Queens Chronicle South Edition 12-01-22

PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON; ILLUSTRATION BY JAN SCHULMAN

A second chance for fair chance bill

Law could ban background checks on tenants but not all are on board

by Deirdre Bardolf Associate Editor

After a bill seeking to prevent housing discrimination on the basis of arrest or criminal history died in the City Council at the end of last year, it was reintroduced over the summer and awaits its first public hearing next week.

Under Intro. 632, landlords, owners, agents, employees and real estate brokers would be prohibited from obtaining criminal record information at any stage in the process, according to the bill’s text.

It would not apply to NYCHA housing, which falls under federal purview, two-family owner-occupied housing or rooms in owneroccupied housing.

It would also not prohibit inquiries into the state sex offender registry, but would require that the landlord, owner, agents and brokers provide the applicant written notice about the inquiry, and a reasonable amount of time, not more than three days, to withdraw an application.

The Fair Chance for Housing Act, reintroduced in August by Councilmember Keith Powers (D-Manhattan), the Council majority leader, has the support of 31 co-sponsors. The first hearing is scheduled for Dec. 8 at 10 a.m.

“Every human being deserves a roof over their head and a bed to sleep on,” said Council-

member Shekar Krishnan (D-Jackson Heights) in a statement to the Chronicle.

He continued, “We won’t be able to solve our housing crisis by making it more difficult for people to find a home. People in homes equals safer communities.”

The bill outlines a process for applicants to dispute an adverse action based on arrest record or criminal history and would prohibit making any inquiry or statement related to an

arrest record or criminal history in connection with the prospective or continued purchase, rental or lease.

But the proposed legislation is not favored by all. Councilman Bob Holden (D-Maspeth) called it “Bizzaro World” in a statement on social media.

“This is another ill-advised policy from the New York City Council to further remove authority from property owners to rent THEIR

buildings to people without criminal backgrounds, including murder and other heinous crimes,” Holden wrote.

“Yet NYCHA complexes would be exempt as the city is federally mandated to do background checks on tenants. With evictions harder to do, and bills like this moving forward, rest assured you’ll see fewer available units as property owners decide it isn’t worth renting out their buildings. Talk about Bizzaro World.”

The sentiment that the bill could deter landlords from renting out units was echoed in a statement issued from the Asian Wave Alliance, an advocacy group focused on safety, schools, business and more.

“This bill totally ignores basic safety protections of communities, but also, if enacted, will greatly discourage small landlords’ willingness to rent units,” said Donghui Zang, a Forest Hills resident, president of New York City Residents Alliance and a member of the Asian Wave Alliance’s executive committee.

“Furthermore, the broader issue not being considered is how co-op and condo boards might begin refusing sublets altogether and/or tack on additional fees which would make renting even more expensive and exacerbate the already short supply of available affordable housing,” Zang continued.

Yiatin Chu, president of the Asian Wave

A public hearing in the City Council will be held next week to discuss a bill that could prohibit landlords from conducting background checks on tenants in many cases. PEXELS.COM

Trails plus rail supporters persist, calling on an MTA feasibility study Council bill seeks QueensLink study

by Deirdre Bardolf Associate Editor

A new resolution in the City Council is officially calling upon the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to conduct an environmental impact study on the proposed QueensLink project, which would revive the Long Island Rail Road’s old Rockaway Beach Branch and bring some green space to the abandoned stretch.

“It’s well past time that a study is done to determine the feasibility of QueensLink,” said Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park), who sponsored the bill alongside Councilmembers Selvena Brooks-Powers (D-Laurelton) and Bob Holden (D-Maspeth).

“There’s no better time than now, as the MTA is preparing their capital budget asks, and the governor is funding the Interborough,” said Ariola, referring to a proposed public transit connection between Brooklyn and Queens.

Resolution 390, introduced early last week, calls for the MTA’s study on the feasibility of the project for reasons including limited subway access and transit deserts throughout the area.

It also cites a recent city comptroller’s report that linked the use of public transit to increased foot traffic and economic activity in and around travel hubs and destinations and improves the affordability of living in the city by reducing the need for personal vehicles.

on a

It states that the existence of the QueensLink proposal, being advanced by a nonprofit, aims to connect northern and southern Queens with a corridor has not been in use since 1962 and that the project, which would extend the M train from Rego Park to the Rockaways, could potentially serve 88,000 daily riders.

With a $3 billion investment from the MTA, the resolution states, 150,000 jobs could

be created and property values along the corridor could increase up to $75 billion.

The call for the EIS indicated a continued push for the rail plus park project, which faced a major setback in September when Mayor Adams announced a $35 million investment into an initial phase of the QueensWay project, a competing plan that would replace the old tracks with 47 acres of linear park, similar to

the High Line in Manhattan.

Ariola said the EIS would still include the whole transit corridor despite the announcement to begin the first phase of the park project.

“We’re just asking the governor to carve out some dollars for a study,” she said.

The resolution calling for a QueensLink study points out that the plan also includes green space elements with 33 acres of space for parks, trails or newly created farmers markets alongside and underneath the tracks.

It also sites a 2019 feasibility study that found restoring the line is possible despite the higher estimated cost, and estimated it could serve 47,000 daily riders.

The City Council resolution is the latest move to keep QueensLink on track.

In August, 17 city, state and federal officials signed on to a letter of support asking the governor and mayor to fund the study.

In October, they joined advocates on the boardwalk in Rockaway Beach for a rally to keep up the pressure.

“This is a fight and for those who think it’s over, it’s not,” said Mike Scala, attorney and legal counsel for QueensLink, at the October rally.

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, who attended the mayor’s QueensWay announcement, tweeted last weekend, “Queens needs both options. Better transportation and open space is a must for all of us.” Q

Cleaning up streets and images in HB

Civic gets SVU and planter update; subway stop a ‘station of concern’

by Deirdre Bardolf Associate Editor

Issues that require follow-up in Howard Beach include the infamous planters, which some have dubbed “bath tubs,” and the “Law and Order: Special Victim’s Unit” snub that sparked outrage throughout the community in recent weeks.

Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) announced at the Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic Association meeting Tuesday night that she has been in contact with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment regarding the latter issue.

“We have to approve shows to come into our communities and until we hear back, we put the city on notice, we don’t want to hear anything about filming, which they do often enough in our community, before we get an apology,” she said.

The tubs on Cross Bay Boulevard, she said, are “only going to get better from here.” Some have an evergreen planted in them but are set to get beefed-up arrangements.

“They will make the center mall on Cross Bay Boulevard beautiful,” she added.

Cleanup efforts in commercial areas will continue as part of Mayor Adam’s “No Man’s Land” initiative to address neglected areas around the city like the Conduit and Belt Parkway, which will be cleaned more regularly, Ariola said.

She also cited Adams’ recent announcement directing

police and first responders to involuntarily take mentally ill people to hospitals, an issue of concern on Cross Bay.

Capt. Jerome Bacchi, commanding officer of the 106th Precinct, and Capt. Arsenio Camilo of NYPD Transit District 23 gave crime updates.

Bacchi reported that crime overall is down and Camilo said that police presence on mass transit will be increased throughout the holiday season, especially during rush hour. The Howard Beach-JFK subway station was identified as a “station of concern” following the October incident in which a woman traveling to work was brutally attacked there.

State Sen. Roxanne Persaud (D-Brooklyn), who will represent much of the New Howard Beach area come January following redistricting earlier this year, was present and introduced her chief of staff, Tanequa Strong.

Carl Moore, constituent liaison for state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach), announced that the senator, who lost Howard Beach and most of Lindenwood, will be moving his office.

Addabbo confirmed to the Chronicle on Wednesday that his new office will be at 84-16 Jamaica Ave. in Woodhaven.

Civic Co-president Phyllis Inserillo highlighted upcoming events from the civic including its third annual Christmas caravan and toy drive on Dec. 10 and caroling on the 19th. Visit the civic’s Facebook page for more information.

Despite progress

competing plan, supporters of the QueensLink, which would bring transit and park space to southern and Central Queens, are persisting. QUEENSLINK IMAGE

NYPD Capts. Arsenio Camilo, left, and Jerome Bacchi.

PHOTO BY DEIRDRE BARDOLF

Lawmakers, advocates rally against ‘heartless’ Corrections directive Fighting new prison care package ban

by Deirdre Bardolf Associate Editor

Lawmakers and advocates gathered outside the Queensboro Correctional Facility in Long Island City on Tuesday to condemn a directive from the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision that would limit the package delivery rights of inmates.

Under the new directive, families can no longer directly send care packages, homecooked meals, fresh fruits or some religious items to their incarcerated loved ones.

Assemblymembers David Weprin (D-Fresh Meadows) and Zohran Mamdani (D-Astoria) joined state Sen. Julia Salazar (D-Brooklyn) and advocacy organizations, families, and formerly incarcerated persons for the press conference.

Weprin called the DOCC’s directive “heartless.”

“This past weekend, throughout the nation, families came together to eat a homecooked meal with their loved ones but many families were left incomplete,” said Weprin.

“In our great state of New York, DOCCS has erected a wall between incarcerated people and their families,” he said.

The agency, he said, claims it is dangerous for families to directly give their loved ones a home-cooked meal, a Jewish tallit prayer

shawl, a Qu’ran, laundry detergent or tampons, and that commissaries are filled with daily essentials, but his office has received “consistent complaints to the contrary.”

Weprin, chair of the Assembly’s Correction Committee, and Salazar, chair of the Senate Committee on Crime and Correction, are working on legislation with a coalition of families, advocates and formerly incarcerated people, to end package bans.

Directive 4911A aims to limit contraband and in turn decrease facility violence.

Mamdani said the measure “heightens the isolation of individuals who are incarcerated and we know that isolation is a precipitating factor for violence.”

Groups that were represented included including representatives from Release Aging People from Prisons, Center for a Community Alternative, Tzedek Association, Alliance of

Families for Justice, the #HALTSolitaryConfinement Campaign, Sing Sing Family Collective, New Hour, the Corrections Association of New York and Katal Center.

“Food packages are essential to the men and women inside because foods they receive from DOCCS are not nutritious,” said Theresa Grady, a representative from RAPP whose husband, 68, is incarcerated.

“Forever, the families have provided healthy food like fresh produce. We provide all the warm clothes for winter. Although it was always costly to us, at least we could shop at local stores and bring it ourselves on visits or send it through the mail. We do the best we can but with DOCCS’ new ban on care packages from home, it’s a lot more expensive to use these vendors and they don’t carry everything we need.”

She called the move punitive and said it was “an excuse to retaliate against incarcerated people.”

Assemblywoman Jessica González-Rojas (D-East Elmhurst) said the timing was especially cruel.

“Just a few short days after many celebrated Thanksgiving, and a few short weeks until many will celebrate the winter holidays, DOCCS continues to restrict delivery rights of people incarcerated at Queensboro Correctional Facility,” González-Rojas said. Q

FDNY diversity bills are signed into law

by Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief

Mayor Adams on Monday signed five bills designed to bring greater ethnic diversity to the Fire Department, to make firehouses more accommodating to women and to prevent and track cases of discrimination and harassment in the ranks.

Three of the five laws were authored by Queens councilmembers.

Intro. 516-A, sponsored by Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica), requires the FDNY, in consultation with the city Department of Citywide Administrative Services, to develop and implement a plan to recruit and retain individuals from underrepresented populations as firefighters.

Intro. 519-A, sponsored by Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park), requires the FDNY to survey each firehouse to determine the upgrades necessary to facilitate use by a mixed-gender workforce. Upon completion of the survey, the FDNY will then submit a report on the findings of the survey detailing the necessary upgrades, the feasibility of making them and any construction plans to make them.

Intro. 552-A, sponsored by Councilman Kevin Riley (D-Bronx), requires the FDNY to submit an annual report on the number of employees assigned to each firehouse or spe-

cial operations unit, broken down by gender and race or ethnicity, as well as the number of individuals living within the service area of each fire company, also broken down by gender and race or ethnicity.

Intro. 553-A, also sponsored by Riley, requires the FDNY, in consultation with DCAS, to develop and implement a plan for providing ongoing training and education for all employees regarding diversity and inclusion, on the department’s anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies.

The FDNY also will be required to post an annual report on its website regarding efforts taken to implement such training.

Intro. 560-A, sponsored by Councilwoman Nantasha Williams (D-St. Albans), requires the FDNY to submit an annual report on complaints filed with the department’s Equal Employment Opportunity office regarding potential violations of the city’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy. The report will include the number of complaints that resulted in corrective action, disaggregated by the form of corrective action, including, but not limited to, formal reprimands, fines, loss of pay or benefits, transfers, suspensions,

demotions and terminations.

Top city officials and lawmakers lauded the bills in prepared statements issued with the announcement of their signing.

“Our FDNY frontline heroes keep our city safe day in and day out, and today we take another step to strengthen and support New York City’s Bravest,” said Mayor Adams. “New York City’s diversity is our strength, and these five bills will help build a more inclusive FDNY that is reflective of the millions of New Yorkers we serve. I’m grateful to our colleagues in the City Council for their partnership and commitment to building a more diverse and inclusive Fire Department for generations to come.”

“New York City’s firefighters protect our city and save lives every single day, yet it remains clear that FDNY is not representative of our city’s diversity,” Speaker Adams said. “I’m proud these new laws passed by the council and signed today help advance the department’s recruitment and retention of women and people of color from all communities as firefighters. This package of bills becoming law marks a significant step forward to ensure that New York’s Bravest are more equitably composed of people from New York City’s

entire gorgeous mosaic. I thank my colleagues in the council for working collaboratively to pass this important legislation and Mayor Adams for signing the bills into law.”

“I am proud to sponsor legislation that will lead to upgrades for our fire houses to have adequate areas for both men and women to tend to their personal needs,” Ariola said. “I will continue to fight for the members of the FDNY in every aspect of their job.”

The bills all passed 49-0 Nov. 3, with Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (R-Whitestone) absent and Councilwoman Julie Menin (D-Manhattan) listed as not voting for a medical reason.

Neither the union representing firefighters nor the one representing officers responded by press time to requests for comment and insight on the legislation.

The new required reporting will not add any work for fire companies or take away firefighters from vital duties, according to the Council press office.

Demographic information on firehouse coverage areas will be gathered from Census information, and the FDNY and DCAS already have data on all employees and are equipped to compile the required reporting on firehouse demographics.

The first report on the firehouse ethnic breakdowns is due Jan. 15. Q

Dept. to report ethnic breakdowns; officials say it won’t be a hindrance

Queens lawmakers take the lead on a five-bill package.

Elected officials and advocates on Tuesday called for an end to a directive that would limit package delivery rights to incarcerated individuals in state prisons. PHOTO COURTESY NYS SENATE

OLG pantry continues on

“We’re here and we’re always going to be here.”

That was Kathy Pascarella’s response to the rumors that the food pantry at the Our Lady of Grace Church in Howard Beach had closed. Pascarella and Jeanie Ruvolo have been running the pantry for 22 years, she said, and they ended up serving nearly 160 families this Thanksgiving. They were expecting 120 but managed to accommodate the additional families.

But their resources were depleted in part because of a rumor that they were no longer open, which they learned about from a local business that called to see if it could still donate to the pantry.

At Tuesday night’s Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic Association meeting, Co-president Phyllis Inserillo called on the community to donate and help replenish the stock.

Pascarella said they are also collecting holiday gifts for 300 children. Gift cards are appreciated for that drive and average $25.

Woman fatally struck on 84th Street Tues.

by Deirdre Bardolf Associate Editor

A 63-year-old woman was fatally struck by an SUV Tuesday morning while trying to cross 84th Street mid-block in Lindenwood, according to police.

Ana Cristina Acosta, of 153rd Avenue, was pronounced dead at Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center after being hit by a 2018 Nissan Rogue around 6 a.m. and transported by EMS.

Police from the 106th Precinct responded to the incident, which occurred near PS 232, and found Acosta lying in the road, unconscious and unresponsive, with head trauma, according to the collision report.

The driver was a 45-year-old woman headed northbound, who remained on the scene and was not injured.

The investigation remains ongoing by the NYPD’s Highway Collision Investigation Squad.

daylight saving’s prolonged darker hours, visibility is decreased and they must slow down.

“I drive down the street routinely — everybody knows where the speed cameras are and you see the brake lights go on,” said Bacchi.

Chamber’s big small-biz bash

Seven key players in the borough’s economy will be honored at the Queens Chamber of Commerce’s Business Person of the Year Awards Gala on Dec. 6.

The event will be held from 6 to 11 p.m. at Terrace on the Park in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, and will include an open bar, dinner and dancing, as well as a toy drive for the less fortunate.

“This year, we again have honorees who exemplify business acumen, street smarts, hard work, success and doing well by doing good,” the chamber says online.

The pantry is open on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. but any donations can also be dropped off at the pastoral office.

Q

— Deirdre Bardolf

Capt. Jerome Bacchi, commanding officer of the 106th Precinct, spoke at Tuesday night’s Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic meeting and did not say what the cause of the crash was but took the opportunity to remind drivers that, with

“But as soon as they pass the speed camera, what happens is they speed up again,” he said.

A moment of silence was held for the woman, who lived in a nearby co-op, at the civic meeting.

The honorees are Kevin O’Connor, CEO at Dime Community Bank; Serge Abergel, chief operating officer of Hydro-Quebec Energy Services; Rachelle Antoine, manager of external affairs and community outreach for the John F. Kennedy International Redevelopment Program; Loycent Gordon, owner of Neir’s Tavern; Peter Kapsalis, CEO of Cine Magic LIC Studios; Stacie NC Grant, community advisory council facilitator for the JFK Redevelopment Program; and Dr. Edwin Simpser, president and CEO of St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children.

Q

Visit queenschamber.org or call (718) 898-8500 tickets or more information. Q

Ana Cristina Acosta was fatally hit struck on 84th Street. GOOGLE MAPS IMAGE

How To Get Rid of Knee Pain Once and For All... Without Drugs, Shots or Surgery

Living with knee pain can feel like a crippling experience.

Let’s face it, your knees aren’t as young as you used to be, and playing with the kids or grandkids isn’t any easier either. Maybe your knee pain keeps you from walking short distances or playing golf like you used to.

Nothing’s worse than feeling great mentally, but physically feeling held back from life because your knees hurt and the pain just won’t go away!

My name is Dr. Robert F. Gucciardo, D.C., owner of Gucciardo Specific Chiropractic and Natural Health Center. Since we opened seventeen years ago, I’ve seen hundreds of people with knee problems leave the office pain free.

If you’re suffering from these conditions, a new breakthrough in medical technology may completely eliminate your pain and help restore normal function to your knees.

Do You Have Any of the Following Conditions?

It Promotes Rapid Healing of the Injured Tissues.

Before the FDA would clear the Class IV laser for human use, they wanted to see proof that it worked. This lead to two landmark studies.

The fi rst study showed that patients who had laser therapy had 53 percent better improvement than those who had a placebo. The second study showed patients who used the laser therapy had less pain and more range of motion days after treatment. If the Class IV Laser can help these patients, it can help you too.

Could This Noninvasive, Natural Treatment Be the Answer to Your Knee Pain?

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What does this offer include? Everything I normally do in my “Knee Pain Evaluation.” Just call before December 11th, 2022 and here’s what you’ll get…

• An in-depth consultation about your problem where I will listen … really listen … to the details of your case.

• A complete neuromuscular examination.

A new treatment is helping patients with knee pain live a happier, more active lifestyle.

Here’s what to do now:

Due to the expected demand for this special offer, I urge you to call our office at once. The phone number is 718-845-2323.

Finally, You Have an Option Other Than Drugs or Surgery

New research in a treatment called Class IV Laser Therapy is having a profound effect on patients suffering with knee pain. Unlike the cutting type of laser seen in movies and used in medical procedures, the Class IV therapeutic laser penetrates the surface of the skin with no heating effect or damage.

Laser Therapy has been tested for 40 years, had over 2000 papers published on it, and has been shown to aid in damaged tissue regeneration, decrease inflammation, relieve pain and boost the immune system. This means that there is a good chance cold laser therapy could be your knee pain solution, allowing you to live a more active lifestyle.

Professional athletes like The New York Yankees and team members of the New England Patriots rely upon cold laser therapy to treat their sports-related injuries. These guys use the cold laser for one reason only…

• A full set of specialized X-rays to determine if arthritis is contributing to your pain (if necessary). (If you have films please bring them for evaluation).

• A thorough analysis of your exam and X-ray fi ndings so we can start mapping out your plan to being pain free.

• You’ll see everything fi rsthand and fi nd out if this amazing treatment will be your pain solution, as it has been for so many other patients.

Until December 11th, you can get everything I’ve listed here for only $37. The normal price for this type of evaluation including X-rays is $250, so you’re saving a considerable amount by taking me up on this offer.

Remember what it was like before you had knee problems – when you were pain free and could enjoy everything life had to offer. It can be that way again. Don’t neglect your problem any longer – don’t wait until it’s too late.

Call today and we can get started with your consultation, exam and X-rays (if necessary) as soon as there’s an opening in the schedule. Our office is called Gucciardo Specific Chiropractic and Natural Health Center and you can fi nd us at 162-07 91st Street in Howard Beach. Tell the receptionist you’d like to come in for the Knee Evaluation before December 11th.

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P.S. Now you might be wondering…

The FDA cleared the fi rst Class IV Laser in 2002. This was after their study found 76 percent improvement in patients with severe pain. Their only warning – don’t shine it in your eyes.

Of course at our office, the laser is never anywhere near your eyes and we’ll give you a comfortable pair of goggles for safety.

Don’t wait and let your knee problems get worse, disabling you for life. Take me up on my offer and call today (718) 845-2323. For more information go to www.drgucciardo.com and click on the laser therapy tab.

Federal and Medicare restrictions apply. Dr. Robert F. Gucciardo Upper, Cervical Chiropractor, Master Clinician in Nutrition Response Testing 162-07 91st Street, Howard Beach, NY 11414 • (718) 845-2323

“Is this safe? Are there any side effects or dangers to this?”

Now, in Howard Beach, NY, one doctor is helping local residents with knee pain live more active, pain-free lives.

EDITORIAL AGEP

Another anti-biz bill to nix

There are some people on the City Council who really do seem determined to drive businesses out of the city. Perhaps that shouldn’t be surprising when they bill themselves as Democratic Socialists, but it still is.

The latest move reportedly comes from western Queens Councilwoman Tiffany Cabán, said to be drafting a bill that would prevent just about anyone in the city from losing his or her job without “just cause or a legitimate economic reason.” That would mean employers could no longer hire and fire at will. Take on a worker who does the minimum to get by and you’ll never get to replace that person, even if someone who would do a fantastic job is just begging to come on board.

It may sound just — after all, isn’t this what unions are for? Well, yes, but unions aren’t always appropriate, as with smaller businesses, or with management employees, and too often they do serve to protect people who really shouldn’t be on the job any longer. Think rubber-room teachers or excessive-force cops. Some people should be fired.

We have to say “reportedly” when it comes to Cabán’s bill because her office ignored us when we asked about it this week. What we do have is a report in the New York Post — highly detailed on the bill’s provisions — that we’re pretty sure is accurate because Cabán herself retweeted a link to it. She criticized the Post’s story, which includes quotes from her office, but disputed nothing in it. The bill would expand on one that applies solely to the fast-food industry. It would micromanage a lot, forcing companies that are hiring to first take on anyone they let go for “economic reasons” and also imposing a 15-day wait between disciplining someone and then firing him or her, in most cases. Think of the opportunities for sabotage that creates! And there’s more where that came from.

City businesses don’t need more restrictions. They must be allowed to hire and fire whom they choose, within existing equal rights laws. This bill should be nixed and the free market better respected — especially by those who use the taxes it generates to write bills that would adversely affect it.

Allow jail care packages

This page has long stood for law and order, decrying Albany’s insane bail “reform” law that’s got the revolving door of justice spinning faster, advocating against replacing Rikers Island with smaller jails that simply would not hold enough people and lamenting things like the lawlessness of e-mopeds and scooters running all over the place with no license plates, not to mention the wheelie-pulling ATVs and dirt bikes.

But once someone is in jail or prison, he or she must be treated humanely. Many, it is hoped, will be rehabilitated — though many will not. None may face cruel or unusual punishments as per the Constitution. The goal of a lockup mostly is to keep society safe from people who cannot act responsibly outside of it, not to shut out every last bit of light around them, driving them to shut out every last bit within them.

So we oppose the directive preventing people on Rikers and in other city jails from directly receiving care packages and things like books and cakes from their loved ones. We understand the concerns about contraband but believe there must be a better way to address that. So much in the system needs reform, but Directive 4911 simply goes too far.

Queens Assemblyman David Weprin, no criminal coddler, agrees, and is working on a bill to reverse the directive. We support that and, in this case, stand with groups we usually do not agree with, in backing a move to show a bit more kindness, even to those who themselves may not.

LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

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Dear Editor:

I am appalled to learn that the mayor has tried to have the City Council vote against a judge’s ruling and change the current senior health plan, Senior Care, which our city retirees have had for many years. All of the active city workers will not be changed into an Advantage plan. Seniors, who are elderly and some disabled, and many not indeed wealthy, need Senior Care more than ever since they are the most vulnerable. Some doctors may not even accept the new Advantage plan.

Why are seniors who worked for the city many years ago with low salary being forced into an Advantage plan?

Look within our souls and hearts, city officials, and remember that the seniors are the ones who vote. We have the power at the ballot box.

Cynthia Groopman Little Neck

SQPA: more than maintenance

Dear Editor:

Re “CB 12 hesitant to support SQPA effort,” Oct. 27, multiple editions:

The Southern Queens Park Association has maintained Roy Wilkins Park, but equally or more importantly, has been a thriving human service organization for the last 46 years in Southeast Queens. SQPA provides an array of

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Neither this newspaper

For its October meeting, Community Board 12 extended an invitation that would allow for me to introduce myself, my background and vision for SQPA — which included highlighting its key function and connection to the community. It was not only to discuss SQPA’s efforts to renegotiate the license. Subsequently I was invited to and attended CB 12’s Parks and Recreation Committee meeting, held on Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. A substantial number of members present expressed that they were “rooting for” the organization’s vision. It was a spirited discussion, and I am grateful for the community board’s partnership.

Roy Wilkins Park now receives maintenance by the NYC Parks Department and is allocated $1.08 million on an annual basis for upkeep of the park (since 2020), whereas previously SQPA fundraised about $250,000 annually for upkeep. This is a substantial difference in resources, which is undoubtedly aligned to better outcomes. SQPA wants to continue to partner with NYC Parks on maintenance and

upkeep of the park.

However, there is a distinction between park upkeep and community-led decision-making and control of the park. SQPA believes that there should be community-led decision-making for the park, which has been precedent for the previous 46 years. Baseline funding does not preclude community-led decision-making of what happens in the park.

We believe that with the support of many civic groups, other organizations and community stakeholders, the overwhelming amount of support is in favor of Roy Wilkins continuing to be a community-led park.

Jermaine Sean Smith Executive Director South Queens Park Association St. Albans

Vital aid for Queens vets

Dear Editor: Re Sophie Krichevsky’s Nov. 24 report: “Veterans Resource Center is coming” (mul-

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LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

tiple editions):

As an Air Force veteran (1964-68), I’m glad NYC will open a new Veterans Resource Center in Queens. While I do not suffer any problems linked to military service, many veterans do.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says 17 veterans commit suicide daily and 300,000 are homeless nationwide, including over 1,900 in New York. Those who served our nation deserve housing priority ahead of “asylum seekers” who entered our country illegally. Along with housing aid, the Resource Center can help veterans get medical treatment their service entitles them to, plus job training and placement assistance.

Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans face tough headwinds. But they did not encounter the hostile reception faced by Vietnam-era veterans who were spat at, jeered and called “baby killers” by people who never spent a day in uniform. Angry protesters blamed those warriors for a war that was caused by civilian leaders. The Resource Center will help provide what all veterans deserve: a warm “Welcome Home.”

Richard Reif Kew Gardens Hills

A thousand words

Dear Editor:

My esteemed photojournalist Michael Gannon, thank you very much for the photos in “CB 5: Park entrance, JRP ramp unsafe,” (Nov. 17, multiple editions)! The color is so natural and in the evening (or nighttime), the scenery is almost spooky to me. The park bench in the warm sunlight is a sight in high-tech New York, weather-beaten as if it had been there since the Revolution.

I hope I will find more such photos and stories during the busy holidays.

Margaret Boyer Rego Park

Grammar by magic

Dear Editor:

For decades, a problem has been floating around the NYC public school system, with everyone just putting his or her head in the sand — until now. Grammar is one subject that public schools just do not cover!

It never really occurred to me how the Department of Education was completely lacking in teaching its students grammar. All the grammar I know is from my mom, and I considered myself to be pretty well-versed compared to the average student. Then, finally, it hit me when I lost points on an assignment over a grammatical error that happened to be something my mom had never told me. But without my school teaching me since the elementary level, how would I have known?

This is not some minor problem; grammar is extremely important! It is on so many exams that students take, whether it be the Specialized High School Admissions Test for specialized high schools or the SAT for colleges. The public schools have not been teaching grammar for years, unlike parochial schools, yet they expect grammar to just pop out of thin air, that we will magically learn simply by reading and writing. This is a preposterous idea! You learn grammar from someone teaching it to you, just like math or science.

It just so happens that my mom knows many grammatical rules, despite being an immigrant and English being her second language. What if a parent is unable to teach his or her child all these rules? The schools do not teach it, even though it is their duty, and soon enough grammar is on all sorts of important tests.

The DOE wonders why some students don’t do as well on tests? Well, this is why! Teach grammar from the ground up, starting from elementary school.

Kristina Raevsky Forest Hills

The writer is a seventh-grader at Stephen A. Halsey JHS 157 and the author of “A Sheep’s Tale: Young Patriot’s Guide to Saving America” and “Fly Me to the Moon and Other Stories.”

Not arriving on any track

Dear Editor:

Residents of Forest Hills and Kew Gardens who ride the Long Island Rail Road who are “Not all on board with LIRR’s planned schedule” (Michael Gannon, Nov. 24, multiple editions) are still far better off than their neighbors in Hunters Point, Long Island City, Sunnyside, Elmhurst and Woodhaven. They can only dream about comparable LIRR service. Thousands of potential new LIRR customers will continue to be left stranded there.

Both Hunters Point and LIC continue to grow with thousands of new residents, businesses and workers. The LIRR currently runs a handful of trains in the a.m. rush hour westbound from Jamaica to Hunters Point and LIC, returning eastbound in the p.m. rush hour. There is no service in both directions rush hour along with hourly off-peak and evenings.

There are thousands of potential new LIRR customers who would take advantage of increased frequent bidirectional services to both Hunters Point and LIC peak and off-peak. Reopening the old Elmhurst station, closed in 1982, and Woodhaven station, closed in 1976, could bring more.

Also missing is a promise dating back to 1998, as part of the proposed MTA LIRR Eastside Access to Grand Central Terminal (now known as Grand Central Madison) project. There was to be construction of a new station at Sunnyside Yard.

Larry Penner Great Neck, LI

The writer is a transportation historian, advocate and writer who worked for 31 years for the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office.

Dems’ bad karma

Dear Editor:

Democrats have long complained about Republican gerrymandering in states the GOP controlled. Yet, they seem to have no problems when they do it.

A few years ago, New York voters approved having a nonpartisan commission draw congressional boundaries. Gov. Hochul and the Democratic-controlled state Legislature tried to change the law so that they could draw the map themselves. The result was such a partisan overreach that the state’s highest court ruled it unconstitutional and ordered an independent continued on next page

New directive lets city agencies involuntarily remove the homeless Mayor announces new plan for mentally ill

by Sophie Krichevsky Associate Editor

Mayor Adams on Tuesday announced his new plan to combat homelessness throughout the city and provide those in need with necessary mental health services.

The initiative includes a directive from the mayor to numerous city agencies to involuntarily remove those deemed mentally unfit — even if they do not appear set to do harm to themselves or others — from streets and public transportation so they can be hospitalized. Among those included in the directive are the NYPD, the FDNY/EMS, the Department of Social Services, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene as well as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and its own police force.

Adams also introduced an 11-point legislative agenda for state lawmakers to take on the issue when session resumes in Albany come January. He is calling for state law to say explicitly that “a person requires care when their mental illness prevents them from meeting their own basic needs,” codifying that clinicians consider an array of factors when assessing whether a person needs to be admitted involuntarily, and to mandate that hospitals screen all psychiatric patients before discharge for their need to receive “assisted outpatient treatment,” as per Kend-

ra’s Law, and more.

“It is not acceptable for us to see someone who clearly needs help and walk past,” Adams said Tuesday. “For too long there’s been a gray area where policy, law, and accountability have not been clear, and this has allowed people in need to slip through the cracks. This culture of uncertainty has led to untold suffering and deep frustration.

LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

special master to redraw the map. The result from a fair redistricting was that Democrats lost four congressional seats, thus turning over control of the House of Representatives to the Republicans.

I would like to thank the governor, the Legislature and all those who voted for them for their efforts that made this possible.

Bad karma!

Lenny Rodin Forest Hills

No Republican unanswered

Dear Editor:

Edward Riecks says “As he rides the subways, walks the streets or shops in stores he hardly worries about abortion being banned” (“GOP made key gains, Letters, Nov. 24). Typical statement from a Republican male who has absolutely no regard for women’s rights.

He then rejoices that since Republicans have taken control of the House of Representatives, all of President Biden’s proposals are dead on arrival. There you have it. Republicans don’t give a damn about anything that improves the lives of citizens. It’s all about team GOP “winning.”

In eighteen months, we’ve seen record job creation, record new business startups, record deficit cuts, the best GDP growth in

40 years, the lowest jobless claims in 50 years, a record-breaking year in the stock market, record low childhood poverty, record low childhood hunger, a historic infrastructure bill, a bill to help the U.S. begin production of microchips and a bill to let Medicare negotiate drug prices.

And now? Republicans will basically be throwing a wrench in the workings of progress, prosperity, innovation and decency. As usual.

Riecks ends his letter by saying Republicans have been censored, reprimanded, defamed and impeached for the same behavior Democrats have escaped. Ridiculous. Hey Ed, let me know when a Democrat tries to overthrow the government, incites an insurrection or sides with our enemies.

Robert LaRosa Sr. Whitestone

Can’t Trump Cleveland

Dear Editor:

The “Man from Florida” is going to try and be another Grover Cleveland! Grover was elected our 22nd president in 1884 and our 24th president in 1892.

Folks, Donald Trump is no Grover Cleveland. President Cleveland will be the only one to serve two nonconsecutive terms.

Anthony G. Pilla Forest Hills

It cannot continue.”

This comes less than a year after the mayor and Gov. Hochul deployed a plan to have NYPD officers work to offer services to homeless or mentally ill patrons in the city’s subways and transit stations, which has received some criticism from housing and mental health advocates. In May, Politco reported that of 824 individuals one city

report said accepted services on the subways, only 201 of them ended up in shelters.

Adams’ newest plan has led some to question whether the city’s shelter system has the capacity to handle a large influx of people. Asked about making more beds available, the mayor said at Tuesday’s press conference, “The governor has allocated 50 new beds.

“We are going to find a bed for everyone that needs and come into what we are doing. We will meet that challenge head on. Same thing we said with asylum seekers that no one is going to sleep on the streets.”

When he addressed that issue less than two months ago, Adams said the shelter system was “nearing 100 percent capacity.”

Councilmember Tiffany Cabán (D-Astoria) was critical of the plan, calling it “deeply problematic.”

“[Mental health first responders] consistently point out a couple of truths,” she wrote in a tweet. “Often the wrong responder & response is what creates a deadly situation, not the mental health crisis itself.”

Councilman Bob Holden (D-Maspeth), however, applauded the announcement.

“There are ticking time bombs — who are a threat to themselves or others — riding our subways and walking our streets,” he said in a statement. “Serious mental illness, if left untreated, will only get worse.” Q

Gov. announces new Terminal 8 completion

by Sean Okula Associate Editor

The renovation of JFK Airport took its next step on Tuesday.

Gov. Hochul, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, American Airlines and British Airways announced the completion of JFK’s Terminal 8, which will serve as the hub for both airlines. British Airways had previously made its home at Terminal 7, which will be torn down to clear space for a new Terminal 6, to begin construction early next year.

American Airlines will continue to operate out of Terminal 8.

“The completion of Terminal 8 is the latest milestone in our historic efforts to build a whole new JFK worthy of New York,” Hochul said in a statement. “I congratulate American Airlines, British Airways and the Port Authority for the first of what will be many milestones to come.”

Local businesses were awarded nearly $33 million in contracts as part of the project, per a release from Hochul’s office.

The renovation cost $400 million and, as is the case with all of the terminal projects in the JFK Vision Plan announced in 2017,

was privately financed. The development of a new $9.5 billion Terminal One broke ground in September, and the $1.5 billion expansion of Terminal 4 is expected to be completed early next year.

The $4.2 billion reconstruction of Terminal 6 secured full private funding earlier this month and will begin construction in the next 90 days, per the Governor’s Office.

“The JFK Airport Terminal 8 expansion details the significance of international travel and infrastructure development in New York,” Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Queens, Nassau) said in a statement.

“JFK Airport is our country’s door to the world. This project encourages global travel along with supporting New York’s changing economy by providing people with real career opportunities, while still investing in sustainable aviation practices.”

Terminal 8 will feature a concierge-style check-in area, two new lounges in addition to the space rebranded as the Greenwich Lounge, and an expanded and upgraded baggage handling system. New concession options will be added over the next 18 months, including locally inspired drinks and cuisines.

Mayor Adams announced a new initiative to combat the city’s homelessness and mental health crises on Tuesday.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON / FILE

This

provider will be a provider in our Medicare Advantage network in 2023.

NYCHA makes repairs at Flushing complex a day before Thanksgiving After 6 months, Bland Houses get gas back

by Sophie Krichevsky Associate Editor

“Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and I already know we are not going to have gas.”

That’s what Bland Houses Tenants Association President Bridget Marachlian said when, just shy of two months ago, residents of the Bland Houses, area elected officials and community members called on the New York City Housing Authority to restore gas service to one of the complex’s five buildings. The outage hit at the beginning of May, when gas was shut off due to a leak.

Albeit narrowly, NYCHA managed to avoid making Marachlian’s fears a reality: Gas was restored to all 82 units at 133-20 Roosevelt Ave. last Wednesday morning, the day before Thanksgiving.

The return of gas service was announced in a press release from NYCHA last Wednesday afternoon, in which the agency said it had done the same at 16 other developments, as well, in time for the holiday.

The more-than six-month-long outage comes less than two years after residents at two other Bland Houses buildings lost gas service, some for as long as five months.

Though many of the same lawmakers who criticized NYCHA at the beginning of October were glad to see the repairs made, they made their distaste for the prolonged outage very clear last Wednesday.

“This is very welcome news and while it’s a great Thanksgiving gift, it

should not have taken this long for the gas to be restored,” Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) said in a statement. “It is outrageous and unacceptable that tenants were forced to live without essential gas service since May.”

“It was unacceptable that these rent-paying NYCHA tenants were without gas for so long, but I am thankful that NYCHA and Con Edison were able to restore service in time for the holiday,” Councilmember Sandra Ung (D-Flushing) agreed in a statement. “Not only was it an inconvenience, the elderly and other residents had dietary needs that were

being unmet, adversely affecting their health.”

For the more than six months the building was without gas, residents relied on hot plates to cook any hot meals, which some said were unreliable and prone to breaking.

In October, electeds said NYCHA had attributed the delay in repairs to a prolonged search for a plumber to do the work. At the time, NYCHA did not return the Chronicle’s request for comment.

Asked whether that was still the case, a spokesperson for the agency told the Chronicle via email, “NYCHA currently has more than

120 plumbers and supervisor plumbers who are fully gas qualified and working on gas restoration and stove replacements; NYCHA also has a citywide contract for the sole purpose of gas service restoration.”

Asked about the length of the outage, the same spokesperson said, “NYCHA always tries to expedite the work, but ... gas service interruptions and restoration work are a matter of public safety and involve multiple partners and steps, including shutting off the gas service, making necessary repairs, inspections and coordinating with the service vendors, in order to safely restore service as quickly as

possible.

“This process is in place for all gas outages, and the length of the outage depends on the amount of work needed and how quickly inspections can be passed.”

Though that point was initially reiterated when the Chronicle asked why the fix took as long as it did and whether failed inspections may have extended the outage, the spokesperson later said the gas main did, in fact, fail a Nov. 3 inspection. It passed on Nov. 16.

Records from the Department of Buildings show that asbestos was found in some pipe insulation on the first floor of the building, among other locations on the same floor. Work to remove the carcinogenic insulation material was completed in late August.

Though the NYCHA spokesperson confirmed that asbestos had, in fact, been found in some pipe insulation, the representative did not say to what extent that might have contributed to the delayed return of service, and said that asbestos abatement is one of many steps toward turning the gas back on.

In a statement, state Sen. John Liu (D-Bayside) spoke to what he considers the agency’s systemic shortcomings. “Good news for Bland Houses residents who can finally fire up their stoves in time for Thanksgiving, but NYCHA absolutely must put an end to this never-ending song and dance that sees its residents constantly needing repairs to their gas lines.” Q

Man charged with animal cruelty Traffic stop leads to rescue of 8 dogs

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

A routine traffic stop on Woodhaven Boulevard last weekend led to the rescue of a great Dane and her seven puppies, along with the arrest of a Philadelphia man on numerous animal cruelty charges.

Ravon Service, 27, was pulled over at about 4 p.m. on Nov. 27 in Rego Park for having an excessively loud exhaust system, according to the NYPD.

Officers Kristen Candelaria and Kevin Sheehan then saw something far more disturbing.

“Upon further investigation, officers observed an emaciated dog and several puppies in a container with no access to food, water or adequate space,” police said in response to an email from the Chronicle.

Service was charged with eight counts of torture, injury or failure to feed an animal; eight counts of neglect of an impounded animal and seven counts of carrying an animal in a cruel manner.

He also received a summons for unreasonable noise, the cause of the stop.

Praise for the officers came swiftly.

“Excellent work by your Neighborhood Coordination Officers Candelaria and Sheehan for rescuing a severely malnourished Great Dane & her 7 puppies during a traffic stop,” the 104th Precinct tweeted. “A man was arrested & the dogs were taken to an animal hospital for treatment.”

Multiple published reports state that Service was accused of attacking a Brooklyn landlord last year in the wake of previous animal cruelty charges that also resulted in dogs being seized. Q

Police officers from the 104th Precinct are being credited with rescuing a female great Dane, left, and her seven puppies during a traffic stop in Rego Park.

PHOTOS COURTESY NYPD

James Proctor, center, was among many building residents and elected officials calling for gas service to be restored at 133-20 Roosevelt Ave. in early October.

PHOTO BY SOPHIE KRICHEVSKY / FILE

MS 72 PTA, admin oppose co-location

by Sean Okula Associate Editor

On Nov. 18, the city Department of Education issued its proposals for new Success Academy charter schools, serving children grades kindergarten through 4, to open at two Southeast Queens locations for the 2023-24 school year: the Springfield Gardens High School complex and Q072 in Rochdale, home of MS 72 and two other schools.

Included with the proposal are documents outlining how days at the proposed fourschool MS 72 complex would look, along with building utilization figures and classroom space breakdowns both before and after the potential co-location.

MS 72 Restorative Justice Coordinator Clevevon Akil and Principal Ativia Sandusky say that while the numbers may fit together on paper, there’s one problem: There’s no way of knowing how they would work in practice.

tion were involved in the crafting of a letter written by the MS 72 PTA that went to the Department of Education outlining concerns with the potential co-location of a Success Academy charter at the MS 72 complex.

The PTA expressed concerns related to the quality of education and safety for the existing students. Akil and Sandusky echoed those sentiments, but also added the influx of 300 to 350 students by the 2025-26 school year, as is outlined in the DOE building utilization plan for the potential expansion, would create a logistical nightmare in handling the students.

— Clevevon Akil, restorative justice coordinator at MS 72

“If they actually came into the building and observed it, it wouldn’t even be a question,” Akil said.

Akil and members of the MS 72 administra-

The administrators say they voiced their concerns during a joint School Leadership Team meeting held online Nov. 15, involving representatives from all three Q072 schools and the School District 28 community, but that Department of Education officials cannot understand the full magnitude of their concerns unless they perform a walkthrough during the school day.

When asked for a response to overcrowding concerns, a spokesperson for Success Academy pointed to the building’s low utilization rate as

the reason it had been selected by the DOE. According to the proposal’s educational impact statement, the building sits at a 46 percent utilization rate, projected to go up to a range of 70 to 79 percent if the Success Academy were to welcome students from all five grades in its scope by the 2025-26 school year.

Akil and Sandusky insist that despite those numbers, controlling and maintaining the building with its current population is a challenge. They specifically pointed to morning arrival.

Students arrive as early as 7:10 a.m., with breakfast being served at 7:20 a.m. in the building’s lone cafeteria. In the building utilization plan, breakfast for the Success Academy students would start at 7 a.m. and run until 7:30 a.m.

“We can’t have kids standing out in the cold that arrive to school early,” Akil said. “That’s not fair to our children.”

Akil and Sandusky also expressed concerns about what they say are already problematic turnaround times in between lunch periods with the three schools.

“We’re going to be the ones affected and lose time on the back end because of the time it takes them to get their students out of the cafeteria and transition our students in,” Akil said.

The PTA’s concerns focused on transition time between classes for the middle school students, general overcrowding concerns, traffic

congestion on Guy R. Brewer Boulevard at arrival and dismissal times and the potential for the elementary school students in the Success Academy charter to have to share bathrooms with the middle school students.

A spokesperson for Success said each school co-located in a DOE building has specific, designated classrooms and bathrooms. To Akil and Sandusky’s knowledge, there is no plan in place for where in the school the Success classrooms would be. The school day for MS 72 and the other middle school on the campus, Redwood Middle School, would run from 8 a.m. to 2:20 p.m., according to the building utilization plan. The day for the District 75 school on the campus would run from 8 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. The Success Academy school day would go from 7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

A spokesperson for the city Department of Education said the agency will continue to collect feedback on the proposals.

“Through careful and intentional building configuration plans, as well as the designation of separate and contiguous spaces for elementary school students, the Office of Space Planning and building councils have collaboratively created safe and successful ES/HS and ES/MS co-locations and will do so here as well should these proposals be approved by the Panel for Education Policy,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Say school is already crowded with three schools, want a walkthrough

“We can’t have kids standing out in the cold that arrive to school early.”

Administrators and the PTA at MS 72 in Rochdale oppose the proposed co-location of a Success Academy charter school in the building, citing overcrowding concerns. PHOTO COURTESY MS 72

Toys and gifts going to needy kids, teens

Chronicle readers spread holiday joy to families in Queens shelters

by Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief

The gifts are starting to arrive at the Queens Chronicle offices, and if history is any guide, we know the stream will soon turn into a tide.

It’s the Chronicle’s 26th Annual Holiday Toy Drive to benefit children living in shelters in the borough, and our readers always come through.

We’ve gotten some great items already from our first contributors. Dolls, including a couple that are quite tall. Hot Wheels monster trucks. Military-style ATVs with action-figure drivers. Cute knit hats with mittens attached. Soft plush animals just waiting for a toddler to love them.

and mobiles help stimulate the senses. Toddlers love more complex play sets and imitations of the items big people use every day. Schoolchildren enjoy all kinds of toys, including those related to favorite movies and TV shows. Preteens and teens may put a high priority on style, and be concerned with things that show they fit in while highlighting their individuality all at once.

Our readers let their own individuality, care and compassion show when choosing what to contribute.

QueensChronicle’s

The drive benefits kids of all ages, from infants to teenagers on the cusp of adulthood. It’s not their fault their families have been left homeless — or have been forced to flee abusive situations, as is the case with some — and we’re determined to make their holiday as happy as we can.

26th Annual

That’s where you come in. We’re gladly accepting your donations of new, unwrapped toys, articles of clothing, books and more through Monday, Dec. 19.

There are all kinds of toys and gifts out there. For the youngest children, classic blocks

Gifts may be brought to the Queens Chronicle offices at 71-19 80 St., Suite 8-201, at The Shops at Atlas Park mall in Glendale from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday

The office is above Home Goods, at the southwestern corner of the mall complex, and one enters the building where the sign says The Offices at Market Plaza.

Donations also can be dropped off at the district offices of the following elected officials during their regular office hours:

• State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr., at 159-53 102 St. in Howard Beach;

• Assemblyman Ed Braunstein, at 213-33 39 Ave., Suite 238, in Bayside;

• City Councilman Bob Holden, at 58-38 69

St. in Maspeth;

• Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, at 83-91 Woodhaven Blvd. in Woodhaven: and

• Councilwoman Joann Ariola, at 93-06 101

Ave. in Ozone Park.

Anyone seeking more information on the toy drive is asked to call the Chronicle’s Stela Barbu at (718) 205-8000. Q

These are just a few of the gifts that mark the beginning of the Queens Chronicle’s 26th Annual Holiday Toy Drive to benefit needy children in shelters in the borough.

PHOTO BY PETER C. MASTROSIMONE

Fire victim dies in cluttered apartment

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

The FDNY is continuing to investigate the blaze that claimed the life of a 64-yearold woman in Forest Hills on Nov. 25.

Fire officials said in published and broadcast reports that the apartment where the fire broke out contained large amounts of clutter that hampered firefighting and rescue operations.

One other woman was hospitalized for unspecified injuries, according to an email from the FDNY.

The 911 call summoned first responders to 110-56 71 Ave. at 8:18 a.m. The fire was on the fifth floor of a six-floor apartment building.

The FDNY dispatched 12 trucks and 60 firefighters to the scene. Police said the victim was found unconscious and unresponsive, and suffering from severe burns.

She was taken to Long Island Jewish Forest Hills/Northwell hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her name was being withheld. The blaze was brought under control by 9:21 a.m. The Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause.

WPIX Channel 11 quoted Battalion

Chief Michele Fitzsimmons as saying clutter forced firefighters to remove the apartment door from its hinges.

“That’s how heavy the clutter condition was,” Fitzsimmons said. “When we respond to a fire, and there’s a heavy clutter condition, it interferes with our ability to remove a victim, it interferes with our ability to get water on the fire and to conduct a search within the apartment.” Q

Tenant background checks

continued from page 2

Alliance, said in a statement, “Our electeds continue to prioritize the lives of convicted criminals over the safety of hardworking New Yorkers.”

“This is a safety concern for all residents who share the same entrance, elevators and laundry rooms with neighbors who may have had a violent criminal history,” Chu continued.

Ryan Monell, vice president of government affairs for the Real Estate Board of New York, said in a statement provided to the Chronicle, “While REBNY agrees on advancing fair housing, any proposal must clearly address the need for building safety and security for existing tenants.”

Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) said that she would not vote in favor of the bill in its current form and that the upcoming hearing is a chance for people to make their voices heard.

“Then we, as lawmakers, can make certain modifications,” Ariola said.

As for people with prior records, she said there “needs to be more discussion on the actual details and discretion of landlords” and perhaps consideration of the “length of time the person has not gotten into trouble.”

At the Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic meeting on Tuesday night, Co-president Phyllis Inserillo, Ariola’s chief of staff, encouraged attendees to provide testimony,

either in person, via Zoom or written.

“It’s a very controversial bill,” she said, adding, “At the very least we’re asking everyone to send written testimony ... the more people that go against the bill, it will start to lose sponsors and we won’t have to be dealing with the consequences of it. That’s why we need to open our mouth and say how we feel about things that are being voted on in the City Council.”

Information on testifying can be found at council.nyc.gov/testify.

A spokesperson from Mayor Adam’s office did not say whether he supports the bill but said: “No one should be denied housing because they were once engaged with the criminal justice system, plain and simple. We will work closely with our partners in the City Council to ensure this bill has maximum intended impact.”

Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica) could not be reached directly for comment but a City Council spokesperson replied that the Council will “consider testimony from city officials, advocates, stakeholders and other members of the public.”

Other Queens members co-sponsoring the bill are Councilmembers Nantasha Williams (D-St. Albans), Julie Won (D-Sunnyside) and Tiffany Cabán (D-Astoria). They could not be reached for comment in time for publication. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards also spoke in support of it when it was reintroduced. Q

The apartment in the aftermath before it was boarded up. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH DOHERTY

Tangled wires plague College Pt. utility poles

Inactive cables add up to make for a neighborhood-wide eyesore

As far as eyesores go, College Point residents have, for years, been most concerned with those brought on by ongoing work in the area’s sewer system, let alone the flooding the neighborhood has continued to suffer. But recently, some have turned their attention to another one: utility poles that have been overrun with inactive wires.

Joanne Novarro, who grew up in College Point and visits her mother there frequently, posted a photo of one tangled utility pole on 123rd Street between 18th Avenue and 20th Avenue, among others, to the A Better College Point Civic Association Facebook group last week.

“I don’t know that I actually ever looked up that much,” she chuckled. “It just got to the point where ... there are hanging wires in the street.”

Her post quickly garnered nearly two dozen comments, and many more likes and reactions. Several people said they had seen similar issues throughout the neighborhood.

Indeed, utility poles throughout College Point are tangled with wires, some of which have cables hanging near the ground. Longtime resident and tradesman Brian Hyslop recently walked around the neighborhood to photograph countless poles in such a state.

Hyslop, who, in his work as a plumber, has worked extensively with utility company employees, said the excess cables can be explained in part by the fact that people move in and out of homes in the neighborhood somewhat frequently.

“When a new rental comes in, it used to be when somebody canceled cable, they’d have to come and snip the wire,” he told the Chronicle. “But now that it’s digital, they can do it

Cables strung on utility poles all over College Point, including one on 126th Street, left, and another on 123rd Street have become an eyesore.

with a flick of a switch. So when new people come in, they run new wires, but they generally never take out the old ones.”

Plus, he added, because there are so many wires, removing a cable poses the risk of cutting off service to the wrong home, especially in multidwelling buildings. Adding a new one, he said, is simpler, and costs “pennies per foot.”

A spokesperson for Spectrum said it was difficult to comment on Novarro’s photo, as it showed multiple utilities using the pole. The representative did say, however, “Overall, regular maintenance activities are ongoing and as cables are replaced, the old cables are removed.”

Verizon had not returned the Chronicle’s comment request by press time.

AMAZING IS COMBINING GREAT CARE WITH CONVENIENCE.

NewYork-Presbyterian

Many of our offices accept most insurance and have same-day and early appointments. Or, if you can't make it in, we offer video visits.*

*Restrictions apply.

The fact that individual utility poles hold cables for numerous companies is also a factor.

“Individual wires on a pole are the responsibility of the company that installed and operates them,” a spokesperson for Con Edison told the Chronicle via email.

That, Novarro said, is part of why it’s difficult to fix. “311 refers you to the utility company,” she said. “You can’t get anyone on the phone.”

Though old hanging wires themselves may not be cause for concern, Hyslop noted that people may let their guards down. “God forbid, if a power line actually comes down, people are so accustomed to these wires hanging, if a power line was down and people assume it’s the same as the other crap,” he said. “That potentially could be dangerous.” Q

PHOTOS COURTESY BRIAN HYSLOP, TOP, AND JOANNE NOVARRO

You can buy the barge that almost sank de Blasio

Water’s

Edge in LIC, tied to bribery case, is up for auction on the city’s surplus

by Greg B. Smith THE CITY

This article was originally published on Nov. 29 at 5:00 a.m. EDT by THE CITY

It’s not the site of the old Hotel Metropole on West 43rd Street, where Herman “Beansie” Rosenthal was gunned down in 1912 by Leftie Louie and Gyp the Blood for squealing to the newspapers about a corrupt ring of city cops led by the most corrupt cop of all, Charles Becker.

It’s not the section of Van Cortlandt Park near the Mosholu Golf Course where Vivian Gordon was found fatally strangled in 1931 shortly after speaking to an anti-corruption commission about police misconduct in a probe that would ultimately end the brief but ostentatious career of Mayor Jimmy Walker.

But the two-story rustbucket barge currently floating in the East River at the desolate, far west end of 44th Drive in Long Island City ranks right up there in terms of key locales in New York City’s long and colorful history of political scandal.

And it can be yours for a mere $15,000.

The barge is owned by the City of New York, and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services is auctioning it off to the highest bidder. It once housed the iconic Water’s Edge, a fancy restaurant where a key moment unfolded in the pay-to-play scandal that shadowed Mayor Bill de Blasio through most of his time at City Hall.

Four years after that scandal exploded into the headlines, Water’s Edge is now Auction #3130394, advertised on the website public surplus.com as “Vessel — Barge Free and Clear of Title.” DCAS posted that bids should start at $15,000, and it warned that the winner “must provide a plan to remove the barge safely within 15 days of purchase.”

As for its condition? “POOR” was all DCAS could say.

That’s an understatement.

On a visit last week, THE CITY found the barge pocked with rust at the waterline, its beige paint peeling bow to stern. Only two letters — G and E — remained of the Water’s Edge entry sign, and the navy blue canopy leading to the entrance was torn and frayed. A padlocked chain link fence surrounded the site where a sign still warned drivers: “Open Restaurant — No Standing.” Once-silver scalloped drapery still hanging inside floor-to-ceiling windows had faded to a flat shade of gunmetal gray.

That’s a far cry from the days when Water’s Edge promoted its breathtaking views of the Manhattan

skyline, its top-of-the-line menu featuring grilled steak and herb-crusted lamb, and its high-class image as a go-to site for memorable events. It hosted hundreds of weddings, birthdays and going-away parties — and also political fundraisers.

That includes two money-raising events hosted by Water’s Edge’s thenowner, Harendra Singh, in honor of then-first-time Democratic candidate for mayor de Blasio.

Fundraising requests

The events took place at Water’s Edge on March 2, 2011 when de Blasio was still public advocate, and on Oct. 10, 2013, shortly after he beat former city Comptroller Bill Thompson in a runoff and before he went on to win City Hall in the general election.

According to the invoices, the events were personally handled by “H” — Singh’s nickname — and featured a “limited top shelf” open bar (only Absolut vodka, no Grey Goose), an Italian food station featuring rigatoni with vodka or Alfredo sauce, their featured leg of lamb, and roast turkey with assorted Tuscan bread.

All the money was to be handled by “H.” All the donations were to be handled by “H.”

The New Yorkers for de Blasio political committee paid not a dime for either of these events until 2015, when the city Campaign Finance Board began auditing the campaign. The campaign then, for the first time, requested invoices and wrote a check for $2,613.01. Until that moment, the events were essentially an illegal free gift from Singh to de Blasio that the mayor’s campaign had failed to disclose to the public as required, and would likely never

have been revealed had the CFB not come sniffing around.

In the mayoral race and for other political causes de Blasio supported, Singh also gathered donations for de Blasio — collecting checks from multiple sources and handing them to the mayor’s campaign in a bundle to demonstrate the scope of his support for de Blasio.

In doing this, however, Singh claims he twice discussed making illegal donations with de Blasio — once when he was a candidate and once when he was mayor.

In the first case, de Blasio asked him to raise contributions for a political ally, U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-Brooklyn). In a second — when he was mayor — de Blasio asked him to gather as many maximum donations as he could for state Senate candidates favored by the mayor. At the time, de Blasio had launched a behind-thescenes effort to swing the Senate from GOP to Democratic control.

In both conversations, Singh later said, he explained to the mayor that he would need to personally reimburse supporters for these checks. Appearing to mistakenly invoke city campaign contribution limits, Singh said that if they were to be the maximum allowed ($4,950 per donor), he would have to turn them into illegal passthrough or “straw” donations to get around campaign contribution limits.

“He spoke to me regarding contributing towards the New York state senatorial campaign,” Singh said. “I inform him that it’s very hard to raise $4,950 from someone else. Only way I can do that — and I believe we had reached our limit — so only way I can do that is have somebody else, you know, write the check and I’ll have

refunded them.”

Singh made it clear de Blasio knew what he was talking about doing was illegal. The mayor did not reel back in horror, or exclaim about how illegal and wrong such an arrangement would be. According to Singh, “He said, ‘You know, do whatever you got to do, but I don’t want to know.’”

Bribing the mayor

According to Singh, this financial support for the mayor was strictly about getting something in return. At the time, he was locked in a dispute over hundreds of thousands of dollars in back rent the mayor’s administration claimed he owed on the Water’s Edge barge lease.

DCAS was threatening to terminate the lease because Singh had failed to pay for renovations to the pier where the barge was docked, which the agency said were required by his lease. He explained that he felt the campaign donations and free fundraising were bribes to the mayor in “exchange for help, you know, at Water’s Edge, getting the lease extended and getting the pier issue resolved. If we had gotten this lease extended, this would have been a $20, $25 million value to our company.”

In fact, de Blasio did personally intervene in the Water’s Edge lease dispute, instructing one of his top aides, Emma Wolfe, to step in. Wolfe held multiple meetings between DCAS officials and Singh’s representatives, including one in which Singh personally met with Wolfe inside City Hall. But before the matter could be resolved, the U.S. Department of Justice showed up with subpoenas in hand.

Prosecutors in the Brooklyn U.S.

website

Attorney’s Office had been investigating allegations that Singh was bribing Long Island politicians to get public contracts. He was arrested in September 2015 on the Long Island bribery scheme, and soon after began cooperating with the federal government, informing investigators of his interactions with de Blasio.

By then de Blasio was also under investigation by the Manhattan U.S. attorney and Manhattan district attorney for multiple allegations that the mayor was personally soliciting donations to his political causes from individuals who had pending matters before City Hall.

Ultimately the mayor faced no criminal charges, but the Manhattan U.S. attorney noted that his investigation had determined de Blasio had ordered his staff to intervene on behalf of certain donors, while the Manhattan district attorney found the mayor’s state Senate fundraising operation violated the spirit of campaign finance laws.

Additionally, the city Department of Investigation would later conclude that de Blasio had violated the city’s ethics code by directly soliciting contributions from individuals doing business with City Hall. Also, evidence emerged that detailed the mayor’s personal solicitation of donations from several real estate developers and their lobbyists.

In 2016, Singh pleaded guilty to several bribery counts, including to a scheme to provide campaign contributions “in exchange for official actions from an official in the City of New York for the benefit of Mr. Singh’s restaurant.”

The former mayor, however, consistently denied any personal error and was never charged with criminal wrongdoing regarding his interactions with Singh.

In 2019 Singh testified at length in the Long Island bribery trial, which is where he detailed de Blasio’s interactions for the first time. He was originally set to be sentenced in 2017, but the date was repeatedly postponed. As of this week he has yet to be sentenced. Prosecutors in the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to discuss the reason for the delay.

DCAS formally evicted Water’s Edge and retained possession of the barge in 2020, and on Nov. 3 put the beat-up craft on the auction block. The final day to bid is Dec. 13.

As of Monday, no bidders had emerged. Q

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

The exterior of the former Water’s Edge restaurant, located on a derelict barge on the Long Island City waterfront, Nov. 22, 2022.

PHOTO BY HIRAM ALEJANDRO DURÁN / THE CITY

Armed robbers hit throughout Queens

Late-night, early-morning crime spree targets grocery, convenience stores

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

Police are looking for the men who have robbed 11 businesses at gunpoint, including eight throughout Queens, between Oct. 30 and Nov. 17. A 12th robbery was attempted in Flushing but was unseccessful.

A press release said the robberies all have involved teams of two or three men. One or two guns are displayed each time.

The most recent incident, at a Whitestone gas station and convenience store on Nov. 17, was the only one in which victims required medical attention at the scene.

The first incident took place at 12:45 a.m. on Oct. 30 at the Fresh to Go grocery store at 76-10 Liberty Ave. in Ozone Park when two individuals, including one brandishing a handgun, went behind the counter and took about $1,000 from the cash resister. They fled on foot eastbound along Liberty Avenue.

The robbers then hit four stores on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

The first was at 12:48 a.m. at the Sunshine Deli and Grocery at 135-28 Rockaway Blvd. in South Ozone Park. Two men, again with a black handgun, demanded money from an employee and

got away with about $1,000.

That night the next three stores were hit by a team of three men in a span of less than 40 minutes, with the first at 10:53 p.m. at a deli and grocery store at 79-09 Rockaway Blvd. in Woodhaven. The thieves took approximately $600 from the register.

Less than 20 minutes later they struck at a grocery store at 2983 Fulton Ave. in Brooklyn and got $1,800.

Fifteen minutes after that they robbed the Ocean Deli at 1803 Broadway, also in Brooklyn, of about $1,000.

Not done for the night, the three crossed back into Maspeth and robbed the Myrna Deli at 66-10 Grand Ave. at about 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 9. They took approximately $3,900.

The trio hit three stores in three hours the night of Nov. 9-10, starting in Brooklyn at the Flower Deli at 2101 Avenue U, taking $2,500 from the register.

Crossing back into Queens just after midnight they robbed the Queens Gourmet Deli at 87-74 168 St. in Jamaica, that time taking $1,000 in cash, cigarettes, lottery tickets and a gold chain.

Thirty-five minutes later they were in Ridgewood at the Wyckoff Deli, located at 793 Wyckoff Ave., taking $2,000, lot-

tery tickets, cigarettes and a Samsung phone. Two guns were displayed.

Two of the men were back in Ridgewood at 1:55 a.m. on Nov. 15, taking about $1,000, cigarettes and an i-Phone.

They branched out to northern Queens the night of Nov. 16-17.

Two men entered a business at 44-33 Kissena Blvd. in Flushing at 11:53 p.m. on Nov. 16. While one man stood guard, the second approached an employee with a gun, but the intended victim was able to flee to the safety of a back room. Police said the robbers then fled without taking anything.

Less than an hour later, at 12:50 a.m. on the 17th, they were in Whitestone at the Gulf gas station and convenience store at 17-55 Francis Lewis Blvd. They took $2,400 in cash and MetroCards worth $800. Two employees required medical attention.

Anyone with information as to their identities 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), then entering TIP577.

All tips are strictly confidential. Q

SMELL GAS?

ACT FAST.

If something seems off...

like you smell a rotten egg odor, see a white cloud, bubbles in water, blowing dust, or dying plants, or if you hear a roar, hiss, or whistle—

leave immediately

and take others with you. If the leak is outside, move to a safe spot far away.

Then call 911 or 1-800-75-CONED.

Learn more about gas safety at conEd.com/gassafety

The man at left stands lookout as the man at right points a gun at a store employee at a Flushing business the night of Nov. 16. Police say they are connected with a string of robberies, mostly in Queens.

PHOTOS COURTESY NYPD

Avoid holiday shopping scams

Happy Holidays from Social Security

by Nilsa Henriquez

The holiday season brings us feelings of warmth and joy. At Social Security, we want you to know we share the same joy when it comes to serving you, whether it be in person, by telephone or online. Our online services are available to help you do business with us in an easy, convenient, and secure way.

It all starts with a personal “my Social Security” account. More than 70 million people have signed up for their personal

account to conduct their business online!

You can create a personal my Social Security account to:

• apply for retirement, spouses, or disability benefits;

• apply for Medicare;

• check your application status.

If you receive benefits, you can use your personal my Social Security account to:

• change your address. (Social Security benefits only);

• set up or change your direct deposit information. (Social Security benefits only);

• instantly get proof of benefits; and • print your SSA1099.

Nilsa Henriquez

If you do not receive Social Security benefits, you can use a personal “my Social Security” account to:

• get personalized retirement benefit estimates;

• get your Social Security Statement;

• get estimates for spouse’s benefits; and

• get instant proof that you do not receive benefits.

You can use our services on-the-go or from the comfort of your home. Please visit ssa.gov/myaccount to view the services available to you. We want you to have a safe, happy holiday season and know that we are here for you. P

Nilsa Henriquez is a Social Security Public Affairs Specialist located in Queens.

It’s that time of year again when we do holiday shopping, much of it online. It’s also the time when more scammers come out. And what is it scammers want most? They want your personal information so they can turn it into cash and fraudulent purchases.

Here are a few ways to avoid getting scammed online this holiday season:

Beware sales emails that include links, even if the email is from a store you usually use. Thieves are very good at making their scam pages look genuine. Instead of clicking a link, open a web browser and go directly to the website itself. Sometimes the email will request that you update your account information. Instead, call the store and ask if they’ve sent out that request.

Beware the tracking emails you get with updates about packages that you’re expecting. Remember that genuine FedEx and UPS emails won’t ask for any personal information from you. Don’t click links. Go directly to the website.

Be careful where you shop online. Check reviews to see what others have to say. Avoid those with few or low ratings.

Consider using Amazon for most of your online purchases and having a Prime membership. Amazon is good at protecting customers when it comes to you receiving damaged items or not receiving any items at all. A Prime membership now costs $139 a year, but it includes free shipping, free movies and videos and more.

If you are scammed, report it. Call your bank and the police, and then notify the Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-372-8311.

A goal for 2023: Go inside your bank to do your transaction now and then. Yes, it’s easier to just use the drive-up window for deposits and cash withdrawals, but there is a lot to be said for letting them put a face to a name. Once they know you and your banking habits, they’re more able to quickly identify anything that might be wrong. P

— King Features Syndicate

Living with diabetes? Be attentive to your feet

Diabetes can impact the body in a number of ways, especially creating potentially serious complications for your feet.

“Foot care is a central component of overall diabetes care,” says Bryce Paschold, DPM, FACFAS, a board-certified foot-and-ankle surgeon and a fellow member of the American College of Foot and A nkle Surgeons. “Without precautions, even small foot problems can lead to amputation or be life-threatening.”

To help those living with diabetes understand potential complications and how to avoid them, ACFAS is sharing these important insights:

Potential complications

Nerve damage that affects arms, hands, legs and feet known as diabetic peripheral neuropathy not only makes you more likely to experience numbness, burning and loss of your protective sensation, but losing sensation in your feet can also make it easier to miss common minor skin pathologies and other foot issues while they’re still relatively easy to treat.

With diabetes, the blood vessels below the knee often become narrow and restrict blood flow, causing infections that don’t heal. This common and serious complication can lead to the loss of your foot, leg or your life.

Stress fractures and sprains are commonplace among all athletes, but those living with diabetes who experience neuropathy are more likely to be unaware of foot-and-ankle injuries and exacerbate them by continuing their activities.

While still relatively rare, Charcot foot seems to be growing in prevalence as more Americans develop diabetes. This sudden destruction and erosion of the foot’s bones, caused by severe nerve

damage, can trigger an avalanche of problems, including joint loss, fractures, collapse of the arch, massive deformity, ulcers, amputation and even death. Symptoms appear suddenly and include warm and red skin, and swelling, but commonly without pain.

Prevention

You can play a vital role in reducing your risk for complications. Here’s how:

• Inspect feet daily. Check for cuts, blisters, redness, swelling and nail problems. Use a magnifying mirror to look at the bottom of your feet. If you need assistance, have someone else do it for you. Be proactive by knowing what is going on with your feet on a daily basis.

• Don’t ignore pain. Seek care immediately if you experience pain in your leg at night or with little activity. It could mean you have a blocked artery.

• Don’t perform “bathroom surgery.” Never trim calluses or corns yourself, and don’t use over-the-counter medicated pads. See a foot-and-ankle surgeon for proper treatment.

• Keep floors clear. To prevent injury, make sure no needles, insulin syringes or other sharp objects are on the floor. You should also always wear shoes, indoors and outdoors.

• Prevent irritation. Shake shoes free of small objects you may not be able to feel and ensure your socks aren’t bunched up. Wear lighter-colored socks so you’ll notice blood or drainage if they occur.

• Be temperature aware. Never use heating pads, hot water bottles, ice or electric blankets, and never put your feet in hot water without testing the temperature; you can easily burn your feet without noticing.

• Stay active. Improve circulation by wiggling your toes and moving your ankles for five minutes, two to three times a day.

• Control blood sugar levels. Good diabetes management reduces your risk of developing complications.

• Book an appointment. Visit a foot-and-ankle surgeon to determine if you have lost any feeling or circulation. Periodic foot exams can also help prevent complications. “Advanced therapies for foot wounds, such as the use of bioengineered skin substitutes and negative pressure wound therapy, are saving limbs and restoring mobility for people who suffer from nonhealing foot ulcers,” says Dr. Paschold.

For more information and to find a foot-and-ankle surgeon near you, visit FootHealthFacts.org, the patient education website for the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. P

— StatePoint Media

Bayside 32nd Avenue 32·25 Francis Lewis Blvd., Flushing, NY 11358 Bayside 44th Avenue 44·01 Francis Lewis Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361

Downtown Flushing 136·25 37th Avenue, Flushing, NY 11354 Western Queens 72-06 Northern Blvd., Jackson Heights, NY 11372

Glendale 83-14 Cooper Avenue Glendale, NY 11385

www.mainstreetradiology.com

by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor

The four-day baseball winter meetings get underway Sunday in San Diego. Back in the day, this was the time when exciting trades would be made. While trades still take place, they generally involve second-tier players and minor leaguers rather than marquee names. The real action these days is not among the various team general managers, but rather, between the GMs and the representatives of free-agent players. It is a safe bet legendary sports agent Scott Boras will hold court with the media in the lobby of the Manchester Grand Hyatt.

I was watching “Mets Hot Stove” on SNY last Wednesday and the discussion was naturally about both the winter meetings and which members of the 2022 Mets who are now free agents should be re-signed by the team. The panel included former Mets General Manager and Newtown High School alum Omar Minaya and ex-Daily News baseball columnist John Harper. They discussed the two biggest Mets names now on the open market: starting pitcher Jacob deGrom and outfielder Brandon Nimmo.

When the topic turned to the bullpen, the pundits were all thrilled closer Edwin Diaz will b e back in Flushing. They also felt veteran reliever and Brooklyn native Adam Ottavino, 37, who pitched decently last year, should be pursued by General Manager Billy Eppler. They

acknowledged Ottavino has a tendency to throw hanging sliders that are quickly knocked out of the ballpark. No one brought up longtime reliever Seth Lugo, who is also a free agent.

I am surprised at the collective shrug coming from Mets fans, the media who cover the team and apparently Mets management regarding the potential departure of a homegrown player who has proven to be fairly dependable during his tenure with the Mets. Lugo has also starte d games when they were shorthanded, and he generally acquitted himself well.

In an era when most baseball players go to great lengths to avoid speaking with reporters, Lugo has always been accessible. He never speaks in cliches or gives one-sentence replies. In my opinion, that shows player leadership. Frankly, that has been in short supply for the Mets for years. The “meh” attitude with respect to retaining Lugo is inexplicable and counterproductive. This may be a case of not missing the water until the well runs dry.

Pitcher Dave Hillman, who played for the Mets during their inaugural 1962 season, died last week at his home in Kingsport, Tenn. He was 95 and had been the oldest living former Met. Frank Thomas, a feared slugger during their two seasons at the Polo Grounds, is now the oldest living Mets alum at age 93. Q

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

Photo contest!

The Queens Chronicle’s 15th annual Holiday Photo Contest is underway!

Take pictures of anything that reflects the season — joyous children and families, lights, miniature villages, snowy landscapes, whatever it might be — and send them on in. You might be inspired by top-quality past entries such as this one by Steve Fisher.

Our main requirement is that the photos be taken in the borough this season. We also ask that you give us all the details you can, especially the location, the names of any people in a photo, when possible, and when it was taken (but don’t use time stamps!). Some entrants give us a whole backstory, and that’s

never a problem. Please tell us your correct name, where you live and whether you’re an amateur or professional photographer.

Our winners have always received passes to a family-friendly performance in or around the city, such as an off-Broadway show, in addition to seeing their photos published. Such passes are becoming available again, but slowly, so some recent winners have had to wait a little while to claim their prize. Keep that possibility in mind when entering.

Send your high-resolution digital photos to peterm@qchron.com, saying “contest” somewhere in the subject line, or mail prints to Queens Chronicle Photo Contest, 71-19 80 St., suite 8-201, Glendale, NY 11385. The deadline is Monday, Jan. 2. Good luck!

— Peter C. Mastrosimone

PHOTO BY STEVE FISHER

by Michael Gannon

George Fri d eric Han d e l was a P russian-born, composer who as pire d to int ro duce the i t h classicoperasconcertosandother

Prussian-born, Italian-trained composer who aspired to introduce the classic operas, concertos and other music that he loved to England after moving to London in 1712.

Choral Society to sing Handel’s ‘Messiah’ at 82nd Winter Concert

On Dec. 10, the Queens College Choral Society will reintroduce Handel’s signature 1741 work, “Messiah,” at its 82nd annual Winter Concert at Colden Auditorium on the school’s campus. All are welcome.

James John, musical director for the QCCS and a professor of music at the college’s Aaron Copeland School of Music for 21 years, said the group has a long association with the piece.

“Every four years we do this at our

winter concert,” John told

Ch r o n icle w ill th i l “Th i bemyfifthtimeconduct

the Chronicle. “This will be my fifth time conducting it at the college.”

The society first performed it the year of its founding in 1941. In the 1960s, John said, the Handel Society of America awarded the group a medal for its dedication to performances of the work.

The performance will include more than 120 singers, about 40 of whom are students at the school, with the rest from the community. All are required to audition. They will be accompanied by a professional 23-piece orchestra.

Four of the five planned solo performers are slated to be student singers.

The concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and is expected to last about two hours. There will be an intermission.

The piece, and its performance, are personal favorites of the director.

“It’s just one of the most uplifting, monumental works of all time,” John said. “That’s why people keep performing it.”

The performance will have Part I in

its entirety, and Parts II and III with some cuts.

Almost everyone knows of the work, particularly the “Hallelujah” chorus.

“It’s familiar in terms of everybody knows it, which makes it somewhat easier,” John said. “However some of the music is quite challenging. There are some passages with very quick notes that have to be sung and practiced. It takes a lot of vocal technique and practice to make that happen.

I HAVE OFTEN WALKED

Ray Heatherton, ‘Merry Mailman,’ had a Queens post

by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor

Raymond Heatherton was born in Jersey City on June 1, 1909, to John and Daisy Heatherton. He had an older sister, also named Daisy. Upon the death of his father in 1933 they all moved out to his grandmother’s house in Floral Park.

Ray was blessed with a smooth, vibrant, tenor voice and was hired as the lead singer for the famous Paul Whiteman Orchestra. More success came when he starred in the hit 1937 Broadway play “Babes in Arms.” He fell in love with a dancing showgirl,

Davenie Watson, who was living in an apartment with her mother on Layton Street in Elmhurst. They married on Nov. 25, 1941, and set up home in Carvel Hall at 94-05 222 St. in Queens Village. Later they moved to a home in Rockville Centre, LI.

Heatherton was a star from 1950 to 1956 with his hit TV show, “The Merry Mailman.” He had other stints in TV and radio, and many remember him announcing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. His daughter is the actress Joey Heatherton. Always happy to host an event, he passed away on Aug. 15, 1997 at age 88.

The home of singer, actor and TV personality Ray Heatherton in 1941, when he was a newlywed, at 94-05 222 St. in Queens Village: the building called Carvel Hall.

PHOTO COURTESY QUEENS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE VIA ARCHIVES AT QPL; INSET WIKIPEDIA / CBS

The museum is the muse, the curator the artist

by Peter Kropf qboro contributor

They’re often overlooked. Their daily duties can go unnoticed. Some are viewed simply as conduits of knowledge who help people understand art, history and other subjects. Finally, however, museum workers have their day in the sun.

The King Manor Museum in Jamaica is hosting “Museum Workers Create,” an exhibition highlighting the selected art of 13 professionals who work at well-known institutions throughout the tri-state area. Held in constitutional framer Rufus King’s former home (specifically, his bedroom and salon), the exhibit opened to the public on Nov. 11 and can be viewed until March 7, 2023.

“It’s an interesting mix of art and it’s great to see what museum workers have to offer,” says Hannah Winiker, a curatorial assistant at King Manor Museum who helped turn the idea of the exhibit into reality. Some of her own work is included.

Hanna Washburn, a curatorial administrative assistant at Storm King Art Center in New Windsor, NY, is featured as well. “It’s a really nice idea and extremely important to showcase the creativity of those behind the scenes,” she insists. “Any opportunity to show your work and also discover the work of other museum professionals is precious.”

The imagination and originality displayed at “Museum Workers Create” do not surprise either Winiker or Washburn. Both observe that many museum employees choose their careers because of their own inherent creativity. Furthermore, most of the items at the exhibit are inextricably tied to identity and personal experience.

Washburn has three sculptures showcased. To make them, she combined recycled fabric, clothing, furniture and other materials — some her own, others from family and friends. The results are strikingly unique, rooted in memory, childhood and domestic associations.

Danaleah Schoenfuss, program manager at SAORI Arts NYC in Manhattan, submitted handwoven fiber-art creations. The pieces are partly a reflection of her autism, which, according to her written artist’s statement, can make her feel “jittery.” Producing such work is a “tactile” process, helping her “expel excess energy.”

An intern at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Noelle Barr has two paintings featured. As she writes in her statement, she is exploring her “multifaceted identity” as a “transracial adoptee” from China. Her art is influenced by “the intersection between imagined and experienced realities — from attempting to trace my origins to embracing the environments in which I have been immersed.”

Winiker’s contribution, a collection of collages, stems from her passion for historical fashion and interiors.

In addition to the materials mentioned, other media, including ceramics and photography, were used.

Some of the museum employees whose work is in the exhibit are professionally trained artists, such as Alex Roediger, a painter who is also the senior information coordinator at The Museum of Modern Art. Others are hobbyists who use art as a creative release.

And not all the participating museum workers have traditional curatorial or management positions. There are those with practical, logistics-based jobs: gallery assistant, visitor service representative, shipping assistant or caretaker.

No matter one’s title, museum work can spark artistic expression — it’s a case of museum as muse.

“Museums are vibrant communities that offer cultural richness,” Washburn explains enthusiastically. “It’s an environment where you are surrounded by amazing people who have so much to say when it comes to art and other topics. Not to mention the collections you see every day. The constant learning and exchange of ideas all feed into your artistic practice.”

To get even more meta, Winiker notes that “putting the exhibit together was itself a creative experience.” Q

The QCCS gets a Handel on the holiday season

“I think one of the brilliant aspects of Handel’s writing is that he wrote the work in a way that it can be done by amateur singers very successfully,” John added. “His chorus was probably a small group of professionals, but somewhere in his psyche he probably knew that it would be performed by all sorts of people from around the world. It’s the only piece of music from 250 years ago that’s

had a continuous performance tradition. In other words, since Handel premiered the piece in 1742, there’s never been a year where it hasn’t been performed somewhere or other across the globe. That’s very rare.”

Rehearsals began back in August — both the winter and spring concerts require one rehearsal a week for 12 or 13 weeks for preparation.

Much of the work with the singers, John said, is with the complete chorus functioning as a unit.

“But we do often spend half of some rehearsals in sectionals,” the professor said. “I have assistant conductors. I might take the basses. Another will take the sopranos, some take the altos, some take the tenors ... We do sections frequently.”

Colden Auditorium is located at the northeast corner of the campus on Reeves Avenue near the corner of Kissena Boulevard and the Horace Harding Expressway.

Tickets are $20, or $5 with a valid Queens College student ID. They can be purchased at the box office or online at kupferbergcenter.org. The website also will

list any masking requirements that might be in place; right now they are optional.

John relishes performing “Messiah.”

“We do it often, but every time we do,

it’s just like something new,” he said.

And for those planning ahead, the spring concert, featuring Brahms’ “Requiem,” is set for 8 p.m. on May 13.

King Manor Museum Curatorial Assistant Hannah Winiker stands with some of the works at the “Museum Workers Create” exhibit inside the manor. PHOTO BY PETER KROPF

Singers and musicians with the Queens College Choral Society, above and on the cover, will perform Handel’s “Messiah” at their annual winter concert on Dec. 10 on the Queens College campus.

PHOTOS COURTESY

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LOST TITLE APPLICATION NO.: 2372465

OFFICE OF TITLES

NOTICE

PURSUANT TO

SECTION 82 OF THE REGISTRATION OF

TITLES

WHEREAS the applicant in the above stated application has declared that the following duplicate Certifi cate of Title has been lost, I HEREBY GIVE NOTICE that I intend to cancel the said Certifi cate of Title and issue a new one in duplicate fourteen days after the last publication of this advertisement.

ACT (RTA) Volume: 1484 Folio: 615 Lot: 241 Place: Part of Minard Pen Parish: St. Ann Registered proprietor: Joy-Ann Mitchell

L. Dunbar

Deputy Registrar of Titles

Notice of Formation of 13419 NORTHERN BLVD LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 06/09/2022. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: 13419 NORTHERN BLVD LLC, 134-19 NORTHERN BLVD, QUEENS, NY 11354. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

149-05 NORTHERN CHICKEN LLC, Arts. of Org. fi led with the SSNY on 11/21/2022. Offi ce loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 149-05 Northern Blvd, Flushing, NY 11354. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

2396 LORILLARD NY LLC. Arts. of Org. fi led with the SSNY on 01/24/22. Offi ce: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 144-20 69th Ave, Flushing, NY 11367. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

310312 STOCKHOLM STREET LLC fi led Arts. of Org. with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/25/2022. Offi ce: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: The LLC, c/o Rosa Paneduro, 6262 Dry Harbor Rd., Middle Village, NY, 11379. Purpose: any lawful act.

4705 LLC. Arts. of Org. fi led with the SSNY on 10/20/22. Offi ce: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 4705 28th Avenue, Astoria, NY 11103. Registered agent address c/o NHP Business Management Services Inc., 229 Jericho Turnpike, New Hyde Park, NY 11040. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of Andre Vilarinho LMFT LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 08/21/2022. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: ANDRE VILARINHO, 56-20 CLOVERDALE BLVD, #2, BAYSIDE, NY 11364. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of BETTER BEATS LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 10/15/2022. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: BETTER BEATS LLC, 2945 215TH PL BAYSIDE, NY 11360. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of DDSL LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 07/16/2022. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: DAVID MLINARICH, 87-40 259TH STREET, FLORAL PARK, NY 11001. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Offi ce of the Minnesota Secretary of State Certifi cate of Assumed Name Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 333. The fi ling of an assumed name does not provide a user with exclusive right that name does not provide a user with exclusive rights to that name. The fi ling is required for consumer protection in order to enable customers to be able to identify the true owner of a business. ASSUMED NAME: DEVON GARTH GORDON. PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS: Care of 229-19 Merrick Blvd, Suite 430, Laurelton 00000 United States NAMEHOLDER(S) Gordon, Devon Garth, Devon Garth Gordon: Devon-Garth: Gordon, Authorized Representative Address: Care of 229-19 Merrick Blvd, Suite 430, Laurelton 00000 United States Care of 229-19 Merrick Blvd., Suite 430, Laurelton 00000 United States Care of 229-19 Merrick Blvd, Suite 430, Laurelton 00000 United States If you submit an attachment, it will be incorporated into this document. If the attachment confl icts with the information specifi cally set forth in this document, this document supersedes the data referenced in the attachment.

By typing my name I, the undersigned, certify that I am signing this document as the person whose signature is required, or as agent of the person(s) whose signature would be required who has authorized me to sign this document on his/ her behalf, or in both capacities. I further certify that I have completed all required fi elds, and that the information in this document is true and correct and in compliance with the applicable chapter of Minnesota Statues. I understand that by signing this document I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Section 609.48 as if I had signed this document under oath. SIGNED BY: Devon-Garth: Gordon., Authorized Representative MAILING ADDRESS: EMAIL FOR OFFICAL NOTICES: None Provided Gordondevon731@gmail.com Work item 1350785000021 Original File Number 1350785000021.

STATE OF MINNESOTA OFFICE OF THE SECRETATRY OF STATE FILED 11/22/2022 1:30 PM Steve Simon Secretary of State

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS 1900 CAPITAL TRUST III, BY U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS CERTIFICATE TRUSTEE, Plaintiff AGAINST KAZIM MOHAMMED, et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to an Order Confi rming Referee report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered August 29, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the Courthouse steps of the Queens Supreme Court located at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, New York. on December 23, 2022 at 11:30AM, premises known as 138-01 107th Avenue, Jamaica, N.Y. 11435 All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block 10039, Lot 20. Approximate amount of judgment $749,480.92 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of fi led Judgment Index #702791/2014. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the QUEENS County COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine”. Linda Mule, Esq., Referee Ross Eisenberg Law PLLC 445 Central Ave., Suite 112, Cedarhurst, N.Y. 11516 0005

2528 LUCC LLC, Arts. of Org. fi led with the SSNY on 09/30/2020. Offi ce loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 18-33 41st Street, Astoria, NY 11105. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

GRG Hoyt Ave Realty LLC, Arts of Org. fi led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 1/4/2019. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 28-21 Astoria Blvd., Astoria, NY 11102.

General Purpose

Real Estate

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

Apts.For Rent

Greenpoint, 203 Engert Ave, #2. 1 BR/1 bath w/office. $2,700/mo. Avail NOW. Heat & hot water inc. Office space, updated kit countertops, new flrs, queen-sized BR. Call Francesco Belviso, 718-570-4564. Capri Jet Realty.

Howard Beach, 1 BR, all new, pvt entrance, kitchen w/dishwasher, LR, DR, full bath. Credit ck a must. $1,500/mo plus Gas & electric. AVAIL NOW. Call Tony 917-833-7555

Howard Beach/ Lindenwood 3BR, 2 Bath in immaculate condition on second floor. Dining area, 1 bathroom completely renovated, freshly painted, newly installed wall-towall carpet, balcony, lots of closets! No pets. $2,800. per month. Call Saran 917-373-1838

Williamsburg, 216 Devoe St, #1. 1 BR/1 bath, $2,600/mo. Charming Apt, open spacious kitchen. Lg LR, HWF, heat & hot water incl. avail Dec 1. Michael Bifalco, 917-704-5147. Capri Jet Realty

Woodhaven, 1—2 BR apt for rent, 1—3 BR apt for rent, also 3 furnished rms for rent. Avail immediately! 347-475-9279

Classified Ad Deadline is 12 Noon on Tuesday for Thursday’s paper.

Apts.For Rent

Williamsburg, 971 Metropolitan Ave, #1. 2 BR loft, $4,650/mo. 1 MO FREE on 14 MO lease. Newly renov, new kitchen w/SS & dishwasher, double door grand entrance, virtual CAC, 1,000 SF, W/D, new flrs, backyard, 13’ ceilings. Heat & hot water inc. Avail NOW. Call Stellina Napolitano, 646-372-7145, Capri Jet Realty

Co-ops For Sale

Howard Beach/Lindenwood, Fairfield Arms, Hi-Rise, lg 1 BR, 6th fl, updated thruout. Reduced $189K. Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136

Open House

Flushing, Sun 12/4, 12pm-3pm, 85-19 156 St. Lg det 1 fam on 50x100 lot. Lots of potential. Zone R1-2A Duplex, 7 BRs, 3 full baths,1 half bath, full bsmnt, attic, lg wraparound porch, fenced-in yard. Quiet block. Reduced to $1.2M. Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136

Glendale, Sat 12/3, 2pm-3pm, 78-34 65 St. Beautiful section of Liberty Park. 1 fam, 3 BR, 1 full bath. Updated kit, SS appli. 1 car gar. Pvt dvwy, high ceilings, laminate fls, beaut front bay window. Full fin bsmnt, storage attic, new roof. Reduced to $770,000. Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136

Howard Beach/Lindenwood, Sun 12/4, 3pm-4:30pm, 151-14 80 St. Brick attached 2 fam, great investment property. Walk-in fin bsmnt w/door to yard. 1st fl has 2 BR, 1 bath apt w/terr. 2nd fl has 1 BR, 1 bath apt w/terr. A must see! Reduced $1,148,000. Connexion Real Estate, 718-845-1136

To Advertise Call 718-205-8000

Legal Notices Legal Notices

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS - Index No. 712957/2022

–

filed

June 21,

2022 SUMMONS WITH NOTICE

PONCE BANK, Plaintiff, against ELMHURST TOWER LLC, XIU QIN SHI, XIU LING CHEN, ZHONG JIE ZHENG, FEI LIN, NAI LUI LI, SHENG AN CHEN, XUE FENG HUANG, WU LIN, NEW DA HUA INC, SUNBELT RENTALS – REGION 11, CITY OF NEW YORK ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD, JOHN DOE “1” through JOHN DOE “10” both inclusive; Defendants JOHN DOE “1” through JOHN DOE “10” regardless of number being each a separate Defendant and being fictitious and unknown to the Plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises described in the complaint; Defendants.

TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS

NAI HUI LI, WU LIN, SHENG AN CHEN AND XUE FENG HUANG,

BEING SERVED PURSUANT TO AN ORDER IN THE ABOVE ENTITLED ACTION

BY HON. ROBERT J. MCDONALD, J.S.C., DATED OCTOBER 31, 2022, FILED NOVEMBER 2, 2022

You are hereby summoned and required to serve upon plaintiff’s attorneys an answer to the complaint in this action within twenty (20) days after the service of the summons, exclusive of the day of service or within thirty (30) days after service is complete if this summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York. In case of your failure to answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. Plaintiff designates Queens County as place of trial. The basis of venue is the real property affected by this action, which is located in Queens County. The nature of the action is a foreclosure of a first mortgage originated on October 22, 2019 in the original principal sum of $3,250,000.00 made by Elmhurst Tower LLC, as Mortgagor in favor of Ponce Bank, as Mortgagee encumbering the following Real Property: 84-75 57 Road, Queens, NY 11373; 84-77 57 Road, Queens, NY 11373: 85-08 57 Avenue, Queens, NY 11373; 85-10 57 Avenue, Queens, NY 11373; 85-12 57 Avenue, Queens, NY 11373; 85-14 57 Avenue, Queens, NY 11373; 85-16 57 Avenue, Queens, NY 11373; and 85-20 57 Avenue, Queens, NY 11373 and designated on the New York City Tax Map, Queens County as Block: 2882; Lots: 1, 20, 21, 22 and 101 whereby any and all rights, title and interest of all defendants, including but not limited to defendants “Nai Lui Li” and “Wu Lin” and “Sheng An Chen” and “Xue Feng Huang” shall be forever foreclosed of any and all rights, title and interest they have or may have in the foregoing Real Property, including but not limited to all liens, encumbrances and Notices of Pendency that have been filed against the Real Property by said defendants. Dated: New York, New York. November 7, 2022

FELDMAN & ASSOCIATES, PLLC

Attorneys for Plaintiff

570 Grand Avenue, Englewood, New Jersey 07631

edward@feldmanesqs.com

Notice of Formation of Root Down Psychotherapy LCSW PLLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 09/21/2022. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE PLLC, 24-37 24TH ST, ASTORIA, NY 11102. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of formation of SIM SWIMMS LLC. Art. Of Org. fi led with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/05/22. Offi ce in Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 11534 227TH ST, CAMBRIA HEIGHTS, NY, 11411. Purpose: Any lawful purpose

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS IN TAX LIEN FORECLOSURE–SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, COUNTY OF QUEENS – NYCTL 1998-2 TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN FOR THE NYCTL 1998-2 TRUST, Plaintiffs, against BETTINA CONTRACTING CORP., et. al., Defendants. Index No. 707298/18.

To the above-named Defendants –YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action within twenty days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service or within thirty days after service is completed if the summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. Plaintiffs designate Queens County as the place of trial. Venue is based upon the county in which the property a lien upon which is being foreclosed is situated. The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to the Order of the Hon. Robert J. McDonald, J.S.C., entered October 26, 2022. The object of this action is to foreclose a New York City Tax Lien covering the premises located at Block 13067 Lot 263 on the Tax Map of Queens County and is also known as (No#) 223rd Street, Queens, New York. Dated: October 31, 2022. BRONSTER LLP, Attorney for Plaintiffs, NYCTL 1998-2 TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN FOR THE NYCTL 1998-2 TRUST, By: Josef F. Abt, Esq. 156 West 56th Street, Suite 902, New York, NY 10019 (347) 246-4776

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS Index No.711975/2022 Date fi led: 6/7/2022 SUMMONS

ACTION FOR QUIET TITLE TO PROPERTY SITUATED IN QUEENS COUNTY SUSAN CLEMENT, Plaintiff, -against- All the heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, devisees, grantees, trustees, lienors, creditors, assignees and successors in interest and the creditors, assignees and successors in interest thereof of the aforesaid classes of persons, if they or any of them be dead, all of whom and whose names and places of residence are unknown to the plaintiff of BLANCHE VELEZ; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant(s). TO THE ABOVE DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action, and to serve a copy of your Answer, or if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a Notice of Appearance on the Plaintiff’s attorneys within twenty (20) days after the service of the Summons exclusive of the day of service or within thirty (30) days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner than by personal delivery within the State. In case of your failure to appear, or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in this Complaint. Plaintiff designates Queens County as the place for trial. Venue is based upon the County in which the premises is situated. TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: The foregoing Summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Hon. Phillip Horn, a Justice of the Supreme Court, Queens County, entered Nov. 17, 2022 and fi led with the complaint and other papers in the Queens County Clerk’s Offi ce. THE OBJECT OF THE ACTION is to quiet title to premises known as 153-06 111th Road, Jamaica, NY 11433 a/k/a Block 12167, Lot 28. Dated: June 1, 2022, Westbury, New York, Edward Wiener, Esq., Stein, Wiener & Roth, LLP Attorneys for Plaintiff, 1400 Old Country Road, Suite 315, Westbury, New York 11590 (516)-742-1212 File no. 78991 #99939

NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that Defendant Joseph Justin is a defendant in a commercial foreclosure lawsuit that seeks to foreclose on real property with an address of 119-44 155th Street, Jamaica, New York 11434. A description of the real property follows. ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, being more particularly bounded and described as follows: BEGINNING at the corner formed by the intersection of the northerly side of 120th Avenue (Cooper Street), 60 feet wide plus 5 foot courtyards on both sides for a total of 70 feet wide and the westerly side of 155th Street (Lakeview Boulevard), 70 feet wide; RUNNING THENCE westerly along the northerly side of 120th Avenue, 84 feet; THENCE northerly parallel with the westerly side of 155th Street, 30.04 feet; THENCE easterly parallel with the northerly side of 120th Avenue, 84 feet to the westerly side of 155th Street; and THENCE southerly along the westerly side of 155th Street, 30.04 feet to the corner, at the point or place of BEGINNING.

FOR INFORMATION ONLY: Said premises being more commonly known and designated by the street address 119-44 155th Street, Jamaica, New York; tax map designation Block 12214; Lot 31.

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS AMENDED SUMMONS Index No. 700118/2021 Date Index No. Purchased: January 4, 2021 BANTAM FUNDING II, LLC, Plaintiff, -against- 119-44 155 ST. INC.; RAVEENA S. RAMOTAR; JOSEPH JUSTIN; THE CITY OF NEW YORK ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK; THE CITY OF NEW YORK; and JOHN DOE NO. I THROUGH JOHN DOE NO. XXX, inclusive, the last thirty names being fi ctitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises described in the complaint, Defendants. To the above named Defendant(s) (See Attached Service List) You are hereby summoned to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with this summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff’s attorney within 20 days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York); and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. The basis of venue is location of subject property, which is Queens County, New York. Date: Kansas City, Missouri June 30, 2022 Polsinelli PC By: /s/ Amy E. Hatch Attorneys for Plaintiff. 600 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10016 (816) 753-1000 Service List 119-44 155 St. Inc. – 104-32 94th Avenue, Ozone Park, New York 11416, Raveena S. Ramotar – 104-32 94th Avenue, Ozone Park, New York 11416, Joseph Justin – 119-44 155th Street, Jamaica, New York 11434, The City of New York Environmental Control Board – c/o Corporation Counsel, 100 Church Street, New York, New York 10007, People of the State of New York – c/o Offi ce of the Attorney General, 28 Liberty Street, 16th Floor, New York, New York 10005, The City of New York – c/o Corporation Counsel, 100 Church Street, New York, New York 10007

Notice of Formation of STEPHEN INDUSTRIES LLC Articles of Organization were fi led with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 08/13/2021. Offi ce location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: STEPHEN INDUSTRIES LLC, 147-16 110TH AVE, APT#2F, JAMAICA, NY 11435. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Three Sons Express LLC, Arts of Org. fi led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 10/25/2022. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 89-47 204th St., Hollis, NY 11423. General Purpose

w/play room, laundry room, split unit AC, & lots of closets. Flood insurance yearly premium is $1,639.00.

Beach

• Lindenwood •

Sunlit corner 1 bedroom , EIK, spacious LR/ DR, unit on fi rst fl oor. Near all transportation, restaurants and shopping.

• Rockwood Park

•

Looking for an amazing oversized property? This unique lot is 50x130 (6500 sq ft), w/Large Empire Brookfi eld HiRanch on it. Located in Rockwood Park, it features 4 BR, 3 full baths, EIK’s, sunken living room, formal dining room, a large den, recreation area, & lots of closet space. Includes 2 zone heating, CAC, & resort like backyard w/18x36 inground pool. Ready to move right in or add additional rooms. Needs some cosmetic updating: make this home your own!

• Old Howard Beach •

Charming 1 family ranch style home in Howard Beach. This well-maintained home was originally a 3 BR but was converted to a 2 BR & the cedar closet has ample space. The 2nd BR is very spacious. Home features a formal living & dining room perfect for entertaining. There is plenty of counter space in the renovated kitchen that is only 5 years young; featuring SS appliances; Oak cabinets & quartz countertops.

Home has full basement w/an outside entrance & full attic. Pvt dvwy that fi ts multiple cars & has a det 2 car garage.

• Lindenwood •

2 bedroom, 2 bath Co-op. Updated kitchen and flooring. New carpeting thru-out. Unit has been freshly painted, corner unit, very spacious. 25% down payment required. Base: $927.67, Appliances: $8.00, Guard fee: $35.00, AC’s fee: $42.00, Assessment: $117.99= $1,130.66. $32/share flip tax, 350 shares. $20/ month parking fee, (waitlist).