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Police were searching for two suspects in connection with a string of robberies in the Flushing area. Police said that in at least two of the robberies the suspects tasered their victims.
The first robbery took place on July 14 at 3:50 a.m. The two men approached an 18 year-old victim near 41st Avenue and Parsons Blvd. The suspects approached the victim from behind, covered his eyes and pressed a hard object to his back, police said. The suspects then took his cellphone and wallet and fled westbound towards 41st Avenue, according to police.
Then on July 19 at 4:10 a.m. near Colden Street and Elder Avenue police said the same men approached a 30-year-old victim from behind and stunned him with a strong electric current in his back. The suspects attempted to steal a pocketbook the victim was carrying for his girlfriend but were unable to and fled north on Colden Street, police said.
Finally on Aug. 11 at 1:40 a.m. a 35-year-old man was walking home from work when he was held up by the two suspects on 147th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, police said. The men struck the victim in the back of the head and tasered him with a stun gun, according to police. They stole the victim’s wallet, which contained $70 and debit cards, police said. The suspects fled on foot east toward Roosevelt Avenue. The victim sustained minor injuries and declined to go the hospital, police said.
The first suspect is described as a black male, between 20 to 25-years-old. Police said the suspect is between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-8 tall , last seen wearing a black tank top, black sweatpants and white sneakers.
The second suspect is described as a black male between 20- to 25-years-old. Police said he is 6 feet tall, and last seen wearing black sweatpants.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477)
Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmart inez@ cnglo cal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.
Posted 3:36 pm, August 22, 2016
©2016 Community News Group


Police were searching for two suspects in connection with a string of robberies in the Flushing area. Police said that in at least two of the robberies the suspects tasered their victims.


August 25, 2016 / Education / Opinion Is the walk to school really so terrifying? TimesLedger Newspapers
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Can we please stop telling parents that it is normal to be terrified for even the shortest periods of time when kids are doing the most mundane of activities: Walking to or from school?
Because here’s what NBC’s Alyssa Newcomb reported the other day in a piece on “Back-to-School Safety Tech That Helps Keep Kids Safe” (The title alone reinforces the idea that kids are not safe without us taking new, tech-assisted precautions): “No matter how mature and responsible a child is, those few blocks without adult supervision are enough to make most parents worry.”
Since when? Since crime is back to the level it was in 1963? Since we are living in the safest times in human history, according to Harvard’s Steven Pinker? Since even child deaths at the hand of a kidnapper — already extremely rare — are now one-fifth of what they were just 20 years ago? “Most parents worry” about a few block walk, in these particularly safe times, even if they know their kids are mature and responsible?
That seems like some kind of illness. Yes, it is normal to worry if the neighborhood is truly crime-ridden. And naturally it can be worrying if a child is late getting home or if it is the first week of school and the child is just getting used to the walk. But for parents to worry no matter how mature their kid, how short the walk, and how safe the neighborhood does not make sense.
Igniting the fuse of fear makes sense for only two groups of people: The media, which depend on fear to keep us engaged, and the makers of tech tracking devices, who depend on our dollars to stay in business. After all, if they can convince us that it is normal to fret any time we take our eyes off our kids, they can sell us products that keep our eyes upon them.
And so reporter Newcomb goes on to list four products that track kids and apprise the parents of their location. The Pocketfinder is one. It goes in the child’s backpack and “updates a parent’s smartphone with their location every two minutes.”
Obsess much? It also alerts parents the second their child veers off the prescribed path. What a joy that makes walking home: Follow that squirrel for a block and Mom calls 911.
Then there’s Life 360, which is free and sounds like Harry Potter’s Marauder’s Map, showing every family members’ location. But if you pay a premium (a ha!) you can get “expanded history data and a live adviser for urgent situations.” Just suggesting “urgent situations” makes the walk sound dire.
The Canary, also profiled, is part of a $199 home security system, allowing you “to see live video and hear audio from their home. Parents can even replay the video clip from when their child walked in the door, ensuring that they were with only authorized house guests.”
Maybe it should really be called the Stool Pigeon. It seems less like a normal household device and more like the closed-circuit television above the door at a 7-Eleven.
And finally there’s the August Smart Lock, which let’s you “see and speak to whoever is at your door, even if you’re not home.” It also locks and unlocks your door, long distance, “making it ideal if your kid forgets their key,” according to Newcomb. At $400 it might be more ideal to make your kid a few extra keys or even hide one someplace clever.
So now I, too, have some advice on how to keep your kid safe on the way home from school — advice that the television report, in its haste to hail technological solutions to nearly non-existent dangers, forgot. Teach your children to:
• Look left, look right, look left again when crossing the street.
• Make sure that anyone turning sees them in the crosswalk.
• Ask strangers for help if they need it. Teaching “Stranger danger” removes all the people who could help them in an emergency. (Remember that Utah Boy Scout who was lost for three days because every time he heard a search party member calling his name, he scampered off to hide from the “stranger”?) However, teach your kids that they while they can talk to anyone, they cannot go off with anyone. And they should not get into someone’s car.
Those are tips that make a lot of sense and, by golly, they are free! Of course, for a premium, I will add a new and pointless tip every month. Sign up now!
Lenore Skenazy is author and founder of the book and blog Free-Range Kids, and a contributor at Reaso n.com .
Posted 12:00 am, August 25, 2016
©2016 Community News Group


These are the safest times in history, but if you believe what you see on television, they are not.


Is the walk to school really so terrifying?


August 19, 2016 / News / Events / Bayside FDNY unveils plaque dedicated to Capt. “Tommy” Thompson at Engine 306 TimesLedger Newspapers
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Loved-ones, firefighters and elected officials unveiled a plaque at Engine Co. 306 firehouse at 40-18 214th Place in Bayside Friday to commemorate the life of Capt. Thomas Thompson, who died from an illness related to his service at Ground Zero on Aug. 17, 2015.
Members of FDNY’s Pipes and Drums were at the firehouse, where Thompson commanded the respect of many to open the ceremony, which began with a speech by FDNY Commissioner Dan Nigro , who was followed by peers and Thompson’s son.
Chief-of-Department James Leonard said Thompson not only played a powerful role in the 306 house, but he also made an influential contribution to the Fire Department, whose ranks were diminished by the 9/11 attacks.
“We were a great department before 9/11, but 9/11 took us to our knees. A lot of people didn’t know we would be able to recover from losing 343 members and massive retirements,” said Leonard, before directing his speech at Thompson’s wife and three children. “But people like Tommy Thompson stayed around. He was a senior member and we share the greatness this department is now because of people like your husband or your dad.”
Leonard said Thompson was at Engine 306 for 13 years, and over the course of his career had been awarded three citations for bravery.
Thompson’s son Jeff took the podium to say that it was important to remember that his father had died of cancer related to the time he spent searching for victims of the tragedy, but also searching the remains of his fallen brothers. He noted that many firefighters are still battling illnesses which are the result of their service at Ground Zero.
State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) said the ceremony was emotional due to his personal connection to the captain.
“He was a great guy. He was always concerned about Bayside and he fought to save this firehouse when the previous mayor was threatening to close it. He would always greet me on Bell Boulevard,” Avella said, explaining that Thompson’s duty to the community extended beyond the department. He had expressed interest in improving Bayside to the senator.
Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside) said Thompson took a front seat during the two times the Bloomberg administration planned to shut down Engine Co. 306 in 2009 and 2013.
“Look how large their territory is,” Vallone said, pointing at a map on the wall of the firehouse. “It’s huge. They always look at [the firehouse] as a luxury, but it’s a necessity.”
Vallone said the rapid response of Engine 306 to the recent fire at Strawberry Farms in Whitestone was an example of how important the fire station has been for the communities it serves.
Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhall um@cn gloca l.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.
Posted 2:42 pm, August 19, 2016
©2016 Community News Group


Loved-ones, firefighters and elected officials unveiled a plaque at Engine Co. 306 firehouse at 40-18 214th Place in Bayside Friday to commemorate the life of Capt. Thomas Thompson, who died from an illness related to his service at Ground Zero on Aug. 17, 2015.


FDNY unveils plaque dedicated to Capt. “Tommy” Thompson at Engine 306


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Two police officers and a FDNY lieutenant saved a woman from a fire that engulfed a three-story Springfield Gardens residence, according to the FDNY.
The Fire Department started receiving calls at 11:08 a.m. Monday about a fire on the first floor of the building at 140-36 169th St. NYPD officers Rob Quattrock and Greg Levine responded to the smoke emanating from the house before the FDNY arrived. A second alarm was called at 11:24 a.m.
“As I was getting off the rig, I heard people yelling, ‘there’s someone in there! Help! Someone is inside!’ FDNY Lt. Gregory Damato, from Engine 302, said about the incident, and recalled seeing the two officers reaching into the burning building. “The fire was blowing at a rapid rate and I saw that they had short sleeves on. They were putting themselves in great jeopardy to save the patient.”
Damato was wearing bunker gear and entered the burning building to find the woman trapped inside. The two NYPD officers and Damato worked together to remove her from the building and carry her down the front steps.
The woman, who was not identified, was taken to Nassau County Medical Center in serious condition, and three firefighters sustained minor injuries.
The fire is still under investigation, according to the FDNY. Chief of Department James Leonard lauded the brave work of the officers and firefighters at the scene.
“This is what NYPD, firefighters, EMTs and paramedics do every day. They work together to protect life and property, and today was a fine example of that teamwork,” he said. “They worked together to save a life.”
Reach reporter Patrick Donachie by e-mail at pdona chie@ cnglo cal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.
Posted 12:00 am, August 26, 2016
©2016 Community News Group

Officers, FDNY save woman from Springfield Gardens blaze


Two police officers and a FDNY lieutenant saved a woman from a fire that engulfed a three-story Springfield Gardens residence, according to the FDNY.


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A Richmond Hill woman who been charged with killing her 9-year-old girl stepdaughter told a neighbor three days earlier that she would kill Ashdeep Kaur, prosecutors said.
Shamdai Arjun, 55, was arraigned Monday on a criminal complaint accusing her of second-degree murder with intent to kill another person, the Queens district attorney said. She faces up to 25 years in jail if convicted.
Last Friday police arrived at 95-50 112th St. at around 6 p.m. where they discovered 9-year-old Ashdeep unconscious and unresponsive inside the first floor bathroom, NYPD said. The girl was pronounced dead at the scene.
The medical examiner determined the cause of death was manual strangulation, the DA said.
“This is a horrifying case of a child, a defenseless 9-year-old, who was left in the care of her stepmother who allegedly strangled her to death,” DA Richard Brown said. “Her actions, if true, are beyond comprehension and must be severely punished.”
According to the criminal complaint filed by the DA, one witness was told by Arjun three days before the murder that she planned to kill the little girl.
At around 3 p.m. Aug. 19 Ashdeep’s father called Arjun and asked to speak to his daughter. Arjun told him she could not because she was in the bathroom washing her hair, according to prosecutors.
Eyewitnesses saw Arjun leaving her 112th Street apartment with her ex-husband, Raymond Narayan, 65, and her two grandchildren, ages 3 and 5, at 5:30 p.m., according to DA Brown. When asked about Ashdeep, Arjun told the eyewitness that she was in the bathroom waiting for her father to pick her up, Brown said. The eyewitness saw that the bathroom light had been on since 11 a.m. that morning and called Ashdeep’s father, who asked the neighbor to break into the bathroom. It was then they discovered the girl’s lifeless body in the bathtub, DA Brown said.
Detectives went to Raymond Narayan’s Ozone Park apartment, and found him, Arjun and her two grandchildren inside. Narayan refused to let police into the apartment for over an hour, Brown said. Narayan eventually let police in and he and Arjun were arrested, according to the DA office.
Narayan faces up to a year in jail or a $1,000 fine if convicted of obstruction of justice.
Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmart inez@ cnglo cal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.
Posted 1:35 pm, August 25, 2016
©2016 Community News Group

Richmond Hill woman charged with murder of 9-year-old stepdaughter


A Richmond Hill woman who been charged with killing her 9-year-old girl stepdaughter told a neighbor three days earlier that she would kill Ashdeep Kaur, prosecutors said.


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This former Judge ruled in Rio.
Dalilah Muhammad, who was a track-and-field star during her days at Cardozo, made history at this year’s Olympic Games, becoming the first American to take home a gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles as she cruised to a 53.13 first-place finish in the race Aug. 18.
Muhammad won all three races she ran in Rio and barely looked troubled by the rain-soaked track in the final.
“You definitely have to have a lot of confidence,” Muhammad told NBC during a post-race interview. “You just have to go for it, you have to trust in all your abilities. My coach told me I was able to go out that hard and able to finish and you just have to put all the trust into it.”
Muhammad’s road to Olympic gold has been well-documented over the last few weeks, as the former state champion has recounted her dedication to hurdles time and time again.
She was always drawn to this race in particular—despite early objections from her mother, who was concerned about her daughter falling over the hurdles—and has spent the better part of the last decade fine-tuning her approach.
“My mom didn’t want me to hurdle,” Muhammad said. “I think my first time I ever hurdled I fell and she was just like, her baby’s not doing that again. I’ve always loved the hurdles. I just wanted to be able to perfect it. I just felt like the 400 hurdles was my race from even when I was a little kid.”
Muhammad was a star at the high school level and went on to become an All-American at USC, but a recent string of injuries left her wondering if all this work was worth it.
She didn’t make the Olympic team in 2012 and suffered an injury after last year’s Oxy Invitational.
But while she faced her fair share of trials and pitfalls over the last two years, Muhammad never lost her focus. She’s been hurdling for as long as she can remember and, somehow, some way, she was getting to Rio.
She had her breakout moment at the Olympic Trials earlier this year, winning each of her races in Oregon, including a 52.88 finish in the final.
It was the fastest time recorded in the event this year.
Her approach is easy—run fast, don’t hit the hurdles.
“That’s my goal every race,” Muhammad said. “I want to run as fast as I possibly can to the first hurdle.”
Muhammad wasn’t the only Dozo star to make a splash in Rio.
Deajah Stevens earned a spot in the 200-meter final and despite coming up short of the podium, the 21-year-old certainly made her presence known.
Muhammad isn’t certain what the future holds. For now, the 26-year-old is simply happy to rest in this moment. She’s an Olympic champion and, for right now, that’s all Muhammad cares about.
“Just an overhwleming feeling,” she said. “Just enjoyment and excitement. It’s something we’ve worked so hard for, so for it to finally happen is so amazing.”
Posted 12:00 am, August 25, 2016
©2016 Community News Group


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For more than two months union leaders have been setting up giant inflatable rats along the perimeter of the 5Pointz Towers construction site in Long Island City, protesting developer Jerry Wolkoff’s use of non-union labor. On Tuesday, reinforcements arrived as several hundred steamfitters, plumbers, carpenters and concrete workers flooded Jackson Avenue and Davis Street for a full-throated lunchtime rally alongside another inflatable called “Greedy the Pig.”
During the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure in 2013 for a rezoning variance, Wolkoff’s G & M Realty agreed to several major community givebacks, including a commitment to build and staff the site using 100 percent union labor, so that he could construct an additional 400 units at the former home of the world famous 5Pointz graffiti mecca.
In addition to the union provision, Wolkoff agreed to increase the number of affordable apartments and add more space for artists in order to receive the special permit that allowed him to build bigger than the area zoning laws allowed.
Speaker after speaker charged Wolkoff with reneging on that deal, including Gary LaBarbera, president of the Building Trades Council of Greater New York, who offered the developer a Project Labor Agreement. Wolkoff would not sign the pact, but gave his word and shook hands on the deal, LaBarbera said.
“He gave his commitment that this job was going to be a Building Trades job and he went back on his word, he lied to everyone,” LaBarbera thundered in an expletive-filled speech. “I come from the school that when you give your word, it’s better than a signed contract. This man was in my office, shook my hand and promised this would be a union project.”
LaBarbera then read from a letter to Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside), signed by Wolkoff announcing his “intention to engage contractors which employ individuals represented by labor unions” and promising 800 good-paying construction jobs and 200 full-time jobs after construction was completed. Van Bramer endorsed the issuance of the variance based on the promises in that letter from Wolkoff.
“Jerry Wolkoff lied to me, Jerry Wolkoff lied to Gary, Jerry Wolkoff lied to every single New Yorker,” Van Bramer told the roaring crowd. “I will never believe another word you ever say nor will I ever approve any future project you want to build in my district or this city.”
Wolkoff claims he never lied and that he would not sign the labor agreement LaBarbera offered because it would have cost him 25 percent to 30 percent more to build his 47- and 41-story 5Pointz towers. He also shrugged off Van Bramer’s threat to block any more of his projects in the city.
“Look, I’ve got nothing against Jimmy. He’s a good union guy, but the contract they offered me would’ve cost me $20 million more to build.” Wolkoff said. “He wouldn’t do it and I’m not doing it. I am not anti-union, but people should wake up and understand the world has changed. The unions might control the politicians, but they don’t control the world anymore. There are other people out there who are non-union. What, they don’t have a right to work?”
Council of Carpenters representative Michael Donnelly, who has been protesting at the site for 10 weeks, called on the City Council to revoke the variance and stop the project although Van Bramer said “it can’t be reversed, but we can address all of the violations here.”
LaBarbera also threatened to warn Wolkoff’s investors and insurance companies.
“We’re going to get word to his lenders that they’re dealing with a guy whose word means nothing,” he said. “Maybe they’ll think twice about lending him money.”
LaBarbera finished by thanking the 5Pointz artists for taking part in the protest. In November 2013, Wolkoff ordered workers to whitewash the estimated 350 murals of graffiti art on the warehouse complex’s exterior walls as a first step towards its demolition.
5Pointz curator Jonathan Meres Cohen and spokeswoman Marie Cecil Flaguel stood alongside a hand-painted canvas that said “5Pointz Artists Support Unions.”
“I told you so,” is all Meres would say following the rally. Cecil Flaguel explained the two had warned anyone that would listen that Wolkoff “could not be trusted,” and they were ignored during the ULURP proceedings.
“It’s good to see so many brothers and sisters come here and the union leaders have their say, but now they have to take action,” she said. “We’ve known he’s a liar for 11 years. Three years later and promises are broken on the union jobs. What will Wolkoff renege on next, the affordable housing? We’re surely not holding our breath on the art space he’s promised. We warned Councilman Van Bramer and Borough President Helen Marshall that he shouldn’t be trusted. Sometimes being right doesn’t feel so good.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr y@cng local.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.
Posted 12:00 am, August 25, 2016
©2016 Community News Group

Hundreds protest Wolkoff’s use of non-union labor at 5Pointz site


For more than two months union leaders have been setting up giant inflatable rats along the perimeter of the 5Pointz Towers construction site in Long Island City, protesting developer Jerry Wolkoff’s use of non-union labor. On Tuesday, reinforcements arrived as several hundred steamfitters, plumbers, carpenters and concrete workers flooded Jackson Avenue and Davis Street for a full-throated lunchtime rally alongside another inflatable called “Greedy the Pig.”


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A Bayside coffee shop was burglarized Aug. 11, NYPD said, and the suspect was still on the run after making off with a small fortune in cash and checks.
The Oasis Cafe, located 196-30 Northern Blvd., is known for its Cappaccino Freddo, one customer said. But at 3 a.m. last week a man described by police as an Hispanic male between the ages of 25 to 30 entered the cafe through an open rear door, made his way through a locked interior door and stole $26,000 in cash and $4,000 in checks from the safe.
The suspect fled in an unknown direction and was caught on security footage wearing an orange T-shirt, glasses, black shorts and a white baseball cap.
Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhall um@cn gloca l.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.
Updated 5:49 pm, August 18, 2016
©2016 Community News Group


A Bayside coffee shop was burglarized Aug. 11, NYPD said, and the suspect was still on the run after making off with a small fortune in cash and checks.


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Downtown Far Rockaway will be receiving an influx of investment from New York City in an attempt to establish the area as the commercial hub for the entirety of the Rockaway peninsula.
City Councilman Donovan Richards (D-Arverne), New York City Economic Development Corporation President Maria Torres-Spangler, City Planning Commission Chairman Carl Weisbrod and Department of Housing and Preservation Commissioner Vicki Been were on hand to announce the Roadmap for Action at a news conference held near the Mott Avenue subway station Friday.
The plan would serve as a guide for the allocation of a $91 million investment Mayor Bill de Blasio pledged for the area during his 2016 State of the City address.
“Downtown Far Rockaway was once a vibrant commercial/beachfront business district that attracted shoppers from Rockaway, Nassau County and around the city. But divestment, lack of open space, lack of local employment options, lack of infrastructure and poor pedestrian circulation created not only a recipe for disaster, but hopelessness in this community,” Richards said. “But today, we begin the steps in righting these wrongs by paying our moral and economic debt owed to this community.”
Downtown Far Rockaway is home to 50,314 residents, according to the NYCEDC report, with subway access via the A line, Long Island Rail Road access and several bus lines. Only 12 percent of the residents both live and work in the area.
The process began in November 2015, with Richards commissioning several working group meetings, followed by a public meeting in January. Recommendations were submitted to the mayor’s office the following month. The working group set goals that included encouraging mixed-income housing and improving access to community services, quality education and jobs.
The Roadmap suggests 25 different strategies for approaching Downtown Far Rockaways’ revitalization, including utilizing zoning tools in order to develop affordable housing on private land, the construction of a new public plaza between Beach 21st and Beach 22nd streets and the expansion of a public space at the corner of Mott and Central avenues.
Additional suggested improvements from the report call for assisting in improvements for about 20 existing storefronts on retail corridors in the area that will commence before the end of this summer and a continued focus on refurbishing and supporting existing community services, like the Far Rockaway branch of the Queens Public Library.
The full NYCEDC report on Downtown Far Rockaway can be viewed at www.edc.nyc/downt own-f ar-ro ckawa y.com .
Reach reporter Patrick Donachie by e-mail at pdona chie@ cnglo cal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.
Posted 12:00 am, August 26, 2016
©2016 Community News Group

Downtown Far Rockaway pegged for investment


Downtown Far Rockaway will be receiving an influx of investment from New York City in an attempt to establish the area as the commercial hub for the entirety of the Rockaway peninsula.


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Police were asking for the public’s help in locating a Flushing woman who has been missing since Wednesday.
Frances Hom, 64 was last seen on the evening of Aug. 24 at 10:30 p.m. in the back of 142-29 37th Ave., according to the NYPD. Police have released a photo of Hom, and described her as approximately 5’1” tall, with a medium build, weighing about 150 pounds, with brown eyes and long gray hair in a ponytail. At the time of her disappearance, she was seen wearing black pants, a black blouse, black shoes and a red back pack with black straps.
Police encouraged anyone with any information to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1 (800) 577-TIPS, or submit tips online at www.nypdc rimes toppe rs.org .
Reach reporter Patrick Donachie by e-mail at pdona chie@ cnglo cal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.
Posted 10:13 am, August 26, 2016
©2016 Community News Group


Police were asking for the public’s help in locating a Flushing woman who has been missing since Wednesday.


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Three Flushing karaoke bars have sued the NYPD for $300 million, claiming they were singled out during a bribery scandal involving officers from the 109th Precinct.
The three karaoke bars—Forbidden City, Home Run KTV and 360 Lounge—contend in their lawsuit filed in Brooklyn federal court that they were harassed by officers in the 109th Precinct as part of an NYPD effort to prevent them from cooperating with a criminal investigation of police officers.
The suit claims that as Asian businesses they were intimidated and subjected to racial discrimination. The suit also says that as a result of the harassment they suffered emotional distress and loss of income. The bars are seeking $300 million in damages.
In December 2015, Detective Yatyu Yam and Lt. Robert Sung were charged with accepting money from Flushing karaoke bar owners for allegedly tipping them off whenever narcotics or vice units were planning police raids, the Queens district attorney said.
The owners of Club JJNY and Club Joyful in Flushing allegedly paid Yam $2,000 per month over the course of three years for protection, according to the criminal complaint filed by the DA.
Yam and Sung were charged with taking bribes and being rewarded for official misconduct, while Sung was also charged with obstruction, according to the DA’s office.
They were scheduled to go to trial in September.
The 2015 arrest of Yam and Sung came after two years of investigations during which several officers from the 109th Precinct were looked into. The incident was labeled the “Karaoke Bar Protection Scandal.” Of the 23 other officers investigated over the course of two years, including two captains and three sergeants, none have been indicted so far, the suit said.
In the suit, the bars claim that since 2014 multiple “Business Inspections” by police led to the arrest of employees and patrons, disrupting business and scaring off customers. During these random inspections, the officers would ask employees and patrons about the any illegal activity. The owners claim that officials took video equipment following the inspections so no evidence of the raids remained..
As a result of the inspections and officers’ constant presence, customers, particularly in the Asian community, stopped coming to the targeted businesses, according to the suit. Officers would enter the businesses under the guise of an inspection although there were no violations and stay for hours on end, according to the suit. Undercover officers would stop and frisk Asian patrons in the establishments without any legal basis, the suit claims.
In the lawsuit, the owners claim that Police Commissioner William J. Bratton targeted their businesses using the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau and other federal, state, and local government agencies. They claim they and other witnesses were intimidated into not cooperating with the criminal investigation into the officers involved in the Karaoke Bar Protection scandal in order to protect his legacy as commissioner. The suit claims Bratton engaged in similar tactics during the “Dirty 30” scandal in the early 1990s, in which over 30 officers were arrested for stealing drug money from Dominicans and other people of color in Manhattan.
The bars are being represented by Manhattan lawyer Eric Sanders.
“Here, we have all of this legislative reform regarding police corruption in New York City, yet the public still suffers,” he said. “In this matter, no one knows the depth of the police corruption in the ‘Karaoke Bar Protection Scandal.’ Certainly, my clients feel the mayor, police commissioner and district attorney are simply waiting for everything to blow over and then close the criminal case, handling everything within the NYPD as in other police scandals.”
Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmart inez@ cnglo cal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.
Posted 12:00 am, August 25, 2016
©2016 Community News Group

Flushing karaoke bars sue NYPD for $300M


Three Flushing karaoke bars have sued the NYPD for $300 million, claiming they were singled out during a bribery scandal involving officers from the 109th Precinct.


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All politics are local was a favorite saying of legendary House Speaker Tip O’Neill, who knew where accountability as a politician began and often ended.
This same dynamic is playing out now in Sunnyside, where a non-profit developer has proposed a 10-story affordable housing project that is strongly opposed by the resident city councilman.
Sunnyside is in desperate need of middle-income housing in the midst of a real estate boom that has forced longtime renters to flee to more remote parts of the borough. Residents fret that they won’t have the resources to lease units in the proposed building called The Barnett because the rents are too high. And they fear tenants in the 209 new apartments will overrun the schools and worsen traffic.
Jimmy Van Bramer, the City Council’s Democratic majority leader, lives in the nearby Sunnyside Gardens historic district. A historic ally of Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has made building reasonably priced homes for New Yorkers a top priority, Van Bramer is caught in a bind.
The Phipps House developers, who met with the editorial board of this paper, laid out what we thought was a solid plan for the building and the neighborhood with provisions for adequate parking and a restored streetscape. The developers said they would be willing to make realistic changes to their proposal based on residents’ demands.
As the project moved through the public review process, Borough President Melinda Katz said she would not approve the current plan unless the developers made the units more affordable for the surrounding area and lowered the height of the building, among other stipulations. The City Planning Commission greenlighted the rezoning for the building, however, and now the plan heads to the City Council, where Van Bramer has enormous influence over its future as the elected official for the district.
Sunnyside residents are overwhelmingly against the Phipps building for a litany of reasons. Van Bramer said the negative feedback from Sunnyside and Sunnyside Gardens people has eclipsed all other issues since he took office 6½ years ago.
While Sunnyside would benefit greatly from more affordable housing, Van Bramer has listened closely to his constituents for a year and vowed to block The Barnett. The mayor has turned up the heat on him to change course, but de Blasio’s promise of a “firm conversation” with Van Bramer has not materialized.
As for Van Bramer, he’s doing what he was elected to do—represent the will of the people who put him in office—even if this means a lost opportunity for his community.
Posted 12:00 am, August 26, 2016
©2016 Community News Group


All politics are local was a favorite saying of legendary House Speaker Tip O’Neill, who knew where accountability as a politician began and often ended.


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The city Department of Health is continuing pesticide spraying all over the city, including Queens, in an attempt to stop the Zika virus from spreading.
DOH will spray parts of Auburndale, Bayside, Bay Terrace, Beechhurst, Linden Hill, Malba, Whitestone Tuesday evening. The spraying will begin at 10 p.m. and extend through 6 a.m. Wednesday, weather permitting.
Queens neighborhoods are being sprayed because of a significant presence of Aedes Albopicus, also known as Asian Tiger mosquitoes. The Zika virus has not been found in any mosquito in New York City but the Asian Tiger can carry the virus. The spraying is being used as a preventative measure, Asian Tiger mosquitoes are not the mosquito responsible for the current outbreak in Latin and Central America, the DOH said.
The city has a three- year, $21 million plan to protect New Yorkers from the Zika virus. The Health Department will spray areas with significant number of Asian Tiger mosquitoes as a precaution.
For the spraying of Queens the DOH will use a low concentration of DUET Duel-Action Adulticide, which when used properly, poses no harm to human health, the Health Department said. To avoid direct exposure the DOH recommended staying indoors, if possible, during the spraying, and to remove children’s toys and equipment from outdoor areas during the spraying.
As of Aug. 12 out of the 483 total cases in New York City, 88 people in Queens have tested positive for the Zika virus.
Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmart inez@ cnglo cal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.
Posted 3:01 pm, August 23, 2016
©2016 Community News Group

City to spray again in Queens to combat Zika


The city Department of Health is continuing pesticide spraying all over the city, including Queens, in an attempt to stop the Zika virus from spreading.


August 24, 2016 / News / Events / Bayside Flushing bicyclist killed on streets of Bayside TimesLedger Newspapers
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A 78-year-old bicyclist was killed at 223rd Street and Northern Boulevard in Bayside Wednesday morning, police said. NYPD said it received a call about a collision involving a bicyclist at around 6:30 a.m. and arrived to find Michael Schenkman lying unconscious in the street near the intersection.
Schenkman had been riding in the eastbound lane when he was struck by a 25-year-old driver going in the same direction in a black Chevy Impala.
According to police, the cyclist suffered severe trauma to the head and the body. EMS responded and transported him to North Shore Manhasset Hospital, where Schenkman died from his injuries.
Although the driver remained at the scene and no arrests have been made, the incident was being investigated by the NYPD Collision Investigation Squad.
Schenkman was a resident of Flushing, according to the NYPD.
Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhall um@cn gloca l.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.
Posted 8:43 pm, August 24, 2016
©2016 Community News Group


A 78-year-old bicyclist was killed at 223rd Street and Northern Boulevard in Bayside Wednesday morning, police said. NYPD said it received a call about a collision involving a bicyclist at around 6:30 a.m. and arrived to find Michael Schenkman lying unconscious in the street near the intersection.


Flushing bicyclist killed on streets of Bayside


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Police responded to a burglary at a home within the confines of the 102 Precinct Friday morning at 9 a.m. The house in Woodhaven was occupied at the time, NYPD said.
Breaking News Network reported a woman at on Forest Parkway was assaulted and being treated by EMS responders and aviation assistance was being called to help look for the suspect.
The NYPD described the suspect as a tall, skinny male, about 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds. He was wearing blue jeans and a black bag. According to police, the man left the scene heading southbound on Forest Parkway.
Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhall um@cn gloca l.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.
Posted 10:51 am, August 19, 2016
©2016 Community News Group

Burglar assaults woman in Woodhaven: NYPD


Police responded to a burglary at a home within the confines of the 102 Precinct Friday morning at 9 a.m. The house in Woodhaven was occupied at the time, NYPD said.


August 19, 2016 / News / Politics Martins, Suozzi tangle over new GOP primary TimesLedger Newspapers
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State Sen. Jack Martins (R-Mineola), now facing a Republican opponent in the race to fill the vacant congressional seat covering northeastern Queens, wants the recently scheduled Oct. 6 primary moved to Dec. 6 to accommodate military and absentee voters.
A federal court decided Wednesday that Philip “Flip” Pidot had qualified to run in a Republican primary against Martins, who up until then had expected to be the sole GOP challenger of Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi. The three contenders are vying to replace U.S. Rep. Steve Israel (D-Melville), whose 3rd Congressional District covers Whitestone, College Point and other parts of eastern Queens, Nassau and Suffolk countries.
“I call on Tom Suozzi to join me in asking the judge to protect the rights of the military, senior citizens and others whose right to vote in the general election is jeopardized by an October primary,” Martins said in a statement.
But Suozzo was not moved by the appeal.
“It’s time for Jack Martins to face voters, stop wasting millions of taxpalyer dollars with his petty political games and trying to litigate his way into Congress,” a Suozzi statement said.
Martins’ camp pointed out that an Oct. 6 primary leaves only 32 days before a general election, while under federal law states are required to send out absentee ballots no longer than 45 days before the election.
“This is nothing more than a pathetic attempt to distract voters from his disastrous record of raising property taxes, defending Dean Skelos and supporting Trump,” Suozzi said.
The Republican primary would have been held June 28 along with the Democratic primary if Pidot had been on the ballot. But a state court ruled that even though Pidot had enough valid sisnatures to qualify for the primary, there was not enough time to put his name on the June ballot. The federal court reversed that ruling.
Posted 4:29 pm, August 19, 2016
©2016 Community News Group


State Sen. Jack Martins (R-Mineola), now facing a Republican opponent in the race to fill the vacant congressional seat covering northeastern Queens, wants the recently scheduled Oct. 6 primary moved to Dec. 6 to accommodate military and absentee voters.


Martins, Suozzi tangle over new GOP primary


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The race to succeed U.S. Rep. Steve Israel (D-Melville) has taken several twists, including three candidates from different political parties who joined forces on Saturday to criticize Republican state Sen. Jack Martins (D-Mineola) in his attempt to postpone the general election date after a federal court mandated a Republican primary date in October.
The candidates are running to succeed Israel in representing the 3rd Congressional District, which includes parts of Nassau and Suffolk counties, Bay Terrace, Whitestone, Glen Oaks and Floral Park.
Former Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, the Democratic nominee for the seat, held a news conference with Libertarian candidate Michael McDermott and Republican candidate Philip Pidot Sunday at the Greenvale Townhouse Diner in Greenvale, L.I., to speak about Martins. He is petitioning in federal court to move the general election date from Nov. 8 to Dec. 6 in order to accommodate the new primary ordered between him and Pidot Oct. 6.
“Jack Martins has unsuccessfully attempted to eliminate each and every opponent who has filed signatures to qualify for the ballot in the 3rd Congressional District,” Suozzi said. “Jack Martins needs to stop wasting everyone’s time and millions of taxpayer dollars and instead tell us what he is really about.”
The Martins campaign contends that the delay is necessary in order to comply with the federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act, which requires that states supply overseas service members with ballots 45 days prior to an election. The Oct. 6 primary would leave 32 days before the general election.
“Nassau residents threw Tom Suozzi out of office because of his history of bad decisions, playing politics with the military’s right to vote is just the latest example that he hasn’t changed,” Martins said in a statement.
The legal maneuvering between Pidot and Martins in an attempt to determine whether a Republican primary should be held has spanned multiple months and state and federal court. Martins initially challenged the validity of many of Pidot’s signatures. The State Supreme Court decided in late June that Pidot qualified for the ballot, but due to the proximity to the June 28 primary date Pidot could not be put on the ballot. Pidot accused Martins of trying to subvert the voting process, while Martins countered that the Pidot campaign had dragged its feet in challenging court decisions.
On Aug. 17, a federal court ruled that a Republican primary would be held Oct. 6, prior to the November general election. Martins’ opponents accused him of trying to avoid an election date that would leave him running on the Republican ticket at the same time as Donald Trump.
“What is Jack Martins so afraid of?” McDermott asked. “It is obvious that cowardly Jack Martins doesn’t want to be on a ballot with Donald Trump, even though one minute he is a strong Trump supporter and the next he is trying to distance himself from Trump.”
Martins contends that the 50 days between the Oct. 6 Republican primary and his proposed Dec. 6 primary will give the New York State Board of Elections ample time to supply service members with ballots.
A spokesman for New York State Board of Elections said it would reserve comment on the situation, due to the pending litigation.
Reach reporter Patrick Donachie by e-mail at pdona chie@ cnglo cal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.
Updated 2:25 pm, August 25, 2016
©2016 Community News Group

Candidates unite to criticize Martins on moving primary date


The race to succeed U.S. Rep. Steve Israel (D-Melville) has taken several twists, including three candidates from different political parties who joined forces on Saturday to criticize Republican state Sen. Jack Martins (D-Mineola) in his attempt to postpone the general election date after a federal court mandated a Republican primary date in October.


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Elected officials and women’s groups are being invited to celebrate Women’s Equality Day by denouncing S.J. Jung in response to his announcement that he does not support a woman’s right to choose on the matter of abortion. Jung is the former President of the MinKwon Center and state Sen. Toby Stavisky’s (D-Flushing) Democratic opponent in the Sept. 13 primary.
At a Tuesday night debate at the Queens Library in Flushing, the two candidates were given the opportunity to ask each other one question. Stavisky framed her question around the fact she is the first woman to be elected to state senate from Queens County; she asked Jung’s stance on abortion.
“This is such an important issue, allow me to be clear: I would not support abortion unless it threatens the health of a pregnant woman. That’s the only exception that I can think of. This is a very serious issue. You know, we pretend to know everything, but I completely disagree. Life is still a mystery,” Jung responded. “So I will not support a woman’s choice.”
Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas, Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz, Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley the New York State Women’s Equality Party, the Campaign for a Pro-Choice New York and the Filipino American Democratic Club of New York. The National Organization for Women, Eleanor’s Roosevelt Legacy Committee were invited to attend.
The Women’s Equality celebration will take place Friday, Aug. 26 at 9:30 a.m. on Geraldine Ferraro Way, on the corner of Ascan Avenue and Austin Street, in Forest Hills.
Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhall um@cn gloca l.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.
Posted 5:33 pm, August 25, 2016
©2016 Community News Group

Electeds question Jung on abortion statement


Elected officials and women’s groups are being invited to celebrate Women’s Equality Day by denouncing S.J. Jung in response to his announcement that he does not support a woman’s right to choose on the matter of abortion. Jung is the former President of the MinKwon Center and state Sen. Toby Stavisky’s (D-Flushing) Democratic opponent in the Sept. 13 primary.


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The stepmother of a nine-year-old girl who was found dead at her home in Richmond Hill has been charged with second degree murder, according to the NYPD.
Shamdai Arjun was originally being questioned as a “person of interest” after police responded to a 911 call at 95-50 112th St. on Friday at about 6 p.m. Police discovered Ashdeep Kaur unconscious and unresponsive in the first floor bathroom of the building. EMS responded and pronounced the young child dead at the scene.
According to police sources, the cause of death was strangulation.
Reach reporter Patrick Donachie by e-mail at pdona chie@ cnglo cal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.
Updated 5:19 pm, August 20, 2016
©2016 Community News Group

Stepmother charged with Richmond Hill murder


The stepmother of a nine-year-old girl who was found dead at her home in Richmond Hill has been charged with second degree murder, according to the NYPD.


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Nearly 1,000 steamfitters, plumbers, carpenters and concrete workers flooded Jackson Avenue in Long Island City for a lunchtime rally Tuesday to protest developer Jerry Wolkoff’s practices at the site of the former 5Pointz graffiti mecca. During the public review process, Wolkoff’s G & M Realty agreed to several major community givebacks, including a commitment to build and staff the site using 100 percent union labor, so that he could construct an additional 400 units.
Speaker after speaker charged Wolkoff with reneging on that deal. including Gary LaBarbera, president of the Building Trades Council of Greater New York, who offered the developer a Project Labor Agreement. Wolkoff would not sign the pact, but gave his word and shook hands on the deal, LaBarbera said.
“He gave his commitment that this job was going to be a Building Trades job and he went back on his word, he lied to everyone,” LaBarbera thundered in an expletive-filled speech. “I come from the school that when you give your word it’s better than a signed contract. This man was in my office, shook my hand and promised this would be a union project.”
LaBarbera then read from a letter to Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside), signed by Wolkoff announcing his “intention to engage contractors which employ individuals represented by labor unions” and promising 800 good paying construction jobs and 200 full time jobs after construction was completed. Van Bramer endorsed the issuance of the variance based on the promises in that letter from Wolkoff.
“Jerry Wolkoff lied to me, Jerry Wolkoff lied to Gary, Jerry Wolkoff lied to every single New Yorker,” Van Bramer told the roaring crowd. “I will never believe another word you ever say nor will I ever approve any future project you want to build in my district or this city.”
Wolkoff claims he never lied and that he would not sign the labor agreement LaBarbera offered because it would have cost him 25 percent to 30 percent more to build his 47- and 41-story 5Pointz towers. He also shrugged off Van Bramer’s threat to block any more of his projects in the city.
“Look, I’ve got nothing against Jimmy. He’s a good union guy, but the contract they offered me would’ve cost me $20 million more to build.” Wolkoff said. “He wouldn’t do it and I’m not doing it. I am not anti-union. but people should wake up and understand the world has changed. The unions might control the politicians, but they don’t control the world anymore. There are other people out there who are non-union. What, they don’t have a right to work?”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr y@cng local.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.
Posted 4:28 pm, August 23, 2016
©2016 Community News Group

Workers protest use of non-union labor at 5Pointz Towers construction site


Nearly 1,000 steamfitters, plumbers, carpenters and concrete workers flooded Jackson Avenue in Long Island City for a lunchtime rally Tuesday to protest developer Jerry Wolkoff’s practices at the site of the former 5Pointz graffiti mecca. During the public review process, Wolkoff’s G & M Realty agreed to several major community givebacks, including a commitment to build and staff the site using 100 percent union labor, so that he could construct an additional 400 units.


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Dalilah Muhammad was as good as gold on Thursday night, taking the gold medal in the final of the women’s 400-meter hurdle at the Olympic Games.
The former Cardozo star finished in 53.13 seconds—nearly a half-second ahead of her closest competitor. Muhammad is the first American woman to win gold in the event.
She swept all three of her races in Rio—after doing the same at the Olympic Trials earlier this year—and her gold-medal run was the fastest time she posted at the Games.
It’s a dominant performance for Muhammad, who suffered an injury-plagued season in 2014 and battled her way back over the last two years. She reevaluated her approach on the track and settled into a rhythm that was not only succesful, it was historic.
Updated 9:51 am, August 19, 2016
©2016 Community News Group


Dalilah Muhammad was as good as gold on Thursday night, taking the gold medal in the final of the women’s 400-meter hurdle at the Olympic Games.


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State Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing) and state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli spoke at a news conference last Friday about the campaign finance reform and ethics in politics.
DiNapoli opened the conference with the announcement of his endorsement of Stavisky, who has held the seat for the past seven elections, saying she stands as an example of integrity.
He said Stavisky was part of a minority of state legislators who signed on to an initiative known as the Clean Conscience Pledge, which is a legislative promise and joint effort from Citizens Union New York Common Cause and NYPIRG designed to restrict outside income for legislators.
According to the comptroller, real campaign finance reform starts with closing the limited liability corporation loopholes where money flows in from corporate entities whose sole purpose is to funnel money to politicians as campaign contributions. DiNapoli called for greater disclosure and transparency in the budgetary process for discretionary funding to offer accountability he sees as a much-needed reform in government.
He not only expressed his admiration for Stavisky’s support for higher education in her district, but also for her role as a leading woman in the political arena.
“She is a person of history in this borough,” DiNapoli said, referring to the fact that Stavisky was the first woman to be elected to state Senate in Queens.
Stavisky took the podium and said she was running for re-election to continue the trend she has set for increasing the minimum wage and a tuition freeze for students at the city and state level as well as the push for passage of the DREAM Act, which would allow undocumented students apply for the state Tuition Assistance Program and earn a college degree.
But Stavisky still believes more needs to be done to improve ethics and campaign finance reform, although she has already sponsored several bills to enhance ethics at the state level and improve finance procedures. The senator also spoke about the importance of closing the LLC loophole and limiting outside income for legislators.
“I don’t think you can be a legislator and own a business,” said Stavisky, who believes a lawmaker cannot effectively serve constituents and clients simultaneously. “You got to pick one, and I have chosen to be a legislator. I have no other outside income. To me public service is an opportunity to help people.”
DiNapoli predicted Stavisky would win the upcoming primary against Jung with her biggest margins ever.
Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhall um@cn gloca l.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.
Posted 12:00 am, August 26, 2016
©2016 Community News Group

DiNapoli and Stavisky talk campaign reform


State Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing) and state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli spoke at a news conference last Friday about the campaign finance reform and ethics in politics.


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Muslim community members and leaders are urging the authorities to remain open to the possibility that the murder of the Ozone Park imam and his assistant were a hate crime.
A spokeswoman for the Queens district attorney’s office would not comment on the ongoing investigation into whether or not the motivation behind the attacks was based in bias. Complicating this effort, the authorities have been unable to determine a motive for the execution-style killing of Imam Maulana Akonjee and Thara Uddin as they were walking home from the Al-Furquan Jame Masjid mosque in Ozone Park Aug. 13.
Oscar Morel, 35, of East New York, was indicted by a grand jury on one charge of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon Monday, according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. Morel faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if he is convicted.
At his arraignment Monday, Morel was assigned a new attorney named Michael Schwed. Speaking to reporters outside of the courthouse, Schwed said his client told him he was innocent and did not hate anyone of any faith. He also said that an eyewitness to the crime had picked the wrong person in a lineup.
“I was never served with any notice of a lineup,” he said, “the reason being whoever looked at the lineup identified the wrong person.
According to the criminal charges filed against Morel, Akonjee and Uddin were walking home from the mosque at 76-18 Glenmore Ave. in Ozone Park shortly before 2 p.m. Aug. 13. Morel allegedly approached the two men from behind near the intersection of 79th Street and Liberty Avenue and fired a weapon multiple times, striking both men in the head. The two men were transported to a hospital and were later pronounced dead.
The police found Morel after tracking down his vehicle, which authorities said was involved in a hit-and-run near the scene of the shootings. Police brought him in for questioning, and later arrested him in the murders. A subsequent search of his apartment uncovered a .38 caliber Taurus revolver hidden behind a wall, police said. Authorities said a ballistics test indicated the gun was the same one used in the shootings.
A spokeswoman for the Queens DA would not comment on the ongoing investigation into whether or not the motivation behind the attacks was based in bias. Queens has been the scene of several violent incidents involving Muslims in recent months, but only one was classified as a hate crime.
A December attack on a Muslim shop owner in Astoria led to hate crime charges against the suspect, while the June assault on a Muslim man outside of a Jamaica mosque was placed in Family Court because of the age of the defendant. The suspect in an April assault on a man inside the Jamaica Muslim Center has been charged but not with a hate crime, according to prosecutors.
At a funeral for the imam and his associate held Aug. 15, Mayor Bill de Blasio pledged a stronger police presence to protect Muslims praying at mosques, and other community members called for cameras and quicker response times from the NYPD.
The shooting comes in the midst of a contentious presidential campaign in which the perception of Muslim Americans has increasingly become a focal point due to Donald Trump’s suggestion of a ban on Muslim immigration into the United States.
Morel is due back in court on Sept. 1 at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens.
Reach reporter Patrick Donachie by e-mail at pdona chie@ cnglo cal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.
Posted 12:00 am, August 25, 2016
©2016 Community News Group

Investigators search for motive in imam murder


Muslim community members and leaders are urging the authorities to remain open to the possibility that the murder of the Ozone Park imam and his assistant were a hate crime.


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Tucked away on a side street in Long Island City, just steps away from the 39th Avenue stop on the Q and N trains, is a unique museum that both explores the development of some of contemporary art’s major figures and encapsulates the vision of its founder, Emily Fisher Landau.
Converted from a parachute factory into a clean, elegant art-viewing space by British architect Max Gordon, The Fisher Landau Center for Art, at 38-27 30th St., has been open to the public since 2004 and in that time has presented a wide variety of exhibitions that take advantage of Landau’s 1500-work collection.
The latest of those exhibitions, “Intuitive Progression,” opened Aug. 18 and will be on view until Nov. 28. Comprised of 75 works from 20 artists, the show includes such figures as Agnes Martin, Edward Ruscha, Susan Rothenberg and Jasper Johns. With such a stellar cast of characters, it is a pleasant surprise to find that the exhibit containing their works tells such a clear and compelling story.
Starting with the building blocks of artistic imagery, “Intuitive Progressions” illustrates how nothing is simple when it is put into the hands of a real artist. That notion can be clearly seen in one of the works at the entrance to the show, Canadian artist Joseph Amar’s “Lillian, Miriam, Hannah, Anne, Farah.” A line of five 30-inch-square paintings in progressively darkening shades of greenish tan, the piece has an unexpected sense of movement and energy. According to Nicholas Arbatsky, the center’s director as well as the curator of this show, the artist says the paintings should be considered portraits. The ability of each part of the work to convey a distinct personality and mood justifies that claim.
Many of the artists in the show explore the power of straight lines, grids, basic shapes and written language. But each of them takes those elements and turns them into highly personal individual statements.
A lot of those statements have a light-hearted, engaging side. Richard Artschwager’s formica-on-wood sculptures of books have a cartoonish buoyancy that is matched by Donald Baechler’s “Arithmetic,” an image of a human head built from numbers. By making the word “diptych” the subject of a painting that is on one wood panel, Ricci Albenda delivers a sly joke while also encouraging us to question the truth and meaning of language.
Other works take the motifs that are at the center of the show and turn them to darker, more serious ends. Susan Rothenberg’s “Double Bones” is an otherworldly image that looks as if it’s an animal skeleton, and Kiki Smith’s sculpture “The Sitter” brings issues of violence against women powerfully to the foreground.
But perhaps most interesting in this exhibit is the way it shows artists changing and progressing. One example is found in the other two Rothenberg paintings on display. Done 11 years after “Double Bones,” “Mezzo Fist #1” and “Mezzo Fist #2” use the same colors and ghostly style of the earlier painting, but achieve their effect in a more muted way. Another is Terry Winters, whose densely patterned circular shapes start with the nearly monochromatic “Unititled” from 1983 and transform into the psychedelic shade of 2011’s “Tessellation Figures.”
Arbatsky says that the idea of looking at an artist’s career as a work in progress was very important to Landau as she was putting her collection together. “Mrs. Landau was interested in how an artist’s work progresses over time,” he said. “Often, she would buy a work from an artist early in his or her career, and then purchase later works.” In addition to the artists on display in “Intuitive Progression,” her collection includes work by Richard Prince, Jenny Holzer and Cy Twombly, all of whose works have graced the walls of the center.
But Landau’s scope as a collector goes beyond the building in Long Island City that bears her name. In May 2010, she made a pledge of 417 artworks by nearly 100 artists to the Whitney Museum of American Art, ensuring that her vision and the artists she champions will reach an even wider audience.
The mission of expanding and connecting with a wider audience is a big part of the center’s focus as well. Dean MacGregor, the Fisher Landau’s outreach coordinator, will be leading tours of the exhibit, and is expecting a broad range of community residents—particularly students—to take advantage of them. Tours can be scheduled by calling (718) 937-0727 or by emailing dean@ flcar t.org .
“Intuitive Progression” is not the only reason to visit the center, either. Up through Nov. 28 is Timothy Greenfield-Sanders’ “The Women List.” Showing on the center’s ground floor, its 50 portraits of accomplished women include actresses (Bette Davis, Kim Cattrall, Isabella Rossellini) and Supreme Court justices (Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg) as well as writers, artists and athletes. Plus, the PBS film in which 15 of those women tell their stories is also on view.
And another ambitious show is opening on Thursday. “Language as Representation” focuses on artists who make words the visual focus of their art. With such heavy hitters as Richard Prince, Edward Ruscha, Barbara Kruger and John Baldessari, it is just one more example of the center’s impressive holdings and the incisive skill with which those holdings are used to teach audiences about the history of art from 1960 through the present.
The Fisher Landau Center for Art is open from Thursday through Monday from 12 pm to 5 pm.
Posted 12:00 am, August 25, 2016
©2016 Community News Group

New exhibit tracks works from 20 artists


Tucked away on a side street in Long Island City, just steps away from the 39th Avenue stop on the Q and N trains, is a unique museum that both explores the development of some of contemporary art’s major figures and encapsulates the vision of its founder, Emily Fisher Landau.


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Police from the 104th Precinct were searching for a man who was reported missing Saturday in Rego Park. Stanley Micek, of 1830 Madison St., was last seen at a Sears department store located at 96-05 Queens Blvd., at around noon, police said.
The 74-year-old man is described as white with blue eyes—one of which is a prosthetic—and partially balding. Acccording to the NYPD, he is Polish and speaks limited English.
He was wearing a blue hat, blue sweatpants, black sneakers and a white T-shirt with an American flag on it.
Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhall um@cn gloca l.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.
Updated 12:04 pm, August 22, 2016
©2016 Community News Group

Police search for missing elderly man in Rego Park


Police from the 104th Precinct were searching for a man who was reported missing Saturday in Rego Park. Stanley Micek, of 1830 Madison St., was last seen at a Sears department store located at 96-05 Queens Blvd., at around noon, police said.


August 26, 2016 / Diversity / Opinion City’s municipal ID program draws over 860,000 New Yorkers TimesLedger Newspapers
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An evaluation of the rollout and implementation of the nation’s largest municipal ID program found that it was an overwhelming success, a report issued by the city a year and a half since its inception said.
According to the mayor’s office, 863,464 New York City residents signed up and received a municipal ID through the IDNYC program during the first18 months of the program.
The goal of IDNYC was to create a form of identification that was easily accessible to the average New Yorker, without the cost, time or documentation requirements of other forms of ID. Though one of the program goals was to assist undocumented persons with obtaining some form of identification, the pairing of the card with museum admission and other benefits also attempted to broaden its appeal to immigrants and non-immigrants alike. In addition, the program was lauded for giving transgender people the option to identify their gender and allowing the homeless and people in a domestic violence situation to designate a “care of” address.
The evaluation methodology included a survey of approximately 70,000 cardholders as focus groups with a number of community-based organizations. Though there were long waits at the start of the program, 94 percent of respondents rated the process to get the card as somewhat or very easy. Queens residents account for 28 percent of the city’s population but represent 31 percent of cardholders, predominantly in the corridor of Queens neighborhoods stretching from Woodside to Flushing-Murray Hill.
Among the more notable findings, 36 percent of the respondents who are immigrants report having IDNYC as their only form of U.S. photo identification. More than half - or 51.8 percent of all survey respondents, immigrants and non-immigrants alike, reported using the ID card as their primary form of identification. For some, using the ID as their preferred form of identification may be because their existing identification, such as a passport, is significantly more difficult to replace if it lost or stolen.
Perhaps a caveat to the enthusiastic numbers reported were that an overwhelming number of enrollees indicated one of their reasons for getting the IDNYC was to “show support for the program.” In subsequent years, the challenge for the municipal ID program is overcoming New Yorkers’ ingrained skepticism and continuing assurances over privacy and data collection. In comparison to other major municipal ID programs, San Francisco has over 3 percent of its city’s population enrolled in over six years, compared to New York City’s 10 percent. Already, in just 18 months, IDNYC is the country’s most expansive and arguably successful municipal ID program.
Notably, detractors of the program raised the possibility that IDNYC might be used to access public benefits. However, as public benefits programs have much higher standards of documentation, including proof of income, this notion is unfounded. The evaluation report findings support this, noting that across all cardholders surveyed, 83.6 percent indicated that access to public benefits was “not at all” the reason they signed up. Of the 58 percent of respondents using the municipal ID as a form of identification, most indicated they would use it to enter schools and government/nongovernment buildings, apply for an apartment lease or provide ID to the NYPD when stopped. Additionally, the ID is acceptable as documentation in the participatory voting process, a mechanism to distribute local funding equitably that is likely to expand in upcoming years.
The program faces challenges in having major institutions, such as large banks, accept the municipal ID as a legitimate form of identification. It is also of limited use at the state and federal level, with some people reporting mixed success in having it accepted. The report notes that to improve the program, the city plans to release guidance about banking and other institutions as well as work with local vendors to recognize and facilitate acceptance.
Posted 12:00 am, August 26, 2016
©2016 Community News Group


An evaluation of the rollout and implementation of the nation’s largest municipal ID program found that it was an overwhelming success, a report issued by the city a year and a half since its inception said.


City’s municipal ID program draws over 860,000 New Yorkers


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Russ Gompers was sitting in a house in Cooperstown a few weeks ago, ignoring his phone.
The Flushing native had other things on his mind—like watching the Mets try to take down the Yankees in the Subway Series – and he didn’t notice when his phone practically exploded with notifications.
Once he did finally realize what was going on, Gompers was a bit overwhelmed.
The owner of Stitches, an embroidery and screen printing company in Whitestone, Gompers has been the jersey supplier for the Mets for over 20 years. But while the job has long been a source of pride for Gompers, it isn’t every day that his work is discussed on television.
“Jay Bruce is up and they go to the segment and start talking about how they just got him,” Gompers said. “They get all his information together and then take a 10-minute drive to a place called Stitches in Whitestone that sews the shirt.”
The TV moment came just a few days after a trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame where Gompers saw his own jersey work featured in a 9/11 exhibit.
Gompers’ path to the Mets began decades ago, and included stints running his father’s trucking business and operating a sporting goods store across from Flushing High School. He wasn’t a fan of either of those endeavors and eventually decided to go into the logo business.
That’s where, 23 years ago, one phone message changed Gompers’ life.
He called a number that had been left for him, not realizing he was calling Shea Stadium. The Mets had called a player up from the minors and the usual store couldn’t do the embrodery work for his jersey.
“It’s 8 o’clock on a Saturday night,” Gompers said. “And I hear [former Mets clubhouse manager Charlie Samuels] in the background yelling, ‘If you take care of me on this, I’ll give you all my work!’ I’m a Met fan, so I’m like ‘Oh my God.’”
Gompers made Doug Saunders’ jersey that night, calling in one of his sewers to help get the shirt finished on time. Saunders played just 28 games in the pros, but he might be Gompers’ favorite player of all time.
Gompers has worked with the Mets ever since.
In the years since, Gompers added the Islanders and the Yankees to his clientele, picking up the Bombers last year ahead of the squad’s wild-card matchup against the Astros.
“I have to tell you, even as a Met fan, walking out of that office, knowing I’m doing work for the Yankees I kind of had this feeling come over me,” Gompers said. “Like this is the Yankees. The Yankees are like the epitome of sports. That was really cool.”
For the kid who grew up a Mets fan, who still tears up when talking about asking his late father to help the team win the series in ‘86, Gompers occasionally has to pinch himself that this is his life.
The professional squads aren’t the bread and butter of his business, but they’re a badge of honor—one he wears with pride.
“It’s not a money thing,” he said. “And it’s cool. I really like that I’m able to say that.”
Posted 12:00 am, August 26, 2016
©2016 Community News Group

Whitestone company sews up its place in baseball history


Russ Gompers was sitting in a house in Cooperstown a few weeks ago, ignoring his phone.


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Residents of the Astoria Houses are hoping Gov. Andrew Cuomo succeeds in his push to replace or restore the 421-a tax abatement.
When the program was allowed to expire in January, over a prevailing wage requirement that Cuomo demanded, The Durst Organization was forced to scale back its ambitious Hallets Cove mega-project to just the first building until 421-a was restored or a suitable replacement was found.
“It is such a special project for the community it is so important that it gets back on track,” said Claudia Coger, president of the Astoria Houses Resident Association. “Because of the derelict conditions here on Hallets Peninsula we were hoping that project would not only beautify our waterfront but make it a healthier place, too.”
Such developments have ground to a halt across the state since the 421-a tax exemption program, which provided tax abatements to residential developers in exchange for a larger number of below-market-rate apartments, expired in January and Albany lawmakers have been unable to replace it.
The New York Times reported last week that Cuomo “has offered developers and union officials a wage subsidy for construction workers in the hopes of reviving” 421-a. His proposal went to developers as a single-page memo after two weeks of secret negotiations between the governor’s office and the leaders of the Real Estate Board of New York and the Building and Construction Trades Council, the paper said.
“I can’t give any details other than there have been talks and we’ll be doing some more talking,” Gary LaBarbera, head of the Building and Construction Trades Council, said Tuesday.
Neither The Durst Organization, the developers of the 2,400 unit Hallets Point, nor John Mavroudis, the developer of the 1,723-unit Astoria Cove project, which has been shelved entirely, would comment.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is depending on 421-a or a replacement as an important piece of his affordable housing plan, is pleased to see talks under way and would support a replacement program as long as it does not cost the city’s housing plan.
“It’s good that people are realizing that the absence of 421-a is starting to really hurt in terms of the creation of affordable housing definitely,” de Blasio said. “If the state wants to subsidize wage levels for affordable housing, God bless them,. If that’s what the state thinks is the right thing to do with state money, of course, we can work with that.”
Cuomo needs to have a tax program in place to move forward on his own $2 billion affordable housing project.
“An affordable housing program by definition requires subsidy,” Cuomo said. “Whether you subsidize wages or you subsidize land or you subsidize the mortgage or you subsidize construction, it doesn’t matter. It’s a subsidy.”
Coger hopes it works and the entire Hallets Point development can be completed with its 2,400 units, 483 of them affordable. Residents of Astoria Houses were to have rental preference for 50 percent of those affordable apartments.
“It would have an enormous impact on us, and the return of 421-a would also impact the city as well,” Coger said.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr y@cng local.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.
Posted 12:00 am, August 26, 2016
©2016 Community News Group

Cuomo pushes to restart tax break for affordable developers


Residents of the Astoria Houses are hoping Gov. Andrew Cuomo succeeds in his push to replace or restore the 421-a tax abatement.


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A Queens grand jury indicted a Brooklyn man accused of gunning down the imam of an Ozone Park mosque, along with his friend and associate. Queens District Attorney Richard Brown announced the indictment Monday.
The charges against Oscar Morel, 35, include one count of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, the DA said.
Morel is accused of approaching Imam Maulana Akonjee and Thara Uddin after the afternoon prayers Aug. 13 at the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque at 76-18 Glenmore Ave. The shooting occurred blocks away at the intersection of Liberty Avenue and 80th Street. Both men were shot in the head and were pronounced dead after being taken to a nearby hospital.
The shootings struck a chord with many Muslims in the area, who expressed anxiety about their safety in practicing their religion. The motive for the case remains unclear, although Brown earlier said his office was considering the possibility that the shootings were a hate crime.
“The defendant’s alleged actions strike at the very heart of our Muslim community,” Brown said in a statement. “Both victims were gentle men of peace and their deaths are a devastating loss to their families and the communities that they served.”
Morel will be arraigned on the indictment at a later date at the Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. If convicted of the first-degree murder count, Morel will face life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Reach reporter Patrick Donachie by e-mail at pdona chie@ cnglo cal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.
Updated 4:28 pm, August 22, 2016
©2016 Community News Group

Man indicted in murder of Queens imam, associate


A Queens grand jury indicted a Brooklyn man accused of gunning down the imam of an Ozone Park mosque, along with his friend and associate. Queens District Attorney Richard Brown announced the indictment Monday.


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State Assemblyman Philip Goldfeder (D-Ozone Park) announced in June that he would not seek re-election, leaving the Assembly to work as a lobbyist for Yeshiva University and focus more of his time on his family.
Since then two candidates for the position have emerged. Stacey Pfeffer-Amato is running as the Democratic candidate to fill the seat and Alan Zwirn is the Republican candidate. Both are lifelong Rockaway residents.
Goldfeder has endorsed Pfeffer-Amato, who has a long history of public service in the Rockaways. The married mother of two is president of the Scholars’ Academy Parent Association and the female Democratic district leader for the 23rd Assembly District. Her mother, Audrey Pheffer, held the Assembly seat now being vacated by Goldfeder from 1987 until 2011. Pheffer now serves as the Queens County clerk.
Her competitor, Alan Zwirn, has deep roots in Rockaway as well. Zwirn has lived in the neighborhood for more than 25 years, raising his two children there. He is the president of the Rockaway Republican Club and spent 37 years as city public school teacher before retiring.
Queens Borough President Melinda Katz endorsed Pfeffer-Amato.
“I have known Stacey for many years,” Katz said. “She gets Queens and she understands that the Rockaways need strong leaders fighting for us in Albany. Stacey’s track record of delivering for this community and standing up for parents, seniors and all families is simply unparalleled.”
The district covers communities in Ozone Park, Howard Beach, Hamilton Beach, Broad Channel and Rockaway.
The election date is Nov. 8.
Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmart inez@ cnglo cal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.
Posted 12:00 am, August 26, 2016
©2016 Community News Group

Dem Pfeffer-Amato faces GOP’s Zwirn for Goldfeder’s seat


State Assemblyman Philip Goldfeder (D-Ozone Park) announced in June that he would not seek re-election, leaving the Assembly to work as a lobbyist for Yeshiva University and focus more of his time on his family.


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State Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing) faced off against S.J. Jung in a Tuesday night debate which raised tough questions about nail salons, government ethics, public transportation, housing and education.
The two candidates are both fighting to win the Democratic primary in the 16th District, which covers an area from Woodside to Bayside and much of Flushing. Asian Pacific Americans Voice, a civic engagement group, hosted the debate in the auditorium of the Queens Library in Flushing at 41-17 Main St., and employed the help of MSNBC and NBC reporter Richard Lui to moderate.
Stavisky is the first woman elected to state Senate from Queens and has a background as a high school teacher. She has been elected to office seven times since 1999. Jung is a community activist originally from South Korea who was formerly the president of the MinKwon Center, which specializes in community organizing and advocating for Asian immigrant communities.
The issue of campaign finance reform to keep the wealthy from leveraging the political system in their favor was raised by Susan Lerner, executive director of the New York chapter of Common Cause.
Stavisky said she supported legislation to close the LLC loophole, which would eliminate the likelihood of candidates using cash flow from personal enterprise to fund political pursuits, and punishing campaign finance violations with pension forfeiture. She also said there should be limits on contribution amounts as well as caps on spending.
Lui followed up to Stavisky’s response by questioning an $18,500 contribution he claimed Stavisky accepted from Forest Hills Plaza College. She responded by saying her record on public higher education was exemplary. She referenced honors and awards she has received from SUNY and CUNY for her support of schools in Queens.
“The accusation that appeared in the paper was outrageous,” Stavisky said, denying she had any knowledge of the contribution. “They’ve asked me to do absolutely nothing except be an advocate for education.”
Jung said a lawmaker cannot not have a dual interest in both money and legislation, and comprehensive reform would be the only antidote to ethical woes afflicting city and state elections.
“A little patchwork here, a little patchwork there, will not work. We need comprehensive campaign finance reform,” Jung said. “For example, we need to adapt the public matching fund system that we have right here in the city so that a poor insurgent candidates like me can jump into the race.”
Jung firmly denied he had ever accepted contributions from former business associates, and said his stand could be reinforced by his financial disclosure statements.
He went to say that although challengers are often able to make it into public office, once there they begin to benefit from the system and do not advocate for change.
Jung said the public matching fund system could be extended to the state level by reducing tax breaks for private developers, which he contended would create about $7 billion in public funds, where only $25 million is needed for a matching fund system at the state level.
Charles Yoon,executive director of the Korean American League of Civic Action, raised the issue of dry cleaner and nail salon employment practice and recent legislation designed to protect worker from dangerous chemicals and fumes.
Jung took the side of the issue which defends business owners, as a business owner himself.
“Small businesses create two-thirds of private sector jobs,” Jung said. “While we protect worker’s rights we need to find a way to promote small business.”
Stavisky said while employers should not be driven out of business, workers’ health should be a high priority. According to the senator, an attempt to change the way dry cleaning employers operate needs to be addressed through education, which explains how certain chemicals can be dangerous to staff.
--Candidates shared their views on communities in Queens under-served by public transportation resulting in packed subways and buses as well as crowded streets.
Lui asked the candidates how often the two take public transportation, Stavisky said it had been two years since she had last used her MetroCard, while Jung said he uses the bus almost every day.
Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhall um@cn gloca l.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.
Posted 1:13 pm, August 25, 2016
©2016 Community News Group

Stavisky, Jung debate issues in Dem primary race


State Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing) faced off against S.J. Jung in a Tuesday night debate which raised tough questions about nail salons, government ethics, public transportation, housing and education.


August 26, 2016 / News / Faith / Jamaica Minister runs basketball camp for SE Queens players TimesLedger Newspapers
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In the gymnasium at First Presbyterian Church at 89-60 164th St. in downtown Jamaica, Paul Coles described his path to becoming the youth director for Young Life, an offshoot of the national ministry organization that is based in Rochdale Village. Coles said he was assigned to the area a year before and quickly decided on basketball as the means to reach young men.
“We’re not just about programs,” he said during an interview in the church’s office. “We’re about relationships.”
Coles grew up in South Jamaica, where he attended local schools, and has played basketball throughout his life, from street ball at courts like West 4th Street in the Village to Catholic Youth Organization leagues. He has ministered for the past 10 years, starting as a gospel rapper. He suggested a basketball camp for Young Life, and the initial camp began last August. For the entirety of the school year, the camp was held in the gym at Public School 80 in Rochdale Village.
Coles said he reached about 120 kids throughout the school year, with an average of 30 turning up each session. The attendees included many players from Rochdale Village, but kids from Far Rockaway to Forest Hills also came to check out the camp.
The camp helps players develop basketball skills, along with conversations about life and faith. Coles stressed that he wanted to keep the integrity of the basketball and the ministering intact, but after initial trepidation he realized his compassion and faith could fill a big need for the young ballplayers in his camp.
“As Young Life gave me this opportunity, I was intimidated. I wasn’t sure I was in touch with the younger generation,” he said, but quickly developed strong relationships with the kids. “They’re looking for a reason to be happy. They’re ultimately looking for peace.”
Verley Clarke was one of the very first ballplayers to join Cole’s camp the previous August, and heard about it through word of mouth with friends. At first, he said he attended just for the basketball, but soon responded to Coles’s companionship and advice.
“Everybody here is my brother, and it kept me away from some bad stuff,” Clarke said. “I feel more free to talk about what I feel.”
Verily is one of the oldest students in the group, but hopes to continue working with Coles by taking a leadership position in the camp where he can help mentor newcomers.
Coles said it was vital that they earn the trust of the young men in the camp, many of whom were wary of figures of authority and cautious about revealing too much of problems they have faced in their past. Coles recalled a small circle talk he held with the players. One stood and told Coles about many of his past trials , including a stint in foster care, and asked Coles if he saw these past troubleswhen Coles looked at him.
Coles responded that he saw someone who triumphed in spite of those obstacles and said his hope was that everyone in the camp would feel as willing and as safe to speak about what was troubling them as this ballplayer was.
“I understand when you’re out in the street, you have to put on who you desire to be, you’ve got to put on who people want to see,” he said. “But when you’re with us, maybe take a break from putting on and allow us to love you through those hard pains and that heartache.”
Young Life in Rochdale Village is located at 155-06 S. Conduit Ave. in Jamaica.
Reach reporter Patrick Donachie by e-mail at pdona chie@ cnglo cal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.
Updated 10:35 am, August 26, 2016
©2016 Community News Group


In the gymnasium at First Presbyterian Church at 89-60 164th St. in downtown Jamaica, Paul Coles described his path to becoming the youth director for Young Life, an offshoot of the national ministry organization that is based in Rochdale Village. Coles said he was assigned to the area a year before and quickly decided on basketball as the means to reach young men.


Minister runs basketball camp for SE Queens players


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What do you do with an extra space at a Hydroponic Garden Center in Flushing?
The solution: Turn the space into a spot where community events can be held. That solution led to the birth of Woody and Pete’s Honky Tonk Lyceum at 146 - 49 Horace Harding Expressway.
“A Lyceum is defined as a hall for public discussion, or an association providing public lectures, concerts, and entertainments,” the space’s website says. “We strive to be just that.”
The Lyceum’s name is also a nod to Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, two singers who were also activists on both a local and global scale.
Cody Hermann runs the Lyceum.
“We primarily function as a coffee shop,” she said. “Our main priority is working to build a space for workshops and knowledge exchange where artists can also feel supported, whether it be through gallery exhibitions, concerts or artist-in-residency programs.” Hermann is in charge of curating the classes, art and events that fill their space.
“The Lyceum offers a unique way to reach out and communicate with area residents, commuters, students, coffee lovers, and everyone else that finds themselves nearby,” she said. Referring to it as a “physical space for people to express themselves” she stressed the role that customers play in the programming and mission of the space.
“Rather than us telling our customers what they need, we give them a space that allows them to tell us their needs so we may collectively act on them,” she said. “By inviting people inside of the Lyceum during our community visioning sessions, any of our other events, or just for coffee, we hear how people want to see the space develop. Together we can create a space for people to communicate and share ideas with one another face to face.”
An official gallery opening was held July 29 when local artists were invited to display their work, and have a question-and-answer session. Attendees were also invited to take part in an on-the-spot painting.
The Lyceum has also hosted concerts, movie screenings, gardening classes, gallery openings and yoga classes.
“We are aiming to host up to four events or classes each day, and support any idea relating to arts, coffee, community, gardening, sustainable lifestyles and physical practices such as yoga or tai chi. But we are also open to new ideas. I really want to see a group or organization use the Lyceum for a pop-up event,” Hermann said.
They have a rolling open call for artists who wish to display their work in their space for about six weeks at a time, and are planning for eight gallery openings a year.
Weekly classes include Creative City Gardening Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and Soil Preparation for Organic Gardens Fridays at 6 p.m.
On Saturday, the Lyceum will be holding a “no pressure” open mic from 7 p.m.to 9 p.m. and is requesting original works from writers, poets, slam poets, musicians, song writers, hip hop artists and comedians. They are suggesting a 6-minute time limit, 15 minutes for musicians. There will be snacks, coffee, tea, and locally made products at the coffee bar. Although the free event welcomes walk-ins, they encourage you to contact cody@ growh ome.com to RSVP.
Other upcoming events include: PARTYcipation—Community Visioning at the Lyceum, Wednesday, Sept. 7, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Growing Chrysanthemums with Rita Rover and the Long Island Chrysanthemum Society, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2 p.m.to 4 p.m.; and #RootedInQueens Photo Exhibition with @Queenscapes, Saturday, Oct. 22, 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
For more information, go to www.codya nnher rmann.com/ lyceu m ; check out their Instagram profile, @QueensLyceum, or go to their Facebook page.
Posted 12:00 am, August 26, 2016
©2016 Community News Group

Flushing coffee shop doubles as cultural center


What do you do with an extra space at a Hydroponic Garden Center in Flushing?


August 26, 2016 / News / Politics Meeks blasts Trump for outreach to black Americans TimesLedger Newspapers
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U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica) said GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump’s attempts at outreach to African Americans and Hispanics were doomed for failure.
The comments came during a conference call on Tuesday afternoon organized by the campaign of Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential candidate. The call was made up of African-American and Latino elected officials and it also included Public Advocate Letitia James and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. .
At a rally in Dimondale, Mich., last Friday, Trump attempted to make inroads with African-American voters. Polling indicates he performs dreadfully with African-Americans, garnering single-digit support in some national and state polls. However, he created controversy when he pitched himself directly to African-Americans, though reports indicated the audience was mostly white.
“You’re living in poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58 percent of your youth is unemployed,” he said during the Michigan speech. “What the hell do you have to lose?”
Meeks and other elected officials on the call said the insinuation was an affront to black voters.
“According to him, we are all poor. We are all uneducated, so therefore we should just throw our support behind him,” Meeks said. The congressman said Trump had a questionable track record on race, including accusations of discriminatory housing and employment policies in his business dealings,, and he cited Trump’s role as the head of the birther movement that alleged President Barack Obama was not born in the United States.
“It’s an insult to think that African Americans don’t vote in their best interests. They do,” he said.“African Americans know who’s for them and who’s against them.”
Meeks echoed the message of the other officials, and paraphrased a quote from the poet Maya Angelou to say that voters should be suspect of Trump’s outreach to black Americans.
“When someone shows you who they are,” Meeks said, “believe them the first time.”
Reach reporter Patrick Donachie by e-mail at pdona chie@ cnglo cal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.
Posted 12:00 am, August 26, 2016
©2016 Community News Group


U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica) said GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump’s attempts at outreach to African Americans and Hispanics were doomed for failure.


Meeks blasts Trump for outreach to black Americans