AM Jenifer Rajkumar’s drafted letter details steps to take in migrant crisis City electeds call on Biden to take action
by Kristen Guglielmo Associate EditorAssemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar (D-Woodhaven) last week drafted a letter that received 54 total signatures from Democratic elected officials in the state Senate, Assembly and City Council, urging President Biden to address the influx of asylum seekers in New York City.
The July 26 letter outlined steps Biden could take in addressing what the lawmakers called “one of the most significant humanitarian crises New York City has ever faced.”
“New Yorkers take pride in welcoming immigrants,” the letter states. “... However, while we welcome immigrants to our city, the current unstructured state of immigration p olicy and response needs to end. There needs to be a system of rules in place to manage the migrant crisis. That is why we are pleading for the White House to step in and take leadership over the influx of asylum seekers.”
Specifically, the elected officials asked Biden to declare a federal state of emergency, expedite work authorization, create an organized strategy at the border to fairly distribute newcomers across the country and provide additional federal funding for the city.
The letter ends with the lawmakers expressing their hope that with Biden’s lead-
ership, they can “turn this crisis into opportunity and that this can become one of history’s greatest success stories.”
The Queens signatories are state Sens. Joe Addabbo Jr., Leroy Comrie, Toby Ann Stavisky and James Sanders Jr.; Assemblymembers Rajkumar, Ed Braunstein, Andrew Hevesi, Steven Raga, Alicia Hyndman, David Weprin, Jeffrion Aubry, Nily Rozic, Stacey
Pheffer Amato, Juan Ardila and Ron Kim; and Councilmembers Sandra Ung, Lynn Schulman, Linda Lee, Jim Gennaro, Nantasha Williams and Francisco Moya.
On Monday, Rajkumar brought together a coalition to rally at City Hall Park. The group consisted of elected officials from across the city, unions, employers, faith leaders, community leaders, shelter providers and some
migrants themselves.
In a press release, Rajkumar said, “There needs to be a system of common sense rules in place to manage the unprecedented influx of asylum seekers. There must be more federal support for New York City. New York City cannot face this crisis alone. We need help from President Biden immediately.”
Addabbo (D-Woodhaven) said at the rally, “We’re handling the asylum seekers from other states, and it’s causing a crisis here. An d as we increase our inability to help these asylum seekers, we also increase our inability to help our own homeless, to help our own residents in need. We’re stretching our resources so thin, we need help.”
Schulman (D-Forest Hills) said, “In the words of a famous singing duo, Simon an d Garfunkel, who grew up in my district, to the tune of ‘Mrs. Robinson,’ ‘Where have you gone, President Joe Biden? New York City turns its lonely eyes to you.’ Please help us, Mr. President.”
“The president’s asleep at the wheel on this one, folks,” Holden (D-Maspeth) said. “An d I’m a Democrat, but I’ll criticize anybody who’s not doing the right thing ... We should’ve been out a long time ago. We should’ve been addressing this.”
The White House has yet to publicly comment on the officials’ pleas. Q
Garage set ablaze in Richmond Hill
Resident vexed by dead trees on old railroad trestle up against his property
by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor“I was getting ready for bed at around 1 a.m. Then my neighbor knocked on my door and told me my garage was on fire.”
Charles Stine, who has lived in his Richmond Hill home for decades, was in for a surprise during the early hours of June 30 when he found his garage ablaze.
“I was totally freaked out,” Stine said. “We got the door open, and the whole left side was on fire.”
Rain barrel giveaway 8/6
State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven) will bring the city Department of Environmental Protection to Richmond Hill from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 6, to hand out free 55-gallon rain barrels.
The event will take place at the parking lot at the corner of Lefferts and Linden boulevards, across the street from the Key Food supermarket.
In order to register, participants must live within Addabbo’s district and call his office at (718) 738-1111 to be put on the list. Registrants must show photo ID in order to claim their barrel. Distribution will be from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Any leftover barrels will be given to the public on a first-come, first-served basis, from noon to 1 p.m. There is a limit of one per household.
“Rain barrels are very useful tools that have a positive impact on residents,” Addabbo said. “... The rain barrels can collect rainwater which can then be used for a wide range of tasks such as watering gardens, washing cars, cleaning windows and other chores. Residents with rain barrels attached to their homes not only preserve their drinking water, but they can also save some money on their water bills.”
Luckily, the damage was contained to the garage and did not spread to Stine’s home.
“You could see where it started. The fire marshals said somebody definitely lit it,” Stine said, pointing over to the left of his garage, which is directly next to an abandoned area of forest and railroad trestle.
The tracks have been a source of much debate in Queens. For years, two parties have been proposing their ideas of what to do with the tracks, which stretch 3.5 miles, from Rego Park to Ozone Park.
QueensWay supporters believe the rightof-way should be converted into a linear park, similar to the High Line.
QueensLink supporters, however, believe that the old Rockaway Beach line should be an active rail with stretches of park, allowing both ideas to coexist.
In September, City Hall announced a $35 million plan to pay for the design and construction of the first phase of QueensWay.
But that part is not near Stine’s house. The trestle by his garage is overrun with trees — many in sorry shape, with dead foliage and branches scattered across the
ground nearby, and some hanging in the area above the garage.
Some bothersome branches in the area were taken care of earlier this year, but there are still plenty Stine says need to be removed, including some that hang over his garage roof.
He deduced that the fire was likely start-
Lemonade, sweets and more
Children across Howard Beach, Lindenwood and Hamilton Beach participated in a lemonade stand event on July 30, organized by PJ Marcel and the Howard Beach Dads Facebook group, and sponsored by Brina Ciaramella of Sovereign Realty of NY.
A printable map that highlighted the 21 participating homes was created by Marcel, above with wife Daniela and their kids, Pina and Gemma, and distributed on social media. The community stepped out in numbers to support the children and buy some sugary refreshments.
“All the kids who participate learn valuable business ethics, lessons on cash exchange, dealing with the public, preparation and cleanliness,” Marcel said.
Selections went beyond lemonade: options included Shirley Temples, apple pie egg rolls, snow cones, cotton candy and baked goods.
ed by someone loitering on the tracks, as it is not uncommon to find people over there at night.
According to Stine, the fire marshals said if it had been windy, the fire would have been worse — one of the tree branches could have caught on fire, and it would
No fork for you!
Unless you ask
Maybe there’ll be fewer forks in the road. And spoons, and knives — also straws, napkins and ketchup packets.
At least that’s the hope of officials as the city begins enforcing the law known as “Skip the Stuff” in Mayor Adams’ “Get Stuff Done” vernacular, which bars eateries from giving takeout and delivery customers utensils and other accoutrements unless they are requested.
The goal is to cut the volume of plastic and other trash going into the city’s waste stream, thereby putting less strain on the environment. Violators face fines of $50 the first time, $150 the second time within a year and $250 after that. The law has been in effect for months, but only warnings could be given until July. It applies both to restaurants and delivery services.
“Today’s bill signing moves us another step away from single-use plastics,” Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi said when Adams OK’d the law, Int. 559-A. “New York City is the takeout capital of the world, and the removal of unnecessary waste from our takeout orders is a necessary step towards a cleaner, greener city.” Q
GuglielmoSupporters included officers from the 106th Precinct auxiliary units, Assemblywoman Stacey Phfeffer Amato, Councilwoman Joann Ariola’s Chief of Staff Phyllis Inserillo, Mr. Smoothie (aka Chris the Ice Cream Man) and the Kiwanis Club of Howard Beach. — Kristen
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Thank you for your continued
S. Queens goes all out for National Night Out
South Queens had a blast celebrating National Night Out Against Crime on Tuesday, Aug. 1, at events hosted by the 102nd and 106th precincts. Residents ate delicious food, played numerous games and got a chance to meet the officers that serve their neighborhood. Local electeds, civic groups and community boards were in attendance.
At top right, Officer Nader shows off electronic detection K9 Robbie at the 106 event at Edward Byrne Park. At top left, children and families wait in line for their turn on carnival rides at the event hosted by the 102 at Victory Field. Next to them, Bella C. of Richmond Hill gets her face painted. Below her, neighbor-
hood kids participate in a game with an officer from the 102. To their left, the color guard presents the flags at the start of the event at Victory Field.
Above. Capt. Jeremy Kivlin, commander of the 102, greets attendees before presenting awards to notable community members on behalf of the 102.
At near right, Eddie from Howard Beach serves up some cotton candy for families at the 106 gathering and below, officers from the 106 served up some barbecue fare. At far right, neighbors at the 106 event wait for their turn on a slide and officers engage in a round of catch with teens. — Kristen Guglielmo
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Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato, right, was joined by state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie on a tour of the 23rd Assembly District waterfront on July 28.
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Heastie visited Bayswater Point State Park, with the purpose of viewing the conservation work being done for Jamaica Bay by the state Parks Department in partnership with the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, represented on the tour by Executive Director Terri Cart.
“I am incredibly proud to partner to also
teach people about the rewarding career opportunities in environmental conservation, something that is incredibly important on this Peninsula,” Pheffer Amato wrote in a press release. “Through these efforts, we are elevating Jamaica Bay for our community and New York State.”
Heastie said in a statement, “I’m honored to be invited to tour the beautiful Bayswater Point State Park with Assemblymember Pheffer Amato. It’s incredible to see the preservation efforts in action.” — Kristen Guglielmo
Uber driver robbed of $455 worth of items
by Naeisha Rose Associate EditorPolice are requesting the public’s assistance in identifying four people wanted in connection with the robbery of a Uber driver on June 16.
The crime was committed near 137-03 168 St. in Jamaica around 2:30 a.m., according to the NYPD.
During the altercation, the 51-year victim was punched several times and $455 worth of goods was stolen from him, according to a spokesman for the police department.
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“So the property that was taken was Airpods, a phone charger and a camera,” said the spokesman.
After the removal of the property from the victim, the individuals fled from the vehicle going southbound on 223rd Street, according to police.
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The victim was treated by EMS for minor injuries, but refused to go to a hospital for further treatment, the spokesman added.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 577-TIPS (8477), or, for Spanish, 1 (888) 57-PISTA
(74782). The public can also submit tips by logging onto nypdcrimestoppers.com, or by texting 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577, or by going to the @ nypdtips account on Twitter. All tips are strictly confidential.
Adams and the migrant crisis
Faced with the spiraling migrant emergency, in late May the Adams administration asked a judge to allow for an exception to the right-toshelter law, the mandate that forces the city to provide housing to anyone who seeks it. The law was never passed by any legislative body; it was created in the courts as the result of a lawsuit and has been periodically modified through more litigation.
We haven’t heard much about that request since then. And the border crossers have just kept on coming, some seeking asylum due to whatever horror is affecting their country, many just seeking a chance to live in the United States.
So the city’s shelter system has been completely overrun and Adams is desperately looking for places to house the migrants — every hotel possible, in an old Catholic school in College Point, on a parking lot at the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center. He’s sent a few to counties outside the city, but they don’t want them. Now we have people sleeping on sidewalks en masse, and the mayor’s thinking of housing some in Central Park. Ha! You thought the opposition in
northern and eastern Queens was strong? Wait until the Central Park Conservancy starts having its say.
All of this is a disaster in every way. For existing Americans and legal immigrants, who should come first. For the new arrivals, who can’t get the work they seek due to federal inaction, and who sometimes seem to have a sense of entitlement. For the city’s politics: When Adams floated the idea of telling people south of the border not to come here, western Queens City Councilwoman Julie Won put out a statement criticizing the administration and saying the city wasn’t doing enough for the migrants. A few days later she retracted it. Neither her office nor the mayor’s would tell us if he demanded that personally.
It’s time for Adams to make another move. The right to shelter hangs on a sentence in the state Constitution that says care for the needy must be provided “by the state and by such of its subdivisions” as the Legislature may determine. He should sue Albany to force the state to provide shelter since the Legislature did not direct the city to do so. The state controls a lot of property. What’s he got to lose?
Officials back lawbreaking
If lawmakers want to change a law, they can write legislation. If other elected officials want to change a law, they can use their bully pulpit and power behind the scenes to get the same legislation written. What neither should do is tell people to ignore the law and slam the agencies tasked with enforcing it when they actually do.
Yet that’s just what the likes of Borough President Donovan Richards and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are doing because the Department of Sanitation had the nerve to crack down and ticket illegal vendors in Corona Plaza. The DSNY was enforcing the laws enacted by the people’s representatives in the City Council and the mayoralty. Apparently Richards doesn’t think all food vendors need to be licensed and inspected. They shouldn’t have to pay the same fees legal ones do, getting an even bigger advantage against actual restaurants. All because the mean old city doesn’t provide enough licenses. Maybe it doesn’t. Or maybe people really don’t want more food carts, and that’s why the Council hasn’t passed a bill to allow more. Asked why the law shouldn’t be enforced, Richards’ office talked about things like how good the food in Corona Plaza is, how the vendors are largely women of color and how a task force he and some advocates created is doing good work. OK. But none of that is a substitute for licensing and safety inspections. We’re talking about food here.
LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
Scaffolding scourge
Dear Editor:
(An open letter to New York City Councilwoman Sandra Ung)
Raymond G. Sito General Manager
Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief
Michael Gannon Senior News Editor
Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor
Sophie Krichevsky Associate Editor
Naeisha Rose Associate Editor
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It is so refreshing that City Hall has acknowledged that sheds are in fact not here to stay forever (“Mayor and DOB Announce Overhaul of Sidewalk Construction Shed Rules,” citylandnyc.org, July 25). They were never intended to be anything other than a temporary response to a citywide danger. The cure has turned out to be worse than the disease. #shedsdown.
Throughout Downtown Flushing, in particular, not only have long-term sheds proliferated, they are a magnet for crime. Please fully engage ASAP with the Adams administration in tackling and dismantling sheds especially those that surround apartment buildings, provide shade for criminal activity and are a communitywide environmental blight within Downtown Flushing.
Thank you for your anticipated leadership in giving the sidewalks of Downtown Flushing back to its denizens.
F.E. Scanlon FlushingCongestion fee failure
Dear Editor:
Congestion pricing is foolhardy both from the point of view of logic and experience. First logic. It makes absolutely no sense to charge
people, drivers, to pay for services that they don’t need or use, public transportation. If anything, they should be rewarded for giving up their seat, or standing position, to others by not taking the subway (just joking).
London has had congestion pricing for a few years now. The fee is about $25, depending upon the exchange rate. According to The Economist magazine, this has not reduced vehicular traffic in central London. Using this as a model, perhaps there is someone in the Adams administration intelligent enough to know that congestion pricing will not reduce traffic in the business districts of New York.
Congestion pricing is a bad idea and hopefully New Jersey and Staten Island will win their suits against the city and the federal government.
Michael Gallagher Forest HillsBehind the e-bike fires
Dear Editor:
Why are e-bikes and scooters with lithiumion batteries causing so many fires? When poorly made, overused or charged too long, the batteries can cause self-heating fires that spread rapidly and are extremely difficult to extinguish. They can shoot cells up to 60 feet, releasing toxic fumes and causing extensive injuries and damage.
According to Consumer Reports, in 2016 a change in our international trade law allowed goods valued under $800, including e-bikes and scooters, to be imported into the United States without inspection and free of duties, taxes and fees. While our maximum is $800, it’s $50 in Mexico, $15 in Canada and $8 in China, where most are produced.
The most expensive component of these vehicles is the lithium-ion battery. Battery
LETTERSTO THE EDITOR
packs must be assembled very carefully, and only those certified by Underwriters Laboratories, etc., including ones made by Panasonic and Samsung, are safe.
There are now approximately 270,000 dangerous e-bikes and scooters in the U.S. Used mostly by delivery workers, they get heavy use, their batteries must be changed frequently and they are operated in bad weather, which affects battery safety.
Cheap e-bikes and scooters are dangerous. While New York banned the sale of batteries that don’t meet safety standards, unsafe vehicles and batteries are still being used and sold, and they shouldn’t be allowed on public transportation.
Linda Imhauser WhitestoneGreat man, great story
Dear Editor:
I applaud the Chronicle for your wonderful memorial article about the beloved Tony Bennett (“Bennett stayed humble in stardom,” July 27). He was an icon, and his heart and soul really lit up the world — especially Astoria, where he left his heart. I have long been a fan of his. I never knew that he was affected by addiction and he overcame it. He founded a high school dedicated to the arts and music and he was so modest that he named it Frank Sinatra School of the Arts. He is an inspiration to all and his music and legacy live on.
Thanks, Chronicle, for such wonderful coverage of such a wonderful man. I look forward to each and every issue of the Chronicle — you are our eyes and ears on Queens, its happenings and everything we have to know. Kudos to you, Chronicle.
Cynthia Groopman Little NeckBlock the border
Dear Editor:
Kudos to the government in Texas for finally stemming the flow of illegal immigrants (Wokespeak “asylum seekers”) at its border with Mexico. The state’s placement of river buoys and razor wire has significantly reduced this invasion on our southern frontier.
In the month of June, 100,000-plus illegal, unprocessed aliens breached the Texas border and were disseminated throughout our country. The total disinterest of the federal government and the border czar (can she spell that?) to stem this tsunami of unwanted, uncontrolled humanity has finally been addressed at the grassroots, local level.
So-called sanctuary cities have been inundated with tens of thousands of aliens, stretching their budgets to the breaking point and consuming resources that their citizens were entitled to from the tax dollars they paid. The hardworking citizens of these cities and surrounding localities who are struggling with the disastrous effects of Bidenomics are now being forced to support and maintain an indolent population and to grant them many things that they, the taxpayers, can’t afford. Hopefully the good people of Texas will sue the federal government to recoup the monies they had to spend to insure their safety.
Wake up, citizens. Your vote is your voice.
It’s time to end the reign of the wasting, pseudo-beneficent politicians like smug, arrogant Alejandro Mayorkas, who are squandering your resources and denying you the quality of life your tax dollars were collected for.
Bruce Carney Kew GardensDrone rules won’t fly
Dear Editor:
You had an interesting story about drones (“Adams announces new city drone regs,” July 27), but I suggest that a conversation with the Federal Aviation Administration is in order.
Regulation of aircraft is completely preempted by the federal government. New York City may not enact any regulation of FAAauthorized aircraft. Nor may it regulate “landing areas,” what we generally call airports.
I own and operate a landing area registered with the FAA as Anti-Noise Facility X in Rockaway.
Eugene Falik Far RockawayMore laws, less freedom
Dear Editor:
Congress adjourning and the members leaving Washington for the traditional August recess to return to their districts is actually great news. Our civil and economic liberties are continually at risk when any legislative body — be it the New York City Council, New York State Legislature or Congress — is in session. Elected officials on a bipartisan basis routinely pass legislation to increase spending, taxes, borrowing and deficits. They also pass bills benefiting their “Pay for Play” contributors, funding pork-barrel member items along with new rules and regulations infringing on our day-to-day lives. When Congress is not working, the members can’t cause mischief and grief for the rest of us. I wish they would stay home even longer!
Larry Penner Great Neck, LIDems good, GOP bad
Dear Editor:
Five important issues for Democrats:
1) Strengthening our overseas alliances to counter Russian and Chinese aggression.
2) Improving our economy, i.e., lowering inflation and bringing manufacturing back to America.
3) Dealing with the climate crisis we are all experiencing.
4) Fixing our highways and bridges through the landmark legislation on Infrastructure.
5) Lowering the burden of student loans for millions of Americans.
Five important issues for Republicans:
1) Reducing or eliminating healthcare for transgender and gay people.
2) Banning drag queen shows.
3) Banning books that make white people uncomfortable.
4) Banning abortion nationwide.
5) Hunter Biden’s laptop.
FAITH TALK
Pastor Stephen Roser
Stephen Roser is the pastor of Howard Beach Assembly of God Church
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives us a surprising solution to the kind of fi nancial strain we are all feeling these days over our mounting cost of living.
“But seek fi rst the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things (food, clothing, etc.) will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).
Notice he promises that if we will make God’s cause our overriding pursuit, the necessities of life will be “given” to us. When that which is secondary becomes swallowed in that which is spiritual, we can cease to be anxious over the secondary.
King Solomon discovered this powerful truth almost by accident. As an inexperienced young man he was suddenly thrust into the leadership of his nation and felt overwhelmed by enormous responsibilities. One stressful night, the Lord spoke to him thorough
a dream, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” Solomon responded with, “Give me a discerning heart to govern your people.”
The Lord was delighted with Solomon’s priorities and not only gave him the wise heart he had prayed for, but also the blessings of wealth and long life which he had not even mentioned.
May I suggest a change in the way that a lot of us are probably praying? Instead of pleading with God for help to pay our bills, how about sincerely praying what Christ taught us, “…your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” We can make that personal by adding, “Your will be done in me.” With such praying, our Heavenly Provider is well pleased.
Robert Vogel Bayside
Firewalking ceremony heats up S. Rich Hill
The ancient Hindu ritual of firewalking has been practiced in countries of the Indian diaspora for centuries. However, it is believed that this July 30 event at the Shri Shakti Mariammaa Temple on 101st Avenue in Ozone Park is the first time the celebration, known as Thimithi, has been performed in the U.S. The festival, which began in Tamil Nadu, South India, honors Mariamman, the goddess of rain, and traditionally ends with demonstrating faith and virtue by walking across a bed of hot coals without getting burned. Members, all dressed in yellow, walked barefoot to a park on 133rd Street in South Richmond Hill for the firewalk.
Clockwise from top right: A woman walks across the hot coals, aided by the ceremony’s expert, Aya Goparla Maroude. Temple members are doused with holy water and oil before the walk. Maroude offers words of encouragement to a woman. The shoes belonging to procession members inside of the temple. Maroude offers his firewalking expertise to another member. The procession arrives at the park, where the fire had been set at 7 a.m., eight hours earlier. The experience is so moving that several worshippers — like Sharda Ramsammy, left, and Hilda Sammy — broke into tears when they finished their firewalk. Members of the temple prepare to depart onto their journey. In the center, a man makes his way across the hot coals, and below him, the procession continues their walk.
— Kristen Guglielmo with reporting by Michael ShainDriver in Byrne’s murder gets parole
Rookie cop assassinated protecting witness in major Jamaica drug case
by Michael Gannon Senior News EditorThe driver of the getaway car that sped Police Officer Edward Byrne’s killers from Jamaica on Feb. 26, 1988, will be released from state prison this August.
Scott Cobb, 60, was ordered released by the state Board of Parole after having served just over 34 years for his role in the rookie cop’s murder on orders from an imprisoned Queens drug kingpin.
Byrne, who had turned 22 five days earlier and worked at the 103rd Precinct in Jamaica, was guarding the home of a witness in a drug case against Howard “Pappy” Mason. The family of the man known to history only as “Arjune” had been threatened for his cooperation, and their home at the intersection of 107th Avenue and Inwood Street had been firebombed.
Mason ordered that a cop be killed to send a message to the NYPD. He instead triggered a citywide war on the drug trade.
“Police Officer Eddie Byrne was killed simply because he was cop,” NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said in a press release. “His assassination was an attack on our society as a whole. And while Eddie’s murder sought to
intimidate us all, it had the opposite effect.”
Cobb, Phillip Copeland, David McClary and Todd Scott first became eligible for parole in 2012. Cobb’s pending release angered city police officers and at least some elected officials from Queens.
“All cop-killer paroles are infuriating,” said Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association.
“But this one is especially outrageous considering the shockwaves this crime sent through this precinct, the NYPD, the city and nation.
“When Eddie Byrne was assassinated, it galvanized cops and the community to work together to take our streets back from these violent drug gangs,” Hendry said.
“That was Eddie Byrne’s legacy, and the insane Parole Board is tearing it to shreds. New York City police officers are absolutely sickened by this parole decision, and New Yorkers who care about safe streets should be, too.”
Hendry called on people to demand that “our elected leaders in Albany fix the broken parole system so that none of the other Byrne assassins go free.” Hendry’s press release includes a link to its Keep Cop-Killers in Jail initiative, which allows individuals to file peti-
Berger, Hirsch will face off in AD 27
by Sophie Krichevsky Associate EditorQueens Democrats and Republicans have nominated their candidates to run in the 27th Assembly District special election: St. John’s Law graduate Sam Berger and political operative David Hirsch, respectively.
The truncated campaign season will culminate when voters cast their ballots come Sept. 12.
will also be running on the Conservative Party line, “Together, we can draw a line in the sand and send a resounding message to Albany: Enough is Enough!” he said in a statement. “Let’s stand united to bring positive change to the 27th Assembly District.”
Queens votes
“I am truly honored to receive the Queens Democratic Party’s nomination,” Berger said in a statement. “This nomination reflects the collective belief in a shared vision for a stronger, more prosperous District 27.
2 0 2 3
“I am committed to representing the values of the Democratic Party and working tirelessly to address the pressing needs of our community.”
Hirsch, who works in education policy, made the nomination official on Tuesday, following a vote from the Queens Republican Party’s AD 27 district leaders. He
The seat became vacant when former Assemblyman Daniel Rosenthal resigned last month to take a position as vice president of government relations for the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York.
The race is expected to be a highly contested one. The district, which has a large Orthodox Jewish population, has increasingly voted for Republicans in recent years. But last fall, even as the district overwhelmingly went for Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin, Rosenthal, a Democrat, won re-election in a landslide.
Berger previously received Rosenthal’s endorsement; this week, he also secured one from state Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone). Q
tions against releasing convicted killers of police officers. It can be found at bit. ly/458iwLI.
Vincent Vallelong, president of the Sergeant Benevolent Association, was outraged in a statement on the union’s Twitter page.
“PO Byrne, as well as the witness, who was an immigrant from Guyana, represented the finest qualities of our great city,” Vallelong said. “The actions of the Parole Board are despicable and an insult to the legacy of PO Byrne and the brave witness who came forward.”
He said it is imperative that Gov. Hochul suspend all activity of the board as it stands.
Hochul’s office did not respond to a request for comment on calls to change the parole process.
Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) was not nearly as reticent, calling it a miscarriage of justice.
“With crime growing out of control in this city, the decision by the parole board to release Scott Cobb sends the absolute wrong message to would-be offenders,” Ariola said in an email from her office on Monday. “This man took an active part in the murder of a New York City police officer, and he should be made to face the full extent of his sentence for that crime. Releasing him onto the streets is an affront to every law abiding American, and re-opens the deep wounds that Officer Byrne’s family have had to struggle with since his death in 1988.” Ariola also called for changes to the system.
Mayor Adams’ office referred questions about his views on both Cobb’s pending release and the call from some quarters for parole reforms.
The office of Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica) also did not respond. The intersection where Arjune lived and Byrne died is in her Council district.
Copeland, acting on Mason’s orders, planned Byrne’s killing. Two planned attacks were called off because one night saw a Black officer and another shift was given to a female officer.
Byrne was siting in his cruiser on the southwest corner of the intersection — Arjune’s house, which has since been replaced by a row of townhouses — was on the southeast corner.
Scott distracted Byrne’s attention while McClary crept up on the driver’s side of the car and shot Byrne five times. He was pronounced dead at St. Mary’s Hospital, which used to be across the street from the north end of Rufus King Park in Jamaica.
The killers were paid a total of $8,000, and were rounded up within a week.
Mason, who was convicted of other crimes along with Byrne’s murder, is serving a sentence of life without the possibility of parole in the maximum security federal prison in Allenwood, Penn. He had served for many years at ADX in Florence, Colo., the only federal supermax prison.
Byrne’s father, Raymond, served on the NYPD for 22 years, retiring as a lieutenant.
His brother, Lawrence, had served as a longtime federal prosecutor and then with a major Manhattan law firm before becoming the NYPD’s deputy commissioner for legal affairs in 2014. He died in 2020 at age 61.
Every two years between 2012 and his death, Lawrence Byrne would appear at the parole hearings for his brother’s killers, determined to keep them in prison.
Every year, officers from the 103rd Precinct and NYPD brass gather after midnight at 107th and Inwood for a ceremony to mark the anniversary.
The street in front of the precinct at 168-02 91 Ave. in Jamaica has been renamed in Byrne’s honor, as has the Police Athletic League Center at 116-25 Guy R. Brewer Blvd. in Jamaica.
The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant, run by the U.S. Department of Justice, provides millions of dollars in law enforcement funding to state and municipal governments. Q
Garage set ablaze in Rich Hill
continued from page 4
have spread.
“I’ve been trying for 10 years to get someone to do something about this,” he said, referring to the overgrown trees and branches throughout the space.
Stine is concerned that there is nothing preventing such an incident from happening again, so long as the area remains unchanged.
When contacted by the Chronicle, city officials did not respond by publication time on when Stine could expect the area to be cleaned.
When asked about his preference for the tracks — a rail or a park — Stine insisted he has none.
“People walk up here anyway, regardless of if it’s habitable. I don’t see a problem if they put a park here, and I don’t see a problem if they start the railroad here,” he said. “I lived in the house back when the tracks were originally dismantled.
“All these dead trees are my concern,” Stine said. “I could’ve lost my house. My neighbors could’ve lost their house. Something needs to be done about this.” Q
“The actions of the Parole Board are despicable and an insult ...”
— President Vincent Vallelong, Sergeants Benevolent Association
Howard Beach ‘Feast’ to return next week
“The Feast” is returning to Howard Beach, running Wednesday, Aug. 9, through Sunday, Aug. 13, from 5:30 to 11 p.m. on the St. Helen Roman Catholic Church parish grounds, located at 157-10 83 St.
Attendees can expect carnival rides, games and delicious food, promising fun for the whole family.
The event is sponsored by the Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic and Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park). Proceeds will be donated to St. Helen. Q
Donations needed for animal shelters
Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Rockaway Beach) is calling on all animal lovers to join a donation drive for local animal rescues, inspired by several dogs and cats recently being rescued by the 100th Precinct.
Donations can include clean bedding, sheets, blankets, towels or unopened food.
“This is a community that loves its animals. From our puppy parades on the beach, to the numerous local groups that are dedicated to cats, we treat our animals with love and respect – they’re family,” said Pheffer Amato.
Donations can be dropped off at her office, located at 95-16 Rockaway Beach Blvd., through Aug. 18. Q
Some good boro crime trends Queens down in murders, shootings for 2023
by Michael Gannon Senior News EditorMayor Adams on Monday released “A Blueprint for Community Safety,” a 51-page document dedicated to reducing gun violence in the six police precincts in the city where it is most prevalent.
All are in the Bronx or Brooklyn. But Adams and First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright also took the opportunity to point to steep drops in murders, shooting incidents and the number of shooting victims in the city.
The numbers in Queens reflect the citywide year-to-date trend in all three categories, according to a review of NYPD crime statistics through July 30.
“Homicides are down. Shootings are down,” Adams said, according to a transcript provided by his office. “... Through July 29 shootings in New York City have declined compared to the same period last year. And just think about this number for a moment. Since taking office, we have removed 11,000 guns off our streets, 11,000 guns.”
According to CompStat figures through July 30, murders are down year-to date by more than 11 percent — 236 as opposed to 266 in 2022.
Shooting incidents have fallen 26.5 per-
cent from 805 to 592, while the number of shooting victims has fallen 27.8 percent from 976 to 705.
Total reported major crimes — index crimes in government vernacular — were down 0.4 percent citywide. Overall index crimes in Queens are up just over 4 percent.
In Queens, murders are down from 43 to 24. Shooting incidents have fallen from 118 to 79, while shooting victims stood at 100, down from 148 this time in 2022.
Patrol Borough Queens North has seen an 8.6 percent overall increase in index crimes. Murders are down from 16 to 13, but shooting incidents and shooting victims are up.
Murders in Queens South have fallen steeply, from 27 to 11, or just over 59 percent. Shooting incidents in Queens South have been cut in half, from 82 to 41. Shooting victims have been reduced from 108 to 57.
Rapes in Queens are down from 223 to 199, but auto thefts are skyrocketing, rising from 1,852 to 2,417.
In an accompanying press release on the safety blueprint, Adams’ office said approximately 92 percent of total gun violence in New York City is concentrated within 30 of the city’s 77 police precincts across the five boroughs.
Six of those precincts — the 40th, 42nd,
44th and 47th precincts in the Bronx and the 73rd and 74th in Brooklyn — represent 25 percent of shooting incidents and 39 percent of confirmed shots fired citywide in 2022.
They are being prioritized for $485 million in new and expanded investments recommended for housing, education, jobs and job training.
“The map is clear,” Adams said at the press conference. “You do an analysis of the map. You see high gun violence. You’re also going to see high unemployment. You’re going to see dropout rates high. You’re going to see mental health issues high. You do an overlay in a GPS mapping system of this and you will see the same problems are isolated and concentrated in the same community.”
He said $6.56 million will go toward job training.
“Jobs, jobs, jobs,” the mayor added. “That’s why we’re doing the hiring halls ... 18 to 24, the countless number of young people who are not in school, they’re not working, they’re not in training, they’re doing nothing at all. Someone must throw them a lifeline and tell them there’s a better road and a better opportunity and that’s what we’re doing.”
A link to the blueprint report and video of Adams’ press conference can be found online at on.nyc.gov/47gHSbR. Q
WOMEN'S
Owners near boiling point over enviro law
City’s LL 97 will force co-ops and condos to pay for HVAC upgrades
by Stephanie G. Meditz Chronicle ContributorWith Local Law 97’s deadline looming ahead, nearly 200 owners and shareholders raised their concerns at the Presidents Co-op and Condo Council’s town hall meeting at the Queen of Angels Church in Sunnyside on July 26.
As part of the City Council’s 2019 Climate Mobilization Act, Local Law 97 aims to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions dramatically by 2050. It requires buildings over 25,000 square feet to be retrofitted, excluding public housing and government buildings. Since condo owners and co-op shareholders must pay for maintenance and capital projects, upgrades would weigh heavily on their wallets.
Failure to comply by January 2024 would result in financial penalties.
Some legislators are trying to alleviate LL 97’s effects on owners and shareholders.
Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside) has introduced legislation to allow for tax abatements and exemptions for improvements made to heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems to reduce carbon emissions.
Councilmember Vickie Paladino (R-Whitestone) introduced a bill, Intro. 913, to delay LL 97 for seven years. According to PCCC legal advisor Geoffrey Mazel, the delay would allow for a natural transition to renewable energy as older boilers age out.
A board member of a Manhattan co-op was concerned that the bill would accomplish little and potentially “[demonize] the idea of addressing climate change,” at which point PCCC Co-president and Glen Oaks Village Owners Co-op President Bob Friedrich tried to interrupt. A delay is the only feasible alternative until a “law that makes sense” can replace LL 97, he said.
Queensview, Inc. Treasurer Alicia Fernandez said the delay would allow shareholders to avoid fines while figuring out how to be green sensitive.
“We need to get away from this thought that these are two contradictory ideas. They’re not,” she said.
Friedrich and Warren Schreiber, the copresident of the PCCC and president of Bay Terrace Cooperative Section One, are the lead plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of LL 97. The case was filed last year and still awaits a decision.
Before opening the floor for questions, Schreiber outlined five legal arguments against the law.
He said a “very important” argument against LL 97 regards its retroactive nature. The law penalizes stakeholders for “past decisions based on environmental regulations then in place” and demands them to “undo previous lawful actions at significant expense despite the prior efforts to improve energy efficiency,” he read.
The revenue generated from penalties would go toward the city’s general fund and “balance the budget of the city of New York,” Schreiber said, prompting attendees to boo.
A Flushing co-op owner later agreed, say-
ing LL 97 is “not about the environment” and that other nations will continue to “burn dirty coal for decades.”
Several speakers said a full transition to electrical energy would be inefficient – Schreiber said a power outage could be disastrous, and Friedrich said co-op owners would pay “the nation’s highest electric rates” to heat their homes with “inefficient electric heat pumps in winter.”
He said many elected officials in 2019 shared former Councilman Costa Constantinides’ “dire projections of Earth-ending, doomsday scenarios.” He ascribed the Green New Deal to “a rigid and unbending political ideology that exists today in the City Council.”
Fernandez held a different view. “We understand that we have to participate and reduce carbon emissions, but we don’t support being driven to bankruptcy by poorly formulated legislation that unfairly penalizes co-ops and condos with untenable deadlines and outrageous fines,” she said, followed by applause.
A resident later said most co-op owners are not anti-climate change and that President Biden should declare a climate emergency to ensure proper funding for green initiatives.
Friedrich criticized the law’s “one-size-fitsall algorithm” to determine carbon reduction, saying some of the most energy efficient buildings in the city would still be out of compliance. Celtic Park President Charles Herzog attested to that, saying the building has undergone several green upgrades that would be irrelevant to LL 97.
Asked by a resident how board members of co-ops can responsibly convert their buildings to electric energy, Schreiber replied, “you can’t.”
Friedrich said, when asked by co-op owners about rising property taxes and maintenance costs due to LL 97, politicians proposed low-interest loans, earning a few laughs in the crowd.
“That would only create more debt, liability and higher costs for co-ops that are already pushed to the brim,” he said.
Mazel said he could not answer specific questions about enforceability and fines related to LL 97, but he expects new rules to come out “any day now.”
Attendees signed a petition urging Mayor Adams, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica) and Councilmembers Julie Won (D-Sunnyside) and Tiffany Cabàn (D-Astoria) to support Intro. 913. Q
Corrections
The July 27 article “Bennett stayed humble in stardom” and editorial “Tony Bennett’s American and Astorian dreams” misstated which band drummer Dennis Mackrel performed with and later led. It was the Count Basie Orchestra.
The July 27 article “‘Phantom of the Opera’ at HCJ” misstated the dates of some performances. The show runs from Aug. 3 to 6.
We regret the errors. Q
Attorney Geoffrey Mazel, legal advisor to the Presidents Co-op and Condo Council, addresses a crowd of about 100, right, last Wednesday, joined in the front of the room by Jane Menton, Charles Herzog, Alicia Fernandez, Warren Schreiber and Bob Friedrich.
PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE G. MEDITZSenior woman from Jamaica still missing
Althea Walton, 65, has schizophrenia: PD
by Naeisha Rose Associate EditorA senior woman with schizophrenia, a medical condition that can result in people having delusions, hallucinations and disorganized speech, is still missing since her disappearance nearly two weeks ago, according to an NYPD spokesman.
Althea Walton, 65, who was last seen at her home at 144-28 Farmers Blvd. in Jamaica on July 20 at approximately 4:30 p.m., was carrying a brown or black duffle bag, before she was reported missing, according to police.
Walton is described as 5 feet, 5 inches tall, 200 pounds, with brown eyes and long gray hair. She sometimes wears a short black wig and glasses, authorities said. She is known to frequent Jamaica Avenue and NYC Health + Hospitals/ Queens at 82-68 164 St. in Jamaica, which are within the 103 Precinct’s coverage area, along with JFK Airport.
Althea Walton, 65, a Jamaica woman with schizophrenia, remains missing since July 20, according to police. PHOTO COURTESY NYPD
(8477), or, for Spanish, 1 (888) 57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit tips by logging onto nypdcrimestoppers.com, or by texting 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577, or by going to the @ nypdtips account on Twitter. All tips are strictly confidential.
Wait for what green light?
You think the city Department of Transportation asks the impossible of you? At the corner of 62nd Drive and Queens Boulevard in Rego Park, the city tells drivers to wait for a green light ... that will never come.
The change came along with the installation of a bike lane and loss of parking on that section of 62nd Drive, which runs alongside the AT&T Building. While drivers had faced two signals running through the traditional red-green-yellow cycle, until a few months ago, they are now confronted with four. The two on the left side are standard, but when those turn green, the two on the right go from solid red arrows to flashing yellow arrows. They never turn green — yet a sign hanging from one crossbar still says
“Wait for green light.”
The flashing yellow arrow “allows you to make the right turn and yield to those in the crosswalk,” a DOT spokesman said via email. “It’s not an uncommon treatment, but not seen in every neighborhood.”
The Chronicle team has only spotted flashing yellow signals for right-hand turns at one other corner, in Brooklyn. Tell us where you’ve seen them by emailing peterm@ qchron.com. Online material from DOTs here and elsewhere seems to almost exclusively discuss flashing yellows for left-hand turns.
As for the sign that could pose a conundrum if one takes it literally, in isolation, the city DOT said it would look into removing it.
— Peter C. MastrosimoneSearching for answers
Forest Hills residents continue to remember Sugianto Afandi, 41, a homeless man who was found dead on July 17 in a spot he frequented on Queens Boulevard.
“He was a nice man,” Carolyn McGoran told the Chronicle. She said a memorial service was planned for the morning of Aug. 2.
Police told the Chronicle that their
investigation is continuing. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner did not respond to requests for information as to whether the cause of his death has been determined prior to the Chronicle’s deadline on Wednesday.
— Michael Gannon and Peter C. MastrosimoneCreedmoor migrant protests get heated
Civic leaders and some elected officials against tent housing
by Naeisha Rose Associate EditorThe heat wasn’t the only thing that was running high last Thursday afternoon.
Twenty-four hours after Mayor Adams officially confirmed on Wednesday that the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens Village will house up to 1,000 migrant men, a protest and a press conference were held 30 minutes apart outside and within the complex, respectively.
Joe Concannon, chairman of the Queens Village Republican Club, led the latter with approximately 100 people outside the playground of PS 18, which is directly across the street from the campus at Hillside Avenue and Avenue C.
“The chickens have come to roost,” said Concannon. “We have to make a very strong stance against this for our community. It doesn’t just affect the BelleroseQueens Village community. As some of you have seen, we now have a homeless encampment at CVS in Bellerose Commons. A guy just lives there.”
Bellerose Commons is the shopping center at 251-01 Jericho Tpke.
“Why did this happen?” Concannon said. “Who gave them permission? We did. We gave them permission. We said that it was perfectly OK for [Mayor] Adams, de Blasio, for Schumer, for Hochul, Nadler, Ocasio and all of these Democrats to do this.”
Concannon then told the moderate Democrats in the crowd to “wake up” if they think the migrant situation will go away on its own and offered to register them as Republicans.
“You want to change your party registration, we can accommodate
you for that,” he said. “I’m not kidding. You are nuts if you think this is something normal.”
Joe Cohen, a resident of Bellerose Manor and board member of the Rocky Hill Civic Association, said the gathering should not focus on politics.
“This is for our neighborhood,” Cohen said.
Bernard Chow, a Republican candidate for City Council District 23, said there needs to be a more balanced government and led a chant for “No tent cities.”
Deneille Loprete of Bellerose Manor does not want tents at Creedmoor because it is near several schools.
Along with PS 18, Creedmoor is near the Parsons Preschool at 23-10 Hillside Ave. and Martin Van Buren High School at 230-17 Hillside Ave., in Queens Village.
“What they are intending to do here, we knew nothing about that,” said Loprete, who is the treasurer of the Rocky Hill Civic Association. “We have one of the largest police precincts. The 105 covers an area that is ridiculous. They can’t keep up with this and now they are going to have more.”
For more than 40 years, people within the 105th Precinct’s coverage area have asked for a an additional precinct because of slow response times. A 116th Precinct is underway to cover Springfield Gardens, Rosedale, Laurelton and Brookville in 2024.
Kat Washell of Bellerose said that she wouldn’t treat a dog the way the migrants are being treated
by having them live in tents on a parking lot during a heat wave.
“What are you going to do with 1,000 migrants?” Washell said. “Wouldn’t you get bored if they sat you in a tent during 100 degrees weather?”
Donna Sorrentino of Floral Park said that she sees the area becoming congested and dirty.
“It’s not conducive to have 1,000 men in a neighborhood with so many children and schools,” Sorrentino said. “It’s going to become a very nasty place and our children shouldn’t have to be exposed to this environment.”
As police thwarted protesters from attending the press conference at the Creedmoor complex, members of a SNAP senior facility — no relation to the SNAP food
stamp program — within the campus’ fourth building joined civic leaders and elected officials also in opposition to the tent city.
Bryan Block, chairman of Community Board 13, said that Eastern Queens already has two shelters on Jericho Turnpike.
“They shouldn’t have to accept any more,” Block said. “This isn’t fair to the seniors. Where are they supposed to go? Yes, we understand the migrants having problems, but we have to take care of our own folks.”
Aracelia Cook, president of the 149th Street South Ozone Park Civic Association, said the situation is not fair.
“It’s not right,” Cook said. “The mayor, the governor and Biden have to be held accountable and we have some next steps for them. We as civic associations are a force to be reckoned with. They are disrespectful and don’t engage with the community, but engage with us when they want our votes. OK, I’ll remember that.”
Lourdes Villanueva Hartrick, president of the Bellerose Commonwealth Civic Association, said she is not a “not in my backyard” type, but feels that the sites chosen to house migrants have not been thought through.
“We are our brothers’ keepers,” Villanueva Hartrick said. “The migrants that are coming should have the services that they need. Basic services. I’ve been told that there are going to be nice showers and toilets and not porta-potties, which is great, but this is not the best place for them.”
Councilwoman Linda Lee
(D-Oakland Gardens) said the opposition to the tent city is not xenophobia.
“This senior center is a gem in our district,” Lee said. “We are here because there are major, major concerns about how this operation is going to impact the operations at not just SNAP, but TSI NY, which provides social services on Creedmoor campus as well. We also have the folks from Preller field who run the baseball little league here.”
Lee went on to further say that Creedmoor doesn’t make sense as a site for a tent city.
“We stand with you,” she said to the seniors, who have safety concerns.
State Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing) said that Creedmoor is not the place to dump 1,000 people.
At least 750 men are expected to live there, but Lee is working on getting a confirmation on that number from the mayor today.
“There are many office buildings in Manhattan and the other boroughs that have space,” Stavisky said. “That is more humane ... the infrastructure is just not there. The air conditioning, the heating ... this is a lose, lose situation.”
Gabby Romain, 78, a senior who utilizes the facility, said she no longer takes the bus there because there are people who use drugs at the intersection of Hillside Avenue and Rance Street, and she foresees a bigger security issue with the migrants.
“Now they are going to put more people that we don’t know there,” Romain said. Q
“It’s going to become a very nasty place.”
—Donna SorrentinoJoe Concannon, president of the Queens Village Republican Club, led a protest with approximately 100 people against the housing of up to 1,000 migrants at the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center on Thursday, July 27, outside PS 18 in Queens Village. PHOTOS BY NAEISHA ROSE Senior citizens who utilize Building 4 at the Creedmoor campus, say they have security concerns about migrants being housed there. State Sen. Toby Stavisky and Councilwoman Linda Lee are also against migrants at Creedmoor.
Social Security expands outreach and access for SSI
by Eryn ZayasSocial Security has expanded its outreach to people in critical need of financial help who may be eligible for Supplemental Security Income. SSI provides monthly payments to adults age 65 and older or to other adults — and children — with a disability or blindness who have limited income and financial resources. SSI helps pay for basic needs like rent, food, clothing and medicine.
We identified underserved communities in rural and urban areas across the country. We focused on areas with the greatest decline in SSI applications since the pandemic. Our outreach efforts targeted areas where a majority of people are living at or below the federal poverty threshold.
People who receive SSI may qualify for other financial help, including Supplemental Nutrition A ssistance Program or SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps), Medicaid and discounted internet service through the Federal Trade Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program. Social Security beneficiaries may also
be eligible for SSI.
People with limited income and financial resources and internet access can visit ssa.gov / ssi to learn more about SSI eligibility and request an appointment to apply for benefits. People without access to the internet can call our National 800 phone line at (800) 772-1213 to speak with a representative.
Please share this information with your friends and family to spread the word about SSI. P
Eryn Zayas is a Social Security Public Affairs Specialist located in Queens.
by Stephen McGrawRetirement is not one-size-fits-all. It can mean different things to different people. Perhaps you have not applied for Social Security retirement benefits because you’re still working or are delaying applying so you can get the higher benefit.
If you’re age 70 or older, you should apply now for the benefits you’re owed. Your benefits will not increase if you continue to delay applying for them because you are 70 or older.
Did you know that you can receive benefits even if you still work? Your earnings can increase your monthly benefit amount – even after you start receiving benefits.
Each year that you work, we check your earnings record. It’s possible your latest year of earnings is one of your highest 35 years. If so, we will automatically recalculate your benefit amount and pay you any increase due.
You can claim your retirement benefits now. The best and easiest way to apply is with a personal “my Social Security” account. You can create your free account on our web-
site. Once you create your account, you can get an estimate of how much you might receive each month based on when you want to start receiving benefits and then apply.
In your account, you can also:
• access our publications — like the fact sheet for workers ages 70 and up;
• find your Full Retirement Age; learn about benefits for your spouse and family members;
• apply for benefits; and
• manage your benefits once you start receiving them.
We’re here to help you secure today and tomorrow and we invite you to learn more about applying for retirement benefits on our website.
Please share this blog with your friends and family – and post it on social media. P
Stephen McGraw is Acting Deputy Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications, Social Security Administration.Protect your vision: UV exposure and eye health
Ultraviolet radiation from the sun can prove harmful to the skin. UV rays have been linked to the formation of various skin cancers, including the dangerous melanoma. However, UV exposure also can cause issues elsewhere in the body, including the eyes.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology says everyone’s eyes are at risk of damage from UV light, regardless of their age or skin pigmentation. But some people are at higher risk. Children are included in the elevated risk group because they often play outside. Some studies also show that people with eye diseases like retinal dystrophy or those who underwent surgery for cataracts may be at higher risk for sun damage.
UV light and eye disease
UV light damages cells in the eyes, particularly in the retina. The Cleveland Clinic says the retina is responsible for capturing light that enters the eye and translates it into the images you see. If the retina becomes damaged, vision can be
impaired or even lost. Here are some additional eye diseases associated with UV radiation.
• Photokeratitis: This is the equiv-
alent of a sunburn on the surface of the eye. While it can occur during the summer, the sun reflecting off of snow or light-colored pavement also
can contribute to photokeratitis at other times of the year.
• Cataracts: UVB radiation can harm the lens of the eye and damage proteins. Over time, these proteins can clump together to form cataracts.
• Conjunctival cancer: This is a form of cancer that forms on the surface of the eye, known as the conjunctiva.
• Macular degeneration: This is the leading cause of vision loss among older people, according to NVision Eye Centers. The macula is the center of the retina. If this area becomes damaged, central vision will be compromised.
Protect vision
It’s easy to protect the eyes from UV rays. Individuals with blue or green eyes should keep in mind that they are at a high risk of UV damage. However, everyone should take precautions.
Look for sunglasses that protect against UVA and UVB rays, offering 99 to 100 percent protection, or a
UV400 rating. UVA rays harm central vision, while UVB rays can damage the front of the eye. Sunglasses should be worn when spending time outdoors.
Sunglasses are available in all sizes, even for kids. Wraparound styles may protect the eyes and sides of the face.
Wearing a wide-brimmed hat also can protect the eyes by filtering harmful light. Select a hat with a broad, dark brim that shades the eyes and reduces glare, advises the National Eye Institute.
Consider the use of UV-blocking contact lenses. Some contact lenses offer UV protection, which can be an added precaution when used with sunglasses.
Another way to avoid UV eye risks is to stay away from tanning booths, mercury vapor lights and some types of halogen or fluorescent lights. Speak with an eye professional about UV eye damage and other ways to mitigate risk. P
— Metro Creative Connection
A unique Jewish community in Astoria
Ashreynu works to encourage a love of Judaism, regardless of sect or affiliation
by Kristen Guglielmo Associate EditorThe Hebrew word Ashreynu opens a sentence from morning prayers. It stems from the Hebrew word “osher” which means, among other things, happy and satisfied.
Ashreynu is also the name of a pluralistic kehillah (a Jewish community) in Astoria, founded by Rabbi Jonathan Pearl, along with his wife, Rebbetzin Judy Pearl, daughter, Ayelet Pearl, as well as Stephanie Luxenberg and Cynthia Groopman.
“I became a rabbi a little over a quarter of a century ago,” Rabbi Pearl explained. “And one of the things that I’ve done is try to revive synagogues that had known some good times and were seeing challenging times. I would come in and bring them back to life through the core idea of a sincere and passionate love of Judaism, which is what I’m all about.”
In 2022, Ashreynu opened in Astoria. It has a social media following of around 500 people, while 50 to 100 attend its events and services.
“I wanted to found a place that didn’t have the weightedness that some formal established congregations might have in terms of politics that go on in synagogues,” Pearl said. “I wanted to found a place that was based on the idea that there is this rich tapestry of culture and wisdom, teaching, learning and engagement, that we can present without having to worry about who is in charge or things that feel weighed down. What defines us is this true, authentic, sincere, passionate love of Judaism.”
The rabbi, of course, is not unaware of social changes in the Jewish community. Even Queens, which has residents from all walks of life, has seen a number of reform and conservative synagogues downsizing or closing. Orthodox ones are growing in some neighborhoods, such as those
with sizable Bukharian populations. Additionally, anti-Semitism has become more prevalent in recent years, even rearing its ugly head on college campuses.
“There’s a lot going on all over the world, it’s not just in Queens, or in any particular state or country,” Pearl said. “And these things affect people in different ways. Anti-Semitism is a very old disease. It’s nothing new. And I don’t think anybody has an answer for it.”
However, the rabbi has his own way of taking on the challenge.
“Do we try to correct people’s misinformed views, whether it’s about Jews, about Israel, whatever it might be? Of course. But I think at the heart of all of that lies our sense of dignity and our sense of feeling good, knowledgeable and connected about who we are as people, as individual Jews, as a community.
Ashreynu just falls within that context of sharing this wonderment of what Judaism is, and living our lives with a focus on doing the best we can as human beings, which is what God wants us to do.”
Ashreynu does not adhere to one specific sect of Judaism — so where does it fit?
“In terms of the various sects of Judaism, for a while I have not been one who has allegiance to any particular label or movement. The only allegiance I have to a label is being Jewish. When someone says to me, ‘What kind of rabbi are you?’ I say, ‘A Jewish rabbi,’” Pearl said.
“It’s not the labels that tell me much about a person’s character, about their direction in life, about what’s important in Judaism. It’s a label. Sometimes it can help one
define who they are. I’m not saying it doesn’t. I’m not saying the movements don’t have some wonderful things or not so wonderful things, like anybody or everybody,” he clarified.
“But when I went to rabbinical school, at a certain point it became very clear that I wanted to be a rabbi to people who want to be Jewish, and love being Jewish, whatever their background is, whatever their affiliation.”
Ashreynu also has a school, Maskit Hebrew School, which teaches through project-based learning. Students can enroll in Maskit as early as toddlerhood.
“What we wanted to accomplish is
to make the children love being at the synagogue, and make it a place where they feel at home, where they feel loved, where they love being and where they love identifying as the Jews that they are,” Pearl said.
The school’s primary educators are Ayelet Pearl and Luxenberg, who are dedicated to their teachings, which are heavily inspired by creativity and identity, with both women having a background in the arts.
“I think we really focus on Jewish heritage and Jewish identity. We want to build Jewish literacy and skills in Hebrew and in ritual, and in a lot of the day to day stuff,” Ayelet Pearl said. “But our primary way of approaching it is seeing each kid as a full person who’s bringing so much history and so much community.
“We have a range of neurodiversity in our student body, so we really try to meet the needs of as many stu-
dents as possible.”
The congregation itself also leans heavily on art, music and creativity, with its website stating, “Music is an essential element driving the heartbeat of Ashreynu.”
“Putting a Jewish lens on things that people see in all facets of their life, like art and music and community, just feels really authentic to people’s experiences,” Ayelet said. Ashreynu is on a brief summer break, but has one event coming up later this month and will resume services in September. Details may be found at ashreynu.org,
“Everybody is welcome to come to us,” Pearl said. “We are a congregation that wants people to come in with no agenda, and no politics. The only thing I want people to come in with is to love being Jewish, or to learn to love being Jewish. Because that’s what we do here.” Q
“The only allegiance I have to a label is being Jewish.”—
Rabbi Jonathan PearlA music-filled Friday night service welcoming Shabbat at Ashreynu. PHOTOS COURTESY ASHREYNU Rabbi Jonathan Pearl blowing the shofar at a Rosh Hashanah service, left; an outdoor Ashreynu concert of world Jewish music at the Bier & Cheese Collective; and Rabbi Pearl sharing the special Shabbat challah with eager congregants. by Kristen Guglielmo
The end of summer is rapidly approaching, and with it, your chance to take advantage of the season’s best outdoor family-friendly activities in Queens.
You’ll find a few in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, which offers two locations of Wheel Fun Rentals, a nationwide bicycle and boat rental service. One location is on the northern end of Meadow Lake and the other just off David Dinkins Circle, near the east end of the tennis complex.
I took an excursion of my own, bringing a loved one along to the Meadow Lake location, and was greeted by a variety of cycles: surreys, coupes, tan-
dem bikes and others. Farther into the distance, a lineup of boating options was set up, containing both pedal craft (which come equipped with canopies to shield the sun) and kayaks.
Wheel Fun Rentals New York Area manager Michael Posniak and location manager Daniel Giorgi were ready to assist and answer any questions.
“We’ve been here for eight years,” Posniak said. “We keep getting renewed to come back. It makes us happy that the community is used to us here. There’s not too much boating going on in New York — it’s a Long Island thing, but you don’t have to go to Long Island for that experience.”
Wheel Fun Rentals has indeed become a part of the community, even engaging in charity work. It
supports Big Brothers Big Sisters by offering free rentals to volunteers and the children they mentor. The program, named “Biking & Boating Buddies,” was founded in 2006 and has continued to grow, according to the Wheel Fun website, wheelfunrentals.com.
“Many people prefer to spend time outdoors doing something fun that is also healthy exercise, and riding a surrey bike with friends and family, while pedaling together as a team, is a very special experience,” Posniak said.
After weighing my options, I opted for the single surrey cycle, which thankfully had a canopy to shield against the 90 degree heat.
continued on page 25
King Crossword Puzzle
I HAVE OFTEN WALKED
John Frankenheimer found his calling in films
by Ron Marzlock Chronicle ContributorWalter Frankenheimer was born Sept. 20, 1893 into a wealthy Jewish family with five servants. He became a successful stockbroker and married a Irish Catholic woman named Helen Mary Sheedy on Feb. 20, 1929. Their first child, John Michael Frankenheimer, was born on Feb. 17, 1930. Another son and daughter followed. They all settled down into a gorgeous home in the exclusive Malba section of Whitestone at 30 Boulevard Drive. John graduated from LaSalle Military Academy on Long Island and was captain of the tennis team and he considered a tennis career.
He got a job for CBS and directed 140 episodes of Playhouse 90. He found his calling and graduated to Hollywood film. He married Carolyn Miller in 1954. He specialized in social dramas and suspense, directing “Birdman of Alcatraz,” “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Seven Days in May” and “The Train” to name only a few.
He remarried in 1963 to actress Evans Evans. His last film in 2002, “Path to War,” for HBO was nominated for several awards. He passed away suddenly at age 72 from a stroke following back surgery. His mark on the film industry will never pass away and his films are still popular today, viewed by a new generation of fans. Q
Jamaica author writes kids’ book about drugs
by Naeisha Rose AssociateEditor
Khalilah Morris, author of “A Feen’s Family,” a story about a woman overcoming her drug addiction, released a new book last month.
“This is Why We Say No!,” illustrated by Valerie J. Pacheco, can be found at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and her website afeens family.godaddysites.com.
It is 28 pages and meant for kids ages 4 to 12.
“This is my first children’s book,” Morris told the Chronicle. “It’s a book about why children should say no to drugs.”
Morris,
Morris, a lifelong Jamaica resident, says she wrote the book after learning from several tweens who live in the neighborhood that older kids were approaching them about trying pills. “They are offering them fentanyl pills and K-2,” she said. “They come in pink,
blue and a lavenderish color. They are making them look like candy.”
K-2 is synthetic marijuana designed to mimic the effects of THC, the main psychoactive component of weed, and it is often marketed under the guise of potpourri or herbal incense.
The designer cannabinoids have adverse effects, which include elevated heart rates, elevated blood pressure, unconsciousness, tremors, seizures, vomiting, hallucinations, agitation, anxiety, pallor, numbness and tingling, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Fentanyl has similar side effects and can also result in death.
“I wrote this to inspire our youth to be comfortable with saying no to anyone who approaches them about drugs,” Morris added.
SPORTS EAT
Scherzer shocker; JV too
by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle ContributorMets first baseman Pete Alonso succinctly summed things up when he was approached by the media Saturday night for his reaction to the Mets dealing future Hall of Fame pitcher Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers following an 11-6 loss to the Washington Nationals. “It is shocking. If they can trade someone with a no-trade clause in his contract, then they can trade anyone!”
Scherzer made headlines the night before when reporters asked about the trade of closer David Robertson to the Miami Marlins, division rivals, for A-ball minor league prospects infielder Marco Vargas and catcher Ronald Hernandez. “I am going to have a conversation with ownership and management about the future direction of this team,” he replied to a surprised media.
His statement did not go over well with fans, and obviously, ownership. It would have been different had a beloved, long-tenured Mets player (think David Wright if he were still active) made a request for a seat at the table when it came to organizational decision-making. Although Scherzer will have a plaque in Cooperstown soon, he was only with the Mets for less than two years.
There may be a defense for Scherzer’s chutzpah. He was obviously worried about playing for a team that did not see itself as a World Series contender either this year or next. Scherzer has also long been a public face of the Major League
BBaseball Players Association. He surely received texts from players on other teams who are concerned Mets owner Steve Cohen might be morphing into a penny pincher reminiscent of the Wilpon family, the Mets’ former owners.
One of those nervous players was teammate and fellow Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander. Following his fine Sunday performance against the Washington Nationals in which he earned his 250th career win, he also expressed displeasure at the direction the Mets were taking.
Two days later, the Mets traded Verlander to the Houston Astros for minor league outfield prospects Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford.
It is bad enough the Mets, with their $345 million payroll, are one of the great disappointment stories in sports history. Compounding matters is the fact long-time rebuilding and low payroll teams like the Marlins, Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles are all having terrific seasons.
None of this is lost on Cohen. At his late June press conference, he admitted the farm system is in shambles. He blamed the Wilpons for their failure to invest in player development. He was especially irked at the paucity of quality starting pitchers on the club’s minor league teams.
The remaining two months of the 2023 season will not be fun, but it will be a chance for younger talent to get necessary playing time. Q
See the extended version of Sports Beat every week at qchron.com.
Khalilah
a Jamaica native, has written a new book to encourage kids to say no to drugs.The childhood home of John Frankenheimer, 30 Boulevard Drive in the Malba section of Whitestone, as it looked in the 1940s when he lived there. INSET BY LIFE MAGAZINE VIA WIKIPEDIA
Tough themes and tight runtimes mark Secret fest
by Mark Lord qboro contributorWhile many theater companies are having a difficult time post-Covid raising their curtains on new productions, the intrepid folks over at The Secret Theatre in Woodside are presenting 52 — count ’em — 52 works during a monthlong festival of short plays, running through Aug. 19.
The Act One: One Act Festival has become a tradition over the past decade or so, introducing plays by unknown authors to theatergoers seeking fresh voices and new perspectives on a wide variety of themes.
This year’s event, which kicked off July 18, drew no fewer than 130 entries from locations near and far, including from several writers who call the borough home.
Richard Mazda, the Secret’s artistic director, believes festivals such as this are “vital.” He pointed out that it is very difficult to get big theater companies to produce short plays, particularly if the authors are unknown. “They deserve a platform,” he said.
He hopes relationships will be forged between his theater company and up-and-coming writers. And in a festival like this, “We get to see so many great directors.”
The plays featured in this year’s festival bear such titillating titles as “Dirty Laundry,” “Trump’s Big Announcement,” “Conversations with Body Language,” “Midnight Cowboy Radio” and “Sex in the Park.”
Curator Brian Leahy Doyle said he likes plays “that tell a story, that provide good opportunities for actors and directors, and that can entertain an audience.”
He pointed out that “the short play format is really tricky because a writer needs to create a time or place or situation
and characters who inhabit that situation within a short period of time.”
The festival features a wide variety of genres: comedy, drama, farce, political satire, experimental work, even oneperson shows from writers ranging in age from their teens into their seventies, according to Doyle.
Doyle’s personal preference is for comedies.
“But even if a play is a comedy, it should have a dramatic element, something that makes the audience care about the characters,” he said.
Festivals such as this can provide audiences with innovative evenings at the theater. Mazda also sees other advantages.
A short play might provide an actor with the first leading role of a burgeoning career, he explained. An actor just out of college might get a small part in a full-length play or a more important role in a short play that can really show off what he can do, he added.
Mazda is proud of his theater’s reputation as a “pretty liberal” company. For one thing, “We don’t censor,” he said. “There could be some pretty relevant adult material” among the plays on the stage of the Secret.
But, he is quick to point out, “We are mindful that we’re looking for quality rather than subject matter” when selecting plays for festivals such as this one. “We do challenging material.”
The festival is a friendly competition that allows audiences to vote for their favorite plays. Eventually, eight will move on to the final round. Awards will be presented at the closing event, which will include a free BBQ for festival participants as well as the audience in attendance that day.
The festival continues at The Secret Theatre (38-02 61 St., Woodside) through Aug. 19, with different programs in rotation.
Regular adult tickets are $23 in advance or $25 at the door. Tickets for students, seniors and children are $15. For more information, visit secrettheatre.com. Q
Have some real fun at Wheel Fun Rentals
continued from page 23
The single surrey can seat three people, in addition to two small children in the front basket. It comes equipped with brakes, two sets of pedals, two steering wheels (one being nonfunctional, perfect for kids) and a bell that acts as a horn.
After a quick instructional tutorial from Giorgi (don’t forget to learn how the brakes work), I referenced the map attached to the bike’s dashboard, which
Crossword Answers
details where one can go.
There is a lot of freedom in the route, so long as you don’t wander off onto the Van Wyck or Long Island expressway.
Along the way, you will find many residents biking as well, either solo or with others on a surrey. You’ll also see others sitting down in grassy, benched areas with friends and family.
There’s music playing, and a nearby café to grab a bite to eat. Some riders have speakers on their bikes as well, to listen to their own music.
I made sure to take a moment to rest in the shade and sip some water. Both were highly encouraged by Giorgi, especially in the heat of summer.
By the end of the allotted hour, I was sufficiently tired but content. Biking is a workout, but it was lovely to exercise and bond with someone in an open, visually pleasing environment like Meadow Lake.
Next time, perhaps, I’ll opt for a pedal boat for a trip onto the lake itself.
Whatever you try, Wheel Fun Rentals is surely worth a visit before it gets too cold and it closes for the year. Q
Astoria resident Patrick R. and his family enjoy a surrey ride. Top right: Wheel Fun manager Daniel Giorgi, left, with employees Jason Guerra and Andrew Velez. Right: One of many boat rental options. On the cover: The author takes a ride on a surrey.
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The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual’s sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy
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BY VIRTUE OF AN EXECUTION ISSUED OUT OF THE SUPREME COURT, NASSAU COUNTY, in favor of CHICAGO TITLE INSURANCE COMPANY, and against ISAIAH MOULTRIE a/k/a GERALD ISAIAH MOULTRIE, to me directed and delivered, I WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION, by Dennis Alestra DCA# 0840217., auctioneer, as the law directs, FOR CASH ONLY, on the 6th day of September, 2023, at 2:00 PM, at: QUEENS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, 30-10 STARR AVENUE, LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11101 in the county of QUEENS all the right, title and interest which ISAIAH MOULTRIE a/k/a GERALD ISAIAH MOULTRIE, the judgment debtor(s), had on the 19th day of February, 2019, or at any time thereafter, of, in and to the following properties:
Address: 25-47 Beach Channel Drive, Far Rockaway, NY 11691 Block: 15785 Lot: 4
PARCEL A FORMER TAX LOT 1
ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Queens, City and State of New York, designated on the Tax Map of the City of New York, for the Borough of Queens, as said Tax Map was on April 11, 1978 as Block 15785 Lot 1.
PARCEL B FORMER TAX LOT 4
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, known and designated on a certain map entitled “Map of Ocean Crest Villa Sites, belonging to Mrs. Ann Norten, situate in the Village of Far Rockaway, N.Y. Thomas V. Smith, surveyed 07/19/86 in the Clerk of the County of Queens, 10/19/86 as Map No. 189 and by Lot Nos. 109 and 110, bounded and described as follows:
BEGINNING at a point on the Southerly side of Dickens Avenue (Franklin Avenue) distant 445 feet Westerly from the corner formed by the intersection of the Southerly side of Dickens Avenue with the Westerly side of Beach 25th Street (Cedar Avenue) as both of said street are now laid out on the Topographical Map of the City of New York;
RUNNING THENCE Southerly on a line parallel with the Westerly side of Beach 25th Street, 91.70 feet;
THENCE Westerly 50.01 feet to a point on a line running parallel to the Westerly side of Beach 25th Street, which point is distant 92.70 feet from the Southerly side of Dickens Avenue;
RUNNING THENCE Northerly and again on a line parallel with the Westerly side of Beach 25th Street, 92.70 feet to the Southerly side of Dickens Avenue;
RUNNING THENCE Easterly along the Southerly side of Dickens Avenue, 50.0 feet to the point or place of BEGINNING
DEPUTY SHERIFF V. LEONETTI 523LEONETTIV@SHERIFF.NYC.GOV
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LOST TITLE APPLICATION
NO.: 2484802
17 July, 2023
OFFICE OF TITLES
NOTICE PURSUANT TO SECTION 82 OF THE REGISTRATION OF TITLES ACT (RTA)
WHEREAS the applicant(s) in the above stated application has/ have declared that the following duplicate Certificate of Title has been lost, I HEREBY GIVE NOTICE that I intend to cancel the said Certificate of Title and issue a new one in duplicate fourteen days after the last publication of this advertisement.
Volume: 1098
Folio: 129
Lot#: 168
Place: Part of Cromarty
Parish: St. Catherine
Registered proprietor{s): Richard Scott And Anthony Scott
L. Dunbar, Deputy Registrar of Titles
Notice is hereby given that an On-Premises Tavern Wine License, Serial #1353997 has been applied for by Birdies and Bogeys LLC d/b/a Birdies & Bogeys to sell beer, wine and cider at retail in a Tavern. For on-premises consumption under the ABC Law at 128-16 14th Avenue, College Point, NY 11356.
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.
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.
65TH ROAD DEVELOPMENT, LLC Articles of Org. fi led NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 7/11/23.
Offi ce in Queens Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 102-10 66th Rd., Unit 24D, Forest Hills, NY 11375, which is also the principal business location.
Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of 70TH ROAD, LLC Arts. of Org. fi led with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/19/23. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543.
Purpose: Any lawful activity.
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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
Notice of Formation of APRD LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 07/21/2023. 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: APRD C/O ASHLEY, 9511 64TH ROAD, APT. 11B, REGO PARK, NY 11374. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, NYCTL 19982 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
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
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OPEN HOUSE
Sunday, August 6th, 1-4 PM
RIDGEFIELD PARK, NJ
28 Edison Street
Updated Colonial / Open Plan: LR to DR to Quartz Countered Kitchen. 3 Bedrooms, 2 Modern Baths. 3rd Floor Offi ce / Study. Fenced Yard / Garage. $469,000
www.russorealestate.com (201) 837-8800
Co-ops For Sale
Howard Beach/Lindenwood, Fairfield Arms Bldg, 51-20 88 St. Unit 3F. 2 BR, 2 bath plus terr. Asking $247,500. Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136
Howard Beach/Lindenwood / Fairfield Arms, 51-20 88 St. (High-Rise). 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
Storage Space
Howard Beach, storage space for rent on Crossbay Blvd. 200 sq ft. Call Vito 718-738-2300
To Advertise Call 718-205-8000
Legal Notices
Double R One LLC, Arts of Org. fi led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 5/18/2023.
Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 10822 Inwood St., Jamaica, NY 11435. General Purpose
Notice of Formation: EF 2023 Realty, LLC, Art. Of Org. fi led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/12/2022. Offi ce Loc.: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 142-38 37th Ave., 1C, Flushing, NY 11354 Purpose: Any lawful activity.
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.
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.
Legal Notices Legal Notices
SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS AND NOTICE–SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, COUNTY OF QUEENS – PHH MORTGAGE CORPORATION, Plaintiff, -against- KAREN BINGER, AS HEIR, DEVISEE, DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF HERBERT BINGER, DECEASED; EARL BINGER AKA HERBERT BINGER, AS HEIR, DEVISEE, DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF HERBERT BINGER, DECEASED; JULIA CHARLES, AS HEIR, DEVISEE, DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF HERBERT BINGER, DECEASED; ANY AND ALL KNOWN AND UNKNOWN HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES AND ALL OTHER PARTIES CLAIMING AND INTEREST BY, THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST THE ESTATE OF HERBERT BINGER, DECEASED; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; NEW YORK STATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CORPORATION; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; CARLENE
“DOE” (REFUSED LAST NAME) AS JOHN DOE #1” and JOHN DOE (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #2 through #4, DefendantsIndex No. 711735/2022 Plaintiff Designates Queens County as the Place of Trial. The Basis of Venue is that the subject action is situated in Queens County. To the above named Defendants–YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff’s Attorney(s) within 20 days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York); and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. That this Supplemental Summons is being fi led pursuant to an order of the court dated May 26, 2023. 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 fi led this foreclosure proceeding against you and fi ling 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 (PHH MORTGAGE CORPORATION) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of the Honorable Timothy J. Duffi cy, J.S.C. Dated: May 26, 2023 Filed: May 31, 2023. The object of this action is to foreclose a mortgage and covering the premises known as 257 Fernside Place, Far Rockaway, NY 11691. Dated: June 27, 2023 Filed: June 28, 2023 Greenspoon Marder LLP, Attorney for Plaintiff, By: Meir Weiss, Esq., 590 Madison Avenue, Suite 1800, New York, NY 10022 P: (212) 524-5000 F: (212) 524-5050 No Service by fax) Service purposes only: Trade Centre South 100 W. Cypress Creek Road, Suite 700, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 P: (888) 491-1120 F: (954) 343-6982
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
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 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.
Notice of Formation of STEER STATECRAFT LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/28/2023. 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: ALLISON PETERS, 86-15 AVA PLACE, 1H, JAMAICA, NY 11432. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of STYLISH PRINT LLC Arts. of Org. fi led with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/13/23. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 3737 88th St., D10, Jackson Heights, NY 11372. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Formation of Torregoza Legal PLLC. Arts. of Org. fi led with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/09/23. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: InCorp Services, Inc., One Commerce Plaza –99 Washington Ave., Suite 805A, Albany, NY 12210-2822. Purpose: to practice the profession of law.
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS Index No.: 709337/2022 Date Filed: 7/19/2023, THIRD SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS. Plaintiff designates Queens County as the Place of Trial Designation of Venue is based upon the situs of the Subject Property Subject Property: 42-55 78th Street,Elmhurst, NY 11373 HSBC Bank USA, National Association, as Trustee for Fremont Home Loan Trust 2005-E, Mortgage Backed Certificates, Series 2005-E, Plaintiff, -against- Any Unknown heirs, devisees, distributees or successors in interest of the late Begum Rezia Miah, if they be living or if they be dead, their spouses, heirs, devisees, distributees and successors in interest, all of whom and whose names and places of residence are unknown to Plaintiff; Barshn Miah, unknown heirs at law of Mohammed T. Miah and if they be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or generally 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 who and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; New York City Environmental Control Board; United States of America; New York City Parking Violations Bureau; New York State Department of Taxation and Finance; Household Finance Corp Ill; Velocity Investments LLC; Citibank N.A.; FIA Card Services, N.A.; United States of America Department of Internal Revenue Services, “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the Subject Property described in the Complaint, Defendants. TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance on the Plaintiff’s Attorney within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within thirty (30) days after the service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York) in the event the United States of America is made a party defendant, the time to answer for the said United States of America shall not expire until sixty (60) days after service of the Summons; and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint.
TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: The foregoing Summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Hon. Timothy J. Dufficy, a Justice of the Supreme Court, Queens County, entered July 13, 2023 and filed with the complaint and other papers in the Queens County Clerk’s Office. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is to foreclose a Mortgage recorded on Nov. 29, 2005 in the Public Records of the County of Queens, State of New York at CRFN 2005000659440, covering premises k/a 42-55 78th Street, Elmhurst, NY 11373 a/k/a Block 1524, Lot 67. 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: April 25, 2023 Rochester, NY Logs Legal Group LLP F/K/A Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC, By: Steven M. Palmer, Esq. Attorneys for Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 Telephone: (585) 247-9000 Our File No. 18-077505 #100625
SECOND SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS Supreme Court of New York, Queens County. U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR TRUMAN 2021 SC9 TITLE TRUST, Plaintiff, -against- THE UNKNOWN HEIRS-AT-LAW, next-of-kin, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignees, lienors, creditors and successors in interest and generally all persons having or claiming, under, by or through the decedents BLOSSOM MEDLEY and BERYL BARHAM, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise, any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein; LLOYD ALLEN; FRANK ALLEN; AYESHIA HILLARD; AUDIE ROBINSON; WAYNE MEDLEY; HORTELL BARHAM; ANDREW BARHAM; DEAN O. BARHAM, if living, and if he/she be deceased, 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; STATE OF NEW YORK; THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (EASTERN DISTRICT); CRIMINAL COURT OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE TAX COMPLIANCE DIVISION; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; TIFFANY MILES; DWAIN MEDLEY; TEVIN MEDLEY; “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #10” inclusive the names of the ten last name Defendants being fictitious, real names unknown to the Plaintiff, the parties intended being persons or corporations having an interest in, or tenants or persons in possession of, portions of the mortgaged premises described in the Complaint, Defendants Index No. 719213/2019. Mortgaged Premises: 146-28 220th Street Springfield Gardens, NY 11413 Block: 13453 Lot: 116. To The Above Named Defendant(s): YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the in this action and to serve a copy of your Answer or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a Notice of Appearance upon the Plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the date of service or within thirty (30) days after the service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York. If you fail to so appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECTIVE of the above captioned action is to foreclose on a Mortgage to secure $95,000.00 and interest, recorded in the Queens County Clerk’s Office on May 16, 2005 in CRFN 2005000283571, covering the premises known as 146-28 220th Street, Springfield Gardens, NY 11413. The relief sought herein is a final judgment directing sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the mortgage described above. Plaintiff designates Queens County as the place of trial. Venue is based upon the County in which the mortgaged premises is located.
NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME
If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. FRIEDMAN VARTOLO, LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff.
• Lindenwood • Lovely & cozy well lit Co-op unit! Many closets, excellent condition, efficiency kitchen, LR/DR, spacious BR & 1 bath.
security: $20.00, energy surcharge: $7.75 ending December 2023= $815.52. Flip tax is $5/share, 130 shares, cats only.
• Forest Hills • Welcome to this unique studio apt w/ bonus room, currently used as a BR. Comfortably fits a queen-sized bed!!! Mint condition w/beautiful HW flrs,