Queens pols mostly endorse Harris for 2024 and bid the prez farewell Biden quit the race. What happens now?
by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor
After President Biden announced Sunday the end of his 2024 presidential bid, Queens politicians took to their social media platforms to express their thoughts. Most gave thanks to Biden for his service, and some jumped to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, whom Biden recommended as his replacement nominee and who will be running for the spot on the ballot. Late Monday, it was reported that Harris had secured enough delegates to become the Democratic Party’s nominee.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) took to X to write, “Joe Biden has not only been a great president and a great legislative leader but he’s a truly amazing human being. His decision of course was not easy, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first. Joe, today shows you are a true patriot and great American.”
Schumer on Tuesday formally endorsed Harris at a press conference alongside U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-Brooklyn).
“Vice President Harris will soon be our nominee, and will be elected president in November,” Schumer said.
In a statement on X, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) thanked Biden for his decades of public service. She wrote, “I’m so proud of everything we’ve accomplished together — from fighting for health care for veterans exposed to burn pits, to passing historic legislation making gun trafficking a federal crime, to making investments in jobs and infrastructure across New York. It’s been an honor to serve alongside you.”
Hours later, Gillibrand posted that she was proud to endorse Harris.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Bronx, Queens) wrote
on the platform, “Kamala Harris will be the next President of the United States. I pledge my full support to ensure her victory in November.”
Ocasio-Cortez was captured on video telling reporters Monday, “It’s going to be very important that we brace ourselves for some of the unfair, misogynistic and racial undertones, overtones, explicit attacks and implicit attacks that she may be subject to.”
Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-Brooklyn, Queens) in a statement said Biden was one of the most impactful presidents of her lifetime. She added, “Now it is time for Democrats to
select the candidate with the best chance of beating Donald Trump in November. I am confident that Vice President Kamala Harris is that candidate.”
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica) in a statement thanked Biden for his “unwavering service to our nation” and said the country is a better place because of his leadership.
“VP @KamalaHarris is a proven leader who can deliver for the people!” Meeks wrote on X. “She has my full support and I am proud to endorse her! We must do all we can to ensure she is elected in November.”
Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Nassau, Queens) has not endorsed a replacement candidate, though he too took to social media to thank Biden. He added, “I will continue working with any one of good faith who genuinely wants to fix the border, to reduce the cost of living, and to help heal the divide in our nation.”
Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing), a member the National Advisory Board of the Biden-Harris campaign, on X praised Biden’s work as president and said she would stand with Harris.
In a later post, Meng wrote, “I put out a prettier statement earlier, but truth is I’m upset. I’m mad that the bullies won. I’m mad that the most accomplished & empathetic @JoeBiden was treated the way he was — even by some in his own party. But like my kid told me, stop being sad & start helping @ KamalaHarris.”
State Sen. John Liu (D-Flushing), a delegate to the Democratic National Convention who called for Biden to step aside earlier this month, released a statement on the matter.
“President Biden’s decision was not an easy one, but it was the right choice to restore hope to our country,” Liu said. “Thank you for your service to our nation, Mr. President, and for putting the best interests of our nation first.”
continued on page 14
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President Biden announced Sunday he is ending his 2024 presidential campaign. He endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.
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Area assemblywoman and neighbors work together to secure property Alleged squatter targets HB home
by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor
A woman was arrested twice last week for alleged criminal trespass at a house on 99th Street in Howard Beach.
The incidents received attention due to a post on Howard Beach Dads, a neighborhood Facebook group run by area resident PJ Marcel, who was at the scene both times.
According to Marcel, on July 18 neighbors noticed a woman with a backpack trying to gain entry to the unoccupied home.
“The suspicious activity started when a friendly neighbor greeted the female, who said she purchased the home,” Marcel wrote on the Facebook page. “I also went to the woman and asked if she needed help, advising I remember the owner, and she had told me [the owner] died [and] the owner’s sister gave her permission to live there.”
Marcel alleged that the woman, identified by authorities as Laurel Bay, 49, of 198th Street in Brooklyn, changed the locks, had mail delivered to the home and moved in furniture. He said he alerted Assembly-
woman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach), who arrived at the scene to assess the situation.
Pheffer Amato’s office told the Chronicle the assemblywoman
spoke to the legal owners of the house, who confirmed they possessed the deed and had not sold the property. She said no one was authorized to be there, as the doors were allegedly locked.
Pheffer Amato then contacted the NYPD.
“Something didn’t seem right, and after my office spoke with the [city Department of Finance] and the family who owned the property, we had law enforcement step in to address this clear squatter situation,” Pheffer Amato said in a statement. She thanked the neighbors and the police for the swift team effort.
“This community looks out for each other,” she added.
Police confirmed the incident to the Chronicle, saying that at 9 p.m. on the July 18, Bay was arrested and charged with criminal trespass at 158-13 99 St. Then, on July 21, Bay returned to the property. Police said the basement door of the house was open and Bay was observed crawling out of the basement window. She was again arrested and charged with criminal trespass.
According to Pheffer Amato’s office, the house has since been padlocked.
“The woman openly admitted she had no documents to occupy the home, no authorization to move in or signed agreement to
live at the residence,” Marcel said.
It is unknown how Bay learned of the vacant property, and she could not be reached for comment. According to Marcel, multiple neighbors alleged seeing Bay near Charles Park and Hamilton Beach.
As per the 2024 state budget, squatters are excluded from tenant protection under state law. Pheffer Amato was a co-sponsor of the legislation.
“You don’t get to break into a house and think there’s no consequences,” Pheffer Amato said. “Squatters are not tenants, and I’m happy to have worked to make sure they don’t have any legal housing protections. We saw how the change in the law works, and what additional steps I believe we need to add to fully protect homeowners and small landlords.”
Bay was spotted at the property Tuesday morning, according to an image posted on the Howard Beach Dads group.
The Queens District Attorney’s Office told the Chronicle that Bay was given desk appearance tickets returnable on Aug. 6 and Aug. 7. Q
Ozone Park cleanup initiative kicks off
Center for Employment Opportunities crew to work weekly through June ’25
by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor
State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven) and Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) met with the Center for Employment Opportunities last week to participate in its community cleanup initiative.
CEO, a nonprofit social enterprise organization, specializes in providing comprehensive employment services to individuals recently released from incarceration. By targeting individuals under parole and probation supervision, CEO focuses on aiding those at high risk of recidivism, effectively reducing the likelihood of reincarceration, Addabbo’s office said. Both he and Ariola allocate funding to the group.
The targeted cleanup areas include Liberty Avenue from 96th Street to Lefferts Boulevard, and Jamaica Avenue from 101st Street to Lefferts Boulevard, Addabbo’s office said. Each cleanup crew is composed of four participants led by a dedicated site supervisor.
CEO will foster the success and efficiency of the cleanup project by providing essential training, equipment, transportation and comprehensive oversight, it said. The cleanup crews provide a range of services, including outdoor main-
tenance, landscaping, waste management and graffiti removal. More information can be found online at ceoworks.org.
The project began July 17, Brackett told the Chronicle, saying in a statement that it “will run weekly through the end of June 2025 but has the potential to be on-going with continued support from the Senator.”
“We are helping people get a second chance at life by providing them with good-paying jobs to help them become productive members of society,” Addabbo said in a statement. “It is my intent that if this clean up initiative proves to be successful, I will seek to expand it to other parts of my district where needed.”
On X, Ariola posted a photo alongside Addabbo, CEO regional director Cynthia Bracket and CEO manager Patrick Otojareri.
“This morning I met up with Senator Addabbo and the @ceoworks on their newest route down Rockaway Boulevard,” she wrote. “The Senator and I fund CEO because of their dedication to our communities as they help people transition back into the work force. To all other elected officials, if you’re thinking about funding CEO, make it happen. The community will be better for it.” Q
The scene last weekend on 99th Street in Howard Beach as a woman allegedly attempted to gain entry and set up residence in an unoccupied home.
PHOTO BY PJ MARCEL / FACEBOOK
The Center for Employment Opportunities kicked off a cleanup initiative in Ozone Park last week, joined by state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr., left, CEO regional director Cynthia Brackett, Councilwoman Joann Ariola and CEO manager Patrick Otojareri. NYC COUNCIL PHOTO / X
Legislation aims to address inequities City Council tackles school dress codes
by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor
The City Council last week approved legislation that aims to address inequities in public school dress code policies, which some students and activists have reported unfairly target and criminalize LGBTQ+ students and students of color, according to a City Council press release. The legislation aims to create a more transparent and uniform dress code.
Int. 0118, co-sponsored by Queens Councilmembers Julie Won (D-Long Island City), Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills) and Tiffany Cabán (D-Astoria), would require the Department of Education to post dress code policies on its website and report them to lawmakers, including information about whether each school has a policy and data on reported violations and penalties, broken down by month, week and student race and gender.
The reporting required in the bill would expire and be deemed repealed after five years, according to the bill’s text on the Council website.
Int. 0118 was approved in a unanimous vote and is awaiting the mayor’s signature.
The Council also approved Res. 0292, which calls on the DOE to create an inclusive school dress code policy that complies with Title IX of the Federal Education
Amendments Act — a Federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any educational institution receiving Federal financial assistance — and accounts for diverse cultures, gender expressions and body diversity.
The resolution’s text reads, “According to the DOE school discipline code, wearing clothing, headgear or other items that are considered unsafe or disruptive to the educational process is categorized as uncooperative or noncompliant behavior and can result in disciplinary actions such as student-teacher conferences, parent conferences or exclusion from extracurricular activities or communal lunchtime.”
The resolution also said that, according to Girls for Gender Equity, an advocacy group, “school dress code standards target transgender and gender non-confirming youth of color who are disproportionately disciplined for dress code violations.”
It argues that a city-level school dress code policy should be created through consultation with diverse communities within the DOE school system and engagement with youth who are impacted.
The resolution was co-sponsored by Queens Councilmembers Jennifer Gutiérrez (D-Brooklyn, Queens), Nantasha Williams (D-St. Albans) Cabán, and Won. It was
HB natives kick off a semipro soccer club
by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor
Three Howard Beach natives are seeking to establish a semiprofessional soccer club based out of Queens. Their organization, Excelsior New York, is dedicated to fostering a thriving soccer community while empowering young players to pursue professional careers. More information can be found at excelsiornysoccer.com.
Co-founders Giuseppe Ilarda, Giuseppe Barone and Gianfranco Barone are longtime friends. Ilarda, who works as a CPA, has experience playing youth soccer and coached at Woodhaven Soccer, and the Barone siblings have both played professionally in the U.S. and Europe. The trio is focused on outreach for now.
“We’re just a couple of local guys,” Ilarda said. “We’re not billionaires that are willing to lose $100,000 a season because, you know, we can make a tax writeoff. So we’re looking to do something where we can get the whole community involved, where local businesses can come in with sponsorships, advertising, and create sustainability.”
As part of outreach, Excelsior has hosted
adopted through a voice vote, though Councilmembers Joann Ariola (R-Howard Beach), Bob Holden (D-Maspeth) and Vickie Paladino (R-Whitestone) formally noted their intention to vote negative on it, as per Council minutes.
Asked about her thoughts on the measure, Ariola told the Chronicle, “The resolution was needlessly performative — the federal government already requires that all schools comply with Title IX as it is. This was little more than a grandstand by some members of the Council so they could pat themselves on the back and get their names in the press, but
it really had no substance to it at all. For that reason, I didn’t see it fit to vote in favor.”
One Elmhurst teacher told the Chronicle that her school does not have a standard uniform, but that all students are expected to “dress respectfully.”
She added, “I haven’t personally witnessed targeted bullying based on someone’s religious attire or gender identity, but just because I haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it can’t happen. I’d hope if that were an issue, my students would confide in me.”
She said the occasional explicit language
youth soccer clinics, with more planned for the future. They’ve gained the attention and support of state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven) and have spoken at a Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic meeting.
Recently, the group hosted a watch party for the Copa America Final between Argentina and Colombia at the Queens Beer Garden at the Shops at Atlas Park in Glendale. They even have a sandwich named in their honor at Napoli Bakery in Williamsburg.
“We do want to get started on some adult pickup games,” Ilarda said. “So just getting some time on the field, getting a group of 20 or 30 people together, splitting the field in half and rotating games, completely free. Just giving people a chance to like soccer, where if you don’t have a group of 10 friends that want to go to the field, you can have a whole community.”
New programming will be coming to Excelsior later this summer and in fall.
“We’re hitting some uncharted waters, but we have the experience of what works and what doesn’t work, and we’re hoping to get as much of what works into this team and really bring the passion back to the community,” Ilarda said. Q
Bollywood at home in R. Hill
Councilmember Lynn Schulman on July 21 hosted what she touted as the first-ever Bollywood movie showing at an NYC park as part of the “Movies Under the Stars” series. The initiative aims to bring diverse cinematic experiences to District 29. A vibrant crowd of movie enthusiasts gathered at Smokey “Phil Rizzuto” Park in South Richmond Hill to watch the action-comedy film “Golmaal 3.”
“South Richmond Hill is a predominantly immigrant community that has been ignored for a very long time,” said community advocate Japneet Singh in a statement. “So, when Councilmember Lynn Schulman took over a majority of Richmond Hill and displayed her interest in uplifting our community, we were
very optimistic. We made a request to her to have culturally appropriate entertainment displayed in our parks during the summer. She promised she would try and this past weekend she delivered on that promise.”
Community Board 9 Chair Sherry Algredo called the initiative a “welcomed addition” to the community.
“I am thrilled to support initiatives like ‘Movies Under the Stars’ that celebrate the diverse cultural tapestry of our city,” Schulman said. “The first Bollywood movie night was a tremendous success, and I look forward to continuing to expand these opportunities in this district and bring more culturally appropriate movies to our parks.”
The City Council last week approved legislation that aims to address inequities in school dress code policies.
Feds widen look at Ozone Pk. tobacco factory
Potentially combustible dust where workers claimed wage theft, safety issues
by Claudia Irizarry Aponte THE CITY
This article was originally published on July 22 at 4:59 a.m. EDT by THE CITY.
Federal safety inspectors are investigating a tobacco processing factory in Ozone Park, operated by street brand HotHead Grabba, expanding their probe of the company.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration launched its probe of the 99th Street factory on May 2, records show, nearly two weeks after former employees told THE CITY that they experienced dizziness and injury during work shifts at that facility and were owed thousands in unpaid wages.
A referral, not an employee complaint, triggered the safety probe, the records indicate. An OSHA spokesperson declined to say whether another agency made the safety referral to OSHA. Two former employees filed wage theft complaints to the New York State Department of Labor on April 11.
OSHA visited the site with a focus on potentially combustible dust — a hazard that has been a priority for the federal agency following deadly factory explosions — the inspection records show. What specifically is creating the hazard, or how it may or may not be combustible, is not clear from the record.
Since February, at least a half dozen former employees have filed wage theft or safety
hazard complaints against HotHead Grabba, a brand of loose “grabba” tobacco sold in smoke shops and bodegas across the city and region. Both OSHA and the state Labor Department previously confirmed they were investigating HotHead Grabba.
The brand is known to operate at least two tobacco processing factories, one each in Brooklyn and Queens, where workers reported earning low wages stripping or grinding tobacco leaves.
One Queens worker, according to calculations filed in a complaint to the state, was paid $1,600 for 410 hours of work — equivalent to $3.90 an hour.
In whistleblower complaints and interviews with THE CITY, former employees in Brooklyn and Queens described enduring dizziness, vomiting, nausea, shortness of breath and urinary tract infections on the job.
HotHead Grabba did not respond to questions from THE CITY sent last Thursday to its Instagram account, where an unidentified representative has previously responded to inquiries.
In March, messages from the account pushed back on what they called “false allegations.”
“How can we ever owe someone thousands of dollars we don’t offer that kind of help here, it’s impossible,” one message read.
In recent weeks, HotHead Grabba deleted photos and videos from its Instagram that showed its process for curing the tobacco leaves.
Nauseous and Dizzy
THE CITY first exposed the brand’s Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, sweatshop in February, after workers came forward with allegations that they were working six days a week, up to 13 hours a day, stripping tobacco leaves by hand for the equivalent of $8 an hour — half of New York’s minimum wage — and no overtime.
Even at that low wage, their paychecks were not consistent, they asserted in their complaints to the state Labor Department, and they alleged they were still owed thousands of dollars.
The workers at that facility, who are all Ecuadorian migrant women, spoke to THE CITY on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution.
Two former workers at the Ozone Park facility, also from Ecuador, came forward with similar experiences. The brothers told THE CITY the tobacco stench inside the small unventilated factory was so strong that they stuffed their surgical masks their employer provided with tissues in an attempt to filter out the dust. Both quit in late 2023.
The ground tobacco, they said, was “everywhere” — inside their masks, stuck to their clothes and hanging in the air, making them nauseous and dizzy.
The brothers filed their wage complaints with the help of Make the Road New York, an immigrant advocacy group.
“We don’t want this to happen to anyone else ever again,” the older brother told THE CITY in April. Q
THE CITY (www.thecity.nyc) is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to hard-hitting reporting that serves the people of New York.
Stage set for advice and consent delay
Voters may not see Council’s ballot proposal in ’24 as CRC unveils its own
by Sophie Krichevsky Editor
The City Council’s advice-and-consent provision officially made its way onto the November ballot last Friday, but that victory could be short-lived. Mayor Adams’ Charter Revision Commission released its final report Tuesday, laying the groundwork for it to vote on its own potential ballot measures Thursday, which would knock the Council’s proposal off the 2024 slate.
Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica) denounced the five CRC proposals Tuesday in an X post. “A rushed process towards poorly constructed ballot proposals that weaken democracy and oversight is bad for NYC,” she wrote. “A mayor’s charter revision commission blocking voters’ rights by rewriting the city’s constitution in less than two months is undemocratic.”
Council spokesperson Julia Agos was perhaps more blunt. “This Mayor’s sham Charter Revision Commission has done a disservice to New Yorkers by putting forward rushed proposals that block voters’ rights while undermining democracy and oversight of the Mayor’s administration,” Agos said.
Since state law says that municipal ballot questions put forth by the executive branch — in this case, the mayor and the CRC — trump those brought by the legislative branch — the Council — any ballot question, regardless of topic, voted for by the CRC would delay public consideration of the advice-and-consent proposal, explained Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York.
“In placing something on the ballot, the mayor’s commission gets priority, and those proposals go at the next general election, and the legislatively introduced proposals are postponed
until the following general election,” Lerner said.
But in this case, it’s not just any proposal hitting pause on advice and consent, a policy designed to increase Council oversight over the administration by allowing the body to approve or deny mayoral commissioner appointments to 20 agencies.
At least two of the five questions the CRC is set to vote on Thursday would reform Council procedures in ways members say would weaken the chamber’s legislative power. While one
would require bills regarding public safety to be subject to public hearings (and would allow the mayor to hold his own hearing on such bills), the other would mandate that fiscal impact statements be completed for all legislation.
“This is clearly a move to try to dilute power of the council and undermine the council’s legislative powers, and add additional hurdles where we already put extraordinary care and attention into, specifically, legislation around public safety,” said Councilmember Sandy Nurse (D-Brooklyn).
The report was published less than a day after the commission held its final public hearing on potential changes to the City Charter, during which several City Council members voiced their frustration with the CRC. Among those concerns was the critique that the commission has rushed its process a year in advance in order to nix the advice-and-consent question ahead of the Aug. 5 ballot deadline.
“We should not, as a city, stand in the way of this measure being presented to the voters,” Councilmember Shekar Krishnan (D-Jackson Heights) said. “The commission should instead take its time to develop and introduce law constructed and thoughtful charter amendments to be considered by voters in 2025 as allowed by the charter.”
Though Mayor Adams has denied that being the driver — and said when asked Tuesday if the process was rushed that “rushed is introducing legislation in a week. That’s what’s being rushed,” — Nurse, for her part, is not convinced. “They could have added our advice and consent [proposal],” she said. “They’ve chosen not to.”
Can the Council do anything to keep advice and consent on the ballot this year?
“There doesn’t appear to be any wiggle room,” Lerner said. Q
A Harlem market advertises HotHead Grabba, Feb. 23, 2024. PHOTO BY ALEX KRALES/THE CITY
Speaker Adrienne Adams and members of the Council have been adamant that the Charter Revision Commission not nix advice and consent from the ballot this fall.
PHOTO BY JOHN MCCARTEN / NYC COUNCIL
EDITORIAL AGEP
Fight squatting anywhere
Perhaps the defendant doesn’t read her Queens Chronicle. If she did, she’d know that Queens is not putting up with squatting anymore. And Howard Beach is probably one of the last places to give it a try. All it took was a couple of high-profile cases in which the affronts to property rights and human decency were so egregious that even people prone to forgive almost anything said, “No way.” First we had a homeowner in Flushing arrested when she tried to throw out a guy who allegedly claimed her house as his own. The whole nation denounced that when the story went viral. He now faces five charges. Then we had a homeowner in Jamaica get sued by another alleged squatter — who actually produced a lease in court to back up his case. Too bad the authorities determined it was forged. He dropped the case and now faces 18 charges. Good. This cannot stand. So now we get to Howard Beach, where a woman was arrested twice last week for
alleged criminal trespass on 99th Street. On July 18 she allegedly tried to get in a house there. Neighbors noticed, and the next thing you know, state Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato got a hold of the actual owners, who confirmed that no one was supposed to be there. Anticrime activist PJ Marcel also got involved. The woman was arrested. Then on July 21 she allegedly was back at it. She again was arrested. She allegedly changed the locks on the house, had mail delivered and moved in furniture. All for nothing. Now she has to go to court on two consecutive days.
“This community looks out for each other,” Pheffer Amato said.
Meanwhile, Flushing City Councilwoman Sandra Ung has introduced a bill that would let people get their house onto a police registry if will be vacant for more than 21 days to thwart squatters. We say pass it. Make is so that when people talk about squatting, they say, “This city looks out for each other.”
DA holds parents accountable
Bad parents, be on notice. Your actions, and inactions, could result in your being held legally responsible for contributing to criminality your children may engage in.
Just ask Springfield Gardens couple Sean Smith and Deo Ramnarine. Their son faces very serious charges over the car crash death of 14-year-old Fortune Williams of Brookville last year. He should; he allegedly was going 101 miles an hour on the Conduit when he lost control and hit a UPS truck, killing the teen. His case is pending.
His parents both have pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child. That’s because they gave the 16-yearold an old BMW to tool around in, when it was not legal for him to drive in the city because he had a junior license. The school told them their son was driv-
ing when he shouldn’t be. He got ticketed for doing it. Yet they did not take the keys away, and a girl died as a result.
The parents are only getting a slap on the wrist, yet their prosecution by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz is believed to be the first of its kind in New York State. It follows on the heels of a Michigan case in which the parents of a teenage mass shooter were prosecuted for being careless about the gun he used and ignoring signs of his mental deterioration. They’ll each be doing at least 10 years in prison.
The two cases are very different, but the precedent has been set, and we only expect to see more such spreading of culpability when people die. As long as it doesn’t go too far — you can’t control everything your kids do — we don’t see a good reason not to prosecute.
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LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
Act to save Jamaica
Dear Editor:
I am writing as a concerned resident of Jamaica, Queens. On July 4, an 8-year-old boy was tragically murdered, and the suspect, a family member, was killed by the police in our community. Helicopters swarmed Alvista Towers, and the boy’s mother, bloodied and desperate, ran to the Long Island Rail Road for help. Yet, no community leader came to console us. We were left to fend for ourselves.
This tragedy highlights the neglect our community faces. Overcrowded shelters, a migrant crisis and poor sanitation conditions are daily issues. Despite our calls for support, including my own June 27 request for domestic violence resources, our pleas have gone unanswered. Councilwoman Nantasha Williams and other leaders celebrate new buildings while ignoring our deteriorating quality of life.
The recent murder and police action should have been a wakeup call. Instead, our leaders remain silent. We are told to call their offices, but they don’t show up for us the way we need them to. As a mother, knowing my daughter could have been a witness to this, it haunts me. Our children deserve better.
We pay taxes and contribute to this community. We deserve proper sanitation, respectful leadership and a supportive environment where we can heal. The late bell hooks said, “Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation.” It is time
we embrace this truth and advocate for our own healing, for it is clear our leaders do not believe in us.
To community leaders: Enough is enough. Step up, show up and support us. We demand better, not just during times of crisis but every single day. To fellow residents: Let us unite, raise our voices and demand the respect and support we deserve. Only through our collective efforts can we hope to see the change we so desperately need in Jamaica.
Jacklyn Tomlin Jamaica
Who owns your block?
Dear Editor:
Nobody questions who owns my 40-by100-foot lot (I do), or who owns the streets, parks and other public spaces (the city does). In between, however, is the concept of community character. Who owns your “block”?
To those of us who want a say in the charac-
ter of our neighborhoods, Mayor Adams says, “You are believing your block belongs to you. It belongs to the city.” That is a breathtakingly dangerous position, and it’s why some of us are so staunchly opposed to the block-crushing approach of the City of Yes.
Zoning is the voluntary surrender of some property rights in return for maintaining community character. Do you want to stable a horse in your backyard, open an auto repair business in your driveway or live quietly in a residential neighborhood? Zoning determines that. When buyers purchase property, they do so knowing what’s on their block — whether it’s the right place for a busy new auto-repair business or a quiet refuge from crowds and noise. They may not “own” the block, but they buy into it. Zoning is one of the basic community contracts, and it protects the character of the block.
The City of Yes would change all that, would pull the rug out from under those of us who bought homes on blocks that matched ou r needs. It proposes some changes that make no
LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
distinction between my tree-lined street in Queens and the densest block in Manhattan. Developers who have no interest in the block could come in, build what they want and pocket the profits, then walk away, leaving residents with the results. The City of Yes would permanently alter the character of many neighborhoods, according to the wishes of developers instead of citizens. That, pure and simple, is the reason why the opposition is growing.
Roseann Foley Henry Bayside
The writer is founder and immediate past president of the Bellcourt Civic Association.
Stop hike to gas bills
Dear Editor:
National Grid, a corporation based in the United Kingdom posing as our gas utility, wants to raise our bills and collect an additional $3.8 billion from us. The Public Service Commission will soon make the decision, so I encourage you to act quickly to stop our bills from increasing.
National Greed says it needs billions of customer dollars to extend the life of gas infrastructure that will soon be obsolete. The Greenpoint Energy Center, one of the investments our higher bills would support, is an example of infrastructure that needs a retirement plan.
The facility stores extra gas in case fuel runs low on the coldest days of the year. Basically, it’s there as a precaution. A plan to ensure people’s homes receive heat is critical. However, testimony from an expert witness who has worked over 30 years in the energy industry, Mark D. Kleinginna, finds National Grid may have overstated its need for investment in the Greenpoint Energy Center. He recommends it explore alternatives rather than stick to business as usual.
It’s alarming that National Grid wants to extend the life of infrastructure, locking us into using gas through 2080. It’s even worse that it wants customers to pay for it. That’s like asking us to pay for the next extreme heat wave.
New Yorkers are already feeling the effects of a rapidly warming planet as a result of burning fossil fuels. Last month our state Health Department reported that heat-related ER visits were 500 to 600 percent higher than the average June day. People with influence over our energy sources must be wholly focused on transitioning off of fossil fuels, now.
To fight this rate hike, contact your Assembly member about supporting the NY HEAT Act. Piper Werle Ridgewood
The writer is an activist with the No North Brooklyn Pipeline Alliance.
Hate hits KGH
Dear Editor:
Re your July 18 editorial “Anti-Semitism here in Queens”:
As a Kew Gardens Hills resident since 1944, I was shocked by an ugly event at a synagogue just a few blocks from my home. For as long as I can recall, KGH has always been a tolerant neighborhood where folks of all faiths, races and ethnicities lived in relative peace and harmony. That changed abruptly on July 14 when pro-Palestine fanatics, acting like useful idiots
for Hamas, harassed Jews at a house of worship. They resembled the keffiyeh-clad clowns on college campuses.
Fortunately, the NYPD and private security firm Shmira stepped in to uphold religious freedom and restore some peace and sanity.
What happened on Park Drive East reflects a tidal wave of anti-Semitism that has engulfed our nation since Oct. 7, 2023. As a Jew, I support Israel’s right to defend itself against an enemy that wants to destroy it. My motto is: Guns for the Jews. Sneakers for Hamas.
Richard Reif Kew Gardens Hills
Don’t ignore Palestine
Dear Editor:
I felt strong emotions reading last week’s Letters to the Editor. I read valid concerns about anti-Semitism, but I didn’t read the word “Palestine” once. Half of the populace in Gaza is composed of children; do they all belong to Hamas? Every day, I see horrific pictures and videos of parents mourning their children, children mourning their parents. The waves and waves of death feel never-ending.
I feel it pertinent to remind people that Zionism is not Judaism; according to the Pew Research Center, only 62 percent of Jewish respondents said Israel’s conduct in the war was acceptable. I’ve seen horrendous anti-Semitism flung at pro-Palestinian Jews, and no one ever talks about it.
We can’t just speak over groups like Neturei Karta. We can’t overlook Christian Zionists who hunger for the rapture. We can’t ignore the blood of hundreds of thousands of children, mothers and fathers. We can’t keep letting genocide hide behind the mask of “fighting anti-Semitism.”
Not enough people from my generation are speaking up on platforms like this, and that needs to change.
Heather Galaher Jackson Heights
Kickin’ it old-school
Dear Editor:
We are much too dependent upon technology, and what happened with Microsoft Windows is an indication that an alternative plan or back-up plan must be figured up. What about ordinary pencil and paper usage? There is too much social media and smartphone usage.
Yes, cell phones must be banned in schools — and uniform-wearing instituted. Schools are not for being on screens and for dressing in any manner the students want. Catholic schools have uniforms.
Cynthia Groopman Little Neck
The writer is a retired teacher.
Hiding the real news
Dear Editor:
Conservative media outlets have long reported the mental decline of President Biden. It is only now that the mainstream media is reporting the same thing. Why?
As long as Biden was leading in the polls, reporters did not want to report on Biden’s concontinued on next page
LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
continued from previous page
dition since it would help Trump get elected. After the debate Biden’s poll numbers crashed. Since the media does not want Trump back in power, we now have people like Carl Bernstein and George Clooney telling us that Biden has old age problems and should be replaced on the ticket.
The fact that the mainstream media withheld the story proves that they can no longer be trusted to objectively report the news. This follows the false Russian collusion story and the reporting that Hunter Biden’s laptop was Russian misinformation, which we now know was false.
Maybe it’s time for Democrats to start watching Fox News.
Lenny Rodin Forest Hills
Harris the right choice
Dear Editor:
Endorsing Kamala Harris to run for the presidency in his stead is an excellent decision by President Biden. He selected a person who is consistent with his policies, his stance on vital issues and his devotion to preserving our democracy, our Constitution, and the principles on which this nation was founded.
Vice President Harris is very qualified to assume the responsibilities of the presidency having been a successful prosecutor, attorney general and senator for the state of California, the nation’s largest state with a highly diverse population. Being a senator for such a large, diverse state means you must deal with a myriad of critical issues, which are challenges some politicians from smaller and less diverse states have never faced.
Also, Harris has over three years of governing experience serving as president pro tempore of the Senate, participating in meetings about critical issues as a member of the president’s cabinet, and serving with one of this nation’s most experienced and consequential politicians. She is well qualified and has the character to be the choice of the U.S. electorate to be our next president.
Glenn Hayes Kew Gardens
Past VP failures
Dear Editor:
I believe Kamala Harris has done an outstanding job as vice president.
However, recent history has shown vice presidents are much more likely not to be recognized as viable candidates for being elected president. This starts with Hubert Humphrey failing in 1968, followed by Gerald Ford in 1976, Walter Mondale in 1980, Dan Quayle in 1992, Al Gore in 2000 and Mike Pence in 2024. Only George H.W. Bush in 1988 and Joe Biden in 2020 break the pattern.
I hope the Democrats have an open convention next month to fully vet possible candidates. If Harris does emerge as the candidate, I will support her.
David Soukup Sunnyside
Wrong to be right
Dear Editor:
It looks like the GOP will invoke the familiar term “birds of a feather flock together.”
If Donald Herbert Hoover Trump ever reveals on national TV the far-right Project 2025, may God save their Republican souls.
Anthony G. Pilla Forest Hills
A new bus to Manhattan
Dear Editor:
Why not have a new bus service between Hunters Point and Manhattan via the Queens Midtown Tunnel, as proposed by the Long Island City Bus Committee? It could easily be implemented by the MTA and NYC Transit.
It cost NYC Transit $218 per hour for operation of a bus. That includes driver’s salary, fuel, cleaning, routine maintenance, midlife overhaul and straight-line depreciation for the cost of a bus. You could extend some existing Q69 or Q103 buses. Rather than terminating in Hunters Point, every second or third Q69 or Q103 bus could continue on to Manhattan. Or you could establish a new route from Hunters Point across Manhattan via 34th Street. Maintaining a headway of every 15 minutes during rush hour or 20 minutes off peak would require 10 or fewer buses. There could be a simple sixmonth demonstration to see if there is sufficient ridership demand to make the service permanent.
NYC Transit already runs 26 express bus routes in rush hour via the Queens Midtown Tunnel. There would be sufficient capacity to add a few more local buses during the same time period. There is already a dedicated exclusive bus lane running across Manhattan 34th Street river to river.
Besides MTA capital and operating funds, there are New York State Department of Transportation State Transportation Operating Assistance, Federal Transit Administration capital and Federal Highway Administration Congestion Mitigation Air Quality funds to cover a combination of capital and operating costs.
Larry Penner Great Neck, LI
The writer is a transportation historian, advocate and writer who worked for 31 years in the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office.
Ung introduces bill aimed at squatters
Legislation would create registry of homes unoccupied for 21-plus days
by Sophie Krichevsky Editor
After several incidents of and widespread concern surrounding squatting in Queens in recent months, City Councilmember Sandra Ung (D-Flushing) last week introduced legislation to combat the issue.
The bill, Intro. 997, would create a voluntary notice program and registry for temporarily vacant homes, governed by the NYPD. Property owners and tenants would be able to report to the NYPD when their dwellings would be vacant for 21 or more consecutive days through a publicly available form. The appropriate precinct would then be made aware of the vacancy, and would provide the owner or tenant with a written receipt.
“Instead of simply evicting these illegal occupants, property owners are compelled to pursue a case in housing court, during which the squatters are allowed to remain in the homes. This not only places an undue burden on homeowners, but also undermines their fundamental property rights,” Ung said in a statement.
“This new registry will provide legal protection from squatters, preempting any claims that they are legally occupying the property and eliminating the need for owners to engage in protracted legal proceedings, as well as giving them peace of mind when they are away from their properties. This legislation is not just about property rights; it is about justice and fairness for homeowners.”
The Democratic lawmaker also thanked Council Minority Leader Joe Borelli (R-Staten Island), who is co-sponsoring the legislation, saying he “understands that whether you are a Democrat or Republican, Conservative or Progressive, the right to secure and retain your property is paramount.”
According to Ung’s office, the legisla-
tion’s 21-plus-day cutoff was chosen because it is more than a week less than the state’s 30-day residency benchmark squatters must hit before they have any legal claim to a property.
Ung’s office also said the registry will be available not only to property owners who have a residence on the market, but also to tenants who may be away for extended periods of time.
Ung’s introduction of the legislation comes in the months following several squatting cases in the area, perhaps most notably in Flushing. The people occupying a home there were allegedly renting from a man named Brian Rodriguez, who claimed to be leasing it despite the owner, Adele Andaloro, having no knowledge of anyone being in the house. She had inherited it from her late parents.
At one point, Andaloro was arrested after attempting to evict the alleged squatters from the property, which she was in the process of selling.
Rodriguez was later indicted on charges of burglary in the second degree, grand larceny in the fourth degree, criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, criminal trespassing in the second degree and criminal mischief in the fourth degree.
Another alleged squatter in a Jamaica home was indicted in a similar case back in May, but only after the homeowner spent thousands on legal fees when the alleged squatter, along with others, sued her, claiming they had documentation that they were leasing the place legally. The Queens District Attorney’s Office said the lease was forged and the occupants ultimately dropped their case in April.
If passed by the Council, Ung’s bill would take effect 120 days after being signed into law. Q
Safely discard old documents
Write a Letter!
We want to hear from new voices! Letters should be no longer than 300 words and may be edited for length, clarity and other reasons. They may be emailed to letters@qchron.com. Please include your phone number, which will not be published. Those received anonymously are discarded.
To help their constituents clear out files and properly dispose of personal documents, state Sens. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven) and Roxanne Persaud (D-Brooklyn, Queens), and Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach) on Aug. 3 are bringing a free paper shredding event to Howard Beach.
From noon to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of St. Helen Roman Catholic Church, at the corner of 157th Avenue and 84th Street, residents can bring up to three copy boxes of their documents to be safely and securely shredded. Attendees can
even watch the process through a small window on the shredding truck.
Cardboard, newspapers, file folders, and metals or plastics will not be accepted. Staples should be removed.
In a press release from Addabbo’s office, the officials reiterated the importance of properly disposing information through document shredding, which prevents instances of fraud and contributes to waste reduction.
Anyone with questions or seeking more information should call Addabbo’s office at (718) 738-1111. Q
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Queens pols on Biden, Harris
had a different take, writing, “Make no mistake — this isn’t about [Biden’s] health, this is about politics. He’s losing, so they’re pulling him. ... Is this how elections work now? If a candidate is down in the polls, you just pull them with three months to the election? Or if the president is unwell, you cover it up and have his staff and aides secretly run the country while lying about literally everything?”
Paladino also expressed support for former President Trump’s reelection.
In a press release, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards endorsed Harris and praised Biden, writing that he was “one of America’s greatest leaders.”
continued from page 2
Liu did not immediately endorse a replacement candidate.
John Falcon, nee Falcone, passed peacefully at age 71 after long-term complications of a stroke on June 20th, 2024. John was a successful title examiner and tribal art dealer prior to his early retirement in 2016. John is pre-deceased by parents John and Mary O. Falcone of Woodhaven, Queens and sister Carolyn Falcone of Manhattan. John is survived by sister Linda Falcone of Queens and spouse DL Farley of Manhattan. Private service at St. John’s Cemetery, Middle Village, Queens on Tuesday, July 30th, 2024. Send donations in lieu of flowers to: St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Doctors Without Borders or God’s Love We Deliver. In Me m or iam
In a statement posted to her X page, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica) said Biden “successfully guided us through unprecedented times with honor.” She called for a rally of support behind Harris, adding, “In Vice President Harris, we have a strong leader with a positive vision who deserves widespread support to defeat Trump and his destructive agenda at the ballot box.”
Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (R-Whitestone), on her personal X account,
Dress codes
continued from page 6
on T-shirts and girls wearing cropped tank tops and “short shorts” during the warmer months is “the worst of it” at her school.
“Teenagers will always experiment with style,” the educator said. “As long as they aren’t hurting anyone or disrupting learning, they should be encouraged to express themselves.”
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica) said in a Council press release, “By requiring greater transparency and calling for inclusivity in the dress code, our legislation can help advance anti-discrimina-
Richards added, “Here in Queens, we’ve seen President Biden’s empathy and love of country first hand. In the wake of Hurricane Ida’s destructive flooding that claimed a dozen lives, he not only came to East Elmhurst to mourn with us, but he invested millions of dollars to upgrade our infrastructure. He visited our borough to shine a spotlight on our crisis management system as well, calling our cure violence groups a national model for how to uplift at-risk youth. Queens has never had a better friend on the federal level than Joe Biden.”
The Democratic National Convention, at which Harris is expected to formally accept the party’s nomination, is Aug. 19 through 22. Q
tion protections that support all students.”
Asked for comment on the Council’s legislation, DOE spokesperson Nathaniel Styer said in a statement, “Per NYC Public Schools’ Dress Code Guidelines, dress codes are decided at the individual school level and require that schools examine their reasoning and justification for their respective policies, and schools must consider evolving generational, cultural, social, and identity norms.”
He added, “Dress codes must be gender-neutral and cannot prohibit certain types of clothing that are stereotypically associated with one gender, and they must be implemented equally and in a non-discriminatory manner.” Q
Vice President Kamala Harris was endorsed by President Biden and other Queens Democrats for the 2024 presidential election.
PHOTO BY ADAM SCHULTZ / WHITE HOUSE / FLICKR
Longtime folks have density concerns, young people say project must happen Queens residents split on Creedmoor
by Naeisha Rose Editor
Elected officials, longtime residents and young people, along with community board, civic, and religious leaders, were among the nearly 160 people who weighed in on Empire State Development’s drafts for the scope of work and environmental impact statement on the Creedmoor Community Master Plan last Thursday.
The initial proposal for the mixed-use redevelopment project on approximately 58 acres of underutilized land at the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens Village included 2,873 units, according to ESD, the state’s economic development wing. The total proposed units after many complaints about density from Eastern and Northeastern Queens residents is now 2,775 (with 1,536 units for purchase and 1,249 for rent), down from 2,873.
The initial plan proposed 1,633 units for purchase and the remaining 1,240 for rent, said ESD. The further breakdown of units would have included 813 elevator co-ops (six to eight stories), 536 walk-up co-ops (three to four stories), 186 triplexes (three stories) and 98 semi-detached two-family homes (two stories).
Available for rent would have been 377 (now 393) senior housing units, 431 (now 428) supportive housing units and 432 (now 428) affordable lottery units, all of which would be six to eight stories, said the agency. Set aside for veterans would be 108 supportive and 57 affordable units.
Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside), state Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky (D-College Point) and Councilwoman Linda Lee (D-Oakland Gardens) did not feel the reduction in the proposed housing was enough. For months residents in Queens Village, along with neighbors in Oakland Gardens, Hollis Hills, Bellerose, Bellerose Manor, Floral Park and Glen Oaks, have said they prefer a housing complex with up to three stories that has only 1,000 units.
Now that a recent EIS report said the proposed project is still expected to break ground in 2027 but with a finish time of 2040 instead of the early 2030s, residents and nearby neighbors are more adamant about keeping the development small.
“The views of the local community have not been taken into account when crafting this proposal,” said Braunstein. “In 2023, the ESD had community engagement sessions where constituents that I represent participated and offered ideas about what type of housing they would like to see on the Creedmoor site. The one overwhelming request the community had was that ESD attempt to keep the density somewhat contextual with the surrounding community.”
The community mostly consists of single-family homes and two- to three-story garden apartments, according to Braunstein.
Stavisky also said it’s about proportion, and she also voiced her concerns about the environment.
“It’s all about the density,” said Stavisky. “Glen Oaks has
about twice the acreage with 2,900 units.”
The site has 12 closed fuel tanks, eight biodiesel tanks in operation and soil contamination — and there have also been reports of asbestos, she added.
“We have to address that issue,” Stavisky said. “The community feels very strong about this.”
Borough President Donovan Richards said the plan is perfectly imperfect, but something must be done with the site, which has been undeveloped for 40 years.
“Nearly 50 acres of land has sat desolate, serving no purpose for the Borough of Queens,” Richards said. “When you poll this neighborhood, there are some things that come up consistently: that is affordability, homeownership ... for our young people and working professionals ... and the need for veterans housing and diversity of incomes at the site.”
Corey Bearak, Community Board 13’s Land Use Subcommittee on Creedmoor chair, said the draft scope had miniscule changes compared to the first proposal and added that the project is misnamed as the “Creedmoor Community Master Plan” because it has very little to do with the needs of the host communties.
“It fails to follow the community recommendations from at least last winter,” Bearak said, adding that a miniscule change was made with the number of units in the draft scope.
Bearak went on to say that if ESD were to follow the recommendation made by other civics and community boards at the scale they want, the project would not have to go through rezoning, people seeking housing will not have to wait 16 years and
DOT planning tougher cams
Think you’re smart gluing some leaves onto your license plate to fool the cameras and let you speed around and avoid tolls?
Well, in addition to the multiagency crackdowns the city and state have partnered on and publicized, one department is looking to see right through you.
The city Department of Transportation last week issued a request for proposals seeking a better, tougher system of “automated enforcement” of the law.
New York has “thousands of cameras and sensors” targeting “drivers who run red lights, exceed speed limits, and drive in
or obstruct bus lanes,” the DOT noted in an announcement, and last year added sensors that enforce truck weight limits.
Now the city is looking for a company to manage all that for five years starting in 2025, and to make big investments to make the streets safer. Proposals are due Aug. 23.
“As part of the RFP, the city specifically seeks to leverage recent innovations in camera-based technology to tackle more recent on-the-ground challenges, including the growth in obscured license plates, the DOT said. Q
— Peter C. Mastrosimone
residents won’t have to deal with more than a decade of construction.
“It will bring needed housing much sooner than the timeline proposed in the draft scope of work,” continued Bearak.
ESD spokeswoman Emily Mijatovic said via email that the development site presents an opportunity to build much-needed housing in Eastern Queens.
“The current site plan reflects robust outreach, including community workshops, visits to the Community Board and civic organizations, and meetings with local stakeholders,” Mijatovic said. “ESD will continue to collaborate with local elected officials, community boards, and community organizations to ensure the plan thoughtfully realizes Creedmoor’s potential.”
Rocky Hill Civic Association President Suzanne Peritz said the quality of life for residents will be diminished by the project.
“We do not want high density,” said Peritz. “I notice on some of the diagrams you have an entrance right at Seward Avenue. Seward Avenue is a small avenue not meant for a thruway. You are going to overwhelm the neighborhood.”
Jaslin Kaur of Glen Oaks, one of several young professionals on the call, says the project is needed as is.
“I’m almost 30 years old and still living at home with my family knowing that rents have only increased,” Kaur said. “My family is still paying off the mortgage on their home and the potential for housing in the city of New York is bleak.”
David Pecoraro, a Rosedale resident, said he shared Richards’ sentiments on the project, because unlike the City of Yes housing rezoning plan from the mayor, Creedmoor guarantees affordable senior and veteran housing.
“I do note also,” said Pecoraro, “not only are there multistory buildings surrounding the campus, there are multistory buildings on the campus. It would not be out of scope, but the community needs to have input.”
Lindsey Mayer, a local resident and city Department of the Aging staffer, said she feels like she might have to leave her neighborhood. Many callers on the Zoom said they either have moved or are considering a move to Connecticut and a commute back for work because it’s cheaper to live there.
“I’m currently in public service and I have been living at home for quite a while now,” said Mayer. “New York City is undergoing a housing crisis ... This plan is very much needed.”
The Rev. Patrick O’Connor of First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica is co-chair of Queens Power, a group of 40 institutions in support of the project.
“Creedmoor is not the only site we are focusing on,” O’Connor said. “All across Queens there is a need to create more opportunities for young people, for those who make the buses move, the trains move for teachers, healthcare workers, for construction workers and for first responders to have a place to live.” Q
Addabbo senior job fair 7/26
State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Woodhaven) will host a free, senior-only job fair in Kew Gardens from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, July 26, at the Kew Gardens Community Center at 80-02 Kew Gardens Road.
Residents 55 and older will be able to apply for jobs with companies that are specifically looking to hire senior workers. Attendees are asked to use the 80th Road entrance.
“With the cost of living in New York City continuing to rise, many people over the age of 55 are finding that they are having a difficult time meeting their financial
needs and have to re-join the workforce to make ends meet. Other seniors may still want to continue participating in the workforce,” Addabbo said in a statement.
Representatives from each company will accept resumes and meet with potential job candidates to discuss openings within their organizations.
Interested job seekers are asked to dress professionally and bring several copies of their résumés to hand out to companies they would like to apply to.
For information about the job fair, contact Addabbo’s office at (718) 738-1111. Q
Lindsey Mayer, a municipal worker, said young people will have to leave the city because it’s too expensive. ZOOM SCREENSHOT / ESD
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State hosts hearings on proposal for Renewable Ravenswood cables Residents support offshore wind plan
by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor
A proposal to bring renewable wind energy to what was once one of the city’s dirtiest fossil fuel generating stations received enthusiastic support Tuesday evening from speakers at a hearing hosted by the state’s Public Service Commission.
Rise Light & Power, which owns the Ravenswood generating station in Long Island City, is proposing to run underwater cables 18.5 miles between it’s facility and an off-shore wind farm that would be built by its European partners.
The company’s aim is to eventually replace all fossil fuel generation on the site with electricity from renewable sources, including upstate wind and solar, plus geothermal.
The PSC on Tuesday hosted “Article VII” hearings afternoon and evening, which are required to determine if the project meets the state’s criteria for public interest, convenience and necessity. It took place at the LIC’s Jacob Riis Neighborhood Settlement, which sits within sight of the plant’s redand-white smokestacks.
Nearly 30 people attended the evening session, run by Administrative Law Judge James Costello. The session began with Rise representatives staffing numerous informational displays and taking questions from those in attendance.
Afterward, Jessie Shaw of the state’s Department of Public Service outlined the requirements for the hearing before Jamil Khan, vice president of asset management for Rise Light & Power made the company’s presentation.
Khan said, among other things, the project, and future plans for the LIC site will
go a long way toward eliminating pollution that historically has been produced by power generation stations in Western Queens going back a century or more. He also said it will help the state attain its mandated goals for renewable energy by 2040.
Khan said Rise hopes to have an answer on its Article VII application in 2025, and to begin construction in either 2026 or 2027.
The firm hopes to have wind-generated electricity for New York City customers in the early 2030s.
Not a single one of the nine audience
members who spoke was opposed to the project.
Lenore Friedlaender, representing Climate Jobs NY, a labor union, emphasized not just the new jobs that the planned changes at the plant could bring, but the company’s commitment to keeping present personnel and retraining them.
She also spoke of health benefits to surrounding neighborhoods.
“My family lives in the shadow of [Ravenswood].” she said.
Costa Constantinides, CEO of the Variety Boys and Girls Club in LIC and a former
New bin rule tosses 8
p.m.
Astoria city councilman who has spent decades batting Queens’ fossil fuel plants, also approved.
“These neighborhoods have higher rates of asthma than other ares,” Constantinides said. “They have higher rates of hospitalization. It’s time to turn Asthma Alley into Renewable Row.
Christina Chaise, vice president of the Ravenswood Houses Resident Association, also spoke in favor of expanding sustainable energy, jobs and other things.
“It’s nice to see something where the residents can benefit,” she said.
One speaker said he came from Brooklyn to hear the presentation, and was not disappointed.
“It’s nice to see that something like this can actually happen, and can happen in New York City,” he said.
A representative of Rise Light and Power told the Chronicle that the afternoon session had about two dozen attendees and about eight speakers.
The project is continuing even as a few high-profile wind projects planned for New York State have been withdrawn in recent months, their planners citing costs. But Will Fisher of Rise Light and Power said things like inflation and interest rates in recent years can vary company’s capital costs.
Those still wishing to comment on the project can write to Michelle Phillips, Secretary, New York City Public Service Commission, 3 Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223-1350, Re: Case 22-T-0670 Queensboro Development.
They can also call 1 (800) 335-2120, or send an email to secretary@dps.ny.gov.
People are asked to use Case 22-T-0670 in all correspondence. Q
trash put-out
Many residences’ garbage could hit curb by 6 p.m. with no bin incentive
by Sophie Krichevsky Editor
With Mayor Adams’ announcement earlier this month that residential buildings with one to nine units will be required to put their trash in bins with secure lids for collection, the Department of Sanitation’s newly minted 8 p.m. trash put-out time will become moot.
Come November, when the container requirement goes into effect, garbage from all one-to-nine-unit buildings will be able to hit the curb as early as 6 p.m.
When the city pushed back put-out times from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. in April 2023, the Sanitation Department incentivized property owners to containerize their waste, rather than simply piling black trash bags on the sidewalk, by allowing those using bins to set out trash for collection as early as 6 p.m.
But with containerization for about 20 percent of the city’s residential buildings becoming mandatory in November, that incentive will be gone; the carrot will be replaced with a stick. According to DSNY spokesperson Joshua Goodman, residents in buildings required to use secure bins will all be able to put their trash out as early as 6 p.m.
Asked why the agency pushed back put-out times to 8 p.m. at all if many residents would eventually be able to bring trash to the curb at 6 p.m., Goodman told the Chronicle via email, “The point was that black bags should not be on the street when people are walking around.
“It would not have been prudent to say back in 2022, ‘oh, you can keep putting your trash bags on the street at 4 p.m., because in Fall 2024 we’re going to institute a residential wheelie bin mandate. It’s totally fine, no need to make changes.’ Action was long overdue, and it is getting results, with rat sightings down 12 of the first 13 months since this work began.”
Goodman said there was no concern that widening putout times would reduce that effectiveness, saying “that is why containers must have a lid.” He also noted that for oneto-nine-unit buildings, 6 p.m. would be the earliest garbage could hit the curb —residents would not be required to bring trash outside then, and could still do so after 8 p.m., so long as it’s before midnight.
Asked if he was at all concerned the change could be confusing to New Yorkers, Councilmember Shaun Abreu (D-Manhattan), who chairs the Council’s Sanitation and
Solid Waste Committee, said in a statement that while new policies often require some adjustment, he was confident the change would ultimately be worthwhile.
“Until just last year, our city’s trash sat out the street corner for up to 14 hours —longer than any major city in the country. We are leaving this unsanitary practice where it belongs: in the trash. What we’re talking about with these new rules is a serious shift in the way our city handles and collects trash,” the councilmember said.
“And while the rollout of new city rules is always going to take some trial and error, I am confident in DSNY and most importantly in New Yorkers, to get this one right. We’ve put a lot of effort into getting out the word about the changes coming to trash management, and we want to make it easy for everyone to follow the rules. Containerization is a massive leap forward. If we do this right, it will mean fewer rats, cleaner streets, and healthier neighborhoods for all of us.”
In addition to many residential buildings being required to containerize waste starting this fall, New Yorkers will need to use city-issued, latching bins by June 2026. To purchase those, visit bins.nyc. Q
Residents examine information Tuesday evening about Rise Light & Power’s proposal that would deliver renewable electricity from offshore wind turbines to Ravenswood power station in Long Island City.
PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON
Council could sue over solitary ban in city jails
Votes 35-5 to allow legal action if DOC violates law mayor had vetoed
by Naeisha Rose Editor
A resolution authorizing City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica) to take legal action on behalf of the Council to oppose any Department of Correction effort to suspend Local Law 42, a piece of anti-solitary confinement legislation passed in December, was adopted last Thursday.
The vote was 35-5 with nine absent, according to the City Council.
“In accordance with Council rules, the Council passed a Resolution to authorize the Speaker to take legal action on behalf of the legislative body,” said a Council spokesperson via email. “Solitary confinement has been internationally recognized as torture and has led to the deaths of people subjected to it in New York City, and we will be prepared to defend the local law we passed banning this practice.”
Local Law 42 bans city jails from placing incarcerated people in isolation except for up to two hours per day or over eight hours at
“The use of solitary confinement in our city jails is an abomination.”
— City Councilwoman Tiffany Cabán
night directly after an alleged incident as a form of de-escalation. An incarcerated individual can also have a hearing to determine if the action is necessary.
During a Committee on Criminal Justice meeting, which was held ahead of the larger Council vote, Councilwoman Sandy Nurse (D-Brooklyn), chair of the committee, had a few choice words for Mayor Adams, whose veto of the bill banning isolation was overridden.
“Despite the misleading rhetoric, the law does not prevent the Department from separating people from the general population who engage in violent behavior,” said Nurse. “It does not bar the use of restraints and it still allows the department to make distinctions on
how people are supervised in custody. The Council stands by its decision to pass Local Law 42 to advance a new approach to reduce violence and prioritize safety. For those who endured those horrific conditions, we will continue to fight the status quo.”
Nurse also said that solitary confinement has caused physical, psychological and emotional harm.
“Its use has contributed to continued violence and death on Rikers Island,” she said. “If enacted ... it would rid facilities of locked decontamination showers and require a rationale and fix duration for emergency lock-ins.”
The committee vote on the resolution was 7-0, with two members absent. Councilwoman Tiffany Cabán (D-Astoria) was one of the seven to vote in the affirmative.
“I commend my colleague’s efforts to compel the Mayor to implement the ban on solitary confinement,” said Cabán. “Solitary confinement is an abhorrent practice that has been long recognized as a human rights violation by the United Nations and other human rights organizations. The use of solitary confinement in our city’s jails is an abomination and Mayor Adam’s administration’s attempt to maintain the status quo on Rikers Island is unconscionable. I will be putting my full support behind the Speaker as she takes this important step.”
When asked for a statement, the city Department of Correction shared a link of its members and representatives of the Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association union testifying against Local Law 42 at a city Board of Correction meeting on June 25.
The BOC is a group that establishes and ensures compliance standards regulating the conditions of confinement and correctional health and mental health care in all city correctional facilities.
Antoinette Anderson, the corresponding secretary of COBA, said at the meeting that the limitations placed on DOC staff is putting them and inmates in danger, while sharing photos of an injury a correction officer sustained from being splashed with hot water from an inmate who had requested it.
“Since the ban for punitive separation was passed last December, violent offenders, who comprise approximately 70 percent of our inmate population ... have already been
Donate blood to save lives
“Donate Today, Save Lives Tomorrow” is the motto of the New York Blood Center, which is seeking donors as the state continues to face a blood shortage.
If interested in helping either via a blood donation or a financial gift to the nonprofit, visit nybc.org. Just one pint of blood can save three lives.
There are four places in and around Eastern and Southeast Queens listed now at nybc.org to donate blood:
• NYPD Forensic Investigation, busmobile, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, July 25, at 150-14 Jamaica Ave. in Jamaica; blood
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams presiding over last week’s Council meeting that included a vote for Res. 0504, a resolution that supports Local Law 42.
emboldened to attack our members,” said Anderson. “There have been approximately 260 assaults on staff.”
She also said there were 61 spitting incidents, 170 splashing incidents, 92 slashings against other persons in custody, 60 stabbing incidents and nine sexual assaults against correctional officers since the legislation passed.
“We have to help everybody,” Anderson said. “COBA is not here to fight with you.”
Councilmembers Bob Holden (D-Maspeth), Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) and Vickie Paladino (R-Whitestone) of Queens were among the five who voted against the resolution during the larger Council vote.
“As of this date, the DOC has not taken formal legal action to avoid complying with Local Law 42,” said Holden via email. “The federal monitor is currently reviewing DOC policies, and our assessment of Local Law 42 is that it is preempted by a federal consent decree and not legally sound.
“I voted against this bill because it would make our jails much more dangerous, putting both inmates and correction officers in jeopardy. The federal monitor has stated that this law would interfere with their ability to keep people
Photo contest!
safe and that punitive segregation is essential.”
A federal monitoring team oversees and reports on conditions at Rikers Island as a result of a court order.
Ariola said restrictive housing is considered to be an essential component of jail safety protocols by the federal monitor, and serves as a penalty and deterrent to those who wish to harm staff or fellow inmates.
“Removing this important tool from our officers directly endangered everyone in the corrections system, and I could not in good conscience allow that to happen without opposition,” she continued.
Paladino said that she will always stand with correction officers.
“The Department of Corrections has every right to do what they feel is necessary to protect their officers and inmates, and every member of the DOC opposes the end of punitive segregation,” Paladino said via email.
“Progressives are pathologically obsessed with handcuffing law enforcement in every way possible, and Local Law 42 was rammed through the Council under extraordinary political pressure, and even past a Mayoral veto.
“Authorizing Speaker Adams to take legal action against the Department of Correction simply for doing their job and pursuing appropriate remedies to the failure of the City Council would represent yet another unprecedented power grab by increasingly unpopular progressives who simply cannot tolerate opposition in any form.” Q
Chronicle seeks a
freelance reporter
The Queens Chronicle is seeking a freelance reporter who is conscientious, reliable and able to turn stories around quickly when needed.
The ideal candidate will have a flexible schedule and be able to cover events such as press conferences, protests and art exhibit openings. Knowledge of and interest in government and politics are strong pluses.
Applicants should send their resumes and three writing samples to Editor-in-Chief Peter C. Mastrosimone at peterm@qchron.com. Experience is preferred; talent required. Q
drive coordinator Katherine Ferrante;
• Our Lady of Perpetual Help, rectory, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Sunday, July 28, at 111-50 115 St. in South Ozone Park; blood drive coordinator Tony Harilall;
• Our Lady of Lourdes, busmobile; 8:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., Sunday, July 28, 92-81 Winchester Ave. in Queens Village; blood drive coordinator Ellen McCrae; and
• Central Library, busmobile, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday, Aug. 2, 89-11 Merrick Ave. in Jamaica; blood drive coordinator Nina Luca Bolowsky. Q — Naeisha Rose
Hot town, summer is here! And so is the Queens Chronicle’s 16th annual Summer in the Borough Photo Contest. We hope your entry will arrive soon!
Go out and take your best shots of families gathering, children playing, workers working, lovely landscapes, birds on the bay — whatever says “summertime in Queens.” If you need any inspiration, take a look at last year’s winner, taken by Betsy Becker at the Queens Zoo. As to the rules, there are several, so please go to tinyurl.com/y8wyhvwy for the full list. Send your high-resolution digital photos to peterm@qchron.com, or mail prints to Queens Chronicle Photo Contest, 71-19 80 St., suite 8-201, Glendale, NY 11385. The winner will get a $50 gift card. The deadline is Monday, Sept. 23, the day after summer ends. Good luck! — Peter
SCREENSHOT VIA NYC COUNCIL VIDEO
C. Mastrosimone
PHOTO BY BETSY BECKER
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Festival of Cinema NYC hosts 8th annual gathering from Aug. 2 to 11 Lights, camera and action in Forest Hills
by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor
Movie lovers in Queens soon will be descending on Forest Hills and Rego Park as the 8th annual Festival of Cinema NYC returns from Aug. 2 to 11.
Based at the Regal UA Midway Theater on Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills, this year’s event includes more than 100 feature-length and short films from 14 countries including the United States in 32 separate blocks. There also are opening and closing night celebrations as well as the annual award ceremony.
“This year’s edition of the film festival continues the growth of our event,” said Jayson Simba, executive director of the festival, in a press release.
“Our mission to establish a bridge between community and the arts, by exhibiting the work of talented filmmakers, gets stronger every year. It always begins and ends with great films, but it becomes special by highlighting why we love to come to the movie theater and celebrating the artistic accomplishments of our filmmakers who foster that connection between us.”
Free public workshops and presentations also will be offered at the Forest Hills Library, Queens Center mall in Elmhurst and Yant Tattoo Studios in Forest Hills, the latter serving as the official filmmaker lounge for the festival.
“We have short films and feature films of all genres,” Simba told the Chronicle in an interview. “We have a lot of local filmmakers showcasing their work.”
Two of the Queens films, Simba said,
will be very prominently featured, with “Out of My Comfort Zone,” by director Ivy Vale scheduled for opening night on Aug. 2; and Forest Hills director Harrison Dillingham’s “Mortimer” as part of the closing night double feature on Aug. 10.
“We also have a couple of blocks of New York-centric shorts,” Simba said.
Aug. 10 also will include a screening of “The First Wave,” a feature-length documentary by Oscar-nominated director Matthew Heineman that looks at the first four months of the Covid-19 pandemic from inside several of New York City’s hospital systems.
“We’re excited about that,” Simba said. “It’s an amazing film that has won a ton of awards. Matthew will be there in person for the film and a question-and-answer session afterward.”
Tickets for individual blocks of movies start at $18.
Simba said this year will see an expansion of the festival’s efforts to work with nonprofits. One, he said, is a presentation by the Make A Film Foundation, an organization that works with sick or terminally ill children to participate in the making of movies in various capacities.
“It’s a great organization for a great cause,” Simba said.
Another is Project Blackbird, which works through film to help people with eating disorders.
Information on tickets, the film list and descriptions, as well as schedules of all screenings and events can be found online at festivalofcinemanyc.com. Q
Krishnan tackles water safety issues
Legislative package calls for pool atlas, longer beach season and more
by Sophie Krichevsky Editor
Councilmember Shekar Krishnan (D-Jackson Heights) last week introduced a legislative package designed to improve water safety across the city.
The four-piece proposal includes Intro. 988, which would create a searchable map of city pools with detailed information on their hours and programs, and Intro. 275, which would lengthen the season for city pools and beaches and extend their hours of operation. (The latter bill was introduced earlier this year.)
The two other measures, Reso. 469 and Reso. 501, would recognize May 15 as International Water Safety Day in New York City and call on the state Legislature to pass a bill requiring school districts to send water safety informational materials home and to allow districts to provide water safety instruction in school for K-12 students, respectively.
“New York City is surrounded by water, and we cannot continue to allow families to lose their children to drownings every summer,” Krishnan said in a statement. “To be safe in the water, New Yorkers need to be exposed to the water and learn about its dangers. I’m proud to introduce this legislation to expand access and awareness to pools and beaches across our city and expand water safety education efforts.
Through this legislative package, we can help stop this crisis now.”
When Krishnan introduced the package last Thursday, four people had been confirmed to have drowned at city beaches this summer, less than a month in. As of press time Wednesday, that number had gone up to six.
The package comes in the months after Krishnan, who chairs the Council’s Committee on Parks and Recreation, unveiled his five-point plan for water safety. Among the five was the expansion of city pool and beach season and hours, as Intro. 275 aims to do, as well as the creation of a pool atlas, Intro. 988’s intent. Also included was the
creation of a program that would provide all city second-graders with swim instruction. That program, known as Wave Makers, was officially launched just last Monday.
Kevin Montalvo, a spokesperson for Krishnan, said in an email to the Chronicle that the newly introduced package only takes on some of the goals of the councilmember’s five-point plan. “The legislative package is meant to address certain elements of the solutions that are needed,” he said. “It’s not meant to be exhaustive.”
Remaining from the five-point plan, in addition to building more city pools, is the creation of a junior lifeguard corps to serve city pools and beaches. More broadly, though, Krishnan has called on the city to accept other lifeguard certifications, such as the American Red Cross one. He is also advocating for the city to offer lifeguard certification tests into the spring as opposed to ending in February, arguing that that would make lifeguarding more accessible to high school and college students.
Tackling the lifeguard crisis would be crucial to the success of the other water safety-related legislative initiatives, Montalvo acknowledged. “We need holistic measures to address this crisis and we need to use every tool at our disposal to come up with solutions,” he said.
Q
New York City director Delfine Paolini’s “A Wonderful Way With Dragons” will be shown on opening night of the 8th annual Festival of Cinema NYC on Aug. 10. PHOTO COURTESY FESTIVAL OF CINEMA
Councilmember Shekar Krishnan, seen here at the launch of a free swim program last week, has introduced a package of bills aimed at water safety.
PHOTO BY SOPHIE KRICHEVSKY
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SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS, SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, INDEX NO. 711022/2023 COUNTY OF QUEENS
Plaintiff designates QUEENS as the place of trial situs of the real property. Mortgaged Premises: 9211 173RD STREET, JAMAICA, NY 11433, Block: 10214 , Lot: 53, FEDERAL HOME LOAN MORTGAGE CORPORATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE FREDDIE MAC SEASONED CREDIT RISK TRANSFER TRUST, SERIES 2018-4 Plaintiff, vs. CHOSTENE PHONARD A/K/A CHOSTENE PHANARD, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF MARIE ST. FLEUR; LINDA PHANORD, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF MARIE ST. FLEUR; JONAS PHANORD, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF MARIE ST. FLEUR; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF MARIE ST. FLEUR any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE-DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY; JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE AS SUCCESSOR TO THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF CHICAGO, AS TRUSTEE, “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Defendants. To the above named Defendants YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT, THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $380,000.00 and interest, recorded on June 01, 2007, in Instrument Number 2007000284683, of the Public Records of QUEENS County, New York., covering premises known as 9211 173RD STREET, JAMAICA, NY 11433., The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. QUEENS County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Dated: June 24th, 2024, ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC
Attorney for Plaintiff Christina Bruderman, Esq. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310 Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675
SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF QUEENS. TLOA MORTGAGE, LLC, Plaintiff -against- SON’S OF BHUMAK INC., et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated October 26, 2023 and entered on November 8, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the courthouse steps of the Queens County Supreme Court, located at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY on August 23, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. premises situate, lying and being in the County of Queens, City and State of New York, bounded and described as follows: BEGINNING at a point on the westerly side of 125th Street, distant 133.38 feet northerly from the corner formed by the intersection of the westerly side of 125th Street with the northerly side of 101st Avenue; being a plot 100.12 feet by 40.04 feet by 100.12 feet by 40.04 feet. Block: 9465 Lot: 18 Said premises known as 97-26 125TH STREET, RICHMOND HILL, NY Approximate amount of lien $580,076.87 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 703931/2019.
WILLIAM T. DRISCOLL, ESQ., Referee The Camporeale Law Group PLLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 585 Stewart Avenue, 770, Garden City, NY 11530
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, US BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE OF THE CABANA SERIES IV TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. NATHANIEL DANIELS, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ISAAC DANIELS, DECEASED, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on February 26, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the outside steps of the Queens County Supreme Court, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on August 16, 2024 at 10:30 a.m., premises known as 135-02 221st Street, Springfield Gardens, NY 11413. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block 13113 and Lot 26. Approximate amount of judgment is $295,947.32 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #708238/2015. The Referee shall comply with the Eleventh Judicial District’s COVID-19 policies concerning public auctions of foreclosed properties. These policies, along with the Queens County Foreclosure’s Auction Rules, can be found on the Queens Supreme Court - Civil Term website. Eun Chong Thorsen, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff Firm File No. 193546-1
by Michael Gannon
Baseball cards have come a long way from the time one might stick a Mickey Mantle “double” in the spokes of a bicycle to make a really cool noise while riding up and down the block.
Much the same way, card shows of the past no longer are dedicated solely to sports — nor even just to cards.
Take, for example, the monthly sports card and Pokemon show in Queens, which this month moved to the Knights of Columbus Hudson Council 3701 hall in Sunnyside.
The show on July 13 featured baseball and other sports cards aplenty. But it also had Pokemon and other fantasy cards in sets and individually for those missing a few from their collections. There were board games, toys and other bits of nostalgia. Comic books with every big-time superhero —
ARTS, CULTURE & LIVING
more than a few with big-time prices — lined much of the room’s east wall.
Turn in any direction and there was at least a little something for the fan or collector in everyone. And it’ll be the same next time.
Andrew Nitzberg, organizer of the show, said it tends to draw a younger crowd, and mostly those who are serious collectors.
“You don’t get a lot people anymore looking for baseball cards to finish old sets — we call them ‘fillers,’” Nitzberg said.
But he did motion across the room to where Daniel James Santa Maria was selling just two things — the anime One Piece game set and separate cards that can be added to it.
Across from him was Mike Carbonaro of Forest Hills. Carbonaro runs the annual Big Apple Comic Con in Manhattan, taking place this year on Nov. 23. But he still sets up in Sunnyside with the wall,
Comics, cards, hot toys and nostalgia at monthly shows
tables and vendor cases in his setup filled with vintage comic books.
“I like to promote any Queens events that I can,” Carbonaro said.
“With comic books, some collectors are interested in and follow individual artists,” Nitzberg said. “They’ll get a new comic and try to imitate their style like people do with paintings in museums.”
continued on page 27
King Crossword Puzzle
O’Connor laid down the law in Jamaica Estates I HAVE OFTEN WALKED
by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor
Frank Daniel O’Connor was born on Dec. 20, 1909, on 102nd Street in Manhattan, to Irish immigrants James and Margaret. His father was a nurse, and they bought a home at 42-74 79 St. in Elmhurst. Frank graduated Newtown High School and then law school.
He married Mary Elizabeth Kearney in July 1942, and they had three sons. They lived briefly in Elmhurst and moved to 84-26 Charlecote Ridge in Jamaica Estates.
A Democrat, O’Connor briefly served as a state senator. He became famous when he defended Manny Balestrero, a bass player at The Stork Club, for murder. Alfred Hitchcock made a hit movie, “The Wrong Man,” based on the case against the innocent man.
O’Connor was elected Queens County district attorney in 1955. It was his office that successfully prosecuted the killer of Kitty Genovese, as findagrave.com notes.
He served until he resigned to run for governor against Nelson Rockefeller in 1966. He was defeated, but was elected a state Supreme Court justice for Queens County in 1968. Gov. Hugh Carey named him an
The home of longtime Queens official Frank O’Connor at 84-26 Charlecote Ridge in Jamaica Estates, as it looked when he lived there in the 1960s. INSET PHOTO VIA FINDAGRAVE.COM
Appellate Division justice in 1976. He passed away Dec., 2 1992 at age 82, after falling down the stairs 13 days earlier. Today O’Connor’s home is valued at nearly $1.3 million, showing he was a wise real estate investor as well. Q
B SPORTS EAT
Get ready for Paris
by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor
The start of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris this weekend is more than just the biggest international sports competition of them all. Obviously, it is important for endorsement deals for our athletes. The days are long gone when getting on a Wheaties box was the best a gold medal-winning American Olympian could hope for. Gymnast Simone Biles and swimmer Katie Ledecky, the niece of Islanders owner and Bayside High School alum Jon Ledecky, are likely thinking of adulation and financial glory far beyond cereal boxes.
While the athletes will naturally be the focus, no one has more riding on the Paris Olympics than a Philadelphia-based American media giant. Comcast, the parent corporation of NBC Universal, has been the longtime Olympics domestic broadcasting rightsholder, and it pays more than a billion dollars per Olympiad for that privilege.
Comcast took it on the chin with both the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which got postponed to 2021 because of Covid-19, and the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Spectators were not allowed at the venues, and the athletes could not bring their families because of the pandemic. Interest in the games was minimal, and it was reflected in the ratings.
Last month NBC Sports held an Olympics preview press briefing in Studio 8-H at 30 Rock-
efeller Plaza, the home of “Saturday Night Live.” Comcast executives made it clear nothing is being left to chance. They are using star wattage to entice both sports fans who have little interest in sports figures who get little television exposure outside of the Olympics, and those viewers who normally would not watch sports at all. Jimmy Fallon, Kelly Clarkson, Snoop Dogg, Kevin Hart, Dolly Parton and Kenan Thompson will have prominent on-air roles.
One of Thompson’s “SNL” castmates, “Weekend Update” anchor Colin Jost, will be calling the surfing competition. NBC Sports honchos promise Jost will be playing it straight and not be looking for laughs. Michael Phelps, Peyton Manning and Dwyane Wade are retired athletes who will serve as analysts.
The Olympics are a golden promotional opportunity for NBC’s Peacock streaming service as every event will be shown there. The five-hour time difference between Paris and the U.S. Eastern Time Zone means marquee events such as Team USA’s basketball competitions, swimming, and gymnastics will be shown on tape-delay in the 8 to 11 p.m. window on NBC and sister cable networks USA and CNBC. In a controversial move, veteran sportscaster Al Michaels is allowing AI to use his voice for daily Olympics phone updates. Q See the extended version of Sports Beat every week at qchron.com
Hot picks for cool learning at NYSCI this summer
by Kristen Guglielmo associate editor
Just because school’s out for the summer doesn’t mean kids don’t have the opportunity to learn while still having fun. At 47-01 111 St., in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, the New York Hall of Science offers plenty of entertaining and educational programs during the summer — some indoors for those who crave the relief of air conditioning, and others outside in the sun.
“We’re packed with a lot of stuff that’s really great for the summer,” said Nicole Casamento, the digital marketing manager at NYSCI.
General admission provides access to all core exhibits, excluding add-ons, and costs $22 for adults and $19 for children, seniors and students. For more information, visit nysci.org or call (718) 699-0005.
Rocket Park Mini Golf, a nine-hole course, shows guests that the laws of motion and gravity that guide spaceships also controls the motion of golf balls. There are two real NASA rockets behind the course, adding to the experience.
Casamento said guests especially enjoy Science Playground. She noted that while it has traditional playground activities, it also has items kids can manipulate alongside information about what is being done and
At “The Chill Zone,” a summer-exclusive program at the New York Hall of Science, children can compete in “cool” games and win prizes.
the science behind it.
In the Science Playground, a giant seesaw can help participants understand how levers work. The sound station shows how size and materials can change the tone of a note through the use of different xylophones. The playground also has the largest wave tower in the New York City metro area, Casamento said.
“The Chill Zone,” an indoor experience,
will soon open for a second summer.
“It’s chill both literally and metaphorically,” Casamento said.
The exhibition, which is playing with an Olympics theme this year, is a dark space, with glow-in-the-dark effects and projections. Guests can enjoy competitive games, hands-on activities and a silent disco.
“The Big Bubble Experiment” is also attracting a lot of attention this summer,
Casamento said. An expansion of the classic NYSCI bubble table, the experience shows off new ways to make and transform bubbles, helping visitors of all ages learn about fluids, surface tension, surfactants, elasticity and minimal surface structures.
Outside of the summer programming, NYSCI offers entertaining year-round exhibits, such as “Connected Worlds.” The experience explores how ecological systems relate and depend on one another, and visitors use their own actions, gestures, movements and decisions to guide the flow of resources in a dynamic, wraparound room that mimics the feel of deep outer space.
For a fun, bilingual English and Spanish experience, “Building Imagination: Brick by Brick” has five focus areas: imaginative play, underwater, transportation/neighborhood, cloud city and garden/underground. Participants use Lego blocks to explore the themes in a 4,500 square-foot area.
“Kids are out of school and have a lot of time,” Casamento said. “You can easily spend hours in the museum between all the different exhibits. The kids can gravitate toward what they’re most interested in, whether that’s running outside or sitting down and building something. ... Maybe discover what they might be really good at or passionate about.” Q
Card shows aren’t just for sports cards anymore
continued from page 25
Nitzberg said among the cards, collectors are looking for the hottest new ones from Pokemon or other fantasy realms; with sports cards, it is not only the hottest player, — he said WNBA rookie sensation Caitlin Clark’s cards already have a rapidly growing following — that creates appeal, but the card’s manufacturer and design, some with embossing, refractive images or creations with other high-tech graphic wizardry.
Crossword Answers
Jeisi Gang, visiting the city from Stuttgart, Germany, wasn’t originally intending to pick up a pair of basketball cards on his trip.
“I’m here visiting friends,” Gang said. “I looked it up and saw there was a show.”
And yes, there still were baseball cards for all tastes.
At vendor Mike Ragusi’s table, in a protective casing was a modern-vintage card of Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette, an All-star in two of the last three seasons.
About a foot away was the card of New York Yankees pitcher Art Ditmar from 1959, or four years before Bichette’s father, Dante, himself a four-time All-Star, was born.
Among his offerings at multiple vendor tables, Vinny Staebler had nearly floor-toceiling shelves of Pop Toys, the sensation created by Funko that has cartoon-style, three-dimensional figurines.
They are generally good likenesses of superheroes, movie, TV and cartoon characters, and real people such as singers, athletes and even the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Staebler said it is difficult to pick the most popular ones.
“There are so many kinds,” he said.
The Chronicle neglected to ask if Bo
Bichette’s pop toy — yes, he has one — was among them.
Staebler Cards and Collectibles also has a convenience that dealers of the past did not.
“I do a lot of business over Instagram,” he said.
The Knights of Columbus hall is at 49-18 Queens Blvd. Admission is $2. The next show is Aug. 10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A Pokemon tournament is scheduled. More information is available at ajnn0000@gmail. com or (914) 320-0668. Q
Mike Ragusi, left, can introduce you to NBA legend Elvin Hayes, while Vinny Staebler’s Pop Toys let you bring home heroes from fiction, movies, TV, sports and even real life. On the cover: Mike Carbonaro, left, and Andrew Nitzberg show off some really, really classic comic books.
PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON
NYSCI PHOTO
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Notice is hereby given that a Liquor License, serial number NA-0246-23-148548,
Notice is hereby given that SRC Ltd has received a claim from Shri Hiru N Vasandani of New York (USA) on the basis of required documents as per laid down procedure of the Corporation for carrying out transmission of two Share Nos. 15117 to 15118 (MRF:6525) consequent upon the death of shareholder Shri Nenumal Manghanmal Vasandani on 5 July 1979 at Surabaya (Indonesia) claiming himself as legal heir son of the deceased shareholder. Any person who has claims on the said share(s) should lodge such claims with authentic documentary evidences with Corporation within 15 days from the date of issue of this notice, failing which the transmission of said shares(s) in the name of said claimant shall be carried out based on the documents received by the Corporation. THE MANAGER (SHARES) SRC LTD. Plot No. 4 & 5, DC-3, Rampath Road, Adipur (Kutch) 370205 Gujarat India. Email: src@ sindhu-src.org 25 July, 2024
We Court Your Legal Advertising. For Legal Notice Rates & Information, Call 718-205-8000
Notice is hereby given that an On-Premise Restaurant Liquor License, NYS Application ID: NA 0370-24-126615 has been applied for by Connecting Bar Corp
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NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS
The New York City Department of Transportation Division of Traffic Operations cordially invites your company to submit a Proposal for the following Solicitation. EPIN # 84124P0012 – 84124MBTR648
Automated Enforcement Program
Proposal is available and can be accessed by visiting the City Record Website at https://a856-cityrecord.nyc.gov/ RequestDetail/20240627121
Operation and management of the New York City red light, fixed speed, mobile speed, and bus lane violations issuance program. Responses to this RFP must be submitted via PASSPort.
To access the RFP, vendors should visit the PASSPort public Portal at https://www.nyc.gov/site/mocs/passport/about-passport.page and click on the “Procurement Navigator.” This will take you to the Public Portal of all procurements in the PASSPort system. To quickly locate the RFX, insert the EPIN 84124P0012 into the Keywords search field. In order to respond to the Request for Proposals, vendors must create an account within the PASSPort system if they have not already done so.
A Pre-Proposal conference via TEAMS is scheduled for 07/24/2024 at 11:00 am. Those who wish to attend must email the authorized agency contact for a link no later than 07/23/2024 by 4:00PM. The deadline for the submission of questions via email is 07/31/2024 by 4:00 PM to the authorized agency contact person. The Proposal due date (submission via PASSPort) is 08/23/2024 by 2:00 PM.
This procurement is subject to participation goals for Minority-owned Business Enterprises (MBEs) as required by Section 6-129 of the New York Administrative Code. The M/WBE goal for this project is 30%.
Any inquiries concerning this RFP should be directed by email, under the subject line “84124P0012-84124MBTR648” Automated Enforcement Program, to the email address of the Authorized Agency Contact, Kathy Cornwall-Wilson, at kcornwallwilson@dot.nyc.gov or through the PASSPort communication function.
Vendor Response Due Date and Time: Friday, August 23, 2024, by 2:00 PM
Notice of Formation of 217-17 102ND AVE LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 04/04/2024. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: NIURKA SANCHEZ TORRES, 217-17 102ND AVENUE, QUEENS VILLAGE, NY 11429. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
64-33 CENTRAL AVENUE LLC.
Arts. of Org. fi led with the SSNY on 06/20/24. Offi ce: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 64-33 Central Avenue, Glendale, NY 11385. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Afroz Solutions LLC Articles of Org. fi led NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 7/18/24. Offi ce in Queens Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to AFROZ SOLUTIONS LLC 112-06 FRANCIS LEWIS BLVD., QUEENS VILLAGE, NY, 11429. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Formation of B & E VENTURE PARTNERS LLC
Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 05/27/2024. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, 22919 MERRICK BLVD., #612, LAURELTON, NY 11413. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
U.S BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR LEGACY MORTGAGE ASSET TRUST 2020-GS4, Plaintiff AGAINST NIZAM K. ALI A/K/A NIZAM ALI; A. AZRAHIEN ALI, Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered June 5, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Courthouse steps of the Queens County Supreme Court, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, New York on August 9, 2024 at 10:30AM, premises known as 221-18 91st Road, Queens Village, NY 11428. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block: 10714, Lot: 8. Approximate amount of judgment $524,503.16 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of fi led Judgment Index #719715/2022. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the QUEENS County COVID-19 Protocols located on the Offi ce of Court Administration (OCA) website (https://ww2.nycourts.gov/Admin/oca.shtml) and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale.
Martha Taylor, Esq., Referee Fein, Such & Crane, LLP 28 East Main Street Rochester, NY 14614 SPSNC803 81321
NOSHIN LLC FILED WITH SSNY ON 4/15/2024. OFF. LOC.: QUEENS CO. SSNY DESIG. AS AGT. UPON WHOM PROCESS MAY BE SERVED. SSNY SHALL MAIL PROCESS TO: THE LLC, 115 57TH AVE, Unit 5719, LIC, NY 11101. PURPOSE: ANY LAWFUL ACT OR ACTIVITY.”
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT SERIES I TRUST, -against- VERNELL GARDNER RICE, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE TO THE ESTATE OF HENRY GARDNER, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens on June 27, 2024, wherein BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT SERIES I TRUST is the Plaintiff and VERNELL GARDNER RICE, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE TO THE ESTATE OF HENRY GARDNER, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE on the COURTHOUSE STEPS OF THE QUEENS COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 88-11 SUTPHIN BLVD., JAMAICA, NY 11435, on August 23, 2024 at 10:45AM, premises known as 13015 SUTTER AVENUE, JAMAICA, NY 11420; and the following tax map identification: 11754-3. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE BOROUGH AND COUNTY OF QUEENS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 706039/2018. Rodney R. Austin, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.
Notice of Formation of NOW THAT’S DOUGH LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/01/2024. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: SUGANDHA SINGH, 11572 LEFFERTS BLVD., SOUTH OZONE PARK, NY 11420. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
HOUSING. Federal, New York State and local laws prohibit discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, marital status, familial status or disability in connection with the sale or rental of residential real estate. Queens Chronicle does not knowingly accept advertising in violation of these laws. When you suspect housing discrimination call the Open Housing Center (the Fair Housing Agency for the five boroughs of New York) at 212941-6101, or the New York City Commission of Human Rights Hotline at 718-722-3131. The Queens Chronicle reserves the right to alter wording in ads to conform with Federal Fair Housing regulations.
Beach
for rent: $250 per week. Males only. Gas & electric, Wi-Fi all included. Close to shopping, trans & JFK airport. Contact 718-772-6127. Call or text.
Howard Beach, Sat 7/27, 2pm-4pm, 159-29 92 St. Call Richard for details at 347-600-5860. Jerry Fink Real Estate
Howard Beach, Sat 7/27, 12pm-2pm, 156-22 96 St. Raised Cape, 3 BR, 2 full baths, pvt dvwy, 1-car gar, 1st fl renov 2013 offers potential to be dormered out. Jerry Fink Real Estate, 718-766-9175
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Howard Beach/Rockwood Park, Fri 7/26, 6pm-7:30pm, 164-37 85 St. Brookfield Hi-Ranch, 4 BRs, 2.5 baths, 40x100 lot, move-in cond! Asking $1,088,000. Connexion Real Estate 718-845-1136
Centreville/Ozone Park, Sat 7/27, 2pm-3pm, 96-30 149 Ave. Colonial, lovely 1 fam, 3 levels + basement. Laminate flrs, updated kit w/ Quartz counters, new appli. All new doors, new boiler, 3 BRs, 2 1/2 baths. 1 car gar, pvt dwvy. Reduced $750K. Connexion Real Estate 718-845-1136
Notice of Formation of RED QUALIA LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 05/15/2024. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: ALVIN CONCEPCION, 4302 30TH AVE APT 3R, ASTORIA, NY 11103. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
on
has been
Notice of Qualifi cation of Sovereign NY LLC. Fictitious name in NY State: Phase Surf LLC. App. For Auth. fi led with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 7/26/23. Offi ce location: Queens County. LLC formed in Colorado (CO) on 5/16/23. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail/email process to the principal offi ce of LLC: 201 Hart St., Brooklyn, NY 11206, oakley.sovereignsurf@gmail.com. Arts of Org fi led with CO Secy of State, 1700 Broadway, #550, Denver, CO 80290. Purpose: any lawful activity.
Howard
Furnished Room
DIVISION OF BRIDGES INVITATION FOR BIDS
PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE OF VARIOUS MOVABLE BRIDGES IN NYC Borough of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx Contract No. MBPM24
Federal Aid Project No. TBD NYSPIN: X763.05
NYCPIN: 84123MBBR587 EPIN: 84123B0024
EPIN: 84123B0024 - PIN: 84123MBBR587 - Preventative Maintenance of Various Movable Bridges in NYC, in the Borough of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx. This Competitive Sealed Bid is released through PASSPort, New York City’s online procurement portal. Responses to this Bid must be submitted via PASSPort. To access the Competitive Sealed Bid, vendors should visit the PASSPort public Portal at https://www.nyc.gov/site/mocs/ passport/about-passport.page and click on the “Search Funding Opportunities in PASSPort”. Doing so will take one to the public portal of all procurements in the PASSPort system.
To locate the Competitive Sealed Bid, insert the EPIN: 84123B0024, into the Keyword search field. In order to respond to the Competitive Sealed Bid, vendors must create an account within the PASSPort system if they have not already done so.
A pre-bid conference via ZOOM is scheduled for 7/31/2024 at 10:00 am. Those wishing to attend must email the authorized agency contact for a link.
The deadline for the submission of questions is 8/07/2024 by 4:00 pm.
The bid due date (submission via PASSPort) as instructed is due 9/4/2024 by 11:00 am. Bid opening date via ZOOM is 9/04/2024 at 11:30 am.
This Project is federally aided and is subject to the provision of Title 23, U.S. code, as amended, and applicable New York State Statutes. In compliance with these provisions the minimum wages to be paid to laborers and mechanics are included in wage schedules that are set out in the bid proposal.
This procurement is subject to DBE participation goals. The DBE goal for this project is 3%.
As-Built Drawings will be available upon request from the Contractors. Contractors need to sign Confidentiality agreement to view As-built drawings.
Any inquiries concerning this Competitive Sealed Bid should be directed by email, under the subject line “Preventative Maintenance of Various Movable Bridges in NYC” to the email address of the Authorized Agency Contact, Navneet Kumar, at nkumar@dot.nyc.gov
Eric Adams, Mayor
Ydanis Rodriguez, Commissioner
Notice of Formation of DIANE NEW YORK PRELOVED
LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 07/01/2024. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served.
SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: DIANA MALLARE, 42-58 79TH ST APT1, ELMHURST, NY 11373. Purpose: For any lawful purpose. To Advertise Call 718-205-8000
FriendshipGap, LLC, Arts. of Org. fi led with the SSNY on 05/21/2024. Offi ce loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 117-11 Long Street, Jamaica, NY 11424. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS INDEX NO. 702282/2019 Plaintiff designates QUEENS as the place of trial situs of the real property Mortgaged Premises: 22330 HEMPSTEAD AVE, QUEENS VILLAGE, NY 11429 Block: 11159, Lot: 41 WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO WELLS FARGO BANK, MINNESOTA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR REPERFORMING LOAN REMIC TRUST CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2003-R1 Plaintiff, vs. DEBORA A MAJOR, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT MAJOR; LATOYA ANNMARIE MAJOR, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT MAJOR; ROBERT EVERROL MAJOR JR, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT MAJOR; BARRINGTON S MAJOR, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT MAJOR; NATALIA B MAJOR, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT MAJOR; VERONICA L. MAJOR, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT MAJOR; EVERORD ANTHONY MAJOR, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT MAJOR; DENISE ELOISE MAJOR, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT MAJOR; LEVAR A MAJOR JR, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT MAJOR; CAMERON L MAJOR, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT MAJOR; NATUREL STEINMETZ, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT MAJOR; JERMAINE MAJOR, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT MAJOR, if living, and if she/he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; GWENDELL LAMARE MCKOY, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT MAJOR, if living, and if she/he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; ALEX MONTANARO, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT MAJOR, if living, and if she/he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT MAJOR, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SERVICES OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT, CRIMINAL COURT OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, CITY OF NEW YORK PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU, THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; EVEROL MAJOR AS JOHN DOE #3; STEVE LYNCH AS JOHN DOE #5; DOUGLAS MOORE AS JOHN DOE #7; JASMINE MOORE AS JOHN DOE #8; JESSE RUFFIN AS JOHN DOE #9; GLADYS RUFFIN AS JOHN DOE #10, Defendants. To the above named Defendants YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $228,850.00 and interest, recorded on September 08, 2004, in Instrument Number 2004062500233001, of the Public Records of QUEENS County, New York., covering premises known as 22330 HEMPSTEAD AVE., QUEENS VILLAGE, NY 11429. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. QUEENS County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Dated: July 10th, 2024. ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Attorney for Plaintiff MATHEW ROTHSTEIN, Esq. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675
Notice of Formation of SP TRADE GENIUS LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 04/30/2024. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: SHAMPA R PADDER, 10633 155TH ST, 1ST FL, JAMAICA, NY 11433. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of TIPSY G LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 07/05/2024. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: ZILIN LU, 3 COURT SQ, UNIT 3608, LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11101. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of INNER BALANCE COUNSELING SERVICES, LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 06/11/2024. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: TINA SCANDUL, 2566 46 STREET, ASTORIA, NY 11103. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
JTR Sheet Metal, LLC, Arts of Org. fi led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 2/6/2024. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 25-54 47th St, Astoria, NY 11103. General Purpose
For the
The New York City Department of Transportation, Traffic Operations Division cordially invites your company to submit bids for the following contract: EPIN: 84124B0013 Management and Operation of the Staten Island Court House Municipal Parking Garage (Specifications) available for download free of charge starting 7/24/2024.
This RFX is released through PASSPort, New York City’s online procurement portal. Responses to this RFP/RFx must be submitted via PASSPort. To access the RFP/RFx, vendors should visit the PASSPort Public Portal. To reach the Public Portal, visit the following site: https://www.nyc.gov/site/mocs/passport/about-passport.page then click on the rectangle captioned “Procurement Navigator,” whereupon you will arrive at the Portal. To quickly locate the RFP/ RFx, insert the following EPIN, 84124B0013, into the Keyword search field, then click search. To respond to the RFP/RFx, vendors must create an account within the PASSPort system if they have not already done so.
A Pre-Bid Conference via Microsoft TEAMS is scheduled for 08/05/2024 at 11:00 AM. Those who wish to attend the pre-bid meeting must email the authorized agency contact for a link no later than 08/02/2024 by 4:00PM. The deadline for the submission of questions via email is 8/12/2024 by 4:00PM to the authorized agency contact person. This procurement is subject to participation goals for Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) as required by Section 6-129 of the New York Administrative Code. The M/WBE goal for this project is 30%. Any inquiries concerning this IFB should be directed by email, under the subject line “EPIN: 84124B0013 Management and Operation of the Staten Island Court House Municipal Parking Garage to the email address of the Authorized Agency Contact, Shaneza Shinath, at sshinath@dot.nyc.gov or through the PASSPort communication function. Responses to this IFB must be submitted via PASSPort. All Bids must be received via Passport before the Bid Due Date, 08/21/2024, no later than 11:00 AM. No In Person viewing of bid opening will be permitted. You will find the Microsoft TEAMS Zoom link in Passport with full details. Virtual Bid Opening will be conducted via Zoom Webinar on 08/21/2024 at 11:30AM
Notice of Qualifi cation of UA 34TH STREET II, LLC Appl. for Auth. fi led with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/05/24. Offi ce location: Queens County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 07/03/24. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. fi led with Secy. of State of State of DE, 820 N. French St., 10th Fl., Wilmington, DE 19801. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Formation of UG Holdings US LLC. Arts. of Org. fi led with NY Dept. of State: 6/11/24. Offi ce location: Queens County. Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: SPI Agent Solutions, Inc., 407 N. Highland Ave., Nyack, NY 10960. Purpose: all lawful purposes.
Notice of Formation of VELASQUEZ NY ENTERPRISES
LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 06/15/2024. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: JOSUE VELASQUEZ, 4008 104TH STREET, CORONA, NY 11368. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of WORLDWIDE TREASURES AND COLLECTIBLES, LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 05/11/2024. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: WILLIAM KLEIN, TRI-COUNTY BAZAAR, ISLE 4 B., 3041 HEMPSTEAD TNPK, LEVITTOWN, NY 11756. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, INDEX NO. 711449/2023 COUNTY OF QUEENS, Plaintiff designates QUEENS as the place of trial situs of the real property Mortgaged Premises: 19425 111TH ROAD SAINT ALBANS, NY 11412, District: Section: Block: 10952, Lot: 17, MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC Plaintiff, vs. VALERIE THORNTON, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ROSA DAVIS; FREDERICK THORNTON, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ROSA DAVIS; THOMAS DAVIS, JR., AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ROSA DAVIS, if living, and if she/he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff, WILLIAM THORNTON, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ROSA DAVIS, if living, and if she/ he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff, AVERY THORNTON, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ROSA DAVIS, if living, and if she/he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff, UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF ROSA DAVIS, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff, THE OFFICE OF THE CITY REGISTER OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK; “JANE DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #1; “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #2; “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #3; “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #4; “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #5; “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #6, “JOHN DOE #7” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last six names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Defendants. To The Above-Named Defendants: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance on the Plaintiff’s Attorney within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within thirty (30) days after the service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York) in the event the United States of America is made a party defendant, the time to answer for the said United States of America shall not expire until sixty (60) days after service of the Summons; and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Please take further notice that any right you may have pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to dispute the validity or amount of the debt does not change the time within which you must answer this summons and complaint. You must follow the instructions contained in the summons even if you dispute the validity or amount of the debt. Dated: June 21st, 2024 ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Attorney for Plaintiff Oluwatobi Adedokun, Esq. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310 Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675
Seller Tip #1: Ensure you’ve received the best offer for your home by keeping it on the market until the contract is signed. Continue showcasing your property, as you might receive a better offer during the contract signing phase.
HOUSE
July 27th 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm 156-22 96th
Charming Raised cape nestled in Old Howard Beach. Three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, private drive, one-car garage, and large yard for outdoor activities. The first fl oor was renovated in 2013 and can be dormered out to make more living space.
SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, INDEX NO. 719363/2023 COUNTY OF QUEENS, Plaintiff designates QUEENS as the place of trial situs of the real property Mortgaged Premises: 145-46 115TH AVENUE, SOUTH OZONE PARK, NY 11436, Block: 11990, Lot: 59, SELECT PORTFOLIO SERVICING, INC., Plaintiff, vs. REINE N. MIDDLETON BROWN, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF SARAH MIDDLETON A/K/A SARAH S. MIDDLETON; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF SARAH MIDDLETON A/K/A SARAH S. MIDDLETON, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; ANDRE FOY; CHARLES BROWN; JUSTIN BUNCH, “JOHN DOE #4” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last nine names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Defendants. To the above named Defendants YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $170,000.00 and interest, recorded on July 07, 2004, in CRFN 2004000419354, of the Public Records of QUEENS County, New York., covering premises known as 145-46 115TH AVENUE, SOUTH OZONE PARK, NY 11436. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. QUEENS County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Dated: June 20th, 2024, ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC, Attorney for Plaintiff Christopher McKenna, Esq., 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, NY 11590, 516-280-7675
C M SQ page 34 Y K
Supplemental Summons and Notice of Object of Action Supreme Court Of The State Of New York County Of Queens Action To Foreclose A Mortgage Index #: 705471/2014 Everbank Plaintiff, vs Elena Caniba As Heir To The Estate Of Rhodora Bonello, Leficia Gaba As Heir To The Estate Of Rhodora Bonello If Living, And If He/She Be Dead, Any And All Persons Unknown To Plaintiff, Claiming, Or Who May Claim To Have An Interest In, Or General Or Specific Lien Upon The Real Property Described In This Action; Such Unknown Persons Being Herein Generally Described And Intended To Be Included In Wife, Widow, Husband, Widower, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assignees Of Such Deceased, Any And All Persons Deriving Interest In Or Lien Upon, Or Title To Said Real Property By, Through Or Under Them, Or Either Of Them, And Their Respective Wives, Widows, Husbands, Widowers, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assigns, All Of Whom And Whose Names, Except As Stated, Are Unknown To Plaintiff, Aurora Sermon As Heir To The Estate Of Rhodora Bonello If Living, And If He/She Be Dead, Any And All Persons Unknown To Plaintiff, Claiming, Or Who May Claim To Have An Interest In, Or General Or Specific Lien Upon The Real Property Described In This Action; Such Unknown Persons Being Herein Generally Described And Intended To Be Included In Wife, Widow, Husband, Widower, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assignees Of Such Deceased, Any And All Persons Deriving Interest In Or Lien Upon, Or Title To Said Real Property By, Through Or Under Them, Or Either Of Them, And Their Respective Wives, Widows, Husbands, Widowers, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assigns, All Of Whom And Whose Names, Except As Stated, Are Unknown To Plaintiff, Esperanza Domingo As Heir To The Estate Of Rhodora Bonello If Living, And If He/She Be Dead, Any And All Persons Unknown To Plaintiff, Claiming, Or Who May Claim To Have An Interest In, Or General Or Specific Lien Upon The Real Property Described In This Action; Such Unknown Persons Being Herein Generally Described And Intended To Be Included In Wife, Widow, Husband, Widower, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assignees Of Such Deceased, Any And All Persons Deriving Interest In Or Lien Upon, Or Title To Said Real Property By, Through Or Under Them, Or Either Of Them, And Their Respective Wives, Widows, Husbands, Widowers, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assigns, All Of Whom And Whose Names, Except As Stated, Are Unknown To Plaintiff, New York State Department Of Taxation And Finance-Tax Compliance Division-C.O.-ATC, Internal Revenue Service - United States Of America,
Oscar A. Prieto As The Administrator For The Estate Of Rhodora Bonello, Wilfred Aguilar As Heir To The Estate Of Virgilio Aguilar If Living, And If He/She Be Dead, Any And All Persons Unknown To Plaintiff, Claiming, Or Who May Claim To Have An Interest In, Or General Or Specific Lien Upon The Real Property Described In This Action; Such Unknown Persons Being Herein Generally Described And Intended To Be Included In Wife, Widow, Husband, Widower, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assignees Of Such Deceased, Any And All Persons Deriving Interest In Or Lien Upon, Or Title To Said Real Property By, Through Or Under Them, Or Either Of Them, And Their Respective Wives, Widows, Husbands, Widowers, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assigns, All Of Whom And Whose Names, Except As Stated, Are Unknown To Plaintiff, New York City Parking Violations Bureau, People Of The State Of New York, Unknown Heirs Of Virgilio Aguilar If Living, And If He/She Be Dead, Any And All Persons Unknown To Plaintiff, Claiming, Or Who May Claim To Have An Interest In, Or General Or Specific Lien Upon The Real Property Described In This Action; Such Unknown Persons Being Herein Generally Described And Intended To Be Included In Wife, Widow, Husband, Widower, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assignees Of Such Deceased, Any And All Persons Deriving Interest In Or Lien Upon, Or Title To Said Real Property By, Through Or Under Them, Or Either Of Them, And Their Respective Wives, Widows, Husbands, Widowers, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assigns, All Of Whom And Whose Names, Except As Stated, Are Unknown To Plaintiff, New York City Environmental Control Board John Doe (being fictitious, the names unknown to Plaintiff intended to be tenants, occupants, persons or corporations having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the property described in the complaint or their heirs at law, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, guardians, assignees, creditors or successors.) Defendant(s). Mortgaged Premises: 32-15 54TH STREET WOODSIDE, NY 11377 To the Above named Defendant: You are hereby summoned to answer the Complaint in this action, and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Supplemental Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff(s) attorney(s) within twenty days after the service of this Supplemental Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this Supplemental Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York). In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. The Attorney for Plaintiff has an office for business in the County of Erie. Trial to be held in the County of Queens. The basis of the venue designated above is the location of the Mortgaged Premises. TO Leficia Gaba, Aurora Sermon, Esperanza Domingo, Wilfred Aguilar, Unknown Heirs of Virgilio Aguilar Defendants In this Action. The foregoing Supplemental Summons is served upon you by publication, pursuant to an order of HON. Timothy J. Dufficy of the Supreme Court Of The State Of New York, dated the Eighth day of July, 2024 and filed with the Complaint in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens, in the City of Jamaica. The object of this action is to foreclosure a mortgage upon the premises described below, dated October 24, 2008, executed by Rhodora Bonello (who died on April 16, 2009, a resident of the county of Queens, State of New York) to secure the sum of $457,500.00. The Mortgage was recorded at CRFN 2008000464723 in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County on December 5, 2008. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed January 13, 2014 and recorded on March 5, 2014, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2014000077555. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed March 10, 2016 and recorded on April 4, 2016, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2016000116590. The property in question is described as follows: 32-15 54TH STREET, WOODSIDE, NY 11377 HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE NEW YORK STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT WE SEND YOU THIS NOTICE ABOUT THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME. IF YOU FAIL TO RESPOND TO THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT IN THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION, YOU MAY LOSE YOUR HOME. PLEASE READ THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT CAREFULLY. YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CONTACT AN ATTORNEY OR YOUR LOCAL LEGAL AID OFFICE TO OBTAIN ADVICE ON HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF. SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE The state encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. In addition to seeking assistance from an attorney or legal aid office, there are government agencies and non-profit organizations that you may contact for information about possible options, including trying to work with your lender during this process. To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by the New York State Department of Financial Services at 1-800-342-3736 or the Foreclosure Relief Hotline 1-800-269-0990 or visit the department’s website at WWW.DFS.NY.GOV. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME AT THIS TIME. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO STAY IN YOUR HOME DURING THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME UNLESS AND UNTIL YOUR PROPERTY IS SOLD AT AUCTION PURSUANT TO A JUDGMENT OF FORECLOSURE AND SALE. REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO REMAIN IN YOUR HOME, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PROPERTY AND PAY PROPERTY TAXES IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE AND LOCAL LAW. FORECLOSURE RESCUE SCAMS Be careful of people who approach you with offers to “save” your home. There are individuals who watch for notices of foreclosure actions in order to unfairly profit from a homeowner’s distress. You should be extremely careful about any such promises and any suggestions that you pay them a fee or sign over your deed. State law requires anyone offering such services for profit to enter into a contract which fully describes the services they will perform and fees they will charge, and which prohibits them from taking any money from you until they have completed all such promised services. § 1303 NOTICE NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this Foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. DATED: July 10, 2024 Gross Polowy LLC Attorney(s) For Plaintiff(s) 1775 Wehrle Drive, Suite 100 Williamsville, NY 14221 The law firm of Gross Polowy LLC and the attorneys whom it employs are debt collectors who are attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained by them will be used for that purpose. 81664
Tony Bennett’s daughters visit
A year and a day after legendary singer and philanthropist Tony Bennett, Astoria’s favorite son, died at age 96, his two daughters visited the western Queens cemetery where he and other family members rest.
In a remarkable stroke of timing, Johanna, left, and Antonia Bennett happened to arrive at the gravesite in Calvary Cemetery in Woodside just moments after photographer Walter Karling stopped by. They graciously stood for a photo. It was Karling whose exclusive reporting last year in the Chronicle revealed where Bennett was buried.
The stone reads, “In memory of my beloved husband, John, 1895-1936; his mother, Maria, 1860-1931; our beloved mother, Anna M., 1899-1977; Anthony, 1926-2023” [punctuation added].
At the bottom, hidden by the flowers in this photo, it says “Benedetto,” the family name that Bennett shortened for the stage.
Among his stunning accomplishments, Bennett earned 20 Grammy Awards, sold 50 million records and founded a Queens performing arts school named for his friend Frank Sinatra. — Peter C. Mastrosimone
