Queens Chronicle South Edition 09-19-24

Hundreds slam City of Yes in Bayside

Bipartisan crowd, pols assail possible impacts on Queens neighborhoods

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

More than 200 residents, civic leaders and elected officials gathered in Bayside Monday afternoon to ratchet up opposition within the City Council to Mayor Adams’ proposed City of Yes Opportunity for Housing legislation.

Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside), organized the press conference-turned rally at the intersection of 212th Street and 38th Avenue. Speakers included Councilmembers Linda Lee (D-Oakland Gardens) and Vickie Paladino (R-Whitestone), who will be voting no when it comes up later this year.

City Hall is proposing zoning changes that would greatly loosen housing density restrictions in one- and two-family zones and allow accessory dwelling units such as backyard cottages and the conversion of basements and garages, all in the name of reducing the city’s housing crisis.

While the Adams administration says the aim is to have each neighborhood in the city add just a little bit of new housing, Braunstein said the reality will be far less benign.

“It will put a strain on our infrastructure, our schools, our streets, our traffic, our parking,” Braunstein told the Chronicle.

He was one of several who mentioned during the press conference that he and many of his

colleagues in Albany thought the matter was decided after the forced Gov. Hochul to remove similar legislation from the state budget negotiations twice in two years.

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and co-chairperson of the New York Community Aviation Roundtable. Speaking after the rally, she too said they plan will destroy parts of Queens, particularly those with single-family lots as small as 5,000 square feet.

“In low-density neighborhoods, there’s no

such thing as a little housing,” she said.

Among those who also spoke Monday were state Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky (D-College Point) and Assemblymembers Sam Berger (D-Flushing) Alicia Hyndman (D-Springfield Gardens) Nily Rozic (D-Fresh Meadows) and David Weprin (D-Fresh Meadows).

“This is not about Democrats or Republicans,” Paladino told the crowd. “This is about you. This is a direct effort to destroy our district.”

“I have four community boards in my district,” Lee said. “Boards 8, 11, 12 and 13. All of them voted no.” She said any changes must be subject to local input rather than a sweeping citywide plan.

Stavisky concurred.

“People put their life’s savings into buying their homes,” she said, and need to have say regarding such changes.

Lee told the Chronicle that some of her colleagues seem to have reservations, but that it’s a bit difficult at the moment to have an exact read on a final vote.

Urban planner Paul Graziano, a Flushing resident, has opposed the housing plan in adresses to boards and civic groups around the city, saying he believes it is intended to target one- and two-family residential neighborhoods for extinction.

continued on page 24

Councilmembers Linda Lee, at the microphone, and Vickie Paladino spoke at a press conference organized by Assemblyman Ed Braunstein, left, on opposition to the mayor’s City of Yes housing expansion initiative.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON

MTA plans 17-week A/S train outages

Next phase of the MTA’s Rockaway Line project to kick off in January

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

For 17 weeks in 2025, there will be no A and S trains at all on the Rockaway Line, from Howard Beach to Hammels Wye.

The loss of service is due to the MTA’s Rockaway Line Resiliency and Rehabilitation project, an effort to ensure that the peninsula’s transit system can withstand future storm surges, rising sea levels, and other climate change-related events, according to the agency’s website. Many components of the Rockaway Line are over 65 years old and need significant rehabilitation.

The project builds upon previous work toward resiliency and reliability upgrades through an investment of $393 million.

Its resiliency work through the second quarter of 2025 includes installing concrete walls at the Howard Beach circuit breaker house; performing a lead inspection, abatement and interior painting at the Broad Channel relay room; a complete electric system relocation and the beginning of rebar and formwork for concrete installation at the Beach 116th Street station.

In terms of rehabilitation, the agency said it intends to work on pneumatic concrete installation; complete the Beach 105th Street signal tower steel erection; begin Beach 105th Street signal tower lower-level construction; rehabilitate the Hammels Wye Viaduct, and compete

demolition work at the South Channel Bridge.

Service disruption is unavoidable because Hammels Wye is a narrow bottleneck, the MTA said. The outage will run from Friday, Jan. 17, 2025 through Monday, May 19, 2025. During that time, there will be

a 10-week South Channel Bridge marine closure, but the time frame is unknown.

While service is suspended, S shuttle trains will operate between Far Rockaway and Rockaway Park. Shuttle buses will operate between Howard Beach and Far Rockaway via Nassau Expressway, and between Howard Beach and Beach 67th Street via Broad Channel and Beach 90th Street.

The MTA also suggested other travel alternatives: the Q52 or Q53 shuttle bus service, which provides direct connection to the A train at Rockaway Boulevard, the Q35, QM16, QM17 buses, the Long Island Rail Road at Far Rockaway and the NYC Ferry. The agency said both the LIRR and ferry have enough capacity for an uptick in riders.

“All the stations along the peninsula will be open, and they’ll be connected with one another by a shuttle train that goes back and forth across the peninsula,” said Alan Foster, part of the MTA Operations Planning team, at a recent Community Board 10 meeting. “So the only station that’s actually closed is Broad Channel.”

He added, “There will be service to Howard Beach at all times, just as usual, going north and west toward Brooklyn and Manhattan. And the service to Lefferts Boulevard, Ozone Park, that will be normal as well. The only thing from here that you won’t be able to do is take the subway directly to the Rockaway Peninsula.”

Residents with questions can visit the agency’s website at mta.info, call the project hotline at (516) 331-4009 or email RockawayResiliency@ mtacd.org. The MTA said an outage czar will be available to communicate the timing of service changes and alternatives before and during the 17-week break.

The czar, Hugo Zamora, will monitor deployments and performance of shuttle bus and train service, and make real-time adjustments. Zamora was originally appointed to oversee the G train project, which involved outages earlier this summer.

The contract for the Rockaway Line Resiliency and Rehabilitation project started Dec. 29, 2022, and its expected substantial completion is the third quarter of 2026. Q

Showing appreciation for those who served

Veterans treated to an afternoon of food and fun in Howard

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

The 15th annual Veterans BBQ at the Howard Beach Motor Club, hosted by state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven) was a success last weekend, with veterans and their families enjoying an afternoon of free food and entertainment.

“As I like to say, every day is Veterans Day, and we should never hold back our respect and thanks to our nation’s veterans to only a few days a year,” Addabbo said in a statement. “That is why my staff and I hold this event each year, to say ‘thank you’ to our local veterans and their families for their sacrifice defending our nation and our freedoms. It is the least we can do in their honor.”

Entertainment offerings included a doo-wop group, the Fabulous Acchords, and Howard Beach resident Zachary Ballard, known as

the “Magical Marine,” who performed tricks that wowed the audience.

The afternoon was emceed by Laura Lee and Richie D’Auria. There was bagpipe playing by Peter McMahon, and trumpet playing by U.S. Army veteran John Christ. Nick the Balloonatic provided the centerpieces and Deacon Alex Breviario, from Our Lady of Grace Church in Howard Beach, gave a blessing.

Addabbo presented Certificates of Recognition to the Fabulous Acchords and the Magical Marine for their dedication to providing entertainment to the veterans. He also presented Richie D’Auria with a certificate commemorating his retirement after 38 years of Music Ministry Service at Our Lady of Grace.

In a press release from his office, Addabbo thanked more than a dozen area businesses and

Beach

Veterans and their families enjoy a free afternoon of food and entertainment, left, and state Sen. Joe Addabbo

helps serve up some plates.

residents, who provided food and prizes for the event.

“Besides the great local businesses who pitched in to give the veterans a great afternoon, I want

to thank the Howard Beach Motor Boat Club for having us again, Pat Connelly, and of course my staff for getting everything together before the event and for making

sure everything ran smoothly for the veterans,” Addabbo said in a prepared statement. “Thank you all, and I look forward to another great event next year!” Q

Key elements of the Rockaway Line Resiliency and Rehabilitation project, which will cause A and S train outages for 17 weeks in 2025. MTA IMAGE

Jr.

PHOTOS COURTESY NYS SENATE

Emotional 9/11 remembrance at OLG

Our Lady of Grace Church, at 100-05 159 Ave., in Howard Beach, was adorned with flags and bunting in honor of 9/11.

PHOTO BY NORM HARRIS

Peter McMahon, left, gave an emotional performance of “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes. At right, even the kids showed patriotism and respect during the memorial ceremony. PHOTOS BY NORM HARRIS, LEFT, AND CHARLES FIUMANO

Elected officials, such as District Attorney Melinda Katz, left, state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr., Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato and city Councilwoman Joann Ariola, gave speeches during the packed event. PHOTOS BY CHARLES FIUMANO

Our Lady of Grace was packed with residents engrossed in the emotional ceremony. PHOTO BY CHARLES FIUMANO

Families paid their respects to the victims, first responders and survivors of the 9/11 attacks in the gymnasium of Our Lady of Grace Church last Wednesday during the annual candlelight memorial service coordinated and sponsored by Stars Community Center.

PHOTO BY CHARLES FIUMANO

Brothers Kevin and Christopher Hoyler wield their rifles during a ceremonial salute, left, and Old Glory flies high, but at half mast, in Howard Beach as residents keep their promises to never forget. PHOTOS BY NORM HARRIS

Attendees participate in the candle lighting, left, and churchgoers engage in prayer outside of Our Lady of Grace. PHOTOS BY CHARLES FIUMANO, LEFT, AND NORM HARRIS

After going viral, HB mom pens cookbook

Home chef gains popularity on TikTok for her traditional Sicilian recipes

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Rita Prisco didn’t plan on getting internet famous. The longtime Howard Beach resident simply wanted to share recipes with her community.

Yet, Prisco, known as Cucina Palermo or @cucinapalermo on TikTok, has amassed more than 360,000 followers on the platform. Her videos have a combined 4.6 million likes.

And the home chef, whose father hailed from San Palermo in Sicily, has released her very own cookbook.

“I grew up with traditional Sicilian food, which is not found in Italian restaurants,” Prisco told the Chronicle. “And when I was introduced to TikTok, I realized that all the Italian food they were showing was food I didn’t grow up with, so I thought it was missing that part — the Sicilian cooking, what we really ate at our kitchen table.”

Prisco’s first video was a recipe for spaghettata, a traditional Sicilian pasta dish consisting of spaghetti, olive oil, anchovies, copious amounts of garlic, cherry tomatoes, red pepper flakes and fresh herbs.

“I got over 5 million views on that video,” Prisco said. “I was in shock. I was so amazed about how many people really were interested in this. I thought it would just be Sicilians, but everybody was interested.”

Her other hits include a tip on how to get the most tender chicken cutlets (slice them thinly against the grain) and traditional Sunday sauce that could compete with any Nonna’s recipe.

Prisco has followers from Australia, Africa and Canada who appreciate her simple, fulfilling recipes.

“I gained 100,000 followers in one week,” she said. “And I kept going, because at that point, every video I made after went viral.”

Prisco said making the recipe videos came easy to her because she cooks every day for her husband, Aniello, and her triplet daughters, Ariana, Francesca and Simona, who are all teachers. After posting, Prisco often connects with viewers who reach out to her in comments under her videos or via private messages.

“I’m encouraging so many people to actually cook,” Prisco said. “And the biggest thing in all this — I get messages that are so moving.”

A cancer patient reached out to Prisco and said that her videos bring happiness, and others tell Prisco she reminds them of their mother or grandmother.

“That makes me so, so happy,” she said.

Fans told Prisco she should write a cookbook, and publishing companies even reached out to her to propose one.

“They wanted to do my cookbook, but it was so professional — photographers, editors, all that kind of stuff — that it didn’t feel like me

and who I was,” she said. “I’m not a professional chef, so I didn’t want to compete with professional cookbooks and professional chefs.”

She decided to publish her cookbook without professional assistance, and instead with help from one of her daughters. Released on Aug. 19, it is titled “Cucina Palermo: My Homemade Cookbook” and showcases the simplicity, flavor and affordability of classic Sicilian cooking.

The book was met warmly by Prisco’s audience and quickly reached No. 1 in Amazon’s Italian cooking book category. Links to Prisco’s TikTok account and book can be found on linktr.ee/cucinapalermorita.

In addition to recipes and kitchen tips and tricks, Prisco often posts vlogs, called Rita’s Reasonings, where she discusses aspects of culture, upbringing and tradition.

“I talk about Howard Beach all the time, and I try to promote small businesses,” Prisco said.

She frequently mentions Made in Eatalia, a specialty Italian store in Glendale, and the Food Emporium in Lindenwood.

“I talk about the baker there, Frank [Cardinalli], this little old man who makes the best bread,” she said.

She said she feels joy from building up the community through her platform.

“I love this neighborhood, and my kids love this neighborhood,” Prisco said. “And I feel like I’m making everybody proud.” Q

Rita Prisco of Howard Beach has gone viral on TikTok and amassed millions of likes. Her latest venture was writing and releasing her own cookbook. SCREENSHOT VIA TIKTOK / @CUCINAPALERMO

EDITORIAL AGEP

At the NYPD, a new hope

Maybe Mayor Adams is starting to realize how terrible his administration looks as top officials quit or get forced out while the feds raid homes and seize phones. On Tuesday he declined to repeat his usual claim that his problems are figments of hostile media’s imagination, instead asserting only that the investigations are not at the top of the public’s agenda. That’s an improvement. And it’s at least partially true — people generally want their schools staffed and potholes filled and calls to 911 and 311 answered.

But they also want to know that their mayor’s not a crook, to borrow from Nixon, and right now many are wondering. The police commissioner had to quit because his brother is allegedly taking payments so cops look the other way on noise complaints? The schools chancellor and his partner, a deputy mayor, had their phones seized, maybe because his brother might be getting kickbacks for steering contracts to select companies? And mean-

while, brother No. 3 is also a deputy mayor, one with oversight over that same police commissioner? What a disaster.

So it’s welcome news that Adams brought in an apparent outsider, a fed no less, to take over the NYPD. We give a warm welcome to new interim Commissioner Tom Donlon, and wish him the best of luck. We sure hope he’ll be able to do his job without interference from the Adams family of shady law enforcement types, most specifically Phil Banks and Tim Pearson. Moral clouds have hung over both of those Adams buddies for years.

Given Donlon’s prestige, we hope he wouldn’t even take the job without assurances of independence. Otherwise he’ll have to split like the honorable Keechant Sewell did.

There’s a crisis of confidence in City Hall, and Adams has to turn it around if he has any hope of winning re-election, or even finishing out his term. And we don’t want to see Jumaane Williams become acting mayor.

New dumb thing: scooter share

There you are, moseying along at a de Blasio 25 mph on some street made for 40, when suddenly, going the wrong way, blowing a light or coming off the sidewalk is one of those standup e-scooters that have been giving you a heart attack behind the wheel. Hope it doesn’t hit you, though you won’t be the one who suffers if it does.

We’re seeing more and more of these “micromobility” vehicles hit the road — and sidewalk — and the city is even contracting with manufacturers to let people ride them as short-term rentals. So expect to see more reckless teens and 20-somethings, and some older people, zipping around on scooters with all the respect people show to something they don’t own. (Our favorites are the adults who jam their kids in between themselves and the handlebars

to take them to school. That’ll keep therapists busy for years to come.)

Some are fighting back, like City Councilmembers Jim Gennaro and Sandra Ung, Assemblymen David Weprin and Sam Berger and Community Board 8 Chair Martha Taylor, who held a press conference against the scooter share program Monday. Gennaro wants it out of his district. Ung wrote a bill to get it out of much of hers.

The others agree, as do many in Southeast Queens, who railed against the program at a town hall last week.

Everyone hates how the scooters are ridden and how the shared ones are dumped all over. Everyone except the powers that be, that is. We might hope to end scooter sharing but it’s unlikely. Just try not to hit any of these reckless riders as they cruise the double yellow.

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LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

Keep Ascan bus stop

Dear Editor:

People from Kew Gardens, Briarwood and other neighborhoods take the Q60 bus to Forest Hills to do their banking and shopping. While there, many of them stop at Foodtown to pick up things they can’t get locally.

The Queens Bus Network Redesign plans to remove the Ascan Avenue bus stop. This will be a hardship for seniors and others with physical limitations, as they will have to walk to the 72nd Avenue bus stop or the 75th Avenue bus stop near Walgreens with their groceries, rather than just walk a few feet to the curb at the Ascan Avenue stop. It will be an even greater problem in bad weather.

If a bus stop has to be removed, the 72nd Avenue bus stop would be a better choice since it is used less frequently. I made this point on the redesign website but it must not have done any good. The Redesign Committee should reconsider its decision.

Patricia Farrell Kew Gardens

MTA: Listen on buses now

Dear Editor:

Now that the MTA is working on its final bus redesign plan for Queens, which it already has approval to implement without any further public hearings, this is the time to get it right. It could be done by interacting with communities.

By this I mean the MTA should respond to questions and suggestions by explaining why it agrees with or dislikes a suggestion or complaint, as well as suggesting new ideas. That would result in interactive written conversations.

The MTA rejects this approach. Instead all suggestions and complaints receive an auto reply thanking the sender. There is never any follow-up, so we do not know if the suggestion was even read. All correspondence to MTA officials, perhaps except from elected officials and the media, also goes unanswered, which apparently is the agency’s new policy.

When further complaints arise that the final plan still does not meet the needs of Queens, the MTA’s response will be not to worry, and that any problems will be dealt with after implementation. Mark those words. The reality is the chance is very slim to change a route that already has been revised or eliminated.

The time to get the plan right is now, not after it goes into effect, and the way to do that is

to have and listen to conversations with communities, not merely responding with a than k you and just eliminating the most objectionable aspects of the plan.

Allan Rosen Brooklyn

The writer is a former director of MTA New York City Transit Bus Planning.

Revenge of the libs

Dear Editor:

The police commissioner had to resign. No charges, but his phone was snatched by the gasp! — FBI, as happened to the Mayor and other alleged Adams administration baddies. Something about the Top Cop’s twin brother allegedly “fixing” things for nightlife establishments. The horror.

As that unaccounted $1 billion lost by Mayor de Blasio with his ThriveNYC, as well as his using NYPD details to chauffeur relatives and

LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

move his kid increasingly fade into the Let’s Move On memory hole, cascading Adams administration Watergates continue to mount. Ominously for Adams, his impertinent expressions of exasperation with the Biden administration over migrants have long since put him in the doghouse with liberals. Also occasionally comporting himself dismissively toward the odd hoity-toity white Brooklyn progressive politician. Worse, this year he defiantly opened a migrant shelter for 400 men in Gowanus, over elite objection, alarmingly close to Park Slope proper.

Immaculate Liberal High Priest Bill de Blasio brilliantly kept the Park Slope property tax gravy train going with his elaborate reform commission swindle. Adams can expect no similar grace as the Black man liberals get to openly hate.

Edwin Eppich Glendale

City of Yes danger zone

Dear Editor:

Remember when City Planning protected communities and recognized the importance of neighborhood character and architecture? We only need to go back to the 2009 North Flushing Rezoning. Why and how did the narrative get turned on its head and single-family, lowerdensity areas find themselves defending a lifestyle choice that takes sacrifice to afford and decades of work to preserve and protect?

Remember when Rezoning was a thoughtful and vetted process in which everyone was involved to consider whether changes will improve a neighborhood? The City of Yes sets aside decades of work with one broad stroke.

There is no such thing as a little more housing in every neighborhood. The city has no fully functioning and properly staffed agency to monitor any of this activity, with an understaffed and underfunded Department of Buildings. By the time anyone understands the ramifications of CoY, developers will turn communities unrecognizable overnight, and property owners will think they can do anything they want with their homes. Civics will throw up their hands and disappear. Shared housing, accessory dwelling units, no parking requirements, flooded basements, singleroom-occupancy units, aka SROs, apartment buildings wherever possible — what kind of free-for-all chaos is being unleashed? CoY is totally illogical.

How is it possible for a borough president to ignore the advice of a supermajority of community boards and the pleadings of ordinary people? It is profoundly disappointing when the Queens BP considers City of Yes a once-in-a-lifetime, broad-stroke, citywide development opportunity. Instead his responsibility is to focus on specific areas in Queens that desperately need and want upgrades requiring zoning changes.

A home is the largest investment most people will make in their lifetime, and zoning protects that investment. There is no going back if the City Council passes the sweeping zoning text amendment called City of Yes. A bit of history and lifestyle choices will be gone forever.

Maria Becce Flushing

PS 164 celebrates 75 years

Dear Editor:

Give a shoutout to PS 164 in Kew Gardens Hills, which marked its 75th anniversary on Sept. 5 when the new school year began. Also called the Queens Valley School, this vital institution has educated thousands of students, from Baby Boomers to Generation Z, since it opened in 1949. Graduates include Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, who sang their first duet in a school show, and actress Fran Drescher, who starred in hit TV show “The Nanny,” and is now president of the SAG-AFTRA performers’ union.

PS 164 was built to serve the needs of Kew Gardens Hills’ growing family population following the end of World War II. Construction began in 1947 and was completed two years later. The new school was constructed over a sand pit at 137th Street and 77th Avenue, the only available site that NYC could purchase after real estate developers bought all the surrounding land in KGH to build new homes (Queens Chronicle, May 3, 2012, “Building of PS 164”). Initially, the school taught students from kindergarten through sixth grade. It now holds classes from pre-K to eighth grade, making it a middle school as well.

PS 164 has a student-teacher ratio of 12-1 and a reading proficiency score of 62 percent, according to US News & World Report, making it a very desirable school to attend.

I was among the first students to attend this school when it opened in 1949 and was a member of the first graduating class in 1951. More than half a century later, I returned as a volunteer tutor, working with first-, second- and third-grade students from 2005 to 2012. PS 164 has undergone many changes over the years, including a much more diverse student and teacher population. But its high quality of education remains the same.

Richard Reif Kew Gardens Hills

How to discard a pizza box

Dear Editor:

Pizza Box recyclers are a really dumb idea (“Yes to pizza box bins,” Letters, Sept. 12).

What I do when I’m done is (easily) split the spent box at the main fold — it is generally already perforated to facilitate tearing apart.

I then fold each side into quarters and place it in my building’s recycler. This could be applied to the gentleman’s reference to 20 pizzas. Split them in half, fold them into quarters and place them in a trash bag until you get to a recycler. This should be the practice for any large gathering anyway. Clean up your own mess!

But, even if you cannot bring the boxes home, you are still compressing the original size so it will fit into your basic trash can.

Susan Blond Forest Hills

Mayor Adams appoints Tom Donlon as interim police commissioner Caban resigns amid sweeping FBI probe

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

NYPD Police Commissioner Edward Caban has resigned, Mayor Adams announced last Thursday. He appointed Tom Donlon to the position in the interim.

The action comes in the midst of FBI probes that saw agents search the homes and seize electronic devices from Adams and his top aides, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks, Caban, former NYPD higher-up Tim Pearson and Schools Chancellor David Banks, Wright’s fiancé. Lisa Zornberg, the chief counsel to Adams, also suddenly stepped down last Saturday.

Adams took to a podium for a virtual address to inform New Yorkers of the change in leadership.

“I was as surprised as you to learn of these inquiries, and I take them extremely seriously,” he said, adding that his administration will “remain focused.”

“A short time ago, I accepted the resignation of the NYPD commissioner, Edward Caban, and concluded that this is the best decision at this time,” he said. “I respect his decision and I wish him well.”

The New York Times reported that Caban, in an email to colleagues last Thursday, wrote, “The NYPD deserves someone who can solely focus on protecting and serving New York City,

which is why — for the good of this city and this department — I have made the difficult decision to resign.”

Donlon, the interim police commissioner, was once director of the state’s Office of Homeland Security, and ran the FBI’s National Threat Assessment Center and the FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force.

“I am honored and humbled to be named interim-Commissioner of the New York City Police Department, the greatest law enforcement agency in the world,” Donlon said in a statement to the New York Post. “My goals are clear: continue the historic progress decreasing crime and removing illegal guns from our communities, uphold the highest standards of integrity and transparency, and support our dedicated officers who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe.”

He praised Caban’s work and said he looks forward to “building on the progress this administration has made keeping New York City the safest big city in America.”

Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani (D-Astoria), who is said to be considering a mayoral run against Adams in the 2025 primary, in a press release addressed the situation, writing, “As a candidate, Eric Adams promised he would ‘never ask New Yorkers to decide between the safety we need and the justice we deserve.’”

Edward Caban, left, resigned from his post as NYPD commissioner last week amid FBI investigations. Tom Donlon is taking on the role in the interim.

Mamdani criticized the NYPD under the Adams administration, and added, “Another NYPD commissioner won’t fix this — only a new mayor can.”

Councilmember Bob Holden (D-Maspeth), who called on Caban to resign last week, said in a statement, “I want to thank Police Commissioner Caban for his dedicated service to the city and for making the difficult decision to step down for the greater good of the department and New York. The integrity of the NYPD is paramount, and his decision allows the department to move forward without this distraction, ensuring it can continue its critical mission of providing public safety for all New Yorkers.”

At a press conference Tuesday, Adams said Caban reached out to him with the intent to step down, unprompted by City Hall.

“The commissioner made the determination,” Adams said. “He did an analysis. ... He reached out to me and said, ‘Eric, this is what I want to do,’ and I respect that.”

When asked by a reporter, Adams declined to reiterate the claim that he is not the target of the federal investigation.

“Every week, I’m not going to have an ... advisory of what I’m classified in,” Adams said. “The investigation will take its course. It would be inappropriate for me to talk about an investigation.”

He also quelled the idea that New Yorkers deeply care about the investigations.

“I’m not dismissive that this is something that needs to be resolved,” Adams said. “Everyday New Yorkers, they want to know, ‘Eric, what are you doing about the safety of my city, my schools, my housing, my employment?’ That is at the top of their agenda.”

Asked if anything has concerned him since the investigations were made public, Adams said, “I know how I live my life. I follow the law. I’ve been a police officer. I know how important it is to follow the law. That’s what I do. If I’ve had someone around me that I believe violated their oath of office, they would not be in my office.” Q

school in annual address AI integration could come to classrooms

Banks pushes for tech, announces new

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

The city Department of Education was admittedly wary about the likes of ChatGPT as the popularity of artificial intelligence rose, schools Chancellor David Banks said at his annual State of Our Schools address Tuesday.

“We quickly realized: We needed to prepare our students to be on the cutting-edge of this technology,” Banks told the audience at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria. “AI is already shaping our workforce and our world, and we have an obligation to equip our children with new skillsets in response.”

He said that the DOE needs to “harness AI’s vast potential,” but that the agency is still figuring out just how to do so.

Banks added that he believes AI can be used to solve “real challenges” in schools, such as understanding student performance through authentic assessment.

“AI can analyze, in real time, all the work that children are producing in school, from homework to classwork to unit tests, to give teachers a daily, accurate and comprehensive picture of a child’s progress,” he said. “And think about it — if we’re getting that information each day, why would we even need standardized tests?”

He said that AI can also be used to personalize learning by providing teachers and fami-

lies with personalized plans for every child, and offering supplemental instruction in alignment.

“Let’s use AI to lead students to opportunity through college and career advising,” Banks said, adding that it can provide comprehensive, up-to-date information on students’ options, including which jobs require specialized certifications, which colleges post strong employ-

HBCU

ment outcomes for graduates and where industry demand is growing.

He added that AI can be used systemically to increase efficiency in areas ranging from transportation to hiring.

“Let me emphasize: AI cannot replace the power of a great teacher, counselor, or principal,” Banks said. “But AI can elevate their work, greatly improving student outcomes in the process.”

Banks also announced that a new HBCU school, focused on historically black colleges and universities, is coming to Southeast Queens next fall. Called HBCU Early College Prep, the school will give students the chance to earn a tuition-free associate’s degree in partnership with Delaware State University while completing their high school education.

“They’ll also be immersed in the history and culture of multiple HBCUs across the country through college visits, study abroad and research opportunities, synchronous instruction from professors, alumni mentors and more,” Banks said.

More information can be found on hbcuecp. org in the coming months.

A new school, the Northwell School of Health Sciences, is also coming to Woodside, powered by a nearly $25 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, which Banks said was the single largest donation the school sys-

tem has ever received.

Banks touted results for the DOE’s college and career pathways opportunities: The Save For College program saw students in grades K-2 collectively invest over $30 million in college savings accounts; nearly 28,000 students enrolled in free CUNY early college coursework, saving an estimated $70 million in tuition; and students earned more than $8 million from paid work experiences at places such as Google, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, JetBlue and Northwell Health.

During the address, Banks also lauded NYC Reads and NYC Solves, the department’s standardized curricula for reading and math, respectively. He said NYC Reads was expanded to every elementary school and early childhood classroom citywide, and NYC Solves is in more than 400 high schools and about 100 middle schools.

“Because of this massive, unparalleled effort, this generation of NYC students will be able to focus their energy on reaching big goals, not simply doing remediation just to master the basics,” Banks said.

He added, “After all, imagine a school system and a society where everyone can read and do math. Our economy would be stronger, our technology sector more innovative, our discourse more respectful, our society more democratic. That is how we fix a troubled world.” Q

PHOTOS BY ED REED, LEFT, AND MICHAEL APPLETON / NYC MAYOR’S OFFICE / FLICKR

Schools Chancellor David Banks on Tuesday gave his annual State of Our Schools address at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria.

SCREENSHOT VIA NYC VIDEO / YOUTUBE

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Residents from the eastern parts of Queens have safety concerns E-scooter pushback by Northeast pols

by Naeisha Rose Editor

Led by Councilman Jim Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows), several elected officials on Monday held a press conference in Fresh Meadows calling for the end of the e-scooter share program in Northeast Queens.

They blasted both the mayor and the city Department of Transportation for not agreeing to a town hall they wanted to hold that day, at which residents would have had the opportunity to opine about how the micromobility initiative is impacting their neighborhoods and make inquiries of the agency.

“DOT has demonstrated that they are not committed to transparency, refusing to attend any town hall we host on the subject matter,” said Gennaro in a statement. “They do not care about what these e-scooters have done to our community, and they are not interested in hearing our feedback.

The officials say the standup scooters are impacting the quality of life of residents and businesses in the eastern parts of Queens, due to how they are ridden and where they are left.

Natalia Kozikowska, Gennaro’s spokeswoman, said the DOT did not give a reason for why it did not agree to a town hall.

When asked about the town hall, the DOT said it had conducted extensive community outreach before and after the program’s launch,

including 35 briefings with elected officials, community boards and other area representatives in advance of its start between fall 2023 and spring 2024.

The agency said it also held meetings with seven city councilmembers and five state elected officials, held on-street and online prelaunch outreach (via public feedback and in person at local libraries) and held six weeks of post-launch, on-street education and outreach.

But the officials were unswayed.

“This program has been a total disaster,

JFK redevelopment continues

Taking another step toward reshaping Kennedy Airport, the JFK Redevelopment Community Advisory Council met Monday at the Robert Ross Johnson Family Life Center in St. Albans to discuss progress on the $19 billion redevelopment. The meeting provided a platform for the community to engage with project leaders, helping ensure transparency.

The Port Authority gave updates on the inclusion of minority, women-owned and local business enterprises in the project. JFK Millennium Partners, the team behind the new Terminal 6, shared details of their phase one procurement process, and announced they have partnered with a diverse group of businesses for concessions.

Terminal developers offered updates on their respective projects, and additional presentations focused on community engagement and keeping residents informed. The meeting’s open dialogue underscored the commitment to community involvement and diverse participation, officials said.

Seen here are Akshar Patel, Hersh Parekh, Stacie Grant and Assemblyman Clyde Vanel. Patel, Grant and Vanel are on the Advisory Council. Grant is the JFKR CAC facilitator, and Patel and Parekh both work for the Port Authority. Patel is the manager of external affairs and community outreach for JFKR, and Parekh is the deputy chief of intergovernmental affairs. — Kristen Guglielmo

Gennaro continued. “The community does not want these scooters here. We do not want these scooters here. And we call on this administration and DOT to terminate this program in Northeast Queens immediately.”

Councilwoman Sandra Ung (D-Flushing), who introduced legislation last Thursday to prohibit e-scooter programs in Flushing, was also at the press conference.

“Throughout the department’s community outreach, DOT continually ignored the concerns of local communities, and instead chose to go forward with this expansion,” Ung said in a statement. “Now, many of the problems we were concerned about — scooters left haphazardly on the streets and sidewalks that are blocking crosswalks and the entrances to homes and businesses, as well as users driving them recklessly — are now a reality.”

Last week, she said in a press release that her office has received a steady stream of complaints. And she said more than a year ago that it would be a mistake to expand the initiative that was initially in the Bronx to Flushing.

Her bill, Intro. 1045, would prohibit the DOT from allowing a person, organization or entity that operates a fleet of shared e-scooters for rental on a short-term basis to install scooter parking corrals and infrastructure on certain streets in Flushing and prohibit the operation of a shared e-scooter there.

ous for both operators and pedestrians because they are often left haphazardly on sidewalks and streets. He went on to say that the e-scooter operators, Lime, Bird and Veo, should penalize their customers for leaving them on private property or in the middle of the sidewalk.

Vincent Barone, a DOT spokesman, said the Eastern Queens program is just getting started and is building on the successful East Bronx initiative.

“We’ve already seen 37,000 unique rider accounts take more than 290,000 trips since we launched in late June,” said Barone in a statement. “The average trip in Queens is just over 1 mile and the vast majority of trips start and end in the same neighborhood, illustrating that the scooters are fulfilling an important role in connecting residents to mass transit and other important local destinations.”

The agency said it is actively working on creating more designated parking corrals and updating operational zones to address concerns from the community. It has installed several noriding or no-parking zones in the service area based on input from the community, and if residents would like to see additional ones, they should email scooter.share@dot.nyc.gov with locations and rationale for the DOT review.

Residents can also report inappropriately parked scooters to 311 or directly to Bird, Lime and Veo to 1 (866) 205-2442, 1 (888) 546-3345 and 1 (855) 836-2256, respectively. The operators can be emailed at birdnyc@ bird.co, help-new-york@li.me and opsnyc@ veoride.com.

The DOT did participate in a multiagency Southeast Queens town hall in Jamaica that was held by Councilwoman Nantasha Williams (D-St. Albans) and state Sen. Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) last Wednesday.

Things became heated as Cambria Heights resident James Johnson went to the mic and called out the administration for policing people in the area for riding dirt bikes and four-wheelers for the safety of youths, only to roll out e-scooters, which he said was not wanted by the community.

“W’eve seen 37,000 unique rider accounts take more than 290,000 trips.”

City DOT Spokesman Vincent Barone

When the initiative was rolled out in June, 40 parking corrals were created on sidewalks and corrals, blocking sidewalks, resulting in a safety hazard for seniors and those with mobility issues, her office said.

Assemblymen Sam Berger (D-Flushing) and David Weprin (D-Richmond Hill) were at the press conference, along with Community Board 8 Chairwoman Martha Taylor.

“The community board is 100 percent against these e-scooters. They are dangerous, they are a hazard, and I don’t see any positive that comes from this program,” Taylor said in a statement.

Gennaro said that the e-scooters are hazard-

“I want to bring the prospective of the community,” Johnson said. “We never asked for the scooters ... Now you are seeing elementary school kids riding these scooters anywhere and if there is a death that happens, you are going to say it’s our fault.

“Do not compare this community to the Bronx.”

Johnson also said he had concerns on how the scooters would impact property values.

“What is the process to get rid of this pilot?” he continued.

Nicole Garcia, the DOT’s Queens commissioner, said the agency is taking community feedback from Community Boards 7 and 12, and that the operators of the e-scooters have a team that is making sure that people 18 and up are using the devices, to chuckles in the crowd. Q

Several Northeast Queens elected officials, along with Martha Taylor of Community Board 8, center, held a press conference in Fresh Meadows on Monday against City Hall’s e-scooter pilot program in the eastern section of the borough. PHOTO COURTESY NYC COUNCIL

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Animal welfare heats up Council hearing

Queens reps say city needs to do more to help shelters and rescuers

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

It was big news last month when the new state of the art Animal Care Centers of NYC in Ridgewood was being overrun and overcrowded less than a month after opening.

But it was city animal welfare officials who took withering questions from Queens councilmembers in a Sept. 13 hearing, held in part to see just how that happened, and what the city has done and can do to help.

Alexandra Silver, director of the Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare, and Lynn Schiff, deputy commissioner for environmental health with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, joined ACC CEO Risa Weinstock as the first three witnesses sworn in before the Council’s Health Committee, which is chaired by Councilwoman Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills).

“Animal welfare is a fundamental aspect of a community’s health and compassion,” Schulman said in her opening statement. “At this meeting we will see how the city is meeting its responsibilities.”

Schulman was the first person at the hearing to bring up the spike in pet adoptions during the pandemic, followed by both a falloff in adoptions and a wave of surrendered and abandoned pets afterward, either as people’s lives got back to normal or they ran into financial difficulties.

and Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) were far more interested in New York City than elsewhere. Ariola was disturbed that the city officials seemed to lack information on their staffs and budgets. She also wanted to know what city agencies that handle animal care are planning to deal with the discovery of animals being killed and injured along the Jamaica Bay shoreline in her district.

“We have had pigs and goats slaughtered,” she said, addressing Silver and Schiff. “We’re working with people who are doing the work your agencies should be doing.”

She also said that calling 311 to report animal abuse claims has proven in her experience to be ineffective.

“Do you know what happens with 311? They close [the case] out,” she said.

Holden said even calling 911 for an active animal abuse incident can be problematic.

“Their facilities and their staff have been stretched beyond their capacity,” Schulman said. The councilwoman said her hope is that some useful legislation can come from the hearing. She was particularly interested in what could be done to help pet owners, shelters and animal rescuers spay and neuter.

Silver and Weinstock both testified that shel-

Mutilated dog found in Ham Beach Park

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

A deceased dog was found in a plastic bag at Hamilton Beach Park Tuesday evening, according to Zion’s Mission Animal Rescue and Sasha’s Mission Animal Rescue, the groups that have been advocating and taking action against alleged animal sacrifices in the area.

“I don’t even know what to say anymore,” the groups wrote on Facebook, accompanied by graphic photos of the deceased dog and headless roosters near the shore. “The cruelty is horrific and traumatizing. These beautiful sentient beings lost their life to sacrificers. ... When I pulled the dog out of the water in [a] bag and ripped it open, coconuts came out with the dog.”

Lights were brought under the Addabbo Bridge last week to deter the perpetrators; however, Zion’s Rescue staff said they were informed they will be removed on Sept. 26. Even with temporary deterrents, the group still has stumbled upon sacrifice sites in areas with no lighting or patrol.

“It’s clear to us the Park Police are not taking this seriously and are only placating us,” the rescues said.

Risa Weinstock, center, CEO of Animal Care Centers of NYC, testifies before the City Council’s Committee on Health last Friday during a hearing on animal rescue oversight in the city, along with Alexandra Silver, left, director of the Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare, and Corrine Schiff, right, deputy commissioner of environmental health with the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) took to social media to thank Zion’s Rescue for notifying her office of the “crime scene at Hamilton Beach Park.”

“Yes, I said, a crime scene — that included several decapitated roosters as well as a mutilated dog, who showed all the signs of being someone’s pet, floating on the shoreline in a black leaf bag filled with coconuts,” Ariola wrote, adding that U.S. Parks Police responded and filed a report on the matter.

The Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic, New Hamilton Beach Civic Association and Broad Channel Civic Association called on the National Park Service to immediately bring a permanent detail to the area.

On their calls to action, Ariola said, “We have a commitment for around the clock patrols by the United States Parks Police at the Gateway Parks properties in our community. We cannot lose another animal or bird to this cruelty.”

The HBLC will meet Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. inside St. Helen Catholic Academy, at 83-09 157 Ave. in Howard Beach, where representatives from NPS will be in attendance to discuss solutions to the animal cruelty. Q

VIA NYC COUNCIL VIDEO

ters nationally are going through much the same problems. Those have been exacerbated by increasing costs of care, food and veterinary care for pets; as well as a national shortage of veterinarians and technicians.

Weinstock also said that the ACC’s contract with the city requires it to accept all animals.

Councilmembers Bob Holden (D-Maspeth)

“Precinct officers are showing up,” he said. “Now they’re holding five 911 jobs, are they going to take a complaint about animal cruelty seriously? The answer is no.”

Citing Schulman’s earlier observations about possible funding and legislation for spaying and neutering services, Holden said the city has left shelters and animal rescuers in a bind, and needs to take up the fight.

“The Health Department is asleep at the wheel,” Holden said. Q

Three perps wanted in OZP train assault

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Authorities are searching for three unidentified individuals, two of whom assaulted a man last week while aboard a train in Ozone Park within the confines of the NYPD’s 106th Precinct and Transit District 23.

Police received a report that on Sept. 11, at approximately 4:15 p.m., a 35-year-old male victim was aboard the southbound A train at the 104th Street station when he was approached by two men.

The perpetrators engaged in a verbal dispute with the victim, which escalated to violence when they began to punch him repeatedly in the face, police said.

The victim fell to the ground and the two men proceeded to kick him multiple times. The perpetrators then fled the scene on foot to parts unknown, authorities said.

The victim was transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in critical condition.

Pursuant to the investigation, police said they are seeking a third suspect, an unidentified female with medium complexion, who also fled the location on foot, traveling westbound on Liberty Avenue. Cops did not say how the woman was involved with the assault.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 577-TIPS (8477), or, for Spanish, 1 (888) 57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit tips by logging onto nypdcrimestoppers.com, or by texting 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577, or by going to @nypdtips on X. All tips are strictly confidential. Q

Three individuals are wanted for an assault on an A train in Ozone Park last week. NYPD PHOTOS

SCREENSHOT

MTA on fares, crime and Queens’ future

Lieber, top agency officials take on all topics at Jamaica press roundtable

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

The head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority was in Jamaica last week to discuss customer service, crime, funding, subway surfing and anything else that came up at a roundtable sitdown with a dozen reporters at the headquarters of the Long Island Rail Road.

Janno Lieber sat down on the record for more than 75 minutes along with interim NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow, MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifa Rieara and LIRR President Rob Free.

The CEO said all MTA transit systems have come almost back to pre-Covid ridership levels, with subways and the LIRR up to 80 percent, with buses closer to 90. Keeping transit affordable for riders while expanding and improving service, the CEO said, will take new and continuous funding from Albany.

“People need to understand that New York is different because of our density — our people density, our job density,” Lieber said. “Twice as dense as Boston or Chicago, and nine times as dense as a Sun Belt city like Houston or Phoenix. We could not exist without great mass transit.

“It is the thing that makes New York possible, literally. And it also is one of the very few things that makes New York affordable.”

That is true even though some sections of Queens, Lieber acknowledged, have “more cars than households.”

Lieber brought up fare beating and crime before any reporter did or could.

“The biggest threat we are facing right now, and I’m not shy about it, even though it’s controversial, is fare beating,” he said. “We are losing something like $700 million to fare evasion.” He said the MTA did create a task force to study remedies, including law enforcement, the social justice community and Schools Chancellor David Banks.

“We want to encourage and teach and if necessary push people to pay their fare,” Lieber said. “But we also want to deal with the equity issue. We never want fare evasion to be a crime of poverty.”

But he also said that with programs such as Fair Fares specifically designed to offer discount rides to low-income residents, robust enforcement also is called for.

The MTA has been adding more “Eagle teams,” consisting of unarmed fare agents who have the authority to issue summonses, order nonpaying riders from buses, or have NYPD officers meet them at a bus stop.

“When we can’t get people to follow the rules, we’ve got to go with enforcement,” Lieber said.

He acknowledged that different district attorney’s offices in the five boroughs are likely to vary in their approaches to prosecuting

farebeaters, when they do so at all.

“I would say the Queens District Attorney [Melinda Katz] has expressed an interest in being a partner in pushing back on fare evasion in the transit system,” Lieber said, adding that he has spoken with Katz about prosecuting people who hold open security gates at turnstiles to allow others to walk right through, particularly those who then try and shake down riders for money.

“When people exit or somebody asks them to push open the door, it becomes a superhighway of fare evasion, where like 10 or 20 people walk in,” he said. “A lot of these folks are people who don’t break the rules in other parts of their lives. They walk to the turnstiles with their MetroCard or OMNY card in their hand or their phone in their hand to pay and they see it open. We’ve got to top that. We really have to push back. And I would say that the other advantage is that when we are doing enforcement we also get people with outstanding warrants or violent criminals who are carrying weapons.”

An alleged farebeating incident Monday on a Brookyln L train platform escalated after the suspect, allegedly armed with a knife, was shot by police officers. Published reports state police gunfire also struck three others, including two bystanders and a fellow cop.

Free also defended the enforcement push.

“One thing the chairman says is, ‘Not every farebeater is a criminal, but most criminals are farebeaters,’” he said.

Katz’s office acknowledged receipt of an email from the Chronicle requesting comment, but did not respond prior to the Chronicle’s deadline.

As for violent crime on mass transit, Lieber said it is down for the year — 5.4 percent according to NYPD CompStat figures through Sept. 15. But murders are up from five to eight.

And, while not meaning to offend his guests, the chairman and CEO offered an observation.

“We love our friends in the media, but I think it important to say that transit crime accounts numerically for 2 percent of the crime in New York, but somehow we get 72 percent of the coverage.”

Crichlow said one of two major Queens projects, the bus route redesign program, will be presented to the MTA board before the end of the year.

The Interborough Express, a proposed light rail passenger line planned to run between Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights and the Brooklyn waterfront in Bay Ridge, is a few years from the MTA placing orders with rail car manufacturers.

Lieber defended the bus redesign as necessary to respond to changes in the boroughs over decades, including where people are and where they want to go.

“Some of these bus routes still go to trolley barns that were torn down in the 1950s and 1960s,” he said.

While some critics of the redesign have said at public hearings that the proposal has failed to live up to its promise of equity,

Krichlow and Rieara said one of the main purposes was to extend coverage and better bus service into transit deserts and lowincome neighborhoods, and offer better connections to subways and LIRR service. Rieara and Lieber said that also is the rationale behind expanding the Fair Fares program and issuance of student OMNY cards with more options than existing student MetroCards. Plans senior OMNY discounts are targeted for the end of the year.

Crichlow said helping low-income people is also a major consideration of the IBX, which would provide north-south service between Queens and Brooklyn that would not require going to Manhattan first.

The northern terminus would be three blocks from the 74th Street-Broadway bus and subway hub. Other proposed stops are Myrtle Avenue, at the Ridgewood-Glendale border; Metropolitan Avenue in Middle Village; Eliot Avenue at the Maspeth-Middle Village border; and Grand Avenue in Maspeth. Most of the stations would have direct transfers to subway lines.

“We’re excited about the possibility of connecting neighborhoods, how buses and subways will connect with the IBX,” Crichlow said. “The potential is very exciting.”

And, as always, any serious discussion of the MTA got around to money.

The most-talked about issue since the agency’s last roundtable in October has been congestion pricing, especially since early June when Gov. Hochul ordered a pause on the tolls into Manhattan that were slated to raise $1 billion year for the agency’s capital budget that was to begin June 30.

Lieber said that money was slated for projects already approved in the five-year, $55 billion capital budget coming to an end next year, and will not be counted on for the fiveyear plan that soon will be presented to the MTA board for a vote.

Then, Lieber said, it will be up to the state to determine what will be funded.

“We would prefer that it not come from

increases in fares,” he said, adding that the agency’s preference is to return to its previous practice of small, scheduled increases every other year.

And the capital shopping list for basic services is a big one, even when not including the $5.5 billion IBX. Take, for example, cars for the subways and LIRR.

“Our rolling stock is aging out,” Lieber said. “We now have 1,500 cars past 40 years of age. When they get that old they exceed their useful life and break down more frequently. We have to replace 4,000 cars in the next 20 years.”

Then there are the buses.

“Buses last about 12 years, and the entire fleet of buses — they have about 6,000 — has to be replaced in the next 20 years, so we have to get started.”

The boss also said the agency needs to keep pace with its goals when adding to the more than 150 accessible subway stations.

“One of the things in which I take personal pride is that we have accelerated installation of elevators at five times as fast as the MTA has done in the past.” Q

Alzheimer’s event on Sept. 25 in Rich Hill

In honor of September as World Alzheimer’s Month, state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven) is hosting an interactive learning experience in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and the Richmond Hill Block Association.

On Sept. 25, from 7 to 9 p.m. at 110-08 Jamaica Ave., distinguished medical professionals will offer resources for patients and families, including interactive simulations and physical and mental activities.

All are welcome and registration is not required. For more information, contact the RHBA at RHBA.1974.1@gmail.com, or call Addabbo’s office at (718) 738-1111. Q

Janno Lieber SCREENSHOT VIA MTA VIDEO / YOUTUBE / FILE

Officials with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority hosted a reporters’ roundtable last week at its Long Island Rail Road offices in Jamaica. Above, the control room. PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON

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Queens lawmaker touts status as everyday New Yorker, union backer State Sen. Ramos in race for mayor

by Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief

State Sen. Jessica Ramos (D-East Elmhurst) announced last Friday morning that she is running for mayor in the 2025 Democratic primary.

Ramos made the announcement on the anniversary of her 2018 Senate primary win.

“For months I have said that New Yorkers deserve a vigorous debate about the future of our city,” Ramos said in an emailed campaign message. “Today I am adding my voice to that discussion.

“My name is Jessica Ramos. I was born, raised, and I’m raising two children in Queens. During my time in the State Senate and chairing the Labor Committee, I have acted as a bridge between working class communities. By bringing labor, immigrant communities, and business to the table, I have delivered a legislative record I am proud of. My bill raised the minimum wage and secured annual raises in perpetuity, I expanded access to child care subsidies, and sent crucial lifelines to our bars and restaurants during the pandemic.

State Sen. Jessica Ramos points out in a campaign video for her mayoral run that she is a mother, renter and straphanger.

union workers. “We need to bring that trust back to City Hall.”

“I am excited to bring my perspective as a mother, daughter of immigrants, and bilingual New Yorker to this race. Over the next months, I will hit the streets, talk to people, and share a substantive vision for the future of the city I love. New Yorkers deserve a new day.”

In a campaign video, Ramos said that as a senator she has raised the minimum wage, expanded child care, fought for union workers, supported small businesses, won tenant protections and defended first responders.

“You never need to wonder who I’m working for, or who’s paying me,” she says after short clips of her walking picket lines with

The video then shows an image of Mayor Adams and a headline about the probe into his 2021 campaign fundraising. Today another scandal is engulfing his administration, one that drove Police Commissioner Edward Caban to resign and be replaced with an interim top cop yesterday.

The video continues with more warm imagery of Ramos and her family, including her two sons, as she talks about the American dream and her status as an everyday New Yorker — a mother, renter and straphanger ready to be the next mayor.

Her Senate biography says in part, “A strong union advocate, Ramos worked with Build Up

NYC to fight for construction, building and hotel maintenance workers in New York City. Ramos also worked with SSEU Local 371 and 32BJ SEIU, where she helped building maintenance workers, office cleaners and public schools cleaners win contracts that protected their rights, wages, and benefits.”

Aside from chairing the Labor Committee, Ramos is a member of the Committees on Agriculture; Cannabis; Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business; Corporations, Authorities and Commissions; Judiciary; State-Native American Relations; and Transportation; as well as the Legislative Women’s Caucus, Select Majority Task Force on Diversity in the Judiciary and Select Majority Task Force on Minority and Women-Owned Busi-

ness Enterprises. Ramos was born in Elmhurst to an undocumented seamstress and a printing pressman, the bio says, and raised in Astoria. She was the first member of her family to be born in the United States and wishes to bridge gaps between immigrant and nonimmigrant communities.

In a sitdown interview last October with the Chronicle, Ramos said that the biggest issues in her district include housing, hunger and flooding, and that the city needs to do more to address people’s problems.

“The district I represent somehow ends up being the epicenter of the epicenter of everything,” she said, “like it was the pandemic, it was Hurricane Ida that we got done in so much that President Biden came to visit in East Elmhurst.

“It’s just like thing after thing and we’re always at the center of it, and we need greater cooperation from the city, and I don’t feel that we get it. It’s unnerving to me to watch how things don’t get done.”

She said at the time that she did not intend to run for mayor, but things have changed since then.

The Democratic field for mayor so far includes Ramos, city Comptroller Brad Lander and state Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-Brooklyn). All three are politically to the left of Adams. Other possible candidates talked about in the media include former Comptroller Scott Stringer, who has formed an exploratory committee and state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (D-Astoria).

On the Republican side, Guardian Angels founder and talk radio host Curtis Sliwa, who lost to Adams in 2021, has said he will run again. Q

Paul King has a plan for Southeast Queens

Republican congressional hopeful discusses his plan for the area

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Belle Harbor resident Paul King, a Republican, is set for a rematch against incumbent Rep. Greg Meeks (D-Jamaica) for the seat in NY-5. In 2022, King took 24.8 percent of the vote. Now, he’s back with a plan called the “contract with Southeast Queens.”

“I like the idea of having a contract, some clear statements about what I’m going to do as the congressman, because we all start out with slogans,” King told the Chronicle. “I like to talk about fighting for your American dream, and it means something to me.”

The contract consists of five promises that King says will better the area.

The first promise is to put Americans over illegal immigrants.

“This broken border has led to a lot of pain here in New York City, especially in our district,” King said.

“People are also upset that all of a sudden we have these billions to spend on people who came here illegally, and meanwhile, we can’t magically find billions to help people — New Yorkers, citizens — who are hurting. So I think our priorities are backwards.”

King’s second promise is to reduce the cost of living. He said that inflation rates are leaving families struggling and attributed it to Democratic policies.

not as healthy?” King said. “Or do I buy less food? Or do I go into debt? A lot of people are racking up credit card debt, so that just undermines everyone’s American dream.”

In the third point of the contract, called “Everyone’s American Dream,” King said he will fix the “building blocks of opportunity” by setting residents up for success with better access to jobs.

“You have to make tough choices between, you know, if you’ve got a young family, do I buy healthy food, or do I buy some cheaper food that’s

do what’s right and make the decisions that make the most sense for their families,” King said. “Parents want to know that their representatives are going to stand with them, not with some bureaucrat who thinks they know better about our children.”

King’s final promise is to bring back safe streets.

The fourth promise is to protect parents’ rights when it comes to gender and Covid vaccines.

“We need to give parents more options and more support so they can

“Some people, some neighborhoods in our district, get left behind, and it’s not because someone says, ‘I don’t like those people because of their ZIP code or their skin color.’ It’s because we’ve allowed what I call the building blocks of opportunity to be broken,” King explained. “I always make the metaphor, ‘It’s not where the fire is, but where all the fuel is coming from.’”

“New York has far fewer police officers than we used to. We’re losing good police officers. ... I think it’s not just throwing money at hiring, it’s making sure you’ve got the best people doing that job keeping us safe. A lot of people say the first job of government is keeping us safe, whether it’s safe from foreign enemies or safe from criminals in our neighborhoods. And we’re falling down on that.” Election Day is Nov. 5. Early voting starts Oct. 26. To find your polling site, visit vote.nyc. Q

Paul King, the Republican candidate for Congress in NY-5. COURTESY PHOTO

SCREENSHOT VIA JESSICA RAMOS FOR NYC MAYOR / YOUTUBE

Twist It Top It scoops up a sweet success

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Twist It Top It, at 158-18A Cross Bay Blvd. in Howard Beach, has swirled its way to the top. Residents with a sweet tooth across the borough nominated and voted for their favorites in the Queens Chamber of Commerce’s Best Frozen Dessert Competition and the results are in — Twist It Top It reigns supreme.

Owners John Gurino and Joseph Russo said in a statement they were “truly honored and humbled” to scoop up the sweet accolade.

“For the past 12 years, our familyowned business has proudly served this community,” they said. “What began as a small frozen yogurt shop has grown into a destination for dessert lovers of all kinds. We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our incredible team, whose dedication makes Twist It Top It a warm, welcoming, and enjoyable place for everyone. From using the freshest ingredients to ensuring every customer has a memorable experience, they are the heartbeat of what we do.”

As part of the win, Twist It Top It also

George Hadjiconstantinou, of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, left, presents a plaque to Twist It Top It owners Angelo Gurino and Joseph Russo, alongside state Sen. Joe Addabbo, after the establishment won the Chamber’s Queens’ Best Frozen Dessert contest. PHOTO COURTESY ANAT GERSTEIN, INC.

received a complimentary year of membership to the Chamber.

In total, residents nominated 14 businesses for the contest, the Chamber said. Mara’s Ice Cream Parlor, at 92-14 Rockaway Beach Blvd., won second place. LuLu’s Bakery, at 179-04/06 Union Tpke. in Fresh Meadows, placed third. Q

Residents’ complaints about Forest Hills Stadium continue post-lawsuit Fo’Hills folks make noise about noise

by Stephanie G. Meditz

Associate Editor

Forest Hills Gardens residents’ continued frustration with Forest Hills Stadium was loud and clear at Community Board 6’s monthly meeting last Thursday at Borough Hall.

Complaints about the stadium dominated the meeting’s public forum portion a month after a New York Supreme Court judge dismissed one of several lawsuits against it.

Concerned Citizens of Forest Hills, Inc., and residents Christopher Jaray, Douglas Gilbert and Emory Anderson filed a 15-page complaint in December claiming that in the decade since concerts returned to the stadium, they and other residents have experienced sound levels before and during shows that “exceed noise levels under the New York City Noise code.”

The lawsuit was dismissed last month when the judge found that the plaintiffs failed to establish their private nuisance claim.

The court ordered the West Side Tennis Club to continue working with the Department of Environmental Protection and NYPD to comply with relevant laws and regulations, including the Noise Code.

Some residents allege that those enforcement efforts have not been made.

Kuen Lee said concerts bring “vibrancy and excitement” to the community, but he believes the noise level contributed to his 7-year-old daughter’s random nosebleeds. He said the loud music causes his house to shake and he has noticed more cracks forming on his walls and ceiling.

Lee called on elected officials to “[enforce] existing regulations and ... ensure the safety and wellbeing of all residents.”

A spokesperson from the office of Councilmember Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills) told the Chronicle that she and other elected officials work closely with the DEP and NYPD to ensure the stadium’s compliance with the law.

signatures. The stadium operators, however, have one with 25,000 signatures.

Peter Vovsha said the New York City Noise Code “clearly sets a simple threshold” of 42 decibels, but the noise that comes from the stadium sometimes reaches 75 to 80 decibels.

“I would like to see who authorized these events,” he said. “If ... there is no other documentation, it renders all this activity illegal.”

CB 6 Chair Heather Beers-Dimitriadis

BY STEPHANIE G. MEDITZ

said the sound is “permitted and licensed” by the NYPD’s 112th Precinct.

Irina Vovsha, Peter’s wife, started a petition to “stop the illegal activity” at Forest Hills Stadium that currently has 900 signatures, she said.

The stadium operators started their own petition in July to garner support and received more than 25,000 signatures.

Former lawyer gets three years

Helped deed theft crew target folks in Southeast Queens

by Naeisha Rose Editor

A disbarred attorney was sentenced to up to three years in prison for helping the ringleader of a deed theft crew illegally claim homes in St. Albans and South Jamaica and obtain more than $1 million in profits from their sale, the office of state Attorney General Tish James said last Thursday.

Prosecutors accused Anyekache Hercules of New Rochelle, NY, and several others, of targeting elderly and disabled homeowners who were absent from their properties or had homes that were distressed.

“Anyekache Hercules used her knowledge of the law to scam and steal from those in her community, rather than protect them,” James said. “She and her associates took advantage of elderly and vulnerable homeowners with their crimes, but today, we are making them pay for the harm they caused. We will continue to go after anyone who commits these horrible and heartless crimes.”

Marcus Wilcher of Bay Shore, LI, was the ringleader of the crew, which also included defendants Stacie Saunders of Central Islip, Jerry Currin of the Bronx and Dean Lloyd of Pennsylvania, said Grant Fox, an OAG spokesman. The latter two have pleaded guilty.

According to the OAG, Hercules, who previously was convicted of deed theft in 2019, pleaded guilty to scheme to defraud in the first-degree on May 16. The disbarred attorney used her skills to create forged legal documents, and because she could not practice law in New York, she had to impersonate another lawyer to use his or her name on legal documents.

Fox told the Chronicle via email that Hercules was once a real estate lawyer, who also worked on probate matters.

Saunders, a former mortgage broker, allegedly marketed the homes to investors at prices significantly below market rate for quick sales, and, together, with Wilcher, found people to impersonate homeowners at contract signings and closings, said prosecutors. Once the sales were finalized, the defendants allegedly opened bank accounts and limited liability corporations and other entities to funnel more than $1 million in proceeds to themselves.

The deed theft crew was arrested and indicted in December 2022, said prosecutors. Wilcher was convicted in July 2024 for grand larceny in the second degree and sentenced to up to nine years in prison for the thefts of five homes.

Currin and Lloyd pleaded guilty to felony offering a false instrument for filing in the first-degree, the OAG said. Saunders is awaiting trial.

Lloyd was one of the impostors who pretended to be a homeowner; while Currin brought to the closing of his own family home a woman who pretended to be his sister, the executor of his family estate and the one with the power to sell the property, said Fox. Q

DEP Deputy Commissioner Beth DeFalco said in a statement that the agency has held several meetings with the Forest Hills community. It has been monitoring the noise from concerts and trying to help the stadium find ways to lessen it.

The DEP said it is paying night inspectors overtime to cover Forest Hills concerts. It has issued 10 summonses to date.

“Ideally, we would hope that the DEP would impose fines and ... shut down performances of code violators in the same way that the Department of Health padlocks filthy restaurants,” Marty Levinson of Concerned Citizens said. Q

DOE cell phone ban is delayed

After City Hall and the Department of Education recently touted a potential cell phone ban in NYC schools, the plan has since been stalled.

“While we don’t have an official systemwide cellphone ban, more than half of the schools are already going to have their own restrictions in place,” Schools Chancellor David Banks told NY1 earlier this month. “We’re going to study what those schools are doing, because there are a wide range of ways in which they’re actually doing it.”

The United Federation of Teachers on Monday said that a survey found that two-thirds of educators would support a citywide ban, provided that educators are not the first or sole line of enforcement; the DOE’s central bureaucracy pays for the cost instead of individual schools; enforcement is consistent, fair and uniform; and schools have emergency contact lines set up for parents.

“Parents need to be brought into the discussions, so they feel comfortable with any changes,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew in a statement. Q — Kristen Guglielmo

A St. Albans resident was targeted for deed theft because the person’s home was distressed, according to prosecutors.

PHOTO COURTESY NYS OAG

Irina Vovsha, with mic, started a petition online to “stop illegal activity” at Forest Hills Stadium, which she said has garnered 900

PHOTO

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Council votes to back reparation bills

Queens members Holden, Paladino and Ariola are against the measures

by Naeisha Rose Editor

Members of the City Council voted in favor of legislation to acknowledge, study and address the legacy and impact of slavery and racial injustice in the Big Apple last Tuesday, according to the Commission on Racial Equity.

Intros. 242-A and 279-A, sponsored by Councilmembers Crystal Hudson (D-Brooklyn) and Farah Louis (D-Brooklyn), respectively, both obtained 41 votes in favor and eight against them. One councilmember was absent for the vote and another was on parental leave, according to the City Council website. Both bills are now waiting for Mayor Adams’ signature.

The first bill would require CORE to establish a Truth, Healing and Reconciliation process in connection with the city’s historic involvement in slavery and its present-day legacies, with the objective being establishing facts about slavery and recommending how to prevent the government and institutions from perpetuating such injustices.

The second bill would require CORE to work with experts to study the historical and present-day role New York’s government plays in perpetuating racial injustices and to consider reparative measures.

“The call for reparations, truth-telling, and healing has not gone unheard,” said CORE Executive Director Linda Tigani in a statemnet. “Racial bias, discrimination, and violence against Black New Yorkers and the entire BIPOC community must come to an end. Centuries of deliberate policy decisions that have stripped Black New Yorkers and communities who are oppressed with the ability to thrive must be undone.”

Twelve elected officials representing Queens voted in favor of the bills and Councilmembers Robert Holden (D-Maspeth), Vickie Paladino (R-Whitestone) and Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) voted against them.

“This is woke ideology on overdrive, opening Pandora’s box to an endless parade of historical grievances,” said Holden via email. “Taxpayers have had enough of being nickeled and dimed at every turn.”

Paladino said the city once again chose to abdicate its responsibilites and waste time and taxpayer money on a divisive, unconstitutional political stunt.

“New York was never a slave state,” Paladino said via email. “In fact over 50,000 New Yorkers died in the Civil War fighting to end slavery.

“Yet the ungrateful children of the progressive caucus who sadly drive policy in the City Council chose to make reparations a focus of their endless grievance against our city and our nation. They are incapable of solving the real issues of our city, so they invent fake ones to grandstand on, in the hopes of distracting voters from their incompetence.”

Ariola was not available for comment.

City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica) said the legacy of slavery and systemic racism has impacted all facets of society today, and it is important the city take steps to redress the longstanding harms.

“By creating new processes to fully examine the present-day impacts of injustices inflicted on Black New Yorkers and communities, we are advancing necessary efforts to consider potential remedies that can lead to healing and reconciliation,” Adams said in a statement.

Councilwoman Nantasha Williams (D-St. Albans) said the bills are a critical step in confronting the legacy of slavery, and long overdue.

“By examining the lasting impact of slavery and engaging with our communities, we can take meaningful steps toward justice and reparations, ensuring that the harms of our history are addressed and never forgotten,” said Williams via email. Q

Crackdown on altered plates

If you’ve got damaged license plates, the Department of Motor Vehicles is happy to replace them at no charge. But if you’ve got an illegal license plate cover, maybe to thwart speed cameras and toll readers, you might have to pay. Big time.

New state laws on plates and toll evasion, enacted as part of the 2025 budget plan, took effect this month. Among them:

• increasing fines for purposeful license plate defacement and covering to at least $100 and up to $500;

• increasing toll enforcement activities and banning the sale of “ghost plates”

Commemorating the Constitution

by Naeisha Rose Editor

As people all around the country prepare for the upcoming presidential election in November, the Historical Society of the New York Courts held a forum about a certain 237-year-old document on Tuesday in Jamaica.

The historical society, in conjunction with Queens Family Court and King Manor Museum held a forum on “The Evolution of the U.S. Constitution — A Constitution Day Look Back and Forward” at the courthouse, located at 151-20 Jamaica Ave., which was followed by a reception at the museum.

Acting Nassau County Supreme Court Justice Philippe Solages said in a statement that Constitution Day commemorates the founding document and illustrates the integral role it plays in people’s lives.

“I encourage all students and inspiring lawyers to read the Constitution,” Solages told the Chronicle. “It is the supreme law of that land that provides the framework for the United States government.”

Solages, who was moderator at the event, said he chose to have it at Queens Family Court because it sits directly across from

King Manor, the historic home of Rufus King, an abolitionist who was one of the framers and signers of the Constitution.

Speakers included St. John’s University School of Law Assistant Professor Tyler Rose Clemons and Judge Edwina G. Richardson, deputy chief administrative judge for justice initiatives.

Kelsey Brow, the executive director of King Manor, told the Chronicle via email, participants found the event to be enlightening. Q

Bayside rally says no to Yes

continued from page 2

“The City of Yes is an apocalypse plan,” Graziano said. He believes 21 of the Council’s 51 members appear committed to opposing it.

“We need 26,” he said.

Hyndman reiterated that it is not about party. She also said Mayor Adams needs to listen to the majority of residents who oppose the measure.

“My district looks just like this,” she said looking up and down the intersecting residential streets. Hyndman also was the first speaker to point out that the mayor is up for reelection next year, making implied reference to federal investigations surrounding his administration in saying Adams has greater priorities than forcing an unpopular measure through.

community boards expressed about the plan, while stating the need for robust collaboration between government and communities,” spokesman Chris Barca said. “But as he has repeatedly made clear, the only realistic solution to the housing crisis facing Queens and New York City as a whole is to build housing as rapidly and strategically as possible.”

Warren Schreiber, a Bay Terrace resident and president of the Queens Civic Congress, said the proposal will make community boards obsolete by robbing them of their most important function.

“You can all quit now,” said the vice chairman of Community Board 7. “There will be nothing left for you to do. Also, City Council members — what are you going to vote on? Street renamings?”

and plate coverings; and

• requiring the surrender of plate-covering material upon conviction for obstructing a license plate.

“Cracking down on fraudulent, covered and defaced plates is a matter of public safety, as crashes or crimes involving vehicles with fake or obscured plates make it more difficult to track down those responsible,” DMV spokesman Walter McClure said via email.

Repeat offenders will face a 90-day vehicle registration suspension. Q

— Peter C. Mastrosimone

“[Southeast Queens] carried him on our backs,” Hyndman said. “You must listen to us.”

Berger was among those also critical of Borough President Donovan Richards for his support of the measure, saying the near unanimous objection of Queens community boards should have been respected.

In an email from Richards’ office, a spokesman reiterated a statement given to the Chronicle last week.

“In his recommendation to approve City of Yes for Housing Opportunity with conditions, Borough President Richards directly acknowledged the concerns some Queens

Schreiber also said aside from the mayor, City Council members who are not termlimited out are up for re-election in 2025, while those who are out may be running for other offices next year or in 2026.

“We have to hold them accountable,” he said.

Paul DiBenedetto, chairman of Community Board 11, agreed. He said a link on the website savebayside.com has an email link that can help those seeking to make their views to the entire Council.

“It’s not just about Bayside,” DiBenedetto told the Chronicle afterward. “It has instructions and will let you contact all 51 councilmembers at once.” Q

Assistant Law Professor Tyler Rose Clemons, left, Justice Phillippe Solages and Judge Edwina G. Richardson. PHOTO COURTESY

OF

Understanding the menopause transition

The human body is capable of various amazing feats, but many will attest that the ability of women to nurture and grow what will become another person is the body’s most impressive characteristic.

A woman can get pregnant and bear children from puberty, when they start getting their menstrual periods, to menopause. The average woman’s reproductive years are between ages 12 and 51. While puberty and pregnancy are topics widely discussed in a woman’s life, the same may not be said for menopause.

What is menopause?

The World Health Organization characterizes menopause as the end of a woman’s reproductive years. After true menopause, a woman cannot become pregnant naturally. Menopause is marked by the end of a monthly menstrual cycle often referred to as a “period.” Natural menopause is deemed to have occurred after 12 consecutive months without menstruation. Menopause can occur for other reasons, such as if the reproductive organs are damaged due to illness or removed for the treatment of a certain condition. This is called induced menopause.

What is perimenopause?

Some people incorrectly describe the years leading up to the last menstrual period

as menopause. However, menopause only occurs after the last period has occurred. It is a finite date. The menopausal transition before that takes place is actually called perimenopuase. It is a period of time that most often begins between ages 45 and 55. The National Institute on Aging says perimenopause traditionally lasts seven years, but it can go on for as long as 14 years. The duration may depend on lifestyle factors, race and ethnicity.

During perimenopause, production of estrogen and progesterone made in the ovaries varies greatly. That can mean menstruation can be heavy at times or light. It may occur once a month or even multiple times per month. The menopausal transition affects each woman differently. It is a good idea for women to use a menstruation tracker and remain aware of symptoms to discuss with the gynecologist.

What happens during menopause?

During menopause, the ovaries stop producing reproductive hormones and stop releasing eggs for fertilization, says the Cleveland Clinic.

What is postmenopause?

Postmenopause is the time after menopause has happened. Women will remain in postmenopause for the rest of their

lives. While many symptoms ease up in postmenopause, there still may be mild symptoms attributed to the low levels of reproductive hormones.

What are common symptoms of the menopause transition?

As one transitions from childbearing years into postmenopause, certain symptoms can occur:

• Irregular periods

• Hot flashes/night sweats

• Vaginal dryness

• Urinary urgency

• Difficulty sleeping

• Emotional changes

• Dry skin, eyes or mouth

• Worsening premenstrual symptoms

• Breast tenderness

• Headaches

• Racing heart

• Joint and muscle aches

• Weight gain

• Trouble concentrating

• Changes in libido

Women are urged to discuss their symptoms and concerns about menopause with a health care professional.

Various treatments can alleviate symptoms and make the transition more comfortable.

Q

— Metro Creative Connection

Women are urged to speak with a health care professional regarding menopause. Treatments are now available to alleviate symptoms and provide a more comfortable transition.

Signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is a significant threat to women’s health that could become even more prevalent in the decades to come.

According to the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition, ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer among women across the globe.

That could change in the years to come, as 2022 projections from the Global Cancer Observatory estimate that the number of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer will increase by more than 55 percent by 2050.

Ovarian cancer is not always easy to detect. In fact, the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition notes that the location of the ovaries, which are deep within the abdominal cavity, might b e why the disease is so difficult to detect. The NOCC also notes signs of ovarian cancer can be mistaken for other health issues, which underscores the significance of learning the symptoms of the disease.

Such knowledge may increase the chances that symptoms are not mistaken as something less serious than ovarian cancer, which the WOCC notes claims the lives of more than 200,000 women across the globe each year.

Some signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer can be subtle, which can make it easy to overlook them.

However, women should report any of the following signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer to their physicians immediately.

COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL IMAGING

Common symptoms

The NOCC notes some symptoms of ovarian cancer are common. Such symptoms include:

• Bloating: Women may notice swelling in the lower pelvis or abdomen. In addition, clothes around the waist may feel tighter than normal.

• Pain: Ovarian cancer can contribute to

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PET/CT SCAN • ULTRASOUND • DEXA

X-RAY • INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY

CORONARY CT ANGIOGRAPHY CALCIUM SCORING

ECHOCARDIOGRAM • LIVER BIOPSY THYROID BIOPSY

PEDIATRIC RADIOLOGY

WOMEN'S IMAGING

3D DIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY BREAST ULTRASOUND MRI BREAST

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pain in the pelvic or abdominal region. Women also may experience back pain as a result of ovarian cancer.

• Difficulty eating: Women may feel full after eating just a few bites of food. Many women with ovarian cancer also experience a loss of appetite.

• Frequent urination: Women may feel a need to urinate more frequently.

Less common symptoms

Women can experience a range of symptoms when they develop ovarian cancer, though some are less common. It’s important that women recognize that less common symptoms of ovarian cancer are not less threatening than those experienced more broadly. Any of these less common symptoms should be brought to the immediate attention of a physician:

• Pain during sex: Discomfort or pain during sex is a potential indicator of ovarian cancer.

• Back pain: This pain is most likely to affect the lower back, according to the NOCC.

• Fatigue: As is the case with other types of cancer, ovarian cancer can make women feel more tired than usual. Women also may notice feelings of fatigue occur more often than is otherwise normal.

• Menstrual changes: Additional bleeding and vaginal discharges are some of the changes to a woman’s monthly menstrual cycle that may indicate the presence of ovarian cancer.

• Upset stomach, heartburn or constipation: Women may experience diarrhea or changes in their bowel habits. A greater urgency to visit the restroom and painful bowel movements are possible.

Ovarian cancer cases are expected to rise in the coming decades. Women can learn more about the disease at ovarian.org an d worldovariancancercoalition.org. Q — Metro Creative Connection

Abdominal pain is a potential warning sign of ovarian cancer.

THE BROOKLYN UNION GAS COMPANY d/b/a NATIONAL GRID NY

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by The Brooklyn Union Gas Company d/b/a National Grid NY (“Company”) that it has filed with the New York State Public Service Commission (“PSC”) tariff revisions to its Schedule for Gas Service, PSC No. 12 – GAS, to become effective, on a temporary basis, September 1, 2024.

These revisions have been filed in compliance with the Commission’s Order issued August 15, 2024 in Case 23-G-0225. The table below compares the Company’s current rates (prior to September 1, 2024) to rates effective September 1, 2024 by service classification.

S.C. No. 1A, 17-1A – Residential Non-Heating Service

S.C. No. 1AR, 17-1AR Residential Non-Heating Service

Monthly usage

First 3 therms or less

Over 50 therms, per therm

Current Rates

$16.25

S.C. No. 1B-DG, 17-1B-DG – Distributed Generation

Rates

3

Over 3 therms, per therm

S.C. No. 2-1, 17-2-1 – Non-Residential Non-Heating Service

Monthly usage

First

S.C. No. 3, 17-3 – Multi-Family Service

09/01/24

S.C. No. 1B, 17-1B – Residential Heating Service

S.C. No. 1BR, 17-1BR-Residential Heating Service Monthly usage

First 3 therms or less

47 therms, per therm

S.C. No. 2-2, 17-2-2 – Non-Residential Heating Service

Rates

S.C. 4A-CNG, 17-4A-CNG – Compressed Natural Gas

1,000 therms, per therm

S.C. 7, 17-7 – Seasonal Off-Peak Service Monthly

S.C. 21, 17-21 – Rate 1 – Less than 1MW

usage

S.C. 21, 17-21 – Rate 3 – Equal to or greater than 5 MW but less than 50 MW

Monthly usage

Current Rates 09/01/24

First 10 therms or less $771.69

Over 10 therms, per therm (Apr – Oct) $0.0256

Over 10 therms, per therm (Nov – Mar)

S.C. 22 – Non-Firm Demand Response Sales Service –

Tier 1 (Commercial & Governmental / Multifamily)

Monthly usage

First 10 therms or less

Over 10 therms, per therm

S.C. 4A, 17-4A – High Load Factor

S.C. 4B, 17-4B – Year Round Air Conditioning Service

S.C. 21, 17-21 – Rate 2 – Equal to or greater than 1 MW but less than 5

10 therms, per therm (Apr – Oct)

10 therms, per therm (Nov – Mar)

S.C. 22 – Non-Firm Demand Response Sales Service –Tier 2 (Commercial & Governmental / Multifamily)

Monthly usage

Current Rates 09/01/24 $375.00 $375.00 $0.2325/0.1933 $0.2840/0.2360 Current Rates

First 10 therms or less

Over 10 therms, per therm

These revisions have been filed in compliance with the Commission’s Order issued August 15,2024 in Case 23-G-0225.

Copies of the proposed revisions are available for public inspection and can be obtained on the Company’s website at https://www.nationalgridus.com/NY-Home/Bills-Meters-and-Rates/ or the PSC’s website (dps.ny.gov).

Hear my story

PERSONAL PLAY BRINGS SEX ABUSE SCANDAL TO LIFE

BY MARK LORD

It’s always exciting when a new play has its New York City premiere at a local venue, and so it is with “Unreconciled,” depicting the journey of a survivor of clerical sexual abuse, and coming to the New York Irish Center in Long Island City for two performances only, on Sept. 25 and 26.

The play, co-written by Jay Sefton, upon whose experiences it is based, and Mark Basquill, had its American premiere in July in Massachusetts, followed by a European engagement in August in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Sefton, an actor and mental health counselor in addition to being a playwright, said in a recent

telephone interview that the “most powerful thing has been how [the play] has affected other survivors.”

He gets a good feel of the play’s impact during the talkbacks that follow most performances, as will happen at the Irish Center.

Responses have varied from audience to audience both here and abroad, Sefton said, some being quite vocal and others more introspective.

“On any night there’s going to be people who have experienced it,” he said, suggesting that the problem is more widespread than many might imagine.

Talking about it after the show “creates a commonality,” Sefton said.

In the play, which provides Sefton with a

one-man tour-de-force, he portrays no fewer than a dozen different characters, including himself and others who figured in the story.

While the real-life events depicted in the play must have been traumatic at the time, Sefton said that performing the piece “is not triggering back to those experiences. It’s a play now. It’s about being heard.” He goes so far as to say, “It’s a fun thing to do as an actor.”

Equally surprising is the amount of humor to be found in the show. “It’s a necessary part in a theatrical production,” Sefton said.

While the play deals with specific themes, it is basically about discovering one’s voice and the power of using it, Sefton said.

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 #: 701595/2020 Bank Of America, N.A. Plaintiff, vs United States Of America Acting Through The Secretary Of Housing And Urban Development, New York City Environmental Control Board, Millie J Austin, JR. As Heir To The Estate Of Rosie Lee Aka Rosie Mae Wells, Alice M Walker As Heir To The Estate Of Rosie Lee Aka Rosie Mae Wells, Janice A Diggs As Heir To The Estate Of Rosie Lee Aka Rosie Mae Wells, Veral A Diggs As Heir To The Estate Of Rosie Lee Aka Rosie Mae Wells, Henry J Diggs, JR. As Heir To The Estate Of Rosie Lee Aka Rosie Mae Wells, Varnel L Diggs As Heir To The Estate Of Rosie Lee Aka Rosie Mae Wells, Jennira S Roundtree As Heir To The Estate Of Rosie Lee Aka Rosie Mae Wells, Curtis Alexander Eley As Heir To The Estate Of Rosie Lee Aka Rosie Mae Wells, Lakeesha Natasha Eley As Heir To The Estate Of Rosie Lee Aka Rosie Mae Wells, Unknown Heirs Of Rosie Lee Aka Rosie Mae Wells If Living, And If He/She Be Dead, Any And All Persons Unknown To Plaintiff, Claiming, Or Who May Claim To Have An Interest In, Or General Or Specific Lien Upon The Real Property Described In This Action; Such Unknown Persons Being Herein Generally Described And Intended To Be Included In Wife, Widow, Husband, Widower, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assignees Of Such Deceased, Any And All Persons Deriving Interest In Or Lien Upon, Or Title To Said Real Property By, Through Or Under Them, Or Either Of Them, And Their Respective Wives, Widows, Husbands, Widowers, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assigns, All Of Whom And Whose Names, Except As Stated, Are Unknown To Plaintiff, New York City Transit Adjudication Bureau, New York City Parking Violations Bureau, United States Of America On Behalf Of The IRS, People Of The State Of New York “John Doe #1” Through “John Doe #12,” the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the Subject Property described in the Complaint, Defendant(s). Mortgaged Premises: 118-01 152nd Street 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 Unknown Heirs of Rosie Lee AKA Rosie Mae Wells Defendant In this Action. The foregoing Supplemental Summons is served upon you by publication, pursuant to an order of HON. Tracy Catapano-Fox of the Supreme Court Of The State Of New York, dated the Sixth day of August, 2024 and filed with the Complaint in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens, in the City of Jamaica. The object of this action is to foreclosure a mortgage upon the premises described below, dated April 16, 2008 executed by Rosie Lee AKA Rosie Mae Wells (who died on November 26, 2020, a resident of the county of Wake, State of Florida) to secure the sum of $544,185.00. The Mortgage was recorded at CRFN 2009000260182 in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County on August 18, 2009. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed January 20, 2010 and recorded on February 17, 2010, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2010000054123. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed January 20, 2010 and recorded on February 17, 2010, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2010000054124. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed April 9, 2010 and recorded on May 7, 2010, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2010000154144. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by a gap assignment executed July 31, 2019 and recorded on August 14, 2019, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2019000259681. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed June 3, 2019 and recorded on June 27, 2019, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2019000203029. The property in question is described as follows: 118-01 152nd Street, Jamaica, NY 11434 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 15, 2024 Gross Polowy LLC Attorney(s) For Plaintiff(s) 1775 Wehrle Drive, Suite 100, Williamsville, NY 14221 The law firm of Gross Polowy LLC and the attorneys whom it employs are debt collectors who are attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained by them will be used for that purpose. Jamaica, NY 11434 82201

King Crossword Puzzle

ACROSS 1 Bit of butter 4 “Dream on!” 8 Half (Pref.) 12 “Kinda” suffix 13 Mandolin’s kin 14 Redact

LAX info

Embraces among team members, say

Mideast peninsula

“Gee, ya think?”

Nevada city

Pansy part

Floor coverings 32 Luau dance 33 Paul Newman film

Refine metal 36 Male turkey 37 “M*A*S*H”

I HAVE OFTEN WALKED

Ron Carey found a more perfect union in LIC

by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor

Ronald Robert Carey was born on March 22, 1936, to Joseph and Loretta Carey. He was the second of six children, his father a United Parcel Service driver, who taught his son about workplace injustice working Sundays and Christmas, sometimes without pay.

Ron was brought to union meetings, where he learned how to run a democratic union. Early on the family lived at 48-18 39 St. in Sunnyside. By 1950, they lived in larger quarters at 45-25 Davis St. in the Hunters Point section of Long Island City. Ron was offered entry to St. John’s University on a swimming scholarship but turned it down in favor of joining the U.S. Marines serving from 1953 to 1955. He married Barbara Murphy, who lived in the apartment above him, and became a UPS driver like his dad. They went on to have five children.

In 1958 his career took off when he was elected shop steward for Local 804’s 7,000 members. He became local president in 1967 and was the International Brotherhood of Teamsters president from 1991 to 1997.

An illegal kickback scheme resulted in

Carey being banned from office for life, however. Eventually he was cleared, but it haunted him the rest of his life. He died at 72 due to lung cancer on Dec. 11, 2008.

The home of former International Brotherhood of Teamsters Union President Ron Carey, at 48-18 39 St. in Sunnyside, as it looked when he was a child in the 1940s.

‘Nunsense: The Mega-Musical’ is a mega good time

by Mark Lord qboro contributor

There’s a line in a song in the musical comedy “Nunsense: The Mega-Musical,” now being performed by Royal Star Theatre in Jamaica Estates, that goes like this: “We’re just a couple of sisters out here having fun.”

The sentiment apparently could well be applied to the entire cast of 12 multitalented women, all of whom seem to be having a grand time. Oh, yes, audiences are very likely enjoying themselves, too.

The show, with book, music and lyrics by Dan Goggin, centers on a group of nuns, The Little Sisters of Hoboken, who discover that their cook, Sister Julia, Child of God (played by Maryellen Pierce, longtime local theater doyenne, marking a return to the stage after an extended absence), accidentally poisoned 52 of their sisters (tainted vichyssoise), leaving them in need of funds for the burials. Toward this end, they plan a variety show in which they all, naturally, participate, offering plenty of opportunities for the cast members to shine.

And shine many of them do, in both group numbers and solo star turns. This review was based on a video recorded just prior to the Sept. 14 opening.

This show is a slightly expanded version

“Nunsense: The Mega-Musical” makes a habit of having a good time, both for the audience and the performers.

of the original, which didn’t carry the mega-musical tag in its title, incorporating some additional lines and characters (up from only five). But the focus remains solidly on the quintet.

Amanda Doria makes for a full-voiced Reverend Mother, a former circus performer who still has more than a bit of ham in her. A scene in which she unwittingly gets high is a comic highlight. She also stands out in several musical numbers, including a

duet she shares with Monica Maddock as the Mistress of the Novices, which includes the line about sisters having fun.

Maddock, similarly, puts her vocal talents to good use in several numbers, most effectively in a rousing gospel piece, “Holier Than Thou,” which raises the roof just before the show’s finale. That number also offers one of choreographer Alessia Secli’s more innovative stagings.

Jessica Lausell is Sister Robert Anne, the

convent’s driver, who wants nothing more than stardom. And Lausell demonstrates that she has the vocal chops for it, selling “I Just Want to Be a Star” for all it’s worth.

Jessica Manion, as Sister Mary Amnesia, the childlike sister with memory loss (the result of a crucifix falling on her head!), displays a wonderful operatic voice and even gets the chance to perform with a puppet.

Gianna Nicoletta is Sister Mary Leo, a novice who yearns, not to sing, but to be a ballerina. Before the show is over, she gets her wish!

Under the tight direction of Tara Mangione, the show flies by like a springtime breeze. And Mangione has seen to it that every member of the company remains in high spirits throughout, whether singing up a storm or forming a kick line.

Highest kudos to the wonderful combo that plays under the skilled baton of musical director Laura DePalo.

Remaining performances at The Mary Louis Academy, at 176-21 Wexford Terrace in Jamaica Estates, are on Sept. 20 and 21 at 8 p.m. and Sept. 22 at 3 p.m.

Tickets purchased in advance online are $20; or $17 for seniors 65 and over and children under 12. Tickets at the door are $2 more. For more information, call (516) 521-5500 or visit royalstartheatre.com. Q

Play’s trauma yields catharsis and commonality

continued from page 31

Helping Sefton bring the play to life is director Geraldine Hughes, a native of Belfast with multiple Broadway credits as an actress.

The two had been friends many years ago, she explained in a phone interview. According to Sefton, they did scene work together in Los Angeles back in 1998. After losing contact for quite a while, the two reconnected.

Crossword Answers

“I’m grateful it’s come back around in this profound way,” Sefton said.

“Last summer, Jay invited me to a workshop of the play. I was floored by it,” she said. “It resonated because it’s the story of so many people I know in Ireland who went through the same things.”

The play, she added, offers an “astonishing exploration of the entire community around him. It’s important to tell the story.”

She offered to take over the reins and, together, they are “mining a lot of different emotional levels,” Hughes said.

Friendship between an actor and his director, she said, “is especially important when telling your own story. You need an element of trust.”

Sefton realizes that a play of this nature is “not the easiest sell,” and he’s grateful to the Irish Center for the opportunity to perform it there.

George Heslin, the center’s executive director, seemed equally happy to have him.

“We offer a lot of cultural programming on many topics,” Heslin said. “We want to keep opening doors to new communities.”

The play “resonates with anyone living and breathing,” Hughes said. “If you’re a

Director Geraldine Hughes and playwright and actor Jay Sefton bring the story of a survivor of priest sex abuse to Queens next week. On the cover: Sefton plays a number of roles in the play, which runs for two shows only.

person, you’ll be affected by it.”

As for the future, Sefton hopes his play takes on a life of its own. “New York is the pinnacle of theater,” he said. “I’d like to see [the play] go on.”

Performances will take place at the NYIC, located at 1040 Jackson Ave., at 7 p.m both nights. For tickets or more information, go online to newyorkirishcenter.org or call (718) 482-0909. Q

PHOTOS BY LESLIE HASSLER, LEFT, AND CANDACE HOPE

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Legal Notices

New York City Department of Transportation

Notice of Public Hearing

Publish in Queens Chronicle

The New York City Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing, the hearing will be held remotely commencing on Wednesday September 25, 2024, at 11:00 AM. via the WebEx platform, on the following petition for revocable consent, in the Borough of Queens.

Prologis Targeted US Logistics Fund LP – to continue to maintain & use a force main, together with a manhole under & along Rockaway Boulevard, in the Borough of Queens.

Interested parties can obtain copies of proposed agreement or request sign-language interpreters (with at least seven days prior notice) at 55 Water Street, 9 Floor, New York, NY 10041, or by calling (212) 839-6550

Notice is hereby given that an On-Premise Full Liquor License, Application ID NA-0340-24-100028 has been applied for by Doherty Apple Fresh Meadows LLC serving beer, wine, cider and liquor to be sold at retail for on premises consumption in a restaurant for the premises located at 6148 188th St., Fresh Meadows, NY 11365.

Notice of Formation of 57-57 & 57-05 47TH ST LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State (SSNY) on 4/30/24. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Dawn M. Torres, 119-19 15th Ave, 2nd Fl, College Point, NY 11356. Purpose: any lawful activity.

60-60 FRESH POND ROAD

REALTY, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 08/19/24. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 57-87 75th Street, Middle Village, NY 11379. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of 72-36 67TH PLACE LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/09/24. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, c/o James J. Matusiak, Esq., 1615 Northern Blvd., Ste. 103, Manhasset, NY 11030. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation, 85-28 Owners LLC. Filed with SSNY on 08/02/2024.

Ofice: Queens County.

SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 85-28 144th Street, Briarwood, NY 11435. Purpose: any lawful

Ayllu Andino LLC. Filed with SSNY on 08/12/24.

Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail copy to: 4141 43rd St A9, Sunnyside, NY 11104. Purpose: Any lawful.

Notice of Formation of David Physical Therapy PLLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 07/09/2024. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LLC, 66 ROCKWELL PLACE #6B, BROOKLYN, NY 11217. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS, BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT SERIES I TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. ZELIA E. GREEN, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on May 13, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, on the second floor in Courtroom 25, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 on October 4, 2024 at 10:00 a.m., premises known as 224-06 114th Road, Cambria Heights, NY 11411. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Queens, County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block 11268 and Lot 83. Approximate amount of judgment is $358,307.44 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 703963/2023. 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 Gutierrez, Esq., Referee Greenspoon Marder, 1345 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 2200, New York, NY 10105, Attorneys for Plaintiff

H & S786 GROUP LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 09/07/22. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, c/o Haseena Shamin, 144-38 87th Ave, Jamaica, NY 11435. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

NOTICE OF SALE

In pursuance and by virtue of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly granted and entered in and action entitled NYCTL 1998-2 Trust v. Sereth T. Hosty, et al., bearing Index No. 91862011 before the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Queens, IAS Part 6, Justice Tracy Catapano-Fox, on or about February 26, 2024, I, the Referee, duly appointed in this action for such purpose, will expose for sale and sell at public auction to the highest bidder on October 4, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., at the Queens County Supreme Court located at 88-11 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica, New York 11435, the mortgaged premises designated as Block 11190, Lot 37 in the City of New York, County and Borough of Queens, State of New York and known as 22323 109th Avenue, Queens Village, New York 11429, directed in and by said judgment to be sold. The approximate amount of the judgment is $299,772.53 plus interest and other charges, and the property is being sold subject to the terms and conditions stated in the judgment, any prior encumbrances and the terms of sale which shall be available at the time of sale.

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Notice of Formation of LUVENIA’S LEGACY, LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 08/09/2024. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: GERARD HASKINS, 217-15 110TH ROAD, QUEENS VILLAGE, NY 11429. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

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.

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KEYSPAN GAS EAST CORPORATION d/b/a NATIONAL GRID

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by KeySpan Gas East Corporation d/b/a National Grid (“Company”) that it has filed with the New York State Public Service Commission (“Commission”) proposed tariff revisions to its Schedule for Gas Service, PSC No.1 – GAS, to become effective, on a temporary basis, September 1, 2024.

These revisions have been filed in compliance with the Commission’s Order issued August 15, 2024 in Case 23-G-0226. The table below compares the Company’s current rates (prior to September 1, 2024) to rates effective September 1, 2024 by service classifi cation.

S.C. No. 1A, 5-1A – Residential Non-Heating Service

S.C. No. 1AR, 5-1AR – Residential Non-Heating Service

Monthly usage

First 3 therms or less

Next 47 therms, per therm

Over 50 therms, per therm

Current Rates 09/01/24

$19.75 $21.75

$1.6275 $2.8472

$0.3971 $0.8453

S.C. No. 1B, 5-1B – Residential Heating Service

S.C. No. 1BR, 5-1BR – Residential Heating Service

Monthly usage

First 3 therms or less

Next 47 therms, per therm

Over 50 therms, per therm

Current Rates 09/01/24

$21.66 $24.59

$1.3528 $1.9054

$0.3185 $0.4487

S.C. No. 1B-DG, 5-1B-DG – Distributed Generation

Monthly usage

First 3 therms or less

Over 3 therms, per therm

Current Rates 09/01/24

$33.04 $34.89

$0.1786 $0.2849

S.C. No. 2-A, 5-2A – Non-Residential Non-Heating Service

Monthly usage

First 3 therms or less

Next 87 therms, per therm

Next 2,910 therms, per therm

Over 3,000 therms, per therm

Current Rates 09/01/24

$37.66 $41.50

$1.8441 $2.0820

$0.3739 $0.4931

$0.2404 $0.3269

S.C. No. 2-B, 5-2B – Non-Residential Heating Service

Monthly usage

First 3 therms or less

Next 87 therms, per therm

Next 2,910 therms, per therm

Over 3,000 therms, per therm

S.C. No. 3, 5-3 – Multi-Family Service

Monthly usage

First 3 therms or less

Next 997 therms, per therm

Over 1,000 therms, per therm

Current Rates 09/01/24

$37.66 $41.50

$1.8428 $2.0026

$0.4627 $0.6285

$0.3194 $0.4947

Current Rates 09/01/24

$74.66 $83.95

$0.5053 $0.6617

$0.2985 $0.4315

S.C. 9, 5-9 – Uncompressed Natural Gas Vehicle Service

Monthly usage

First 3 therms or less

Over 3 therms, per therm

Current Rates 09/01/24

$38.00 $ 42.44

$0.6165 $ 0.7771

S.C No. 15, 5-15 – High Load Factor Service

Monthly usage

First 10 therms or less

Over 10 therms, per therm

Current Rates 09/01/24

$153.35 $169.75

$0.2243 $0.2909

S.C. No. 16, 5-16 – Year-Round Space Conditioning Service

Monthly usage Current Rates 09/01/24

First 3 therms or less

Next 497 therms, per therm $1.7319 $2.1568

Over 500 therms, per therm $0.2969 $0.3698

S.C. 17 – Baseload Distributed Generation –Rate 1 – Less than 1MW Monthly usage Current Rates 09/01/24

First 10 therms or less $180.61 $204.38

Over 10 therms, per therm (Apr –

S.C. 17 – Baseload Distributed Generation –Rate 2 – Equal to or greater than 1 MW but less than 5 MW

S.C. 17 – Baseload Distributed Generation –Rate 3 – Equal to or greater than 5 MW but less than 50 MW

usage Current Rates 09/01/24 First 10 therms or less $949.35 $1,074.32

10 therms, per therm (Apr – Oct) $0.0376 $0.0572

10 therms, per therm (Nov – Mar) $0.0513 $0.0779 Demand charge per therm of MPDQ $6,252.00 $6,252.00

S.C. 18 / 19 – Non-Firm Demand Response Sales Service – Tier 1 Monthly usage

S.C. 18 / 19 – Non-Firm Demand Response Sales Service – Tier 2

Monthly usage Current Rates 09/01/24

First 10 therms or less $375.00 $375.00

Over 10 therms, per therm $0.1285 $0.1784

These revisions have been filed in compliance with the Commission’s Order issued August 15,2024 in Case 23-G-0226. Copies of the proposed revisions are available for public inspection and can be obtained on the Company’s website at https://www.nationalgridus.com/Long-Island-NY-Home/Bills-Meters-and-Rates/ or the PSC’s website (dps.ny.gov).

B SPORTS EAT

Steady Eddie

by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor

The passing of any member of the 1969 Mets is going to evoke sadness, but the death of Ed Kranepool was a gut punch to baby boomers. He played 18 seasons (1962-1979) for the Mets, which meant for those of a certain age, he was the club’s first baseman from early grade school until the end of grad school.

While Kranepool was never the superstar the Mets were hoping for when they signed him out of James Monroe High School in the Bronx, he was a good contract hitter, flashed occasional pop and was a terrific fielder. That is why many sportswriters and fans called him “Steady Eddie.”

I spoke with longtime Mets broadcaster, Cardozo High School and Queens College alum Howie Rose about him on Saturday in Philadelphia before the Mets-Phillies game. “He was a nice man who enjoyed speaking to Mets fans,” he said. “He was also not afraid to say what was on his mind.”

Rose was certainly right about Kranepool’s candor, which came through in his autobiography, “The Last Miracle” (Triumph Books), published last year. I interviewed him on the phone last fall when he was promoting it.

Like most Bronx natives, he was a big Yankees fan, and his childhood team wanted to sign him. This was before the advent of the Major League Baseball amateur draft. “The Chicago

White Sox also made me a solid offer. I saw the expansion Mets as the fastest way to get to the majors,” he said. Kranepool was correct in his assessment, but it came with a price. He admitted he would have had better big-league stats had he spent more time in the minors.

M. Donald Grant, the Mets’ chairman when Kranepool played, has long been a villain for fans for his imperious attitude that led him to trade Tom Seaver in 1977. Surprisingly, Kranepool spoke highly of him: “He was always fair and straight with me. As far as the Seaver trade went, he knew nothing about baseball talent on other teams. I told Joe McDonald, who was the Mets [GM] at the time, that the Dodgers were willing to put together a package which included Don Sutton, Pedro Guerrero, Lee Lacy, and others for Seaver. He ignored me and wound up accepting a vastly inferior return from the Reds.”

He also blamed McDonald for selecting Yogi Berra instead of Whitey Herzog as the manager when Gil Hodges died in April 1972. “That decision set the Mets back a decade,” he told me.

Kranepool was part of a syndicate, led by financier Robert Abplanalp, that sought to buy the Mets from the Payson family in 1979. Joan Payson’s daughter, Lorinda de Roulet, wound up selling to Nelson Doubleday, which rankled Ed. “We weren’t part of her horsey set,” he fumed. Q

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

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