Queens Chronicle 08-06-26

SERVING SMILES SMILES

Mixed emotions on MTA elevator deal

Aby Andrew Karpan Associate Editor

fter nearly a decade in court, through three different MTA chairmen, lawyers for disability activists said they reached a deal last week that would end a federal lawsuit against the agency over “frequent and regular elevator outages.”

The case has been in court since 2017 and U.S. District Judge George Daniels still has to approve the deal. Back in 2023, the MTA settled two related lawsuits over the number of elevators in the subway system, with a promise to make 95 percent of it accessible by 2055.

tion, as well promising to acknowledge outage complaints faster.

But D’souza says the agreement fails to account for the condition of the system’s elevators.

“If an elevator is covered with feces and urine and stinks, would you want to go on that elevator even though it’s working fine?” he asked.

“They lost their power by doing this.”

Sharon McLennon Wier, executive director of the Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York, one of the groups behind the lawsuit, admitted her feelings were mixed, but she defended the deal.

— Charlton D’souza, president, Passengers United

But not everybody is happy the case is likely to end now.

“They should not have settled that,” Charlton D’souza, Queens Village resident and president of Passengers United, told the Chronicle shortly after the deal was announced on July 29.

The deal stipulates the MTA will do more to notify commuters about elevator outages at stations and start counting elevators out of service for capital rehabilita-

“It’s been a nineyear case, and it’s been a long time.

Essentially, to get some of the things that we were looking to get was better than not getting anything at all,” said Wier, a disabled commuter herself.

“There’s a caveat [in the deal] about using new technology to ensure that notifications will be provided to a large number of disabled passengers, especially those that are blind like myself, because visual displays are not the way for blind people to travel,” Wier added.

She pointed out that groups like her own will have the chance to participate in a “monitoring process where the disability advocates have an opportunity to really hold the MTA accountable.”

D’souza disagreed.

“They lost their power by doing this,” he countered. “They should have kept the pressure on the MTA. With the MTA, you never get anything back.”

Dustin Jones, a wheelchair-bound commuter, among the plaintiffs involved in the lawsuit throughout its near-decade in court, told the Chronicle that he is relieved the case is finally over.

“I was 26 when I first got involved in this. And I’m now 38,” Jones said. He said elevator conditions in the subway had meaningfully improved since then.

“When we first started, it was horrible,” he said, “There were points where I couldn’t ride the subway for five days without having the FDNY pull me out of an elevator.”

While Jones, a Queens Village native, has since moved to Manhattan, he said he’s worried about everyone else.

“Imagine getting up and just wondering and worrying, is that elevator in Jamaica Center working? Back in the day, it was never working.” Q

| MCNAMARA

City records historic lows in crime: NYPD

Major offenses down 6.6 percent this year to date, per latest data

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

New York City recorded fewer shootings, shooting victims and murders over the first seven months of this year than in any year the NYPD has tracked, the department announced Monday.

For the first seven months of the year, crime decreased in the major seven categories by 6.6 percent, with 65,343 incidents this year compared to 69,951 at this time in 2025. Year to date, the city logged 381 shooting incidents, 462 shooting victims and 149 murders.

Burglary incidents declined 14.7 percent in July, the NYPD said, the lowest since reliable records have been kept, and 15 percent this year to date. Queens saw the largest decline with a 25.3 percent reduction so far this year.

Murder is down 22.8 percent this year to date, with 149 cases compared to 193 at this time in 2025.

“For the first seven months of this year and in the month of July, New York City experienced the fewest murders, shooting incidents, and shooting victims in recorded history,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement, crediting the department’s datadriven precision policing strategy.

Tisch noted the NYPD managed an unusually crowded summer calendar, including the NBA Finals, the FIFA World Cup and Fourth of July celebrations. Nine shootings occurred between July 3 and July 5, the fewest for any

Crime trends have been a mixed bag in Patrol Borough Queens North and Patrol Borough Queens South so far this year.

Fourth of July holiday on record.

Burglary reached its lowest July level in recorded history, down 14.7 percent for the month and 15 percent so far this year. Queens led that decline, with burglaries falling 25.3 percent year to date, to 1,270 from 1,701.

Auto theft dropped 24.6 percent in July, its lowest level since 2021. Robbery fell 14.9 percent, grand larceny 11.8 percent and felony assault 6.4 percent for the month. Retail theft is down 15.3 percent for the year, which the department attributed to sustained inves-

tigations at high-volume locations rather than pass-through enforcement.

Detectives have carried out 25 gang-related takedowns so far this year.

Subway crime ran against the trend, rising 1 percent year to date and 10.9 percent in July, driven by felony assaults and grand larcenies. There were no murders in the system in July.

Hate crimes also saw an uptick. Year to date, occurrences increased 9.4 percent, 329 to 360. In July, there were 33 confirmed hate

crimes and 50 cases reported as hate crimes.

For the first seven months of the year, 56.9 percent of confirmed hate crimes were antiJewish incidents, the NYPD said, despite Jewish New Yorkers making up just 10 percent of the city’s population.

Crime figures in Queens were a mixed bag. In Patrol Borough Queens North, which comprises the 104th, 108th, 109th, 110th, 111th, 112th, 114th and 115th precincts, total crime is down 1.9 percent this year to date through July 26, per the latest data available on CompStat. The command saw a 15 percent spike in grand larceny auto, and a 10.8 increase in rape.

Of the precincts within PBQN, the 112 saw the biggest uptick in overall crime, at 18.9 percent. Grand larcenies and grand larcenies auto both increased this year, 52.9 percent and 21.6 percent, respectively.

Patrol Borough Queens South, which encompasses the 100th, 101st, 102nd, 103rd, 105th, 106th, 107th, 113th and 116th precincts, had a 2.3 percent increase in overall crime so far this year. The command saw a 27.8 percent jump in murder, with 23 so far this year compared to 18 at this time in 2025.

The 113 saw the most significant increase in crime through the first seven months of the year, at 20.3 percent, with double-digit spikes in every major category except for felony assault — a 7 percent uptick — and grand larceny auto, a 7.7 percent decrease. Q

Vetrano killer will appeal conviction

Defense attorney argues Lewis was targeted as part of a ‘racial dragnet’

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

An appellate court has granted Chanel Lewis permission to appeal a Queens judge’s refusal to overturn his conviction in the 2016 murder of Howard Beach jogger Karina Vetrano, for which he is serving a life sentence without parole.

As first reported by the Daily News, Associate Justice Lillian Wan of the Appellate Division, Second Department, signed the order on July 31, granting Lewis leave to appeal Queens Supreme Court Judge Michael Aloise’s Feb. 19 decision denying a motion to vacate the conviction.

Vetrano, 30, was found beaten and strangled in the weeds of Spring Creek Park just over 10 years ago, on Aug. 2, 2016, after going for a run. Her father discovered her body. Investigators recovered DNA from an unknown person at the scene.

NYPD Lt. John Russo recalled encountering a Black man exhibiting “odd behavior” walking through Howard Beach three months prior to the killing, according to trial testimony.

That man was later identified as Lewis, then 20, who allowed detectives to swab him for DNA at his East New York home with his mother present. It was determined to be a match and he was arrested a week later.

Lewis’ first trial ended in a hung jury. He was later convicted in April 2019 of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and first-degree sexual abuse.

His attorney, Ron Kuby, in 2023 filed a motion to vacate, arguing that the NYPD targeted Lewis as part of a “racial dragnet.”

men, and that prosecutors failed to disclose information about said phenotyping. The motion also cited reporting that hundreds of Black and Hispanic men were swabbed.

Aloise, in a 20-page decision, found that the defense had not tied the phenotyping report to Lewis’ arrest and noted he did not become a suspect until months after the testing. He also found the report would not likely have changed the verdict given what he called the “overwhelming evidence,” including DNA, cell site data and a videotaped confession.

But last week, Wan certified that Aloise’s order involves questions of law or fact that should be reviewed by the Second Department.

The case went cold for months, until

The defense contended that police used an unapproved lab to conduct racial phenotyping on evidence from Vetrano’s body, that the results pointed investigators toward Black

A spokesperson for Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, Brendan Brosh, said in a statement, “This decision provides a means for the defendant to get full review of his claims.” Katz in the past has said she stands by the conviction.

Kuby told the Daily News a new appeal will be filed within two months.

NEUROPATHY

If You Suffer From A Single One of These Torturous Symptoms – Numbness, Tingling, or Sharp Nerve Pain – Then OUR LASER ENHANCED CHIROPRATIC PROTOCOL for Neuropathy

may be the most important treatment you ever have in your life.

Okay that might be a little much but… Neuropathy affects every part of your life – walking, sitting, and even sleeping.

Maybe you’ve had multiple tests, only to fi nd out no one has any idea what you have. Maybe you’ve been put on drugs with heavy side effects.

My name is Dr. Robert Gucciardo, director at Gucciardo Specific and Natural Health Center. I’ve been helping people with neuropathy and nerve problems for 30 years.

More than 20 million Americans suffer from peripheral neuropathy, a problem caused by complications due to spinal injuries, diabetes, cancer treatment and/or damage to the nerves that supply your arms, legs, and feet.

This painful condition interferes with your body’s ability to transmit messages to your muscles, skin, joints, or internal organs. If ignored or mistreated, neuropathy can lead to irreversible health conditions.

Why not get help by those trained to correct the major cause of peripheral neuropathy?

The Single Most Important Solution to your Neuropathy

By using a NEW cutting-edge PAINLESS treatment called Class IV LASER THERAPY and combining that with Chiropratic and other therapies, our Neuropathy program is getting unsurpassed results.

With the combination of these new technologies it is possible to:

• Re-educate the nerve pathways to stop the shooting pain

• Re-polarize the nerve membranes that may have been disturbed by neurotoxins

• Improve synaptic conductivity and nerve impulse transmission

• Re-energize nerve cells

• Return normal feeling to feet/hands promoting better balance and dexterity

• Decrease painful symptoms to promote a full restful night sleep

• Bring an improved quality of life due to increased mobility and reductions in numbness and pain.

How to Find Out If This Will Work For You

It’s time for you to fi nd out if this may be your NEUROPATHY SOLUTION.

Due to availability… For the FIRST 10 CALLERS

$97 will get you all the services I normally charge new patients $597 for!

You’ll get to see everything first hand and fi nd out if this amazing care will be your pain solution, like it has been for so many other patients. The appointment will not take long at all. And you won’t be sitting in a waiting room all day either.

Here’s What To Do Now

The offer is only good for the FIRST 10 Callers. Call today 718-550-5790 and we can get you scheduled for a consultation as soon as there’s an opening.

Our office is called Gucciardo Specific Chiropractic and Natural Health Center and you can fi nd us at 162-07 91st Street in Howard Beach, NY. When you call, tell the receptionist you’d like to come in for the Neuropathy Evaluation so she can get you on the schedule and make sure you receive proper credit for this special offer.

Sincerely,

Dr. Robert F. Gucciardo, D.C.

P.S. At our office, we have specialized treatment programs for patients who suffer from neuropathy. Why suffer the misery?

That’s no way to live, not when there could be an easy solution to your problem.

Don’t live in pain when we may have the solution you’ve been looking for all along.

Do you have any of the following symptoms…

• Pins and needles feeling

• Numbness in the hands or feet

• Tingling or burning sensations

• Weakness in the arms or legs

• Sharp, shooting or burning pains

If so you may have a condition called peripheral neuropathy.

Don’t let neuropathy hold you back from enjoying life.

A final farewell to Sgt. Angel Rampersad

Fallen soldier remembered by loved ones and her Ozone Park neighbors

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Carol Acevedo, mother of the late U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad, had one thing to ask of the people who packed an Ozone Park church Friday morning: go home and hug your children.

“I don’t have mine to hug anymore,” she said. “But to those who have, embrace them, cherish them and be there for them.”

Family, friends, elected officials and current and former servicemembers filled Calvary Assembly of God Church on July 31 to say a final farewell to Acevedo’s daughter, Rampersad, the 28-year-old Ozone Park native killed in an Iranian missile attack in Jordan on July 17. Gov. Hochul and Mayor Mamdani were among those in attendance.

Kingdom Life Ministries in Richmond Hill, using her music to help others worship.

Bryana Martinez, one of Rampersad’s closest friends, told mourners she had known her in every setting — high school, college, church youth group, home. She recalled a phone call a few months ago in which Rampersad described a dream that Martinez was pregnant.

Martinez brushed it off at the time. But Rampersad turned out to be right.

“She is the most considerate, humble and selfless person I’ve ever met,” Martinez said. “Soldier or not, she was such a good example of what a decent human being is.”

For around two hours, the woman the Army knew as “Staff Sgt. Rampersad” was remembered by the people closest to her, the people who called her Sarah.

Her sister, Laura Tamby, delivered the eulogy, as her husband, Marine veteran Patrick Tamby, stood alongside her. She recalled a stubborn 2-year-old from her youth.

“When Sarah set her mind on something, she was committed to seeing it through,” Tamby said. That included enlisting — she wanted to sign up at 18, but her mother told her to wait until she was 21.

Long before the uniform, Tamby said, Rampersad served as a drummer on the worship team at

Brig. Gen. Glenn Henke, commanding general of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, in which Rampersad served, said he never met her but had spent the week on video calls with soldiers who served with her in Germany and Jordan.

She mentored young privates and senior noncommissioned officers alike, he said, and made a habit of reminding her battery commander to eat lunch.

“If you needed technical expertise to be a better soldier, you went to Staff Sgt. Ram,” Henke said. “If you needed life expertise to become a better person, you also went to Staff Sgt. Ram.”

Among the young soldiers Rampersad took under her wing was Pfc. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Texas, who arrived in the unit in February as it prepared to deploy, Henke said, and became one of her

roommates in Jordan.

Gonzales was killed in the same attack. Henke said he believes Rampersad spent her final moments trying to get her fellow soldier to safety.

Hochul told Acevedo that “grief is the price you pay for love.” Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. said he expects Mamdani to sign into law a street co-naming honoring Rampersad, an effort that has been spearheaded by the Ozone Park Residents Block Association.

“We want people in this community to never forget to look up at that street sign — little girls and little boys to know that we had a hero amongst us,” Richards said.

State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven) told the mourners it was unfortunate he never got the

chance to meet Rampersad.

“We celebrate a life today that was defined by courage, duty and selfless service, and for that we will be forever grateful,” Addabbo said.

Following the service, a procession made its way down Crossbay Boulevard, where dozens of residents lined the road with flags and ribbons as the motorcade continued to Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale.

“We’re here because we owe it to her,” one resident watching the procession told the Chronicle.

“She sacrificed her life for us, and we have to honor her memory.”

Rampersad’s family has established the SSG Angel Sarah Rampersad Foundation, according to an online fundraiser created by Acevedo, dedicated to preserving

her legacy through acts of service, education and community support. The funds will be used to help those in need pursue educational opportunities and overcome personal challenges.

One may learn more about the fundraiser or donate online at gofund.me/ecf479c0f.

“Through this foundation, we will provide scholarships and financial assistance to deserving individuals, helping them pursue educational opportunities and overcome challenges,” Acevedo wrote on the GoFundMe page. “By investing in the potential of others, we hope to reflect the values Angel lived by — service, leadership, generosity, and compassion. ... Thank you for helping us transform our loss into a legacy of hope, opportunity, and service.” Q

Soccer is coming home to queens

Etihad Park opens in 2027 as New York City FC’s permanent home and the first purpose-built soccer stadium in the five boroughs. Be a part of a historic new chapter for Queens, the Club, and the city.

SECURE YOUR SEAT TODAY

Agency predicting need for 4 percent revenue increase to offset new costs MTA talking fare, toll hikes for 2027, ’29

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is forecasting the need for transit fare and toll increases in 2027 and 2029.

Agency officials, announcing a balanced budget for this year at a meeting on July 29, said the hikes would combine for a 4 percent revenue increase.

“Thanks to Governor Hochul and our $600-plus million in cost savings, the MTA’s budget is balanced for 2026, but there are deficits looming,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber in a press release from the agency. “Fast-growing expenses outside MTA’s control are outpacing revenues, creating a structural deficit problem that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.”

The MTA said at the meeting that fare and toll “adjustments” would be scheduled to go into place in March 2027 and again in March 2029.

Both will have to be approved by the MTA’s board. If passed, the increases would bookend a 2028 hike in Manhattan congestion pricing tolls from $9 to $12.

Even while planning the hikes, the MTA said stronger tax and subsidy receipts and lower projected debt-service costs have helped cushion against some rising costs, as have nearly $600 million in recurring savings.

“The MTA remains on firm financial footing this year, but the July Plan shows deficits beginning next year as costs largely outside our control continue to rise,” said MTA Chief Financial Officer Jai Patel. “We will keep finding efficiencies and carefully managing the expenses we can control, while being candid about the growing gap in the years ahead.”

Queens Village resident Charlton D’souza, the founder and president of the advocacy group Passengers United, told the

Discussing proposed fare and toll hikes last week, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said that many expenses beyond the agency’s control are increasing.

Chronicle the MTA does not merit an increase based on recent service.

“We’re very upset because of OMNY, because of the Queens Bus redesign, the bus stop eliminations,” D’souza said. “We’ve received so many complaints. I personally have been overcharged on my OMNY card.”

Passengers United has sent a letter to the office of state Attorney General Letitia James requesting that she investigate. A spokesman for the AG told the Chronicle in an email on Tuesday that the letter has been received and is under review.

In a question-and-answer session with the press after the meeting, Lieber was asked about complaints about OMNY overcharges, dropped transfers and failure to credit some individual card swipes toward the rolling seven-day cap that triggers free rides.

He cautioned against relying totally on word-of-mouth and social media.

“Everything that happens on OMNY is traceable,” he said in a video of the meeting available on the MTA’s website. “So if somebody has a problem, come to us. Show us the fare medium you are using. We can trace all of your usage. We can see and respond ... We will correct it.”

The entire meeting, with the press conference at the end, can be viewed online at tinyurl.com/4vyexsue.

The last fare and toll increase took place in January, when a bus or subway swipe went from $2.90 to the present $3.

The $2.90 fare was instituted in August 2023, when it was increased from $2.75. It was the first increase since March 2015.

Existing tolls for passenger cars and other two-axle vehicles at the RFK-Triborough, Bronx-Whitestone, Throgs Neck and Verrazzano-Narrows bridges are $7.46 with E-ZPass and $12.03 without. So are the tolls for the Queens Midtown and Hugh L. Carey tunnels.

The tolls for the Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial and Cross Bay Veterans Memorial bridges are $2.80 with E-ZPass and $6.02 without. Registered Rockaway residents pay $1.82 with E-ZPass and $2.50 without. Q

BP intent on moving the needle at FMCP

Richards assembles public-private task force for jewel of the borough

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. can cite chapter and verse on the history and features that he says makes Flushing Meadows Corona Park so special.

Last Thursday, he proclaimed himself tired of how the home of two World’s Fairs, a fledgling United Nations, world-class sporting events and memories for generations of families and children remains in a chronic state of neglect from cracked pavement to incessant flooding.

Richards formally announced the formation of the Flushing Meadows Corona Park Task Force. It includes elected officials, government agencies and organizations in or connected to FMCP.

He also said FMCP serves as the primary park for many, many neighborhoods in Queens, and that funding for infrastructure and personnel is essential.

The press conference took place at the Playground for All Children, located inside the park in Corona [see separate story in some editions or at qchron.com].

“I spent my childhood in this park,” said Richards. “I’m 43 years old and not once in my lifetime has this park been meaningfully invested in.”

The task force’s goal is to secure and leverage greatly increased public and private invest-

ment in the park.

Richards places the floor at $100 million.

“There’s no reason this park can’t receive the love that Central Park does,” Richards said. “In fact, this is larger than Central Park. During the summer it is the center of the sports and entertainment universe. Tens of thousands flock here every summer for what? Governor’s Ball.

“Hundreds of thousands of tennis fans come here every year for the US Open, every August and September. Millions flock to Citi Field every season, even seasons like this one.”

He then mentioned the raves FMCP received from international visitors during the World Cup.

“If that’s true, why do we continue to shortchange this park?” Richards asked.

Richards co-chairs the Flushing Meadows Corona Park Task Force with Mike Luba, a partner in Tiebreaker Productions, the longtime lead Forest Hills Stadium concert series promoter.

The roster also includes:

• the Alliance for Flushing Meadows Corona Park;

• the Center for an Urban Future

• Community Boards 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8;

• Councilwoman Shanel Thomas-Henry (D-Corona) and Councilman Shekar Krishnan (D-Jackson Heights);

• the Governor’s Ball;

• the NYPD and the city Departments of Design and Construction, Environmental Protection, Parks and Recreation and Transportation;

• the Mayor’s Office of Mass Engagement

• the Waterfront Alliance;

• the Queens Botanical Garden; and

• FMCP fixtures the New York Hall of Science, Queens Night Market, Queens Theatre, Queens Zoo and United States Tennis Association.

“I’m speaking with Mayor Mamdani on this,” Richards said. “I’m taking a plane or a train to Washington, DC, to make sure that this park gets the TLC that it deserves. We need everybody who benefits from this park to be invested in its success.”

Thomas-Henry concurred.

“As someone who grew up here, Flushing Meadows Corona Park has always been more than a green place for me,” she said. “It’s a place where memories are made and generations come together. We want to assure that our park will receive the same commitment that our community has invested in it for decades.”

Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz (D-Corona) recalled riding her bicycle around the Unisphere as a child, and said the park is not what it once was. Even recently, “We had people in leadership in the mayoralty and in the Council who did not care about the park,” she said. “We will assure that this park is the one

EDITORIAL AGEP

Fight Flu$hing fraud

Medicaid accounts for nearly 30 percent of New York State’s entire operating budget, somewhere north of $40 billion a year. It’s more than the share that goes to education, around 25 percent.

And it’s rife with fraud. And a lot of that fraud is being committed right here in Queens, specifically in Flushing, as revealed in a remarkable piece of investigative journalism printed in Tuesday’s New York Post.

We applaud the Post for its reporting. It is apparent that social adult daycare centers are being used to bilk the taxpayers just as childcare centers had been in Minnesota until investigative reporting there blew it all up.

Here the work has just begun. Now state and federal officials must act to stop the fraud.

The Post found that within a one-mile radius in the heart of Flushing, 77 SADCs are operating. It visited several. Just as other reporters did in Minnesota, it found empty facilities where hundreds or thousands of people are supposed-

ly being served, according to what the so-called providers are billing the system for. At one site, no seniors were visible but the company charged Medicaid $27 million over six years and claimed more than 26,500 patients, the Post reported. At another, a worker said she has 100 or 200 patients a day, but the company told Medicaid it had 43,900, billing $32 million.

The 77 SADCs charge Medicaid more than $100 million a year, accounting for 14 percent of all such spending in the state, the Post said.

This has to end. New York spends more than twice as much per capita on Medicaid than any other state. The wasted money could go to things such as more police, firehouse upgrades and better roads, or to lower the burdensome taxes all New Yorkers face. The federal government already has made examples of states with Medicaid fraud, and we hope New York is next. Gov. Hochul also needs to take the lead and make a major effort to reduce the problem. This election year is the perfect time to do it.

Some e-bike rules at last?

It would seem the powers that be in the City Council are finally recognizing the danger posed by out-ofcontrol e-bikes, e-scooters, e-mopeds and whatever other unregistered, uninsured examples of micromobility you can think of (they’re riding motorized unicycles now!). It’s about time. Regulation is an absolute must. Go big or go home seems to be the idea, at least on the surface. The Council reportedly will be considering 17 bills this fall to rein in the chaos. Here are some highlights: Curtail the use of unregistered mopeds — check. Impose penalties on riders who flee the scene of a crash — check. Ban the sale of high-speed e-bikes — check. Require delivery companies to register for a commercial license — check.

Most of what is planned sounds good so far. But we’ll see how much actually gets done because lawmakers, and the mayor, will be very concerned about anything that appears to put a burden on low-income working people. And of course they don’t want to expose unauthorized immigrants to the criminal justice system. So our optimism is cautious at best. Also, none of the 17 bills would take the most effective tack: requiring the registration of e-bikes. New Jersey just did it. New York should, too: city or state. Instead we’ll continue to have motorized vehicles that are not treated as motor vehicles. It’s strange, really. Maybe the ideas that are on the table will help. We hope so. More and more people are getting hurt by e-nuts who really need their comeuppance.

MARK WEIDLER President & Publisher

SUSAN & STANLEY MERZON Founders

Raymond G. Sito General Manager

Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief

Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Stephanie G. Meditz Editor

Andrew Karpan Associate Editor

Stela Barbu Office Manager

Jan Schulman Art Director

Moeen Din Associate Art Director

Gregg Cohen Editorial Production Manager

Joseph Berni Art Department Associate

Dennis O’Brien Proofreader

Kristina Raevsky Editorial Intern

Senior Account Executives: Jim Berkoff, Beverly Espinoza

Account Executives: Ree Brinn, Patricia Gatt

Contributors:

Lloyd Carroll, Mark Lord, Ronald Marzlock

Photographers: Walter Karling, Michael Shain

Office: The Shops at Atlas Park 71-19 80th St., Suite 8-201

Glendale, NY 11385

Phone: (718) 205-8000

Fax: (718) 205-1957

E-mail: Editors@qchron.com Website: www.qchron.com

Dear Editor:

LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

City issues first

(An open letter to Mayor Mamdani)

While I can understand your efforts to fulfill campaign promises and tackle citywide issues, I feel there is little to no attention given to local constituent issues. Unfortunately, this has been a problem during several past mayoral administrations.

As mayor you oversee all the city agencies. Although you must delegate authority to each agency commissioner, there needs to be significant oversight by you.

Neighborhood concerns such as road repairs and intersection safety, city tree issues, and illegal construction problems seem to be forgotten.

I sent you a letter on July 10 about this situation and have not had the courtesy of a response.

Case in point, as mentioned in my July 10th letter, well over a month ago I contacted the Department of Sanitation regarding a catch-22 situation regarding procedures for disposing of a small refrigerator for recycling.

I contacted 311 and by mail to the DOS commissioner. I never received a response from the commissioner and the 311 response simply ignored the issue.

There are numerous other examples of the city’s failure to properly respond to individual

constituent concerns. I hope you can do better and improve the delivery of city services to residents.

Tony Avella Whitestone

The writer is a former New York City councilman and New York State senator.

Why Beltran gets no love

Dear Editor:

In response to Lloyd Carroll’s July 30 Sports Beat column, “Carlos to Cooperstown,” Mets fans see Carlos Beltran as a mercenary who, after cashing in on his incredible 2004 Astros postseason, failed to deliver in his biggest Mets moment, going down on a called third strike in the 2006 National League Championship Series.

Next, he participated on the 2007-08 choke teams. Late in his Mets tenure, he was perceived as slow to return from injuries, missing significant chunks of 2009 and 2010 and frustrating the front office.

He does not hold a candle to Tom Seaver, 1969 world champion and one of the all-time pitching greats, and Mike Piazza, who led the Mets to the Subway Series and had one iconic moment after another from 1999 to 2001, including that legendary home run after 9/11.

Carlos Beltran had a great 2006 regular season, but if asked to list their greatest Mets, Mets fans would also rank Alfonzo, Alonso, deGrom, Franco, Gooden, Hernandez, Koosman, Reyes, Strawberry and Wright ahead of him.

Scott Avidon Kew Gardens

Ron Hunt: a fine Met

Dear Editor:

This is in regard to the passing of former Met Ron Hunt. Fans of a certain age will remember the player who played hard all the time.

In the four years that he played for the Mets, he was chosen to be an All-Star twice, including starting at second base in the 1964 game at

LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

brand-new Shea Stadium. Also during his tenure with the Mets, he hit an insidethe-park home run against Sandy Koufax.

I have felt for many years that Ron belonged in the Mets Hall of Fame, as he was one of the first players to bring respectability to the team.

Ron played in an era when players did not get paid much during the season, and most had to get a second job in the winter. On the other hand, in my opinion, every player today is overpaid. Negotiations for a new contract with the players will be starting after the season.

How about all the rich owners and all the rich players put money in a fund for the ballplayers of yesterday and help their families pay their bills, such as medical? Without the ballplayers of yesterday, there would be no ballplayers of today.

RIP, Ron.

John Lynch Middle Village

Taxpayers cleaned out

Dear Editor:

I see once again our local politicians are using taxpayers’ money to clean up Liberty Avenue (“Cleanup crew takes on Liberty Avenue,” July 23, multiple editions).

I was always under the impression that store owners and operators are supposed to clean in front of their stores daily. Where are the sanitation officers who should be issuing tickets to the store owners for not cleaning up outside their businesses?

I don’t see stories about taxpayers’ money being used to clean Jamaica Avenue or Crossbay Boulevard. I guess the store owners there have pride and dignity and respect for their neighborhoods.

David Conlin Howard Beach

Enlightened about heroes

Dear Editor:

I liked your July 23 article about honoring Det. Steven McDonald (“Academy named for Steven McDonald,” multiple editions). He was my hero, and showed that disability did not mean inability to work at the Police Department. He was a hero. I also appreciated the article “OZP soldier believed killed in Jordan” and the others about Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad, the woman who died a hero serving our nation in the Middle East. She was wonderful and fought for the nation she loved.

Thanks for enlightening me with such wonderful articles. Blessings.

Cynthia Groopman Little Neck

I vote; therefore, I am

Dear Editor:

In “The Metamorphosis,” Franz Kafka imagines that his protagonist, Gregor Samsa, wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a bug. The transformation robs Samsa of all his rights of personhood. He cannot work or get out of bed or travel or eat. He is confined to his room, a small space, ostensibly a prison cell. He is no longer a person; he is no longer a citizen.

Autocratic governments similarly rob citi-

zens of their rights. Think of all our digitized rights that could be canceled with the flip of a switch, the push of a button or the deletion of a line of record. People receive Social Security benefits. Taxpayers receive refunds. Our licenses to drive and work and run businesses all exist at the whim of a database. Real estate records document and secure our ownership of living space.

The frightening autocracy in “A Handmaid’s Tale” advances its reformation of society with the deactivation of every woman’s bank account, done with a single computer command to freeze accounts tied to owners identified with an “F.”

The Trump administration’s pursuit of voting records and data makes me very much fear for my right and the right of my fellow citizens to vote and to have our votes counted. Do a Google search to see the pervasiveness of this Trump policy. The president’s obsession with obtaining voter records violates the constitutional reservation of the administration of elections to the states. The president’s agencies, bureaus and proxies are federal entities without the right or standing to meddle with voter rolls. However, Rhaenyra’s dragons are circling. The threatening cry continues on a daily basis. Support the organizations and individuals who are fighting to keep voter records in the portfolio of our state agencies, where they belong.

Debra Michlewitz Bayside

It’s like Holocaust denial

Dear Editor:

What do Alfred Uhry, Arthur Miller and Israel have in common? Uhry wrote “The Last Night of Ballyhoo” about the denial of the Holocaust; Arthur Miller wrote “Broken Glass,” also a denial, within a Jewish family, about the Holocaust, through the eyes of one person who did not deny it. I have those eyes as the son of survivors wondering if someone is going to have to write a similar theme before it’s too late.

I hope it’s not me. I am not an all or nothing person. I am not a Netanyahu person or nothing. I am seeing my country becoming enablers, to maybe the eventual nonexistence of Israel.

I see Oct. 7; I see the work of Presidents Clinton and Carter and Egypt’s Anwar elSadat; I see women in the United States betraying the treatment of women in the Middle East.

I see a mayor of NYC wanting to arrest an Israeli prime minister and a United Nations that might allow it. I remember Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev at the UN saying, “We will bury you.” Can this happen in the sands of the only democracy in the Middle East?

I don’t have photos of my father’s parents; I barely know what happened to most of the uncles and aunts I never met. I fear for all the innocent children who just want to play. My fear is that someone will have to write the next “Ballyhoo” or “Broken Glass” ... I hope that none of us see it.

Stewart Frimer Forest Hills

MASS SCHEDULE

A night out to remember with the 102

Barbecue smoke hung over Victory Field in Woodhaven on Tuesday evening as hundreds of residents worked their way through the food lines, bouncy houses and a handshake or two with the cops of the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct at the annual National Night Out Against Crime.

At top left, cops show off the NYPD’s Digidog, a robotic canine; and at right, Deputy Inspector Pratima Maldonado, the commanding officer, gets praise from Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. for what he said was one of the biggest Night Out events

he’s seen from the 102.

In the second row, the Richmond Hill Block Association advertises its upcoming fair, left; residents salute Old Glory during the event’s ceremony; and neighborhood kids enjoy some free ice cream.

Above, the Woodhaven Residents Block Association is all smiles, left; and a slew of officials and community advocates get lauded with certificates. At right, staff members grin as they work the table for Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, left; and an officer mans the grill. — Kristen Guglielmo

Demand for free childcare exceeds supply State covers cost of pilot program that mayor says shows desire for universal system

by Andrew Giambrone THE CITY REPORTER

This article was originally published on AUG. 4, 9:00 a.m. EDT by THE CITY

REPORTER.

Nearly three families applied for each free childcare seat for 2-yearolds in New York City’s program rolling out next month, Mayor Mamdani and Gov. Hochul said Tuesday.

Just over 2,000 families are receiving coveted offers in the debut of the marquee “2-K” initiative, out of more than 5,700 families who applied, according to city officials.

“The overwhelming demand for 2-K shows what families across the city have known for years: New Yorkers need free, universal childcare, and they need it now,” Mamdani said in a statement pledging to expand the initiative “until every family that wants a seat can get one.”

Officials said 82 percent of the families receiving offers have been matched with one of their top three choices for center- and home-based programs across the five school dis-

tricts where the initiative is launching. Most families have been matched to their first-choice program, and most of the seats will be “full-day and full-year,” though exact figures weren’t immediately provided.

Applicants who didn’t receive an initial offer will be contacted with information about waitlist options, according to City Hall. Families can continue to join 2-K waitlists regardless of whether they applied when applications opened in June.

Applications were open to families with kids born in 2024, with those living in the five districts where the program is debuting getting priority. Those are District 6 in Manhattan (Washington Heights, Inwood and Hamilton Heights), District 10 in The Bronx (Fordham, Belmont, Norwood, Marble Hill, Morris Heights, Riverdale, Spuyten Duyvil, Van Cortlandt Village and Kingsbridge), Districts 18 and 23 in Brooklyn (Canarsie, Rugby-Remsen Village, Brownsville, Ocean Hill) and District 27 in Queens (Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Woodhaven, How-

specific amount of state support after that. The city already provides free pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds.

Mamdani campaigned on universal childcare for kids 6 weeks to 5 years old and has vowed to achieve fully universal childcare for 2-year-olds by the end of his first term. City Hall has yet to estimate a price tag for universal childcare for those under 5, but a recent analysis by the New School’s Center for New York City Affairs puts it at around $9 billion a year, or between $4 billion and $5 billion more than the city spent in fiscal year 2025.

The cost of childcare is one of the biggest pressures on families to leave the city or cut back on other expenses, according to advocates, experts and surveys. City Hall said families enrolled in 2-K will save $26,000 per year on average. Q

ard Beach and the Rockaways).

The Mamdani administration is promising to announce details later this year for the anticipated expansion of 2-K in the following school year, when officials say the program will expand to cover 12,000 children, including on Staten Island. Hochul has committed to funding the program for the first two years, at a cost of about $500 million, but has not guaranteed a

Claudia Irizarry Aponte contributed reporting.

THE CITY REPORTER (thecity reporter.nyc) is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to hard-hitting reporting that serves the people of New York.

Community meets the beat at Tudor Park

Cotton candy in one hand, hot dog in the other, the kids of Tudor Village had the run of the place Tuesday evening, as hundreds of residents filled Tudor Park for the NYPD 106th Precinct’s annual National Night Out Against Crime, an evening of food, games and conversation between neighbors and the officers who patrol South Queens.

In the top row, a very good K9 and an officer pose for a photo with a neighborhood kid, left; children are eager to play in the bouncy house; and the com-

manding officer of the 106, Capt. Mario Deras, at center, receives accolades from area officials.

Above, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz addresses the crowd, left; smiling faces at the NYPD’s table meet and greet the community while recruiting future law enforcement officials; and constituents learn more about the latest in the district at Councilmember Ty Hankerson’s table. At right, one man proves delectable sugary treats are not just for the kids. — Kristen Guglielmo

Artists sought for showcase

Artists of all kinds living in Senate District 15 are invited to take part in a showcase hosted by state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven) on Oct. 25.

The event is not a competition, but is meant to promote artists’ work. Each participant will have about 4 feet of space. A time and venue have not been announced, and one must reside in the district to sign up.

Visual artists must supply their own displays and tables, and transport their work. Musicians are limited to 10 minutes, including setup, and must bring their own instruments. Addabbo’s office will print name

tags, artist profiles, descriptions and event programs. Artists are asked to submit relevant information in advance.

To register, one may call Addabbo’s office at (718) 738-1111 and send samples of work to AnnMarie Costella, Addabbo’s press secretary and special events coordinator, at costella@nysenate.gov.

“Art has the ability to inspire, bring people together and elevate our spirits,” Addabbo said. “Through this showcase, we are celebrating local artists while also helping build a stronger community and recognizing the many ways they enrich our daily lives.” Q

BP names FMCP task force

continued from page 8

Queens deserves.”

Richards has similar memories.

The borough president said his family would visit the park and picnic by the Unisphere with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

“That’s what we did on weekends,” he said.

“We didn’t have a backyard.”

Anthony Sama, executive director of the Alliance for Flushing Meadows Corona Park, said his members are proud to help support the park.

But he said the task force will not be enough.

“There is so much work to do in this park,” he said.

Richards said he hopes the task force will not have to exist long-term. “Task forces are not

here to be here forever,” he said.

The borough president said he hopes a lot of park maintenance problems, for example, can be fixed by greater communication and cooperation among city agencies.

He cited a recent instance in which the city Department of Environmental Protection cleaned out FMCP storm drains in advance of a major storm.

Areas that traditionally flooded did not.

“Just through interagency conversations there were things that are getting corrected in the park,” Richards said.

“We’re going to step up,” Richards said.

“Everybody’s got to step up. We will end this era of disinvestment in our backyard.” Q

Gianaris heads for an early exit: report

Lawmaker’s

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

The office of state Sen. Mike Gianaris (D-Astoria) did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Chronicle after reports of his early departure from the chamber.

As first reported by Politico on Monday, the Senate’s outgoing deputy majority leader has been replaced by state Sen. Shelley Mayer (D-Yonkers) as chair of the New York Democratic Senate Campaign Committee.

last day in Senate is Aug. 7

State Sen. Mike Gianaris, the deputy majority leader, is reportedly departing the chamber on Aug. 7.

NYS SENATE PHOTO / FLICKR

Included in that announcement was a note that Gianaris’ last day as a senator is Aug. 7.

The Governor’s Office did not respond to an email from the Chronicle inquiring about Gianaris’ early exit.

Traditionally, new state Senate terms begin on Jan. 1, meaning Gianaris, who

opted not to run for reelection, was slated to hold the post until the end of the year.

Per legislation outlined on the state Senate’s website, a special election will not be held to fill the vacancy because it will occur after April 1 of the last year of his term.

The senator has been in public office for more than two decades, first elected to the state Assembly in 2000 and the Senate in 2010.

When he announced he would not seek reelection back in February, Gianaris said he wanted to dedicate his time to being a father.

Democratic socialist and community organizer Aber Kawas won the Democratic primary for the seat, and is set to face Republican Han Khon To on the ballot on Nov. 3. Q

Donate blood and save a life

Donors of all blood types are asked to contribute as the region continues to face what the New York Blood Center calls an unprecedented blood emergency. The American Red Cross recently said donations have fallen to a four-year summer low.

To make an appointment, one may visit nybc.org. There are several upcoming blood drives in South Queens:

• Indo Caribbean Federation and American Guyanese Congress, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 9, in a busmobile at 10333 Lefferts Blvd. in South Richmond Hill; blood drive coordinator Frank Singh;

• NYPD 102nd Precinct, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 25, in a busmobile at 87-34 118 St. in Richmond Hill; blood drive coordinator Sgt. Navdeep Singh;

• Queens Public Library, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 27, in a busmobile at 118-14 Hillside Ave. in Richmond Hill; blood drive coordinator Sara Nordlicht; and

• Knights of Columbus Council 197, 8:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5, in the main hall at 94-04 Linden Blvd. in Ozone Park; blood drive coordinator Paul Eggert. Q — Kristen Guglielmo

Estate Planning Fundamentals: Proper Planning for Business Owners

By Cynthia J. Conza, Esq.

A number of our clients are business owners who come to us looking to ensure that the businesses they built continue on for the next generation. Proper planning for business owners focuses on several goals: continuity of the business, privacy and keeping details of the business out of the public, protection of business assets from creditors, and avoiding probate by transferring the business directly to beneficiaries without the involvement of the Surrogate’s Court.

One strategy that achieves the above goals is to transfer a business structured as an LLC to a well-designed trust that is tailored to accommodate the specific needs of that particular business. New York law permits a trust to legally own an LLC membership interest, but it requires careful drafting to ensure the trust conforms with both the business’s operating agreement as well as federal tax law.

When an LLC membership interest

is transferred to a trust the trustee acts as the member of the LLC. The trust is structured to permit the trustee to execute management decisions for the LLC and vote on all LLC matters. The trust’s beneficiaries typically cannot vote on LLC matters unless the trust specifically grants the beneficiaries that authority, and the trust’s structure keeps LLC management authority distinct.

Further, if an LLC’s owner becomes incapacitated then family members may require a court appointment of an independent guardian to run the business. This problem is avoided when LLC membership interests are held in a trust that includes management directions in the event the trust’s grantor becomes incapacitated.

If you are a business owner and have any estate planning questions or issues you would like to discuss please feel free to contact me at cynthia@conzamcnamara.com or (718) 845-5555

City, insurer to pay $53M over retiree copay suit

They will reimburse up to 250,000 ex-civil servants who claimed illegal charges

by Claudia Irizarry Aponte THE CITY REPORTER

This article was originally published on AUG. 4, 5:00 a.m. EDT by THE CITY REPORTER.

The Mamdani administration and a major insurer agreed to pay up to $53 million to reimburse retired civil servants who said they’d been wrongly charged copays for medical visits.

The settlement stems from a 2022 class-action lawsuit filed in state Supreme Court in Manhattan alleging the city improperly forced retirees to pay $15 copays for medical visits under EmblemHealth’s GHI Senior Care Plan, a supplemental benefit that covers costs that traditional Medicare does not pay.

In a phone interview Monday, the president of the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees, which brought the lawsuit, praised the settlement — but said the retirees’ fight is far from over.

Marianne Pizzitola said her members are skipping oncology, occupational therapy and other treatments because of rising health costs. She invoked the image of

100-year-old retired firefighter Dan Stromer, who lives on a $26,000 pension and whom she described as her organization’s oldest member.

“We need to roll back these regressive copays,” said Pizzitola. “I want what we had: traditional Medicare with the supplemental benefit.”

The settlement comes as Pizzitola’s group and its allies in the City Council seek to revive an effort to preserve traditional Medicare for the city’s retirees and block future efforts to raise their healthcare costs.

The agreement stems from copays that retirees were charged from Jan. 1, 2022 through Jan. 31, 2023.

Nicholas Paolucci, a spokesperson for the city Law Department, noted in a statement that the $15 copays were reinstated in January 2025. As part of what Paolucci called an “amicable settlement,” the Mamdani administration and EmblemHealth agreed not to increase the existing $15 Senior Care copay until 2028.

A spokesperson for EmblemHealth said the insurer would inform its members about how to access their reimbursements. Up to 250,000 retirees could be eligible, according to the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees.

“We are pleased that a settlement has been reached that avoids litigation,” EmblemHealth spokesperson Alex Gomez said in a statement. “From this agreement, a process has been established to assist members with reimbursement and provide information on next steps.”

Pizzitola’s group first sued the city and EmblemHealth in November 2022, after the administration of then-Mayor Eric Adams for the first time implemented the $15 copay in January of that year. Retirees were previously not charged a copay.

In their original lawsuit, the retirees claimed the city was in violation of a 2022 court order not to impose additional costs on retirees for the supplemental benefit. That order also left the door open for the Adams administration to move forward with a controversial attempt to shift retirees to Medicare Advantage, so long as they could opt out of that switch and keep their current GHI Senior Care Plan.

The retirees’ organization

engaged in a lengthy legal battle over the planned Medicare Advantage switchover anyway, arguing the privatized plan offered inferior care and the city was legally required to offer its retirees premium-free healthcare. Though the state’s highest court eventually sided with the Adams administration, he backed out of the switch last June. (As a candidate, Mayor Mamdani pledged to “reject” Medicare Advantage if elected.)

Mamdani has not said how he plans to address the botched Medicare Advantage plan, which was intended to help the taxpayers save $600 million annually. A December 2025 audit by the city comptroller’s office declared insolvent a key fund that paid insurance premiums for city workers, retirees and their dependents, in part due to the Medicare Advantage debacle.

Christopher Marte (D-Manhattan), a City Council member representing Chinatown, cheered news of the settlement on Monday. He told The City Reporter he intends to revive a bill that would ban the city from forcing retirees to enroll in what he described as “diminished” privatized healthcare plans, including Medicare Advantage, or to increase their healthcare costs.

“We are being really careful on how we define ‘diminished’ healthcare,” Marte said. “Forcing someone to pay a higher copay potentially can make it more difficult for someone to get the care that they were previously promised, limiting how many times an individual goes to those appointments, what type of care they pursue.” Q

THE CITY REPORTER (thecityreporter.nyc) is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to hard-hitting reporting that serves the people of New York.

Repeat robber wanted in three incidents: cops

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Officers are seeking help in identifying a man wanted for a series of robberies, two attempted and one successful, within the confines of the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct.

The first incident came on June 24, cops said, when the unidentified individual allegedly approached a 34-year-old female, on-duty United States Postal Service employee on 87th Road in Woodhaven, between 80th and 85th streets, at around 11:28 a.m.

He displayed a firearm, cops said, and demanded money, but ultimately no property was removed.

The perp then fled on foot, traveling westbound on 87th Road. No injuries were reported.

Cops said that around 10 minutes later, the same suspect approached a 44-year-old male near 86th Road and 76th Street. He displayed a firearm and demanded the victim’s phone and wallet. The suspect was again unsuccessful in his robbery attempt and fled on foot, traveling southbound on 76th Street toward Jamaica Avenue. No injuries were reported.

Then, a month later on July 23, it was reported to police that a male suspect, at around 2:20 p.m., forcibly took about $360 in cash from a 67-year-old man while he was withdrawing money from an

ATM at the Chase Bank at 96-19 101 Ave. in Ozone Park.

The victim had resulting pain in his right hand from when the suspect snatched the cash, cops said, but was not hospitalized. The perp fled on foot, traveling westbound on 101st Avenue toward 95th Street.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 577-TIPS (8477), or, for Spanish, 1 (888) 57-PISTA (74782). One may also submit tips by going to crimestoppers.nypdonline.org; or by texting 274637 (CRIMES) and entering TIP577; or by going to @nypdtips on X.

All tips are strictly confidential. Q

Cops want the above suspect for his alleged involvement in one successful and two

Spotting diabetic eye disease in seniors

Glaucoma is not something to take lightly. Routine eye exams that measure intraocular pressure can help determine if eyes are healthy.

It is easy to take sight for granted when eyes are working as they should. When vision b egins to diminish, people may seek the advice of an eye professional to determine if there is something they can do to prevent further deterioration.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world, advises the Cleveland Clinic. Unlike some other vision problems like cataracts that affect the lens or surface of the eye, glaucoma impacts the optic nerve directly. However, blindness from glaucoma often can be prevented with early treatment.

Under pressure

Glaucoma is brought on by abnormal pressure buildup in the eye. The American Academy of Ophthalmology® says the eye constantly makes a substance known as aqueous humor. When new aqueous humor flows into the eye, existing aqueous humor should drain out through an area called the drainage angle. But if the drainage angle is not working correctly, the fluid builds up and intraocular pressure in the eye increases. Over time, this pressure damages the optic nerve. The primary function of the optic nerve is to transmit visual information from the retina to the brain.

Open-angle and closed-angle glaucoma

The most common type of glaucoma is known as open-angle glaucoma, which occurs when the drainage angle becomes blocked or there is resistance to the fluid draining out, says the Cleveland Clinic. This disease may go undetected for years because most people do not experience symptoms early on. The Mayo Clinic says gradual development of blind spots in peripheral vision and, in later stages, difficulty seeing things in central vision may occur.

In closed-angle glaucoma, also called angle-

closure glaucoma, a person’s iris is very close to the drainage angle and the iris itself can end up blocking the drainage angle. When the drainage angle becomes completely blocked, pressure in the eye can rapidly increase. The AAO says this is known as an acute attack and is a true emergency that can result in blindness. Signs of an acute attack include:

• Suddenly blurry vision

• Severe eye pain

• Headache

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Rainbow-colored rings or halos appearing around lights

Glaucoma risk factors

Glaucoma can affect anyone, but the risk increases with age (over 60) and is highe r among Black and Hispanic populations. Asian and Inuit populations are more susceptible to closed-angle glaucoma, says the Clevelan d Clinic. People with diabetes also have a much higher risk of getting glaucoma. In addition, individuals with a family history of glaucoma; people with high blood pressure; and people with previous eye injury or surgery are at risk for glaucoma.

Treatment

The main treatment for glaucoma includes prescription eye drops that will decrease fluids and improve drainage in the eye. Laser therapy also may be recommended to help improve fluid drainage. Surgery also can achieve better eye pressure, but it is more invasive and additional methods may be tried first.

Glaucoma is not something to take lightly. Routine eye exams that measure intraocula r pressure can help determine if eyes are healthy.

Small acts of support can help in the lives of older adult s

by Social Security Administration

For many older adults, staying connected, informed, and independent is important. Sometimes, a little help from a trusted friend, family member, neighbor, or caregiver can make everyday tasks easier and less stressful.

Whether it’s helping someone create a personal my Social Security account at ssa.gov/myaccount, reminding them about important documents, or simply checking in regularly, small acts of support can go a long way.

Helping loved ones stay connected to their benefits

Social Security benefits are an important part of retirement security for millions of people. Helping older family members understand and access their benefits online can save time and provide peace of mind. Your loved one can create a free and secure my Social Security account to view their Social Security Statement and manage their benefits.

With a personal my Social Security account people can:

• Review benefit information;

• Get a benefit verification letter;

• Update direct deposit, phone, and address information;

• Request a replacement Social Security or Medicare card (if eligible);

• Receive important notices online;

• And more!

If someone you care about isn’t comfortable using online services, offering to sit with them and walk through the process can make a big difference.

Watch for signs that someone may need extra help

As loved ones age, everyday responsibilities can sometimes become overwhelming. Family members and friends are often the first to notice when someone may need additional support.

You can help by:

• Checking in regularly

• Helping organize important paperwork

• Assisting with appointments or reminders

• Encouraging safe online practices to avoid scams

• Sharing information about trusted

COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL IMAGING

3T MRI • MRA • 1.2 OPEN MRI LOW DOSE CT • CTA • FLUOROSCOPY

DAT SCAN • NUCLEAR MEDICINE

PET/CT SCAN • ULTRASOUND • DEXA X-RAY • INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY

CORONARY CT ANGIOGRAPHY CALCIUM SCORING

ECHOCARDIOGRAM • LIVER BIOPSY THYROID BIOPSY

PEDIATRIC RADIOLOGY

WOMEN'S IMAGING

3D DIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY

BREAST ULTRASOUND MRI BREAST

STEREOTACTIC BREAST BIOPSY

ULTRASOUND GUIDED CORE BIOPSY

MRI GUIDED BIOPSY

resources and services

• Even a quick phone call or visit can help someone feel supported and connected.

Protecting older adults from scams

Scammers often target older adults by pretending to be government agencies or threatening the loss of benefits. Remind your loved ones about our “Never Ever” part-

nership with other agencies to help everyone recognize and avoid government imposter scams.

Remember:

• Never ever will someone from the government say: “Your money isn’t safe. Move it to protect it.” Only a scammer will.

• Never ever will someone from the government threaten to suspend y our g overnment benefits if y ou

don’t pay immediately. Only a scammer will.

• Never ever will someone from the government demand that you pay with a payment app, cryptocurrency, wire transfer, or gift cards.

Encourage older adults to pause, verify information, and talk to someone they trust if something feels suspicious. If someone you know was victim of a scam, please guide them to our Office of the Inspector General website at oig.ssa. gov to report it.

Protecting older americans is an everyday priority

The older adults in our lives are parents, grandparents, neighbors, mentors, veterans, caregivers, an d friends. Their experiences and contributions continue to strengthen our communities every day.

Let’s pledge to take time, reach out, listen, and lend a hand when needed. Sometimes the smallest gestures leave the biggest impact.

Many Social Security programs and services may benefit an olde r adult in your life.

Visit \ssa.gov to learn more. P

Weighing anchor on abandoned vessels

Six derelict boa ts taken from the water off College Point; more to go

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

“It was a fantastic day for College Point.”

And July 29 was a day that Kathryn Cervino, president of the Coastal Preservation Network, had been looking forward to for a long time, as six long-abandoned boats were removed from the waters off Big Rock Beach under a federal grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“I couldn’t have been happier, because this is something we have been working for

Grove, left, of the city Parks Department, U.S. Rep Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura and Kathryn Cervino of the Coastal Preservation Network say goodbye to an abandoned boat.

for years,” Cervino told the Chronicle, “to see a junk boat actually be lifted out of the water where it’s been littering our coastline for so long and know that it’s only the start.”

CPN is a partner in securing and utilizing the $2.3 million grant, which will target more boats off of College Point, as well as Brant Point in Queens, Westchester and Pugsley creeks in the Bronx and Marine Park and Four Sparrow Marsh in Brooklyn.

U.S. Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-Bronx and Queens) also paid a visit.

“At Parks, our work caring for New York’s shared spaces doesn’t stop at the water’s edge. Clearing our waterfront of derelict vessels means safer shores and healthier ecosystems for everyone, humans and wildlife alike,” said city Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura in a press release from the agency.

“We’ve removed 500 tons of boats and other debris from our waterways, and this award from the NOAA Marine Debris Program enables us to do even more across the city,” Shimamura added.

Cervino said they are expecting another visit some time before the end of autumn. She singles out Nate Grove, chief of waterfront and marine operations for the city, and his staff for their tireless work in bringing the project to the Queens coastline

“About 75 percent of the College Point perimeter is bordered by water,” Cervino said. “We’ve been trying to clean the coastline for all of these years but we could only go so far. We couldn’t get out to the partially sunken and submerged boats. And not only are they eyesores, they’re potential hazards to navigation. And they’ve also been leaking pollution — in some case for many decades

— into the water, affecting the wildlife, affecting our water quality.”

Cervino and Shimimura also spoke of the Parks Department’s Vessel Turn-in Program, which allows boat owners to surrender their craft for free rather than abandon them. Information on the program can be found on the Parks Department website, at tinyurl.com/y6zken6u. Q

Tenants sue over rent in regulated buildings

Claim A&E Real Estate broke law with hikes; response gets

by Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief

A group of Flushing-area tenants is suing their landlord, A&E Real Estate, one of the largest residential property management companies in the city, claiming it is violating rent regulations.

A&E says the case is just another in a string of suits targeting it without cause.

Filed July 27 in state Supreme Court in Manhattan, the class-action suit has seven named plaintiffs who live in two A&E buildings in Flushing, at 34-15 Parsons Blvd. and 37-33 College Point Blvd., and three in Kew Gardens Hills, at 75-22 153 St. and 153-10 and 153-32 75 Ave.

The plaintiffs are suing “individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated,” and the defendants are the limited-liability corporations that own each property and their parent LLC, A&E.

The suit claims that A&E has broken the law by raising rents more than allowed after making upgrades to individual apartments.

“In sum, as the owner and operator of the Buildings, Defendants have engaged in a wrongful scheme designed to evade New York’s rent-regulations by taking increases for unperformed, or underperformed, Individual Apartment Improvements (“IAIs”) in order to justify deregulating units and/or to raise the

A&E Real Estate says these before-and-after photos of Apartment 5R at 34-15 Parsons Blvd. in Flushing show the upgrades that justify an increase in rent. According to the lawsuit filed against the company, the rent went from $1,398.88 to $2,941.21 in one year.

rent for units in excess of amounts allowed by the rent regulations,” the filing alleges.

One such unit is Apt. 5R at 34-15 Parsons Blvd., the suit says, where the rent went from $1,398.88 in 2018 to $2,941.21 in 2019.

The resident there is Lismary DeJesusBanouh, one of the plaintiffs. The litigation says that to justify such a rent increase, $62,000 in IAIs would have had to be done.

“An inspection of Apartment 5R supports the conclusion that no such improvements in

that amount were made,” the suit says, continuing, “A review of the filings on the Department of Buildings’ website indicates no such work was performed in Apartment 5R.”

The plaintiffs seek financial damages and new lease forms listing legal rent figures.

A&E, asked for its response to the lawsuit, provided before-and-after photos of Apt. 5R to show it had been upgraded, in addition to offering a prepared statement.

The statement targeted one of the attorneys

personal

who filed the suit, Roger Sachar of the firm Newman Ferrara.

“Roger Sachar has been unsuccessfully suing A&E-managed buildings for ten years and has gotten absolutely nowhere with them,” said the statement, provided by A&E spokesman Bud Perrone of the Rubenstein Communications PR firm. “He is an opportunist who seeks to profit off his clients while blanketing owners of rent-stabilized properties with lawsuits backed by absurd claims. Filing baseless lawsuits against good managers like A&E, which has invested $850 million in building upgrades, is a waste of everyone’s time and does nothing to improve the lives of New York’s working families.”

Sachar in response pointed to two cases his firm had won against A&E, one in the Court of Appeals, Burrows v. 75-25 153rd St., LLC; and one in the Appellate Division, Maddicks v. Big City Props, LLC. Both involve similar claims of illegal rent hikes.

A&E, which owns tens of thousands of apartments citywide, many of them rent-regulated, insisted it is doing what it can, the statement concluding: “We are committed to providing our residents with well-managed workforce housing even as we navigate through frivolous lawsuits and a housing crisis created by the maze of recent rent-stabilization laws and regulations.” Q

ARTS, CULTURE & LIVING

by KristinaRaevsky

WGreat reat neighbors

oodside got its name from a journalist, John A.F. Kelly, who borrowed it from his family homestead for his column in the Brooklyn Times, called “A Letter from Woodside.”

Nearby, when train tracks needed to be built to construct Sunnyside Yard, part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system, many people living in homesteads there had to accept a buy-out and relocate.

One such family was the Prestons, who lived on School Street, now 31st Avenue, as seen in an 1880s photo held by the Queens Historical Society and printed in the book.

With transportation developing, both Sunnyside

Antos is both the Queens borough historian and executive director at the QHS. “Woodside-Sunnyside” (Arcadia Publishing), his eighth book and part of the Images of America series, is available for $24.99. August 6, 2026

Photo -fille d book brings Photo-filled book Woodside-Sunnyside history to life

These are just some of the interesting tidbits about these two fascinating neighborhoods that readers will learn from Jason Antos’ new book, “Woodside-Sunnyside.”

A lifetime Queens resident, Antos, who lives in Whitestone, takes readers on a trip back in time, first to the Native Americans who once lived in the area and then to prominent early settlers and estates. In his roughly 125-page book, Antos explores how the areas developed, highlighting multiple key establishments along the way.

“This book presents a detailed yet concise look at the histories of two of New York City’s and greater borough Queens neighborhoods,” Antos said. “I think people will be pleased and entertained and educated by reading about the histories of these two dynamic neighborhoods.”

Antos told the Chronicle that his inspiration for his eighth book came from his childhood experiences in both Woodside and Sunnyside, and from wanting to learn more and educate the public about the original Sunnyside that existed in colonial times.

King Crossword Puzzle

I HAVE OFTEN WALKED

Ralph Taeger got into the act in S. Richmond Hill

by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor

German immigrant Frederich Taegder married Olga Schleicher in Manahattan in October 1924. Their first born child was Harold, known by all as Ted, born Dec. 27, 1926. They lived at 107-02 122 St. in South Richmond Hill.

Their second child, Ralph Adolph, arrived July 30, 1936. He briefly played for a Dodgers farm team but switched to acting after a knee injury. The family moved to Walden, NY, when his father bought a bar & grill. His brother later became the mayor.

Taegder enrolled in the Academy of Dramatic Arts. In lean times, with his green eyes and 6-foot, 3-inch inch frame, he supported himself as an artists’ model and did clothing catalog work. His agent suggested he change his name from Taegder to Taeger.

It clicked. His first TV show was “Klondike,” in 1960-61, followed by “Acapulco” in 1961. His big hit was “Hondo” in 1967-68.

Taeger married a Walden girl, 24-year-old Linda Jarrett, on July 8, 1967 and they had one son. They remained married until he died on March 11, 2015 at age 78. On his

Teens go west this weekend

A box social, a surrey with a fringe on top and an unsettled argument between farmers and cowmen arrive to liven up Richmond Hill this week.

Holy Child Jesus Teen Drama Club’s dedicated cast and crew has put together a showshopping production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” Performances begin Aug. 6, starring Owen Price, left, as Curly McLain, Violet Dutton, right, as Lau-

rey Williams and Joshua Peña as Jud Fry. Liam MacLarty directs, with choreography by Ariel McAuley and music direction by Steve Giulietti.

Performances are Aug. 6, 7 and 8 at 7 p.m. and Aug. 9 at 3 p.m., at 111-46 86 Ave., in Msgr. Murray Hall.

Tickets are available for purchase online at hcjteendrama.seatyourself.biz or can be bought at the door. — Kristen Guglielmo

The childhood home of TV actor Ralph Taeger was at 107-02 122 St. in

as

tombstone his middle name of Adolph is replaced; it reads Ralph “Hondo” Taeger. Q

Correction

The July 30 article “Neil Diamond knew his song sung blue in Briarwood” mischaracterized the timing of Diamond’s first successes as a recording artist. It was before he moved to California. We regret the error. Q

B SPORTS EAT

1986 Mets honored

by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor

In what has been one of the dreariest seasons in team history, the Mets brought some joy to Citi Field by honoring their 1986 World Series championship team on its 40th anniversary last Saturday. Before the on-field ceremonies, some members of that fabled team met with the media.

One of the most beloved Mets in their 65-year history, Mookie Wilson, took on the role of team spokesman as he addressed the Citi Field fans during the ceremony. He also took the lion’s share of the questions at the press conference.

Wilson was understandably asked about one of the most famous at-bats in World Series history. In the 10th inning of Game 6, he hit a slow grounder up the first base line, which somehow rolled under the glove of Boston Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner. It gave the Mets a comefrom-behind 6-5 victory.

“I felt I was playing with house money after [Red Sox reliever] Bob Stanley threw a wild pitch which tied the game. I was looking for a breaking ball I could put in play and my bat rolled over the top of the ball. I was cursing as I was running down the first base line. When I saw the ball go into the outfield, I was still cursing!” Wilson chuckled, as the latter was for joyous reasons.

He was asked about memories strangers have shared with him over the past 40 years about that

incredible moment. “I’ve heard people tell me they were in labor, and I’ve heard from people telling me they were on the verge of suicide.”

The 1986 Mets may have been one of the best baseball teams in history with their 108-54 record, but they frequently had their fans at the knife’s edge. Mookie admitted the Houston Astros concerned him going into the National League Championship Series, and they gave the Mets all they could handle in their nail-biting six-game playoff.

While Mets fans fondly remember games 6 and 7 of the ’86 World Series, what is often forgotten is the team lost the first two games to the Red Sox at Shea Stadium. “Our manager, Davey Johnson, made it clear we were expected to win, and we did,” Wilson said.

I reminded him of a September stumble when the Mets went into Philadelphia needing just one to clinch the NL East. The Phillies swept that three-game series, which disappointed Mets fans who made the 100-mile trip to the City of Brotherly Love hoping to celebrate. “We took the Phillies a bit lightly,” Mookie admitted.

Pop music from the mid-’80s was played over the PA system, including hits from Tears for Fears, Robert Palmer, Steve Winwood, Madonna and Bruce Springsteen. The music was much better back then and so were the Mets.

See the extended version of

A stark, yet playful take on climate change in LIC

by Stephanie G. Meditz editor

A new solo exhibition at Long Island City’s Flux IV examines the state of the environment, climate change in particular, through art.

With sculptures, digital images, scientific displays and more, artist Amelia Marzec’s “Itinerant Signal Institute (Rite of Spring)” focuses on the titular fictional organization, which includes creatures that emerged from melting permafrost. The institute studies climate issues in modern-day cities, in search of places that are relatively safe to inhabit.

“I got really obsessed with this idea of permafrost melting, I guess because it’s going to accelerate climate change,” Marzec told the Chronicle. “Because you’ll have all these plants melting, the plants that were frozen ... and then they release more methane into the air.”

Such greenhouse gas emissions block radiation from the sun from leaving the atmosphere, thereby warming the earth’s surface.

With that idea in mind, Marzec built sensors that test for carbon dioxide and methane in the air and soil, and traveled to different locations to take measurements. In her solo show, creatures work with the made-up institute as it moves from place to

place for testing, she said.

They also wear headdresses of bones and fossils, a nod to Eastern European carnival costumes that denote seasons changing.

Marzec’s show, which will have its opening reception at 6 p.m. today, Aug. 6, will broadcast live carbon dioxide and methane readings from various sites in New York.

She said she also will display printouts from a map of the places she has conduct-

ed tests, including World War II military bases and Queens’ own Newtown Creek, which was named a federal Superfund site in 2010 after millions of gallons of petroleum leaked into it for decades.

The fictional institute even has its own logo, Marzec said, and she hopes people are inspired by the juxtaposition between her work’s playful and dystopian elements.

“I’ve learned a lot about the environment

and how people respond when you try to talk to them about it, which is also part of why I have this fictional thing,” she said. “It’s also a way to draw people in.”

The exhibit runs through Aug. 30, with a performance at 3 p.m. Aug. 22. Flux IV, a venue run by LIC’s Flux Factory, is on the ground floor of 56-21 Second St. It is open from noon to 6 p.m. on weekends, or by appointment. For visitor information, one may email meghana@fluxfactory.org.

Another element of Marzec’s exhibition is red clover, an herb that grows on the former military base of Fort Jay on Governors Island. Marzec is a resident artist with the Forest for Trees Collective on the island’s Nolan Park.

Red clover raises estrogen and thus cortisol, which she said helps with “checks and balances” in making decisions.

Marzec said it is “ironic” that the plant was found at the old Army post, adding that the military is “the largest polluting organization in the world.”

She said also that her work includes parallels to queer migration. Marzec said she herself had to move a few times while working on her project for about two years.

“I think on some level, I wanted people to feel what it feels like to have to leave someplace because it’s toxic,” she said. Q

New book explores Woodside, Sunnyside history

continued from page 21

“I tried to make something different from what had been previously published or to really embellish on certain things that had not really been fleshed out in earlier works or things that had never been brought to light,” the author said in a telephone interview.

Writing the book was a lengthy process, he said, taking over three years since some of the finer details were difficult to discover.

But Antos, who first wrote about Queens

Crossword Answers

history in college, believes, “It’s important to get younger people involved in this because it’s a lifelong commitment. It becomes a lifelong passion or hobby or job or career whatever way you want to look at it.”

For Antos, his love of history became his life’s work, both as executive director of the QHS for the past five years, and as the author of numerous Queens history books.

In between books, he’s been a journalist for more than two decades, something he called “a thrilling experience.”

He continues, “When I started this journey 20 some years ago, you think it’s all inclusive, like it’s all like one story, the story of Queens. When you do this research and you work on these books and on these projects, etc., you realize that every neighborhood has its own identity, even though they exist within the same confines.”

“That is so unique and fascinating, and every book becomes like an adventure. Every book provides a new challenge and a new story, and that’s what I love about it.”

Antos combined Woodside and Sunnyside for good reason — his book reveals how their stories intertwine, with the new rail yard giving rise to the expansion of the first

The Kelley homestead, above, aka the Sackett-Kelly-Howell Estate (with the spelling of Kelly varying), is featured in “Woodside-Sunnyside,” by Jason Antos, right. On the cover: More images from the book, including John A.F. Kelly, who once lived in the house and wrote a newspaper column called “Letters from Woodside.”

and the relocation of the second.

“I’d like the people who live there to know that there was this pre-existing community called Sunnyside, and it’s the namesake for where they live today,” he said.

“[Sunnyside Gardens] sprung up as a new Sunnyside from the old Sunnyside, which was eliminated due to eminent domain. Now, it’s a historic district and it’s some of the most coveted housing in the city.” Q

GARY RYAN HOME SPECIALIST, INC.

AFFORDABLE TV & INTERNET. If you are overpaying for your service, call now for a free quote and see how much you can save! 1-877-461-0663.

Prepare for Power outages with Briggs & Stratton PowerProtect(TM) standby generators — the most powerful home standby generators available. Industry-leading comprehensive warranty—7 years ($849 value.) Proudly made in the U.S.A. Call Briggs & Stratton 1-888-605-1496

We buy 8,000 cars a week. Sell your old, busted or junk car with no hoops, haggles or headaches. Sell your car to Peddle. Easy three step process. Instant offer. Free pickup. Fast payment. Call 1-855-403-3374

AGING ROOF? NEW HOME OWNER? STORM DAMAGE? You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind their work. Fast, free estimate. Financing available. Call 1-877-318-7982.

Prepare for power outages today with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5-Year warranty with qualifying purchase. Call 1-877-516-1160 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move.

End your tax worries today. Let us make your tax problem our priority. Scared, stuck with high tax amounts? Our A+ tax professionals can help. Call for a FREE consultation. Call Priority Tax now 1-877-663-7719

Donate you car today, running or not. Support Patriotic Hearts for our Veterans and their Families! Free fast pickup. May be tax deductable. Se habla Espanol. Call now: 844-415-1229

Get a break on your taxes! Donate you car, truck, or SUV to assist the blind and visually impaired. Arrange a swift, no-cost vehicle pickup and secure a generous tax credit for 2026. Call Heritage for the Blind Today at 1-855-484-3467 today!

Howard Beach, Sat 8/8 & Sun 8/9, 9am-1pm, 99-16 157 Ave.

Household goods, tools, clothes, holiday decor & much more!

Howard Beach, Sat 8/8, 9am-2pm, 158-33 101 St. All under $10. Senior woman’s clothing & shoes, crystal glassware, 78 RPM & 33 RPM albums from 50’s-70”s.

SAVE ON YOUR TRAVEL PLANS! Up to 75% More than 500 AIRLINES and 300,000 HOTELS across the world. Let us do the research for you for FREE! Call 877-988-7277

BEAUTIFUL BATH UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Superior quality bath and shower systems at AFFORDABLE PRICES! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Call Now! 1-877-271-0003.

DIRECTV—All your entertainment. Nothing on your roof! Sign up for Direct and get your first three months of Max, Paramount+, Showtime, Starz, MGM+ and Cinemax included. Choice package $84.99/mo. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-888-534-6918.

Do you know what’s in your water? Leaf Home Water Solutions offers FREE water testing and whole home water treatment systems that can be installed in as little as one day. 15% off your entire purchase. Plus 10% senior & military discounts. Restrictions apply. Schedule your FREE test today. Call 1-866-247-5728

PEST CONTROL: PROTECT YOUR HOME from pests safely and affordably. Roaches, Bed Bugs, Rodent, Termite, Spiders, and other pests. Locally owned and affordable. Call for service or an inspection today! 1-877-290-0023. Have zip code of property ready when calling!

Classified Ad Deadline is 12 Noon on Tuesday for Thursday’s paper.

Safe Step. North America’s #1 Walk-In Tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-the-line installation and service. Now featuring our FREE shower package and $1600 Off for a limited time! Call today! Financing available. Call Safe Step 1-855-916-5473

ATTENTION OXYGEN THERAPY USERS! Discover Oxygen Therapy That Moves with You with Inogen Portable Oxygen Concentrators. FREE information kit. Call 1-877-536-0251

Attention: VIAGRA and CIALIS USERS! A cheaper alternative to high drugstore prices! 50 Pill Special—Only $99! 100% guaranteed. CALL NOW: 1-877-468-3979

Audien Hearing. The world’s first hearing aid with touchscreen controls. No tiny buttons, apps, or prescriptions. 45-day risk free trial. Free shipping. Lifetime support. More than 1.5 million happy customers. Call Audien 1-855-484-2093

Get DISH Satellite TV + Internet! Free Install, Free HD-DVR Upgrade, 80,000 On-Demand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 in Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-866-782-4069

INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT? Don’t Accept the insurance company’s first offer. Many injured parties are entitled to major cash settlements. Get a free evaluation to see what your case is really worth. 100% Free Evaluation. Call Now: 1-877-315-0990. Be ready with your zip code to connect with the closest provider.

Consumer Cellular—the same reliable, nationwide coverage as the largest carriers. No long-term contract, no hidden fees and activation is free. All plans feature unlimited talk and text, starting at just $20/month. For more information, call 1-844-919-1682

Legal Notices

NOTICE

OF

SALE

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF QUEENS FLUSHING BANK, Plaintiff AGAINST PARAMJIT KAUR, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered July 20, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Court, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, New York 11435, Courtroom 25, on September 4, 2026, at 10am, premises known as 110-41 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, New York 11435.

All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block: 12154 Lot: 6. Approximate amount of judgment $527,961.84 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No. 705770/2025 and Terms of Sale. Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee The Camporeale Law Group PLLC 585 Stewart Avenue, Suite 301, Garden City, New York 11530

Notice is hereby given that an On-Premise Liquor License, NYS Application ID: NA-024025-124077 has been applied for by El Campo Restaurante LLC serving beer, wine, and cider to be sold at retail for on-premises consumption in a restaurant, located at 108-17 Liberty Ave., South Richmond Hill, NY, County of Queens.

105 CROSS RD LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 7/27/26. Office in Queens Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 157-54 12th Rd Whitestone, NY 11357. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of 39 WICH LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/06/26. Office location: Queens County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/22/26. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 47-55 37th St., Long Island City, NY11101. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of 42-25 9th Street LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State (SSNY) on 7/1/26. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Cogency Global Inc., 122 E 42nd St, 18th Fl, NY, NY 10168. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of BASH NYC LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 06/27/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: RIFAT AHMED, 148-05 87TH ROAD, JAMAICA, NY 11435. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of BLINN WV LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 06/08/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: PHILIP LEE, 28-07 JACKSON AVE, FL 5, LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11101. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of CHINTEL COUNTRY LIVING LLC

Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 05/09/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LLC, 3512 190TH ST., FLUSHING, NY 11358. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Legal Notices

Legal Notices

Notice of Formation of DIRECTIONNY, LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 07/24/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: ERNEST GASPARYAN, 35-35 75TH STREET, APT. 308, JACKSON HEIGHTS, NY 11372. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of FRONTIER SUMMIT LOGISTICS LLC

Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 06/22/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: FEI DONG, 58-01 215TH STREET, BAYSIDE HILLS, NY 11364. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

GILSID, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/21/26. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 164-34 89th Street, Howard Beach, NY 11414. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of JUSTIN LIU VENTURES LLC

Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 06/30/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: JUSTIN LIU, 48-10 202ND STREET, BAYSIDE, NY 11364. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of NUEVA FOUNDATION LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 07/19/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: JUAN NUEVA, 106-07 NORTHERN BOULEVARD, 3B, CORONA, NY 11368. Purpose: For any lawful purpose

NY Tour Planner LLC filed 7/13/26. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. for process & shall mail to: 2341 204th St., Bayside, NY 11360. Reg Agent of LLC: Yonsei Accounting, Inc., 213-33 39th Ave., #320, Bayside, NY 11361. Purp: any lawful.

Notice of Formation of SHERPA BROKERAGE LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 04/25/2023. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: SHERPA BROKERAGE LLC, 7409 37TH AVENUE SUITE 306-A, JACKSON HEIGHTS, NY 11372. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of SULFUROUS LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 07/20/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: JONATHAN WRIGHT, 139 GUERNSEY ST, APT 4R, BROOKLYN, NY 11222. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of THE ROCKAWAY SHOPS LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 07/06/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: THE LLC, 157 Rockaway Beach Blvd., Rockaway Park, NY 11694 Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

EQUAL HOUSING. Federal, New York State and local laws prohibit discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, marital status, familial status or disability in connection with the sale or rental of residential real estate. Queens Chronicle does not knowingly accept advertising in violation of these laws. When you suspect housing discrimination call the Open Housing Center (the Fair Housing Agency for the five boroughs of New York) at 212-941-6101, or the New York City Commission of Human Rights Hotline at 718722-3131.

The Queens Chronicle reserves the right to alter wording in ads to conform with Federal Fair Housing regulations.

Notice of Formation of WINTERS ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 02/28/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: WINTERS ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT LLC, 244 FIFTH AVENUE, SUITE W273, NEW YORK, NY 10001. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

PRINCE RESTAURANT LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/16/2026. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 33-33 Prince Street, 4th FL, Flushing, NY 11354. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Apts.For Rent

Sunnyside, 50-22 40 St, #5E. 1 BR, 1 bath apt. $2,600/mo. Newly renovated, elevator Co-op bldg, brand new carpet, full kitchen, brand new countertops, board approval required. Avail NOW. Call Javier Cortes (347) 200-0315. Capri Jet Realty

Williamsburg, 141 N 8 St, #1R. 2 BR, 1 bath apt. $5,500/mo. Newly renovated, W/D, SS, new kitchen, HWF, decorative fireplace. Avail June 1. Call Theo Eastwind (718) 536-7787. Capri Jet Realty Williamsburg, 99 Meserole St. #4. 3 BR, 2 bath duplex apt. $4,700/ mo. Fully renovated, shared courtyard, separate kitchen, LR. Cats OK. Avail NOW. Call Agata Landa (914) 255-7284. Capri Jet Realty

NOTICE OF SALE EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK (ISLIP)

Allison Lending, LLC.; Plaintiff v. NLL Properties Incorporated et al; Defendants Attorneys for Plaintiff: Hasbani & Light, P.C., 450 7th Ave, Suite 1901, NY, NY 10123; (212) 6436677 Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale granted herein on 12/30/25, I will sell at Public Auction to the highest bidder in EDNYIslip, 100 Federal Plaza, Central Islip, NY 11722. On August 17, 2026 at 10:00 AM Premises known as 109-09 211th Street, Queens Village, NY 11429 and identified on the Queens County Tax Map as Block: 11 Lots: 7-9 All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the County of Queens, City and State of New York. As more particularly described in the judgment of foreclosure and sale. Sold subject to all the terms and conditions contained in said judgment and terms of sale.

Approximate amount of judgment: $297,011.18 plus interest and costs. Docket Number: 23-cv-9385 Janine T. Lynam, Esq., Referee

PROBATE CITATION File No. 2026-1110 SURROGATE’S COURT

QUEENS COUNTY Citation THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, By the Grace of God Free and Independent To the heirs at law, next of kin, and distributees of BARBARA L. DEECKE deceased, If living, and If any of them be dead to their heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, legatees, executors, administrators, assignees and successors In Interest whose names are unknown and cannot be ascertained after due diligence. A petition having been duly filed by JOAN HERRERA, who is domiciled at. YOU ARE HEREBY CITED TO SHOW CAUSE before the Surrogate’s Court QUEENS County, at 88-11 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica, New York, on October 1, 2026 at 9:30 o’clock In the fore noon of that day, why a decree should not be made in the estate of BARBARA L. DEECKE lately domiciled at 102-25 67th Drive, Apt. 6E, Forest Hills, NY 11375-2864 admitting to probate a Will dated, July 22, 2021 (a Codicil dated a copy of which is attached, as the Will of BARBARA L. DEECKE deceased, relating to real and personal property, and directing that Letters Testamentary issue to JOAN HERRERA. (State any further relief requested) Dated, Attested and Sealed July 30, 2026, HON. CASSANDRA A JOHNSON Surrogate JANET EDWARDS TUCKER, Chief Clerk Kevin M. O’Sullivan, Esq. (718) 587-9922 Attorney for Petitioner, Telephone Number, 21-83 Steinway Street, 1st Floor, Astoria, NY 11105 Address of Attorney [NOTE: This citation is served upon you as required by law. You are not required to appear. If you fail to appear it will be assumed you do not object to the relief requested. You have a right to have an attorney appear for you.] P-5 (10/96)

Supplemental Summons and Notice of Object of Action Supreme Court Of The State Of New York County Of Queens Action To Foreclose A Mortgage Index #: 721489/2025 Rocket Mortgage, LLC F/K/A Quicken Loans, LLC Plaintiff, vs Monique Lewis If Living, And If He/She Be Dead, Any And All Persons Unknown To Plaintiff, Claiming, Or Who May Claim To Have An Interest In, Or General Or Specific Lien Upon The Real Property Described In This Action; Such Unknown Persons Being Herein Generally Described And Intended To Be Included In Wife, Widow, Husband, Widower, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assignees Of Such Deceased, Any And All Persons Deriving Interest In Or Lien Upon, Or Title To Said Real Property By, Through Or Under Them, Or Either Of Them, And Their Respective Wives, Widows, Husbands, Widowers, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assigns, All Of Whom And Whose Names, Except As Stated, Are Unknown To Plaintiff, Shally Shawn Lewis If Living, And If He/She Be Dead, Any And All Persons Unknown To Plaintiff, Claiming, Or Who May Claim To Have An Interest In, Or General Or Specific Lien Upon The Real Property Described In This Action; Such Unknown Persons Being Herein Generally Described And Intended To Be Included In Wife, Widow, Husband, Widower, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assignees Of Such Deceased, Any And All Persons Deriving Interest In Or Lien Upon, Or Title To Said Real Property By, Through Or Under Them, Or Either Of Them, And Their Respective Wives, Widows, Husbands, Widowers, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assigns, All Of Whom And Whose Names, Except As Stated, Are Unknown To Plaintiff, New York State Department Of Taxation And Finance, New York City Parking Violations Bureau, People Of The State Of New York, United States Of America On Behalf Of The IRS John Doe (Those unknown tenants, occupants, persons or corporations or their heirs, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, guardians, assignees, creditors or successors claiming an interest in the mortgaged premises.) Defendant(s). Mortgaged Premises: 8458 Homelawn Street Jamaica, NY 11432 To the Above named Defendant: You are hereby summoned to answer the Complaint in this action, and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Supplemental Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff(s) attorney(s) within twenty days after the service of this Supplemental Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this Supplemental Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York). In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. The Attorney for Plaintiff has an office for business in the County of Erie. Trial to be held in the County of Queens. The basis of the venue designated above is the location of the Mortgaged Premises. TO Monique Lewis, Shally Shawn Lewis Defendants In this Action. The foregoing Supplemental Summons is served upon you by publication, pursuant to an order of HON. Anna Culley of the Supreme Court Of The State Of New York, dated the Thirtieth day of June, 2026 and filed with the Complaint in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens, in the City of Jamaica. The object of this action is to foreclosure a mortgage upon the premises described below dated May 20, 2022, executed by Monique Lewis and Shally Shawn Lewis to secure the sum of $215,000.00. The Mortgage was recorded at CRFN 2022000224261 in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County on June 6, 2022. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed July 9, 2024 and recorded on July 12, 2024, in the City Register of the City of New York, Queens County at CRFN 2024000178870. The property in question is described as follows: 8458 Homelawn Street, Jamaica, NY 11432 HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE NEW YORK STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT WE SEND YOU THIS NOTICE ABOUT THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME. IF YOU FAIL TO RESPOND TO THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT IN THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION, YOU MAY LOSE YOUR HOME. PLEASE READ THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT CAREFULLY. YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CONTACT AN ATTORNEY OR YOUR LOCAL LEGAL AID OFFICE TO OBTAIN ADVICE ON HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF. SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE The state encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. In addition to seeking assistance from an attorney or legal aid office, there are government agencies and non-profit organizations that you may contact for information about possible options, including trying to work with your lender during this process. To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by the New York State Department of Financial Services at 1-800-3423736 or the Foreclosure Relief Hotline 1-800-269-0990 or visit the department’s website at WWW.DFS.NY.GOV. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME AT THIS TIME. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO STAY IN YOUR HOME DURING THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME UNLESS AND UNTIL YOUR PROPERTY IS SOLD AT AUCTION PURSUANT TO A JUDGMENT OF FORECLOSURE AND SALE. REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO REMAIN IN YOUR HOME, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PROPERTY AND PAY PROPERTY TAXES IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE AND LOCAL LAW. FORECLOSURE RESCUE SCAMS Be careful of people who approach you with offers to “save” your home. There are individuals who watch for notices of foreclosure actions in order to unfairly profit from a homeowner’s distress. You should be extremely careful about any such promises and any suggestions that you pay them a fee or sign over your deed. State law requires anyone offering such services for profit to enter into a contract which fully describes the services they will perform and fees they will charge, and which prohibits them from taking any money from you until they have completed all such promised services. § 1303 NOTICE NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this Foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. DATED: July 2, 2026 Gross Polowy LLC Attorney(s) For Plaintiff(s) 1775 Wehrle Drive, Suite 100 Williamsville, NY 14221 The law firm of Gross Polowy LLC and the attorneys whom it employs are debt collectors who are attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained by them will be used for that purpose. 90794