Queens Chronicle South Edition 12-28-23

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

YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER NO. 52

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2023

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 28, 2023 Page 2

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Gov. Hochul signs 42 bills, vetoes 43 The legislation that made it past her desk, or not, in year-end push

by Sophie Krichevsky

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Associate Editor

eading up to the holiday, Gov. Hochul had 85 bills to sign — or not sign — as of last Friday morning before last Saturday night. In a less-than-48-hour period, the governor made decisions on some of the most consequential legislation passed in 2023.

Per state law, once a bill is passed in both the Assembly and state Senate and is delivered to the governor while the Legislature is still in session, the governor has 10 days — not including Sundays — to sign into law or veto legislation; bills she does not act on become law automatically. Last Saturday evening marked 10 days since the Legislature delivered to Hochul its final bills of the year.

Among those bills Hochul signed into law at the buzzer is one aimed at the state’s housing crisis, A6216B/S2980C, which closes a loophole that allows landlords to raise rents on rentstabilized units by combining two units into one, a practice known as “Frankensteining.”

Instead of giving building owners leeway on setting rent for a recently combined apartment, under the new law, the rent will be the sum of the most recent prices for the two apartments. In addition to keeping rent-stabilized housing affordable, in effect, the law will discourage landlords from “warehousing” apartments, a major contributor to the

Gov. Hochul, seen here at a recent bill signing this fall, made her decisions on numerous pieces PHOTO BY DARREN MCGEE / NYS GOVERNOR’S OFFICE of legislation before the clock ran out last Saturday. housing crisis in New York City where landlords keep units empty for longer in hopes of driving up the cost. Since Frankensteining is often achieved through warehousing apartments until an adjacent one opens up, advocates say getting rid of one of the main incentives for Frankensteining will have a trickledown effect on warehousing, as well.

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Hochul also signed a bill sponsored by state Sen. John Liu (D-Flushing) that requires all stores that accept electronic benefit transfer cards to warn customers of skimming.

Though Hochul did approve a bill that would require limited liability companies to list their “beneficial owners,” known as the LLC Transparency Act, the version of the leg-

islation she signed into law is significantly weaker than the version the Legislature passed, in that it does not require LLCs to share those publicly. Instead, a database with that information would be available to law enforcement only. In its previous form, the bill would have been meaningful for tenants seeking the names of their landlords who may be listed as LLCs. But of the 85 bills before Hochul last weekend, she actually vetoed more than she signed (albeit, by one; she signed 42 and vetoed 43).

Perhaps the most significant of those she vetoed was the Wrongful Convictions Act, a bill that sought clearer pathways for those wrongfully convicted of crimes — even those who pleaded guilty — to have those rulings overturned by making it easier for newly discovered evidence to be considered.

Hochul also vetoed a bill that would have required all city parks, playgrounds and historical sites to have recycling bins.

Beyond those 85 on her desk last week, Hochul left five bills she received less than 10 days after the end of session (and therefore gets 30 days to sign or veto) unsigned; if she does not sign them in January, they will not go into effect (that’s known as a pocket veto). One of those five Hochul vetoed on Wednesday: She shot down a bill that would have increased thresholds candidates must meet to be eligible Q for public matching funds.

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 28, 2023 Page 4

C M SQ page 4 Y K YEAR IN REVIEW

2023

SOUTH QUEENS: PART I

Strength through highs and lows

Community comes together in both triumphs and hardships

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

In the unfolding chapters of 2023 captured in the Queens Chronicle, the year kicked off with South Queens grappling with the highest Covid positivity rates in the city. The community faced a variety of challenges, from the extremely tight vote count between Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Rockaway Park) and her opponent to disturbing incidents like the discovery of swastikas in Forest Park.

Efforts to make Diwali a school holiday gained traction, contrasting with health concerns under the Richmond Hill train tracks.

The narrative continued with Aqueduct Race Track’s potential transformation, community aid for earthquake victims and a notable visit

by Hollywood actors to Old Howard Beach.

Tragic events, including a shooting, threatening notes and a fatal robbery, marked the chapters, while civic honors, a lottery win and cultural celebrations added diverse hues to the tapestry.

As the months unfolded, the stories encompassed legislative victories, community events, solemn commemorations and the unveiling of plans for the future.

For the latest news visit qchron.com

January South Queens got some bad news to start the new year, as South Ozone Park and Howard and Hamilton Beach grappled with being the highest Covid positive test rate in the city, according to an NYC Test & Treat Corps rep at a Community Board 10 meeting. Members met virtually out of what Chairperson Betty Braton called “prudence” following a rise in cases after the holiday season.

The campaign team of incumbent Pheffer Amato announced on Jan. 5 her win after a long recount by 15 votes over Republican chal-

The Memorial Day parade in Howard Beach, hosted by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2565, stops at PHOTO BY DEIRDRE BARDOLF the Walter J. Wetzel Triangle. lenger Tom Sullivan on the same day that the legislative session convened in Albany.

Two bold, white swastikas were found spray-painted on downed trees off a Forest Park hiking trail on Jan. 15.

“Sadly, anti-Semitism has struck again in Queens, at Forest Park,” Councilmember Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills) tweeted about the incident. “Hatred [against] Jews is a growing issue and we cannot allow this to keep happening.”

On Jan. 21, a daylong effort to address the conditions under the Richmond Hill train tracks near Babbage Street commenced, much to the surprise of Kevin O’Leary, a Kew Gar-

Incumbent Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Rockaway Park) celebrates a narrow victory to the 23rd Assembly District, left, and Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar (D-Woodhaven) lobbies to PHOTOS COURTESY NYS ASSEMBLY make Diwali a school holiday.

dens resident and member of Community Board 9, who happened upon the scene on the way to a diner. One worker told O’Leary they found eight buckets of human feces at the site.

“This was not only a garbage issue, this was a health problem for the area,” said O’Leary.

“And it’s right across from the library!”

The push to make Diwali a school holiday in city public schools continued in Albany on Jan. 23, as South Queens’ own Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar (D-Woodhaven), the sponsor of the bill, led a rally during what was called Diwali Lobby Day on the Million Dollar Staircase of the New York State Capitol Building.

“We stand here today as proud Americans and we are here to say that Diwali is an American holiday,” she said. The Senate version of the bill was introduced by state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven).

February Aqueduct Race Track appeared to be heading into the home stretch, according to Gov. Hochul’s 2023-24 executive budget proposal.

A Feb. 1 report on casino.org stated that the move could lead to the land being used for construction of a casino right next to Resorts World New York City in Ozone Park. Addabbo told the Chronicle, however, that the changes were likely a long way away.

South Queens once again came together to send help abroad to Turkey and Syria, following the Feb. 6 earthquake that killed more than 35,000 people. The Ozone Park Residents Block Association, the Ozone Park Howard Beach Woodhaven Lions Club, the Deshi Senior Center, Bangladeshi American Community Development and Youth Services and Masjid Al Abidin mosque collected necessities for the victims.

The Our Neighbors Civic Association of

Ozone Park celebrated Black History Month at its Feb. 7 meeting, honoring Black leaders from the city and state. Mayor Adams, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Queens, Nassau), Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-Brooklyn, Queens), state Sen. James Sanders Jr. (D-South Ozone Park), City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica) and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards were all honored at the Ozone Park American Legion.

Hollywood actors George Clooney and Brad Pitt were spotted in Old Howard Beach on Feb. 13 as they teamed up near the bay to shoot a movie. Though a notice said the film was called “Unicorn,” online reports indicated the project was “Wolves” for Apple TV+.

A Rockaway Express deli worker in South Ozone Park miraculously survived being shot, including in the head, by a perpetrator on Feb. 15 with two different weapons. The shooter was arraigned and charged with attempted murder in the second degree, assault and multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon.

The final phase of redevelopment of JFK began with breaking ground on Terminal 6, Hochul announced on Feb. 28. The new terminal will have state-of-the-art security, a st reamlined roadway access and new amenities.

March Two disturbing cases of animal abuse outraged residents in Howard Beach and Richmond Hill. First, three stray cats were found severely injured in Richmond Hill, with what appeared to be chemical burns that ate away to the bone. Later, 14 cats were found dead behind a barbed wire fence bordering the train tracks on 102nd Street in Howard Beach.

There was no known link between the incidents.

The Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic Association scrapped plans to bring a private security detail to the neighborhood after less than a quarter of the feedback needed to move forward was received. Civic Co-president Phyllis Inserillo said, “It’s ... something that, quite honestly, I don’t know that we really need or that it would even be helpful.”

While at the PS 207 playground with his daughter on March 12, a father came across a threatening note on one of the doors of the school, which she attends. It read, in part, “I had a dream last night where I was strangling people. Wish I can do it in real life to those who’ve wronged me all my life.”

Police and administrators reviewed surveillance tape and identified a 20-year-old man who was brought in for questioning. School administrators told parents, “All necessary precautions were taken to ensure that this is being handled and we were informed that there is no specific threat against the school.”

Two e-bike batteries exploded in the back of a Richmond Hill repair shop on March 13, starting a blaze that sent two firefighters to the continued on page 6

C M SQ page 5 Y K

HOSPICE IS ABOUT LIFE Hospice can be an uncomfortable topic. But the comfort and care it provides can greatly ease sadness, pain and fear during a difficult time. From medical support to peace of mind, understanding what hospice has to offer can help people decide if, and when, it's right for them. Some things you may not know:

1.

2.

3.

It's usually at home.

Comfort, familiarity and the presence of loved ones are everything during these times.

It's typically covered by insurance.

Most patients qualify through Medicaid, Medicare or private insurance.

It can last up to six months.

Many people would benefit by entering hospice earlier.

Northwell.edu/Hospice

5.

It's not just for patients.

6.

Hospice isn't about death.

It's about life.

A hospice team can include doctors, visiting nurses, social workers and other care providers.

Loved ones can receive counseling, learn how to help and much more.

Hospice helps make this difficult time more comfortable, supportive and dignified.

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Talking about hospice can be hard.

We're here to help you understand the decisions and choices you may face along the way.

4.

It includes full medical care.

Page 5 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 28, 2023

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 28, 2023 Page 6

C M SQ page 6 Y K

South Queens’ lively, eventful start to 2023 continued from page 4 hospital. The batteries were charging in the back of The Kings Electric Scooters store, located at 102-44 Jamaica Ave., when they combusted. Twenty-five units responded, including 106 fire and EMS responders.

A brazen March 18 daytime robbery of The Plug smoke shop in Richmond Hill left a 20-year-old employee dead.

Three men entered the shop, and one displayed a gun while the other two loaded up merchandise, according to police.

While the men were leaving the store, one fired a gun and hit the victim, Daryus Clarke of St. Albans, in the chest.

“We cannot stand on the sidelines just watching the further infiltration of these illegal smoke shops and the unwanted criminal acts they bring into our communities,” Addabbo said, vowing to continue to work on the issue and support legislation to end illegal smoke shop activity.

Eleven women were honored on March 24 at the Toast to the Great Women of Queens awards ceremony at the office of Rajkumar. Those honored were Connie Altamirano, Sherry Algredo, Christine Barbour, Vedo Basdeo, Elizabeth De La Cruz, Sookranie Dhanpat, Teresa Donahue, Janet Forte, Kerrie Hansen, Catherine Murawski and Simone Zito.

The annual Phagwah Parade returned to Richmond Hill on March 26, and with it, the customary colorful powders and springtime joy. The parade honors the Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist holiday of Holi, or Phagwah as it is known in the Guyanese community. Holi is a celebration of the arrival of spring, new beginnings and good over evil. Hundreds participated in the Festival of Colors.

The founder of No Dogs Left Behind on March 28 accompanied nearly 50 canines to JFK Airport to introduce them to their new owners and foster parents after rescuing them from the meat slaughterhouse trade in East Asia.

“We’re getting closer to ending the meat trade every day,” Jeffrey Beri said. “We’ll never stop fighting for these dogs.”

At a March 28 civic meeting, the NYPD’s Patrol Borough Queens South commanding officer, Assistant Chief Kevin Williams, said police were going to tackle the issue of illegal off-roaders. The following day, an operation in South Queens involved officers seizing dirt bikes and other vehicles off the streets to be impounded. Police were seen seizing vehicles on 156th Avenue, Rockaway Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue.

For the latest news visit qchron.com

April Two workers died at John F. Kennedy Airport on April 3 after being trapped underneath rubble at a construction site.

Attendees of a June workshop on the Jewel Streets neighborhood wrote suggestions on blown-up maps of the community PHOTO BY STEPHANIE G. MEDITZ and surrounding areas.

Porras, 78, unconscious and unresponsive on the first floor of the home. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

On May 19, a Jamaica man, 54-year-old Dwayne General, was killed when he fell off his motorcycle on a dangerous portion of the Conduit. Officers found General lying on the road with trauma to his body. He was later pronounced dead at Brookdale Hospital Medical Center.

The Memorial Day parade in Howard Beach, hosted by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2565 on May 29, stopped at the Walter J. Wetzel Triangle. Private First Class Walter Joseph Wetzel was killed during the Vietnam War. His sister, Tracey Wetzel, addressed the crowd. “Today we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for us all,” she said. “Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it.” The parade culminated at Coleman Square, where elected officials spoke. Names of area veterans killed in battle were read aloud.

Residents poured out alongside Community Board 9 Chair Sherry Algredo, holding sign, for the Autism and DevelopPHOTO BY MICHAEL SHAIN ment Disability awareness walk.

They were identified as Francisco Reyes, 41, and Fernando Lagunas Pereira, 28. Both workers were confirmed dead upon the arrival of first responders, according to the FDNY. Reports said the accident came as a result of some kind of collapse, but further details were not released.

Johnnie Taylor of Howard Beach bought a record-setting winning Mega Millions lottery ticket in Ozone Park, becoming over a hundred million dollars richer. The April 14 drawing was worth $476 million, the largest Mega Millions win ever in New York and the 13th largest in the lottery’s history.

It was sold at Liberty Beer & Convenience on Liberty Avenue.

After years of activism reignited by the tragic hit-and-run death of 24-year-old Kimberly Ortega in March 2021, two traffic signals and other improvements were announced to be coming to the Conduit near 79th and 80th streets, announced in an April 24 letter to area stakeholders.

A member of the Chronicle family scored a prestigious honor from the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association on April 27. Howard Beach resident Gregg Cohen, the Chronicle’s editorial production manager and then-communications director for the MBWA, received the Mike Cohen Good Guy Award at the organization’s annual Haggerty Awards Program.

May On May 7, hundreds of participants gathered for an Autism and Development Disability awareness walk at Phil “Scooter” Rizzuto Park. Families with newly diagnosed children attended and issues surrounding guardianship and homecare were discussed. Community Board 9 Chairperson Sherry Algredo, whose son has autism, said during a speech, “[he] taught me how to look through the lenses of a person with special needs and how to advocate and love unconditionally.”

Students at PS 207 in Howard Beach pitched ideas for apps that would help people with a broad range of neurological and neuromuscular disorders to community professionals. Students tackled issues like dementia, dyslexia, depression and autism and came up with solutions to help those living with the diagnoses and their families.

An 86-year-old man was charged with murder after his wife was found dead at the bottom of a stairway on May 17.

At about 8:20 p.m., police in the 102nd Precinct responded to a call on 91st Avenue in Woodhaven where they found Luz

June The state Legislature was hard at work the morning of June 10, passing bills that honor both Diwali and Lunar New Year as school holidays. In a statement, Rajkumar said, “Nothing can stop a community whose time has come. People said this would be impossible, but we made it happen.”

The Great Woodhaven Yard Sale, hosted by the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association, returned for its 10th year on June 10 and 11. More than 80 households signed up to participate and hawk their goods.

The corner of Beach 116th Street and Rockaway Beach Boulevard was co-named Lew M. Simon Way in honor of the late 23rd Assembly District Democratic leader in a June 11 ceremony organized by Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park).

The new Gratitude Garden and outdoor Learning Center at PS 146 in Howard Beach was budding with joy on June 12 as the school and greater community came together to officially cut the ribbon on the revitalized space on the corner of 159th Avenue and 98th Street. Ariola announced $10,000 in city funds for maintenance of the school’s new space.

Sam Esposito, president of the Ozone Park Residents Block Association, announced that Living Word Christian Fellowship Church in Ozone Park was officially closing its doors on June 8 at the civic’s monthly town hall meeting.

Living Word Fellowship’s pastor, Joel Sadaphal, confirmed the news to the Chronicle, stating, “We have leased the property for 30 years, with an option to purchase it. The landlords are no longer honoring that and refused to send a letter of renewal for the usual terms, so we have to move.”

Farhana Haq, president and founder of Cats of Meow York animal rescue, a 501(c)(3) based out of Woodhaven, was arrested on June 14, after police allegedly found more than 40 abused cats in her care.

According to the NYPD, Haq’s charges included 44 counts of Agricultural Markets Law torture/injure/not feed animal, and 44 counts of Agricultural Markets Law neglect of an impounded animal. The group denied any wrongdoing.

Mayor Adams announced plans to deliver quality-of-life improvements in what his office called the Jewel Streets Neighborhood Plan in a June 20 press release The plans included efforts to deliver quality-of-life improvements to the Jewel Streets neighborhood, or what Queens residents colloquially refer to as “the Hole” — a 12-block neighborhood that borders East New York and Lindenwood. Resident workshops were announced with a goal of providing feedback in a collaborate planning process.

A neighborhood staple, Oxford Bake Shop, located at 10401 Liberty Ave. in Ozone Park, said a final goodbye to the community on June 24 in an event organized by the Ozone Park Residents Block Association. Attendees included current owners Vicki Deegan and Felicemarie Misiti, past bakery staff, Ariola and residents from all over Queens who held Q a special place in their heart for the bakery.

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 28, 2023 Page 8

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P Migration, marijuana, mopeds, war: one tough year EDITORIAL

W

AGE

hat a year this has been! We’ve seen a mayoralty full of promise practically crippled by an unprecendented humanitarian crisis. We’ve seen a politician whose propensity to lie puts him on a level far beyond any of the routine exaggerators and spinners he briefly served with. We’ve seen a new kind of fire kill vigorously, taking three times as many lives this year as it did the year before.

There have been successes too, of course — sharp cuts in most major crimes, education reforms, a “soft landing” for a tested economy. But much of the news has not been good.

The migrant crisis continues unabated, forcing the city to spend billions of dollars on housing and feeding the neverending influx of asylum seekers and unauthorized immigrants who simply walk into the country and get arrested so they can get rides to the city of their choice, quite often New York. More than 200,000 have arrived here over the last year and a half, and the federal government shows no signs of trying to stem the tide. Nor is it helping pay for the crisis, which Mayor Adams now expects to cost city taxpapers $12 billion over three years. This is an unsustainable disaster.

Just imagine how much more effective Adams might have been if the city only had normal rates of immigration to deal

with. He got crime down, for the most part, with murder falling a fantastic 39.5 percent in Queens (as of Dec. 17), compared to last year, from 76 killings to 46. He claims progress against his favorite enemy, rats. Vitally, he got the school system to drop the ridiculous “whole language” charade and to start actually teaching reading again, with phonics. The longterm importance of that move cannot be overstated.

But Adams’ ability to drive the agenda has been radically cut back by the migrant crisis. Who knows what other major initiatives he might have spearheaded if he didn’t have to focus so much on building tent cities for foreigners?

He’s also been unable to make a real dent in two other crises that have changed life in the city drastically in the last two years: the illegal marijuana shops that supply the legalto-use drug, and illegal scooters and mopeds. You can mostly thank the state for both — for legalizing pot but botching the rollout of sanctioned providers, and for legalizing e-bikes and some scooters but being so unclear about what’s what that a high-ranking police official told us even he can’t tell which are legal until he gets up close to them. And the fires caused by defective lithium-ion batteries have been devastating, with 18 killed through Dec. 21, compared to six all of last year.

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Devil in bus details Dear Editor: Critical information is missing from the MTA NYC Transit Queens bus route proposal.

What are the capital and operating costs for implementation?

How many new buses will be needed for fleet expansion to support increased frequency on both existing lines and eight new local plus limited express, select bus service, express and new “rush” (moving riders from outlying twofare zone neighborhoods to subway or commuter rail stations) routes?

How will articulated buses be assigned by route? How will future electric buses be assigned by route? (Gov. Hochul and the MTA have committed to convert 100 percent of the citywide fleet of 5,600 buses to all-electric within 20 years.)

What are the numbers, locations and costs for construction and installation of electric charging stations at the end of routes? (You would not want buses deadheading back to the garage for recharging in the middle of the day while providing service to riders.)

How many additional bus shelters will be installed? Will bus shelters be installed at bus stops adjacent to major subway stations such as the No. 7 Main Street Flushing, E and F Union Turnpike, J and Z Sutphin and Archer stops, along with other major transfer points that currently lack shelters? © Copyright 2023 by MARK I PUBLICATIONS, INC. All rights reserved.

Neither this newspaper nor any part thereof may be reproduced, copied, or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, recording or by any information retrieval system without the express written permission of the publishers. This copyright is extended to the design and text created for advertisements. Reproduction of said advertisement or any part thereof without the express written permission of MARK I PUBLICATIONS, INC. is strictly prohibited. This publication will not be responsiblefor errors in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Bylined articles represent the sole opinion of the writer and are not necessarily in accordance with the views of the QUEENS CHRONICLE. This Publication reserves the right to limit or refuse advertising it deems objectionable.

The Queens Chronicle is published weekly by Mark I Publications, Inc. at a subscription rate of $19 per year and out of state, $25 per year.

Periodicals Postage Paid (USPS0013-572) at Flushing, N.Y. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mark I Publications, Inc., 71-19 80th St., Suite 8-201, Glendale, NY 11385.

Far higher, though far from home, is the death toll from the multipronged sneak attack launched against Israel on Oct. 7 by the terrorist group Hamas. Here we’ve only had to deal with the sharp fissures in our society exposed by the war Hamas began, not actual carnage. Competing rallies.

Fights over the hostage posters. Terrible stuff, but nothing like the horrors Israel suffered, or the inevitable civilian deaths on the other side as the just war of retaliation goes on.

Then there’s the economy. It’s been great for some, with the stock market hitting record highs — we’re waiting for the next “correction,” and hoping it’s small. At the same time, high interest rates are holding people back from doing things like buying houses, which impacts all kinds of industries, just as inflation was falling to rates people could live with.

And last week we reported that the number of chain stores in Queens fell 3.3 percent this year. If independents are taking over their spaces, great. If the spots go vacant, not so much.

We’ve dealt with a lot here in Queens this year. It’s too bad all our problems can’t be as short-lived as the tenure of exRep. George Santos, the eternal fabulist who was in office for less than a year. Next week we’ll look at some of what we hope can change for the better in 2024. Happy New Year!

E DITOR

How many additional new bus drivers, mechanics, cleaners and other support staff will be needed?

What is the cost and funding source for all of the above? How will MTA NYC Transit deal with growing fare evasion for those additional new riders boarding buses?

How much money from the promised $1 billion in annual congestion price tolling will be allocated to help finance these improvements?

It has always been a combination of funding from City Hall, Albany and the Federal Transit Administration, plus fares collected from riders, that was used to pick up the MTA’s tab.

There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch or, in this case, improved bus services.

Larry Penner Great Neck, LI The writer is a transportation historian, advocate and writer who served for 31 years in the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office, working on funding grants for more than 30 agencies.

More bus plan issues Dear Editor: Stephen Bauman and Richard Reif both make good points in their letters last week about the MTA. Bauman questions the wisdom of eliminating bus stops, stating key information is omitted from the Proposed Final Redesign Plan (“Bus plan lacks key info”). Reif questions the need for expensive consultants and the need for OMNY, stating it is over budget and four years late (“MTA: Money Thrown Away”). Are readers aware that MetroCard was 10 years behind schedule and also over budget?

Money Thrown Away is not new.

The MTA claims the MetroCard has become obsolete and is too expensive to maintain. Can we believe that? The agency’s proposed Final Plan gives no explanations why the latest round of bus route changes were made. Separately, officials issued a table justifying changes made to 25 routes showing how they listened to the communities. Interestingly enough, the Q22

C M SQ page 9 Y K

Life under the tracks Dear Editor: For several weeks now, a homeless man has set up camp under the A train overpass on Pitkin Avenue near the entrance to the casino. He even set up two overturned shopping carts as end tables. Now across the street another homeless person has set up shop.

It amazes me that no law enforcement or homeless advocate group has come to the aid of these unfortunate men. It seems only a matter of time before a worse situation occurs.

Raymond Hackinson Ozone Park

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Resolve to be helpful Dear Editor: Now 2024 is approaching and many of us are thinking of our New Year’s resolutions. In 2023 we were faced with bad acts by those in government, homelessness, increases in crime, guns on the street, the war in the Middle East and attacks on people because of race, religion, nationality or even just diverse viewpoints. The list goes on.

What can the average person do to make this a better world? We still face viruses like the flu, RSV and Covid-19, which means that more people should get vaccinated as these diseases spread from person to person. Those who can maybe should donate funds to food kitchens, pantries and blood banks. Those who can should volunteer with civic organizations, churches and temples to help those in need. In 2024 we should perform more acts of kindness and help those in need. This means our senior citizens who need help.

Now, I’m not just talking. I try to walk the talk. I’m grand knight of St. Anastasia Knights of Columbus Council No. 5911 in Douglaston, and we are involved with acts of charity and run two blood drives a year that saves lives. I am also a member of American Legion Post 103 in Douglaston and a member of the Catholic War Veterans and Auxiliary Post 1979 in Glen Oaks Village. These organizations help fellow veterans.

There are those who say they don’t have the time. Well, I’m 74 years old and for over 30 years I have tried to help others in need. So be all you can be and make 2024 a banner year helping others in our community who are in need of caring and compassion.

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Dear Editor: (An open letter to all) As 2023 draws to a close, I wanted to take a moment to wish you and your family a happy and healthy New Year and joyous holiday season! I am honored to serve as your state senator and wanted to take a moment to share some reflections with you as we turn the page on a new year.

As chair of the Senate Committee on NYC Education, I put NYC’s public school children on the top of my agenda. We reached a historical milestone this year with the Senate’s passage of my legislation to require the instruction of Asian-American history in public schools.

While we are still working with the Assembly to pass the bill, passage in the Senate is a huge step forward in our fight against anti-Asian hate with the understanding that Asian-American history is American history.

This year, and for the first time ever, the state fully funded Foundation Aid, which is the main source of funding for NYC public schools. As the city and state face looming financial challenges, this funding commitment is imperative for the city to be able to meet its mandates to provide a sound, basic education for all public school kids.

We also passed landmark legislation that will give all students statewide a day off from

E

school for Lunar New Year and all students in New York City a day off for Diwali!

The coming year is among the most revered and auspicious in the Lunar New Year calendar — the Year of the Dragon, symbolizing power, nobility, honor, luck and success. As we enter 2024, let’s resolve to reflect on what it means to be Americans and remain mindful of our responsibilities as New Yorkers and citizens of the world. For my part, I will continue to push for public policies that improve the quality of our public education system, and commit to supporting programs and services that uplift our diverse communities in the new year and beyond.

Wishing you and your loved ones all the best in 2024!

John Liu New York State Senator for the 16th District Bayside

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and Q35 are omitted. Rockaway residents have been protesting those proposed changes for five years, since before the study even began.

Neither did the MTA reduce the number of bus stops slated for removal (a net number of 1,400 that have to be manually counted), despite a change.org petition with over 3,100 signatures against bus stop removal and over a thousand reasons. Where bus stops were restored based on community opposition, others were eliminated instead. The MTA claims transparency and says it is listening but fails to show that the redesign increases service, although $30 million more is being invested.

How do we know that the $30 million more isn’t for nonrevenue service?

Perhaps, the only consultant we need is one to tell us when the MTA isn’t misleading us or distorting the truth.

Allan Rosen Brooklyn The writer is a former director of MTA New York City Transit Bus Planning with three decades of experience in transportation and a master’s degree in urban planning.

DITOR

Page 9 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 28, 2023

LETTERS TO THE

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 28, 2023 Page 10

C M SQ page 10 Y K

UFT sues Adams to block budget cuts Argues the administration’s actions violate state Constitution and law

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

In a significant legal move, the United Federation of Teachers announced on Dec. 21 that it has initiated legal proceedings in Manhattan State Supreme Court to challenge the Adams administration’s budget cuts of up to $2 billion from city schools. The lawsuit contends that the city unlawfully diminished its contribution to education despite a surge in state funding for public schools.

The legal filing, which was included in a UFT press release, argues that the cuts occurred at a time when the city exceeded revenue expectations by nearly $8 billion in the last fiscal year.

Mayor Adams announced reductions of approximately $550 million for the current fiscal year in November, with further slashes projected to reach $2 billion.

The lawsuit challenges the administration’s justification for diverting funds toward asylum seekers, saying the estimated cost of $11 billion over two years is “an unverified estimate.”

Lower projections from the city’s Independent Budget Office and the city comptroller have contested this figure, the lawsuit said, describing it as misleading.

Categorizing the administration’s portrayal of a fiscal crisis as a “false narrative,” the lawsuit argues that school funding “should not be wielded as a political bargaining chip.” It asserts that essential services to the city’s schools should not substitute mayoral leadership and advocacy required to secure federal and state support.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew said in the release, “The administration can’t go around touting the tourism recovery and the return of the city’s pre-pandemic jobs, and then create a fiscal crisis and cut education because of its own mismanagement of the asylum seeker problem. Our schools and our families deserve better.”

The lawsuit urges the court to declare the recent and planned budget cuts as violations of the state Constitution and state law. It also calls for an order compelling the administration to restore education funding to $14.5 billion.

One Forest Hills educator, who requested anonymity in fear of retribution, said she believes the lawsuit is just.

“I don’t know if anything will come of it,” she admitted.

“But I think someone had to do something. I’m proud of the union as a whole.”

Asked to elaborate, she added, “I know the mayor is in a

rough spot — he has it coming from all sides. But it’s harmful to take money away from our education system and funnel it to asylum seekers who, don’t get me wrong, also deserve basic rights and shelter. There has to be an alternative method, and as mayor, it’s up to him to figure it out.”

The Chronicle reached out to City Hall for comment on the matter and was directed to a Dec. 21 press conference.

Adams said lawsuits should not be seen as a “reflection” of deteriorating relations between him and the UFT or District Council 37, the largest public-sector union that is also suing the mayor for budget cuts.

Adams praised Mulgrew and Henry Garrido, the executive director of DC 37, referring to them as friends asnd “smart guys” who all want what’s best for the city.

“From time to time, friends disagree,” Adams said. “And sometimes it ends up in a boardroom and sometimes it ends up in a courtroom.” “... They know what we’re facing. They know exactly what we’re facing, and they are very smart. They understand government,” Adams said. “They’ve been there for a long time, and they know the challenges that we are facing Q at this time.”

PS 56 collects 1K+ socks for the needy School’s student government led the efforts to get donations for charity

by Kristen Guglielmo

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Associate Editor

“We wanted to help the entire community,” said fifth-grade student Annalisa Merriweather, the student government president at PS 56 Harry Eichler in Richmond Hill.

Students collected more than 1,300 pairs of socks during its first-ever sock drive. To celebrate the feat, the school hosted a celebration for students, faculty and parents last Thursday morning. State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven) attended to congratulate the group on its efforts and answer questions about working in government.

The senator lauded the students for their accomplishment and gave them advice on how to help their school and community.

“I encourage you to speak out,” Addabbo said. “Use your voice. Because when you speak out, you’re not speaking just for yourself. ... So let’s work together.”

Fifth-grade teacher Emily Golant told

Students at PS 56 Harry Eichler in Richmond Hill collected over 1,300 pairs of socks to donate PHOTO BY KRISTEN GUGLIELMO to those in need. the Chronicle that the kids were the ones who thought up the idea to host a sock drive.

“I’m incredibly proud of them,” she said.

“It’s a huge accomplishment, and we’re all very happy.”

Asked the reasoning for collecting socks, Annalisa, who hopes to one day become the country’s president or a swim teacher, said, “Winter starts today. It’s cold outside and we want people to be warm.”

Socks are the top item requested by homeless shelters, the students said during the ceremony.

Annalisa said it “feels amazing” to help those in need, adding that she always likes to give money to the homeless. “I don’t like to see people on the street,” she said.

School Principal Megan Gitli McKeon was overwhelmed with pride. “[The students have] taken on this sock drive with everything they have. They’ve been on the announcements every day, they’ve been going into classrooms, sharing their ‘why’ with all of our children here.

This is what leadership is all about. This is what we are all about. And we are beyond Q proud.”

CEC calls for mayoral control and reforms

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

Community Education Council 26 on Dec. 14 unanimously approved a resolution titled “Resolution on Improving School Governance of New York City Public Schools,” which emphasizes the need for continued mayoral control and reforms to the city’s school governance structure. The resolution begins with historical context, citing the 1970 shift away from mayoral control due to civil rights protests against school segregation.

Subsequent decentralization into 32 commu-

nity school districts led to corruption and inefficiencies, the resolution said, including the hiring of drug dealers and gang members, job sales and board members who openly admitted they would never send their children to the district they represented.

The resolution stresses the absence of viable alternatives to mayoral control, saying “democratically elected school boards are subject to tyranny of the majority.”

The CEC also noted that any alternative to mayoral control would require a “phase-in period lasting several years to avoid undue disrup-

tion to schools.”

Furthermore, CEC 26’s resolution called borough president appointees “a vestige of the prior governance system” who “dilute elected representation of the parent community.” The resolution said few candidates apply for CEC seats, thus leaving vacancies that “impede CEC business.”

CEC 26 also said the Panel for Educational Policy lacks elected parent representation from citywide councils.

The group proposed extending mayoral control through Mayor Adams’ full term of office

and implementing structural reforms. Specifically, the resolution suggests eliminating borough president appointees on the PEP and replacing them with one member appointed by each of the citywide councils, as well as reducing the amount of mayoral appointees and ensuring a parent majority on the PEP. The resolution also advocates for requiring evaluations of the chancellor’s performance by the 36 Community and Citywide Education Councils, focused on engagement and responsiveness to communities, “to be considered an Q input to mayoral control hearings.”

C M SQ page 11 Y K

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Queens Blvd. section set for $30M upgrade Federal grant secured for safety redesign from Roosevelt to 73rd St.

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

The city will continue its long-term reconstruction of Queens Boulevard with nearly $30 million from the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All program.

The stretch of road coincides with the southern border of Woodside between Roosevelt Avenue and 73rd Street. City officials, in a statement from Mayor Adams’ office last week, said the project is a continuation of work done in 2015, 2016 and 2017 under former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Vision Zero program.

“These funds will bring much-needed safety infrastructure to Queens Boulevard, help us u nderstand how e-bikes have changed our streetscape, and expand efforts to make our city fleet as safe as possible,” Adams said. “Public safety is the prerequisite to prosperity, and that is why our administration has fought for real investments in our city’s traffic safety.”

City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said the transformation of Queens Boulevard shows how street redesigns can prevent crashes, injuries on a roadway that decades ago was called the “Boulevard of Death” due to the number of fatal accidents. Construction is expected to begin in fall 2024.

Some existing bike lanes on Queens Boulevard will become elevated in a $30 million redesign PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER BARCA / FILE project expected to begin next fall.

The mayor thanked U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Reps. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) and Nydia Velázquez (D-Brooklyn, Queens) for their roles in securing the funds.

Adams’ office said 42 people died or suffered serious injuries on the targeted stretch of Queens Boulevard between 2009 and 2014.

The project is the first part of a broader

plan to upgrade the existing painted safety treatments along the Queens Boulevard corridor with concrete, solidifying the temporary improvements delivered in recent years. The improvements are slated to include: • expanding and reconstructing the service road medians by providing a continuous, raised pedestrian mall and raised bicycle path;

• reconfiguring several slip ramps to improve safety for all road users, reduce crossing distances and create calmer, more predictable driving behavior; • improving accessibility at all bus stops; • installing a planted buffer and vertical barriers to protect pedestrians from the traffic on the median; and • adding new lighting, public seating and landscaping.

The DOT recently was criticized in a posting on the Streetsblog website for the configuration of raised bike lanes on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx, which have angled curbs that the article said simply make it easier to park cars on bike lanes and block them. The DOT has said the slope up to the bike lane, rather than having a curb that meets the roadway at a 90-degree angle, is intended to allow better emergency vehicle access.

In an email on Wednesday morning, the DOT said it has taken note and is planning some adjustments.

“The mountable curbs on Queens Boulevard will be 50 percent taller than those on Grand Concourse, which are closer in profile to standard DOT curbs. The raised bike lane represents a major upgrade to the existing onstreet painted lanes at this section of Queens Boulevard. As with all of our designs we will closely review and adjust them as needed.” Q

Hillcrest principal out following controversy

by Kristen Guglielmo

PHOTO BY KRISTEN GUGLIELMO

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Associate Editor

Pheffer Amato honors QChron Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato visited the Queens Chronicle offices last Thursday to surprise Publisher Mark Weidler with a proclamation to celebrate the paper’s 45th anniversary.

The proclamation states that the assemblywoman honors “the Chronicle for their impeccable community partnership and for

being a leader in news for the past 45 years and many more to come.”

Weidler said, “I want to thank Stacey for the proclamation and recognizing our 45th anniver sar y of covering communities throughout Queens. Always nice when the leaders we cover show appreciation for the work we do.”

— Kristen Guglielmo

Hillcrest High School Principal Scott Milczewski is out just weeks after a chaotic Nov. 20 protest in which students stormed the halls of the Jamaica school after a teacher posted a pro-Israel photo to her personal Facebook page.

According to reports from the New York Post and the Daily News, Milczewski, in a Wednesday email to parents, said he was offered and accepted the position of director of teacher development and evaluation within the Division of Teaching and Learning at the Department of Education.

The action comes following a change.org petition calling for Milczewski to be removed due to “concerns regarding leadership effectiveness, which has contributed to the current state of the school.”

The petition, which listed concerns raised by faculty and students, received 232 signatures as of publication. It read, in part, “The violence at Hillcrest High School did not start overnight; it began when Scott Milczewski became principal.”

T h e p e t it io n c a n b e fo u n d a t change.org/p/save-hillcrest-high-school.

Milczewski came under fire following the protest, in which hundreds of students crowded the hallways, with many chanting and waving Palestinian flags. The teacher who was the catalyst for the riot reportedly had to hide in a locked office during the protest, but that claim later was disputed by Schools Chancellor David Banks at a press conference on Nov. 27.

Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Fresh Meadows), who was present at the press conference, released a statement Wednesday regarding Milczewski’s departure.

“I am heartened to learn about the leadership changes at Hillcrest High School that were announced today including the removal of the principal, Scott Milczewski.

The recent anti-Semitic rampage by students that targeted a Jewish educator and escalated into a full-blown riot was an utter disgrace,” Weprin wrote. “... This decision represents a first step in the long road to healing.”

The DOE could not immediately say who will assume the role of principal following Milczewski’s departure, and school staff could not be reached due to winter Q recess.

C M SQ page 13 Y K

Page 13 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 28, 2023

For the latest news visit qchron.com

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 28, 2023 Page 14

C M SQ page 14 Y K

MTA plans ADA work at four subway stops Three in LIC, one in Sunnyside; LIRR has similar plans for Hollis, Forest Hills

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

Four Queens subway stations are among 13 that will be getting handicap-accessible upg rades u nder cont r acts t hat were announced on Dec. 20 by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The contracts also include unspecified accessibility upgrades at Long Island Rail Road stations in Forest Hills and Hollis; as well as those for electric buses and additional capital improvements for the LIRR and MetroNorth.

A statement from the MTA said renovations to bring the 13 subway stations into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a commitment of $1.8 billion.

No timelines, construction schedules or specific renovations at the stations were available from the MTA prior to the Chronicle’s deadline on Wednesday.

“The procurements moving forward today advance top 2023 MTA goals — expanding accessibility systemwide, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and keeping the transit system in a state-of-good repair,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said in the press release. “Together they will help move forward the transit system riders deserve.”

More than 140 of the MTA’s 472 stations

Passengers using the N/W subway line’s Broadway station have accessibility upgrades PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON / FILE in their future. are considered accessible, including 21 in Queens.

Additional accessibility projects in the World’s Borough that already have been approved and are at various stages of development or construction include the Beach 67 Street A station in the Rockaways; the J/Z station at Woodhaven Boulevard in Woodhav-

en; Queensboro Plaza in Long Island City [see separate story in some editions or online at qchron.com]; the M/R station at Steinway Street in Astoria; the M/R station on Woodhaven Boulevard at the Rego Park-Middle Village border; the Rockaway Boulevard A station in Ozone Park; and the Northern Boulevard M/R station in Woodside.

“The procurements moving forward today bring us to 42 subway stations in construction for full ADA-accessibility — the most in MTA history and a further demonstration of our commitment to expanding accessibility systemwide,” said Jamie Torres-Springer, the MTA’s const r uction and development president.

State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris (D-Astoria) and state Sen. Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) have fought for ADA upgrades at Western Queens subway stations and the Hollis LIRR station, respectively, for years. Both expressed hope in the MTA’s prepared statement.

“After years of pushing for accessibility improvements, the MTA listened to western Queens residents, activists and elected leaders advocating for better subway access,” Gianaris said. “These improvements will go a long way to making our subway available for all.

While there is still a long way to go in making the entire subway system 100 percent

accessible, these elevators represent a step forward.”

Comrie said he also is pleased with the MTA’s signing off on the purchase of 205 electric buses.

“I have been fighting for these capital commitments to be fulfilled as they have been long requested by my community,” Comrie said. “Accordingly, my colleagues and I insisted that these projects and nearly twenty additional public transit-related improvements be fulfilled as preconditions for congestion pricing. Our commuter rail and bus lines must be as accessible and convenient as possible for riders if their use is to be heavily encouraged. I commend the MTA for advancing these initiatives and look forward to their timely delivery to the community.”

Councilwoman Selvena Brooks-Powers (D-Laurelton), chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said the progress was needed.

“The [MTA] has a legal and moral obligation to ensure New Yorkers with disabilities can access its stations, and every new elevator the MTA installs empowers more community members to make use of the city’s subway network,” she said. “And by electrifying its electric bus fleet, the MTA can reduce emissions and help the city achieve carbon neuQ trality.”

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Photo contest!

PHOTO COURTESY RPM BASEBALL

Don’t let your Christmas tree go to waste after the holiday season — recycle it at the Department of Parks and Recreation and Department of Sanitation’s Mulchfest. Trees can be dropped off at any Mulchfest location between Dec. 26 and Jan. 7 to be recycled as wood chips that will be used to nourish growing city trees.

Queens has 15 drop-off locations, seven of which are drop-off only, where you can say goodbye to your tree and take a family photo! At the remaining eight sites, the public is invited to watch the process — while you can drop your tree off any day, on Chipping Weekend, Jan. 6-7, you may take home a tree-mento and some free mulch.

Over 58,300 trees were recycled last year, a number the city is hoping to beat.

Participants are asked to remove all lights, ornaments and netting before bringing the tree to a Mulchfest site. Bags will be provided for those who wish to take some free mulch home. Weather permitting, the Sanitation Department will collect trees curbside for mulching from Jan. 5 through Jan. 13.

Those interested in volunteering or who are looking for a location near Q them may visit nycgovparks.org.

PHOTO BY STEVE FISHER

Recycle your Christmas tree

RPM Baseball hits HR in drive The Chronicle extends a special thanks to Maspeth-based RPM Baseball owner Greg Modica and his entire staff for their dedicated efforts as part of the paper’s annual toy drive.

In addition to collecting plenty of donations for the third year running, RPM staff personally delivered toys to the Boulevard

Family Shelter in Elmhurst. That’s thanks to Modica and instructor Leroy Evangelista, the latter of whom can be seen above with some of the donations.

The toys collected by RPM Baseball were among the hundreds the Chronicle was able to donate as a result of this year’s drive.

— Sophie Krichevsky

Last call! The Queens Chronicle’s 16th annual Holiday Photo Contest isn’t over yet.

Shoot for both a prize and the recognition that comes with seeing your photo published atop a page full of entries, and at qchron.com. Take pictures of anything that reflects the season — joyous children and families, lights, miniature villages, snowy landscapes, whatever it might be. Our main requirement is that the photos be taken in the borough this season. We have just a couple more guidelines; you can find them at tinyurl.com/db2cdpyc.

Prizes may vary, so keep that flexibility in mind when entering! All winning shots, and many others, get published in print and online.

Send your high-resolution digital photos to peterm@qchron.com, saying “contest” somewhere in the subject line, or mail prints to Queens Chronicle Photo Contest, 71-19 80 St., suite 8-201, Glendale, NY 11385. The deadline is Tuesday, Jan. 2.

— Peter C. Mastrosimone Good luck!

C M SQ page 15 Y K

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C M SQ page 16 Y K YEAR IN REVIEW

2023

MID QUEENS: PART I

Lean trains, clean trains and more

2023 gains on transit, environment; losing on tolls, marijuana

by Michael Gannon The first half of 2023 saw people in midQueens hopeful about the future of public transportation in the region with the proposed Interborough Express rail line; but less so about a future with legal marijuana dispensaries.

A member of Community Board 5 was removed amid controversy, and a member of the state Assembly was not.

And grateful residents did see the beginning of the end to a pair of decades-old environmental problems.

January If you use Citi Bikes you love them; if a rack of the rental two-wheelers takes up sidewalk or parking space on your block in Maspeth, Middle Village or elsewhere, perhaps not. On Jan. 5, price increases for numerous rental plans took effect, with other plans set to increase later in the year.

Lyft, which runs Citi Bike, notified Community Board 5 in January that it intends to expand its footprint in District 5.

In a Jan. 5 press conference, Mayor Adams praised N Y PD Com missioner Keechant Sewell for major reductions in murders and shootings in her first year on the job, while saying the department still had to tackle an overall 22-percent increase in index crimes in 2022.

Police announced they were seeking the public’s help in identifying and locating a burglary suspect who dressed as a food delivery man — he even had a Grub Hub delivery bag — when breaking into a Grandview Avenue apartment building in Ridgewood. He was unable to get into any individual apartments.

For the latest news visit qchron.com

and international flights.

Con Edison and the city struck a threeyear deal on Feb. 22 under which the utility drastically reduced the rate increases it was seeking for the delivery of electricity and natural gas. The company had been seeking a one-year increase of 11.2 percent for electric rates and 18.2 percent for gas.

Senior News Editor

Assemblyman Juan Ardila was accused of sexual assault by two women. He says an investigation FILE PHOTO has cleared him.

The state’s preliminary map for the Interborough Express shows five new stops for what now is being planned as a light rail project linking Queens and Brooklyn with dozens of new transportaMTA IMAGE / FILE tion options.

The Juniper Park Civic Association was among the members of the Queens Civic Congress that voiced opposition to building a casino on the parking lot at Citi Field on Jan. 6. The next day more than 500 community members attended a visioning session at the ballpark at which Mets owner Steve Cohen solicited public input on what should be done with the parking lot.

Revel, the Brooklyn-based ride-share company, announced Jan. 9 that it is planning a 60-station electric vehicle charging hub for Maspeth at 54-12 48 St., just south of the Long Island Expressway.

State officials announced on Jan. 19 that the Interborough Express, a proposed passenger train that will connect Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and Jackson Heights, will be built as a light-rail project.

The IBX is expected to connect with 17 subway lines, the Long Island Rail Road and numerous bus routes. Proposed stations include Ridgewood, Middle Village, Maspeth, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights.

Alexa Ruiz, 23, of Maspeth, was found shot to death on Jan. 11 in the bedroom of her home on 56th Drive. Family members contacted police when she had not been heard from for a few days.

Richard Huber, a longtime member of Community Board 5, was removed by Borough President Donovan Richards following a remark at the Jan. 11 board meeting that Richards and others considered racist. Speaking in connection with a recent nurses’ strike, Huber called Covid-19 “Wu flu,” a reference to its origin in China’s Wuhan province.

Two swastikas were found painted on downed trees in Forest Park on Jan. 15. The trees were just off a main hiking trail.

Frank Thomas, an original 1962 New York Met, died Jan. 16 at age 93. The slugger’s 34

home runs that inaugural season remained a team record until 1975.

February Gov. Hochul’s budget proposal explicitly marked 128-year-old Aqueduct Race Track in Ozone Park for demolition soon after a $455 million renovation project is completed at Belmont Park in Nassau County.

Nearly two dozen alleged members of the Crips gang from the Woodside Houses and Astoria Houses were charged on Feb. 14 in an 85-count indictment including conspiracy to commit murder and weapons charges on Feb. 14. The investigation was sparked by the March 12, 2021 shooting death of Gudelia Vallinas, a mother of two who was killed by a stray bullet while running errands for her family.

Huber, speaking as a private citizen at the Feb. 8 meeting of Community Board 5, criticized Richards and the leadership of the board in regard to his dismissal in January, saying he was removed without notice, due process or consideration of his years of service.

The second annual FDNY vs. NYPD men’s volleyball fundraiser match at Maspeth High School again went to the police, who defeated New York’s Bravest 25-23, 25-17, 19-25 and 25-19.

In a vote expected to have far-reaching political implications, the state Senate voted down Justice Hector LaSalle, a moderate and Gov. Hochul’s nominee for chief judge of the Court of Appeals, the highest court in the state. Associate Judge Rowan Wilson would be approved as chief judge in April.

Terminal 1 at John F. Kennedy International Airport returned to full service on Feb. 19, three days after an electrical fire shut down the facility that handles both domestic

March More than 20 people lost their homes and nine firefighters were hurt as fire tore through four buildings on 59th Street in Woodside on March 7.

The next morning, two more members of the FDNY were injured battling a stubborn blaze at the Parts Authority auto parts store at 89-40 Metropolitan Ave. in Glendale. Fire officials battled the blaze for nine hours, with 39 units and 168 firefighters dispatched.

The panel designated by Gov. Hochul to select a speedier mass transit option between Manhattan and LaGuardia Airport on March 13 recommended upgrades to the Q70 bus.

The panel also backed creation of an airport shuttle that would run between the AstoriaDitmars Boulevard terminus of the N-W elevated subway line and LaGuardia.

The recommendations put the final nail in the coffin of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s planned Air Train project between LaGuardia and the Mets-Willets stop on the No. 7 line.

Assemblyman Juan Ardila (D-Sunnyside) was accused in March of sexually assaulting two women on the same night in 2015 while at a small party for Fordham University students and alumni.

Ardila subsequently would hire legal counsel to conduct what he said was an independent review of the accusations. He announced in April that no wrongdoing had been found. A number of elected officials have called on Ardila to resign. He still is seeking reelection to the seat next November, but has begun to attract Democratic challengers.

The city Department of Parks and Recreation selected Brooklyn artist Rose DeSiano from among numerous applicants to create sculptures that will be on display on the Glendale side of Highland Park.

After 20 years in Howard Beach, state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven) had to move his office to Woodhaven to accommodate the redistricting that took place following the 2020 U.S. Census.

St. John’s University got its man on March 19, announcing that Hall of Fame Coach Rick Pitino signed a six-year-contract to coach its men’s basketball team. Pitino entered the season with 834 career wins and 23 NCAA Tournament appearances.

Assemblyman Jeff Aubry (D-Corona) introduced a bill that would alienate the land under the parking l0t at Citi Field to allow for construction of a casino. State Sen. Jessica continued on page 18

C M SQ page 17 Y K

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C M SQ page 18 Y K

Mid Queens has an active start to 2023 continued from page 16 Ramos (D-Jackson Heights) has declined to submit a companion bill, wanting more community input.

Nearly 50 dogs that were rescued from the dog meat trade in East Asia met their new two-legged companions at Kennedy Airport on March 23. The pooches from small to very, very large, were rescued by Jeff Beri’s organization No Dogs Left Behind.

Councilman Bob Holden (D-Maspeth) hosted a law enforcement town hall at Maspeth High School on March 23. Speakers included Assistant District Attorney Shanon LaCorte, director of the Queens District Attorney’s Crime Strategies and Intelligence Unit; NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell and Assistant Chief Christine Bastedenbeck, commanding officer of Patrol Queens Borough, and five Queens North precinct commanders. More than 50 residents attended the talk, followed by a question-and-answer session.

The gathering at the Polish Legion of American Veterans Frank Kowalinski Post 4 in Maspeth also was sponsored by Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 32.

Mount Sinai and the union representing resident doctors and interns at NYC Heath + Hospitals/Elmhurst reached a contract on May 25, ending a three-day strike. The approximately 165 members of the Committee for Interns and Residents union are employed by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and had been working on an expired contract since last July.

Ardila lost control over the allocation of $250,000 in discretionary funding in his district. The authority was passed to Aubry.

April Effective April 1, residents and businesses were required to place their garbage at the curb no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before collection if the trash is in containers; and no earlier than 8 p.m. if using bags.

The Queens Chronicle brought home eight awards, including first place for coverage of local government, in the annual New York Press Association’s annual Better Newspaper Contest.

Following a seven-year impasse, the city and Police Benevolent Association agreed on a new contract. The deal is retroactive to 2017.

Coming off last year’s 101-win season, the New York Mets took their April 7 home opener with a 9-3 victory over the Miami Marlins. The game did not, unfortunately, set a tone for the remainder of the season.

Glendale residents seeking relief from some of the noise from the New York & Atlantic Railway train yard got some hopeful news from the Transportation Services Committee of Community Board 5 on April 12. Committee Chairman Eric Butkiewicz said two new approaches can be tried. The first involves federal elected officials requesting designation of the area as a quiet zone, which would relax, though not eliminate some regulations governing things like when and how long train horns must be blown. The second involves lobbying the Long Island Rail Road to purchase newer, quieter locomotives.

At that same meeting it was announced that the city had relocated benches at the 86th Street-Myrtle Avenue entrance to Forest Park several yards to the west, out of the way of cars that might miss the turn to the entrance ramp to the Jackie Robinson Parkway.

“The city is being destroyed by the migrant crisis.”

Mayor Adams made that observation on April 21 at a gathering of the African American Mayors Association.

Adams to this day has accused Washington, DC, and the Biden administration of denying the city billions of dollars needed to pay for the care and housing of migrants. “[T]he president and the White House have failed New York City on this issue,” Adams said earlier in the week.

New York’s Finest took on New York’s Bravest again on April 28, this time in a basketball fundraiser as officers from the NYPD’s 104th Precinct battled the Myrtle Turtles from the FDNY’s Engine Co. 286 and Ladder Co. 135. The cops won, 49-38

Kim Kotary of the Daughters of the American Revolution presents a lapel pin to one of more than 40 Vietnam veterans honored 50 years after the war’s end.

May The Federal Highway Administration gave preliminary approval to the state’s plan to implement congestion pricing tolls on drivers entering Midtown or Downtown Manhattan at or below 60th Street. Cars would be charged between $9 and $23 per trip. Trucks would be charged a higher fee. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has said that the money will raise $1 billion a year, which would allow the agency to borrow $15 billion for capital improvements.

It was a month overdue, but Gov. Hochul and the state Legislature agreed on a $229 billion budget. It came in $2 billion higher than Hochul first requested.

The city Department of Transportation approved recommendations from Community Board 5 to change sections of three roads in the Liberty Park neighborhood to one-way streets. The DOT, in an email to Holden dated May 4, said 60th Lane has been approved for one-way northbound traffic between Cooper and 75th avenues. Traffic on 64th Street will be converted to one-way southbound between 75th and Cooper avenues. Lastly, 64th Place between Cooper and Cypress Hill Street soon will run one way to the north.

On May 12, the Increase Carpenter Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution honored more than 40 Vietnam veterans from Western Queens to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the war, and to give the men the welcome that was denied them in the 1960s and 1970s.

Jeff Beri, founder of No Dogs Left Behind, gets a thank you at John F. Kennedy International Airport from a malamute rescued from the East Asian meat trade. PHOTOS BY MICHAEL GANNON / FILE

June New York City agreed to remediate radiation-contaminated property it owns in Ridgewood on and near the old Wolff-Alport Chemical Co. The land at 11-25 to 11-39 Irving Ave., still had businesses until earlier this year, but was designated as a federal Superfund cleanup site in 2013.

Wolff-Alport was on the site from 1920 to 1954. During World War II, the company supplied radioactive materials to the federal government for use in the Manhattan Project as U.S. and German scientists raced to create the atomic bomb. But it also dumped radioactive waste into the New York City sewer system or buried it on-site until 1947.

Roger Craig, the first pitcher to start a game for the 1962 Mets, died June 4 at 93.

Sewell stunned the city by submitting her resignation effective June 30. Reports said Sewell was upset by micromanaging by Adams and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks. First Deputy Commissioner Edward Caban would be tapped as her replacement.

After 14 years, a bill that could prevent a great deal of pollution and horrific odors emanating from trash-laden trains running through or sitting in Queens made it out of the Legislature to the governor’s desk on June 23, to the approval who live near the New York & Atlantic Railroad yards in Glendale. The measure, sponsored by Addabbo and Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar (D-Woodhaven), would require that all putrescible waste being transported by rail be covered with either a hard tarp or sealed lid. The aim is to keep odors in and to keep out rain that mixes with the garbage and leaches out through drains in the bottom of the cars out.

The Federal Highway Administration on June 26 ruled that New York State’s congestion pricing proposal needed no further studies, giving the toll plan a green light.

Diwali, one of the holiest days of the year for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers in the South Asian and IndoCaribbean communities, became a city public school holiday, Mayor Adams announced at City Hall on June 26.

Adams was accompanied by Rajkumar at the City Hall announcement. Rajkumar championed the bill authorizing the holiday, having advocated for it since she took office.

Osbert Orduña, CEO of The Cannabis Place, made a personal presentation to Community Board 5 in connection with his company’s application to open a legal, licensed adult-use dispensary in the old Chase Bank at 74-03 Metropolitan Avenue in Middle Village. Orduña, a disabled Marine Corps veteran, spoke at length about his business plans, his security precautions and his intention to be a good neighbor and a contributor to the community. While he was the first marijuana businessman to speak to the board, he would not be the last; with all running into opposition from board members.

Adams and the city Department of Environmental Protection in June took the controversial tack of going after lots of residents’ favorite pizza. Under proposed regulations, pizzeria owners who have wood- or coal-fired ovens installed before May 2016 would be required to make costly upgrades in order to reduce their carbon output by up to 75 Q percent.

C M SQ page 19 Y K

A 28-year-old woman died after being shot late Tuesday evening in South Richmond Hill, according to authorities.

Just minutes before midnight, a black Honda sedan operated by an unidentified 39-year-old male pulled up to the NYPD 103rd Precinct station house in Jamaica, police said.

The man told officers that he and a 28-year-old female passenger, later identified by authorities as Clarisa Burgos of Brooklyn, were shot.

Police said upon further investigation it was determined that the shooting occurred at 127th Street and Liberty Avenue, within the confines of the 106th Precinct.

The man was shot multiple times in the torso and Burgos was shot once in the head, police said. She was pronounced deceased at the scene by EMS. The man was transported by EMS to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in stable condition.

No arrests have been made, police said, and the investigation is currently Q ongoing.

— Kristen Guglielmo

Page 19 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 28, 2023

Fatal shooting in S. Rich Hill

Scam man gets up to 7 years Rich Hill resident cheated people of $40,175

by Naeisha Rose Associate Editor

More than a dozen people were victims of a housing scam by a Richmond Hill man, a spokeswoman for the office of District Attorney Melinda Katz told the Chronicle.

Shabab Khan, 44, renovated the basement in his home located on 127th Street, leased it as an apartment to several people at the same time and promised them they could rent it the same time or during overlapping time periods from December 2017 to August 2018, prosecutors said last Wednesday.

After listing his apartment on websites such as Craigslist.com and Apartments. com, Khan provided tours of the unit, then immediately requested that his future tenants turn over $1,725 to $3,600 to cover rent and security deposits, only to come up with various excuses as to why he had to delay their move-in date, according to the charges.

Not only did he waste his victims’ time and cost them money in accrued storage and moving truck fees, he also “refunded” them with bad checks, which resulted in their banks suspending their accounts.

Other would-be tenants were simply cut off

for a place to call home or trying to get ahead and he took advantage and exploited them. For many of the victims, the rental deposit they gave to the defendant was everything they had.”

After an investigation and his arrest in 2018, Khan pleaded guilty on Oct. 7, 2022 to grand larceny and scheme to defraud and was ordered make restitution, the DA’s Office said via email.

Khan also pleaded guilty on Oct. 7, 2022 to grand larceny for an unrelated case, in he rented eight box trucks from hese were hard-working which Enterprise, each valued at more than $80,000, using stolen cards and checks people looking for a from closed accounts. He then rerented the trucks to unsuspecting customers for as place to call home ...” much as $3,000 a week and did not bother — District Attorney Melinda Katz to bring the trucks back to the company.

Khan paid back the $40,175 in full to his victims in the first case and was sentenced that he promised would triple or quadruple to three and a half years to seven years in their investment within a matter of weeks.

After months of delays and a request for a prison. He was also sentenced for two to four years for the Enterprise case, which refund, the couple was also written a bad will be served concurrently with the rental check, leading to their bank suspending scam and investigation case. their account, Katz’s office said.

“Fortunately, we were able to secure res“The defendant victimized people in his own community,” Katz said in a statement. titution for the victims and the defendant Q will serve time in prison,” Katz said.

“These were hard-working people looking from communication with their new landlord, authorities said. With no bank account, and lost funds, many people were unable to secure another rental, authorities said.

Two women ended up in homeless shelters and a third victim was a pregnant mother, reported ABC 7.

On top of the rental scam, Khan also cheated a Queens couple of $9,600, which he said would fund a real estate transaction

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CULTURE LAB LIC HOUR CHILDREN HUNTERS POINT PARKS CONSERVANCY JACOB RIIS SETTLEMENT HOUSE KIDS RIDE CLUB LIC ARTISTS LIC COMMUNITY BOAT HOUSE LIC CULTURAL ALLIANCE LIC YMCA MOMA PSI MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE NYC KIDS RISE PURSUIT QUEENS MUSEUM QUEENS PUBLIC LIBRARY URBAN UPBOUND

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 28, 2023 Page 20

C M SQ page 20 Y K YEAR IN REVIEW

2023

CENTRAL QUEENS: PART I

They beg to differ — about a lot

Austin Street, marijuana shops, concerts and more spark debate

by Michael Gannon Austin Street in Forest Hills isn’t very wide, but the views of those arguing about its future might as well be miles apart.

There are similarly diverging views of the marijuana shops that have sprung up on both sides of the Austin corridor and others like Metropolitan Avenue.

And in 2023, the term “love” means nothing both in tennis and between the two sides arguing over the concerts that play at the iconic Forest Hills Tennis Stadium.

January In a Jan. 5 press conference, Mayor Adams praised NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell for major reductions in murders and shootings in her first year on the job, while saying the department still had to tackle an overall 22 percent increase in index crimes in 2022.

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, who is looking to build a casino, green space and other amenities on the parking lot at Citi Field, welcomed more than 550 people to the ballpark on Jan. 7 to get their ideas for what should be done with the 50-acre space.

The Forest Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps on Jan. 10 received clearance from New York State to begin serving Kew Gardens and Richmond Hill. Founded in 1971, the group also covers Forest Hills and Rego Park. The green light to expand its service area was the culmination of a two-year application process that required approval from the New York City Regional Emergency Medical Safety Council, the New York State Department of Health and the State Emergency Medical Safety Council.

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woman with drug-laced cheesecake in 2016 in an effort to steal her identity. She was convicted of first-degree attempted assault, second-degree assault, unlawful imprisonment, first-degree larceny and petit larceny for the plot she arranged to look like a suicide.

The Walgreens store at 63-37 108 St. in Forest Hills closed Feb. 20, one of many chain pharmacies in Queens that would shutter during the year.

Forest Hills residents and activists who would like sections of Austin Street to have more pedestrian amenities and less automobile traffic scored a victory on Feb. 23 when the Transportation/Public Transit/Street Safety Committee of Community Board 6 approved a resolution calling for a study from the city Department of Transportation.

It would kick off an ongoing battle between backers of the “pedestrianization” of Austin Street and opponents, particularly business owners along the corridor.

Senior News Editor

Legendary composer Burt Bacharach, a member of the Forest Hills HIgh School Class of 1946, died on Feb. 8 at age 94. His career included six FILE PHOTO Grammys and three Oscars.

Cyclists, pedestrian groups and others are calling on the city to study “pedestrianization” of some or all of Austin Street in Forest Hills. Hundreds of others, including members of the busiPHOTO BY DEIRDRE BARDOLF / FILE ness community, are ardently opposed.

Two swastikas were found painted on downed trees in Forest Park on Jan. 15. The trees were just off a main hiking trail.

Frank Thomas, an original 1962 New York Met, died Jan. 16 at age 93. The slugger’s 34 home runs that inaugural season remained a team record until 1975.

Forest Hills businessman Paul Wong, who operated the Golden Peak Laundromat on 108th Street since 2003, died at age 75 on Jan. 20. Wong and his wife, Mary, immigrated to the United States from Hong Kong in 2001.

A fire at an unlicensed daycare center in Kew Gardens Hills on Jan. 25 injured 18 children. The fire at 147-07 72 Drive sent one child to the hospital in critical condition and initiated investigations at the city and state levels.

The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force was called in on Jan. 29 to investigate damage to Grace Lutheran Church in Forest Hills caused by a man who was caught on a surveillance camera throwing a large rock against a glass door to the church twice, causing unspecified damage. Police on Feb. 6 would arrest a Manhattan man on charges that included criminal mischief with intent to damage property and criminal mischief as a hate crime.

February Allison Sesso of Forest Hills was a guest of U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) in Washington, DC, on Feb. 7 at President Biden’s State of the Union Address. Sesso’s home sustained more than $100,000 worth of damage when the remnants of Hurricane Ida slammed into Queens on Sept. 1, 2021. The resulting flooding in many areas killed 11 Queens residents and caused millions of dollars in damage. Meng has been a vocal advocate of funding from all levels of government to upgrade

infrastructure to prevent flooding.

Forest Hills resident Dan Wohl, a teacher at Syosset High School on Long Island, won $26,700 on “Jeopardy” during a show aired on Feb. 8. He was unable to retain the title on the next show.

Composer Burt Bacharach, who grew up in Forest Hills before launching a career that included six Grammys and three Oscars, died Feb. 8 at age 94. The Missouri native was a member of the Forest Hills High School class of 1946. In 1970 he took the entertainment world by storm, winning his first two Oscars: one for best original score for the movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” and the other for best original song for the movie’s theme, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head.” The score for “Butch Cassidy” also earned Bacharach one of his two Grammys that year. He received his third Oscar in 1981 for best original song for “Arthur’s Theme,” cowritten with then-wife Carol Bayer Sager, Christopher Cross and Peter Allen. He also was once married to actress Angie Dickinson.

Members of Community Board 6 on Feb. 8 were growing increasingly tired of the stumbling over enforcement against illegal marijuana shops, especially with the number of illegal dispensaries that have sprung up along business corridors.

“Community District 6 currently does not have a licensed conditional adult-use retail dispensary,” Board Chairperson Heather Beers-Dimitriadis told members. At the time the only two legal shops in the city were in Manhattan. District Manager Frank Gulluscio said it was the hottest topic of calls coming into the office.

A Queens jury on Feb. 9 convicted Brooklyn dominatrix Viktoria Nasyrova, 47, of attempted murder for poisoning a Forest Hills

March Gov. Hochul finally had enough of the delays, crowded platforms and confusing directions to passengers associated with the rollout of the new Manhattan-bound schedule for the Long Island Rail Road, ordering the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to fix the problems. Many of the issues revolved around changes made to accommodate service to the new Grand Central Madison station.

The panel designated by Gov. Hochul to select a speedier mass transit option between Manhattan and LaGuardia Airport on March 13 recommended upgrades to the Q70 bus.

The panel also backed creation of an airport shuttle that would run between the AstoriaDitmars Boulevard terminus of the N-W elevated subway line and LaGuardia.

The recommendations put the final nail in the coffin of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s planned AirTrain project between LaGuardia and the Mets-Willets stop on the No. 7 line.

The long-anticipated modernization of subway signals on the Queens Boulevard line’s E, F and R routes was slated to begin the night of March 17, and is expected to continue into mid-2026.

In 2021, Chabad of Rego Park and Rabbi Eli Blokh mourned the loss of Blokh’s daughter, Chaya, the fourth of his 11 children. On March 19, the congregation celebrated her life and her memory with the dedication of a new Torah scroll that now will be used during Chabad services. A crowd gathered at the Blokh home as Rabbi Yossi Liron came from Brooklyn to add the lettering of the last three lines to the scroll, which was begun in Israel.

Hall of Famer Rick Pitino signed a six-year contract to be the new men’s basketball head coach at St. Johns University. Pitino brought 834 career wins and 23 NCAA appearances to the Jamaica campus.

Assemblyman Jeff Aubry (D-Corona) continued on page 22

C M SQ page 21 Y K

Legal Notices

Notice of Formation of GATEWAY SUFFICIENTCYS LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/08/2023. 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, 11144 144TH ST, JAMAICA, NY 11435. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of HARRIS-ANIZAN HOLDINGS LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/08/2023. 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, 13539 118TH ST, SOUTH OZONE PARK, NY 11420. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

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SUMMONS Supreme Court of New York, Queens County GITSIT SOLUTIONS LLC, Plaintiff -against JAMES R. MILLER AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF EILEEN A. WENZEL; JANE MILLER AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF EILEEN A. WENZEL; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF EILEEN A. WENZEL; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (EASTERN DISTRICT); “JOHN DOE” AND “JANE DOE” said names being fictitious, it being the intention of Plaintiff to designate any and all occupants of premises being foreclosed herein, Defendants. Index No. 716186/2022 Mortgaged Premises: 64-52 58th Road Maspeth, New York 11378 Block: 2753 Lot: 256 To The Above Named Defendant(s): 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. If you fail to appear or to answer within the aforementioned time frame, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint.

NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECTIVE of the above captioned action is to foreclose on a Mortgage to secure $540,000.00 and interest, recorded in the Queens County Clerk’s Office on September 4, 2008 in CRFN 2008000352461, covering the premises known as 64-52 58th Road, Maspeth, New York 11378. The relief sought herein is a final judgment directing sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the mortgage described above. Plaintiff designates Queens County as the place of trial. Venue is based upon the County in which the mortgaged premises is located. 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. FRIEDMAN VARTOLO, LLP 1325 Franklin Avenue, Suite 160, Garden City, New York 11530, Attorneys for Plaintiff.

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Legal Notices

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS INDEX NO. 713690/2022 Plaintiff designates QUEENS as the place of trial situs of the real property Mortgaged Premises: 11330 199TH STREET, SAINT ALBANS, NY 11412 Block: 10993, Lot: 320 MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC Plaintiff, vs. ERECH SWANSTON, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF WILDA SWANSTON; SARAH SWANSTON, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF WILDA SWANSTON; ERNEST SWANSTON, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF WILDA SWANSTON; EDWIN A. SWANSTON, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF WILDA SWANSTON; SAMARA SWANSTON, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF WILDA SWANSTON; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF WILDA SWANSTON, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specifi c 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; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; QUEENS COLLEGE SPECIAL PROJECTS FUND; MICHAEL “DOE” (REFUSED LAST NAME) AS JOHN DOE #1; “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #2; “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #3; “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #4; “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #5, “JOHN DOE #6” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last seven names being fi ctitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, 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 defi ciency 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 $420,000.00 and interest, recorded on May 19, 2004, in Instrument Number 2004000315670, of the Public Records of QUEENS County, New York, covering premises known as 11330 199TH STREET, SAINT ALBANS, NY 11412. The relief sought in the within action is a fi nal 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 of Formation of IH West NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and Harlem Manor Views LLC. Arts. of Org. fi led with Secy. of State complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed (SSNY) on 1/13/21. Offi ce 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 location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your upon whom process against property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU it may be served. SSNY shall MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF mail process to: c/o Infi nite (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Dated: October 23rd, 2023 Horizons, LLC, 142-05 Rockaway ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC, Attorney for Plaintiff, William Knox, Esq., Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11436.

900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675 Purpose: any lawful activity.

Page 21 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 28, 2023

To Advertise Call 718-205-8000

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT QUEENS COUNTY WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, DOING BUSINESS AS CHRISTIANA TRUST, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR BCAT 2015-13BTT, Plaintiff against RASEL PETTER, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Knuckles, Komosinski & Manfro, LLP, 565 Taxter Road, Suite 590, Elmsford, NY 10523.

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered October 31, 2019, 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 January 26, 2024 at 10:00 AM. Premises known as 99-23 215th Street, Queens Village, NY 11429. Block 11089 Lot 7. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Fourth Ward of the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $512,495.47 plus interest, fees, and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 710013/2018. Cash will not be accepted at the sale.

The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 11th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. Referee will only accept a certified bank check made payable to the referee.

Janet L. Brown, Esq., Referee File # 2296-001049

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 28, 2023 Page 22

C M SQ page 22 Y K

Central Queens sees a little bit of everything continued from page 20 introduced a bill that would alienate the land under the parking lot at Citi Field to allow for construction of a casino.

State Sen. Jessica Ramos (D-Jackson Heights) has declined to submit a companion bill, wanting more community input.

Nearly 50 dogs that were rescued from the-dog meat trade in East Asia met their new two-legged companions at Kennedy Airport on March 23. The pooches, from small to very, very large, were rescued by Jeff Beri’s organization No Dogs Left Behind.

April Effective April 1, residents and businesses were required to place their garbage at the curb no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before collection if the trash is in containers; and no earlier than 8 p.m. if using bags.

Members of the Forest Hills business community made their displeasure known on April 4 when discussing proposals to reduce or eliminate car traffic on Austin Street at the monthly meeting of Community Board 6. Leslie Brown, president of the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce, was the first of several speakers during the public input session who said any reduction of car traffic and parking would devastate businesses. Brown and others said efforts to pedestrianize some or all of the business corridor would only compound problems caused by the loss of parking to bike lanes on Queens Boulevard and could drive business under. Hundreds of residents, on the other hand, have signed petitions calling on the city’s Department of Transportation to study pedestrianization of some or all of the roadway.

The Queens Chronicle brought home eight awards, including first place for coverage of local government, in the New York Press Association’s annual Better Newspaper Contest.

Following a seven-year impasse, the city and Police Benevolent Association agreed on a new contract. The deal is retroactive to 2017.

Coming off last year’s 101-win season, the New York Mets took their April 7 home opener with a 9-3 victory over the Miami Marlins. The game did not, unfortunately, set a tone for the remainder of the season.

A Brooklyn dominatrix was sentenced to 21 years in prison on April 19 for using poisoned cheesecake in an unsuccessful plot to kill a Forest Hills woman in 2016. Viktoria

The proliferation of unlicensed marijuana vendors all along its major commercial corridors was a regular bone of contention PHOTO BY DEIRDRE BARDOLF / FILE with Community Board 6.

The family of longtime Community Board 6 Chairman Joe Hennessy celebrates the renaming of a corner in his beloved Forest Hills on June 10. PHOTO BY JESSICA MEDITZ / FILE, AND INSET, FILE PHOTO Nasyrova, convicted of attempted murder and other charges in February, bore a strong physical resemblance to her victim at the time of the crime and was attempting to steal and assume her identity.

“The city is being destroyed by the migrant crisis.”

Mayor Adams made that observation on April 21 at a gathering of the African American Mayors Association.

Adams to this day has accused Washington, DC, and the Biden administration of denying the city billions of dollars needed to pay for the care and housing of migrants. “[T]he president and the White House have failed New York City on this issue,” Adams said earlier in the week.

New York City honored the memory of NYPD Det. Jeffrey Lee, on April 22 in Forest Hills, co-naming a corner for him at the intersection of Austin Street and Yellowstone Boulevard. The site is just across the street from the 112th Precinct, where Lee spent much of his 26 years on the NYPD before succumbing to a 9/11-related illness at age 53.

The Forest Hills Gardens Association and the historic West Side Tennis Club filed legal suits against each other in a dispute over the 30 concerts scheduled for the Forest Hills Stadium. The FGHA, in a 24-page complaint, and individual residents interviewed by the Chronicle, say the number of concerts scheduled this year is excessive and will seriously harm the quality of life for residents of the private community.

The tennis club, in a 28-page counter complaint, said that it is a longtime member of the community in good standing, pays its fees and assessments, and that the stadium has hosted some of the most iconic musical acts in history, including Frank Sinatra and The Beatles. The club also accused the association of trying to close off Burns Street, which allows convenient access and egress; and attempting “to extort millions of dollars from the Club for their own benefit.”

Capt. David Cordano, an 18-year veteran of the NYPD, was named commanding officer of the 112th Precinct. He previously had been the executive officer in the 115th Precinct in Jackson Heights. He replaced Deputy Inspector Jonathan Cappelmann, who had served there for three years.

May Councilmember Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills) wrote a letter to the Department of Transportation on May 2 saying she believes structural and traffic conditions on Austin Street need to be reviewed by the city.

The Federal Highway Administration on May 5 gave preliminary approval to the state’s plan to implement congestion pricing tolls on drivers entering Midtown or Downtown Manhattan at or below 60th Street. Cars would be charged between $9 and $23 per trip. Trucks would be charged a higher fee. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has said that the money will raise $1 billion a year, which would allow the agency to borrow $15 billion for capital improvements.

It was a month overdue, but Gov. Hochul and the state Legislature agreed on a $229 billion budget. It came in $2 billion higher than Hochul first requested.

A school bus fire in Rego Park on May 20 destroyed the bus and some parked cars, but did not injure the six children on board or their driver. The blaze broke out in front of 65-44 Saunders St. Six units and 30 firefighters responded, and all the children were safely evacuated by the time firefighters arrived.

“We worry every time there’s a forecast for heavy rain.”

Cindy Adams is far from alone in that sentiment on 63rd Avenue in Rego Park. Residents this past spring who contacted the Chronicle said it doesn’t take a Hurricane Sandy or even the remnants of Hurricane Ida to have geysers of stormwater — and worse — backing up into their basements. They believe that there are too many storm drains on their street —18 — which causes the sewers to be overwhelmed in heavy rain. Residents told the Chronicle that the flooding has become heavier and more frequent over the years, particularly after a new apartment complex was built nearby on Woodhaven Boulevard. A check back a few weeks later saw less flooding after a particularly heavy storm. A resident said the city has cleaned storm drains after the Chronicle first wrote about the problem.

A Kew Gardens man who police say admitted to fatally shooting a would-be mugger in the early morning hours of May 31 appeared in court after being arrested on more than a dozen weapons-related charges. Charles Foehner, 65, of 82nd Road, allegedly shot and killed Cody Gonzalez, 32, of 82nd Road in Glendale in a confrontation in an 82nd Avenue driveway that was captured on surveillance video. The video shows Gonzalez appearing to threaten Foehner with an object in his hand, and Foehner backing away down what was a dead-end driveway before the shooting took place. A subsequent search of Foehner’s home allegedly turned up a number of unlicensed guns.

June Roger Craig, the first pitcher to start a game for the 1962 Mets, died June 4 at 93.

Sewell stunned the city by submitting her resignation effective June 30. Reports said Sewell was upset by micromanaging by Adams and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks. First Deputy Commissioner Edward Caban was tapped as her replacement.

Residents of Forest Hills and its surrounding communities gathered at Queens Community House on June 10 as the city conamed the intersection of 108th Street and 62nd Drive in honor of the life and community legacy of Joe Hennessy, who served as chairman of Community Board 6 for 23 years. He also served as the Forest Hills Co-op president and a QCH board member. Hennessy was 82 when he died from complications of Covid-19 in 2020.

The Federal Highway Administration on June 26 ruled that New York State’s congestion pricing proposal needed no further studies, giving the toll plan a green light.

Diwali, one of the holiest days of the year for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers in the South Asian and IndoCaribbean communities, became a city public school holiday, Mayor Adams announced at City Hall on June 26.

Adams was accompanied by Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar (D-Woodhaven) at the City Hall announcement. Rajkumar championed the bill authorizing the holiday, having Q advocated for it since she took office.

C M SQ page 23 Y K

December 28, 2023

Page 23 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 28, 2023

ARTS, CULTURE & LIVING

How to stay on top of your New Year’s resolutions or many, a new calendar year is often seen as a fresh start. People use the opportunity to set a goal for themselves that could often be unrealistic, or procrastinate on bettering their lives until the morning of Jan. 1.

But regardless of timing, a resolution can be just as easy to break as it is to make, so the Chronicle sought out experts to help us understand why we make resolutions and how we can stick to them.

“We get so busy in our day to day lives, we forget that we have the ability to make changes anytime,” said Queens psychologist Dr. Liz Owen when asked why people set New Year’s

resolutions. “And so something like a new year — that sort of gets people thinking.”

Longtime Howard Beach resident and wellness guru Debbie Ann Schneider echoed a similar sentiment. “When I used to teach fitness full-time, around Thanksgiving, people would be like, ‘I’m going to start Jan. 1, I want to start Jan. 1.’ And I’d say, ‘Well, maybe you should start now.’”

When trying to set a goal to stick with longterm, Schneider said it’s important to evaluate what you truly want.

“Instead of saying, ‘I want to lose ten pounds’ every year, look back on what you’ve done over the past twelve months. What do you want to

do more of? Resolve to do that.”

Owen, asked the same question, said, “Look at what the motivation is. If the motivation is to get more from other people, then chances are that’s not going to go very far. If the motivation is to end up liking yourself more and being true to your values, then you’re more likely to stick with it.”

Asked what strategies those hoping to achieve their goals for the year can implement, Owen said, “One is to be open to life and accepting of what comes with it.”

In fostering long-term behavioral change, Owen said acceptance is a big factor. continued on page 25

For the latest news visit qchron.com

F

by Kristen Guglielmo

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 28, 2023 Page 24

C M SQ page 24 Y K

I HAVE OFTEN WALKED

King Crossword Puzzle Mike McTigue, boxing champ and saloon keeper

ACROSS

1 Jog 5 Cry 8 Goblet feature 12 Stead 13 Spanish aunt 14 Tortoise’s opponent 15 Ride-sharing arrangements 17 Work units 18 Sixth sense 19 Forbidden acts 21 Stylish wrap 24 Flintstones’ pet 25 Comic strip possum 26 “Yellow” band 30 Where Lux. is 31 Primitive 32 Brit. record label 33 Slapstick missile 35 Perched on 36 Evergreens 37 Icky 38 Where Gauguin painted 41 Pen name 42 Out of the storm 43 Temporary lodging 48 Furnace fuel 49 Snaky fish 50 Jazzy Fitzgerald 51 Maintained 52 Lay down the lawn 53 Deli loaves

DOWN

1 Pampering, for short 2 Estuary

by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor

3 Not ‘neath 4 Elvis’ birthplace 5 Halt 6 Texas tea 7 Historic French prison 8 Cyndi Lauper hit 9 Poi base 10 Thus 11 Disarray 16 Sugary suffix 20 Tennis champ Murray

21 Detail, briefly 22 Go sightseeing 23 Shrek, for one 24 Writer Lessing 26 Whims 27 Jared of “Panic Room” 28 Book after Joel 29 Shrill barks 31 Send forth 34 Off course 35 Sagittarius

37 USO audience 38 Dash gauge 39 Skin soother 40 Make well 41 Hardly hirsute 44 Old Olds 45 Layer 46 Pub order 47 “-- Kapital”

Michael Francis McTigue was born in County Claire, Ireland, on Nov. 26, 1892.

He was a steerage passenger on the RMS Baltic, arriving in New York City on Sept. 21, 1912, a few weeks short of his 20th birthday.

While working as a beef handler in a slaughter house, he skillfully defended his supervisor against attacking assailants. With natural skills he was encouraged to become a pugilist. He married Cecelia Manning in 1920. They had three daughters: Rosaleen in 1921, Cecelia in 1922 and Peggy in 1923. He became the light heavyweight champion of the world from 1923 to 1925. They bought a home at 33-46 86 St. in Jackson Heights.

The Crash of 1929 and being robbed by his agent took a hit on him. In 1934 he opened up Mike McTigue’s Bar & Grill at 63-76 Woodhaven Blvd. in Middle Village, which was successfully operated for 33 years.

After heavy drinking he was estranged by his wife and daughters. He didn’t

Answers on next page

GOT COVID-19 SYMPTOMS?

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ACT FAST! GET TESTED. GET TREATMENT. GET BETTER.

Treatment works best the sooner you start and can help you feel better faster and avoid serious illness.

CALL YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER OR 212-COVID-19 FOR TESTING AND TREATMENT OPTIONS. And remember, COVID-19 vaccines are still the best protection against serious illness from the virus.

Visit nyc.gov/vaccinefinder to get vaccinated today.

The home of light heavyweight champion boxer Mike McTigue at 33-46 86 St., Jackson Heights in the winter of 1940.

INSET BOXREC.COM VIA WIKIPEDIA

recall much about his boxing career in the end and passed away at Queens General Q Hospital on Aug. 12, 1966 at age 73.

C M SQ page 25 Y K

by Sophie Krichevsky associate editor

Artist Christine Stoddard began drawing and painting as a young girl, entering her pieces in competitions at an early age, even winning some. And while her work has been featured in a number of shows since then, her latest exhibition at the Queens Botanical Garden, “A Forest of Ancestral Dreams,” is the first in a long time that highlights her painting.

Much of Stoddard’s work over the years has focused on storytelling of some sort, be that through writing, performance pieces, film or some combination of the three. But while taking a handbuilding sculpture class toward the end of her time at City College, where she graduated with a masters of fine arts in 2019, she found herself gravitating back toward drawing and painting.

“I would carve these different designs into the ceramic pieces that I was making,” she said. “And I didn’t really see it as drawing, but it was, because I was using a tool to create the designs, and I was using my imagination and also observing from life for a bit.” Stoddard’s professor was impressed, “It was through her encouragement that I started taking to paper again,” she added.

The Queens Botanical Garden is featuring works such as this one from “A Forest of COURTESY PHOTOS Ancestral Dreams” by Christine Stoddard, inset.

“I‘m not sure what it was — why I had stopped doing it,” Stoddard said later.

“Now, with some distance and reflection, I think that there was some impostor syndrome. There was also fear of not having the money for it, because it is — or at least can be — very expensive to keep doing.”

After working with high school kids in the Bronx on murals that spring, complet-

ing a residency at her alma mater, Virgina Commonwealth University, that summer and teaching watercolors to adults with disabilities that fall, Stoddard was ready to hit the ground running with her return to painting and drawing.

By the time the pandemic forced people to stay home in March 2020, Stoddard had begun pieces for what would become “A Forest of Ancestral Dreams,” but the bulk

of the series was done in isolation.

“I had to make sure anything I did could fit on my kitchen table,” she said.

The series itself focuses on ideas of heritage, and draws inspiration from stories Stoddard’s mother told her of her home country, El Salvador, as well as her Scottish father’s recounting of European folklore.

“As I got older, I developed a more nuanced understanding of some of those stories ... I thought more about how folklore between Hispanic cultures and Northern European cultures differ, but then in some ways are the same,” she said. That cohesion is explored throughout the series, often taking somewhat childlike or magical forms.

Not every piece from quarantine made the cut, but sometimes, she would take parts of them and collage them into other pieces that are featured in the exhibit.

While she uses rec ycled mater ia ls throughout her work, Stoddard thought that was part of why the series was a good fit for the Botanical Garden.

Stoddard’s exhibition is available for viewing through March 18 at the garden’s gallery, located in the Visitors and Administration building. Entrance to the show is free, as is all of the QBG through Q March.

Page 25 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 28, 2023

Stoddard’s paintings shine at Botanical Garden

How to stay on top of your New Year’s resolutions

Crossword Answers

thought comes up that’s going to get in the way of our achieving our goal, then we simply have to tell that thought to go away.”

Using an example of a New Year’s resolution to go to the gym, Owen said, “If you can accept part of that behavior is going to be uncomfortable, you will be prepared when it happens. If you know ahead of time that that’s going to happen, then you can be prepared for it, instead of saying, ‘I’m at the gym and now I’m uncomfortable because I think people are talking about me. I can’t tolerate this, I’m not going to go anymore.’ You can tell yourself, ‘I don’t care what these other people think.’ You can tell yourself, ‘They’re probably not talking about me or thinking about me anyway, they’re in their own head.’”

She continued, “If you know that any kind of new action in your life is going to have some things about it that make you uncomfortable, then when that pops up, you’ll be less likely to say, ‘To heck with it.’”

When asked about handling setbacks in achieving goals, Schneider said it’s important to celebrate the smaller victories and be kind to yourself.

“Give yourself grace,” she said. “Don’t

New Year’s resolutions can be daunting, but with a good mindset and good practices, U.S. NAVY KEEP WHAT YOU’VE EARNED PHOTO / FLICKR you can set yourself up for success. beat yourself up. It’s important to treat yourself like you would treat somebody else, and be a cheerleader for yourself.”

Owen told the Chronicle that her own New Year’s resolution is to quit nicotine vaping. Asked what others with the same goal could do this year, Owen said, “The easy answer is to take it one minute as a time,” she

said. “Staying busy, correcting myself and keeping track of my progress is all important.”

Both women reiterated that it’s never too late to make positive changes in your life — whether it’s the first day of January, or the middle of the year.

“Every day can be New Year’s Eve when Q starting a resolution,” Schneider said.

For the latest news visit qchron.com

continued from page 23 “If we try to do things that are just completely out of our control, we’re just going to bang our head against the wall and be miserable,” she said. “So the first step is to recognize where you can have an impact in your life. And then understand that it takes more than willpower. It takes support from other people, for one. And it takes the ability to reduce the amount of chatter in your head that says ‘you can’t do this.’ ... So if a

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 28, 2023 Page 26

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SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF QUEENS. TLOA MORTGAGE, LLC, Plaintiff -against- SON’S OF BHUMAK INC., et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated October 26, 2023 and entered on November 8, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the courthouse steps of the Queens County Supreme Court, located at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY on January 5, 2024 at 12:30 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the County of Queens, City and State of New York, bounded and described 1400 Garden’s LLC, Arts of as follows: BEGINNING at a point on the westerly side of Org. fi led with Sec. of State of 125th Street, distant 133.38 NY (SSNY) 11/17/2023. Cty: feet northerly from the corner Queens. SSNY desig. as agent formed by the intersection of the westerly side of 125th Street upon whom process against with the northerly side of 101st may be served & shall mail Avenue; being a plot 100.12 feet process to Francia Chatman, by 40.04 feet by 100.12 feet by 40.04 feet. Block: 9465 Lot: 18 14799 Edgewood St., Rosedale, Said premises known as 97-26 NY 11422. General Purpose 125TH STREET, RICHMOND HILL, NY Approximate amount of 248TH STREET, LLC. Arts. lien $580,076.87 plus interest of Org. fi led with the SSNY & costs. Premises will be sold on 11/17/23. Offi ce: Queens subject to provisions of filed County. SSNY designated Judgment and Terms of Sale. as agent of the LLC upon Index Number 703931/2019. whom process against it may WILLIAM T. DRISCOLL, ESQ., be served. SSNY shall mail Referee, The Camporeale Law copy of process to the LLC, Group PLLC, Attorney(s) for 183 Roslyn Road, Roslyn Plaintiff, 585 Stewart Avenue, Heights, NY 11577. Purpose: 770, Garden City, NY 11530 {*QUEENS CHR*} Any lawful purpose.

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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 January 26, 2024 at the Courthouse Steps of the Queens County S upreme C our t , 8 8 -11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435, at 12:30 PM the premises described as follows: 134-57 232nd Street, Laurelton, NY 11413 SBL No.: Block 13160 Lot 6 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. 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 100112-4 78757

LEGAL NOTICE

BY PUBLICATION is hereby given to Mohammad Islam (“Islam”) and Ahmad Bostani a/k/a Arman Rezayar Bostani a/k/a Ahmad Reza Bostani a/k/a Ahmadreza Bostani (collectively referred to as “Bostani”), that Judgment has been entered jointly and severally against you and in favor of Commonwealth Land Title insurance Company in the amount of $437,288.01, plus interest at the statutory rate of 9% per annum from the date of entry of the Judgment. The Judgment was filed, recorded and entered by the Queens County Clerk on November 22, 2023 and resulted from a certain lawsuit filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Queens, entitled Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company v.

Mohammad Islam, et al., Index No. 702988/2015. This Judgment is fully enforceable against you, and the Sheriff may seize your money, wages, property or other assets to pay all or part of the Judgment. If you seek information about the legal process but cannot afford an attorney, you may call the Help Center at the Supreme Court at (718) 298-1024, or visit Room 100 in the Courthouse. Copies of all papers are available by contacting the attorneys for Commonwealth: Fidelity National Law Group, 103 Eisenhower Parkway, Suite 213, Roseland, New Jersey 07068, (973) 863-7017.

NOTICE OF SALE

Notice of Formation of SOZA LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 07/27/2023. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: SOZA LLC, 139-26 228TH STREET, LAURELTON, NY 11413. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

WINDHAM HOME LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/06/2023. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 37-14 55 St., Woodside, NY 11377.

Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, NYCTL 2019-A TRUST, AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN FOR THE NYCTL 2019-A TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. ONE THREE SEVEN 24 HOLDINGS LLC, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated February 23, 2023 and duly entered on March 10, 2023 and a Short Form Order dated June 9, 2023 and duly entered on June 12, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the outside steps of the Queens County Supreme Court, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on January 5, 2024 at 12:15 p.m., premises known as 137-24 231st Street, Laurelton, NY 11413. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block 13172 and Lot 50. Approximate amount of judgment is $33,426.59 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #724281/2020.

The Referee shall comply with the Eleventh Judicial District’s COVID-19 policies concerning public auctions of foreclosed properties. These policies, along with the Queens County Foreclosure’s Auction Rules, can be found on the Queens Supreme Court - Civil Term website. William Driscoll, Esq., Referee. Bronster, LLP, 156 West 56th Street, Suite 703, New York, New York 10019, Attorneys for Plaintiff Notice of Formation of MURAFA PLLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/28/2023. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: 413 WOODWARD AVENUE, 3L, RIDGEWOOD, NY 11385. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

A nonprofit organization in Queens is seeking sealed, individual bids to provide: · Impact Resistant Doors · Bollards and related equipment · Physical Access Control System · Mobile Radios · Management and Administration · Security Training Vendors can express interest on any of the specified projects. Selection criteria will be based upon knowledge of security, adherence to projected work schedule, prior experience, references, and cost. Specifications and bid requirements can be obtained by contacting UpgradeCommittee@gmail. com. Expressions of interest will be accepted until Jan. 11th, 2024. All interested firms will be required to sign for the proposal documents and must provide primary contact name, phone number and email address.

To Advertise Call 718-205-8000

Real Estate

Houses For Sale

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.

Furn. Rm. For Rent

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

Asking $789K. Connexion Real Estate 718-845-1136 Howard Beach (Old Side), 2 houses, both legal 2 fam, each w/2 BR, 1 1/2 bath, 2 BR, 1 1/2 bath, walkin 1 BR, 1 bath, gar & drvy. $1,088,000 each. Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136

Open House Howard Beach/Rockwood Park.

Brick/Frame Hi-Ranch on 40x100, 3 BRs, 2 Baths, Original Hi-Ranch Converted to Colonial With Mint Kitchen, Granite & S.S. Appliances, Sliding Door to Yard. Natural Gas Baseboard Heating, Hot Water.

Reduced $849K. Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136

Howard Beach Furnished Room for rent: $250 per week. Males only. Gas and electric, Wi-Fi all included. Close to shopping, trans Ozone Park, small, modern 3-desk & JFK airport. Contact office. Busy area. $1,050/mo. Call 718-551-4836 347-447-1336. Call or text.

Store For Rent

Notice of Formation of PARADIES LAGARDERE @ JFK T5 2023, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/18/23. Office location: Queens County. Princ. office of LLC: 2849 Paces Ferry Rd., Ste. 400, Atlanta, GA 30339. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Niyati LLC filed 12/12/23.

NY 11001. Purp: any lawful.

Notice of Formation of Caminos Unidos LLP Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 10/12/2023. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: UNITED STATE CORPORATION AGENTS, INC, 7014 13TH AVENUE, SUITE 302, BROOKLYN, NY 11228.

Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Retro Arcade Gaming and

APEX 7806 LLC Articles of

Notice

Org. filed NY Sec. of State

CHRISTINA CASPER NUTRITION LLC

Cafe LLC filed 11/16/23.

Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. for process & shall mail to: 89-42 Doran Ave., Glendale,

Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. for process & shall mail to: c/o Paypal Patel, 265-04 E Williston Ave., Floral Park,

(SSNY) 11/21/23. Office in

of

Formation

of

Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New

Queens Co. SSNY design. Agent

York (SSNY) on 11/18/2023. Office

of LLC upon whom process

location: Queens County. SSNY has

may be served. SSNY shall

been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may

mail copy of process to The

be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of

LLC 15253 10th Ave. Ste 211,

process to: THE LIMITED LIABILITY

Whitestone, NY 11357. Purpose:

NY 11385. Purp: any lawful.

Any lawful activity.

Notice of formation of Safety Blanket Homecare Agency Limited Liability Company. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on 8/28/23. Office located in Queens County. SSNY has been designated for service of process.

SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC at 13844C Queens Blvd., Unit 213, Briarwood, NY 11435. Purpose: any lawful purpose.

Notice Burganvilla

of

LLC.

of

Articles

of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on 12/11/2023 in Queens County. SSNY has been designated for service of process.

SSNY shall mail copy of any process service against, 108-29 173rd Street, Jamaica, NY, 11433 for any lawful purpose.

6960

108TH

ST.,

APT 15, FOREST HILLS, NY 11375.

Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Formation NY,

COMPANY,

Notice of Formation of ESSENTIAL FIRST AID LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 10/26/2023. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LIMITED LIABLITLTY COMPANY, 6930 62ND ST APT 4F, RIDGEWOOD, NY 11385.

Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

C M SQ page 29 Y K

2

%Listing

Special*

*Terms and conditions apply, call for details.

718-766-9175

$

Page 29 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 28, 2023

SAVE DS N A S U O TH

550,000

One family detached home, hardwood fl oors, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. Drive by only, house being sold as is with tenants. Block # 13953, Lot # 47 Extra 1,100 square foot lot Block # 13953, Lot # 46

Jerry Fink Real Estate • 163-33 Cross Bay Boulevard • Howard Beach, NY • www.jfinkre.com

For the latest news visit qchron.com

©2023 M1P • JERF-082785

156-23 88th Street, Howard Beach

For the latest news visit qchron.com

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 28, 2023 Page 30

C M SQ page 30 Y K SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS INDEX NO. 702456/2020 Plaintiff designates QUEENS as the place of trial situs of the real property Mortgaged Premises: 87-47 98TH STREET, WOODHAVEN, NY 11421 Block: 9286, Lot: 109 AMERICAN ADVISORS GROUP, Plaintiff, vs. CARMEN L. SANTANA, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE TO THE ESTATE OF JOSEPHINE ROMAN; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES TO THE ESTATE OF JOSEPHINE ROMAN, 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; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; MARIA CORSINO; JULIO “DOE” (REFUSED LAST NAME); JORGE “DOE” (REFUSED LAST NAME); MARIELLA “DOE” (REFUSED LAST NAME); VINNY “DOE” (REFUSED LAST NAME), “JOHN DOE #6” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last seven names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, 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 $938,250.00 and interest, recorded on October 04, 2016, in Liber CRFN 2016000348211, of the Public Records of QUEENS County, New York, covering premises known as 87-47 98TH STREET, WOODHAVEN, NY 11421. 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: November 27th, 2023 ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC, 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 SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS INDEX NO. 706683/2023 Plaintiff designates QUEENS as the place of trial situs of the real property Mortgaged Premises: 90-02 215TH STREET, QUEENS VILLAGE, NY 11428 Block: 10648, Lot: 27 U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS COLLATERAL TRUST TRUSTEE OF FIRSTKEY MASTER FUNDING 2021-A COLLATERAL TRUST Plaintiff, vs. JEAN PAUL PAREJA, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF IVAN BORSIC; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF IVAN BORSIC, 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; BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; “JOHN DOE” AS “JOHN DOE #1”; “JANE DOE” AS “JOHN DOE #2”, “JOHN DOE #3” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last ten names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, 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 $356,000.00 and interest, recorded on July 06, 2005, in CRFN 2005000379613, of the Public Records of QUEENS County, New York, covering premises known as 90-02 215TH STREET, QUEENS VILLAGE, NY 11428. 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: December 8th, 2023 ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC, Attorney for Plaintiff, Orit Avraham, Esq., 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, NY 11590. 516-280-7675

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS INDEX NO. 722148/2022 Plaintiff designates QUEENS as the place of trial situs of the real property Mortgaged Premises: 49-06 ENFIELD PLACE , BAYSIDE, NY 11364 Block: 7490, Lot: 58 THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE CERTIFICATEHOLDERS OF THE CWALT, INC., ALTERNATIVE LOAN TRUST 2006-OA6 MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-OA6 Plaintiff, vs. HYE SUN CHANG, if living, and if she/ he be dead, 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; RCS RECOVERY SERVICES, LLC; BNB BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, A NATIONAL BANKING ASSOCIATION; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; WILLIAM WOO, “JOHN DOE #2” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last eleven names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, 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 $623,000.00 and interest, recorded on January 11, 2006, in CRFN 2006000018332, of the Public Records of QUEENS County, New York., covering premises known as 49-06 ENFIELD PLACE, BAYSIDE, NY 11364. 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: December 12th, 2023, ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC, Attorney for Plaintiff, Matthew Rothstein, Esq., 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675

C M SQ page 31 Y K

BEAT

CENTURY 21 AMIABLE II

No Yo in New York

82-17 153RD Ave., Suite 202, Howard Beach, NY 11414

718-835-4700

by Lloyd Carroll

WWW.C21AMIABLE2.COM

Broker/Owner

Get Your House

SOLD!

REAL ESTATE 161-14A Crossbay Blvd., Howard Beach (Brother’s Shopping Ctr.)

718-845-1136 We Make Your Best STEVEN PACCHIANO Real Estate CONNEXION Lic. Broker Associate

“Offices by Design”

Prime location 162-38 Cross Bay Blvd.

Retail Store Front 21x12 $1,700/month. Plus individual offi ces priced at $750/month. Use of conference room, kitchen & 2 handicapped bathrooms. Private entrance thru inside hallway.

For private showing call Anne Marie 718-835-4700

Asking $349K

Lovely 1 Family. Featuring 3 Levels of Living Space Plus a Basement. Beautiful Laminate Flooring, Updated Kitchen with Quartz Countertops, New Appliances, Plus Extra Pantry Space, All New Doors Inside & Out. Freshly Painted, New Boiler, Water Heater & Roof. Walk-up Attic with Heat, 3 BRs, 2½ Baths, 1 Car Garage, Pvt. Dvwy.

Asking $789K

We look forward to serving all your Real Estate needs in the new year!!

Anne Marie Chirichigno, Staff & Sales Associates

LINDENWOOD

FAIRFIELD ARMS 1 BR, 1 Full Bath Co-op – Needs TLC

Reduced $167K

HOWARDBEA CH/ HOWARD BEACH/ OLD SIDE

Charming Colonial Home, All Updated, 3 BR. 1.5 Bath, Wrap-around Deck, 4 Car Driveway, Sun-Drenched EIK, XL LR, Split CAC, Low Taxes

FLORAL PARK VILLAGE Across From Centennial Gardens, 5 BR, 3 Bath, Updated Kitchen, Quartz Countertops, Updated Bath, Separate Entrance To Full Finished Basement, 41x103, Detached Garage.

Asking $799K

LINDENWOOD

Southgate Condo Building

2 BR, 2 Full Baths + Terrace, Parquet Floors, 3 Double Closets, Master BR has Walk-in Closet

Asking $399K

HAMILTON BEACH

LAND FOR SALE! 69x154

Asking $140K

HOWARD BEACH/ROCKWOOD PARK Beautiful Home. HiRanch, nch, 4 BRs, 3 New Full Baths, ths, Quartz Counters, T! New w Kitchens, Stainless AC Steel el Appliances, White White TR Cabinetry, Moldbinetry, Crown N Molding Throughout, C O Wood Burning Fireplace, InInrningI NFireplace, Ground ound Pool with Pavers.

Pavers.

HOWARD BEACH (old side)

2 Houses Both Legal 2 Families Great for Investment!!!

Each with: 2 BR, 1½ Bath - 2 BR, ½ 1 Bath Walk-in 1 BR, 1 Bath, Garage & Driveway

$1,088,000 each

CONR-082707

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Colonial

• Lindenwood •

New to the market! Home being used as a 2 family, however the CO allows for professional offi ce or commercial plus 2 apartments. Private driveway, conveniently located across from a major shopping mall.

Excellent condition, great investment!

$829K

HOWARD BEACH/ROCKWOOD PARK HOWARD BEACH/ HOWARD BEACH/

CENTREVILLE/OZONE PARK

Thank you for your continued support and loyalty during the past year!!

• Lindenwood •

Oversized L-shaped Co-op In Prime Howard Beach Location. If you’re looking for space this is the apartment for you. LR perfect for entertaining; or sharing the space to include a work area, if needed at 26’ x 13’.

Rare line that has a window in the kitchen, & prep space is separate from the stove & refrigerator! Large BR accommodates all sizes of furniture. Great closet / storage space & natural light throughout the home.

1 BR Condo in the Heart of Lindenwood, New Kitchen & Bath.

X/Large BR, New Wood Floors, Near Transportation, Schools & Parks

English / Habla Espanol & Italiano Spoken Here

Reduced $849K

• Lindenwood •

Unveil the potential of this 1 BR 700+ sq. ft. Co-op , sizable LR (13’x17’), a spacious primary BR (18’x11’). Recently refreshed to give the new owner a head start. All the paneling removed then, painted & plastered; updated intercom system, upgraded electrical panel, new AC sleeve in the LR installed. The inclusive monthly maintenance covers all utilities, including cable!

Wishing all of our Customers, Clients, Family and Friends a very Happy New Year!!

HOWARD BEACH/ CH/ LINDENWOOD

CONNEXIONREALESTATE.COM

Brick/Frame Hi-Ranch on 40x100, 3 BRs, 2 Baths, Original Hi-Ranch Converted to Colonial With Mint Kitchen, Granite & S.S. Appliances, Sliding Door to Yard. Natural Gas Baseboard Heating Hot Water.

• Lindenwood ••

1 BR Co-op w/large 17ft. terrace. Recently prepped for a new homeowner to come & create their own space! Carpet removed to expose wood floors & electrical panel has been upgraded. Plenty of room to entertain in your Formal LR that is 17.1’x15.4’; an effi cient kitchen & dining area; & oversized BR is 11.1’x17.8’. Co-op is well maintained & includes all utilities in the monthly maintenance even Cable!

Happy New Year!

Connexion

ARLENE PACCHIANO

Howard Beach Rental Offi ces

©2023 M1P • CAMI-082703

Japan than New York is. It has palm trees and sunny weather most of the time. From a baseIt was a lump of coal in the Christmas stock- ball vantage point, Yamamoto has his compatriings of New York baseball fans as 25-year-old ot, and baseball’s biggest star, Shohei Ohtani, as Nippon Professional Baseball League star pitch- a teammate. He will be the primary focus of LA er Yoshinobu Yamamoto eschewed lucrative fans and media, and that takes a ton of pressure ong-term offers from both the Mets and the Yan- off him. The Dodgers lineup also includes Fredkees to sign a $325 million, 12-year contract die Freeman, Mookie Betts and Max Muncy.

Yamamoto should have no problem getting with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

While both of our local MLB teams came up offensive support when he is on the mound for a short in their pursuit of Yamamoto, Mets fans team that is a lock for the playoffs. The Mets must feel worse. The Yankees at least obtained fall short in both of those categories.

Mets fans need to be realistic. The current star outfielder Juan Soto in a trade with the San Diego Padres this off-season. The Mets, in con- MLB free agent talent pool is not spectacular. trast, under new president of baseball operations The pitcher who was on the market for a nanoDavid Stearns, have been picking up pieces second and could really have helped the Mets from baseball’s equivalent of the Dollar Store, starting rotation, Aaron Nola, re-signed with the with the best being pitcher Adrian Houser, who Philadelphia Phillies. Jordan Montgomery and Stearns obtained in a trade with his former Blake Snell would both be upgrades for the Mets starting rotation, but it is doubtful either team, the Milwaukee Brewers.

Mets fans had their hopes raised by reports one will get the club closer to the Braves and of Stearns, along with owner Steve Cohen, fly- the Phillies in the National League East.

Cohen said last season his goal for the Mets ing to Japan to meet with Yamamoto. Cohen then hosted Yamamoto and his agent, Joel in 2024 is to be competitive, which is what any Wolfe, for dinner at his Greenwich, Conn., man- team owner says. Next year’s free agent class sion. No other team pursued Yamamoto the way appears to have better options. Not that Cohen the Mets did. Cohen was justified in saying, “I is counting his pennies, but the lack of appealhave no regrets as I left it all on the field. Life ing free agents this cycle should lead to re-signQ ing Pete Alonso to a long-term contract. goes on.”

See the extended version of Sports Beat It is hard to blame Yamamoto for selecting the Dodgers. Los Angeles is five hours closer to every week at qchron.com.

Chronicle Contributor

Page 31 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 28, 2023

SPORTS

For the latest news visit qchron.com

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 28, 2023 Page 32

C M SQ page 32 Y K EVERY WEDNESDAY IS

SENIOR DISCOUNT Take FRI. SAT. SUN. MON. TUES. WED. THURS. Dec. Dec. Dec. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan.

29 30 31 1

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WHEN YOU SPEND $75 Excluding catering orders. With this coupon.

Expires 01/04/24. Limit One per family.

Order on line KEYFOODOZONEPARK.COM For an extra 5% off your order!

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102-02 101 st AVE. • OZONE PARK • 718-849-8200 PHONE ORDERS GLADLY ACCEPTED

We Accept All Major Credit Cards WIC - EBT

STORE HOURS: Mon.-Sun. 8 am to 9 pm

We reserve the right to limit quantities to one can or package on sale items. Items offered for sale are not available in case lots. Alcoholic beverages may not be available in all locations.

We are not responsible for typographical errors. Some Items Not Available in all Locations.