stats - Queens Press

Transcription

SEE
EDITORIAL
“WHERE
IS THE
OUTRAGE”
Page 6
Photo by Trone Dowd
Vol. 17, Issue No. 13 • April 1-7, 2016
DEMANDING
ANSWERS
FRUSTRATED
CUNNINGHAM
TENANTS
PLEAD FOR
HELP
BY TRONE DOWD
After months of pushing from residents, representatives of the New York State Division of Housing and
Community Renewal attended this week’s Cunningham
Apartments Tenants Association meeting, with the intention of better understanding the long standing issues
plaguing the apartment complex in Hollis.
As promised last week, DHCR Deputy Commissioner Woody Pascal was in attendance with the purpose of
sitting with the Cunningham Apartments Tenants Association and local elected officials to discuss what issues
have been plaguing the property for an alleged 20 years.
DHCR is the state agency mandated to protect affordable housing and their tenants in New York State by
monitoring conditions of the different housing units.
The room was filled to standing capacity with some
60 residents from the 44-building complex. Although
the discussion was mostly productive, the frustrations of
the community due to the DHCR’s lack of vigilance on
their behalf were made very apparent right at the start
of themeeting.
In addition to Pascal, representatives from Councilman Barry Grodenchik (D-Oakland Gardens), local attorney and activist Ali Najmi -who has worked with the
tenants as far back as last year- tenant’s association president Peggy Perry and Queens Community Civil Court
and Queens League of Tenant’s representative Penny
LaForest were all in attendance.
(Continued on page 3)
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Page 2 PRESS of Southeast Queens April 1-7, 2016
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Rockaway Beach Blvd.
To Be Widened
City officials announced the widening of sidewalks on Rockaway
Beach Boulevard between Beach 81st
and 86th Streets in Arverne on March
24. The change will aid in contending
with speeding and traffic.
Councilman Donovan Richards
(D-Laurelton) made the announcement with representatives from the
Department of Transportation and
the Department of Design and Construction and presented plans for the
$24 million project to upgrade the
boulevard from Beach 73rd to Beach
88thStreet.
The DOT and DDC proposal
stated that since the traffic volume
is low, the roadway infrastructure
will be able to handle traffic going
one lane in each direction. The DOT
stated that the current width causes
higher rates of speeding. The project
will also add green medians to shorten the pedestrian crossing distance
and add sidewalk trees where feasible to help beautify the boulevard.
Left turn bays will also be added.
“Rockaway Beach Boulevard has
long been due for improvements and
Hurricane Sandy only made the need
more severe,” said Richards.
–Jon Cronin
Cops Under Probe For
Bribery
Twenty-three cops, including at
least a dozen from the 109th Precinct, are under investigation for allegedly taking part in a protection
racket for karaoke bars in Flushing,
DNAInfo reported.
These investigations follow the arrests of Lt. Robert Sung and Detective Yatyu Yam in December on corruption charges for protecting these
same club owners.
Yam allegedly received payments
for protecting up to eight karaoke
bars from police action. According
to published reports, court documents said that Yam reached out
to the owner of Club JJNY at 14738 Northern Blvd. to offer protection in exchange for cash in 2013. A
year later, Yam prevented the arrest
of four individuals at the club who
were handcuffed for drug possession,
DNAInfo wrote.
Two of the club owners would
supposedly come to Yam’s house for
barbeques and to make their monthly
$2,000 payments to him, the report
found.
Yam cooperated with the Internal
Affairs Bureau on the investigation,
while Sung declined to do so and was
fired. If convicted, he could face sev-
en years in prison, the report found.
But these weren’t the only officers
involved in the investigation. The other cops’ levels of alleged involvement
range from refusing to speak up and
contact Internal Affairs when they
received suspicious commands from
Yam or Sung, to “associating with a
narcotics user” or a “known criminal,”
and even taking bribes themselves, the
report found.
Surveillance video shows cops releasing suspects or halting club raids
at Sung and Yam command, the report found.
About six officers have already
been taken off active duty, and three
have been transferred out of the
109th Precinct, the report found.
Precinct
Commander
Capt.
Thomas Conforti most likely will not
face charges because he spoke out
about suspicious activities two years
back, the news outlet also found.
The Queens District Attorney’s
Office, which conducted the investigation on Yam and Sung did not comment on the report. “The District Attorney’s office does not comment on
investigations or confirm that there
is an investigation,” a spokesperson
said.
–Lynn Edmonds
Council Proposes Offering
Tampons In Shelters, Jails
The Council is proposing a bill
that will allow the community within
New York City schools, homeless
shelters and city jails to receive free
menstrual products. The bill also introduced a resolution calling on the
State Legislature to end the inequitable tax on menstrual products.
According to City Council, the
bill will address the way students,
shelter residents and inmates receive
pads and tampons within City facilities, including, a bill that will require
all NYC public schools and charter
schools to make all feminine hygiene
products easily accessible in school
bathrooms. The bill will require the
NYC Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene to give all residents
in family shelters, single adult women
shelters, Department of Youth and
Community Development shelters
and Human Resources Administration domestic violence shelters free
menstrual hygiene products. And lastly, the bill will require the NYC Department of Correction to provide all
female inmates with feminine hygiene
products as soon as they are requested. The DOC currently provides 144
generic sanitary napkins per week per
50 inmates and they offer brand name
products through commissary.
–Yvette Brown
April 1-7, 2016 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 3
Presstime
DHCR Finally Meets With Cunningham Tenants
(continued from page 1)
The conference room of the Hollis Branch Library was filled to stand capacity.
Photos by Trond Dowd
“We’ve complained about a lot
of things in this development didn’t
we,” LaForest started off. “We put in
a building wide complaint. We said
these are the things that are wrong
with our development. They took
away our playground from our kids.
They took away our benches. The
concrete is broken. We have vermin
infestation. We no longer have storage space and we had them. We no
longer can rent garages and we had
them. We said all of these services
are built into our rent already, [...]
and now they took them away. We
want them back.”
According to LaForest, the building’s manager Jeff Wasserman, has
been negligent to many of his tenants’ issues. Some of these issues
also include the insufficient amount
of laundry rooms, of which there are
two serving the 4,000 tenets housed,
unjustified rent increases and alleged disorganization of tenant rent
payment. In fact LaForest says that
Wasserman outright denies that the
building had any of these services.
“He says that we never had storage space, that we never had parking,” LaForest said. “That we never
had vermin, and that we have the
best security in the world. That the
benches and the parks were closed
because of security issues.”
When the Press of Southeast
Queens reached out to building management Wednesday and Thursday
to verify whether he said this statement or not, the paper was unable to
get in touch in time for print.
Najmi, who helped guide the Q&A
session of the meeting, asked Pascal
about the services being denied to
long-time tenants. It was said that
ancillary services are not guaranteed
to tenants if they ask for it. However,
those who received those services as
part of their lease can not have them
suddenly taken away as it is virtually
guaranteed to them.
Rent prices were another big issue
tenants were having with management. In affordable housing units like
the homes of Cunningham, there are
two predetermined prices for rent:
preferential rent and legal rent. Legal
rent is what the owners of the building
are allowed to charge, while preferential is the customary, more affordable
price point for average New Yorkers.
Many tenants are usually charged the
preferential rent with occasional increases based upon a number of different factors that need to be made
clear to the tenant.
Penny LaForest, Chief of Staff Ari Gershman representing Barry Grodenchik,
Specialist Robert Jean-Michel from the Office of Rent Administration, and
DHCR Deputy Commissioner Woody Pascal and attorney and activist Ali Najmi were all in attendance.
Unfortunately, for tenants like
Lisa Gordon, a client of Najmi’s,
this has not worked out in her favor.
According to Gordon’s lease, signed
May 1, 2015, her preferential rent
was $1,250. The rent she was told
she would have to pay once her lease
was up is $625 more a month, just
under $207 shy of her $2081.84 legal
rent.
While legal, Gordon, like many
other tenants who can suffer the
same fate, would more than likely
not be able to afford this rate. This
virtually guarantees an eviction for
those who can’t keep up with the
pricey demand. Najmi told the Press
of Southeast Queens that one particular rent stabilization law in New
York is the reason for the unjustified
but perfectly legal rent increase.
“When you have someone move
out and there’s a vacancy, [management] can increase the legal rent by
20 percent,” Najmi explained. “When
you hit the threshold, it goes off the
[citywide] rent stabilization roll.”
That current threshold is $2,700.
New York’s rent stabilization laws
are presently designed to protect long
time tenants from this 20 percent increase. These laws do not carry over
to new tenants. Once the legal rent
is increased above the threshold, the
appartment is no longer required to
adhere to preferential rent requests
enforced by DHCR and the city.
“If you push out enough people,
you can eventually go market rate.
That’s the scheme,” Najmi said. “The
way the rent stabilization laws work,
there is an advantage to the landlord
when there is a vacancy and you get
a new tenant. You have an incentive
to push someone out to jack up the
price.”
LaForest agreed. She asked that
DHCR be more “proactive in the
face of laws that deplete affordable
housing.”
“You have to stop policy decisions
that reduced our quality of life but
maintain high rents,” she told Pascal.
“[Management is] using preferential
rent as a bludgeon. They’re telling
us ‘don’t you open your mouth and
don’t you complain about a thing because I gave you preferential rent.’”
Several tenants claimed that their
rent was raised or threaten to be
raised as a result of unrelated issues.
Gordon specifically claimed that
she was told by Wasserman that her
soon to be raised rent was the result
of late payments in the past. As of
two weeks ago, she told the Press of
Southeast Queens she was up to date
with her rent.
Perry and LaForest ultimately
want DHCR to do an inspection of
the building, something that Pascal
agreed would be the next move after
the pending case is done being processed.
“The office of rent administration
serves and functions like a court,”
Pascal explained. “So when you file
a piece of paper with us, let’s say
service related like if you don’t have
heat or hot water, we then have to
serve the owners. We give the owner
an opportunity to respond back. In
certain cases we will then have to inspect. In this case, there are a series
of issues we know are there. Now I
can’t specifically talk about your particular development because the case
is still processing. What I can say is,
there will be inspections to see if in
fact what you’re alleging is in fact
correct. If it is correct, we will reduce the rent, the rent will be frozen
until the owner restores that service.
That’s how it works.”
He mentioned that it is possible
for management to make an appeal
if they chose to do so.
“As we’re getting the evidence, we
are going to go back to the owner
and tell them what’s happening,”
Pascal explained. “We are then going
to check the buildings, then we can
make a determination based on all of
the information that you submit.”
Pascal urged that tenants file all
of their complaints going forward
on DHCR forms and these forms
alone. While the Cunningham Tenants Association did collect complex
wide data with these forms for submission, Pascal said that there had
been issues with four out of 11 of the
forms concerning the way they were
filled out. DHCR is said to be currently working with the association
to clarify the discrepancies.
Just three weeks ago, residents of
the Cunningham Apartments held a
protest in front of the building rental
office calling for the end of the tenant negligence. Building management did not come out to address
the protesters.
Reach Trone Dowd at (718) 3577400 x123, [email protected]
or @theloniusly
By Kulsoom Khan
After months of protest and opposition to the proposed state budget
for CUNY, the state has agreed to
pay $1.6 billion in government operating costs for the University, as long
as the state Legislature agrees to hire
a state-appointed management efficiency expert to look for savings at
the city and state university systems.
Initially, Gov. Andrew Cuomo
proposed a budget that eliminated
$485 million of state funding for the
university system. The proposed cuts
would have forced students to pay an
extra $300 per year in tuition. This
move would have also prompted the
elimination of programs such as the
Accelerated Study in Associate Programs. The program significantly
boosts graduation rates for CUNY’s
community colleges by supporting
students financially, academically
and socio-emotionally.
“This year’s executive budget proposal ensures that CUNY will receive full funding. The $1.6 billion in
aid it receives has not changed, and
will not change under this budget.
The funding stays constant. CUNY
supports hundreds of thousands of
students, many of whom are new to
our state or our country, or are the
first in their family to attend college.
The Governor’s commitment to supporting those students and the institution that serves them could not
be stronger, and his budget proposal
reflects that reality”, said Jim Malatras, Director of State Operations in
a statement.
Representatives from Cuomo’s office believe that administrative costs
should be lowered in
order to help students
more. “Focus should
be on the students and
classrooms, not boardrooms and administration. CUNY’s cost of
administration is one
of the highest in the
nation,” Malatras said.
Christian Rosario, a
junior at the New York
City College of Technology, who lives in East
Elmhurst, was “extremely relieved” to hear about Cuomo’s decision. “I was definitely stressed out
about the possibility of having to pay
more tuition, so I was following this
closely, “ he said. “I would be able to
pay the $300, but it would be very difficult and the fact that I get financial
aid is the main reason I’m attending
CUNY.” He also said he chose to at-
File Photos
Cuomo Relents on Cuny Funding, agrees To $1.6B
Gov. andrew Cuomo has agreed to not move forward with $485
million in state cuts to funding to Cuny schools, including
york College.
tend CUNY mainly so
he could avoid the debt
that most college students face after graduation.
Maceo Karriem, a
South Jamaica resident who was attending La Guardia Community College but is currently taking a break
from his studies, agreed that Cuomo’s decision was a step in the right
direction. However, he said there are
still other problems in the system
that need to be addressed.
For example, many CUNY stu-
dents who apply for financial aid
are denied because of their parent’s
income. Karriem’s mother stopped
working just so he could receive financial aid. “My mother has the luxury of doing that, but not everybody
does,” he said.
Karriem is specifically concerned
about CUNY students from Jamaica
who come from a middle class background, but are still in need of financial aid. “What about people that
are in the shadows?,” he said. “They
have to jump through hoops. They
have to struggle.”
Artist: Name Park After Hip-Hop Legend
BY TrONe DOWD
Just a week after the sudden death
of hip-hop legend Phife Dawg, local
residents and Southeast Queens natives are pushing to have a local community landmark named after the
hip-hop legend.
Jarobi White, a fellow member
of the legendary hip-hop group “A
Tribe Called Quest” and Southeast
Queens native, started a Facebook
petition with the hopes of renaming
St. Albans Park “Malik ‘Phife Dawg’
Taylor Park.”
“Malik Taylor was a local resident
of New York,” White said in the petition. “He was a member of the music
group ‘A Tribe Called Quest’. A Tribe
Called Quest is a Grammy-winning
Hip-Hop group that was established
in 1985. Malik ‘Phife Dawg’ Taylor’s
national and international cultural
influence, via music and sports has
left a positive effect on many lives today. St. Albans Park nurtured and entertained the spirit of ‘Phife Dawg.’
Therefore, it is believed that an honor
should be bestowed on Malik Taylor
and St. Albans Park in renaming St.
Albans Park Malik Taylor Park.”
Jarobi recalled that when the
group was still forming during the
mid 80’s, the four members would
often times spend hours at St. Al-
bans park freestyling and
practicing rhymes.
As of print, the petition has 6,009 of the
7,000 signatures needed to reach its goal. Of
those signatures, 1,220
of them are from New
Yorkers.
Just this Monday,
Councilman I. Daneek
Miller (D-St. Albans) released a statement commemorating Taylor.
“St. Albans, Queens, and the entire hip-hop industry has lost a giant
Phife Dawg
in Malik Taylor,” Miller said. “His
influence, along with the rest of the
members of ‘A Tribe Called Quest,’
continues to teach generations of
hip-hop fans how to create positive
music that starts social discourse in
our communities so we can all become better citizens. I fully support
the idea of preserving a piece of hiphop history for our future generations
through a street co-naming. ‘A Tribe
Called Quest’ is as fundamentally
important to the history of Queens
as the DJ or the MC is to hip-hop. I
look forward to supporting the introduction of this legislation, and this
tribute to these musical pioneers.”
NoVo: $90M For Women Of Color
On March 23, the NoVo Foundation announced a seven-year, $90
million commitment to support the
movement for girls and young women of color in the United States.
The funds are going to support
grassroots programming, advocacy
and the national-level policy and culture change efforts, which is femaleled, female-driven and designed to address the systemic and institutional
challenges faced by girls and young
women of color throughout the U.S.
This type of commitment helps to
build on the leadership of women of
color who have worked for years to
improve this movement.
“Inherently, girls and young women of color already hold incredible
power and potential. This work is
about dismantling the barriers that
prevent them from realizing that
potential and leading us toward a
truly transformative movement for
change,” said Jennifer Buffett, the
co-president of the NoVo Foundation.
“Our goal is to create the conditions for change by advancing the
work of the real experts in this move-
ment: girls and young women of color and the advocates working with
them,” added Peter Buffett, the copresident of the NoVo Foundation.
NoVo is launching a series of regional learning sessions to hear from
young women and girls of color and
advocates. This is part of the process
for identifying how to invest the $90
million. The sessions are supposed
to engage and invite ideas from local communities on what they feel is
needed to help grow the movement
in a meaningful way.
–Yvette Brown
Editorial
OF SOUTHEAST QUEENS
150-50 14th Road
Whitestone, NY 11357
(voice) (718) 357-7400
fax (718) 357-9417
email [email protected]
The PRESS of Southeast Queens
Editor-in-Chief:
Domenick Rafter
Contributing Editor:
Marcia Moxam
Comrie
Production Manager:
Shiek Mohamed
Reporters:
Trone Dowd
Lynn Edmonds
Yvette Brown
Jon Cronin
Where Is The Outrage?
Progress was made at Cunningham Heights last week as state
officials from the Division of Housing and Community Renewal
finally met with longtime-jilted residents of the Hollis complex
about their ongoing problems, including lack of promised amenities and unjustified rent increases.
Finally. After years of unanswered complaints, some response.
But proposed solutions were few and far between at last week’s
meeting.
No human being should be subject to the treatment the residents
of Cunningham Apartments have been subjected to. And now,
their complaints are being addressed by a state agency essentially
telling them there’s little that they could do under the law.
That should be the clarion call to Southeast Queens legislators
to change the law. What is happening at Cunningham is the type
of situation that leads to new and improved laws. When Donald
Trump says something stupid and insulting, our elected officials
trip over themselves to get to the nearest microphone and express
their outrage, but where is the outrage over the deplorable conditions and treatment at Cunningham? Where are the proposals to
change the law to help these residents?
We can’t help but wonder if these residents were living in a
development on the Upper East Side or in Park Slope, Brooklyn,
would the government be responding faster and more efficiently
to their concerns?
Contributors:
Carmine Carcieri
Ariel Hernandez
David Russell
Marissa Collado
Kulsoom Khan
Art Dept:
Lianne Procanyn
Lorraine Milano
Nalini Boodnie
Maureen Coppola
Advertising Director
Howard Swengler
Major Accounts Manager
Shanie Persaud
Director Corporate
Accounts/Events
A Queens Tribune
Publication
© Copyright 2015
Tribco, LLC
Michael Nussbaum
Publisher
Ria MacPherson
Comptroller
A Personal Perspective
By MARCIA MOXAM
COMRIE
The [Hillary] Clinton campaign came to St. Albans this
week via surrogate Bill Clinton
the former president and prospective “First Gentleman.”
Apparently it was a small
gathering with clergy and district leader types. Coming
to our community is a smart
move but there needs to be a
larger event open to the general
public. Hillary cannot afford to
take our vote for granted.
Hillary cleaned up throughout the South and wherever
else there are large AfricanAmerican voting blocs. She
has also done exceedingly
well with Hispanic voters.
But she has lost and is losing
some of her Black vote to rival
Bernie Sanders.
Sanders the no-nonsense
Vermont senator, has struck
a chord with young people
across the spectrum. They are
“feeling the Bern.” With his
boundless energy and ambitious agenda, the 74 year-old
candidate has made “old,” the
new young.
His history on civil rights
and photo of his involvement
in at least one march with Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr., prove
his bonafides so he is also appealing to some older and very
many younger Blacks and it’s
cutting into Hillary’s votes –
her so-called firewall.
But now that the campaign
is coming home to New York
where Sanders grew up and
Clinton adopted as her postWhite House home, it is
about to get really intense.
New York is probably the
most diverse state in the union,
Hillary should do well here.
She was an effective senator
for us and also won the ’08
primary here. But she can take
nothing for granted. She will
need to bring her A-game.
Hillary was ready to be
president from day one. There
is no other candidate more
prepared for this than the
woman who has already spent
eight years observing the
presidency first-hand then
served as a senator and secretary of state.
She would also be the only
president to have a former
president as a live-in advisor.
In-spite of his personal failings, Bill Clinton was a fine
president. As the first-spouse
he would be a formidable asset
to a President Hillary Rodham
Clinton and the nation.
A President Sanders might
sound good to millennials,
but to those of us who now
comb gray hairs (at least
under dye), the tried and true
of Hillary’s experience makes
more sense. Free college is
not going to happen, kids.
It sounds great and looks
wonderful on paper, but it’s
a stretch. Hillary’s promise
of free community college
could conceivably make the
(amended) cut. Maybe we
would get it at half price. But
I wouldn’t hold off on paying
my son’s tuition quite yet.
In the meantime, show
up in SEQ, Hillary. In a tight
election that makes a lot of
difference and you can almost
bet we’ll see Sanders here.
When it comes to elections,
we are a power house area.
Let the excitement begin.
Letters
Shari Strongin
Advertising Executives
Mitch Kronenfeld
Classified Manager
Southeast Queens Gears Up
for Presidential Primary
MIH/ZQA Not
Right For Queens
To The Editor:
While the intention of the
new Affordable Housing Plan
may be good, there are some
aspects of it that are absurd.
One of the chief problems
with it is that this one bill is
supposed to be the right fit for
all five of boroughs in New
York City. Needless to say,
this belief could not be farther
from the truth. Tall buildings
without parking spaces may
work well in Manhattan where
there are other skyscrapers to
fit in with and an abundant
network of mass transit. But
this does not hold true in the
outer boroughs.
Evidence of this is the fact
that 12 of the 14 Community
Boards in Queens (86 percent)
voted against this bill. This is
a significant statement. One
of the main functions of Community Boards is to advise
politicians and government
agencies how to best serve
their neighborhood. It is a
terrible situation when our
elected officials ignore what
we tell them we need.
One of the major objections to this bill in Queens
is the parking space requirement. I understand that the
city is attempting to make
use of every inch of available
space, but cars are a necessity
for many people that do not
live in Manhattan. The elderly
and disabled who are not able
to walk to bus stops or train
stations rely on their cars especially since there are many
areas in Queens that have little
or no service at all. And for
parents with children, cars
are important for shopping,
doctor appointments, and
getting to school.
One person was quoted
as saying “I believe it is more
important for a senior to have
a place to rest than for a car”.
However, what good is a place
to live it that senior is now
trapped there like a prisoner,
unable to go anywhere?
Lee Rottenberg,
Queens
Proud Of Their Heritage:
Islamic School Honors
roots, explores Being
Muslim In America
By Trone DowD
Photos Courtesy Al-Iman School
The student body of the Al-Iman
School in Jamaica celebrated the institution’s annual Heritage Day, highlighting a number of different countries and cultures around the world.
Heritage Day ran from 10 a.m. until dismissal at 2:45 p.m. The school’s
principal, Nassir I. AliAkber, told
the Press of southeast Queens that
Heritage Day is all about celebrating
diversity in all communities across all
faiths. Students from grades seven to
12 are encouraged to learn and teach
other about these cultures through
different types of creative expression. These outlets for what they have
learned is meant to be both fun and
educational.
“It’s meant to provide an opportunity to ‘connect,’ to share their diverse cultural backgrounds with the
guests, visitors and the people at large
and to establish an understanding and
common ground with the rest of the
society and country,” school official
Rizwan Rizvi said.
The student body was incredibly
resourceful in how they chose to represent the different culturally rich
countries they were assigned to research. The focal point of the full day
event was the visual presentations on
display.
“It provides a hands-on and learning experience to the students of AlIman School, where they would learn,
utilize and polish their educational
and social skills they acquired in their
classrooms,” Rizvi said. “Preparing
for this occasion provided students
opportunities to utilize their knowledge of subjects such as history, art
and natural sciences to create the displays with the help and guidance of
their teachers and parents.”
Students exhibited displays of his-
torical and cultural information along
with artworks and artifacts from different countries either collected from
home or imported from their country
of origin. Other aspects of the presentations included the monuments and
cultural staples such as food and furniture made by hand using clay and
other arts and crafts materials. Countries represented included Egypt, Tanzania, Guyana, Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, Lebanon, the United States
and many more. One of the many incredibly elaborate displays included a
map of the United States used as a 3D
bar graph, visually representing the
Muslim population in all fifty states.
In addition to the displays, a twohour ceremony was organized to officially open the event to the public.
It was during this part of Heritage
Day that the younger students were
able to shine. Many of the students as
young as five years old went on stage
and sang the national anthems of the
different countries around the world,
including Morocco, Afghanistan and
Yemen. Some of the students even
sang the anthems in the country of
origin’s native languages.
Students also worked together on
a short play, written and directed
by student Patricia Boodhoo. Titled
“Talk Time,” the play featured a meeting of the presidential minds. Using
mysterious time travel abilities, the
host of the fictional talk show “Talk
Time” gathered Abraham Lincoln,
George Washington and Republican
Presidential candidate Donald Trump
to speak on the values of America and
what a president should stand for.
Boodhoo said she got her inspiration when writing the play from “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon, of
which she’s a big fan of, and the television series The Flash. Although she
is not Muslim herself, she said that
High School aged students of the Al-Iman School sat proudly in front o their
cultural projects.
she wrote the play because she felt for
the Islamic community and didn’t understand how individuals like Trump
could disparage the entire religion
based on the actions of the few.
“I see how they are, and hear some
of the things said about them makes
me sad,” she said. “There’s a lot of stuff
that people don’t know [about this
community]. People are willing to vote
for him and look at the way he’s acting
compared to our old presidents. Even
if some people like Obama or don’t like
Obama, the President has never acted
like [the way Trump does].”
Before the end of the event, Social
Studies teacher Brother M. Mohsin
gave a brief Powerpoint presentation
on racial tensions in America throughout the years. He explained that while
the traditional headscarf is a highly
respected symbol of pride and devotion in Muslim culture, some people
all around the world have sometimes
misconstrued it to represent hate.
“The responsibility is on our shoulders to explain who we are because if
we don’t it quickly turns into animosity,” Mohsin said. “We deal with Islamophobia. Quite often it’s because
people don’t understand Islam. It also
the way we are portrayed in the media, especially in the west.”
Mohsin showed powerful images
from anti-Islam protests around the
U.S., showing just how extreme the
hatred for Muslims can be. One protester held a sign that read, “Go Home
and take Obama with you!”
“Are Muslims the only ones who
face trouble in the west?,” he asked.
“No, they are not. Many people in this
country faced the same trouble and discrimination. Catholic Churches were
burned. We know what happened to
African-Americans. Over 200 years of
history facing discrimination and abuse.
Irish, Germans, Catholics, Asian, they
were all discriminated against.”
“Then why do Muslims come
here?” he asked. “They come here for
the same reason everyone else came
to this country. They want to have a
better life.”
He encouraged the students to
press on the same way other minority
communities have throughout American history. He pointed to a number
of famous Muslims who have lived
in the country and have already done
just that. Among the familiar faces
we hip-hop artist, director and actor
Ice Cube, Dr. Oz, basketball player
Shaquille O’Neal, Muhammad Ali
and Malcolm X. He even brought up
lesser known American Muslims like
those who fought alongside George
Washington during the Revolutionary
War.
“We give them the education,”
Mohsin said about the students of
Al-Iman. “We encourage them to be
a productive and progressive Muslim,
especially in the west. We want them
to be a contributor for good to society
in any country they live in. That is our
hope.”
Reach Trone Dowd at (718) 3577400 x123, [email protected] or
@theloniusly
(Left): India was one of the many countries represented during Heritage Day. (Center): First graders performed the national anthems of several countries from
around the world. (right): Student holds the American flag proudly.
Neighborhoods of Southeast Queens
This week, our sister publication, the Queens Tribune, celebrated their
46th Anniversary by highlighting 46 neighborhoods of Queens, among
them were communities in Southeast Queens.
As a special addition to this week’s issue, we are publishing the profiles
of those Southeast Queens communities – Jamaica, South Jamaica,
Springfield Gardens, St. Albans, Hollis, Queens Village, Laurelton,
Rosedale and Cambria Heights – in the Press of southeast Queens to
share them, along with facts and historical photos, with our readers in
these neighborhoods.
Happy 46th Anniversary Queens Tribune.
Jamaica
STATS
Population: 217,000
Community Boards: 8, 12
Elected Officials: City Council: I. Daneek
Miller, Rory Lancman, Ruben Wills; State
Assembly: Vivian Cook, Alicia Hyndman, David
Weprin, VACANT; State Senate: Tony Avella,
Leroy Comrie, James Sanders Jr,.; U.S. House
of Representatives: Greg Meeks, Grace Meng
Precincts: 103rd, 113th
Fire Department: Engine 275, Engine 298,
Engine 315, Ladder 125, Ladder 127, Ladder
133
Public Library: Central Library-Jamaica
Famous Natives: Lamar Odom (basketball
player); Richard Parsons (businessman);
Khandi Alexander (actress); Sheila JacksonLee (politician); Debi Mazar (actress, dancer);
Rufus King (Founding Father); Tina Charles
(athlete)
Only a hop, skip, and a jump away
from John F. Kennedy International
Airport is Jamaica- a middle-class
and ethnically diverse neighborhood
made up of Caribbean, Sri Lankan,
Bangladeshi, and African-American
communities. The revitalization of
Jamaica’s downtown area and the
launch of the Air Train, which provides commuters and travelers an
easier way to reach the airport, has
boosted Jamaica’s economy.
In 1655, English settlers from
Hempstead, Long Island established
a town called Rusdorf. Eventually,
the town became known as Jamaica.
Even though Jamaican immigrants
reside in the neighborhood, the name
actually came from the Jameco Indians who first inhabited the area. In
olden times, Jamaica served as coloPhoto Courtesy Queens Library
Rufus King Manor in 1923, where Rufus King, one of America’s Founding
Fathers, an anti-slavery activist and
presidential candidate, lived and died.
nial trading post and became a hub
for commerce, education, finance,
government, entertainment, and
transportation.
The Queen’s County Clerk office
and the New York State Supreme
Court House are both located in Jamaica. Transportation played a key
role in Jamaica’s prosperity in its
early days. Jamaica Avenue, which
was previously known as Jamaica
Plank Road was an Indian trail and
colonial road that stretched from
Brooklyn to Long Island. The Spanish Baroque-style Loews Valencia
located on Merrick Boulevard was
once the largest movie theater in
Queens. Today, it houses the Tabernacle of Prayer Church.
Also located on Merrick Boulevard is the first Black church in
Jamaica, the Greater Allen African
Methodist Episcopal Church of New
York, which was established in 1834.
Former U.S. Congressman Reverend
Dr. Floyd H. Flake leads the devotional services for a congregation of
more than 18,400.
A strong black presence in Jamaica’s churches is related to the fact
that the neighborhood has a history
of producing Civil Rights leaders
and activists. Rufus King, one of the
signers of the Constitutions was an
ardent opponent of slavery. He also
served as a U.S. senator for 19 years
and an ambassador to England for
10. King died in 1827 and was buried in Grace Church Cemetery on
Jamaica Avenue.
King’s son, John followed in his
father’s footsteps and continued
the fight against slavery in the New
York State Assembly, in the Senate,
in Congress, and during his time as
Governor of New York. The family
home, the 11-acre King Manor was
turned into a museum in 1900 and is
located on 151-01 Jamaica Avenue.
Assata Olugbala Shakur, whose
birth name is JoAnne Deborah Byron was also born in Jamaica and
spent the first three years of her life
there. Shakur was a member of the
Black Panther Party and the Black
Liberation Army.
Jazz musicians Albert J. Johnson,
Al Sears, Buck Clayton, Buddy Johnson, Charlie Mingus all hail from Jamaica. Live Jazz concerts are even
held annually at the Air Train station. Another famous musician who
is a native of South Jamaica is none
other than Grammy-winning rapper Curtis James Jackson III better
known by his stage name as 50 Cent.
Former New York governor Mario
Cuomo’s parents who were Italian
immigrants also lived in South Jamaica at one point in time.
– Kulsoom Khan
South Jamaica
STATS
Population: 36,496
Community Board: 13
Elected Officials: City Council: Ruben Wills;
State Assembly: Alicia Hyndman, Vivian Cook,
Michele Titus; State Senate: James Sanders Jr.;
U.S. House of Representatives: Greg Meeks
Precinct: 113th
Fire Department: None
Public Libraries: South Jamaica branch,
Baisley Park branch
Famous Natives: 50 Cent (rapper), Mario
Cuomo (Governer of NY), Bob Beamon (athlete), Canibus (rapper)
South Jamaica is known as a working class neighborhood, located in
downtown Jamaica, with one- and twofamily houses ranging from colonials
that were built in the 1960s to new
developments, like public housing and
some smaller apartment buildings.
There are also quite a few hotels
located in the district due to the fact
that the John F. Kennedy airport isn’t
too far from the area. The Airtrain
JFK route helps to transport travelers and the community to and from
the airport. The southern extension
of the New York City subway line is
located at Archer Avenue, where the
E, J and Z lines are.
The area faces the Long Island Rail
Road tracks, Jamaica Avenue and
Liberty Ave nue, which is to the north
of South Jamaica. The Van Wyck Expressway is located to the west and
continues east heading to Merrick
Boulevard in St. Albans. Also within
the community are the primary thoroughfares of South Jamaica, which include Baisley, Foch, Linden, Guy R.
Brewer and Sutphin Boulevards.
The community is predominantly
African American with the majority being of Afro-Caribbean descent.
During recent years, the area has
seen an increase in the Hispanic
community with people from Mexico, El Salvador, Puerto Rico and the
Dominican Republic. Guyanese and
Bangladeshi also make up a large
portion of people coming to join the
South Jamaica community.
– Yvette Brown
Springfield gardenS
STATS
Population: 39,827
Community Boards: 12 and 13
Elected Officials: City Council: Donovan
Richards, Ruben Wills; State Assembly: Alicia
Hyndman, Michele Titus; State Senate: James
Sanders Jr., Leroy Comrie; U.S. House of Representatives: Greg Meeks
Precincts: 103rd and 113th
Fire Department: Engine 311, Ladder 158
Public Library: Rochdale Village branch
Famous Native: Anthony Mason (basketball
player)
Bordered by JFK Airport and
Jamaica Bay, Springfield Gardens
is another one of Southeast Queens
middle-class majority black neighborhoods, filled with one and two family
homes and a quiet, suburban vibe.
Originally going by the name
Spring Field in the mid-17th century
when it was first settled upon, the
neighborhood was fairly unremarkable. While it held the natural beauty
many would come to expect when
exploring Southeast Queens, with
its rich greenery, streams, and land
ready for farming, it was scarcely
used for decades, occasionally supplying other parts of the borough
and city with goods. During the Revolutionary War, Springfield Gardens
farmers supplied the British with
wood and other supplies.
It wasn’t until the 20th century
that a new eye was turned to Springfield. In 1906, the Springfield Gardens development which would
bring affordable housing to the mostly inactive area was completed. The
development would be just the start
of the neighborhood now known as
Springfield Gardens, as a both a post
office and a station built to be a part
of the Long Island Rail Road would
be enacted near the new housing.
As expected, with the new post office and nearby rail allowing residents
to commute to work, people flocked to
the neighborhood. New residents were
made up of people leaving the crowded
sections of Brooklyn and Manhattan in
particular. Springfield Gardens quickly
became a thriving neighborhood for
middle-class families.
Although the neighborhood saw a
great boom in the 1920’s and 1930’s,
there was a major shortcoming that
(continued on page 9)
affected residents at the time and
still affect them today; The lack of a
proper systems in place to stave off
the large amount of water that come
along during storms. The Brookville
section of Springfield Gardens, with
its relatively low elevation, has had
problems with flooding on a regular basis for decades, being called a
disaster zone on a federal and state
level on more than one occasion.
Over the years, there had been half
measures taken by city agencies
to come up with a solution to the
longstanding problem. But it wasn’t
until the Bloomberg administration
in 2003 that a long term fix was put
forward with the help of the Department of Environmental Protection.
It is still an issue today, however, the
push to solve the problem continues.
The Queens Tribune reported last
May that Mayor Bill de Blasio would
put $1.3 billion behind project curtailing the flooding issue in Springfield
Gardens.
– Trone Dowd
Photo Courtesy Queens Library
The Springfield School, now PS 37,
in 1927.
St. AlbAnS
STATS
Population: 34,882
Community Board: 12
Miller; State Assembly: Alicia Hyndman; State
Senate: Leroy Comrie; U.S. House of Representatives: Greg Meeks
Precinct: 113th
Fire Department: Engine 317, Ladder 165,
Battalion 54; Ladder 133
Public Library: St. Albans branch
Famous Natives: Q-Tip (musician); Fats
Waller (jazz musician) W.E.B. DuBois
(author)
St. Albans is a cultural touchstone
of Southeastern Queens. It has been
a constantly evolving neighborhood,
shifting alongside black culture
through the years. The neighborhood
is a place where the most talented
African-Americans of the era have
either been raised or chose to live, it
is a hub of black history, and serves
as proof of some great accomplishments within the community.
St. Albans, named for an old town
in England, was first settled in 1892.
Starting as a small town with the purchase of a Linden Boulevard farm,
the town slowly began to develop over
the next few years. With the help of a
brand new railroad and a post office,
all built within the seven years of the
original settlement, it was just a matter of time before St. Albans on its
way to becoming a decent place for
folks to move in. By 1900, the land
became a full fledged neighborhood
with over 600 residents settled in and
making a living for themselves.
As common with most Southeast
Queens neighborhoods, St. Albans
had a clear distinction pre and post
World War II. During the 20th century’s earliest decades, most of the
people moving in were middle class
whites from European countries like
Ireland and Germany. After World
War II however, there was a big shift
in population. As blacks began to
rise to the middle class of America,
they began to move into nicer, mixed
neighborhoods like St. Albans. Unhappy with their new neighbors,
many of the long time residents harassed the African-American families
moving in. Unfortunately for them,
they quickly realized their new black
neighbors were pretty serious about
staying in St. Albans despite the barrage of race-based harassment. It
wasn’t long before white residents
chose to abandon ship rather than
giving the idea of co-existence the
old freshman try.
Left with the neighborhood all to
themselves, St. Albans became rich
with black culture at a rapid pace.
Some of the biggest names in funk
and jazz fled to the live in St. Albans. The trend of the arts growing
out of the neighborhood followed as
hip-hop began to emerge during the
mid-eighties. From Q-Tip to LL Cool
J, hip-hip was just as prevalent here
as it was in the Bronx and Hollis next
door.
Addisleigh Park, the upscale
portion of the neighborhood, has
always been a standout. Families
who initially moved here were seen
as those who were able to move up
the economically, as the houses were
particularly beautiful within the
community. Built in 1926, it was just
north of the over 50-acre expansion
known as Roy Wilkins Park. Named
after the civil rights activist and one
of the most prominent members
of the NAACP, Roy Wilkins Park
features baseball fields, basketball
courts, handballs sections and more
for visitors. The park also features a
community center for programs and
events held by local civic groups.
St. Albans is also home to a num-
ber of different houses of worship,
many of which are well known in
the community due to their longstanding relationship with residents.
From the St. Albans Congregational
Church, started by Rev. Robert Ross
Johnson who was a founder of York
College, to the Beth Elohim Hebrew
Congregation, home of the black
Jews in the neighborhood, St. Albans
has no shortage of places to practice
one’s religion.
– Trone Dowd
lAurelton
STATS
Population: 26,604
Community Board: 13
Richards, State Assembly: Michele Titus, State
Senate: James Sanders Jr., U.S, Representative: Greg Meeks
Precincts: 105th
Fire Department: Engine 314, Battalion 54
Public Library: Laurelton Branch
Famous Natives: Bernie Madoff (investment
banker, con man)
Laurelton is indicative of the
kind of beauty you can only find in
Queens. In name alone, Laurelton carries a kind of regality reflected in the
neighborhood’s architecture, green
space and mostly African American
residency. While New York City as
a whole has the sort of beauty you’d
have to see through the grit in order
to truly appreciate, Laurelton is gorgeous both visually and historically.
The neighborhood was founded by
former state Sen. William H. Reynolds at the turn of the 20th century.
Named after the vibrant plant life in
the area, Laurelton was the next project for the senator who would later go
on to settle what is now Long Beach
in Long Island. Single family homes
were built as Jewish, Irish, Italian and
German families began to move in,
much like the other Southeast Queens
neighborhoods around it. Homes
were built beautifully to giving the
neighborhood it’s upscale feel that it
still retains today. As Laurelton grew
in popularity, more homes were built
to keep up with the demand.
By the 1960’s however, the population shifted. Laurelton, which
had built up a reputation of being a
great middle class neighborhood for
nearly half a century, began to attract the then growing middle class
of working African-Americans looking to settle down and raise a family
as well. Not happy with the trend,
a large portion of the residents that
lived there for years left in favor of
areas affluent blacks were not mov-
File Photo
A house on Springfield Boulevard in
Laurelton, 1927.
ing to. The neighborhood, became a
thriving one of note as it was now a
mostly black neighborhood. Mirroring the trends Laurelton saw in the
‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s, minorities from
Caribbean countries like Trinidad,
Jamaica, Guyana and Haiti began
to move into thriving neighborhood
during the 1980’s, making up most of
the population that lives there today.
Of the major roads in Laurelton
(which include Brookville Boulevard, Francis Lewis Boulevard, Merrick Boulevard and Springfield Boulevard), commercial development
began forming along Merrick Boulevard. Referred to as the “Laurelton
Mile,” the strip plays its part as the
commercial center for Laurelton, an
alternative to making a trip to the
commercialized Jamaica Avenue.
The strip consists mostly of small, local family businesses that have been
trucking along for years.
The neighborhood has been self
sustaining for decades thanks to the
community’s close knit nature. There
have been multiple initiatives done by
local civic groups to help assist and
of the neighborhoods shortcomings.
For example, the Queens Library
Laurelton Branch quickly filled the
gap of after school and extracurricular programs when parents noticed
that their children didn’t have those
luxuries locally. When the expansive
105th Precinct became a bit of an
obstacle for law enforcement to navigate in a timely matter, local stores
agrees to enact a “Safe Haven” initiative which would allow residents who
feel unsafe to wait inside of stores
until law enforcement arrives. All of
these aspects are why Laurelton is a
bit of a model neighborhood.
Laurelton remains beautiful over
the years thanks to the tremendous
pride the community takes in their
neighborhood. Thanks to groups like
the Laurelton Beautification Club
starting in 2011 and the Laurelton
Garden Club before it, Laurelton has
reminded a sight to behold, staying
true to the origin of its name.
– Trone Dowd
Rosedale
STATS
Population: 30,449
Community Board: 13
Richards, State Assembly: Alicia Hyndman,
Michele Titus, State Senate: Leroy Comrie;
U.S, Representative. Greg Meeks
Precinct: 105th
Public Library: Rosedale Branch
Famous Natives: Barbara Bach (actress,
model, wife of Ringo Starr); Aida Turturro
(actress); John Turturro (actor); Herb Score
(baseball player, announcer)
Through the rough decades that
seemed to define Rosedale at one
point in time, the neighborhood
stood the test of time and become a
model of how a community should
function.
Mostly a suburban area, Rosedale
is made up primarily of single family housing and middle class New
Yorkers. Though there are a number
of major commuter arteries that run
through the neighborhood, including
Francis Lewis Boulevard, Sunrise
Highway, Brookville Boulevard and
the Laurelton Pkwy, Rosedale keeps
its suburban feel intact.
Unlike many other parts of the
borough, Rosedale as a neighborhood
has history stretching even past the
Revolutionary War. In 1647, brothers
Christopher and Thomas Foster settled in current day Rosedale, calling
the town Foster Meadow. It wasn’t
until the 1800’s that the development
of a commuter friendly rail began to
attract people from around the city.
Within the following 20 years, the
town became known as Rosedale,
many say after the roses that often
grew there at the time.
Like many other parts of Queens
at the turn of the 20th century, many
fled to Rosedale to get away from the
overpopulated streets of Manhattan
and to a lesser extent Brooklyn. The
new population that found itself in
the newly established Rosedale was
mostly Irish and German, with Jewish and Italian families following
shortly after the conclusion of World
War II.
Unfortunately, like many other
Southeast Queens neighborhoods
at the time, the peace turned to
chaos when black families began to
move into the neighborhood during the 1970’s. Unhappy with their
new middle class African-American
neighbors, the predominantly white
residents immediately started trouble with them. Racial tensions grew
as the old clashed with the new. In
time, violence and racial issues became the defining trait of the neighborhood.
While there were attempts to quell
the heated tensions, like the joint initiative to create a civilian security
patrol volunteer group headed by
the 113th Precinct and the Rosedale
Civic Association, families frustrated
by working middle-class black Americans moving into the neighborhood
eventually moved out. This left behind what is mostly found in Rosedale
today; a predominantly black middle
class with small white population.
Many blacks who live there today are
of Caribbean descent, including Haitian, Hispanic and Jamaican.
Since those times, Rosedale has
become something entirely different.
It is a neighborhood defined by it’s
friendly and cooperative and close
knit nature. With the exception of
the airplanes that often fly overhead,
the streets are quiet and tranquil and
its aesthetic is picturesque. A single
stroll through Brookville Park is a testament to just how unique Rosedale,
and it’s sister neighborhood Springfield Gardens, are.
Brookville Park is, as state Sen.
James Sanders Jr. calls it, “a jewel of
Rosedale,” one that many residents
have come to take pride in. Featuring
a man made lake, basketball courts,
tennis courts, barbecue pits and a
number of other facilities open to
the public, Rosedale’s Brookville is
one of the better parks in the entire
city. It features a number of different
programs offered to locals young and
old, including tennis lessons, a staple
of the park.
– Trone Dowd
Hollis
STATS
Population: 29,987
Community Board: 12
Elected Officials: City Council: I Daneek
Miller, Barry Grodenchik; State Assembly:
David Weprin, Alicia Hyndman; State Senate: Leroy Comrie, Tony Avella; U.S. House of
Representatives: Greg Meeks
Precincts: 103rd
Library: Hollis branch, South Hollis branch
Famous Natives: Run DMC (musicians); LL
Cool J (rapper/actor); Russell Simmons (musician/activist); Rev. Al Sharpton (activist); Ja
Rule (rapper); Daymond John (entrepreneur)
In recent decades, Hollis has been
home to some of the biggest names
in pop culture. From hip-hop legend
LL Cool J, Ja Rule and Run DMC
to radio personalities Ed Lover to
ments out of Hollis hasn’t been all
good news. In the last eight months,
a battle over a property located between 202nd and 204th streets along
Hollis Avenue has been a point of
contention between the city and the
residents of Hollis.
– Trone Dowd
Photo Courtesy Queens Library
Hollis Masonic Temple, which still
stands today as a church at Jamaica
Avenue and 197th Street.
influential black business and fashion mogul Russell Simmons, Hollis
is known around the world as the incubation neighborhood for some of
the world’s biggest talent. But fame
aside, Hollis has a number of qualities that make the southeast Queens
neighborhood unique in its own
right.
Unlike a number of other Southeast Queens neighborhoods, Hollis
was predominantly black very early
on. As a result of the trend of white
residents moving out due to concerns
over middle class blacks moving into
the neighborhood, African-Americans were able to make the best of
the neighborhood all on their own.
A beautiful suburban area, Hollis
was ideal for those raising a family
just like the neighboring towns of St.
Albans and Jamaica. It’s proximity to
the transportation hub that is Jamaica also made for an appealing pitch
as the working class continued working and the kids started school. It
also helped that shopping was made
easy with nearby Jamaica Avenue.
As previously mentioned, Hollis
is known as an incubator for some
of the most talented black stars in
recent history. It is a popular place
where stars often give back. Every
year of the last 11 years in fact, rapper
and actor James Todd Smith, better
known as LL Cool J, holds a “Jump
and Ball” charity event. During the
yearly event, community youths compete in a basketball tournament after
a five week summer program teaching them the benefits of being active
and staying in shape as well as the
importance of leadership skills.
Along with the help of former
elected officials, Smith was able
to give back to his community in a
meaningful way.
“When I was growing up around
here, this is something I would’ve
wanted, and there was a tournament
every now and then, but it wasn’t
consistent,” Smith told a reporter
for the Press of southeast Queens
last August. “I always remembered
how important that was to the community and how it made us feel. Unfortunately, in recent years, develop-
Queens Village
STATS
Population: 67,866
Community Board: 13
Elected Officials: City Council: Barry Grodenchik, I. Daneek Miller; State Assembly: VACANT; State Senate: Leroy Comrie, Tony Avella;
U.S. House of Representatives: Greg Meeks
Precinct: 105th
Public Library: Queens Village branch
Famous Natives: Nancy Malone (actress,
producer); George Gatley (cartoonist); Chy
Davidson, George Gately, Nancy Malone,
Charles Henry Miller, Tevi Troy, Rockin Chairs,
Paul Newman.
Did you know that Queens Village was named four times? This is
because of the change that has come
about to this community.
During colonial times, the Village was once called Little Plains because of its treeless nature and plain
to the west that extended towards
Wantagh. In 1824, several small businesses opened up along Springfield
Boulevard. They were all opened by
Thomas Brush, who ended up naming the community Brushville. About
30 years later, the residents of the
town voted to change it to Queens,
after the county it was in. After major developments and a railroad station several years later, the Long Island Rail Road included “Village” to
the station name to lessen confusion
between the county and the neighborhood, and the community went
along with it, making the official
name Queens Village.
Queens Village is mostly known
for being the location where young
families can own their own homes.
The neighborhood is affordable and
relaxing enough for retirement as
well. They’re also a neighborhood
with significantly lower property
taxes than Long Island, even though
it’s just west of Nassau. The community hasn’t changed much since the
1920s, when most of the houses were
built in modest rows and they were
built to help the working class who
were eager to leave the city.
Queens Village was once home
to the Creedmoor Rifle Range,
which was established in 1873, and
Police Blotter
106th Precinct
South Richmond Hill
Larcenies
Photo Courtesy NYPD
The NYPD is asking the public’s
assistance identifying the individuals
wanted in regards to three grand larcenies that occurred in South Richmond Hill.
On Friday, March 4 at 11 a.m.,
the suspect entered the AT&T store
located at 122-07 Liberty Ave. and removed a Microsoft Lumia cellphone
and an LG G4 cell phone and fled the
scene. On Monday, March 7 at 8 p.m.,
the suspect entered the AT&T store
located at 117-02 Liberty Avenue, removed two iPhone 6 cell phones and
fled the store. Finally, on Tuesday,
March 8 at 3:52 p.m., the suspect
entered the AT&T store located at
122-07 Liberty Avenue, removed an
iPhone 6S and fled the scene.
Anyone with information in regards to these incidents or anyone
who may have been a victim is asked
to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers
Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or
for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
assistance ascertaining the whereabouts of the individual in connection to a commercial burglary in
Flushing.
It is reported to police that on
Monday, March 14 at approximately 2:25 a.m., an unidentified male
did break the front glass door to
the Sunshine Spa located 131-46
40th Rd. Once inside, he then removed $200 from a drawer and fled
to parts unknown. There were no
injuries reported as a result of this
incident.
The individual is described as an
Asian male, last seen wearing a black
t-shirt under a white suit and black
shoes.
Anyone with information in regards to these incidents or anyone
who may have been a victim is asked
to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers
Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or
for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
The public can also submit their tips
by logging onto the Crime stoppers
website atnypdcrimestoppers.com or
by texting their tips to 274637
(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
ed the victim to an area
hospital where he is now
in stable condition. The
individual being sought is
described as follows:
The suspect is described as a black male,
approximately five feet,
11 inches tall and 170 lbs
with cornrows.
Anyone with informaAssault In Alley
tion in regards to these
The NYPD is seeking
incidents or anyone who
the public’s assistance in
locating and identifying The suspect wanted may have been a victim is
the following individual in for an assault in a asked to call the NYPD’s
connection with an assault Jamaica Hills alley Crime Stoppers Hotline
at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477)
that took place in Jamaica last month.
or for Spanish, 1-888-57Hills.
It was reported to the police that PISTA (74782). The public can also
on Saturday, Feb. 20 at approximate- submit their tips by logging onto
ly 4 a.m., the 23 year-old male victim the Crime stoppers website at nypwas steered into an alley next to H2O dcrimestoppers.com or by texting
Nightclub, located at 153-33 Hillside their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then
enter TIP577.
Ave. by an apprehended suspect.
After entering the alley, a separate
individual being sought proceeded to
display and discharge a firearm into
the victim, striking him in the abdo- Sunshine Spa Robbed
The NYPD is asking the public’s
men. EMS responded and transportThe public can also submit
their tips by logging onto
the Crime stoppers website atnypdcrimestoppers.
com or by texting their tips
to 274637 (CRIMES) then
enter TIP577.
107th Precinct
109th Precinct
Borough Beat
Kasich Speaks To Voters In Howard Beach
BY JoN CRoNIN
Photo by Jon Cronin
With the New York presidential
primary less than three weeks away,
Queens got its first visit from one of
the contenders.
Ohio Governor and Republican
Presidential Candidate John Kasich
held a town hall interview hosted by
MSNBC’s Chuck Todd at St. Helen’s
Church in Howard Beach on Wed,
March 30.
Todd interviewed Kasich and
started off with the question about
the Republican’s most controversial
candidate, Queens native Donald
Trump. Todd asked Kasich if he held
Trump responsible for all the negativity he spreads in his speeches.
Kasich said, “I choose to give
people hope,” and he believes that
Trump is driving people towards a
future of “doom and gloom.”
When asked if he would support
Trump if he became the Republican
nominee, Kasich replied, “I’m a Republican.” He said he doesn’t believe
that Trump will win. If he does have
to endorse the Republican nominee,
he hopes that it is someone he can
truthfully tell his 16-year-old daughters
about why he is supporting this man.
Todd asked if he thought Trump
Councilman Eric Ulrich, left, at Gino’s Pizzeria in Howard Beach with Kasich,
and Queens GoP Chairman Bob Turner.
was sexist and Kasich dodged the
question, “We’re not in a psychologist’s office,” he said.
From the audience, a woman
named Nina de Blasio – no relation
to the mayor - said that she is on “the
Trump train” because he is defending
Christian values and asked Kasich
what he has to say that would make
her change her vote.
Kasich answered by discussing
welfare.
“I believe it is a sin not to help
people that need help,” he said, adding that he also believes it is also a
sin to help someone who can help
themselves.
He also noted that although he
doesn’t agree with liberals, he gets
along with them. Kasich joked that
Democrats love to spend and so do
Republicans, “but Republicans feel
guilty about it.”
Kasich boasted about improved
police and community relations in
his home state of Ohio. He said he
created a task force that has aided civilians to help understand that police
officers have families and vice versa
- helping the police understand why
civilians are afraid of them.
He also noted that Ohio’s average
income is growing and that when
he gets in the White House, he will
lower the corporate tax rate because
it is the highest in the world. Kasich
believes the country’s economy is
not growing fast enough and it is
moving faster in Ohio. “We’re business friendly,” he said of his home
state.
It’s been rumored that Kasich may
accept a vice president nomination
on a ticket with Trump, but during
the town hall, he said wouldn’t accept it, “Cause I have the second best
job in the world,” adding, “I would
be the worst VP.” He said people
need to start thinking about who can
beat Democratic frontrunner Hillary
Clinton and who can be president.
Both parties will hold primaries
on April 19 in New York. Kasich and
Trump will face off with U.S. Sen
Ted Cruz (R-Texas), while Clinton
faces a challenge from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont).
pix
The Grand Phagwah Parade 2016
Celebrants were all smiles at the Hindu Holi Phagwah Parade in Richmond
Hill on Saturday, March 26.
There were almost two dozen floats with music and dancing residents throwing confetti and a colorful powder called abrac, which is meant to symbolize
beauty coming back into the world after a dreary winter.
People from all over the city descended on Richmond Hill. Those marching
in the parade threw the abrac at those lining the streets as children, parents,
site-seers and friends chased and bombarded each other with the colorful
powder.
The parade began at Liberty Avenue and 130th Street and marched to 125th
Street, then south to Phil Rizzuto Park (Also known as Smokey Oval Park)
on Atlantic Avenue, where post-parade celebrations were held. This is the biggest Phagwah celebration in North America and has grown in popularity in
recent years, with city-dwellers coming from all five boroughs to take part in
the festivities.
Photos by Jon Cronin
A&E
By yvette Brown
The highly anticipated circus
show, UniverSoul Circus, is gearing
up to come back to Jamaica at the
end of the month.
UniverSoul Circus will be presenting a multicultural and multinational
cast of performers with performances like extreme motorsports, backflipping canines, twirling bicycles,
disco-dancing pachyderms, free-flying aerial acts and more.
According to UniverSoul Circus,
“UniverSoul is a highly interactive
combination of circus arts, theater, and
music that spans genres including Pop,
Classic R&B, Latin, Hip Hop, Jazz and
Gospel. It embraces and celebrates the
unique and familiar aspects of pop culture globally by bringing them center
stage with a cast of international performers. UniverSoul Circus is rated
as one of the top three circuses in
America along with Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey and Cirque du
Soleil. UniverSoul’s fresh approach to
family friendly live entertainment has
garnered it a coveted spot as one of
Ticketmaster’s top ten most requested
family events, along with other shows
including Sesame Street Live, Disney
on Ice, and Radio City Christmas
Spectacular. The circus was founded
23 years ago in Atlanta by concert and
theatre promoter, Cedric Walker.”
Some of their multinational acts
include Olate Dogs from Chile, the
Ethiopian Pole Act from Ethiopia, the
Aerial Duet from Colombia, bicycle
tricks from China, Caribbean Dance
and Limbo from Trinidad and Tobago,
a Russian bar from Cuba and more.
“At this time in our history we
need to come together, to embrace
and learn from each other,” said
Walker. “I believe the circus naturally brings people together. In 23
years of searching for talent, I have
journeyed to every continent to find
a multicultural, multinational mix of
talent to showcase.”
This year, the Ringmaster will
be Lucky Malatsi, 27, from Johannesburg, South Africa. Malatsi has
been performing for 23 years and in
1999 is when he caught the attention
of Walker. By 2000, Malatsi was 10years-old performing a popular duo
contortionist act for the UniverSoul
Circus. He has been an acrobatic
hip-hop dancer, acrobat, contortionist, trapeze artist, teeterboard flyer,
trampoline artist and an acrobaticdunker with basketballs.
The UniverSoul Circus will be at
Roy Wilkins Park, Merrick Blvd. and
Baisley Blvd. from April 27 through
May 15. Tickets are on sale now
at Ticketmaster.com or you can call
1-800-745-3000. Ticket prices range
from $16 to $40 and they vary based
on the venue and the day.
Reach Yvette Brown at (718)3577400 ext.128, ybrown@queenstribune.
com or @eveywrites.
File Photos
the UniverSoul Circus will return to SeQ
Scenes from past performances of the Universoul Circus at roy wilkins Park,
which will be returning to Southeast Queens on April 27.
Unique Cars Drive Up At Auto Show
The 2016 New York International
Auto Show once again saw huge turnout at the Jacob Javitz Convention
Center in Manhattan.
With dozens of automobile manufacturers showing off their
new lines for the upcoming
season, along with their
chance to show off their
extreme prototypes. The
New York show is one of
the more important auto shows in the
United States. This is why lately more
and more manufacturers choose this
show to debut their cars to the American public.
For example a small boutique
coachbuilder called Spyker with only
250 cars worldwide (120 in the USA)
debuted their new car the C8 Prelator
of which only 50 will be made. This
was the year for the
Luxury SUVs. Almost every luxury
car manufacturer
debuted a new one.
From Mercedes to
the Maserati Levante.
Photos by Scott nussbaum
Clockwise
from
bottom left: the
Spyker – only
50 will be made;
BMws attracted
a lot of attention;
take a look at the
Koeningsegg Agera; Jaguar F-Pace
Our Lives
even on A national Level, your Vote Counts
By Trone DowD
As we inch closer
and closer toward the
end of the election year,
the candidates are gearing up now more than
ever. For New Yorkers,
who will get a chance
to vote in the presidential primaries on April
19, it is our time to be
Bernie Sanders
Hillary Clinton
schmoozed for our precious vote. Democratic hopeful Sen. In the coming weeks, keep in mind
Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) had a how important the Southeast Queens
rally in the South Bronx this Thurs- vote is to both the city and the state.
day while Republican John Kasich Pay attention to the politicians that
paid a visit to Howard Beach on are mentioning the issues that minorWednesday. Hillary Clinton, who all ity communities face, be it women,
but calls New York her home state, blacks, Hispanics, Muslims or whowill be sure to make a significant im- ever else.
pact in some way while Republican
Southeast Queens is a powerful
nominee and Queens native Donald commodity to politicians, especially
Trump will probably do the same. It during election season. When the
is almost certain that the candidates people are active, southeast Queens
in the coming weeks will be looking becomes the largest voting bloc in
to secure a New York victory.
all of Queens and one of the largest
As this day approaches, the peo- voting blocs in the entire country.
ple -- especially those residing in Politicians know this. It is the single
Southeast Queens -- should be very main reason why they work so hard
observant to the candidates running. to secure the black vote. In some
John Kasich
Ted Cruz
states, New York being one of them,
the black vote is significant enough
to make or break statewide results.
In the coming weeks, be sure to
ask yourselves: What is the political
history of these candidates? If one
of these individuals are against the
rights of a particular group, can you
expect them to respect the rights of
others? What has been their track
record with black and minority communities? See if their values match
up with the local community at large.
Research. Step away from the instinct
vote and block out what’s being said
on social media and the press and
dissect these people for who they
really are. A cute bird on a podium,
Donald Trump
a solid history of work in our home
state a decade ago or a charismatic
and entertaining campaign shouldn’t
be the thing that captures your support. A Southeast Queens vote is too
valuable to be determined by these
things. Intellect and assessment
should be the justification. Just because this is a national race doesn’t
diminish the importance of SEQ to
the election process. Just like a local
election, it is the only way we can
attempt to make sure that the community’s values are reflected on a
national stage.
Reach Trone Dowd at (718) 3577400 x123, [email protected]
or @theloniusly
Photo Courtesy MTA
it hosted a lot of regional, national
and international competitions. This
allowed for room to build the Creedmoor Range Hotel along with the
Creedmoor Club House and Pavilion – it served as headquarters for
the National Rifle Association.
Now all of those buildings are gone
and the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center stands where the rifle range once
did. And even though Creedmoor
holds a Queens Village zip code, it
stands in Bellerose. Within Queens
Village is an area called Bellaire,
which once attracted shooting enthusiasts into the neighborhood because
of its National Pigeon Shooter Association in 1899.
– Yvette Brown
The Queens Village LIRR station in
1924.
Cambria HeigHts
STATS
Population: 20,128
Community Board: 13
Miller; State Assembly: vacant; State Senate:
Leroy Comrie; U.S. House of Representatives:
Greg Meeks
Precinct: 105th
Public Library: Cambria Heights branch
Famous Natives: Dennis Walcott (Former
Schools Chancellor and current Queens
Library CEO); Mary Weiss (lead singer, The
Shangri-La’s); Bob Cousy (basketball player)
Once an insignificant part of the
borough filled with farmland and
wild woods, Cambria Heights soon
became one of the more culturally
distinct parts of the city, specifically
for the African American community.
That wasn’t always the case though.
Cambria Heights is located fifty
feet above the sea level and is considered to be one of the highest points in
all of Queens. To the east, the neighborhood is bordered by Nassau County, something that is reflected in its
quiet and suburban like vibe. Mostly
residential, it isn’t much of a surprise
that Cambria Heights received much
of its identity from the people who reside in the neighborhood.
When it was first developed in
1923 after being purchased by local
real estate agent Oliver B. LaFraniere
transformed the mostly rural area
into a residential neighborhood worth
moving into. At least that’s what was
conveyed pretty early on. It took very
little time for people and families migrating from countries out in Europe.
German, Italian and Irish folks hoping
to get away from the overcrowding in
Brooklyn and Manhattan were quick
to call Cambria Heights home. With
wide streets, gorgeous greenery and an
overall suburban personality similar to
what New Yorkers would find out in
Long Island today, the neighborhood
made for a great place to settle down
and raise a family the good old fashioned hard working American way.
However, nearly 40 years after Cambria Heights was founded,
things began to shift for the worse,
as the predominantly white Americans of the neighborhood took issue
with a big change coming their way:
African Americans.
New York, though often times
not remembered as one of the many
states facing serious civil rights issues
in America, was not a state that was
impartial to the injustices many black
Americans faced in this country. In
fact, New York City was just as harsh
and unrelenting on Black Americans
as any other place had been, if they
were to step out of their unspoken
designated areas like Jamaica.
William Durham, the first African
American to move into the neighborhood in 1960, bought his house for a
cool $38,000. Unfortunately for him,
his new neighbors did not take a liking
to a black family daring to move into
their neighborhood. The Durham family was victim to a number of threats
and attacks including rocks being
thrown at their windows and burning
crosses left in front of their home.
But as the 60s’ raged on into the
70s’, things started to shift once
again. The predominantly white residents of Southeast Queens began to
move out and blacks began to move
in. As can be seen today, this trend
stuck.
In the present, any visitor of Cambria Heights can see a number of
Black owned businesses lining the
streets of the portion of Linden Boulevard that runs through the neighborhood. Among the businesses
include restaurants, many of which
are themed after the culture rich Caribbean homelands of the owners.
– Trone Dowd
Profile
NABA Brings Networking, Scholarships To Queens College
Most career counselors will tell
their clients that the best way to increase one’s chances of landing a
great job is through networking. In
so many cases, job opportunities are
passed on through word of mouth. In
addition to that, applicants who are
referred for a position by a respected
colleague have a competitive advantage over those who cold call a company or send an email into a vast jobs
database.
But a problem with this system is
that social networks tend to be racially homogeneous. So in fields that
have been traditionally white, professionals of color often don’t have
access to the same flow of information and job opportunities, or don’t
have as many social connections to
senior-level people within the field,
as whites do.
That is one reason why the National Association of Black Accountants was first founded in 1969.
With the motto “Lift as We Climb,”
the NABA aims at “bridging the opportunity gap for people of color in
the accounting, finance, consulting,
information technology and other
related business professions.” They
represent over 200,000 professionals
in these fields and encourage successful professionals to mentor the
next generation.
Now, thanks to the work of Queens
College Junior Nigel Barker, students
at that school have a chapter of the
association they can join as well.
Photo Courtesy Nigel Barker
BY LYNN EDMONDS
NABA meets at Queens College.
The group is targeted to students
of color pursuing business majors.
“Not everybody has the same opportunities,” Barker said. “This sort
of levels the playing field.”
He chose to pursue a career in
business because of the intellectual
challenge as well as the social aspect
of the field.
“Business in general is challenging, but I would also say it’s rewarding. There is a different sort of language to business in that you have to
know the basics of it and you have to
have a great relational side,” he said.
He gathered a bunch of friends to
re-activate the Queens College NABA
chapter in 2014 as he was looking for
more professional development and
leadership opportunities on campus.
Queens College gave the fledgling group office space and $1000 to
start out.
“The challenge was not a lot of
people on campus knew anything
about NABA, that’s one of the reasons why it died and we had to restart it,” he said.
The chapter now has 15 duespaying members and 30-50 individuals that regularly attend their events,
Barker said. The dues, $35, often
pay for themselves, with many of the
students getting scholarships and internships through NABA.
In addition to connecting students
with scholarships, the group has also
hosted more than 10 professional
development events since September
2015, Barker added.
They also attend the annual
NABA convention and network with
about 200 other professional and student chapters as well as representatives from hundreds of firms.
At the level of Queens College,
events have included one-on-one networking opportunities with representatives from JP Morgan, Wells Fargo
Commercial Banking, Barclays, Burden LLP, and the Federal Reserve
Bank of New York.
Siebert Brandford Shank & Co.,
L.L.C, the largest minority-owned
bank in the United States, invited 15
students to visit their offices in the
Fall semester. Executives gave the
young professionals career advice
and an overview of how they started
the firm and what they do.
Barker stressed the impact of the
visit.
“The most powerful thing that students talk[ed] about was being able to
see people that look like them in positions of power and authority,” he said.
On a more lighthearted note,
NABA recently hosted their first annual game night. It featured a push
up contest, trivia and an opportunity
to mingle.
“It’s a pretty fun experience for
students and professionals,” Barker
said.
The winner did 74 pushups in a
minute, he added.
Their upcoming event on April 4
will feature a financial literacy and
public speaking workshops, and tips
to dress for success. It will be a mix
of students and professionals. Those
who want to find out more can visit
the group’s Facebook page: facebook.com/nabaqueenscollege.
Reach Lynn Edmonds at (718) 3577400 x127, ledmonds@queenstribune.
com or @Ellinoamerikana
People
The following students have been
cited for academic achievement for
the Fall 2015 semester by achieving
the Dean’s List at the State University of New York College of Technology at Delhi:
Orlett Johnson of Rosedale –
Nursing; Nicole Jones of Cambria
Heights - Nursing-Dual Degree Program; Victoria Jones of Cambria
Heights - Nursing-Dual Degree Program; Lynn Rayder of Rockaway Park
- Liberal Arts - General Studies
To qualify for the Dean’s List,
students must have an academic average of 3.50 or higher within the
semester.
Kyle Credle of Jamaica made the
Dean’s List at Becker College for the
Fall 2015 semester. The Dean’s List
recognizes all full-time students (24
or more credit hours earned for the
academic year; 12 minimum each
semester September through May)
whose term grade point average is
3.50 or higher with no grade below
a B- and no incomplete (I) or withdrawal/failing (WF) grades.
Asia Weisgerber of Saint Albans
has been named to the President’s
List at Western New England University for the fall semester of 2015.
Weisgerber is working towards a degree in Accounting and Finance. Students are named to the President’s
List for achieving a semester grade
point average of 3.80 or higher.
The University of Hartford is
pleased to announce the following
local students have been named to
the Dean’s List for Fall 2015:
Seana Jean and Jordan Young of
Cambria Heights; Oluwatosin Ajirotutu, Tanaya Williams, Caline Gin,
Tanya Vohra, Dana Barnes and Shania
Bignott of Jamaica; Danielle Spooner
and Gia Vasquez of Laurelton, Puja
Bhardwaj, Benjamin Cooley, Michael
Knight-Allder, Tatyana McKelvey and
Karun Bhardwaj of Queens Village,
Jacqueline Crockwell, Leora Philippe
and Janelle Rhoden of Springfield
Gardens
Aria Rodney of Jamaica, from the
class of 2017 at Chapel Hill-Chauncy
Hall School, has been named to the
high honor roll for the 2015 fall trimester. Rodney received high honors, which requires a grade point av-
erage of 3.6 or above for the marking
period.
Shanice C. Brown of Jamaica completed her baccalaureate studies in
fall 2015 at SUNY Oswego and were
honored at Commencement in December. Brown received her degree
in biology.
The Press of Southeast Queens
“People” is accepting obituaries,
birth announcements, wedding
announcements, and other
milestone announcements to
publish in our weekly section.
Send all information to:
[email protected],
subject “People” or mail to:
Press of Southeast Queens, People,
150-15 14th Rd.,
Whitestone, NY, 11357
Faith
you Must Bury The Pain Before Rising To victory
By Rev. PHiliP CRaig
Greater Springfield Community
Church
Reference scripture: Luke 24:1-7
In this Easter/Resurrection Sunday season songs like “Victory is
Mine” and “I got the Victory” are
popular. The reasoning is because
it is directly associated with the believer’s faith that we will have ultimate victory over the devil’s plans
and plots in our lives because Jesus
suffered in the hands of sinners and
was crucified, but was victoriously
raised from the dead for our sake. So
this season we illuminate our victorious future. However, before Jesus
was raised with all power he first absorbed all the sins of the world which
resulted in a lot of pain. I recall a saying “No pain, no gain.” How ironic is
it that in order to remove pain sometimes it takes initially more pain to
be administered before the situation
or issue gets better or becomes totally resolved.
Pain is defined as a physical, mental or emotional suffering or distress,
due to injury or illness. Pain sends a
signal to our brain that something is
wrong and wacky. When you
The bible speaks about how
have a pain in most cases
you cannot put new wine into
subconsciously you stay
old wine skins and if you try
focused on it to some dethe old wine skins will burst
gree depending on the level
and all the new wine will be
of pain you are in. If your
wasted. That’s what some
pain is not addressed
people do, they
and is persistent it
burst the new opmay be a warning
portunities with
that something is
old situations
becoming worse
that
should
over time. Pain
have been buris a signal that
ied and left a
something
long time ago.
needs attenThe gospel writRev. Phil Craig
tion. Something
ers lets us know
may be broke and or damaged and that Jesus absorbed all the pain, died
needs some repair to be made. Many with it, buried it and then arose on
people are living with pains due to the third day with all power.
unhealthy relationships, marriages,
Your power is awaiting your resurchild upbringing, and life’s unfortu- rection if you can just first bury the
nate experiences that may have left pains you have absorbed over the
some deep wounds physically, men- years. Hurts, disappointments and
tally, emotionally and even spiritu- pains are heavy burdens and needs
ally. Many futures have been placed to be unloaded so that you can foon hold and in some cases destroyed cus and fly the way God intended
because people hold on to their past for you in the first place. Whatever
pains. Understand that it is very un- decisions you made in your life that
likely that you will ever be able to did not come out right, let it go. All
prosper in a new environment, rela- the unfairness you feel you were dealt
tionship or position in its most effec- with over time, let it go. The bible says
tive way if you bring your old pains. that when you become a new person
in Christ, the old has been washed
away. Meaning don’t let the old become a new problem. The same way
Jesus rose again God wants you to
rise again as well but without the issues, pains, problems and worries you
have been holding on to. Let today be
your day of resurrection, your day of
revival and your day of renewed purpose. Rise again! God bless.
177-06 129th Ave, Jamaica NY 11434
718-527-0100
www.mygscc.org
Email Pastor Craig at Phil.craig@live.
com
Keep’n The Faith
Then it’s time to share...The PRESS
wants to hear about special
programs in your faith community.
Send your thoughts, stories, prayers
and photos to:
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Notebook
Martin Van Buren High School
Hollis girl leads Martin van Buren scholars
By BoB HaRRis
Photo by Bob Harris
Sabriya Hiyaat, a Hollis resident,
is the President of the Scholars organization, which provides service to
the school and outside community,
at Martin Van Buren High School in
Queens Village.
Through their Junior Achievement
program, the Scholars teach classes
at nearby PS 33 about government,
the value of education and about
jobs in the community. Pamela Fried
is the advisor for the Scholars.
Hiyaat’s job as president is to help
organize all events, such as the International Festival and conduct meetings.
She has been in ARISTA for three
years, is in the Math Honors Society,
the Robotics team, on the Girl’s Varsity Soccer Team, tutors at PS 18 with
several other students, the Yearbook
Committee, the Student Council and
for several teachers, volunteers at the
Celebration Day Festivities when the
sabriya Hiyaat
community is invited to participate
in games and food with the students,
and is a representative at high school
fairs when eighth graders come to see
what high schools have for them.
Hiyaat has been participating at
the Queens Peer Health Education
Program of the North Shore-LIJ
Hospital. A representatives comes to
Martin Van Buren to teach about 10
students on health topics. The students then teach about good health
to their peers. She has taken College
Level courses in speech and English,
and also Advanced Placement College Level courses in Calculus and
World History at her school.
Hiyaat commented that she
“wants to thank everyone who has
helped her receive and education
and prepare for the future.” She had
volunteered at a doctor’s office after
school and now works there for pay.
Hiyaat’s sister graduated from Martin Van Buren two years ago and is
now studying at Queens College to
become a Speech Pathologist.
Hiyaat is planning to graduate
from Martin Van Buren with an Advanced Regents Diploma and has
been accepted to Queens College
and is waiting on Baruch, but has not
decided on a major.
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY
OF QUEENS HSBC BANK
USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR
DEUTSCHE ALT-A SECURITIES MORTGAGE LOAN
TRUST, SERIES 2007-AR3,
Plaintiff AGAINST ANDRE
BAKSH, et al., Defendant(s)
Pursuant to a Judgment of
Foreclosure and Sale duly
dated April 24, 2014 I, the
undersigned Referee will
sell at public auction at the
Queens County Courthouse
in Queens County Courthouse in Courtroom # 25,
88-11 Sutphin Boulevard,
Jamaica, New York, on
April 15, 2016 at 10:00AM,
premises known as 197-17
100TH AVENUE, HOLLIS, NY
11423. All that certain plot
piece or parcel of land, with
the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying
and being in the Borough and
County of Queens, City and
State of New York, BLOCK
10844, LOT 19. Approximate amount of judgment
$650,805.60 plus interest and
costs. Premises will be sold
subject to provisions of filed
Judgment. Index# 15598/09.
JOSEPH F DEFELICE, ESQ,
Referee Gross Polowy, LLC
Attorney for Plaintiff 1775
Wehrle Drive, Suite 100 Williamsville, NY 14221
________________________
INDEX NO.: 709111/2014.
FILE DATE: 02/24/16. SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS
WITH NOTICE MORTGAGED PREMISES: 145-46
183rd Street, Springfield
Gardens, N.Y. 11413. BL #:
13337 – 87. Plaintiff designates QUEENS County as the
place of trial; venue is based
upon the county in which
the mortgaged premises
is situate. STATE OF NEW
YORK SUPREME COURT:
COUNTY OF QUEENS NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC
D/B/A CHAMPION MORTGAGE COMPANY, Plaintiff,
-against- UNKNOWN HEIRS
OF THE ESTATE OF AMELIA
MCCASKER, if living, and if
dead, the respective heirs at
law, next of kin, distributees,
executors, administrators,
trustees, devisees, legatees,
assignors, lienors, creditors
and successors in interest,
and generally all persons
having or claiming under, by
or through said defendant
who may be deceased, by
purchase, inheritance, lien
or otherwise of any right,
title or interest in and to the
premises described in the
complaint herein, and their
respective husbands, wives
or widows, in any, and each
and every person not specifically named who may be
entitled to or claim to have
any right, title or interest in
the property described in
the verified complaint; all of
whom and whose names and
places of residence unknown,
and cannot after diligent inquiry be ascertained by the
Plaintiff, ET AL. Defendants.
TO THE ABOVE NAMED
DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE
HEREBY SUMMONED to
answer the Complaint in this
action and to serve a copy of
your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this
Summons, to serve a notice of
appearance on the attorneys
for the Plaintiff within 20 days
after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day
of service (or within 30 days
after service is complete if this
Summons is not personally
delivered to you within the
State of New York). In case
of your failure to appear or
answer, judgment will be
taken against you by default
for the relief demanded in
the Complaint. NOTICE
YOU ARE IN DANGER OF
LOSING YOUR HOME IF
YOU DO NOT RESPOND
TO THIS SUMMONS AND
COMPLAINT BY SERVING
A COPY OF THE ANSWER
ON THE ATTORNEY FOR
THE MORTGAGE COMPANY WHO FILED THIS
FORECLOSURE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU AND
FILING THE ANSWER WITH
THE COURT, A DEFAULT
JUDGMENT MAY BE ENTERED AND YOU CAN LOSE
YOUR HOME. SPEAK TO
AN ATTORNEY OR GO TO
THE COURT WHERE YOUR
CASE IS PENDING FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION
ON HOW TO ANSWER THE
SUMMONS AND PROTECT
YOUR PROPERTY. SENDING
PAYMENT TO YOUR MORTGAGE COMPANY WILL
NOT STOP THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION. YOU MUST
RESPOND BY SERVING A
COPY OF THE ANSWER ON
THE ATTORNEY FOR THE
PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE
COMPANY) AND FILING
THE ANSWER WITH THE
COURT. THE OBJECT of
the above captioned action
is to foreclose a Mortgage
to secure $795,000.00 and
interest, recorded in the Office of the Clerk of QUEENS
on February 2, 2010, in CRF
NUMBER 2010000037936,
covering premises known as
145-46 183rd Street, Springfield Gardens, NY 11413
– BLOCK LOT IN WHICH
INDEXED: BLOCK 13337
LOT 87. The relief sought in
the within action is a final
judgment directing the sale of
the premises described above
to satisfy the debt secured
by the Mortgage described
above. The Plaintiff also
seeks deficiency judgment
against the Defendant and
for any debt secured by said
Mortgage which is not satisfied by the proceeds of the
sale of said premises. TO the
Defendant(s) UNKNOWN
HEIRS OF THE ESTATE OF
AMELIA MCCASKER, the
foregoing Supplemental Summons with Notice is served
upon you by publication
pursuant to an Order of the
Hon. Timothy J. Dufficy,
JSC of the Supreme Court
of the State of New York,
County of Queens, dated
January 21, 2016. Dated:
New Rochelle, NY February
23, 2016 MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, P.C.
/s/_________________ Natalie Giraldo, Esq. Attorneys
for Plaintiff 145 Huguenot
St., Ste. 210 New Rochelle,
NY 10801 p. 914-636-8900
f. 914-636-8901 HELP FOR
HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE NEW YORK STATE
LAW REQUIRES THAT WE
SEND YOU THIS NOTICE
ABOUT THE FORECLOSURE
PROCESS. PLEASE READ IT
CAREFULLY. SUMMONS
AND COMPLAINT YOU ARE
IN DANGER OF LOSING
YOUR HOME. IF YOU FAIL
TO RESPOND TO THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT
IN THIS FORECLOSURE
ACTION, YOU MAY LOSE
YOUR HOME. PLEASE READ
THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT CAREFULLY. YOU
SHOULD IMMEDIATELY
CONTACT AN ATTORNEY
OR YOUR LOCAL LEGAL
AID OFFICE TO OBTAIN
ADVICE ON HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF. SOURCES
OF INFORMATION AND
ASSISTANCE. The State
encourages you to become
informed about your options
in foreclosure. In addition to
seeking assistance from an
attorney or legal aid office,
there are government agencies and non-profit organizations that you may contact for
information about possible
options, including trying to
work with your lender during
this process. To locate an entity near you, you may call the
toll-free helpline maintained
by the New York State Banking Department of Financial
Services at 1-800-342-3736
or visit the Department’s
website at www.dfs.ny.gov.
FORECLOSURE RESCUE
SCAMS Be careful of people
who approach you with offers
to “save” your home. There
are individuals who watch for
notices of foreclosure actions
in order to unfairly profit from
a homeowner’s distress. You
should be extremely careful
about any such promises and
any suggestions that you pay
them a fee or sign over your
deed. State law requires anyone offering such services for
profit to enter into a contract
which fully describes the
services they will perform
and fees they will charge, and
which prohibits them from
taking any money from you
until they have completed all
such promised services.
________________________
NOTICE OF SALE Supreme
Court County of Queens SONA PERSAUD, Plaintiff
against MAHESHA WARI
PHARSI and MADAMPURI
SARJU, Defendants - Pursuant to an Order of Hon.
Thomas D. Raffaele dated
1/05/2016, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at
public auction at the Queens
County Courthouse, 88-11
Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica,
New York, in Courtroom #25,
on 4/08/2016, at 10:00 a.m.,
premises known as 104-53
114th Street, Richmond Hill,
New York 11419. All that
certain plot piece or parcel
of land, with the buildings
and improvements thereon
erected, situate, lying and
being in the New York City
Borough of Queens, County
of Queens, and State of
New York, Block 9537, Lot
63. Premises will be sold
Order entered in the Queens
County Clerk’s Office on
1/14/2016, under Index No.
24261/2002. Joseph D. Vitulli, Referee; Lall & Associates,
P.C., Attorneys for Plaintiff,
45 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite
2000, New York, NY 10111
Dated 1/26/2016
________________________
SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF QUEENS NYC TL
2009-A TRUST and THE
BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, as Collateral Agent and
Custodian for the NYCTL
2009-A TRUST, Plaintiffs
against RENEE JOHNSON,
et al Defendant(s). Pursuant
to a Judgment of Foreclosure
and Sale dated November
12, 2014 and entered on
November 26, 2014, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at
public auction at the Queens
County Supreme Courthouse
88-11 Sutphin Blvd in Courtroom # 25, Jamaica NY on
May 6, 2016 at 10:00 a.m.
premises situate, lying and
being in the Borough and
County of Queens, City and
State of New York, bounded
and described as follows:
BEGINNING at the corner
formed by the intersection
of the easterly side of 220th
Street and the present northeasterly side of Springfield
Lane; being a plot 47.80 feet
by 100 feet by 121.25 feet by
124.08 feet. Block: 13454
Lot: 6 Said premises known
as SPRINGFIELD L ANE,
SPRINGFIELD GARDENS,
NY Approximate amount of
lien $ 8,783.82 plus interest
& costs. Premises will be sold
judgment and terms of sale.
Index Number 2794/2011.
DIANA C. GIANTURCO,
ESQ., Referee Seyfarth Shaw
LLP Attorney(s) for plaintiffs
620 Eighth Avenue, New
York, NY 10018
________________________
You Can E-Mail Your Legal Copy to
[email protected]
to Place Your Legal Advertisement or Call
the Tribune at (718) 357-7400 Ext. 149
SportS
Press of southeast Queens
2016 PSAL Cricket Season Set To Go
By SAm SooPPeRSAud
I ended the last article I wrote on
the 2015 PSAL Varsity cricket season
with the sentence: “See you next year
at PSAL cricket”.
I made these comments in the
article I wrote on the Finals of the
2015 New York City Public Schools
Athletic League (PSAL) cricket season played between Richmond Hill
High School and John Adams High
School. Richmond Hill won that contest.
Cricket fans, the “next year” I referred to is here: the 2016 PSAL Varsity cricket season starts this Saturday,
April 2. Since this cricket program
was introduced and competitively
contested by the high schools in New
York City - high schools in Staten
Island are not yet involved - we have
seen a large percentage of the players
“graduating” to the senior leagues. A
few of the former PSAL high school
players have gone on to represent the
USA in ICC (International Cricket
Council) tournaments around the
cricket-playing world.
The folks at PSAL headquarters
who administer the cricket program
do a fantastic job in ensuring that
the tournament runs smoothly and
competitively. There are certain basic criteria that the student athletes,
in this case, the cricketers, must attain and maintain. PSAL auditors
and schools’ Athletic Directors look
carefully at an athlete’s all round performance in his school attendance,
including his GPA and his ability to
maintain a Pass/Fail ratio of classes
taken. I will not dwell on this aspect
too much longer, but I just wanted
the public to know that PSAL is endeavoring to groom the “all round”
athlete.
The program was inaugurated in
2008. Over the ensuing eight years
the program has expanded, where
in the 2016 season 34 schools will
be playing PSAL cricket. Four more
schools have joined the cricket program; Francis Lewis, Transit Tech,
Clara Barton, and York Early College
High Schools. The kids are very enthusiastic about the game of cricket
as demonstrated by their application
to their play. Nearly all the schools
have foreign born players who have
learned the game in their respective
countries, and that knowledge is free-
Public Schools Athletic League cricket 2015 champions Richmond Hill High
School.
ly shared with other players who are
now learning the game. Thus, a lasting camaraderie is being forged.
So far six schools can proudly
say that they have been PSAL cricket champions: Newcomers in Long
Island City won back to back in
2008 and 2009, William C. Bryant
in 2010, Franklin D. Roosevelt – the
only school outside of Queens to
win the title, in 2011, LIC in 2012
and 2013, John Adams in 2014 and
Richmond Hill, the reigning 2015
champions.
Except for the early years of the
tournament, no school dominates the
competition. Yes, there are teams that
are much stronger that others, but
somehow, there are hardly any “runaway” victories. With the addition of
the new schools, the competition has
just been turned up a few notches.
Cricket fans, I guess you would just
have to turn up at the parks and witness first-hand what I am saying.
The PSAL cricket season opens
on Saturday with games in Marine
Park in Brooklyn and Baisley Park
South Jamaica, The Cage (Foch
Boulevard), and Van Cortland Park
in The Bronx. Over the years large
contingents of cricket fans have attended PSAL games and they have
been entertained by the youngsters
and expect no less this season. The
program employs trained and qualified umpires from the United States
of America Cricket Umpires Association allowing the players to compete
with a high degree of confidence that
there would be fair play.
The administrators of the pro-
gram, Lorna Austin, Cricket Coordinator; Bassett Thompson, Cricket
Commissioner and Ricky Kissoon,
Assistant Cricket Commissioner,
have been there since the inception
of the program. Over the years they
have conscientiously worked at “ironing out” the rough spots. They take
Naresh Persaud of
Richmond Hill High
School bats during the
2015 PSAL final.
pains to ensure that the rules are adhered to and that the program’s goals
are being realized. Numerous personnel are working behind the scenes to
ensure the success of the program. I
am also involved in the program as
a cricket coach. I can vouch that the
program has been an overwhelming
success.
The PSAL season goes through to
about the second week in June with
the playoffs and the finals. Then followed by the Mayor’s Trophy Championship Game. In this last game of
the season the all-stars from Queens
go at it against the all-stars from Manhattan-Bronx-Brooklyn
combined.
The winners are crowned New York
City Champions.
So cricket fans don’t miss this opportunity to see the future stars displaying their cricketing skills. Sometime in the future you may be able
say that you were there when “that
superstar was just learning his cricketing skills.”
Story and photo courtesy of usacricketers.com
CLASSIFIEDS
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To Advertise in the Southeast Queens Press Classifieds
Call (718) 357-7400 • Fax (718) 357-0076
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ALLIED TRANSIT CORP.
EMPIRE STATE BUS CORP.
NOW HIRING
DRIVERS AND ESCORTS
2016-Higher Pay Scale
Call to Schedule an Appointment/Walk-ins Welcome
Monday thru Friday 8:30am to 5:00pm
Contact: Lois or Maria
(718) 485-8002
150-50 14th Road, Whitestone NY 11357
Help Wanted
CERTIFIED
HHAs • PCAs
Immediate work for Live-In Aides in NASSAU COUNTY
If you are a caring individual & love working with
people, come join the “Best Home Care Team on LI!”
$1,200 BONUS for LIVE-IN AIDES
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Register & work before 12/31/15 &
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• Full Medical Benefits • EOE
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Work for the BEST!
516-227-3400 • Hempstead
141 Hinsdale St.
Brooklyn, NY 11207
(Bet. Pitkin & Glenmore)
(East Brooklyn Industrial Pk.)
Job Requirement:
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Union Benefits for steady positions
including Medical and Pension
Wire & Cable Services
DOE certified a plus but company will sponsor
** Must be at least 21 years of age.
** Must hold a current New York State driver's license.
** Must possess a commercial driver's license (CDLA, B, C) w/ CDL "S"
(school bus) endorsement and "P" (passenger) endorsement.
** Able to pass a DOT physical, drug screen and background
qualification process.
Attorney
Attorney
HARRY M. ALBERTS, ATTORNEY
Serving the Community Since 1990
IMMIGRATION
WORKERS COMPENSATION
REAL ESTATE CLOSING $585 FLAT FEE
718-353-HELP
4357
516-424-8921
fax: 347-532-1322
[email protected]
FREE CONSULTATION
• Immigration
• Divorce
• Wills & Estates
• Landlord/Tenant
House For Sale
Majestic Southern
Colonial with Fireplaces
5 Bedrm / 2.5 Bathrooms
128 acres with Pond and
borders the Delaware River.
List no. 102394
Price: $450,000
D.T. Ogden Real Estate
ogdenrealestate.org
607-865-7000
HOWARD BEACH
Ultra modern,
lovely manhattan
view terrace,
2Brs, 2Bths,
Oversized LR,
DR & KIT combo. All
utilities incl except
electricity. Pets OK.
OZONE PARK
3 Bedroom
Duplex Condo
With Parking
$270
Maintenance
Included
CAMPIONE REALTY
Vinny 917-435-3035
Huge 1 Fam Used as 2 Fam
On 80x150 Lot (huge)
UPPER GLENDALE
Sunday and evening appt.
Call Attorney Abraham Chananashvili
646-704-1062
Conveniently located in Brooklyn, NY 11234
BANKRUPTCY
CONSUMER BANKRUPTCY
6Rms, 3 Full Bths,
3 Car Garage, Prvt Pk,
Quiet Tree Lined St.
Owner Motivated!
Any Offer Considered.
Vinny - CAMPIONE REALTY
917-435-3035
QUEENSPRESS.COM
Tutor
Tutoring
Private In-Home
Cert./Prof. Teachers
School Bus Mini Van
Drivers Wanted
Easy Within Brooklyn Routes,
$520 per week to start,
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401K Plan, Health Benefits,
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Work Hours are 6AM-9AM
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We Are Very Employee Friendly
Bring copy of this Ad
& apply in person
Monday-Friday 10AM-5PM
at 5015 Bay Parkway
Brooklyn, NY 11230
Must be exp'd. FT. Valley
Stream/Bklyn loc. Union
position with full benefits.
516-561-6000
LOOK
Old Clocks & Watches Wanted
By Collector, Regardless of
Condition - Highest Prices Paid
917-748-7225
Construction
NUNEZ CONSTRUCTION
We Specialize In
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also Ceiling, Wall Repairs
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718-219-1257
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516-612-2009
Quit Smoking
COUNTER PERSON
718-479-9500
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207-23 Hillside Ave.
Queens Village N.Y. 11427
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PLUMBING SUPPLY
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Test Prep.
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Tree Service
off the corner of McDonald Ave
• ELIMINATE CREDIT CARD DEBT
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STORAGE ROOM
ONLY $30 / $1 A DAY FREE 1 MONTH +
REGULAR RATE: $45 USE OF MOVING TRUCK
OFFER EXPIRES: 5/31/16
718-217-8900
184-08 JAMAICA AVE / HOLLIS QUEENS, NY
It’s a
new
day for
rehab.
Peninsula Nursing and
Rehabilitation is proud
to announce the grand
reopening of its updated,
state-of-the-art facilities.
Now under new ownership,
we’re ready to go above
and beyond.
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Coming Soon: On Site Dialysis
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stats - Queens Press

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