This Week's Forum West and South

Resident Rally in Protest of New Homeless Shelter

Local Dog Owners Devastated by Pet Abductions

Ridgewood YMCA Renovations Nearing Completion

Board Rejects Company's Trash Removal Plan

Two JFK Airport Workers Charged in Theft

Editorial: Leading by Example and Inspiration

Residents Rally in Protest of New Homeless Shelter

By Conor Greene

More than one hundred residents gathered on 58th Avenue on Saturday morning to protest the sudden opening of a homeless shelter in the middle of their quiet residential block that would provide temporary housing to 29 adults.

Residents of the Elmhurst neighborhood turned out in force to express their displeasure with the city for allowing this type of facility to open without any warning. Adding to their concerns is the fact that Queens Alliance, which is running the facility, has no history of operating these types of homes. There is also concern that 29 homeless individuals will be provided temporary shelter in close proximity to nearby schools.

“We’re here to protect what is most important to us – our children, our homes, our streets and our neighborhood... The decision was rammed down our throat without any feedback from our community,” said Linda Lam, who organized the rally with the local civic group Communities of Elmhurst and Maspeth Together (COMET). “Our children can no longer feel safe playing in the streets… To protect our children, our homes and not to let the homeless shelter destroy our neighborhood, we have to keep up the fight.”

While recognizing the need for homeless shelters in the city, Lam argued that the neighborhood, south of Queens Boulevard near the former St. John’s Hospital site, is already overburdened. “I know all communities should shoulder the burden of society’s problems that nobody wants it in their backyard; however, we have shouldered more than our fair share already,” she said, noting there is a group home located across the street.

Many of the residents were unaware of the facility until COMET held a meeting about it three weeks ago. While it is currently eligible to accept clients, none have been assigned there by the city Human Resources Administration as of Tuesday, according to Yolanda Martin-Garibaldi, vice president of Queens Alliance.

With no prior hearings or notification of the shelter, many expressed anger at elected officials ranging from Mayor Michael Bloomberg down to local City Councilwoman Melinda Katz (D-Forest Hills), who did not attend the meeting or rally but was represented by a staff member on Saturday. The only elected official to attend the rally was Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), who represents the areas to the south of Elmhurst.

“We thank everyone for coming out today to express our anger at our mayor and our political representatives, who by their actions or omissions have shown that they do not have the best interests of our children, elders, wives and families,” said Jean-Claude Pierre, whose sister, brother-in-law and five nieces live three houses from the shelter. “Sadly I was wrong to think so highly of our elected officials. I now realize that we cannot simply rely on our mayor and political representatives.”

Residents packed the sidewalk and street in front of the shelter, located at 86-18 58th Avenue, while speakers vowed in English, Spanish and Chinese to continue the fight. Roe Daraio, president of COMET, urged the residents to “stick together” and monitor the facility to ensure Queens Alliance follows the proper health, safety and licensing guidelines, since the project is allowed as-of-right under the area’s zoning. “If we give them a lot of agida they might pick up and move somewhere else.”

Jeff Gottleib, representing state Senator Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), told the residents that the senator will stand alongside them in this battle.

However, Vicky Morales, representing Katz, was booed loudly by the crowd due to the Councilwoman’s perceived lack of action on this issue. At the COMET meeting several weeks ago, a resident said she was told by a Katz staffer that the fight is a lost cause since the facility is allowed under the zoning. Morales told the crowd that she is looking into why the resident was given that answer, which she said is “not a usual response” from Katz’s office. “The councilmember is tired of as-of-right [projects]. We need to have community input,” said Morales.

Crowley told the crowd to continue fighting and said that “just because they have the right legally, it doesn’t mean it is right.”

Michael Cohen, who is running for the 29th District council seat being vacated by Katz, questioned the ability of Queens Alliance to properly run this type of facility, and bashed the city for giving the organization the okay to do so. “This doesn’t sound like sound social policy to me… The HRA should be ashamed it didn’t think this through rationally.”

A message left with the HRA press office on Tuesday was not returned. Martin-Garibaldi of Queens Alliance said in a brief interview that the bottom line is these individuals need a place to turn to for assistance.

“As a community person and somebody that works for the needy, my personal feeling is if we don’t help each other who’s going to do it?” she said. “Those are our people and our people need to go somewhere. I understand the fact that they don’t want the drugs and other stuff and I’m the first to say we don’t need that. It’s their community, they have a voice and they’re entitled to that,” she said of the protest.

Addressing concerns about Queens Alliance’s lack of track record, Martin-Garibaldi said the staff members are qualified from working with other organizations. “The corporation was formed a year ago. Every agency began somewhere and to create a track record you have to start somewhere.”

Still, Lam and others promised to continue protesting the facility until it is shut down. Petitions opposing the home are circulating the neighborhood, and voter registration forms were available at the rally to help the residents gain a political voice. “This is just the beginning of a long fight,” she said. “We need all of you until the shelter is closed.”

Local Dog Owners Devastated by Pet Abductions

By Patricia Adams

A trend not unfamiliar in Queens has reared its ugly head, most recently in Ozone Park, where there have been several incidents of small “designer” dogs being stolen from homes.

Last week, 40-year Ozone Park resident Ken McIntosh says his two Yorkshire terriers, six-year-old Princess and three-year-old Trixie were abducted from the family’s home on 133rd Avenue in Ozone Park.

McIntosh says the family has never had a problem with leaving the dogs out. “We have been doing it for years. Someone comes home and lets the dogs out. We always make sure the gate is closed. While they are out it’s common for us to run to the store or do another errand. We never leave them out for more than an hour or so.”

Last week when his son, 23-year-old John, came home, he let the pair out into the yard before going off to the gym, making sure that the gate was locked and the dogs were safe. But when someone arrived home a little more than one hour later, the dogs were gone.

The gate was closed and nothing was disturbed but the dogs were not in the yard. “Even when we’re out here with them, if the gate is open they never even go near it.” The family immediately started to canvass the neighborhood. “We went to every house, to find out if anyone had seen anything,” said Ken McIntosh But the attempt to get information was futile. None of the neighbors had noticed anything suspicious or seen anyone near the house and the dogs. The McIntosh’s say that since the dognapping the neighbors have been coming to the house to say how sorry they are and to see if there is anything that they can do to help.

Ken McIntosh says there’s only one person who can help us with this — “the person or people who took our dogs. We want them back so badly — you can’t imagine how this feels.” He also says that his neighbors are very concerned because many of them have small dogs and are used to letting them out in the yard by themselves.

The police were contacted but according to McIntosh were unable to make a report because no one saw the dogs being taken.

Now everyday the family returns home, hoping to find some news about their beloved pets. “It’s just not the same coming home,” said Ken McIntosh. “You walk through the door expecting them to come running up to greet you and they’re not here. My wife, my kids, me - we’re all devastated.”

Steps to find the dogs include posting pictures of Princess and Trixie throughout the area and calling anyone they can for help. When asked what he would say to whomever took the dogs, Ken McIntosh shook his head. “Wow — what would I say? I would just say to please, please bring our dogs back. No questions asked.”

And McIntosh warns other pet owners, especially those with small dogs. “You’d better think a hundred times before leaving your dogs out,” he says. “Things have changed and times are different. I’m afraid there’s no sense of integrity in these people. What kind of character do you have if you can steal away a member of someone’s family? They just don’t care. Our family is ripped up over this. It’s such a shame.”

But according to others faced with the same heartbreak, there is hope of getting the dogs back. Dog owners Lisa Connolly and her partner, Rodney Flannigan from Maspeth were faced with losing Benny and Molly, their 4-year-old Peek-a-Poo (Pekingese/Poodle) and 15-month old Shi Tzu back on September 23.

The story was featured on 1010 WINS news radio and in several local TV news reports. Fliers featuring photos of the dogs had been plastered all over neighborhoods from Woodside to Ridgewood. And in early October the couple got a call from a man who said he knew where the dogs were and would arrange for them to be returned.

Luckily, they were quickly reunited with their pups having made arrangements with the caller. They forked over an $800 reward and in their happiness over the reunion failed to call police about the man who had claimed he had “found” their dogs.

Local police authorities say that the scheme involved is very simple. “Designer” dogs are easily carted off without much noise or notice. They can be readily sold to people looking for dogs but even more common is to abduct the animals, wait for their owners to post a plea to be reunited with their pets and then return the dogs to their owners, taking the reward with them.

While combating this crime against small dogs and their owners is very difficult, dog owners, veterinarians, shelters, and organizations that are concerned for these animals have this advice for all dog owners: Take your dog to a vet or any organization that will painlessly inject your pet (cat or dog) with a chip the size of a grain of rice. This chip contains identifying information that will assist people in returning your dog to you. There are internet sites that match found dogs with their owners.

Ridgewood YMCA Renovations Nearing Completion

By Conor Greene

The Ridgewood YMCA is expected to reopen this fall after extensive renovations to the Catalpa Avenue building that will allow the organization to offer additional programs
“For many, the Ridgewood YMCA serves as a lifeline to the community,” said Weiner (D-Forest Hills). “Revamping the YMCA will help ensure that young children from low-income families are able to access youth activities and surround themselves with nurturing role models.”

According to Jack Lund, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater New York, the organization never considered abandoning the building and leaving the neighborhood, even though the 1931 building was in “very poor” condition. “We have a rule – we do not leave neighborhoods,” said Lund. “We are confident that the new, state-of-the-art Ridgewood YMCA will embody our message that we’re here for the kids and families of Queens, and we’re here for good.”

While the building has been closed for about a year, Lund said that the YMCA continued to operate “vital programs like day camp and after-school child care” during construction at locations elsewhere in the community. The footprint of the 23,000 square-foot building didn’t change, but there is about 10,000 square feet of additional usable space as a result of the renovation, which included capping and enclosing the center courtyard.

The additional space will allow the organization to expand its early childhood education center and, for the first time at this location, provide a child watch room where parents can drop their children while they work out, according to Gregory Maziarz, executive director of the Ridgewood YMCA. He noted that the facility will serve about 5,000 individuals from the surrounding neighborhoods and is affordable. “This is pretty much a place for everyone,” he said. “The community is really excited about the YMCA.”

The construction work includes roof repairs, window and plumbing replacements, electrical upgrades and interior repainting. For four decades, the YMCA has served low-income families with programs for all ages. In addition to the traditional programs offered at YMCA branches, the Ridgewood center will include affordable child care, a low-cost after-school program for kindergarten through seventh grade and a teen program that stresses personal development, community responsibility and college preparation.

Officials hope the building will be ready by September to coincide with the start of the school year. The facility will feature all new equipment when it reopens its doors, said Lund. “We’re very excited and anxious to get the building operating,” he said. “It’s going to be in effect a new building…We have a lot to do but we’re optimistic we’ll be ready.”

While the building is getting a complete facelift, it will retain many of its unique characteristics, including the large windows. The building originally housed a courthouse and was acquired by the YMCA in the early 1970s. Naturally, there were some minor delays and issues that came up during the project. “Once you get behind walls, you discover some things,” he said, adding that there were also problems with the roof. “We operate in lots of neighborhoods around the city and find a way to make it work.”

When presenting the check to Lund, Weiner called the YMCA a “community touchstone for all of us” and called the project a good example of how tax dollars should be used. “This shell is going to go from being a construction site to being the site of great activity, for which I’m grateful,” he said. “This is the taxpayers doing what I think the taxpayers should do.”

Board Rejects Company's Trash Disposal Plan

Maspeth Truck Traffic Would Increase

By Conor Greene

Waste Management’s plan to transport trash from a new facility on Review Avenue to the Maspeth rail yard for transportation to out-of-state landfills was resoundingly rejected by Community Board 5 members because it will result in more truck traffic in Maspeth.

At its meeting last Wednesday at Christ the King High School, the advisory board unanimously voted in favor of a Sanitation Committee resolution rejecting Waste Management’s current plan. Instead, the resolution suggests that the company use the adjacent Newtown Creek to barge the containerized trash out of the area, build a rail spur at its Review Avenue property or purchase part of the former Phelps Dodge property or another site where a rail spur can be accessed or built.

Waste Management has applied to the state Department of Environmental Conservation for permission to replace its existing truck-based solid waste transfer operation at 38-22 Review Avenue in Long Island City with a new rail-based transfer facility that would accept trash from neighborhoods within community boards 1-6 in Queens. However, the plan would require the company to transport the trash one-and-a-half miles from Review Avenue to the Maspeth rail yard at Rust Street.

It is this aspect of the plan, which would result in 85 round-trip truck trips daily between the two sites, that didn’t sit well with board members. “This whole plan – pardon the pun – stinks,” said Robert Holden before the vote.

“We all know how congested that area is now.” Sanitation Committee Chairman Paul Kerzner noted that the area was already backed up with traffic at 9:30 on a recent morning. “This is just going to add to it,” he said.

Holden also noted that the containerized trash will be loaded onto trains near the Clinton Diner at Rust Street and Maspeth Avenue. The transfer will take place in the open, near the former St. Saviour’s property and homes. He questioned whether the plan meets requirements that this type of facility be located at least 400 feet from homes and parks.

The resolution notes “there was significant opposition” to the plan during a public information session the company held last month at Martin Luther High School. In addition, “there was unanimous agreement that for several important reasons, a better waste transport plan needs to be found.”

The “major reasons” for the board’s objection to the plan include that it “would mean additional handling of garbage” in order to get it loaded onto trains; that “the Maspeth community would have dozens of additional movements by tractor trailers daily” between Review Avenue and Rust Street; that the additional traffic “would mean significant increased air pollution hazards to Maspeth and adjacent communities,” and because the truck traffic would cause hazards, especially navigating tight turns such as from Rust Street onto Maspeth Avenue and after leaving the rail yard.

The resolution instead urges Waste Management to barge the trash directly from its facility, build a rail support at its 38-22 Review Avenue property - which is adjacent to LIRR tracks that are only used by two passenger trains daily - or investigate other nearby properties such as the former Phelps Dodge sites.

“Part of this former Phelps Dodge site would be further from residents than the Maspeth rail yard, where there is a residential area across the street,” the resolution notes. “By reducing the handling steps associated with transporting residential garbage… barging of garbage or establishing a rail spur may prove less expensive over time.”

Under the current plan, Waste Management will build a new, fully enclosed transfer facility at the Review Avenue site. The current facility is permitted to receive up to 958 tons of garbage per day. Under the new plan, the site will be able to handle up to 2,100 tons per day and will typically receive about 1,150 tons per day, according to the company. The facility would receive 134 deliveries daily from garbage trucks, in addition to the tractor trailer trips to Maspeth. The company claims that each train will carry between 60 and 68 containers, which is the equivalent of 51 to 58 tractor trailer loads.

In response to CB 5’s vote, a Waste Management spokeswoman said the company met with the community board “and other stakeholders several times” to discuss the project and obtain input. “We are committed to continuing this dialogue with the community and to working with the city to address the issues that have been raised,” wrote Rachel Amar.

Amar noted that the city Department of Sanitation identified Waste Management’s Review Avenue property as a site for handling residential waste under the city’s Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP). “The plan was developed over several years with input from environmental groups and other stakeholders and was approved by the City Council in 2006,” she wrote. “The SWMP is designed to manage the city’s municipal solid waste in a more sustainable, efficient manner over the next 20 years, by shifting NYC’s waste exports from a truck based system to a rail and barge based system, reducing truck traffic and vehicle emissions.”

Still, some residents aren’t accepting the additional truck traffic without a fight. Maspeth activist Christina Wilkinson has organized a rally at the Clinton Diner at 11 a.m. Saturday to call on the city to prevent additional truck traffic and instead preserve the former St. Saviour’s property, which is being offered for sale for $8.5 million. In addition to members of local civic groups, Councilmembers Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) and Tony Avella (D-Bayside) are expected to attend, along with other elected officials’ representatives.

Two JFK Airport Workers Charged in Theft

Two JFK Airport employees have been charged with stealing electronics from a piece of checked luggage during an integrity test conducted last week by the federal Transportation Security Administration and Delta Air Lines.

Brian Burton, 27, of Queens and Antwon Simmons, 26, of Brooklyn face charges of fourth-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, petit larceny and second-degree falsifying business records in connection with the theft of a laptop and cell phone from a piece of luggage planted by investigators during a probe into thefts from checked bags. If convicted, they each face up to four years in prison.

According to the charges, a “seeded” suitcase containing two cell phones, a laptop computer and an iPod was included as baggage for a Delta Airlines flight to Miami on July 7. It is alleged that when the suitcase cleared the checked baggage room, a laptop and T-Mobile Sidekick phone were missing from the bag and that the luggage tags had been switched – indicating a different passenger’s name and a destination of Los Angeles – to conceal the theft. A review of surveillance footage from the screening area showed Burton, a TSA officer, inspecting the bag with Simmons, a baggage handler, in the room.

“When air travelers check their luggage with an airline, there is an implicit trust that their bags and their contents will meet them at their destination,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. “In this case, the defendants are accused of betraying that trust and, in the process, of tarnishing the reputation of their employers and other baggage handlers who faithfully carry out their responsibilities each day.”

The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, TSA and Delta Airlines, which released the following statement:

“Delta takes the security of luggage that we transport on behalf of our customers very seriously. We applaud the work of the law enforcement partners who worked closely with us in this investigation to ensure that the airport contractors and security staff suspected of luggage theft were caught and apprehended. Delta does not tolerate this kind of activity and has aggressive security programs in place to stop luggage

Editorial: Leading by Example and Inspiration

They come in all shapes and sizes, spanning every generation and every socio-economic background. They come from every religious persuasion, every race. They are men, women, children, seniors. They are students, professionals, retirees. They are undoubtedly one of the most diverse groups in today’s society. They are united by common denominators which account for their extraordinary contributions—heart and soul. And despite their remarkable differences they are all known by the same name—volunteers.

This unique assemblage of humanitarians devotes their time and efforts to a range of projects as diversified as their own backgrounds. Some lend a hand or an ear to elderly people while others give their time to care for those who are sick or perhaps just lonely. Some give their time to clerical duties for large charitable organizations, while others offer a range of pro-bono services from accounting to medical assistance to legal advice and everything in between.

Whatever they do, the American volunteer force is one of the most valuable natural resources we are blessed with. And although pictures are worth a thousand words, we can conjure up an image of volunteers without a photo; caring, compassion, generosity, understanding, empathy and kindness. Combine that with skill, energy, devotion and patience and you have a very clear picture of these national treasures.

We commend these cherished volunteers who “Inspire by Example,” and we applaud the recognition bestowed upon them at this weeks MLB All-Star game. After President Obama threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the game he was joined by all four living former presidents in a video salute to volunteers, the “All-Stars Among Us”.

The occasion marked the first time all of the living presidents participated in any sporting-event ceremony. The video messages were part of a pregame salute of 30 men and women -- each representing one of the MLB franchises -- chosen by MLB and People magazine for their community service.

In following the example set by our presidents past and present, we should all remember to offer praise to volunteers. Their jobs are done twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, on three hundred and sixty five days a year. In fact, every minute of every single day there are volunteers giving freely of themselves, sharing their resources and talents.

We should celebrate the magnitude of their contributions and the difference they make in so many lives on a daily basis. We must never forget to acknowledge the importance of the work volunteers do and hope that the millions of volunteers will be joined by many others like them; sharing, unselfishly and without gain, their wealth of talents with the rest of us.

Perhaps the best understanding of volunteers is expressed in the words of author Sherry Anderson: Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.

This Week's Forum South and West

Field of Candidates Grows for Seminerio's Vacant Assembly Seat

By Conor Greene

The field of candidates seeking the state Assembly seat vacated by Anthony Seminerio continues to grow, as at least six local residents have announced their intentions to run for the seat representing the 38th District.

After holding the position for three decades, a disgraced Seminerio resigned on June 22. Two days later, he admitted in Manhattan Federal Court to accepting illegal payment from individuals seeking to do business with the state. Barring a special election, his successor will be chosen during November’s general election.

Among those vying for the Democrat nomination are Ozone Park attorney Albert Baldeo, Community Education Council 24 President Nick Comaianni, combat veteran Farouk Samaroo, Community Board 5 member Michael Miller and Queens College student Paul Gagliardotto. The lone Republican is Donna Marie Catalbiano, director of the Forest Park Senior Citizen Center.

Baldeo, who came within 700 votes of defeating then State Senator Serf Maltese in 2006, said he has raised about $167,000 so far in support of his assembly bid. He noted that he received 70% of votes in the Richmond Hill portion of the district in 2006, even though Seminerio publicly endorsed and aggressively campaigned for Maltese. “That helps me because I’ve worked in the district before and have the name recognition,” said Baldeo.

Baldeo listed stopping overdevelopment, preventing MTA fare hikes and service cuts, creating a specific zip code for Glendale and preserving the Ridgewood Reservoir in its natural state among his major issues. “These are the issues I’ve been championing,” he said. “I’ve gotten an enormous groundswell of support from all over the district because of my continuous work on issues that affect these areas.”

He said that he has lived in the district for more than a year, meaning he meets the residency requirements to run for the Assembly seat. Last year, he launched a bid for the Democratic nomination to challenge Maltese for his State Senate position. However, he eventually dropped out of the race, clearing the way for Joseph Addabbo, who defeated Maltese in a landslide. “I did that for the greater good of the party and don’t have any regrets,” he said. “It was a heart-wrenching decision then, but I’m ready for this one now and have laid the groundwork.”

It turns out Baldeo isn’t the only native of Guyana to join the fray. Samaroo, of Richmond Hill, recently announced his candidacy and is returning home after serving 12 months with the Army in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Prior to enlisting in the Army, he worked in 2003 for former Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin, who was sentenced in May to 10 years in prison for stealing $3.1 million. He also worked on the 2006 campaign of State Senator Shirley Huntley.

“My experience in the Legislature, and on the battlefield make me uniquely qualified to serve the people of our neighborhoods,” said Samaroo. “We deserve an Assemblyman who will serve us with honor, experience and skill… Our Assemblyman resigned in disgrace, the state Legislature is failing us, and our country needs the service of committed young men and women to lead at all levels of government.”

Also throwing his hat into the ring is Miller, a Glendale resident who, aside from his CB 5 duties, is a board member of the Glendale Civilian Observation Patrol, a past board member of the Greater Ridgewood Youth Council and a past president of the Glendale Kiwanis. He is a graduate of Archbishop Molloy High School, Queens College and the University of Georgia CUNA Management School.

“With all the dysfunction in Albany today, we obviously need leaders who aren’t afraid to stand up to the status quo and fight for us,” said Miller. “I will be a full time representative of my district. For over 20 years, I have proven my commitment to my neighbors and my community. In the New York State Assembly, you can count on me to continue the service to this community that has defined my life.”

Among Miller’s prior accomplishments are helping to expand the Greater Ridgewood Youth Council from “a small neighborhood group to an organization with 180 employees that serves 6,000 people each year.” He has also been awarded numerous citations from the Glendale Civilian Observation Patrol and the NYPD for his anti-graffiti efforts. He was recently endorsed by the Queens Conservative Party.

“I am proud of my work removing and painting over graffiti in my community, leading area clean-ups before it was popular with politicians and supervising prisoners assigned to work in our community,” said Miller, who also founded the Forest Park Aktion Club, a Kiwanis club for adults with mental disabilities.

One of the first to announce his candidacy was Comaianni, who, aside from serving as CEC 24 president, is a member of Community Board 9, the Glendale Civic Association and the Forest Park Co-op board of directors. A U.S Navy veteran, the 41-year-old father of three coaches at the RGMVM Little League and is a lifelong resident of district 38.

“I have dedicated a great portion of my life to community service and feel that I am qualified to serve in the New York State Assembly, where I can continue to work and have a greater impact on the quality of life in the community in which I reside,” he said in a statement. “I am like every other New Yorker who is upset with the dysfunction currently in Albany. If elected, I will go to Albany to foster changes, to limit special interest involvement in government and to fight for transparency. I will oppose taxes, try to restore some of the sanity in the budget process and put the interests of the community first and foremost.”

Gagliardotto is among the latest to declare his candidacy, which he did in an email sent Tuesday night to local media outlets. A lifelong district resident who grew up in Ozone Park, he now lives in Glendale and says he is “the only candidate who can truly bring the understanding of the entire district to Albany.”

The 23-year-old is a graduate of PS 60, IS 119 and Forest Hills High School and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in labor studies. “From Ridgewood to Ozone Park I have friends and relatives that span the entire 38th district,” said Gagliardotto. “They are constantly expressing their thoughts and concerns to me looking for guidance. I help them and now I want to extend my hand to all residents.”

Among his priorities would be affordable healthcare for all residents, education, preserving parks and recreational areas, lowering taxes and making sure working class constituents receive appropriate living wages.

The lone Republican, Catalbiano, said this week that her campaign has been going “non- stop” since she announced that she is running. “Even though we haven’t officially started fundraising, people have been sending checks which is building my spirits. “We’ve been calling people non-stop and I’m pounding the pavement to get my face known in areas that I might not be as well known.”

Catalbiano, who received the backing of the Queens Republican Party, is also hoping to receive the Independence Party’s support. On top of her 14 years at the senior center, she boasts a civic record that includes spearheading the push for an expansion at PS 64, which came to fruition in 1991. “I think the community needs a person like me. Over the years I have many accomplishments,” she said. “We have our forces ready and we’re giving it our best shot.”

Fisherman Drowns in Jamaica Bay

By Conor Greene

The rough, uneven waters of Jamaica Bay claimed a life this past Fourth of July weekend, when a 19-year-old drowned while fishing in Broad Channel. A second victim was saved by a witness who jumped into the water and dragged him to shore.

Mario Acatilta, a Mexican immigrant who moved to Brooklyn two years ago, drowned after wading into the waters at North Channel Beach at about 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. His friend, Jesus Gonzalez, was saved by midtown hotel worker Cesar Meneses, 39, a former lifeguard who was at the small beach with his wife and son. After Meneses pulled Gonzalez back to shore, a park ranger performed CPR until an ambulance took the teen to Jamaica Hospital.

Meneses returned to the water in search of Acatilta, but the only remaining signs of him were sneakers and a yellow fishing hat, floating near the spot where he went under. As sobbing relatives including Acatilta’s brother watched from the beach, rescuers searched for hours before bringing his body ashore at about 5:30 p.m.

Rescuers later said that Acatilta’s body was recovered in a deep sink hole near where he was dragged beneath the water surface. Locals said that despite the calm waters, the bay is especially dangerous for swimmers because the ground surface drops off suddenly in areas. “If you are a fisherman and you don’t know the water and are not an advanced swimmer you should be extremely careful in this area,” said FDNY Deputy Chief Bob May.

A witness described the anguish of watching Acatilta drown and not being able to do anything about it. “It was crazy because I’m actually witnessing somebody die and I can’t help him,” said the man, who didn’t provide his name. “It was crazy.”

Acatilta’s brother later told reporters that the victim worked in a supermarket and grew up in the Mexican state Tlaxcala. He is the city’s second drowning victim this year. Last year, three people drowned at city beaches.

Following the tragedy, local officials called for measures to help prevent future drownings. “This heartbreaking accident is all the more painful because it could have been avoided,” said Frank Gulluscio, a local Democratic District Leader and City Council candidate. “As many longtime residents of this area know, there are a number of common sense proposals that can ensure that our parks and beaches remain safe for everyone. We need to make sure that there is adequate signage on Jamaica Bay shore areas, not only that swimming is prohibited, but that the dangerous tides and crevices can pose a threat. Additionally, we need increased patrols on land, especially those under Gateway’s jurisdiction, during weekends and high volume days.”

Lawsuit Filed Against NYRA

Property Bidder Claims Foul on Public Auction

By Patricia Adams

The June 10th auction to sell off 64 lots belonging to the New York Racing Association (NYRA) has resulted in a lawsuit filed last month by one of the bidders at the sale. John Sita, a Brooklyn resident, attended the auction and purchased a total of more than $1 million of property being offered by Maltz Auctioneers on behalf of NYRA.

Now Sita contends, NYRA says he is not the owner of three of those lots, located along Huron Street near Hawtree Street and Eckford Avenue. The lots named in the suit were, according to Sita, sold to him as the highest bidder at the auction for $233,200.

Stephan Gleich, Sita’s attorney told The Forum that the three lots were the only ones being held up by NYRA and that there were no problems with the rest of his client’s purchase.= Gleich says that Sita got a signed contract from NYRA on the day of the auction and that copies of that document were filed as part of his client’s lawsuit.

According to Gleich NYRA agreed on the day of the sale to Sita’s bid but decided not to honor the sale after having received a higher bid from a party who did not even attend the auction. “It is my client’s position that when an auction is held and all the rules of the seller are followed and you put up your money and are the highest bidder then the process is complete,” said Gleich. “It is unconscionable to think that the auction would continue to force bidders to pay more than the original agreement.”

Gleich further explained that if NYRA did not want to sell the property for less than a certain amount they could have entered a reserve on particular lots which would pre-empt the sale at anything less than their target price.

Rules for the auction were posted on the website for Maltz Auctions prior to the sale and clearly stated that successful bidders would meet immediately following the auction with David R. Maltz & Co. Inc. representatives to complete the necessary documents. Within 48 hours after the auction, a total deposit and buyers' premium equal to 16% of the high bid at auction must have been received.

Gleich states that his client followed through with every requirement, but notification never came within 48 hours of the auction. What did come however was a phone call from Maltz to inform Sita that if he wanted the three lots he thought he already owned, he would have to fork over an additional sum to match a bidder that came in roughly $70,000 higher than his bid.

“My client has a signed contract and there was failure of notification. If that does not secure the property for Mr. Sita then I am confident that the fact that the process is inherently unfair will prevail in this matter.”

According to Dan Silver, NYRA’s Director of Communication and Media Relations, "NYRA conducted the auction with full transparency and to the letter of the rules that were widely published and known to all auction participants. That being said, NYRA will not comment on the particulars of any pending lawsuit pending resolution of the matter through the judicial system."

The lawsuit filed on behalf of Sita in late June must be answered within twenty days of service. A spokesperson at Maltz Auctions refused comment in the matter.

Eight Years After Terror Attacks, Statue of Liberty's Crown Reopens

By Conor Greene

For the first time since the 9/11 attacks, visitors to Liberty Island were allowed to make the 354-step climb to Lady Liberty’s crown this past Fourth of July.

While Liberty Island was reopened three months after the terrorist attacks, the statue itself remained closed to the public until 2004, when portions, including the statue’s pedestal and observation deck, were reopened. However, the crown remained closed, despite objections by Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills) and other officials.

Last summer, the National Parks Service finally issued a request for quotes on a security plan that would allow the crown to reopen. That document outlined a one-year timeline to prepare a report on how to provide safe, secure access to the crown – exactly what Weiner said he had requested NPS to prepare four years prior.

“July 4th represents a glorious day for Lady Liberty and her many visitors. She becomes the last national monument that was closed on 9/11 to reopen,” said Rep. Weiner. “A true symbol of American values again stands tall…An era of foot-dragging and excusemaking comes to an end.”

The crown’s reopening marks both a symbolic victory in the nation’s recovery from 9/11, and a “victory over the bureaucratic naysayers that have kept the crown closed for eight years,” said Weiner. “They said it shouldn’t be done and they said it couldn’t be done. For years, the American people and I have disagreed,” he said. “I am thrilled that this odd chapter in the history of the Statue of Liberty is closed. But it is hard not to ask: ‘What took them so long?’”

On Independence Day this past Saturday, events marking the crown’s reopening kicked off at about 8 a.m. on Liberty Island with a ceremony for seven military personnel who are among the nation’s newest citizens. “The idea of freedom is why I moved to this country, and this moment means more than I can even describe with words,” 26-year-old Sameh Zaki, aa native of Egypt, told the Daily News.

About an hour later, the first of the 240 lucky individuals who scored tickets to visit the crown on Saturday gathered at the base of the statue. Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony by officials including United States Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, New York Governor David Paterson, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine and Rep. Weiner, the first group of 30 began the long climb to the crown, which rises about 265 feet high.

“We are going to open up the crown to the people of America and to the people of the world,” said Salazar. In a statement released this week, Weiner recalled a vow made by Interior Secretary Gale Norton from the observation deck of the Hoover Dam on December 12, 2001. “Even though atrocities such as those of September 11 can affect us, they cannot close us down.”

The effort to having the crown reopened to the public picked up steam last August, when the National Parks Service awarded a contract to a Baltimore firm to conduct a emergency management study for the Statue of Liberty. This past January, newlynamed Interior Secretary Salazar toured the site with Weiner before announcing in May that the crown would reopen for this past Fourth of July.

First in line on Saturday morning was Barbara McLean, 56, of Atlanta. “Being able to look out from the crown is what this country is all about,” she told the Daily News.

And, while the statue is a symbol of the nation’s liberty, one could say that 26-year-old Aaron Weisinger of California said goodbye to his freedom after proposing to girlfriend Erica Bender inside the cramped crown. “I was beyond surprised,” Bender told the New York Times. “It’s the perfect place for both of us,” she added of the location, as both had relatives who immigrated to America through New York City.

Tickets to take the ferry to Liberty Island and tour the statue cost $15 for adults, $13 for seniors and $5 for children and are only available at statuecruises.com. Tickets for the next 12 months are currently on sale, but tours are sold out through mid-October. While those who cannot wait unit then should avoid purchasing a ticket on secondary markets such as E-bay or Craigslist (each ticket has a specific name printed on it), some spots could open up due to cancellations. Check the Website or call (877) 523-9849.

Streets Renamed for Nancy Cataldi, Frederick Haller

By Conor Greene

Streets in Richmond Hill and Glendale have been renamed after two notable members of the neighborhoods, announced City Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley.

The Union Turnpike mall between Woodhaven Boulevard and Myrtle Avenue in Glendale will be named the Frederick D. Haller Way, and 109th Street between 86th Street and Jamaica Avenue will be known as Nancy Cataldi Way. The ceremonial names were approved on June 30, when the City Council passed legislation to rename streets throughout the five boroughs.

“I am proud to honor both Nancy Cataldi and Frederick D. Haller for their leadership and dedication to preserving the character of our community and improving the lives of our members,” said Crowley (D-Middle Village) in a statement. “Both Nancy Cataldi and Frederick Haller demonstrate how each of us, when we work hard and remain dedicated, can make lasting change in our community. That is why I believe it is important to recognize those who are proactive about improving the lives of all our neighbors, and documenting our history.”

Nancy Lucia Cataldi settled in Richmond Hill is 1963 and had many of her photographs published in prestigious magazines. In 1994, with boyfriend Stefano Palo, she purchased a 1905 Victorian House in Richmond Hill at 86-22 109th Street. She marveled at its romantic and historic allure and developed a deep interest in the neighborhood. The house was tenderly restored and refurbished. Through research she learned that the house was designed by noted Richmond Hill architect Henry E. Haugaard.

In 1996 with the help of Dr. Stanley Cogan, Queens Borough Historian, her house received one of the first Queensmark awards for historical, architectural and cultural merit. In 1997 she and other residents formed the Richmond Hill Historical Society, and by 1999 she was President of the organization. In 2000, during a House and Garden Tour, her beloved mother Lucia passed away. Teaming up with Richmond Hill Historian Carl Ballenas, the idea of writing a book on the history of Richmond Hill evolved. Working with Arcadia Publishing they gathered many vintage postcards and newspaper articles. The book has over 200 photographs and many informative historical accounts.

Frederick D. Haller helped organize the first Home School Association at Sacred Heart School in Glendale and was a charter member of the Monsignor Sherman Council, Knights of Columbus. He is also a member of the Greater Ridgewood Historical Society, founder of the Greater Ridgewood YMCA, board member and past president of the Glendale Kiwanis Club and a member of Community Board 5, serving as chairman from 1972 to 1983. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of Wyckoff Heights Hospital for forty years and served as Chairman of the Board for more than fifteen years (1982 – 1998), the longest chairmanship of the hospital in its more than 100 year history.

The new names are ceremonial, meaning they will not replace the official name on maps. The new signs are expected to be installed by the fall.

A Cakewalk Through Forest Hills

By Steve Tiszenkel

As a Forest Hills loyalist, I’m always looking for ways in which we trump all other neighborhoods. I continue to believe that FoHi is pound for pound the best nabe in New York, but where is our dominance indisputable? We’ve got great public transportation, pretty streets, top-notch schools, great housing stock, an eclectic collection of restaurants, shopping galore—but we’re hardly the only place around that can make those claims. Yes, Cottage Living Magazine named Forest Hills Gardens the No. 1 cottage community of 2007, and I feel fortunate every day to live right around the corner, but if you don’t actually own a cottage of your own there—to say nothing of your ability to take advantage of the enclave’s restricted parking—that distinction is as much frustration as triumph.

But seemingly out of nowhere, in the darkest depths of the Great Recession, when storefronts sit sad and empty for months — even years — at a time, Forest Hills has slowly but steadily been developing a secret weapon, an embarrassment of riches that the most precious South Brooklyn neighborhood can only hope to equal.

Bakeries.

Yes, bakeries. Haven’t you noticed? The offerings weren’t too shabby before—over on the little block of Ascan just north of the Gardens, one of the Hills’ poshest stretches, Bonnelle has been turning out perfect fruit tarts and shortbread cookies for years, and a co-worker who grew up in the area has been begging me to pick him up a chocolate babka from Andre’s Hungarian way on the other side of town. Jay-Dee maintains one of the neighborhood’s coolest old neon signs, a true landmark on Queens Boulevard. And even with all the local culinary luminaries who set up shop at the Forest Hills Community House’s Taste of Forest Hills event a couple of years back, Metropolitan Avenue’s La Dolce Italia managed to make a huge impression on me—and probably my waistline—with its beautifully done Italian cookies and pastries.

But those places are old hat. Ever since Astoria import Martha’s Country Bakery opened a Forest Hills outpost and quickly found it had to install one of those take-a-number systems to help with crowd control, we’ve experienced a bakedgoods renaissance. Fay Da has brought good and, not unimportantly, dirt-cheap Chinese buns to the neighborhood, and Brooklyn-based newcomer Oko has given the old Queens bakery a minimalist twist. Manhattan chain Europan Café — I believe the name means “European bread café” in European — is still setting up shop on the corner of the 70th Road Restaurant Row.

What’s truly remarkable is that at a time when business owners can’t seem to catch a break, in a place whose picture Merriam-Webster Unabridged could use to illustrate “saturated market,” all these bakeries seem to be thriving. The only failure has been Broadway Bakery, but it doesn’t take Ray Kroc or Sam Walton to figure out that you don’t open a new location a block away from your old location and keep the old one open—and anyway, Broadway was always an also-ran in the bakestakes, in taste if not in inexplicable success. No matter—a new Italian bakery has moved into the space, and things look like they’re doing fine in there.

Bakeries seem like an oddly specific business to be booming right now, but it does make sense—baked goods are a relatively inexpensive luxury, and they make you feel good, at least until they make you feel very bad. It’s sort of like buying overvalued real estate with a variable-rate mortgage. I’m not complaining. Sure, it would be nice to see some more variety out there, but unlike the endless banks that proliferated in better years, at least this is something we all can enjoy—except diabetics, of course.

Giant cookies are good. And being the best at something is even better.

The writer, Steve Tiszenkel is the host of the website queenscentral.com. Log on to read more about Forest Hills and surrounding neighborhoods.

Interview with a... Thespian

By Mickey Hornung

This interview is not being done by Christian Slater to a vampire Brad Pitt about his life and struggles with Tom Cruise, but with a local Howard Beach’er transplanted down to Rockaway Beach. Our very own thespian, Thaddeus Schneider who I banter and tell him whenever I meet up “Hey it’s the handsomest man in old Howard beach!”

All joking aside we have a man living the hard life of ups and downs of being an actor. So I ventured into his world asking 20 or so questions into the mind of hoe he sees his art—acting. The following questions and answers from this affable man and his artiest I was able to get him to fit me into his schedule off the set of his 1st action film in NYC.

Q – Where did you get the bug to act?

A- My first taste was a ADIDAS commercial with Brooke Shields in central park. To say I caught the acting Bug was after a scene with Angeline Jolie in the movie “Hells Kitchen” and I gota teacher and casting agent, that’s when I really felt drawn in.

Q- How has your environment affected your art?

A- Being a bartender you pick up a lot of different emotions good and bad and carry on a conversation on with every wanting person that ponies up to the bar.
Q- How do you keep financially afloat when you are in your down periods?

A- Mostly picking up bartending gigs and the residuals from my TV shows.

Q- What is your ultimate goal and what do you want to achieve?

A- Focusing on producing a project, A NYC script and looking for investors.

Q- Is there anyone in the family who is artistic?

A- Yes My cousin April Deveraux who is an actress and model on the west coast.
Q- Your status?

A- Single – father.

Q- Your likes?

A- Surfing and bike riding in Coney Island.

Q- Your Dislikes?

A- Negativity.

Q- Do you have any other artistic outlets?

A- Photography, writing, scripts, and I support
independent films in all forms I can.

Q- Who are your mentors or who do you look up to as actors on and off the silver screen, TV, and on Broadway?

A- It fluctuates from year to year; I would like to work with Clint Eastwood as a Director

Q- I know it is about the art of acting, but what awards have you been up for or won?

A- Best actor in the NY International Film and video festival I was up for Best Supporting role LA international Film and Video Award, I also won Best actor in Hunter College Film Festival.

Q- Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now?

A- Directing and producing.

Q- Are there any people you especially like to work with?

A- Patricia Arquette, Dennis Farina, Angelina Jolie, Jesse Martin, Danielle Sun Jha.

Q- After winning the NY Best Acting Award, where did you go from there? And have you benefited from it?

A- Because of it, I shot a TV pilot called, “Skells” I was also introduces to a large agency in NY which has now gotten me into producing.

Q- Weren’t you involved in NYC parks lifeguarding?

A- Yes I also received the highest award for saving woman while off duty!

Q- Do you have an Agent? And what do they do?

A- I have no agent, its hard in NYC where as in LA they scope you right up.

Q- How long do you give it to make it?

A- It takes 20 years to become a overnight success.

Q- How do you prepare for your roles?

A- It is personal.

So you think it’s that easy becoming an actor or actress, it certainly isn’t. You give up so much of your life for minutes of recognition or payment for your art. So remember the next time out, tip that bartender or waitress a little above because they are probably someone committed to some degree of the arts which e all enjoy, and have enjoyed all though the ages.

See ya around the beach!

This Week's Forum West and South

Relay for Life 2009: Middle Village

By Patricia Adams

Middle Village was a hangout for Superheroes this weekend, as the neighborhood hosted its 7th Annual Relay for Life. The theme for this years event—Superheroes, defined as “fictional characters of unprecedented powers, dedicated to acts of derring-do in the public interest". While the term may conjure up images like Superman, Wonder Woman, Iron Man or Spiderman, Juniper Valley Park was filled with real heroes this weekend - the cancer survivors that came out to celebrate their personal victories over the disease and to remember friends and loved ones lost to the disease.

The survivors were joined by throngs of caregivers and supporters, friends and family members who formed teams to walk the running track through the weekend, raising money in support of the American Cancer Society (ACS).



And in the crowds of people there were real life heroes—the stories of their triumphant struggles against the life-threatening disease and the people that helped them in their quest.

There was Margaret Browne of Masepth. Two years ago, the Maspeth Federal Savings employee was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Now she is cancer-free, back at work at Maspeth Federal Savings and in remission according to family members who were busy setting up loaves of Irish soda bread, lemon muffins and a variety of baked goods for sale to benefit the ACS.
The team named “Margaret’s Miracles” formed in her honor was, according to Margaret’s daughter Catherine, named for the miracle of her cure and for the “extreme” family support that went into it. “We never treated her differently. We all went through this together,” Catherine said. “We went for chemo with her and we just did everything we had to. Together. And we got a miracle.”

And there were others. Now nine-years-old, Caroline Watters of Ozone Park was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, (AML), seven years ago. AML is a myeloid line of blood cells, in which rapidly growing abnormal white blood cells accumulate in the bone marrow and interfere with "Haematopoiesis" the production of normal blood cells.

In need of a life saving bone marrow transplant, it was her sister Lisette, then 4, who was a perfect match. The successful procedure has left the sisters with the opportunity to share a lifetime of healthy years together.

Then there were those who came in memory of their loved ones. Lifelong Glendale resident Loretta DeVita passed away last year after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer about nine months prior. Her granddaughters Shannon and Katie Hatton formed team “All About Me” in Loretta’s memory. Their team was comprised of 14 members each wearing t-shirts with one of the words the team offered up as the “advice and tools” needed to deal with cancer. Shannon came up with the clever concept using the words and her sister Katie served as the team’s co- captain with Michele Cimigoia.
Believe. Fight. Conquer. Laugh. Live. Remember. Endure. Hope. Strength. Cure. Faith. Courage. Celebrate. Love. Much more than words to the crowd gathered at Juniper Valley Park, the messages carried through offered inspiration and hope to everyone in the crowd.

Also inspiring was the total money raised for the event. A whopping $140,000 to support research, prevention and the myriad of support services offered by the ACS.

One of the corporate sponsors, Maspeth Federal Savings Bank, has been on board with the Relay since its inception. David Daraio, assistant vice president, spoke to the crowd at the opening ceremony. In an emotional moment, Daraio congratulated his community and provided some very reassuring information. “This community can count on Maspeth Federal Savings as a sponsor of this event for many years to come.”

Funding Allocated for St. Saviour's Reconstruction

Church to Become Community Center

By Conor Greene

The reconstruction of St. Saviour’s church can move forward now that nearly $2 million in city funds has been allocated for the effort, according to the Juniper Park Civic Association, which led the effort to prevent the historic building from being demolished.

Queens Borough President Helen Marshall has allocated $1,450,000 in the city’s capital budget for the first phase of St. Saviour’s reconstruction and restoration, announced JPCA President Robert Holden at his group’s meeting last week. In addition, Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) secured an additional $500,000. The church will be rebuilt on donated land in Middle Village for use as a community education, cultural and performance center that integrates aspects of “green technology.”

The church, designed by renowned architect Richard Upjohn, stood on a hill in Maspeth for 160 years until the owner of the Rust Street property decided last year to demolish the building and ready the site for development. With the church minutes away from the wrecking ball, Holden convinced to owner to give the JPCA one month to dismantle the building and remove it from the property. A group called Save St. Saviours, Inc. was created, and the 1847 Carpenter Gothic structure was painstakingly labeled and packed in two trailers for storage with assistance from experts including the New York Landmarks Conservancy.

While the JPCA also pushed for the city to preserve the St. Saviour’s property along with the building itself, officials were unwilling to pay $10 million for the land. Holden said that the civic group is “still trying to convince Mayor Bloomberg that the historic St. Saviour’s property in Maspeth” should be acquired for a public park. “Although it’s a long shot we have not given up hope in returning the church to its proper location.”

Instead, Dan Austin, president of All Faiths Cemetery in Middle Village, has donated a small plot of land that is unsuitable for burials to serve as the building’s future home. Assuming the city doesn’t pursue acquisition of the Maspeth property, St. Saviour’s will be reassembled at 69th Street and Juniper Valley Road. “Juniper Civic has worked extremely hard to save St. Saviour’s for so long, and we would be honored to have such an historic building on our property,” said Austin.

At JPCA’s meeting last Thursday, Holden called allocation of the funding “a milestone” and reminded the crowd that “St. Saviour’s was just minutes – literally minutes – from demolition… We were all out there preparing for the worst, and then the miracle happened,” he said. He noted that there currently are no official landmarks or historic buildings in Maspeth or Middle Village. “This is fantastic news and another chapter in the miraculous story of St. Saviour’s,” he added in a statement released this week.

“I am pleased to lend this vital support to the Juniper Park Civic Association that provides frontline services to the residents of Queens and our city,” said Marshall.

Crowley noted that the funding came at a time when city council members had to work hard just to restore funding for critical services such as firehouses, education and libraries. “Furthermore, I am proud to announce that we were able to secure $500,000 to reassemble, restore and transform St. Saviour’s into a green and sustainable building,” she said. “This is a huge victory for the people of Queens, especially for those living in Maspeth and Middle Village.”

Under phase one, the new site will be graded and the building’s frame and roof will be reconstructed for use as an open air performing arts center. The exterior walls will be closed in and the interior will be finished during phase two, at which point the building will be available for use as a community center. According to Holden, phase one could begin as early as next spring, with the project taking up to three years to complete. In all, the two phases are expected to cost a total of $4 million.

Aqueduct Bids Move Forward; Senate Will Not Hamper Project

By Patricia Adams

In mid-April, Governor David Paterson, Senate Majority Leader Malcolm A. Smith and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver announced the reopening of a solicitation for proposals by interested entities seeking to be selected to build and operate the planned Video Lottery Terminal (VLT) facility at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens.

The decision to reopen the bidding was a result of a collapsed deal with Delaware North Companies. Delaware had been selected by the State in October 2008 as the winning bidder and most observers felt Delaware's selection was predicated upon the company's proposed large “up front” payment which was due to the State at the end of March. Subsequently, Delaware was unable to come up with the money and the deal with the State fell apart.

The reopening of the bidding process required proposals to be submitted to the State by May 8th. Seven entities entered bids for the upcoming selection process. Below is a profile of the contenders for the bid which will be decided by August 1st. Governor Paterson has also announced that the facility must be fully operational by October 2011.

Aqueduct Entertainment Group, LLC is headed by Richard Mays, Sr. and proposes construction of three levels of gaming, a new parking structure, and a hotel. Its gaming partner is the Navegante Group which has developed casinos and gaming projects throughout the world. The company has a website which displays some renderings regarding the proposal at aqueductentertainment.com.

Aqueduct Gaming, LLC is Delaware North and its gaming partner, Saratoga Racing and Gaming. Its plan calls for construction of a VLT gaming facility with ancillary space for restaurants and the like and a parking garage.

Development Associates, LLC, a subsidiary of Wynn Resorts led by Steve Wynn, proposes to construct the VLT facility along with a new entrance lobby and related amenities and a parking facility.

Peebles Corporation & MGM Mirage is headed by Florida real estate developer R. Donahue Peebles who was involved in the prior Delaware North project. Both Peebles and Delaware have confirmed he is not affiliated with the current Delaware proposal. Peebles also has a website where additional information is available at www.TheAqueductCasino.com.

Penn National Gaming, Inc. operates casino properties in Pennsylvania and also operates racetracks and associated OTB facilities. SL Green Realty Corp. in partnership with Hard Rock International is proposing a VLT facility, parking facility and new entrance lobby. Further phases of development could include a hotel, retail, and entertainment uses.

The seventh proposal was from Mohegan Sun but was essentially an offer to operate a VLT facility if the State constructed it.

Further information was due to the State last week from the entities seeking the franchise to be the State's VLT developer at Aqueduct. At this point it is unknown whether all did so.

As with the prior selection of Delaware North, the decision is in the hands of Albany's “three men in a room”: the Governor, the Assembly Speaker, and the Senate President Pro Tem. Some fear that recent events occurring in the State Senate's leadership may impact on the decision-making process now underway, although bidders in the process do not seem to think that they will be affected.

A spokesperson for the Peebles group told The Forum, “We have no indication from the state that there will be any change in the time frame established. We are moving ahead exactly as planned.”

Marissa Shorenstein, a spokesperson for the governor, said there are no expected delays because of the unrest in the state Senate.

Another bidder, SL Green is also proceeding with their plans to capture the bid in August. Executive Vice President Edward Piccinich explained his company’s thought on the pending deal.

"We realize that a project such as this has to be completed in as seamless and functional way as possible. For nearly two years, we've been working closely with NYRA, the local Queens community, and the state in refining our development proposal for Aqueduct, in order to ensure that we meet this goal. When completed, the SL Green / Hard Rock plan will create an entertainment destination for New York state, city, and the local community."

The winning bidder will pay the full amount of their proposed upfront franchise fee no later than ten business days following the execution of the Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) with the State.

Personal income tax bonds will be issued by the state through the Empire State Development Corporation in the amount of $250 million to finance eligible VLT project costs. The net amount borrowed would then be advanced to the selected bidder to be used for project capital costs incurred in the construction of a VLT facility at Aqueduct.

The VLT facility will be constructed by the selected VLT Vendor, who will be responsible for its design and construction subject to the terms of the MOU and applicable laws and regulations. Neither ESDC nor the State will be responsible for construction or cost overruns.

The State will enter into an agreement with the winning bidder for a fixed period of 30 years, with a possible 10-year extension based on the attainment of reasonable benchmarks that ensure satisfactory performance.

Ridgewood Reservoir Plans to be Presented in Fall

Survey, Meeting Results Released by Parks Dept.

By Conor Greene

The city Parks Department will release three conceptual plans for the future of Ridgewood Reservoir this fall, now that the results of public input generated through listening sessions and paper surveys have been released.

At a meeting Tuesday night in Oak Ridge, the findings of the March 30 and May 2 listening sessions was presented, along with the feedback of 253 paper surveys distributed at prior meetings and in parks. Using this information, landscape architect firm Mark K. Morrison Associates (MKM) will present the three plans to Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe in late September. The plans will also be presented to community boards.

Under an agreement with city Comptroller William Thompson, one of the three plans must be dedicated to passive recreation, with no major development of the basins. The others will likely include athletic fields and other facilities for active recreation.

According to the combined results of the two listening sessions, residents favor construction of a boardwalk as their top choice for all three basins. The only options among the top three priorities for any of the basins that involve development was at basin three, where a nature center was the second choice, followed by recreational opportunities.

However, some audience members took exception with the paper surveys, questioning where they were distributed and why they weren’t handed out to all meeting participants or sent to local community boards. Also, some questioned why the results of a 2007 survey on Ridgewood Reservoir were not taken into consideration. Of the 253 paper survey respondents, 11% ranked baseball or softball fields as the highest priority in terms of the new facilities they would like build at the reservoir site.

Kevin Quinn, the department’s Queens team leader for capital projects, stressed that the surveys don’t take into account the wishes of every resident. “We didn’t go around and ask every single person in Queens what they want,” he said. “It’s not going to be statistically perfect, but I think it’s a good start… What I want to know is, do you disagree with the results?”

When asked why the 2007 survey was dismissed, Quinn said there were concerns that it was flawed or not thorough enough. “We spent a lot more time on this survey,” he said. Still, many in the room felt the prior results should also be taken into account. “To me, its mind boggling that you threw it out,” said Lou Widerka.

Ozone Park resident David Quintana also questioned the validity of the paper surveys, and accused Parks of using them to get the results they favored. “These surveys have no transparency at all,” he said.

Several others questioned whether those surveyed knew the questions pertained specifically to Ridgewood Reservoir, as opposed to the entire Highland Park property, which includes the reservoir along with existing ball fields that are in poor condition.

“I really feel there should have been a distinction between Highland Park and Ridgewood Reservoir because a lot of people don’t know about the reservoir,” said Woodhaven resident Maria Thompson. “If you wanted a survey of Highland Park, you should have made a survey on Highland Park.”

Quinn said that Parks saw this as a chance to also solicit information about Highland park in general. He said that that contract with MKM only pertains to the reservoir section, but that Parks is looking into the overall conditions of Highland Park.

Widerka and several others also argued that if the city would simply fix the existing fields at Highland Park, there would be no debate over whether or not the basins should be preserved. “If you fix Highland Park, there would be no issue of ballfields in the basins,” he said. “Fix Highland Park, preserve the reservoir and then everyone will be happy. It’s easy and here we are banging our heads against the wall.”

Vincent Arcuri, chairman of Community Board 5, said that the city needs to “bite the bullet” and look at the conditions at the existing fields. “We have not paid proper attention to Highland Park in recent years,” he said. “You ask anyone what’s needed at Highland Park and they’ll tell you the same thing – those fields are garbage.” Instead of building fields in the reservoir basins, Arcuri said Parks has to “be realistic” and address the existing fields.

Senator Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), who was represented at the meeting by Jeff Gottleib, and Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), who was in attendance, both said they don’t want the basins developed.

While the future of the actual basins remains up in the air, everyone seems to agree that the perimeter area around the basins is in need of upgrades to improve access and safety. As a result, contract bid documents for phase one work, which includes new fencing, lighting and pathways, will be completed by the end of the summer. If a contract is awarded by late fall, construction could begin in early winter 2010.

Residents Upset Over Homeless Shelter

WILL RALLY AT 58th AVENUE PROPERTY

By Conor Greene

A building on 58th Avenue in Elmhurst has been converted into a temporary homeless shelter and is ready to accept clients, to the dismay of neighbors who were not informed about the project and say it’s not appropriate for the residential area.

A large group of angry residents packed into the basement of the Bethzatha Church on Monday night to learn about the plan and express their concerns over having the temporary shelter operate at 86-18 58th Avenue, in the middle of a quiet block.

The building would house up to 29 adults, according to Yolanda Martin-Garibaldi, vice president of The Queens Alliance, Inc. That group has entered into a ten-year lease for the building, which was owned by St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Centers until it was sold in 2005 to a limited liability corporation. This is the first facility of this type to be run by the recently-formed Queens Alliance.

At Monday’s meeting, co-hosted by Community Board 4 and Communities of Maspeth and Elmhurst Together, Martin-Garibaldi said that the alliance’s goal is to provide “temporary emergency shelter” while the client works their way back to permanent housing. While there is no set limit on the amount of time an individual can stay there, she noted that it’s in Queens Alliance’s interest to turn over units so new residents can move in.

The Queens Alliance is funded by the city Human Resource Administration, which will direct clients to the facility. While no one has been assigned there yet, individuals could begin arriving at any time, said Martin-Garibaldi. The alliance has the right to reject certain clients and will not accept sex offenders or parolees. “They’re not just sending us anyone and we’re not going to take anyone,” she said, stressing that the building will not serve as a halfway house, drug rehab center or medical facility.

At the start of the session, Richard Italiano, district manager of CB 4, gave the crowd some bad news: the area is zoned for community facilities, meaning the building can be used in this manner as-of-right with no prior approval needed. As a result, many residents were only just learning about the plan, even though Queens Alliance has been eligible to receive clients for more than a week.

Many residents used the meeting to vent frustration over not having any say before the project was approved. “They have no right to do this,” said CB 4 member Nick Pennachio. “They just dump everything in Elmhurst – we have our share here.” He questioned whether there are also similar projects in neighborhoods such as Forest Hills and Rego Park and noted that property values will decrease as a result. “Queens Alliance is not welcome here.”

The feeling that Elmhurst and Maspeth shoulder an unfair burden of projects affecting the quality of life was echoed by several other residents. “Not to disrespect you, but Maspeth and Elmhurst get a lot of [crap] from the city… It’s not fair,” said another resident, to loud applause.

Since the project is allowed under the zoning, Roe Daraio, president of COMET, focused on Queens Alliance’s background and the regulations they must follow in order to remain open and continue receiving city funding. She noted that the organization doesn’t have a Website and couldn’t be located through a Google search. In addition, the 58th Avenue building that will house the homeless individuals is also listed as the alliance’s office.

Daraio said the guidelines governing these types of facilities will be distributed to the community to make sure proper procedures are being followed. “If they don’t follow the guidelines, perhaps we can get it shut down,” she said. “We are one community and we have to fight the battles together.”

Others feared that problems could arise due to the shelter’s proximity to nearby schools, churches and daycare centers. “What happens when school gets out? I don’t think it is right… We pay our taxes, we work hard for our homes and we get this,” said resident Maria McDonald, who said her husband was attacked along Queens Boulevard several years ago by a resident of a group home located near the shelter.

Linda Lam was particularly frustrated that the residents had no prior warning of the plan, and said one reason the neighborhood is forced to shoulder more than its fair share of community facilities is due to the low turnout rate of voters. She vowed to help mobilize the neighborhood and rally in front of the property to bring attention to the situation. “Why must we be further burdened? We get dumped on time and time again,” said Lam. “We will do what it takes to prevent this homeless shelter from destroying our neighborhood and from hurting our children.”

Martin-Garibaldi stressed that there will be security guards on site around the clock. However, many in the crowd groaned and booed when she said that the guards would call the police in the case of a serious situation. Under questioning, she stated that there would be two guards on at a time, leaving some to argue that the alliance isn’t doing enough to ensure the facility doesn’t present a threat to the neighborhood.

“Trust me, I know what the community is saying.... but these are our people and they have to go somewhere,” said Martin-Garibaldi. “I understand your concers and respect them all.”

Among the most concerned was Brayan Terrazas, an NYPD housing officer who lives next door to the property. He said the building formerly housed college students and said it’s unfair that it will now be used in a less neighborhood-friendly manner. After several years with the NYPD, “I know about all the problems [housing] brings with it,” he told Martin-Garibaldi. “It’s just going to be problems,” he added, predicting that two security guards will be unable to effectively monitor 29 adults, especially since the building has entrances in the front and rear.

This portion of Elmhurst is in the City Council district of Melinda Katz (D-Forest Hills), who was not at Monday’s meeting. A resident said she called Katz’s district office but was told by an aide that the effort is a lost cause since the project is allowed under the zoning. Instead, the aide suggested that the resident consider hiring an attorney, a solution she said was not acceptable.

Katz’s office did not return a call left with a staff member on Tuesday.

However, Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), whose district is south of the area, attended the meeting. She told residents that “just because we’ve heard that it is as-of-right, it doesn’t mean that it’s right.” Crowley said the legislation needs to be changed so that shelters within residential areas must be approved by the community. She vowed to assist with protests and other efforts “to make sure this doesn’t go through.”

Ultimately, Martin-Garibaldi was unable to appease most of the fears. “The only thing I can tell you at this point is that time will tell,” she said, again drawing loud boos and groans from the crowd. She later said she was “surprised” by the large turnout and residents’ objections. “I didn’t expect this today,” she said.

The residents are planning to rally in front of the building on Saturday, July 11 at 11 a.m

Garbage Trains, School Lawsuit and Maspeth Trucks at JPCA Meeting

By Conor Greene

This month’s Juniper Park Civic Association Meeting included news that a settlement has been reached to prevent trains hauling garbage from idling in residential areas and an update on the battle against the city’s plan to build a high school in Maspeth.

In addition, the civic group held a moment of silence for a longtime member who recently passed away, and honored another resident who is still going strong at 107 years old during the session last Thursday. Reports on other items discussed at the meeting can be found elsewhere in this issue, including funding for the reconstruction of St. Saviour’s Church, an update on crime and a ceremony honoring the neighborhood’s outgoing monsignor.

Garbage Trains and Truck Traffic

Civic President Robert Holden informed the large crowd at Our Lady of Hope about a new problem the civic is dealing with: a plan by Waste Management to haul trash by truck from its transfer station on Review Avenue in Long Island City to the rail yard in West Maspeth. While this is part of the city’s plan to reduce the amount of trucks making long-distance trips to out-of-state dumps, it will lead to an increase in local traffic.

The garbage will be loaded onto rail cars near the intersection of Maspeth Avenue and Rust Street, near the former St. Saviour’s property. This has led Holden to surmise that the reason Mayor Michael Bloomberg refused to fund a purchase of the land for a public park is because this plan was in the works.

“The real reason the mayor didn’t want a park there was because he had a bigger plan,” said Holden. The city’s solid waste plan “is being forced upon us here in this district.” Under the plan, all trash from neighborhoods in community boards one through six would be trucked to the Review Avenue transfer station, which Waste Management will expand to accommodate the increase. While that facility is located along the Newtown Creek, it doesn’t have barge or rail access, meaning the trash must be driven a mile and a half to Maspeth before it is shipped by rail to dump sites in Virginia.

“It would be a decent plan if they would barge the garbage out or rail the garbage out,” said Holden. “This was their master plan – who would want a park near this transfer station?” He noted that the trains, filled with garbage, will then travel through Middle Village and Glendale before leaving the region. Last year, there was a problem with foul odors emanating from trains idling in one location, especially near Christ the King High School on Metropolitan Avenue. “Now they’re going to add more,” he said. “They city didn’t insist they barge it or do it by rail the right way.”

Holden reminded the large crowd that the civic can no longer even get a response to letters sent to Mayor Bloomberg about this issue, a far cry from when the mayor stopped by JPCA meetings on several occasions before his reelection. “We couldn’t keep this guy away. Now we can’t get answers to our letters anymore.”

While West Maspeth will likely bear the brunt of increased truck traffic, Middle Village attorney and City Council candidate Thomas Ognibene had some good news regarding the issue of odors from the trains stinking up the neighborhood. He said that the fumes caused issues last year at Christ the King, including making a pregnant teacher ill. After negotiations between the school and railways proved futile, Ognibene revealed publicly for the first that a lawsuit against New York and Atlantic Railway and CSX was needed to resolve the problem.

The outcome, according to Ognibene, is a settlement in federal court that allows CSX to take possession of idling trains sooner. The agreement, which was effective as of Wednesday, should eliminate the need for trains to sit in residential areas. Instead, trains will be picked up by CSX in the morning and stored at a rail yard away from residential areas untilthey’re ready to leave the area.

“We believe that starting July 1, we’ve solved the problem with the existing trains,” said Ognibene. “Hopefully that’s going to help… but it took a lawsuit. There may be glitches but at least we got something going in that direction because we’ve suffered long enough.”

Maspeth School Lawsuit

Ognibene also updated residents on a lawsuit the JPCA and Communities of Maspeth and Elmhurst Together (COMET) have jointly filed against the city regarding the proposed Maspeth high school.

The issue, according to Holden and Ognibene, is that information regarding toxic materials found on the site was withheld before the City Council voted earlier this year to approve the Department of Education’s plan to build the 1,100-seat school on the former Restaurant Depot site at 74th Street and 57th Avenue. Despite objections from the area’s local member, Elizabeth Crowley, the City Council voted 38-10 in April in favor of the plan.

“We feel it is going to overburden the neighborhood,” said Holden. “The city really didn’t tell the elected officials or us how toxic it is… Information was withheld and the School Construction Authority rushed this through.”

Ognibene noted that one problem is that the city “is not diligent as an ordinary buyer would be” in terms of investigating the site. He added that 19 schools around the city were built on toxic sites, which has forced the city to go back and remediate the property after construction was completed. “Obviously it’s going to be very expensive” to remediate after construction.

“Unfortunately, the City Council I believe didn’t get the full information,” said Ognibene. “This is a dangerous location to build a school… It presents significant problems for the community.”

The civics are named plaintiffs in the lawsuit because they have legal standing to file the lawsuit. Ognibene is now waiting to for a return date and hopes a judge will issue a restraining order preventing the city from moving ahead with work at the site until a phase three environmental impact statement is conducted to show exactly what remediation is needed. In May, the city paid $16,250,000 for the 54,000-square foot property. The current plan is to install a protective barrier between the contaminated soil and the building foundation.

“We feel we have a strong case,” said Ognibene. “Certainly the health, safety and welfare of our children in schools should be paramount. I think it’s important that the city in this type of situation steps up and does the right thing.

Civic Members Honored

At the beginning of the meeting, Holden asked for a moment of silence in honor of civic member Ed Nubel, who recently passed away.

“We lost him too soon,” said Holden, recalling that that the long time volunteer always made sure there was coffee at every meeting. “He really exemplified the spirit of this neighborhood… I know Ed is looking down on us. If you have a cup of coffee, toast Ed tonight.”

Next, another longtime civic member – 107-year-old Carl Berner – was presented the volunteer of the year award for his continued dedication to the neighborhood. “How many people see this man in the neighborhood?” asked Holden, noting that Berner walks several miles a day in the area of Caldwell Avenue and chalks his longevity up to oatmeal.

Berner is still recovering from two hip operations and a short nursing home stay, but is eager to return to civic matters such as cleaning up along the railroad tracks, said Holden. “Don’t be surprised if you see him over there in a couple months with a rake. We’re never surprised by Carl Berner.”

Precinct Readies for Holiday Weekend

Neighborhood Issues Discussed at COP 104

By Conor Greene

Officers from the 104th Precinct will be out in full force over the 4th of July weekend to deal with problems, especially illegal firework shows, local residents were informed during this month’s COP 104 meeting, held last week in Middle Village.

Community Affairs Officer Tommy Bell told the crowd during last Thursday’s Juniper Park Civic Association meeting that a full compliment of officers will be on duty to respond to the numerous calls the precinct receives every holiday weekend. In particular, officers will be on the lookout for illegal firework displays and will have manpower concentrated in known “problem areas” including Juniper Valley Park and Fresh Pond Road.

“It is going to be a really busy day – obviously we get a lot of calls on the Fourth of July,” said Officer Bell. “We know where these [problem] areas are and respond to calls pretty much all night.”

Overall, crime is down about eight percent across the precinct, with a decrease in every category with the exception of a minor increase in burglaries, according to Bell. So far this year, there has been one murder – the unsolved killing of a Ridgewood man – compared with four last year, which were all in connection with the fatal fire on Father’s Day 2008.

Among the rest of the major crimes, there have been 112 robberies this year compared with 127 last year; 55 felony assaults compared with 62, 197 burglaries, up from 195 at the same time last year; 217 grand larcenies compared with 241; and 143 auto thefts compared to 158 last year.

Neighborhood Complaints

During the public portion of the meeting, Maspeth resident Tony Nunziato asked if anything could be done to cut down on motorcycle noise in residential areas. “It’s horrendous. You can’t even hear yourself think,” he said. “They’re being harassed by the noise,” he said of the affected residents.

Officer Bell reported that the precinct has been aggressive lately in terms of confiscating motorcycles when possible. So far, 24 have been seized this year, including four this week. “We have a very active highway unit in the 104,” he said, adding that four-wheelers are also becoming a problem, especially in Middle Village. “They’re not just putting themselves in danger, they’re putting others in danger as well,” said Officer Bell. “We want you out there riding safely and licensed… otherwise we’ll take them.”

Another resident asked if anything can be done about commercial vehicles including limousines and taxis parking on residential streets overnight, taking up three spaces. Unfortunately, Officer Bell explained that while most commercial vehicles can’t be left on residential streets overnight, it is legal for limoand taxi drivers to do so under the current law.

Nunziato blamed this situation on industry lobbyists who have influence over elected officials. “Limos should not be on the street… They make money off of it, so why isn’t it commercial?” he said. “They’re really sidestepping the law, and we have to make our elected officials push [against it] because I see more and more of it in this area.” He reminded residents that a car can be ticketed and towed if it remains in one location for more than seven days.

French Tourists Taken on Wild Ride in Illegal Commuter Van

By Conor Greene

Two men who steered five unsuspecting French tourists into their unauthorized commuter van at JFK Airport have been charged after taking them on a harrowing seven-mile trip through Queens and Brooklyn with police vehicles in pursuit.

The incident began last Tuesday outside Air France’s terminal at JFK when the two Brooklyn men offered to give the tourists a ride in their unlicensed van. Port Authority police officers were attempting to cite the defendants for “hustling” the passengers when the men sped away with the tourists inside the van.

According to the charges, the officer observed Ian McFarlane, 57, offer ground transportation to five arriving passengers standing on the shuttle line outside the terminal and escort them to a green van driven by Khaalif Preacher, 27. The officer displayed his shield, approached McFarlane, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, tapped on the window and ordered the defendants to stop. At that point, McFarlane allegedly looked over at Preacher, who took off at a high rate of speed.

The men’s escape was slowed by airport traffic, which allowed another officer to approach the driver’s side, bang on the window and order the defendants to stop and exit the vehicle. McFarlane and Preacher refused and once again sped off at a high rate of speed, causing the officer to sustain a shoulder injury.

With at least 10 police vehicles in pursuit, Preacher drove the van through traffic, forcing pedestrians and other drivers to quickly get out of the van’s way, at times running stop signs and red lights while traveling as fast as 60 miles per hour on residential streets. All the while, the five tourists – Esther Mamane and her mother Claudie Mamane and Gwenaelle Dulugat and her parents, Michele Dulugat, 61, and Jean-Jacques Dulugat, 62 – were allegedly locked in the van, with the defendants ignoring their pleas to stop.

Eventually, the defendants reached a dead end street and turned into a postal facility at 1050 Forbell Street in East New York. They jumped from the van, fleeing on foot as the vehicle continued to move with the five screaming to be let go. The van ultimately crashed into a stop sign and then a postal truck. After the crash, Claudia Mamane was injured when she fell while exiting the vehicle, which ran over her arm.

With his gun drawn, a Port Authority officer chased after McFarlane, who stopped when cornered. However, as the officer put away his weapon and attempted to handcuff McFarlane, the defendant began wrestling with and kicking the officer, who suffered a sprained knee. Preacher also allegedly resisted arrest, according to authorities.

The men were arraigned last Wednesday night and charged with second-degree assault, second-degree assault on an officer, first-degree reckless endangerment, first-degree unlawful imprisonment, resisting arrest, third-degree unlawful fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle and unlawful solicitation of ground transportation services. If convicted, they each face up to seven years in prison. They were ordered held on $50,000 bail and ordered to return to court on July 8.

According to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, it is illegal for any unauthorized driver to charge for ground transportation at an airport. Violators are subject to a fine of $100 to $200 and/or 15 days in jail. While a third conviction within an 18-month period raises the offense a misdemeanor carrying fines of $750 to $1,150 and/or 45 days in jail, Brown argues that has not been sufficient to deter airport hustling.

In response, Assemblyman Jeffrion L. Aubry and Senator Martin M. Dilan are sponsoring a bill would increase the monetary fines and amount of possible jail time for airport hustling. The bill has passed the Assembly and is presently awaiting a vote in the Senate.

Following the ordeal, the tourists were given a bag of New York City goodies including Broadway and museum tickets at a press conference on Wednesday. Through a translator, Claudie Mamane said she harbors no ill will towards the city despite the incident. “We are happy to be here; we love New York and New Yorkers,” she said, according to the Associated Press. “We never lost faith. And at any time we never thought it would end badly

Man Charged with Placing Fake 911 Calls

Two NYPD Hurt Responding to Report of Injured Officer

A Queens man has been charged with making a series of false 911 calls over the past four months during which he claimed that police officers were being held hostage or had been shot. In one case, officers from the 102nd Precinct were injured after getting into a traffic accident while en route to a call.

Alex Rodriguez, 50, of 75-20 Bell Boulevard was arraigned last week on charges of first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree criminal nuisance and third-degree falsely reporting an incident. If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison and was ordered held on $10,000 bail until his next court hearing on July 7.

According to the criminal charges, Rodriguez made approximately 20 phone calls to the city’s 911 emergency telephone line from pay phones in Queens between February 22 and June 20 of this year. He allegedly told the operator that a specific police officer or detective had been shot, killed, struck by a vehicle or was being held hostage. During the calls, Rodriguez often used police parlance and codes such as 10-13, which means an officer is down and needs assistance. All of the calls were deemed unfounded by responding officers.

“Prank calls to police jeopardize the lives of officers and civilians alike, waste resources and keep police officers from dealing with real emergencies. Those who place such calls will be vigorously prosecuted,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.

In once instance, two officers assigned to the 102nd Precinct in Richmond Hill were injured when responding to an alleged 911 emergency call seeking assistance for a fellow officer. Traveling at a high rate of speed in bad weather conditions, the officers sustained injuries when the vehicle struck a metal pole.

“Fake 911 calls kill. They can kill officers who respond to what they believe is an actual emergency, and they kill real victims deprived of life-and-death seconds wasted on fakers,” said NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

Conviction in 1999 Love Triangle Murder

After seven years on the run, a 49-year-old man has been convicted of murdering his cousin in broad daylight on a Richmond Hill street in 1999 as a result of a love triangle.

Tahir Naqvi, formerly of Columbus, Georgia, was convicted last Thursday of second-degree murder and second-and-third-degree criminal possession of a weapon following a jury trial. He faces 25 years to life in prison when sentenced on August 20.

According to trial testimony, the victim, Irfan Naqvi, 29, was having an affair with the wife of the defendant, who was his first cousin. The defendant knew about the affair and stalked the victim, waiting for him outside his home on Metropolitan Avenue in Richmond Hill on Aug. 14, 1999.

At about 3:45 that afternoon, the victim left his home and was on his way to a family wedding when he was accosted by his cousin, who fired two shots at him. As the victim crawled along the ground, the defendant fired a third shot. Finally, the defendant dragged the victim onto the sidewalk, straddled his body and shot him two more times, in the shoulder and head.

The incident was witnessed by a 14-year-old girl who was on her way to church. She later picked the defendant out of a photo array and testified against him at trial. The case was investigated by Detective Jeffrey Lucas of the 102nd Precinct’s Detective Squad, with assistance from the NYPD’s Queens Cold Case Squad.

“The defendant has now been convicted of hunting down and shooting to death his first cousin on a public street,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. “The defendant has taken a life and shattered a family. It took 10 years to bring him to justice and his conviction warrants imposition of a maximum prison sentence to punish him and protect society.”

This Week's Forum South and West

Seminerio Resigns, Enters Guilty Plea

By Patricia Adams

Rumors swirled around the chamber of the New York State Assembly on Monday according to members who say they were anticipating the resignation of colleague Anthony Seminerio.

Seminerio delivered a brief resignation letter addressed to Sheldon Silver, Speaker of the Assembly on Tuesday afternoon, which marked the close of the Assembly session for the summer. “Please accept this as my letter of resignation from my assembly seat, 38th District, effective June 23, 2009. It has been my honor and a distinct privilege to have served in the legislature for the last thirty years.” The letter was signed “Sincerely, Anthony Seminerio”.

Colleagues in the state Assembly said they were not surprised by the resignation given the surrounding circumstances, but were none the less saddened. “I have known the Seminerio family for many years,” said Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer who has served in the legislature with Seminerio for the last 20 years. “Tony and his wife, Catherine, have 3 outstanding children, and many grandchildren. They are all active members of the community who work tirelessly on behalf of others. My prayers are with the Seminerio Family during these difficult times.

According to published reports in the Albany Times Union, Seminerio’s attorney Pery Krinsky spoke on behalf of his client. “Mr. Seminerio regrets the pain he has caused to his family, his colleagues and to his former constituents whom he served for more than three decades."

On Wednesday Krinsky entered a guilty plea for the disgraced pol that faces between five months and 15 years in prison, in addition to tens of thousands of dollars in fines, when he is sentenced on October 20th.

The indictment, which followed an investigation by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Manhattan, charges that Seminerio received “a stream of corrupt payments,” from 1999 to 2008. The now 74-year-old state lawmaker is alleged to have sold his influence in Albany and collected about $1 million from clients.

Seminerio’s troubles began back in September when the indictment was first handed down. Charged with brokering favors to entities with business before the state, Seminerio was presumed to be the operator of a sham consulting company.

But in March of this year, an additional charge of extortion was added by the feds because, they say, Seminerio threatened to squash legislation for a nonprofit executive if he refused to utilize the “consulting” services and hire him. The threatened Queens nonprofit group was heavily dependant on state financing and paid Seminerio a $700-per-month fee for approximately two years.

Also listed in the indictment, is a payment of more than $300,000 from an unidentified New York City hospital and $25,000 from an undercover agent who approached the lawmaker with a request for access to his colleagues in connection with legislation concerning the privatization of the state’s probation system.

Seminerio had allegedly been charging the agent a $5,000 per month fee and complained when he did not receive timely payments for months gone by.

Seminerio was elected to the NYS Assembly a total of 16 times. Prior to the Assembly, he spent 15 years as a corrections officer and has amassed about 47 years of state pension credits.

Filling the Vacancy: Who Will Replace Seminerio?

By Patricia Adams

The vacancy created by the resignation of Tony Seminerio from his seat in the 38th Assembly District has left obvious concerns about who will fill the seat and answer the concerns of constituents in the district largely comprised of Richmond Hill and Glendale.

According to New York State law a vacancy in a state position filled through the election process which occurs before September 20th would normally be filled in the general election which follows the vacancy. Morgan Hook, a spokesperson for Governor Paterson, said that there has been no decision yet as to whether the governor will issue a proclamation ordering a special election as of yet.

“We are still checking with local government and the Board of Elections in an evaluation of the situation,” said Hook. “If the governor decides that the seat will be filled in a special election, once a proclamation is ordered, it [the special election] would have to be held no sooner that 30 days and no more than 40 days following the issuance of the proclamation.”

Donna Marie Catalbiano, executive director of the Forest Park Senior Citizens Center founded by Tony Seminerio is among those who will seek to replace him. “For thirty years Tony Seminerio did great things for the community. He was the founder of the Forest Park Senior Citizens Center and he continued to fund it for many years. He always did good things for the community and despite these allegations he will be missed as a friend to the community.

Catalbiano has recorded many civic and community credits in addition to her work over the last 14 years at the senior center. In 1985 she organized a group of parents to expand PS 64 and get a gymnasium and auditorium built at the school. The structures were officially added in 1990-1991. Catalbiano also found a way to open the senior center for one additional day a week at the same level of funding it was taking to open 3 days a week. “I think the community needs a person like me,” said Catalbiano. “Over the years I have many accomplishments.”

In preparation to make her run for the seat Catalbiano formed a committee several months ago. “We have not done any fundraising and actually kept the news pretty quiet out of respect for Tony Seminerio. Now, we’ll begin the campaign for the seat.” And Catalbiano says that she will seek the seat with the backing of the Queens County Republicans.

As for the seniors she may have to leave behind, Catalbiano says she will never abandon them. Joe Palladino, the president of the senior center says he has known her for over fourteen years. “I am the one who hired Donna,” Palladino says. “I’m like gum under her shoe and she’ll never get rid of me or any of us here. But,” he says, “When Donna goes to Albany, she’ll be even more of a help to us here and for many other seniors. She’s a hard worker and a fighter. The best thing about her—she’s honest and she doesn’t take any bull. We all need that.”

Other potential challengers for the seat include Nick Comaianni and Albert Baldeo. Comaianni is the president of District 24’s Community Education Council and a life-long resident of the 38th District. He has served as a member of Community Board 9 and Chairman of the Community Board’s Education Committee. Albert Baldeo is an attorney who has run against former senator Serf Maltese and who most recently bowed out of the Democratic primary race against now Senator Joe Addabbo.

Quality of Life Problems Highlight Civic Meeting in West Maspeth

By Conor Greene

Quality of life issues, including music blaring from cars, increased truck traffic and problems at a local bar were on the minds of Maspeth West End Block Association members as the fledgling group tries to tackle issues in that section of the neighborhood.

The meeting last Thursday at Trinity-St. Andrews Church on 60th Street attracted several dozen residents, many of whom aired complaints about problems they say detracts from the quality of life in the neighborhood. The 104th Precinct did not have a representative at the meeting, so the group wants to schedule a sit down next month with police officials to address the ongoing problems.

Problems at the Moonlight Bar

A source of pain for many residents in the vicinity of Flushing Avenue and 60th Place is the Moonlight Bar. Establishments operating under various names have been in business there for about three years, but the problem has gotten much worse in the past few months with loud music played into the early morning hours. “It’s an intoxicated, very horrible clientele,” said resident Diane Boudreau, who has lived in her home two doors down from the bar for 11 years with “no [prior] problems.”

“They are very nasty, very rude and they destroy property,” said Boudreau of the Moonlight customers, adding that many appear underage, and several have threatened residents who complain about their behavior. “A lot of people are frustrated [but are] afraid of retaliation,” said another nearby resident, Eugenia Ihrig.

Problems at Moonlight were also raised at a June COP 104 meeting in Maspeth Town Hall. A resident told the precinct’s commanding officer, Deputy Inspector Keith Green, that he had called 311 numerous times with similar complaints. Deputy Inspector Green said that the precinct has received prior complaints about the establishment, and agreed it has recently become a problem again. Residents also contacted Community Board 5 officials about the bar, who responded with a letter to the establishment’s owner.

Community Affairs Officer Tommy Bell told the Forum that issues at that location are being addressed. “The Moonlight Bar has been the subject of enforcement pretty much each week,” he said, adding that the owners have been issued numerous summonses a host of city agencies. “We have heard the calls from the community and as long as the complaints prove to be valid we can and will take the necessary enforcement action,” said Bell.

Jeff Gottleib, representing state Senator Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), said it is often difficult to fight against the renewal of a bar’s license because many former agency commissioners wait represent bar owners in the hearings. As a result, the best chance of progress comes at the local level, he advised the residents.

“No one should lose a night’s sleep, especially if they have to go to work the next day,” said Gottleib. “I don’t see any great hope in the SLA coming down here and handling this. It has to be handled on a local level with the police.”

Traffic Woes

Other complaints centered on disruptions caused by honking horns and loud music from cars cutting through the neighborhood to Flushing and Metropolitan avenues. “It’s just constant,” one woman griped, adding that drivers routinely disregard a stop sign at 60th Street and 62nd Avenue that was installed several months ago through the efforts of Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley’s office.

The vehicle noise issue was exacerbated when the city Department of Transportation recently combined two traffic triangles at the intersection of Grand and Flushing avenues into a single green space, according to another resident. Traffic patterns at 64th Street were altered to accommodate the change, which the resident said “made it much worse” because cars are now backed up waiting to get onto the avenues.

“I think I’ve heard every boom box sound inside my house,” said Douglas Gorowski. Another woman complained that there is very little police presence in the neighborhood. “I don’t see the police,” she said.

Residents also said there has been an increase in truck traffic cutting through residential streets. Often, the large vehicles damage parked cars or are unable to navigate tight turns. In addition, commercial vehicles from nearby warehouses often park on residential streets overnight. “If the police were on the street they would see it,” griped one frustrated resident. “It’s a joke.”

The group’s president, Kathy Hamilton, said there also has been an increase in graffiti in the neighborhood. “It seems to be getting particularly worse and keeps happening,” she said, noting that as soon as the building owner cleans it up, the vandals strike again. Gorowski, whose property has been struck several times, said the fact that he knows who is doing it makes it more frustrating. “Somebody better catch them – you don’t want me to catch them,” he said.

“We really need police presence in the area. How much can an individual take?” said Hamilton. “People are just doing what they want.”

Pushing for a Supermarket

Hamilton also brought up one of the group’s biggest issues: the need for a supermarket in the area of West Maspeth. Since the closing of C-Town on Fresh Pond Road several years ago, many residents, especially seniors and those without vehicles are forced to rely on smaller bodegas which often charge much higher prices.

The residents focused their attention on two possible locations: a former auto dealership site at Forest and Metropolitan avenues that might be the future home of a Walgreen’s pharmacy, and the former Rite Aid property at Metropolitan Avenue and Tonsar Street, which previously was a Key Food supermarket. Several in attendance expressed concern that the owner of the Tonsar Street site would seek a zoning change allowing condos to be constructed there.

A representative for Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan (D-Ridgewood) said that it is difficult to push for a certain type of development on a specific site, since it involves private property owners and businesses.

Met Oval Complaints

Finally, several residents raised continuing issues they are having with the Metropolitan Oval soccer field on 60th Street, which is privately owned and operated. Complaints included illegally parked cars, pickup games at all hours of the night and a huge pile of trash that has been left on the property for months.

Hamilton said the owner declined an invitation to address these issues at a previous meeting. “If I have to get a dumpster to throw out the garbage, why doesn’t this guy have to?” she lamented.

Gottleib told the residents that the city has laws intended to prevent this type of problem. “We’re dealing with a public nuisance. There are laws in New York City against public nuisances,” he said. He told the civic group that it needs to set up a meeting with officials from CB 5, the 104th Precinct and local elected officials, including Councilwoman Crowley, who did not have a representative at the meeting.

After hearing residents bring up all the various issues, Hamilton determined that a July meeting is needed to address these problems, which all involve police matters. “It’s all about the same thing – the police don’t patrol here,” she said. “Something’s got to be done.”

The group will meet again on July 16 at 7 p.m. in Trinity-St. Andrews Church in hopes of discussing these issues with officials from the 104th Precinct.

Parents Push for Overdue School Expansion

By Conor Greene

A group of parents are pushing for improvements at PS/IS 87 in Middle Village they say were promised years ago but never happened due to budget cuts after 9/11. Citing issues including a cramped cafeteria and lack of bathrooms, the group vowed to make noise until the school gets the attention from city officials they say it needs.

A half-dozen residents spoke at Tuesday’s Community Education Council 24 meeting in Maspeth in support for the addition. They argued that the school was changed from K-5to pre-K through 8th grades as a result of the planned expansion, and as a result the current building can’t handle the more than seven hundred students who attend PS/IS 87.

“We’ve been quiet these past five years and watched as all these other schools got expansions,” said Lucy Accardo, who has three children in PS/IS 87. “We just want to be kept in the limelight and will keep bringing up the issue at every meeting unit it happens.”

The parents stressed that their demands are modest. They want a new gymnasium since the current cafeteria only seats 140 students – forcing lunch to be served in stages beginning at 10:15 a.m. In addition, the cafeteria serves as a gym, even though its ceilings are just eight feet high. In addition, each floor has bathrooms containing just a single stall that must be shared by hundreds of students, according to the parents.

“It’s just not adequate for all those students,” said another parent, Margaret Kane. “We’re still where we started in 2000. It’s beyond us why we’re being overlooked.” She added that the bathroom situation is not healthy. “It’s not luxuries we’re looking for, it’s all necessities.”

Deputy Executive Director of Business Sandy Brawer of the Department of Education said he will bring the residents’ concerns back to department officials. However, he noted earlier in the evening that District 24 has received the most capital dollars and had the most additional seats added through construction of any district citywide. He also noted that all expansion projects were done in consultation with the CEC and community, at which point the issue of PS/IS 87 being overlooked could have been raised.

Nick Comaianni, president of CEC 24, said he agrees with the requests being made by the parents. “I feel it’s a shame” that the expansion never occurred, he said. “We’ve pushed it with the School Construction Authority and with Facilities, and it’s always the same thing.”

Laura Wittmer told the council that her son graduated from eighth grade this year. “I’m very sad to see that nothing too much was done for him,” adding that she is “angry” over the lack of upgrades at the 80th Street building. Her son, who is over six-feet tall, was forced to take gym classes in a room with eight-foot ceilings. “I just feel it’s unfair,” she said.

Finally, parent Jeanne Forster pointed out that the DOE’s Website still lists the school as being a K-5 facility. “That I think is one of our first concerns – the school needs to be reflected accurately on the Website,” she said. “It is very hard to change perceptions [so] right off the bat we are swimming upstream here… We’re talking about a pretty small extension.”

In a letter to Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, the parents note that Mayor Michael Bloomberg deemed PS/IS 87 “a model for special education” after it became the first school in District 24 to convert to Pre-K to 8th grade facility. “How do you expect our school to compete with the other schools all several blocks away from us when they have extensions and we do not?” the parents questioned.

According to the letter, extensions were completed at PS 113, PS 128, PS 49 and MS 119 since funding for PS/IS 87 was cut. “Please do not mistake the fact that we have been quiet for the past five years as naivety or ignorance of what is going on around us,” the letter states. “We are well aware of the great injustice being doled out to our children. We would appreciate that this situation be rectified as soon as possible.”

Despite the parents' vows to keep pushing until the addition moves forward, the DOE said in a statement that no upgrades are planned for PS 87 in the coming years. The department "never committed to building an addition for PS 87," according to spokesman William Havemann. As a result of lobbying by former Councilman Dennis Gallagher, a science lab was constructed at the school, but that is the extend of upgrades planned for the facility.

"Given very limited resources... it is our responsibility to build a new school facility only when one is needed to meet enrollment demands," said Havemann. "While we're opening more than 3,000 school seats in District 24 over the next two years, we predict no need for an addition for PS 87."

City to Discuss Ridgewood Reservoir's Future

By Conor Greene

The future of Ridgewood Reservoir and Highland Park will be discussed on Tuesday, when the city Parks Department releases the results of input residents provided at three prior listening sessions.

Highland Park, which includes the 50-acre Ridgewood Reservoir, is one of eight large parks across the city that is being redesigned as part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s PlaNYC initiative. The property, which is on the Brooklyn-Queens border, supplied drinking water to city residents until the 1960s. Since, a natural habitat that is home to a wide variety of plant and animal life, including endangered species, has flourished. There is now debate as to whether the land should be developed for active recreation or preserved in its natural state.

Initially, $48.8 million was earmarked for Highland Park, but it was recently announced that the allocation has been reduced to $19.8 million due to the economic crisis. About $7.5 million already allocated to replace lighting and fencing around the reservoir’s three basins is not affected by the cuts. A contract was awarded to Manhattan-based landscape architect Mark K. Morrison Associates for that initial phase, which began several months ago. That portion of the project is expected to take a year- and-a-half to complete.

The landscape architect firm is now charged with creating three plans for the reservoir: one that preserves the site’s natural features, one that involves building athletic fields in the three basins and a compromise plan under which only the largest of the three basins is filled in for development of sports fields. It is not clear how the funding reduction will affect those plans, as Parks has said it is waiting until the budget is finalized until the plans are revised. In a statement, a spokesman said that the funding cut will be spread out over six years. “If the reduction in funding is not restored or supplemented by another funding source, a new phasing strategy will be implemented,” the spokesman said.

Over the past year, the Parks Department has held three listening sessions to gain public feedback on the future of the 50-acre property. During those meetings, many Queens residents pushed to have the reservoir preserved and argued that a portion of the funding should instead be used to fix up the existing ballfields in Highland Park, which are in poor condition. In April, Community Board 5 approved a resolution requesting that between $10 million and $15 million of the funding be used to accomplish that.

In a statement, Parks announced it is holding Tuesday’s session “to discuss community ideas and concerns for the Ridgewood Reservoir redevelopment. The meeting will summarize what we have learned at previous meetings from community input and discussion, and to relay the results of the paper surveys that have been distributed over the past weeks.”

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Park’s Oak Ridge office at Forest Park. Attendees can enter at Park Lane South and Forest Parkway or at Woodhaven Boulevard and Forest Park Drive. For details call 311 and ask for the Forest Park Administrator’s Office.

A View of Albany: A Senator Speaks Out

The following is an opinion piece by Senator Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach)

Two weeks ago, as the Majority of State Senators worked on preparing an end-of-session legislative agenda, the Republican State Senators were also busy at work -- plotting a coup in an attempt to overthrow and takeover the State Senate. What was really unacceptable was that the Republicans used the outside influence of billionaire Tom Golisano to create the interruption of our State Senate.

While the Democratic Conference of State Senators have offered a short term operating agreement in order to finish our legislative session, the Republican Conference have refused to acknowledge that the current 31-31 split in our chamber requires compromise, and are intent on trying to seize power they are not entitled to, even if it means holding the residents of New York State hostage.

Our conference remains poised to pass critical and time sensitive legislation that simply can’t be put aside. Instead, the Republicans refuse to come to a sensible, fair and bi-partisan operating sharing agreement to finish the people’s business.

We need an agreement now, and the people of New York agree in resounding numbers. The most recent polls indicate that 79 percent of New Yorkers are in favor of either Democratic or bi-partisan control of the Senate.

As elected officials, we must listen to the voices of the 19 million people we were elected to represent. It is time to put partisan politics aside, and get back to work. What the Democrats have offered is a rational solution to return to governing, that is modeled after how eight other states, as well as the U.S. Senate, have effectively handled this situation.

As the court has suggested, we have proposed a real, fair and immediate bi-partisan action to end the gridlock Republicans brought to Albany. The Republicans, led by renegade Democratic Senator Pedro Espada, responded with a plan that rejects bipartisanship and gives troubled Senator Espada autonomous control of the Senate.

Just as the courts have asked us to do, we have continued our attempts, both publicly and privately, to end this stalemate by offering revised proposals to Pedro Espada and Republican Senator Dean Skelos. Yet, they continue to refuse any agreement short of complete power over a chamber that they were not elected to run.

Recently, the Republicans have taken to holding mock “sessions,” in which they claim to be doing work.

A quorum – or 32 Senators – is clearly stated in the New York Constitution as the minimum number of Senators required to conduct legislative business. Without 32 Senators present, these sessions are a mockery and an embarrassment to our democracy, and we will continue to refuse to participate in staged political theatrics.

What we will do, is work with the Republicans to come to a fair solution, because we know it is in the best interest of the people of New York. Even as the Democratic Senators answered the request of Governor David Paterson by attending his called for and constitutionally questionable Extraordinary Session agenda, what must be acknowledged is that a short term plan is needed to resolve the current issues facing the senate stalemate and a long term plan to restore stability and credibility to the State Senate. It can and must be done, but it takes two sides to agree on this plan for the sake of our people.

The consequence of inaction in this situation is far too great to sit idly by. As we work to restore our economy, we must pass dozens of bills to extend the ability of local governments to levy sales taxes that help to fund schools, roads and local law enforcement services. We need to extend the Power for Jobs program that provides low-cost electricity to businesses and non-profit groups across the state. We need to pass legislation to allow over $1.75 billion in federal stimulus and education funds to flow to local school districts across the state.

There is also highly time sensitive legislation that needs to be brought to a vote in order to protect New York City schools, strengthen ethics reform and address the need for property tax relief.

The Senate Elections Committee, of which I am the Chairperson, is also poised and ready to bring to the floor for a vote legislation which would fundamentally restructure campaign finance in New York, allow military voters additional time to cast an absentee ballot, make poll-sites more accessible, and bring greater ease and transparency to the entire elections process.

All this good work has been put on hold, and all this work means nothing if the Republicans continue in their protest of even the most reasonable compromises. I ask any reasonable Republican Senator, interested in the good of the people over the good of the party, to join us in getting this work done.

We have offered a real bi-partisan sharing plan for the operation of the Senate Session, the legislative process, and the Floor Leadership. Now it is time for the Republican’s to show they are more concerned with the people of their state than a power grab.

Our people have a right to be concerned about the ability of state government to function effectively in this crisis, but I can ensure my constituents that those in the Democratic Conference will not rest or retire until a resolution has been achieved.

While I continue to prepare legislation for when work does resume, my office staff and I continue to address the local issues that concern my people, therefore please do not hesitate to call upon me if you should have any questions regarding your state government or community. I look forward to working for you in the district and in Albany.

Arrest in Murder of Forest Hills Man

Suspect in 65th Ave Crime Nabbed in Massachusetts

A Bronx man was taken into custody in Massachusetts and charged in the murder of a Forest Hills man found dead in his apartment last week.

The nude body of 38-year-old Michael Pecora was found late last Wednesday inside his apartment on 65th Avenue. The gruesome discovery was made by the building super, who climbed onto the fire escape to gain access to the apartment after Pecora’s family and co-workers became concerned about his well-being after he didn’t show up for work.

After seeing Pecora’s lifeless body through a window, the super immediately called police, according to reports. Officers entered the apartment and found Pecora with multiple stab wounds. There were no signs of forced entry at the blood-soaked crime scene.

Last Thursday, police arrested Alexys Fermaintt, 30, of East Tremont after investigators tracked him to his mother’s house in Holyoke, Massachusetts. He was arraigned last Friday in Queens Criminal Court and ordered held without bail. He is due back in court on July 2 to face charges of second-degree murder.

Police linked Fermaintt to the crime after learning that a cab driver had picked him up Wednesday night outside Pecora’s apartment and drove him to the Bronx. While en route, Fermaintt told the driver he didn’t have any money and offered him a watch and cell phone instead. The cab driver later told police that he remembered the passenger carrying an item resembling a computer when he exited the cab.

Investigators then used information from the cell phone to track down a relative of Fermaintt, who was later taken into custody without incident. Pecora’s computer was found in another Holyoke apartment that police believe is Fermaintt’s primary home. Police are investigating the theory the men met online and that Fermaintt stole the computer in an effort to cover his tracks.

Pecora was a graduate of the University of Tampa and worked for MasterCard. His neighbors described him as a good man and expressed shock that such a brutal crime occurred in the quiet neighborhood. “I feel sick because [he was] such a nice young fellow,” one resident told reporters. “Very, very nice guy. I feel sorry for him,” said another.

Update: On Thursday, the Queens District Attorney's Office release information regarding statements Fermaintt allegedly made to investigators in Massachusetts following his arrest.

According to a Notice of Statement filed with the court at Fermaintt's arraignment, he told a detective that he met Pecora online and the pair had a disagreement over the amount of money that Pecora was going to give Fermaintt to sleep with him and spend the day together. Fermaintt then admitted in the videotaped statement to stabbing Pecora and taking his cellphone, computer and watch.

Fermaintt later told another detective that Pecora had grabbed a knife and tried to stab him, at which time Fermaintt grabbed the knife and stabbed the victim four times.

Civic Group Seeks to Gain Footing in Maspeth

By Conor Greene

When Kathy Hamilton moved from Maspeth to Middle Village two years ago, she noticed that quality of life issues such as illegal garbage dumping and problems with traffic were going unaddressed. She also noticed there was no local civic association in the area, something she changed with the founding of the Maspeth West End Block Association, which has been meeting each month since September.

Ten months into her role as a neighborhood civic leader, Hamilton reports mixed results. The group was successful in lobbying the city to install a stop sign in the neighborhood, but has been less successful in other areas, such as a push to bring a supermarket to the area, or in having officials from the 104th Precinct respond to their grievances.

“When I first moved here, I noticed there was a lot of illegal garbage dumping, a lot of traffic, people fighting outside, smoking pot on the corner, and so my neighbor (Melinda Garcia) and I decided to develop this block association,” said Hamilton, who holds a master’s degree in social work. “Now I’m a homeowner, so I guess I look at it differently. Over there [in other neighborhoods] there is more influence with the politicians, but over here there is not really any influence.”

The group is focused on the western portion of Maspeth and holds its meeting in Trinity-St. Andrews Church on 60th Street. The area it represents and seeks to improve roughly stretches from the Long Island Expressway south to Metropolitan Avenue and east to Fresh Pond Road.

While the group’s June meeting attracted several dozen residents, including many new faces, Hamilton and others expressed frustration that nobody from the precinct was there to address problems they are hoping to address (see related story). Hamilton said that while an officer from the precinct attended a meeting last year, she has since been told that her group should attend one of the other meetings 104th Precinct officials attend each month elsewhere in the area.

“If they make their way to every other meeting, they should come here once in a while,” said Hamilton. “They don’t have to attend every meeting, but [next] month in particular we are going to try to contact the elected officials to see if they can get someone from the precinct over here.”

In response, Community Affairs Officer Tommy Bell told the Forum that a precinct representative has attended prior MWEBA meetings. “What [Hamilton] was told was that we have a lot of civic meetings to attend every month and we try to attend as many as possible,” said Officer Bell. “But, she should also make an effort to attend either the 104th Precinct Community Council meeting or the COP 104 meeting which was set up to bring all the civic groups together to address many of the groups’ individual complaints.”

Overall, Hamilton says the feedback she has received from neighbors has been positive. However, one group member said she was met with some skepticism and apathy when she walked around the neighborhood spreading word about the association. “They say they joined all the civics in the past and nothing ever got done,” the resident recounted at last week’s meeting.

Hamilton noted that the group’s success in getting a stop sign installed sounds very minor to residents who aren’t aware of the red tape involved in such a request. “That does seem kind of minor, but obviously we’re doing something,” she said. “I just ask [skeptics], do you have any suggestions? Otherwise we’re not going to get anything done.”

At this month’s meeting, Jeff Gottleib, representing state Senator Joseph Addabbo, told Hamilton her group is not getting the attention it needs because its members are too quiet. Hamilton’s response: “Not anymore.”

The group generally meets on the third Thursday of each month at 60-11 60th Street beginning at 7 p.m. For details, contact Hamilton at (347) 499-8223 or mweba11378@aol.com.

Ex-Teacher Headed to Prison for Violating Probation

Accused of Soliciting Sex from Minors

A former Forest Hills middle school math teacher is facing up to six years in prison for violating the terms of probation he was sentenced to last year after being charged with sending sexually explicit computer messages to eight current or former students.

Bradley Dieffenbacher, 32, of Long Island, pleaded guilty last week to violating his probation by tutoring a 15-year-old boy between December 2008 and March 2009. Queens Supreme Court Justice Douglas Wong sentenced him to between two and six years in prison for the probation violation.

Last June, Dieffenbacher – who taught math at MS 190Q at the time – was sentenced to six months in jail and four and a half years probation after pleading guilty to attempted use of a child in a sexual performance. He admitted that between April 2007 and February 2008, he sent sexually explicit instant messages over the Internet to eight adolescent boys who had been or were presently students of his. He was also ordered to register as sex offender and surrender his state teaching license.

Despite being ordered by his probation officer to not have contact with any minors, Dieffenbacher responded to an online advertisement for a math tutor in Nassau County. His supervisor eventually because suspicious of his activities and conducted a check of his computer usage, which showed he was using instant messaging to solicit sex from minors. As a result he was sentenced in Queens County for violating probation from the June conviction, and Nassau County authorities are investigating the new allegations.

“This case should serve as a clear and unmistakable warning that law enforcement is prepared to apprehend and prosecute those who attempt to engage in illicit activity involving children,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. “Furthermore, defendants must be made to understand that those who would violate the terms of their probation will be prosecuted and sent to prison.”

Forest Hills: Now Boarding

By Steve Tiszenkel

One of the very best parts of living in Central Queens is leaving. Oh, don’t look so offended — regular readers of this column know very well that I love it here. It’s just that excellent access to a wide variety of transportation options makes our area a better place than most to vacate, whether by bus, car, subway or commuter train. And the best way to leave is by air.

Forest Hills and Kew Gardens have long been inviting to the aviation inclined purely by an accident of geography: We’re more or less halfway between LaGuardia and JFK. For those of us who take an occasional flight, this nearly makes up for our near-total inability to take advantage of anything flying in or out of Newark. (I’ve repeatedly sworn off that other airport after one too many taxi rides approaching $100, though cheap fares keep luring me back in.) It’s no wonder that this week flight attendant Heather Poole, who lives here, recommended Forest Hills to readers of the travel blog Gadling as a great destination for travelers forced to deal with a moderate layover in New York.

I’m still not sure how this happened, but the last time I flew into LaGuardia, about 25 minutes elapsed between the time the plane’s wheels hit the runway and the moment my cab pulled up to the front of my building. And that time includes the few minutes the driver took to miss a couple of turns despite my repeated instructions. This will likely remain one of the most awe-inspiring travel experiences of my life for years to come.

But I don’t fly very often. I’d do it every week if I could — Lisbon, here I come! — but I still have a job and tickets are still expensive, even if airlines finally have been able to lower prices by charging absurd amounts to check baggage. The real beneficiaries of our comfortable place nestled in the middle of the Borough of Airports are the pilots, flight attendants and airport personnel who have long made the area home and inspired one of the better nicknames for a New York neighborhood, Crew Gardens.

Don’t know many of them personally? Well, they’re not around much. But they’re an unmistakable presence, rushing down Queens Boulevard at a professional gait with their little rolling bags and kicking back at some of the divier bars around. And often they fly under the radar—Forest Hills and Kew Gardens crash pads are the stuff of legend. At a rotating series of addresses in a situation of questionable legality, flight attendants go to the mattresses between quick flights to Dover and Dubuque. In my own building, the story has it, a doctor on the ground floor used to rent his office to a group of them to use during off hours. You don’t know they’re there—you’re not supposed to — but there they are. What, would you rather walk by a crack den on your way to Key Food?

With all this history and convenience, the Forest Hills-Kew Gardens border was the perfect location for a headquarters for JetBlue, easily the neighborhood’s marquee corporation—though one that seems to be, as I complained in this space not long ago, in a big hurry to leave town. But maybe we don’t need them. If just a few readers take Poole’s online advice to do “what flight attendants do” and pay us a quick visit, more will surely follow, and business might pick up around here. It shouldn’t matter whether you work for an airline or are just passing through—Forest Hills is the only way to fly.

The writer is the host of the Website queenscentral.com. Log on to read more about Forest Hills and surrounding neighborhoods.

Rep Weiner Announces Security Funds for Jewish Groups

Just weeks after planned attacks on two Bronx synagogues were thwarted, several Queens lawmakers announced that five high-risk non-profit religious groups in the borough will receive federal Homeland Security funds.

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills) was joined by Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows) and City Councilman James Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) on Tuesday to announce the grants. Five local Jewish institutions – the Israel Center of Conservative Judaism of Kew Gardens Hills, the Jewish Institute of Queens in Rego Park, Far Rockaway’s Beis Medrash Heichal Dovid, the Hillcrest Jewish Center and Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care in New Hyde Park – will receive a total of $307,050.

Citywide, 61 institutions around the city will receive a total of $4.1 million from the Department of Homeland Security. The city will receive approximately three times more than the amount give to any other locality nationwide. In total, New York State will receive $4.6 million.

In May, federal authorities working with the NYPD arrested four men who were allegedly planning to bomb the Riverdale Temple and the Riverdale Jewish Center in the Bronx. The men were also planning to attack military planes at an upstate Air National Guard Base, according to authorities.

The grants are being made available through the Urban Area Security Initiative grant program and will provide significant funding for security measures at the very institutions being singled out as potential targets – including hospitals, synagogues and universities. Since the program began in 2005, more than 200 New York City nonprofits received nearly $17 million in funding.

Institutions that qualified for the current grant program were eligible to receive up to $75,000 that can be used to train security personnel and install security measures should as cameras, barriers and controlled entry systems.

“As the planned attacks in the Bronx highlight, nonprofit and religious institutions are at risk and need protection,” said Rep. Weiner. “Worshippers, museum goers and hospital visitors expect and deserve a safe environment, and these grants will go a long way towards ensuring their safety.”

“Congressman Weiner’s commitment to protecting our community is an example the state should emulate,” said Assemblyman Lancman. The millions of New Yorkers who benefit from our non-profits deserve the state’s maximum efforts at keeping them safe.”

Brooklyn Man Convicted of Killing Pawnshop Owner

Faces 25 to Life for '06 Murder in Richmond Hill

A Brooklyn man has been convicted in the murder of a Richmond Hill pawnshop during a 2006 robbery attempt, authorities announced.

Demetrious Greene, 32, of Watkins Street was convicted last Friday of second-degree murder, first-degree attempted robbery and second and third degree criminal possession of a weapon following a jury trial. He faces up to 25 years to life in prison when sentenced on July 29.

According to trial testimony, Greene entered Rich-Atlantic Gold and Silver Exchange at 118-20 Atlantic Avenue and told the owner, 40-year-old Richard Schoenfeld that he wanted to pawn a pair of earrings. When Schoenfeld slid open a glass partition separating the men, Greene shot him twice, fatally wounding him, before fleeing from the store.

Greene was arrested less than two months after the robbery following an investigation by the 102nd Precinct.

“The defendant has been convicted of entering the victim’s pawnshop and fatally shooting him during the course of committing an attempted armed robbery,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. “This case is another clear example of the lethal consequences of senseless gun violence.”

Schoenfeld, of Merrick, Long Island, was known to drive luxury cars including a Rolls-Royce, a Bentley, a Ferrari and a Mercedes SUV. Neighbors described him as a hard working, nice guy who generally carried a large sum of money on him.

This Week's Forum South and West

Mayor and City Council Reach Budget Agreement

Local CMs Vote Against Sales Tax Increase

By Conor Greene

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the City Council have reached a handshake agreement on a $59.4 billion city budget that avoids cuts to libraries and firehouses, but includes a sales tax increase and repeals the sales tax exemption for clothing over $110.

The spending plan, which covers fiscal year 2010, includes more than $3 billion in spending cuts. It also features a half a percentage point increase in sales tax, expected to generate an additional $518 million. While clothing less than $110 remains exempted from the sales tax repeal, reinstatement of the tax on items above $110 is expected to generate $119 million. The city is facing a $5 billion reduction in tax revenues due to the economic meltdown.

City Council is expected to vote on the budget this week. However, the negotiations essentially came to an end Monday, when the Council voted 38 to 10 on resolutions implementing the sales tax increase and other measures. While the mayor and council reached the agreement weeks before the July 1 deadline, the proposed tax increases must also be approved by the State Legislature.

“By saving billions during the good times, and cutting expenses when the first storm clouds gathered, we were as prepared as possible for the serious impacts of the national economic downturn,” said Bloomberg. “Just like any family that is tightening their belt during these tough times, we are reducing city spending while still protecting the core services that so many New Yorkers rely on – and that keep our city so strong.”

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) said the agreement will “balance the budget during one of the most tumultuous economic times in recent memory.” At a press conference announcing the deal, she added, “Even in a recession, government’s job is to protect and support New Yorkers.”

Among those voting against the sales tax increases on Monday were Queens Councilmembers Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), Tony Avella (D-Bayside), Eric Gioia (D-Sunnyside), Melinda Katz (D-Forest Hills) and Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park). In interviews and statements, three of the dissenting members said that raising the sales tax unfairly impacts middle and working class residents.

“It’s absurd,” said Ulrich, who called it a case of “robbing Peter to pay Paul… The last thing we should be doing is hitting people when they’re struggling,” he said. “It’s an aggressive tax on hard working middle and working class people and it’s wrong.”

Crowley said the sales tax increase is “an additional burden on an overtaxed population.” Instead of balancing the budget by raising taxes, “we must come up with alternative sources… rather than punishing our workers and our middle-class residents.”

In a statement, Katz said the increase “will disproportionately burden middle-class New Yorkers who are struggling under the weight of high unemployment, decreasing home values and diminished savings in a time of economic uncertainty.”

Both Ulrich and Crowley called on the State Legislature to reinstate the commuter tax, which was abolished in 1999. “Bringing back the commuter tax would have been a more appropriate relief for our already overtaxed city residents,” said Crowley. However, according to Ulrich, Mayor Bloomberg and Quinn made it clear that revisiting the commuter tax “is not an option.”

In his executive budget released earlier this year, the mayor had threatened to close 16 firehouses, layoff hundreds of ACS workers, cut back on the number of days library branches are open and reduce the city work force by as much as 13,000. He also pushed for a five-cent tax on plastic bags and to eliminate the tax exemption on clothing under $110. However, Quinn argued that those taxes would disproportionably impact low income residents. Still, about 2,000 jobs will be eliminated under the plan.

Crowley, who attended several rallies in support of keeping the firehouses and libraries open, said she is pleased that “our fire protection will not be compromised and that we have won this fight… During this brutal economic time, it has been up to the people and their elected representatives to fight for what matters… We organized, we rallied and we made [it] loud and clear that we would not support a plan that would jeopardize our community’s safety,” she said in a statement.

However, while many officials and residents are breathing a sigh of relief that critical services avoided the chopping block, there is a chance the budget could be amended if the economy continues to falter. At a press conference inside City Hall on Monday, Mayor Bloomberg advised, “If our economy continues to stall, this may not be the last word on this year’s budget.”

This year’s budget negotiations between the mayor and council were largely absent of the public fighting and dissent seen in recent years. The main battles were over the plastic bag fee, which the Council fought against, and the sales tax increase, which drew criticism from some representatives, especially within the outer-boroughs. “It was done responsibly, and it was done without acrimony,” Mayor Bloomberg at a press conference.

However, the drama may be just beginning, since the new tax proposals and increases require approval by the State Legislature. “Balancing this budget required everyone to be a part of the solution, and now the only remaining piece of the puzzle is getting cooperation from the state,” said Bloomberg. “It is imperative that our leaders in Albany come to an agreement to pass a bill that will allow this budget to go into effect.”

Holding on for Hope

Howard Beach Residents Walk in Support of Cancer Research

By Patricia Adams

“Cancer is a dangerous enemy. No matter how strong you are, you can’t fight it on your own. Every person fighting cancer has to remember no matter how great the obstacle is you just keep going.”

And that’s exactly what Howard Beach Relay honoree and cancer survivor, Mario Faulisi did to win his battle with cancer. Back in April of 2008, Faulisi read an article about Testicular Cancer Awareness in The Forum. He knew from the words on the page that he had a problem—a big one. But even the warning was not quite enough to prepare him for what lay ahead — the diagnosis of a rare and aggressive form of lymphoma that was reproducing in a tumor at the rate of 90%. To further complicate the issue, the malignancy had settled in a testicle that would require immediate surgery and removal.

The prognosis following surgery was dire. An extensive regimen of the chemotherapy drug R-CHOP, one of the most taxing platforms used to treat aggressive disease. Additionally, there was a series of intrathecal injections, which go directly into the spine in an attempt to keep the disease from spreading to the brain. At the end of the chemo there would be a course of radiation.

“Of course I was frightened,” said Faulisi. “If you really think about it, you have no choice. If you want to live, you have to fight and hope you win.” His battle was staged at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital where medical oncologist/hematologist Dr. John Gerecitano and his team guided Mario and his family though the grueling ordeal. “There is so much you have to deal with at a time when you are so sick,” Faulisi said. “The hardest thing is watching everyone around you. You know how much they love you and you know how much they want you to get better. Sometimes it makes you sad, but in the end, it’s what gets you through.”

And during his speech at the event, Faulisi returned again to the subject that has always been at the forefront of his fight back--family and friends. The ones he says that stood by while he lost his hair, waited for test results, went with him for treatments, prayed constantly, cooked his favorite foods and most importantly who never gave up hope—in him or in God.

“The help and the support of all my friends is something I could never put a value on. Cherish your caregivers, they are your lifeline,” Faulisi continued. “Love your friends and family and let them love you. The way my mother, my sister, my brothers and my whole family were always there is what has brought me to this place.”

Through his tears he continued, “This has not been easy for a lot of people. And for some it was much harder than it was on me. I want my children to know that my love for them is what really keeps me alive. To my wife, I can only say that without you always there to hold me up I would not be standing. Grace you are the best.”

Now just over a year later, Faulisi has completed his treatments and has been declared cancer free. He was recognized as an honoree by the American Cancer Society for his fight and triumph over cancer while maintaining all of his commitments to the community as the President of the Howard Beach Columbus Day Foundation.

“This is a person that you meet for the first time and know he’s special,” said event chair Phyllis Inserillo. “He is what Relay is all about. He’s what we’re here to celebrate — life.”

From the publisher...

In my years as publisher of this newspaper, I have been privy to many joys and many sorrows throughout our community. I have however, never been prouder of this community then I was on Saturday at our 1st Annual Relay. It was a day when so much more than money was raised. It was a day when we stood together and made a difference that translates to the difference between life and death.

I would like to dedicate this issue to my colleague and dear friend, Mario Faulisi. Because of his tenacity, courage, strength and heart, I know the example he has set will save many other lives.

To my friend I would like to say that you are an inspiration to me every day of my life. Your wisdom and the life example that you set is a gift of your friendship that I cherish. I celebrate your life every day. – PA

Click to See More Photos from the Event

Child Hunger, Upstate Drilling and Maspeth Burglaries Discussed at CB 5

By Conor Greene

At its monthly meeting last week, Community Board 5 members discussed a wide range of issues, including child hunger, a push to drill for natural gas upstate, and a pattern of burglaries in Maspeth.

Child Hunger Awareness

Councilman Eric Gioia (D-Sunnyside), who is running for city public advocate this fall, took a few minutes to discuss an issue he said residents won’t see on television or read about in the daily newspaper – “hunger, especially child hunger, in New York City.”

When Gioia was first elected eight years ago, hunger “was not an issue I thought I would be working on a lot.” That changed when he heard a story of a young boy whose teacher rewarded him with gold stars for outstanding work. After receiving several gold stars, he told his teachers, “What I really want is an orange.”

Gioia said that simple story opened his eyes to a widespread problem he says is disguised by the childhood obesity epidemic. “It was hard to believe that an orange is a treat in this city,” he said of the student. “It is a real issue in New York City, right in our neighborhoods.” He pointed out that the obesity issue is really just “a different side of the same coin” since poor families often turn to fast food that is high in fat for cheap meals.

Several years ago, Gioia lived on food stamps for a week to draw attention to how little support that program offered. His allotment - $28.36 at the time – only lasted five days, forcing him to turn to a food pantry for the rest of his meals. He then successfully lobbied legislators in Washington, D.C to raise the amount allotted per week.

However, despite those gains, only 1.1 million of the 2 million city residents who qualify for food stamps take advantage of the program. That means 400,000 city children who are eligible are not enrolled, according to Gioia, who says there are two main reasons the program is under-utilized: bureaucratic red tape, and a lack of awareness among working parents who don’t realize they qualify.

To reduce the red tape, Gioia worked to have the application shortened from 24 pages to two pages. “That’s a big deal,” he argued, as 200,000 more people have signed up since that change was implemented. To increase awareness, Gioia is visiting every community board in the city and a host of other groups to spread awareness. The program is not just for the unemployed, as those who make less than $24,000 a year and have children generally can take advantage of food stamps. “I promise you that it applies to people you know,” whether in church, civic groups or in the neighborhood, said Gioia.

He asked every person in the crowd to mention the issue and requirements to at least one other person. “This is a moral issue – kids in our city are not getting enough to eat,” he said. In addition, the program is federally funded, meaning that the city is currently not taking full advantage of the money. One billion more dollars would pour into the city economy if every eligible resident signed up, according to Gioia.

Concerns Over Upstate Natural Gas Drilling

At several points during the meeting, the issue of drilling for natural gas upstate was discussed, as there is concern about the impact the process could have on the city’s drinking water supply.

Buck Moorhead of the group NY H2O informed residents about the “imminent drilling for natural gas” in portions of upstate New York. The procedure, known as hydrofracking, was pioneered by Halliburton and involves injecting a mixture of water, sand and chemicals into the earth in order to draw the gas to the surface. The practice is growing in popularity after the Bush Administration approved an exemption in 2005 allowing it. “It’s a very serious risk” to the state’s water supply, said Moorhead, adding that his group is seeking a ban on the process.

The board’s district manager, Gary Giordano, also expressed concern about hydrofracking during his report later in the meeting. “There’s a lot of big money involved here,” he said, adding that a second Environmental Impact Statement on the process is due later this month. He called this the “most frightening situation I know of on a large scale that affects New York City.”

Giordano urged board members, elected officials and the public to “not make it easy for the people seeking potentially big profits to destroy our water system.”

Board member Brian Dooley, who chairs the environmental services committee, said his group will present a resolution against the practice next month for the full board to consider. He compared the situation upstate, with landowners in rural areas seeking to cash in on quick profits, to a gold rush. “It’s going to be a monumental environmental disaster if it’s allowed to go on,” he said. “The problem is, there is big money involved.”

Poor Police Response to Maspeth Burglaries

Board member Eileen Maloney warned of an increase of residential burglaries “in our community, especially Maspeth.” Her home was broken into in the middle of the day three weeks ago by a man who kicked in the front door, she said.

Adding insult to injury, Maloney said it took more than three hours for officers from the 104th Precinct to respond to her son’s 911 call. Worse, detectives showed up at 1:30 a.m. to dust for fingerprints. “Needless to say, they never got the burglar,” said Maloney, adding that her attempts to get updates about the investigation have been unsuccessful.

”I was told they only had four cars on duty that day and they were all elsewhere,” she said. “This is a very, very serious condition we’re suffering through right now –there definitely is some sort of group out there. They’re professionals and know who to hit.”

Maloney said she is working with Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley’s office to establish a neighborhood block watch in Maspeth. Board Chairman Vincent Arcuri noted that the Glendale Civilian Observation Patrol should be able to assist since it already patrols that area and is always looking for new recruits.

Editor’s Note: Check next week’s Forum West for a report on additional issues discussed at the June Community Board 5 meeting.

Photos: Councilman Eric Gioia discusses child hunger, before Buck Moorhead (left) informs the crowd about possible drilling for natural gas upstate. The Forum Newsgroup/photos by CONOR GREENE

Remembering the General Slocum Disaster

As they do every June, this past Saturday a group of community leaders remembered the General Slocum disaster of 1904, when the passenger steamship caught fire while carrying approximately 1,300 passengers up the East River. The tragedy happened when a fire started in a storage compartment near the front of the ship as it was passing E. 90th Street. Efforts by the crew to put the fire out were unsuccessful, and life boats were tied up and inaccessible to passengers. Making matters worse, many of the passengers were women and children who did not know how to swim. By the time the captain navigated the boat to North Brother Island near the Bronx shore, an estimated 1,021 passengers had died in the fire or drowned trying to escape the boat. Two of the 30 crew members died, and there were just 321 survivors.

This past Saturday, about 100 local residents attended the ceremony at All Faith’s Cemetery in Middle Village, where many of the unidentified victims were buried. Among those attending were members of the Marine Corps League of North Shore Queens and Coast Guard officials. Also participating in the ceremony was Dan Austin, president of All Faiths, Robert Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association and former State Senator Serf Maltese.

The Forum Newsgroup/photos courtesy of PAT MCCARTHY

Company Wants to Expand Garbage Facility

Plan Will Increase Truck Traffic in West Maspeth

By Conor Greene

Waste Management is seeking state approval to expand its Long Island City transfer station to handle twice as much garbage each day over its current levels. While the upgrade will allow the company to use trains instead of trucks for long-distance hauling, there is local concern since truck traffic will increase in Maspeth.

The company has applied to the state Department of Environmental Conservation to replace its existing truck-based operation on Review Avenue into a new “rail-based solid waste transfer facility” that would receive residential waste from neighborhoods within Community Boards 1-6 in Queens.

Currently, the trash is brought to the facility and then loaded into tractor-trailers for longdistance hauling to landfills in states such as Virginia. Under the new plan, the trash will be loaded onto rail containers at the Review Avenue facility and trucked several miles over local streets to the rail yard at Maspeth Avenue and Rust Street.

The facility is currently permitted to receive up to 958 tons per day. Under the new arrangement the site will be able to handle up to 2,100 tons per day and will typically receive about 1,150 tons per day, according to the company.

While the project is not subject to the city’s land use review process, the company was required to hold several public information sessions in Sunnyside this past Monday and in Maspeth this past Wednesday. The proposal is part of the city’s Solid Waste Management Plan, which aims to “shift the city’s waste exports from a truck-based system to a rail and barge transportation network, to reduce traffic and vehicle emissions, to ensure each borough is responsible for handling its own waste and to help the city manage its waste in a more sustainable, efficient and cost effective manner.”

However, while the Review Avenue facility is located alongside the Newtown Creek, barges will not be used there, according to the company. Instead, garbage trucks would enter the facility and dump the trash using one of the facility’s five bays. The trash would then be loaded into sealed containers, which are trucked to the rail yard in Maspeth. From there, it would be brought via train to the Fresh Pond Road rail yard in Glendale before it is shipped long-distance to the landfill.

The company boasts that one train containing 15 to 17 cars is the equivalent of between 51 and 58 diesel engine trucks, meaning the project will greatly reduce the amount of mileage driven and emissions produced. Still, there is local concern since the new transfer station will handle garbage from additional communities in Western Queens, since there will be an increase in the amount of trucks bring garbage to the facility, along with the new trips between Review Avenue and the rail yard.

According to a Waste Management spokeswoman, there are currently about 100 city sanitation trucks entering and leaving the facility each day, and about three tractor trailers exiting the facility for long distance hauls. Under the new plan, there will be about 125 DSNY trucks using the facility each day, and an average of four trucks an hour will make the trip to the Maspeth rail yard, replacing the need for long distance hauling.

Gary Giordano, district manager of Community Board 5, said the plan definitely comes at a cost for Maspeth and Long Island City residents. “Unfortunately that’s the price that somebody paid for the greater good, so to speak,” he said. It is certainly going to bring more truck traffic, no doubt about that. “I think what we need to do is work with Waste Management as far as the portions that are somewhat controllable,” he said, referring to issues such as routes and timing.

He also recalled issues last summer with horrific odors emanating from trains hauling garbage in unsealed containers. The trains will go from Maspeth to the Fresh Pond Road yard until they are transported out of the city by CSX. The issue with the odors came when trains were forced to sit idly on tracks near residential areas due to scheduling issues between the disposal company and the railroads.

However, to alleviate these problems, Waste Management has designed a sealed container that company officials say works “pretty well” and is working to improve the timing to prevent trains from sitting in one spot for too long.

Maspeth civic leader Tony Nunziato questioned why the city didn’t demand that Waste Management construct the facility in a location with direct access to train tracks, which would eliminate the need to haul the containers through Maspeth by truck. “I’m all for it, but my main concern is they’re not doing it at one stop,” he said. “If you’re going to make that kind of money, get the facility.”

Robert Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association, took exception with the public review process and questioned why the company ran the information sessions, instead of the city. “The more questions you ask, the more you find out this thing stinks to high heaven,” he said. “They’re sealed, but they still produce odors,” he noted of the shipping containers. He also pointed out that the company’s Bronx facility is adjacent to tracks.

“Why didn’t Waste Management buy a facility next to the rail?” questioned Holden. “The city should have demanded it – that’s a real solid waste, not a phony one like this. It’s going to cut down on trucks, but not in our neighborhood. It’s going to create more traffic here, and Maspeth doesn’t need it.”

Waste Management hopes to have the new facility constructed in time to begin accepting waste by February 2011.

Toddler Dies at Childcare Center; Babysitter Charged

By Patricia Adams

An 11-month-old boy died at a local day care facility after falling into a bucket of mop water. James Farrior was in the care of 28-year-old Kristal Khan, the operator of the All Day Every Day Childcare Center at 101-27 108th street in Richmond Hill.

Neighbors watched in shock and disbelief as a fireman ran from the house carrying the limp body of the boy shortly after 11 a.m. “My husband went down to see what the fire trucks were doing next door,” said Liz Rivero who lives in an upstairs apartment. “I went to the window and looked down. A fireman had the baby and he was running with him. I saw his arms and legs hanging. I just knew. He was lifeless.”

Rivero went on to say she had seen the baby’s mother when she would come to pick him up a few days a week in the afternoon. She said the operator of the childcare facility seemed to be a quiet person and that there had been no incidents involving the house before that she knew of.

James Farrior would have celebrated his first birthday on July 25 and was pronounced dead at Jamaica hospital around 11:30 a.m. An autopsy was scheduled to determine whether the boy drowned or broke his neck.

Kristal Khan’s profile was found on skillwho.com, a website community used for showcasing ones skills and talents. She describes herself there as a 27 year old, stay-at-home mother of two beautiful children who offered tutoring and childcare at her home. According to Kahn’s posted resume she was a “former qualified teacher from Trinidad where she taught in a primary school for eight years. She had also offered babysitting services for the last 12 years.

Police said Kahn originally said she had left James and her own two children, 3 and 4years old, in the living room while she went to get a mop. When she came back, Kahn said James had fallen, head first, into a mop bucket that was almost full with water. But later Kahn admitted she had taken Nyquil at 6 a.m. and fell asleep on the couch.

According to a spokesperson from the State Office of Children and Family Services, Kahn didn't have a license to operate the childcare facility, however was not in violation of any laws. Departmental regulations state that an individual may operate a day care facility without a license if they do not have more than two children under their care for more than three or more hours daily. The state does not count the babysitter’s own children as part of the qualifying number for licensing.

“This is all very upsetting,” said neighbor Billy Caires. “I checked this place out for my own child about two years ago. The only reason we did not use it is because they were closing earlier than we needed. It was just about timing.” The man said he had gone into the facility and found everything to be clean and in order.

Kahn was arraigned on Tuesday and charged with endangering the welfare of a child. If convicted she could face up to one year in prison.

District Attorney Richard Brown said that Kahn took the Nyquil despite the fact that she was aware that one of the side effects of the medication was drowsiness. It is alleged that at one point Kahn woke up, did not see the baby in the living room but rolled over and went back to sleep. The DA’s office further alleges that when Kahn awoke a second time she saw the baby in the kitchen with his upper body submerged in the bucket she had filled the night before.

“When parents entrust their young children to a day care center, the operator has an obligation to provide a safe environment. By allegedly failing to carry out her responsibilities, a young child’s life has been tragically and senselessly cut short,” said DA Brown.

The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOH) is investigating the death of James Farrior but has made initial statements that the day care operation run by Kristal Kahn seems to fit the facility parameters set by the state regarding small childcare centers.

Girl, 2, Struck By Hit and Run Driver

By Patricia Adams

A 2-year-old girl was seriously injured Friday night when she wandered out of her house on 85th street and walked into traffic on Rockaway Boulevard around 9:30. A hit and run driver apparently struck toddler Jaylein Peralta while her relatives were eating dinner and were unaware that the girl had slipped out of the house.

But neighbors say it was not unusual for the child to be wandering around alone. Ravi Persaud said he had seen the child on several occasions walking around by herself. “I am surprised she was not hit before this. I almost hit her myself a few times.”

Another neighbor, Liz Laureano said she also had seen the child walking around alone. The last time was about a month ago. “She was just out here, by herself. She had no shoes on and was wearing just a nightshirt,” said Laureano. “You can’t leave your baby like that. This is what happens.”

But Peralta’s family maintains that this had never happened before and that she just slipped out without their notice. An aunt, who was in the house preparing tacos told reporters that the girl ran out into the street in a heartbeat.

Jaylein’s 20-year-old mother Jeanette works at a supermarket a couple of blocks away from where the incident happened. She was on her way home when she saw the police activity on the street. Relatives said that she had no idea it was her daughter when she happened upon the scene.

When she realized it was Jaylein she picked up the child whom witnesses say just kept saying “Momma, Momma,’ over and over. The child, whose face was covered with blood, was rushed to Jamaica Hospital in critical condition.

As of Saturday she was upgraded at the hospital and is expected to make a recovery. Police have not made an arrest and have no description of the car or its driver.

Still Going Strong After Twenty Years

Lifelong Queens resident Gary Giordano was honored for twenty years of service as Community Board 5 district manager with a proclamation presented by Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley at last week’s monthly meeting.

Giordano, who was born in Maspeth and attended Our Lady of Hope and St. Francis Prep schools, served as a board member for eight years before accepting the district manager position in 1989. He previously served four years as executive director of the Greater Ridgewood Youth Council, was among the founding members of the former Ridgewood Civilian Observation Patrol and dedicated time to the Martin J. Knorr Caregivers Center. In addition to his duties with CB 5, Giordano currently serves as a board member of The Salvation Army, volunteers with the Ridgewood Citadel Corps and is treasurer of the Greater Ridgewood Restoration Corps.

“Mr. Giordano, understanding the sophisticated nature of modern political structure, relies on his aptitude for listening, prefers discussion before decision and calm in the face of a challenge; and conducts the residents’ concerns… with reason and true consideration for the integrated whole of human needs and values,” states the proclamation. “Mr. Giordano faithfully executes the varied and numerous tasks of District Manager, giving evidence of his competency to manage, mediate and advocate, implementing the procedures and personally proving to be instrumental in raising the quality of life in Community Board 5…”

While he didn’t make any comments at the meeting, Giordano told the Forum that things have come a long way since he became district manager, and credited the people he has worked with for helping improve the community. “Portions of it have been a very rough road. When I started, crime was at its height, illegal dumping was a big, big problem, and so was graffiti,” he said. “I certainly had a lot of support from board members… so the board has been very good to me. But it has not been an easy road."

The biggest change over the past two decades, “is how crowded it’s gotten, and how much more competitive life has become,” said Giordano. “It seems to be a faster pace than ever, and I think we need to do our best so that it doesn’t become survival of the fittest so to speak.” Still, he has no regrets regarding the board’s influence on the community on his watch. “Our neighborhood is in great shape, in better shape than I can remember… and by no means is that all my doing.”

Crowley Calls on State Legislature to Address Malpractice Insurance

Says Women’s Health Care has Reached Crisis in New York City

Joined by dozens of outraged doctors from Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan, Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley demanded at a press conference on Wednesday that state leaders reduce malpractice insurance rates to prevent women’s health professionals from leaving the state.

During the rally on the steps of City Hall, Crowley (D-Middle Village) blasted Gov. David Paterson for allowing malpractice insurance rates to skyrocket, which she says has jeopardized healthcare for all female city residents. She will introduce legislation at the next City Council meeting “calling on the State Legislature to address this medical crisis immediately.”

“The current medical malpractice insurance system – which is regulated by our government – is driving doctors out of New York, and the first doctors to go are the ones who provide women’s healthcare,” said Crowley. “New York City is losing obstetricians at a faster rate than in any other area in the country… If we continue in this direction who will care for pregnant women? Who will deliver babies in New York?”

According to Crowley, 28 obstetricians who deliver tens of thousands of babies annually at eight hospitals in Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan will no longer be able to perform their professional duties as of July 2. In addition, between 2002 and 2008several hundred city doctors changed their insurance coverage, meaning they are no longer covered to perform obstetrics. Many hospitals have also been forced to cease providing obstetric services due to malpractice insurance costs, with 14 city hospitals eliminating their regular obstetrical services between 1995 and 2003.

Dr. David Freidman, a gynecologist in Manhattan, called the issue “a time bomb that is threatening to destroy women’s healthcare” in the state. “Because of the oppressive malpractice insurance rates, I and many others in the state have had to stop delivering babies,” he said. “This trend is sure to continue unless some relief is on the way.”

Crowley argues that it is the state and federal government’s responsibility to intervene and reduce or freeze the malpractice rates so doctors can afford to remain in the city. Through an online petition, a letter to her colleagues and a City Council resolution, she is calling on Gov. Paterson to reduce medical malpractice insurance rates, institute a public malpractice insurance option that will keep our obstetricians and breast imaging doctors in New York City by offering them affordable rates.

The overall problem has been exasperated by the closing of three Queens hospitals in the past six months, said Crowley. In addition, over the past four years three Brooklyn hospitals that delivered thousands of babies a year – Interfaith Medical Center, St. Mary’s and Victory Memorial – have closed their maternity ward.

The top two highest risk areas for malpractice insurance fall under obstetrics, with examinations for breast cancer coming in third. This has caused a shortage of breast radiologists and mammography facilities, creating a backlog for mammograms.

Dr. Jay Tartell, a radiologist at Mt. Sinai in Queens, said his facility has been searching for a breast radiologist for more than a year. “In addition to discouraging radiologists form specializing in breast imaging, the high risk of lawsuits have caused the existing mammographers in our group to become increasingly reluctant to read mammograms<’ he said.

“In Queens, we are all well aware of how much of a challenge access to health care has become, especially when women have to wait up to six months for an appointment to get a mammogram,” said Crowley. “Access to health care for the residents of Queens and Brooklyn is already an alarming challenge. This is why we are out here today calling on the State Legislature to reduce medical malpractice insurance rates and to find an effective solution to this crisis to ensure that there is adequate access to doctors for the women of New York.”

Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley joins area doctors at a rally calling on the State Legislature to reform the medical malpractice insurance industry to prevent doctors from leaving the city. The Forum Newsgroup/photos courtesy of WILLIAM ALATRISTE

Six Teens Charged in Flushing Robbery and Murder

By Conor Greene

Six teenagers have now been charged in connection with the robbery and murder of an Asian man who had fallen asleep in his SUV while parked on a Flushing street earlier this month.

Police say 49-year-old Woodhaven resident David Kao was killed by Chris Levy, 17, of Harlem, and Cory Azor, 16, of East Elmhurst after the suspects found him asleep inside his 2000 Lexus double parked in front of 42-10 Colden Street on June 8.

Levy and Azor were arraigned last Wednesday in Queens Criminal Court on charges of second-degree murder, first-and-second-degree robbery and fourth-degree possession of stolen property. They were ordered held without bail and face up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

In addition, police have charged four other teenagers in connection with the incident, according to the Queens District Attorney’s office. Keron Wilthshire, 17, of Corona, Jay-Quel Merkerson, 16, of Flushing and a 15-year-old have been charged with criminal possession of stolen property (the SUV). Bryce Newton, 16, of Flushing was charged with third-degree unauthorized use of a vehicle for riding in a vehicle he knew was stolen.

According to the charges, Levy and Azor entered the SUV after spotting Kao sleeping inside. They placed Kao in a chokehold, pulling him over the driver’s seat into the back of the vehicle, where they fatally choked and punched him. They then drove the SUV to a nearby location where they dumped the body. “I continued to hold him in the headlock and punch him in the face and then he stopped moving,” Levy allegedly told detectives.

The break in the case came last Monday, when police received a report of an argument near an SUV parked in an alley behind 145-10 20th Avenue in Whitestone, about two miles from the murder scene. Levy, Wilthshire and Newton were inside the Lexus when police responded, and, after questioning, the three other defendants were arrested, according to a spokesman for District Attorney Richard Brown.

In a separate criminal complaint, Levy, Azor and Wilthshire are charged with robbing 42-year-old Jin Tong Yuan as he entered the elevator at 140-50 Ash Avenue in Flushing on May 27. According to statements allegedly made to police, Azor and his co-defendants spotted Yuan and agreed to rob him. Wilthshire grabbed Yuan from behind and placed him in a chokehold while Levy held a silver pistol to the victim’s head while demanding money, according to police. The three defendants then allegedly took the victim’s cell phone and cash from his wallet before fleeing.

“While all three defendants are accused of preying on Asian men to rob, two of the defendants are charged with a senseless and brutal crime that, by their own alleged actions, shows a complete disregard for human life,” said Brown.

Even thought the district attorney accused the men of specifically targeting Asian men, they have not been charged under the hate crimes statute. “I think Levy and Azor have been charged with the ultimate hate crime – murder,” said spokesman Kevin Ryan, adding that charging them with a hate crime would not add anymore time to what they are currently facing. “However those are crimes that can be considered when the case is presented to a grand jury,” he added.

Kao was a marketing employee at the World Journal, which bills itself as the largest Chinese language newspaper in North America. According to reports, he dined with a colleague on Kissena Boulevard on Friday evening before parking, for unknown reasons, in front of the Colden Avenue building where his ex-wife lives. His 21-year-old daughter is a college student in Taiwan.

Azor’s stepfather is Officer Frantz Jean-Bart of the NYPD’s automotive unit.

Bakery Owner Admits to Molesting Young Customer

Jewish Group Forces Perv From Ownership Position

By Conor Greene

After pleaded guilty to molesting a 10-year-old boy who visited his Kew Gardens Hills bakery, a Brooklyn man has been forced out from his ownership position by a local Jewish group.

Issac Ebstein, 50, of 415 Bedford Avenue, admitted in Queens Supreme Court last week to inappropriately touching the 10-year-old, who used to go to Queens Kosher Pita for cookies, according to District Attorney Richard Brown. On Tuesday, he was sentenced to one year of probation and weekly sex offender counseling.

Last Friday, Ebstein pleaded guilty to first-degree attempted sexual abuse and attempted endangering the welfare of a child. According to authorities, Ebstein admitted to driving around Queens, during which time he touched the victim’s genitals and forced the boy to touch his. The abuse took place on three occasions over a two-month period in 2002 and came to light when the boy told his parents.

“The defendant has pleaded guilty to having taken advantage of the innocence of his young victim. As a result, the child has been severely traumatized and emotionally scarred for life,” said Brown. “Fortunately, the defendant's guilty plea will save the youngster from having to testify and recount the situation he endured.”

Under the plea with prosecutors, Ebstein will not have to register as a sex offender. While published reports stated that Ebstein would be returning to work at Queens Kosher Pita over the weekend, the Vaad Harabonim of Queens – which provides kosher certification for the business - has forced Ebstein from his ownership position at the Main Street bakery.

In a statement, the Vaad announced that officials hand-delivered a letter to Queens Pita demanding that “by the close of business on June 12, Ebstein shall neither work, nor be present in the store in any capacity whatsoever.” In addition, the letter ordered Queens Pita “to remove Ebstein as an owner, shareholder, officer, director and/or partner, and provide written evidence.”

The Vaad was contacted by the victim’s family and had two senior members in court to witness the guilty plea. According to the group, the Kosher Supervision Agreement it has with Queens Pita “provides that the Vaad has the discretion to terminate the contract upon the conviction of any crime of moral turpitude committed by a store owner or director.”

The decision to order Ebstein’s withdrawal as an owner and employee was made jointly by the Vaad and local Kew Gardens Hills congregational rabbis in a special meeting, and in consultation with legal counsel, according to its press release. It notes that Queens Pita owner and proprietor Norman Kohn had complied with Vaad’s directive.

“As part of the turpitude clause in our agreement with the store, the Vaad reserves the right to revoke the certification in cases such as these. Ebstein has resigned from any relationship with the store,” wrote Rabbi Chaim Schwartz in an email.

An employee who answered the phone at Queens Pita on Tuesday said that Ebstein is no longer an owner or employee there. A message left for Kohn was not immediately returned.

Subcontractors Accused of Stealing MTA Forklifts

DA: Trio Sold Stolen Equipment to Scrap Yard

By Conor Greene

Three employees of a company contracted to do work for the MTA have been accused of stealing eight forklifts and 17 tons of batteries from the Maspeth facility they were assigned to and reselling the items for a fraction of their market value.

The three Crown Equipment employees – Bruce Lesniewski, 30, of Brooklyn, Darrin Pfaff, 42, of Ronkonkoma and Kimberly Edwards, 57, of Bay Shore each face up to seven years if convicted on the charges. They were due to be arraigned Tuesday in Queens Criminal Court on the charges, following a joint investigation by the Queens District Attorney’s office and MTA Inspector General Barry Kluger.

According to authorities, Crown Equipment has a preventative maintenance contract with New York City Transit, under which it assigns technicians to the agency’s Maspeth warehouse to provide onsite repairs and maintenance and to provide estimates for shop repairs. In order to facilitate repairs, Crown Equipment utilizes a flatbed truck, along with various vans, to transport equipment from the warehouse to other authorized locations for repairs, maintenance and replacement parts.

The investigation began in September 2008 when NYCT personnel began an annual inventory of equipment at the Maspeth warehouse and discovered that eight forklifts and seventeen steel case batteries(each weighting between 2,000 and 2,500 pounds) used to operate their forklift equipment were missing. The subsequent investigation involved interviews, a review of the business records of the MTA and the scrap dealer who purchased the stolen items and an analysis of cell phone records and GPS signals assigned to Crown Equipment phones and trucks.

The criminal charges allege that the three defendants stole the eight forklifts and seventeen batteries from the MTA Transit warehouse between March and September 2008. They then took the equipment to Dependable Scrap Yard, a licensed junk dealer located on Flushing Avenue in Maspeth, which paid them a total of $7,812 for the materials.

When selling the metal to the scrap dealer, both Lesniewski and Pfaff signed invoices stating that they were the rightful owners of the equipment and had the authority to sell it and showed photo identification in order for the invoices to be completed and the money paid for them. Finally, it is alleged that GPS records for the flatbed truck driven by Edwards showed that he drove from the MTA warehouse to Dependable Scrap Yard on at least three occasions between August and September 2008, and that he and Pfaff had a series of phone conversations on those dates.

According to the Inspector General’s office, the stolen forklifts were still in working order and cost at least $20,000 to replace. A spokesman for the District Attorney’s office said the charges can be amended when a more exact value of the stolen items is determined.

“The defendants are accused of trying to make a fast buck by stealing tens of thousands of dollars worth of MTA equipment and selling it for a fraction of its value to a scrap dealer,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. “By these arrests we have sent a clear message that in these challenging economic times, the MTA and the riding public can ill afford such waste and thievery and have underscored the fact that those who steal will be held accountable for their actions.”

Lesniewski, who is currently employed by Crown Equipment, is charged with third degree grand larceny for the theft of two forklifts and ten batteries between March 1and September 19, 2008, for which he allegedly was paid $3,097 by the scrap dealer.

Pfaff and Edwards, who were formerly employed by Crown Equipment, are charged with third-degree grand larceny and fifth-degree conspiracy for the theft of six forklifts, for which they allegedly were paid $3,160 by the scrap dealer. In addition, Pfaff is also charged with fourth-degree grand larceny for the theft of seven batteries between June 1 and September 30, for which he was allegedly paid $1,555.

“This case provides another example of how the MTA Inspector General’s Office works with our investigative and prosecutorial partners to move swiftly against those who steal MTA property,” said Kluger.

More Photos from Howard Beach Relay For Life Event

This Week's Forum West and South

Fire Destorys Century-Old Church

Maspeth Congregants Devastated over Sudden Loss

By Conor Greene

Local residents and devastated congregants of the Maspeth United Methodist Church woke up Tuesday morning to news that the 102-year-old church was destroyed in an overnight fire.

The church, at 58th Avenue near 66th Street, was gutted during the two-alarm fire, which was reported at 4:30 a.m. by a neighbor who smelled smoke while taking out the garbage less than a half block from the church. Firefighters from Engine 288 reached the scene in less than three minutes, but were unable to prevent the blaze from gutting the church sanctuary. Firefighters were forced to evacuate the building at 5 a.m., and needed three hours to bring it under control. Nine firefighters suffered minor injuries.

While the FDNY is still investigating the cause of the fire, the church’s pastor and neighbors speculated that the wooden structure might have been struck by lightening as heavy storms passed through the area at about the time the fire started.

“I’m devastated – it’s very surreal,” said one congregant who stood watching as firefighters continued to douse the building with water, hours after the blaze had been brought under control. “I couldn’t believe it [and] had a good cry,” said the woman, who declined to give her name.

Aside as serving as home for the 155-year-old congregation, which has dwindled over the years and now attracts about 20 worshippers each week, the building hosted local groups including about 175 Girl Scouts who meet there weekly, Alcoholics Anonymous and yoga classes. “It’s a community church for so many things,” said the distraught congregant, who added that she was married there. “This church really means a lot to us.”

Pastor Avelio de Leon, who has been with the church for the past 14 years, was asleep in the parsonage next door when the fire started. His wife awoke at about 3 a.m. after hearing banging and thought someone was breaking into her car. Noticing nothing unusual, the pastor went back to sleep. He woke up 45 minutes later to the sound of sirens approaching the area, at which point he realized the church was on fire.

“I hope we will be able to regroup and rebuild the church,” he said. “The Bible says that God works in mysterious ways so maybe the people will be strengthened and become more spiritual.” The pastor said the fire started in the rear of the roof, which initially gave him home the building could be spared. However, witnesses said that firefighters who initially entered the building were forced back out due to the intense heat. “I’m disappointed that it’s a loss,” he said. “Of course, they [the congregants] are devastated.”

While next door neighbor Frank Santamaria’s home wasn’t damaged in the fire, he was forced out of his house because the church was in danger of collapsing. City Department of Building crews were on scene to coordinate the building’s demolishment, which was expected to be completed later that same day. After the fire was completely extinguished, firefighters helped the pastor and congregants recover items from inside the building.

“I was up with the thunder and then went to sleep. I smelled smoke, and the next thing you know, it was engulfed,” said Santamaria. The first crews on the scene made it about 75 feet into the basement before retreating due to the heat, he said. “It was hectic, but as usual the fire department was under control. They knew exactly what they were doing.”

Once the firefighters determined that there were no victims inside the church, the set up a perimeter to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby homes. Santamaria was counting his blessings that the wind was blowing in the right direction. “Ninety-nine out of one hundred, it’s coming this way,” he said.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) arrived at the fire scene and helped with the effort to preserve artifacts. She also used the opportunity to rip the FDNY and mayor for threatening to close firehouses due to budget cuts. “While the church will be completely destroyed, we must come together as a community, rebuild a new church, and we will come out of this great loss stronger and closer as a community.

“I believe this is another example of why we must fight to keep fire companies open,” said Crowley. “I urge Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta and Mayor Bloomberg to immediately identify the locations of the 12 companies slated to close, along with the criteria and data used to make those determinations…”

Firefighters continue to douse the flames at Maspeth United Methodist Church as the congregation’s pastor speaks to reporters. The Forum Newsgroup/photos by CONOR GREENE

Thief Dies After Jump from Train Platform

By Patricia Adams

A man fell to his death on Monday afternoon, shortly after robbing a Capital One Bank branch on Lefferts Boulevard between Liberty and 103rd avenues in Ozone Park.

At about 1:30 p.m., the unidentified white male, approximately 35-50 years old, entered the bank, approached a bank window and passed a note to the teller demanding cash. The bandit took off from the bank carrying a bag of money and headed toward Liberty Ave. But when a dye pack exploded inside the bag, the man tossed the cash in a garbage pail at the corner and raced up the stairs to the elevated train tracks.

With the police in pursuit, the suspect jumped onto the tracks of the A line and began running away from cops. About 5 blocks later, the man decided to jump off the tracks onto a roof top of the corner building at Liberty Avenue and 113th street. He misjudged the distance, which police sources estimate to be at least 22 feet, and plunged to the sidewalk beneath.

The man died at the scene.

Two Mayoral Candidates Discuss Visions for City

Bloomberg a No Show at Forest Hills Civic Meeting

By Conor Greene

The two Democratic candidates for mayor, Comptroller Bill Thompson and Councilman Tony Avella, told residents that the city needs a change in leadership in order to protect the interests of average New Yorkers at a civic meeting in Forest Hills Tuesday night.

The two men used the forum at the Forest Hills Community and Civic Association meeting to tell residents about their experience in public service and their plans if elected mayor. The race’s frontrunner, incumbent Michael Bloomberg, declined the civic group’s invitation to attend due to scheduling issues but said he would try to attend a meeting in the fall, according to FHCCA President Barbara Stuchinski.

Councilman Avella Calls for Change

Avella was first to speak, and Stuchinski introduced the Bayside councilman as a “great guy” who for “many, many years has always been involved in the communities” and is” “not looking for personal esteem. He really is a person to be admired.”

Avella, who declined to run for a third term on City Council after term limits were amended last year, said he started out as a “civic activist… helping to address local problems” in northern Queens. He was chief of staff to a number of elected officials before being elected to the City Council in 2002. “Being a community activist means knowing with the community expects, needs, and desires,” he said. “We’ve lost control over our own city government.”

One of the top priorities is stopping overdevelopment and taking neighborhoods back from politically-connected developers, said Avella. “It’s about time we start paying attention to the unique character and charm of every single neighborhood.” Ensuring that the zoning matches the area’s character will help prevent overdevelopment, he argued. Instead of city planning officials and the real estate industry controlling the agenda, Avella wants residents to have a say over their neighborhood. “Nobody knows their block better than the people who live there,” he said.

On education, Avella said that it was clear in 2002 that the Department of Education had to be revamped. However, “Michael Bloomberg made a major mistake” by not reaching out to stakeholders such as parents and teachers. Instead, he hired Chancellor Joel Klein, who is “running it like a business… I’m not saying you throw money at the DOE, but you cannot equate the all mighty dollar with advances in education.”

He noted that while the Bloomberg administration has recently touted gains made in statewide testing, nationwide tests show “absolutely no improvement in the eight years Michael Bloomberg has had control... All we do is teach to the test – we’re not educating kids, we’re just teaching them to adjust.” One of the first things Avella would do if elected is fire Klein, who he called a “disaster.”

Avella hammered home one of his main messages: that the city needs a “philosophical change” in the way residents and government interact. “If we want to have a better city, we all need to be involved… I don’t have all the answers – I want to listen to you,” he said.

He has also taken steps to “restore people’s faith in elected officials,” including voting against the pay raise that the City Council voted to give itself, and rejected the “lulu” politicians receive for chairing committees. In addition, he “fought like hell” against the mayor’s successful push to overturn term limits, and declined to seek reelection to his Council seat. “Whether you like term limits or not, what he did was an absolute disgrace,” he said. “The only way to overcome the terrible blow [to voters] is to vote them out of office.”

He also said that despite the wide disparity between the candidates fundraising, money shouldn’t determine who is elected. “In the end it shouldn’t be about money – it’s about people,” he said. “I’m not selling my soul. My donations are coming from people like you.”

When asked about potential funding cuts to libraries, community boards and the FDNY, Avella said it comes down to priorities. He wants to provide community boards with more power instead of reducing their funding and wants libraries open seven days a week, instead of cutting hours as is being threatened under the proposed budget. To do this, he would eliminate wasteful spending in other areas, including education. “The waste is unbelievable,” he said of city agencies.

“If you don’t want change, elected Mike Bloomberg… elect my Democratic opponent, because you are going to get the same nonsense,” said Avella, who promised “major reforms” if elected.

Comptroller Thompson Makes His Case

Thompson began by providing insight into his background, beginning with his childhood in Bedford-Stuyvesant. His mother was a city school teacher and his father was a former senator and judge. “I grew up in a household that believed in community service,” he said. “It is important to help the community you live in.”

He recalled his own 2001 run for comptroller, which was his first run at elected office. “I wasn’t supposed to win,” he said, as his opponent was chair of the City Council finance committee and greatly outspent Thompson. “In the end, I was able to put together people all across the city who believed in what I did.”

Thompson also made an effort to inform the crowd about the work he has done as city comptroller. He said that it became clear the MTA was operating using “two sets” of books during recent budget negotiations. “That’s the work I did,” he said of exposing that situation. “I knew they were lying… and went in and looked at the books.”

On term limits, Thompson stressed that it was always his intention to run for mayor and says the matter should have been brought back to the people for another referendum. “We know in the end he didn’t,” said Thompson, referring to Bloomberg.

After the City Council voted to allow officials to seek a third four-year term, Thompson continued with his mayoral bid “after looking at the things going on around us” such as the plan to close and consolidate local senior centers. “They pulled that back because of the election,” said Thompson, predicting that Bloomberg will continue with that plan if he is reelected.

He also criticized Bloomberg for charging homeless families rent to stay in city run shelters, which makes it harder for them to save enough to secure permanent housing. He also noted that water rates have risen 13% this year and a staggering 58% in the past four years. “You’re being overcharged,” he said. It’s almost a backdoor property tax.”

Another example of the city’s attempt to “squeeze more and more each year” out of middle class New Yorkers was the proposal to put tolls on the free East and Harlem river bridges. He said that 60% of those affected by this plan are Brooklyn and Queens residents. “Middle class New Yorkers… are going to be pushed out of this city,” he warned.

Despite the disparity between his fundraising efforts – which have netted about $6 million so far, compared with Bloomberg’s seemingly bottomless self-financed campaign war chest – Thompson said he “believes” he has a real shot at victory in November. He referred to a recent poll that showed that only 40% of respondents want Bloomberg to serve a third term.

“They realize that Michael Bloomberg is not there for the people of the city… He is there for a few of his wealthy friends.” He noted that Bloomberg opposed tax increases for the wealthy and says his opponent is spending upwards of $100 million “to try to convince you that he’s a different person than he’s been for the past eight years… After eight years, we know who Michael Bloomberg is. During these tough times, we can’t afford to have him back again as mayor.”

Other issues Thompson touched on included diversifying the city’s economy to reduce the dependant on Wall Street. One way to do that is to fully reinstate the tax credits formerly provided to the film industry. The city and state tax credit directly and indirectly led to 100,000 jobs, however many companies left the city after the credits dried up last year. While some money has been put back into that fund, it is set to expire in 2011.

Thompson said he believes in mayoral control of schools, but with some changes, including giving parents involvement and strengthening the powers of local Community Education Councils. He also wants an independent agency to assess how the city is doing in areas such as drop out and graduation rates and test scores. “They’re playing with the numbers,” he alleged. He called the DOE “the most fiscally irresponsible agency in the world.” Under a contract between the DOE and a vendor that Thompson recently rejected, the city was going to be “overpaying on almost everything by 10%,” he said.

Candidates Don't Get Their Say at Forest Hills Civic

Two of the candidates vying to represent Forest Hills, Rego Park and Kew Gardens on the City Council were given a chance to speak at Tuesday night’s Forest Hills Community and Civic Association meeting, but two others in attendance weren’t happy they didn’t get the same chance to address voters.

After mayoral candidates Tony Avella and Bill Thompson addressed the crowd at length, FHCCA President Barbara Stuchinski offered City Council candidate Mel Gagarin several minutes to discuss his campaign. The 27-year-old grew up in the neighborhood and told the residents that “it’s time for a new generation of leadership” in the city.

After Gagarin spoke, Stuchinski invited candidate Karen Koslowitz, who is director of Queens community board, to speak about the role the boards play in city government. She spoke for several minutes about ways the boards, which she called the “city halls of your community” help residents. She said that the proposed cut of $35,000 of the board’s $200,000 annual operating budget would “decimate the boards.”

However, Koslowitz then touched on other issues including senior citizen services and the elimination of child care programs. She also touted accomplishments she achieved while serving on the City Council from 1992 to 2001, including safety improvements along Queens Boulevard and the efforts to shut down a strip club on Austin Street. “I’m running for City Council because I like to make a difference in people’s lives,” she said.

At one point, Stuchinski recognized that candidates Heidi Harrison Chain and Michael Cohen were also in the audience. However, after Koslowitz spoke, a resident brought up issues concerning construction of the Metropolitan Avenue school. After that issue was discussed, Stuchinski adjourned the meeting.

Shortly after, Chain said she thinks it is “a little bizarre” that the two candidates were not asked to speak. Cohen said he thought he was attending a community meeting and wasn’t aware that two of the candidates would speak. He said that he is willing to give Stuchinski the benefit of the doubt that she didn’t realize Koslowitz was going to give a full-fledged “political speech.”

However, once Koslowitz addressed the crowd in that fashion, Cohen said Stuchinski should have made sure all candidates in attendance were invited to speak. “Once it happened, there should have been some type of fairness [and] equal time,” said Cohen, adding that he is “disappointed” in how the situation played out.

On Wednesday, Stuchinski was less than apologetic for not providing Cohen and Chain a few minutes to speak. She said that Gagarin had not been invited to the civic’s recent candidates forum, so she thought it was only fair to give him a chance to introduce himself to voters. She said she thought Koslowitz was only going to speak about the community boards and not about her City Council Campaign.

“You know, when you are losing, you should learn to be gracious. Those two are being so belligerent and nasty” she said of Cohen and Chain. “I called on Karen not realizing she was going to go into campaign mode, so what was I suppose to do, hit her in the knee caps to get her off the stage?”

Stuchinski argued that the candidates “definitely had ample opportunity at the first panel to discuss” various issues. “These two seem to have this chip on their shoulder, and that’s not the way to win votes. Act like an adult, learn to be gracious and learn to roll with the punches.”

Bloomberg Stops by Ridgewood Civic Meeting

Discusses Landmarking, Crime and Education

By Conor Greene

With test scores rising and crime dropping, Mayor Michael Bloomberg stopped by last week’s Ridgewood Property Owners Association meeting, just as his bid for a third term in office starts to heat up.

“I’ve got some good news about Ridgewood,” the mayor told the crowd of nearly 200 inside IS 93 on Forest Avenue, before addressing four topics - landmarking, education, public safety and the economy during his 11 minute speech.

Mayor Bloomberg did not mention his run for a third term or his controversial push that led to the City Council’s decision to overturn term limits. He didn’t take any questions, instead allowing audience members to submit a written query on forms distributed around the auditorium.

The mayor began by announcing that the city Landmark Preservation Commission is expected to vote on September 15 to vote on a Ridgewood North Historic District, something he has been told “will be very popular” and is likely to be approved. Also at that meeting, the commission will hold a hearing on a “larger Ridgewood South [Historic] District,” added Bloomberg.

“For those of you who want landmarking, I think you are going to get what you want,” he said. “Ridgewood’s history needs to be preserved and celebrated and these landmark decisions will go a long way towards doing that.”

Mayor Bloomberg was also eager to tout progress city students have made on standardized tests. He said that IS 93 students have made “huge progress” and are now outperforming citywide students. Three years ago, just 40% of IS 93 students were at or above acceptable standards for English, while this year nearly three-quarters of students scored proficiently in English. For math, only half of students were proficient three years ago, compared to 82% today.

“We’re seeing progress all over the city,” said Bloomberg. “Why? I think it’s because we’re investing in teachers… [and] making everyone in the system accountable, and we’re getting the results… It really is amazing what the schools system has done – the city is catching up to the state, and big cities never catch up to the state.”

Even with the city struggling through a recession, crime is down both in the 104th Precinct, which includes Ridgewood, and across the city as a whole, according to Bloomberg, who said that crime is down 9.4% this year in the 104th Precinct, and down 43% over the last eight years.

“As everybody knows, when the economy slows down due to a recession, crime goes up… except it doesn’t have to be true,” said Bloomberg. “Crime is going down at a time when sadly the economy [is struggling]. It is just so counterintuitive… but you don’t have to suffer the conventional wisdom… We just don’t have to sit back and say that’s just the way it is.” He vowed that the city will continue to make investments in its infrastructure “that we stopped making back in the 1970s.”

At the end of his quick speech, Bloomberg thanked the residents for employing him, even if he accepts just “a dollar a year” salary. When a woman yelled out that he is the best mayor in the world, Bloomberg responded, “You and my mother think so.” He accepted a gift bag containing neighborhood favorites before heading out to his next appearance.



Prior to Bloomberg’s speech, Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) briefly addressed the audience, speaking among other things on the importance of investing in Ridgewood Reservoir. It was recently announced that the $50 million earmarked for improvements there has been cut in half, and Crowley urged the mayor to reinstate that money. “Despite these tough budget times, we have an opportunity to… create a place where we can learn about preservation and conservation for future generations,” she said.

A spokeswoman for Crowley later said that the Councilmember was “disappointed” that the mayor didn’t mention the Ridgewood Reservoir during his speech.

Members of the RPOA pose for a photo after Mayor Bloomberg’s speech. At left, the mayor is presented with a gift bag containing items from the neighborhood. The Forum Newsgroup/photos by CONOR GREENE

Willets Point Land Owners Rally Against Eminent Domain

By Conor Greene

With the city ready to begin the process of using eminent domain to seize private property at Willets Point, land owners are vowing to “fight to the bitter end” to retain ownership of their land.

Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside) and a group of Willets Point property owners gathered in front of Shea Gas Station on 127th Place on Monday to call attention to what they say is hypocrisy on the part of the city. Property owners claim the city told them that negotiations for properties in the project’s second and third phases are on hold, but has since signaled that it is moving forward with eminent domain.

The city plans to acquire the land at the 62-acre site adjacent to CitiField to pave the way for a glitzy redevelopment featuring housing, restaurants, retail, a hotel, convention center and other amenities. In November, City Council voted to approve the project, which just two members – Avella and Charles Barron – voting against it. Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), who was not in office at the time of the vote, refused to discuss her feelings about the project or her opinion on the potential use of eminent domain.

While property owners have yet to receive a formal letter informing them that the city intends to seize the property, several say their employees were approached by representatives of Cornerstone Realty Group, which is assisting the city in its efforts to relocate the businesses. In addition, the city has scheduled a public hearing on June 22 in Flushing Town Hall, which is the first step in the eminent domain process.

“Here we go again to show the hypocrisy of Michael Bloomberg and the Economic Development Corporation (EDC),” said Avella. “While they keep saying they’re going to negotiate fairly… all of a sudden they have an outside consultant going door to door.”

He said that the EDC was on the phone with his office within 15 minutes after he announced the press conference last Friday. They wanted to assure him that the city is not yet proceeding with eminent domain, which led him to wonder who it is that is contacting the business owners. “It’s amazing the hypocrisy and how they talk out of both sides of their mouths… Michael Bloomberg is a traitor to the American dream and to democracy in this city.”

According to a May 26 press release, the EDC has reached deals for about 40 acres of the 62-acre site after striking agreements with two more property owners. The city “will continue to reach out to business and property owners in Willets Point to negotiate fair acquisition agreements,” the EDC said in the statement.

However, in many of those property owners’ minds, the city is not negotiating in good faith since it is holding the threat of eminent domain over their heads. “The only reason anyone has sold them property here is because of the threat of eminent domain,” said Jake Bono, who accused the city of threatening, “If you don’t sell your property, we’re going to take it.”

Avella agreed that the city is using the threat of eminent domain to force property owners’ into reaching a deal. “Holding over their heads the threat of eminent domain is not fair negotiating… This whole thing has been a joke and a disaster from the beginning.”

Property owner Irene Presti Giacomo said that the property is the sole source of income for her and her daughters since her husband passed away. She pointed out that Bloomberg has made helping women business owners a part of his campaign, and wonders why that doesn’t apply to her. “I’ve been paying taxes here for years for services not delivered,” she said. “My property is not for sale. If they take my property, what happens to me?”

Jerry Antonacci of Crown Containers took exception with Bloomberg campaign literature touting his programs to help small businesses, which the mayor claims is the “bread and butter” of the city’s economy. The “reality,” said Antonacci, is that the administration is steamrolling 250 small businesses, eliminating 1,500 jobs, condemning 59 properties in an effort to cater to politically-connected developers. “We’re the only one fighting. He isn’t fighting for us,” said Antonacci.

The property owners have filed a lawsuit in hopes of forcing the city to stop moving forward with eminent domain. “This is a land grab to give to the development community, and they’re going to make a huge amount of money off the blood, sweat and tears of the property owners, and that’s un-American,” said Avella. “This is going to be a fight to the bitter end.”

Crime Down in 112th Precinct

By Conor Greene

Residents at Tuesday night’s Forest Hills Community and Civic Association meeting were updated on local crime by Officer Gigi Redzematovic of the 112th Precinct’s Community Affairs Unit. She reported “very, very good” news regarding major crimes so far this year, with decreases in every category. So far, the precinct is down 19% compared with the same time last year and 8.5% for the past 28 day period.

With the weather getting nicer, Officer Redzematovic reminded that “the opportunity for criminals to do what they need to do goes up” as residents began leaving windows unlocked. She urged residents to always lock their doors and windows, especially if they are inside the home but preoccupied with tasks such as laundry or showering. She also urged homeowners to check their outdoor lighting and to have a neighbor collect the mail and check on the home when you go on vacation. She reminded residents to immediately call 911 if they notice suspicious activity. “We can’t do it without you guys,” she said.

A resident asked about the status of the investigation into a rape that occurred at the intersection of Queens Boulevard and 69th Road at about 4:45 a.m. on May 20. Officer Redzematovic said police “are still looking for the person” and asked residents to be “careful of everything around you” while walking around the city. “I’m not saying it’s not safe in Forest Hills or Rego Park, but you never know.”

According to police, a Hispanic woman in her 20s was followed after leaving the subway station by a man who dragged her to the rear of an apartment building and attacked her. The suspect is a black male between 40 and 50 years old, about 5 feet 7inches tall, with a medium build.

Another resident complained that her driveway is constantly blocked by construction vehicles parking on residential streets new the new school site on Metropolitan Avenue. She said that it took 24 hours for an officer to respond after she called 311. “They used to come within an hour and with all the city needs I was surprised” she said of the delay. She asked if the procedure for having illegally parked cars ticketed and towed has changed, as it used to only take several hours.

Civic President Barbara Stuchinski said that they have eight hours to respond after a complaint is filed. “But don’t believe it,” she said, as it has taken as long as three days for officers to respond to her own complaints. Another resident who has had three cars ticketed and two towed from in front of his home near 69th Road and Sybilla Street said he has “given up on calling 311” and now contacts the 112th Precinct directly, which “works great.” By going that route, he said, an officer generally responds in about 20 minutes.

Finally, the officer informed residents about several upcoming events. This Saturday night, the third annual Relay for Life will be held at the West Side Tennis Club in support of cancer research. The event goes overnight and ends on Sunday morning. In addition, Austin Street will be closed for much of Sunday for a street fair, so drivers are urged to avoid that area.

The precinct’s Crime Prevention Unit is offering Vehicle Identification Number etching at the Home Depot parking lot from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. No appointment is necessary, and having the VIN number etched onto your car window will help deter thieves, said Officer Redzematovic. Anyone is welcome to take advantage of this free service; however, the event will be canceled in the event of rain.

State Chooses Catholic Charities to Develop Fineson Site

By Patricia Adams

Last Friday New York State announced that Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development Corporation has been chosen to buy and develop the Bernard Fineson Developmental Disabilities site in Howard Beach into low- and moderate-income senior housing.

The Fineson site was originally constructed as a private hospital in the 1960's. Following the hospital’s closure, it became a residential unit in 1975 in which Fineson provided residential and program services for individuals, including those diagnosed with autism. The certified capacity at that time was 160 but, over time, the number of residents was reduced to less than 50.

The State’s Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) is now carefully transitioning some of the residents into community placement opportunities with remaining residents being transferred to the main Fineson campus, Hillside, in Queens Village.

In January a request for proposals was issued by the state to develop the Fineson site into an unassisted housing unit for seniors. A small part of the facility was also designated for developmentally disabled residents.

Catholic Charities was one of a number of entities who submitted proposals to State officials for consideration.

“Catholic Charities was chosen because of the high quality of their proposal to redevelop this site and their excellent track record in providing affordable housing and services to seniors throughout Brooklyn and Queens,” Governor Paterson said. “This is an exciting day as we move one step closer to converting underused state property into much-needed affordable housing for the elderly.”

Fineson will be converted by Catholic Charities into a 100-unit apartment development. Eighty of the units will be reserved for seniors over the age of 60. The remaining 20 units will be set aside for individuals supported by the OMRDD. In material distributed to area civic leaders at an April meeting facilitated by Community Board 10, Catholic Charities described the proposed Howard Beach Apartments facility as consisting of “32 studio, 52 one-bedroom, and 9 two-bedroom apartments with laundry facilities, a community room, resident lounges, and offices.”

Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, one of the largest providers of affordable housing in New York City, also provides social services for seniors in both boroughs, including the Howard Beach community. The development team for this endeavor includes Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development Corporation, the housing arm of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens; CPC Resources, a subsidiary of the Community Preservation Corporation; Shuman Lichtenstein Claman Efron Architects; and Monadnock Construction as the general contractor.

Deborah VanAmerongen, Commissioner of the NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR), said, “I have had the pleasure of working with Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development and have seen firsthand just how effective they are in delivering much-needed housing for seniors and people with developmental disabilities. This important project will take an underutilized state property and turn it into affordable and supportive housing for people who need it most.

The Fineson site is currently owned by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York. Its Executive Director, Paul T. Williams, Jr., said, "This project is a success story that demonstrates how government agencies working with committed not-for-profit entities can produce a meaningful new life and community purpose for an under-used state facility. We at the Dormitory Authority are proud to play a role in helping to create much-needed affordable housing for senior citizens in addition to supportive housing to serve some of our most vulnerable residents."

The process to determine a use for the Fineson site included discussions with local elected officials and community leaders prior to the State putting its Request for Proposals out. One result of those discussions was the inclusion of a preferential set-aside of 50% of the senior apartments for current residents of Community Board 10 in the RFP.

State Senator Joe Addabbo has been involved in the process since its inception. “Knowing and working with Catholic Charities in the past, I think they are a credible choice. I believe they realize what is at stake here,” Addabbo said referring to the hopes that residents already living in the community would be at ease with their new neighbors.

Addabbo made it clear that the proposal was well-suited for the community. “Because of the dire need to sell off the land it’s easy to see how another kind of project that might not be good for the community could have wound up here. We hope the community will enjoy a relationship as good or better than the long standing one it shared with the Fineson Center.” Addabbo went on to say that the need for senior housing is great in the city and especially in Queens and that the new facility was one to be welcomed

“Catholic Charities discussed its proposal with me prior to submitting it to the State and incorporated the Board’s input in that submission and provided detailed information to us both before and after submitting it,” said Community Board 10 Chairperson, Betty Braton. “I’m pleased with their selection and the Board looks forward to working with Catholic Charities as they develop quality housing and enhanced services for our senior population.”

Monsignor Alfred LoPinto, Pastor of Saint Helen’s Church in Howard Beach, who also serves as the Vicar for Human Services of the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens, said, “Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development Corporation is delighted to have been chosen to develop this site into low and moderate-income housing for seniors and persons with developmental disabilities. Catholic Charities knows that this conversion will help afford many people an opportunity to live with dignity and within an integrated community that is supportive, cheerful and filled with opportunities to enjoy their golden years. We look forward to working with representatives of the State, along with members of the local community, to bring this project to a successful conclusion.”

Monsignor LoPinto added that the estimated time before negotiations and the closing of the states deal with Catholic Charities, including financing for the project, should be completed by the spring of 2010. “Obviously, we are prepared to move ahead as quickly as possible with the closing so that construction can begin,” added Msgr. LoPinto. Following those negotiations, construction should take approximately 18-24 months.

Selection of the residents who will be living in the apartments will follow a standard lottery procedure, according to Msgr. LoPinto, a pre-determined 50% of the application pool coming from the population living within Community Board 10. “The application process generally sees about 800 applications for each unit available,” said Msgr. LoPinto. Traditionally, Catholic Charities, who owns and operates more than 2,500 senior residence apartments throughout Brooklyn and Queens, will see about 800 applications for every unit available. “The rents are set to be affordable so there is tremendous application pool,” concluded Msgr. LoPinto.

“Catholic Charities is well known for helping to revitalize communities through the development of affordable housing as well as providing quality human services that help support and empower the people we are privileged to serve,” said Robert Siebel, Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens. “Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens is proud of what we have accomplished and looks forward this new opportunity to respond to the needs of our neighbors.”

The selection process resulting in the selection of Catholic Charities to develop Fineson was overseen by the State’s Housing Finance Agency and the Division of Housing & Community Renewal with assistance from the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. Officially, the Catholic Charities team has received a preliminary designation to develop the site.

Groups Urge Governors to Block Gas Island Project

By Conor Greene

Members of community organizations along the Mid-Atlantic coast are urging the governors within the region, specifically David Paterson in New York and Jon Corzine in New Jersey, to prevent a private company from constructing an island off the Rockaway coast that would receive shipments of liquefied natural gas.

The Atlantic Sea Island Group has submitted an application to the federal government seeking permits needed to construct an island 13 miles offshore from Long Beach. While issuing permits for these types of projects falls under the jurisdiction of the federal Maritime Administration, governors of states bordering the project – in this case New York and New Jersey – have the authority to unilaterally reject it.

According to groups fighting this and other similar proposals, the five governors from New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia are convening to create a regional forum for coastal and ocean planning in the Mid-Atlantic region. This marks the first region in the nation “to commit to a regional approach to ocean management during President Obama’s administration.”

Word that the governors from each state will have open lines of communication regarding ocean planning was welcome news for Cindy Zipf, executive director of Clean Ocean Action, a New Jersey-based group that has taken the lead on fighting the Atlantic Sea Island Group’s plan and two other similar projects.

“At long last the Mid-Atlantic is stepping up and thinking about our shared marine waters. This ocean realm is one of the must unique in the country and deserves protection,” said Zipf. We, the people, have a plan ready, it’s called the Clean Ocean Zone – a law that will keep improving our clean ocean ecology and the thriving economies that depend on it and keep the polluters, such as LNG and oil drilling out. Just as other costal governors around the country have done, we expect Governors Paterson and Corzine to listen to the people and reject LNG proposals now.”

Locally, environmentalists expressed disappointment that LNG issues are not among the priorities for the five governors to address and warned that years of work to reclaim the ocean could be lost.

“We are happy to see the mid-Atlantic governors meeting but surprised that they haven’t put LNG at the top of their list,” said Chris Wade, chair of the NYC chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. “They say they want to collaborate on water quality, energy policy, climate change and conservation of marine habitat. But if they don’t act quickly and unanimously halt proposed LNG-port developments we’ll be losing tremendous ground on all of these issues.”

Michael O’Toole, secretary of the Rockaway Park Homeowners & Residents association, said his group is “strongly opposed to any LNG development” in the coastal waters. “We are particularly concerned about the environmental impact and the safety and security issue. Any facility of this type would be a prime terrorist target.”

According to the Atlantic Sea Island Group’s application, the project, dubbed the Safe Harbor Energy Island, would be at least 60 acres at the water surface and more than 110 acres at the ocean floor. It would require about 700,000 truckloads of fill to construct and would be about 14 times larger than Giants Stadium. Tankers from foreign nations would deliver the liquid natural gas, which would be converted into natural gas and distributed through pipelines.

In April, the Coast Guard held a public hearing on the proposal as part of the process of creating an Environmental Impact Statement that will be used to determine whether the permits should be issued. Gov. Paterson has yet to take a stance on the proposal.

Achieving Success on Opening Day

The Achievers of America program for Softball had its opening day on May 16, and it was a success, with about 70 proud Achievers dressed in uniforms and everyone getting up to bat, all going around the bases and getting a high five at home plate. It’s a dream come true for these special players, even if they are in a wheel chair, everyone plays, and gets a high five, they are part of the team. They play a practice game first, then play three strikes and you’re out, and they love it.

Refreshments such as pizza, bagels, bananas, apples, cookies, drinks, soda, water and more are put out for the players to enjoy each week. It was great time. Come to the field and have some fun. The Achievers of America program for special needs individuals with developmental disabilities. Giving everyone a chance to participate, helping to improve the quality of life of these individuals. They learn, socialize, gain self esteem and have fun! This is what it’s all about! Games played every Saturday 1 pm to 4 pm at: Kissena Corridor Park on Main Street and Elder Ave. across from the Botanical gardens in Flushing Queens, New York For more information, Steve Biondo 718-565-1141, Head Coach Randy Novick 917-355-0651 Sara Di Gennaro 718-738-9344 or visit www.achieversofamerica.info.

This Week's Forum South and West

Ognibene, Civics to City Over Maspeth School Proposal

By Conor Greene

Middle Village attorney Thomas Ognibene has joined up with two local civic groups to file a lawsuit against the School Construction Authority to prevent the city from immediately moving forward with its Maspeth high school project.

Thomas Ognibene, who is running for City Council in November, announced on Monday that he has joined up with civic groups Communities of Maspeth and Elmhurst Together and the Juniper Park Civic Association to file the lawsuit. The civic group’s participation was necessary, he said, in order to give the lawsuit standing – something he expects the SCA to challenge instead of addressing the “substantive issues.”

“The primary goal is to ensure that kids don’t wind up going to school in a highly-toxic environment,” said Ognibene of the lawsuit’s intent. “Unfortunately, the City Council should have stopped this – that’s why we have a City Council.” He accused the DOE of providing the City Council with a “false and misleading report” and said the public was left with no alternative other than filing the lawsuit.

The City Council voted 38 to 10 in April to approve the Department of Education’s plan for a 1,100 seat high school on the former Restaurant Depot site at 74th Street and 57th Avenue. The vote came despite overwhelming opposition from Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), who voted against the plan, and local residents. The civic groups charge that it wasn’t until after that vote that the full extent of the site’s contamination was revealed to the public. Last month the city paid $16,250,000 for the site, which was recently listed for $15 million.

Ognibene called the DOE’s plan “a perfect issue for the City Council to have done a more thorough job” and said he would have would have demanded “at least a phase three” environmental impact statement. “I would have gone to my colleagues and been more forceful in ensuring the kids are protected,” he said. “Unfortunately, I’m not the councilmember and have to rely on going to the courts.”

Robert Holden, president of the JPCA, said that the SCA is acting “as a private company that is not accountable” to the public. “Mayor Bloomberg needs to understand that mayoral control of schools doesn't mean he has the authority to cut corners, ignore public input and endanger the lives of our children,” he wrote in an e-mail. “Hopefully this lawsuit will demonstrate… that our community will fight and not just rollover and be forced to take projects that are detrimental to the well-being of our neighborhood.

Last month, Ognibene (R-Middle Village) announced he would challenge Crowley this November to represent the 30th district, a seat he held from 1992 until 2001, when he was forced out of office due to term limits. Crowley spoke briefly at Monday’s COMET meeting and had left before Ognibene arrived to announce the lawsuit. On Tuesday, Crowley’s press secretary said the councilwoman doesn’t have a comment on the lawsuit.

During her remarks on Monday, Crowley said that the DOE had been working on the Maspeth school proposal for nearly two years before she took office. “It was Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott, Chancellor Joel Klein and the SCA that really felt they could do as they saw fit,” she said. “As frustrating as it was dealing with the DOE, at least we got some concessions… We’re lucky the school isn’t twice the size it was proposed to be and not for the entire city.”

Through her negotiations with the city, Crowley was able to get the DOE to agree to zone the school so that students in District 24, which stretches from Long Island City east to Corona and south to Ridgewood, first priority. Students from the adjacent districts would then get priority, followed by students from throughout the borough.

The lawsuit will seek to force the city to complete a more thorough environmental review, according to Ognibene. A judge would then determine whether the site is appropriate for a school and if additional remediation is needed. He noted that there are 19 city schools that required additional cleanup after they were constructed, which he said costs ten times more than it does to remediate fully after the fact.

“We don’t want that. We want a thorough vetting of the property and a thorough environmental search,” said Ognibene. “The EIS they did was a cursory one that is not sufficient to protect the children… They never should have been allowed to get away with it.”

At the meeting, COMET member Michael Fordunski of Maspeth spoke out against the idea of filing a lawsuit, which he called a “total waste of time” and tax dollars. “There’s no perfect location for a school… We need a high school in this area,” he said, adding that he believes the site will be satisfactorily cleaned up by the time the building opens.

In response, Ognibene argued that you can’t “put a price on the safety of a child” and that “doing it right the first time saves money… Nobody wants to send kids to a high school with high levels of toxicity.” He said that the lawsuit seeks a preliminary stop order to prevent the city from moving ahead with work at that site. It would then be up to the judge to determine if any further course of action is needed.

A DOE spokesman said he is unable to comment on pending litigation. However, last month the DOE accused “some community members who strongly oppose” the project of “purposefully exaggerating the soil’s toxicity in order to stoke public fears and derail the project.” The department added that “Parents in Maspeth and District 24 should know that the Maspeth High School will be completely safe for students and staff.”

OLG Student Raises Funds for Juvenile Diabetes Research

Turns Entrepreneur For A Great Cause

By Patricia Adams

The 1st Annual South Queens Walk to benefit Juvenile Diabetes saw thousands of walkers take to the street on Saturday raising more than $100,000 toward research. But one very enterprising young Howard Beach man raked in a sizeable amount of cash on his own to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

Cub Scout Robby Hegarty, a 3rd grade student at OLG and a Bear Cub Scout from Pack 139 put together his own lemonade stand to raise money for JDRF. At the end of the day, Robert had raised over $200–– with very little help from his parents. But the whole family was in on saying how impressed they were with the outpouring of support for Robby’s efforts.

Proud mom Annmarie Hegarty says two teenage girls walked up and gave her son whatever money they had, and commended Robby on his efforts. Less than an hour later, the same girls came back in a car driven by one of their moms. This time they brought along a bunch of their friends, all of who donated to the cause.

“One of girl's friend is currently in the hospital, having just been diagnosed,” Anne Marie explained, “and it meant a lot to help in any way they could.”

Still another man drove past, made a U-turn, and handed over $20––he had lost a sister to Juvenile Diabetes, and hoped he could help other families who are going through what his family did.

After a long day in the hot sun, Robby Hegarty had raised $227.68. But even more valuable were some of the lessons learned--that one person can make a difference, no matter how young they are, and that the people in his community always pitch in to help.

“We are so proud of him,” said Annmarie Hegarty. Robby is very compassionate child, and this cause has close and personal ties for him. It’s great he had the chance to do this.” Two of Robby’s cousins, Trisha and Mike and an uncle all have the disease. Robby also lost two uncles to juvenile diabetes––he never met either of them.

The Hegartys say they are thrilled that the walk was a great success, and are all looking forward to participating again next year.

Thompson Warns of Queens Healthcare Crisis

The closing of two borough hospitals earlier this year and the recent swine flu outbreak have resulted in a healthcare crisis in Queens, warns city Comptroller William Thompson.

In a report issued on June 1, Thompson charged that hospitals in Queens, especially in the central and eastern portions, are in a “state of crisis” as their emergency rooms struggle to cope with a “torrent of patients amid H1N1 virus worries and the closures of St. John’s and Mary Immaculate hospitals” in February.

Thompson was joined by Queens Borough President Helen Marshall in front of Jamaica Hospital Center to bring attention to the growing crisis. Jamaica Hospital is among those facing a spike in patients as flu concerns have grown in recent weeks. A study by Thompson found that “emergency rooms are being flooded with patients, many who must now await admission, ambulance turnaround times are rising, and medical professionals are facing extraordinary challenges in their ability to provide care.”

Marshall, who first warned of the imminent closures of the hospitals at her State of the Borough address in January, noted that the state Department of Health has closed four borough hospitals in recent years, including Mary Immaculate and St. John’s, which combined accounted for about 50,000 emergency room visits each year.

“Short term funding from the state was targeted for equipment and infrastructure expansions, but did not address the need for additional healthcare professionals, especially nurses,” said Marshall. “Comptroller Thompson is right when he says that emergency rooms in Queens are in crisis. I warned the Governor’s office that the hospital system in Queens would not be able to handle a major emergency.”

The findings of Thompson’s latest study on the impact of hospital closings and the swine flu outbreak included:

•The number of emergency room patients at the surrounding hospitals soared right after St. John’s and Mary Immaculate hospitals closed earlier this year. For example, from mid-February to the end of March, there were 20 days when Jamaica Hospital’s emergency room exceeded 350 patients, versus only two such days during the same period in 2008.

•The number of patients brought to surrounding hospitals’ emergency rooms by ambulance soared. For example, comparing January to March 2009, the number of patients arriving by ambulance at Queens Hospital Center rose 51 percent, and at North Shore University Hospital-Forest Hills by 40 percent.

•Ambulance turnaround times – the amount of time from arrival at the emergency room until the ambulance is free to make the next call – increased significantly at Jamaica, Queens and North Shore University-Forest Hills hospitals.

•A Queens Hospital Center emergency room doctor with more than two decades of experience told the Comptroller’s office that he now sees 35 patients per shift compared with 20 before the two closures, that the conditions at the hospital have become a “living nightmare,” and that “the state of emergency medicine in Queens is the worst I’ve seen in my career.” His observations echoed other physicians, some of whom spoke of an overwhelming added patient load.

Thompson faulted the state DOH and city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for “failing to acknowledge the deteriorating financial condition of Mary Immaculate and St. John’s hospitals in a timely fashion and failing to put in place a plan to address the impact of the closures.” After bailing out troubled healthcare provider Caritas, which owns the two closed hospitals, for the past several years, the state refused to provide any additional funding, leading to the closures in February.

“What we are seeing now is a crisis in the hospital and healthcare system in Queens, a version of which may very well spread to the other boroughs if H1N1 virus outbreaks appear in other neighborhoods,” said Thompson. “To be sure, while the timing of H1N1 virus itself was not foreseeable, the likelihood of some event of a similar nature causing a sudden surge in demand was both foreseeable and inevitable.”

Thompson offered a number of recommendations, including that individuals with flu symptoms should be triaged at ambulatory care facilities, the necessary resources to deal with emergencies should be activated, loans and working capital should be provided to cover expansion costs, data on emergency room utilization should be made public, hospitals should be staffed-up to meet increased demand, and gaps in service created by closures must be identified.

“The City and State need to pull key healthcare providers and other stakeholders together immediately to share information, identify patterns and develop solutions to address the current surge in demand stemming from the H1N1 virus,” said Thompson. “If the State Department of Health had begun planning in December 2006, as I suggested, it is likely that much of the current impacts in Queens could have been minimized or avoided entirely.”

Forest Hills Teen Sentenced in Fatal Wreck

Kew Gardens Couple Killed on GCP Service Road

By Conor Greene

A Forest Hills teenager has been sentenced to prison for causing a fatal accident after speeding through a red light while under the influence of painkillers last August on the Grand Central Parkway service road.

Jacob Chubalashvili, who was 17 years old at the time of the accident near 69th Road, will serve between two-and-a-half and seven-and-a-half years in prison under an agreement with the Queens District Attorney’s office.

Chubalashvili, of 62nd Drive, was driving about 60 miles per hour while heading east in a 30-mile-per-hour zone at about 5:30 that morning. Behind the wheel of a Mercedes he had taken without permission, the teenager sped through a steady red light and plowed into an Acura carrying Ki and Hyekyung Kim. The impact split the Acura in half and instantly killed the Kew Gardens couple.

After his arrest, Chubalashvili told police he took the car without permission from a family friend and smoked marijuana before driving. “I remember... jetting down the road and the next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital” he said, according to the DA’s office. The DA also said he later admitted to taking about a dozen pain pills and asked, “How is the Mercedes? That was supposed to be my car” after being told two people had died.

On Tuesday, Chubalashvili’s attorney, Leonard Ressler, said the plea was reached after tests showed that his client “wasn’t as bombed out as police initially said he was.” Ressler said the only drugs that showed up Chubalashvili’s system were the painkillers, which he took to ease pain from dental work.

“The reason he took the plea is because they weren’t prescribed... Nothing [else] showed up, none of the stuff they said at arraignment,” said Ressler. “In all likelihood he passed out,” which is one of the side affects of the pills Chubalashvili took, the attorney added. “Apparently when you get hit in the head, you think of things that don’t exist,” he said when asked about his client’s comments to investigators.

If convicted at trial, Chubalashvili would have faced up to 15 years in prison. According to his attorney, he is unlikely to be paroled until he has served at least two-thirds of the sentence, at which point he will be eligible for early release for good behavior. “Based on past history [in New York State], it doesn’t bode well unless there is a major change,” said Ressler, noting that the current parole board rarely paroles individuals convicted of violent crimes.

The DA’s spokeswoman pointed out that Chubalashvili pleaded guilty to the top charge against him. “If he would have went to trial and if he was convicted of the same [charge], the sentencing guideline is five to 15 years,” she said.

Hyekyung Kim was a supervisor at the city Administration for Children‘s Services and the couple was on their way to work at the time of the accident. Ressler said his client has “always been remorseful” since causing the accident. “It’s tragedy for everyone - his life’s screwed up and they’re dead. It’s a mess,” he said.

Funding for Ridgewood Reservoir Cut

By Conor Greene

With the city struggling to close a $1 billion budget gap, even one of the mayor’s pet projects – the renovation of eight large parks across the five boroughs – is facing a major setback due to proposed funding cuts.

As part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s sweeping PlaNYC, the Parks Department embarked two years ago on a $386 million plan to remake eight under-utilized facilities into destination parks. As part of the initiative, $50 million was earmarked for improvements to Ridgewood Reservoir, which is located within Highland Park on the Brooklyn-Queens border.

However, with every city agency facing budget cuts, Parks has been forced to scale back its funding for five of the eight projects – including Ridgewood Reservoir - from a combined $206 million to $102.9 million. The $50 million set aside for the reservoir has been reduced to $19.8 million, according to a Parks spokesman.

“As part of New York City’s response to the fiscal crisis, the Parks Department has restructured its capital plan,” wrote spokesman Philip Abramson in a statement, adding that the “planned reductions are not final until the budget is adopted by the City Council.”

The reduction for Ridgewood Reservoir will be spread out over six years, and a new phasing strategy will be created if the funding is not restored, said Abramson. The first phase of the project recently began and includes new lighting, steps, benches and perimeter fences to improve safety and accessibility at the reservoir. Mark K. Morrison Associations of Manhattan was awarded the $7.7 million contract for that work, and is also in the process of creating three proposals for the future of the property’s three basins.

That $7.7 million has already been allocated and is not included in the $19.8 million remaining for Ridgewood Reservoir, according to Steve Fiedler, who is chairman of Community Board 5’s Parks Committee and opposes development of ballfields.

Gary Giordano, district manager of Community Board 5 in Queens, stressed that it is “very important” that phase one proceed “As far as the cuts go, one problem is that the funding for [Ridgewood Reservoir] may have been cut more so than for other destination park projects, so that’s an issue,” he said. “The truth of the matter is, I still think we can probably get a lot done with the remaining funding, and I think that’s what we need to look at.”

At listening sessions held over the past few months, many participants pushed for a plan that involves preserving the basins instead of building ballfields there, according to attendees. Some residents have argued that the money should instead be used to renovate the existing baseball fields in Highland Park, which have fallen into disrepair. In his statement, Abramson noted that ballfields have been requested by community groups such as the East Brooklyn Congregations.

However, a study by the group Highland Park-Ridgewood Reservoir Alliance, which is pushing for the three basins to be preserved, showed that permits were issued for the existing ballfields for just a fraction of the available time during the past two years. “These results are especially disturbing given that Mayor Bloomberg is willing to spend $40 million dollars on a project that nobody in the community wants, is unnecessary, but more important, is at a time when he is also discussing closing firehouses and cutting the budget for the NYPD,” the group wrote on its site, ridgewoodreservoir.blogspot.com.

In response, Parks argued that pickup games allowed there when the fields are not reserved are “unaccounted hours of ball field use.” Highland Park serves “some of the city’s areas with the least amount of green space,” said Abramson in a statement. “Frequent use of existing ballfields indicates a need and demand for field space, which also does not account for the hours of pickup games that are allowed when the fields are not [reserved].”

Still, Fiedler questioned the motives of the East Brooklyn Congregations and doubts their claims that they cannot secure time at Highland Park’s existing fields. “His organization is pushing for fields at the top of basin three on eight acres, for what reason God only knows,” he said. “I hate to say that someone is lying for political gains, but the proof is in the pudding,” he added regarding the field usage.

The funding cut could have a silver lining for preservationists, as it may restrict Park’s ability to develop ballfields there. As the Ridgewood Reservoir Alliance noted on its website, “Perhaps leadership within the parks department will make an astute observation and come to the conclusion that they could use the remaining funding to fix up Highland Park proper. Better yet, a project to maintain and upgrade the current fields so they could finally be used more frequently and by more people. Nah…”

Fiedler called the funding cut “a double edge sword” since it would also require “a lot of funding” should Parks agree to move forward with a plan to preserve the reservoir. “It could be good news, but it could be detrimental too because you need a lot of work to make that a nature conservancy… Maybe they will realize they can’t build ball fields.”

Giordano agreed that the funding cut “would diminish the opportunity to build ballfields within one of the basins.” He is pushing for “improvements to the existing ballfields at Highland Park sooner rather than later [to] give them better ballfields and diminish the need to build anything in the Ridgewood Reservoir.”

In its statement Parks said that the city “remains committed to historic levels of investment in the Parks system under PlaNYC, the mayor’s far-reaching plan to fight global warming and create a more livable city.”

Despite the reduction, the department’s “historic $2 billion capital plan is an all-time high,” noted Abramson. “Even as we restructured to respond to the fiscal crisis, we are still building more parks than at any time since the 1930s, with 844 projects currently underway citywide. To ensure that all New Yorkers have access to high-quality parks, we made strategic choices so that no area was disproportionally impacted.”

Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) called this week on the Mayor and Parks Department “to do the right thing for Western Queens and not cut the $50 million allocated to restore our city’s lost reservoir.” She added that, “despite these tough budget times, we have an opportunity to invest in the Ridgewood Reservoir and Highland Park to create a place where we can learn about preservation and conservation for future generations.”

Parks held three listening sessions over the past few months to gain feedback as to how the reservoir should be developed. However, a meeting scheduled for last week to unveil the results was postponed after the funding cut was announced. No new date has been announced, and Parks has not said how the funding cut will impact the input collected from the public.

Crime Update at COMET Civic Meeting

“Sharp Decline” in Maspeth Over Last Month

By Conor Greene

This month’s meeting of Communities of Maspeth and Elmhurst Together - the civic group’s final session before the summer hiatus - included an update on crime within the three police precincts that patrol the neighborhoods.

Cop of the Month

Honored at the meeting inside Bethzatha Church of God in Elmhurst was Police Officer Wayne Lowery, the 108th Precinct’s summonses officer. He won COMET’s acclaim through his efforts to cut down on illegal commuter vans operating in the area. “They’re very hard to catch and it’s a very time consuming job,” said the group’s chairwoman, Roe Daraio, who added that the vans often block intersections and cause traffic problems, aside from other safety concerns.

Officer Lowery said that he checks to see if the driver is meeting requirements such as keeping an accurate travel log and has the necessary safety equipment including fire extinguishers. “I try to enforce as many [laws] as I can,” he said, adding that he grew up in the area and is “more than willing to help” with traffic issues.

“So often people go unrecognized as they make the community better,” said Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, who also honored Officer Lowery.

One resident expressed frustration that even a ticket blitz doesn’t seem to deter the vans from operation or parking in the neighborhood. “What really bothers me is that your ticket really doesn’t mean anything to these people because they come back,” he said.

104th Precinct Update

Within the 104th Precinct’s portion of Maspeth, there were six major crimes in the past 28 days, according to Community Affairs Officer Tommy Bell, who called that a “sharp decline from last month.” Overall, major crime is down across the 104th Precinct by about nine percent over the past month, he said.

The lone assault was a domestic assault on 69th Street near 54th Avenue. There were two grand larcenies: a boyfriend-girlfriend dispute on 65th Place and a wallet stolen from an unattended vehicle parked near 53-30 72nd Place. “I don’t know why people continue to leave valuables in their vehicles,” said Officer Bell. The three auto thefts occurred on 63rd Street at 53rd Drive, 62nd Street at 53rd Avenue and on 77th Place.

A resident asked about cracking down on prostitution along Flushing Avenue. Officer Bell said operations were recently conducted along Starr Street to combat a problem there. However, the resident said there is also a problem further east towards Grand Avenue near the Moonlight Bar and Grill at 60-58 Flushing Avenue. He said a house across the street being used for prostitution, which Officer Bell said the precinct would investigate.

Fatal Maspeth Wreck

Three men died last Thursday night when their car slammed into a concrete barrier on Laurel Hill Boulevard after skidding across the road. Police say the driver lost control of his 1992 Volvo while trying to pass another car at a high rate of speed.

A bottle of vodka and small amount of cocaine were later found inside the obliterated car, according to Deputy Inspector Thomas Kavanagh, commanding officer of the 108th Precinct. There was a witness to the crash, which happened at about 10:30 p.m. near 58th Street, where the boulevard runs beneath the expressway and through the cemetery.

The driver, 26-year-old Pedro Sanchez of Brooklyn, and his two passengers, Thomas Owens and Eric Sanguenette, both 27 of Woodside, were pronounced dead at Elmhurst Hospital.

Officer Lowery said he routinely catches people speeding when he patrols that stretch of road. He said the DOT changed the timing of the traffic light at the cemetery entrance to always turn red every few minutes, instead of only when cars exit the cemetery. While this wasn’t a case of drag racing, he said arrests have been made there in the past during crackdowns.

Maspeth resident Tony Nunziato noted that speeding and drag racing has historically been a problem there. “They’ve been racing there since I was a kid... It’s a shame that the DOT can’t come up with something.” However, Deputy Inspector Kavanagh said that traffic-calming measures such as speed bumps are highly unlikely. “They’re not going to do anything there. There is too much traffic,” he said.

110th Precinct

Over the 28 days ending May 31, there were 14 major crimes within the two sectors of the 110th Precinct covering parts of Maspeth and Elmhurst. Among these incidents were three felony assaults, four grand larcenies, three burglaries and one robbery, according to Sergeant Thomas Passolo.

The grand larcenies included another case of a purse stolen from an unattended car at a local gas station, this time the Hess at Albion Avenue and Queens Boulevard. The officers noted that this is part of an ongoing pattern that seems to be targeting Asian drivers. The precinct’s Technical Assistance Response Unit has set up surveillance cameras in the area which might have captured an image of the suspect and getaway vehicle.

Another grand larceny occurred at Bally’s Total Fitness on Queens Boulevard near Jacobus Place. The victim left $300 inside their locker and discovered it was missing after working out. In a similar incident, a resident left his wallet containing credit cards inside his unlocked car overnight. The sergeant called these “crimes of opportunity” and stressed the need to lock up all valuables. The fourth grand larceny was a case of identity theft and involved the victim’s checking account.

The three assaults all took place in the early morning hours after clubs along Queens Boulevard close. They involved “Hispanic men... fighting with bottles and belts” between 4:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. “As the clubs empty out... fights do tend to break out,” said Sgt. Passolo, adding there were arrests in all three incidents.

The lone robbery reported within the Maspeth and Elmhurst portions of the 110th Precinct happened in the Grand Avenue subway station after school. A teenager stole another student’s cell phone but was arrested by transit police soon after. “There are problems with kids coming along Queens Boulevard to the subway station,” he said. It was also noted that there are problems along Grand Avenue after IS 73 students are dismissed.

While there were three burglaries reported, the sergeant doesn’t think there is a pattern in the area. One incident involved a suspect entering a home near 83rd Street and 54th Avenue through an unlocked basement window before fleeing with cash and electronics. The second was a front-door break-in near 84th Street and 57th Road with cash and a television taken. Finally, a perpetrator entered a Queens Boulevard pizza restaurant through the roof. Both residential burglaries occurred on weekday afternoons and the commercial break-in happened after closing last Friday night.

Crowley Discusses Budget

Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), who has now represented the 30th District for five months, dropped in to provide an update on the city budget negotiations and to introduce herself to the COMET members.

Crowley noted that proposed FDNY funding cuts would result in the closure of several ladder and engine companies – including Co. 271, which serves Ridgewood. “Right now it looks very positive” she said of the effort to avoid any major cuts that would jeopardize public safety. While about $1 billion still needs to be cut from the approximately $59 billion spending plan, Crowley said negotiations haven’t been “as stressful as I thought they would be.”

So far, the City Council has strongly opposed the mayor’s proposal for a five-cent fee on plastic bags and a sales tax on all clothing purchases. Instead, the mayor and City Council have agreed to increase the city’s sales tax by half a percentage point, to 8.875 percent, and begin charging tax on clothing above $110. Still, Crowley said the situation could be worse. “We’re not in the same type of position that the state is in.”

One resident asked about the state legislation’s decision in 1999 to eliminate the commuter tax – and noted that Assemblywoman Marge Markey (D-Maspeth) was among those who voted to end it. “They live cheaply [in surrounding states] and then come here and use our jobs,” the resident said. Crowley said she “agrees one hundred percent” but said there isn’t enough support throughout the state to reinstate it. “It never should have been taken away,” she said, adding that eliminating it has cost the city about $4 billion.

Politics Unusual: Bishop Bullies Legislators; Boundless Blogger is Out of Line

By Patricia Adams

The separation of church and state is one that we have long heard bantered about. But a recent New York Post article that highlighted what some feel were rather irreverent comments by the head of the Brooklyn Diocese, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, may add dimension to a new brand of separation.

Last October, the Bishop held a legislative breakfast for New York state assembly members, senators, city council members and their staff at the Bishop’s residence. The group was divided into two rooms and the morning meal was punctuated by a lengthy lecture about the fiscal state of the Catholic Church.

But it was the aftermath of the financial briefing that has sent shock waves through many. Between the two rooms of legislators and lawmakers stood Bishop DiMarzio. He addressed a bill sent before the state legislature by Assemblywoman Marge Markey that would extend the statute of limitations for lawsuits involving the rape or molesting of children.

Joe Addabbo, who was a city Councilman at the time, was in the room. “The bishop stood there and made a very clear statement,” said Addabbo. “With regards to Markey’s bill he said ‘If you’re on it, I want you off it. If it passes and you vote for it, I’ll close a church in your district.”

Addabbo says the threats of the bishop were surprising, but none the less, the bill and the bishop’s comments have now become the center of a storm that pegs Markey’s proposed legislation as the potential bankrupter of the Catholic Church.

Insiders from the church say that they now feel that the Bishop’s remarks have swayed people in the opposite direction they would have hoped for. “If the Bishop had not tried to bully his way through this, the Markey bill would have gained no sympathy,” said one source who insisted on anonymity.

Addabbo says that the state senate that has about three more weeks to its session is not even talking about the bill. But he says there has been a surge of victims who have come forward to tell their harrowing stories of abuse since the news first broke.

Now a State Senator, Addabbo says lawmakers need to seriously consider the Markey bill that according to Addabbo “is severely restrictive and focuses on private institutions, namely the Catholic Church. We need to consider another bill by Assemblyman Vito Lopez that involves a broader range of inclusion and also focuses on criminal penalties.” Addabbo says that he hopes legislators can come to terms with this important issue and develop a bill that results in the best resolution for the victims.

Meanwhile, opponents to the Markey bill are still lining up to cry foul over the assemblywoman’s proposal. Community activist Tony Nunziato, who ran for Markey’s seat in the last election, says the bill should not be a consideration. “It’s directed only towards the Catholic Church or groups like Boy Scouts. If there is sexual misconduct in a public school, you have 90 days. If you don’t do it in 90 days, it’s done.”

According to Nunziato, Markey is targeting Catholics. “A similar law was passed in California, and it wiped out the Catholic Church. She’s not only playing with constitutional law; they’re targeting one major entity — the Catholic Church. They’re being slammed, and not rightfully.”

And so now the wait begins. We have on more than one occasion come down on the opposite side of Bishop DiMarzio. His comments and lobbying tactics in this case are at best shameful. We hope the bishop was just having a really, really bad day. But the fact that count’s most here is the limiting and restrictive nature of Markey’s bill is a disaster not only for the church, but for the victims as well. Compromise must be set in place to derail the lunacy that has come spurting from Marge Markey.

Lastly this week, we came upon a rather sad and deranged blog entry we feel obligated to share. The blog has long been the suspected poison pen outlet of a certain former city councilman who decided that a privilege of his office was to sexually impose himself on a female victim back in the summer of ’07.

Now it appears he’s back blogging against another innocent bystander, Councilmember Eric Ulrich. Seems that the blogger found another Eric Ulrich, living in Garvin County Oklahoma who is accused of nine counts of lewd acts or proposals to minors. This limp attack was intended to poke fun at the freshman councilman but what about readers who may be foolish enough to take the confusion seriously. We have respect for many bloggers out there who do an earnest job of trying to bring news and opinion to local and national markets in a timely and interesting fashion. But then we run into a vehicle like this that does nothing more than attempt to discredit the reputable, mock volunteers and a host of other violations. We find the comparison of Oklahoma’s Eric Ulrich the molester and New York’s Eric Ulrich disgusting.

But if we had to add a little humor to the equation, how do you think Alabama’s Dennis Gallagher, who is a Space Plasma Physicist for NASA would feel about sharing his name with New York’s Dennis Gallagher, the convicted sexual offender. Bottom line, make sure the face goes with the name before you believe what you shouldn’t even be reading in the first place.

Until next week...

NYRA Set to Auction 64 Ozone Park Lots

By Patricia Adams

Wednesday, June 10th will see 64 tax lots in the Centerville area, currently owned by the New York Racing Association, on the auction block. David R. Maltz & Co., Inc., Auctioneers/Real Estate Brokers will conduct the auction of the lots all of which are residentially zoned. The auction is scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm and will take place at Aqueduct Racetrack. Registration for the auction begins at 11:00 am.

The lots being offered by NYRA through the Maltz firm’s auction range in size and are being offered in assemblages from from 2,000 square feet to more than 75,000 square feet. Landlocked properties will not be offered individually.

According to the auctioneers, three scenarios will be utilized in the auction process. “In order to provide all investors, large or small, with the opportunity to buy property, the lots will be offered for sale in bulk, 22 assemblages and individually. The properties will be sold under whichever scenario realizes the highest or best offer.”

Some local residents whose properties abut NYRA-owned properties included in the auction have expressed interest in buying lots adjacent to theirs but are concerned that the offering of lots in assemblages may see them losing out on purchasing individual lots. Many local residents in the Centerville area had hoped that NYRA would engage in negotiated sales by offering lots first to adjacent property owners.

David R. Maltz & Co., Inc., is a full service auction company specializing in the timely sale of real estate with a reputation for doing so in a professional manner. The firm has conducted thousands of auctions on behalf of clients that, like NYRA, have been involved in actions before the United States Bankruptcy Courts. Substantial amounts of the funds to be generated by Wednesday’s auction will go towards paying down NYRA’s tax debt.

All properties will be sold free & clear of all monetary liens with closing required to occur within 45 days of the auction. A $7,500/lot deposit will be required in order to register to bid. For example, if there are 4 lots in an offering, a posting of a $30,000 deposit will be required. A $350,000 deposit will be required in order to bid on all 64 lots in bulk.

Within 48 hours following the auction the successful bidder must remit a total of 16%of the high bid at auction, a 10% deposit plus a 6% buyer's premium. All deposits are required to be in certified funds and made payable to "Certilman, Balin, Adler & Hyman LLP as Escrow Agent". All of the properties included in this auction will be sold on an “as is, where is” basis.

Queensboro Bridge Turns 100

By Patricia Adams

Among revelers at the 100th birthday bash for the Queensboro Bridge on Sunday, was Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, who crossed over the structure in a 1919 Dodge to mark the birthday of the East River’s longest span, already immortalized in book and song. A Grucci fireworks show Sunday evening on the southern tip of Roosevelt Island brought the celebration to a brilliant close.

A week of festivities that includes exhibits, lectures, walking will continue through this weekend. (A complete list of events can be found by going to www.nycbridges100.org.

Joing the Queens borough president were Ms. Francesca Lindenthal Gebhardt, daughter of the bridge’s engineer, Gustav Lindenthal, and her grandson, Allen Renz. Their 8 a.m. crossing commemorated the official opening of the cantilevered bridge on June 12, 1909. Despite years needed to complete construction of the 7,449-foot crossing, the total cost was approximately $17 million.

The trip across the bridge was marked with a midway point meeting of Helen marshal and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. There were remarks about the history and modern-day role of the bridge followed by a red, white and blue water salute from the FDNY Fireboat Kevin Kane.

“This bridge not only helped to transform our agrarian economy into a modern metropolis,”” said Marshall, “but also has aged well and looks as good today as it did a century ago – and it continues to make people feel ‘groovy.’ ”

The bridge is also credited with starting a home building boom that brought the first apartment building to Astoria and doubled the community’s population in just a few years. Today, the East River crossing is traversed daily by more than 183,000 vehicles, 800 bicycles and numerous pedestrians.

In his book, ”Queens A Pictorial History,” historian Vincent Seyfreid notes that the Queensboro Bridge “was the first (bridge) to end the isolation of Queens by connecting Long Island City with 59th Street, Manhattan.

It was F. Scott Fitzgerald who helped to immortalize the bridge in “The Great Gatsby,” and singers/songwriters Simon and Garfunkel who sang about in the “59th Street Bridge” song in a 1966 album that looked at the fun in “feelin’ groovy.” Marshall noted that, “Even though we love the song, the plaque on the bridge says Queensboro Bridge.” The bridge has also made appearances in movies including “Annie Hall” and “Spiderman.”

Marshall thanked the members of the NYC Bridge Centennial Commission for organizing Sunday’s event and especially Sam Schwartz for his “dedicated efforts to bring us together today in recognition of this historic event.”

The NYC Bridge Centennial Commission, Celebrating a Century of Great Bridges, is working in partnership with the Office of the Mayor, the Offices of the Borough Presidents of Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn, the City Departments of Transportation and Parks and Recreation and the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

The Forum Newsgroup/photo courtesy of DOMINICK TOTINO