Queens Chronicle South Edition 04-25-24

Bodegas that sell alcohol, Lotto can lose licenses if caught selling weed City given power to close illicit pot shops

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

New York City and all local municipalities will now have the power to shut down illegal pot shops, as per the newly enacted state budget.

The city Administrative Code will be amended, allowing it to act under the law immediately, meaning the city Sheriff’s Office can now deputize the NYPD to padlock illegal shops.

Gov. Hochul is also launching a statewide task force to carry out civil enforcement to close illegal stores.

Localities can padlock a shop immediately, provided that it is an “egregious actor,” which is defined as selling cannabis to children, operating next to a school or place of worship, selling unregulated cannabis or products that lead to illness or hospitalization or the presence of illegal firearms.

Unlicensed shops that do not fall into one of the above categories can be closed upon a second inspection, and any previous inspection conducted before the passage of the law counts for the purposes of padlocking.

Violating a padlock order will be a Class A misdemeanor, and if landlords fail to bring forth eviction proceedings against tenants in violation of the cannabis law, they will be subject to strict penalties, including a $50,000

fine for any landlord notified of the violation within NYC, and five times the rent from the time the landlord was notified of the violation outside of NYC.

Alleged violators can file an appeal within seven days and are entitled to a hearing on the appeal within three days of filing. A decision on the appeal must be rendered four days after the hearing, and failure to appeal will lead to a

default judgement against the egregious actor.

If the store has approval from a state agency to sell alcoholic beverages, lottery tickets or tobacco and vaping products, the state Office of Cannabis Management will send a notice to relevant state licensing agencies to report a violation under the cannabis law, and the business will be warned they are at risk of losing their licenses, the Governor’s Office said. Those pro-

visions align with those of bill A9520/S8847. There are also due process provisions that give alleged violators a chance to “cure and be heard,” according to a press release from Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar (D-Woodhaven), who penned the Stop Marijuana Overproliferation and Keep Empty Operators of Unlicensed Transactions Act, colloquially known as the SMOKEOUT Act, to combat the illicit shops. Provisions of the bill were included in the state budget. In the other house of the Legislature, the bill was carried by state Sen. Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans).

“Unlicensed dispensaries have littered New York neighborhoods, blatantly circumventing our laws and selling potentially dangerous products,” Hochul said last Friday in a press release. “Enough is enough. I promised to protect our communities and hard-working, legal cannabis licensees by expediting the closure of illicit storefronts. I’m proud to stand up and say we got it done.”

Mayor Adams has been an outspoken supporter of giving individual municipalities the power to padlock the shops, and has said that if Rajkumar’s SMOKEOUT Act passed, he would be able to shut down all of the city’s illicit smoke shops within 30 days.

“This illegal market has destabilized the legal market, and it was a bold decision led by the

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Mayor Adams and Gov. Hochul last Friday announced the state budget includes provisions that give NYC the power to padlock illegal pot shops. PHOTO BY SUSAN WATTS / NYS GOVERNOR’S OFFICE / FLICKR

Funding will go toward 3-K and pre-K outreach, arts, special ed and more $500M+ allocated to school programming

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

New

York

City will fund $514 million in educational programs previously supported with temporary stimulus funds, the Mayor’s Office and the City Council announced last Friday.

Programming includes mental health care, career readiness, art programs and literacy programs for public school students, all to be included in the fiscal year 2025 executive budget proposal.

The final budget, now being negotiated with the City Council, is due before July 1. Overall, spending on city schools is $35.7 billion for the 2023-24 school year, according to the city Department of Education’s website.

The administration will support the citywide 3-K expansion with roughly $92 million as it transitions from its original stimulus funding source.

The city is also launching a $5 million outreach effort to maximize the number of children enrolled in 3-K and pre-K, it said, with a focus on populations and neighborhoods with low enrollment.

The Adams administration has said there are too many empty seats in the city’s universal 3-K and pre-K program, prompting the outreach effort. Many parents, however, say there aren’t enough seats for children in their neighborhood.

The city will also allocate $25 million in funding to provide special education classes and related services within district schools to pre-K students with special needs.

Adams also announced the city will invest $8 million toward the MyCity portal, where New Yorkers can apply for subsidized child care and other city services.

“We are sticking our fingers in the cushions of our couches, finding every quarter we can find,” Adams said at a press conference Friday alongside City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica) and Schools Chancellor David Banks.

“Today’s joint announcement of over $500 million in funding to support educational programs at risk of ending due to expiring federal stimulus funds is an important step forward in the city budget process,” the speaker said in a press release. “Our students, especially those who

Schools Chancellor David Banks, left, Mayor Adams and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams last week announced $514 million in funding for educational programs.

require critical support services, need continued access to the programs that can help them recover from historic pandemic-era learning losses.”

Banks said that the funding is a “transformative investment” and a “significant step towards ensuring that New York City remains a viable, vibrant home for young families

where our children get a bright start and a bold future.”

While education advocates offered praise of the mayor’s announcement, some said more is still to be done.

“Mayor Adams’ announcement today is a testament to the influence of parents organizing as well as the advocacy from the City Council,”

Rebecca Bailin, the executive director of New Yorkers United for Child Care, said in a statement.

“While the Mayor’s decision to reverse some funding cuts is a step in the right direction, it falls entirely short of the investment and infrastructure needed to fund a truly universal 3-K and pre-K as so many parents in New York City thought they could rely on,” she said. “We demand that every 3 and 4 year old in New York City has access to free and quality child care — just as they were promised.”

Councilwoman Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills) praised the funding during an interview with the Chronicle, but said more needs to be done for 3-K and pre-K.

“That’s still not fully funded,” she said. “Some of it got put back, but there are people who don’t have slots. It’s this push and pull with the city, because the city said, ‘Well, there were empty slots.’ ... But they don’t advertise that there are empty slots, because there are people waiting to put their kids in. So it’s, you know, what happened first — the chicken or the egg? And that’s something that’s challenging.” Q

PS 146 kids write to veterans in need

Students’ letters to be included in care packages containing essentials

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

The total number of veterans nationwide experiencing homelessness was 35,574 as of January 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. While New York City says it has decreased the number of homeless veterans by 90 percent since 2011, there are still men and women who served and are in need of the everyday essentials.

That’s where Chances for Charity comes in. The nonprofit organization, founded by four childhood friends, aims to make a positive impact on the lives of those in need.

“We started in 2020 just as a way to help the community while Covid was going on,” said Renee Scarpaci, one of the group’s founders. “And since then, we’ve kind of pivoted our mission to help those in need.”

More on the group can be found at chancesforcharity.org.

The nonprofit’s newest initiative is called Operation Kindness: Care Packages For Veterans. Chances for Charity is collecting essential items and toiletries, and assembling care packages for homeless and at-risk veterans in hospitals and veterans shelters in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. The group is partnering with schools, and students are writing letters of gratitude and support to accompany the packages.

In Queens, the organization worked with PS 146 in Howard Beach. Mariana Vozza, a paraprofessional at the school and one of the founders of Chances for Charity, said the students

Students at PS 146 in Howard Beach collaborated with Chances for Charity, a nonprofit dedicated to spreading kindness, to send letters and care packages to homeless and at-risk veterans. PHOTOS

were excited about the project.

“I’ve walked class to class as they’ve been writing these letters, and they have put a lot of effort into it,” she said. “We have kids from pre-K to 8th grade doing it. The pre-K kids are coloring pictures that say ‘Thank you veterans’ on it, and the older kids have really put a lot of thought and effort into their

letters thanking them. It’s been very nice.”

She added that because of the project, teachers at the school are now doing short lessons to educate students about veterans.

Tyler Vozza, the group’s president, said the care packages will be distributed through the end of the month. Q

PHOTO BY ED REED / NYC MAYOR’S OFFICE / FLICKR

COURTESY TYLER VOZZA

Albany reaches new $237B budget deal

Mayoral school control, retail theft, housing and more arrive 19 days late

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

Gov. Hochul and the state Legislature last Saturday agreed on a new budget that came in 19 days late, approving a record-high $237 billion in spending for the fiscal year that began April 1.

The final deal contained numerous items of major interest to Queens.

“We are delivering a common-sense agenda that makes New York safer and more affordable,” Hochul said in a press conference on Monday morning in a transcript obtained from her official website. “I promised to fight for New Yorkers and tackle the thorny issues, and that’s exactly what we’ve done.”

The agreement includes numerous changes aimed at accelerating housing construction, which has been a thorny issue for the governor since she took office.

Plans to boost housing in New York City include new tax incentives for affordable housing and an extension of 421-a tax break for six years, for projects already in the pipeline.

The budget also increases penalties for anyone assaulting retail store employees, and authorizes a 100-trooper unit within the State Police to tackle organized retail theft.

It earmarks an additional $1 billion for things ranging from existing mental health services to 200 new inpatient beds for psychiatric treatment.

With a growing number of pedestrian fatalities in recent years, many Queens legislators were pleased to have Sammy’s Law included as a budget item. The measure will allow the City Council to vote to reduce the maximum speed on many roadways from 25 miles per hour to 20. Assemblywoman Jessica González-Rojas (D-East Elmhurst) applauded the measure in a press release.

“This leaves the state with a massive future structural budget deficit ...”

There also are provisions to extend mayoral control of New York City schools for a further two years — with strings, of course. There also is increased funding for city schools; and regulations that grant the NYPD and city Sheriff’s Office greater authority to padlock illegal marijuana shops, as well as to pull tobacco, liquor and lottery licenses for businesses illegally adding marijuana and related products to their customer inventory [see related stories in some editions or at qchron.com].

— Andrew Rein, president, Citizens Budget Commission

“As someone who has been hit by a car I know the trauma that this can cause for those of us that may be lucky to walk away from a crash,” González-Rojas said. “But this victory is for all of the loved ones who we have lost and were not able to make it back home. It is for Sammy and his mother, Amy Cohen, who has fought relentlessly for this moment. It is for Bayron Palomino Arroyo, a child from East Elmhurst we recently lost to traffic violence. It is for Dolma Naadhun, a child from Astoria who was killed in a crash while crossing the street with her family in Astoria.”

Tom Grech, president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, said his members are applauding the efforts to deal with the housing affordability crisis and address retail theft.

“In order for our borough and our entire state to remain competitive, we need to quickly develop thousands of affordable residential units to drive down the cost of living for workers and their families,” Grech said in a statement from the chamber. “This agreement takes on the affordability crisis head on.”

Additionally, Grech said, “the budget takes strong action to curb retail theft by enhancing protections for retail workers, improving accountability and offering a tax break so businesses can upgrade their security systems.”

One set of figures that was not readily available in the governor’s speeches or press releases is just how large deficits for the next three fiscal years are projected to be.

They were estimated at a combined total just over $16 billion back in January when Hochul presented her executive budget —which was only $233 billion.

Hochul’s office did not respond to multiple emails requesting the numbers prior to the Chronicle’s deadline.

Andrew Rein, president of the Citizens Budget Commission, expressed concerns in a press release on Saturday, particularly over what he said was the failure of the state to release detailed financial tables.

“Despite the clouded picture, the reality of future fiscal problems is clear,” Rein said. “This budget leaves the State with a massive, future structural budget deficit, likely exceeding $16 billion. Instead of using strong receipt growth to shore up New York’s fiscal foundation, the budget adds unaffordable spending that increases future gaps — taking the State further in the wrong direction.

Rein did praise the lack of any new taxes, and the funding of rainy-day reserves at 15 percent of the budget. Q

days, 1,600 seized Troubleshooters nab scooters in PD sweep

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

The NYPD last week wrapped up a 10-day operation in which it reported seizing more than 1,600 illegal dirt bikes, ATVs, scooters and mopeds throughout the five boroughs.

Complaints about the vehicles and in many case their reckless operators can be heard at meetings of just about any community board or precinct council in Queens. Last week the 104th Precinct, with its headquarters in Ridgewood, and the 109th in Flushing posted photos of their quarry on their social media sites.

“Your 109 cops seized more illegal motorbikes over the weekend,” according to the 109th Precinct’s feed on X on April 15. “These unregistered motorbikes were confiscated, and their owners summonsed.”

F

ive boros, 10

The precinct said all the seizures took place in the vicinity of Kissena Park, where somonerecently killed 300 new trees to make way for a dirt bike trail.

“Motorbikes must be registered and follow all vehicle traffic laws,” the post concluded.

NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell discussed the operation on April 18 at a press conference in the Bronx that was posted on the department’s X feed. “We’re doing what the community want us to do — enforcement against illegal mopeds, dirt bikes, ATVs and ghost cars,” Chell said. “If you look behind us, you’ll see our first full rack of the night. We will be out here all night.”

Kaz Daughtry, deputy commissioner of operations, said that night’s detail caught some danger-

ous operators. “We had a couple of calls tonight for roving bands of illegal dirt bikes, ATVs, scooters, zipping through traffic, weaving in and out., shutting down streets and even some highways in Manhattan,” Daughtry said.

Yvonne Reddick, district manager of Community Board 12, told the Chronicle that she was not aware of any organized operations in Southeast Queens during the 10-day sweep —but she applauded it.

“I think it was great. I really do,” Reddick said. “They’re out there unlicensed and they are not operating their vehicles properly. It is a problem.”

She said Downtown Jamaica has seen a lot of action from illicit vehicles.

A retired NYPD officer with

extensive experience in vehicle enforcement believes the sweep was less than meets the eye, saying enforcement against them has fallen off since former Commissioner Ray Kelly made it a quality-of-life priority.

“It’s a s---show,” he said, saying that it would not be atypical for him to be able to write up 10 or 11 summonses on a single stop.

“If it’s powered by something other than a person, it is subject to motor vehicle laws,” he said. “It must be registered, and you must be insured. People say, ‘Its just a poor delivery man?’ Fine. Just show me your registration and insurance.” He believes the department has become too worried about being accused of stopping minorities on illegal vehicles when all cops are doing is stopping illegal vehicles. “And it’s going to get worse this summer,” he said.

Q

Last weekend’s state budget deal included provisions for Sammy’s Law, which will allow the city to reduce its speed limits on many streets.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON

Officers from the 104th Precinct posted last week with their day’s catch. NYPD PHOTO /X

Mayoral control gets tweaked in renewal

PEP to grow by one member, capital plan expanded for school construction

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

Mayor Adams will retain control of the city’s school system for an additional two years, as per the state budget.

The announcement came on the heels of the State Education Department’s study and review of the city’s school governance policy, which said research is unclear when it comes to different models, and after lawmakers in the past said that a decision on the renewal would come after the state budget was finalized.

Instead, Gov. Hochul pushed the Legislature toward a decision during budget negotiations.

“I want stability in the city,” she said last Friday at a press conference before the budget was finalized. “I want the parents and children and teachers to know that the governance mechanism that’s been in place for many, many years will not be politicized. It will not be a political football for the next few months.”

Along with the renewal comes a commitment to increase capital spending for city schools by $2 billion, which will be used to expand building construction in alignment with state law mandating smaller class sizes. Passed in 2022, the legislation prescribes new class size caps for all city Department of

Mayoral control was renewed, though modified, within the state budget last week in a victory for Mayor Adams, left, and Schools Chancellor David Banks, who have advocated for an extension of the school governance policy.

Education district schools from kindergarten through 12th grade. In September 2025, 40 percent of classrooms will have to adhere to the size mandates.

The extension also enshrines the principle of maintenance of effort, which states that the city must use state funding to supplement, not supplant its own education spending, accord-

ing to state Sen. John Liu (D-Bayside), the chair of the Committee on NYC Education. The governance system allows the mayor to appoint a schools chancellor and a majority of members to the Panel for Educational Policy, which is responsible for approving standards, policies and objectives related to educational achievement and instruction.

With the renewal of mayoral control, the PEP will grow by one member, an individual chair. The state Senate, Assembly and Board of Regents will each nominate a candidate, and the mayor will pick from the trio.

“For the next two years, New Yorkers can expect mayoral accountability to include a funded and actionable plan to reduce class sizes. This two year extension grants the mayor the accountability he’s been asking for,” Liu said in a statement. “Principles of good governance dictate that control of NYC schools not be based on the actions of any one particular mayor, which is why we will revisit the issue of mayoral control in another two years. Moving forward, we will continue dissecting the recent State Education Department report on mayoral control and engage with all stakeholders on how to best achieve long-term success for NYC public schools.”

In a statement, Adams said, “In the 22 years since mayoral accountability was implemented, New York City’s public schools have transformed — increasing our students’ reading scores, math scores, and graduation rates; reducing the racial disparity gap; allowing the implementation of critical initiatives like ‘NYC Reads’ and universal dyslexia screenings, and ensuring a seamless and timely coordination with partners to wel-

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PHOTO BY ED REED / NYC MAYOR’S OFFICE / FILE

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EDITORIAL AGEP Will new law close pot shops?

Is it finally time for the reign of the illegal marijuana shops to come to an end? Call us cautiously optimistic about what the latest smoke signals from Albany portend for this scourge.

The state’s rollout of legal pot was about as welcome as a bong getting knocked over and spilling filthy water all over your coffee table and carpet. Now the governor and lawmakers are out there with the paper towels and Fantastik trying to clean up.

Within the new state budget is a provision to let municipalities shutter the shady smoke shops that have sprung up like weeds all over the place. While the herb is now legal, selling it out of a bodega without a license is not. But as we’ve seen, it’s hard to shut these places down, even when they’ve got lighted pot leaf signs in the window — and once one of them is closed, it springs back open immediately. And of course the dealers, err, shopkeepers, don’t spend much time as guests of the authorities, either.

But now the law allows the city Sheriff’s Office to deputize the Police Department to close and lock the shops quickly, though the operators correctly

retain some due process rights. Gov. Hochul even held up a padlock to make the point at a press event with Mayor Adams and law enforcement.

The mayor had said before the budget passed that with such a law, he could close all the pot shops in a month. C’mon, your honor, that’s a bit much. There are thousands. We’ll be glad to see whatever progress is made. This blatant lawlessness has to end.

We thought fines of thousands of dollars for the landlords would have a bigger impact than they did. We thought mass product seizures would, too. But neither was enough. Now we are promised immediate action against any store illegally selling weed. Also, perhaps crucially, such shops can lose the ability to sell alcohol, tobacco and lottery tickets, too.

We applaud Hochul and Queens lawmakers such as Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar and state Sen. Leroy Comrie, who carried the legislation, for getting this done. We back the law enforcers who will do the hard part. Let’s hope to soon say, “Goodbye, illegal pot shops; hello, legal cannabis dispensaries” — though we still advise against smoking any of it.

Limit any lower speed limits

Does it feel like you’re crawling along at 25 miles an hour on streets where 30 was a fine limit just a few years ago? How’d you like to go down to 20? That’s just what some members of the City Council want to do, and the state has now authorized them to by including the provisions of Sammy’s Law in the budget approved last Saturday. The law as enacted allows municipalities to set their own speed limits without prior state approval, though with one key caveat.

Sammy is Sammy Cohen Eckstein, a boy tragically killed at age 12 in Brooklyn when some drivers stopped to let him retrieve a ball that had rolled into the street but one sped up to make a light and killed him. Sammy’s mother, and the parents of other victims, have become advocates for safer streets, and they hold an unquestionable moral high ground. The emotions naturally push lawmakers to do something.

But emotions alone cannot drive policy, and 20 mph across the board would be overreach. Lawmakers agreed by saying it cannot be done on streets with three or more lanes in one direction outside Manhattan. It shouldn’t be done on thoroughfares from Jamaica Avenue to Steinway Street either. Keep it to narrow side streets. Most of the recent child traffic deaths here were caused by drivers turning recklessly. Lower limits would not have saved them. Being a responsible adult and paying attention would have. We need more of that.

LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

Live tree dilemma

Dear Editor:

Stephen DiFede, I feel your pain (“My green dilemma,” Letters, April 18). I too am burdened by an uncared for giant pagoda tree in front of my house. I also have called 311 over the years to no avail. I will have to spend thousands of dollars to repair the damage to my concrete, not to mention the physical toll it takes on my body to clean up after it.

What I would like to know is: Will the Parks Department ever trim our trees and if not, what can I as a homeowner do about it? Can one of my representatives out there inquire about this? We who deal with this situation deserve answers.

Linda Dobson Middle Village

Dead tree travesty

Dear Editor:

On Monday morning, April 22, Earth Day, WQXR posed its weekly “Know It All New Yorker of the Week“ query. The winner correctly guessed that the Borough of Queens has the most trees within NYC, namely seven million!

But now, sadly, we must subtract the 300 trees that were destroyed in or around early April on sacred Indian ground, namely Kissena Park (“Vandals kill 300 Kissena Park trees,” multiple editions, and “Kissena tree

killings cut deep,” Editorial, April 18).

The NYC councilmember who represents the area also sits on the Council’s Parks Committee. That combined responsibility surely represents a singular opportunity for a City Hall public hearing to be calendared, perhaps on Thursday, May 17, 2024, “National Love A Tree Day.”

The sooner this wrong is righted the better.

F.E. Scanlon Flushing

Bridge to troubled waters

Dear Editor:

I was impressed with Anthony G. Pilla’s letter in the April 18 edition, about the possibility of the toppled Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore being rebuilt and renamed (“No change to bridge name”). I couldn’t agree with you more, Anthony; the name ought to remain. But if you have any fear it won’t, you need only look at the leadership in both Baltimore and Maryland. Both are under almost entire Democratic

control. The party has neither reverence nor respect for America’s history and traditions.

That aside, 2024 has indeed been a historic year for America’s youth eager to learn about the world. In January, Madison Marsh, Miss Colorado, became the first active-duty servicewoman in the 104-year history of the Miss America Pageant to wear the crown. Then on April 5, the New York metropolitan area endured a 4.8-magnitude earthquake. Three days later, we experienced a solar eclipse.

And in the world of criminal justice, ou r youth are learning that it pays to be a criminal and there is no fear of consequence. Thanks to insane bail reform laws, district attorneys like Alvin Bragg, state Attorney General Letitia James and state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins — all Democrats — criminals have learned that they can get away with practically any crime. Any victim who attempts selfdefense is arrested.

Bragg and James, in particular, see nothing wrong with this policy and have no intentions of

LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

changing any laws protecting criminals. But they sure know how to vigorously prosecute Donald Trump.

It may shock them to know that when I walk the streets or ride trains, it is done in fear. It is not Trump who scares me, but thugs and criminals. Plus the fact that if I am attacked, the perpetrators will be immediately set free.

Edward Riecks Howard Beach

Marine debris history

Dear Editor:

I am writing to provide clarification on the origin of the new Office of Marine Debris and Vessel Surrendering (“City makes a splash with new agency,” April 18, multiple editions). Two important hidden figures who were not included in the story were integral in exposing this issue.

Mr. Johann Smiley Sr. contacted The Heart of Rockaway civic’s president, Mr. Edwin Williams, and requested help in removing marine debris and abandoned vessels near his bayside property. Mr. Williams advocated for him by contacting CBS and NY1 who came to Rockaway and did a story interviewing Mr. Williams and Mr. Smiley.

This story caught the attention of our elected officials, Councilwomen Joann Ariola and Selvena Brooks-Powers, as well as state Sen. James Sanders Jr. On April 23, 2022, the New York Post picked up the story and helped to start the ball rolling for this new city-funded entity.

Hopefully, the area nearest Mr. Smiley’s property will have the highest priority.

Karen Sloan-Payne Rockaway Beach

The writer is a member of the executive board of the civic group THOR — The Heart of Rockaway.

Congestion fleecing

Dear Editor:

Went to Manhattan today and used the express bus like a good citizen. With all the bus lanes, bike lanes and turn lanes, there are only two lanes on Sixth Avenue. The city is responsible for congestion, not people like you and me.

The streets are mostly taken up by cabs, Ubers, buses and those stupid rickshaw bikes. The Ubers and bikes block traffic. And they want to tag on an extra $15 just to come into Manhattan. What morons.

What we need instead is to reopen the old Long Island Rail Road line here. Southwest Queens is the most underserved part of Queens when it comes to public transportation.

Lenore Bruno Ozone Park

Fully fund Pre-K, 3-K

Dear Editor:

(An open letter to Mayor Adams)

As City Council Members and parents of young children, we urge you to prioritize and expand universal preschool in New York City.

As parents, we understand firsthand the daily struggles faced by our constituents when it comes to navigating the complexities and unaffordability of childcare in our city. For many families, the assurance of access to free, quality early childhood education through the

city’s universal 3-K and Pre-K programs has been indispensable. However, this vital lifeline is now at risk, posing a threat to the future sustainability of our city and our ability to support working- and middle-class families.

According to the Citizens Committee for Children, a staggering 80 percent of New Yorkers cannot afford the exorbitant costs of childcare, contributing significantly to the exodus of low- and middle-income families from our state. To ensure New York City remains economically competitive and continues to be a viable and affordable place to live, we urgently call upon you to:

• fully fund Pre-K and 3-K, ensuring that every child gets a spot near their home;

• invest in comprehensive outreach and advertising campaigns to effectively promote these programs; and

• establish universal childcare for all children under 5, providing full-day and yearround availability.

We have witnessed the positive impact of universal childcare on families and our economy. Research conducted by the Robin Hood Foundation revealed that mothers residing in school districts with greater 3-K availability were more likely to participate in the labor force, particularly in full-time employment. Similarly, in Canada, the nationwide rollout of $10-a-day daycare has resulted in significant benefits for workforce retention.

As both parents of young children and elected representatives of families with similar needs, we implore you not to undermine the progress we have made. It is crucial to restore full funding for Pre-K and 3-K programs and explore viable options for expanding access to all children under 5.

Jennifer Gutiérrez

NYC Councilwoman for the 34th District

Brooklyn

Crystal Hudson

NYC Councilwoman for the 35th District

Brooklyn

Shekar Krishnan

NYC Councilman for the 25th District

Jackson Heights

Julie Menin

NYC Councilwoman for the 5th District

Manhattan

Pierina Sanchez

NYC Councilwoman for the 14th District Bronx

Kevin Riley

NYC Councilman for the 12th District Bronx

Julie Won

NYC Councilwoman for the 26th District

Long Island City Surprise

Don’t really know you but oh this is fun, etching psalms and arias under two suns. One day I will wake and bring you a gift, it’s a surprise who you’ll share energy with.

Have a good weekend!

Migrants allege ‘Grabba’ sweatshop stole their pay

Two former workers at Queens HotHead Grabba factory file wage theft complaints

by Claudia Irizarry Aponte THE CITY

This article was originally published on April 23 at 5:01 a.m. EDT by THE CITY

Two Ecuadorian migrants working in a Queens factory packaging loose “grabba” tobacco sold by a popular New York-based street brand have filed wage theft complaints to the state Labor Department, alleging thousands of dollars of unpaid labor and overtime.

The complaint against HotHead Grabba LLC comes weeks after women in a Brooklyn factory filed papers against the company with the New York State Department of Labor and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration alleging wage theft and dangerous working conditions, as previously reported by THE CITY.

In the new complaints to the state DOL, submitted April 11, the two male workers assert they typically worked between 10 and 13 hours a day, seven days a week at an Ozone Park assembly line packing tobacco into five-gram plastic tubes for sale in retail outlets for several weeks in November and December.

A man they knew only as El Niño told them they would be paid $10 an hour, the men said in their complaints and in a joint interview with THE CITY. The New York minimum wage at the time was $15 an hour, now up to $16.

They were never paid even the $10 an hour, according to the complaint — either getting shortchanged or not paid at all.

The older brother, who’s 34, got paid $1,600 for 410 hours of work according to their calculations filed with the state — equivalent to

$3.90 per hour. His 25-year-old sibling received $1,540 for 400 hours of work.

With overtime, they are owed $6,545 and $6,365 respectively, asserts the complaint, filed with the state by the immigrant advocacy organization Make the Road New York.

“We just want them to compensate us for our work,” the older brother said of HotHead Grabba. THE CITY is withholding the complainants’ names at their request. “We don’t want this to happen to anyone else ever again.”

In their complaint, the men said that even getting paid what they were able to get was a protracted process.

“I asked El Niño repeatedly for my unpaid wages, eventually he told me to stop calling and he would let me know when my payment was ready but I never heard from him,” both of them assert on their complaint forms.

The brothers also described sweatshop-like conditions at the factory, where they listened to salsa, Colombian vallenato and Englishlanguage music on a speaker while sorting and packing the tobacco.

HotHead provided workers with surgical face masks, barely a buffer against the acrid tobacco smell, so strong that they stuffed their masks with napkins as an additional filter. At the end of his shifts, the younger brother said, his hands were sometimes swollen and cramped. The ground tobacco, they said, was “everywhere” — inside their masks, stuck to their clothes and hanging in the air, making them nauseous and dizzy, they told THE CITY.

The factory, which the brothers said is windowless and unventilated, doesn’t have a bathroom, forcing workers to use the bathroom at a

garage next door. On days where the garage was closed, workers had no choice but to wait until they got home to wash their faces and hands. They have not submitted complaints to OSHA.

The state Labor Department declined to discuss the new complaint, citing its ongoing investigation of HotHead Grabba.

OSHA is probing the Brooklyn women’s claims of enduring dizziness, fainting and nausea on the job, THE CITY previously reported.

A message sent to HotHead Grabba’s Instagram account Monday did not receive a response. Last month, a message from the account called “false” the initial wage theft allegations from women who had worked at the Brooklyn factory.

garbage bags throughout the day.

At the time, the two brothers were unaware of New York’s minimum wage laws but they were happy with the pay they were promised, said the older sibling, compared to the $20 a day he earned harvesting bananas back home.

The brothers didn’t receive their first payment until their third week at the job, $520 and $480, according to the complaint, after reporting 190 hours of work.

“El Niño told us that business was bad and that’s why they couldn’t pay us the full amount then, but they would in the future,” the younger sibling said.

But if business is so bad, he recalled asking El Niño, why hadn’t their hours and daily quota decreased? “He said that they would give the tobacco to the stores on credit, and that’s why they didn’t have any money,” the former worker said.

“How can we ever owe someone thousands of dollars we don’t offer that kind of help here, it’s impossible so,” the message read.

HotHead Grabba registered as a limited liability company with the state of New York on March 7, three days after OSHA inspected the Brooklyn factory and a week after THE CITY first exposed the allegations of sweatshop conditions at that facility.

Weekly pay promised

The brothers started working at the Ozone Park factory just three days after arriving in New York from their native Ecuador in November. A mutual friend told them about the job, saying they could earn between $2,100 and $2,200 a week packing ground tobacco.

Once at the factory, the younger brother said, the two went straight to work after “El Niño” explained how and when they would be compensated: $8 hourly for the first week, and then $10 hourly every week after, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, in cash payments at the end of each week.

The men worked seven days a week to meet their production quota: a daily minimum of 500 plastic bags filled with 30 five-gram branded tubes of packed “grabba” tobacco each, the equivalent of 15,000 individual tubes daily, they told THE CITY.

The men told THE CITY they were in charge of packing the tobacco while two other men were responsible for grinding the stripped tobacco leaves that arrived in piles of black

They each received two more payments before quitting on Dec. 18, 2023, according to their complaints to the DOL.

“It got to the point where we couldn’t afford the bus to work,” said the older brother. “That’s why we told them we were quitting.” Another relative loaned the brothers money to cover their rent, a debt they are still repaying. Both said they continued texting and calling El Niño to ask for their money — and claim El Niño eventually told them to stop calling him, an assertion they included in their DOL complaints.

Now both work as construction day laborers, finding odd jobs in residential renovation projects and construction cleanup. The pay is better –$16 an hour, they said – but between recent bad weather and a market saturated with other migrants like them, work is hard to find.

They only realized the extent of how much money they were owed when in February they attended a know-your-rights workshop at the Jackson Heights office of Make The Road and learned about New York’s minimum wage laws for the first time.

The younger brother said he hopes that HotHead will stop denying other workers their due wages.

“We’re angry, and we feel like we were cheated,” he said. “We want [HotHead] to really think about what they’ve done with our pay, and to stop cheating workers out of their pay and taking advantage of illegals.” Q

THE CITY (www.thecity.nyc) is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to hard-hitting reporting that serves the people of New York.

A Harlem market advertises selling HotHead Grabba, Feb. 23, 2024.

PHOTO BY ALEX KRALES / THE CITY

A worker shows how swollen his hands, left, would get after long shifts packing thousands of tubes of loose HotHead Grabba tobacco, April 17, 2024. Video, right, shows conditions inside a HotHead Grabba packaging warehouse.

PHOTO BY CLAUDIA IRIZARRY APONTE / THE CITY, LEFT, AND SCREENSHOT FROM VIDEO OBTAINED BY THE CITY

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Schulman: progress, priorities in CD 29

Looking back, charging ahead on health, education and public safety

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

No one who followed Councilwoman Lynn Schulman’s first campaign could be surprised with the items she lists at the top of her agenda in her third year in office.

And it was not by luck or accident that she chairs the Health Committee and sits on the Education Committee.

Sitting down with the Chronicle’s editorial board on Monday, Schulman said the council already has passed a number of important health measures aimed at long-term turnarounds of troubling trends.

“I passed two very important pieces of legislation last year,” Schulman said. “One was the first citywide diabetes reduction plan, which gave the Health Department a year to put together a plan to talk about ways they’re going to reduce the incidents and impact of type 2 diabetes.”

Borough President Donovan Richards also has committed $1 million to the project.

Schulman also said there has been more funding for NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst and Jamaica Hospital Medical Center; and that she is backing efforts by Councilwoman Selvena Brooks-Powers (D-Laurelton) to bring a trauma center, if not a full hospital, to Southeast Queens.

The second, she said, was the Healthy NYC program, which has strong backing from Mayor Adams, and is aimed at raising the age of life expectancy in the city to 83 by 2030.

the interview

A lot of her work on the Education Committee has been in an area where she feels the city has lost its of its focus — music and the arts, as well as gifted and talented programs.

She said the plan was delivered last week

“We’re seeing what we can get out of it in terms of legislation, in terms of what we can do for the community.”

Schulman also pointed to $3 million she secured from the Council for Long Island Jewish Forest Hills hospital — with Northwell Health agreeing to match it — to modernize what structurally is largely a 72-year-old emergency room layout.

“I’ve been there. The staff is wonderful. But the place is horrible.”

HB Lindenwood Civic meeting on April 30

The Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic invites all to its meeting on April 30 at 7 p.m., in the cafeteria of St. Helen Catholic Academy, located at 83-09 157 Ave.

The meeting agenda includes a presentation from NYC Emergency Management and updates from the NYPD and elected officials. Civic projects and upcoming events also will be discussed.

Those with questions can reach the civic at hblcivic2014@gmail.com. Q

Smoke shops

continued from page 2

governor, the speaker, Majority Leader [Andrea Stewart-Cousins] and Speaker of the Assembly Carl Heastie,” Adams said on Friday at a press event alongside Hochul. “This is a great moment for our city, as we identified a problem and effectively used government to put the tools in place for us to address the problem. Probably all the way from the Council chamber, everyone heard the voices of those who stated — the electeds throughout the city who stated, ‘We must do something for our constituencies on the ground.’ I want to thank our partners in Albany.”

“Last year I put a lot of money into the arts,” she said. “That has been lacking for years. I was really pushing for gifted and talented in all the schools. It’s been increased. It’s not in all the schools. But it’s in a lot of them. This is something important.”

And she said lawmakers are hard at work addressing new state direction on mayoral control of the schools and state-imposed class size restrictions [see separate story in some editions or at qchron.com].

Rounding out Schulman’s top three is public safety.

“Because the first tenet of government is that people feel safe. And a lot of people don’t feel safe.” She said big things and small have to be part of varied approach. One she said was the recent acquisition of two new patrol vehicles for the 112th Precinct, which protects Forest Hills and Rego Park.

“What’s happening in precincts around the city is we’re being told that some cars are becoming obsolete, and when the mayor made some cuts last year that program kind of went by the wayside,” she said.

She said the city expects more new cruisers after a new budget goes into effect on July 1; in the meantime, she said, the 112th has two more unita available for everything from routine patrols to 911 calls.

Others are more intricate, such as Combat Hate, a program being offered for schools that is run by the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which

In a later statement provided by his office, Adams attributed the start of the conversation to Rajkumar.

“Thank you to Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar for her leadership in authoring the SMOKEOUT Act and for helping to start this conversation,” Adams said in the statement. “She has been a leader in getting tough legislation passed. By going after illegal smoke shops, we will protect our children and neighborhoods from the dangers of shootings and unregulated cannabis. I applaud Governor Hochul, Assemblywoman Rajkumar, and all of our partners in Albany who fought every day to give New York City the authority to finally shut down these shops.” Q

helps students in grades 8 through 12 do things like recognize hateful content on digital platforms and how to better analyze and critique social media.

Another, she said, has been increased attention to illegal scooters, dirt bikes and mopeds in the 112th since the arrival of NYPD Assistant Chief Christine Bastedenbeck as commanding officer of Patrol Borough Queens North in December 2022 and Capt. David Cordano last May as the CO of the precinct.

“When [Cordano] was an executive officer in Jackson Heights, he took a lot of mopeds off the streets,” Schulman said, saying the vehicles have been a safety and quality-of-life issue, and that seizures in the 112 have tripled under his watch.

Illegal cannabis shops, she said, are both a public health and public safety problem.

“In the pantheon of all these laws we have passed, I actually passed a law holding landlords responsible,” she said. But she added that the process, written under old guidelines, is fraught with hoops and delays, including requiring permission from the state for the NYPD or city Sheriff’s Office to act.

Schulman hopes measures agreed to in the new state budget can streamline the process for

city law enforcement in its efforts to padlock the unlicensed stores.

“What’s significant is the Real Estate Board of New York has sent out a letter to its landlords saying ‘You can’t be doing this,’” she added.

Schulman also is in agreement with Mayor Adams’ plans to restore two of the four police academy classes that had been eliminated under previous budget cuts.

The legislator still opposes the new jail slated for Kew Gardens, one of four community lockups slated to take the place of Rikers Island. Mayor Adams has expressed serious doubts that Rikers will be closed by 2027, as mandated by city law.

Others have asked how jails intended to hold a combined 4,000 people will house the more than 6,000 now on the real estate just to the north of LaGuardia Airport.

“If I could do that math, I’d be the mayor,” Schulman said. “I’ve spoken with people who are advocates of closing [Rikers]. If you have a borough jail that is just going to be a copy of what you’re doing, why bother? Because there’s no programs. That was the promise back in the de Blasio administration. There would be programs. There would be services. No one’s talking about that now.”

On the subject of politics, Schulman was asked about being a Democrat in a party that includes herself and Councilmembers as far apart philosophically as Tiffany Cabán (D-Astoria) and Bob Holden (D-Maspeth).

Schulman was one of 15 members in 2023 who withdrew from the Council’s Progressive Caucus.

“I left the Progressive Caucus because the was a provision in the bylaws that you agreed to defund the police. That simple,” Schulman said. “‘Progressive’ has different connotations. For me ‘progressive’ means being able to move forward. It was different 10 years ago than it is now.

“I’m a die-hard Democrat. When you look at the votes I’ve cast, many of those can be said to be progressive.”

She will also sign on to bills proffered by anyone from progressives to Republicans.

“It depends on the substance. I’m a progressive who wants to get thing done. You can disagree without being disagreeable.” Q

Mayoral control gets tweaked

continued from page 8

come, enroll, and support thousands of newly-arriving students and their families on a citywide scale. “

He thanked the state Legislature for allowing him and Chancellor David Banks “to continue to provide bold and necessary programs for the betterment of our children,” and reiterated his commitment to providing an “education system free from bureaucracy and one that allots them the certainty they deserve, provides historic investments in our schools, and changes the way we approach learning in

New York City.”

The Department of Education did not supply a statement regarding the extension pre-emptively or when asked, but this past March, Banks told reporters at a City Hall briefing that he had did not want to remain chancellor if the policy did not get renewed.

“I have no interest in serving as the chancellor in a system where you don’t really have the authority to make real decisions,” he said. “I have no interest in that whatsoever. I’m gonna be very clear about that.” Q

Councilwoman Lynn Schulman PHOTO BY PETER C. MASTROSIMONE

Leaders of 17 groups note opposition as boro prez touts plan for housing Civics slam Richards on Creedmoor claim

by Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief

Seventeen Eastern Queens civic leaders reiterated their opposition to the state’s redevelopment plan for much of the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center property last week after Borough President Donovan Richards touted it as a “community-led effort” in a newsletter.

Area civic groups oppose the plan because, they say, it will be too dense for the region, with buildings that are too tall and lack adequate parking, and that it will be too great a strain on existing infrastructure including roads and sewers.

Richards, who regularly speaks of the need for more housing in Queens and touts the projects slated to produce it, included an item headlined “A New Day is Dawning at Creedmoor” in a newsletter his office said was mailed to tens of thousands of homes across Queens last week. The missive was timed to follow his April 12 State of the Borough address.

“The largest community development project in the history of Eastern Queens is on the horizon in the form of Borough President Richards and Empire State Development’s draft Creedmoor Community Master Plan,” the piece says. “The community-led effort aims to redevelop 50 vacant acres of state land through the creation of more than 2,000 units of housing, with 55 percent being designated

HB Kiwanis scholarships

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

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

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

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

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

for homeownership.”

Empire State Development, the agency planning the project, has proposed 2,873 units of housing on 58 acres of the Creedmoor campus. The plan includes 813 elevator co-ops in buildings of six to eight stories, 536 walk-up co-ops in buildings of three to four stories, 186 triplexes in three-story structures and 98 semidetached two-family homes of two stories. There would be 377 senior homes, 431 supportive housing units and 432 apartments deemed affordable and granted by lottery, in buildings of six to eight stories.

The civic leaders said in a letter emailed to Richards on April 19 that they object to his calling the project “community-led,” since area neighborhood organizations do not support the plan and saw their own proposals for the property overridden.

Suzanne Peritz, Rocky Hill CA; James Trent, Creedmoor CA; Michael O’Keeffe, Creedmoor CA; Lourdes V. Hartrick, Bellerose Commonwealth CA; Michael Mallia, Bellerose Commonwealth CA; Richard Hellenbrecht, Bellerose Commonwealth CA; Robert Friedrich, Glen Oaks Village Owner; Jonathan Karten, Lost Community CA; Angela Castellano, Lost Community CA; Rhonda Kontner, Royal Ranch CA; Bryan Block, Community Board 13; Bobby Sher, Bell Park Manor Terrace; Corey Bearak, North Bellerose CA; Mohamood Ishmael, Queens Village CA; Nagassar Ramgarib, Queens Village CA; Warren Schreiber, Queens Civic Congress.

They want a maximum of 1,000 units of two to three stories, and note that Community Board 13 passed a resolution to that effect.

“The plan by Empire State Development is not acceptable,” the civics’ letter says. “The layout is primarily four story, six story and eight story buildings, which are not compatible with our communities. In fact, except for one six story apartment building at 259th Street

you will not find anything on the Hillside Avenue corridor from Winchester Boulevard to the city line higher than two stories.”

As currently presented the plan cannot be called a community-led effort, at least not led by the host communities nearest the facility.”

The signatories and their respective civic or other organizations are Angela Augugliaro of the Queens Colony Civic Association;

Autism walk returns to S. Richmond Hill

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

Autism is a complex brain disorder that often inhibits a person’s ability to communicate, respond to their surroundings and form relationships with others. In 2023, the CDC estimated that one in 36 children in the United States has autism spectrum disorder.

To raise awareness, all are invited to attend the second annual Autism and Developmental Disability Walk and Resource Fair on May 4, from 1 to 5 p.m. at Phil “Scooter” Rizzuto Park in South Richmond Hill, hosted by Community Board 9 and state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven).

Participants will walk around the perimeter of the park four times. There will be complimentary snacks and beverages, and resources and educational materials will be distributed. Among the guest speakers is Janet Forte, a school psychologist specializing in helping children with special needs, who will share her knowledge on autism and developmental disabilities.

“Autism can come in many different forms and affects each person with it differently, so because of that, each person

with autism — and the families and loved ones that care for them — require different levels and types of care,” Addabbo said in a statement. “That is why it is vitally important that we have events like this. However, we are also walking to raise awareness of other developmental disabilities that impact so many lives right here in Queens, let alone across the country and the world.”

The cause is especially important to the chair of Community Board 9, Sherry Algredo.

“As the mother of a son with autism, I am personally excited to have Senator Addabbo sponsor this walk again along with Community Board 9,” Algredo said. “After the great success we had with the walk last year it has become clear that this is an event that is needed in the community and must continue.

“This is not just a walk, but also an opportunity to engage and speak with participating families and hear about their struggles and the need for more equitable and fair services for people with special needs. We encourage folks to come out and join us in support of this great cause and keep this awareness going.”

Most of the signatories are presidents of their respective civics. The exceptions are Trent, Creedmoor’s treasurer and past president; Mallia, a Bellerose Commonwealth board member and land use chair; Hellenbrecht, a Bellerose Commonwealth past president; Ishmael, a Queens Village past president; and Block, who chairs CB 13. Karten and Castellano are co-presidents.

The redevelopment plan is for sometime in the future; right now the site is being used to house hundreds of immigrants who crossed the border seeking work or asylum. Q

Feds fault cops on bad parking

The U.S. Department of Justice has admonished the NYPD for letting police and other government employees park on sidewalks and in crosswalks because the practice hinders the mobility of people with disabilities. The department therefore is out of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the DOJ said in a March 29 letter to NYPD legal officials.

The letter was first reported April 19 by the activist media outlet Streetsblog, whose coverage of the issue was cited by the DOJ in its missive. Just last week, the Queens Chronicle story “Access isn’t just about ADA ramps” reported on residents’ complaints about police parking around the 114th Precinct in Astoria [see qchron.com].

The DOJ letter also said, “In addition to the parking of NYPD vehicles around precincts, the City of New York has a broader problem of allowing City Vehicles to park in manners that impede accessibility throughout the City.”

The DOJ advised ways for the NYPD to comply with the ADA and said the U.S. might sue if necessary to ensure it does. The NYPD said it is reviewing the letter. Q

— Peter C. Mastrosimone

A rendering of the housing stock proposed on 58 acres of the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center campus in Queens Village. Winchester Boulevard is at left. IMAGE COURTESY ESD

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Parents, pols implore the Diocese of Brooklyn to reconsider closure Supporters hope to save St. Matthias

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

Elected officials have joined parents who do not want to let the 114-year-old St. Matthias Catholic Academy close down without a fight.

Lagging enrollment at the nursery-8 school and increasing operating deficits were cited by officials of the Diocese of Brooklyn. The school, located at 58-25 Catalpa Ave., has an operating deficit this year of approximately $300,000, which is expected to grow next year.

“Enrollment at St. Matthias Catholic Academy has declined nearly 50 percent over the last five years from 283 students to 150 students,” the diocese said in a statement. “Despite the best efforts to prevent this closure, the student population continued to decrease, while the budget shortfalls increased.

“The decision to close one of our schools is made only after many avenues have been explored to try and keep the school doors open. The Superintendent’s office has met with the parents and will assist all families to find a seat in an area Catholic school for September.”

MTA job fair on Saturday

Efforts have been made to try and increase enrollment for next September with discounted tuition. A GoFundMe page set up this week has raised $16,520 from 82 donors toward a goal of rising $1 million. The page

During a Community Board 12 hybrid meeting last Wednesday night, it was announced that the MTA is seeking to hire 2,000 bus operators.

A job fair will be held on Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 130 Livingston St. in Brooklyn, said CB 12 Chairwoman Carlene Thorbs, during the meeting at the Robert Ross Johnson Family Life Center in St. Albans. James Johnson, the executive director of Gateway JFK, a business improvement district, also posted a flier about the job fair on Facebook.

Applicants must bring their resumes, Social Security cards, driver’s licenses (valid at least three years) and proof of commercial driver’s licenses or permits. People who are not able to be processed on the day of the event will have the opportunity to get an appointment at a future event.

To learn more, visit new.mta.info/ article/mta-bus-operator-job-fairapril-27-2024.

can be found at bit.ly/3Uu0qB8.

“From the moment my daughters stepped through the doors of St. Matthias Catholic Academy, it was evident that this place was not just a school, but a warm and nurturing

community, a home away from home,” said Kamil Jarkowski in the fundraiser’s comments.

“SMCA holds such a special place in my heart! My school children mean the world to me,” wrote Elizabeth Colon.

“If you grow up in Ridgewood, then you know!” posted Alianna Navarez.

A video posted April 19 on the Facebook page of the Ridgewood Glendale Maspeth Middle Village Community Board depicted children chanting “Save our school” on the front steps of the building.

Councilman Bob Holden (D-Maspeth), in an April 23 Letter to the Rev. Bishop Robert Brennan and Gregory Haufe, chairman of the school’s board of trustees, asked the leadership to reconsider.

“Over the past few days, my office has been flooded with calls and messages from our deeply concerned constituents,” Holden wrote. “The potential loss of St. Matthias Catholic Academy, a beloved institution that has served our community with distinction for 114 years, has left many families heartbroken and

Judge orders concert noise monitor plan

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

A Queens court has ordered the West Side Tennis Club to take steps to monitor excessive noise from the concerts at Forest Hills Stadium, and to divert crowd flow away from residential areas as best it can.

Queens State Supreme Court Justice Joseph Esposito, in a five-page decision dated April 19, issued a preliminary injunction sought by the Forest Hills Gardens Corp., which has issues with noise, traffic and trespassing concertgoers.

Esposito ordered that the tennis club obtain a sound device permit from the NYPD, while noting that “the defendant has been working with City agencies to implement new sound mitigation measures before the 2024 concert season.’

sonnel to ensure the designated routes are followed in the stadium’s vicinity.

Esposito denied a request that the WSTC be ordered to develop plans for traffic and pedestrian control.

“This court will not usurp the function of non-party, New York City, and/or its participating departments ... or advise it of its obligations to perform its duties in the instant matter,” he wrote.

Esposito also distinguished his decision from a recent one in the case of Concerned Citizens of Forest Hills, Inc., et al, v. West Side Tennis Club that denied a motion for an injunction.

The justice said that motion was dismissed in part, because necessary parties had not joined the suit.

uncertain about their children’s educational future.

“As a product of Catholic education myself, I am aware of the invaluable role that these institutions play in shaping the characters and futures of young individuals. Catholic schools not only provide high-quality education but also instill moral values that guide students throughout their lives. The role of parochial schools like St. Matthias in offering diverse school choice options is indispensable.

“Our community cannot afford to lose another parochial school that has been such a cornerstone of educational success and moral guidance.”

Assemblyman Juan Ardila (D-Sunnyside)on Tuesday encouraged parents to contact the school with their concerns, and offered his support.

“While I will always use my platform as an elected to amplify public school education in New York, ensuring parents have the option to enroll their children in a school that centers their faith is sacred,” Ardila said. “On that principal, I commit my unwavering support to keeping this school open.” Q

NYBC calling to all donors

The New York Blood Center is seeking donors of all blood types to help the sick, injured and needy in the community.

Each donor can help surgery and cancer patients, accident victims and new mothers and babies.

Information is available at nybc.org.

Upcoming drives include:

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

• The Shops at Atlas Park, 1 to 7 p.m., on Monday, April 29, next to TJ Maxx at 8000 Cooper Ave. in Glendale;

• Queens Place mall, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., in the former T-Mobile store at 88-01 Queens Blvd. in Elmhurst;

• Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, 8:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., on Sunday, May 12, in the basement at 70-01 Kessel St. in Forest Hills;

People must be able to pass a drug screening to become a bus operator and if appointed to the role, expect to be subject to random drug and alcohol tests.

He also ordered the hiring of an independent noise monitoring organization approved by the court and paid for by Forest Hills Gardens.

Q

— Naeisha Rose

As for trespassers, the WSTC must create a plan through the use of barricades that direct concert goers away from residential areas; and must hire security per-

“Furthermore, here, the plaintiff is not seeking to enjoin the defendant from holding concerts or largescale events in 2024 until a plan is implemented; rather, it is requesting that the noise level not exceed the standard in the noise code and that it be monitored,” Esposito wrote.

The Chronicle was unable to speak with the WSTC’s attorney prior to deadline due to the Passover holiday. Q

• St. Sebastian Roman Catholic Church, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Sunday, May 19, at 39-60 57 St. in Woodside; and

• NYPD Medical Division, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Wednesday, May 29, at 59-17 Junction Blvd. in the 16th-floor auditorium in Corona. Q

Families and supporters of the St. Matthias Academy in Ridgewood are appealing to the Diocese of Brooklyn to find a way to save the financially troubled school.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL SHAIN

Flushing ‘squatter’

faces up to 15 yrs.

Man allegedly rented out rooms without homeowner’s knowledge

by Sophie Krichevsky

District Attorney

Melinda Katz last Thursday announced the indictment and arraignment of a man allegedly squatting in an unoccupied Flushing home and renting out rooms in it illegally.

According to the charges, homeowner Adele Andaloro found on Feb. 17 that the front door to the home she had inherited from her late father on 160th Street had been changed without her knowledge or permission. Andaloro previously told the Chronicle she was in the process of selling the home.

Over the next few days, Andaloro allegedly observed the defendant, Brian Rodriguez, whom she had never met, inside the house, the DA’s Office said. On Feb. 19, she confronted Rodriguez, who said he was leasing the house from someone, despite Andaloro having sole ownership. Ten days later, Andaloro allegedly saw several other people staying in the home whom she also had not authorized.

After finding that the door had been left ajar, she entered the house and found that the locks had been changed without her knowledge. She countered that by calling a locksmith to change them again.

Later that day, Rodriguez returned to the house and forced his way in, with Andaloro unsuccessfully trying to keep the door shut from the other side, ordering him to leave. Police arrived at the scene — Katz’s office did not say who called them — at which point Rodriguez claimed he was a legal tenant being harassed by the owner to unlawfully evict him. That led to Andaloro’s arrest and removal from the house.

After Andaloro met with Katz’s office and an investigation by the office’s Housing and Worker Protection Bureau, a grand jury indictment was issued; Rodriguez surrendered to the DA’s Detective Bureau earlier last Thursday.

Rodriguez was charged with five counts: burglary in the second degree, grand larceny in the fourth degree, criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, criminal trespassing in the second degree and criminal mischief in the fourth degree.

If convicted, Rodriguez faces up to 15 years in prison. He must return to court on May 13.

“Criminal charges will be pursued when you unlawfully occupy someone else’s home,” Katz said in a statement. “You cannot just enter a home and claim you have a right to stay. You cannot first enter a home without permission, then stay without permission and later claim vested rights simply because the legitimate owner is unaware or has been unable to remove you for 30 days.” Q

A Flushing home, above, was allegedly being rented out without the owner’s permission. PHOTO BY SOPHIE KRICHEVSKY

Knicks fever hotter than ever in Queens

The World’s Borough is bleeding orange and blue — but for the Knicks

by Sophie Krichevsky Associate Editor

“This city has fallen in love with this team,” longtime MSG Network broadcaster Mike Breen said at the end of the Knicks’ Feb. 1 comeback victory over the Indiana Pacers.

Nearly three months of gutsy basketball later, Breen’s statement holds true, and perhaps nowhere more than in the World’s Borough.

As the Knicks finished the regular season — and a rollercoaster of a regular season at that, chock full of significant injuries, blockbuster trades, come-from-behind wins and unexpected heroes — in second place in the Eastern Conference with 50 wins for the first time in more than a decade, just in time to take on the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs, Queens Knicks fans knew this team was special.

“It’s enjoyable to be a Knicks fan in a way that it hasn’t been for most of my life,” said Astoria resident Jesse Spector.

How much does this season mean to fans?

“It’s everything,” said Edgar Acevado, who has lived in several Queens neighborhoods, including Forest Hills, Richmond Hill and Kew Gardens. “I’ve seen a lot of bad teams, a lot of losing seasons — I mean, one season, we won 17 games ... So to finally see a team like the team we have now, just being really good and having a postseason run and making the city feel alive, it’s kind of hard to put into words sometimes.”

Behind All-Star point guard and MVP contender Jalen Brunson, power forward Julius Randle, who is out for the season after dislocating his shoulder in late January, and of course, Coach Tom Thibodeau, the team has become

one defined by its grit, with role players like center Isaiah Hartenstein, Energizer bunny and jack-ofall-trades Josh Hart and threepoint phenom Donte DiVincenzo stepping up time and time again. With their physical play style and their constant fight, for fans, it’s hard to feel like the Knicks are ever truly out of a game.

“It was very, very rare this season where this team went down and they didn’t put up a fight,” said Acevado.

But given the Knicks’ many years of woe and disappointment, fans are always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Which makes the team’s no-quit attitude all the

“It’s enjoyable to be a Knicks fan in a way it hasn’t been for most of my life.”

— Jesse Spector, Astoria resident

more exhilarating for fans, even as they have a sense of disbelief (case in point being the chaotic finish to Monday’s Game 2 win at Madison Square Garden), especially for those who have stuck with their team through the best and worst of times.

The team’s ability to come from behind and eke out a win is why Satish Ram, a South Richmond Hill-based Knicks fan of 20 years, refers to the team as “the Cardiac Knicks:” “because if you have a heart condition, you can’t be a Knicks fan.”

That scrappiness is a quality that resonates with Queens fans.

“Queens is not a borough of

people who grew up with everything being fed to them — most of Queens are people who are out there, much like these guys are out there like Hart, busting their a--es off, trying to put something together, trying to make it work,” said Ram.

“Queens is an underdog story. And although the Knicks are a bigmarket team, they haven’t won anything in a long time, which statistically makes them a bit of an underdog story.”

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, who says he was a Knicks fan “out of my mother’s womb,” agreed, but only after singing a round of “Go New York, Go New York, Go!” through the phone.

“We share the commonality of underdogs,” Richards told the Chronicle. “I could think of storms that have hit this borough, I could think of the pandemic that hit this borough. And I think you notice something about resiliency ... as a Queens person, that’s what we are all about, no matter what comes our way.”

Some entertained the idea that the Knicks resonate with Queens sports fans because of the loveable loser quality the team has shared with the Mets. But Jared Mintz, who has lived throughout the World’s Borough and works for Commonpoint Queens, says that while that may have been true of former Knicks teams, it’s a thing of the past now.

“There could be that Mets element there where it’s like, we’re kind of always disappointed in what we’re getting out of these guys,” Mintz said. “But this Knicks team does not disappoint in terms of what they give, night in, night out.”

Knicks fans have been out and

about this season, too. Ram says he often sees other diehards donning team gear, and always makes a point of greeting them with a “Go Knicks.” When not watching the game at home, Spector said he watches at Astoria’s Pig Beach bar; Ram said he heads to Venom Hookah Longue in Floral Park, where the owner is a big fan, as well.

Even with something in the air this season, Knicks fans are remaining cautiously optimistic.

“This year feels like it could be special. And I don’t know exactly what that means,” said Spector. “Do I dare to dream of a Knicks championship? Absolutely. Do I realistically think it’s going to happen? No. But I think that they can really make some noise.” Q

Naclerio inducted to NYS Hall of Fame

by Sophie Krichevsky Associate Editor

Cardozo High School’s own boys basketball coach Ron Naclerio was inducted into the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame in Troy, NY last weekend.

“Beyond excited and thinking of so many things,” Naclerio wrote on social media site X before the weekend’s festivities. “Need to ‘Thank’ so many. To all of my players, my assistant coaches, as well as many others who helped me I want [to] let you know — Thank You!!!”

Naclerio has coached the Judges for 49 years, and in that time has become the winningest coach in state public school history, with 939 victories and counting. He broke the previous 754-win record in 2016. Things did not start off so well for Naclerio — in his first season at Cardozo, the team finished with a 1-21 record.

In addition to taking three city titles, per the New York Daily News, Naclerio’s squads have made 40 playoff appearances, 21 Elite Eight finishes, 10 Final Fours and six championship appearances.

Naclerio has coached several future NBA players in his time at Cardozo, including Queens Village native and Sacramento Kings 1990 first-round pick Duane Causwell, journeyman Rafer Alston and guard Royal Ivey, who is now serving as the Houston Rockets’ assistant coach. Prior to becoming a basketball coach, Naclerio was an All-American baseball player at St. John’s University and was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1979, but saw his career on the diamond cut short after a severe ankle injury. Q

Excitement around the Knicks this season is not limited to Madison Square Garden, as seen here, but extends to the World’s Borough, as well.

PHOTO BY SOPHIE KRICHEVSKY

Cardozo High School boys basketball Coach Ron Naclerio. PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER BARCA / FILE

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Frank Sinatra High to host film festival

Student features will premiere May 3 at school, senior screening at MOMI

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

“We’ve all worked really hard,” said Zahra Vera, an 11th-grade film student at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria. The results of their labor will be presented to any and all comers at the school’s 16th annual Spring Film Festival on May 3, when students in grades nine through 12 will debut works entirely written, filmed and produced on their own.

From poignant narratives to suspenseful thrillers inspired by the likes of Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick, the films showcase the vibrant diversity and culture of the school’s population.

“Every winter, we get a group of students together to form a committee,” said Dmitry Gubin, the high school’s film department chair. “Two from each grade.”

The committee members then vote on the films that make it to the festival. They meet on Zoom every week, and the films are ranked to narrow down which make the cut.

“The entire event is an hour and 30 minutes,” Gubin said. “And there’s speeches and introductions, so really, about one hour and 15 minutes of programming.”

This year, Gubin said, there were around 60 submissions.

“It’s really exciting to see our peers’

work,” said Vera, one of the committee members who also assisted in the production of two films. “Filmmaking is a nice community and you meet lots of interesting people. It’s nice to see everyone come together.”

While grades nine through 11 will have their work shown at the school, grade 12 students will head across the street to premiere their senior theses, with many exploring personal narratives and societal issues.

“The senior screening will be held at the Museum of the Moving Image,” Jason Spagnuoli, a film teacher at the school, said. “It’s, dare I say, world-renowned? It’s the Museum of the Moving Image for Pete’s sake.”

Asked about the difficulties encountered during the process, Spagnuoli said, “As filmmakers, it’s like the world is conspiring against us.” He described how some of the seniors were shooting in Times Square, and the lead actress became extremely ill. Filming had to get shut down, and the actress was recast — but they got back on track.

“You have got to be tenacious and willing to tell your story,” he said.

Gubin said the students worked for weeks straight under high pressure.

“This is the highest-caliber work you’ll find from high school film students,” he said, adding that the Sinatra film program is

rigorous and the works are on par with the kind one might see produced by a college sophomore. “These students are making stories they feel strongly about.”

Spagnuoli said it’s important for the community to come out in support.

“During the pandemic, people turned to film, and there’s a reason for that,” he said. “We turn to film because we want to feel

something, and we want to connect. Film is the best medium for that.”

The film festival will start at 6 p.m in the Tony Bennett Concert Hall, located in the school at 35-12 35 Ave. The seniors’ showcase at MoMI, at 36-01 35 Ave., will be at 8 p.m., with an awards ceremony to follow. For tickets and more information, visit franksinatraschoolofthearts.org. Q

Students at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria worked tirelessly to produce their own films, culminating in a festival open to all on May 3. PHOTO COURTESY FSSA FILM DEPARTMENT

WHY CHOOSE US?

The benefits of residential solar energy

Solar energy panels have gained visibility in neighborhoods across the country. Where it once was a rarity to see solar panels on the roofs of homes, today a stroll or drive around a given community is bound to reveal a number of homeowners have made the transition to solar power. You may be wondering if the investment is worth it.

Solar panels harvest energy from the sun through the use of photovoltaic cells. These semiconductor materials absorb photons from the sun, and the photons release electrons from the atoms of the semiconductor material. According to Forbes, the flow of these electrons within the cell creates an electric current directed to circuits.

Solar panels can be placed anywhere there is abundant sunlight, such as in open fields. In residential areas, they’re most often placed on roofs to get the most sun exposure.

solar has decreased by more than 70 percent in the past decade compared to the cost of electricity, which has risen about five percent. Over the course of a solar panel life span, which is typically between 25 and 30 years, it’s possible to save $25,500 to $33,000 on electricity.

• More affordable: As noted, the cost of installing solar panels continues to drop. Investopedia says up-front cost of a residential solar power system is between $3,500 and $16,000, depending on the size of the system. Energy.gov says the United States has extended the federal residential solar tax credit, and you can save a 30 percent tax credit on the cost of solar systems through January 1, 2033. Options abound for financing to make solar more affordable.

Although having solar panels on the roof may affect the aesthetic of a home, many people find the benefits far outweigh such issues. Consider these perks to going solar.

• Save money: One of the draws of solar power is the ability to save money on your monthly utility bill. Electricity costs seemingly rise year after year. The Solar Energy Industries Association® says the cost of

• Increased home value: According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, homeowners can increase the value of their homes by $20 for every $1 in savings on electrical bills from solar energy. Homes with solar panels sell 4 percent higher than those that don’t have them.

• Get paid back: Solar incentives in some areas may enable homeowners to turn profits in addition to generating electric bill

savings. Solar renewable energy credits compensate you for the electricity that the solar panel system generates.

• Avoid disruptions in power: Strong storms or even accidents that affect power lines can knock out traditional electricity for hours. Battery storage combined with solar energy can be beneficial during a disruption in power, and eliminate the need to purchase a backup generator.

• Protect the planet: Burning of fossil fuels to generate power contributes to carbon emissions. Switching to solar can reduce carbon emissions and help prevent air and water contamination.

Solar energy panels are becoming more visible in residential neighborhoods thanks in large parts to the many benefits such panels provide.

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— Metro Creative Connection

NOTICE OF THE START OF CONSTRUCTION FOR SEGMENT 23 OF THE CHAMPLAIN HUDSON POWER EXPRESS PROJECT

On or about May 6, 2024, the Champlain Hudson Power Express Project (“CHPE”) intends to begin site preparation and construction on Segment 23, Astoria Rainey Cable, of the proposed Champlain Hudson Power Express (“CHPE”) Project. Segment 23 of the CHPE Project includes installation of approximately 3.5 miles of buried alternating current (AC) transmission cable in New York City, primarily along city streets in Queens, connecting the Astoria and Rainey substations. The initial construction work will involve preparation of the site, followed by installation of the cable and associated work. Where possible, construction near residences and sensitive receptors will generally occur during daylight hours, though some limited activities would extend to later hours as needed and where permitted by New York City codes.

On April 18, 2013, the NYS Public Service Commission (Commission) issued to CHPE a certificate of environmental compatibility and public need (Certificate), pursuant to Article VII of the Public Service Law (PSL), to construct and operate the CHPE Project. The Segment 23 Astoria Rainey Cable EM&CP was approved by the Commission on April 18, 2024. Upon receipt of a Notice to Proceed with Construction letter sent by the New York State Department of Public Service’s Office of Electric, Gas and Water, CHPE will be authorized to commence construction activities for this Segment.

CHPE has established a toll-free number for questions

regarding the Project, including a complaint resolution plan for issues arising during construction: 1-800-991CHPE(2473). Questions or requests for further information can be directed to: publicoutreach@chpexpress.com or by mail to Molly Hollister, WSP USA, One Pennsylvania Plaza, New York, New York 10119.

Facility construction falls under the jurisdiction of the Commission, which is responsible for enforcing compliance with environmental and construction conditions, and which may be contacted through Matthew Smith, Office of Electric, Gas and Water, New York State Department of Public Service, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223, via telephone at (518)474-8702 or email at matthew.smith@dps.ny.gov.

Details of the planned work locations, including construction drawings showing in detail the Segment, are available on the Project website at: https://chpexpress.com/ overview-of-public-documents/environmental-manage ment-construction-plan/. The full Commission docket for the Project can be accessed via the Commission’s website at: http://documents.dps.ny.gov/public/MatterManage ment/CaseMaster.aspx?MatterCaseNo=10-T-0139.

Paper copies of the Segment 23 EM&CP submissions are available for viewing at the following local document repositories: Queens Public Library Astoria Branch, 14-01 Astoria Boulevard, Astoria, NY 11102 and Queens Public Library, 37-44 21st Street, Long Island City, NY 11101.

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WE’RE WALKIN’ HERE!

by Mark Lord

It’s entertaining! It’s informative! It’s inspiring! It’s part of a worldwide phenomenon!

Jane’s strolls celebrate our neighborhoods

It’s coming your way this year May 3 to 5. And, if all that weren’t enough, it’s free!

It’s Jane’s Walk NYC 2024, a celebration of neighbors, history and culture, named in honor of urban activist Jane Jacobs, who believed in the power of individuals to influence their city.

Elizabeth Goldstein, president of the Municipal Art Society of New York, which has hosted the local event since 2007, explained in a recent telephone interview that it all actually began a year earlier in Toronto, where Jacobs lived toward the end of her life.

With some 200 cities now participating worldwide, New York is “the largest purveyor of the fes-

tival in the world,” according to Goldstein, herself an advocate for parks, open spaces and historic preservation.

Volunteers submit ideas for walking tours of their neighborhoods, which they then lead for groups of up to no more than 25 to 30 participants, Goldstein said.

“We try to keep it to a manageable size,” said the longtime Jackson Heights resident.

“Everybody who offers a walk idea does walk,” she said. “It’s not a curated series. We don’t pick and choose.”

The upcoming event will include nearly 200 walks throughout the five boroughs, the most since making a comeback following the Covid pan-

demic, with an estimated 10,000 individuals expected to participate. Each walk celebrates a different aspect of life in the city, celebrating a particular culture or neighborhood, encouraging people to share stories about their neighborhoods, to discover unseen aspects of their communities, and to use walking as a way to connect with neighbors.

One of the borough’s walks will be led by Flushing resident Cody Herrmann, a socially engaged artist who will take “A Walk in the Park(ing) Lot: Flushing Meadows Corona Park.” It will highlight local history, focus on the current development proposals for the space next to Citi Field and connectivity between different parts of the park.

continued on page 29

by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor

Enriqueta (Henrietta) Caballero from Barcelona, Spain, who spoke five languages was on vacation in New York when she met Francesco Gallo, the sports editor of “La Prensa,” at the Spanish Consulate. It was love at first sight. After a two-week courtship, they were married on Sept. 13, 1920. They settled at 34-14 Broadway in Astoria. Three children followed: Gloria, William and Henry. Tragedy struck in 1934, when dad Francesco passed away. The family moved into an apartment at 28-49 34 St. in Astoria.

At age 19 William got a job with the New York Daily News as a copy boy. After World War II, where he served in combat with the Marines, he attended what is now called The School Of Visual Arts to study art. He married Conover agency model Dolores Rodriguez in 1950 and they had two sons.

Tragedy struck again in May 1960, when legendary Daily News cartoonist Leo O’Mealia suddenly died. Gallo had to help

The childhood home of cartoonist Bill Gallo at 28-49 34 St. in Astoria, as it looked in the 1940s when he lived there. His work “The Champ” is a great example of his talent. INSETS VIA WIKIPEDIA / ROBERT

fill his shoes. He quickly caught the eye of Mets fans with his character Basement Bertha, and the rest is history. His work is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, as well as the Overlook bar in Manhattan.

Gallo died of pneumonia at age 88, on May 10, 2011. Some of his work lives on in the form of posters available to fans. Q

BRIZEL

The art of blankets, quilted paintings at MoMA PS1

by Michael Gannon senior news editor

Melissa Cody is a fourth-generation Navajo weaver who combines traditional spinning and weaving techniques with new technology to create textile works with colorful geometric patterns and overlays.

Pacita Abad (1946-2004), a native of the Philippines, fled to the United States in 1970 after her family was targeted for their opposition to dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Traveling the world, she took up art.

Largely self-taught, Abad was famous for her trapuntos, quilted paintings in which canvasses are sewn together and stuffed rather than stretched over wooden frames.

Exhibitions of both of their works opened April 4 at MoMA PS 1 at 22-25 Jackson Ave. in Long Island City. Abad’s pieces will be on display through Sept. 2. Cody’s exhibition closes Sept. 9.

A native of No Water Mesa, Ariz., Cody is a member of the Navajo Diné nation. Her exhibition, titled “Webbed Skies,” has more than 30 works, according to MoMA, including a major new piece.

It is her first major solo museum presentation. Her works, according to a museum press release, carry on traditional methods of “Navajo Germantown” weaving, which sprung from wool and blankets produced

by the U.S. government in Pennsylvania and given to Navajo people after the forced expulsion from their land in the mid-1800s.

The blankets often were taken apart and the yarn used to make new textiles, incorporating traditional patterns, and establishing a new art form.

While Cody works on a traditional Navajo loom using many of the techniques of her ancestors, she also uses experimental col-

ors, patterns and fibers, and does take advantage of digital technology in an effort to keep tradition while allowing the process and the art to evolve.

Abad, according to the museum, attempted to give visibility to political refugees and oppressed peoples through her work, quoting her as saying, “I have always believed that an artist has a special obligation to remind society of its social

responsibility.”

Her exhibition contains more than 50 works, many of which have never been on public view in the United States.

“Pacita Abad” is organized by the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and curated by Victoria Sung, Phyllis C. Wattis, senior curator at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive with Matthew Villar Miranda, a curatorial fellow in Visual Arts at the Walker Art Center. The presentation at MoMA PS1 is organized by Ruba Katrib, curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs, with Sheldon Gooch, a curatorial assistant.

“Melissa Cody: Webbed Skies” is organized by Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand. The exhibition is curated by Isabella Rjeille, curator at MASP, and Katrib. Exhibition research, and support is provided by Andrea Sánchez, coordinator of curatorial affairs at MoMA PS1.

MoMA PS1 is open noon to 6 p.m. Thursday through Monday, and noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets are available in person or online at momaps1.org. The suggested donation is $10 for adults and $5 for seniors 65 and over and students, both with IDs. There is a “pay what you wish” option. Children 16 and under are free, as are members and city residents with proof of ZIP code. Q

A Jane’s Walk may reveal a city you don’t know

continued from page 27

Herrmann, a board member of the Guardians of Flushing Bay environmental organization, said the walk will allow people to learn about local ecology. It will begin at David Dinkins Circle and make its way to the Malcolm X Promenade, describing how the park was built and highlighting current advocacy efforts to preserve parkland.

A separate tour of the park will focus on the history of the two World’s Fairs that

Crossword Answers

were held there. Participants in this walk will be able to relive the fairs’ history and view structures that still exist from both events.

The Revolutionary War Trail will be retraced in a walk in the Elmhurst area — formerly Newtown, formerly Middleburgh — with the unveiling of hidden history from 1652 to the present, including visits to several pre-Revolution churches and cemeteries.

Another walk will focus on Queen Anne Victorian architecture in Richmond Hill, highlighting the intricate facades, stained glass and ornate details of homes in that historic neighborhood.

Yet others will be held in locations from Alley Pond Park to Ozone Park, Astoria, Long Island City and more. The walks add up to what Goldstein called “a wild variety” of aspects of life in the borough.

“New York is such a big place,” the MAS president said. “We talk as if it’s one place, but it’s many different neighborhoods. It makes New York really special.”

Goldstein called Jane’s Walk “a wonderful idea to see communities you don’t know as well as your own. It’s a powerful idea.”

All walks are open to the public and will

Participants take a break during last year’s Jane’s Walk exploring Jackson Heights’ green spaces. At right, environmentalists Rebecca Pryor, left, and Cody Herrmann do the same on a tour by Flushing Bay. On the cover: Last year’s Ethnic Eats of Astoria walk, led by Irene Arholekas. PHOTOS

BY ASLAN CHALOM EXCEPT RIGHT, BY MATT PENROD

be held rain or shine. Reservations are required. To RSVP, visit the Municipal Art Society at mas.org/janes-walk-nyc-2024. Q

At left, a visitor views the quilted paintings of the late Pacita Abad. At right, Melissa Cody spins wool yarn with a Navajo drop spindle. PHOTOS BY KRIS GRAVES, LEFT, AND GRAHAM NYSTROM

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NOTICE OF SALE

In pursuance and by virtue of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly granted and entered in and action entitled NYCTL 1998-2 Trust v. Sereth T. Hosty, et al., bearing Index No. 9186-2011 before the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Queens, IAS Part 6, Justice Tracy Catapano-Fox, on or about February 26, 2024, I, the Referee, duly appointed in this action for such purpose, will expose for sale and sell at public auction to the highest bidder on May 3, 2024, at 11:45 a.m., at the Queens County Supreme Court located at 88-11 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica, New York 11435, the mortgaged premises designated as Block 11190, Lot 37 in the City of New York, County and Borough of Queens, State of New York and known as 223-23 109th Avenue, Queens Village, New York 11429, directed in and by said judgment to be sold. The approximate amount of the judgment is $299,772.53 plus interest and other charges, and the property is being sold subject to the terms and conditions stated in the judgment, any prior encumbrances and the terms of sale which shall be available at the time of sale. Dated: April 4, 2024 New York, New York

Richard Gutierrez, Esq. Referee 118-35 Queens Blvd., Suite 1500 Forest Hills, New York 11375 (718) 520-0663 DAVID

P. STICH, ESQ. Attorney for Plaintiff 521 Fifth Avenue, 17th Floor New York, New York 10175 (646) 554-4421

(BIN 2-24382-0) & 19th Avenue Bridge Over NYCTA-BMT Sea Beach Line (BIN 2-24371-0), Borough of Brooklyn Contract No. HBKA24382 & HBKA24371

PIN: 84124BXBR624

Expected Contract Term: 2920 Consecutive Calendar Days starting from the date of the Notice to Proceed for the Preliminary Design Phase until the Final Completion of Construction Contract.

Description of Services Required:

The services to be procured is the Total Design (TD) and Construction Support Services (CSS) for 21st Avenue Bridge Over NYCTA-BMT Sea Beach Line (BIN 2-24382-0) & 19th Avenue Bridge Over NYCTA-BMT Sea Beach Line (BIN 2-24371-0), Borough of Brooklyn.

A Pre-Proposal Conference (Optional) has been scheduled for May 8, 2024, Time: 10:00 AM through Zoom. Proposers who wish to connect to the Zoom Conference will need a Zoom ID and Password or the link. Therefore, proposers who wish to connect will need to contact the authorized agency contact person via email at least three (3) days prior to the Pre-Proposal Conference in order to obtain the information to connect. Proposers will need to provide the first name, last name of everyone who wishes to connect, name of the organization, phone number and email address.

This Procurement is subject to participation goals for MinorityOwned Business Enterprises (MBEs), as required by Section 6-129 of the New York Administrative Code. The M/WBE goal for this project is 30%.

This Request for Proposals (RFP) is released through PassPort, New York City’s online procurement portal. Responses to this RFP must be submitted via PassPort. To access the RFP, vendors should visit the PASSPort public Portal at https://www.nyc.gov/site/mocs/passport/about-passport.page

and click on the “Search Funding Opportunities in PASSPort” blue box. Doing so will take one to the public portal of all procurements in the PASSPort system. To quickly locate the RFP, insert the 84124P0003 into the Keyword search field. To respond to the RFP, vendors must create an account within the PASSPort system if they have not already done so.

Release Date: May 1, 2024

Pre-Proposal Conference: May 8, 2024

Submission of Request for Proposals are due on or before 2:00 PM on June 10, 2024

SUMMONS

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

MELLON, as Collateral Agent and Custodian for the NYCTL 1998-2

TRUST, Plaintiffs, -against- STANLEY CRAIGWELL, if living, or if they are dead, heirs-at-law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, assignees, lienors, creditors, successors-in-interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through Stanley Craigwell, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and all creditors thereof, and the respective husbands, or widowers of hers, if any, all of whose names and addresses are unknown to Plaintiffs, LILLIAN U. CRAIGWELL, if living, or if they are dead, heirs-at-law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, assignees, lienors, creditors, successorsin-interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through Lillian Craigwell, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and all creditors thereof, and the respective husbands, or widowers of hers, if any, all of whose names and addresses are unknown to Plaintiffs, SOCIETY FOR SAVINGS, U.S. BANK TRUST N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR LSF8 MASTER PARTICIPATION TRUST, BENEFICIAL HOMEOWNER SERVICE CORPORATION, NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD, NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, et al., Defendants. INDEX NO. 708858/2019

Date of Filing: 5/21/19 Plaintiff’s designate Queens the place of trial. Venue is based upon the county in which the Premises are situated. Foreclosure of: Borough: Queens Block: 9811 Lot: 40. TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action within twenty days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service or within thirty days after service is completed if the summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT: The object of the above-entitled action is to foreclose the Tax Lien listed in The City of New York Tax Lien Certificate No. 4A, dated as of August 16, 2018, recorded August 23, 2018, as CFRN: 2018000284199, covering premises described as follows:

COUNTY: Queens ADDRESS: 90-11 175th Street, Jamaica, New York 11432 BLOCK: 9811 LOT: 40 The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the tax lien described above. This action does not involve “subprime” or “high costs” loans that were consummated between January 1, 2003 and September 1, 2009. The foregoing summons and complaint is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of the Hon. Ulysses B. Leverett, J.S.C. entered March 14, 2024. SEYFARTH SHAW LLP, Attorneys for Plaintiffs 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, New York 10018, (212) 218-5500

EKG 7806 LLC Articles of Org. fi led NY Sec. of State (SSNY)

4/8/24. Offi ce in Queens Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 15253 10th Ave., Ste 211 Whitestone, NY 11357.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF SALE

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

Auction Sale duly entered on February 2, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the outside steps of the Queens County Supreme Court, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on May 3, 2024 at 11:15 a.m., premises known as 168-68 92nd Road, Jamaica, NY 11433. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block 10211 and Lot 57. Approximate amount of judgment is $544,639.59 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #707898/2020. The Referee shall comply with the Eleventh Judicial District’s COVID-19 policies concerning public auctions of foreclosed properties. These policies, along with the Queens County Foreclosure’s Auction Rules, can be found on the Queens Supreme Court - Civil Term website. Joseph F. DeFelice, Esq., Referee Taroff & Taitz, LLP, Attorneys at Law, 630 Johnson Avenue, Suite 105, Bohemia, NY 11716, Attorneys for Plaintiff

Notice of Formation of Homegirl Therapy Mental Health Counseling

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

Purpose: practice the profession of mental health counseling.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF ACE SECURITIES CORP. HOME EQUITY LOAN TRUST, SERIES 2007-WM1 ASSET BACKED PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, Plaintiff, vs. SABRINA EDERY, AS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF ANN LEWITINN, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on August 25, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the outside steps of the Queens County Supreme Court, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on May 17, 2024 at 10:15 a.m., premises known as 13-52 Dickens Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block 15665 and Lot 38. Approximate amount of judgment is $905,788.55 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #703799/2021. The Referee shall comply with the Eleventh Judicial District’s COVID-19 policies concerning public auctions of foreclosed properties. These policies, along with the Queens County Foreclosure’s Auction Rules, can be found on the Queens Supreme Court - Civil Term website. Austin I. Idehen, Esq., Referee Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC, 10 Bank Street, Suite 700, White Plains, New York 10606, Attorneys for Plaintiff

ASF INTERNATIONAL LLC. Arts. of Org. fi led with the SSNY on 03/07/24. Offi ce: 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, c/o Khandker Ahnaf Abrar, 169-24 Hillside Avenue, FL2 Suite 3, Jamaica, NY 11432.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Open House

EQUAL HOUSING. Federal, New York State and local laws prohibit discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, marital status, familial status or disability in connection with the sale or rental of residential real estate. Queens Chronicle does not knowingly accept advertising in violation of these laws. When you suspect housing discrimination call the Open Housing Center (the Fair Housing Agency for the five boroughs of New York) at 212-941-6101, or the New York City Commission of Human Rights Hotline at 718722-3131.

The Queens Chronicle reserves the right to alter wording in ads to conform with Federal Fair Housing regulations.

Apts.For Rent

Old Side, Howard Beach, 1 large BR, large formal LR, eat-inkitchen, full bath. All utils incl, $1,800/mo. 1 small pet allowed.

Credit check req, $20 fee. Call 929-409-1672 or 917-880-8001

Notice of Formation of CHEME ENTERPRISES LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 05/17/2023. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: CHEME ENTERPRISES LLC, 142-17 129TH AVENUE, JAMAICA, NY 11436-1720. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of Dee Custom Hair LLC. Arts. of Org. fi led with Secy. of State (SSNY) on 4/5/24. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 104-14 110th St, Richmond Hill, NY 11419. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Centreville/Ozone Park, Sat 4/27, 1:30-3pm, 96-30 149th Ave. Colonial Lovely 1 fam, 3 levels + basement. Laminate flrs, updated kit w/ Quartz counters, new appli. All new doors, new boiler, 3 BRs, 2 1/2 baths. 1 car gar, pvt dwvy. Asking $789K. Connexion Real Estate 718-845-1136

Howard Beach, Sun 4/28, 1pm-3pm, 160-22 84 St. Lg Brookfield style hi-ranch, 5 BRs, 3 baths, Open layout, master BR w/en-suite. 40.25x100 lot. Asking $1,075,000. Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136

Howard Beach/Hamilton Beach, Sat 4/27, 1:30-3pm, 102-23 Davenport Court. Beautiful det, 1 fam Colonial. 4 BRs, 2 full baths. Updated in & out. Full fin bsmnt, deck, & yard. Asking $649K. Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136

Business For Sale

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

Notice of Formation of NNY ACCOUNTING SOLUTIONS, LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/11/2024.

Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: NICOLE NELSON YOUNG, 21141 115TH AVENUE, CAMBRIA HEIGHTS, NY 11411. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

NY GRACE COUNSELING LCSW, PLLC Articles of Org. fi led NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 3/6/24. Offi ce in Queens Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 1280 Lexington Ave. Frnt 2 #1170 NY, NY 10028.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

GOLDSTAR GENERAL CONTRACTING LLC, Arts. of Org. fi led with the SSNY on 04/01/2024. Offi ce loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 86-30 108th Street, Richmond Hill, NY 11418. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

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

Notice of Formation of BKHOOPZ LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 04/15/2024. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: PATRICK IANNOTTO, 6148 82 PLACE, MIDDLE VILLAGE, NY 11379.

Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of MYRNA L. ARCHER & ASSOCIATES, LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/15/2024.

Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: MYRNA L. ARCHER, P.O. BOX 220025, ROSEDALE, NY 11422. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of OFFSHORESEAFOODMARKETLLC

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

Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: JEANE R FINDLEY-BARNES, 157-12 134TH AVE, 2ND FLOOR, JAMAICA, NY 11434. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

To Advertise Call 718-205-8000

Legal Notices Legal Notices

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS NYCTL 2009-A TRUST, and THE BANK OF NEW YORK, as Collateral Agent and Custodian for the NYCTL 2009-A TRUST, Plaintiffs, - against - VLADEMIR C. SIMON, ANTONINE M. BEAUVAIS, ARTHUR D. MEEHAN, if living, or if he is dead, heirs-at-law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, assignees, lienors, creditors, successors-in-interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through Arthur D. Meehan, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and all creditors thereof, and the respective wives, or widows of his, if any, all of whose names and addresses are unknown to Plaintiffs, ANNIE M. MEEHAN, if living, or if she is dead, heirs-at-law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, assignees, lienors, creditors, successors-in-interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through Annie M. Meehan, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and all creditors thereof, and the respective husbands, or widowers of hers, if any, all of whose names and addresses are unknown to Plaintiffs, U.S. BANK N.A., AS TRUSTEE ON BEHALF OF THE HOLDERS OF THE HOME EQUITY ASSET TRUST 2007-2 HOME EQUITY PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-2, NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, Defendants. Index No.: 8395/11 Date of Filing April 19, 2018. Plaintiffs designate Queens the place of trial. Venue is based upon the county in which the Premises are situated. Borough: Queens Block: 10379 Lot: 5 TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action within twenty days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service or within thirty days after service is completed if the summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT The object of the above-entitled action is to foreclose a tax lien for the amount due and interest, dated as of August 18, 2009, and recorded in the Queens County Office of the City Register of the City of New York on August 25, 2009, as CRFN: 2009000271516, covering premises described as follows: COUNTY: Queens, ADDRESS: Liberty Avenue (vacant lot adjacent to 109-01 189th Street, Jamaica, New York, 11412) Block: 10379 Lot: 5 The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the tax lien described above. This action does not involve “subprime” or “high costs” loans that were consummated between January 1, 2003 and September 1, 2008. The foregoing summons and complaint is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of the Hon. Ulysses B. Leverett, J.S.C. entered March 27, 2024. SEYFARTH SHAW LLP, Attorneys for Plaintiffs, 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, New York 10018 (212) 218-5563

233 Stockholm Realty, LLC, Arts of Org. fi led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 4/11/2024. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to Joseph Mauceri, 85-16 67th Ave., Rego Park, NY 11374. General Purpose

Notice of Formation of 3K ANGELS LLC

Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/21/2024. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: EVA T. LACONSAY, 3203 58TH STREET, 2/F, WOODSIDE, NY 11377. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Legal Notices

NOTICE OF SALE

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

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, US BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE OF THE CABANA SERIES IV TRUST,

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS

Notice of Formation of PANOPTES GROUP LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 02/29/2024. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: MICHAEL BALLESTY, 48-14 170TH PLACE, FLUSHING, NY 11365. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of REIDO PLUMBING & PAINTING, LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 10/20/2023. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: REIDO PLUMBING & PAINTNG, LLC, 171-54 46TH AVE FLUSHING, QUEENS, NY 11358. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

RENARI AM LLC, Art. Of Org. fi led with SSNY 12/26/2017. Offi ce Location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent for process. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to: c/o

Robinson Brog Leinwand Greene

Genovese & Gluck, P.C., Attn: Charles McKeen, Esq., 875 3rd Ave., 9th Fl., NY, NY 10022. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity.

Plaintiff, vs. NATHANIEL DANIELS, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ISAAC DANIELS, DECEASED, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on February 26, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the outside steps of the Queens County Supreme Court, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on May 17, 2024 at 10:15 a.m., premises known as 135-02 221st Street, Springfield Gardens, NY 11413. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block 13113 and Lot 26. Approximate amount of judgment is $295,947.32 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #708238/2015. The Referee shall comply with the Eleventh Judicial District’s COVID-19 policies concerning public auctions of foreclosed properties. These policies, along with the Queens County Foreclosure’s Auction Rules, can be found on the Queens Supreme Court - Civil Term website. Eun Chong Thorsen, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff Firm File No. 193546-1

70-08 267th Property LLC, Arts of Org. fi led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 2/8/2024.

Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 70-14 267th St, Glen Oaks, NY 11004. General Purpose

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

Index No. 704502/2021, WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., ALSO KNOWN AS WACHOVIA MORTGAGE A DIVISION OF WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., FORMERLY KNOWN AS WACHOVIA MORTGAGE, FSB, FORMERLY KNOWN AS WORLD SAVINGS BANK, FSB, Plaintiff, v. ANY UNKNOWN HEIRS, DEVISEES, DISTRIBUTEES OR SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST OF THE LATE GAIL PALMORE ARCHER, IF LIVING, AND IF ANY BE DEAD, ANY AND ALL PERSONS WHO ARE SPOUSES, WIDOWS, GRANTEES, MORTGAGEES, LIENORS, HEIRS, DEVISEES, DISTRIBUTEES, EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, OR SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST OF SUCH OF THEM AS MAY BE DEAD, AND THEIR SPOUSES, HEIRS, DEVISEES, DISTRIBUTEES AND SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST, ALL OF WHOM AND WHOSE NAMES AND PLACES OF RESIDENCE ARE UNKNOWN TO PLAINTIFF, NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD, NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU, GAIL M. ARCHER, NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BY THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, Defendants. To the above named Defendants:You are hereby summoned to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or if the complaint is not served with this summons, to serve a notice of appearance on the Plaintiff’s attorneys within thirty days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service, and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home.Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. This is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of Honorable Tracy A. Catapano-Fox, Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, signed the 26th day of March, 2024 at Jamaica, New York. The object of this action is to foreclose a mortgage on the following property: Block: 1702 Lot: 27 ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Second Ward of the Borough of Queens, City of New York, County of Queens and State of New York, known and designated on a certain map entitled, “Map of 239 lots situated on Jackson Ave., Astoria Ave., Ditmars Blvd., and other streets in the Second Ward, Borough of Queens, belonging to MacPeters Estates, Inc.,” Leonard C. L. Smith, City Surveyor, and filed in the office of the Clerk of the County of Queens August, 15th, 1923 under File Number 4365, as and by the Lot number Six, in Block lettered “B” which said lot, is bounded and described as follows: BEGINNING at a point on the southerly side of Thirty-second Avenue (Burnside Avenue) distant sixty feet westerly from the corner formed by the intersection of said side of Thirty-second Avenue with the westerly side of One hundred and eighth Street (Fifty-first Street); RUNNING THENCE southerly parallel with One Hundred and eighth Street, one hundred feet; THENCE westerly parallel with Thirty-second Avenue, twenty feet; THENCE northerly parallel with One Hundred and eighth Street., one hundred feet to said southerly side of Thirty-second Avenue; THENCE easterly along said side of Thirty-second Avenue, twenty feet to the point or place of BEGINNING. Subject to easements, covenants, and restriction of record. These premises are also known as 10712 32nd Avenue, East Elmhurst, NY 11369. Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP, Attorneys for Plaintiff, 500 Bausch & Lomb Place, Rochester, NY 14604

Supplemental Summons And Notice Of Object Of Action

Supreme Court Of The State Of New York County Of Queens Action To Foreclose A Mortgage Index #: 703823/2020 Freedom Mortgage Corporation Plaintiff, Vs Carlos De Dios, Jr., Reynaldo Dedios Individually And As Administrator And As Heir To The Estate Of Adoracion Orca Wallack And Merrill Wallack, Unknown Heirs As Heir To The Estate Of Merrill Wallack Of Merrill Wallack If Living, And If He/She Be Dead, Any And All Persons Unknown To Plaintiff, Claiming, Or Who May Claim To Have An Interest In, Or General Or Specific Lien Upon The Real Property Described In This Action; Such Unknown Persons Being Herein Generally Described And Intended To Be Included In Wife, Widow, Husband, Widower, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assignees Of Such Deceased, Any And All Persons Deriving Interest In Or Lien Upon, Or Title To Said Real Property By, Through Or Under Them, Or Either Of Them, And Their Respective Wives, Widows, Husbands, Widowers, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assigns, All Of Whom And Whose Names, Except As Stated, Are Unknown To Plaintiff, Unknown Heirs As Heir To The Estate Of Grace Butera Of Grace Butera If Living, And If He/She Be Dead, Any And All Persons Unknown To Plaintiff, Claiming, Or Who May Claim To Have An Interest In, Or General Or Specific Lien Upon The Real Property Described In This Action; Such Unknown Persons Being Herein Generally Described And Intended To Be Included In Wife, Widow, Husband, Widower, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assignees Of Such Deceased, Any And All Persons Deriving Interest In Or Lien Upon, Or Title To Said Real Property By, Through Or Under Them, Or Either Of Them, And Their Respective Wives, Widows, Husbands, Widowers, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assigns, All Of Whom And Whose Names, Except As Stated, Are Unknown To Plaintiff, Karin Dion Heir To The Estate Of Grace Butera And As Executor To The Estate Of Frances Rizzuto As Heir To The Estate Of Grace Butera, Phyllis Ferraro As Executor To The Estate Of Frances Rizzuto As Heir To The Estate Of Grace Butera, Rochelle Dion Mastera As Heir To The Estate Of Grace Butera, Billy James Dion As Heir To The Estate Of Grace Butera, Derek S Dion As Heir To The Estate Of Grace Butera, Amanda R Dion As Heir To The Estate Of Grace Butera, Dawn M Cohen As Heir To The Estate Of Grace Butera, Deidre M Butera As Heir To The Estate Of Grace Butera, Flint Butera As Heir To The Estate Of Grace Butera, People Of The State Of New York, United States Of America Acting Through The Irs, City Register Of The City Of New York, Queens County, New York City Environmental Control Board, New York City Parking Violations Bureau, Emmanuel “Doe”, John Doe (Those Unknown Tenants, Occupants, Persons Or Corporations, Or Their Heirs, Distributees, Executors, Administrators, Trustees, Guardians, Assignees, Creditors Or Successors Claiming An Interest In The Mortgaged Premises.) Defendant(S). Mortgaged Premises: 26-17 29th Street Long Island City, Ny 11102 To The Above Named Defendant: You Are Hereby Summoned To Answer The Complaint In This Action, And To Serve A Copy Of Your Answer, Or, If The Complaint Is Not Served With This Supplemental Summons, To Serve A Notice Of Appearance, On The Plaintiff(S) Attorney(S) Within Twenty Days After The Service Of This Supplemental Summons, Exclusive Of The Day Of Service (Or Within 30 Days After The Service Is Complete If This Supplemental Summons Is Not Personally Delivered To You Within The State Of New York). In Case Of Your Failure To Appear Or Answer, Judgment Will Be Taken Against You By Default For The Relief Demanded In The Complaint. The Attorney For Plaintiff Has An Office For Business In The County Of Erie. Trial To Be Held In The County Of Queens. The Basis Of The Venue Designated Above Is The Location Of The Mortgaged Premises. To Unknown Heirs To The Estate Of Merrill Wallack Of Merrill Wallack, Unknown Heirs To The Estate Of Grace Butera Defendants In This Action. The Foregoing Supplemental Summons Is Served Upon You By Publication, Pursuant To An Order Of Hon. Claudia Lanzetta

by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor

Yes, it has been 15 years since Shea Stadium was razed, but its importance to our borough cannot be overstated. Interestingly, when it opened on April 17, 1964, it was overshadowed by its neighbor across Roosevelt Avenue, the 1964-65 World’s Fair, which opened four days later. Shea Stadium would be home to the Mets, the Jets from 1964-1983, and countless concerts, with the most famous being the Beatles’ shows in 1965 and ’66.

Mets VP of Alumni Relations and team historian Jay Horwitz understood the importance of marketing what would have been Shea’s 60th birthday. He invited two players from the starting lineup that day, pitcher Jack Fisher and infielder Ron Hunt, to Citi Field last Tuesday.

Fisher, 85, appeared to be in great health, and happily recalled his tenure at Shea Stadium. He lost 24 games in 1965, which led the majors in that dubious category that year. Fisher was a respected pitcher who had the misfortune of playing for awful Mets teams.

I asked Fisher if all the losing took a toll on him. He clearly was philosophical. “Not at all. We knew we could not match up with other teams, but I always thought I would still win every time I took the mound. The fans knew we were trying our best, and their support meant everything to us. When we did win a game, it

felt like we won the seventh game of a World Series!” he said with a laugh.

Hunt has had health problems in recent years. He used a wheelchair and had difficulty speaking, although his cognitive abilities were certainly not diminished.

The conventional wisdom has long been Tom Seaver was the first homegrown Mets star. That honor belongs to Hunt. He finished second to Pete Rose for the 1963 National League Rookie of the Year Award and was the starting second baseman for the 1964 NL All-Star team. He also had a very respectable .303 batting average that year. I asked Hunt if he felt disrespected in the annals of Mets history. He nodded affirmatively. His son, also named Ron, candidly said, “My dad has felt overlooked.”

Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns took questions prior to Fisher and Hunt taking the podium. Most dealt with injuries to Mets pitchers. “I am old enough to have watched Jack Fisher pitch. He, along with many of his 1960s counterparts, pitched every fifth day; pitched deep into games; and ha d durable careers. You’re an analytics guy. What has changed?” I asked Stearns.

“I wish I knew,” he candidly replied, and quickly added, “but all baseball stakeholders had better start coming up with answers.” Q

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

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