Suspected in Series of Violent Street Robberies Across Queens
By Conor Greene
Four men suspected in a series of street robberies are in custody after leading officers on a car chase from Maspeth to Forest Hills late last night. The men are now being held in connection with five robberies committed last night, and are suspected in several other including a recent carjacking.
The 104th Precinct’s Grand Larceny Auto Team was on the lookout for a black Toyota that was robbed gunpoint from a woman on Bleecker Street in Ridgewood early Saturday morning. Officers Michael Sagarese and Nigel Peart noticed the vehicle in Maspeth last night, and attempted to pull it over at Maurice and Borden avenues. As the officers approached the vehicle, the driver took off eastbound on the service road along the Long Island Expressway. The officers radioed for backup and followed the vehicle to the Grand Central Parkway.
At 75th Avenue in Forest Hills, the four men bailed out of the vehicle and tried to run but were quickly taken into custody. As of Wednesday morning, officers at the 104th Precinct were still conducting lineups and going over statements made by victims. The men are believed to be responsible for strong-arm street robberies that occurred last night in the 104th, 110th, 108th and 114th precincts, and police are withholding their names until the investigation is complete.
Police believe the crime binge began when the men stole a car in Ridgewood at 2:55 a.m. on Saturday. During that incident, they allegedly approached the 35-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man and demanded the keys. When the woman refused, the perps hit the man in the face and stuck the woman over the head with a beer bottle before fleeing with the car.
Ten minutes later, a man walking along Metropolitan Avenue near 61st Street was approached by three men who got out of a black vehicle. They flashed a hand gun and threw the victim to the ground before choking him, police said. When they realized he wasn’t carrying any money or valuables, they drove from the scene eastbound on Metropolitan Avenue at about 3:05 a.m.
The suspects are now being investigated in connection with a series of street robberies across the areas patrolled by Queens North, said a police source. “This is a great collar,” the source said. “It will take a couple of days before everything is said and done. They are suspected in numerous robberies across Queens.”
Thursday, July 24, 2008
MTA Extends Q45 to Atlas Park
Move Comes Despite Overwhelming Opposition from Community By Conor Greene
Despite overwhelming opposition from many neighborhood residents, the MTA has decided to extend service on the Q45 bus route to the Shops at Atlas Park mall.
MTA Bus Company has decided to reroute the bus south on 80th Street from its final stop at Eliot Avenue to a new terminus in front of the shopping center at Cooper Avenue, beginning on August 31. It will use existing Q29 stops south of Furmanville Avenue and will turnaround using the mall’s internal roads before heading back north.
Controversial Proposal
The proposal generated much controversy since it was unveiled last year, both from residents who don’t want more bus traffic and those who say the mall is getting special treatment because it is owned by MTA Chairman Dale Hemmerdinger’s family.
“This route will enhance the mobility of Glendale residents by providing a direct connection to... the 74th Street-Roosevelt Avenue station,” said MTA Spokesman Aaron Donovan. “We hope it will reduce traffic by allowing residents of Jackson Heights and Elmhurst car-free access to a major retail center.”
Last month, Community Board 5 overwhelmingly rejected the proposal after many residents spoke against it during a public hearing. However, the board acts only in an advisory role, and the MTA made it clear at that point they would continue to pursue the route extension. The decision was announced in a July 11 letter from Joseph Smith, MTA Bus President, to Gary Giordano, the board’s district manager.
“We understand that there remains opposition to the proposed extension,” wrote Smith, adding that MTA decided that the mall provides “a logical southern terminus” for the route. “Bus transit has the flexibility to adjust to changing travel patterns and land uses, and the relatively new Shops at Atlas Park has presented an opportunity to increase the functionality of the Q45 by serving this large shopping center,” he wrote.
Both MTA Bus and MTA Transit have recently adjusted several routes to serve large retail shopping centers in Brooklyn, including Gateway Center Mall and the newly-opened Red Hook Ikea, the agency argued in its letter and a statement announcing the route change. “As with numerous other route changes that the MTA Bus Company has undertaken since it was formed in 2004 that have improved service and significantly boosted ridership, we expect that the ridership on this improve route will be robust,” said spokesman Aaron Donovan. “If it proves to be less than anticipated, we can always revisit this decision.”
The bottom line for the MTA is increasing the usefulness of the overall route, despite the concerns of residents living near the shopping center in Glendale, according to Smith. “We believe that this extension would provide better transportation options to everyone along the Q45 route, and would not make this revision if we thought that it did not provide benefits to the public or results in an inconvenience to our customers,” he wrote.
MTA: Family Didn’t Influence
The MTA also stressed that its chairman didn’t play a role in the process since it directly benefits the mall, which is owned and operated by his son, Damon Hemmerdinger. “Dale Hemmerdinger played no role in the initiative to study bus service to Glendale or to extend the Q45 bus route,” wrote Donovan. “If the route extension had come before the board, he would have recused himself from voting on the matter. In addition, he has had no conversations with anyone involved in planning this route extension.”
Discussions to extend bus service to Glendale and Atlas Park “began many months before Dale Hemmerdinger came to the MTA in October 2007,” noted Donovan. The MTA board did not have to vote on the matter since it only involves changing an existing route, he added.
Atlas Park also claimed throughout the process that the change wasn’t the result of the family’s connections. Damon Hemmerdinger declined to comment through the mall’s public relations firm on the MTA’s decision, but has said previously that the new route will benefit the community as a whole.
“Southern Middle Village and Upper Glendale are underserved by public transportation and a direct connection... to an express subway station isin the overall best interest of all our property values,” wrote Atlas Park spokeswoman Robin Dolch last month. “Discussions about improved bus service are not new and have been underway for at least seven years.”
When announcing the route change, the MTA downplayed the negative effects the additional bus service will have on neighborhood surrounding Atlas Park. “We understand the concerns about increased traffic on the streets in the community,” wrote Smith in his letter to the community board, before noting that “the Q45 is not a frequent, high volume route.”
The route has two buses per hour running in each direction on weekday middays, nights and on weekends. There are three to four buses each hour during weekday afternoons, and up to eight buses per hour during weekday rush hours. New bus stops needed between Eliot and Furmanville avenues “will be widely spaced to reduce the loss of on-street parking,” wrote Smith.
Decision Comes After Several Proposals
Under the final extended route decided on, the bus will follow 80th Street from Eliot Avenue to Cooper Avenue. Buses heading south will turn east at the corner of 80th Street and Cooper Avenue, making its final stop at 81st Street outside the mall. Buses would then enter the mall property at 82nd Street and use its internal roads to turnaround and exit onto Cooper Avenue before
heading north towards Jackson Heights.
This route was settled on after several other proposals, including one extending the route south on residential streets to Myrtle Avenue and 80th Street, were opposed by the community. “We appreciate the community’s input because it... helped us find a better alternative than the route on Myrtle Avenue that we had originally identified,” wrote Donovan. “We feel comfortable that this extension will make the route more useful to more Queens residents and will provide a more attractive alternative than the one we had originally proposed.”
Residents and Officials React
At the community board’s June 11 public hearing, residents made it clear that they don’t want the route extended through their neighborhood and accused the MTA favoring the needs of the Hemmerdinger family. After finding out that the rerouting had been finalized, residents reacted similarly this week.
At the community board’s June 11 public hearing, residents made it clear that they don’t want the route extended through their neighborhood and accused the MTA favoring the needs of the Hemmerdinger family. After finding out that the rerouting had been finalized, residents reacted similarly this week.
Dolores Capace of Glendale said that attending a recent City Council hearing on bus routes made it “crystal clear that there are no rules or policies that the MTA must follow with respect to this bus modifications.” She noted that the majority of residents, community board members, civic leaders and local officials publicly opposed the route change. “The MTA decided to ignore the community and extend this bus route anyway,” she said. “This just adds another layer of community mistrust.”
Robert Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association and a community board member called the public hearing “a sham,” adding that “this is another example of government disregarding the will of the people and doing as they please.”
Earlier this month, Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi wrote to MTA Bus Company to express his “concern” regarding the proposed route change. “The expansion, which the vast majority of local residents oppose, raises serious concerns regarding traffic congestion through a perpetually gridlocked section of 80th Street from Furmanville Avenue to Cooper Avenue,” he wrote. “The proposed expansion... will be harmful to the quality of life of my constituents and I am unequivocally opposed to its implementation.”
Woman Uses Internet to Track Down Missing Dog
LOST POOCH FROM THE BRONX FOUND IN RHODE ISLAND by Conor Greene
A Bronx family whose dog went missing missing in early June had nearly lost hope–until a pet lover and dog rescuer from Middle Village located the pooch in a shelter 200 miles away.
Bugzy, a mixed Rottweiler, was separated from her owner, Theresa Mollica, in the Bronx on June 8. Witnesses reported seeing a woman drive away with him in a red van with Pennsylvania license plates, according to Phyllis Taiano, a local dog rescuer who eventually helped locate Bugzy using the Internet.
After the dog went missing, the Mollicas flooded the web with postings explaining how important a part of their family 14 year-old Bugzy is, especially to Theresa’s terminally ill husband. For weeks Taiano searched websites listing lost dogs taken to shelters and had no luck until last week. The break came when she searched under German Shepherds instead of Rottweilers.
“I’m checking all the local shelters, and as you go down the page they get further away,” she said. “I get to the second page, and read about a dog that came to a shelter with out of state tags named Bugzy,” she said. When she saw that they shelter doesn’t assign names to incoming dogs, Taiano knew she had found the Mollica’s dog in Rhode Island, 200 miles from home. She called her friend, Cathy Schnurr, who knows the Mollicas and confirmed that it was definitely Bugsy. Taiano called the shelter, located in Pawtuckett, and spoke with manager John Holmes. They found out that the shelter had picked Buzgy up on June 9 after receiving a call from a woman about a stray dog in her development. It was later reported that a woman matching the description of the woman seen driving away with Bugzy in the Bronx was seen in the immediate vicinity in Pawtuckett
The discovery ended a nearly two-month stay in the Pawtuckett shelter and setup a reunion captured on local television news cameras. “I was kind of losing hope, but now I’m so happy,” a jubilated Theresa Mollica told ABC-6 television in Pawtuckett. “I would never even have thought of [looking in] Rhode Island, or how to go about finding him.”
Holmes told the station that the “dog was sick at the time,” but was taken care of and added to the website. “His photo was then picked up by someone in New York.” The successful search aided with the website petfinder.com, where Holmes posted the photo and description of Bugzy that Taiano found.
“We have an amazing [online] network, with more than 100 people in it from New Jersey, Delaware, Florida, the west, south,” said Taiano. “When dog goes missing, we all network among each other.”
Taiano isn’t sure if the woman stole Bugzy of took him with the intention of keeping him, but said she shouldn’t have just abandoned him. “We have the feeling that she dumped him because he has a stomach issue and takes medicine every day,” she said. “She probably didn’t have the money to take care of him, and instead of bringing him back, she just let him go.”
Helping to reunite the lost dog with its family is "awesome, a good feeling,” she said. “If you love animals, you understand how it bad it feels to lose one. Then, to be reunited when you never thought it would happen. Most people hold on to [lost dogs] and aren’t always trustworthy.”
“This is one of the best days of my life,” said Mollica.
Photos: The Mollica family after being reunited with Bugzy in Rhode Island. Bottom: Phyllis Taiano and John Mollica greet Bugzy.
Please Help Penelope!
Crippled by a broken leg that was set incorrectly, 12-week-old Penelope was recently abandoned by her owner. She is now under the care of volunteers at Bobbie & the Strays in Glendale, who are trying to raise $3,500 for surgery needed to fix her limb. A woman was playing with her English Bulldog in a local park recently when she was approached by Penelope’s owner, who asked if the dogs could play. She then asked the woman if she would watch Penelope for a minute, and never returned for the mutt.
Bobbie & the Strays, based in the Shops at Atlas Park mall, have already collected hundreds of dollars from shoppers, according to Phyllis Taiano. It appears that her leg was broken and then reset incorrectly, leaving her only able to use three legs. As a result, she has to hold up the bad leg while she runs and gets tired quickly.
A specialist is needed to operate on Penelope’s leg, which needs a plate and screws in order to gain full range of motion. The rescue group can’t afford to pay for the operation, but they are hoping shoppers and the public take pity and donate a few dollars. Penelope will then be available for adoption, hopefully giving her a normal life after being abandoned.
Donations can be made in person at the shopping center or by mailing to:
The Shops at Atlas Park - Bobbi & the Strays
71-03 80th Street, Glendale, NY 11385
Memo: Pennies for Penelope Fund
For details, call Phyllis Taiano at (646) 361-0163
Crime's on the Rise, But Help is on the Way
Major Crime up 7%, but 14 Extra Officers Have ArrivedBy Conor Greene
The area covered by the 104th Precinct has suffered the largest increase in crime so far this year within Queens North, but according to Deputy Inspector Keith Green, help is on the way in the form of additional manpower.
Through the first 28 weeks this year, major crime has increased nearly eight percent, the precinct’s commanding officer reported at last week’s COP 104 meeting in Maspeth Town Hall. Of those categories, robberies and grand larcenies are “up substantially,” said Green, while assault and burglaries are down slightly.
There were 157 robberies so far this year, compared with 126 at the same time last year, and 267 grand larcenies, up from 216 last year, said Green. Rapes have held even at eight so far, while felony assaults – the only category to rise last year – decreased from 80 to 74. Burglaries have also decreased a little, down to 213 compared with 223 last year. On the flip side, arrests for major crimes are up 15% this year, including a 119% increase in burglary arrest and a 20% increase in robbery arrests, said Green. Overall, arrests are up 12.5% for all crimes, he said.
The increase in crime marks the largest seen this year of any of eight precincts that comprise Patrol Borough Queens North, according to Green. However, he told residents at last Wednesday’s meeting that he had “a little bit of good news,” as 14 additional officers have been assigned to the 104th Precinct. They arrived at the Ridgewood stationhouse last week, and have at least six months on the job so far working with tactical units in Queens and Brooklyn.
“It is a big boost for us and is going to enable us to do a lot of things,” said Green, who said the extra manpower will help focus on non-emergency issues like quality of life complaints. “It is the result of the problems we’re having with crime,” he added. “You don’t see officers transferred from Brooklyn North often.”
The precinct has tried to focus more attention on quality of life issues, according to Green. Criminal court summonses, which mainly deal with those types of nuisance issues, are up 68% this year, with 3,922 issued so far. “We do that to decrease all types of crime, not just quality of life issue,” said Green.
The precinct has issued 25% more moving summonses so far this year, and twice as many speeding tickets, in part due to help from the highway patrol division. “We didn’t do a lot of traffic enforcement last year, so we stepped it up this year,” Deputy Inspector Green told residents. Traffic accidents are down nine percent this year, but there is still an average of 300 per month. “We still have way too many accidents in this precinct,” he Green.
Despite the precinct’s demonstrated attention to quality of life and traffic enforcement concerns, these issues remain those raised most frequently by residents. Lorraine Sciulli said that speeding drivers along streets surrounding Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village, including Juniper Boulevard North and South, continue to be an issue. Deputy Inspector Green said that the precinct will continue to monitor that area.
Manny Caruana of Maspeth complained about school buses around PS 58, which he said are parked on neighborhood streets overnight and on weekend. “They use it for personal parking all weekend,” he told the deputy inspector. “They’re taking parking away from residents.” He said that he is worried that the problem will get worse if a new school is built at 57th Avenue and 74th Street, which he said is “almost certain.” Green said that the precinct has spoken with the local PTA and has done enforcement in the area, but promised to send additional forces to patrol near PS 58. “There are forty-something schools [within the precinct] and we try to hit them all,” he said.
“When we’re out there [issuing tickets], they get the message.” As with many neighborhoods in Queens, the proliferation of graffiti vandalism is also a concern for the precinct, said Green. The precinct was number-one citywide last year in term of graffiti arrests, and boasts a “great graffiti removal program,” he said. “It is a priority for us – it’s not that we ignore it, it’s pervasive. I see it everywhere.”
Green urged residents to call 911 when they see somebody defacing property, since it’s a crime in progress. He said people arrested for graffiti within the precinct’s confines are all ages and from around the city. “It’s not just fourteen, fifteen, sixteen-year old kids,” he said. “They consider themselves artists, but they’re vandals.”
Robert Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association and chairman of Community Board 5’s Public Safety Committee asked Green about the chances of having an impact zone established, especially in Ridgewood. “There is so much more crime there, it really warrants an impact zone,” he said.
Green said the precinct’s request earlier this year to have an impact zone created was denied because there isn’t enough violent crime in the area to warrant it. However, he hopes that the additional officers assigned to the precinct will help reduce street crime, especially overnight. He said that the majority of robberies occur during the 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. shift, which is when most of the new officers will be on duty.
The next COP 104 meeting will be Wednesday, September 17 at a location to be announced, since the group doesn’t meet in August, announced its president, Barry Nisenson.
Three Caught Breaking Into Ridgewood Apartment
Crime Report Includes Incidents in Maspeth and Middle VillageBy Conor Greene
Police arrested three suspects who were caught exiting a Ridgewood home carrying stolen items worth hundreds of dollars. The 104th Precinct’s Anti Crime Team responding to a 911 call arrived at a three-family house on Cornelia Street at 2:40 p.m. last Wednesday just as two men were exiting through a rear second-floor window, according to police.
Sgt. Robert Krohley and Officers Anthony Burzotta and Danielle Clifford immediately took Prabhjit Singh, 22 and Anthony Manon, 20 into custody. The suspects were carrying several canvass bags containing thousands of dollars in items stolen from the two residences within the house, said police.
Also arrested was Amanda Cruz, 20, who was outside the house acting as a lookout when police arrived. No one was inside the homes at the time of the burglaries, which took place on Cornelia Street between Woodward and Onderdonk avenues.
Among the items taken from the second-and third-floor residences was a 32-inch flat screen television worth about $750, a PSP video game system valued at $400, an X-Box worth $500, along with about $1,000 in video games, a $150 gold watch, a $300 silver chain, a GPS system worth $300, according to police.
The three suspects were charged with burglary and possession of stolen property. Cruz and Singh were ordered held on $10,000 bail during their initial court appearance on July 18 and ordered back in Queens Criminal Court on August 1, according to records. Manon was ordered held on $75,000 bail and is due back in court on August 18. All are from the area, according to police.
Ex-Girlfriend Charged in Burglary
A 38-year-old woman has been charged with breaking into her ex-boyfriend’s apartment and damaging his property, according to police.
Dawn Rivera was arrested last Friday at her 58th Road home after allegedly breaking into her ex-boyfriend’s home on 54th Street. She was seen entering the home and is accused with damaging several items before fleeing in a taxi cab, according to the 104th Precinct.
Following an investigation, police tracked Rivera to her home on 58th Road. When officers arrived, Rivera tried to escape by climbing out the back window, but was taken into custody in her rear yard. Several items taken from the victim’s house were found in her home, said police.
Rivera was charged with burglary and criminal possession of stolen property. She posted $1,000 cash bail at her first appearance in Queens Criminal Court and is due back on August 6.
Five Nabbed in Middle Village Burglary
Five individuals pretending to wait for a bus on 80th Street were charged in connection with a home break-in Tuesday evening, according to police.
Police received a report of a home burglary on 60th Avenue near the corner of 83rd Street at 6:25 p.m. Officer Geemaayi Simmons responded and eventually located five men waiting at a bus stop on 80th Street. None of the men had any money or MetroCards on them, and the witness who reported the burglary was able to identify the men, said police.
It was later determined that one of the men broke into the house by forcing open a locked back door. He then stole a laptop, which he placed inside a Louis Vitton handbag also taken from the home, said police. The stolen items were later recovered from a garbage can on 83rd Street.
Charged in the burglary were John Yanez, Joan Castro, Jonathan Rojas, Christian Perez, and Kenneth Rojas. All are between 17 and 19 years old, according to police.
Lawmakers Push for Federal Cleanup of Newtown Creek
Weiner and Velazquez Want Feds to Designate the City’s Most Polluted Waterway a Superfund SiteBy Conor Greene
Two local lawmakers want the federal government to declare the Newtown Creek a Superfund site, which would provide millions of dollars to help cleanup the city’s most heavily polluted waterway.
The 3.5-mile creek, which runs east from the East River between Queens and Brooklyn, was polluted by as much as 30 million gallons of oil over the course of 150 years of industrial activity, which included the explosion of an oil refinery in 1950. The spill was discovered by the Coast Guard in 1978, and is thought to cover properties on as much as 70 acres in Brooklyn.
Under a remediation plan begin carried out by ExxonMobil due to a court order, about 9.4 million gallons of oil have been removed from the area so far. However, officials estimate it will take until 2026 to finish the remediation effort currently ongoing at the site.
Now, Democratic lawmakers Anthony Weiner and Nydia Velazquez, who each represent parts of Queens in congress, want the area designated as a federal Superfund site. That could make the creek eligible for federal funding to cover up to 90% of the cost – possibility as much as $15 million towards the effort, according to the representatives.
“While the oil companies lag in their cleanup responsibilities, the health and safety of Newtown Creek residents hang in the balance,” said Congressman Weiner. “Testing these four sites will help us find answers to basic questions about the spill’s health risks and give this national environmental disaster national attention.”
At a joint press conference last week, Weiner and Velazquez called on the federal Environmental Protection Agency to conduct preliminary testing at the creek. They argue that if those tests find high levels of toxic chemicals, the entire Newtown Creek could become eligible for inclusion on the national Superfund site list.
Even though the oil spill encompasses an area one-and-a- half times larger than the site of the Exxon Valdez spill, the Newtown Creek has never been tested by the EPA for consideration for inclusion in the Superfund program. At the press conference, Weiner and Velazquez released a letter to the EPA identifying four sites along the creek for federal review, including two former hazardous waste facilities, a former copper smelting plant and a former coal gasification complex.
“It’s time for the EPA to acknowledge that the people who live here already know: the contamination of Newtown Creek is nothing short of a human tragedy,” said Congresswoman Velazquez. “The EPA should use its strongest tools possible to begin remediation. The time to act is now.”
Last September, an EPA report commissioned by Weiner and Velazquez suggested that that size of the spill was likely close to 30 million gallons, not 17 million gallons as thought at the time. It also indicated that the spill could be causing toxic vapors to leak into nearby homes and business. At the current rate that ExxonMobil is cleaning up the site, it could take 25 years to clean just 70% of the contamination, the report found.
State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo sued ExxonMobil and several other companies last year, charging them with creating an “imminent and substantial endangerment to health and the environment” as a result of the slow cleanup process.
“This is one of the worst environmental disasters in the nation, larger than the Exxon Valdez [spill off Alaskan coast] and slower in cleanup,” said Cuomo last year. “The toxic footprint of ExxonMobil is found all over this area. It is ExxonMobil’s oil that remains under the homes and businesses. And it is ExxonMobil that has dragged its feet and done as little as possible to address the dangers it has created.”
That lawsuit is still pending, but Weiner and Velazquez hope that the federal government will now step in and help the creek shed its title as the city’s most polluted waterway. The call for action comes after the House of Representatives passed legislation to have the oil spill fully mapped, so the extent of the creek’s contamination can be determined. If the law is passed in the Senate, the EPA will move forward with the more comprehensive study of the creek since the spill was discovered.
The politicians specifically want the federal government to review the four sites highlighted in their letter: a 44-acre property off 56th Road in Maspeth used by Phelps Dodge; a 37-acre site in Long Island City used by Quanta Resources for waste oil reprocessing; a hazardous waste and oil processing facility at 360 Maspeth Avenue in Brooklyn used by BCF Oil until 1994 and three Brooklyn sites owned by National Grid, which is formerly known as KeySpan.
The Superfund program was created in 1980 and gives the government the authority to force responsible parties to clean contaminated sites. According to Weiner, funding for the program has dropped from $3.8 billion in 1997 to just $178 million last year. He blames the decline in funding on expired taxes on the oil and chemical industries along with an expired corporate environmental income tax.
If the federal government designates the area as a Superfund site, a four-point process would begin. First, a one-year cleanup would immediately stabilize the area to stop any immediate threats to the community. The EPA would then perform a “comprehensive investigation of the site and analyze cleanup options,” a process that takes “months to years” according to Weiner. It would take about two more years to develop a plan for the site, after which the agency would commence with the cleanup, or force a responsible party to do so. On average, the cleanup process takes 8 to 11 years.
Photo by: Steve Garza
Three Queens Locations Among Closing Starbucks
Two Glendale Stores, Including Atlas Park Location, Will Close by Conor Greene
Among the 600 stores ordered closed nationwide by Starbucks are 11 in New York City, three of which are in Queens,including the Atlas Park mall location.
The Seattle-based coffee giant announced the stores closures earlier this month as part of “its multi-faceted plan to transform the company.” It described the locations as “underperforming” and expects them to be closed at various times through out the rest of this year and the first half of 2009.
Aside from six stores in Midtown Manhattan, three Queens locations – two in Glendale, at 8000 Cooper Avenue (Atlas Park) and 8989 Union Turnpike (Stop and Shop plaza) and one in Douglaston – are among the stores closing. In addition, the company is shutting one store in both Brooklyn and Staten Island.
The closing of the Atlas Park location comes as a hit to the high-end shopping center at Cooper Avenue and 80th Street. Damon Hemmerdinger, who owns the mall, declined through its public relations firm to comment Starbuck’s decision. However, the store’s business was likely hurt by the fact that the shopping center charges for parking, cutting down on the amount of pedestrian traffic at the store.
However, customers used to frequenting the Atlas Park or Union Turnpike locations won’t have to go far for a replacement coffee store. There still is a Seattle’s Best café - which is also owned by Starbucks - inside Borders Books and Music in Atlas Park, and there is a second Starbucks location inside the Stop and Shop on Union Turnpike.
According to Starbucks, seventy percent of the stores scheduled to close were opened in 2006 or later. That means that nearly twenty percent of all stores opened in the past two years are closing. About 12,000 workers will be affected by the closings, slated to start this month and continue over the next year. Most will be moved to other locations, the company said.
Howard Schultz, company chairman and CEO, said that the company is committed to undergo a “series of critical and strategic initiatives to improve the current state of our U.S. business and build the business for the long term. When the restructuring was first announced in January, about 100 stores were expected to be closed.
“We recognize that it is necessary to make decisions that will strengthen the U.S. store portfolio and enable us to enter into fiscal 2009 focused on enhancing operating efficiency, improving customer satisfaction and ensuring long-term value for partners, customers shareholders,” Schultz said in a statement.
Detective Pleads Guilty in Child Prostitution Case
Accused of Pimping Out 13-Year-Old,
Pleads Guilty to Attempted Kidnapping
by Conor Greene
A NYPD detective accused of pimping out a 13-year-old runaway has pled guilty to attempted kidnapping, announced Queens
District Attorney Richard Brown.
Wayne Taylor, 35, who was a 14-year-member of the NYPD, and Zelika Brown, who helped run the sex ring and claimed to be his wife, pleaded guilty to the reduced charge last Thursday. They had been accused of buying a girl who had runaway from her Brooklyn home and then pimping her out at parties throughout the city, including at the Holiday Inn and Howard Johnson hotels near JFK Airport.
“These guilty pleas bring to resolution a nightmarish case in which a New York City Police detective – who is sworn to serve and protect the community – was instead accused of helping to prostitute a troubled young child who had run away from home,” said Brown. “The guilty pleas will save the victim from having to testify and recount the horrific situation that she endured.”
As part of the plea agreement, Taylor and Brown, 29, of Jamaica admitted to second-degree attempted kidnapping before Queens Criminal Court Judge Pauline Mullings. They both face three-and-a-half years in prison when sentenced on August 4, and Taylor resigned from the police force as part of the plea agreement, according to DA Brown.
Police believe the incident began when ran away and met a woman named “Drama” who offered to get her into the business of dancing for money at parties. The girl was then sold to Taylor and Brown, who forced her to charge $40 to men for oral sex and $80 for intercourse, according to the charges. She was told to say she was 19 years old if asked and was forced to perform sexual acts on about 20 men at parties over two weeks in January.
At one point, Taylor slammed the victim’s head into the ground because she did not earn enough money, according to the DA. Taylor told her there was an alarm on the Vaswani Avenue house she was kept in and that he would know if she tried to escape. He also threatened to make her walk the streets to earn extra money if she was unable to make enough to pay off the $500 they paid for her.
The couple was initially charged with kidnapping, promoting prostitution, assault and endangering the welfare of a child and faced up to 25 years in prison when they reached the plea agreement with the district attorney’s office.
The Howard Johnson at 153-95 Rockaway Boulevard, allegedly used by Taylor and Brown, was nearly shut down by authorities in March after police arrested six individuals there, including a pimp and several hotel clerks. Under cops posing as prostitutes and hookers witnessed illegal activity there after staking it out for several months, according to authorities.
Pleads Guilty to Attempted Kidnapping
by Conor Greene
A NYPD detective accused of pimping out a 13-year-old runaway has pled guilty to attempted kidnapping, announced Queens
District Attorney Richard Brown.
Wayne Taylor, 35, who was a 14-year-member of the NYPD, and Zelika Brown, who helped run the sex ring and claimed to be his wife, pleaded guilty to the reduced charge last Thursday. They had been accused of buying a girl who had runaway from her Brooklyn home and then pimping her out at parties throughout the city, including at the Holiday Inn and Howard Johnson hotels near JFK Airport.
“These guilty pleas bring to resolution a nightmarish case in which a New York City Police detective – who is sworn to serve and protect the community – was instead accused of helping to prostitute a troubled young child who had run away from home,” said Brown. “The guilty pleas will save the victim from having to testify and recount the horrific situation that she endured.”
As part of the plea agreement, Taylor and Brown, 29, of Jamaica admitted to second-degree attempted kidnapping before Queens Criminal Court Judge Pauline Mullings. They both face three-and-a-half years in prison when sentenced on August 4, and Taylor resigned from the police force as part of the plea agreement, according to DA Brown.
Police believe the incident began when ran away and met a woman named “Drama” who offered to get her into the business of dancing for money at parties. The girl was then sold to Taylor and Brown, who forced her to charge $40 to men for oral sex and $80 for intercourse, according to the charges. She was told to say she was 19 years old if asked and was forced to perform sexual acts on about 20 men at parties over two weeks in January.
At one point, Taylor slammed the victim’s head into the ground because she did not earn enough money, according to the DA. Taylor told her there was an alarm on the Vaswani Avenue house she was kept in and that he would know if she tried to escape. He also threatened to make her walk the streets to earn extra money if she was unable to make enough to pay off the $500 they paid for her.
The couple was initially charged with kidnapping, promoting prostitution, assault and endangering the welfare of a child and faced up to 25 years in prison when they reached the plea agreement with the district attorney’s office.
The Howard Johnson at 153-95 Rockaway Boulevard, allegedly used by Taylor and Brown, was nearly shut down by authorities in March after police arrested six individuals there, including a pimp and several hotel clerks. Under cops posing as prostitutes and hookers witnessed illegal activity there after staking it out for several months, according to authorities.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
This Week's Forum West and South:
Melinda's Katz funding request in the comptroller's race is denied
Glendale residents are unhappy with late night construction at PS 113
Police report several street robberies in Maspeth and Glendale
Howard Beach Councilman Joseph Addabbo kicks off his State Senate bid against Serf Maltese
CB 5 discusses Woodhaven House, a VFW hall and car services
The FAA has announced safety changes after two near misses over JFK Airport
Wounded Warriors injured in combat are taught water sports in Rockaway
A teacher at an upstate school is charged with raping a student in Queens
A Ridgewood man is charged with posing as an attorney
Former Queens woman sentenced to nearly 11 years for adoption scam
Katz Fundraising Request is Denied by CFB
Real Estate Contributions Will be Restricted in DecemberBy Conor Greene
During her time as chair of City Council’s influential Land Use Committee, Melinda Katz has raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from members of the real estate industry. Since deciding to run for comptroller two years ago, she has raised more than two million dollars, outpacing her three opponents.
However, starting in December, the amount that members of the real estate industry can contribute to politicians will be severely curtailed due to a change in the city’s campaign finance laws. That means Katz’s ability to pull in money for a runoff election during the Democratic primary – which would take place if none of the candidates received at least 40% of the vote – would be reduced significantly.
To avoid the possibility of having to amass a war chest for a runoff without being able to fully leverage the real estate industry, Katz recently asked the city Campaign Finance Board to allow her to establish an account now that would be set aside in case of a runoff. That means that industry members who have already contributed $4,950, the maximum allowed by law, could give another $2,475 for a runoff effort. Under the new law taking effect in December, those contributions will be limited to just $200.
In a letter to CFB Chairman Joseph Parks, the Katz campaign predicted the battle for the comptroller’s position “will be a highly competitive race.” Currently, three other elected officials – Councilman David Weprin, Councilman David Yassky and Assemblyman Jim Brennan – have formally declared their candidacy, and Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion has publicly stated his intention to seek that position.
In the June 30 letter to CFB, Katz’s treasurer Ronald Kaye, argues that a runoff “can be reasonably anticipated” due to the number of candidates currently running, the amount of money collectively raised so far, the lack of public polling in comptroller’s races until late in the primary process and the fact that incumbent William Thompson, Jr. can’t run again due to term limits.
“Councilwoman Katz believes that one of the most important aspects of the campaign finance program is that it encourages candidates to continue to focus on raising matchable contributions from New Yorkers early in the process, so that they can get that responsibility out of the way and concentrate on meeting with voters and debating the issues as the election draws near,” wrote Kaye.
“If there is a runoff election for Comptroller, which would surprise few political observers, the compressed time period after the primary would best be spent on debating and discussing the issues, not scrambling for last minute dollars."
Last Thursday, the CFB decided that “based on the information now available… a runoff election in the Democratic Party primary is not ‘reasonably anticipated’ at this time.” It notes that candidates “may submit another request” in the future if the race has “sufficiently evolved to enable them to demonstrate with concrete evidence that a runoff is ‘reasonably anticipated.’”
The decision, available on the CFB’s website, calls the prospect of a runoff “highly speculative” and argues that allowing a candidate to collect funds ahead of time would “actually undermine some core purposes of the Campaign Finance Program.”
It notes that the board has never decided that a runoff is reasonably anticipated more than a year before the election. The earliest it has done so was in February 2001 during the mayoral Democratic primary between Mark Green and Fernando Ferrer. The decision also points out that “no documentation of the history of runoff primaries for the Democratic comptroller primary, polling information or press reporting was presented to the board to support the request.”
According to the latest filings with the CFB, it’s clear that the comptroller’s race is attracting a lot of attention from donors. Katz leads the field with $2.1 million raised, followed by Weprin, with $1.8 million, Yassky, who has raised $1.3 million and Brennan, at $492,203. Carrion has raised $1.7 million, according to the CFB. Katz’s comptroller campaign did not respond to a message seeking comment on the request or the CFB’s decision. However, at least one of her opponents is convinced that the new law limiting real estate contributions was the reason behind the request.
“Obviously, the request was premature, and we applaud the board for recognizing that,” said Yassky’s spokesman Doug Forand. “The context of this request is troubling and appears to be an effort to expand the ability for individuals to give money now who are going to be precluded from making those donations in the near future. There is plenty of time after these rules are put in place for someone to raise money should there be a runoff, so that argument doesn’t hold water as far as we’re concerned.”
Complaints Over PS 113 Expansion
By Conor GreeneThe Forum West
GLENDALE – Complaints have been filed with the city Department of Building and School Construction Authority due to alleged after-hours work at site, sometimes as late as 11:30 p.m.
The issue was raised at last Wednesday’s Community Board 5 meeting by Brian Dooley, president of the Glendale Property Owners Association. Dooley submitted to the board a letter from resident Bob Rabold, who says he’s been subjected to “continual after hours work occurring without the proper permits posted.”
In response, the community board submitted a complaint to the city Department of Buildings “just to be careful” and discussed the issue with a project support manager at the School Construction Authority, according to the board’s district manager, Gary Giordano. He was told that the contractor removing asbestos from the property “was recently working nights at times later than the SCA normally allows because he is trying to get the work done and get a pickup from the carting company.”
“That’s not work I think they want to do when school is in session, even at night, so it looks to me like they are trying to get that done over the summer,” said Giordano. “Whether it’s the school year or [summer], once you start getting past 10 p.m. with any kind of construction that people can hear, it infringes on their sleep. To minimize anything after 9 p.m. is important.”
Rabold, who lives across the street from the property, questions whether the contractors,Iannelli Construction, ever received the property after-hours permits from the DOB. “If they did, I’m sure they would be posted,” he wrote. Rabold notes that work continued until after 11:30 p.m. on July 7, at which time he lodged a complaint with 311.“Regrettably, I understand that contractors hired by individuals try to circumvent the law by taking short cuts, but I cannot understand when a department under jurisdiction of the governing body who passes the law allows their contractors to ignore and disobey the law,” wrote Rebold.
News of the late-night work didn’t sit well with some board members who accuse the SCA of not considering the impact their projects have on the neighborhood. “They came in and sold use a bill of goods that it’s not going to impact the neighbors,” said Kathy Masi. “They’re terrible. They’ve never been good to their word.”
Dooley stressed that he is “absolutely for the project, for alleviating overcrowding in schools, especially that school,” but noted that “there are people living literally twenty-five feet from that site.”
On Tuesday, Marge Feinberg, a Department of Education spokeswoman, said that the SCA “has reached out to the neighbors [and] understands their concerns.” She said that work has, and will continue, to only take place within the hours set by DOB. “They said they have not been working outside what is allowable,” she said.
The project includes an addition to the existing building and asbestos abatement, according to Feinberg. Giordano said that he hasn’t received any recent complaints regarding the other two local school construction projects, PS 49 and PS 128, both in Middle Village.
Street Robberies in Maspeth, Glendale
Residents are urged to be alert while walking the streets of Glendale and Maspeth after a rash of street robberies police believe are connected.The pattern began in the early morning hours of last Tuesday, when a 20-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint while parking his car on 72nd Street and Central Avenue, according to the 104th Precinct.
Two Hispanic men pointed a gun in his face and demanded money, but fled from the scene before taking the cash, said police. The victim told police the men drove away in a white car.A few hours later, at 4:30 a.m., four Hispanic men approached a man at the ATM in the Washington Mutual Bank on Grand Avenue and flashed a handgun before taking his wallet and cash, said police. They fled the scene in a white car, possibly a Toyota Corolla, the victim reported.
At 11:25 p.m. that night, a 16-year-old boy was approached by four Hispanic men at 80th Street and 78th Road. One suspect pulled out the handgun while another grabbed the teen by the neck and removed his gold chain and iPod. Two of the men were wearing hoods and the other two bandanas. The suspects in that robbery also fled the scene in a white car, according to police.
Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to call the precinct or 800-777-TIPS.
Addabbo Launches State Senate Campaign
Howard Beach Democratic Councilman Seeks Serf Maltese's Seat in Albany
By Patricia Adams
Not since 1974 have Democrats held the majority lead in the New York State Senate. But now, 34-years later, the Dems are poised to take back the reigns, and one local candidate is in the thick of the hunt.
City Councilmember Joe Addabbo Jr. has officially made the much anticipated announcement that he will challenge Republican incumbent Sen. Serf Maltese this November in the race for the seat in the 15th district.
The district includes the communities of Ridgewood, Maspeth, Middle Village, Howard Beach, Ozone Park and others. As the seated councilmember already representing Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill and parts of Woodhaven and the Rockaways, Addabbo is facing a primary challenge from attorney Albert Baldeo, who came dangerously close to ousting Maltese from his seat during the last race.
Addabbo’s campaign message seems to be focused on reformed change in Albany, where he says there is tumultuous change going on not normally seen there. “It’s a time for new vision, new energy,” Addabbo said. He also discussed his feelings about shortening his City Council term because of the feeling that he can do his best work in the State Senate right now.
“Republican senators are not poised to handle the progressive change that is occurring now and also very much part of the political horizon,” Addabbo explained. The son of the late Congressman Joseph Addabbo recanted words and lessons learned from his father. “My father taught me to never back down from a fight just because it was going to be difficult. I stand with the people of Queens and I will be their voice demanding that Albany finally eases our crushing tax burden, gives our schools their fair share and makes sure we can afford healthcare.”
In commenting on the incumbent, Addabbo says that in his campaigning thus far he has clearly established a link with constituents that are unsettled about the “disconnect” they feel with their present representation. “Everywhere I have been, knocking on doors and speaking to people, whether Republican, Democrat or Independent, they are all giving me the same message. They feel as though there is no connection with the people and the present elected official.”
Addabbo went on to say that voters are sick and tired of elected officials whose presence is apparent only during election years. But part of his strategy is to bring with him to the Senate the foundation on which his political career has been based—a civic presence and a connection to the people every day of every year.
“I plan to be more vocal, more responsive at civic meetings, community boards and whatever it takes to keep more in tune with the community maintaining the established connection I am used to.”
Of primary concern to Addabbo, he says, is the need to make sure that vital legislation and bills no longer lay around the floor of the Senate because of the sluggish attitude of the Republican majority, or because the prime sponsors of bills are Democrats. Another focus Addabbo says is to integrate city and state resources so that key measures can be implemented for the benefit of New Yorkers.
“Legislation like that to supply pension increases for the FDNY and other city workers—is that something that should be passed over time and time again? What about Taylor law reform and mandatory requirements for out-of-state mail order prescriptions,” Addabbo asks. “Surely it is clear to see that these are things that must be addressed immediately and have not been done under the current rule in the Senate. We have much work to do and although it will be done under much scrutiny and many watchful eyes, now is the time to do it.”
In a campaign rally that took place on Saturday and traveled throughout key areas of the district he seeks to represent, Joe Addabbo was met at each stop by crowds of enthusiastic supporters. Addabbo was also joined by many elected officials in support of his candidacy. State Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer accompanied Addabbo to several of his campaign kick off stops where she spoke highly of her fellow Democrat.
“This is a difficult race for me,” Pheffer said, “I’ve enjoyed a good working relationship with Senator Maltese for over 20 years. However, I have also had the opportunity to work very closely with Joe Addabbo in his position as City Councilmember.”
Despite her good track record of working with Maltese, the bottom line is Pheffer is excited about the possibility of finally seeing control of the Senate returned to the Democrats. “Senator Maltese and I have worked on many projects together, but his support is for the Republican platform which I believe has outlived its right to control he Senate.”
Pheffer says that a change in the Senate majority is essential for the good of New York. “There are so many important bills that have been blocked by the Republicans in the State Senate. Now that we [Democrats] have an opportunity to gain control of the Senate we couldn’t have a better candidate to make a tremendous difference for all of us than Joe Addabbo.”
New York State Democratic Chairperson June O’Neill joined Addabbo at his announcement as did Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm A. Smith who spoke of his relationship with Addabbo. “I have known Joe and his family for years and am very excited that he has decided to take on this critical fight. He grew up in a tradition of family service and there’s no elected official who works harder or more effectively for their community.”
Make no mistake, this will be a tough race,” said Addabbo, “But for too long, the families here have watched their taxes go up and funding for schools go down. Our local economy is suffering while politicians in Albany simply brush our needs aside. I am running for State Senate to change the way business is done in Albany. It’s time to improve the way our government works for the people of this Senate district.”
Sidewalk Cafe, VFW Hall and Car Services at CB 5
By Conor Greene
At its July meeting last Wednesday in the Greater Ridgewood Youth Center, Community Board 5 members discussed an application by Woodhaven House for an unenclosed sidewalk café, complaints regarding a VFW hall’s liquor license and licensing of local car service companies.
Woodhaven House Café Request
The owners of the Woodhaven House bar and restaurant will have to wait to find out whether they can place 28 tables with 56 seats on the sidewalks along Woodhaven Boulevard and Fleet Court in Middle Village. The board’s Land Use Committee will consider the idea at its next meeting, meaning the full board will not vote on it until September, according to Giordano, since the August meeting has been canceled.
The restaurant wants to use nearly half of the 15-foot sidewalks to place 12 tables along Woodhaven Boulevard and 14 along Fleet Court, according to Robert Callahan, who represented the establishment. The tables would be used until as late as 1 a.m. on weekends and midnight on weeknights, he said.
Board member Lorraine Sciulli pointed out that the area is “very close to houses” told Callahan that the Juniper Park Civic Association “has already experienced complaints from people there.” She called the proposed late hours “a problem.” Callahan responded that the wait staff is told to remind customers to be respectful to neighbors. “I don’t see the need for the midnight closing on the weeknight,” said board member Robert Holden. “There is still going to be people out there yelling. There is enough noise coming from inside the Woodhaven House – we don’t need to put it in [resident’s] faces.”
At least one resident who lives near the establishment is completely against the proposal. “Over the last three years, we have been very dissatisfied with the valet parking, noise coming out of the establishment and people blocking side streets,” said Arthur Laske, who lives at 84th Street and Penelope Avenue. “I’m not too happy with what’s going on with your establishment.”
Callahan said the restaurant has had issues with the company currently running the valet parking, which he admitted is “not up to standards.” He added that they “ask patrons to be as quiet as possible when leaving the establishment,” but pointed out that “alcohol is involved.” Laske later said that the restaurant has a “total disregard” for the neighborhood. “It’s a nightmare, this establishment,” he said. “It’s an outrage, and the community is not happy.” On Tuesday, Giordano said that the board might be forced to ask the Department of Consumer Affairs for additional time to weigh in on the matter, since the next meeting is not until September.
VFW Post Liquor License
The board has held off taking action regarding the liquor license for the VFW Post at 84-02 60th Avenue in Middle Village while awaiting clarification from the state Liquor Authority, according to Giordano.
At the start of last week’s meeting, resident Ralph DeSanto complained about “loud parties” that have been taking place in an alleyway that has recently paved over. “No one is trying to close the post, but they have to do this indoors,” he said. “We can’t live in our homes. They’re a good organization, but they’re not licensed to serve [alcohol] outside.”
Michael Brown, post commander, later responded, stressing that the establishment “is not a bar to have drinks at” for the general public. “We’re here to help the vets, especially in this day and age.” He said the post has begun to use the yard, which is their property and is “very rarely used” for parties. “I have tried my best to appease my neighbors and treat the place as if I live next doors.” He said the issue with DeSanto is due to a “constant vendetta” that has carried on since “his brother was banned from the post.”
Giordano said he is “in communication with the Liquor Authority to find out what they would be permitted to do outside” under their license. “We’ve gotten it from both sides as far as this goes,” he said. “We have petitions from each side, one saying they’re fine, the other saying that… they’re noisy and increasingly out there.”
The community board is “really in fact-finding mode right now,” added Giordano.
Car Service Licenses
Several local car companies need to have their licenses renewed, but the board decided against issuing “letters of no objection” for three of them, said Giordano. The board has received complaints about several car services in the area, with gripes including car repairs performed on the street, double-parked cars and garbage thrown on the ground.
“Services do not endear themselves to the community when they have drivers littering the streets, urinating in public and all sorts of crazy crap,” said Giordano. “They can be a difficult lot, and we’re not quick to write letters of no objection when we think there are objections. I’m not looking to be petty or overly harsh, and I don’t think the board is, but when they want us to be reasonable, they have to be reasonable. These car services should not be operating their for-profit business at the detriment of the neighborhood.”
The board has decided against issuing a letter of no objection for Fenix Car Service of Seneca Avenue in Ridgewood. “From what I know, they don’t have an off-street parking location, and are seeking a waiver for that,” said Giordano. There are also questions regarding the amount of off-street parking that Priscella Car Service has near its Wyckoff Avenue base in Ridgewood, said Giordano. He said that the companies are supposed to have at least one space for every two vehicles in its fleet within a mile-and-a-half of its headquarters.
Four One’s Car Service, which has recently moved part of its operations to 73rd Place near Metropolitan Avenue is also among the car services having parking difficulties and Giordano says the board will continue to check on the questions that have arisen before issuing a letter of no objection. Of the four companies currently up for license renewal, the only one the board will immediately issue a no objection letter for is Lindy’s Car Service on Metropolitan Avenue near Fresh Pond Road, according to Giordano. “A great benefit to them is having more parking spaces for their drivers than they have vehicles,” he said.
With no meeting scheduled for August, the next CB 5 meeting is tentatively slated for Wednesday, September 10.
At its July meeting last Wednesday in the Greater Ridgewood Youth Center, Community Board 5 members discussed an application by Woodhaven House for an unenclosed sidewalk café, complaints regarding a VFW hall’s liquor license and licensing of local car service companies.
Woodhaven House Café Request
The owners of the Woodhaven House bar and restaurant will have to wait to find out whether they can place 28 tables with 56 seats on the sidewalks along Woodhaven Boulevard and Fleet Court in Middle Village. The board’s Land Use Committee will consider the idea at its next meeting, meaning the full board will not vote on it until September, according to Giordano, since the August meeting has been canceled. The restaurant wants to use nearly half of the 15-foot sidewalks to place 12 tables along Woodhaven Boulevard and 14 along Fleet Court, according to Robert Callahan, who represented the establishment. The tables would be used until as late as 1 a.m. on weekends and midnight on weeknights, he said.
Board member Lorraine Sciulli pointed out that the area is “very close to houses” told Callahan that the Juniper Park Civic Association “has already experienced complaints from people there.” She called the proposed late hours “a problem.” Callahan responded that the wait staff is told to remind customers to be respectful to neighbors. “I don’t see the need for the midnight closing on the weeknight,” said board member Robert Holden. “There is still going to be people out there yelling. There is enough noise coming from inside the Woodhaven House – we don’t need to put it in [resident’s] faces.”
At least one resident who lives near the establishment is completely against the proposal. “Over the last three years, we have been very dissatisfied with the valet parking, noise coming out of the establishment and people blocking side streets,” said Arthur Laske, who lives at 84th Street and Penelope Avenue. “I’m not too happy with what’s going on with your establishment.”
Callahan said the restaurant has had issues with the company currently running the valet parking, which he admitted is “not up to standards.” He added that they “ask patrons to be as quiet as possible when leaving the establishment,” but pointed out that “alcohol is involved.” Laske later said that the restaurant has a “total disregard” for the neighborhood. “It’s a nightmare, this establishment,” he said. “It’s an outrage, and the community is not happy.” On Tuesday, Giordano said that the board might be forced to ask the Department of Consumer Affairs for additional time to weigh in on the matter, since the next meeting is not until September.
VFW Post Liquor License
The board has held off taking action regarding the liquor license for the VFW Post at 84-02 60th Avenue in Middle Village while awaiting clarification from the state Liquor Authority, according to Giordano.
At the start of last week’s meeting, resident Ralph DeSanto complained about “loud parties” that have been taking place in an alleyway that has recently paved over. “No one is trying to close the post, but they have to do this indoors,” he said. “We can’t live in our homes. They’re a good organization, but they’re not licensed to serve [alcohol] outside.”
Michael Brown, post commander, later responded, stressing that the establishment “is not a bar to have drinks at” for the general public. “We’re here to help the vets, especially in this day and age.” He said the post has begun to use the yard, which is their property and is “very rarely used” for parties. “I have tried my best to appease my neighbors and treat the place as if I live next doors.” He said the issue with DeSanto is due to a “constant vendetta” that has carried on since “his brother was banned from the post.”
Giordano said he is “in communication with the Liquor Authority to find out what they would be permitted to do outside” under their license. “We’ve gotten it from both sides as far as this goes,” he said. “We have petitions from each side, one saying they’re fine, the other saying that… they’re noisy and increasingly out there.”
The community board is “really in fact-finding mode right now,” added Giordano.
Car Service Licenses
Several local car companies need to have their licenses renewed, but the board decided against issuing “letters of no objection” for three of them, said Giordano. The board has received complaints about several car services in the area, with gripes including car repairs performed on the street, double-parked cars and garbage thrown on the ground.
“Services do not endear themselves to the community when they have drivers littering the streets, urinating in public and all sorts of crazy crap,” said Giordano. “They can be a difficult lot, and we’re not quick to write letters of no objection when we think there are objections. I’m not looking to be petty or overly harsh, and I don’t think the board is, but when they want us to be reasonable, they have to be reasonable. These car services should not be operating their for-profit business at the detriment of the neighborhood.”
The board has decided against issuing a letter of no objection for Fenix Car Service of Seneca Avenue in Ridgewood. “From what I know, they don’t have an off-street parking location, and are seeking a waiver for that,” said Giordano. There are also questions regarding the amount of off-street parking that Priscella Car Service has near its Wyckoff Avenue base in Ridgewood, said Giordano. He said that the companies are supposed to have at least one space for every two vehicles in its fleet within a mile-and-a-half of its headquarters.
Four One’s Car Service, which has recently moved part of its operations to 73rd Place near Metropolitan Avenue is also among the car services having parking difficulties and Giordano says the board will continue to check on the questions that have arisen before issuing a letter of no objection. Of the four companies currently up for license renewal, the only one the board will immediately issue a no objection letter for is Lindy’s Car Service on Metropolitan Avenue near Fresh Pond Road, according to Giordano. “A great benefit to them is having more parking spaces for their drivers than they have vehicles,” he said.
With no meeting scheduled for August, the next CB 5 meeting is tentatively slated for Wednesday, September 10.
FAA Announces Safety Changes After Second Near Miss at JFK
by Conor Greene
In the wake of a second close call between two planes at JFK Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration this week announced steps it’s taking to improve runway safety, including additional lighting and changes to the use of perpendicular runways.
The announcements come after planes nearly collided at the busy airport twice within a week. On July 5, a Cayman Airways plane nearly collided with a departing LAN Chile plane after the pilot aborted the initial landing attempt. According to air traffic controllers, the two planes came within 100 feet of each other. Then, on Friday, an inbound Delta flight from Ireland almost collided with departing Comair Flight 1520, coming within 600-feet vertically and a half-mile horizontally.
The FAA and the airlines have downplayed both incidents, which are based on accounts of air traffic controllers and are still under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. Both involved the use of perpendicular runaways, prompting the FAA last week to change its policy for planes taking off and landing at JFK.
“Severe runway incursions are down,” Acting FAA Administrator Robert Sturgell told reporters at a press conference announcing the new lighting system. “And, we’re putting technology and procedures in place to keep it that way. We’re making changes on the runway and in the cockpit that are going to make a significant difference.”
The FAA will install lighting systems at 21 major airports around the nation within the next three years that will change colors to signal pilots that it is safe to enter or cross a runway. Much of the attention in recent weeks has focused on perpendicular runways used at JFK, which increase the chances for departing and arriving planes to cross paths.
Sturgell said that officials are still evaluating takeoff and landing procedures and that changes could be made in the future. He said that a preliminary investigation determined that both incident were due to communication issues.
On Tuesday, the Port Authority accused the FAA for failing to provide the authority with details about the recent near misses, according to reports. “It is simply unacceptable for the FAA to keep the local airport operator in the dark when the safety of our passengers and the efficiency of our airports is at stake,” PA Chairman Anthony Coscia and Executive Director Chris Ward wrote in a letter. The authority only learned of the incidents from media reports, according to the New York Post. The PA was also not informed that the FAA had ordered the changes at JFK regarding the use of perpendicular runways, the paper reported.
The incidents have also prompted questions about the airport’s air traffic controllers, whose union says it is understaffed. The FAA is now offering $100,000 bonuses to air traffic controllers working elsewhere around the nation to work in the New York area’s major airports. It is also targeting high school students with campus visits and advertisements on Websites including craigslist.com and myspace.com. By 2011, it is expected that 59 percent of controllers will have less than five years working experience.
Water Sports for Wounded Warriors
By Patricia AdamsThe Forum South
For the fourth successive year, residents of Breezy Point opened their hearts and their homes to host the Adaptive Water Sports Festival for four days last week. The residents took part in a program begun by Rockaway’s GrayBeards organization formed after 9/11, in which servicemen and women who have been severely injured during the war on terrorism in Iraq, Afghanistan and other hot spots around the world.
The Rockaway community was one of the hardest hit on Sept. 11, 2001 and ravaged again by the crash of American Airlines Flight 587 just two months later. Yet, the community proved resilient and responded with a surge of empathy, and charitable endeavors. Most notably, the GrayBeards were formed, a nonprofit dedicated to helping those in need. It is through the GrayBeards, Wounded Warrior Project and Disabled Sports USA, that this event is again possible.
This year, the GrayBeards again coordinated all housing, travel and entertainment for 42 U.S. soldiers & Marines plus eight English (BLESMA) soldiers visiting from Great Britain. As part of the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project, a partnership between Wounded Warrior Project and Disabled Sports USA, soldiers had the opportunity to learn adaptive water skiing, scuba diving and other water sports.
Specially trained volunteers from the Fire Department of New York City (FDNY) were on hand to teach these sporting skills to those with amputations and other severe injuries. In addition to the generosity of all the participating Rockaway residents, one Howard Beach businessman also played a big part in making the weekend a success.
Angelo Gurino, owner of Ragtime Gourmet Deli, heard about the event and asked friend and GrayBeard member Joseph Mure what he could do to help. “Do what you do best,” was Mure’s answer, “feed the people.” And so on Saturday afternoon, Gurino and some staffers arrived at the Breezy Point Yacht Club with one of his catering trucks and enough heroes, pasta, assorted hot dishes and salads to feed hundreds of hungry mouths. “For all the sacrifices these men and women have made for us, this is a small way to contribute and show them some thanks,” Gurino said.
“I look at them, with such severe disabilities and see them really having a good time -- it’s just a great thing to be part of how inspirational they are.” On a final note the father of three said, “I wish everyone could be here to see the courage and strength of these people—you look at what’s happened in their lives and you realize there’s not too much you can complain about.”
Retired Fire Captain, father of seven and GrayBeard member Flip Mullen is considered a driving force behind the project and was on hand for Saturday’s festivities at the Yacht Club. Mullen’s commitment and enthusiasm was evident in his animated and touching description of all the events involved in the program. “The people here really look forward to this. I get phone calls from residents who are screaming at me saying, why didn’t I get a soldier this year.”
It’s people like Mullen and the GrayBeards who really embody what it is to show the spirit of giving. If you would like to learn more about the many programs offered to benefit the Wounded Warriors and find out how you can help out, please visit their website at woundedwarriorproject.org, you may also visit the website of the Graybeards to learn more about them at graybrd.org, or write to GrayBeards, Ltd 436 Beach 129th Street Rockaway, New York 11694.
Teacher Charged with Raping Disabled Student
Taught Queens Boy at Upstate Residential School
by Conor Greene
A Dutchess County special education teacher has been charged with having sex with a 15-year-old disabled student from south Queens.
Mandi Weeks, 27, of Hannacroix has been accused of third-degree rape and other charges for abusing the child in his home and a nearby parking lot. She was arrested last week by detectives from the 102nd Precinct. The boy is a student at Devereux New York, a residential special needs school, and was at home on break at the time of the alleged attacks.
“The charges are very disturbing,” said District Attorney Richard Brown. “The victim is believed to have a 50 IQ, making him particularly vulnerable to a teacher who is supposed to have his best interest in mind.”
The investigation began after the victim boarded a subway in an effort to meet up with Weeks but got lost, according to Brown. His mother reported him missing to police, and discovered inappropriate e-mails from the teacher on her son’s computer, said Brown. She is accused of raping and sexually abusing the boy on June 25th inside his home, and then sexually abusing him while sitting inside a car in a parking lot on June 6. She then allegedly raped and sexually abusing him later that day inside his home.
She was arraigned last Tuesday in Queens Criminal Court on an eight-count indictment charging her with rape, criminal sexual act, endangering the welfare of a child and sexual abuse. She was ordered held on $15,000 bond and is due back in court on August 11. If convicted, she faces up to four years in prison.
Weeks worked at the school, based in upstate Red Hook, since February 2007 and “was subjected to a rigorous screening process and criminal background check” before being hired, according to John O’Keefe, executive director of Devereux Foundation New York. “There was nothing in either to cause concern,” he said in a statement, adding that Weeks has been fired and is not permitted back on campus.
The defendant says on her myspace.com page that she got married last October and lives in a log cabin with her husband and six cats. “I work in a residenial [sic] school for students with multiple disabilities which is extremely stressful,” she wrote. ‘My students verbally and physically assault me almost on a daily basis. And people wonder why I started smoking. Hey, at least they are ultra lights... as if Klonopin 3 times a day wasn’t enough.”
She lists Law and Order among her favorite television shows and her mom as her hero. She also likes to “just connect with my friends from work” in her free time and describes herself as Christian. She puts her income at $30,000 to $45,000 and says she would like to have children “someday.”
“The Devereux staff is shocked and saddened by such a charge,” said O’Keefe’s statement. “The welfare of our students is our top priority. We will cooperate fully with law enforcement officials and we will review our internal policies and procedures in order to insure the safety and security of those we serve. We have reached out to the family of the student to express our concern and regret and to do what we can to help them address the issues that arise from such a matter.”
by Conor Greene
A Dutchess County special education teacher has been charged with having sex with a 15-year-old disabled student from south Queens.Mandi Weeks, 27, of Hannacroix has been accused of third-degree rape and other charges for abusing the child in his home and a nearby parking lot. She was arrested last week by detectives from the 102nd Precinct. The boy is a student at Devereux New York, a residential special needs school, and was at home on break at the time of the alleged attacks.
“The charges are very disturbing,” said District Attorney Richard Brown. “The victim is believed to have a 50 IQ, making him particularly vulnerable to a teacher who is supposed to have his best interest in mind.”
The investigation began after the victim boarded a subway in an effort to meet up with Weeks but got lost, according to Brown. His mother reported him missing to police, and discovered inappropriate e-mails from the teacher on her son’s computer, said Brown. She is accused of raping and sexually abusing the boy on June 25th inside his home, and then sexually abusing him while sitting inside a car in a parking lot on June 6. She then allegedly raped and sexually abusing him later that day inside his home.
She was arraigned last Tuesday in Queens Criminal Court on an eight-count indictment charging her with rape, criminal sexual act, endangering the welfare of a child and sexual abuse. She was ordered held on $15,000 bond and is due back in court on August 11. If convicted, she faces up to four years in prison.
Weeks worked at the school, based in upstate Red Hook, since February 2007 and “was subjected to a rigorous screening process and criminal background check” before being hired, according to John O’Keefe, executive director of Devereux Foundation New York. “There was nothing in either to cause concern,” he said in a statement, adding that Weeks has been fired and is not permitted back on campus.
The defendant says on her myspace.com page that she got married last October and lives in a log cabin with her husband and six cats. “I work in a residenial [sic] school for students with multiple disabilities which is extremely stressful,” she wrote. ‘My students verbally and physically assault me almost on a daily basis. And people wonder why I started smoking. Hey, at least they are ultra lights... as if Klonopin 3 times a day wasn’t enough.”
She lists Law and Order among her favorite television shows and her mom as her hero. She also likes to “just connect with my friends from work” in her free time and describes herself as Christian. She puts her income at $30,000 to $45,000 and says she would like to have children “someday.”
“The Devereux staff is shocked and saddened by such a charge,” said O’Keefe’s statement. “The welfare of our students is our top priority. We will cooperate fully with law enforcement officials and we will review our internal policies and procedures in order to insure the safety and security of those we serve. We have reached out to the family of the student to express our concern and regret and to do what we can to help them address the issues that arise from such a matter.”
Phony Attorney Charged in Scam
Claimed to Represent Man Facing Deportation
By Conor Greene
RIDGEWOOD – A Seneca Avenue man not licensed to practice law has been charged with providing legal representation to a man who was eventually deported.
Robert DelCarpio, 63, of 783 Seneca Avenue was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court last week on charges of third-degree grand larceny, a felony, and practicing as an attorney without being admitted to the bar.
According to the criminal charges against DelCarpio, a Brooklyn woman, Angela Forde, retained him to represent her son, who was facing deportation to England due to a felony drug conviction. Forde had received DelCarpio’s name and phone number from her son, who was in federal immigration detention in Texas. DelCarpio allegedly agreed to appear in court as her son’s counsel in connection with the appeal of the narcotics conviction and the pending federal deportation proceedings.
According to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, the defendant, operating under a purported business called Criminal Legal Research, Inc. and identifying himself as an “Appellate Attorney,” told Forde that he would prepare and file legal motions and appear in Brooklyn Supreme Court to have her son’s conviction overturned.
Between December 2006 and May 2008, Forde paid DelCarpio more than $7,000, according to Brown. According to court records, the defendant is not admitted to practice law in New York State and no appeals were filed by DelCarpio or anyone else in connection with the criminal case involving Forde’s son.
“By allegedly portraying himself as a duly licensed attorney when he was not actually licensedor admitted to practice law, the only hope the defendant could offer his client was false hope,” said Brown in a statement. “In the end, the client lost her son and thousands of dollars in unwarranted legal fees.”
If convicted, DelCarpio faces up to four years in prison. He was ordered held on $100,000 bond after his first court appearance. Brown said the case “will be prosecuted vigorously and swiftly to ensure the defendant never again has the opportunity to prey upon trusting individuals in need of proper and qualified legal representation.
The District Attorney’s office is asking anyone who believes he or she may have been the victim of the defendant’s alleged scheme to contact his office at (718) 286-6560. The investigation began after a clerk with the state Appellate Court referred the matter to Brown’s office.
By Conor Greene
RIDGEWOOD – A Seneca Avenue man not licensed to practice law has been charged with providing legal representation to a man who was eventually deported.
Robert DelCarpio, 63, of 783 Seneca Avenue was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court last week on charges of third-degree grand larceny, a felony, and practicing as an attorney without being admitted to the bar.
According to the criminal charges against DelCarpio, a Brooklyn woman, Angela Forde, retained him to represent her son, who was facing deportation to England due to a felony drug conviction. Forde had received DelCarpio’s name and phone number from her son, who was in federal immigration detention in Texas. DelCarpio allegedly agreed to appear in court as her son’s counsel in connection with the appeal of the narcotics conviction and the pending federal deportation proceedings.
According to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, the defendant, operating under a purported business called Criminal Legal Research, Inc. and identifying himself as an “Appellate Attorney,” told Forde that he would prepare and file legal motions and appear in Brooklyn Supreme Court to have her son’s conviction overturned.
Between December 2006 and May 2008, Forde paid DelCarpio more than $7,000, according to Brown. According to court records, the defendant is not admitted to practice law in New York State and no appeals were filed by DelCarpio or anyone else in connection with the criminal case involving Forde’s son.
“By allegedly portraying himself as a duly licensed attorney when he was not actually licensedor admitted to practice law, the only hope the defendant could offer his client was false hope,” said Brown in a statement. “In the end, the client lost her son and thousands of dollars in unwarranted legal fees.”
If convicted, DelCarpio faces up to four years in prison. He was ordered held on $100,000 bond after his first court appearance. Brown said the case “will be prosecuted vigorously and swiftly to ensure the defendant never again has the opportunity to prey upon trusting individuals in need of proper and qualified legal representation.
The District Attorney’s office is asking anyone who believes he or she may have been the victim of the defendant’s alleged scheme to contact his office at (718) 286-6560. The investigation began after a clerk with the state Appellate Court referred the matter to Brown’s office.
Former Queens Woman Sentenced to 130 Months for Adoption Fraud
By Conor GreeneA former Queens woman has been sentenced to nearly 11 years in prison for defrauding the state and city out of more than one million dollars through an adoption scheme. She is now facing criminal charges in Florida for allegedly abusing nearly a dozen adopted children.
Judith Leekin, 63, of Port St. Lucie, Fla., pleaded guilty in May to stealing about$1.68 million in adoption subsidies meant to pay for the care of her 11 adopted children, many of who were physically or mentally disabled. On Tuesday, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced she has been sentenced to 130 months in prison by District Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan federal court.
“For almost 20 years, Judith Leekin manipulated a system intended to protect the welfare of New York City’s neediest children,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Garcia. “Today, she will begin paying for the years that she spent caring more about the $1.68 million she stole than she did for the children she was entrusted to protect.”
Leekin is now to return to Florida, where she is scheduled to appear in court in August on abuse charges stemming from her treatment of the children under her care. She is accused of beating, starving and restraining the children and faces life in prison if convicted on those charges.
Judge Berman also ordered Leekin to surrender two homes she owns in Florida and pay back the stolen money. While the plea agreement finalized in May called for a prison sentence of six-and-a-half to eight years, the judge was allowed to sentence her for up to 20 years for each of the two counts.
In the weeks leading up to the sentencing, officials including Rose Gill Hearn, commissioner of the city Department of Investigations and attorneys representing the abused children wrote to the judge urging him to issue a harsh sentence.
“Leekin perverted New York City’s adoption subsidy program and in so doing crush the childhoods of children she adopted by causing them irreparable pain and suffering, including by keeping the children locked away,” she said following the sentencing.
Leekin adopted the children in New York between 1988 and 1996 before moving for Florida. When applying to the state Office of Children and Family Services and the city Administration of Children’s Services, she used four different fake names and lied about how many other children were in her care. She “used the money to support a lavish lifestyle for herself” while neglecting the children, said authorities.
While living in Queens with 12 children (authorities are unsure as to the whereabouts of the twelfth child) in 1997, Leekin forced the 11 adopted children to live in the basement and forbid them from going outside or to school. Several were restrained while in bed to prevent them from getting up.
After moving to Florida, the 11 children “lived in a similar manner,” with 10 of the children forced to live in a storage room next to the garage, only allowed to enter the house to use the bathroom or kitchen. Several “were restrained using plastic ties,” said authorities.
(AP Photo/St. Lucie County Sheriff's Dept., File)
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