Woodside Herald 5 5 2023

LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED FROM MY 20 YEAR STRUGGLE WITH FEAR AND ANXIETY

by Stan Popovich

Do you wish you could talk to someone who can relate to your mental health issues? If so, I could be of some help. I dealt with fear and anxiety for over 20 years and here is what I learned from my mental health experiences.

1. Listen to the professionals: Your friends may mean well, but when it comes down to it, the professionals know your situation more than anyone. They know what you are going through and are trained to deal with your situation. Consult with a counselor when you have questions about your mental health issues.

2. Distance yourself from those who give you a hard time: Distance yourself from those people who won’t make an effort to help understand what you are going through. You need to surround yourself with positive and supportive people. I felt better when I avoided those people who would constantly argue with me regarding my anxieties and stresses.

3. Focus on the facts of your situation and not your thoughts: When people are depressed, they rely on their fearful and negative thoughts. Your fearful thoughts are exaggerated and are not based on reality. When you are depressed, focus on the facts of your current situation and not on what you think.

4. Carry a small notebook of positive statements with you: Another technique that is very helpful is to have a small notebook of positive statements that makes you feel good. Whenever you come across an affirmation that makes you feel good, write it down in a small notebook that you can carry around with you in your pocket. Whenever you feel depressed, open up your small notebook and read those statements.

5. Take it one day at a time: Instead of worrying about how you will get through the rest of the week or month, try to focus on today. Each day can provide us with different opportunities to learn new things and that includes learning how to deal with your problems. You never know when the answers you are looking for will come to your doorstep.

6. Learn from your experiences: In every anxiety-related situation I experienced, I learned what worked, what did not work, and what I needed to improve on as I managed my fears and anxieties. For example, you have a lot of anxiety and you decide to take a walk to help you feel better. The next time you feel anxious you can remind yourself that you got through it the last time by taking a walk.

7. You can’t predict the future: No one can predict the future with one hundred percent certainty. Even if the thing that you are afraid of does happen, there are circumstances and factors that you can’t predict which can be used to your advantage. For instance, you miss the deadline for a project. Suddenly, your boss tells you that the deadline is extended and that he forgot to tell you the day before. This unknown factor changes everything.

COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS SPRING INTO VIEW

by Dr. Sharon M. Cadiz

Spring is the trumpet blast that summons our attention to notice the changing landscape. Like Spring’s call to action, community activists and civic organizers are those who likewise get us to notice the work of change. I have long admired the work of those who sacrifice time and energy to improve the quality of life in our communities. They are often the unsung heroes and sheroes who selflessly crusade for justice and the acknowledgement of our shared need to live out our days safely and well. To begin to list those who fit this description risks the countless omissions that are likely to occur. Instead of attempting such a feat, I thought; like picking Spring flowers for a small bouquet, I would select just three men. I have selected three men, and this is certainly not to overlook or negate the contributions of local women like Claudia Coger, Patricia Dorfman, Diane Ballek, Ann Bruno or RoseMarie Poveromo who are all stalwart champions of community service. It is simply because these three men are a part of this one ‘bouquet’ that I am highlighting here. I saw some striking similarities in these three. All three have deep roots in their respective communities; have monikers that identify them within their communities; and each one represents a different age group. I thought that the latter fact was significant because it shows how community action can evolve from people at any age. Perhaps by writing about these community activists, it will bring to mind many others known to us.

I first met Richard M. Vagge, community activist and resident of Jackson Heights at a candidate forum at Sunnyside Community Services before an election that would decide who would fill the office of Queens Borough President after Melinda Katz. Richard has lived in Jackson Heights for 43 years; is retired from his position as the former radiology manager at Elmhurst Hospital and former Director of the Elmhurst Hospital Blood Donor Program and is known as “Rabid Rich.” As his nickname suggests, he has a passionate belief in the value of community engagement. He has assumed the role of “watchdog” for a long list of issues related to housing; sanitation; rat mitigation; erosion of public space; roadbed safety, and he attends many meetings including those of Community Board 3; NYPD Council and Town Hall meetings. “Rabid Rich” is proud of his cross-community collaboration as a volunteer with Pastor Joseph Montavani of the Woodside Neighborhood Association and St. Jacobus Lutheran Church of Woodside on graffiti cleanups and food pantry support projects. He emphasizes the importance of making connections with other communities to foster higher levels of public engagement focused on relevant issues affecting the quality of life. I was pleased to have him attend the screening of “Pomonok Dreams” that was shown at the Long Island City Branch Library back in the Fall of 2022. It showed his support for engaging in dialogue about the past, present and future of public housing. His determination and research into issues of concern; as well as his commitment to equity of access and opportunity, is quite remarkable and he is known to say: “If the boat ain’t rocking, we ain’t moving.”

I met Lashawn Marston, known as “Suga Ray,” for the first time in a social media post on a Sunday back in March of 2023 when I saw that he was camped out and doing a hunger strike on 44th Drive in Long Island City to protest the gentrification, displacement and overdevelopment in the area which he captured in his reference to the “tale of two Long Island Cities.” He started his hunger strike on February 28th and pledged to continue until his 39th birthday on March 14th. I visited him the following day and found him in his tent under a brown tarp on that rainy Monday. We chatted and I got the sense that this young man represented the next generation of community activists. He expressed a dedication to his cause and the well-being of his neighbors in the community. A short time after, I saw another couple of social media posts sharing some of his activities. He and a group of local performing artists held a fundraiser at Urban Vegan on a Saturday evening. To say that this was a departure from conventional fundraisers would be an understatement. Musical performers, energy workers, meditation, crystal singing bowls and vegan fare were all part of the scene. That evening, I heard the word “artivist” for the first time and became aware of the idea of “an artist whose work is a reflection of his or her activism.” I also saw his post about a weekly community grief support group at Riis Community Center where “Suga Ray is quoted as saying: “Grief is an emotion you shouldn’t have to process alone.”

I attended two sessions and gained an even deeper respect for this young man’s active involvement in his community as a change agent and activist. It gives me optimism about the next generation of community activists. Altogether, I am convinced that I have been ushered into an ever-widening understanding of how activism can be expressed.

Long before I met Eric Mathews, I saw his handiwork in flower beds around the Astoria community. Right outside the entrance to Reality House, where I was the Director of Best Practice Implementation for six years, were large flower pots filled with beautiful flowers reflecting the changing seasons. It was, in fact, at Reality House and Justice for All Coalition Meetings back in 2014, that I got to know the man behind these wonderful creations. Like a rosebud that unfolds, I started to discover more about the man who goes by the name: “The Peaceful Gardener” and his devotion to planting the seeds of bright futures for youth in the community, as well as beautiful gardens. He is the Director of Grounds and Horticulture at Socrates Sculpture Park and Co-Founder of the Minor Miracles program, for youth between the ages of 5 and 18, that began over ten years ago with the support of local leaders and funding partners. The program’s primary focus was on creating “learning environments where children could thrive and have fun.” They participated in local beautification projects; learned about composting, urban beekeeping and sustainability; track and field activities, games and financial literacy. The youth visited museums; Ellis Island and engaged in self-defense classes and career exploration events. In addition to his skills in horticulture and programming for youth enrichment, “The Peaceful Gardener” is an experienced martial artist who has blended a diverse array of talents, interests and personal experiences of growth and development to form the basis for his brand of seasoned community activism. In the Summer of 2020, when the COVID pandemic and the murder of George Floyd triggered a sense of urgency, “The Peaceful Gardener” reached out to me and others in the community to brainstorm ways to create programming for a small group of youngsters. His vision and sense of mission that was well honed by the prior years of working with young people in the “Minor Miracles” program gave him ready access to some ways to proceed with the help of some generous funders including Socrates Sculpture Park that became the sponsor and base of operations for the program that is called AH YES which stands for Astoria Houses Youth Enrichment Service. The youth participants had an extraordinary Summer in 2020 in spite of the challenges; and the program continues to evolve as the Summer of 2023 approaches. Last year, the young people built a sustainable green roof, learned new skills; participated in financial fitness, wellness and handson nature study workshops; as well as trips and exposure to artists and crafts people with whom they interacted on a regular basis and during special events. I suppose that I am most impressed with how “The Peaceful Gardener” maintains a high level of nurturing long term support for the youth who are fortunate enough to come across his path. Youth who participated in “Minor Miracles” and helped to launch the 2020 effort are now leaders shaping experiences and goals for this year’s AH YES program. “The Peaceful Gardener” sees this investment in youth as a building block of “promising futures” and safe, stable communities. In my estimation, that is a winning formula.

Each of the people mentioned in this brief account captures a small piece of the big picture and varied dimensions of a community, summoning us to think of how we can broaden our

Woodside Herald reached out Thursday morning when we received the above, to the ‘recipients’ this is directed towards, and at press time, received the following responses:

COUNCIL MEMBER JULIE WON STATED,

“The benches that line the sidewalks of 46th Street near the Sunnyside Arch are always full of residents enjoying the outdoor space. I fully support the 46th Street Open Street, which will give our residents access to more safe, car-free spaces, an area for our local community events, and increased foot traffic for our nearby local businesses. Constituents have told us about the need for more parks and public spaces in Sunnyside, especially south of Queens Blvd., which has always lacked parks and public spaces. This open street will give our neighbors, especially children and seniors, a safe space to spend their time and participate in activities. My office will continue to monitor the need for ADA accessibility and seniors for the open streets as well as local businesses to ensure DOT is mindful of their needs for loading and more.”

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Sunnyside Shines told us that a staff member will be there to monitor the open street during the hours of operation. Sunnyside Shines has more information on that, as well as how many businesses are in support of this open street.

*Also Key Food has written a letter of support for this open street.

DIRK MCCALL DE PALOMA, Executive Director

Sunnyside Shines Business District (BID), stated, “It is slated to become an Open Street between May and October, with limited access, meaning deliveries will go on throughout the day, but other traffic will be diverted. From 8PM until 8AM, it will be completely open to traffic.”

thinking and not settle for one single profile or view. Community activism can start at any age and can take on any form that creates a connection to values that help us thrive. It can be reflected in the smallest things that we do to preserve a sense of safety and belonging for ourselves and our neighbors. It can identify a person using a familiar nickname. It can be shopping local to support our small businesses, picking up litter, donating to worthy causes or keeping our parks and playgrounds clean and safe. It can be a program that provides volunteers to walk people home or support literacy programs in libraries. It can be teaching a free yoga class or building a free library. It can be taking a moral stand on an issue or preserving the rights of children to have access to opportunities that support a bright future. It can be elders sharing their knowledge or talents. There are so many community activists, volunteers and organized groups that give us things like concerts in the Summer; year round events and ways to unite with neighbors at local places as we strive to feel that vital connection to our neighborhoods and each other. As Spring turns to Summer and people get outside, consider recognizing how those who show up and take positive, constructive action contribute to the full flowering of our communities, making things better for us all.

To Advertise E-mail SSabba@WoodsideHerald.com or call 718-729-3772

QUEENS TECH + INNOVATION CHALLENGE

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. and the Queens Economic Development Corporation recently announced the five winning teams in the 2023 Queens Tech + Innovation Challenge. Each one gets $20,000 in seed funding.

QTIC is a multi-month competition for borough-based entrepreneurs in search of funding to either launch or grow their startups. Over its course, contestants took entrepreneurial classes, participated in one-on-one office hours, and attended in-person events to develop their pitches. They also received technical assistance and training on such business topics as operations, marketing, and financial statements, while also enjoying access to advice from experts.

A total of 54 teams submitted applications in five categories: Enterprise Tech; Consumer Tech; Urban Tech; Community; and Food. From this pool, first-round judges selected three finalists in each category for a total of 15. Then, several second-round judges chose one winner from each category.

The Consumer Tech victors are Gean Martinez and Alexander Miles of Breakthru, a learn-2-earn platform for youth to engage with companies. In Enterprise Tech, congratulations go to Jiahui Lu and Feargal O’Sullivan of Sales Slice, a software-as-a-service business that provides sales analytics solutions to help companies increase revenue and optimize sales operations.

Cuthbert A. Onikute of DalO Systems, a B2B operations-and-logistics management tool for African small and medium enterprises with waste management as the beachhead market, is the Urban Tech champion, while Adrian Cepeda of The World’s Borough Bookshop, a Latino-owned vendor that celebrates and sells BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) books, took the honors in Community. The Food winner is Auria Abraham of Auria’s Malaysian Kitchen, a gourmet pantry brand that brings authentic Malaysian flavors to the modern kitchen.

Editor’s note: QTIC is a continuation of the Queens StartUP! Business Plan Competition, which QEDC administered for the previous 16 years.

To Advertise E-mail SSabba@WoodsideHerald.com or call 718-729-3772

‘Burial Place For Sale.’

Fully paid 2 level ground grave site at St. Michaels Cemetery 7202 Astoria Blvd. L12-8-22. 20 percent discount on present price. Contact 347 968 0813

Due to the rising crime in our community. every Wednesday at 6pm we will be hosting a FREE community self-defense class (Krav Maga). This is free to all our neighbors in our community. Supreme Team Boxing, 34-09 Queens Blvd, LIC Call 718-709-9799 for info

www.supremeteamboxing.com

NYC Pistol or Rifle License required to become a member

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS

INDEX NO. 725744/2021

WILMINGTON SAVINGS

FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR FINANCE OF AMERICA STRUCTURED SECURITIES ACQUISITION

TRUST 2018-HB1

Plaintiff designates QUEENS as the place of trial situs of the real property

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS

Mortgaged Premises:

196-12 104TH AVENUE, SAINT ALBANS, NY 11412

Block : 10892, Lot : 4

Plaintiff, vs. UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF ALICE TEEL

DIXON, 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; IMANI

“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 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 $862,500.00 and interest, recorded on June 09, 2016, in CRFN 2016000195367, of the Public Records of QUEENS County, New York., covering premises known as 196-12 104TH AVENUE, SAINT ALBANS, NY 11412.

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:April 11, 2023

ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC

Attorney for Plaintiff

Aric H. Peymann, Esq. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310

Westbury, NY 11590

516-280-7675

4/21/23, 4/28/23, 5/5/23, 5/12/23

INTERNSHIPS WITH DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

If you are an undergraduate or graduate student, State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. wants you to know about great internship opportunities with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP).

DEP is offering paid and unpaid undergraduate and graduate internships all year-round in a variety of fields during the fall, spring, and summer semesters. The internships are available across all five boroughs of the city, with many right here in Queens. Internship opportunities range from in-office work like the Commissioner’s Office Intern position and the Borough Office Clerical Intern position, as well as field work including positions like the Water Quality Field Intern, Water Treatment Operations Engineering Intern, and Aquatics Vegetation Analysis Intern.

Students that are interested in a position should apply as soon as possible, as applications are often reviewed on a rolling basis.

To view the full list of available internships and access the Internship Opportunities Frequently Asked Questions page, visit https://www.nyc.gov/site/dep/about/internship-opportunities.page.

LIC OPEN STREETS

LaGuardia Community College/CUNY is taking over the streets of Long Island City, Queens with a series of culturally diverse, informative, and entertaining programs that are available for the public to enjoy.

The series of programs are part of the LaGuardia Community Greenway, a collaborative effort to create a new open space for Long Island City, and LaGuardia’s 33,000 students and faculty. LaGuardia envisions reclaiming public streets to create a space that is sustainable and positively impacts the physical and mental health of the community and environment.

As a pilot program in 2022, organized by the President’s Society Environment Program, the Greenway was introduced as a pop-up space for outdoor activities and programming on 29th Street, stretching from Skillman Avenue to 47th Avenue. More than 1,000 people enjoyed the pop-up Greenway. The success of the pop-up Greenway inspired the LaGuardia community to partner with New York City’s Open Streets program to bring back the LaGuardia Community Greenway with a series of eight days filled with events and activities that reflect our community’s diversity, culture, and spirit.

THE 2023 SCHEDULE INCLUDES:

- May 10: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month @ The Plaza

- May 17: Red Hawks Day @ The Plaza

- May 24: La Casa @ The Plaza

- May 31: Jobs Fair @ The Plaza

- June 7: Pride @ The Plaza

Each day will offer a variety of activities: Food vendors, live music, exhibition tables, and workshops. Open to LaGuardia students, faculty, staff and the New York City community.