After top aides and federal prosecutors depart, Gov. Hochul considers removal Calls for Adams’ resignation intensify
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Though he may avoid federal corruption charges, the struggles continue to mount for Mayor Adams, as Gov. Hochul on Tuesday met with key city leaders to discuss “a path forward” for New York City following the resignations of four deputy mayors.
After the Justice Department under President Trump last Monday issued an order to the Southern District of New York to dismiss the five criminal charges against the mayor, several federal prosecutors resigned rather than obey the demand sent by Emil Bove, the acting U.S. deputy attorney general.
Bove said in his memo that the order had nothing to do with the strength of the evidence against Adams, but with his ability to “devote full attention and resources” to illegal immigration and crime, and that the timing of the case interfered with his reelection campaign.
Danielle Sassoon, the interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District, sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, explaining her refusal to comply following her resignation.
Sassoon, in an eight-page letter published by The New York Times, said that on Jan. 31 she attended a meeting with Bove, Adams’ counsel and members of her office wherein
Adams’ attorneys “repeatedly urged what amounted to a quid pro quo.”
She added, “Mr. Bove admonished a member of my team who took notes during that meeting and directed the collection of those notes at the meeting’s conclusion.”
After Sassoon’s resignation, Bove referred the case to the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section, causing the two officials who oversaw that department to resign. The lead prosecutor on the case, Hagan Scotten, then announced his departure from the Southern Department last Friday.
After a formal case dismissal request was issued by Bove and prosecutors Edward Sullivan and Antoinette Bacon last Friday, the decision is now up to Judge Dale Ho of federal District Court in Manhattan.
Ho on Wednesday held a hearing with Adams, his lawyer and Bove, who was representing the Justice Department, to discuss the reasoning behind the potential case dismissal.
According to The New York Times, the hearing, which lasted about an hour and a half, culminated with Ho telling the parties involved that he would not be making a decision from the bench at that time.
“It’s not in anyone’s interest here for this to drag on,” Ho reportedly said, and added that he will take the necessary time to consider everything.
As Mayor Adams, seen here at a town hall last Wednesday in Sunnyside, waits for the dismissal of his federal corruption charges, calls for his resignation have continued.
PHOTO BY WALTER KARLING
As of production time Wednesday evening, the case against Adams had not yet been dismissed.
The governor has said she will wait for the judge’s decision before deciding whether to remove Adams.
“I recognize the immense responsibility I
hold as governor and the constitutional powers granted to this office,” Hochul said in a statement on Monday. “I will be monitoring this situation extraordinarily closely to ensure that New Yorkers are not being shortchanged by the current crisis in City government.”
Amidst the discourse, Adams has maintained his innocence and denied any sort of quid pro quo.
“I want to be crystal clear with New Yorkers: I never offered — nor did anyone offer on my behalf — any trade of my authority as your mayor for an end to my case. Never,” Adams said in a statement. “I am solely beholden to the 8.3 million New Yorkers that I represent and I will always put this city first.”
Adams has tried to maintain a sense of normalcy while navigating his government role and reelection campaign. He hosted an older adult town hall in Sunnyside last Wednesday, gave a slew of television and radio interviews over the past week and delivered remarks during church services in Queens Village and St. Albans on Sunday.
Queens officials have continued to call on Adams to resign, or for Gov. Hochul to remove him from office. The calls only intensified after the Monday resignations of First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, Deputy Mayor
continued on page 10
Officials, activists exploring potential measures to curb dangerous activity Reckless car meets a concern in OZP
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Many who live in Ozone Park know that Rockaway Boulevard has been a hot spot for rogue car meets. Large groups gather fast and furious to do doughnuts, race and perform other dangerous activities in their vehicles. The issue recurs every few months, according to those living in the area.
Multiple residents complained about a car meet near Cherry Valley Marketplace, at 84-12 97th Ave., last Saturday.
A 58-year-old resident who lives nearby told the Chronicle, “It gets loud. You hear the engines revving and people shouting and I saw a gun. I worry that people are going to get hurt or hurt each other. These are people who live for danger.”
A video recorded by the Cityline Ozone Park Civilian Patrol and shared with the Chronicle shows hundreds gathered in the area, with people hanging out of cars, plenty of smoke and loud, cracking exhaust noises.
One resident also posted a video of the sideshow to the Ozone Park Residents Block Association Facebook page, which received more than 250 comments. While many condemned the activity, others defended it.
“Leave them alone are they kill-
ing anyone?” one commenter wrote.
Another said, “They won’t stop until someone gets injured. I can’t believe there is a crowd watching this waiting for a disaster to happen.”
“Saturday night we saw a swift and coordinated response from the NYPD 102nd Precinct, with multiple
units quickly arriving to restore order,” COPCP said in a statement on social media. “We’re grateful for their efforts in ensuring no injuries to the public or officers.”
COPCP said it is in communication with elected officials and reached out to the city Department of Transportation to explore mea-
sures to curb the incidents.
Officers with the NYPD’S 102nd Precinct told the Chronicle that they are aware of the issue and special attention will be paid to the area going forward.
In a letter to DOT Commissioner Nicole Garcia dated Feb. 17, Mohammad Khan, the executive
director of COPCP, said the group’s members have observed “reckless street takeovers and dangerous driving” at the intersections of Rockaway Boulevard and 97th Avenue, and Rockaway and 85th Street.
Khan said COPCP’s members have personally “witnessed and reported these incidents on multiple occasions” including on Feb. 7 and 15, as well as Nov. 24, 2024; July 11, 2024; and Jan. 21, 2024.
“Just this past Saturday, we saw families — including young children — inside [Cherry Valley Marketplace] visibly shaken as cars spun in circles outside and crowds ran through the streets,” Khan wrote.
He asked the agency to explore traffic-calming measures, noting that median barriers may not be an option because of the store’s 24/7 delivery operations.
“Action is needed before another preventable tragedy occurs,” he said.
Asked for comment, Councilmember Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) told the Chronicle, “I was immediately in contact with the 102nd Precinct about the incident and know that directives will be put in place to stop this dangerous behavior.”
A DOT representative told the Chronicle the agency received the letter and “will review any community requests.” Q
Progress ongoing at Jewel Streets
City in collaboration with community on meeting goals for better quality of life
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Those who live near the Jewel Streets, a collection of north-south roads in a 12-block neighborhood straddling the East New York area of Brooklyn and the Lindenwood area of Queens, are all too familiar with the quality-of-life issues there.
Due to the low elevation, high water table and lack of sewers, flooding happens there year-round. The area, also referred to as “the Hole,” suffers from a large concentration of vacant lots, abandoned vehicles, leaking septic tanks and roads without sidewalks.
In an effort to work with the community, the city two years ago announced the Jewel Streets Neighborhood Plan, an area-wide affordable
housing and community resilience planning process.
The city Environmental Protection, Sanitation and Police departments, respectively, have installed sewers at key intersections, cleaned up vacant lots and ticketed and towed illegally parked cars. But both residents and the city agreed: A long-term, holistic plan is needed.
Since June 2023, the city has engaged with more than 300 area residents, community partners and elected officials on the plan.
In a recently released progress report from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the city said five key long-term goals were established: reduce flooding; make homes safer and more affordable; make safer and better connected
streets; encourage development of vacant land; and stimulate the creation of jobs and community resources.
The 48-page progress report can be found at tinyurl.com/JSprogress, and more information on the Jewel Streets Neighborhood Plan is available at tinyurl.com/NYCJSNP.
The city said that work has been ongoing on improving the quality of life for residents. The DEP has installed drainage infrastructure in the neighborhood, a $1 million investment. The city Department of Buildings has issued 171 violations to illegal commercial and industrial businesses in the area, and the DSNY has cleaned 80 tons of illegally dumped waste.
continued on page 10
A car meet last Saturday saw hundreds of people blocking traffic and filling the streets around the intersection of Rockaway Boulevard and 97th Avenue in Ozone Park. SCREENSHOT / COPCP VIDEO
The city recently released a Jewel Streets progress report, after residents, advocates and agencies met to brainstorm long-term solutions to issues in the area. In the meantime, the city is continuing with upgrades to mitigate flooding, such as catch basin installations, like this one at Dumont Avenue and Emerald Street in Lindenwood in 2022.
PHOTO COURTESY NYC DEP
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Adams says bring ICE back to Rikers
Some pols condemn the executive order, as others applaud the
by Stephanie G. Meditz Associate Editor
Mayor Adams seeks to allow U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents back onto Rikers Island, he said in a statement last Thursday.
After a meeting with Tom Homan, President Trump’s appointed border czar, Adams said he is partnering with federal officials and will issue an executive order reestablishing ICE’s power to operate in the jail. He said federal agents would be focused on assisting the Correction Intelligence Bureau with criminal investigations, especially those involving violent criminals and gangs.
Calling for a solution to the “long-broken immigration system,” Adams said the city has endured a “national humanitarian crisis” as more than 230,000 unauthorized migrants and asylum seekers have come to seek assistance since the spring of 2022, costing roughly $7 billion.
“That is why I have been clear that I want to work with the new federal administration, not war with them, to find common ground and make better the lives of New Yorkers,” Adams said.
His announcement also comes on the heels of the Department of Justice’s order for federal prosecutors to drop the criminal charges against him. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove III said the move was necessary for Adams to cooperate with President Trump’s immigration agenda.
The city’s sanctuary policies, enacted in 2014, limit local law enforcement officers’ interactions with federal immigration agents. They only may do so if ICE has a judicial warrant or if a person is convicted of a crime and ICE has a detainer in place.
Amid ICE raids that have caused anxiety across Queens, Mayor Adams said he will reintroduce ICE agents to Rikers Island, a move that some say violates sanctuary policies.
cerning,” but the language of the executive order will determine its legality.
“We are prepared to defend against violations of the law, but this announcement only deepens the concern that the mayor is prioritizing the interests of the Trump Administration over those of New Yorkers,” the statement reads.
Councilmember Tiffany Cabán (D-Astoria) said granting ICE access to Rikers Island would be “an affront to due process” and violate sanctuary policies.
“I am prepared to defend our laws, just as I always have.”
— State Attorney General Letitia James
In a joint statement issued last Thursday, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica) and Councilmembers Alexa Avilés (D-Brooklyn) and Sandy Nurse (D-Brooklyn) said Adams’ announcement is “con-
“The excuse of ‘focusing on these violent gangs and criminal activity’ that Adams is parroting will continue to be used to indiscriminately deport and target immigrant communities at large,” Cabán said in a statement.
Last Friday, Adams and Homan made an appearance on “Fox & Friends” in which the latter said he would return to the city if the mayor does not follow through on his promises.
“I’ll be in his office, up his butt, saying,
Woman, 58, killed in OZP
A 58-year-old woman was found dead inside of her Ozone Park home last week, according to the authorities. Her death has since been classified as a homicide.
On Feb. 15, at approximately 12:30 a.m., police responded to a 911 call of a woman in need of help in a residence near 95th Avenue and 90th Street, within the confines of the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct.
Upon arrival, officers observed Rosa Cruz, 58, unconscious and unresponsive inside the residence.
EMS responded and pronounced Cruz dead at the scene, police said. The Office
of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death.
Police said there are no arrests and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 577-TIPS (8477), or, for Spanish, 1 (888) 57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit tips by logging onto nypdcrimestoppers.com, or by texting 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577, or by going to @nypdtips on X.
All tips are strictly confidential. Q — Kristen Guglielmo
‘Where the hell is the agreement we came to?’” Homan said.
However, the two had different philosophies on sanctuary cities. While Homan said they are sanctuaries for criminals, Adams said that when migrants are working and paying taxes in the city, they should have access to its services. In the past, he unsuccessfully urged the City Council to modify an existing law to say that if a migrant commits a crime, local police should be able to work with ICE on civil enforcement.
Several elected officials called for Adams’ resignation last week after that appearance. Speaker Adams and many other officials did so on Monday after four deputy mayors stepped aside.
Ben McCoubrey, data and advocacy manager for the Envision Freedom Fund, a group that works to “dismantle the oppressive and interconnected criminal legal and immigration systems,” said in a statement that letting ICE back onto Rikers will only extend the “detention-to-deportation pipeline.”
“The city’s cops and courts detain people at alarming rates, and Rikers will now serve as a de facto deportation center for those New Yorkers — many of them Black and
move
brown — who get caught in the crossfire of the criminal legal system and the immigration system,” McCoubrey said. “ICE has no place in our city, and letting them into Rikers will only funnel more people into a system that destroys lives under the pretense of public safety.”
However, not all Council members support that idea. The Common Sense Caucus, which includes Queens Councilmembers Bob Holden (D-Maspeth), Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) and Vickie Paladino (R-Whitestone), had its own meeting with Homan last Thursday prior to his session with Adams.
Holden, a longtime opponent of sanctuary policies who has previously called to reopen an ICE office at Rikers Island, said Adams’ move is a “significant first step,” but more must be done to show that he prioritizes public safety.
He also spoke highly of the meeting with Homan, saying the border czar “made it abundantly clear” that he aims to protect New Yorkers from violent criminal migrants, an effort that has been “frustrated” by sanctuary laws.
Paladino applauded Adams’ move on X, calling it a “much needed dose of sanity for New York.” She said also that sanctuary laws should be abolished entirely and the federal government should take over Rikers Island. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced last week that the Department of Justice has sued the state over sanctuary policies. State Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement that state laws, including the Green Light Law, “protect the rights of all New Yorkers” and keep communities safe. That law, which the suit targets, allows undocumented immigrants to get drivers’ licenses.
“I am prepared to defend our laws, just as I always have,” James said.
The NYPD’s official X account made a post last Friday that it “does not engage in civil immigration enforcement, period.”
“The NYPD does engage in criminal enforcement matters, as it always has, regardless of a person’s immigration status, including work on federal criminal task forces,” the post reads. Q
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside) are hosting an informational webinar to help homeowners protect themselves against deed theft and squatters. All are welcome to sign up.
The virtual session will begin at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26. Registration is required. The appropriate link can be found at queensda.org/upcoming-events. The webinar will feature a presentation by the DA’s Housing and Worker Protection Bureau Chief Bill Jorgenson. The talk will offer information on how homeowners can avoid becoming victims; and what steps people can take if they are. Q — Michael Gannon
PHOTO BY OWEN LAVINE
EDITORIAL AGEP
Honor Southeast Queens vets
This is not one of those times of year when veterans are especially on people’s minds, as they are at the end of May and each Nov. 11, but for Patricia Wooden, they’re always at the forefront.
Wooden is president of American Legion Auxiliary Unit 483 in Rosedale. Her father was Ralph Davis, a member of the Greatest Generation who served in World War II and then had a career in transit.
Wooden naturally keeps active with veterans-related activities in Southeast Queens — as well as general community events; she dressed up as traffic signal last Halloween to have fun with the kids — and her latest project is one we hope will succeed.
The subject is the World War I monument in Baisley Pond Park in South Jamaica. Dedicated in September 1921, it says it was “erected by the citizens of this community in grateful memory of the men of this vicinity who served in the World War 1917-1918.”
The memorial has weathered the test of time well. But Wooden doesn’t believe it gets enough attention, and it can be partially hidden by foliage much of the year (not in February!). So she’s handing out fliers
and has a petition going with the goal of getting the Parks Department to spruce up the site a little.
The monument sits by the flagpole at the end of the formal walkway from the main Sutphin Boulevard entrance to the park, flanked by benches. In addition to better lighting for the flagpole and memorial, Wooden wants to see plaques on the benches honoring those who fought in the world wars, as well as Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan.
These are not expensive improvements, and we hope the Parks Department can get them done. Wooden seeks to cultivate more pride in the military and awareness of veterans in the community, also by holding events for and about them. She doesn’t seem to be the only one. A number of Southeast Queens elected officials are hosting a presentation on Black military history in St. Albans Feb. 27 (all are welcome; find the details in some editions or at qchron.com). A greater appreciation of those who have served, and of the country they served, can only be a positive thing in a time of great divisions. We salute Wooden and ask Parks to move on her ideas. Double time!
Forget this wage scheme
It should be no surprise that a lawmaker who thinks making buses free to ride is viable also thinks you can nearly double the minimum wage in five years and not kill thousands of jobs.
Avowed Socialist Zohran Mamdani, a state assemblyman from Astoria and candidate for mayor, is proposing raising the city’s minimum wage from today’s $16.50 to $30 by 2030.
Can you think of a faster way to drive automation and the elimination of human employment in sectors such as retail and food service? We’d get either that or $5 burgers at White Castle. Or both.
Rather than listen to the pie-in-the-sky hopes of Mamdani, who, judging by his bio, has worked in the private sector barely if at all, and certainly never owned a business, heed the words of the great British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”
Mamdani should try speaking with some of the business owners who’d have to say goodbye to much of their staff, or just shut down, if his plan came to fruition. They’re already struggling with higher rent and utilities, inflation and online competitors.
It’s easy for someone who makes $142,000 a year from the taxpayers to declare what he thinks others should be paid, in the name of “affordability.” Too bad his ideas are unaffordable.
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Stop the giveaway
Dear Editor:
Mr. Richard Reif’s letter of Feb. 13, “Don’t fund illegal migrants,” cannot be disputed.
My Swedish grandparents came over in the late 19th century and complied with the regulations of the time. This giveaway of existing citizens’ tax money to foreign wanderers has to be stopped. There is no justification, whether it’s birthright citizenship or not.
Ray Hackinson Ozone Park
Prioritize Alzheimer’s
Dear Editor:
As the 119th Congress continues its work, I urge Rep. Greg Meeks to continue supporting all those impacted by Alzheimer’s. Nearly seven million Americans have this diagnosis, including 51,700 in Queens alone. An additional 11 million provide unpaid care for them.
During his career in Congress, Rep. Meeks has supported bills to create the National Alzheimer’s Project and improve support for family caregivers. We need Congress to continue prioritizing this public health crisis.
I know firsthand the toll Alzheimer’s takes on a family. As someone who lost a parent to dementia, I’ve experienced the heartbreaking journey that millions of families face. Through my work in healthcare staffing, I see daily how this disease impacts not just patients, but entire
families and communities. The emotional and financial burden on families is overwhelming.
I’m a proud volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Association and the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement, both of which have been working with bipartisan congressional champions to advance critical research and support those who are struggling with the disease. We’ve made impressive progress, but more work remains. Please join me in calling on Congress to continue the fight, so that we will see an end to Alzheimer’s in our lifetime.
Yulandie Latham Alzheimer’s Ambassador for NYS Congressional District 5 Alzheimer’s Association St. Albans
Dunkin’s next green move
Dear Editor:
Our environment is harmed by the staggering amount of waste that is thrown away each day, a large portion of which is from single-use items such as disposable coffee cups.
When we see the classic pink and orange
Dunkin’ logo, it shouldn’t be on a discarde d item littering the street, spilling out of a garbage can, or floating in a local waterway. Dunkin’ can help reduce waste by agreeing to fill reusable containers at every location.
Dunkin’ has shown that it cares about the environment, and we celebrated when the company eliminated polystyrene foam containers. But now Dunkin’ can take the next step by allowing customers to bring their own reusable cups at every location.
Joseph M. Varon Member, Jewish Climate Action Network West Hempstead Editor’s Note: Dunkin’ says it does allow the filling of travel mugs, but participation may vary by franchise operator.
Cut down on plastic
Dear Editor:
New York is facing a major plastic pollution problem. Plastic is not only found in the ocean but also in our bodies and blood, and a recent study found that microplastics are building up deep in our brain. We clearly need to address
LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
this public health issue.
State Sen. Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Deborah Glick have introduced a bill that would do that. The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (S1464 and A1749) reduces plastic packaging by 30 percent gradually over the next 12 years. It also requires 70 percent of the remaining packaging to be reused and/or recycled over the next 10 years. Another very important component of this bill is that it prohibits 14 toxic chemicals and materials from packaging that are known to be harmful to human health and the environment.
Passing this bill will give us the opportunity to protect our communities and hold the plastic industry accountable. Costs associated with reducing plastic packaging and prohibiting chemicals will fall on producers, not taxpayers.
This is an issue people here care about. It was reported that New Yorkers support reducing plastic packaging. In a 2024 Siena poll, 82 percent of New York voters said that single-use plastic packaging is a problem. A bipartisan two-thirds (67 percent) support the PRRI Act.
It’s time for our legislators to listen to their constituents and pass the PRRI Act. I ask Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins to let the bill come to a vote early this year.
Lisa Salomon Astoria
Don’t despair on climate
Dear Editor:
For those who care about climate change, President Trump’s executive order on Jan. 20 to suspend permits for offshore wind energy felt demoralizing, auguring a future in which destructive fossil fuel infrastructure will continually be prioritized and expanded. But even before we voted a climate denier into power, New York State was lagging in the fight against climate change due to the usual suspects: inertia, greed and short-sightedness.
The good news is that New Yorkers can fight the usual ways: with phone calls, emails and outrage. While Trump’s attacks on democracy are despicable, we should also be outraged by Gov. Hochul’s molasses-slow approach to climate legislation and our state Assembly’s decision to let politically popular laws like the New York Home Energy Affordable Transition Act, or HEAT Act — which would eliminate the current process of subsidizing fossil fuel infrastructure — languish to death in committee.
I appreciate Rise Light & Power CEO Clint Plummer’s long-haul view on decarbonization and his conviction that wind power will come to New York City despite Trump’s destructive policies (“Rise L&P addresses Trump wind policy,” Jan. 30, multiple editions). I urge New Yorkers to take the same hopeful perspective.
We need to pick up our phones and remind Hochul and our state representatives that 75 percent of the goals of the Paris Agreement can be achieved through state and local-level policy; we need to champion the NY HEAT Act and other ambitious climate policy this session. Trump hopes we’ll get so distracted by his crazy-making that we lose sight of our priorities, which must include ambitious climate legislation. New Yorkers, let’s prove him wrong.
Victoria Adler Jackson Heights
AI and the deadly lie
Dear Editor:
He who programs AI programs you. You think?
Artificial intelligence is like artificial flowers. It’s fake, artificial, not real — “Helloooooo.”
Mark Zuckerberg is not fact-checking his company. He can’t be trusted for truthful fact, because he won’t be checking for facts any more. It’s dangerous and deadly.
In a deadly epidemic, people and their loved ones will die. If someone who is not a scientist and without experience lies and says there is no pandemic in the middle of a pandemic, that lie will kill people. If they tell you to drink Clorox, don’t trust them with your life. That’s why fact-checking is so important; it means the difference between life and death. Choose life; facts matter.
Lies come from the father of all lies, the little white lies, too. The deceiver divides people. Find out the true facts yourself. They tell lies and try to cover it up with saying its freedom of speech — my foot. Watch out. An alternate fact is the total opposite of the total truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God.
Albert Ross Glendale
Vital Sassoon resignation
Dear Editor:
Strong conviction and principled commitment are battered and bleeding but for one moment, the poet got it wrong. During the prelude to World War I, another dark time, Yeats observed that as “things fall apart ... [t] he best lack all conviction, while the worst /[a] re full of passionate intensity.”
Now, more than a century later, that’s an accurate description of our current political crisis. However, U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon’s resignation, and the others that follow in her wake, demonstrate that the right stuff may yet survive.
In the spirit of John Proctor and Thomas More and August Landmesser, “the lone man refusing to do the Nazi salute in 1936,” Sassoon asserted the order to dismiss the Eric Adams case was “inconsistent with my ability and duty to prosecute federal crimes without fear or favor.” These attorneys give me hope that we can stop this runaway train. We need more like this. We need to all be more like this.
Debra Michlewitz Bayside
The mysterious Mr. Mu$k
Dear Editor:
Who is this guy?
I am referring to Elon Musk. According to Forbes (February 2025), he’s worth $397 billion. Wow.
An illustration: at the rate of $1,000 a day, it would take a person three years to spend a million dollars. A grand every day seven days a week for three years! Now, if Julius Caesar had a billion dollars, and spent it at the same rate of $1,000 a day, old Julius would still be spending. In fact, he’d only be about two-thirds continued on next page
Top aides resign amid Adams controversy
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Four deputy mayors resigned Monday in the wake of the controversies surrounding Mayor Adams.
First Deputy Mayor Maria TorresSpringer, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom, Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chauncey Parker all stepped down as calls increase for Adams to resign or be removed by Gov. Hochul.
The mayor, who has been embattled in controversy since his federal indictment last September, has come under withering fire this week. Critics claim Adams got his charges dismissed in exchange for a commitment to work with President Trump’s administration on cracking down on illegal immigration and crime, including a promise to take executive action to allow the return of Immigration and Custom Enforcement to Rikers Island.
“Due to the extraordinary events of the last few weeks and to stay faithful to the oaths we swore to New Yorkers and our families, we have come to the difficult
Adams controversy continues
continued from page 2
for Operations Meera Joshi, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chauncey Parker. [see separate story in this edition or on qchron.com]
Among those who have commented publicly on the matter include U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Bronx, Queens) and Nydia Velázquez (D-Brooklyn, Queens); state Sens. Mike Gianaris (D-Astoria), Kristen Gonzalez (D-Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens) and John Liu (D-Bayside); and Assemblymembers Jessica González-Rojas (D-East Elmhurst) and Claire Valdez (D-Sunnyside).
Councilmember Sandra Ung (D-Flushing) stopped short of calling for Adams to resign last week, but said in a statement, “If he cannot govern without prioritizing his own legal concerns over the well-being of New Yorkers, then he must consider what is best for the city’s future.”
day in a statement, “This administration no longer has the ability to effectively govern with Eric Adams as mayor. ... Our city needs a leader totally committed to protecting New Yorkers and improving their lives.”
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards in a statement said he had a “clear-eyed and frank” discussion with Hochul on Tuesday.
“New Yorkers deserve [steady leadership] from a laser-focused government they can trust, and I encourage Mayor Adams to give deep, honest thought as to whether his administration is capable of delivering such a government,” Richards said.
Mayoral candidates are taking advantage of the controversy surrounding Adams with statements of their own.
In Queens, state Sen. Jessica Ramos (D-Jackson Heights) and Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani (D-Astoria), two Democratic mayoral candidates, also have called for Adams to be removed.
decision to step down from our roles,” Joshi, Torres-Springer and Williams-Isom wrote in a message to agency commissioners and staff obtained by the Daily News. It was not immediately clear who would replace them at City Hall.
Adams, in a statement provided to the media, said, “I am disappointed to see them go, but given the current challenges, I understand their decision and wish them nothing but success in the future.” Q
LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
continued from previous page
through the billion.
The median income in the USA is around $60,000. Musk is worth $397,000,000,000, give, or take, and probably pays very little, if any taxes. That’s 6.6 million times the median income. What does Elon Musk know about your readers’ lives? Or about your readers’ worries and concerns?
And yet, the president has seen fit to name Musk a special government employee and to sic him on the waste, fraud and abuse in the federal budget. None of which, ironically, comes out of Musk’s pocket. On top of that, Musk’s required financial disclosure report is top secret, and the work of his socalled Department of Government Efficiency is exempt from Freedom of Information Act requests and most judicial inquiries until 2034.
Meanwhile, Tesla is about to receive a $400 million federal contract to supply armored vehicles to the federal government. Since 2015, according to ABC News, Tesla and SpaceX have received $18 billion in government contracts, many of which are subjects of regulatory investigations.
Back in the second century, the poet Juvenal asked, “Who will watch the watchmen?” It’s a good question and one that has resonance here in the 21st century.
Neil C. Giannelli
Woodhaven
Musk multiplier effect
Dear Editor:
I am not an economist, but I can’t help but think that President Musk’s arbitrary cuts will have far-reaching, devastating effects on our economy. Since this administration tends to look at everything through the lens of money, just think ... The termination of thousands of employees will impact ancillary businesses such as restaurants, coffee shops, stores and clinics that depend on their business to survive.
On a more personal, human level, all these employees will lose medical insurance as well as their ability to make mortgage payments, pay car notes, insurance and college tuition, and put food on the table. These families will no longer be able to afford their children’s extracurricular activities or other expenses like taking the dog to the vet, thus contributing to the downfall of hundreds of mom-and-pop businesses.
That, combined with tariffs that will impact farmers and increase the cost of the families’ food essentials, is truly a recipe for disaster. The domino effect is frightening.
Do Republican elected officials and MAGAs realize that they too live in the horrible world they are creating?
Maria
Collier Jamaica Estates
Councilmember Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) in a statement said she believes the decision should be left up to the voters.
“While I respect the opinions of my colleagues in government, taking the unprecedented step of removing a duly elected Mayor a few months before an election is not only undemocratic, but it would also be incredibly disruptive and potentially disastrous for the people we serve,” Ariola said.
According to a letter obtained by the Daily News, Queens state Sens. Roxanne Persaud (D-Brooklyn, Queens), James Sanders Jr. (D-South Ozone Park) and Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), along with Assemblymembers Alicia Hyndman (D-Springfield Gardens) and Clyde Vanel (D-Queens Village), joined other Black state lawmakers in advising Hochul to not remove the mayor and instead let voters decide during the upcoming election.
“As Black legislators we have seen this over and over again: double standards and unfair process when it comes to our leaders,” they wrote. “If a move against the mayor is made without a justifiable legal reason, our communities will never forget it.”
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica), one of the key leaders who met with Hochul on Tuesday, said on Mon-
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To address flooding, the city plans to continue improving drainage at key locations with catch basins, build a new stormwater drainage system north of Linden Boulevard and design a new stormwater drainage system south of Linden.
The system north of Linden would collect water from Ruby, Emerald and Amber streets and Blake and Dumont avenues, and drain it to Bluebelt ponds. The design is estimated to be finalized by the end of 2025, with construction from 2028 to 2034. The DEP is still developing long-term solutions
Former Gov. Cuomo released what many are alleging is a “mayoral campaign video” for Valentine’s Day, though he has not yet announced his candidacy. Guardian Angels founder and 2021 Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa has officially filed on the GOP line.
Though rumors have floated that Adams was considering a party switch, he reiterated last week that he will run as a Democrat.
If Hochul opts not to remove Adams and he does not resign, the city’s own Inability Committee, consisting of a deputy mayor of Adams’ choice, the city’s corporation counsel, city Comptroller (and mayoral candidate) Brad Lander, Richards and Speaker Adams, could confer.
If four of those five agree that Adams is unable to fulfill his duties and vote to form a panel of inability, according to the City Charter, the City Council could decide whether Adams is removed. A two-thirds majority would be required.
While Lander has threatened to invoke the committee if the mayor doesn’t develop a “contingency plan” by Friday, the City Council speaker, according to multiple outlets, told reporters at City Hall on Tuesday that the committee does not apply in this situation, as he is physically able to serve. Q
for flooding south of Linden.
To aid with housing difficulties and allow redevelopment, the city is in the design phase of installing sanitary sewers where residents rely on septic systems. In 2024, the city invested $400 million to renovate and guarantee the long-term affordability of 1,500 homes in Linden Plaza in Brooklyn.
According to the HPD report, someone is injured every three days on Conduit Avenue on average, and every six days on Linden Boulevard. The DOT is planning to enhance pedestrian safety by implementing painted markings and concrete features to shorten crossings and improve visibility. It also plans to build missing sidewalks, which will begin when the new sewer system is installed. Q
Maria Torres-Springer, here at an unrelated press conference last October, is one of four deputy mayors who resigned on Monday. PHOTO BY ED REED / NYC MAYOR / FLICKR
Elected officials, CB 13 happy about Hochul’s order for March shutdown Creedmoor migrant shelter to close
by Naeisha Rose Editor
Elected officials representing Northeast and Eastern Queens are pleased that Gov. Hochul announced on Feb. 13 the closure of the controversial Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center situated on the grounds of the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens Village.
Councilwoman Linda Lee (D-Oakland Gardens), Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside) and state Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky (D-College Point) quickly issued a statement on the closure, set to start next month.
“Our offices have received confirmation from the Governor’s administration that the Creedmoor HERRC will be closing — a long-awaited and welcome decision for our community,” said the electeds in the joint statement. “For the past year and a half, residents have shown great patience while enduring the placement of a humanitarian shelter housing over 1,000 single adult males.”
The Governor’s Office said it will support the Eastern Queens’ community when it comes to public safety, affordability and quality of life issues in a statement.
“The State of New York stepped in to support the city’s effort to shelter tens of thousands of migrants by offering stateowned land to shelter these individuals,” said Matt Janiszewski, a spokesman for Hochul’s office. “Governor Hochul believes it’s entirely appropriate that the Creedmoor HERRC is one of the first shelters to close and did not offer the city a renewed lease at this site.”
As previously reported, two Cuban fugitive brothers, one who had a gun, were
found at the tent city last year. Some of the migrants have utilized a playground meant for students at PS 18, which is across the street from the shelter. The Services Now for Adult Persons senior center is also on the Creedmoor complex, and some seniors have been intimidated by the men.
“Since the shelter’s inception, our offices have consistently urged both [Mayor Adams] and the governor to acknowledge and address the community’s legitimate
concerns,” the Northeast and Eastern officials continued. “In our joint letter to both administrations last month, we specifically requested that Creedmoor be prioritized for closure due to its detrimental impact on the surrounding area. With two social services centers and an elementary school nearby, it was evident from the start that this location was unsuitable for such a facility ... we look forward to seeing this transition take place beginning in March.”
Community Board 13 leaders also welcomed the news that what they called the wrongly sited HERRC will be closing.
CB 13 members had problems with the site also being near a Little League complex and the Cross Island Y.
“Queens Community Board 13 thanks City Council Member Linda Lee, State Senator Toby Stavisky, Assembly Member Ed Braunstein and Borough President Donovan Richards for their staunch advocacy on behalf of our community throughout,” said CB 13 Chair Bryan Block, District Manager Mark McMillan and Land Use Subcommittee Chair Corey Beark in a joint statement via email. “This removal cannot happen too soon!”
Mayor Adams announced on Feb. 14 that five other shelters also will be closing, bringing the total shuttered throughout the city to 52 by June 2025.
A spokeswoman for his office said the list of the shelters to be closed will be released soon.
There are currently fewer than 45,000 migrants receiving city shelter services, down from a high of 69,000 in January 2024 and out of the more than 231,000 that have arrived in the city seeking city services since spring 2022, said the Mayor’s Office.
“There was never a playbook for this unprecedented response,” Adams said about the migrant crisis. “Because of the decisions we have made and the policies we have implemented, including opening up our tent based humanitarian relief centers and advocating for changes to national border policies, our administration has effectively moved us to the opposite side of the mountain we were forced to climb.” Q
Trucks won’t lift your garbage over cars
Workers will still haul it to trucks, then use ‘rear tippers’ on new bins
by Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief
Conversations in and out of the Queens Chronicle office reveal that many borough residents do not know exactly what the Sanitation Department has planned for their garbage collection.
New trucks will not be lifting the trash bins everyone is being required to buy straight off the sidewalk and over parked cars, the DSNY says. Only the new street dumpsters — “Empire bins” in government parlance — will be lifted by mechanical arms directly from their location to be emptied. Since the large containers, which will be used for apartment houses of 10 or more units, will be located in the street, there will not be any parked cars for them to be lifted over. They will supplant parked cars.
So then why do people in single-family homes, and those in buildings of up to nine units, have to get the official city wheelie
bins? Why not any trash can with a lid, as is allowed now, and will be until June 2026, when everyone must use the “NYC bin”?
The reason is that the cans will be picked up by arms on the garbage truck, but much smaller ones on the back of the vehicle. The “rear tippers” will grab the bins by their metal bars after Sanitation workers pick them up from the sidewalk and put them in place.
The employees will still have to maneuver the bins over or around parked vehicles, but they no longer will have to flip them upside down to get the trash in the truck. The rear tippers will do that. And trucks will still have two workers each, the department says.
The DSNY posted a video showing how the tippers work in October 2023 on X. It can still be seen at tinyurl.com/4pcm78yk.
According to DSNY spokesman Joshua Goodman, a few hundred trucks with tippers are in use now, out of a fleet of about 2,500 collection vehicles. They will be phased in
over time as the city replaces trucks.
Bins of one kind or another have been required since Nov. 12. Between then and Jan. 3, Sanitation issued 70,000 warnings to people for not using them, Goodman said. Since the enforcement period began Jan. 3, the department has written 20,000 tickets.
“Use a bin — it works,” Goodman said via email. “Rat sightings fell 25% in January alone compared to last year.”
The shift to wheelie bins, and Empire bins for larger buildings, is all part of what the city dubs its “Trash Revolution,” with cutting down on rats a key goal. The dumpsters only are being used in parts of Manhattan so far.
The requirement that bins be used for smaller residential buildings only applies to garbage, not recycling or compost. There are bins for those things, too, but they are optional. One may still set those materials out in clear plastic bags.
Two Sanitation men demonstrate the “rear tippers” that lift trash cans so workers do not have to, except to get them to the truck, in a department video. SCREENSHOT VIA DSNY VIDEO / X
The Chronicle emailed and phoned Teamsters Local 831, the Uniformed Sanitationmen’s Association, for the workers’ take but did not hear back by press time. Q
The tent city housing unauthorized migrants and asylum seekers at the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center property in Queens Village is set to close in the coming weeks. PHOTO BY MICHAEL SHAIN
Trump celebrates; MTA already has filed suit to keep Manhattan tolls Feds seek to end congestion pricing
by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor
The Trump administration on Wednesday notified Gov. Hochul that the U.S. Department of Transportation intends to pull the plug on congestion pricing, which charges a toll for entering and in some cases exiting Manhattan at or below 60th Street.
And the Metropolitan Transportation Authority filed suit in federal court before all advocates on ether side of the issue even sent out their press releases.
In a five-page letter to Hochul, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said an examination of the system found that it exceeds the authority granted by Congress in 1991 for such pilot programs.
“I share the President’s concerns about the impacts to working class Americans who now have an additional financial burden to account for in their daily lives,” Duffy wrote. “... Moreover, the revenues generated under this pilot program are directed toward the transit system as opposed to the highways. I do not believe that is a fair deal.”
He said the DOT would reach out to the state on how to shut it down.
President Trump, on Truth Social, was his usual reserved self.
“CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG
LIVE THE KING!” he posted.
MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber was not backing down in a press release.
“Today, the MTA filed papers in federal court to ensure that the highly successful program — which has already dramatically reduced congestion, bringing reduced traffic and faster travel times, while increasing speeds for buses and emergency vehicles — will continue notwithstanding this baseless effort to snatch those benefits away from the millions of mass transit users, pedestrians and, especially, the drivers who come to the Manhattan Central Business District,” he wrote.
“It’s mystifying that after four years and 4,000 pages of federally-supervised environmental review — and barely three months after giving final approval to the Congestion Relief Program — USDOT would seek to totally reverse course.”
Hochul was equally displeased on X.
“Since this first-in-the-nation program took effect last month, congestion has dropped dramatically and commuters are getting to work faster than ever,” she said, listing quicker trips for school buses and taxis, as well as foot traffic to businesses and attendance at Broadway shows spiking.
We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king,” Hochul concluded. “... We’ll see you in court.”
“Another day, another attack on New York
The U.S. Department of Transportation wants to end congestion pricing. The MTA is fighting the move in court.
City by a federal administration that traffics in bad politics over good policy,” said Borough President Donovan Richards in an email. “Congestion pricing is not only legally sound, as court after court has declared, but it is smart environmentally and responsible fiscally.”
Councilman Bob Holden (D-Maspeth), on the other hand, applauded the move, as did the
Council’s Common Sense Caucus, of which Queens counts Holden, Vickie Paladino (R-Whitestone) and Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park among its members.
“President Trump kept his promise to New Yorkers by stopping the unfair congestion pricing scheme, a scam tax that was unjust from the very start,” Holden said. “This is a major victory for working- and middle-class families who were forced to shoulder another financial burden just to navigate their own city. New Yorkers deserve real solutions to traffic and transit issues — not another cash grab disguised as policy.”
Riders Alliance Executive Director Betsy Plum said in an email that transit riders won congestion relief and are now enjoying faster and more reliable bus service throughout New York and New Jersey.
“We are committed to maintaining and expanding on our victory and will defend it with everything we have,” she said.
Charlton D’souza of Queens Village, president of Passengers United, sided with Holden in a press release.
“There were serious flaws with this plan especially the air pollution in the south Bronx with all the extra cars,” D’souza said. “Subway safety, overcrowding and reliability issues were not considered which has many riders furious with the governor.” Q
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PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON / FILE
LIFE GOES 0N UNDER THE High police presence is unmistakable
by Owen Lavine Chronicle Contributor
Roosevelt Avenue is the only land bridge connecting Latin America, East Asia and India that geologists aren’t aware of. Judging by the press, its culinary prowess is only rivaled by its crime rate. The city has been struggling to get the latter under control.
Mayor Adams’ 90-day Operation Restore Roosevelt laid out a bold vision to “end sex trafficking in this area,” assigning a number of new cops to cover the beat and stamp out crime and end illegal vending. He says the initiative has since been extended past its 90-day limit.
Crime, across the board, has dropped 25 percent since the operation began, according to the city. The NYPD made 985 arrests, 134 of which were for prostitution-related offenses, and another 11,800 summonses were issued.
It’s hard to miss the new residents of Roosevelt. The NYPD has moved in on almost every corner, although there are gaps.
On the weekends, the corridor and cross streets are packed. The restaurants overflow onto the sidewalks. It’s hard to distinguish whether the 7 Train or the stampede of families, buskers, cops, sex workers, homeless people and merchants are causing the sidewalk to rattle.
Walking down the main drag in Corona, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights, it’s a chore not to salivate at the skewered meat sweating over charcoal or the shiny pastries beckoning customers through the windows. Meanwhile, Cumbia, Banda and a hundred other genres of music compete for the ears of passersby.
The bazaar is cramped, as per usual. In less than a block, someone can earn his or her OSHA certification, become a Jehovah’s Witness, buy a new suit and file federal taxes all while snacking on some salchipapas.
Among the stampede are Jose Dominguez and Valentin Peratta. There are plenty of colorful characters on Roosevelt Avenue, but Peratta, who has wrapped a purple plush snake around his neck like a scarf, stands out.
Peratta’s face is covered in black paint. He is homeless and has been for the past year. He lost his job around the same time and now sleeps on the trains in Forest Hills.
Despite his resume (he knows carpentry, cooking, framing and construction), Peratta cannot find a new job. He claims “it is discrimination, because I am coming from Ecuador,” although he has his green card.
“I have a son and wife — right now, I am separated because I don’t have money,” Peratta added, a fate he says has befallen “too many families, separated because no money.”
Peratta and Dominguez stroll Roosevelt Avenue looking for work.
The two are walking back from 69th Street, where scores of men and women stand waiting for employers to come offer them work. Dominguez, who has been out of work also for a year, said he can’t find jobs with a good wage.
Two years ago, a construction or mechanic job might pay $200 to $250 a day, but today those same jobs pay $80 to $100 a day, according to Dominguez, who could only describe the situation with an expletive.
“I need to work because I need support for my family,” said Dominguez, who is a grandfa-
ther, but the inconsistency of good-paying jobs has meant he can get work one week and another, he finds none. “The money is not the same,” he added.
Both men concurred the only ones willing to take those jobs are the fresh crop of immigrants from Latin America.
They described being homeless as “scary.”
Under Peratta’s shirt, a quilt of stitches hold his torso and arms together. Each scar, a bad memory. His left arm claims some of his newest additions.
Peratta explained he had been punched in the arm and robbed on the train. But, when Peratta asked a cop to help him get medical attention, he claims, the officer refused because he did not have an ID and then threatened to take him to jail.
“Cops are stupid because, why don’t [they] go ... for the robbers?” Peratta said. Dominguez, who had his nose broken, had a similar experience when he called the cops.
has been for the past two years.
“Unfortunately I was into drugs and, and went downhill from there,” he reflected. Miclan Pera’s descent started when he got into an accident, which he did not want to elaborate on, and was prescribed an opioid medication.
Miclan Pera worked in construction prior to his accident, but now he strolls Roosevelt Avenue looking for food and work, which are the main draw for homeless people to the strip.
“I don’t think this area is dangerous at all,” he added. “The times that I’ve been here, it has been cool.”
Miclan Pera said he hasn’t had any issues with cops or robbers. “You just gotta mind your business and keep it movin’.”
“I don’t think this area is dangerous at all. The times that I’ve been here, it has been cool.”
Dominguez added that he couldn’t take jobs on Roosevelt Avenue that ended after 10 p.m. out of fear of being robbed or assaulted while Peratta claimed he had been shot at while selling candies and flowers along the strip.
— Hector Miclan Pera
Hector Miclan Pera is on a similar mission to Dominguez and Peratta. Miclan Pera’s red jacket is scrawled with graffiti tags. Unlike Dominguez and Peratta, he doesn’t have a backpack. He shivers and his hands search blindly for warmth in the pocket of his jacket.
Miclan Pera said the wages Dominguez decried were “better than nothing.” Like the other two men, Miclan Pera is homeless, and
He did say, though, that Roosevelt Avenue is a “tightknit community” and some members of that community are “territorial.”
Nightfall clears out the hustle and bustle of the day.
Among the tungsten fluorescent lights, flashing rainbow string lights and white mercury lights that illuminate nearly every storefront, are pulsing red and blue flashes. Between 69th Street and Junction Boulevard, almost every block has a cop car or a pair of cops patrolling.
Frank Rafalian, owner of Franky Fashion, said Roosevelt Avenue is a “family-oriented area.”
“You can find everything authentic that’s related to the Latino world, everything is here, and the majority of people that live here and shop here are family people,” Rafalian said. “These are civilized family people — very
hardworking people.”
Rafalian spends his day sitting at the front of his store. From his vantage, he can see the corner of 94th Street and Roosevelt, the site of many fights and robberies.
Rafalian, who opened his store in 1997, gleamed nostalgically on the Giuliani era.
“When Giuliani came into power in New York, he backed up the Police Department,” Rafalian said, claiming, “We had drug dealers at each corner. And crime was through the roof. And when Giuliani came, he started cleaning up.”
While Giuliani hasn’t been mayor for more than two decades, Rafalian said things started declining during the pandemic when he says the city started defunding the police.
“You have no police, no one backing up the police, you’re tying their hands behind their back,” Rafalian added. “We need police presence everywhere.”
Rafalian said he hasn’t had any issues with criminals, though.
Down at the corner of Junction Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue, a stone’s throw from Franky Fashion, the NYPD has set up a command post. The truck housing the operation is barricaded by metal fences and flanked by a number of police cars. Cops swarm the area.
In the nooks and crannies where officers aren’t patrolling along Roosevelt Avenue, women stand with their hands clasped over their phones looking down at every man walking by. The hidden language is spoken with a few winks, to invite someone over. None wanted to do an interview, but their profession has become a central point of controversy.
Henry Guiracocha, who has lived on Roosevelt Avenue for nearly 30 years, said on his block the proposition was more direct, usually starting with a “Hey, Papi.”
Valentin Peratta searches for work along and around the Roosevelt Avenue corridor. He shows some of the scars and stitches that can come with being homeless. At right, a woman is ticketed for riding her bicycle on the sidewalk on Roosevelt. PHOTOS BY OWEN LAVINE
LENS ON ROOSEVELT AVE. as area denizens differ on its impact
Roosevelt Avenue has all kinds of food available from people licensed to sell it and otherwise. At one location, multiple varie ties of soup are kept hot in kettles on a cold night. And even after the 90 days of Operation Restore Roosevelt, police in vans and on foot are deployed all over the bustling strip.
Guiracocha, who lives near 74th Street, celebrated that three brothels in his area had been shuttered in the last few months.
“I don’t think it’s a permanent fix,” Guiracocha added. “If they get shut down here they go somewhere else.”
He believed the women were doing it for money because “they come to this country by,
by, we call them coyotes,” referring to human smugglers who will help get people across the southern border for a healthy ransom, “and then they have to pay them off.” Guiracocha said that if they had easier access to jobs and didn’t have to pay a smuggler to enter the country, there would be less prostitution.
Guiracocha said Roosevelt Avenue needed
more cops, though things have gotten better since he moved there, 74th and 61st streets notwithstanding.
Guiracocha said the number of homeless people on those streets makes him feel “horrible.”
“The government ... doesn’t want to waste the money on the shelters,” Guiracocha added.
“They waste money on their own freaking likes. Not for human beings but for them.”
While he doesn’t have any children Guiracocha said he would “definitely” raise his kids on Roosevelt Avenue.
“The [restaurants], everything is near the trains, that’s what I like,” he said. “It’s a good place, but it depends on the streets.” Q
PHOTOS BY OWEN LAVINE
S. Jamaica woman fights for memorial
American Legion auxiliary prez raising awareness about area’s military history
by Naeisha Rose Editor
A South Jamaica woman is raising awareness about a veterans memorial that was dedicated in Baisley Pond Park more than 100 years ago.
Patricia Wooden, president of American Legion Auxiliary Unit 483 in Rosedale, said she is from a military family that has lived near the park since 1963, but it wasn’t until recently that she noticed the World War I memorial, often hidden by undergrowth on one side.
“My relatives served during the Korean War and World War II,” Wooden told the Chronicle. Wooden’s grandfather served during World War II, her father served during the Korean War and her brother was in the Air Force during peace time. “This area in South Jamaica has military history.”
Wooden’s goal is for people to remember the veterans from the area who served and to have Memorial and Veteran’s Day events at the South Jamaica park.
“I want people to be able to pay respect when they feel like they need to without having to go way out to Calverton [National Cemetery on Long Island] and other facilities that are not close to home,” Wooden said. “We also want to do activities with military personnel and those who have
retired at the park, like picnics and more.”
The memorial is located next to the flagpole near 125th Street, just west of the southern tip of the pond, at the end of the bench-lined walkway from the main Sutphin Boulevard entrance to the park.
Wooden, whose father, Ralph Davis, served in World War II, said that four area American Legion posts and two auxiliaries in Queens support her initiative. She is also working with Commander Neil Jordan of American Legion Post 1946 in St. Albans and Steve Epps, a veteran and a member there.
Wooden has been handing out fliers and collecting signatures on a petition that requests signage and flags to draw attention to the memorial, including a sign that says, “The Baisley Pond Park Veterans Memorial,” spotlights around the base of flagpole and illumination of the memorial at night. She also hopes to see plaques on the nearby benches honoring veterans of World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War and the Afghanistan
Three die in Sunday morning Bayside fire
Three family members were killed in a Sunday morning house fire. FDNY PHOTO VIA X
An elderly woman and her two adult children were killed Sunday morning in a house fire in Bayside. Firefighters began responding to the home at 33-35 208 St. at approximately 2:40 a.m.
In a statement posted on the FDNY’s official X page, Chief of Department John Esposito said the first firefighters at the scene were greeted by smoke coming out of a cellar window.
“We had fire in the cellar and that fire extended up through the first floor,
and Iraq wars.
“You have flowers and bushes that cover the monument on the Sutphin Boulevard side,” said Wooden. “I want signage in the pathway from Sutphin Boulevard that leads straight to the monument, some kind of direction ... I think the flags will stand out to help people see the monument.”
Wooden said she has spoken to the Parks Department, and a representative told her the agency will look into what can be done in terms of signage in the summertime. She also has a meeting with City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica) set for Feb. 21 and hopes to get her support.
AThe Parks Department said it has been in touch with Wooden to discuss the petition and is looking forward to continuing to enhance the park.
maintenace of the memorial on an annual basis, the agency continued. And it wants to ensure that the area surrounding the memorial is clean, accessible and not obstructed by leaves, debris or plantings.
The agency is also undertaking multiple capital projects to improve the park, including rebuilding the paths and renovating the sports field and track, work costing more than $10 million that was allocated from the Mayor’s Office and the City Council.
n activist wants to better honor war veterans.
Parks is exploring additional directional signage in the location to help guide visitors to the memorial and staff will conduct
through the walls and a little bit into the second floor,” Esposito said, adding that there was heavy smoke throughout the entire structure. “We located and removed two unconscious people from a first-floor bedroom and another victim from the cellar.” Published and broadcast reports state that the residents were a 90-year-old woman suffering from dementia, her son and daughter. The cause remains under investigation. Q — Michael Gannon
The monument, dedicated Sept. 5, 1921, says it was “erected by the citizens of this community in grateful memory of the men of this vicinity who served in the World War 1917-1918.”
The memorial was built “in honor of our military veterans who have served in this community and all over the country who risked their lives for our lives to make it better,” said Wooden. “In the future, let’s acknowledge this monument.” Q
Civilian hurt in Forest Hills fire
One person was hurt in a fire in Forest Hills the morning of Feb. 13.
Firefighters said they received a call just before 5:30 a.m. reporting fire and smoke at 89-28 70 Ave. in Forest Hills, between Metropolitan Avenue and Sybilla Street.
The fire was on the first floor of the two-story private dwelling, according to the FDNY.
A Citizen app report of the incident, which gave the address for a house next door, said firefighters were actively battling a fire on the structure’s first and second floors at 5:42 a.m.
One person was hurt in a Forest Hills blaze.
CITIZEN SCREENSHOT
The fire was declared under control at 6:23 a.m. The FDNY said 12 units and 60 fire and EMS personnel responded to the scene.
One civilian was transported to Long Island Jewish Forest Hills hospital to be treated for a minor injury. Q — Stephanie G. Meditz
Patricia Wooden of South Jamaica is leading the fight to bring awareness to the World War I veterans memorial at Baisley Pond Park, seen here from front and back. COURTESY PHOTOS
Donate blood at these sites
The New York Blood Center seeks donors in the midst of a recently declared blood emergency.
To learn more or to donate, visit nybc.org. There are several blood drives in Central and Western Queens listed now:
• The Shops at Atlas Park; next to TJ Maxx, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 22, 8000 Cooper Ave. in Glendale; blood drive coordinator Armando Echeverry;
• Our Lady of Mercy Church, basement, 8:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 23, 70-01 Kessel St. in Forest Hills; blood drive coordinator Michael Mangino;
• Queens Place mall, former T-Mobile, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 23, 88-01 Queens Blvd. in Elmhurst; blood drive coordinator Jelson Santos;
• RXR Realty, open space, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 27, 37-18 Northern Blvd. in Long Island City; blood drive coordinator Gabby Caruso; and
• Plaza College, BBA Conference Center and Plaza Commons, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, Feb. 28, 118-33 Queens Blvd. in Forest Hills; blood drive coordinator Risa Cohn. Q
Uniting to honor Det. Simonsen NYPD, loved ones pay tribute to fallen officer six
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
It’s been six years since the NYPD lost Det. Brian Simonsen, and the magnitude of the loss is still felt by many.
Simonsen, who was a member of the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct, was killed in 2019 in the line of duty, responding to an incident at a T-Mobile store.
For the sixth year, NYPD Assistant Chief Chaplain Monsignor Robert Romano led the tribute Mass at Holy Child Jesus Church in Richmond Hill, with the event livestreamed on the department’s social media pages.
Romano said, “All of us who are here today are here because, yes, of Brian, but also because of a promise that we make all the time to never forget.”
Scott Munro, the president of the Detectives’ Endowment Association, echoed the sentiment.
“We’ll never forget who Brian was, what he did,” Munro said. “This union will never forget. We’ll always be here for you and your family.”
Bill Bourguignon, the president of the Nassau County Detectives Association, said Simonsen’s life was lived with “purpose, dedication and most of all, a heart full of courage.”
He added, “Beyond the cases and investi-
years later
and loved ones last Thursday
gations, Brian was simply a great friend. ... He always, always showed up when you needed him.”
Leanne Simonsen tearfully remembered her late husband.
“Like one of Brian’s best friends just said, there are just no more words anymore,” she said. “No new joys, no new sorrows, no new memories. It’s only what we have left — the memories of Brian. And thank God for that.”
She said she has to keep looking forward, and the way to keep making new memories is to continue doing events in her husband’s name. She said it means a lot to her and her family that her husband is still loved and remembered.
“All of Brian’s friends are getting old,” she joked, “so I want the young ones to really grasp who Brian is and just carry his name out when we’re all gone.” Q
NYPD officers
attended an emotional tribute Mass in honor of the late Det. Brian Simonsen, who died in the line of duty in 2019. NYPD CHAPLAINS UNIT PHOTO / X; INSET, FILE PHOTO
Elected officials want Hochul to push for review of OCM approval Residents opposed to Bayside pot shop
by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor
More than 60 Bayside residents braved icy winds and temperatures to protest the state’s approval of an adult-use marijuana shop at 215-46 39 Ave.
Paul DiBenedetto, chairman of Community Board 11, said residents have many concerns about locating Canna Buddha in the middle of a residential neighborhood, four blocks north of Northern Boulevard.
“It’s not that it’s a marijuana shop,” DiBenedetto said just prior to the rally. “Those are legal. [Board 11] has approved some applications and disapproved others. I went to the opening of one to support a new business.”
His first objection is the residential character of the neighborhood. He also said no one from the company showed up at the hearing on the application held by CB 11, a step in the process for every application in the city.
“They didn’t show up to their own hearing, so we turned them down,” he said.
Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside) told the crowd his mother used to live across the street from the former deli where the shop is slated to open on an unspecified date. He said showing up at a hearing should be a bare minimum requirement for a dis-
Assemblyman Ed Braunstein and other elected officials are calling on Gov. Hochul to have the Office of Cannabis Management reconsider an application in Bayside. PHOTO BY
pensary application.
Braunstein also said that the OCM was very aware of the community’s opposition. DiBenedetto cited more than 20 calls, and letters from residents.
“Our voices must be part of the process and our concerns have been ignored,” the assemblyman said. Braunstein said he, state Sen. John Liu (D-Bayside), Councilwoman
EMT indicted for 2021 fatal gunpoint robbery
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
A Rockaway Beach FDNY EMT was indicted last Thursday on first-degree murder and other charges for a fatal 2021 gunpoint robbery in Astoria, the Queens District Attorney’s Office said.
According to the charges, on April 18, 2021, at approximately 10 p.m., the victim, 22-year-old Kyle Griffin, was sitting in a white Range Rover parked in front of 40-13 30 Ave. in Astoria. He had just left a nearby lounge with friends, the DA’s Office said.
A short time later, a Jeep Grand Cherokee pulled over next to Griffin’s car, preventing him from leaving. At the same time, the defendant, 26-year-old Jordan Hannah, and an unapprehended accomplice allegedly approached Griffin’s car, opened the rear passenger door and climbed inside, according to the charges. Hannah and the accomplice allegedly each displayed a firearm, and one said, in sum and substance, “Give us everything you have.”
Griffin attempted to drive away and was shot twice in the torso, the charges
said. Hannah and the accomplices immediately fled the scene. Griffin was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
According to the DA’s Office, two spent shell casings were recovered at the scene, and two loaded pistols — a black .380-caliber Smith & Wesson and a black 9mm Glock — were recovered a few blocks away.
Hannah was arraigned on Feb. 13 on a 22-count indictment charging him with three counts of first-degree murder, four counts of second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree robbery, four counts of first-degree attempted robbery, second-degree robbery, two counts of attempted second-degree robbery, four counts of second-degree criminal posession of a weapon and two counts of tampering with physical evidence.
Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Aloise remanded the defendant and ordered him to return to court on April 30.
If convicted of the top charge, Hannah faces a potential maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, the DA’s Office said. Q
Vickie Paladino and others have contacted Gov. Hochul to have OCM reconsider the application.
Some residents and officials have pointed out that Sacred Heart Catholic Academy is just a block away — but state laws specify that a dispensary only cannot be on the same block as a school. A shop also would be illegal if a school was within 500 feet —
the academy is 520 feet away.
“I’m still worried about the children in the neighborhood,” said resident Susan Citrola, who has grandchildren in the neighborhood. “I’m worried about the kind of people it will attract.” She worries that children will be subjected to people lighting up right outside the store.
Her daughter, Diana Socci, wants the city to take another look at whether a marijuana shop is even permitted there under zoning regulations.
Socci also want residents’ voices heard.
“Residents are opposed to it,” she said. “Every elected official is opposed to it, and the community board is opposed to it.
Abdul Hamid, the owner and license holder, has two more Canna Buddha stores in New Mexico. In a telephone interview Tuesday evening, he said he was unaware of the opposition from Board 11 or that Tuesday’s protest had been planned.
“We have been granted a license by the Office of Cannabis Management,” he said. “I want to be a good neighbor, give back to the community, bring jobs to the community. I want to have a positive start.”
Hamid also said that Board 11 had a 30-day period to express its opposition to the state, which can be extended to 60 days upon request. Q
Teen girl shot dead by another youth: police
by Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief
A teenage girl was shot dead last Saturday afternoon in Holliswood by someone even younger than her, police said.
Deaza Barkley, 17, was found with a gunshot wound to the head inside 87-25 Clover Place just before 5:15 p.m., according to the NYPD, after police responded to a 911 call. She was transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and pronounced deceased.
On Sunday night, a little after 11 p.m., police arrested an unnamed 16-year-old male somewhere within the jurisdiction of the 107th Precinct, which is where the crime occurred, the NYPD said.
Police did not elaborate on where the arrest took place.
The alleged killer was not charged with murder but instead with manslaughter, as well as criminal possession of a weapon, in both the second and third degrees, and criminal possession of a firearm.
The New York Post reported that family and friends of the victim, who lived in Brooklyn, were baffled by what she was doing at the Holliswood house, which sits
fatal shooting of a teenage girl.
in a neighborhood of large homes just north of Hillside Avenue. The Post also ran a photo of a male person being led out of the house in handcuffs.
A police spokesman could not confirm media reports that the shooting was accidental. The relationship between Barkley and the person charged was not stated.
Both the Post and the Daily News reported that Barkley was a cheerleader who was to graduate high school this year. The Post quoted her mother as saying she planned to join the Air Force. Q
The site of last Saturday’s
GOOGLE MAPS IMAGE
MICHAEL GANNON
What are the ‘ABCS’ of heart health?
A: Take aspirin as directed by your health care professional.
Ask your health care professional if aspirin can reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Be sure to tell your health care professional if you have a family history of heart disease or stroke, and mention your own medical history.
B: Control your blood pressure.
Blood pressure measures the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. If your blood pressure stays high for a long time, you may suffer from high blood pressure (also called hypertension).
High blood pressure increases your risk for heart attack or stroke more than any other risk factor. Find out what your blood pressure numbers are, and ask your health care professional what those numbers mean for your health. If you have high blood pressure, work with your health care professional to lower it.
C: Manage your cholesterol.
Cholesterol is a waxy substance produced by the liver and found in certain foods. Your body needs cholesterol, but when you have too much, it can build up in your arteries and
cause heart disease.There are different types of cholesterol: One type is “good” and can protect you from heart disease, but another type is “bad” and can increase your risk. Talk to your health care professional about cholesterol and how to lower your bad cholesterol if it’s too high.
S: Don’t smoke.
Smoking raises your blood pressure, which increases your risk for heart attack and stroke. If you smoke, quit. Talk with your health care professional about ways to help you stick with your decision. It’s never too late to quit smoking. Visit smokefree.gov or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW today.
What do I need to know about high blood pressure?
High blood pressure is the leading cause of heart attack and stroke in the United States. It can also damage your eyes and kidneys. One in three American adults has high blood pressure, and only about half of them have it under control.
How is blood pressure measured?
Two numbers (for example, 140/90) help determine blood pressure. The first number measures systolic pres-
sure, which is the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart beats. The second number measures diastolic pressure, which is the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart rests between beats.
When and how should I take my blood pressure?
Take your blood pressure regularly, even if you feel fine. Generally, people with high blood pressure have no symptoms. You can take your blood pressure at home, at many pharmacies, and at your doctor’s office.
How can I control my blood pressure?
Work with your health care professional to make a plan for managing your blood pressure. Be sure to follow these guidelines:
Eat a healthy diet. Choose foods low in trans fat and sodium (salt). Most people in the United States consume more sodium than recommended.
Everyone age two and up should consume less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day.
Adults age 51 and older; African Americans of all ages; and people with high blood pressure, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease should con-
sume even less than that: only 1,500 mg of sodium per day.
Get moving. Staying physically active will help you control your weight and strengthen your heart. Try walking for 10 minutes, 3 times a day, 5 days a week.
Take your medications. If you have high blood pressure, your health care professional may give you blood pressure medicine to help control it. It’s important to follow your health care professional’s instructions when taking the medication and to keep taking it even if you feel well. Tell your health care professional if the medicine makes you feel bad. Your health care team can suggest different ways to reduce side effects or recommend another medicine that may have fewer side effects.
Who is part of my health care team?
The doctor is not the only health care professional who can help you follow the “ABCS.” Nurses, pharmacists, community health workers, health coaches, and other professionals can work with you and your doctor to help you achieve your health goals.
— both stories courtesy AHA’s millionhearts.hhs.gov
story
Rosa was caring for her granddaughter when she felt a sharp pain in her chest that didn’t go away. At the hospital, the health care professional told her that she had high blood pressure and that it had caused a heart attack. Rosa was surprised—she didn’t feel bad most of the time and didn’t know she had high blood pressure.
The health care professional gave Rosa medicine to help control her blood pressure and prevent another heart attack. Rosa takes her medicine every day so she can keep her blood pressure under control. It’s important to Rosa to stay healthy. She wants to see her granddaughter grow up and get married one day.
Tips for women to prevent heart disease
More women die from heart disease than from any other cause: about one in five American women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
You can take action now to reduce your risk. Resources from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration can help women of all ages learn how to use FDA-approved drugs and devices safely to prevent and treat heart disease.
The FDA offers fact sheets, videos, and other web-based tools to teach you not only about heart disease but also conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, which can increase a woman’s heart disease risk.
The FDA also offers the Heart Health for Women page to connect women to resources to support heart-healthy living. Watch the FDA Office of Women’s Health educational videoExternal Link Disclaimer to learn more about cardiovascular disease and women’s heart health. The video is part of an initiative to share knowledge and news on women’s health.
“Many women do not realize that they are at risk for heart disease. Understanding that women may have unique risk factors and can present with non-typical symptoms is critical to fighting heart disease in women,” said Dr. Kaveeta Vasisht, FDA’s associate commissioner for Women’s Health.
The risk of heart disease increases for everyone as we age. For women, the risk goes up after menopause, but younger women can also develop heart disease.
Here are some tips on how to reduce your risk and make informed decisions about your health. Even small changes can help.
8 Tips to Reduce Your Risk
1. Know your risk factors. Nine out of 10 women have at least one risk factor for heart disease. Risk factors include:
• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol
• diabetes
• smoking
• a family history of premature heart disease
Obesity also increases the risk of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and pre-diabetes, which increases the risk of heart disease. With the exception of family history, you can modify the other risk factors to reduce your risk of heart disease.
• extreme fatigue
• breaking out in a cold sweat
As with men, the most common symptom of a heart attack in women is chest discomfort. But you can have a heart attack without chest pain or pressure. And women are more likely than men to have other symptoms, such as back pain, jaw pain, shortness of breath, indigestion, and nausea/vomiting.
If you have these symptoms and suspect you’re having a heart attack, call 9-1-1. Call even if you’re not sure, it could save your life.
4. Do regular physical activity, and maintain a healthy weight. You don’t need to complete all activity at one set time, and it’s okay if you’re not a fan of the gym.
everyone. Talk with a health care provider before you use aspirin to prevent heart attacks.
7. If you smoke, try to quit. Check out How Smoking Affects Heart Health and learn more about medicines to help you quit.
8. Talk to a health care provider about whether you can participate in a clinical trial for a heart medication or procedure. A clinical trial is a research study that involves human volunteers. Visit the FDA’s Women in Clinical Trials page to learn more.
Menopause and Hormone Therapy
Menopause does not cause heart disease. But the decline in estrogen after menopause may be one of several factors in the increase in heart disease risk. Other risks, such as weight gain, may also increase around the time of menopause.
2. Manage current health conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Talk to your health care provider to confirm the best treatment plan.
3. Recognize symptoms of a heart attack in women, and call 9-1-1 if needed. Know that symptoms in women can be the same or different as those in men.
Symptoms can include:
• an ache or feeling of tightness in the chest, arm(s), neck, jaw, back, or abdomen
• shortness of breath
• nausea/vomiting
• lightheadedness
Walking may be one easy way to start. Talk to your health care provider about how much activity is right for you.
5. Make heart-healthy food choices. For example, you can eat fruits and vegetables with each meal; limit saturated fat and added sugars; and eat more whole grains. Choose the leanest cuts of meat available, and prepare them in healthy ways.
The updated Nutrition Facts Label can tell you key information about the packaged foods you eat. It includes details about serving sizes and sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar. You can check with your health care provider to confirm the food choices best for you.
6. Know daily use of aspirin is not right for
Hormone therapy can be used to treat some of the problems women have during menopause. However, the FDA has not approved any estrogen hormone replacement therapy for reduction of heart disease. Learn more about menopause and hormones.
Make a Plan, Take Action
Work with your health care provider to make a plan for your heart health. No matter what routine you choose, make a list of your medicines and supplements and bring it with you to all your appointments. Talk to your health care provider if you have any questions. — courtesy fda.gov/consumers/ consumer-updates/
Scan the QR code to take our survey
Heart Health at Jamaica Hospital
Pregnancy is often seen as a temporary journey, but its impact on a woman’s health can last a lifetime. Complications such as gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, preterm birth, and stillbirth are not just short-term concerns–they are warning signs of future cardiovascular disease (CVD). Women with a history of preeclampsia, for example, are at twice the risk of stroke and four times the risk of hypertension. Despite these alarming statistics, many women remain unaware of their increased risk, often due to gaps in education, postpartum care, and insurance coverage.
At Jamaica Hospital in Queens, we are building a group visit program based on the CenteringPregnancy model. This program will provide education, peer support, and comprehensive cardiovascular screenings–including echocardiograms, blood pressure monitoring, and metabolic profiles–to help women manage their long-term health risks.
Warning signs of a heart attack
Catch the signs early
Don’t wait to get help if you experience any heart attack warning signs. Some heart attacks are sudden and intense, but others start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Pay attention to your body and call 911 if you experience:
Healthcare providers also need greater awareness. Many are not trained to recognize pregnancy complications as early indicators of future heart disease, leading to missed opportunities for prevention. We must bridge this gap through education, consistent follow-up care, and innovative postpartum models.
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Your health matters. If you’ve had pregnancy complications, you could be at risk for heart disease. Take control of your future–please go to the following link; https://www.sur veymonkey.com/r/3L5MG2M or scan the QR code below and take our cardiac risk survey. Your responses will help shape the care we provide and ensure more women receive the follow-up they need. Knowing your risk is the first step to protecting your heart.
Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes – or it may go away and then return. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Shortness of breath. This can occur with or without chest discomfort.
Other signs. Other possible signs include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
Symptoms vary between men and women
As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain (angina) or discomfort. But women may experience other
symptoms that are typically less associated with heart attack, such as shortness of breath, nausea/ vomiting, and back or jaw pain. Learn about the warning signs of heart attack in women.
Don’t hesitate to call 911
Learn the signs of heart attack and, even if you’re not sure it’s a heart attack, have it checked out. Minutes matter. Fast action can save lives – maybe your own. Call 911 if you experience heart attack warning signs. It's almost always the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment.
An emergency medical services team can begin treatment when they arrive. EMS staf f are also trained to provide resuscitation efforts to someone whose heart has stopped. People with chest pain who arrive by ambulance may also receive faster treatment at the hospital.
For many reasons, it’s best to call 911 so that an experienced EMS team can begin treatment and arrange rapid transport to the emergency room. P
— courtesy American Heart Association website at heart.org/en/health-topics.
rief shiningmoments
Vote for the best at the Short Play Fest
Ja nuary 20, 2025
Call it a theatrical smorgasbord !
It’s the Queens Short Play Festival 2025, now giving audiences a chance to savor a half dozen or more diverse experiences in a single sitting. It all takes place at The Secret Theatre in Woodside, where the event runs through March 9.
Just a mention of some of the titles should be ample evidence of the diversity of the entries: “Alien Abduction,” “Hares Are Made to Fly,” “Holy God, Who’s Next,” “Fireflies Taught Us Pyromania,” “One Man’s Show Is Another Man’s Funeral” and “The Values of Gold, Silver, and Bronze,” among many others.
“It’s ver y digestible for people,” offering a “great big festival’s Cassandra Gutterman-Johns, returning for her third go-round in this position.
According to the theater’s founder and artistic director, Richard Mazda, more t han 200 plays were submitted f or the f estival, “the bi gg est g rou p o f plays we’ve ever had.” About one quarter of them made the final cut
The format has proven popular with audiences. As Mazda explained, “We get a section of the community who are not necessarily performers. You’ve got different shows and no one show dominates. I f you hate one particular play, it could be the next one delights you.”
night [with] big variety,” said the festival’s curator, some big ensemble pieces, dramas,
“You get some l ove stories, some ensemble dramas, comedies, tra g edies,” GuttermanJohns said.
While making her selections, “a lot of factors are at p la y,” she said, including the quality of the writing and the relevance of a stor y. She looks for the kinds of p la y s that haven’t been done before or ones that pu p t a new twist on more familia r pieces. She also appreciates plays with characters who have “interestin g relationshi p s to each other.”
In addition to looking for works with these individual q ualities, Gutterman-Johns said it is also consid er t he overa ll composition of each group of plays.
important to consider the overall
continued on page 25
King Crossword Puzzle
I HAVE OFTEN WALKED
Mingus improvised the sound of Jamaica jazz
by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor
Charles Mingus Jr. was born in Nogales, Ariz., on April 22, 1922 to Charles Sr. and Mammie. He was their their third child, with two sisters. The family soon moved to Los Angeles.
Charles studied trombone and cello. He later studied bass and became a prodigy. He toured with Louis Armstrong in 1943 at age 21. In 1952 he co-founded Debut Records.
In 1954 he also became a how-to author, writing a pamphlet on training cats to use a toilet.
Over a 10-year period Mingus released 30 records for a number of labels. In 1961 he left his apartment in Lenox Terrace at Fifth Avenue and West 133rd Street in Manhattan to move in with his mother’s sister Louise at 167-17 109 Road in Jamaica. Louise was married to Fess Williams, the clarinet player and bandleader. They worked together at the Town Hall Concert, a live workshop recording session in 1962. Mingus later moved into a two-family home at 106-47 Waltham St in Jamaica.
‘Why We Celebrate Juneteenth’ returns
by Naeisha Rose Editor
Months after a showing at Black Spectrum’s History Park, an outdoor theater space in St. Albans, “Why We Celebrate Juneteenth: A Play,” will be back Saturday, March 1 at 2 and 7 p.m.
The show, written and directed by Carly Clay, Black Spectrum’s founder, is a reenactment of what took place in Galveston, Texas in 1865, said Clay via text. Tickets are $8.
“Its blaring undertones of family separations, cultural traditions and connections to African ancestry are explored,” he said. “This play is a historical lesson for children and adults.”
The theater is located at 177-01 Baisley Blvd. in St. Albans. Purchase tickets by calling the box office at (718) 723-1800, Monday through Friday, or by visiting shorturl.at/fN8S0 or blackspectrum.net.
Juneteenth, short for June Nineteenth, is a holiday commemorating the effective end of slavery in the United States in 1865. President Abraham Lincoln promised the freedom of Black people via the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, and
PHOTO COURTESY BST
the executive order went into effect the following year. Texas was the last state where the order was enforced. Slavery was formally abolished with the adoption of the 13th Amendment in December 1865, and the first celebration of the holiday was June 19, 1866, according to history.com. Q
The home of jazzman, composer, bandleader and author Charles Mingus Jr., at 106-47 Waltham St. in Jamaica, as it looked in the 1960s when he lived there.
By the 1970s he discovered he had motor neuron disease, which slowed down his career, but he continued to write music.
Mingus moved to Cuernavaca, Mexico, to receive treatments and convalescence, and passed away there at age 56 on Jan. 5, 1979. His bebop, avant-garde jazz and improvisation made him one of the greatest musicians and composers in history. Q
B SPORTS EAT
by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor
At the end of the dismal Jets 2024 season, the two questions that needed to be answered were, “Who will compose the new leadership team for Gang Green?” and “Will Aaron Rodgers return as the team’s quarterback?”
Last week the Jets announced that Darren Mougey, most recently a Denver Broncos executive, would be their general manager. The Jets previously announced the hiring of longtime Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to be their head coach. Glenn is familiar to Jets fans of a certain age. He was a firstround draft choice in 1994 and then spent eight years as a top-notch cornerback for the club.
On Super Bowl Sunday, Fox Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer broke the news that the Jets had informed Rodgers he would not be returning for the 2025 season. The team confirmed Glazer’s scoop this past Thursday.
Interestingly, Glenn did not shut the door when asked about Rodgers at his introductory press conference. He may have been trying to be diplomatic, or he may have been intrigued by the idea of having Rodgers lead the offense.
After all, his stats were quite good. He completed 63 percent of his passes. He threw 28 touchdowns while only being tagged for 11 interceptions in 17 games. He also was injuryfree in 2024, poetic justice considering he
missed the entire 2023 season after only four plays when he tore his Achilles tendon.
On the debit side for Rodgers was the fact that the Jets only won five games in 2024, or two fewer than they won with Zach Wilson and Mike White handling the QB chores in 2023.
Another debit was that he will turn 41 in 2025.
NBC Sports executives told me they doubt the Jets will be on “Sunday Night Football” anytime soon. The Jets are irrelevant to TV executives, which cannot please team owner Woody Johnson. They will once again be America’s 1 p.m. team.
Mougey does not want to deal with the offfield drama Rodgers brings. That includes unpredictable appearances on Pat McAfee’s ESPN show, criticizing teammates in press conferences and missing a mandatory off-season minicamp last June to vacation in Egypt.
Mougey also saw how Rodgers bullied his predecessor, Joe Douglas, into signing his old Packers teammates Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard, Tim Boyle and Davante Adams. The first three were busts. Adams was productive, but Rodgers ignored talented receiver Garrett Wilson as soon as he joined the team. Wilson hinted he might want to leave. Mougey understandably values him as a key part of the Jets’ future. Adios, Aaron. Q
See the extended version of Sports Beat every week at qchron.com
A previous performance of “Why We Celebrate Juneteenth: A Play” at History Park in St. Albans.
INSET PHOTO BY TOM MARCELLO VIA WIKIPEDIA
Maspeth author weaves heartwarming stories
by Stephanie G. Meditz associate editor
Though she said her writing career was “accidental” and “serendipitous,” Maxine Fisher’s penchant and passion for crafting engaging children’s stories could leave anyone fooled.
In “Grandma Mabel’s Fables,” published by Richard Babley Books, Fisher compiles a selection of stories, including both originals and adaptations of classics, and allows readers to experience them through the ears of young sheep hearing the tales from their grandmother while she knits.
When she finishes telling each story, Grandma Mabel asks the children what they think the lesson is, and their takeaways often differ.
“There’s always a very direct moral at the end of fables. And what I hoped would come across is the idea that there could be many different things that you learn from a different story,” Fisher said. “There’s not just one set in stone.”
Fisher also intended for the book to be interactive and let children derive their own meanings from each fable. Grandma Mabel’s stories are often carefully chosen to help the children handle a problem they face, which also points to the theme of finding help through literature.
PHOTO BY STEVE FISHER / FILE
Fisher said Grandma Mabel was inspired by memories of her own grandmother, who lived with her family in her childhood home above the family business on Grand Avenue. One of her original fables even refers to the Maspeth street, where a walrus lived in a room above a hat shop.
The character’s knitting hobby is a nod to her grandmother, but it also notes a connection between stories and textiles.
“She creates her stories out of her head, in some cases, or adapts stories that are known as she knits. The clickety-clack of the needles creates a kind of music, a rhythm that sets storytelling going,” Fisher said. “And the kids recognize this. So whenever she reaches for her knitting bag, they get excited because they know a story could be coming.”
Fisher said the book is intended to be enjoyable both for children and the adults reading it to them. She said Tom Hachtman’s illustrations create “a lot of fun” in her books by capturing the stories’ mood and characters’ personalities.
Fisher’s book may have been published at the end of last year, but she already has an idea for her next one. Rather than a collection of stories, she would like her next project to be a children’s novel focused on climate change and its effects on a pond ecosystem, specifically the one referenced in “Grandma Mabel’s Fables” in her retelling of “The Tortoise and the Hare.”
“I also try, with every book, for it to be a stretch for me, to challenge myself to do something I haven’t done before,” she said.
The book is one of several that she has written in recent years, as she returned to writing full-time after her retirement.
Fisher said she “fell into” professional writing — in her 20s, she met a young man who hoped to open an animation studio in New York. When he got a commission from “Sesame Street” for a one-minute animated film that told a story through song, he solicited her help with the writing portion.
“I went home and I tried and I came up with something, and it was accepted with the invitation to do much more of them,” Fisher said.
Her career evolved into writing screenplays for half-hour children specials often produced by networks such as PBS. At the same time, she was a doctoral student in cultural anthropology at City University.
“On those long rides from Queens to Manhattan, I was writing little story songs about why you should go to the dentist,” she said.
Asked if she had a favorite part or story in her book, Fisher struggled to select one.
“I throw these things out and I hope people will enjoy them as much as I enjoy writing them,” she said. Q
Brevity is the soul of wit in Woodside, too
Both Mazda and Gutterman-Johns see the festival as a good opportunity for the participants.
“One of the things I’m doing is providing a platform,” Mazda said. Writers, in particular, can benefit from the experience, with an opportunity to see how their work plays in front of an audience, he said, adding, “It’s encouraging for playwrights to produce work that doesn’t cost them that much. It’s a
Crossword Answers
positive experience for everyone involved.”
Festivals such as this “give a chance to playwrights, actors, directors to try something,” Gutterman-Johns said. “For a lot of people, it’s their first time writing a play, a chance to try something new. It’s a good opportunity for artists and exciting for our community.”
The festival’s popularity reaches far beyond the borough. This year, plays were submitted from across New York City, as well as from Chicago, Massachusetts, Texas and Arizona, according to Gutterman-Johns.
And Mazda pointed out that “not every actor is from Queens.”
He also seemed pleased that “we end up working with a fair amount of people who have worked with us before.”
The festival, which follows a competitive format, is divided into eight completely different programs, labeled A through H, each with six or seven plays. Audiences are invited to submit ranked-choice votes for all the plays they see at a particular performance.
The top two vote getters in each program move on to the semifinal round, with some eventually making it to the finals. At that last round, the grand finale, to take place on
All are contenders in The Secret Theatre’s Short Play Festival, now underway, and are seeking your vote.
March 9, the audience is joined by two professional judges. Cash awards and trophies are given to the most outstanding play, to the two top nongendered actors and for best director.
All performances take place at The Secret Theatre, at 38-02 61 St. Tickets are $25, or $18 for seniors 60 and older, or $15 for kids 3 to 17. For the full schedule or further information, visit secrettheatre.com. Q
Maxine Fisher drew inspiration for her latest kids’ book from her own grandmother.
The performer Saturnalia in “Saturn Says Shalom,” left, and Catherine Bloom and Griffin Ostrowski in “GrownUps.” On the cover: Gabriela Llarena, left, and Teresa Langford in “Antoine at the Border.”
PHOTOS BY REIKO YOO YANAGI
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Classified Ad Deadline is 12 Noon on Tuesday for Thursday’s paper.
Notice of Formation of 21245 26 AVE LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/10/25. Office location: Queens County. Princ. office of LLC: c/o Cord Meyer Development LLC, 108-18 Queens Blvd., Forest Hills, NY 11375. 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: Any lawful activity. 154-71 BROOKVILLE INVESTORS LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 10/30/24. Office in Queens Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 180 Maiden Ln, Ste 901, NY, NY 10038. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
For Legal Notice Rates & Information Call 718-205-8000
Legal Notices
Notice of Formation of Family Policy Insights, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 02/03/2025. Office location: Queens County. SSNY is designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to: Laurie C. Maldonado 110-55 72nd Road, Apt #105 Forest Hills, NY 11375 Purpose: Any lawful act or activity which LLC may be organized under the NY LLC Law.
Notice of Formation of FREEZE SECURITY LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 05/27/2024 Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, 17506 DEVONSHIRE RD APT 5F, JAMAICA, NY, 11432. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation: HONGXING REGIONAL CENTER
LLC Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 02/03/2025. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copies of any process served against the LLC to 58-97 57th Street, Maspeth, NY 11378 Purpose: Any lawful purpose or activity
Notice of Formation of IMAGINARY FINISH LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/29/25. Office location: Queens 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 MGN 137-35 91ST AVE, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/13/25. Office location: Queens County. Princ. office of LLC: 1074 Grand St., Brooklyn, NY 11211. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
C M SQ page 28 Y K
NOTICE OF SALE
In pursuance and by virtue of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly granted and entered in and action entitled NYCTL
1998-2 Trust v. Sereth T. Hosty, et al., bearing Index No. 91862011 before the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Queens, IAS Part 6, Justice Tracy Catapano-Fox, on or about February 26, 2024, I, the Referee, duly appointed in this action for such purpose, will expose for sale and sell at public auction to the highest bidder on March 21, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., at the Queens County Supreme Court located at 8811 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica, New York 11435, the mortgaged premises designated as Block 11190, Lot 37 in the City of New York, County and Borough of Queens, State of New York and known as 223-23 109th Avenue, Queens Village, New York 11429, directed in and by said judgment to be sold. The approximate amount of the judgment is $299,772.53 plus interest and other charges, and the property is being sold subject to the terms and conditions stated in the judgment, any prior encumbrances and the terms of sale which shall be available at the time of sale.Dated: February 20, 2025 New York, New York Richard Gutierrez, Esq. Referee 118-35 Queens Blvd., Suite 1500 Forest Hills, New York 11375 (718) 520-0663
DAVID P. STICH, ESQ. Attorney for Plaintiff 521 Fifth Avenue, 17th Floor New York, New York 10175 (646) 554-4421
PZ REALTY HOLDINGS, LLC,
Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 01/23/2025. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Peter Zuccarello, 148-29 Cross Island Pkwy, Whitestone, NY 11357. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
New York City Department of Transportation Notice of Public Hearing Publish in Queens Chronicle
The New York City Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing, the hearing will be held remotely commencing on Wednesday February 26, 2025 at 11:00 AM. via the WebEx platform, on the following petition for revocable consent, in the Borough of Queens.
The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey – to continue to maintain & use duct banks under & across properties in the vicinity of LaGuardia Airport, Grand Central Pkwy & 23rd Ave.
Interested parties can obtain copies of proposed agreement or request sign-language interpreters (with at least seven days prior notice) at 55 Water Street, 9 Floor, New York, NY 10041, or by calling (212) 839-6550
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT: QUEENS COUNTY. CHONDRITE REO, LLC (5), Pltf., vs. EXCELLENT DEVELOPMENT I LLC., et al, Defts. Index #707851/2019. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered March 27, 2024, I will sell at public auction on the front steps of the Queens County Supreme Court, 88-11 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica, NY on March 7, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. prem. k/a 87-34 169th Street, Jamaica, NY 11432 a/k/a Block 9841, Lot(s) 46 and 48. Approx. amt. of judgment is $1,088,825.35 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. LAMONT RAMSAY BAILEY, Referee. DEUTSCH & SCHNEIDER, LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 79-37 Myrtle Avenue, Glendale, NY. File No. LF-108- #102061
Notice of Formation of EXELTHIOR’S KINGDOM LLC
Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 02/10/2025 Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: RICK D’ANDREA, 31-10 23RD STREET, 3B, ASTORIA, NY 11106. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF QUEENS. WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE ON BEHALF OF ANTLR MORTGAGE TRUST 2021RTL 1, Plaintiff -against- MESSIAH, INC., et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated December 6, 2024 and entered on December 10, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, 88-11 Sutphin Blvd., in Courtroom # 25, Jamaica, NY on March 7, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, known and designated as Block 13185 Lot 45
Said premises known as 13916 230TH PLACE, LAURELTON, NY 11413 Approximate amount of lien $498,175.58 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 722421/2022. MARTHA TAYLOR, ESQ., Referee Pincus Law Group, PLLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 425 RXR Plaza, Uniondale, NY 11556
Notice of Formation of Sonder Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatry, PLLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State (SSNY) on 1/28/25. Office location: Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent of PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Capitol Services, Inc., 1218 Central Ave, Ste 100, Albany, NY 12205. Purpose: practice the profession of nurse practitioner in psychiatry.
Notice of Formation of IH EGC II LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State (SSNY) on 1/23/25. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Infinite Horizons, LLC, 142-05 Rockaway Blvd., Jamaica, NY 11436. Purpose: any lawful activity.
Federal, New York State and local laws prohibit discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, marital status, familial status or disability in connection with the sale or rental of residential real estate. Queens Chronicle does not knowingly accept advertising in violation of these laws. When you suspect housing discrimination call the Open Housing Center (the Fair Housing Agency for the five boroughs of New York) at 212941-6101, or the New York City Commission of Human Rights Hotline at 718-722-3131. The Queens Chronicle reserves the right to alter wording in ads to conform with Federal Fair Housing regulations.
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Howard Beach, elegant brick custom Colonial, 4 BR, 4.5 baths, master BR w/en-suite& 2 BRs w/full baths. Custom KIT, LR, FDR, den. Full finished bsmnt, sep ent, paved yard with IGP w/jacuzzi. Price Improvement Asking $1,390,000. Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136
Prime Retail Space
Available along busy Jamaica Avenue for Rent.
area & recently vacated.
1200+ sq. ft. commercial
w/unfinished basement for storage. $3,300/month. Landlord willing to work with all kinds of retailers. Call for details (646) 642-9599
Notice is hereby given that Amerasia Bank, Flushing, New York has filed an application with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to establish a branch office at 7970 Northwest 36th Street, Doral, FL 33166.
Any person wishing to comment on this application may file his or her comments in writing with the regional director of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation at its New York Regional Office, 350 Fifth Avenue #1200, New York, NY 10118. The comments must be received by the regional director by March 7, 2025. The non-confidential portions of the application are on file at the FDIC regional office and are available for public inspection during regular business hours. Photocopies of the nonconfidential portions of the application file will be made available upon request.
MAIN
BANK
NY 11355
SUMMONS Index No. 727371/2023 STATE OF NEW YORK SUPREME COURT – COUNTY OF QUEENS BOKF, N.A., Plaintiff, -vs- NURETTIN FIRIK, whether he/she be alive or dead, or the successor in interest, if any, of said defendant who may be deceased, and the respective Heirs at Law, next of kin, distributees, devisees, grantees, trustees, lienors, creditors, assignees and successors in interest of the aforesaid classes of persons, if they or any of them be dead, and their respective husbands, wives or widows, if any, all of whom and whose names and places of residence are unknown to the plaintiff; SALMA SALAZAR A/K/A SALMA SHAKIRA SALAZAR; MARIA SALAZAR; EDWIN SALAZAR; CITIZENS BANK, N.A.; HENG XU; LVNV FUNDING, LLC; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; UNITED STATES OF AMERCIA; STATE OF NEW YORK; WILLIAM GARCIA; JANE DOE #1-4, individuals whose names remain unknown to the Plaintiff; JOHN DOE #2-3, individuals whose names remain unknown to the Plaintiff; Defendants. Mortgaged Premises: 50-26 46th Street, Woodside, NY 11377 TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANT(S): YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service hereof. Your failure to appear or answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you, unless the Defendant obtained a bankruptcy discharge and such other or further relief as may be just and equitable. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer to the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. QUEENS County is designated as the place of trial. The basis of venue is the location of the mortgaged premises. Dated: December 18, 2023 Mark K. Broyles, Esq. FEIN SUCH & CRANE, LLP Attorneys for Plaintiff Office and P.O. Address 28 East Main Street, Suite 1800 Rochester, New York 14614 Telephone No. (585) 232-7400 Block: 2295 Lot: 67 NATURE AND OBJECT OF ACTION
The object of the above action is to foreclose a mortgage held by the Plaintiff recorded in the County of QUEENS, State of New York as more particularly described in the Complaint herein. TO THE DEFENDANT, the plaintiff makes no personal claim against you in this action. To the above named defendants: The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of HON. TIMOTHY J. DUFFICY Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, dated JANUARY 24, 2025 and filed along with the supporting papers in the QUEENS County Clerk’s Office. This is an action to foreclose a Mortgage. ALL that certain in plot, piece or parcel of land, situate lying and being in the Borough of Queens, City and State of New York Mortgaged Premises: 50-26 46th Street, Woodside, NY 11377 Tax Map/Parcel ID No.: Block: 2295 Lot: 67 of the BOROUGH of QUEENS, NY 11377 84439
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SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK – COUNTY OF QUEENS INDEX NO. 720502/2020 FILED: 10/9/2023 SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS
Plaintiff designates Queens County as the place of trial based on the location of the mortgaged premises in this action. Plaintiff’s principal place of business is 5114 Buford Highway NE, Doraville, Georgia 30340. METRO CITY BANK, Plaintiff, -against- DANYAN XING, NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD, NINA CHEN A/K/A RONGBAO CHEN, BICHUN LI, CUIHONG LI, LONGJIN LI, PINGYU LIN, YUECHAO LIN, SHURU LU, AIXIAN SHI, XINGYING SHI, HAILI XUE, SHOUQIANG YAN, LIANMEI YANG, YOUBIN YANG if living, and if dead, the respective heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignors, lienors, creditors and successors in interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendant who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and their respective husbands, wives or widow, if any, and each and every person not specifically named who may be entitled to or claim to have any right, title or interest in the property described in the verified complaint; all of whom and whose names and places of residence unknown, and cannot after diligent inquiry be ascertained by the Plaintiff, XIUFENG YOU, MEIWEI ZHANG, SHUIXIAN ZHAO, JUNFEI ZHENG, AIFANG CHEN, AIZHAO CHEN, DEFA CHEN, FENGXIN CHEN, JIANXIN CHEN, JIANYUN CHEN, LIYUN CHEN, PEIQIN CHEN, QICHUAN CHEN, RONGFANG CHEN, RONGPING CHEN, RUIZHEN CHEN, SHUPING CHEN, XIUQIN CHEN, XUERONG CHEN, YAN CHEN, YING CHEN, HUIYING CHEN, MINGLIN DONG, YONG DONG, YUMEI DONG, WENJIN GUO, JINRU JIANG, LIN JIANG, MEIZHU JIANG, QIUPING JIANG, XIA JIANG, XUEYING JIANG, YONGSHENG JIANG, YONGXIN JIANG, YUYING JIANG, BIFEN LI, BIYU LI, HAIBIN LI, JIANHUI LI, LIYUN LI, XIUQIN LI, YIZHONG LI, YUBING LI, ZHOU LI, BAORONG LIN, BIJU LIN, DAN LIN, DAN LIN, LIQIN LIN, MEIRONG LIN, QIUQIN LIN, QIURONG LIN, SAIZHEN LIN, SUXIANG LIN, XUEZHI LIN, YUFENG LIN if living, and if dead, the respective heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignors, lienors, creditors and successors in interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendant who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and their respective husbands, wives or widow, if any, and each and every person not specifically named who may be entitled to or claim to have any right, title or interest in the property described in the verified complaint; all of whom and whose names and places of residence unknown, and cannot after diligent inquiry be ascertained by the Plaintiff, YUYING LIN, ZHIQIANG LIN, QUAO CHEUNG LIN, CUILING LIU, SHUBAO LU, BIZHONG QIU, LANHUA SHAO, BICHAI SHI, BIYU SHI, GUANGXIONG SHI, WANGPING SHI, XIUXIANG WANG, XUEXIAN WANG, BIYING WEI, QIUYING WENG, HUIYU WU, WENYI WU, ZHIYI WU, YIJUN XIAO, SHANFEN XU, JINRONG YANG, YING YANG, BIJIN YE, XUEFANG YOU, YIXIANG YU, BIZHEN ZHANG, JINYU ZHANG, MEIHUA ZHANG, MEIYU ZHANG, MINGQIN ZHANG, QIUPING ZHANG, TIANRU ZHANG, TONGHUA ZHANG, YUHUA ZHANG, BIYUN ZHENG, CAIYING ZHENG, FENG ZHENG, JINYAN ZHENG, MEIJIN ZHENG, MEIYA ZHENG, MINGCHUN ZHENG, QIAOSHENG ZHENG, QIAOYAN ZHENG, SUQIN ZHENG, XIURONG ZHENG, YAN ZHENG, YAYING ZHENG, YUEYING ZHENG if living, and if dead, the respective heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignors, lienors, creditors and successors in interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendant who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and their respective husbands, wives or widow, if any, and each and every person not specifically named who may be entitled to or claim to have any right, title or interest in the property described in the verified complaint; all of whom and whose names and places of residence unknown, and cannot after diligent inquiry be ascertained by the Plaintiff, ZHUOYING ZHU, WENQIN ZOU, XIUYING ZOU, NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA O/B/O INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, JANE DOE #1, Defendants. To the above-named defendants: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with this summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the plaintiff’s attorneys within twenty (20) days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within thirty (30) days after the service is complete if this summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York); and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE MORTGAGE COMPANY WHO FILED THIS FORECLOSURE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT, A DEFAULT JUDGMENT MAY BE ENTERED AND YOU CAN LOSE YOUR HOME. SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY OR GO TO THE COURT WHERE YOUR CASE IS PENDING FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON HOW TO ANSWER THE SUMMONS AND PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY. SENDING A PAYMENT TO YOUR MORTGAGE COMPANY WILL NOT STOP THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. This action was commenced to foreclose a mortgage against real property located at 94-39 56th Ave., Elmhurst, NY 11373. Tax Parcel ID No. Block 1901 Lot 31. McCabe, Weisberg & Conway, LLC, Caren Bailey, Esq., Attorneys for Plaintiff, 1 Huntington Quadrangle, Suite 4N25, Melville, NY 11747. (631) 812-4084. (855) 845-2584 facsimile. File #20-303080. HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE NEW YORK STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT WE SEND YOU THIS NOTICE ABOUT THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME. IF YOU FAIL TO RESPOND TO THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT IN THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION, YOU MAY LOSE YOUR HOME. PLEASE READ THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT CAREFULLY. YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CONTACT AN ATTORNEY OR YOUR LOCAL LEGAL AID OFFICE TO OBTAIN ADVICE ON HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF. SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE The State encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. In addition to seeking assistance from an attorney or legal aid office, there are government agencies and non- profit organizations that you may contact for information about possible options, including trying to work with your lender during this process. To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by the New York State Department of Financial Services at 1-800-342-3736 or visit the Department`s website at www.dfs.ny.gov RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME AT THIS TIME. You have the right to stay in your home during the foreclosure process. You are not required to leave your home unless and until your property is sold at auction pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale. Regardless of whether you choose to remain in your home, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PROPERTY and pay property taxes in accordance with state and local law. FORECLOSURE RESCUE SCAMS Be careful of people who approach you with offers to “save” your home. There are individuals who watch for notices of foreclosure actions in order to unfairly profit from a homeowner’s distress. You should be extremely careful about any such promises and any suggestions that you pay them a fee or sign over your deed. State law requires anyone offering such services for profit to enter into a contract which fully describes the services they will perform and fees they will charge, and which prohibits them from taking any money from you until they have completed all such promised services. § 1303 NOTICE 16-12-20*
Notice of Formation of New Dawn Mental Health Counseling PLLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State (SSNY) on 1/3/25. Office location: Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent of PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail/email process to: 5027 103rd St, Corona, NY 11368, fcastillo@mhpwq.org. Purpose: practice the profession of mental health counseling.
THE PRINCE COMMERCIAL HOLDING LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 01/21/2025. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Jia Shu Xu, 112-15 Northern Blvd., #2, Corona, NY 11368. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
Supplemental Summons and Notice of Object of Action Supreme Court Of The State Of New York County Of Queens ACTION TO FORECLOSE A MORTGAGE Index #: 701241/2022 Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB, Not In Its Individual Capacity But Solely As Owner Trustee Of CSMC 2017-RPL3 Trust Plaintiff, vs Natalia Perez As Heir To The Estate Of Ivaldo Nascimento And Bernard Antolin Who Was The Heir To The Estate Of Ivaldo C. Nascimento AKA Ivaldo Nascimento, Unknown Heirs Of Bernard Antolin If Living, And If He/She Be Dead, Any And All Persons Unknown To Plaintiff, Claiming, Or Who May Claim To Have An Interest In, Or General Or Specific Lien Upon The Real Property Described In This Action; Such Unknown Persons Being Herein Generally Described And Intended To Be Included In Wife, Widow, Husband, Widower, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assignees Of Such Deceased, Any And All Persons Deriving Interest In Or Lien Upon, Or Title To Said Real Property By, Through Or Under Them, Or Either Of Them, And Their Respective Wives, Widows, Husbands, Widowers, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assigns, All Of Whom And Whose Names, Except As Stated, Are Unknown To Plaintiff, People Of The State Of New York, United States Of America Acting Through The IRS, New York City Parking Violations Bureau, New York City Environmental Control Board, Unknown Heirs Of Ivaldo C. Nascimento Aka Ivaldo Nascimento If Living, And If He/She Be Dead, Any And All Persons Unknown To Plaintiff, Claiming, Or Who May Claim To Have An Interest In, Or General Or Specific Lien Upon The Real Property Described In This Action; Such Unknown Persons Being Herein Generally Described And Intended To Be Included In Wife, Widow, Husband, Widower, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assignees Of Such Deceased, Any And All Persons Deriving Interest In Or Lien Upon, Or Title To Said Real Property By, Through Or Under Them, Or Either Of Them, And Their Respective Wives, Widows, Husbands, Widowers, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assigns, All Of Whom And Whose Names, Except As Stated, Are Unknown To Plaintiff John Doe (Those Unknown Tenants, Occupants, Persons Or Corporations Or Their Heirs, Distributees, Executors, Administrators, Trustees, Guardians, Assignees, Creditors Or Successors Claiming An Interest In The Mortgaged Premises.) Defendant(S). Mortgaged Premises: 25-47 123rd Street Flushing, NY 11354 To the Above named Defendant: You are hereby summoned to answer the Complaint in this action, and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Supplemental Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff(s) attorney(s) within twenty days after the service of this Supplemental Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this Supplemental Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York). In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. The Attorney for Plaintiff has an office for business in the County of Erie. Trial to be held in the County of Queens. The basis of the venue designated above is the location of the Mortgaged Premises. TO Unknown Heirs of Ivaldo C. Nascimento AKA Ivaldo Nascimento Defendants In this Action. The foregoing Supplemental Summons is served upon you by publication, pursuant to an order of HON. Timothy J. Dufficy of the Supreme Court Of The State Of New York, dated the Twenty-Eighth day of January, 2025 and filed with the Complaint in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens, in the City of Jamaica. The object of this action is to foreclosure a mortgage upon the premises described below, dated August 8, 2007, executed by Ivaldo C. Nascimento AKA Ivaldo Nascimento (who died on December 31, 2014, a resident of the county of Queens, State of New York) and Bernard Antolin (who died on January 3, 2019, a resident of the county of Queens, State of New York) to secure the sum of $375,000.00. The Mortgage was recorded at CRFN 2007000469582 in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County on September 12, 2007. The mortgage was subsequently modified on January 23, 2009. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed April 8, 2011 and recorded on May 17, 2011, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2011000178212. The mortgage was subsequently modified on May 19, 2015. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed August 23, 2016 and recorded on January 24, 2017, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2017000031479. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed September 6, 2019 and recorded on September 13, 2019, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2019000296274. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by a corrective assignment executed February 23, 2021 and recorded on March 9, 2021, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2021000086826. The property in question is described as follows: 25-47 123rd Street, Flushing, NY 11354 NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this Foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. DATED: February 5, 2025 Gross Polowy LLC Attorney(s) For Plaintiff(s) 1775 Wehrle Drive, Suite 100 Williamsville, NY 14221 The law firm of Gross Polowy LLC and the attorneys whom it employs are debt collectors who are attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained by them will be used for that purpose. 84531
Remedial work coming to the site of a proposed eight-story building Parkway Hospital site sees movement
by Stephanie G. Meditz Associate Editor
The former Parkway Hospital, which has been vacant since 2008, is on track to become an eight-story mixed-use development once contamination at the site is addressed.
Perennial Owner LLC has applied to enroll the property at 70-35 113 St. in Forest Hills in the Voluntary Cleanup Program managed by the city’s Office of Environmental Remediation.
According to the OER’s website, the proposed development consists of an 89-foottall building with 145 affordable housing units. The majority of them will be affordable independent residences for seniors, and the remaining breakdown will include 22 family units and one superintendent unit.
Cellar areas are slated to include parking, storage and community uses, while the ground floor will have administrative and community purposes and the upper floors will be used for community center and residential functions. The former hospital will undergo gut rehabilitation, with additions to be built on its western and northern sides.
An OER fact sheet summarizing the location’s progress states that the agency’s environmental investigation found semivolatile organic compounds, metals and one pesticide above cleanup guidelines in soil at the site. The groundwater also showed levels of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds as well as metals above quality standards.
Samples of soil vapor showed low levels of petroleum-related compounds and elevated chlorinated volatile organic compounds, and studies of indoor air showed levels of a chlorinated volatile organic compound
above guidelines set by the state Department of Health.
Among the proposed remediation measures are to implement a community air monitoring plan for particulates and volatile organic carbon compounds; excavate about 4,473 cubic yards of soil; install a vapor barrier below the concrete slab underlying the building’s additions and behind their foundation walls; and construct a composite cover to prevent human exposure to the remaining soil under the site.
The plan also includes the submission of a Remedial Action Report describing the work being done and certifying that the remedial requirements have been achieved. As for managing residual contamination, the agency is to submit an approved Site Management Plan that will include strategies for maintenance and inspection. It also will work to prevent future exposure to residual contamination.
Other parts of the plan are to prepare a community protection statement and perform all citizen participation activities required by the program.
The OER will now review its draft Remedial Action Work Plan and consider all public comment received through March 20 before it approves the final proposal. The agency will post the final plan on its website before any remedial work begins.
The site owner could not immediately be reached for comment.
To access project documents, including the draft plan, one may visit the agency’s website at tinyurl.com/4b6zk852.
Comments can be submitted to acting director Shaminder Chawla via email at Schawla@dep.nyc.gov, or by mail to the OER’s Manhattan office at 100 Gold St. Q
The former Parkway Hospital in Forest Hills, above, is slated to see a series of environmental cleanups as a proposed development project moves forward.
PHOTO BY RICK MAIMAN / FILE
