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PUBLIC RADIO, PRIVATE GAIN WHO'S MAKING BANK OFF WNYC?

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July 23, 2018

City & State New York

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EDITOR’S NOTE

JON LENTZ Editor-in-chief

CONTENTS

If you’ve ever tried to differentiate a tourist from an actual New Yorker, one easy giveaway is the iconic WNYC tote bag. A perk provided to listeners who commit to providing financial support, the canvas bag has long been a way to advertise one’s affinity for WNYC – while also expressing an altruistic, independent-minded worldview that many associate with the New York City-based radio station.

But in the wake of recent allegations of misconduct against several longtime WNYC hosts, the radio station’s pristine reputation has been tarnished. Did New York Public Radio, the nonprofit radio group that includes WNYC, respond appropriately, or were complaints essentially swept under the rug? The media scrutiny also expanded into other areas, including its remarkably swift financial growth and the eye-popping salary earned by Laura Walker, the nonprofit’s president and CEO. In this week’s cover story, City & State contributor Bob Hennelly delves even deeper into the inner workings of New York Public Radio. Bringing his insights as a former reporter for WNYC, Hennelly documents questionable boardroom ties, rising salaries and an increasing reliance on corporate sponsorships as he seeks to answer a fundamental question: Just how public is New York Public Radio?

COMMENTARY ... 6

Is New York City really dying?

CHARTER COMMISSIONS ... 18 Can NYC boost local input without endangering real estate projects?

WINNERS & LOSERS ... 26 Who was up and who was down last week

CELESTE SLOMAN

WNYC … 12

How public is New York Public Radio?

4

CityAndStateNY.com

The

July 23, 2018

Latest REPUBLICANS SPLIT ON TRUMP New York’s congressional Republicans were split when it came to President Donald Trump’s support for Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Helsinki, Finland – including the Russian leader’s denial of election meddling.

Republican Reps. Tom Reed and Chris Collins went on national TV to defend the president and his contradiction of U.S. intelligence that Russia meddled in the 2016 election. Reps. Lee Zeldin and Pete King offered rebukes, saying the president should have condemned any Russian interference in American politics. Rep. Claudia Tenney chose not to weigh in directly.

SECOND TIME’S THE CHARM In the second major New York corruption conviction in as many weeks, former state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son, Adam, have been found guilty – again. The pair had previously been convicted in 2015 on the same charges, but were retried after that original conviction was overturned. Unlike in the first trial, Skelos took the stand in his own defense and effectively threw his son under the bus. The move made no difference in the end, and the outcome came as little surprise.

Just the week before, the defendants in the high‑profile Buffalo Billion bid-rigging trial were found guilty as well.

Back & Forth

A Q&A with state Sen.

Todd Kaminsky The

Four years after Eric Garner’s death, the New York City Police Department announced that it would be moving forward with disciplinary action against the officers involved. The NYPD said it had given the U.S. Justice Department an Aug. 31 deadline to announce charges before disciplining those officers themselves. The department also confirmed that the proceedings against Officer Daniel Pantaleo and Sgt. Kizzy Adonis would begin soon, rather than in September.

You represent the seat former state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos once held. Now he’s facing judgment in his retrial on corruption charges. (Skelos was convicted on all charges shortly after this interview.) What are the thoughts in the district?

A lot of people will say to me (former Assembly Speaker Sheldon) Silver was corrupt, but Dean did it for his son. I hear that every day. And I take a lot of issue with that. It’s very disturbing that the answer to someone’s question of, ‘Will you put a bill forward?,’ is ‘Will you get my son a job?’

And I think when you do that in this repeated, egregious pattern – the public wants to know that when you’re sitting in a room dealing with an issue that you have the public’s best interests at heart. Not your son’s interest, not your law firm’s interest, not your bank account’s interest.

You have nearly $800,000 in cash on hand – quite the haul for somebody not in a leadership position who isn’t facing a tough challenger. What’s your end goal?

It was not all that long ago that I won by 0.5 percent, so you always want to be able to run the most effective campaign you can, and be ready for anything.

Do you plan to hold on to the money, or would you consider donating some of it to other candidates?

We definitely want to see what our opponent is doing, and be ready for our campaign. (Republican challenger Francis Becker, a former Nassau County legislator, has raised about $2,000.)

When people need us, I plan on being there – especially on Long Island. We just have to assess overall what’s going on.

Kicker

“Governor Cuomo and his campaign team did something that was wrong, that was creepy, and almost certainly illegal.”

—MARCUS MOLINARO, on Cuomo’s campaign attempting to recruit students benefiting from his Excelsior Scholarship program for a campaign ad, via the New York Post Get the kicker every morning in CITY & STATE’S FIRST READ email. Sign up at cityandstateny.com.

ARMAN DZIDZOVIC; SHEALAH CRAIGHEAD/WHITE HOUSE; RENA SCHILD/SHUTTERSTOCK; MIKE GROLL; SEAN PRESSLEY

The

JUSTICE FOR ERIC GARNER?

City & State New York

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Several House Democrats and congressional candidates have declined to support the minority leader

Rep. Joseph Crowley, who was widely considered to be a front‑runner to replace House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi before he was defeated in his primary by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, declined to support Pelosi for House speaker, should the Democrats retake the chamber in the fall. “It’s up to the next Congress, Democratic Caucus to decide that fate,” he said.

But Crowley isn’t the only New Yorker who has withheld support for Pelosi.

CE RI N E L E ti c T H o c r a n in d A te m a K P. De om , vo RE e, a ssw unt y o be 017.

R i c n gre C o o s i t in 2 c o s s au t Pe l d e r n i n g t h e N a ai n s t y l e a w i n h i n k to a g n o r i e d a d I t t in g s a m i e n e y an g e t g y i p , ” “ W a t e g p to t r a t e r s h i i m e str t ste ing s eade It ’s t firs inn in l N. “ ow a w an g e d C N to k n ch e tol ple .” sh p e o o go for en t wh

REP. BRIAN HIGGINS In June, Higgins, a moderate Democrat from the Buffalo area, told The Buffalo News that he would not back Pelosi as speaker or minority leader next year. “She’s listening, but this is my conclusion: She’s aloof, frenetic and misguided,” Higgins said.

AN T B R I HON Y T he N D I S I c ha D e m o c l R e p l e n gin r a t g t o l d . C l au d G O P Pos the Sy ia Tenn it w t-Stand racuse ey a l e a d s “ t im ard t h a e s i d e e r s hip f o r n e t on b w s of th e o ai s l t h e.”

KIM WILSON/SHUTTERSTOCK

ARMAN DZIDZOVIC; SHEALAH CRAIGHEAD/WHITE HOUSE; RENA SCHILD/SHUTTERSTOCK; MIKE GROLL; SEAN PRESSLEY

A N T IP E L O SI E H T T N E M MOVE July 23, 2018

MA X ROS E T he D emo c Rep. Dan rat challenging GO D P he would onovan has said th at su leadership pport a change in . is going to “If the Democratic Part y e the Ameri arn back the trust ca of to show th n people then we ne e about cha m that we are serio ed nging our us p told Politic olitics,” he o.

Y URR A MCM o is facing E T A h N hris rray, w McMu lican Rep. C ad a b e u v ha h elosi Rep P s, may Collin pick with uppor ted to s bone ce Pelosi hul to in c s o r H e v y e d of h v. Kat instea Lt. Go Congress it ’s time r run fo ray. “I think rray told r u McMu e on,” McM . v to mo ffalo News u B e h T

ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ Ocasio-Cortez sidestepped the issue in an interview with CNN. “I think it’s far too early to make those kinds of commitments right now,” she said.

NEW Y O R K CItY 6

COMMEN TARY

CityAndStateNY.com

BY BEN ADLER

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July 23, 2018

A ANDRIY BLOKHIN/SHUTTERSTOCK

July 23, 2018

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The city is diverse and thriving – once you leave the lower half of Manhattan

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S HAPPENS EVERY FEW years, a long lament for New York City’s lost character has gone viral: Kevin Baker’s 13,426-word cover story “The Death of a Once Great City” in the July issue of Harper’s Magazine has been popping up across the social media feeds of New Yorkers for weeks.

Its popularity reflects the fact that many longtime New York City residents feel the pain caused by their city’s growing appeal to affluent outsiders. There were nearly 63 million visitors to the city last year, more than double the number in 1990, making famous restaurants and sites like the Brooklyn Bridge too crowded for actual residents. The cost of housing rises at twice the rate of wages each year. Increasingly, storefronts on Manhattan’s commercial streets south of 96th Street are inhabited only by national chains and luxury brands.

“What is the point,” Baker wonders, “of paying a fortune to live in a city that is more and more like everywhere else?”

This is a longer, more elegantly written variation on the common complaint – from celebrities like Moby to amateur photographers like Vanishing New York’s Jeremiah Moss – that the city has lost its soul. (The related genre of parting shots from writers leaving New York is so abundant that it has been anthologized in a book and spoofed in The New Yorker.)

While there is some truth to it, the complaint says more about its exponents than it does about the city. Only someone who neglects to venture the tiniest bit off the beaten path, where New York is more diverse and alive than ever, would think it’s truly dead.

The assertion that New York is particularly adrift also mistakes national and global phenomena, chiefly capitalism and growing inequality, for something distinctive to New York and within its own control. Baker would have you believe that New York was killed by its own elected leaders, rather than by forces largely beyond their reach. But, whether the culprit is deindustrialization, globalization or modern architecture, City Hall lacks the power to arrest it.

Baker wishes, for example, that New York would be, “A city of people who sell books on the street – and in their own shops.” That bookstores are going out of business is a terrible loss to the city’s culture, but it is hardly Mayor Bill de Blasio’s fault. Baker seems to think that it is driven by a lack of commercial rent control – and

July 23, 2018

commercial rent control might keep more bookstores in business a bit longer – but Baker never mentions or apparently considers the existence of Amazon.com or e-readers and e-books. Blaming the New York City government for the disappearance of bookstores is like blaming it for the demise of Blockbuster at the hand of Netflix.

Invariably, death of New York missives would have been improved by a modicum of self-awareness. Baker – like Moss and every blogger who ever has written a send-off to New York while packing their bags for Los

programs, especially those of former Mayors Michael Bloomberg and Rudy Giuliani, that deliberately encouraged and publicly subsidized the city’s corporatization. He is right to deplore the privatization of the public realm and the erection of cost barriers to public goods, such as the fact that it costs nearly as much to visit one of the city’s zoos as it does to attend a professional baseball game.

The use of public subsidies for private gain is especially galling. As Baker points out, the Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn was made possible through the MTA choosing a low bid for the develop-

Angeles – is an educated professional who moved to the city from elsewhere as an adult.

And that demonstrates the flaw at the heart of these complaints: If people who move to New York think the city has been ruined by more people like them doing what they did, whose fault is it?

Baker – to his credit, and unlike the authors of less serious pieces on the subject – attempts to actually analyze the relevant public policies and find culprits. He makes valid criticisms of some specific projects and

ment rights to the land from a politically connected developer. And then there are the tax abatements for new housing construction, such as 421-a, which allow the well-heeled residents of luxury buildings to pay virtually nothing in property taxes.

Baker also notes that New York massively subsidized new stadiums for the Yankees and Mets. This is especially perverse and ill-advised, since New York – unlike, say, Detroit or Cincinnati – suffers no lack of popular entertainment and tourist attrac-

ANDRIY BLOKHIN, MICHELE VACCHIANO, HELEN89/SHUTTERSTOCK

July 23, 2018

tions and hardly needs to subsidize its wildly profitable teams to ensure that they don’t depart for greener pastures.

But on other aspects of the urban economy, Baker seems confused. Throughout the piece, he decries the rise of generic glass towers, from the far west side of midtown Manhattan to Long Island City in Queens, while simultaneously bewailing the rising cost of living. One can hardly blame Baker for finding the boxy glass and metal designs tacky or disappointingly generic. But, outside of totalitarian regimes, government does not dictate every aesthetic choice on private buildings. And why are skyscrapers – which have defined New York and glorified its skyline for a century – inherently a bad thing? Like many anti-development activists, Baker offers no reason, other than shadows cast on Central Park by the towers on 57th Street. He simply treats it as fact that height is bad, that new development compounds gentrification and unaffordability, and that new offices or apartments are unnecessary.

The cost of housing and office space in New York City shows more development is badly needed. New York has the second-highest residential rents of any city in the United States, after San Francisco, and the most expensive office space in the country. Demand to be in New York keeps rising, and supply must rise to limit the price increases. Baker claims allowing tall new buildings did “absolutely nothing to contain rents.” Rents have continued to rise, but Baker presents no evidence that they wouldn’t be even higher if the city had prevented new construction. It’s unclear if Baker – like many who think they are opposing gentrification when they actually advocating for policies that would exacerbate it – imagines the inhabitants of all those towers were conjured out of thin air from the developer’s imagination, as opposed to employees of New York-based firms.

Without the new buildings, these people would not really be kept out of New York altogether. Most of them simply have done what Baker once did and moved into older buildings, thus driving up the rents there.

A transplant such as Baker should understand this. He did not grow up in New York City, but he complains at length about his adopted neighborhood, Manhattan’s Upper West Side, losing its diversity, affordable housing and mom and pop shops, seemingly unaware that the neighborhood changed because more people like him – white-collar outsiders – moved in. The people who move there now are bankers, corporate executives and lawyers instead of left-wing writers, but that’s just because the suits stopped being scared to live there

City & State New York

or they got priced off of Park Avenue, not because the local government cast a spell on them.

The other major flaw in any argument that New York is dead – and this is especially true of Baker’s – is the way it reduces New York City to the lower half of Manhattan. Manhattan south of Harlem has indeed lost most of its working-class and black or Latino residents, or even the artists and bourgeois bohemians who first replaced them. In their place, sadly, as Baker writes, are yuppie interlopers, rich out-of-towners with pieds-à-terre, and tourists.

But that’s only around one-eighth of the city. That Baker no longer can hear half a dozen languages in his apartment building does not mean they have been banished from New York. In fact, the city is far more diverse than it was when Baker moved there 40 years ago. In 1980, racial minorities were 47 percent of New York’s residents. Today, they are 68 percent, a share of the population that has increased slightly in the new millenium. That’s because, simultaneous to the gentrification that has made the inner ring of the city of wealthier and whiter, there has been a continuing out-migration of whites from the outer ring of the outer boroughs.

Native-born populations are leaving parts of southern Brooklyn, the north Bronx and many neighborhoods throughout Queens.

In their place, new immigrants arrive daily from Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and Asia. How can a city with 3.3 million foreign-born residents, who chose to come there, be dead?

Neighborhoods that the average Manhattanite may never visit feature restaurant rows of cuisines from countries that many New Yorkers couldn’t find on a map. Want Sri Lankan food? Go to Staten Island. If you prefer Pakistani cuisine, there’s Little Pakistan in Brooklyn’s Midwood, just a couple miles south of the Bangladeshi bakeries in Kensington. If an Upper West Sider wants to see diversity, and indepen-

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dent neighborhood stores, he need only go a few subway stops uptown to Harlem and Washington Heights, or across a river to one of the boroughs.

One diagnosis of Baker’s that is absolutely spot on is that Republican state senators from the suburbs and upstate have wantonly used the state’s control over New York City’s powers to tax, spend and regulate rents to thwart the city population’s desire to introduce even a modicum of fairness to these policies. As Baker writes, the city and state should change the laws to reflect the fact that New York City’s challenge is no longer attracting people with money, but managing a surplus of them. To address the residential displacement caused by

IN 1980, RACIAL MINORITIES WERE 47 PERCENT OF NEW YORK’S RESIDENTS. TODAY, THEY ARE 68 PERCENT.

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CityAndStateNY.com

July 23, 2018

THAT BOOKSTORES ARE GOING OUT OF BUSINESS IS A TERRIBLE LOSS TO THE CITY’S CULTURE, BUT IT IS HARDLY MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO’S FAULT. escalating rents, Baker suggests repealing 421-a and using the increased property tax revenue to build affordable housing.

The city could go much further and enact broader property tax reform to remove distortions that undertax single-family homes and luxury condos and co-ops, while disproportionately taxing rentals. A tax on pieds-à-terre would claw back some money from the undertaxed elite who park their money in empty luxury apartments in those new towers. A tax on vacant storefronts in the core of Manhattan would incentivize landlords to rent to independent stores

instead of holding out for a CVS, Starbucks or bank branch.

But unless the U.S. becomes a communist country, its cities will be shaped by market forces. If inequality grows in the U.S., it will grow even more so in New York, its largest city, where rich and poor alike come seeking opportunity. If an industrial, union-heavy workforce is supplanted by a financialized economy in which private equity firms buy companies to offshore their manufacturing jobs and reap windfall profits, that will be manifested in New York City. If Congress fails

to properly regulate Wall Street, to tax its undeserved riches, and to invest in public goods like the New Deal-era public housing Baker praises, then those policies will be reflected in a housing market where the superrich bid up prices while public housing has waiting lists in the hundreds of thousands.

One can see that New York’s predicament is not unique simply by glancing at other real estate the rich covet. Across the country, from the East End of Long Island to Los Angeles’ Westside, formerly arty and charmingly modest enclaves have become obscenely expensive, their denizens and businesses fancier and more corporate.

This isn’t even limited to America. In France, despite its more left-wing, egalitarian political economy, Paris’ Left Bank lost its radical bohemian vibe or any semblance of affordability decades ago. In more recent years, the same has happened to once-hip or blue-collar parts of Vancouver, London and Berlin.

New York City can do a little to mitigate inequality – the state and federal governments can do more – but it cannot help being too popular for its own good.

■

INDIAN POINT: A LEGACY OF SAFE OPERATIONS

By THOMAS CAREY ast month, I had the opportunity to speak before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission at its annual meeting on the safety assessment of Indian Point Energy Center in Tarrytown.

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As the President of the Westchester -Putnam Central Labor Body and a member of the Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 21, my first priority is safety. The safe operation of Indian Point is a top priority for all 1,500 members of Local 21, many of whom have a long history of working at the plant. We can attest firsthand that Indian Point is run safely and securely.

Since Entergy purchased Indian Point Units 2 and 3 in 2000 and 2001, respectively, the company has invested well over $1 billion in safety upgrades to ensure the plant runs at its safest and highest performance. This safe and secure operation is reflected in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s annual safety assessment, which has given Indian Point the highest safety rating annually for the past 18 years.

I’m proud to come from a long line of Indian Point employees who helped ensure the safe construction and operation of the plant. My grandfather, uncle, and father helped construct the plant in the 1960s. Years later, my brother, sister, and I continued their contributions to the community.

As someone who grew up within the Indian Point community and who chose to raise my family there, I can firmly attest that Indian Point is safe, reliable, and secure.

For more than 40 years, Indian Point has served as a good neighbor to Westchester County and a reliable energy system to downstate New York. Its loss will be devastating to the local community and a blow to the state as a whole.

Fortunately, Indian Point will remain online at full power through 2021. But time is ticking and three years will pass quickly. It’s vital that replacement power sources come online before then to provide a smooth transition to a post-Indian Point future.

Thomas Carey is a business agent of

Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 21, and President

of

the

Westchester-Putnam

Central Labor Body. This op-ed was adapted

from his remarks delivered to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission at the Indian Point

Annual Safety Assessment Meeting on June 21, 2018.

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HOW PUBLIC IS NEW YORK PUBLIC RADIO?

BY BOB HENNELLY

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AURA WALKER, the president and CEO of New York Public Radio, has been buffeted by a wave of bad press following accusations that she stood by as the host of a popular show bullied and sexually harassed female colleagues and guests. On her watch, John Hockenberry, who hosted WNYC’s “The Takeaway,” berated and bullied three accomplished African-American co-hosts – Adaora Udoji, Farai Chideya and Celeste Headlee – according to a New York magazine exposé published in December. All three women appealed directly to Walker to intercede. All three left the station in short order.

Several other women who worked for Hockenberry described sexually charged comments, online messages and inappropriate physical advances in the story, including two instances in which he allegedly kissed colleagues without their consent. Hockenberry, who retired last summer, issued an apology for his “rude, aggressive and impolite” behavior that “was not always appropriate” and made colleagues “feel uncomfortable.”

Apart from the discomfort and distress suffered by the victims and the ensuing calls for Walker to resign, the allegations undermine the “halo effect” that New York Public Radio relies on to draw listener and advertiser support for its $100 million annual budget. As an affiliate of National Public Radio, the station markets itself on the presumption that as a nonprofit alternative to the

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HE SCRUTINY THAT CAME with WNYC’s #MeToo moment also exposed the ways that the public radio nonprofit has more in common with for-profit media corporations than many WNYC fans realized – in particular, how the nonprofit compensates Walker, its top executive, and gives her carte blanche to sit on the board of directors of a for-profit company.

In December, The New York Times reported that Walker was earning $768,000 from her salary with New York Public Radio and an additional $200,000 as a board member of the Tribune Media Co. Walker’s total compensation is now $954,582, including a $150,000 bonus, according to the latest IRS 990 form covering July 2016 through June 2017. The second-highest compensation package was

paid out to Corey Boutilier, the senior digital sales manager, who handles podcast sponsorships. He was paid $559,612, with a base salary of $75,628, and the bulk of his compensation came from a formula based on “the sponsorship revenues of the station.”

All told, 132 individuals earn in excess of $100,000, according to the IRS filing.

The top 13 earners below Walker collectively were paid more than $4 million, which included close to $400,000 in bonuses. (Starting this year, the Securities and Exchange Commission requires publicly traded companies in the United States to disclose the ratio of pay between their CEO and the median pay earned by company employees. Nonprofits have no similar requirement.)

Some longtime listeners aren’t thrilled

about the high salaries. “I stopped donating years ago when I discovered that Laura Walker was making $500,000 a year while I was a poor graduate student dutifully sending in my $60 a year,” Linda from Queens wrote on the comment page for “The Brian Lehrer Show.” “I thought it showed a gross lack of judgment about how to handle so much contribution money that comes in small amounts from people earning much, much less than her. Now her salary is double that. WNYC has given me so much companionship and food for thought that I would love to become a regular contributor again, but only if the Board of Trustees can restore trust by firing Walker and hiring someone with a salary more in line with a publicly funded position.”

MADISON VOELKEL/BFA/SHUTTERSTOCK

NYPR President corporate media, it is driven by and CEO Laura the public interest instead of Walker with Chrisa self-serving profit motive. tina McInerney, That reputation can appeal to president and CEO of the Jerome L. sponsors. As NPR wrote in 2011, Greene Foundation.

“The ‘halo effect’ is the positive association and shared values that NPR listeners attribute to the companies that sponsor us. Listeners have a higher opinion of those sponsors just because they support public radio.”

According to NPR’s research, 74 percent of listeners had a more positive opinion of a company that supports public radio and 66 percent preferred to buy from companies that support public radio.

But WNYC is a long way from its humble roots as a truly publicly owned radio station. In 1997, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani decided to sell the station, which was owned by the city and had fewer than 100 employees, to a nonprofit foundation led by Walker. That foundation was established in the 1970s to help insulate the public broadcaster from the ups and downs in municipal appropriations it had to deal with​ based on the city’s roller-coaster finances. Two years before the sale of the station, the foundation hired Walker. ​Today, close to 600 people work for New York Public Radio’s many channels and programs: WNYC, WQXR, New Jersey Public Radio, several web streams and dozens of podcasts.

So how well is it living up to its high-minded reputation? At what point does its increasing reliance on tens of millions of dollars in commercial sponsorships shift its institutional motivations? In other words, just how public is New York Public Radio?

MADISON VOELKEL/BFA/SHUTTERSTOCK

July 23, 2018

City & State New York

Apart from her compensation, Walker’s position on the Tribune board also gives her a central role in what would be one of the l​ argest TV station deals in American history. Tribune Media’s controversial acquisition by the pro-Trump Sinclair Broadcast Group would give Sinclair access to 72 percent of American households, the largest reach of any television company.​The deal has prompted scores of angry online comments. While critics contend the deal will be bad for local news, Walker and the other Tribune board members, as stockholders, stand to profit from the potential windfall.

Opposition is fierce and ranges from the United Church of Christ to labor unions like the Communications Workers of America who see the deal as a threat to what’s left of the nation’s local TV news and a concentration of TV station ownership in the hands of right-wing ideologues with a partisan agenda. Even Ajit Pai, the business-friendly chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, came out against the pending acquisition last week – which might prevent it from going through.

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are using the collapse of journalism to replace it with their sort of home-brewed propaganda to push their political agenda. And it just so happens that the same regulators that are making it possible for them to build an ever-larger monopoly are the political beneficiaries of the work they do with their pseudo-journalism.”

For Walker to hold a prominent leadership role at New York Public Radio while also serving on the board of Tribune – which could unite with Sinclair if the pending deal survives – is a profound conflict of interest, McChesney said.

“The idea that you have someone leading the flagship public station in the country, in the largest city in the country, on the board of a commercial media company, which basically runs counter to the principles of public broadcasting, they are a whole different thing – it seems really weird,” McChesney said. “Like, ‘Pick a lane, lady.’”

According to NYPR, it was the nonprofit’s board of trustees, which itself is dominated by the corporat-

of an organization is actually part of the job,” she said. “That said, Laura works on her board responsibilities on her own time, and uses vacation days for Tribune Media board meetings and all attendant travel.”

The board encouraging Walker to join a high-profile corporate board tracks with its membership. WNYC is governed by a 37-member board of trustees that is heavily weighted to the wealthy and powerful, some of whom have played key roles in other major media mergers, the very kind of transactions public interest, labor and consumer groups have fought for years.

NYPR board of trustees Chairman Mayo S. Stuntz Jr. is an operating partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, a venture capital firm, and, according to Bloomberg, a director of the Barrington Broadcasting Group, which while he was on the board back in 2013 sold Sinclair 18 local TV stations for $370 million. (Stuntz did not return a call on that Sinclair deal.)

Bradley A. Whitman, NYPR board’s vice chairman and treasurer, is now with Morgan Stanley. Before the 2008 financial collapse, he was at Lehman Brothers for 16 years. Among the deals he advised on were Sprint’s $47 billion takeover of Nextel.

Another NYPR vice chairman is John S. Rose, who is listed as the senior partner and managing director of the Boston Consulting Group and previously was executive vice president at the record label EMI Group and a director and co-leader of “the – LINDA FROM QUEENS, WNYC LISTENER global media and entertainment practice” at McKinsey.

Post-Hockenberry, the ist 1 percent, that encouraged Walkboard has committed to diversify its er to seek the Tribune directorship. makeup. “We are also looking inward, “There is nothing unusual about CEOs as a Board, to make sure we have the of public media organizations sitting on right structure, policies, tools and a corporate board. To the contrary, it’s processes to provide oversight, manquite common,” said Jennifer Houlihan age risk, and hold management acRoussel, an NYPR spokeswoman. “Neal countable,” Stuntz wrote in his letter Shapiro of WNET sits on the board of accompanying the release of an outGannett; Jarl Mohn of NPR sits on the side counsel report into how manboard of Scripps Networks Interacagement handled the events leading tive; and Goli Sheikholeslami of Chicaup to the Hockenberry controversy. go Public Media was just elected to the In April, the board added two new board of Patreon, to name just a few.” members who are people of color, Houlihan Roussel argued that the but certainly will fit in well with the position doesn’t detract from a CEO’s pro‑Wall Street bent of the existing job. “Rather, connecting with other board. Anand Desai is the CEO and peers and serving as the public face portfolio manager of Darsana Capital

“I stopped donating when I discovered that Laura Walker was making $500,000 a year while I was a poor graduate student dutifully sending in my $60 a year.”

N MARCH, Deadspin posted a video compilation of TV anchors at stations owned by Sinclair reciting the same exact message about their journalistic independence. The stations had all been told by Sinclair to read the message on the air. In dozens of video segments spliced together, the anchors collectively decry “the sharing of biased and false news” and the publishing of stories “that simply aren’t true.” The video, which ran under the headline “How America’s Largest Local TV Owner Turned Its News Anchors Into Soldiers In Trump’s War On The Media,” quickly went viral.

Robert McChesney, communications professor at the University of Illinois and one of the nation’s leading experts on corporate media consolidation and public broadcasting, described Sinclair as “the Fox News of local television,” saying it pushes the political agenda of its owners, “which is a far-right, rabidly pro-Republican, pro-business worldview as sort of a neutral news.”

“They are taking advantage of the decline of journalism,” McChesney said.

“They are participating in it and they

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Partners. He is a board member of the Horn of Africa Education Development Fund and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Also added was Timothy A. Wilkins, a partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where he co-chairs the New York office’s diversity and inclusion committee. His area of practice includes cross-border mergers and acquisitions.

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teners grew from $23.7 million in 2016 to $26.58 million last year, there has been a seismic shift to sponsorships in just one year. In 2016, sponsorships

a nonprofit public radio station. Please keep that in mind as you go forward.”

At the board meetings, listeners have also aired complaints about the corporate entities increasingly funding WNYC’s operations.

Over a year ago, Suzy Winkler and Trillion Smith, two anti-fracking environmentalists who split their time between upstate New York and New York City, heard a WNYC sponsorship spot for the gas pipeline company, The Williams Companies Inc. The company was building the controversial 125-mile Constitution natural gas pipeline from Pennsyl– BILL CALI, WNYC LISTENER vania in Broome, Chenango, Delaware and Schoharie accounted for $21.5 million. In 2017, counties in New York. sponsorships jumped to $30.6 million.

In May 2016, then-state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman called for HE ROILING CONTROVERSY a federal investigation after his investiover the firings of longtime hosts gators found the pipeline company had Leonard Lopate and Jonathan authorized or encouraged the large-scale Schwartz and Walker’s large clear-cutting of trees in New York withcompensation have turned the out the required permits. According to regular monthly meetings of the relathe attorney general, the actions threattively obscure New York Public Radio ened hundreds of “water bodies – many Community Advisory Board into a popof which are sensitive trout-spawning ular forum for irate listeners. They have waters – and approximately 80 acres of complained about what they see as a lack protected wetlands … and entail signifof transparency and the nonprofit’s reliicant impacts to the habitats of endanance on nondisclosure agreements. The gered and threatened species.” The board’s panel of volunteers is required by company and some local elected offithe Corporation for Public Broadcasting cials have disputed the allegation. to provide the public an opportunity to “I found myself yelling and cursing at give input on the public radio station. the radio,” said Winkler, after hearing At the January meeting, the Commuthe Williams public radio ads in rotanity Advisory Board was dominated by tion. “And it started to occur to us that Lopate supporters and critics of WalkWNYC was talking about this halo efer. Sergio Girgenti, a longtime listenfect and frankly that was disconcerting er, claimed that the firing of Lopate was to us that Williams was trying to gain an effort by upper management to cover respectability and familiarity with the up their failure to act on long-standmembers of WNYC public radio and ing allegations involving Hockenberry. frankly just became infuriated about it.”

“This went on for a decade, and For Winkler and Smith, it took a while who has been made accountable for to figure out how navigate NYPR. “I what happened there?” he asked. had written to sponsorship and we had “Nobody has been made accountalso written to listener services,” Smith able ... (not) the upper management, said. “We learned a lot about this instithe CEO, the human resources. That tution along the way, which is a good is just water under the bridge. And thing. One of the things that any work then you want my $10 a month?” like this does for you is you sort of sudConcerns about the direction of the denly know your government or radio station’s management also came from station or your local town board.”

Community Advisory Board memWinkler and Smith invited other acbers. John Bacon, a board member at tivists to attend the Community Advithe time,​​expressed concern NYPR was sory Board meetings, who offered their at risk of tarnishing its own halo. “ ​ It firsthand experiences with Williams. On seems there is this growing risk of creWNYC’s Community Advisory Board ating a corporate culture,” he said. “It’s they encountered people who were, as

“So I’m listening to Brian Lehrer on WNYC pitching for money. Five minutes later they play an ad for Progressive Insurance. Am I missing something?”

S A HIGHLY compensated nonprofit CEO and corporate media merger mogul, Walker got some pushback during an interview with one of her own employees on “The Brian Lehrer Show” in December.

Lehrer pressed Walker. “Well, let’s talk about what was known in the case of temporary co-host Farai Chideya,” the host asked. “She says she spoke to you after Hockenberry said she shouldn’t want to stay as a ‘diversity hire’ and told her to go lose weight. If you confirm she said those things, why wasn’t that a firing offense and what action was taken?”

Walker responded: “Again, I can’t comment on what action was taken but it was taken seriously and we did take some action. Look, every day for the last several weeks I have asked myself whether we took enough action and whether we should really look at our protocols. I apologize to Farai, to Kristen, to the women who came forward.

I have a huge amount of admiration and respect for these women for coming forward at this time and I apologize that our protocols were not there and our policies were not there.”

Within days, WNYC suspended and then terminated longtime WNYC hosts Leonard Lopate and Jonathan Schwartz​over undisclosed “inappropriate conduct,” leaving many listeners with more questions than answers.

Another sign of the nonprofit’s drift from its public interest roots is the tsunami of revenue from sponsors desperate for the halo effect that comes with supporting what appears to be a community-oriented nonprofit.

According to WNYC’s latest financials, the revenue realized from pledges by members, while increasing, has been surpassed by revenue generated by sponsorships.

While membership revenue from lis-

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JAMES DUNCAN DAVIDSON/TED

it turned out, just as interested as they were in understanding just what criteria WNYC used when it accepted money from what appeared to a swelling pool of sponsors looking for the halo effect.

“A lot of members of the CAB kind of agreed with us,” Smith said. “They would nod their heads. Williams had a webpage that was devoted to WNYC. One of the CAB members was really upset about that. You could feel their concern.”

Smith continued, “There was somebody on the CAB who does environmental consulting and members would nod their heads in agreement but at a certain point they said, ‘You know, we can’t answer your questions. You are coming to us with this and we have forwarded your concerns.’ You could sort of feel their frustration. You are coming to us with all this sponsorship stuff

but we don’t know how it works.”

As a consequence of the board’s interest in the topic, in November, management sent Hal Trencher, NYPR’s senior vice president of sponsorship, who said that since 2015 the station has seen an 81.6 percent spike in revenue from sponsors. He assured the audience that such sponsorships were not NYPR endorsements and that “if it doesn’t feel right” sponsors get dropped.

“I think that firewall breaks down a lot and people like Jane Mayer have written about it with PBS and the Kochs,” Smith said. “The real problem for us is we know these companies. We watch Williams cut down … trees for a pipeline that was never built that didn’t yet have New York state permitting.”

City & State New York

At the Jan. 9 community board meeting, Winkler and Smith were told that NYPR had decided to drop Williams as a sponsor.

Of course, other controversial sponsors remain. Wells Fargo & Co., a regular WNYC sponsor, is still counting on that halo effect to help in its makeover following the bank’s high-profile scandals, including its creation of unauthorized accounts and secretly charging customers for car insurance and other fees.

Even if sponsors aren’t mired in controversy, the heavy rotation of the business messages can create a cognitive dissonance, which Bill Cali, a regular WNYC listener, pointed out on Facebook during a recent pledge drive. “So I’m listening to Brian Lehrer on WNYC pitching for money,” he wrote. “His most persuasive argument is that the station

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lying reasons our policies and processes did not work the way they were supposed to. The work of recognizing weaknesses in an organization, and addressing them, is urgent and necessary.”

Yet internally at WNYC there was major pushback over the report from Proskauer Rose. The firm was tasked to evaluate management’s performance in handling the events that led to NYPR’s #MeToo meltdown and the quick firings of Schwartz and Lopate.

The flashpoint came at an all-hands meeting on April 24, the day the report was released. Specifically, the fact that no one within the station’s leadership had been held accountable prompted outrage from the staff.

“I don’t think (management) expected the tough going they got from WNYC’s own reporters at that meeting,” said a longtime WNYC employee who was present at the stationwide meeting and not cleared to speak with the press.

“Many employees who attended Tuesday’s meeting found the report sorely lacking, according to several people who were at the meeting and spoke anonymously to avoid reprisal,” The New York Times wrote at the time. “Many seemed stunned, even dismayed, that no one was apparently being held accountable.”

WNYC’s own award-winning news department took issue with Proskauer Rose’s central conclusion. As WNYC reporters Jessica Gould and Ilya Marritz reported, “Proskauer’s lawyers write that senior management was responsive, when notified of problems: ‘significant and prompt disciplinary action was taken in most cases where violations were found.’

John Hockenberry, host of That finding is partly contradict“The Takeaway,” ed by WNYC News’ own reportstepped down ing. Several sources told WNYC after he was acNews they reported harassment cused of bullying is noncommercial. Five or inappropriate behavior at the and harassment. minutes later they play an most senior levels of the compaad for Progressive Insurny, and knew of no response.” ance. Am I missing something or was In a statement to City & State, forthis just a poor programming decision?” mer co-host of “The Takeaway,” Celeste Headlee, said she was “disappointed HE LONG-AWAITED REPORT and dismayed” by the report. Proskauer by the law firm Proskauer Rose investigators, she said, had “never conLLP, which was commissioned by tacted me or many other women who New York Public Radio’s board both suffered abuse and harassment and and released in April, found no reported it to the management.” evidence of systemic discrimination.

“Laura Walker is a committed and talented leader, and she has our full supBob Hennelly was a reporter at WNYC port,” Stuntz said in a press release. from 2002 to 2013, when he re“Over the past few months, Laura has signed. He subsequently has appeared worked with many managers and staff on WNYC’s “The Takeaway” and from across NYPR to comprehensively “The Brian Lehrer Show” and continreview the organization and the underues to pitch segments to the station.

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CAN NYC INCREASE LOCAL INPUT WITHOUT ENDANGERING REAL ESTATE PROJECTS? IT’S A PUZZLE FOR A PAIR OF DUELING CITY CHARTER COMMISSIONS.

BY REBECCA C. LEWIS

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HE NEW YORK CITY CHARTER is being revisited by not one, but two revision commissions.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the first commission to review the city charter during his State of the City address in February. The stated intent of the mayor’s commission was to examine campaign finance and improve democracy in the city, but over the course of several public hearings, commissioners also examined local engagement through community boards and, in turn, the level of input that residents have in city land use decisions. That commission plans to wrap up in time to have proposals on the ballot in November.

Ultimately, substantial changes to the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure – the standard public review process for city land use decisions – are unlikely given the commission’s narrow focus and short time frame. In its recently released preliminary staff report, the commission acknowledged the complexity of the matter and

recommended not pursuing it further. The report defers consideration to future commissions, and recommends they conduct more outreach on the issue.

Unlike other years, another charter revision commission exists that can effectively pick up where the first leaves off. The second commission, convened by the New York City Council, will get started in earnest as the mayor’s commission finishes its work. The issues identified but not directly addressed by the first commission could offer a preview for what may come up in the second commission. The testimony on land use in particular offers insight into an important matter for New Yorkers. It was only one of two topics of interest that the commission identified without recommending any action on yet, with the other being public safety.

Gail Benjamin, the chairwoman of the council’s commission, said that land use may be a hot topic brought up by people like Council Speaker Corey Johnson, but said it is not the commission’s sole mandate, nor is it guaranteed to be addressed at all.

Her commission is tasked to look at the charter broadly. Public hearings to gather testimony from residents have not even

BEBETO MATTHEWS/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK

PERMI SS ON TO BUILD

July 23, 2018

The mayor’s charter commission punted on land use. Will the City Council’s commission take up the issue?

City & State New York

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CHARTER REVISION COMMISSION FAQ What is a charter revision commission? A charter revision commission reviews the city charter, holds public hearings and can put initiatives on the ballot. If voters approve any of the proposed changes, the charter is amended.

Why are there two commissions? The New York City charter will be revisited not once, but twice in the near future. The first commission was convened by Mayor Bill de Blasio, who also appointed each commissioner. The second was created by the City Council, with members appointed by the council speaker, borough presidents, city public advocate, city comptroller and de Blasio. Although the mayor’s commission began its work first, the council has been working to create one since last year. However the legislation to do so only passed in April.

What are they exploring?

De Blasio directed his commission to explore campaign finance reform and ways to improve democracy in the city. It intends to have initiatives on the ballot this fall. The council’s commission has no stated directive and will review the charter more broadly. It plans to have its ballot initiatives ready in 2019.

Does this happen all the time? The last major charter revision occurred in 1989, which overhauled city government.

It eliminated the Board of Estimate, which involved a massive reshuffling of power, and increased the number of City Council districts to 51.

Other revisions eliminated the council president post and created the council speaker and public advocate roles.

Mayors have launched narrower commissions in 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004/2005 and 2010.

CityAndStateNY.com

THE MAYOR’S COMMISSION CESAR PERALES

Chairman, New York City Mayor’s Charter Revision Commission With the release of your commission’s preliminary staff report, how do you feel about the initial recommendations based on the first round of hearings?

I’m very pleased with the work that the staff has done. The report reflects very much our thinking. It reflects what we heard in many of the hearings and we’re certainly pleased with what we did is an accurate representation of the process so far.

Was there anything that surprised you in hearing testimony in terms of what people chose to bring up?

Probably the number of people that commented on community boards and their desire to see community boards improved as the arm of the community in terms of setting policy. We got an awful lot of comment from the public on that. And the other issue that came up that got a surprising amount of comment was the redistricting process for the City Council.

Now that you have your preliminary staff report out, moving forward, what are the next steps in the process?

I think we want to get our report out, make sure that people will hear about it. And we’re going to go back out with borough hearings, listening to as many people as possible in terms of their reaction to this preliminary report. I think what we’ve done is we’ve narrowed the issues. There is hopefully going to be a greater focus on specific issues this time around, which I think will be very, very helpful to us. And staff will continue to figure out, for example, and when it comes to campaign finance reform, they’ll have time to do some modeling, to see how that would work. There’s lots of work to be done, very little time, and I’m just so glad that we’ve been able to so effectively focus on some of these issues.

July 23, 2018

begun for the council’s commission, so There were some who, while advothe direction it will take is unknown. cating change, also expressed caution During hearings held by the mayabout the correct way to go about it. or’s commission, much of the expert Jessica Katz, executive director of the testimony regarding land use boiled Citizens Housing and Planning Coundown to getting community members cil, testified that while community input more involved. The mayor’s commisis essential in the land use process, sion made a preliminary recommendathe benefits to the neighborhood must tion to make more resources and support be balanced with citywide benefits. available to community boards when it “Rather than simply putting more pocomes to urban planning, while leaving tential roadblocks in the hands of those the actual ULURP process unchanged. who would oppose any change,” Katz ULURP was created by the State said, “the city should make adjustments Charter Revision Commission of to its planning procedures to make new New York City, along with commuhousing a positive asset for community boards, in the 1970s. The curnities and their existing residents.” rent process, with the decision-making Former New York City Councilman powers about zoning and developKenneth Fisher, who currently works for ment projects lying with the City the law firm Cozen O’Connor, agreed.

Council, was established in the 1989 “I don’t think anyone wants to give charter revision that eliminated the community boards by themselves the Board of Estimate, which used to have power to block a project because very broad influence in those decisions. few controversial matters would ever get Currently, the city’s community approved no matter how much beneboards act only in an advisory manfit they might provide simply because ner. They are given land use proposcommunities tend to be reactive and als early on in the process so they can conservative,” Fisher told City & State. review them and make recommenFisher warned that additional budations. However, any decisions they reaucracy, or giving too much power make are nonbinding and the City to neighborhoods, could discourCouncil can ignore them. age developers from apSome people testifying plying to build projects Some fear that sought to empower comgiving veto powmunity boards and give er to communities would halt members of the affected any project that neighborhood more influhas a whiff of ence. City Councilman Ben controversy.

Kallos, chairman of the Subcommittee on Planning, Dispositions, and Concessions, testified that the combined “no” vote from a community board, borough board and borough president should have a binding effect and stop a project from moving forward.

A community board, Kallos said, should also be empowered to initiate a rezoning or ULURP on its own.

Others called for more transparency in the pre-ULURP phase, overhauling the process itself to be more community-oriented, or making changes to what happens post-ULURP. While many agreed that changes should be made, there was little consensus on what exactly those changes should look like.

The Real Estate Board of New York argued against adding more bureaucracy and steps into an already complicated process and proposed returning decision-making power in land use matters back to the City Planning Commission.

JUSTIN LANE/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK; JUDY SANDERS/OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR; SUBMITTED

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necessary to the city’s growth. He said the negotiations are a give-and‑take between those developers and the communities they build in, between long‑term and short-term benefits.

Fisher added that most council members follow the recommendations of their community boards and then use those recommendations as leverage when it comes to a council vote.

In general, the legislative body defers to the council members that represent the affected communities.

Kallos told City & State that ensuring community engagement and deference to neighborhoods is necessary from start to finish in the planning process for new developments, so they can be built with support rather than resistance. He pointed to a supportive housing development he helped get built his district as one such example of combining local and citywide interests.

“We worked with the community, we lay the groundwork and when we got supportive housing in the community on 91st Street, across the street from (three public schools), we actually brought the students, the principals, the parents, every elected official and faith leaders and people who live on that block and across the street

City & State New York

to gather to do a welcoming ceremony with (former City Council Speaker) Christine Quinn,” Kallos said.

City Councilman Rafael Salamanca Jr., the chairman of the Land Use Committee and a former community board district manager, shared a similar sentiment. He told City & State that in his experience, members of the community did not always feel adequately represented in the ULURP process, but that doesn’t always have to be the case.

“I think that when you have a good developer and they go to the community board months before they certify their application, they are viewed differently by the community board,” Salamanca said. “Because they know that, hey, they really want to get input from the community.”

Without getting into specifics, Salamanca said he expects land use to be a major topic in the council’s Charter Revision Commission and he hopes that revisions to the city charter will result in greater community engagement across the board in city government.

Ultimately, the council’s commission, should it take up the issue, will need to find a balance between empowering communities, satisfying developers and reconciling multiple points of view.

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THE COUNCIL’S COMMISSION GAIL BENJAMIN Chairwoman, New York City Council Charter Revision Commission

Do you think there will be overlap between your commission that was created by the council and the mayor’s?

I wouldn’t expect there to be. The mayor’s commission will be finished or is expected to be finished with their work and to submit their final proposals by Sept. 7. So we’ll just be getting started then. We will know what they have done. We will know what they have left on the table. When the mayor originally announced his Charter Revision Commission, it was to deal with two issues, campaign finance and conflict of interest. And as these things happened, as they had their hearings, and people came to speak, they raised other issues.

I’m not sure that they have enough time to really deal with all of the issues that may have been raised. So I think there will be lots left over without stepping on each other’s feet.

Why do you think this commission is necessary now? Or is it just that time has passed and the time has come?

I think it’s the latter. I think time has passed. I think the world has changed greatly. And government has changed since 1989. And I think every 30 years is a good time to take it out and kick the tires and see what’s changed and what we can do differently and better. We’ve now gotten a solid period of time when we’ve used this new charter and we can see where some things – just the fact that in 1989, there really wasn’t cellphones, or the usage of cellphones, the usage of the internet and the way that we do now. And that has changed how government functions and how governments can function.

So I think it really was an issue of the time being right to overhaul.

Are there any issues you hope the commission will address once the hearings begin?

I think every commissioner, and anybody who agrees to be on such a commission, has some thoughts.

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Notice of Formation of Next Asset Management II, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 4/18/18. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 551 5th Ave, Ste 2500, NY, NY 10176.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of ALBERT FEINSTEIN REAL ESTATE, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 6/18/15.

Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 54 E. 66th St, Fl. 3, NY, NY 10065.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of GELLER MULTI-VINTAGE REAL ESTATE I, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/08/18. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/05/18.

Princ. office of LLC: 909 Third Ave., NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Attn: Edward Hornstein at the princ. office of the LLC. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., Federal and Duke of York Sts., Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Ardent12, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 4/18/18.

Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 551 5th Ave, Ste 2500, NY, NY 10176.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of ASNYC LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 5/23/18.

Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 225 E. 39th St, 6D, NY, NY 10016.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of TOB Holdings, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 6/8/18.

Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 25 Robert Pitt Dr., Ste 204, Monsey, NY 10952. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is Vcorp Agent Services, Inc., 25 Robert Pitt Dr., Ste 204, Monsey, NY 10952.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Next12 Investors, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 4/18/18.

Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 551 5th Ave, Ste 2500, NY, NY 10176.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of 132-25 MAPLE AVENUE VENTURES, LLC Appl for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/02/18. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 04/26/18.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of DE, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Beyond the Pink Ribbon, LLC. Arts. Of Org. filed with SSNY on June 14, 2018.

Office location: Westchester County. SSNY Designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Emily Garnett, 19 Parkview Place, Mt. Kisco, NY 10549. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

Notice of Qualification of ARES CARTER MUSIC LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/22/18. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 05/21/18.

Princ. office of LLC: 912 5th Ave., Apt. 6A, NY, NY 10021.

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 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808-1674. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of formation of Dawn Kriss LLC Art. Of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/4/18 . Office in Westchester County.

SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Dawn Kriss LLC, 150 Kelbourne Ave, Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591.

Purpose: any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of Rusk Service, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 4/25/18.

Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 366 W. 245th St, Bronx, NY 10471. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is Mary Kocy, 366 W. 245th St, Bronx, NY 10471.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of 1013 SIXTH AVENUE ASSOCIATES, L.L.C. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/18/18. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Lawrence B. Simon, Esq., c/o Morrison Cohen LLP, 909 Third Ave., 27th Fl., NY, NY 10022.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of Jbuild LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/12/18. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 03/19/14.

Princ. office of LLC: Jordan Brill LLC, 19 E. 65th St., Ste. 3B, NY, NY 10065. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 105 Van Kevren Ave., Jersey City, NJ 07306. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19808.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

PUBLIC and LEGAL NOTICES / CityAndStateNY.com

July 23, 2018 Que Rico, LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY 3/13/2018.

Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against LLC may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 1-50 50th ave Suite 305, LIC NY 11101 Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Beauty by Jackie B. LLC Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 6/13/2018.

City. Westchester. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to: Jacqueline AdansiBarimah, 366 Webster Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10801.

General Purpose Notice of Formation of Rusk Condominium, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 4/25/18.

Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 366 W. 245th St, Bronx, NY 10471. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is John Rusk, 366 W. 245th St, Bronx, NY 10471.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of IMPACTIVE CAPITAL LP Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/13/18. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 04/04/18.

Princ. office of LP: 101 W. 24th St., Ste. 7B, NY, NY 10011. NYS fictitious name: IMPACTIVE CAPITAL NY L.P. Duration of LP is Perpetual.

SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. DE addr. of LP: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of LP filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Investment management.

Notice of Qualification of HedgePremier/RIDA Fund LP. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 6/6/18. Office location: New York County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 5/31/18.

SSNY is designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. DE address of LP: 1209 Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801.

List of names and addresses of all general partners available from SSNY. Cert. of Limited Partnership filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1312079 FOR LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 45 W 45TH ST NEW YORK, NY 10036.

NEW YORK COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION. 45 W 45TH ST NY, NY 10036.

PUBLIC NOTICE AT&T proposes to modify an existing facility (new tip heights 81.3’) on the building at 1134 Burke Avenue, Bronx, NY 10496 (20181087).

Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856-809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

SRPNYC, INC.

LEGALNOTICES@ CITYANDSTATENY.COM

Notice of Qualification of China-U.S. SkyClub LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 6/26/18.

Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 1/4/17.

SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 7 World Trade Ctr, 250 Greenwich St, Ste 3304, NY, NY 10007. DE address of LLC: 1013 Centre Rd, Ste 403-B Wilmington, DE 19805. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity Notice of Qualification of Fast Kicks Production Services, LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 6/1/18. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 6/27/17.

SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011.

DE address of LLC: 1209 Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of JBRK SERVICE LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/27/17. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 08/25/17.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to c/o Robert W. Keddie, III, 325 Foxcroft Dr., Ivyland, PA 18974. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., #4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Legal Notice: Edward Wong Dentistry PLLC, Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY 5/29/18.

Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against PLLC may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: Edward Wong Dentistry PLLC, 101 Lafayette St Floor 9 New York, NY 10013. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Notice of Formation of Rusk Townhouse, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 4/25/18.

Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 366 W. 245th St, Bronx, NY 10471. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is John Rusk, 366 W. 245th St, Bronx, NY 10471.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Rusk Commercial, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 4/26/18.

Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 366 W. 245th St, Bronx, NY 10471. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is Mary Kocy, 366 W. 245th St, Bronx, NY 10471.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of ED 97 Owner, LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 5/29/18. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 3/8/18. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. DE address of LLC: 1209 Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

RD BAKES LLC, filed with SSNY 3/30/2018. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against LLC may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, Attn: Yuet Tong, 435 W 31st Street, 46H, New York, NY 10001.

LEGALNOTICES@ CITYANDSTATENY.COM

SWEAT EQUITY 150, LLC, of Org. filed with SSNY 2/20/2018. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, Attn: Wendi Apostolico, 54W 84th St., 4F, New York, NY 10024. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

PAC FORWARD LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY 5/17/2018. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: One World Trade Center, 44th FL, NY NY 10007. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

215 E 12 LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/25/18. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, c/o Michael L. Macklowitz, Esq., 299 Broadway, Suite 1405, New York, NY 10007. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of PB TECH & ADVISORY LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/06/18. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Jeremy P. Kleiman, Esq., 18 Columbia Tpke., Ste. 200, Florham Park, NJ 07932.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Coworkrs Hospitality LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 6/4/18. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 55 Broadway, Fl. 3, NY, NY 10006.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Rooster & Magellan, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 5/9/18. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 1074 Broadway, Ste 121, Woodmere, NY 11598.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

GRAMERCY 25 EAST 21ST STREET LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/31/2018. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: Unit First Floor, The Gramercy 25 East 21st St., Attn: Madeline Weinrib, NY, NY 10010. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Notice of Formation of LLX PARTNERS, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/14/18. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, c/o Sovereign Partners, LLC, 747 Third Ave., 37th Fl., NY, NY 10017.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of S. Jewelry Design LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/11/18.

Office location: NY County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 330 East 57th St., Apt 9, NY, NY 10022. Purpose: any lawful activities.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1312027 FOR WINE & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL WINE & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 58 2ND AVE NEW YORK, NY 10003.

NEW YORK COUNTY, FOR ONPREMISE CONSUMPTION. SECOND AVE RESTAURANT GROUP INC

LEGALNOTICES@ CITYANDSTATENY.COM

Notice of Qualification of HedgePremier/ExodusPoint Partners Fund LP. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 6/6/18. Office location: New York County.

LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 5/31/18. SSNY is designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. DE address of LP: 1209 Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801.

List of names and addresses of all general partners available from SSNY. Cert. of Limited Partnership filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

23

Notice of Formation of The Friday Night JAMS LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 6/13/18. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 59 W. 12th St, Apt 1H, NY, NY 10011.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of formation of AUTHENTIC COLLABORATIONS LLC. Articles of Organization filed with NYS Department of State on 6/15/2018.

Office loc: Westchester County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC at 44 Amherst Drive, New Rochelle, New York 10804.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of Rusk Consulting, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 4/25/18.

Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 366 W. 245th St, Bronx, NY 10471. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is John Rusk, 366 W. 245th St, Bronx, NY 10471.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of CAM 45 LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 6/11/18.

Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 45 Broadway, Fl. 25, NY, NY 10006.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of RUSK APARTMENT, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 5/3/18.

Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 366 W. 245th St, Bronx, NY 10471. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is Mary Kocy, 366 W. 245th St, Bronx, NY 10471.

Purpose: any lawful activity. .

Smile Staffing Solutions, LLC Art. Of Org. Filed Sec. of State of NY 5/15/2018. Off. Loc.: Richmond Co. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY to mail copy of process to The LLC, 360 New Dorp Lane, Staten Island, NY 10306. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity

LEGALNOTICES@ CITYANDSTATENY.COM

24

CityAndStateNY.com / PUBLIC and LEGAL NOTICES

Notice of Qualification of 13257 SANFORD AVENUE, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/02/18. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 04/26/18.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of DE, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Any lawful activity Notice of Formation of JJM CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, LLC filed with SSNY on March 1st 2018.

Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 138 Woodland ave New Rochelle NY 10805. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

Notice of Formation of CHURTON PROPERTIES LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/29/18. Office location: NY County. 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.

Notice of Qualification of RGN-Brooklyn IV, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/29/18. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/27/18.

Princ. office of LLC: 15305 Dallas Pkwy., Ste. 400, Addison, TX 75001. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808.

Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION of S3 CAPITAL FUND III REIT LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 6/14/18. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in DE 6/11/18. SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Spruce Capital Partners, 444 Madison Avenue, Ste 41, New York, NY 10022.

DE address of LLC: 160 Greentree Dr., Ste 101, Dover, DE 19904. Cert of Form. filed with DE SOS, 401 Federal St. Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Beauty and Kin, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/12/18.

Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 160 Madison Ave, #8J, NY, NY 10016.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF QUAL. of EAST HARLEM SCHOLARS HS LLC Auth. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 6/20/18. Off. Loc: NY Co. LLC org. in DE 6/19/18. SSNY desig. as agent of LLC upon whom proc. against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of proc. to NRAI, 111 Eighth Ave, NY, NY 10011, the Reg. Agt upon whom proc. may be served. DE off. Addr.: 160 Greentree Dr., Ste 101, Dover, DE 19904. Cert of Form. on file: SSDE, Townsend Bldg., Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of formation of Mindful Eating LLC. Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on June 28th 2018.

Office location: Westchester County. SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served against LLC to: United States Corporation Agents, Inc. 7014 13th Avenue, Suite 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. Business address: 530 Monterey Avenue, Pelham, NY 10803.

Purpose: any lawful act.

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF GARY JOE LLC Arts of Org filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/05/2018.

Office location: RICHMOND County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to principal business address: 274 RHINE AVE, STATEN ISLAND, NY 10304.

Purpose: any lawful act.

July 23, 2018 Notice of Qualification of Front Street Lender, LLC. Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 05/11/2018. Office location: NY County. Princ.

Bus. Addr: 900 N. Michigan Ave., Ste 1600 Chicago, IL 60611.

LLC formed in DE on 10/10/17. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CT Corporation 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: all lawful purposes.

Notice of Qualification of Verizon Smart Communities LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 5/14/18. Office location: New York County.

LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 6/9/10. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011.

DE address of LLC: 1209 Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St. Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

SDKA North America, LLC, Arts of Org. with SSNY on 11/26/14. Office: Westchester.

SSNY designated for service of process and shall mail to Law office of Jessica M. Jimenez, P.C., 5 McKinley Place, Suite 200, Ardsley, New York, 10502.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of VIPVR, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/03/18. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 07/03/18.

Princ. office of LLC: Attn: Prajit Gopal, 2373 Broadway, Apt. #1723, NY, NY 10024.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the princ. office of the LLC. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808.

Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., #4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF HOOK & REEL FRANCHISE LLC Arts of Org filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/26/2018.

Office location: RICHMOND County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to principal business address: 2590 HYLAN BLVD STE 3 AND 4, STATEN ISLAND, NY 10306.

Purpose: any lawful act.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1312021 FOR WINE & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR

BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL WINE & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 1588 1600 AMSTERDAM AVE NEW YORK, NY 10031. NEW YORK COUNTY, FOR ONPREMISE CONSUMPTION.

LEGALNOTICES@ CITYANDSTATENY.COM

1588 HARLEM RESTAURANT GROUP LLC.

LYNYA FLOYD ENTERPRISES LLC Art. of Org. Filed Sec. of State of NY 7/3/2018. O f f .

Loc.: New York Co. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY to mail copy of process to The LLC, 2 Mt. Morris Park West, #2B, New York, NY 10027. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity.

Notice of Qualification of GAIA MONTROSE INVESTORS, LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 8/28/17. Office location: New York County.

LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 12/23/14. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 152 W. 57 St, Fl. 17, NY, NY 10019. DE address of LLC: 1013 Centre Rd, Ste 403-B, Wilmington, 19805. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

HEIDY E FITNESS, LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY 05/08/2018.

Office loc: WESTCHESTER County.

SSNY shall mail process to: HEIDY E FITNESS, LLC, Attn: Heidy Espaillat, P.O Box 118, New Rochelle, NY 10802.

Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Notice of Formation of 49 Owner Realty LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 6/20/18. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 530 E. 76th St, Unit 20G, NY, NY 10021.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of ALPHA AESTHETICS LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 6/19/18. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 60 E. 56th St, Ste 302, NY, NY 10022.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Rabinian LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 6/20/18.

Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 530 E. 76th St, Unit 20G, NY, NY 10021.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

LEGALNOTICES@ CITYANDSTATENY.COM

FAMILY COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK: COUNTY OF QUEENS SUMMONS - Docket No.: B-25421/17 ------------------------------------------------X In the Matters of KENNETH LEE ELDRIDGE lll A dependent child, under the age of 14 years, to the custody of SCO Family of Services, alleged to be permanently negelected and abandoned child, pursuant to Section 384-b of the Social Services Law. -------------------------------------------------X IN THE NAME OF THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK: TO: KENNETH LEE ELDRIDGE JR COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SERVICES OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK A Verified Petition having been filed in this Court alleging that the above-named child in the care of SCO Family of Services, the petitioner, is permanently neglected and abandoned child as defined by Article 6, Part 1 of the Family Court Act and Section 384-b of the Social Services Law. YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to appear before the Family Court at 151-20 Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, New York, Part 1, 2nd floor, on the 14th day of September, 2018 before the Hon. Connie Gonzalez at 10:30 o’clock in the forenoon of said day to show cause why the Court should not enter an Order depriving you of all the rights of custody of KENNETH LEE ELDRIDGE lll, awarding the custody of said child to the petitioning authorized agency as a permanently neglected and abandoned child as provided by law.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that if said child is adjudged to be a permanently neglected and abandoned child, and, if custody is awarded to said authorized agency, said child may be adopted with the consent of said agency and without further notice to you and without your consent.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that your failure to appear will result in the termination of all your parental rights to the child.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that your failure to appear shall constitute a denial of an interest in the child, which denial may result in the transfer or commitment of the child’s care, custody, guardianship or adoption of the child, all without further notice to the parents of the child.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that you are entitled to be represented by an attorney, and, if you cannot afford to retain an attorney, one will be appointed to represent you by the court free of charge to you.

Dated: December 21, 2017

By Order of the Court Robert Ratanski Clerk, Family Court, Queens Co.

PUBLIC NOTICE Cellco Partnership and its controlled affiliates doing business as Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless) proposes to collocate wireless communications antennas at two locations. Antennas will be installed at a top height of 49 feet on a 43-foot building at the approx. vicinity of 73-19 Woodside Avenue, Elmhurst, Queens County, NY 11377. Antennas will be installed at a top height of 71 feet on a building with an overall top height of 76 feet at the approx. vicinity of 415 Albemarle Road, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY 11218.

Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Trileaf Corp, Natalie, n.kleikamp@ trileaf.com, 10845 Olive Blvd, Suite 260, St. Louis, MO 63141, 314-997-6111.

Public Notice Cellco Partnership and its controlled affiliates doing business as Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless) proposes to collocate wireless communications antennas at two locations. Antennas will be installed at a top height of 85 feet on a 95-foot building at the approx. vicinity of 541 Pelham Road, New Rochelle, Westchester County, NY 10805. Antennas will be installed at a top height of 45 feet on a 155-foot building at the approx. vicinity of Lincoln Tunnel River Vent Building, New York, NY 10018. Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Trileaf Corp, Sharetta, s.williams@ trileaf.com, 10845 Olive Blvd, Suite 260, St. Louis, MO 63141, 314-997-6111.

PUBLIC and LEGAL NOTICES / CityAndStateNY.com

July 23, 2018 Notice of Qualification of TerraForm Power Operating, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/10/18. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/18/14.

Princ. office of LLC: 200 Liberty St., 14th Fl., NY, NY 10281. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543.

DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of HIGHLINE 22 LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 6/14/18. Office location: New York County.

LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 6/11/18. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 407 Park Ave S., NY, NY 10016. DE address of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Public Notice Cellco Partnership and its controlled affiliates doing business as Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless) proposes to collocate wireless communications antennas at five locations. Antennas will be installed at a top height of 74 feet on a 78-foot building at the approx. vicinity of 960 E 12th Street, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY 11230. Antennas will be installed at a top height of 37 feet on a 43foot building at the approx. vicinity of 6225 New Utrecht Ave, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY 11219. Antennas will be installed at a top height of 78 feet on a building with an overall top height of 85 feet at the approx. vicinity of 2001 Avenue P, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY 11229.

Antennas will be installed at a top height of 59 feet on a 62-foot building at the approx. vicinity of 5624 4th Ave, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY 11220. Antennas will be installed at a top height of 32 feet on a 35-foot building at the approx. vicinity of 1146 Forest Ave Staten Island, Richmond County, NY 10310.

Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Trileaf Corp, Sharetta, s.williams@ trileaf.com, 10845 Olive Blvd, Suite 260, St. Louis, MO 63141, 314-997-6111.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1312064 FOR LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 318 5TH AVE BROOKLYN, NY 11215.

KINGS COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION.

Notice of Formation of IndexVest LAB LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 7/5/18.

Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 213 E. 71st St, Unit 5, NY, NY 10021.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Jackson PHB Holdings LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 5/10/18. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 27 W. 24th St, 702, NY, NY 10010.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Beachhead Advisory Group LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 6/20/2018.

Office: Westchester County.

SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 230 Treetop Crescent, Rye Brook, New York, 10573.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose

LEGALNOTICES@ CITYANDSTATENY.COM

LACIVERT LLC.

Public Notice “Cellco Partnership and its controlled affiliates doing business as Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless) proposes to collocate wireless communications antennas at four locations. Antennas will be installed on a rooftop with an overall height of 64 feet at the approx. vicinity of 466 Rockaway Pkwy., Brooklyn, Kings County, NY 11212.

Antennas will be installed on a rooftop with an overall height of 63 feet at the approx. vicinity of 878 Driggs Avenue, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY 11211. Antennas will be installed on a rooftop with an overall height of 74 feet at the approx. vicinity of 4217 16th Avenue, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY 11204. Antennas will be installed on a rooftop with an overall height of 58 feet at the approx. vicinity of 361 Fenimore Street, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY 11225.

Public comments regarding potential effects from these sites on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Trileaf Corp, Erin, e.alsop@ trileaf.com, 10845 Olive Blvd, Suite 260, St. Louis, MO 63141, 314-997-6111.

Notice of Qualification of Gaia Montrose Apartments, LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 8/25/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 1/7/15.

SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 152 W. 57 St, Fl. 17, NY, NY 10019. DE address of LLC: 1013 Centre Rd, Ste 403-B, Wilmington, 19805. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

OSRICH REALTY LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY 7/03/2018.

Office loc: Kings County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against LLC may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, Attn: Jian Le Wu, 3153 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11208. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

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WANT MORE INFO? EMAIL LEGALNOTICES@CITYANDSTATENY.COM

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CityAndStateNY.com

July 23, 2018

CITY & STATE NEW YORK MANAGEMENT & PUBLISHING CEO Steve Farbman, President & Publisher Tom Allon tallon@cityandstateny.com, Comptroller David Pirozzi dpirozzi@cityandstateny.com, Business & Operations Manager Patrea Patterson

Who was up and who was down last week

LOSERS BILLY JOEL You can say it’s political, but it’s still rock ’n’ roll to Andrew Cuomo. Shortly after the disclosure of a $26,992 in-kind contribution from both Billy and Alexis Joel to Cuomo’s campaign, the governor released a proclamation on a parchment PDF that July 18 shall henceforth be known as Billy Joel Day. Break out a bottle of red and a bottle of white, because, love or hate his music, now we all have to celebrate him once a year.

OUR PICK

OUR PICK

WINNERS

The Discovery Channel says Shark Week only started this weekend, but everyone’s favorite vicious fish couldn’t wait last week, and a couple of them took a bite out of some bathers on Fire Island. Forget a Moreland Commission – the sharks are now the target of a state Morewater Commission to Investigate Public Consumption. The human victims will be fine, and given how Cuomo’s handled investigations in the past, the sharks probably will be too.

DONALD TRUMP We wouldn’t not say it’s been a bad week for the Donald. The president trashed the British prime minister in an interview – while in the U.K. – and then denied he criticized her, despite audio recordings. He met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and ended up looking weak – or worse – on the international stage. He walked back his comments denigrating American intelligence – and then walked back the walk back.

EDITORIAL editor@cityandstateny.com Editor-in-Chief Jon Lentz jlentz@cityandstateny.com, Managing Editor Ryan Somers, Senior Editor Ben Adler badler@cityandstateny.com, Digital Editorial Director Derek Evers devers@cityandstateny.com, Copy Editor Eric Holmberg, Senior Reporter Frank G. Runyeon frunyeon@cityandstateny.com, Staff Reporter Jeff Coltin jcoltin@cityandstateny.com, Digital Reporter Grace Segers gsegers@cityandstateny.com, Editorial Assistant Rebecca C. Lewis rlewis@cityandstateny.com PRODUCTION creativedepartment@cityandstateny.com Art Director Andrew Horton, Senior Graphic Designer Alex Law, Graphic Designer Kewen Chen, Junior Graphic Designer Aaron Aniton, Digital Content Coordinator Michael Filippi ADVERTISING Vice President of Advertising Jim Katocin jkatocin@ cityandstateny.com, Account/Business Development Executive Scott Augustine saugustine@cityandstateny.com, Event Sponsorship Strategist Danielle Koza dkoza@ cityandstateny.com, Sales Associate Cydney McQuillanGrace cydney@cityandstateny.com, Junior Sales Executive Caitlin Dorman, Junior Sales Executive Shakirah Gittens EVENTS events@cityandstateny.com Sales Director Lissa Blake, Events Manager Sharon Nazarzadeh, Senior Events Coordinator Alexis Arsenault, Marketing & Events Coordinator Jamie Servidio, Director of Events Research & Development Bryan Terry

Vol. 7 Issue 27 July 23, 2018 PUBLIC RADIO, PRIVATE GAIN WHO'S MAKING BANK OFF WNYC?

THE REST OF THE WORST

JILL FURILLO

MARK GJONAJ

In a victory for her nurses union, NYC finally agreed that nurses have tough jobs.

COREY JOHNSON

He made it free for inmates to make calls, put limits on Airbnb and he’s nine years sober!

ANTONIO REYNOSO

The councilman passed a waste equity bill that’s been around since the Quinn days.

CAMERON & TYLER WINKLEVOSS

New York approved the “Social Network” villains’ new cryptocurrency exchange.

The council just pulled $130K he’d steered to a nonprofit ... that he co-founded.

CHRISTOPHER KIM

When your roomie is on Cuomo’s team, a spree of $1 donations to boost his smalldonor numbers won’t fly under the radar.

CIT YANDSTATENY.COM @CIT YANDSTATENY July 23, 2018

Cover illustration Alex Law

JOSH MELTZER

The Airbnb bigwig may see fewer pinpoints in his app, thanks to the NYC Council.

DEAN & ADAM SKELOS

Testifying against your son doesn’t keep you out of prison; it just ruins Christmas.

WINNERS & LOSERS is published every Friday morning in City & State’s First Read email.

Sign up for the email, cast your vote and see who won at cityandstateny.com.

CITY & STATE NEW YORK (ISSN 2474-4107) is published weekly, 48 times a year except for the four weeks containing New Year’s Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving and Christmas by City & State NY, LLC, 61 Broadway, Suite 1315, New York, NY 10006-2763. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and at additional mailing offices.

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T H U R S D A Y, S E P T E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 1 8 HEBREW UNION COLLEGE - 8:00AM-5:30PM

Assessing the Health of Your Nonprofit PANEL TOPICS •

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Importance of Financial Health to Effectively Fulfill Missions

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PANEL TOPICS WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT DOING BUSINESS IN NY EXECUTIVE LEADERS ROUNDTABLE: OPPORTUNITIES AND TIPS FOR MWBES AGENCY COMPLIANCE – UNDERSTANDING THE GOVERNMENT’S PERSPECTIVE AND WHAT IT TAKES TO GET CONTRACTS APPROVED FUNDING OPTIONS AND SERVICES FOR SMALL BUSINESS CREATING A CULTURE OF BELONGING, INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY

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