Queens Chronicle South Edition 05-07-20 by Queens Chronicle

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

YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER VOL. XLIII

NO. 19

THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020

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NO FREE RIDE MTA reneges on promise of bridge toll rebates for all

FILE PHOTO / MTA VIA WIKIPEDIA

PAGE 4 FULL VIRUS COVERAGE PAGES 2-16, 20, 22, 30 AND 35

Facing a major ﬁscal crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is delaying its plan to let all Queens residents drive over the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge for free. Those who live in Rockaway will still see their tolls refunded.

RIP, JOSEPH GUAGENTI

RECIPES FOR SUCCESS

Shot twice in WWII, veteran dies at 94

NATIONAL NURSES WEEK MAY 6-12

Queens chefs offer their secrets, and stories, in new cookbook

PAGE 8

PAGES 20-26

SEE qboro, PAGE 27

QUEENS’ L ARGEST WEEKLY COMMUNIT Y NEWSPAPER GROUP

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, May 7, 2020 Page 2

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‘There’s only a certain amount we can do’ Residents lining up for blocks as pantries face increased demand by David Russell

the crisis and there have been lines hundreds deep of people waiting for Crystal Wolfe has been running food in the cold. “Every single week more and Catering for the Homeless for several years and believed if something cata- more families are coming to the panstrophic was to happen, the borough tries so it’s getting to be a struggle to not run out of food,” Wolfe said, addwould be hit hard. “I already knew if there was a nat- ing that the endless need can be ural disaster or crisis it would be “overwhelming.” The Rev. Mike Lopez of All worse in Queens because I already knew the underlying problems,” she Saints Church in Ridgewood, who said: a lack of schools, hospitals and started the Hungry Monk Rescue Tr uck, said services. the stories of Providing receivthousands of ’ve never seen anything people ing food seem meals a week to be the to food panlike this before.” same. tries in addi— Debbie Hampson, Catholic Charities “I lost my tion to home of Brooklyn and Queens director for job, I lost my deliveries Community Program Services job, I lost my during the job, my huscoronavir us crisis from the group’s base in Mas- band lost his job, we lost our jobs, we peth, Wolfe has encountered undocu- have many kids, we lost our jobs, we mented immigrants who are starv- lost our jobs,” he said. Before the crisis, it was primarily ing, residents with the coronavirus the working poor who would come and even homeless veterans. “That is a disgrace to me as an for food, according to Lopez. But now there are people who were not American,” Wolfe said. About one-third of the city’s food expecting to be in this situation only pantries have closed since the start of weeks ago. Associate Editor

“I

“We see a lot more of a desperate feel,” Lopez said, adding that there’s a sense of not knowing where to turn because of all the pantries that have closed. He said $30,000 from donations and fundraising is being spent a week on food and then it’s gone. In fact, there are more people getting food even as the coronavirus curve is flattening. “I think as people are spending whatever savings or whatever little bit of money they have left, they’re becoming more in need,” Lopez said, adding, “The need is tremendous and it’s not the usual need, it’s everybody right now.” Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens assisted more Food pantries are seeing many more residents lining up during the virus crisis as than 1,300 residents and fami- the borough deals with health and financial emergencies. lies at an emergency pop-up PHOTO COURTESY CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF BROOKLYN AND QUEENS event at St. Bartholomew CathThe toughest part of the situation real adjustment.” olic Church in Elmhurst last Friday. Not only are there new people on There were also 700 who couldn’t be from Slizeski’s point of view? “Just to realize so that so many of the peo- line, but new people volunteering. served due to the high demand. “Practically all food pantries are “That’s hard,” said Catholic Char- ple who are coming to the food panities Vice President Richard Slizeski. tries now are people who have never r u n by elderly volu nteers and “There’s only a certain amount we visited a food pantry before,” he said. they’re kind of not in the place to continued on page 16 “This is a new reality for them and a can do.”

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You still have to pay toll ... for now Loss of revenue during COVID sees MTA postpone Cross Bay plan by David Russell Associate Editor

Southern Queens residents were happy in April 2019 when it was announced that all in the borough would be able to use the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge from Broad Channel to the Rockaway Peninsula for f ree star ting in spring 2020. But the move has been delayed because of the coronavirus crisis. The toll rebate program, created by the state Legislature, relies on funding from the Outer Borough Transportation Account, which receives money from the surcharge on for-hire vehicle trips below 96th Street in Manhattan, the MTA said. “Due to the current health crisis, there has been a drastic decline in all vehicle trips, including FHV trips,” MTA spokesperson Meredith Daniels said in an email. “Therefore, a decision has been made in consultation with the State Legislature to postpone the program until normal trip levels resume.” The toll is $4.75, or $2.29 for drivers with an E-ZPass. State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) said a “silver lining” is that the program’s rebate elimination is not permanent. He hopes the toll plan can be sal-

State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. and Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato celebrated the 2019 announcement that Queens drivers wouldn’t have to pay a Cross Bay bridge toll beginning in spring 2020 but the COVID crisis has put FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL SHAIN that on hold. vaged this summer or at least by the end of the year. “It has a negative economic effect on the peninsula but we’ve had this toll for so long, temporarily to still have it” is not a change for residents,

Addabbo said. Residents of the Rockaways are able to cross for free, if they register with the state to get their tolls reimbursed. For years, residents there and elsewhere protested the toll, which

has long been seen as a deterrent to economic development and tourism. The lawmaker said most of the constituents he spoke to about the toll understand the decision amidst the news that MTA ridership has

seen a severe decrease during the pandemic. But one woman, Patricia in South Ozone Park, told the Chronicle, “They aren’t making money but a lot of people in Queens aren’t working.” Patricia, who likes taking a walk on the boardwalk in the summer, asked, “Why should they have to pay for a bridge that they should have never had to pay for in the first place?” Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Rockaway Beach) said that disappointment is an understatement to describe the situation but acknowledged, “When you’re not getting 90 percent of your revenue how do you allow anything to go?” In a joint statement, Addabbo and Pheffer Amato noted that with the MTA closing subway service from 1 to 5 a.m. for overnight cleaning operations for the foreseeable future, the agency will be taking in even less money. Pheffer Amato said there will be a quarterly check-in from the MTA to review the feasibility of the toll situation. “I grew up with this issue,” she told the Chronicle. “But it’s not killed. It’s not dead. When the funding turns around and we can change Q it, then it will be funded.”

Mayor criticized over lack of halal meals Grab-and-go food given out at schools during holy month of Ramadan at issue by Max Parrott

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Only a little more than a month after Mayor de Blasio took heat from the Ozone Park community over his lack of outreach to the neighborhood’s Bangladeshi population about the COVID-19 shutdown, he is back in hot water with the area’s Muslim community. This time it’s over halal meals. State Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven) and Ozone Park Residents Block Association President Sam Esposito announced at the Our Neighbors Civic Association virtual meeting on Tuesday that New York City schools are not delivering on the mayor’s promise to provide halal food for Muslim residents. While the city has been providing hummus and peanut butter and jelly under the guise of halal meals, de Blasio’s critics point out that halal refers to Islamic protocols for slaughtering animals. So while the meals provided may be permissible to observant Muslims, they are mischaracterized as halal, according to members of the Muslim community. The critics also point out the double standard that Jewish residents are provided with kosher fish under the grab-and-go program. Miller met with the city over the past week on the issue and is setting up another meeting to bring the Mayor’s Office to the

table with the Muslim community and the Department of Education. “I pointed out how important it was for the community, especially now during Ramadan,” Miller said. “They let me know that hummus was halal. And I let them know that it’s really not. It’s acceptable but not halal food.” Esposito said that a member of his civic organization, Iqbal Ali, had traveled to the grab-and-go programs at PS 202 and PS 137 that day and also found that the professed halal peanut butter sandwiches were being served in lunch bags containing chicken. The kitchen staff said that they were not trained on halal meal guidelines. The Mayor’s Office reportedly told Miller that imams they consulted authorized the peanut butter meals as halal food, but Esposito and Ali find that claim dubious. “I want to be the first to apologize for the mishap, but we are working very hard to make sure that those resources are available and that all communities are given equitable resources,” said Queens Borough Director Kevin Morris of the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit during the Zoom meeting. The holy month of Ramadan, during which observant Muslims choose halal foods that are permissible under Islamic law when they break their fast at night, will continue until May 23. Over in Brooklyn, Borough President Eric Adams organized

Meals that are OK for observant Muslim students are not necesNYC PHOTO / TWITTER sarily halal. four mobile food trucks that will serve hot halal meals throughout the city for the month of Ramadan. Esposito said he does not expect that the Mayor’s Office would be able to change course fast enough to meet the end of the holiday but he hopes the city can alter the policy for the Q grab-and-go program during the summer.

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Plan to reopen state won’t be simultaneous Cuomo announces four-phase plan, warns it won’t happen statewide by Katherine Donlevy Associate Editor

New York State has finally seen a consistent decrease in the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, enough for Gov. Cuomo to unveil a four-phase plan to lift stay-at-home measures. “Now we’re on the other side of the mountain ... You see the decline is not as steep as the incline. But it is a decline, and that’s good news,” he said at his May 4 daily press briefing, indicating the reopening process will be more difficult than the closedown was. “First of all, it’s not going to happen statewide,” Cuomo said. “This state has different regions which are in much different situations than other regions in this state. And rather than wait for the whole state to be ready, [we’ll] reopen on a regional basis. If upstate has to wait for downstate to be ready, they’re going to be waiting a long time. ” As of May 6, New York City had reported 173,288 cases and 13,938 confirmed deaths. The figures account for 54.3 percent of cases and 71.7 percent of deaths across the state. “Remember, density is not your friend here. Large gatherings are not your friend. That’s where the virus tends to spread,” the governor said. Cuomo stated that regions, cities and counties need to meet four core factors in order to reopen, beginning with a concrete decline in

Gov. Cuomo announced a four-factor plan to reopen the state, warning that regions won’t open simultaneously and must prove declines in cases and deaths, that they’re prepared for a resurgence and have the capacity to conduct diagnostic tests and contact tracing. NYS PHOTO / TWITTER total net hospitalizations. The first phase, based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, requires at least 14 days of decline with no more than 15 net new total hospitalizations or four deaths on a three-day rolling average. In order to monitor the potential spread of infection in a region, a region must have fewer than two new COVID patients admitted per 100,000 residents per day.

Secondly, regions must remain prepared for a resurgence in cases with at least 30 percent of total hospital and intensive care unit beds available. Hospitals are also required to have at least 90 days of personal protective equipment stockpiled. The third phase requires regions to have the capacity to conduct 30 diagnostic tests for every 1,000 residents per month. That aspect

of the plan was coupled with Cuomo’s announcement that New York’s National Guard has made nearly 300,000 testing kits for distribution. Finally, regions must have a baseline of 30 contact tracers for every 100,000 residents, and additional tracers based on the projected number of cases in the region. The state and former Mayor Bloomberg are building an army of contract tracers to meet the need. “Once that is all done then you can talk about reopening businesses,” Cuomo said, adding that businesses will also be opened in phases. The most essential operations that pose low risk of virus spread, such as construction, manufacturing, and select retail with curbside pickup, will be the first to reopen, followed by professional services, retail, administrative support and real estate. Restaurant, food services and accommodation services will open in the third phase, and arts, entertainment, recreation and education will be the last to reopen. “We just have to remain vigilant and smart and competent going forward,” Cuomo concluded. “That’s what New York tough means. New York tough means we’re tough, but we’re smart, we’re disciplined, we’re unified, and we are loving. It’s the love of community and love of each other and respect for each other which is what has gotten us through this and Q will continue to.”

Overnight closures to disinfect subways All train cars, buses in MTA system getting sanitized every 24 hours by Michael Gannon

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Editor

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Wednesday morning shut down all trains between 1 and 5 a.m. and will continue to do so until further notice to allow for the cleaning and disinfecting of every subway car in the system every 24 hours. Gov. Cuomo announced the new protocol last Thursday during his daily COVID-19 briefing. All NYC Transit and MTA buses also will be disinfected every 24 hours. “This is going to be one of the most aggressive, creative, challenging undertakings that the MTA has done,” Cuomo said. “It’s going to require the MTA, the state, the city, the NYPD to all work together. It’s not that easy to stop train service. You have to close down stations, you have to make sure people don’t walk in, then you have to figure out how to clean all these trains and all these stations.” While subway ridership has dropped more than 90 percent in recent weeks, both Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio acknowledged that the effort will take a massive commitment from the NYPD and social service agencies to get the growing underground homeless population out of the trains and stations and into shelters. Two homeless men were found dead in subway trains between Friday night and Saturday

morning, according to multiple media reports, one in Upper Manhattan and one in Brooklyn. Cuomo, speaking before the two deaths, said while no one anticipated how quickly subway conditions have deteriorated, the process is easy to reconstruct in retrospect. “New York City’s a place of density, subways, buses are a place of density,” he said, pointing, among other contributing factors, to the numbers of MTA and NYPD personnel who have called in sick in recent weeks — “as they should,” Cuomo said — upon showing symptoms of the illness, leading to fewer and fewer people available to keep some semblance of normal. “To say disinfect every train every 24 hours is just a task that nobody has every imagined before,” Cuomo acknowledged. “I would wager in the history of public transportation in this nation you never had a challenge of disinfecting every train, every 24 hours,” he added. “Disinfect, how do you even disinfect a train? We clean trains but how do you disinfect?” Cuomo said there will be new procedures, new chemicals and more introduced into the process, requiring workers to get every surface inside a car that could be touched or where droplets could land from a cough or a sneeze. “And then you have to disinfect the stations, the handrails, everything that people could be

Every subway car in the MTA’s system is now being cleaned and disinfected every 24 hours. PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON Buses and subway stations will be cleaned as well. touching. It is a massive undertaking that we’ve never done before. ... That is, as we said we’ve never done tracing before, we’ve never done disinfecting train cars before, but so what? That’s what we have to do.” De Blasio, remotely joining the press conference in progress, was on board. “Right here on the issue of the MTA, we’ve all been thrown the biggest curveball of our

lives with this pandemic,” the mayor said. “But look at the consistent heroism of the healthcare workers, the first responders, the grocery store workers, the pharmacists — everyone who came forward. And, Governor, I know you feel it too. It’s probably the proudest moment we’ve had as public servants in this state, in this city, watching the heroism of these New Yorkers Q who have stepped up.”

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

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Joseph Guagenti, decorated vet, 94 44-year Howard Beach resident served in Europe in World War II by Michael Gannon Editor

Joseph Guagenti, a longtime Howard Beach resident and decorated World War II veteran, was laid to rest last Friday. He was 94 and suffered briefly from what his family believes was the COVID-19 virus before passing away at his home on April 26. “He was funny, caring, kind, giving and a second dad to his three granddaughters. Our true hero,” his granddaughter Kristie Espinal said in an email to the Chronicle. Guagenti was the son of Italian immigrants who settled in Brooklyn. But in World War II he would fight to free the Europe his parents left. He served in the U.S. Army as a glider infantry soldier — men who usually were dropped behind enemy lines — and fought in the Rhineland as the Allies chased occupying forces back into Germany. He was the recipient of two Purple Hearts and the Good Conduct Medal, and continued to work for the government in civilian life at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. He and his wife

Ann moved to Howard Beach in 1976, and were married for 59 years before her death in 2009. He was an usher at Our Lady of Grace Parish for many years. He is survived by his daughter Rosemarie and son Anthony; granddaughters Lauren Libretti and Danielle Guagenti as well as Espinal; and great-grandsons Nico Libretti, Luca Espinal and Matteo Espinal. Restrictions on public gatherings, including at cemeteries such as St. John Cemetery in Middle Village, where he was laid to rest May 1, had the family concerned that friends and neighbors might not be able to attend the service. “Many people of the community were kind enough to attend the procession,” Espinal said. “Because of them he had a beautiful sendoff.” The tribute included a motorcycle procession with members of the Patriot Guard Riders, a club made of up military veterans; and a rendition of “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes by Marine Sean Becker of Howard Q Beach.

Joseph Guagenti was proud of his family, top, seen outside Lenny’s Clam Bar; his service with the Army in the Second World War; and the country that his parents adopted as their home, and COURTESY PHOTOS that he served with distinction for decades.

Bill demands stricter conditions

Nursing home Kim demands better communication in nursing homes deaths jump by Katherine Donlevy

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Associate Editor

Nearly 20 percent of New York State COVID-19 deaths had occurred in nursing homes as of May 1, prompting additional regulations mandated by Gov. Cuomo and a joint investigation led by the Department of Health and the attorney general. “These tragedies in nursing homes are not accidents. They are the outcome of bad policy decisions,” said Assemblymember Ron Kim (D-Flushing) at the virtual April 29 press conference for the introduction of his newest legislation A10350. “Now is the time for smart compassionate government designed to protect our more vulnerable, which is why we are introducing our legislation.” The bill would establish requirements for residential healthcare facilities, such as the maintenance of adequate personal protective equipment and daily record-keeping of its usage, that facilities give timely and consistent communication with residents and their loved ones about any suspected or confirmed infections and ensure residents and loved ones can communicate at least three times daily. Additionally, facilities would be required to inform residents of alternative care options, such as home care, and in the event of a transfer, facilities, with DOH support, must help residents and

Assemblymember Ron Kim introduced legislation to impose stricter regulations on nursing homes during a pandemic at an April 29 virtual press conference. NYS SCREENSHOT / FACEBOOK families find alternative options. Of the 2,377 confirmed and 2,591 presumed virus deaths occurring in New York nursing homes and adult care facilities, nearly 18 percent occurred in Queens. Kim said one of the 50 deaths inside Sapphire Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Flushing — only one of which was a confirmed COVID-19 case — inspired the bill after constituent Livia Machin relayed her frustration in attempting to contact the

facility concerning her father’s condition after visitations were suspended in early March. “All I can say is after March 11 it was very hectic, frustrating, stressful to get into contact with him because I wasn’t able to find out what his status was. I was really worried and scared and I didn’t know what was going on with him and they would always transfer me or put me on hold,” Machin said. After various attempts, she was finally able to video chat with her father on April 8, but he died about a week later. Machin assumes he died f rom COVID-19, but he was never tested. Kim also recently lost his uncle, Song Kim, to the virus while in a nursing home. “He didn’t get the proper treatment,” Kim said. “At this moment I join thousands of others ... I share the pain and trauma that is so real for all of us during this time of crisis.” The bill’s Senate version is sponsored by Andrew Gounardes (D-Brooklyn) and both lie in the respective health committees. “The most important thing is that we act to ensure that a situation like this does not happen again,” said Gounardes. “You can evaluate a society by how we treat our most vulnerable members, and by that standard, this was a terrible failure. We Q must do better.”

COVID-19 deaths in Queens nursing homes continued to skyrocket according to data released by the state Monday. The state on Monday reported more than 1,700 deaths at nursing homes and adult care facilities that had previously not been reported. The figures include both confirmed and presumed COVID19 cases. Nursing home deaths in Queens through May 3 were listed at 834, including 358 confirmed, with Brooklyn listing second at 683, including 154 confirmed. Suffolk County had the most confirmed cases with 379 out of its total of 593. Parker Jewish Center for Health Care & Rehab in Glen Oaks had the highest count in Queens with 71 confirmed deaths. Franklin Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Flushing had six confirmed deaths but also 53 presumed. The Holliswood Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare had 55 deaths, including 17 confirmed. Ozanam Hall of Queens Nursing Home in Bayside had 23 confirmed deaths and another 30 presumed. The state Veterans Home in St. Albans had 33 deaths, including nine Q confirmed. — Michael Gannon

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P Honoring National Nurses Week EDITORIAL

hen you talk about frontline workers, it doesn’t get any more frontline than nurses. So it’s only apropos that National Nurses Week happens to fall in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Don’t expect much in the way of celebrations, though. At least not celebrations involving the actual nurses themselves. They’re too busy saving lives, working 12-hour shifts and making sure our beleaguered hospitals, urgent care centers, doctors’ offices and long-term care facilities keep running as smoothly as they can during the crisis. As one hospital system told us, given the pandemic and the inability to gather in groups, the usual National Nurses Week events will not be held, though the caregivers will be honored later and 2020 marked as the Year of the Nurse. National Nurses Week began May 6, which is recognized as National Nurses Day, and runs through May 12. Mayor de Blasio mentioned that it was National Nurses Day at his press briefing Wednesday. Reflecting the city’s gratitude, he said it is “unbelievable, just absolutely breathtaking what the nurses of New York City have done during this crisis. They’re heroes in this city; they’re heroes to this whole nation. So, I think

AGE

it’s a fair statement if there’s any New Yorker out there or any American out there who didn’t appreciate our nurses before, well they damn sure well appreciate them now.” President Trump honored nurses at the White House, saying, “They have nothing on their mind except helping people and making people better. It’s incredible.” Here in the city, people thank nurses, along with other frontline workers both in and out of the healthcare industry, every evening with the 7 p.m. cheer. Some bring them gifts such as homemade snacks; others have donated personal protective equipment. Both are welcome — though it should not be up to volunteers to ensure nurses have the PPE they need. Online, you can find things like lists of the top gift ideas for nurses, such as food delivery gift cards. Before the virus crisis, you could walk into a medical center and not be able to tell which nurse was just beginning a shift and which was ending it — they showed the same vigor and dedication the entire time. While the virus has confronted them with worse situations than many have ever seen, and their role as comforter has expanded greatly with patients unable to have visitors, nurses keep their heads high and do their jobs. We salute them.

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Good call on subways Dear Editor: Kudos to City Councilmen Robert Holden, Eric Ulrich, Peter Koo and Mark Gjonaj for taking the initiative in sending a letter to Gov. Cuomo to shut down and clean the subways. While it was not a total shutdown, to get the MTA to close for four hours is historic. Not only will it be cleaning the stations, subways and buses during the night, it will also be cleaning the trains during the day in the subway yards. This had to be done, as way too many transit workers were getting ill, with some dying. When things get back to normal, which we hope will be soon, we must have a clean transit system to get people to and from their destinations safely. Along with the thanks to the City Councilmen, a bigger thanks to the transit workers for all that they are doing every day for the citizens of NYC. John Lynch Middle Village

Get homeless off trains Dear Editor: Gov. Cuomo has ordered the subways closed for daily overnight cleaning between 1 and 5 a.m. That will make for clean and disinfected trains. That’s a good thing, right? Wrong. © Copyright 2020 by MARK I PUBLICATIONS, INC. All rights reserved. Neither this newspaper nor any part thereof may be reproduced, copied, or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, recording or by any information retrieval system without the express written permission of the publishers. This copyright is extended to the design and text created for advertisements. Reproduction of said advertisement or any part thereof without the express written permission of MARK I PUBLICATIONS, INC. is strictly prohibited. This publication will not be responsiblefor errors in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Bylined articles represent the sole opinion of the writer and are not necessarily in accordance with the views of the QUEENS CHRONICLE. This Publication reserves the right to limit or refuse advertising it deems objectionable. The Queens Chronicle is published weekly by Mark I Publications, Inc.at a subscription rate of $19 per year and out of state, $25 per year. Periodicals Postage Paid (USPS0013-572) at Flushing, N.Y. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mark I Publications, Inc., 71-19 80th St., Suite 8-201, Glendale, NY 11385.

Give ’em the business

hile countless businesses deemed nonessential are closed across Queens, many of those considered most vital remain open. Groceries, restaurants, hardware stores, auto repair shops, pet food chains, home supply outlets — all these and more can stay open as long as they follow the rules laid down by state order. But they can only stay open if we keep them open, by patronizing them. That’s where Alan Baglia of Woodside, the Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District, other community groups and Edible Queens magazine come in. Together they created “Who’s Open Queens?”, a clickable map that shows hundreds of shops — and now food pantries — that are still open for business. It’s posted online at bit.ly/2WEOttw and can also be found by doing a search. There are two problems, though: It’s dominated by certain neighborhoods while others are MIA, and it’s become too big for the volunteers to manage. So now they’ve gone to Borough Hall for help. What’s needed is for other BIDs, and maybe the Queens Chamber of Commerce, to also get involved, to fill in the empty spots on the map and to help all those businesses that are still open remain that way.

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What do you think will happen at 5:01 a.m.? The same homeless people, some of whom are infected with the deadly virus, will return to the trains and once again spread the virus and death throughout the subways. This process will repeat itself every day. So, what’s the point? This solution simply rearranges the deck chairs on the Titanic. The only solution that will work is to remove all homeless people from the subways all at the same time. The mayor’s strategy only removes a few each day. That will not work and more people will get the virus and die. The governor needs to immediately call in the National Guard to work with the NYPD to remove all the homeless people in the subway. If there are none there, then there’s no need to shut the system down. This would be easier, more efficient and cheaper for the city. Officials can’t forget that

many New Yorkers work nights and early mornings, so they need to use the subway during the 1 to 5 a.m. hours. There are many vacant and large buildings where the homeless could be housed to evaluate, treat, and quarantine them. Two such locations are the Toy ‘R’ Us and Party City buildings near the Whitestone Cinema, which is not being used at this time due to the lockdown. There must be many of these large buildings sitting empty and unused all over NYC at this time. As long as one infected homeless person remains in the subway, the virus will spread. How do we know which homeless people are infected as you read this? We don’t. That’s the problem. Since we don’t know, all homeless people must be taken out of the subway to protect all straphangers and their families. Martin Bender Flushing

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Praise the nurses Dear Editor: National Nurses Week started May 6 and ends on May 12, raising awareness of the important role nurses play in our country today. May 12 is the birthday of Florence Nightingale who started nursing. I know firsthand what nurses do. I am 70 years old and five years ago I came down with an aggressive prostate cancer and had four operations connected with that disease. I was operated each time at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset and was cared for by the most caring and fully trained nurses, who always greeted me with a smile. Now our nurses today are having a hard time and risking their lives, with some sick and dying, due to the COVID-19 virus. I applaud today’s nurses who are truly dedicated and caring for all their patients who need their help with this most insidious disease. There can never be enough praise for all that they do. Thank you! Frederick R. Bedell Jr. Glen Oaks

Not gentlemen’s engines Dear Editor: The advent of spring weather has bought to Ozone Park not the chirping of birds, but the roar of ATVs, minibikes and motorcycles. Gangs of hundreds are gunning down Cross Bay Boulevard doing wheelies. It is amazing some are so socially aware that they wear masks to follow COVID-19 protocol. As I was leaving my house the other day, a yellow bike was tearing down the sidewalk. There has to be way to cut down on this unorganized disaster waiting to happen in the form of a major accident. Ray Hackinson Ozone Park

Elections system is corrupt

Education flim-flam Dear Editor: When the Diversity Plan was made known to the parents of District 28 in November 2019 and there was a strong public sense that the predetermined ultimate goal was to reshuffle children between schools in the district, the parents were said to be “attacking imaginary monsters of their own creation” (Nyah Berg of Appleseed, in her March 16, 2020 Daily News op-ed). But when the curtains were slightly pulled aside in the same op-ed piece, we discovered that this was precisely the goal of the Department of Education and its advocacy group affiliate. Why then would the op-ed incorrectly state that “the district doesn’t have ‘zoned’ mid-

dle schools in the first place” when the author knows full well that the two middle schools in question, Russell Sage and Halsey, accept zoned students first before they are permitted to accept any non-zoned students? Now, we are again being openly misled. The DOE has unilaterally decided not to give final grades for K-8 students this school year in order to be “flexible.” In their answer as to why not use March report card grades as final grades, department officials said they didn’t want to ignore the last one-third of the school year (ignoring the first two-thirds I guess makes more sense to them). Parents’ outrage was in full swing and again parents were told that they should have nothing to worry about as this is just for the final quarter and all the previous grades would still be in students’ records. Sounds reasonable right? The problem with no final grades was obvious from the start — this would be the DOE’s gateway to removing screens this year from those schools that would ordinarily admit students based on their grades. As Chancellor Richard Carranza recently said, “Never waste a good crisis.” Are we again chasing an imaginary monster of our creation? Prove us wrong and leave screens alone. Irene Raevsky Forest Hills

Who’ll test the undocumented? Dear Editor: We want answers! The key element of Gov. Cuomo’s blueprint to open New York safely from lockdown is mass testing and contact tracing. But how is this going to be done by May 15 when large swaths of the city’s population are unaccountable, undocumented and living in the shadows? This includes the city’s most virusprone populations of over one million undocumented immigrants, homeless and inmates recently released from city jails. This is not a partisan issue. This is about protecting all New Yorkers and getting NYC back to work safely. It’s well known that many immigrants here illegally are scared to visit a doctor or hospital to seek treatment for fear of being arrested and deported. How much more unlikely will it be that they would divulge their name, address and personal information for testing or submit to interviews for tracing their contacts? Now that everyone must be identified, tested and traced, how are we supposed to do the same with the undocumented populations of the city? The hardest-hit pandemic hotspots in NYC are Elmhurst, the epicenter of the virus, Corona, Jackson Heights, Flushing and other areas that are home to vast proportions of the city’s undocumented immigrants. The No. 1 priority should be to test these ZIP codes first. Will the information collected by the city and state be released? Will the tracing be done by trained public health personnel, rather than community groups or churches? How will the MTA make sure the subways are safe from the virus if these shadow populations are not tested or traced? We want answers from our elected officials. Please see complete letter on our website, qvgop.org. Phil Orenstein President, Queens Village Republican Club Queens Village

RUSO-077709

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Dear Editor: I empathize with the two insurgents thrown off the ballot by the Board of Elections (“Kicked off ballot: protocol or racism?,” April 30, multiple editions). The whole system is corrupt and has to be changed. James Dillon Long island City The writer penned his letter before a judge ruled that the candidates will appear on the ballot.

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Page 11 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, May 7, 2020

LETTERS TO THE

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, May 7, 2020 Page 12

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Colleges see possible uptick in enrollment Schools offer new online summer courses in face of budget concerns by Max Parrott

down the line. While the governor’s state budget did not While the COVID-19 pandemic has shut include cuts to public university spending as down colleges across Queens for the summer severe as some expected, it did give Gov. and completely restructured instruction, it hasn’t Cuomo the power to make cuts to individual stopped them from trying to make the best of agencies for fiscal year 2021 in response to shortfalls in city and state revenue. the moment. David Gerwin, chairman of Queens College’s Not only are universities and community colleges alike saying that they are planning to chapter of the Professional Staff Congress, maintain the same amount of summer course CUNY’s union, says this looming threat, comofferings through distance learning, some are bined with lower than expected enrollment in seeing the crisis as an opportunity to offer new the spring, is part of what is motivating the Flushing school to take a creative approach classes and try to boost their enrollment. toward its summer course Both Vaughn College of catalogue. Aeronautics and Technology ore students may “In part that’s because we and St. John’s University say really want to help students they have adapted course wish to stay local. and in part that’s because the offerings for the summer to university has really pushed online learning at least for the first summer session. The only classes that hard for us to have as much summer enrollment LaGuardia Community College cut were its as possible to make up for the difficult financial instrument-based music classes. Queens College situation in the spring and the expected financial even sent out a press release boasting over 600 cuts in the fall,” Gerwin said. Queens College is not alone in its push to use courses including some new ones designed to the move toward online instruction as an opporaddress the coronavirus itself. But for public universities, the picture painted tunity to drive summer enrollment. LaGuardia by the robust summer course offerings is not Community College interim Vice President of quite as rosy as it appears on first glance. The Student Affairs Bartholomew Grachan said obstacles that colleges are facing from the while enrollment is tough to predict, he wouldn’t pandemic go beyond the challenge of adapting be surprised to see it go up this summer. “We are anticipating, to some degree, that to online instruction to potential budget cuts Chronicle Contributor

Dimitri Toumaras and other Queens College students learning online. there will be students who don’t want to go back and spend $60,000 a year at their private institution or out-of-state institution, who might be interested in a semester or year locally at a very reasonable cost,” Grachan said. York College and Queensborough Community College did not respond to requests for information for this article. At Queens College, COVID-related offerings include an anthropology course on historical

PHOTOS COURTESY QUEENS COLLEGE

pandemics as well as two urban studies courses that focus on crafting policy and research to address the pandemic. But the creativity is not relegated to timely course matter. Gerwin, a secondary education instructor as well as a union rep, said that while summer curriculum in his department normally means remedial coursework that amounts to a six-week march to the Regents exams, the continued on page 16

Distance learning remains a challenge City has delivered more than 250K devices but program quality differs by Max Parrott

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Chronicle Contributor

Now that Gov. Cuomo has officially confirmed Mayor de Blasio’s order to cancel public school for the rest of the year, parents across the largest school system in the nation will take on the burden of finishing out nearly another two months of remote learning. At this point, the city has neared its goal of providing devices to families across the city, and many households have settled into a daily distance learning rhythm. To date, the Department of Education has delivered more than a quarter-million devices to New York City families who requested them. But beyond the technological needs of remote learning, many Queens parents continue to struggle against structural obstacles. “The quality of remote learning is still really inconsistent building by building. And even grade by grade, we’re finding,” said Alliance for Quality Education Executive Director Jasmine Gripper. While some parents have managed to find a routine that works for them, others, like singleparent households, families who live in a shelter or the parents of students with special education needs, face challenges that prevent them from doing that. But first, the positive. Even parents who are struggling report that this transformational peri-

Remote learning is providing parents with more family time but also putting new stressNYC DOE PHOTO / THE MORNING BELL es on them. od in the city’s education system has helped them get involved in their children’s learning. Felicia Singh, a teacher and City Council candidate from Ozone Park, recently conducted a remote learning survey. “We asked what parents enjoy and a lot of the responses were just family time. ‘I am able to see how my child is learning and what they’re learning,’ which is something that I think parents don’t really get,” said Singh. Carmen Perez is a mother of five in Far Rockaway, who has worked through the pandemic as a home aide. For Perez’s two middle schoolers and three elementary schoolers, she requested three iPads from the DOE. She said

that while the transition to remote learning reach through online learning to begin with, but was chaos, once she established a fixed routine on top of that they often need a parent’s support for her children and got them on tablets, it to complete schoolwork. “Everyone has different personalities and grew manageable. “They come in and say, ‘Mom, I learn learning abilities. And they all need individual something new every day.’ They explain it. attention and support to ensure they’re masterThey’re like, ‘Oh Mom, this is how home- ing the material,” said Shabbir. Shabbir added that one of her sons has an school feels,’” Perez said. Perez co-parents with her husband, who is a Individualized Education Program and continstay-at-home dad. After she leaves for her job at ues to receive special services online, but he 12 p.m. her husband takes over, which allows needs frequent breaks and one-on-one attention to attend to a task. for flexibility that many Singh added that she parents lack. recently heard from a “Single parents, pararents juggle their kids’ friend whose child was ticularly single mothers, have a harder time remote learning with their not getting the extended time mandated by balancing remote learnown remote working. his IEP. She said that i ng w it h remot ely one challenge of online working,” said Singh. Fatima Shabbir, a single mother of four learning is that parents may not have a compreelementary schoolers from Richmond Hill, hensive understanding of the services that their said that it’s really difficult to convey the children are entitled to. For parents who have questions about whethintensity of balancing working full-time with er their children are getting the services they are her parenting responsibilities. “Maintaining expected productivity levels supposed to, Gripper recommended first going and juggling screaming, whining and siblings through DOE channels, before seeking outside fighting in the background is incredibly intervention from the city or elected officials. Families can also still request devices by hard,” Shabbir said. The AQE has been finding that early child- completing the Remote Learning Device hood education is the most problematic stage of Request Form, or by calling (718) 935-5100 and Q remote learning. That age bracket is hard to choosing option 5.

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Page 13 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, May 7, 2020

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, May 7, 2020 Page 14

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Little support for SYEP suspension City Council members think plan will cause problems, not solutions by Katherine Donlevy Associate Editor

As part of his efforts to mitigate the city fiscal shortfalls caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor de Blasio proposed the temporary suspension of the Summer Youth Employment Program for the 2020 season, a plan multiple City Council members were quick to reject. “The Council cares deeply about SYEP. I care about it too,” de Blasio said at a May 5 press conference. “It’s expanded greatly during my administration. I’ve said one, we don’t have money right now. Two, we don’t have a logistical framework to make it work because people can’t gather and it is wholly dependent on people gathering in the same place. So I don’t see a way to do it right now, but I’m always going to have an open door to the Council and budget adoption is not until the middle of June or later June. Things could change by then so don’t see it now, but the conversation is open.” The cut came as part of the mayor’s $89.3 billion executive budget proposal for fiscal year 2021, which would reduce spending compared to the FY 20 budget adopted in June 2019 by 3.7 percent. Hundreds of cuts across multiple jurisdictions include reducing highway cleaning, canceling the Department of Education’s upcoming Summer

School’s Out New York City program and implementing a hiring freeze across multiple agencies in order to redirect funding to lifesaving measures. Suspending the SYEP, which employed about 75,000 city youths between the ages of 14 and 24 in 2019, would preserve $124 million. “For decades SYEP has given our young people workplace experience and the opportunity to learn valuable skills for their longterm success,” Councilmember Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica) told the Chronicle in an email. “While it is important that we slow spending to prepare for the inevitable financial impacts of this pandemic, we cannot cut this important funding for our youth. Summer employment supports positive behavioral and economic outcomes for our young people. An investment in our children is critical to the future of our city and cuts to SYEP will cause an unintended effect to the detriment of communities of color across this city.” Other elected officials shared Adams’ view and denounced de Blasio’s solution — Councilmember Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows) stated that the “SYEP should be prioritized right now as a way to engage youth in positive activities over the summer,” while Councilmember Paul Vallone (D-Bayside) promised to “fight to get as much of the funding and programming back as possible, for

this summer and beyond.” Councilmember Bob Holden (D-Middle Village) questioned de Blasio’s decision to include the program’s suspension with the hundreds of other budget cuts, believing that coupling it with the closure of pools will cause more problems than solutions. “These decisions potentially can cost us more in the long run with increased crime and vandalism, and derail so many potential careers of young people,” Holden told the Chronicle. “New York City already has fewer programs and places to go for youth compared to other cities throughout the nation and world. Eliminating these programs prematurely is foolish and we could be paying the price for this blunder for decades.” Tom Grech, the president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, has worked with many SYEP youths over the years and has applauded the program for providing kids with the opportunity to explore various careers. He denounced the decision to cut the SYEP in a time when so many other job opportunities are limited, adding that the proposal not only revokes career experience and a distraction from mischief, but eliminates the opportunity to contribute to the family income. “I think it’s a mistake,” he told the Chronicle. “The money they make goes toward the

DA: Suicides up during COVID Psychiatrist offers insight, tips as Queens cases double by David Russell

first weeks of the crisis. “I think there was a tendency, people There have been 16 suicides in Queens were kind of limiting what they were between March 15 — at the beginning of going to call about,” she said. Collins said people could be feeling the coronavirus crisis — and April 28, according to the District Attor ney’s trapped because of social distancing orders as well as being anxious about the Office. There were eight suicides in the bor- health of loved ones. Other factors include ough from March 15 through April 28 last unemployment, financial factors and people being confined year, and 17 suiin small spaces. cides going back “People who may to Jan. 1. he victims are young and have been able to “There is a of give each mental health old — no one is immune.” kind other a little discomponent to this tance in their daily health crisis that — District Attorney Melinda Katz lives, might have needs our attenh a d r elat ion sh ip tion,” DA Melinda Katz said in a statement. “Since this pan- issues or family issues, now everybody’s demic began the number of suicides in on top of each other,” Collins said, adding, Queens County have soared. The victims “When you have a combination of existing stressors and then new stressors it can be are young and old — no one is immune.” Katz asked people to reach out to really overwhelming for people.” She saw some psychological effects of friends and neighbors, saying there is “no the pandemic on some patients. shame” in reaching out for help. “When people are in the hospital and Bridget Collins, in-patient psychiatrist at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills-North- they’re very sick, they get delirious, they well Health, said there was “radio silence” get confused, they get upset,” Collins said. in terms of people reaching out during the “They’re very uncomfortable.”

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Associate Editor

“T

The fact that friends and family were banned from visiting also led to loneliness and isolation. Another situation occurs with someone who survived COVID but lost a loved one to the disease. “It creates a lot of complicated feelings that people have gone through,” she said. Collins wants people to know there is help available for people who are afraid it’s not there. “There is somebody out there that wants to help them and will do everything possible to try and help them,” she said. Collins recommends calling NYC Well at 1 (888) 692-9355. The free hotline is staffed by counselors around the clock who can talk, text, provide referrals for services and dispatch 911 in case of an emergency. “Although our healthcare system in our country is far from perfect, New York is actually a pretty good state when it comes to availability of mental health,” she said. People can also call 1 (800) 273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Line. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Collins has this advice: “Always look for help is the thing I would Q say again and again and again.”

At a May 5 press conference, Mayor de Blasio said he doesn’t foresee the possibility of running the Summer Youth Employment Program during the pandemic, defending his decision to cut the program to redirect its funding to fiscal shortfalls caused by the crisis. PHOTO BY MICHAEL APPLETON / NYC / FLICKR

family budget. Without those jobs and experiences I worry ... It’s really critically important Q for many families.”

Grace food pantry resumes in Whitestone The Grace Episcopal Church food pantry, located at 14-15 Clintonville St. in Whitestone, will reopen under city Department of Health guidelines. The food pantry, open Mondays from 5 to 6 p.m. and Fridays 10 to 11 a.m., will operate from its parking lot. Prepackaged sets of food will be distributed to patrons one person at a time in a grab-and-go service. Donations of nonperishable food can be d ropped off any time the church is open and can be brought to the kitchen. Perishable food can be dropped off through arrangement, during pantry hours or just before the pantry opens. Suggested donations include cereal, rice, canned tuna, peanut butter, instant oatmeal, canned fruit, canned legumes and beans, canned vegetables, pasta sauce, and pasta, though anything is appreciated. Additionally, volunteers are always welcomed and needed. Fo r m o r e i n fo r m a t io n , v i sit gracechurchwhitestone@gmail.com, call (718) 767-6305, or email Maria Finley at mlcfinley@hotmail.com. Q

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Extra space for walkers and cyclists

Virtual Urgent Care

by Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief

Access an NYU Langone Care Provider 24/7

Pedestrians along much of Meadow Lake Drive shouldn’t have to look over their shoulders at GOOGLE MAPS IMAGE cars much anymore. are eager to work with our colleagues in government, community groups, and our neighbors to keep expanding this program in a safe, effective, and enjoyable way. While we continue our fight against this awful virus, we need to give people the space they need to maintain proper social distancing, and I’m glad we’re making progress towards that goal.” Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said the closures are only a first step and urged community boards and other neighborhood organizations to recommend more streets for shutting to cars, “particularly in areas hit hard by COVID-19.” The first Queens closures are not in those areas, such as Elmhurst, which have high infection rates and little green space. City Councilman Bob Holden (D-Middle Village), whose district includes Forest Park, was the only Queens official quoted in the announcement. “The Depar tment of Transpor tation informed me of its decision to close three streets in Forest Park as part of the Mayor and City Council’s initiative to allow greater social distancing,” Holden said. “I’d like to thank Commissioner Trottenberg for calling me personally to discuss the plan, and I believe it will have a minimal impact on the community while providing some more space for safe recreation during the pandemic.” The closures are the first round in what the city says will be 40 miles of shutdowns to traffic during May, with plans for another 60 miles “in the weeks ahead.” Officials previously said the changes “will only be in effect for the duration of ‘NY PAUSE,’ with the exception of bike lanes.” New York PAUSE — which stands for Policies Assure Uniform Safety for Everyone and refers to Gov. Cuomo’s stay-at-home and social distancing orders — is slated to run through May 15, though it is expected to be lengthQ ened in the city.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how important it is to quickly adapt to new circumstances—especially access to healthcare. NYU Langone now offers Virtual Urgent Care visits 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for flu-like symptoms or other minor medical concerns. Our team of providers can assess your symptoms and offer a treatment plan—right from your phone, even in the middle of the night. Same-day appointments are available. Most insurances are accepted, including Medicare.

Get started with the NYU Langone Health app or visit nyulangone.org/VUC

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The city on Monday implemented its first round of street closures designed to open up more space to pedestrians and bicyclists, with the goal of allowing for more social distancing during the fight against the coronavirus. Five stretches of roadway in Queens are closed to motor vehicles — or “opened” in the city’s parlance — from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. Three are in Forest Park, one in Flushing Meadows Corona Park and one in Long Island City. They total 2.7 miles out of the 7.14 miles of streets that will be affected citywide. On the Woodhaven side of Forest Park, west of Woodhaven Boulevard, Forest Park Drive, which the city called West Main Drive, will be closed to cars from the Seuffert Bandshell parking lot to the golf course lot. East of Woodhaven, in Richmond Hill, Forest Park Drive, aka East Main Drive, will be shuttered from Metropolitan Avenue to the Overlook parking lot. So will Freedom Drive from Park Lane South to Myrtle Avenue. In Flushing Meadows, Meadow Lake Drive will be closed from the Model Aircraft Field on the east side of the lake to what was referred to as the Meadow Lake Bridge Parking Lot, going the long way. The roadway will be closed from the Model Aircraft Field south to the baseball fields adjacent to Jewel Avenue, and then back north along the west side of the lake to the parking lot, for a total of 1.5 miles. In Long Island City, Court Square West will be closed from Jackson Avenue to where it dead-ends against the nearby train tracks. The roadways chosen in the first round all run through parks or are adjacent to them (Court Square Park sits in front of the LIC Courthouse between Court Square West, Jackson Avenue and Thomson Avenue). The streets will be closed to motor vehicles 12 hours a day except for local deliveries, pickups and drop-offs, “necessary city service vehicles” and emergency vehicles. Drivers must be “hyper-vigilant” and keep it to 5 mph. Officials hailed the move in an announcement they issued last Friday. “New Yorkers deserve safe ways to enjoy the warm weather while we fight through this crisis, and I’m proud of my team for jumping into action with this first group of open streets,” Mayor de Blasio said. “Our parks have played a critical role in maintaining public health during this crisis. But we cannot afford to have a high demand for open space create unhealthy situations. That’s why we’re opening streets and offering more options for New Yorkers to get outside safely.” “Today is a great first step and an exciting day for an entire city starved of adequate open space,” said City Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Manhattan), who had pressed a reluctant mayor to close some streets to traffic weeks ago. “The Council is glad our efforts on this initiative have brought us this far, and we

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Street closures total 2.7 miles, with more to come

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New map shows folks who’s open in Queens Restaurants, laundromats and even food pantries can be found in boro by Max Parrott

were being added on the map’s Facebook page up to the Chronicle’s deadline. Not only does the map contain over 900 res“Who’s Open Queens?”, an increasingly popular map of borough businesses that have taurants, but it is now coordinated with the remained open during the COVID-19 pandem- city’s list of grab-and-go meal sites and food ic, recently got a partner in the Borough Presi- pantries. Traffic boomed to 35,000 views in the 35 days after the map’s activation. dent’s Office. The original version of the map began as a As the quarantine drags on, the map which started out with mostly Astoria and Sunnyside collaboration between Baglia and Jaime-Faye restaurants expanded across the whole borough Bean, the director of the Sunnyside Shines and sprouted lists for laundromats, grocery Business Improvement District and founder of stores, bike shops and food donations, among Queens Together. Bean and Baglia then partnered with Claudia Sanchez, the publisher of other categories. But as it swelled in size, the operation Edible Queens magazine, who had started a incurred growing pains. The task of verifying similar list by coordinating with BIDs across the borough who all entries regularly keep a weekly list of and covering the think this map is going to open businesses. borough evenly has Bean said that grown too large for stay relevant for a while.” while many busithe founders alone. nesses have been On Tuesday, several — Jaime-Faye Bean able to get the mesof them met with Borough President Sharon Lee, who has agreed sages across to their customer base through their own online platforms, that leaves others to to partner to develop the map further. “The problem is the fear of success. Now it’s slip between the cracks. The map helps expose a little more challenging to wrangle the accura- residents to new businesses by allowing them to cy,” said Alan Baglia, the Woodside resident zoom in on their own block to explore. “It’s such a game changer for businesses that who spearheaded the project with the help of numerous community groups. “We’re saying at have a strong social media presence during this the front: Just call ahead. We’re hoping these pandemic, but for those that don’t it can cause a are accurate, but there are 1,200 listings.” More lack of equity. Laundromats rarely have social Chronicle Contributor

“I

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Hungry during the coronavirus continued from page 2 do it,” Slizeski said, noting that seniors are more susceptible to COVID. He said different people from the K nights of Columbus to younger parishioners have stepped up to help. Slizeski said the organization has always helped people in need but now there are so many more. And nobody knows how long this will last. “Even with the flattening of the curve, you’re still looking at people without jobs, and as long as that’s the situation this could go on for quite a while,” he said. Debbie Hampson, Catholic Charities’ director for Community Program Services, has been with the agency for nearly 40 years, including during 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy. “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” she said. “I don’t think anybody has.” Hampson oversees the pantries — “We’ve become very proficient” — and said there are twice as many people coming for food as usual, many who had never come before. “The volume of people is staggering,” she said, adding, “People are scared to come out into stores and things like that. They’ve lost their job, a lot of folks won’t qualify for unemployment or the stimulus. They need to pay their rent and other bills besides providing food for their families.” It was a Catholic Charities pop-up grab-

and-go-style event in Corona on April 17 that saw a line stretching back 20 blocks, Gothamist reported. A food giveaway event at the office of state Sen. Jessica Ramos (D-East Elmhurst) saw hundreds of people on line. According to Ramos, 700 meals were distributed to 170 families in 17 minutes. Jenna Harris, food sourcing manager for City Harvest, told the Chronicle, “We have definitely seen unprecedented numbers of people coming.” She said its nine mobile markets with free produce have seen 30 percent increases to each site, with many of the newcomers unemployed or furloughed. One person who picked up food has three children and a construction worker husband who isn’t working. There’s a college student, now out of school and unemployed with a father who has the coronavir us and a mother who isn’t working because barbershops are closed. Another is an out-of-work home attendant worried about rising supermarket prices. City Harvest has received lots of donations from restaurants as well as wholesalers who would have given to restaurants. An impressive part of the last month for Harris is “just seeing how quickly everyone has reacted and changed and been able to adapt ... because so many of those food programs closed we’ve seen a lot of other proQ grams ramp up.”

Volunteers and business advocates are mapping restaurants, stores and other establishments that are open to their customers in Queens. At right, Joe and Emmanual Castillo of Phil-Am Mart in Woodside are among the owners trying to get the word out far and wide. FACEBOOK MAP; PHOTO COURTESY JAIME-FAYE BEAN / SUNNYSIDE SHINES

media, or newer, or smaller or immigrantowned restaurants,” Bean said. The team also enlisted the help of Beta NYC, a nonprofit dedicated to helping community organizations improve their technological resources, which improved the coding of the map and customized it. Now “Who’s Open” is color-coded and searchable, and includes hours and links for many of the businesses. The task ahead is to close its gaps in coverage. Neighborhoods across large portions of South and Southeast Queens as well as other areas like Glendale, Maspeth and Whitestone are lacking entries so far. As the new reality of the pandemic unfolds, the map is looking less and less like a merely temporary Band-Aid. “We are certainly looking at least a medium-term solution here with businesses not being open or having adjusted hours,” said Bean. “I think that the map is going to stay relevant for a while.” The borough president’s online network should help Bean and Baglia coordinate with

College offerings continued from page 12 administration has encouraged teachers to pitch new ideas. “My department is offering more courses in the summer than I think it really ever has,” he said, adding that he sees this trend in other departments as well. The only remaining question will be whether the courses can meet the enrollment threshold to stay alive. Beyond subject matter, professors are being given an opportunity to experiment with course structure. Gerwin expects to see a rise in asynchronous classes, which don’t have a set meeting time. Instead they revolve

neighborhood groups across the borough, but they are still looking for volunteers to keep track of neighborhood openings on a regular basis. “The next step is really finding institutional support for keeping the map updated. That support is strong where we have institutional partners who are willing to have some staff time dedicated to keeping this updated,” Bean said. That will mean BIDs but also merchant organizations, and other neighborhood groups that deal with local businesses regularly. Sanchez added that she has even started sourcing her readers as well. Two Forest Hills residents, who originally emailed the Edible Queens publisher to grumble about their neighborhood’s lack of representation on the map, ended up volunteering to track restaurants in their neck of the woods on a regular basis. “It’s just nice when your readers behave that way. The community is definitely coming together that way, which is really good,” said Q Sanchez. around video lectures or weekly deadlines that students can perform on their own schedule. The flexibility has made them popular. If enrollment does tick up, it will help the college earn some needed revenue to weather the potential for cuts in the fall. While Queens College’s 2020 funding reserves were projected to be just over $3 million at the beginning of the year, Gerwin said that surplus had been erased by low enrollment this spring. Its current economic outlook withstanding, Queens College’s summer plans agree with the guidance of the Professional Staff Congress, which said last week that the colleges should not be rushing into pre-emptive Q cuts before Cuomo announces any.

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LEARN HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND OTHERS AT HOME. WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19? • The most common symptoms are fever, cough, sore throat and shortness of breath. Other symptoms include feeling achy, loss of taste or smell, headache, and diarrhea. • Most people with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) will have mild or moderate symptoms and can get better on their own.

WHO IS MOST AT RISK FOR SERIOUS ILLNESS? • People age 50 or older (people age 65 or older are at the highest risk) • People who have other health conditions, such as: Lung disease Kidney disease Asthma Liver disease Heart disease Cancer Obesity A weakened immune system Diabetes

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I GET SICK WITH COVID-19 SYMPTOMS?

If you or someone in your home is sick: • Create physical distance: Do not have visitors.

WHEN CAN I LEAVE MY HOME AFTER BEING SICK? • If you have been sick, stay home until: You are fever-free for three days without Tylenol or other medication and It has been at least seven days since your symptoms started and Your symptoms have improved • Reminder: New York is on PAUSE. This means that even if you have been sick, you should only leave your home for essential work or errands, or to exercise, while staying at least 6 feet from others.

NEED HELP? • If you are having a medical emergency, call 911. • If you do not have a doctor but need one, call 844-NYC-4NYC (844-692-4692). New York City provides care, regardless of immigration status, insurance status or ability to pay. • For more information, call 311 or visit nyc.gov/coronavirus. The NYC Health Department may change recommendations as the situation evolves. 4.20

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If you are sick with COVID-19 symptoms, assume you have it. When you are sick: • If you have trouble breathing, pain or pressure in your chest, are confused or cannot stay awake, or have bluish lips or face, call 911 immediately. • Call your doctor if you are age 50 or older or have a health condition that puts you at increased risk, or if you do not feel better after three days. • Always contact a doctor or go to the hospital if you have severe symptoms of COVID-19 or another serious health issue. • Do not leave your home except to get necessary medical care or essential food or supplies (if someone cannot get them for you). • If you must leave your home: Avoid crowded places. Stay at least 6 feet from others. Cover your nose and mouth with a bandana, scarf or other face covering. Wash your hands before you go out, and use alcohol-based hand sanitizer while outside. • Household members can go out for essential work and needs but should monitor their health closely.

Stay at least 6 feet from others. Sleep head-to-toe if you share a bed with someone who is sick, or sleep on the couch. Keep people who are sick separate from those at risk for serious illness. • Cover up: Cover your nose and mouth with a bandana, scarf or other face covering when you are within 6 feet of others. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or your inner elbow. • Keep it clean: Throw tissues into the garbage immediately after use. Wash your hands often with soap for 20 seconds, especially after you cough or sneeze. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if you are unable to wash your hands. Frequently clean surfaces you touch, such as doorknobs, light switches, faucets, phones, keys and remote controls. Wash towels, sheets and clothes at the warmest possible setting with your usual detergent, and dry completely. Do not share eating utensils with others, and wash them after every use.

Page 17 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, May 7, 2020

STOP THE SPREAD OF COVID-19!

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, May 7, 2020 Page 18

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NYPD, 105th remember Det. Brian Moore Decorated cop, 25, was killed five years ago attempting a gun arrest by Michael Gannon Editor

The NYPD and the 105th Precinct paid tribute to Det. Brian Moore Monday on the fifth anniversary of his death in the line of duty. Moore, 25, was in an unmarked car on 10 4t h Roa d ne a r 21 2 t h S t r e e t i n Queens Village as a member of the precinct’s elite anticrime unit on May 2, 2015 when he and his partner, Erik Jansen, approached a man they believed had a Det. Brian Moore gun. The man turned FILE PHOTO COURTESY NYPD and opened fire on the cops, striking Moore twice. The decorated officer, who had been with the NYPD for four years, died two days later at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. Jansen was not hit. Monday’s ceremony was smaller than in the past because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Whereas previous years’ commemorations included Moore’s family, then-NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill and an honor guard, this year’s ceremony had members of the precinct drive in a caravan past the spot on 104th Road where Moore was shot, a site that had new floral bouquets added to the ones neighborhood residents often add to and maintain throughout the year in Moore’s memory. Officer Makiah Brown of the NYPD’s Community Affairs Bureau sang the Mariah Carey standard “Hero” as marked and unmarked vehicles drove past the site, in a procession lasting for several minutes. The motorcade passed FDNY firefighters from Engine Co. 304 and Ladder Co. 162 who had come from their station house on 97th Avenue in Queens Village. Further ceremonies would take place later at the 105th Precinct station house on 222nd

Street in Queens Village. Moore, who was promoted posthumously to detective by then-Commissioner Bill Bratton, was the son of retired NYPD Sgt. Raymond Moore. He is the fourth officer in the 105th Precinct to lose his life in the line of duty, and the first since 1938 when Patrolmen Clarence Clark and Victor Cooper were killed in a car accident on Farmers Boulevard while responding to a call. Patrolman Howard Barrows was killed in 1930 when he was struck by a car while directing traffic at the intersection of Merrick Road and Springfield Boulevard in St. Albans. Moore’s killer was convicted in 2017. He is serving life in prison with no possibility of parole for Moore’s murder plus a consecutive 55-year sentence for the attempted murder of Jansen and a weapons conviction. Jansen now works for the Suffolk County Q Police Department.

Officers Bill Lauria, left, and Sean Cox of the 105th Precinct stand guard at the memorial.

Blue roses were left at the spot where Det. Brian Moore gave his life five years ago.

Officer Makiah Brown sings at the ceremony commemorating the fifth anniversary of Det. Brian PHOTOS BY MICHAEL GANNON Moore’s death in the line of duty on 104th Road in Queens Village.

Firefighters from Engine Co. 304 and Ladder Co. 162 in Queens Village salute the procession.

A tree planted in Brian Moore’s memory in 2015 was approaching full bloom Monday with the onset of spring weather.

C M SQ page 19 Y K

August Martin won a dozen city titles as he roamed the sidelines by David Russell

He would drop players off at home and subway stations around the city. He would call a family member to see if they A high school sports coach often has to be a trainer, par- were OK. He would give money out after practice so players ent, guidance counselor, motivator and therapist all rolled could go to the vending machine. And he made sure that players weren’t goofing off in class. into one. “He made it clear that being a good player on the court Joel Ascher, who led August Martin High School’s girls basketball team to 12 city championships and four state titles, means nothing if you can’t excel in the classroom,” Cromer said. was just that, and beloved by his players. Ascher knew when report cards would be given out and on “He literally was a father figure,” Leah Cromer told the Chronicle about the 83-year-old former coach who died April those days, practice wouldn’t begin until he saw the grades. On some occasions, he would even sit in the classroom 27 from a heart attack in his Rego Park home. Cromer became an unlikely star at the school in the with his players. “We’d all have our heads down, like, ‘What is Ash doing 1990s. A tall freshman, she was walking in the hallway back here?’” Cromer said. when “this older white guy” asked But she appreciated it, saying playher if she wanted to play basketball. ers couldn’t be mad at him. Cromer said thanks, but no thanks. “He understood the balance of Ascher kept pushing. know he considered being hard on you and challenging you “I don’t know how to play,” she said. us his kids.” but also loving you all in the same “You don’t how to play yet,” he breath,” she said. replied. — Leah Cromer Harris added, “There was never a Ascher asked Cromer what she time that you would question whether thought about getting a full scholarship to the college of her choice. He told her to try basketball or not he cared for you or that he loved you. He could throw you out of practice, he can yell at you all day but there was no for two months and if she didn’t like it, she could quit. “This guy doesn’t even know me and he has all this faith doubt in your mind whether he loved you or cared for you.” Harris, who led NYU to the 1997 Division III Champiin me, maybe I should have a little faith in myself,” Cromer onship, credits Ascher’s ability to connect with players for said. She went from not being able to make a layup to starting his success. “No matter who the player was he had an ability to connect in her sophomore season. During her junior season, colleges with them on whatever level it was, whatever your backwere recruiting her to play. “Physically he never really showed us anything but he just ground was, whatever your challenges were, he would always coached us,” Cromer said. “And people used to wonder how find a way to try to reach you and try to help you,” she said. Yolonda Wilson injured her knee during a game and is this old man making people into superstars?” She said Ascher focused on the fundamentals, believing Ascher carried her off the floor. He would take her to physical therapy as her knee recovered. once those were in place the talent will take over the rest. In later years, Wilson and other players would take him to Cromer also remembered how he would scold players if doctor appointments, make dinners for him and make sure he they bragged about how many points they scored. “He would tell us right then and there, ‘It’s not about how had company during the holidays. “Ash was, I’m not going to say a father figure, he was a many points you score. How many times did you turn over the ball? How many times did you miss the easy rebound? father,” Wilson said. She said she bought Ascher a shirt once but if she tried to Did you jump on the floor for that ball that went out of give him more he probably wouldn’t have taken it. bounds?’” she recalled. “He never wanted anyone to do anything for him, he Marsha Harris, who was the school valedictorian in 1994 and became a colorectal surgeon in Manhattan, remembered wanted to do everything for everyone,” Wilson said. Cleavon Evans had Ascher as a gym teacher at JHS 238 the coach’s two rules: “Rule No. 1: He’s always right. And and became manager for the basketball team for the coach rule No. 2: If he’s wrong, refer back to rule No. 1.” Ascher, who coached for 30 seasons before retiring in when he attended August Martin, keeping the clock for the 2009 because of arthritis, wasn’t married and didn’t have any games and helping train the players. He continued serving as manager for a decade after he graduated. biological children. “Each individual felt like they got individual time with “I know he considered us his kids,” Cromer said. “He him,” he said. “You could’ve been in a room with 1,000 peodidn’t have to say that because it was all in his actions.” Associate Editor

Page 19 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, May 7, 2020

Beloved hoops coach Ascher dead at 83

“I

Joel Ascher led August Martin High School to 12 city championships and four state titles in 30 seasons on the sidelines. He FACEBOOK PHOTO / LEAH CROMER died April 27 at 83. ple and when he spoke to you it felt like he spoke to you. He might have been speaking to everybody but sometimes it just felt like he was just speaking to you.” Evans, president of the August Martin High School Alumni Association, said he tries to take some of what Ascher did and apply it when he coaches boxing, especially the work ethic. “You had to worker harder than everybody else,” Evans said, noting that Ascher’s teams ran a lot and shot a lot, sometimes not being allowed to leave the gym until they made a certain amount of free throws. “If you thought you were better than someone else, then you’re not working hard enough.” More than 100 of his girls went on to play in college. Cromer played at St. Peter’s and was MVP of the 1999 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament. The high school freshman who couldn’t make a layup went on to play in Israel and Ecuador, and coached at PS/IS 116 in Jamaica. Ascher found the time to attend her first and last college games. On Senior Day, she looked up in the stands and could hear the coach telling her to keep her hands up on defense. “I’m like, ‘Alright, Ash. OK, OK,” Cromer said laughing. Wilson said each player has great memories to share. “It’s so amazing sometimes ... when we sit around and you actually hear the stories the other girls tell, you think you know it all but they’re tear-droppers. It warms your heart Q even more,” she said.

by Katherine Donlevy Associate Editor

A funeral director working extra hours after his boss fell ill with the coronavirus became the second motorcycle fatality on the Cross Island Parkway in three days. Kevin Stout, 57, of Whitestone was traveling northbound near Exit 36 South April 28 evening when he lost control of his Harley Davidson. Police said he failed to navigate the roadway and struck the median as he approached the exit. Police from the 109th Precinct responded to the scene to find Stout on the roadway with trauma to the head. EMS arrived and pro-

nounced Stout deceased. Thomas Boland, Stout’s boss and owner of Thomas F. Boland Funeral Parlor in College Point, said Stout was a seasoned motorcyclist and he wasn’t sure what could have caused the crash. It was unclear whether Stout was returning home from a day of work. “He took that route every day at least two, three times a day, so he knows the road,” Boland told the Chronicle. Boland said the funeral parlor has been overwhelmed since the beginning of the outbreak, especially once he contracted it himself. “I couldn’t come to work and he picked up all of the slack and maintained the business,” Boland said, add-

ing that the business hasn’t slowed down in recent weeks. “Kevin helped in all those calls. College Point was hit. Bayside Whitestone, people from other neighborhoods were calling, and even though we’re in College Point they were coming to us.” Boland’s wife, Sarah, said Stout had recently been buying a local homeless man dinners delivered from area restaurants. “He also checked in on my family twice a day every day by just driving by,” she said. Stout’s fatal accident was the second on the parkway in three days — on April 25 NYPD Officer Kevin Stout died in a Richard Holt was killed when a car clipped the back motorcycle crash April Q of his bike. FACEBOOK PHOTO 28.

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Second CIP motorcycle death in three days

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, May 7, 2020 Page 20

C M SQ page 20 Y K NATIONAL NURSES WEEK 2020

Nursing in the time of the pandemic by Katherine Donlevy Associate Editor

“This pandemic has been extremely challenging. I’m not downplaying it. What is getting people through it is the teamwork and the camaraderie. I’ve worked there a long time and I always say it’s about the people — the people always.” Tracey Kavanaugh has worked as a registered nurse at Flushing Hospital Medical Center for over 37 years. She typically serves in the operating room, but switched to working as a support nurse once the pandemic hit, an important aspect of which involves providing emotional support to patients. “[Nurses have an] emotional responsibility with the patients who have no family because visits are suspended,” Kavanaugh said. “The nurses are all doing this with a virus we’ve never dealt with before, and the nurses have their own things going on — they have their own children to worry about who are being homeschooled because of closure of the schools, they might have their own parents living with them, they’re worried about bringing the disease home.” According to Kavanaugh, the Flushing Hospital staff recognized they couldn’t afford to slow down due to their own fears or concerns. “There’s just so many patients. That volume of patients was overwhelming

Tracey Kavanaugh, a registered nurse at Flushing Hospital, says that while the pandemic has been challenging, the community propels the staff forward. FILE PHOTO BY KATHERINE DONLEVY; INSET COURTESY NYSNA to so many people, but everyone kept going and did everything they could,” she said. Flushing and its MediSys Health Network counterpart Jamaica Hospital Medical Center celebrated their 1,000th patient discharge April 24. The discharge celebration and the slight decline in patient admittance is a boost to the nurses’ morale, said Kavanaugh. “The nurses are working and working

and working and they are caring for so many patients. When they see a positive number — how they have seen so many people discharged — it’s helped. Good news ... it can be so helpful,” Kavanaugh said, stating that even the difference in admittance and discharge between floors and units doesn’t seem to matter because when one unit is successful the entire hospi-

tal feels the benefits. Kavanaugh describes the facility as a “small community hospital,” and its staff has felt many forms of appreciation from the neighborhood since the pandemic began: Area restaurants have donated meals, the FDNY and family cars have visited the streets to initiate the 7 p.m. cheers, “Thank You” posters hang down the block at Lawrence Triangle and chalk drawings by children brighten up the sidewalk. “When I left work [Sunday] night, I was given a little packet from PS 22 [in Flushing] of little snacks,” said Kavanaugh. “The teachers are still working, the students are still studying and they took time out of their day to do that. It’s so nice ... People have their own problems too and they’re taking time to do these things.” Kavanaugh said that although May 6 through 12 is National Nurses Week, all her collegues at Flushing Hospital deserve appreciation. During these hard times, she said, nurses choose to focus on the positives to continue pushing through the long shifts and the taxing work. “The nurses are amazing and have been amazing throughout the pandemic. The bravery and the camaraderie is unbelievable,” said Kavanaugh. “Their drive to help patients and their colleagues has been unstoppable. They show bravery Q every day.”

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It began with ‘The Lady With the Lamp’ by Michael Gannon Editor

The nursing profession has been cast into the spotlight by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here in New York City, the published reports and broadcast footage show the men and women walking into work to the applause of police officers and firefighters. Photos show their faces rubbed raw or bruised from the masks that now have become as routine in their equipment checks as scissors and Kelly clamps. Nationally, the American Nurses Association this past Monday said in a press release it had already expanded its recognition of National Nurses Week — May 6 to 12 — to a monthlong program promoting self-care, professional development and recognition and community engagement. “[N]ow more than ever we must support and recognize nurses who work with courage and compassion and under extremely challenging circumstances,” the ANA stated in its press release. In Congress, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens) on Tuesday introduced a bill that would forgive student loan debt for nurses and other frontline medical personnel in the COVID fight. But modern nursing came of age on different front lines — the ones in the Crimean War of 1853 to 1856.

Florence Nightingale was born in 1820, a child of privilege in England. According to the National Archives of the United Kingdom, a young Florence felt a calling to help the sick and poor, and decided that she wanted to be a nurse. He parents were aghast, as it was not considered a proper profession for a respectable young woman of a respectable family. But she would not be deterred, and after studying abroad in Germany she returned to London to manage “a hospital for gentlewomen” in London’s Harley Street, which has been the center of cutting-edge medical practices since the 19th century. The political, religious, ethnic and territorial causes of the Crimean War, which pitted Russia against an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France and England, can fill whole libraries, but one result was sending British troops to the peninsula jutting out into the Black Sea. It was the first war to receive modern media coverage, with the telegraph allowing journalists to report on battles and developments very quickly. It also was the first major conflict to be widely photographed. And it was reports from army field hospitals that stood the myths of the glories of war on their head — and horrified the British populace. Doctors were being overwhelmed. Wound-

Florence Nightingale’s work in deplorable conditions in British military field hospitals in the Crimean War was the stepping off point for the modern nursing profession. PHOTO COURTESY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

ed soldiers were kept in cramped, filthy, unsanitary conditions. Surgery was primitive and anesthesia for those being treated for battle wounds might be a swig of alcohol. Healthy food was an afterthought. Penicillin would not be discovered for another 70 years,

and more soldiers died of disease and infection than from their wounds themselves. According to the British National Archives, Minister of War Sidney Herbert personally appealed to Nightingale to send nurses to field hospitals to help. The women faced scorn and resentment from officials, for, among other things, insisting that wards and patients be kept clean and that doctors and others regularly wash their hands. But they were welcomed by the wounded, who benefitted from more direct care, an emphasis on cleanliness and sanitary conditions and the compassion of people who just let the wounded, sick and dying know by their very presence that they cared. Nightingale would return to England a national hero, and helped establish the same standards for civilian medical care. Her book “Notes on Nursing: What It Is and What It Is Not,” published in 1859, still is in print in hardcover and paperback. Many a soldier returning home spoke lovingly about his care, even when it was just to have Nightingale visit on her nightly rounds with only a small lantern to find her way through the ward. The soldiers even affectionately bestowed her with a nickname, one that inspired the 1951 movie starring Anna Neagle titled “The Q Lady With the Lamp.”

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In recognition off National Nurses We eek, The Administration, Board of Trustees, T and Employees at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center & Flushing Hospital Medical Center Would Like to Thank our Nursing Staff f for Their Tireless Effo f rts r Every Day, but Especially Now During the Coronavirus Outbreak.

Bruce J. Flanz

Sabiha Raoof, MD, FA F CR, FCCP

President and CEO

William Lynch L

Neil Foster Phillips Chairman, Board of Trustees T

Robert V. V Levine

Michael J. Russo Chairman, Board of Trustees T

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Mounir F. F Doss

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, May 7, 2020 Page 24

C M SQ page 24 Y K NATIONAL NURSES WEEK 2020

Recognizing the contributions of nurses National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6, also known as National Nurses Day, through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. This week is a time for everyone — individuals, employers, other healthcare professionals, community leaders and nurses — to recognize the vast contributions and positive impact of America’s 4 million registered nurses. In fact, the entire year 2020 has been designated “Year of the Nurse” to highlight that nurses are called upon to “Lead, Innovate, Excel.” The nursing profession has been supported and promoted by the American Nurses Association since 1896. Each of ANA’s state and territorial nurses associations promotes the nursing profession at the state and regional levels. Each conducts celebrations on these dates to recognize the contributions that nurses and nursing make to the community. The ANA supports and encourages National Nurses Week recognition programs through the state and district nurses associations, other specialty nursing organizations, educational facilities and independent healthcare companies and institutions. The American Nurses Association has always led efforts to celebrate nursing, ensuring that recognition is promoted as widely as possible, and in 1990 extended it to a week-long celebration of the work of the nation’s registered nurses, the largest of the healthcare professions. ANA’s state and territorial nurses

associations also conduct celebrations during National Nurses Week to recognize the contributions that nurses and nursing make to the community. Nurses are often the first people patients see when visiting hospitals. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources Services Administration, there were 2.8 million registered nurses, including advanced practice R Ns, and 690,000 licensed practical nurses, or LPNs, in the United States between the years of 2008 and 2010. Nurses fill many roles in the medical community, assisting doctors and helping to make in-patient stays more comfortable for men and women who are ill or injured. Specialized nurses, such as nurse practitioners, may even serve as the primary healthcare provider, offering diagnoses and writing prescriptions. While there is a specific week set aside to show appreciation to nurses, many people agree that they deserve recognition throughout the year. Any instance is a good time to give back to nurses, and the following are a few ways to honor the nurses in your life. • play caretaker to him or her; • cater a meal; • provide foot relief; and P • give verbal or handwritten thanks. — ANA Facebook / Metro Creative Connection

Nurses bring smiles to the faces of their patients. Find out how you can show your appreciation today and during National Nurses Week.

Thank you to all of our strong, dedicated and incredible nurses for their tireless work during this unprecedented time. tim e.

Stacey Pheffer Amato New York State Assemblywoman 23rd District

To All Our Nurses: You are appreciated. You are our heroes. Compassion, expertise and trust are your superpowers. Thank you for your dedication, especially during this pandemic.

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NURSES WEEK

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Mike Miller 83-91 Woodhaven Boulevard Woodhaven, NY 11421 Tel: (718) 805-0950 millermg@nyassembly.gov

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Page 25 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, May 7, 2020

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, May 7, 2020 Page 26

C M SQ page 26 Y K NATIONAL NURSES WEEK 2020

Qualities that can make a good nurse Nurses are the unsung heroes of the medical profession. While nurses may not often bask in the limelight, their roles are indispensable, and that fact figures to garner considerable attention in the years to come. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, a nursing shortage is expected to intensify as the baby boomer generation ages and the need for healthcare grows. That looming shortage may compel many people to consider careers in nursing. Such a consideration should include recognizing some of the many qualities that can make a great nurse. • Effective communicator: Nurses often serve as conduits between patients and their doctors. As a result, nurses must be effective communicators. Nurses may be tasked with

explaining complex medical issues and protocols, oftentimes doing so when patients may be at very low points in their lives. The ability to effectively communicate at such times can serve nurses and their patients well. • Professionalism: Nurses often confront stressful situations while on the job. In such instances, nurses must be able to maintain their professionalism so they can calmly confront any obstacles they may encounter. That professionalism in the face of adversity can inspire others to remain calm, helping to ensure patients in need get the care they require and deserve. • Time management: Many nurses work long shifts, and during those shifts, they are given a host of responsibilities. As a result, nurses must be skilled at the art of time management. • Adaptability: No two nursing shifts are ever the same. As a result, nurses must always be ready to adapt to new and unique situations. That flexibility can help nurses to effectively confront and manage challenging scenarios, oftentimes while patients’ lives may be on the line. • Critical-thinking skills: Some situations nurses confront are more urgent than others. In situations when nurses are not tasked with making quick decisions, they still need the ability to think critically and solve problems

Nurses multitask using a host of skills — a challenge that is both demanding and fulfilling. that can improve and inform patient care. The nursing profession can be fulfilling and rewarding and is always challenging. Successful nurses meet those challenges by rely-

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Page 27 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, May 7, 2020

May 7, 2020

C M SQ page 27 Y K

by Peter C. Mastrosimone

continued on page 29

For the latest news visit qchron.com

You know you’ve arrived when the chef at your favorite restaurant comes out to chat. In a new Queens cookbook, coincidentally released at the perfect time as so many eateries are closed, all the chefs come out, not to just make small talk, but to tell you their life stories. And those tales come alongside some of their best recipes. The book is “The World Eats Here,” subtitled “Amazing Food and the Inspiring People Who Make it at New York’s Queens Night Market.” Penned by Night Market founder John Wang and his wife, the artist and oral history collector Storm Garner, the book is also loaded with photos of the chefs and their creations, most by John Taggart, along with sketches both informative and whimsical by Beth Bugler. It’s published by The Experiment. Eighty-eight recipes from 43 countries and regions on five continents are included, many put on paper for the first time, along with the stories of the more than 50 chefs and vendors who shared them with the authors. All have appeared at the Night Market, which has run on summer Saturdays in Flushing Meadows Corona Park since 2015. The recipes do not require special equipment and are budgetconscious, with ingredients that can be found in international supermarkets and ethnic grocery stores. The book starts off in quintessential New York form with Berg’s Pastrami, by caterer Andrew Steinberg, a Flushing native. It takes eight days to make because the brisket has to cure for seven days. And even Steinberg’s g tale,, though g all-American,, is a bit exotic: With a Jewish father found he could fit in with fa ather aand nd African-American mother, he fo everyone. me; I just felt like I ev veryo one. “I don’t feel like people shunned shu was more accepted,” he said. “But growing up in Flushing, I thin think we look at ethnicity a little l differently, because there’s t at least 15 ethnicities t in every class.” Many in the book are iimmigrants or children of them. And many have other jobs. SSangyal Phunstok, who wo works in the medical industr try, serves up a recipe for T Tibetan beef momos and te tells his family’s tale of m moving from their native

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, May 7, 2020 Page 28

C M SQ page 28 Y K

I HAVE OFTEN WALKED

King Crossword Puzzle Actor Jack Cassidy started in S. Richmond Hill

ACROSS

1 Kills, slangily 5 Make up your mind 8 Padlock fastener 12 Polio vaccine pioneer 13 Born 14 Sheltered, at sea 15 React to sun glare 17 Hot dog holder 18 Sugar suffix 19 Charged bit 20 Chin indentation 21 Kreskin’s claim 22 Montana or Namath 23 Baghdad resident 26 Feast 30 Frill for Fonteyn 31 Bear hair 32 Radius neighbor 33 In need of laundering 35 Bishop’s headdress 36 Present 37 Corral 38 Engine 41 Fish’s flipper 42 Fire residue 45 Pinnacle 46 Hotel chain 48 Enticement 49 Ostrich’s kin 50 A bit too tight 51 Doctrines 52 “Gosh!” 53 Skillets

by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor

DOWN 1 -- buco 2 Webpage list, often 3 Chimney channel 4 Tackle the slopes 5 Winning 6 Hammerhead part 7 Slugger Williams 8 Buffoon 9 Lotion additive 10 Ego 11 Hide 16 Unless, in law

20 Opposed 21 They occur in March and Sept. 22 Pickle container 23 “Monty Python” opener 24 Trench 25 -- standstill 26 Unopened flower 27 Last: Abbr. 28 Away from WSW 29 Pitch 31 Only a small number

34 Neither mate 35 Carte 37 Fit of resentment 38 Neighbor of Niger 39 Piece of work 40 Expression 41 Notoriety 42 Actress Paquin 43 Dazzle 44 Crones 46 Journey segment 47 AOL, for instance

William George Cassidy was born on Oct. 9, 1884, in the old village of Winfield, today’s eastern Woodside. He married Charlotte Koehler, who was born in Germany, on Nov. 25, 1908. U.S. Census records confirm he had an eighth-grade education, but rose to become a locomotive engineer for the Long Island Rail Road on the old stream engine trains. He bought a 25-by-100 corner home at 130-02 95 Ave. in South Richmond Hill, walking distance from where he worked. The last of their five children was John, better known as Jack, born in March 1927. Jack was introduced to show business as a teenager by a relative and quickly excelled with his golden baritone voice. In June 1948, he married Evelyn Ward, a dancer four years his senior. In April 1950, they had a son, David, who later gained fame in “The Partridge Family.” In 1956, Jack fell in love again. He married Shirley Jones and they had three sons. He became a larger-than-life figure as an actor, singer, writer and designer — one of the most Tony-nominated musical actors in Broadway history. He and Shirley

The childhood home of actor Jack Cassidy at 130-02 95 Ave., in South Richmond INSET PHOTO VIA WIKIPEDIA Hill, circa 1930s. divorced in 1975. In her 2013 memoir she confirmed his alcoholism, bipolar behavior and same-sex affairs took a heavy toll on their relationship. On Dec. 12, 1976, at age 49, he fell asleep with a cigarette on his naugahyde couch after drinking and died in his penthouse apartment in a raging fire. City finance records today list his childhood Q house at a tentative value of $536,000.

Answers on next page

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

C M SQ page 29 Y K

by Michael Gannon editor

It was going to take more than simply an executive order shutting down New York State to stop what has become one of the most popular jazz jam sessions in Queens. Flushing Town Hall hosts a monthly program where up to 20 or so musicians and singers, depending on available time, can perform with the FTH house band backing them up on the jazz standards of their own selection. “Some of the jam sessions in Manhattan don’t like getting vocalists, but we welcome them,” said Carol Sudhalter, a saxophone and flute player from Astoria who heads the Flushing Town Hall Jazz Jam. The gathering on April 15, titled, “Virtual Jazz Jam: Celebrating the Legacy of Louis Armstrong,” had to go online, with performers and fans joining in through FTH’s Face-

Virtual Jazz Jam When: Wed., May 13, 7 p.m. Where: Facebook or Zoom through flushingtownhall.org Entry: Free. education@flushing townhall.org

book page or Zoom. It is part of the new FTH at Home initiative. It went well, and the next one is scheduled for this coming Wednesday, May 13, at 7 p.m. Performing slots will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Sudhalter said they have had to make accommodations for the virtual setting. “We normally go from 7 to 10 p.m.,” she said of the live performances at their Northern Boulevard home. “But now we only are able to go until 8:30 or 9 p.m. We might only be able to have 15 or 16 music ia ns perform.” Sudhalter is the daughter of a professional musician, and has All are welcome to view or even sign up to perform during a live jazz jam sponsord by Flushing recorded numerous CDs. She Town Hall on May 13. FTH SCREENSHOT / ZOOM founded the Astoria Big Band, which performs jazz standards, back in 1986. Many numbers pay tribute to the work of an email to education@flushingtownhall.org She also has, thorough performances and Armstrong, the late jazz legend who adopt- identifying a three- or four-minute tune they articles, told the story of women composers ed Corona as his home. Sudhalter said the intend to share. It can be live or pre-recordwho lived in or had connections to Queens. Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation ed, but not a professionally edited recording. She said they have had artists as young as provides financial support for FTH’s jazz Those who performed during the April high school sign up, break out their instru- programming. jam are being asked not to sign up as the Q ments and join in. Prospective performers are asked to send band is rotating in new participants.

Page 29 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, May 7, 2020

No venue? No problem for fans of FTH jazz jam

A cookbook that’s also a study in humanity

Crossword Answers

Calif., and New York, of fers her re c ip e s fo r r i c e porridge and leche flan. The variety of the cooks’ recipes and stories is endless. Wa n g r e c o gnized the good and bad sides of the book coming out now when asked. “Many of us seem to be spending a lot more time in our kitchens, which is a great opportunity to work through the cookbook!” he said via email. “Unfortunately this pandemic may have compromised some of the shopping experience associated with ‘The World Eats Here.’ One of the joys of cooking your way through the stories and recipes is the shopping adventure, scouring unfamiliar grocery stores and aisles for unique ingredients. But until those days are back again, you can still have the ingredients delivered or follow our substitution suggestions.” Garner asked that New Yorkers, used to cuisine from all over the world, continue supporting small food businesses, especially

“The World Eats Here,” by John Wang and Storm Garner, features scores of recipes and stories of the people behind them, as well as great photos and sometimes informative, sometimes whimsical drawings, left. On the cover: Just a sampling of the chefs PHOTOS BY JOHN TAGGART; DRAWING BY BETH BUGLER and foods in the book. those run by immigrants, and said: “If that’s beyond logistic possibility right now for whatever reason, and, like us, you’re getting tired of your own home cooking repertoire, this book can help you feel like a real New Yorker again, in the best way: not only can you learn to make the tasty dishes from

around the world that will spice up your quarantined life right now, but you’ll also get to know the people behind the recipes, as fellow New Yorkers who have, through their food and their entrepreneurship, become part of a beautiful, multicultural Queens Q community history.”

For the latest news visit qchron.com

continued from page 27 land to Bhutan. Gladys Shahtou, who lived in Sudan, Ethiopia, the United States and Switzerland, all by the time she was 8, has one for tomato salad and one for eggplant salad. Lenin Costas tells how to make Peruvian ceviche with leche de tigre, and talks about traveling between here and his homeland. Judymae Esguerra, a native of the Philippines who made a career in finance and has lived in Chicago, San Jose,

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, May 7, 2020 Page 30

C M SQ page 30 Y K

End of an era as the Irish Cottage closes Owner Kathleen McNulty died in April; bar was open for 60 years by David Russell Associate Editor

“Come in as a stranger and leave as a friend.” That was a popular saying from Irish Cottage owner Kathleen McNulty, who died last month from the coronavirus at Meadowbrook Care Center in Freeport, LI. May 3 marked the final day for the Forest Hills bar and restaurant that had been around since 1960. “It’s like losing another family member,” her son, Dan ny, told the Chronicle Tuesday about the oldest family-r un Irish bar in the borough. Kathleen, who is survived by three children and three grandchildren, took over in 1986 after her husband died. “It was hard back then because women in business were treated very, very differently,” Danny said. “Men were very chauvinistic and machismo. She met them tooth and nail.” That could be even more amplified in a bar setting. There was a time a mobster offered her “sanitation services” and threw her up against the wall. Her response: “Many a men have put me up against a wall but never through it.” From Cou nt y Donegal in I reland, McNulty would give people from the old country jobs at the bar and sponsor them for green cards. “She was the toughest boss you could ever work for but the nicest person you would ever want to meet,” Lisa Loughery said. Danny recalled being a porter at the bar

when he was 10 years old and “straighten up drinks” for customers who would give him a quarter to play arcade games. “That was my babysitter, the Pac-Man machine,” he said. Danny and his siblings grew up helping out at the bar. Another fond memory: “St. Patrick’s Day always meant having the next day off.” He also credited getting behind the bar for jump-starting his acting career. Dan ny played Harley on the 1990s sitcom “Boy Meets World” and again in the “Girl Meets World” reboot. “Once I stepped back there, you kind of have to be a performer,” he said. “I got over my shyness that way.” He believes the business could have kept going if not for the coronavirus but as it stands “nobody can make it in this business right now.” Even a three-month break on rent wasn’t enough to keep the business going. “That’s great but then you owe the rent three months from then and it’ll be like $40,000 or $50,000,” Danny said. “Nobody knows when bar or restaurant business is going to get back on its feet fully.” Restaurants are open for takeout and delivery only and, as Danny points out, part of the fun of the Irish Cottage was entertaining customers and talking. “It was a real melting pot of all different kinds of people from all walks of life,” he said. There were customers who met there and have been married for decades. “They come back and they go, ‘Yeah, we

The Irish Cottage has closed after being in business in Forest Hills since 1960. Owner Kathleen PHOTO BY DAVID RUSSELL McNulty, left with her son Danny, died from COVID in April. met in that corner over there,’” Danny said. Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce President Leslie Brown said the bar will be missed. “The Irish Cottage has been a local favorite in Forest Hills. Generations have enjoyed the food, spirits and good times at ‘the Cottage,’” Brown said in an email, adding that Kathleen held fundraisers including for 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy. Michael Perlman, chairman of the RegoForest Preservation Council, called the closing of the business a “sad day in Forest

Hills history,” adding its “unique ambiance is one-of-a-kind in our neighborhood, as well as in Queens.” Danny said the site at 108-07 72 Ave. would be good for someone who wants to run a similar business. The bar isn’t being dismantled. “We’re going to leave it with some dignity,” he said. As for Danny, he wants to move back to Los Angeles to rejuvenate his acting career “and do whatever I can to make my mom Q proud.”

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U.S. reps seek aid for small grocers Thirteen members of the New York State delegation to Congress, including all seven representing Queens, have signed a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (D-Calif.) requesting that bodegas and small markets — and the low-income people who rely on them — receive targeted assistance in the next round of COVID-19 relief funding. The top signature on the letter was that of Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing). “New York City has approximately 13,000 bodegas, ethnic grocery stores and other small independent supermarkets,” Meng said in a statement issued by her office. “They serve a critical need for many communities in Queens and across New York City and cater to specific cultural food preferences for the neighborhoods they serve. They too are feeling the financial impact of the COVID-19 crisis and deserve relief.” Other signatories include Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Bronx, Queens), Hakeem Jeffries (Queens, Brooklyn), Tom Suozzi

Pols petition Pelosi and McCarthy ( D -Su f fol k , Na ssau , Q ueen s) , Nyd ia Velazquez (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens), Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens) and Gregory Meeks (D-Queens, Nassau). Also signing on were Reps. Adriano Espaillat (D-Manhattan, Bronx), Kathleen Rice (D-Nassau), Yvette Clarke (D-Brooklyn), Eliot Engel (D-Bronx, Westchester), Jose Serrano (D-Manhattan, Bronx) and Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn). “We strongly request that the next stimulus package address the millions of Americans who were food insecure before COVID-19, and the millions who will be driven into hunger because of it,” said the letter, dated April 30. “Small grocers provide a unique access point to ensure that those who are food insecure can purchase healthy foods and fresh produce,” the delegation added. “While major grocery chains are struggling to keep up with

panic buying of toilet paper, paper towels, and other staples, New Yorkers are turning to their community stores for these critical supplies.” The letter asks House leaders to support grants to be directed toward the purchase of refrigeration units to store fresh produce and to offset the increase in utility costs as a result of refrigeration, as well as the capacity to directly link farms in rural areas and small grocers in order to create new points of sale for local meat, produce and dairy. “This would not only address food insecurity in urban districts, but would also support farmers who are so desperately in need of relief as the restaurants that they would normally sell have temporarily or permanently closed,” they wrote. Using an existing New York City program as an example, they also are requesting authorization for a national Healthy Bodega Campaign, which aims to boost the availability of

and demand for healthy foods in neighborhoods with the highest rates of poverty and chronic diseases. Pelosi and McCarthy also are being asked to back: • increased funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps, to address the food needs of more than 40 million food-insecure Americans; • hazard pay for frontline grocery store employees; • the exemption of wages earned by workers in the grocery industry and their suppliers from 2020 federal income tax; • an assurance that the stimulus checks provided to Americans with Social Security numbers are retroactively provided to people who instead use Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers; and • unemployment insurance “for those who qualify for it regardless of citizenship status.” Any such plan also would have to pass muster in both the House and the RepublicanQ controlled Senate.

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C M SQ page 33 Y K

Help Wanted

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Legal Notices

BARRETO PLUMBING LLC JOSE BARRETO Art. of Org. Filed Sec. of State of NY 4/29/20. Off. Loc.: Queens Co. SSNY Classified Ad Deadline is 12 Noon designated as agent upon on Tuesday for Thursday’s paper. whom process may be served & shall mail proc.: The LLC, 35-54 95th St., Apt. A1, Jackson Heights, NY 11372. Cel: 718908-5945 Purpose: Any lawful act or activity

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Data Entry/Answer Phones Part Time Monday - Friday 2 PM-8 PM Must Be Detailed Oriented, Have Computer Skills, Responsible and Ready to Learn New Skills. WILL TRAIN!! $20.00 Per Hour. APPLY IN PERSON!!! Bet: 9 AM & 7 PM

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Page 33 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, May 7, 2020

To Advertise Call 718-205-8000

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, May 7, 2020 Page 34

C M SQ page 34 Y K To Advertise Call 718-205-8000

Legal Notices

Brands Brite LLC filed

Purpose: any lawful.

Notice of Formation of PRISON MOVIE PRODUCTIONS CONSULTING, LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 02/06/2020. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: REGISTERED AGENTS INC, 90 STATE STREET, SUITE 700, OFFICE 40 ALBANY, NY 12207. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

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

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

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

Notice of Formation of Resort Realism, LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/16/2020. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: WILLIAM A. SCOTT III, 2026 Stanhope Street, RIDGEWOOD, NY 11385. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

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

Notice of Formation of Seeing Things, LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/23/2020. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: STEPHEN MAYES, 2-01 50TH AVE, APT 3P, LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11101. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of JEREMIAHS TRUCKING LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/28/2020. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: C/O MESACHA SMITH, 21919 143RD RD, JAMAICA, NY 11413. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

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

w/ SSNY on 4/1/19. Office: Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 85-25 Aspen Place, Jamaica,

11432.

To Advertise Call 718-205-8000

Legal Notices

Lost Title Application No. 2168673 Office of Titles Notice Pursuant To Section 82 of the Registration of Titles Act (RTA) WHEREAS the applicant(s) in the above stated application has/have declared that the following duplicate Certificate of Title has been lost, I HEREBY GIVE NOTICE that I intend to cancel the said Certificate of Title and issue a new one in duplicate fourteen days after the last publication of this advertisement. Volume: 1022 Folio: 350 Lot: 1047 Place: Duhaney Park Parish: St. Andrew Registered proprietors: Felix Colinus Munroe and Gladys Eliza Munroe The following transactions were lodged with this application and will be registered pursuant to Section 81 of the RTA:

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

Houses For Sale

AMITYVILLE Waterfront-Park your boat in your backyard. Mint 4 bedroom, 2.5 Bath Colonial with detached 2 car garage asking $559,000. Large Liv Rm, FDR, Country kitchen

Listing Agent Geralyn Bozza of Above Board Real Estate

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Real Estate Misc.

Apts. For Rent

Application to be Registered on Transmission Instrument No. 2243299 Application to Note Death Instrument No. 2209820 S. McClean, Deputy Registrar of Titles

New homes priced from the low Lindenwood, 2nd fl, 3 BR, pvt $100’s available immediately in dvwy, gar, $2,300/m0. 1 month active adult 55+ landlease comsecurity, newly painted. Owner, munity in Smyrna Delaware. Close 718-738-2242 or 845-728-2874 to DE Beaches and Dover Downs. Classified Ad Deadline is 12 Noon Low taxes. 302-659-5800 or on Tuesday for Thursday’s paper. www.BonAyreHomes.com

Store For Rent

Advertise this Notice: X Once each week in the Daily Gleaner/Jamaica ❒ Observer for two successive weeks.

HOWARD BEACH Prime Cross Bay Blvd. location. Store is completely gutted for you to create your own space. 4,500 square feet, parking lot available. Call for showing options.

X Once each week in the vicinity of: ❒ Jamaica, New York 11435, United States of America

N.B. The two local Notices must be published in the same newspaper. To: Ivor G. Peynado 2014

Century 21 Amiable II

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Legal Notices

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: 542 51st AVE LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 2/18/20 Office location: Queens County. SSNY is designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to the Rosemarie Ciavarella, 542 51st Ave., Long Island City, NY 11101. For any lawful purpose.

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

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C M SQ page 35 Y K

Schools closed for rest of the semester

BEAT

Bad time for vet sportswriters by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor

by Michael Gannon Editor

Gov. Cuomo announced last Friday that all schools and colleges in the state will remain closed for the reminder of the academic year as part of the state’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 epidemic. In his daily coronavirus update Cuomo said “distance learning,” meal programs and related child care services for essential workers will continue, but that authorities do not believe there is sufficient time to safely plan to reopen school buildings for the remainder of the 2019-20 year. “We must protect our students and educators,” he said. “Given the circumstances we are in and the precautions that would have to be put in place to come up with a plan to reopen schools with all those new protocols: How do you operate a school that socially distances with masks, without gatherings, with a public transportation system that has a lower number of students on it? How would you get that plan up and running? We do not think it is possible to do that in a way that would keep our children, students, and educators safe.”

A decision on summer school will be made by the end of the month. Cuomo said the forced improvisation has mostly been a success. “That has actually worked out well, not perfectly, we had to do it in a rush,” the governor said. “But there are lessons we can learn here that could change teaching going forward and teaching in these types of situations going forward — but it did work.” New York State has 700 public school districts, 6,600 public and private schools, 89 SUNY and CUNY schools and 100 private campuses that serve a total of 4.2 million students. State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach), a member of the Senate’s Education Committee, backed Cuomo’s call in a statement issued by his office. “With the threat that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose in New York State, and New York City in particular, there was no feasible way to safely open schools before September,” Addabbo said. “We can use this time to plan for the future for when schools do open, and Q what we might be facing then.”

COVID-19 has ravaged all parts of society. The pandemic took a toll on the New York Post’s sports section last week as two of its longtime and very respected columnists, George Willis and Kevin Kernan, announced on social media that their positions were eliminated. Since there are no sports being played it was inevitable that numerous sportswriters from all outlets would be either dismissed or furloughed. It’s no secret that the daily newspapers had been letting sportswriters go well before the arrival of COVID-19. The Daily News infamously axed most of its longtime sports scribes in July 2018, a story that has been repeated throughout the nation. The departures of Willis and Kernan are blows for those who enjoy reading intelligent takes on the games people play. Willis knows the fight game better than almost anyone while Kernan has never been afraid to call out bad strategy, effort or execution in baseball. I will miss seeing Kernan in the press box if live sports ever comes back. He has a razorsharp humor and created a tongue-in-cheek initials moniker, AMBS, that caught on with his colleagues. It stands for “America’s most beloved sportswriter.” He laughed when I told him I would be happy just to be thought of as QMBS! This past weekend Bob Ford, who was a

must-read sports columnist for the past 32 years at the Philadelphia Inquirer, announced he was accepting a buyout. When a sportswriter accepts a buyout from a newspaper it’s generally because he or she knows the axe will fall in the not too distant future and the economic package, if there is one, will be far less generous then. It’s hard to fault the management of the Inquirer given the grim realities of the times. In this past Sunday’s sports section there wasn’t one article on the Philadelphia Phillies even though it was the first weekend of May. Practically every piece delved into obsessive detail over each selection the Philadelphia Eagles had made in last week’s NFL Draft. Last spring Mark Herrmann, whose byline was familiar to Newsday readers, accepted a buyout. Herrmann was the paper’s golf expert and it’s unsurprising that he’s contributing articles to the bimonthly magazine of the Metropolitan Golf Association, the Met Golfer. Newsday would be wise to bring him back as a freelancer to write his humorous column, The Windup, which used to brighten their Sunday edition. We could use it now more than ever. Best of luck to Astoria native and longtime Mets visiting clubhouse manager Tony Carullo, who announced his retirement after working 51 Q years for the team. See the extended version of Sports Beat every week at qchron.com.

Page 35 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, May 7, 2020

SPORTS

Located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn’s hottest neighborhood. We have Qualified International Buyers “To all of our valued clients and customers, we realize that the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has raised all of our concerns. We wanted to assure you that Capri Jet Realty is closely monitoring the latest information about the virus, and we are making the health and safety of our members and agents a top priority. We will no longer be hosting open houses but we will still be able to provide virtual tours on our properties. Even during a time of uncertainty, rest assured that Capri Jet Realty continues to be a safe place and we, New Yorkers, are known to always bounce back quickly. We will get through this, and come out stronger! We want you to know that we value your business and that we are here for everyone in our community. We want everyone to be safe and that even though our office may be closed, we are still available by phone, text, email and video.”

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info@CapriJetRealty.com www.CapriJetRealty.com

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Thank you and stay safe!

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, May 7, 2020 Page 36

C M SQ page 36 Y K

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