Queens Chronicle South Edition 12-22-16 by Queens Chronicle

C M SQ page 1 Y K SOUTH QUEENS EDITION Serving Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, City Line and JFK Airport

YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER VOL. XXXIX

NO. 51

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2016

QCHRON.COM

‘LET THERE BE LIGHT’

SHOOTINGS UP IN THE 106TH

MERRY CHRISTMAS, CHARLIE BROWN!

DOT to illuminate LIRR underpass

But no cause for concern, commander says

Peanuts gang ponders the reason for the season in LIC

PAGE 4

SEE qboro, PAGE 33

PHOTO BY ANTHONY O’REILLY

A BETTER JFK

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pay s e r o c s n Unio • D 12 s e s i PAGES 10 AN m l o a r e p d aise r • Gov s l a n i m r $1B for te

A group of elected, Port Authority and JFK Airport officials broke ground on the TWA Flight Center hotel last Thursday. On the same day, Gov. Cuomo pledged $1 billion to work with private entities to better other terminals there. The same week, the union now representing a number of airport workers struck a deal for pay raises.

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BSA reform bills before City Council Qns. civics, weary of rubberstamping, supportive of transparency measures by Ryan Brady Associate Editor

ick of the Board of Standards and Appeals approving projects contrary to their wishes, members of Queens civic associations are highly supportive of a 10-bill package before the City Council to make the agency more transparent. A hearing on the bills, some of which were introduced by Councilman Ben Kallos (D-Manhattan) this month and others of which were introduced before, was held on Dec. 14. Some of the measures that stand out include a bill that would create a $25,000 fine for lying on an application; one that would require the agency to reference arguments made by community and borough boards and the City Planning Commission in its decisions; and another that would mandate the creation of a map showing locations where variances and special permits have been granted. One of the proposed laws, which was i nt roduce d by Cou nci lwom a n K a re n Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills) two years ago, would require the agency — whose commissioners are appointed by the mayor — to provide an explanation when it votes against the recommendations made by a community or borough board.

A package of 10 bills to reform the Board of Standards and Appeals — which approved a controversial plan to build a mosque at this small lot at 46-05 Parsons Blvd. in Flushing earlier this PHOTO BY RICK MAIMAN year — is before the City Council. “Well a lot of times they don’t listen to us,” Koslowitz told the Chronicle. “They do what they want to do and you know nobody knows the neighborhood more than the community board, the borough president and the council member.” Earlier this year, for example, the BSA approved a mosque in Flushing that violated a litany of area zoning ordinances and was opposed by the Kissena Park Civic Associa-

tion, Community Board 7 and elected officials for the area. “The issue with the community center is that they were going to be in egregious violation of major building code laws,” KPCA Vice President Carsten Glaeser told the Chronicle. “And the BSA in the end ruled that it’s OK if they violate these laws.” Variances for floor area ratio, parking and other building components were sought and

approved with members of the civic association testifying about these issues and their belief the site is too small for its planned use before the BSA and feeling that the agency ignored their remarks. Throughout Queens, other civic associations have had similar problems with the agency. “We used to call them the ‘board of rubber stamps and appeals’ because they would rubber stamp things,” Juniper Park Civic Association President Bob Holden said. “They really need to actually listen to the community and they don’t by and large.” “Quite often, communities have a different point of view,” Community Board 13 District Manager Mark McMillan said. “Before you know it, you get a development that the community’s against.” Auburndale Improvement Association First Vice President Henry Euler testified at the recent hearing for the bills, all of which he supports. “It’s gonna take a while before these bills are passed, but all the councilmen that came to the hearing, they seemed very much in favor of these bills,” Euler said. Queens Civic Congress Executive Vice President Kevin Forrestal also testified at the hearing. He supports the bills’ intents, though continued on page 30

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Page 3 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016

Wishing Everyone A Happy Holiday Season!

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016 Page 4

C M SQ page 4 Y K

Shootings up in the 106th Precinct No cause for concern though: CO; command has sixth-best crime drop by Anthony O’Reilly Associate Editor

In the 106th Precinct, there have been four more victims of shootings so far this year than there were in all of 2015 — but Capt. Brian Bohannon, commander of the 106th Precinct, is not concerned just yet. “It sounds very alarming, I don’t like it at all, however when you break it down you realize there’s arrests on three of the four shootings,” he said of the incidents that have taken place the 28 days prior to last Wednesday’s 106th Precinct Community Council meeting. “It’s not a gang war, it’s not a narcotics war. It’s a dispute over money or it’s a family dispute.” According to NYPD statistics through Dec. 11, the precinct has seen 15 reported shootings compared to 11 in all of last year. Regarding the fourth shooting that took place in the four weeks before the council meeting, Bohannon is “very confident we’ll have a good resolution on that,” without revealing the details of the incident. While shootings may be on the rise, most other crimes are dropping, helping the 106th become one of the best-performing precincts in the city. “We’re 72nd out of the 77 precincts,” Bohannon said. “There are only five other precincts with a bigger crime reduction than us.”

Cops in the 106th Precinct have investigated more shootings this year than they did in 2015, but the commanding officer says the slight uptick is no cause for concern as the incidents are unrelated FILE PHOTO to each other. As of Dec. 11, there have been 215 fewer victims of crime this year compared to the same period in 2015 — 1,255 against 1,470. “I know you’ve probably been hearing this all year, crime is down, crime is down,” the commanding officer said. “But I really do have to highlight it.”

Although more serious crimes such as murder and rapes are up in the 106th — the former has tripled this year, nine against three, and the latter is up two reported incidents to 15 — most categories have drastically decreased. Most notably, grand larceny autos are

down by 119 — from 234 to 115. That crime was at one time the most prevalent issue in the command, specifically in Lindenwood and Howard Beach. Robberies are down by 47, from 246 to 199 — a 19.1 percent reduction. Addressing at least one of the nine murders in the precinct so far this year, Bohannon said it was a crime that “I hate to say it, almost couldn’t have been prevented.” He was discussing the Dec. 5 slaying of Rajwantie Baldeo, who was fatally stabbed by her com mon-law hu sba nd , P rem Rampersaud. Bohannon said Rampersaud “came here with a mission” from Guyana because he believed Baldeo was cheating on him. She came to Queens from her native country for a job and a better living situation and was supposed to help Rampersaud get to the Un ited St ates as well, accord i ng to Bohannon. The captain once again reminded residents to lock their car doors, noting two women had their vehicles broken into — within a 10-minute time span — earlier this month when they left their purses inside them while dropping their children to school near Cross Bay Boulevard and Platwood Avenue. After Bohannon’s report, the council celebrated the 70th birthday of its president, Q Frank Dardani.

And the DOT said ‘Let there be light’ Agency will illuminate underpass by Anthony O’Reilly

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Associate Editor

Kew Gardens resident Kevin O’Leary points out the dark LIRR underpass in Richmond Hill in a photo FILE PHOTO taken during a snowy day earlier this year.

Following months of pressure from Community Board 9, a concerned resident and the Queens Chronicle, the Department of Transportation has agreed to illuminate the underpass at the out-ofcommission Richmond Hill Long Island Rail Road station sometime next year. “I’m very grateful for the Queens Chronicle, the community board and the DOT for finally getting this to happen,” Kew Gardens resident Kevin O’Leary said in an interview Tuesday. “This has been a long time in the making.” The path has not been illuminated for at least five years and is also overridden with trash. According to a letter from the DOT, provided to the Chronicle, the agency will place lighting at the underpass — located near the intersection of Babbage Street and Hillside Avenue, just a block away from the Richmond Hill branch of the Queens Library — in “the second quarter of 2017.”

The Richmond Hill station was one of the stops on the Montauk line of the intercounty transportation system until 1998, when it was closed due to low ridership — it had one per day at that time. It served as the station between Jamaica and Hunters Point. O’Leary said though he’s happy the lights are coming to the underpass, his fight to improve the neglected site is far from over. “We’ll just have to deal with the trash and the crumbling infrastructure at another time,” he said. The Chronicle last month, in its latest report on the poor conditions there, stated there are parts of the station that have been falling apart over the past five years. The MTA is responsible for that. The transportation authority states the Sanitation Department is responsible for picking up the trash strewn by the underpass. The city agency has put the onus back on the MTA, though it’s conducted Q cleanup events there in the past.

C M SQ page 5 Y K Page 5 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016 Page 6

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P Your amazing charity

EDITORIAL

he city fire marshal would not have been thrilled with the state of our office’s main hallway earlier this week, but we were. That’s because, yet again, thanks to the generosity of you, our readers, along with several businesses, other organizations and elected officials, we were inundated with toys, clothes and other necessities for some of the neediest children in Queens. Our 22nd annual Toy Drive for kids in the borough’s homeless shelters was an amazing success. More than 1,000 items were brought in. Some donors carried them in by the bagful. One man contributed more than 30 toys himself, and we’re not talking cheap stuff but big brand-name items. Unless he’s a wholesaler, he obviously must have spent $450 at least to put smiles on children’s faces for the holidays. There were Chronicle Publisher Mark Weidler, office manager Lisa LiCausi and administrator Stela Barbu, dividing it all up, loading up vehicles for deliveries and getting on the phone with homeless shelters we’ve never distributed toys to before, asking if they wanted a visit from Santa Claus too. Of course they did. There were the fellas in the newsroom dropping whatever they were doing for a

AGE

LETTERS TO THE True Christmas spirit Published every week by

MARK I PUBLICATIONS, INC.

MARK WEIDLER President & Publisher SUSAN & STANLEY MERZON Founders Raymond G. Sito General Manager Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief Michael Gannon Editor Christopher Barca Associate Editor Anthony O’Reilly Associate Editor Ryan Brady Associate Editor Terry Nusspickel Editorial Production Manager Jan Schulman Art Director Moeen Din Associate Art Director Gregg Cohen Production Assistant Joseph Berni Art Department Associate Richard Weyhausen Proofreader Lisa LiCausi Office Manager Stela Barbu Administration Senior Account Executives: Jim Berkoff, Beverly Espinoza

For the latest news visit qchron.com

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Office: 62-33 Woodhaven Blvd. Rego Park, NY 11374-7769 Phone: (718) 205-8000 Fax: (718) 205-0150 Mail: P.O. Box 74-7769 Rego Park, NY 11374-7769 E-mail: Mailbox@qchron.com Website: www.qchron.com TOTAL CIRCULATION: MEMBER

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Lovely app, meter aid

moment to help unload the latest delivery. There was Associate Editor Anthony O’Reilly, who wrote this year’s series of articles on the toy drive, loading up his own car with gifts dropped off at the offices of our partners in the political world as the big boxes we gave them overflowed. There were the people from organizations in two of Manhattan’s wealthiest areas crossing the river to donate to an outerborough community newspaper’s toy drive. Success! There’s always so much negativity about homeless shelters in Queens — and no, we don’t blame residents who want to protect their neighborhoods nor the functionaries tasked with doing what they must to handle a growing crisis. Even the officials who set policy and bear most of the blame are not entirely at fault for what economic forces, legal precedents and other factors are hitting them with. And obviously no one blames the children. But they’re the ones whose lives are turned completely upside down when they lose their homes, and the ones who have to see, in some cases, people shouting outside their windows about their very presence. They don’t get the nuances. It’s wonderful that they will get gifts for the holidays. Thank you all.

Dear Editor: Christmas is almost here, and there is much for most of us to do. Gifts to buy and to wrap, a few more cards to send out, even a few more decorations to put up. It is also a time to reflect about the troubles in the world. I can’t help but wonder about the message of this season, which is, “Peace on Earth and good will towards men.” Yet have we lost the meaning of what Christmas is all about? I believe it is a time of giving, sharing and helping others who have so little. We can reshape the world by helping one life at a time, those who are in need of our love and compassion. So please give to your local food kitchens, food pantries, community groups and houses of worships that help those in need. And not only during the holidays but all year round. Frederick R. Bedell Jr. Glen Oaks

An out-of-place project Dear Editor: Re: “Up & Up: Plans for Parkway, McDonald sites revealed,” Dec. 15, Central Queens edition: You don’t need to be an architect to notice that the proposed design of the retail-office building for the service road of Queens Boulevard is not integrated with its surroundings and the general architectural language of Forest © Copyright 2016 by MARK I PUBLICATIONS, INC. All rights reserved. Neither this newspaper nor any part thereof may be reproduced, copied, or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, recording or by any information retrieval system without the express written permission of the publishers. This copyright is extended to the design and text created for advertisements. Reproduction of said advertisement or any part thereof without the express written permission of MARK I PUBLICATIONS, INC. is strictly prohibited. This publication will not be responsible for errors in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Bylined articles represent the sole opinion of the writer and are not necessarily in accordance with the views of the QUEENS CHRONICLE. This Publication reserves the right to limit or refuse advertising it deems objectionable. The Queens Chronicle is published weekly by Mark I Publications, Inc. at a subscription rate of $19 per year and out of state, $25 per year. Periodicals Postage Paid (USPS0013-572) at Flushing, N.Y. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mark I Publications, Inc., 62-33 Woodhaven Boulevard, Rego Park, N.Y. 11374-7769.

ow often have you had to run out of a restaurant to feed the meter? Or the doctor’s office? Or the store? And how often have you forgotten, or not made it in time, and been slapped with a ticket? Pretty often, according to AAA, which says the city collected $211 million in Muni-Meter revenue in fiscal year 2015 — compared with $658 million in fines. Soon, believe it or not, the city is going to make it easier to avoid the problem. This week it unveiled a new app, ParkNYC, that will enable you to pay parking meters remotely, using a system somewhat similar to E-ZPass. Of course it’s being rolled out in Manhattan first, but hey, let them work out the bugs over there. Queens and the other boroughs are slated to get it by next summer. Great. In addition to being taxed to death, New Yorkers are nickle-and-dimed to death with fines. Yes, many are warranted. But just see our Letters section below for the second missive we’ve run in only three weeks about the impact zealous ticket-writing has on people and business. ParkNYC won’t solve everything, but it’s a solid consumer-friendly innovation that’ll make life just a little easier.

E DITOR

Hills. When one looks at the rendering on the cover of the Chronicle the building seems to be “hyperventilating” from top to bottom. A building located a single block from the subway station doesn’t need such a display of (misplaced) uniqueness to rent or sell itself. At a minimum, its base should express sympathy with the character of the neighborhood. I trust that the members of CB6 do not need to read these lines to understand their content. Ed Mazar Forest Hills

Strip NYSUM tax exemption Dear Editor: Re Victoria Zunitch’s Dec. 15 article “Astoria tenants fear holiday evictions” (Western Queens edition): On its website, the New York School of Urban Ministry says it “equips Christians through cross-cultural, hands-on mission expe-

rience. We connect idealists with opportunities for action.” Is one of those opportunities the eviction of low-income tenants from its residential facilities? As a religious organization, NYSUM is probably tax-exempt, but its tax exemption should be challenged by City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas and state Sen. Mike Gianaris. NYSUM’s 990 tax forms filed with the IRS showed rental profits of $446,881 in 2015. U.S. law limits tax-exempt status to nonprofit institutions. How did NYSUM qualify for this? NYSUM’s Executive Vice President the Rev. Peter DeArruda is an ordained minister. Which church ordained him? Our Lady of Perpetual Greed? A profit-making organization that’s conscience-exempt does not deserve to be taxexempt. Legislators must oppose this benefit. Richard Reif Kew Gardens Hills

C M SQ page 9 Y K

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Fearing Trump Dear Editor: My friends from California came in for Thanksgiving for the Macy’s Day Parade. We went to Rockefeller Center, the Winter Village in Bryant Park, Times Square and even Cold Spring, which is one hour north of New York City. It was a time of thanks, good health, enjoyment with good friends, distraction, some rest and some exercise. Our thanks to the NYPD for protecting us during the parade and every day. My friends are safely back home in the Bay Area. And it’s back to reality, with December fading into January soon. I want to say, please President Obama, don’t leave, stay! I know that’s impossible, but I’m really scared after Jan. 20! This guy, who has absolutely no political experience, is stepping into the White House in 2017. I still can’t believe this is happening in America. And he didn’t even get the popular vote! About the “Hamilton” situation, no one should apologize. Well done, Brandon Victor Dixon! And burning the flag is legal. Yeah, we have the right to exercise our freedom of speech in this country and we don’t have to apologize for what we say. If this guy is going to be president, perhaps he should study the Constitution and every amendment and respect them. And if you are going to be the president, you shouldn’t bully or make fun of people or put women down or spend valuable time tweeting. You should act presidential! Perhaps Trump could learn from President Obama. Now, he is presidential and will be my president until Jan. 20. After that, you know lots of prayers will be said! Actually people have already started. I hear them in Queens. Carol Lynn Lustgarten Forest Hills

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Dear Editor: As my final term as your congressman comes to a close, I wanted to take a moment to express my thanks for your support over the years. People often ask what I’m the most proud of in the past 16 years as your representative. It’s not flying on Air Force One or meeting in the White House. It’s not even passing legislation on the House floor. It’s this: With your support, I have recovered almost $9 million in retroactive benefits for New York veterans and their loved ones. You have also enabled me to travel to combat zones to visit the brave men and women who defend our freedoms. Throughout my career, I’ve traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan more than 10 times, because I have always strongly believed that if you’re going to vote to send troops into harm’s way, then you’d better be willing to go into harm’s way to go check on them. We must always support and fight for our heroes, and I am thankful to you for sending me to Washington over the past 16 years to join that fight. I will proudly continue to be a part of it as a private citizen. This month, I held my final veterans event, where I not only joined veterans to celebrate their service, but I also honored and presented medals to Afghanistan veteran Sgt. John Byrne and the families of deceased World War II veterans First Lt. Harold Cederbaum and Private First Class Harry Schwartz, heroes who bravely served and sacrificed and to whom we owe our lives and freedoms.

Trump vs. Social Security Dear Editor: Just a thought for you Trumpsters out there: Knowing that he and the GOP were planning to play around with Social Security, just remember how little most people have for retirement. Do you really want to take money away from your grandmother and grandfather? Do you really want to do that? Do you tell them that it’s OK because you hate Hillary and keep yelling “Benghazi,” so now you are risking maybe the only thing they have? Shame on you. Stew Frimer Forest Hills

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Dear Editor: In response to Mr. Rice from Woodhaven, who stated that there is an “unrelenting deployment of traffic agents” on our Woodhaven’s Jamaica Avenue (“Meters hurt biz,” Letters, Dec. 8), I, being the executive director of the Woodhaven Business Improvement District, understand his cogent comments completely. Our organization fought very hard against every increase in the parking meter changes from 25 cents for 30 minutes to 20 minutes, and then to the present 15 minutes. Our WBID fought and received the two-hour parking for our WBID. At least this allows shoppers to go to the Jamaica Avenue stores and businesses, giving them time to browse and shop. Unfortunately, there is no going back to 30-minute meters for 25 cents. I have stated on many occasions that these traffic agents are too overzealous in their issuance of tickets. As to Mr. Rice’s statement that “for every five agents the city could hire three police officers walking the beat and exercising discretionary decisions,” I wholeheartedly agree, but at the end of the day the thinking is that these agents generate revenue; police officers don’t. I appreciate Mr. Rice’s thoughtful comments and statements. Rest assured the WBID will continue to fight against traffic agent abuse. Maria A. Thomson Executive Director Woodhaven Business Improvement District Greater Woodhaven Development Corp. Woodhaven

There is nothing more meaningful than walking into a veterans post and handing a check to a veteran who has been mistreated by the system and having him or her say that their faith in government has been restored. Helping veterans secure the benefits to which they are entitled has been the most deeply satisfying work of my career in Washington and I will always cherish the ability to have done it. So not on behalf of myself or Congress, but on behalf of our veterans and the brave men and women defending us abroad, I humbly thank you for allowing me the ultimate privilege of serving you and those who have served us. Steve Israel Member of Congress for the 3rd District Huntington, LI

GOLW-070961

Traffic agent racket

E DITOR

Page 9 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016

LETTERS TO THE

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016 Page 10

C M SQ page 10 Y K

Airport workers get first union contract 8,000 employees, subcontractors reach deal at LaGuardia, JFK, NJ by Michael Gannon Editor

The union representing 8,000 airport workers in New York and New Jersey has reached a tentative contract agreement with 11 companies to which major airlines subcontract cleaning, baggage-handling and security services. The three-year contract includes incremental raises to $15 an hour for workers at John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia, according to representatives of union 32BJ SEIU. Workers at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, a state where the minimum wage will be $8.44 per hour effective Jan. 1, will be guaranteed $10.10 per hour by regulations of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs all three airports. “This is a historic moment for airport workers not only in New York and New Jersey, but for workers around the country,” Hector Figueroa, president of 32BJ SEIU, said in a statement issued by the union. Amity Paye, spokeswoman for the union, told the Chronicle on Thursday that the workers are among the few groups in the country that have achieved both union status and a $15-per-hour wage. “In New York, wages will go to $11 on Jan. 1,” she said. “They’ll get $2 raises through 2018.” Paye said the contract covers about half of the contracted workers at the three airports. She said other major benefits include mandatory explanations for disciplinary actions against employees, and the requirement that workers be given weekly work schedules. “That gives people more security,” Paye said. “Now parents can plan things like picking up their kids.” Other benefits, such as pensions, are not

Workers at John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports, shown marching in Queens in 2014, have negotiated their first union contract with subcontractors who oversee cleaning, FILE PHOTO baggage-handling and security work for the major airlines. included, but Paye said that is not uncommon with new unions. She also said the three-year term is shorter than the typical five-year pacts they like to secure later. Paye said while the airlines stayed out of the way of their subcontractors during negotiations, the PA’s guarantee of a $10.10 minimum at Newark offers a measure of protection to firms that negotiated with the union. “It protects them from companies that might submit lower bids because they pay lower wages,” she said. A large number of Queens residents work at Kennedy and LaGuardia. Paye said about

40 percent of those covered in the pact are women. The average increase for a JFK or LaGuardia worker in the first year is expected to be about 90 cents an hour. “People are saying things like now they can pay their bills on time, or won’t have to choose which bills to pay,” she said. “Some say they can get off welfare,” she added. Councilman Donovan Richards (D-Laurelton), whose district includes many airport workers, told the Chronicle in an email that the agreement is an important one.

“With JFK and LaGuardia airports serving as the largest job creators in Queens, this contract is a huge victory and a step in the right direction for 8,000 workers across the city,” he said. But he added that workers not covered by the contract also need raises. Mayor de Blasio said the contract is not just a victory for those living and working around the airports. “It is my honor to stand with New York airport workers who have fought for so long to strengthen their communities with good jobs,” he said in a press release. “Our economy grows when workers succeed and our airports are safer when airport workers have the work resources and support they need to provide the best service possible. I am proud that New Yorkers can set such a strong example to the rest of the country.” Workers and the union had been trying to organize in earnest for about four years. In January 2014, 32 people were arrested at a protest outside LaGuardia Airport when marchers blocked the 94th Street bridge into the site. Those ar rested included U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-Manhattan) and City Councilmen Daneek Miller (D-St. Albans), Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) and Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica). The following April 4 — the 46th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. — airport workers marched from JFK to LaGuardia. In May of that year more than 100 workers marched from Borough Hall in Kew Gardens to the nearby offices of one of the subcontractors, and attempted to deliver a letter of support — signed by former Mayor David Dinkins among others — to company officials. Q

Cuomo vows $1B for a better JFK Wants to partner with private sector by Anthony O’Reilly For the latest news visit qchron.com

Associate Editor

Gov. Cuomo speaks at JFK. PHOTO BY ANTHONY O’REILLY

At the groundbreaking of the TWA Flight Center hotel at John F. Kennedy International Airport last Thursday [see separate story], Gov. Cuomo promised the 505-guestroom building would not be the only improvement to the transportation hub. Cuomo announced the state would pledge $1 billion to team up with the private sector to improve terminals in the South Queens airport. “I’m saying to the other airlines that are at JFK today the State of New York will pledge $1 billion to partnerships to rebuild JFK in partnership with the other airlines and the other terminals to build the greatest airport on the planet,” he said, providing no details on where that money would come from. A spokeswoman did not return a request for comment for details on the plan.

Cuomo, during a press gaggle following his formal announcements, said he wanted to use the hotel groundbreaking as a “jumping point” for rebuilding JFK. “I want JFK not only to be the busiest airport in the world, but also the best,” the Queens native added. State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach), in a Tuesday interview, said he, too, knew few details about the governor’s initiative but hailed Cuomo’s investment in JFK. “I think we should reinvest in the airports,” he said. “Not that I’m there too often, but when I’m walking around the terminals I do notice they tend to be neglected, they do become rundown. The cost of renovating it is only going to increase so I’m glad they’re doing it.” The governor stressed the importance of public-private partnerships during his formal remarks at the airport, saying non-government entities often do a better job on developments.

“Gover nment does not k now how to build, that I’ve learned the hard way,” he said. “But, we do know how to partner with private-sector companies that do know how to work, and that’s the formula that works.” Addabbo agreed with the gover nor’s sentiment. “It benefits the city, state and the private entity,” the senator said. “The state is doing well financially but we don’t have that much money.” Cuomo used his appearance in Queens last week to call for better infrastructure across New York, including an upheaval of Penn Station and the completion of the Second Avenue subway, which is slated to launch on Jan. 1. “I want a Christmas miracle where New Yorkers get the Second Avenue subway they were promised 100 years ago,” he said durQ ing his press gaggle.

C M SQ page 11 Y K

Now, in Howard Beach, NY, one doctor is helping local residents with knee pain live more active, pain-free lives. 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? • Arthritis • Knee pain • Cartilage damage • ‘Bone-on-bone’ • Tendonitis • Bursitis • Crunching and popping sounds Finally, You Have an Option Other Than Drugs or Surgery

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 first 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? For 10 days only, I’m running a very special offer where you can find out if you are a candidate for cold laser therapy. What does this offer include? Everything I normally do in my “Knee Pain Evaluation.” Just call before January 1, 2017 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 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 findings so we can start mapping out your plan to being pain free. • You’ll see everything firsthand and find out if this amazing treatment will be your pain solution, as it has been for so many other patients. Until January 1st, 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.

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. 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 January 1st. Sincerely, Dr. Robert F. Gucciardo, D.C. P.S. Now you might be wondering…

“Is this safe? Are there any side effects or dangers to this?” The FDA cleared the first 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

ROBG-070942

For the latest news visit qchron.com

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…

It Promotes Rapid Healing of the Injured Tissues.

Page 11 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016

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

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016 Page 12

C M SQ page 12 Y K

The historic TWA Flight Center will be surrounded by two hotel buildings, holding 505 guestrooms, starting in 2018. Elected officials helped to break ground on the privately funded project RENDERING COURTESY NYS at JFK Airport last Thursday.

Daring to build big again in New York At groundbreaking, Cuomo hails TWA hotel as a return to state’s golden days by Anthony O’Reilly

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Associate Editor

BLSL-070841

In years past, New York — and the rest of the country — built tunnels, bridges, subways, canals, airports, skyscrapers and more. Government dared to think big and act upon those aspirations. “This was a time when this country and this city and this state believed they could do anything,” Gov. Cuomo said last Thursday at John F. Kennedy International Airport. “We were going to the moon, we were the strongest country in the world, without a doubt.” Recently, however, there has been less adventurous development while places like Dubai and Hong Kong have built newer, stronger infrastructure, surpassing the Empire State. “We lost that confidence that was always the New York confidence that made New York New York,” Cuomo said. “We were always the first, we were always the best and we always did what couldn’t be done.” And while the governor said the TWA Flight Center hotel at JFK will not be an artifact of the past, but instead a nod to the future of the airport and state, he said it helps to bring back the ethos of a time when government dared to build big. “This project to me isn’t about yesterday, but tomorrow. They have built a hotel for the future. They are betting and banking and believing on the future,” the governor said. Cuomo joined officials from MCR Development, JetBlue and Queens politicians last week to break ground on the TWA Flight Center hotel, a 505-guestroom luxury space being built around the landmarked terminal that’s been in the dark for 15 years.

“With this hotel, JFK will be one step closer to being a 21st-century transportation hub,” said Tyler Morse, CEO of MCR Development, the company spearheading the $265 million venture that is entirely privately financed. “Our team is honored to breathe new life into the TWA terminal as JFK’s first on-site hotel.” Borough President Melinda Katz called the venture an economic win-win for Queens. “It’s an amazing generator not only from the employment perspective, but from people who come to visit here, work here, have to come through here,” Katz said, before urging everyone at JFK to “spend all your money before leaving Queens.” The Eero Saarinen-designed flight center, opened in 1962, will serve as the hotel’s lobby and will be in the middle of two buildings that will hold the rooms. The terminal, which will be preserved in its 1962 state, will host six restaurants and four bars, with one of the eateries being a food hall for up-and-coming restaurateurs. Guests can access the rooms from the lobby through interconnected tunnels. The hotel, which is expected to be completed in 2018, will be union-built and unionoperated, Morse said. The project is a joint-venture with JetBlue, though MCR Development will own 95 percent of the hotel. There will also be a museum component to the building, with part of the terminal paying homage to the jet age of New York and TWA’s contribution to it. The terminal closed in 2001 because it was too small to accommodate modern Q aircraft.

C M SQ page 13 Y K Perdue Chicken Wing Sections

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Taking a second look at the water City to retest pipes at all schools after change in state regulations by Anthony O’Reilly Associate Editor

Citing an “abundance of caution,” the city Department of Education will retest the drinking water in all public schools after the state changed its protocol for ensuring it’s safe to consume. “First and foremost, New York City water is safe and families and staff should rest assured that our drinking water is of the highest quality in the world,” said Deputy Chancellor Elizabeth Rose in a letter sent home with children this week. The testing will be conducted throughout the winter season, the letter — available on the DOE’s website — states. At the center of the reason for retesting the drinking water is the state’s decision to ban the use of pre-stagnation flushing when testing for lead in schools’ pipes. The practice involves clearing the pipes before testing. Although the Environmental Protection Agency has not put out any guidelines regarding the practice, it came under fire from the same Virginia Tech professor who uncovered the water emergency crisis in Flint, Mich., who argued in an Aug. 31 New York Times article that flushing hides the true lead levels and that the city’s numbers — released after the first round of testing conducted months before that — should “be thrown in

After the state changed how school districts should test for lead levels in its drinking water, the city Department of Education has decided to retest all the pipes in the five boroughs while reassuring parents the water is “the highest quality in the world.” the garbage, and the city should start over.” The state, which last year became the first to require the testing of lead levels in its public schools’ drinking water, changed its practices shortly after the Times article. According to a 2015 report by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 840

Longtime PS 108 principal is retiring Has led South OP school since 2000 by Anthony O’Reilly Associate Editor

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Mar ie Biondollilo — the longtime principal at PS 108, the Capt. Vincent G. Fowler School in South Ozone Park — is retiring at the end of the year, District 27

Marie Biondollilo

FILE PHOTO

Superintendent Mary Barton announced at Monday’s community education council meeting. “District 27 would like to thank Principal Biondollilo for her years of service,” Barton said at the meeting held at PS 62 in Arverne. “She’s been an outstanding principal.” Her retirement is effective Dec. 31 and now-Assistant Principal Jennifer Iovine will be promoted to interim acting principal on Jan. 1. The Department of Education must conduct what is called a C-30 process to find a permanent replacement. Biondollilo has been principal at the K-5 school since 2000 and before that served in the DOE, then the Board of Education, as an assistant principal and teacher. During her tenure at PS 108, she led an annual tradition honoring the school’s namesake, who died while responding to a massive South Ozone Park blaze in 1999. The school was named in honor of the Rosedale firefighter the next year. Every March, students perform singing and dancing routines for his family and Q community leaders.

children under the age of 6 had what the federal government calls a concerning amount of lead in their blood. In 2005, that number was 2,705. Goldstein said not one child has gotten sick from lead in school drinking water. Lead poisoning can lead to neurological problems in children and in extreme cases be deadly.

When the city conducted testing for lead levels earlier this year, it found very few schools had levels above the federally allowed level and those that did had their pipes replaced almost immediately. The city’s decision to retest the water was celebrated by Queens officials. “I think a greater cause for concern would be if they just rushed through the testing,” said state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach). “It’s about getting it right, it’s not about getting it done quickly ... I really don’t think we can be too safe when it comes to the safety of our children.” Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven), an avid supporter of the testing though not a supporter of the bill that previously required it, said no parents have come to him with concerns, but that “You could taste it, it’s not the normal tap water that you’re used to.” Councilman Danny Dromm (D-Jackson Heights), the Education Committee chairman, said he has been contacted by concerned parents and is happy the city is going ahead with another round of testing. “It’s a step in the r ight direction,” Dromm said. “I think it’s a response from the DOE from complaints by parents to reassure them that the water is safe to drink. The safety of our students has to be the Q utmost concern.”

Resorts surpasses blood donation goal Racino collects 100 pints in 2016 Resorts World Casino earlier this year set a goal of collecting 93 pints of blood in 2016 during semiannual blood drives held at the South Ozone Park racino. Following its last drive of the year last Friday, Resorts World announced it surpassed that goal by seven pints. “I was ecstatic to see the results of our final blood drive, where we were able to collect 29 units of blood and surpass our goal for the year,” said Michelle Stoddart, director of PR and community development at Resorts World. “We couldn’t have done it without the incredible support of the Ozone Park community.” Last Friday’s event also surpassed the goal set for the day — the racino had hoped to collect 23 pints of blood and collected six more than it hoped for. Almost half the donors for that day were racino employees. There were four blood drives hosted throughout the year and there are already three scheduled for 2017 — on April 20, July 13 and Oct. 6. Hospitals and nonprofits are almost

Bill Singh, Resorts World’s director of financial planning and analysis, donated some PHOTO COURTESY RESORTS WORLD of his blood. always urging people to donate blood as the city continues to see a shortage of it. A pint of blood can save up to three Q lives. — Anthony O’Reilly

C M SQ page 15 Y K Page 15 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016 Page 16

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Meter payments by phone coming in ’17 No coins, bank cards or dashboard tickets necessary; summer ETA by Michael Gannon Editor

By next summer, drivers in Queens should no longer have to be running out of stores, restaurants or doctors’ appointments to feed their Muni-Meters. Mayor de Blasio and city Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg on Monday unveiled ParkNYC, a means of paying for parking without having to feed coins or a bank card into a Muni-Meter in the Kips Bay neighborhood of Manhattan. The program allows drivers to download an app or register their car online at parknyc. org and create an account that permits them to pay remotely, with no paper receipt needed on the dashboard. De Blasio said it will save drivers time and spare them inconvenience. Trottenberg said the program should be expanded to the outer boroughs by summer 2017. “Parking in New York City can be a challenge, but ParkNYC will make it just a bit easier,” de Blasio said in a statement issued by his office. “With no paper receipt and the ability to quickly get on your way, this new pay-by-cell tool fulfills our commitment — made in this year’s State of the City address — that we would help save New Yorkers the most precious of resources: their time.” Trottenberg said with no added fees,

By the end of summer, Queens residents should have the option of paying for parking by using their cell phones without having to stick coins or credit cards into a Muni-Meter. City officials PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON and AAA New York are hailing the system as a huge benefit for drivers. mobile alerts will let drivers know when a parking session is ending, giving them “the ability to extend a session without returning to your car.” After downloading the app or going online to register, drivers need to enter an email, phone number and the license plate number of their car and select a password. They then

must set up a “wallet” that functions much the same way an E-ZPass does. After parking, drivers enter the posted street zone number for the block they are on and select the amount of time desired. The payment system is linked to the handheld computers carried by traffic enforcement agents on their patrols.

The first zone, which became operational last Friday, is in Manhattan between 14th and 59th Streets. Robert Sinclair Jr., manager of media relations for AAA New York, said convenience is not the only benefit the system offers drivers. “We’re looking forward to this. We think this is a great thing,” Sinclair told the Chronicle on Tuesday. “Especially when you consider that in fiscal year 2015, New York City collected $211 million in Muni-Meter revenue — and $658 million in fines.” Hope Knight, president and CEO of the Greater Jamaica Development Corp., which is overseeing a great amount of planned residential and commercial development, said her organization also supports the system. In statements issued through the Mayor’s Office, Councilman Costa Constantinides (D-Astoria) said the system will bring parking in the city into the 21st century, and Councilman Donovan Richards (D-Laurelton) echoed de Blasio’s comments on convenience. “There’s just never enough hours in the day, so saving a few minutes here and there can go a long way toward making somebody’s day that much easier,” Richards said. Further information may be obtained Q online at parknyc.org

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016 Page 18

C M SQ page 18 Y K

Thanks everyone for all your help Our office is filled with toys due to your generosity this holiday season by Anthony O’Reilly Associate Editor

The halls are lined with dolls and the tables stacked high with bags of clothes and puzzles for young girls and boys to enjoy this holiday season. No, we’re not describing Santa’s Workshop, we’re talking about the Queens Chronicle’s office after all of you heard our call for help in the last week of our 22nd annual toy drive. You all responded in a way that has astounded all of us here, with the only people happier than us are the children who have started receiving some of the gifts you’ve dropped off these past few weeks. There are so many people to thank for making all this happen and we’d like to mention them now. Special thanks go out to the team at Fitness Concepts, led by president Victor Sawchuk, Christina Kostaris from Harry’s Hardware in Middle Village and Glenn Schtoter of Whitestone, all of whom went above and beyond in their generosity. We’d also like to extend our sincere gratitude to the team at Queens Comfort, who while making some of the best macaroni and cheese in this borough raised funds and bought bags and bags of toys. They weren’t the only place in Astoria to

lend a helping hand, as we also saw plenty of elves from Astoria Creatives Meetup, QED Astoria and Astoria Coffee. Everyone at PS 290 also deserves a cup of hot chocolate this weekend for everything they did for the less fortunate. T ha n k s to st af f i ng compa ny J.W. Michael’s and Sutton Place from Manhattan for making the trek out to Queens to help out. With that said, we have more people than ever to thank for coming down to our the North Pole of Woodhaven Boulevard: Laura Donnelly of Ozone Park, Joan ne Stewar t of Woodhaven, Vicki, Barbara of Ridgewood, Cathy Chirichella of Ridgewood, Peter and Lillian Basile, Judy and Eric of Forest Hills, Lynn Mera of Glendale, Linda of Middle Village, Taryn Gallup and Hesham Saad of Astoria, Tom McCarthy of Woodhaven, Nanette of Ozone Park, Yves Nguyen from St. John’s University, Thomas Pich from Farmingdale, LI, Elaine Davidow, Howard Beach real estate offices Connexion and Jerry Fink, Lorraine McAndrews from Woodside, Marge Corridan from the Shannon Gaels Gaelic Athletic Association, Mike Rizzo of Glendale, the Altaro family from Maspeth and Irene from

Rego Park. We’d also like to thank our freelance photographer, Walter Karling, and former intern Bryant Rodriguez for bringing gifts while helping us put out quality content week after week. If we missed anyone, we apologize for omitting your name. Just as many of you, if not more, took the time to visit your area politicians to drop the gifts off at their office. We’ve had to make multiple trips there to pick up everything and we’re hearing t h e y ’r e s t i l l r e c e i v i n g contributions. So thank you for going there and thank you to the following politicians who volunteered their space: Councilman Danny Dromm, Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, Councilman Donovan Richards, Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (who collected for other drives as well as ours), state Sen. Leroy Comrie, Assemblyman Mike Miller, state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. and Councilman Eric Ulrich. We also appreciate our next door neighbor, Barosa Pizzeria and Restaurant, for accepting gifts after business hours and on the weekends. The gifts will continue to go to children in

A 41-year-old Jamaica woman was charged with two counts of custodial interference after allegedly taking her two young children from Jamaica Hospital Medical Center on Dec. 14. The NYPD said Candice Crump of Jamaica Avenue allegedly left the hospital, located in the 103rd Precinct, at about 2 p.m. with her 3-year-old daughter and 4-month-old son. Police said the children were removed in violation of a court order prohibiting Crump from doing so. The children’s names are being withheld by the Chronicle. Police notified the media later that day that the children had been found in the Bronx, and had been taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation. Crump was charged subsequent to the preliminary police investigation. The Daily News reported that Crump had been in an argument earlier in the day with Ricky Jones, the girl’s father, who had custody. The News reported that Crump and the girl sustained cuts in the altercation, and that Jones was arrested at the hospital before Crump allegedly left Q with the children.

Correction The Dec. 15 article “Manufacturing jobs coming to Ozone Pk.” misstated the status of the factory at 94-15 100 St. It is now home to Worksman Cycles. We regret Q the error.

Live music at Vetro’s wine bar

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Child snatched

four city homeless shelters: the Kings Inn Family Center in East Elmhurst, the Boulevard Family Residence in Elmhurst, the Metro Family Residence in East Elmhurst and the Saratoga Family Inn in Springfield Gardens, as well as Dove House, an emergency shelter for battered women or men and their children in eastern Queens. We are also working with other shelters and organizations to ensure as many children as possible have a Merry Christmas this year. Right now, as most of you know, homelessness is at a record-high in the city with more than 60,000 people in the shelter system — 20,000 of them are children, according to the Department of Homeless Services. We are collecting toys and clothes until today, Dec. 22. Many of the children are asking for Barbie and Baby Alive dolls, dollhouses, clothes, makeup kits, diaries, Yu-Gi-Oh trading cards and more. Some parents have written in asking for necessities such as diapers and wipes. They’re also requesting play mats for infants, plush toys, Fisher Price learning toys, learning blocks and books and more. We thank you in advance, and if you have any questions, please visit the Queens Chronicle office during business hours, 9 a.m. to 5 Q p.m., or call us at (718) 205-8000.

Thank you, Sutton Pl. team While we appreciate everyone who contributed to the 22nd annual Queens Chronicle toy drive, we have to take a moment to especially thank the team at 60 Sutton Place South in Manhattan for bringing

close to 10 bags filled with toys for the homeless boys and girls of Queens. Luis Rodriguez, left, and Eugene Thomas are seen here with just a small sampling of the toys they dropped off last week.

Vetro’s Restaurant & Wine Bar, located at 164-49 Cross Bay Blvd. in Howard Beach, is offering live entertainment.On Thursdays, there will be live music by guitarist Paolo Altieri from 7 to 10 p.m. The Friday shows run from 9 p.m. to midnight. Fri., Dec 23: Acoustic guitarist Frank Perisco will perform; Sat., Dec. 24: Spend Christmas Eve with Ami Jane as she performs Christmas carols from 6 to 10 p.m; Fri. Dec. 30: live music; Sat., Dec. 31: Jane will be back from 9 pm. to 1 a.m; Fri., Jan. 6: Doc & JC will perform acoustic songs from the ’60s, ’70s and beyond; Fri., Jan. 13: Michael Tesler, guitarist, will be playing top 40 music; Fri., Jan. 20: Guitarist Kurt Borst will be playing everything from top 40 hits to the classics; and Fri., Feb 24: Andy Putman will perform rock & roll hits. Doors open at 4 p.m. on all nights. Free valet parking is offered for anyone driving to and from the shows. For more information, call (718) 843-8387 or visit Q vetronyc.com.

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Queens Museum seeks MLK readings Crowdsourced bibliography on race by Nicholas Theodorou Chronicle Contributor

Police Officer Michael Renna, second from right, had noticed two men walking up and down the streets of Lindenwood in the early morning hours of Nov. 25. After stopping and questioning them, he discovered the duo were from Brooklyn and told them to “get out of here,” said Capt. Brian Bohannon, commander of the 106th Precinct. Only a few hours later, Renna and his partner saw a car driving at a low rate of speed in

the old side of Howard Beach — with the same two men inside. They allegedly had stolen the car and were placed under arrest. For this arrest, Renna was honored as the 106th Precinct’s Cop of the Month at the command’s community council meeting last Wednesday. He is seen here with Lt. Frank DiPreta, the precinct’s special operations coordinator, left, his mother, Regina, godson, David, and Bohannon.

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The Queens Museum is looking for submissions of readings for a crowdsourced bibliography on the subject of peace in observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 15. Organizers are seeking published poetry, editorials or excerpts from essays and books. The museum also welcomes original unpublished writings. The museum, located at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, asks submissions to be no longer than 750 words. All are welcome to sign up to read their own or other’s works. The categories include different cultural definitions of peace; religious and spiritual teaching on peace; interpersonal peacemaking; and diplomacy, statecraft and international conflict resolution. Works should be submitted by Dec. 27 at queensmuseum.org. Those who submit material will be informed if they are approved by Jan. 6. All who are approved will be asked to take

a place at the Peace Table. During the final month of the exhibit, the readings will be printed and made available to the public . The Peace Table is Mierle Laderman Ukeles’ blurred glass circular table that appears to float in the museum’s central atrium. It was commissioned in 1997 by the Los The Rev. Martin Angeles Museum Luther King Jr. FILE PHOTO of Contemporary Art and was used for “peace talks” by various peacemakers following the 1992 Rodney King incident. Now, 25 years later, the Queens Museum looks to continue these peace talks. Anyone with questions or seeking further information is asked to call (718) 5929700 or send an email to info@queensQ museum.org.

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Avella launches de Blasio challenge Pol kicks off campaign at controversial Holiday Inn Express in Maspeth by Matthew Bultman Chronicle Contributor

State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) has officially launched his run for mayor. Avella declared his candidacy Sunday afternoon in front of the Holiday Inn Express in Maspeth. The hotel has been the site of large protests over de Blasio’s placement of homeless individuals there without com mu nit y involvement. Surrounded by dozens of supporters, Avella emphasized the need for neighborhood leaders and residents to have input about what goes on in their community, something he said has been lacking under the de Blasio administration but would be a theme of his campaign. “They should have a say, they should be determining what’s happening,” Avella said. “And until we do that, we’re not going to solve the homeless problem, we’re not going to solve any problem because you cannot dictate from the top this great city.” A graduate of Hunter College, Avella served as an aide to former Mayors Ed Koch and David Dinkins before winning a seat on the City Council in 2001 representing northeast Queens. He easily won re-election in 2005, before launching an unsuccessful bid for mayor in 2009. As a state senator, he has clashed with de Blasio on a number of issues, including the

Surrrounded by supporters, state Sen. Tony Avella officially started his Democratic primary chalPHOTO BY MATTHEW BULTMAN lenge to Mayor de Blasio at Maspeth’s contested Holiday Inn Express. administration’s use of hotels as homeless shelters. Earlier this year, he joined protests outside the Holiday Inn in Maspeth and worked with community leaders to get the use of two other hotels in Bellerose phased out. “It is time to stop dumping homeless families and individuals in hotels and motels throughout the city without support services and the prospect of stable long-term housing and without community input and involvement,” Avella said Sunday. He also criticized the mayor’s proposal for a

streetcar linking Brooklyn and Queens, calling it a “billion-dollar boondoggle,” and the “crazed rush” to install bike lanes and pedestrian plazas, which he said do little to increase pedestrian safety. In addition, the senator advocated for a 2 percent limit on property tax increases (something that applies to the rest of the state but not New York City), free tuition at CUNY for city residents, and more help for small businesses. “It is time to put people and neighborhoods first in this city and politics last,” he said.

Avella’s intention to run for mayor was formalized earlier last week after he filed papers with the city’s Campaign Finance Board. On Sunday, more than 100 people braved overcast skies and the threat of rain to be part of the official announcement. Juniper Park Civic Association President Bob Holden said Avella would bring a level of cooperation with civic groups and community leaders that has been noticeably absent under the de Blasio administration. “No elected official that I have worked with is so honest and works with the civic associations, recognizes the civics,” he said. Avella enters what is shaping up to be a crowded field of candidates. Former Fox news contributor and private detective Bo Dietl has already declared his intention to run for mayor, as has former Brooklyn Councilman Sal Albanese. City Comptroller Scott Stringer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-Brooklyn, Queens) are also considered possible contenders. Weighed against the war chests of de Blasio and Stringer, Avella’s fundraising looks meager. A committee called “Tony Avella for New York” has a balance of $73,138.21, according to the most recent disclosure report for it. Respectively, the comptroller and mayor have $1.5 million and $1.7 million balances in their Q 2017 accounts.

Will Queens vote to end hotel shelters? Many in borough sick of de Blasio policy for housing the homeless by Ryan Brady

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Associate Editor

Turning hotels into homeless shelters has been perhaps the most hated and hot-button de Blasio administration policy in Queens this year, drawing thousands of people from several neighborhoods to call for an end to them. Just under a year away from the mayoral election, the issue weighs heavily on the minds of many borough voters. “Hotels don’t work,” Juniper Park Civic Association President Bob Holden, who has led the opposition to using the Holiday Inn Express in Maspeth to house the homeless, told the Chronicle. “Hotels shouldn’t be shelters.” Holden is a supporter of the Home Stability Support Plan proposed by Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi (D-Forest Hills), which aims to keep families in their houses. “They made it easier for people to access the shelter system but they didn’t have the infrastructure set up to house everyone,” Holden said. “They were overwhelmed and as a result, it became a mess and

they’re wasting millions of taxpayer dollars putting people in hotel rooms for $6,500 a month. It’s ridiculous.” The civic leader has endorsed state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) — who launched his Democratic primary bid outside of the hotel in Maspeth and will make homelessness a central campaign issue — for mayor. He made it clear that shelters are not the only issue that he is looking at. “That’s not the only issue, there’s more but it’s certainly a major issue for us,” Holden said. City Comptroller Scott Stringer, whose name has been floated as a possible mayoral contender, has been a vocal critic of the mayor’s hotel shelter policy, as has Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), the potential Republican challenger. The city’s homeless population — many of whose members work but cannot afford sky-high rents — has soared to 60,000 under de Blasio. The Department of Homeless Services could not provide the number of hotels being rented to

house homeless people prior to deadline. The mayor has said he would phase out the practice but ended up expanding it. For Queens Colony Civic Association President Angie Augugliaro, who worked with Councilman Barry Grodenchik (D-Oakland Gardens) and Avella to get the owners of two hotels in Bellerose to agree to phase out their usage as shelters, the issue is also a major one. “They were affecting the quality of life in Bellerose,” she said. “It’s not that we didn’t have empathy for the homeless. We do.” She also says that de Blasio will do worse in her neighborhood than he did when he was elected due to the shelter policy. “Based upon what we’ve gone through here in Bellerose, I would say there would be fewer people that would vote for him,” Auguglario said. Jennifer Chu of Elmhurst United, a vocal opponent of the city’s using the Pan American Hotel as a homeless shelter, is also opposed to how the administration handles the issue.

Many Queens voters are unhappy with the de Blasio administration’s policy of using hotels —such as the Pan American in Elmhurst — to house homeless people, which may hurt the incumbent in next year’s mayoral election. FILE PHOTO

“The past three mayors fought against the right to shelter law in court,” Chu said. “De Blasio, in contrast, supports it. This might have something to do with why there’s more and more [homeless] coming in.”

Naturally, Avella — who called on the Department of Homeless Services to not use the Queens Boulevard hotel — would be a more attractive candidate to someone like Chu. continued on page 27

C M SQ page 23 Y K Page 23 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016

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Council mum on alleged scandals But civic leaders critical of de Blasio say ‘it’s about time’ he’s looked into by Anthony O’Reilly Associate Editor

Four Queens members of the City Council last week declined to speak on the reported convening of two grand juries looking into the fundraising practices of Mayor de Blasio. The rest did not respond to requests for comment. Federal and state prosecutors have begun presenting evidence or issuing subpoenas regarding investigations into whether the mayor violated fundraising regulations, according to published reports. In the federal case, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara is presenting evidence that de Blasio allegedly collected large sums of money for the nowdisbanded Campaign for One New York, which hizzoner used to fund public relations support for initiatives such as Universal PreK, in exchange for favors. If it’s found de Blasio engaged in an explicit quid-pro-quo scheme, he could be indicted under federal law. In a separate case, the office of Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. reportedly has issued subpoenas and spoken to witnesses regarding the mayor allegedly soliciting donations in 2014 from many individuals and groups for county Democratic committees, which in turn gave the money to candidates

in Senate races in a bid to take control of the higher chamber away from the Republican majority. That was done, according to a state Board of Elections memo, in an effort to dodge campaign finance laws that cap contributions to a specific candidate. The mayor, whose press office did not respond to a request for comment on this story, has unequivocally denied any wrongdoing in both cases. At press time, the offices of Councilmembers Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside), Elizabeth Crowley (D-Glendale), Donovan Richards (D-Laurelton) and Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) said they would not comment on the case. Ulrich is considering a run against Democrat de Blasio next year. Richards endorsed de Blasio, along with six of his colleagues, for re-election over the weekend. “The City is heading in the right direction, so we need to continue this push to provide more opportunities for working families and the middle class,” he said in a statement. Bob Turner, chairman of the Queens Republican Party, said while the news looks bleak for de Blasio, he’s “seemed able to shrug this off.” Still, Turner hopes “this investigation is as

thorough as it’s supposed to be,” adding, “De Blasio has played fast and loose with the rules and there’s a taint and smell of corruption at City Hall right now.” De Blasio critic Jennifer Chu, founder of Elmhurst United, believes the investigations could lead to more information on the city’s practices with homeless shelters in Queens, such as the Boulevard Family Residence at the for mer Pan Am hotel on Queens Boulevard. “Hopefully, more information comes to light,” Chu said. “It’s hard to find that money trail, but with the power of the federal government and state government, hopefully they do find it.” Bob Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association, and another staunch critic said “it’s about time with that guy. “We’ve been hearing all these stories and we expected this would be coming,” Holden added. “I would think that nobody would be able to be re-elected after this.” Turner did not say if the probes would explicitly hurt de Blasio’s chances of being re-elected next year, but said the alleged corruption “will be a theme” for Republicans running for seats in City Hall. “As well as the slower New York economy for the working class, which has largely been ignored,” he added. “There’s also schools and

Queens Council members are mum on the controversies surrounding Mayor de Blasio’s FILE PHOTO fundraising practices. charter schools, and the failing public schools. We have to lay that on the mayor’s doorsteps. There are a number of important Q issues. We got enough to work with.”

State Senate Dems win, but still lose Queens delegation’s Albany agenda hampered as GOP holds on in Senate by Michael Gannon

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Editor

State Sens. Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn) and Carl Marcellino (D-Oyster Bay) may not be household names in Queens. But their re-election —Marcellino’s certified only last week after a recount — has the ability to toss a monkey wrench into the legislative plans of Queens’ entirely Democratic contingent to Albany for the next two years. With Felder agreeing once again to caucus with the GOP and Democrat John Brooks upsetting embattled Republican Sen. Michael Venditto (R-Massapequa) in a recount, the Democrats fell one short of a working majority when Marcellino held off challenger James Gauchran in a recount. Come January, 32 senators elected as Democrats will be sworn in at the state capital, along with 31 Republicans. “We expect to have a working majority,” Scott Reif, spokesman for state Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan (R-Oyster Bay) told the Chronicle. “Now that the absentee ballots have been counted and Sen. Marcellino has been re-elected, it’s time to focus on governing and doing the people’s business.” In the session that just ended Republicans had both Felder and a power-sharing agreement with the Independent Democratic Conference, a group of renegade Democrats. Led

State Sens. Simcha Felder, left, of Brooklyn and Carl Marcellino of Nassau may have dashed the hopes of many Queens Democrats this month — Marcellino by winning a close recount and Felder by announcing that he once again will caucus with Republicans. PHOTOS COURTESY NYS SENATE by Sen. Jeff Klein (D-Bronx, Westchester) the group had five members last year including Queens’ own Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside). This year the group is expected to grow to seven. Felder means the GOP would not necessarily even need the IDC alliance. No information was available from Flanagan’s or Klein’s offices regarding what if anything might be subject to negotiation before the start of the new session in January.

And while Queens Democrats in the Assembly can usually count on support for their bills to come up for votes and possible approval, nothing is assured of reaching Gov. Cuomo’s desk to be signed into law unless there is language in a bill or some sort of trade that is agreeable to the Senate GOP. Sen. Joe Peralta (D-East Elmhurst), for example, has been pushing for adoption of the DREAM Act, which would grant in-state col-

lege tuition assistance to the children of illegal immigrants. The measure died in the Senate last term. Speaking two weeks ago at a meeting of the 103rd Precinct Community Council, Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman (D-Springfield Gardens) spoke of her bills that have coasted through the Assembly but never see the light of day in the Senate. Peralta, in a statement from his office, said it is time for Democrats — particularly Gov. Cuomo — to act like Democrats. “New Yorkers made it clear that they want change in Albany, and that is why they elected a Democratic majority,” he said. “Democrats must work together to make a real difference in Albany and push the DREAM Act, ethics reform, and many other of our progressive issues. However, for some reason, the question about who controls the Senate is still up in the air, and Democrats do not have control. Democrats should stick together, especially when a Trump presidency promised to roll back our accomplishments.” Sen. Leroy Comrie (D-St, Albans) recently told the Chronicle the DREAM Act is one of his priorities. Peralta vowed it will be reintroduced in both chambers. “Now we need Governor Cuomo to unite all Democrats under the same banner,” he Q said.

C M SQ page 25 Y K Page 25 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016

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Audit finds problems at Success Academy Charter system says Scott Stringer ‘ambushed’ it with the findings by Anthony O’Reilly Associate Editor

Success Academy created the appearance of low administrative costs through inconsistent and incorrect financial reporting, while at the same time bilking the Department of Education for special education services it may not have provided, an audit by Comptroller Scott Stringer’s office claims. The report, released on Monday, found the charter school system failed to comply with its own financial rules, as well as those of its charter authorizer and other oversight agencies resulting in “duplicative and questionable payments from Success Academy schools to the Success Academy management ‘Network,’” and an inability to demonstrate that some special education services were actually delivered to students, despite Success’ billing the DOE for them. On the latter, Stringer calls for Success to reimburse the DOE for those costs. “We hope Success Academy will embrace our recommendations and adjust its practices. This isn’t about district versus charter schools — it’s about protecting taxpayer dollars and following the rules,” Stringer said in a statement accompanying the audit report. Charter schools, though privately operated, receive taxpayer funding for special programs and are sometimes placed in underuti-

Eva Moskowitz’s Success Academy charter school system came under fire from an audit released by Comptroller Scott Stringer’s office on Monday, which claimed the charter did not follow proper protocols for its finances or billing the DOE for special education services. FILE PHOTOS lized public school buildings. The DOE said in an emailed statement, “We have protocols in place for reviewing and processing reimbursement requests submitted by charter schools, and are dedicated to ensuring students with disabilities have access to the supports they need.” Success Academy not only disputed the

findings, but criticized Stringer’s interactions with the charter system in releasing the audit. “The comptroller’s office spent two years preparing this report but couldn’t unearth anything of substance,” Success Academy press secretary Nicole Sizemore said. “To prevent Success from disproving its claims

and correcting its misunderstandings, which would have been simple, Mr. Stringer ambushed us — providing less than three days to respond. We believe deeply in accountability, which is why we’re so troubled by this political grandstanding.” Sizemore also said “Success Academy employs one of the world’s top accounting firms to routinely and rigorously audit its finances,” without revealing what firm that is. Stringer’s office responded by saying “This audit took more than two years because Success took months, and in some cases more than a year, to turn over routine business records.” A source in the Comptroller’s Office said Success Academy was offered three dates to meet with auditors and declined all of them. “Why didn’t they meet with us on any of those three days or propose a firm, alternative date? They refused,” the spokeswoman said in an email. Councilman Danny Dromm (D-Jackson Heights), a vocal critic of Success Academy and other charter schools, said the audit shows “what I’ve been trying to bring to the forefront for a long time.” “These are not things to be taken lightly,” Dromm added. “This is why oversight of the Q charter schools is so vitally important.”

Jack Lew, Ron Chernow talk Hamilton at FHHS Without the framer, who knows where America would be: panelists by Christopher Barca

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It was more history, less hip-hop in Forest Hills on Monday. But hip-hop wasn’t totally absent, either. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and Pulitzer Prizewinning biographer Ron Chernow gathered at Forest Hills High School, their alma mater, on Monday for a discussion on Lew’s department, its history and its original leader, Alexander Hamilton. And of course, the hit Broadway play named for the Founding Father came up, with Chernow delighting the hundreds of students in attendance by performing most of the musical’s title track. “The world’s gonna know your name. What’s your name, man?” rapped Chernow, whose 2004 biography of the founder served as the basis for playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda’s creation. “Alexander Hamilton. My name is Alexander Hamilton!” While the topic of “Hamilton” the musical was a popular one, the two Forest Hills High School graduates spent a majority of the hour-long discussion talking about how Hamilton the man still impacts our financial system today. Specifically, it was Hamilton’s economic prowess that gave the f ledgling American government a chance to succeed, once the Constitution was ratified in 1789. “Hamilton inherits a government in 1789 that is mired in debt that no one thinks is going to be repaid. Five years later when he leaves, the U.S. credit rating is as good as any national borrower in

the world,” Chernow said. “If our government started with a recession or depression, we wouldn’t all be sitting here today at Forest Hills High School in such a nice country.” Hamilton is widely viewed as one of the more influential figures in 18th-century America. Despite being orphaned as a child on the Caribbean island of Nevis, he found himself serving as Commander-inChief George Washington’s top aide and advisor during the Revolutionary War. He would later go on to serve in the New York State Assembly and was one of the more prominent crafters of the Constitution. Besides serving as the first secretary of the treasury for five years, he also penned 51 of the 85 Federalist Papers, founded the United States Coast Guard and established the U.S. Mint. And while Lew said he and past treasury secretaries before him all try to learn from and emulate Hamilton in some ways, the role of the department in global affairs has changed dramatically since the 1790s. Lew — who led the Office of Management and Budget and served as President Obama’s chief of staff prior to being appointed as Treasury Secretary in 2013 — added that today’s leader of the Treasury must be well-versed and well-prepared when it comes to the international market, not just the American economy. “The job is stewardship over the American economy, but that has many different aspects to it,” Lew said. continued on page 28

Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, center, discusses the influence Founding Father Alexander Hamilton still has on the United States, not just in government but in the arts, alongside biographer Ron Chernow and moderator Maria Bartiromo on PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER BARCA Monday.

C M SQ page 27 Y K

can implement it. That’s the candidate that I would like to embrace.” The senator added that “transportation, job growth, education and public safety” will also be big issues in his district that he will consider before making an endorsement. Whether Southeast Queens’ concentration of hotels used for the homeless might result in the mayor getting a less-thanstellar response from voters there, unlike when he was elected, remains to be seen. According to Community Board 12 District Manager Yvonne Reddick, the largely African-American areas represented by the board — St. Albans, Springfield Gardens, Jamaica, Hollis and part of South Ozone Park — have far more hotel shelters than other sections of Queens. “We have 11 hotels being used as shelters,” she said. “That’s more than anyone else in the 14 community boards in Queens County.” With some of the locations, Reddick added, “the community is not even aware of” their usage to house the homeless. Some are not pleased with it, though. “We had an incident where loitering was going on,” she said. “People complain to the board... . People feel that we’re being dumped upon.” She would not, however, say if the issue will weaken de Blasio’s support Q there.

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continued from page 22 “He’s opposed the mayor’s policies on homelessness and he’s supported various groups on this,” she said. “I think he’s a good guy.” Rooms are being rented at the Par Central Motor Inn in Jamaica Hills to house the homeless. While the situation there has not resulted in community backlash as the hotels in Maspeth and Elmhurst have, it is unpopular with some residents. “I don’t like these hotel arrangements, none of us like it and I would like to see it not be a shelter hotel anymore,” Community Board 8 Chairwoman Martha Taylor said. She admitted, however, there is a dearth of choices available to de Blasio, who is bound by New York City’s right to shelter law to house all homeless people in the five boroughs. “It’s hard to find apartments because a lot of landlords don’t want to rent to people who’ve been coming out of homeless shelters,” Taylor, a supporter of Hevesi’s stability plan, said. “It’s a very difficult situation for the mayor.” State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach), whose district includes the Maspeth hotel, has decided not to endorse de Blasio for re-election. “Hotels being used as shelters is the wrong path to go down,” he said. “Show me a good alternative. Show me that you

Page 27 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016

Queens votes and hotel shelters

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016 Page 28

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For the past month, the little elves at MS 202 in Ozone Park have been busy donating, collecting and gathering up hundreds of items for those in need. In total, the students gathered 24 cases (2500+ lbs.) of canned foods, along with dry goods, which were all donated to City Harvest. Similarly, over 150 coats and jackets of all sizes, 75 hats, scarves and gloves, as well as more than 200 toy dolls, trucks, puzzles, games and stuffed animals, were donated to local churches and homeless shelters. The wonderful students were also responsible for creating over 400 handmade holiday cards that were sent to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Veterans’ Administration St. Alban’s Community Living Center. The spirit of giving is an extraordinary feeling that makes one feel great inside and out. It warms the heart like a cup of hot soup on a chilly winter day. This spirit was, indeed, evident on December 13, when Chorus Teacher Ms. Cho, Parent Coordinator Judy Rea, Guidance Counselor Ms. Lopez, and 30 extremely gifted MS 202 choral students took a ride to visit the Howard Beach Senior Center on Crossbay Blvd. The sounds of the holiday season resonated throughout the entire building and completely filled it with smiles of joy. The happiness shone on the faces of the seniors, and the children as they all sang together while clapping their hands and tapping their feet. The spirit of the holidays and the joy and happiness giving can bring, can be felt through the season and throughout the New Year. Photos and story courtesy of MS 202.

ATTENTION PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS SCHOOLS: If you would like to be featured on a School Spotlight page, call Lisa LiCausi, Education Coordinator, at (718) 205-8000, Ext. 110. TO SEE THESE STORIES ONLINE GO TO QCHRON.COM/SCHOOLNEWS.

Hamilton talk continued from page 26 “I was surprised at the extent at which the international component takes much of your time. “When you face the world, you’re always talking about the American economy,” he added. “But in this global economy, if you just focus on the United States, you won’t have as strong of an American economy.” Today, Hamilton’s face adorns the $10 bill, with his likeness featured on statues and memorials across the country, but he doesn’t quite have the name recognition of

a Thomas Jefferson or a George Washington, Chernow said. “I started writing about Alexander Hamilton back in 1998 when, ironically enough, he was starting to fall into obscurity,” he said. “The idea that he was a second- or third-rate founding father is misplaced.” But with the Broadway musical putting the framer’s name and legacy back into the public lexicon, Chernow said Hamilton would have just been overjoyed if he were alive today. “He was not a bashful boy. He would have loved this attention,” he said. “He would have loved those pretty women dancing around the stage singing his name.” Q

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C M SQ page 30 Y K

BSA legislation before Council

OPINION

Transportation horrors by Abe Mittleman The New York City taxi and for-hire transportation service has been invaded and taken over by illegal vehicles, most Taxi & Limousine Commission-licensed but many not licensed at all. The crimes the drivers of these vehicles commit not only happen on the city streets and at both major airports. Hotel employees and the drivers of these vehicles conspire with each other regularly each day at most if not all of New York City’s major hotels. The hotel doormen who are being paid by the drivers of the illegal vehicles lead unsuspecting travelers away from legal yellow medallion taxis, claiming they have cheaper rates than the taxis. Not only is this an illegal practice, the unsuspecting passengers are charged criminally gouging rates for the service. The wrongdoing that is taking place on a daily basis and at many of the major hotels is not news. Drivers of medallion taxis, the only taxis that can legally pick up passengers in New York City on demand, have been aware for many years of this activity. What is news is the way the overabundance of for-hire vehicles has grown to such an extent that in order for the drivers of these vehicles to earn a living they must seek to steal the fares of legal medallion taxi drivers. They are doing so at the airports, on the streets of New York City and at the hotels of the city by conspiring with the doormen and paying them for leading passengers to their vehicles. It is no secret that the previous administration in City Hall was not very friendly to the medallion taxi industry. It is well-documented in news articles that former Mayor Bloomberg in May of 2013 was quoted in a public place telling a large fleet owner of medallion taxis that he was going to “destroy [his] industry” when he was done with his term as mayor. Left out from this statement was the vulgarity Mr. Bloomberg used. When Bloomberg’s former taxi Commissioner David Yassky had the rates removed from the front doors of all the taxis several

months before this incident, we didn’t understand why this was bei ng done. These rates had been on taxis in New York City as far back as anyone today can remember. Considering what is happening now, it seems apparent that this was a well-planned attack, and removing the rates medallion taxis charge was one way to start the battle. When transportation seekers at the Midtown hotels approach the doormen asking for taxi service, they are told that the taxi rates are much higher than the illegal vehicles they are being led to. If you are a New Yorker, you know that the rate of fare to JFK airport is $52. The rates that are negotiated in the hotel lobbies are much higher. They are high enough so the drivers of the illegal vehicles can do very well. The doormen are doing well also with the fee they get from the drivers for this service. The losers are the customers who aren’t aware of fair fares the medallion taxis charge, and the taxi drivers who have to work harder to try to make up for these losses by putting in more hours of tiring driving. Although the authorities, police and TLC enforcement have been aware of this for a long time, they have not taken measures to put an end to the crimes that are being committed. This needs to be brought to light and enforcement of the city laws governing forhire vehicles must be carried out. Any excuse that authorities use for not doing so is totally unacceptable. The visitors to New York City deserve better than they are getting. They should be returning to their homes with positive stories of New York, not the horror stories of how they had been taken advantage of by illegal drivers for hire and hotel doormen. Q Abe Mittleman is a taxi medallion owner and former driver who runs nyctaxinews. com and a Brooklyn native who now lives in Boca Raton, Fla.

continued from page 2 says that some of the details would maybe be better changed. He would broaden the scope of the $25,000 fine, for one thing. “The penalty should apply not just to the applicant but to the attorney or the architect,” he said. Councilman Donovan Richards (D-Laurelton), Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) and Koslowitz support the legislation to create the interactive map. Another bill would require the hiring of a Department of City Planning coordinator for the BSA. Claims of financial hardship from applicants would have to meet minimum requirements that would be codified, as would those of a zoning lot’s physical uniqueness, if the measure which creates a $25,000 fine for lying applicants is passed. Another piece of legislation would require the agency’s executive director to appoint a state-certified general appraiser skilled in auditing and examining investments in real estate. Van Bramer introduced the bill to change how the BSA weighs community input, requiring the agency to refer to arguments presented to it — which are given by borough boards, community boards and the City Planning Commission — in its decisions. Another bill would mandate the BSA to notify variance holders six months in advance of their variance’s expiration. If they continue to use the lot for six months after that date, they would be subject to a $500 penalty that is incurred again if another six-month period passes. The 30-day period in which BSA decisions can be appealed in court would be extended to four months if one of the bills is passed. Another proposed law, introduced by Richards, would require the agency to notify Council members when it receives an application for a location in their district. Kallos, who chairs the Committee on Governmental Operations, also introduced legislation to make the agency publish a detailed annual report about its permit and variance decisions. The report would have to state the length of time between the fil-

ing of an application and when a decision on it is reached, how many appeals are granted and other relevant information. Not everyone supports the bills. New York City Zoning Advisory Council President Sheldon Lobel, a land-use attorney who has worked on BSA applications for decades, voiced criticism of some of them at the hearing. Lobel disputes the claim that the agency rubber-stamps applications — despite a 2012 analysis from the good government group Citizens Union that found the BSA decided as the applicant wished in 97 percent of a set of 108 cases, a portion of which were opposed by community boards. Lobel mentioned how in pre-application meetings with the board’s chairperson, a requested variance can be dismissed so that filing an application is a non-starter. “Right then, she says, ‘I don’t see it’ or ‘I see it,’” Lobel said, adding that many would-be cases do not come to the BSA for that reason. Lobel added that the proposed $25,000 penalty would discourage applicants who cannot handle such a loss from filing with the BSA at all. “Then no one’ll be able to go for a variance,” he said. As not everyone with a case before the agency is a wealthy developer — religious facilities and community centers also sometimes need variances — some ordinary, people could be hurt by some of the bills penalties, Lobel explained. The land-use lawyer is not opposed to the whole legislative package, however, citing the bill that would create a map of sites as a harmless one. “I’m not against all of them,” he said. “I’m just against those that would create more difficulties for the small business owners, the small property owners, churches and synagogues.” BSA Executive Director Ryan Singer expressed an openness to the legislation. “The Board welcomes the efforts to increase transparency and rigour, both efforts are in line with the goals of Chair [Marjorie] Perlmutter,” he said in an emailed statement. “We will continue to work with the City Council to achieve our shared goals within the constraints of our Q legal framework and budget.”

Rego man sentenced for anti-Muslim attack A Rego Park man was sentenced last Wednesday to 20 years in prison for brutally attacking a Muslim worshipper outside of a Flushing mosque in 2012. According to District Attorney Richard Brown, 59-year-old Bernhard Laufer stabbed 57-year-old Bashir Ahmad in the head, back, leg and hand and bit him on the nose at the Masjid Al-Aaaliheen mosque on Kissena Boulevard in Flushing on Nov. 18, 2012. T he at t ack ca me t wo d ays af ter Laufer both vandalized the house of worship’s door and left threatening mes-

Bernhard Laufer gets 20-year term sages on its voicemail. He was able to f lee the scene before authorities arrived, but not before he dropped his glasses. Police were able to recover Laufer’s DNA from them, eventually using the forensic evidence to track him down. After a two-week jury trial, he was found guilty last month of second-degree attempted murder as a hate crime, first-degree attempted assault as a hate crime, second-degree

assault as a hate crime, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and fourth-degree criminal mischief as a hate crime. Laufer also spent just over a year in prison earlier this decade for sending death threats via email to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, threatening to maim and kill the organization’s executive director, Nihad Awad. According to The New York Times, Laufer provided his name, phone number and

address in the email, called Awad a “Jihadi Bastard” and threatened to mutilate him by gouging his eyes out before he killed him. “As I’ve said many times in the past, crimes fueled by hate will never be tolerated in Queens County — the most diverse urban area in the entire nation,” Brown said in a statement. “The defendant in this case waged a war of terror against this mosque. Before this vicious attack, he repeatedly called the mosque and threatened to kill all Muslims.” Laufer originally faced 25 years in prison Q for the attack.

C M SQ page 31 Y K Page 31 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016

E P I S C O P A L H E A LT H S E R V I C E S I N C . W W W. EH S .O RG

EPIH-068539

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016 Page 32

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Tourism numbers up in city, borough NYU study says visitors to Queens are a large and growing resource by Michael Gannon

And he said the effort has been helped immeasurably by Katz using her office as a platform to be cheerleader-in-chief for the borough. “At the end of the day, if you own a deli or there is a successful bodega on your corner, that helps in a lot of ways. [Homeowners’] property values increase. Those businesses create jobs, the opportunity for people to be employed and pay taxes.” Grech said any numbers in Queens from 2015 were helped tremendously by the New York Mets’ appearance in the World Series, where they hosted three home games. “Any time you can get 50 or 60,000 people into one place for an event for three nights, where they all want to be participating in the surrounding hoopla, that’s a wonderful thing.” He said the two-week long US Open at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is another major contributor, as is the now annual music concert series at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, the former home of the US Open. “They deserve kudos,” Grech said of the club. “They’ve got an intimate venue with high-level events.” Grech said ongoing and planned improvements to John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports should only bolster tourQ ism in the future.

Editor

Mayor de Blasio on Monday announced that the city has surpassed 60 million visitors in 2016, the first time the city has reached that mark. Less well-publicized was a document issued the next day by the Queens Economic Development Corp. stating that tourism was responsible for more than $5 billion in economic activity in the borough in 2015 via its airports, recreation and sports venues, cultural activities and food and beverage industries. The study was prepared by graduate students at the Jonathan M. Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism at New York University’s School of Professional Studies in cooperation with the Queens Tourism Council. “More tourism means we have more people investing in New York City and are able to create more sustainable jobs for more people,” de Blasio said in a statement issued by his office. “New York is a culturally rich and diverse city, with so much to offer those who visit.” “The all-time high tourism numbers are encouraging and strong indicators of growth for our city,” Borough President Melinda Katz said in a statement issued by her office. While Katz said exact numbers for Queens in 2016 are expected in the coming months, the NYU

The US Open Tennis Championship in Flushing Meadows is among the assets and attractions that bring visitors and money from around the world. The city and the Borough of Queens are PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON celebrating figures for both this week. study said Queens in 2015 proved to be a microcosm of the city’s success. The report stated that tourism supported nearly 57,000 jobs and pumped about $753 million in state and local taxes into government coffers. Thomas Grech, executive director of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, told the Chronicle Wednesday that he had not yet read

the NYU report. But he said a strong tourism base has a direct positive effect on Queens homeowners and businesses. “I think we’ve been getting the word out better,” Grech said. “Queens used to be a place you would pass through. Now it is a destination itself. It helps that we have a robust variety of art galleries, good attractions and cultural events.”

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Hanukkah

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December 22, 2016

ARTS, CULTURE C ULTURE E & LIVING L LIIIV VIN NG

Charlie Brown!

Page 33 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016

Merry Christmas,

Peanuts gang ponders the reason for the season in LIC It’s unlikely anyone could have imagined on the evening of Dec. 9, 1965, when “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” a half-hour animated T V special, aired for the first time, that the show would turn into such a phenomenon. But now, slightly more than 50 years later, it’s alive (well, live, actually) and well at The Secret Theatre in Long Island City, where it is being performed on stage through Dec. 30. It was “a staple in my home growing up,” said the show’s direc tor, Ashley Gunsteens. “Back in the days when we had no cable TV, my father used to record the TV Christmas specials

for me on old VHSs so I could watch them over and over.” Naturally, this was one of them. And Gunsteens’ family wasn’t the only one that got hooked on the show and followed it across the years. “It was a holiday touchstone for my family,” explained Bayside resident Mary Tlamsa. “The message was so clear: Christmas joy comes f rom t he go o dne ss of g iving rat her t ha n the getting.” Now a grandmother, Tlamsa recalled her father’s reaction one year after watching the show with his family. “He told us what his favorite part was — the scrawny, beautiful tree.

To him, the tree each year is the gift that just wants us to enjoy.” So much a part of her life is the program that she remembers watching it shor tly after her uncle died and thinking, “At lea s t we will always have Peanuts. Silly, but of great comfort during sad times.” For Jackson Heights native Douglas Gladstone, the show took on an equally special meaning. “I grew up in a fairly secular Jewish household,” Gladstone said. “I was in rapture listening to Linus’ King James scripture reading from the Gospel of Luke. It was spellbinding to me. Continued page continued ononpage 37

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by Mark Lord

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016 Page 34

C M SQ page 34 Y K

boro

W H AT ’ S H A P P E N I N G

EXHIBITS

SPECIAL EVENTS

“Who’s Exploiting Who in the Deep Sea?”, textile sculptures of crabs, sharks and more by Cosima von Bonin, examining the opposing sides of the sea: mysterious underworld and popular beaches. Thru Jan. 2, Thu.-Mon., 11 a.m.-6 p.m., SculptureCenter, 44-19 Purves St., Long Island City. Suggested $5; $3 students; free for LIC residents. Info: (718) 361-1750, sculpture-center.org.

Chinese and a Movie!, with four films, “Kubo and the Two Strings” (11:30 a.m.), “Sully” (1:30 p.m.), “Hell or High Water (3:15 p.m.), “Don’t Think Twice” (5:15 p.m.), a comedy show, “Hunan Delighten Up: A Holiday Special” (7 p.m.), and Chinese takeout food available for purchase. Sun., Dec. 25, QED, 27-16 23 Road, Astoria. Free. Info: (347) 451-3873, qedastoria.com.

“Neither Here Nor There,” paintings, photographs, sculpture and more by eight French artists living in the U.S., sharing a sense of figurative isolation. Thru Jan. 20, Fri., 3-6 p.m., Sun., 1-6 p.m. or by app’t, Radiator Gallery, 10-61 Jackson Ave., LIC. Free. Info: (347) 677-3418, radiatorarts.com.

Holiday open house, with tours of the 1772 Adriance Farmhouse, Victorian-style Christmas tree, cider, kids’ seasonal craft activities and more. Mon.-Wed., Dec. 26-28, 12-4 p.m., Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy., Floral Park. Free. Info: (718) 347-3276, queensfarm.org.

“World Amigurumi Exhibition vol. 3: Mixed Materials Made Mini Monsters!,” taking the Japanese art of crocheting stuffed animals and other creatures and objects in a new direction with unique shapes and materials, with artists from all over the world. Thru March 31, Resobox, 41-26 27 St., Long Island City. Free. Info: (718) 784-3680, resobox.com.

COURTESY PHOTO

Chanukah Menorah-Lighting Ceremony, celebrating the Jewish Festival of Lights, by Boro President Melinda Katz and Chabad of Queens. Tue., Dec. 27, 4 p.m., Queens Borough Hall, 120-55 Queens Blvd., Kew Gardens. Free. Info/RSVP: (718) 286-2661, queensbp.org/rsvp.

“Nikon Small World 2016,” with winning images from the photomicrography competition, such as a zebrafish embryo’s developing face, a butterfly proboscis, a polished slab of agate and dozens more. Thru Feb. 26, New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111 St., Corona. Free with admission: $15; $12 students, seniors, kids. Info: (718) 699-0005, nysci.org. “GingerBread Lane,” the 2013-15 world record holder for largest gingerbread village, with edible, homemade houses by chef Jon Lovitch. Thru Sun., Jan. 15; with gingerbread house-building workshops Dec. 28, 29, 1 and 3 p.m., New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111 St., Corona. Free with admission; workshops $10 per kit. Info: (718) 699-0005, nysci.org.

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“Found and Funky,” mixed-media works made of found objects and paying homage to the jazz term for an art piece achieving its highest form. Thru Sat., April 8, Materials for the Arts, 33-00 Northern Blvd., 3rd floor, Long Island City. Free. Info: (718) 729-2007, mfta.org.

Kwanzaa Celebration, marking the African-American cultural holiday, by Boro President Melinda Katz and the African American Heritage Committee. Tue., Dec. 27, 6 p.m., Queens Borough Hall, 120-55 Queens Blvd., Kew Gardens. Free. Info/RSVP: (718) 286-2661, queensbp.org/rsvp. Youngsters who attend one of the Alley Pond Environmental Center’s programs next week just might get a chance to meet Inca the Hedgehog or APEC’s dozens of other Animal Ambassadors before or after the event, just like this frosty little fellow did. See Kids/Teens. PHOTO BY SASHA SICARD / APEC

Gingerbread House Workshop with Victorian Crafts, with attendees decorating mini-gingerbread houses and cookies to take home, cocoa, museum tour and reading of “Hansel and Gretel.” Wed., Dec. 28, 11 a.m., Voelker Orth Museum, 149-19 38 Ave., Flushing. $5; $8 families. Info: (718) 359-6227, vomuseum.org.

MUSIC

New Year’s Eve Dinner Dance, with music, food, drinks and more. Sat., Dec. 31, 8 p.m.-1 a.m., Italian Charities of America, 83-20 Queens Blvd., Elmhurst. $65. Info: (718) 478-3100.

Queensboro Symphony Orchestra, Pre-New Year’s Eve Concert, with Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy and Haydn’s “Farewell” Symphony. Thu., Dec. 29, 8 p.m., Mary’s Nativity Church, 46-02 Parsons Blvd., Flushing. Free-will offering. Info: (718) 359-5996, facebook.com/queensborosymphonyorchestra.

Kelly Franké drawings, with works by the Astoria artist and Long Island native featuring Queens, NYC and LI, on display and for sale. Thru May, QED, 27-16 23 Road, Astoria. Free. Info: (347) 451-3873, qedastoria.com.

FILM

“Q100: photographing the city bus to Riker’s Island,” highlighting the loved ones of people detained in the city jail. Thru Sun., Jan. 15, Qns Collective, 36-27 36 St., Long Island City. Free. Info: queenscouncilarts.org.

“White Christmas,” the 1953 musical with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen, about two Army vets turned songand-dance duo and two nightclub performers at an inn in Vermont. Sat., Dec. 24, 12 p.m., Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35 Ave., Astoria. $12; $9 seniors, students; $7 kids 3-17. Info: (718) 777-6888, movingimage.us.

“Shivers,” dystopic paintings by Sascha Braunig of fantastical sculptural constructions and more that depict bodies under duress at a time when individual experience seems threatened by outside forces. Thru March 5, MoMA PS1, 22-25 Jackson Ave., Long Island City. Free with admission: $10; $5 students, seniors; free under 16. Info: (718) 784-2084, momaps1.org. SASCHA BRAUNIG “Life Reimagined,” more than two dozen paintings in various styles by residents of the Pomonok Senior Center in Flushing. Thru Sat., Dec. 31, Resorts World Casino Red Wall Art Gallery, 110-00 Rockaway Blvd., South Ozone Park. Free. Info: rwnewyork.com.

New Year’s Eve Spectacular, with TV comedians performing live, “grub from the city’s best” and more. Two shows: Sat., Dec. 31, 7:30-9 p.m. and 10-11:30 p.m., QED, 27-16 23 Road, Astoria. First show $20; $30 with dinner; second show $20; $40 with dinner. Info: (347) 4513873, qedastoria.com. New Year’s Eve at Club360, with live performances by disco stars Tavares (“It Only Takes a Minute”) and France Joli (“Come to Me”), party favors, one drink ticket and champagne toast. Sat., Dec. 31, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. (doors open 8 p.m.), Resorts World Casino, 110-00 Rockaway Blvd., South Ozone Park. $40. Info: events@rwnewyork.com.

KIDS/TEENS Winter Wildlife, teaching kids how area animals survive the cold weather, with interactive activities, science-themed reading, a craft and more, with three groups for ages 3, 4-5 and 6-7. $18. Animal Care Club, with kids gaining hands-on experience feeding and brushing animals and earning a certificate, for kids 8-12. $17. Both programs Wed., Dec. 28, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Alley Pond Environmental Center, 228-06 Northern Blvd., Douglaston. Info/pre-registration (req’d): (718) 229-4000, alleypond.com.

“Christmas, Again,” the 2014 drama-romance with Kentucker Audley about a heartbroken Christmas tree salesman who finds hope again after rescuing an unconscious woman. Sat., Dec. 24, 2 p.m., Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35 Ave., Astoria. $12; $9 seniors, students; $7 kids 3-17. Info: (718) 777-6888, movingimage.us. CHARLES POEKEL

Teen Happy Hour, to chill with friends and play board, card games or the library’s Nintendo Wii U or X Box 360. Each Fri. thru Dec. 30, 4-6 p.m., Flushing Library, 41-17 Main St. Free. Info: (718) 661-1200, queenslibrary.org. continued on page 36

Send theater, music, art or event items to What’s Happening via artslistingqchron@gmail.com

C M SQ page 35 Y K Page 35 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016

The art of the mundane qboro contributor

Palms out, fingers reaching skyward, they rise in exaltation by the thousand. The gloves in Mierle Laderman Ukeles’ “Ceremonial Arch IV” belonged to workers in New York’s Fire, Police, Sanitation, Environmental Protection, Parks, Cultural Affairs and Transportation departments, as well as the USPS, MTA and ConEdison. They bloom outward in bands from the six-pillared structure — each of the pillars constructed from these departments’ tools of the trade. Bearing the names of the workers who wore them, these gloves have shaped the landscape of the city by keeping it intact.

‘Maintenance Art’ When: Through Feb. 19 Where: Queens Museum, Flushing Meadows Corona Park Entry: $8; $4 seniors, kids; free to students, some city employees (718) 592-9700, queensmuseum.org

“Ceremonial Arch IV” is a central piece to Mierle Laderman Ukeles’ career retrospective at the Queens Museum, titled “Maintenance Art.” The installation typifies the reverence that Ukeles holds for maintenance workers of every stripe. Not only a common theme throughout her decades of art, daily work, for Ukeles, becomes a radical artistic practice. By charting a temporal journey through Ukeles’ projects, the museum achieves a sprawling impression of Ukeles’ whole oeuvre that links her interests in art, feminism, ecology and above all, adoration for the art of everyday upkeep. In her artist’s statement, Ukeles frames the beginning of her career as a search for freedom. “Art is freedom expressed. I became an artist to be free,” she says. But in 1968, when she had her first child, her freedom became oriented towards doing everything to allow the daughter she loved to thrive. Frustrated at the inability to continue her art in the fashion she desired while being a mother, she had an epiphany. “If I am the boss of my boundless freedom, then I call necessity art. I name Maintenance — Art,” said Ukeles. Ukeles’ conceptual views on art, laid out

“Ceremonial Arch IV” contains 5,000 used and signed work gloves from employees of PHOTO BY NEIL CHIRAGDIN many city agencies, the MTA, Postal Service and Con Edison. in the “Manifesto for Maintenance Art 1969!”, reflect larger art-historic movements such as Fluxus, a school of thought that advocated for a widening of the bounds of what was considered art. The movement, prominent in the 1960s and ’70s, held that everyone should have access to art and anyone could create art at any time. In Ukeles’ “Manifesto,” she distinguishes between two

forms of art: Development (pure creation) and Maintenance (the preservation, protection, defense and renewal of pure creation). The proposal attached to “Manifesto” was ultimately rejected, but her ideals had crystallized. Her views manifested early on in performance art that Ukeles created in the early continued on page 39

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016 Page 36

C M SQ page 36 Y K

Light Up Your Holidays! LIMITED ENGAGEMENT

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DAN IC & S U CE W M G NE XPERIEN N I Y E TRIF IVE ELEC TERACT E H T IN

Family Workshop: My Maps, with kids 5-12 and their adult companions creating their own maps after examining the “Nonstop Metropolis: The Remix” exhibit. Adaptations available for kids with special needs. Wed., Dec. 28, 1:30-4:30 p.m. (drop in anytime), Queens Museum, Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Free with admission: suggested $8; $4 seniors; free students, children. Info: (718) 592-9700, queensmuseum.org.

App Design 101, with kids in grades 3-5 learning the basics of computer application design and creating their own apps using a free open-source online tool, MIT App Inventor. Mon., Dec. 26, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (also Mon., Feb. 20). Computing Creations, with kids in grades 3-5 learning the basics of coding using a free online tool, Scratch, to create games, animation and more. Tue., Dec. 27, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (also Tue., Feb. 21). Each class $85. New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111 St., Corona. Info: (718) 699-0005, nysci.org.

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Friday Kids Club, with board games, knitting, arts and crafts, Legos and more, for kids 5-12 and parents, grandparents, other caregivers. Every Fri. thru Dec. 30, 3-4:30 p.m., Glen Oaks Library, 256-04 Union Tpke. Free. Info: (718) 831-8636, queenslibrary.org.

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Knitting and crocheting class, to learn a new skill or share an idea for a craft project, by Jamaica Senior Program for Older Adults. Each Thu., 10:30-11:30 a.m., T. Jackson Adult Center, 92-47 165 St. Info: (718) 657-6500, jspoa.org. Della Monica-Steinway Senior Center. Serving adults 60 and over. 23-56 Broadway, Astoria. Exercise classes daily, 10 a.m. Social dancing every Mon. and Thu., 1 p.m. Daily lunch served 11:45 a.m. Info: (718) 626-1500. Woodhaven/Richmond Hill Senior Center, with arts and crafts, knitting, Wii bowling, education and more. Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., lunch at 12 p.m. Strength/stretching exercise class every Mon., 1 p.m.; yoga class every Thu., 10 a.m.; Zumba every Fri. 89-02 91 St., Woodhaven. Info: (718) 847-9200. The Gold Senior Center at Hillcrest Jewish Center, 183-02 Union Tpke., Flushing, every Wed., 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Cultural and recreational programs, socialization. $3 suggested contribution. Contact: Gloria Davidson (201) 264-9515 PEKG-070916

SNAP of Eastern Queens Innovative Senior Center for adults 60+. 80-45 Winchester Blvd., Queens Village. Classes — Exercise every Mon.: advanced, 11 a.m.; beginners, 1 p.m. Every Tue.: magic and ABC computer class, 10 a.m. Every Wed.: armchair yoga, 9 a.m.; Zumba gold, 10 a.m. Every Thu.: creative writing, 11 a.m.; painting, 1 p.m. Every Fri.: fall prevention, 10 a.m.; women’s discussion group, 11 a.m. Info: (718) 454-2100. Ridgewood Older Adult Center, 59-14 70 Ave., Regular weekly hour-long classes: jewelry making, Mon. at 10:30 a.m.; Richard Simmons exercise, Mon. and Thurs. at 10:30; Eldercise, Tues. at 10:30 a.m.; massage therapy, Wed. at 10:30 a.m.; manicures, Thurs. at 12:30 p.m.; yoga, Fri. at 10:30 a.m. Movies every Mon., Tues. and Fri. at 1:15 p.m. MetroCard van, 4th Thurs. of month. Monthly buses to Yonkers. Contact: Karen (718) 456-2000. Young Israel Forest Hills Senior Center, with fitness classes and lunch every day, Mon.-Fri. Ping-Pong every Tue., 1 p.m.; Movie Club every Thu., 1 p.m.; Chinese Culture Club, every Mon., Wed., 1 p.m.; Beaded Jewelry Class first and third Tue. every month, 1 p.m., 68-07 Burns St. Info: (718) 520-2305, foresthillsseniorctr@nyc.rr.com.

SUPPORT GROUPS Overeaters Anonymous, for people who want to lose weight or have any eating disorder. Every Tue., 7:30-9 p.m., Holy Child Jesus Outreach Center, 112-06 86 Ave., Richmond Hill; every Thu., 12:15-1:40 p.m., Rego Park Library, 91-41 63 Ave. Info: (718) 564-7027 (Richmond Hill); (718) 8964756, (718) 459-5140 (Rego Park). Gam-Anon is a 12-step program for families of someone with a gambling problem. Call hot line (212) 606-8177. Bereavement groups for assistance dealing with loss and the process towards healing, with others experiencing similar situations. Central Queens YM & YWHA, 67-09 108 St., Forest Hills. Registration req’d. Info: (718) 268-5011, ext. 160, olderadults@cgy.org. Alcoholics Anonymous, daily meetings around Queens for those with a drinking problem. Info: (718) 520-5021, queensaa.org. Al-anon, self-help group for anyone affected by another’s drinking: St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 82 St. and 34 Ave., parish house, 1st floor, Jackson Heights, every Tue. Contact: jacksonheightsalanonon@gmail.com. Resurrection Ascension Pastoral Center basement, 85-18 61 Road, Rego Park, every Sun. 12 p.m. GRASP (Grief Recovery After Substance Passing): Find peer-lead grief support for those who have lost a loved one to substance abuse. Meetings held once a month. Info on date, times and location: nycmetrograsp@gmail.com. Contemplating suicide? The Samaritans provide 24-hour confidential emotional support for those feeling suicidal or depressed. Call: (212) 6733000; samaritansnyc.org.

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continued from page 33

“Of course,” he added, “now we always watch the special when it comes on television. In our interfaith family, it’s a tradition my wife and I are proud to share with our daughter.” The original program, which had humble beginnings, was, of course, based on the comic strip “Peanuts,” by Charles M. Schulz. It was the first in a string of animated “Peanuts” specials. It touches on the over-commercialization and secularism of the holiday and reminds viewers of its true meaning. One of the program’s highlights is the original jazz score provided by pianist

‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ When: Dec. 22-23, 27-30, 7 p.m.; Dec. 24, 2 and 7 p.m. Where: The Secret Theatre, 44-02 23 St., Long Island City Tickets: $18; $20 at door; $12 kids (718) 392-0722, secrettheatre.com

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Vince Guaraldi and his trio, which was interspersed with traditional holiday fare. Shortly after it aired, it won an Emmy Award as the Outstanding Children’s Program of the year, as well as a Peabody Award, often considered the highest honor for a television program. It s soundtrack sold four million copies in the United States alone and was even nominated for a Grammy Award as Best Recording for Children. Perhaps the single greatest tribute to the show’s longevity came last year on its 50th anniversary, when the U.S. Postal Service issued a set of 10 postage stamps with various scenes from the special. And now it is reaching a whole new audience as a live theatrical event, with all the popular characters on hand. The Secret Theatre produc tion features Donnie Cianciotto in the title role, Christopher Henry Young as Snoopy, Nick Magnanti as Linus, and Lauren Schaffel as Lucy. According to the theater’s artistic director, Richard Mazda, the show, adapted by Eric Schaeffer from the TV classic, is being presented there for the first time.

“We always seek to do edgy or iconic musicals because it fits The Secret Theatre’s brand, but in the case of [this production], we were searching for a show that had universal appeal.” And Gunsteens appreciates that the piece “spans all religions, age groups, locations and is especially important for our society to remember today.” She indicated that her rendering is “very true to the original,” saying, “We had a lot of room to improvise and flesh out the world of the Peanuts.” It includes seven all-new dance numbers “that give us a peek into the imaginations of the Peanuts kids.” Gloria Melnic, 32, of Bayside, is that rare individual who never watched the special as a child. “I only discovered it in high school,” she said. It was at that time that she heard a song in a school concert that came from the program. “Every year since I’ve watched and it always takes me back,” she said. David Giardina, a professional singer, said the original program had a profound Schroeder and Lucy perform a number effect on him. “I remember loving together. On the cover: Charlie Brown marcontinued on page 38 vels at that perfect tree. PHOTOS BY REIKO YANAGI

Page 37 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016

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boro

Celebrating the life-affirming tenets of Kwanzaa by Mark Lord qboro contributor

Kwanzaa, the first specifically AfricanAmerican holiday, doesn’t officially begin until Dec. 26 — and will be marked at a pair of Queens events the public can attend — but the folks involved in the Africana Studies Program at Queens College just couldn’t wait to celebrate. Following welcoming comments from acting director Evelyn Julmisse, they helped kick things off with a special holiday program on Dec. 5. With area officials and representatives of the college, including faculty, staff and students, in attendance, the early evening event featured a traditional candlelighting ceremony and performances by many of the college’s talented students. The dais was decorated with all the symbolic trappings of the seven-day festival — fruits, vegetables, an assortment of breads, rice, and, at center, the Kinara, or sevenbranched candelabrum, which is the focal point of any Kwanzaa celebration. Surrounding tables, covered in tablecloths of the earthiest tones, bore small baskets filled with tangerines and peanuts, symbols of prosperity. And shifting the festivities into high gear was a celebratory African dance performed by two dozen students, two of them males and several reflecting the college’s culturally diverse population, along with their teacher, assistant professor Nia Love, who led the call-and-response patterns that punctuated the moves. Omar Bowey, a student at the college, conducted and lent his voice to a small a cappella singing group in two representative songs, “My Lord, What a Mornin’“ and “I’ve Been Buked.” And student violinist Astride Mompremier provided additional atmospheric music, including an interpretation of Gounod’s “Ave Maria.” But the high point for many was the

lighting ceremony, which highlighted the Nguzo Saba, Swahili for the seven lifeaffirming principles of the holiday, a single candle lit to represent each: Umoja, or unity; Kujichagulia, or self-determination; Ujima, or the building of community; Ujamaa, or cooperative economics; Nia, or purpose; Kuumba, or creativity; and Imani, or faith in one’s own people. Kwanzaa, which can alternatively be spelled as Kwanza or Quanzaa, was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a professor, activist, and author who was born Ronald Everett in Maryland and who was a major figure in the Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s. While a student at UCLA, he took on his assumed name: Maulana means “master teacher” in Swahili-Arabic; Karenga means “keeper of tradition” in Swahili. The weeklong celebration is held from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 in the United States and other nations to honor African heritage, often culminating in a feast and the sharing of presents. The feast, or karamu, usually features traditional foods like greens and cornbread, as well as Jollof rice, a dish made with tomatoes, onions and spices, that is popular in many West African countries and served as the progenitor of jambalaya, a traditional Louisianian dish. The festival’s name derives from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” which translates as “first fruits of the harvest.” While it is sometimes believed that the holiday was created as an oppositional alternative to Christmas, Karenga has said that is not actually the case. Rather, he indicates on the official Kwanzaa website that it serves as a “common ground of African culture.” The website offers its purpose as being to “provide information which reveals and reaffirms the integrity, beauty and expansive meaning of the holiday and thus aids in our approaching it with the depth of thought,

Queens College dancers huddle before their Kwanzaa performance. dignity and sense of specialness it deserves.” Today, many African Americans who celebrate Kwanzaa do so in addition to observing Christmas. They decorate their households with objects of art and fresh fruit that represent the African idealism. Music, as demonstrated at the college on Dec. 5, typically plays a major role in a Kwanzaa celebration. The popularity of the holiday is difficult to estimate, though one source indicates that between 1 and 5 per cent of African Americans celebrate it in the United States. The holiday is also celebrated in several other countries around the world, including Canada, France, Great Britain, Jamaica and Brazil. Closer to home, Borough President Melinda Katz and the African-American Heritage Committee will host the borough’s third annual Kwanzaa Celebration beginning

‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ continued from page 37 everything about it. The kids dancing at the party — doing the pogo, the pony, the frug, the zombie — I found it very inspiring and literally ever since that’s how I dance.” He remembers relating to most of the characters, though not to Lucy. “She was always so mean-spirited,” he recalled. And Michael Buscemi, a local actor from Forest Hills who has twice played Snoopy in productions of the show, admits, “I’m a mush when it comes to any Christmas story. This is the one tale that cuts right to why we celebrate Christmas. I have been watching it for 50 years. These specials are comfort food to me.” According to Mazda, the show “is suitable for all from Q 3 years to 300.”

Charlie Brown adores his tree as a skeptical Sally looks on, above, while in another scene, Shermy, Patty, Frieda PHOTOS BY REIKO YANAGI and Pig Pen dance up a storm.

PHOTO BY MARK LORD

at 6 p.m. on Dec. 27 at Borough Hall (12055 Queens Blvd., Kew Gardens). Admission is free but reservations are required. If interested, call (718) 286-2661 or RSVP at queensbp.org/rsvp. And the Afrikan Poetry Theatre presents its annual Kwanzaa Celebration at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center (153-10 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica) on Dec. 30 beginning at 4 p.m. The event will feature performers from the area and introduce the community residents to the Nguzo Saba. This year’s theme is centered around the principle of Nia. An array of Afro-centric vendors, fruit distribution and, of course, a candle lighting are among the anticipated highlights. Admission is $5 to $10. If available, tickets will be sold at the door. For details, call Q (718) 523-3312.

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into an artwork as well as an art gallery into a “sanman’s place.” To kick off the show at the gallery, dozens of derogatory names for sanitation workers — collected from the workers’ personal experiences — were wiped clean from the window of the gallery. In later, mass-scale projects internationally, Ukeles would orchestrate “ballets” featuring municipal vehicles as dancers. To this day, she is the only ever official artist-in-residence of the city Department of Sanitation. Ukeles’ work, however singular in its viewpoint, is a sincere and heartfelt acclamation of those who take care of our cities. Q

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continued from page 35 1970s, such as “Washing/Tracks/Maintenance,” which followed her as she scrubbed the outdoor steps of the Wadsworth Athenaeum museum, repeatedly washing and drying throughout the day with soap, water and rags as visitors entered and exited. She would perform similar work indoors there as visitors roamed the galleries, and later outside of the A.I.R. gallery, then in SoHo. In these projects, Ukeles challenged the notion that the work she was doing was more or less art than what either a museum conservator, or the museum custodian, might do, and that the distinction of these roles were social rather than substantive. From there, Ukeles took a particular interest in maintenance workers themselves, often sanitation workers, whom she would affectionately refer to as “sanmen.” For “I Make Maintenance Art for One Hour Every Day,” she asked if maintenance workers would consider an hour of their shifts art rather than work, and documented this time with Polaroids. A transformative piece — guarded in the museum under low-light conditions to best preserve the sensitive photos — Ukeles would go on to create even larger works with sanmen. The staging of her “Touch Sanitation Show” transformed a former garbage barge

10 Paul of politics 11 Superlative ending 19 Chesapeake, e.g. 21 Spinning stat 23 “Mary Tyler Moore Show” spinoff 24 Genealogy chart 25 Old card game 26 Look for a website 27 Despot 28 Digitize an old LP, e.g. 32 Bit of trivia

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79TH STREET HB, LLC Art. Of Org. Filed Sec. of State of NY 09/12/2013. Off. Loc.:Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY to mail copy of process to The LLC, 185-07 80th Drive, Jamaica Estates, NY 11432. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity.

Malabani, LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/01/16. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: Manash Bhaduri, 90-01 185 Street, Hollis Ave, NY 11423 Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of 41-16 49 ST LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/24/16. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o The LLC, 53-42 Metropolitan Avenue, Ridgewood, N Y 113 8 5. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Briggs 1671 LLC, a domestic LLC, filed with the SSNY on 10/28/16. Office location: Queens C o u n t y. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Joseph Sultana, 21441 42 Ave., Bayside, NY 11361. General purpose.

MLNNNYC, LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 09/09/16. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: c/o United States Corporation Agents, Inc., 7014 13th Avenue, Suite 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228 Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

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616 Seagirt, LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/03/16. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: 616 Seagirt, LLC, 536 Oak Dr., Far Rockaway, NY 11691 Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

FutureHub, LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 10/03/16. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: c/o United States Corporation Agents, Inc., 7014 13th Avenue, Suite 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228 Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Norman NY LLC, Arts of Org filed with SSNY on 09/15/16. Office Location: Queens County, SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: The LLC, 843 60th St., #A6, Brooklyn, NY 11220. Purpose: to engage in any lawful act.

filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 10 /03/16. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: Bipin Mathew, 16-92 Linden Street, Apartment #3, Ridgewood, NY 11385 Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of formation of 70-25 Ingram LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on November 16, 2016. Office located in Queens. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to 4102 31st Ave. Ste. A, Astoria, NY 11103. Purpose: any lawful purpose.

Notice is hereby given that an on-premise license, #TBA has been applied for by Kazan Mangal Inc d/b/a Kazan Mangal to sell beer, wine and liquor at retail in an on-premises establishment. For on-premises consumption under the ABC law at 97-13 Queens Boulevard, Rego Park, NY 11374.

Perez & Company LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 10/25/16. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: The LLC, 11105 110th St., South Ozone Park, NY 11420. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

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Legal Notices

Sanford Estate Mezz De, LLC, a foreign LLC, filed with the SSNY on 11/29/16. Office location: Queens County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 112-15 Northern Blvd., #2, Corona, NY 11368. General Purpose.

SUNNYSIDE AUTO REPAIR, LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 10/19/16 (amended 11/17/16 ). Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: c/o United States Corporation Agents, Inc., 7014 13th Avenue, Suite 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

SHERPA ASSOCIATES LLC Art. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 08/01/2016 Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Sherpa Associates LLC, 2071 28th Street, Astoria, NY 11105. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

VERNALEO LLC. Art. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 09/23/16. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the L LC, 214-36 27th Avenue, Bayside, NY 11360. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Sherpa Venture Partners LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/28/16. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: Sherpa Venture Partners LLC 2071 28th Street, Astoria, NY 11105. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

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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.

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016 Page 44

C M SQ page 44 Y K

Hevesi pitches HSS to Juniper Civic by Mark Lord Chronicle Contributor

Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi (D-Forest Hills) faced an estimated 150 area residents who packed last Thursday’s Juniper Park Civic Association meeting, where he presented his plan to combat the city’s ever-widening homelessness problem. But after hearing his proposed program called Home Stability Support — a statewide rent supplement for families and individuals eligible for public assistance benefits and facing eviction, homelessness or loss of housing — some in the crowd remained skeptical. Hevesi highlighted the crisis by indicating that there are over 150,000 homeless children and more than 80,000 households on the brink of homelessness in the state. He also indicated that the so-called Shelter Allowance — created in 1975 to pay the full rents of the vast majority of households on public assistance — had not been increased in decades, adding the state had failed to comply with laws that provide for the “support, maintenance and needs of one or both parents if in need, and in the home.” Additional rent supplements were also created in 2003, but Hevesi suggested that the vast majority are inadequate and fail to come close to solving the exploding homeless problem. “Think about that as a trend,” Hevesi said. “And we are nowhere near the worst it’s going to get.” HSS, according to the lawmaker, would replace all existing city and state rental supplements with one new statewide one. Recipients would be families and individuals eligible for public assistance benefits who are facing eviction, homelessness or loss of housing due to domestic violence or hazardous living conditions. According to preliminary HSS figures, the initiative would cost the city $11,224 per year for a household of three, less than a third of the $38,460 tally that the city pays to house a family

Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi discusses his Home Stability Support plan with the Juniper Park Civic Association last Thursday. PHOTO BY MARK LORD

with children in its shelter system. The goal of the plan — which Hevesi has helped craft alongside advocacy groups like the Coalition for the Homeless and the Legal Aid Society — would be to allow everyone on the brink of homelessness to remain in their residence, stemming the growth of the undomiciled population. In addition, it would encourage employment by including a one-year transitional benefit for households that increase their earnings enough to leave public assistance. While Hevesi expressed hope that Gov. Cuomo would support the plan, he admitted the chances of it getting into the new budget are “very slim.” However, he suggested that the governor is “not the only game in town,” indicating that the plan has been gaining traction in the state Assembly.

He added that there is also “a prominent senator,” who remained nameless, who is supportive, offering hopes that the plan will be included in the state Senate’s budget plan. Despite his best efforts, Hevesi could not convince some members of the audience, who raised several issues of concern. One individual suggested eliminating the city’s “right to shelter” mandate, a move Hevesi said he was against and which would be “very difficult to do.” Another feared the plan would draw homeless people from other states to New York City. Hevesi’s claim that only 54 outof-state families became part of the city’s shelter system during the last fiscal year was met with resounding disbelief, causing him to admit the number could be higher. One concerned attendee proposed that proof should be required of an individual’s history in the state in order to be eligible for placement in a shelter, a notion supported by others in the room. Hevesi seemed to speak for many in the crowd when he said the city couldn’t “shelter your way out” of the crisis. “You’re never going to be able to build enough shelters,” he said. “The numbers are trending up. Sheltering is stupid public policy ... It is three times as expensive to shelter somebody than it is to pay the rent somewhere to keep them in their house.” One key supporter of HSS is Public Advocate Letitia James, who attended the civic meeting and suggested government needs to look at empty state-owned facilities. “The question is, ‘What are we doing with these ghost buildings?’” James said. “They can be used to address this crisis that we are experiencing in our city.” She said she looks forward to meeting with Ben Carson, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development, to discuss the issue. “I’ve already made overtures to the Trump administration,” Q she said. “They’re looking to schedule it.”

CB5 supports Hevesi’s homeless initiative Members say even if it’s light on details, it’s definitely a good start by Christopher Barca

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Associate Editor

Some members were a bit skeptical, but Community Board 5 overwhelmingly voted to support a new plan to combat the homelessness crisis put forth by Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi (D-Forest Hills). “We’re in a desperate situation here, using these hotels temporarily,” Land Use Committee Chairman Walter Sanchez said. “We have a lot of questions about this, but let’s vote in support of this bill for now, get it going and support Andrew.” In a sometimes contentious 30-minute discussion last Wednesday, board members debated the merits of Hevesi’s Home Stability Support proposal, an initiative that would replace all existing city and state rental supplements with one new statewide one. Recipients would be families and individuals eligible for public assistance benefits who are facing eviction, homelessness or loss of housing due to domestic violence or hazardous living conditions.

According to preliminary HSS figures, the new initiative would cost the city $11,224 per year for a household of three, less than a third of what the city pays to house a family with children in its shelter system. While a number of CB 5 members lauded the proposal, others, like Carmen Santana, called it vague and questioned whether Hevesi had sufficient legislative and civic suppor t to push it forward. “I’ve been working on legislation for as long as I can remember, and I have some questions,” Santana said. “When you’re talking about legislation, who is supporting this bill? Who are the organizations? You want to ram this thing that’s fluff.” For the better part of a year, Hevesi has been traveling the city and state to garner support from legislators, mayors, civic groups and community boards. So far, 30 City Council members, Public Advocate Letitia James, the New York State Conference of Mayors, state lawmak-

ers like state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) and others have officially endorsed the plan. CB 5 members like Sanchez saw their board’s vote as a crucial one, as the city’s renting of rooms to house single homeless men at the Holiday Inn Express on 55th Road in Maspeth has proven to be one of the more controversial, sometimes vitriolic, issues in the city since August. But despite the Maspeth situation, member Kathleen Knight said she didn’t feel comfortable voting on something the board still had numerous questions about. “I wholesale reject the notion that we need to vote on something when we have unanswered questions just because it’s better than nothing,” Knight said. “I don’t think that’s right. I don’t think that makes sense.” Board Chair man Vincent Arcuri Jr. rebutted, saying CB 5 has voted on multiple proposals that lacked concrete details just in the last year alone, including the possible future reactivation of the Rockaway Beach Rail Line.

Community Board 5 Chairman Vincent Arcuri Jr., right, encourages his group to consider supporting Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi’s new plan to combat PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER BARCA homelessness. “It’s not a new precedent, it’s not something new,” Arcuri said. “When we want something done, we push it.” A smaller number of members — just three — actually voted against HSS than the number of those who expressed some uncertainly about it. And at the end of the day,

according to John Maier, it was about pushing something that could, with more f ine-tuning, actually lead to positive change. “Right now, [Hevesi] is trying to sell an initiative that will bring together a bunch of rent packages into a cohesive thing,” Maier said. “What we’re doing is exactly what Vinny said, promoting something.” Q

C M SQ page 45 Y K

Oft-delayed project finally done as customers cram the new facility by Christopher Barca Associate Editor

Queens Library President and CEO Dennis Walcott personally opens the new Elmhurst branch’s doors and welcomes neighborhood residents inside for the first time on Tuesday. The state-of-the-art facility is finally open after three years of PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER BARCA delays. gie-constructed facility that opened in 1906 and was demolished to make way for the new one — were also woven into the fabric of the building. Those amenities include a memory wall, a learning garden, historic photographs and a children’s fireplace from 1906. Plans for a new library were first unveiled in 2011, with 2013 slated to be the year the new facility opened. But every

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Elmhurst waited three long years for Tuesday to come. “For years, we’ve all partaken in the buzz, speculation and questions all focused on when the Elmhurst Library would finally come back to our community,” Community Board 4 District Manager Christian Cassagnol said. “Ladies and gentleman, I think it’s safe to say I’m not the only one standing here proud today it is finally here. We are truly blessed, privileged and honored to have this come to us.” The long-awaited Elmhurst branch of the Queens Library finally opened to the public on Tuesday, officially closing the book on a frustratingly slow construction process that took three years longer than anticipated. The grand unveiling brought with it a sense of relief, not just joy, as speaker after speaker at Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony thanked both the Queens Library and the community for withstanding the delays. “It’s an exciting day for the library and an exciting day for the community, especially, who have waited a very long period of time,” Queens Library President and CEO Dennis Walcott said in his speech to the approximately 200 people in attendance. The $32.4 million state-of-the-art facility at 86-01 Broadway features four floors and 32,000 square feet of library space — double that of the former Elmhurst location — separate adult, teen and children’s library spaces, a computer work station complete with 43 desktops and 12 laptops, an adult learning center, an interior reading atrium and a pair of gardens. Hallmarks of the original library — an Andrew Carne-

few months, the anticipated completion date was pushed back. Once the foundation for the building was poured in 2012, the opening was delayed to 2014. Construction of the structure was still ongoing come September 2014, however, when officials said the spring of 2015 was a more realistic time frame. Last August, that date was again pushed back, to the spring of 2016. Then Tuesday arrived. “What a great day for Queens,” Borough President Melinda Katz said of the long-awaited opening. “To the community who was very patient in waiting for this day to come, it is here. We hope that you use it with the love that we all intended for these libraries to be used with.” Assemblyman Francisco Moya (D-Jackson Heights) called it one of the most beautiful buildings he had ever seen in his life, while Councilman Danny Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) said it should be a haven for the neighborhood’s immigrant population. “May this building serve as a reminder of what a meaningful investment in our library system can do,” Dromm said, “and may it continue to serve as a home and a safe place for all people.” Walcott said the Queens Library projects the Elmhurst branch could top the Flushing facility as the busiest in the system. “This library will probably surpass our Flushing library in attracting an anticipated 1.1 million customers a year,” he said. “That would make it one of the busiest in the state and one of the busiest in the nation. That will take place here at Q Elmhurst.”

Page 45 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016

Elmhurst Library opens to the public

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016 Page 46

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SPORTS

Unfulfilled potential for Unity Hall in Glendale

End of a baseball ritual

by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor

The Democratic working class of Glendale announced they would be erecting a st ate- of-the-a r t build i ng called Unity Hall in 1907. It was completed in September 1909, equipped with the then-modern inventions of electricity and gas at a cost of more than $30,000. Its handsome columns got the attention of all the residents along Myrtle Avenue The building formerly called Unity Hall, at 65-04 Myrtle Ave. as a sign of strength. It was in Glendale, shortly after its completion in September 1909. leased to the Unity Democratic Club with attorney Alfred Denton umns were removed after a 1924 fire. The property has been owned since the as its president. Unfortunately, they could not raise funds from their members to 1960s by The Kolping Society, a nonprofpay the mortgage and the building was it honoring the good works of Catholic priest, the Rev. Adolph Kolping. forced into foreclosure in 1911. In the 1980s, The Bulkhead Tavern Sad ending for a state-of-the-art building that had so much promise. It went for- and later Tradewind Tavern occupied the ward with a succession of owners and building, also ending in a fire. Bay Carmore bad luck. At times, it was a saloon pet now occupies the building with little Q and a real estate office. The stately col- resemblance of its former glory.

by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor

Last Tuesday the Mets held their annual holiday party for around 150 lucky Queens elementary school students. Fireball pitcher Noah Syndergaard donned the Santa Claus suit while veteran infielder Jose Reyes and second-year outfielder Brandon Nimmo served as elves. All three players met with the press but what was unexpected were the questions Nimmo received about a stipulation in the new collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association that now forbids players to cross-dress or wear ethnically offensive costumes as part of the traditional end-of-year rookie hazing. Last September Nimmo and his fellow rookies had to retrieve coffee and doughnuts for Mets veterans in the Center City section of Philadelphia dressed as characters from the 1992 film about World War II female baseball players, “A League of Their Own.” Nimmo said he and his colleagues did not mind taking part in a time-honored tradition and added that he was surprised that it was an issue at all. A number of retired baseball players thought that MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred was overreaching based on comments that I saw on Facebook. They too couldn’t understand why the powers that be were worked up about what they perceived as harmless fun.

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At first glance Manfred appears to be a nanny-state killjoy. While I think he may be overreacting, I can see what motived his concerns. MLB sees the LGBTQ community as an important consumer group and certainly doesn’t want to do anything that might be deemed as offensive or insensitive behavior. MLB is also worried that women might take offense at the attention given to skimpy Hooters costumes and worse. As recently as a decade ago, no one witnessed the hazing except the players and a few media members. Back when there was a Montreal Expos club, players coming up from the USA dressed in drag was so common every September that many Canadian Customs officials would see a player’s passport and almost yawn “Baseball, right?” With the advent of social media there is no such thing as privacy. MLB is understandably concerned that youth leagues and high school teams might try to imitate the ritual and that could quickly turn to bullying, which they, along with nearly every other professional sports league, have campaigned against. While women’s clothing may be verboten, players are a resourceful lot. Expect to see rookies dressed as Peter Pan, Robin Hood and his Merry Men and every superhero imaginable. Q See the extended version of Sports Beat every week at qchron.com.

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Asking $535K

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Page 47 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, December 22, 2016

Connexion I

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RICHMOND HILL NORTH Lovely det. Colonial/ Original molding, fireplace and banister. 4 BR, 2 full baths, near train Asking $489,900

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HOWARD BEACH/ROCKWOOD PARK

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