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By Tom Momberg

TimesLedger Newspapers

A group of Bayside High School alumni and community members officially announced last week the creation of a nonprofit organization to unite current students, faculty and staff with alumni and the broader community.

“Friends of Bayside High School,” spearheaded by Chairman Gregg Sullivan and Vice Chairman David Solano, will first organize around plans for the high school’s official 80th Anniversary in March 2016 and the celebration to follow that May. “The purpose in working together is to try to provide essential funding and support the services and aims of students in the program, because, as you know, the school budgets are constantly being depleted,” Solano said.

Friends of Bayside High School’s mission will be to increase graduation rates and help students network to gain college admission, financial aid and employment after graduation.

To kick off the new association, Solano and Sullivan will plan events and fund-raisers like golf outings leading up to the high school’s anniversary to gain the support of businesses and alumni in the community. They plan to announce those scheduled events in the Community Board 11 newsletter.

Email friendsofbhs@baysidehighschool.org for more information.

~Tom Momberg

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By Madina Toure

TimesLedger Newspapers

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will reopen the Whitestone Expressway’s 3rd Avenue exit ramp in May.

The exit has been closed since Jan. 7, 2013 to accommodate work crews aspart of a $109 million MTA Bridges and Tunnels project to bring the Whitestone Bridge up to current standards by widening lanes and safety shoulders for the first time.

“The 3rd Avenue exit is expected to reopen before the end of May, but completion of the remaining work, which includes removing a median barrier, some drainage work, striping and repaving, is very dependent on good weather,” Judie Glave, an MTA spokeswoman, said in an email.

The 42-month-long project, was awarded to contractors E.E. Crutz, of Manhattan, and Tully Construction, of Flushing, in 2011, Glave said.

The work was nearly identical to the project on the Bronx end of the bridge, which was completed by 2012.

The project consisted of reconstructing the bridge’s support foundations and seven new double-arch concrete piers built to support the roadway’s wider, 12-foot lanes and new safety shoulders and the repaving of the 14th Avenue exit ramp.

The project also includes a lane-by-lane demolition of the existing 1,010 feet of the Queens approach roadway and the rehabilitation of the roadway superstructure.

To reconstruct the approach roadway, one lane was closed 24/7 but a movable barrier allowed for three lanes of traffic to be maintained into the Bronx during the morning and three lanes into Queens in the evening.

The roadway reconstruction work was done by mid-December and all six lanes — three in each direction — are open to traffic.

And under an agreement with the city Department of Parks and Recreation, Bridges and Tunnels removed the old playground under the bridge and built a new playground in Francis Lewis Park. The old basketball courts will also be redone.

CB 7 Chairman Gene Kelty previously said the closing of the exit would pose an inconvenience but that it needed to be done.

Alfredo Centola, president of the Malba Gardens Civic Association, had previously called for 4th and 5th avenues to be made one-way from 147th Street to the Whitestone Expressway service road and was against the reopening of 3rd Avenue, but his plan did not receive much support in the neighborhood.

Kim Cody, president of the Greater Whitestone Taxpayers Civic Association, said the closure created traffic havoc in Whitestone, Beechhurst and College Point.

He acknowledged that the severe winter delayed the reopening of the exit, and that it will reduce traffic problems.

“It’ll alleviate a lot of the traffic concerns that have plagued the community since they started constructing the bridge,” Cody said.

Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtoure@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.

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By Tom Momberg

TimesLedger Newspapers

State Assemblyman Edward Braunstein (D-Bayside) is returning with his annual Mother’s Day essay and poetry contest for elementary school students this year.

Students enrolled in grades two through five are being encouraged to submit essays or poems of any length based on the theme “why my mother is special to me.”

Children can participate from anywhere in the 26th Assembly District and beyond to compete for prizes at each grade level. The district covers Little Neck, Douglaston, Whitestone, most of Bayside and part of Murray Hill. The New York State Assembly will award a certificate of merit to all those who participate.

“My Mother’s Day Essay and Poetry contest provides a great opportunity for children to show their appreciation for the many things that mothers do, while at the same time strengthening their writing skills,” Braunstein said.

Children that participate should submit their works with their name, grade and school information, and send them by mail to Braunstein’s office at 213-33 39th Ave., Suite 238, Bayside, NY 11361. They can also be sent via email to braunsteine@assembly.state.ny.us or by fax to 718-357-5947. ~Tom Momberg

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By Madina Toure

TimesLedger Newspapers

The NYPD launched its brand-new social media campaign at the 109th Precinct’s monthly council meeting at the Police Academy in College Point last week.

Nearly 200 people packed into the auditorium of the police academy on College Point Boulevard and 28th Avenue for the council’s monthly meeting, the first precinct council meeting to be held at the academy, as representatives from the NYPD and the 109th Precinct announced the new program.

The NYPD is piloting the program in the 109th Precinct, whose coverage area is Auburndale, Bay Terrace, Beechhurst, College Point, downtown Flushing, East Flushing, Fort Totten, Kissena Park, Linden Hill, Malba, Murray Hill, Queensboro Hill and Whitestone.

The goal of the program is to determine quality of life issues such as graffiti, speeding, excessive noise, double-parked cars and truck traffic.

Capt. Thomas Conforti said they are aiming for an “intimate, unique blog group.”

“We’re not trying to exclude people, but we’re trying to include the right people,” Conforti said.

Zach Tumin, the NYPD’s deputy commissioner for strategic initiatives, said the program is an experiment that will require community input.

“We will be watching this closely and with great interest,” Tumin said.

The website officially launched the night of April 8. Residents can visit www.nypd.ideascale.com and register.

The current question on the website asks residents what disorderly conditions in their neighborhood trouble them the most and would improve quality of life in their neighborhood if they were addressed. Residents can comment and submit suggestions.

The question will be up for two weeks, after which the precinct will pursue another question. The question may be up longer if feedback is very good or to give people more time to register, for example.

The precinct has been promoting the new program through social media and fliers at events and eventually shopping centers.

There are more than 100,000 residents in the precinct’s area, according to Chrissy Voskerichian, president of the precinct’s community council.

So far, there are about 700 users registered on the website.

Issues raised on the website include a larger police presence, alcohol, loitering, speeding, stop sign violations and more interaction between residents and precinct officers.

Voskerichian said she is organizing a meeting with civic leaders and elected officials or their representatives.

“We get dozens of comments every single day,” Voskerichian said in an interview with TimesLedger.

Pauline Murray, president of the Flushing chapter of the National Congress of Black Women, expressed concerns about the lack of the diversity of the audience and limited access for individuals with disabilities.

But she said the program is in its beginning stages.

“This is in experimental stage so you have to give them the benefit of the doubt,” Murray said.

Voskerichian said she could not speak to how long the pilot phase would last, but said it is a work in progress.

“There’s a lot of engagement, there’s a lot of interaction,” she said. “We just have to really remember that the 109 is the pilot for this.”

Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtoure@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.

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By Sadef Ali Kully

TimesLedger Newspapers

JAMAICA — Five days apart, two Caribbean Airline passengers were arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle in cocaine at John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

On April 7, Thenga Adams, 30, from Guyana tried to sneak past Custom officers, but was stopped in his tracks, Customs said. Officers stopped Adams for an inspection and discovered sneakers in his luggage that contained a white powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine, the feds said. The total weight of cocaine seized was approximately 2 pounds and the Drug Enforcement Agency estimated the street value to be $30,000.

Adams was arrested and turned over to Homeland Security.

But the first arrest did not stop a 70-year-old woman, who was accused of stuffing her undergarments with cocaine and trying to thwart authorities at JFK a few days later, Customs said.

On April 12 Caribbean Airline passenger Olive Fowler arrived in New York on a flight from Georgetown, Guyana and was pulled aside for questioning when she showed signs of nervousness Customs agents said.

Fowler was subsequently escorted to a private search room where CBP officers conducted a physical search and noticed her unusually bulky girdle, the agency said. It was during this search that they found packages concealed within the layers of the girdle and underwear, according to the feds.

The cocaine packages were stuffed in between two layers of her girdle and produced a white powder that tested positive for cocaine, Customs and Border Protection said. An estimated total weight of approximately 4 pounds of cocaine was seized, with an street value of more than $73,000, according to the latest DEA statistics.

Fowler was arrested and turned over to Homeland Security.

This is not the first time U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in New York have seen this concealment method, they said.

Both face federal narcotics smuggling charges and will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn.

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By Joseph Staszewski

TimesLedger Newspapers

What a boys’ basketball season it was in Queens as the borough produced three city champions.

Christ the King became the first CHSAA program to win three straight Class AA intersectional crowns since Tolentine (1980-82) and is just the fourth school in history to accomplish that. The Royals’ quest to win a third consecutive state Federation crown, however, was ended by Wings in the title game.

Springfield Gardens rode a talented squad and the emotion of alum Anthony Mason’s death to the PSAL Class A title, the schools first crown since 1983. Maspeth in just its first varsity season took home the PSAL Class B championship. Cardozo tried to repeat, but fell to Wings in the league’s ‘AA title game after losing to Construction in the borough final for the second straight year.

All these accomplishments came via plenty of talented players. Here are those deemed the best in Queens for the 2014-15 season:

All-Queens Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year: Rawle Alkins, Christ the King

Alkins lived up to the billing of being arguably New York City’s best player. CK was the junior’s team to lead this season and he propelled them to a third straight CHSAA Class AA intersectional title and a third consecutive trip to the State Federation final. He averaged 20 points per game. Alkins was the CHSAA regular season and post season MVP and posted the first triple-double by a boys’ player in Christ the King history

All-Queens Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year: Angelo Buono, Springfield Gardens

Springfield Gardens finally got over the hump during an emotional March for the program. Buono and the Golden Eagles drew an extra sense of purpose from the death of alum Anthony Mason. Springfield Gardens honored him with its hard-nosed play by winning the school’s first city title since Mason led them to one in 1983. It did so against one of the most talented and deepest PSAL Class A Divisions in recent years. Buono made all the pieces fit for a memorable run.

All-Queens Boys’ Basketball First Team

G Jose Alvarado, Christ the King

The sophomore guard quickly established himself as one of the city’s top young players. His ability to attack the paint helped all of CK’s talented pieces to come together. Alvarado was a clutch scorer and underrated defender, who averaged 13 points per contest.

G Jermaine Bishop, Holy Cross

The St. Louis-bound guard saved his best season for last. Bishop was one of the area’s best all-around guards. He put all his skills on display during the Knights’ run to their first CHSAA semifinals since 2012. The senior averaged 20 points per game and had 27 points, six assists and five rebounds in a city quarterfinal win.

G Justin Wright-Foreman, Construction

Wright-Foreman is a pure scorer no matter what defenses try to throw at him. The Hofstra-bound guard averaged 24 points and four rebounds per game to help Construction win its second straight PSAL Queens borough title. He had 29 points against Cardozo in that contest.

F Rashond Salnave, Benjamin Cardozo

Salnave become more than just a big-time scorer this year. The junior guard improved his rebounds and became more committed to defense. Salnave averaged 15 points, six rebounds and four assists in league play and helped Dozo reach the PSAL title game for the second straight year.

G Aaron Walker, Benjamin Cardozo

The junior guard is the city’s best ball defender because of his strength and unrelenting nature. Walker played clutch ball all season for the Judges whether it was a big shot, key charge or timely steal. He averaged 15.7 points and five rebounds as part of one of the best backcourts in the five boroughs.

Second Team

G Kyle Allman, Construction

The Cal-State Fullerton committed proved he can put the ball in the basket time and time again. Allman tallied 17 points and seven rebounds per contest and formed a superb duo with Justin Wright-Foreman for the PSAL Queens borough champs.

G Jared Rivers, Jr., Christ the King

Rivers didn’t have eye-popping stats, but the junior got it done in the key moments for the Royals. He averaged 13 points per contest and was seemingly in the middle of every meaningful CK run on its way to a third straight CHSAA crown.

F Tareq Coburn, Benjamin Cardozo

The junior wing burst onto the scene during the Judges run to the SNY Invitational crown. The Division I scholarship offers starting rolling in as Coburn made jumper after jumper. He averaged 11 points and five boards.

C Isaac Grant, Archbishop Molloy

Grant was a force around the paint. The junior center, despite being undersized, averaged 18 points and nine rebounds per game. He dropped in 41 points in a contest this season and led Molloy to the CHSAA quarterfinals.

G Shane Herrity, St. Francis Prep

The senior’s blue-collar style was contagious with his teammates. Herrity averaged 20 points per game and shouldered a lot of responsibilities for the Terriers. His ball handing and defense were also big keys to their success.

Honorable Mention

G Joel Boyce, Springfield Gardens

F Tyrone Cohen: Christ the King

G Jaheam Cornwall, Jr., Francis Lewis

G Daniel Hernandez, Bayside

F Ian Howard, Springfield Gardens

F Jamel Kearney, Campus Magnet

F Joshua Nurse, Queens HS of Teaching

G Paolo Tamer, Maspeth

G D’Ante Warren, Archbishop Molloy

G Christian Wilson. Holy Cross

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By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

Hundreds of real estate industry professionals gathered at the Con Edison Learning Center on Vernon Boulevard for the Long Island City Partnership’s 9th Annual Real Estate Breakfast Wednesday.

The main feature of the event, entitled the “LIC Development Boom; Present Value, Future Impact,”was a panel discussion centered around current projects in the neighborhood, market influences, and the long-term impact on the LIC development wave.

LIC Partnership President Elizabeth Lusskin said, “This sold-out event was a great opportunity to learn about the dynamic market across all sectors of the LIC landscape,and about how those who are investing across the city see a unique value in this authentic mixed use neighborhood.”

The partnership gave attendees much more than breakfast to digest. It released a current market report called the LIC Development Snapshot, a compilation using original data as well as information gathered from real estate firms such as Modern Spaces, Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, JRT and Cushman & Wakefield.

Over 8,600 residential units have been completed in LIC since 2006, and more than 22,500 units are in the planning or construction phase. Over 2 million-square-feet of Class A office space has been developed in LIC since 2003, occupied by major tenants such as JetBlue.

Over 20 hotels have opened in LIC since 2008 with another 26 currently in the planning or construction phase.

“As Long Island City continues to evolve and thrive, we thought it was important to take a step back and examine how the area can use this growth to its advantage in the coming year,” Lusskin said. “LIC is home to a diverse mix of companies and residents, and it’s crucial that future development continues to leverage the area’s storied past and meet its future needs, through the lens of dynamic current projects. We enjoyed the opportunity to discuss these topics with our panelists and attendees at this year’s breakfast.”

Among the panelists were Matthew Baron of Simon Baron Development, Joe Caplan of Jones Lang Lasalle and David Dishy of L+M Development Partners. The panel was moderated by David Brause of Brause Realty.

“Today’s breakfast featured a very enthusiastic discussion among some of the area’s industry leaders on the growth and demand for real estate in Long Island City,” Brause said. “The general consensus is that it’s a great timeto be in this market, and that the area will only continue to take off in the coming years.”

In true LIC development boom fashion, Brause had another appointment to attend to Wednesday morning. Brause hustled 13 blocks east for a ground-breaking ceremony for a 270-unit luxury rental apartment building at 44-28 Purves Street.

The 35-story tower will be built by Brause Realty and the Gotham Organization and it will include the latest in environmental technology utilizing both solar and wind energy. The project aims to offer high-end amenities, services and finishes.

The building will also receive Feng Shui certification.

Back at the Con Edison Learning Center, Lusskin was already looking ahead. “Many topics were raised about the needs of our growing community that we will be addressing at the LIC Summit on June 23 and we look forward to a great day of programming then.”

Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.

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By TimesLedger staff

TimesLedger Newspapers

It will come as no surprise to Queens straphangers that subway ridership in the borough surged in 2014.

The MTA announced that the number of passengers taking subways throughout the city reached the highest level in more than 65 years for a growth rate of 2.6 percent.

The figures released by New York City Transit found that 5.6 million passengers rode the subway on an average weekday and 6 million customers on an average weekend.

Leading the growth in ridership were Bushwick in Brooklyn and Long Island City, neighborhoods that are attracting many new residents as development projects boom.

In Long Island City, weekday ridership on the No. 7 line climbed by 12 percent, or 1,500 passengers, at the Vernon-Jackson Avenue station and by 9.7 percent, or nearly 2,000 customers, at the Court Square station, which is served by the E,G, M and 7.

The MTA pointed out that ridership at the Vernon-Jackson station has more than doubled since 2000 as the population has expanded dramatically to fill the new residential high rises.

Overall Brooklyn had the largest jump in ridership last year with an increase of 2.7 percent, followed by a 2.5 percent increase in Mnahattan, 2.1 percent in the Bronx and 1.9 percent in Queens.

The MTA acknowledged that the rise in ridership has posed problems for the transportation agency in terms of delays, crowding and inconvenience.

“We are aggressively working to combat delays and improve maintenance, but the ultimate solution requires investing infrastructure upgrades such as Communications-Based Train Control signaling systems to accommodate every one of our growing number of customers,” said Thomas Prendergast, MTA chairman.

The MTA has been installing the CBTC system on the No. 7 line, which has required shutdown of weekend service and frustrated many travelers taking that train.

CBTC will enable trains to run more closely together and provide countdown clock information.

The sharp rise in ridership has intensified pressure on the MTA to find funding to close the $14 billion gap in its capital program, which threatens to undermine plans to renovate the aging system.

The Tri-state Transportation Campaign, a non-profit organization, urged legislators returning to Albany this week to tackle the gap and the city to increase its contribution to the capital plan.

“New Yorkers are voting with their Metrocards and relying on public transit more each year,” said John Raskin, executive director of the Riders Alliance, a grassroots group. “It’s time for Gov. Cuomo and state lawmakers to listen to the crowd and increase transit funding to match riders’ needs.”

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By Tom Momberg

TimesLedger Newspapers

The official start of the Bayside Little League was commemorated with ceremonial first pitches Saturday by U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing), Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside), Councilman Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens) and state Assemblyman Braunstein (D-Bayside).

Queens Borough President Melinda Katz made it out to the Little League open as well to jointly announce alongside Vallone that her office allocated about $1.5 million in discretionary funds to repair and upgrade the fields the Little Leaguers play on.

Even though they and several other elected representatives and community leaders turned up to show their support at the Little League fields at Crocheron Park, the annual Little League parade day wasn’t about them. It was about the nearly three dozen Little League teams that came out on a gorgeous April Day to kick off their next eight weeks of hard practice and play.

Police officers of the 111th Precinct helped secure Bell Boulevard for the colorful parade lineup that got the attention of neighbors, led by T Z Bridgemen, a band that could draw your ears in from miles away.

It was apparent by all the community support Saturday just how much Bayside Little League is rooted in the neighborhood.

Business owners and employees stood in front of their establishments along with other spectators to cheer on the children who probably would not have such great recreational opportunities if it weren’t for their support in sponsoring the teams.

Bayside Little League is so deeply entrenched after 63 years in the community that it has even become generational.

“This year, I’ve had numerous parents come to sign their children up that played in the Little League years ago,” said Bayside Little League Commissioner Bob Reid to the large crowd of parents surrounding the leaguers. “Give yourselves an applause for staying in the community and keeping Little League as strong as ever.”

Braunstein said it is fundamental to have strong community support and a large Little League program for the way it influences the young Baysiders’ lives evident from generation to generation.

“I played Bayside Little League when I was younger, my father played Bayside Little League when he was a kid and I’ll tell you, it’s great to compete, great to learn the game,” Braunstein said. “But the best part is the friends that you make along the way. I still have friends from Bayside Little League that I see around the neighborhood. It’s something special.”

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) stopped by the parade and opening ceremony to express to the young athletes the importance of having sports in their lives and why it is so important for communities to provide athletic activities for youth. “Here’s something you may not know. You’ll not only learn how to play baseball — batting and pitching and catching and throwing — when you play Little League,” Schumer said. “But you’ll also learn all the things that will help you when you grow up … character, teamwork, sportsmanship and courage.”

Reach reporter Tom Momberg by e-mail at tmomberg@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.

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By Eric Jankiewicz

TimesLedger Newspapers

While the city moves forward with plans to create an express bus service that would run along Woodhaven Boulevard, some residents in Rockaway are pushing for the revival of a subway line that once ran from Rockaway to northern Queens.

“They never even considered the train tracks which are right nearby,” said Phillip McManus, president of the Queens Public Transit Committee. “We support mass transit that’s going to make a big difference.”

McManus and his group are based out of Rockaway Beach and they have held “rallies” during Select Bus Service, the city’s name for express buses, meetings and workshops. They are against Select Bus Service on Woodhaven Blvd because they fear that traffic will increase and advocate for the restoration of a train line that was owned by the Long Island Rail Road and ran between Rego Park and Rockaway Beach. The line was closed in the 1950s after a fire cut service in the middle of the line.

McManus and others argue that the A line that currently serves the Rockaways is undependable and doesn’t reach most parts of Queens.

“It’s quicker to get to Brooklyn than to Forest Hills from Rockaway,” McManus said. “It’s ridiculous.”

The city is holding public workshops throughout April for the public to give their feedback on the block-by-block street redesigns that were recently released. Advocates are calling the design the city’s most ambitious bus project aimed at reducing travel times north and south along Woodhaven Boulevard and Crossbay Boulevard.

The design features bus-only lanes along the main road and some argue, including McManus, that the bus only lanes will increase traffic congestion. Transit advocates say it will decrease traffic by establishing an order on the road and reducing skirmishes between buses and cars that can take place on the road.

According to the city, the creation of Select Bus Service (SBS) doesn’t mean that a Rockaway train line will never come to fruition.

“These two projects – Woodhaven/Cross Bay Boulevard SBS and Rockaway Beach Line – are not in direct competition,” a spokesman for the Department of Transportation said. “Bringing SBS to Woodhaven Blvd and Cross Bay Blvd does not preclude the reactivation of the Rockaway Beach Line.”

And Joan Byron, a supporter of SBS and lead researcher at Pratt Center, noted that the abandoned line doesn’t have the long reach that an express bus service on Woodhaven Boulevard would have by running all the way up to Flushing.

“It’s hard to see it making sense to revive it as a LIRR branch,” Byron said . “The subway system is just slammed. The only way to increase capacity is to look at how we can improve the performance of the bus system.”

Reach reporter Eric Jankiewicz by e-mail at ejankiewicz@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.

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By Sadef Ali Kully

TimesLedger Newspapers

Four 103rd Precinct officers who survived a 2014 hatchet attack are being recognized at the 22nd Annual Top Cops Awards dinner by the National Association of Police Organizations for actions above and beyond the call of duty in May in Washington, D.C.

“It is a very competitive bid, They won statewide and were in the top five finalists, and now they will get to meet President Obama next month,” said Capt. James Fey, who was filling in for Deputy Inspector John Cappelmann at the community precinct meeting because he will join his officers in Washington for the award ceremony.

Since 1994 the National Association of Police Organizations has presented the Top Cops awards.

NYPD Officers Kenneth Healey, Taylor Kraft, Joseph Meeker and Peter Rivera fought off and fatally shot a crazed “self-radicalized” man. The officer were attacked by Zale Thompson, 32, from Queens Village, who caught the officers offguard and assaulted them with a sharp, 18-inch, hand ax in downtown Jamaica in October last year. Healey was struck with the hatchet on the side of his head and Meeker had his right arm sliced by the weapon before officers on the scene shot Thompson 19 times, killing him.

Healey, from Long Beach, has gone through two skull reconstructive surgeries since the incident and is looking forward to getting back to work, according to Deputy Inspector Cappelmann.

“Officer Healy is doing very well and will finish the last of his surgeries soon,” Fey said.

An independent awards selection committee comprised of national law enforcement representatives choose from hundreds of nominations one Top Cop case from each of the 50 states and U.S. territories.

“The Top Cops Awards provide an opportunity for all of us to recognize the brave men and women in America’s law enforcement community who selflessly put their lives on the line day in and day out,” said Mick McHale, president of NAPO. “Law enforcement officers care deeply about the citizens and communities they serve, and this honor is one way of letting them know their contributions are not taken for granted.”

In past years, civic leaders including the president and vice president as well as the U.S. attorney general have helped honor these brave men and women by attending and speaking at the ceremony.

Many celebrities from NBC’s hit programs like “Law and Order,” and “Law and Order: Criminal Intent,” CBS’s “Cold Case,” “NCIS” and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” will serve as award presenters.

NAPO is a coalition of more than 1,000 police units and associations representing 241,000 rank-and-file law enforcement officers from across the United States.

Reach Reporter Sadef Ali Kully by e-mail at skully@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4546.

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By Madina Toure

TimesLedger Newspapers

The MTA and the city Department of Transportation announced that they have canceled plans for a dedicated bus-only lane on the Q44 bus route in Kew Gardens Hills.

At a Kew Gardens Hills Civic Association’s meeting last week, DOT and MTA officials said Kew Gardens Hills was not an area targeted for dedicated bus lanes, although bus lanes may still be considered on other parts of the corridor, according to a DOT spokesman.

But plans for a Select Bus service route between downtown Flushing and Jamaica will proceed, the DOT spokesman explained, noting that the SBS will still run through Kew Gardens Hills in mixed traffic.

City Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Hillcrest) said the agencies were looking at other options such as off-board fare collection, synchronizing lights and moving bus stops to more appropriate locations.

These options would speed up bus service without negatively affecting automobile drivers and businesses along Main Street that rely on parking for their customers, he said.

“We’re very gratified that the city and the MTA really listened to the community’s concerns and saw that putting a dedicated bus lane in Kew Gardens Hills really wasn’t the most efficient use of the streetscape,” Lancman said in an interview with TimesLedger.

State Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz (D-Flushing), U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing), state Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing) and state Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) also praised the agencies’ decision to cancel the plans.

In January, the DOT and the MTA held a forum at Townsend Harris HS to provide more information about their proposal and get community feedback for an SBS route between Flushing and Jamaica on Main Street, Kissena and Parsons boulevards and 164th Street.

The proposal drew some support but significant opposition from area residents and civic and community leaders present at the forum, including Lancman and Simanowitz, both of whom voiced their aversion to the proposal.

Criticism stemmed from the possibility that a travel or parking lane could be eliminated to accommodate the service, adversely affecting motorists, residents and small businesses.

Last fall and winter, the DOT and the MTA went to all the communities along the Main Street corridor with a proposal for a Q44 SBS route.

At the time, the agencies stressed that even though SBS improvements such as on-street fare payment and limited stops would apply to the entire Q44 route, the DOT was still evaluating where it would make sense to put the bus lanes.

In the coming weeks, the DOT will share more details with communities along the Q44 route on the areas where bus lanes would be beneficial and how they would operate on a block-by-block basis, the DOT spokesman said.

Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtoure@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.

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By Madina Toure

TimesLedger Newspapers

State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) and park advocates say they are hopeful after a panel of judges heard arguments last week in the case of a proposed megamall on the former site of Shea Stadium.

The appeal filed by Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside), City Club of New York, Queens Civic Congress, several members of Willets Point United and nearby residents and business owners against the Willets West mega-mall proposal was argued before the state Appellate Division.

The Willets West mall project is part of the Queens Development Group’s $3 billion redevelopment of Willets Point into a new neighborhood with commercial, retail and residential space.

The consensus among the plaintiffs was that the justices — Angela M. Mazzarelli, Dianne T. Renwick, Sallie Manzanet-Daniels and Darcel D. Clark — appeared to be more understanding of their argument against the city and the developers compared to Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Manuel Mendez, who voted down the lawsuit they filed last February.

Plaintiffs argued the project needed approval from the state Legislature because the site of the proposed shopping mall sits on a northern section of the park.

At the end of August, Mendez dismissed the lawsuit, ruling the plans would “result in the public benefit of removal of urban blight.”

One of the plaintiffs, Irene Prestigiacomo, a member of Willets Point United and a private property owner in Willets Point for the past 26 years, said she was surprised that the four judges were all women, including two minorities.

“They’re seeing beyond the glitz of the people that are being put in front of them, to try to barrage them with facts and influence them,” Prestigiacomo said. “These women have worked hard to get where they are and that gives me hope because they understand and they have a different value system+6.”

John Low-Beer, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, said the judges appeared to have an understanding of their complaints.

“Based on the questions they asked, I’m hopeful that they will decide it our way,” Low-Beer said.

Avella called the developers’ argument “ludicrous.”

“It has as its basis the rule of law that any time you want to develop a piece of property, there are rules you have to follow,” he said.

The site of the proposed mall was previously the site of the New York Mets’ Shea Stadium from 1964 to 2009, when it was demolished and became a parking lot for Citi Field. But the plaintiffs argued the area was still mapped as parkland. Citi Field rents out the space for special recreation activities.

The state Legislature approved the building of Shea Stadium in 1961 with a provision for parking, but the plaintiffs insist that the statute could not apply to the new megamall.

Ben Haber, an activist for the park who was also a plaintiff in the case, said the case demonstrates a lack of transparency in government.

“They can see the parking lot is on park property,” Haber said. “It’s part of Flushing Meadows Corona Park … I don’t think that’s how government works and I think the court is going to see it that way.”

A spokesman for the Queens Development Group said the plan will help redevelop the area.

“Stakeholders from the City Council to civic groups to labor organizations and others believe this plan is our best shot at rejuvenating a community that has long been neglected,” the spokesman said in a statement. “We are hopeful that the Court will agree so we can get to work on implementing this $3 billion investment and creating New York’s next great neighborhood.” The city Law Department said it supports the initial decision on the case.

“We believe the lower court correctly upheld the city’s authority regarding the retail and entertainment center,” a law department spokeswoman said.

Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtoure@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.

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By Sadef Ali Kully

TimesLedger Newspapers

South Ozone Park Civic Association West and three neighborhood residents filed a class action suit in Queens Supreme Court Tuesday against the property owner and the future operator of a juvenile justice facility on 127th Street.

The suit comes after a year of growing concerns and disputes played out in Community Board 9 and 10 meetings from nearby residents about the safety of their homes, families and property value if a second juvenile home is developed in the neighborhood. The facility would be run by the city’s Administration for Children’s Services under a state initiative. ACS said it would continue to address residents’ reservations about the project.

The suit names KAD of Queens LLC, a business, and the Sheltering Arms Children and Family Services, the provider formerly known as the Episcopal Social Services. The complaint cited Patrick Khan, who has said he sold his the property to KAD some time ago after a hubbub at a Community Board 9 meeting in February, but he is not a defendant in the case.

The court complaint alleges that the property owner has continuously disregarded city, state and federal regulations and if the project is allowed to proceed, then an immediate injunction will be sought to halt both the development of the facility and its programs.

The first juvenile facility, a non-secure home, is located on 133-25 128th St and the second location, a limited-secure home, is under construction a block away on 133-23 127 St.

“An ACS contractor blindsided our community three years ago by placing a non-secure Close to Home facility in our neighborhood without prior notification. Now, by proposing to open one of its six limited-secure facilities only a block away from the non-secure one, ACS has added insult to our injury,” said Anthony Gellineau, president of South Ozone Park Civic Association West.

In 2012 the state introduced Close To Home, a juvenile justice reform program to help non-violent youth offenders transition into productive citizens.

The legal action taken by neighborhood residents has the support of Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica).

“Since 2011, these proud citizens have been saddled by the city with responsibilities they never asked for and left to cope with the unintended consequences of those actions. They’ve done more than their share, but now they’re at the end of their rope,” Wills said about the building violations against the home. “ACS has addressed neither their concerns nor mine, particularly about the property owner and architect’s non-compliance with existing laws.”

Sheltering Arms Children and Family Services has 40 facilities across the city.

“We are disappointed to learn of the lawsuit. In collaboration with Sheltering Arms, our goal is to provide a safe and stable environment for young people to receive residential rehabilitation services while in our care, while also ensuring the safety of residents and the surrounding community,” an ACS spokesman said. “We are committed to continuing conversations with community leaders and elected officials in Queens and South Ozone Park to ensure that they are fully briefed on our plans and that we address their concerns.”

The state Office of Family and Children Services must approve all plans for these juvenile homes in consultation with the state Office of Mental Health and the Office for Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services. Later, Family Court determines whether the youth offenders should be sent to juvenile detention or sent to a residential facility.

Reach Reporter Sadef Ali Kully by e-mail at skully@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4546.

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By Tom Momberg

TimesLedger Newspapers

City schools administered state Common Core standardized math tests this week to children enrolled in grades three through eight, just as the numbers of students whose families decided to “opt out” of the previous week’s English Language Arts tests were coming in.

Queens had some of the lowest ELA opt out rates in the city, despite strong support from leaders like City Council Education Committee Chairman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights).

Out of almost 3,200 students who brought letters from their guardians into city schools last week claiming they would be “opting out” of standardized tests, only about 100 were in Queens, according to preliminary numbers gathered by education activist organization Change the Stakes. Those are only minimum counts based on the information the organization gathered from administrators and education councils.

Over half of the children who opted out of ELA testing in Queens this year were from District 26, which includes Bayside, Oakland Gardens, Fresh Meadows, Douglaston, Little Neck among other communities. It is the highest-performing district in the city.

Statewide this year, more parents have taken their children out of standardized testing procedures in public schools than ever before. A growing movement backed by some parents and educators believes that the pressure of high stakes testing has detrimental effects on their children. Just under185,000 students in the state brought in refusal letters for ELA testing, with about 74 percent of school districts reporting as of Tuesday, according to United to Counter, the group tabulating statewide numbers.

That number is up from about 49,000 students who opted out of ELA tests in 2014 and 67,000 students that opted out of math tests last year.

Dromm attributes this year’s increase to Gov. Cuomo’s new teacher evaluation system based partially on the standardized tests.

“These tests are wrongly being used in a way in which it was never intended — to evaluate everything from teacher evaluations to school grades and merit pay bonus schemes,” Dromm said during a news conference last week. “Parents should be able to opt their child out if they so want to, especially when the validity of the test itself is in doubt.”

In the past, most of those who have refused to take Common Core standard testing were in higher-performing school districts, according to data collected by United to Counter, or U2C.

But as numbers continue to come in, U2C Co-Founder Loy Gross said the geographical locations where districts are seeing high numbers of refusals are spreading out.

“Parents in troubled schools are finally getting the message this year,” she said. “The anti-Common-Core movement is (slowly) infiltrating the schools that need help the most.”

All schools are required by the New York State Department of Education in cooperation with the federal No Child Left Behind Act to have a 95 percent participation rate in state testing in grades three through eight. There is no provision under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment of the act allowing parents to “opt” their children out of testing.

Still, organizations furthering the opt out movement advocate that refusing the test does not affect the student, teacher or school district. And according to NYSED’s Student Information Repository System Manual, without using the language “opt out,” parents can submit refusal forms and be counted as “not tested.”

Schools will not be labeled as failing to meet Adequate Yearly Progress and cannot lose state funding due to a high number of refusals, according to the NYSED Office of Accountability.

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By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

The iconic Clock Tower building in Long Island City is one step closer to official landmark status. The city Landmarks Preservation Commission set a date for a formal vote following a public hearing Tuesday.

“We were pleased with the positive response of the public and the commission,” preservationist Michael Hall said. “We are optimistic that the commission’s vote May 12 will be to designate the Clock Tower as a New York City landmark.”

Hall and fellow preservationist Matthew Chrislip waged an online campaign to see the building designated during the past year and gathered nearly 1,600 signatures of support. City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside), The Hunters Point Civic Association, The Historic Districts Council, the Dutch Kills Civic Association, the Queens Historical Society, Community Board 1 and the SculptureCenter were among the institutions and civic groups that endorsed the campaign.

Hall testified at the hearing on behalf of the supporters’ preservation group, +Partners.

“This beloved building occupies a unique history place in the architectural history of the borough,” Hall said. “Since 1927, the tower and its monumental clock have welcomed commuters and residents alike into the city, serving a familiar landmark that they see each day fron their passing trains.”

The future of the 14-story historic building, located at 29-27 Queens Plaza North, had been in question since its owner, Property Markets Group, filed for permits to build a 77-story mixed-use residential high-rise on an adjacent parcel of land with its partner, the Hakim Group.

Brad Saxon, of the Hakim Group, testified at the hearing that the developers supports official landmark status for the Clock Tower.

“We respect the building’s place in Queens and Long Island City’s history, and we appreciate its aesthetic beauty,” he said, adding that it would be restored with all four clocks made operational.

Hall and Chrislip won’t rest until the Landmarks Preservation Commission votes on May 12.

“We will continue to gather signatures on our petition in anticipation of this vote,” Hall said.

Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.

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By Tom Momberg

TimesLedger Newspapers

A Manhattan judge has ruled that the Queens family of Chun Hsien Deng can file a late claim against CUNY Baruch College, where he was a student when he died during an alleged hazing ritual during a trip with a fraternity to Pennsylvania in December 2013.

Deng’s family lives in Oakland Gardens.

The 18-year-old Deng, who was called Michael, was allegedly killed during a hazing rite known as the “glass ceiling” at a house in Tunkhannock, Pa. in the Pocono Mountains, according to an affidavit originally filed by the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department.

Deng was not a member of the Pi Delta Psi fraternity but was a “pledge,” who gathered that weekend in Pennsylvania with about 20 fraternity members.

Pledges, including Deng, were blindfolded carrying backpacks full of sand and were ordered to make it to a particular goal line as the fraternity members struck them and tried to prevent them from reaching the end, the affidavit said.

Nobody has yet been charged in the incident, but the Monroe County coroner’s office said it had recently ruled the death a homicide.

Pi Delta Psi is an Asian-American cultural fraternity that has about 25 chapters at schools around the country. After the incident National Fraternity President Andy Meng, the brother of U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing), said the Baruch chapter’s hazing ritual and the Pennsylvania trip were not sanctioned by the fraternity.

CUNY permanently banned Pi Delta Psi immediately following Deng’s death. Baruch College also told the court that 11 fraternity members had taken an anti-hazing workshop and signed agreements not to participate in hazing practices three months prior to the incident, according to an affidavit by Shadia Sachedina, Baruch’s director of student life.

As the administrator of Deng’s estate, his mother Xiu Fen Liu previously filed notice to file claim against the City University of New York for monetary losses resulting from his death. That proposed claim was served on Oct. 6, 2014, well within the mandated 90 days of an appointment Liu set with the court.

But the claim was never followed through, because it was not verified by Liu as the claimant in time. Nor was the claim verified by her attorney, Bill Friedlander, as required by the Court of Claims Act.

Liu, Deng’s family and Friedlander could not be reached for comment.

In Liu’s more recent notice to file a claim, she said she filed late because CUNY had access to more information to build a case than she and her attorney had at the time. She argued that a police investigation was still ongoing in Pennsylvania, so much of the information about the incident was being withheld from Deng’s family, shielded by the federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act.

Judge Alan Marin of New York’s Court of Claims concluded in his ruling that in all factors provided by the Court of Claims Act, “Liu, individually and as the administrator of the Estate of Chun Hsien Deng, is entitled to submit a late claim.”

The Pocono police, who are conducting the investigation, would not comment on why the probe has not yet been concluded and why there have been no charges.

The Monroe County district attorney, whose jurisdiction covers the Pocono Mountains, could not be reached for comment.

The information gathered by the Pocono police or DA could be made available by court order if Liu follows through with her suit despite the ongoing investigation.

CUNY argued that because the college was not aware of the fraternity’s trip to Pennsylvania and because some members signed an anti-hazing agreement tthat Liu should not be allowed to file a claim against the university system.

Liu and her attorney were granted the claim anyway. They were required to submit the verified claim by Saturday, April 25.

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Friedlander could not be reached for comment either.

Reach reporter Tom Momberg by e-mail at tmomberg@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.

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By Madina Toure

TimesLedger Newspapers

A woman living in the northeast Queens area was found dead in her boyfriend’s van in Brooklyn Wednesday night, the NYPD said.

The 25-year-old woman was reported missing from the 109th Precinct area, where she lives, by her boyfriend Wednesday afternoon, according to a police spokesman. She was found dead inside her boyfriend’s van, which has Pennsylvania license plates, on Lafayette Avenue in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn at about 10:24 p.m., the spokesman said.

The woman’s identity is pending family notification, the spokesman said.

The medical examiner’s office has performed an examination on the woman, but the cause of death will require additional investigation, according to Julie Bolcer, a spokesman for the city medical examiner.

Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtoure@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.

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By Madina Toure

TimesLedger Newspapers

A 30-year-old man suspected of firing a gun inside a bar in Jamaica was shot and killed by two police officers Wednesday night, the NYPD said.

Police responded to a 911 call of shots fired inside the Irish Hillside Inn on the corner of 168th Street and Hillside Avenue, according to police.

When they arrived, officers concluded that the man had discharged a loaded Glock 99 inside the establishment and fled northbound on 168th Street toward Highland Avenue.

After witnesses gave the police a description of the man, officers found him in the vicinity of 168th Street and Highland Avenue and shouted, “Police, don’t move!,” the authorities said.

After pursuing the man by foot toward 168th Place and Highland Avenue, the man stopped, turned and fired on the officers, officials said.

He continued southbound on 168th Place toward Hillside Avenue, where he again stopped, turned and pointed his weapon in the officers’ direction a second time outside 87-43 168th Place.

Two uniformed officers then fired their guns five times in the man’s direction, striking him in the torso.

The man was taken to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His identity is pending family notification.

The two officers who fired their weapons were taken to North Shore Medical Center for treatment of tinnitus

The man’s firearm was recovered at the scene.

Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtoure@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.

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By Madina Toure

TimesLedger Newspapers

FLUSHING — Police were looking for four men who allegedly punched and tried to rob a 48-year-old man at a massage parlor in Flushing last month.

Four men entered the parlor at 135-28 40th Road, March 29 at about 11:10 p.m., police said. When they got to the second floor, they tried to take the man’s iPhone 6 cell phone from his front jacket pocket, they said.

The men then allegedly punched the man multiple times, causing a laceration to the left side of his face, and left the location in an unknown direction without the man’s cell phone.

The victim was taken to Flushing Hospital, where he was treated for his injuries.

The investigation was ongoing, according to a police spokeswoman.

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