Photo Courtesy of NYC Campaign Finance Board

By Michael V. Cusenza

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

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

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

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

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

Members of the ceremonial units of the Fire and Police departments ring the bell as the names of the 265 victims of the Flight 587 tragedy are read aloud.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Families of the 265 victims were joined Tuesday in Rockaway Park by first responders, area residents, and elected officials as the City observed the 18th anniversary of the American Airlines Flight 587 tragedy.

On Nov. 12, 2001, with Gotham still gripped with grief following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, AA Flight 587 crashed into Belle Harbor minutes after taking off from John F. Kennedy International Airport. All 260 people aboard the Airbus A300 aircraft bound for the Dominican Republic and five residents on the ground perished.

Since Nov. 12, 2006, the somber service has been held at Flight 587 Memorial Park on Beach 116th Street in Rockaway Park.

“On this solemn day, the entire Queens community remembers all those who lost their lives as well as the family and friends that they left behind,” State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) said.

“It’s 18 years later, but I know from speaking with so many of you that this day is one of a pain that is sharp and vivid just as much as it was 18 years ago,” Mayor Bill de Blasio added. “And grief has not lessened with time, but I also have heard from so many of you the memories, the joyful memories, of those you loved. What they meant to you what they still mean to you. What their lives meant for your family and the impact they have even today on children, on family, on friends who remember them, who live by their example, who are inspired by them.”

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.”

“As a shareholder I am terrified,” said Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato. “As an elected official, I am disgusted.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

Shareholders and elected officials are demanding answers from the City after a fast-moving fire in a Rockaway Beach cooperative building on Friday morning claimed the life of an elderly woman and injured 16 others, including nine police officers and three firefighters.
Ethel Davis, 91, who lived on the 12th floor of the Dayton Beach Park building on Shore Front Parkway near Beach 87th Street, succumbed to her injuries on Saturday morning. According to City Fire officials, the blaze broke out around 11:20 a.m. in an apartment on the 11th floor. Fire marshals have determined that a halogen lamp set up near combustible items sparked the inferno, while a paucity of smoke alarms stymied early evacuation efforts.
Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach), State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach), and City Comptroller Scott Stringer joined shareholders on Sunday in calling out the City Department of Housing Preservation and Development for lack of oversight in providing annual apartment inspections in Dayton Beach Park, a Mitchell-Lama housing development co-op.
Signed into State law in 1955, the Mitchell-Lama program provides affordable rental and co-op housing to moderate- and middle-income families through waiting lists kept by each development.
“As a shareholder I am terrified. As an elected official, I am disgusted. Something is not right,” an irate Pheffer Amato said. “Since being elected in 2016, I have expressed concerns regarding the absence of annual apartment inspections within DBP, as well as management and board of director issues. Apartment inspections are not only necessary, but required in order to ensure the safety and quality of life for all shareholders. This fire was an incident waiting to happen.”
Last August, Pheffer Amato sent a letter, at the request of hundreds of constituents and shareholders, to both HPD and First Service Residential (which managed the buildings until Dec. 31, 2017), expressing concerns regarding the inspections—or lack thereof.
“According to the contract between First Service Residential and the NYC HPD, management is required to conduct and prepare the annual apartment inspections and reports. Additionally, this is a requirement by HPD as stated in the Mitchell-Lama rules,” Pheffer Amato wrote.
HPD responded in a letter dated Aug. 30, 2017 by Assistant Commissioner Julie Walpert, who stated: “Please be advised that inspections will be conducted by management the third week of September.” Pheffer Amato noted on Sunday that, according to residents, zero inspections have been conducted.
Stringer called the situation “deeply, deeply alarming.”
“The agency must step up and ensure that all regulations are enforced, both in the Rockaways and across the city,” he added. “This is about the safety of New Yorkers, and it’s about right and wrong.”

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

Police have asked the public for help in identifying two suspects wanted in connection with a violent robbery in an Edgemere subway station.

On Saturday, Aug. 20, around 2:30 a.m., the two perpetrators approached a 33-year-old man who was sleeping on a bench on the Manhattan-bound A train platform at Beach 44^th Street and began punching him and removed his wallet. Upon discovering that the victim’s wallet was empty, cops said, one of the suspects produced a small knife and demanded cash. The other suspect then removed $200 from the man’s pants pocket.

The victim suffered a bloody nose, bruising and swelling to his face as a result of being punched several times. He was rushed to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, were he was treated and later released.

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.

The Crime Stoppers Program, which was initiated in 1983, offers rewards up to $2,000 for anonymous information that leads to the arrest and indictment of a violent felon. According to the latest available statistics, more than $1.8 million has been awarded to tipsters, and nearly 1,500 murders and attempted murders, and 1,925 robberies have been solved as a result.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) snapped a subway selfie on Saturday just before boarding a classic car for a round-trip between the Beach 116th Street and Rockaway Boulevard stations.

The ride featured both BMT Standard cars and D-Type Triplex cars, according to the NYC Transit Museum. The Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Standard cars were in service from 1916 to 1969 and boasted larger windows, brighter lighting and center doors. The 134 foot-long Triplex went into service in 1925 and were the heaviest cars ever used in the City subway system, according to NYCSubway.org.

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

Finally.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last Friday released the highly anticipated Draft Integrated Hurricane Sandy General Reevaluation Report and Environmental Impact Statement, or Rockaway/Jamaica Bay Reformulation Report, which examines coastal storm risk management problems and opportunities for the East Rockaway Inlet to Rockaway Inlet and Jamaica Bay project area that was devastated by the impacts of Superstorm Sandy in October 2012.

The long-stalled analysis will ultimately determine the best possible coastline defense to protect the whole Rockaway peninsula and communities surrounding Jamaica Bay from storms and floods in a way that is sustainable over the long-term, both for the natural coastal ecosystem and for nearby neighborhoods.

The Tentatively Selected Plan, with a price tag of several billion dollars, extends along approximately 152,000 linear feet of project area from the eastern end of the Rockaway Peninsula at Inwood, Nassau County, to the western end of the peninsula, at Breezy Point, where the plan wraps around the existing shoreline past the Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge. Near Jacob Riis Park a storm surge barrier crosses Rockaway Inlet landing at Floyd Bennet Field, Brooklyn. The plan continues up Flatbush Avenue before turning west along the existing shoreline and continuing west until Norton Point.  From Norton Point, the line of protection continues on the north side of Coney Island, crossing Coney Island Creek.  From Coney Island Creek it continues north along the shoreline to high ground.

The plan along the Atlantic Ocean Shorefront consists of:

• A reinforced dune (composite seawall) with a structure crest elevation of +17 feet (NAVD88) and dune elevation of +18 feet (NAVD88), and a design berm width of 60 feet extending approximately 35,000 LF from Beach 9th to Beach 149th. The bottom of dune reinforcement extends up to 15 feet below the dune crest.
• A beach berm elevation of +8 ft. NAVD and a depth of closure of -25 ft. NAVD;
• A total beach fill quantity of approximately 804,000 cy for the initial placement, including tolerance, overfill and advanced nourishment with a 4-year renourishment cycle of approximately 1,021,000 cy, resulting in an advance berm width of 60 feet;
• Obtaining sand from borrow area located approximately 2 miles south of the Rockaway Peninsula and about 6 miles east of the Rockaway Inlet. It’s about 2.6 miles long, and 1.1 miles wide, with depths of 36 to 58 feet and contains approximately 17 million cy of suitable beach fill material, which exceeds the required initial fill and all periodic renourishment fill operations.
• Extension of five existing groins; and construction of 13 new groins.

The alignment along Jamaica Bay and Rockaway Inlet (on the Queens side) consists of:

• Reinforced Dune along the shoreline in Reaches 1 and 2 of the Atlantic Coast Planning Reach, from Beach 149th Street to Breezy Point.
• Levee and from approximately B227th Street north overland across Breezy Point, thence eastward from B222nd Street to B201st Street. Approximately 450,000 cubic yards of sediment required for levee construction.
• Concrete floodwall south along B201st Street extending east along north side of Rockaway Boulevard to B184th Street, thence north to existing shoreline. Concrete floodwall continues east to storm surge barrier approximately 2,300 ft. east of the Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge/Marine Parkway Bridge.
• A 3,970-foot storm surge barrier across Rockaway Inlet from near Jacob Riis Park to Floyd Bennet Field.

The public comment period will open on Sept. 2 and end on Nov. 2, according to the USACE. For more information, visit nan.usace.army.mil.

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

City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) came out swinging this week, fast and furiously – blasting the mayor for his “poor handling” of a Superstorm Sandy reconstruction program, then demanding the immediate resignation or termination of Hizzoner’s top storm recovery official.

The political pugilism started on Monday morning on Beach 117^th Street in Rockaway Park, where Ulrich ripped Mayor Bill de Blasio at a press conference, saying the mayor “refuses to take responsibility for the failure of Build it Back. There is a total lack of accountability and compassion.”

Ulrich lambasted Build it Back and the current administration “for not delivering on their promise to help people get back into their homes after Superstorm Sandy.”

To illustrate his point, Ulrich held the event in front of the unfinished home of the Nichtern family, Ellen and her mom. The Nichterns have been out of their home for the past five months, during which time Build it Back has not done any work on the residence, Ulrich said, nor has Build it Back remained in contact with Ellen to let her know the status of the project.

Ulrich called Build it Back’s treatment of Nichtern “and the many people in the same situation entirely unacceptable.

“Like so many of my constituents affected by Superstorm Sandy, Ellen Nichtern has been let down by the bureaucrats at Build it Back,” the councilman continued. “This program is a complete disaster. Everyone knows it.”

Ulrich, who is openly flirting with a campaign to unseat de Blasio next fall, also said that Build it Back Director “Amy Peterson should resign today and allow new leadership to run the program more effectively. If she won’t resign, Mayor de Blasio should fire her.”

Several elected officials, including de Blasio, quickly came to Peterson’s defense.

“When Mayor de Blasio took office and appointed Amy Peterson to run the program, not one homeowner had received a check or seen construction. That is why this administration immediately overhauled the program and took over direct management – resulting in 80 percent of homeowners served to date. Further, $120 million in reimbursement checks have been issued to residents,” said Raul Contreras, spokesman for the Mayor’s Office. “We are continuing to elevate and rebuild homes across the city to complete the program – as the Mayor committed – by the end of this year.”

And on Monday afternoon, Councilman Mark Treyger (D-Brooklyn) said that “Build it Back may face challenges, but Amy Peterson is not one of them. She deserves much credit for improvement of [the] program post-Bloomberg.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Forum Staff

Elected officials joined the City Housing Recovery Office last week to unveil a pilot program to address abandoned, Superstorm Sandy-damaged properties in several Big Apple communities.

The plan will allow the City to identify and purchase deserted, run-down 1-4 unit homes in one strategically chosen neighborhood in each of the three major Build it Back boroughs: Brighton Beach in Brookly; Edgemere in Queens; and New Dorp on Staten Island.

Properties, HRO Director Amy Peterson noted, will be identified through a canvassing effort outlined below, vetted by a Technical Review Committee, and their owners will be invited to apply to the Build it Back Acquisition Program for further eligibility review, benefit determination, acquisition offer and closing.

“The pilot program is an exciting extension of Build it Back’s work – leveraging federal dollars provided by HUD to solve a local problem that our selected neighborhoods have faced since the storm,” said Amy Peterson, Director of the New York City Housing Recovery Office. “To ignore the abandoned properties would not only negatively impact the homeowners that Build it Back strives to serve, but would ultimately endanger the investment of public dollars used to restore and improve the housing stock in these communities.

According to the administration, the methodology for determining which neighborhoods to target for the program resulted in a focus on Sandy-impacted neighborhoods in which the problem of abandoned properties is most prevalent. To ensure that the selected neighborhoods matched those where the most recovery work is occurring, only neighborhoods where 50 or more Build it Back repair, elevation, rebuild or acquisition applicants reside were considered.

The City has pledged an external physical assessment that will be combined with a review of other relevant property specific information to create a more detailed assessment of potential abandonment.

“While many residents returned to their homes after Sandy, there are still properties that have been abandoned leaving blight right in the middle of our communities,” said City Councilman Donovan Richards (D-Laurelton). “Now, Build it Back is stepping up to secure those properties to find better uses for the land in flood zones, so neighborhoods like Edgemere are not left dealing with eyesores. I’d like to thank Amy Peterson for working to identify these homes across the city and finding ways to use that land to lift up these communities.”

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-Brooklyn and Staten Island) added, “We’ve been working with the City of New York to formulate this plan to address the problem of abandoned properties, which have plagued our neighborhoods following Hurricane Sandy. Many buildings were left structurally-unsound by the storm, in danger of collapsing at any moment, and some have served as breeding grounds for harmful mold. We also fielded an unsettling number of complaints of rodent infestation on properties like these. If these buildings are not surveyed, cleaned and repaired, not only will our recovery efforts be impeded, but a new set of health issues could arise in communities full of families that have suffered enough in the storm’s wake.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

Of the 1,257 newly minted Members of the Service who graduated last week from the Police Academy, 100 have been assigned to the various commands within Patrol Borough Queens South.

“You are coming along at an ideal time – a force that is succeeding more and more, innovating more and more, is proving its abilities more every day,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said to the probationary officers during the commencement ceremony at Madison Square Garden. “And you’re going to be change agents. You’re going to be the next generation that makes us better, that bonds police and community in a way we’ve never seen before. You are going to be part of that generation that will look back on in years and say, we’re the generation who brought policing to the next level.”

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton added, “We have sought to do everything in our power to improve your training.”

The rookies now find themselves part of that successful, innovative police force to which de Blasio referred in his remarks. And for Bratton, the cornerstone of that force is Neighborhood Policing.

Rolled out in December 2015, the Neighborhood Policing Plan, now in 31 commands, is designed to greatly increase the cop/community connectivity without in any way diminishing the NYPD’s crime-fighting capabilities.

“We want to police with the community, not at the community,” said Assistant Chief Terrence Monahan, one of the architects of the NPP.

The plan divides precincts into four or five fully staffed sectors that correspond, as much as possible, to the boundaries of actual existing neighborhoods. Sector officers assigned to these sectors work the same neighborhoods on the same shifts, increasing their familiarity with the local residents and local problems. The radio dispatchers, supervisors, and sector officers work together to maintain “sector integrity,” meaning that the sector officers and sector cars do not leave the boundaries of their assigned sectors, except in genuine emergencies. The plan seeks to foster a sense of ownership among sector officers for the people, the problems, and even the perpetrators in a particular sector; a sense of geographic responsibility and accountability.

“It operationalizes community policing in a way that eluded previous models and reestablishes the primacy of patrol as the backbone of preventive policing,” Bratton said.

Eight precincts comprise PBQS, and its headquarters is the 107^th Precinct in Fresh Meadows. Assistant Chief David Barrere is the commanding officer.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Forum Staff

A routine traffic stop for tinted windows has landed the grandson of late mob boss John Gotti behind bars.

Police officers from the 106th Precinct pulled over Gotti, 23, and his passenger, Shaine Hack, 36, on Cross Bay Boulevard late Thursday afternoon. Gotti’s drivers license came up as suspended, and the pair were subsequently asked to step out of a late-model black Jeep. A search of the vehicle allegedly returned marijuana, hundreds of oxycodone pills, and steroids. Cops also allegedly found a gravity knife, which is illegal in the five boroughs, in the waistband of Hack’s shorts.

Both men were placed under arrest and taken into custody.

Gotti and Hack now face felony drug charges.

By Michael V. Cusenza

The siren call of the sweet science beckons fight fans to Rockaway Beach next Friday, July 8, for The War at the Shore: FDNY Bravest Boxing vs. the London Metropolitan Police Boxing Team.

Civil servants from opposite sides of the pond matching punch-for-punch underneath the stars at St. Camillus on Rockaway Beach Boulevard – for a great cause, of course.

Proceeds will go to veterans and Building Homes for Heroes, a charity that builds or modifies homes, and gifts them, mortgage-free, to veterans and their families across the country.

“We support military charities and Building Homes for Heroes because we believe our wounded veterans deserve to be taken care of,” said long-time Bravest Boxing President Bobby McGuire. “We also have a special kinship to the military after the terrorist attack on 9/11. They are the ones who went out and got those responsible. God bless them all and a special thank-you to Seal Team 6.”

McGuire, a native of Rockaway Beach who now resides in Howard Beach, said The War at the Shore will benefit U.S. Marine Corps Captain James Byler and U.S. Marine Corps Corporal Kevin Vaughan.

Vaughan was wounded in Afghanistan in September 2011 when the vehicle he was travelling in struck an 80-pound pressure plate (improvised explosive device) while he was carrying out combat operations in the Southern Helmand province. Five marines were severely injured in the attack.

Vaughan was transported by medevac to Bagram Airfield for immediate treatment beforebeing transferred to Germany, and then to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. He spent 15 months at Walter Reed.

Vaughan sustained serious injuries to both legs, and despite several surgeries, doctors were unable to save his left limb, which was amputated below the knee. He also suffered plantar fasciitis and nerve damage to his right foot, left shoulder tendonitis, degenerative joint disease to his lower back, tinnitus, a traumatic brain injury, and a left hand fracture. His right leg had to be reconstructed with rods and screws.

Corporal Vaughan earned the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Unit Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, Navy Sea Service Ribbon, and the NATO Medal.

Vaughan resides in North Merrick. Building Homes for Heroes will set him up with new digs in the Merrick, Seaford, Wantagh, North Massapequa area.

McGuire, a firefighter for 22 years who retired out of Ladder Co. 173 on Cross Bay Boulevard in Howard Beach, said his team of pugilists believes in raising money for a good cause through spirited competition.

“We fight the NYPD, the Garda Siochana [police force of Ireland] and London Metro Police each year,” he noted. “All the events are exciting, but there is nothing better than beating our brothers in blue – the NYPD. We once fought them in Keyspan Park in front of a sold-out crowd and beat them 12-2. That was a special night.”

Friday, July 8, promises to be special one, too.

For tickets and more information, visit fdnyboxing.com.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

Elected officials joined concerned southern Queens and Rockaway civic leaders last Friday in urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to release the draft report and immediately thereafter hold neighborhood meetings regarding the proposed Rockaway Reformulation Study – the long-stalled analysis which will ultimately determine the best possible coastline defense to protect the whole Rockaway peninsula and communities surrounding Jamaica Bay from storms and floods.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach) have also penned a letter to the USACE NY District, detailing the significance of the draft report and public forums.

“Families in southern Queens and Rockaway deserve to have ample opportunity to understand the report and provide formal feedback on the plans in the draft report,” Schumer and Goldfeder wrote. “We understand the Corps plans to release the draft report shortly and we urge you do this in a timely manner that maintains the current schedule without delay and looks to expedite it where possible.”

Initially, the Superstorm Sandy relief bill that was signed into law required that the feds pick up 65 percent of the project. Immediately after the bill’s passage, Schumer said he began working with the USACE and Office of Management and Budget to re-categorize the effort as “ongoing construction,” and therefore eligible for full federal funding.

However, the bill was passed into law over two years ago, and the Corps has yet to release the draft General Reevaluation Report publicly or hold formal community meetings—the next steps in the process to start construction.

Schumer and Goldfeder said it’s time for the feds to give Rockaway the update it deserves and one it has been patiently awaiting.
“Rockaway residents, some of whom are still feeling the devastating impact of Superstorm Sandy, deserve to see the essential details on the Rockaway Reformulation Study being planned in their community and have an opportunity to provide feedback,” Schumer said. “The Army Corps should release the draft plan and engage with the community ASAP. Public meetings will allow residents to voice their concerns, improve the plan and ask important questions that affect their future.”

Immediately after Sandy, the USACE allowed for emergency sand replacement to protect Rockaway from future storm surges. The Corps has since completed that work, placing 3.5 million cubic-yards of sand in Rockaway. But since that sand placement, Rockaway already experienced significant erosion. The long term comprehensive coastal storm risk reduction plan for Rockaway and Jamaica Bay requires the completion of hard, protective features including a sea wall, jetties, and groins.

“Communities in Rockaway and around Jamaica Bay are only as strong and resilient as the weakest link in our storm protections,” Goldfeder said. “The Army Corps’ proposed Rockaway Reformulation Study has the potential to strengthen our shorelines and protect thousands of families from the devastation from sea level rise and storms like Sandy. With the future of our communities at stake, families deserve to see the long awaited study released, work commence and the Army Corps ensure our voices are heard at every step in the process.”

The USACE New York District told The Forum that the draft report is on its way.

“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers appreciates Sen. Schumer and Assemblyman Goldfeder’s ongoing interest and support for the reformulation report for Rockaway. The New York District is in the process of finalizing the draft reformulation report and it is expected to be released for public review in July 2016. Public information meetings are scheduled to be conducted beginning in late summer regarding the report.

Sen. Schumer and Assemblyman Goldfeder will be informed directly by the New York District of planned public information meetings prior to the meetings.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Forum Staff

Less than a week after the State Senate and Assembly – in a last-minute, end-of-session vote – approved a bill that included provisions to combat so-called zombie properties, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed it into law, thanking both houses  “for seeing a crisis and helping to turn it into an opportunity for people to realize the great American Dream of homeownership.”

The legislation, Cuomo said, combats the blight of vacant and abandoned properties by expediting the rehabilitation, repair, and improvement of the houses, and enabling the State to assist homeowners facing mortgage foreclosure.

“For many New Yorkers, homes are our single most important investment, but that investment can be undermined by the blight of neglected and abandoned properties,” Cuomo noted. “For each zombie home that we cure and for each that we prevent with this legislation, we are saving entire neighborhoods from the corrosive effect of blight and neglect.”

The new legislation includes provisions that will help prevent people from losing their homes and addresses the scope of unoccupied and ill-maintained properties, the governor said, which based on voluntary reporting, is estimated to be over 6,000. Under the new law, reporting is now mandatory, and the number of abandoned homes is anticipated to be even higher.

“For many years, areas of my district – including Howard Beach, Lindenwood and Middle Village – have been plagued by vacant buildings that have been left to deteriorate after their owners have suffered foreclosure proceedings and been forced to leave the property,” said State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach). “These so-called ‘zombie’ properties have attracted squatters, served as magnets for vandalism and other more dangerous criminal behavior and have pulled down the real estate values of the surrounding properties.”

According to Addabbo, the legislation attacks the issue of one-to-four-family residential zombie properties from a number of different angles.

“This new law will impose a pre-foreclosure duty on banks and mortgage servicers to maintain vacant and abandoned properties and prevent them from disintegrating. Mandatory settlement conferences will be improved to better protect homeowners facing foreclosure, and a Consumer Bill of Rights will be established to inform property owners of their rights in foreclosure proceedings in an effort to keep more people from losing their homes.”

Additionally, a toll-free hotline – (800) 342-3736 – has been set up for people to report suspected vacant or abandoned properties. And an electronic database of zombie residences is being developed and maintained by the State Department of Financial Services.

State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman called the law a “major victory for New Yorkers living in communities throughout the state, as it will give regulators and law enforcement the tools they need to revitalize neighborhoods that have been devastated by the proliferation of zombie homes. I applaud Assembly Member Weinstein and Senator Klein for their unwavering commitment to revitalizing communities plagued by zombie homes by working with Governor Cuomo to craft an impressive and meaningful legislative package. I also commend Governor Cuomo for making this issue a priority this session and by acting swiftly to sign this bill into law. As I have long said, zombie homes are an enduring legacy of the housing crisis, but thanks to the advocacy of determined elected officials and advocates, and thousands of motivated New Yorkers, we now have a law that will lift-up communities statewide.”

By Forum Staff

From the Lower Chamber to higher education.

Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder’s (D-Howard Beach) next stop will be Yeshiva University, according to the school, which made it official on Tuesday.

The District 23 representative is slated to step in as director of Government Relations for the Manhattan-based research institution.

“I have dedicated my life in public service to ensuring a better future for all our families. This begins by providing our children with a world-class education that will enable them to be successful and contribute to the community,” said Goldfeder. “I’m excited to utilize my diverse experience to advance the mission and goals of the University.”

Goldfeder stunned colleagues and constituents earlier this month when he announced that he would not seek a fourth term. He has officially endorsed Rockaway Democratic district leader Stacey Pheffer Amato as his successor in the Assembly.

“It has been a real pleasure to serve alongside Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder,” said Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx). “Phil’s departure, while a tremendous loss for the Assembly, will be a great gain for Yeshiva University. His leadership, energy and enthusiasm have been an invaluable contribution to the Assembly and to the state of New York. I wish him all the best in this new role.”

Goldfeder’s career in public service began as a community liaison for the City Council. He went on to become Queens director for the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit under Michael Bloomberg. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) later hired him as his office’s director of Intergovernmental Affairs. In September 2011, Goldfeder emerged victorious from special election for the D23 seat.

“I have had the privilege of knowing and working with Phil for many years from the time he worked in the Mayor’s Office, through his work with Senator Schumer and most recently as a New York State legislator,” said Andrew (Avi) Lauer, vice president for Legal Affairs and general counsel at YU. “I look forward to working closely with him and have every confidence that he will represent YU with the same passion, professionalism and vigor as he has his constituents for so many years.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

The City Police Department on Saturday held a gun buy back in Far Rockaway that saw nearly four-dozen illegal weapons quickly taken off borough streets.

Fourty-five firearms were turned in at the event, which was organized in partnership with the Queens District Attorney’s Office and City Councilman Donovan Richards (D-Laurelton). Individuals who turned in weapons received cash gift cards in return, no questions asked.

“A big thanks goes to all those who turned in a weapon [on Saturday],” Richards said. “Also a big thanks goes to the Queens DA, Commissioner Bratton, NYPD, 101^st and 100th precincts, Rev. Gray, Danny Ruscillo, Roc Safe Streets, and all those who volunteered/partnered to take guns off our streets.”

Seventeen revolvers were turned in; seven semi-automatic firearms; eight rifles; three shotguns; and 10 other types of guns were given to authorities at the Macedonia Baptist Church.

“As former president of the 100th Precinct Community Council, I will always advocate for gun buy back programs,” said civic leader Danny Ruscillo. “Now as an NYPD Community Partner, it has always been my belief that this is a great program – just one gun taken off our city streets could save a life.”

In April, 89 weapons were turned in at another gun buy back in Laurelton.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

With the 2016 legislative session – and its last-minute brokering, bloated bills, and late-night votes – in his rearview mirror, Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach) this week devoted some time to the District 23 campaign, formally endorsing Stacey Pheffer Amato as his successor in the Assembly.

“During my five years in office, we have been able to come together as a community and work to improve the lives of families across southern Queens and Rockaway. For all our progress, there is still so much work left to do. That’s why it’s important that we have a strong voice for our families who will fight for the issues that matter most,” Goldfeder said in a statement issued on Monday. “Stacey Pheffer Amato will be that strong voice who will continue our work to ensure every family can recover from Sandy, have access to transportation, and look forward to a better future for themselves and their children. Audrey Pheffer was a mentor to me and if her experience is any indication, I have no doubt her daughter Stacey will be an equally great advocate for our community. I’m proud to enthusiastically endorse Stacey Pheffer Amato for the New York State Assembly and I urge everyone to join me in supporting her in the upcoming election.”

Pheffer Amato is a Democratic district leader and the daughter of former D23 Assemblywoman and current Queens County Clerk Audrey Pheffer. She declared her candidacy earlier this month.

“Whether in our recovery from [Superstorm] Sandy or ensuring a better future for our children, we have always achieved great things by working together,” Pheffer Amato said. “I look forward to the chance to work together at home and in Albany to continue this fight in the years ahead.”

Retired City public school teacher and Rockaway resident Alan Zwirn is running on the Republican line.

Assembly District 23 includes Ozone Park, Howard Beach, Lindenwood, Hamilton Beach, Broad Channel, and Rockaway.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com