Queens Chronicle South Edition 04-24-20 by Queens Chronicle

C M SQ page 1 Y K SOUTH QUEENS EDITION Serving Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, City Line and JFK Airport

YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER VOL. XLIII

NO. 17

THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2020

QCHRON.COM

SWEE SWE ETHEARTS

Love is baked right into their gifts to vital workers COURTESY PHOTOS

PAGE 4; FULL CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE PAGES 2-18, 22 AND 27

April Anello, left, has been using her JC Sweets baking company to donate tasty treats to medical personnel, police officers, firefighters and other frontline workers facing the coronavirus, with the help of her fellow baker and Howard Beach resident AnnaMaria DiCasoli.

BUDGET BLUES

A LITTLE PRAYER FOR YOU

CULTURE CLUB

Mayor plans cuts amid virus crisis

Clergy and officials hold interfaith vigil

Library links you to first-string performers and museums

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SEE qboro, PAGE 19

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 23, 2020 Page 2

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Queens leads in virus nursing home deaths Elected officials call for more senior living care transparency by Katherine Donlevy Associate Editor

onsidering Queens is the epicenter of the COVID19 pandemic, it may be no surprise that the borough also leads the way in coronavirus-related deaths within nursing homes. According to data released by the Department of Health, nearly 24 percent of COVID-19 related deaths in New York State are of seniors living in nursing homes and adult care facilities as of April 22. Of the 3,477 senior citizens who died of coronavirus-related complications in New York State, 760 are from Queens, which accounts for nearly 22 percent of state senior-living facility deaths and 5 percent of all COVID-19 state deaths. Queens leads by a margin of nearly 6 percentage points, with the Bronx following at 558 senior deaths and Brooklyn at 435. “It is widely known that nursing homes have been ground zero of the attack by the novel coronavirus,” Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehab of Glen Oaks said in a prepared statement. The facility suffered 44 reported deaths, the second-highest number in the borough following Franklin Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Flushing, which reported 45. As infections and deaths rise in senior care facilities, families of the elderly have grown increasingly worried that they are being left in the dark on the condition of their loved ones. On April 18, Assemblymember Ron Kim (D-Flushing) announced that he and his staff “spent countless hours helping a daughter find answers about her mother who has been stuck in a facility with a COVID-19

Signs posted outside of Ozanam Hall of Queens Nursing Home, Inc. in Bayside, which has seen 9 of its patients succumb to the COVID-19 pandemic, warn that visitors are not allowed during the outbreak and that all persons entering the facility must wear PHOTO BY KATHERINE DONLEVY proper personal protection gear. outbreak” just three days after Gov. Cuomo signed an executive order requiring nursing homes to inform family members of residents of COVID-19 cases. “I appreciate the governor’s staff working with me and

sending inspectors onsite to monitor the status of our nursing homes,” Kim said. “But I’m still unclear if these inspections are designed to find solutions and fix the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 at our nursing homes or if they are for optics and damage control.” Kim said the experience enlightened him on the trauma that families are experiencing over being left in the dark on the status of their loved ones’ health and that he plans on introducing legislation with the support of Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) “providing immediate measures to protect our vulnerable older adults in nursing and long-term facilities.” Further rumors that nursing homes were not fully abiding by the mandate were found across the internet, such as on a GoFundMe page created on April 18 by a city resident trying to raise funds for his grandmother’s funeral. He claimed that “the nursing home where she was, where we thought it was the safest place to be, kept us in the dark about her situation until the very last minute.” The page organizer could not be reached for comment by press time, and which facility his grandmother resided in is unknown. In an effort to bring the issue into a national focus, Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) called on President Trump to implement an executive order similar to Cuomo’s — for family members of nursing home residents to be swiftly notified of any COVID-19 cases — which the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced on April 19 would be implemented. “Telling nursing homes that they must make families aware of COVID-19 cases is something that has been continued on page 22

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Your Dedicated Service. Our Deepest Gratitude. We’re grateful to the countless essential workers going above and beyond to support the health, safety and strength of our communities during this unprecedented time. As a bank that’s served this community for nearly 100 years, we can’t begin to thank you enough. Every day, you rise to the challenge. And every day, we’re inspired by all you do.

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Homemade treats give heartfelt thanks Howard Beach bakers cook up lots of love for those on the front lines by Max Parrott

those on the front lines. Anello has been taking ingredient donations Everyone has a part to play in the battle from the neighborhood and working with fellow baker AnnaMaria DiCasoli to scale up the against the COVID-19 pandemic. For some that means working on the front number of orders that she’s fielding. To keep lines as a nurse or EMT. For others that means turnaround fast, she has kept it simple: She social distancing, staying indoors. For Howard makes brownies, cakes and little chocolate Beach resident April Anello that means baking. molds that say thank you. DiCasoli, whose son is a doctor at Brookdale Once Anello, who runs a side business called JC Sweets out of her home, made a Hospital, said she’s lost a relative and several post on the Howard Beach Moms Facebook friends to the virus already. She wanted to conpage last week asking where she could donate tribute something, even if momentary, to help those at risk. some baked goods, “It’s the littlest the requests started thing you could do to pouring in and hat little bit of sweetness put a smile on somehaven’t stopped. body’s face because “That’s when it just could make their day.” sometimes they didn’t — it went crazy. It — AnnaMaria DiCasoli have time to eat. That blew up,” said Anello. little bit of sweetness In the span of a week, Anello has donated to more than 50 dif- could make their day,” said DiCasoli. Anello said she’s planning to continue to ferent first-responder organizations across the city, from Long Island Jewish Forest Hills hos- bake as long as she can. She’s been getting in pital to Mercy Medical Center on Long Island touch with first responders strictly through and FDNY Division 15 in Brownsville, Brook- Facebook — and so far has donated to firefighters, EMTs, sanitation workers and the lyn, among many others. When the pandemic first took hold of the police, in addition to hospital workers. Hospitals across the area have been acceptcity, Anello pared down her business in the same way that many were having to do. It ing a large amount of donations from restauwasn’t for a couple weeks until she realized the rants, but Anello’s home-based operation is great impact that food donations can make to something of an outlier. Bridget Karow, a nurse Chronicle Contributor

“T

April Anello, top, has been sending her baked goods out to frontline workers ranging from medical personnel to police officers and other city workers, with the help of fellow baker AnnaMaria DiCasoli. Among those enjoying the treats are Sanitation Department employees Andrew Smith, left, COURTESY PHOTOS Patrick Caruso, Jason Kearns, Paul DiGiglio, Peter Gasparino and Rick Valentin. at Winthrop Hospital on Long Island, said she wasn’t sure at first whether homemade goods would be allowed into the hospital, but soon figured out that individual nurses could bring them into their units without any problem. Once Anello gets an order, she schedules a time to drop it off or have someone pick it up

from her stoop. She has been relying on individuals to personally bring them to their jobs. “Although it’s a terrible time, wonderful things are going to happen. You gotta keep your eyes out for these wonderful things,” said Karow. “You have to remember the baked Q goods at the door.”

Teachers run a free face-shield factory by Max Parrott

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A hot new face-shield manufacturer is winning over nurses from Long Island to Manhattan with its longer, crystalline visor and superior ventilation. Who’s behind it? A seventh-grade math teacher operating out of a dance studio in Howard Beach. Chris Wierzbicki has assembled a team of Howard Beach residents who are using 3-D printers and laminator sheets to create face masks for nurses with a do-it-yourself model that works better than the industrial version, according to their recipients. “Those were lifesavers,” said Bridget Karow, a nurse at Winthrop Hospital on Long Island, which was one of the first to receive a shipment of the face shields. Wierzbicki, a modest junior high school teacher who began the operation in his basement, said that people with 3-D printers are running similar operations across the city. But what really sets his apart is the way he’s been able to scale up to meet the dire need for face masks for healthcare workers in the city. What started out as a one-machine production in his basement has expanded to turn a nearby dance studio into a small factory. The whole organization is now pumping out 200 masks per day, through a process that takes nearly three hours to manufacture each one. “Every two days I’d buy another two printers, put them together. I got the boys next door to me to be my assembly line. They can build printers. Every time I get a new one, I just drop it off on their front porch, and text their

Chris Wierzbicki with Kristina and Danielle Miceli of Power House Dance Academy, where they are now cranking out face COURTESY PHOTOS shields for medical personnel and more. mom,” Wierzbicki said. He partnered with Kristina Miceli, who opened up space in her studio, Howard Beach’s Power House Dance Academy, for the equipment. Now Kristina and sister Danielle are working with Wierzbicki to run the machines around the clock. Wierzbicki comes in every day at around 4 a.m. to start up the printers. Wierzbicki’s son, Christopher Buonincontri, originally raised the idea to fashion face shields as a way to use the

printer he had given his dad for Christmas. When Wierzbicki, an alumnus of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s alma mater Regis High School, streamlined his production process, he started crowdsourcing donations to acquire more printers and materials. He and the Micelis now have 12 printers running at the dance studio, in addition to the two that Wierzbicki has in his basement, and four others that he has access to at other teachers’ homes in the area. As their production has grown, the problem has been getting enough 3-D printing material to keep up with the demand. The printers use a material called PLA filament, a product of sugarcane that the machine melts into the shape of the headband. “If you’ve ever been to the beach and did drip sand castles, that’s exactly how these face-shield frames are all constructed,” Wierzbicki said. Wierzbicki said he’s continuously putting in online orders for more filament. For the visor part, the team has been using laminator sheets, which form a clear surface when stacked together and heated up. When the version of the sheet that Wierzbicki originally used got too expensive and scarce, he tracked down a wholesaler of clear binder covers with a stock continued on page 22

C M SQ page 5 Y K Mon. thru Sat. 10:00 AM-6:00 PM Sun. 10:00 AM-4:00 PM

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WE ARE ENFORCING SOCIAL DISTANCING IN THE STORE

Page 5 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 23, 2020

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For the people that would like to come into the store, we are open. We kindly ask that you practice social distancing. The CDC recommends standing at a distance of six (6) feet apart. We have put tape lines on the floor around the entire store to designate the six (6) foot distance between patrons.

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 23, 2020 Page 6

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Collecting Census info amid the pandemic Bureau extends timeline to self-respond to population questionnaire by Katherine Donlevy Associate Editor

“It really is [a lesson] ... If you want to ask your health professional how to help during this crisis, the best way is to fill out your Census,” Jeff Behler, the New York Regional Census Center director, told the Chronicle April 20. “Make sure your hospital has enough hospital beds in case this happens again, think about how many vaccines it may need, how many supplies ... all that is based upon Census data. For people who feel powerless during quarantine a great way to gain that power back is to fill out the Census.” The Census rolls around once a decade and counts the number of living individuals in the United States as of April 1 in order to designate congressional distribution of federal funding throughout the country. Behler says that the lack of hospital beds and medical supplies in New York City during the pandemic can be partially attributed to inadequate counting during the 2010 collection. “If you think about the amount of funding going into the community: numbers of hospital beds, assuring there is police, education, school

breakfast and lunch programs, Title I grants, technology, transit, roads ... all of those things that go into that neighborhood is based on formulas that use Census data,” he said. “We only get one opportunity every 10 years to get this data. If we get undercounted it will have adverse effects for the next 10 years.” For the 2020 count, the Census Bureau began collecting self-response data mid-March through online, phone and paper questionnaires, a process set to wrap up at the end of July. The bureau extended the period until Aug. 14 to allow time for those who aren’t able to prioritize a response to the questionnaire. At that time, Census workers will begin knocking on doors in order to access information from those who have yet to self-respond. “Everyone is worrying about their next meal or paying their rent or utilities. Those are all things New York City is experiencing more so than anywhere else around this country,” Behler said. A map recently released from the bureau shows that only 39.2 percent of Queens households, or registered addresses, have self-responded to the

10-question data assessment, making for the 16th lowest county response rate in the state with the lowest response rating. New York as a whole lags in response ratings, falling nearly 6 percent below the national average at 45.2 percent. Despite the extension of the timeline, the questions should still be answered based on April 1. “We’re taking a picture of the entire nation at that time,” Behler said, emphasizing that whether an individual has since moved, welcomed a new family member or said goodbye to another, one should answer based on April 1 data. Additionally, he stressed the importance of responding based on one’s place of residence rather than where someone may have fled amid the pandemic: “Whether they’re in upstate New York or Long Island, regardless of where they’re at right now it should be filled out according to where they normally are.” For undocumented immigrants who worry that filling out the Census may be lead to deportation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids or other repercussions, Behler assures continued on page 22

A daily updated map released by the Census Bureau shows that only 39.2 percent of Queens households have responded to the 2020 ques2020 CENSUS SCREESHOT tionnaire as of April 22 .

Success co-location stirs opposition Panel for Educational policy to vote on Rockaway, Hollis sites by Max Parrott

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Chronicle Contributor

At Rockaway’s Community Education Council 27 virtual meeting on Monday, April 20, the body got its chance to weigh in on a long-term fight that Success Academy Charter Schools has been waging to establish a middle school in southeastern Queens. After the charter school rejected the Department of Education’s first proposal at Our Lady’s Catholic Academy in Ozone Park in November, the city then offered two co-location sites for the school’s 227 middle school students: one at MS 53 Brian Piccolo in Far Rockaway and one at IS 238 Susan B. Anthony Academy in Hollis. The DOE’s proposal includes a temporary, two-year co-location for grades 5-6 of Success Academy Far Rockaway. On Monday, CEC 27 unanimously passed a resolution opposing the co-location at the Far Rockaway middle school for the 2020-21 school year, citing concerns about overcrowding. “The appearance of excess space within the building on paper does not accurately reflect the needs of the existing public schools in the building,” read the council’s statement As part of the resolution, the council asked the DOE to continue to search for alternatives for the charter school for the upcoming year. The council suggested that the DOE consider the Church of God Christian Academy, which

offered space to accommodate the charter school at a recent community meeting. MS 53, where Success Academy already is located, has had scheduling issues in shared spaces like the auditorium, gymnasium, library and cafeteria, according to the council’s statement. The council is concerned that expanding the grades served by Success Academy in this location will exacerbate the problem. “A lot of what the CEC is saying is echoing what we’ve been saying,” said Lucia Moffa, chapter leader at MS 53. “What is on paper is not the reality that we live.” The resolution also states a disagreement with the DOE’s Educational Impact Statement that their proposal will not have an impact on either school. In response to the decision, Success Academy pointed out that MS 53 currently has twice as much space per student as Success Academy Far Rockaway. “If this co-location isn’t approved, about 80 current 4th graders will not have a middle school to go to next year. With less than four months before the start of the next school year, CEC 27’s vote to oppose this co-location is a vote to turn children out of the building, to make them educationally homeless, rather than share space in the building for two years. This is unconscionable,” read the statement. Harold Paez, a member of Community Board 14 who spoke during the public comment

period, bemoaned the fact that the residents of Rockaway find themselves in a position where they are fighting the arrival of a reputable school. Paez said the Rockaways have a disproportionate share of struggling schools. He was especially concerned about the lack of middle schools that have a track record of feeding students into specialized high schools. In 2018, Success Academy was one of 15 charter schools from around the country that was awarded a grant by the U.S. Deprtment of Education based on the quality of its instruction. While Paez acknowledged its reputation, he was ultimately against its co-location. “My own feeling is that the DOE needs to work better with the community to find a space. Without having that space, we’re forced to have a difficult discussion here, which is pitting one school against another,” he said. “We are not here to push out anybody,” said Jamaal Salah, Far Rockaway Parent Council President at the Success Academy, “What we are here to do is to advance our children’s education.” On Thursday, April 23, CEC 29 will host a similar vote on the other proposed co-location in Hollis. Then the DOE will take these advisory votes into consideration as they vote on the new proposed locations at the next Panel for Q Educational Policy meeting on May 20.

No hospital at Aqueduct A temporary 1,000-bed hospital that Gov. Cuomo and the W hite House agreed would be built on the grounds of Aqueduct Race Track in preparation for an overflow of CODVID-19 patients will not be built, according to a tweet from reporter Zack Fink of NY1. Fink reported that the Aqueduct site and others in the other outer boroughs will not be built as their capacity no longer appears to be needed to deal with the coronavirus outbreak. Cuomo’s office and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers did not respond to numerous requests from the Chronicle for comment on the status of the Aqueduct hospital site over the last week. The Nav y hospital ship USNS Comfort, which came to deal with possible non-COVID overflow in the event city hospitals became overrun, also is returning to its home port in Virginia. The plan for Aqueduct, the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, CUNY Staten Island and the New York Expo Center in the Bronx were announced on March 28 as the state prepped a worstQ case scenario. — Michael Gannon

C M SQ page 7 Y K Page 7 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 23, 2020

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P Tragedy in nursing homes demands immediate action EDITORIAL

AGE

t’s now becoming clear that the biggest tragedy of all in the coronavirus crisis is the carnage happening in our nation’s nursing homes, nowhere more so than right here in Queens. According to the state Department of Health, nearly 24 percent of COVID-19 deaths statewide as of Wednesday have been among people in nursing homes and adult care facilities. Of those 3,477 people who died, 760, or just about 22 percent, passed away in Queens. Dozens have died at a number of nursing homes here. The New Franklin Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Flushing has reported 45 deaths, while the Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation in Glen Oaks said it has lost 44 people. The Sapphire Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Flushing has reported 26 deaths. Some of the numbers may prove to be even higher in the end. This is a tragedy, and one that could have been foreseen if not better prepared for. Nursing homes are notorious for being understaffed. The problem is that they rely on Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements from the federal government to function, and those payments have not kept up with increased costs over the years. That has to change so that the elderly can be well cared for while the nursing homes are

still able to make a profit and therefore stay open. More immediately, in this crisis, if more doctors, other medical staff and supplies had been rushed into them earlier, maybe some of those deaths could have been averted. By March 11 it was known that 19 coronavirus deaths had been linked to the Life Care Center nursing home outside Seattle. On that date, hard as it is to believe, those 19 made up 61 percent of the total known COVID-19 fatalities in the United States, which then sat at 31. Today it’s more than 47,000. Nearly 15,000, or about a third, are in New York State — nearly a quarter of those in our nursing homes. Now the city is increasing its provision of personal protective equipment to both public and private nursing homes by 50 percent, a spokesman for Mayor de Blasio told the New York Post in an article published Wednesday. The spokesman said City Hall had sent 40,000 N95 face masks, 800,000 surgical masks, 1.5 million disposable gloves and 105,000 gowns and coveralls to the homes last week. And it has sent 210 clinical staffers, with plans to double that. The state would not say what it has provided nursing homes, and Gov. Cuomo, surprisingly, said it is not the state’s job to provide them with PPE. While that may be the

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The wise ‘Men in Black’ Dear Editor: Michael Gannon notes that “Men in Black” is an essential Queens movie because it explains how “that neighbor or subway passenger you swear has to be from another planet” may in fact be an extraterrestrial (“Queens flicks 2: The Second One,” qboro, April 16). It’s also worthy of note that this borough’s residents — contrary to the fears of Tommy Lee Jones’ character, Agent K, that “the only way these people get on with their happy lives is that they do not know about” the endless impending dangers such as “an intergalactic plague that’s about to wipe out life on this miserable little planet” — have more of the attitude of K and his fellow agents that such perennial crises are best faced without losing our cool, combining talent across cultural divides right here on Earth. Joel Schlosberg Bayside

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case technically, the catastrophe within them calls for the governor to use all the powers at his disposal to make life safer there. He’s hardly hesitated to use his authority before in this crisis, to his credit. He should now turn his attention more forcefully to nursing homes to save more lives. Inspectors must make sure the facilities are adequately staffed, and if they’re not, the state must get more professionals into them somehow. And it must insist that people be notified of their loved one’s status right away. We’ve heard too many stories of someone learning a family member was terribly ill only when it was too late. That’s unacceptable. On the federal level, at least 79 members of the House want the government to track and publish the number of cases and deaths in nursing homes to aid in the response, and Queens Rep. Grace Meng has written the president to ask him to increase funding for them and do more testing. It’s no surprise that nursing homes have suffered so much in the pandemic. The people there are elderly or somehow compromised by definition and are tightly packed together. Although it’s too late to provide help to thousands, we can and should act now before things get any worse. A good society respects its elders and protects them as best it can.

E DITOR

Our subway riders (including essential employees) face increased odds of dying because they are forced to compromise safe distancing in the subways since the homeless took over. CBS TV aired a clip of the 2 train on April 12 showing how the homeless had taken over several cars. The subway is the lifeline of NYC’s economy. No subway=no economy. A Catch-22 situation now exists. As long as the city remains closed, the homeless will continue to live in the subway. But the city can’t reopen safely until the subways are safe and virus-free. How do we accomplish that? The only way is to remove all homeless people from the subway — forcibly if necessary. You have 8.5 million New Yorkers whose lives and jobs are literally in a life or death situation due to the virus. It’s even more than that when you count all the commuters who

come from outside NYC. De Blasio has tried to voluntarily move the homeless into hotels. They are not taking him up on his offer. Cuomo hasn’t mentioned them at all. Giuliani and Bloomberg would have removed them by now. This lazy mayor couldn’t care less and is incompetent. I sympathize with the plight of the homeless, but the bottom line question is, “Does the safety and economic life or death or well -being of 9 million people take precedence over the rights of an estimated 70,000 homeless people (bowery.org)?” That’s a no brainer for me. What do you say? Every day literally kills people and makes it that much harder for the city to recover. Now is the time to save the subways and literally save our lives. Martin Bender Flushing

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Earth Day priorities Dear Editor: I am currently quarantined at home due to a positive test for coronavirus. So I have had some time to ref lect on a milestone this week: the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. The Trump administration, of course, has devoted itself to gutting environmental regulations and disbelieving in climate change. Consequently, climate leadership has moved to the states. Here in New York, we are lucky. Gov. Cuomo gets the necessity of replacing fossil fuels with wind and solar power; he understands that clean energy is a huge generator of job growth, and he sets policy and regulations accordingly. We have Democrats in control of both houses of the state Legislature, so we now have a law mandating the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, and a law that speeds up the siting of largescale wind and solar farms to make that happen. Legislation that will help to more quickly electrify the transportation sector should be the next priority. We may be living with the inconveniences, economic disruption and deaths from the coronavirus for a long time. But as I sit at home, I think about the much longer-term disruptions of the climate crisis. We need to dedicate ourselves to fulfilling the mission of Earth Day: protecting our collective home. Sara Rebecca Storch Fresh Meadows

Mr. Clean’s Fantastik plan Dear Editor: When this COVID-19 calamity is over and businesses, restaurants and bars reopen, they should all be thoroughly scrubbed and fumigated. To do less would be inviting any kind of infection back. Ray Hackinson Ozone Park

Hands-free hello

More anger, no expertise Dear Editor: The protests over the continuing lockdowns to combat the COVID19 pandemic are just the beginning. There will continue to be mounting anger, impatience and frustration with these extreme, yet necessary, measures that have been taken. People’s lives have been turned upside down, inside out and topsy-tur-

vy economically, mentally, physically and socially by this terrible pandemic. While the mandates continue to be essential, there is going to be a certain point where people are just going to have become totally fed up with these restrictions on their personal freedom, and more and more protests will occur. Testing for antibodies in people’s blood, as well as other critical testing, really needs to be substantially increased, so that the states can begin to lift the lockdowns, allowing people to return to work, and get some semblance of normalcy back for everyone. Why our medical experts in this country did not sound the medical alarm much, much sooner than they did is still a great mystery to this writer, as wells to millions of other Americans. They should have been on top of this developing situation right from the very beginning, and they were not. While this pandemic could not have been totally prevented from striking the country, had the medical experts warned about it much sooner than later, our country could have been much better prepared, and the death toll and hospitalization rates would have been much lower than they are. Also, the original projections for the much higher death toll, infection and hospitalization rates by the CDC, White House advisor Peter Navarro and the White House Coronavirus Task Force fortunately were all incorrect. I have the greatest respect for those in the medical profession, but not for incompetent, negligent fools. Those people should all be shown the door for their incompetence and negligence. May God Bless America, now and always. John Amato Fresh Meadows

It’s all Trump’s fault Dear Editor: It was wonderful to see the White House post a message on the official Twitter account saying, “Thank you to all the hotels around the country for providing healthcare workers and first responders a place to stay while they’re on the front lines of the pandemic.” Of course, no Trump hotels deserve any praise because not one of them has offered refuge to our American heroes. Not one! Nov. 3 is right around the corner. And Americans must never forget that Trump is solely responsible for the disgracef ul response to this pandemic — whether it’s dismantling the pandemic response chain of command put in place by Obama, playing golf numerous times while Centers for Disease Control and Prevention experts repeatedly warned him of the oncoming devastation, saying “We have five sick people and that number will soon be down to zero,” or denying medical supplies to states whose governors don’t bow down to him. Trump is the main reason our nation is suffering this devastation! His incompetence continues to kill Americans! But I’m sure his supporters will be happy to receive the stimulus checks signed by Trump using a gold Sharpie. Will he also be signing the thousands of death certificates? Robert LaRosa Whitestone

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Dear Editor: America needs to create a safer way to address in a friendly and respectful way each other. The pandemic COVID-19 virus alerted us to this reality. In 1999, Donald J. Trump revealed his view on this concern: Shaking hands is a very bad custom! We should join the rest of the world and replace our germspreading gesture with a unique (made in the USA) custom call — bump the elbows! Let’s give it a try. Future generations will look back and thank 2020 Americans for adopting this safe public-health greeting. Anthony G. Pilla Forest Hills

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Mayor calling for COVID budget cuts Projected loss of tax revenue, state aid leads to $3.4B reduction plan by Peter C. Mastrosimone and Michael Gannon

— $100M in FY20 • Professional development reduction (DOE) — $67M in FY21 and outyears

Editor-in-Chief and Editor

Mayor de Blasio last Thursday released an executive budget proposal for fiscal year 2021 that he said would cut New York City spending by $3.4 billion, or 3.7 percent, compared to FY 2020. The budget plan totals $89.3 billion. With the city facing a reduction in expected tax revenues of $7.4 billion between fiscal 2020 and ’21 due to the coronavirus crisis, “the administration achieved an unprecedented level of savings and took down reserves” to make the budget balance, according to the Mayor’s Office. The plan foresees a loss in tax revenue of $2.2 billion, or 3.5 percent, in FY 2020, which ends at the end of May, and $5.2 billion, or 8.3 percent, in fiscal 2021, compared to expectations in a preliminary January budget plan. “Losses in both years are primarily related to a decline in the Sales and Hotel Tax, Personal Income Tax, and Business Taxes, all due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the administration said in announcing de Blasio’s plan. The city says the budget plan “prioritizes protecting health, safety, shelter and access to food for all New Yorkers.” “Our top priorities are simple: we will keep people safe, protect their health, make sure there is a roof over their head and that food is on their table,” de Blasio said in a prepared statement. “There is no cost too great to keeping New Yorkers protected, but Washington must also step up. New Yorkers deserve nothing less than the full support of our federal government in this time of crisis.” The estimated $5 billion deficit for FY 2022 is more than double what de Blasio was projecting back in January. The final FY 2021 budget must be negotiated with the City Council and enacted by June 1, the start of the fiscal year. The Council had a reserved response in a joint statement issued by Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Manhattan), Finance Committee Chairman Danny Dromm (D-Jackson

Health and social services • Temporary suspension of the Summer Youth Employment Program (DYCD) — $124M over FY20- 21 • Fair Fares decline in ridership as a result of COVID-19 (DSS) — $65.5M in FY20 • Su spend su m mer prog r a m m i ng, including COMPASS, Beacons and Cornerstones due to school closures (DYCD) — $55M in FY21

The city is facing the toughest economy of Mayor de Blasio’s administration due to COVID-19 revenue losses. PHOTO BY ED REED / NYC heights) and Capital Budget Subcommittee Chairwoman Vanessa Gibson (D-Bronx). “These are unprecedented times, and we begin budget negotiations facing challenges we have never faced before,” they said. “We know that in these difficult times we will be forced to make tough decisions. Our guiding principle will be to ensure that the most vulnerable New Yorkers are protected and that we keep providing critical social services.” The budget announcement included lists of dozens of cuts being proposed to save money. Just some of those are: Education • Fair student funding reduction prioritizing schools that already have over 100 percent (DOE) — $100M in FY21 • Operational savings in training, overtime and materials at schools, central and field due to school building closures (DOE)

Young man killed in crash One young man from Ozone Park killed another in an early-morning crash over the weekend, police report. Christopher Garcia, 20, was headed southbound on 109th Street in a 2020 Nissan Altima when he hit an eastbound 2003 Maxima being driven along 107th Avenue by Satesh Permaul, 21, at about 2:50 a.m. Saturday, according to police. Permaul, of 103-16 Liberty Ave., was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Garcia, who lives on 109th Street half a block from the crash scene, was charged with aggravated

unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. The intersection has a stop sign for southbound 109th Street, which is one way. There are no traffic controls for 107th Avenue, which runs both east and west. Police said the crash remains under investigation, but video obtained by the Daily News shows Garcia’s car going through the sign without slowing down and slamming broadside into Permaul. The victim was a hardworking mechanic who immigrated here from Guyana when he Q was a boy, the Daily News reported. — Peter C. Mastrosimone

Law Enforcement and training • Hiring delays of nonsafety civilian titles (NYPD) — $6.8M in FY20 and $4M in FY21 • Delay implementation of nonessential training (FDNY) — $3.25M in FY20 and $3.25M in FY21 • Attrition of 100 traffic enforcement agent positions (nonmoving violations only) dedicated to intersection control (NYPD) — $4M in FY20 Infrastructure and transportation • One-time Water Authority cash infusion to stabilize City budget in light of COVID-19 crisis (DEP) — $128M in FY20 • Delay implementation of parking meter upgrades for pay by plate (DOT) — $3.7M in FY20 and $3.2M in FY21 • Postpone Placard Abuse Enforcement Team (DOT) — $400K in FY20 and $800K in FY21 and outyears. Sanitation • Snow Savings (DSNY) — $52M in FY20 • Temporary suspension of Organics Program and Organics Processing (DSNY) — $21M in FY21 • Temporary suspension of the community composting subsidy (DSN Y) — $3.5M in FY21. Parks • Delays in seasonal spending — $5M in

FY20 and $6M in FY21 • Closing all outdoor pools for the 2020 season (late June to Labor Day) given COVID-19 — $12M in FY21 Others/administrative agencies • Federal and state reimbursements — $180M in FY20 • Hiring freeze and vacancy reductions across multiple agencies — $106M over FY20-21. C o u n c i lwo m a n Ad r ie n n e Ad a m s (D-Jamaica) said the Council must have the right priorities in mind. “It is imperative that we slow spending while we prepare for the inevitable financial impacts of this historic pandemic but we need a holistic approach to the process,” Adams said in an email. “I find it shameful that we face proposed cuts to youth programs but an expansion to policing. The proposed budget would cause an unintended ripple effect in our city and create a perfect storm to further criminalize young people of color. An investment in our children is critical to the future of our city.” Councilman Eric Urich (R-Ozone Park), seldom a critic of reduced government spending, said cuts must be responsible. “New York City is facing an unprecedented fiscal challenge. Spending cuts are inevitable, but the City must find a way to open beaches — even if it’s just on a parttime basis. A full beach closure would be devastating to our local economy and difficult to enforce,” he said. “Our new reality changes the landscape of the City’s FY21 Executive Budget,” said Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside). “All sectors of government are currently mobilized to help New Yorkers through difficult economic times and to help fight the ongoing pandemic.” Andrew Rein, president of the Citizens Budget Commission, commended de Blasio for balancing the budget without tax increases or borrowing, but said the proposal “has used a short-term strategy that leaves a significant gap in fiscal year 2022, which could be worse if the economy does Q not rebound as the City projects.”

Better service for unemployed Faced with a crushing overload of suddenly jobless applicants who in many cases were not able to even complete the claims process, the state has revamped its system for getting unemployment insurance. Those seeking benefits will no longer have to get someone on the phone to finish their applications. And those applying for pandemic unemployment assistance will no longer have to first seek, and be rejected for, regular benefits, thanks to a change in federal regulations, the state Department of Labor said in an April 20 announcement. The DOL also said it had increased the

number of employees processing claims nearly eightfold, from 400 prior to the coronavirus pandemic to more than 3,100 now. Those seeking to file a claim should visit labor.ny.gov or call 1 (888) 209-8124. “I have been unemployed before myself, and I understand the pain, fear and anxiety New Yorkers are facing,” DOL Commissioner Roberta Reardon said. “The DOL’s mission is to help our neighbors through some of their toughest days, and in the last week we have made great strides in updatQ ing our systems.” — Peter C. Mastrosimone

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Tenants rally to cancel rent for #NoPayMay State and federal legislation that supports renters’ strike introduced by Katherine Donlevy Associate Editor

s Mayor de Blasio announces the cancelation of future city events and Gov. Cuomo orders the extension of social distancing measures, tenants argue that a rent freeze should follow suit and threaten a rent strike if their demands aren’t met. “Tenants have been neglected. We have been left behind, but as long as we have breath in our bodies we are going to fight for the disenfranchised. For those who can’t help themselves,” said Winsome Pendergrass, a member of New York Communities for Change, at an April 16 virtual call to a rent strike. “Some of us haven’t been working for the past five, six weeks. We can’t pay rent! ... We don’t want tenants to get into a depression, we don’t want anybody to take their lives, we don’t want anybody to think they’re going to be on the street corner.” Pendergrass is one of the thousands of New Yorkers who lost her job amid the pandemic, and raised concern about paying rent for the duration of the emergency declaration, or until she can find another career. Pendergrass, along with representatives from the Riverside Edgecombe Neighborhood Association, Woodside on the Move, Housing Justice for All, Met Council on Housing and VOCAL-NY, are calling at least 1 million tenants to join the rent strike — “Can’t pay May.” The strikers aim to reach Cuomo, calling on him to #CancelRent for the duration of the pandemic, or at least for the months of April, May and June. “Cuomo and de Blasio have looked out for the millionaires in our midst, and many of them are landlords,” Lena Melendez of the RENA said at the virtual rally with a “#CancelRentsCuomo” sign behind her. “They’ve gotten tax abatements and deferments on their mortgages, right? And tenants have just gotten a stop — a pause on the evictions ... People are waiting for this to be lifted, and are hoping it will never be lifted, because when they do lift it there’s going to be massive evictions and we’re going to see that homelessness number rise.” While maintaining sympathy for tenants

vately owned, therefore not subject to a the- respective chambers Judiciary Committee. Reps. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) and oretical executive order forgiving rent for Alexand r ia Ocasio - Cor tez (D -Bron x, some months. “We’re advocating strongly for vouchers,” Queens) joined as co-sponsors of Rep. Ilhan Johnson said, stating that a program paying a Omar’s (D-Minnesota) legislation to bring portion of a tenant’s rent is the best solution to the rent freeze issue nationwide. The Rent the problem. “That has to get funded for and Mortgage Cancellation Act, similarly to something and the federal government is in the New York Senate and Assembly bills, the best position to fund it. The details do seeks to halt rent and home mortgage paymatter but at the end of the day that’s where ments for the duration of the pandemic emergency declaration. the conversation needs to be.” If adopted, the legislation would forgive CHIP Executive Director Jay Martin furrent debt for the thered the sentimonth of April and ment, adding, enants have been neglected. the months of the “Renters in finanpandemic onward cial trouble should We have been left behind, with no negative reach out to properimpact on credit ty owners and work but as long as we have rating or rental hisout payment plans. tory, create a relief Those who can pay breath in our bodies fund for landlords their rent should we are going to fight to cover losses over pay. We are all in canceled payments this together, and for the disenfranchised.” and establish an we can get through optional fund to this if we work — Winsome Pendergrass f inance the purtogether.” Despite Johnson and Martin’s perspective, chase of private rental properties in order to the #CancelRent movement has been sup- increase the availability of affordable housing ported by all seven Queens state senators, during the downturn. “Over 22 million Americans — including noted by their sponsorship of Senate Bill S8125A, which “relates to suspending rent approximately 1.2 million New Yorkers — payments for certain residential tenants and have filed for unemployment benefits and small business commercial tenants and cer- that number will increase as we continue our tain mortgage payments for ninety days in efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic,” said Meng. “These numbers are sobering and response to the outbreak of COVID-19.” “With so many New Yorkers unable to reflect a hard truth that many Americans, pay rent for the foreseeable future, the cur- including my neighbors and community rent crisis is unsustainable and demands members in Queens, are struggling. “We don’t know when things will return action. Many tenants have no ability to pay rent, and landlords can’t collect rent from to normal; but we do know people are tenants who are broke,” bill sponsor Senate under immense pressure and hardship to Deputy Leader Mike Gianaris (D-Astoria) pay their rent and mortgage ... For Queens said in an April 16 prepared statement. residents, and all New Yorkers, we are liv“That’s why, along with cancellation of rent, ing in the nexus of this health crisis. Comadvocates are calling for more federal inter- batting this pandemic will take each and vention in the housing market and more every one of us to do our part — but we direct relief for tenants, as well as the perma- have to ensure people are not fighting two wars: one to stay healthy, and the other nent rehousing of homeless New Yorkers.” The Senate bill and its Assembly version against housing instability. If people lose — A10224A, sponsored by Assemblymember their homes, then our ability to combat this Q Yuh-Line Niou (D-Manhattan) — lies in the virus becomes impossible. ”

“T

Winsome Pendergrass of New York Communities for Change is joining other tenants in a call for a rent strike for the month of May, or until Gov. Cuomo signs an executive order NEW YORK COMMUNITIES FOR canceling payment. CHANGE PHOTO / TWITTER

struggling to make ends meet during the pandemic, Michael Johnson, the communications director of the Community Housing Improvement Program, said that rent cancelation will only create further problems in the future. “It creates more chaos in a chaotic time,” he told the Chronicle. “Our concern with forgiving rent is that it creates a ripple effect. There’s a myth that building owners have massive amounts of money, but their wealth is their assets, which is a building. So if people stopped paying rent it would be two or three months before building owners would be functionally bankrupt. They wouldn’t have income to pay their expenses. They’d have to lay off their supers, janitors, other workers.” Additionally, Johnson said the state does not have the power to cancel rent during this crisis because most banks that landlords and building owners operate through are pri-

Cuomo enlists Bloomberg to find and isolate carriers by Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief

Gov. Cuomo on Wednesday announced a new contact tracing program to reduce the coronavirus infection rate, an effort that will jointly be led by former Mayor Mike Bloomberg and his charity organization. The goal is to find more people with the virus and put them under quarantine using what Cuomo called a “tracer army” to implement the plan. “Once you trace, and you find more positives, then you isolate the positives, they’re

under quarantine, they can’t go out, they can’t infect anybody else,” Cuomo said at his daily virus press briefing. “This entire operation has never been done before. So, it’s intimidating. You’ve never heard the words, ‘testing, tracing, isolate,’ before. No one has. We’ve just never done this.” He continued, “Well, we have to put together a tracing army. OK. We’ve put together armies before. Never a tracing army. But we can put together people, we can organize, we can train, and we can do it. And yes, it’s a big deal, but it’s what we have

to do and it’s what we will do.” Cuomo said the state’s 300 private labs could, in theory, do about 40,000 coronavirus tests per week, if they ran 24/7, and that he will set that number as a goal. And when someone tests positive, the state will trace whom he or she has had contact with. Bloomberg Philanthropies will provide organizational support and technical assistance to build and execute the program, Cuomo said. The governor also said that his meeting the prior evening with President Trump was

a productive one. For one thing, he said, Trump had agreed to waive the “state match” for costs incurred by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The state normally would have to pay 25 percent of the FEMA costs, but with the president agreeing to the waiver, New York will save “hundreds of millions of dollars,” Cuomo said. And the governor said the number of new hospitalizations and intubations statewide continues to decrease, while the one-day Q death toll dropped to 474 Tuesday.

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Saving a life is easy. Among those joining in Tuesday’s online interfaith vigil were the Rev. John Boyd, who like other members of the clergy, used an image of an essential worker that dwarfed his own, left, acting Borough President Sharon Lee, top center, state Sens. Joe Addabbo Jr., Leroy Comrie and, above ZOOM SCREENSHOTS center, Mike Gianaris, and U.S. Reps. Grace Meng and Gregory Meeks.

Church and state meet in virus vigil Clergy, elected officials mourn those lost, pray for those serving others by Max Parrott

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Chronicle Contributor

Slow down in work zones.

NDOT-077621

Acting Queens Borough President Sharon Lee gathered the state and borough’s and faith leaders onto one Zoom stream on Tuesday evening to host an interfaith vigil that mourned residents of Queens that have died due to COVID-19 and prayed for essential workers. With 2,877 deaths from confirmed cases of coronavirus as of Tuesday, Queens remains the epicenter of the pandemic in New York City. The central and southeastern parts of the borough continue to have some of the worst per capita infection rates in the city. “We come to you today representing first, the world’s borough, who is under attack by the world’s pandemic. We pray for all those who have lost loved ones” said the Rev. John Boyd II of New Greater Bethel Ministries during the vigil. More than 500 residents tuned into the livestream to watch elected officials offer words of hope and support and religious leaders provide various forms of prayer, chant and song. Re pre se nt at ive s re m a rke d on t he unprecedented and t ragic toll of the coronavirus. “I don’t know of anyone who has not been touched by such tragedy that has taken place by this coronavirus, but I see heroes and sheroes that have come and risen to the occasion,” said Rep. Greg Meeks (D-Queens, Nassau). State Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria), whose first year in office included 9/11, said that he never thought he would see that death toll again. “Obviously that’s proven tragically incorrect,” he said. Another common theme was the racial and economic disparities of the pandemic.

Black and Hispanic residents of New York City are dying and being hospitalized from the novel coronavirus at significantly higher rates than white residents, according to data released April 16 by the city’s Health Department. “This virus does not discriminate,” said P ublic Advocate Ju ma ane Williams. “Unfortunately our plans and our policies and our responses do discriminate. We’ve seen bigot r y. We’ve seen d ispa r at e resources being affected.” Sen. Jessica Ramos (D-Jackson Heights) said that she would use the principle of “Love they neighbor” to guide her policy response to the pandemic. “For us public leaders that translates to policies that allow people to exist, survive and thrive,” she said. State Attorney General Letitia James, on the other hand, said that her office was focused on cracking down on price gouging, scams, funeral homes that are raising prices and the high mortality rate in nursing homes. The vigil’s religious leaders showcased Queens’ diversity, representing Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu, Jain, Catholic and nondenominational Christian faiths. But while the leaders came from a multitude of backgrounds, their message was unified: Pray for the residents of the city who are ser ving others and give us strength to overcome the fear and anxiety that the virus has caused. “We are living in a different world. This globalized world is characterized by intercon nectedness. There is not a single human who can live without the others and not a single nation can survive without the others,” said Imam Shamsi Ali of the Jamaica Muslim Center. “We are all one Q single human family.”

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Mayor announces a real summer bummer City pools closed for season, beaches could be next by Katherine Donlevy Associate Editor

In an effort to mitigate the city fiscal shortfalls caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and to maintain social distancing mandates, Mayor de Blasio announced April 16 that outdoor pools, and potentially beaches, will be closed for the summer season. As part of the mayor’s $89.3 billion executive budget proposal for fiscal year 2021, city outdoor pools, such as the Fisher Pool in East Elmhurst and the Fort Totten Pool in Bayside, will remain closed from late June to Labor Day in an effort to preserve $12 million that will be redirected to fund lifesaving measures. Hundreds of other cuts across multiple jurisdictions, such as reducing highway cleaning, canceling the Department of Education’s upcoming Summer School’s Out New York City program and implementing a hiring freeze across multiple agencies, make up much of the plan, which would reduce spending compared to the FY 20 budget adopted in June 2019 by 3.7 percent. “What we will do no matter what, no matter what, is protect New Yorkers’ health, protect your safety, make sure there’s food on your table, make sure there’s a roof over your head. That’s what we will do no matter what is thrown at us,” de Blasio said at a press con-

ference following the budget plan’s release. “A budget is a statement of values. Our values are clear, we’re here to protect people, and we will do so.” “Pools are not in the city budget,” de Blasio said the next day as a guest on WNYC. “One, because we don’t have any money. Two, because pools mean people gathering in a small space and we did not feel we could do that safely for anything we could project.” While beaches have not yet been closed, de Blasio said there is potential that they may be because they attract large crowds that would offset social distancing efforts, referring to the crowded Coney Island beaches, which see “hundreds of thousands of people packed together tightly,” as an example. “Beaches — I’ve said we are not able to open them when they would be, which is Memorial Day, which is very soon,” he continued. “I don’t see any time soon being able to have large numbers of people on the beaches like normal, but I have not said that that’s ruled out for the whole summer. I’ve simply said we’re not in a position to open them on schedule.” City Councilmember Bob Holden (D-Middle Village) disagrees with the mayor’s decision to close the 53 city outdoor pools, seven of which are located in Queens, especially combined with his choice to temporarily suspend

the Summer Youth Employment Program, which would idealistically preserve $124 million in funding for the fiscal year. “I think it’s a bit premature to close pools for the entire summer,” said Holden, who serves as a member of the City Council Parks Committee. “The mayor seems to be overcompensating for his horrible decisions last month like keeping public schools open way too long during a deadly pandemic. This coupled with eliminating the SYEP will have a devastating effect on our young people in July and August.” Holden’s Parks Committee colleague Eric Ulrich (D-Ozone Park) told the Chronicle that keeping beaches closed beyond their delayed opening would only pose further challenges for the community. “New York City is facing an unprecedented fiscal challenge. Spending cuts are inevitable, but the city must find a way to open beaches — even if it’s just on a part-time basis,” he said. “A full beach closure would be devastating to our local economy and difficult to enforce.” Parks Committee Chairperson Peter Koo (D-Flushing) further expressed concern for cutting funds for city parks, which he said are already underfunded to being with. “New Yorkers are going to be looking for someplace to go when we emerge from lockdown. That will be our local parks, so we are

Mayor de Blasio held a press conference April 16 to discuss the executive budget plan for fiscal year 2021, which includes closing down outdoor pools for the summer in an effort to PHOTO BY ED REED / NYC / FLICKR cut costs. focused on maintaining funding for the essential workers responsible for the safety, maintenance and upkeep of the parks that have provided the only refuge for New Yorkers these last weeks,” Koo told the Chronicle. “Even in more financially secure times, parks are historically underfunded, so we need to make sure we protect our essential workers responsible for keeping our parks up and running.” Q

NEW YORKERS:

STAY HOME TO STOP THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS New Yorkers working together and staying home can slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in New York City. When you go out for essential needs, work or to get fresh air, keep distance between yourself and others and take the following precautions.

• Keep at least 6 feet between yourself and others. • Wash your hands with soap and water often. • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or sleeve when sneezing or coughing. • Do not touch your face with unwashed hands. • Monitor your health more closely than usual for cold or ﬂu symptoms.

IF YOU ARE SICK • Stay home. • If you have a cough, shortness of breath, fever, sore throat and do not feel better after 3-4 days, consult with your doctor. • If you need help getting medical care, call 311. • NYC will provide care regardless of immigration status or ability to pay.

Text COVID to 692-692 for real-time updates or visit nyc.gov/coronavirus. Call 311 to report harassment or discrimination. Call 888-NYC-WELL, text "WELL" to 65173 or chat online at nyc.gov/nycwell to connect with a counselor.

PROTECT THE MOST VULNERABLE • Stay home if you have lung disease, heart disease, diabetes, cancer or a weakened immune system. • Stay home and call, video chat or text with family or friends who have one of these conditions.

REDUCE OVERCROWDING • Stay home. • Telecommute if possible. If you do go out: • Stagger work hours away from peak travel times. • Walk or bike. • Do not gather in crowds.

Bill de Blasio Mayor Oxiris Barbot, MD Commissioner

*Messages and data rates may apply. Check your wireless provider plan for details. X

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PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 23, 2020 Page 16

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Congress sets up CARES round two U.S. reps talk extended grant, loan funds with Queens small businesses by Michael Gannon Editor

Members of Congress on Tuesday assured the Queens business community that the next round of COVID-19-related financial assistance will make a good, if flawed, program better. U.S. Reps. Gregory Meeks (D-Queens, Nassau), Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn) and Tom Suozzi (D-Suffolk, Nassau, Queens) spoke with about 125 people in a teleconference organized by the Queens Chamber of Commerce. Most of the talk was about how small businesses can apply for money from the federal Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan fund. Both had run out of money as of last week, with many small businesses across the country shut out while larger operations pulled down millions. The U.S. Senate on Tuesday approved a $484 billion extension of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. According to a statement issued by the office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the Senate approved another $320 billion for the PPP and $60 billion for the EIDL fund. The measure also includes roughly $75 billion for hospitals and healthcare providers; and $25 billion for staterun COVID-19 testing and research at the

Members of Congress counseled small business owners to help their chances of getting federal loans and grants on Tuesday. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. Maloney, Meeks and Suozzi said the House of Representatives is expected to vote on a relief bill of its own today, Thursday, April 23. “I share the frustration a lot of the listeners have,” Suozzi said. He pointed to national chain restaurants that applied for the funds and had

no problem finding cooperative banks. “Most small business owners in Queens don’t want $1 million; they want $50,000 or $100,000,” Suozzi said. “There’s a difference between big small businesses and small, small businesses. Those funds were meant for small, small businesses.” Suozzi also said he wants any House measure to be apportioned based on the number of cases and deaths from COVID-19. “I see more money being granted in Texas than New York,” he said. “I want it based on the rate, on the impact the disease has had. We have 30 percent of the cases and 40 percent of the deaths.” Meeks concurred that the level of infection is what should be used to determine what resources go to states. He also wants new PPP funding to have diversity data attached to it. “PPP has its weaknesses and strengths,” he acknowledged, saying continued and steady feedback from businesses owners will help the Queens delegation refine its requests in the coming months. “We need to know what works for you and what doesn’t,” he said. Maloney said she personally spoke with executives of a bank that one of her constituents said was refusing to write PPP loans for less than $100,000. “I told them, ‘You didn’t write the law,’”

she said. Tom Grech, president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, told the business owners that they need to contact their congressional representatives or him personally if they experience such a response. “All of the big banks are members,” he said. “Let us know and we’ll get you to the right people. The email for the chamber is info@queenschamber.org. My email is tgrech@queenschamber.org.” One of Maloney’s long-term aims is to require insurance companies to write business disruption policies. “Right now businesses can’t get insured against pandemics,” Maloney said. Hand in hand with the requirement would be the establishment of a fund to ensure that there is enough capacity to cover such losses. Grech also took the opportunity to remind everyone listening they need to respond to the ongoing U.S. Census. Maloney said first that census figures determine how the federal government will apportion up to $800 billion annually among the states for education, Medicare, highways, transportation and other items. Grech also noted it is how Congress apportions its seats. “I was born in 1962,” Grech said. “That year New York State had 45 representatives in ConQ gress. Today we have 27.”

Council COVID bill touts auto-free roads Johnson seeks up to 75 miles open to allow more social distancing by Michael Gannon

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Editor

The City Council will look to identify 75 miles of streets to open up to cyclists and pedestrians as part of a multibill package submitted on Wednesday in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The bill, included in the legislation’s subsection of public health, has the intent of allowing New Yorkers more room for social distancing “while enjoying the short- and longterm health benefits of being outdoors.” The bill will require the city to create more street space for pedestrians and cyclists throughout the five boroughs, with a citywide target of 75 miles of open streets. No comment was available Wednesday prior to the Chronicle’s deadline, but Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Manhattan), who co-sponsored the bill with Councilwoman Carlina Rivera (D-Manhattan), made no secret where he stood in a statement last week. “New Yorkers don’t have the street space they need to maintain proper social distancing, which we know is essential in this public health crisis,” Johnson said on April 17. “While we want to work collaboratively with the administration to open streets, this issue is so important and so urgent that we are taking legislative action to make it happen ourselves. Other cities across the country and around the world have demonstrated that this is doable. There is no reason we can’t do this here.” Mayor de Blasio, who has been lukewarm toward the proposal, was asked about it Monday in a press conference. “I’ve spoken to Speaker Johnson several times over the last weeks about this broad concept and you know, we tried a version of it early on working with the Council and it was,

Council Speaker Corey Johnson is supporting the opening of up to 75 miles of city streets in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. But Mayor de Blasio said it may not be that easy to put NYC PHOTO BY JOHN MCCARTEN / NYC / FLICKR in place immediately. you know, not the best time to try it, obviously given weather, but it also, what we found immediately was the real drag on the enforcement needs that we had everywhere else,” de Blasio said in a transcript of the event provided by his office. One of the mayor’s concerns, he said, is the need for enforcement that comes with any such bill should it pass.

“I’m definitely ready to, you know, talk to the Council about it, see if we can find some common ground,” the mayor said. “But what I’ve said to date is I’m concerned that it doesn’t fit our reality in terms of safety. It doesn’t fit our reality in terms of enforcement where we need to put our enforcement.” Danny Harris, executive director for Transportation Alternatives, welcomed the idea in an emailed statement. “We applaud the leadership of Council Speaker Johnson and Council Member Rivera for advancing this bold open streets plan that will ensure New Yorkers who must be out have the safe space they require for physical distancing,” Harris said. “In doing so, they are proving that New York seeks to lead, not play catch-up with the scores of other cities around the world opening streets to people as this crisis unfolds. On Monday, however, de Blasio pointed out that there are few obvious differences between New York City and other metropolises whose modeling might not fit the Big Apple. “The models [that] have been used elsewhere in the country I think were for places that had a much different reality in terms of, you know, how dense they are and what their sort of driving culture was compared to us, and one thing or another,” de Blasio cautioned on Monday. “So, it’ll be a real conversation. But I still start with the concern that I have not seen a plan that I think works for New York City yet. Councilman Danny Dromm (D-Jackson Heights, however, backed the measure in an email. “My district is the epicenter of the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dromm said. “It is also one of the most densely populated districts in the city. The open space this legislation would provide is absolutely crucial to our Q health and well-being.”

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Three charged with gouging for masks Wanted $10 each for R95s, DA says by Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief

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Three Queens men were arrested April 17 and face charges of violating the city’s administrative code for allegedly trying to sell medical face masks for 10 times the usual price, the Queens District Attorney’s Office announced. The men — Yuriy Borukhov, 33, Maisey Khovasov, 23, and Michael Borukhov, 23 — allegedly made a deal with a buyer to sell him 1,000 R95 masks for $10 each, but their client was actually an undercover detective with the NYPD Financial Crimes Task Force. After about two weeks of trading text messages, the detective and the defendants met up somewhere in Flushing at about 10 a.m. on April 17, the DA’s Office said. One of the men asked the investigator if he was there to buy masks. When he confirmed that he was, they all walked to a waiting car. Michael Borukhov allegedly opened the trunk and produced two boxes containing 240 of the R95 respirators, the office said. The detective gave the men $10,000 and the three were arrested for price gouging. Law enforcement recovered another 820 of the masks in the car, a Chrysler. Made by 3M, the R95 is a close relative of the N95 respirator that has been a focus during the coronavirus crisis The defendants are due to appear in court on Aug. 15, when they will be charged with the code violation. The penalty is a possible fine. Since the charge is only a code violation, they will not face any potential jail time, according to a spokesperson for the DA’s Office. “We are in the midst of a global pandemic,” District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a prepared statement. “Thousands of people have died and medical workers do not have enough personal protection equipment to do their jobs safely. The governor and mayor have mandated that all people wear masks in public. Sadly, these 3 men allegedly thought about pocketing a profit as a result of the coronavirus outbreak by price gouging. This is unconscionable and will not stand in Queens County.” “Exploiting people’s need to protect themselves for personal gain is always wrong,”

Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said. “It is unconscionable in an ongoing pandemic, when everyone from healthcare providers to police officers to everyday New Yorkers needs this lifesaving equipment, and I commend our detectives and law enforcement partners for working together to discover and end this scam.” Despite the defendants’ only facing a city administrative violation, the announcement of their arrest also included quotes from two federal officials, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations for New York Peter Fitzhugh and U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Philip Bartlett, both decrying the alleged attempt to make money off a global pandemic. The DA’s Office was unable to immediately say which part or parts of Queens the defendants are from. The city Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, formerly the Department of Consumer Affairs, on March 16 adopted a rule making price gouging illegal for any good or service “needed to prevent or limit the spread of or treat the new coronavirus (COVID-19).” An announcement of the new rule included this exception: “If you raised the price of these items because it costs you more to supply them, you must provide proof to DCWP. “Be aware that any increase must be comparable. If you paid $2 more per item, you cannot charge customers $50 more.” The DA’s Office asserted that R95 respirators usually sell for $1 each, though a spokesperson could not say if that was a retail or wholesale price. Online, one company, Grainger, lists them at $103 for a package of 20, or $5.15 each. Another, Fisheries Supply, shows them at $91.76 for 20, or $4.59 each, and, separately, $7.59 for just one. They are not actually available from either seller, however. Several other online retailers that list them, including Amazon and Staples, say they are unavailable and show no price. Similar masks are marked at $8 each in at least one central Queens convenience store. Q

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Page 17 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 23, 2020

While three Queens men tried to sell R95 masks for $10 each, the supply company Grainger lists GRAINGER.COM a box of 20 for $103, or $5.15 each, though they are no longer available.

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Four pols call for transit shutdown But MTA says it would be dangerous and could lead to even more deaths by David Russell

ing after a massive decline in ridership. The four lawmakers want a closure for Four Council members, including three deep cleaning of trains, buses and stations. from Queens, are calling for a temporary “During that time, the city and state should closure of the city’s transit system for at partner with for-hire vehicle services to proleast one week of deep cleaning amidst the vide rides to essential workers,” they said. Holden and Koo are members of the coronavirus crisis. Councilmen Bob Holden (D-Middle Vil- Council’s Transportation Committee. Cou ncilman Daneek Miller (D -St. lage), Peter Koo (D-Flushing), Eric Ulrich Albans), also a (R-Ozone Park) member of the and Mark Gjonaj committee, is not ( D - Br o n x) believe the system y shutting the transit system in favor of a shutdown, a spokesis a primary condown New York would be person told the t r ibut or t o t he Chronicle. spread of giving up.” The M TA COVID-19. opposes the idea “MTA employ— Transit advocate Danny Pearlstein of a shutdown. ees are going to “W hat these work every day with woefully inadequate personal protec- council members don’t realize is that shuttive equipment,” a letter they issued says. ting down mass transit during this unprece“They are given one mask and one pair of dented crisis would be dangerous and could gloves for an entire week while continuing lead to even more deaths,” spokesperson to work among the filth of the subway Shams Tarek said. Tarek said with subway ridership down tunnels.” The letter also says a recent study by the more than 90 percent, the system is “making Massachusetts Institute of Technology notes it possible for doctors, nurses, first responda possible correlation between subway rider- ers, grocery and pharmacy workers, and ship and new cases of the virus, with the other essential personnel to get to work and exponential growth of infections only slow- save lives,” adding that the MTA has “led Associate Editor

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every single day and it’s the only way to move those folks around and power our response to the pandemic. By shutting the transit system down New York would be giving up.” The MTA, including the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North, will receive $3.8 billion in federal relief but Pearlstein said it’s not enough considering city riders make up 40 percent of transit users in the country but the agency received 15 percent of the federal aid. The MTA has asked for another $3.9 billion. “The fact is we need substantially more help and we need it now,” MTA Chairman Pat Foye said in a video press conference last Thursday. “In the weeks since our first request, the crisis has dramatically worsened in New York, dwarfing our initial Q estimates of revenue loss.”

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the nation” in efforts to protect employees and customers, even providing hundreds of thousands of masks to the workforce before the CDC recommended it. TWU President John Samuelsen, speaking last Tuesday on WOR Radio before the letter was issued, said, “I believe personally that if we shut down mass transit, the subway and bus system, that huge percentages of deaths higher than what we’ve had would have occurred.” He added, “I think the system is absolutely vital to society, it’s so vital to, to New York, the fabric of New York — we would not have been able to get first responders to the front lines, we wouldn’t have food in some cases, we wouldn’t have food workers at work, we wouldn’t have nurses at hospitals, we wouldn’t have home aides taking care of our elderly, in houses, but not for the public transit system.” The MTA added in an email that it has distributed millions of pieces of personal protective equipment, has disinfected more than 700 subway and commuter rail stations twice a day since March 11, has deployed a “temperature brigade” with testing locations for employees, has moved to rear-door boarding and blocking off of front rows of buses, and eliminating most person-to-person transactions to protect station agents and customers. The agency has, however, seen at least 59 employees die of the virus since the crisis began. On Monday the MTA announced more than 5,000 employees have returned to work after quarantines. The MTA said the MIT study “has been widely panned by transportation experts and watchers as junk science,” pointing to an April 17 Streetsblog.com story titled “That MIT Study About the Subway Causing COVID is Crap.” The story noted it was “not peer-reviewed, lack[s] proper modeling, and ... does not support any causation. It is more opinion that scientific research.” Danny Pearlstein, policy and communications director for Riders Alliance, told the Chronicle the plan from the lawmakers is a “terrible idea. The transit system is moving close to a million essential workers

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April 23, 2020

Page 19 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 23, 2020

ARTS, CULTURE C & LIVING

Culture club by Michael Gannon

Library links you to first-string performers and museums Philadelphia Orchestra. NPR also offers concerts from classical to country music over a number of social media platforms.

The Met 360° Project offers videos on YouTube over multiple devices, allowing virtual visitors to view such sites and exhibits as the Temple of Dendur in the Metropolitan Museum and The Met Cloisters in Northern Manhattan. The link to the Metropolitan Opera grants viewers access to numerous archived performances. The Curbed New York site has links to what can be found in a number of New York City museums and cultural sites ranging from the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn to the Museum of Natural History and Central Park including a virtual tour — as well as what’s available online from the Queens Library. The libra r y ’s link s a lso inc lude one to Hyp era llerg i c , whic h of fer s vir t ua l tour s t h r o ug h o u t t h e wo r l d, i n c l u d i ng of t h e Nat iona l Ar t Ga ller y in Wa shing ton, DC; continued on page 21

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Are you wondering where to find links to free classical music concerts, museum tours and the like all while stuck indoors? No need to flail away like crazy on Google when the Queens Public Library already has compiled a very eclectic list for you, through which you can watch a symphony, tour the Louvre or learn conversational foreign language skills from the comfort of home, pretty much around the clock. The roster of events compiled on queenslibrary. org/about-us/news-media/blog/2042 can take someone via laptop or cell phone across the bridge into Manhattan or across the world to refresh one’s artistic soul. A sampling of a recent listing shows concerts by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, performing the works of Beethoven, Brahms and

Haydn, and from Schubert to Schumann. A link to National Public Radio offered a performance from Carnegie Hall by German singer Ute Lemper, and Beethoven performed by the

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 23, 2020 Page 20

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I HAVE OFTEN WALKED

King Crossword Puzzle ‘Hawaii Five-O’ star came from Richmond Hill

ACROSS

1 Resided 6 Things 11 Demosthenes or Cicero 12 Cancel out 14 Ubiquitous fastener 15 Early spring bloom 16 Feedbag tidbit 17 -- the manger 19 Owns 20 Press 22 Ballet step 23 -- song (cheaply) 24 Force measures 26 Decorum 28 Quite some time 30 Actor Stephen 31 Went sour 35 Contents of some trays 39 Responsibility 40 Court 42 Story 43 Donkey 44 Impostor 46 Sudden turn 47 Traditional usage 49 Love apple 51 Medical prioritization 52 Portuguese island group 53 Stationery brand 54 Is inclined (to)

DOWN 1 Cheerless

by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor

2 “The Compleat Angler” author 3 And so on (Abbr.) 4 Tennyson title 5 Cavalry unit 6 Canine’s neighbor 7 Sea bird 8 Id counterpart 9 He-men 10 George Washington portraitist 11 Egg-shaped

13 English composition 18 Leg, slangily 21 Must have 23 Banquet 25 Scale member 27 Part of the Justice Dept. 29 Cronkite, Rather, et al. 31 Work together 32 Doubtful

33 Neighbor of Georgia 34 Female deer 36 Risk 37 Cheers up 38 Some lilies 41 Lash -- (berate) 44 Comic strip possum 45 Nap 48 Body art, for short 50 Calendar abbr.

Born as Jack Ryan to Ellen Josephine O’Brien and U.S. Steel’s Isthmian Steamship Co. ship surveyor William Lawrence Ryan in December 1920, actor Jack Lord was the second of four sons and one daughter. The family lived in a 20-by-100 foot semiattached home at 95-28 125 St. in South Richmond Hill, which is now owned by Drepaul and Parabatie Gulcharran with a tentative assessment value of $489,000, according to the city Finance Department. Lord, better known by all as “Jack,” graduated John Adams High School in Ozone Park in June 1938 and joined the U.S. Merchant Marines during World War II. Lord joined the Meisner Actors Studio in 1949. In August of that year, he legally changed his name to Graydon Joseph Lord; however, his nickname stuck and he was known in the business as Jack Lord. Also in 1949, he married fashion designer Marie De Narde, who was 15 years his senior. Lord gained fame in his role as a CIA agent in “Dr. No,” the 1962 James Bond movie. But he was dropped by producers for

The childhood home of “Hawaii Five-O” star Jack Lord at 95-28 125 St. in South Richmond Hill, as it appeared in the 1940s. INSET PHOTO VIA WIKIPEDIA

later films for fear his good looks would overshadow Bond’s. In 1968, he landed the role of Detective Steve McGarrett in “Hawaii-Five O,” which ran until 1980. He spent the rest of his life in Hawaii following the show. Lord passed away in 1998 after battling Alzheimer’s disease for eight years, and his Q wife followed in 2005 at the age of 100.

Answers on next page

For the latest news visit qchron.com

CAN’T GET OUT TO PICK UP A COPY OF THE QUEENS CHRONICLE? Our digital edition is available every Thursday on our website, qchron.com. Throughout the week go to qchron.com for daily updates on Queens news and the coronavirus.

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by David Russell associate editor

With many New Yorkers following social distancing measures and staying at home, Mayor de Blasio recently announced a free digital platform of virtual activities. One of the options is Recipe Rescue, in which users can take a traditional family recipe and “rescue” it by creating a healthier version. Users can work with their families and send a video for a chance to win culinary prizes. All YMCA locations are temporarily closed but virtual workouts allow people to exercise at home. Workouts vary, including stretching and yoga, conditioning and strength, Zumba and dance, and cardio. Basketball fans looking for a fix can watch a free preview of NBA League Pass, as the league is providing access to full-length and condensed replays of all games from the 2019-20 season, and an expansive archive

Calendar Special Notice The Queens Chronicle will not be publishing What’s Happening — our Community Calendar for the time being. We look forward to resuming publication as soon as possible.

of classic games and content. There are free practice tests and other study materials for the GED, HiSET, SAT, elementary school and middle school standardized tests, civil service, technical and other professional exams. A library card is required but users can apply for one online. Amazon’s Audible is providing free audio stories for kids and teens, with a variety of classics available for listeners. Libraries, archives and other cultural institutions around the world are sharing free coloring sheets and books based on materials in their collections. Users can download and print their favorites. “Made in NY” talks see the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment educate New Yorkers about working in the film, tele-

Page 21 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 23, 2020

Plenty of online activities while you’re at home

With many New Yorkers staying at home, virtual activities can help fill the void. Residents looking to stay healthy can exercise along with YMCA instructors. And those who want to see exhibits can take a look at many, including the New York Transit Museum’s display on YMCA OF GREATER NEW YORK SCREENSHOT / FACEBOOK ABOVE; Grand Central Terminal’s history. NY TRANSIT MUSEUM PHOTO / HERBERT HARWORD JR. COLLECTION, LEFT

vision, theater and digital media industries with panel discussions. For anyone who misses visiting museums, The Met Museum invites viewers to virtually see its galleries via “The Met 360 Project.” Hours of lectures, talks and symposiums held at the Met are available for view via their digital archives. While you can’t watch the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater onstage, fans can

see their performances as the theater is sharing full-length videos of the company onstage. Residents who miss traveling around the city can check out the New York Transit Museum’s online exhibition, “Grand by Design: A Centennial Celebration of Grand Central Terminal.” Anyone interested in these activities, and Q more, can visit nyc.gov/funathome.

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? The Queens Library

Crossword Answers

Museo de Arte in Sao Paulo, Brazil. A video link shows dozens of episodes of StarsInTheHouse, an online chat show with celebrities and others that serves as a fundraiser for The Actors Fund, which provides financial support, healthcare and other assistance for members of the entertainment community in need. Not to be outdone, the page also contains links to a number of the Queens Library’s own in-house cultural and educational opportunities. The Great Courses, a series of lectures on RBDigital, allows Queens Public Library cardholders to delve into the topics of food and wine, philosophy, music and art, language, literature and even mathematics, economics and finance. There also are numerous links for anyone interested in studying and learning foreign languages. Rocket Languages is an interactive website for people seeking to learn conversational languages at their own pace. Languages include Spanish, Arabic, French, German, Mandarin, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, English for Spanish and Japanese speakers and Ameri-

Click on its website and the Queens Library can take you to the American Museum of Natural History or across the world. On the cover: Violinist Chad Hoopes of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. PHOTO BY D. FINNIN / AMNH; COVER PHOTO BY TRISTAN COOK can Sign language. Cardholders can download the Transparent Language Online app access to instruction for more than 90 languages on a com-

puter, tablet or smartphone. There are also links for numerous tutorials for the teaching and application of various Q disciplines in modern technology.

For the latest news visit qchron.com

continued from page 19 the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles; the British Museum on London; both the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris; the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy; the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam; and others. The link to Travel + Leisure includes those plus the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, South Korea; the Pergamon Museum in Berlin; the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam; and the

For the latest news visit qchron.com

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 23, 2020 Page 22

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Changing times in the coronavirus era DOE has iPads to distribute, SBS talks online strategies to borough cabinet by David Russell Associate Editor

With all aspects of life changing during the coronavirus crisis, the city Departments of education, small business services and for the aging addressed the Borough Cabinet in a Tuesday morning Zoom meeting to report how their agencies are handling it. The DOE is lending iPads to students for remote learning. Adrienne Austin, DOE deputy chancellor for community empowerment, partnerships and communications, said there are 800,000 iPads and there have been 250,000 requests. “So we still have a good number of iPads to go out to families,” she said. Austin said the iPads are delivered to the recipients’ door as 175,000 had been distributed in schools but some had problems connecting to the internet. Parents interested in getting one can call the DOE at (718) 935-5100 or go to schools.nyc. gov/learn-at-home/ipad-distribution. Andre Spencer, executive superintendent of Queens South for the DOE, noted the adjustments parents are making as the classroom has shifted into the home. “This has been really challenging because our parents aren’t necessarily teachers but now they’re having to step in and make sure that kids have adequate time to access the

allowed to have one employee at the business loan program. There have been more than to handle those orders. He said there had been 8,000 applications for $22 million in funds some confusion from business owners but offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Jose Rodriguez, director of intergovernessential businesses can still have as many mental affairs for the Department for the employees as they want. Bishop said there is assistance available for Aging, said it went from a system with 300 free e-commerce, marketing and social media centers that were handling 100 to 125 meals a day to a centralized operation that delivers strategies. “People will not feel comfortable being in meals to 35,000 individuals across the city. He said in mid-March the organization confined spaces until we’ve reached a point where there’s mass testing or a vaccine,” he accelerated a plan for centralized quick meal service delivery. said. “So that is some “Within a few days time away so we have it was apparent cento make sure that we e have to make sure ters were stretched as prepare our businessthe demand for food es for the change in that we prepare our increased quickly,” consumer behavior.” businesses for the Rodriguez said, addBishop said busiing “The demand for nesses had already change in consumer direct-delivery meals been seeing a change far exceeded what our with increased online behavior.” congregant meal sysshopping but that the — SBS Commissioner Gregg Bishop tem was ever intended pandemic “has just to support.” exacerbated that.” The senior centers moved to a grab-and-go He said $13 million has been approved for the employee grant program. Thousands of format and then delivery-only. New enrollees will be absorbed by the city’s applications have been received and he said that for applicants who are still waiting, “We COVID-19 food czar, Sanitation Commissionsuspect that we’ll be making all of the deci- er Kathryn Garcia, and her team and be consolidated into the emergency program Get sions within the next three weeks.” Q And $6 million has been approved for a Food NYC.

“W

Agencies are adjusting to life during the coroFILE PHOTOS navirus crisis. schoolwork that they’re being provided with,” he said. Austin also said there are more than 400 meal hubs with over 300,000 meals a day being distributed across the city from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. And there are regional enrichment centers, childcare centers for the children of essential workers. Austin said there are 800 students per day. SBS Commissioner Gregg Bishop noted that nonessential establishments looking to fulfill delivery orders placed remotely are

Mask makers

COVID claiming senior lives

2020 Census

continued from page 4 of 80,000 sheets to supply him. “As long as there is a need, we’re going to keep doing this,” Wierzbicki said, adding that there had been a little bit of a slowdown at the beginning of this week as the curve has begun to flatten. The Miceli sisters said that they felt the sense of persistence, even though they both, like Wierzbicki, are continuing to teach online classes during the day. Kristina teaches dance students and Danielle teaches at a local school. “We just gave 200 to the Howard Beach Moms and they told us they want another 100,” said Kristina. “There are so many people that want them. I just hope we can continue to get donations so we can continue to run them.” Wierzbicki said that so far the financing has been manageable, but he’s a little worried about his electric bill. “That’s the only thing we’re trying to prepare for,” he said. For those who want to donate, his Ve n m o u s e r n a m e i s F a c e MasksHB. To put in an order for a community in need of masks, reach out to FaceMasksHB@gmail.com or the Facebook page facebook.com / Q FaceMasksHB.

continued from page 2 urgently needed,” Meng said in a prepared statement. “Family members of nursing home residents have a right to k now this infor mation. It will help ensure that they can do everything possible to protect their loved ones, and it will go a long way towards controlling and preventing the spread of the illness. We must do all we can to safeguard the he a lt h a nd s a fe t y of ou r eld e rly population.” According to Raul Tabora, Jr., a representative of Ozanam Hall of Queens Nursing Home, Inc. of Bayside, the facility has always maintained lines of communication regulated by federal law, the Health Care Proxy Law and Family Health Care Decisions Act, but will now “notify all residents and their representatives when there is a situation involving a positive COVID-19 case and/or three or more suspected COVID cases.” “Once a resident identifies who they wish to have contacted, we are obligated to follow that directive,” said Tabora, stating that there have been situations where nonprimary contact family members are refused from obtaining information. “Under federal law, we are restricted from providing certain information to everyone in the family and must follow the resident’s choice of first

continued from page 6 that all information collected is protected by Title 13, meaning it is private and inaccessible. “The Census is safe,” he said. “It does not allow the Census to release information on a person or household to anyone for any reason at any time. Even the Patriot Act does not supersede Title 13. Whether you are here legally or illegally we do not care, we want to count you.” Other than counting the number of individuals, the Census collects data based on ethnicity, language and more so that an area can be adequately represented in politics and programming in the coming decade. “The hundreds of billions of dollars every year are used based on Census formula data,” Behler said, stating that states will redistrict according to collected information in order to assure that a community receives its fair share of representation, which is especially important for a borough as diverse as Queens. “Imagine there’s a school of 100 kids and only 80 get counted,” Behler said using an analogy. “For the next 10 years the school only gets 80 percent of the funding it needs, but it has to be allocated for all 100 students. Apply it to your neighborhood. Whether it’s education or infrastructure, we need to be counted Q accurately.”

contact — especially if there is a health care proxy or designated guardian.” While Ozanam suffered nine reported COVID-19 deaths, Flushing House has yet to report a fatality. According to Nancy Rojas, the vice president of marketing and business development of the assisted living facility, it may be in part due to extra precautions staff members are taking — other than sanitizing consistently and wearing proper gear, such as masks and gloves, workers take their temperature upon entering the building. “Each day each resident is in contact with a staff member, either when the meal is delivered [to their individual apartment] and/or by phone,” Rojas told the Chronicle. “If we notice that residents do not look well or are displaying challenges in their apartments we contact the families right away. We have a doctor, that when requested by family or resident, will go up and see the resident. If a resident needs assistance we call 911. We are in constant communication with residents and their families. Our inhouse TV station allows us to send messages to the residents in their apartments.” The rate of senior citizen deaths in Queens related to COVID-19 has continued to climb, though slowly, and the information is available on the DOH’s Q website.

C M SQ page 23 Y K

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Legal Notices

LORAIUS LLC. Arts. of Org. filed

NOTICE OF FORMATION of Elite Video and Sound LLC. Arts of Org filed with SSNY on 2/18/2020. Queens County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy to Elite Video and Sound LLC, 30-70 44th St., Apt. 2L, Astoria, NY 11103. Purpose: Any lawful act.

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of State of NY 01/28/20.

on 02/19/2020. Office loc:

Off. Loc.: Queens Co. SSNY

Queens County. SSNY has been

designated as agent upon whom

process may be served & shall

process against the LLC may be

mail proc.: 37-06 82ND Street,

served. SSNY shall mail process

Suite 205, Jackson Heights,

to: The LLC, 119-16 Liberty Ave,

NY 11372. Purpose: Any lawful

Jamaica, NY 11419. Purpose:

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of APAC entities LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 12/23/2019. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: APAC ENTITIES LLC, 11447 TAIPEI CT, COLLEGE POINT, NY 11356. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

purpose.

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Notice of Formation of Q First Care Medical PLLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 02/03/2020. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LLC, 31-47 137TH STREET, UNIT CF, FLUSHING, NY 11354 Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of Dr Kafui Kouakou Consulting LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 12/31/2019. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: DR. KAFUI KOUAKOU, 18444 GRAND CENTRAL PKWY, JAMAICA, NY 11432. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

with the SSNY on 02/13/20. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall For the latest news visit qchron.com

mail copy of process to the LLC, 196-60 45th Avenue, Basement Apartment, Flushing, NY 11358.

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C M SQ page 25 Y K

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 23, 2020 Page 26

C M SQ page 26 Y K To Advertise Call 718-205-8000

Public Notice

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS SECURITY RELATED ENHANCEMENTS A nonprofit organization in Queens, New York is seeking sealed bids for sales and installation of security related enhancements. The project includes: • Installation of high impact and forced entry resistant exterior perimeter doors and accompanying hardware with blast/security film • Installation of high impact and forced entry resistant windows, frames, and accompanying hardware with blast/ security film • Installation of alarm/motion detection system and panic buttons/strobes • Installation of video surveillance system Selection criteria will be based on knowledge of surveillance and security, adherence to projected work schedule, prior experience, references, and cost. Specifications and bid requirements can be obtained by contacting us at queensproject18@gmail.com All interested firms will be required to sign for the proposal documents and provide primary contact, telephone, fax and email address. Bids will be accepted until 11:59pm on May 31, 2020 and work is to commence by July 1, 2020 and completed by August 31, 2020.

Legal Notices

85 Ralph Ave PPS, LLC Filed 4/25/14 Office: Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 38-50 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361. Purpose: all lawful

Notice of Formation of CLOUD PALMS LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/17/2020. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: ELTON ZHAO, 2606 12TH STREET, ASTORIA, NY 11102. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Brands Brite LLC filed

Notice of Formation of Faloni Law Group LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/04/2020. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: DAVID A FALONI ESQ, 165 PASSAIC AVE SUITE 301, FAIRFIELD, NJ 07004. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

w/ SSNY on 4/1/19. Office: Queens Co. SSNY

For the latest news visit qchron.com

designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 85-25 Aspen Place, Jamaica,

11432.

Purpose: any lawful.

THE QUEENS CHRONICLE

CLASSIFIEDS AND SERVICE DIRECTORY ARE SEARCHABLE TO PLACE YOUR AD CALL ONE OF OUR AD-VISORS

718-205-8000 Queens’ Largest Weekly Community Newspaper Group

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SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS INDEX NO. 711377/2019 Plaintiff designates QUEENS as the place of trial situs of the real property SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS Mortgaged Premises: 3312 111TH STREET, CORONA, NY 11368, Block: 1725 Lot: 16 U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO BANK OF AMERICA NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO LASALLE BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR STRUCTURED ASSET INVESTMENT LOAN TRUST MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2003-BC11, Plaintiff -against- GWENDOLYN WILLIAMS; SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE(S) OF THE WILLIAMS FAMILY TRUST if living, and if she/he/they be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the Subject Property described in the Complaint, Defendants. To the above named Defendants YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with this summons, to serve a notice of appearance on the Plaintiff’s Attorney within 20 days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York) in the event the United States of America is made a party defendant, the time to answer for the said United States of America shall not expire until (60) days after service of the Summons; and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $260,000.00 and interest, recorded on November 18, 2003, at Instrument number CRFN 2003000460276, of the Public Records of QUEENS County, New York, covering premises known as 3312 111TH STREET CORONA, NY 11368. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. QUEENS County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Dated: January 2, 2020 RAS BORISKIN, LLC Attorney for Plaintiff BY:GLENN W. CAULFIELD, ESQ., 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, NY 11590, 516-280-7675

Legal Notices

Notice of Formation of House of Wellness LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/10/2020. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LLC, 38-01 23RD AVE UNIT 100, ASTORIA, NY 11105. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

V & F RESTAURANT HOLDINGS LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 01/28 /20. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 115-10 Rockaway Beach Blvd., Rockaway Park, NY 11694. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of rayluca Limited Liability Company Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/04/2020. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: RAYLUCA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, 3044 29TH ST., ASTORIA, NY 11102. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

VALKYRIE COMMERCIAL LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 03/05/20. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 467 Woodward Avenue, Office 4, Ridgewood, NY 11385. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of RP CONSULTING SOLUTIONS LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 02/03/2020. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LLC, 24-31 92ND STREET, EAST ELMHURST, NY 11369. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

VANDERVOORT AVENUE LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/05/20. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 28-18 Steinway Street, Astoria, NY 11103. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

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Real Estate EQUAL HOUSING. Federal, New York State and local laws prohibit discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, marital status, familial status or disability in connection with the sale or rental of residential real estate. Queens Chronicle does not knowingly accept advertising in violation of these laws. When you suspect housing discrimination call the Open Housing Center (the Fair Housing Agency for the five boroughs of New York) at 212941-6101, or the New York City Commission of Human Rights Hotline at 718-722-3131. The Queens Chronicle reserves the right to alter wording in ads to conform with Federal Fair Housing regulations.

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Mets step up to the plate for frontliners

BEAT

RIP, XFL by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor

by David Russell Associate Editor

There’s no baseball for the time being but it’s not the offseason for the Mets as the organization is helping frontline workers during the coronavirus crisis. The Mets have given thousands of meals to frontline workers, more than 375 cases of water, soda and Powerade products to area food pantries and donated $1,800 worth of fresh produce, including over 50 cases of fruit and vegetables, 15 dozen eggs and other items to area food banks. The team worked with Mama’s of Corona to send more than 500 box lunches and 25 cases of water to frontline workers at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, considered the epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis. And the Mets purchased nearly 1,000 meals from Nick’s Gourmet Deli in East Elmhurst, to feed doctors and nurses at Queens and Flushing hospitals. Through the purchase, frontline workers were fed and the restaurant was able to keep eight members of the staff employed. Additional outreach includes 2,000

The Mets have provided thousands of meals to frontline workers. PHOTO COURTESY NEW YORK METS plastic and canvas bags to area food banks to assist their efforts. “The first impulse during any crisis for Fred and Jeff [Wilpon] is ‘What can we do to help?’ That’s the bottom line,” Harold Kaufman, vice president of communications for the Mets, told the Chronicle. After 9/11, Shea Stadium, then the Mets’ home, was used as a staging area for relief workers. Kaufman said Citi Field is closed but that the team would be Q “welcoming” of any similar use.

COVID-19 claimed its first professional sports league casualty when the reborn spring pro football league, the XFL, decided to pack it in for good last week. There hasn’t been an official statement from the league confirming its demise but the highly respected Sports Business Journal ran a detailed cover story on it. An email I sent to the league’s commissioner, Oliver Luck, bounced back to me, as did my missives to other XFL officials. When the XFL suspended operations in March it announced that it would pay its personnel the compensation they would have received for the season. Fans and media were informed through its website that it would return in 2021. What happened between then and mid-April was that the XFL’s parent owner, World Wrestling Entertainment, started hemorrhaging money in ways that it could never imagine. It had to run a very stripped-down version of its annual Wrestlemania extravaganza from its Orlando Performance Center with no spectators. The WWE depends on big arena shows across the world and the pandemic has obviously hurt. The bad economics forced the WWE to announce that it was laying off a number of grapplers including Curt Hawkins, who was a frequent visitor to Citi Field whenever the WWE partnered with the Mets on a promotion.

Although its teams only played five games each, the XFL has no reason to be ashamed. The quality of play was surprisingly good. The league wasn’t afraid to experiment with new rules such as eliminating the extra-point kick on a touchdown to instead have a sliding scale on extra points by that saw teams run a play from the 2-, 5-and 10-yard lines. Other innovations were that the kicking team could not start downfield to stop a returner on the other team until that player touched the football. There was also a shorter play clock, which meant more offensive plays were called. The XFL also provided affordable weekend football for families whose budgets would never allow them to attend an NFL game. Speaking of the WWE, I was saddened to learn of the passing of its popular ring announcer Howard Finkel. Finkel was adept at getting a crowd worked up at the villain du jour. A great example was his introduction of Russian heel Nikolai Volkoff (who in reality was Josip Peruzovic from Croatia). “Mr. Volkoff requests that you all rise and respect his singing of the Soviet national anthem!” he said proudly into his mic at Madison Square Garden back in the ’80s. Fans immediately pelted the ring with garbage as Volkoff started warbling. Finkel had Q done his job once again. See the extended version of Sports Beat every week at qchron.com.

Page 27 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 23, 2020

SPORTS

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Thank you and stay safe!

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 23, 2020 Page 28

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The LIC community is strong and we will pull through this together. Thanking everyone who is lending a helping hand! The Kirby, Pfohl, & Quigley Families and all of us at Plaxall For more information on where to donate and how to help, visit:

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