While former U.S. Rep. and notorious tweeter Anthony Weiner, previously a Forest Hills resident whose seat covered parts of Queens and Brooklyn, has grabbed much of the spotlight in recent days, thanks to his decision to jump into an already crowded mayoral race, Council Speaker Christine Quinn remains the front runner in campaign fundraising – as well as in the polls.

Quinn has raised about $7.06 million, with $508,730 of that coming from the most recent campaign finance period that ran from March 12 to May 11, according to her records filed with the city Campaign Finance Board last week. She recently received significant financial boosts from people like Ari Emanuel – the Hollywood agent brother of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel – who gave the maximum donation of $4,950 – and crime writer Linda Fairstein, a former sex crimes prosecutor who also handed $4,950 to the speaker. Quinn, a Manhattan Democrat who polls have consistently named as the favored candidate in the mayoral race, has about $5.8 million in her campaign war chest – more than any of her opponents.

Quinn’s ability to generate funds and voter support landed her the backing of the Queens County Democrats – led by U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Queens, Bronx) – this week.

“The unrivaled diversity of Queens and the cohesion of the County Democratic Committee make this endorsement a key victory for our campaign,” the speaker said in a prepared statement.

Weiner, also a Democrat, landed second in campaign finances, as well as in the most recent Quinnipiac University poll, with his CFB filing showing him raising about $5.14 million and having an estimated $4.27 million on hand. He, however, raised no money in the last two months, according to his filing with the CFB.

De Blasio, who has received the backing of a number of entertainment stars, such as Sarah Jessica Parker, has received more than $3.92 million in contributions, including nearly $245,000 in the past two months.

City Comptroller and fellow Democrat John Liu, who previously represented Flushing in City Hall, comes in fourth with $3.33 million raised – with about $121,000 of that stemming from the most recent filing period. Liu recently had to return a little more than $14,000 in contributions implicated in the straw donor scheme that led to his former treasurer and a fundraiser being found guilty of federal campaign finance fraud charges earlier this month.

Thompson does not lag far behind Liu, with approximately $3.30 million raised. The former comptroller who ran for mayor in 2009 paid $18,000 for a new chief campaign strategist, Jonathan Prince, this filing period, and secured financial support from Renco Group Chairman Ira Leon Rennert and Andrew and Jonathan Risch of the Loews Corporation. He generated more contributions – $607,950 – than any of his competitors in the past two months.

Joe Lhota, the former head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the lone Republican in the top six fundraisers, has raised $1.28 million, with $558,414 coming from contributions given during the March to May period. The Republican front-runner managed to nab that more than $550,000 thanks, in part, to ex New York Stock Exchange Chief Richard Grasso, former FDNY Commissioner Thomas Von Essen, and Wall Street billionaire Carl Icahn.

President of the Doe Fund and Republican George McDonald had a tough fundraising period, having to loan himself $25,000 in April and $100,000 in May. He has raised a total of $417,450.

Democratic candidate Erick Salgado, a Bronx-born minister, has raised $205,980; Democrat Sal Albanese, a former teacher who represented southern Brooklyn in the City Council, has landed $225,337; and ex-White House urban czar – and former Bronx Borough President – Adolfo Carrion Jr. took in less than $18,000 in contributions this time around but spent about $225,000 on everything from trips to Puerto Rico and Facebook ads, according to his CFB filing.

Republican candidate John Catsimatidis, CEO of the Red Apple Group and Gristedes Foods, spent the most of any of his opponents, forking over a total of about $615,000 between March and May on such expenditures as pollsters and advertising – including in City & State, a publication owned by his former Republican rival, Tom Allon.

By Anna Gustafson

Anthony Weiner launched his official bid for New York City’s highest office in a video posted on YouTube late Tuesday night – invoking another intensive round of speculation as to what the political cards have in store for the disgraced former congressman who once represented parts of Queens and Brooklyn. And while some of his former constituents have mixed opinions as to whether New York could see a Mayor Weiner after his Twitter-inspired fall from grace, one Queens political scientist thinks the man who once represented a large swath of the borough’s southern and central neighborhoods could claim victory in a race already packed with high-profile Democrats.

Confirming his rumored campaign in the YouTube video, Weiner uploaded a commercial packed with promises to fight for the middle class if elected. “The very people who put everything they had into this city are getting priced right out of it, but it doesn’t have to be that way,” Weiner said in the video, which was shot around the city, including in his home neighborhood of Park Slope and his current Manhattan apartment. With his wife, Huma Abedin, by his side, Weiner reminds viewers of his previous accomplishments and asks for a “second chance,” closing the promo with a campaign logo in Mets colors.

Most recently remembered for his suggestive self-portraiture, Weiner, who once lived in Forest Hills, resigned in June 2011 from the seat he held for 12 years in the U.S. House of Representatives after it was discovered that the politician had sent numerous shirtless photos and crotch shots of himself to women he met through social media. Originally claiming he was the victim of computer hacking, Weiner eventually confessed to sending the images, apologized and resigned following pressure from a number of Democratic leaders, including President Barack Obama himself.

In the campaign video, Weiner addresses the scandal that made international headlines and promises voters he has changed.

“Look, I made some big mistakes and I know I let a lot of people down, but I’ve also learned some tough lessons,” he says, looking directly into the camera.

Some may find Weiner’s political comeback premature, but with approximately $1.5 million in matching campaign funds that will expire if unused and a lifelong career in politics behind him, his return strikes others as inevitable.

“Weiner’s a formidable campaigner, he’s very articulate, he knows how to frame an issue and he’s got a lot of money,” said Michael Krasner, co-director of the Taft Institute for Government and associate professor in the department of political science at Queens College.

Weiner has been raising funds for a mayoral run since as early as 2007, but after term limits were extended, allowing Mayor Michael Bloomberg to run for an additional term, Weiner withdrew from the 2009 race.

The money Weiner raised for the 2009 mayoral election remains eligible for one-time matching funds in the upcoming 2013 election. However, according to Bonny Tsang, press aide at the city’s Campaign Finance Board, if Weiner had decided not to run this year, his 2009 funds would not enter the matching program, which provides six public dollars for every eligible dollar raised.

Though the city’s mayoral race is crowded with big-name Democratic heavy-hitters, including Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Comptroller John Liu, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, and former Comptroller Bill Thompson, Krasner thinks a mayoral campaign is a good strategy for Weiner’s political career. “He’ll probably do respectably at worst, and he might win,” Krasner said. “Then he’s back in the game, because the most recent thing will be the mayoral election and he’s put the scandal behind him.”

Still, former constituents are more skeptical when it comes to assessing Weiner’s political future.

Anthony Weiner hopes voters in the upcoming mayoral election will give him a second chance. This time, he promises to keep his shirt on.

“I can’t see a mayor with that background,” said Bob Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association. “We’d be the laughing stock of our nation, but it’s a new world – morality seems to be out the window for a lot of people.”

Politicians have bounced back from seemingly worse scandals, said Krasner, citing the recent success of Mark Sanford, a South Carolina Republican elected to congress despite his public extramarital affair with an Argentinian woman, carried out using public funding while he was governor.

“His crimes were much worse, and he’s running in a place with a much more hidebound puritanical perspective, and look how well he’s done,” said Krasner.

In a Quinnipiac University poll released on April 19, Weiner came in with 15 percent of the Democratic vote, bested only by Quinn who captured 28 percent. But in a press release the university cautioned, “he has a negative favorability, and all voters are evenly divided on whether he should run for mayor.”

Former constituents echoed this divide.

“He probably is one of the most talented guys in the race if he did run but, he’s also the most disturbed,” said Holden, adding, “If he didn’t do all those things, I probably would vote for him.”

Andrea Crawford, second vice chairwoman of Queens Community Board 9 wished her former representative good luck in his potential campaign.

“It’s a pretty tight race,” she said. “There’s a lot of people running for mayor. We’ll see what happens in September – it certainly is interesting.”

Holden, whose civic group was recently visited by Republican mayoral hopeful Joe Lhota, encouraged Weiner to reach out to them.

“Before he announces his campaign, he needs to make the rounds and talk to people,” Holden said. “I would start with his original constituents.”

Weiner took more time to announce his candidacy than others in order to test the political waters, according to Krasner. Tsang said Weiner hadn’t yet filed paperwork required to obtain matching funds, but nor had many other potential front-runners. The deadline for filing is June 10, and while some candidates have made the request for matching funds, a number of Democratic candidates, including Quinn and de Blasio, have not. Money will be released in August after the city Board of Elections confirms the list of mayoral candidates.

“He’s waiting to see how people respond to the whole idea, and the fact that he’s delayed announcing suggests that the polls are not all that encouraging and somewhat ambiguous,” Krasner said prior to Weiner’s announcement on Wednesday morning.

Recently, Weiner’s wife, Abedin, a political consultant and longtime aide to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, made headlines for failing to publicly disclose a portion of her earnings, but both Holden and Krasner believed Abedin’s alleged actions will have little impact on Weiner’s campaign.

“It’s at most a three day story,” Krasner said.

Weiner has a long history in politics. He served as a Brooklyn City Council member from 1992 through 1998, before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he stayed from 1999 to 2011. For many, Weiner’s return to politics was always going to happen – it was just a matter of when.

“If what you want to do is get back in the game and you are sitting on this pile of money that you don’t want to lose, then why wouldn’t you go and give it a shot,” Krasner said.

“The reason he’s coming back is because he’s been a politician all his life,” said Holden, “I knew this would happen, I just didn’t think it would happen so soon.”

Holden said Weiner will be the candidate most familiar with his neighborhood, expressing disdain for Quinn, whom he blamed for financial shortfalls in his district.

“If anyone votes for her over here, they have to have their heads examined, because she screwed our neighborhood,” Holden said.

The civic leader faults Quinn for permitting the City Council to award District 30, which includes Glendale, Maspeth, Middle Village, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood and Woodhaven, with less money than any other city district in two of Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley’s (D-Middle Village) last three years in office.

With Weiner entering the race, Krasner predicts he and Quinn will eventually be neck and neck.

“She’s got some campaigning skills and considerable backing from some in the business community and some key labor unions. Weiner is a very smart, energetic, aggressive campaigner and Quinn’s weak point is that important liberal groups are disappointed with her performance.”

For the other mayoral candidates in a race where candidates agree on many issues, Krasner expects a steep uphill battle. Liu has the weight of a financial scandal upon him, as one of his former aides was recently convicted of fraud, and Krasner said de Blasio was having a hard time gaining traction, despite what he called a “smart” strategic attack on Quinn for her failure to support paid sick leave.

In CB 9, Crawford is taking the whole mayoral election in stride.

“I don’t know why anyone would want the job. You’ve got to be a bit of a masochist, but good for them,” she said of the potential candidates.

By Elizabeth Daley

Minnie Mouse balloons, flowers, pictures and candles adorned the bus stop in front 125-30 Sutphin Boulevard in South Jamaica shortly after the sun came up on Sunday morning. They were there to mark that which had happened at the same location just hours before.

Only about 10 hours the night before the very same bus stop was marked with police, fire, ambulance, emergency services and a Q6 bus with a bullet hole through one of its windows.

In front of the window had sat 14-year-old Daja Robinson. The teen had been on her way home after having attended a Sweet Sixteen party at the Onyx Lounge in Jamaica.

She and several of her friends had left the party at 8 pm and boarded the MTA bus to head home, just a few blocks away.

The bus was idling near at Baisley Blvd and was idling when a gunman approached and opened fire. Authorities say at least ten shots were fired. One of them struck Robinson in the right temple and killed her.

Police have confirmed that the shooting is gang related but say Robinson had no gang affiliations and was not the intended target.

On Tuesday, police released further details in the investigation saying that it is possible another teen on the bus may have been the intended target because she bad-mouthed a known neighborhood gang. The girl had received death threats following the shooting on the bus.

Detectives are looking to question a person of interest, a man they say that may be identified by NYPD surveillance footage.

“This was another senseless murder,” said Commissioner Ray Kelly. “She was a young girl who should be having the time of her life.”

A reward has been posted for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual responsible. Police are asking that you call CRIMESTOPPERS at 800-577-TIPS.

By Patricia Adams

The International Society of SS. Cosma and Damiano, in conjunction with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), held the Fifth Annual Walk for a Cure on Saturday morning. The 5K Howard Beach walk is one of more than 200 national events across the country aimed at raising funds to eradicate Type 1 diabetes, a disease which strikes more than 15,000 children and 15,000 adults each year.

Society President Joe DeCandia praised the crowd in attendance, noting that they had raised more than $70,000, despite the fact that the community was decimated by Hurricane Sandy. “This really shows the level of dedication and commitment we have to our goal,” DeCandia said. “We will see this disease wiped out. And soon.”

The walk has raised over a half million dollars since its inception which is applied directly to research.

Photos by Patricia Adams

Way back when Sandy had first touched down and we were all novices in the natural disaster area, I had conversations with many National Guard troops along Cross Bay Boulevard and eventually at my own door.

Right after they first arrived I was standing and talking with a guard originally from California.

Sgt. Wendell Jackson was informative, witty and compassionate and of all the things we spoke about, I remember this one best. “You will never understand what this has done to you and your community, until you see it happen again somewhere else. Then you will first know what has happened to you. And you’ll know for sure how you managed to get out of it.”

I pretty much dismissed the statement—I was too busy and had too much else on my mind.

But on Monday, immediately after news of the storm broke, all TV’s were tuned to CNN and other news outlets. It took about one minute of footage to realize the implications of what the guardsman had told me and then, all at once, I knew exactly what he meant.

In one flashing moment I was hurtled back to October 29, to those feelings of panic, confusion, fright, desperation—the adjective list could grow longer, more desperate, for pages. Suffice it to say, I remembered everything that happened since then, all at once. I felt sick to my stomach. Every inch of what I had tried to bury was right there in front of me. I understood Oklahoma as I never could have before.

Shattered glass, photos strewn all over—the wind comes and you drop everything to chase after the picture of your grandmother in a bathing suit on a pier in 1935 at the Jersey Shore— What could be more important than that?

The memories that came alive in the faces and the landscape in the town of Moore were so vivid. This was really hi-def TV. The real thing. People had been forced underground in the hopes that their emergency plans would work. Two schools were leveled, one had no basement. When the death toll was officially revised it totaled 24 lost lives, 10 of them children.

One woman talking to reporters outside a pile of rubble that was once her home, had taken refuge in a small bathroom; that had been her game plan for the last 30 years. When it was all over she wrangled from under the pile of debris resting on her. “It was there and it was gone.” She called out for her dog but he didn’t answer. “I know he’s in there somewhere,” she said, pointing at the mound of rubble around her. In that instant, she had lost her best friend.

But then another voice spoke, “Uh, there’s a dog. A dog.” A cameraman screamed the news. The attention around her had shifted to the ground where there was movement. She turned and bent down. “Oh my God,” she called. “Babsy. Oh my God!”

Barbara Garcia crouched down to lift an anxious ball of fur, scrambling to free himself from what ensnared him. “Help me,” Garcia called, “get him out.”

And as she bent down beside the beloved pooch you could hear her whisper, “thank you God, thank you so much.”

She turned back to the reporters “I thought God just answered one prayer and let me be ok. But he answered all because this was my second prayer, that he’d be ok,” she said pointing toward her miracle dog. “Well,” Garcia said, “God answered both.”

Still, other people made the decision to get out of their homes. Rebecca Vitsmun, mother of 19-month-old Anders, is originally from Louisiana and had been told by her husband and other Oklahomans that you don’t leave your house. You put on a helmet and you get in the bathtub. But you don’t leave.”

So as the tornado neared their home, Rebecca obediently got her son’s mattress and helmet and loaded him into the bathtub where she had been told to go. Her husband, Brian, was travelling on the interstate, trying to get home.

She had brought water, some blankets and her lap top into the bathroom.

Then while huddled under a blanket in the bathtub, tracking the storm, she made a split second decision to leave the house. The tornado was about 5 miles away.

“I looked at the screen, and I knew I wasn’t staying. I panicked. I just got him into the car on my lap. I didn’t put him in his car seat and I thought, nobody is going to pull you over for that. Not today.” The tornado was ripping through the county in a northeasterly direction and so she drove south.

“I pulled over to try and put him in the car seat but the wind was too strong.” She drove in traffic, where she felt safe, trying to get back to the house. She thought about her husband—the couple had staved off technology, they did not have cell phones—she hoped he was safe on the road. “If he is back at the house, he’ll think we’re inside.”

She arrived to find Brian on top of the heap of lumber and twisted metal that was their house. “He was up there searching,” she choked up. “Searching for us.” She started screaming “Brian. Brian.”

Her husband came running, they hugged and they cried. “One of our favorite things is whenever we have a group hug, Anders always says “yay.” This time, was no exception. “He was just screaming yay and we were holding each other and crying. It was awesome.”

As the interview came to a conclusion, reporter Wolf Blitzer asked the obvious. “You, your husband, your child—you’re all blessed. I mean,” he continued, “you gotta’ thank the Lord. Is that what you’re doing right now? Are you thanking the Lord for that split second decision?”

Rebecca smiled and stammered , “I…I am… I’m actually an atheist.” And then “But I don’t blame anyone for thanking the Lord.”

And then I realized what Sgt. Jackson didn’t tell me, some people just don’t get it…right away.

God bless Oklahoma.

Michael Arguelles, pictured with principal Peter Mannarino, accepts a certificate marking his victory in Christ the King’s Pi Memorization Contest. Photo Courtesy of Christ the King HS.

That is how 17-year-old Christ the King senior, Michael Arguelles explains his fascination with numbers. The same fascination that led him to a victory in the Pi Memorization Contest sponsored by his school.

Pi is most easily understood as the mathematical constant that represents the ratio between the circumference and the diameter of a circle. But in the complex world of mathematics it has a far more important property – it is an infinite decimal – a number that goes on forever and never repeats itself.

The chase to find a pattern in Pi has led people to memorize record numbers of its decimal digits. The reigning world champion is chemistry student Chao Lu of China who recited Pi from memory to 67,890 places, at the Northwest A&F University in China, November of 2005. Lu attempted the record after practicing for more than 4 years. His last attempt took exactly 1 day and 4 minutes. It was recorded on 26 video tapes and entered into the Guinness Book of World Records, the entire event was witnessed and documented.

“Pi fascinates me,” the soon to be graduate told The Forum. “I decided to try it one day.”

“It” was the quest to memorize as many digits as he could, and it began three years ago. It started out as a practice – every time there was a spare moment, there was “a chance to add some digits.”

“It took a couple of months and I had it on the way. I had memorized 200 digits.”

But it wasn’t long before the challenge to surpass 200 became a successful new pursuit and this year, in taking the title for the third consecutive year, Arguelles successfully recited the first 1,000 digits of Pi. The attempt took 6 minutes – that number he has worked down from between 8 and 9. And of course, he reminds, you have to keep practicing to retain the digits – “I recite at least 3 or 4 times a month. You have to keep it up.”

Goals for the future are to get his digits up to 2,000 by next year. From there…who knows?

Arguelles was a member of the Christ the King Math team that recently placed first in the New York State Mathematics League.

The relationship with mathematics will be further cultivated when he starts his freshman year at CUNY Hunter College, on a math scholarship, in September.

“About 85% of my district had been either flooded or burned down. The mayor or the Red Cross had not yet arrived and the communities were not waiting for help.”

It was the thought that relief efforts had to be immediate that propelled everything that followed according to the state assembly member whose lines include the heart of communities wiped out in Hurricane Sandy. Howard Beach, Hamilton Beach, Broad Channel, Rockaway, Breezy Point, Far Rockaway are all within his district.

In one of the only photos of him during Sandy’s aftermath, an exhausted Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder took time on the ground for a bite, only to be accosted by angry constituents. Now the legislator will take what he learned and bring it to Oklahoma in the hopes of paying back some of the kindness shown to those in his district. Photo Courtesy of Assemblyman Goldfeder's Office.

With neighborhoods, businesses and homes literally torn to pieces, Goldfeder says what happened next was incredibly humbling. “I was so deeply moved by the heroism of regular citizens working around the clock with community leaders.” It was back-breaking, grueling work but people from every neighborhood congregated to set up to distribute food and other essentials.

“There were distribution sites in the Hamilton Beach Fire House, Broad Channel American Legion, Waldbaum’s parking lot in Howard Beach and all over Rockaway from Breezy Point to Far Rockaway,” recalled Goldfeder.

And most importantly, the assemblyman maintains, “It was through the kindness of strangers and neighbors helping neighbors that we survived.”

Personal strife was not absent either–he lost his home to flooding and sent his wife and two young children to family’s homes to stay while he hunkered down in his district after the storm.

“I found refuge for a few hours of sleep a night at local police precincts and on various couches throughout the district for nearly two months after Sandy,” he said.

But this weekend, after hearing about the tornadoes that ripped through Moore County, his mind was no longer on Sandy. “I didn’t think twice before I booked my ticket to Oklahoma City.” He says the images and stories were eerily close to the events he experienced during Sandy. “The families are struggling with so many of the same tragedies. I wanted to share my story and lend a hand of support for survivors.”

And so on Wednesday morning, Phil Goldfeder boarded a plane bound for Oklahoma. He was scheduled first to meet with the Oklahoma State legislature offering whatever he could from his new found experience.

After meeting with lawmakers, Goldfeder had an even more important meeting according to him. He was going to meet with a man from Oklahoma who had driven all the way to New York after Sandy to bring a truck load of supplies to Rockaway. “I’m going to return the favor,” said Goldfeder.

When Phil Goldfeder touches back down in New York, he will go from the airport to his home. Nearly six months after the storm, he and his family have been fortunate enough to piece their lives back together.

“I was a victim and I became a survivor because of the generosity of strangers.

By Patricia Adams

Roger Hennin and his wife, Josephine, raised their family in Woodhaven and often worked together in their efforts to better their community. They were the first two to be admitted into the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association Hall of Fame. Photo Courtesy of WRBA.

For 85 years, Roger Hennin knew and loved Woodhaven.

Hennin, who died last Wednesday at the age of 85, knew Woodhaven as the place where he spent his childhood doing everything from riding his bike along tree-lined streets to watching his house be torn down so Woodhaven Boulevard could be expanded, where he raised a family with his wife of 63 years, Josephine, and where he spent his days and nights trying to improve his community.

For more than two decades, Hennin was a board member of the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association, he was a Eucharistic minister for St. Thomas the Apostle on 87th Street, and he served as a member of the Knights of Columbus. A proud graduate of the Franklin K. Lane High School class of 1947, Hennin spent only a couple years away from Woodhaven, living in Briarwood with his wife just after they were married – but the two quickly returned and he spent the rest of his days in the place he always knew as home.

“I knew him for 40 years, and he was a wonderful, dedicated resident to the community,” said Maria Thomson, executive director of the Woodhaven Business Improvement District and the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation. “He was a good father, a good husband, a good Catholic, and a very dedicated community servant.”

Thomson emphasized his devotion to his family, including his wife, who he met at a party on Rockaway Beach. As members of St. Thomas the Apostle, Hennin and his wife would bring Communion to housebound residents of the community, as well as patients at Jamaica Hospital.

The two were the very first members of the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association Hall of Fame in 2010.

WRBA President Ed Wendell called Hennin a “very, very kind man” of “very deep faith.

“He gave us a connection to the history of the neighborhood,” Wendell continued. “He was someone who has seen what happens to a community over time. He was someone who could lend that perspective, and I really appreciated that.”

Wendell, who recorded an interview with Hennin several years ago that he is giving to St. Thomas the Apostle students who are producing a film about Woodhaven’s history, said Hennin told him one of the most striking moments of his childhood was watching his boyhood home being torn down.

“They widened the Boulevard and destroyed hundreds of houses,” Wendell said. “Roger’s house was bought via eminent domain, and they bought another house in Woodhaven. He went down on his bike and watched his old house being bulldozed – he said it was the weirdest thing he’d ever seen.”

A wake was held for Hennin at Walsh and LaBella on 87th Street on Saturday and Sunday, and a funeral mass was held on Monday at St. Thomas the Apostle.

“I’m definitely going to miss him,” Wendell said. “We all are.”

By Anna Gustafson

A smashed wind shield is evidence of the great impact that Rafael Diaz was struck with as he crossed Atlantic Avenue shortly before 7:30 p.m. Thursday evening. An unauthorized block of the sidewalk may have caused him to step out into the street.

A 73-year-old man crossing Atlantic Avenue between 87th and 88th Streets was killed on Thursday night after he was struck by a driver with an outstanding warrant for unauthorized use of a vehicle.

Police say Rafael Diaz was killed when a black sedan driven by 25-year-old Joel Rodriguez sent him flying into the windshield of the vehicle. Diaz was rushed to Jamaica Hospital where he later died.

Woodhaven Resident Block Association President, Ed Wendell said he had spoken to an eyewitness to the accident who informed him of a serious issue. “… They said you had a sidewalk that was blocked – a business has blocked a sidewalk,” Wendell recounted, “so this elderly man had to walk out into Atlantic to get around the vehicles and he was struck.”

Police lead 25-year-old Joel Rodriguez into the 102nd precinct after he struck and killed a 73-year-old man. Rodriguez had an outstanding warrant for unauthorized use of a vehicle. Robert Stridiron/The Forum Newsgroup.

Wendell further added that a 102nd Precinct officer in attendance at Saturday’s Woodhaven Resident Block Association meeting, the “vehicle was going in excess of 60 miles per hour.” “Road safety in general in this community needs to be addressed.”

Rodriguez was arrested at the scene for an additional charge of unauthorized use of a vehicle. A one month old warrant was issued after an arrest on April 4 for the same charge. He was also given another violation at the scene for an equipment problem.

By Patricia Adams

Joshua Robles

Queens District Attorney Richard Brown has indicted a father and son team who allegedly framed a former family friend, sending him to jail unlawfully for the last eight months.

Joshua Robles was arrested and charged with attempted murder for allegedly robbing a woman he used to date at gunpoint and sexually abusing her. His bail was set at $75,000 and because he was unable to come up with the money, has been a prisoner at Rikers Island since August of 2012.

Now police say that Hipolito (a.k.a. Armoni) Rodriguez, 38, and his son, Jordan (a.k.a Blaze) Rodriguez, 19, got a woman to make up the story about Robles after they had a falling out. The Rodriguezes are alleged to have driven the woman to the vicinity of Cypress and Greene Avenues – the location where the alleged robbery and sex abuse took place – and instructed her to call police from a pay phone and say that her assailant had a tattoo of a cross on his face–similar to the one Joshua Robles has between his eyes.

The woman later testified before a Queens Grand Jury and under oath perjured herself because she said that the Rodriguezes threatened to do her physical harm if she did not comply. Her testimony brought about the indictment against Robles, charging him with robbery, sexual abuse and other related crimes. He faced up to 25 years if he had been convicted.

Police have Hipolito Rodriguez in custody presently and are actively seeking his son Jordan. The elder Rodriguez faces up to 7 years if convicted and was ordered held without bail by Queens Supreme Court Justice Richard L. Butcher.

The city Landmarks Preservation Commission voted last week to hold a public hearing on landmarking the carousel that was built in 1903 – the first step towards officially preserving the merry-go-round that holds some of the last surviving creations of master wood-carver Daniel Carl Muller, including 49 sculpted horses, a lion, a tiger, a deer and two chariots. The LPC has not set a specific date for the hearing.

Maria Thomson, the executive director at the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation and the Woodhaven Business Improvement District, said the city’s decision was welcomed by residents who have been fighting to landmark the carousel for more than two decades.

“We’re tired of getting concessionaires that don’t value it,” Thomson said in reference to past operators – not the current one that reopened the merry-go-round last Memorial Day after it was abandoned by New York One LLC in 2008. “They don’t take care of it, it closes and it falls into disrepair and there’s vandalism. If it’s landmarked, it will open up access to funding through the landmarking designation. That would be used to preserve the carousel.”

The Forest Park carousel is just one of two remaining carousels crafted by Muller, a German immigrant who settled in Philadelphia and built a total of 12 merry-go-rounds. It was first operated in 1903 in Dracut, Mass. and was brought to Woodhaven in 1972 to replace a different carousel that burnt down in 1966. There, the carousel turned until 1985, when it was abandoned for three years. The structure underwent an extensive renovation in 1988, after which it went through another number of operators. Comptroller John Liu found in a 2011 audit that New York One LLC, which ran the carousel until it let its contract lapse in 2008, mismanaged the merry-go-round, as well as another one in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, by overcharging customers, maintaining little to no records of its cash transactions and violating health codes.

After 2008, the city issued four requests for proposals and finally selected New York Carousel to operate the structure. New York Carousel opened the venue last Memorial Day, and its director, Ami Abramson, said there have been more than 35,000 rides on the merry-go-round in the past year.

Abramson said his company is open to the idea of the carousel receiving landmark status, though he stressed “we do of course have questions.”

“As long as we can operate the carousel as we’ve been doing it and don’t have to go through red tape to fix the carousel, we’re open to it,” Abramson said. “We very much are in support of it remaining in the community, and the community getting what it wants, but we want to make sure we can operate the carousel.”

Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association President Ed Wendell echoed a similar sentiment, saying he was not “sure what to make of it.”

“When you landmark something, you add such a level of bureaucracy and add such costs that it becomes harder and harder to maintain,” Wendell said. “In other words, they notice something that needs repairs – but to get the repairs going they’ll have to get in 17 different forms and approvals?”

Still, Wendell emphasized there are too many questions regarding what landmark status for the carousel would mean to render a yea or nay for his support for the status.

“It’s one of those things that could be very, very good – it’s one of those things that’s all in the details,” he said. “Do we know landmarking is absolutely the right thing to do, and will it be done the right way?”

The city LPC did not return a request for comment for this article, but Thomson said Abramson should not be concerned about onerous restrictions on repair work.

“He should have no fear whatsoever,” she said. “He can get in touch with Landmarks, he’ll give them the schematics of what he wants done and they’ll approve it or not. If they don’t approve it, they’ll work with him to get something done.”

Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), who has worked with residents to get the carousel landmarked, said she was “encouraged” by the commission’s decision to “bring landmark status of the Forest Park carousel one step closer to a reality.

“This designation will protect and preserve the carousel for future generations to come,” Crowley said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the commission and the concessionaire to ensure this neighborhood treasure is preserved.”

Abramson said regardless of the carousel being landmarked or not, “we will continue operating it as a top-notch operation.”

He added that they are also “testing the possibility” of adding other rides to the area and “are taking a look at expansion.

“We’re going to have conversations with [the Parks Department] about potential expansion ideas and come up with a game plan,” Abramson said, noting that these discussions likely will not take place until the end of this season.

By Anna Gustafson

St. Thomas the Apostle students interview Forest Park Carousel Manager Daeshawn Grimes for their video on Woodhaven’s history. Photo Courtesy of WRBA.

After spending months preparing a film documenting the long and rich history of Woodhaven – including interviewing everyone from the owners of the one of the oldest bars in the country, the 180-year-old Neir’s Tavern, to area civic leaders – St. Thomas the Apostle students are about to make their red-carpet debut.

Made by students in seventh and eighth grades at St. Thomas, the film, “Woodhaven: Diverse Backgrounds United in One History,” will premier on Monday, June 10 at 6 p.m. at the Cinemart Movie Theater on Metropolitan Avenue in Forest Hills. There, students will get a chance to showcase a project that Ed Wendell, president of the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association and the Woodhaven Cultural and Historical Society and St. Thomas teacher Patty Eggers first thought of doing in order to connect younger community members with a history many of the pupils did not know existed.

“Patty and I knew each other through the block association, and she and I has spoken about this about a year ago,” Wendell said. “I thought our historical society needed to start getting involved with the children and promote our history with the youngest of our residents.”

Because St. Thomas has an extensive video program – the school’s own YouTube channel boasts countless videos of student plays and concerts to excursions to the borough’s cultural icons, such as the Queens Museum of Art – Eggers and Wendell quickly realized it would be a perfect fit for students to make a video history of their neighborhood.

To inspire the students, the Woodhaven Cultural and Historical Society donated 20 copies of “The Story of Woodhaven and Ozone Park” by Vincent Seyfried, which they used as a springboard to write and produce their own storyboards. As part of the project, the pupils have interviewed a variety of different people in the community, including Paul Rudolph, the proprietor of the 114-year-old Walker’s Funeral Home, as well as Alex Ewen and Loy Gordon, owners of Neir’s Tavern – a 180-year-old venue where Mae West performed and where the classic Martin Scorsese film, “Goodfellas” was filmed.

Students also filmed a field trip to Forest Park, where they interviewed Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) at the Forest Park Bandshell.

“I knew they were going to be putting together a video, but when the teacher showed me the work they’ve done so far, I said, ‘this is a spectacular effort,’” Wendell said. “I wondered how I could take it to a different level, and I got in touch with the theater. We’re going to buy a red carpet; it’s going to be special.”

During the premiere, each student involved will walk the red carpet and receive an award for their film. Inside the theater, there will be a slide show of old photos of Woodhaven, Wendell said.

Ultimately, Wendell said he hopes this film is the first of a long series of collaborative efforts between the historical society and area schools.

“I’d like to get to the point where we are working with each of the schools in our community on projects each year,” Wendell said. “For example, a mural painting and I’d love to see kids design a coloring book about Woodhaven history.”

To help with the project’s price tag, the historical society is asking community members to lend a hand financially. Individuals interested in helping defray some of the project’s monetary costs can find a link to donate at projectwoodhaven.com/2013/May/woodhaven-sta-project.html.

By Anna Gustafson

The 36-year-old took a plea deal that places him in protective custody and sends him off to Rikers Island for six months.

Daniel Reilly

When Reilly gets released he is mandated to go to sex offender therapy classes. In addition to being on probation for a total of ten years, he surrendered his teaching license.

The reason that Reilly was given the deal was partly to spare the victim from having to testify. She has since turned 14. Reilly was also given permission to take two bottles of an unknown prescription medication with him.

According to the charges against him, Reilly, a husband and the father of an infant girl, had sex on multiple occasions with the student, while his wife and baby were out.

He had persuaded the girl to use a texting code over the phone with him so that no one would discover their relationship.

The illicit affair continued up until a month before the girl’s sister discovered the lewd texts and reported them to her parents, who in tun went to the school and the authorities.

Reilly’s attorney, Eric Franz likened his clients situation to that of politicians and public figures who have been caught for sexual transgressions. “He was thinking with the lower half of his body,” Franz stated. “He made a mistake.”

The fact that his wife, an attorney, has stayed by her husband has been a source of talk since his arrest in April. Annmarie Reilly was there to post Reilly’s $30,000 bail and was also at his next hearing.

Moments before he officially took his plea deal, his wife was with him at the court house where they kissed passionately and embraced.

Published reports say the couple will move to Long Island after he is released to start a new life.

Sentencing for the ex-Marine is slated for July 22.

“This case should serve as a clear and unmistakable warning that law enforcement is prepared under any circumstances to apprehend and prosecute sexual predators who betray and defile youngsters,” Brown said.

The former teacher at IS 237 in Flushing served in the US Marines for 5 years and received an honorable discharge in 2000. He engaged in a seven month tryst continually raping a student.

Reilly was also fund to have had over three dozen friends on Facebook that were high school students at neighboring schools before he shut down the page.

Caution tape was stretched across bookshelves and signs were posted to warn library patrons that the resources of the library are under siege by the proposed NYC budget. They are being urged to sign petitions across the borough. Photo Courtesy of the Queens Public Library.

Although the Queens Library staged an advocacy event on Monday at the Astoria branch, the serious message it sent is a threat to every library across the borough. “ What Could Happen” was a measure taken by elected officials, community leaders and library staff to demonstrate the potential danger to the existence of the library.

The city is trying to cut $29.6 million dollars from library budget starting July 1.

If the cut goes through, it would be the largest in the library’s history. Library services will be severely impacted, certain community branches would close and hundreds of library jobs would be lost.

For more information on how you can help save the library, go to www.savequeenslibrary.org

Craig Caruana, second from left, surrounded by Republican allies at a recent fundraiser. (L to R): Tom Ognibene, mayoral candidate Joe Lhota, Councilman Eric Ulrich and former congressman, Bob Turner. Photo Courtesy of Craig Caruana's Office.

While Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) has more than five times the amount of money in her campaign war chest than her Republican opponent, civic activist Craig Caruana, the two candidates raised almost the same amount of money over the past two months, according to their most recent filings with the city Campaign Finance Board.

Crowley raised $8,665 from March 12 to May 11, the most recent campaign finance filing period, while Caruana landed $8,375 in the race for the 30th Council District. The district covers Glendale, Maspeth, Middle Village, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood, and Woodhaven.

The councilwoman, who was elected in 2008, has raised a total of about $154,000 and spent about $65,000, leaving her with $87,852 on hand.

“I am thankful for the tremendous support I have received from within the community and throughout the city,” Crowley said in a statement. “They have seen how hard I have worked to improve our neighborhoods and know that I will continue fighting for middle class families to strengthen our schools, provide key services and health care for seniors and protect our public safety.”

Caruana has garnered $24,111 in contributions and has spent a little more than $9,000, leaving a total of about $15,079 on hand.

Council member Elizabeth Crowley has garnered the support of some substantial unions but challenger Craig Caruana remains on her fund raising coattails for the last period recorded. A difference of a few hundred dollars separates the two council candidates for filings which ended on May 11. Photo Courtesy of William Alatriste, New York City Council.

“I am satisfied that the campaign is raising the necessary amount of money to win this election,” Caruana, a Middle Village native, said in a statement. “I am proud that we already have had nearly 200 individual donors, half of which live in the district and are first-time contributors to a political campaign. It shows that there is a mandate for a change in our City Council representation.”

The Middle Village councilwoman has landed 369 contributors, who have given an average of $382. She has received $110,863 from city residents, and $30,275 from individuals outside of New York City, according to the Campaign Finance Board.

Caruana has secured donations from 185 contributors, who have given an average of $130. City residents have doled out $18,371 for him, and non-city residents have given $5,740, according to the CFB.

Crowley, who recently lost a bid for the Congressional seat now held by U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing), received her largest donation – $2,500 – this filing period from Broadway Stages CEO Gina Argento, of Astoria. Caruana received financial backing from former U.S. Rep. Bob Turner – a Republican who won the seat previously held by former U.S. Rep., and now mayoral candidate, Anthony Weiner. Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) also gave to Caruana.

Both candidates have touted endorsements as of late, with Caruana announcing on Tuesday that Republican mayoral candidate Joe Lhota, former head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, was officially backing him.

“I need Craig standing by me, fighting in the City Council to reduce the cost of living in New York,” Lhota said in a prepared statement.

Turner, Ulrich and former Councilman Tom Ognibene attended Lhota’s announcement and also expressed their support for the candidacies of Caruana and Lhota.

Crowley, the first female and first Democrat elected to represent her seat, has landed endorsements from the United Federation of Teachers, 32 BJ SEIU – a union representing about 50,000 building service workers in New York, and the Detectives’ Endowment Association.

The councilwoman, who chairs the Fire & Criminal Justice Services Committee, received a number of donations from individual union members in this filing period – and other filing periods as well.

By Anna Gustafson

A birthday celebration turned into a nightmare when Stephen James was stabbed while out for the 21st birthday of his girlfriend Debra Alli. The couple had been dating for over three years.

The NYPD released new video footage on Wednesday of three suspects they believe to be responsible for the murder of a Rego Park man, stabbed to death outside the Richmond Hill nightclub he was partying at late Saturday night.

Stephen James took his girlfriend, Debra Alli out for a night on the town to celebrate her 21st birthday on Saturday. The couple, together for over three years, enjoyed dancing and wound up at the Level Ultra Lounge on Liberty Avenue. But the 21-year-old electrical contractor never made it home from the club, after a dispute that began upstairs in the massive ballroom like arena, spilled out onto the street.

Debra Alli told reporters that her boyfriend and another man had been thrown out of the club after a fight broke out when the other man started waving a tee-shirt in front of the couple, taunting them.

Police sources say that shortly after an altercation on the street between James and his attacker, the victim flagged down a patrol car near 123rd Street and Liberty Avenue. He was clutching his stomach and bleeding as he told police he had been stabbed. He was taken to Jamaica Hospital where a hospital spokesperson said he was admitted in serious condition but that his injuries were classified as non-life threatening. He died on Monday morning before 8 a.m. The medical examiner will determine the cause of death after an autopsy is performed.

According to family members, James was a family oriented person, who was always ready to help people out. His mother, Geeta James told reporters her son went to church every Sunday, taking young children from his family with him. “Nobody can say anything bad about my son.” She said she had spoken to her son about 3 a.m. and knew something was terribly wrong when she saw a friend’s number coming up on her phone a short time later.

These still frames were extracted from video footage taken inside the Level Ultra Lounge located at 123-07 Liberty Avenue. The three men in the video are wanted for the murder of the 21-year-old James, an electrician from Rego Park.

Neighbors outside the club on Wednesday afternoon say this was a tragic loss for James’ family but it comes as no surprise to them. They say that although the club is only opened for a short time 4 nights a week, there are constant disturbances involving their patrons.

“They have fights in the club and the bouncers throw them out—so we are in danger,” said Ronnie Hakleer who lives down the street. “I go to work at 5:30, and on the nights they are open, I don’t need an alarm clock to wake me up—the sirens and the screaming are enough.”

A search on the website for the State Liquor Authority documents a history of violations issued to RNS Enterprises, the entity to which the licensing for the club was issued to.

No arrests have been made as of press time and police sources say the investigation has intensified in light of the release of more detailed footage of the suspects from inside the club.

Peter Vallone

Former Councilwoman Melinda Katz raised more money in the past two months for her Queens borough president bid than her opponents who filed their latest campaign finance reports as of The Forum’s press deadline, though she still lags behind Councilman Peter Vallone (D-Astoria) in total contributions.

Katz, a Democrat from Forest Hills, reported raising $80,301 in the last campaign finance filing period, which ran from March 12 through May 11 – placing her ahead of Director of Community Boards and Parks Liaison for Queens Borough Hall President Barry Grodenchik’s $46,366 or the $16,323 landed by state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside). Candidates had until the end of the day on Wednesday to file their reports, which Vallone, Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) and state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights) had yet to do by the time this newspaper went to press. Katz, too, had not filed her official report, though her campaign released the numbers they submitted to the city Campaign Finance Board.

Barry Grodenchik

The candidates -a roster of all Democrats – are running to replace current Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, who cannot make another bid for her seat due to term limits.

While the former legislator from Forest Hills is out-earning some of her challengers, she remains in second place when it comes to total contributions. Vallone had received $1,073,037 in contributions as of the last filing period, whereas Katz has now raised a total of $489,213.  Peralta had received $244,136 as of the last filing period, and Grodenchik’s total contributions are now at $151,304. Avella had the least amount, coming in at $57,211.

Melinda Katz

Vallone has also secured more contributors than his opponents, with 1,702 contributors giving to his campaign as of last filing period – though more than half of his contributions are coming from individuals or groups based outside of New York City, according to Campaign Finance Board records.

The latest filings show Grodenchik with 649 contributors and Avella with 377. Grodenchik has garnered an average contribution size of $233, while Avella’s average contribution size is $152, according to the CFB.

Grodenchik, who previously served in the Assembly representing parts of northern Queens, received a number of his largest contributions in this filing period from the real estate industry – which has thrown its support behind a number of borough president candidates in Queens – and throughout the city. Borough presidents review their respective borough’s land-use projects that are subject to the city’s Land Use Review Procedure.

Johnson Chen, a real estate developer and the CEO of Kang Long Group Corporation, based in Brookville, NY, donated $1,000 to Grodenchik’s campaign. Chen’s group includes dealings in the restaurant industry, real estate development and wealth management and investment consulting services. Alex Chiu, a developer at the F&T Group, a real estate development company that works in Queens and Asia, and Helen Lee of Onex Real Estate Partners both gave Grodenchik $1,000.

The largest single contribution Grodenchik received was from the Local Union No. 3 in Fresh Meadows, which represents electricians. The group gave $3,850.

Leroy Comrie

Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder also threw his financial support behind Grodenchik and handed the candidate a $175 donation.

Of the $151,304 Grodenchik has received in total contributions, $110,253 are from city residents and $41,051 come from outside the city.

The largest contribution given during this reporting period to Avella, a longtime civic activist who previously served in the City Council and has run for mayor, was from Flushing resident Carla Fodera, of Fodera Foods Management. She donated $2,500.

Joseph Lume, a carpenter from Middle Village, gave $500, as did Giovanni Mangogna, who owns the Middle Village Cafe.

Most of Avella’s contributions came from city residents, with $48,471 of his $57,211 being donated by those from the five boroughs.

While major donors to Katz’s campaign have not been listed for the most recent filing period, she, like many of the borough president candidates, received significant backing from the real estate industry. Hugo Ruiz of the Roxann real estate group gave $3,500, and Zachary Kerr, an executive at the Brooklyn-based M&R Management, a real estate company, donated $3,850.

Tony Avella

Bernard Schwartz, a World War II veteran who was the largest single contributor to the Democratic party in the early 1990s, gave Katz $3,850. Schwartz is now the CEO of the Manhattan-based BLS Investments. Several attorneys also donated $3,850, as did Andrea Catsimatidis – who is married to former U.S. President Richard Nixon’s grandson and is the daughter of Republican mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis.

Vallone, meanwhile, received a donation of $850 from John Catsimatidis during the last filing cycle. Real estate groups have thrown significant weight behind Vallone, and the councilman reported he had received $1,000 each from individuals representing Strathnore Group LLC and the Shalimar Management Corporation.

The Astoria councilman also received support – in the form of $320 – from Jeffrey Wilpon, the chief operating officer of the Mets and the son of the Mets majority owner Fred Wilpon.

Peralta, who raised about $112,000 in the previous cycle, had received the financial backing of a long list of unions, including the Local 100 Transport Workers, Local 14-14B Operating Engine, Local 32B-32J SEIU AFL-CIO, and Local 46 PAC Metallic Leathers.

One of his largest contributions stemmed from Astoria resident Gina Argento, the CEO of Broadway Stages, one of the city’s largest film and television production facilities, who handed him $3,000. Nissren Gadelrab, a Jackson Heights pharmacist, also donated $3,000 to Peralta.

During the last filing period, Comrie’s largest single gift came from Matthew Huggins, a retiree from Jamaica who gave the councilman $1,520. An insurance broker from Far Rockaway gave $500, as did South Richmond Hill resident Jarnail Singh, the owner of JS Metro Construction Inc. Community Board 12 District Manager Yvonne Reddick donated $450 to Comrie.

By Anna Gustafson

Gridlock nightmares faced by commuters across the city on a daily basis were no match for motorists attempting to get in or out of the tiny hamlet of Broad Channel last Friday night. The strip of Cross Bay Boulevard that connects the town with Howard Beach in the north and Rockaway in the south was shut down after a three car accident around 4:30 in the afternoon. And vehicles were not the only ones affected. Commuters who utilize the bus along Cross Bay were also affected with many were forced to walk home across the bridge and through the crash site.

Well known as a treacherous roadway, with a history of deadly crashes, the unfortunate scene didn’t come as a surprise to residents who have seen it before; time and time again.“This is like a bad routine,” said Ed O Hare, a lifelong Broad Channel resident. “When you’re close enough to hear it [the crash of cars], you’re not shocked.” And he says when you don’t hear it but you get the phone call that it happened, you just hope it’s no one you know and there are no kids involved.

For a little more than five hours starting around rush hour, the road was closed from the North Channel Bridge on the Howard Beach side, as police and emergency services vehicles made their way to the crash site. Ten people were taken to the hospital, two of them critically injured.

Police say the accident occurred when the driver of a Honda lost control of his vehicle on the northbound side of the roadway, and jumped the divider. The car then met head-on with two vehicles heading south bound, before splitting in half.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel told reporters at the scene that in addition to the two critical injuries, three people were in very serious condition and five others were taken to area hospitals to be treated for minor injuries. “It’s absolutely amazing that no one is dead from this,” said Ed Harris, a Rockaway commuter trapped in the sea of traffic. “I use this road to go back and forth to work every day,” the 43-year-old father of three told The Forum, “and it’s no exaggeration to say that although the speed limit on the sign is 30 mph, drivers have set their own speed limit. It starts around 75.”

The driver of the Honda, 17-year-old Gurdip Miltani of Ozone Park, was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment and speeding after authorities say he was driving in excess of 100 mph—allegedly with a donut tire replacing one of the normal size wheels on the car. “That tire is not designed to handle speeds above 40-50 mph,” said one crash investigator pointing to the wheel that was totally detached from the vehicle. “It’s absolutely astonishing that no one is dead here. In fact, it’s a miracle.”

The roadway was reopened sometime after 10:30 p.m.

Story by Patricia Adams
Photos by Robert Stridiron, Richie York and Elizabeth Daley

Councilman Eric Ulrich shares his enthusiasm for Ozone Park while SCA President Lorrain Grillo looks on.

A little over 4 years after he proposed an Ozone Park site as the potential location for a new primary school, Councilman Eric Ulrich was joined by School Construction Authority (SCA) President Lorraine Grillo and representatives from the DOE and other local elected officials for the official ground breaking of PS 316 on Tuesday morning.

In delivering the opening remarks, Grillo focused on the primary goal of her agency: building schools wherever the opportunity to do so arose and credited Councilman Ulrich as a pleasure to work with and as being responsible for getting this project off the ground.

Artists’ renderings of PS 316 and the full-scale playground just across the street from the school building.

“It was 2009 when I recommended this site to the SCA, DOE and the Brooklyn Diocese,” said Ulrich, “and it has come to be a win-win situation for everyone involved. This is just the latest piece of the puzzle for what I like to call the Renaissance/rejuvenation of Ozone Park,” the councilman continued.

In 2009, Ulrich initiated the brokering of the deal between the city and the Brooklyn/Queens diocese for the purchase of a parking lot on 101st Avenue at 89th Street and the site of St. Stan’s Catholic Elementary School a half block away, with the idea of securing a new school site in order to alleviate some of the overcrowding in his district.

The city paid $4.2 million for both pieces of property and will build a playground at the 89th Street former parking lot site and a school building on the next corner. The new school will be located at 90-07 101st Avenue and will house 444 students in grades K-5. The total estimated cost of the project is $38,340,000 with anticipated completion date of September 2014.

We are going to provide excellent educational opportunities in Ozone Park in a small school setting. This is just the latest piece of the puzzle for what I like to call the renaissance of Ozone Park. The parking lot will raise property values and drive crime rates down.

Actually brought this site to the attention of DOE and SCA. 4.2 million dollars. Parking lot will be transformed into a playground.

Deputy Inspector Thomas Pascale presents Police office Frank Calafiore with the award for Cop of the Month in May 2013.

Police Officer Frank Calafiore was presented with the Cop of the Month award last week at the 106 Precinct Community Council meeting for May.

Calafiore received the award for his actions following the foot pursuit of an armed gunman who allegedly held a gun toward the back of a woman who was wearing a walk man and didn’t hear the gunman behind her.

After the chase, the officer followed the suspect into a house where he tossed the gun onto the floor.

Four other residents in the house refused to cooperate with police and identify the owner of the gun, and they were subsequently arrested along with the original suspect.

Police confiscated a 9-mm semi automatic pistol, and a quantity of drugs.

“When the police confiscate one illegal gun there is no way to determine the number of crimes they stop by taking just that one weapon off the street,” said Community  Affairs Officer Kenneth Zorn.

Councilman Eric Ulrich addressed the meeting about an upcoming bill established by members of the council who are concerned with current Stop and Frisk policy. They proposed forming the Office of the Inspector General, for purposes of oversight.

Ulrich said he would not support the bill,  citing the extensive oversight already imposed on the NYPD; it already has more oversight than any department in the United States.

“At any given time a member of our police department can be charged with or investigated by any one of five district attorneys, one of the two U.S Attorneys, the Civilian Complaint Review Board, the Committee to Combat Police Corruption and the Internal Affairs Bureau, which he reminded the audience, has a $70 million dollar a year budget to look into their “own house.” Ulrich offered further explanation, “there are so many layers of oversight, I believe the formation that office would be a disservice to the department and also would be in competition with the police commissioner.”

The 106 precinct Community Council meets every second Wednesday of the month.

By Patricia Adams