Serving Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, City Line and JFK Airport
Community Board 10 last Thursday said it would provide negative feedback to the state Office of Cannabis Management regarding applications it received for three dispensaries within its district, including at 157-52 Cross Bay Boulevard in Howard Beach. While the board and area residents have made it clear they do not support the opening of legal retail
by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor
Queens’ end-of-year crime statistics for 2024 varied from city-wide trends the wrong way in a few categories, according to NYPD CompStat figures.
While the city saw a 2.9 percent decline in major or index crimes and a 3.6 percent drop in murders, the borough remained about statistically level in total major crimes, according to numbers through Dec. 29, 2024. Queens’ 53 murders also were up 6 percent from its 2023 total of 50.
Queens for the year did reflect citywide trends with reductions in burglaries, grand larcenies and auto theft. But it also ticked up in robberies, where the city saw a drop of 2.1 percent. And like the city as a whole, Queens saw increases in rape and felony assault.
Queens also followed positive city trends with reductions in shooting incidents (111, down from 131) and shooting victims (144, down from 161).
And while Mayor Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch in a Tuesday press conference touted a 5.4 percent decrease in transit crime for 2024, murders in the entire subway system doubled from five to 10.
Tisch highlighted the citywide drop in five of the seven index crime categories.
“This translates to 3,662 fewer incidents of major crime last year than the year before,” she said, according to a transcript from the Mayor’s Office. “And these are not just numbers. We’re talking about thousands of people who were not injured, abused, attacked or targeted by criminals.”
Tisch noted that homicides, which fell from 390 to 377, declined for the third straight year. She credited the NYPD’s targeting of guns, which she said resulted in the fourthlowest number of shootings since CompStat records were first kept in 1993.
Queens’ overall major crime statistics for 2024 showed very little change from 2023, and murders were up slightly.
“And when you looked at some of the horrific incidents ... in these last few days, the average New Yorker would believe that they’re living in a city that is out of control,” Adams said. “That is not the reality. And we know that we are doing a good job in fighting crime, as the numbers would show.”
The mayor and commissioner both placed
much of the blame for major crime on recidivists who are routinely arrested and set free under state bail laws.
The NYPD separates the borough into two commands — Patrol Boroughs Queens North and Queens South. As of Dec. 29, Queens South had two fewer reported crimes than in 2023, recorded as statistically flat. Queens
North had an increase of 105 crimes, a 0.6 percent increase.
The 100th Precinct in Rockaway Park saw a 7.6 percent increase in major crimes, and had one murder after none in 2023.
In Far Rockaway, the 101st Precinct went up by 130 reported crimes for an 18.2 percent increase. It saw four murders, the same as in 2023.
The 102nd Precinct, with its station house in Richmond Hill, registered a 10.2 percent decrease, including murders falling from seven to four.
The 103rd Precinct in Jamaica registered a 12.1 percent increase, with murders going up from two to seven.
The 104th Precinct, headquartered in Ridgewood, saw an overall drop of 0.7 percent, with one murder, down from four in 2023.
The 105th Precinct, based in Queens Village, saw crime drop 5.4 percent, though murders rose from two to five. Almost all of its numbers were compiled before the new 116th Precinct officially opened in December, carved out of the southern half of the previously con-
continued on page 8
CYNTHIA J. CONZA, ESQ.
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Community Board 10 last Thursday said it will submit negative opinions to the state Office of Cannabis Management on three dispensary applications within the district.
The board’s chair, Betty Braton, said the three pending applications, for 135-26 Crossbay Blvd. in Ozone Park, 157-52 Cross Bay Blvd. in Howard Beach and 104-12 Lefferts Blvd. in South Richmond Hill, were reviewed by the board’s Public Safety and Land Use committees.
Braton said, similar to liquor license applicants, the board sends dispensary applicants an information sheet for them to fill out and return. The received information is then reviewed by the committees.
“We will continue to notify Cannabis Management that it is the general consensus of this board and the communities that it represents that they would prefer these types of retail businesses not be located in the board area,” Braton said. She added that the group still individually specifies the different issues that come up regarding each of the sites.
The board has sent unfavorable opinions to the OCM regarding each retail marijuana application it has received thus far, according to Braton.
Though community boards can send an opinion, the OCM has the final say in an application’s approval.
Braton estimated that the board has
received around 15 to 20 cannabis license applications thus far.
“Out of all of the different ones that we’ve gotten, only one was approved, and that’s on Liberty Avenue,” she said. “All of the others were not or have not been approved and have not been opened. Some of them may be still pending.”
The approved applicant was Bitar Assets at 96-05 Liberty Ave. in Ozone Park, now Flor de Fred dispensary. The board received its application in November 2023 and gave a negative opinion to the OCM.
The Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic, which has expressed negative opinions regarding legal weed shops in the area, posted a statement to social media following the board meeting.
“Last night at the Community Board 10 meeting, the board announced that it will be sending a recommendation against the application of a cannabis dispensary on 157 Avenue and Cross Bay Boulevard,” the group wrote. “We would like to thank the board for listening to the community who overwhelmingly has voiced their opinion against this type of business opening in our neighborhood.”
The Chronicle was not able to reach any of the three applicants for comment.
Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) was also present at the community board meeting and spoke on the topic.
“We are seeing a lot of notifications now for legal cannabis dispensaries that are coming to different communities, and the 32nd Council District is not immune to that,” Ariola said. “So I did put in legislation that would have them opening by 9:30 in the morning and closing by 9:30 at night, because we think that might be just a little more manageable.”
“They would prefer these types of retail businesses not be located in the board area.”
— CB 10 Chair Betty Braton
The civic acknowledged that marijuana dispensaries are legal businesses, but said there is no place for them in a residential community.
“There are other locations that are more suitable, and we hope that the applicants will look outside of our community, which is also their community, to open their business,” the group wrote.
According to the City Council website, Int. 1139 was introduced by Ariola on Dec. 19. It is currently with the Council Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection. As of publication, there are no co-sponsors listed.
If it passes, the city Department of Consumer and Worker Protection would be responsible for the law’s enforcement.
Noncompliance would result in civil penalties of $1,000 for a first violation and $2,000 for each subsequent violation committed on a different day within a period of two years after the first one.
“It has bipartisan support, and I think that it’s something that will pass,” Ariola said. Q
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz had a lot on her plate in 2024.
“My children are 13 and 16, and anybody who wants them: I will pick them up when they’re 21,” Katz quipped. “I go to work to relax. ... They are great kids. I’m very lucky. Their father [Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa] is still a little meshugana, as everybody knows, but they are great. He makes great children, and I’m very blessed and very lucky.”
In addition to raising two teenagers, the 30-year veteran of public office said she has learned during her five-year stint as DA that every day is a little bit of a fight.
Though the data is still being finalized, the DA’s Office, which employs 950 staff members, saw about 60,000 arrests in 2024, up from about 56,000 in 2023, Katz said. The office last year also conducted 40,000 arraignments. She said her office has taken more than 1,000 illegal scooters off the streets with the NYPD.
“Every single day, we try to move forward the arrests and arraignments that have to be done within a legal amount of time,” she explained. “It’s a lot of people, a lot of work, and there are a lot of defendants that we are working through the system.”
But Katz isn’t only focused on arresting and convicting those that come through the system — she wants to keep people out of the system, too.
“You also have to worry about the junior high school kids and the high school kids and those gangs that would have these teenagers believe that gangs are their chosen family,” Katz said.
She hired a youth counselor to go to high schools to talk to the kids.
“He goes to the basketball games or the soccer games during the summer,” Katz said, adding that she often goes too.
“I do the jump shot, and I run like crazy to get out of the way,” she said. “When the coaches are saying to me, ‘Why is the district attor-
ney at the basketball game? Can you just talk a few minutes about that?’ I say, ‘Because the first time these teenagers see me, any teenagers see me, should not be when I’m coming to get them. It should be when I’m trying to keep them out of the criminal justice system.”
Katz said she holds people accountable — which can look like prison time or mental health services.
“Accountability can be that you have a drug addiction, and you need to go to the drug rehab courts. Accountability could also be cleaning up graffiti for six months because you have lessons to learn,” she said, reiterating that it’s important to keep kids out of the system while also convicting violent felons with histories.
“There’s certain cases that bring out the Queens in me,” Katz said on the topic of squatting. She reiterated her recommendation of the Automated City Register Information System, where owners can sign up for notifications regarding their property, via nyc.gov.
by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor
Congestion pricing went into effect Sunday, just over 48 hours after a federal judge in New Jersey rejected the Garden State’s call for a temporary injunction.
New peak tolls for entering Manhattan at or south of 60th Street for vehicles equipped with E-ZPass are $9 for most cars, and $14.40 or $21.60 for trucks, depending on their size. Rates are cheaper overnight, and more expensive for vehicles without E-ZPass.
The measure is expected to raise $1 billion per year for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and allow it to leverage another $15 billion in loans.
Another stated aim is to reduce vehicular traffic and pollution in lower Manhattan.
Janno Lieber, chairman and CEO of the MTA, heralded the first-of-its-kind program in the country in a Monday morning press release.
“The Congestion Relief Zone has been in operation since midnight — 1,400 cameras, over 110 detection points, over 800 signs and 400 lanes of traffic and it’s all gone smoothly,” Lieber said. “We want to encourage trucks to do more deliveries at night, we want improvements to vehicle speeds especially for buses, we want to make sure that emergency response vehicles can get where they are going faster, and I hope drivers will take another look at the speed and convenience of mass transit.”
“Congestion pricing will reduce traffic, improve our air quality, and increase street safety all while generating critical revenue to modernize the MTA’s subway and bus systems,” Rodriguez said.
Councilwoman Selvena Brooks-Powers (D-Laurelton), chair of the Council’s Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said in an email that the MTA must deliver on its promises of better service.
“We are entering a pivotal moment for our city’s transportation system,” Brooks-Powers said. “While this policy aims to reduce traffic and fund much-needed transit improvements, its success hinges on ensuring that our public transit system is both equitable and safe for all New Yorkers.
“As more people turn to buses and subways, we must prioritize investments in safety measures and infrastructure that address the needs of transit riders — particularly those from historically underserved communities. Infrastructure upgrades and increased services must be expedited.”
“We are entering a critical moment for our city’s transportation system.”
—
Councilwoman Selvena Brooks-Powers
The program has a small number of exemptions for people such as low-income residents and others with medical conditions that prevent them from taking the subway into Manhattan for things like medical visits.
A list of the exemptions and how to apply for them can be found online at tinyurl.com/5n9xpc7t.
City Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said the city is working closely with the MTA on the program.
She also said public safety in the subway system is paramount, and that recent incidents of violence highlight the urgent need for holistic solutions that combine accountability with mental health resources and preventative services [see separate story in some editions or at qchron.com].
The MTA stated that the anticipated startup of congestion pricing allowed it to begin advance work on a number of capital projects.
The agency said it issued a request for qualifications on Dec. 30 for contractors interested in bidding on accessibility upgrades to the E-F train station in Briarwood and the F station at Parsons Boulevard in Jamaica.
The stated intent is to bring both stations into compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990.
Not everyone is on board with the tolls, however.
Councilman Bob Holden (D-Maspeth), in an email from his office on Monday, is holding out hope for the success of a lawsuit filed in state court by the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County.
“While I’m disappointed in the New Jersey federal court’s bad decision, I’m confident the Hempstead SAPA State Court case will pause the congestion scam tax,” Holden said. “This regressive toll would hurt New Yorkers, outer borough residents, and even those from out of state who work in the city. We won’t let King Lieber and Tyrant Hochul destroy Manhattan’s economy and punish hardworking commuters to line the MTA’s pockets.”
SAPA refers to the State Administrative Procedures Act, which governs how state agencies adopt rules and carry out other functions.
Several city unions oppose the measure,
with the Uniformed Firefighters Association and the Uniformed Fire Officers Association on Monday saying it is not only an unfair tax on their members, but will put lives in jeopardy by causing delays and increasing response times.
The union representing the city’s emergency medical technicians last week recommended that all 270 of its members assigned to the toll area put in requests for transfers.
But Senior Organizer Danna Dennis of the Riders Alliance said in an email Monday that congestion pricing is long overdue.
“Over a decade, New York’s subway and bus riders organized and won congestion pricing. It’s finally here,” Dennis said. “This transformative program will upgrade unreliable and inaccessible infrastructure, speed up ambulances and buses starting today, and cut toxic air pollution in the city and suburbs.” Q
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Vijah Ramjattan, an activist wellknown in the South and Southeast Queens communities, was named the new executive director of the Mayor’s Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, Mayor Adams announced last week.
Ramjattan will oversee the office’s interagency efforts to combat hate crimes using communitybased programs and provide support
to victims, City Hall said.
Ramjattan served as the president of Community Education Council 28 before departing in December 2024. He is a founder and member of multiple faith- and community-based organizations, including the city Department of Education’s Interfaith Advisory Council, the United American Hindu Leadership Council and the United Madrassi Association.
Ramjattan also was an interfaith chaplain for NYC Health + Hospi-
tals/Queens; a senior clinical research program administrator for the New York State Psychiatric Institute-Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene; and a counselor and grievance coordinator on Rikers Island.
Adams in a press release said Ramjattan’s experience makes him “uniquely qualified to hit the ground running and combat hate crimes across the five boroughs.” Ramjattan in a prepared state-
ment lauded the importance of the OPHC, and said he is thrilled to join the group and help implement the mayor’s vision of a city free of hate and bias.
“Hate and bias have no place in New York City and I’m proud to join the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice under Director [Deanna] Logan’s leadership,” Ramjattan said.
“I look forward to leading the OPHC team in supporting safe and hatefree communities.” Q
continued from page 2
figured 105th.
In Ozone Park, the 106th Precinct saw a reduction of 1.9 percent. Murders went from two to three.
The 107th Precinct in Flushing recorded a decrease of 4.8 percent. But murders rose from one in 2023 to four last year.
The 108th Precinct in Long Island City saw a decrease of 5.2 percent. There was one murder, after none in 2023.
The 109th Precinct, with its station house in Flushing, recorded a drop of 5.8 percent. Murders rose from three to six.
The 110th Precinct, based in Elmhurst, saw an increase of 4.5 percent. Murders dropped from three to two.
The 111th Precinct, which covers Bayside and surrounding neighborhoods, saw a steep dropoff of 10.2 percent. Murders fell from two to one.
In the 112th Precinct in Forest Hills index crimes fell by 2.2 percent. The murder total remained at zero.
At the 113th Precinct, also with its headquarters in Jamaica, crime fell 7.1 percent. Murders dropped from eight to seven.
Astoria’s 114th Precinct saw an uptick of 1.2 percent. Murders fell from eight in 2023 to three.
In the 115th Precinct in Jackson Heights, index crimes spiked 18 percent. Murders remained steady at four. Q
The auxiliary officers of the NYPD’s 106th Precinct recently braved the frigid temperatures to better the appearance of the Lindenwood community by painting over unsightly graffiti along the overpass to Ozone Park.
Councilwoman Joann Ariola took to social media to laud the auxiliary officers, whose responsibilities are to assist in nonenforcement and non-hazardous duties.
“A HUGE thank you to the @nypd106pre-
cinct Auxiliaries for braving the cold weather to paint over graffiti on the Lindenwood Overpass to Ozone Park,” she wrote. “It is a hot spot for graffiti, but their dedication to the quality of life throughout the Command deserves recognition. #truecommunitypartners #alwaysanswercall”
The post received more than 180 engagements, with many residents taking to the comments to thank the officers for their work. — Kristen Guglielmo
continued from page 4
When protecting your home against squatters, Katz said, keep an eye out for “things that don’t make sense,” like getting a Spectrum cable bill when you know you have Verizon Fios, or a UPS delivery in to the wrong name to your address.
“Mow your lawn on a property that you are not in all the time,” she said. “Make sure it looks like someone is around and living in it. It’s very important.”
On scams, Katz said no elected official or police officer will ever call and ask for money. She advised calling her office immediately to report calls such as those. Even the DA herself is skeptical when it comes to scam calls.
She said the pension office called her recently, and they asked for her social security number.
“So I said, ‘Do me a favor. Can I have your number and I’ll call you back?’” Katz said. “So I looked it up, and it really was the pension office. ... My point is, don’t trust anyone who just calls you.”
She specifically brought attention to the “grandparents scheme” — when elderly residents are targeted by someone claiming to be a grandchild who needs bail money.
“Don’t give anybody your money,” Katz said. “You don’t know them. They’re the other line of a phone. They’re a popup on your internet.” Q
Happy New Year! Are you still keeping to your resolutions? Defy the odds and take them into February! Here on the editorial page, we’re focused less on resolutions and more on our hopes and fears for the year that just began. And we have plenty of those.
There’s a new administration taking power in Washington, and many people here in Queens fear what it will bring. We certainly have trepidation, too.
We hope the planned removal of immigrants with criminal records goes smoothly. One vital way to make that happen is for Mayor Adams to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement back onto Rikers Island. It is much better for everyone involved if ICE can pick up a foreign national who has served a jail sentence at the facility, rather than try to track him down on the streets and possibly get met with resistance. But make no mistake, criminal migrants are going to get deported. We fear that some New Yorkers, including some elected officials, will try to put up a fight against that, but we hope not. It’s one thing people voted for.
In a somewhat-related matter, we hope Operation Restore Roosevelt brings real improvement to conditions on the vital commercial corridor where it runs through Elmhurst, Jack-
son Heights and Corona especially, with a reduction in crime, in daylight prostitution, in illegal vending and in garbage.
Another of President-elect Trump’s promises is to impose tariffs on imports from a number of countries. Some claim it’s all bluster to win policy concessions, but he did put new tariffs on several countries in his first term, including China and Canada, leading them to reciprocate. Tariffs are essentially taxes: They force Americans to pay more for goods and provide revenue for the federal government. Trump may want to use them in order to cut income and other taxes, but that’s very much like robbing Peter to pay Paul, on an international scale. In his first term, tariffs on Canadian goods caused the cost of newsprint to jump, further harming the newspaper business. We hope that this time, the damage to our industry, and countless others, is minimal.
Speaking of government money grabs, congestion pricing is now in place, and we hope the harm to individuals and businesses is not too high. We were really hoping the new tolls to fund the ravenous, free-spending Metropolitan Transportation Authority could have been avoided, but it was not to be. Traffic in Manhattan reportedly has been lighter since the tolls kicked in. OK. We hope any loss of
business is not too great for small companies already facing a rising minimum wage, rent hikes and higher utility costs.
We also hope that nothing worse comes out about Mayor Adams and that he allows fantastic new Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to keep cleaning house at the NYPD. Though we differ on certain things, like City of Yes, we gladly take Adams’ brand of moderate, anticrime government over what his opponents would bring. If he doesn’t survive, we fear what might replace his administration. And with the share of Republican votes increasing all over as it did in the last election, it seems that most people want a centrist City Hall. So if Adams is convicted, or steps down, we hope the city won’t lurch to the left. One concern is that ranked-choice voting could result in a radical winning.
On the City of Yes zoning power grab, we hope the worst predictions for overdevelopment of single-family neighborhoods do not come to fruition and that the infrastructure can handle whatever accessory dwelling units get built.
Lastly, we hope the Mets can top their Amazin’ 2024 season and go all the way in 2025! With Juan Soto added to the mix, Sean Manaea staying on board and — we hope — Pete Alonso, too, ya gotta believe they can do it.
MARK WEIDLER
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Dear Editor:
Re Michael Gannon’s Jan. 2 report “Library’s free classic films start the new year right”:
As a movie buff, I enjoyed Mr. Gannon’s article on the Queens Central Library Classic Film Friday program for January. Three of the movies he mentioned, “The Magnificent Seven,” “Three Days of the Condor” and “A Face in the Crowd,” are among my all-time favorites.
”A Face in the Crowd,” released in 1957, was 60 years ahead of its time as a prophetic preview of the merger of entertainment and politics.
The movie shows how a broadcast journalist (Patricia Neal) transforms a country drifter (Andy Griffith) into a media star who also becomes a powerful political force by wielding charm and charisma. In 2017, Donald Trump, former host of NBC’s hit TV show “The Apprentice,” was inaugurated as our nation’s 45th president, and he will become the 47th president on Jan. 20.
“A Face in the Crowd” marked the movie debut of Griffith and actress Lee Remick, both of whom went on to become major stars. In 2008, it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the U.S. National Film Library for its “cultural, historical and aesthetic
significance.” It was also the second collaboration between director Elia Kazan and writer Budd Schulberg, who earlier teamed up to make “On the Waterfront,” which won an Oscar for Best Picture in 1954.
Richard Reif Kew Gardens Hills
Dear Editor:
There is nothing more remarkable than hearing the innocence of a child’s sounds of play, laughter, imaginative expression and crying, and the visual gesture of just wanting a hug. Their purity and innate passion to only give love must have been allocated by the divine arms of God! Yet their pain and suffering, from abuse, exploitation, starvation, trafficking and poor parenting, echo an irrefutable and irritating social chime.
The buoyancy of negativity draws attention
globally from the masses. Daily agendas have taken precedence in abundance over the primary purposeful calling — our children! The suffering and pain endured by the little ones have nestled in the lonely corridors of public and governmental policy, focused debates, media proliferation and parental accountability. Must we accept a couple’s shameful jargon of excuses for abandoning their children due to the mental paralysis of opioids? Must we forsake our moral compass of intuitiveness by turning a blind eye to children acting out and immediately labeling them as ADHD, without seeking out truths of home life or even abuse? Do we continue the nonchalant momentum of disregard to that promiscuous 12-year-old girl or boy without the inquisition of the possibilities of sexual abuse or even trafficking? A shift and the call of duty of social reformation are in order. These talking points and social dialogue in the media, on the highest platform, is the hope in the new year! It is our job to change chil-
dren’s perception of life by loving them unconditionally and providing a consistency in safety. The inspiration here is appreciating children’s wonderful expressions of joy and laughter and listening to what they have to say. There should always be liberty in childexpression — as the phenomenal 2023 film utters, “The Sound of Freedom.”
Dr. Dennis Walter Smith Sr. Waterloo, NY The writer is co-screenwriter and co-producer of the 2023 film “Saving Ana” and composer of the 1995 song “Missing Children.”
Dear Editor:
SUVs and light trucks are the most popular vehicles in the United States. These expensive vehicles were popularly called “gas guzzlers.” Now they are very common in our cities and towns, where they are not likely to face the hazardous conditions depicted in the TV ads. The most challenging condition might be finding an available parking space. Are Americans truly enamored with these large vehicles or is there another reason for promoting them?
China is the world’s leader in producing highly efficient and very affordable electric vehicles. Not surprisingly, these Chinese EVs are gaining in popularity in Europe and elsewhere. Though poised to enter the United States, they have been kept out by high tariffs, protecting domestic automobile manufacturers. However, most EVs produced in the United States are beyond the average household budget. Why have U.S. automobile manufacturers not been more competitive in developing EVs superior to China’s? Affordable U.S. EVs would be better for household budgets, for the environment and for conserving our declining oil reserves. It would be incredulous to anyone who grew up in those strong early decades after World War II that China would be superior to us in the manufacture of bullet trains, EVs or any other thing. The source of this nation’s EV dilemma might not actually be China but Big Oil and the politicians it supports. Rather than “drill, baby, drill,” this nation would be better served by “build, baby, build.”
Glenn Hayes Kew Gardens
Dear
Editor:
Here is a question to ask at a future Democratic Party mayoral primary candidates forum. Are any of the potential candidates aware of past municipal transit history?
Based upon the original 1951 master lease and operating agreement, it is the City of New York that actually owns the buses and subways. The MTA is really managing the system under contract to City Hall without adequate municipal financial support.
In 1953, the old NYC Board of Transportation passed on control of the municipal subway system, including all its assets, to the newly created NYC Transit Authority. Under late Gov. Nelson Rockefeller in the 1960s, the MTA was created. The governor appointed four board members and the mayor four more, with the rest named by suburban county executives. No one elected official controlled a
majority of the votes.
NYC was responsible to provide $3.5 billion to help fund the MTA’s $51 billion 2020-24 five-year capital plan; over $1 billion yearly to help pay for the NYC Transit subway, bus and Staten Island Railway system; and paratransit services, along with several hundred million more in operating assistance for MTA Bus (the seven former private franchised bus operators transferred to the MTA in 2005 and 2006).
Albany provides several billion in Statewide Transit Operating Assistance and other funding. The largest subway system in the world also benefits from billions in grant funding provided by the Federal Transit Administration. Of the $1.8 billion in annual FTA funding provided to the MTA, NYC Transit usually receives 80 percent, or over $1.4 billion. These dollars pay for various capital improvement projects that benefit riders.
Larry Penner Great Neck, LI
Dear Editor:
How fitting to watch MTA’s Janno Lieber grinning like a Cheshire Cat as he personally unveiled a Day One congestion pricing sign on Broadway.
His perennially “low-on-cash” MTA shelled out $1.3 billion in overtime in 2022 alone, with 500 employees earning six figures while Janno raked in a salary greater than President Biden’s and 80 percent as much as Gov. Hochul and Mayor Adams combined.
When will the MTA books be scrutinized?
Thomas Phillips Rego Park
Dear Editor:
President-elect Trump gives out important jobs that can put the United States of America and the world in grave danger, to unqualified and shady people like Matt Gaetz and the woman who slept with Trump’s son. What does she know about Greece?
He gives out jobs like candy in a children’s playground. His newest son-in-law’s father, an immigrant who eventually became a citizen, went to the front of the line. He just got a job to deal with different countries — he barely knows about this country. The Army guy with no leadership or commanding experience is unqualified. Men and women will not trust him in battle; they will be in danger.
The American people demand and deserve better than these handpicked puppets. A captain with a crew like that is not seaworthy. We all may have come here on different ships, but we’re all “in the same boat now.”
The United States deserves better than this. We float or we sink. It’s a shipwreck waiting to happen. God help the USA.
Albert Ross Glendale
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Letters should be no longer than 300 words and may be edited for length, clarity and other reasons. They may be emailed to letters@qchron.com.
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by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor
Gov. Hochul is promising legislation in the coming weeks in response to the recent rash of fatal attacks in New York City by mentally ill assailants.
Hochul, in a statement last Friday, said she will introduce proposals to add hospital beds for in-patient care and expand the definition under which hospitals can commit patients who pose a danger to themselves and others in her upcoming executive budget proposal.
“Many of these horrific incidents have involved people with serious untreated mental illness, the result of a failure to get treatment to people who are living on the streets and are disconnected from our mental health care system,” Hochul said in a press release. “We have a duty to protect the public from random acts of violence, and the only fair and compassionate thing to do is to get our fellow New Yorkers the help they need.”
Hochul said outreach programs in her administration have helped 750 New Yorkers get off the streets and into care. She said the state has a goal of bringing 1,000 inpatient psychiatric beds back online so individuals who need care have a place to go.
“But we can’t fully address this problem without changes to state law,” she said.
Hochul said her proposals will include changes to involuntary commitment standards; changes to Kendra’s Law, which, when applied through the courts, can man-
“The irony is if Kendra’s Law as written had been in effect then, Andrew Goldstein wouldn’t have qualified,” Owen said. “He had sought treatment in multiple places and was turned away.”
Along with an as-yet-unspecified expansion of involuntary commitment standards, Hochul aims to strengthen Kendra’s Law. Owen said the forthcoming details will be interesting.
“I hope it doesn’t mean they can commit someone just for being homeless,” she said. “... I hope [Hochul] is listening to the right people.”
Owen also said many problems can arise from insurance issues.
“Some people are not kept in the hospital long enough,” she said. “Sometimes it can take three or four weeks before determining if the treatment is being effective and really doing the job. Sometimes a person can be in for a week and is told, ‘Your time is up.’”
Critics remain to be convinced that Hochul means business — Councilman Bob Holden (D-Maspeth) for one.
date participation in outpatient treatment; and changes to make it easier for patients to voluntarily sign up for treatment.
Under the state Constitution, New York’s governor is given a very strong hand in budget negotiations to get her priorities through.
Elizabeth Owen, a forensic psychologist from Queens, hopes Hochul has good proposals, and if so, uses her leverage well.
Owen, a PhD, teaches at Columbia University. Her experience includes private practice as well as work with government and city corrections in the past.
“It’s very light on specifics,” Owen said of Hochul’s statement. “That said, if they’re getting close to the goal of reopening 1,000 inpatient beds, it’s not enough. I don’t know if these are city or state beds, because they need them both.”
Under existing state law, people may be committed for hospitalization when they are deemed to pose a threat either to themselves or others. Hochul said she is looking to expand on that definition.
“Governor Hochul is gaslighting the public by punting the mental health crisis to the State Legislature under the guise of needing changes to Kendra’s Law,” Holden said in an email from his office. “The truth is that Kendra’s Law works when properly enforced, but city and state agencies have failed to follow through, and the Governor has failed to allocate the necessary resources to make it effective. Instead of moving the goalposts, we need real leadership to take meaningful action and ensure those who pose a danger to themselves or others are removed from our streets and subways.”
Owen disputed Holden’s assessment, even when Kendra’s Law is applied as intended.
“There aren’t enough care centers,” she said. “There aren’t enough service providers.”
“There aren’t enough care centers. There aren’t enough service providers.”
— Elizabeth Owen
Then there is assisted outpatient treatment, known in New York State vernacular as Kendra’s Law. It is named for Kendra Webdale, who in 1999 was pushed in front of a subway train in Manhattan by Andrew Goldstein, a man who was a diagnosed schizophrenic, but was off his medication and had been rebuffed when seeking treatment. It was one of a series of such subway attacks.
Under Kendra’s Law, passed in 2005, a court can order patients with a history of avoiding treatment or leaving programs to participate in outpatient treatment, take medication and meet other requirements.
State Senate Minority Leader and frequent Hochul sparring partner Rob Ortt (R-Lockport) wasn’t impressed in comments on his X page. Ortt seized on one passage from the governor’s statement which said the mental illness problem continues “[d]espite all efforts to quell it.”
“The only efforts to quell violence and protect communities have come from legislation proposed by Republicans in Albany, which are promptly ignored by the Democratic majority,” Ortt wrote.
Senate Republicans referred specifically to bills S.8508 by Sen. George Borello (R-Jamestown) and S.8856 by Sen. Anthony Palumbo (R-Riverhead, LI).
Borello, on X, said the present mess is one of Hochul’s and her party’s own making.
“It takes political will, not just throwing money at the problem, to address public safety failures ...” Borello wrote. Q
‘Commercial waste zones’ aim to enhance safety and reduce traffic
by Stephanie G. Meditz Associate Editor
The first Commercial Waste Zone in the five boroughs has been fully implemented, the city’s Department of Sanitation announced Jan. 2.
Prior to the passage of Local Law 199 in 2019, businesses needed to hire private carters to remove waste, while Sanitation workers performed residential collections. Carters could have “long, inefficient routes,” according to the legislation, leading to poor customer service, heightened greenhouse gas emissions and safety concerns for both workers and the public.
By authorizing the city to select a small number of private carters to operate in certain areas, the law aims to ensure responsible and efficient collection practices while reducing truck traffic and air and noise pollution.
The DSNY said the program’s full implementation will result in 12 million fewer miles driven annually by commercial carter vehicles.
The city’s first commercial waste zone, termed “Queens Central” by the DSNY, includes Jackson Heights, Corona, Elmhurst and parts of Forest Hills and Ridgewood. According to a press release issued last year, the variety of business types in the area led it to be selected as the program’s pilot zone.
Under the new system, three carters are authorized to operate in each of the city’s 20 commercial waste zones. Five carters also may pick up large containers from loading docks or large off-street compactors citywide, the DSNY said.
The private carting awardees in the Queens Central zone are Basin Haulage Inc., MRT BWR, Corp. and Waste Connections of New York, Inc.
As the program rolls out, the DSNY will require carters to install safety equipment,
such as back-up cameras and auxiliary exterior lighting. Annual certifications of worker safety training will also be required, including for collision avoidance and safe collection stops.
The DSNY said last week that it had engaged with thousands of local businesses, all of which had the chance to sign contracts with the new authorized carters. While a majority have done so, those that have not were assigned a carter and may negotiate price and service level if needed. They also may sign on with another carter in the zone.
DSNY Press Secretary Vincent Gragnani told the Chronicle via email that the agency intends to “move appropriately and aggressively” based on what it learns from the first zone’s implementation. Q
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Just weeks after Jeffrey Maddrey’s Dec. 20 resignation over claims of alleged sexual misconduct, the home of the embattled former NYPD chief of department was subject to an FBI raid.
Footage captured by FreedomNews TV on Jan. 2 shows investigators exiting Maddrey’s residence, on 147th Road in Rosedale, holding brown paper bags and plastic bins.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch in a statement said that at her direction, the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau is working with other law enforcement to investigate the allegations against Maddrey.
Maddrey’s resignation.
NYPD Lt. Quathisha Epps claimed, in a complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, that Maddrey harassed her and forced her to perform “unwanted sexual acts in exchange for professional benefits, including overtime opportunities.”
Epps was the highest-paid member of the NYPD in fiscal year 2024, raking in more than $400,000, according to multiple reports. The New York Post said Epps filed paperwork on Dec. 16 for a vested separation retirement, just shy of 20 years with the department.
“Maddrey was suspended from the department this morning as law enforcement agents executed search warrants at several locations, including his residence,” Tisch said. She referred questions to the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.
The SDNY has not announced charges against Maddrey.
At a press conference last week, Maddrey’s lawyer, Lambros Lambrou, denied the allegations of sexual misconduct that led to
Maddrey’s lawyer said the former chief of department had a consensual sexual relationship with Epps, whose own attorney, Eric Sanders, pushed back at that claim.
“Let me be unequivocally clear: there can be no ‘consent’ in a workplace where one individual wields immense power over another’s livelihood,” Sanders wrote on his law firm’s website.
Maddrey’s is the latest in a string of resignations and FBI searches relating to the administration of Mayor Adams, who was
indicted on federal bribery charges last year.
“[Maddrey] was a supervisor in the Police Department before I became mayor. Just be clear with that,” Adams said at a press conference on Dec. 31.
“These are troubling allegations,” he continued. “They’re going to go through their review as they’re supposed to do. And Com-
missioner Tisch is doing her review there. And I’m proud of what she’s doing.”
John Chell, a 30-year veteran of the NYPD who most recently served as chief of patrol, was appointed to chief of department on Dec. 31.
Maddrey’s lawyer did not respond to a request for comment. Q
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Doctors Council SEIU, a union representing attending physicians, agreed to postpone a strike of NYC Health + Hospital doctors planned for Jan. 13 after stalled contract negotiations resumed. The new date for the work stoppage is Jan. 21.
The strike would affect four of the city’s public hospitals, including Queens Hospital Center in Jamaica, and would see nearly 1,000 doctors across three boroughs taking part. It would be the largest work stoppage of attending physicians in New York, according to Doctors Council.
More than 2,500 attending physicians across NYC Health + Hospitals have been fighting for a better contract since September 2023, the union said. The doctors are asking for a contract with better pay and benefits to address what they called an understaffing crisis.
Some physicians are facing cuts to their benefits, Doctors Council said, including a 20 percent reduction in sick leave.
On Jan. 2, Doctors Council provided a 10-day notice to NYC Health + Hospitals and its private-sector facilities, Physician Affiliate Group of New York and Mount Sinai School of Medicine, of its intention to strike. Though the city funds the doctors’
salaries, the private facilities employ them.
“Doctors Council members remain committed to negotiating in good faith and urge the employers to come to the bargaining table to reach an agreement that meets the needs of both the frontline doctors and the communities they serve,” the union wrote in a press release.
Mayor Adams on Jan. 3 sent a letter to
Doctors Council and the physicians’ employers to request they engage in a “mediation process” to avert the strike.
Adams asked that the parties do not take further action toward a strike throughout the 60-day period and that they select a “mutually agreeable mediator.”
“Our administration is committed to providing excellent and equitable health care to
New Yorkers, while also ensuring all workers in our city are treated fairly and with dignity,” he said in a statement.
NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz in a statement said the organization values its physicians.
“Our primary goal is to prevent a strike and ensure that quality care remains uninterrupted for our patients at these four hospitals,” Katz said.
“Doctors Council members will do whatever it takes to win a strong contract that allows us to provide the highest quality of care to our patients,” said Dr. Frances Quee, the union president, in a statement. “We have been at the table, ready to participate in fruitful bargaining for over a year. We met Tuesday with our employers and included a mediator, which is a step in the right direction as we aim to negotiate a fair contract.”
She continued, “If our employers are not willing to reach an agreement that meets the needs of frontline doctors and the communities we serve, we are prepared to go on strike.”
The City Council on Jan. 10 is set to hold a hearing on the potential walkout. Among those invited to testify are representatives from NYC Health + Hospitals and Doctors Council, along with other stakeholders, advocates and community members. Q
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by Stephanie G. Meditz Associate Editor
Companies that the state says have contributed significantly to the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere must now help shoulder the cost of responding to it.
Signed into law by Gov. Hochul on Dec. 26, the Climate Change Superfund Act aims to shift the cost of adapting to climate change from taxpayers to the companies most responsible for the pollution. It establishes a cost recovery program for adaptive measures, with a total assessment rate of $3 billion annually over the next 25 years for major emitters between 2000 and 2018.
Payments collected will go toward new or upgraded infrastructure to respond to the adverse effects of climate change and prepare for future ones. Projects might include restorations to coastal wetlands, improvements to stormwater drainage systems, energy efficient cooling systems in public and private buildings, programs addressing public health challenges driven by climate change and responses to extreme weather events.
“Holding polluters accountable for the damages they cause is essential to New York’s environmental protection efforts, and I commend Gov. Hochul for signing this historic climate legislation into law,” state Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said in a statement.
The law says it was designed to provide relief to taxpayers without having a “punitive negative impact” on the fossil-fuel energy industry. The state projects that investments in climate adaptation infrastructure will “easily” reach several hundred billions of dollars through 2050.
DON POLLARD, DARREN MCGEE / NYS GOVERNOR’S OFFICE / FLICKR / FILE
day that he co-sponsored the bill because it had good intent and was consistent with how other environmental issues such as water pollution were handled in the past.
Implementation will be important, Addabbo said, but at the very least, companies might appreciate knowing their money will go directly toward environmental projects.
“I hope we can work together with these companies to go forward.”
“We have to make sure that we are working with these companies, making sure that we are addressing the environmental and climate needs, that ... the revenue garnered by this bill does go to, obviously, proper projects,” he said, citing examples such as major flooding in Middle Village and sewer upgrades.
— State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr.
According to the law, at least 35 percent of the overall benefits of program spending will go toward projects that benefit disadvantaged communities.
State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven) told the Chronicle in an interview Mon-
State Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky (D-Flushing) said extreme weather events caused by climate change, including wildfires, droughts and Hurricane Ida, influenced her decision to co-sponsor the law.
“In September [2021], Hurricane Ida viciously attacked Queens County,” Stavisky told the Chronicle in an interview Tuesday.
“It was a sight that I will never forget.”
She said the law will save taxpayers “con-
The New York City Charter Review Commission, tasked by Mayor Adams in December with examining changes to promote fair housing and land use as well as government reform, will host its first two public hearings in February, including one in Long Island City from 5 to 8 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 24.
It will take place at the New York City Department of Design and Construction offices at 30-30 Thomson Ave. in the firstfloor multipurpose room. The focus will be on government reform. Any proposals would go to the voters.
Those interested can attend in person or remotely via Zoom. Details on joining the meeting remotely, registering to speak and how to submit written testimony can be found online at tinyurl.com/4bf2hjc3.
Prior to that meeting the panel will have a hearing on housing and land use from 5 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 11, at FDNY Headquarters, in the Robert O. Lowery Auditorium at 9 Metrotech Center in Brooklyn. More hearings will be scheduled in other boroughs into April. All hearings will be live-streamed and archived online. Q — Michael Gannon
siderable amounts of money” and reduce the rates of childhood and maternal diseases caused by environmental issues in Queens.
“These were polluters who polluted in the past. Why should taxpayers today have to pay for the total disregard for the environment exhibited by the fossil fuel, oil and gas companies?” she said. “They should be paying, and that’s what’s going to happen.”
New York is not alone in its new approach to adapt to climate change.
After Vermont became the first state to enact a similar law last year, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Petroleum Institute last week filed a lawsuit to prevent its enforcement.
The plaintiffs argue that the federal Clean Air Act preempts the state law and that it is impossible to determine the impact of emissions from particular entities in particular locations over the span of decades, the Associated Press reported.
“This type of legislation represents nothing more than a punitive new fee on American energy, and we are evaluating our options moving forward,” an API spokesperson told the Chronicle via email when asked if the group might take similar action in New York.
Legal challenges are “always a possibili-
ty,” Addabbo said when asked if he anticipates any to the new law.
“I hope there is no suit. I hope we can work together with these companies to go forward,” Addabbo said. “But always, with a major bill like this with, I’m sure, some opposition, the possibility of a lawsuit looms.”
Stavisky said President-elect Trump has indicated that disaster relief funds would be reduced or eliminated when he takes office.
Politico reported last month that top Federal Emergency Management Agency officials fear he would reallocate disaster resources, which he did in 2019 to build immigration facilities.
“I think when the federal government gives every indication that they’re not going to do something, it’s up to the states,” Stavisky said.
The National Law Review said in an article on Monday that legal challenges to the law are “certain” and likely will focus on issues such as federal preemption, equal protection and due process.
It said also that other states are expected to consider enacting similar laws — California, Maryland, Massachusetts and New Jersey have already proposed them.
“Anybody can file a lawsuit on almost any subject. It will then be a trial and a decision, but this legislation, I think, is important,” Stavisky said. “And hopefully, the Vermont legislation will also be upheld.”
“In the long term, I do think it’s consistent with what we’re trying to do and I think it makes companies think differently, hopefully,” Addabbo said.
Also last month, Hochul signed a law expanding the state’s ban on hydraulic fracturing. The new legislation amended the State Environmental Conservation Law to prohibit carbon dioxide’s use in oil and gas extraction. Q
The Jan. 2 story “Magnificent Movies: Classic Film Friday has a hot start for 2025” misstated the year in which “A Face in the Crowd” was released. It was 1957. We regret the error. Q
The New Hamilton Beach Civic Association has been nominated for the Flourishing in Community grant, hosted by Fordham University and part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program. The grant aims to support outstanding community initiatives. Residents can vote for their preferred awardees.
The civic’s proposed $75,000 project is to install electric signs at the Welcome to Hamilton Beach, Howard Beach and Broad Channel signs, and at the West Hamilton Beach Volunteer Fire Department.
The signs, according to the civic, would be located in areas that at times face flooding on a monthly basis and provide realtime warnings and alerts about tidal flooding, storm surges and other critical information. When there are no imminent threats, the signs can be used for community announcements, the civic said.
To cast a vote for the NHBCA, go online to bit.ly/422GOYW and make an account. Navigate to the voting page and look for the civic’s application, or enter “378” in the search bar. Voting ends Jan. 10. Q — Kristen Guglielmo
by Naeisha Rose Editor
As the clock struck 12, there wasn’t only a New Year, but several pieces of legislation enacted, one of which is the state Paid Prenatal Leave Law.
Full or part-time private sector pregnant workers are now able to have up to 20 hours of paid prenatal leave so they can take time from work to keep their medical appointments without worrying about getting docked for pay.
“This is a first-in-the-nation bill,” state Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon told the Chronicle last Friday. “It’s really going to be a great thing for pregnant workers.”
Reardon said the measure is one of Gov. Hochul’s initiatives to make things more affordable for New Yorkers.
“A pregnant worker does not have to worry [and say] do I push my appointment off, because I really need my whole paycheck this week,’” said Reardon. “You get your whole paycheck and you will also be able to visit your doctor, which is really meaningful.”
Physical examinations, medical procedures, monitoring, testing and discussions with a healthcare provider needed to ensure a healthy pregnancy are just some of the appointments included, according to the law.
The PPL Law works differently from paid sick leave in that a pregnant woman does not
have to bank hours, said Reardon.
“Pregnancy is such a short amount of time, you would not be able to do that,” said the labor commissioner.
A DOL source said contract workers who make their own schedules qualify under PPL as employees of private employers and are entitled to up to 20 hours in a 52-week period, similar to the other workers, regardless of how the employee’s schedule is set. The law, however, does not apply to independent contractors.
The law includes fertility treatments as well as end-of-pregnancy care, said Reardon. And it applies if someone gets pregnant twice within a year.
When asked what if employers take issue with workers getting paid time off to get fertility treatments pre-pregnancy, Reardon said it’s simply the law now.
Postnatal or postpartum appointments after end of pregnancy care won’t be covered, said the DOL source.
Employees may also use regular paid sick leave for prenatal appointments if they have
sufficient accruals.
Retaliation and discrimination against an employee who makes a request for PPL in the form of reducing other benefits or vacation time, changing her work location, or firing or demoting a person, are prohibited.
According to an article published in 2023 by the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, birth rates went down 13 percent statewide from 241,312 in 2011 to 210,742 in 2021.
Reardon believes that laws like PPL could help with reversing that decline.
“Getting pregnant and having a child comes with a lot of responsibility and frankly a lot of bills,” said Reardon. “This will help make some of those decisions a little easier. The governor wants to make sure families can thrive in New York State. She is very focused on making sure families can have an affordable life here in the state. This is part of that focus.”
The law applies to an employee acting as a surrogate, but it does not cover the intended parents, or the spouse, partner and other support persons of a pregnant woman, said a DOL source.
A Fiscal Policy Institute article published in June 2024, said families with young children are leaving the state at high rates, posing a challenge to its long-term economic prospects.
About 90 percent of the state’s population loss is driven by New York City, and households
by Naeisha Rose Editor
Members of Community Boards 8, 12 and 13 should look out for a notice about the Hillside Avenue Center Bus Lane proposal in the next couple of months, according to the city Department of Transportation.
The proposal is a complement to the Queens Bus Network Redesign and would add dedicated bus lanes along the corridor where buses serve more than 200,000 daily bus riders, said the DOT, which hopes the busway will deliver quicker and more reliable bus service, while providing parking and loading.
The proposal was discussed at a Community Board 12 transit meeting June 11.
The dedicated transit corridor would run from Springfield to Queens boulevards, according to agency representatives who attended the meeting and shared renderings of the proposed busways.
Examples of a cross section lane with a sidewalk, 8-foot wide parking lane, 11-footwide travel lane, 10-foot wide concrete bus boarding island and 11-foot wide bus lane were shown.
An existing travel lane each way would be eliminated, though the design is not yet final.
The bus lanes would run 4.2 miles,
according to the MTA. There are 17 MTA routes and five Nassau Inter-County Express routes that would use them, with connections to the E, F, J and Z subway and the Hollis and Jamaica Long Island Rail Road stops.
“NYC DOT engaged in extensive stakeholder outreach last year, including an interactive community survey and door-to-door contacts with every business on the corridor, and we look forward to returning to the community boards in the coming months with an updated proposal reflecting the input received as we work toward a final design,” said a DOT spokesperson this week.
A source from the agency said its spring
with young children are 40 percent more likely to leave than those without children, and twice as likely if they are from the city.
The state’s population in 2024 was approximately 19,034,000 and the city’s was 8,098,282, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
A Newsweek article published in August 2024 said the state has lost $90 billion due to out-migration, particularly of middle-income earners leaving to go to Delaware, South Carolina and Philadelphia. The main factors for leaving: the lack of affordable housing, followed by lifestyle benefits that will support them in establishing a household, such as education and childcare, to name a few.
One hope is that under the new law with more people staying on top of testing and monitoring, there will be fewer preterm births, which lead to future health issues, and better pregnancy outcomes.
In 2023, there were 2,303 preterm (less than 37 weeks) births in Queens, representing 9.6 percent, or nearly one in 10, live births, according to the nonprofit March of Dimes, with data from NCHS.
“We want to make sure the pregnant worker is perhaps able to forestall that,” Reardon said. “Hochul wants to make sure that no pregnant worker ever has to make a difficult choice between a paycheck and a check up.” Q
2024 outreach led to more than 1,200 inperson and digital surveys, bus rider testimonials and door-to-door merchant feedback.
About 92 percent of people surveyed did not drive on Hillside Avenue (54 percent used transit, 33 percent walk), said the source. Of the 8 percent who drove, 51 percent said they planned to be in the area for 30 minutes, suggesting a need for parking turnover. About 58 percent of drivers parked off Hillside Avenue in part because of the current curbside bus lane restrictions during peak hours, and 73 percent of them indicated a short-term parking zone would be beneficial to them.
Merchant feedback revealed how customers access their business along the curb, said the source. About 73 percent said parking in front of the store is difficult, 69 percent observed double-parking at least once or twice times daily, and 46 percent said double parking occurs regularly. In regard to bus lane treatments, adding curbside parking and access to curbs, 58 percent of businesses support the proposed design of the bus lane. As for what the plan means for businesses, the DOT wants to underscore that all options presented would result in new peak curbside access or curbside parking where it currently does not exist. Q
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards announced Tuesday that the application period to serve on community boards is open.
Community boards play an advisory role in matters affecting their neighborhoods, such as the city budget and land use and zoning under the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure. Each board in the city, including the 14 in Queens, holds monthly full membership meetings.
The borough president appoints all board members, with half of the appointments nominated by the City Council members representing each district.
If they wish to continue to serve, all current board members also must reapply after their two-year term ends.
The application is available online at queensbp.nyc.gov. No notarization or in-person delivery is necessary.
Applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Feb. 14. Board members appointed in the upcoming round will start their two-year terms on April 1. Last year, 355 out of the 848 applicants were appointed to a board, including 117 new members, Richards said. Q
by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor
Juan Manuel Merchan was born in Bogota, Colombia, on July 29, 1962, during a period of violence involving the government, peasant selfdefense groups, communists, students, Catholic radicals and left-wing intellectuals. His father, Jose, a military officer, decided to immigrate to the safety of America with his six children.
In 1968 the family arrived and moved into 94-16 34 Road in Jackson Heights, a six-story, 43-unit building. Juan, the youngest of the six, became the first in the family to graduate college.
He married Agnes Padula in 1986 and they had a daughter, Loren, who is working in Washington, DC, today. Juan received his law degree from Hofstra in 1994. After working as a prosecutor, he was appointed as
a family court judge in the Bronx in 2006 by Mayor Bloomberg. In 2009, he was appointed acting state Supreme Court justice. He has since been remarried, to Lara Bernstein, an Nassau County assistant district attorney. Merchan is making history in the case of President-elect Trump, who is due to be sentenced Friday, Jan. 10, in the “hush-money” prosecution in which he was found guilty. Q
by Stephanie G. Meditz associate editor
Queens residents can ring in the Year of the Snake by experiencing a cultural tradition from China, where Lunar New Year is one of the most important holidays.
The Long Island City-based Chinese Theatre Works will bring the art of Chinese shadow theater to Flushing Town Hall at a free exhibition through Feb. 23, beginning with an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Jan. 18. The display will be open seven days a week from noon to 5 p.m.
Visitors to “Red Gate: Pauline Benton & Chinese Shadow Theatre in America” will encounter an array of antique shadow figures crafted out of translucent donkey hide from Benton’s extensive collection. She started to acquire them in Peking in the early 20th century and brought them to the United States in the 1930s.
Benton also started the first Chinese shadow theater company in North America, the Red Gate Players.
“It’s the oldest form of motion picture entertainment, but it’s sort of gone away into the attic of history,” Chinese Theatre Works founder and co-artistic director Stephen Kaplin said. “So we pull it out and give it to people again. That’s our mission, actually.”
Kuang-Yu Fong, Chinese Theatre Works’ executive and co-artistic director, said even people living in China hardly see the tradition anymore.
Chinese shadow theater finds its roots in rituals from over 2,000 years ago. When the beloved concubine of a Han Dynasty emperor died, Fong said, a shaman said he could bring back her soul. The emperor saw his lover’s shadow under a torch at night.
“We hope the Chinese community, which is in Flushing, is able to come, along
with the American audience to get to know more about their neighbors’ cultural heritage,” she said.
“We’re really glad to share these with the people of Queens, with the very big Chinese community,” Kaplin said. “This is part of their cultural traditions that kind of got lost when they came here, so we’re happy to bring them alive again through the exhibition and also through our performances too, which really bring them alive.”
The puppets, stitched onto fabric and
encased in a frame to be displayed, depict scenes such as a marriage parade in which one can see an orchestra of musicians and a carriage with a bride seated inside.
The collection also includes traditional Chinese instruments, rare artifacts and some history about Benton herself. There is a modern twist to the exhibit, too, with some figures made only about 100 years ago.
Audience members may even try their hand at puppetry at the simple shadow stage that will be set up, Fong said.
“We find it a really extraordinary medium,” Kaplin said. “It reaches across ages and cultures in a way that a lot of languagebased performance mediums don’t.”
Attendees of the Jan. 18 opening reception can enjoy drinks, light bites and a talk about the exhibition’s backstory.
Fong said she hopes visitors will get to see an early precursor to modern movies from 2,000 years ago and familiarize themselves with the rich cultural heritage belonging not only to China, but the whole world.
“Everybody, every people, is part of this big collective human beings and we should love each other,” she said.
One may visit flushingtownhall.org to learn more. . Q
The group’s new album is “Belonging,” a recreation of the 1974 record of the same name by Keith Jarrett, a jazz pianist and composer.
“Most people use the word tribute, but it’s an acknowledgement of a great recording of a record that was influential to all of us when we were young musicians,” said Marsalis, who added that his love of music is based on the emotions it elicits. “If someone
hears a song and starts to cry, they can’t tell you why they are crying, it just is a feeling.”
When not on sax, he serves as the artistic director of the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, named after his father.
“The center is a place where we use music to help kids develop,” said Marsalis.
“We help at-risk or latchkey kids ... there are not a lot of non-sports afterschool programs.”
The goal is not to develop the next great jazz artist necessarily, but to offer youths a haven where they can also do their homework and other activities.
“It’s a safe place where people in the Ninth Ward in New Orleans can go after school,” Marsalis said.
The musician, who said he doesn’t get a lot of opportunities to perform outside of Manhattan when in New York City, is excited to play at Queens College and possibly get his friend and fellow saxophonist Antonio Hart, a professor of jazz studies at QC’s Aaron Copland School of Music, on stage.
To get tickets, which are going for $35 to $70 (QC students get 50 percent off; groups of 10 can save up to 30 percent), people can call the QC Box Office at (718)
793-8080 or visit kupferbergcenter.org.
Preceding the concert will be a keynote speech by Arva Rice, president and CEO of the New York Urban League.
The borough president said he is looking forward to the college’s annual MLK Day commemoration.
“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is a hero of mine, just as he is for so many across our nation, and his legacy as one of America’s greatest civil rights icons will carry on for all eternity,” said Richards. “He lived a remarkable life and left us with so many important lessons.” Q
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SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, HSBC Bank USA, N.A., as Trustee for Structured Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loan Trust Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 20051, Plaintiff, AGAINST Sabrina Edery, as Administratrix of the Estate of Ann Lewitinn; et al., Defendant(s), Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered October 22, 2024 I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435, on the second floor in Courtroom 25 on January 24, 2025 at 10:00AM, premises known as 431 Beach 45th Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of NY, Block 15968 Lot 96. tApproximate amount of judgment $480,940.23 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 703588/2015. The auction will be conducted pursuant to the COVID-19 Policies Concerning Public Auctions of Foreclosed Property established by the 11th Judicial District. Michael A. Cervini, Esq., Referee, LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak,
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS, INDEX NO. 724732/2023, Plaintiff designates QUEENS as the place of trial situs of the real property, SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS, Mortgaged Premises: 175-13 145TH AVE, JAMAICA, NY 11434, Block 13287, Lot 31. U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Plaintiff, vs. LULAR HAYES, if living, and if she/he 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 the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; CITIBANK, N.A.; PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 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 Attorney within 20 days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York) in the event the United States of America is made a party defendant(s), the time to answer for the said United States of America shall not expire until (60) days after service of the Summons; 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 OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT, THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is to quiet title, Lular Hayes’ interest in the Property and deem Plaintiff the sole and true owner of real property located at 175 -13 145TH AVE, JAMAICA, NEW YORK 11434 with a tax map designation of Block 13287, Lot 31. Dated: December 18th, 2024. ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC, Attorney for Plaintiff, Jadwiga Szajner, Esq., 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675
SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF QUEENS. WILMINGTON SAVING FUND SOCIETY, FSB, AS TRUSTEE OF UPLAND MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST A, Plaintiff -against- TERRANCE MANN, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated November 12, 2024 and entered on November 18, 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 February 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, bounded and described as follows: BEGINNING at a point on the Easterly side of 158th Street, distant 46 feet Northerly from the corner formed by the intersection of the Easterly side of 158th Street with the Northerly side of 132nd Avenue; being a plot 100.30 feet by 45.84 feet by 87.45 feet by 44 feet. Block: 12273 Lot: 72 Said premises known as 130-21/130-23 158TH STREET A/K/A 13021/13023 158TH STREET, JAMAICA, NY 11434 Approximate amount of lien $510,796.02 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 721436/2019.
LOIS M. VITTI, ESQ., Referee Kosterich & Skeete, LLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 707 Westchester Ave., Suite 302, White Plains, NY 10604
Al-Iman School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS
Selene Finance LP, Plaintiff AGAINST Nancy Mathieu; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered October 28, 2024 I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435, on the second floor in Courtroom 25 on January 17, 2025 at 11:00AM, premises known as 145-92 179th Street, Jamaica, NY 11434. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Fourth Ward of the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of NY, Block 13342 Lot 9. Approximate amount of judgment $594,762.19 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 717934/2018. The auction will be conducted pursuant to the COVID-19 Policies Concerning Public Auctions of Foreclosed Property established by the 11th Judicial District. Martha Taylor, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792 Dated: November 7, 2024 83288
22-57 CRESCENT STREET LLC.
Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/31/24. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 22-57 Crescent Street, Astoria, NY 11105. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, D/B/A CHRISTIANA TRUST, NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT AS TRUSTEE FOR PRETIUM MORTGAGE ACQUISITION TRUST, -againstJOSEPH SCIBILIA, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens on October 18, 2024, wherein WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, D/B/A CHRISTIANA TRUST, NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT AS TRUSTEE FOR PRETIUM MORTGAGE ACQUISITION TRUST is the Plaintiff and JOSEPH SCIBILIA, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the QUEENS COUNTY SUPREME COURT, 88-11 SUTPHIN BLVD, COURTROOM 25, JAMAICA, NY 11435, on January 24, 2025 at 10:00AM, premises known as 16347 19TH AVENUE, WHITESTONE, NY 11357; and the following tax map identification: 5740-55. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE THIRD WARD OF THE BOROUGH AND COUNTY OF QUEENS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 713545/2018. Jeffrey Albert St. Clair, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.
69-26 60TH AVENUE LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/31/23. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 59-56 58th Road, Maspeth, NY 11378. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR GREENPOINT MORTGAGE FUNDING TRUST MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-AR1 -againstADRIAN RODRIGUEZ, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens on June 26, 2024, wherein U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR GREENPOINT MORTGAGE FUNDING TRUST MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007AR1 is the Plaintiff and ADRIAN RODRIGUEZ, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the QUEENS COUNTY SUPREME COURT, 88-11 SUTPHIN BLVD, COURTROOM 25, JAMAICA, NY 11435, on January 31, 2025 at 10:00AM, premises known as 220-25 134TH ROAD, SPRINGFIELD GARDENS, NY 11413; and the following tax map identification: 13098-2.
ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE FOURTH WARD, BOROUGH AND COUNTY OF QUEENS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 715762/2022. Michele Augusta Baptiste, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. 20-066307
9013 LAUNDROMAT LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 01/02/2025. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 90-13 Jamaica Ave., Woodhaven, NY 11421. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
EQUAL HOUSING. 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 212-941-6101, or the New York City Commission of Human Rights Hotline at 718722-3131.
The Queens Chronicle reserves the right to alter wording in ads to conform with Federal Fair Housing regulations.
Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136
Notice of Formation of A DREAM FOR AMY LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/22/2024. 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: JULIA ST. PIERRE, 3112 34TH ST., APT. 2F, ASTORIA, NY 11106. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
BERNARD STOEGER LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/18/2024. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 50-28 65th Place, Woodside, NY 11377. Reg Agent: Shahriar Rahman, 50-28 65th Place, Woodside, NY 11377. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
Notice of Formation of CILLCEARN LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/03/2024 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: LIAM KEARNEY, 37-05 30TH ST, APT 421, NEW YORK, NY 11101. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
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 Howard Beach/Rockwood Park. Totally updated, mint cond, HiRanch, 35x100 lot. 4 BR, 2 full baths. Reduced $939K. Connexion Real Estate 718-845-1136
Howard Beach, Sat 1/11, 2pm-4pm, 159-29 92 St. Updated Mother/Daughter Hi-Ranch. 5 BRs, 3 bathrooms, Solar Panels, Large above-ground swimming pool, private drive. Jerry Fink Real Estate, Call Richard 347-600-5860 Open House
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT QUEENS COUNTY WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, DOING BUSINESS AS CHRISTIANA TRUST, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR BCAT 201513BTT, Plaintiff against RASEL PETTER, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Knuckles & Manfro, LLP, 120 White Plains Road, Suite 215, Tarrytown, NY 10591. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered October 31, 2019, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at the Queens County Supreme Court, Courtroom #25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on January 17, 2025 at 10:00 AM. Premises known as 99-23 215th Street, Queens Village, NY 11429. Block 11089 Lot 7. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Fourth Ward of the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $512,495.47 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 710013/2018. Cash will not be accepted at the sale. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 11th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. Referee will only accept a certified bank check made payable to the referee. Janet L. Brown, Esq., Referee File # 2296-001049
REFEREE’S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF QUEENS DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR INDYMAC INDA MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2007-AR9, MORTGAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-AR9, Plaintiff - against - MOHIBUL ISLAM, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on November 23, 2022. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse located at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY, on the second floor in Courtroom 25 on the 7th day of February, 2025 at 10:00 AM. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Queens, City and State of New York. Premises known as 8709 150th Street, Jamaica, (City of New York) NY 11432. (BL#: 9707-90) Approximate amount of lien $886,832.90 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Index No. 716393/2021 FKA 29577/2009. Helen Eichler, Esq., Referee. Davidson Fink LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 400 Meridian Centre Blvd., Ste 200 Rochester, NY 14618 Tel. 585/760-8218 For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction. com or call (800) 280-2832 Dated: November 27, 2024 During the COVID-19 health emergency, bidders are required to comply with all governmental health requirements in effect at the time of sale including but not limited to, wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing (at least 6-feet apart) during the auction, while tendering deposit and at any subsequent closing. Bidders are also required to comply with the Foreclosure Auction Rules and COVID-19 Health Emergency Rules issued by the Supreme Court of this County in addition to the conditions set forth in the Terms of Sale. To
Notice of Formation of GOLDEN HORN DEVELOPERS LLC
Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 08/22/2024 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: BRITTANY MORLEY, 146-01 17TH AVE., WHITESTONE, NY 11357. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of HEAVENLY HOMES CLEANING SERVICES LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 05/08/24 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, 228 PARK AVE S #601636, NEW YORK, NY 10003. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of PHAROAH’S FEAST LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 09/05/2024 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: OSAMA ABDELAZIZ, 24-47 85TH STREET, EAST ELMHURST, NY 11370. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of RANDY’S HOME REMODEL LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 12/05/2024. 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: RANDY TEJADA, 10530 66TH AVENUE, APT 1F, FOREST HILLS, NY 11375. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of SHIRLEY’S LIFESTYLE LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 09/11/2024 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 LLC, 8309 BREVOORT ST, SUITE 2E, KEW GARDENS, NY 11415. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, AS TRUSTEE OF QUERCUS MORTGAGE INVESTMENT
TRUST, PLAINTIFF, vs. RONALD SHAW, ET AL., Defendant (s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on October 10, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the second floor in Courtroom 25 Queens County Supreme Courthouse located at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on January 17, 2025, at 10:00 AM, premises known as 192-11 116TH ROAD, SAINT ALBANS, NY 11412. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block: 11061, Lot: 46. Approximate amount of judgment is $489,246.08 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 721276/2022. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Mortgagee’s attorney, or the Referee. All parties shall comply with the Eleventh Judicial District’s COVID-19 Policies concerning Public Auctions of foreclosed properties. These policies, along with the Queens County Foreclosure Auction Rules, can be found on the Queens Supreme Court - Civil Term Website (https://www. nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/ COURTS/11jd/supreme/civilterm/partrules/Foreclosure_ Auction_Rules.pdf) DOMINIC
CHIARIELLO, Esq., Referee Roach & Lin, P.C., 6851 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 185, Syosset, New York 11791, Attorneys for Plaintiff
TAKETWO SERVICES, LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/13/2024. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 2110 33rd Street 8B, Astoria, NY 11106. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS INDEX NO. 704290/2017 Mortgaged Premises: 6426 OCEAN AVENUE SOUTH, ARVERNE, NY 11692 Block: 15905, Lot: 199 Plaintiff designates QUEENS as the place of trial situs of the real property NEWREZ LLC F/K/A NEW PENN FINANCIAL, LLC D/B/A SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING, Plaintiff, vs. KATHY JOHNSON A/K/A KATHY M. JOHNSON; KEISHONE L. JOHNSON; DAVID ROPER, JR. AKA DAVID ROPER, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE TO THE ESTATE OF DAVID E. ROPER; STEPHANIE ROPER, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE TO THE ESTATE OF DAVID E. ROPER; DONNELL LOCKHART, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE TO THE ESTATE OF DAVID E. ROPER; JENNIFER LOCKHART, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE TO THE ESTATE OF DAVID E. ROPER; ADRIENNE ROPER A/K/A ADRIENNE LOCKHART, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE TO THE ESTATE OF DAVID E. ROPER; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES TO THE ESTATE OF DAVID E. ROPER, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; HARBOUR POINTE AT ARVERNE BY THE SEA HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION V, INC.; NASSAU ASSET MANAGEMENT CORP.; CRIMINAL COURT OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK (QUEENS); NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (EASTERN DISTRICT); NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE, “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #20,” the last twenty names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Defendants. To the above named Defendants YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $618,120.00 and interest, recorded on April 13, 2012, in CRFN 2012000149190, of the Public Records of QUEENS County, New York., covering premises known as 6426 OCEAN AVENUE SOUTH, ARVERNE, NY 11692. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. QUEENS County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Dated: December 5th, 2024 ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Attorney for Plaintiff Christopher McKenna, Esq. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS, INDEX NO. 711262/2024, Plaintiff designates QUEENS as the place of trial situs of the real property, SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS Mortgaged Premises: 114-94 225TH STREET, CAMBRIA HEIGHTS, NY 11411, Block: 11268, Lot: 1, WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE OF CSMC 2021-RPL8 TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. LENIRES J. JONES III, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF LYNN TOMLIN A/K/A LYNN SEGARS TOMLIN, if living, and if she/he 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 the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF LYNN TOMLIN A/K/A LYNN SEGARS TOMLIN, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK; TIANA “DOE” (REFUSED LAST NAME) AS JOHN DOE #1; “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #2; “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #3; “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #4; “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #5; “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #6; “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #7, “JOHN DOE #8” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last five names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Defendants. To the above named Defendants, YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT, THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $391,500.00 and interest, recorded on May 28, 2008, in CRFN 2008000214925, of the Public Records of QUEENS County, New York., covering premises known as 114-94 225TH STREET, CAMBRIA HEIGHTS, NY 11411. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. QUEENS County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Dated: December 16th, 2024, ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC, Attorney for Plaintiff, Matthew Rothstein, Esq., 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, NY 11590, 516-280-7675
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, COUNTY OF QUEENS, INDEX NO. 715164/2023, Plaintiff designates QUEENS as the place of trial situs of the real property, SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS, Mortgaged Premises : 47-53 HOLLIS COURT BOULEVARD, FLUSHING, NY 11358. Block: 5612, Lot: 8. DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR SECURITIZED ASSET BACKED RECEIVABLES LLC TRUST 2007-NC1, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-NC1. Plaintiff, vs.JOHN ROUVAS A/K/A JOHN N. ROUVAS; REA PAPACHRISTOFOROU; MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC; THE NEW YORK MORTGAGE COMPANY LLC; DEPARTMENT OF SANITATION; UNKNOWN HEIRS AT LAW OF THE ESTATE OF EVRIMAHOS PAPPAS, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; VASILIKI K PAPPAS, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF EVRIMAHOS PAPPAS; EVANGELOS E PAPPAS AKA ANGELO E PAPPAS, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF EVRIMAHOS PAPPAS; KALITSA PAPPAS AKA KALITSA PAPPAS-GABRIEL, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF EVRIMAHOS PAPPAS; CHRISTOS PAPPAS AKA CHRIS PAPPAS, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF EVRIMAHOS PAPPAS; KONSTADINA PAPPAS SKOKOS AKA DINA PAPPAS SKOKOS, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF EVRIMAHOS PAPPAS; “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #1, “JOHN DOE #2” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Defendants. To the above named Defe ndants YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balanc e remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $530,000.00 and interest, recorded on September 11, 2006, in Instrument Number 2006000511957, of the Public Records of QUEENS County, New York., covering premises known as 47-53 HOLLIS COURT BOULEVARD, FLUSHING, NY 11358. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. QUEENS County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOMEIf you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home.Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property.Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action.YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Dated: December 18th, 2024. ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC, Attorney for Plaintiff, Matthew Rothstein, Esq., 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury,
11590, 516-280-7675
by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor
The euphoria enjoyed by Mets fans following the signing of Juan Soto has turned to consternation regarding the future of fan favorite first baseman Pete Alonso, now a free agent.
Many fans are showing frustration that Pete has not yet re-signed. There were unsubstantiated reports the Mets had offered him a threeyear, $90 million contract that he rejected.
Many fans were angry with him and his agent, Scott Boras, for turning down that stratospheric offer. While that is more money than can ever be spent in most lifetimes, there is more than meets the eye here.
Alonso, who just turned 30, loves playing baseball. He wants reassurance he won’t have to be seeking a new contract the way fellow first basemen Paul Goldschmidt and Christian Walker, who are 34 and 37 respectively, had to do this off-season. The actuarial tables do not favor older players when it comes to contracts, as the probabilities of good production decrease and injuries increase.
Mets General Manager David Stearns is also aware of those indisputable probabilities, and that is why he is taking a firm, but not necessarily intractable, stance in his negotiations with Boras. He is concerned about taking yet another long-term economic liability on his balance sheet, as well as blocking a position for
prospects such as Ryan Clifford.
Boras told me at the Soto press conference he knows Alonso’s value is far greater in New York than in any other market. He termed Soto the Mona Lisa of free agents, knowing Mets owner Steve Cohen is an avid art collector. When I asked him if he had an art analogy for Alonso, he replied, “He is a Chagall!” Boras was referring to Marc Chagall, who has many works on display in the Museum of Modern Art, and whose stained-glass window is prominent at the United Nations. He, like Alonso, loved New York City.
Stearns is aware the Mets have not locked up a homegrown position player to a career-spanning contract since David Wright. Alonso is on the precipice of passing Darryl Strawberry as the Mets’ all-time home run leader. Stearns also knows Pete’s dramatic homer in Game 5 of the National League Division Series against the Brewers reinforced his image as a Mets icon.
The odds favor Alonso staying in Queens, but you cannot fault Boras for doing his due diligence and seeing if a team such as the Giants or Mariners is willing to offer a crazed sum for his client’s services.
It is important for Alonso to report to spring training when camps open. He can’t risk injury or a bad start with a long holdout. Q
See the extended version of Sports Beat every week at qchron.com
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