Photo Courtesy of NYC Campaign Finance Board

By Michael V. Cusenza

Queens County Republican Party Chairwoman Joann Ariola made it official this week: she’s running for the City Council District 32 seat.

Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) currently represents the interests of residents of District 32, which includes Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Broad Channel, Woodhaven, and the Rockaways; he’s set to be term-limited out of the seat he has held since 2009.

Professionally, Ariola is director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the MediSys Health Network. Off the clock, she is president of the Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic, and a member of both the 106th Precinct Community Council and Community Board 10.

Last year, Ariola ran for Queens Borough President on a platform of public safety/supporting law enforcement; putting an end to community jails and shelters; and reforming property tax laws.

“I’m a Queens resident, wife, mother, and grandmother who works in healthcare. I’m not a career politician,” Ariola said. “Like you, I’m deeply concerned about the future of our city and our borough. I will stand up to the radical career politicians and their pro-crime agenda. I will support the NYPD and keep dangerous criminal behind bars where they belong. I will fight for better transportation and roads as well as oppose toll increases and congestion pricing, because it’s already too hard for us to get to work. I will advocate for all our small business and help them recover. I will fight for quality schools and choice in education. Queens is the most wonderful place and it’s worth fighting for. Our families deserve a safe, clean city.”

Photo Courtesy of the Cabán Campaign

By Michael V. Cusenza

It has been characterized as one of the most important political contests in a generation—complete with Election Day drama that left many veteran pundits and pols stunned.

In what is shaping up to be a striking upset, public defender Tiffany Cabán leads Borough President Melinda Katz in the Democratic Primary for district attorney. As of Wednesday afternoon, with counts at 99 percent of precincts completed, Cabán topped Katz by 1,090 tallies. The Richmond Hill native garnered 33,814 votes (39.57 percent), while Forest Hills’ Katz compiled 32,724 votes (38.30 percent).

More than 85,000 votes have been counted so far, with roughly 3,400 absentee ballots remaining to be calculated.

Still, Cabán, 31, declared victory Tuesday night in Woodside.

“We won the District Attorney’s Office!” she beamed to her elated supporters.

However, Katz, 53, and her allies would not concede.

“I want everyone to know we are doing a recount,” she asserted at her reception in Forest Hills.

“This thing ain’t over folks,” Queens Democratic Party Chairman Greg Meeks added. “Every vote will be counted.”

The political veteran Katz trails Cabán by 1,090 votes.
Photo Courtesy of the Office of the Borough President

A crowded six-candidate race has ultimately come down to two starkly different counselors. Katz is a career elected official, with her legal experience coming in the private sector. She has held seats in the Assembly, City Council, and has been borough president since 2014. As for her platform, Katz has said that preventing crime and stopping people from becoming victims in the first place will always be the better solution. To that end, she has promised arrest, bail and sentencing reforms; ending marijuana prosecution and arrests; and to establish a Conviction Integrity Unit to examine cases and make recommendations for exoneration.

Cabán has been a public defender, “working for people who did not have resources to defend themselves against the brutal system of mass incarceration,” since graduating from New York Law School.

“I am running to transform the Queens District Attorney’s Office after years of witnessing its abuses on the front lines,” she said upon entering the fray.

Cabán garnered headlines, and ultimately the endorsements of The New York Times, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Queens and Bronx), and U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), by running on a platform to end Broken Windows prosecuting; decriminalize sex work and recreational use of marijuana; and work with safe injection facilities to help reduce overdose deaths.

According to the City Board of Elections, the 3,400 absentee ballots can’t be counted until July 3.

Police on Tuesday pounced on a borough resident who allegedly lit three small-debris fires in roughly 10 minutes in Forest Hills last Wednesday night; but they quickly determined that he was not a copycat emulating the serial arsonist who has terrorized the central Queens community for the last two months.

Instead, Samer Shuaib, 36, reportedly indicated to investigators that the mini blazes set on Austin Street near Yellowstone Boulevard were the result of an alcohol-fueled bender after a bad day.

Shuaib has been charged with three counts each of second-degree criminal mischief, fourth-degree arson and second-degree reckless endangerment. According to the city Department of Correction, bail has been set at 20,000 cash or $40,000 bond. As of Wednesday night, Shuaib was still on Rikers Island.

Shuaib’s shenanigans, which NYPD Chief of Detectives Bob Boyce initially characterized as the handiwork of “obviously a copycat,” only fueled the fear that has gripped Forest Hills since late October.

Law enforcement officials from several agencies have intensified their search for the prolific firebug who they say is solely responsible for at least seven arsons—all on construction sites in a Bukharian Jewish neighborhood.

The perpetrator is believed to be a white or light Hispanic man, 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-7, slim build, and dressed in a hooded sweatshirt.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit tips by logging onto nypdcrimestoppers.com, or by texting CRIMES (274637), then enter TIP577.

The Police Department reward is $12,500. A Bukharian Jewish group has put up $50,000 for information leading to an arrest.

“The string of arson that has occurred in Forest Hills over the last several weeks is putting our entire community at risk and must be stopped immediately,” state Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) said last week. “These fires that are deliberately being set are not just affecting vacant houses or construction sites, they are also causing serious damage to neighboring properties and putting the lives of innocent people at risk. While I am thankful that so far no one has been hurt by these senseless acts, I am hopeful that the person responsible for this will be found before a bigger tragedy occurs. I thank the FDNY and NYPD for working together on this and urge anyone with any information to come forward as soon as possible.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

Against the fitting backdrop of the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum last Friday, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed into law a bill that establishes the city Department of Veterans’ Services.

Int. 314-2014, introduced and sponsored by City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), became Local Law 113/2015 once de Blasio added his signature, according to Ulrich’s office. Last Friday’s historic moment capped a two-year effort led by Ulrich, chairman of the Council Committee on Veterans and older brother to a U.S. Marine, to strengthen veteran services and resources in the five boroughs, including working with Council leadership and the administration to help quadruple funding and staff in support of the now-defunct Mayor’s Office of Veterans’ Affairs.

By elevating MOVA, Ulrich said, the city will be in a better position to address the needs of the 225,000 veterans that call the Big Apple home, including homelessness, employment opportunities, and mental health services.

“Veterans are such an important part of the fabric of our great city,” Ulrich said. “By elevating the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs to the department level, the City of New York will lead the nation in honoring the military service and selfless sacrifice of our large and diverse veterans’ community. With the stroke of his pen, Mayor de Blasio will establish the Department of Veterans Services which will improve our ability to help and empower veterans throughout the five boroughs. I want to thank Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and all my colleagues in the Council who co-sponsored this bill and championed its passage. I also want to thank Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner [Loree] Sutton for their support and friendship. This historic day would not be possible without the help and guidance of our veterans advocates who work tirelessly on behalf of this cause. Together, we will usher in a new era for veterans’ services in New York.”

The new Department of Veterans’ Services will be a one-stop shop for veterans in the city and connect military families with benefits and programs designed to help veterans transition back to civilian life, Ulrich noted. The department will work with federal, state, and local agencies and to inform and assist members of the armed forces, veterans and their families.

“The brave men and women who selflessly served our nation deserve access to all the services and support they need to return to civilian life. Every veteran in New York City should know where they can access vital services, and this department will help make this goal a reality,” de Blasio added. “Commissioner Sutton has been a strong leader for the Mayor’s Office of Veterans’ Services, and I look forward to working with her as we build up this city’s Department of Veterans’ Affairs. I want to thank City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Council Member Eric Ulrich, the entire City Council, and the tireless veterans’ advocate community for their support in pushing forward this department for our city’s brave veterans.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

An eye-opening new report and interactive map released this week by the Police Department detail the enormous impact gangs and crews are having on city neighborhoods.

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, in a guest column published in the New York Daily News’s “Gangs of New York” series, discussed the current state of gang activity across the five boroughs—and how his command plans to confront the challenge.

“Pockets of violence remain in New York,” Bratton said, “and local crews are often the primary reason why.”

The city’s top cop went on to note that while the Big Apple has been dealing with organized criminal crews since the 19^th Century, gang violence in the modern era is not defined by drug turf wars.

“What makes today different is the proliferation of very localized crews who are shooting and killing each other,” Bratton said. “Most of these attacks are not driven by disputes over tangible issues like drug money or control of corners. Today, the frequent shooting nexus is petty disputes over insults and reputation, as well as conflicts between groups of young men who happen to live in different New York City Housing Authority developments.”

Year-to-date, nearly half of all shootings in the city have been identified as gang- and crew-related in some way, according to Bratton.

“It’s a fearsome reality: violence for its own sake,” he added. “The gun has come to define manhood for these young men, and the willingness to use it has become a rite of passage.”

In addition to the time-honored gang hustles such as drug dealing and fencing stolen property, the contemporary gangster has turned to more white-collar crimes like identity theft, noted Bratton.

So where are these loose-knit crews setting up shop? An interactive map crafted by the NYPD Juvenile Justice Division and published by the Daily News shows where they are putting down roots.

In the 102^nd Precinct, the Woodhaven Mayans and G-FLY have established a presence. And it seems the Crips—specifically the PBC-111 Pay Bacc and Backstreet sets—have settled into some communities in the 106^th Precinct.

In October, Deputy Inspector Jeff Schiff, the 106^th’s commanding officer, indicated that gang violence had recently spiked in pockets of South Ozone Park.

And how are the police addressing the issue?

According to Bratton, by tracking social media and using other sources, the Juvenile Justice Division has identified 375 crews citywide.

“Our Gang Division is going after these crews, including the lesser-known ones, as never before,” Bratton reported.

Violence Reduction Task Forces have been established across the city merging Juvenile Justice Division, Gang Division, and local patrol and investigative resources in highly skilled teams to work gang cases.

They are bringing in some major indictments, convictions, and sentences for the worst practitioners of crew violence,” Bratton said. “As the takedowns take place, we are also reaching out to gang members with an approach called NYC Ceasefire, which combines the pledge of intensive enforcement for crews who persist in violence with a genuine offer of assistance to those who change their ways.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority last week released its highly anticipated study of the A/C Line, including recommendations on how to improve the New York City Transit system’s longest subway line.

Some of the recommendations in the review to improve service reliability, regularity, and customer convenience have already been implemented, according to NYCT, and the division pledged to continue to carry out recommendations over the course of 2016.

The A stretches more than 32 miles between 207^th Street in Inwood and Mott Avenue in Far Rockaway. Combined, the A and C serve 800,000 customers a day. The local C train serves stations from 168^th Street in Washington Heights to Euclid Avenue in East New York, Brooklyn; while the A begins in Inwood and ends at three terminals in south Queens: Ozone Park-Lefferts Boulevard, Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue, and Rockaway Park-Beach 116^th Street.

“The A/C corridor is unique in that the A splits three ways at its eastern end in Queens. It is also exceptionally long and merges several times with other lines,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas Prendergast. “The combination of these traits along with increasing ridership has affected reliability. I am pleased that this line review has identified a number of opportunities to improve the customer experience on the A/C lines, with actions to improve service management and reliability, station access and conditions, and customer communications.”

In order to improve reliability on both lines in the coming weeks, NYCT has indicated that it plans to facilitate on-time terminal dispatching through new internal communications tools. Platform controllers will also be deployed to Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts in the morning peak. By mid-2016, additional crews will be added to the A Line, when feasible, further improving reliability by increasing the amount of time at terminals crews will have to make their return trips and ensuring that crews will be available for on-time train departures. Timetables will also be adjusted to better reflect actual running times in the morning peak and on weekends to provide more even A Train spacing.

The comprehensive A/C review also noted that the opening of the South Channel Bridge south of the Broad Channel station in Jamaica Bay is a major cause of delays and significant gaps in service on the A, as well as on Rockaway Park S trains. While there are currently short periods of time during the morning and evening rush hours during which the bridge is not opened for maritime traffic, NYCT said it will work with the U.S. Coast Guard to expand these moratorium periods to cover more of the rush hours to reduce delays.

Additionally, long-term plans call for improved communications infrastructure on the A/C Lines. The review recommends prioritizing these planned communications upgrades, pending capital funding, with real-time information in upper Manhattan, new dedicated announcers in Downtown Brooklyn, and expanded information about the three A terminals in Queens with a focus on connections to John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Just 24 hours before the MTA released the A/C report, the agency announced that data show that it reached a new modern record when 6,217,621 customers entered the NYCT subway system on Thursday, Oct. 29.

By Michael V. Cusenza

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

The PS 254 community last Friday celebrated the Richmond Hill school’s new designation as a 2015-2016 Reward School.

Parents, faculty, administrators, elected officials, union representatives and education advocacy organizations helped mark the occasion with a triumphant fete in the Rosa Parks School’s auditorium. Each grade presented a song, dance, or poetic composition that commemorated the achievement.

PS 254 is one of 143 city public schools to earn the Reward honor. To be identified by the state Education Department as a Reward School, a school must: Be among the top 20 percent of schools in the state for English language arts and math performance for both the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years, or be among the top 10 percent of schools in terms of gains in ELA and math performance in the 2013-14 school year; have made Adequate Yearly Progress for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years for all groups of students on all measures for which the school is accountable, including the requirement that 95 percent of all groups participate in the English language arts and mathematics assessments; not have unacceptably large gaps in the student performance on an accountability measure between students who are members of an accountability group (e.g., low-income students) and students who are not members of that group.

In addition, elementary and middle schools must demonstrate that students are making annual growth in ELA and math that exceeds 50 percent and that the school’s lowest achieving students are also making gains that exceed 50 percent.

“Our goal was to create a school where children wanted to come to learn, a place where they could interact and become critical thinkers,” said PS 254 Principal Naomi Drouillard. “We also believe very strongly in parental involvement. The Rosa Parks School isn’t just a building; we are part of this community.”

Each Reward School will receive a certificate of recognition from NYSED Commissioner MaryEllen Elia. Title I Rewards Schools that have been identified as Reward Schools based on both 2012-13 and 2013-14 school year results are eligible to apply for a grant, if the school is not currently receiving this grant.

This isn’t the first time that PS 254 has earned academic honors. It was designated a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence and a Title I School of Distinction in 2010.

“The whole school has worked diligently to ensure that each child receives rich experiences,” Drouillard said. “We pride ourselves in laying the foundation for middle and high school, college and ultimately for all of our students to have a successful and rewarding career.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

Mayor Bill de Blasio joined city Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and NYPD brass on Tuesday in College Point to cut the ribbon on the department’s gleaming, state-of-the-art academy.

The agency has moved its training home from Gramercy in Manhattan, where they have educated personnel since 1968, to an eight-story, 750,000 square-foot behemoth sitting on 32 acres at 28^th Avenue and Ulmer Street.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly broke ground on the $1 billion project in 2009, with several setbacks delaying the transition from Manhattan to the World’s Borough.

“As the Police Department has grown, so have the complexities of our mission,” Kelly said in December 2009. “The new Police Academy will serve as an instruction site for generations of police officers, traffic agents and school safety agents, and includes advanced technology to enhance the world-class training already being provided by the Department. New York City police officers have driven crime down year after year. They deserve a Police Academy equal to their accomplishments and dedication.”

De Blasio hailed the new structure as “literally the top of the line, the state of the art, the best of the best.”

“What an outstanding day. What a day filled with pride for this city and this police department,” the mayor noted as he delivered remarks on Tuesday. “So many people, for years, dreamed of a facility – the finest facility for training the finest police force in the world. So, it’s a day of pride, it is a day of joy, it is a day to be thankful for so many people who had this vision, who worked so hard on it, who finally get to see the fruits of their labor.”

The new headquarters features an 800-seat auditorium and mock-environment training rooms, including: a precinct station house, multi-family residence, grocery store, bank and even a subway platform with a partial train. The physical training building incorporates a custom-designed pool and five tactical training gyms, as well as a larger main gym with two full basketball courts encircled by a 1/8-mile running track.

“As I look above me at this magnificent structure, I’m reminded of a favorite movie – ‘Field of Dreams’ – and a line from that movie, ‘If you build it, they will come,’” Bratton beamed. “Well, the designers, the architects, all those in the construction trades that built this facility, we have come. We are here. We are here today to formally dedicate a building that has been in use for many months. We are dedicating a building that is, we believe, the finest municipal police training facility complex in the United States of America.”

The College Point academy boasts 500,000 more square feet of useable space compared to the Gramercy edifice.

“Building on the NYPD’s reputation as one of the most well-trained police departments in the world, this expansive facility can hosts upwards of 3,000 members of the NYPD daily – participating in recruit training, in-service training, and specialized skills enhancement training,” Bratton noted. “All the various components of our departments, civilian or sworn, will now have this new home in which to learn, in which to improve their skills, and in which to improve their ability to protect New York City.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

Just 10 days after former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was convicted in federal court on all counts of fraud and extortion, former state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son, Adam, were found guilty last Friday on all counts of federal corruption.

Dean, 67, and Adam Skelos, 33, were convicted of extortion under color of official right, soliciting bribes in connection with a federal program, and conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. Southern District prosecutors charged that the duo extorted those with business before the state to make payments to Adam with the expectation that such payments would result in official action by his father.

Father and son were also charged with bribery and honest services fraud schemes. Among other things, Dean illegally obtained a $20,000 payment for his son from a large real estate developer dependent on the GOP senator for tax breaks and a $10,000 monthly payment from an environmental technology company seeking government-funded contracts in New York.

The Skelos verdicts capped a banner fall for U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.

“The swift convictions of Sheldon Silver and Dean Skelos beg an important question – how many prosecutions will it take before Albany gives the people of New York the honest government they deserve?” he asked in a statement released last Friday.

When the Skeloses surrendered to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in May, Bharara said that even though his office has been aggressively prosecuting lawmakers, corruption remains a pervasive problem in the Empire State.

“As the complaint charges, in six counts, Dean Skelos unlawfully used his power and influence as Senate Majority Leader, repeatedly, to illegally enrich his son, Adam, and indirectly, himself. And, more specifically, the Complaint, in multiple places, alleges that Dean Skelos’s support for certain infrastructure projects and legislation was often based, not on what was good for his constituents or good for New York, but rather on what was good for his son’s bank account,” Bharara said. “By now, two things should be abundantly clear. First, public corruption is a deep-seated problem in New York State. It is a problem in both chambers; it is a problem on both sides of the aisle. And second, we are deadly serious about tackling that problem.”

According to the complaint and testimony, Dean obtained over $200,000 in payments to Adam through pressure applied to a senior executive of a major real estate developer who cooperated with the government. In response to this pressure, the developer paid $20,000 to Adam and further arranged for an environmental technology company to make $10,000 monthly payments to the junior Skelos. The developer depended on Dean for favorable real estate tax abatements and legislation. In return for the payments to Adam, and to ensure that they would continue, Dean took official actions to benefit both the developer and the Environmental Technology Company, including promoting state legislation beneficial to the companies.

By Michael V. Cusenza

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

In a letter posted on Tuesday afternoon to the homepage of the school’s website—and taken down on Wednesday morning—Principal Patrick McLaughlin briefed the “St. Francis Prep Community” on the threat, which turned out to be a hoax, and the Police Department’s response.

“Today at approximately 12:40 p.m. we received a suspicious phone call and immediately contacted the NYPD. We engaged in a soft lockdown.”

[Soft lockdown, according to the city Department of Education, implies that there is no identified imminent danger to sweep teams. Students are trained to move out of sight and maintain silence. Teachers are trained to: Check the hallway outside of their classrooms for students, lock classroom doors, and turn the lights off; move away from sight and maintain silence; wait for first responders to open door, or the “All Clear” message “The Lockdown has been lifted” followed by specific directions; take attendance and account for missing students by contacting main office.]

“Police arrived at school in minutes and ultimately directed us to perform an evacuation,” McLaughlin wrote.

“At that point, the police department did a sweep of the building. They found that there was no threat and that the building was completely safe.

The students, faculty, and staff returned to the building, reported to Cor for attendance, and were dismissed from homeroom. There are no restrictions to after-school sports and activities.
I thank the staff, faculty, and administration for their leadership during these drills. I especially thank the students for their outstanding cooperation.

I assure you that St. Francis Prep remains a safe environment for our staff, faculty, and students.
Thank you.”

By Michael V. Cusenza   michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

Investigators on Monday released a sketch and description of a suspect wanted for a non-fatal shooting tied to a road-rage incident on the Jackie Robinson Parkway last weekend.

According to 102^nd Precinct detectives, on Saturday, Dec. 5, around 3:30 a.m., the 23-year-old victim got into an argument with the suspect “about traffic” while on the parkway near Metropolitan Avenue. The suspect then got back into his car and fired several rounds at the victim’s vehicle, striking him in the left thigh and grazing his abdomen. The suspect then fled in a dark colored BMW.

The victim was rushed to Brookdale Hospital where he was treated and released.

The suspect is described as a light-skinned black man in his mid-20s, approximately 5-feet, 8-inches tall.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at (800) 577-TIPS.

The public can also submit tips by logging onto nypdcrimestoppers.com, or by texting 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All correspondences are strictly confidential.

By Michael V. Cusenza   michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

The Howard Beach-Lindenwood Civic on Tuesday waved goodbye to a productive 2015 with its annual Holiday Gathering at St. Helen Catholic Academy—where the kids stole the show.

The Stanford Dance Studio and the children’s choirs of St. Helen and Ave Maria Catholic Academy strutted and sang for the season, eliciting cheers and participation from the more than 100 audience members in attendance.

There was a palpable buzz inside the cafeteria at St. Helen’s as the Stanford troupe marched in two lines up to the front of the room. Clad in matching red T-shirts, the girls brought the house down with choreography set to a holiday-tinged medley of Dem Franchize Boyz’s hit “Lean Wit it, Rock Wit It.”

The choirs led beautiful renditions of Christmas classics, including “Soon and Very Soon,” “Frosty the Snowman,” and crowd-favorite “Jingle Bells.”

But it was their spirited presentation of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” that spurred the surprise appearance of the titular holiday hero, who posed for pictures and thanked families for contributing to the 106^th Precinct Toy Drive.

“Have a happy, safe, pleasant Holiday Season,” said Civic President Joann Ariola.

By Michael V. Cusenza   michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

With the Holiday Season in full swing in the Big Apple, area communities this past week gathered at festive events across the southern swath of the World’s Borough.

Mr. Claus enjoyed some assistance from his Helpers at the 102nd Precinct Kids Holiday Party.

Civic groups, including the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association, the New Hamilton Beach Civic Association, and the Howard Beach-Lindenwood Civic, organized holiday parties replete with food, caroling, and a very special guest from the North Pole.

Santa stopped by the West Hamilton Beach Volunteer Fire Department firehouse last week for pictures and presents. On Tuesday evening, after Howard Beach and Lindenwood families enjoyed spirited performances by the Stanford Dance Studio, and the children’s choirs of St. Helen and Ave Maria Catholic Academy, St. Nick posed for pics and reviewed his Naughty and Nice lists.

The Stanford Dance Studio heated up the Holiday Season on Tuesday at the Howard Beach-Lindenwood Civic party.

And Mr. Claus and his merry helpers also visited some of New York’s Finest last week, catching up with cops and kids at the 102^nd Precinct’s holiday party in Richmond Hill.

By Michael V. Cusenza   michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority this week voted in favor of strengthening toll-evasion enforcement at its seven bridges and two tunnels in the city.

The plan aligns with a proposed state Department of Motor Vehicles regulation to suspend the registrations of vehicles that repeatedly evade payment on tolls at the Robert F. Kennedy, Throgs Neck, Verrazano-Narrows, Bronx-Whitestone, Henry Hudson, Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial, and Cross Bay Veterans Memorial bridges; and the Hugh L. Carey and Queens Midtown tunnels.

“More than 800,000 vehicles use our bridges and tunnels on an average weekday, and our customers have the right to expect that they all pay the proper toll,” said Donald Spero, acting president of MTA Bridges and Tunnels. “As more of our customers rely on E-ZPass and our Rockaways crossings move to all-electronic tolling, stronger enforcement of our toll policies will benefit every motorist at our bridges and tunnels.”

Last month, the DMV proposed a new regulation to permit suspending the registration of vehicles after their owners fail to pay five tolls, fees or other charges resulting from violations on different days within a period of 18 months, and ignore repeated notices to remedy the unpaid charges. Persistent violators will be required to pay the tolls and fees, or have the charges dismissed, in order to prevent the suspension of their registrations or to have their registrations reinstated. A 45-day public comment period on this proposed regulation ends Jan. 4, 2016. All comments received will be taken into consideration before the regulations are formally adopted and implemented in April 2016, according to the MTA.

Bridges and Tunnels imposes a $50 administrative fee per violation for vehicle owners who fail to pay tolls through E-ZPass or via mailed invoices. Motorists who fail to pay are subject to the fee, plus the full undiscounted toll of the crossing. The proposal before the Board on Wednesday provides procedures and information in violation notices for disputing toll violation and grounds for dismissal; the process for vehicle rental and leasing companies to transfer responsibility to renters and lessees; and warnings that violators may have their vehicle registrations suspended by the state.

“New York’s transportation network relies on drivers paying their fair share and those who evade tolls put an unfair burden on other law-abiding motorists,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “This ramped up enforcement sends the message that these actions will not be tolerated and will keep those who ignore their responsibilities off our roadways.”

By Michael V. Cusenza  michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

Queens Library officials and area elected representatives this week encouraged fans and friends of borough branches to nominate their community library for the 3^rd Annual NYC Neighborhood Library Awards.

The Queens system described the competition as “your chance to share your story and tell us how your neighborhood library has made a difference in your life!”

Each year, the awards recognize “branches across the city that are nominated by the residents they serve for the exceptional programs and services they provide for the community,” according to state Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach), who visited constituents in the Broad Channel branch last week.

The five winning branches will each receive a $20,000 prize; remaining finalists will win $10,000 each.

“I am a big fan of libraries! They are one of the most pivotal pieces of any great community and can help change lives through everything they have to offer,” Addabbo said. “In Queens especially, so many people rely on their local library branch for reading material, computer and internet access, educational programs, recreational events and meeting space, to name just a few. These libraries and the staff that works tirelessly to maintain them deserve to be praised for their contributions.”

According to the Queens Library, the “strongest nominations” will explain why a neighborhood library should win this award, using specific examples and personal anecdotes. You may nominate only one library for a NYC Neighborhood Library Award. You may submit only one nomination.

Competition organizers are also encouraging participants to share their “library love” on social media platforms. After nominating a branch, readers can ask that branch for their “I Nominated” sign, take a picture and post it online incorporating #MyNYCLibrary.

Last year, more than 13,000 submissions were received, with Langston Hughes Community Library and Sunnyside and Cambria Heights libraries emerging as award winners.

Nomination forms are available in several languages at nyclibraryawards.org/nominate and must be submitted no later than Dec. 18.

“It’s opportunities like these that help us see how much we should appreciate our incredible libraries and not take them for granted,” Addabbo added.

Law enforcement officials over the past seven days have intensified their search for a prolific Forest Hills firebug who they say is solely responsible for at least seven arsons—all on construction sites—since October.

He last hit the community early Sunday morning, lighting up a location on 69 Road.

Frustrated fire investigators reached out to the public last week to help them smoke out the arsonist who has left a normally quiet neighborhood on edge. Authorities initially only pinned four of the fires on him.

However, on Monday cops added three more to his ledger of destruction.

In each case, the suspect entered the site and ignited flammable combustibles before fleeing on foot, according to the city Police Department.

Incident 1: Approximately 9:30 am on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 68-60 112 St.

Incident 2: Approximately 10:10 pm on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 112-35 69 Rd.

Incident 3: Approximately 6:30 pm on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 108-49 66 Ave.

Incident 4: Approximately 11:12 pm on Wednesday, Nov. 25, at 108-47 67 Dr.

Incident 5: At approximately 12:18 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 112-35 69 Rd.

Incident 6: At approximately 10:27 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 70-35 113 St.

Incident 7: At approximately 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 108-13 67 Rd.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the reward was at $12,500.

The FDNY, 112th Precinct Detective Squad, and NYPD Arson and Explosion Squad have determined that the seven blazes began on Tuesday, Oct. 20, and have resulted in property damage and one minor injury to a firefighter. Three of the fires actually spread to adjoining properties, causing additional damage and the displacement of 13 people.

“The string of arson that has occurred in Forest Hills over the last several weeks is putting our entire community at risk and must be stopped immediately,” said state Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach). “These fires that are deliberately being set are not just affecting vacant houses or construction sites, they are also causing serious damage to neighboring properties and putting the lives of innocent people at risk. While I am thankful that so far no one has been hurt by these senseless acts, I am hopeful that the person responsible for this will be found before a bigger tragedy occurs. I thank the FDNY and NYPD for working together on this and urge anyone with any information to come forward as soon as possible.”

Queens Borough President Melinda Katz said she met with Police Commissioner Bill Bratton this week to discuss public safety issues, including the arson case. She encouraged her constituents to help investigators.

Based on video evidence, cops said, the perpetrator is believed to be a white or light Hispanic man, 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-7, slim build, and dressed in a hooded sweatshirt.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit tips by logging onto nypdcrimestoppers.com, or by texting CRIMES (274637), then enter TIP577.

The reward has been jacked up to $12,500. All calls are strictly confidential.

By Michael V. Cusenza

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

In a passionate show of solidarity, community and cultural leaders and elected officials last Friday night rallied in front of a Woodhaven home that became a crime scene on Thanksgiving after a still-at-large suspect set fire to dozens of Hindu prayer flags displayed in the front yard of the 89^th Avenue residence.

The arson incident, which occurred last Thursday around 1:15 a.m., is being investigated as a hate crime.

“An unknown suspect entered the victims’ front yard and did ignite a fire to 40 religious Hindu flags before fleeing southbound on 80th Street,” according to investigators, who added that no one was injured in the attack.

The perpetrator was seen wearing a three-quarter length jacket and baseball cap, and pulling a medium-size travel bag.

“There are some real sick people out there,” Ramesh Kilawan recalled thinking when he first viewed the security footage of the attack.

According to the Indo-Caribbean Alliance, Inc., the jhandi flag is a highly visible, quintessential marker of Indo-Caribbean culture that transcends religion, ethnicity, and race. Made of bamboo and colorful pieces of cloth that symbolize Hindu deities, jhandi flags are placed next to a home’s private temple or in its yard after a Hindu religious ceremony, or pooja.

“When one person or family is targeted in our community and they are made to feel unsafe, no one in our community is safe,” said ICA Executive Director Kenrick Ross. “As we promote multicultural dialogue and foster tolerance and understanding, let us also be clear that the onus is not on minorities, immigrants, and communities of color to justify why they should be treated with basic fairness, dignity, and respect. It is rather on all of us, particularly public figures, to ensure that we create environments which are inclusive, tolerant, and supportive.”

After an aggressive social-media push, more than 50 people turned out for the #WeAreOne assembly.

“I am truly outraged,” said City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park). “We should not tolerate any violence against Hindus. They are voting, paying taxes…making New York City a better place to live.”

Ulrich later added that the lively Friday night gathering would not go unnoticed.

“We talk about light overcoming darkness,” he said. “We are shining a bright light.”

State Sen. James Sanders (D-South Ozone Park) noted how a crime that aimed to divide actually brought cultures closer together.

“People want to know what America looks like,” he said. “Look around you—you have your answer. You have a regular United Nations here. We’re saying we stand for an America for everybody.”

Several elected officials and civic leaders pledged funds toward a reward for the case. By the time the crowd dispersed, the bounty had reached nearly $4,000.

“We have to respect each other,” Kilawan, a father of three who emigrated from Guyana 30 years ago, told The Forum as he proudly held a sign with the “WeAreOne” hashtag. “I believe in unity in diversity – this way we can all make this city great.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

Just as a pro-Select Bus Service coalition comprised of elected officials and transportation advocacy organizations was trumpeting “increased community support” for the Woodhaven-Cross Bay Corridor SBS Project at a press conference on Monday in Manhattan, a Woodhaven civic group was blasting the alliance and reiterating its opposition to the rapid transit plan.

City Public Advocate Letitia James, City Councilmen Donovan Richards (D-Laurelton) and Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside), and the BRT for NYC Coalition took to the steps of City Hall to provide evidence of what they characterized as increased community support for bringing Bus Rapid Transit to the borough.

Riders Alliance – a grassroots commuter group and member of BRT for NYC – announced the collection of 7,000 bus rider signatures along the Woodhaven-Cross Bay Corridor, demonstrating support for bringing BRT to these neighborhoods.

Additionally, the Coalition announced a small-business letter of support, including dozens of signatures from small business owners in Queens who want to see BRT implemented along Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards. Entrepreneurs who have signed onto the letter represent restaurants, retail, and professional services, according to the Coalition.

“Bus Rapid Transit will make Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards a safer corridor for everyone,” said Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives. “The city’s redesign plan will make it easier for people walking, biking, taking the bus or driving to get where they need to go safely along this critical north-south route. Too many people have been killed and seriously injured in crashes on Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards. The time for action is now, and implementing BRT is an essential part of protecting the people who live, work, and travel in Eastern Queens.”

The Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association on Monday afternoon released a statement responding to the “pro-SBS rally.”

“This rally shows everything that’s wrong with the way SBS is being shoved down our community’s throat,” the civic said. “The rally was supposed to indicate support for SBS in our community, yet it was held far away from our community, and was sponsored by a slew of outside organizations pushing an agenda that ignores our community’s concerns. What’s more, a massive, influential public affairs agency was apparently hard at work drumming up support for this rally. That’s all extremely fitting, because the push for SBS is not about improving our community.  It’s about city officials teaming up with powerful, well-funded interests to drown out the voices of regular residents who don’t have expensive lobbyists and consultants representing them.

“The Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association represents the people in this community. We might not be part of the conversations that the de Blasio administration is having behind closed doors to try to burnish the mayor’s legacy. But long after these officials are out of office, and long after the people at the rally have collected their paychecks and moved on, the people of Woodhaven and nearby neighborhoods will have to live with the consequences of SBS. We’re the ones who really know what it will do to our community.

“No artificial ‘rally’ can change the reality that this community – the people most affected – strongly opposes the SBS plan.  And we will continue to fight to ensure that our voices – the voices of ordinary New Yorkers – aren’t drowned out by those who think they can do what they want to our community just because they’re powerful.”

By Michael V. Cusenza   michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

With the world still reeling from recent terror attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, the city Police Department visited the Borough Cabinet this week at Borough Hall to assuage some fears and detail some Counterterrorism initiatives.

Chief among those programs is the Critical Response Command, which was deployed for the first time last month. One hundred NYPD officers assigned to the new command were deployed for the first time on Nov. 16 to help protect New York City from acts of terrorism. The new command will have more than 500 officers and eight canines dedicated to counterterrorism. At least 100 officers will be on duty at any given time to protect the city against terrorism, according to Police Commissioner Bill Bratton.

“I encourage you to be vigilant. I encourage you at all times to be professional. I encourage you at all times to understand the significant responsibilities you have agreed to accept, first upon taking your oath of office as a New York City police officer and now in this new assignment—this critical assignment,” Bratton said to the first CRC platoon.

CRC officers are trained in the full range of counterterrorist expertise, including: Portable Radiological Detection and Radiological and Nuclear Awareness; Biological and Chemical Weapons Awareness; Vehicle and Subway Checkpoints; Special Weapons and Long Guns; Port Awareness – an understanding of how weapons might be disguised and smuggled through the city region ports and of vulnerabilities of port facilities to terrorist attack; Hostile Surveillance, Behavioral Observation and Counterterrorist Awareness – the ability to detect the signs of an impending attack and to read the faces and body language of possible attackers; and Homemade Explosives and Advanced Explosive Trace Detection.

While the Intelligence Bureau collects, analyzes and acts on intelligence at the operational level, the Counterterrorism Bureau translates intelligence into training programs, target hardening programs, and anti-terrorism best practices. The Counterterrorism Bureau oversaw the development of the Lower Manhattan Security Initiative —now one of the most extensive networks of security cameras, radiological detectors, and license plate readers in the world. To increase LMSI’s effectiveness, the Counterterrorism Bureau concentrated all the data generated by this extensive network, as well as information from NYPD’s other databases, into one dashboard called the Domain Awareness System. The robust infrastructure the NYPD created to keep New Yorkers safe from acts of terrorism deters and interdicts terrorist operations directed at New York City. Despite multiple attempts, between the joint efforts of the FBI and the NYPD, there has been no successful major terrorist operation in New York since Sept. 11, 2001.

By Michael V. Cusenza   michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

In an effort to show their appreciation for the Howard Beach community that has helped them channel their grief and sorrow over the past seven months, the grateful family of Valentina Marie Allen on Tuesday organized a holiday party at Roma View in Howard Beach.

Valentina captivated the community through her innate resolve to conquer hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare congenital defect marked by a severely underdeveloped left ventricle.

Nearly 200 members of the Allens’ extended Team Valentina family filled the first room at Roma View Tuesday afternoon, dancing to Disney tunes, and lining up to have their faces painted as familiar red heart balloons anchored the dining tables.

Santa Claus also made an appearance and enjoyed the festivities.

“We reached out to anybody who did anything for Valentina,” said Maria Del Cielo, Valentina’s maternal grandmother. “This is our way of saying thank you and giving back to them.”

Since she passed away at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in May, myriad volunteers have organized fundraisers in Valentina’s name, with the proceeds going to directly to CHOP.

A cardiac intensive care unit room at the renowned pediatric hospital has been renamed in honor of this adopted Daughter of Howard Beach.

Valentina died on Tuesday, May 12, at 3:35 p.m. To mark the six-month anniversary on Nov. 12, mom Danielle, dad Ryan, and big sister Victoria, invited the community—especially children—to join their family outside their home to release those signature red, heart-shaped balloons into the atmosphere.

By Michael V. Cusenza   michael@theforumnewsgroup.com