Queens Chronicle South Edition 08-24-23

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

the Traffi c Mobility Review Board, Special Advisor Juliette Michaelson claimed that other than in Breezy Point, no New Yorker lives in a “transit desert” as defi ned by the environmental assessment on congestion pricing. The board will decide on a fee for drivers, such as those above, going to Manhattan via the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge and other entry points south of 60th Street.

Migrant kids set to enroll in city schools

Parents, educators express concern over resource allocation and staffing

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

New York City is in the midst of a migrant crisis. According to reports, more than 100,000 migrants have arrived in the city since spring 2022. Mayor Adams himself has called it a humanitarian crisis. Other elected officials have spoken out, begging for federal aid, while citizens’ cries of “Close the border” can be seen across social media. Most recently, here in Queens, Creedmoor Psychiatric Center became a new “tent city,” sparking protests.

With the influx of migrants also comes an influx of children who will be enrolling in schools.

Many city schools have been struggling with capacity issues, and while the Department of Education has been adding seats, new mandates like limits for class sizes might make it difficult for the public school system to properly accommodate large quantities of migrant children.

According to the DOE, 4,422 new seats are being added citywide this fall, but it is not yet widely known

how many seats will be needed to accommodate migrant students.

Additionally, potential language barriers could create a dire need for bilingual educators among an ongoing teacher shortage.

The Chronicle reached out to several Queens principals and none were willing to comment on the matter; however, one former educator offered perspective.

“I’m not comfortable with it, nor do I think schools are equipped to handle it,” the former Queens Village middle school teacher told the Chronicle under the condition of anonymity. “How do you make sure that, say, fourth-grade migrant students are on the same level as fourthgrade New Yorkers?” she said.

“Some of these children have no reading or math skills whatsoever.

Do you still enroll them in with the children their age, or do you embarrass them and place them with the kindergartners? Do you create a special class just for kids on their level? There’s so many questions involved, and no clarity.”

Rego Park parent Jean Hahn, head of the group Queens Parents

United and a co-vice president of Parent Leaders for Accelerated Curriculum and Education NYC, offered her insight into potential issues, which include overpopulation in schools and having to adjust staffing due to educational needs.

“I think when parents who aren’t

aware of the situation realize that they are now in direct competition for enrichment programs, special education services and other resources, it’ll be a problem,” Hahn said.

“If afterschool programs are taken away, because now a school might need another ELL teacher to

assist, parents may lose patience. It could become a political problem as well,” she added.

Hahn also suggested there may be some financial redirection in schools — money for clubs an d extracurricular activities may be redirected toward hiring more ELL teachers or tutoring to get new migrant students on track.

Patricia C. of Richmond Hill, a mother of a fourth-grader and a high school freshman, has more of an open mind.

“Empathy is important in situations like these. We need to remember how lucky we are to have access to a good education system. Why should we shame others for seeking it for their children?” she said.

One current teacher from Woodhaven, who did not wish to reveal her identity in fear of retribution, simply said, “It will be fascinating to see how this plays out. I’m concerned for all parties: educators and families of both citizens and migrants.”

Representatives for Schools Chancellor David Banks and the DOE did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Q

With fall looming, the city will see newly arrived migrant students enrolling in schools. There is concern over whether schools are equipped to handle issues that may arise as a result.

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Hundreds attended the event at the intersection of 131 St. and Liberty Ave. Street co-named for Trinidad and Tobago

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

The streets of Little Guyana were awash in red, black and white on Sunday, Aug. 20 as the intersection of 131st Street and Liberty Avenue was co-named for Trinidad and Tobago. The event was hosted by City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica).

According to a press release from Assembly District 31 Democratic Leader Richard David, it is the first Trinidad and Tobago Street anywhere in the world.

The push for a bill to designate Trinidad and Tobago Street was initiated by a committee that included David, as well as community leaders of Trinidadian and Tobagonian descent, including Vijah Ramjattan, president of Community Education Council District 28, Anoop Dhanpat, president of the Trinidadian and Tobagonian Association of USA, and Rose Deonarine, a real estate agent.

Community Board 9 Chair Sherry Algredo said she worked with the speaker to make the designation a reality.

“As the first Trinidadian to serve as a chair of Community Board 9, it was a joy and pride to see this street co-naming of Trinidad and Tobago Street happen. I feel very proud of my very significant role in working with the Speaker of the City Council office to ensure and advocate for this to happen,” Algredo said.

The event was attended by Queens Bor-

The intersection of 131st Street and Liberty Avenue was co-named for Trinidad and Tobago last Sunday. City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, in yellow, hosted the street co-naming event in Richmond Hill.

ough President Donovan Richards, Assemblymembers David Weprin (D-Fresh Meadows) and Khaleel Anderson (D-South Ozone Park), and Justice Karen Gopee, the first Trinbagonian person to be elected to state Supreme Court in New York.

The unveiling also included a steel pan performance and moko jumbies from Tropical Fete, chutney and soca music performances by Stacy Ramoutar and the Ramoutar Family, Rikki Jai, Esther John Ramdeen and the Ramdeen Family, dancer Wendy Kamal and the NK dolls. Global Trinbagonian musician Ravi B flew to New York from Trinidad and Tobago for this unveiling.

“New York City’s Trinbagonian community has contributed immensely to the cultural and economic landscape of our neighborhoods,” said Adams. “I’m proud to represent a vibrant and diverse community in District 28, whose accomplishments and legacies are now officially recognized through the new ‘Trinidad and Tobago

Street’ sign.

“Today’s street co-naming is a significant milestone that celebrates our Trinbagonian families, small businesses, and community organizations that have shaped our city for decades. I am grateful for the partnership of community leaders who helped make this long-sought dream into a reality.” Q

Sanitation concerns seen in South Queens

Woodhaven BID hosts Sanitation Dept., electeds for Jamaica Ave. walkthrough

by Kristen Guglielmo

Associate Editor

Woodhaven Business Improvement District

Executive Director John Perricone hosted a walkthrough of Jamaica Avenue last Thursday with the Department of Sanitation and various officials to help get the corridor cleaner.

Joining in were state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven), Assemblymember Jennifer Rajkumar (D-Woodhaven), Community Board

9 District Manager James McClelland and Phyllis Inserillo, chief of staff for Councilmember Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park).

“The BID decided to host this walkthrough as a way to coordinate the efforts of DSNY, our local elected officials and Community Board 9 to keep Jamaica Avenue clean,” Perricone said, adding that the BID appreciates the collaboration among the various people and groups.

McClelland detailed some of the conditions they observed to the Chronicle.

“Primary issues in terms of sanitation include dumping,” he said. “We do have a litter basket pickup two times a day, but it seems a lot

of people are throwing household trash on the corner, so it’s very difficult to keep up with,” he explained.

During the walkthrough, issues regarding homeless people were also discussed, especially

those staying underneath the trestle on Jamaica Avenue and 100th Street.

“We talked about the need of staying on top of Homeless Services and getting a street team out there, and seeing if they can help these indi-

viduals and maybe get them off the streets,” McClelland said. “So we’re going to be working on that over the next couple of weeks.”

Another issue discussed was the illegal vendors popping up along Jamaica Avenue.

“We’ve been getting calls regarding illegal pop-up vendors,” Addabbo said. “A fruit vendor will open up in front of a fruit store, and we get complaints from the business owner. We’ll go check it out, and the vendor doesn’t have a license.”

Addabbo explained that the vendors are hurting the business owners who do pay rent and utilities, and that both residents and businesses would appreciate the issues being remedied.

He added that Sanitation’s reps made notes of what they had to follow up on, and if theirs was not the proper department to deal with an observed concern, they offered to work with other agencies in aiding the issue.

“It’s helpful when Sanitation gets out there and walks with the electeds, and we visually see the issues that need to be addressed. It’s bet-

South Queens elected officials and community leaders met with the DSNY in a walkthrough hosted by the Woodhaven BID to observe conditions in the area.

PHOTO COURTESY NYS ASSEMBLY

PHOTO COURTESY NYC COUNCIL, ABOVE; PHOTO COURTESY SHERRY ALGREDO, RIGHT

Congestion pricing advisor says only Breezy Point qualifies ‘as defined’ Study finds one boro transit desert: TMRB

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

“Other than Breezy Point, no New Yorker lives within a transit desert — as defined by the environmental assessment.”

That statement about New York City residents from Juliette Michaelson, special advisor to the group that will set the rules, regulations and fees for congestion pricing when it kicks in next spring, drew an audible reaction from the audience at the Aug. 17 meeting of the Traffic Mobility Review Board.

The board is charged, among other things, with setting a base toll of between $9 and $23 for anyone driving into the Manhattan Central Business District beginning early in the second quarter of 2024.

The aims are to reduce the number of vehicles and pollution in Midtown and Downtown Manhattan south of and including 60th Street; and to raise enough money to leverage up to $15 billion in borrowing and grants for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to boost its capital spending program for mass transit.

The environmental assessment that Michaelson referred to was approved by the Federal Highway Administration in June. Her comment came during a discussion of concerns raised at the board’s July meeting about low-income drivers in the New York Metropolitan area who drive into Manhattan because they have no access to public transportation.

A map drawn up in response to those questions and displayed on Aug. 17 showed dots indicating where low-income commuters who are more than half a mile from mass transit. Dots appeared in New Jersey, New York counties north of Manhattan, Connecticut, and all over Nassau and Suffolk counties.

“It might take longer,” she said. “Service might be infrequent at the time of day they are needing to travel. On the other hand, there are also a lot of people represented by dots on this map who can’t walk to transit, but actually do live a short drive from a commuter rail station and may have better access than it appears on this map.”

“And the [map] does not show anything in the five boroughs?” asked Kathryn Wylde, president and CEO of The Partnership for New York City and a member of the TMRB.

“Other than Breezy Point, every census block in the five boroughs is within a half mile of a bus or subway stop,” Michaelson said. “Again, there are many areas in the city where it will take longer to reach the CBD by transit, but the definition here which was asked, is transit desert. This is correct.” That was followed by the observation on Breezy Point, which has a dot on the map.

Two TMRB members — both labor union leaders — had serious reservations about the congestion pricing plan.

‘Even if there’s a way to do it and you’re a low-income driver, you’re now going to incur child care costs — some folks can’t afford it,” said John Samuelsen, president of the

Transit Workers Union International, using examples of lowincome workers who might live in the outer reaches of the outer boroughs.

“You’re going to tack another two hours on their commute ... with all the other costs low-income people can’t afford to begin with and there’s no viable subway option.” Sameulsen added. “Anybody who wants can say they’re not a transit desert because they’re within a half mile from a bus. It depends on the hour of day, because at night some places become transit deserts when they weren’t transit deserts six hours before.

“Express bus service ends in some places in the late afternoon. Not putting service out is really a ridiculous way to embrace an exercise that’s about decongesting the streets. It’s just silly. It doesn’t work.”

John Durso, president of the Long Island Federation of Labor, concurred.

“You’ve mentioned the financial and the congestion, but there’s something else we have to consider. The human toll, how this affects our workforce and everyone else.”

John McCarthy, chief of external relations for the MTA, pointed out that the aim is not to encourage driving.

“Remember, this whole exercise is about decongesting the streets,” he said. “... I don’t think Albany and the state at the time when they passed this law in 2019 thought they wanted more cars to come in here because people wanted that extra 15 minutes in their cars.”

The meeting saw much discussion surrounding possible exemptions for New Jersey drivers who already pay tolls at tunnels; and who would foot the bill for taxi and app-based for-hire vehicles, which would get charged only once per day.

There also were various scenarios for partial discounts for overnight shift workers. Samuelsen in July raised the point that a driver who begins work at 10 p.m. and leaves at 6 a.m. would be charged twice, as the trips would occur on different days.

Under that scenario a person working five straight days would be charged six times. Those not working consecutive days would be charged twice per shift.

Michaelson on a number of occasions came back to the two raisons d’être for congestion pricing — to cut traffic in the CBD by 15 to 20 percent, and to bring in enough revenue to secure the $15 billion in capital funds.

Every discount, every carve-out, she pointed out, would require other drivers to pay more if the MTA and the state are to meet their stated goals.

“So your goal is to keep the toll low while fulfilling the program. Everything is connected to everything else,” she said. “... And it is worth mentioning that adding $8 or $9 to the base auto rate will get the toll close to the upper range of what was analyzed, the infamous $23 toll.”

She said that the higher the toll, the more traffic would be diverted from Manhattan, while also saying that could have neg-

Man, 42, found dead in HB

A 42-year-old male was found deceased at 156th Avenue and 88th Street in Howard Beach on Tuesday morning.

According to police, at approximately 8:56 a.m., units from the 106th Precinct responded to a 911 call of an unconscious man lying on the ground. EMS responded and pronounced the man dead on the scene.

Police at the scene on Tuesday morning. PHOTO COURTESY PJ MARCEL

The incident is tentatively being classi-

fied as an overdose, as drug paraphernalia was found nearby, according to the authorities.

NYPD detectives are continuing to investigate and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. As of Wednesday, the identification of the deceased was being withheld pending family notification. Q

— Kristen Guglielmo

Members of the Transportation Mobility Review Board got tough questions on congestion pricing tolls from some of their own members on Aug. 17. MTA SCREENSHOT / YOUTUBE

ative impact on neighborhoods to which the traffic gets diverted.

In the Bronx, for example, the MTA has said it will commit to monitoring and offsetting any effects, such as those that might drive up the borough’s already high asthma rates.

“In no scenario evaluated in the environmental assessment did the FHWA find, so to speak, too much air quality impacts, so, hopefully, we don’t — we shouldn’t end up there,” Michaelson said.

“We don’t want to make it worse for those communities, right?” asked TMRB member John Banks.

“We don’t want to make is unnecessarily worse for those communities,” Michaelson said. Q

Addabbo Veterans BBQ in HB

State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven) is hosting his annual Veterans BBQ on Saturday, Sept. 9, at the Howard Beach Motor Club, located at 59 Russel St., from 12 to 2 p.m. Veterans and a guest are invited to enjoy free food, music and drinks donated by several local businesses and organizations. Seating is limited and reservations are required.

“I like to say that every day is Veterans Day, and as a small token of our appreciation for their service, my office team and I host this free BBQ for our vets each year,” Addabbo said in a statement.

To make a reservation, call Addabbo’s office at (718) 7381111. Q

Overturn bid in Vetrano case

According to reports from the Daily News and the New York Post, new evidence indicates the NYPD, based on a controversial DNA procedure, launched a “racial dragnet” targeting Black males after the 2016 murder of jogger Karina Vetrano in Howard Beach.

Ronald Kuby and Rhidaya Trivedi, the lawyers for Chanel Lewis, the man serving a life sentence for Vetrano’s murder, asked prosecutors in a 65-page document to either vacate Lewis’s conviction, grant a new trial or order evidentiary hearings, according to the News.

Court papers filed Monday stated the NYPD “elicited a DNA phenotyping conclusion from Parabon NanoLab, a then unlicensed vendor” before launching a sweep of minority suspects, the News reported. The papers also cited a 2019 story from the News, reporting that 360 Black and Hispanic men previously questioned by police in Howard Beach “were harassed, surveilled and swabbed on questionable consent.”

“How this racial dragnet led specifically to Chanel Lewis’ door remains unknown,” Kuby and Trivedi wrote in the filing. Q

— Kristen Guglielmo

As 3 have died in NY, CT, College Pt. biologist blames climate change State monitoring Vibrio vulnificus

by Sophie Krichevsky Associate Editor

Three recent deaths in the tri-state area — one of which was in Suffolk County — related to a rare bacteria found in saltwater environments has sparked some concern from Queens residents, who spend time at Long Island beaches or along bodies of water in the borough.

The bacteria, known as Vibrio vulnificus, is found in saltwater bodies and adjacent coastal areas. Infection can cause a range of symptoms of varying severity, including skin breakdown, ulcers, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, chills, ear infections and potentially sepsis and life-threatening wound infections, according to the New York State Department of Health.

The infection is generally contracted by eating raw shellfish or swimming in brackish water or saltwater with an open wound. People with liver disease, cancer or weakened immune systems are at higher risk.

It’s not yet clear whether the deceased Suffolk County resident encountered the bacteria in New York waters or elsewhere. The other two deaths were in Connecticut.

V. vulnificus is naturally occurring, said a spokesperson for the Billion Oyster Project, a group working to restore the oyster population that once called New York Harbor home in hopes of fostering biodiversity and improving water quality. The Center for Disease Control

notes that it’s much more common in the warmer months, roughly from May to October, and that approximately 80,000 Americans will be infected each year (only about 100 die annually).

What makes the latest outbreak unusual, however, is its northern location: According to

College Point resident James Cervino, a visiting scientist and faculty member at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the bacteria has historically been found in waters much closer to the equator, like the Caribbean. But with rising ocean temperatures due to climate change, that is no longer the case.

Keeping up on e-bike legislation

What is the federal government doing about the issue?

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

E-bike battery-related incidents have been rampant. They have been responsible for 154 investigations, 93 injuries and 14 deaths this year, according to the FDNY, including the death of an Ozone Park woman on Aug 11.

While the City Council has passed some bills addressing the issue, legislation to do so nationwide comes with the Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act.

Introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx) on March 24, HR 1797 would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to promulgate a consumer product safety standard with respect to rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in order to protect against the risk of fires.

The bill has 13 co-sponsors, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Bronx, Queens), who could not be reached for comment, and, as of Wednesday, Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing). The latest action for the bill came on March 31, when it was referred to the House Subcommittee on Innovation, Data and Commerce.

“Too often, we are reminded of the dangers that lithium-ion batteries present to our communities when they are not stored or

charged properly,” said Meng in a statement. “Homes have caught fire, property has been destroyed, and people have lost their lives because of these batteries.”

Meng voiced support for the bill introduced by Torres and another introduced by Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens), HR 1665, known as the Safe Charging Electric Bikes and Scooters Act. “I am a proud co-sponsor of both of these bills and look forward to continuing to work to protect our New York City communities from the dangers that these batteries present,” Meng said.

The stagnancy of Torres’ bill has not gone unnoticed by city lawmakers. On July 23, the City Council introduced Res. 0718, which calls on Congress to pass and the president to sign HR 1797.

Zach Grossman, the legislative director for Torres, spoke to the Chronicle about the bill.

“We understand this is a major problem,” Grossman said. “We have a broad range of support from public and private sectors.” Supporters include the City Council, the Mayor’s Office, FDNY, the Fire Chief’s Association, deliveristas, GrubHub and DoorDash.

“We are constantly reminded of the escalating threat lithium-ion batteries pose to the

public’s safety,” Torres said in a statement. “... The time has come for the federal government to act because this problem is not isolated to just New York. We must work to create and implement national safety standards for lithium-ion batteries in order to protect people and places from unreasonable risk, serious injury or damage and/or death. ... The passage of this bill should be an urgent matter for every member of Congress.”

An identical bill was introduced in the Senate on March 28, called S. 1008, by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York). On the same day, it was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, where it still sits. The lone co-sponsor on the bill is Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York).

“Far too many lives in New York City have been lost to deadly fires caused by faulty and improperly manufactured lithium-ion batteries,” Gillibrand said in a statement.

“... We need strong federal action to take improperly manufactured batteries off the market and help end these preventable tragedies in our state and across the country. I introduced the Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act to create the first ever mandatory consumer product safety standard for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in micromobility devices.” Q

Cervino, a marine biologist by trade, has done extensive research on the effect of rising temperatures on vibrios closely related to the vulnificus strand. “These vibrios respond and become toxic in warm temperatures,” he said. “Their genes have switches to release toxins when it gets too hot.” Those toxins can be infectious to coral, humans and shellfish, Cervino explained.

“It’s all related to global climate change,” he added later.

A spokesperson for the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygeine said no cases of the infection have been reported in the five boroughs, but that the agency is continuing to monitor the situation.

While the department recommended that people with open wounds avoid swimming in the ocean, Cervino said that smaller, stiller bodies of water, like bays, might be more of a concern.

“Jones Beach with its high Jones Beach waves is probably not going to have a lot [of vibrios],” he said. “But Oyster Bay — all these bays — where you have closed inlets, not a lot of circulation and a lot of hosts like shellfish ... they’re more prone to hang out there.”

When it comes to eating shellfish, Cervino said well-cooked shrimp and oysters should still be safe to consume, as did the state DOH. Still, Cervino said he’s steering clear for now. Q

Sanitation

continued from page 4

ter than an email or phone call,” Addabbo said.

“I discussed my new bill, A3709, which authorizes DSNY to use camera enforcement for illegal dumping,” Rajkumar shared with the Chronicle. “There is much illegal dumping on Jamaica Avenue, with people dumping their household trash on the streets. Oftentimes they will do it in the middle of the night on the sidewalk in front of small businesses, whose owners then receive unfair fines for someone else’s illegal dumping.”

The bill, which already has passed the Senate, where Addabbo is the sponsor, would ensure the DSNY is authorized to install cameras to enforce laws against dumping, including at sites outside its jurisdiction, such as highways and MTA properties. It would do the same for sanitation agencies across the state, Rajkumar’s office said.

Inserillo provided a statement saying Ariola’s office works closely with the BID to make sure sanitation issues are addressed on a regular basis, continuing, “We have a great working relationship with the local garage and sanitation workers. Quality of life concerns are of the utmost importance to Councilwoman Ariola and she will continue to monitor the area to make sure the residents are receiving the services they deserve.” Q

Vibrio vulnificus has caused three deaths in the tri-state area. The bacteria can be contracted through raw shellfish or swimming in saltwater with an open cut. Above, oyster farming years ago in Jamaica Bay. PHOTO COURTESY NYC / FILE

P

Shady donations and public money

Every time the city raises the amount of money it doles out to political candidates under the matching funds program, it raises the incentive for campaign operatives to lie, cheat and steal to get their hands on it.

Witness this week’s stellar reporting by THE CITY — the nonprofit, independent news agency whose material we periodically use in a mutually beneficial relationship — about contributions to Mayor Adams’ 2021 campaign. During that race, he received more taxpayer money, $10.1 million, than any candidate ever before under the city’s campaign finance system.

Small wonder. What started as an even $1 public contribution for every eligible $1 raised is now $8 for every $1, though what counts as eligible has been tightened. The limit is $250 per donation.

So guess what? According to THE CITY’s reporting, Adams got tons of donations at or just below that maximum which upon review look fishy. Very fishy. Signatures that don’t match. Multiple money orders supposedly from different people, all in what appears to be the same handwriting. People who openly admit they got reimbursed for making a contribution: straw donors. A lot of the donations

center around people employed at the New World Mall in Flushing, as well as the Jmart supermarket chain and a firm called AC & Appliances Center. Many told THE CITY that they made their donations at the behest of or with the encouragement of management. That’s the kind of thing that belies the whole purpose of the matching funds program — to level the playing field by letting the average joe and jane have a greater say than before in elections, or to even run themselves without needing wealthy backers.

The apparent wrongdoing discovered by THE CITY is no surprise — it comes on the heels of an indictment last month alleging that half a dozen people broke campaign finance laws in order to raise money for Adams and buy some influence. There was no indication the mayor himself or his campaign did anything wrong. But someone should have seen there was a problem with, for example, a bunch of donations being made by money order. “You can be colorblind and that’s still gonna be a red flag,” veteran election attorney Howard Graubard told THE CITY.

We applaud our colleagues for their great reporting and again advocate for reducing the overly generous 8-1 ratio under which the people of the city are funding campaigns.

More illegal vending

It was just three weeks ago that this page lamented the way some elected officials are standing with illegal vendors in Corona instead of with the laws on the books. And what we learned about the situation later, when City Councilman Francisco Moya actually stood with his constituents and for law and order, only reinforced our position. Yes, the city should be giving out more of the licenses lawmakers recently authorized, and the system is absurdly complicated, but that doesn’t mean you just get to break the law and stomp on those who don’t.

Yet that’s what was going on en masse in Corona, and this week we were reminded by state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. that unlawful vending is not limited to there. It also was a key subject during a recent walk along Jamaica Avenue that he and other officials made with the Woodhaven Business Improvement District’s leader. Addabbo is getting complaints about things like fruit vendors with no licenses popping up in front of fruit stores and undercutting them. Legitimate taxpaying businesses should not have to put up with that. Speed up the permits — but also enforce the law against those who sell without them.

LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

Abolish the advocate

Dear Editor:

Re “No public advocate needed,” Editorial, Aug. 10:

MARK WEIDLER

President & Publisher

SUSAN & STANLEY MERZON

Founders

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

Stela Barbu Office Manager

Jan Schulman Art Director

Moeen Din Associate Art Director

Gregg Cohen Editorial Production Manager

Joseph Berni Art Department Associate

Richard Weyhausen Proofreader

Senior Account Executives:

Jim Berkoff, Beverly Espinoza

Account Executives:

Ree Brinn, Patricia Gatt

Contributors:

Lloyd Carroll, Mark Lord, Ronald Marzlock

Photographers:

Walter Karling, Michael Shain

Office: The Shops at Atlas Park 71-19 80th St., Suite 8-201

Glendale, NY 11385

Phone: (718) 205-8000

Fax: (718) 205-1957

E-mail: Mailbox@qchron.com

Website: www.qchron.com

I totally agree, we do not need a public advocate. I’ve thought that for years. We have community boards, City Council people, Assembly, Senate, etc.

Please advocate to abolish this position.

Diane Cohen Whitestone

Queens cat-astrophe

Dear Editor:

I’m writing in response to your two excellent articles regarding our stray cat crisis in Queens (“Cat rescuers fear loss of Queens services” and “Cat crisis hits innocent animals and rescuers,” Opinion, Aug. 17). It never fails that our borough of Queens gets screwed! Why, we don’t even have an animal shelter here on Queens, for years now. Meanwhile, our borough has bought more dog license tags (remember them?) than any other borough, and we get zilch funding!

It shocks me that they can’t accept any more cats, as I worked there years ago in the same building, and we never had a problem accepting anything. Even though we killed more, what did they do now, take away more cat cages? For the ASPCA, which has beaucoup money, to lose its

lease is an outrage. It didn’t even try to find a place ahead of time, even if it’s temporarily, so there’s no gap in service? That’s shoddy work!

Queens deserves service better than this.

Joan Silaco Queens Village

Migrants are draining us

Dear Editor:

Re Naelsha Rose’s Aug. 17 report “Queens Village tent city takes in migrants,” multiple editions:

If you think building a migrant shelter at the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center is insane, how about paying $20 million for migrant showers? That’s what NYC paid a Floridabased firm in no-bid contracts to provide shower trailers for migrants in the five boroughs, including the Creedmoor site. (New York Post, Aug. 16). While migrants shower,

NY taxpayers get hosed.

NYC’s generosity to migrants includes housing some of them in 125 rooms at a Long Island City four-star hotel, the Collective Paper Factory Hotel (Post, Aug. 13). The five-story building, at 37-06 36 St., also has a gym, bar and restaurant for its guests.

Migrants need a place to live and clean up, but why must taxpayers foot the bill? No matter how cleansing those showers are, they can’t erase the stench of President Biden’s open-border policy and Mayor Adams’ insistence on maintaining NYC’s sanctuary status.

Stop calling migrants “asylum seekers.” Most do not qualify for asylum, says the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. They are invaders who entered our nation illegally and are exhausting our city’s resources. Don’t accommodate them, deport them ASAP.

Richard Reif Kew Gardens Hills

© Copyright 2023 by MARK I

LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

Tech for all colors

Dear Editor:

This letter is in response to the “open letter to his friends” by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., “More minorities in tech,” Aug. 17:

Dear BP: On your junket to Africa to uplift people of color via tech ecosystems did you and the deputy borough president learn the critical lesson that success in the field of technology can only be obtained by people who can read, write and understand math and science? That goes for people of all colors, not just Black or brown.

Look in your own backyard or schoolyard to create the concrete pipeline to tech for all New Yorkers, not just the Black and brown New Yorkers you focus on. As borough president you have the resources to work in schools and with community groups to get the message out that education is a better option for success and security than becoming a rap star, pro athlete, crime boss or Tik Tok sensation.

The Borough of Queens has failed Black and brown people and people of all colors by letting them graduate with substandard skills. Did you learn that the people who graduate from schools in Lagos, Nigeria, can actually perform at grade level?

Hopefully your sojourn to the Silicon Valley of Africa will benefit all the people of Queens whom you represent and it was not just a cultural reawakening for you and the deputy.

Also, is Nigeria the world capital of boiler room computer scammers?

Larry Vann Howard Beach

Positive and prosperous

Dear Editor:

Be positive! Let go of the past, and remember, Eva loves you! Be kind to yourself, it’s free to be kind. And being kind makes you more loving, beautiful and abundant.

Open yourself to the world and all its possibilities. You can do it. You can earn success. You can be love. You can be prosperity! Be your own hero. And when all else fails, have a cappuccino and lie to yourself that everything is OK.

Believe it! And it will become true. You got this.

Eva Tortora Staten Island

Our leaders are awful

Dear Editor:

We are no longer a melting pot; we are a cesspool. Now we have Midtown streets lined with homeless squatters and illegal immigrants outside of a favorite tourist hotel. I can only guess how long it will be before the tourist industries collapse and deprive the city of another source of revenue.

The Biden autocracy, the Hochul dictatorship and the Adams oligarchy all seem hellbent on the destruction of this city as the cultural, intellectual and business capital it has been thought of as for many years. All three entities are tottering on the edge of bankruptcy in their attempts to disguise their despotic, totalitarian lack of regard for the people who elected them. Instead of addressing an abysmal education

system, an unsafe transportation system, an ongoing emigration of businesses and middle class families and a legal system that encourages violence and thievery, they unilaterally continue to erode the quality of life that once made this a world-class city. An author once opined that “Pride comes before the fall.”

Here’s something further to consider. The new Chicago mayor took offense at the use of the word “mob” when a reporter described the ransacking and burning of a store by a mob consisting mostly of teenagers. He replied, “These are children and should not be called a ‘mob.’” Really!

It’s time to put an end to the woke madness and come Election Day remove the politicos who have no regard for the quality of life of their electorate. While we still have a voice let it be heard.

Bruce Carney Kew Gardens

Trump fans are worse

Dear Editor:

Sixty-one cases alleging fraud in the 2020 presidential election, thrown out as being ‘frivolous,” and many of the judges in these cases were Republicans and Trump appointees. (Rudolph Giuliani had his New York law license suspended over this.) In Georgia, there were three recounts and audits. Gov. Kemp, Lt. Gov. Duncan, Secretary of State Raffensperger and Election Chairman Sterling — all Republicans — told Trump the election was “free and fair” and that he lost. Similar recounts in Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona and Pennsylvania. Same result. No fraud.

Trump’s White House Counsel Pat Cipollone said, “You lost.” Vice President Mike Pence said he would not decertify Biden’s electors. Chris Krebs, head of the cyber division of Homeland Security, said the 2020 election was “the safest and most secure election in American history.” (Trump fired him five days later.)

Sen. Mitch McConnell said, “Joe Biden is the legitimate President.” Attorney General William Barr, at Trump’s insistence, conducted an investigation of the 2020 election and concluded that Trump’s allegations of fraud were in Barr’s words, “BS”

And yet, incredibly and astonishingly, in a recent New York Times/Siena Poll, 69 percent of Republican voters to this day believe that the 2020 Election was “stolen” from Donald Trump. How is it possible to deal with and have a rational dialogue with these thickheaded lemmings, who are living in an alternate universe?

We must say to these ignorant people what the late, great U.S. senator from New York, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, said to a political opponent he was debating: “You are entitled to your opinions. You are not entitled to your own facts.”

Robert Vogel Bayside

Write a Letter!

We want to hear from new voices! Letters should be no longer than 300 words and may be edited. They may be emailed to letters@qchron.com. Please include your phone number, which will not be published.

Businesses struggle with transit hub move

The 165th St. Bus Terminal will relocate to a lot on 168th

by Naeisha Rose Associate Editor

“We moved.” Several signs erected at the 165th Street and Merrick Boulevard intersection have those two words or something similar along with the name of a business and its new address posted on those two corridors in Jamaica on shuttered gates near or at the 165th Street Bus Terminal.

Last year’s announcement that the transit space will move to 168th Street, after its lease expires in September, has turned a once bustling terminus into a dead zone for momand-pop shops that were forced to move elsewhere.

“We’ve been here eight years,” said Aziz Ali, owner of Nice Wear Designs, Inc. “They gave us a twomonth notice. They said we no longer had a lease.”

Ali, like several other business owners, moved his clothes business to the Jamaica Colosseum Mall, but said it has been a struggle.

“We don’t have the right to stay there anymore,” Ali said to the Chronicle. He added that bus terminal’s a block away and the new owners did not help him with the move.

Ali said advertising his business was easier at the terminal.

“Everything was more outside, more flexible and more good business,” he said.

The entrepreneur also said his square footage at the mall, located at 89-02 165 St. in Jamaica, is about a half of what it once was and that he

has lost customers.

“It’s slow on the inside,” he added.

A security guard who once worked the night shift at the terminal said he is doing his best to adjust to working mornings at the Colosseum.

While he misses his old schedule, he told the Chronicle he did not miss dealing with people smoking weed or leaving garbage near the buses.

“A few of the businesses moved to the Colosseum, but I don’t know what happened to the rest,” said the security guard. “I won’t miss the constant weed smoking.”

Gloria Nugra, one of the nail technicians at GR Nails Corp., said that she has been with the 30-year business for five years. The store was once outside on the side of the terminal but it is now in the basement of the mall.

“We found out last year, when the new owners came in,” Nugra said about the business being asked to leave the terminal. The nail salon has now been at the Colosseum for almost three months.

“The move was not easy. I want to be back outside again, because here, there is no business. We had a sign and everything, but this is not working very well.”

Once commuters learned that the bus terminal will move, foot traffic to that intersection has slowed considerably for businesses on that block and at the mall, according to Nugra, who believes she might have to move again.

“I want to move soon, in two

weeks,” she told the Chronicle last Friday. “People are not coming.”

At the terminal, she would have had four people waiting for her first thing in the morning; now she has to wait for that many people throughout the day. She plans to move the business closer to the main Jamaica Avenue corridor.

One of the last businesses at the terminal is the Habiatou Variety Store and Hair Salon.

“This is very bad,” said Elhadj Biob, who said he paid rent in advance, hence why he is still there for the moment. “We’ve been here for the last 32 years.”

Biob was sad to see longtime businesses like a grocery store, a fish market and a Jamaican food establishment go.

“The landlord does not want to give us more time to move,” said Biob, who is struggling to find a

new location. He used to pay about $3,000 a month in rent, but with several luxury hotels and apartments being erected in Jamaica, the rent for other property owners is as high as $10,000 to $30,000.

Yonette LaRose, the owner of Avon Forever Young Cosmetics, said that the terminal’s closing has had a ripple effect. She has been doing business at the Colosseum for 14 years and used to get secondhand customers from the terminal.

“The people who came to shop there, came here too,” LaRose said. “Now that they see the places are closed, no one wants to come through here to see what other businesses are here. In the past, the foot traffic was heavy.”

LaRose does not expect the business to last by the end of the year and has no plans on starting over once it closes.

“The rent I pay now is already high, along with the overhead,” she said. “People see that the terminal is closed and assume that we are closed too.”

She plans to focus on her side hustle as a baker once she finished selling all of her beauty products.

“I’m not putting my hopes up high at all,” LaRose said.

A clerk at the Jamaica 99-cent store, one of the other businesses left at the terminal, said the shop’s owner had paid rent through September and intends to sell what’s left of the discounted items before they are kicked out.

“Everything must go!” he added. Despite efforts by the MTA and elected officials to keep the location, the bus terminal will move to 90-01 168 St. near the 103rd Precinct at 168-02 91 Ave. Q

“I want to move soon in two weeks.”

— Gloria Nugra, nail technician,

GR

Nails Corp.

Several businesses, including a fried chicken store, a supermarket and a Jamaican jerk spot, have either moved or been shuttered after it was announced that the 165th Bus Terminal would move. A 99-cent store, right, has boxed up some of its items ahead of being kicked out of the terminal in September. PHOTOS BY NAEISHA ROSE

Two businesses, Nice Wear Designs, owned by Aziz Ali, left, and GR Nails Corp, owned by Gloria Nugra, right, have moved across the street to Jamaica Colosseum Mall, but said they struggled due to no longer having outdoor signage and the lack of foot traffic on Merrick Boulevard and 165th Street due to the bus terminal’s move. A hair salon put up a “We Moved” sign to notify customers of its change in location.

HOSPICE IS ABOUT LIFE

Hospice can be an uncomfortable topic. But the comfort and care it provides can greatly ease sadness, pain and fear during a difficult time. From medical support to peace of mind, understanding what hosp ice has to offer can help people decide if, and when, it's right for them. Some things you may not know:

1.

It's usually at home. Comfort, familiarity and the presence of loved ones are everything during these times.

It's typically covered by insurance. Most patients qualify through Medicaid, Medicare or private insurance.

4. 2. 5. 3. 6.

It can last up to six months. Many people would benefit by entering hospice earlier.

Talking about hospice can be hard. We're here to help you understand the decisions and choices you may face along the way.

Northwell.edu/Hospice

It includes full medical care. A hospice team can include doctors, visiting nurses, social workers and other care providers.

It's not just for patients. Loved ones can receive counseling, learn how to help and much more.

Hospice isn't about death. It's about life.

Hospice helps make this difficult time more comfortable, supportive and dignified.

Two migrants share their stories

From Mauritania to the tent city at Creedmoor in Queens Village

by Naeisha Rose Associate Editor

Two days after migrants were admitted to the new Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center at the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens Village, the Chronicle interviewed two asylum seekers who were at the PS 18 playground across the street from the facility.

Brahim Gelmige, 23, a construction worker from Mauritania, a country in the northwestern region of Africa, said he came to the United States three months ago after his cousin, 25, was killed by gang violence.

“There is a lot of crime,” Gelmige said last Thursday.

“My cousin was killed in Mauritania because of a gang-related crime.”

Gelmige told the Chronicle that he was originally at a shelter in Central Park and was able to find work stocking shelves and packing fridges at a Yemeni store because of his Arabian background, but because he was moved to the tent city at the Creedmoor campus, located at 235th Court Street and Hillside Avenue, he lost his job.

He said he worked 12 hours a day for $60.

“I worked from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m.,” he said.

While he is grateful to be away from the gang violence, he doesn’t want to be on a cot all day and wants to start working again like he was in Manhattan. So far, he’s been just sleeping and eating in the weatherized tent. He dreams of being able to work in construction again so that he can afford to rent his own place.

“It’s OK here, but it’s too cold inside,” Gelmige said. “We don’t have a good cover [sheets] to cover with. The shower is good, but we don’t have any money here. There is no metro [subway] here, only the bus. They didn’t give us a MetroCard. There is nothing. We don’t have new clothes. We can’t wash our clothes.”

During a media tour of the facility on Aug. 15, city officials said there was a room for laundry, but Gelmige said he wasn’t aware of that.

Gelmige hopes to speak with a city official to learn about work opportunities.

Mohamed Vadel Sow, also of Mauritania, came to the United States two months ago.

With the help of Gelmige translating for the Chronicle and a translation service on his phone, he said that he was a slave for 20 years, but after getting caught in a romantic relationship with his master’s daughter, he was shot in the right leg.

“He has a problem with his girlfriend’s father because of his skin, because he is dark-skinned,” Gelmige said. “In Mauritania, there are a lot of racist people.”

Sow said he fled from his girlfriend’s father eight months ago, first by flying to Algeria, then Colombia and eventually finding shelter at a church in Jamaica before he was sent to the shelter last Wednesday.

Sow said he would like to get a permit to work and is willing to do just about anything to earn a living and so that he can rent his own place.

“He said we are only here for two months and he doesn’t want to be sleeping on the street,” Gelmige translated.

Sow mimed that he is willing to work as a shoe shiner, driver and pizza deliveryman.

“Pizza, pizza,” he said.

Gelmige added that Sow would also work as a mechanic.

Gelmige said that he saw protesters Wednesday night and didn’t understand why

they were angry. When the Chronicle told him about the safety and quality-of-life concerns residents had, he said those were “smart” reasons to be upset, but that he and his friends from Mauritania — there were about 10 men at the park either on swings, boiling tea over rocks or lounging — do not want to cause problems but wish to work and rent a place together.

A few hours after approximately 150 migrants were admitted to the grounds of the psychiatric hospital on Aug. 16, hundreds of people were protesting at the PS 18 playground with signs that read “One Term Adams,” “Americans Over Migrants,” “The American Dream is Not a Handout” and “We Have Rights Too,” according to a source from Oakland Gardens who provided photos from the scene.

The protests became heated and several people were arrested, including Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels, a nonprofit unarmed crime prevention group.

“Eric Adams, you have forsaken your own people,” Sliwa said in cell phone footage provided to the Chronicle. “This is a

New York State psychiatric facility for the residents of New York, for American citizens who need to be healed.”

Sliwa also implied that Adams and Gov. Hochul were failing to serve homeless people, including veterans, who are “destitute” and “in need of mental healthcare.”

“I’m stuck here right now,” said Gelmige, who wants to seek out relatives in California. “We have nothing to do here, but waiting, and waiting.”

Using a translation service on his phone, Sow said that he is illiterate, wasn’t taught many skills and no longer wants to belong to someone else.

“I want my freedom and [to] live in peace and in [the] land of democracy and freedom.”

One Queens Village woman who was outside the gates of the park told the Chronicle that she is uncomfortable with the migrants being near so many schools and she took issue with the migrants setting a fire on the rocks.

Harjeet Singh Sandhu, a mosaic artist from Queens Village who frequently plays chess with friends outside the park, said he doesn’t want the migrants there either.

“The elementary school park is here,” said Sandhu. “Kids are coming to learn ... and we don’t know what people are good or bad.”

One recent Martin Van Buren High School graduate, 19, felt differently about the migrant situation.

“Creedmoor being there never bothered us high school students, so I don’t really think this is going to make much of a difference,” said the alum, who wanted to remain anonymous.

The MVB alum, a Springfield Gardens resident, said that while he was playing basketball the migrants seemed very passive.

“They are not bothering anybody,” he added. “Everybody deserves an opportunity. They just came here, give them a chance.” Q

Educators busted on rape allegations

A teacher and a paraprofessional employed in Queens public schools were arrested within 12 hours of each other on Aug. 21 and 22 for separate alleged incidents involving minors. Both face multiple charges including rape.

Melissa Rockensies, 32, of Massapequa, LI, was arrested Aug. 22. She was charged with second- and third-degree rape, second-degree criminal sexual act and endangering the welfare of a child based on allegations of a sexual relationship with 14-year-old male student in the summer school program at the Corona Arts & Sci-

ence Academy in 2022, according to a press release from Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.

“These disturbing allegations represent an abuse of authority and a betrayal of the trust students and parents place in their schools,” Katz said. “On behalf of the victim and his family, and the overwhelming majority of teachers committed to the education and well-being of our children, we will seek to achieve justice in this case.”

The charges allege that Rockensies was the dean at the school and was one of the alleged victim’s summer school teachers

and counselors between July 1 and Sept. 31 in 2022. They allegedly began having sexually related conversations in July, and began meeting in her car near the school for sexual activity “on a regular basis” in September 2022.

“This alleged behavior is extremely concerning and wholly unacceptable,” said a spokeswoman for the Department of Education in an email on Wednesday. “This employee has been reassigned away from the school and students pending the outcome of the arrest and if convicted, we will pursue termination. Nothing is more

important than the safety and well-being of our students.”

In another case, the NYPD said in a press release that Jamall Russell, 29, was arrested Aug. 21 on charges of rape, criminal sex act, acting in a manner injurious to a child less than 17 and sexual abuse.

The New York Post reported that Russell is a teaching assistant at PS 97, the Forest Park School, in Woodhaven. He allegedly abused a 14-year-old girl who was not a student at his school, “for at least few months.” The Post reported he has been suspended. Q

Brahim Gelmige, left, and Mohamed Vadel Sow shared their stories about coming to America.

PHOTOS BY NAEISHA ROSE

“They just came here, give them a chance.”

— Martin Van Buren High School alum

THEIR FAITH HAS TRAVELED

by Ariella Kissin Chronicle Contributor

Every week, hundreds of families make their way to Our Lady of the Snows in Floral Park for Sunday Mass. They exchange familiar smiles and handshakes, greeting their fellow community members. Ushers clad in burgundy suits guide people into the building. As they fill into the pews, sunlight streams through the stainedglass windows.

Mass is offered intermittently throughout the day, beginning at 9 a.m and going through the late afternoon. But at 5:30 in the evening, another Mass begins — only this one is conducted exclusively in Malayalam, a language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala. Small, red Malayalam translations replace the Bibles. Traditional bells are rung throughout the service. And aside from recognizable, universal proclamations of “Alleluia,” every hymn, prayer and sermon is exclusively in the southern Indian dialect.

This weekly evening Mass is representative of the diversity of Our Lady of the Snows: According to the Rev. Kevin McBrian, the pastor of the church, 40 percent of the 1,140 families are Indian. Like some other parts of Queens, Floral Park is home to a robust IndianAmerican community, and many who are Catholic are avidly involved in Our Lady of the Snows.

“The Indian community is strong here in Floral Park,” McBrian said. Now in his 12th and final year serving the parish, he has gotten to know the community intricately and has learned nearly every individual’s name and story.

“What really struck me from the day I walked in here is the reverence and the holiness of the people,” he said. “The whole family comes: grandparents, parents, the children, grandchildren. I have been overwhelmed by the devotion of the people here.”

Originally from Kerala, Aloysius Arukattil has been a member of Our Lady of the Snows since 1992 and has emerged as a leader in the community. For the past three decades, he has experienced the welcoming and inclusive nature of the diverse church, which has contributed to his personal spiritual growth.

“Spiritually, I got a lot of guidance [here],” he said. “I grew spiritually myself, and I learned how to help others.”

Alongside other church members, Arukattil has been involved in welcoming Indian families who immigrate to Queens, especially in recent years. “When they come, we welcome them,” he said. “It’s a new country for them. So they come to the church and we guide them.”

Arukattil described how church members assist immigrant families in navigating everything from the Social Security office to the subway system.

“It’s an entirely different system. It’s a different world [for them],” he added.

Francis, who moved to Floral Park 20 years ago from India, affirmed how the church played an active role in his life.

“The church was very helpful,” he said, speaking about his early days in Queens. “So we adapted easily.”

His wife, Nirmala, agreed. “This church has changed us a lot,” she said.

Indian-American Catholics are devoted

While nearly half of the families at Our Lady of the Snows are Indian, the religious reality is very different in India itself, where Christians account for 2.3 percent of the population. Their religious minority status has made many vulnerable to persecution, especially in northern parts of the country. In southern states such as Kerala, however, Christianity is much more common. Many of the families who have found a spiritual home in Our Lady of the Snows came from Kerala, seeking to emulate their religious community in a new environment.

According to 2020 U.S. Religion Census data, there are 97 Catholic congregations in Queens, which make up 57.5 percent of total religious adherents in the county and 31.32 percent of the total population. Many are immigrants, and while it is widely known that the Latino community bolsters the church, Indian

families also are contributing considerably.

Terrance Joseph, who immigrated from India to Floral Park in 2005, has raised his children in Our Lady of the Snows and deeply appreciates the community it fosters.

“One of the main things with this church is we welcome anybody who comes,” he said. Speaking about the many Indian families who access the church, he said: “Even though we come from different churches in India, we come together here.”

Joseph also spoke about the significance of Malayalam Mass, which used to be held on the second Saturday of every month but became a weekly tradition in 2016. The community still retains the importance of the original monthly Mass, and every second Saturday of the month typically sees a more robust turnout. Beyond that particular Mass, however, the Catholic

Indian-American community attends services and events just as frequently.

“We are born and brought up in this language. We [went] to church and Mass in this language,” Joseph said. “There is a difference, especially in worship, to hear it in our own language. For me it’s a good feeling.”

When community members expressed interest in having a weekly Mass, the pastoral staff immediately accommodated their request.

“We are so grateful for the church to have this Mass every Sunday here,” Joseph said.

McBrian expressed gratitude for the diversity of his parish. “It was a great eye-opener for me to meet a new cultural group,” he said. There are also a number of Filipino residents who attend weekly services and share their cultural traditions with the rest of the parish.

The entire parish, composed of people from

At top, the Rev. Kevin McBrian and Deacon Steven Borheck exit the nave at Our Lady of the Snows Church at the end of a Mass. Ne xt to them, a volunteer waits to bring in the cross at the start of the service. Above, from left, statuary in the vestibule includes icons of Pope Saint John Paul II, left, and Saint Teresa of Calcutta, right; a donation bin aptly shaped for back-to-school time; McBrian in a meeting space; and the faithful at Mass last Sunday.

PHOTOS BY ARIELLA KISSIN

ACROSS THE ENTIRE WORLD at Our Lady of the Snows in Floral Park

like many parish members, she herself was from Kerala. According to McBrian, some older parish members even grew up with her, so to them and their families, the celebration is extremely personal. The event itself is a memorable one, with floats and drums being a major part of the festivities.

The pastor observed how, through sharing traditions like the Feast of Saint Alphonsa, the Indian community has preserved its members’ culture within the church. Additionally, candles and flowers are incorporated into certain celebrations, and many women wear traditional clothing to Mass.

“It’s nice to see how they can bring their cultural heritage into part of their practice of faith,” McBrian said. “They’ve cultivated themselves into the U.S Catholic Church, while maintaining some of their traditions from home. They really are a part of the American church, which is a beautiful thing.”

various backgrounds and cultures, is “closeknit,” according to the pastor.

“I am so happy with the people here. They support each other, they pray for each other,” he said. He emphasized how supportive members of the community are for one another’s endeavors.

“They come to everything, they come and help each other,” he said. “Whether it be at a Mass, a prayer, a street procession, a dance or some kind of outreach.”

Every July, Our Lady of the Snows celebrates the Feast of Saint Alphonsa, the first canonized Indian saint. A church committee

ensures that funds are raised and a festive dinner is prepared at the end of the day. According to the pastor, the event attracts around 600 people every year, many of whom travel from neighboring states to experience the community celebration. Saint Alphonsa holds particular significance to Our Lady of the Snows because,

Other parish members have been eager to embrace their traditions and support the Indian community. Floral Park resident Virginia Patten has been coming to Our Lady of the Snows for 37 years and is appreciative of the church’s diversity.

“I’ve had friends or family who have come to Mass with me here, and [the] first thing they say is, ‘I love the diversity in your parish,’” she said. “In many parishes, it’s just once ethnic group. Not here. Everyone is so gracious and kind to each other.” Q

The Rev. Robert A. Ambalathingal greets parishioners after a service in Malayalam at Our Lady of the Snows Church, right. PHOTOS BY ARIELLA KISSIN

MTA says progress on IBX plan is A-OK

Preliminary plans call for 5 Queens stops in 14-mile link to Brooklyn

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

If all goes according to plan, the 14-mile light-rail passenger train linking Jackson Heights, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, 17 subway lines and more is still years away.

But the planning and engineering of the Interborough Express already have begun pulling out of the station, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The agency on Aug. 16 gave the public an update on the IBX in a virtual town hall meeting, going over a tentative list of new stations, the decision to go with the light rail option, and why alternatives like a new subway, buses and conventional commuter rail trains were rejected.

Gov. Hochul is backing the $5.5 billion project, which is being touted as a major north-south connector that will permit greatly increased travel between Queens and Brooklyn without detouring into Manhattan.

“It is an existing, underutilized freight right-of-way ...” said Sean Fitzpatrick, deputy chief of staff for MTA Construction. “It’s a truly transformative project that would not just connect those neighborhoods along the right-of-way, but serve a virtual purpose for the entire region, better connecting folks throughout New York City and beyond.”

The route now averages two to three

Social services in Woodhaven

State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven) is partnering with Quincy Asian Resources Inc. to host a social services assistance and benefit application program on Tuesday, Sept. 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Addabbo’s Woodhaven office, located at 84-16 Jamaica Ave.

Services relating to the following programs will be offered: Affordable Connectivity Program, Cash Assistance, Emergency Rental Assistance Program, Fair Fare, Home Energy Assistance Program, New York City Housing Authority and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

“I am excited to bring these muchneeded services to the community where constituents can get help close to home ...” Addabbo said in a statement. “I would like to thank QARI for offering this assistance at my office. If the program is as successful as I anticipate it will be, I will certainly consider expanding it to my Middle Village office and add more dates.”

Each appointment will last around 45 minutes and must be made in advance by calling (718) 738-1111. Q

— Kristen Guglielmo

freight runs per day. Michael Shiffer, senior vice president of regional planning, said there is potential for so much more.

“This line has been around for a while,” Shiffer said, showing a slide with photos of the route’s East New York station in 1924 and today — taken from the same place on the same platform.

“It’s been around since ’76 — 1876,” Shiffer said of the rail line. “And in fact, it carried passengers until 1924. At that time it was switched exclusively to freight use. We probably won’t reuse that platform, but we do anticipate a station at this location once again.”

The MTA is anticipating a lot of stations: those on the preliminary list in Queens include Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights; Grand Avenue in Maspeth; Eliot Avenue at the Maspeth-Middle Village border; Metropolitan Avenue in Middle Village; and Myrtle Avenue near the Ridgewood-Glendale border.

An existing freight rail right-of-way, top, could accommodate parallel light-rail tracks for most of the 14-mile route of the Interborough Express, though engineering and replacement of up to 45 bridges will consume much of the $5.5 billion price tag. MTA SCEENSHOT / YOUTUBE

for passengers to use the same payment system, be it OMNY or another future system.

MTA’s list include Wilson Avenue just over the border and the Atlantic Avenue Long Island Rail Road transit hub.

The MTA estimates it could transport 115,000 riders on weekdays in trains that could carry 360 passengers each. Cars could be added to extend rider capacity if there is increased future demand.

The route at some point would have to come up to street-grade level to avoid having to dig a tunnel beneath All Faiths Cemetery.

That need is one reason the MTA gave for selecting light rail, stating it is more cost-effective. A subway, the agency said, among other drawbacks, would require a great deal of land acquisition. Buses would lack the capacity at relative cost.

The Jackson Heights station would be three blocks west of the 74th Street-Broadway bus and subway hub. The aim is to have the fare linked to bus and subway rates, and

Thirteen of the 19 new stations would have transfers to subway lines, though some, like Jackson Heights, might require traveling a few bocks. Brooklyn sites in the

Soccer clinic at PS 146

McDonald’s NY Metro and the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Queens hosted a soccer clinic for kids as part of the club’s summer camp at PS 146 in Howard Beach on Thursday, Aug 10.

The clinics included several stations run by youth coaches located around an indoor space at the school.

At the event, children from ages 10 to 13 had the opportunity to complete challenges

to receive prizes at the end of the clinics.

Construction within the rightof-way likely would require shifting the freight rail tracks to allow a pair of parallel light-rail tracks. Shiffer said that would require the replacement of 45 bridges that cross over the tracks.

“And that’s where a lot of the expenses will be incurred,” he said. Q

NYBC seeking all blood types

The New York Blood Center is experiencing a critical summer shortage. Blood donors are needed for surgery, cancer patients, accident victims and new mothers and babies, among others.

Information on how to donate blood or schedule a drive is available at nybc.org.

Upcoming drives include:

• The Shops at Atlas Park, 1 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 29, at a bloodmobile; and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 2, in the space next to next to TJ Maxx at the mall at 8000 Cooper Ave. in Glendale.

• Sunnyside Community Blood Drive, noon to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 24, at 45-14 46 St. in Sunnyside;

• Queens Place mall, 1 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 25; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 3, at 88-01 Queens Blvd., both inside the former Outback Steakhouse;

• NYPD 104th Precinct, noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 5, at 64-02 Catalpa Ave. in Ridgewood; and

Kristen Guglielmo

For over 60 years, Boys & Girls Club of Metro Queens has inspired young people between the ages of 4 and 18 to reach their full potential. BGCMQ provides after school programs and serves youth from various parts of Queens, including Richmond Hill, South Richmond Hill, Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Jamaica, Howard Beach and Kew Gardens. —

• NYPD 112th Precinct, noon to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 68-40 Austin St. in Forest Hills. Q

B SPORTS EAT

Maddening Megill

by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor

Mets Manager Buck Showalter always looks for the positives in his postgame press conferences, even after crushing defeats. That is why it raised eyebrows last Wednesday when he criticized his starting pitcher, Tylor Megill, following an 8-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“The conventional wisdom is that he got the win and that is what counts,” Showalter told the media, before ripping Megill for his lack of command. With the Mets facing seven straight road games, Buck made it clear he needed Megill to give his beleaguered bullpen a break. He struggled, falling behind in the count to nearly every Pirates hitter and getting only one 1-2-3 inning in five innings of work.

What really enraged the Mets manager was that the Mets scored three runs for Megill in the second inning, and in the top of the third he immediately gave up a double and a home run to make the score 3-2. Starting pitchers need to shut down the opposition in the inning after their offense puts up runs. It is very demoralizing when a hurler quickly gives them back.

Hair with love in St. Albans

City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and nonprofit Butterflies By Blaq teamed up last Wednesday for a haircut donation event in St. Albans to help young patients with cancer or other medical conditions to receive free hair replacements.

“The generosity, kindness, and compassion of our young people is inspiring,” Adams said at the event. “Our youth are delivering hope and peace of mind. I’m proud to support Butterflies By Blaq with funding every year in the city budget, and I look forward to continue working with our community leaders and young people to benefit this important cause.”

Erna Blackman thanked Emily Algredo, 15, top, the daughter of Community Board 9 Chairwoman Sherry Algredo, for her total of 64 inches of hair donations over the years.

“A special ‘thank you’ to Emily, a four-time hair donor, for her generous hair donation which helps us provide the resources for the

wigs for our clients,” Blackman said. “We are also proud and so grateful to partner with ... Adams, who has supported us over the years, allowing us to continue in our mission of providing assistance to children in need in our community.”

Algredo said 15 inches of her daughter’s hair was cut by Rachel Rampaul of Rachel Hair Salon at BBB’s headquarters at 115-69 Farmers Blvd. in St. Albans. Rachel Hair Salon is located at 104-10 111 St. in South Richmond Hill.

“Speaker Adams is very special to us,” said Sherry Algredo. “We truly adore her.”

Algredo’s daughter didn’t intend to do another donation this year, but when her hair grew rapidly over the summer, it was a nobrainer for Emily.

“I’m very happy that another person will benefit from my hair,” Emily said.

— Naeisha Rose

The Mets do not have many minor-league starting pitching prospects, so getting better performance out of Megill is crucial if the Mets are to be significantly better next year. His pitching was so erratic this season that he was sent down to the team’s Syracuse AAA team to try to figure

things out.

He has pitched better since his recall from Syracuse. My guess is Showalter was sending a message to Megill that what he was able to get away with against the lowly Pirates would blow up in his face against most other teams.

Douglaston native John McEnroe will once again be lead analyst on ESPN’s 2023 US Open coverage. ESPN’s streaming service, ESPN Plus, has launched “McEnroe’s Places,” the latest in the “Places” series from executive producer and NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning. Manning’s Omaha Productions has retired athletes from various sports discuss their personal recollections.

In the opening episode of “McEnroe’s Places,” McEnroe greets Manning in a boisterous manner outside the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. “Why are you so loud?” Manning says. “If you come to Queens, you’re going to get yelled at!” McEnroe chuckles.

Also in the first episode, John and his brothe r Patrick, who is now the president of the Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, RI, play a match in the attire of the sport in 1875.

Another nice touch is John reuniting with his old rival, Bjorn Borg. He shows a photo of himself serving as a ball boy at the 1972 US Open held at Forest Hills Stadium at a match in which Borg is taking part. Q

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

HUNTERS POINT PARKS CONSERVANCY

JACOB RIIS SETTLEMENT HOUSE

KIDS RIDE CLUB

LIC ARTISTS

LIC COMMUNITY BOAT HOUSE

LIC CULTURAL ALLIANCE

LIC YMCA

MOMA PSI

MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE

NYC KIDS RISE

PURSUIT

QUEENS MUSEUM

QUEENS PUBLIC LIBRARY

URBAN UPBOUND THANK

PHOTOS COURTESY NYC COUNCIL

New questions arise over Adams donors

One tells THE CITY she was reimbursed, others say they never gave

by George Joseph Bianca Pallaro, Haidee Chu, Katie Honan, Tom Robbins and April Xu THE CITY

This article was originally published on Aug 18 4:58 p.m. EDT by THE CITY

One woman, a low-wage worker at the New World Mall in Flushing, said that in the summer of 2021 her boss asked her to bring her checkbook to work. The next day, she recalled, she was told to sign a check for $249, unaware it was for the campaign of then mayoral candidate Eric Adams. Immediately afterwards, she recalled in an interview with THE CITY, a stranger, whom her bosses knew, reimbursed her with cash — making the “contribution” an illegal donation.

Another woman listed as an Adams contributor said she never made out a $245 Chase bank check with her name and address that was submitted to the Campaign Finance Board by the Adams campaign in 2021. The form the Adams campaign sent listed her as a “deliveryman” at a Flushing restaurant that doesn’t do delivery. Aside from not being a man, she said she doesn’t bank at Chase, didn’t recognize the signature on the check, and never worked at the restaurant — a claim the restaurant’s manager affirmed.

A recent college graduate told THE CITY his signature was forged on a $250 money order submitted by the Adams campaign in October 2019. The young man also said his now-deceased father was not an Adams donor either, even though he was listed in official contribution records as sending his own $250 money order to the campaign on the same day as his son. In campaign records, the older man was listed as “a housewife,” and his signature looks nothing like previous signatures he used in publicly filed property transactions.

The four donations are among two clusters of contributions involving at least 127 people and totaling at least $39,938 to Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign. One includes numerous donations, mostly from October 2019, from the employees and associates of a New York City-based appliance chain, AC & Appliances Center.

The other centers on employees at the New World Mall, a shopping center in Flushing, and Jmart, an AsianAmerican grocery chain, who purportedly gave between April and August 2021. Expenditure records show that throughout his campaign, Adams paid $50,093 for eight fundraising events with hundreds of supporters held at the Royal Queen res-

taurant on the top floor of the mall.

The clusters, identified by THE CITY through a review of thousands of campaign finance records and dozens of interviews, contain signs that campaign finance experts say should have been obvious red flags to the Adams campaign and the city’s Campaign Finance Board.

Most of the donations are at or just under the limit qualifying them for public matching funds that, under an expanded city program used for the first time that election cycle, multiplied their value as much as eight times. Dozens came from low-wage workers or people who were listed as unemployed or retired, and only a handful of them are from registered voters. THE CITY is keeping the names of the people who described fraudulent donations anonymous out of concerns of possible retribution.

The donations supercharged public fundraising for the soon-to-bemayor. Under the 8-to-1 matching fund program, donations of $250 can generate up to $2,000 each in public funds. The public windfall to the Adams campaign was as much as $213,744, according to matching figures submitted to the CFB.

In all, Adams collected a total of $10.1 million in taxpayer-supplied funds in his 2021 march to City Hall — the largest amount to date received by a candidate under the city’s campaign finance system.

It is unknown whether the straw donations uncovered in THE CITY’s investigation are part of a scheme by people looking to gain influence with the candidate or were isolated anomalies.

Evan Thies, Adams’ 2021 campaign spokesperson, denied any wrongdoing.

“The campaign always diligently follows all laws and rules on the collection of contributions, and also explicitly instructs campaign staff, volunteers, and contributors how to follow the laws,” Thies said. “But it is impossible to respond to unverifiable claims attributed to anonymous sources. If any contributions were made incorrectly, the campaign would work with the campaign finance board — as it has before — to determine if refunds should be made. Until any proof of such claims is established or made officially, it is irresponsible for The City to infer any wrongdoing by the campaign or its staff.”

Thies declined to identify all the individuals who collected the donations from the two clusters. He added that the vast majority of donations to the campaign came from in-person fundraisers, such as a “house party”

held at the Jmart owner’s Long Island home or at a Sunset Park restaurant at an event organized by the campaign, that did not involve bundlers.

The accounts of the straw donors echo explosive charges contained in July’s indictment by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of a crew of Adams’ campaign donors.

The indictment alleged that six organizers were part of a conspiracy to have proxies donate on their behalf and then reimbursed as part of a scheme to generate matching funds for Adams. There is no indication that Bragg is investigating Adams. “The campaign always held itself to the highest standards and we would never tolerate these actions,” said Thies.

Other aspects of THE CITY’s investigation raise a deeper set of questions about how easily New York City’s public matching funds program, meant to empower people of average means, can be exploited by wealthy interests. Donors in both the New World Mall-Jmart cluster and the AC & Appliances Center cluster told THE CITY that they made their contributions at the behest of or with encouragement from managers at their workplaces.

New World Mall’s former coowner, Tian Ji Li, is a major political player in New York City’s Chinese American community. Li serves as the president of the Alliance of Asian American Friends, a coalition of provincial and business associations, and was referred to in the Chineselanguage press as the head of the Adams campaign office in Flushing. He personally tried donating $8,100 to Eric Adams’ 2021 campaign, but received two refunds for exceeding the $2,000 limit.

Likewise, Lian Wu Shao, chairman of both the mall and Jmart, the mall’s major retailer, gave $2,000 in his individual capacity, while a relative and a Jmart co-owner, William Shao, gave $249.

He said that fundraising “really has nothing to do with me,” although he was listed in the Chinese language press as the head of the 2021 Adams campaign office in Flushing and was seen standing by Adams’ side and enthusiastically cheering him on at a 2021 mall rally.

He was not officially registered as a campaign worker on Adams’ expenditure forms and minimized his campaign involvement during the interview. “This is all really simple,” he said. “Adams’ campaign office rented a place, and mainly it was to help the community get information and knowledge about the election.”

Through the 8-to-1 match, the $28,739 donations by the businesses’ cashiers, salespeople, and retirees added up to an extra $178,144 in potential public matching funds.

With the AC & Appliances Center cluster, Adams’ campaign secured at least 26 contributions from the companies’ employees, associates or relatives of employees, public records show. At least seven of those were by money order, a relatively-rare, hardto-trace form of payment. The Adams campaign submitted these approximately $6,950 worth of donations to the CFB for $31,600 in public matching funds.

In interviews, several donors in both clusters, many of them first-generation immigrants, expressed confusion about the contributions made in their names, claiming they didn’t believe that they had donated to Adams or that they thought they were giving to something other than a political campaign.

One Jmart employee told THE CITY she thought she was donating to help with infrastructural or neighborhood projects for her community in Flushing. “Did someone swindle me?” asked the young woman, who migrated to the U.S. from China not long before she made the donation.

“I must’ve been brainwashed,” she said.

Several donors said they made their donations willingly and did not receive compensation for them, but some of their accounts raise their own questions.

Yuzan Qiu, who is listed in campaign records as a bookkeeper at a grocery store at the New World Mall, told THE CITY that he gave $249 to the Adams campaign because that was all he had left in his bank account.

Asked about the donations raised at the mall, Li said during a phone interview, “The stuff about the New World Mall, I don’t know about that.”

Lian Wu Shao did not return requests for comment by email and at the mall office. William Shao also could not be reached through a listed phone number.

Campaign contribution bundlers, called intermediaries by the CFB, are required in many instances to be reported under the law. The Adams campaign said it scrupulously followed which types of events required intermediaries to be recorded and which didn’t. It listed four intermediaries in a mayoral campaign that raised $8.9 million in private funds. His closest competitor, Kathryn Garcia, who raised $2.1 million in private funds, listed 40.

Howard Graubard, a longtime New York election attorney, found the lack of intermediary reporting concerning. “If I was a campaign treasurer and I was dealing with the campaign finance board, I think I would want to be extremely cautious in my interpretation of the rules,” he said. “When you’re holding an event where it’s obvious that people have solicited the contributions you might want to err on the side of caution.”

He said he could understand a campaign missing checks that could have used greater scrutiny. “I could see where a treasurer might not notice that,” he told THE CITY. “But the money orders is like being hit with a pie in the face. Any campaign that receives a bunch of money orders from the event. You can be colorblind and that’s still gonna be a red flag.”

Reform and abuse

New York City launched its public matching funds program in 1989 following the worst municipal corruption scandals in recent city history. The goal was to counter the influence of big money in local politics by matching smaller contributions with public funds. The program’s original 1-to-1 match of donations of up to $1,000 has since expanded to 8-to-1 for donations up to $250.

continued on page 30

Mayoral candidate Eric Adams attends a campaign event with former New World Mall investor Tian Ji Li, May 24, 2021.

PHOTO VIA ERIC ADAMS / TWITTER

ARTS, CULTURE & LIVING

Time stands still

by Jessica Meditz

While there’s no shortage of things to do in the five boroughs, two historic gems right here in Queens can serve as the perfect backdrop for end-of-summer activities.

The Vander Ende-Onderdonk House in Ridgewood and the Voelker Orth Museum in Flushing give both visitors and residents alike the opportunity to discover the borough’s history while relaxing and engaging with the community.

The sites were once home to early Dutch and German immigrant families, and staff focus on keeping the properties picturesque — perfect for a late summer’s day — as well as providing tours and other events.

“We put a great deal of effort into preserving the look and feel of this domestic space as it was first created,” said Deborah Silverfine, the Voelker Orth Museum director. “We’re always working on preserving, and we’re hopefully going to be able to raise funds to paint the exterior again, because we really try to keep the house in good shape.”

This past year, the museum underwent a major restoration of all the original wood frame windows, to nod to the property’s initial state in the 1890s. The family lived in the home until 1995 when its last surviving

member, Elisabetha Orth, passed away.

The Voelker Orth house is recognized by the National Register of Historic Sites, and is an official New York City landmark — honoring Elisabetha’s wishes when she donated the house to be a public museum in her will.

“Since the family lived there until the late 1990s, the house has changed to meet their practical everyday needs,” Silverfine explained. “So we had to scramble to figure out what periods we wanted to represent and what was original to the house. It involves a little detective work.”

Lots of sleuthing, historical research and physical labor goes into maintaining a historical site, said Linda Monte, board member at the Greater Ridgewood Historical Society, which oversees the Onderdonk House.

The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

“We restored the house through extensive research over the last

continued on page 23

Historic homes are just right on a late-summer’s day

King Crossword Puzzle

MidVille to mob boss: the oft-jailed ‘Rusty’ Rastelli

by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor

Filippo (Philip) “Rusty” Rastelli was born in Maspeth on Jan. 31, 1918. He was the sixth of eight children — though his New York Times obituary said he only had five siblings.

He left school at the age of 15. In and out of trouble, he lived with his mother, Jenny, at 69-60 74 St. in Middle Village until he married Concetta “Connie” Pietrafesa in September 1949.

Rastelli’s specialty was loansharking. He was in and out of prisons with rusty bars so many times he acquired the nickname “Rusty.” It is said he spent more than half his life in jail or prison.

His marriage to Connie was not a happy one. When it was over she was going to talk to the authorities. She was mysteriously murdered on March 5, 1962. Today her killing is still an unsolved crime. Rastelli married an Irish lass named Irene McKee in 1964.

In 1973, he was elevated to boss of the

Bonanno crime family, one of New York’s five Mafia families. He held that position until his death from liver cancer on June 24, 1991, at age 73.

His Middle Village home is still in pristine condition today at well more than 80 years old. Q

The childhood home of Philip “Rusty” Rastelli at 69-60 74 St. in Middle Village, as it looked in the 1940s when he lived there with his mother. INSET VIA WIKIPEDIA

Soller’s new show brings viewers into nature

by Sophie Krichevsky associate editor

Artist Helaine Soller’s latest show at the National Art League in Douglaston, “Nature: A Moment in Time” highlights the beauty of the great outdoors and contemplates how humans interact with the environment, doing so through a number of different media.

The exhibition combines pieces from several of her recent series, including “Downed Trees with Fungus,” “Red Leafed Lettuce” and “Queens neighborhood parks and lakes.”

Soller has made the environment a central theme in her work for years, but much of what’s on display in this show was inspired by her time outdoors during the Covid-19 lockdown, when she began to take note of the many downed trees in her neighborhood. While some appeared to have fallen due to natural causes, others looked like they had been cut down.

“[The trees are] very intriguing to me, because it’s still talking about climate change [and] how we handle the environment — the changing environment,” Soller told the Chronicle. “It’s a symbol of nurturing and nature becoming a force in replenishing the soil.”

Soller’s first love is painting, which she

began doing at age 10. Her affinity for acrylics is abundantly clear in her latest show as she uses bright colors — at times seemingly unnatural ones — to force the audience to consider its own impact on nature.

That’s perhaps most evident in her painting “Neighborhood,” which features a tree stump, filled out with vibrant reds, greens and blues, with a house in the background,

reminding viewers of the presence of people in the environment. Soller said it might be her favorite piece in the show.

Though she has “concentrated” less on using charcoal in her work in the past, Soller revisits it in this show to focus on nature’s many forms, like tree bark and fungi.

“This is an abstraction of the actual forms that I find, and I kind of take off from there,” she said. “It triggers my imagination

and creativity within that bit of nature.”

While the drawings are fairly abstract, the level of detail in each stroke makes Soller’s intended message clear.

“I start with sort of a gesture line — just a general thing, it doesn’t have to be anything too specific — sort of getting the form,” she explained. “And then I go from there. I call it ‘reading my marks.’”

That’s an approach Soller takes to much of her work, even her photography, which she does entirely on her iPhone. Virtually every time she’s asked to explain an artistic choice, be it the color scheme of a piece or the heaviness of a brush stroke, she says something to the effect of, “It’s just putting it down as it comes to me.”

Above all, Soller wants her viewers to be aware of the world around them. “What kind of a place within them does nature resound?” she said. “To me, it’s a very fundamental thing — it’s primal, it’s restorative of your spirit. There’s an appreciation of nature, a sense of beauty and wonder.”

“Nature: A Moment in Time” runs through Sept. 2 at the National Art League (44-21 Douglaston Pkwy.) Hours vary from day to day; those interested in visiting should consult nationalartleague.org. Soller will be at the exhibit on Aug. 26 from 5 to 7 p.m. for an artist talk. Q

Two Queens beauties await your late summer visit

continued from page 21

40 years or so,” said Monte. “This is the culmination of a lot of very hard work.”

The Vander Ende-Onderdonk House is the oldest Dutch Colonial stone house in New York City, and tells the story of both the Vander-Ende and Onderdonk families, who were Dutch farmers.

Before its next large event, the Harvest Festival in October, the house’s summer highlights are the tours included with

Crossword Answers

admission, as well as the outdoor garden — including roses, hydrangeas, daisies and other plants. There is also the highly debated Arbitration Rock, said to have settled the centuries-old boundary dispute between the towns of Bushwick and Newtown, and the counties of Kings and Queens.

“I feel like it’s important to reach the newer generations and give them a view of the past, so they understand how it affects our future,” said Scott Francis, a tour guide at the house. “I enjoy teaching and educating those who probably have no idea what Ridgewood used to be, to know exactly where it came from and why it’s beneficial to know that Ridgewood is one of the most historically important areas in New York.”

The Voelker Orth Museum also offers an urban oasis, with its Victorian-style elements combined with plants such as roses, hollies, herbs and grapes. The gardeners use no insecticides in order to encourage various birds and plant pollinators to enter, and visitors can enjoy naturally made honey iced tea. Through Aug. 27, guests can enjoy “Prayer Cocoon: Textile Art,” an exhibit by Queens-based artist Dani C. Song.

flowers in season but attractive all year round.

Starting Sept. 24, a familiar face will return to Voelker Orth to show her natural and urban observations through the lens of her camera. “The museum has been open for 20 years this summer, so we’re doing a few events that sort of look at and embrace

our anniversary. Greta Jaklitsch was one of the first artists to show with us,” Silverfine said. “Through artists like this, we really look to preserve our heritage, but also build the connection to communities that are in Queens today.” Q

The grounds of the Onderdonk House, above, and the Voelker Orth Museum are lush with

On the cover: Scott Francis gives a tour at Onderdonk, while visitors enjoy the garden at Voelker Orth. PHOTO BY JESSICA MEDITZ, ABOVE; TOP COVER PHOTO BY LINDA MONTE; COURTESY PHOTO; GW AND CB COLTON & CO. MAP VIA PICTUREBOXBLUE.COM

Artist Helaine Soller poses with her painting “Neighborhood,” a centerpiece of her latest exhibition, “Nature: A Moment in Time.”

PHOTO BY SOPHIE KRICHEVSKY

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Notice is hereby given that an On-premises Restaurant liquor license, Serial #1361497, has been applied for by F Ottomanelli LIC LLC d/b/a Frank Ottomanelli’s to sell liquor, beer, wine and cider at retail in an on-premises Restaurant. For on-premises consumption under the ABC Law at 52-10 Center Blvd., Long Island City, NY 11101.

Notice of Formation of 11935 191 MADISON PROPERTY LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 12/20/2022.

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: NEKEBWE SUPERVILLE, 14419 107TH AVE., JAMAICA, NY 11435.

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SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK - COUNTY OF QUEENS BANK OF AMERICA

N.A., V. ERROL W. PARRIS, AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF SYLVIA BELL AKA SYLVIA JUSTINA BELL, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated January 05, 2022, an d entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens, wherein BANK OF AMERICA N.A. is the Plaintiff and ERROL W. PARRIS, AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF SYLVIA BELL AKA SYLVIA JUSTINA BELL, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the COURTHOUSE STEPS OF THE QUEENS COUNTY SUPREME COURT, 88-11 SUTPHIN BLVD., JAMAICA NY 11435 on September, 15, 2023 at 11:30AM, premises known as 216-24 132ND AVENUE, SPRINGFIELD GARDENS, NY 11413: Block 12923, Lot 18: ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE BOROUGH AND COUNTY OF QUEENS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 704124/2015.

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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.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF Queens, NYCTL 2019-A Trust, and The Bank of New York Mellon as Collateral Agent and Custodian for the NYCTL 2019A Trust, Plaintiff, vs. One Three Seven 24 Holdings LLC, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated February 23, 2023 and duly entered on March 10, 2023 and a Short Form Order dated June 9, 2023 and duly entered on June 12, 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 September 15, 2023 at 10:00 a.m., premises known as 137-24 231st Street, Laurelton, NY 11413. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block 13172 and Lot 50. Approximate amount of judgment is $33,426.59 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of fi led Judgment Index # 724281/2020. The Referee shall comply with the Eleventh Judicial District’s COVID-19 policies concerning public auctions of foreclosed properties. These policies, along with the Queens County Foreclosure’s Auction Rules, can be found on the Queens Supreme Court - Civil Term website. William Driscoll, Esq., Referee, Bronster, LLP, 156 West 56th Street, Suite 703, New York, New York 10019, Attorneys for Plaintiff

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, BANTAM FUNDING II, LLC, Plaintiff, vs. UNITED ASSETS CORPORATION USA, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on June 7, 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 September 8, 2023 at 11:00 a.m., premises known as 1142 Welling Court, Astoria, NY 11102. 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 506 and Lot 60. Approximate amount of judgment is $854,910.06 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #712227/2020. The Referee shall comply with the Eleventh Judicial District’s COVID-19 policies concerning public auctions of foreclosed properties. These policies, along with the Queens County Foreclosure’s Auction Rules, can be found on the Queens Supreme Court - Civil Term website. Richard M. Gutierrez, Esq., Referee, Polsinelli PC, Amy E. Hatch, Esq., 600 Third Avenue, 42nd Floor, New York, New York 10016, Attorneys for Plaintiff

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.

Real Estate

EQUAL HOUSING. Federal, New York State and local laws prohibit discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, marital status, familial status or disability in connection with the sale or rental of residential real estate. Queens Chronicle does not knowingly accept advertising in violation of these laws. When you suspect housing discrimination call the Open Housing Center (the Fair Housing Agency for the five boroughs of New York) at 212941-6101, or the New York City Commission of Human Rights Hotline at 718-722-3131.

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

Apt.To Share

Kew Gardens Hills, 77th Rd & Main St. 2 BR, 1 bath apt to share. Working M/F. Internet, utils incl. $1,200/mo, 1st & last month down. Avail 9/15. Call 917-593-0236

Co-ops For Sale

Howard Beach/Lindenwood, Fairfield Arms, Lg 1 BR, 1 bath Co-op. $169K. Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136

Houses For Sale

Howard Beach/Rockwood Park, Hi-Ranch, 4 BR, 3 new full baths. Wood burning fireplace, in-ground pool. Asking $1,198K. Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136

Houses For Sale

HOWARD BEACH/ ROCKWOOD PARK

Hi Ranch, 4 BR, 2 Baths, Private parking for 6 cars plus Pvt Driveway. Large LR & DR - Large family room with sliding doors to yard. 1st Fl has separate entrance. For appt call Annemarie 917-682-5222

Store Front for Rent

Howard Beach, Crossbay Blvd. Hitraffic loc, 1,100 sqft. $4,500/mo, parking lot in rear of the store. Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY (LLC).

Name: 212A Properties, LLC. Articles of Organization fi led with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on June 5, 2023. Offi ce location: Queens County.

SSNY is designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY may mail a copy of any process to: 212A Properties, LLC, c/o Aram P. Cazazian 166-25 Powells Cove Blvd., Beechhurst, New York 11357. Purpose: for all legal purposes.

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.

1-855-916-5473

Services Call today and receive a FREE SHOWER PACKAGE PLUS $1600 OFF With purchase of a new Safe Step Walk-In Tub. Not applicable with any previous walk-in tub purchase. Offer available while supplies last. No cash value. Must present offer at time of purchase. CSLB 1082165 NSCB 0082999 0083445

REFEREE’S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF QUEENS JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Plaintiff - against - HUGO VELASTEGUI,

et al Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on December 27, 2019. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the Courthouse steps of the Queens Supreme Court, located at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, New York on the 15th day of September, 2023 at 10:45 am. 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. Premises known as 103-12 104th Street, Ozone Park, New York 11417. (Block: 9507, Lot: 12) Approximate amount of lien $722,088.99 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of fi led judgment and terms of sale. Index No. 704393/2014.

Charlane O. Brown, Esq., Referee. McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC, Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 840, New York, NY 10170 Tel. 347/286-7409 For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832 Dated: July 12, 2023 During the COVID-19 health emergency, bidders are required to comply with all governmental health requirements in effect at the time of sale including but not limited to, wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing (at least 6-feet apart) during the auction, while tendering deposit and at any subsequent closing. Bidders are also required to comply with the Foreclosure Auction Rules and COVID-19 Health Emergency Rules issued by the Supreme Court of this County in addition to the conditions set forth in the Terms of Sale.

Notice of formation of NT General Construction LLC

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

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

Purpose: Any lawful purpose

NOTICE OF

SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, SC PARK LANE II, LLC, Plaintiff, vs. WALI AHMED, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confi rming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on November 22, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the outside steps of the Queens County Supreme Court, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on September 8, 2023 at 11:15 a.m., premises known as 3520 Leverich Street, Unit B226, Jackson Heights, NY 11372. 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 1270 and Lot 1111 together with an undivided .6091 percent interest in the Common Elements. Approximate amount of judgment is $647,245.66 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of fi led Judgment Index # 724727/2020. The Referee shall comply with the Eleventh Judicial District’s COVID-19 policies concerning public auctions of foreclosed properties. These policies, along with the Queens County Foreclosure’s Auction Rules, can be found on the Queens Supreme Court - Civil Term website. Austin I. Idehen, Esq., Referee, Vallely Law PLLC, 6851 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 105, Syosset, New York 11791, Attorneys for Plaintiff

DEAR INNER SELF, LLC Articles of Org. fi led NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 06/27/2023. Offi ce in Queens Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Maisie Wong, 102-55 67th Road, Apt. 5X, Forest Hills, NY 11375. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

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

To Advertise Call 718-205-8000 Legal Notices Legal Notices

125 MOUNT LLC Articles of Org. fi led NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 7/5/23. Offi ce in Queens Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 172-14 89th Ave., Jamaica, NY 11432. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of Golia LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 07/11/2023. 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: MICHAEL J GOLIA, 233-34 40TH AVE., DOUGLASTON, NY 11363. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

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

Notice of Formation of KUSH & KEMET HOLDINGS, LLC

Arts. of Org. fi led with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/21/23. Offi ce location: Queens County. Princ. offi ce of LLC: 111-12 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica, NY 11435. 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.

LAW OFFICE OF MICHAEL NAGHDI, PLLC. Arts. of Org. fi led with the SSNY on 08/18/23. Offi ce: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the PLLC, 109-21 Jamaica Avenue, Queens, NY 11418. Purpose: For the practice of the profession of Law.

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.

Notice of Formation of MORNINGSIDE NELSON APARTMENTS LLC Cert. of Conversion fi led with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/17/23, converting MORNINGSIDE HOUSING ASSOCIATES, L.P. to MORNINGSIDE NELSON APARTMENTS LLC. Offi ce location: Queens County. Princ. offi ce of LLC: 118-35 Queens Blvd., Queens, NY 11375. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Nelson Management Group at the princ. offi ce of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of SINKHOLE PRESS LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 08/08/2023. 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: DANA BUHL, 454 SENECA AVE, 1L, RIDGEWOOD, NY 11385. 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.

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS INDEX NO. 725657/2021 Plaintiff designates QUEENS as the place of trial situs of the real property SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS Mortgaged Premises: 188-34 ILION AVENUE, SAINT ALBANS, NY 11412 Block: 10437, Lot: 21 FAREVERSE LLC I/L/T/N FINANCE OF AMERICA REVERSE LLC Plaintiff, vs. BENNETT SANDERS AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ERNESTINE SANDERS; TAMMI OATMAN AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ERNESTINE SANDERS; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF ERNESTINE SANDERS, 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; FEDERAL HOUSING COMMISSIONER, ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; KWAUNA LOUNCK; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE-DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Defendants. To the above named Defendants YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $765,000.00 and interest, recorded on March 19, 2018, in CRFN: 2018000094193, of the Public Records of QUEENS County, New York., covering premises known as 18834 ILION AVENUE, SAINT ALBANS, NY 11412. 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: August 10, 2023 ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC, Attorney for Plaintiff, Matthew Rothstein, Esq. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, NY 11590. 516-280-7675

Paramount Claim of the Life and Estate of Devon Garth Gordon

Born October 15, 1971 in Jamaica, West Indies, Owen Gordon X lonie Bygrave, The United States of America, Whereas I, the living man known as Devon Garth Gordon, am the result of the life and love and physical embodiment of my parents, the living man known as Owen Gordon and the loving woman known as lonie Bygrave, now, therefore, I am their loving son from the moment of conception and from the first combining of their unique genetic code to create my unique genetic code and my zygote in support of my physical embodiment then and now, and as I am the only true and surviving inheritor, I hereby publish my claim and recording of the facts: The Afterbirth composed of a placenta, umbilical cord, and fetal tissues which accompanied me into this world and which was in possession of my DNA was never a viable separate living organism and was instead a portion of my flesh akin to any hair, skin, or other representation of my genetic content, that was not abandoned, not donated and not returned to me or my parents for burial. No separate estate, living status, ownership interest, or death apart from my own life may be claimed on behalf of the Afterbirth or other waste resulting from my birth from my shedding of hair, my shedding of skin, the deposit of my fingerprints or any other DNA-containing substance whatsoever. I hereby establish my Paramount Claim upon my unique DNA as the only lawful and living inheritor thereof from the moment of my conception forward and I also publish my nullification of any claim of ownership or material interest in my DNA based upon samples procured from any bodily waste or substance or any purpose. As witness to my claims, I here affix the signature and seal of my Lawful Person, retaining all rights and prerogatives thereof: by: Devon Garth Gordon.

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS–SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, COUNTY OF QUEENS – WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR FINANCE OF AMERICA STRUCTURED SECURITIES ACQUISITION TRUST 2019-HB1, Plaintiff, -against- ANY AND ALL KNOWN OR UNKNOWN HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES AND ALL OTHER PARTIES CLAIMING AN INTEREST BY, THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST THE ESTATE OF HATTIE BEARDS; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; CAROLINE FRANCIS BEARDS AKA CAROLINE F. MURPHY, AS HEIR, DEVISEE, DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF HATTIE BEARDS; AMOS S. BEARDS AKA AMOS S. BEARDS III, AS HEIR, DEVISEE, DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF HATTIE BEARDS; JULIUS BEARDS AKA JULIUS C. BEARDS, AS HEIR OF THE ESTATE OF VERONICA BEARDS, DECEASED HEIR, DEVISEE, DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF HATTIE BEARDS; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ACTING ON BEHALF OF DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY - INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #10,” said names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, intended to be possible tenants or occupants of the premises, or corporations, persons, or other entities having or claiming a lien upon the mortgaged premises, Defendants – Index No. 706218/2019

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 filed pursuant to an order of the court dated June 15, 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 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 (WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR FINANCE OF AMERICA STRUCTURED SECURITIES ACQUISITION TRUST 2019-HB1) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of the Honorable Phillip Hom, J.S.C. Dated: June 15, 2023 Filed: June 20, 2023. The object of this action is to foreclose a mortgage and covering the premises known as 24624 N Conduit Avenue, Rosedale, NY 11422. Dated: February 19, 2023 Filed:

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK – COUNTY OF QUEENS INDEX # 705468/2013 FILED: 06/22/2023 SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS Plaintiff designates Queens County as the place of trial based on the location of the mortgaged premises in this action. MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC, Plaintiff, against DEBORAH RASCOE AS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF MILDRED RASCOE AND AS HEIR AT LAW AND NEXT OF KIN TO MILDRED RASCOE; MELVIN RASCOE AS HEIR AT LAW AND NEXT OF KIN TO MILDRED RASCOE, if living, and if dead, the respective heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignors, lienors, creditors and successors in interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendant who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and their respective husbands, wives or widow, if any; ELIZABETH FANNIE HORNE AS HEIR AT LAW AND NEXT OF KIN TO MILDRED RASCOE, if living, and if dead, the respective heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignors, lienors, creditors and successors in interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendant who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and their respective husbands, wives or widow, if any; EACH AND EVERY PERSON NOT SPECIFICALLY NAMED WHO MAY BE ENTITLED TO OR CLAIM TO HAVE ANY RIGHT, TITLE OR INTEREST IN THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN THE VERIFIED COMPLAINT; ALL OF WHOM AND WHOSE NAMES AND PLACES OF RESIDENCE UNKNOWN, AND CANNOT AFTER DILIGENT INQUIRY BE ASCERTAINED BY THE PLAINTIFF; STATE OF NEW YORK; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK STATE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA O/B/O INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; Defendants. To the above-named defendants: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with this summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the plaintiff’s attorneys within 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); and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE MORTGAGE COMPANY WHO FILED THIS FORECLOSURE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT, A DEFAULT JUDGMENT MAY BE ENTERED AND YOU CAN LOSE YOUR HOME. SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY OR GO TO THE COURT WHERE YOUR CASE IS PENDING FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON HOW TO ANSWER THE SUMMONS AND PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY. SENDING A PAYMENT TO YOUR MORTGAGE COMPANY WILL NOT STOP THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. This action was commenced to foreclose a mortgage against property located at 13908 111th Avenue, New York 11435, Tax Parcel ID No.: Block 11955 Lot 22. McCabe, Weisberg & Conway, LLC, Caren Bailey, Esq., Attorneys for Plaintiff, 1 Huntington Quadrangle, Suite 4N25, Melville, NY 11747. (631) 812-4084. (855) 845-2584 facsimile. File # 548-0155. HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE NEW YORK STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT WE SEND YOU THIS NOTICE ABOUT THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME. IF YOU FAIL TO RESPOND TO THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT IN THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION, YOU MAY LOSE YOUR HOME. PLEASE READ THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT CAREFULLY. YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CONTACT AN ATTORNEY OR YOUR LOCAL LEGAL AID OFFICE TO OBTAIN ADVICE ON HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF. SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE The State encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. In addition to seeking assistance from an attorney or legal aid offi ce, there are government agencies and non- profi t organizations that you may contact for information about possible options, including trying to work with your lender during this process. To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by the New York State Department of Financial Services at 1-800-342-3736 or visit the Department`s website at www.dfs.ny.gov RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME AT THIS TIME. You have the right to stay in your home during the foreclosure process. You are not required to leave your home unless and until your property is sold at auction pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale. Regardless of whether you choose to remain in your home, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PROPERTY and pay property taxes in accordance with state and local law. FORECLOSURE RESCUE SCAMS Be careful of people who approach you with offers to “save” your home. There are individuals who watch for notices of foreclosure actions in order to unfairly profi t from a homeowner’s distress. You should be extremely careful about any such promises and any suggestions that you pay them a fee or sign over your deed. State law requires anyone offering such services for profi t to enter into a contract which fully describes the services they will perform and fees they will charge, and which prohibits them from taking any money from you until they have completed all such promised services. § 1303 NOTICE

Notice 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.

Notice of Formation: XQ Realty, LLC, Art. Of Org. fi led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/22/2023. Offi ce Loc.: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 511 NEW HYDE PARK RD, NEW HYDE PARK, NY 11040

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Supplemental Summons and Notice of Object of Action Supreme Court Of The State Of New York County Of Queens Action to Foreclose a Mortgage Index #: 721980/2022 HSBC Bank USA, National Association, As Trustee, On Behalf Of The Ace Securities Corp. Home Equity Loan Trust, Series 2005-SN1, Asset Backed Pass-Through Certificates Plaintiff, Vs Khadiza Khanam If Living, And If He/She Be Dead, Any And All Persons Unknown To Plaintiff, Claiming, Or Who May Claim To Have An Interest In, Or General Or Specific Lien Upon The Real Property Described In This Action; Such Unknown Persons Being Herein Generally Described And Intended To Be Included In Wife, Widow, Husband, Widower, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assignees Of Such Deceased, Any And All Persons Deriving Interest In Or Lien Upon, Or Title To Said Real Property By, Through Or Under Them, Or Either Of Them, And Their Respective Wives, Widows, Husbands, Widowers, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assigns, All Of Whom And Whose Names, Except As Stated, Are Unknown To Plaintiff, Lucus Valley Inc., New York City Environmental Control Board, Capital One Bank USA, NA, People Of The State Of New York, New York City Department Of Finance, United States Of America On Behalf Of The IRS John Doe (Those unknown tenants, occupants, persons or corporations or their heirs, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, guardians, assignees, creditors or successors claiming an interest in the mortgaged premises.) Defendant(s). Mortgaged Premises: 4057 Junction Boulevard Corona, NY 11368 To the Above named Defendant: You are hereby summoned to answer the Complaint in this action, and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Supplemental Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff(s) attorney(s) within twenty days after the service of this Supplemental Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this Supplemental Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York). In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. The Attorney for Plaintiff has an office for business in the County of Erie. Trial to be held in the County of Queens. The basis of the venue designated above is the location of the Mortgaged Premises. TO Khadiza Khanam, Lucus Valley Inc. Defendants In this Action. The foregoing Supplemental Summons is served upon you by publication, pursuant to an order of HON. Ulysses B. Leverett of the Supreme Court Of The State Of New York, dated the Twenty-Sixth day of July, 2023 and filed with the Complaint in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens, in the City of Jamaica. The object of this action is to foreclose a mortgage upon the premises described below, dated June 27, 2003, executed by Khadiza Khanam to secure the sum of $582,140.00. The Mortgage was recorded at CRFN 2004000030303 in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County on January 15, 2004. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed June 26, 2009 and recorded on October 30, 2009, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2009000355947. The mortgage was subsequently modified on October 25, 2011. The property in question is described as follows: 4057 Junction Boulevard, CORONA, NY 11368 HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE NEW YORK STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT WE SEND YOU THIS NOTICE ABOUT THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME. IF YOU FAIL TO RESPOND TO THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT IN THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION, YOU MAY LOSE YOUR HOME. PLEASE READ THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT CAREFULLY. YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CONTACT AN ATTORNEY OR YOUR LOCAL LEGAL AID OFFICE TO OBTAIN ADVICE ON HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF. SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE The state encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. In addition to seeking assistance from an attorney or legal aid office, there are government agencies and non-profit organizations that you may contact for information about possible options, including trying to work with your lender during this process. To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by the New York State Department of Financial Services at 1-800-342-3736 or the Foreclosure Relief Hotline 1-800-269-0990 or visit the department’s website at WWW.DFS.NY.GOV. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME AT THIS TIME. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO STAY IN YOUR HOME DURING THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME UNLESS AND UNTIL YOUR PROPERTY IS SOLD AT AUCTION PURSUANT TO A JUDGMENT OF FORECLOSURE AND SALE. REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO REMAIN IN YOUR HOME, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PROPERTY AND PAY PROPERTY TAXES IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE AND LOCAL LAW. FORECLOSURE RESCUE SCAMS Be careful of people who approach you with offers to “save” your home. There are individuals who watch for notices of foreclosure actions in order to unfairly profit from a homeowner’s distress. You should be extremely careful about any such promises and any suggestions that you pay them a fee or sign over your deed. State law requires anyone offering such services for profit to enter into a contract which fully describes the services they will perform and fees they will charge, and which prohibits them from taking any money from you until they have completed all such promised services. § 1303 NOTICE NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. DATED: August 3, 2023 Gross Polowy LLC Attorney(s) For Plaintiff(s) 1775 Wehrle Drive, Suite 100, Williamsville, NY 14221, The law firm of Gross Polowy, LLC and the attorneys whom it employs are debt collectors who are attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained by them will be used for that purpose. 77469

Adams donors

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Tighter restrictions apply to donors with business before the city, limiting them to $400 in an election. But the lure of matching funds for smaller donations has also led to prosecutions of candidates, campaign officials and donors who attempted to abuse the system. Candidates and their campaign workers risk criminal fraud charges if they falsify contributions or reimburse people for their donations. Contributors themselves, while rarely if ever prosecuted, violate the law, as well, if on a form required by the CFB, they attest to making a contribution for which they have been reimbursed, a classic straw donor maneuver.

In 1995, Ronald Reale, a former transit union leader who had run for public advocate, was convicted of federal charges including more than 50 fraudulent money orders totalling $50,000 submitted by his campaign.

Eight years later, an otherwise respected veteran former City Council member, Sheldon Leffler, was convicted in state court of allowing a donor to submit $10,000 in fake money orders to bolster his campaign for Queens borough president.

And in 2013, a former campaign treasurer and donor to John Liu, the former city comptroller who was running for mayor, were convicted federally of using similar so-called “straw donors” totalling approximately $20,000 to inflate Liu’s bid for City Hall. (Liu was not charged, although his campaign was later fined by the CFB for alleged abuses.)

Most recently, former state Lt. Governor Brian Benjamin was indicted last year on federal bribery charges stemming from a scheme — first exposed by THE CITY — that included the use of straw donors by a supporter of his campaign for city comptroller to whom Benjamin attempted to funnel a $50,000 state grant. Benjamin was forced to resign from office, but the charges against him were later dismissed by a federal judge who ruled there was no explicit quid pro quo between Benjamin and the donor.

Despite those problems, the city’s campaign finance program has been widely lauded for evening the playing field and allowing more candidates from underrepresented communities to run for office and win election. In 2021, the program doled out $126 million in public matching funds, the most since the program’s inception. But such generosity has also left the board struggling to conduct timely audits, and its scrutiny of campaigns like Adams’ 2021 successful bid remains incomplete almost two years later.

A spokesman for the board, Tim Hunter, declined to comment on the reasons for the long delay or any questions relating to the Adams 2021 campaign but said its scrutiny of the campaign’s filings continued.

But much of the initial scrutiny of donors is up to the campaign itself, said John Kaehny, executive director of Reinvent Albany, a good

government advocacy group.

“It behooves the campaign to look at who their contributors are, to ask why did we get these donations from this group of people?” said Kaehny. “You see stuff like postal money orders, no identified intermediary, a geographic cluster or employment cluster of donors not connected to any reported event, that’s got to be looked at.”

Forgery claims at the appliance store

On October 10, 2019, as Adams was amassing his warchest ahead of his official mayoral campaign launch, the soon-to-be candidate attended a banquet at a restaurant in Brooklyn. According to Sina, a Chinese-language newsite, the event was sponsored by AC & Appliances Center, whose owner, Hai Mo Zhong, is also a vice-president at the Chinese Business Association of New York.

Several Chinese-American business leaders attended the fundraiser, as well as Winnie Greco, a longtime liaison to the Asian community who is now special advisor and director of Asian affairs in the Adams administration.

“Chinese and overseas Chinese stood up to speak out for Adams, saying that they would support Adams’ election together. Everyone cheered in unison and gave their all to help Adams win the election,” MGM Media, a Chinese-language media organization, reported at the time.

The event coincided with a bundle of $250 contributions from the appliance chain’s owner and apparent CEO along with more than a dozen that forms submitted to the CFB indicated came from contractors, subcontractors, employees and relatives affiliated with the chain.

Some of the official contribution cards from this appliance store cluster —including that of the college graduate who says his signature was forged — contained scant information, exhibited similar handwriting, and came from people unregistered to vote. And at least two of these money orders, which appear to be from this cluster, were made on October 10, 2019, according to the Adams campaign. But the original contribution cards show that the donation was signed and dated on October 15, 2019.

Nine of the appliance store-related contributions came in $250 money orders, including the two that the college graduate says were forged in his name and that of his father.

The young man said that while he occasionally worked as a stock boy for the appliance company, he did not attend the 2019 fundraiser for the mayor.

He said he has only used a money order once, for an upstate traffic ticket. “I don’t think it’s ok for them to use my name,” the Queensnative told THE CITY. “I think it’s fraudulent.”

THE CITY identified at least four other $250 money orders signed on the same day and issued from the same post office as that used for the college graduate’s contribution. Three of the money orders displayed similar handwriting in recording the money orders’ recipient: “Eric Adams 2021.”

Zhong, the appliance store’s owner, told

THE CITY he was only involved with the banquet to encourage supportive contractors to attend, and that he knew nothing about how any of the donations were handled or processed thereafter. Zhong added that the Adams campaign office had “sent a lot of people who were specifically responsible for fundraising” to the event.

“They collected all the money,” he said. “None of us touched any of the money,” he added.

“Everything was done properly and normally” as far as he was aware, Zhong continued, adding that, as a businessman, he was unfamiliar with campaign finance regulations. “There may be things that we don’t understand, but we just did what we were asked to, there’s not much else.”

The windfall at the mall

The appliance store donors gave at a time, two years before Election Day, when mayoral candidates were competing to run up large donation tallies that indicated they could mount a strong campaign. The first major bundle of New World Mall-JMart donations came more than a year later, in spring 2021, when Andrew Yang, the only Asian candidate in the mayoral race, was leading the polls.

The 2021 contributions coincided with two fundraising events held at the Royal Queen Restaurant, the large banquet hall on the top floor of the mall. They were high-profile, involving government officials who included Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Councilmember Peter Koo (D-Queens) and major Chinese-American community figures, including Greco and Li.

Even after Adams won the Democratic primary against Garcia in July 2021 by little more than 8,000 votes, virtually assuring the mayoralty, donations kept pouring in. On Aug. 8, 57 employees listed in Adams’ campaign filings as employed by Jmart or the New World Mall contributed to the presumptive mayor. By this point, he was sitting on a considerable surplus, making the contributions mostly relevant to the political future, and giving those who organized them a chance to show their allegiance to a man who was soon to become the most powerful figure in New York.

In interviews, some New World and Jmart mall employees told THE CITY that their bosses directed or encouraged them to give to the campaign — raising questions about how much these low-wage employees chose to give of their own volition. Ninety-four gave exactly $249 to the Adams campaign, supporting some employees’ claims that the contributions stemmed from a coordinated effort.

Nonetheless, the Adams campaign did not disclose any intermediaries for the hundred plus contributions made by Jmart supermar-

ket employees and other retail and food vendor employees located at the New World Mall throughout 2021. Of the 104 donors in the New World Mall and Jmart supermarket cluster, only seven were registered voters in New York. Ninety-four gave exactly $249 to the Adams campaign.

An Adams campaign official noted: “There are a number of exceptions to when intermediaries need to be reported, most notably in the case of campaign-sponsored events and house parties.”

The employee at New World Mall who said she was reimbursed for her contribution to Adams said her employers told her to bring her checkbook to work that day. She said the accompanying contribution card in her name was filled out for her, but that she trusted the process because her bosses were familiar with the man who took her check and gave her cash in exchange.

She said she can’t recall whether she’s ever seen the donation card — which included in Chinese an affidavit stating that the contribution was made in her own name and with her own funds. Upon reviewing the signature on the contribution card, however, the employee said it “doesn’t seem to be signed by me.”

“The content of the donation, I really don’t have much clue what it’s all about,’” she told THE CITY in an in-person interview. “He said to help him out ... I didn’t think much of it, I just thought I should help if I can.”

Likewise, a butcher at Jmart said that the day after Adams visited the mall in August 2021, “mall office people” told him and coworkers that if they were willing to donate to the campaign, they should bring their checkbooks to work. The butcher also said that the mall office gave them the contribution forms and told them about the $250 limit for matching funds. The butcher said that the next day, he signed a check and brought it to the mall’s manager’s office on the first floor of the mall.

When asked why he wanted to donate to Adams, the butcher, who said he has never registered to vote due to language barriers, said in Mandarin, “No reason, just want to have a new mayor.”

Jun Xu, another Jmart employee, said he donated $249 because “they said something like $250 being the limit.” But Xu became combative when asked follow-up questions about the fundraising initiative.

“There are a lot of whys that I have no way of answering,” he said. “There are a lot of whys that I don’t know about,” he said, standing at his apartment door. “Don’t ask so many whys.”

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

Money orders made out to the Adams mayoral campaign all displayed similar handwriting.

IMAGE VIA ERIC ADAMS CAMPAIGN FINANCE FILINGS

Shoppers get food at Jmart in the New World Mall, left, in Flushing, Aug. 15, 2023. AC & Appliances Center in Flushing, Aug. 17, 2023. PHOTOS BY BEN FRACTENBERG / THE CITY

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