No Tolerance for Graffiti Vandals

By Eric Yun

Two prolific vandals, responsible for much of the graffiti around neighborhoods in the 104th Precinct, were arrested last week. Matthew Young, 23, and Thomas Rank, 19, both from Glendale, have defaced their neighborhoods for years, police said.

The 104th Precinct has prioritized catching vandals, and in 2010, ranked second in the city with 174 graffiti-related arrests and charges. Only the 122nd Precinct of Staten Island had more with 215 arrests and charges.

Officers aren’t slowing down in the new year; there have already been 74 charges brought for graffiti in the 104th Precinct, which includes Ridgewood, Glendale, Middle Village and Maspeth.

Lt. James Lombardi said the precinct officers have taken a strong initiative against the criminals that vandalized its neighborhoods. Of the 174 arrests in 2010, officers from the 104th made 162. The NYPD Anti-Graffiti Task force made the other arrests.

Lombardi explained how the precinct has taken charge of the graffiti problem. “We build cases, find the people responsible and charge them with every tag we’ve documented,” he said. This allows the police to send stronger cases to the District Attorney’s office, which leads to higher fines and possible prison time.

“We want to make sure they do some time,” Lombardi said.

Lombardi praised the work of officers Alison Potokin and Justin Dambinskas, who have worked diligently to find and arrest the vandals. They said the best way to help them do their job is to call 911 for graffiti acts in process and 311 to report graffiti sightings.

But catching the criminals is only one aspect of solving the graffiti problem. Cleaning up graffiti is also important. In the 104th Precinct, there were 800 police sponsored clean up events. The precinct works with local community groups to clean their neighborhoods. “Everyone joins together to help clean up,” Lombardi said.

This year the precinct is working with civic groups including Maspeth Town Hall and the Juniper Park Civic Association as well as local schools like I.S. 93 to clean the streets. The officers also urge residents and business owners to be proactive cleaning graffiti. Graffiti vandals won’t waste time retagging areas if they know it will be wiped clean, officers said.

Potokin said graffiti is not a harmless or victimless crime. Many of the vandals are associated with gang-like “crews” and fall into other criminal mischief. For example, Young had been previously arrested for public lewdness in Forest Park, and Rank was once arrested for domestic violence. The vandalism by Young and Rank have also cost the city thousands of dollars in damages including graffiti tagged on a police van by Young.

Officers will not slow down in 2011. Potokin said they will continue to build cases against vandals. The precinct is also working with the DA to push for harsher sentences against graffiti vandals. One way the community can keep vandals in prison is to write and call the DA and ask for strict punishments.

Matthew Young is currently being held on $10,000 bail, and Thomas Rank is being held on $9,000 bail.

Former Assemblyman Seminerio Dies in Prison

Former Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio, 75, passed away Thursday morning at a federal prison hospital in North Carolina.

Seminerio, who was convicted of fraud in February 2010, was serving a six-year sentence on corruption charges. He operated an illegal consulting firm where he received $1 million from individuals and companies doing business with the state.

Seminerio’s attorneys had asked for a home confinement sentence, and in August, he asked to be released from jail while his appeal was heard. Both requests were denied.

The politician represented the state’s 38th Assembly District for 30 years. He resigned in 2009 and was replaced by Mike Miller following a special election.

Following Seminerio’s death, Miller (D-Woodhaven) said Seminerio represented his district with “passion and dedication.”

“We should remember all of the good things that he has done for the community. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to his wife and children,” Miller said.

Mixed News on 2010 Crime Stats in 104th Precinct

By Eric Yun

The crime rate increased in 104th Precinct in 2010, but police said they’ve made major strides in keeping neighborhoods safe.

The precinct’s Commanding Officer, Inspector Keith Green, and Community Affairs Officer Tommy Bell held the year’s first COP 104 meeting to update Middle Village residents on crime statistics and prevention. The meeting was held at St. Margaret’s Church on Monday in conjunction with the Middle Village Property Owners.

Green reported preliminary statistics show there were 1,749 major crimes in 2010 compared to 1,725 in 2009, a 1.4 percent increase. Felony assaults (a 23 percent increase) and grand larceny autos (a 20.9 percent increase) were the biggest culprits for the rise in crime, and a concentrated effort to curtail robberies and burglaries by the 104th Precinct led to decreases in the area, Green said.

Green said preventing car thefts is a priority for the precinct, and they’ve worked hard with detectives and Queens North have helped reduced numbers. Thieves have caught up to newer model key designs and found ways to clone keys. With these methods, thieves can walk up to a car and start it like they own it, which makes it difficult to catch, he said.

Green warned residents that many robberies occur when valuables are left inside a car. The simplest solution is to take everything of value out of the car. Green recommended GPS users not use suction cups to secure their devices because the suction cup can leave a visible mark on the window that alerts thieves a GPS may be in the vehicle.

Another priority for the 104th Precinct was graffiti—they ranked second in the city in graffiti related arrests—and Green was happy to report they are already ranked first in the city in 2011.

Strong Showing for St. Saviour's Project

By Eric Yun

Hope still remains for additional funding for a public park at St. Saviour’s in Maspeth.

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has agreed to fund at least one community project along the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. The DEC selected the City Parks Foundation to hold public hearings and a vote to determine which projects the community favors.

Almost 700 people expressed their preferences in a vote on December 1 and 2. Among the 22 projects considered was a public park at St. Saviour’s on Rust Street and 58th Street.

Maspeth residents came out in force to vote for the park. Funding the park at the former church site came in fourth, behind improving the Dutch Kills Basin Acquisition in Brooklyn, wetlands rehabilitation that surround Newtown Creek and creating a Greenpoint Boathouse and Environmental Education Center.

The City Parks Foundation said the DEC has the final say as to which projects will get funding, and the department will not automatically pick the top vote getter. While the St. Saviour’s project was not number one, money could still be allocated to build a park.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) and Borough President Helen Marshall have been strong supporters of building a park at the site, and together have allocated $2 million for the project.

“The high turnout from Maspeth … proves how desperate this community is for more green space,” said Christina Wilkinson, president of the Newtown Historical Society. “I am confident that the DEC will take into consideration the fact that our section of Newtown Creek is inaccessible for a number of reasons and will allocate a portion of the settlement money toward the St. Saviour’s project. But no matter what they decide, we remain motivated and will continue to work toward creation of a park at the site until it finally happens.”

City Slow to Plug Leak

By Eric Yun

Water continues to leak onto the street with a garbage pail situated over it, and business owners are frustrated that the water main break has been left unfixed for over a week.

The water main broke on Grand Avenue near Remsen Place on Thursday when work was being performed on a main on Perry Avenue.

Lou Bekios whose store Grand Florists is next to the leak said he was informed on Wednesday that the water would be shut off for construction work. The independent contractors were unable to shut off the water, and in the process, broke the water valve, Bekios said.

“By Monday morning I figured the work would be done,” he said. “I have tons of gallons falling on my curb. It’s a major inconvenience.”

Bekios has been calling 311 since Friday, but he has yet to get a solid response.

According to a Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman, water mains around Grand Avenue are being repaired as part of a capital project. They are aware of the leaking valve, and it is scheduled to be fixed by the end of the week or early next week.

“This is a disaster,” said community activist Tony Nunziato. “Queens is forgotten again.”

This Week's Forum South and West

A full version of The Forum South is now posted online at http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1qkvr/TheForumSouth162011/

Meltdown! City Slow to Pick Up Trash Weeks After Storm

By Jason Barczy

Residents and politicians in Queens, and throughout the outer boroughs feel the city and Mayor Michael Bloomberg failed in its response to the Christmas Blizzard of 2010.

From a slow response time plowing city streets, delays on MTA buses and subways, and the evergrowing piles of trash in front of businesses and homes, the effects of the storm can still be seen nearly two weeks later.

“[Department of Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty] is telling us his men did a great job and would give them an A,” said Glendale resident Chris Maxham, whose street wasn’t cleared until the Thursday after the storm. “But most New Yorkers would probably give them an F.”

Councilman Dan Halloran (D-Whitestone) alleged in a New York Post report that Sanitation workers neglected streets in the outer boroughs to protest layoffs and staff reductions, and residents are now demanding answers.

District attorneys in Queens and Brooklyn and federal prosecutors are opening preliminary investigations into the allegations. Also, the City Council has called an oversight meeting on Monday, January 10, to question offi- cials, particularly Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith and members of the Bloomberg administration, about the city’s response.

“I hope the deputy mayor will be in town to answer some pretty tough questions about why the city wasn’t prepared,” said City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village). “This was his first real test and lives were lost and property was damaged.”

Response Time

The City Council announced it will hold a series of meetings, with next Monday’s meeting focusing on the response time. Critics questioned why certain measures weren’t taken prior to the storm and why a snow emergency was not declared by the mayor’s office.

“I think the city hesitated to do three important things,” Crowley said. “First, call a snow emergency. Second, get the sanitation workers into work and get the process started. Third, put the resources together to fight the storm. They should’ve started planning Christmas night.”

Questions linger as to who was in charge because Bloomberg refuses to say where he was over the Christmas weekend, while Goldsmith, who oversees sanitation and other emergency services, was in Washington D.C. Another deputy mayor, Howard Wolfson, was vacationing in London.

“You can focus on who was here, whether this was here,” Wolfson told NY1. “The bottom line is, we didn’t do the job... Had we done that, nobody would be asking questions about where the mayor was.”

In 2008, Bloomberg issued an executive order handing over power in his absence to his first deputy, which is currently Patricia Harris. Harris, and many others in City Hall, remains quiet about who was in charge as the storm approached.

“New Yorkers have serious questions about the City’s snow emergency policy and response,” City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said in a statement. “The collective storm response was not anywhere near up to the standards New Yorkers are accustomed to. This hearing acknowledges the reality that many New Yorkers are experiencing, that something went wrong.”

Monday’s meeting will be held at the Emigrants Savings Bank at 49-51 Chambers Street in Manhattan at 11 a.m. and will be the first of five held throughout the city.

“Nobody is going to get off easy,” said Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park). “There’s going to be a lot of tough questions asked and a lot of information revealed. It didn’t just go wrong one day but a lot of mistakes were made before and after that day.”

Sanitation woes

The New York Post first reported that Department of Sanitation (DOS) workers deliberately slowed down the snow removal and neglected to plow streets in the outer boroughs in an effort to protest a 6 percent staff reduction in the past two years along with demotions for 100 supervisors.

The allegations include:

• Sanitation supervisors in Brooklyn bought beer during the storm instead of working.
• Streets in the outer boroughs were neg- lected by plow trucks to protest downsizing and wage cuts in the department.
• Between 660 and 720 sanitation workers called in sick because of the blizzard, more than double the normal rate.
• Sanitation bosses issued directives to plow the streets of certain city officials.
• Plow trucks passed over streets with the plows raised, only clearing off a top portion of the snow.

The Department of Investigation (DOI) has said it is looking into the allegations. Meanwhile Halloran says three plow drivers claim they were told to leave many roads unplowed and skip streets that were not on their routes.

“This is what happens when Bloomberg has his minions do for him and not everybody else,” said Middle Village resident who identified herself as Jennifer C. “This is New York and we’re supposed to have access to everything so why wasn’t it done? I don’t blame Sanitation, if the city would’ve done what it was supposed to it wouldn’t have been what it is.”

She said her street wasn’t cleared until the Thursday after the storm and her car’s transmission now needs to be fixed after attempting to drive it in the snow, which, according to her, will cost upwards of $1,000.

Residents are also upset knowing Manhattan was given preference in the plowing process while Queens and the outer boroughs suffered.

“Manhattan and probably the fancier areas of Queens were definitely plowed first,” said South Ozone Park resident Albert Pfisper. He added that his street, Linden Boulevard, wasn’t plowed until Thursday, December 30.

According to the New York Daily News, Sanitation Department records show that by 4 a.m. Monday, December 27, all of Manhat- tan's primary streets and 92 percent of its secondary streets had been plowed at least once. The same records show in western Queens, all primary streets were plowed by 4 a.m. Tuesday, December 28, but just 47 percent of secondary streets had been plowed.

“Throughout the district I represent snow removal was not done efficiently,” Crowley said. “The situation was not unique to any one neighborhood, it was everywhere outside of Manhattan.”

Ulrich said New Yorkers want someone to blame and shouldn’t be pointing the finger at sanitation workers.

“The city is looking for a bad guy,” Ulrich said. “I do not believe for a second that the city was effectively shutdown because angry supervisors were laid off. It did not happen across the board. It wasn’t a citywide slowdown that brought the city to a screeching halt. I am not prepared to let [the Bloomberg administration] off the hook for their decisions.”

Garbage piling up

Trash has not been collected in many areas throughout Queens for nearly two weeks since before the storm and can be seen piling up on city streets.

The DOS resumed garbage collection on Monday and Mayor Bloomberg said he expects all the trash to be picked up within three to four days; however, recyclables will not be collected until further notice.

“They should have started picking up garbage on Saturday (January 1),” Crowley said. “All the major streets were plowed by then. It’s uncomfortable and smelly and it’s becoming a public health concern.”

While trash is being cleared from streets such as Queens Boulevard, Woodhaven Boulevard and Crossbay Boulevard, there are still many where garbage is piling up such as Metropolitan Avenue, Myrtle Avenue and Liberty Avenue.

Mountains of trash and recyclables are rising above cars at the intersection of Liberty Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard near the A Train stop.

“It’s in the way and I’m running out of space in my garbage can,” Pfisper said. “They’re not picking up Tuesday and there’s two weeks of recyclables we have, which will probably not be picked up until next Tuesday.

Mayor Bloomberg did back off of statements he made that the storm wasn’t the end of the world and acknowledges the city should have been better prepared.

“We did not do as good a job as we wanted to or as the city had the right to expect,”
Bloomberg said from a hardware store in Hunts Point, Bronx on December 29. “And there is no question we are an administration built on accountability. When something works, we take credit for it. When it doesn’t, we stand up and say, ‘Okay, we did it, and we will try to find out what went wrong and then make that information public.’ I cannot tell you for sure why it was a lot worse this time than the other times.”

Feds Begin Probe of Disastrous CityTime Project

By Eric Yun

CityTime was already in hot water as the $63 million project ballooned to more than $700 million, and that was before federal prosecutors charged four men working on the project with stealing $80 million from the city.

The Office of Payroll Administration (OPA) began CityTime in 1998 to develop an automated timekeeping system. City officials said the new system would ensure employees would get paid more accurately, efficiently and securely.

As early as 2004, the expected completion year, there were concerns about the rising cost of the program. In 2008, Councilman, Joe Addabbo, now a state Senator, held hearings on the project. Also, Daily News’ reporter Juan Gonzalez revealed that a whistleblower sent a letter describing possible fraud to the city Department of Investigation (DOI), but the whistleblower claimed the letter was ignored.

In 2010, investigators from the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office and DOI found evidence of foul play. Working from a position of authority, prosecutors said Mark Mazer, hired as a consultant to conduct quality assurance on the CityTime project in 2001, approved contracts for consulting firms run by Dmitry Aronshtein, who prosecutors believe is related to Mazer, and Victor Natanzon.

The two firms were paid over $75 million, and prosecutors say at least $24.5 million was kicked back to shell companies linked to Mazer.

He also allegedly developed a scheme to hide his illicit dealings, including routing funds to shell companies and corporations controlled by family members, submitting false vendex forms to the city and telling others in the project that he discovered the firms run by Aronshtein and Natanzon through casual conversations.

Prosecutors also said the three men and a fourth conspirator, Scott Berger, generated and approved fraudulent timesheets for consultants at the suspect firms. The falsified timesheets are estimated to have cost the city over $200,000.

The four men were charged with conspiring to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Mazer, Aronshtein and Natanzon were also charged with conspiring to launder the proceeds of the fraud conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the laundered funds. Mazer’s wife, Svetlana Mazer, and his mother, Larisa Medzon, also face the second charge.

“Mark Mazer and his cohorts allegedly used the city as their own personal cash cow,” said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. “In an ironic twist, funding for CityTime, a project intended to prevent payroll waste, fraud and abuse, was itself al- legedly bilked in part by fraudulent timekeeping.”

Since the allegations surfaced on December 15, the fallout has been swift. Joel Bondy, OPA’s Executive Director, resigned on December 23 after Mayor Michael Bloomberg suspended him without pay.

Federal prosecutors also subpoenaed the records of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), the lead contractor on the project, which subcontracted the fraudulent consulting firms. Federal prosecutors have not charged SAIC with wrongdoing but want to investigate if large sums of money could be stolen without notice, according to the New York Daily News.

Bloomberg, who supported the CityTime project as expenses continued to rise, finally admitted the program was a “disaster” in March. In response to the criminal allegations, he said, “Any vi- olation of the public’s trust is categorically unacceptable and we are implementing a series of changes to reform oversight of the CityTime project.”

Reforms include appointing Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith and Comptroller John Liu to direct oversight of the project. The Mayor also promised he would work with federal investigators to conduct a thorough audit to recoup the taxpayer dollars that were stolen.

Still, CityTime comes as a blow for Bloomberg, who for years campaigned as a strong fiscal and business leader. On his weekly radio show he said that the $80 million simply “slipped through the cracks.”

Politicians were not pleased that Bloomberg was asleep at the wheel.

“I wonder what we could have done with the millions of dollars wasted if the Mayor’s administration had only realized it back in 2005, when we first raised the issue about CityTime, and possibly could have prevented hurting employees, making education cuts and closing firehouses,” said Addabbo.

Judge Upholds Black Appointment

By Eric Yun

Cathie Black is officially the city’s newest Department of Education (DOE) Chancellor. State Supreme Court Justice Gerald Connolly ruled on December 29 that the state and city acted fairly in appointing Black.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg selected Black on November 9 after former Chancellor Joel Klein announced he would step down at the end of the year. Bloomberg praised Black’s extensive leadership as the former executive of Hearst.

State DOE Commissioner David Steiner agreed and on November 29 certified Black as a “school district leader,” a mandatory certificate needed to become Chancellor.

Parents and educators, however, questioned Black’s qualifications and had sued the state to stop her appointment.

Eric Snyder, a parent from Park Slope, and others sued the state on behalf of their children. Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries (D-Brooklyn) joined the parents in the lawsuit. The parents argued that Black did not possess the necessary educational and teaching experience required by the state.

According to state law, school district leaders must have a master’s degree and have completed sixty semester hours of graduate study. The Education Commissioner can waive graduate study for “exceptionally qualified persons,” but the parents argued that the master’s degree requirement could not be waived. They said a person who had a master’s degree but not 60 hours could receive a waiver, but the degree was necessary.

The parents also criticized the new Senior Deputy Chancellor and Chief Academic Advisor position created for Cathie Black. A new position dealing with education should not be needed for a qualified Chancellor candidate, the parents said.

Connolly said while the waiver rules might be ambiguous Steiner was acting legally and within his duties when he interpreted the rules and issued the waiver.

Connolly’s decision ends the two-month battle over Black’s appointment. Bloomberg released a statement praising the decision: “This decision should bring an end to the poiticking and grandstanding and allow us all to focus on what matters most: continuing to improve the quality of education we offer New York City’s public school children.”

Black began her tenure on Monday touring schools throughout the boroughs. There, she told reporters she had found her “dream job” and was excited to get started.

She will continue her citywide tour of schools by visiting John Adams High School on January 10 where she will meet with parents, teachers and Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park).

Ulrich has said the new chancellor will have to make tough decisions.

“She faces the enormous challenge of pro- viding quality education to our students while dealing with a very tight budget in the coming fiscal year,” said Ulrich. “I look forward to hearing her ideas on how to improve public schools for all students.”

Gov. Cuomo Begins Term

Governor Andrew Cuomo has wasted no time since assuming office on New Years Day. The new Governor, who beat Republican candidate Carl Paladino in November’s general election already signed several executive orders, announced appointments and nominations, and on Wednesday, delivered his “State of the State” address at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany.

“New York faces a deficit, a deficit that we talk about all day long: the budget deficit, the budget deficit,” Cuomo said in his innaugural address on Januray 1. “But it’s actually worse. The state faces a budget deficit and a competence deficit and an integrity deficit and a trust deficit. And those are the obstacles we really face.”

Cuomo said he would bring the needed in Albany to balance both the budget and restore the people’s faith. He started the process by cutting his own salary.

The Governor’s salary is $179,000 by law, and it has not changed since 1999. However, Cuomo announced on Monday that he would reduce his salary by 5 percent and return the $8,950 to the state. Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy and senior members of Cuomo’s staff have also agreed to a 5 percent reduction.

“Change starts at the top and we will lead by example,” Cuomo said. “Families and business owners in every corner of the state have learned to do more with less in order to live within their means and government must do the same.” Cuomo signed two executive orders, one
removing barriers around the State Capitol and reopening the Hall of Governors to the public. The hall, where many of the executive chamber offices are located, has been closed to the public since 1995.

The second executive order requires ethics training for Executive Chamber staff and top
state officials. The order includes agency commissioners and their staffs.

At the “State of the State” address on Wednesday, Cuomo promised more sweeping changes.

“We must transform the State of New York from a government of dysfunction, gridlock and corruption to a government of performance, integrity, and pride,” Cuomo said. “This is not about budget trimming or cutting, it’s about looking at how we can fix government and make it work for the people. Together, we must take the significant steps needed to reinvent, reorganize and redesign government to restore credibility and to rebuild our economy by creating jobs all across this state.”

Cuomo outlined his plans to close the $10 billion deficit by instituting a salary freeze and a state spending cap. He also proposed revisions to the recently enacted Excelsior Tax Credit Program to produce better results and give New Yorkers property tax relief.

Addabbo Eyes Ballot Reform

Many voters are not pleased with the new ballot machines unveiled during the 2010 primary and general elections. Senator Joe Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) is introducing new legislation this year after fielding complaints about incompetent workforces and small ballot print.

Addabbo, Chair of the Senate’s Elections Committee, is sponsoring a new bill, S.609, during the legislative session in Albany this month, that amends election law by requiring that paper ballots use a simple and easy-to-read bold, enlarged typeface and by requiring that the State and New York City boards of elections (and those in the largest counties) have a full-time employee on staff trained in ballot design and usability. The newly introduced bill will take effect 60 days after it becomes a law.

Under the new bill, paper ballots will have easy-to-read type, such as Arial or Univers, and candidates' names, office titles and political designations. The reading form of all ballot questions submitted will be printed in capital letters followed by lower case letters of at least 12-point bold (black-faced) type.

“This was the most common complaint I heard on the campaign trail from my people, and I promised them that I would see it was fixed,” said Addabbo. “Current election law does not contain any requirements as to ballot readability or usability.”

Also, a new subdivision to the election law requires that the New York State and New York City boards of elections, as well as those in Erie, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties, have one full-time staffer who is trained in effective ballot design and ballot usability.

Additionally, such an employee on the State board of elections must be available to re- view and advise the other counties on the proposed design and usability of their ballots for primary, gen- eral and special elections.

According to Addabo, these changes would help New York’s election ballots conform to the recommendations in the 2007 report by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and the 2008 “Better Ballot” report by the Brennan Center.

“Expertise in ballot design and usability is lacking within our boards of elections,” said Addabbo. “However, no additional hiring should be necessary to meet the requirements for one full-time employee in the State board of elections and one in the election boards of each of our largest counties to develop the necessary ballot design and usability. Self-study of the extensive amount of literature in this field, along with some training courses, can significantly develop such expertise.”

Addabbo said he hopes that this and other similar bills can be voted on and approved early in the 2011 legislative session.

Super-Bad Supermarkets

By David J. Harvey

New York’s supermarkets seem to have gotten worse for customers over the last four months, racking up hundreds of violations during Department of Consumer Affairs inspections.

According to Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Jonathan Mintz, the frequency of violations at the city’s supermarkets has increased since the last investigative report was compiled in August 2010; markets dropped from a compliance rate of 48 percent to a meager 33 percent.

“Supermarkets are clearly not getting the message that New Yorkers demand that they get it right at the check out counter,” Mintz said.

After a yearlong series of investigations concluded in August, the DCA announced that supermarkets were failing consumers by overcharging, shelving goods without prices and taxing non-taxable items. In response, the city levied fines totaling $381,750 citywide, ranging from $50 to $150 per violation.

Additionally, the DCA announced in August that it would double the number of inspections, from a total of 983 in the previous fiscal year. In the past four months, the DCA has conducted 491 inspections, and has issued nearly 750 citations. The city expects these violations to accumulate $310,000 in fines.

Out of the 122 inspections in Queens since August, 79 led to violations. The compliancy rate in the borough dropped from 55 to 35 percent.

Just over one quarter of all the inspections citywide were conducted in Queens, and though the borough saw a significant increase in cited violations, it was behind only the Bronx in compliance. In Brooklyn, 30 percent of supermarkets were compliant with city regulations, and in both Staten Island and Manhattan, the rate was below 25 percent.

Mintz said the increase in violations wasn’t likely a result of improved DCA method, but evidence of dismal customer service prevalent throughout the city’s markets.

DCA inspectors don’t comb through a store item by item, but aim to replicate the “typical shopping experience,” Mintz said. “Supermarkets make choices about the emphasis and resources they provide for quality control.”

All boroughs dropped in compliance from the last round of inspections except the Bronx, which had the five neighborhoods with the most violations in the last fiscal year. Nevertheless, a DCA spokesperson said no comparison has been done yet to determine whether fines or other factors were responsible for reforming Bronx stores.

Mintz said he is hopeful supermarkets can be brought up to code, noting that New York has some of the strongest consumer protection laws.

“We are going to keep turning up the heat,” Mintz said. “We hope a combination of public awareness and a higher cost of doing business will bring supermarkets into compliance.”

Resident Asks for Better Enforcement at Park

By Eric Yun

A Ridgewood resident is urging his community to stop the rampant abuse at Grover Cleveland Park. During the summer, the park creates traffic nightmares, and park goers trash the park and drink alcohol illegally.

John Perricone started Ridgewood Residents for Grover Cleveland Park in early August. He lives around the block from the park, and he’s tired of the antics of unruly athletic leagues and other park users.

“The park gets overcrowded, there’s noise from parties, and illegal food vendors are there,” said Perricone. “Everyone should have the right to the park.”

In the height of the summer season, athletic leagues use the fields for games. Leagues must be registered with the Parks Department, and Perricone does not believe many of the groups have registered. He also suggested Parks should give preferences to leagues local to the neighborhood.

“If I want to play ball, I’m not going to travel all the way to Juniper Valley Park,” Perricone said. “Local groups should be given preference with park permits.”

Problems with athletic leagues have led to traffic nightmares. Cars are constantly double parked on Stanhope Street and block fire hydrants and driveways. Perricone says his
neighbors have been threatened when they politely asked people to move their cars.

Perricone said problems with parking could be alleviated if police removed illegal food vendors. Vendors are not allowed to operate within 75 feet of a public park. The 104th Precinct has said that police officers have issued summons to illegal vendors but many are properly licensed to sell at the park.

Perricone wishes there was a better relationship between the Parks Department, the 104th Precinct and the community. “When you contact Parks they say they are trying to get more patrol, and when you contact the police they say you have to contact Parks,” he said.

While the park is quiet during the winter months, Perricone hopes to gather enough community support to stop the illegal activity by the summer. Working closely with Citizens for a Better Ridgewood, he has started a Facebook page and contacted elected officials.

By the spring, when the permit process begins, Perricone hopes to meet with the Parks Department to discuss ways to ease the strain the community feels. The best way to accomplish the goals is to have a huge amount of community support and stories, he said.

To join Ridgewood Residents for Grover Cleveland Park, visit its website at queensprogressnow.blogspot.com

Cops Fatally Shoot Glendale Man Eight Times

(c) Terrence Jennings

Police officers responding to domestic dispute call in Glendale fatally shot Zachary Bingert after he struck at them with a knife in his mother’s home.

Police said Bingert, 21, attacked the officers when they entered the house, shortly after his mother had called 911 to report her son was threatening her by knifepoint and was possibly suicidal on December 22.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said the three officers involved, all from the 104th Precinct fired eight shots and that Bingert had nine entry and exit wounds.

Kelly explained that Bingert’s mother already had a protective order that restricted the contact her son was allowed with her but let him sleep on the couch because he was living in a car, in the cold.

Paramedics declared Bingert dead when they arrived. Police released photos of the small hunting knife used by Bingert and found two more knives in the home.

Bingert had previously been arrested, on Nov. 11 for assault and on Sept. 20 for menacing. He was also charged with criminal possession of a weapon on Dec. 16.

The NYPD is not releasing information on whether the officers will go before a grand jury or be subjected to other penalties, as an investigation into the use of deadly force is still pending, Kelly told the New York Times.

Aviation HS Teacher Charged

A 58-year-old teacher was charged with sexually abusing a 16-year-old female student at Aviation Career & Technical Education High School in Long Island City Monday, January 3.

George Zola, of Valley Stream, Long Island, has taught at the school for 22 years as a shop teacher but now is awaiting arraignment in Queens Criminal Court on charges of first-degree attempted sexual abuse, third-degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. If convicted, Zola, who is presently assigned to administrative duties at the school, faces up to four years in prison.

Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said Zola sexually abused one of his female students on multiple occasions and on at least one occasion, Zola allegedly told the student, “This is how it’s gonna be.”

The incidents allegedly occurred inside the school between December 1, 2008 and January 22, 1009 and only came to light when the student informed a school guidance counselor in June 2010.

“The charges are disturbing on so many levels,” Brown said. “As a teacher and an adult, the defendant was in a position of power and had no business engaging in inappropriate contact with one of his students. Such conduct cannot go unpunished.”

Cocaine Busts at JFK Airport

Three men have been arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport since the Christmas holiday, in two separate cases, for attempting to smuggle cocaine into the country.

Roger Levans, of Queens, got off a Delta Airlines flight from Georgetown, Guyana, on December 29, and told customs that he was carrying ‘cooked rabbit,’ according to a criminal complaint filed in Brooklyn Federal Court.

Levans was indeed carrying some food items in the three suitcases he had, but no rabbit. Instead inspectors found three brick-shaped packages filled with three kilos of cocaine.

He was released on a $100,000 bail and told authorities that he works for Guardsmark Security at Yankee Stadium.

In the second case, two men flying into JFK on Christmas Day from San Juan, Puerto Rico have been ordered held on $100,000 bail each on Sunday, Dec. 26 on charges of smuggling 92 pounds of cocaine into the country.

Enmanuel Rojas Peralta, 24, and Israel Rodriguez Jacobo, 25, both of Puerto Rico face up to 20 years in prison if convicted on charges of first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

“The defendants are alleged to have brazenly tried to smuggle 92 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of $3 million into Queens via JFK airport,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. “Drugs such as these are a scourge on soci- ety and endanger our citizens — particularly our young people.”

Peralta and Jacobo were arraigned on December 26 in Queens Criminal Court before Acting Justice Joel Blumenfeld and were or- dered to return to court on January 19.

A Drug Enforcement Administration agent inside the Delta Airlines terminal at JFK spotted the defendants at approximately 6:45 p.m. following their arrival from San Juan.

The agent observed they were each in possession of two baggage claim checks for four pieces of luggage, each containing 42 packages of cocaine which was recovered through a search of the luggage by a Port Authority Police Department detective.

“Our law enforcement partners put a stop to the defendants’ reckless plan and they now face up to 20 years in prison if convicted,” Brown said.

This Week's Forum South and West

Looking Back: 2010

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Blizzard of 2010

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The Year in Editorials

This year we offered commentary on a wide range of topics—some registered anger, others humor, sadness and joy. But regardless of the diverse subject matter, there is always one common thread at The Forum—it is our privilege to serve as your community newspaper.

For the last 34 years, you have counted on us to cover your neighborhood news, and we look forward to renewing your trust in us each and every year ahead.

We are grateful to both our readers and our advertisers for their continued support. It’s because of all of you that we look forward to coming to work each day.

Now we invite you to look some of the editorials we found most impacting for 2010.

January 28 Terrorist Should Face Military Tribunal

The trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed could cost the city of New York more than $400 million. We agree that there are reasons to take this trial out of the city. We need no more reminders. More that any of history’s recorded events—whether a triumph or a tragedy—September 11, 2001 is a day which can be made no more devastating.

Our objections lie in moving this trial from a military courtroom to a civilian one. We feel this decision best serves those to be tried rather than the victims of 9/11 or the people of New York who must face a trial that could loom dangerously over them for a long time.

February 4 When New Direction Means No Direction

Once again the world of politics in Queens is providing more head shaking, stomach turning material, this time from Congressman Gregory Meeks and state Senator Malcolm Smith. The two lawmakers are very involved in the New Direction Local Development Corporation, a local nonprofit organization, which does very little developing at all. It has been labeled a slush fund by critics...since funds have been coming into the charity and gone out in any direction but where they were supposed to have gone. Money was used for meals and entertainment and of course...for consulting fees.

Still have doubts about whether Queens has been tainted by more corrupt elected offiials? Perhaps the recorded announcement from the phone company at the charity’s listed number acts as an indicator—“I’m sorry, the number you have reached has been disconnected. No further information is available.”

March 4 Bring It Back

Someone broke into the church at St. Helen’s in Howard Beach and took a chalice belonging to Fr. Rob Keighron in the middle of the night. I would like to use the editorial space this week to address the individual who stole the chalice.

The value of what you have stolen cannot be measured. It is indeed a treasure. You are not the first person to do something like this and unfortunately, you will not be the last. What you could be instead, is someone who is honestly sorry for having done something so thoughtless and so damaging; someone who now has the chance to make amends and to restore faith.

Wrap it up and leave it in the back of the church. Leave it at the doorstep of the rectory. Please just bring it back.

April 1 Beware of Blind Spots

A dangerous “blind spot” was revealed in the local news when three men were stabbed on a Manhattan train. Two victims died from their injuries and a third was seriously wounded. Their attacker left the scene without a trace and the subway station where the attacks occurred did not have a security camera.

Of the 4,313 security cameras that have been installed in the city, more than one-half don’t work because of mechanical difficulty. Mayor Bloomberg said, “...the MTA does not have enough money to provide the level of security...we should have.”

In addition, $93 million in budget cuts have resulted in unmanned token booths and a shortage of officers to patrol the stations, bridges and tunnels.

A system which is responsible for transporting more than five million New Yorkers every day is not secure and remains an attractive prospect for criminals and terrorists.

The MTA...must initiate and maintain whatever they must so that subway riders in NYC are not faced with deadly blind spots.

July 22 At What Cost Privacy

Governor David Paterson can best be described as shoddy and ineffective. But, to that description he also added irresponsible and dangerous, when he stripped the NYPD of a tool which helps them protect the good guys—us.

He signed off on State Assembly Bill A11177A/S7945 which mandates the eradication of a database containing the list of the names of individuals who were released without having legal action taken after they were stopped by police conducting stop and frisk operations.

While we do not favor the unfair infringement or any investigation based solely on the race of any law-abiding citizen, clearly common sense says we’ll all fare far better in a database than as a statistic.

August 26 And Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Go Grocery Shopping

The Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) released a report detailing that almost half the supermarkets in the city are guilty of numerous violations that seriously affect consumers.

The violations included inaccurate check-out scanners, lack of prices on individual items, taxation of items that are not taxable, improperly weighed foods and unavailability ofscales for customers. Queens’ area supermarkets, approximately 45% in total, don’t meet requirements.

We urge shoppers to hold their favorite supermarkets accountable for all policies with regards to pricing as well as date freshness and health issues.

September 2 Do Not Build It

As we draw near to the nine-year anniversary of September 11, the recollection of that day has recently become even more difficult for many as a result of the proposal to build a mosque within a stone’s throw of the hallowed ground where the Twin Towers once stood.

The Forum has already developed a stated position of opposition to this construction. This week we offer our editorial space to Jay Burke who lost his son Matthew in the attacks.

...my thoughts race forward to...the day of 9/11 horror, the day my son, Matthew J. Burke,...was murdered as he sat at his desk. Nothing will ever erase the memory of that day.

His life and the lives of all those murdered that day must never, ever be forgotten, but remembered with love, dignity and respect.

Something which runs counter to the need for such remembrance...is the plan to build a mosque adjacent to ground zero. The placement of such a building is a symbolic insult to the victims, their families and the great people of this nation.

The desire to place this building less than 1,000 feet from the site of the worst tragedy in our nation’s history is...a conscious effort to demean and desecrate this hallowed ground.

It is ironic and sad to think...it will probably be built before those buildings honoring our fallen at ground zero. It is time to stand firm in our beliefs, reaffirm our trust in the American dream...and speak out. We must not let our country be attacked from outside or undermined from within.

September 23 Forget the Text—Get This Message

A major nationwide effort has been launched to stop distracted driving. Virginia Tech Transportation Institute has identified texting drivers as being 23 times more likely to crash or have near-misses as non-texters.

Another study by Car and Driver magazine...determined that an unimpaired driver tool approximately one-half of a second to brake, a legally drunk driver stopped the car four feet later than an unimpaired driver, while a driver reading a text stopped 36 feet later and another who was texting came to a stop 70 feet further than an unimpaired, non- distracted driver.

Don’t drink and drive. Don’t text and drive. Don’t e-mail and drive. Don’t talk and drive. Just drive.