This Week's Forum South and West

Residents and Officials Rally to Move the Mosque

By Eric Yun

Bob Turner, the Republican challenger to Anthony Weiner in the 9th Congressional District, held a “Move the Mosque” Rally Tuesday night at the Forest Park Band Shell. The event drew over a hundred people who were opposed to the location of the planned Park 51 Muslim Community Center and Mosque, two blocks from the World Trade Center and a block from WTC Building 7, which also collapsed during the attacks.

Through sporadic chants of “move the mosque,” several speakers spoke about their opposition to the mosque site. They stressed this was not a freedom of religion issue. “Muslims are free to worship as they please,” said lifelong local resident Jay Burke, who lost his son Matthew in the 9/11 attacks. However, he felt the location of the mosque was “a symbolic insult to the victims and families.”

Turner, who organized the event, wanted citizens a chance to “demand a solution to the dilemma.” He felt the mosque debate was a “no-win situation.” If we accept the mosque site, he said, “radicals can boast of a victory tower,” but if we reject the mosque, “radicals can say we are against the Muslim faith.”

Those who oppose the mosque are sometimes described as Islamophobic and against Muslims in general. Turner and other speakers disagreed. “Americans are a tolerant people, not defined by race, religion or ethnicity,” Turner said. He urged everyone to join together, respect the victims of 9/11 and move the mosque.

Also speaking at the event were City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone), and Anthony Como, who is challenging State Senator Joe Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) for the Senate’s 15th District.

Halloran noted that unequivocally the developers have a right to build the mosque. He didn’t see the project as an olive branch, but rather, it “will be hailed on the streets as a conquest for Islam.”

Both Halloran and Como questioned why it has been so hard to get St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, which was destroyed during the September 11 attacks, rebuilt. “We need to get our sights in focus. Make sure the mosque is not built and churches are rebuilt,” Como said.

Joe Appelbaum who attended the event from Brooklyn, liked the idea of the rally, but he felt they were fighting a losing battle. “It seems like the will of a majority of people are being ignored,” he said.

Miller and Comaianni Face Off in Assembly Primary

By Eric Yun

Nick Comaianni is mounting a strong challenge to incumbent Mike Miller for the New York State’s 38th Assembly District seat in the upcoming September primary election. Miller won the seat last year in a special election after longtime Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio resigned following his indictment for fraud.

The Local Businessman

Comaianni has been involved in local politics for years. He serves as the president of the Community Education Council 24 and is active in Community Board 9. “I know how things get done,” Comaianni said regarding politics.

When not serving on a volunteer elected board, Comaianni is a businessman in the construction and manufacturing field.

Comaianni decided to run after the insistence of friends and family. “Albany is out of touch with the common people,” he said. If elected, he would bring the sensibilities of the average person to the Assembly, he said.

Comaianni had collected signatures to be placed on the ballot for last year’s election to replace Seminerio, but was unable to continue his candidacy after Governor Paterson called for a special election. The decision to hold a special election meant the local Democratic Party was allowed to hand pick its candidate and decided to back Miller over Comaianni and several other candidates.

Frustrated with taxes being raised while services are being cut, Comaianni has several big plans to help schools, seniors and the economy.

One plan to help education involves allocating already existing tax money as a dedicated education fund. This way, funds meant to go towards education cannot be used as a last resort to fill a budget gap for another city service.

Seeing his parents struggle through life, Comaianni has a strong sense of responsibility to care for the community’s seniors. “We should never advance the economy on the backs of senior citizens,” he said. He doesn’t believe senior services should be cut after everything the seniors have already given to their community and country.

For the economy, Comaianni wants to stimulate the local economy by creating construction projects. However, “You have to make sure those projects go to the local community,” he said. He would create penalties and incentives to ensure general contractors don’t hire out of state workers.

Comaianni believes he can restore cut programs without raising taxes. “Tax increases should be a last resort,” he said. How does he intend to restore services without raising taxes? “We have a large enough budget to serve everyone if we cut failing programs and projects,” he said.

The 24/7 Assemblyman

Miller understands there’s plenty of mistrust in Albany, and notes that it is especially hard replacing a corrupt politician. “It’s a tough time following someone who broke the law,” he said. For this reason, Miller has been working hard to restore voter’s faith in the Assembly seat and the democratic process.

Miller, since taking office, has made it a point to fight for quality of life issues his constituents care about. After a string of car robberies, “The next morning I was on the phone [with the NYPD] demanding they step up patrols,” Miller said. He has developed a system to track 311 noise complaints so his office can track how well they are handled by the police. He hopes to expand the program to include other complaints in the future. He also included senior centers in his member item funding, and helped open a new senior center in Woodhaven.

The economy is a major issue, and Miller has spearheaded several efforts to help small businesses and bring jobs to the community. He strongly supports the Aqueduct project. “I made it clear [to Genting] that people of my district need to have a priority in getting jobs,” Miller said. Furthermore, he supported and worked with Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills) to improve vacant storefronts and help small businesses throughout the neighborhood.

Education is also a major issue for Miller. Miller said he helped preserve education funding when more than two-thirds of the Assembly wanted to cut it from the budget. He also worked with other legislatures to ensure the state qualified for Race to the Top federal funding.

“Having spent the last year in Albany, I am the most experi- enced candidate,” Miller said. He understands how to maneuver bills through the Assembly and get things moving to help the community.

CEC 24 Tackles PS 87 Extension and Metro Avenue HS

By Eric Yun

With schools about to head back to session for another year, officials and residents had plenty to discuss at the monthly Community Education Council (CEC) 24 last week in Glendale. Major topics included the much-anticipated PS 87 extension, the new Queens Metropolitan High School and the updated proficiency testing standards.

PS 87 Gets An Extension

For years, CEC 24 and community members lobbied hard for an extension at PS 87. It was the first school in District 24 to be converted to K to 8 a decade ago, yet is the last building to get the proper facilities, said CEC 24 President Nick Comaianni.

After a long, contentious battle with the education council, which included a tour of the building so the city Department of Education (DOE) could see the inadequate facilities first- hand, the DOE finally agreed to an extension last July.

According to Comaianni, the tentative schedule has the project going to a bidder in June and the project being completed in approximately three years.

New Queens Metropolitan High School Set To Open

This year’s opening of Queens Metropolitan High School in Forest Hill was met with enthusiasm, but there remain some outstanding issues parents and CEC members felt weren’t addressed properly. While the new school will alleviate overcrowding and is welcomed by most residents, there were questions over who was allowed to attend the school.

One parent complained her son was not allowed to enroll there, even though he listed the school as his first choice, and was instead sent to Martin Van Buren on Hillside Avenue. “He has no idea where Martin Van Buren is,” said the parent.

As a locally zoned school, the DOE admitted any student from the local zone who wished to attend Queens Metropolitan High School. The high school contains 25 percent of students from the local zone and 50 percent overall from District 24.

However, Comaianni said there was bad management when the admittance procedure was being implemented. “The proximity of the school should have been taken into consideration,” he said. This would have prevented situations where parents and students just blocks from the zone were turned away. Another point of contention for Comaianni involved how quickly the high school was filled. He believed if there was more time given to inform parents and students that a new school was opening, it could have been filled with much more than 25 percent of locally zoned students.

New Testing Standards for Kids

Educators and parents lauded the new core standards for English and Math proficiency tests as a step in the right direction. District 24 Superintendent Madelene Taub-Chan understood what parents were going through. Her child went from a four to a two. However, Taub-Chan said, “I would rather have an authentic score.” This will allow her to really understand how well her child is doing.

Comaianni applauded the new standards. “A lot of kids who would graduate eighth grade with threes and fours would fail high school,” he said. The new standards would get students better prepared for high school and become true indicators for how well students and teachers are performing.

Illegal Trash Dumping Plagues Glenridge Mews

By Eric Yun

Residents of Glenridge Mews are exasperated with trash constantly being dumped on the road adjacent to the development. The majority of the problem occurs under the elevated tracks on Cypress Hills Street and along nearby blocks of 64th Street and Otto Road.

Ken Daniels, President of the Board of the Glenridge Mews Condos, says at times, the trash dumped on the street is the “most disgusting thing you ever saw.” The trash is rarely cleaned, Daniels complained, and is impacting the quality of life of residents in the development, which is on 71st Avenue near Fresh Pond Road.

Daniels makes sure that private property within the development remains clean and clear, and is frustrated that the city isn’t doing its part to maintaining public areas. “I have people sweeping every day,” he said. But once his property ends, it’s common practice to see trash bags strewn across the street.

Daniels has seen everything from kitchen sinks to severed chicken heads and thinks many people are contributing to the growing problem.

Businesses that do not want to go through proper trash regulations, residents who might have missed their scheduled pick up day or are living in illegally divided homes and homeless people scouring bags of trash were all reasons Daniels guessed the problem exists.

Gary Giordano, District Manager of Community Board 5, called the practice “disrespectful” and showed a “lack of respect” for the city and community.

“Dumping is certainly a problem,” Giordano said, adding they have informed the city Sanitation Department about popular dumping locations. Giordano also noted the Sanitation Department will usually clean up areas if they are notified. He hopes that Sanitation Enforcement officers can perform more undercover stakeouts in the future to catch those that are illegally dumping.

Still, Daniels wishes more could be done. His residents complain constantly about the issue, and he no longer walks his dog along 64th Street because of the smell and fear of homeless people.

The Sanitation Department has a strict illegal dumping policy. Vehicles used to illegally dump trash are impounded and fines can range from $1,500 to $20,000. They also reward tips for information related to illegal dumping that leads to a fine. More information about these programs can be found on nyc.gov/html/dsny/html/illegal_dumping/bounty.shtml. Concerned citizens can also call 311 to report illegal dumping.

Democratic Primaries for Local Assembly and Senate Seats

Fox Challenging Hevesi; Nunes Challenging Huntley

By Eric Yun

Two interesting Democratic Party primaries on September 14 involve the 28th Assembly District and the 10th Senate District. In the 28th Assembly District, lawyer Joe Fox is challenging incumbent Andrew Hevesi, and in the 10th Senate District, Lynn Nunes is challenging incumbent Shirley Huntley.

Fox is counting on the “general voter dissatisfaction with the state of government,” and the current “dysfunction and embarrassments” in the political system. He believes Hevesi (D-Forest Hills) is part of the problem and has shown to be the “least inactive and the least influential legislature” in Albany.

He would work to enact real ethical reform into Albany and help solve the quality of life issues the plague his neighborhood. “I will actually solicit and encourage meetings with constituent groups,” Fox said,and help the communities that are being “underserved by the incumbent.”

Hevesi meanwhile believes he has done a good job helping the community. He has introduced legislation to try to fight the “garbage train” issue and has helped schools, parks and libraries, according to spokesman Doug Forand.

Hevesi also realizes that there is a strong anti-incumbent feeling in New York. However, Citizens Union, a non-partisan organization that publishes Gotham Gazette, named Hevesi as one of only three “preferred” incumbent Assembly Members facing a primary battle.

In the 10th Senate District, newcomer Lynn Nunes is mounting a strong challenge to Huntley (D-Jamaica), Nunes is no stranger to “long-shot” campaigns after coming within just four votes of unseating the late Thomas White for the City Council’s 28th District last year.

Many of Nunes’s biggest backers support his stance on gay marriage. Huntley was one of several Democrats who voted against the same-sex marriage bill last December. Huntley’s “no” vote and Nunes’s support of same sex marriage has earned him endorsements from gay rights groups across the city and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D- Manhattan).

Huntley countered that she voted against same-sex marriage because her constituents said they did not support it, according to the Gotham Gazette.

Republican Stumping Ground

Councilman Eric Ulrich draws a round of applause from fellow Republicans who welcomed an afternoon of stumping with Rudy Giuliani.

(L-R), Rudy Giuliani, Tony Nunziato, Eric Ulrich, Anthony Como and Bob Turner.

Rudy Giuliani was in Howard Beach on Tuesday afternoon at the Cross Bay Diner to endorse the local Queens Republican slate. Giuliani sang the praises of Bob Turner, who is running against Anthony Weiner for the seat in the 9th Congressional District, Anthony Como, who will face-off against incumbent Sen. Joe Addabbo for the 15th State Senate District seat and Tony Nunziato, who is challenging Assemblywoman Marge Markey for her seat in the 30th Assembly District.

Invitations for the gathering were extended by the Turner campaign to small business owners for a discussion of the current economic situation and how policies of the president’s administration will impact small business throughout local Queens communities.

This Week's Forum South and West

JHS 226 Again Labeled Persistently Dangerous

For the second straight year, JHS 226 in South Ozone Park has been labeled “persistently dangerous” by the State Department of Education (DOE) in an annual review conducted under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Schools are listed as “persistently dangerous” if they have two successive years of “serious incidents.” These incidents could include homicide, forcible or other sexual offenses, robbery, assault resulting in physical injury, arson, kidnapping, reckless endangerment and possession, use or threatened use of a weapon, according to the State DOE.

City DOE spokesperson Marge Feinberg said city schools are making progress. “Under old rules, [the schools] would no longer be on this list,” she wrote in an e-mail to the Forum, “But the safety of our students is of the highest priority.”

Schools that are deemed persistently dangerous will receive additional support, Feinberg said. This includes “professional development in positive behavior interventions, peer mediation and conflict resolution.”

Parents have the option of transferring students from persistently dangerous schools to another school in their district.

JHS 226, also known as Virgil I. Grissom School, is located at 121-10 Rockaway Boulevard. It was the only school in Queens named to this year’s list of dangerous schools.

Get Savvy at Your Supermarket

After a recent study by the Department of Con- sumer Affairs (DCA) showed more than half the supermarkets throughout the city were “abusing” their customers, The Forum decided to take a look at several supermarkets in our readership area.

Violations were issued to more than 700 supermarkets during the DCA investigation for a number of infractions including inaccurate or unavailable scales for customer weighing, the col- lection of tax on non taxable items, the lack of in- dividual price tags on specified items and insufficient data on date freshness labels.

Shoppers would be well advised to scrutinize their supermarket receipts to see that they have not been overcharged for individual items or paid tax on exempt products.

Here are some tips we have come up with in order to keep you from getting ripped off, save you money at the supermarket and also to protect your rights while shopping:

•If you are buying sale items make sure the price is in agreement with the advertised or circular prices. Remember that if you want to purchase a sale item that is out of stock, you are entitled to a rain check for the maximum amount of the item advertised. For example if the limit is 4, then you should get a rain check for that amount of product.

•In smaller stores watch for adjustment of prices sometime in the middle of the sale run. Many smaller grocery stores have been sited for false ad- vertising for not honoring the complete sale pe- riod. This does not usually happen with the chain markets.

•Always check your receipt to make sure you were not charged tax for non-taxable items. One commonly repeated violation of this type is in charging tax for bottle deposits in addition to the beverage itself.

•You should also check your receipt against individual prices in the store to see that you were not charged more than the labeled price.

•Use the unit-price label under each product to compare prices of different brands. This can be a very useful tool in saving money at the consumer level. This pricing tag must be listed on the shelf below most products.

•Supermarkets must have a scale within 30 feet of their prepackaged food section. Check for short weight and tare weight deduction—the deduction taken for the weight of the empty container from the gross weight. The scale must have a DCA seal on it, start at zero, and come to rest before weight or price is quoted. The NYC Department of Consumer Affairs requires that an accurate computing scale of adequate capacity, which displays weight and price/lb, must be available within 30 feet of the prepackaged display counter.

•Item Pricing - All market commodities sold or of- fered for sale in New York City must have a stamp, tag or label giving the item’s cost, except:

- milk - eggs - fresh produce - some frozen foods - baby food in jars - vending machine products - snack foods - food sold for on-premise consumption - tobacco - bulk-food sales - display items at the end of the aisle - items on sale for seven days or less

• “Open” or “Freshness” Dates - These dates show the last recommended sale or use date, and must be marked on perishable food product packages, such as egg cartons, dairy products, meat and baked goods.

City to Reopen Kew Gardens Jail

By Eric Yun

Not in my backyard. Kew Gardens’ residents are weary of a comprehensive overhaul of the New York City Department of Corrections fa- cilities, which includes reopening the 467-bed Queens Houses of Detention near Queens Boulevard Kew Gardens.

The city Department of Corrections (DOC) revealed the plans to reopen the detention facility, located at 126-01 82nd Street, on August 11. DOC officials claim the overhaul repre- sents the most cost effective way to upgrade and maintain their facilities while ensuring they have enough space for prisoners. The department hopes to have the Kew Gardens facility reopened within a year.

The plans call for 50 deteriorating housing buildings at Rikers Island to be torn down and replaced with a new 1,500-bed jail that will be completed in 2017. DOC Deputy Commissioner Sharman Stein explained the 50 houses were originally intended to be temporary solutions when the city needed extra beds during the crack epidemic in the late 1980s. Overall, as a result of the project, the capacity of Rikers Island will decrease by approximately 3,000.

To compensate for the lost beds, the DOC will reopen a 759-bed Brooklyn jail along with
the 467-bed Kew Gardens jail. This plan replaced an earlier idea to build a new facility at Hunts Point in the Bronx and doubling the capacity of Brooklyn facility. The total cost of that proposal was $1.1 billion. The new plan, however, is expected to cost approximately $660 million—a taxpayers’ saving of approximately $415 million, according to the DOC.

The Kew Gardens jail was closed in 2002 due to budget concerns. There is now concern among residents regarding safety as a result of the plan to move inmates back to the neighborhood. Council Member Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills) pledged to diligently work to ensure necessary precautions are met.

“I will be working closely with community leaders, residents and elected officials in the area to ensure that the number one concern—safety—is at all times met,” said Koslowitz. “Our community has always been vigilant, and I have expressed this sentiment to [DOC] Commissioner Schriro. The commissioner has assured me of her commitment to the safety of the community.”

Community leaders are concerned about the type of inmates who are held at the jail. “The Kew Gardens Civic Association and myself need to have more information on the type of clientele that will be held there,” said Mary Ann Carey, District Manager of Community Board 9. The community does not want murderers, rapists, or other hardened criminals living next door."

Carey said the Community Board was not co tacted about the DOC’s plans until after they made inquires about the project.

DOC Deputy Commissioner Stein said the agency have been in contact with, and will continue to work with, the community about their concerns.

Fighting Back Against Raccoons

By Eric Yun

New York City has seen a steady rise in the raccoon population, and community residents and local politicians have had enough. Coun- cilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) introduced legislation last week that would require the city Department of Health to remove a raccoon from a public or private property upon request, regardless of whether the animal has exhibited signs of rabies or other illnesses.

“Raccoons may seem like cute little bandits, but they can be unsanitary, filthy and a big nuisance for New Yorkers,” Crowley said.

Local residents Mary Borzelino, Sherry Ortega, and Carole Aiello agree. They’ve noticed an increase in raccoon sightings that have them fearing for their families’ safety. The three women decided to take action and asked local politicians for help. “Finally, something is being done,”
said Borzelino, who is afraid to go outside to take out the trash because of raccoons.
Ortega said she is sick of raccoons “using the pool as a local watering hole.” She also noted raccoons seem to be fighting with the local cat population.

Aiello first noticed the problem two months ago when nobody would help her remove a raccoon from her backyard. “I panicked because it was during the day,” she said. Calls to Environmental Protection, Pest Control, ASPCA and 311 all resulted in similar answers: take care of it yourself. Finally, with the help of Assemblyman Mike Miller (D- Woodhaven), two police officers helped her capture the raccoon.

Crowley unveiled the new legislation this week at Mafera Park in Ridgewood where she was joined by Assemblyman Miller and Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan (D-Ridgewood).

“These raccoons have been a nuisance to our community for years,” said Miller. “They not only frustrate residents but also pose a potential health risk to the neighborhood.” Miller said he sees raccoons by his house frequently.

Nolan had similar experiences. She’s personally sighted seven raccoons on her street. “With the increase number of raccoon sightings, we need to set a policy for effectively dealing with this issue,” she said. Nolan believes if the city and state continue to ignore the problem it will lead to “bed bug two” and become an even bigger issue.

Under the proposed legislation, captured raccoons will be humanely relocated away from residential areas. “Euthanizing is not the answer,” Crowley said.

Councilman White Loses Battle With Cancer

Served Residents of Southeast Queens for Decades

Councilman Tom White (D-South Ozone Park) passed away Friday after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was 71.

White was City Councilman from 1992-2001 before leaving office because of term limits. He reclaimed the office in 2006 after residents urged him to run once again. For years, White has fought for years for his southeast Queens community.

“[White] searched for ways to break the cycle of poverty and violence. He fought for job training and placement programs and investments in long term economic growth,” City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) said in a statement.

White was a strong advocate for community programs for senior citizens and youth in his district. He was especially diligent fighting for alcohol and substance abuse. He was the cofounder and executive director of J-CAP, one of New York’s largest alcohol and substance abuse residential treatment programs.

In a statement, J-CAP commended White’s dedication to helping cure addiction in his community: “His lifelong mission was the promotion of individual self empowerment and higher education. Emphasizing the importance of reconnecting with family and community, he inspired tens of thousands of individuals in recovery. His commitment to the treatment of addictions in the Southeast Queens community and beyond will live on through the pro- grams he created and the people he helped.”

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said White’s “legacy will live on in the results of his work”
and praised White for serving as chair of the Council’s Economic Development Committee.
He is survived by his mother, Mrs. Marie White; his son, Bryan D. White and wife, Seleste; his daughter, Lucille Precious Middleton; and two grandchildren, Lamar White and Jacob Tom.

Bloomberg Visits Forest Hills Civic

Mayor Bloomberg addresses the large crowd inside Our Lady of Mercy Church as Forest Hills Community and Civic Association President Barbara Stuchinski looks on.

By Eric Yun

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and commissioners from a several city agencies joined the Forest Hills Community and Civic Association for a town hall meeting at Our Lady Mercy Roman Catholic Church on Tuesday night.

Mayor Bloomberg opened up the evening speaking about the progress New York City has made. He noted that the local unemployment rate is lower than the national average and city schools are improving. The mayor also stressed the importance of tourism. “Tourism is the second biggest industry next to Wall Street,” he said, adding that it’s important for the city to keep attracting foreign tourists because it is a multi-billion dollar industry.

The mayor also mentioned that crime is down 36 percent citywide since 2001, and gave special mention to the 112th Precinct where crime is down 60 percent over the same period.

After his short speech, Mayor Bloomberg and the commissioners answered questions from residents. There was a heated discussion about immigration and undocumented aliens getting jobs. Bloomberg said immigration is a federal problem, but more needs to be done. “Employers need to know if you’re legal,” he said, but social security and green cards are too easy to counterfeit. Bloomberg also stated immigration is good for small businesses and employment. “I would offer a green card to anyone who opens a small business and employs 10 or more people.”

Another question that elicited some spirited discussion was the proposed mosque near Ground Zero. Bloomberg once again stressed the importance of religious freedom. “The U.S. government should not be involved in who they pray to and where they pray,” Bloomberg said.

Many residents had some concerns about landmarks in Queens. One person eventually stormed out of the meeting because he felt the city was not doing enough to help landmark important Queens’ structures. There was also a strong contingent of residents hoping Mayor Bloomberg could help preserve the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium.

At the end of the night, Mayor Bloomberg thanked Barbara Stuchinski, President of the Forest Hills Community and Civic Association, and presented her with a rosary as a gift.

This Week's Forum South and West

Ulrich Joins Summer Service Students at MS 210

Council Member Eric A. Ulrich (R-Queens) joined students from the Cross Island YMCA Beacon Center at M.S 210 for a day of fun to celebrate the culmination of the group’s summer service project to take a stand against violence in the community.

The Cross Island YMCA Beacon Center provides these students with an outlet to express their creativity and continue learning outside the classroom,” said Ulrich. “So many of our young people really want to make a difference but sometimes they just don’t know how. I am so glad to see that so many are taking advantage of this opportunity.”

This summer’s project ended with fun day activities and the painting of a community art mural on the school building on August 13. Over the prior five weeks, the teens explored and conducted workshops to educate other youth about the impact of bullying, cyber-bullying, teen dating violence and gang violence, as well as ways to combat these types of violence.

From design to completion, the project was led by the teens, their good work expected to continue throughout the school year at ongoing workshops at the Beacon Center’s After-School program and other local youth programs.

The project was part of the City’s Department of Youth and Community Development’s Summer of Service initiative, in partnership with NYC Service and the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. It was funded through a donation from the Neuberger Berman Foundation.

New Floor at Divine Mercy

INSTALL NYC Members volunteered their time to install 4,500 feet of vinyl composition tile flooring on Saturday, July 31, 2010 in five classrooms and two offices of the Divine Mercy Catholic Academy, Ozone Park, NY.

The project was initiated by Council Member Eric Ulrich and coordinated by Warren Hutchinson, Local 2287, who served as the foreman on the job. Twenty-one members of both Local 2287 Floorcovers Union and the New York City District Council of Carpenters helped to install the new flooring at the school.

“It worked out great,” Hutchinson said. “Everyone was glad to work on this charity project and we completed the installation very quickly as a team.”

“I am truly grateful for the helping hands the New York District Council of Carpenters and INSTALL extended to Divine Mercy Catholic Academy. These volunteers are the most dedicated and skilled floor coverers in the city. Thanks to them, students within the school will not only continue to reap the benefits of a quality education, but also enjoy learning in the newly renovated classrooms,” said Council Member Ulrich.

The Divine Mercy Catholic Academy is the combination of Nativity BVM and St. Stanislaus BM Schools for Kindergarten through Grade 8 classes.

Livery Cab Driver Arrested in Ozone Park Murder

Two men were arrested and charged for the murder and robbery of Ramarin Matadin, a Brooklyn man who was killed in Ozone Park last Tuesday.

Deevan Jagmarine, 21, a livery cab driver from Jamaica, and Alex Gobardham, 19, from Ozone Park were charged second-de- gree murder, first-degree robbery, second- degree robbery and fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property. If convicted, they face a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

According to police, the cab driver confessed that he picked up the victim and his brother at the Golden Arrow Bar on 101st Avenue in Ozone Park. The brother wanted to stop by his own house to get some clothes because he was spending the night at the victim’s house but when he got out of the car, the cab driver left with the victim.

The driver then allegedly called a friend to say he had an easy mark with a roll of cash in the car who was intoxicated. He then went to pick up the friend and they drove to a dead-end on Arion Road, where a struggle ensued.

According to reports, the defendants allegedly punched the victim in the face and robbed him of his cell phone, wallet and a gold bracelet. The cause of death has been determined to be cardiac arithmic and blunt trauma of the head.

Police reportedly found a gold bracelet in Jagnarine’s home and a cell phone in Gobardhan’s home.

“This is a disturbing case that ended with the death of an innocent man,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. “These defendants now face lengthy prison terms if convicted of this senseless crime.”

Addabbo Hosts Voting Machine Demo

State Senator Joseph Addabbo, Chair of the Senate Elections Committee, is sponsoring a series of free town hall meetings for voting machine demonstrations around his district to help familiarize Queens voters with the introduction of the new optical scan voting machines in the primary elections next month. When voters show up at their polling place on September 14 Primary Day and the November 2 General Election, instead of the old mechanical lever machines, they’ll now mark their votes on a paper ballot that is run through a scanner to be recorded. Senator Addabbo arranged for the NYC Board of Elections to conduct open public demonstrations of the new system, using the scanner and ballot marking device, with the first in his series on Tuesday, August 31 at the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps headquarters, 78-15 Jamaica Avenue, from 7 to 9 p.m.

Senator Addabbo and his Elections Committee have worked through many public hearings on the testing and performance of the new machines in a pilot program throughout the state. The change is a result of the federal Help America Vote Act, which mandated that voters in New York State must have new voting machines this year. The new system electronically records a vote from a paper ballot that a voter marks.

“As we prepare for this change, I want to assure all voters that their votes will be counted accurately and will work toward ensuring the reliability of the new voting machines,” said Addabbo.

For more information, please call Senator Addabbo’s Howard Beach district office, 718-738-1111 or his Middle Village satellite district office, 718-497-1630.

Low Compliance Rate Among City Supermarkets

Half of the city’s supermarkets are scamming customers. That was the finding of the New York City Department of Con- sumer Affairs (DCA), which inspected 700 supermarkets across all the five boroughs and found only 48 percent complied with DCA rules.

The DCA conducted 983 inspections throughout the course of this year and issued 516 violations. The non-compliant supermarkets could face fines more than $380,000.

There are several DCA guidelines supermarkets must follow. Scales, with a DCA seal, must be available within 30 feet of prepackaged food areas. Unit or item pricing must be visible, either on the item or as a tag on the shelf, but there are certain exceptions for items like snack foods and fresh produce.

The DCA found the majority of violations occurred when items did not have proper price tags. Supermarkets were also penalized for inaccurate prices at checkout scanners, taxation of non-taxable items and improper weighing and unavailability of scales for customers, according to the DCA press release.

DCA Commissioner Jonathan Mintz is adamant that these violations stop, and consumers receive the protection they deserve. “It is a supermarket’s responsibility to ensure that its products are accurately priced and its customers are correctly charged,” he said, “But with half the supermarkets in the City receiving violations, it is clear that they are failing their cus- tomers.”

Mintz promised to double the number of inspections in supermarkets next year.