By Forum Staff

U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) have introduced new legislation that empowers the Environmental Protection Agency to oversee airplane noise issues across the country, including areas near John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports.

Currently, the Federal Aviation Administration oversees such issues. However, Schumer and Gillibrand said that they feel that the EPA is better fit to address noise pollution because airplane noise can greatly impact the environment and individual quality of life.

“Communities in the New York- metro area have long struggled with incessant airplane noise caused by the highly-trafficked skies above and it’s time we set up an office dedicated to tackling this issue head on,” Schumer said. “Airplane noise is a major quality of life issue and that’s why it makes sense for the EPA to take the lead role in addressing these matters. This legislation will once again set up an Office of Noise Abatement and Control at the EPA so that environmental experts can address airplane noise.”

Schumer’s and Gillibrand’s bill, “The Quiet Communities Act of 2016,” restores the EPA’s control over airplane noise matters and reestablishes a dedicated office of noise abatement.

Due to budget cuts in 1981, the EPA’s Office of Noise Abatement and Control was dismantled and the FAA was given oversight into all matters regarding aircraft noise pollution.

The legislation was introduced by Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) in the House of Representatives. Under the proposed law, the EPA would conduct research on the impacts of noise and provide technical assistance and grants to communities to mitigate noise. It would also require the Office of Noise Abatement and Control to carry out a study on airport noise, examining FAA noise-measurement methodologies, the threshold of noise at which health impacts are felt, and the effectiveness of noise mitigation measures at airports.

“The federal government must take more proactive steps to address the concerns of New Yorkers who are affected by airplane noise, and this bill will give the EPA the ability to act,” said Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

Schumer and Gillibrand noted that they have long supported measures to help address the issue of airplane noise in airport communities. Specifically, the senators successfully pushed for a hotline phone number for airplane noise complaints. And, after Schumer’s urging, New York directed the Port Authority to hold regular roundtable discussions in collaboration with FAA representatives and other affected parties regarding issues at the two major New York airports. Schumer has urged the Port Authority and FAA to install additional noise monitors at airports and use the data collected to make decisions about changes to flight patterns. Earlier this summer, the senators urged the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to complete its Part 150 noise studies as quickly and thoroughly as possible so that it can begin taking noise mitigation steps.

The Part 150 studies aim to evaluate noise impacts to the communities surrounding JFK and LaGuardia Airport and, once complete, Schumer and Gillibrand said that the studies will recommend measures to mitigate excessive noise where possible.

By Michael V. Cusenza

U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) recently ripped the House for the final version of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act, which did not feature any provisions to mitigate aircraft noise over the borough; and for the lack of transparency and the manner in which the bill was brought to the House Floor, pointing out that members were not allowed to offer any amendments, provide input, or address concerns of labor unions.

The measure, which passed Monday night, reauthorizes funding for the FAA and other air-travel programs.

“The absence of any measures to combat the problem of excessive aircraft noise over Queens and other affected communities across the country is a huge disappointment,” Meng said. “I have consistently called for this important legislation to include provisions to mitigate airplane noise. This bill would have allowed for an opportunity to directly address the issue, and the previous version of this legislation included ways to deal with it. It is also very unfortunate that this bill was rushed through while keeping House members out of the process. Our borough continues to be bombarded by the roaring sounds of aircraft noise that constantly disrupts the quality of life in our neighborhoods. A solution must be reached and I will keep up the fight until we achieve one.”

Meng noted that a previous version of the bill (the Aviation, Innovation, Reform and Reauthorization Act) that was not voted on included noise-related provisions for which she and the Quiet Skies Caucus. The AIRR Act included processes for notifying communities near airports of flight-path changes and a study on the health impacts of noise exposure.

In July 2015, the Quiet Skies Caucus, led by Meng, sent a letter to the chairman and ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee that outlined noise-mitigation measures to be part of the FAA bill:

• Mandate a robust community engagement process, including pre-decisional public hearings, for any new flight paths or procedures or changes to existing flight paths and procedures;
• Require FAA to use supplemental metrics when considering the impact of aviation noise on affected communities and lower the acceptable DNL threshold from 65 to 55 DNL
• Clarify that airport operators are legally allowed to implement-and should strongly consider-mitigation options in communities experiencing aircraft noise levels of less than 65 DNL
• Mandate independent research on the health impacts of aviation noise

“Every day, millions of Americans are forced to contend with acute levels of noise from passing aircraft-noise that disrupts their homes and businesses, negatively affects their health, and reduces their overall quality of life. We believe the 2015 Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act offers a unique opportunity to address this serious issue,” the officials wrote in the missive addressed to Reps. Bill Shuster and Peter DeFazio.

Although airplane noise has long existed over Queens, Meng noted, the problem increased significantly in 2012 due to the FAA’s implementation of new flight patterns over the borough.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Forum Staff

Eight students that reside in Queens have been accepted to the selective and prestigious United States service academies, according to U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing), who nominated the young scholars to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.; U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md.; U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colo.; U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, N.Y.; and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy at New London, Conn.

A ninth student has also been accepted to the Air Force Academy Prep School.

All will begin attending the institutions later this month after they graduate from borough high schools the Mary Louis Academy, Bayside High School, Francis Lewis High School, Robert F. Kennedy Community High School, and Archbishop Molloy High School. Three candidates are graduating from educational facilities outside Queens.

“It is an honor to congratulate these outstanding young men and women,” said Meng, who hosted a reception Monday afternoon for the students and their families at her Flushing office, and presented each student with a Certificate of Congressional Recognition. “They are our next generation of leaders and I thank each of them for dedicating themselves to our country. They’ve made me proud and I know they’ll make our nation proud as well. I wish them all the best.”

The elite service academies prepare college-aged Americans to be officers of the U.S. Uniformed Services. After four years of study, service academy graduates become commissioned as officers in the active or reserve components of the U.S. military or merchant marine for a minimum of five years.

Students seeking to attend the service academies must be nominated by their member of Congress. The institutions evaluate all the nominations received by members of Congress from across the country, and then decide which candidates to accept.

Nominees must meet the highly competitive educational, physical, and extracurricular standards set by the individual academies. Meng is assisted in the nomination process by her Academy Review Board, a panel of civic leaders.

This is the third round of students that Meng, who took office in 2013, has nominated to the academies. The nine students selected this year were chosen from the 23 that Meng nominated.

Since she was sworn into Congress, Meng has made 83 nominations, and a total of 19 students have been accepted.

Meng said plans to again sponsor “U.S. Service Academy Information Night” for borough students who are interested in applying to the service academies.

By Forum Staff

Queens Borough President Melinda Katz has allocated $3.64 million of her Fiscal Year 2017 discretionary money to fund capital projects at four of the City University of New York public institutions of higher learning in the World’s Borough: Queens College in Flushing, York College in Jamaica, Queensborough Community College in Bayside, and LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City.

This year’s $3.64 million allocation, Katz noted, comes on top of the $8.75 million previously allocated by the Borough President’s Office between Fiscal Years 2015 and 2016 toward CUNY capital projects.

“As the third-largest university system in the United States, CUNY offers a high-quality and remarkably affordable and competitive higher education that enables the pursuit of the American Dream,” Katz said. “CUNY has been a critical door to opportunities for millions of New Yorkers and their families, and here in Queens we’re proud to be home to some of the best of CUNY schools. This multi-million dollar allocation of public funding is a direct investment into the public colleges of our borough so that CUNY remains able to meet the educational needs of its hard-working students.”

The allocation breaks down like this:

• $1 million to fully fund the construction of recording studios for the new Music and Production Certificate program at Queens College. The money will provide multi-use facilities for classrooms, rehearsal and performance spaces, and laboratories for performers, composers and teachers. Additionally, Katz said, the project will provide the proper acoustical components – sound absorbers, diffusers and ceiling elements – creating spaces conducive to live musical performances and high-quality audio recordings. The studios also will be ideally suited for distance learning applications and webcasting for music students as well as for the college community. Anticipated completion: January 2019.
• $1 million toward the construction of the Center for Career and Employment Training at LaGuardia Community College. The facility, Katz said, will serve as a central location for all LaGuardia students to connect to a network of employers and have access to real-time labor market data. The Center will also offer students advisement and training. The total projected cost of the facility is $6 million, with $2 million possibly coming from the City Council, and $3 million from the State Legislature. Design to begin July 2017, with construction set to start January 2018. Anticipated completion: August 2018.
• $1 million toward creating a modern kitchen and dining hall at Queensborough Community College that will replace the college’s current undersized basement dining hall. The allocation is toward the balance of City funding needed for Phase 2 based on current estimates, with $1 million possibly coming from Albany. Anticipated completion: March 2019.
• $640,000 toward renovating the greenhouse at York College.

“Queens Borough President Katz had provided critical and generous funding for CUNY projects that will enhance program quality, student experience and college value at Queens, York, LaGuardia and Queensborough Community colleges,” said CUNY Chancellor James Milliken. “I deeply appreciate her commitment to CUNY, which has such a positive impact on the borough and city.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

Concerned that a new arriving flight plan for Newark Liberty International Airport may create additional aircraft noise over Queens, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) sent a letter to the head of the Federal Aviation Administration, vowing to fight any proposal that would allow Newark to use another runway for some incoming flights if the move results in more air traffic over Meng’s home borough.

The new procedure, if implemented, could force airplanes heading towards New York City airports to utilize flight paths that require an increased amount of time in airspace above Queens, Meng said.

“I am dismayed at the possibility of more aircraft noise over Queens,” said Meng, whose letter to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta included the signatures of fellow members of the Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus: Reps. Joseph Crowley (D-Queens and Bronx), Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica), Hakeem Jeffries (D-Queens and Brooklyn), and Steve Israel (D-Queens and Nassau County). “In 2012, new flight patterns over Queens slapped increased airplane noise over our borough, a move that continues to ruin quality of life for Queens residents. We will not accept any new noise and we’ll do everything in our power – legislative and otherwise – to fight this plan should it negatively impact our borough. The FAA must immediately clarify whether this new plan for Newark Airport will cause any new aircraft noise over Queens.”

The FAA, Meng noted, is seeking to implement the new plan for Newark Airport in the fall. It would allow air traffic controllers to shift a small number of arriving flights to Newark’s Runway 29 if the airport’s Runway 4 Left or 4 Right are at capacity. The agency has indicated that it is reviewing the environmental impact study it conducted for the plan.

“We have worked too hard to address these issues to allow further changes to the airspace that would have a detrimental effect on our constituents,” the officials wrote in the letter.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Forum Staff

Queens Borough President Melinda Katz last week announced a $13 million allocation of her Fiscal Year 2017 discretionary capital funds to pay for expansions, renovations, and enhancements at several borough Library branches.

The funds are based on needs assessments and requests made by the Library, Katz said. The allocation includes:

• $3.5 million for an exterior expansion and $92,000 for security cameras at Queens Library at Baisley Park (this comes on top of a $3.5 million allocation in FY 2016 for interior renovations);
• $3 million for the expansion of Queens Library at East Elmhurst;
• $3 million for an interior expansion of Queens Library at South Hollis;
• $1.4 million for interior renovations at Queens Library of Bay Terrace (this comes on top of a $96,000 allocation in FY 2016 for security cameras);
• $600,000 for window and door replacements at Queens Library at Forest Hills;
• $500,000 for an HVAC upgrade at Queens Library of Pomonok;
• $400,000 for the initial outfitting at Queens Library of North Forest Park;
• $385,000 to install an exterior self check-in system at Queens Library of Queens Village;
• $97,000 for a security system upgrade at Queens Library of Laurelton.

“Borough President Katz has put time, energy and resources into insuring a strong library system to serve the educational and informational needs of the borough,” said Library President and CEO Dennis Walcott. “This capital funding will help us move key library projects forward, so the community has expanded, updated facilities for reading and learning. Queens Library joins the community in thanking the Borough President for her support.”

In FY2016, Katz allocated $14 million for Library capital improvements, including security cameras at the South Ozone Park and Woodhaven branches, and a roof replacement at the Ozone Park library.

“Queens Library’s locations serve as centers of lifelong learning and enrichment,” Katz said. “These are substantial investments for not only renovations, expansions and enhancements, but also for the families of Queens. These funds are designed to help Queens Library continue to be a first-class library system of learning, literacy and culture.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has reached out to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to urge the agency to complete its Part 150 Airport Noise Compatibility Planning studies as quickly and thoroughly as possible, so that it can begin taking noise mitigation steps and gradually improve the quality of life of the communities surrounding John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports.

“As you know, each day thousands of New Yorkers are adversely impacted by airplane noise. These communities need relief,” Schumer wrote in a letter to Port Authority Executive Director Patrick Foye.

According to the FAA, the Part 150 study is part of a program that provides a structured approach for airport operators, airlines, pilots, neighboring communities and the FAA to work together to reduce the number of people who live in noise-impacted areas – including south Queens communities Howard Beach, Hamilton Beach, and Lindenwood The study requires that members of the public have an opportunity for active and direct participation in the process through public meetings and hearings.

Through the Part 150 study, airport operators may consider different ways to reduce noise, including changing operational procedures (like take-offs and landings) or routing flight paths over less noise sensitive areas or provide sound insulation for homes, schools and other buildings near the airport, Schumer said.

The study has two phases: The first phase involves developing noise exposure maps to identify compatible and non-compatible land uses around the airport. The second step involves identifying mitigation efforts, which leads to a Noise Compatibility Program. Airports that conduct Part 150 studies and develop Noise Compatibility Programs are eligible for federal funds for noise mitigation, Schumer noted.

“While there is no silver bullet when it comes to addressing noise pollution around airports, the completion of the Part 150 studies can help play an important role in providing relief to communities,” Schumer said. “These important studies will finally evaluate the best ways to address noise impacts in communities surrounding JFK and LaGuardia airports. The Port Authority should complete these studies as quickly as they can so that our long sought relief of airplane noise is provided as soon as possible.”

Port Authority representatives did not return messages seeking comment on the letter to Foye and Schumer’s request.

Over the last several years, New York’s senators have tackled the issue of airplane noise in area neighborhoods. In August 2015, Schumer and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillbrand (D-N.Y.) announced $3.1 million in federal Department of Transportation funding for Part 150. They also successfully pushed for a hotline phone number for airplane noise complaints. And, after Schumer and Gillibrand’s urging, the State directed the Port Authority to hold regular roundtable discussions in collaboration with FAA representatives and other affected parties regarding issues at JFK and LaGuardia.

Additonally, last month, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) met with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to discuss ways to combat the familiar roar of aircraft over parts of the World’s Borough.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Forum Staff

It seems that at least one borough elected official is willing to go anywhere – another galaxy? – for a solution to Queens’ persistent airplane noise issue.

U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) last Thursday met with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to discuss ways to combat that familiar roar over parts of the World’s Borough.

NASA, Meng said, is working on technology to mitigate aircraft noise, and is seeking funding to test and further develop these initiatives so that they can be made available for commercial use.

Meng sat down in her Washington, D.C. office with Dr. Jaiwon Shin, NASA associate administrator for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. Shin works at NASA Headquarters in Washington and manages the agency’s aeronautics research portfolio, and guides its strategic direction. The portfolio includes research in the fundamental aeronautics of flight, aviation safety, and the nation’s airspace system.

Technology that NASA is pursuing, Meng noted, includes altering the shape of aircraft, and upgrading engines that have lower noise output. NASA is also examining methods of flight that would limit the amount of time that an airplane descends – a move that would reduce the number of homes that aircraft fly over at low altitudes. The agency has already begun testing this method of descent.

“I’ll talk to anybody who can play a role in mitigating airplane noise over our borough,” said Meng. “We must exhaust all traditional means in our fight against noise but we must also think out of the box and that is why I asked NASA to meet with me about the problem. Although most of the potential technology is years away, it is never too early to pursue it. Whether it’s NASA, increasing pressure on the FAA or my efforts to have the EPA take over mitigation efforts, we must continue to explore all possibilities to reduce excessive aircraft noise from the skies of Queens.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

Four Queens Library branches are now hosting opportunities to meet with a lawyer, free of charge, to find out how to apply for citizenship easily, and get free, confidential financial counseling, the Library announced last week. The sessions are part of the NYCitizenship program, and one of a few recent developments in the Library system.

NYCitizenship counseling confabs are by appointment only and held at Central Library, 89-11 Merrick Blvd. in Jamaica; Flushing Library, 41-17 Main St.; Jackson Heights Community Library, 35-51 81st St.; and Ridgewood Community Library, 20-12 Madison Street. To make an appointment, call 311 or (212) 514-4277.

NYCitizenship, according to the administration, is a collaborative effort by the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, the Big Apple’s three public library systems, city agencies, and philanthropic organizations that provides free information on applying for citizenship as well as legal assistance in completing applications, and financial education to help new citizens achieve sustainability.

In other Library news, it announced this week that, beginning this summer, it will pilot “digital wallpaper” in select partner locations such as hospital waiting rooms and family shelters. The digital wallpaper will help library card holders express-download digital content to their smart phones or tablets using either a Quick Response code or a shortened URL. Customers who do not have a library card can register for a free e-card online, on-the-spot, the Library said.

While the system’s full Virtual Library will be available at each location, the digital wallpaper will emphasize content that is most needed at that location. For instance, children’s books will be promoted in a location with a lot of children. Material will be available in languages other than English, as well. The downloads will work via a Wi-Fi network, so in most cases, customers will not incur data charges.

Additionally, Library President and CEO Dennis Walcott last Thursday testified before the City Council Committee on Finance, jointly with the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations, jointly with the Subcommittee on Libraries.
“In the six months since Queens Library implemented six-day service across the borough, more than 765,000 New Yorkers have visited the library on Saturdays,” Walcott said in a statement following the hearing. “Think about that – 765,000 in only six months and just on Saturdays. Those library visits are more than mere strolls in the neighborhood. They are people who are realizing more of their potential using library resources, whether it is to educate their children through early childhood literacy classes, or to learn a new job skill for themselves – they are all moving their lives forward. I am here today to tell you how much more we can do for the people of New York City should an additional $22 million – in addition to the FY 16 allocation – be invested in New York City libraries.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Forum Staff

The Queens Symphony Orchestra on Sunday presented “A Tribute to David Katz,” a free concert at Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Concert Hall in Flushing to honor the memory of David Katz, the founder of Queens Symphony Orchestra and father of Queens Borough President Melinda Katz.

The event, which was produced in association with the Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College, was planned by long time Queens Symphony board member Elsie Levy and directed by guest Maestro Elli Jaffe, the music director of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and the honorary foreign conductor of the Prague Symphony Orchestra.

The show featured the world premiere of “… and it was evening and it was morning…” Opus 132, composed by two-time Pulitzer-nominated composer Avrohom Leichtling.

Additionally, the program included the electric Mozart Sinfonia Concertante for violin and viola performed by Alexander Mishnaevski and Mark Peskanov; and Avi Albrecht, a former local celebrity baritone, who sang arias by Mozart, Rossini and Verdi, including selections from the opera “Rigoletto.” In addition to doing solo concerts all over the world, Albrecht has appeared with major symphony orchestras such as the Prague Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, Jerusalem Symphony and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

Borough President Katz sang “On My Own” from “Les Misérables” and “If I Were a Bell” from the Broadway musical “Guys and Dolls.” She spoke about how she strives to carry on the positive legacies of both her father and her mother, Queens Council on the Arts founder Jeanne Dale Katz.

“My parents were such unwavering believers in the potential of this great borough we get to call home. Perhaps it’s because they both lived and breathed the international language: music and the arts,” Katz said. “They were both able to see that even with all of our borough’s trademark diversity, we still have that much more in common than we do different. Even back then, they too saw the evolving landscape of Queens and the foresight to see any challenges as opportunities. My father firmly believed that one should not have to cross a bridge or a tunnel to access a world class orchestra, the finest concerts and classical education. Thank you to the Queens Symphony Orchestra and Board member Elsie Levy for spearheading the effort to honor my father’s dream and legacy.”

By Forum Staff

A Jamaica man has been charged with computer trespass, falsifying business records, and other crimes for allegedly being part of a scheme that attempted to con $2,000 from a Flushing resident. The alleged scam included placing a cold call to a computer user then claiming to be a Microsoft computer technician ready to remove dangerous viruses from the trusting resident’s home computer.

“The defendant is alleged to be part of a complex scheme that used savvy computer skills to first manipulate an unsuspecting Queens resident into believing that viruses infected her computer and then convincing the victim to permit the caller remote access to her computer. Computer users must be extremely careful in allowing remote access to their computers. Personal and financial information is just a click away and in the wrong hands can be devastating,” District Attorney Richard Brown said last Friday.

Julian Alexander, 56, was indicted on Thursday on charges of computer trespass, first- and second-degree falsifying business records, first-degree scheme to defraud, second-degree identity theft, fourth-degree attempted grand larceny and unauthorized use of a computer. Alexander was held on $100,000 bail and ordered to return to court on April 26. If convicted, he faces up to four years in prison.

According to the criminal complaint, a call was placed to the home of a Flushing resident last September, with the caller identifying himself as a Windows/Microsoft technician. Alexander is alleged to have then told the woman that there were viruses on her computer and instructed her on where to find them. The caller then allegedly claimed that he could remove the viruses for a fee of $199, and the victim agreed.

The victim was then shown how to download remote access software that would permit him access to her computer. She was then told the viruses had been removed. However, the “technician” called back the next day, stating the viruses were still on her computer and offered to refund the $199 fee. The caller allegedly again asked to remotely access the computer, and the victim acquiesced. The “technician” assisted her with accessing her bank account online and then proceeded to make the “refund.”

According to the charges, the “technician” then said he had made a mistake and deposited $2,000 into the account and requested that the victim wire it to WindowsPCServices.com. The victim did indeed see there was $2,000 more in the account (which had been transferred from the victim’s other account). A “supervisor” then came on the phone line and stated that the “technician” would be fired if the victim did not wire the money, at which point the “technician” began to cry and the victim, suspicious, disconnected the call.

An investigation of WindowsPCServices.com revealed that the website is registered to an individual by the name of Ruhaan Ansari with a home address in India. Alexander allegedly stated that this was his business partner and that he was a joint venture partner of WindowsPCServices.com. A search warrant was executed on the defendant’s laptop and a forensic examination allegedly found 155 emails from people alleging fraud and improper use and access to their computers.

Brown urged anyone who believes that they may have been a victim of this type of fraud to contact the Economic and Environmental Crimes Bureau at (718) 286-6673.

By Forum Staff

A Flushing man has been charged in an identity theft scheme involving a fraudulent loan procured using the personal identity information of an unsuspecting individual and monthly vehicle and insurance payments paid by fraudulently siphoning funds from the accounts of two other ID theft victims. The car’s unlicensed driver has also been charged with possessing stolen property.

“The main defendant is accused of orchestrating several very complicated and devious plots to fraudulently acquire goods for himself by using the hard-earned money and good credit acquired by others. The victims in this case include a car dealership in Queens, a New Jersey man, a mother and daughter and a property owner in Flushing, to name a few. Each victim’s life has been thrown into credit and banking chaos due to the defendant’s alleged greed,” said District Attorney Richard Brown.

Jin Guang, 29, and Qiu Chen, 26, both of Flushing, were each charged last Thursday with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, petit larceny, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and driving by unlicensed operator. In a separate complaint, Guang was additionally charged with second-, third- and fourth-degree grand larceny, second- and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, first- and second-degree identity theft, first-degree falsifying business records and petit larceny. Bail was set at $100,000 for Guang and $5,000 for Chen; both defendants were ordered to return to court on April 12. If convicted, Jin faces up to 15 years in prison, and Chen up to 4 years.

According to the criminal charges, Guang went to a Hyundai dealership in July 2015, inquiring about buying a 2015 Hyundai Sonata, valued at $52,000. Not approved for a car loan based on his credit report, Guang returned the following day with another individual who allegedly agreed to co-sign for Guang’s loan. Based on the information provided, the dealership approved Guang for the purchase of the vehicle. In December 2015, a New Jersey man filed a report with his local police stating that a vehicle loan in the amount of $47,000 was taken out at the Hyundai dealership using his personal information and that he neither authorized the loan nor did he ever attempt to purchase a Hyundai.

It is further alleged that a mother and daughter who shared an account at Dimes Savings Bank noticed in August and September 2015 several unauthorized charges had been applied to their account, including a payment to Hyundai toward a loan on the 2015 Sonata.

A homeowner who rented a basement apartment to Guang between September 2015 and February 2016 told authorities that he received a bank statement indicating that a duplicate New York State driver’s license was paid for through his account even though he never ordered the license and an unauthorized $600 payment via a money gram to Hyundai in which Guang’s name appeared in the message portion.

Another victim alleged that someone used his American Express card to pay for a duplicate New York State driver’s license in his name, even though he never ordered the license and that someone had used his social security number to apply for a credit card.

Still another victim’s bank statement allegedly revealed that his debit card had a payment for car insurance in Guang’s name.

In late March, Chen was allegedly driving the 2015 Hyundai Sonata with Guang as a passenger when police pulled over the vehicle in Flushing. When asked for identification, Chen allegedly stated she did not have any identification, although police did recover from Chen a New York State benefits card and credit cards in a different name. According to DMV records, Chen does not have a driver’s license.

The drug Ketamine was also found inside the vehicle, Brown added.

By Forum Staff

With the deadline to file your annual tribute to Uncle Sam a little more than a week away, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) has reminded borough residents and business owners about new tax breaks, signed into law by President Barack Obama in December, that individuals and small-business owners can claim during this year’s filing season.

“It is important for individuals and entrepreneurs to be aware of the critical tax breaks that they are entitled to receive,” said Meng, who voted in favor of the below breaks. “Residents and small business owners in Queens deserve to keep as much money as possible in their pockets, and this new tax relief will help allow that to happen. I urge borough residents to claim all the tax breaks for which they qualify.”

The measures that benefit individuals include:

The Child Tax Credit: Helps with the cost of raising children by allowing a $1,000 tax credit per qualifying child.

Commuter Tax Credit: Provides relief to mass transit commuters by increasing the amount of pre-tax dollars that can be used for bus and train transportation to work; the previous $130 per month limit has been raised to $255 per month, the same amount that those who drive to work can use for parking fees.

The American Opportunity Tax Credit: Assists with college tuition costs by permitting a tax credit of up to $2,500 per year for tuition and expenses.

The Earned Income Tax Credit: Aids low and middle income individuals who work. The amount of the credit depends on the employed individual’s income, marital status and number of children.

Teachers’ Tax Credit: Allows teachers to deduct up to $250 for money they personally spend on classroom expenses and professional development.

And some of the new tax breaks for business owners include:

Research and Development Credit: Tax credit for research and development costs for start-ups and established businesses; designed to spur innovation and research.

Small Business Expensing: Increases expensing limits for small businesses under section 179 of the tax code by allowing entrepreneurs to expense up to $500,000, up from $25,000, for equipment costs.

Landlord, Restaurant, Retailer Tax Break: Permits landlords, restaurants and retailers to recover the costs of renovations to commercial buildings over 15 years, a much quicker period of time than the law previously allowed.

By Forum Staff

Four borough residents have been charged with trademark counterfeiting following the seizure of counterfeit Apple electronic goods that had recently arrived from China with an estimated street value of more than $200,000, according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, and Angel Melendez, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in New York, who made the announcement last Thursday.

Min Jian Hu, 28, and Jonathan Zhou, 23, both of Fresh Meadows; and Dahun Wie, 21, and Huanchao Li, both of Oakland Gardens were arraigned last Wednseday evening on a charge of first-degree trademark counterfeiting. All four were released on their own recognizance and ordered to return to court on May 3. In the case of Hu, Judge Gia Morris ordered him to surrender his passport.

According to the criminal charges, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent on Feb. 28, 2016, inspected a package addressed to Hu, and which allegedly was found to contain 850 “Powerbeats” headphone boxes; 1,500 “Beats By Dre” and “Beats Pill” stereo boxes; and 300 logo caps, all of which were deemed counterfeit.

It is additionally alleged that an undercover NYPD detective met Wie in Queens earlier this month and was sold what were purported to be 10 Beats By Dre earbuds, five Beats By Dre speakers and five Beats By Dre headphones, which Wie had retrieved from a grey Toyota minivan. The undercover detective allegedly paid a total of $420 for the items, which were later deemed to be counterfeit, and made payment to a PayPal account listed as belonging to Hu. Four days later, the undercover detective again met Wie and this time was allegedly sold what were purported to be 10 Beats pill speakers, 10 mini-Beats pill speakers, and two Apple watches. The undercover officer allegedly paid $160 to a PayPal account listed as belonging to Hu, and $180 in cash to Wie.

It is further alleged that on the afternoon of March 9, members of the NYPD, Customs and Border Protection and Allegiance Protection Group, a private investigations and security firm which investigates counterfeiting on behalf of such clients as Apple, conducted a partial inspection of a shipping container at the Port Newark Container Terminal in Newark, N.J., which was addressed to Hu. The container allegedly contained numerous boxes containing counterfeit Apple watches bearing the Apple trademark and generic headphones, earbuds and speakers.  On March 15, the container was delivered to the loading dock of CubeSmart, a self-storage facility located in Flushing. It is alleged that eight individuals, including the four defendants, unloaded the merchandise from the container into a CubeSmart storage bin and into a grey Toyota Sienna and the grey Toyota Sienna driven by Wie.

Four court-authorized search warrants were executed later that day at CubeSmart’s loading area. Among the items allegedly recovered from the shipping container were 4,250 generic speakers, 4,320 generic headphones and purportedly 339 Apple watches. Additionally, a total of 18 boxes containing 604 generic speakers were allegedly seized from the burgundy and grey Toyota Sienna vehicles and five boxes of generic speakers were allegedly seized from the storage bin. The generic speakers and headphones were all approximately the same size and shape of various versions of Beats Pill speakers and Beats headphones, and the items recovered from the container, bin and two vehicles had an estimated street value of more than $200,000.

A fifth court-authorized search warrant was executed at Hu’s 168th Street residence. Allegedly recovered from the backyard and garage were what had purported to be 2,851 assorted Beats headphones, 1,070 assorted Beats Pill Speaks, 27 Apple watches, 458 Beats earbud cases, 4,000 Beats plastic logo caps and 4,050 assorted Beats By Dre headphone boxes.

Hu and Zhou both allegedly confessed to their roles in the counterfeit scheme.

If convicted, each faces up to 15 years in prison.

It’s odd to write these words, because their meaning seems to mark the end of an era:  Nancy Reagan died this week.  Regardless of whether or not you agreed with her husband’s politics, you can’t argue the lasting impact she had on this country and our world.

And, ironically, we write this on International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate those unique and substantial contributions such as hers.

Few other First Ladies have been as controversial or as criticized as Nancy was during Ronald’s presidency, for the elaborate and expensive embellishments she made to the White House and for the designer clothes she’d never be caught without.  Though the $200,000 china she bought was said to have been paid for by private donations she personally raised, the country was in a deep recession at the time, so, well, it looked bad.  The iconic red of that china, as well as of the dresses and suits she so often wore (and will be buried in) should, we’d argue, actually bear her name.  She made it graceful, not salacious, and maintained its power in her wearing of it.

Indeed, Nancy was a woman of quiet power.  While always careful to stand by her man, as it were, few, including the President himself, denied or begrudged the support and strength she provided the office.  And she somehow managed to do it in a way that never made it seem she was overstepping the bounds of First Lady.  Who can forget the famed, brilliantly simplistic “Just Say No” campaign, essentially Nancy’s brain child, which was such a huge part of our nation’s “War on Drugs?” The name of this years-long public service drive came about when she answered a young student’s question about what to do when someone offers you drugs.  If you’re too young to remember Just Say No, think of it as the parent ad campaign to the fried egg in “This is your brain on drugs,” which came just a few years later.

“Nancy Reagan was a trailblazer who was not afraid to tackle the hard issues America was facing during her time as First Lady. She was a First Lady who was emulated and respected for her intelligence, passion and class. She will be remembered fondly,” said Joann Ariola, Queens Republican district leader.

“Class.”  That’s a good word to use in describing Nancy Reagan.  Having been educated at Smith College, she was clearly a bright woman who had an influential, though deferential, role in her husband’s leadership when he needed her, then later and after he died, as an advocate for stem cell research and other causes.  Despite having made it widely known that she believed her life “began with Ronnie,” she’d had a fairly successful acting career before they even met. Her reputation at the White House was anything but demure.  Though in public her eyes were often lowered when they weren’t staring lovingly at her husband, and her mannerisms could seem demure, many who worked most closely with her called her intimidating.

Or maybe that was just the “Nancy Reagan Red” she wore.  Any interest, O.P.I. or Crayola?

By Forum Staff

A congressional committee on Monday convened a rare field hearing in Forest Hills to probe how the U.S. Small Business Administration can make international trade work for borough establishments.

The House Small Business Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade, the panel that oversees U.S. policy on exports, conducted “Overcoming Challenges to Exporting for Small Businesses” at Bramson ORT College. The hearing, led by U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing), the top Democrat on the panel, examined how the SBA can better help local small business owners export their products abroad.

Area companies, Meng said, could be missing out on valuable exporting opportunities that are worth millions of dollars.

“Promoting more trade opportunities for small businesses in Queens and New York City is critical,” Meng said. “The New York metropolitan area is the second largest exporting market in the United States with over $105 billion in exports. As a result, exporting is essential to job creation and key to our region’s growth. But many entrepreneurs still face challenges in accessing foreign markets including complexities associated with exporting, a lack of financing and confusing federal trade programs. We must do all we can to knock down these barriers so that we can build on our area’s exporting success, and make it easier for area businesses to sell their goods abroad. The SBA can play a critical role in facilitating this and I look forward to that happening. When small businesses succeed, America succeeds!”

Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-Queens/Brooklyn/Manhattan), ranking member, and Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio), Small Business Committee chairman, also participated in the hearing.

Witnesses who testified before the panel included Pascual Castaño, business advisor at the New York State Small Business Development Center; and Toni Corsini, New York/New Jersey regional manager of the U.S. Export Assistance Center, a division of the SBA.

More than 70 percent of the world’s purchasing power is located outside the U.S., according to Meng’s office, and over 95 percent of the world’s consumers reside abroad. Companies that export their products grow faster and mitigate risk during economic downturns. Some of the top New York export locations include Korea, China, Israel, Canada and Mexico.

By Michael V. Cusenza

A Flushing man has been charged with robbery as a hate crime, assault as a hate crime and several other offenses for two separate attacks in which Chinese women were beaten after being allegedly targeted by the suspect, who said, “I don’t like Chinese people,” according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.

Key Lee, 34, was arraigned last Thursday afternoon before Queens Criminal Court Judge (and former Astoria City Councilman) Peter Vallone, Jr. on two separate complaints. The first complaint is for an alleged attack on Jan. 27, 2016, in which Lee is charged with second-degree robbery as a hate crime, third-degree assault as a hate crime, second-degree unlawful imprisonment as a hate crime, and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property. In the second complaint, for an alleged attack last Wednesday, Lee is charged with second-degree robbery as a hate crime, third-degree assault as a hate crime, and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property. Bail was set at $500,000 for each complaint and Lee’s next court date is Feb. 25.

According to the charges for the January 2016 incident, the victim, Ling Chou, was cleaning snow from her car in Flushing following last month’s historic blizzard. The victim noticed Lee standing on a nearby corner smoking a cigarette, but continued to clean away the layers of snow. When she opened the back door of her vehicle, Lee allegedly rushed her and pushed her into the back seat covering her body with his. He then, allegedly, closed the car’s door and began to punch Chou repeatedly in the face. Lee allegedly grabbed her purse and left the vehicle with her credit card, ID and $2,000 in cash inside her handbag.

According to that complaint, Lee was shown surveillance video of the incident and allegedly admitted to investigators that he was the person who robbed Chou. Lee, who according to booking records is of South Korean descent, allegedly said he was angry following an argument with his wife and that he used to work as a cab driver and the majority of his customers were Chinese. “I wanted to fight someone because the Chinese people were rude and smoking in the car…I wanted to pick a fight and that is when I saw one female cleaning snow and we made eye contact.”
Lee also allegedly indicated that he became even angrier when he and Chou made eye contact and allegedly told authorities, “I couldn’t take it anymore. I decided she’s the one. I started beating her.”

In the complaint for the alleged assault and robbery last Wednesday, Lee allegedly pounced on the victim, Ziao Feng, as she walked toward her apartment building. The woman was allegedly punched in the face several times before her handbag was taken and the defendant allegedly ran off with her credit cards, identification and $2,000 cash inside.

According to the charges, Lee said at the time of his arrest that he had been driving home when Feng apparently cut him off in traffic and failed to signal, so he allegedly followed her and when she parked her car he continued to follow her on foot and then allegedly attacked her. He is alleged to have told investigators, “I don’t like the Chinese and I went to Flushing to look for Chinese people.”

“This kind of bigotry and racism is not acceptable in a civilized society,” Brown said of Lee’s alleged actions.

If convicted, Lee faces up to 50 years in prison.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Forum Staff

A Flushing woman has been charged with labor trafficking and other offenses for allegedly endangering the lives of two Korean children – now 16 and 14 – whom she took into her home in 2010 and then forced to do her bidding over a six-year period, according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.

Sook Yeong Park, 42, was arraigned last Saturday on a criminal complaint charging her with labor trafficking, third-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child. Park, who faces up to seven years in prison if convicted, posted the $10,000 bond/$2,500 cash bail. She was has been ordered to return to court on Feb. 16.

According to the criminal charges, the two victims — a 16-year-old female and her 14-year-old brother — were brought to the United States from Korea in approximately January 2010 by one of Park’s relatives, who delivered them to Park at her former borough residence. Thereafter, it is alleged that Park confiscated the siblings’ passports and moved to her present location.

Shortly after being placed with Park, the female victim was forced to work almost every day after school for approximately 10 hours (4 p.m. to 2 a.m.) doing housework, including cleaning Park’s home for her and her family, as well as forcing the teen to give her back and foot massages, and manicures and pedicures. In one instance, Brown said, it is alleged that Park forced the young female victim to give her a five-hour body massage while Park watched television.

Beginning in April 2013 and continuing until approximately 2014, the charges state, Park started requiring the female victim to work at a borough grocery store roughly two days a week for eight hours a day at a salary of $10 an hour—which the victim was forced to turn over in full to Park.

From approximately September 2014 through January 2016, Park forced the female victim to work several days a week at a grocery store on Northern Boulevard, as well as at other grocery stores in Manhattan, for nine hours a day at a wage of $10 an hour. As before, the victim allegedly had to turn over all her earnings to Park.

Beginning in August 2015, the boy was also required to work at the grocery store for at least one day a month and turn over all his wages to Park. The two children were allegedly told by Park that they had to work to pay their expenses because their mother wasn’t sending her any money from Korea.

During this time, Park allegedly routinely beat the siblings by striking them with objects, slapping them, stepping on their legs and kicking them about the body for not obeying her orders, causing them to fear her. Over the past year, it is alleged that Park often made the female victim miss school in order to assist her and clean her residence.  In one instance, Park allegedly did not allow her to attend school for approximately one month so she could work in the house assisting Park.

The matter came to light when the children reported the physical abuse to school officials who, in turn, notified the police, Brown said.

“The defendant lives on a quiet, tree-lined Queens street with neat brick veneer homes that offered no clues to the horrors that she allegedly made her two young victims endure beginning when they were nine and eleven in age,” Brown noted.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Four Queens elected officials last week delivered emphatic endorsements of a three-day music and technology festival that heavyweight promoters hope to hold next summer in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.

U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Queens and Bronx) and City Councilmembers Julissa Ferreras-Copeland (D-East Elmhurst), Peter Koo (D-Flushing), and Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills) threw their support behind the Panorama Music Festival last Wednesday in a release issued by Goldenvoice, a division of the Anschutz Entertainment Group, one of five promoters vying for permits from the City to produce the massive event.

“The Panorama Music Festival will provide a fantastic opportunity for Queens to take its rightful place as a New York City showcase,” Crowley said. “I am excited to help bring a world-class music, technology, food and art festival to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.”

Panorama will present three days of “top-tier musical performances, dynamic art installations, and unique technology experiences honoring the park’s history as the site of the innovative and historic 1939 and 1964 World’s Fairs,” according to Goldenvoice.

The promoter also said it has outlined a plan for how Panorama “will enrich the borough beyond the event itself. Panorama will provide a donation per paid ticket to the newly formed Flushing Meadows-Corona Park Alliance, which will be used to assist in their endeavors. Goldenvoice has committed to local hiring for jobs associated with the festival and Panorama will further support area businesses by working with local restaurants and food trucks inside the event to showcase the diverse and exceptional cuisines in Queens.”

Ferreras-Copeland called Goldenvoice “a model partner for a festival in our community. They have been engaging the community for the last two years. Panorama’s producers listened to the community concerns and adjusted their application to reflect the community’s desires.”

However, plans to rent out the expansive park for such events have been a source of contention in Queens.

“While public events of any scale that enhance our borough are encouraged, I take issue when it is at the expense of cutting off public access to our treasured parks like Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, which is enjoyed by thousands of families and residents every week in the summer months,” said Queens Borough President Melinda Katz.

Goldenvoice, which has been under the AEG umbrella since 2001, produces the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, consistently among the most in-demand concert tickets in the world. Additionally, according to a 2012 economic impact study featured in Spin magazine, Coachella brought $254.4 million to the desert region that year.

The City Parks Department has confirmed that it has received permit applications from several organizations interested in producing festivals in FMCP, but has not indicated when a final decision will be made.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

A federal grand jury in Brooklyn last week returned an indictment charging borough resident Munther Omar Saleh with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, and with assaulting and conspiring to assault federal officers, according to authorities.

During the conspiracy, Saleh and Fareed Mumuni expressed “fervent support” for ISIL.  Saleh, who lives in Flushing, and Mumuni allegedly conspired to conduct an attack in the United States, including plotting to use a pressure cooker bomb in the New York metropolitan area on behalf of ISIL, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

On June 13, Saleh and another individual were arrested in Queens after they allegedly charged at a federal officer while armed with knives after pulling over on the Whitestone Expressway. The agent reportedly had been tailing the duo.

And four days later, during the execution of a search warrant at his residence in Staten Island, Mumuni was arrested after repeatedly stabbing a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent in the torso with a large kitchen knife. Fortunately, said Kelly Currie, acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, the blade did not penetrate the agent’s body armor. During a search of the vehicle used by Mumuni, investigators recovered a second large knife.

“Both Munther Omar Saleh and Fareed Mumuni allegedly conspired to provide material support to ISIL.  Both men also attacked law enforcement officers who work to keep our communities safe,” Currie said. “The officers exercised extraordinary skill and restraint in safely subduing the defendants, who will now face the full force of justice in federal court.”

If convicted, Saleh faces a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.

“Stabbing an FBI agent and providing material support to a designated terrorist organization [is] a recipe for indictment, as alleged,” said Police Commissioner Bill Bratton. “I commend the agents and detectives from the Manhattan-based Joint Terrorism Task Force and prosecutors in the Eastern District for their work on this case.”

By Michael V. Cusenza   michael@theforumnewsgroup.com