City&StateNY_03132017

HEY! TEACHER! Will BETSY DeVOS leave them kids alone?

CIT YANDSTATENY.COM

@CIT YANDSTATENY

March 13, 2017

“ The City University of New York system propelled almost six times as many low-income students into the middle class and beyond as all eight Ivy League campuses, plus Duke, M.I.T., Stanford and Chicago, combined.”

The New York Times “America’s Great Working Class Colleges” January 18, 2017

cuny.edu

City & State New York

March 13, 2017

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EDITOR’S NOTE

JON LENTZ Editor-in-chief

Whenever government officials or advocates take a stance on an education policy, the first line of defense is almost invariably to invoke the students affected by the policy position.

Take Betsy DeVos, the new U.S. education secretary. A longtime proponent of private and charter schools, she has been roundly criticized for her lack of experience in traditional public schools. But former U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, a board member on DeVos’ school choice advocacy organization, tried to spin her lack of public school experience as a positive. What matters more, Lieberman claimed, is that she “cares about children.”

What matters more than squishy rhetoric like caring about kids, of course, is what actually works. So in this issue, we examine a number of key education policies in New York and across the nation – and whether the numbers actually add up.

CONTENTS BOCHINCHE & BUZZ ... 6 The latest insider gossip from Gerson Borrero

NY NONPROFIT MEDIA ... 26

Q&A ... 13 We chat with Women’s March cochairwoman Linda Sarsour

One professional helps Afghan women realize their dreams

SLANT ... 28

Larry Schwartz on Cuomo’s miraculous popularity

WINNERS & LOSERS ... 34 Who was up and who was down last week

SPOTLIGHT ON

EDUCATION

COMMENTARY

Richard Brodsky says if de Blasio won’t stand up to Cuomo, city residents will pay ... 8

What does the new U.S. education secretary mean for New York’s schools? ... 15

HOMELESSNESS

De Blasio and the City Council pursue conflicting plans to distribute shelters ... 10

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CityAndStateNY.com

March 13, 2017

LAST WEEK’S HEADLINES

BACK&FORTH A Q&A with New York City Councilman and candidate for council speaker

JUMAANE WILLIAMS

C&S: Why are you running for speaker?

JW: Particularly, in a time like this, my track record is the type that I believe is needed to help steward the City Council. … I have – I believe – really tried to handle controversial issues in a way that is as least divisive as possible while understanding both sides.

C&S: What are your thoughts on the mayor getting involved in the speakership race last time, and how do you feel about that occurring again?

JW: I believe that the Council is an independent body and our job is different than that of the mayor. And my hope is that the body will take it upon itself to decide who will be the next leader of the Council.

C&S: People have said those who declare their candidacy early do not do well. What do you think?

JW: I think the reason I announced now is because I don’t think it’s too early.

I think there have been rumors and innuendos of lots of people running for a few years now.

C&S: Some of your colleagues have indicated they would hesitate to support you because they believe you have conservative views on some social issues. Is that a factor?

JW: The factor is in what people have heard my belief is. I don’t think it’s a factor once I get to sit down with people and discuss those issues. People, generally, what they have in their head is not what I believe.

BUDGET CUTS TOWN HALL TURMOIL CON Healthwas care, andgiving arts boosters in New all aclenching their gress in public recesshousing this week, lawmakers from York bothwere parties tough choice: fists and theconstituents numbers this week as early funding the stand uprunning to angry with tough questions or proposals hide from came those out whoofelec Trump White House.U.S. A state Department analysis found theinRepublicans’ ted you?

Republican Rep.Health Tom Reed held a series of town halls his sprawlin Affordable replacement could New York hospitals billion a year g SouthernCare Tier Act district, welcoming thecost “passion” of the tough $2.4 crowds, while U. andRep. make up toCollins, 1 milliona residents lose theirofinsurance A preliminary U.S. S. Chris fellow supporter Presidentcoverage.

Donald Trump, avoided to Department of Housing and Urban Development budgetBrooklyn puts untold in wn halls entirely.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke’s townmillions hall beca federal funding to the City Housing Authority in jeopardy andU.S. eliminating me a resistance rallyNew withYork cheering crowds, while newly-elected Rep. A Community Development Grants could killManhattan smaller programs, such as elder driano Espaillat welcomed Block overflow crowds to his event, though even he abuseaprevention education. cornerfor of state the city’s and diverse of artthe scene faced tough question about Every his support Sen.broad Marisol Alcántara GO could be affected too as Trump considers defunding theDan National Endowment P-aligned Independent Democratic Conference.

U.S. Rep. Donovan, New York for Cit the Arts, gave moneytook to 419 the city arts organizations last year. y’s lonewhich Republican, middle road after facing protests THAT REALLY BLOWS Where’s Andrew Cuomo? Many are wondering why the governor – who’s never missed a chance at a windbreaker-wearing natural disaster photo op – didn’t head to Rochester after a 80 mph winds on Wednesday knocked down trees, derailed a freight train and left 150,000 people without power. An official state of emergency in Monroe County continued into Friday, while locals worked on cleaning up.

BROOKLYN BILLION The investigations into the Buffalo Billion have brought an end to alliterative branding, but Cuomo’s “Vital Brooklyn” plan would bring $1.4 billion to aid the Central Brooklyn neighborhoods that have lagged behind the rest of the borough. Job creation, more parks, less violence – the only thing missing from Thursday’s announcement was Mayor Bill de Blasio, who did not attend.

THE

Kicker

“IT’S KIRSTEN.” — U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, in a tweet responding to a Trump campaign email that misspelled her name as “Kristin,” accusing her and other “radical liberals” of blocking the president’s immigration order, via the Daily News Get the kicker every morning in CITY & STATE’S FIRST READ email.

Sign up at cityandstateny.com.

City & State New York

March 13, 2017

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DID YOU MISS IT?

CITY & STATE’S NEW YORK CITY POWER 100 LUNCHEON

ALI GARBER

Who’s got the power in New York City? It’s not just Con Edison. And it’s not just elected officials either. New Yorkers in government, advocacy, business, journalism and more came together at 121 Fulton Street restaurant on Feb. 28 to celebrate – and debate – this year’s Power 100 list.

City & State Editor-in-Chief Jon Lentz with New York State Trial Lawyers Association President Edward Gersowitz

Staten Island Borough President James Oddo with his Chief of Staff Jason Razefsky

New York City Councilman David Greenfield

Capalino+Company’s James Capalino, right

CUNY Trustee Rita DiMartino

New York Immigration Coalition’s Sara Rakita with Michael Woloz from Connelly, McLaughlin & Woloz

Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce’s Rick Russo, Andrew Hoan, Denise Arbesu and Varun Sanyal with Manhattan Deputy Borough President Matthew Washington

Manhattan Deputy Borough President Matthew Washington with Columbia University Director of Community Relations George Calderaro

Have photos from an event you’d like to see here? Send them to editor@cityandstateny.com.

UPCOMING EVENTS Upcoming events: Planning an event in the next few weeks that our readers should know about? Submit details to editor@cityandstateny.com. We’ll pick the most interesting or important ones and feature them in print each week.

TUESDAY, MARCH 14 8:15 a.m. – President of Metropolitan Transportation Authority Capital Construction Michael Horodniceanu, speaks at a CityLaw Breakfast about the MTA’s big building plans, New York Law School Events Center, 185 West Broadway, Manhattan.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15 8 a.m. – Association for a Better New York hosts a panel on the New York City budget, featuring New York City Budget Director Dean Fuleihan, state Budget Director Robert Mujica and more, Hilton Hotel, Mercury Ballroom, 1335 Sixth Ave., Manhattan.

THURSDAY, MARCH 16 9 a.m. – The Center for New York City Affairs hosts a panel discussion, “College Affordability: Will New York Lead the Way?” with Assemblyman James Skoufis and more, The New School, Theresa Lang Community and Student Center, Room I-202, 55 W. 13th St., Manhattan.

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CityAndStateNY.com

March 13, 2017

Exclusive scoops and insider gossip from

GERSON BORRERO

‘RAISE THE AGE’ HAS REPUBLICAN LEGS, BUT …

JOHN FLANAGAN

There appears to be more Republican support for some form of the “Raise the Age” bill that the Assembly has passed this año for the first time in mucho years. And while state Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan opposed and blocked the measure last session, the buzz among insiders B&B spoke with is that “it gets done with the budget.”

The concern among a growing number of Republicanos is that the IDC’s Jeff Klein is already taking credit for all the discussions, work and heavy political lifting the Republican conference has been engaged in.

Republican bochincheros are reading articles where Klein is quoted as the guy who speaks for the Assembly. Hmm, we wonder what Speaker Carl Heastie thinks about Klein being the hombre that will get credit for “Raise the Age”?

RUDY GIULIANI

JEFF KLEIN

HIRAM VS. JULISSA It’s not going to be the “battle of the century” as the bochinchero from Queens called it. Pero, if Hiram Monserrate puts a campaign together to challenge New York City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras for the 21st District it’ll be una pelea callejera (a street fight).

Monserrate, the ex-state senator, ex-council member, ex-cop and ex-con, will have to overcome many obstacles. Not the least of which is the negative publicity from the tabloids rehashing his excesses and domestic violence conviction. However, he’s already had meetings with his political club and is gearing up to challenge Ferreras, his former chief of staff at the City Council.

When asked about Assemblyman Francisco Moya’s rumored challenge to Ferreras, the quick-tongued bochinchero said: “Moya helps Hiram’s numbers in this race. He’s not taking votes from Hiram. Moya hurts Julissa.” Better stock up on the palomitas de maíz (popcorn).

HAKEEM JEFFRIES HIRAM MONSERRATE

REMEMBER, GENTE, IT’S ALL BOCHINCHE UNTIL IT’S CONFIRMED.

ULIANI

City & State New York

March 13, 2017

WHO TALKED TO RUDY? A bochinchero tells us that the feds are looking into who from the FBI spoke to Rudy Giuliani during the 2016 presidential election.

The buzz is that the unconfirmed probe is based on the former mayor’s statement to Fox News on the day FBI Director James Comey sent his letter to Congress that new Hillary emails had surfaced: “The other rumor that I get is there’s a kind of revolution going on inside the FBI about the original conclusion (by Comey in July that Clinton did not criminally mishandle classified material) being completely unjustified. I know that from former agents.

I know that from even a few active agents.”

B&B consulted with a knowledgeable bochinchero who said that it’s possible that “along with other information that the feds may already possess or may have received, they could proceed with exploring the possibilities (of a Rudy probe) or already have an investigation underway.”

Rudy did backtrack on his original statement by partially telling Fox several days later that: “I am real careful not to talk to any on-duty, active FBI agents.”

Let’s give it some tiempo and see where this goes.

HAKEEM BUSY WITH TRUMP AND BIGGIE While not completely taking their ojos off U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, two bochincheros very close to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s camp feel that the Brooklyn político isn’t going to challenge the mayor in a primary.

Here’s why: “Hakeem’s too busy staying on Trump’s ass. He doesn’t have the time or the money to do the hard work of putting together what’s needed for a challenge to an incumbent mayor.”

Another de Blasio suck-up told B&B: “Did you see that tribute to Biggie from the House floor? Hakeem’s too busy rapping.”

Jeffries paid tribute to the murdered rapper, who was born and raised in his district, by reciting some of his lyrics on the 20th anniversary of the rapper’s death.

CHARTER SCHOOL “CHOICE” EXCLUDES MANY HOMELESS CHILDREN

By Michael Mulgrew, President, The United Federation of Teachers

School “reformers” — U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos among them — constantly harp about offering parents more choices, particularly charter schools.

But when you look at who enrolls and stays in charter schools in New York City, the neediest children and families seem to have the fewest choices.

How else to explain the fact that, as a group, charters end up with students who are more likely to speak English and who are less in need of concentrated special education services than the students in public schools in their neighborhoods?

Charters are also far less likely to be serving the most vulnerable students in our system: the more than 100,000 kids who have been homeless in the past four years and living in temporary housing, meaning they have spent nights in a shelter or doubled up on a relative’s sofa or slept in the backseat of the family car.

In Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, for example, three neighborhood public schools and two Success Academy charters operate within five blocks of each other yet serve dramatically different student populations.

In the three neighborhood public schools, 22%, 30% and 44% of the children are living in temporary housing, according to the city’s Department of Education statistics.At the two Success Academy charter schools, however, between 12% and 13% of children are in this situation.

Success Academy is not unique. * An Achievement First K-8 charter in East New York has only 5% of its children living in temporary housing.

The neighborhood elementary school that shares space in the same building has a homeless population reaching 30%, and the two neighborhood public schools a couple blocks away have 19% and 25% of their students living in temporary housing, according to city education numbers. * A KIPP middle school charter in Harlem has 12% of its students living in temporary housing while the public middle school located in the same building has 23% and the three neighborhood public schools located within a half mile have homeless populations ranging from 14% to 34%, according to city education numbers. * Six percent of the students at an Icahn elementary charter in the Soundview section of the Bronx live in temporary housing, compared with 14% in the public school that shares the same building. The two neighborhood public schools located four blocks away have homeless populations ranging from 25% to 28%.

It’s time to create a set of real, enforceable standards that will ensure that charters play the role they were designed to play in educating New York City’s children. The state Legislature this year should: * Demand real accountability for any charter that fails to accept and keep all children, including those in temporary housing and children with the most severe learning challenges. Charters that fail to enroll comparable numbers of high-need students as their neighborhood public schools should not be allowed to expand existing charters or to open new schools and could forfeit existing charters. * Establish a means test to make sure that only charters that show financial need are eligible for free public space. Operations with the financial ability to pay for space out of their donors’ pockets should do so rather than siphon taxpayer dollars from neighborhood public schools, which are typically unable to match charters in fundraising clout. * Provide true transparency by requiring charters and their management organizations to open their books to federal, state and city auditors. Parents and taxpayers deserve to know where charter funds come from and whether these funds are being spent to benefit students or charter management. A recent purchase by Success Academy of a $68 million commercial condominium in Manhattan highlights the need for the public to understand how charters raise and spend their money.

Charter schools were designed to be incubators for innovation that could then be spread across school districts. But we see what happens when charters are allowed to grow unchecked, unresponsive to public oversight. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’s home state of Michigan is a warning for the rest of the country as she tries to expand her agenda to privatize education: unregulated charters are always the first step.

New York cannot afford for its charters to remain a parallel system that takes public tax dollars yet remains resistant to public disclosure or accountability that would force them to serve all kids.

It’s time our lawmakers mandate that they do so.

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CityAndStateNY.com

The MAYOR is now fa March 13, 2017

CAMPAI The BRUISED back an COMMENTARY

and BLOODIED OPPO The recent de Blasi de BLASIO

in the immor Why the mayor shouldn’t tap out in his tussle with Cuomo

By RICHARD BRODSKY YOU MAY REMEMBER Robert De Niro's face as Jake LaMotta in “Raging Bull” – battered and bloodied. Such is the political visage of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio after repeated shellackings at the hands of Gov. Andrew Cuomo. De Blasio now seems to have abandoned pushing major progressive issues. Appeasement comes with a cost, though. The governor is ramming through a huge tax increase that falls largely on New York City, without the city benefiting at all.

There are literally billions of dollars at stake, yet the mayor is nowhere to be seen.

Cuomo has proposed and pushed through a new tax, with a statewide cost of more than $7 billion. The great bulk of the tax will be paid by downstaters, including citizens, businesses and nonprofit institutions like museums, hospitals, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the city’s Housing Authority. The only measurable benefits are to a select few upstate communities.

The Cuomo proposal is a flat tax on electric bills. The statewide cost is $7.6 billion over 12 years, the largest single tax increase in decades. The New York City or downstate share of paying that tax is at least 60 percent.

The underlying issues are important and a little complicated. Late last year, Cuomo decided to do something about global warming and carbon pollution, in his usual bull in a china shop manner. He demanded and got a Clean Energy Standard package through the state Public Service Commission. In many ways this is an excellent thing. State government can and should reduce the use of fossil fuels in the state and the plan that emerged has tough, laudable and far-reaching elements.

However, a central part of the governor’s plan is a taxpayer subsidy for four failing and

ROBERTO D

decrepit upstate nuclear power plants that were being closed by their owners because they lose money. As part of a zero-emission plan, the plants would stay open and receive the $7.6 billion as a subsidy from taxpayers.

Cuomo’s original justification for the new tax was the need to protect the upstate economy. They backed off a little and now emphasize the carbon reduction benefits of keeping the plants open. That desirable goal should be the beginning of the decision process not the end, and this is where the mayor could step up.

There are significant drawbacks to the Cuomo proposal and significant unanswered questions.

First, the tax is incredibly regressive – a flat sales tax regardless of one’s ability to pay. There are ways to cushion the impact on working families, hospitals and small businesses that were never proposed or discussed, such as exempting a reasonable monthly usage from the tax.

Second, there are cheaper and better ways to meet the zero-emission goals. Our old friends wind, solar and conservation all work and all need a bigger slice of the pie.

Third, the state has turned its back on safety concerns. At Westchester County's Indian Point nuclear power plant, Cuomo demanded and got an expedited closure of the plant and a role for the state in monitoring plant safety. The state expressed no similar concern for the safety of upstate plants.

Fourth, and most politically potent, downstate is paying for air quality improvements upstate. There's nothing particularly new about downstate money flowing to upstate communities. Regional subsidies are a way of life in New York, and should be. The booming economies of New York City and its suburbs contrast

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starkly with the economic decline of upstate rural communities and cities. For decades, downstate taxpayers have paid much more to Albany than they received back in state aid and state programs. Conversely, upstate taxpayers got much more in state benefits than they pay in state taxes.

The philosophy behind this is ingrained in our politics. Wealthier communities pay a progressive income tax to fund programs that are beyond the means of poorer communities. For example, upstate school districts often get 70 or 80 percent of their budgets from the state. Suburban districts may get 10 or 20 percent and the city gets 40 percent of its school budget from the state.

But the Cuomo energy tax goes way beyond these traditional policies. It's much bigger. It benefits four named facilities, not general programs or services. It was hidden and excluded from the budget or legislative process. And, again, downstaters get no real benefits.

Enter Mayor de Blasio. Or rather, exit Mayor de Blasio.

He has said little about the proposal and its impact on his constituents. He's learned, painfully, the political cost of taking on the governor. Things have not gone well when he mixes it up with Cuomo, be it taxes to pay for pre-K, affordable housing programs, CUNY investigations or homeless programs.

The mayor has been regularly beaten up in these disputes, even when he was right. He is now facing a re-election campaign that has the specter of Cuomo haunting it. Will the governor back an opponent? Will he help

w facing a

RE-ELECTION AIGN. Will the GOVERNOR City & State New York

March 13, 2017

n PONENT? lasio response,

mortal words of boxer

O DURÁN:

MÁS.”

fund an opponent? Who might he tap? The recent de Blasio response, in the immortal words of boxer Roberto Durán, is “No más.”

De Blasio has a better re-election argument than the one he has been making. He's kept his major promises on dramatically reducing stop and frisk and expanding pre-K. Crime is low. The city is addressing the consequences of the Bloomberg years that were so good for the wealthy, not so much for working folks.

Affordable housing and homelessness are on the front burner, even if the administration has botched important programmatic pieces.

But the city has never warmed up to him – only recently has his approval rating nudged above 50 percent – and he's stepped on his own necktie too many times. Add that to the recurring bloody noses he's gotten from Cuomo and maybe his new philosophy is the right one: Peace for our time.

But the Cuomo electric tax is just too unfair and too big to be swept under the rug. Four progressive downstate Assembly members including Bronxite Jeffrey Dinowitz, Manhattanite Brian Kavanagh, and suburbanites Amy Paulin and Steve Englebright are shoveling as fast as they can in opposition to the tax. But they need the mayor to state the case for his people and to seek changes that make any tax fairer for city ratepayers. As hard as it may be to tangle with Cuomo, the best re-election politics are standing up for what you believe is right and what works for the people whose votes you want. Even Jake LaMotta survived and they made a movie about him. How about it, mayor?

■

Richard Brodsky is a former assemblyman who serves as a senior fellow at both Demos and New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

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CityAndStateNY.com

FIGHTING

March 13, 2017

FAIR

UNVEILING HIS HOMELESSNESS PLAN, DE BLASIO SAID COMMUNITIES NEED TO DO THEIR ‘FAIR SHARE.’ BUT SOME CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS SAY THERE’S NOTHING FAIR ABOUT IT. NEW YORK CITY MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES HIS BOROUGH-BASED PLAN TO COMBAT HOMELESSNESS LAST MONTH.

AT THE HEART OF New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to curtail the homelessness crisis lies the belief that every New York City neighborhood should be doing its fair share by providing enough shelter space to take care of its own.

During a Feb. 28 speech sketching out in greater detail how he plans to improve and restructure the homeless shelter system, de Blasio argued it was fair to place shelters in communities based on how many people are becoming homeless out of each area.

But his use of the term “fair share” diverges from its longstanding reference to a formal process aimed at placing city services, amenities and facilities – trash pickup, parks, homeless shelters, jails – by evenly distributing them based more on geography and population size.

So de Blasio cannot expect to redefine the phrase “fair share” without a fight.

A day before de Blasio gave his address and released a formal policy plan, the New York City Council published a report concluding that the fair share framework developed in 1989 had grown irrelevant.

Several mayoral administrations failed to publicly release required analyses showing whether specific planning decisions were

deemed fair or not and agencies faced no consequences for failing to comply with the framework.

In fact, some areas known to have a high rate of residential beds – which includes those found in jails, nursing homes, foster care facilities, inpatient treatment programs and homeless shelters – have seen this concentration intensify since the fair share criteria was adopted, according to the City Council report.

The day after de Blasio’s speech, city lawmakers introduced a legislative package aimed at strengthening the fair share framework. One measure would, in most cases, prevent the city from opening a facility in the top 10 percent of community districts most saturated with them. The provision could prevent de Blasio from opening homeless shelters in neighborhoods with a disproportionately high share of the shelter population, but where poverty or gentrification are forcing large numbers of residents into the shelter system. It is unclear how many communities could fall into this category.

Regardless, the proposal appears likely to pit the City Council against the mayor and homeless advocacy groups, who say

the city should prioritize keeping families entering the shelter system close to their old homes, schools, job sites, churches and support systems.

During his speech, de Blasio said that by the end of 2023 he would move people out of 360 apartment and commercial hotel locations, which tend to be costly and in poor physical condition. At the same time, his plan calls for creating 90 new shelters during the next five years, while expanding 30 existing ones over seven years. De Blasio said the city realistically can reduce the roughly 60,000 people in homeless shelters by only 2,500 over the next five years, which could raise the vacancy rate in the shelter system to 3 percent. With the new space, administration officials said they would have the flexibility to place families closer to where they previously lived, with the ultimate goal of having each of the 59 community districts house all of those who lost homes within its boundaries.

“We know a lot of people are going to say, ‘Wait, we don’t want anything like that in our neighborhood,’” de Blasio said.

“Well, guess what? Everyone needs to take on their fair share. … We can figure out what will make it succeed and what will

EDWIN J. TORRES/MAYORAL PHOTO OFFICE

By SARINA TRANGLE

City & State New York

March 13, 2017

NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO THE CITY BELIEVES LIVED IN EACH COMMUNITY DISTRICT BEFORE ENTERING SHELTER SYSTEM

KEY

0 PEOPLE 1-1000 PEOPLE 1000-2000 PEOPLE 2000-3000 PEOPLE

EDWIN J. TORRES/MAYORAL PHOTO OFFICE

3000-5000 PEOPLE

NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIVING IN SHELTERS IN EACH COMMUNITY DISTRICT Mayor Bill de Blasio wants to eventually distribute homeless shelters so each community district has the space to provide shelter for all of its inhabitants who lose their homes. The first map breaks down the citywide homeless shelter population to show roughly how many people are believed to have last lived in each community district before becoming homeless, which provides a rough sketch of the shelter system de Blasio envisions.

The second map depicts the current distribution of the shelter system, showing how many people are now living in shelters in each community district.

Note: The information comes from the New York City Department of Homeless Services’ Oct. 12, 2016 census. When trying to gauge where people entering the shelter system previously lived, the city attempts to find their last known address by looking at temporary housing applications or recent addresses associated with cash assistance, Medicaid and food stamp receipts. The data does not include people for whom the city was not able to identify a last known address.

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March 13, 2017

ADDING MORE SHELTER SPACE IN EAST NEW YORK COULD HELP KEEP PEOPLE IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITY, BUT IT WOULD ALSO FURTHER CONCENTRATE HOMELESS PEOPLE IN A COMMUNITY DISTRICT THAT ALREADY HAS THE NINTH-LARGEST SHELTER POPULATION. make it not a negative for the community, but … sometimes, even a positive for the community, especially because people will know the folks inside those doors come from right around their own streets, their own neighborhood, their own block.”

Asked by City & State about the fair share bills after the mayor’s remarks, New York City Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks said the administration would review the measures. He noted while speaking to reporters that City Hall did not need lawmakers’ consent to open or expand a shelter, but he said the City Council has a responsibility to oversee the Department of Homeless Services and to approve funding for it in the budget.

City Council Speaker Melissa MarkViverito said lawmakers had questions they needed answered before they could vote for a budget that would once again increase spending on services for the homeless. Describing reform of the fair share paradigm as a priority, MarkViverito said she wanted to know more about areas where the administration believes it may open some of the 90 new shelters and how these sites were identified before assessing whether the administration’s strategy seems fair.

City Councilman Brad Lander argued that the fair share criteria has been virtually meaningless when it comes to homeless shelters. He told City & State this was due to the city opening almost all new shelters under emergency contracts, which do not require the city to conduct the fair share analyses. As part of the City Council’s eight-bill legislative package, Lander is sponsoring a measure that would limit this loophole by prohibiting the government from placing any facility, including those authorized by an emergency contract, in the 10 percent of community districts where such establishments are most concentrated. The city could override

this provision if it proved the area truly needed a proposed facility. Lander said he did see a conflict in the effort to curb the concentration of homeless shelters in low-income communities of color and the mayor’s goal of uprooting homeless New Yorkers as little as possible.

“It is very clear to me that we can actually do better at both of them: that there is room to make sure that a family that wants to stay close to where they are … can do so, while also achieving fairer sitings,” Lander said, pointing to the example of a shelter run by the nonprofit CAMBA in his district that does not house many people previously from Park Slope.

“It’s near transit, it’s near Prospect Park, it’s kind of reasonably close to jobs, it’s near CAMBA’s other services. It’s a good location, and we should look for more locations like that.”

It is difficult to assess how the mayor’s moves would alter the distribution of homeless shelters, given that its effects will likely differ from one community to another. For example, Brooklyn Community District 5 in East New York has 2,184 people in its shelters, while the area had a greater number – 2,846 – of people in the citywide shelter system whose last known addresses were in the community district. Adding more shelter space in East New York could help keep people in their own community, but it would also further concentrate homeless people in a community district that already has the ninth-largest shelter population.

On the other hand, Bronx Community District 4, spanning Highbridge, Mount Eden and Concourse Village, has the largest shelter population – 4,833 individuals – but only about 2,690 people in shelters citywide last resided in the area. Under de Blasio’s plan, Bronx Community District 4’s shelter capacity could even be reduced somewhat and

still have enough space to house its own residents.

In Queens Community District 12, which includes several southern Queens communities near John F. Kennedy Airport, the city has rented hotel rooms for homeless people and the area’s City Council members seemed to disagree on whether the mayor’s vision would compete with the aims of the City Council’s proposed fair share reforms. Councilman I. Daneek Miller said he believed the administration and City Council could move toward their goals together. “If this (the mayor’s vision) is a fair way to deliver services in an equitable way … then (the legislation) will have no problem being passed and coming into law,” Miller said.

City Councilman Ruben Wills, who also represents the community district, questioned de Blasio’s approach. He said those in shelters are overwhelmingly poor and people of color, and that the strategy de Blasio laid out would continue to saddle already struggling communities with additional shelters and obstacles to accessing successful schools and other city services.

“This is a civil rights issue,” he said, noting that beyond referring to the location of shelters, fair share means communities should receive benefits for taking on the responsibility of hosting a shelter. Therefore, he said the city should offer more pre-K or after-school slots when they open shelters and give local nonprofits, restaurants, laundromats and other organizations priority when signing contracts related to the shelter. “If you want to actually go into this dysfunctional marriage that you’ve forced on our folks for so many years, then the community should benefit in some type of way. And we haven’t.”

But curbing the city’s ability to open shelters where many already exist could cut into the government’s ability to aid the homeless, according to Giselle Routhier, policy director at the Coalition for the Homeless. Indeed, she said Lander’s legislation may prevent the city from meeting its legal mandate to house all who need shelter and may run afoul of federal antidiscrimination law by fencing off facilities for the disabled in certain areas. Lander said he was “highly confident” the legislation would withstand legal challenges.

“They define concentration as in relation to the population, not in relation to the need of homeless people,” Routhier said.

“We think it’s, on its face, problematic for the needs of families, but also potentially illegal.”

■

March 13, 2017

City & State New York

13

ORGANIZING the RESISTANCE A Q&A WITH LINDA SARSOUR

C&S: You were an outspoken critic of Trump’s first executive order on refugees and immigration, and now he’s unveiled a new one. Given the botched roll out of the first one and the subsequent legal backlash, what’s different about this one?

LS: Basically it’s the Muslim ban 2.0.

The hypocrisy is that these people who are being banned did it the right way.

These are people who have been through embassy process, they’ve done the medical screenings, they’ve done the background checks, they’ve brought the police reports.

All of the requirements that we ask for as U.S. immigration for them to come here, they’ve done all that. People who are here legally and should be allowed legally to come into the United States. People know me. I’m an immigrant rights activist. I support the 12 million undocumented immigrants. But just to show you the hypocrisy of people who support the Muslim ban are the very people who say, “Why don’t they come in here legally?”

“An activist born out of the ashes of 9/11,” Linda Sarsour has long been a prominent New York advocate leading the Arab American Association of New York from her base in Bay Ridge, but she’s since gone national, co-chairing the Women’s March on Washington and appearing on TV to oppose President Donald Trump. Sarsour joined the New York Slant podcast to give her thoughts on the “Muslim ban 2.0” and whether she’ll run for office.

C&S: You were co-chair of the Women’s March on Washington. What went into that planning and preparation?

LS: So the Women’s March on Washington basically organized the largest protest in U.S. history in about seven weeks. And this is people that something would have worked months, maybe years in advance to put something together (normally). It just shows you that people finally woke up.

We weren’t really saying anything very profound. We were like, women’s rights are human rights. We were like, black lives matter. Climate change is real. We weren’t saying anything that was really new. Watch out what you comment on Facebook. I saw the original event, I went in there, I read the description, it was great, except it didn’t say Muslims or Muslim women. And I thought in this time, under this administration, you might want to say Muslims too. So all I said was, great effort, can you make sure you include your Muslim sisters and brothers, something very basic. Next thing you

14

CityAndStateNY.com

know I became the national co-chair of the Women’s March on Washington.

C&S: You helped plan fundraising for the march, and you didn’t take corporate money. Why not?

LS: We took no corporate money. You didn’t see any Coca-Cola, there was no Wal-Mart.

And people thought that was crazy. They were like, Linda, you’ve got seven weeks, you’ve got to raise money fast. And I said I’m not going to do it. If you want to do that, I’m not going to be a part of this. I’m not going to be owned by the corporations, and I want to be able to say whatever I want to say. And I want to be able to show the people that we can. We have a lot of potential. The power is in the hands of the people. We raised a lot of money, and a lot of that money was kind of that Bernie Sanders effect. It was the old grandma who said, I can’t come, but here’s my $20, here’s my $50.

C&S: You’re now leaving the Arab American Association of New York. Are you keeping the door open for a run for elected office in the future?

LS: I never close the door. The other question I always ask myself: Am I really

March 13, 2017

going to be more influential inside or outside? Do I just run other people who are like me and are aligned with me? I’m a good fundraiser. I have a big network, I have a national network. Do I want to be a member of Congress? I don’t know. Maybe when I’m older, that’s where I retire just for pension. Like I don’t know. (laughs) But I think that I’ve realized that I’m just as influential on the outside as I am on the inside. A lot of elected officials don’t like me. But they know that they need to talk to me. It helps with my street cred. But I always tell people – there’s different people that work in different ways. I don’t work to be accepted by anybody. I work to be respected.

C&S: What’s the one thing we shouldn’t miss about Trump?

LS: Donald Trump is part of a fascist regime, so I want people not to underestimate what exactly is happening when you look at the different executive orders and the way he treats the media and the way he talks about the different communities in the United States. What I learned, what I think the progressive movement has learned, that they didn’t learn from me before, is that

we can’t be fighting these silo fights. We can’t be doing climate justice, racial justice, immigrant rights and everyone sitting in a little corner doing their own thing. We’ve got to be doing this work together and we’ve got to create these allies and coalitions together.

I will guarantee you if this organizing that’s started at the Women’s March until now had not happened, there would be worse things happening. There would be more executive orders. There was supposed to be an executive order on rolling back protections of people what work for the federal government who are LGBTQI. People on the inside were like, whoa, you definitely don’t want to go there. And I tell you! They would have done it if they didn’t see the resistance outside. They know that the country would go up in flames on things like that. So I’m still hopeful. I feel like the American people finally woke up.

■

This conversation has been edited from an episode of the New York Slant podcast. To hear the full conversation, where Sarsour talks about whether she’s accepted by Muslims and how she deals with misogyny, search for New York Slant on iTunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcast app.

March 13, 2017

SPOTLIGHT ON

EDUCATION

City & State New York

In the face of sharp scrutiny of U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ qualifications, her defenders believe she’s the right woman for the job because she simply wants what’s best for the nation’s children.

In New York, politicians defend their education proposals the same way. In a speech to charter school supporters in 2014, Gov. Andrew Cuomo asserted that “education is not about the districts and not about the pensions and not about the unions and not about the lobbyists and not about the PR firms – education is about the students, and the students come first.”

Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has defended both his acclaimed universal prekindergarten initiative and his more controversial Renewal Schools program to turn around struggling schools the same way – they’re critical for the city’s kids.

In this special section on education, we explore a number of key education policies – and the impact they’re actually having in New York.

15

B 16

CityAndStateNY.com

March 13, 2017

T YDE

WILL …

a

ruin public education in New York

b

have little to no effect

c

be chased off by grizzly bears

O

By ASHLEY HUPFL

W

HEN BETSY DEVOS was nominated as U.S. education secretary last fall, teachers unions condemned the pick and denounced her lavish spending to promote school vouchers, charter schools and for-profit schools. Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, claimed that by nominating DeVos, “Trump makes it loud and clear that his education policy will focus on privatizing, defunding and destroying public education in America.”

When the nominee, a Michigan billionaire and Republican donor who married into the Amway family fortune, testified before a U.S. Senate committee in January, she either would not or could not weigh in on basic policy matters, such as how best to assess student performance. Perhaps her most memorable line was an off-script comment defending guns in schools as a way to protect against “potential grizzlies” in places like Wyoming.

Senators were deluged with thousands of calls, letters and emails opposing the school choice advocate.

In February, shortly before her confirmation vote, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer castigated the nominee, who has virtually no experience with public schools, as the “least qualified in a historically unqualified Cabinet.” Two Republican senators broke ranks and voted against DeVos, resulting in a 5050 tie. It took a tie-breaking vote by Vice President Mike Pence to eke out the narrowest of majorities.

Now, as she embarks on the latest and most high-profile chapter in her crusade to allow students to opt out of traditional public schools, elected officials, educators and experts in New York are wondering what impact she’ll have here. Will she follow through on President Donald Trump’s pledge to cre-

ate a $20 billion fund for school vouchers?

Will congressional Republicans move on priorities like reforms to health care and entitlement spending and still have the time, or the political will, to take on education initiatives that are controversial even among some conservatives? Or as angry Democrats might put it, is DeVos merely unqualified – or will she eviscerate the public education system?

“I don’t know SHE

ASSEMBLYWOMAN Cathy Nolan, the chairwoman of the Assembly Committee on Education, said she is not concerned about DeVos’ well-documented background in private schools. Instead, it is the education secretary’s education philosophies that worry her.

“She continues to be quite critical of our public schools without recognizing that they educate every child,” Nolan said. “I know during her testimony, she seemed not to be aware of the civil rights function that the department plays to make sure every child does get a proper education – things like that were very troubling.”

Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, pointed to DeVos’ track record in Michigan, where she spearheaded an expensive lobbying campaign to expand charter schools. There have been mixed results at such schools, especially in Detroit, where for-profit operators flourished with little state oversight and lackluster student results. Unions and some education advocates argue that these schools, as well as vouchers to cover the cost of students switching to private schools, take away critical resources from traditional public schools. In Michigan, Mulgrew argued, DeVos’ efforts

un

public

school

work.”

— state Sen. CARL MARCELLINO

City & State New York

March 13, 2017

damaged the state’s education system, which is why he’s worried about the impact she could have here.

“I’ve had numerous adults here from the state of Michigan – including the president of the state school board – who said what she did was horrible,” Mulgrew said. “He actually worked with her for the first couple years.

What was really happening was that school systems were being destroyed and when they tried to push back, she just used her money to stop them from getting anything they wanted in the state Legislature.”

But Nolan said she does not believe that state Senate Republicans, who are in the majority, will turn their back on the public school system in favor of charters. “New York state puts billions of dollars into education, so that gives us some skin in the game, as young people would say,” Nolan said. “Education in New York has been a bipartisan issue for a very long time.”

Indeed, some Republicans in Albany

raised their eyebrows at the appointment.

“I’ve never met her, but from what I’ve read, she comes from a background in private schools and charter schools,” said state Senate Education Committee Chairman Carl Marcellino. “What I don’t know is if she truly understands – I’ve had this conversation with some union people in my district – I don’t know she fully understands how public schools work.”

Theoretically, DeVos and the U.S. Department of Education could withhold federal education funding if New York, and other states, decline to adopt their policies.

“We need some (federal money),” Marcellino said. “I’ve advised them most of the time not to take the money because with federal money comes federal guidelines. It puts them in charge and they can tell you how to spend it and what to spend it on.”

The federal government can also dangle money in front of the state to entice them to adopt their policies. Nolan pointed to the state’s choice to accept $700 million in federal Race to the Top funding, which included accountability measures that proved to be very unpopular. The state ultimately walked back from those measures.

“The federal government might have some ability to demand we do some things with vouchers with private

schools or charters,” she said. “That will be something that will have to get fought over as it goes forward, but I’m concerned that they may send down unfunded mandates that don’t have to do with New York’s education philosophy and we’ll have to see what happens.”

WHAT ALSO COULD happen is that New York will not experience much of a change under DeVos. For one thing, education policy is largely driven by the states. The bulk of education funding comes from the state and local governments, with only a fraction from the federal government.

Indeed, one education advocacy group is making the claim that Gov. Andrew Cuomo is moving to eliminate the Foundation Aid formula and an accompanying $4.3 billion state obligation to public schools in the state – an amount that exceeds what the state receives in federal education aid by about $1.4 billion. The Cuomo administration says it is not ending Foundation Aid. New York, a state with influential teachers unions, does have a growing charter school sector, but only nonprofits can apply – whereas in Michigan, a majority of charters are for-profit. Nor has New York has followed the lead of a dozen or so states that provide vouchers for students to attend private schools.

“I think it’s important to understand ... the very limited role, in fact, the United States Department of Education has,” said James Merriman, CEO of the New York City Charter School Center. “In K-12 generally and with charter schools in particular, other than providing this critical startup funding, they don’t really play a major role. Charter schools are creatures of state law and we’ll continue to chart our own course in New York, as we did under the other three presidents. I don’t see any difference there.”

Merriman argued that DeVos’ position is not actually much of a shift from the last few education secretaries, at least when it comes to charters, which have won some bipartisan support within New York. While total education spending in last year’s state budget increased by $1.3 billion, charter schools also got a boost with a $54 million increase to the amount they receive per student by $430.

The state also required New York City to help some charter schools pay rent.

“We had full-throated support from (former U.S. Education) Secretary (John) King and (former U.S. Education) Secretary (Arne) Duncan and, from what I can understand, we’ll have that support from Secretary DeVos as well as, obviously, the folks in Congress,” Merriman said. “I think it’s import-

fully understands HOW

c

ools

17

18

CityAndStateNY.com

March 13, 2017

STATE AND LOCAL EDUCATION SPENDING VS. FEDERAL AID

35

(IN BILLIONS OF DOLLARS)

20

5

2005

2006

Local spending

2007

2008

State spending

ant to understand in the context of charter schools that not much really changes in that.

How she viewed charters in Michigan is really irrelevant in how we’ll continue to approach charters in New York.”

But the unions and their allies say that DeVos’ confirmation victory is only the first battle in a long war. Mulgrew said the one good thing stemming from the

ERNEST LOGAN

President of the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, Local 1: AFSA, AFL-CIO

2009

2010

2011

Federal aid

DeVos confirmation is that he is already seeing a grass-roots movement to oppose her.

“The UFT has never – and will never – back down from a fight when our members and our school communities are attacked,” Mulgrew said while testifying in Albany last month. “We’ve been marching and rallying around the city these

Since Nov. 8, I have been living with dread.

The White House declares our courts a threat to national security, advocates a new nuclear arms race, and hands a climate denialist the reins to the EPA. They appoint an education secretary who talks about diverting funds from public to private schools and allowing guns in the classroom to defend against grizzly bears.

Now I’m sweating how the latest immigration ban will affect our schools.

How could our schools, with students speaking 176 languages, not remain sanctuaries for children? Our system serves many children of political refugees and economic immigrants. We don’t know who among them is documented or undocumented because it’s against the law to ask.

Some large school principals and APs are so accustomed to providing havens to hundreds of kids that they see the current situation as business-as-usual.

Others, from medium and small sized schools, are much more on guard. A few talk about having trouble sleeping.

Until recently, most immigrant students didn’t think they could be deported. Some now hesitate to come to school or take roundabout routes there for fear of being detained. Most resist applying for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which is supposed to protect them against deportation while they go to college, out of concern the information can be used against their families Most of their parents trust our schools, but some families are now keeping a lower profile. It helps if families have a relationship with umbrella groups like the New York Immigration Coalition or Catholic Charities and/or live in districts with compassionate elected

2012

2013

2014

2015

Source: Office of the state comptroller

past few months, at immigration rallies, the anti-DeVos rally at the Tweed Courthouse, the airport takeover and the amazingly successful Women’s March. In the months ahead, you can expect more of the same. We stand together with parents and students, to protect our country and our rights.”

■

With reporting by Jon Lentz.

officials - Congresswoman Nydia Vasquez’ recent “Know Your Rights” forum was packed, and Senator Jose Peralta has brought immigration lawyers into school auditoriums, where they attract standing-room-only crowds.

APs, teachers and counselors are providing exceptional social-emotional support. A Queens high school principal recently asked one of his English teachers not to ask his students to write “a letter to the president,” concerned it would put the kids at risk.

New York State Education Department Commissioner MaryEllen Elia and Chancellor Carmen Fariña’s offices have distributed valuable information. Commissioner Elia and Attorney General Schneiderman recently circulated a letter about detailing how to handle ICE requests.

Still, it’s important to remember that we’re now in unchartered territory. No assurance can be categorical.

As educators, we are called upon to safeguard human beings, our nation’s values, and our own humanity.

City & State New York

March 13, 2017

CHARTING A COURSE FOR CHARTERS CHARTER CHARTER SCHOOLS IN THE STATE

460

4 26

SCHOOLS 49 Manhattan IN NEW YORK CITY

charters remaining under NYC CAP

3

Staten Island

school slots 157 charter remaining statewide But the mayor, an ally of the teachers unions, complained about nearly $200 million in extra costs the state budget would impose on the city.

Bronx

18

Queens

(Total: 216)

Cap on charter schools statewide

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio are again squaring off over charter schools. The governor won praise from deep-pocketed charter school supporters for moving to raise a cap on how many charters can operate in New York City. Instead of the current system, which has separate limits for the city and the rest of the state, the governor would have a single cap for the entire state.

61

85

Brooklyn

29

30charter schools slots

remaining in New York City

charter schools approved

but not opened in New York City

Note: The numbers don’t add up for you? That’s because charters that closed, convert or never opened still count against the cap.

Source: New York City Charter School Center, New York state Senate staff analysis of the fiscal year 2018 executive budget

expected authorizer rounds by end of 2018 legislative session

new charters approved per round on average

HELP US SOLVE THIS PROBLEM!

charters remaining by the end of 2017-18 school year

Don’t leave more than 44,000 students languishing on charter school waitlists! Support Governor Cuomo’s plan to raise the cap on the number of charter schools that can open in New York City.

GIVEN THAT IT CAN TAKE AN INDEPENDENT CHARTER SCHOOL 2-3 YEARS TO LAUNCH, THE CAP WILL QUICKLY DISCOURAGE TEAMS FROM STARTING THE PROCESS.

19

44,400

STUDENTS REMAIN ON CHARTER SCHOOL WAITLISTS

20

CityAndStateNY.com

March 13, 2017

A FIRM FOUNDATION? EDUCATION FUNDING LAGS BEHIND ESTABLISHED FORMULA

Foundation Aid obligation

Actual spending

20

FOUNDATION AID

(IN BILLIONS OF DOLLARS)

15

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

In this year’s budget proposal, Gov. Andrew

$25.6

Cuomo is calling for billion in state education aid, the largest such allotment in New York history. The

$961

million increase would help

BETTY ROSA Chancellor, State Board of Regents

2011-12

2012-13

2013-14

fund pre-kindergarten, community schools and other programs.

But education advocates aren’t satisfied, pointing to the state’s continuing failure to comply with a Foundation Aid formula developed during the Eliot Spitzer years

C&S: The debate around the Common Core standards seemingly has cooled in the last year, but opt-outs are still expected. Should the state Department of Education and the state Board of Regents do more to address the concerns of parents and teachers?

BR: Assessments are important, but they have to be right the assessments and they have to be used in the right ways. State assessments must be diagnostic, valid and reliable – and they must provide timely and practical information to teachers, administrators and parents.

Department staff, the regents and I have been working with our partners to make our tests better, more useful tools for students, parents and teachers. In the past year

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

that required major spending increases.

Some critics say Cuomo is now trying to eliminate the Foundation Aid formula, which aims to distribute money more fairly, but the administration denies this.

or so, we hired a new test vendor; reduced the number of questions on every grade three to eight assessment; allowed students who are productively working to complete their exams; released more test questions than ever before; unplugged the assessments from teacher evaluations and placed a fouryear moratorium on the use of student test scores for evaluation purposes. Our goal is for every public school family to know about these changes.

We want them to know that the tests are different – and better – and will continue to improve going forward.

C&S: Since January, there has been an increase in acts of bigotry, as well as bomb threats, especially towards Jewish

Source: Assembly Ways and Means Committee

schools. How are state education officials combating this problem and what more needs to be done to ensure students’ safety?

BR: In my role as chancellor, I have spoken out publicly about the need to focus on those things that bring us together as a society and to reject in the strongest possible way those things that divide and diminish us. Additionally, the department has worked, and will continue to work, with (state) Attorney General (Eric) Schneiderman to provide schools with critically important guidance about their obligation to provide all students with a safe and supportive environment in which to learn. That is not only a legal obligation, but a moral imperative.

Success is redefining possible.

Success Academy is at the forefront of the education reform movement.

We build world-class public charter schools that prove children from all backgrounds can succeed in college and life. Our 41 schools (with more opening next year) serve 14,000 scholars in kindergarten through high school across New York City.

SuccessAcademies.org

city&state.qxp_Layout 1 3/7/17 3:53 PM Page 1

Great Schools Begin With Great Leaders!

Council of School Supervisors & Administrators LOCAL 1: AMERICAN FEDERATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, AFL-CIO 40 RECTOR ST., 12TH FL., NY, NY 10006 | TEL: 212 823 2020 | FAX: 212 962-6130 | www.csa-nyc.org ERNEST A. LOGAN PRESIDENT | MARK CANNIZZARO EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT | HENRY RUBIO FIRST VICE PRESIDENT

City & State New York

March 13, 2017

DE BLASIO’S REPORT CARD 75%

70%

65%

Every year, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has to beg the state to allow him to retain control over the city’s public school system. During the annual rite, state lawmakers ask why they should continue authorizing a structure that many parents feel gives their preferences little more than lip service, or why they should overlook the lack

23

of significant progress at struggling schools.

The mayor’s team points to rising graduation rates and test scores. But experts caution that students matriculating in recent years spent the bulk of their education in schools overseen by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The state has also changed its criteria for exams and graduation rates, which makes it difficult to compare scores across the years.

Data aside, lawmakers are likely to extend mayoral control because they have yet to seriously discuss alternatives.

STATE TEST

SCORES

36% 32%

60%

28% 2013

2013

2014

2015

2016

FOUR-YEAR GRADUATION RATES Students graduated

by June

Students graduated

by August after completing credit recovery programs

ENG

2014

2015

2016

Students scoring proficient or above on state English language arts tests

MATH

Students scoring proficient or above on state math tests

Source: New York City Department of Education

Stand Up for Students with Disabilities!

The New York City Charter School Center urges every New York State elected official to stand up for students with disabilities. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and The National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools recently filed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to adopt a higher standard of educational benefit for students with disabilities in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District.

The Supreme Court has been asked to ensure that school districts provide more than just “some” educational benefit to students covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Most of New York City’s Democratic House delegation, along with 109 of their colleagues and a long list of organizations, have joined together on this critical issue. It is simply wrong for any child to be expected to settle for a “de minimus” benefit with respect to their education. Unless the Court corrects this interpretation many students will be denied opportunity because they won’t get the education and services they need.

The Charter Center has always advocated for quality public schools for all students, including students with disabilities. We are hopeful that the Supreme Court will help safeguard opportunity for all public school students and are proud to stand with many progressive organizations in this effort!

Friday, March 24th 8:00am-­‐5:00pm The Convene – 32 Old Slip – New York, NY 10005 Learn how to create an effective campaign to raise The 2nd A nnual Nhear onprofit FundCon will bfundraising ring together fundraising and money, from seasoned experts, development execu>ves from nonprofits across across N ew YYork! ork to discuss and network with nonprofits New th how to cM reate a campaign and raise money.

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City & State New York

March 13, 2017

25

GETTING A

free RIDE

The marquee policy proposal of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 2017 agenda, announced alongside progressive icon U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in early January, is a “free tuition” plan for students at city and state public universities.

Billed as the Excelsior Scholarship, it would allow in-state residents with a family income initially below $100,000 to attend SUNY and CUNY tuition free.

The state estimates 32,000 students a year would benefit and pegs the cost at

$163 $10.5

million once fully phased in.

But it’s certainly not free for taxpayers, who already contribute substantial sums to SUNY – billion from all sources in the pending budget – and CUNY

MARYELLEN ELIA Commissioner, state Department of Education

1200

HOW WOULD

CUOMO

800

PAY FOR HIS EXCELSIOR SCHOLARSHIP?

(another $4.8 billion) as well as the state’s generous Tuition Assistance Program, which will account for some of the cost of students who qualify for the new Excelsior Scholarship.

C&S: There is much uncertainty about new U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. What concerns, if any, do you have and how can New York fight federal policy changes?

ME: In conjunction with state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, we issued guidance on protecting the rights of immigrant students and on implementing the Dignity for All Students Act, which advises schools on how to provide students with an environment free from discrimination, harassment and bullying. Every child, regardless of immigration status, has the right to attend school where he or she lives. That's the law in New York and it's simply the right thing to do. Schneiderman and I provided guidance

400

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

TAP FUNDING (IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS)

on what schools should do in the event immigration officials show up on school property demanding access to students or confidential student information. Law enforcement officers may not remove a student from school property or interrogate a student without the consent of the student’s parent, except in very limited situations. In addition, allowing access to records without parental permission may violate privacy laws and expose school districts to liability.

C&S: President Donald Trump has expressed criticism of Common Core in the past. Are you concerned about a potential repeal and what kind of impact would that have on our state education system?

Source: New York state Division of the Budget

ME: We are certainly watching very closely the actions that may be taken at the federal level, but it’s not stopping the work we’re doing right now on New York state standards. At the beginning of this school year, we released new draft learning standards for English language arts and mathematics for public comment. Two committees comprised of parents and more than 130 educators at all levels reviewed every standard and recommended changing 60 percent of the (English) and 55 percent of the math standards. Now, we’re busy reviewing all of the feedback we received from stakeholders so we can develop the best learning standards to prepare New York’s children for their futures.

26

CityAndStateNY.com

March 13, 2017

The must-read news source for New York’s nonprofits Edited by AIMÉE SIMPIERRE

FRONT-LINE HERO

GIVING A

VOICE TO

D NAHEE E MEN’S AN WO OUT SID H D G E F A W FOR H ON ERVIE WOMEN AHRAM IS INT OMEN’S MARC IB EW H T G S A MA D IN LL DUR ARY. CIT Y HA K CIT Y IN JANU R NEW YO

AFGHAN WOMEN

By MICHELLE ARNOT

WHEN A WOMAN leaves Afghanistan for New York City, she is likely to find kindred souls in Fresh Meadows, Queens.

But what she often carries to the United States is cultural baggage – baked into family structures and traditions – as well as dreams.

Naheed Samadi Bahram, New York program director for the nonprofit Women for Afghan Women and a member of the inaugural class of the Immigrant Women Leaders Fellowship, has made it her work to help these women realize their dreams.

“When I started taking (local Af-

ghan) women to appointments I found that about 80 percent of them could not speak English, did not know their address or telephone number, and they had been here for 10 years,” she recalled. “Coming to the center was the first time that many of them ever sat in a classroom or held a pen, much less taken notes, something that the rest of us take for granted.”

A $6.6 million human rights organization, Women for Afghan Women offers shelter and medical services in Afghanistan at 31 facilities located in 13 provinces as well as general support services in its thriving New York City communi-

ty center. It also has an office in Washington, D.C., that focuses on advocacy.

Since its inception in 2001, the organization has helped more than 25,000 clients and trained more than 300,000 people on women’s rights worldwide.

English as a second language, driving permit test preparation and citizenship test preparation are among the courses offered for free.

These days, Women for Afghan Women is bursting at the seams due to an influx of green card holders motivated to become citizens following the presidential election. Women for Afghan Wom-

City & State New York

March 13, 2017

en plans to move to a larger space later this year.

“While our clients are mainly Afghan, we never turn anyone away,” Samadi Bahram said. Women for Afghan Women receives local support from New York City Council members based in Queens, including Peter Koo and Barry Grodenchik.

City Councilman Brad Lander discovered the organization when his daughter became involved in its Girls Leadership program. His wife, Meg Barnette of Planned Parenthood of New York City, now sits on Women for Afghan Women’s board.

Samadi Bahram began her career teaching English to fellow Afghan students in Peshawar, Pakistan, where her family settled after a bomb explosion in Kabul killed her mother. In 2007, shortly after moving to New York to marry her fiance, an Afghan-American, Samadi Bahram began volunteering at Women for Afghan Women at the suggestion of a professor at Queens College, where she completed her degree in 2011. It didn’t take long for her to become an indispensable part of the team because of her education – Samadi Bahram’s father encouraged his daughters to pursue their studies – her own immigration experience and her fluency in English and multiple Afghan dialects.

In 2015, Samadi Bahram was selected from among a pool of 300 candidates to participate in the 15-member inaugural cohort of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs’ Immigrant Women Leaders Fellowship. According to the office, the program’s weekly sessions focused on leadership, organizational development and immigrant rights movement-building strategies.

Classes were designed to help the fellows “recognize and effectively eliminate the effects of systemic oppression on the leaders, themselves, their organizations and communities.”

At Women for Afghan Women, Samadi Bahram has been dealing with the delicate issue of domestic violence among her clients. “It is normal in Afghanistan to beat a woman, even your sister,” she said.

“And women believe, like in Afghanistan, ‘If I leave my husband here, my kids go directly to the husband.’”

Without exposure to the American legal system, such traditions may persist.

“These women want to be able to resolve the issue without involving the authorities,” she added, noting that her clients often have trust issues about dealing with authorities after fleeing the Taliban in their home country.

On Jan. 21, Samadi Bahram organized a bus for 40 Women for Afghan Women clients who wanted to attend the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. None had ever attended a rally and, for most, it was their first time out of Queens. She described a joyous bus ride filled with music, dancing and joking as the women

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celebrated the opportunity for their voices to be heard. Even for Samadi Bahram, who had attended past rallies, the event was liberating.

“Living in a country where we are able to stand up for all our sisters, to be part of such a huge turnout was an amazing experience for all of us,” she said.

SERVING AT-RISK INDIVIDUALS IN UNCERTAIN TIMES A Q&A with CH A R L ES A RCHER of The Thrive Network

Charles Archer is the co-founder of The Thrive Network, a nonprofit that helps individuals with disabilities reach their full potential through full-time residential programs and behavioral health services.

NYN Media: How are Medicaid and Medicare changes affecting your operations?

CA: The disability community’s push into managed care – into value-based payments – where there’s a reward for quality, there’s a reward for satisfaction – but how do you baseline satisfaction? How do you baseline quality? For me, if I can have a place to live, a place to work, a place to feel excited and occasionally some recreational opportunities, that might be satisfaction for me. But how do you base the value of someone else’s quality of life on a standard system? … How do you determine that and how do you measure each organization in meeting that? … Is there flexibility in this value-based payment system that we’re now about to be faced with?

NYN Media: Are there innovations that you are looking forward to implementing?

CA: What we have seen … is a decrease in philanthropic efforts and philanthropic dollars and those are the things that allow us to be innovative. With unfunded mandates and reimbursement rate reductions and, as you just mentioned, Medicaid, ACA, et cetera.

We’re kind of in a position where we have to do what we do well and we have to do that first, which allows us that innovation in some ways. We don’t have the flexibility in the funding streams to do that. So if we were able to look at how people fund programs, then we would be able to.

NYN Media: What’s the biggest challenge facing your organization now?

CA: It’s the ability to make funding work in a situation where funding is not guaranteed. How do I align the mission of disabilities with housing? How do I align it with the employment initiatives? I think that’s what’s facing (us).

■

MORE ONLINE

• Michael Zisser, a former CEO for University

Settlement and The Door, writes that a leader’s role is to manage, take advantage of, and even revel in tensions and complex dynamics.

• In our NYN Media Insights podcast, Citizens’

Committee for Children Executive Director Jennifer March joins us to explore the results of their recent Community Risk Ranking report.

To see the full versions of these stories and subscribe to First Read Nonprofit, visit nynmedia.com.

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NYSlant.com

March 13, 2017

Perspectives & analysis from the people who know New York best/ Edited by Nick Powell

A

TANGIBLE RESULTS PROPEL CUOMO’S POPULARITY

By LARRY SCHWARTZ

airports, improved train stations and roads, upstate economic development projects, a minimum wage increase, paid family leave, the state health insurance exchange, increased education funding, improvements in emergency preparedness and new public safety initiatives all relate directly and positively to people’s lives.

Seeing is believing: Buffalo is growing after decades of economic decline, tourism throughout the state is booming, the new Tappan Zee Bridge is rising in the Hudson River and the Second Avenue subway opened to the public on time.

The governor’s 2017 State of the State agenda makes this connection – speaking directly to the lesson of the past election cycle: addressing the angry middle

late-February Siena College poll showed Gov. Andrew Cuomo at his highest popularity level in two years – a 60 percent favorability rating. Some seemed surprised.

While 60 percent is extraordinary in this political climate, and makes Cuomo one of the most popular Democratic governors in the country, public polling has tracked his steady increase over the past year and a half. The governor’s popularity reflects the new political dynamic more than any change in his actions.

As the recent presidential election has shown, voters are displeased with their government – widely seen as ineffective, unresponsive and controlled by special interests. The middle class is especially disaffected. What the public wants is a positive force for tangible change in their lives. That’s what Cuomo provides.

Of late, Cuomo has focused on specific accomplishments that defy cynicism about government. New bridges, modern

class. His agenda, which he has called the “middle class recovery act,” provides income and property tax relief, college affordability and jobs for middle- and working-class individuals and families.

The state Legislature has supported this agenda in the past, notably when the state Senate and the Assembly supported the millionaires tax extension in 2011. For anyone in the state Legislature to now advocate for the millionaires tax to expire at the expense of the middle and working class makes no sense, but it also makes the governor’s advocacy all the more important.

There have been rumors and news stories that New York might have a late budget this year because the state Legislature is

angry with the governor over the pay raise issue, which, if true, would be the first time in seven years the budget is late. Having served as secretary to two governors, I remember the dysfunction that took place in 2009 and 2010. Albany was not working; partisanship and infighting resulted in late budgets, budget extenders and higher taxes. Nothing was getting done, resulting in a lack of public confidence in state government.

In 2011, thanks to the strong leadership of the newly elected governor and a new bipartisan partnership in the state Legislature, government dysfunction ended. We started passing on-time budgets. We created jobs, cut taxes, increased education funding, provided health insurance for more than 2 million New Yorkers and made New York the progressive capital of the nation when

City & State New York

it came to civil and human rights. I don’t believe the state Legislature wants to return to the days of partisan finger pointing, inaction and chaos.

In fact, it’s in the state Legislature’s best interest to continue this streak of on-time budgets and continue to perform as they have done since 2011. I believe a late budget would make any future pay raise proposal – long overdue for legislators – impossible for Cuomo to support. The state Legislature needs the governor to support and sign a pay raise by the end of 2018, otherwise lawmakers would have to wait until at least 2020 before a raise could legally go into effect.

The state Legislature has built a reputation of professionalism, function and performance. That brand would be tarnished if the public thought a late budget was the result of legislative retaliation

THAT BRAND WOULD BE TARNISHED IF THE PUBLIC THOUGHT A LATE BUDGET WAS THE RESULT OF RETALIATION BECAUSE OF A LACK OF A PAY RAISE LAST YEAR.

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because of a lack of a pay raise last year.

Last year’s election revealed a winning political dynamic: deliver for the people, stand against the institution, rise above partisanship, fight for the middle class and against the special interests. In many ways that has always been Cuomo’s brand, but the current political circumstances make his particular style of governance especially attractive.

■

Larry Schwartz is a former secretary to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and currently is the chief strategy officer at OTG, an airport restaurant and retail management company.

DARREN MCGEE/OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

March 13, 2017

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CityAndStateNY.com / PUBLIC and LEGAL NOTICES

PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES March 13, 2017 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1300754 FOR LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW 211 DEKALB AVE BROOKLYN, NY 11205.

KINGS COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION. AURORA FG INC. Notice of Qualification of CB&I Construction Services, LLC. Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 1/23/17. Office location: NY County. LLC organized in LA on 9/22/16.

NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served.

LA and principal business address: 4171 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70809.

Cert. of Org. filed with LA Sec. of State, 8585 Archives Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70809.

Purpose: all lawful purposes.

1811, LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/06/2017.

Office loc: Richmond County.

SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 105 Buttonwood Road, Staten Island, NY 10304.

Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Notice of Formation of ERP PROSPECT AVE LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 8/31/11. 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: 645 W End Ave, NY, NY 10025.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of WYE COMMUNICATIONS LLC. Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/15/17. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 09/07/16.

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: 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St. - Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of Geronimo Solar Energy, LLC. Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/27/17. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Minnesota (MN) on 10/01/12.

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

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

Address to be maintained in MN: 725 Edinborough Way., Ste. 725, Edina, MN 55435.

Arts of Org. filed with the Secy. of State, 60 Empire Dr., Ste. 100, St. Paul, MN 55103.

Purpose: any lawful activities Notice of Formation of Whistle Works LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 1/20/17. 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: 304 W 117th St, #2P, NY, NY 10026.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of WEST SIDE PHYSICIANS OF NYC, PLLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/16/17. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of PLLC: 715 9th Ave. Ground Fl., NY, NY 10019. SSNY designated as agent of PLLC 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 IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1295774 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 120 SECATOGUE AVE. FARMINGDALE, NY 11735.

NASSAU COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION. TOA GROUP LLC Notice of Qual. of ARTEMIS PARTNERS LLC, Authority filed with the SSNY on 02/13/2017.

Office location: NY County. LLC formed in CT on 07/03/2008.

SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 347 W. 36th St., Ste 1601, NY, NY 10018.

Principal Office Address of LLC: 347 W. 36th St., Ste 1601 NY NY 10018. Cert of Formation filed with CT Sec. of State, 30 Trinity St., Hartford, CT 06106.

Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Notice of Formation of Nonsuch, LLC. Arts. Of Org. filed w/ Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 2/21/17. Office in NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Daniel Barbera, 32 E. 57th St., 16th Fl., NY, NY 10022, registered agent upon whom process may be served.

Purpose: Any lawful act/activity.

March 13, 2017 KRAMER, DUNLEAVY, & RATCHIK PLLC, Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) 1/10/17. Office loc: NY Co. SSNY designated agent upon whom process against PLLC may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: The PLLC, 61 Broadway, Ste. 2200, NY, NY 10006, Attn: Jonathan Ratchik, reg. agent.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of BERNSTEIN DECOR LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/20/17.

Office location: NY County.

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

SSNY shall mail process to: 151 West 25th St., NY, NY 10001.

Purpose: any lawful activities.

Notice of Formation of Flagstaff4 LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 11/14/16.

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: 1350 Broadway, FL. 11, NY, NY 10018, Attn: David J. Pfeffer, Esq. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of 470 Baltic Funding LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/2/17. 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: 14 W 23rd St, Fl. 5, NY, NY 10010.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Adam Green Fine Art LLC filed with SSNY on 2/1/17. Office: NY County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC at 77 W. 24th St., 11H, NY, NY 10010.

Notice of Formation of FELICELLO & MELCHIONNA LLP. Cert. of Reg. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/20/17. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLP: 1120 Ave. of the Americas, 4Fl., NY, NY 10036. SSNY designated as agent of LLP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLP at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Legal services; Law firm.

Notice of Formation of RELATED TX RD GENERAL, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/07/17. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: Related Companies, 60 Columbus Circle, NY, NY 10023. 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 American Carrier Transport LLC. Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 2/16/17. O f f i c e location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 1155 Stoops Ferry Rd., Moon Township, PA 15108.

LLC formed in IN on 5/23/11.

NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. IN addr. of LLC: 150 W. Market St., Ste. 800, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

Cert. of Form. filed with IN Sec. of State, 200 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204.

Purpose: all lawful purposes.

ZIRKANOVA COMPANY, LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 01/23/2017. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 206 W 100TH ST, NEW YORK, NY 10025.

Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Notice of Formation of W18 Retail LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/11/17. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Michael Yakuel, 225 E. 6th St., Unit 5B, NY, NY 10003.

Purpose: any lawful activities.

Notice of Formation of W18 Garden LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/11/17. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Michael Yakuel, 225 E. 6th St., Unit 5B, NY, NY 10003.

Purpose: any lawful activities.

Notice of Formation of MS 124th Street, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/09/17. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The Company, c/o Post Management, LLC, 204 West 84th St., 3rd Fl., NY, NY 10024, Attn: Marc D. Slayton.

Purpose: any lawful activities.

Notice of Qualification of Standish Mellon Asset Management Company LLC. Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 2/21/17. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: One Boston Place, Boston, MA 02108. LLC formed in DE on 4/24/01. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: Attn: BNY Mellon Legal Dept., 225 Liberty St., NY, NY 10286. DE addr. of LLC: 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.

CERYNEIAN MGT, LLC. Art. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 01/27/17. 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, 529 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10017.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of Apollo Publishers LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 1/25/17. 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 Qualification of VFA Create LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 1/24/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/2/14.

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

SSNY shall mail process to: 40 W 29th St, Ste 301, NY, NY 10001. DE address of LLC: 2711 Centerville Rd, Ste 400, Wilmington, DE 19808.

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 DBZ PROPERTY HOLDINGS LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/7/17. Office location: New York County.

LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 2/7/17. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 43 Bay Reach, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. DE address of LLC: 43 Bay Reach, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971.

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

Purpose: any lawful activity.

FGM2 LLC. Art. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/26/16.

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, 145 West 11th Street, Unit 5, New York, NY 10011.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Qualification of VFA Fund I LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 1/27/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 1/25/17.

SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 40 W 29th St, Ste 301, NY, NY 10001. 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.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of CITY’S 22 WEST 48TH STREET LLC. Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/24/17. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 01/23/17. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o City’s Property Development, 44 W. 47th St., NY, NY 10036. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808.

Cert. of Form. filed with Jeffrey W. Bullock, DE Secy. of State, Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 3, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of 100 West 18th St. Unit 5C, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 12/2/16. 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 Columbia Affiliated Physicians Organization, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with NY Dept. of State on 1/23/17. Office location: NY County. Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: Office of the General Counsel, Columbia University, 412 Low Memorial Library, 535 W. 116th St., NY, NY 10027, principal business address. Registered agent upon whom process may be served: CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011. Purpose: as specifically set forth in the Arts of Org. Notice of Formation of Jaguar Connection LLC filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) 10/7/15.

Office loc: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: Marilena Acevedo, 470 W 24th St, 6J, NY, NY 10011. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

Notice of Formation of PH1B205 LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/27/17. 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 Formation of HVNYC, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 1/27/17. 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: 80 State St, Albany, NY 12207.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

PUBLIC and LEGAL NOTICES / CityAndStateNY.com

March 13, 2017 Notice of Formation of 69 Amherst Road LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/13/17.

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: 223 W 138th St, Ground Fl., NY, NY 10030.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

RAMDEEN HOLDINGS, LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/15/2017. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: Timothy Rabindranath Ramdeen, 404 East 83rd St., Apt 3D, NY, NY 10028.

Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Notice of Formation of Ampixi LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 12/9/16. 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: 405 Lexington Ave, NY, NY 10174.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of Ranger Global Real Estate Advisors, LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/7/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 6/9/16.

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

SSNY shall mail process to: 415 Madison Ave, Fl. 14, NY, NY 10017. 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 NUT TREE PARTNERS CO-INVEST LP. Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/07/17. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 01/31/17.

Princ. office of LP: 2 Penn Plaza, 24th Fl., NY, NY 10121.

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

SSNY shall mail process to the Partnership at the princ. office of the LP. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. DE addr. of LP: c/o Corporation Service Co., 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808.

Cert. of LP filed with Secy. of State of DE, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., P.O. Box 898, Dover, DE 19903.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of New Homes NY NJ LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/10/17. 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: 1890 7th Ave, Ste 3E, NY, NY 10026.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of 503, One Central Park South, LLC filed with SSNY on January 25, 2017. Office loc: NY County.

SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 1 Central Park South, #503, NY, NY 10019. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

Notice of Formation of CGI HUDSON LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/23/17.

Office location: NY County.

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

SSNY shall mail process to Steven Hafif, 1430 Broadway, 17th Fl., NY, NY 10018.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of YORK PARTNERS COMMITTED CAPITAL III, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/27/17. 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 Formation of PAPARONE LAW PLLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/21/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 22 Independence Way, Jersey City, NJ 07305.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of KALYANI 227 10TH AVENUE, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/03/17.

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, 1015 Belle Meade Island Dr., Miami, FL 33138.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1300688 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 27-08 QUEENS PLAZA S LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11101.

QUEENS COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION. IAMC INC. MAJOR TIKI LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 03/03/2017. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Richard A. Frazer, Esq. C/O Pryor Cashman LLP, 7 Times Square, NY, NY 10036.

Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Notice of Qualification of AIM DATA, LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 12/22/16. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 8/15/16.

SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 254 Canal St, Ste 2001, NY, NY 10013. DE address of LLC: 16192 Coastal Hwy, Lewes, DE 19958. 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 PRINCIPIUM STRATEGIES LLC. Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/03/17. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 01/03/06.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 1040 Ave. of the Americas, 5th Fl., NY, NY 10018. DE addr. of LLC: 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, 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 Formation of FABRICANT ADVISORS, LLC filed with SSNY on 2/9/17.

Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 75 East End Ave, Ste 12A, NY, NY 10028. Purpose: any lawful act or activity Notice of Qual. of 330 GRAND LLC, Authority filed with the SSNY on 02/06/2017. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in DE on 02/03/2017.

SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 64 Delancey Street, Ste 2E , NY, NY 10002. Address required to be maintained in DE: 1209 Orange St. Wilmington DE 19801.

Cert of Formation filed with DE Div. of Corps, 401 Federal St., Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Notice of Formation of SKELETON PARTY, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/20/17.

Office location: NY County.

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

SSNY shall mail process to: The Company, c/o 60 West 23rd St.- Apt. 436, NY, NY 10010.

Purpose: any lawful activities.

Notice of Formation of APO NYC 3 OWNER, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/28/17. 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 True Partner Capital USA, LLC. Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 2/8/17. Office location: NY County. LLC organized in IL on 2/3/16. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: National Corporate Research, Ltd., 10 E. 40th St., 10th Fl., NY, NY 10016.

IL and principal business address: 111 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60604. Cert. of Org. filed with IL Sec. of State, 213 State Capitol, Springfield, IL 62756.

Purpose: all lawful purposes.

Notice of Formation of SUPPORT CENTER JR, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with NY Dept. of State on 1/30/17. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 505 Park Ave., 18th Fl., NY, NY 10022. Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served.

Purpose: all lawful purposes.

Notice of Qualification of NEXUS New York Club, LLC. Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 1/30/17. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in DE on 1/18/17. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o Chris Pillo, 9350 Conroy Windermere Rd., Windermere, FL 34786, principal business address. DE address of LLC: c/o National Registered Agents, Inc. 160 Greentree Dr., Suite 101, Dover, DE 19904. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, PO Box 898, Dover, DE 19903.

Purpose: all lawful purposes.

Notice of Qualification of IFLScience LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 1/13/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 5/22/15.

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

SSNY shall mail process to: 120 E 23rd St, Fl. 5, NY, NY 10010. DE address of LLC: 2711 Centerville Rd, Ste 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. 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 SLB PROPERTY HOLDINGS LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/7/17. Office location: New York County.

LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 2/7/17. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 43 Bay Reach, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. DE address of LLC: 43 Bay Reach, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971.

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

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Carroll Boulevard Holdings LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/16/17. 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: 625 W 55th St #6, NY, NY 10019.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Digital Equity LLC, filed with SSNY on January 30, 2017. 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 LLC: 300 East 74th St, 35F, NY, NY 10021. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

Notice of Formation of Alexia Valentina LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/13/17.

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: 250 Mercer St, #D404, NY, NY 10012.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1300569, FOR WINE & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR

BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL WINE & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 176 LUDLOW ST NEW YORK, NY 10002.

NEW YORK COUNTY, FOR ONPREMISE CONSUMPTION. LUDLOW COFFEE SUPPLY LLC. Notice of Qualification of SpringHealth Behavioral Health and Integrated Care New York, LLC. Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 2/22/17. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 9901 Linn Station Rd., Louisville, KY 40223. LLC formed in DE on 2/15/17. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011. DE addr. of LLC: 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.

Interested persons are invited to comment on the installation of telecommunication antennas on the below 23.0-ft tall new streetlight poles in New York, NY, and specifically on potential effects to historic properties located at or near the facilities, if any. Comments should be submitted to ATC, 3 Terri Lane, Burlington NJ 08016, or phone 6093868800. The locations are: Harlem River Pathway (1,300-ft NW of Little Hell Gate Bridge), Harlem River Pathway (650-ft NW of Little Hell Gate Bridge), and Harlem River Pathway (1,000-ft NW of Little Hell Gate Bridge).

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Notice of Qualification of NEXUS New York Management Company, LLC. Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 1/30/17. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in DE on 1/18/17. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o Chris Pillo, 9350 Conroy Windermere Rd., Windermere, FL 34786, principal business address. DE address of LLC: c/o National Registered Agents, Inc. 160 Greentree Dr., Suite 101, Dover, DE 19904. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, PO Box 898, Dover, DE 19903.

Purpose: all lawful purposes.

Notice of Formation of Boulevard Carroll Holdings LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/16/17. 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: 625 W 55th St #6, NY, NY 10019.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of BioInnovation Management LLC. Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 2/2/17. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 1 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139. LLC formed in DE on 8/11/16. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: c/o The Corporation Trust Co., 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 ALMANAC INVESTORS, LLC. Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/10/17. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 01/05/17.

Princ. office of LLC: 1140 Ave. of the Americas, 17th Fl., NY, NY 10036. 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., 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St. - Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of WESTMINSTER MAD ASSOCIATES, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/21/17. 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: 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is National Registered Agents, Inc., 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

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CityAndStateNY.com / PUBLIC and LEGAL NOTICES

Notice of Qualification of ARBOUR LANE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC. Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/10/17.

Office location: NY County.

LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/22/16. 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, 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Jeffrey W. Bullock, Secy. of State of the State of DE, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of EURNITED ARTS LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) 10/11/2016.

Office loc: NY County. SSNY designated agent upon whom process against LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process against LLC to: 120E 34th St., Ste. 15L, NY, NY 10016.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Essex Olive & Spice House, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY 2/3/17. Office loc: NY County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against LLC may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, Attn: Saad Bourkadi, 577 Grand St #F504, NY, NY 10002.

Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Notice of Qualification of Shield Analysis Technology, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY 1/5/2017. Office loc: NY County.

LLC formed in VA 10/25/2010.

SSNY designated agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 9028 Prince William St. Ste E, Manassas, VA 20110.

VA addr. of LLC: 9028 Prince William St. Ste E, Manassas VA 20110. Cert. of Form. filed with VA Secy. of State, 1111 E. Broad St, 4th Fl, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

Notice of Formation of CHICHI EATS LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/1/17. 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: 49 Bleecker St, #205, NY, NY 10012.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of West Madison Entertainment Film Fund LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 3/1/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 11/9/15.

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

SSNY shall mail process to: 1501 Broadway, Fl. 12, NY, NY 10036. 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.

March 13, 2017

Notice of Formation of NYC Remote Hands, LLC filed with SSNY 9/16/2016.

Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to LLC: 29-10 Berkshire Rd Fair Lawn NJ 07410. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

GOLDEN ALLEN, LLC. Art. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/07/16. 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, 2 Allen Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10002.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of Q & G REALTY LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 9/27/16. 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: 165 Hester St, Basement, NY, NY 10013.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of Stansberry Asset Management Partners (GP), LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/23/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 11/4/15. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 1350 Ave of the Americas, Fl. 4, NY, NY 10019. 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.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Tenacious Toys, LLC filed with SSNY 1/3/17. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 7014 13th Ave, 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

Notice of Formation of Down The Block LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/21/17. 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: 151 W 17th St, PHE, NY, NY 10011.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Foot Fete, LLC filed with SSNY on 05/12/2016. Office loc: NY Co. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: US Corp Agents, Inc., 7014 13th Ave, Ste. 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Notice of Formation of RIVERWARREN22E LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 1/9/17. 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: 212 Warren St, Apt 22E, NY, NY 10282.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of 119 SPRING RETAIL OWNER, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/27/17. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/23/17.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o 60 Guilders LLC, 370 7th Ave., Ste. 1400, NY, NY 10001. DE addr. of LLC: 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

CITYANDSTATENY.COM

Notice of Qualification of Stansberry Asset Management Partners, LP. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/23/17. Office location: New York County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 11/4/15.

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

SSNY shall mail process to: 1350 Ave of the Americas, 4th Fl, New York, 10019. DE address of LP: 1209 Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Limited Partnership filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St. Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

PUBLIC NOTICE New York City Dept. of Consumer Affairs Notice of Public Hearing Notice is hereby given, pursuant to law, that the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs will hold a public hearing on WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5TH, 2017 at 2:00 P.M. at 42 Broadway, 5th floor, on a petition for 161 8TH AVENUE RESTAURANT LLC to ESTABLISH, MAINTAIN, AND OPERATE an unenclosed sidewalk cafe at 161 8TH AVE in the Borough of Manhattan for a term of two years.

REQUEST FOR COPIES OF THE REVOCABLE CONSENT AGREEMENT MAY BE ADDRESSED TO: DEPT. OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, 42 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10004 ATTN: FOIL OFFICER Notice of Formation of Flavio Wines LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/8/17. 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: 325 Broadway, Ste 501, NY, NY 10007.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

AT&T proposes to modify an existing facility (antenna tip heights 71’) on the building at 307 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY (20170231). Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856-809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

New York City Dept. of Consumer Affairs

New York City Dept. of Consumer Affairs

Notice of Formation of Polyfon LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/23/17. 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 W 23rd St, Apt 426, NY, NY 10010.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of FKAL 49 Ann Street LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 11/23/16.

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: 105 Mulberry, Ste 202, NY, NY 10013.

Purpose: any lawful activity PUBLIC NOTICE New York City Dept. of Consumer Affairs Notice of Public Hearing Notice is hereby given, pursuant to law, that the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs will hold a public hearing on WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5TH, 2017 at 2:00 P.M. at 42 Broadway, 5th floor, on a petition for CARRA LLC to ESTABLISH, MAINTAIN, AND OPERATE an unenclosed sidewalk cafe at 338 3RD AVE in the Borough of Manhattan for a term of two years.

REQUEST FOR COPIES OF THE REVOCABLE CONSENT AGREEMENT MAY BE ADDRESSED TO: DEPT. OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, 42 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10004 ATTN: FOIL OFFICER Notice of Qualification of Nexus Reinsurance Underwriting Managers, LLC. Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 3/1/17. NYS fictitious name: Nexus Underwriting Management Services LLC. Office location: NY County. LLC organized in CT on 9/23/15. 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. CT and principal business address: Two Corporate Dr., Suite 636, Shelton, CT 06484. Cert. of Org. filed with CT Sec. of State, 30 Trinity St., Hartford, CT 06115.

Purpose: all lawful purposes .

Notice of Public Hearing

Notice of Public Hearing

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to law, that the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs will hold a public hearing on WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5TH, 2017 at 2:00 P.M. at 42 Broadway, 5th floor, on a petition for EAST DROGHEDA INC to ESTABLISH, MAINTAIN, AND OPERATE an unenclosed sidewalk cafe at 375 3RD AVE in the Borough of Manhattan for a term of two years.

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to law, that the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs will hold a public hearing on WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5TH, 2017 at 2:00 P.M. at 42 Broadway, 5th floor, on a petition for ZUCKER’S COLUMBUS LLC to ESTABLISH, MAINTAIN, AND OPERATE an unenclosed sidewalk cafe at 273 COLUMBUS AVENUE in the Borough of Manhattan for a term of two years.

REQUEST FOR COPIES OF THE REVOCABLE CONSENT AGREEMENT MAY BE ADDRESSED TO: DEPT. OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, 42 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10004 ATTN: FOIL OFFICER PUBLIC NOTICE New York City Dept. of Consumer Affairs Notice of Public Hearing Notice is hereby given, pursuant to law, that the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs will hold a public hearing on WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5TH, 2017 at 2:00 P.M. at 42 Broadway, 5th floor, on a petition for SAUCE MANAGEMENT LLC to ESTABLISH, MAINTAIN, AND OPERATE an unenclosed sidewalk cafe at 78 RIVINGTON STREET in the Borough of Manhattan for a term of two years.

REQUEST FOR COPIES OF THE REVOCABLE CONSENT AGREEMENT MAY BE ADDRESSED TO: DEPT. OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, 42 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10004 ATTN: FOIL OFFICER

REQUEST FOR COPIES OF THE REVOCABLE CONSENT AGREEMENT MAY BE ADDRESSED TO: DEPT. OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, 42 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10004 ATTN: FOIL OFFICER PUBLIC NOTICE New York City Dept. of Consumer Affairs Notice of Public Hearing Notice is hereby given, pursuant to law, that the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs will hold a public hearing on WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5TH, 2017 at 2:00 P.M. at 42 Broadway, 5th floor, on a petition for BUL INC to ESTABLISH, MAINTAIN, AND OPERATE an unenclosed sidewalk cafe at 8002 5TH AVE in the Borough of BROOKLYN for a term of two years.

REQUEST FOR COPIES OF THE REVOCABLE CONSENT AGREEMENT MAY BE ADDRESSED TO: DEPT. OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, 42 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10004 ATTN: FOIL OFFICER

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March 13, 2017

CITY & STATE NEW YORK MANAGEMENT & PUBLISHING CEO Steve Farbman, President & Publisher Tom Allon tallon@cityandstateny.com, Vice President of Strategy Jasmin Freeman, Comptroller David Pirozzi dpirozzi@cityandstateny.com, Business & Sales Coordinator Patrea Patterson, Junior Sales Associate Cydney McQuillan-Grace cydney@cityandstateny.com

Who was up and who was down last week

LOSERS JAMES O’NEILL There’s nothing like a $1.25 billion windfall to bring out the benevolence of our public servants. Such was the case with Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, who made it rain on the NYPD thanks to a settlement from a money laundering case that his office helped investigate. For their troubles, Brown gave James O’Neill and his 16 Queens precincts more than $20 million for new equipment to enhance the department’s neighborhood policing program.

OUR PICK

OUR PICK

WINNERS

On International Women’s Day, rabble-rousing rising star Linda Sarsour and some of her fellow Women’s March on Washington founders were arrested protesting outside a Trump hotel. The women tweeted the moment. The photo went viral, turning a relatively modest rally into a media coup de grace. Of course, the social media savants knew that, in New York City, getting arrested can either make you a loser, or a real winner. And now, for some more arresting Winners & Losers.

SHOLA OLATOYE As if running NYCHA wasn’t hard enough, here comes Donald Trump and neurosurgeon-cum-housingexpert Ben Carson with a $35 million cut in funding. Olatoye’s public housing agency faced a $60 million deficit last year, and it will probably be even worse this year as more federal cuts to public housing are expected. But Olatoye’s problems are bigger than Trump: A 2014 report found NYCHA would need $18 billion to fully repair its aged buildings.

THE REST OF THE WORST

DEBBORAH CASAIS

MICHAEL GREEN

PAUL PEARLMAN

managing partner’s firm Kramer Levin joins top 10 lobbyists after de Blasio gig

WILLIAM VAZQUEZ & AMAURY VILLALOBOS

exonerees get $31 million from city, state

PRODUCTION creativedepartment@cityandstateny.com Creative Director Guillaume Federighi, Senior Graphic Designer Alex Law, Graphic Designer Kewen Chen, Junior Graphic Designer Aaron Aniton, Digital Content Coordinator Michael Filippi, Multimedia Director Bryan Terry 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, Account/Business Development Executive Danielle Mowery dmowery@cityandstateny.com EVENTS events@cityandstateny.com Events Manager Lissa Blake, Senior Events Coordinator Alexis Arsenault, Events and Marketing Coordinator Jenny Wu

Vol. 6 Issue 10 March 13, 2017

HEY! TEACHER! Will BESTY DeVOS leave them kids alone?

THE BEST OF THE REST state information technician racked up 3,000 hours of overtime last year

EDITORIAL editor@cityandstateny.com Editor-in-Chief Jon Lentz jlentz@cityandstateny.com, Features and Opinions Editor Nick Powell npowell@ cityandstateny.com, New York Nonprofit Editor Aimée Simpierre asimpierre@nynmedia.com, Managing Editor Ryan Somers, Albany Reporter Ashley Hupfl ahupfl@ cityandstateny.com, City Hall Reporter Sarina Trangle strangle@cityandstateny.com, Staff Reporter Dan Rosenblum drosenblum@nynmedia.com, Editor-at-Large Gerson Borrero gborrero@cityandstateny.com, Editorial Assistant Jeff Coltin, Copy Editor Eric Holmberg

over half of state prosecutors, police miss rape kit disclosure deadline

TERRY LEONARD

mayor of Ilion dealt big blow as Remington Arms announces layoffs

MICHAEL NORRIS

assemblyman subpoenaed in ex-Sen. George Maziarz’s corruption probe

MARY BASSETT

health department finds another baby got herpes from circumcision ritual

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.

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March 13, 2017

Cover illustration by Javier Muñoz Fernández Cover direction by Guillaume Federighi 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. Application to Mail at Periodicals Prices is pending at New York, NY and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to City & State New York, 61 Broadway, Suite 1315, New York, NY 10006-2763.

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We’re NYAMA-- the Voice of Aviation in New York State, representing over 13,000 members and affiliate members, 120 commercial service and general aviation airports.

We’re also focused on the future of aviation, and safely, reliably keeping New York at the forefront of the global economy with state-of-the-art operations and services.

NYS Department of Transportation attributes $50 Billion in annual economic activity for New York State businesses to aviation. With nearly 400,000 New York State jobs related directly or indirectly to the industry, payroll from the aviation sector totals more than $18 Billion annually.

We’ve been very active, promoting the best way forward for the entire New York Aviation community, but specifically, we have worked hard and will continue our efforts in these areas: •

Aviation Jobs Act- tax reform encouraging aircraft owners to base their aircraft in NY.

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Advocated and currently pursuing a fully funded five year capital program

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Working hard to bring aviation’s benefits to ALL of New York, specifically regarding $200 million for Upstate Economic Development and Revitalization

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Protect the safety of all New York travelers by ensuring New York Airports’ Authority to Manage Ground Transportation locally and promoting critical language that requires TNC’s (Uber) to comply with an airport rules and regulations.

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Increase critically needed capital funding for infrastructure improvements at airports to ensure that New York stays on the leading edge of all air services, promoting safety, reliability and efficiency. Unmanned/drone technology is a tremendous opportunity for the entire state---great engineering is part of New York, and part of NYAMA!

See for yourself the difference we’re making and see the new frontier of New York Aviation!