Como and Padavan Concede Senate Bids

Two Republican state Senate hopefuls who initially vowed to challenge election results ended their bids. Anthony Como was defeated by Senator Joe Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) in the Senate’s 15th District while longtime Senator Frank Padavan (R- Bellerose) was defeated by former City Councilman Tony Avella in the Senate’s 11th District.

On Election Day, Como, citing serious discrepancies in the numbers, did not concede to Addabbo. Padavan went a step further and filed a complaint in Queens Civil Courthouse to impound the voting machines.

Como, who by unofficial results was down more than 5,000 votes, released a statement on Monday announcing the end of his candidacy.

“It was important to me that every vote be properly counted and although there are remaining discrepancies with some of the machines, it is in the best interest of the community that we move forward and put politics aside,” Como said.

Como congratulated Addabbo and hoped that the issues he campaigned for is not forgotten.

Unofficial tallies showed Padavan down by more than 3,000 votes, and a report on Capital Tonight suggests that voting discrepancies pushed the total to 5,000 in favor of Avella. Padavan decided to drop his complaint and concede.

“It has been a deep honor to serve my country and city and a privilege to serve as a New York State Senator for nearly four decades,” Padavan said in a statement. “Earlier today, I officially ended my pursuit for another term in the State Senate. The voters of the 11th Senate District have spoken and now our community heads in a new direction.”

The 15th Senate District encompasses Forest Hills, Glendale, Hamilton Beach, Howard Beach, Maspeth, Middle Village, Old Howard Beach, Ridgewood, Woodhaven, parts of Elmhurst, Kew Gardens, Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, Rego Park, Richmond Hill and South Richmond Hill.

The 11th Senate District includes Queens Village, Flushing, Bayside, Whitestone, Douglaston, Little Neck, College Point, Bellerose, Hollace, Jamaica Estates, Floral Park and Glenn Oaks.

Residents, Business Owners Protest Waste Management Expansion Plan

By Conor Greene

Civic leaders and elected officials gathered in front of Waste Management’s Review Avenue property on Monday to call on the city to reconsider its solid waste disposal plan, which will increase the amount of local truck traffic in West Maspeth.

The press conference, which included Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside), Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), members of the Juniper Park Civic Association and local business owners, was called in response to a plan by WM to expand its waste transfer station under the city’s Solid Waste Management Plan.

Residents and officials are objecting to the plan because it would require the company to truck residential waste from Review Avenue, where it is delivered by city sanitation trucks, to the Maspeth Rail Yard at Rust Street, a trip of about 1.5 miles each way. Instead, the community is calling on WM to either purchase a nearby property that has access to the existing rail line running through the area or the adjacent Newtown Creek, or to at least build a rail spur on the Review Avenue property, which is next to the track.

“This is just one more example of the city not reaching out to the community to find appropriate solutions,” said Avella. “We’re calling on the city to take a second look at this plan and… together come up with a plan that works. This doesn’t.”

The solid waste management plan was approved by the City Council in 2006. Then Councilmembers Eric Gioia, who represented that section of Long Island City and Maspeth at the time, and Dennis Gallagher, who represented parts of Maspeth, both voted in favor of the plan, according to city records.

The facility is currently permitted to receive up to 958 tons of trash 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. As a result, there would be at least 65 round trip truck trips each day between Review Avenue and the Maspeth Rail Yard.

Crowley, who holds Gallagher’s old seat, said she is “outraged” by the current plan and suggested that WM instead look into using other nearby sites that have creek and rail access, such as the former Phelps Dodge property. She said “it’s not fair for our families” to have the amount of trucks in the area increased, especially since the local asthma rate is “through the roof.”

“Waste Management has to go back to the drawing board and come up with a plan that will work for our community,” added Crowley.

Robert Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association, noted that the WM facility is located on contaminated land. “So they’re going to build on a toxic site and then pollute the air,” he said. “This whole plan stinks to high heaven.” He also criticized the city for allowing WM to run public hearings on the proposal. “A private company ran a public hearing notifying the public on what’s to come,” he noted.

Holden called on Mayor Bloomberg, who is seeking reelection to a third term in November, to intervene. “If he wants to be mayor for four more years… We haven’t heard any indication that he wants to work with the community,” the civic leader said.

Maspeth civic leader and business owner Tony Nunziato made it clear that this isn’t a case of residents demanding that the project not take place in their backyard. “We’re not saying keep it out – we’re saying put it in the right spot… This is not a case of NIMBY,” said Nunziato. “It’s an easy request.”

Richard Sherman, the second generation owner of Williams Valve Corporation – located on one side of the driveway used by WM to access the facility from Review Avenue – accused the city of ignoring the needs of small businesses. “When it comes to us, they don’t really care,” he charged. “They’re going to permit the expansion of a toxic waste dump… We feel as taxpayers that we have the same rights as anyone else.”

While the WM expansion will only create about 10 additional jobs, Avella pointed out that there ultimately will be a net loss of jobs in the area because neighboring employers are leaving the area as a result of the project. He lamented that the city continues to ignore the input of those living and working near the site. “These people have good suggestions – it’s time [the city] started listening to them.”

Last week, a WM spokeswoman said the company is taking into account the community’s input but wouldn’t say if construction of a rail spur or the purchase of a nearby site is being considered. “We continue to listen to the community comments regarding the Review Avenue project and are evaluating our future options in response to these concerns,” wrote Rachel Amar. “Waste Management can’t speculate on the basis of any rumors.”

A LIRR spokesman said the agency has "not yet received any specific proposal" on allowing WM to use the tracks and will evaluate the plan once it is officially presented.

Residents Protest Trash Plan, Rally for Maspeth Parkland

By Conor Greene

Several dozen Maspeth residents and community leaders gathered at the Clinton Diner on Rust Street to protest the city’s plan to have garbage trucked through local streets, and to call on the city to buy the former St. Saviour’s property for parkland.

Saturday’s rally, which was organized by Christina Wilkinson, attracted officials including Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside), Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), several state assembly candidates, civic leaders and representatives for other elected officials. It focused both on the city’s solid waste plan and the need for green space in the area.

Under a proposal aimed at removing long-distance truck trips, local residential trash will be brought to Waste Management’s transfer facility on Review Avenue, which will be expanded. From there, it will be placed on trucks and driven one-and-a-half miles to the rail yard at Rust Street and Maspeth Avenue. It is that aspect of the plan that has angered locals, as it will result more than 100 local truck trips per day.

Instead, residents, officials and Community Board 5 members want Waste Management to construct a rail spur directly on its property or to utilize the adjacent Newtown Creek to eliminate the need for more trucks on Maspeth streets.

The rally was also called in response to a related issue – the push for the city to acquire the former St. Saviour’s property as the site for a new park, which is needed in that area. Last year, the Juniper Park Civic Association removed a historic church building from the property, which is across the street from the rail yard. While the church will likely be rebuilt on land in Middle Village, the property remains vacant and is being offered for sale for $8 million.

Wilkinson noted that the current projection of more than 100 local truck trips per day “is just a starting point” and likely would be much higher in future years as the city’s population continues to grow. “There are more than enough trucks already in Maspeth residential streets where they don’t belong,” she said. “This is really ridiculous – stop dumping on Maspeth.”

State Senators Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), who was represented at the rally by aide Jeff Gottleib, and George Onorato (D-Astoria), who issued a statement, both support the efforts. Gottleib suggested that Waste Management instead pursue the former Phelps Dodge property and build a rail spur connecting to the LIRR Montauk line. “There is something they’re not explaining to us,” he said.

“Like others here today, I think there must be a better way to deal with our garbage disposal issues in Queens,” said Onorato. “This plan by Waste Management will have a negative effect on our residential neighborhoods, our general daily quality of life, and the public health. The heavy truck traffic will only add to the air pollution that already plagues our community and results in higher instances of asthma and other health problems.”

The senator instead suggested that Waste Management look into using rail spurs or the Newtown Creek to move the trash. That sentiment was echoed in a letter to the company by Crowley. “I believe I speak on behalf of my constituents when I say the current proposal must be adjusted before the community can embrace this plan,” she wrote to Jim Van Woert, senior district manager.

Crowley notes that community leaders and groups including Community Board 5, which voted against the current plan, have suggested alternate proposals. She suggests either building a rail spur at Review Avenue or acquiring the Phelps Dodge site.

“Maspeth has been dumped on for years [and] across the street we have the opportunity to build a park,” Crowley told the residents at the rally. She called on Mayor Michael Bloomberg to allocate funding needed to provide the area with its “fair share of green space.”

Several of the candidates running for the vacant 38th District Assembly seat suggested legal action might be needed. Farouk Samaroo argued that, unlike many other instances in the city, this might be an appropriate use of the city’s powers of eminent domain. Since it would be for a true public use, it would be a more appropriate use of eminent domain than turning private land over to developers with political ties, he argued.

“As a citizen and an aspiring public official, I fully support using the right of eminent domain to make this park a reality,” he said. “I challenge anyone to tell me why a public park is not a permissible public use.”

One of his opponents, Albert Baldeo, said that the residents could file a lawsuit against the plan, especially if changes suggested by CB 5 aren’t taken into consideration. “If that is not done, we are all aggrieved citizens here,” he said, adding that a lawsuit focusing on the environmental impacts might be appropriate.

Waste Management officials previously said in a statement that the project is in accordance with the solid waste plan approved in 2006 by the City Council. Crowley, who wasn’t in office at the time, said she doesn’t think council members “knew the nitty gritty details” at the time of the vote. “For them [Waste Management] to pass it off to the City Council or Sanitation Department is ridiculous,” she added.

Avella, who is also a mayoral candidate, said his philosophy as an elected official is that “nobody knows their block better than the people who live there” and wondered aloud why the city isn’t listening. “We have to change the very way we do things.” He called for “community-based planning” where the residents have real input into the planning process.

“We have to take care of the people who live in the neighborhood,” said Maspeth resident Tony Nunziato. “This is a case of waste not managed.” He stressed that this isn’t a case of residents fighting against a proposal in their backyards. “This is not NIMBY – this is a case of put it in the right location,” he said.

Wilkinson said the St. Saviour’s property has been used to store Dumpsters since 2005and reported that the city Buildings Department issued a full stop work order for the site on July 17th. She urged nearby residents to continue reporting any illegal activities on the property, including storage of Dumpsters that contain trash.

In his statement, Senator Onorato supported the effort for parkland in West Maspeth. “Speaking of our environment, I am also pleased to lend my support to the effort to bring a new park to western Maspeth at the former St. Saviour’s church site,” he wrote. “This site is now being used as a garbage dump, and there is no question that the area could be put to much better use as green space that could be enjoyed by all members of our community.”

In an interview Tuesday, Crowley said that the battle to force Waste Management to revise its plan “is not over.” She said this is another situation that began years ago that she has been forced to try to rectify since taking office. “I don’t know what Dennis Gallagher was thinking at the time,” she said referring to the area’s councilmember when the solid waste plan was approved. She said it “would have been fair” for the council to demand that Waste Management construct a rail spur as part of the project.

Crowley also said there is a possibility of winning the battle for a park at the St. Saviour’s property. “I don’t think it’s just a pipe dream,” she said. “I think that rally was a step towards pressuring the mayor to put city dollars for what he speaks in favor of – more parks, especially in neighborhoods that have not seen their fair share. That part of Maspeth does not have enough green space… But that’s the type of money that takes a mayoral initiative.”

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.

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.”

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.”

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.”

Swine Flu Fears Renewed with City's First Death

By Conor Greene

A Queens assistant principal was laid to rest this week – the city’s first apparent swine flu victim – as the number of confirmed cases continues to rise.

With cases of the H1N1 virus mounting, officials scrambled over the past few days to shut schools that have apparent outbreaks of students with flu-like symptoms. At the same time, the Bloomberg administration has found itself defending its decision on to close all city public schools when the outbreak first hit Queens several weeks ago.

“We can’t stop the virus from spreading, unless you were to go wall yourself off and not have any contact with other humans,” said Mayor Bloomberg at a press conference earlier this week. “Our goal is to minimize the threat to those who are most at risk… We should not be surprised to see more serious illness.”

On Wednesday afternoon, family, friends and students gathered at Sinai Chapels in Fresh Meadows to pay their final respects to Mitchell Wiener, an assistant principal at IS 238 in Hollis. While city officials claim Wiener had a pre-existing health condition that contributed to his death on Sunday evening, the 55-year-old man’s family said he was in good health before he came down with flu-like symptoms.

Schools have been closed on a one-by-one basis, and some elected officials are now criticizing the Bloomberg administration for not taking broader action sooner. On Tuesday, Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) called on Chancellor Joel Klein all schools in District 24, which she called “one of the city’s most infected areas.” The request came a day after Klein, teacher’s union president Randi Weingarten and other held a press conference at IS 73in Maspeth after 330 out of 1,700 students called out sick.

“Given the high number of student and teacher absences, coupled with the tragic deaths of Assistant Principal Wiener and the 16-month-old baby in Corona, I believe we must close all the schools in District 24… [to] allow cleaning crews enough time to sanitize the schools in order to stop the spread of the virus and to ease concerns of parents, teachers, students and administrators throughout the area,” wrote Crowley in a letter to Klein.

A DOE spokeswoman said on Wednesday the decision to close schools is “subjective” and made on a “case-by-case basis” as determined by the Department of Health. “The DOH recommends to the DOE to close the school, and once that happens we do so immediately,” she said. Having all kids stay home “is not necessarily the answer” and doesn’t provide assurances that “it is going to protect anyone else from getting it.”

Crowley also called on the DOH to open more testing centers for residents. “There needs to be enough free testing options available for constituents who are without healthcare in order to keep all of our community members safe,” she said.

The criticism of Bloomberg’s decision not to close more public schools was echoed by Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside). “It is absolutely clear that Mike Bloomberg and DOH failed to hear the concerns of parents and through their inaction allowed the spread of this virus,” he said. “As I suggested back in late April, a more aggressive approach should have been taken to close public schools in northeast Queens. There is no doubt in my mind that by taking preemptive measures we could have helped quell the number of cases within New York City.”

Around the city, hospital emergency rooms were flooded with residents suffering from flulike symptoms. The pediatric emergency room at Elmhurst Hospital Center had waits of up to 10 hours, and Queens Hospital Center erected a yellow tent in the parking lot to handle its overflow of patients.

Mayor Bloomberg stressed that all ill residents should receive medical help, regardless of their immigration status. “Whether you have health insurance coverage or your immigration status is in question, it doesn’t matter. We will not ask about that,” he said. “The only question that matters is, are you severely ill? And if you are, our hospitals are there to take care of you.”

While health officials determined that a 16-month-old Corona baby’s death was not caused by swine flu, the national death toll rose to eight with the death of a 44-year-old St. Louis man. Of the approximately 5,500 cases nationwide, fewer than 300 are in New York. In the past week, 19 city schools – mostly in Queens - have been ordered to close by the health department, and another five did so voluntarily. There are also at least four confirmed swine flu cases at Rikers Island.

St. Francis Prep Closed as Swine Flu Hits Queens

By Conor Greene

As the number of people across the globe infected with swine flu continues to grow, officials at St. Francis Preparatory High School – the epicenter of the outbreak in Queens – have closed the building until Monday in hopes of stemming the spread of the virus.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the number of infected people worldwide had risen to 132 confirmed cases in 11 countries. In the U.S there have been 91 reported cases in 10 different states, including 51 confirmed cases in New York State.

Among those infected was St. Francis Prep senior Toni Ann Abruzzino of Ozone Park. Her symptoms began with a “really bad cough” during the week and came to a head last Thursday night. “Thursday in school all the kids were going home sick and were all over the nurse’s office,” she said. “I went to my [softball] game and felt fine, but when it got home it really hit me. I stayed home from school on Friday, and there were rumors going around schools. Saturday was when it came out that swine flu was going around prep.”

She said it was “kind of shocking that it was at my school… It was scary but they said it was a mild case that we have.” Still, a mild case translated into several days of suffering for Toni Ann. “It’s just taking a while and has to run its course. It’s on and off, some moments I feel fine, then I get a headache. I’m just waiting for it to get over… I hope everyone gets better.”

Toni Ann is “very close friends” with some of the students who recently returned from Mexico, and had contact with one traveler before coming down with symptoms. “They didn’t get sick, so it’s weird how it all happened,” she said. “It’s not their fault. Of course it’s from Mexico so it’s kind of on them because they went, and they feel like people think it’s their fault but it’s not.”

During a conference call on Tuesday arranged by Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills), St. Francis Headmaster Brother Conway said the decision to close until Monday was to give enough time for all cases to be identified and for students and faculty to recover. “The guidelines set by the Department of Health indicate that if we do add this time, it should provide adequate time for any students who are ill to recover,” he said. “Students are going to be told they need to keep up with their studies – this is not a vacation.”

“We’re hoping and praying that this passes quickly so next week we can get the students back into classes,” added Brother Conway. The process of cleaning the school, located at 6100 Francis Lewis Boulevard, began last Friday afternoon (April 24) and was completed by the end of the weekend.

The first sign that something was amiss came on Thursday, when about 100 students were absent, said Brother Conway. At the same time, “flocks of kids going to the nurse’s office, all reporting the same symptoms.” Because of the number of students complaining of the symptoms, the nurse, Mary Pappas, immediately contacted the city Board of Health to inform them of the possible outbreak.

Students continued to arrive at the nurse’s office the following day, with about 150 total visits between the two days. Brother Conwaycalled that number a “significant amount” compared to a typical school day. He defended the school’s decision to remain open Friday since students that day seemed to come down with symptoms later in the morning. “It wasn’t like they were lined up outside the nurse’s office as soon as we got here. I don’t know if closing on Friday would have done anything but I can’t predict that,” he said.

Brother Conway also responded to criticism that parents weren’t properly notified about the situation. “I don’t know how they could feel left in the dark,” adding that updates were constantly posted on the school’s Website. “I don’t think parents should feel they were left out of the loop.”

While there have been some reports of parents critical about the school’s response to the outbreak, Colleen Abruzzino said she doesn’t think officials could have done anything more. “They always do the right thing and really care about the students,” she said. “I don’t think they knew what they were dealing with either. I don’t think anybody knew until we realized these kids came from Mexico.”

According to a health alert issued Tuesday night by the city Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 44 cases of swine influenza among students and staff at St. Francis Prep. The illnesses “appear to be no more severe than usual seasonal influenza, and all patients we know of are recovering, with the overwhelming majority having had mild illness.”

On Wednesday morning, Gov. David Paterson announced that three new “probable” cases of swine flu were identified upstate. In addition, two cases are suspected at two Brooklyn Catholic schools. As a result, St. Brigid in Bushwick and Good Shepherd in Marine Park will be closed for the remainder of the week.

Officials say that one of the Brooklyn students has a sibling at St. Francis Prep. The CDC is stressing that this is a “rapidly evolving situation” and urged residents to stay alert for updates.

The decision not to close all area schools drew criticism from Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside) whose district includes St. Francis Prep. In the letter, sent to Mayor Bloomberg and Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden, Avella notes that “many parents are deeply concerned that schools in this area remain open despite the extensive and close connections between St. Francis Prep and the rest of the area schools.”

“While I am aware that the [city DOH] has recommended to keep schools open unless there are more than a few confirmed cases of swine flu in any particular school, many of these parents believe that the Department ofHealth and the Board of Education should close the public schools in northeastern Queens for the rest of the week in order to attempt to control the further spread of this virus,” wrote Avella. “Given the deep interconnectedness of St. Francis Prep and the rest of the schools in this area it seems only prudent that the City consider taking this step.”

The state Association of Homes and Services for the Aging is stressing that the elderly and frail population is especially at risk of contracting the flu. “If you
are not feeling well, we’re asking you to visit your doctor, not your dad in a nursing home or your grandmother who gets home care visits,” said Carl Young, NYAHSA president. “Our nursing homes and senior service staffs are following strict infection control programs, and the public’s compliance will be of enormous help.”

Meanwhile, officials at St. Francis Prep are continuing to navigate through this “very difficult time,” said Brother Conway. “With a very large school like this, we’re taking everything day by day and even moment by moment,” he said.

Animal Rights Activists Rally for Angel

By Conor Greene

A group of animal rights activists gathered on the steps of City Hall on Sunday to hold a protest and vigil for Angel, a 13-year-old Collie that was wrongfully euthanized by the New York City Animal Care and Control.

The beloved pet was euthanized just hours after being picked up by AC&C after escaping from the Astoria home of 94-year-old Jane Guardascione earlier this month. Guardascione was left devastated after learning her companion had been euthanized, even though city policy requires animals to be held for at least 72 hours.

Now, City Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside) has launched a probe into whether AC&C has improperly euthanized or adopted out other animals before 72 hours. Under the law, only severely injured or sick animals can be put down sooner. However, many animal activists are certain that Angel wasn’t the first animal euthanized within 72 hours.

In response, Avella has submitted a formal request for all AC&C records regarding euthanizations, length of stay for animals brought to shelters, physical examination as well as records concerning owner notification. He also wrote directly to AC&C and the city Department of Health regarding the circumstances surrounding Angel’s death.

“It was extremely startling to learn of the unfortunate euthanization of Angel, which has caused a tremendous amount of grief for Ms. Guardascione, who saw the dog as a true companion,” said Avella. “In this instance, there appears to be a complete breakdown of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s policy to keep strays for at least 72 hours by NYC AC&C. As a result, I feel it is absolutely necessary to investigate the practices and procedures of NYC AC&C… to find out exactly what is going on at NYC AC&C to prevent this tragedy from happening again.”

Among the 100 or so individuals who attended Sunday was Kathy Schnurr of Bayside, who is certain this isn’t the first time AC&C improperly euthanized an animal. “We’ve been aware of [problems] for a while, and for no apparent reason they put this dog down, so Angel brought it to a head” she said. “It’s definitely happened before without a doubt.”

Schnurr said the activists are awaiting the results of Avella’s information request before deciding how to proceed. “We need to let them really know what is going on. Hopefully this will be the last we’ll hear about any dogs being euthanized like Angel. We’re still waiting to hear the details from his [information request]. Then we will definitely rally behind him.”

Unfortunately for Guardascione, any reforms that come will be too late. “Something needs to be done. I still feel terrible,” she told the Daily News during Sunday’s vigil.

In a statement following the euthanization of Angel, AC&C officials expressed their “deepest sympathies” to the family and said that Angel was put down to prevent additional pain. “Because of her deteriorating condition and advanced age of over 13 years, the vet made the decision to euthanize Angel in an effort to prevent any additional suffering,” it read. “It is our goal to avoid euthanasia unless we deem it absolutely necessary.”

Each year, AC&C handles an estimated 43,000 animals rescued from city streets, of which about 15,000 are euthanized. It urges animal owners to make sure their pets are licensed and microchipped.

A Push for Reform After Beloved Collie is Euthanized

By Conor Greene

After a 94-year-old grandmother’s beloved collie was euthanized at a city animal center just hours after arriving at the facility, a group of animal lovers and a Queens City Councilman are working to prevent this from happening again.

Officials at the city’s Animal Care and Control say that 13-year-old Angel was euthanized shortly after arriving at the Manhattan facility on April 9 because she collapsed and was unable to walk. The dog, which had wandered away from Jane Guardascione’s Astoria home, didn’t have identification and didn’t match the description of any missing dogs.

However, according to the contract AC&C has with the state Health Department, dogs brought into its facilities must be held for at least 72 hours before being euthanized or released for adoption. The only exceptions are if an animal is critically injured.

In a statement, AC&C officials expressed their “deepest sympathies” to the family and said that Angel was suffering and was put down to prevent additional pain. “Because of her deteriorating condition and advanced age of over 13 years, the vet made the decision to euthanize Angel in an effort to prevent any additional suffering,” it read. “It is our goal to avoid euthanasia unless we deem it absolutely necessary.”

However, family members said that although the dog had been slowed by arthritis, it was still able to walk and probably became scared after being taken to the loud, unfamiliar shelter. Guardascione was “heartbroken” and began suffering chest pains when she found out what happened to her “beloved companion,” according to local animal activist Phyllis Taiano, who had tried to find Angel before she was put down.

In response to the incident, City Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside) has submitted a request for AC&C records, specifically as they relate to animals that were euthanized at the shelters. He is now calling for an investigation into AC&C’s “practices and procedures… to prevent this tragedy from happening again.”

“It was extremely startling to learn of the unfortunate euthanization of Angel, which has caused a tremendous amount of grief for Ms. Guardascione, who saw the dog as a true companion,” said Avella. “In this instance, there appears to be a complete breakdown of the Department of Health and Hygiene’s policy to keep strays for at least 72 hours by NYC AC&C.”

Avella is seeking to obtain all records regarding euthanizations, length of stay for animals brought into city shelters, physical examinations, as well as records concerning owner notification, according to his office. He will hold a rally on the steps of City Hall at noon on Sunday along with other animal rights groups to bring awareness to the situation.

Taiano, a Middle Village resident who helps rescue lost dogs, was also distraught over the situation. She found out that Angel was at the AC&C just after 5 p.m. that evening, less than an hour after she had been euthanized. “Now that Avella has submitted a request for [records] we want to keep this [issue] alive and in the forefront,” said Taiano. “Angel’s case is not going away. Our protest is in honor of Angel and to raise more awareness that the AC&C continues to practice unethically. That shelter is in desperate need of reform.”

In light of recent alleged improprieties at AC&C shelters, an online petition is being circulated asking the City Council and Mayor to convene an Animal Care Task Force “to oversee the replacement of the existing Board of Directors… which has created this crisis.” The petition notes that while law requires the city to have five fullservice animal shelters, there currently are only three.

HB Columbus Day Foundation Joins Relief Effort for Italian Earthquake Victims

On April 8, Council Member Tony Avella, Chair of the Italian American Caucus of the City Council, held a press conference on the steps of City Hall to call upon New Yorkers to assist with Italian Earthquake Relief Efforts.

“First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest sympathy to the countless number of victims of this unfortunate natural disaster. Early reports indicate that as many as 30,000 people may be homeless in the hardest hit city of L’Aquila, whose many structures date back to medieval times. At this point in time, the Italian people truly need our assistance in providing relief and I encourage all New Yorkers to help in the many relief efforts being undertaken by the many Italian American organizations that have gathered here today,” stated Council Member Tony Avella.

Joining the councilman were Council Member Vincent Gentile; Mario Faulisi, president of the Howard Beach Columbus Day Foundation (HBCDF); the Grand Lodge of New York of the Order Sons of Italy (NYSOSIA); and a host of other Italian American Organizations including, the Order Sons of Italy in America; National Council of Columbia Associations and the Italian American Network on the steps of City Hall.

“We must really begin to work quickly to get these people the help they need,” said Mario Faulisi. “Our organization is counting on the support of the Howard Beach community and all other communities to help end the suffering of these disaster victims.” Faulisi says that although his Foundation is largely focused on youth and education, times like these mandate that everyone join together in order to help the best way they can.

According to Faulisi, the HBCDF is raising funds through solicitation and word of mouth but a more organized plan is in the works, so that a benefit of some type can be planned. “The most difficult thing is trying to put together an event in a hurry so that we can get the much needed relief to these people. We are committed to extending our hand to them and we ask that you each do whatever you can both monetarily and also by praying for the injured and the homeless.”

Donations can be mailed to: The Howard Beach Columbus Day Foundation 163-33 Crossbay Blvd. Howard Beach, New York, 11414

Howard Beach Columbus Day Foundation President, Mario Faulisi (far left) joined Councilmember Tony Avella at City Hall for a press conference last week.

Residents Upset Over Maspeth Building Rental

Variance was Based on Company's Need for Space

By Conor Greene

Some local civic and community board members are unhappy that a local business is advertising office space for rent, after gaining a variance on the basis the additional room was needed to accommodate its growing business.

In 2004, Aldona Fire Protection was granted a variance by the city Board of Standards and Appeals to build an additional three floors on top of what was a two-story building at 74th Street in Maspeth. Despite the objections of Community Board 5, which voted against the variance, permission for the expansion was granted after Aldona argued it needed the space to consolidate its operations under one roof.

Because of the impact the expansion had on the neighborhood, including the parking situation, Juniper Park Civic Association President Robert Holden was not happy to see that Aldona had hung a large For Rent sign across the building. At a press conference last Friday in front of the building, Holden and Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside) said the problem starts with the BSA.

“Towering over neighboring structures, this building is clearly out of context with the character of the neighborhood,” said Avella, who has long called for either reform or outright abolishment of the BSA. “It is blatantly obvious that BSA incorrectly granted a hardship variance to the owner of this property because they claimed they wanted to expand their fire protection business, yet now they are renting out office space. While shocking, this unfortunately occurs far too frequently throughout the city because BSA fails to take the concerns of the community into account.”

Holden noted that the building is now three stories taller than what is generally allowed under the property’s zoning. He pointed out that the company testified to CB 5, the borough president and the BSA that the space was needed for the business expansion. “Instead, we see that they are renting the building out as office space. What’s wrong with this picture?” said Holden, who is also a CB 5 member.

According to the resolution approving the variance, Aldona is required to gain BSA approval for “any change to the approved plans.” In addition, the company is required to provide for additional off-street parking if the parking conditions in the area worsen as a result of changes in the immediate area. The property, at 54-14 74th Street, is down the block from the former Restaurant Depot site, where the city wants to build a 1,100-seat high school.

“The problem is that developers claim hardships at the BSA in order to build what they want,” said Manny Caruana, a member of CB 5 and the JPCA executive committee. “Afterward, when it becomes obvious that the hardship never existed, the community is left to suffer and the BSA doesn’t do anything because they don’t care.”

A message left with Aldona was not returned by press time. However, the owner was quoted in a published report as saying that the company is considering renting out part of the building because it hasn’t yet been paid for several large contracts. The original plan had called for filing the building with the company’s 20 employees, but the third floor is now being offered for rent to account for the shortfall due to the unpaid contracts.

Avella, who is running for mayor, has been a constant critic of the BSA since taking office in 2002. Since one of the board’s five variance criteria involves the review of alleged financial hardship, Avella introduced a bill last year that would have required one of the BSA members to be a financial analyst with professional qualifications. “It only makes sense to have a member of the board who has the financial background to determine the legitimacy of any such claim by a developer,” said Avella. “Unfortunately, the bill has languished in the City Council.”

JPCA members Robert Holden, Anthony Nunziato and Manny Caruana join Councilman Tony Avella at a press conference in Maspeth last week. The Forum Newsgroup/photo courtesy of CHRISTINA WILKINSON

Outrage Over Engine 271 Closing

By Conor Greene

Local officials, residents and the Uniformed Firefighters Association are ripping the city’s decision to close Engine Company 271 permanently on July 1 as a result of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s budget cuts.

The city announced last year that the company, which is located near the Ridgewood-Brooklyn border and helps serve parts of Queens, would be closed during overnight hours beginning January 17. It was then announced that Company 271 and three others slated for overnight closings would be eliminated entirely as part of FDNY budget cuts.

That news didn’t sit well with Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), who rallied against the closings on the steps of City Hall last Friday before attending the City Council hearings on budget cuts affecting public safety.

“The Fire Department is an essential service for the safety of the people of New York,” she said. “Even when the city is in a budget crisis, safety is the last thing we should sacrifice to fix a budget… As a city we are one of the highest profile terrorist targets in the world, and we have no room to compromise our emergency services.”

At the budget hearing, Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside) criticized FDNY Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta for not standing up to Mayor Bloomberg in opposition of the budget cuts. Avella, a mayoral candidate, told Scoppetta he should resign from his position rather than accept the closing of numerous firehouses around the city.

“It’s pretty disgraceful from my perspective that the fire commissioner, who is responsible to ensure fire safety throughout the entire city and protect his own firefighters, doesn’t stand up to what the mayor wants to do in terms of closing firehouses,” Avella later told The Forum. “He should say to the mayor that he can’t do those cuts, and if he’s forced to, that he will resign. But he laughs when I say that.”

In Avella’s view, not all city agencies are equal, meaning some, such as the fire department, should not be forced to make drastic cuts. While he blamed Scoppetta for not fighting the cuts, he said the blame ultimately falls with the mayor. “It has a direct impact on people’s lives and could cost lives, and you have a fire commissioner who is a total bureaucrat. Obviously the mayor is to blame to begin with for not realizing that the fire department shouldn’t be cut.”

In response to Avella’s criticism, Scoppetta questioned why Avella himself didn’t resign after he voted for a budget that included firehouse closings. “When you run into difficult times, when you are dealing with adversity, the response should not be, ‘I’m going to run away from this.’ The response should be “Let’s do the best we can, let’s see if we can make these cuts if we have to. And there is no question we have to given the deficit and the need to balance the budget,” said Scoppetta, according to a report in the Daily News.

During the hearing, Scoppetta said that the department’s budget is earmarked for counterterrorism initiatives, training services and new equipment to enhance emergency medical response. Crowley questioned his priorities, in light of the fact that firehouses are closing under the current budget.

“How can you talk about using the budget to enhance the emergency medical response through training and counterterrorism initiatives when the reality is you are closing firehouses and cutting out firefighters?” asked Crowley. “Doesn’t closing firehouses reduce the response time and put people at greater risk? There seems to be a case of mistaken priorities.”

According to the Uniformed Firefighters Association, just the nighttime closing of Engine Company 271 has resulted in the loss of several homes. In the early morning of March 18, with the company shut for the night, a three-alarm fire destroyed three homes and several neighborhood stores located near the Ridgewood Senior Citizen Center. The properties sustained severe damage, displacing several families and storeowners. If it hadn’t been closed, Engine 271 at 392 Himrod Street – about three blocks from the fire – would have been the first on scene.

The scene was nearly repeated this past Tuesday morning, when a fire broke out at 376Palmetto Street in Bushwick. Because there was additional manpower available, Engine Company 271 happened to be open and staffed that evening, according to Tom Butler of the UFA. Residents were blocked from the building’s fire escapes because of heavy smoke and flames, so the first firefighters on scene were forced to rip child-proof window guards before rescuing the trapped family.

“This fire could have easily resulted in numerous fatalities,” said Steve Cassidy, president of the UFA. “Today’s fire was the second significant one in Engine 271’s coverage area in less than a week. It is unsafe for the bean counters at City Hall to be playing God with people’s lives and safety.”

The blaze left residents shaken and grateful for the quick response from Engine 271. “You could feel the heat when it started,” said Chetkiela Jenkins. “You could hear the windows breaking and everything.”

“I commend the firemen,” said Elaine Hamilton. “We just kept saying to ourselves, we didn’t know how they kept going in there. And they were on the roof and I’m getting teary-eyed just thinking about it.”

According to the UFA, the city has identified four firehouses to close and will identify another dozen it will shut in the next few months. Community Board 5 members voted against the nighttime closing in December, and District Manager Gary Giordano said on Tuesday that he is concerned about the pending closing, in part due to the company’s proximity to Wyckoff Heights Medical Center. He also questioned the city’s assertion that the response time to emergencies would only increase by 20 seconds following the closing.

“I have a hard time believing the difference is only going to be 20 seconds, at least without endangering lives on the streets,” he said. “But these are very difficult budget times, and when you are talking about [closing] fire companies, you are desperate to close the gap. Usually, that would seem to be one of the last things you want to cut.”

New Development Review Process Delayed

By Conor Greene

The city has agreed to allow more time for public input before launching its development challenge process, which gives the public 30 days to submit formal objections to construction projects.

Following a public hearing in Manhattan last Friday on the new Department of Building procedures, Commissioner Robert LiMandri announced that the launch date for its implementation has been pushed back to mid-April “to ensure adequate time to consider any public input.”

The new guidelines, announced in February, are intended to “give New Yorkers a stronger voice in the development of neighborhoods, create greater transparency and clarify the process for the public and for developers,” according to a press release issued by the city.

As part of the new process, New York would become the first city in the nation to require that developers place diagrams of new buildings or major alterations online so the public can view the size and scale of a proposed project. In addition, a new 30-day formal public challenge period would be implemented, during which residents could raise objections to a proposed project.

However, it is that aspect of the process that has concerned some elected officials, civic organizations and residents. There is concern that the 30-day window will create a “defacto statute of limitations” that will “actually benefit unscrupulous developers who will simply wait out the clock to avoid community challenges,” according to Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside) and others.

“Despite being touted by Mayor Mike Bloomberg and DOB Commissioner LiMandri as empowering the public with greater oversight over new developments, these rule changes will actually diminish the ability of residents to contest new construction,” said Avella at a press conference on the steps of City Hall, where he was joined by Assemblyman James Brennan (D-Brooklyn) and Councilwoman Rosie Mendez (D-Manhattan).

Avella, a mayoral candidate who currently is chair of the City Council’s Zoning and Franchise Committee, implored the DOB to “scrap this entire plan in its current form and go back to the drawing board.”

Brennan ripped the DOB and city for restricting public zoning complaints, an action he called “indefensible.” He is also concerned that “muzzling the public will encourage developers to submit noncompliant plans” knowing they can proceed with impunity once they get through the one-month threshold. “The public has every right to challenge zoning legality or building safety at any point in the building process,” he said, adding that the DOB must include local community boards in the process and require community notification.

Councilwoman Mendez credited the DOB with providing the public with “long-awaited online access to building plans and zoning diagrams” but agreed that the DOB shouldn’t limit the public’s ability to challenge development. “These rules have far-reaching consequences for our city and should not be implemented without adequate deliberation.”

Moreover, Avella took the opportunity to rip the “shameful” way in which DOB attempted to implement the new process, noting that the department had intended to hold a public hearing last Friday and enact the rules changes this past Monday. “This demonstrated that DOB has absolutely no intention of ever listening to the public’s comments and taking them into consideration,” he said, vowing to formulate legislation “to ensure that the public has greater opportunity to comment in any future agency rule changes.”

The call to allow more time for public input before enacting the new rules was echoed by the Queens Civic Congress, which represents 110 neighborhood groups across Queens.

“The proposal, if adopted unchanged, clearly creates an immunity for the building community” through the 30-day requirement, the group argued in a press release. The group “strongly recommends the DOB reform the proposed changes to avoid what must be an unintended consequence – that would perpetuate illegal and often hazardous development.”

The new proposal also concerns Robert Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association, which has made fighting over-development and unscrupulous developers a priority. “Once again, the deck is stacked against the community. We have absolutely no confidence in the DOB nor do we trust that they are really trying to protect our neighborhoods from greedy developers,” he said. “Their bark is much worse than their bite.”

City Begins Digging Out from Storm

Mayor Criticized for Comments About School Closure

By Conor Greene

With temperatures expected to reach the 50’s by the weekend, much of the snow and ice dumped on the city during Monday will soon melt away, but not before crippling much of the city and forcing officials to close public schools for the first time in five years.

Much of the city saw at least eight inches of snow overnight Sunday into Monday in what will surely be the winter season’s biggest storm. For the first time since January 2004, city officials decided to close public schools due to the inclement weather, and many side streets around Queens remained unplowed for several days.

At a briefing on the city’s efforts to clean up the city, Mayor Michael Bloomberg noted that there are about 6,000 miles of roads within the five boroughs. “So to plow all our streets, just think about this, it’s like plowing from here to Los Angeles and back,” he told reporters at a press conference in Woodside. “It is really quite an amazing job the sanitation workers have to do.”

More than 3,000 sanitation workers worked Sunday night into Monday to clear streets, according to Sanitation Department Commissioner John Doherty, who recalled the storm of February 1969 when 15 inches of snow fell on the city. The mayor at the time, John Lindsay, came under heavy criticism after the storm left the city paralyzed for three days.

“I spent some time in Queens north, which some may remember in ’69 was a very sensitive area for the mayor at the time, and the areas looked pretty good,” said Doherty.

Post-storm cleanup generally costs about one million dollars per inch of snow, and while Mayor Bloomberg declined to say how much this storm will cost the cash strapped city, he said the city is still well within budget for this winter season. “For seven years, we have been clearing the streets every time there has been a snowstorm, whether it was an election year or not,” he said.

While the mayor isn’t taking much heat for the city’s response to the storm, he has come under fire for the Department of Education’s relatively late decision to cancel schools, which came at 5:39 a.m. As a result, some parents and students began their daily routine – with some even arriving at closed schools – before realizing that classes were canceled.

At his news briefing, Mayor Bloomberg had this to say about the decision: “I think if you got up this morning and looked outside and the question didn’t come right away, hmm, I wonder if school is going to be open today and you didn’t know enough to call 311, I would suggest another day in school is probably a good idea.”

The comment was immediately seized upon by City Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside), who said that many parents were forced to scramble as a result of the “eleventh-hour” closing decision.

“Mike Bloomberg’s comments are extremely insulting to parents and demonstrate that he is completely out of touch with the average person,” said Avella in a statement. “Regardless of school closings, many parents still need to go to work and were forced to scramble to find child care. If DOE knew they were going to close the schools due to the inclement weather they needed to make the decision sooner and properly notify the parents.”

Avella, who is mounting a grassroots challenge to Mayor Bloomberg in November, said that New Yorkers “are sick and tired of Mike Bloomberg’s ‘just-deal-with-it’ attitude” and “deserves a mayor who realizes what the average person goes through on a daily basis.”

At the press conference, Bloomberg noted that a message notifying residents of the school closing was posted on the city’s 311 phone line, which received 140,000 calls by 10 a.m. Monday. He said that the late decision to close school was because officials waited to see if the storm would weaken or veer off course and miss the city.

The storm also caused some problems at The Shops at Atlas Park in Glendale on Tuesday afternoon, when melting ice chunks began falling from overhead awnings and roofs, according to a shopper. Security guards were forced to tape off several sidewalks in front of a number of businesses so that the ice could be safely removed.

In Forest Hills, Frank Gulluscio, district manager of Community Board 6, said his office didn’t receive any major complaints about lack of plowing or other issues. “They [Sanitation Department] were out doing a second phase [of cleanup] today and are salting the secondary streets today, along with the areas near fire hydrants, crosswalks and bus stops,” he said. “That’s the big thing for the everyday guy, to be able to cross the street or get to the bus stop.”

The storm caused the cancellation of about 450 flights out of LaGuardia, 119 at JFK International Airport and 335 at Newark Liberty International Airport, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The storm nearly matched the record for a one-day March snowfall in Manhattan, set when ten inches fell in 1898.

State Provides Funding to Area Hospitals; Refuses to Bail Out St. John's and Mary Immaculate

By Conor Greene

After refusing to bailout bankrupt St. John’s and Mary Immaculate hospitals, the state Department of Health announced on Wednesday that it is providing money to other area facilities to help deal with a spike in patients.

St. John’s in Elmhurst and Mary Immaculate in Jamaica stopped admitting patients on Saturday, including to their emergency rooms, as they prepare to close completely in the coming weeks. The move comes a week after parent company Caritas Health Care filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and submitted a closure plan to the state.

Last Friday, residents, community leaders and hospital staff gathered outside St. John’s in a last-ditch effort to convince Governor David Paterson to step in and save the hospitals.

However, their demands fell on deaf ears, and the hospitals began restricting admissions at midnight – leading to concerns that other area facilities will become overburdened by the increased demand for their services.

On Wednesday, state Health Commissioner Richard Daines announced $18 million in grants being provided to local hospitals “to ensure that residents of Queens continue to have access to essential health care services.” The money will also provide job placement services to the nearly 3,000 health care workers who lost their jobs when St. John’s and Mary Immaculate closed.

“These grants will help other health care facilities in the area expand their capacity to absorb the patients previously handled by these two Caritas hospitals and assist workers in finding new employment,” said Daines in a statement.

The grants include $14.5 million to expand capacity at eight facilities serving the Queens community and the extension of a state Department of Health contract with 1199 SIEU for the Displaced Workers Program. That will make up to $3 million available for job counseling, placement and retraining for displaced workers.

According to the press release, the state DOH has given “contingent approval for the closure plan” submitted by Caritas. “Despite over $55 million in state loans to Caritas, the hospital system was unable to develop a viable plan for continued operation,” the release notes.

In addition to the $3 million contract extension to 1199 SIEU for job counseling, placement and retraining, the following grants have been awarded:

•Health and Hospitals Corporation of New York City will receive
$3.6 million to expand patient capacity and emergency room services at its Elmhurst and Queens Hospital Centers;

•Medisys will receive $4.5 million for its Jamaica and Flushing sites;

•North Shore LIJ will receive $3.5 million for its Forest Hills and Franklin facilities;

•Wyckoff Medical Center near Ridgewood will receive $2.7 million;

•The Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center will receive $650,000 to maintain primary and preventative services at the St. Dominic’s Health Care Center.

The decision to provide the grant money comes as City Comptroller William Thompson, Councilman Tony Avella, Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley and other elected officials have called upon the state to provide Caritas with the funding needed to keep the two hospitals open.

“The closing of Mary Immaculate and St. John’s Hospitals would not only have a detrimental affect on the 2,500 hospital employees by Caritas Health Care, but also on the entire Borough of Queens, which relies heavily on their medical services,” said Avella. “The best solution at this point would be for HHC [Health and Hospitals Corp] to take over the administration of these two hospitals. It would improve management operations and, I believe, make it easier for the State and City to allocate funding to keep the hospitals open.”

Combined, the hospitals have about 450 beds and serve nearly 200,000 patients each year. Mary Immaculate is a level-one trauma center and houses a cancer institute and 115-bed nursing home. St. John’s is a certified stroke and heart failure center and has the borough’s only hyperbaric oxygen therapy unit.

“People will die if the Health Department closes these hospitals,” said Therese Wittner, a registered nurse and representative for the state Nurses Association at Mary Immaculate. “It is also unthinkable that 115 elderly people will be put out of the Fitzpatrick nursing home where they have lived for up to 15 years and developed close family times… The surrounding hospitals are overflowing and will not be able to handle the volume of patients. We are already seeing the consequences.”

According to the DOH, the closure date for St. John’s and Mary Immaculate is February 28.