floral Park.

After the state budget included measures that give municipalities new authority to crack down on illegal cannabis shops, Lee said she will be proposing a resolution on the city level to prevent advertising of cannabis near schools.

On Local Law 97, Lee sponsored Intro. 0772 in April to amend potential penalties for co-ops

If there are not enough no votes for City of Yes, Community Board 13 wants a proposal to opt out of Mayor Adams’ rezoning plan for the city.

and garden apartments. If enacted, the bill would allow courts to consider the median property value condos and co-ops in buildings as a mitigating factor in determining civil penalties for failure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It would also allow the city Department of Buildings to consider whether to grant an adjustment to a building’s emission limit requirement based on prior installation of emissions-reducing technology like solar panels, submetering and oil-to-gas conversions.

The City Council referred the bill to the Committee on Environmental Protection, Resiliency and Waterfronts on April 11, where it awaits a hearing and vote.

“Environmental groups are coming after me personally,” Lee said. “The bill is not saying that we don’t want environmental laws to happen. What we are saying though is that the penalties and fee structures should not be impacting a lot of the middle-class and working class folks that are part of the city and it really is impacting the outer boroughs differently.”

Lee also co-sponsored a bill by Councilwoman Susan Zhuang (D-Brooklyn), Intro. 0907, which would require the NYPD to collaborate with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development and Information Technology and Telecommunications, along with other relevant agencies, to issue a quarterly report on locations in which persons are squatting in the city.

The Council referred the bill to the Committee on Public Safety on May 16, where it also awaits a hearing and a vote.

Corrections

The May 16 story “Queens’ hottest race you haven’t heard of” misstated whether there is a Republican candidate for Surrogate’s Court. The candidate is attorney Stephen Weiner.

The May 9 story “No to City of Yes in Cambria Heights” misstated the number of a bill in the state Assembly. It is 9417.

The March 23, 2023, story “Not such a good cause: landlords” misstated the type of abuse a homeowner said she had suffered. It was verbal.

We regret the errors. Q

their positions on the executive committee. The committee nominated Mo Ishmael, CB 13 executive secretary, as treasurer and Rhonda Kontner as executive secretary.

Pecoraro nominated himself as executive secretary.

A ballot will be sent out soon, said Corey Bearak, a member of the nomination committee.

Pecoraro said that he wants to join the executive committee because there is not enough transparency regarding bylaws, the budget and minutes by CB 13.

“This entire executive board is going to time out due to term limits in a couple of years — by 2027 half the board is going to be gone,” he said. “Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone on that executive board who won’t be term-limited out?”

Pecoraro also wants the board to use social media and to have hybrid meetings.

CB 13 Chairman Bryan Block noted that he was aware of a mother and son loitering on Linden Boulevard in Cambria Heights, but despite efforts made to get them into a migrant shelter they did not want to go and instead simply leave and come back.

Block, Hellenbrecht and Marcia O’Brien, CB 13 second vice chair, were nominated by the nominating committee to be reinstated in

City’s

Jax Dolly, a CB 13 resident, agreed with Pecoraro about transparency and said more work needs to be done about the generation gap within the board.

“Our community board needs to start thinking about long-term planning in terms of mentorship and also developing the leaders of tomorrow,” Dolly said. “We have to be future looking.”

Block told the Chronicle no comment. Q

3-K rollout goes awry

continued from page 2

and $10 million in new funding for 3-K marketing and outreach.

DOE officials at last week’s hearing said the agency moved thousands of program seats across the city to adapt to the needs of more families.

Councilwoman Jennifer Gutiérrez (D-Brooklyn-Queens), an advocate for universal childcare who advocated against cuts to the city’s 3-K and pre-K programs, spoke to the Chronicle about the reaction from families.

“It’s kind of mixed — not bad, but it’s not great, either,” she said.

Gutiérrez said no constituents have complained to her directly about not getting a seat, but that she is working in close communication with New Yorkers United for Childcare, an organization that strives for universal childcare and is surveying parents on their 3-K application experience.

“We definitely want to make sure that the administration is doing good on their part to ensure that, like they’ve repeatedly said — not just the mayor, but multiple people on the scene have said that every student or every family that needs access to a seat will have that. And I think a lot of us want to see that happen. We don’t want to see it fail,” Gutiérrez said.

She also said one issue at hand is families receiving seats far from their homes, or not receiving extended day or Head Start

seats, which provide extended care and for which eligibility is based on income and needs. Not getting a seat in the latter would mean scrambling for childcare, which can be costly.

Rebecca Bailin, the director of New Yorkers United for Childcare, said in a statement, “The impact cannot be understated: without free 3-K, childcare costs families an average of $20,000 a year per kid, with many spending more — a cost far too many families cannot afford. Now, New Yorkers who are already facing a skyrocketing cost of living must decide whether to leave work and stay home with their child, drain their savings, or potentially leave the city altogether.”

On Tuesday, NYUFC released an open letter signed by 78 parents from throughout the city, which was sent to Adams and read, “We, the undersigned parents of young children in New York City, are writing to ask you to immediately provide the 3K seats you promised our families.

“Many of us had children and remained in New York City because we thought we could count on universal 3-K. But systemic cuts to these programs and the elimination of the city’s outreach teams has led to a messy and confusing process, leaving many families like ours without placements and others with placements that are impractically far from their homes.”

The group said it heard from over 100 parents who did not receive a 3-K seat. Q

PHOTO BY NAEISHA ROSE

Lifting every voice through poetry slams

2024 teen event to be held at The Harvest Room in Jamaica, June 1

by Naeisha Rose Associate Editor

Youths looking to put their thoughts and emotions to words will have the opportunity to do so at Teen Poetry Slam held at The Harvest Room, an event space in Jamaica, Saturday, June 1, from 2 to 5 p.m.

The second annual poetry slam, which is free and open to teens age 13 to 19, is a citywide exhibition series in which young adults perform spoken word or a cappella rap with prizes worth up to $1,000 and at least five winners sharing a minimum of $2,500, according to Parlé Endeavors, the youth nonprofit responsible for the event.

There will be preliminary slams in each borough, including the one at The Harvest Room, which is located at 90-40 160 St.

In 2023, the event saw more than 100 participants and even more are expected this year. The poetry slam also serves as a resource fair, so along with a grand prize of $1,000 for the winner and $700, $400, $250 and $150 for the second, third, fourth and fifth place finalists, there will be community resources, gift bags and raffle prizes.

To sign up or for more information, go online to visit parleendeavors.org and click on the poetry slam link.

“Our mission is to empower young adults ...”

—

Parlé Endeavors Founder Kevin Benoit

The semifinals will be held in Harlem at Thompson Studios 125, located at 31 West 125 St. on June 29 and at the Central Library in Brooklyn, located at 10 Grand Army Plaza, on July 13, both at 2 p.m. The finals will be held on July 27 at the Poets House at 10 River Terrace in Manhattan at 5 p.m.

“Our mission is to empower young adults through mentorships, scholarships, grants, and exposure to the arts, media, journalism and entrepreneurship,” said Kevin Benoit, the nonprofit’s founder.

“The goal of these events is to help young people develop their voice and practice public speaking and writing among their peers in a low-pressure environment. Parlé poetry events have been fostering youth opportunities for a long time, and we’re proud to continue bringing young people from all over the city to write, perform poetry, connect, make friends, and showcase their art and words.”

If one is not able to make it or advance at

The 2023 Teen Poetry Slam finalists were Ania Rush, left, Aliyah Artis, Stephanie Pacheco, Lena X, London Little, Sobeana Woodley, Yaiden Cabrer a, Mariam Dembélé, Evellyn Paredes of Queens, who attends the Young Women’s Leadership School in Astoria, and Fatima Saidysall. There are several meets between now and this year’s July 27 finals. PHOTO COURTESY PARLÉ ENDEAVORS

a crab!

May 23, 2024

ARTS, CULTURE & LIVING

Jamaica Bay events get you up close to wildlife

by Michael Gannon

Some of nature’s most majestic creatures — and one of the oddestlooking — will welcome visitors to their homes in a series of three free events scheduled at the Jamaica Bay Wildilfe Refuge.

This Saturday, May 25, guests are invited to Birdwatching with a Ranger by the shoreline along the West Pond Trail. Daphne Yun, public affairs officer for the Gateway National Recreation Area, said in an email that Ranger Flor will lead the walking tour. Binoculars will be provided. The event starts at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center.

“You’ll have a chance to see birds of all feathers,” Yun said. “This is open to all, including beginners.” It begins at 10:30 a.m. and will last about 90 minutes.

Alexandra Kanonik, Jamaica Bay program director for the American Littoral Society Northeast Chapter, said beginners also are among those invited to the refuge at 10 a.m. the next day, Sunday, May 26, to join naturalist and Littoral Society veteran Don Riepe for a walk to learn about shorebirds and horseshoe crabs.

“Everyone is in our audience,” Kanonik said in an interview. “We’re totally family-friendly We love to have kids come down.”

She said the one thing parents must be ready for is for their children — and themselves — to get wet on the walk.

“Wear Crocs,” she said. “Wear jeans you don’t care about. Or even, better, get your swim trunks on. Because the way the shoreline works down there, the tide comes in and the crabs come in. And these little eddys and channels form where [children are] swimming around.

“So if you want to get up close, it’s a fun place to just go in and walk around. It’s ankle-deep, but if you’re a kid, you’re going to get wet.”

Kanonik said the society considers this almost a pregame warmup for the Jamaica Bay Horseshoe Crab Festival it is co-sponsoring with the National Park Service and other partners on Saturday, June 8.

King Crossword Puzzle

I HAVE OFTEN WALKED

TV anchor Jamie Colby

first got smart in Rego Park

by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor

Martin M. Colby, a television executive, married a 20-year-old Forest Hills beauty named Carole Triansky. Their firstborn was Jonathan, who became an attorney and Dade County, Fla., Circuit Court judge. Jamie Nell Colby was born on Dec. 21, 1970. The family set up home in Apt. 14K in Park City Estates, at 61-55 98 St. in Rego Park.

By the time Jamie was 12, the marriage had failed and she moved to Florida with her mom. Blessed with exceptional intelligence, Jamie entered the University of Miami at age 14, receiving a degree in accounting. She graduated Miami Law School with a JD at age 22 in 1993.

Colby originally worked for the famous Henry Bushkin Law Firm, which was representing clients like Johnny Carson and Joan Rivers. According to her LinkedIn page, she’s a licensed attorney in three states and

Washington, DC. But she came back to New York to work in journalism, first for Channel 55 on Long Island and then CBS (1999-2002) and CNN (2002-03).

She met Roger Ailes, the CEO of Fox News, in July 2003 and hit her stride at that network, co-anchoring news shows and, since 2015, hosting the reality show “Strange Inheritance.”

The childhood home of Edward R. Murrow Award Winner Jamie Colby, as it looks today at 61-55 98 St. in Rego Park. She lived in Apt. 14K. GOOGLE

All the world’s a stage as Shakespeare rocks

by Mark Lord qboro contributor

The Parkside Players’ Shakespearethemed season is coming to an end with an original tribute to The Bard, “Sound and Fury and Shakespeare,” which runs weekends through June 2.

The title comes from a famous soliloquy in “Macbeth,” which, in this setting, is presented as one of many snippets of renowned scenes and lines from the likes of the Scottish play, “Hamlet” and “Julius Caesar,” interspersed with a wide variety of mostly rock songs culled from the songbooks of artists ranging from Aerosmith and Tina Turner to Billy Joel and Muse.

The performance, directed by Gabby Fidis, who co-conceived the show and is also part of the cast of nine, is an interesting blend of seemingly disparate genres, and a chance to see some of Shakespeare’s greatest characters assembled — perhaps for the only time — on a single stage.

It’s not every day that one hears Lady Macbeth taking on a Bonnie Tyler tune or Brutus and Portia dueting to Blue Oyster Cult’s “Burnin’ for You.” This type of matchup happens nearly two dozen times, and frequently it works!

The show (seen via video of last Sunday’s matinee performance) got off to a surpris-

ingly low-energy start with “Renegades,” the anthem about overcoming challenges that was a hit for the pop-rock band X Ambassadors, out of upstate Ithaca.

At the opposite end of the spectrum was Heart’s “Barracuda,” delivered with an allout burst of energy by Regina Lim Fischedick as Cleopatra.

Ben Kaminski (as Macbeth) and Phoenix Gray (as Iago), have powerful voices that are heard above the sometimes overly loud three-piece band, led by musical director John Cavalier. Others get drowned out,

making several of the softer musical moments, with toned-down accompaniment, among the show’s most effective.

The second and stronger half of the show has several outstanding segments, both dramatic and musical. Jason Wieder, as Hamlet, shines in the famous “The play’s the thing” monologue, one of the spoken highlights of the evening. It is followed by perhaps the single best musical number, Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain,” performed here, with terrific harmonies, by Fischedick, Fidis (as Portia), Michael O. Tubman (as Brutus) and

Addison Hinojosa, cast against gender as Mark Antony.

Tiffany McCue, a last-minute replacement as Ophelia, comes across very well in several numbers, including a version of “Beautiful Disaster,” made popular by Kelly Clarkson, and Hila Kremer is a strong performer as Lady Macbeth.

Physically, the production falls short of the troupe’s normally high standards. The costumes are an odd mixture and mostly unflattering, while the backdrop, a blood red abstract design, is overly simple.

Too often, the performers are seemingly left to improvise their movements, leading to much pacing to and fro. One of the more effective musical stagings comes with Muse’s “Madness,” featuring Macbeth and the ensemble.

Overall, a very interesting concept that has its highs and lows, but a show worth checking out for both aficionados of Shakespeare and rock, as well as the uninitiated.

Remaining performances at Grace Lutheran Church (103-15 Union Turnpike, Forest Hills) are on May 25 and 31 and June 1 at 8 p.m. and May 26 and June 2 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $25; or $22 for seniors and students. For further information, email theparksideplayers@yahoo.com or call (646) 847-9429. Q

Horseshoe crab, bird walks are a shore thing

continued from page 31

“Don’s doing walks for us once a month,” she said. “But this coincides with the Horseshoe Crab Festival. This is the first year the walk is branded as a shorebird and horseshoe crab walk. The tide is good, the moon is good and people can come out on more than one day to see the crabs.”

Yun said the eighth annual Horseshoe Crab Festival begins at 10 a.m. and runs for three hours. It coincides with the arrival of

Crossword Answers

the crabs onshore to mate and reproduce.

“[It] celebrates the ancient mating ritual of these charismatic ‘living dinosaurs’ that come to our shores each year, helping provide a vital food source for migrating shorebirds like the endangered Red Knot,” Yun said.

Attendees will meet at Sunset Cove Park, where the event will begin with a few activities before people head to the beach to meet the crabs.

Kanonik believes people are fascinated by horseshoe crabs for the same reasons she is.

“Because they’re so weird-looking,” she said. “They’re not really crabs. They’re closer-related to spiders and scorpions.

“Horseshoe crabs are harmless. You turn them over and they don’t nip you. They’re a great gateway to learn about the ocean. To learn about the shoreline. To learn about marine science.

And the coolest thing about the ancient species?

“They are five-time apocalypse champions,” Kanonik said. “Horseshoe crabs have survived five global extinctions. I mean, c’mon! They’ve been here for so long and are so dumb-looking and nature just said,

Naturalist Don Riepe will host a walk in the world of horseshoe crabs, above, and shorebirds on May 26. On the cover: Hip waders are handy for those wanting to learn about some of the sea’s oldest creatures. PHOTOS COURTESY

‘You’re perfect the way you are.’ They survived while everything else was dying.”

The programs are a partnership of the American Littoral Society, the NPS, New York City Parks Department, the Jamaica

By Rockaway Parks Conservancy and NYC Audobon.

For more information, call the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center at (718) 318-4340 or visit nps.gov/gate. Q

The Parkside Players perform “Sound and Fury and Shakespeare,” a blend of The Bard and modern music, mostly rock.

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Classified Ad Deadline is 12 Noon on Tuesday for Thursday’s paper.

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C M SQ page 36 Y K

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, NYCTL 1998-2 TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN, Plaintiff, vs. ELDER AVE REALTY CORP., ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated March 11, 2024 and entered on March 12, 2024, 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 on May 31, 2024 at 10:00 a.m., all that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block 5137 and Lot 1118. Said premises may also be known as 138-35 Elder Avenue, Parking Garage Unit No. 118, Queens, NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $145,528.74 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.Index # 711824/2019. 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 Auction Rules, can be found on the Queens Supreme Court - Civil Term website. Gerald Chiariello II, Esq., Referee The Law Office of Thomas P. Malone, PLLC, 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 553, New York, New York 10165, Attorneys for Plaintif

Notice is hereby given that a license, No. “Pending”, for beer and wine has been applied for by the undersigned to sell Beer, Wine and Cider at retail in a restaurant under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 883 CYPRESS AVE., RIDGEWOOD, NY 11385 for on premises consumption. XOXO KITCHEN & BAKERY INC

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, NYCTL 1998-2 TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON AS COLLATERAL

AGENT AND CUSTODIAN, Plaintiff, vs. WOODNER GARAGE CORP., ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated March 4, 2024 and duly entered on March 15, 2024, 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 on June 14, 2024 at 10:15 a.m., all that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block 5137 and Lot 1195. Said premises may also be known as 138-35 Elder Avenue, Parking Garage Unit No. 195, Queens, NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $56,434.91 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index #711834/2019.

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 Auction Rules, can be found on the Queens Supreme Court - Civil Term website. Tanya HobsonWilliams, Esq., Referee The Law Office of Thomas P. Malone, PLLC, 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 553, New York, New York 10165, Attorneys for Plaintiff

ASF INTERNATIONAL LLC. Arts. of Org. fi led with the SSNY on 03/07/24. 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, c/o Khandker Ahnaf Abrar, 169-24 Hillside Avenue, FL2 Suite 3, Jamaica, NY 11432. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT—COUNTY OF QUEENS, BLUE IRIS HOLDINGS CORP., Plaintiff against WAAA MIDDLE VILLAGE PROPERTIES, LLC, THE BOARD OF MANAGERS OF MIDDLE VILLAGE CONDOMINIUM and KEYU LONG, Defendants, Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on April 22, 2024. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the Courthouse Steps of the Queens Supreme Court, located at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, New York on the 21st day of June 2024 at 11:00 in the forenoon. Premises description as follows: All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York. Said premises known as 62-48 Mt. Olivet Crescent, Units A and B, Parking Spaces 15P, 16P, 17P and 18P, Middle Village, New York 11379 a/k/a Block 2773, Lots 1001, 1002, 1045, 1046, 1047 and 1048. Approximate amount of lien: $379,696.20, plus interests and costs. Premises will be sold subject to the provisions of the Judgment and terms of sale. Index No.700506/2023, Kerry John Katsorhis, Esq., Referee, Kye Law Group, P.C., Attorneys for Plaintiff, 201 Old Country Road, Suite 120 Melville, NY 11747, 631-6168200

Notice of Formation of BKHOOPZ LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 04/15/2024. 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: PATRICK IANNOTTO, 6148 82 PLACE, MIDDLE VILLAGE, NY 11379. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

BRANNOCK DALL, LLC, Arts. of Org. fi led with the SSNY on 05/06/2024. Offi ce loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Ilya Kiriakis Dall, 148-18 3rd Avenue, Whitestone, NY 11357. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE STATE OF NEW YORK SUPREME COURT: COUNTY OF QUEENS HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR NOMURA HOME EQUITY LOAN, INC., ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006HE1, Plaintiff, v. CHRISTOPHER DUNN A/K/A CHRISTOPHER R. DUNN, 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 March 10, 2023, I, Jeffrey Kim, Esq. the Referee named in said Judgment, will sell in one parcel at public auction on May 31, 2024 at the Courthouse Steps of the Queens County Supreme Court, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435, at 12:15 PM the premises described as follows: 134-57 232nd Street Laurelton, NY 11413 Block 13160 Lot 6 ALL THAT TRACT OR PARCEL OF LAND situate in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York. The premises are sold subject to the provisions of the filed judgment, Index No. 712819/2018 in the amount of $603,538.04 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 screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP Attorneys for Plaintiff 500 Bausch & Lomb Place Rochester, NY 14604 Tel.: 855-227-5072 80394

83-30 264th Street LLC, Arts of Org. fi led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 5/3/2024. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 141 Crescent Dr, Albertson, NY 11507. General Purpose

Real Estate

EQUAL HOUSING. Federal, New York State and local laws prohibit discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, marital status, familial status or disability in connection with the sale or rental of residential real estate. Queens Chronicle does not knowingly accept advertising in violation of these laws. When you suspect housing discrimination call the Open Housing Center (the Fair Housing Agency for the five boroughs of New York) at 212941-6101, 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.

cameras, sprinkler system. Asking $1,199,000. Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136

Howard Beach (Crossbay Blvd). Beautiful office for rent, 450 sq.ft., $1,700/mo. Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136

Howard Beach, land for sale, 40x85. Residential lot, R3-1. Asking $499K. Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136

Classified Ad Deadline is 12 Noon on Tuesday for Thursday’s paper.

The New York City Department of Transportation, Transportation Planning and Management Division cordially invites your company to submit bids for the following contract: EPIN: 84123B0030 Installation and Refurbishment of Bus Facility Pavement Markings (Specifications) available for download free of charge starting 05/24/2024.

This RFX is released through PASSPort, New York City’s online procurement portal. Responses to this RFP/RFx must be submitted via PASSPort. To access the RFP/RFx, vendors should visit the PASSPort Public Portal. To reach the Public Portal, visit the following site: https://www.nyc.gov/site/mocs/passport/about-passport.page then click on the rectangle captioned “Procurement Navigator,” whereupon you will arrive at the Portal. To quickly locate the RFP/ RFx, insert the following EPIN, 84123B0030, into the Keyword search field, then click search. To respond to the RFP/RFx, vendors must create an account within the PASSPort system if they have not already done so.

A Pre-Bid Conference via Microsoft TEAMS is scheduled for 06/03/2024 at 11:00AM. Those who wish to attend the pre-bid meeting must email the authorized agency contact for a link no later than 05/31/2024 by 4PM. The deadline for the submission of questions via email is 06/10/2024 by 4:00PM to the authorized agency contact person. This procurement is subject to participation goals for Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) as required by Section 6-129 of the New York Administrative Code. The M/WBE goal for this project is 30%. Any inquiries concerning this IFB should be directed by email, under the subject line “EPIN: 84123B0030 Installation and Refurbishment of Bus Facility Pavement Markings to the email address of the Authorized Agency Contact, Shaneza Shinath, at sshinath@dot.nyc.gov or through the PASSPort communication function. Responses to this IFB must be submitted via PASSPort. All Bids must be received via Passport before the Bid Due Date, 06/26/2024, no later than 11:00 AM. No In Person viewing of bid opening will be permitted. You will find the Microsoft TEAMS Zoom link in Passport with full details. Virtual Bid Opening will be conducted via Zoom Webinar on 06/26/2024 at 11:30AM.

Howard Beach/Rockwood Park, HiRanch Brookfield, 4 BR, 3 baths. 40x100 lot. Oversized family rm w/granite radiant heated flr. Wood FP, new kitchen, patio, security

Notice of Formation of CHEME ENTERPRISES LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 05/17/2023. 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: CHEME ENTERPRISES LLC, 142-17 129TH AVENUE, JAMAICA, NY 11436-1720. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Qualifi cation of Citrus Haven LLC. Authority fi led with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/12/24. Offi ce location: Queens County. LLC formed in Florida (FL)on 02/15/24. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 31 Monterey Street, Apt. A, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082, also the address required to be maintained in FL. Arts of Org. fi led with the FL Secy. Of State, R.A. Gray Building, 500 S Bronough St., Tallahassee, FL 32399. Purpose: any lawful activities.

Notice of Formation of Dee Custom Hair LLC. Arts. of Org. fi led with Secy. of State (SSNY) on 4/5/24. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 104-14 110th St, Richmond Hill, NY 11419. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Eight Pillar Candles LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 09/13/2022. 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: Eight Pillar Candles LLC, 211-14 23RD AVENUE, BAYSIDE, NY 11360, Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

EKG 7806 LLC Articles of Org. fi led NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 4/8/24. Offi ce in Queens Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 15253 10th Ave., Ste 211 Whitestone, NY 11357. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Prince35 Holdings LLC, Arts of Org. fi led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 4/5/2024. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 136-33 37th Ave, 7th Fl, Flushing, NY 11354. General Purpose.

Notice of Formation of FIRST PRIORITY PARALEGAL & PUBLISHING LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 12/07/2023. 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, 107-29 PINEGROVE STREET, JAMAICA, NY 11435. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of RESOLVE PRODUCTIONS LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 05/07/2024. 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: CRAIG MACARTHUR DOLEZEL, 3168 CRESCENT STREET, ASTORIA, NY 11106. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

NOTICE

OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, GITSIT SOLUTIONS, LLC, Plaintiff, vs. 815 BAY 25 CORP., ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on March 7, 2024, 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 May 31, 2024 at 10:30 a.m., premises known as 8-15 Bay 25th Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691. 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 15733 and Lot 1. Approximate amount of judgment is $669,416.04 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #719169/2022. 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. Arthur N. Terranova, Esq., Referee Polsinelli PC, Amy E. Hatch, Esq., 600 Third Avenue, 42nd Floor, New York, New York 10016, Attorneys for Plaintiff

ELLAWAY BLUES CONSULTING LLC Notice of Application for Authority of ELLAWAY BLUES CONSULTING LLC. a foreign limited liability company (LLC). Application for Authority fi led with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 3/8/2024. LLC organized in FL 11/15/2023. NY offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The post offi ce address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon him/her is C/o Barakat + Bossa, PLLC 2701 Ponce De Leon Blvd, Suite 202 Miami, FL, 33134. Offi ce address in jurisdiction of organization: 20 North Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32801 Copy of Articles of Organization on fi le with Secy. of State of FL, RA Gray Building, 500 South Bronough Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399. Purpose of LLC: Any Lawful Purpose.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR WELLS FARGO ASSET SECURITIES CORPORATION HOME EQUITY ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-1, Plaintiff AGAINST CARLOS W. RODRIGUEZ, ANA MARY RODRIGUEZ, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered January 29, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Courthouse steps of the Queens County Supreme Court, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, New York on June 7, 2024 at 10:30AM, premises known as 239-22 65th Avenue, Douglaston, NY 11362. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Queens, City and State of New York, BLOCK: 8287 LOT: 16. Approximate amount of judgment $831,558.13 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of fi led Judgment Index #717123/2020. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the QUEENS County COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. Alen R. Beerman, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC, 1775 Wehrle Drive, Williamsville, NY 14221 00-123316 80130hh

Lefferts 59 LLC, Arts of Org. fi led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 3/19/2024. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to Gameel Saeidi, 80-59 Lefferts Blvd., Kew Gardens, NY 11415. General Purpose

Notice of Formation of LUNA PARKING LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 05/17/2024. 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: HARRY JIMENEZ, 6914 171 STREET, FRESH MEADOWS, NY 11365. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR GREENPOINT MORTGAGE FUNDING TRUST MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2007AR3, -against- MOHANIE BISHU, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens on January 17, 2019, wherein U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR GREENPOINT MORTGAGE FUNDING TRUST MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2007-AR3 is the Plaintiff and MOHANIE BISHU, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE on the COURTHOUSE STEPS OF THE QUEENS COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 8811 SUTPHIN BLVD., JAMAICA, NY 11435, on June 14, 2024 at 12:15PM, premises known as 92-24 175TH STREET, JAMAICA, NY 11433; and the following tax map identification: 10214-17. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE 4TH WARD, BOROUGH AND COUNTY OF QUEENS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 705689/2016. David H. Sloan, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.

NY GRACE COUNSELING LCSW, PLLC Articles of Org. fi led NY

Sec. of State (SSNY) 3/6/24. Offi ce in Queens Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 1280 Lexington Ave. Frnt 2 #1170 NY, NY 10028.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT QUEENS COUNTY US BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLEY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR VRMTG ASSET TRUST, Plaintiff against ALEJANDRO JARAMILLO, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Knuckles & Manfro, LLP, 120 White Plains Road, Suite 215, Tarrytown, NY 10591. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered April 5, 2024, 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 June 21, 2024 at 11:15 AM. Premises known as 25-37 89th Street, Jackson Heights, NY 11369. Block 1363 Lot 48. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $715,860.88 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of fi led Judgment Index No 717900/2022. Cash will not be accepted at the sale. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 11th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. Referee will only accept a certifi ed bank check made payable to the referee. Gregory LaSpina, Esq., Referee File # 2236-000423

Notice of Formation of SMARTSELLHEALTHSHOP LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 04/11/2024. 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: CHRISTINA GUTIERREZ, 6935 150TH STREET, FLUSHING, NY 11367. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of formation of PRDGMS, LLC. Articles of Organization fi led with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on 01/31/2024. Offi ce located in Queens. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process served against the LLC 2106 Rene CT Ridgewood, NY 11385. Purpose: any lawful purpose.

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SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS INDEX NO. 719775/2021

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS Plaintiff designates QUEENS as the place of trial situs of the real property Mortgaged Premises: 8429 153RD AVENUE, UNIT 6K, HOWARD BEACH, NY 11414 Block: 11431, Lot: 2610 BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT SERIES I TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. CORY STORCH AS HEIR AT LAW, NEXT OF KIN, AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF DORIS STORCH; DANA GRIFFIN AS EXECUTRIX, HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF LINDA STORCH, AS HEIR AT LAW, NEXT OF KIN, AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF DORIS STORCH; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF DORIS STORCH, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; BOARD OF MANAGERS OF HERITAGE HOUSE; GENERAL APARTMENT CORPORATION CONDOMINIUM; CITY OF NEW YORK ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE-UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE-TAX COMPLIANCE DIVISION-C.O.-ATC, “JOHN DOE #1”THROUGH “JOHN DOE #25,” THE DEFENDANTS LAST NAMED IN QUOTATION MARKS BEING INTENDED TO DESIGNATE TENANTS OR OCCUPANTS IN POSSESSION OF THE HEREIN DESCRIBED PREMISES OR PORTION THEREOF, IF THERE BE ANY, SAID NAMES BEING FICTITIOUS, THEIR TRUE NAME BEING UNKNOWN TO THE PLAINTIFF, Defendants. To the above named Defendants YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $435,478.50 and interest, recorded on February 17, 2005, in Instrument Number 2005000099210, of the Public Records of QUEENS County, New York., covering premises known as 8429 153RD AVENUE, UNIT 6K, HOWARD BEACH, NY 11414. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. QUEENS County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county. 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 (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Dated: October 18th, 2023 ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Attorney for Plaintiff Matthew Rothstein, Esq. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310 Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK – COUNTY OF QUEENS INDEX # 723641/2023 FILED: 11/08/2023 SUMMONS Plaintiff, designates Queens County as the place of trial based on the location of the mortgaged premises in this action. Plaintiff’s principal place of business is 4425 Ponce De Leon Blvd., MS 5-251, Coral Gables, Florida 33146. LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC, Plaintiff, against LISA CHARLES A/K/A LISA BELL AS HEIR AT LAW AND NEXT OF KIN TO OSWALD CHARLES JR. A/K/A OSWALD CHARLES A/K/A OSWALD REGINALD CHARLES JR.; JOHN DOE AND JANE DOE 1 THROUGH 50, INTENDING TO BE THE UNKNOWN HEIRS, DISTRIBUTEES, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, TRUSTEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, AND ASSIGNEES OF THE ESTATE OF OSWALD CHARLES JR. A/K/A OSWALD CHARLES A/K/A OSWALD REGINALD CHARLES JR., WHO WAS BORN IN 1970 AND DIED ON AUGUST 17, 2020, A RESIDENT OF ORLEANS COUNTY, WHOSE LAST KNOWN ADDRESS WAS 110-28 199TH STREET, SAINT ALBANS, NEW YORK 11412, THEIR SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST IF ANY OF THE AFORESAID DEFENDANTS BE DECEASED, THEIR RESPECTIVE HEIRS AT LAW, NEXT OF KIN, AND SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST OF THE AFORESAID CLASSES OF PERSON, IF THEY OR ANY OF THEM BE DEAD, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE HUSBANDS, WIVES OR WIDOWS, IF ANY, ALL OF WHOM AND WHOSE NAMES AND PLACES, ARE UNKNOWN TO PLAINTIFF; LUX II RESIDENTIAL SOLAR; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA O/B/O INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; “JOHN DOE #1” to “JOHN DOE #10,” the last 10 names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the persons or parties, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the mortgaged premises described in the complaint, Defendants. 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 attorneys within twenty (20) days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within thirty (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. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME. IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE MORTGAGE COMPANY WHO FILED THIS FORECLOSURE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT, A DEFAULT JUDGMENT MAY BE ENTERED AND YOU CAN LOSE YOUR HOME. SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY OR GO TO THE COURT WHERE YOUR CASE IS PENDING FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON HOW TO ANSWER THE SUMMONS AND PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY. SENDING A PAYMENT TO YOUR MORTGAGE COMPANY WILL NOT STOP THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC, Attorneys for Plaintiff, One Huntington Quadrangle, Suite 4N25, Melville, NY 11747. (631) 8124084 (855) 845-2584 facsimile. File # 23-300160. HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE NEW YORK STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT WE SEND YOU THIS NOTICE ABOUT THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME. IF YOU FAIL TO RESPOND TO THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT IN THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION, YOU MAY LOSE YOUR HOME. PLEASE READ THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT CAREFULLY. YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CONTACT AN ATTORNEY OR YOUR LOCAL LEGAL AID OFFICE TO OBTAIN ADVICE ON HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF. SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE The State encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. In addition to seeking assistance from an attorney or legal aid office, there are government agencies and non-profit organizations that you may contact for information about possible options, including trying to work with your lender during this process. To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by the New York State Department of Financial Services at 1-800-342-3736 or visit the Department`s website at www.dfs.ny.gov RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME AT THIS TIME. You have the right to stay in your home during the foreclosure process. You are not required to leave your home unless and until your property is sold at auction pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale. Regardless of whether you choose to remain in your home, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PROPERTY and pay property taxes in accordance with state and local law. FORECLOSURE RESCUE SCAMS Be careful of people who approach you with offers to “save” your home. There are individuals who watch for notices of foreclosure actions in order to unfairly profit from a homeowner`s distress. You should be extremely careful about any such promises and any suggestions that you pay them a fee or sign over your deed. State law requires anyone offering such services for profit to enter into a contract which fully describes the services they will perform and fees they will charge, and which prohibits them from taking any money from you until they have completed all such promised services. § 1303 NOTICE

B SPORTS EAT

Sports are upfront

by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor

The middle of May has long been when the major television networks, and now streaming services, hold large presentations in our town called “upfronts.” Their purpose is to introduce new programming, as well as remind advertisers and the press of their current hit shows.

With the Covid-19 pandemic in the rear-view mirror and labor peace restored in Hollywood, upfront week was the most normal it has been in five years. While scripted entertainment has returned, sports, which used to get short shrift at these events, is now in the starring role as it is one of the few things consumers want to see live. Advertisers pay a premium for that real estate.

NBC had its main sports voice, Bayside High School alum Mike Tirico, promote the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris at Radio City. Tirico bantered with hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg, “Saturday Night Live” veteran Kenan Thompson and comedian Kevin Hart. All three will appear in comic reviews of the day’s events in Paris.

ESPN’s most recognizable personality, Hollis native Stephen A. Smith, took the stage in the Javits Center to promote June’s NBA Finals. He bemoaned the rash of injuries that have befallen the Knicks, which he felt ended their chances for their first NBA title in over 50 years. Sadly, Smith proved prophetic Sunday when the Knicks badly lost Game 7 to the Pacers.

Pro football is king, and that was reflected at the upfronts. Fox Sports had Tom Brady come to the Hammerstein Ballroom to confirm he would be joining former Mets broadcaster Kevin Burkhardt calling the network’s marquee games. Similarly, ESPN brought out former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce to discuss joining the “Monday Night Football” studio show.

Not long ago, the top two streaming services, Amazon’s Prime Video and Netflix, showed little interest in competing for the rights to broadcast major sports leagues. Things have changed.

Prime Video became the TV home for the NFL’s Thursday Night package in 2022, and last year debuted a Black Friday game, which the Jets, of course, lost. The Black Friday game is back, while Netflix will have two games on Christmas.

The streamers are also giving ESPN a run for its money when it comes to sports documentaries. Prime Video had both tennis great Roger Federer and NASCAR legend, Dale Earnhardt Jr. address its audience about their upcoming docs, while Netflix announced a series on the history of the Dallas Cowboys.

The bravest executive was Warner Media’s sports czar Luis Silberwasser, who admitted at Madison Square Garden the TNT Network may lose its NBA rights in 2025 when its current league contract expires. Q

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