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.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

EDITOR’S NOTE: Please be aware that the details contained in the following report are extremely graphic.

A Woodhaven man has been convicted of sharing dozens of videos of children as young as 6 engaging in sexually explicit acts via an online file-sharing network, Acting Queens District Attorney John Ryan announced on Monday.

The explicit videos—and additional images of children as young as 2 participating in vulgar sex acts—were retrieved from a computer and other electronic devices recovered from the defendant’s 87th Avenue residence.

Following a two-week trial, a jury found Diego Guerra, 41, guilty of 68 counts of promoting a sexual performance by a child. Sentencing has been scheduled for July 30, at which time Guerra faces up to seven years in prison, Ryan noted.

According to the charges, while utilizing an internet software tool on Jan. 5, 2017, law enforcement officials linked Guerra’s Internet Protocol address to a series of files containing images of child pornography uploaded to ARES, a peer-to-peer file sharing network. Detectives assigned to the City Police Department’s Special Investigations Division determined that Guerra shared multiple videos of children between the ages of 6 and 12 engaging in explicit sexual acts with other underage children and several adult men. Some of the videos depicted children as young as 6 being vaginally penetrated by adult men, while others showcased teenage boys between 10 and 12 engaging in lewd sexual acts.

On Jan. 19, 2017, authorities retrieved an additional video from Guerra’s account. The video—which was 24 minutes in length—showcased a teenage boy performing a sexual act on a girl whom authorities believed was between the ages of 6 and 8 years old. The video then depicts a man giving instructions to the boy as he continued to vaginally penetrate the young girl. Shortly after obtaining this file, authorities subpoenaed records pertaining to the IP address associated with the account. It was subsequently determined that Guerra was sharing the videos.

Detectives executed a search warrant at Guerra’s home on July 27, 2017. Once inside the residence, authorities encountered the defendant who admitted to owning a laptop and several other electronic devices retrieved from the house. A forensic exam performed on the laptop recovered 60 additional images of children between the ages of 2 and 12 with their genitals exposed and engaging in lewd sexual acts.

“This defendant partook in the vile act of sharing lewd videos of children on the internet. These horrifying crimes should serve as reminder to all that the internet must be policed in order to prevent further instances of children being violated and degraded in the worst imaginable ways,” Ryan fumed. “The defendant deserves to be adequately sentenced for his role in this despicable crime.”

According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, a non-profit corporation whose mission is to help find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation, and prevent child victimization, as of November 2018, its CyberTipline has received more than 43 million reports of child sexual abuse imagery; its Child Victim Identification Program has reviewed more than 267 million photos/videos; and more than 15,800 victims have been identified by law enforcement.

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.”

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.

Photo Courtesy of Facebook

By Michael V. Cusenza

The City recorded its first homicide of the new year in Richmond Hill on Monday after a troubled husband stabbed his wife to death in their 103rd Avenue home and fled to nearby Forest Park where he hanged himself from a tree limb, according to police and published reports.

Investigators were called to the Woodhaven scene around 11:30 a.m. after a jogger discovered Vinny Loknath’s body in the massive borough green space near Park Lane South.

“He did it in a location where he wanted to be found,” a police source told The Forum. “It was visible.”

Cops found Loknath’s wife, Stacy Singh, 26, around 2 p.m. in their home lying face-down with a knife near her body. She had been stabbed in the back multiple times.

According to the New York Daily News, Loknath, 46, has a long history of domestic violence, and allegedly liked to drink and dabbled in cocaine.

“The cops are always there,” a neighbor said. “They were always having big fights. But she still came back to him.”

The couple had a young son and daughter.

This is the second consecutive year that the 106th Precinct has hosted NYC’s first murder. Last January, Ricky Kalisaran, 31, was shot and killed in South Richmond Hill during an attempted armed robbery that also left his younger brother with a pair of gunshot wounds.

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.”

The two bumps will be placed on 98^th Street between Jamaica Avenue and Park Lane South.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Could these long-awaited bumps in a Woodhaven road be headed for a mountain of trouble?

The City Department of Transportation this week began to prepare 98^th Street between Jamaica Avenue and Park Lane South for the installation of two raised speed reducers – speed bumps – and perhaps some well-earned peace of mind for the area residents that have been begging for the safety measures for nearly five years.

According to DOT, a raised speed reducer is a raised area of a roadway that deflects both the wheels and frame of a traversing vehicle with the purpose of reducing vehicle speeds.

But these southern borough bumps might not be ready for their close-up just yet.

Community Board 9 Member Alex Blenkinsopp on Tuesday noticed something strange about the designated positions of the speed bumps and made the City and Woodhaven residents aware through social media.

“Oddly, @NYC_DOT is placing 1 speed bump at very beginning of the block, & 1 at very end. A 1,000-foot straightaway separates them. Why?” Blenkinsopp asked.

DOT answered with a link that contained information on “speed reducer criteria & feasibility.”

“Doesn’t make sense to slow cars before they can pick up speed, & to hide a bump just beyond a curve after a long uninterrupted stretch,” Blenkinsopp said. “@NYC_DOT took YEARS to pick locations for these bumps & this was what they came up with? I don’t get it. Why not consult the residents?”

The agency has yet to respond to that last inquiry.

Blenkinsopp told The Forum on Wednesday that he’s already heard from multiple residents who are “scratching their heads” over the placement of the bumps.

“The first bump will be at the very beginning of the block, before cars can pick up any speed,” he noted. “AftАer that, there’s a very long, uninterrupted straightaway – no speed bump planned for this area. Then the road curves, and hidden right around that curve is the second planned speed bump.  Nearly 1,000 feet separate the two speed bumps.

“The long, uninterrupted stretch has been the primary concern of the block’s residents for years,” Blenkinsopp continued. “The anticipated locations of the speed bumps will do little to address that concern. 98^th Street would continue to bear an uncanny resemblance to a racetrack.

“Through Community Board 9, these concerns have been communicated to DOT. I hope they respond soon, and ideally change the planned locations for the bumps.

“DOT already postponed installation of these bumps once, supposedly due to an issue with the locations. They’ve had years to figure this out, and this was the best they could come up with? I know that there are a bunch of technical requirements governing where speed bumps can go, but why doesn’t DOT ask residents – those with the deepest knowledge of what would work and what wouldn’t – for input and help?”

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

Police have reached out to the public for help in identifying and locating the man they believe is responsible for a July car theft in Woodhaven.

According to investigators, on Monday, July 25, around 4:30 a.m., the suspect approached a 2014 Jeep parked inside a residential driveway on 79^th Street and, using a using a recently stolen key, got behind the wheel and sped off in it.

Courtesy of NYPD

Cops said the suspect is described as a white man wearing camouflage shorts and a grey T-shirt.

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

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

Crews last week installed long-delayed security cameras around Forest Park, three years after a prolific sexual predator – who remains at large – terrorized the borough green space.

Fourteen high-tech surveillance cameras owned and operated by the City Police Department were posted in several spots on the perimeter of the 544-acre park, including at the intersection of Forest Parkway and Park Lane South; the Carousel; and Woodhaven Boulevard and Park Lane South.

State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) and Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven) secured $250,000 for the equipment in 2013. That same year, detectives released a sketch of the attacker, who they said has struck half a dozen times from March 2011 to August 2013 during daylight hours inside the expansive flagship green space. His last known assault occurred on Aug. 26, 2013, when he used a stun gun to subdue and rape a 69-year-old woman near Myrtle Avenue and Forest Park Road.

The painfully slow wheels of bureaucratic procedure over the past three years only served to heighten the anxiety of park patrons and area residents. Still, many members of the community last week were thrilled at the sight of the new security measures.

“It was terrific finally to see the cameras being installed after years of waiting,” said Alex Blenkinsopp, director of Communications for the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association. “I had to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating!

“Sometimes patience and persistence are rewarded,” he continued. “That was the case here, and now we’ll have a safer park. Thanks to Assemblyman Miller and Senator Addabbo for funding the cameras. And special thanks to Assemblyman Miller for staying on this for so long.”

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

Queens Borough President Melinda Katz (third from r.), City Parks Queens Borough Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski (fourth from r.) civic leaders and other guests helped break ground last week on $1.45 million in upgrades to the Joseph DeVoy Playground in Forest Park.

The upgrades are being fully funded by the Borough President’s Office and feature the addition of dynamic playground equipment, including steel drums, accessible swings and a new tire swing. The playground’s main entrance will also be regraded and the entrance gate will be replaced with one that allows for better access to the site. The upgrades are scheduled to be completed by next summer, Katz said.

Joining Katz and Lewandowski at the groundbreaking were (l. to r.) Michael Palermo, president of the Forest Park Trust; Doris DeVoy (widow of Joseph DeVoy, for whom the playground is named); Heather DeVoy (granddaughter of Joseph and Doris DeVoy); Bishop David Benke of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church; Community Board 9 Chairman Raj Rampershad; and Barbara Stuchinski, chair of the Parks Committee of Community Board 6 and co-president of the Forest Hills Community and Civic Association.

By Forum Staff

Two donors, who wish to remain anonymous, recently presented a $50,000 challenge grant to the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Queens in Richmond Hill, the nonprofit announced this week.

The grant will match – dollar-for-dollar – all donations from new and existing supporters for the rest of the year, up to $50,000. The funds raised will be used to produce educational and recreational afterschool and summer programs, hire and train staff, and maintain the Atlantic Avenue facility.

“We are extremely grateful to these two anonymous donors for their generous investment and confidence in our organization,” said John DeCristoforo, chief executive officer of the BGCMQ. “These individuals recognize that the greatest asset of our community is our youth and we need to provide them with meaningful, positive opportunities so they can learn and grow into responsible adults.”

DeCristoforo added that the grant “could not have come at a better time as we recently experienced a significant loss in funding for our teen program. Since every donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar, no gift is too big or too small to make a meaningful impact in the lives of the children we serve each day.”

The Richmond Hill club, which has been open since 1957, annually serves nearly 1,400 youth between the ages of 5 and 18 from Richmond Hill, South Richmond Hill, Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Jamaica, Howard Beach, Kew Gardens, and parts of Brooklyn.

“My hope is that this challenge grant will inspire other businesses and individuals in the community to support the Club and the great work it’s doing for at-risk youth in Queens and surrounding areas,” said one of the anonymous donors. “Places like the BGCMQ need our help because they serve as a beacon of hope in our community and improve the lives of our children.”

According to DeCristoforo, donations can be made online at metroqueens.org; by calling (718) 441- 6050 x 202; or by mail at BGCMQ 110-04 Atlantic Ave., South Richmond Hill, NY 11419.

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 Michael V. Cusenza

The owner of Neir’s Tavern, a historic Woodhaven watering hole that has stood sentry at the corner of 78^th Street and 88^th Avenue for more than 130 years, told The Forum this week that he plans to appeal the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s recent decision to deny the bar’s application for official landmark status – and he apparently has plenty of support, even in City Hall.

“I think it’s an absolute slap in the face that they landmark a Pepsi-Cola sign in Long Island City over Historic Neir’s Tavern,” fumed Loy Gordon, a lieutenant in the FDNY who bought the bar in 2010. “We’re going to appeal this decision, and we’re glad the Mayor’s Office is now involved into looking into this travesty, and we’re trying to raise funds to pay for a consultant. I’m so tired of Queens not getting the recognition it deserves, and that’s why when Neir’s was three days from closing down forever, I jumped in to save it. Now it’s LPC’s turn to do their job by landmarking NYC’s oldest bar [that has] a tremendous amount of film history, Civil War history, horse racing history, architectural history and the community’s history, plus so much more original artifacts.”

Indeed the LPC granted landmark status to the giant Pepsi-Cola sign that was installed on the borough waterfront in the 1930s. But what truly angered Gordon was the commission’s explanation of its decision regarding the bar: It “does not rise to the level of significance to warrant landmark status.”

“The LPC reasoned that landmarking Neir’s Tavern will not protect it from future development and that Neir’s Tavern ‘does not rise to the level of significance to warrant landmark status’—but I guess the Pepsi sign does?” Gordon said. “Even though the Pepsi sign in its current location (1988) doesn’t even meet the basic requirements for landmark status, considering you have to be around at least 30 years. Neir’s has been around for 187 years!”

The Neir’s faithful are also appealing to the public via an online petition at change.org. As of Wednesday night, “Let’s Make Historic Neir’s Tavern a NYC Landmark” had 194 supporters.

“Sign the petition to tell the Landmark Commission Neir’s Tavern matters, Queens matters and we’re all part of the fabric of NYC history,” the petition reads.

Gordon said he feels that this is just the latest example of elitist Manhattan making a mockery out of the World’s Borough.

“This is another economic blow to Queens County,” he added. “Manhattan has four-times more landmarks than Queens, but yet is almost five-times smaller. These Manhattan landmarks have helped bring a record-setting 60 million tourists to NYC, which adds billions of dollars to the economy. By denying landmark status to Queens’ own Neir’s Tavern, you are denying thousands of potential jobs to Queens and this is the reason why we have the longest commuting time to work in the United States.”

For more information on the petition, visit https://www.change.org/p/landmarks-preservation-commission-lets-make-historic-neirs-tavern-a-nyc-landmark.

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 beloved watering hole at the corner of 78^th Street and 88^th Avenue has long been a landmark in the hearts of its loyal patrons – generations of Woodhaven families – who have cherished its role as destination, reliable shelter, and faithful friend, in this tight-knit Queens community.

Those same patrons fumed last Friday after learning that the City Landmarks Preservation Commission had denied Neir’s Tavern’s application for official landmark status.

“We’re greatly disappointed in their decision,” said Ed Wendell, president of the Woodhaven Cultural and Historical Society. “The Union Course racetrack, which opened in the 1820s, was one of the driving forces in the development of Woodhaven, Ozone Park, and Cypress Hills. The railroad was built to accommodate it. An entire community was built around it. The track has been gone for over 130 years, and Neir’s Tavern is the last physical remnant of that era. It didn’t just sit along the outskirts, it sat at the entrance.

“However, we are optimistic that it will be landmarked one day for one simple reason: It has been resilient, outlasting many things that have destroyed businesses,” Wendell continued. “It survived the Great Depression and Prohibition. It has survived many wars.”

The Commission determined that the bar that dates back to the 19^th Century “does not rise to the level of significance to warrant landmark status.”

“Neir’s Tavern is a staple of our community that helped build the history of Woodhaven and shape the neighborhood into what it is today,” said State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach). “While the rest of the city is busy expanding and developing, it is important that we remember the structures that tell the story of Queens, and it is our responsibility to protect and preserve them. Landmarking the more than 180-year-old tavern would ensure the building and its surroundings will remain unchanged and safe from developers for years to come. Neir’s is already a landmark as far as the people of Queens, especially Woodhaven, are concerned, but it deserves the respect of being officially named as one by the City. I urge the Landmarks Preservation Commission to rethink its decision and to do what is right by doing its part to help protect Neir’s Tavern.”

The Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association added, “We stand 100 percent with Neir’s Tavern in its quest to be landmarked. It is New York City’s oldest bar to operate continuously from the same location. Anyone who visits can just feel how much history has occurred there. To this day, it remains a major part of the fabric of Woodhaven. We hope the Landmarks Preservation Commission reconsiders Neir’s and gets it right the next time around by naming the tavern a landmark.”

Wendell said he’s confident that the treasure trove of Big Apple history that sits on the corner of 78^th Street and 88^th Avenue will eventually win.

“Regardless of the Commission’s recent decision, Neir’s will be around for many more years to come. The same cannot be said for the people on the Commission. Those positions are temporary and in a few years there will be new people in office and new appointments to the board,” he noted. “In other words, this is a temporary setback and we will not give up trying.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Forum Staff

City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) and Jamaica Hospital Medical Center this week announced that they have formed a social media partnership to distribute information regarding public health and wellness to the residents of Queens.

Ulrich’s office will collect constituents’ health questions and concerns and pass the most popular and pressing inquiries to the hospital’s community affairs team, who will then get answers from some of JHMC’s top doctors before creating user-friendly posts for Facebook and Twitter.

Both Ulrich and Jamaica Hospital will share the items with their respective social networks. In addition, Ulrich said he will save printed copies of all the posts for constituents who do not use social media.

“I’m excited to partner with Jamaica Hospital so together we can provide Queens residents with important health and wellness information,” Ulrich said. “With so much misinformation that circulates the internet, it’s important we ensure residents have access to accurate, up-to-date information regarding their health. This partnership does just that. It will help residents stay healthy, informed, and safe.”

One of the first issues the partnership will address is the Zika virus, which has infected 691 people in the United States and more than 1,300 in territories of the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We are happy to be working with Councilman Eric Ulrich. He shares our passion for improving the health of the communities we serve,” said Michael Hinck, director of Public Affairs for Jamaica Hospital. “There are regions in Queens where the rate of developing certain chronic illnesses are considerably higher when compared to the rest of New York City. Our hospital and Councilman Ulrich will collaborate to provide area residents with information that will help them to live a healthier lifestyle.”