THE FORUM NEWSGROUP | MAY 2, 2024

POOCH PERISHES FROM STRAY SHOT

Arya was shot last week as she dozed with her family in their Old Howard Beach home. The alleged gunman has been apprehended.

Photos Courtesy of Lisa Murena

Stray Bullet Slays Cherished Howard Beach Dog

By Michael V. Cusenza

Illustrious. Noble. Spiritual.

The onomatology of “Arya.”

Researching the history of Lisa Murena’s beloved best friend’s name certainly is clinically rich—but also emotionally penniless.

The dog is in the details.

“Arya you are a warrior, you’re a survivor,” Murena whispered in her 6-year-old Pomsky’s (Pomeranian-Husky) ear Thursday night as she lay in the Intensive Care Unit of a Brooklyn veterinary hospital. Murena then headed back to their Old Howard Beach home.

“We got the call on Friday around 1:30 in the morning,” Murena told The Forum. “They tried to resuscitate her several times, but it didn’t work.”

Arya Murena ultimately succumbed to injuries suffered from a stray bullet that

pierced a window and hit her as she dozed in Lisa Murena’s parents’ bedroom. The bullet struck Arya’s leg, then bored a perilous path to her colon.

“I knew from the very beginning that it got her colon,” Murena said. “She never came home.”

On most nights, Arya slept in Lisa’s room. However last Sunday night a groggy Lisa “ended up crashing” in another room as Arya was in Dreamland along with mom and dad since 11:30 p.m.

“I feel so guilty,” Lisa Murena said, audibly choking back tears.

Around 1:30 a.m. last Monday Murena said her brother Sal heard a sound like glass shattering, followed by the unmistakable whimpering of a dog in distress.

“We ran to my parents’ room,” Murena recalled. “We saw the blood.”

They feverishly floored it to a 24-hour vet in nearby Forest Hills. After standing by for a couple of hours, Lisa and her dad

decided to return to Huron Street and await an update from the veterinarian.

“The phone rang around 3 a.m.,” Lisa said. The doctor was terse and grimly told her, “We need to talk about the X-rays.”

The Murenas rushed back to Forest Hills. Arya was stable but needed to be transferred to Brooklyn for surgery. Following the procedure, Arya started to show encouraging signs of improvement, even walking on her own.

Then Lisa’s world came crashing down around her when she got the call on Friday.

“It’s not fair,” she said.

According to published reports, Joshua Marte, 18, who lives on nearby Lahn Street, allegedly was toying around with two very real guns in his home when one went off. Marte allegedly hid the weapon before absconding.

Cops arranged for Marte’s surrender. He has been charged with criminal pos -

session of a weapon, torture, and reckless endangerment.

“She was such a beautiful dog,” Lisa Murena said, a smile creeping into her cadence.

And boy could she eat.

“Whatever we had she would eat it,” Lisa said. “Blueberries and sliced turkey were her favorite.”

Can’t forget Mister Softee, or Chris, as he’s known throughout Howard Beach.

“Her favorite thing was vanilla ice cream,” Lisa said, now giggling.

Asked how she feels about Marte, about losing her best friend, about guns, Lisa is pensive.

“Do better. You’re a human being,” she said. “In order to move on with my life I know I have to forgive this person.”

Will you ever get over Arya?

“No,” Lisa Murena didn’t hesitate. “I know that for a fact.”

Photo Courtesy of Lisa Murena

Lisa Murena and Arya

Photo Courtesy of Lisa Murena Arya waiting “patiently” for her favorite snack: vanilla ice cream from Mister Softee.

Photo Courtesy of Lisa Murena

Mama Murena napping with Arya.

Photo Courtesy of Google

The shot came from a home on Lahn Street, cops said.

Startling Numbers in Sustainability Report

By Michael V. Cusenza

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. on Friday announced the release of his Operation Urban Sustainability working group’s second annual borough resiliency report—a comprehensive dossier highlighting the ongoing efforts of the BP’s office to build a greener Queens, along with a number of new proposals to build on that work.

The 34-page document also includes the nonprofit Transportation Alternatives’ Spatial Equity NYC report on each of The World’s Borough’s’ 14 districts, which were graded on criteria related to transportation, open space, street safety, and more.

Some of data in the TA analysis are eyeopening. For example, in 2023, Community Board 10 had some of the most traffic fatalities and injuries in the city (third out of 59 CBs; 11th out of 59, respectively); and most flooding (fourth out of 59). However, CB 9 notched the least amount of traffic fatalities in the Big Apple in 2023. CB 10 earned impressive results in air pollution (ranked 56 out of the city’s 59 boards); least amount of reported asthma cases (46th out of 59); and noise pollution (41st out of 59).

Highlights of the report include Richards’ continued call for the creation of a solar energy farm at the site of the former Edgemere landfill on the Rockaway Peninsula, expanding the borough’s network of community gardens and investing in new infrastructure across Long Island City and South Jamaica to mitigate ongoing flooding issues in those communities.

The report also noted an increasingly greener Queens, pointing to the Renewable Ravenswood plan to reimagine the Ravenswood Generating Station, last fall’s inaugural Queens Climate Expo, tree plantings across the borough, and

Queens’ composting efforts as examples.

“We have made tremendous strides as a borough over the last year to make Queens the nation’s next great clean energy hub. But with climate change continuing to threaten our way of life, it’s never been clearer that there is so much more work ahead of us,” Richards said. “Our second annual Operation Urban Sustainability report champions those efforts, while also demanding that we recommit ourselves to the mission of leaving behind a breathable, livable borough for our children. Thank you to all our OUS partners for your continued partnership and dedication to do just that.”

In the annual report, Richards calls on NYC Parks to acquire the entire Queens leg of the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway, totaling approximately six miles, in order to better connect the path to Queens’ existing series of bike lanes and allow for more uniformed maintenance.

Currently, NYC Parks maintains jurisdiction over three miles, while other the remaining three miles fall under the ownership of other government agencies and the Queens County Farm Museum.

“The climate crisis isn’t just coming, it’s here— and we’re grateful that Borough President Richards is taking proactive steps towards a greener Queens,” said Transportation Alternatives Queens Organizer Laura Shepard. “The investments we make today will help us build a more sustainable future. This includes critical sustainability infrastructure like bike lanes, green space, or trees. Our Spatial Equity NYC tool shows how unjustly these critical resources have been allocated, and offers a road map on how to build a greener city. Together with the Borough President’s office, we’ll fight for a resilient, sustainable, and more equitable Queens."

Read the annual report at https://drive.google. com/file/d/1dieXk1IhPXpbwPI5mVDQynGr13I Z48ln/view.

Courtesy of Borough President Richards

By Forum Staff

Addabbo, J-CAP Set to Host Narcan Training Session

State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Woodhaven) will host a Naloxone training and certification event in partnership with J-CAP (part of the Acacia Network) at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at Rego Park Library, located at 91-41 63rd Drive.

The event is co-sponsored by Community Board 6’s Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Committee.

Participants will learn how to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose and how to respond using Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan. Upon completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate and a Naloxone kit.

“This event is so important because it could help people save a life, “Addabbo said. “In case of an overdose, you only have minutes to react and respond, and

Naloxone is essential to being the one before 911.”

In 2022, 3,026 New Yorkers died of a drug overdose, a 12-percent increase from 2021 (2,696 deaths), and the highest number since reporting began in 2000, according to a data brief by the City Department of Health.

Opioids include Percocet, fentanyl, methadone, and Vicodin. Naloxone can also reverse overdoses from street drugs

like heroin. Naloxone is an antidote for opioid overdoses, and it can temporarily reverse the effects of opioids by binding to the same receptors in the brain. The nasal spray form of naloxone is a convenient and easy-to-use method of administration. Addabbo noted.

Space is limited. Walk-ins are welcome. First come, first served. For more information, call Addabbo’s district office at (718) 738-1111.

Photo Courtesy of Google

The event will take place at Rego Park Library, located at 91-41 63rd Drive.

Photo Courtesy of Narcan Narcan is an antidote for opioid overdoses, and it can temporarily reverse the effects of opioids.

Rent Board Vote Leaves Tenants Tense

By Michael V. Cusenza

The City Rent Guidelines Board on Tuesday approved a range for rent-stabilized lease increases of 2 percent to 4.5 percent for one-year leases and 4 percent to 6.5 percent for two-year leases in a preliminary vote at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City.

The panel, composed of nine members selected by Mayor Eric Adams and two tenant representatives, will deliver its binding vote next month. Both tenant reps defiantly withdrew from the dais before the votes were even tallied, according to a Gothamist report.

Adams released a statement Tuesday night, particularly characterizing the twoyear lease adjustment as “far beyond what is reasonable…”

“Tenants are feeling the squeeze of a decades-long affordability crisis, which has

been accelerated by restrictive zoning laws and inadequate tools that have made it harder and harder to build housing. Our team is taking a close look at the preliminary ranges voted on by the Rent Guidelines Board this evening and while the Board has the challenging task of striking a balance between protecting tenants from infeasible rent increases and ensuring property owners can maintain their buildings as costs continue to rise, I must be clear that a 6.5 percent increase goes far beyond what is reasonable to ask tenants to take on at this time. I know well that small property owners also face growing challenges, and I encourage them to work with the city to utilize our many preservation tools so that, together, we can work to stabilize buildings and neighborhoods, all while keeping tenants in their homes,” Adams said.

The Pharmacist’s Corner

Presented by Frank Pantina, R.Ph

SNEEZES OF SUMMER THEY HAVE ARRIVED...IN FULL FORCE

With the change in seasons come a host of bodily changes especially to the eyes, ears, nose and throat.

And if you think that the sneezing, watery eyes, and scratchy throat are just signs of the ‘summer cold,' experts from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI ) say you might have to think again.

This year allergies are prolific, even in patients who have never experienced them before. And for those who have, the misery seems to have expanded exponentially.

While many think allergies only strike in the spring and fall months, we're here to remind those of you anxiously awaiting the onset of summer that allergies are very common in the summer and often last throughout the year.

The villains are grass pollens and mold spores -- the most common of the allergy triggers during the summer, with mold turning out to be more of a problem than pollen.

Mold spores are ubiquitous--simply put, they are EVERYWHERE! And if you've been fortunate enough to coast through life thus far without having been burdened with allergies, well that's something else you might not want to take for granted.

Summer allergies can rear their ugly heads in adults who have never had an allergy. These are the cases where allergies are most often misinterpreted as a summer cold.

Here are some tips to help you piece the truth together:

--Symptoms which persist beyond a couple of weeks are signals that you have allergies.

--When your symptoms become progressively worse however, it is more likely that you have a cold.

--Itchy eyes, throat, and nose -- along with sneezing -- usually indicate allergies.

If you have asthma, you are more likely to have allergies--nearly three quarters of people with asthma have an allergy to accompany an already bad situation.

Most people tend to pass off both summer colds and allergies as conditions that are not serious, but if left unattended they can cause serious problems, the most common being sinus infections. Anyone who has ever had one of those surely wishes they hadn't.

While there is no cure for seasonal allergies remember that the staff here at Crossbay Chemist can offer advice on treatment, medication or allergy shots, to provide relief and prevent progression.

Until next week!

Hero School Safety Agent to be Honored

City Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park), Councilman Bob Holden (D-Maspeth), the City Police Department, Newtown Historical Society, Woodhaven Cultural & Historical Society, and the family of NYPD School Safety Agent Orville M. Williams on Monday invited residents of South Queens to the corner of Dexter Court and 85th Drive in Woodhaven this Saturday, May 4, at 1 p.m. for a street co-naming ceremony in honor of Agent Williams service and sacrifice.

On Nov. 16, 1999, Williams responded to an altercation at the former Franklin K. Lane High School in Woodhaven where he was assigned when he collapsed after breaking up the fight. He was removed to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center where he died a short while later.

“Let’s come together to remember those who gave everything,” Holden said.

Photo Courtesy of NYPD

Courtesy of the Rent Guidelines Board

The City Rent Guidelines Board this week met in Long Island City.

Photo Courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

“[W]e can work to stabilize buildings and neighborhoods, all while keeping tenants in their homes,” Mayor Adams said.

With Congestion Pricing Launch Fast Approaching, MTA Board Approves Commuter Rail Discounts

By Michael V. Cusenza

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board on Tuesday approved pilot programs to make transit a more attractive option as Congestion Pricing looms.

The first program is to increase service frequency on six popular express bus routes from Brooklyn and Staten Island to the Congestion Relief Zone in Manhattan; the second is to offer a 10-percent reduction on the price of monthly commuter rail tickets within NYC.

Both programs are designed to appeal to people in the “outer boroughs” who might consider switching to transit from driving into the Manhattan Central Business District.

In March, the board approved Congestion Pricing rates. The polarizing program launches on June 30. Passenger vehicles and small commercial vehicles—sedans, SUVs, pick-up trucks, and small vans— paying with a valid E-ZPass will be charged $15 during the day and $3.75 at night to enter the congestion-relief zone in Manhattan below 60th Street. They will be charged no more than once a day.

The pilot programs announced this week are funded by the Outer Borough Transportation Account, created in 2018 by the State Legislature to provide $50 mil-

lion per year to improve transportation in Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island in association with Congestion Pricing.

The express bus route service increases will begin on June 30 and were strategically selected to grow ridership. They cover peak period service on the BM2, BM5, SIM1C, SIM4C, SIM23 and SIM24.

The commuter rail monthly ticket discounts would begin in July. They come on top of existing 10-percent discounts put in

place systemwide on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad in March 2022 to encourage post-pandemic ridership recovery. They complement the expansion of CityTicket—highly discounted one-way tickets valid for travel within the city—from weekend-only to all off-peak trains in March 2022 and to peak trains in August 2023 to boost travel within Gotham on the railroads.

The LIRR has 24 stations in Queens and Brooklyn, and Metro-North has 13

stations in the Bronx, as well as a stop in Harlem. CityTicket will also be valid for travel to and from Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station. Metro-North service will expand to the East Bronx following the completion of Penn Station Access, which will add four new Metro-North stations at Hunts Point, Parkchester/Van Nest, Morris Park, and Co-Op City. Gov. Kathy Hochul and MTA leadership broke ground on the project in December 2022.

The MTA estimates the cost of the 10-percent discount to monthly tickets will be $4 million per year, and the cost of the enhanced express bus service will be $883,000 per year. These costs will be totally paid for by the Outer Borough Transportation Account, which is also funding toll rebates announced by Hochul in 2023 for Queens residents who use the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge and for Bronx residents who use the Henry Hudson Bridge.

“By boosting the frequency of express buses we’re establishing faster and more reliable service from the outer boroughs into Manhattan; moreover, additional fare reductions on top of existing 10-percent discounts on commuter rails will make them an even more attractive and feasible option for hard-working New Yorkers,” State Sen. Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) said.

Reduced-Fare MetroCards Available for Seniors, Disabled at MTA Customer Service Centers

By Forum Staff

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday announced customers aged 65 and over can now enroll in the Reduced-Fare program and receive their new Reduced-Fare MetroCards on the same day at Customer Service Centers across the Big Apple. Customers with disabilities can also sign up for the Reduced-Fare program and receive in-person, individualized assistance from a station agent at CSCs and receive temporary Reduced-Fare cards while their applications are processed.

Once fully enrolled, customers receive a Reduced-Fare MetroCard valid for two years and can reload their cards with either value or time. Station agents are available to assist customers who have lost their cards or are experiencing problems by resolving the issue or issuing temporary Reduced-Fare MetroCards at the CSCs.

Reduced-Fare customers can head to the below Customer Service Centers in all five boroughs at the following locations:

• Sutphin Blvd—Archers Av—JFK Airport (E, J, Z trains)

• Flushing—Main St (7)

• Jackson Hts—Roosevelt Av (E, F, R, 7)

• Myrtle—Wyckoff (M, L)

• 34 St—Penn Station (1, 2, 3)

• 125 St (4, 5, 6)

• 161 St—Yankee Stadium (B, D, 4)

• 168 St (A, C, 1)

• Atlantic Av—Barclays Ctr (B, D, N, Q, R, 2, 3, 4, 5)

• Coney Island—Stillwell Av (B, D, N)

• Fordham Rd (4)

• Fulton St (A, C, J, Z, 2, 3, 5)

• Times Sq—42 St (N, Q, R, W, 1, 2, 3, 7)

In addition to visiting their nearest CSCs, authority officials noted that customers can receive assistance at Mobile Vans, the New York City Transit CSC at 3 Stone St. in Lower Manhattan or apply via mail or online. All current Reduced-Fare MetroCard customers will receive a Reduced-Fare OMNY card at a later date.

“Eligible customers can now skip the wait by applying for and receiving their

Reduced-Fare MetroCards at Customer Service Centers in one visit,” said NYC Transit President Richard Davey. “This is a game-changer for future Reduced-Fare customers, and it demonstrates the benefits of our network of Customer Service Centers in every borough, which are open for business 24/7. Station agents are at the ready to help customers navigate the enrollment process with ease and answer any questions they may have.”

New York City Transit also announced on Monday that Group Station Manager office hours will begin in May. GSMs, staff and partners from throughout the MTA will be available to meet with customers and answer any questions. Each GSM will hold office hours twice a month at select stations in their zones between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Dates and times will be advertised via digital screens in stations and marketing materials.

“Riders who visit a Customer Service Center will now not only receive quality, individualized service but also, if eligible, can enroll in the Reduced-Fare program, and if they are a senior can receive their MetroCard that day. Additionally, customers with disabilities no longer have to mail in their applications with this new offering,” added NYC Transit Department of Subways Senior Vice President Demetrius Crichlow.

Courtesy of MTA

The BM5 express bus was selected for the MTA pilot program aimed at increasing service frequency.

Photo Courtesy of Ray Raimundi/MTA

Mayor Leads Rally to Kick off Public Review of ‘City of Yes’ Housing Proposal

By Michael V. Cusenza

Mayor Eric Adams on Monday rallied on the steps of City Hall to kick off the public review of “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity,” the second such assembly Hizzoner has led regarding the enterprising three-pillar proposal.

The Big Apple faces a generational housing crisis, with just a 1.4 percent rental vacancy rate, the administration noted. Adams has said that his plan would enable the creation of “a little more housing in every neighborhood” through a set of carefully crafted zoning changes to increase overall housing supply. The Department of City Planning’s draft environmental impact statement of the proposal estimates that it could produce as many as 108,850 new homes over the next 15 years.

Public review officially began on Monday when DCP referred the proposal to community boards and borough presidents. At the end of the public review process, City of Yes for Housing Opportunity will be voted on by the City Council.

Prior to the start of public review, officials from DCP and the City Department of Housing Preservation and Development reached out to Gotham residents via 10 public information sessions, two years of meetings with impacted stakeholders, and the release an annotated version of the draft zoning text along with an illustrated guide. The proposal will now be reviewed by community boards, borough

presidents, and borough boards before the City Planning Commission holds a hearing and a vote this fall. If approved by the CPC, the council is anticipated to hold a hearing and a vote on the proposal before the end of the year.

Adams has boasted that City of Yes for Housing Opportunity is the most pro-housing set of zoning changes in New York’s history. The proposal includes lifting arbitrary and costly parking mandates for new residential construction; the Universal Affordability Preference, a bonus allowing roughly 20 percent more housing in develop-

ments, as long as the additional homes are permanently affordable at an average of 60 percent of the area median income; transit-oriented development and Town Center zoning, which would allow three-to-five story apartment buildings to be built near transit and along commercial corridors, respectively; and allowing homeowners to add accessory homes like backyard cottages.

Additional proposal components include facilitating conversion of non-residential buildings like offices to housing; re-legalizing small and shared housing models with common fa-

cilities like kitchens; allowing development on large lots known as campuses that are today limited by outdated rules from using existing development rights; and creating new zoning districts that would allow more housing, including mandatory affordable housing, that had previously been restricted by state law. City agencies are also advancing a slate of related, non-zoning efforts to guide implementation of the proposals, such as rules for HPD administration of the Universal Affordability Preference as well as technical assistance and financing tools to assist homeowners who want to add secondary homes onto their property.

A vocal opposition to the proposal has gradually galvanized support for saying “No” to the City of Yes. Last month, on the same day that Adams held a rally for the Economic Opportunity pillar of the project, City Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) said she is “unequivocally against the plan as it stands” and noted why in remarks before the Council Subcommittee on Zoning & Franchises.

The proposal “would modify both commercial and residential corridors across the city. Existing zoning regulations restrict certain kinds of businesses from opening in commercial or residential districts, something ‘City of Yes for Economic Opportunity’ seeks to change. It would allow commercial and retail stores in largely residential neighborhoods,” Ariola said.

Photo Courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

The Big Apple is in the throes of a generational housing crisis, Mayor Adams has said.

MTA Climate Resilience Roadmap to Safeguard Transit System Against Climate-Related Threats

By Forum Staff

Governor Kathy Hochul on Thursday announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority unveiled its Climate Resilience Roadmap, a framework to fortify the transit system against the impacts of climate change.

Developed in response to the demonstrated and urgent need to address climaterelated threats, the roadmap underscores the MTA’s commitment to ensure reliability and safety in the transit system for generations of New Yorkers to come. The Climate Resilience Roadmap is comprised of a Climate Vulnerability Assessment and 10 core climate resilience goals targeted to address the magnitude of climate threats facing MTA infrastructure. Importantly, it includes a multi-pronged implementation framework consisting of capital plan integration, resilient design practices, proactive operating actions and better coordination between partner agencies.

Key strategies and actions in the Resilience Roadmap include defending the subway system from flooding, reducing coastal and rainfall flooding on Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road and protecting infrastructure from extreme heat. The capital costs associated with this work are estimated to be as much as $6 billion over the next decade.

Necessary interventions to safeguard the transit system include:

• Shielding subways from torrential rain by installing mitigations like raised steps and elevated street vents to prevent stormwater from entering the subway system.

• Investing in subway drainage and pumping equipment to remove stormwater that does enter the system.

• Protecting subway yards and bus depots by elevating sensitive equipment above anticipated flood depths in areas that must remain operational during weather-

related emergencies.

• Addressing heat impacts on bridges by continuing existing efforts to protect metallic components from expansion due to prolonged heat exposure.

• Advancing proactive measures to reduce the impacts of monthly tidal floods and rain on regional railroad infrastructure exacerbated by climate change-induced sea level rise.

The Climate Resilience Roadmap follows the release of the 20-Year Needs Assessment in October 2023, the most rig-

orous and transparent assessment of the MTA system to date, outlining the MTA’s region’s needs for the next generation. It provides a blueprint to strengthen and expand the system, while improving reliability and resilience.

“Transit is the antidote to climate change, which is why we have to preserve and improve New York’s amazing subway, bus and commuter rail systems,” MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said. “But our transit system is still vulnerable to the effects of climate change, so we need to execute on this visionary resiliency plan, which has been designed to ensure the reliability and safety of New York’s transit system for years to come.”

City Council Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairwoman Selvena N. Brooks-Powers (D-Far Rockaway) added, “Unfortunately, coastal communities across New York City are no strangers to the growing damage and disruption of flooding throughout the city's roadways and subway system. All New Yorkers are impacted when our transit systems fail to measure up. The Governor’s Climate Resilience Roadmap creates a strategic framework to codify and protect the most vulnerable pieces of infrastructure against climate change to ensure our city’s transit system works well for all our communities. I look forward to seeing this project move forward.”

Mayor Lauds Launch of City’s First Climate Budgeting Process

By Forum Staff

Mayor Eric Adams introduced the city’s first-ever climate budgeting publication through the city’s Fiscal Year 2025 Executive Budget. Climate budgeting is a process that incorporates science-based climate considerations into the City’s budget decisionmaking process by evaluating how actions and spending today contribute to meeting longer-term climate targets and needs. The process will allow the City to understand the climate impact of the dollars the City spends, identify where more effort is needed to tackle climate change, and champion forward-looking investments.

New York City is the first big city in the United States to adopt climate budgeting, joining other elite global cities, such as London, Oslo, and Mumbai, to utilize the process. Now, for the first time ever, climate will be formally integrated into the City of New York’s decision-making to ensure climate considerations are prioritized in all relevant investment decisions. Climate budgeting is a new tool in the city’s arsenal to achieve its stated goal of getting to net-zero emissions by 2050 and bolster its resiliency to extreme heat and flooding.

Starting this year, the New York City Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget

has embedded new management practices into the city budgeting process. OMB assessed progress toward climate goals and needs, including through the development of the first annual forecasts of citywide and city government emissions through 2050, and first assessment of projects in the city’s capital commitment plan for alignment with netzero emissions and flood and extreme heat resiliency goals. The process also initiates a requirement that climate data be provided

for capital projects and alongside all relevant agency funding requests, and, moving forward, all proposed sustainability and resiliency investments will be centrally reviewed to prioritize for impact and cost-effectiveness.

Key findings from the first climate budgeting cycle include:

The climate actions the City is taking today puts it on track to achieve science-based emissions targets in 2030, with additional effort required to achieve net-zero emissions

by 2050, Adams noted.

Private building emissions limits through Local Law 97 are the most impactful action the city is taking, followed by the Green Rides program to electrify for-hire vehicles.

New York City government is on track to meet and exceed its own Local Law 97 targets in 2030 through planned investments in energy efficiency, building and fleet electrification, and a commitment to procure 100 percent renewable electricity for its operations.

City action, supported by state commitments to transition to a 100 percent clean electric grid and away from gas-powered vehicles, is key to achieving long-term goals.

Capital projects that include funding for fossil fuel-powered generators, vehicles, and heating and hot water systems, present key opportunities for the city to continuously evaluate the feasibility of greener alternatives, such as electrification, battery storage, and electric vehicles.

“By embedding climate into our budget decision-making, we are changing the very calculus of government spending going forward and acknowledging that climate must be at the forefront of what we do,” Adams said. “From this day on, we will have the tools to evaluate the impact of city projects and programs on achieving the city’s climate-related goals.”

Photo Courtesy of Metropolitan Transportation Authority/Patrick Cashin

In 2012, Superstorm Sandy wrought havoc on the city subway system.

Photo Courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

“Big problems require big solutions, and few problems are as massive as climate change,” Mayor Adams said Tuesday.

TSA Detects Handgun, Ammo Concealed in Woman’s Carry-on Bag at LaGuardia Airport

By Forum Staff

A Florida woman was arrested by police on Saturday after Transportation Security Administration officers at LaGuardia Airport detected her handgun and ammunition artfully concealed among the woman’s carry-on items.

TSA officers removed a .25-caliber handgun that had been shoved inside a boot; seven bullets that were hidden in-

side a package of make-up wipes; and a gun magazine concealed inside a sock during routine checkpoint screening operations.

It was the fifth gun that TSA officers have detected at the airport checkpoints so far this year. In 2022 TSA personnel caught 11 guns at LGA checkpoints. In 2023, nine firearms were confiscated at the same airport.

The weapons and ammunition were caught as the woman, a resident of Hol-

lywood, Fla., entered the security checkpoint. The X-ray unit alerted on the items concealed in her carry-on bag. TSA officials notified the Port Authority Police who confiscated the gun, ammunition and gun magazine and arrested the woman on a weapons charge.

In addition to the citation by airport police, this individual now faces a stiff financial civil penalty. Civil penalties for carrying weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000.

Bringing guns to checkpoints is a serious security violation and this individual can expect to receive a federal fine that will be in the thousands of dollars because it is obvious by the way the woman attempted to conceal her gun and ammunition that she knew that firearms are not permitted through a checkpoint, otherwise there was no reason for her to attempt to conceal the gun and bullets in the manner in which she attempted to do so.

Investment Advisor Sentenced to More than Six Years in Prison for Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Scheme

By Forum Staff

On Tuesday, in federal court in Central Islip, Surage Roshan Perera, the founder and executive director of Janues Capital, Inc. in Bellerose, was sentenced to six-anda-half years imprisonment for securities fraud in connection with running a Ponzi scheme in which Perera used investor mon-

ey to pay redemptions to prior investors and his personal expenses, and fund his highly speculative day trading, according federal prosecutors.

Perera, 51, pleaded guilty to the charge in October 2023. As part of his sentence, Perera was ordered to pay $6.3 million in restitution.

As alleged in the indictment and set

forth in court filings, between February 2022 and March 2023, Perera abused his position of trust as an investment advisor to convince unsuspecting investors to part with their hard-earned money for what they believed were safe, well-performing investments. For example, Perara falsely told one victim (“Jane Doe”) that he had relationships with large institutions and

could purchase stock in companies that traded on the NASDAQ and NYSE at discounted prices. He also told Jane Doe that her investment was low-risk and he would use her investment capital to purchase shares in those public-traded companies. As a result, Jane Doe gave Perera more than $4.2 million. In reality, Perera was operating a Ponzi scheme. Instead of investing as promised, Perera misappropriated those funds by, among other things, paying redemptions to prior investors, paying personal expenses and funding his day trading. To conceal his fraudulent scheme, Perera sent fraudulent confirmation notices and account statements to investors. In the end, Perera caused 15 victims, some of whom were his close friends, to lose approximately $6.3 million.

“Perera’s sentence is just punishment for causing more than $6 million in losses to the victims who are now saddled with debts, some who lost their life savings and others who have been forced to delay retirement all because of the lies he peddled to them about their investments,” Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said.

Forum Photo by Michael V. Cusenza

The new LaGuardia Airport

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Courtesy of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

Legal Notices

SUNNY 80 LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 03/25/24. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the SUNNY 80 LLC, 58-27 197TH ST., FRESH MEADOWS, NY, 11365, USA. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

PUSH AMPERSAND PULL LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/15/23. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 60-06 69th Lane, Maspeth, NY 11378. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

FLORES SPECIALTY LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 03/25/24. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the FLORES SPECIALTY LLC, 31-00 47TH AVENUE, SUITE 3100, LONG ISLAND CITY, NY, 11101-3013, USA. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

ALPHA LANE HOLDINGS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 03/18/24. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LUIS FABIAN PULLUTASIG CRIOLLO, 814 WYCOFF AVE, #2F, BROOKLYN, NY, 11237, USA.. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

ATM Services 3000 LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 2/27/2024. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to Jean-Joseph Negouai, 76-10 34th Ave, Apt 3J, Jackson Heights, NY 11372. General Purpose.

Citrus Garden LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 3/22/2024. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 104-19 177th St, 3FL, Jamaica, NY 11433. General Purpose.

CAPSIDE, LLC Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 3/03/2024. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to: Oksana O Lipinchuk, 116-16 Audley Street, Apt 1A, Richmond Hills, NY, 11418, USA. General Purpose.

Notice of Qualification of Nimbus Group LLC, fictitious name: Nimbus Express LLC. Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/25/24. Office location : Queens County.LLC formed in Deleware (DE) on 06/06/23. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to : 24177A Oak Park Drive, Little Neck, NY, 11362. Address to be maintained in DE: 16192 Coastal Highway, Lewes, DE, 19958. Arts. of org. filed with the Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Suite 4, Dover, De, 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activities.

ILLYRIAN BUSINESS GROUP, LLCLLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 01/06/24. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to EGLI TUNDO, 45-12 46 STREET, SUNNYSIDE, NY, 11404. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of ILLYRIAN BUSINESS GROUP, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State (SSNY) on 1/06/24. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: EGLI TUNDO, 4512 46TH STREET, SUNNYSIDE, NY, 11104, USA. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of LUNAR LOTUS WELLNESS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State (SSNY) on 3/8/24. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Lillian Luu-Valdez, 11132 126th st. PD, South Ozone Park, NY, 11420, USA. Purpose: any lawful activity.

MARIC 191 LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 3/15/24. Office in Queens Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 1953 46th St Astoria NY 11105. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

DROGBA STUDIO LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 03/08/24. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to THE LEGACY ADVISORY FIRM LLC, 225 REFORMATION PARKWAY, SUITE 200 #9, CANTON, GA 30114. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

LEROY REALTY HOLDINGS LLC

Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 4/19/24. Office in Queens Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Michael Kessler, 42-09 235th St., Douglaston, NY 11363, which is also the principal business location. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

GLADE PROPERTIES LLC, Art.

Of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 06/06/2018. Office in QUEENSCo. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 1244 Clintonville St, 1C#38, Whitestone,NY11357 Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

ROSA PELIGROA LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 1/24/24. Office in Queens Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to BLANCA DIAZ, 1873 CARTER AVE, 1S, BRONX, NY, 10457. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of 292 Madison RF Investor LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State (SSNY) on 4/8/24. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 42-15 235th St, Douglaston, NY 11363. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice is hereby given that license Applicatin ID NA-02040-23-152650 for restaurant wine has been applied for by the undersigned to sell Beer & Wine at retail in a restaurant, under the Alcoholic Beverage Control law at 160-26 Northern Blvd, Flushing, NY 11358, for On-premises consumption. Duksoogoong Corp.

Notice of Qualification of 168-35 ROCKAWAY PROPERTY OWNER, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/25/24. Office location: Queens County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 04/04/24. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, Div. of Corps., PO Box 898, Dover, DE 19903. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of PAPER PLATE ASTORIA, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/22/24. Office location: Queens County. Princ. office of LLC: c/o Andrew Kaplan, Esq., Epstein Becker Green, P.C., 875 Third Ave., NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Operation of a fast served casual restaurant.

BAJEE TECH AND MULTISERVICES, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/15/23. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Jackinston Jean, 215-22 Murdoch Ave, Queens Village, Ny, 11429, USA. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

P’TITE MAISON LLC filed Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/24/2024. Office: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC 13443 CRESCENT ST. APT 2N, ASTORIA, NY, 11106, USA. Purpose: any lawful purpose.

Notice of Qualification of 168-35 ROCKAWAY PROPERTY OWNER, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/25/24. Office location: Queens County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 04/04/24. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, Div. of Corps., PO Box 898, Dover, DE 19903. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

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