Queens Chronicle 10-08-26

SOUTH QUEENS EDITION Serving Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, City Line and JFK Airport

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NO. 41

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026

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GATE EXPECTATIONS PHOTO BY KRISTEN GUGLIELMO

Residents push back against proposed home buyouts PAGE 4

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Spring Creek South Coastal Storm Risk Management draft plan recommends voluntary acquisitions of some Hamilton Beach houses as its first step. During a public meeting Oct. 1 in Howard Beach, multiple residents, including New Hamilton Beach Civic Association President Roger Gendron, left, told the USACE the focus should be on much-needed infrastructure improvements, such as flood walls, gates and other barriers.

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Districts tapped for affordable housing

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Affordable housing on the fast track Five Queens districts get drastic time cuts to their project review process by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

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he Mayor’s Office has designated five community districts in Queens as affordable housing fast-track districts, which, effective Jan. 1, 2027, will greatly shorten the approval process for applicable building projects. The targeted areas are CD 4 (Corona and Elmhurst); CD 5 (Ridgewood, Maspeth and Middle Village); CD 10 (South Ozone Park and Howard Beach); CD 11 (Auburndale, Bayside and Douglaston); and CD 13 (Queens Village, Bellerose and Rosedale). “Instead of six months or eight or 12 or 14 months, it will be 90 days,” said John Calcagnile, first vice chair and Land Use Committee chairman of Community Board 10 last Thursday evening, less than 10 hours after the plans were announced [see separate story in some editions or qchron.com]. Calcagnile said for the selected districts, a City Council vote will not be necessary after review by the community board, Borough President’s Office and City Planning Commission. But he also said that leaves far less time for board review, and to negotiate things such as project changes or community benefits. Mayor Mamdani was unapologetic in his Oct. 1 press release.

John Calcagnile, right, the land use chairman of Community Board 10, discussed the mayor’s new fast track program for approving affordable housing projects hours after it was announced last Thursday, along with second vice chairman Frank Gulluscio and Chair Betty Braton. Board 10 is one of five in Queens facing new rules on Jan. 1. SCREENSHOT VIA CB 10 VIDEO / YOUTUBE “New York’s housing crisis is not going to be solved by asking the same neighborhoods to do all the building,” Mamdani said. “Every New Yorker deserves a home they can afford, and every neighborhood must be part of delivering it. The Affordable Housing Fast

Track gives us a new tool to cut through red tape and make sure our housing growth is shared more fairly across all five boroughs. We are going to build — block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood — at the scale this crisis demands.”

He said the 12 districts will be recalculated every five years. Reactions received by the Chronicle ranged from unenthusiastic to highly critical. Councilman Phil Wong (D-Maspeth) said in an email that City Planning did not seek any input from him or his office before determining the list. Wong noted that under the City Charter amendment approved by voters in 2025, the 12 community districts with the lowest rate of affordable housing production are placed into a new expedited review process for qualifying projects. Community boards and borough presidents retain an advisory review, but qualifying applications then proceed to the City Planning Commission for a final decision without the traditional City Council land-use review. “My biggest problem is that nobody from City Planning sought any input from my office until this afternoon, literally the day before the announcement,” said Wong. “You cannot call something community planning when the local communities and their elected representatives are brought into the conversation only after the decisions have essentially been made.” Wong also said the change is a direct result of Charter changes approved by voters. continued on page 8

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HB: ‘Buyouts are not the answer’ Residents tell Army Corps to go back to the drawing board on flooding solutions by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Af ter years of st udies and repeated flooding, Howard Beach and Hamilton Beach residents are demanding a plan that protects their homes, not one that pays them to leave. At an Oct. 1 public meeting hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the Howard Beach Mot or Boat Club, at t e nde es pushed back against proposed voluntary buyouts and called for solutions in the form of infrastructure. The meeting came days after a nor’easter f looded the neighborhoods and two weeks after the Corps released its draft Spring Creek South Coastal Storm Risk Management report. The $3 million study examines ways to reduce coastal storm damage and risks to life in Hamilton Beach, Old Howard Beach, New Howard Beach and Lindenwood, responding to the neighborhoods’ history of flooding and projections that rising sea levels will make waterlogging more frequent and severe. Project Ma nager Reega n McCaulley said, “Since the average ground elevation in Hamilton Beach is about 5 feet, and daily high tides could reach up to 4.79 feet in the future, daily high tides will essentially be the same height as the ground elevation in some of the lower lyi ng-roads i n the neighborhood.” As the f i rst step, or f i rst “actionable element,” the draft recommends voluntary acquisitions of roughly 135 vulnerable Hamilton Beach homes. The $153.5 million buyout would remove participating homeowners from flood-prone properties, which would become perma-

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers welcomed feedback from concerned residents on the Spring Creek South Coastal Storm Risk Management draft plan during a public meeting Oct. 1 in Howard Beach. PHOTOS BY KRISTEN GUGLIELMO “If the community comes back neighborhood.” At t e n d e e s ch a l le n ge d t h e and says, ‘We will never sell our land,’ this actionable element will emphasis on future flooding prodie on the vine,” he said. “It jections while homeowners have to deal with the issue right now. doesn’t mean the project will die.” “This is a problem for people Steve Couch of the USACE welcomed feedback, adding, “The here, and we need solutions now, not 50 ye a r s com ments from now,” one you’r e g iv i ng attendee said. today are exacthe comments Roger Genly what we want dron, president to hear.” you’re giving today o f t h e N e w Residents Ha m i lt on questioned why are exactly what Beach Civic leaving was the Association, we want to hear.” option advancencouraged i ng wh ile the — Steve Couch, attendees to protections U.S. Army Corps of Engineers u rge federal remained under elected officials study. “I’m not interested in a buyout, to fund the comprehensive effort, and I don’t think anybody else in arguing that the budget was drivhere is interested in a buyout,” one i ng wh at t he USACE c ou ld resident told USACE representa- recommend. tives. “We want the water stopped “We understand you need money f r o m c o m i n g i n t o t h e to do it, but the studies have been done already,” Gendron said. He called for gates and connecting barriers that could offer protection while a larger project advances. USACE representatives said cure for MBC. they would examine potential The 3-mile walk starts with a color powder toss, improvements at critical access and volunteers will spray runners at three color stapoints. tions throughout the race. Items will be raffled, and Asked why home elevations 100 percent of net proceeds will fund MBC research were not an option, McCaulley through Metavivor. said they had been r uled out To register for the race or donate, one may visit because they would not solve milesformbc.raceroster.com. accessibility problems on flooded Check-in at the park starts at noon, at 98th Street roads. Q and 165th Avenue. The race will begin at 1 p.m. On tide gates, Swenson said that — Kristen Guglielmo while they would prevent or mitigate tidal surge, they would not

nent open space. The draft estimates the buyout program would be completed in 2036, subject to approvals and funding. The larger preliminary plan includes stor m surge bar riers across Hawtree and Shellbank basins, con necting walls and gates, and a Lindenwood f loodwa l l. T ho s e me a s u r e s we r e deferred because additional engineering, environmental analysis and funding are needed. Act ionable Element 2, the Hawtree and Shellbank barriers and associated tie-ins, is estimated to cost $138.9 million, and $23.2 million is the projected price tag for Actionable Element 3, the Lindenwood floodwall. Col. Er ic Swenson, the USACE’s New York District commander, described buyouts as an initial step within the study’s constraints, emphasizing that participation would be voluntary.

“T

Miles for MBC returns to Charles Park The annual Miles for MBC and Kelly Marie Howard Beach Color Walk is returning to Frank M. Charles Memorial Park on Oct. 17. The event serves as a fundraiser for metastatic breast cancer research on behalf of Kelly Adams Mahindra, 46, a pediatric pulmonologist who has lived with MBC, or stage 4 breast cancer, since 2019. Nearly 30 percent of women diagnosed with earlystage breast cancer will have a recurrence as a metastatic disease, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is no known

reduce future daily high tide flooding or standing water. “That’s the problem,” Swenson said. You can’t exercise the gates at every single tide.” The statement resulted in a chorus of “Why? ” from attendees. Gendron suggested scheduled closures around high tides could allow boaters to plan their trips while providing flood protection. Jodi McDonald, chief of programs and project management at the USACE, jumped in to clarify that the gates would cost both a significant amount of time and money. “There’s a lot of geotechnical work and other survey work that would have to be done for us to be able to recommend to Congress a plan that could be authorized for construction for those tide gates, because they can’t fail,” McDonald said. “And if we don’t do enough engineering analysis up front to know where exactly they’re going to go, and where exactly the tie-ins have to go, we will not be successful in designing that.” Similar was said for storm surge barriers. “Even if storm surge barriers were to be implemented, they wouldn’t be in place for many years ... and there is still a lot of additional engineering and environmental analyzes that need to be done in order to understand their impacts and the constructability of complex features,” McCaulley said. “It’s unlikely that, even if storm surge barriers are built here, they would be able to be operated twice daily to address this routine tidal flooding,” she added. Community Board 10 Chair Betty Braton told the USACE that residents understand the funding and design challenges, but want action sooner than later. “Whatever we need to get done, it has to start getting done,” she said. The proposal remains subject to change. Following public review, the USACE must finalize its recommendation and obtain Army approval before seeking congressional authorization and funding. Implementation also would require agreements and funding commitments from nonfederal partners. Public comments are due Oct. 16, and the Corps expects its recommendation to Congress in SepQ tember 2027.

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Charter panel reps talk ballot proposals Mayoral commissions ‘never give the other side,’ Council staffer says by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor

Representatives of Mayor Mamdani’s Charter Revision Commission on Monday visited the Queens Borough Board to answer questions about the five proposals set to appear on the Nov. 3 ballot. The Commission on Government Efficiency — COGE — was convened in late May and tasked with searching the city’s founding document for “bureaucratic hurdles,” according to Executive Director Ann Cheng. Ten public hearings were held over the summer, and the panel put forth its propositions at the end of July. The first proposal looks to make it easier to use public space for outdoor dining, accessibility ramps, planters and more. The approval process for sidewalk cafes and roadway dining would be combined into one application, and the process of getting city permission would be simplified. “We heard a lot of frustration from small businesses that that was confusing and duplicative and they didn’t understand why they had two separate paths to basically use sidewalk space,” Cheng said. Public notice requirements for uses such as ramps and planters would be modernized and digitized, and no public hearing would be required. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. asked what process would replace public hearings for potential complaints about such projects. He said not all hearings are wellattended, and Cheng, noting their inconvenience for many, said the proposal aims to make it easier for people to weigh in.

The proposal affects only the application process, Cheng said, and any complaints about a project after the fact would be handled the same way they are now, though she did not specify what that is. The second proposition involves streamlining the procurement process, including by simplifying the questionnaire for city contractors. Question 3 aims to reduce construction timelines for street safety projects, including bike and bus lanes. City agencies consulted about a project would not need to confer with smaller subgroups within that agency, meaning they can simply “talk to the right person at the agency,” said Adam Brodheim, a senior policy advisor for the charter panel. “It’s a way of making sure that we continue to get the right type of input, but we’re not being so prescriptive that we’re accidentally slowing projects down,” Brodheim said. Proposition 3 also would make it easier for the city to sell small surplus lots of less than 10,000 square feet and the air rights above landmarked city properties. The leasing of offices used for the city workforce also would be fast-tracked. Cheng said the city must go through a certain process to get authorization to sell those air rights and surplus lots, and the proposed change refers only to that. The laws governing who they can be sold to, and how, would be unaffected. Brodheim noted also that the City Council last year made it easier for private owners to sell air rights over landmarked buildings, to make sure money goes toward maintaining them, and to alter that process for the city

Adam Brodheim, left, and Ann Cheng, center, fielded questions from the Queens Borough Board about the Nov. 3 ballot proposals. SCREENSHOT VIA YOUTUBE VIDEO / QUEENS BOROUGH PRESIDENT’S OFFICE itself requires a charter change. But, he continued, it is “very unlikely” to be used in Queens. The fourth proposal looks to simplify the building permitting process by creating a centralized hub for the various approvals needed from different agencies. More Department of Buildings officials also could give approvals, and the agency would handle waterfront permitting. The fifth proposition would set a contribution target for the city’s rainy day fund, of 12 percent of the total tax revenue. The Office of Management and Budget would put out a formula to determine how much the city must deposit to those savings, Cheng explained. Representing the office of City Councilmember Selvena Brooks-Powers (D-Laurelton), Renee Taylor said mayoral charter panels

typically “never give the other side” and discuss what would be lost with each proposed change. “It’s always bits and pieces, but it’s always the great pieces,” Taylor said. “We’ll make it so fast, we can do this really quick, but this is what you’re sacrificing.” In relation to Proposition 3, she asked whether a community board could be overridden if it opposes a project. Brodheim later said community boards have always been advisory, so they cannot stop a proposal by rejecting it. But they can be “very persuasive” with decision makers by sharing the community’s feelings. Cheng said COGE is planning to have a Zoom webinar about the proposals for all community boards, but a date and time have not Q been finalized.

Crime and budgets on the agenda at CB 10 Panel tackles capital and expense priorities; gets an update from 106 by Kristen Guglielmo For the latest news visit qchron.com

Editor

Police warned of returning catalytic converter thefts and schemes targeting older residents and Community Board 10 prepared its latest budget requests at its Oct. 1 meeting at the Old Mill Yacht Club in Howard Beach. Capt. Mario Deras, commanding officer of the NYPD’s 106th Precinct, said, “As of last week, overall major crime in the 106 was down 35 percent. For the last four weeks, major crime was down 16 percent, and for the year to date, we’re slightly up, 1.2 percent.” He noted that catalytic converter thefts are “coming back.” Five had been reported that week, he said, three targeting Lexus RX 350 vehicles and two targeting Ford Explorers. He suggested residents consider investing in catalytic converter shields. Deras also warned about people approaching older residents under the pretense of asking directions, then hugging them and taking their necklaces. The precinct received 3,637 calls to 311 over four weeks, the most in the borough at 21 percent, with an average response time of two hours and 56 minutes, Deras said. He

also reported 131 vehicle removals. “Surprisingly, even though we were No. 1, we weren’t the worst response time,” Deras said. “But continue putting in your complaints, especially for the abandoned vehicles.” In other board news, the panel held a public hearing on its fiscal 2028 capital and expense budget requests, which Chair Betty Braton said must be submitted to the city by Oct. 31. Its budget committee will meet before month’s end to put priorities in order. Street conditions and roadway maintenance, crime and public safety and infrastructure resiliency remain the district’s three most pressing issues, Braton said. Many requests remain unfunded or take years to complete. Capital requests concern construction such as sewers and roads, while expense requests address staffing and equipment, she explained. Board members were encouraged to submit additions to the district needs. Residents also raised concerns about potential housing at Aqueduct Race Track, including its scale and sewer infrastructure. Braton said their concerns could be incorporated into the narrative. The board also discussed that its community district is

Capt. Mario Deras, with mic, the commanding officer of the NYPD’s 106th Precinct, updated Community Board 10 on the latest in area crime during a meeting Oct. 1 at the Old Mill Yacht Club in Howard Beach. SCREENSHOT VIA YOUTUBE VIDEO / CB 10 one of five in Queens selected by the Mayor’s Office to fast track affordable housing [see separate story in most ediQ tions or on qchron.com].

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voucher, the city said. If eligible, they will receive one to cover the cost of care at a provider of their choice. More than 29,000 children are on the waitlist, Mamdani said. As mandated by the U.S. government, the ACS will prioritize families that have income under 300 percent of the poverty line, are unhoused or have a child with special needs. “Today’s voucher expansion is a critical step in ensuring no family is left behind in our movement towards universal childcare,” Mamdani said in a statement. “Raising a family in the wealthiest city in the wealthiest country should never be the source of fear, stress and worry. In partnership with Governor Hochul, we will work tirelessly to make sure New York City is a place families are proud to call home.” Councilmember Jennifer Gutiérrez (D-Brooklyn, Queens), chair of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education, said, “The $475 million that will directly fund the Childcare Assistance Program vouchers, which removes thousands of children off of the waitlist and into quality care, will be transformative for families and our Q communities.”

continued from page 2 “We also have to be honest about how we got here. New Yorkers voted for these Charter changes, whether everyone fully understood what they were voting for or not, and unfortunately this is one of the consequences,” he said. “City of Yes followed by these Charter amendments has steadily taken land use authority away from local communities and the Council, and I continue to believe that is the wrong direction.” The other districts outside of Queens are 10, 12 and 18 in Brooklyn; 7 and 8 in Manhattan; and 2 and 3 in Staten Island. Corey Bearak, chair of the new Affordable Housing Fast Track Subcommittee of the Land Use Committee at CB 13, had equal disdain for how the referendum process worked. “I believe the whole thing is totally unnecessary and it shows a general lack of knowledge or appreciation for what makes the city sync, in the sense that New York City needs to have multitudes of different kinds of housing and living opportunities for people to locate here rather than elsewhere,” Bearak said in an interview Bearak said it might be needed in theory if there ware few or no private homes except the wealthy, privileged types, “as opposed to most of the much more affordable kinds of homes on smaller lots that exist in much of Community Board 13.” He said that allowed people who might otherwise want to locate or relocate to Nassau, Suffolk or Westchester counties to stay in Queens even at the cost of a smaller backyard.

Board 10 Chair Betty Braton was matterof-fact in an interview on Friday. “That’s what was voted on by the voters of the City of New York,” Braton said. “If you take a look at the livestream from our board last night — and granted, we just received recent notice of this yesterday — it’s something that is concerning.” Braton said her biggest concern is the fasttracking, which would give less time than normal for the impacted boards’ land use committees to do their jobs — a tough enough task for volunteer board members even without a sped-up procedure. “There are reasons why the function of bureaucracies is slow,” Braton said. “And we must have adequate time to review all kinds of things. Sometimes this is difficult. “It’s the mayor’s prerogative to institute what he’s instituting. We may not like it. Time will tell whether it works.” Bearak, like Wong, said people tend to vote yes on referendum items that are grouped together, good or bad, in this case not fully understanding what that would unleash. “And it seems that the people who did this with that scheme — I don’t want to use the word plan; I’m intentionally using the word scheme — did not have an appreciation for what I consider to be very important,” Bearak said. “The city offers a multitude of living arrangements with a number of opportunities, including areas that are akin to living in the suburbs. “And there’s nothing wrong with that.” Q

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P Cop killer must never be set free EDITORIAL

W

AGE

hen a man walks up to a police officer and fires five bullets into his head while he’s sitting in a car and looking in the other direction, should he ever be let out of prison? We think not. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz thinks not. So do just about all people of good will, we would venture to say. And yet the question must be asked and answered because yet again, thanks to our state laws and decisions made decades ago, cop killer David McClary is once again going to the state Parole Board and asking to be freed. The panel is set to hear his case the week of Oct. 19. Letting him out would be a horrific act of malice toward all the people of New York, one for which every member of the board would rightly be subject to opprobrium for the rest of their lives. It would be unjust and dangerous to all. McClary must remain behind bars until he dies. It was early in the morning on Feb. 26, 1988 that rookie NYPD Officer Edward Byrne, 22, was sitting in his marked squad car guarding the South Jamaica home of a witness in a drug case. Violent crime was sharply rising, fueled by the crack wars. The man’s home had been fire-

bombed twice. At 3:30 a.m., a car pulled up next to Byrne. Two men got out. One went to the passenger side and knocked on the window. As Byrne turned that way, the other man executed him at point-blank range with a .38-caliber handgun. That man was McClary. McClary must remain behind bars until he dies. As Katz wrote in her letter to the Parole Board recommending that the killer stay locked up, “This execution was nothing short of an act of domestic terrorism designed to challenge the long established and universally accepted laws of civilized society.” One of McClary’s co-conspirators already has been paroled, in a disgraceful act that should never have occurred. Setting free the man who actually put a gun to a police car window, inches from an officer’s head, and pulled the trigger five times, on the orders of a jailed drug kingpin, would be an unforgivable atrocity. There are those who advocate for the killer’s release. Their views are cited in our story on the case this week. They deserve no ink here on the editorial page. McClary must remain behind bars until he dies. Long live the memory of NYPD Officer Edward Byrne.

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Dear Editor: Re your Sept. 24 report “Mayor: Changed city needs new Vision Zero”: Mayor Mamdani wants to hold delivery app companies accountable for their delivery workers’ safety violations. The best way to do this is by requiring e-bikes to be licensed and registered, which would be mandated by Priscilla’s Law, a bill stalled in a City Council committee. Council Speaker Julie Menin must allow this bill, which has 31 sponsors, to reach a floor vote by the 51-member City Council. If it passes, then Mamdani must sign it. If he doesn’t, he will display zero concern for NYC pedestrians’ safety. Richard Reif Kew Gardens Hills

Great music, good review Dear Editor: Thank you for providing a thoughtful and comprehensive critical review of The American Symphony Orchestra Concert directed by Leon Botstein at Lefrak Concert Hall on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026 (“A symphonic paean to memory and gratitude,” Sept. 17). I attended the concert and found it to be uplifting, meaningful and comforting all at the same time. Classical music concerts rarely receive the attention that they merit, and your coverage provided a validation that this genre of music is © Copyright 2026 by MARK I PUBLICATIONS, INC. All rights reserved. Neither this newspaper nor any part thereof may be reproduced, copied, or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, recording or by any information retrieval system without the express written permission of the publishers. This copyright is extended to the design and text created for advertisements. Reproduction of said advertisement or any part thereof without the express written permission of MARK I PUBLICATIONS, INC. is strictly prohibited. This publication will not be responsiblefor errors in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Bylined articles represent the sole opinion of the writer and are not necessarily in accordance with the views of the QUEENS CHRONICLE. This Publication reserves the right to limit or refuse advertising it deems objectionable. The Queens Chronicle is published weekly by Mark I Publications, Inc. at a subscription rate of $25 per year and out of state, $25 per year. Periodicals Postage Paid (USPS0013-572) at Flushing, N.Y. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mark I Publications, Inc., 71-19 80th St., Suite 8-201, Glendale, NY 11385.

Take funds for vets

I

t’s bad enough when the federal government cuts the funding it has been providing for some public good that the city administers or oversees. It may be even worse when the city turns down the money that’s still on the table due to a conflict in ideologies. Yet that appears to be what has happened with funding for homeless military veterans, and some who are taking the hit are living in a residence in Long Island City. As revealed in The City Reporter, the Mamdani administration declined $1.3 million in funds for the Borden Avenue Veterans Residence because the federal government insists the money cannot aid transgender people. We understand where the city is coming from, but regardless of its beliefs, it should bite the bullet and take the funds. The veterans there need help, as does the facility itself. For one, it’s full of leaks. Perhaps that could be addressed faster if the city were to accept the money. Surely transgender veterans can be served in some other way that does not involve the feds, at least for now. And maybe Mayor Mamdani and Trump can resolve the issue for good at one of their friendly get-togethers.

E DITOR

still relevant today. The detailed informative and refreshing commentary provided by the director, Leon Botstein helped to explain the genius of the composer behind each musical work. In fact, Mr. Botstein is so entertaining and unique that he represents a one-of-a-kind intellectual individual who delivers the composer’s message in a modern and refreshing way. Again, thank you for covering this event. George Davenel Howard Beach

Lights out on highways Dear Editor: The Lord said, “Let there be light,” but it seems like the city is not listening. Has anyone else noticed the ridiculous number of overhead lights that are not working on the Grand Central, Belt and Cross Island parkways, and the Long Island Expressway (not to mention the fact that many drivers are turning on their bright lights, which impedes the sight

of drivers in the opposite direction)? Add in the number of bad drivers, which has exploded in New York in the past five years or so, and you have a recipe for disaster. Did the city forget to pay its Con Ed bill? It didn’t forget to send us our tax bills, so where is the money going? We New Yorkers want to see! Steven Palmore Queens Village

Flood fix needed ASAP Dear Editor: Regarding the recent flooding in Howard Beach and Hamilton Beach, perhaps instead of highlighting how “fun” it is to kayak around the neighborhood, someone could reach out to the Army Corps of Engineers and focus on actually addressing this ongoing problem. Hurricane Sandy was 14 years ago. The entire area was devastated, yet it seems that very little has been done to actually remediate the underlying flooding issues. Apparently, the latest proposed solution is to identify homes

located in “flood areas” and offer buyouts. That is not a solution for the community as a whole. How about finding a way to prevent the water from flooding our streets and entering our basements every time we experience high tides? In this day and age, with all of the technology and resources available, it is truly embarrassing that residents are still dealing with this on a regular basis. It seems as though no one is seriously addressing the root of the problem or taking the necessary steps to put an end to this once and for all. Susan Shearin Howard Beach

AI endangers environment

Dear Editor: Labor unions were once the single largest source of funding for the Democratic Party. When unions were decimated by the Republican Party, Democrats were forced to decide which industries they would support to obtain funding, and they chose banking, insurance and pharma. They formed the Democratic Leadership Council, which supported welfare reform, free trade or NAFTA, financial deregulation

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Challenge to Democrats Dear Editor: Mayor Mamdani recently announced the first-of-a-kind Strategy to Combat Antisemitism (“City unveils plan to fight antisemitism,” Oct. 1). The plan is a joke because the mayor is the biggest instigator of antisemitism in the city. In the July 2 Queens Chronicle I wrote a letter proving with numbers that Israel is not committing genocide in Gaza (“The genocide myth”). It was very easy to do since the population in Gaza has remained roughly the same since the war started. If Israel wanted to commit genocide, it is doing a very lousy job. Mayor Mamdani and other Democratic politicians throughout the country and here in New York still maintain the blood libel that Israel is committing genocide. Repeating this lie is as antisemitic as one can get. I challenge every Democratic politician here in Queens to denounce those within their party who continue to say Israel is committing genocide with a letter to the Chronicle in next week’s paper. Personally, I don’t think any one of them has the courage to do so, but we will see if I am wrong. Lenny Rodin Forest Hills

Write us! Email your letter of 300 words or less to letters@qchron.com

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I know Dem all quite well

of banks and globalization, which moved jobs overseas for lower wages. The council included future President Bill Clinton and Sen. Joe Lieberman. The people who support this faction of the Democratic Party are called Corporate Democrats. They include Sen. Chuck Schumer, Rep. Hakeem Jefferies, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and strategist James Carville. Corporate Democrats want to keep their power and their party the way it is. The other Democratic faction is known as Progressive Democrats. They are popular because they want to return to the ideals of FDR’s New Deal and Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society, which benefited ordinary people. They support universal healthcare, a government and economy that works for the people, fair trade agreements, building worker power, taking action against climate change, a fair tax system, cutting the military budget, etc. Progressives include Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Senate candidate Abdul EI-Sayed, and New York’s Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, House candidate Brad Lander and Reps. Dan Goldman, Grace Meng, Nydia Velazquez and Jerry Nadler. To protect our country, Democrats must take back control of the House and Senate in November. And if you believe in what the progressive movement stands for, please vote for progressives whenever possible. Linda Imhauser Whitestone

©2026 M1P • CAMI-085802

Dear Editor: Regarding the increased building of data centers for the use of artificial intelligence, it’s important to see the big picture. Our planet is warming very rapidly. Building the large, energy-guzzling centers that AI use requires will accelerate global warming, use up precious water and land, pollute the air and deteriorate living conditions around the centers. As people on this planet, we can’t afford this. I hear people say their children will need to use AI later in life. Maybe so, but as we have seen with the internet, children are quite adept at learning new things. Also, we don’t know the full effect that AI will have on children’s development. So far it doesn’t look good. However, we already do know: If something is bad for the environment, it is bad for children in the present and in the future. The Trump administration has promoted fossil fuels and placed roadblocks in the development of wind and solar energy projects. It is in denial about global warming, but global warming is real. Global warming is affecting all of us with extreme weather events, more violent storms, melting glaciers, sea level rise and more. It is up to the states and local governments to push back strongly and declare a moratorium on building AI data centers until a framework is put in place to evaluate and limit any environmental damage they will cause. We must also learn more about the effects of the use of AI on children’s development before allowing it in the classroom. Once we get a saner administration in Washington, the development and use of AI should be studied in a national and multinational way, and a safe framework for its use should be worked out. Isabel Stein Kew Gardens

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Page 11 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 8, 2026

LETTERS TO THE

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 8, 2026 Page 12

Woman seeks justice following hit-and-run Perp is still on the loose, cops say by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Shelley Cheung is grateful to be alive after a van struck her outside her Richmond Hill home as her 5-year-old son watched from inside her car. But as she recovers from surgery and multiple fractures, Cheung is seeking answers. She told the Chronicle she returned from dinner at her parents’ home with her 5-year-old son at around 8:40 p.m. on Sept. 25. She stepped out of her parked car, on 107th Street between Park Lane South and 85th Avenue, when she saw a van approaching. She tried to press herself against her driver’s side door to avoid being hit. “I really had nowhere to go, and it struck me,” Cheung said. The impact threw her to the ground, and the driver fled. Her son remained inside her car and witnessed the crash. “My body basically flew through the air and I fell on my back in front of my car,” Cheung said. “I was in a lot of pain and screamed for help as loudly as I could because I was honestly very, very worried about my son — I didn’t want him to be left alone.” “There was, you know, obviously a moment where I thought I could die.” Emergency responders took Cheung to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where she

still was being cared for when she spoke with the Chronicle on Monday. Cheung suffered extensive injuries, including a fractured pelvis, spinal fractures and a broken shoulder. She underwent surgery and had two screws inserted to stabilize her pelvis. Her recovery is ongoing. The driver still has not been located, and Cheung is disappointed by what she said is poor communication from police. “You know how on ‘SVU,’ the detectives visit the hospital?” she said. “That didn’t happen.” Cheung’s peers stepped up: Friends have been posting on neighborhood Facebook groups, asking residents to check their security cameras for footage of the van. Video recordings obtained from that evening were sent to the NYPD. Cheung said the most recent communication she has had with the detective investigating the case was a text message last Wednesday, Sept. 30. He told her he was “still following the vehicle on video,” she said. But she remains frustrated by the level of communication. “It’s been pretty silent, and it’s a little upsetting because obviously I don’t think hit-andruns happen in our neighborhood every day,” Cheung said. But the NYPD told the Chronicle that efforts to find the driver, who appeared to be in

Surveillance footage from Sept. 25 shows a white van, left, that a Richmond Hill resident says ran her over and sped away, leaving her with extensive injuries. At right, skid marks at the scene of the crime. SCREENSHOT VIA VIDEO COURTESY CRISTAL RIVERA, LEFT, AND PHOTO COURTESY JILLIAN MACKINTOSH a Ford van with New York plates, are continuing. “The investigation is active and ongoing,” a department spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “Detectives continue to canvass for video involving the van and have distributed flyers asking the public for any information regarding the vehicle or the individual operating the van.” 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 online to crimestoppers.nypdonline.org; or by texting

274637 (CRIMES) and entering TIP577; or by going to @nypdtips on X. All tips are strictly confidential. Cheung also expressed concerns about speeding in her neighborhood. “There are accidents all the time on my street,” she said, adding that her neighbors often advocate for safer roads and speed reducers to no avail. The city Department of Transportation’s online case status map shows multiple denied requests for speed humps in the area, and an active case for a multiway stop sign at 107th Q Street and Park Lane South.

Bronx man charged Three women punched in J train murder: DA victim, took bag: cops by Kristen Guglielmo

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Editor

A Bronx man was arraigned on murder and weapon possession charges Monday after allegedly fatally stabbing a hardworking family man while aboard a J train in Woodhaven on Sept. 30. The Queens District Attorney’s Office said that Jyrell Thomas, 25, of the Bronx boarded a Queensbound J train at the Broadway Junction station in Brooklyn at around 5 p.m. About 15 minutes later, as the subway car approached the elevated platform at the Woodhaven Boulevard station, Thomas allegedly screamed loudly, produced a knife and repeatedly stabbed 59-year-old Mesias Lojano, of 97th Street in Corona, who the Daily News said was a construction worker and father of six. While police initially said there was a verbal dispute, the DA’s Office said the two men had no prior interaction. Once the subway doors opened, Thomas ran from the scene, the DA’s Office said, dropping his weapon along the way. Fellow subway passengers chased after the defendant, and NYPD officers appre-

hended him after he had climbed on top of a garage two blocks from the station. Police said he was remanded without bail following the arrest. Cops later recovered two kitchen knives — one broken and left in the subway car, and a second with blood on its blade, allegedly dropped down the subway stairs by Thomas as he fled. Lojano was transported in critical condition to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, and was later pronounced deceased with stab wounds to his chest, neck, lip and back, the DA’s Office said. Thomas was charged with murder in the second degree and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. He faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted. “All New Yorkers want, and deserve, to ride our mass transit system safely and without fear,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement. “I thank the good Samaritans who chased the assailant after the attack and our partners at the NPYD for quickly apprehending the defendant. We will seek justice Q for the victim and his loved ones.”

Trio wanted for alleged W’haven robbery by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

T h ree women a re sought by police after an alleged robbery in Woodhaven last month, within t h e c o n f i n e s of t h e NYPD’s 102nd Precinct. Police said that on Friday, Sept. 4, at approxi- The above three women are wanted for allegedly punching a m a t ely 10 :30 p. m ., a woman and taking her purse in Woodhaven last month, 25-year-old female victim according to police. PHOTOS COURTESY NYPD was approached by three unidentified women in front of a restau- dent is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 577-TIPS (8477), or, for Spanish, 1 rant at 84-21 Jamaica Ave. The trio engaged the victim in a con- (888) 57-PISTA (74782). One may also submit tips by going to versation, cops said, and then proceeded to punch her multiple times in the face, crimestoppers.nypdonline.org; or by texcausing minor injuries. During the inci- ting 274637 (CRIMES) and entering dent, the victim’s purse was removed TIP577; or by going to @nypdtips on X. All tips are strictly confidential. from her possession. Robberies are up 14.8 percent in the Cops said the purse contained approxi102nd Precinct this year to date through mately $1,800 and two necklaces. The victim sustained minor injuries as Oct. 4, per the latest CompStat data, with 108 recorded by this time in 2025, and a result of the incident. Q Anyone with information on the inci- 124 so far this year.

Two wanted in four alleged robberies

All are welcome to the Ozone Park Residents Block Association’s candidate forum on Oct. 15 at Muna Community Center, at 80-60 Pitkin Ave. at 7 p.m., preceded by a 6:30 p.m. social. Invited candidates include Pesach Osina and Tom Sullivan for Assembly District 23; David Orkin and Ruben Cruz II for Assembly District 38; and Assemblymember Claire Valdez (D-Sunnyside) and Melvin Rivera for Congress in House District 7. For updates and more information, one may visit facebook.com /groups /ozonQ eparkvoice.

Pair sought for incidents in W’haven, Rich Hill and Jamaica

Blood donors sought in southern Queens The New York Blood Center is asking the public to donate blood to help rebuild the region’s supply to counter a shortage. To make an appointment, one may visit nybc.org. There are two upcoming blood drives in South Queens: • United Sikhs-Queens, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11, at 95-30 118 St. in South Richmond Hill; coordinator Inderjeet Singh; and • American Airlines, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at arrivals at JFK Airport Q Terminal 8; coordinator Alex Perez.

by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Two unidentified men are wanted by police in connection with four robberies that occur red in South and Southeast Queens in late September, within the conf ines of the NYPD’s 102nd and 103rd precincts. Cops said the first incident occurred on Sept. 22, at about 8:30 a.m., when a 20-year-old male victim witnessed two unidentified males with a firearm take his own motorized scooter without authority or permission, in the vicinity of 85th Road and 86th Street in Woodhaven. The perpetrators then fled the location with the victim’s scooter to parts unknown, police said, and no injuries were reported. Then, on Sept. 30 at around 11:20 a.m., police said a 31-yea r- old m ale wa s approached by two unidentified individuals in front of 112-02 101 Ave. in South Richmond Hill. The perpetrators removed the victim’s chain from around his neck, cops said, and fled on foot to parts unknown. No injuries were reported. The third incident occurred that same day, about 10 minutes later at 11:29 a.m., in front of 91-49 116 St. in Richmond Hill, where police said a 72-year-old man was

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The above two suspects are sought by police in connection with a series of four robberies that occurred in late September in South and Southeast Queens. PHOTO COURTESY NYPD pushed off his bicycle by the two perpetrators, who then proceeded to punch the senior in the face and forcefully removed a

chain from around his neck. The duo f led on foot southbound on 116th Street, cops said, and the victim sustained minor injuries. The final incident occurred just minutes later, at 11:32 a.m. in front of 137-30 91 Ave. in Jamaica, cops said, when a 21-yearold male was approached by an unidentified individual who proceeded to snatch a phone from the victim’s hands. The individual proceeded to get on a red motorized scooter operated by another unidentified suspect. The duo fled to parts unknown, and no injuries were reported. Surveillance images from the first two incidents provided by police show the two suspects on a red motorized scooter. One is wearing a dark gray hooded sweatshirt and denim jeans, while the other is wearing a lighter gray hooded Nike sweatshirt, dark pants and sneakers. Both are wearing facial coverings. 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 (CR IM ES) and enter ing TIP577; or by going to @nypdtips on X. Q All tips are strictly confidential.

Page 13 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 8, 2026

Ozone Park candidate forum next Thursday

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 8, 2026 Page 14

Chronicle scribe among Woodhaven’s best

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PHOTO BY PETER C. MASTROSIMONE

Kellner, left, owner of Aigner Chocolates in Forest Hills (Small Business Champion Award); Richard Fogal (Community Service); Carlos Varon of Wreaths Across America (History and Preservation); Guglielmo; Donna Salmon (Ambassador of the Year) and Charlie Vaicels (Advocacy). Next to them are Wendell, Gordon and Jean Sooklall of Rajkumar’s office. At far right are Guglielmo and her proud parents, Yvonne and Joseph, and uncle John, at rear. All are longtime Woodhaven residents. Attractions at the fair, which celebrated Neir’s 197th anniversary, included raffles, top left; a bounce house; comments from multiple leaders including state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr., left; and Jonathan Forgash of the Queens Together charitable restaurant group; a spin-to-win wheel at the Kiwanis table, center; a chance to make like Robert De Niro in a “GoodFellas” scene filmed at Neir’s, right; and a CPR lesson. — Peter C. Mastrosimone

NEIR’S PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK

The Neir’s Tavern block party last Saturday had something for everyone in Woodhaven, but for members of the Queens Chronicle family, the draw was the prestigious award given to our own Editor Kristen Guglielmo. Guglielmo, at center at top right and at far right with her family, was honored for her commitment to practicing quality local journalism, with the third annual Ruschell Boone Legacy Award, given in memory of the Emmy Award-winning NY1 reporter who died in 2023. Joining Guglielmo onstage were longtime TV reporter and award presenter Magee Hickey, in blue jacket, Sincede Savoca of the Ozone Park-Woodhaven Kiwanis Club, second from left, Neir’s owner Loycent Gordon, community icon Ed Wendell, in hat, and, of course, Woody, the neighborhood’s mascot. At near right are all the day’s honorees, who also got certificates from state Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar: Rachel

Duo sought for robbery in Woodhaven — NYPD Allegedly kicked man; stole wallet, phone by Kristen Guglielmo Editor

Two men are wanted by police in connection with a Sept. 26 robbery in Woodhaven, within the confines of the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct. Cops said that at approximately 6 p.m., a 33-year-old male victim was approached by two unidentified men at the southeast corner of Woodhaven Boulevard and 89th Avenue. The duo engaged the victim in a

brief conversation, according to police, and then proceeded to punch and kick him throughout his body, causing minor injuries. The perpetrators then forcefully removed the victim’s wallet and phone before getting into a black van and f leeing the scene to parts unknown, cops said. The victim refused medical attention at the scene. A nyone with infor mation 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

These two men are wanted for an alleged robbery in Woodhaven on Sept. 26. PHOTOS COURTESY NYPD

Page 15 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 8, 2026

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Senior Living Guide

Demystifying the Medicare signup process by Stephanie G. Meditz Editor

With the Open Enrollment window for Medicare around the corner, it’s a perfect time to figure out which coverage plan is right for you. And for first-timers, it’s as good a time as any to learn how to sign up. Medicare, the federal health insurance program for adults 65 and older and younger people with certain disabilities, helps more than 70 million Americans pay for care, according to the American Association of Retired Persons. Before one can benefit from it, he or she must understand the options, as well as the logistics of eligibility and enrollment. Eligibility kicks in at 65 for U.S. citizens, permanent legal residents who have lived in the country for at least five years and members of some immigrant groups. Most people can sign up during their initial enrollment period, which starts three months before they turn 65 and ends three months after. Not all expenses are covered, but Medicare helps pay for most doctor visits, hospital stays and other costs. Among the treatments not included are dental and vision care, hearing aids and long-term stays at facilities such as nursing homes. Deductibles and copayments apply, but some services are free, per AARP. The organization has a series of articles online about t he ba sics of Med ica re, at a a r p.org /med ica re approaching-medicare. When enrolling, you’ll have to select between original Medicare, or Parts A and B, and Medicare Advantage, or Part C. Part A is hospital insurance, which helps pay for inpatient stays, hospice care and more. AARP explains that those who enroll already have been paying for Part A throughout their careers, via Medicare taxes deducted from their paychecks. That money helps them accumulate credits toward premium-free cov-

You can sign up for Medicare online through the Social Security Administration from the comfort of your own home. erage once they qualify. Part B covers most doctor visits and related costs, such as tests, outpatient care, certain medical equipment and more. Unlike with Part A, you pay for Part B while enrolled. Seniors pay about a quarter of each year’s expected costs through premiums, per the AARP, and Congress must allocate the rest. Last year, premiums jumped from $185 to $202.90 a month, and higher earners can expect to pay more. Those enrolled in Part A and B can be treated at any facility in the United States that accepts Medicare. People already receiving Social Security benefits for at least four months before they turn 65 also will be enrolled in Part A and B automatically. Some enrollees may opt for additional coverage, namely

Medicare Supplemental Insurance, or Medigap, that helps pay for out-of-pocket costs. Part C, or Medicare Advantage, is an alternative to original Medicare offered by approved private entities. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the plan includes both Part A and B coverage, and may also offer vision, hearing, dental or health and wellness programs. Medicare pays a fixed amount to the companies offering such plans, but out-of-pocket costs vary. Most Medicare Advantage plans include Part D insurance, which covers prescription drugs. Part D plans also can be added onto original Medicare — after their coverage begins, enrollees have 63 days to enroll in a Part D or Medicare Advantage plan. “Without one of these forms of drug coverage, you could face lifelong penalties when you do want to sign up,” write Kimberly Lankford and Dena Bunis for AARP. According to AARP, a $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket spending for Part D took effect last year. The limit has since risen to $2,100, and will go up to $2,400 in 2027. Older adults who are still working by the time they become eligible may wish to stay on the insurance offered by their employer. They may do so, but AARP urges them to keep paperwork proving they are insured to avoid potential penalties later. The group says those employed by smaller companies should sign up for Part A and B during their initial enrollment period, as their insurance may not cover costs that Medicare would. Per medicare.gov, the “easiest and fastest way to sign up” is online, at ssa.gov. Once there, click the “Medicare” tab at the top of the page, then “Sign up for Medicare.” Once you click “Apply for myself,” you will be prompted to log in to your Social Security account or create one. To do the continued on page 20

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Page 19 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 8, 2026

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 8, 2026 Page 20

Senior Living Guide

Healthy meal planning: Ideas for older adults Eating healthfully and having an active lifestyle can support healthy aging. Use the resources below to learn about different patterns of healthy eating and ways to create a nutritious meal plan. Older adults’ unique nutrition needs Simple adjustments can go a long way toward building a healthier eating pattern. Follow these tips to get the most out of foods and beverages while meeting your nutrient needs and reducing the risk of disease: Enjoy a variety of foods from each food group to help reduce the risk of developing diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. Choose foods with little to no added sugar, saturated fats, and sodium. To get enough protein throughout the day and maintain muscle, try adding seafood, dairy, or fortified

soy products along with beans, peas, and lentils to your meals. Learn more about protein and other important nutrients. Add sliced or chopped fruits and vegetables to meals and snacks. Look for pre-cut varieties if slicing and chopping are a challenge for you. Try foods fortified with vitamin B12, such as some cereals, or talk to your doctor about taking a B12 supplement. Learn more about key vitamins and minerals. Reduce sodium intake by seasoning foods with herbs and citrus such as lemon juice. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to help stay hydrated and aid in the digestion of food and absorption of nutrients. Avoid sugary drinks. It can be hard for some people to follow through on smart food choices. Read about common roadblocks

USDA Food Patterns Eating habits can change as we grow older. The USDA has developed Food Patterns to help people understand different ways they can eat healthy. The food patterns include:

and how to overcome them and check out the USDA’s tips for older adults. Meal planning Answering the question “what should I eat?” doesn’t need to leave you feeling baffled and frustrated. In fact, when you have the right information and motivation, you can feel good about making healthy choices. Use these tips to plan healthy and delicious meals: Plan in advance. Meal planning takes the guesswork out of eating and can help ensure you eat a variety of nutritious foods throughout the day. Find budget-friendly foods. Create a shopping list in advance to help stick to a budget and follow these SNAP-friendly recipes. Consider preparation time. Some meals can be made in as little as five minutes. If you love cooking, or if you’re preparing a meal with or

USDA MyPlate 703-305-2060 myplate.gov

USDA Food and Nutrition Service Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program SNAP State Directory of Resources fns.usda.gov/snap/state-directory

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Find recipes When planning meals, looking for recipes that sound delicious to you can be a good place to start. The USDA features the MyPlate Kitchen, a resource that helps you find healthy recipes that fit your nutrition needs and create a shopping list. The MyPlate Plan tool will create a customized food plan for you based on your age, height, weight, and physical activity level.

20-Minute Chicken Creole: This Creole-inspired dish uses chili sauce and cayenne pepper. It can be cooked on the stovetop or with an electric skillet in just 20 minutes. Five A Day Salad: This nutrient-packed salad uses 10 different vegetables, and each serving is equal to five cups of vegetables.

Visit the USDA Food Patterns webpage for more information on each eating pattern and recommended daily intake amounts for each food group.

or the whole process can be completed on a phone. Once you have your account, you can sign up for Medicare, with your email, Social Security number, place of birth, Medicaid number if applicable and start and end dates for your most recent employment and group health plan. You will indicate if you wish to sign up just for Part A, or both A and B. Once you submit that, you’ll see a confirmation number, which you should save in case your application gets lost, AARP says. You should

USDA Food and Nutrition Information Center National Agricultural Library 301-504-5755 fnic@ars.usda.gov nal.usda.gov/fnic

Some of the recipes available at MyPlate Kitchen include:

• Healthy Vegetarian Eating Pattern: This pattern contains no meat, poultry, or seafood, but does contain fat-free or low-fat dairy. Compared with the Healthy U.S.-Style Eating Pattern, it contains more soy products, eggs, beans and peas, nuts and seeds, and whole grains.

Medicare enrollment, plans

USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion 703-305-7600 fns.usda.gov/cnpp

This content is provided by the NIH National Institute on Aging. NIA scientists and other experts review this content to ensure it is accurate and up to date.

U.S. Department of Agriculture 202-720-2791 usda.gov

Here are some meal options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, including links to recipes as well as simpler choices that can be put together without a recipe.

• Healthy Mediterranean-Style Eating Pattern: This one contains more fruits and seafood and less dairy than the Healthy U.S.-Style Eating Pattern.

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For more information on healthy eating

Sample menus

• Healthy U.S.-Style Eating Pattern: This is based on the types of foods Americans typically consume. The main types of food in this eating pattern include a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy, seafood, poultry, and meat, as well as eggs, nuts, seeds, and soy products. Check out this sample menu to get started.

continued from page 18 latter, you must have a personal email address, passport or state ID, Social Security number and phone number. A device that takes photos, such as a smartphone, also is necessary, and it or another device must be able to receive multifactor authentication. Once you enter your email, you should receive a link to begin. AARP says in its breakdown of the process that you may need to go back and forth between a computer and your smartphone for some steps, such as to upload a selfie and photos of your ID,

for friends or family, you may want to tr y something a little more challenging. Keep calories in mind. The number of calories people need each day varies by individual. Always discuss your weight and fitness goals with your health care provider before making big changes. Read about calorie goals and healthy food swaps. When you create your shopping list, don’t forget nutritious basics such as fresh fruits and vegetables and whole-grain bread.

Apple Carrot Soup: Ginger and orange peel are the secret ingredients to this pork, apple, and carrot soup.

receive your Medicare card in the mail in about two weeks. But your job isn’t over — you’ll still have to choose a plan. Those who selected Parts A and B will pick between original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, as well as plans for drug and other coverage. During Open Enrollment, from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, seniors can make changes to their coverage that will take effect Jan. 1. Those changes include joining, dropping or changing a Medicare Advantage or drug plan. One also can trade original Medicare for a Medicare Advantage Plan, or vice versa. Open Enrollment for those in a

Medicare Advantage Plan is Jan. 1 to March 31. At that time, they may switch to a different plan, or return to original Medicare. The annual General Enrollment Period — for folks who did not sign up when they were first eligible — is during that same window. Per the city Department for the Aging, some Medicare Advantage and Part D plans will be terminated at the end of this year, namely HealthSpring True Choice, Elderplan Extra Help and Elderplan Flex. A Special Enrollment Period for members of terminating plans will run from Dec. 8 through the end of February 2027.

Members of plans that are consolidating will automatically be moved to another plan with the same insurer, NYC Aging said. NYC Aging’s Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program — HIICAP — is running a free Medicare Advantage Panel Series this month, at which older adults can hear directly from agency and insurance company reps. The Queens installment is set for Oct. 22 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Rego Park Older Adult Center. One may RSVP at tinyurl.com/2unkfkby. Residents may call Aging Connect at (212) 244-6469 to speak with a P trained HIICAP professional.

Page 21 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 8, 2026

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 8, 2026 Page 22

Senior Living Guide

Advance care planning and tips for caregivers Knowing what matters most to your loved one can help you honor their wishes and give you peace of mind if they become too sick to make decisions. Unfortunately, only one in three people in the United States has a plan for their future healthcare in place. There are steps you can take to help your friend or family member navigate future medical decisions — and to be prepared to make decisions for them, if needed. This is part of advance care planning, which involves preparing for decisions about future medical care and discussing those wishes with loved ones.

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How to start the conversation about advance care planning One of the best things you can do as a caregiver is to discuss your loved one’s care and treatment preferences in advance. Starting the conversation early is especially important if the person has been diagnosed with a condition that affects their cognitive health, such as Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. Here are some ways you might start the conversation: Start simple. Talking about specific medical treatments or decisions can be scary and overwhelming. Instead, try asking about any concerns they may have, what decisions they may need to make, and who they might trust to make decisions for them. • Share what’s important to you. Your loved one may feel more comfortable discussing their preferences if you talk about what matters to you, as well. • Remind them why it’s important. Talk about the benefits of having these conversations and creating an advance care plan. By documenting their wishes, they are more likely to get the care they want, and it can also help loved ones feel less burden, guilt, and depression. • Try to be understanding. After a recent diagnosis or health change, it can be overwhelming and difficult to discuss future healthcare needs. The person may feel more comfortable talking with someone else such as a doctor or someone in their spiritual community. You can also encourage the person to think about their potential needs and

Tips for navigating the healthcare system When a person becomes too sick to make decisions for themselves, family members and caregivers may need to navigate the healthcare system and find ways to advocate for their loved one’s care — especially if a proxy was not named. Use these tips:

plan to discuss them another time. • Keep the conversation going. Listen carefully to what the person says and encourage them to continue sharing. If the person is open to creating an advance care plan, you can provide them information on how to get started. It’s possible your loved one may not want to put a plan in place. Still, talking to them about their preferences can help you prepare for future decisions. You may also be able to help prepare in other ways, for example by getting important papers in order.

• Can I honor this person’s wishes and values about life, health, healthcare, and dying? Sometimes this can be challenging if your values are not the same. • Am I comfortable speaking up on the person’s behalf? It’s okay if you don’t know a lot about healthcare, but it’s important that you are willing to ask questions and stand up for the person. • Are you comfortable dealing with conflict? A proxy may need to uphold the person’s wishes even if other family members, friends, or loved ones don’t agree.

How to serve as a healthcare proxy Most people ask a close friend or family member to be their healthcare proxy. A healthcare proxy is typically responsible for talking with doctors and making decisions about tests, procedures, and treatments if a person is unable to speak for themself. The types of decisions a proxy can make should be outlined clearly in the durable power of attorney for healthcare, a legal document that names the proxy. If someone has asked you to be their healthcare proxy, it’s important to consider whether the role is right for you. You may have to discuss sensitive topics, make difficult decisions, and advocate on the person’s behalf. Ask yourself:

If you have agreed to be someone’s healthcare proxy, consider these tips: • Talk to the person about their values. Learn what matters most to them when it comes to life, healthcare, and dying. • Learn about their current and future health concerns. The more you understand their wishes, the more prepared you will be to make decisions for them when the time comes. Ask if they have any plans in place, like a living will, and walk through it together. • Ask for a copy of their advance directives. This often includes a living will and durable power of attorney for healthcare forms. • Keep a copy of important information. Make sure to have contact information for the person’s healthcare providers and family members. • Ask about other considerations. For example, is there anyone other than the medical team that you should talk with when making decisions? Are there spiritual, cultural, or religious traditions the person wants you to consider? • Continue the conversation. Have conversations each year and as major life changes happen, such as a divorce, death, or change in their health. Even when you have a person’s decisions in writing and have talked about their wishes, you may still face difficult choices or not be able to follow the person’s wishes exactly. Try to reflect on your discussions and do your best to honor the person’s wishes to the extent possible.

What to do when your loved one can no longer make decisions If your loved one can no longer make their own decisions, you may need to make decisions on their behalf. This can be difficult if you haven’t discussed their preferences before. Even if you have, there may be unexpected situations and decisions that arise. Talking with close loved ones and the person’s health care team can help you prepare and feel more supported when decisions arise. Try to:

• Talk to family members, friends, or others who know the person well. • Think about how the person lived their life. What values and wishes did they express in the past? What did they find most meaningful in life? • Talk with the doctor and health care team about what to expect and the types of decisions you may need to make. Learn more about making decisions for someone at the end of life.

• Ask questions. If you are unclear about something you are told, don’t be afraid to ask the doctor or nurse to repeat it or to say it another way. • Make the person’s wishes clear. Share copies of the person’s advance directives and the proxy’s contact information with the healthcare team, nursing home staff, or others caring for the person. If the person is still living at home, you can put this information in a colorful envelope near their bed or on the fridge for emergency responders. • Write down contact information. Ask for a specific person on the medical team that you can contact for questions or if the person needs something. • Choose one person to make healthcare choices. Deciding on a main point of contact for the medical team can help everyone stay more organized, coordinate upcoming appointments, and manage medications or changing medical needs. • Keep family members looped in. Even with one person named as the decision-maker, it is a good idea to have your family agree on the care plan, if possible. If you can’t agree, you might consider working with a mediator, a person trained to bring people with different opinions to a common decision. • Tr y to decide on an end- of-life approach. When it becomes clear the person is nearing the end of life, the family should try to discuss the desired end-of-life care approach with the healthcare team. This might include hospice care. Discussing the options and making decisions as early as possible can help with planning. • Remind the healthcare team who the person is. Remind them that the person is not just a patient. Tell them about the person. Share what they were like, discuss the things they enjoyed most, and post pictures in their room. There may also be people in your community who can help you navigate the healthcare system. Some hospitals have a patient advocate or care navigator, or you may consider working with a geriatric care manager. You may also be interested in: • Using a checklist for getting important documents in order; • Learning more about preparing a living will; and • Reading about organ donation and brain Q donation. This content is provided by the NIH National Institute on Aging. NIA scientists and other experts review this content to ensure it is accurate and up to date.

Page 23 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 8, 2026

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 8, 2026 Page 24

Petition signatories demand action; DEP says inspections were normal by Stephanie G. Meditz PHOTOS BY REE BRINN

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Sewer backup blues in Kew Gardens, RH Editor

More than 100 residents of Kew Gardens and Richmond Hill are petitioning the city to act, as they face chronic sewer backups into their homes during storms. Raw sewage and contaminated water have surged through f loor drains, toilets and showers in affected homes from Audley Street to Jamaica Avenue, according to a Sept. 11 petition shared with the Chronicle, as well as the city Department of Environmental Protection and area elected officials. Heavy rainfall triggered major sewer backups on May 20 and Aug. 20, it states, and licensed contractors attributed it to failure of the city’s sewer main. “My wife, every time we hear a weather report of some type of storm, she gets very agitated,” said Moshe Friedler, a longtime resident of Kew Gardens. “We sit with bated breath to see if anything’s going to happen.” During the Aug. 20 storm, Friedler said, his wife made a 311 complaint about a backup in their home. Days later, they were notified that the DEP found no sewer backup in the system at the time of inspection. In the May storm, Yitzy Schwartz said his newly renovated basement was destroyed. “We had 6 inches across the span of the entire basement,” the Kew Gardens resident said. “Books were ruined. It was horrible, and it was right before the holiday.” He and his wife were away during the August downpour, but their son called to say water had gotten into the basement again. “It ruined the last day of vacation,” Schwartz said. He had been considering putting in a check valve, and decided to go through with it after that. Had he not done so, he said, the recent nor’easter would have ruined his holiday plans that weekend, Sept. 25 to 27. Friedler also did not experience damage during the storm, but said his wife checked the basement repeatedly and did not sleep for two nights. “This cost me $10,000, which I don’t have,” Schwartz said, referencing the check valve installation and cleanups. “But I had to do it in order to live life normally.” The petition states that insurance does not cover those costs, and absorbing them has made living in the area “financially untenable” for families with other expenses such as mortgages and taxes. Residents say the issue has gotten worse over time. Floods had typically occurred once every few years, but in 2026, there were two within months of each other. One Richmond Hill resident who wished to remain anonymous said that in one recent backup, water popped the cover of his home’s sewer trap and gushed into his basement. “It was very scary to be helpless like that,

Residents of Kew Gardens and Richmond Hill are calling for action from the city, after sewage and stormwater surged into their homes during two recent storms. COURTESY PHOTO and watch all this water come into your home and damage everything,” he said. He also put in a brand-new floor, but said he fears another storm could ruin it. Ilya Mayzel of Kew Gardens said the 100plus signatures on the petition were gathered in just a few days, and he believes far more residents are affected. The DEP said in a statement that it is aware of the petition, and dispatched teams to investigate residents’ concerns. “Our findings indicate that the infrastructure is working as expected, but we will continue to monitor conditions and stay in contact with the community,” the agency said. A spokesperson said the calls seemed to coincide with intense downpours that can overwhelm the city’s sewers. City sewers are equipped to handle just 1.5 to 1.75 inches of rain per hour. Per the National Weather Service, parts of Queens had 1-hour rainfall rates of 1.5 to 2 inches during the May 20 storm. The DEP said crews have responded to backup calls in the area and found the system working as intended. Several locations were examined, including 122nd Street from 85th Avenue to Hillside Avenue, 116th Street from 84th to 85th Avenue and 85th Avenue from 116th Street to Bessemer Street. The DEP and City Councilmember Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills) are set to host a flood prep town hall at 6 p.m. Oct. 21, in the atrium at Borough Hall. The agency will deliver a presentation about the causes of flooding, the city’s efforts and steps residents continued on page 30

Fair play on Jamaica Avenue It rained nearly all day last Sunday, but that didn’t deter hundreds of residents of Woodhaven and the surrounding communities from heading to Jamaica Avenue for the annual street fair hosted by the Woodhaven Business Improvement District. The event turned the avenue, from 80th Street to Woodhaven Boulevard, into an open street that became a destination for food, games, shopping and live music. The

road was filled with pop-up tables and booths representing neighborhood businesses, organizations and politicians, with families flocking to various stands for good eats and novelty purchases. The fair was sponsored by City Councilmember Joann Ariola, state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr., Resorts World New York City, Healthfirst, Rivera Prints and Anthem. — Kristen Guglielmo

Rego resource fair on 10/11 Community Board 6 is hosting its first-ever affordability resource fair this Sunday, Oct. 11. At the free event, set for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Horace Harding Playground in Rego Park, visitors will be able to access various materials to help them respond to high living costs. Information about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Home Energy Assistance Program, Medicaid and Fair Fares will be available, as will affordable banking and financial literacy resources. Attendees also can access health and

mental health resources, housing affordability guidance and tutoring, mentorship and career support. On-site IDNYC appointments will be offered, as will free flu shots in partnership with Long Island Jewish Forest Hills hospital while supplies last. To reserve a flu shot appointment, one may visit tinyurl.com/3tny64ss. Recipients will complete a short consent form at the event. Bookings are limited. The CB 6 office can be reached at Q (718) 263-9250 or qn06@cb.nyc.gov. — Stephanie G. Meditz

Page 25 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 8, 2026

Council: We got our eye on your AI

Menin holds day-long session on AI policy. Tech reps appear (via Zoom). by Andrew Karpan Associate Editor

Members of the City Council unveiled a wide swath of legislation aimed at regulating artificial intelligence, through a daylong hearing on Monday at which prominent whistleblowers continued to stoke fear about the technology’s capacities and reps for four major tech companies fielded hours of questions via Zoom. Convened at the behest of Speaker Julie Menin (D-Manhattan), the full Council first heard from a trio of former employees at tech companies involved in the AI space, such as Jacob Coxon, who recently left his job at Anthropic, developer of the Claude large language model. He showed up in per-

son in City Hall. “We do not know how to control any AI system yet,” said Coxon. “We don’t fully control it.” Represent at ives st ill employed by Anthropic and three other major tech companies appeared, remotely, to withstand questions from members of the Council. Reps from Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, also requested by Menin, did not appear. “What steps have you taken to ensure that your AI tools cannot be used to create deep fakes or spread misinformation?” Deputy Speaker Nantasha Williams (D-St. Albans) asked the group who did appear. The question served as a plug for new legislation from Williams, reintroduced this session, to require operators of generative AI systems to “implement methods that would prohibit uses from generating media of ... elected officials or candidates,” as the bill puts it, or suffer possible fines of up to $2,500 per depiction. The bill is one of 10 that members of the City Council have hinged to Monday’s hearing. Another response proposed by Menin, would ban the use of AI software that cannot be “shut down by a human operator.” Another bill, floated by Councilmember Virginia Maloney (D-Manhattan), would give prospective plaintiffs the right to sue tech com-

Deputy Council Speaker Nantasha Williams, above, wants to use fines to protect politicians from ‘deep fakes.’ Reps from tech companies, left, appeared remotely. PHOTOS BY JOHN MCCARTEN / NYC COUNCIL panies over “harm by misuse or malicious use of artificial intelligence models.” “OpenAI’s usage policies prohibit the use of our tools for election interference,” Morgan Dwyer, who runs OpenAI’s policy development and operations, told Williams. “That’s why, for all our audiovisual content, we tag it,” said Dwyer. Users could also test content themselves to see if was generated by AI, she added. Williams then asked them the same ques-

tion, but about how to protect artists from AI models that use their voice or likeness without their permission. “Personally, as an artistic person,” said Logan Graham, a researcher at Anthropic whose video feed worked intermittently throughout the hearing, “this might be an avenue where regulation or otherwise might play a role.” “At Anthropic, we’re compliant with all Q laws there,” he added.

2 0 2 6

Open Houses Guided Tours for 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Families Saturday, October 24, 2026 10:00am - 12:00pm ACADEMIC E CELLENCE EX EXCELLENCE

FA F ITH & CHARACTER FAITH DEVELOPMENT

CREA CREATIVITY E TIVITY & INNOVA V TION INNOVATION

2474 Ocean Av A Avenue enue Brooklyn, NY 11229

COMPASSIONATE, SERVANT SERVA V NT LEADERSHIP LEA E DERSHIP

admissions@stedmundprep.org

Thursday, November 5, 2026 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Plan your visit at stedmundprep.org/openhouse www.stedmundprep.org

718-743-6100

For the latest news visit qchron.com

F A L L

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 8, 2026 Page 26

FA LL OPEN HOUSES ARCHBISHOP MOLLOY HIGH SCHOOL

ST. JOHN'S PREPARATORY SCHOOL

83-53 Manton St., Briarwood Website: molloyhs.org admissions@molloyhs.org (718) 441-2100 Sun., Oct. 18, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pre-registration is required.

21-21 Crescent St., Astoria Website: stjohnsprepschool.org admissions@stjohnsprepschool.org (718) 721-7200 Sat., Oct. 17, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

CHRIST THE KING REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL 68-02 Metropolitan Ave., Middle Village (718) 366-7400, ext. 240 Website: ctkny.org admissions@ctkny.org Sat., Oct. 3, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wed., Oct. 21, 6 to 8 p.m.

MONSIGNOR MCCLANCY MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL

ST. VINCENT FERRER HIGH SCHOOL

71-06 31 Ave., East Elmhurst Website: msgrmcclancy.org admissions@msgrmcclancy.info (718) 898-3800 Sat., Oct. 10, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. Pre-registration is required.

151 East 65th St., Manhattan Website: saintvincentferrer.com ccosgrove@saintvincentferrer.com (212) 535-4680 Sat., Oct. 17, 11 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Wed., Oct. 21, 4 to 6 p.m.

ST. EDMUND PREPARATORY HIGH SCHOOL THE MARY LOUIS ACADEMY

26-20 Francis Lewis Blvd., Flushing Website: holycrosshs.org admissions@holycrosshs.org (718) 886-7250, ext. 524 Sun., Oct. 18, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.

2474 Ocean Ave., Brooklyn Website: stedmundprep.org dbreen@stedmundprep.org (718) 743-6100 Sat., Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Thu., Nov. 5, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Pre-registration is required.

LA SALLE ACADEMY

ST. FRANCIS PREPARATORY SCHOOL

215 East 6th St., Manhattan Website: lasalleacademy.org AChin@LaSalleAcademy.org (212) 475-8940 Sat., Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wed., Nov. 4, 5 to 7 p.m.

6100 Francis Lewis Blvd., Fresh Meadows Website: sfponline.org admissions@SFPonline.org (718) 423-8810, ext. 229 Sat., Oct. 17, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pre-registration is required.

HOLY CROSS HIGH SCHOOL

176-21 Wexford Terrace, Jamaica Estates Website: tmla.org admissions@tmla.org (718) 297-2120, ext. 233 Sat., Oct. 17, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Note: All high school open house dates are subject to change.

Why choose a Catholic high school? As parents, you want the best for your children. It is because you wish them success in all of life’s challenges that Catholic schools are the right choice. Catholic schools provide an educational program based on religious beliefs and values, enabling your children to grow in their understanding of themselves, their relationship with God and their relationship with others. Catholic schools promote the education of young people to their full potential; their teachers respect and encourage real learning experiences. Your children acquire knowledge and develop the skills necessary for success in higher educational pursuits and a wide range of careers. Catholic schools offer a community environment in which your children can discuss and live out the values upon which their education is based. They are encouraged to contribute to society and to assume leadership roles in shaping public

attitudes and programs. In Catholic schools, young people learn to question, to establish confidence in their own good choices in life and to experience the sense of accomplishment stemming from individual achievement and responsibility. Take this opportunity to learn about Catholic schools in Queens. W h i c h e ve r s c h o o l yo u choose, you can be assured that your child will receive a strong academic education in an environment structured to have a lasting value. Catholic high schools: • build character; • foster community service; • encourage involvement; • develop real-world skills; • shape leaders; • reward achievement; • reinforce values; • allow for spiritual growth; • embrace differences; • raise standards; • empower each student; and Q • celebrate school spirit. — dioceseofbrooklyn.org

OPEN HOUSE

Saturday, October 17th 11 AM - 3 PM

For the latest news visit qchron.com Religious Schools Section • 2026

Registration Required. Now Offering Tours & Buddy Days! Please visit www.SFPonline.org or scan the QR code to register.

“High School is four years; St. Francis Prep is Forever.” ST. FRANCIS PREPARATORY SCHOOL 6100 Francis Lewis Blvd. Fresh Meadows, NY 11365

#SFP4ever

(718) 423-8810 www.SFPonline.org

2026-27 TACHS Calendar of Events Now to Nov. 7

(must be registered to enter HS choices) Oct. 2

Enter your HS choices at tachsinfo.com. Your choices may be entered/changed until the deadline on Nov. 8 at 11:00 p.m. Failure to complete this information by the deadline will result in scores being unavailable to your high school choices. Deadline for submitting request and supporting documentation to your aligned diocese for extended testing time accommodation. (Do not submit the request to the TACHS Exam Office. It will be returned to you).

Nov. 7

11 p.m. is the deadline for internet and telephone registration. Do not miss the deadline! Receive an email with your test session date/time/code after 1 p.m. Students will be randomly assigned to a session at 8:30 a.m. or 10 a.m. on their diocese-aligned test date (no time preference accepted). You may also access your test session date/time/code at tachsinfo.com. No paper notifications will be sent. Call 1 (866) 61TACHS, 1 (866) 618-2247, if you are not able to obtain your test session code. Deadline for entering your high school choices on tachsinfo.com.

SAT., NOV. 7

TACHS ADMINISTRATION for Diocese of Brooklyn/Queens

Dec. 11

Paper TACHS Applicant Records for public school students due to students’ three high school choices. (See Student Handbook for more.) Earliest release of admission notices by high schools; delivery via email, mail, or phone. Access your TACHS results / Home report online at tachsinfo.com Q Response Cards due back to high schools. — tachsinfo.com

Oct. 28 Nov. 4

Nov. 4-6

Jan. 13, 2027 Jan. 22, 2027 (3 p.m.) Feb. 2027

The Test for Admission into Catholic High Schools (TACHS) will test eighth grade students who are interested in attending a Catholic high school beginning in September 2027. In order to be admitted into Catholic high schools, students must take an admissions examination in November 2026. The results from that examination, along with school records and other information, are then sent to the high school principals to assist them in making admission decisions. Each student’s information will be sent to three high schools of his/her choice. Results also will be sent to the Catholic elementary schools within the Archdiocese of New York, the Diocese of Brooklyn/Queens, or the Diocese of Rockville Centre (Long Island). ACADEMIC SKILLS TESTED The TACHS measures academic achievement in reading, written expression and mathematics, along with general reasoning skills. The test has been developed with the advice and approval of diocesan representatives. EXAMINATION FEE A nonrefundable examination fee of $78.00 will include an online Student Handbook, online test materials and the reporting of scores to three high schools of a student’s choice. Duplicate registrations may result in a processing fee. TEST CANDIDATES The TACHS is for current eighth-grade students only. Students wishing to apply to a Catholic high school for a grade other than the ninth grade should apply directly to that high school. A student may take the TACHS examination only once. PARENT/GUARDIAN REPORTS A Home Report can be accessed online at www.tachsinfo.com after 3:00 p.m. EST on Jan. 22, 2027. We cannot provide your results earlier. You will be provided with the student’s Local and National percentile ranks as reported to your High School choices. Further instruction on how to access your home reports will be provided in early January on www.tachsinfo.com. All TACHS test results are final. No reviewing, rescoring, or retesting will be done. SPECIAL TEST ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS The only accommodation allowed will be extended testing time (time and a half). An Eligibility Form and further instructions for students needing extended testing time are located on page 5 of the handbook. If a student is not approved for extended testing time, the student may choose to take the exam without extended time or request a full refund of the $78 examination fee. Refund requests for these students must be received by Oct. 28, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. EST. Q — info courtesy tachsinfo.com

Page 27 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 8, 2026

Facts about the TACHS

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 8, 2026 Page 28

FILED: QUEENS COUNTY CLERK 09/18/2026 12:01PM. NYSCEF DOC. NO. 28. INDEX NO. 725052/2026. RECEIVED NYSCEF: 09/18/2026. FILED: QUEENS COUNTY CLERK 08/31/2026 11:48AM. NYSCEF DOC. NO. 25. INDEX NO. 725052/2026. RECEIVED NYSCEF: 08/31/2026 Sequence 3. At IAS Part 11 of the Supreme Court of The State of New York, held in and for the County of Queens at the Courthouse thereof located at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, New York 11435 on the 17th day of August/September 2026. PRESENT: Hon. Denise N. Johnson, Justice of the Supreme Court. Index # 725052/2026. PROPOSED ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE. JOANNIS KOTARIDIS and ANASTASIA KOTARIDIS Petitioners, For an Order Pursuant to RPAPL §1921, Cancelling and Discharging of Record a Mortgage Affecting Real Property known as 26-19 211th Street, Bayside, New York 11360, Block #5998, Lot 14. Upon the reading and filing the annexed Verified Petitioner of IOANNIS KOTARIDIS and ANASTASIA KOTARIDIS, duly verified on August 21, 2026, together with the exhibits annexed thereto, the Affidavit of EVIE EFKARPIDIS, duly sworn to on the 31st day of August, 2026, and the exhibits annexed thereto, and the Affirmation of THOMAS V. INCANTALUPO, ESQ., duly affirmed on the 31st day of August, 2026, and the exhibits annex thereto, and upon all prior proceedings herein. LET MORTGAGE, and/or assigns, and any other person or entity claiming an interest in the Mortgage described below, show cause before this Court, at an IAS Part thereof, located at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, New York 11435, on the day 24th of November, 2026 10:00am, Courtroom 41 or soon thereafter as counsel may be heard, why Order should not be made: 1. Pursuant to RPAPL, declaring that the indebtedness secured by that certain Mortgage dated February 24, 1996, made by Mortgagors IOANNIS KOTARIDIS and ANASTASIA KOTARIDIS, originally to Mortgage FLAGSTAR BANK, FSB in the principal sum of $170,000.00, recorded on March 22, 1996, under Reel 4304, Page 2192; and assigned by FLAGSTAR BANK, FSB on November 22, 1997 to CAPSTEAD INC.; recorded on July 1, 1999 and to GMAC MORTGAGE CORPORATION, recorded on August 25, 1999, under Reel 5355, Page 276 (“the Mortgage”), has been fully paid and satisfied. 2. Cancelling and discharging the Mortgage of record; 3. Directing the County Clerk/City Register, upon presentation of a certified copy of the Order of this Court, to mark the Mortgage canceled and discharged upon its records; and 4. Granting Petitioners such other and further relief as this Court deems just and proper. SUFFICIENT CAUSE APPEARING THEREFORE, it is further ORDERED, that service of a copy of this Oder to Show Cause, together with the Verified Petition and supporting exhibits, upon Mortgage GMAC MORTGAGE CORPORATION, by publication or other manner as directed by this Court, Publication in Queens Chronicle 3 times on or before 11/02/2026, shall be deemed good and sufficient service and notice of this proceeding to RPAPL §1921 (6). ENTER: J.S.C. VERIFIED PETITION SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, COUNTY OF QUEENS, Index # 725052/2026 IOANNIS KOTARIDIS and ANASTASIA KOTARIDIS, Petitioners For an Order Pursuant to RPAPL §1921 Cancelling and Discharging of Record a Mortgage Affecting Real Property known as 26-19 211th Street, Bayside, New York 11360, Block # 5998, Lot 14. TO THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, COUNTY OF QUEENS: Petitioners IOANNIS KOTARIDIS and ANASTASIA KOTARIDIS, by their attorneys MITCHELL & INCANTALUPO, ESQS., respectfully petition this Court for an Order pursuant to RPAPL §1921 cancelling and discharging of record a mortgage presently appearing as an encumbrance against the real property known as 26-19 211th Street, Bayside, New York 11360, and in support thereof alleges as follows: 1. Petitioners IOANNIS KOTARIDIS and ANASTASIA KOTARIDIS, are the owners of the real property commonly known as 26-19 211th Street, Bayside, New York 11360, designated on the Tax Map as Block 5998, Lot 14 (“the Premises”). 2. Petitioners IOANNOS KOTARIDIS and ANASTASIA KOTARIDIS acquired title to the Premises by deed dated February 24, 1996 and recorded on March 22, 1996 in the office of the County Clerk/City Register under Reel 4303, Page 2189. A copy of the deed is annexed as Exhibit “1”. 3. On or about, February 27, 1996, Mortgagors IOANNIS KOTARIDIS and ANASTASIA KOTARIDIS executed and delivered a mortgage in favor of Mortgagee FLAGSTAR BANK, FSB, in the original principal sum of $170,000.00 (the “Mortgage”), encumbering the Premises. 4. The Mortgage was recorded on March 22, 1996 in the office of the County Clerk/ City Register, under reel 4304, Page 2192. A copy of the Mortgage is annexed hereto as Exhibit “2”. 5. The indebtedness evidenced and secured by the Mortgage was fully paid and satisfied more than ten (10) years ago, and no principal, interest or other sums whatsoever remain due or owing thereunder.

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6. Following payment and satisfaction of the indebtedness, a Satisfaction of Mortgage was duly prepared and executed for the purpose of cancelling and discharging the Mortgage of record. 7. A copy of said Satisfaction of Mortgage is annexed hereto as Exhibit “3”.

13. Petitioners have undertaken diligent efforts to locate Mortgagee, or any lawful successor or assignee thereof, for the purpose of obtaining a corrective or replacement Satisfaction of Mortgage. The title report obtained by Petitioners on the Commitment Mortgage page set forth the history of the mortgage in issue. The first Mortgagee was FLAGSTAR BANK, FSB; FLAGSTAR BANK, FSB, assigned the Mortgage on November 22, 1997 to CAPSTEAD INC; CAPSTEAD INC., assigned the Mortgage on July 1, 1999 to GMAC Mortgage Corporation. 14. Petitioners’ efforts includes without limitation emails: i. July 31, 2026, an email was sent to CATIC, a title company which in its reply stated “ it is unlikely a satisfaction can be obtained in GMAC Mortgage Corporation’s name. (Exhibit “6”). ii. August 5, 2026 (Exhibit”7”) to Require Real Estate Solutions, LLC., which in its reply stated: “Regarding GMAC mortgages, unless the mortgage was assigned to another lender or serviced by MERS, we will not be able to assist in obtaining a corrective satisfaction because there is no other entity that can sign on behalf of GMAC”. iii. August 14, 2026 to Require Real Estate Solution, LLC (Exhibit “8”). Which in their reply advised that GMAC INC., was dissolved by bankruptcy and there is no entity or agent able to sign on its behalf. An internet search was also performed on August 19, 2026, which in a response from GOOGLE AI stated “GMAC”, ceased operation and went through bankruptcy. (Exhibit “9”). 15. Despite such diligent efforts, the mortgagee, its successor and /or other person authorized to execute a corrective satisfaction cannot presently be located, and Petitioners have therefore been unable to obtain a corrective satisfaction of Mortgage through no fault of their own. 16. Upon information and belief, there has been no assignment of the Mortgage to any person, or entity presently asserting an interest herein. 17. No demand for payment has been made under the Mortgage for more than ten (10) years, nor has any person or entity asserted that nay indebtedness remains due hereunder. 18. The Mortgage nevertheless continues to appear of record and thereby constitutes a cloud upon Petitioners’ title to the Premises. 19. RPAPL §1921 provides that, following payment of the indebtedness secured by a mortgage, the Mortgage is required to execute and acknowledge a satisfaction thereof. 20. RPAPL §1921 further authorizes a person having an interest in the mortgaged Premises to apply to this Court, upon Verified Petition, for an Order cancelling and discharging the mortgage of record and directing the appropriate recording officer to mark the mortgage cancelled and discharged. 21. Under the circumstances presented herein, continuation of the Mortgage as an apparent lien against the Premises would be inequitable and contrary to the undisputed fact that the indebtedness was paid and the Mortgage satisfied. 22. Particularly compelling is the existence of a previously executed Satisfaction of Mortgage, which affirmatively demonstrates that the mortgagee acknowledged payment and intended that the Mortgage be discharged, with the failure of the discharge being attributable solely to an erroneous recording reference contained therein. 23. Petitioners accordingly respectfully requests that this Court issue an Order pursuant to RPAPL §1921 cancelling and discharging the Mortgage of record and directing the County Clerk/City Register to mark the Mortgage cancelled and discharged upon a representation of a certified copy of the Court’s Order. 24. Because the mortgagee cannot, despite diligent efforts, presently be located, Petitioners further requests that the Court prescribe the manner of service and notice of this proceeding pursuant to RPAPL §1921 (6), including such substituted service and/or publication as the Court deems appropriate. 25. No prior application for the relief requested herein has been made to this or any other Court. WHEREFORE, Petitioners respectfully requests the issuance of an Order: A. Pursuant to RPAPL §1921, declaring that the indebtedness secured by the Mortgage has been fully paid and satisfied; B. Cancelling and discharging of record the Mortgage dated February 27, 1996 made by Mortgagor to Mortgagee in the original principal sum, of $170,000.00, and recorded on March 22, 1996 under Reel 4303, Page 2192. C. Directing the County Clerk/City Register, upon presentation of a certified copy of the Order of this Court, to mark the Mortgage upon its records as cancelled and discharged; D. Directing the manner in which notice of this proceeding shall be given to the Mortgagee and/or any successor or other interested party pursuant to RPAPL §1921 (6); and E. Granting Petitioners such other and further relief as this Court deems just and proper. Dated: Queens, New York, August 21, 2026 Yours, etc. THOMAS V. INCANTALUPO, ESQ., MITCHELL & INCANTALUPO, ESQS., Attorneys for Petitioners, 98-20 Metropolitan Avenue, Forest Hills, New York, 11375, Tel: 718-997-1000, Email: tincantalupo@miatty.com

8. The execution of the Satisfaction of Mortgage constitutes further documentary evidence that the indebtedness secured by the Mortgage has been fully paid and that the Mortgage was intended to be VERIFICATION cancelled and discharge. STATE OF NEW YORK, COUNTY OF QUEENS. ss: 9. However, through inadvertence and clerical error, the Satisfaction of Mortgage contained IOANNIS KOTARIDIS, being duly sworn, deposes and says: an incorrect recording/file number identifying the Mortgage. I am a Petitioner in the within proceeding. I have read the foregoing Verified Petitioner and know the contents thereof; the same are true to my own knowledge, except as to matters therein stated to be alleged upon information and belief, 10. As a consequence of said clerical error, the Satisfaction of Mortgage did not operate to discharge the subject Mortgage from the public record, notwithstanding that the underlying indebtedness and as to those matters I believe to be true. had been fully paid and the mortgagee had executed a written instrument acknowledging and confirming its IOANNIS KOTARIDIS. Sworn to before me this 21st day of August, 2026. THOMAS V. INCANTALUPO, Notary Public State satisfaction. of New York. Registration No.02IN4664926. Qualified in Queens County. My Commission Expires Feb. 28, 2027 11. The continued appearance of the Mortgage as an open lien against the Premises is therefore solely the STATE OF NEW YORK, COUNTY OF QUEENS. ss. result of the forgoing recording error and not the existence of any unpaid indebtedness. ANASTASIA KOTARIDIS, being duly sworn, deposes and says: I am a Petitioner in the within proceeding. I have read the foregoing Verified Petitioner and know the contents thereof; 12. A continued title report/search was obtained by Petitioners (Exhibit “4”). The second page of the the same are true to my own knowledge, except as to matters therein stated to be alleged upon information and belief, Commitment Mortgage page (Exhibit “5”) states: “Mortgage 1 remains open of record because the and as to those matters I believe to be true. satisfaction of mortgage on record is defective; the recording information on the satisfaction is incorrect”. The satisfaction of mortgage (Exhibit”3”) was filed with the County Clerk of Queens and recorded on March 21, ANASTASIA KOTARIDIS A/K/A ANASTASIA ALEXIADIS. Sworn to before me this 21st day of August, 2002. It states on its face that “CANCELLATION WITHHELD REEL AND PAGE DOES NOT AGREE”. This is a result 2026. THOMAS V. INCANTALUPO, Notary Public State of New York. Registration No.02IN4664926. Qualified in Queens County. My Commission Expires Feb. 28, 2027 of a clerical error.

October 8, 2026

ARTS, CULTURE & LIVING by Andrew Karpan If jazz was the quintessential American ar t of the last centur y, then Louis Armstrong easily made for its most universally recognized ambassador, whose cracked voice immediately conjured the bat tered groan of the t r ump et a nd it s never- quite dis t a nt memor ies of t he American South. It was that sound that made Armstrong the kind of star who could, and often did, go anywhere in the world. The choices and places he did go are also a subject of recurring interest at the Louis Armstrong House Museum,

Page 29 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 8, 2026

r o d a s s a b Am strong Arm

t i b i h x e New s ’ n a m z z a j s t h g i l h hig y e s s y d African o

continued on page 31

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and the Louis Armstrong Center, both on 107th Street in Corona, itself a standing monument to the decision of the New Orleans-born sa xophonist to stick around the quiet Queens neighborhood until his death, the choice of his four th and final wife, Lucille Armstrong. In her debut as a curator, director Regina Bain assembled a collage of artifacts to tell the story of his relationship with Ghana, a country he visited three times, or as the museum copy puts it “the only African country he returned to more than once.” “Armstrong in Ghana” will be on display at the Louis Armstrong Center for about a year and then will travel to Africa. “I got on a plane, went to Ghana in 2024, took the archive with me, and went in Louis Armstrong’s footsteps, and discovered new things,” said Bain, who described the show as a personal journey, one in which she weds the story of Armstrong, ambassador for jazz writ large, to the Ghanian independence movement, which culminated in colonial independence in 1957, a year after Armstrong’s first trip there. Nothing symbolizes this praxis as much as Armstrong’s performance during that visit in front of 100,000 people in Accra, celebrated in the documentary “Satchmo the Great,” the same year his home state of Louisiana banned per formances from interracial bands, like his own traveling All-Stars. In Accra, they were greeted by banners, reading “Armstrong Akwaba,” or “Welcome, Armstrong.”

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 8, 2026 Page 30

I HAVE OFTEN WALKED

King Crossword Puzzle Abe Coleman went to the mat in Forest Hills

ACROSS

1 Use a squeegee 5 ACLU concerns 8 Oodles 12 Valhalla VIP 13 -- Jima 14 Slightly 15 Reveals by accident 17 California valley 18 LAX and JFK overseer 19 Bad spell 20 Playful sea critter 21 Young bloke 22 Used to be 23 Skewered Thai recipe 26 Beach robes 30 Four Corners st. 31 Gearwheel tooth 32 Barrett or Jaffe 33 Pond floater 35 Unclothed 36 Long lunch? 37 Tier 38 Teapot feature 41 Binge 42 Hiatus 45 Galley gear 46 Legendary gossip columnist 48 Vicinity 49 Soul, to Sartre 50 Eager 51 Drudge 52 PX patrons 53 Trawler gear

DOWN 1 Wild canine

by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor

2 Concept 3 Pocket bread 4 Em halves 5 Ticked off 6 Candy sold in twos 7 Soak (up) 8 Breaking point 9 Final notice 10 Clock reading 11 Swizzle 16 Horse-drawn carriage 20 Klutz

21 Revolving tray 22 Witty one 23 Bando of baseball 24”Exodus” hero 25 Up to 26 Massachusetts cape 27 Fine, to NASA 28 Compass dir. 29 Blue 31 Taxi 34 Impose 35 Eggy drinks

37 Demolishes 38 Daytime drama 39 Rid of rind 40 Sweet sandwich 41 Rock’s Hendrix 42 Donate 43 Bickering 44 Profs’ degrees 46 Trail the pack 47 “Sheesh!”

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The home of wrestler Abe Coleman was in The Traymore building, at 110-34 73 Road in Forest Hills. GOOGLE MAPS IMAGE; INSET FILE PHOTO building at 110-34 73 Road in Forest Hills. He played cards daily at the synagogue. The strongman subdued two teenagers in an attemped mugging at age 80. His wife died two years later, in 1987. Never cooking, Coleman ate steak every day at the T-Bone Diner. He later moved to a smaller apartment at the Tilden Arms, at 73-20 Austin St., before entering a nursing home, where he died at 101 on March 28, Q 2007, of kidney failure.

Answers on next page

Sewer backups in CB 9 area continued from page 24 can take to protect their property. Free flood prep kits with sump pumps, barriers and sensor alarms also will be offered. RSVP is required and may be completed at on.nyc.gov/queens-district29. But a town hall was not the response residents hoped for. “OK, thanks a lot,” Friedler said. “That means you’re telling us that this is just going to continue.” Residents urge the DEP to include the Community Board 9 area in infrastructure work that is already underway in some parts of Queens. The petition also calls for an analysis of the sewer system and regulators in the area, for more catch basins to be installed and for a city-funded backwater valve grant program, among other demands. Schulman told the Chronicle it is important for residents to attend the town hall, as DEP staffers — including the commissioner — will be there to answer specific questions. She said also that money for infrastructure improvements in the city was lost amid federal cuts. As a preventive measure, Schulman said she has given money to ACE, which helps clear catch basins before storms. State Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi (D-Forest Hills) said residents’ need to deal with f looding from sewer backups “with alarming consistency in recent years” signifies both the impacts of the climate crisis and government’s need to meet the moment. “This is with full appreciation for those at DEP and our City emergency relief agencies

Abba Kelmer was born Sept. 20, 1905 in Zychin, Poland — one of 15 children in a coal miner’s family. In 1923, at age 18, he immigrated to Canada. He moved to New York in 1928, and with his 18-inch biceps was given the chance to become a professional wrestler under the name Abe Coleman. At only 5 feet, 3 inches tall, Coleman needed every advantage he could get and invented the “dropkick,” which was inspired by kangaroos he met on an Australian tour. In a business without many Jews he was known as the “Jewish Tarzan” and “Hebrew Hercules.” In 1933 he married one Helen Clutter, but it didn’t work out. In 1939 he tried again and married June Miller, 10 years his junior. They lived in the Carteret Hotel on West 23rd Street in Manhattan, and remained childless. Coleman’s last match came in 1958 after 2,000 bouts. After leaving the industry he moved briefly to Jamaica and got a patronage job inspecting license plates at the motor vehicles agency on Sutphin Boulevard. In 1962 he moved to The Traymore apartment

for their incredible work — but they can only do as much as they’re empowered to,” Hevesi said. His office has been in touch with the DEP about recent reports in his district, including in CBs 5 and 9, but said “it is very clear that we need to be doing more here.” “I feel for these residents, that they have to hold their breath every time it rains,” state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven) told the Chronicle. His office has distributed rain barriers to help mitigate flooding, and pushed for catch basins to be cleared before storms. Noting the time and money it would take, Addabbo said he would like to see a longer term capital project that prioritizes the most affected areas, saying the city’s aging infrastructure can no longer handle the heavy rain the city gets. State Sen. Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) said in a statement that he would be “glad” to lend his support, including with a letter supporting residents’ advocacy and helping move their concerns forward. On the Council, Comrie said, he worked to fund infrastructure upgrades, and knows firsthand how important it is to keep investing in those systems. “We need to make sure catch basins are being properly maintained and cleaned, identify areas where our sewer infrastructure is no longer meeting the needs of the community and pursue the capital improvements necessary to prevent residents from repeatedly dealing with flooding and costly damage to Q their homes,” he said.

SPORTS

BEAT

Stearns’ mea culpas by Lloyd Carroll Chronicle Contributor

As per tradition, Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns held a press conference the day following the conclusion of the season. “When this takes place in September, it means we did not have the season we expected,” he said to open the proceedings. Making matters far worse, the Mets had the second highest payroll in baseball and finished 14 games under .500 to show for that expenditure. The absence of Pete Alonso was the elephant in the Shannon Forde press conference room at Citi Field. Stearns did not admit what every Mets fan knows; namely, that refusing to make a marketplace offer, such as the kind the Baltimore Orioles did to sign him, was a colossal blunder that can stain a franchise for many years. To his credit, Stearns both acknowledged Alonso’s terrific year with the Orioles and the Mets’ lack of production from their first basemen, which needs to improve for 2027. The solutions will not be simple. Jared Young did yeoman’s work at first base, but he was not Alonso. It is to be seen how the concussion he incurred last month when he ran into pitcher Nolan McLean trying to field a dribbler off the bat of Phillies centerfielder Justin Crawford will affect him. Stearns mentioned Brett Baty, who had his typical up-and-down season, but had a strong September, as a possibility.

Mark Vientos’ days in a Mets uniform are numbered as Stearns did not mention him, nor did the media ask about his future. Stearns conceded he cannot count on the oft-injured Jorge Polanco, whom he signed last year to a two-year, $40 million contract. Polanco played 37 games and batted a pathetic .148 with two home runs. Baseball executives have been fired for far less. The hot topic at the presser was the state of the Mets’ starting pitching. While McLean pitched well, he was the only pitcher who could be counted on to go more than six innings. Christian Scott, Zac Thornton and Jonah Tong showed promise, but they were all five-inning guys at best. Kodai Senga had to be removed from the rotation, although to his credit, he was able to reinvent himself as a reliever. Freddy Peralta was to be a Mets ace, but was so awful he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays. He immediately regained his form. Stearns claimed some ballplayers cannot handle New York, and implied Peralta was one of those. I say that is BS. Philadelphia and Boston are big cities which are far more obsessed with sports than sophisticated New York, with all its entertainment options, is. Athletes are truly under the microscope in those towns. Mets pitching coach Justin Willard would seem to be culpable Q for Peralta’s poor performance in Flushing. See the extended version of Sports Beat every week at qchron.com.

by Mark Lord qboro contributor

Queens Theatre is kicking off its 2026-27 season with a wide variety of events, including several concerts set for the intimate cabaret room, where artists and audiences are inches away from each other. The popular singing duo Las Añez bring their unique sound to the venue for one performance only on Oct. 9 at 8 p.m. Known individually as Juanita and Valentina, these Colombian twins blend folklore and avantgarde elements to create original songs that are designed to be performed using a loop pedal, beats and small instruments. Their music, which has been described as “hypnotic” and “deeply reflexive,” blends inspirations from subgenres such as son jarocho, jota carupanera and joropo, along with the historical rhythms of the Andes. Already celebrated throughout Latin America and Europe, they are likely to pick up a whole batch of new fans right in our own

Las Añez, left, will perform their blend of folklore and avant garde creativity at Queens Theatre on Oct. 9, while Allan Harris will bring his romantic jazz there Oct. 17. SCREENSHOT VIA KEXP VIDEO / QUEENS THEATRE, LEFT; COURTESY PHOTO backyard. The following week, on Oct. 17, first at 7 and again at 9 p.m., the cabaret room will be filled with the distinct sound of Allan Harris in a program entitled “The Poetry of Jazz.” A jazz vocalist, blues guitarist and composer, Harris has been

compared to such musical icons as Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. “I grew up listening to Nat King Cole,” Harris said in a phone interview. “My voice lends itself to that.” His concerts offer a unique combination of music and the

spoken word. “I try to match the songs with the poets,” he said. Among those whose words he interprets are William Shakespeare, Robert Frost, Langston Hughes and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. He also includes some of his own literary compositions.

Harris is backed by a group of musicians he refers to as “an eclectic band,” featuring piano, bass, drums and violin, the latter of which he said brings “a little classical flair.” While he has performed his repertoire many times before, he said he is “starting to add a little quirkiness, my own stamp” to the mix. Harris said he draws audiences of all ages, many of whom seem to prefer the more ethereal or melancholy moments in the show. “The music I sing is homegrown. I want [audiences] to come and know that for two hours, I’m going to try to hit on something in their soul,” he said. “When I’m singing to them, I want to relate to how they were raised. It’s about us. We know what it is to bop.” Tickets for each performance are $25. Queens Theatre is located at 14 United Nations Ave. South in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. For more, visit queenstheatre.org Q or call (718) 760-0064.

Page 31 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 8, 2026

Music to mesmerize, avant garde and romantic

While on tour, Louis Armstrong found home

Crossword Answers

came a year after the infamous killing of Emmett Till in Mississippi a year earlier, and about a decade after the killing of Sgt. Cornelius Francis Adjetey in Ghana, a moment that galvanized the then-British colony’s independence movement. By the time Armstrong landed in Accra, he was as much a popular phenomenon there as he was in the U.S. There’s a recording of E. T. Mensah’s hit song “All For You,” which Mensah, one of the country’s most prodigious nightlife performers, played for Armstrong upon his arrival; it’s one of three recordings that Bain has put together in the new exhibit. It’s a kind of swinging lackadaisical tune of yearning that listeners might mistake for the kind of songs Armstrong had started out playing in New Orleans; in fact, it’s a version of an old Creole song he would have recognized. “I know I came from here, way back,” Armstrong would say, in the book “Black Star in the Wind,” also excerpted in the exhibit, after spotting a woman who reminded him uncannily of his own mother. Another recording that’s part of the show isn’t musical at all, but is nevertheless even more recognizable. It’s a speech Martin

A new exhibit at the Louis Armstrong Center follows Sachmo’s reception on his first trip to Ghana amid its independence movement. On the cover: Other photos in the exhibit include PHOTOS BY ANDREW KARPAN ones of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Emmett Till and more. Luther King Jr. gave after visiting Accra a year after Armstrong’s visit, upon the inauguration of Kwame Nkrumah as the country’s first president. For the first time, King tries out the phrase “free at last,” some six years before the March on Washington. Among her finds, Bain dug up a photo of

King and Armstrong — not Louis, but Lucille — holding a bag reading “Saga of Sachmo,” the original name of the documentary about Armstrong’s visit. For Bain, the photo, initially run in the Chicago Defender, was a discovery. “We never had a physical artifact that Q put that story together,” she said.

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continued from page 29 The castles nearby, which he visited, were once used to imprison slaves. “There had been nothing in what was written about the musician that talked about him as a Black man going to a place of enslavement,” Bain said. “By going there and by being in that space, Louis Armstrong stood atop the dungeons, above the spiral staircase of no return.” As Bain points out, the visit to Accra

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IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA CIVIL ACTION-DIVORCE MARIBEL RODRIGUEZ-SANCHEZ Plaintiff vs. JOSE CONCEPCION AVILA Defendant NO. Cl-26-26-05226 Divorce, 2025 July 13 PM 12:32 NOTICE TO DEFEND AND CLAIM RIGHTS You have been sued in court. If you wish to defend against the claims set forth in the following pages, you must take prompt action. You are warned that if you fail to do so, then case may proceed without you and a decree of divorce or annulment may be entered against you by the court. A judgment may also be entered against you for any other claim or relief requested in these papers by the Plaintiff. You may lose money or property or other right important to you, including custody or visitation of your children. When the grounds for divorce is indignities or irretrievable breakdown of the marriage, you may request marriage counseling. A list of marriage counselors is available in the Office of the Prothonotary of the Lancaster County Courthouse, 50 North Duke Street, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. IF YOU DO NOT FILE A CLAIM FOR ALIMONY, DIVISION OF PROPERTY, LAWYERS’ FEES OR EXPENSES BEFORE A DIVORCE OR ANNULMENT IS GRANTED, YOU MAY LOSE THE RIGHT TO CLAIM ANY OF THEM. YOU SHOULD TAKE THIS PAPER TO YOUR LAWYER AT ONCE. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A LAWYER OR CANNOT AFFORD ONE, GO TO OR TELEPHONE THE OFFICE SET FORTH BELOW TO FIND OUT WHERE YOU CAN GET LEGAL HELP. Lawyer Referral Service Lancaster County Bar Association 28 E. Orange Street, Lancaster, PA 17602 (717) 393-0737 NOTICE - If you wish to deny any of the statements set forth in this affidavit, you must file a counter-affidavit within 20 days after this affidavit has been served on you or the statements will be admitted. AFFIDAVIT UNDER SECTION 3301(d) OF THE DIVORCE CODE 1. The parties to this action separated in March, 1997. 2. (a) The date of separation was prior to December 5, 2016, and the parties have continued to live separate and apart for a period of at least two years. 3. The marriage is irretrievably broken. 4. I understand that I may lose rights concerning alimony, division of property, lawyer’s fees or expenses if I do not claim them before a divorce is granted. I verify that the statements made in this affidavit are true and correct. I understand that false statements herein are made subject to the penalties of 18 Pa.C.S. §4904 relating to unsworn falsification to authorities. Date: 7/7/26 Maribel Rodriguez-Sanchez

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Legal Notices

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Maria Tereza Rodriguez, whose last known address was 13810 Franklin Ave Apt. 6H Flushing, New York, and whose present address is unknown, is hereby summoned to appear at the offices of the MENTOR Notarial Professional Partnership, located at 28-30 Polona Street, Sector 1, Bucharest, Romania, Postal Code 010492 (str. Polona, nr. 28-30, Sector 1, Bucure~ti, CP 01 0492), telephone +40 21 319 3502, email: mentor@ent. ro, on November 16, 2026, at 12:00 p.m., as a party in Probate File No. 37/2026 concerning the estate of the late Ghita Mircea, who died on November 25, 2022, whose last domicile was in New York, Personal Identification Number 1490423104963. The matter concerns the distribution of the estate, consisting of a two-room apartment located in Bucharest, Romania. Maria Tereza Rodriguez is requested to appear at the scheduled hearing in the probate proceedings, retain an attorney, or execute a notarized statement waiving participation in the probate proceedings. If the duly summoned party fails to appear, the probate proceedings will be conducted in her absence, in accordance with the applicable legal provisions.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT: QUEENS COUNTY FR ANK BIANCANIELLO and JOSEPH GULOT TA v. ZDE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP LLC, et al. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated September 17, 2024 and filed with the Clerk of the Supreme Court, Queens County on October 9, 2024, bearing Index no. 715701/2022, I will sell at public auction on Friday, October 23, 2026 at 10:00 am in the second floor, Courtroom 25 of the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, 88-11 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica, NY 11435, the premises known as 25-54 12th Street, Unit 5A, Astoria, NY 11102 (Block: 904, Lot: 1013) and 25-54 12th Street, Unit 5C, Astoria, NY 11102 ( Block 904, Lot: 1015). Premises sold subject to filed Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Terms of Sale. Judgment amount $1,031,821.72 plus interest and costs. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with the Unified Court System S afet y and Oper ational Protocols in effect at this time. Auction location and time are subject to revision based on Court policy, current protocols and health conditions. Arthur Nicholas Terranova, Referee. Harry Zubli, Esq., attorney for plaintiff (516) 487-5777.

Notice of Formation of 441 WHITE PROPERTY LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 09/14/2026. 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: LUIS F NARVAEZ MARQUEZ, 4005 94TH STREET FL2, ELMHURST, NY 11373. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

93-13 ROOSEVELT AVENUE LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/02/2026. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: James K.C. Tom, 23 Willow Street, Little Neck, NY 11363. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF JUSTIN JOSEPH VENTURES LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/17/26. Office Loc. Queens County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to: Justin Joseph Ventures LLC at 75-15 21st Ave, East Elmhurst, NY 11370. Reg. Agent: eResidentAgent, Inc. 1 Rockefeller Plaza Ste 1204, NY, NY 10020. P/B/A: 75-15 21st Ave, East Elmhurst, NY 11370. Purpose: any lawful activity.

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF QUEENS T h e B a n k o f N e w Yo r k Mellon F K A The Bank of New York, as Trustee for the certificateholders of the CWABS, Inc., Asset-Backed Certificates, Series 2007-10 Plaintiff, Against Yves-Merry Telemaque ; Commissioner of Social Services of the City of New York Social Services District; Discover Bank; Estate of Cleo Veal, by Pub admin of Queens; New York State Department of Taxation and Finance; Bank of New York Mellon, John Doe and New York City Parking Violations Bureau, Defendant (s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 06/30/2025, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, in Queens C ount y Supreme Courthouse located at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY, on the second floor in Courtroom 25, on 10/30/2026 at 10:00AM, premises known as 116-52 218th St., Cambria H eigh t s , N Y 11411, a nd described as follows: ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York. Block 11318 Lot 3, The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $885,433.77 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 721638/2019, For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www. Auction.com or call ( 800 ) 280-2832.Michael A. Cervini, Esq., Referee. SHELDON MAY & A S SOCI AT E S At torneys at Law, 255 Merrick Road, Rockville Centre, NY 11570, Dated : 7/ 27/ 2026, File Number: 36774 MB Notice of Formation of ASTRONOMICAL VENTURES LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 08/06/2026. 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: ZENBUSINESS INC. 41 STATE STREET, SUITE 112, ALBANY, NY 12207. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNT Y OF QUEENS HSBC Bank U S A , N . A ., a s Tr u s t e e f o r Structured Adjustable R ate M or tgage L oan Tr us t M o r t g a g e P a s s -T h r o u g h Certificates, Series 2005-1, P lain t i f f A G A I N S T S abr ina Eder y, as Administratrix of the Estate of Ann Lewitinn ; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered October 22, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, 8 8 -11 S u t p h i n B o u l e v a r d , Jamaica, N Y 11435, on the second floor in C our troom 25 on October 23, 2026, at 10 : 0 0A M, premises known as 431 Beach 45th Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough and Count y of Queens, City and State of New York, Block 15968 Lot 96. Approximate amount of judgment $ 480,940.23 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 703588/2015. Michael A . Cer vini, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k /a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC At torney ( s ) for the Plaintif f 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 ( 877 ) 430-4792 Dated : August 14, 2026

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Apts. For Rent

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 212941-6101, or the New York City Commission of Human Rights Hotline at 718-722-3131. The Queens Chronicle reserves the right to alter wording in ads to conform with Federal Fair Housing regulations.

Apts. For Rent

Howard Beach. Furnished Room for Rent. All Utilities Included. Close to transportation & shopping. $250. per week plus security deposit. Please call or text: 718-772-6127

any lawful act.

Notice of Formation of FUTURE HUMAN INITIATIVE, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/21/26. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of HSM CAPITAL HOLDINGS LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 08/05/2026. 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: HSM CAPITAL HOLDINGS LLC, 214-24 73RD AVE, OAKLAND GARDENS, NY 11364. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of CLEANING SERVICES LEON LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 07/22/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNYshall mail a copy of process to: MARIA FERNANDA LEON ORTIZ, 65-46 WOODSIDE AVE., WOODSIDE, NY 11377. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of GC Commerce Group LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 09/23/2026. 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: GC COMMERCE GROUP LLC, 13825 101ST AVENUE, JAMAICA, NY 11435. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of KSMH HOLDINGS LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 07/25/2026. 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: MAHESH PATEL, 214-24 73RD AVE, OAKLAND GARDENS, NY 11364. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

OF

FORMATION

of

Arts. of Org. filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on August 5, 2025. Office located in Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of any process to: 6218 68th Ave #2L, Ridgewood, NY 11385. Purpose:

of

See our Queens Real Estate or place your own Apartment Wanted ad Call 718-205-8000

Any lawful activity.

BUG WORKS NEW YORK LLC.

Formation

Furn. Rm. For Rent

Notice of Formation of H AND M MANAGEMENT GROUP LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 08/19/2026. 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: H AND M MANAGEMENT GROUP LLC, 214-24 73RD AVE, OAKLAND GARDENS, NY 11364. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

NOTICE

of

Staten Island, 105 Mersereau Ave, 3 BR, 2 bath, $3,000/mo. Fully renov, W/D, SS, dishwasher, kitchen island, huge LR, DR. Small pets ok. Available NOW. Call Agata Landa 914-255-7284. Capri Jet Realty

Need an apartment?

Borough Park, 1031 41 St, #1. 3 BR, 1 bath. $3,000/mo. Ex-lg apt, kitchen island, walk-in closet, living/dining room. Water incl. Avail NOW. Call Stellina Napolitano, 646-372-7145. Capari Jet Realty Notice

Middle Village, 64-04 78 St, #2. 2 BR, 1 bath. $2,800/mo. Renovated apt. New kitchen, SS appliances, HW floors throughout, recessed lighting. Heat & hot water incl. Avail NOW. Call Magdalena Sliwa, 347-415-7507, Capri Jet Realty

DENAD HOMES LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/26/2026. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 230-22 Merrick Blvd, Springfield Gardens, NY 11413. Purpose:

900A Greene Ave., Bed-Stuy Prime Bedford-Stuyvesant Development Opportunity!

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Thinking of Listing, call anyone. Thinking of Selling, Call Us! Call Today for a FREE over the phone CMA (Comparative Market Analysis)

Page 35 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 8, 2026

• OPEN HOUSE • Sunday, Oct. 11th 12:00 - 2:00pm

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 8, 2026 Page 36 For the latest news visit qchron.com

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102-02 101st AVE. • OZONE PARK • 718-849-8200 PHONE ORDERS GLADLY ACCEPTED

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We reserve the right to limit quantities to one can or package on sale items. Items offered for sale are not available in case lots. Alcoholic beverages may not be available in all locations. We are not responsible for typographical errors. Some Items Not Available in all Locations.