Mayor Bill de Blasio visited some of the damaged houses after the Nov. 30, 2019 disaster.

By Michael V. Cusenza

As the one-year anniversary of the South Queens sewage flood disaster approaches, attorneys for many of the homeowners affected by the incident say the City has failed to negotiate in good faith to pay for the damage incurred in their residences.

“Incredulously, the City’s reason for offering less than fair market value on everything that was lost, which had to be replaced and rebuilt, was that our clients do not all have a complete inventory of lost items with photographs of the items,” said Craig Phemister of Napoli Shkolnik PLLC. “The City’s position is abhorrent, given that the City is the one who rushed in to remove all the contaminated items. The City should have been the ones to properly inventory and photograph the removed items before disposing of them.”

In a December 2019 Department of Environmental Protection report, the City admitted that the collapse of an old pipe installed 32 years ago 40 feet underground along 150th Street near South Conduit Avenue caused an extensive flood of raw sewage on Nov. 30, 2019 that damaged more than 70 homes in South Ozone Park and Jamaica.

The DEP even stated in the analysis that it “accepts responsibility” for the calamity.

The City has confirmed that more than 70 homes in South Ozone Park and Jamaica were affected by flooding. File Photo

Napoli Shkolnik has filed a lawsuit “against the City to recover all that was lost and had to be replaced or repaired due to the City’s negligence in installing and maintaining the sewage system in Ozone Park,” Phemister said.

“It is imperative that the City take action on this, as they promised they would,” he added.

According to the DEP, the “road collapsing due to the subsidence of overburden demonstrates that the 42-inch sewer constructed in 1987 is significantly collapsed, and that any other cause for the November 30th blockage is extremely unlikely.”

The stabbing occurred during a violent brawl inside Cookie’s Lounge in Ozone Park.

By Michael V. Cusenza

A Jamaica man has been convicted in the July 2017 stabbing death of a man inside of an Ozone Park watering hole, Acting Queens District Attorney John Ryan recently announced.

Following a two-week trial, Kenneth Shaw, 38, was found guilty last Wednesday of first-degree manslaughter. He faces five to 25 years in prison.

According to trial testimony, on July 13, 2017, at approximately 12:55 a.m. inside of Cookie’s Lounge on Cross Bay Boulevard, Shaw touched the tattoo of a woman at the bar. The woman’s friend took offense and pushed Shaw and a brawl ensued. John Savillo, 55, of Ozone Park, allegedly broke a stool over another patron’s head and choked him. Savillo was then stabbed twice in the torso and sustained a lacerated liver.

Savillo was immediately transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center with internal bleeding. The married father and grandfather succumbed to his injuries about 13 hours after the fight.

Ryan said that Shaw “turned an evening in a bar into mayhem and bloodshed. A man is dead over a petty dispute and the defendant has now been found guilty of taking a life. After careful deliberation, the jury found him guilty and the defendant will face a lengthy term of punishment for this senseless act of violence.”

However, then-DA Richard Brown originally balked at prosecuting Shaw. According to law enforcement officials, witnesses supported his claim that Savillo initiated the melee.

“The District Attorney’s Office has declined to file charges at this time, citing the need for further investigation,” spokesman Kevin Ryan told The Forum on Monday, July 17, 2017.

This did not sit well with Savillo’s loved ones.

“It’s an injustice that this man is allowed to go on with his life,” John Andriano, a nephew of Savillo, told the New York Daily News.

Shaw was indicted a month later. He was arraigned on Aug. 29, 2017, on a single charge of first-degree manslaughter with intent to cause physical injury.

The DA’s Office did not explain why it switched gears and ultimately decided to present the case to the grand jury. Shaw’s attorney, Marcia Payton, did not return a call seeking comment.

Shaw is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 2.

Councilman Eric Ulrich this week announced his intention to run in the special election for Public Advocate.

By Michael V. Cusenza

After weeks of speculation, City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) announced on Monday that he is running for Public Advocate in the upcoming special election for the citywide post that Tish James will vacate on Jan. 1 when she is sworn in as State attorney general.

Ulrich, 33, made it official with a 70-second YouTube video filmed in his native Ozone Park.

“Now, more than ever, New Yorkers are looking for someone who’s willing to stand up to Mayor de Blasio and his so-called progressive agenda,” Ulrich said.

For years, the councilman, who has represented South Queens on the council since 2009, has been quite vocal about his disdain for de Blasio and his politics, often relishing his role as the wily fly in Hizzoner’s liberal liniment.

“If you ask the mayor who on the City Council annoys him the most,” Ulrich said at a 2017 Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic meeting, “he’ll tell you it’s me.”

The YouTube clip presents more of that anti-de Blasio bravado. Ulrich uses the platform to make his case as the best man to bring checks and balances back to Gotham politics.

“I’m running for Public Advocate because I believe that we as a city deserve better, and because I want to give a voice to the majority of New Yorkers who this mayor continues to ignore,” Ulrich said. “Time and time again, this mayor has let us down, or he sold out the people of this city in exchange for a campaign contribution or a political favor. It’s no secret that it’s the special-interest groups and the lobbyists that are calling the shots at City Hall. It must end. And it can end.”

Ulrich enters an already crowded fray. On Wednesday, Gotham Gazette estimated that there are “roughly two-dozen candidates who have officially declared or indicated they are exploring a run in the expected February special election for New York City Public Advocate.”

Search warrants netted numerous illegal guns, including an AR-15 (similar to the one pictured).

By Forum Staff

An acting captain in the Gambino crime family has admitted to his involvement in acts of loansharking and illegal gambling in Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, federal authorities announced on Thursday.
John “Johnny Boy” Ambrosio, 74, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy in federal court in Central Islip. Prosecutors noted that the Huntington resident is the last defendant to plead guilty in a superseding indictment that charged him and six members and associates of the Gambino family and a member of the Bonanno family. Co-conspirators Frank Salerno, 43, of Whitestone; Thomas Anzalone, 44, of Ozone Park; and Alessandro Damelio, 49, of Whitestone; as well as Joseph Durso, Anthony Rodolico and Anthony Saladino, all Gambino associates and residents of Long Island, have previously entered pleas of guilty to racketeering conspiracy.
According to the superseding indictment, between January 2014 and December 2017, Ambrosio and his co-conspirators engaged in a racketeering conspiracy, which included loansharking, operating illegal gambling businesses, narcotics distribution conspiracy, and obstruction of justice conspiracy.At his guilty plea, Ambrosio admitted to participating in the affairs of the Gambino family by collecting an extortionate loan from one victim, and supervising a gambling business involving poker games, electronic gaming machines and sports betting. As part of his plea agreement with the government, Ambrosio will forfeit $100,000, including $66,116 in cash that was seized from his home at the time he was taken into custody.
When Ambrosio and his co-conspirators were arrested on Dec. 12, 2017, law enforcement agents executed search warrants at various locations, including a storage facility in Nassau County, and recovered gambling and loan sharking records, electronic gaming machines, narcotics and narcotics paraphernalia, and numerous firearms, including an AR-15, a .38-caliber revolver, and a sawed-off shotgun. Agents also recovered letters addressed to Ambrosio from Bonanno family boss Michael “The Nose” Mancuso and former Gambino family boss, and Howard Beach resident, John Gotti.
When sentenced later this year, Ambrosio, Anzalone, Damelio, Durso, and Rodolico each face a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment. Saladino and Salerno each face a mandatory minimum of five years’ imprisonment and up to 40 years for the cocaine distribution conspiracy offenses.

Some positive and negative changes are on the way to Select Bus Service lanes along Cross Bay Boulevard.

By Michael V. Cusenza

The Saturday “rush hour” limitations on parking in curbside Select Bus Service lanes along Cross Bay Boulevard south of Liberty Avenue have been lifted, according to area elected officials.
State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) and Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach), who have been in discussions with the City Department of Transportation for months to amend the active hours, made the announcement on Thursday in front of C-Town Supermarket on Cross Bay Boulevard and Sutter Avenue.
“When I first saw that the curbside SBS lanes would be in effect on Saturdays, I knew that had to be changed. There is no rush hour on Saturday, so I felt that day should be given back to the drivers, allowing them to park and access the local businesses,” Addabbo said. “I am glad to see that DOT heard the frustrations and followed through on their promise to continue to look at the SBS route after it was implemented to see how it affected the residents and business owners.”
When the new Q52/Q53 Woodhaven-Cross Bay Corridor bus service began in November, curbside SBS lanes were active during the morning and afternoon rush hours, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, frustrating area residents and business owners who lamented the loss of valuable parking spots.
Pheffer Amato praised DOT for the “common sense” move.
“Our local businesses are the heart and soul of South Queens, it is great to see the Department of Transportation listen and work with our community to ensure residents can have the ability to access their local businesses and facilities,” she said.
Addabbo called the Saturday change a big win for area entrepreneurs. Since November, Addabbo, Pheffer, City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), and Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven) have been inundated with business-constituent concerns regarding the negative impact of the City’s latest SBS venture.
“While it is important to expand bus service to neighborhoods like the Rockaways, where transportation options are limited – it is crucial the expansion does not come at the expense of residents and local business owners,” Ulrich said.
“Many businesses were negatively affected by the SBS lanes,” Addabbo added. “This change is a step in the right direction to make the roads accessible for everyone and I appreciate DOT’s willingness to work with the local electeds and the community.”
In other SBS news, on Monday DOT announced that, beginning Feb. 20, it will be issuing bus lane camera violations along the Cross Bay route.
If you drive, park, or stand in a bus lane during hours of operation you face fines ranging from $115 to $150, DOT noted.
Each corridor has signage indicating the hours that the bus lanes are operable, and that the lanes are camera enforced. The department indicated that it issues warnings to motorists for at least 60 days prior, per state law, when the cameras are first operated to ensure that drivers are informed about the program. Since violations are issued against the vehicle, not the driver, points are not deducted from motorists’ licenses.

Capt. Brian Bohannon and Capt. Courtney Nilan

By Michael V. Cusenza

It certainly has been a banner 12 months for the City’s Finest. As of Wednesday, Dec. 27, there had been an eye-popping 286 murders in the five boroughs in 2017 – the lowest number on record.
For perspective, in the early 1990s the NYPD investigated more than 2,000 homicides per year.
Ask any veteran beat cop, seasoned gumshoe, or legendary boss: Success starts at the precinct level.
So The Forum sat down with the commanders of the 102nd and 106th precincts this week to learn more about their 2017 success stories, and the issues they’re looking to address during the first few weeks of 2018.
Though Capt. Courtney Nilan only assumed the reins of the 102 six weeks ago, the borough native is quite familiar with the command – she was its Special Operations lieutenant for two years. Nilan is especially proud of the overall decrease in crime in the precinct – 21 percent compared to 2016; the steepest drop of all Queens South posts. And the two-year difference is even more remarkable: 34 percent.
Nilan points to precision policing, technological advances, and the improvement in cop-community relations as reasons for the crime-fighting achievements in the 102.
“Technology has a lot to do with it; it deters a lot of criminals. Nowadays, you can’t commit a crime without being on 10 different videos, or tracked on your phones,” she noted.
Though the 102 isn’t set to install the department’s wildly successful Neighborhood Policing program until this summer, Nilan credits a strengthening of the unique bond between police and the people they swore to protect and serve with helping to bring down negative numbers.
“It has helped both with crime prevention and solving crimes after they happen,” she added.
As for what’s on her radar for 2018, Nilan said she’s focusing on a small uptick in commercial burglaries in the precinct, especially on Jamaica Avenue, 101st Avenue, and Atlantic Avenue.
Captain Brian Bohannon has skippered the 106th Precinct ship for the past 14 months. For 2017, overall crime is down more than 5 percent; two-year totals have it plummeting nearly 20 percent. He points to technology, the Neighborhood Policing program, which launched in the 106 over the summer, and “accurate and quick dissemination of intelligence” as pillars of his precinct’s success.
“Where crimes occurred, how they occurred – we can get that to our officers quickly, pretty much in real time,” he told The Forum. “And we’re getting a lot of good feedback on Neighborhood Policing. If we get a call about smoke, we address it before it becomes fire. And the people trust that we’re responding to them.”
In the first weeks of 2018, Bohannon said he’s also attacking a commercial burglary issue and some quality of life holdovers.
Overall he’s “extremely happy and confident in the command,” he added, “and looking forward to building on our success.”

Xylique Lovelace-Loney was killed when two cars collided Sunday night at the intersection of Sutter Avenue and 80th Street.

By Michael V. Cusenza

An 18-year-old man was killed and another young man was injured late Saturday night in a two-vehicle crash at an infamous Ozone Park intersection, according to police and published reports.

Xylique Lovelace-Loney was driving eastbound on Sutter Avenue shortly after 10 p.m. when his car collided with an auto heading northbound on 80th Street, cops said. The jarring impact sent both vehicles into parked cars.

After firefighters cut Lovelace-Loney out of his sedan, emergency medical service personnel rushed him to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he later died. The other driver, 21, suffered minor injuries.

Residents who live near the crash site said the intersection is notoriously dangerous.

“There’s been so many accidents here. I don’t even let the kids play out in the front,” Rondel Boodram told CBS New York. “My wife has petitioned to get a four-way stop sign and nothing, so we’re hoping this tragic event helps us get a stop sign or stoplight here. It’s crazy.”

On Sunday morning, City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) called the accident “every parent’s worst nightmare,” and indicated that he would be meeting with officials from the City Department of Transportation and 106th Precinct this week “to see if there is any way to make this intersection safer.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

The summer crime story of the 106th Precinct was a relatively blissfully quiet tale, according to command brass who on Tuesday delivered statistics to area residents at the Howard Beach-Lindenwood Civic meeting at St. Helen Catholic Academy.

“The summer was pretty slow,” said Capt. Michael Edmonds, executive officer of the precinct.

Overall, complaints for major index crimes – murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny, and grand larceny auto – are down by more than 100, year to date, compared to the same period in 2016.

“That’s pretty much because of the eyes and ears of my cops,” Edmonds added.

The XO later extolled the benefits of Neighborhood-Based Policing, which was instituted in the 106 in July.

“It’s definitely been working out,” he said.

Captain Edmonds also noted that thanks in large part to the new Neighborhood-Based Policing approach, response times in the south Queens command has plummeted to approximately five minutes from nine minutes just a year ago. This statistic elicited loud cheers from all inside St. Helen’s cafeteria.

In other civic meeting developments, Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach) noted that she’s gearing up for an upcoming special conference in Albany to discuss the funding of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Pheffer Amato pledged to raise the subject of reactivating the long-defunct 3.5 mile Rockaway Beach Rail Line, which, before it was shuttered in 1962, connected Rockaway and southern Queens with Rego Park, provided area residents with expedient access to other parts of the city, and 40-minute commutes to Midtown Manhattan from the Rockaway Peninsula.

The transformed track would be known as QueensRail.

“If it ever has the chance to get on the books, it’s kind of right now,” the assemblywoman said on Tuesday evening. “We can’t keep investing in the same system; we have to have an alternative.”

Pheffer Amato also mentioned that groups supporting the concept of the QueensWay project – converting the abandoned RBRL into a $120 million public park, similar to the Highline in Chelsea, boasting trails and amenities – have not been amenable to compromise.

“We met with them, and they really weren’t budging,” she said.

Still, the assemblywoman indicated that she has faith that the underfunded underdogs will emerge victorious.

“I’m not concerned with their fancy brochures and buttons – we are the voice of the people,” Pheffer Amato added. “I do believe in [the QueensRail]. I do believe transportation will prevail.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

South Queens Assembly candidate Stacey Pheffer Amato last week hosted supporters at the formal grand opening of her campaign headquarters in Rockaway Beach.

The Democrat, who is vying to succeed Phil Goldfeder in the 23^rd District, welcomed more than 100 guests to the Rockaway Beach Boulevard office.

“Truly overwhelmed by such a strong showing of support from my friends, family and community!” Pheffer Amato wrote on her Facebook page last Thursday evening. “Thank you to everyone who came out to help me open my office tonight and kick start our campaign! I could not have asked for a better night!”

It’s been a busy week for the Rockaway Democratic district leader. On Tuesday, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East and the New York State Nurses Association endorsed Pheffer Amato.

“Stacey’s commitment to ensuring every family receives the best possible healthcare makes her the clear champion of working New Yorkers and the values we hold dear,” said Helen Schaub, 1199SEIU vice president for Policy and Legislation. “At a time when healthcare is transforming, she will ‎fight for access to needed services and high quality jobs. Stacey will be a powerful voice in Albany for the working people of Queens.”

Goldfeder stunned colleagues and constituents in June when he announced that he would not seek a fourth term in Albany. The popular pol’s next stop will be Yeshiva University, where he is slated to step in as director of Government Relations in January.

Goldfeder quickly endorsed Pheffer Amato, calling her “that strong voice who will continue our work to ensure every family can recover from [Superstorm] Sandy, have access to transportation, and look forward to a better future for themselves and their children.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

In the span of roughly 60 hours, last Friday evening to Monday morning, it seemed that Jon Greenfield put the finishing touches on the coda to one chapter of his professional life, and embarked on the introduction to a new one.

Friday marked Greenfield’s last day as communications director and policy advisor for Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach), who announced in June that he will serve out the rest of his third term in office and not seek reelection.  And on Monday, Greenfield joined Democratic consulting firm Red Horse Strategies as communications manager for the Brooklyn-based organization’s election and advocacy work across the state.

“I’m honored to join the Red Horse family and bring my experiences in communications to their work across the state,” Greenfield said. “Red Horse has set the standard for engaged, successful media campaigns in New York politics and being a part of this process is an exciting opportunity for me. I look forward to applying the lessons learned during my time with Assemblyman Goldfeder to this new chapter.”

Greenfield told The Forum on Tuesday that he soaked up as much as possible in his three years in the 23^rd Assembly District.

“I was proud to have been a part of each and every effort by Assemblyman Goldfeder to improve the community and fight for the issues that mattered most to families,” he said. “It was a truly great experience for me to witness firsthand the Assemblyman’s depth of knowledge and passion for making the community a better place. It was a lesson in public service that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.”

Goldfeder said Red Horse now boasts one of the best in the business.

“I have always highly valued my communications operation as the best way to connect with families in southern Queens and Rockaway, and drive the conversation on issues that matter most,” said Goldfeder, who is slated to step in next year as director of Government Relations for Yeshiva University. “Jon was a tremendously valuable member of my staff, a first class Communications Director and most importantly, a great friend. He brought such professionalism and creativity to his role with my office that he made my work easy. He has a bright future ahead of him and I wish him all the best in this new role.”

As part of his work for Red Horse, Greenfield will be providing press and communications support for Stacey Pheffer Amato, who is seeking to succeed Goldfeder; and with Adrienne Adams, who is running for State Senate in the 10th District, which overlaps Goldfeder’s district.

Asked what event, issue, project from his time serving AD 23 really resonated with him, Greenfield said it’s difficult to pick just one, “though I am especially proud of our fight to reactivate the Rockaway Beach Rail Line because improving transportation touches so many parts of people’s lives. It opens up access to new employment opportunities, helps spur economic growth for neighborhoods still struggling from [Superstorm] Sandy, and connects families across the borough. I spent so much time on the fight to reactivate the line – from attending rallies, walking the length of the right-of-way, digging up old planning documents and meeting with advocates – that it will always stand out in my mind.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

A Queens grand jury has returned a five-count indictment charging Oscar Morel with fatally shooting Imam Maulana Akonjee and his associate and friend, Thara Uddin, as they walked home following afternoon prayers at the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in Ozone Park, District Attorney Richard Brown announced on Monday.

Both men sustained gunshot wounds to the head and were transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center where they were pronounced dead.

The indictment charges Morel, 35, with one count of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, Brown noted.

“In addition to the second-degree murder charges, the grand jury has charged the defendant with first-degree murder under subparagraph (1)(a)(viii) of Penal Law Section 125.27,” he said, “which states, in part, that ‘with intent to cause the death of another person, he causes the death of such person or of a third person; and . . . as part of the same criminal transaction, the defendant, with intent to cause serious physical injury to or the death of an additional person or persons, causes the death of an additional person or persons . . . ’”

According to the charges, Imam Akonjee, 55, and Uddin, 64, were walking home from the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque on Glenmore Avenue in Ozone Park just before 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 13, when Morel allegedly came up behind the two men at the intersection of 79th Street and Liberty Avenue and fired multiple rounds, including a single gunshot wound to the head of both victims.

“The defendant’s alleged actions strike at the very heart of our county’s Muslim community,” Brown added. “Both victims were gentle men of peace and their deaths are a devastating loss to their families and the community that they served. I extend my deepest condolences to the families of the victims and assure them that the law enforcement community will work tirelessly to ensure that justice is done in this case.”

Morel, of East New York, did not attend Monday’s proceedings. He is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment next month.

Morel has maintained his innocence since he was arrested on Aug. 14. Investigators are still trying to pin down a motive for the murders.

“It wasn’t me,” Morel said to a New York Daily News reporter. “I like all types of religions.”

The Islamic Leadership Council of NY has set up a GoFundMe page to help raise funds for the families of the victims. As of Wednesday evening, more than $81,000 had been raised. The listed goal is $500,000.

“Two families have lost their father, husband, brother, uncle, son and a whole community has lost two beloved Imams dedicated to serving their community,” reads a message on the crowdfunding site. “As you pray for this family and pressure for justice, also remember that the two families are in true need of financial support during this horrible time. Funeral expenses, rent, food, clothing, utilities, and other expenses still need to be paid for over the foreseeable future.”

For more information, visit gofundme.com/ImamsMaulama-Thara.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

An East New York man this week was charged with the fatal double shooting of Imam Maulana Akonjee and his assistant and friend, Thara Uddin, as they walked home on Saturday following afternoon prayers at the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in Ozone Park, according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, who noted that “the motivation for this violent act is still unclear.”

Oscar Morel, 35, was arraigned on Tuesday on a criminal complaint charging him with one count of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Morel was remanded. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison without parole.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce on Monday evening detailed how investigators arrived at the suspect currently in custody. Courtesy of NYPD

According to the charges, Imam Akonjee, 55, and Uddin, 64, were walking home from the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque on Glenmore Avenue in Ozone Park just before 2 p.m. on Saturday when Morel came up behind the two men at the intersection of 79^th Street and Liberty Avenue and fired multiple rounds, including a single gunshot wound to the head of both victims. Akonjee and Uddin were rushed to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center where they were pronounced dead.

Brown characterized the deaths as “a devastating loss to their families and the community that they served as men of peace. I want to extend my deepest sympathy to the families of Imam Maulana Akonjee and Thara Uddin and assure them that the law enforcement community will work tirelessly to insure that justice is done in this case.”

Many in the Bengali communities in southern Queens have been calling on the NYPD and Brown’s office to officially handle the homicides as hate crime.

“We are pleased with the swift actions of the NYPD, which led to the arrest of the alleged perpetrator of this inhumane act of violence,” said Afaf Nasher, executive director of the New York Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “While we are encouraged by the charges filed, we strongly urge law enforcement, prosecutors and the mayor to keep their promise of a thorough investigation, which includes the possibility of a bias motive for the killings.”

Brown acknowledged that one of the motives being explored by investigators is “whether this was a hate crime. Crimes motivated by bias or hate are deplorable and can never be tolerated. Regardless, however, whether a hate crime was committed in this case, the crime will be vigorously prosecuted and we will seek the most serious penalties that our law allows. Indeed, the defendant is being charged with murder in the first degree, which is based upon the intentional killing of two individuals during the same transaction, and which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted.”

Morel’s next court date is Aug. 18.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

It has been a formidable, faith-testing fortnight for our beloved borough.

Two weeks that most of us wish we could simply hit an existential Delete button and be done with forever.

Alas, no, we are saddled with these last 336 hours – and the raw, emotional aftermath of the soul-scarring events contained therein.

The Howard Beach community has been wracked by palpable grief, anger, and anxiety since the violent, vicious murder of Karina Vetrano, who was beaten, raped, and strangled while out on her daily run inside Spring Creek Park on Aug. 2.

Two weeks later. No suspects. No person of interest. No durable lead.

Asked if his family has had time to heal, Phil Vetrano replied that he doesn’t believe they’ll ever truly be able to.

Then, on Aug. 13, a sweltering summer Saturday in the city, an admired imam and his assistant are gunned down on Liberty Avenue as they walked home from afternoon prayers at their mosque.

The alleged perpetrator has been caught. But investigators still don’t have a motive.

The question on many minds: Is it hate?

While the answer at the moment is uncertain, we definitely witnessed simple acts of unmitigated love this week that give us hope for the next fortnight and forever.

As a result of the assassination of the cleric and his assistant in Ozone Park, Muslims across the country have expressed anxiety over walking to and from their houses of worship. No worries, said so many on social media.

I’ll walk with you.

And a movement of hope was born out of a dire need for humanity and humility.

“I’m big and tall and scary looking, and I love you and I want you to feel safe #IllWalkWithYou” Willem Smith tweeted to any Muslim having second thoughts about going outside alone.

This simple, gargantuan gesture made me think of a line of dialog I cribbed from a recent film.

“You’re a kite dancing in a hurricane.”

These last two weeks have been the ultimate sh*t-storm for our southern Queens communities. But I see so many unbreakable kites on the horizon…and hope is not far behind.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Hundreds of south Queens civic leaders, concerned residents, and business owners gathered in Woodhaven last Saturday to voice their opposition to the City’s Woodhaven-Cross Bay Boulevards Select Bus Service project.

Organized by the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association, the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation, Woodhaven Business Improvement District, and the Queens Public Transit Committee, the rally called more attention to the massive, transformative plan that, according to the Department of Transportation, aims “to implement Select Bus Service improvements that make existing bus service substantially faster and more reliable, while maintaining needed traffic flow and parking, and also making the corridor safer for all users. A combination of bus lanes, signal optimization, and transit signal priority can reduce bus travel times and greatly reduce the variability that congestion imposes on bus service. These measures will also improve schedule reliability and thereby improving overall transit quality.”

The groups that led last weekend’s rally disagreed.

“The de Blasio administration is planning dramatic changes that will ruin Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards,” they wrote on a flyer promoting the event.

The proposed SBS path is based on the existing Q52/53 bus route – a vital north/south thoroughfare carrying over 30,000 daily bus riders in the World’s Borough, along with heavy traffic volumes.

“South Queens is in danger of cardiac arrest because its main artery is clogged,” said Mike Scala, first vice president of the Queens Public Transit Committee.

“The corridor is served by several local, limited, and express bus routes,” the DOT has said. “Many travelers use these routes to connect to intersecting subway services in addition to going directly to businesses and schools along the corridor; however, the bus service is not as effective as it could be, as buses can be caught in congestion and the layout of the street makes bus stops difficult to reach for neighborhood residents.”

However, SBS project concerns include the removal of a lane of traffic on both sides of the boulevards, banning left-hand turns at certain intersections, and the addition of bus stops to medians.

“We want the de Blasio administration to know how unwanted the SBS plan is,” said Alex Blenkinsopp in the days leading up to the rally. “We want to educate the many people who are unaware of this plan and allow them to register their opposition. And ultimately, we want DOT and MTA to wake up and scrap this proposal, replacing it with something that actually accounts for the community’s concerns and needs.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

The following op-ed piece was submitted to The Forum by Alex Blenkinsopp of the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association.

Transportation in southern Queens must be improved. The question is whether the Select Bus Service plan for Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards is the right approach. The answer is clear: This plan is foolish, expensive, dangerous, and absolutely wrong for the Boulevard.

That’s why multiple local organizations are hosting a rally this Saturday, Aug. 6, to fight the plan. The rally will be held at noon at the intersection of Woodhaven Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue, at the southeast corner (outside the bank), rain or shine. We hope to see you there.

It’s also why there’s a petition against this plan, which you can sign online at WWW.SAVEOURSTREETS.NYC or by calling (718) 296-3735.

Consider what the SBS plan will do:

First, it will eliminate two lanes of traffic 24/7, allowing only buses to use them. This means the same amount of traffic, squeezed into fewer lanes. It also means tickets for drivers who enter the bus lanes. It promises more congestion.

Second, this plan will move major bus stops off of sidewalks and onto medians. Bus riders will wait on islands with traffic passing by on both sides. Someone running to catch a bus at a median stop will now need to cross traffic, which is dangerous. In the winter, the snow is not currently cleared for pedestrians who rely on these islands for safety, so why should we expect them to be clear when bus riders are waiting there?

Third, this plan will prohibit left turns onto cross streets like Union Turnpike, Rockaway Boulevard, Penelope Avenue, and 101st Avenue. This will hurt nearby businesses. It will also divert drivers down side streets, increasing traffic on residential roads. This will be dangerous to families and detrimental to quality of life, especially because many vehicles diverted down residential streets will be delivery trucks.

Fourth, this will likely reduce parking. The Department of Transportation and MTA, which are guiding this plan, have been evasive about the parking impact. But consider Hoffman Drive by the Queens Center Mall, where the design plans erase more than a dozen parking spots.

Fifth, the proposal will cut half a dozen bus stops from the Q52/Q53 routes. DOT has been unclear about the proposal’s pricetag. DOT initially said a whopping $200 million. Then DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg reportedly testified that it was $400 million. Amid uproar, DOT backpedaled. We taxpayers can’t know how high the cost will climb.

DOT and the de Blasio administration are shoving this plan down our throats. They claim to want community feedback, but they ignored input from residents and local organizations; “feedback sessions” were really just attempts to sell their proposal. DOT fails to provide requested data or to reply to correspondence.

DOT also refuses to examine alternatives to the SBS plan, like running bus service along the inactive Rockaway Branch train tracks. And it won’t try easier solutions first—like extra-long “articulated” buses, off-board fare payment, synchronizing traffic lights, running more buses, a high-occupancy vehicle lane, or better enforcement of traffic laws.

DOT’s track record in our community is dreadful. They’ve taken four years to install a speed bump in Woodhaven. DOT causes traffic jams outside a local school by denying parking to school buses transporting special-needs children. DOT persistently failed to fix its broken lights in Forest Park, even when there was a serial rapist prowling the park. I can go on and on.

We don’t trust DOT, and we doubt their competence. It’s time to scrap this foolish plan and go back to the drawing board, this time with true community input. Until then, we’ll continue to fight.

Blenkinsopp is the director of Communications for the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Police this week reached out to the public for help in identifying the man depicted in the photo who is wanted in connection with an assault in Ozone Park.

On Monday, around 1:20 p.m., the suspect and victim got into a verbal dispute in front of a deli on Rockaway Boulevard near 97^th Street that quickly turned physical. During the fight, cops said, the suspect stabbed the victim with a sharp object multiple times. The victim suffered lacerations to his chest and torso; he was rushed to an area hospital where he remains in stable condition. Investigators said the suspect fled northbound across Rockaway Boulevard.

He is described as a black man, 18 to 25 years old, 5-foot-10, 150 pounds; last seen wearing a dark-colored shirt, blue jean shorts, and black and white sneakers.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at (800) 577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, (888) 57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit info by logging onto NYPDCrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All correspondences are strictly confidential.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

Be on the lookout for some money hungry thieves.

Cops have asked for help in identifying two suspects wanted in connection with a stolen wallet and an Ozone Park fast-food restaurant.

On Thursday, July 7, around 11:30 p.m., a man returned to his car that was parked in the vicinity of Desarc Road and Sitka Street, only to realize that his wallet, in which the man kept his credit cards, had been stolen from the vehicle. The victim was then informed that his Citibank credit card was used to purchase food at a McDonald’s on 101^st Avenue right after the incident.

The alleged thieves were caught on security cameras and described as men in their 20s.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at (800) 577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, (888) 57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit info by logging onto NYPDCrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All correspondences are strictly confidential.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

Several community advocacy groups are set to lead a rally next month against the proposed Woodhaven-Cross Bay Corridor Select Bus Service plan.

The demonstration, which is being organized and produced by the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association, Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation, Woodhaven Business Improvement District, and the Queens Public Transit Committee, is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 6, at noon at the intersection of Woodhaven Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue.

The proposed SBS path is based on the existing Q52/53 bus route – a vital north/south thoroughfare carrying over 30,000 daily bus riders in the World’s Borough, along with heavy traffic volumes.

According to the City Department of Transportation and Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the massive project’s goal is “to transform the corridor into a complete street with faster/more reliable bus service, safer streets for all users, and improved traffic and local conditions.”

According to the WRBA, the goal for the upcoming event is to send a clear message to Gracie Mansion and City Hall.

“Thousands of people along Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards strongly oppose the de Blasio administration’s SBS plan,” the civic wrote in a statement to The Forum. “Because DOT and MTA have attempted to ignore and downplay the community’s objections, we need this rally to get our voices heard.

“We want the de Blasio administration to know how unwanted the SBS plan is. We want to educate the many people who are unaware of this plan and allow them to register their opposition. And ultimately, we want DOT and MTA to wake up and scrap this proposal, replacing it with something that actually accounts for the community’s concerns and needs.

“Last year, organizations pushing an agenda that ignores our community’s concerns held a so-called ‘rally’ outside City Hall. That event supposedly indicated support for SBS in our community. Yet that event was held far away from here, and included almost nobody from our community. Moreover, it was very poorly attended, even though a massive, influential public affairs agency touted it.

“We who will actually be affected by this plan do not have powerful lobbyists or outside organizations speaking up for us. So we need to speak up for ourselves.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

It’s been a compelling year, to say the least, in the 106th Precinct.

The commanding officer in March was transferred to the 105th Precinct. A month later, four officers shot and killed an armed suspect in South Ozone Park. And strained cop-community relations have hovered above all commands—nationwide—like foreboding storm clouds.

Yet it seems that the 106 has emerged from the fire as one of the five boroughs’ elite.

Captain James Fey, commanding officer of the 106, on Monday told The Forum that the south Queens precinct is among the top ten in the city in crime reduction for the first half of 2016 – ranked tenth out of 77 NYPD commands.

Overall crime has dropped nearly 14 percent in the 106, compared to the same six months last year. The precinct recorded 709 major index crimes (murder, rape, robbery, felonious assault, burglary, grand larceny, grand larceny auto) in the first half of 2016, down 114 offenses from last year’s 823.

The 106 is down in five of the seven major categories, with the exception of murder (three by June 2016; two in 2015) and burglary.

However, Fey noted that of the three murders, two carried over from a March incident at Johnny’s Restaurant and Bar in Ozone Park in which two patrons were engaged in a physical altercation and an employee suffered a fatal heart attack while attempting to intervene.

The 106 might have experienced an increase in burglaries in 2016 – 125 compared to 111 during the same period last year – but 2015 was a banner year for burglaries in the command: Last year, the precinct recorded the lowest number of burglaries since at least 1993.

And burglaries are down 25 percent over the past 28 days. Fey said the trend may be due, in part, to a 40-percent increase in the number of burglary arrests his officers have made this year.

Fey, who took over as top cop in March, said the 106 is not a precinct that rests on its laurels.

“We are glad to see the reduction in crime, but we understand that each crime number represents a victim at the end of that number,” he told The Forum. “We need to keep striving to keep crime down to the best of our ability.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Forum Staff

The administration last Sunday released “AccessibleNYC” – the City’s first-ever report on the state of people with disabilities, and interagency plans to improve the quality of life for the population across the five boroughs.

According to Mayor Bill de Blasio, the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities is collaborating with dozens of City agencies to catalog current and forward-looking efforts to enhance accessibility and inclusion in transportation, education, employment and health, as well as City services, institutions and resources.

“Being a life-long New Yorker and a wheelchair user, I understand from experience the complexity that people with disabilities face on a daily basis – from navigating our streets to obtaining needed services,” said MOPD Commissioner Victor Calise, an Ozone Park native. “This is truly an unprecedented undertaking: never in the history of NYC government have so many City agencies worked together on a comprehensive report to advance the interests of New Yorkers with disabilities. I am confident that the progress we make will be unprecedented as well.”

The range of programming, policies, and initiatives in the 98-page analysis include:

• Disability Service Facilitators in key City Agencies: The City has created additional full-time positions in key agencies that work closely with MOPD and act as liaisons to New Yorkers with disabilities, including the Department of Transportation, the Human Resources Administration, TLC, and the Department of Parks and Recreation.
• Business Development Council: MOPD’s Business Development Council provides strategic advice on best practices in outreach, recruitment, training, hiring and promotion of people with disabilities in the workforce.
• Expanding employment opportunities: MOPD’s NYC: AT WORK initiative, with support from the Poses Family Foundation, will connect talent to businesses and provide access to employment opportunities for a minimum of 700 unemployed or underemployed people with disabilities. The Department of Education is also partnering with MOPD to build transition centers across the City to prepare students with disabilities for successful employment opportunities in the future.
• Upholding 55-a Civil Service Titles: MOPD and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services are collaborating to encourage agencies to utilize the 55-a Program – which permits applicants for non-competitive positions to bypass the Civil Service Exam – to employ qualified individuals with disabilities.
• Creating more accessible housing for NYC: MOPD will host a housing day for builders and developers to ensure they understand the New York City Building Code requirements, the federal Fair Housing Act, and the implications of receiving City, State, and federal funds.
• Accessible vehicles for all, on call: By working with TLC, the City is expanding dispatch services for wheelchair users across the five boroughs so that residents can have an accessible taxi dispatched on-demand or by reservation.
• Supporting students with disabilities: MOPD is working in partnership with the Department of Education to provide support to students with disabilities, families and educators to offer work-based learning opportunities and professional learning experiences to ensure that students graduate prepared for their post-secondary plans, including college, career and independent living.

“In the past, the needs and rights of people with disabilities were considered by government on a piecemeal basis. The creation of a Disability Agenda for NYC should provide a blueprint for the future that insures integration, participation, social opportunity and employment for New Yorkers with disabilities,” added James Weisman, president and CEO of the United Spinal Association.