Resorts World Casino New York Announces On-site Employment Center

On-site employment center complements existing local employment center partnerships to facilitate hiring of 1,150 permanent workers at new facility; 

Career opportunities regularly updated at www.rwnewyork.com

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Center will officially open on Monday, June 6

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Resorts World Casino New York will officially open an on-site employment center to help local residents apply for permanent positions at the new South Ozone Park facility, officials announced today standing alongside New York State Senator Joseph Addabbo, Assembly Member Vivian Cook, Assembly Member Michelle Titus, City Council Member Ruben Wills, Community Board 10 Chair Betty Braton and others.

“As promised, we are continuing to hire from the local community and this on-site jobs center will allow us to do just that,” said Michael Speller, President of Resorts World Casino New York. “The new jobs center will be critical in helping us identify the best local candidates so we can build a talented and robust Resorts World family based right here in Queens. We are very much looking forward to continuing to grow our permanent staff.”

The new on-site employment center is yet another resource for local Queens residents looking for opportunities at Resorts World Casino New York. Resorts World is already working with three local employment services centers to identify candidates for careers at the new facility:

· NYC Business Solutions – Queens Workforce 1 Career Center;

· Educational Opportunity Center (EOC); and

· Council for Airport Opportunity (CAO).

More information on permanent positions and future recruiting events at Resorts World Casino New York is available at www.rwnewyork.com.

“Having an on-site employment center is not only a great way for local residents to learn about careers here at Resorts World, but also a great way for us to interact with the individuals who will be operating this facility once it opens,” said Kevin Bogle, Vice President of Human Resources at Resorts World Casino New York. “The purpose of this employment center- along with the support from the three employment services centers that we have already been working with for months – is to help us hire talented individuals from within the local community, so we have a facility here in Queens that is run by Queens residents themselves.”

The new on-site employment center will officially open on Monday, June 6^th and will be open weekdays from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM. Applicants can visit the employment center to learn more about career opportunities at Resorts World Casino New York and submit applications for open positions.

At the end of last month, Resorts World Casino New York officially launched the hiring process for permanent positions at the facility, announcing that candidates from the local community will be hired first. This announcement marked the first phase of staffing Resorts World in such fields as entertainment, hospitality, security and food services.

Resorts World also recently announced that in an effort to enhance the overall experience at the new facility, the company will hire a staff of 1,150 permanent workers; a near-50% increase from original estimates. The bulk of the additional 350 employees will work in the facility’s food and beverage, customer service and security departments.

By creating an expansive outreach network that fosters community participation, Resorts World Casino New York has developed a strategic approach toward recruiting the most talented workforce in Queens and entire New York City metropolitan area. In partnering with community-based organizations, placing advertisements in local publications and hosting on-site job fairs, Resorts World Casino New York will continue to build a dynamic workforce ready to meet the needs of its customers and the community.

Greg Meeks Said to be Seeking Candidate to Run Against Ruben Wills by Chris Bragg - City Hall News

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When Council Member Ruben Wills placed his hand on the Bible and took the oath of office in mid-December, the moment seemed to be one of détente.

Rep. Greg Meeks, the man who had feverishly tried to block Wills' road to City Hall, stood beside the new Council member and applauded. In the four months since, Meeks has repeatedly promised to work with the incumbent as the Queens Democrat gears up to run for reelection in November.

In a hurried interview before Meeks boarded a flight to Colombia, the congressman denied having spoken to anyone about running against Wills.

"I have not talked to anyone about my support or my commitments in the race at all," Meeks said.

Yet a number of politically plugged-in Democrats in southeast Queens tell a very different story.

In fact, they say Meeks has been quietly looking for a candidate to run against Wills. This has created a lot of speculation about who will challenge Wills, who won a special election in November following the death of Council Member Tom White.

Nicole Paultre-Bell, who ran against Wills last year with Meeks' support, is said to be uninterested in another run; she will instead focus on the nonprofit she founded in memory of her slain fiance, Sean Bell.

Lynn Nunes, who lost to White by four votes in 2009, was considered a highly viable candidate. Meeks even met with Nunes about a month ago to discuss a potential run, knowledgeable sources say, though Nunes ultimately decided to take a pass on the race.

(Disputing that any such meeting occurred, Meeks insisted that he "must have a twin brother, because I haven't met with the guy.")

Clifton Stanley Diaz, chairman of the Rochdale Village board of directors, has also emerged as a potential candidate. Wills has grown so concerned about Meeks backing Diaz that the Council member and congressman are meeting to discuss the matter this week.

Other possible challengers could be 2010 candidate Harpreet Toor, and former Council member and longtime Wills nemesis Allan Jennings. District leader Albert Baldeo would also be a strong contender, though Wills said Baldeo told him he did not plan to run.

Meeks and Wills have been political foes since 2008, when Wills challenged the congressman in a primary, and sharply criticized him for alleged ethical misconduct. Last year Meeks recruited Paultre-Bell to run against Wills, who pulled out a narrow victory by gaining the support of the rest of the southeast Queens political establishment.

There are many reasons why this November's special election, which will choose a Council member to serve out the remainder of White's term, is attracting so much interest. All of them have to do with the vulnerabilities of the incumbent. In office less than a year, Wills has not had time to build a political base. Last month The Daily News reported the existence of two outstanding misdemeanor arrest warrants stemming from Wills' contracting work more than a decade ago.

Wills has also been dealing with other personal foibles, which include unpaid debts for child support and questions about a member item Wills secured for his nonprofit while working for the State Senate. Wills acknowledged being so poor at handling money that his wife gives him only $100 in cash a week in an attempt to curtail his spending habits.

With so many local politicians under a cloud of scandal or investigation, including Meeks and State Sens. Shirley Huntley and Malcolm Smith, Wills said that residents of the district blame the media for the news stories.

"To everyone in the district, this has caused them to come out and support me even more," Wills said. "It's actually a slap in the face for the people that voted for me."

Wills has spent his short time in office opposing the construction of a homeless shelter in his district and trying to help his constituents stem a tide of foreclosures that rate among the highest in the country.

But Wills' money issues are never far away. While the Council member talked over coffee at a deli near City Hall, an aide walked in and handed him a thin manila envelope before abruptly departing. Wills pulled out a crisp $100 bill and bought a sandwich, soup and a Pepsi, burning through a full 10 percent of his weekly allowance.

If Wills wins reelection, some of his financial burdens would obviously be lifted with the guarantee of an $112,500 salary. Still, Wills does not expect his wife to back off anytime soon.

"No way she's going to let me spend more," Wills said. "Then, we're going to have to get a house."

Shelter that Drew Ire Working with CB 10 by Anna Gustafson - Queens Chronicle

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Officials at a South Ozone Park homeless shelter have been working with area residents to ensure their concerns about safety are heeded after the Skyway Family Center transitioned from hosting families to solely adult males, Community Board 10 members said.

“They have rearranged their security guard schedules so they mesh with the schedule of the nearby school,” CB 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton said at the board’s meeting last Thursday.

Residents have been worried that security guards at the shelter located at 132-10 South Conduit Ave. would change shifts at the same time as PS 124’s dismissal time, potentially leaving the men unguarded at a time when many children were around the area.

Braton said there have been no problems reported between the men at the shelter and the students. Still, Councilman Ruben Wills (D-South Ozone Park) said the shelter’s close proximity to the school is worrisome.

“They have five registered sex offenders in a shelter a block away from a school,” Wills said.

After the community voiced concerns about the lack of security guards, shelter officials changed the schedules so there are always guards on duty when school is in session and during dismissal.

“They also said they will provide an outdoors space for residents so they don’t have to go into the neighborhood to hang out,” Braton said.

Community residents and legislators, particularly Wills, were irate after the city reclassified the shelter as a place only for adult males without seeking input from the board, the school or area residents.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeless Services said the move was necessary to accommodate an increase in the number of single males seeking spots at city shelters.

New and Notes from NYC Council Member Ruben Wills - Council District 38

COUNCIL MEMBERS RUBEN WILLS AND LEROY COMRIE JOIN NON-PROFIT HOUSING ORGANIZATIONS TO ANNOUNCE HOMEOWNER PRESERVATION EVENTS

DISTRICT-WIDE EVENTS WILL HELP RESIDENTS BETTER NEGOTIATE THROUGH MORTGAGE DELINQUENCY

Council Member Ruben Wills and City Council Deputy Majority Leader Leroy Comrie join advocates from the Center for New York City Neighborhoods, CHANGER, Inc., and residents to announce two upcoming homeowner preservation seminars on Saturday, April 16 in the 28th district. Free services and homeowner access will be available on Saturday, April 23 at the 4th Rise Up & Stay Put! Home Rescue Fair at York College. (Photo credit: Office of Council Member Ruben Wills)

Council Member Ruben Wills and City Council Deputy Majority Leader Leroy Comrie, were joined today by Mike Hickey, Executive Director for the Center for New York City Neighborhoods (CNYCN); Yeneika Puran, Executive Director of CHANGER, Inc.; Connect Queens Campaign Coordinator, Rick Echevarria, and residents to announce two upcoming homeowner preservation events in the 28^th district that are designed to assist residents at risk of losing their homes to foreclosure or mortgage delinquency, as well as a homeowner rescue fair at York College to connect homeowners with services and information.

On Saturday, April 16, from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. at New Haven Ministries in Richmond Hill, and again from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at Praise Tabernacle in Jamaica, homeownership preservation events will take place to educate residents about successful strategies and negotiations through mortgage delinquency.

“While the country has shifted its attention to other pressing matters, the neighborhoods that I represent are still struggling with escalating foreclosures, bad mortgage modifications and greedy predatory lenders,” said Wills. “The foreclosure epidemic in Southeast Queens threatens to upset our efforts to improve our quality of life and our chances of owning a piece of the American dream. I am determined to ensure that struggling homeowners in Southeast Queens are educated and no longer vulnerable consumers that continue to lose their wealth as a result of gluttonous lending institutions.”

“I want to encourage Queens homeowners who find themselves in danger of foreclosure to attend the Home Rescue Fair on April 23,” stated New York City Council Deputy Majority Leader Leroy Comrie. “I am proud to join my colleague, Council Member Wills, in continuously raising awareness about this issue. The Southeast Queens community has been disproportionately affected by the foreclosure crisis, due to the increasing number of defaults on subprime mortgages that require homeowners to use a higher ratio of their income. Jamaica, Hollis, St. Albans, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill and Ozone Park- primarily communities of color –are consistently among the top neighborhoods in New York City leading in new foreclosure actions and foreclosure auctions. My office has partnered with organizations like the Center for New York City Neighborhoods, Queens Legal Services and Neighborhood Housing Services of Jamaica to offer free foreclosure counseling in community-wide events and in my district office every Friday afternoon. No one should suffer in silence as they lose their home when there is free assistance available.”

“We recognize Council Member Wills as a local leader who has invested his talent and passion to fight the foreclosure crisis in New York City, especially in Southeast Queens, which remains hard hit by this epidemic,” said Michael Hickey, Executive Director of CNYCN. “Currently, there are 30,000 pending foreclosure actions in New York City and we expect things to worsen in 2011 as general economic conditions remain weak. We are pleased to work with Council Member Wills and other elected officials to offer NYC homeowners access to free services from lenders and housing experts at events like the Rise Up & Stay Put! Home Rescue Fair.”

“South East Queens is a community built around the institutions of church and family,” said Yeneika Puran, Executive Director of CHANGER, INC. “We have organized these homeowner events and designed the CONNECT QUEENS campaign with distraught homeowners in mind. Homeowners who have been wrongfully denied loan modifications, homeowners scammed by fraudulent loan modification consultants, and homeowners who are overwhelmed by the experience.”

Jamaica is considered the epicenter of the foreclosure crisis in New York City. CNYCN and its nonprofit and city agency partners are hosting the 4^th Rise Up & Stay Put! Home Rescue Fair on April 23 at York College in Jamaica, Queens. This fair will provide a platform for homeowners to meet with their lenders and housing experts to seek loan modifications and other financial solutions in order to avoid foreclosure. To date, more than 2,300 homeowners have attended these fairs in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx, and 40 percent of the attendees were processed for new HAMP or non-HAMP loan modification applications, while 30 percent of the participants received help on existing applications.

For more information on Center for New York City Neighborhoods, www.cnycn.org

For more information on CHANGER, Inc., www.changernyc.org

For more information on CONNECT QUEENS, please call (718) 596-2010.

Saturday, April 16

1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. New Haven Ministries, Starlite Pavilion

130-05 101^st Ave., Richmond Hill

5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Praise Tabernacle

108-11 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica

Saturday, April 23

10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Rise-Up & Stay Put! Home Rescue Fair

York College

160-02 Liberty Ave., Jamaica

COMMUNITY MEETING ON SITING OF HOMELESS SHELTERS

Council Member Ruben Wills will join representatives from the Department of Homeless Services, Skyway shelter provider, Basics, and residents at a follow up community meeting to address the growing concerns caused by the lack of proper notification for the conversion of the Skyway shelter in to an adult male-only homeless shelter. It has also come to the attention of the community that more than one convicted sexual predator will now be living at Skyway which is near a public school and park. Basics will discuss the implementation of a new safety plan to further safeguard the community.

Earlier in the day, Council Member Wills will join Council Member Brad Lander, chair of the Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting & Maritime Uses, at a City Council public hearing, regarding the city's "Criteria for the Location of City Facilities" also known as "Fair Share Criteria."

In 1989, voters across the city adopted a City Charter change that attempted to equally distribute city facilities, like homeless shelters, across all neighborhoods. However, after more than 20 years, Council Member Wills and other elected officials claim that certain communities, particularly those in outer borough, urban neighborhoods, are bearing the brunt of an over-abundance of these facilities, with fewer resources and without proper notification to residents.

COUNCIL MEMBER RUBEN WILLS INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO CODIFY CITY LAW TO PROHIBIT THE SALE OF EXPIRED OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICATIONS

LEGISLATION IS FIRST FOR WILLS; LAW WILL PROTECT RESIDENTS FROM CROOKED STREET VENDORS

Council Member Ruben Wills plans to introduce his first piece of legislation on Wednesday that will codify the ban on the sale of expired over-the-counter medications.

Currently, New York State law prohibits the sale of expired over-the-counter medications by retailers such as Duane Reade or CVS. However, vendors and other licensees of the city have easily skirted the law by selling expired medications like Theraflu, Tylenol, Nyquil and Robitussin at street fairs and vendors’ markets.

“The sale of expired over-the-counter medications has serious health implications,” said Council Member Wills. “Residents who are purchasing these medications at neighborhood flea markets are unaware that they are ingesting expired medications. The potency of medication decreases over time and using medication after its expiration creates a greater likelihood that a person will take more in order to increase its effectiveness.”

Council Member Wills’ legislation closes this loophole and broadens the law to include “persons” so that there is no distinction between a vendor and a retailer. Passage of this legislation will make the distribution of expired over-the-counter medication by any individual a class B misdemeanor punishable by a fine of no more than $250, a maximum of 3 months of in jail, or both.

In November of 2009, then Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced an $875,000 settlement with the national retail pharmacy chain CVS to end its sale of expired products - including over-the-counter drugs, baby formula, milk, and eggs - at stores across New York State.

“This legislation will help prevent the distribution and flow of expired medications,” said Council Member Wills. “It is the responsibility of anyone who is selling over-the-counter medications to put the health and safety of consumers ahead of profits and sales.”

Shelter Switch Brings Outrage, Fear by Domenick Rafter - Queens Tribune

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About a month ago, Valerie Lewis, the principal of PS 124 in South Ozone Park, noticed students who lived in the Skyway Hotel homeless shelter two blocks from the school began missing class. Concerned about the pattern of absences, she walked over to the shelter which housed homeless families at 132-10 South Conduit Ave., and was horrified at what she found.

The Skyway Family Shelter sign still hangs outside the men-only site in Community Board 10. Tribune Photo by Ira Cohen

Families, given only five days' notice, were uprooted. The water in the building was turned off. Furniture was being thrown into the street.

"What was going on there was egregious," Lewis said.

Without warning, the shelter was reclassified a "men only shelter," and local residents and officials, irate at the City for what it calls "lack of respect" for their neighborhood, have grown further incensed. Nobody, not the shelter's neighbors, nor local officials, nor Community Board 10, knew it was happening. By the time parents and community members gathered at PS 124 on March 3, more than 30 men had already moved in.

Lewis said she had contacted the City and the new owners of the shelter, who had told her that the homeless population among single adults had risen, necessitating the need for more shelters, and families were being moved to parts of the City where there were "more opportunities." By the end of March, she said, the shelter would house up to 180 men.

"I think they thought no one would notice," she said.

An angry Councilman Ruben Wills (D-South Jamaica) told parents at a March 3 meeting that he was told about the change the night before. He said Dept. of Homeless Services Commissioner Seth Diamond told him that DHS moved the shelter into the community because "they met opposition elsewhere." Wills noted that more than 70 percent of Queens' homeless shelters are in Southeast Queens.

"Our unfair burden of housing the homeless population of Queens is not to be tolerated," he said. He added Council legislation to "scatter" homeless shelters was blocked, and called on the state legislature to step in. He also called for parents and local resident to "be loud" and suggested a rally be held at City Hall.

"This room should be packed," he said. "The more people there are, the more press it will get. The worst thing for the mayor right now is bad press. I'm not going to accept that you don't have time to fight for this."

CB 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton, who was also kept in the dark, called the shelter's change "outrageous." She said CB 10 District Manager Karyn Peterson has met with the Commissioner of Public Services about the shelter.

"I find it hard to believe they didn't have enough time to notify everyone," Braton said.

In a statement, Dept. of Homeless Services spokeswoman Heather Janik said the change was necessary and they would work with the community.

"As DHS continues to provide temporary, emergency shelter to homeless New Yorkers, we strive to be a good neighbor and work with the community to address any concerns that arise," the statement read. "We have recently seen an increase in the number of single adults seeking services from our system, and as such, must utilize all available capacity to ensure the needs of our clients are met every night."

DHS said it notified CB 10 and local officials Feb. 9 of the change and chose new management on Feb. 10.

Parents are concerned about the population of homeless men living in the shelter in the quiet community bordering JFK Airport and bisected by the Belt Parkway. They began to notice men from the shelter loitering at gas stations and a park on North Conduit Avenue, asking for money, and wandering residential streets at night. Eileen Lamanna, who has a child and a grandchild in PS 124, said she has seen groups of men gathering in areas where children walk every day.

"We don't know what they're putting in that shelter and they aren't going to tell us," Lamanna said. "What were these people in power thinking?"

The PTA at PS 124 met with the new management at the shelter to discuss security. They were told the shelter would have five full-time security guards working on three shifts, but the shift changes will coincide with school arrival and dismissal, which worried parents.

The guards will only work on shelter grounds and after 10 p.m., the doors of the center will be locked and those left outside will be left to fend for themselves until morning. The shelter has agreed to provide vans to bring the men outside of the neighborhood for recreation. They admitted the shelter does not know the criminal records of the men who will be housed there because the City gives them little notice when they drop off residents.

That point opened up concern about the possibility of violent criminals or sex offenders living in the shelter without anyone knowing. The school and the surrounding neighborhood sits in between the shelter and the A train subway and Aqueduct Racetrack, leading to concerns about men in the shelter coming in contact with children on their way to and from the casino scheduled to open there this summer.

Lewis said PS 124 would now have to come up with its own security plan. The school building will be locked down during the day. In the schoolyard at recess, the gates will be locked, with teachers and staff having the key to open them.

Lewis said PS 124 was recently changed to a "priority one" school, calling for added security. Lewis said she thought it was because of the school's proximity to JFK. Landing planes often fly low over the school. Now she believes the shelter had something to do with that change.

"That should have been my first signal," she said.

Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at drafter@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 125.

City Council Members Meet with Richmond Hill Indo-Caribbean Community Leaders

Last week, Council Member James Vacca (D-Bronx), chair of the Committee on Transportation, joined Council Member Ruben Wills, Council Member Leroy Comrie and business leaders from the Indo-Carribbean community and the Lefferts Blvd. neighborhood to discuss recent transportation issues affecting Southeast Queens.

Council Member Vacca joined Council Member Wills and Council Member Comrie in announcing a budget agreement reached between Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the City Council that prevents a parking meter rate hike which was set to take effect in all neighborhoods outside of Manhattan’s Central Business Core as early as the week of January 10.

The hike, which would have raised the outer-borough meter rate from .75 cents per hour to $1 per hour, would have represented the second increase in meter rates in only 18 months and struck yet another blow to struggling mom-and-pop commercial districts.

Education Town Hall on January 13th at PS 30Q

Stop the School Closings - Education Town Hall on January 13th at PS 30 126-10 Bedell Street Sponsored by State Senator Shirley Huntley, Assemblywoman Vivian Cook, City Council Member Leroy Comrie and City Council Member Ruben Wills

What: Education Town Hall

When: January 13th

Time: 6:30 - 8:30

Where: PS 30Q

Address: 126-10 Bedell Street, Jamaica, NY

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NYC Council Member Ruben Wills Inauguration Ceremony at York College on December 11th...

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Expired Medications Sold Illegally at Queens Flea Market | NBC New York

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The FDA says it’s illegal, but it’s being sold to anyone right out in the open, and the people doing it don't seem to care that selling illegal and expired medications put lives at risk.

NBCNewYork.com went undercover at the aqueduct flea market in Ozone Park, Queens, where these kind of medications are sold for a steal.

On a bitingly cold Saturday afternoon, the flea market at the Aqueduct Race Track is packed with people buying everything from makeup, old candy, and clothing.

But taking a closer look at the goods being hawked you’ll find a more nefarious lineup of goods -- expired, over-the-counter medications like Robitussin, Claritin, and even children's medications, like Dimetapp.

The expiration dates range anywhere from a few months past the guaranteed safety date to years expired.

Pediatrician Greg Yapalater says the main concern with meds like these is not so much that they are expired, but rather the uncertainty of where they come from – whether they’ve been stored properly or if they’ve been tampered with.

“Buying junk for a dollar is still junk. Buying poison for a dollar is still poison. Why go that route? There are other ways. Go with the generics in the pharmacy. They're always going to be cheaper”, says Yapalater.

To watch video report...click here

News 4 confronted the vendors and asked why they were selling illegal goods and where they got the medications.

In response the reporter and cameraman were called named and screamed at to leave. No one could tell us the origin of the products.

The Flea Market’s managers told News4 the vendor in charge of stand selling the illegal drugs is a man named Pat Flynn.

Flynn denied he was in charge and would not answer questions.

By the time News 4 alerted the Market’s authorities the goods were quickly swept into a box and taken away.

Aqueduct Flea Market says they will revoke Pat Flynn’s permit. The market maintains that it checks twice a day for illegal products being sold. Still customers say they see the stuff being sold every market day – out in the open for anyone to see. State officials assure us that the proper authorities will be by the flea to stop vendors like Flynn from continuing to sell expired meds.

Wills Begins His First Says in City Council by by Ivan Pereira - Queens Campaigner

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Ruben Wills is welcomed into the City Hall's chambers during his first day in office. Photo courtesy of NYC Council (William-Alatriste-New-York-City-Council)

City Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) started his term as the new member of City Hall’s Queens delegation last week and he said he has been busy finding ways to solve his southeast Queens district’s biggest problems.

Wills was officially inaugurated Nov. 30 during a special ceremony at City Hall and he will hold a community inauguration this Saturday at York College. Wills said he has had no time to celebrate his election to the seat, which was held by Councilman Thomas White until his death in August, and he has already hit the ground running.

“It’s been incredible. I’ve been going 100 mph,” he said.

Wills has been abstaining from voting on legislation for the time being since he was not part of earlier public hearing sessions associated with bills.

“I would be doing my constituents a disservice by voting on things I didn’t have knowledge about,” he said.

In the meantime, Wills said he is spending time letting his constituents come to him and provide feedback on Council District 28, which includes the neighborhoods of Jamaica, South Ozone Park, Richmond Hill and Rochdale Village.

Wills’ district office at Sutphin Boulevard and 95th Avenue is in the process of being created, so in the meantime he and his staff will operate out of White’s former office at 137-42 Guy R. Brewer Blvd. in South Ozone Park. His office’s current phone number is 718-528-5712.

Wills said he chose the Sutphin Boulevard location as his headquarters not only because it is in the center of the district, but also because it is close to major public transportation hubs such as the Long Island Rail Road.

“We wanted to keep the campaign promise that we would be accessible in the district,” he said.

The councilman has already started work on legislation that he said would help curb the foreclosure problem in southeast Queens. The neighborhoods of Jamaica, St. Albans and Springfield Gardens lead the state in the number of foreclosed homes and the problem is getting worse, according to Wills.

The bill is still in the early stages, but Wills said he would get into the chambers as soon as possible.

“We need to deal with the foreclosure problem now. I don’t want this drafted and looked at for months, I want it passed,” he said.

Wills won the special election last month to fill the seat vacated by White, who was just months into his second term when he died of cancer in August.

The community activist was one of seven candidates who ran in the special non-partisan election for the District 28 seat and won with 3,347 votes, roughly 31 percent of the total vote during the election. Others who were vying for the seat included Nicole Paultre-Bell, the fiancee of police shooting victim Sean Bell, former Councilman Alan Jennings and Albert Baldeo.

Wills will serve the office for a year and face an election next year to keep his seat, according to the rules in the City Charter. The winner of that election will serve out the rest of the term until 2014.

The councilman said he has also received a helping hand from Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) and Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan), who have shown him the ins and outs of City Hall. He noted, however, that his years working for elected officials such as Comrie and state Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) have geared him up for this moment and he is ready to take the challenge of leading the community head-on.

“I know the experience I was equipped with … it really has been helping me,” he said.

Invitation - Inauguration of Council Member Ruben Wills to the NYC Council on Saturday December 11th at York College @ 1pm

What: Inauguration Ceremony for City Council Member Ruben Wills

When: Sunday, December 11th

Time: 1 - 3 pm

Where: York College Atrium

Address: 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., Jamaica NY

Wills Prepares His Council Agenda by Ivan Pereira - Queens Campaigner

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Ruben Wills campaigns outside PS 223 in southeast Queens on election day. Photo by Christina Santucci

In the week since he won the special election to the southeast Queens City Council seat, Ruben Wills said he has been hard at work at making sure his constituents’ voices are heard when he enters City Hall.

The councilman-elect for the 28th Council District, which includes the neighborhoods of Jamaica, South Ozone Park, Richmond Hill and Rochdale Village, said he has been visiting with community leaders and constituents to hear their concerns and work on his agenda.

“It is just starting to settle in because we have been working, working, working,” Wills said of his Nov. 2 victory in the non-partisan election. “I haven’t had the chance to absorb it and smile.”

Wills, 39, filled the seat that suddenly opened up when Councilman Thomas White died Aug. 27.

The Democratic former aide said he already has a plan to help the district and has starting working on implementing plans for the community. He has met with the borough president and Aqueduct Race Track developer Genting New York about the jobs that will be created by the racino project.

He is also talking with the principals and parents of PS 30 and PS 40 in Jamaica, PS 147 in Cambria Heights and IS 231 in Springfield Gardens, which are slated for closure by the city.

“The education agenda is something that I have been working out. This is not a one-sided thing. It’s not just about if you have a child in the school. You can have a nephew or neighbor in the school and it affects them, too,” he said.

Wills said he also has long-term plans for the other problems that have been crippling the neighborhood. He is looking into drafting legislation that would curb the foreclosure problems in southeast Queens and has spoken with the NYPD’s chief of community affairs to see what can be done to stop the growing cases of violent crime and murders in the area.

Wills said the best solution was for law enforcement and residents to work together to combat crime.

“We want to let people know what’s going on with the gangs so we can discuss ways on the best possible solution to deal with it,” he said.

Wills won with 31.17 percent of the total vote and beat out Nicole Paultre-Bell, Albert Baldeo, Allan Jennings, Charles Bilal, Harpreet Singh Toor and Martha Taylor Butler, who had 436 votes, or 4.06 percent, according to unofficial results from the city Board of Elections.

Wills said that as of Monday the only challengers who had contacted him were Toor and Baldeo, both of whom congratulated his victory. He did, however, get congratulatory phone calls from U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica) and Councilman James Sanders (D-Laurelton), who both endorsed Paultre-Bell during her campaign.

Wills, who was endorsed by former bosses state Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) and Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), said his years of work and trust with the community is what led to his victory.

“I had the confidence of the most important people in the community: the voters,” he said.

Karen Koslowitz Will Get Council’s Economic Development Chair by Chris Bragg - City tHall News

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Queens Council Member Karen Koslowitz will take over the Economic Development Committee chairmanship, left vacant by the death of Tom White in August, two sources with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed.

Koslowitz currently serves as chair of the Consumer Affairs committee, which is likely to be filled by Manhattan Council Member Dan Garodnick, one of the sources said.

Koslowitz’s office declined comment. Garodnick did not return requests for comment. Nor did the speaker’s office.

The Economic Development committee, once one of the Council’s more prominent, saw less action in recent years because of White’s health issues and poor attendance record. The Economic Development chairmanship carries a $10,000 lulu, the same as the Consumer Affair’s Committee Koslowitz is leaving.

The Technology Committee also carries a $10,000 lulu, though Garodnick refused it earlier this year.

Consumer Affairs would be a step up for the Manhattan lawmaker. Many had expected Garonick to land a higher-profile committee than Technology last January when chairmanships were doled out.

Council Member Gale Brewer, the former Technology chair, who co-chairs the Manhattan delegation with Garodnick, said she had not heard whether he was taking the Consumer Affairs chairmanship. Brewer said she hopes whoever would take over the Technology seat, assuming Garodnick does not remain there, would continue the improvements they helped bring to the committee's operations in recent years.

“I hope it would be somebody who is intelligent and competent with technology, because that kind of background is needed to lead that committee,” she said. “Certainly, Dan is somebody who had that.”

Though several Council members expressed interest in the Economic Development gavel, the seat was reserved for a member from Queens under the deal that made Quinn speaker in 2006, sources with knowledge of the situation said.

A lack of interest in the chairmanship from some of the senior members in the delegation had led to speculation that Ruben Wills, who was just elected to fill White’s seat, might chair the committee.

But a source close to Wills said he had not been offered the position. Wills is, however, seeking a spot on the committee. Wills, who won his race in a special election and will face re-election next year, is expected to focus on constituent services for the time being, the source said.

Meanwhile, Wills’ political opponents are also continuing to foment controversy about Wills’ potential residency issues, though they appear unlikely to derail his swearing-in.

Koslowitz, in her second stint on the Council after being term-limited out in 2001, is known for her commitment to constituent services, though not necessarily for tough oversight as a committee chair. 

She generally keeps a low profile.

One lobbyist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Koslowitz was among a several potential choices from Queens who likely would not offer much resistance to Council Speaker Christine Quinn or Mayor Michael Bloomberg in the position.

“They want someone in there who is not going to rock the boat,” the lobbyist said. “I couldn’t think of a better successor to Tom White.”

Wills Wins Way into City Council by Tonia N. Cimino - The Queens Courier

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"Ruben Wills beat out six other candidates in the non-partisan Special Election and will now serve the 28th City Council District, a seat left open with the passing of Thomas White Jr.

“We intend on getting to work right away,” Wills told The Courier on Tuesday evening, November 2.

With just over 31 percent of the vote, Wills, a former aide to Councilmember Leroy Comrie, won over challengers Nicole Paultre Bell, widow of Sean Bell, 25 percent; Albert Baldeo, 14 percent; Allan W Jennings Jr., 10 percent; Charles Bilal, nine percent; Harpreet Singh Toor, seven percent and Martha Taylor Butler, four percent.

Wills’ agenda, he said, will focus on foreclosures, affordable health care, job creation and education.

“Despite the negativity, the community voted me in,” he said. “I’m a little choked up right now.”

White, a Democrat who represented the 28th District, passed away on Friday, August 27 after battling cancer.

Wills will serve until 2011, at which point there will be another primary and general election for the remainder of White’s term, through 2013."

Baldeo Offers More Detailed Plans than the Others by AnnMarie Costella - Queens Chronicle

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Albert Baldeo, an attorney from Ozone Park, says he’s not running for City Council because he wants a new job, but because he has the skills to effect change and the experience to understand the community and its problems.

"We share common issues — a lack of city services, jobs and resources,” Baldeo said. “We all suffer similarly. And just as we have common issues, we have common dreams and goals. There is more that unites us than divides us.”

Baldeo will face off against Ruben Wills, Allan Jennings, Charles Bilal, Nicole Paultre Bell, Harpreet Toor, Martha Butler and Victor Babb for the 28th District seat formerly held by the late Tom White Jr.

Among his top priorities are job creation, healthcare, crime and seniors and he has plenty of ideas on how he will improve those areas if elected. Implementing his plans will take additional funding, and with a looming budget deficit, Baldeo says he will get the money by curbing Medicaid fraud, eliminating ineffective programs, increasing taxes on big corporations and cutting “unnecessary bureaucracy.”

To improve education, Baldeo says parents must be more involved in shaping policies and the way their children learn. He plans to fight for more funding to increase after-school programming, reduce class sizes and ensure that more quality teachers are hired. He believes that every pre-kindergarten student should have access to free all-day programming to increase the likelihood of long-term academic success. And he is advocating for added security measures to keep students safe.

“I want to make sure that all children get an equal opportunity to improve their quality of life,” Baldeo said. “I want to lift children out of poverty and give them a chance to reach their full potential. I have the ideas and the vision to make that happen.”

With the recent closures of three hospitals in Queens — Mary Immaculate, St. John’s, and Parkway, access to affordable, quality healthcare is on many resident’s minds. Baldeo hopes to partner with private agencies, doctors and medical volunteers to find out how to bring new hospitals and clinics into the district.

He would also like to expand health insurance coverage by getting more individuals to enroll in programs like Child Health Plus or Medicaid. He believes more people should be encouraged to purchase long-term care insurance by making matching funds, subsidies, tax credits and other incentives available.

Baldeo also supports the Paid Family Leave Act, which would let employees take up to six weeks off a year with limited pay to care for a new child or a sick relative.

Baldeo would combat Medicaid fraud by sponsoring legislation that would grant city enforcement agencies increased access to insurance files and expand their ability to prosecute cases to serve as a deterrent to other criminals.

Baldeo plans to expand the powers of the attorney general to investigate and prosecute more cases, providing extra staff if necessary. But that’s not the only type of illegal activity Baldeo plans to aggressively fight — sex crimes and gun violence are also high on his list.

“We need to build a better relationship between the police and the community,” Baldeo said. “We need to form neighborhood watch groups. People should feel comfortable going to the police and they should know that the information will be kept confidential.”

To curb gun violence, Baldeo says there should be more police officers patrolling the district, but in addition to that he would ban convicted felons from obtaining firearms, expand the ballistics identification data bank to assist law enforcement officers in tracking down guns used in crimes and require law enforcement officers to enter data regarding guns, bullets and shell casings found at crime scenes into the system.

Baldeo is in favor of life sentences for those who have perpetrated sex crimes against multiple victims and for those who have a previous felony sex crime conviction. He would prohibit offenders from working in all jobs that involve contact with children.

Seniors are an important group that Baldeo believes should not be neglected. He says he will work to keep senior centers open and offer more elder programming. “These people have spent a lifetime working and giving to the community,” he said. “They deserve improved access to services.”

Though a federal issue, Baldeo also weighed in on the St. Albans Veterans facility redevelopment plan, stating that he stands with those who oppose letting a developer build private housing on part of the site in exchange for modernizing the medical center there.

“People who have fought for our country should be treated with dignity and respect,” Baldeo said. “They need affordable housing, healthcare and hot meals.”

Baldeo is no stranger to politics. In addition to being an attorney he is a community advocate, democratic district leader, delegate to the Judicial Convention and county committeeman. He lost a Democratic primary challenge to White in 2005 and was defeated again the following year in a race against then-state Sen. Serphin Maltese, but he is confident that he will be victorious this time around.

“I am a breath of fresh air, because my candidacy is not controlled by special interests and lobbyists, but by a passion to serve our district,” Baldeo said. “Our district has been neglected for too long, and I will work hard for everyone in this district, so that we can have a better standard of life, and everyone can truly live the American dream.”