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

Read original


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.

Liberty Avenue Stores Struggle to Survive by Anna Gustafson - Queens Chronicle

Read original...

Mukesh Patel, left, and Joseph Bruno say the new traffic pattern and subway construction, inset, has deterred customers from frequenting their shops. Photo by Anna Gustafson

 

A city plan meant to curb accidents and prevent pedestrian deaths has instead left business owners struggling to survive on a commercial strip in Ozone Park that will soon be gasping for its last breath if the Department of Transportation does not make changes to the area, store owners and employees say.

“It’s affecting us so badly,” said Abdul Alawdi, owner of Fine Food Market and Deli at 93-10 Liberty Ave. “Three places have already gone out of business because of this. Who’s next? It’s going to be a ghost town here.”

The DOT in November made Liberty Avenue a one-way eastbound street between Crossbay Boulevard and 93rd Street as part of its plan to address congestion and injuries and deaths from accidents at the Liberty Avenue and Woodhaven, Crossbay, and Rockaway boulevards intersection.

DOT officials noted between 2004 and 2008 there were 207 injuries for pedestrians, bicyclists and individuals in motor vehicles at the Rockaway Boulevard and Liberty Avenue intersection between 94th and 96th streets.

Shop owners, however, said city officials need to figure out a way to change the intersection without settling for what has become a death sentence for stores in the area. A 99-cent store, laundromat and fast-food chicken restaurant have all gone out of business since the plan was implemented, and the shops that are left have seen a drastic drop in customers.

“How many more stores do they want to close?” asked David M. Quintana, a member of the Ozone Park Residents Block Association. “A major commercial strip can’t survive on a one-way street.”

Kalish Pharmacy, which has been in the neighborhood for 100 years, has experienced at least a 30 percent drop in business, according to pharmacist Joseph Bruno.

“Businesses are closing, people are out of work, it’s terrible,” Bruno said. “I grew up in Ozone Park, I have ties to this neighborhood, and I want to stay here.”

Ram Stationary and Cards owner Mukesh Patel said his business has dropped about 50 percent, and Alawdi said he has seen a decrease of about 40 to 45 percent.

“Business has gone down unbearably,” said Patel, who has owned his stationary store for the past 21 years. “We’re losing $600, $700 a day. It’s a terrible situation.”

On top of the one-way street, business owners have had to deal with reconstruction on the subway stairs leading to the A-line, which has temporarily closed off the entrance to Liberty Avenue from Woodhaven Boulevard.

Shop owners and employees said they would like the DOT to make Liberty a two-way street again. That, Community Board 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton said, is unlikely, but she did note that the DOT reversed its decision and said it will remove the back-in angled parking spaces on Liberty between Crossbay and 93rd Street after business owners complained they was too difficult for customers to use.

“We’re looking at that whole intersection and all the ramifications, and we’re engaged in ongoing discussions with DOT to see if there are further modifications that can be done,” Braton said.

DOT spokeswoman Nicole Garcia said the agency is incorporating community input to develop further plans for the area.

“Safety is our top priority, and the project implemented in this area is designed to boost safety for all street users,” Garcia said in an e-mailed statement.

Kimberly Liverpool, manager at Tommy’s Pizzeria, said she hopes the city seriously considers input from shop owners, especially since her store is losing about $200 to $300 a day because of the traffic change.

“Customers don’t even come this way anymore,” Liverpool said. “Even on a Friday and Saturday it’s horrible. I had four people working here, and now I’m down to two.”

Terranova Bakery manager Maria Monzon said her daily average customer count has dropped from about 200 to 150.

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

Read original...

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.

Borough Taxis Draws Boos at Meeting by Steve Mosco - The Queens Courier

Read original...

Finding a taxi in Queens is a lot like catching a glimpse of Bigfoot – it’s a rare sight and worthy of snapping a photo for posterity.

However, that might soon change as a new law proposed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg aims to create an outer borough cab service for passengers in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island and Queens. The livery cab type service would do away with the need for unlicensed – and in some cases, unsafe – ‘gypsy cabs,’ which are usually the only outer borough option.

David Yassky, who heads the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), is charged with implementing the plan that Bloomberg unveiled back in January.

“As all New Yorkers know yellow taxis almost never leave Manhattan, except to go to the airports,” said Yassky. “The ‘gypsy cabs’ that fill the void in [the outer boroughs] are decidedly third-rate.”

The bill requires a vote from the City Council and, if passed, would equip For-Hire Base Station vehicles with meters, allowing them to pick up random fares. Borough taxis will be assigned a uniform color separate from yellow taxis along with GPS locators, meters and the option for customers to pay by credit card as well as cash. The fare structure will be determined

“While the system works pretty well in Manhattan, there is enormous room for improvement in the rest of the city,” said Yassky. “That's what this plan should accomplish.”

At a Community Board 10 (CB10) meeting on March 3, TLC representatives gave attendees a general overview of the proposal – many residents did not like what they heard and voiced their disapproval, stating that there are safety concerns as well as concerns that they already have with TLC transportation in the area.

“Before we get involved with another layer of cabs, we need to deal with the ones we have now,” said Betty Braton, CB10 chairman, who stated that current issues include problematic routes and off-street parking locations.

TLC representatives did not provide specific details about the borough taxi service, but only a general overview, which residents felt was not enough to convince them to support the proposal.

“It seems like you only have half a package and you are already visiting community boards,” said one community board member. “There are many questions you can’t answer.”

TLC is looking for passenger feedback on what customers would want to see from the borough taxis. A short survey can be found at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NYCTaxiSurvey.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority declined to comment on this story.

– With additional reporting by Laura Cimera and Will Sammon

Not Business as Usual for Liberty Avenue by Bryan Yurcan - Queens Chronicle

Read original...

s owners on Liberty Avenue between 93rd Street and Cross Bay Boulevard say the changes implemented by the DOT in October have discouraged customers from coming to the area.

The city Department of Transportation in October implemented a plan designed to ease traffic on several intersections on Liberty Avenue and make them more pedestrian friendly.

But for some businesses in that vicinity, the project has hurt the bottom line.

The DOT’s plan to reduce congestion at the complex Woodhaven Boulevard, Crossbay Boulevard, Rockaway Boulevard and Liberty Avenue intersection included converting Liberty to a one-way eastbound street between Crossbay and 93rd Street and providing room for back-in angle parking spaces on that block.

A concrete barrier was also placed along Crossbay to prevent Liberty traffic from crossing through the intersection. The northbound lane for left turns onto Rockaway were extended and signal timing was adjusted to improve traffic flow.

But for some Liberty businesses, specifically those on the block that was converted to a one-way street, the changes have meant fewer customers coming through the doors.

Uncle Steve Discount Bargain Outlet, which is located on Liberty between 93rd and Crossbay, has a makeshift banner hanging in front of the store indicating that it is going out of business.

The owner, Steve, who didn’t wish to give his last name, said that the shops’ closing is about 50 percent due to the new traffic patterns.

“It has absolutely killed business,” he said. “So many less people come around here now.”

The owner said that many people who used to wait by the Rockaway Boulevard A train stop to pick up friends or spouses used to pop into stores on the block while they waited.

But with the concrete barrier now preventing access from the block to Crossbay, most people don’t do that anymore, he said.

Tommy’s Pizza & Restaurant, which sits a few storefronts down from the bargain store, also has seen a decrease in business since the new traffic plan was implemented.

Kimberly Liverpool, a manager there, said the business has seen a drop of around $200 a week in sales since the changes.

She said customers find it “a hassle” to come to the area now, and that the back-in parking added when the street was converted to one-way hasn’t even added that much extra parking space.

“A customer told me he feels like this is out of his way now,” Liverpool said.

An inquiry to the DOT was not returned as of press time.
cb1-

Community Board 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton said this issue “is absolutely on the radar” of the community board.

Braton said she has a meeting scheduled with DOT officials next week to discuss the concerns of business owners and see if modifications to the current plan are possible.

Braton said the DOT has been helpful in working with CB 10 on the matter.

“They reached out to us and are trying to address some concerns,” she said.

Genting’s 380 Million Dollar Bet on Queens by Dawn Lim - Queens Ledger

Read original...

Men gather around screens during racing season at the Aqueduct racetrack, soon to be made over and developed by Resorts World New York into a racino.

Avneet Bindra packs up for the day. As dark sets in at 5:30 p.m. on a windswept evening in early winter and vandalized trucks pull out of the Aqueduct racetrack parking lot, the 22-year-old upstart folds up the wares from his blanket business. He motions to his father, Rumpy Bindra, who has manned a separate blanket business in the market for 25 years, asks the older Bindra if he needs space on his truck. They are among last few vendors who have held out on this bitterly cold December day in Ozone Park.

Bindra has grown up in this flea market, learning the tricks of the trade from his father. The iconic flea market, which has operated out of the parking lot of Aqueduct in Southwestern Queens for 30 years, is a noisy and sprawling hub for 500 vendors, many of whom are Indian, Guyanese and Caribbean immigrants making their way up the economic ladder by hawking cheap bargains to other immigrants. Now Bindra, who is paying his way through college with this business, is bracing himself for December 31, when he has to uproot his shop.

“They’re throwing us out,” said Bindra, “Who knows if the money will come back to the community? Who knows where I’ll go from here?”

In August of this year, entertainment giant Genting Malaysia Berhad put down a $380 million bid and won the rights to run the Aqueduct as a casino and make its first big splash in the U.S. market. A $1.3 billion makeover will equip the racetrack with 4,500 electronic slot machines, transforming it into a betting and gambling complex to accommodate 10,000 people by next spring.

On November 22, Genting New York notified the flea market’s operator, Plain & Fancy Shows, Inc., that its contract would not be renewed after its December 21st expiration date, although the market could operate through the holidays until December 31.

“Since the Aqueduct facility will be a construction site for several months, the Division of the Lottery determined that the continued presence of the flea market would raise safety concerns in addition to being incompatible with the future use of the property,” said spokesman Stefan Friedman in an email.

Vendors are in the dark over whether they will be relocated. Plain & Fancy did not respond to five calls for comment.

“This is a community of immigrant and working-class people who want to protect their jobs,” said Yvonne Kissoo, who is Guyanese and president of the Flea Market Vendor Association, a newly convened group of Ozone Park’s vendors partnering with the nonprofit Indo-Caribbean Alliance to collect signatures to petition for help. “How can Genting come and pull the rug from under our feet?”

It’s been difficult getting the flea market vendors to speak as a united body, Kissoo said, in between hawking ladies undergarments to regular customers she knew by their first name. Many vendors in the flea market can’t speak English, are terrified that their immigration status will be revoked, or afraid that they will be left out of future flea market opportunities if they protest, she said.

“I was hopeful that some sort of accommodation would be worked out, but unfortunately that was not the case,” said Councilman Eric Ulrich in a phone interview. “I don’t think any compromise will come out of it. Genting has said that the flea market is not consistent with the ideas and image they would like to project.”

New kid on the block

The conflict surrounding the flea market vendors and Genting has brought out fears amongst new arrivals in the community that a casino may cause them to be displaced.

“I don’t think the flea market and casino are compatible aesthetically or business-wise,” said David Quintana, a community activist, blogger and Community Board 10 member who has lived in Ozone Park for 41 years, over coffee at the neighborhood institution Esquire Diner. “One caters to lower to middle class people. The other is looking for real high-rollers from out-of-state and around the world. These are diametrically opposed interests.”

With a market share of $37.5 billion and the operator of the world’s most profitable casino in Singapore, Genting has arrived in Queens for the big win. Genting pulled in $8.9 billion in earnings in 2009, but is expected to make a 67 percent jump in earnings to $14.9 billion this year and 91 percent increase over two years to $17 billion next year, according to analysts for Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

Ozone Park’s location could prove more than ideal to bring in the big spenders: flanked by Howard Beach, Richmond Hill and Woodhaven, the casino is a 10-minute drive from John F. Kennedy International Airport.

But Genting will also have steer carefully through Ozone Park’s politically charged and culturally diverse landscape, where middle-class immigrants are a burgeoning group coming under the strains of overcrowding and the recession.

West Indian and South Indians are growing in numbers, drawn to the area’s familiar comforts, accents and lower rents. The population in District 10 rose by 18 percent between 1980 and 2010, according to New York City data. Between 1990 and 2000, Asian and Pacific Islanders doubled from 6.4 to 12.8 percent, and those in the non-Hispanic, non-black and non-Native American category went up tenfold from 0.5 percent to 5 percent.

The new tide of immigrants has resulted in jostling for space and storefronts. “We came in 20 years ago, and saved little by little, dollar by dollar,” said Mary, an Indian grocery store owner, with a tinge of pride, but added that with more Indians settling into the area, business was steadily getting more competitive.

The economic struggles may have taken its toll on the community. Guyanese made up over one-third of foreign born in District 10 in 2000, a number expected to have increased in 2010 census. But Little Guyana, located in Richmond Hill, is less of the vibrant and bustling center of gravity for the Guyanese community than it was five years ago, said Antonio Sieunarine, a pilot, whose Guyanese family moved to Ozone Park nine years ago from the Bronx, over roti at a Liberty Avenue bakery.

At a presentation before Community Board 10 at the Aqueduct racetrack in July, a Genting spokesperson stressed that it would exceed the stated goal of 25 percent employment of minority and women during construction and ongoing operations. Last month, Genting held an event to inform local certified minority and women-owned business enterprises about contracting opportunities and the procurement process during reconstruction of Aqueduct.

Genting also pledged to donate one percent of its net profits to civic projects approved by the community, and would be expected to donate over $350,000 and up to $500,000 each consecutive year.

Leroy Gadsden, president of the Jamaica National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said that he was dissatisfied that jobs had not been earmarked for Queens residents. Together with 18 other civil rights, clergy groups, and trade unions representing 30,000 people in total, his organization authored and passed a resolution to support more efforts to ensure that Queens residents “get their economic fair share of jobs during the development of the racino,” he said in a phone interview.

“We need to ward off the ills of casinos that those who are poor and in the minority are going to suffer because they are people of color,” said Gadsden.

Betty Braton, president of Community Board 10, said there had been numerous discussions with Genting to ensure that the company would take local interests into consideration. “We are satisfied that Genting understands our concerns and will act to ensure that people from the local area get considered for jobs,” she said.

Genting will hold more outreach events in the next few months to notify the Queens residents about permanent jobs once the facility opens for use, said spokesman Stefan Friedman.

Bringing back Aqueduct’s glory days

In the grey interior of the Aqueduct racetrack, men cluster around the screen anxiously, furiously spurring their horses on. The floors are littered with betting tickets. The air is thick with anticipation and the smell of stale fast food. Arthur L., an Ozone Park resident, watches his horse intently, then shakes his head and laughs. He’s lost. Again.

He’ll still come next weekend, as he always does. “I really want to see this place up and pretty,” he said. Does he think the redeveloped racetrack will benefit the community? “You lose some, you win some,” he said, with a pensive smile, revealing gold teeth imprinted with the initials of his name.

In its prime, the 116-year-old track was graced by legends like Seabiscuit, glamorous women in big hats, and crowds of up to 73,000. The racetrack is now a shadow of its former self, with less than a tenth of its previous attendance during racing season from October to May.

This June, a report released by the Office of the State Comptroller’s warned that the New York Racing Association, the organization that runs Aqueduct, was staring at insolvency. Even after a $105 million bailout from the state in 2008, NYRA’s projected deficit was rising at an alarming rate, and estimated to reach $19 million in 2010, double its deficit of $8.9 million in 2009, noted the report.

The industry suffered a further blow this week when calls to bail out the city’s beleaguered Off-Track Betting Corporation fell short in Albany, making the revitalization of Aqueduct even more pressing. The bill fell three votes short of the 32 needed to pass the State Senate, and OTB, which owes Aqueduct $14.7 million, was declared bankrupt and shut down at midnight on December 7.

Attempts to turn around the ailing Aqueduct began ten years ago after then-Governor George Pataki agreed in October 2001 to a budget deal that authorized electronic slot machines at Aqueduct. The bidding process, however, fell through twice in the past three years.

In the most recent fiasco this March, the plug was pulled on Aqueduct Entertainment Group after it failed to meet the bidding criteria and was not able to not provide sufficient financial details of its investors.

In the lead-up to the elections in October, the state inspector general released a devastating report that alleged corruption on the part of Democratic leaders in the State Senate. John L. Sampson, the Senate Democratic leader from Brooklyn; Malcolm A. Smith, the Senate president from Queens; and Angelo Aponte, the appointed Senate secretary had tinkered with the bidding process and played favorites with a troubled bidder that had donated to Democratic party, alleged the report.

The political mudslinging has evoked deep frustrations. “After so many years of dealing with talk about the casino, people want to see it openly flourish,” said Quintana.

The desire for a revitalized Ozone Park holds especially strong amongst older and more entrenched members of the community nostalgic for the neighborhood’s thriving days when John J. Gotti and his partners in the Gambino crime family roamed the community and Aqueduct was in its heyday.

“When the Italians made their money and moved out to Long Island and places like that,” said Quintana, “there was a sense that there were more schlocky 99 cent stores, compared to the old days when there were real men’s stores, real furniture stores, and real shoe stores.”

Speaking at his blanket booth, the elder Bindra railed about the loss of his flea market business, and lamented about a slow business during a chilly morning. “The city is just thinking about getting rid of the budget deficit, but they’re not thinking about the other effects of opening the casino,” he said.

“The question is what would happen if the community didn’t do this? If Aqueduct ceases to be in existence, alternatives like a factory would have other effects on the community,” said State Senator Joseph Addabbo. “The plan we are taking on is the best plan we have going forward.”

Aqueduct Flea Market Vendors Seek New Home by Elizabeth A. Harris - NYTimes.com

Read original...

The weekend flea market that has filled a parking lot of Aqueduct racetrack for more than 30 years is shutting down this month.

Every Saturday and Sunday at 6 a.m., Aftabudeen Edun pulls his truck into an expansive parking lot in Ozone Park, Queens, and unloads tiny bottles of perfume and moisturizer, lip balm and deodorant, laying them out in neat rows on folding tables. For 16 years, Mr. Edun, a 46-year-old immigrant from Guyana who owns two cosmetic stores on Liberty Avenue, could be found, usually in the same spot, on scorching summer days and in the chill of early December mornings, selling his wares at the Aqueduct Flea Market.

But last month, after more than 30 years, the flea market, which fills the racetrack’s north parking lot, lost its lease as the racetrack prepared to make room for thousands of slot machines, along with upscale restaurants. At the end of the year, the market’s 500 or so vendors must pack up their tables and tents for good.

“I make more money here than sitting in the store all day,” Mr. Edun said. “But the market is closing forever. I have to find someplace else.”

The flea market offers a hodgepodge of goods, like bedding, incense and pots and pans. A crochet hat can be had for $3, a pair of jeans for $12. The bargains attract loyal customers, some from as far away as Boston and Baltimore who roll in on tour buses.

Eve Breau, 59, a medical technician who lives in East Flatbush, has driven to the flea market from Brooklyn nearly every weekend for the last 10 years.

“Walking around here is like therapy,” Ms. Breau said, strolling by a stall filled with pink and red paper flowers, their petals crinkling in a cold morning breeze. “They have everything.”

The casino, which broke ground last month, will be a very different beast. The developer, Genting New York, a subsidiary of the largest gambling company in Malaysia and Britain, hopes eventually to turn the project into a destination resort, complete with upscale hotels. It says the casino may generate more than $1.5 million per day in tax revenue.

Genting said that keeping a flea market open during construction raised safety issues, and the State Division of Lottery, which regulates casinos, does not have a mechanism in place to administer a flea market. But there were other issues at play, as well.

“The casino operation is an attempt to go upscale, and a flea market is by nature sort of downscale,” said Betty Braton, the chairwoman of Community Board 10, which represents the neighborhood, adding that there had been reports of counterfeit goods being sold at the market over the years. “We’re looking forward to the economic development that is going to come from the casino operation.”

While the project would create jobs, some fear they will not be available to the vendors who are being forced to make way, many of whom are immigrants.

“A lot of these people aren’t formally educated, so it’s difficult for them to transition to another job,” said Richard S. David, the executive director of the Indo-Caribbean Alliance, a community organization based in Ozone Park.

The market closes down every January and February, since it is usually too cold for selling and browsing, but the vendors do not know what lies ahead for them in March. Carol DeSanto, the general manager of Plain and Fancy Shows, which operates the flea market, said last week that a search for a new location had so far been unsuccessful, and many of the vendors who have tried on their own to find a home at other flea markets have been rebuffed.

“There isn’t space in other markets,” said Savitri Harry, 47, who works as a baby-sitter for a family in Manhattan during the week and sells jewelry at Aqueduct on the weekends. “I can’t pay my bills without the market. I can’t.”

The Indo-Caribbean Alliance is trying to find a new site where the vendors can contract directly with their new landlord, rather than going through an intermediary like Plain and Fancy. Mr. David said that they were looking at sites in Brooklyn and Queens, including a parking lot close to the Aqueduct site, but that they needed to move quickly so the vendors don’t start to scatter.

“The success of the market relies on all the vendors’ staying together,” Mr. David said. “It depends on that variety.”

But some of them have already made contingency plans, and the market has begun to break apart.

“I’ll be O.K.; I’ll go to another market,” said Arturo Alonzo, 45, standing between rows of blue jeans and plastic mannequins. “But this is a nice community. I’ll be sad to see it go.”

CB 10 Talks OTB in Year-end Meeting by Stephen Geffon - Queens Chronicle

Read original...

Community Board 10 held its last meeting of the year on Dec. 2 in South Ozone Park and wrapped up business in 33 minutes, a record, according to Chairwoman Betty Braton.

Board members heard from state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) who discussed his view on the state bailing out the cash-strapped New York City Off-Track Betting Corp.

He said the days of writing a blank check to bail out any entity at this point has to be considered very cautiously. He added that although he is very concerned about 1,000 people losing their jobs at city OTBs centers if it closes, he is hopeful that something can be worked out in Albany to keep it open.

“Hopefully we can save these jobs and hopefully work out an arrangement, but I am not prepared to make Medicaid cuts and cuts to services for our seniors or youth or anyone just to bail out the OTB,” he said.

The Senate on Tuesday, however, rejected the OTB rescue plan, and its doors may shut before the end of the year.

In other business, CB 10 Budget Committee Chairman Sean McCabe reported that although community boards have been exempted from the newest citywide budget cuts, they were recently informed that they would not receive the additional $8,000 each that was promised to them by Mayor Bloomberg in November.

Braton said that the board had received a notice of application for a liquor license filed with the state Liquor Authority by the Ballroom Company, Inc. seeking to open a billiards parlor at 98-07 Liberty Ave. in Ozone Park, site of the former Chemistry Lounge, which was closed for allegedly violating state liquor laws. It was also the site of alleged numerous violent altercations.

District Manager Karyn Petersen reported that Con Edison residential electric customers in one-to-four family homes are eligible for cash incentives for recycling their old, energy-wasting, “second” refrigerator. The utility will remove regular-sized, extra refrigerators, which are often kept in garages and basements, at no charge.

The utility will also collect and recycle old, inefficient window or wall air conditioners. Con Edison customers will receive $30 for second refrigerators, $35 for window air conditioners and $100 for wall air conditioning units. Appliances must be in working condition in order to be picked-up and recycled. For more information, call 1 (800) 430-9505.

Braton informed the audience that Genting New York, which will be operating a casino at Aqueduct Race Track, now has a website for job opportunities and other information, www.rwnewyork.com. 

New Commanding Officer at 106th Precinct by Steve Mosco - The Queens Courier

Read original...

The torch – and the pin – was passed to a new leader at the 106th Precinct.

At its monthly meeting, a new Commanding Officer (CO) was introduced at the 106th Precinct in Ozone Park on Wednesday, November 10.

Deputy Inspector, and outgoing CO, Joseph Courtesis addressed those gathered at the meeting for the last time. He said that while the move is good for his career, he’s leaving with a heavy heart.

He spent more than three years at the 106th Precinct and said that he made some tremendous friends, not only at the stationhouse, but also in the community at large.

“This is my community and I tried to handle all complaints, big and small, with as much attention as possible. The effort was always there,” said Courtesis, who is moving on to the 105th Precinct in Queens Village. “This is a good move career wise, but it is bittersweet because I have to actually move on.”

The new CO, Captain Thomas Pascale, spent some time in 106 as a sergeant from 2000 through 2004, and feels that since he knows many people at the precinct his transition will be a smooth one.

“I feel like I got a great deal on a used car,” said Pascale, who received the CO’s pin from Courtesis. “A lot of the same people in key positions are still here and that will help with the learning curve.”

The captain then introduced the precinct’s Cop of the Month, Officer Kevin Desmoreau. At 9:30 p.m. on October 20, Desmoreau was performing anti-crime patrol on Sutter Avenue when he saw a suspicious male following two females.

Captain Thomas Pascale, Police Officer Kevin Desmoreau and Community Council President Frank Dardani

After stopping the suspect, Desmoreau frisked him and found a firearm. A struggle and foot pursuit followed, and ended with the Officer apprehending the suspect.

“Fantastic work,” said Pascale. “His work shows the phenomenal work that’s being done out there by officers such as himself.”

Upon further investigation, it was found that the suspect had a previous firearm charge against him. The Precinct will now track him to make sure he’s not involved with these types of illegal activities.

At the end of the meeting, Community Board 10 chair Betty Braton announced an outreach event being held at Aqueduct Racetrack on Friday, November 19. The Subcontractor Outreach Event for Minority, Women and Locally-Owned Business Enterprises (M/W/LBEs) will feature representatives from Resorts World New York and Tutor Perini Corp. They will provide substantial contractual opportunities to any interested M/W/LBEs who specialize in the building construction industry.

Those interested in attending should R.S.V.P. by Wednesday, November 17 at www.spectrumpcc.com/RWNYOutreach/rsvp.html.

Addabbo Victory Party on Nov 2nd @ Russo's On the Bay...

Click here to view these pictures larger

FBI Seeks Public Help to Thwart Attacks by Stephen Geffon - Queens Chronicle

Read original...

An FBI program designed to help keep the city’s infrastructure safe from future terrorist attacks needs your help.

Special Agent James Capozzi of the FBI’s New York field office explained to Community Board 10 last Thursday that the program, named InfraGard, a collaboration for national infrastructure protection between the FBI and the InfraGard National Members Alliance, seeks to share information with the public in an effort to prevent future attacks.

“We’ve got to be vigilant,” said Capozzi, coordinator of InfraGard for the New York field office. “We need extra eyes and ears. By raising your awareness you are better positioned to let us know what you might see that we should respond to.”

Though still not widely known, InfraGard has been in existence since 1996. The Department of Homeland Security took over responsibility for it in 2003.

According to infragard.net, the effort is an information-sharing agreement between businesses, academic institutions, state and local law enforcement agencies. It was designed to harness private-sector expertise for investigative efforts in the cyber and physical security arenas.

Today, InfraGard’s protection efforts involve a close working relationship between the FBI and the private sector, as well as other agencies, including DHS, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Small Business Administration.

Each InfraGard chapter is geographically linked with an FBI field office. Information is shared to mitigate threats to the nation’s critical infrastructures and key resources.

Membership in the InfraGard program, which is free, is, according to a published pamphlet, “a unique opportunity for both industry and government to unite in a cooperative effort of national security.”

To join, or for further information, contact infragard at team@infragard.org or go online to infragard.net.

Also discussed at the meeting was that the development of affordable senior housing in Howard Beach is on track.

Board members were advised by CB 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton that Bernard Fineson Senior Housing developer Catholic Charities is now expected to close on the building by the end of the year and break ground shortly thereafter. Construction is projected to take 18-months. The affordable housing is to be located on Crossbay Boulevard in Howard Beach.

The new complex will have 96 apartments. Twelve of the units will be set aside for the developmentally disabled. There will be 83 apartments for seniors, 27 studio apartments and 56 one-bedroom apartments. Seniors living in the Community Board 10 area will get priority for these apartments with half of these units being set aside for them, Braton said.

Rents are determined based on income. Braton said the studio apartments require applicants to have an income of no more that $30,800. The estimated rent for those units is $550 to $650 a month. For the one-bedroom apartments the applicant’s income is required to be no more than $49,280. The estimated rent is from $600 to $1,050 a month.

Catholic Charities has stated that six months before completion of construction it will advertise that applications will be accepted. Those interested must write a letter requesting an application, which will be reviewed for age, disability and income eligibility. Braton the community board and area elected officials will help in writing letters and filling out the applications. The CB 10 chairwoman noted that seniors should be aware there will be a deadline for filing the application.

A group of Aqueduct flea market vendors concerned about their fate also came to the meeting to ask for the board’s help.

Darrel Sukhdeo, a spokesman for the group, said the vendors would like to coexist with Genting’s racino.

“We believe that they can help us and we can help them,” he said, adding his belief that the flea market shoppers would go to the casino complex after shopping.

Not everyone, however, would be sorry to see the flea market close. Some local residents consider it a source of garbage and crime.

After Years in Limbo Aqueduct Project a Reality by Stephen Geffon - Leader-Observer -

Read original...

Governor David Paterson and Genting Chairman K.T. Lim were joined last Thursday by elected officials at Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park to officially break ground on the Resorts World New York casino.

“With today’s groundbreaking, New York continues its confident march out of recession and back to prosperity and job growth," said Paterson.

Tutor Perini, the project’s general contractor, is in the midst of hiring and actual work is scheduled to begin in the next couple of weeks.

“This is one of the proudest days in the history of the Genting organization,” said Lim. “Working alongside our neighbors in the South Queens community, we will deliver a world class tourism and entertainment facility that all New Yorkers can be proud of.”

Genting spokesperson Stefan Friedman said that just months after being awarded the contract, the firm has already started ramping up its hiring for the project’s more than 1,300 construction jobs and will soon announce job fairs for the 800 permanent jobs that will be created at Resorts World New York.

Genting won the rights to develop Resorts World New York with a bid that included a $380 million, one-time payment. Friedman said the company predicts that the state will receive at least $300 million annually in revenue generated from the casino.

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) will receive seven percent of the racino's revenues.

“This long-awaited project couldn’t come soon enough for the people of Queens, as it will create exactly the right kind of jobs – good-paying, stable and local - that are in such high demand throughout this neighborhood,” said State Senator Joseph Addabbo.

According to Friedman within six months, a significant portion of the casino's 4,525 Video Lottery Terminals will be operational. Six months later, all of the VLTs will be up and running and all interior work will be complete. In just 18 months, all interior and exterior renovations – including the building of an enclosed skybridge from the A train to the resort's entrance – will also be finished.

“Genting’s Aqueduct restoration project will not only vastly improve one of Queens’ most iconic institutions, but will also have an unprecedented impact on the economic growth of our neighborhoods,” said Community Board 10 Chair Betty Braton.

Aqueduct Vendors Ask for Help by Timothy N. Lyman - Queens Courier

Read original...

Aqueduct Flea Market vendors gathered again last week to try to save their jobs.

The Aqueduct Flea Market operates three days per week on the grounds of the racetrack. There is still no definite word on whether or not the Market will continue to operate on the racetrack’s grounds as Genting prepares to begin construction.

So on Thursday, November 4, vendors and a representative from the Indo-Caribbean Alliance spoke to the members of Community Board 10 (CB). The vendors expressed fears of economic uncertainty and asked the Board to work with Genting to either preserve the Flea Market at Aqueduct or help the Market find a new location to operate.

“I’ve been working there for 14 years,” said Sudat, a vendor, as he wiped away a tear. “I’m just asking, please, for help.”

“Nobody is doing anything for the Flea Market,” said Martin Tai, who has worked there since he was 15. “Management is doing nothing. Now that Genting is working with Community Board 10, maybe you guys bring up the issue with them.”

Patrick Jenkins, Genting’s community relations official, was not present at the public forum. The Indo-Caribbean Alliance is circulating a petition, which has already gained over 200 signatures, to speak with the company.

According to vendors, Aqueduct’s management said it would negotiate in January. At last month’s meeting CB 10 chair Betty Braton said that the Flea Market’s lease would not be renewed after the holiday season.

“The Community Board plans on working with local officials and vendors to find the market a new site,” she said, adding, “if it comes to that.”

Genting’s Racino, which is expected to open in May or June of next year, will bring 800 permanent jobs to the community.

The Flea Market has operated at Aqueduct for over 40 years and currently provides approximately 2,000 jobs for its vendors, many of whom are immigrants and rely on the market as their sole source of income.

“All our investments, all our lives, are in this flea market.” Tai said.

Howard Beach Affordable Housing Project Moving Forward: Details of Plan for Former Fineson Center Unveiled by Eric Yun -Forum News

Read original...

Affordable senior housing is on its way to becoming a reality at the old Bernard Fineson Developmental Center on Crossbay Boulevard in Howard Beach. Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens was awarded the contract in June 2009 to renovate and rebuild the center for senior apartments.

John Tynan, Director of Housing for Catholic Charities, gave a presentation to the Howard Beach community about the status of the building Wednesday night at St. Helens.

The new complex will feature 96 housing units. Twelve of the apartments will be set aside for the developmentally disabled, and there will be a live in super. This leaves 83 units for seniors, which are broken down into 27 studio apartments and 56 one-bedroom apartments.

The facility is designed for independent living. “It is not a nursing home or assisted living facility,” Tynan said. However, Tynan understands that “once in a while seniors will need some help” because of sicknesses or injuries. He is confident that in these circumstances the integrated services at Catholic Charities will help provide the necessary assistance.

Seniors who wish to get a unit at the new center must follow the application process, which was explained in detail. Six months before the completion of construction, Catholic Charities will advertise that the applications will be accepted. Applicants must write a letter requesting an application, and finished applications will be reviewed to ensure the senior meets the age, disability and income eligibility. Finally, there is an interview session to determine if the prospective candidate is the best fit for the apartment.

Seniors living in the Community Board 10 district will get priority. “For the lifetime of this project Board 10 will have a 50 percent preference,” Tynan said. That means at least 42 of the 83 units will be filled with seniors from the district.

Catholic Charities is hoping to get development underway by June. However, there is still a budget deficit to overcome. The expected cost is $29.415 million, and Catholic Charities has received $18.855 million from tax credits and city and state officials such as Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer (D-Ozone Park), City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) and Queens Borough Hall President Helen Marshall.

Another $7.31 million is anticipated through grants, private loans and state subsidies. This still leaves a budget gap of $3.25 million, but Tynan is confident that it can be overcome and no further delays are necessary.

As the process continues to move forward, Tynan and CB 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton assured the audience that they would know everything that is happening. “We will continue to disseminate information like we have been in the past,” Braton said.

The community seems ready to turn an unused site into a worthwhile building for seniors. “I feel very good about this. I want to get an apartment,” one member of the audience said.

South Queens Democratic Club Monthly Meeting - October 20th, 2010 at Carosello Restaurant

What: South Queens Democratic Club Monthly Meeting - October 2010

When: Wednesday October 20th, 2010

Time: 7:30 pm

Where: Carosello Restaurant 162-54 Crossbay Blvd

Senator Joe Addabbo's Glendale Re-Election Campaign HQ Now Open...

The Addabbo for State Senate campaign held a celebration and rally on Saturday for the opening of its new Glendale campaign headquarters at 65-17 Myrtle Avenue.

Click here to view these pictures larger

Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. joined Assemblyman Mike Miller, City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley, community leaders, supporters and neighbors from throughout the 15th State Senate District at the opening celebration.

Two groups from the Working Family Party went out canvassing in the area after the rally...

South Queens Democratic Club Meeting - August 25th 7pm - Old Mill Yacht Club

Where: Old Mill Yacht Club 163-15 Crossbay Blvd

When: August 25th

Time: 7 pm

Lottery Approves of Genting Casino Bid by Bryan Yurcan - Queens Chronicle

Read original...

This artist’s rendering shows what the clubhouse at Aqueduct Race Track might look like if Genting NY receives state approval to build a gaming and entertainment facility there. RENDERING COURTESY GENTING NY

As was expected, the state Division of the Lottery formally approved Genting New York’s bid to operate a gaming and entertainment facility at Aqueduct Race Track Tuesday.

The company, a subsidiary of Asian gaming giant Genting Malaysia Berhad, now has the inside track to begin constructing the facility, which would feature 4,500 video lottery terminals, though it still faces some hurdles. The deal still must be approved by Gov. Dave Paterson and legislative leaders from the Senate and Assembly.

Also, a former bidder for the gaming operation, Aqueduct Entertainment Company, is still trying to legally block the process from going forward, claiming the state’s selection process was flawed. However, a state judge last week dismissed a lawsuit from the group that sought to halt the process, though AEC said it plans to appeal the ruling.

In recommending the Genting bid, Lottery Director Gordon Medenica wrote in a letter to Gov. Paterson’s office that the company had proved itself to be experienced and professional in running gaming operations throughout the world.

“Genting’s proposal was impressive on many levels,” he wrote. “Their proposal reflects a deep and insightful understanding of the opportunity and challenges of Aqueduct. Genting took nothing for granted. They understood the business risks that a winning bidder is required to accept, and they have a clear and rational plan for navigating the complex construction and operating environment of New York City. In addition, they are highly sensitive to the community issues, labor requirements and social concerns that a project of such scope encompasses.”

After so many false starts in prior attempts to revive Aqueduct, those in the surrounding community believe the project will now finally come to fruition.

Betty Braton, chairwoman of Community Board 10, said the board is pleased with the Lottery’s recommendation.

“We are hoping state leaders ratify Genting’s bid quickly,” she said. “For eight long years, this project has been delayed many times.”

Braton said members of the community still have some concerns, such as traffic and safety issues, but overall most are in favor of the project.

“We look forward to a partnership with them that is beneficial not only to the state and the racing industry, but to the many thousands of people who live in the community,” said Braton.

In a statement released by Genting shortly after the Lottery’s recommendation of its bid, company spokesman Stefan Friedman reiterated the company’s claim that the project would create 2,000 jobs and generate $500 million per year in state revenue.

“We hope the Lottery’s recommendation will be endorsed by the Legislature so we can immediately get to work creating jobs,” he said.

Genting’s proposal calls for a 93,000-square-foot gaming area on the first floor and a 42,500-square-foot gaming area on the second floor, an entrance with a three-story atrium and water feature, and a 2,200-car-parking facility, with valet service also available.

The company has said dining will be a major part of the complex, including a 200-seat high-end restaurant, 200-seat Chinese restaurant, a sports bar and grill with a 280-person capacity, and a two-story casual dining promenade with 450 seats.

Genting said it can have 1,600 of the video slots operating within six months, and have the remaining 2,900 ready to go by next summer. The company has said the entire project could be completed within 18 months.

Local elected officials also praised Genting’s plans for the decrepit racetrack.

“For the sake of my people, I look forward to working with Genting and the community as we move forward with building Queens’ newest tourist attraction that will provide 1,300 construction and post-construction jobs, financial benefits to the state, and long-term benefits to my constituents,” said state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach), a member of the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee. “I will also continue to stress those issues that need to be addressed by Genting, particularly traffic patterns and public safety.”

Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer (D-Ozone Park), said she has urged Paterson and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to quickly approved the bid.

“Be assured, I will demand that community concerns and input continue to be included in all future planning,” said Pheffer. “We must work diligently to bring the jobs, employment opportunities and economic stimulus that Aqueduct will provide to our local community and economy. ”

Added Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), “I am very pleased that the Lottery has unanimously selected a winning vendor for Aqueduct.”

Genting Tries to Woo Residents with Aqueduct Proposal by Dawn Lim - Leader-Observer

Read original...


Before launching into his presentation on Genting New York’s plans to spruce up the Aqueduct racetrack, spokesperson Jay Walkers faced the 150 South Queens residents and elected officials gathered at a public hearing on July 15 and tried to break the ice.

“We bring an apology; we are not bringing any showgirls along,” Walker said, as the crowd burst into applause.

Genting executives addressed residents’ concerns at a public hearing conducted by Community Board 10 at the Aqueduct Racetrack on July 15.

Although an arm of the Malaysia-based multibillion casino giant Genting Malaysia Berhad, Genting New York is not an established household name locally. Thrust into the spotlight this month as the last bidder standing for the 30-year contract to run Aqueduct’s 4,500 video lottery terminals after two other bidders were disqualified from the race, Genting officials tried to woo residents with as much charisma as they could during the hearing.

Pictured, clockwise, are Genting New York executive Michael Speller in front of Community Board 10's Aqueduct Committee chair Donna Gilmartin and chairperson Betty Braton.

“We want to create a destination area for a great day trip and evening trip,” said Michael Speller, an adviser for Genting.

The new racino is expected to bring in more than $90 million annually to the New York Racing Association and Aqueduct - critical revenue for NYRA, which has been bleeding money and would be facing financial insolvency in 2011 if Aqueduct revenue fails to materialize.

Another bright spot: The racino would create up to 800 permanent jobs, as well as another 1,300 construction jobs.

The turnaround of the ailing Aqueduct Racetrack has been heavily anticipated in the community after repeated failed bids. The New York State Division of Lottery is expected to make its recommendation by Aug. 3. For residents, the stakes are high.

“If it can’t afford to be here, what’s going to be here?” said Frank Dardani, the Public Safety Committee chair of Community Board 10, which organized the meeting. “We don’t want an airport or a trucking depot.”

Genting representatives at the hearing said that the racino would be fully redeveloped in 18 months. The new complex would boast restaurants, a three-story atrium entrance with a water show, gaming areas, and a skyway bridge linking the subway station with the facility.

Councilman Eric Ulrich said that he was not sure if the overburdened public transit system would be able to support the crowds that Genting is expecting to draw.

Councilman Eric Ulrich said that he was not sure if the overburdened public transit system would be able to support the crowds that Genting had been expecting. Also pictured are Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer, Assemblyman Michael Miller and State Senator Joe Addabbo, Jr

“The A Train is already bursting at the seams and bus service is wholly inadequate,” Ulrich said, cautioning that, “these and other issues still need to be fully addressed.”

Genting responded by saying it would consider the possibility of using shuttle buses and would work with the MTA moving forward.

Sara Woodson, who has lived in the area for 40 years, worried that “I might not be able to be a part of it if it’s too expensive.”

Another nagging concern for residents involved is the fate of the popular flea market, which takes place on Tuesdays and weekends in the Aqueduct parking lot.

“Obviously, we can’t do the flea market in the parking lot, but that doesn’t mean we can’t include a market in the plan,” said Walkers.

Some residents, such as Dardani, think that the flea market is an eyesore and are glad to do away with it. “From the outside, you’d see only garbage bags and trucks with graffiti,” he complained.

But others, like Woodson, think that the flea market is a mainstay of the local community, and they aren’t sure that they want things to change.



Genting New York Spokesperson Jay Walker (photo right) addresses the crowd.

The revitalization of the racetrack has been a much-anticipated affair, but Ozone Park residents fear change or are worried that the project might fall through.