Queens Chronicle South Edition 07-27-23

Serving Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, City Line and JFK Airport

TONY BENNETT

SCREEN

native, accomplished artist and world-renowned singer Tony Bennett died last Friday at 96, and was remembered for exuding a warm demeanor and common-man attitude even as a superstar. On this page, Bennett on a 2011 record cover, center; with his mother, Anna; with fellow soldiers during the World War II era; and with his friend and mentor, Frank Sinatra.

Con Ed will raise its prices through 2025

help pursue

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

The final days of July are bringing a heat wave to Queens, but some residents might think twice before blasting the AC.

Starting in August, New Yorkers who use an average of 600 kWh per month will see a 9.1 percent increase in their electric bills from Con Edison, according to a new threeyear plan established during the July 20 New York State Public Service Commission meeting. The rates will hike again in January 2024 by 4.2 percent and another 1.4 percent in January 2025.

Con Ed gas customers who average 100 therms per month should also expect increases, of 8.4 percent next month, 6.7 percent in January 2024 and 6.6 percent in January 2025.

The rate increases come as part of a plan that would help move New York state away from its reliance on fossil fuels, and allow Con Ed to cover costs and pursue “important energy efficiency initiatives,” according to a press release from the PSC.

“The increases in rates over the threeyear term of the electric and gas rates plan are necessary to meet increased company costs, including increases in the property tax burden representing more than 30 percent of

the increased cost over the three-year period, and to support spending for capital improvements and employee additions, which are necessary to improve electric and gas operations and enhance overall electric and gas system integrity, safety and reliability,” the PSC wrote.

“A large part of the rate increase is driven by taxes, most notably City of New York property taxes,” Con Ed noted on its website.

While Con Ed services gas in Astoria and northeast Queens, National Grid handles gas for the rest of the borough. Users of either utility may be seeing increased gas bills, with National Grid filing a plan for a 17.2 percent hike back in April. If approved, the hikes for National Grid would be implemented in April 2024.

“[The hikes are] not going to have a positive effect on residents in Queens,” said Warren Schreiber of Bay Terrace, president of Queens Civic Congress and co-president of the Presidents Co-op and Condo Council. “The timing comes when a lot of properties are already struggling to cooperate with Local Law 97.”

Under Local Law 97, which was passed by the City Council in April 2019, most buildings over 25,000 square feet are required to meet energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions limits by 2024.

Schreiber seems correct in his assessment:

Queens residents are not looking forward to the increases in their Con Ed bills.

“I’m not thrilled about it. My tenants won’t be thrilled about it,” said Middle Village resident Edwin Berthold, a landlord who owns property throughout Queens. “These people

says PSC

are so busy pushing the clean energy thing that they aren’t thinking about how these bills affect everyday people. The last thing I want is to raise my rent and look like a selfish landlord, but we all have to get by.”

Another resident echoed similar concerns. “I’m just trying to make ends meet, and now I have to adjust,” said bartender Gina Lopez, who moved into her apartment in Ridgewoo d late last year. “I don’t think there’s a scenario here in which my rent doesn’t increase.”

Some say the hikes are the price to pay fo r clean energy.

“Con Ed has been a great steward of everything environmental, trying to be a net zero organization over time, similar to our friends at National Grid,” said Tom Grech, president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. “They are walking the tightrope of trying to manage costs and work towards a zero emissions future. They still have to invest in the system.”

Grech added, “The challenge of these hikes doesn’t go unnoticed by the Chamber of Commerce and the members who will be paying significantly more. New York State is a tough, expensive place to do business, and it’s a har d pill to swallow.” Nonetheless, Grech said the chamber embraces a fossil fuel-free future.

“We have to understand there’s going to be a cost associated with that,” he said. Q

Con Edison will have rate hikes through 2025, with the first to take effect in August. CONEDISON.COM PHOTO

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Precincts will meet with residents for an evening of food, games and more National Night Out returns to Queens

by Kristen Guglielmo

Associate Editor

National Night Out Against Crime is returning to Queens on Aug. 1 this year, and police precincts are ready to join with members of the communities they serve for a free night of fun.

Millions of people all over the country participate in the event each year, according to natw.org. The official website describes the outing as an “annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer.”

There will be plenty of family-friendly activities at each precinct’s event, in addition to useful information and demonstrations on crime prevention and safety. The outing provides opportunities for neighbors to get familiar with personnel from their local precinct.

The gatherings typically include music, games, food and beverages, including hot dogs and hamburgers — and it is not uncommon to see a police officer manning the grill.

At some precincts’ previous Night Out events, the mayor and NYPD commissioner have been known to stop by for a visit.

According to the NYPD, event information is as follows:

The 102nd Precinct is set to meet at Victory Field, between Myrtle Avenue and Park Lane South, from 5 to 8 p.m.

The 103rd Precinct will gather in Rufus

King Park, located on 89th Avenue and 150th Street in Jamaica, from 5 to 9 p.m.

The 104th Precinct will welcome guests in Juniper Valley Park, by the 80th Street entrance in Middle Village, from 5 to 7 p.m.

The 105th Precinct will meet at the

Queens County Farm Museum, located at 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy., from 5 to 9 p.m.

The 106th Precinct will gather in Police Officer Edward Byrne Park, located on 135th Avenue between 130th Place and 134th Street, from 6 to 9 p.m.

The 107th Precinct is set to welcome guests at Electchester Shopping Center, located at 70-63 Parsons Blvd., from 6 to 10 p.m.

The 108th Precinct will welcome guests at Andrew Grove Playground on 49th Avenue, between Vernon Boulevard and 5th Street, from 5 to 8 p.m.

The 109th Precinct will host their gathering at Bowne Playground, at Barclay Avenue and Union Street, from 5 to 8 p.m.

The 110th Precinct will meet in the zoo area of Flushing Meadows Park, on 111th Street and 51st Avenue, from 5 to 8 p.m.

The 111th Precinct will meet at Douglaston Shopping Center, located at 242-02 61 Ave., from 6 to 9 p.m.

The 112th Precinct is set to meet in MacDonald Park, located at 106-06 Queens Blvd., from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The 113th Precinct will meet at Baisley Pond Park, located between 155th and 160th streets, from 4 to 8 p.m.

The 114th Precinct confirmed they will meet at the great lawn in Astoria Park, from 5 to 8 p.m.

The 115th Precinct will host their event at Northern Playground, located across from the precinct on Northern Boulevard and 93rd Street, from 6 to 9 p.m.

Residents can contact their local police precinct’s community affairs office for additional information regarding this year’s National Night Out Against Crime. Q

Agreement reached in 2003 special ed case

Requirements are to improve education experience for students with disabilities

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

The city Department of Education has reached an agreement in a 20-year-old court case to provide equitable, comprehensive and timely support to students with disabilities and their families who have chosen to exercise their due process rights, Mayor Adams and the city Department of Education Chancellor David Banks announced last Wednesday afternoon.

The agreement stems from the 2003 class action lawsuit L.V. et al. v. NY DOE. The case was filed by parents of children with disabilities who voiced concerns that the DOE was not implementing impartial hearing orders issued in their favor in a timely matter.

The negotiated agreement contains 40 requirements proposed by a court-appointed special master with whom the DOE must meet to improve services for students and their families.

The final agreement represents months of work and collaboration between the DOE, the plaintiffs, the special master and the court to improve the implementation of Impartial Hearing Orders.

There are 40 obligations outlined, with implementation timelines ranging from 45 days to 18 months from the date of

the order, including requirements for reporting on progress.

The city said key points from the order include:

• development of a family-centered customer support plan for the Implementation Unit;

• identification of key performance indicators for monitoring the administrative workflows of the Implementation Unit, in collaboration with the special master;

• redesign of workflows to address key pain points around the implementation of payment orders and service orders;

• building and maintaining a toolkit of existing assistive technology, schools, programs and services;

• research and design of a webbased interface for impartial hearing officers;

• formalization of an approach to sustain knowledge of implementation processes;

• establishment of a file-sharing process and tool to improve transparency of all documentation presented at a hearing;

Unit to inform schools and Committees on Special Education of an ordered Individualized Education Programs meeting.

“Today’s announcement is a step in the right direction for both New York City’s public school students and their families. Together, with all those involved, the DOE is building on the foundation this administration is setting to support students with disabilities and reimaging special education in public schools,” Adams said in a statement.

— Corporation Counsel Sylvia Hinds-Radix

“For too long, the Department of Education has not done enough for our students with disabilities and their families. Our families have long deserved a transparent and responsive process for receiving much needed services for their children, and we are proud to continue our efforts to make this a more family-oriented process,” said Banks. “The new requirements are stringent because we, too, believe that change is long overdue.”

• assessment and implementation of a solution to support the submission and immediate approval of timesheets; and

• development of a clear procedure by the Implementation

“The court’s signing of this order represents a key milestone in this decades-old case and sets forth a roadmap for lasting reforms that will benefit thousands of students,” said the city’s attorney, Corporation Counsel Sylvia Hinds-Radix. Q

NYPD officers from the 109th Precinct served up hamburgers and hot dogs for attendees at their National Night Out Against Crime event last year.

PHOTO BY SOPHIE KRICHEVSKY / FILE

“The court’s signing of this order represents a key milestone in this decades-old case.”

Senior giveaway event

Bena Home Care Agency held its first senior appreciation event and giveaway on Sunday, July 23, at Phil Rizzuto “Scooter” Park in Richmond Hill. Approximately 200 seniors were in attendance, according to event emcee and Chair of Community Board 9 Sherry Algredo, who also helped plan the outing.

Giveaway items included travel tote bags with hats, T-shirts, throw blankets, cups, face masks, hand sanitizer and containers with food to eat while at the event. Free raffle tickets were

Cricket World Cup in NYC?

Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar (D-Woodhaven) penned an open letter on Wednesday to Chairman of the International Cricket Council Greg Barclay to push for New York City to be the host of the 2024 Cricket World Cup.

NYC hosted the first ever international cricket match, and the World Cup would take place on the 180th anniversary of that famous match between the U.S. and Canadian national teams. The city is also the epicenter of cricket in America, being home to 100 cricket clubs and 59 cricket grounds.

The Cricket World Cup’s viewership is approximately 14 times greater than the Super Bowl. The last World Cup generated more than $450 million in economic activity for the host, and would be an economic boon for the city, according to Rajkumar.

“We have welcomed people from all nations where cricket is a national pastime ... Every World Cup team has a fan base in New York City, for whom watching their favorite cricketers in-person will be a dream come true,” Rajkumar wrote. “... New York City’s love of cricket and historic connections to the game make us unquestionably the right choice to host the World Cup.”

given to seniors with prizes including televisions and fans.

Several elected officials and community leaders were in attendance. State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. set up a table and gave playing cards and puzzles to the seniors. Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar also had a table set up, with staff members attending in her place. Tyrell Hankerson, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams’ district chief of staff, was there to represent her. Councilwoman Lynn Schulman and Assemblyman David

Weprin were also present at the event.

Binrowtie Angelini, left at top center, the agency’s founder (colloquially known as Miss Bena), received a President’s Volunteer Service Award, presented by Dr. Monica Sanchez in honor of Angelini’s years of dedication to philanthropic work.

Due to the this year’s success, the agency plans on the senior appreciation giveaway being an annual event, according to Algredo. — Kristen Guglielmo

Jobs in metal, wood and more

Two more labor unions are seeking apprentices, the state Department of Labor recently announced.

First, the Finishing Trades Institute of New York will conduct a recruitment from July 27 through Aug. 9 for 50 metal refinisher apprentices.

Addabbo teams up with DSNY

To address sanitation concerns, state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. and department officials did a walkthrough of the commercial corridor in Richmond Hill on July 18, starting at Lefferts Boulevard and Liberty Avenue, ending at 123rd Street. He and the Department of Sanitation officials, including Chief Dan Cavanaugh, got a look at recurring problems so they could work on solutions.

The DSNY told businesses they are responsible for cleaning 18 inches from the curb line, hoping the information will eliminate piling garbage. They also addressed concerns about residents placing trash in commercial bins. To prevent this, DSNY can search trash for proof

of residential culprits, such as mail with a name and address, and issue a summons.

Addabbo said, “Customers are less likely to patronize a business with garbage piled in front of it or trash left by passersby. We want these businesses to thrive and that means being a good neighbor, but it also means creating a supportive relationship with the DSNY, other government agencies and the residents to prevent unfair ticketing or illegal household dumping.

Then the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for the New York City District Council of Carpenters will conduct a recruitment from Aug. 16, 2023 through Aug. 15, 2024 for 25 carpenter (piledriver/dockbuilder) apprentices; 20 linoleum, resilient tile and carpet layer apprentices; 10 cabinet maker apprentices; and 10 millwright apprentices.

For metal refinishing, applications can be obtained, in person only, from the FTI at 45-15 36 St. in Long Island City.

For the carpenters union, applicants must attend an information session at the District Council of Carpenters Training Center at 395 Hudson St. in Manhattan.

Each recruitment features many vital details applicants must know. Those, and info on other recruitments, may be found at dol.ny.gov/apprenticeship/overview. Q

— Kristen Guglielmo

“I appreciate the cooperative effort of DSNY and look forward to working with them to clean up many areas throughout my district.”

— Peter C. Mastrosimone

PHOTOS COURTESY SHERRY ALGREDO

AGEP

Tony Bennett’s American and Astorian dreams

You could not live a more full life — or a more Queens life — than that lived by Tony Bennett.

Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto on Aug. 3, 1926, young Tony grew up poor in Astoria and lost his father at age 10, quickly learning to do his part to keep the family afloat. He waited tables but also sang — often doing both at the same time in Italian restaurants. He got noticed early, singing at the opening of the Triborough Bridge on July 11, 1936, standing alongside Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia.

Decades later Bennett would found a public high school, the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, that was first located within the community college named for LaGuardia in Long Island City, before it got a permanent home in Astoria.

The ride Bennett took in those intervening decades brought him fame, fortune, trouble, redemption and reinvention. His death at age 96 was announced last Friday.

At age 18, he fought in Europe in the waning days of World War II — some of the bloodiest for Americans, as the Germans just would not give up — engaging in brutal house-to-house combat and helping liberate a concentration camp. “Anyone who thinks that war is romantic obviously hasn’t gone through one,” he would later write.

Like many of his generation, he utilized the GI Bill after the war to study — in his case, singing. He worked hard, as a waiter and as a performer. He got noticed — most notably by Pearl Bailey and Bob Hope. It was Hope who told him to go by Tony Bennett and took him on the road in 1949. The next year he had a contract with Columbia Records.

Teenage fans screamed when he sang at places like the Paramount and he racked up the hits. In 1962 he recorded his classic “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” in January, performed a 44-song show at Carnegie Hall in June and sang on the first episode of “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” in October. We all should have such a year.

But the Great American Songbook — the jazz standards, pop songs and show tunes sung by crooners such as Bennett and his friend and mentor, Frank Sinatra — was under increasing pressure. There was rock ’n’ roll, with its own King, who also made the girls crazy. Then there was another invasion, this one also launched from England but headed in the opposite direction of the one 20 years before. How much did Beatles take from Bennett? Who knows? But by the 1970s his star had dimmed: a record contract lost, an exile to Vegas, a cocaine addiction. Unlike the King, however, he did

not let his demons kill him. Bennett turned things around, got a new record contract, put out albums that performed and gained new fans via things like appearances on MTV. The music sold, the honors poured in and Bennett did so much for charity he became known as “Tony Benefit.”

He’s remembered lovingly across the borough and world. Michael Mossman, a professor of jazz studies at Queens College, recalled playing lead trumpet for him in a show in Chicago in the early 1980s. “We were a band of the local pros; he only brought his musical director, Ralph Sharon,” Mossman said. “But preparing the arrangements in rehearsal was like donning a perfectly fitted suit. Working with Tony Bennett was like spending time with an old friend.”

Many performers in many genres have learned that firsthand over the years. Dennis Mackrel, a fellow Queens College jazz professor and a drummer who led Bennett’s band for several years, said he was not the last of his kind, for the very reason that his work with young people has kept his music alive. Given his age, he may have been the last of an era, but with his endless drive and reinvention, he was never stuck in that era. How quintessentially Queens, how quintessentially New York, how quintessentially American. RIP.

LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

The draft would help

Dear Editor:

Here’s a 10-year-plan to reduce crime from Long Island to Queens and New York City: Bring back the draft.

President & Publisher

& STANLEY MERZON

Founders

Raymond G. Sito General Manager

Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief

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Get the youth off the streets, teach them discipline and how to take care of themselves. Hanging out from 14 to 18 years of age only teaches someone to drink, take drugs, rob people and commit other crimes like all the others.

If you had a draft again, instead of being a part of a gang, they would be part of a group of young men developing values. It would eliminate the problem of young adults who between 30 and 45 years old are still refusing to get a job. Start teaching them responsibilities so we end the lazy young adult syndrome. It’s like a disease. No future, no income, no benefits, no retirement plans. A society of lazy young men. Change is needed.

James Turano Middle Village

Fight lanternflies naturally

Dear Editor:

Re “Spotted lanternflies are back in your yard,” July 20:

The lanternflies have natural enemies indigenous to this area! The main predator is the praying mantis. There are others like: ladybugs, squirrels, chickens, cardinals, spiders, wheel

bugs, etc. These should all be employed to control the population of lanternflies. There are places where you can actually buy these insects. I buy ladybugs every year from a company named Nature’s Good Guys. Spraying poisons is more detrimental than helpful. The poison can only go so far and it will destroy other animals just as well!

The natural enemies do reproduce and do not constantly have to be bought to be useful.

Karin Holstein Forest Hills

Times KOs sports dept.

Dear Editor:

Re Lloyd Carroll’s July 20 Sports Beat article: “Bad times at the Times”:

As a retired journalist (McGraw-Hill, 1968-2003), I’m upset to learn that The New York Times is replacing its storied sports department with The Athletic. This eliminates 40 journalists’ jobs (though they were offered

other positions) and destroys part of The Times’ rich heritage.

Lloyd noted some of the papers’ legendary sports writers like Red Smith and Arthur Daley. But he omitted Pulitzer Prize winner Ira Berkow, my classmate at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, where we both got ou r master’s degrees in 1964. Ira worked at The Times for over 20 years and won a Pulitzer in 2001 for his article “The Minority Quarterback.” He is among several Times sports writers who have won Pulitzer Prizes.

Lloyd said The Athletic hired “younger, less expensive journalists to cover local teams in the four big sports leagues.” Those reporters are not unionized. The News Guild, which represents over 1,000 Times staffers, filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing management of “union busting” (newsguild.org, June 8). The Times made a bad bet going to The Athletic and scrapping its sports department while competitors like the New York Post and Daily News sustain

LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

their sports desks with aggressive, robust reporting.

My journalism professors said sports reporting was the “toy department” of newspapers, which paled in comparison to frontpage news stories. But that’s not true today. Sports now impact every aspect of our lives, from race to politics, business and economics. Good sports reporting, if properly staffed and funded, reflects that impact. The Times’ motto, “All the news that’s fit to print,” no longer includes news reported by a talented team of unionized sports journalists. As an act of professional courtesy, the Times should publish a tribute to its defunct sports department in the obituary section.

Richard Reif Kew Gardens Hills

Bennett at The Boulevard

Dear Editor:

Tony Bennett performed at The Boulevard in Queens. I was in high school and I loved Tony. Does anyone else remember this?

Diane Wintering Manhattan

Editor’s Note: The Queens Chronicle would be happy to connect anyone who wants to reminisce about Tony Bennett.

The airport that stole summer

Dear Editor:

Like the Grinch who stole Christmas, commercial aircraft noise from incessant departures at LaGuardia Airport has stolen summer fun from Flushing and greater northeast Queens.

How much is too much? The soundscape of our lives is consumed by commercial aircraft noise — minute after minute, hour after hour — 18 hours a day. It is torture. Filing more than 500 complaints in a week is way too much. Turn up the air conditioner, turn up the television, shut your windows, stay away from parks and playgrounds. No gardening, no outdoor meals, no outdoor entertaining, no picnics, no walks in the neighborhood, filing noise complaints! Nothing but incessant, all-consuming noise. Our peaceful soundscape is gone.

The Federal Aviation Administration says: “Fewer people are impacted by noise”! How about the people who bear the burden of airport operations? We are called overflight communities. As the FAA says, there will be winners and losers. Apparently, we are on the losing side. How do you feel being classified as a loser?

Please let your elected officials know how you feel about the noise torture. Please support Congresswoman Grace Meng, who introduced legislation called the Quiet Communities Act to restore funding to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Noise Abatement and Control. It would require the EPA to take over efforts to mitigate aircraft noise over communities near airports, removing responsibility from the FAA.

The constant, all-consuming noise from commercial aircraft is too much. We want flight disbursal and aircraft reaching higher altitudes much faster. We are beyond saturation. Don’t shift the noise — share the noise.

Maria Becce Flushing

Three times a calamity

Dear Editor:

Are you worried about what seems to be an ever-increasing bill for food shopping? Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has solved the problem for you. He recently announced that no one will be prosecuted for thefts under $1,000. So go to the supermarket with your calculator. Load your wagon with everything you need and make sure you include the tax. Once you reach $999 stop and simply roll the wagon out of the store — they’ve been warned not to stop you. They might even lose their job if they try to. Inflation solved.

Hope you don’t use the 179th St. station on the F train. At a concerned senior’s request I recently visited the station. I had to tiptoe down a staircase covered in feces and reeking of urine. I then picked my way through a jerrybuilt encampment of bedding, cardboard and clothing. I stayed by the platform entrance for about 15 minutes and not one commuter entering the station paid a fare. Oh! By the way, the MTA is raising the fare for those of us not agile enough to navigate around the entrances.

Do you have a hardworking, success-orientated son or daughter? You might want to consider educating them outside of NYC. Our failing, inept and degraded school system is now considering removing all advanced math courses from the curriculum. A survey found that the overwhelming number of students in these classes were either white or Asian; therefore trig and calculus are racist and have to go.

Never question why hundreds of thousands left NYS and NYC last year for sunnier, less irrational environs. Eventually enough will leave this failing state and erode the tax base so that it will collapse in on itself as the suck-up politicians continue to support the leftists, whose objective is the destruction of America.

Bruce Carney Kew Gardens

Election shenanigans

Dear Editor:

This writer expressed his opinion in a letter to this newspaper a few weeks back that the news of Assemblyman Daniel Rosenthal’s (D-Flushing) intention to resign, though ostensibly entirely honorable, should still be watched for any ensuing political shenanigans (“Pols’ shady shenanigans,” June 22).

Now, days later, Rosenthal tells the Chronicle, just in time for the July 20 issue, that he officially resigned his office already on Friday, July 14 (“Rosenthal makes resignation official,” multiple editions). Apparently his new job could not wait another moment — albeit “after much contemplation.” Not necessarily a shenanigan.

The abrupt official departure also means that the special election won’t coincide with this fall’s general municipal elections. By state law, mind you. Probable shenanigan.

Whom to back for the vacant Assembly seat? You report: “Among Democrats in discussion are New York State Democratic Committeeman Jeff Kohn and area attorney Sam Berger, whose mother, Paula Berger, is a district leader for the Queens Democratic Party.”

Definite shenanigans.

Edwin Eppich Glendale

Bennett stayed humble in stardom

World-renowned singer and accomplished artist remained a kindly everyman

by Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief

Hearts were left broken from the Hell Gate to the Golden Gate last Friday as the death of legendary singer Tony Bennett was announced.

Bennett, Astoria’s most famous son, best known for 1962’s “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” was 96.

He was renowned not just for a voice sometimes described as velvet, or his skills in drawing and painting but for retaining a humble, modest and grateful attitude not seen in many who reach his heights of superstardom.

One who can speak to that firsthand is veteran Queens College Professor Dennis Mackrel, the school’s new director of jazz studies. Mackrel played drums in Bennett’s band from 1983 to 1987 and again, as its leader, from 2010 to 2013.

“It was his humility and his humanity that I probably will remember more than anything,” Mackrel said. “He was a great, legendary vocalist and consummate entertainer, but it was how he treated people that really stood out to me.”

Mackrel recalled that when he first met Bennett — the drummer was only 21, the youngest member of Count Basie’s band before he moved to Bennett’s — he was having a hard time playing one night.

“I remember he came up to me during the intermission, and I don’t know whether he could just sense that I was troubled, but he just told me I was doing a great job, that the band sounds really great with you, and hang in there.

“He gave me the encouragement that I needed ... this superstar was giving me encouragement, and it really, really helped me.”

Anthony Dominick Benedetto was born on Aug. 3, 1926, at St. John’s Hospital in Long Island City and grew up in Astoria. His father was grocer John Benedetto and his mother a seamstress, born Anna Suraci. According to Wikipedia, baby Anthony was the first member of his family to be born in a hospital.

“Bennett grew up listening to Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, Judy Garland,

and Bing Crosby as well as jazz artists such as Louis Armstrong, Jack Teagarden, and Joe Venuti,” the online encyclopedia says. “His uncle Dick was a tap dancer in vaudeville, giving him an early window into show business, and his uncle Frank was the Queens borough library commissioner. By age 10 he was already singing, and performed at the opening of the Triborough Bridge, standing next to Mayor Fiorello La Guardia who patted him on the head.

“Drawing was another early passion of his; he became known as the class caricaturist at PS 141 and anticipated a career in commercial art. He began singing for money at age 13, performing as a singing waiter in several Italian restaurants around his native Queens.”

Bennett quit school at 16 and worked as a copy boy and runner for the Associated Press along with various other jobs. He was drafted into the Army in November 1944 and sent to Europe, where he took part in brutal combat including house-to-house fighting. He later described his position on the front lines as a “front-row seat in hell” and he became a pacifist, writing, “Anybody who thinks that war is romantic obviously hasn’t gone through one.”

After the war, Bennett studied singing technique under the GI Bill. He worked as a waiter and performed when he could. In 1949, the singer Pearl Bailey asked him to open for her in Greenwich Village, at a show attended by Bob Hope. Hope was so impressed he took young Anthony on the road with him and got him to simplify his name to Tony Bennett.

He was signed to Columbia Records the following year and started putting out hits — “Because of You,” “Blue Velvet,” “Rags to Riches” and more. He performed a heavy schedule of shows at the Paramount Theatre before screaming teen fans. He continued to enjoy success even as rock ’n’ roll pushed into the

space occupied by pop songs and standards, famously performing a 44-song show at Carnegie Hall in June 1962 and singing on the first episode of “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” that October.

Earlier that year he had released “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” — as a B side to a song called “Once Upon a Time.”

“The A-side received no attention,” Wikipedia says, “and DJs began flipping the record over and playing ‘San Francisco.’”

The song became a hit and won Bennett Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Male Solo Vocal Performance. It later became the City of San Francisco’s second official anthem and is played every time the Giants win a ballgame at home. A statue of Bennett was unveiled outside the Fairmont Hotel there in 2016 and a block of Mason Street was renamed Tony Bennett Way in 2018.

Bennett’s star dipped in the later sixties and seventies, as he lost his record contract, was relegated to performing mostly in Las Vegas and got hooked on cocaine. But he made a powerful comeback, signing again

with Columbia in 1986, releasing acclaimed albums such as “Astoria: Portrait of the Artist” (1990), making TV appearances and notably connecting with younger audiences by doing things like appearing on MTV — his album “MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett” went platinum and was the Grammy Album of the Year. Yet his humility remained.

“I have to say I owe my career to the master composers of the Great American Songbook who have written such high-quality songs — the best popular music ever composed,” he told PBS in 2007 for its show “American Masters — Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends.”

Bennett’s popularity and wealth continued to grow and he donated much of his time to charity, even earning the nickname “Tony Benefit.” He was honored by the United Nations, appeared in movies, received the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award and performed with everyone from Billy Joel to Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson, Queen Latifah and, most famously, Lady Gaga. His and Gaga’s 2014 album “Cheek to Cheek” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts, earning him the Guinness World Record for “oldest person to reach No. 1 on the US

Album Chart with a newly recorded album” — at the age of 88 years and 69 days.

And he kept performing as long as he could. “I saw Tony Bennett at Radio City Music Hall in 2000 with a full orchestra,” one fan who preferred not to be named told the Chronicle. “One of my most enduring treasured memories will be of him stepping away from the microphone to sing ‘Stranger in Paradise’ a cappella.”

Throughout it all, Bennett was a New Yorker who never forgot his Queens roots, not by a long shot.

In December 2000, he addressed guidance counselors and other staffers at what was then Community School District 28 in Forest Hills, pitching them on the Frank Sinatra School for the Arts in Long Island City he was establishing.

“Although the official announcement about the new school was held this past Tuesday at the Friars Club in New York, District 28 teachers got a preview of the plans from the man who shows he has a heart of gold for the children of New York,” Queens Chronicle Senior News Editor Betty M. Cooney reported at the time.

The focus of the meeting was on getting talented students in the district to apply to the school.

He was introduced to the group by guidance coordinator Leonard Shapiro as “a man who needs no introduction” and “a true American hero who comes from a humble background and is trying to help others.”

“Bennett was greeted with a long round of applause,” Cooney reported. “He told the group he was born and raised in Astoria during the Depression. ‘It was a wonderful community with all races, creeds and philosophies.’ He said that is what makes the United States different for other countries which only have one philosophy. ‘We have many.’”

... “Bennett said the theme of the new school should be ‘The best is yet to come,’ which is written on Sinatra’s tombstone.

“After the information about the school was distributed, Bennett remained in the auditorium, where he was greeted by his many fans.” Q

He performed a 44-song show at Carnegie Hall in 1962.

Tony Bennett sings his top hit, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” on “The Ed Sullivan Show” on June 27, 1965. SCREENSHOT VIA THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW / YOUTUBE

Tony Bennett at 9, just before he sang at the opening of the Triborough Bridge; presenting a portrait he made of Louis Armstrong to the jazzman; taking a break with drummer Dennis Mackrel; posing with Community School District 28 officials Ron Levine, left, and Leonard Shapiro; and singing with Lady Gaga. PHOTOS VIA TONY BENNETT / TWITTER EXCEPT THIRD, COURTESY DENNIS MACKREL AND FOURTH, BY BETTY M. COONEY / FILE

The integrative medical facility will have a focus on preventive care Jamaica Hospital to open new center

by Naeisha Rose Associate Editor

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center recently purchased a new building for $10.5 million, which it will turn into an integrative medicine center, offering patients a new kind of care.

The new space is 20,865 square feet, including its basement space, according to RIPCO Real Estate, the brokerage firm that handled the sale and announced it.

“We have been seeing a demand in the market from medical businesses looking to purchase their own buildings,” Michelle Abramov, managing director of RIPCO, said in a statement. “This sale offered the buyer ... a Class A boutique office building to continue expanding their business throughout Queens.”

The new facility is located at 143-02 Jamaica Ave. in Jamaica, according to Michael Hinck, a JHMC spokesman.

“We are opening in six months,” Hinck told the Queens Chronicle. “It will have traditional Western and Eastern philosophies. It’s a unique way of treating patients.”

Dr. Alan Roth, chairman of the Department of Family Medicine and Ambulatory Care and chief of the Division of Palliative Care Medicine, told the Chronicle that the center will have four floors, the hospital will utilize the basement for educational programs and it is working to get approval from the city to use the building’s rooftop for another initiative.

“The basement will be dedicated to educational space teaching about wellness and health,” Roth said. “We will be motivating people to be their healthiest.”

The ground floor will be a reception and welcome area. It will also have a pharmacy, according to Roth.

“The pharmacists work with both traditional medicines, as well as nutritional therapies and vitamin therapies and proven herbal therapies,” Roth said. “There are proven herbal therapies for menopausal symptoms

like black cohosh. There are a number of articles that say it’s effective. I’ve given it to hundreds of patients and there have been no side effects and it’s cheap.”

The second floor will be a wellness floor, according to the family medicine chairman.

“There will be physician manual therapies like acupuncture, massage, osteopathic manipulative medicine,” Roth said. The floor will have exercise equipment for demonstrations on how to best use each piece efficiently and safely. “You will learn how to use an exercise bike, how to use a treadmill and an elliptical in safe ways.”

Movement therapies like tai chi, yoga and qigong also will be conducted on that floor.

The third floor will be a medical floor with five full-time integrated health providers, the palliative care chief said.

“They will give traditional primary medical care,” Roth said, “with these add-on services.”

The fourth floor will be a nutrition center, according to Roth.

“There will be educational classrooms on nutrition,” he said. “There is going to be a cooking demonstration kitchen with numerous stations where people will actually learn how to do healthy cooking, as well as examination and consult rooms to meet with nutritionists and providers on that floor.”

Roth is also working on having a usable rooftop with a garden and a beehive at the center.

“Hopefully a chicken coop too,” he said. “We can model this for youths in the community and adults too ... This can happen in Queens County.”

Roth said that integrative medicine is a comprehensive approach to medical care, which he considers advanced primary care.

“It’s looking at patients as a whole and not the sum of their parts,” he said. “Looking at all aspects of care, but really trying to focus on wellness, health and prevention rather than the chasing and treating of complex illness.”

Traditionally, physicians have treated a

patient’s symptoms for high-blood pressure or hypertension, sent him or her to a specialist and then called him or her back months later to follow up, he said.

“We need to change the focus,” Roth said. “The United States has the most expensive health system in the world. We pay twice as much than the next leading nation. This would be a great thing if we had great satisfaction or survival rates.”

The U.S. ranked 52nd for survival rates, despite spending $13,000 per patient per year on average, according to the doctor.

“The money is going to expensive drugs for diseases that we didn’t prevent,” Roth said. “It’s going into expensive treatments ... we forgot about the world of primary prevention ... We know what people die from. People die from their lifestyle.”

Physicians only have 10 percent of influence on a patient’s health, according to Roth.

“The other 90 percent is genetics, social determinants and lifestyle: diet, exercise, smoking, drinking, drugs, access to healthcare and going to the doctor,” he said. “What

do people die from? Mostly in this country it’s obesity. Obesity leads to high blood pressure, it leads to diabetes and high cholesterol.”

The aforementioned can lead to heart attacks and strokes, as well as to higher incidences of cancer.

“We need to change the scope,” Roth said. “We spend 93 percent of the healthcare on hospital medicine and specialty medicine, and only 7 percent on primary care and prevention. We are wasting money.”

Roth hopes to use the educational programs at the center as a way to encourage people who are not used to integrative medicine, which includes what was once considered alternative or complementary medicine, as a new way of approaching healthcare in their lives.

“There are some conditions that can easily be treated with a vitamin, an herb or a supplement or something that can keep someone well without toxicity, without waiting for high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases to set in,” he added. Q

Teriyaki R Us opens up shop in Jamaica

by Naeisha Rose Associate Editor

Jamaica has a new restaurant Downtown.

Teriyaki R Us, a Japanese and Asian fusion restaurant, which opened July 10, offers different teriyaki food combos of chicken, beef, shrimp, tofu and chicken, along with burritos, ramen noodle soup, sushi rolls, bento boxes and appetizers like spring rolls and shrimp tempura.

Located at 159-27 Jamaica Ave., the restaurant also has a variety of beverages,

according to Jacky Liu, the manager.

“We make everything fresh,” Liu told the Chronicle. “We have taro milk tea, Thai milk tea and the passion lover drink.”

The eatery also serves green tea, black tea and lemonade.

Liu said that his boss, Ostin Joseph, toured the area and saw that there was a lot of fast-food places there and figured the Jamaica community might be tired of chains McDonalds and Wendy’s.

“We try to give the people only fresh stuff, something that you won’t get from

those big franchises,” Liu said.

Since opening, the manager said, the business has received thousands of customers including lots of returning ones.

People can get miso soup or lemonade for as low as $2.99 and most of the food options are less than $15.

“Our goal is to always to provide fresh made food at a reasonable price,” Liu added.

Teriyaki R Us is the latest food spot in Jamaica. PHOTO

COURTESY JACKY LIU

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center is set to open a new integrative medicine center, according to Dr. Alan Roth, inset.

PHOTO BY MEREDITH BENNET / RIPCO REAL ESTATE; COURTESY PHOTO

“We need to change the focus.”

—

Dr. Alan Roth, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center

PHOTO BY MIKE MCGEVNA

Photo contest!

The Queens Chronicle’s 15th annual Summer in the Borough Photo Contest is underway! Send your best shots of children playing, workers working, lovely landscapes, birds on the bay — whatever you think best says “summertime in Queens.” For inspiration, check out last year’s winning photo, above, by Mike McGevna of South Richmond Hill.

Our usual prizes for the winners are passes to family-friendly performances, which have been hard to come by but we hope will be available soon. Please see all the rules at tinyurl.com/4dzdvf2t.

Be sure to tell us where in Queens you live and 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 deadline is Friday, Sept. 22, the last full day of summer.

Good luck!

New fund to aid future journalists of color

by Sophie Krichevsky Associate Editor

Mayor Adams announced last Friday that his office, along with the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, is launching a campaign to raise $500,000 for a new scholarship designed to increase diversity in the journalism industry.

The scholarship will provide financial support to New York City students of color pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees in the field.

Mayor Adams wants to make journalism a more diverse field.

“From Ida B. Wells to Jovita Idár, journalists of color have used the power of the press to shine a light on urgent issues and push our country forward. Unfortunately, too many newsrooms still do not look like the communities they cover, with Black, Brown, Asian-American, and so many other communities underrepresented in our press corps,” Adams said in a statement.

“This scholarship fund for students of color will help support students from New

Highland Care Center NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATORY POLICY

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Migrants set for Creedmoor

York City as they work to repair the inequities we’re seeing in newsrooms, building new pipelines for students to become journalists and increasing the diversity of this essential industry.”

Many of the details for the program still need to be hashed out. A spokesperson for the mayor said how many students will get the scholarship has yet to be determined, in part because it has not been decided whether those future reporters should get full rides or partial scholarships. Whether the award would be a grant, stipend or otherwise is also an open question, as there is concern that funds awarded could conflict with financial aid.

The same spokesperson said the goal is to have funding available for students starting in the 2024-25 school year. Applications are not yet open.

Those looking to donate to the fund may do so at tinyurl.com/ymj4atsb. Q

Mayor Adams announced Wednesday that the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center campus will house up to 1,000 migrant men in its parking lot. His office said it will open “in the coming weeks.” Adams said the state will reimburse the city for costs associated with the emergency response center.

The possibility of using the site as a relief center for asylum seekers became public last weekend, prompting area elected officials and civic leaders to hold a press conference in opposition last week. While they acknowledged the need for more beds as asylum seekers continue to be sent to the city, they decried a lack of communication from City Hall and limited public transportation in the area.

Borough President Donovan Richards reiterated that in a statement. “Queens will always open its arms to any and all people wishing to seek refuge and build a better life here ... But that openness should not be confused with naiveté,” he said, calling for a Community Advisory Board. He added later, “The success of this effort hinges upon an efficient, constant channel of communication.”

— Sophie Krichevsky

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

Hollywood strikes hit home in Queens

Actors, crew members, studios and businesses rely on film, TV production

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

Movie and television production in Queens sometimes seems as ubiquitous as food carts.

Sure, the signs that pop up a few days in advance and the production trailers can keep you from parking on a given street for a day or two. But you can sometimes grab a glimpse of how movie magic is made. And an A-list performer might give you a wave and a smile, or even pose for a selfie between scenes.

Then, on May 2 the Writers Guild of America went on strike against both the legacy production studios and streaming services such as Netflix. On July 13 the writers were joined by the Screen Actor Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, marking the first time both unions had been on strike at the same time since 1960, when Ronald Reagan was president of SAG.

Money and benefits, as always, are at issue. But present-day SAG President Fran Drescher, a native of Flushing, also is confronting things like streaming — and its legal and financial implications — that Reagan would not have imagined six decades go.

Queens has a number of businesses that are heavily if not completely reliant on production, such as Kaufman Astoria Studios in Astoria, Silvercup Studios in Long Island City and Broadway Stages in Glendale. There also are actors, stagehands, technicians, caterers and others in the borough who make their living in the industry.

An actor who has worked on numerous movies and TV shows shot in New York City, speaking to the Chronicle on the condition that his name not be used, said there is a great deal at stake for actors and writers who are not established superstars in their profession.

“Contrary to what most people think, a lot of actors, stuntmen, doubles are on the bottom rung when it comes to pay,” he said. He added that SAG-AFTRA is different from

most labor unions in that some individuals — Tom Cruise was one who came to mind — negotiate their own contracts with studios and producers, while SAG “is there for us, who don’t have that kind of power.”

Both the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA are concerned about how residuals will be calculated from work that is streamed. Residuals are payments writers and actors receive such as when a movie is shown on television; or an episode of a TV show is rerun in season or in syndication.

SAG-AFTRA also appears to have drawn a line in the sand over what it says is the studios’ demand to be able to scan background actors’ images and to use them and digitally alter them in perpetuity without further permission from or payments to the actors.

Explanations of just what is being offered by the studios on multiple issues differ starkly in press releases from SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

The union says it is seeking an 11 percent increase in the first year, saying the 5 percent being offered by the studious would not cover inflation since the last contract.

The union states that actors need “informed consent and fair compensation” when a digital replica is made or a performance is changed with artificial intelligence; and that the studios “want to be able to scan a performer’s image, pay them for half-day’s work and then use the individual’s likeness for any purpose forever without their consent.”

The AMPTP, in its press release, states it would seek “advanced specific consent” to create and use digital replicas; that no digital replica of a performer would be created without written consent and description of its intended use; and such consent would be needed for background and principal actors.

The AMPTP also said SAG-AFTRA rules already protect background actors’ jobs

through a requirement in the SAG-AFTRA contract that a specified number of them be hired per day.

The actor who spoke to the Chronicle said the union’s stand on fighting for digital and artificial intelligence protections, as well as job protection for background actors, is vital.

“With AI, studios could bring in background actors, scan them, pay them for one day of work, and use them in perpetuity ... SAG, to their credit, said, ‘That’s insane. We’re not going to agree with that.’ ... They scan you for a day and you will never have to be on a set gain. Then there’s no way you can join SAG, no way you can pay the dues. That means SAG loses money. And if people can’t get work, they’ll give up their [union] membership.”

The union said it also needs a “comprehensive plan for actors to participate in streaming revenue, since the current business model has eroded our residuals income,” and that the studios are refusing.

“We need transformative contracts, yet remain far apart on the most critical issues that affect the very survival of our profession,” SAG-AFTRA said on it website. “Specifically, we need fair compensation that accounts for inflation, revenue sharing on top of residuals, protection from AI technology, and updates to our pension and health contribution caps, which haven’t been changed in decades.

“This is why we’re on strike.”

The AMPTP in its own statement said its three-year offer contains $1 billion in wage increases, pension and health contributions and residual increases that include “first-oftheir-kind protections, including language” expressly with respect to AI.

“... This is the Union’s choice, not ours,” the producers said. “In doing so, it has dismissed our offer of historic pay and residual increases, substantially higher caps on pension and health contributions, audition protections, shortened series option periods, a groundbreaking AI proposal that protects actors’ digital likenesses, and more. Rather than continuing to negotiate, SAG-AFTRA has put us on a course that will deepen the financial hardship for thousands who depend

on the industry for their livelihoods.”

Broadway Stages, in an email said, “We value the contributions of the entire cast and crew who work together to create successful productions, and we believe in equitable compensation for their efforts.

“A prolonged strike could bring us back to something that reflects how Covid-19 shutdowns impacted the industry and city, and we hope it doesn’t come to anything like that,” the company continued. “Not only is the sound and stage business affected, but local stores, restaurants, and coffee shops, hardware stores and convenience shops all lose when there is less TV and Movie film work happening.

“We need studios and the unions to come to an agreement that helps everyone get back to work and keep working in ways that improve growth for the people, the writers, actors, and the studios. They’re all important and they all have roles to play in our ever more complicated and technologically changing environment.”

The Chronicle also reached out for further comment from SAG-AFTRA, Kaufman Astoria and Silvercup. Q

TADA! musical revue ends it run on Saturday

TADA! Youth Theater’s presentation of the musical “Everything About Camp (almost)” ends its run on Saturday, July 29, at 2 and 4 p.m. in Manhattan.

The one-hour musical about kids playing pranks, going on hikes and making new friends at summer camp is showing on the theater’s second floor at the intersection of Broadway and Fifth Avenue.

The Resident Youth Ensemble includes four cast members from Queens: Lucas Soares (Astoria), Rebecca Summerville (Rego Park), Sherell Hubahib (South Ozone Park) and Story Handy (Jamaica). Story, 13, has been a participant at the theater for the past two years.

“It’s great to be in the cast and share my interests with the other members of the TADA! Ensemble,” Story said in a statement. “I’m really excited to be onstage and a bit nervous too, especially since my friends and family will come to see the show and my character. In every rehearsal, I learn new steps in dance or new ways to make my scene more dramatic.

“My character is a prankster, and she is kind of a bossy person. I can relate to my character, because I am a middle child with four sisters. I can be really bossy to my younger sisters whenever I’m in the mood, but my parents don’t like it. All I can say is, sometimes the bossiness works! TADA! is really interesting and helps

in all sorts of ways for me to gain more confidence and improve my performances.”

The theater is offering pay-what-you-can tickets starting at $1 and group sales for nonprofits are going for $10. To learn more about the revue, visit tadatheater.com.

TADA! is a Drama Desk award-winning nonprofit youth theater that produces affordable and original musicals for families with kids as young as three.

The theater provides free, year-round pre-professional training and a positive youth development program for members of the ensemble, youth ages 8 to 18. Q

— Naeisha Rose

Flushing native Fran Drescher is president of the SAG-AFTRA actors’ union.

PHOTO COURTESY NEWYORK-PRESBYTERIAN QUEENS /FILE

“We need the studios and the unions to come to an agreement that helps everyone.”

— Broadway Stages studios

Jam. residents concerned about migrants

by Naeisha Rose Associate Editor

Members of a Southeast Queens community were left conflicted during a rally Saturday at 11 a.m., as once again they felt they were carrying the burden of decisions made by lawmakers from the city all the way up to the executive branch.

More than 50 people stood across the street from the Crowne Plaza JFK Airport New York City on July 22, to air their grievances about migrants being housed at the hotel, located at 138-10 135 Ave. in Jamaica, which is being used as a humanitarian emergency response and relief center.

Hosting the gathering was Aracelia Cook, president of the 149th Street South Ozone Park Civic Association.

“We need to send a message to the mayor,” Cook said. “While we are sympathetic of the plight of asylum seekers, however, we are more sympathetic to what we need in our community and what we need is ... to stop bursting at the seams. That is why we are here in solidarity.”

At a recent Community Board 12 meeting, Carlene Thorbs, the chairwoman, said that Community District 12, comprising City Council districts 27, 28 and 29, and all or part of Hollis, Jamaica, St. Albans and Springfield Gardens, has 29 homeless shelters.

“I would like for our elected officials to speak to us and tell us why we in the Southeast area have 29 transitional houses and growing. That is including the sanctuary hotels,” Cook said. “The sad thing about the Crowne Plaza hotel, on Monday they told the workers they are closing the hotel. By Wednesday, they had to have all of their belongings out. They are out of a job ... they have opened [the hotel] as a HERRC

center. Is that fair to the community at large? Enough is enough. We have to stop the bleeding of Southeast Queens.”

The website for the Crowne Plaza said it’s permanently closed.

Many residents said since the hotel became a sanctuary for migrants, they have received tickets from the city Department of Sanitation ranging from $100 to $150, because of the litter left on their yards. Some of the women who work late at night and wait for the bus or an Uber to get to their place of employment said they are fearful because of the loitering of asylum seekers, who are out until 2 or 3 a.m. Some say they are concerned about them panhandling with children.

Some of the homeowners across the street from the hotel said they didn’t know the migrants were going to be placed at the Crowne Plaza and didn’t even know what a HERRC was.

“It’s not fair what is happening to the property values,” Cook said. “It’s definitely going to go down. Your property taxes are going up. Queens has the highest taxes.”

According to taxrates.org, Queens has the second-highest median property tax ($2,914), and is only behind Manhattan ($5,813) citywide.

Jonathan Turner, a neighbor of the Crowne Plaza, which is just northeast of the junction of the Van Wyck Expressway and Belt Parkway, said he doesn’t feel safe with having his kid, mother or grandmother outside when he sees migrants loitering.

“There are too many people congregating at the back of the hotel,” Turner said. “We don’t feel safe in our own community. They are smoking weed and they are outside past the hour they are supposed to be.”

— Aracelia Cook, president, 149th Street South Ozone Park Civic Association

Cook said that community leaders should have a seat at the table when the mayor makes decisions about housing migrants.

“So that you hear the concerns of what we see on a daily basis,” the civic leader added. “We want them, every elected official, to go around these places and see what is going on.”

Turner, who lives at 154th Street and 137th Avenue, said he has spoken to the hotel managers about enforcing curfew.

Michelle Mosley, another resident, thinks that Creedmoor Psychiatric Hospital in Queens Village would be a better spot for the migrants.

“Creedmoor doesn’t house a lot of people with mental health issues anymore — they still have a section over there — but it is a large enough piece of property where it takes you forever to get out of there. So why couldn’t you house them over there. Those people got together with their community board and the Queens Borough President at a press conference.”

Eastern Queens residents held a press conference outside Community Board 13’s office in Queens Village with several elected officials to raise their concerns about the mayor’s intention to place migrants at the grounds of the psychiatric hospital. They also were confused about what will happen to a mixed-use redevelopment that they along with Empire State Development spent months workshopping.

Mayor Adams announced on Wednesday that Creedmoor will

house up to 1,000 single men as the number of asylum seekers in the city now surpasses 56,200.

The city will construct a HERRC in a parking lot within Creedmoor, the mayor said.

Thirty minutes into Saturday’s rally, City Council Majority Whip Selvena Brooks-Powers (D-Laurelton) joined the assembly and read a statement from City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica), whose district encompasses the hotel.

“I understand the concerns around the quality and the availability of services of those who are in the care of shelter facilities and the impact those facilities have on our neighborhoods,” Brooks-Powers read. “Southeast Queens has shown compassion ... [but] it can’t be left standing alone on a national and citywide responsibility. We need the federal government’s assistance and the city to find the solution on shelter and housing on an equitable basis across all five boroughs.”

Brooks-Powers said that Adams went to Washington, DC, with a delegation to raise her concerns with the federal government about the migrants in her district. She credited Adams with securing $75 million in funding for migrant aid but said the speaker realizes that is not enough to tackle the issue.

Brooks-Powers, who is a district over from Adams, said she understands the concerns of the citizens.

She has asked for a moratorium on homeless shelters in the 31st District, which she represents, but was met with more shelters. She also said she found out about a hangar at JFK being used as a shelter for migrants less than 24 hours before the mayor made an announcement about it in June.

“I have countless text messages with the administration asking for

better communication,” said the majority whip. “There were feces in the water in Harlem, so that night we received 24 hours’ notice that we will be getting a HERRC facility in Southeast Queens.”

She along with other elected officials made two requests to meet with the Adams administration about the migrant situation.

State Sen. James Sanders Jr. (D-South Ozone Park) and Assemblyman Khaleel Anderson (D-South Ozone Park) were at the rally 30 minutes after Brooks-Powers.

Anderson said he also dealt with learning about shelters less than 24 hours before they were occupied.

Sanders suggested that leaders of every civic group get together to get concessions from the mayor to address quality-of-life issues and to get free cleanup services for the garbage in the area.

During the rally, two cars sped by 135th Avenue, which becomes the Van Wyck Expressway Service Road, and a tree branch fell — illustrating the residents’ concerns.

“It is customary that if you give people a lump of coal, you are supposed to put something on it to make the whole thing well,” Sanders said. “If you can’t do something about that, then where are our community centers? You should be building a pool over here.”

Along with DSNY cleanups, Sanders said the city should also be cutting the overgrown branches in the area, adding speed humps to prevent speeding, installing LED lights so that people can feel safer at night, adding more frequent bus service to accommodate residents who are sharing them with the migrants and enforcing the curfew at the shelter to prevent loitering.

“You should be talking about something positive,” he added. “Whatever the community needs.” Q

Panhandling, loitering, littering, and more upset the community

“It’s not fair...”

Residents air their concerns about migrants being housed at the Crowne Plaza JFK Airport New York City hotel across the street and near their homes. The rally was organized by Aracelia Cook, inset.

PHOTOS BY NAEISHA ROSE

State Sen. James Sanders Jr., joined by Councilwoman Selvena Brooks-Powers, left, and Assemblyman Khaleel Anderson, addresses citizens at a rally on migrants.

DOT chief cites pros of Jamaica busway

Questioned by Chronicle at event for ‘ethnic and community media’ outlets

by Stephanie G. Meditz Chronicle Contributor

New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez addressed concerns from busways to bike lanes at a roundtable for what the administration refers to as “ethnic and community media” outlets on Tuesday.

Held at the DOT’s offices at 55 Water St. in Lower Manhattan, the roundtable showcased the agency’s new initiatives from the last six months, demonstrated its progress regarding community engagement and allowed roughly 100 attendees representing diverse media outlets to ask questions.

As part of its Better Buses Action Plan to improve bus speeds, the DOT implemented several new busways throughout the city. Queens saw a new busway on Jamaica Avenue from Sutphin Boulevard to 168th Street in both directions and an eastbound busway on Archer Avenue from 150th Street to 160th Street in October 2021.

Buses and trucks have local and through access to Jamaica Avenue. While cars may drop off, pick up and access most blocks, they must make the next available right turn. A number of businesses along the longtime commercial hub of Jamaica Avenue say they have suffered as a result, as the Chronicle reported last year.

While Rodriguez acknowledged the importance of “[supporting] the business community,” he said the DOT does not have data to show that businesses are suffering because of busways.

He said he would check with Small Business Services to see whether sales have actually decreased since the busways’ installment, believing the changes might prove beneficial to businesses along major roads.

“Those who use the buses, they also get out in that station, in that street, and they go and buy and buy,” Rodriguez said.

“What we are seeing in many locations when there’s a bit of ... improvement of ridership in buses, it is good for those working class and middle class who use the buses. Also, it’s good for the business.”

He is “more than happy to follow up with a conversation,” he told the Chronicle.

Rodriguez emphasized that cars, buses, bikes and pedestrians should “share our streets,” stating that the city had 200 million total bike riders last year, with a current daily average of 550,000 riders.

He said 74 percent of Manhattan residents said they do not want to own cars, but conceded that people in other boroughs need them, including Queens. However, there is simply not enough land to provide ample parking spots, he said.

“We need to plan for those that have a car, for them to continue using the street, but also to change that cultural belief that the street belongs only to them,” he said.

Rodriguez discussed the DOT’s expansion of the Summer Streets program last year, which opens streets in all five boroughs for playing, walking, biking, a musical performance and other activities from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on select Saturdays.

Summer Streets will kick off in Staten Island and Queens on July 29. The Queens installment will take place on Vernon Boulevard between 44th Drive and 30th Road in Long Island City.

The DOT also announced 34 additional Open Streets in all five boroughs in an initiative that aims to repurpose roadways to promote community and economic development.

April saw the “largest-ever celebration of Open Streets” with a citywide Car-Free Earth Day celebration, the DOT said in a press release. The event, which took place on Woodside Avenue in Queens, encouraged residents to give their cars a break, reduce their carbon footprint and enjoy the city’s open spaces.

“New York City is the leading one in the nation with more New Yorkers using bikes and more New Yorkers walking. I just want to be sure that the working-class community and the middle class is not left out,” Rodriguez said. “... Biking is not a luxury.” Q

PUBLIC STATEMENT HEARINGS TO BE HELD IN PSC CASES 23-G-0225, 23 G-0226 – NATIONAL GRID NY AND NATIONAL GRID FOR GAS SERVICE

On April 28, 2023, The Brooklyn Union Gas Company d/b/a National Grid NY (KEDNY) and KeySpan Gas East Corporation d/b/a National Grid (KEDLI)(collectively, the Companies) fi led amendments to their gas tariff schedules proposing to increase their annual gas delivery revenues effective March 31, 2024. KEDNY proposes to increase its revenues by $414 million (a 28 percent increase in base delivery revenues or a 17 percent increase in total revenues). KEDLI proposes to increase its revenues by $228 million (a 24 percent increase in base delivery revenues or a 14 percent increase in total revenues). Although the actual bill impacts of these proposed changes on any particular customer class will vary based upon revenue allocation and rate design, the Companies state that a typical KEDNY residential heating customer will have a $30.95 average monthly bill increase and a typical KEDLI residential heating customer will have a $28.52 average monthly bill increase. The Companies state that the rate increases are largely due to the need to invest in critical infrastructure to comply with Federal and State pipeline safety mandates, increased costs to deliver expanded energy effi ciency and other demand reduction offerings, and economic factors such as rising cost of material due to infl ation, increased contractor costs, and increases in property taxes. The Companies state that their rate fi lings are focused on delivering safe and reliable service, meeting the needs of customers, and advancing the goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). They propose to effectively maintain the current pace of leak prone pipe replacements through a more targeted replacement strategy; aggressively repair gas leaks and target the repair of high-emitting leaks through the use of advanced leak detection technology; continue or expand customer oriented initiatives to ensure energy affordability, improve customer experience and maintain customer satisfaction; improve the resiliency of the distribution system by investing in automation, safety valves, and storm hardening projects; and continue or expand many CLCPA-supporting initiatives such as non-pipe alternatives, energy effi ciency and demand response programs.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that virtual public statement hearings will be held before Administrative Law Judges James A. Costello and Maureen F. Leary on:

DATE: Tuesday, August 1, 2023 TIME: 1:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M.

DATE: Wednesday, August 2, 2023 TIME: 1:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M.

A more comprehensive notice that contains further information on how to attend the hearings electronically is available at https://dps.ny.gov/ask-psc.

Any person wishing to provide a public statement must register by 4:30 P.M. Monday, July 31, 2023, for the August 1 hearings and Tuesday, August 1, 2023, for the August 2 hearings.

To register electronically: Registration information for participants who would like to provide a statement and will login to a hearing electronically may be found in the notice available at https://dps.ny.gov/ask-psc.

To register by phone: Any participant who is not able to login to a hearing electronically may participate by phone. Call-in participants who would like to provide a statement must register to do so in advance by calling 1-800-342-3330, where they should follow prompts to the appropriate hearing and provide their fi rst and last name, address, and phone number.

On the appropriate date and time of a hearing, all call-in users should dial 1-518-549-0500 and enter:

Access Code [2338 061 1494] and Password [28410176] for the 1:00 p.m. hearing on August 1

Access Code [2348 462 8182] and Password [28410676] for the 6:00 p.m. hearing on August 1

Access Code [2334 693 7249] and Password [28420176] for the 1:00 p.m. hearing on August 2

Access Code [2336 515 1615] and Password [28420676] for the 6:00 p.m. hearing on August 2

Each public statement hearing will be held open until everyone who has registered to speak has been heard or other reasonable arrangements to submit comments have been made.

City Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, flanked by other agency officials, addresses about 100 journalists at a roundtable event Tuesday. PHOTO BY STEPHANIE G. MEDITZ

Mayor says expanded use will be boon to the city and its taxpayers Adams announces new city drone regs

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

Mayor Adams last Friday announced new policies governing the application process for permits to launch and land drones in New York City.

Adams made the announcement at a combined press conference and demonstration at Pier 35 in Manhattan. The regulations appear to be in line with those proposed at a public hearing conducted by the NYPD on July 27.

“Today, New York City is flying into the future, using drones to make city services faster and safer, and likely saving taxpayer dollars as well,” said Adams in a press release issued by his office. “Drones are already saving lives, such as in the tragic garage collapse in Lower Manhattan, but their true potential is just taking off.”

Adams said the new rules will pave the way for drones to help in New Yorkers’ everyday lives, and not just in emergency situations.

“Drones are going to allow us to make facade inspections faster and safer, help us inspect and maintain our bridges, tunnels, and critical infrastructure, and allow us to monitor our beaches more easily for unauthorized swimmers and hazardous conditions, among other things,” he continued.

“This is how we ‘Get Stuff Done’ for New Yorkers.”

The official NYPD announcement and links to both creating a drone account and the application process can be found online on. nyc.gov/3rumPlN.

The paperwork-intensive permitting process can be completed no more than 180 days and no less than 30 days before the proposed use of a drone. Up to five flights can be submitted on a single application.

There is a nonrefundable fee of $150, and

all applicants must be in compliance with applicable federal laws and regulations in order to be approved.

Specific areas set side within Flushing Meadows Corona Park and Forest Park are the only two locations in Queens where one may legally operate drones without a permit.

“Drones are not new to New York City or the NYPD,” Police Commissioner Edward Caban said in the statement from the Mayor’s Office. “This amazing technology has been growing and evolving for years. Today, we are doing our part to ensure New Yorkers can access this technology safely and lawfully.”

Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said drones will greatly increase safety when used for functions such as inspecting the city’s bridges.

Department of Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo also was on board.

“Across the world, aerial drones are already being effectively utilized by design professionals, who leverage these tools to supplement the critical surveying work they perform on construction and building maintenance projects,” Oddo said. “With these new rules, the Adams administration is opening the door for design professionals in New York City to potentially use these same tools to supplement the important up close safety inspections they perform.” Q

Congestion pricing hits Jersey barrier

Gov. Murphy sues USDOT, FHWA to block tolls on Garden State drivers

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

New Jersey, as promised by Gov. Phil Murphy, has filed a federal lawsuit to block New York State’s plan to charge drivers to enter Manhattan at or south of 60th Street beginning in spring 2024.

Murphy, in a joint statement Friday from his office with federal representatives from the Garden State, said the plan to raise $1 billion for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority was approved by the Federal Highway Administration without a full environmental review as required by the National Environmental Protection Act and the Clean Air Act.

The suit has been filed in U.S. District Court in New Jersey. The FHWA, which ruled further study unnecessary on June 26, and the U.S. Department of Transportation are named as defendants.

The New York Post reported on Friday that equipment to read license plates already is being installed in western Manhattan. State officials are weighing final regulations, including peak tolling fees of between $9 and $23 per trip.

Murphy says the tolls are discriminatory.

“After refusing to conduct a full environmental review of the MTA’s poorly designed tolling program, the FHWA has unlawfully fast-tracked the agency’s attempt to line its own

coffers at the expense of New Jersey families,” the New Jersey Democrat said. “The costs of standing idly by while the MTA uses New Jersey residents to help balance its budget sheets are more than economic. At the MTA’s own admission, its tolling program would divert traffic and shift pollution to many vulnerable New Jersey communities, impacting air quality while offering nothing to mitigate such considerable harm.”

The Post report quoted MTA Chief of External Relations John McCarthy as dismissing Murphy’s claims.

“This lawsuit is baseless,” he said. “The 4,000-page Environmental Assessment performed by MTA, New York State DOT and New York City DOT was supervised at every stage and specifically approved by the Biden Administration ... We’re confident the federal approval — and the entire process — will stand up to scrutiny.”

Murphy has the backing of his top federal elected officials.

“As the senior senator of New Jersey, I have made it abundantly clear that it’s unacceptable for New York to try balancing its budget on the backs of New Jersey commuters,” U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) said in Murphy’s statement. “Their proposed congestion tax scheme is nothing more than a shakedown and must be defeated.”

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) said enacting the plan would bring increased pollution west of the Hudson River.

“If the MTA gets its way, trucks will be backed up here in North Jersey, billowing cancer-causing pollution into the lungs of our children,” he said. “I want to thank our Governor for punching back at a state that decided to use Jersey as their piggy bank to solve their years of criminal mismanagement at the MTA. I don’t know how the MTA Chairman looks at himself in the mirror. He should come to Fort Lee and look Mayor Sokolich in the eye and tell him why it’s okay to give cancer to the children here.”

Gottheimer said he is expecting more lawsuits from New Jersey cities and towns that could suffer from the impact of increased traffic and pollution.

“The Garden State is not New York’s piggy bank,” said U.S. Rep Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) said. “We are not the MTA’s ATM. New Jersey has been our region’s pack mule for a long time. Enough is enough.”

Danny Pearlstein, policy and communications director for the Riders Alliance, said in an email that he considers the suit groundless.

“Goaded by demagogues like Rep. Rob Gottheimer and Sen. Bob Menendez, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s frivolous lawsuit is a plot to deprive several million riders of reliable

and accessible subway service, whether we’re New Yorkers, commuters from New Jersey, or visitors to America’s largest transit network from across the nation or around the world,” Pearlstein said.

“What is more, Governor Murphy is engaging in a cynical ploy to distract from his own gross negligence at the helm of his woefully underfunded and unreliable NJ Transit system and his climate denialism, exemplified by his $10 billion Turnpike expansion planned to worsen traffic congestion, air pollution, and carbon emissions in Jersey City.” Q

Mayor Adams takes a drone out for a ride during a press conference last Friday at Pier 35 in Manhattan. He announced the adoption of new rules for the use of drones and for the application process.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL APPLETON / NYC MAYOR’S OFFICE

Ten-day film fest turns Forest Hills into Hollywood Hills

ARTS, CULTURE & LIVING

by Michael Gannon

It may prove to be a lucky seventh year as the Festival of Cinema NYC returns to Forest Hills from Aug. 3 to 13.

“We have a whole lot of new things this year,” Jayson Simba, executive director of the festival, told the Chronicle.

There still will be more than 100 films from nearly two dozen countries at the Regal UA Midway Cinema in Forest Hills.

The Forest Hills Library still will have free presentations open to the public.

But the organizers wanted to take things up a few notches this year. Take, for example, “Fire Bones,” which runs Aug. 9.

“It’s a multimedia production that includes podcasts, short films, music videos, still images and more,” Simba said. “It’s interactive — you can see it on your phone. I’m excited because it’s been a huge hit at other festivals. We’ve never done anything like this before.”

The drama/adventure/a

where and musician

he met filmmaker Bart Weiss UniversityofTexasArlington

The drama/adventure/absurdist story takes place largely in the Arkansas Delta, where poet and musician Greg Brownderville grew up. Through a mutual friend he met filmmaker Bart Weiss, a Philadelphia native who also teaches film at the University of Texas Arlington.

The story involves Brownderville and Weiss and the search for the perfect serving of vanilla ice cream in the Delta, where the two stumble across the disappearance of a local woman who is a crop duster pilot by trade and a pentecostal preacher by profession. There’s also the Beekeeper Spaceman.

“I grew up in a Pentecostal town,” Brownderville told the Chronicle. He said the title “Fire Bones” comes from sermons in which preachers similar to the missing character speak of “fire shut up in my bones, their bones.”

The mixed media was an idea that Brownderville thought about, but didn’t know just how to go about pulling together.

“I would have this image when I was writing a poem or a song and thought, ‘This would be a better image for a still photo or short film,’” he said. “Why not just let the image be what it wants to be?”

continued on page 21

King Crossword Puzzle

I HAVE OFTEN WALKED

Clearview Golf had the guv’s seal of approval

by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor

The Clearview Golf and Yacht Club was formed in 1925 as an exclusive retreat for wealthy New Yorkers.

New York Gov. Alfred E. Smith was its most notable member. Mostly flat with straight fairways, the Bayside course was designed by Willie Tucker. In the 1930s James Quigley managed the golf house and restaurant. It has a par 70.

It is bounded by Willets Point Boulevard to the north, 23rd Avenue to the south, 202nd Street to the west and 209th Street to the east. When the great Depression hit, Robert Moses, working behind the scenes, took advantage of the economic downturn and purchased all

103,877 acres of the golf course in 1931 for only $940,000, which was half the asking price. As Parks commissioner, he upgraded it several times to make it the gem it is today. Now Clearview Park is one of just a few golf courses remaining in Queens. Open all year, it is managed by the American Golf Corp. Q

SPORTS EAT

Pete Alonso’s off year

by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor

There are many reasons why the New York Mets have been a huge disappointment this year. Starting pitchers have had trouble getting to the sixth inning; the middle inning relief corps has been a FEMA disaster area; and the usual number of injuries have hampered the offense. Perhaps trumping all of those, though, has been first baseman Pete Alonso’s miserable season.

Holy Child Jesus Teen Drama Group, part of the Richmond Hill community since 1972, will be presenting “The Phantom of the Opera,” a Youth Group Production at Holy Child Jesus Academy, located at 11102 86 Ave., in Msgr. Murray Hall.

Every summer, the group presents a fullscale production featuring the talents of teens from Queens in singing, dancing, acting, set design and construction, lighting, sound and stage crew. Previously, the club presented “Grease,” “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,” “42nd Street,” “Newsies” and “The SpongeBob Musical,” among others.

“Phantom” performances are Thursday, Aug. 4, at 7 p.m., Friday, Aug. 5, and Saturday, Aug. 6, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 7, at 3 p.m. The musical is directed by Liam MacLarty, conducted by Margaret Krysa and choreographed by Ariel McAuley, with assistance from Christine Skorupa.

Tickets will be sold outside the church after each Mass on July 29 and 30, and in the school cafeteria from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m on July 27, as well as July 30 through Aug. 2. Tickets will also be sold at the door on performances days, subject to availability.

— Kristen Guglielmo

Although it now seems like ancient history, Alonso was having an MVP-like season for the first two months of the 2023 campaign. Things went south for him on June 7 when he was struck on the wrist by a fastball thrown by Atlanta Braves hurler Charlie Morton. Fortunately, nothing was broken, which avoided the need for surgery. The consensus was Alonso would miss a few weeks so bruises could properly heal.

He returned to action as soon as his initial 10-day stint on the injured list ended. While his heart was in the right place, wanting to help a team that is offensively challenged without him in the lineup, that now seems like a mistake.

Leaving aside Tuesday’s fine performance against the Yankees, Alonso has not been the same player since getting plunked by Morton. His home runs have been infrequent while his strikeouts have skyrocketed. Even worse, his batting average has plummeted to around the .200 mark. He has morphed into a modern-day, poor

Bman’s version of Dave Kingman.

No one will ever confuse Alonso with Keith Hernandez when it comes to first base fielding prowess, but he has worked hard at his defensive skills and was considered one of the best fielding first basemen in the majors. Whether his poor hitting is affecting his fielding, or his wrist is still bothering him — and likely it is a combination of both — Alonso has regressed in the field. He has been making frequent, costly errors that have resulted in runs for opposing teams.

Mets fans would normally be overjoyed that Alonso was named to the National League AllStar team. The reaction from the Flushing faithful was muted this year. The understandable conventional wisdom was Alonso would benefit from five days of needed rest instead of trekking up to Seattle for the All-Star Game. In keeping with the way things have gone for him recently, he struck out twice. The first time was in the seventh inning when the NL had two runners on base and was trailing the American League, 2-1.

It is hard to blame Alonso for taking part in the 2023 All-Star Game, however. It is one of the highest honors a player can receive. From a business perspective, he is slated to become a free agent after the 2024 season. All-Star Game appearances help drive lucrative long-term contracts from baseball teams. Q

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

‘Phantom of the Opera’ at HCJ

PHOTO COURTESY LIAM MACLARTY

The Clearview Park Golf Course view today and, inset, the Clearview Park Golf and Yacht clubhouse, Bayside, Summer 1935.

PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK / CLEARVIEW PARK GOLF COURSE; INSET FILE PHOTO

Star-studded summit on hip-hop’s impact open to all

by Naeisha Rose associate editor

Hip-hop will be front and center at a two-day summit that acknowledges the genre’s cultural significance over the last 50 years at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center in Long Island City on Aug. 3 and 4.

During the conference, guests will learn about hip-hop’s expansion into higher education, its influence on other genres of music and its marketing and advertising power, along with its impact on social justice, civil rights and economics.

There will be interactive workshops where people get to have hands-on experiences with artists who are experts as deejays, break dancers and graffiti artists. Those will be followed up by panel discussions with pioneers, scholars and performers.

One of the hosts for the event is Queens Public Library’s hip-hop coordinator, Ralph McDaniels, the founder of “Video Music Box,” a TV program that featured interviews with some of the top artists of the genre, along with music videos, performances and man-on-the-street segments discussing topics of the day and the culture.

“It feels like yesterday when we started, it doesn’t even feel like 50 years,” said McDaniels about hip-hop’s golden anniver-

sary. “It’s a moment where we have to stop and look at what we accomplished.”

Hip-hop was once a dismissed genre, McDaniels told the Chronicle.

“It had no value to the outside world beyond the people who were doing it,” McDaniels said. “I used to be a deejay first. People wouldn’t even pay us or they would give us the minimal amount of money. Now we have Jay-Z. He is the biggest thing on

the planet.”

Some of the earliest performances on “Video Music Box” featured Jay-Z, who is now the first Black male artist to have 10 platinum albums.

“It’s where the music is at. We have worked so hard to push the culture forward,” McDaniels said. “He understands how it fits into business. In the ’90s, that’s when that happened for hip-hop ... People pay a lot of money for this and we should be getting our share of the pie.”

Traditionally, the face of popular music was Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, said the hip-hop coordinator, but that has changed as the genre has become the one that dominates the airwaves.

“I went to a hockey game and they were playing hip-hop,” he said. “This is not even the typical demographic, but then what is the demographic? It’s pop, so everybody is listening to it.”

As the host of “Video Music Box,” McDaniels is proud of his own history with hip-hop.

“We were doing these things called shout outs,” he said. “Nobody said that phrase before me and now people like President Biden do that all the time.”

McDaniels also didn’t expect his show to go beyond the tristate area.

“People serving in the Army would take VHS tapes and take it overseas,” he said. “People were getting our shows like mixtapes in Germany.”

The upcoming summit at 45-50 Van Dam St., is an opportunity to discuss the genre’s past, present and future, said McDaniels. All are welcome to register for the event, visit eventbrite.com.

“We will sit down and have intellectual conversations about hip-hop,” he said. “It will talk about the state of hip-hop culture ... and all the other elements. Next year, breaking will be in the Olympics. Other parts of the world take that super seriously.”

The hip-hop coordinator said the U.S. team should watch out for China at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

“It started here in New York and now it’s an Olympic category,” he added. “I’m hoping younger people will understand the importance of it ... It’s part of our history. Traditionally, African Americans have been robbed of their culture ... Still, we have this hip-hop culture that came from nothing ... We can’t take it for granted. We can’t let it be forgotten.”

Some of the guests expected for the panel discussions include Lumidee, KRSOne and Darryl McDaniels of the Run-DMC rap group from Hollis. Q

Old favorites, new styles at Festival of Cinema

continued from page 19

A friend told him Weiss might know someone who could help; and the two met to talk.

“He wanted to do this,” Brownderville said. Weiss took to the challenge.

“The idea was that we mostly consume media on our phones,” Weiss said. “There wasn’t anybody who has rethought how to recreate media for the phone. ‘Fire Bones’ integrates two ways in which we consume

Crossword Answers

media — we listen to podcasts, and we watch video.”

There also will be a screening of the starpacked “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints” (2006), part of a tribute to Astoria director Dito Monteil.

Director Linh Tran’s “Waiting for the Light to Change” brings together friends who have not seen each other in a few years, only to find out one of them has changed.

“It’s about female friendships with five friends on a getaway in Michigan,” said actress Jin Park. “They’re in their mid-20s, quarter-life crisis. They’re out of school, trying to find their way through life.”

“Sometimes your behaviors don’t come out as you expect,” said actress Joyce Hall, who plays another one of the friends.

She said Tran gave the cast a great deal of leeway to improvise with dialogue.

The closing night entry will be the awardwinning “Disfluency” written, directed and co-produced by Anna Baumgarten. It begins with a young woman named Jane failing her final college course, preventing her from graduating on time.

“She goes back home to regroup over the summer and decide what to do next,”

Baumgarten said. She also reconnects with her sister and old friends — and the trauma that played into her failing her class.

”Family drama is very interesting to me,” Baumgarten said. The film also takes place in Michigan, her home state. “We actually shot a lot of this in my parents’ backyard.”

The Regal UA Midway Cinema is located at 108-22 Queens Blvd. The library is at 10819 71 Ave. Schedules, movie synopses and ticket information can be found online at festivalofcinemanyc.com. Tickets are $18, and $35 for opening and closing nights. The closing night awards dinner is $75. Q

Ralph McDaniels at the recent release party for a hip-hop library card. PHOTO BY NAEISHA ROSE

A young women gets stood up on a date only to get caught up in intrigue in the thriller “Where is the Lie?” from the Philippines. On the cover: Scenes from “Fire Bones,” top, “Good Side of Bad” and “Tales of Babylon.” PHOTOS COURTESY FESTIVAL OF CINEMA

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Notice is hereby given that an on-premises restaurant full liquor license, Serial #1366758, has been applied for by 10215 Metro Corp d/b/a Fabrika Restaurant - Lounge to sell beer, wine, cider and liquor at retail in a Restaurant. For on-premises consumption under the ABC Law at 102-15 Metropolitan Avenue, Forest Hills, NY 11375.

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NYC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Decorative Lighting throughout New York City - EPIN: 84123B0008

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 “Procurement Navigator.” This will take you to the Public Portal of all procurements in the PASSPort system. To locate the Competitive Sealed Bid, insert the EPIN, 84123B0008, 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. This procurement is subject to MBE and WBE participation goals. The MBE goals for this project 8%. and WBE goals for this projects 15%. Any inquiries concerning this Competitive Sealed Bid should be directed by email to agency contact nkumar@dot.nyc.gov, under the subject line EPIN: 84123B0008,” Bid Response is Due on September 7, 2023 at 11:00AM.

Prebid Conference: ..........................................................8/1/2023

Question Deadline: ..........................................................8/7/2023

Response Due Date: ....................................9/7/2023 at 11:00AM

Date of Bid Opening: .......................................9/7/23 at 12:00PM

DOT - Flood Mitigation Improvements For Battery Park Underpass And West Street Underpass - EPIN: 84123B0003

This Competitive Sealed Bid (CSB) is being released through PASSPort, New York City’s online procurement portal. Responses to this CSB must be submitted via PASSPort. To access the solicitation, 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 CSB, insert the EPIN 84123B0003 into the Keywords 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. This procurement is subject to DBE participation goals. The DBE goals for this project 13%. Any inquiries concerning this Competitive Sealed Bid should be directed by email to agency contact nkumar@dot.nyc.gov, under the subject line EPIN: 84123B0003.

Advertisement Date .......................................................7/26/2023

Pre-bid meeting date .......................................................8/7/2023

Deadline for the submission of questions .....................8/14/2023

Bids Due: .........................................................9/7/23 @ 11:00 am

Bid Opening date and time: ..........................9/7/2023 @ 11:30am

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, NYCTL 1998-

2 TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN, Plaintiff, vs. COLLEGE POINT ASSOCIATES, Defendant. Pursuant to an Order Confi rming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated May 22, 2023 and entered on May 30, 2023 , 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 25, 2023 at 10:00 a.m., 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 3919 and Lot 1. Said premises may also be known as No # 122 Street, Queens, NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $3,740.42 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of fi led Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index # 709014/2019. 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 Auction Rules, can be found on the Queens Supreme Court - Civil Term website. Charlane O. Brown, Esq., Referee. The Law Offi ce of Thomas P. Malone, PLLC, 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 553, New York, New York 10165, Attorneys for Plaintiff

171-71 46TH AVENUE, LLC, Arts. of Org. fi led with the SSNY on 07/10/2023. 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, 17 Juego Road, Santa Fe, NM 87508. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS IN TAX LIEN FORECLOSURE–SUPREME COURT OF THE

STATE OF NEW YORK, COUNTY OF QUEENS – NYCTL 2021A TRUST, and THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON as Collateral Agent and Custodian for the NYCTL 2021-A Trust, Plaintiffs, CAROLANN LARSEN, et. al., Defendants. Index No. 718892/22. To the above named Defendants –YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action within twenty days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service or within thirty days after service is completed if the summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. Plaintiffs designate Queens County as the place of trial. Venue is based upon the county in which the property a lien upon which is being foreclosed is situated. The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to the Order of the Hon. Timothy J. Dufficy, J.S.C., entered on July 19, 2023. The object of this action is to foreclose a tax lien covering the premises located at Block 3882 Lot 18 on the Tax Map of QUEENS County and is also known as 90-13 83rd Avenue, Glendale, New York. Dated: July 19, 2023 BRONSTER, LLP, Attorney for Plaintiffs NYCTL 2021-A TRUST, and THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON as Collateral Agent and Custodian for the NYCTL 2021A Trust, By: Leonid Krechmer, Esq. 156 West 56th Street, Suite 703, New York, NY 10019 (212) 558-9300

38-06 20TH ROAD LLC. Arts. of Org. fi led with the SSNY on 05/09/23. 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, 38-02 20th Road, Astoria, NY 11105. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Real Estate

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

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

Apt.To Share

Kew Gardens Hills, 77th Rd & Main St. 2 BR, 1 bath apt to share. Working M/F. Internet, utils incl. $1,250/mo, 1st & last month down. Avail 9/15. Call 917-593-0236

Houses For Sale

Howard Beach/Rockwood Park, call 917-796-6024 for appt. 40x100, Hi-Ranch, unique 5 BRs, 2 1/2 full baths, 3 BRs, 1 bath, top flr & 2 BRs on walk-in level. Reduced $959K. Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136

Open House

Howard Beach/Lindenwood / Fairfield Arms, Sat 7/29, 11am-12pm, 151-20 88 St. (HighRise). Unit 2D, 2 BRs converted to 3 BRs, 2 full baths. Reduced $225K. Unit 5D, 2 BR, 2 baths, needs TLC, 5th fl. Reduced $225K. Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136

Howard Beach/Lindenwood, Fairfield Arms Bldg, Sun 7/30, 12:30pm-1:30pm, 151-20 88 St. Unit 3F. 2 BR, 2 bath plus terr. Asking $247,500. Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136

Storage Space

Howard Beach, storage space for rent on Crossbay Blvd. 200 sq ft. Call Vito 718-738-2300

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS INDEX NO. 719579/2021 Plaintiff designates QUEENS as the place of trial situs of the real property SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS

Mortgaged Premises: 158-07 84TH DRIVE, JAMAICA, NY 11756 Block: 9787, Lot: 12 U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR RESIDENTIAL ASSET SECURITIES CORPORATION, HOME EQUITY MORTGAGE ASSET-BACKED PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-EMX1 Plaintiff, vs. SYEDA TOOFA AKTER, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF MOHAMMED B. CHOUDHURY; RUKSHANARA CHOUDHURY, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF MOHAMMED B. CHOUDHURY; SHEREEN CHOUDHURY, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF MOHAMMED

B. CHOUDHURY; SHAPNA CHOUDHURY, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF MOHAMMED

B. CHOUDHURY; SHAMIM CHOUDHURY, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF MOHAMMED

B. CHOUDHURY; SHALIM CHOUDHURY, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF MOHAMMED

B. CHOUDHURY; S.C., A MINOR CHILD, BY AND THROUGH THEIR NATURAL GUARDIAN, SYEDA TOOFA AKTER, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF MOHAMMED B. CHOUDHURY; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF MOHAMMED B. CHOUDHURY, 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; 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; 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; MIGUEL DOE (REFUSED LAST NAME) AS JOHN DOE #5 “JOHN DOE #6” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last seven 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 $521,000.00 and interest, recorded on October 23, 2006, in CRFN 200600059252, of the Public Records of QUEENS County, New York, covering premises known as 158-84TH DRIVE, JAMAICA, NY 11432. 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 13, 2023. ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC, Attorney for Plaintiff, Aric Peymann, Esq., 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675

KKB Taxi LLC, Arts of Org.

fi led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 4/26/2023. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 16430 Hillside 10K, Jamaica, NY 11432. General Purpose

LLANOS PROPERTY GROUP, LLC. Arts. of Org. fi led with the SSNY on 07/20/23. 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, 30-05 38th Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Loro Ventures LLC, Arts of Org. fi led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 4/11/2023. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to Registered Agent Solutions, Inc., 99 Washington Ave., Ste. 700, Albany, NY 12260. General Purpose

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS INDEX NO. 705665/2018

PLAINTIFF DESIGNATES QUEENS AS THE PLACE OF TRIAL SITUS OF THE REAL PROPERTY SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS Mortgaged Premises: 11701 144TH STREET SOUTH OZONE PARK, NY 11436 BLOCK: 12018, LOT: 1 BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT SERIES I TRUST PLAINTIFF, VS. MARILYN T. WALKER, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF FRANCES LOUISE JONES; UNKNOWN HEIRS OF THE ESTATE OF FRANCES LOUISE JONES 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 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, SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE BY VIRTUE OF POSSIBLE UNPAID ESTATE TAXES AND LIENS AGAINST THE ESTATE OF FRANCES LOUISE JONES; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BY VIRTUE OF POSSIBLE UNPAID ESTATE TAXES AND LIENS AGAINST THE ESTATE OF FRANCES LOUISE JONES; CANDACE RUSH AS “JOHN DOE #1”, KELLY RUSH AS “JOHN DOE #2”; LEX RUSH AS “JOHN DOE #3”, “JOHN DOE #4” 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 $435,478.50 AND INTEREST, RECORDED ON FEBRUARY 16, 2005, IN CRFN 2005000098967 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF QUEENS COUNTY, NEW YORK., COVERING PREMISES KNOWN AS 11701 144TH STREET, 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: JULY 12, 2023 ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFF VERONICA M. RUNDLE, ESQ. 900 MERCHANTS CONCOURSE, SUITE 310, WESTBURY, NY 11590516-280-7675

Notice of Formation of MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING

PATHWAYS P.L.L.C. Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 05/30/2023. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE PLLC, 213-37 30TH AVENUE, SUITE 105, BAYSIDE, NY 11361. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of formation of NT General Construction LLC

Articles of Organization fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) 01/23/2023

Offi ce in Queens Co. SSNY designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to 1909 Bleecker St APT 3FL, Ridgewood, NY, USA.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose

Notice of Formation of PND EVENTS, LLC

Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 06/26/2023. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: PND EVENTS, LLC, 118-12 196 STREET, ST. ALBANS, NY 11412. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

A fundraiser that’s anything but sketchy

Comics artist draws heroes to help finance Forest Hills’ historical mural

by Jessica Meditz Chronicle Contributor

Forest Hills is known lovingly among community members and comic buffs alike as the neighborhood where Spider-Man resides. Now, an artist who regularly brings him to life has joined forces with residents to bring another mission to fruition.

Best-selling comic artist John Stanisci, known for his work in Marvel and DC Comics, set up shop this past Saturday at La Boulangerie, a cafe and bakery on 72nd Road, to raise funds for a tributary mural in the community.

The mural will be completed on the wall of The Bagel Spot, located at 101-01 Queens Blvd., and will feature some of the neighborhood’s historical buildings that have undergone demolition.

The man behind the plan is community preservationist and historian Michael Perlman, whose efforts have brought recognition and exposure to prominent local figures including Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., Russell Sage, Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage, Grosvenor Atterbury and Helen Keller, by way of murals.

“I love Forest Hills and Rego Park history and architecture, and I’m a huge fan of legendary comic artist John Stanisci. I’m very thankful that he supports preservation and beautification,” Perlman said at the event. “Stanisci, besides being very civicminded and an incredible artist, is also a humanitarian. I feel the synergy.”

A former resident of Bayside now living in Forest Hills, Stanisci felt proud to engage with community members in-person, selling his prints and original sketches of iconic figures in comics for a good cause.

“I take great pride in this neighborhood. Covid really hit the neighborhood hard; we see a lot of stores still shuttered, so I try to do anything I can to help beautify Forest Hills,” he said. “Forest Hills, to me, is like the shining gem of Queens.”

Residents came out not only to shop for drawings of their favorite comic book characters, but to lend their support toward efforts to make the neighborhood they call home more beautiful.

Rachel Zhang, a comics fan and resident of Forest Hills, attended with friends and purchased Stanisci’s sketch of Batman. She feels grateful to be part of a community whose residents dedicate their time and talents so that everyone can benefit in the long run.

“I saw the event in Michael Perlman’s Facebook group, so I knew I wanted to support it because it’s such a good cause,” Zhang said. “We’re really excited to see how the mural will come out, paying tribute to our beautiful neighborhood.”

Perlman reached out to his former high school classmate Gigi Chen, an artist and Woodhaven native, to paint it.

With her pop surrealism style, Chen loves creating artworks for galleries, as well as murals in public and in people’s homes.

Although it hasn’t been decided which

Calling all Qns. blood donors

The New York Blood Center is experiencing a critical summer shortage. Blood donors are needed for surgery, cancer patients, accident victims and new mothers and babies, among others. Information on how to donate or schedule a drive is available at nybc.org.

Upcoming drives include:

• Sunnyside Community Services, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 30, at 43-31 39 St. in Sunnyside at the senior center;

• The Shops at Atlas Park, 1 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 3, and Thursday, Aug. 10; and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug.

6; and at a bloodmobile at the mall at 8000 Cooper Ave. in Glendale;

• Queens Place mall, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4; and 1 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 25, at 88-01 Queens Blvd., all in the former Outback Steakhouse location;

• St. Mary and St. Antonious Coptic Orthodox Church, noon to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 5, at 62-54 60 Place in Ridgewood; and

• The Ridgewood Nepalese Society, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m on Saturday, Aug. 12, in the Sanctuary Room at 16-62 Stephen St. in Ridgewood. Q

classic Forest Hills buildings will be featured in the mural, Chen told the Chronicle her vote would go to Tower Diner, where she was a regular in her teenage years and twenties.

Perlman said the project will cost over $10,000, and the GoFundMe created for the mural has now reached $2,185 of a $6,500 goal. Last weekend’s event accumulated $1,200, and Perlman said that he’ll collaborate with Stanisci again during August for another fundraiser in the neighborhood.

“There was a warm feeling of community and it was one of the finest examples,

achieved with the quantity of enthusiastic and inspired fans of John’s comic art, including in-person sketches,” Perlman said. “I admire the expressions on the faces of fans, who were also supporters of my mural project with Gigi. Children asked questions and on one occasion, a few children came at once and shared their portfolios. John told them that they’re more talented than he was at their age.

“It was also uplifting to see him inviting a young child to sit adjacent to him and be his critic, as he drew Spider-Man within minutes. Some of the best superheroes don’t actually wear capes.” Q

Free Jewish concert Sunday

Ashreynu, the new Jewish congregation in Astoria, invites one and all to sway to klezmer, sing along in Ladino and Yiddish, join in circle dances and enjoy songs old and new — as the wide world of Jewish music takes listeners on a journey around the globe on Sunday, July 30.

Rabbi Jonathan Pearl of Ashreynu will lead an ensemble of musicians in what is promised to be a lively evening of fun, stirring, nostalgic and spirited music and song. The free event will be held in Athens Square Park, at 30th Street and 30th Avenue in Astoria, at 7 p.m.

For more information, one may call (718) 279-1836 or visit ashreynu.org.

St. Mary’s Drama Guild plans auditions

St. Mary’s Drama Guild invites you to “Take a bite, if you dare.” The Woodsidebased troupe is holding auditions for its fall show, “Death by Chocolate,” which combines “all the elements of classic murder mysteries with scathing satire of today’s health crazes.” Auditions will be held Aug. 22 and 23 and the play is in November. Details and signup information are posted at stmarysdramaguild.org/auditions. Q

Joined by a friend, Rachel Zhang, above, poses at La Boulangerie in Forest Hills with her personalized drawing of Batman, crafted by veteran comic book artist John Stanisci, rear. Preservationist Michael Perlman, top left, La Boulangerie owner Francois Danielo and artist John Stanisci take a break in the bakery with Captain America. At left, Stanisci sketches Forest Hills’ favorite neighbor, Spider-Man, as a young fan looks on. PHOTOS BY JESSICA MEDITZ

“I take great pride in this neighborhood.”

— Forest Hills transplant John Stanisci

• OPEN HOUSE • Saturday, July 29th 12 - 2 pm 153-25 88th Street, 3D

• OPEN HOUSE •

Saturday, July 29th 12:30 - 2 pm 14 East 7th Road

• Lindenwood • Lovely & cozy well lit Co-op unit! Many closets, excellent condition, efficiency kitchen, LR/DR, spacious BR & 1 bath.

• Broad Channel • Beautiful 3 BR, 1 full bath Ranch. Wood floors thru-out, 2 skylights, new trex porch, backyard, storage shed, attic & large primary BR w/walk-in closet. Walk to Gateway National Park, library, tennis courts, train, express bus. Near Rockaway Beach & ferry to Manhattan.

• Lindenwood • Junior 4 Co-op being sold as is. Maint. includes heat, hot water, cooking gas & RE taxes. Base: $787.77, security: $20.00, energy surcharge: $7.75 ending December 2023= $815.52. Flip tax is $5/share, 130 shares, cats only.

• Copiague •

to transportation & shopping.

Welcome to your dream home! 4 BRs, 3 baths. Luxurious designer home, breathtaking waterfront views & top-of-the-line amenities, will make you feel like you’re living in a resort. Cook in your fully renov kitchen w/top-of-theline fi xtures & appli. Relax in your fully renov bath w/free standing tub & all-new fi xtures. Take a dip in your pool or relax in the Jacuzzi while taking in stunning water views. It’s a boat enthusiast’s dream! Brand-new 103 ft long dock equipped w/marina power & lighting.