Queens Chronicle South Edition 04-11-24

Aftershocks keep up after the quake

by Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief

Dozens of aftershocks have hit the New Jersey region where Friday’s earthquake occurred in the days since, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The USGS has a map showing the locations of the aftershocks — along with other data about the quake that got much of the East Coast all shook up at 10:23 a.m. April 5 — posted at earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ us7000ma74/executive. The agency still invites people who felt the seismic event to be “citizen scientists” and post a report of their experience.

On Monday morning, the aftershock map showed the location of the initial event and subsequent tremors, including two that it says occurred within 24 hours of 10:30 a.m. There also was one marker indicating a quake that occurred sometime within the last month.

One of the aftershocks hit the Bedminster, NJ, golf course owned by former president, Republican presidential candidate and Jamaica Estates native Donald Trump, near the fairways for the second and eighth holes.

The USGS expects the aftershocks to contiue but finds the chances of damage to be low.

“According to our forecast, there is a less than 1% chance of one or more aftershocks that are larger than magnitude 5, which can be damaging, within the next week,” the agency says on the commentary page of its aftershock section. “There will likely be smaller aftershocks within the next week, with up to 2 magnitude 3

The yellow and orange dots seen here represent most of the aftershocks felt between last Friday’s earthquake, its location marked with an X, and Monday morning. The vertical gray rectangular space at lower right center, just above the line that marks I-78, is former President Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf course, which took a tremor.

or higher aftershocks. Magnitude 3 and higher aftershocks are large enough to be felt nearby. The number of aftershocks will decrease over time, but a large aftershock can temporarily increase the number of aftershocks.

“This forecast applies to the area where the earthquake and aftershocks are already occurring.”

Though it reportedly was the strongest earthquake to hit the New York City region in 140 years, last Friday’s temblor caused relatively lit-

tle damage and no reported injuries. In the city, cracks were found in the gym at the building shared by JHS 218, the James P. Sinnott School, and the School for Classics High School, at 370 Fountain Ave. in East New York, Brooklyn, according to multiple media outlets. The gym is off-limits but the rest of the school has been deemed safe and classes are being held, the reports say.

“In case of an aftershock, drop to the floor, cover your head and neck, and take additional

cover under a solid piece of furniture, next to an interior wall, or in a doorway,” Mayor Adams’ office said shortly after the quake.

Adams later held a press briefing with a number of city department commissioners, as well as the heads of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Consolidated Edison. The last speaker before the press got to ask questions was Manuel Castro, the city’s commissioner of immigrant affairs.

“We recognize that there is anxiety about the earthquake that we experienced this morning, but at the moment there is nothing to report,” Castro said in Spanish, which was then translated into English, according to a transcription provided by the Mayor’s Office. “We continue with our daily lives, but we recognize that there is fear that we will feel another earthquake. If that is the case, take cover, follow the recommendations during the earthquakes, and remain calm, because that is the most important thing at this time.”

On the social media platform now called X, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards made an allusion to the borough’s dynamism shortly after the quake.

“We’re really moving and shaking here in Queens, in more than one way,” Richards said. “My team and I will be monitoring conditions across the borough today following the earthquake. How are you feeling and what are you seeing in your community? #earthquake.”

The trembler, or temblor (yes, that’s the

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MAP

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

Kew Gardens resident Sylvia Hack boasts an impressive resumé: She was part of an allwomen group that helped found the Metropolitan College of New York, she was a founding member of the Kew Gardens Improvement Association, she had an appearance as an extra in “A Miracle on 34th Street,” and she’s fluent in French.

But Hack is perhaps best known for her service on Community Board 9. She served as the board’s chairperson in the past and is now chair of the Land Use Committee.

Appointed in 1974, Hack chaired what was known as the Joint Cable Committee of Queens. She was part of the discussion to establish a cable company that reported local news, leading to the creation of NY1. Community Board 9 on Tuesday celebrated Hack’s 50 years of service with cake and

‘The

honors from area elected officials, who were invited by Chair Sherry Algredo. Among the attendees were City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica), state Sen. Leroy Comrie (D-St.Albans), Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Fresh Meadows), Councilwoman Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills) and Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.

Hack received certificates and citations from almost every area elected official. Those not in attendance sent a representative to present one.

“You are truly a great person, a great woman of leadership and someone that we all should take stock of as an amazing, lifelong public servant,” Adams told Hack.

Schulman said Hack keeps her on her toes.

“I know when I’m in a meeting with her that I have to do my research and my homework and be on top of everything, because she’s more on top of everything,” she said.

Katz said the District Attorney’s Office does not usually give out citations.

“My office said to me, ‘Should we do a citation?’ I said, ‘It’s Sylvia. Let’s do the citation. She’s just gonna yell at me anyway,” Katz, who has worked with Hack for more than 30 years, said jokingly.

response is going to be big’ CB 10 preps for deliberations on next phase of City of Yes

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

“It’s going to be very controversial, and it will be very complex,” said Community Board 10 Chairperson Betty Braton at the group’s meeting last Thursday.

The topic at hand was the upcoming City of Yes for Housing Opportunity deliberations, the third and final part of mayor’s proposal to modernize zoning regulations and maximize housing.

The initiative is subject to input from all 59 community boards and the five borough presidents before going to the City Planning Commission and then the City Council for a vote.

Back in January, the board voted “Yes, but” and requested modifications to City of Yes for Economic Opportunity, the second part of the proposal.

At the group’s meeting last week, Community Board 10

“In the beginning of March, we got a response back from the city planning commissioner,” John Calcagnile, the Land Use Committee chair, said.

“We always say, ‘Well, we’re always an advisory board and they don’t listen to us.’ ... But they did take a lot of stuff into consideration,” he said.

On the upcoming housing phase, Calcagnile said information on the initiative will be sent to the board by the end of the month. Due to the length of the proposal, Calcagnile said he and Braton are considering holding one or two information ses-

sions for the public.

“The response is going to be big, and we’re going to try to handle it in a good way so the community gets welleducated,” he said. “And then we could formulate our vote — our opinion — and submit comments on every section.”

“There has been a great deal of back and forth going on — not only in our communities, but in other communities surrounding the city — where things are being oversimplified, where there are people who are trying to just generate a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ vote,” Braton said. “It was an extremely complex set of documents on the first vote. It was an extremely complex set of documents on the second vote. And it will be an extremely complex set of items in the third package.”

At the meeting, Community Board 10 also welcomed new members and lauded the return of Frank Gulluscio, who served on the panel in the past and retired as district manager of Community Board 6 in December.

The board also conducted its election of officers. All chosen for the previous term retained their positions, including Braton as chair and Calcagnile as first vice chair. Q

Hack thanked everyone for their acknowledgements and said residents must continue to stand up for what’s best.

“You can get out there and make a lot of noise — intelligent noise,” Hack said. “And people can come together to solve problems and move to the next step.” Q

Elected officials honor Sylvia Hack for half century of community work CB 9 member marks 50 years of service HB Kiwanis scholarships

The Kiwanis Club of Howard Beach is continuing to support higher education by awarding annual scholarships to students living in the 11414 zip code for the eighth consecutive year.

The funds will benefit high school seniors who will be continuing their education at an accredited college or university in the fall of 2024.

According to the club, this year’s scholarships will feature three $2,500 awards available to community minded individuals, as well as three $1,000 scholarships, for six total honorees.

The $1,000 awards are the James Giustizia Memorial Scholarship, the Matthew Pecorino Scholarship and the August Sirgiovanni Memorial Scholarship. According to club member Steve Sirgiovanni, the scholarships are named for their sponsors.

The application can be found on the club’s website, howardbeachkiwanis. org. All forms must be postmarked no later than April 30. Those with questions can contact Sirgiovanni at (917) 209-3336. Q

Elected officials throughout South Queens attended Community Board 9’s meeting Tuesday to pay tribute to Sylvia Hack, who is celebrating her 50th year on the board. PHOTO BY KRISTEN GUGLIELMO

Sylvia Hack doing the “GoodFellas” challenge at Neir’s Tavern last summer. CB 9 PHOTO / FACEBOOK

Chair Betty Braton, left, and Land Use Committee Chair John Calcagnile warned that upcoming City of Yes deliberations will be controversial. YOUTUBE SCREENSHOT / CB 10

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Jamaica squatting case discontinued

by Naeisha Rose Associate Editor

The squatters who attempted to sue a Jamaica homeowner and her real estate broker over the Lakewood Avenue house they occupied discontinued their own case, according to court documents from last Friday.

Rizpah Morrow, the lawyer representing the property owner, Juliya Fulman, told the Chronicle that the squatters, Rondie Francis and Lance Hunt Jr., didn’t even show up to court, despite allegedly claiming they had documents proving they were tenants at the home.

“The case is finished in terms of the landlord-tenant court,” Morrow said. “These people had asked to be restored to possession and then when challenged on that application, they then signed a leave of the court to discontinue the proceeding. These guys didn’t even show up in court a second time around. If they were who they say they were ... we’ve never seen any picture ID. They just disappeared.”

According to documents provided by the squatters to Queens County Civil Court, Francis and Hunt claimed they had a lease agreement to move into the Jamaica house starting Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. They also claimed they were illegally locked out of the home last month.

Ejona Bardhi, the real estate broker for the property, told the Chronicle last week that not only did she have photos and timestamped videos that proved no one was living in the house until she found the squatters there in March, she also had lease agreements for two other people,

Liu legislation in housing committee

a single mother with a baby trying to leave the shelter system and a postal worker with five kids, one of whom has a disability.

“I think this is just a fraud,” Morrow said. “They said they were scammed. If they were scammed, one would think they would be cooperating with the district attorney in the investigation. They aren’t.”

While the case has come to a close in court, there is nothing to be cheer about, Morrow said.

“The judge didn’t restore them to possession,” she said about the squatters. “They lost and I guess the owners won, but the owners didn’t feel it was much of a victory because they were right anyway. Nothing about this claim made any sense, but it put my client through a lot of trouble, expense and stress.”

The squatters were able to walk away from the case without any fines, Morrow said.

“The case was meritless,” she said. “In terms of this case, they didn’t get the relief they were looking for. They want their stuff back.”

Morrow said her client would gladly return any items the squatters say belong to them so long as they provide their picture IDs, a written explanation as to how the items ended up in the house, an inventory of the items and a signature.

“The broker mentioned in court last week that the walls had been dirtied,” she said. “Everything was brand-new ... They scuffed up

Men’s shelter opens in S. Ozone church

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

It was announced at last week’s Community Board 10 meeting that a men’s shelter is opening at Leviticus Church of God in Christ at 114-02 Van Wyck Expy. in South Ozone Park.

According to an email sent to the board from Kevin Morris, the mayor’s Community Affairs Unit Queens borough director, and read aloud by Chair-

woman Betty Braton, the church’s second-floor reception room will be home to 15 cots for asylum-seeking single adult men, subject to a 30-day notice.

While the location was set to open on April 3, the announcement reached the board on April 4. It is not known if there are men residing at the shelter yet.

The hours of operation are 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and the managing agency is the Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery Operations. The location will have contracted security present.

Two showers are being installed at the site and will be available in a few weeks, the email said. In the meantime, the men can shower in an electric shower trailer in the parking lot. The shelter will provide the individuals with breakfast, dinner and programming. The residents have the option of being connected to the city’s network of navigation centers.

According to the email, this will be the sixth faith-based emergency shelter site. It is operating with a temporary use permit.

The church did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Q

the floors where it had pristine before.”

Bardhi also had mixed feelings on the win.

“It went great. The other attorney requested to discontinue the proceeding with prejudice, meaning we won and they can’t sue us again,” Bardhi said via text “They are requesting to get back their belongings, but we have not come to any agreement with that ... This was clear breaking and entering and fraud, and they are walking away with no consequences after having committed multiple crimes. No one reimbursed us for legal fees. They brought forth a frivolous lawsuit, which made us lose time and money. And they walked away without even a slap on the wrist. Who’s the real winner here?”

Bardhi fears the men will simply squat in another home in the future.

“We are still trying to decide on our next steps,” she said. “The district attorney is now involved so this is not over by a long shot.”

The Queens Chronicle reached out to the law office of David Harris, the lawyer representing Francis and Hunt, but a representative for his firm said that he is not giving any statements regarding the case.

Morrow said Fulman’s actual tenants should be able to move into the two apartments as early as next week. They initially were supposed to move in around April 1, but because of the squatters they had to wait.

To prevent homeowners from having to be

dragged into housing court to begin with, state Sen. John Liu (D-Bayside) introduced bill S8996, which would clarify that squatters are not tenants for the purpose of removal proceedings.

“Although squatting cases remain rare, squatters are intruders who may have scammed their way into private property,” reads the bill. “Squatters are subject to arrest and landlords can lock them out without court process at any point.”

On Monday, the bill was referred to the state Senate’s Housing, Construction and Community Development Committee. Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Flushing) is carrying the Assembly version of the bill, A9772, which was referred to that chamber’s Housing Committee on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the elected officials held a press conference outisde the Flushing home of of another alleged squatting victim, Dr. Young Seh Bae.

“We need to immediately enact this legislation and continue examining even stronger measures to protect homeowners without inadvertently putting renters at risk,” Liu said. Q

Rich Hill man nabs alleged porch pirate

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

What would you do if you caught a porch pirate in the act? Richmond Hill resident Carlos Mejia set out to catch one — using a decoy package and a bat.

In a video captured from Mejia’s home security system on March 30 and posted to TikTok, a man, identified in later reports as 36-year-old Victor Stazzone, reaches for the decoy package on Mejia’s front porch and almost tucks it into his bag — when Mejia bursts from the door wielding a baseball bat.

“What you got in there?” Mejia asked as Stazzone insisted he took nothing and that everything in the bag belonged to him.

“You can have everything, bro,” Stazzone, who told Mejia he lived nearby, said in a panic.

Mejia ordered the man to get on his knees, and alleges in a later video that Stazzone got hurt trying to flee by jumping the fence. Mejia kept the alleged thief put until the police arrived.

“Officer, what am I being arrested for?” Stazzone asked police, backside up on the ground while being handcuffed. Authori-

ties are seen asking Mejia to forward them the footage for the District Attorney’s Office.

According to police, Stazzone was charged with petit larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and criminal trespassing. Q

Richmond Hill resident Carlos Mejia used a decoy package to catch a porch pirate in the act. SCREENSHOT VIA TIKTOK / LOSSMOKES1

State Sen. John Liu in front of another alleged squatting victim’s home.

COURTESY PHOTO

Colors galore at annual Phagwah Parade

The 36th annual Phagwah Parade returned to Richmond Hill on April 7, and with it, thousands of residents celebrating the Festival of Colors, known as Holi, and honoring the arrival of spring with an unadulterated, familial sense of joy.

The procession kicked off at Liberty Avenue and 133rd Street and made its way to Phil Rizzuto Park on Atlantic Avenue. Elected officials and NYPD officers joined in on the festivities.

The sounds of traditional music filled the air as residents young and old covered themselves in colors and marched along the streets. Seen above participating in the celebration are Borough President Donovan Richards, left, state Attorney General Letitia James, Richmond Hill-South Ozone Park Lion Romeo Hitlall, one of the parade’s organizers, and Councilwoman Lynn Schulman. — Kristen Guglielmo, with reporting by Michael Shain

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL SHAIN

EDITORIAL AGEP

It’s the season to enjoy our Spring Guide for Queens

The Mets are on the field, daffodils are popping, robins are bopping, and all that can only mean one thing: the Queens Chronicle’s annual Spring Guide is out.

Yes, things are greening up, but you’ll be no greenhorn wandering the borough wondering what to do with yourself after perusing the Spring Guide. A special supplement to be found inside each edition of this week’s Chronicle, and at qchron.com, the guide is bursting with the latest on everything from environmentalism to fashion and theater.

We start off with a Spring Guide favorite — the latest on Queens’ parks and playgrounds, from the massive Flushing Meadows Corona Park to Noonan Playground in Woodside (canoeing with the Urban Park Rangers is returning to the former and the latter just got a series of upgrades). New fields, new art projects, kayaking and more are happening at green spaces from one end of the borough to the other.

Earth Day is coming up! It’s April 22. And in the days leading up to it, now dubbed Earth Week, all kinds of events celebrating and protecting the environment are open to Queens residents. On April 19, volunteers will be cleaning up Forest Park during the Department of Parks and Recreation’s Restoration Friday event. Want to help keep trails

in good condition and get rid of invasive plants? Check out the story for all the deets on when and where to show up. Similar events are happening at other parks. Many are on Saturday, April 20. And if you’re more into celebrating the natural world than mucking about in it, there are educational forums, Open Streets car-free programs and more.

Of course, there’s an environment all your own that you can liven up with plants, so we cover some basic gardening. If you’re blessed with a yard, wonderful. But even if it’s just pots on a patio, or houseplants, we’ll help you get started.

But what do you do at night, when it’s too dark to be pulling weeds or hiking in the woods? See a play! A number of them are in the offing, including some tonight, April 11, and in the coming days. You’ve got musicals, serious plays about deep issues and an avant garde, interactive happening that well ... we’ll be able to describe better when we review it.

Of course, if you’re hitting the proverbial red carpet to see any of these shows, you’re going to want to look sharp, aren’t you? So we’ve got a piece on fashion you won’t want to miss. We can’t guarantee you’ll look as crisp as, say, Mayor Adams or Rihanna, but at least you can get an idea of what they’re wearing — not in Milan, maybe, but Maspeth.

Still, there will be nights you stay home, even as the weather warms and the World’s Borough beckons. So we’ve got just the right recipes to try out — light, relatively easyto-make dishes from salad to the main course and dessert, all vetted and edited by a cook who knows her stuff.

What else does spring bring? For some galleries and museums, the answer is new exhibits. And whether it’s those or a show that’s entering its last month, like the excellent “Psychology of Portraiture” at the Godwin-Ternbach Museum at Queens College, we provide a primer to let you know what’s happening at a number of our cultural institutions.

Of course, New York is an archipelago, with only one borough located on mainland North America. So you might want to hit the water! It’s too cold for swimming yet, but not for boating, and we’ve got an article that’ll set you on the path from landlubber to mariner. It’s got a little about where to launch a motorboat or sailboat and a lot about kayaking — where to bring your own and where to paddle with pals.

Lastly, we cover some things to do in upstate Kingston as the newest installment in our series of spring and fall day trips. Before Albany, it was the capital of New York State!

We always enjoy the Spring Guide and hope you will, too.

LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

Quaking in our boots

Dear Editor:

As reported, the earthquake of April 5 was the largest to hit the New York City and New Jersey area in about 140 years. This hit at a 4.8 magnitude at 10:23 in the morning.

I was working at Northeast Plumbing in Mineola with my fellow co-workers when all of a sudden there was this shaking out of the blue. I had knee replacement surgery and almost fell. I am 75 years old. I did not know what had happened but one of my fellow workers said we just had an earthquake. We found out later it truly was. It made a few of us nervous. There were aftershocks later.

We live in dangerous times and need to know what to do in an earthquake. I found out by going to the internet and this is what to do: To start, drop to your hands and knees so you don’t fall. Also cover much of your body as possible under a sturdy piece of furniture and protect your head and neck. Hold on until the earthquake stops.

Remember we have survived the earthquake of Friday April 5, 2024, until next time.

Frederick R. Bedell Jr. Bellerose

Toxic trio kills cops

Dear Editor:

Re Bill Herbert’s April 4 letter: “Diller didn’t have to die”:

I agree that federal prosecutors failed by not charging Guy Rivera with illegal gun possession. But full blame for Officer, posthumously Detective, Jonathan Diller’s murder lies with Albany’s toxic trio: state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx), Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) and Deputy Senate Majority Leader Michael Gianaris (D-Queens). They pushed through criminal justice “reforms” that enabled violent criminals to menace our streets, stores and subways.

“How many more police officers and how many more families have to make the ultimate sacrifice before we start protecting them?” cried Diller’s 29-year-old widow, Stephanie (New York Post, March 31). Will her tearful plea fall on the deaf ears of far-left lunatic legislators? If Heastie, Stewart-Cousins and Gianaris fail to respond, voters should evict them from office in November’s general election. They betrayed their constituents and all lawabiding New Yorkers.

Richard Reif Kew Gardens Hills

Eat out in Woodhaven

Dear Editor:

Why not patronize your neighborhood restaurants during Woodhaven Restaurant Week April 8 to 21 (“Woodhaven meal deals,” Editorial, April 4)?

My wife and I don’t mind occasionally paying a little more to help our favorite restaurants survive. Don’t forget your cook and server. We try to tip 20 to 25 percent against the total bill including taxes. If it is an odd amount, we round up to the next dollar. If we can afford to eat out, we can afford an extra dollar tip. When ordering takeout, we always leave a dollar or two for the waiter or cook. It is appreciated.

The restaurant industry employs hosts, bartenders, waiters, busboys, cooks, cashiers and parking valets, wholesale food sellers, distributors and linen suppliers. There are also construction contractors who renovate or build new restaurants.

Our local entrepreneurs work long hours, pay taxes and provide local employment, espe-

LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

cially to students during the summer. If we don’t patronize our local restaurants, they don’t eat either. Why travel into Manhattan when there are so many great neighborhood restaurants to select from?

Larry Penner Great Neck, LI

No to unsafe bike lanes

Dear Editor:

The NYC bicycle lane network has been expanded into southeast Bayside with limited success as evidenced by the large number of “No Bike Lanes” signs in the front yards of homes along 53rd Avenue and Oceania Street. Parking on one side was eliminated to accommodate the bike path. Homeowners that lost parking fear the value of their life investment will be reduced. Also, the new floating parking lane on the opposite side narrowed the vehicle travel lane and has already resulted in parked cars being struck and damaged by vehicles navigating the narrow travel lane.

Now, phase 2 is planned to traverse 56th Avenue from Oceania Street to East Hampton Boulevard. It would pass congested streets bordering PS 390Q, PS 203, Cardozo High School, and Queensborough Community College. The corridor experiences bus and truck traffic, double-parked cars, and cars parked on the sidewalk and median near PS 390Q during the start and end of school days.

The Bayside Hills Civic Association is particularly concerned about the segment between 211th Street and Springfield Boulevard. Most of it would include protected bike paths. However, the section from 211th Street east to 217th Street contains a grassy mall separating eastand westbound travel lanes. The planned unprotected, shared lanes would have no buffer between vehicles and bicyclists. Equally hazardous to bicyclists are the narrow gutters containing grated storm drains. The vehicle travel lanes will be narrower (10 feet instead of 11) than provided in federal and industry guidelines. This will create an unsafe, unforgiving road for all. Parking also will be eliminated.

The BHCA supports the safe expansion of the bicycle lane network as necessary for a sustainable, greener transportation system. It stands in opposition to unilateral, unsafe bicycle lane expansion that ignores homeowner and community input. We urge all citizens to share their thoughts with our City Council, State Senate and Assembly members.

Tom Louizou Bayside Hills Civic Association Bayside Hills

The writer is a member of the BHCA board, on whose behalf the letter was submitted, and a former U.S. Department of Transportation-National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regional administrator.

Climate not the danger

Dear Editor:

For all those worried about climate change causing our demise, we’d like to point out that China couldn’t care less as it continues to pollute the atmosphere with its many coal mines and is determined to do so until 2030, with no one from the international community or the United States condemning its behavior, not even John Kerry.

And as long as we have Joe Biden in charge with no coherent plan to address the war in the Middle East, allowing the situation to escalate and putting the lives of our soldiers on the line every day they are deployed there, we are in big trouble. My God, our soldiers are sitting ducks, seriously compromised, to what end?

What should be our biggest concern is that our commander-in-chief is not mentally or physically up to the job, no matter what the media, Jill Biden or his advisers say.

Our nation is in peril and climate change is the least of our worries. Our fellow Americans, speak up!

Thomas and Constance Dowd Oakland Gardens

Troubles near and far

Dear Editor:

The present mayor is under investigation for possibly doing wrong things with the government of Turkey. Homeland Security and the FBI are involved. Why does this happen? Mayors must be beyond reproach.

Meanwhile, toll evasion is committed hundreds of thousands of times a year, and all must pay. Phony license plates are used, while on the subway, people evade the fare just by passing through. That costs taxpayers and the city and state money. Also, it is terrible that people do not obey the law, committing hit-and-run accidents, and do not give pedestrians the right of way when they walk across the street. Meanwhile, bail reform is not working and our city seems like the crime capital of the world, regardless of what the statistics say.

Your hometown papers bring light to many subjects and it’s wonderful to have you in my life to bring the important news of our city and borough. Thanks for publishing insightful articles that educate us in so many ways.

When the earthquake hit, why did it take so long for the alerts to be heard on cell phones? Also, many people don’t have cell hones and they are left out. What about those who cannot read text messages and hear alerts due to blindness or deafness? The disabled must not be left out in any way. There also must be a better system regarding emergencies in nursing homes and assisted living places. With the earthquake, it seems only schools were spoken about and the safety of children.

Abroad, there are threats from ISIS blaming the United States for the attack on Russia and that is absolutely wrong. Here, the NYPD and drones must be at our parades. Attacks elsewhere also are scaring our houses of worship. We had nothing to do with the Russian concert terrorist attack. Why is the U.S. blamed?

Cynthia Groopman

BP talks housing, casinos and more

Richards touches on Willets Point, Corona Plaza, Creedmoor and 165th Bus Terminal

by Naeisha Rose Associate Editor

The Queens Chronicle spent two hours with Borough President Donovan Richards last Thursday in a wide-ranging interview that touched on topics ranging from housing to mental health and more.

With the rise of homelessness, the arrival of tens of thousands of migrants and an increase in inflation, Richards, who took office during the height of the pandemic in 2020, said that housing is his top priority.

“Between the issue of homelessness prior to the pandemic and then after the pandemic and then you add on 40,000 asylum seekers and we are in a crisis,” Richards said.

Despite Queens outpacing other boroughs in terms of housing production with the development of 10,000 units over the course of two years, Richards believes more could be done.

“There are some key indicators that we are moving in the right direction,” he said. “We are holding our breath with the negotiations in Albany ... and Albany feels cautiously optimistic that we will get a [housing] deal done.”

There are several housing projects already in the queue, such as Innovation QNS in Astoria, Willets Point and Creedmoor in Queens Village. The people behind the first two initiatives proposed creating 1,400 affordable units each, the latter has 1,240 proposed.

“A lot rides on subsidy,” Richards said. “We are trying to get to the deep depths of affordability.”

When asked about people who have pushed back against developments in residential areas or hous-

ing production that is too high, lacks parking or does not address transit needs, the borough president said people in leadership postions can’t have a NIMBY, or not in my back yard, mindset.

“Everybody gets up on Memorial Day, everybody gets up on Veterans Day and they attend veterans ceremonies across the city ... Veterans deserve a place to live. If they fought for this country, they should be able to come home to a home,” he said. “That’s my position. It’s not shifting.”

The borough president said he is also working with transit officials to make sure that it will be easier for residents who live near Creedmoor to connect to the Long Island Rail Road station in Queens Village. He also plans to push for the city Department of Transportation to include more Q43 bus service in its Queens Bus Redesign plan.

The borough president said he has also made some leeway with transit in the Downtown Jamaica area.

“We finalized a deal last summer and so we will building a new bus terminal on 165th Street and the developers there will also be doing housing,” Richards said. “We are talking to them now to make sure that whatever they do that the affordability is there, but two — how do we make sure that all of those businesses that we lost, how can we incorporate them in that plan?”

Richards also intends to use his power as borough president to get the MTA to step back its busway initiative, which has removed parking and travel lanes on Jamaica

Avenue, consequently hurting area businesses.

“I do want the MTA to revisit the bus lane conversation,” he said. “That’s a big challenge down there. We are not against the busway. Peak morning hours, peak evening hours, yes. Make it a busway, but knowing the shopping patterns of my constituents, if we can’t find parking, we are not shopping down there, so it does hurt the businesses.”

If the city and state want the borough president’s affirmative vote for the Jamaica Downtown Redevelopment Plan, an initiative to rezone and improve the Southeast Queens region, he wants them to address his transit concerns regarding busways.

The borough president said he already has leveraged his position to ensure that street vendors are incorporated in Willets Points soccer stadium plans and overall development plans. He also said he hears his constituents’ concerns in regard to unlicensed carts in Corona Plaza.

“Steve Cohen’s project — there is no guarantee that it will go through yet, but I would say the soccer stadium, we are designing the program for street vendors,” he said. “I hear everybody on enforcement.”

The borough president said the vendors pay taxes to build one next to Citi Field and are up-todate on health codes, but there simply are not enough licenses from the city.

area, to address problems that are not being caused by the vendors who frequently sweep up the area and request the NYPD’s help with public safety, said Richards.

“Veterans deserve a place to live.”

The borough president said the work being done to manage the vendors at Corona Plaza will be replicated around the city and the mayor should do more to provide more resources to them.

— Donovan Richards, Borough President

“My question to those who have taken an interest in this, this has been going on for 20 to 30 or 40 years. All of a sudden you want to come in and it’s gangbusters. Where were you to rectify the situation?” he said. “I just got here in 2020.”

Since taking office, Richards has been at the helm of the Corona Plaza Task Force to help the vendors collaborate with the city, but said the mayor has made it difficult for the street food workers to acquire licenses.

“If you put them out of work, where do they go?” he said. “The shelter. Wouldn’t you want to support people who are self-sufficient?”

The city should instead be focused on increasing sanitation services and police patrols in the

Richards said he is not one to spend much time playing Texas hold’em, but he does believe the borough is capable of supporting two casinos.

“I’m not a big proponent of casinos personally,” Richards said, about the dueling proposals to build one near Citi Field and to expand Resorts Worlds Casino in South Ozone Park. “But if we are going to get it, we are going to leverage it to scale up the economy and get people off the streets.”

If Resorts World secures one of three casino licenses that will be available from the state, RWC representatives said it will create 5,000 union jobs. The Citi Field plans’ proponents said theirs will employ 15,000.

The borough president noted that both locations are near airports, which will bring more people to Queens and drive the economy.

“My point is that the two can coexist,” he said. “I also want to

run a ferry and get some clientele from the Bronx.”

Richards said that he is waiting for the New York City Economic Development Corp. to open up the request for proposals again to explore ferry service to Citi Field.

The borough president said that he is aware that his role may seem advisory or ceremonial, but he is in a position to approve or withhold his vote on several kinds of projects, helps get capital projects off the ground and more.

“Did you know that you can’t get an address without the Borough President’s Office?” he said. “When you build new housing, the address comes from my house. Even though we got a yes on several projects, you have to get the address from us and we can hold it up. There are leverage points we can always use. The people have empowered me to use every tool in my toolbox.”

In 2023, the BP’s Office distributed $87 million toward capital projects and Richards is looking forward to reaching at least $80 million for 2024.

Asked to reveal something about himself that people didn’t know, Richards said he utilizes teletherapy.

“It’s a lot with dealing with 2.4 million of y’all,” he joked. “You might notice I do less tweeting at people. That is growth.”

Richards says therapy has taught him about having a better work-life balance. Q

Borough President Richards had a sitdown interview last Thursday with the Chronicle discussing transportation, economic development and how he utlizies his role to move Queens forward. PHOTO BY PETER C. MASTROSIMONE

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American Softball kicks off!

Players geared up in their blue and white uniforms last Saturday for the American Softball Organization’s opening day at Vito Locascio Field in Ozone Park. The nonprofit gives those with special needs the opportunity to take to the field.

and Ariola have both allocated funds through their offices for the organization.

Also in attendance were Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and the Community Board 10 and 9 chairs, Betty Braton and Sherry Algredo, whose son is on the team.

Queens’ movers and shakers showed up en masse to support, including Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato, above at left, Borough President Donovan Richards, Councilwoman Joann Ariola and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. Pheffer Amato

Earthquake

continued from page 2

spelling, with just one R), had a magnitude of 4.8. The epicenter was Lebanon, NJ, about 50 miles west of the city. The USGS described the location as 7 kilometers, or 4.35 miles, north of Whitehouse Station in New Jersey. The depth was reported as 4.7 kilometers, which is 2.92 miles.

How clearly it was perceived varied widely. Some people sitting in buildings above subway lines thought it was a train at first. The shaking was clearly felt in the Queens Chronicle offices in Glendale, on the second story of a formerly industrial building that is around

“It was an honor to join them on their opening day to cheer on this League that is so important to our community and city,” Adams wrote of the team on Facebook. “Wishing you all a wonderful season!”

— Kristen Guglielmo

100 years old or more. Nearby, at least some people at ground level hardly felt it at all.

The biggest quake recorded in the area occurred in 1884 and had a magnitude of 5.2, according to media outlets. A 5.8 magnitude quake that hit Virginia in 2011 was felt in New York, too.

New Yorkers’ attention, and eyes, if protected, turned from the ground to the sky Monday as the solar eclipse neared. Over the weekend, attention was split. “Saturday

Night Live” ran a skit pitting a personified earthquake against the eclipse. The sketch, which veteran fans did not consider among the show’s best, prompted a story in the New York Post, written by a reporter who started her career at the Queens Chronicle. Q

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crime down, but still

more

Adams, NYPD say recidivism, mental illness require far more attention Mayor:

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

Mayor Adams and the top NYPD brass on April 3 continued to press their case that crime is down in the city, and that public safety is subject to unrelenting scrutiny from the department and the administration.

The talk went far beyond a recitation of crime statistics for the first quarter of 2024, which was the general topic for the press conference. It can be viewed in full online at bit. ly/3VOtGDM.

But while numbers are running below 2023 levels year-to-date in five of the seven major index crime categories, all categories but murders and rapes are on pace to be significantly higher than 2019, the last year of pre-pandemic figures.

“This is the safest big city in America, and the numbers reflect that, and the movement of the Police Department continues to reflect that,” Adams said, according to a transcript obtained from his office. “And sometimes I feel that, you know, some people are disappointed that this is the safest big city in America because it can’t drive headlines. We’re the safest big city in America and we continue to become safer and safer every day.”

shootings are extremely important, but we know that we still have work to do.”

Caban said officers have taken more than 1,500 illegal guns off the streets since Jan. 1.

“Every gun we take makes our neighborhood safer,” Caban said. “This intensive work will continue to drive reductions in violent crime.

Adams said the three biggest problems are recidivism, recidivism and recidivism.

“There are too many bad people who are doing bad things to good people of this city and they believe they have the right to do that,” Adams said. “A small number of people are committing a large number of crimes.

“The second is severe mental health illness. We’re seeing it on our streets, we’re seeing a correlation between some of the actions that are taking place and how it’s impacting those who need assistance. And we’re hoping our partners and colleagues in Albany would assist us with giving us the teeth we need in Kendra’s Law and other actions.”

“We are arresting the same people over and over again.”

— NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban

Major felony crimes, or index crimes, are down year-to-date, including murder, rape, burglary, grand larceny and auto theft. Robbery and felony assault are up.

Total index crimes thus far are down 2.4 percent from the first quarter of 2023.

Adams, a former NYPD captain, said murders are down more than 17 percent for the first quarter, with 82 as opposed to 99 this time in 2023.

“Furthermore, both shooting incidents and victims continue their citywide declines in 2024, extending the downward trend we’ve seen over the past few years,” NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said in the transcript. “These reductions in murder and

Kendra’s Law is a provision that, when applied, allows the state to require a mentally ill person to accept treatment

Chief Michael LiPetri of the Crime Control Strategies unit said there have been 7,000 shoplifting arrests this year, with analysis showing that 550 people are responsible for 44 percent of all incidents.

“Let’s look at these 550 career criminals, LiPetri said. “Not shocking, arrested 23,000 times. That’s a disgrace. It’s a disgrace. It really is. Twenty-three thousand times. Let’s look at them. Forty-two percent convicted felons. It’s not easy to get convicted of a felony, 42 percent convicted felons.

“How many people? Three quarters are walking around the streets right now and all of them are committing a shoplifting offense as we speak.

“Let’s look at a symbol of a broken system.”

Adams and Caban also said recent surges of police officers into the subways continue to

to do

drive crime down below ground. Transit crime for the first quarter is down 1.1 percent year to date.

“Public safety is not just police,” Adams said. “Public safety means the right laws, the right judges, the right prosecutions and the right education to the public as they move through the system.

“Transit crime was down 15 percent in February after we made that movement and an additional 800 cops being used correctly. And as we leave the month of March, we may have entered March as a lion, but we’re going out as a dove. We’re down 24 percent in March.” Caban said the recidivism problem shows up in the present 25-year high in felony arrests.

“We have seen one factor become very clear: in many cases, we are arresting the same people over and over again,” Caban said. “When it comes to committing crime, the risks just don’t outweigh the rewards, and the lack of consequence makes it easy to re-offend without a second thought.

“This is incredibly frustrating to law enforcement. It’s hugely unfair to law-abiding citizens and has a negative impact on both actual and perceived public safety. This is a

serious issue, and it’s past time that we start taking it seriously.

“New Yorkers are fed up with the revolving door. They want a system that holds people accountable for their actions and they deserve a system that is focused on the rights and needs of victims.”

If murders were to continue on about the same pace — always a tricky assumption for myriad reasons, including that violent crime tends to increase in warmer months — the potential 328 murders this year would be far below the 386 in 2023, and very near the 318 in 2019, though above the 292 in 2017 and the 289 in 2018.

Rapes in 2023 also were down nearly 300 from 2019 and would be projected to decrease still further.

But the same projections for other categories, while representing drops, or even steep drops, in burglary and auto theft, would show increases from 2019 in robberies (going up by 2,000) felony assaults, (up 5,000), burglaries (up nearly 2,000), grand larcenies (up nearly 3,000), auto theft (more than double) and shooting incidents (up 112). Q

Police later confirmed device was inert Grenade found in S. Rich Hill apartment

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

The NYPD and FDNY were on the scene Tuesday afternoon when an inert grenade was found inside an apartment in South Richmond Hill, police said.

According to authorities, at approximately 11:20 a.m., police received a call reporting a suspicious device located at 112th Street and Liberty Avenue. Initial reports said the grenade was found outside of a Chase bank at the site, but authorities later confirmed it was found in an apartment above the bank.

According to multiple reports, the entire

building was told to evacuate and the bank temporarily closed.

A post on the 106th Precinct’s Community Council Facebook page said the call came from a construction crew doing cleanup.

As a result of the activity, subway service was briefly suspended between Rockaway Boulevard and Ozone Park-Lefferts Boulevard and roads were closed to both traffic and pedestrians.

Videos on the Citizen app showed authori-

ties responding near the A train station, with crime scene tape blocking off the residents watching nearby.

The NYPD’s Bomb Squad safely removed the grenade from the scene, and confirmed Wednesday after investigating that the device was inert.

While EMS responded as a precaution, no injuries were reported. After a secondary sweep, subway service resumed and the roads were opened just after 2 p.m.

Q

Authorities removed a grenade from an apartment above a Chase bank on Tuesday in South Richmond Hill. SCREENSHOT VIA CITIZEN

NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, left, Mayor Adams and Commissioner Edward Caban said last Wednesday that the city’s crime statistics headed in the right direction during the first quarter of 2024.

MAYOR’S OFFICE SCREENSHOT / YOUTUBE

In some spots, no cars 4/20

The city’s largest-ever Open Streets: Car-Free Earth Day is set for April 20, the Department of Transportation announced last week — with a record number of car-free streets and extended hours of operation. Earth Day itself is April 22.

The annual event, hosted by the DOT, makes select city streets car-free from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and promotes activism and education surrounding climate change, environmentalism and sustainable modes of transportation; i.e., those that do not use the internal combustion engine.

There will be 53 car-free locations across the city, a handful of them “signature events” run by the DOT and the rest organized by community groups. Various public programming and things such as artwork and free Citi Bike rides are expected. Queens will see one signature location, Woodside Avenue from 75th to 78th streets, in Elmhurst, and seven “partner produced” sites. All are listed, along with other details, at nyc.gov/ carfreenyc.

DOT chief Ydanis Rodriguez said in a statement that people must reduce their carbon footprint and respect the planet. Q

— Peter C. Mastrosimone

Basking in eclipse excitement

Families watched in awe April 8 as a total solar eclipse, a rare moment in which the moon completely covers the sun, allowed them to visualize the star’s corona. People hold viewing parties or travel to sites within the path of totality for the best experience — but those of us in Queens didn’t have to travel to see near complete coverage.

Clockwise, from above: One place residents gathered to observe the phenomenon was outside at The Shops in Atlas Park in Glendale; a salon employee at Ulta Beauty and her client paused mid-service to run outside and take a look; the Demenescus, of Middle Village, made the phenomenon a family affair; and Glendale residents Lavinia Pop and her son Andrew Eren gaze up at the sky.

— Kristen Guglielmo

PHOTOS BY KRISTEN GUGLIELMO

Dogs in stores: Why, and what are the rules?

More people are taking their best friends shopping today

by Oona Milliken Chronicle Contributor

New York City is puppy-crazed. On any given day, rain, wind or sunshine, you will see a myriad of dog owners walking their furry friends of various shapes and sizes across all corners of the city, Queens included.

However, with dogs becoming an increasingly omnipresent phenomenon inside business establishments such as grocery stores, pharmacies and coffee shops, some people wonder, do they belong everywhere?

“I don’t know why you would bring your dog to the grocery store,” said Meagan Licari, president of Puppy Kitty NYC, a nonprofit rescue organization headquartered in Maspeth. “Not everyone likes dogs, and what if your dog has an accident, is that fair to the workers? It’s just having respect for the people around you, being a good human.”

Though Licari said all trained service animals accompanying those with disabilities are an exception, she said there are several risks with bringing your dog out in public spaces. If someone leaves a dog on a leash outside a store, Licari said, it might bite a child, come in contact with someone who could harm it or encounter another animal that is not vaccinated or hasn’t been spayed or neutered. According to her, dog owners’ biggest concern should be protecting their pets and staying considerate of others around them.

“I love animals, but you’re putting your animal at risk,” Licari said. “It’s just so risky, and I don’t know why people would put their animals in that position.”

Some residents in Queens have taken to the internet to express their frustrations with dogs in stores. On

the social media platform Reddit, user SpiritualTelephone38 made a post on March 31 titled, “Can people stop bringing their dogs into grocery stores?” in a forum dedicated to the Ridgewood community. In response, Ridgewood community members flooded the post with comments about their own experiences.

“Dog culture is generally out of control these days. I was in a busy bar yesterday and there was a dog who was clearly stressed out and kept barking/whining. And I see that happen all the time around here,” user Calm_Afternoon_3404 said in a comment on April 1. “For every responsible dog owner, there are many irresponsible dog owners who are not training them, not taking care of them, and not doing their part to help the community feel safe around them.”

Another user, WeAreTheMisfits, wrote back on April 4 with a quip about dog and food safety.

“I saw a dog cradled in a man’s arms at a restaurant. The dog was so close to the bowl of soup. It gives me nightmares,” WeAreTheMisfits said. “But yeah I see dogs everywhere now. I don’t know why that became a thing after COVID.”

Though there is little data on the rise of people bringing their dogs into stores, a recent American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals study shows that 23 million people, nearly one in five Americans, adopted a pet during the pandemic. Ninety percent of them were still at home, according to another ASPCA survey. And there are more pets in New York City than ever: the number of pets adopted from a shelter in the city has risen to a historic high with a 26 percent increase since

What’s the 411 on dogs at 311?

“By law, businesses open to the public must allow service animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas where the public can go. This is regardless of whether the dog is wearing a service tag or not.

“Businesses can ask if a dog is a service dog and what task the dog performs. They cannot ask for any proof of disability or service animal certification.

“You can file a complaint if you have a service animal and were denied access to a public place or facility. Learn how to report a public accommodation complaint on the Discrimination page.

“If a dog is in a food establishment but is not a service dog, it is a health code violation. You can report it on the Food Safety Complaint page ...

“Emotional support animals are not considered service animals. Business owners are not required to allow emotional support animals in their establishments.” Q

From the city’s 311 web page on service dogs:

One cannot necessarily tell if a dog in a store is a service animal or just a companion, as the former does not need to wear any identifying gear under the law. This dog was well-behaved but got to sniff fresh produce, packaged meat and dairy products during a recent trip to a central Queens supermarket.

2016, according to Animal Care Centers of New York City.

Business owners and store employees cannot simply bar dogs due to protections from the Americans with Disabilities Act. Service animal ADA regulations were designed to protect people who rely on their service animal to help them with their disability and assert that stores and shops must allow patrons with service animals into their establishments.

Sas service dogs, though they are important to people’s mental health.

“Emotional support animals should be recognized more; they’re just as important as service animals,” Bautista said. “It gets me frustrated when they question me when I bring him into a store.”

tore policy and practice do not always align.

Though the definition of a service dog is narrowly defined as a dog that is specifically trained to help someone with a disability, such as a seeing eye dog, an animal pulling a wheelchair, or a dog trained to alert someone before they have a seizure, shop employees are not allowed to ask for proof of disability or service animal certification. There are only about 500,000 working service dogs in the United States right now, according to the Department of State.

Emotional support animals, pets that give their owners emotional support or companionship, are not protected by the ADA but shop employees cannot refuse them if the owner claims their pet is a certified service animal.

Jennifer Bautista of Long Island City, owner of the dog Prada, said she applied to make her pet an emotional support animal. Bautista said it was frustrating when people asked Prada to leave public places because she went through a doctor to designate him as an emotional support dog. And she said emotional support dogs don’t get the same recognition

A store manager at a major supermarket chain location in Central Queens said she does not think dogs should be allowed in grocery stores but that it is hard to ban them completely due to the laws surrounding service animals.

“It’s kind of a slippery slope because you tell someone, ‘You can’t bring your dog in,’ and they say, ‘Oh he’s my emotional support dog, he’s my service animal,” the store manager said. “I mean they’re not allowed, but if they’re not being a nuisance and they’re on a leash, close to the owner, it’s fine.”

For the most part, the manager said, dogs are not an issue in her store and she does not mind owners bringing leashed dogs to the shop with them. She recalled only one negative interaction with a dog owner in the store.

“It’s definitely not a nuisance,” the manager said. “I only had one bad experience. I had a lady come in, she was drunk with two dogs on no leash. The dogs were sniffing, licking, so I told the lady to leash. She didn’t want to leave, so it got kind of ugly.”

CVS is another chain with stores in Queens at which dogs are regularly seen, though a spokesperson, Amy Thibault, indicated that company

policy says only some should be.

“CVS Pharmacy generally prohibits animals inside our retail pharmacy stores, however, service animals are welcome,” Thibault said via email.

Bautista said having Prada with her is vital.

“The difference mood-wise I feel when I leave him home versus when I take him with me is huge,” she said in a message. “Leaving him home not only gives me separation anxiety but also doesn’t make me feel good period. Leaving him home I’m constantly on my camera watching him. I find myself rushing to get back home to him. Versus when I take him with me, my heart is at peace. My anxiety is controlled and we are both happy.”

From an allergen perspective, dogs are easier to avoid than to ban. Dr. Punita Ponda, an allergist at Northwell Health’s Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, said it would be impossible to create a dog-free world for her patients but urges them instead to limit their exposure in public places.

“If you tell a store owner that they have to police and throw out their customers who have pets, I’m sure that would be a hard sell,” Ponda said. “I don’t have any jurisdiction as an allergist to make a person do anything, whether that be a store owner or anyone else, but for my patients who have severe allergies to pets, avoidance of those pets would be ideal.”

Ponda said people with severe pet allergies should take antihistamines when appropriate and avoid small or cramped confined spaces with animals. Q

PHOTO BY PETER C. MASTROSIMONE

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Post 118 supports readers

According to American Legion Woodhaven Post 118 member David Valentin, one of the four pillars the group was founded on in 1919 was children and youth. Nationwide, the American Legion celebrates Children and Youth month each April.

To mark the occasion, Post 118 continued its longtime support by donating books aimed at readers in elementary, middle and high school to the Woodhaven Library,

located at 85-41 Forest Pkwy. The donated books, seen above, focus on Americanism, patriotism, civic duty and even test prep, Valentin said. A librarian told him the books will be available to the community for a long time due to their subject matter.

American Legion Woodhaven Post 118’s headquarters is located at 89-02 91 St. For more information, visit legion.org.

— Kristen Guglielmo

NYBC needs all blood types

The New York Blood Center is seeking donors of all blood types to help the sick, injured and needy in the community. Each donor can help surgery and cancer patients,

Upcoming drives include:

• Sunnyside Jewish Center, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 14, at a busmobile at 40-20 47 Ave. in Sunnyside;

• NYC Department of Design and Construction, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17, and Thursday, April

18, at 30-30 Thomson Ave., 1st floor atrium, in Long Island City;

• The Shops at Atlas Park, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 20; and 1 to 7 p.m. on Monday, April 22, at 8000 Cooper Ave. in Glendale, next to TJ Maxx;

• Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation-USA. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. April 21, at 88-01 Queens Blvd., in the former T-Mobile store in Elmhurst; and

• Commonpoint Central Queens, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Sunday, April 28, at 67-09 108 St. in Forest Hills, in the multipurpose room. Q

City releases first environmental justice report and mapping tool Understand climate change near you

by Sophie Krichevsky Associate Editor

The Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice last Friday released the city’s first comprehensive report on environmental inequity, as well as an online mapping tool that allows New Yorkers to see environmental hazards in their own backyards. The Office unveiled the report at the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens in Astoria, just blocks from the Ravenswood Peaker Plant. The area has long been referred to as “Asthma Alley.”

Among the 274-page study’s key findings was that the city’s low-income communities and communities of color have historically suffered from the effects of polluting infrastructure, such as power plants, airports, waste processing facilities and the like. Simultaneously, those communities, known as environmental justice communities, have seen a decreasing investment in environmentally beneficial resources, like parks and sanitation services. Environmental justice communi-

ties are also more likely to feel the effects of climate change, be that due to rising temperatures or flooding. Southeastern Queens, for instance, is particularly vulnerable to storm surge.

The report also highlights the lasting effects of redlining, the once prevalent practice of denying people living in predominately Black areas of mortgages or insurance. Two-thirds of the population living in historically redlined areas live in environmental justice areas today, the study notes.

According to Costa Constantinides, CEO of the Queens Boys and Girls Club and the former councilman for the area, Astoria is no exception in that regard. “The things that we’re using this mapping tool to understand, those inequities and injustices didn’t happen just like that. It happened over a period of time,” he said.

“When you look in this neighborhood, Robert Moses redlined west of 21st Street. And you have public housing built — in 1939, it’s the Queensbridge [Houses], in 1949 in Ravenswood and Astoria

Houses, and then in 1963, they put [up] the big power plant ... in this neighborhood west of 21st Street, the rates of asthma are higher than the rest of the Borough of Queens.”

It was Constantinides who sponsored the legislation that required the city to conduct the study and create the interactive mapping tool.

That was signed into law in 2017. Seven years later, Constantinides watched as schoolkids took the mapping tool for a spin in the Boys and Girls Club computer lab last Friday. The students were engaged as they examined the many datasets on the map, tracking air pollution in their neighborhoods, proximity

to public transit, cleanup sites and much more.

The Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice said the datasets are from within the last year and will be updated regularly.

Elijah Hutchinson, the office’s executive director, said last Friday that the report will inform the city’s release of a climate budget, the first of its kind nationwide. That will come as part of the April executive budget plan for fiscal year 2025, and will identify what “pots of money” are being spent to address the climate crisis, he said.

“This is going to allow us to embed environmental justice and climate considerations within our budgeting decisions, and will be updated regularly as part of the city’s regular budgeting processes,” Hutchinson said. “We can better prioritize investments within EJ communities. Incorporating equity measures into planning and investment decision-making will ensure that these communities have the resources they need to thrive.”

Q

The mapping tool is available online at arcg.is/0L9iyr0.

This Spring We Shower You With Buys

Students at the Variety Boys and Girls Club in Astoria tested out the new mapping tool last Friday afternoon. PHOTO BY SOPHIE KRICHEVSKY

Community board appointments announced

Find out who will represent your neighborhood this term

by Sophie Krichevsky Associate Editor Borough President Donovan

Richards unveiled the 2024 class of community board appointees this week, each of whom will serve a two-year term starting this month.

Out of 848 applicants, Richards selected 355 appointees, 117 of them being new members this year. More than 54 percent of this year’s new members are under the age of 45. Of those 117 new members, 26.5 percent are Black, nearly 24 percent are East Asian, Pacific Islander or South Asian and 27.4 percent are Hispanic or Latino.

“It takes dedication and a true love of one’s neighborhood to apply to serve on a community board. That’s what each member of this historic 2024 class signed up to do, and I am deeply grateful to all 355 of our appointees for answering the call of public service,” Richards said in a statement.

Since board members may reapply every other year, this list represents only the half who were selected this year.

Community Board 1 (Astoria, Old Astoria, Long Island City, Queensbridge, Ditmars, Ravenswood, Steinway, Garden Bay, Woodside): Daniel Aliberti, Cristian Batres, Kian Betancourt, Gerald Caliendo, Adam Fisher-Cox, Tyrone Gardner, Shahenaz Hamde, Evie Hantzopoulos, Amy Hau, Corinne Haynes, Jacqueline Ibarra, Vanessa Jones-Hall, Richard Khuzami, Huge Ma, Raga Maddela, Patricia Mahecha, Amin Mehedi, Andreas Migias, Juliet Payabyab, Rose Marie Poveromo, Thomas Ryan, Marie Torniali, Rod Townsend, Judy Trilivas, Mario Vergara, Kathleen Warnock and Quinella Williams.

Community Board 2 (Maspeth, Sunnyside, Woodside, Long Island City): Amparo Abel-Bey, John Laurence Bahia, Thalia Karesia Batan, Nicholas Berkowitz, Lisa Charles, Tannia Chavez, Osman Ali Chowdhury, Stephen Cooper, Lisa Deller, Morry Galonoy, Alexandra Gonzales, Kenneth Greenberg, James Kim, Chhemang Lama, Sheila Lewandowski, Benjamin Lucas, Patrick Martinez, Thomas Mituzas, Andrea Olivares, Reilly Owens, Jolly Patel, Norberto Saldana, Ryan Smith, Caroline Spitzer, Lauren Springer, Akello Thomas, Mai Tran and Michael Zoorob.

Community Board 3 (Jackson Heights, North Corona, East Elmhurst): Pat Beckles, Ann Brown,

Mark Buhrmester, Deborah Chang, Sonya Davis-Roberts, Vivian Dock, Margaret Dozier, Oscar Escobar, Kevin Hughes-Noboa, Michael Johnson, Stephen Kulhanek, Marta LeBreton, Richard Gregory Mullings, Dorothy Phelan, Potrirankamanis Queano Nur, Jairo Rodriguez, Diana Rodriguez Davila, Leoncio Romero, Jessica Rosario, Edmund Rosenbaum, David Rosero, Jasmine Taveras, Shanel Thomas Henry and Arssath Uthumalebbe.

Community Board 4 (Elmhurst, Corona, Corona Heights): Eduardo Arias, Rownoka Ashakhan, Michelle Calderon, Brianna Cea, Indira Chongbang, Kathy Corona, Andrea Cumberbatch, Ioannis Demopoulos, Mohammed Ismail, Adam Lee, Moe Liu, Carol Machulski, Matthew McElroy, Marilyn Mendoza, Mac Merchan, Camila Noguera, Jennifer Ochoa, Israel Rosario, A. Redd Sevilla, Alton Smith, Morgan Taylor, Marcello Testa and Louis Walker.

Community Board 5 (Ridgewood, Maspeth, Glendale, Middle Village, South Elmhurst): Eric Butkiewicz, Robert Cermeli, Elizabeth Chen, Patricia Crowley, Dmytro Fedkowskyj, Mati Gonzalez, Gail Grabowski, Fred Haller, Daniel Heredia, Christopher Herman, Fred Hoefferle, Naho Matsuzawa, Charles Ober, Margaret O’Kane, Michael O’Kane, Melissa Rebecca, Luis Antonio Rodriguez, Enriquez Rosa, Dennis Stephan and Jasmine Valle.

Community Board 6 (Forest Hills, Rego Park): Edgar Alfonseca, Robert Ashe, Julieth Avila, Anisa Ayon, Samir Charaibi, L.T. Ciaccio, Kandra Clark, John Dereszewski, Tamara Gavrielof, Karen Imas, Sarina Jain, Mark Laster, Kevin Ly, Sabah-un-nasr Munawar, Natalie Pienkowska, Jessica Pooran, Joi Pratt, Diana Rachnaev, Pedro Rodriguez, Shari Rolnick, Herbert Schonhaut, Amit Pratap Shah, Eugene (Yevgeniy) Shvartsman, Jean Silva and Brently Winstead.

OHughes, Eugene Kelty Jr., Esther Lee, Betsy Mak, Barbara McHugh, John Park, Vipul Patel, Yacov Pshtissky, Maureen Regan, Paul Rifino, Warren Schreiber, Kevin Shields, Matthew Silverstein, Saleem Syed, John Tsavalos, Clarissa Wong, Dian Song Yu and Rachel Zhang.

Community Board 8 (Kew Gardens Hills, Utopia, Fresh Meadows, Hillcrest, Briarwood, Jamaica Hills Jamaica Estates, Holliswood, Flushing South): Dilafroz Ahmed, Saaif Alam, Heather Bennett-Idels, Kenneth Cohen, Maria Deinnocentiis, Marva Dudley, Allen Eisenstein, Kevin J. Forrestal, Howard Fried, Martha Fulton, James Gallagher Jr., Joshua Glikman, Michael Hannibal, Mohammed Islam Delwar, Neeta Jain, Elke Maerz, Jennifer Martin, Caitlin Marziliano, Nikolas Michael, David Mordukhaev, Dilip Nath, Alan Ong, Tamara Osherov, Hersh Parekh, Frances C. Paterson, Israel Peskowitz, Jesse Rosenbaum, Aliyah Salim, Seymour Schwartz, Harbachan Singh, Mohammed Tohin, Amy Tse and Steven Villaran.

Community Board 7 (Flushing, College Point, Whitestone, Bay Terrace, Malba, Beechhurst, Bayside, Queensboro Hill, Willets Point): Charles Apelian, Michael Cheng, Nicholas Corrado, Fred Fu, Doreen Gatanas, Pablo Hernandez, ChunHsiung Jeff Huang, Lawrence

Community Board 9 (Richmond Hill, Woodhaven, Kew Gardens, Ozone Park): Inderpaul Ahluwalia, Sherry Algredo, Dulal Bhattacharjee, Kamal Bhuiyan, Visnoonand Bisram, Swapan Chakraborty, Rick Chetram, Daniel Chu, Marylin Custodio, Steve Esposito, Alicia Hassin, Orazio Iaboni, Carmella Isabella, Christian Orellana, Jonathan Rodriguez, Regina Santoro, Himmat

Singh, Jarnail Singh, Mohinder Singh, Alexandria Sumpter-Delves and Stacey Yearwood.

Community Board 10 (Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, Howard Beach, South Richmond Hill): Sonnya Acuqui, Luis Amorim, James J. Caruso, Brina Ciaramella, Anthony S. Cosentino, Frank Dardani, Anoop Dhanpat, Irene Dimoh, Karen Edwards, Edna Fraylon, Peter Granickas, Frank P. Gulluscio, Gary Hewitt, Anthony Hill, Romeo Hitlall, Pierre Kishun, Dorothy Mitchell, Fazlurrahman Mohamed, Rohan Narine, Jose A. Quijano, Amar Rajnauth, Amanda Sancler, Nellie Santiago, Asheley Siewnarine, Jody Stahl, Ashley Vital and Linda Walker.

Community Board 11 (Bayside, Auburndale, Oakland Gardens, Little Neck, Douglaston, East Flushing, Hollis Hills): Adriana Aviles, Lana Bind, Sharon Chin, Victor Dadras, C. Omarr Evans, Leanne Michelle Fields, Albert Galatan, Joan Garippa, Rosemarie Guidice, George Hadjiconstantinou, Laura James, Mohan Jethwani, Karen

Mazza, Kenneth O’Keefe, Stephen Pivawer, Gunjan Rastogi, Ralph Ruiz, Amesh Sarecha, Jyothi SriRam, John Sullivan, Eileen Taylor, Sam Wong, Jiao (Athena) Wu and Mina Youn.

Community Board 12 (Jamaica, South Jamaica, Hollis, St. Albans, South Ozone Park, Addesleigh Park, Springfield Gardens): Sophia Abel, Pamela Bluford, Jacqueline Boyce, Maxine Brannon, Kenny Carter, Manuel Caughman, Jennifer Delatour, Jonnel Doris, Marcia Francis, Glenn Greenidge, Nurul Haque, Frankco Harris, Crystal Isaac, Khondokar Islam, Audrey Lee

Jacobs, Leonard Jacobs, Sharmayne Jenkins, Chantel Johnson, Bernadette Logan, Benjulkys Martinez, Akther Rahman, Jean RandolphCastro, Fitzroy Searles, Amit Shivprasad, Christopher Smith, Toni Totten, Linette Townsley, Khari White, Andrew Wilkins, Jeanette Wilson and Patricia Wooden.

Community Board 13 (Queens Village, Glen Oaks, New Hyde Park, Bellerose, Cambria Heights, Laurelton, Rosedale, Floral Park, Springfield Gardens, Bellaire): Angela Augugliaro, Corey Bearak, Loleta Beckett-Nicholson, Sheila Beverly-Skinner, John Boyd, Ella Caynes, Latanya Collins, Sequoyah Douglas, Charles Farruggia, Lorraine Gittens-Bridges, Robert Glover, Vernal Holder, Leonard Hookum, Michael Mallia, Sophia Mighty, Kangela Moore, Laura Morand, Michael O’Keeffe, Cinnamon Paltoo, David Pecoraro, Nagassar Ramgarib, Anup Ramnauth and Ashok Satkalmi.

Community Board 14 (Rockaway Point, Breezy Point, Roxbury, Neponsit, Belle Harbor, Rockaway Park, Seaside, Broad Channel, Hammels, Sommerville, Edgemere, Arverne, Bayswater, Wavecrest, Far Rockaway, Rockaway Beach): Brittny Chong, Amber Clinkscales, Jack Epter, Maria Foreman, WayneNeisha Fowles, Menashe Friedman, Josephine Gonzalez, Avionne Gumbs-Cummings, Dave B. Heffernan, Betty Leon, Annette Lord Cohen, Sonia Moise, Helen Montero, Zina Moratti, Josmary OchoaCruz, Dolores Orr, Harold Paez, Shannel Parker, Eric Rasmussen, Vernell Robinson, David Shelborne, Nichole Smith, Christopher Tedesco and Jose Velez. Q

Borough President Donovan Richards announced his new appointments to Queens’ community boards this week. The panels hold monthly meetings, as seen above at a 2022 Community Board 11 meeting, taking up issues ranging from zoning changes to liquor licenses.

PHOTO BY SOPHIE KRICHEVSKY / FILE

ARTS, CULTURE & LIVING

Even after 13 years with the Queens World Film Festival, Executive Director Katha Cato is still capable of viewing an entry from Queens, New Jersey, London or Nepal and being amazed.

The festival this year has 152 films from 19 countries. Between April 17 and 28, they will be screened at the Museum of the Moving Image and Kaufman Astoria Studios, next door to each other in Astoria, in more than 40 blocks ranging from one movie to as many as seven.

“When we revealed the Sizzle Reel on [March 27], I cried like a baby,” Cato said in a tele-

phone interview.

“Because the people who find us, who want to screen with us, their film has such heart it is undeniable. Whether you like the message, whether you argee with the filmmaking style. It doesn’t matter if you think the film is good or bad.

“The films that come to us are incredibly heartfelt. Personal, personal. They left it all on the field. And sometimes, my husband [co-founder and Artistic Director Preston Cato] will come in, sit at the end of the bed, and say ‘I just saw a piece of art from Iran.’ And he’s just shaking.

“We have, I think, two films from Iran. We have a film from Ukraine, and we have a film from India. They’re telling stories that we can only pretend to know.

“And the tank that’s in the background? It’s not a prop.”

There will be shorts and feature-length films; horror films, comedies and documentaries. There will be Films that Refuse to Back Down and Films That Go Too Far, the former about people forced to make decisions on things from personal appearance to what parents of young children must do when war comes literally to their doorstep. One horror block comes with the tip, “You have been warned ...”

More than two dozen awards will be given for acting, writing, directing, best films in their categories and technical achievements.

The list of finalists can be found online at queensworldfilmfestival.org, continued on page 25

King Crossword Puzzle

I HAVE OFTEN WALKED

Mary Weiss, leader of the pack in Cambria Heights

by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor

Harry Weiss was born in Ridgewood on Dec. 22, 1909. He married Elizabeth Treubig in August 1939 and worked as a draftsman for the New York Telephone Co. They purchased a brand-new home in Cambria Heights at 118-46 220 St.

A son, George, and daughter, Elizabeth, or “Betty,” joined the family first. Their last child, Mary Louise Weiss, was born Dec. 28, 1948. Suddenly, the family’s life went into upheaval when dad Harry died on Valentine’s Day 1949 at age 39, the exact same age at which his mother, Emma, had passed away.

The family scraped by until Mary, Betty and the Ganser twins started singing in the neighborhood. They called themselves The Shangra-Las after the name of a neighborhood restaurant at 110-36 Merrick Road, which is now a Chase bank. They were at the top of the record charts alongside The Beatles and Rolling Stones with hits led by “Leader of the Pack,” with Mary singing lead, but they broke up in 1968. Mary moved to San Francisco to explore another style and sound, only to discover her mother had signed a bad

contract and she could not record for 10 years and had to go into another occupation. The group reunited a few times years later for special events. Mary, a lifelong smoker, passed away of COPD at age 75 on Jan. 19, 2024. And now, the Shangra-Las have been discovered by today’s younger generation. Q

The childhood home of The Shangri-Las’ singer Mary Weiss at 118-46 220 St. in Cambria Heights, as it looks today, the same as it did when she lived there.

GOOGLE MAPS IMAGE; INSET BILLBOARD PHOTO / WIKIPEDIA

Forget low-flow toilets — welcome to ‘Urinetown’

by Mark Lord qboro contributor

When “Urinetown: The Musical” opened on Broadway in 2001, it was shocking on many levels, beginning with its provocative title.

In its exploration of an imaginary world in which a severe drought has led to the outlawing of private toilets, it defied many theatrical conventions.

And its subject matter encompasses satires of the legal system, capitalism, bureaucracy, politics and, yes, musical theater itself.

Little wonder that no production company was initially interested in optioning the musical.

Fast forward some two decades, and the show, which begins a run April 11 at The Secret Theatre in Woodside, is more popular and, in many ways, more meaningful than ever.

Producer Richard Mazda said in a recent telephone interview that the show “was very prophetic,” suggesting that the situation it depicts “might not be completely ludicrous.”

And he attributes its enduring popularity to its “blend of satire and catchy tunes,” saying, “The issues have become more relevant.”

The show’s director, Jordan Schneider, agrees, explaining, “There are lines sprinkled throughout the text that ring more true in today’s time.”

And the physical production, normally designed in 1920s style to recall The Depression, has been modernized to give the show a more contemporary feeling, Schneider said.

Mazda is particularly proud of

the cast that has been assembled for this production. It includes what he referred to as “some fabulous talent.”

The performers include Woodside resident Chris Worley, who plays the show’s tongue-in-cheek narrator, Officer Lockstock, a character he refers to as “a ‘yes’ man,” who serves as the “main enforcer for the antagonist,” Caldwell B. Cladwell, a tyrant who exploits the poor.

The populace includes other characters with names like Penelope Pennywise, Little Sally, Hot Blades Harry and Tiny Tom. Songs have titles like “It’s a Privilege to Pee” and “Snuff That Girl.”

Like Mazda and Schneider, Worley is fully aware of the show’s relevance.

“After the pandemic, people realize what we take for granted,” he said.

Schneider recalled that the first time he saw a production of the show was on the night of the 2016 presidential election. “No one focused on the show,” he remembered.

The feelings he experienced that night have stuck with him going into this production, he said.

Worley is taken by the show’s seemingly upbeat quality while sending a “hard-hitting message.”

That light-heartedness is due in no small part to the score by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis (the latter also wrote the book), which echoes musicals ranging from “The Threepenny Opera” and “Les Miserables” to “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Chicago,” and encompasses a wide variety of styles, including nods to gospel and rap.

Worley is appreciative of the community that has developed in the neighborhood. Wherever he goes, it seems people know of his theatrical endeavors, he said.

“My family is so far away, but my community family is so supportive,” he added.

Performances at The Secret Theatre (38-02 61 St.) are on April 11, 12, 13, 18, 19 and 20 at 7 p.m. and April 13, 14, 20 and 21 at 2:30 p.m. For further information, one may visit secrettheatre.com or call (718) 433-9030. Q

Taking care of the world’s storytellers

continued from page 23

as can schedules of film blocks, their locations and the link to purchase tickets.

The recipient of this year’s Spirit of Queens Award is Oscar-nominated director and producer Yance Ford. The honor is given annually for important contributions to independent filmmaking. His 2017 film “Strong Island” was nominated for Best Documentary, making him the first openly transgender director to be nominated for

Crossword Answers

an Academy Award.

“Yance’s eye is unflinching, his relentless dedication to authenticity is humbling and incredibly inspiring,” Preston Cato said in a press release from the festival. “His work is aligned with the ethos of Queens World, and we’re especially excited about introducing him to young emerging creatives who often struggle to see themselves in the industry.”

Katha Cato said success has made at least one thing easier over the years — they no longer have to seek out filmmakers to enter their works.

“We feel whoever finds us is a very possible right fit for us,” she said. “We go our own way. We raised the price of our submissions this year and we went from eight weeks down to almost four.”

Organizers still received 564 movies for their consideration, about the normal response when they announce their annual submission window.

Pre-festival activities are aimed at making the artists feel welcome and part of the proceedings rather than just guests who show up for screenings and the award ceremony.

“They’re about making sure that by the

time the festival starts, the filmmakers are empowered to talk about their films, represent their films, talk to people, show their excitement,” Katha Cato said. “Because it’s not about us. It’s really about people who have worked very hard to make films that

matter. Some of their families don’t believe in them. Some have other jobs, and some don’t know if this film is as good as their last one.

“You have to take care of these people. These are the storytellers.” Q

Performing in “Urinetown” at The Secret Theatre are Juan Castro and Sarah Cocroft, foreground, and, in the back, Jordyn Rubinsky, left, Jett Roberts and Hila Shats. PHOTO BY REIKO YOO YANAGI

Above, a still from the short “Una Carta a Mis Hijas.” On the cover: Stills from “Puppet,” “The Sound of Southside,” by Jamaica director Tyrel Hunt, and “Family Business.” COURTESY IMAGES

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SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS NYCTL 2009-A TRUST, and THE BANK OF NEW : YORK, as Collateral Agent and Custodian for the NYCTL 2009-A TRUST, Plaintiffs, - against - VLADEMIR C. SIMON, ANTONINE M. BEAUVAIS, ARTHUR D. MEEHAN, if living, or if he is dead, heirs-at-law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, assignees, lienors, creditors, successors-in-interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through Arthur D. Meehan, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and all creditors thereof, and the respective wives, or widows of his, if any, all of whose names and addresses are unknown to Plaintiffs, ANNIE M. MEEHAN, if living, or if she is dead, heirs-at-law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, assignees, lienors, creditors, successors-in-interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through Annie M. Meehan, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and all creditors thereof, and the respective husbands, or widowers of hers, if any, all of whose names and addresses are unknown to Plaintiffs, U.S. BANK N.A., AS TRUSTEE ON BEHALF OF THE HOLDERS OF THE HOME EQUITY ASSET TRUST 2007-2 HOME EQUITY PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-2, NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, Defendants. Index No.: 8395/11 Date of Filing April 19, 2018. Plaintiffs designate Queens the place of trial. Venue is based upon the county in which the Premises are situated. Borough: Queens Block: 10379 Lot: 5 TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action within twenty days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service or within thirty days after service is completed if the summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT The object of the above-entitled action is to foreclose a tax lien for the amount due and interest, dated as of August 18, 2009, and recorded in the Queens County Office of the City Register of the City of New York on August 25, 2009, as CRFN: 2009000271516, covering premises described as follows:

COUNTY: Queens, ADDRESS: Liberty Avenue (vacant lot adjacent to 109-01 189th Street, Jamaica, New York, 11412) Block: 10379

Lot: 5 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 tax lien described above. This action does not involve “subprime” or “high costs” loans that were consummated between January 1, 2003 and September 1, 2008. The foregoing summons and complaint is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of the Hon. Ulysses B. Leverett, J.S.C. entered March 27, 2024. SEYFARTH SHAW LLP, Attorneys for Plaintiffs, 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, New York 10018 (212) 218-5563

SUMMONS

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK – COUNTY OF QUEENS NYCTL 1998-2 TRUST, and THE BANK OF NEW YORK

MELLON, as Collateral Agent and Custodian for the NYCTL 1998-2 TRUST, Plaintiffs, -against- STANLEY CRAIGWELL, if living, or if they are dead, heirs-at-law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, assignees, lienors, creditors, successors-in-interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through Stanley Craigwell, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and all creditors thereof, and the respective husbands, or widowers of hers, if any, all of whose names and addresses are unknown to Plaintiffs, LILLIAN U. CRAIGWELL, if living, or if they are dead, heirs-at-law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, assignees, lienors, creditors, successorsin-interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through Lillian Craigwell, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and all creditors thereof, and the respective husbands, or widowers of hers, if any, all of whose names and addresses are unknown to Plaintiffs, SOCIETY FOR SAVINGS, U.S. BANK TRUST N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR LSF8 MASTER PARTICIPATION TRUST, BENEFICIAL HOMEOWNER SERVICE CORPORATION, NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD, NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, et al., Defendants. INDEX NO. 708858/2019 Date of Filing: 5/21/19 Plaintiff’s designate Queens the place of trial. Venue is based upon the county in which the Premises are situated. Foreclosure of: Borough: Queens Block: 9811 Lot: 40. TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action within twenty days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service or within thirty days after service is completed if the summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT: The object of the above-entitled action is to foreclose the Tax Lien listed in The City of New York Tax Lien Certificate No. 4A, dated as of August 16, 2018, recorded August 23, 2018, as CFRN: 2018000284199, covering premises described as follows: COUNTY: Queens ADDRESS: 90-11 175th Street, Jamaica, New York 11432 BLOCK: 9811 LOT: 40 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 tax lien described above. This action does not involve “subprime” or “high costs” loans that were consummated between January 1, 2003 and September 1, 2009. The foregoing summons and complaint is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of the Hon. Ulysses B. Leverett, J.S.C. entered March 14, 2024. SEYFARTH SHAW LLP, Attorneys for Plaintiffs 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, New York 10018, (212) 218-5500

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT: QUEENS COUNTY. CHONDRITE REO, LLC (5), Pltf., vs. EXCELLENT DEVELOPMENT I LLC., et al, Defts. Index #707851/2019. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered March 27, 2024, I will sell at public auction on the front steps of the Queens County Supreme Court, 88-11 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica, NY on May 10, 2024 at 12:30 p.m. prem. k/a 87-34 169th Street, Jamaica, NY 11432 a/k/a Block 9841, Lot(s) 46 and 48. Approx. amt. of judgment is $1,088,825.35 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. LAMONT RAMSAY BAILEY, Referee. DEUTSCH & SCHNEIDER, LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 79-37 Myrtle Avenue, Glendale, NY. File No. LF-108- #101304

70-08 267th Property LLC, Arts of Org. fi led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 2/8/2024. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 70-14 267th St, Glen Oaks, NY 11004. General Purpose

Notice of Formation of Ahava Mental Health Counseling PLLC. Arts. of Org. fi led with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/19/2024. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 2367 Cornaga Avenue, Far Rockaway, NY 11691. Purpose: to practice the profession of Mental Health Counseling.

Notice of Formation of Limited Liability Company (LLC) Name: AS POPS LLC Art. of Org. fi led by the Department of State of New York on: 02/02/2024 Off. Loc.: County of Queens Purpose: Any and all lawful activities. Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: The LLC 217-44 98th Avenue Queens Village, NY 11429

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, 21ST MORTGAGE CORPORATION, Plaintiff, vs. NATASHA PHANG, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on July 12, 2018 and an Order Granting Motion Extending Time to Re-Calendar Foreclosure

Auction Sale duly entered on February 2, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the outside steps of the Queens County Supreme Court, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on May 3, 2024 at 11:15 a.m., premises known as 168-68 92nd Road, 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 10211 and Lot 57. Approximate amount of judgment is $544,639.59 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #707898/2020. The Referee shall comply with the Eleventh Judicial District’s COVID-19 policies concerning public auctions of foreclosed properties. These policies, along with the Queens County Foreclosure’s Auction Rules, can be found on the Queens Supreme Court - Civil Term website. Joseph F. DeFelice, Esq., Referee Taroff & Taitz, LLP, Attorneys at Law, 630 Johnson Avenue, Suite 105, Bohemia, NY 11716, Attorneys for Plaintiff

30-17 Astoria Hotel Partners

LLC fi led Arts. of Org. with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/27/2023. Offi ce: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: The LLC, 7 Times Square, 18th Fl, NY, NY 10036. Purpose: any lawful act.

NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE STATE OF NEW YORK

SUPREME COURT: COUNTY OF QUEENS HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR NOMURA HOME EQUITY LOAN, INC., ASSETBACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-HE1, Plaintiff, v. CHRISTOPHER DUNN A/K/A CHRISTOPHER R. DUNN, ET AL, Defendants. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT In pursuance of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the Office of the County Clerk of Queens County on March 10, 2023, I, Jeffrey Kim, Esq. the Referee named in said Judgment, will sell in one parcel at public auction on May 10, 2024 at the Courthouse Steps of the Queens County Supreme Court, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435, at 12:15PM the premises described as follows: 134-57 232nd Street Laurelton, NY 11413 Block 13160 Lot 6 ALL THAT TRACT OR PARCEL OF LAND situate in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York. The premises are sold subject to the provisions of the filed judgment, Index No. 712819/2018 in the amount of $603,538.04 plus interest and costs. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the Court System’s COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP Attorneys for Plaintiff 500 Bausch & Lomb Place Rochester, NY 14604 Tel.: 855-227-5072 80181

New York City Department of Transportation

Notice of Public Hearing

Publish in Queens Chronicle

Real Estate

The New York City Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing, the hearing will be held remotely commencing on Wednesday April 24, 2024 at 11:00 AM. via the WebEx platform, on the following petition for revocable consent, in the Borough of Queens.

Jughandle Realty LLC – to construct, maintain & use a sanitary force main, together with a pressure relief manhole, under, across & along of Rockaway Blvd, north of Nassau Exwy., in the Borough of Queens.

Interested parties can obtain copies of proposed agreement or request sign-language interpreters (with at least seven days prior notice) at 55 Water Street, 9 Floor, New York, NY 10041, or by calling (212) 8396550

Notice is hereby given that an On-premise liquor license, Serial #1366524 has been applied for by Sodexo Operations, LLC to sell liquor, beer, wine and cider at retail at an on-premises Restaurant. For on premises consumption under the ABC Law at JFK International Airport, Terminal 4, RM 461.010 Jamaica NY 11430.

Notice of Formation of DAEDALUS TCG LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/04/2024. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, 8330 AUSTIN STREET UNIT 150277, KEW GARDENS, NY 11415. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

WANTED. Old Howard Beach or Hamilton Beach only. 1 BR apt, bungalow, studio or room for rent. Female, non-smoker, quiet, responsible, clean. 718-641-1472, no texts.

Howard Beach/Lindenwood, 2BR, 1 bath Garden apt. updated kitchen & bath. Asking $289K, Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136

Howard Beach/Lindenwood, Sat 4/13, 2pm-3:30pm, 81-16 155 Ave, 3 BR, 1 bath Garden apt. L-shaped kitchen w/maple cabinets & granite counters. Asking $319K, Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136

Sewer business for sale w/equipment & contact lists. Call Anthony 1st after 10pm, 347-701-9218 or call Willie 2nd bet 9am-5pm, 718-232-8682

NOTICE OF SALE

Howard Beach, Sun 4/14, 1pm-3pm, 160-22 84 St. Lg Brookfield style hi-ranch, 5 BRs, 3 baths, Open layout, master BR w/en-suite. 40.25x100 lot. Asking $1,150,00. Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136

In pursuance and by virtue of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly granted and entered in and action entitled NYCTL 1998-2 Trust v. Sereth T. Hosty, et al., bearing Index No. 9186-2011 before the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Queens, IAS Part 6, Justice Tracy Catapano-Fox, on or about February 26, 2024, I, the Referee, duly appointed in this action for such purpose, will expose for sale and sell at public auction to the highest bidder on May 3, 2024, at 11:45 a.m., at the Queens County Supreme Court located at 88-11 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica, New York 11435, the mortgaged premises designated as Block 11190, Lot 37 in the City of New York, County and Borough of Queens, State of New York and known as 223-23 109th Avenue, Queens Village, New York 11429, directed in and by said judgment to be sold. The approximate amount of the judgment is $299,772.53 plus interest and other charges, and the property is being sold subject to the terms and conditions stated in the judgment, any prior encumbrances and the terms of sale which shall

Notice of Formation of FIRST STEPZ DAYCARE LLC

Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 02/15/2024. Offi ce 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: REPUBLIC

REGISTERED AGENT SERVICES INC, 54 STATE STREET, STE 804, ALBANY, NY 12207.

GOLDSTAR GENERAL CONTRACTING

LLC, Arts. of Org. fi led with the SSNY on 04/01/2024. Offi ce 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, 86-30 108th Street, Richmond Hill, NY 11418. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Notice of Formation of Homegirl Therapy Mental Health Counseling

P.L.L.C. Arts. of Org. fi led with Secy. of State (SSNY) on 3/6/24. Offi ce location: Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent of PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail/email process to: 147-25 94th Ave, 2314, Jamaica, NY 11435, homegirltherapypllc@gmail.com.

Purpose: practice the profession of mental health counseling.

Kess Realty LLC, Arts of Org. fi led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 3/25/2024. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to Azad Sakur, 107-11 Liverpool Street, Jamaica, NY 11435. General Purpose

Notice of Formation of L&C ACUHEALTH LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 12/19/2023. Offi ce 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: L&C ACUHEALTH LLC, 146-02 20TH AVE, WHITESTONE, NY 11357. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Magnolia Psychotherapy LCSW, PLLC, Arts of Org. fi led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 5/12/2023. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to Andrea Cilento, 1959 76th St, Apt. 1, East Elmhurst, NY 11370. Purpose: Licensed Clinical Social Work.

Notice of Formation of MYRNA L. ARCHER & ASSOCIATES, LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/15/2024. Offi ce 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: MYRNA L. ARCHER, P.O. BOX 220025, ROSEDALE, NY 11422. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of NNY ACCOUNTING SOLUTIONS, LLC

Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/11/2024. Offi ce 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: NICOLE NELSON YOUNG, 21141 115TH AVENUE, CAMBRIA HEIGHTS, NY 11411. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of OFFSHORESEAFOODMARKETLLC

Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 02/09/2024.

Offi ce 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: JEANE R FINDLEY-BARNES, 157-12 134TH AVE, 2ND FLOOR, JAMAICA, NY 11434. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of PANOPTES GROUP LLC

Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 02/29/2024. Offi ce 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: MICHAEL BALLESTY, 48-14 170TH PLACE, FLUSHING, NY 11365. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of Paul 4727 Realty LLC Articles of Org. fi led NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 2/16/2024. Offi ce in Queens Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 47 Morris Drive, Syosset, NY 11791.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of REIDO PLUMBING & PAINTING, LLC

Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 10/20/2023. Offi ce 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: REIDO PLUMBING & PAINTNG, LLC, 171-54 46TH AVE FLUSHING, QUEENS, NY 11358. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

RENARI AM LLC, Art. Of Org. fi led with SSNY 12/26/2017. Offi ce Location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent for process. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to: c/o Robinson Brog Leinwand Greene Genovese & Gluck, P.C., Attn: Charles McKeen, Esq., 875 3rd Ave., 9th Fl., NY, NY 10022.

Purpose: Any lawful act or activity.

Miscellaneous

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Jamaica Hospital wants to transform old building into bigger wing for care Ribbon cut on JHMC’s new cancer center

by Naeisha Rose Associate Editor

President and CEO Bruce Flanz of the MediSys Health Network, which includes Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in Richmond Hill, was excited about The Great Northern Eclipse on Monday afternoon, but ahead of the celestial phenomenon he was more thrilled about the ribbon cutting for the hospital’s new cancer center.

The event was 18 months in the making and is the culmination of a partnership with Memorial Sloan Kettering, one of the leading cancer treatment facilities in the world, said Flanz.

“It’s worth the wait,” Flanz said. “We are going to start seeing patients in the facility within two weeks.”

With the new center, Queens residents will be able to get high quality cancer treatment without having to leave the borough, he said.

“We brought a wealth of knowledge and expertise and we are blessed to have them,” Flanz said about the staff of MSK. “In addition, together with MSK, we have provided our patients with several benefits, including access to multiple screening programs and clinical trials.”

community,” Meeks said about Flanz. “We have to fight until we cure this disease that we call cancer. We have to make sure that we are investing on the federal government side and doing the research that is necessary, because we must.”

Meeks said the cancer center at the hospital, located at 8900 Van Wyck Expy., will help bridge the gap for patients’ access to quality care as the city’s health infrastructure falls short on meeting the demand for cancer services.

“It is terrible when one hears they have been diagnosed with this horrible thing called cancer,” he said. “They want to be around family and their family wants to be around them, that is why this is so important to provide services right here. We know that family support helps an individual and gives them the strength to continue to fight as we continue to fight to find the cure and give them the treatment.”

“This is an exciting pursuit for us and this alliance.”

U.S. Rep. Greg Meeks (D-Jamaica) said that JHMC serves 1.2 million people a year and Queens has about 11,500 cancer patients, approximately 3,200 of whom have a fatal diagnosis, according to data from the New York State Cancer Registry.

Borough President Donovan Richards, on the eve of his 41st birthday at the hospital where he was born, understood the importance of that fight all too well. Shortly after he began working in government, in November 2003, his grandmother passed away from cancer.

— MSK President Shelly Anderson

Richards said he traveled via public transportation from Hollis to MSK in Manhattan during her treatments.

Providers will visit patients at one of Jamaica Hospital’s 24 multipurpose rooms within its cancer center. JHMC hopes to transform its D-Building into a larger cancer wing in five years once it procures $170 million in funding.

ZIP code, socioeconomic status or background should not be a deterrent on where and how a person gets quality care.

“Vision is seeing what is invisible to others, Bruce,” Richards said to Flanz. “You have had a vision for this hospital for a very long time.”

Dr. Sabiha Raoof, MediSys’ chief medical officer and chair of radiology, is a breast cancer survivor and also knows too well how important the facility is too Queens patients.

“Even as a physician it was challenging to navigate my care,” she said. “I cannot imagine how a nonmedical person can navigate the difficult challenges of cancer care.”

Flanz said that President Shelly Anderson of MSK has been a true partner in advancing health equity at that institution and now MediSys.

“This is an exciting pursuit for us and this alliance,” said Anderson as she pointed to a sign for the center.

“I’m really proud of that sign ... What that sign means is that we have built a foundation and a partnership that we will have decades to come.”

Speaking of foundation, Flanz told the Chronicle that the cancer center is just the start in the treatment of the disease.

gical options,” Flanz said. “The cost of that total renovation of that project would be $170 million.”

“I represent Southeastern Queens, and he makes sure this hospital is an essential part of our

“Gone are the days when someone from Queens will have to go all the way to Manhattan for care,” Richards said. “I want to thank MSK, because you guys did a phenomenal job with working with her.”

The borough president said one’s

Trees here! Get your free trees here!

Over one month beginning April 13, the New York Restoration Project will distribute 3,500 trees to people across the five boroughs during select events for which one must register ahead of time.

The NYRP started its free tree giveaways in 2008 as part of the MillionTreesNYC initiative. That ended but the tree giveaway program has continued, and this season the NYRP will surpass the milestone of 75,000 trees given away.

The Queens giveaways are set for 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, April 13, at Trav-

Health conditions such as obesity and diabetes also make Southeast Queens residents more susceptible to cancer, she said.

“Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States,” Raoof said. “Cancer rates have been rising post-Covid, especially in disadvantaged populations like ours.”

ers Park, at 76-09 34 Ave. in Jackson Heights; 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 21, at Discovery Community Garden, at 108-56 Union Hall St. in Jamaica; 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at RISE, the Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity, at 58-03 Rockaway Beach Blvd. in Far Rockaway; and 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at the Queens Botanical Garden, at 42-80 Crommelin St. in Flushing.

Registration and more information, such as the types of trees available, are online at nyrp.org/freetree. Q

— Peter C. Mastrosimone

His ultimate goal is to build an entire cancer wing by transforming the hospital’s D-Building, located at 90-28 Van Wyck Expy., which currently houses its nursing office, financial office and auditoriums.

“We are very fortunate that we have a 90,000-square-foot building that we can renovate to provide these comprehensive cancer services, which would include infusion therapy, radiation therapy and sur-

Flanz is in the process of working with elected officials of every level of government and other community leaders to get the funds and hopes to transition the space into a more comprehensive cancer center within five years to accommodate the needs of the more than 1 million people in its service area. The current cancer facility has 24 private multipurpose private rooms and providers will meet patients in those rooms instead of having patients traveling around the hospital for care. More rooms are expected at the proposed cancer wing.

“We hope we would be able to accommodate all of their needs once that is built,” he said.

The hospital gave a special thanks to Resorts World Casino for generously contributing funds to its annual gala over the past couple years. The funds go toward cancer care. Q

NYPD precincts for prom gear

Police precincts in Patrol Borough Queens North are once again collecting donations of gowns, dresses, suits, shoes and accessories for teenage girls and boys to wear to their high school proms.

The formal wear will be given away from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, at Aviation High School at 45-30 36 St. in Long Island City. Collections will take place through April 27 at:

• 104th Precinct at 64-02 Catalpa Ave. in Rdgewood;

• 108th Precinct at 5-47 50 Ave. in Long Island City;

• 109th Precinct at 37-05 Union St. in Flushing;

• 110th Precinct at 94-41 43 Ave. in Elmhurst;

• 111th Precinct at 45-06 215 St. in Bayside;

• 112th Precinct at 68-40 Austin St. in Forest Hills;

• 14th Precinct at 34-16 Astoria Blvd. in Astoria; and

•115th Precinct at 92-15 Northern Blvd. in Jackson Heights.

More information is available by calling (718) 520-8839 or (718) 520-0840. Q

PHOTOS BY NAEISHA ROSE, LEFT, AND MICHAEL HINCK / JHMC

by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor

Only a ninth inning two-run rally, in the last game of their six-game homestand last Thursday, saved the Mets’ first week of the 2024 season from being an 0-6 disaster. SNY TV’s play-byplay voice, Flushing native Gary Cohen, was as down as Mets fans can ever recall just an inning before the Amazin’s comeback. “The Mets have not gotten a hit in the last thirteen innings. There is no one in the ballpark. This feels like rock bottom,” he plaintively said.

If the 2024 season winds up making Mets fans nostalgic for the disastrous 2023 campaign, they will look back to Opening Day when Milwaukee Brewers slugger Rhys Hoskins slid hard into Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil as a harbinger. It was an aggressive play on Hoskins’ part, but it was not dirty. Both benches ran on the field, but nothing happened.

The next day, reliever Yohan Ramirez threw a pitch 3 feet behind Hoskins’ noggin. Instead of getting angry, Hoskins laughed. He could afford to do so because he already had three hits that day, including a homer, and his team was comfortably winning. Ramirez was immediately tossed from the game. He was suspended three games by Major League Baseball, but exercised his rights under his union’s collective bargaining agreement and appealed the sentence. It was reduced by a game.

New Mets Manager Carlos Mendoza was also suspended for a game, which is automatic for a manager when his pitcher is accused of deliberately throwing at a batter. Mendoza knew that, but was surprised to learn he had to serve it the next day.

“I only found out two hours before the game I would not be allowed to manage. I was embarrassed and felt I was letting the team down,” Mendoza told the media before Monday’s game.

I asked Mendoza if he felt managers and coaches need to form an association to get the same due process from Major League Baseball that players get. He was clearly not looking to become the managerial fraternity’s George Meany or Albert Shanker, as he avoided answering my question. “There was nothing I could do,” he said. I understand his desire not to make waves in his first week as a big-league skipper.

Visiting Tigers Manager AJ Hinch, who was suspended for a year by MLB for being the manager of the Houston Astros team that stole signs during the 2017 World Series season, told me he has always had a good relationship “with the league,” and is not pressing for a managers and coaches union. He did not dismiss the merit of it, however. “It could help managers and coaches who receive multigame suspensions,” he replied. Q

See the extended version of Sports Beat every week at qchron.com