During annual address, gov. outlines proposals to ease financial burdens Hochul is focused on affordability for NYers
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Gov. Hochul made clear her focus for the future is on affordability during her annual State of the State address on Tuesday in Albany, showcasing proposals she said would ease financial burdens on New Yorkers, especially young people and families.
Her plans include making homeownership more accessible, free tuition at community colleges for in-demand jobs, less phone use among youth and increased subway safety. She did not speak to how the revenue would be obtained to cover the new proposals.
Hochul proposed the state’s first “inflation refund,” which would deliver about $3 billion in direct payments to around 8.6 million taxpayers statewide in 2025. Single taxpayers who make up to $150,000 per year would get a $300 payment, and joint tax filers making up to $300,000 would get $500.
“Because of inflation, New York has generated unprecedented revenues through the sales tax — now, we’re returning that cash back to middle class families,” Hochul said in a statement posted to her website. “The cost of living is still too damn high, and New Yorkers deserve a break.”
The governor also proposed several measures to make homeownership more accessible and affordable in New York, one of which
aims to disincentivize institutional investors from purchasing one- and two-family homes en masse. They often outbid traditional homebuyers, Hochul said, contributing to rising prices and exacerbating housing scarcity.
“We’ve all seen it: A young family finds the home they’ve been searching for, they scrape together every dollar they have, and then they lose out to an all-cash offer from a faceless, nameless corporation with no connection to the community,” she said.
To level the playing field, Hochul suggested a 75-day waiting period before institutional investors can make offers on such properties.
Hochul on Tuesday gave her annual State of the State address in Albany, where she detailed new plans focused on affordability and safety for New Yorkers.
The governor proposed $50 million in funding to incentivize the construction of starter homes, with a focus on innovative housing stock such as factory-built and modular homes.
Hochul also plans to support first-time homebuyers by allocating $50 million in new state funding for down payment assistance, aiming to help low- and moderate-income individuals save for homeownership. To further assist those buyers, she proposed an affordable homebuyer property tax incentive, which would
lower costs for housing built with government or nonprofit support and sold to low- and moderate-income families.
Children and families were a large focus of Hochul’s address. She proposed an expansion of the state’s child tax credit, with her plan estimated to give 1.6 million families an annual tax credit of up to $1,000 per child under the age of 4, and up to $500 per child ages 4 through 16.
The state’s existing child tax credit provides up to $300 per child.
Hochul also expressed her goal to make child care more accessible and affordable through a $110 million Child Care Construction Fund, which would be used to build new facilities and repair existing sites. Grant funding will be available to nonprofit or for-profit child care centers and school age child care programs.
Hochul is also convening the New York Coalition for Child Care, a partnership of stakeholders tasked with developing a sustainable path to universal child care. The coalition will focus on expanding assistance programs and creating affordable, accessible options for middle-class families not eligible for subsidies.
On the education front, Hochul said, “We’re going to make community college completely free for students ages 25 to 55 who enter high-demand fields like advanced manufacturing, education and healthcare.”
Hochul, during a “future leaders fireside chat” on Monday, said she will include legislation in the next executive budget to restrict cell phone use in grades K to 12, but did not
continued on page 17
Gov.
PHOTO BY MIKE GROLL / NYS GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
Kivlin set to depart the 102 soon
After more than 2 years, precinct’s commanding officer will move on
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Deputy Inspector Jeremy Kivlin, the commanding officer of the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct, expects to be reassigned soon.
“I can’t really tell you when exactly, but probably within the next month, month and a half, or maybe two months,” Kivlin said during Community Board 9’s monthly meeting on Tuesday. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time in the precinct. I’ve met a lot of great people, and I’ll never be a stranger.”
“When they do a good job, they get promoted and they get pulled out,” Sherry Algredo, the board’s chairwoman, explained. “If it was up to us and we had a say, we weren’t going to let him go, because he’s been very good to this community.”
Algredo said Kivlin has always answered everyone’s questions and made himself available. She prompted the board to give him a round of applause.
“Policing isn’t just fighting crime, it’s also working with your community, and I think it’s something that he did an exceptional job on,” she said.”
Anna Sargeant, the chief of staff for
Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar (D-Woodhaven), presented Kivlin with a proclamation for his service.
Kivlin started with the force as an officer in 2008, according to nypdonline.org, and
Lisa Gomes, former CB 9 DM, dead at 65
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Lisa Gomes, the former district manager of Community Board 9, died earlier this month. She was 65.
Gomes, according to Community Board 9 Chair Sherry Algredo, started as a youth coordinator in July 1990 and was employed by the city Department of Social Services from April 1995 to May 1998.
Lisa
She served as Board 9’s community coordinator from 1998 to 2014, when she was then chosen as the group’s acting district manager after the retirement of Mary Ann Carey, who held the position for 30 years.
The board officially elected Gomes to the post in March 2015, voting for her 19-15 over James McClelland. McClelland is the board’s current district manager.
Gomes retired from Community Board 9 in 2017 after a diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer’s.
According to a Facebook page in her
name, Gomes attended Bayside High School before graduating in 1977, and received a masters of social work from Hunter College.
“Community Board 9 is very sad to learn about the passing of Lisa Gomes, former District Manager,” Algredo said in a statement via email. “She served Community Board 9 for many years and was very valued by the community. ... We are grateful for the great work and commitment shown by Lisa. Community Board 9 offers our condolences to Lisa’s family and loved ones on her passing.”
The board held a moment of silence in Gomes’ honor at the start of its meeting on Jan. 14, and a framed photo of her sat atop a table at the head of the room for the duration of the evening.
There was no service information available as of publication. A memorial page on everloved.com in Gomes’ name said she is survived by her daughter, Jazmine Gomes Penner.
was promoted to sergeant in 2013, lieutenant in 2017 and captain in 2019. That year, he spent five months as an executive officer at the 102 before departing.
Kivlin returned to the 102 as command-
ing officer in 2022 and was promoted to deputy inspector in 2023.
Kivlin said, “We did a lot of great things, whether it be some really great community events, and quality-of-life concerns, but also in crime. I think since I took over we’ve made strides in all of those areas.”
He said the 102nd Precinct saw the largest reduction of crime in all of Queens in 2024.
“That’s something to be proud of,” Kivlin said. “I owe it to my officers who went out there and did the job every day in helping bring the crime down, and the community was there to support us.”
Within the precinct, the only category crime went up in year to year was grand larcenies, by 3 percent. Kivlin said a lot of those were car break-ins or phone scams, which are preventable with education.
“The officers are the ones putting their lives on the line, going out there every day, bringing crime down,” Kivlin said. “Honestly, Sherry, you gave me a round of applause; I honestly should be giving my officers a round of applause, because they’re the ones who have done a lot of great things.” Q
The community council of the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct, a volunteer group that bridges the gap between the force and the people it serves, chose two officers at its meeting last Tuesday to honor as Cops of the Month in recognition of their bravery, significant arrests and extraordinary effort in the line of duty.
The honored cops were Officers Michael Kahl, fourth from left, and Ryan Cahill, fifth from left. According to NYPD data, both officers joined the force in 2014 and were assigned to the 102 in August 2015.
“Congratulations to the 102 Precinct community council cops of the month,” the precinct wrote on social media, accompanied by a photo of the two officers with their award plaques standing alongside members of the 102’s Community Council and the NYPD, including the commanding officer of the precinct, Deputy Inspector Jeremy Kivlin, fourth from right.
“Officer Kahl & Cahill ... are part of our conditions team. They were able to take a loaded firearm off the street without incident,” the 102 wrote. — Kristen Guglielmo
Gomes PHOTO BY ANTHONY O’REILLY / FILE
Deputy Inspector Jeremy Kivlin, at mic, the commanding officer of the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct, confirmed he will be departing from his post soon. PHOTO BY KRISTEN GUGLIELMO
Mayor Adams’ Showtime at the Apollo
He aims for more tourism and parks, less crime and homeless
by Naeisha Rose Editor
Housing, education, jobs, safety and health were just a few of the topics Mayor Adams touched on during his fourth State of the City address at the Apollo Theater in Harlem on Thursday, Jan. 9.
The theme of his address: Making NYC the Best Place to Raise a Family.
Throughout Adams’ speech, he referred to his mother, Dorothy Mae Adams-Streeter, who had six children and struggled paying for insulin shots, but worked hard to eventually move her family from a tenement in Bushwick, Brooklyn, to South Jamaica.
The mayor also spoke about his own struggles with Type 2 diabetes, and how it nearly cost him his vision, before he turned to a healthier lifestyle.
Reflecting on his past, Adams said he thought about the future of healthcare.
“Today we are proud to announce that we are adding the Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital to the FutureReadyNYC network,” Adams said, “offering hundreds of high school students work experience in healthcare, preparing our students for success.”
FutureReadyNYC is a program in which students learn important job skills, get paid work experience, earn early college credit and get certificates for jobs that pay well and are in demand, according to schools.nyc.gov.
The life expectancy of New Yorkers fell during the height of
Covid-19. Since becoming mayor, Adams launched the HealthyNYC campaign to raise it to exceed 83 years by 2030.
In 2019, someone from the Big Apple could expect to live about 82.6 years, but by 2020, that dropped to 78 years.
“We’ve signed more than 16,000 teenagers up for virtual therapy and took on distributors for illegally selling flavored-vapes and hooking young people on nicotine and tobacco,” said Adams.
The mayor also touted his work with doulas, abortion care and indirect health initiatives.
“Our healthcare system expanded in other ways too,” Adams said. “It is helping more families access doula and midwifery services and becoming the first public health system in the country to help people access abortion healthcare through telehealth, because here in New York City we will always defend reproductive rights.”
The mayor said the health of the city is also dependent on public spaces whether through composting, having open streets in all five boroughs or investing $1.2 billion in infrastructure and resiliency initiatives to protect against the next Superstorm Sandy.
and take our children to play.”
To ensure every New Yorker is within a 10-minute walk of a park, the mayor intends to open more schoolyards in underserved communities that kids will have access to after school, on weekends and during the summer.
“We drove jobs up.”
— Mayor Adams
“From Central Park to Flushing Meadows, our city parks are household names across the globe,” said Adams. “They are where we come together
“We are not just giving people more parks,” said Adams. “We are giving them cleaner ones too. Starting this year, we are adding more afternoon cleaning shifts to 100 hotspots in our parks throughout the city.”
The mayor, a former transit cop, said thousands of new police officers were added to the NYPD. The Police Department took about 20,000 illegal guns off city streets. One of his initiatives was a $485 million action plan to prevent gun violence.
The city has padlocked more than 1,300 illegal smoke shops and seized over 80,000 ghost cars and illegal mopeds and ATVs, said Adams as he thanked Sheriff Anthony Miranda, who was in the crowd. His department’s headquarters is in Long Island City and another office is in Jamaica.
“We have not just driven crime down, we drove jobs up,” said Adams. “We opened the country’s largest outdoor dining program, tore down hundreds of scaffolding sheds, and launched the trash revolution to move every single trash bag off our streets into containers.”
About $2.3 billion of federal
funds was allocated toward infrastructure upgrades, and Adams unveiled the working-class Axe the Tax initiative, which would eliminate city personal income tax for nearly 582,000 filers making 150 percent of the federal poverty line or less and their dependents.
Adams said the strength of the city’s economy is going to be dependent on its arts and tourism sectors, which often go under looked.
“We brought nearly 65 million tourists to New York City last year — the second highest in the city’s history,” said the mayor. “We can’t wait to welcome for the first time the FIFA World Cup next year.
Councilman Moya is having so much fun.”
The 23rd World Cup will be held at the MetLife Stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, NJ, due to its proximity to the Big Apple.
Councilman Francisco Moya (D-Corona), a major soccer fan, voted in favor of another soccer stadium that holds 25,000 people at Willets Point called The Cube, which is expected to be complete in 2027.
The mayor said Jobs NYC and hiring hall initiatives connected nearly 8,500 New Yorkers to careers.
This year, the mayor has allocated $163 million to support some of the city’s most successful education programs like Fair Futures and College Choice. Both programs help children in the foster care system. The mayor is also supporting a fatherhood program that offers resources to dads.
“If we do not educate, we will incarcerate,” said Adams. “This will help bring a safer, more equitable city for all.”
The mayor touted programs such as NYC Reads and NYC Solves, which help with literacy and tackling science.
The mayor wants to give more parents access to 3K For All, make more investments in stop-violence centers, more spaces for kids to play sports and add financial literacy programs in every school district.
“We want to close Rikers [Island], yes, but we have to close the damn pipeline that feeds Rikers; that is what this is about,” said Adams.
The mayor also wants to make a $650 million investment into keeping homeless people off the subways. The investment includes getting more people into shelters and supportive housing, and launching a program to get expectant mothers permanent housing before delivery. He also supports Gov. Hochul’s plan to involuntarily commit more people who suffer from mental illness.
“We are going to add 900 new safe-haven beds,” said Adams. “Second, we must do more to help people struggling with severe mental illness ... So we are going to build a housing facility just for New Yorkers with severe mental illness to give them the health and care that they need ... Today we are making a new commitment to our families. No child shall ever be born in our shelter system ... we must stop the cycle of poverty, before it ever begins.” Q
At his fourth State of the City address in Harlem on Jan. 9, Mayor Adams said he wants New Yorkers to have access to green spaces with a 10-minute walk, he wants expectant struggling mothers to have permanent housing instead of having babies in the shelter system and more.
SCREENSHOT VIA NYC MAYOR / YOUTUBE
Sheriff Anthony Miranda, Councilman Francisco Moya, District Attorney Melinda Katz, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and many more were in the crowd.
Rent for Credit plan could help low-income New Yorkers buy homes: mayor A family-centered City of Yes proposal
by Naeisha Rose Editor
Housing was a major component of Mayor Adams’ State of the City address last Thursday.
To keep New Yorkers in the Big Apple, Adams launched City of Yes for Families, his newest housing initiative, designed to create family-friendly residential units and multigenerational homes alongside schools, playgrounds, grocery stores and libraries.
“We’ve seen too many families leave for the suburbs once children are on the way,” Adams said during his speech.
Casey Berkovitz, a Department of City Planning spokesman, elaborated more on the plan.
“City of Yes for Housing Opportunity updated zoning to allow a little more housing in every neighborhood, including incentives and changes to design regulations that will encourage larger apartments in some cases,” Berkovitz told the Chronicle via email. “In addition to zoning, which governs both privately-financed and city-financed development, the city has additional tools to shape the architecture and design of buildings that ... are directly funded through the Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
“City of Yes for Families will use these
order to encourage multigenerational households, which are proven to improve life outcomes of children and their families.”
In addition to the changes through HPD, programs to require affordable and senior housing developments have more familysized homes, the Mayor’s Office will be proposing zoning changes to increase access to fresh, healthy food; improved public space; and accessibility of public transit stations, Berkovitz added.
Another initiative the Mayor’s Office intends to put forth is the Rent as Credit plan.
Last year, the mayor convened a Charter Revision Commission, an independent body to review and recommend possible changes to the City Charter.
Frank Dwyer, the CRC’s spokesman, said that the commission has a particular focus on housing, but it is too soon to say what changes it will recommend, if any.
Members of the Charter Revision Commission spoke about their plans for 2025. The first CRC meeting in Queens will be on Feb. 24 in Long Island City.
“We will also roll out new initiatives to help more people buy a home in the five boroughs. If you are paying rent every month, it should count towards your credit score. With our new initiative, it will,” said Adams. “We will help more New Yorkers build up credit and eventually secure a mortgage for the first time.”
SCREENSHOT / CRC / YOUTUBE
additional tools to require that city-financed affordable housing projects include a greater share of family-sized homes. This will create opportunities for more families to live affordably and make it easier for them to remain here in New York. We are also requiring all affordable senior projects to include a share of family-sized homes for the first time in
Berkovitz said the groundbreaking credit plan would help low-income renters strengthen their credit profiles by reporting on-time rent payments, a tool often overlooked in building financial stability.
“This opt-in program empowers renters to turn their monthly housing costs into an asset — boosting their ability to secure loans, build generational wealth, and remain rooted in the city they call home,” he said.
The group, which held its first meeting of the year in Manhattan on Jan. 7, consists of 12 people, including Leila Bozorg, Adams’ executive director of housing, who serves as CRC’s secretary. Other members have backgrounds in land use and real estate, along with technology expertise and more. Members of the group from or formerly of Queens include Grace Bonilla of South Jamaica, president and CEO of United Way of New York City, a nonprofit that helps low-income people, and Diane Savino, who grew up in Astoria and is Adams’ senior advisor and a former state senator for parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island.
There will be a meeting on the first floor of the city Department of Design and Construction’s multipurpose room, located at 30-30 Thomson Ave. (enter on 30th Place) in Long Island City, Feb. 24, from 5 to 8 p.m.
“Propose[d] changes to our city charter ... will help create more homes for families for generations to come,” said Adams. Q
EDITORIAL AGEP
Last page in library mess
How on Earth could the biggest city in America, one of the biggest library systems in the country and a high-end architectural firm team up in the 21st century to build a facility that completely ignores the Americans with Disabilities Act — and therefore the people whose rights it is supposed to protect?
We’ll probably never know the closed-door details, but we do know the Hunters Point Library in Long Island City was built, being finished in 2019, and came complete with 95 violations of the ADA, which became law in 1990.
On the outside, its brutalist design is hard on the eyes, the very opposite of the soaring grandeur of a great library meant to inspire the intellect to new heights. It’s like a cinder block with odd cutouts. That’s modernity. Inside, it’s a different story, and the views are fantastic. So is the roof space. But some spots, including three of the five levels of a unique mezzanine area, are inaccessible to those with mobility disabilities.
Fixes are underway. And last Friday the U.S.
Department of Justice announced that it had reached a settlement with the City of New York and the Queens Borough Public Library on recognizing the civil rights of people with disabilities. The architect — who says he delivered the product his clients agreed to — is making changes that should total another $5 million. The work is being done at night so the library can stay open.
The settlement resolves a class-action lawsuit brought against the city and library by a patron, LIC resident Tanya Jackson, and the Center for the Independence of the Disabled, New York.
CIDNY echoed our thoughts, and perhaps yours, in a statement: “We have no idea why anyone would build an inaccessible building today, when the ADA is the law.” It’s especially puzzling when that institution is the Queens Library, which flies the inclusionary flag high as it can.
But, as an old writer whose works you can find in the library (we hope!) said, “All’s well that ends well.” Next we’ll see if the city wins its suit seeking the $5 million from the architect.
Support LA’s fire victims
Not every victim of the Los Angeles wildfires is a rich celebrity. And many need our help.
These fires are close to unprecedented in modern American history and could end up the most costly natural disaster the country ever has suffered. At least 12,000 homes and businesses located upon tens of thousands of acres have burned to the ground. At least 25 people have been killed, probably more.
New York City has seen several fires kill more people over its history, but it’s never lost entire neighborhoods to the degree LA has, though the section of Breezy Point that burned after Hurricane Sandy hit was devastated just as much. Manhattan’s Great Fire of 1835 destroyed
nearly 700 buildings over 17 city blocks, but it was 190 years ago.
In LA, the conflagrations continue. It’s paradise lost. Names you likely equate with palm trees, perfect weather, wealth, celebrity and leisure have been damaged or decimated: Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Pasadena, Altadena. UCLA, the Rose Bowl, Getty Museum and Hollywood sign are all not too far from the blazes. But it’s the homes and small shops lost that hurt most.
We can’t help put out the fires, but we can help the victims recover. If you can give, please do. We have a story in this week’s editions, and at qchron.com, listing several charities you can trust. Forget our usual rivalries and the end of last year’s baseball season. Today, LA needs NYC.
MARK WEIDLER President & Publisher
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Dear Editor:
LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
Hail, Brooklyn
“A Brooklyn Enclave’s Uneasy Peace With 4,000 New Migrant Neighbors,” blared a New York Times headline in August. Translation: Park Slope-adjacent white liberal settler outpost really not amused by “a growing number of African and Latin American migrants milling around the neighborhood’s parks and sidewalks.” Then fortune smiled on them: “A pair of shootings deepened quality-of-life concerns among Brooklyn neighbors” around the Hall Street shelter in Clinton Hill ...
And presto, this week The Times announced, “New York to Cut 10,000 Migrant Beds but Open New Shelter in the Bronx.” Violins, please: “Crystal Hudson, a councilwoman from Brooklyn who called for the closure of the Hall Street shelter, said residents were relieved that the shelter was closing but also wanted to ensure that migrants were housed humanely.” Classic.
As in Queens, provincial Bronx pols eagerly cooperate. “Diana Ayala, a councilwoman who represents parts of the Bronx and Manhattan, said she had recommended the new Bruckner Boulevard site.” Like any good outerborough apparatchik, minimally preoccupied with actual constituents, “she was concerned about the security of the occupants and protecting them from any deportation actions by federal authorities.”
And not by any means just outerborough
rubes. This as Mayor Adams remains hell-bent on destroying the beloved Elizabeth Street sculpture park in the formerly elite Nolita neighborhood in Manhattan, defying the pleas of prominent advocates, for the sake of a housing development for a few hundred seniors. This entire city needs to wake up to the parasitic Liberal Brooklyn metastatic dictatorship sucking the life and finances out of all of us.
Edwin Eppich Glendale
Action, not an ‘advocate’
Dear Editor:
Kudos to Richard Reif in support of your editorial to require e-bikes and scooters to be registered, licensed and insured (“Insure e-bikes and scooters,” Letters, Dec. 26).
Credit is also due to Councilman Robert Holden in his push to enact Priscilla’s Law, which claimed 29 supporters. The councilman is always at the forefront in efforts to protect New Yorkers’ best interests. We have called the office of Linda Lee, our councilwoman, to
voice our support for such legislation. She has yet to respond to our request. As noted by Mr. Reif, Jumaane Williams, the New York City public advocate, promptly brought up the “race card,” as expected.
If Williams runs for reelection, he should be voted out. The office itself is a waste of money and just a stepping-stone to higher office, and should be eliminated.
We already have public advocates on the payroll: councilmembers, assemblymembers, senators and governors.
Let them do their job.
Thomas and Constance Dowd Oakland Gardens
Judge protects criminals
Dear Editor:
Re your Jan. 9 editorial, ”Hopes and fears on migrants, tariffs, tolls and more”:
You stated your fear that “some New Yorkers, including elected officials,” will try to fight President-elect Trump’s plan to deport immigrants with criminal records. One appointe d
LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
official has already waged war against deportation. Federal Judge William Kuntz ordered Suffolk County to pay $60 million to migrants held by the sheriff’s office, at the request of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to face deportation proceedings (New York Post, Jan 10). He said the sheriff’s action violated the migrants’ constitutional rights under New York State’s sanctuary law.
Judge Kuntz’s ruling resulted from a classaction suit filed by immigrant advocates. We can expect similar legal challenges by openborder boneheads in the coming months as Trump rolls out his deportation initiative. One group almost certain to protest is the American Civil Liberties Union, whose initials, ACLU, really stand for All Criminals Left Unpunished.
Queens, “The World’s Borough,” has a large population of immigrants, most of whom reside here legally and obey the law. They should have nothing to fear. But for those who are here illegally and commit crimes, I have two words of advice: Start packing.
Richard Reif Kew Gardens Hills
Hochul’s energy tax trick
Dear Editor:
All politicians lie. But some are frivolous because they don’t really impact policy and people recognize immediately that they’re not true. When President-elect Trump speaks in superlatives about everything (the biggest, the best, the worst), almost everyone recognizes that this is the language of a real estate salesperson and ignores it.
Then there are insidious lies: those that appear true, and are intended to mislead the electorate, such as Gov. Hochul’s claim that the recently passed law that will charge energy companies $3 billion a year would save taxpayers from having to foot the bill for cleaning up carbon dioxide emissions (“Hochul says heavy emitters must pay,” Jan. 9, multiple editions). Somebody in Albany must realize these costs will simply be passed on to consumers, most of whom are taxpayers. We can expect to pay more for our gasoline and gas and oil to heat our homes.
Most of us have benefited greatly from the energy provided by the companies that Hochul now seeks to demonize. We have driven our cars or taken the bus to and from work. We have gone on vacations. We have been able to heat our homes in the winter and cool our homes in the summer because of the energy provided us by these now-judged-to-be-evil companies.
The politicians have created their preferred type of tax. Instead of directly putting their hands into our pockets, they have a company do it for them, enabling them to say they didn’t raise taxes. It also causes us to blame the company even though what it extracts will be handed over to the government.
Hochul’s lie is insidious because it puts another tear in the social fabric that unites us all by turning consumers against providers of essential services Further, it undermines democracy by purposely deceiving voters in an effort to maintain power.
Michael Gallagher Forest Hills
A big fan of Ben Franklin
Dear Editor:
Friday, Jan. 17, is Benjamin Franklin’s birthday. As a publisher and statesman, Franklin was an advocate of common sense and republican government.
Unfortunately, he is too often portrayed as a clownish figure flying a kite. But remember, the kite-flying episode led to the lightning rod, which, along with his Franklin stove, saved countless lives, lived in flammable wooden houses.
Franklin was no plaster saint. Read his “Advice to a Friend on Choosing a Mistress” (1745). And although he never claimed that beer was proof of God’s love for mankind, he did write something very similar about red wine.
But it’s an older, world-weary Franklin who deserves our attention these days. Leaving the Constitutional Convention, he was asked what kind of government had been created. With extraordinary prescience, Franklin responded, “A republic — if you can keep it.”
This is the Franklin we should remember on his 319th birthday, and not the cartoon character in the rain.
Neil C. Giannelli Woodhaven
A big fan of Marzlock
Dear Editor:
The Queens Chronicle is so fortunate to have such a talented, interesting contributor as “I Have Often Walked” author Ron Marzlock. Every week for so many years he has educated me and the Chronicle’s other readers about so many famous people who grew up in Queens or moved to Queens early in their life. Ron’s research of the Queens residents who accomplished so much and rose to fame, many coming from modest means, makes me proud to be a resident of this great borough.
Thank you, Ron Marzlock — good job!
Kevin O’Leary Kew Gardens
Not a fan of ours
Dear Editor:
Thanks, your paper is a must-read guide to knowing what the other side is thinking, and where it is obliviously trying to go ... and it’s free. Every article and every “Letter” to the Editor has the same tone, which is not mathematically possible. Even the comics turn left from being funny.
The icing on the cake was the Jan. 9 “I Have Often Walked” article, “Juan Merchan sat on a bench in Jackson Heights,” which tried to portray Merchan as not a controversial figure, but as a hero saving us from the Monster, and how he managed to struggle through life in a war involving “left-wing intellectuals” and “Catholic radicals.” Many a reader here must have smirked, knowing that the Catholic religion and its leader are mainly on the left.
The bigger picture is not me, or this publication, but the American people as a whole have spoken.
Thanks — just letting off a little steam.
James Busk South Ozone Park
H+H doctors strike tentatively averted
City Council hearing shines light on working conditions, staff shortages
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Doctors Council SEIU, a union representing attending physicians, has come to a tentative agreement with NYC Health + Hospitals on new contracts for attending physicians. The union last week agreed to postpone a strike planned for Jan. 13 after stalled contract negotiations with NYC Health + Hospitals resumed.
Since September, more than 2,500 attending physicians across H+H had been fighting for a better contract, according to the union. The doctors requested better pay and benefits to address an understaffing crisis. If an agreement was not reached, the work stoppage would have commenced on Jan. 21.
The strike would have affected four of the city’s public hospitals, including Queens Hospital Center in Jamaica Hills, and would have seen nearly 1,000 doctors across three boroughs taking part. It would have been the largest work stoppage of attending physicians in New York, according to Doctors Council.
In the event of a strike, H+H says it would implement certain measures, such as canceling elective surgeries and outpatient visits, and rely on non-unionized staff, residents, nurse practitioners and physician assistants to maintain essential services.
The tentative agreements, according to Doctors Council, include substantial base salary increases; funding arrangements that recognize and address the unique challenges of today’s environment for healthcare professionals; a bonus that recognizes time served on the front lines of the Covid pandemic; retention bonuses that acknowledge designated specialties; a $12 million flexible physician compensation pool; restoration of cuts to sick leave hours; Doctors Council benefit fund contributions to supplement members’ health, dental and vision benefits; Continuing Medical Education reimbursement increases; and Juneteenth as a paid holiday.
“I’m certain that there is not a single physician nor a single person at Health + Hospitals who came to us because we were the highestpaying hospital,” he said. “We are a safety-net system. We have never been the highest-paying hospital.”
The average compensation for a H+H physician is $269,000, Katz said, adding that there’s a range, with the top end being “very specialized surgeons.”
Approximately 80 percent of physicians also benefit from faculty practice income, ranging from an additional $20,000 to $80,000 depending on the hospital.
“I think the major thing is that New York City doctor salaries are similar to everywhere else, but the cost of living here is outrageously higher,” Katz said. “And so the salary seems okay until you have to pay your rent.”
Follow-up appointments at H+H are typically 20 minutes long, with new patient appointments supposed to be 40 minutes, but often cut to 20 minutes. Doctors are expected to see eight patients in a 3.5-hour session.
“We need qualified and principled doctors.”
— Dr. Frances Quee, president of Doctors Council SEIU
“If you have not yet filled up your panel, we have reduced the 40-minute appointments to a 20-minute appointment,” Katz said. “We changed it because we had all these patients waiting, and we felt that isn’t it better to do what you can do in 20 minutes than to leave people on a waiting list where we’re doing nothing for them?”
Dr. Frances Quee, the president of Doctors Council SEIU, said, “In order for us to provide the highest quality of care that we want to give, and that our patients deserve, we need qualified and principled doctors. That requires an investment in attracting talented doctors, and retaining the doctors who have dedicated years like myself.”
and many called for more staff to handle the workload.
Dr. Gray Ballinger of Queens Hospital Center said she saw 22 patients the day before.
Ballinger did a straw poll of her patients chosen in sequential order, and determined more than 65 percent of them are illiterate on the eigth-grade level of any language, and 35 percent of them had a formal translator.
“Our no-show rates are very low because these patients have nowhere else to go, compared to what I’ve heard Dr. Katz describe,” she said. “These are individuals who cannot read their discharge paperwork or their prescription bottles. They can’t read a letter notifying them that a mammogram or a pap smear was abnormal and showed evidence of cancer. They need our time, our attention and our teaching. We owe them better.”
Councilmember Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills) told Dr. Katz the Council is about to start budget negotiations.
“My suggestion is to make the ask and then we’ll see what we can do as a group here,” Schulman said.
On the union’s requests, Quee recommended going back to 40-minute appointment time slots for first-time patients and emphasized the need for building connections with those who come in seeking care. Quee also asked that nurse practitioners see patients instead of reviewing charts and called for “a decent wage” for the doctors.
“We’re not asking for anything Columbia is paying,” she said. “We came into a missiondriven system and we understand that. ... We train residents all the time. They’re coming out of the system, and they just say goodbye and they leave. And I understand them because they have so much student-loan debt that they need to pay.” Q
Last Friday, the City Council Committees on Hospitals, Health and Civil Service and Labor held a joint hearing, giving representatives from H+H and Doctors Council and other community stakeholders the opportunity to testify.
Dr. Mitch Katz, the president and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals, was up first in the hot seat, testifying for nearly two hours and fielding questions from councilmembers.
Katz, during his introduction, said he was hopeful that, with mediation, the issue would be resolved.
“All of the people involved on all sides, I think have the same goal, which is a happy physician workforce,” Katz said.
He said the hospital system has four affiliates, and they each have different arrangements, salaries, work hours, pension plans and longevity bonuses. Though the city funds the doctors’ salaries, private facilities employ them.
“So it becomes extremely difficult to get to what we all agree is what we want, which is fair and equitable contracts,” Katz said.
She continued, “Instead, Health + Hospitals is making shortsighted and rushed decisions without the input of the frontline doctors. This adds to a revolving door of doctors leaving, which adds to short staffing and unsafe workloads.”
Quee said more than 50 percent of the doctors are working paycheck to paycheck, and the salaries are not enough to effectively recruit and retain doctors.
Many doctors from H+H hospitals called for a reversal of the 20-minute appointment policy,
New theater troupe invites you to join
“Calling all dreamers, doers, and creative spirits.”
So goes the announcement of a new Queens community theater group, The North Broadway Players. If you’d like to help shape the future of the troupe, you’re welcome to attend a planning meeting at The Church on the Hill (167-07 35 Ave., Flushing) today, Jan. 16, at 7 p.m.
For further information, email pastor@ churchonthehill.org or call (718) 358-3671. Q
Dog days on ice, for now
Those who frequent the Woodhaven side of Forest Park Drive know that just a short walk up from Oak Ridge, there’s a small plot of land on the side of the road, where it’s not uncommon to see a car parked or families lingering with their beloved furry friends.
“I take my dog there during the summer to run around and park my car along the entrance so she can’t run out,” a Woodhaven resident told the Chronicle last week. “I choose that over the dog run because it’s more secluded.”
The resident drove by recently and saw
uniformed workers and porta-potties and said he thought the spot might be off-limits for good.
The city Parks Department told the Chronicle that the situation is temporary, as the agency is piloting the space for use by the city Department of Sanitation for salt storage during the winter months. A decision will be made at the end of the season on whether the space will be used again for salt storage in the future.
The area will again be available to the public as the warm weather returns, the agency said. — Kristen Guglielmo
PHOTO BY
Dr. Mitch Katz, the president and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals, testified at a City Council hearing last Friday as nearly 1,000 doctors across the H+H system prepared to strike on Jan. 21.
PHOTO BY GERARDO ROMO / NYC COUNCIL
Free skating at UBS Arena
It’s almost time to brush up on your skating skills and take to the ice with friends and family!
Free for residents of Howard Beach and Ozone Park, a community skate day will be held on Sunday, Jan. 26, at the Park at UBS Arena, located at 2400 Hempstead Tpke. in Elmont, LI.
The New York Islanders have partnered with state Sens. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven), James Sanders Jr. (D-South Ozone Park) and Roxanne Persaud (D-Brooklyn, Queens), Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach) and Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) for the event, which is also cosponsored by the Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic and the Ozone Tudor Civic Association.
Skaters of all levels are welcome to enjoy the family-friendly outing with up to 10 guests in a chosen time slot, either from 2 to 3:30 p.m. or 4 to 5:30 p.m. Skate rentals will be provided free of charge.
Registration is required for entry. Reserve a spot by filling out the form online at tinyurl.com/ubsskateday. Q — Kristen Guglielmo
Queens pols get leadership posts 12 from borough land coveted Assembly assignments
by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor
A dozen members of the state Assembly who represent Queens have been given committee chairmanships to start the new session in Albany.
The appointments were announced on Jan. 9 by the office of Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx).
Asemblymember Catalina Cruz (D-Corona) will serve as chair of the Committee on Committees. Clyde Vanel (D-Queens Village) will head up the Banking Committee. Andrew Hevesi (D-Forest Hills) returns as chairman Children and Families, while Nily Rozic (D-Flushing) will chair Consumer Affairs.
Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside) will serve as chairman of the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions, which presides over the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, among other entities.
Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach) will continue to lead the Government Employees Committee. Alicia Hyndman (D-Springfield Gardens) will head up the Education Committee. David Weprin (D-Fresh Meadows) will be chairman of the Insurance Committee. Ron Kim (D-Flushing) will lead the Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development. Jessica González-Rojas (D-East Elmhurst) will lead the Committee on
Women’s Issues.
In other leadership announcements, Vivian Cook (D-Jamaica) returns as assistant speaker, while Khaleel Anderson has been designated as the chairman of the task force on Farm, Food and Nutrition Policy.
Vanel, in an email, said he was humbled by the appointment.
“I recognize that the finance and insurance industry accounts for a large portion of New York’s economy and good-paying jobs,” Vanel said. “We must ensure that New York continues to lead in this sector.”
Pheffer Amato’s committee has oversight of all matters involving public employees, both state and municipal, including retirees.
In a press release, she said major accomplishments in the last two years include $10,000 pay raises for the longest-serving officers in the NYPD; enacting disability coverage for firefighters with thyroid cancer; codifying permanent heart disease insurance and disability coverage for all uniformed members of law enforcement; creating new policies and rights for provisional employees; and ensuring healthcare coverage for spouses and domestic partners of FDNY members
Braunstein thanked Heastie for his trust.
“There is much important work to be done and I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues and the committee staff to help
provide the policy work and oversight necessary to help improve the lives of New Yorkers,” he said in an emailed statement.
“New York is home to some of the world’s finest cultural institutions and recreational sites,” Kim said in a press release [see separate story in some editions or at qchron.com].
“I will work to ensure that these places are properly supported, celebrated, and ready to receive visitors throughout the year. At a time of great economic uncertainty, I’m approaching my new chairmanship as a vehicle to create jobs and bring needed revenue into the state.”
Additionally, Kim said he will work closely with Assemblywoman Rebecca Seawright (D-Manhattan), the new chair of the Assembly Committee on Aging, “to assure a seamless transition of leadership.”
“We must protect older adults, and try to fix our broken long-term care system,” he said.
“I have dedicated my career to advancing gender, racial, and economic equity for all women, trans and gender expansive communities,” Gonzalez-Rojas said in a statement. “I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues to establish budget and legislative priorities for this legislative session and thank Speaker Heastie for entrusting me with this leadership role.” Q
LA wildfire relief funds helping those in need
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
The devastating wildfires sweeping across Southern California for more than a week have left communities in dire need of support. There are trusted organizations accepting donations to provide immediate relief and long-term recovery assistance:
• The American Red Cross is accepting donations via redcross.org. One can also donate by calling 1 (800) RED CROSS (733-2767) or texting the word “CAWILDFIRES” to 90999.
• Americares is taking donations for its California Wildfire Relief Fund at americares.org/cawildfires.
• Catholic Charities USA is lending a helping hand to those in need. To donate, visit catholiccharitiesusa.org/donations or call (571) 527-3289.
• The Salvation Army is providing critical aid to the wildfire survivors. To donate, visit salarmy.us/socalfires.
• GoFundMe has its own donation campaign for wildfire relief, which delivers cash grants directly to those impacted. To donate, visit gofund.me/3d10d66d.
At home in Queens, U.S. Rep. Alexandria
Creedmoor does not make the cut
QV tent city fails to be on list for next round of shelter closures
by Naeisha Rose Editor
The migrant tent city at the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens Village was left off Mayor Adams’ list of closures on Monday, once again to the chagrin of residents.
Ocasio-Cortez (D-Bronx, Queens) raised more than $90,000 in 24 hours for two groups, according to her campaign manager via a post on X:
• World Central Kitchen, whose relief team works with restaurant and food truck partners to provide meals to first responders and families. To donate, visit wck.org.
• United Way of Greater Los Angeles, which focuses on longer-term recovery efforts. Donations are accepted online at unitedwayla.org. Q
Man sentenced for RH attempted kidnapping
Fresh Meadows resident faces 7 years
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
A man was sentenced to seven years in prison for the attempted kidnapping of a 5-year-old boy in 2021, the Queens District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday.
According to the charges, video footage from July 15, 2021, showed James McGonagle, 27, of Parsons Boulevard in Fresh Meadows, parked in a red Nissan near the intersection of Hillside Avenue and Bessemer Street in Richmond Hill at approximately 8 p.m.
McGonagle exited the car and charged toward the location where the boy, 5, was walking with his mother and two siblings, the DA’s Office said. He then picked up the victim and tossed him into the back seat of his car. The child’s mother followed closely behind and struggled to pull the boy out of the vehicle.
The two adults wrestled over the boy, and eventually, the victim’s mother and siblings prevailed and pulled the child back to safety through the car’s front pas-
senger window.
McGonagle sped away and was arrested the following day at a hospital in Brooklyn, according to the DA.
McGonagle pleaded guilty to attempted kidnapping in the second degree and endangering the welfare of a child in November 2024 before Queens Supreme Court Justice Gia Morris, who sentenced him last Friday to seven years in prison.
The defendant must register as a sex offender upon his release.
“James McGonagle attempted to abduct a 5-year-old child as the victim and his family walked down a Richmond Hill street. The child’s mother and siblings bravely fought McGonagle off as they rescued the boy from the defendant’s car,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement.
She continued, “The defendant needlessly terrorized this child, his family and, in fact, the entire community with his reckless behavior. With this sentence, James McGonagle will face justice for his crimes.”
When the Chronicle asked members of Community Board 13’s Land Use Committee at its virtual meeting on Jan. 13 how they felt about the latest rounds of shelter closures for asylum seekers, instead of passionately going off on Adams in the moment, CB 13’s leadership decided against that and sent a strongly worded letter the following day.
“No justification ever existed for the siting of any migrant shelter on the Creedmoor Campus,” said Bryan Block and Mark McMillan, CB 13’s chair and district manager, respectively, in a joint statement. “The failure to close this location that never merited opening in the first place raises real questions of intent.”
The CB 13 chair and district manager went on to say that the community consistently objected to Creedmoor being a site for a migrant shelter, especially with its proximity to the SNAP Senior Center, PS 18, the school’s playground, Preller Little League Field and Cross Island Y.
“This location never made sense and saw a mass of migrants occupying the school playground and gathering consistently along [the] Hillside Avenue sidewalk outside the Creedmoor gate creating a scenario not reflective of the surrounding predominantly one- and twofamily home residential neighborhoods of Bellerose and Queens Village. If the Creedmoor campus needed to be used, this was the last on-campus location that merited any consideration,” continued their statement. “That said, the city and the state failed to invest resources necessary to make sure the site imposed no community impacts.”
Late last year, two Cuban migrant brothers wanted for attempted murder in Orlando, Fla.,
were allegedly discovered with a gun inside the tent city.
Councilwoman Linda Lee (D-Oakland Gardens), who told the Chronicle the incident took place on Oct. 4, later advocated for metal detectors to be installed in the shelters.
“The Creedmoor [Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center] must be a priority location to shut down,” said the CB 13 leaders. “What occurs at this site represents a failure to consult with the community.
“This community and Community Board has a four-decade-plus record of working with government on siting matters when government seeks to consult and collaborate. The siting of this shelter neglected to follow that imperative.”
There were closures at 10 shelters, including the Nedia Hotel in Long Island City, after 27 straight weeks of shelter population declines, according to the Mayor’s Office, which intends to close 46 shelters by June 2025.
Adams’ administration said the office’s asylum seeker management strategies and border policy advocacy have helped to lead to more than six months of shelter decreases, saving the city almost $500 million. About 78 percent of migrants who have sought care from the city have left the shelter system. Last month, the city announced shelters at three JFK-area hotels and the Voyage Hotel in Long Island City were closing.
“Our intensive and smart efforts have helped more than 178,000 asylum seekers — 78 percent of the migrants who have ever been in our care — take the next steps on their journeys towards pursuing the American Dream,” said Adams in a statement on Monday. “We will continue to do everything we can to help migrants become self-sufficient, while finding more opportunities to save taxpayer money and turn the page on this unprecedented humanitarian crisis.” Q
Saving lives by donating blood
“Donate Today, Save Lives Tomorrow” is the motto of the New York Blood Center, which is seeking donors as the state continues to face a blood shortage.
To help via a blood donation or a financial gift to the nonprofit, visit nybc.org. All blood types are wanted.
There are four places in and around Eastern and Southeast Queens listed now to donate:
• St. John’s University, Taffner Field House room 202; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30, at 8000 Utopia Pkwy. in Jamaica Estates; blood drive coordinator Safiyah Seelochan;
• American Airlines, First Floor Arrivals; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, Feb. 7, at JFK Airport Terminal 8; blood drive coordinator Alex Perez;
• Gurdwara Sikh Cultural Society, basement; 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16, at 95-30 118 St. in Richmond Hill; blood drive coordinator Inderjeet Singh; and • Central Library, busmobile; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24, at 89-11 Merrick Blvd. in Jamaica; blood drive coordinator Nina Luca Bolowsky. Q — Naeisha Rose
As California is devastated by wildfires, many groups are accepting donations to provide relief. PHOTO BY FIREEDITORHOMIEE / WIKIPEDIA
Dissenter discusses effects; PS 174, family-building benefits also on tap Schulman talks City of Yes at CB 6
by Stephanie G. Meditz
Associate Editor
Councilmember Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills) attended Community Board 6’s meeting last Wednesday to discuss the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan, which passed the City Council on Dec. 5.
Lawmakers voted 31-20 in favor of the citywide zoning proposal, but Schulman told the board she voted no, both on the floor and in the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, of which she is a member.
She said the basic zoning law, which dates back to 1961, needed to be changed, but the City of Yes housing plan was done too quickly.
“When Robert Moses many years ago changed the infrastructure of the entire city, we now are dealing with the aftereffects of that, and a lot of things have to be changed as a result, and so I thought we needed to have a more methodical process,” she said.
Schulman said she met with homeowners and small groups and the “vast majority” of people in the district opposed the plan. Twelve of the 14 community boards in Queens also were against it.
Schulman said also the revisions made to the legislation were not presented to the Council until the day of the vote.
She said she is speaking with CB 6 Chair
Heather Beers-Dimitriadis and other boards about having the Department of City Planning deliver a presentation on how the policy will affect each part of her district.
“We’ll make the best of it and move forward,” she said.
As chair of the Committee on Health, Schulman said, she also introduced a bill that would require the city to ensure that the new family-building benefits that cover some or all of the costs of adoption and assisted reproduction apply to city employees.
“I had a hearing on my bill and then the Mayor’s Office called and said, hey, if you can wait on that bill, we’ll work with you to plan something that’s even better than what you could legislate,” she said, adding that she and Councilmember Carmen de la Rosa (D-Manhattan) and Mayor Adams announced family-building benefits up to $10,000 per person for city employees.
In late December, Schulman said, she and Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica) announced a new funding initiative to support expectant mothers with a guaranteed-income program.
Staff from Long Island Jewish Forest Hills hospital later delivered a presentation about Northwell facilities in Queens. LIJFH President Lorraine Chambers-Lewis said the hospital received an “A” safety rating from
the Leapfrog Group last fall.
Beers-Dimitriadis also described a “successful site visit” with the Department of Environmental Protection in December to discuss drainage and flooding issues along the Grand Central Parkway service road.
In the public forum, some parents discussed traffic near PS 174 in Rego Park, which recently increased its capacity.
Karla Fuentes said two-way traffic near both entrances causes children to run across the street where cars cannot see them, and
Backers say jobs and more will help all; foes fear
some cars make U-turns on the sidewalk. Parent Association President Maria Ramirez said the school’s location near Woodhaven Boulevard increases the risk of accidents. Fuentes suggested a one-way traffic pattern on 65th Drive, Ellwell and Dieterle crescents to make traffic flow more efficient. The school butts up against all three streets. Beers-Dimitriadis said she saw similar occurrences when her own children went to PS 174 and that the board would see what it can do to help. Q
environmental dangers CBC hears sides on Citi casino proposal
by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor
Individuals and organizations who support plans to bring Metropolitan Park to the environs of Citi Field were out in force Jan. 8 at a public hearing hosted by the New York City Planning Commission.
At issue are 50 acres in the New York Mets’ parking lot that are designated as parkland. Queens Future LLC, the partnership that includes Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock Cafe, Inc., wants 25 acres remapped and rezoned to allow construction of a casino, 2,300 hotel rooms and a concert venue.
Supporters including residents, business advocates and civic leaders stressed the developers’ plans to convert another 25 acres of pavement to green space; high numbers of construction and permanent jobs; spillover impact for other businesses; commitments to create ballfields south of Roosevelt Avenue, a modern No. 7 subway station at Mets-Willets Point and work to connect surrounding communities with Citi Field and Flushing’s waterfront.
Opponents, fewer in number last week, focused on environmental concerns; social ills associated with gambling; increased strain on highway, water and sewer infrastructure; fear that studies did not adequately provide for rain and water table level changes from global warming; and disapproval of turning parkland over to private enterprise.
Everything is dependent on Cohen’s group being awarded one of the three casino licenses approved for the southern part of the state.
Speaking first on behalf of Queens Future, Julissa FerrerasCopeland, who represented the district in the City Council from 2009 to 2017, said she had never seen a project with the public
A rending shows the food hall in Metropolitan Park, which would bring a casino, refurbished park land and infrastructure improvement at and around Citi Field. QUEENS FUTURE SCREENSHOT
support the proposal has received, including all six involved community boards and Borough President Donovan Richards.
She also said Cohen’s plan to make a large part of the parking lot green would turn land designated as parkland for decades into actual parkland for public enjoyment.
“Although Robert Moses mapped this as parkland, it has only ever been a garbage dump and then a parking lot, first for the World’s Fairs, then for Shea Stadium and Citi Field,” she said. “It has never been a public park.”
Michael Sullivan, Cohen’s chief of staff, said that commitments to things like the park, modernizing the subway station,
pedestrian and cycling connectivity to the waterfront and the ballfields just south of Roosevelt Avenue are guaranteed, as they will be conditions included in the final application.
Katie Walls said the project would be a detriment to the neighborhood’s character.
“We’re talking about a high glass box in what is supposed to be a park,” she said. “Just because it hasn’t been used for the benefit of the people living in the neighborhood doesn’t mean it should be turned into a casino.”
Rebecca Pryor of Guardians of Flushing Bay said the land is in a flood plain and former wetland that has been increasingly vulnerable to flooding. She and others said a massive development project could overtax things like the sewer system.
“It will increase flow to an overwhelmed sewer system that lets out into Flushing Bay,” Pryor said, adding that the system already dumps two billion gallons of raw sewage into the bay per year. But supporters said green space would absorb more rain and hold in less heat that an asphalt parking lot.
Others said the sometimes-discussed Phoenix Meadows alternative, focusing on parkland, is unlikely as Cohen and the Mets have a longterm lease on the land.
A large contingent of Asian civic, business and cultural groups voiced their support for Metropolitan Park. So did Tom Grech, president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. Grech highlighted 23,000 union construction jobs to be followed by 6,000 permanent ones.
“Or, dare I say, careers,” Grech said.
Former Councilman Danny Dromm said the project “with a responsible builder,” teamed with the soccer stadium and housing going up next door, is a missing piece in a neighborhood too long ignored.
Councilmember Lynn Schulman attended CB 6’s Jan. 8 meeting to provide updates and discuss the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, which passed last month. SCREENSHOT VIA CB 6 / YOUTUBE
Legal saga persists with Forest Hills Gardens Corp., West Side Tennis Club Dismissed stadium claims appealed
by Stephanie G. Meditz Associate Editor
The Forest Hills Gardens Corp. last Thursday announced that it has appealed a judge’s decision to dismiss all but two of its claims against the West Side Tennis Club, the home of Forest Hills Stadium.
The FHGC filed its complaint last May in response to the stadium’s increase in its number of concerts, alleging that the shows cause harm to nearby residents.
Queens State Supreme Court Justice Joseph Esposito in October dismissed five of the group’s seven causes of action, leaving the plaintiff to pursue its public and private nuisance claims.
“No New York City residents should be subjected to the intolerable noise and nuisances created by these concerts that are taking place immediately next to residents’ homes and apartments,” FHGC President Anthony Oprisiu said in a press release. “We cannot allow any business to undermine the well-being of our residential community.”
The appeal argues that the stadium’s use of the FHGC’s private streets for concert operations constitutes trespassing; that the stadium violates the city’s Zoning Resolution and inflicts “special damages” on the FHGC, which owns the streets around it, by operating as a concert venue; and that concerts are nei-
COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL IMAGING
The Forest Hills Gardens Corp. has filed an appeal after a Queens judge dismissed all but two of its claims alleging harm caused by concerts at Forest Hills Stadium, such as Porter Robinson’s set seen above.
ther a club purpose nor a residential purpose, the only permitted uses of the club’s property under the restrictive covenant governing Forest Hills Gardens.
“The evidence clearly shows that the concert operations are infringing on the peace, safety, and property rights of our community,” Oprisiu said.
3T MRI • MRA • 1.2 OPEN MRI
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The court ruled in October that the club had proven that it works with the NYPD, Long Island Rail Road and Metropolitan Transportation Authority to ensure “easy and safe access to the Stadium with minimal disruption to the Gardens or greater Forest Hills community.” It encouraged both parties to continue to work with the police on a crowd-control plan to
ensure that attendees follow designated routes into and out of the stadium with limited access to most residential areas.
The alleged zoning violation also was dismissed — the club holds a valid certificate of occupancy permitting open-air concerts at the stadium for 12,000 people, court documents say, and the FHGC failed to prove that it suffered “special damages” that would warrant forgoing administrative solutions.
The court ruled also that the restrictive declaration does not condition the club’s right to hold public events or limit its purpose to tennis activities.
Akiva Shapiro of Gibson Dunn, counsel to the West Side Tennis Club, said in a statement that the FHGC has refused to negotiate or respond to the club’s “good faith proposals,” including generous payments per concert and caps on the number of concerts.
“Instead, the Gardens Corporation continues to cling to desperate claims and to misuse funds entrusted to it by the residents of Forest Hills Gardens to launch endless and expensive legal salvos,” Shapiro said, adding that he is “confident” that the court’s dismissal of the majority of the FHGC’s claims will be upheld on appeal.
Another lawsuit against the stadium, filed by Concerned Citizens of Forest Hills, Inc. and several residents, was dismisssed in August. Q
PHOTO BY GREGG COHEN / FILE
Trump should give a shout-out to Queens ESSAY
by Bob Brody
Donald Trump was born at Jamaica Hospital, grew up in Jamaica Estates and attended prep school in Forest Hills, all here in the New York City borough we know as Queens. But in the 60-plus years since, he has only rarely mentioned Queens, much less returned here for visits.
Our president-elect should finally take the opportunity during his second term to promote his place of origin. Touting Queens would enable him to acknowledge his beginnings and honor his history. More broadly, it would be a global goodwill gesture and signal a spirit of cooperation and collaboration at once nonpartisan and unifying.
It would also qualify as a thank-you to his growing constituency here. Electoral support for Trump in Queens expanded considerably over the last eight years. He drew 37.3 percent of vote cast in Queens in 2024, up from 26.8 percent in 2020 and 21.6 percent in 2016, a leap of almost 73 percent.
My reasons for recommending Trump position Queens high on his agenda are personal as well as political. I lived in Queens for 44 years. I married my wife at a Queens synagogue. Our son and daughter were born in a Queens hospital and attended Queens public schools.
I’ve also practiced public relations for the last 34 years. As such, I’ve carried out grassroots public-service campaigns on behalf of clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies and federal agencies to star athletes and Hollywood celebrities. Hence, I hereby urge President Trump to showcase Queens.
Queens has much to showcase. A population of 2.4 million residents, more than 14 states. A land mass of 109 square miles, bigger than Boston and San Francisco combined. Almost $134 billion contributed to national gross domestic product in 2023, higher than either Memphis or New Orleans. Site of the original United Nations, the 1939-40 and 1964-65 World’s Fairs, and the U.S. Open. Birthplace of three-time New York governor Mario Cuomo, singer Tony Bennett and comedian Don Rickles.
Mayor, Moya see progress on R’velt
by Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief
everyone in Queens and to all New Yorkers,” his post said.
Why do I surmise Trump has largely snubbed Queens? He may see residents of this “outer borough” as outsiders, members of the so-called bridge-and-tunnel brigade, all but requiring a passport to enter Manhattan’s rarified cocoon. He may himself suffer from a condition I’ve dubbed Outer-Borough Syndrome, a sense of inferiority by virtue of geography, resulting in a chronic us-versusthem mentality.
It’s as if the homegrown Queens boy felt ashamed of his borough’s second-class status and in a hurry to leave it behind him so he could rebrand himself with a more cosmopolitan identity.
Let’s face it: Like it or not, Queens is our national future in microcosm. What’s happened in Queens, racially and ethnically, is happening from coast to coast. If we’re a real democracy, it’s every inch the symbol of what we’re supposed to be all about.
All the more reason, then, for Donald Trump to do right by Queens over the next four years. He should plug Queens in his speeches, statements, tweets and interviews, perhaps even in his inaugural address. Pay the borough a visit now and then, barnstorming with a stopover at, say, the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, the world’s largest globe. Pitch world leaders on how Queens is the yellow brick road, proof that immigrants and natives alike can thrive living shoulder to shoulder.
This is where the president-elect was born and raised.
This shout-out would be a reminder that Donald Trump is the first-ever U.S. president from Queens and promote pride among its residents. It would send word that we’re all in this together and that he plans to represent all 335 million of us and govern for the greater good.
“I’m from Queens,” he should take the occasion to declare. “And I’m proud of it.”
Operation Restore Roosevelt has seen great success in cleaning up the vital thoroughfare and the effort will continue, Mayor Adams and City Councilman Francisco Moya (D-Corona) say.
The anti-crime, anti-degeneracy effort that began last fall, involving the NYPD and multiple other city and state agencies, will continue, the mayor told reporters last Friday on the avenue and at Corona Plaza.
“We’ve made a lot of inroads here,” the mayor said as the 7 train roared overhead, adding that he has been on walk-throughs with Moya at 1 and 2 a.m. to see the situation change firsthand. “We’re not going to abandon this initiative.”
Some of the top issues the operation targets are prostitution, illegal vending and lack of cleanliness on the strip where it runs through Corona, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights.
On the social media platform X, the mayor said the city has conducted 250 building inspections and 500 vendor inspections under the initiative, resulting in the issuance of 11,000 fines. He did not address arrests.
“We will continue this work until Roosevelt Avenue is clean, orderly, and inviting to
Asked by a reporter about those who have protested against the effort, Adams said they are “professional agitators” who do not represent the community, which wants to see the avenue cleaned up. “The reason I’m doubling down on this is because I walk these streets and I speak to the people,” he said.
He also said there are some elected officials who think it is OK for people to do drugs in public, urinate in public or set up encampments, but “their constituents don’t think so.”
“Restoring the quality of life in our neighborhoods is about more than just improving safety — it’s about creating a sense of pride, opportunity, and hope for every resident,” Moya said in a prepared statement. “The improvements along Roosevelt Avenue are significant, but we cannot stop here. We must continue to push forward, building on this progress and ensuring that we restore and enhance the quality of life for everyone along Roosevelt Avenue.”
Community activist Massiel Lugo praised Moya in particular for achieving “real, tangible changes that are making a difference in the lives of residents every day.” Q
Santos sentencing delayed
Equally important, especially apropos Trump, Queens is the most ethnically diverse place on the planet. As of 2023, 47 percent of its residents were born outside the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. They represent 130 countries and 120 languages (with an estimated 235,000 who are undocumented).
In 1970, the year before Donald Trump moved into a studio apartment in Manhattan, Queens was 86 percent white. Today it’s 46 percent white.
Am I being delusional? Maybe. But with Donald Trump you never know. If anything about him is predictable, it’s his unpredictability.
This Make-Queens-Great-Again campaign belongs somewhere on his agenda. It might just take him back — and ahead — to the destination he calls home. Q
Bob Brody, a longtime Forest Hills resident who now lives in Italy, is a public relations consultant, essayist and author of the memoir “Playing Catch with Strangers: A Family Guy (Reluctantly) Comes of Age.”
A shorter version of this essay originally appeared in The Wall Street Journal.
A federal judge has granted former U.S. Rep. George Santos a brief delay of his sentencing for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, though not nearly as long as the ex-congressman had hoped.
Senior U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert agreed on Jan. 8 to move Santos’ sentencing from Feb. 7 to April 25. He faces between two and 22 years in prison.
Santos sought a delay until this coming August to raise more income from a podcast to pay court-ordered restitution and forfeitures totaling more than $578,000.
A Republican, Santos was in his first
term representing New York’s Third District when he was expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives in December 2023. He pleaded guilty last August after originally facing nearly two dozen charges, many connected with efforts to raise money for his congressional campaign.
U.S. Attorney Breon Peace of the Eastern District of New York, in a five-page letter to Seybert dated Jan. 7, opposed any delay, saying allowing Santos to gain financially from his criminality “would send the message to the public that crime pays.” Q — Michael Gannon
Mayor Adams walks down Roosevelt Avenue last Friday, flanked by NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry, left, and City Councilman Francisco Moya. NYC MAYOR’S OFFICE PHOTO / X
Hunters Point branch broke federal law in 95 ways; settlement reached Library’s violations of ADA being fixed
by Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief
The Hunters Point Library, built in 2019 with complete disregard for the rights of people with disabilities to enjoy equal access to its material, is undergoing renovations in order to comply with the law.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Jan. 10 that it had reached a settlement with the Queens Public Library and City of New York outlining what must be done to make the building comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Located at 47-40 Center Blvd. in Long Island City, the $40 million library includes “unique architectural features” such as a two-story, five-tiered mezzanine area, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York says. It also features 95 violations of the ADA.
The settlement just announced will result in the building being made accessible.
“The design and construction of the Hunters Point Library Branch of the Queens Borough Public Library blatantly violated the ADA’s requirement that individuals with disabilities have equal access to public accommodations,” U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace said in a prepared statement. “Today’s settlement agreement ensures that access. My Office will continue to enforce the ADA and its protections against discrimination for people with disabilities.”
The city and the library agreed to remedy the 95 violations, Peace’s office said.
One problem the federal government cited is that only two of the five tiers of the mezzanine are accessible to everyone.
“Among the work that the City and QBPL will perform is construction of a platform lift from the fifth tier to the fourth tier of the Mezzanine area and a skywalk/skybridge to the third tier,” the prosecutors’ office said. “The platform lift and skywalk/ skybridge will provide stair-free access to
the third and fourth tiers. QBPL will not house any portion of the HPL collection on the second tier of the Mezzanine Tiers so long as that tier remains inaccessible to people with mobility disabilities.
“Additional remediation will include creating wheelchair accessible spaces in the children’s area and the rooftop terrace.
Under the terms of the agreement, all remediation work will be completed within five years.”
The library and the city Department of Design and Construction issued a joint statement in response to questions, saying the work will be done long before that.
A disability rights group has ‘no idea’ why an inaccessible building would go up today.
“DDC and QPL continue to work at Hunters Point Library to improve the building for all patrons,” the organizations said. “Construction work started last summer and is being done overnight so that the library can remain open during the work, which includes a new sky bridge and chair lift to
Hochul speech
continued from page 2
provide details during Tuesday’s address. She did speak about her new “Unplug and Play” initiative.
“We’ll build new playgrounds and create hundreds of thousands of new opportunities for kids to join music and drama clubs, youth volunteer organizations, and sports teams,” Hochul said.
She also proposed providing high school students with mental health first-aid training to equip them with evidence-based tools to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges
among their friends and peers.
Hochul said she intends to develop new safe spaces for youth outside of school and home, where they can foster positive relationships with peers and receive support in a comfortable setting.
She proposed connecting licensed health care facilities to state-funded afterschool programs in order to ensure that youth have access to the resources outside of school hours. The state will offer mental health first-aid training to state-funded after-school providers and will partner with SUNY to match social work graduates with the afterschool programs.
Hochul also proposed free breakfast and lunch for students across the state. She said offering free school meals is an effective way
create access to the mezzanine area.
“Work is being supervised by DDC’s new Office of Accessibility and QPL staff and is scheduled to be completed this summer.”
The work is expected to cost $5 million.
When the library opened in September 2019, it was hailed by many as an architectural marvel. But soon after it opened, a patron with mobility disabilities, Tanya Jackson of Long Island City, and the Center for the Independence of the Disabled, New York sued the Queens Library, its Board of Trustees and the city in a class action alleging discrimination.
“Heralded as a ‘stunning architectural marvel’ and a ‘beacon of learning, literacy and culture,’ the newly-built Hunters Point Library was designed and built with a total disregard for adults and children with mobility disabilities and in flagrant contempt of the legal requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which took effect in 1992, almost three decades ago,” the suit said.
The Justice Department and city Human Rights Commission also launched investigations into the building.
to keep kids in school and able to focus on the classroom and save families an estimated $165 per child in grocery spending each month.
On crime, the governor said she wants to create the nation’s first Crime Analysis Joint Special Operations Command Headquarters to enhance crime prevention and intelligence sharing among over 100 local, state and federal agencies in the state. The CAJSOC would serve as a central hub to track crime trends, share intelligence and coordinate real-time responses.
Hochul plans to expand funding for law enforcement technology grants to provide police departments and sheriff’s offices with advanced tools and resources.
The governor also said she will work with
Then in May 2023, the city sued the building’s designers, Steven Holl Architect, PC, aka Steven Holl Architects, and the individuals Steven Holl and Christopher McVoy, seeking tens of millions of dollars to fund the renovations it knew would have to be made.
“The City brings this action to recover the additional costs of design and construction at the Hunters Point Library (“the Library”), a newly-opened branch in the Queens Borough Public Library system, in order to bring the Library into compliance with the Americans with Disability Act and other federal, state, and local laws,” that lawsuit reads.
The case is still pending.
Asked by the Chronicle for its take on the situation, Steven Holl Architects sent a statement via email:
“While we fully met the terms of our agreement with the City and delivered the project that they agreed to and approved as consistent with all applicable laws, we are now performing additional design work as an accommodation to the City,” the firm said. “We have been diligently collaborating with the New York City Department of Design and Construction and the Queens Library and look forward to the work being completed soon. We’re proud of the commitment our team continues to demonstrate providing the community the world-class facility it deserves.”
The case filed by Jackson and CIDNY is resolved with the Justice Department settlement.
“The Hunter’s Point library, which cost tens of millions of dollars, was inaccessible from the start,” CIDNY said via email. “We have no idea why anyone would build an inaccessible building today, when the ADA is the law. Making the building accessible from the get-go would have been cheaper and a benefit to not only people with disabilities, but all visitors. CIDNY’s advocacy led to litigation, from CIDNY and others, including the City of New York. The result of these efforts has led to a successful settlement that will ensure that this public library will be accessible to all.” Q
Mayor Adams to make city subways safer.
“I want to see uniformed police on the platforms, but more importantly, we will put an officer on every single train, overnight — 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. — over the next six months and the state will support these efforts financially,” she said, adding that the MTA will install platform barriers in 100 additional stations and LED lighting in every station by the end of the year.
“And the shameless fare evaders will finally be stopped with modernized gates,” Hochul said. “This will not only make the subway less chaotic, it will help strengthen the financial footing of the MTA. And we’ll establish triage centers at the end of all the major routes where people can get off and get assistance 24/7.” Q
Stairway to regression: Key architectural features of the Hunters Point Library, inset, were inaccessible to people with mobility disabilities. PHOTOS BY MICHAEL SHAIN / FILE
Divine Mercy Catholic Academy
101-60 92 St., Ozone Park (718) 845-3074, divinemercyca.org
Divine Wisdom Catholic Academy 45-11 245 St., Douglaston (718) 631-3153, dwcaonline.org
Holy Child Jesus Catholic Academy 111-02 86 Ave., Richmond Hill (718) 849-3988, hcjcany.org
Holy Family Catholic Academy
74-15 175 St., Fresh Meadows, (718) 9692124, holyfamilyca-freshmeadows.org
Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy, Astoria, 21-63 29 St. (718) 728-1969, iccaastoria.org
Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy, Jamaica, 179-14 Dalny Road, (718) 739-5933, iccajamaica.org
Incarnation Catholic Academy 89-15 Francis Lewis Blvd., Queens Village (718) 465-5066, incarnationqv.org
Notre Dame Catholic Academy 62-22 61 St., Ridgewood (718) 821-2221, notredame-ca.org
Catholic Elementary Academies and Schools
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Academy, 25-38 80 St., Jackson Hts. (718) 429-7031, olfcaqueens.org
Our Lady of Hope Catholic Academy 61-21 71 St., Middle Village (718) 458-3535. olhca.org
Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy 70-25 Kessel St., Forest Hills (718) 793-2086, olmercyca.org
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Academy, 111-10 115 St., South Ozone Park, (718) 843-4184, olphca.org
Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Academy, 35-34 105 St., Corona (718) 426-5517, olscorona.org
Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Academy, 34-45 202 St., Bayside, (718) 229-4434, olbsacademy.org
Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Academy, 79-33 258 St., Floral Park, (718) 343-1346. olscafp.org
Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic Academy, 72-55 Austin St., Forest Hills, (718) 263-2622, olqmca.org
Resurrection Ascension Catholic Academy, 85-25 61 Road, Rego Park (718) 426-4963, racatholicacademy.org
Sacred Heart Catholic Academy (Cambria Heights), 115-50 221 St., (718) 527-0123, shcach.org
Sacred Heart Catholic Academy of Bayside, 216-01 38 Ave., (718) 631-4804, sacredheartbayside.org
Sacred Heart Catholic Academy of Glendale, 84-05 78 Ave., (718) 4566636, sacredheartglendale.org
St. Adalbert Catholic Academy 52-17 83 St., Elmhurst (718) 424-2376, saintadalbertca.org
St. Andrew Avellino Catholic Academy 35-50 158 St., Flushing (718) 359-7887, standrewavellinoca.com
St. Bartholomew Catholic Academy 44-15 Judge St., Elmhurst (718) 446-7575, stbartholomewca.org
St. Clare Catholic Academy 137-25 Brookville Blvd., Rosedale (718) 528-7174, stclarecatholicacademy.org
Divine Mercy Mercy CATHOLIC ACADEMY
101-60 92nd Street, Ozone Park, NY 11416 Phone (718) 845-3074
At Divine Mercy Catholic Academy we offer:
• A dedicated and qualified faculty and staff
• A safe and structure environment (CCTV)
• Lifelong Christian Values – Daily Religion Classes
• Internet Access in Classrooms
• Classes with SMARTboards, SMART TV and individual Chromebooks and iPads
• LearnIT reading and math classes
• Spanish Classes for Gr. 5- 8
• Family tuition rates available
• School lunch program
• Bus transportation (if eligible)
• Collaboration with St. John’s University
• Variety of activities like Student Council, Art Club, Lego Club, Chess Club & Drama Club!
• Aftercare program from 3 to 6pm for all grade levels Accredited by Cognia International Call for more information regarding registration/school visits Se Habla Español - Maria Guzman-Paczkowski - 718-845-3074
Please join us at our Open House: Sunday, January 26 th 10:00AM - 12:00PM
St. Elizabeth Catholic Academy 94-01 85 St., Ozone Park (718) 641-6990. stelizabethca.org
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Academy, 21-18 46 St., Astoria (718) 726-9405. sfaacademy.org
St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy, 244-44 87 Ave., Bellerose (718) 343-5053, sgtgca.org
St. Helen Catholic Academy 83-09 157 Ave., Howard Beach (718) 835-4155, sthelencatholicacademy.org
St. Joan of Arc Catholic School 35-27 82 St., Jackson Heights (718) 639-9020, sjaschoolny.org
St. Joseph Catholic Academy 28-46 44 St., Long Island City (718) 728-0724, sjcalic.org
St. Kevin Catholic Academy 45-50 195 St., Flushing (718) 357-8110, stkevinca.org
St. Leo Catholic Academy 104-19 49 Ave., Corona (718) 592-7050, stleocatholicacademy.org
St. Luke School 16-01 150 Place, Whitestone (718) 746-3833, slswhitestone.org
St. Margaret Catholic Academy 66-10 80 St., Middle Village (718) 326-0229, stmargaretschoolmv.org
St. Mel’s Catholic Academy 154-24 26 Ave., Flushing (718) 539-8211, stmelsacademy.org
St. Michael’s Catholic Academy 136-58 41 Ave., Flushing (718) 961-0246, stmichaelsca.org
St. Nicholas of Tolentine Catholic Academy, 80-22 Parsons Blvd., Jamaica (718) 380-1900. sntschoolny.org
St. Sebastian Catholic Academy 39-76 58 St., Woodside (718) 429-1982. stsebastianacademy.org
St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Academy, 61-17 Grand Ave., Maspeth (718) 326-1585, ststansacademy.org
St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Academy, 87-49 87 St., Woodhaven (718) 847-3904, sta-catholicacademy.org
Saints Joachim and Anne School 218-19 105 Ave., Queens Village (718) 465-2230, ssjaschool.org
Celebrating Catholic Schools Week Annual event runs Jan. 26-Feb. 1
Since 1974, National Catholic Schools Week has been the annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States. It starts the last Sunday in January and runs all week, which in 2025 is Jan. 26 to Feb. 1.
The theme for National Catholic Schools Week 2025 is “Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community.” Schools typically observe the annual celebration week with Masses, open houses and other activities for students, families, parishioners and community members. Through these events, schools focus on the value Catholic education provides to young people and its contributions to the church, communities and the nation.
Daily themes and celebrations are observed as follows:
Sunday: celebrating the parish Catholic schools benefit all year long from the religious guidance, prayers and support parishes provide. Many parishes join in the National Catholic Schools Week celebration by devoting a Mass to Catholic education. Schools start the week by inviting parishioners and community members to parish-centered events and school open houses that feature their outstanding academic pro-
grams, religious education and service opportunities.
Monday: celebrating the community
A central aspect of Catholic education is learning the importance of service to others. When students take part in service activities – both local and beyond – they demonstrate the values and faith they gain through their Catholic education and learn how to make the world a better place. When they observe how others serve the community, they gain an appreciation for how they can continue to serve others their entire lives.
Tuesday: celebrating students
Schools celebrate students during National Catholic Schools Week by planning enjoyable and meaningful activities for them and recognizing their accomplishments. They encourage students to reflect on the benefits of Catholic education and how the grounding in faith, knowledge and service it provides will help them throughout their lives.
Wednesday: celebrating the nation
On National Appreciation Day for Catholic schools, students, families, edu-
Helen Catholic Academy
cators and other Catholic school supporters communicate the value of Catholic education to government leaders. They share information with leaders on the significant contributions Catholic schools make to the nation and their role in preparing students to be good citizens. They pray for the nation and recognize all those who serve.
Thursday: celebrating vocations
By focusing on faith, knowledge and service, Catholic schools prepare children to use their God-given talents to the fullest later in life. National Catholic Schools Week offers an opportunity for students to explore the many life paths that enable them to use their talents well in the service of God and others.
Friday: celebrating faculty, staff and volunteers
Teachers are the backbone of Catholic schools. On this day, schools honor teachers, as well as administrators and staff who support teachers in their important work, and thank the parents, grandparents, alumni, parishioners and school board members who provide volunteer service.
Saturday: celebrating families
Parents, guardians and other family members play a vital role in Catholic education. Not only do they volunteer at the school, they instill values and expectations for academic excellence in their children at home. We acknowledge the role of families in Catholic education and celebrate their contributions to the success of our schools on the last day of National Catholic Schools Week, and all year long. Q — courtesy National Catholic Educational Association
➤ Faith Forma on: Daily prayer and spiritual development, complete sacramental program for First Penance, First Communion and Confirma on, First Friday Mass, prayer services and community service projects.
➤ Rigorous Academics: Full-day Kindergarten, Pre- K 3 and 4-year-old full-day and half-day programs, focused instruc onal schedule of 8:10 a.m. -3 p.m. with 7 a.m. arrival and a erschool program un l 6 p.m., TACHS Prepara on, Algebra 1 Regents Par cipa on, PK-8 Spanish program, iPad and SMARTBoard™ technology, fully equipped STEM lab, digital tools, coding and engineering design applica ons.
➤ Specialized Programs: Free 3-K-for-All & PreK-for-All, a er school extracurricular ac vi es, training in music and ar t, chess, drama club, engineering club, coding club, book club, Kiwanis builders club, soccer, Paul Effman music program, basketball and CYO sports Member Na onal Junior Honor Society.
Values and teachings of a Catholic education
The Catholic educational program is based on religious beliefs and values, which enable students to grow in their understanding of themselves, their relationship with God and their relationship with others.
Catholic high schools p romote the education of young people to their full potential; their teachers respect and encourage real learning experiences. Students acquire knowledge and develop the skills necessary for success in higher educational pursuits and a wide range of careers.
They also offer a community environment in which students can discuss and live out the values upon which their education is based. They are encouraged to contribute to society and to assume leadership roles in shaping public attitudes and programs.
In Catholic high schools, young people learn to question, to establish confidence in their own good choices in life and to experience the sense of accomplishment that stems from individual achievement and responsibility.
Catholic high schools :
• build character;
• foster community service;
• encourage involvement;
• develop real-world skills;
• shape leaders;
• reward achievement;
• reinforce values;
• allow for spiritual growth;
• embrace differences;
• raise standards;
• empower each student; and
• celebrate school spirit.
T h e Diocese of Brooklyn offers a high school fair in the fall on one night in Queens and another night in Brooklyn where students, faculty and administrators from the high schools are available to answer questions and distribute materials.
Each high school also offers open houses and tours so that parents and prospective students can meet with current students, faculty and administrators and learn about the academics and activities the schools offer.
Additionally, many schools usually offe r “Buddy Days” in which prospective students can spend a day in the school attending classes with a student who is currently enrolled.
All of the high schools also have websites that highlight their specific admissions policies and dates for open houses. Q — dioceseofbrooklyn.org/schools / secondary-education
ST. JOHN’S PREP
Fraternity’s endowment fund aids enrollees with tuition assistance Brotherhood helps QC students in need
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
Bob Jacobs had big dreams growing up.
Born in the Bronx and raised in Queens, Jacobs attended Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, and he wanted to attend the University of Pennsylvania for college.
“My mother’s quote to me was, ‘You can go to any college in the country you want to go to. You’re paying for it,’” Jacobs said. “And so I wound up at Queens College, not University of Pennsylvania. I graduated in 1970.”
Jacobs’ experience at Queens College allowed him to receive an outstanding education for just about $46 a term. A member of the Phi Epsilon Pi fraternity, Jacobs maintained friendships with about 40 of the other brothers.
His degree allowed Jacobs to launch his career and become a partner at Ernst & Young. Today, he is the president of Health/ROI, a company he founded that provides revenue enhancement services for hospitals and healthcare facilities in the tristate area.
Then, in November 2018, Jacobs read a newspaper article about former Mayor Bloomberg’s generous donation to John Hopkins University, an effort to ensure that no accepted student would be unable to attend because of financial hardships.
Jacobs was inspired.
“I called up the [Queens College] develop-
ment office and said ‘I’d like to sit down with you. I want to donate money after reading this article. I don’t have a billion dollars, but I have something,’” he said. He began his own scholarship fund.
After receiving touching letters of appreciation from recipients, Jacobs shared the notes with his Phi Epsilon Pi brothers, and during a biannual fraternity dinner proposed starting an endowment at Queens College.
“A couple of guys expressed great interest,”
Jacobs said. “One was Ron Frank, another was Jay Neuschatz.”
He said one of the fraternity brothers yelled at the group, “How can we not do this? Look what we got for free.”
And so the Phi Espilon Pi endowment was established, annually giving assistance for the cost of attendance to students in need who achieve a minimum GPA of 3.0. As of now, the endowment has grown to approximately $599,000 and has funded 21 student scholar-
ships over the past six years.
He said he hopes the endowment inspires future generations to do the same.
“We’re just a bunch of mutts from all over the City of New York, and we want to give the rest of the mutts a chance,” Jacobs said.
He said the stories of students the scholarship has helped are touching.
“This young lady’s mother died of breast cancer. Her father was so distressed by her mother dying, he committed suicide,” Jacobs said. “She was raised by her disabled grandmother, who sought out every scholarship known to man.”
Jacobs said, “She was about to drop out of school because she had no money. But now she’s in school.”
Another of the recipients is Raul Zapata, a Flushing resident and tax associate at Lutz & Carr CPAs LL. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting at Queens College and is pursuing a master’s there in taxation.
“I felt really excited [after receiving the scholarship], because just knowing then that I could start saving up for the master’s program really took the pressure off my shoulders,” Zapata said.
He said the band of brothers’ generosity has inspired him to want to do something similar in the future once he finds himself in a position to give. Q
B SPORTS EAT
Curbside truck transfer zones
The Wright honor
by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor
Last week the Mets announced that the team would honor their former captain, David Wright, by both inducting him into their Hall of Fame, and retiring the uniform number he wore, No. 5. While each of these accolades for Wright was expected to happen eventually, the fact the Mets will give Wright this “honors doubleheader” on July 19 speaks volumes about the respect he commands.
Had it not been for the spinal stenosis that ended his career prematurely, Wright would have been on his way to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. He was a seven-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner in a 12-year career despite spending too much time on the injured list.
What is undeniable is that Wright was a Hall of Famer when it came to media availability. Whereas many ballplayers try to avoid the press at all costs, he was always at his locker ready to talk to reporters even after painful Mets losses.
I always appreciated his forthrightness. When I asked about the Mets’ frequent inability to drive in a runner from third base with less than two out (a hitting issue that still plagues them today) he said, “I am guilty of that.”
Wright played in only one World Series, and that was in 2015. One of the rewards of being a high-profile professional athlete is the attention
you get from the entertainment industry, especially after your team wins a championship. I asked if he would consider hosting “Saturday Night Live” the way his friend Derek Jeter had. “That would be somewhat outside of my comfort zone, but I would do it!” Unfortunately, the Mets lost in five games to the Kansas City Royals, and Lorne Michaels did not call him.
Wright’s talent and affability was not lost on diehard Mets fan, Middle Village native and Vitaminwater CEO Mike Repole. Repole hired Wright to be a Vitaminwater spokesman in exchange for an equity stake in the company. Wright said the Mets forced him to take the label off the Vitaminwater bottles by his locke r because the team had a sizable endorsement deal with a beverage rival, PepsiCo. When Repole sold the Whitestone-based Vitaminwater to Coca-Cola, Wright reaped a capital gain of about $20 million.
My most vivid David Wright memory was when he gave the eulogy at a Citi Field memorial service for Mets PR executive Shannon Forde, who lost her valiant battle with breast cancer at age 44 in March 2016. Wright was so good that I asked him if he would consider writing my column if I took a week off.
“Nah. You use too many big words, Lloyd!” he said with his trademark laugh. Q
See the extended version of Sports Beat every week at qchron.com.
As part of its reclamation of street space from the automobile, and in response to consumer trends that see more goods being delivered, the city Department of Transportation announced on Tuesday its newest creation, “microhub zones.”
Said zones will be curbside locations about 80 to 100 feet long at which people will transfer goods from trucks onto smaller vehicles or devices, such as cargo bikes, handcarts or electric sprinter vans. Such spaces typically have room for four or five cars. There also will be off-street locations on city property, the DOT said.
Authorized Tuesday by “administrative rule,” microhubs will not immediately be coming to Queens. The city first will test them out in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The goals include cutting traffic and improving safety and air quality.
The microhubs will be marked with signs and will include safety barriers and cargo bike corrals where needed, the DOT said. Each zone will be used by one company under a license. The operators will have to sweep weekly, remove snow and keep the signs clean. Q — Peter C. Mastrosimone
The Phi Epsilon Pi fraternity brothers, here at a reunion in 2023, established an endowment fund to help Queens College students in need. Bob Jacobs, sitting in front row at right, is the founder of the scholarship. Raul Zapata, standing at right, is a recipient. PHOTO BY ANDY POON / QUEENS COLLEGE
Volunteers of America
January 16, 2025 16, 2025
ARTS, CULTURE & LIVING
by Stephanie G. Meditz
“Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve,” the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. famously said.
The stage was set for Americans to do just that when President Bill Clinton signed the King Holiday and Service Act in 1994, designating the iconic leader’s birthday as a national day of service.
But before that, it was a 15-year battle for the day to become a federal holiday. Introduced in 1968, the King Holiday Act stalled in Congress before President Ronald Reagan reluctantly signed it in 1983.
There is still much work to be done to make the world a better, more equitable place, and working toward that goal is a perfect way to honor a man who dedicated his life to it. Several Queens institutions offer residents a chance to better their communities through various volunteer events.
Warm layers, sturdy shoes and a positive attitude are all you need to volunteer with the city Parks Department.
All are welcome to visit the George Seuffert, Sr. Bandshell in Forest Park or the Vermont Place parking lot in Highland Park to assist with leaf raking and cleanup on Jan. 18 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Advance registration is required and may be completed at nycgovparks.org.
In Springfield Gardens, the Parks Department and Eastern Queens Alliance welcome teens and tweens to participate in a day of service from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Jan. 20. You might head to the Idlewild Environmental Science Center to help maintain the trails at Idlewild Park.
Students may earn community service hours for their participation. Those interested may register at tinyurl.com/4ampjpcr.
Commonpoint Queens and the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York welcome you to volunteer at any of three Queens locations at 10 a.m. on Jan. 20.
How to help in Queens on
Day of Service
Volunteers at Commonpoint’s Sam Field Center in Little Neck will assemble healthy soup kits and butterfly garden seed balls.
The Forest Hills community can partake in the latter activity at the organization’s Central Queens site, in addition to
part a tion ’s
continued on page 25
King Crossword Puzzle
Andy Harris made a right turn out of Laurelton
by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor
Dr. Zoltan Harris was born in Miskolic, Hungary, and immigrated to New York City on the transport ship USS General Sturgis in 1950. He fell in love with Polish immigrant Irene Koczerzuk and they married in 1951. They set up home at 789 St. Marks Ave. in
Harris was granted U.S. citizenship on March 8, 1956 and the couple were blessed with a son, Andrew Peter Harris, on Jan. 25, 1957.
They opted for the suburban life, moving to 137-36 Francis Lewis Blvd. in Laurelton. Andy excelled at Regis High School in Manhattan and chose a career in medicine, like his father. He earned his bache-
lor’s degree in 1977 and his medical degree from John Hopkins University in 1980. Harris entered politics in 1998, winning a seat in the Maryland state Senate. He went on to become a Republican congressman, now in his eighth term. He is known as one of the most conservative members of the House as the new Congress meets. Q
The childhood home of Dr. Andrew Harris, a conservative Republican representing Maryland, at 137-36 Francis Lewis Blvd. in Laurelton, as it looks today. GOOGLE MAPS IMAGE;
Bayside poet seeks balance, defies conventions
by Michael Gannon senior news editor
Lydia Zorzi of Bayside said she was 70 when she wrote her first poem.
And she acknowledges that her new book of poetry, “Dancing on the Edge of Normalcy,” breaks a lot of traditional conventions.
“My poems are dark, edgy,” Zorzi told the Chronicle in a recent interview. “They don’t rhyme. I think they’re about looking for balance in life”
Zorzi a retired nurse, wife, mother and grandmother, grew up in Brooklyn and moved to Queens in 1982.
“I began the book about two years ago,” she said.
But the genesis went back much further, curating itself gradually, sometimes out of odd or disturbing dreams, or fragments of them.
“I would wake up at night with words in my head,” she said. “One night, I decided to begin writing them down.”
Always a reader, even as a little girl, she found she had the drive to turn the words into poems. She was at peace with the tumult some of them explored.
“Unbalanced doesn’t always mean negative,” she writes in the preface of the 90-page book.
Then came the urge to do more.
“I would read some of them at poetry recitals and poetry slams, both here and in Florida,” she said. “My friends in both places liked them. They told me I should write a book.”
She began writing in earnest on a chilly February morning, and investigated the publishing process, eventually going with Pepper Tree Press in Sarasota, Fla.
Zorzi said Pepper Tree gives poetry authors wide deference during the editing process. They collaborated on the paperback’s cover, which depicts a simple line drawing figure of a dancer astride an irregular boundary between fiery bright light and total, absolute darkness.
Lydia Zorzi of Bayside admits her book of poetry is unconventional, as was her journey to writing it.
Appropriate, Zorzi said, for many of the personal conflicts and the ongoing search for balance she has had in her life and depicts in her works.
Of the 74 poems in the book, all but two are in random order.
“No Solomon,” a nod to the wise king
of the Old Testament, reflects the conflicts she tended to avoid early in life and the decisions that must come with them.
“Falling Leaves” touches on hope, joy and despair as does “Starlings.”
Zorzi said only the first, “Pen to Paper,” and the last, “Incomplete Puzzle,” were
deliberately placed.
“Pen to Paper” expresses the feelings and motivations that inspired and compelled her to write and gather the material for the book with anticipation, elation and doubt. At the end of the beginning, she said of the book — and herself — “I am still unfinished.”
“Incomplete Puzzle,” even with the book complete, expresses some angst. But it also can be read to expresses hope, particularly as it seems to leave the door open for more of Zorzi’s work in the future.
“I think the first and the last poems tie everything together nicely,” she said.
“Dancing on the Edge of Normalcy” is available for online for $15.95 at peppertreepublishing.com, Amazon and other places where books can be ordered.
Zorzi is excited to have the book completed. But she still is not finished, even with her work now available.
“My goal is to have to it for sale in brickand-mortar book stores,”she said. Q
How Queens folks might spend MLK Day ‘on’
from page 23
making oatmeal packets. There also will be a blood drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In Bayside, the group’s Bay Terrace location will offer volunteers an opportunity to assemble first aid and hygiene kits and participate in a PJ Library storytime. Students from Queens North high schools will spend the day volunteering there.
All kits will be donated to Commonpoint’s food pantries across the borough.
Crossword Answers
At all three Queens locations, attendees can complete a large poster art project.
Visitors 6 and older are eligible to participate — those under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
If you can’t make it to one of their sites, Commonpoint still welcomes you to spend MLK Day “on.”
Whether you organize a coat or food drive, clean up your local park or donate time to a neighbor in need, you are encouraged to post photos or videos of your chosen act of service to social media using the hashtags #communitystartshere, #commonpoint and #MLK2025.
Registration is required and may be completed at volunteers.commonpoint.org. For more information, contact volunteers@ commonpoint.org or (732) 639-1579.
The Queens Public Library also offers service opportunities. Those aged 14 and older may visit Jamaica’s Central Library on Jan. 18 to assemble activity kits to distribute to residents at each QPL location.
If interested, visit volunteer.queenslibrary.org to register no later than 48 hours before the event or learn about others. You might visit queenslibrary.org to see what
be a perfect way to serve your community this
20.
other MLK events your local library has planned.
The Baccalaureate School for Global Education’s Helping Hands student group is organizing a service day with the Astoria Food Pantry, which is always looking for volunteers. Those interested may learn more at astoriafoodpantry.com.
“The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service reminds us that we all have the power to create positive change in our communities,” Deputy Chancellor of Schools Leadership Danika Rux said in part in a statement. Why limit service to one day? The organizations listed and many others in Queens are always looking for a hand. Q
Maintaining Idlewild Park’s trails can
Martin Luther King Jr. Day. On the cover: Commonpoint and the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York will offer volunteer opportunities at several Queens locations on Jan.
PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON / FILE; COVER PHOTOS
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DIVISION OF BRIDGES INVITATION FOR BIDS
Rehabilitation of West Tremont Avenue Bridge over Metro-North Railroad Hudson Line and the Major Deegan Expressway (I-87) Borough of the Bronx Contract No. HBX1460
Federal Aid Project No. X720.45.321 NYSPIN: X720.45 NYCPIN: 84124BXBR619; EPIN: 84124B0010 84124B0010-84124BXBR619 Rehabilitation of West Tremont Avenue Bridge over Metro-North Railroad Hudson Line and the Major Deegan Expressway (I-87) in the Borough of the Bronx:
This Competitive Sealed Bid is released through PASSPort, New York City’s online procurement portal. Responses to this Bid must be submitted via PASSPort. To access the Competitive Sealed Bid, vendors should visit the PASSPort public Portal at https://www.nyc.gov/site/mocs/passport/about-passport.page and click on the “Search Funding Opportunities in PASSPort”. Doing so will take one to the public portal of all procurements in the PASSPort system.
To locate the Competitive Sealed Bid, insert the EPIN, 84124B0010, into the Keyword search field. In order to respond to the Competitive Sealed Bid, vendors must create an account within the PASSPort system if they have not already done so.
A pre-bid conference via ZOOM is scheduled for 02/04/25 at 10:00 AM. Those wishing to attend must email the authorized agency contact for a link.
A Site visit has been arranged for 02/04/25 at 2:00 PM. All prospective bidders are strongly encouraged to attend the site visit.
The deadline for the submission of questions is 02/11/2025 by 4 PM.
The bid due date (submission via PASSPort) as instructed is due 03/19/2025 at 11 AM. Date of Bid Opening 03/19/2025 at 11:30 AM.
This Project is federally aided and is subject to the provision of Title 23, U.S. code, as amended, and applicable New York State Statutes. In compliance with these provisions the minimum wages to be paid to laborers and mechanics are included in wage schedules that are set out in the bid proposal.
This procurement is subject to DBE participation goals. The DBE goal for this project is 10%.
As-Built Drawings will be available upon request from the Contractors. Contractors need to sign Confidentiality agreement to view As-built drawings.
Any inquiries concerning this Competitive Sealed Bid should be directed by email, under the subject line “Rehabilitation of West Tremont Avenue Bridge over Metro-North Railroad Hudson Line and the Major Deegan Expressway (I-87)” to the email address of the Authorized Agency Contact, Navneet Kumar, at nkumar@dot.nyc.gov.
Eric Adams, Mayor
Ydanis Rodriguez, Commissioner
TAKE NOTICE, that in accordance with applicable provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code as enacted in New York, by virtue of certain Event(s) of Default under that certain Pledge and Security Agreement dated as of April 29, 2022 (the “Pledge Agreement”), executed and delivered by Michael A. Ali (the “Pledgor”), and in accordance with it rights as holder of the security, SSA NE Assets LLC (the “Secured Party”), by virtue of possession of that certain Share Certificate held in accordance with Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code of the State of New York (the “Code”) and by virtue of those certain UCC-1 Filing Statement made in favor of Secured Party, all in accordance with Article 9 of the Code, Secured Party will offer for sale, at public auction, (i) all of Pledgor’s right, title, and interest in and to the following: 130-43 129 St Holding Corp. (the “Pledged Entity”), and (ii) certain related rights and property relating thereto (collectively, (i) and (ii) are the “Collateral ”). Secured Party’s understanding is that the principal asset of the Pledged Entity is that certain fee interest in real property commonly known as 130-43 129th Street, Ozone Park, New York 11420 (the “ Property ”). Maltz Auctions (“Maltz”), under the direction of Richard B. Maltz or David A. Constantino (the “Auctioneer”), will conduct a public sale consisting of the Collateral (as set forth in Schedule A below), via virtual bidding, on February 13, 2025 at 12:00pm in satisfaction of an indebtedness in the approximate amount of $400,000.00, including principal plus interest, and reasonable fees and costs, plus default interest through February 13, 2025, ssubject to open charges and all additional costs, fees and disbursements permitted by law. The Secured Party reserves the right to credit bid. Online bidding will be made available for pre-registered bidders via Maltz's online bidding App available for download in the App Store or on Google play and via desktop bidding at at remotebidding.maltzauctions.com.
Bidder Qualification Deadline: February 12, 2025 by 4:00 pm. Executed Terms & Conditions of Sale along with ten (10%) of Bidders intended bid amount (to be submitted via wire transfer) are required for consideration by any interested party and submitted directly to Maltz. Requests for wiring instructions should be sent to rmaltz@maltzauctions.com.
SCHEDULE A Pledged Interest
of that certain Share Certificate held in accordance with Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code of the State of New York (the “Code”) and by virtue of those certain UCC-1 Filing Statement made in favor of Secured Party, all in accordance with Article 9 of the Code, Secured Party will offer for sale, at public auction, (i) all of Pledgor’s right, title, and interest in and to the following: 2018 LILIN Realty LLC (the “Pledged Entity”), and (ii) certain related rights and property relating thereto (collectively, (i) and (ii) are the “Collateral”). Secured Party’s understanding is that the principal asset of the Pledged Entity is that certain fee interest in real property commonly known as 63-86 Wetherole Street, Rego Park, New York 11374 (the “Property”). Maltz Auctions (“Maltz”), under the direction of Richard B. Maltz or David A. Constantino (the “Auctioneer”), will conduct a public sale consisting of the Collateral (as set forth in Schedule A below), via virtual bidding, on February 13, 2025 at 12:30pm , in satisfaction of an indebtedness in the approximate amount of $$500,000.00, including principal plus interest, and reasonable fees and costs, plus default interest through February 13, 2025, subject to open charges and all additional costs, fees and disbursements permitted by law. The Secured Party reserves the right to credit bid. Online bidding will be made available for pre-registered bidders via Maltz's online bidding App available for download in the App Store or on Google play and via desktop bidding at remotebidding.maltzauctions.com.
Bidder Qualification Deadline: February 12, 2025 by 4:00 pm. Executed Terms & Conditions of Sale along with ten (10%) of Bidders intended bid amount (to be submitted via wire transfer ) are required for consideration by any interested party and submitted directly to Maltz. Requests for wiring instructions should be sent to rmaltz@maltzauctions.com.
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC, Plaintiff, vs. MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC., ACTING SOLELY AS A NOMINEE FOR COUNTRYWIDE BANK, FSB, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on August 16, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, on the second floor in Courtroom 25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on February 14, 2025 at 10:00 a.m., premises known as 10607 177th Street, Jamaica, NY 11433. 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 10334 and Lot 6. Approximate amount of judgment is $1,274,777.57 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #701502/2021. Lawrence M. Litwack, Esq., Referee Vallely Law PLLC, 6851 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 165, Syosset, New York 11791, Attorneys for Plaintiff
154-71 BROOKVILLE
INVESTORS LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 10/30/24. Office in Queens Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 180 Maiden Ln, Ste 901, NY, NY 10038. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
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 SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, US BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR VRMTG ASSET TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. MARJORIE MORGAN, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on December 19, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at Queens County Supreme Courthouse, on the second floor in Courtroom 25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on February 14, 2025 at 10:00 a.m., premises known as 214-32 113th Avenue, Queens Village, NY 11429. 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 11136 and Lot 16. Approximate amount of judgment is $591,833.30 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #705287/2015. Cash will not be accepted. Gregory M. LaSpina, Esq., Referee Knuckles & Manfro, LLP, 120 White Plains Road, Suite 215, Tarrytown, New York 10591, Attorneys for Plaintiff
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.
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.
C M SQ page 28 Y K
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.
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.
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.
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Notices Legal Notices
The New York City Department of Transportation Division of Traffic Operations cordially invites your company to submit a competitive seal bid for the following Solicitation.
EPIN # 84124B0006 – 84124MBTR639
Furnish and Install M2 Poles to Support Gantry Signs throughout New York City
This Competitive Sealed Bid is being released through PASSPort, the New York City’s online procurement portal. Responses to this Bid must be submitted via PASSPort.
To access the Competitive Sealed Bid, vendors should visit the PASSPort public portal at: https://www.nyc.gov/site/mocs/passport/about-passport.page, click on the “Procurement Navigator.” This will take you to the Public Portal of all procurements in the PASSPort system.
To locate the Competitive Sealed Bid, insert the EPIN 84124B0006 into the keyword search field. In order to respond to the Competitive Sealed Bid, vendors must create an account within the PASSPort system if they have not already done so.
A Pre-Bid conference via Zoom/Teams is scheduled for 01/21/25 at 10:00 AM. Those wishing to attend must email the authorized agency contact for a link no later than 01/17/2025 by 4:00PM The deadline for the submission of questions is 01/30/2025 by 4:00 PM
The bid due date submission via PASSPort is on 03/05/2025 by 11:00 AM. Date of Bid Opening: 3/5/2025 at 11:30 AM
This procurement is subject to participation goals for Minority/ Women-owned Business Enterprises. The M/WBE goal for this project is 15%.
Any inquiries concerning this Competitive Sealed Bid should be directed to agency contact Ereny Hanna via email Ehanna@dot.nyc.gov, under the subject line EPIN 84124B0006. Eric Adams, Mayor Ydanis Rodriguez, Commissioner
NOTICE OF SALE
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, LLC, Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff, 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard, Rochester, New York 14624, (877) 430-4792, Dated: October 30, 2024
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.
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.
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
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.
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, NY 11590, 516-280-7675
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.
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.
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.
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Energy Assessments involve a detailed examination and evaluation of your home to determine which energy saving and weatherization enhancements, such as insulation and air sealing are required. They involve tests such as:
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Inspecting walls, attics or roof cavities for insulation
Use of thermal imaging, and blower door testing to assess draftiness and verify the correct placement of insulation
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BENSOL TECH LLC
