Council Member Crowley Statement on Fire that Burned Down O'Neills Restaurant

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Council Member Elizabeth Crowley (D-30, Queens) stated: "O'Neill's Restaurant has been a staple in Maspeth and has served the people of Queens for almost a century. Last night's tragic fire was a loss for the whole community and serves as a reminder that, no matter how bad the budget is, it remains critically important to protect our fire services."

City Council Member Crowley Rallies With Unions to Protect Workers' Rights

 L/R: Tom Sullivan, President of the Lieutenants' Benevolent Association; Council Member Elizabeth Crowley (speaking at podium); Norman Seabrook, President of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association; Owen O'Hara, the Honorable Elizabeth Crowley's son; Harry Nespoli, President of the Sanitation Workers' Union; Sidney Schwartzbaum, President of the Assistant Deputy Wardens Association.

Remarks by Council Member Elizabeth S. Crowley

City Council Fire & Criminal Justice Services Committee, Chair

“Right now worker’s rights are under attack. The war on labors is not limited to Wisconsin or Ohio or Indiana, it is happening here in New York.

“Everyday we hear government officials threatening pensions and we can see these threats in proposals that cut our uniform services and our teachers. There are forces that are not trying to balance budgets—they are trying to break unions. This is not democracy—this is union busting.

“One of government’s most important responsibilities is to keep people safe. Our uniform services risk their lives to protect us and it’s up to us and the city to protect them. Our construction workers risk their lives and do dangerous jobs for our city’s benefit and we need to treat them like human beings—not like slaves.

“Our uniform services and laborers have a tough job and let’s face it: if we take pensions away, if we take away health care benefits, if we take away our bargaining rights, we will drive away qualified men and women to take on these dangerous and sometimes deadly jobs.

“This year, we remember the 10th anniversary of the attacks on September 11th in which 343 firefighters and 27 police officers died and more continue to die as a result of their heroism on that day. This tragedy should serve as a reminder of what the dangerous and sometimes deadly job our city workers face; and it should motivate us to speak out to protect the rights that so many people have died for.

“In solidarity – and only in solidarity – we will fight this war and we will win.”

Local Officials Press Black On New School At Metro Campus by Matt Hampton - Forest Hills, NY Patch

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Maspeth High School's incubation needs better planning, politicians say.

Upset about the incubation of a new Maspeth High School at the Metropolitan Educational Campus? 

You're not alone, City Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz, D-Forest Hills, and Elizabeth Crowlet and Assemblyman Mike Miller and Andrew Hevesi are outraged, as well.

Koslowitz sent a letter to Schools Chancellor Cathie Black earlier this month, co-signed by Crowley, Miller and Hevesi, and recently released the text of that letter to the public.

The Department of Education announced earlier this year that a new school being built for Maspeth students would required a Queens building to house students during the 2011-12 school year. That building, they concluded, would be the Metropolitan Educational Campus, based on the fact that it is currently underutilized, and not scheduled to have a full student complement until the 2013 school year. While the site of the incubation is not set it stone — it is to be voted on March 1 by the Panel For Education Policy — the location is not likely to change.

The idea had many parents upset, and local officials sent the letter on Feb. 1 as a reaction.

In it, the elected officials say they are thrilled that the campus opened this year — a process that took nearly two decades — but, they caution, their excitement is tempered by the fact that students at the building will now be forced to share with students from a Maspeth School that’s still under construction.

Ultimately, Koslowitz and the other electeds are seeking a written statement from the Department of Education that the arrangement will only be for one school year. It’s a request that has so far not gotten a response from the Department of Education.

“We are requesting in writing a commitment from the DOE that these students will be moved to their new building after the 2011/2012 school year,” the letter read. “Assuring that the schools coexist smoothly is of primary concern to us, the parents and the community.”

Among other issues that Koslowitz, Hevesi, Miller and Crowley cite are the problematic scheduling of shared spaces, like the school’s auditorium, gymnasium and lunchrooms, and the current educational culture. The schools that are currently on site have wildly different educational curriculuae.

“We are concerned that the placement of the Maspeth School in the building does not disturb the culture of the existing students,” the letter read. “To date, we have received no plan regarding the usage of space between the three schools, the need for improvements to MTA bus access to the area, arrival and dismissal times among many other issues.”

Queens Center Mall Owner Buys Atlas Park by Joe Anuta -YourNabe.com

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Macerich, the company that owns Queen Center Mall, will take over The Shops at Atlas Park Feb. 28

Macerich, the company that owns Queen Center Mall, will take over The Shops at Atlas Park Feb. 28, emerging as the winning bidder after a Chicago-based developer representing the shopping center giant offered $53.75 million at a foreclosure auction.

“Once they fully close on the purchase, we can finally move forward with developing Glendale’s own shopping center,” City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) said in a statement.

She will meet with the California-based Macerich this week to discuss the troubled Cooper Street mall’s future.

Crowley said she was hopeful the mall would be a boon to the community.

“The community welcomes the new leadership with open arms and is eager to help Atlas become an engine for economic growth,” she said.

Macerich did not show up at the Jan. 28 foreclosure auction, and the company’s involvement in the purchase was shrouded by a series of affiliations with other companies.

David Joseph was the representative who placed the bid at the auction, but his company was listed as “WMAP LLC.” Even so, according to Paul Millus, a lawyer who has run the mall since the bank foreclosed the $127 million loan in February 2009, Joseph is actually a principal at a Chicago company, Walton Street Capital, which made the purchase.

And now, according to Crowley, Macerich is the company behind the purchase and will run the mall by the end of the month.

The relationship between Macerich and Walton Street Capital was not known.

The Shops at Atlas Park started as Damon Hemmerdinger’s vision of high-end retail in Glendale about five years ago. He was the owner of the shops until 2009, but that vision did not pan out.


In February 2009, Hemmerdinger’s creditor, France-based Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, foreclosed the loan and turned over the shops to Millus, the court-appointed receiver who ran the mall during its bankruptcy proceedings.

Queens Center Mall Owners Snap Up Rival at Foreclosure Sale by Nicholas Hirshon - NY Daily News

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THE FIRM that runs Queens Center Mall, among the nation's busiest shopping centers, landed a struggling rival complex at a recent foreclosure auction.

Sources revealed yesterday that mall giant Macerich was the mystery bidder that snared the Shops at Atlas Park for about $54 million at a highly anticipated sale last week at Queens Supreme Court.

That places two of the borough's largest malls in the same hands.

Though Macerich President Edward Coppola attended the sale on Friday, the group's involvement was initially unknown because it had created a shell corporation named WMAP LLC to bid.

Several insiders confirmed the Macerich link yesterday, including City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village).

Locals heralded the news.

"They have all the repertoire of shops across the country," said Vincent Arcuri, 71, chairman of Community Board 5 in Glendale. "They should be able to bring in new vital businesses."

Atlas Park was unveiled in 2006 as an outdoor "lifestyle center," but its mix of restaurants and boutiques slumped through recent years. Some residents complained the stores were too upscale in the middle-class area.

Its owners, the family of ex-MTA Chairman Dale Hemmerdinger, defaulted on a $128 million loan to two French banks in 2009, initiating foreclosure.

Storeowners hope Macerich can turn around Atlas Park by employing the same strategies it used to lure tenants to Queens Center after buying the mall in 1995. It now boasts the highest revenue per square foot of any mall in the U.S.

"They're just really excited, eager to basically have a rebirth," said attorney Boris Sorin, who represents eight Atlas Park shops.

Macerich spokeswoman Anita Walker declined to comment, citing a company policy against discussing newly acquired property until the sale has closed. That is set to happen by Feb. 28.

Hearing on Bloomberg's 911 Fix Raises More Questions - WNYC

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The City Council scrutinized one facet of the Bloomberg Administration's 911 rehab Tuesday, a week after residents filed at least two wrongful death suits alleging loved ones died during the December blizzard in part because of a dysfunctional 911 system and extensive delays in EMS response time.

The hearing, which included three Council Committees, all with jurisdiction, was billed as an update on the Administration's controversial Unified Call Taking System instituted back in 2009.

Lieutenant James McGowan, with the Uniformed Fire Officers, told the council panel that the system -- in which NYPD 911 operators handle the call intake on FDNY assignments then pass on essential information via computer under the new protocol -- regularly generated the wrong addresses and incomplete job sheets.

"I get at least 11 of these a day," said McGowan, referring to the forms the FDNY had to create to keep track of the defective referrals generated by UTC.

The Bloomberg Administration's point-man on the $2 billion 911 rehab project, Skip Funk, was not present at the meeting. So it was just the uniforms on the line of fire with NYPD 911 point-man Deputy Chief Charles Dowd doing his best to keep his testimony confined to the narrow topic the Council had originally scheduled.

Deputy Chief Dowd defended the shift to Unified Call Taking as efficient. But he went around and around with Fire Committee Chair Elizabeth Crowley over whether the UTC was actually adding time to fire responses. He conceded his 911 operators might take as up to two minutes assembling the facts before relaying the call to the FDNY. He said he had no numbers on what the average time his 911 operators were taking.

The Bloomberg Administration starts the official response time clock only after the FDNY gets the call -- excluding the 911 intake time, which the unions argue has gotten longer under UTC. Uniformed Firefighters President Stephen Cassidy called that "Enron accounting."

Response times have become highly politicized. The city has known since September 11, 2001, that its emergency call system's Achilles heel was handling massive call volumes. And as recently as the December 26, 2011, blizzard, callers got busy signals and long waits.

NYPD Deputy Chief Charles Dowd told City Council members the new software the City is testing also has problems and is vulnerable to high volume.

"I can tell you, based on some of the testing we have seen, that the software is, is failing when we do high volume tests against it," he said.

For Councilwoman Gail Brewer that disclosure was only the latest in disappointments having to do with the project.

"The software is a problem, the contracts are a problem and delays obviously means money," Brewer said. "At least for three or four years we have been dealing with the same issues. It's like Silly Putty. We can never quite get out finger on it."

Earlier this year, City Comptroller John Liu blew the time-out whistle on one 911 related contract. He wrote a letter to Mayor Bloomberg and invoked the CityTime payroll contract scandal when referencing his concerns about phases of the 911 overhaul. Liu said parts of the $2 billion 911 fix are prone to poor project management, blown deadlines and cost overruns, with one phase ballooning from $380 million to $666 million dollars.

The Bloomberg Administration said it's spent only $650 million dollars so far. A spokesman insists the new system will be a vast improvement when complete.

The Council pledges another full blow oversight hearing on the whole project.

Assembly Member Miller, Senator Addabbo, City Council Member Crowley Offer $500 Reward - Goal to End Graffiti...

Assemblyman Mike Miller, Senator Joseph Addabbo, and Council Member Elizabeth Crowley are offering $500 to any residents who can provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of a person responsible for graffiti vandalism.

The initiative comes after three individuals, Matthew Young, 23, Thomas Rank, 19, and Matthew Perez, 16, were arrested for graffiti vandalism last week in the 104th Precinct.

“Our residents are furious and they have every right to be,” Assemblyman Miller said. “I called the Senator and the Council Member and worked with them to help find a solution. When residents call our offices to report fresh graffiti we help them document it and then help clean it up. It’s time we took a stronger stand. We need to get ahead of this problem. By offering a cash reward to anyone who can stop these vandals we will help police catch them, prosecutors convict them, and most importantly keep our neighborhoods clean.”

“I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to work with my colleagues in government to address the issue of graffiti,” Senator Addabbo said. “Graffiti is a concern shared by many of the people we serve throughout our districts. I am hopeful our collective effort successfully reduces instances of graffiti in our communities.”

“Graffiti is an unlawful and unsightly act of vandalism that has gone on in this City for far too long," said Council Member Elizabeth Crowley. "To create a graffiti-free environment, the whole neighborhood needs to be involved and this reward will encourage those who see something, to say something. This new reward program will help engage the community in speaking out against graffiti vandals by holding those accountable for committing these acts of vandalism.”

Although this program is being offered through all three offices, anyone witnessing a crime in progress should immediately call 911.

Ridgewood Democratic Club Annual Members Brunch - January 22, 2011...

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Rep Joe Crowley was the guest speaker at the Ridgewood Democratic Club Annual Members Brunch held at the Club on January 22, 2011...There were approximately 50 members of the Club present, including elected officials Rep Joe Crowley, State Senator Joe Addabbo, State Assembly Members Michael Miller and Cathy Nolan, City Council Members Diana Reyna, Jimmy Van Bramer and Elizabeth Crowley...

Assembly Member Miller, City Council Member Crowley, LIRR Clean Up Graffiti in Glendale

Aim to Restore Quality of Life in Glendale

Assemblyman Miller pointing to a recently repainted trestle on Otto Road.

Assemblyman Mike Miller and Council Member Elizabeth Crowley (D-Queens) have begun several programs to keep the rail clean for the community. There is already progress on the New York and Atlantic Railway line running through Glendale and Ridgewood. This effort is a response to complaints from local residents regarding unsightly graffiti on the train trestles.

“People should not have to live with gang graffiti in their neighborhood and I am proud to announce that the graffiti along the rail trestles has been painted over” Assemblyman Miller said. “I am committed to preserving the quality of life in this community and I am glad to say that I have finally gotten this done. I will continue to work with the Long Island Railroad to ensure that any future incident is handled in a timely manner.”

"I commend our community members for coming together and taking it upon themselves to organize neighborhood clean ups and beautification efforts," said Council Member Elizabeth Crowley (D-30, Queens). "Sometimes small changes make big differences and I am pleased that the LIRR, New York and Atlantic Railway and the DSNY are stepping up their efforts to join local residents in cleaning up our community."

Assemblyman Miller continued, “In addition, in working with Senator Addabbo, Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi, Council Member Elizabeth Crowley, the Rail Company and Citizens United for Rail Environmental Solutions (CURES), we are still working on fixing many more issues with sanitation to increase the frequency of trash pick up and vermin eradication under the trestles, and we have begun working with organizations for the homeless that has agreed to house any indigents who are living in the area.”

Anyone who witnesses any crime of trash dumping, graffiti spraying, or anything else related to the train trestles is being asked to notify Assemblyman Mike Miller’s office at 718-805-0950. 

WRBA Holds First Meeting of 2011 Snow Tops Concerns by Lisa Fraser - Leader-Observer

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Resident David Quintana asks representative from Congressman Anthony Weiner's office to communicate to the the Congressman that we need to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan wars at WRBA's first meeting of 2011.

The Woodhaven Residents Block Association held their first meeting of 2011 last Saturday, January 8, at the Woodhaven Richmond Hill Ambulance Corps. Topping concerns: the slow snow removal process on many of the blocks in Woodhaven.

Residents complained of uncleared snow on their respective blocks days after the storm, and one, Maria Concolino, said she noticed that some vendors on Jamaica Avenue and along the side streets didn't bother to shovel the snow to make a walkway for pedestrians.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley was on hand to discuss the frustrations residents faced and stated that she would confront the Mayor and sanitation on why the streets were not cleared in a timely fashion.

"When EMS workers cannot get to an emergency because the snow is now plowed, I do not believe that is the fault of the emergency service people," she said.

She informed the residents that a hearing would be held in the borough regarding the snow cleanup at Queens Borough Hall on January 21.

Assemblyman Michael Miller was also present and shared with residents, his experience with the storm – his block in Glendale was not plowed until Wednesday night because of a stuck car that the sanitation crew refused to move.

Edward Wendell, president of the block association, urged residents to become block captains so that they could be the eyes and ears of their block in situations such as the blizzard. Captains will report on to the WRBA what's happening on the block.

"The idea is to prepare ourselves for the next storm, whether it be a snow storm or a rain storm that we had last year ripped down trees," Wendell said. "We need to be able to quickly assess the damage in the neighborhood."

The WRBA would then get in touch with the captain so that in the event that sanitation or a local official contacts them, they know which blocks to hit first, and which trees are down or which blocks are without power. A map outlining the blocks that need a block captain can be found on the association's blog, wrba.wordpress.com.

Another nuisance that has been bothering a few residents in the recent weeks centered around a food truck vendor parked on 85th Street and Jamaica Avenue next to the J train station.

Vamce Barbour, treasurer of the WRBA, pointed out that he recently saw the vendor selling food at 10 p.m. one night. Another resident also reported seeing the vendor a few nights later. Maria Thomson, financial secretary of the WRBA said that he has no right to be parked on a residential street.

"I was able to get him off of Jamaica Avenue after many months," she said. She contacted Crowley's office in hopes to rid the vendor, who sells Mexican food, because he disrupts business on the avenue. She's now aiming to get him off of the residential block.

The next residents association meeting will be held on February 12. The meetings are held on Saturdays now because it is more convenient for residents to attend on the weekend instead of after work on a winter weeknight.

Forest Hills A Haven For Raccoons? by Rob MacKay- Forest Hills, NY Patch

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J.R. Nocerino knew things were getting out of control when he saw a family of five raccoons walking through Forest Hills in broad daylight. Although the species is nocturnal and at home in the wild, these critters were casually prancing down 68th Drive, showing no fear of humans or automobiles.

"They're getting bolder and bolder," he said. "One buddy of mine found a raccoon swimming in his pool."

A rarity 10 years ago, raccoons are popping up all over Forest Hills these days, it would seem. Recently, they have been sighted near the LIRR tracks, on the Forest Hills Little League baseball fields, on residential fences, in trees, and of course, in garbage cans.

"We're getting inundated," Nocerino said.

Though cute and cuddly-looking, raccoons can be vicious, especially if a mother thinks her brood might be in danger. They also, more seriously, present a rabies risk, although city data reveals that no rabid raccoons have been found in Queens this year. (Over 100 sick creatures have been trapped in Manhattan's Central Park, Brooklyn and the Bronx.)

On a citywide basis, raccoon-related 311 calls have increased by about 300 this year — as compared to the same time span last year — to roughly 2,400.

"They're just scaring the heck out of people," said Community Board 6 District Manager Frank Gulluscio.

Locals point their fingers at the year-old Metropolitan Avenue Campus, which houses a high school and a middle school, as one reason for the recent spike. Some residents have claimed that the construction noise in the area made the critters move to quieter, more residential parts of town, especially since the school replaced the densely-wooded area where the nests would have been.

Residents also blamed city policy, noting that the NYC Department of Health will only remove a raccoon when it is sick or rabies is suspected.

City Council member Elizabeth Crowley, whose district includes Glendale, Middle Village and Woodhaven, has decided that enough is enough. She has introduced a bill that would force the NYC Health Department to remove raccoons from public and private property whenever a citizen makes a formal request.

If enacted into law, the legislation would require the health department to create a humane way to dispose of any unwanted raccoons, likely by capturing them and releasing them in areas outside the city.

In the meantime, Gulluscio encouraged locals to seal up their trash cans.

Lifelong Glendale resident Frank Kotnik Jr., who has patrolled Mid-Queens for decades as part of the 104th Precint Civilian Observation Patrol, said that a raccoon invasion might be the sign of better times. "The City of New York is becoming a friendlier place for animals," he said. "The air is cleaner ... and we have good restaurants."

Kotnik also reported that raccoons have run amok in Glendale for at least 15 years.

If the trend of wildlife migrating from his neighborhood to Forest Hills continues, he warned residents of a possible impending dilemna.

"I'm starting to see more possums near my house, " he said.

Power Lines Need to be Underground, Pols Say by Michael Cusenza - Queens Chronicle

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Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, left, and Rep. Anthony Weiner, right, discuss the dangers of overhead power lines with Middle Village residents on Monday. PHOTO BY MICHAEL CUSENZA

Tornadoes and a macroburst tore through parts of Queens on Sept. 16, leaving structural and arboreal damage on a massive scale. Streets and sidewalks in some areas, such as Middle Village, were also littered with tattered, downed power lines, highlighting what some elected officials and residents on Monday called a vulnerability with a clear, long-overdue remedy: putting overhead wires underground.

“It’s time for Con Ed to move us into the 21st century,” said City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), just outside Juniper Valley Park. “Residents were left without electricity for days, while areas with power lines underground did not have to live with that situation.”

Crowley added that the overhead wires in Middle Village are unsightly, and when compromised by any storm, can be extremely dangerous.

“Downed power lines hampered the cleanup,” Crowley reported.

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Queens and Brooklyn) and state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) also signed a letter that Crowley sent to Con Ed President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Burke back in October asking for the conversion.

“This is a common-sense proposal,” Weiner said on Monday, before noting how overhead lines have been a part of the area’s landscape for more than 100 years. “The time has long passed that we become a modern community in this modern city. The simple fact is Con Ed is trying to do things on the cheap.”

But a spokesman for the utility told the Chronicle that the conversion from overhead to underground is prohibitively expensive: $6 million per mile of line and it would require customers to pay electricians anywhere from $7,000 to $20,000 to complete the switch.

“Outages would be fewer but take 60 percent longer to repair, and there’s a higher maintenance cost,” said Con Ed spokesman Alfonso Quiroz regarding the underground system.

Quiroz went on to say one of the positives of overhead lines is that repairs are made quickly, because engineers can see and access the lines more immediately.

Community Board 5 member John Schell said that area residents are not only concerned about Con Ed power lines.

“When we have a storm, it also interrupts the service of the telephone and cable television,” he noted.

Additionally, Crowley said in the letter that the removal of the overhead grid would benefit commercial districts.

“The upgrade to safe, reliable and sightly power will be a dramatic boost for local small businesses,” she wrote.

Weiner characterized Con Ed as being “comfortable with the status quo.”

“This is not about convenience, it’s also about quality of life,” he said.

Maurice Avenue Becomes A Raceway For Danger - CM Jimmy Van Bramer & CM Elizabeth Crowley Stand w/Communities of Maspeth & Elmhurst Together (COMET)

Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer and Council Member Elizabeth Crowley stand with members of Communities of Maspeth & Elmhurst Together (COMET) and concerned residents to call for immediate action against drag racing in Maspeth. Maurice Avenue in Maspeth has become a raceway site for illegal drag racing in the neighborhood causing many to fear for the quality of life and safety of their community. Council Members Van Bramer and Crowley are joinng to unite with local residents to call for the implementation of essential safety measures to help prevent a tragedy from occurring in the area.

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

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Mike Miller Wins in 38th Assembly District Race...

District 38

X Michael Miller Dem 8,514 68.79%

Donna Marie Caltabiano GOP 3,863 31.21%

68 of 68 precincts reporting (100%)

Photo by Frank Kotnik, Jr.

Women Stand With Joe Addabbo for State Senate...

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Female elected officials in Queens—Assembly Member Audrey Pheffer, Assembly Member Cathy Nolan, Council Member Elizabeth Crowley, and Council Member Diana Reyna—and members of the community joined at a rally to support State Senator Joe Addabbo, praising him for his advocacy on important women’s issues, including social and economic rights, childcare, and health. The “Women for Addabbo” rally was held this Saturday in front of Europa Hair Design, a small business owned and run by local resident Filomena Scalcione.

Senator Addabbo said, “Small businesses are a significant employer of women in our state, and it is critical that we support them through these tough economic times and beyond. I am committed to fighting for reform that levels the playing field for women in business. This means increasing access to quality, affordable childcare, healthcare, and education, and making sure that our laws protect women’s rights at home and in the work place. I am honored to have the support of Assembly Member Pheffer, Assembly Member Cathy Nolan, Council Member Crowley, and Council Member Reyna, and I look forward to continuing to work with them on issues that are important to women. I also thank the staff of the Europa Hair Design and the community members who came out to show their support today.”

Senator Addabbo has been a strong advocate for increasing women’s participation in small business ownership, passing laws in the Senate that support Minority and Women Business Enterprises. Senator Addabbo has also fought to help families reduce childcare costs by sponsoring legislation that allows safe, effective childcare providers who operate out of their homes to increase the number of children they can serve. Because most of these childcare providers are women, this legislation also serves to support small businesses owned and operated by women.

In addition, Senator Addabbo has made women’s health issues a top priority, sponsoring mobile mammography vans at various community boards and sites throughout his District. And he has supported laws that help protect victims of domestic violence, including the law creating no-fault divorce in New York, which makes it less difficult for abuse victims to escape harmful marriages.

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.

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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...

Assembly Member Mike Miller Wins Primary in 38th Assembly District - Beats Opponent 77% - 23%...

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District Leader Frank Kotnik, Council Member and newly elected District Leader Elizabeth Crowley, Assembly Member Mike Miller and State Senator Joe Addabbo (left to right)

District 38 Assembly - Democratic Party Primary Results:

Mike Miller received 1,756 votes for 76.55% of the vote; the loser in the race, Nick Comaianni received 538 votes for 23.45% of the total...

Miller's entire slate won their primary bids for (re)election...with Council Member Elizabeth Crowley and Frank Kotnik; and Eleanor Errante and Albert Baldeo winning District Leader seats in Part A and B respectively....

Residents Turn Out for Crime Prevention by Stephen Geffon - Queens Chronicle

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ime Prevention Officer Lee Petrovits VIN etches car as owner Charles Arndt of Richmond Hill looks on at the Precinct’s crime prevention fair. PHOTO BY STEPHEN GEFFON

More than 100 community residents turned out Saturday afternoon at the Forest Park George Seuffert Sr. Bandshell parking lot to attend the 102nd Precinct’s Crime Prevention Mini Fair.

The fair was co-sponsored by Council- woman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) and Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven).

The event featured the NYPD’s free automobile VIN etching service, which marks all windows to deter theft. Residents were also able to register their vehicles in the department’s Combat Auto Theft, Help End Auto Theft and Commuter CAT programs, all free initiatives meant as a deterrent to thieves. Residents whose cars were etched are eligible to receive insurance discounts.

Etching the vehicle identification number on all the windows of a car makes the vehicle a less attractive option for thieves because the VIN number cannot be removed or altered without damaging the window.

The process involves the use of a stencil and glass etching paste.

102nd Precinct Crime Prevention Officer Lee Petrovits said that VIN etching is, “A very beneficial factor in combating grand larcenies in the neighborhood.”

Authorities noted that thieves are most interested in vehicles that are a few years old because they can be easily dismantled for parts. Spare parts for older cars can be harder to find and therefore are more valuable to thieves.

Vehicle theft is the number one property crime in the country — costing Americans about $7.6 billion each year, according to the Insurance Information Institute. A car is stolen in America every 26 seconds, adding up to 1.2 million vehicles annually, the institute reports.

Locally, automobile theft has shown a significant jump in the 102nd Precinct, increasing by 16 percent compared to last year according to NYPD CompStat crime statistics covering the year to date through Aug. 8.

Petrovits has been doing his best to combat that with the 102nd Precinct’s slow, antiquated VIN etching equipment, relegating him to manually type vehicle identification numbers on a typewriter instead of being able to quickly scan them, as allowed by the newer, imaging VIN etching systems.

Petrovits said the equipment he has access to limits the number of residents he can register in the program at each event.

However, that could soon change with the help of elected officials. For one, Crowley said she supports the idea of the precinct getting new VIN etching equipment.

“I believe it is important that our police forces are equipped with the latest and greatest technology needed to keep our streets safe,” Crowley said. “That is why I am committed to helping the 102nd Precinct acquire a new VIN etching machine to fight against auto theft in our community.”

Miller said he will also work with other elected officials to make sure that the 102nd Precinct has the proper equipment to do the job.

New Bill Would Require City to Trap Raccoons Anywhere in Five Boroughs by Lisa L. Colangelo - NY Daily News

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A new bill has been introduced that would require the city to trap and remove raccoons anywhere in the five boroughs at the public's request.

A new bill has been introduced that would require the city to trap and remove raccoons anywhere in the five boroughs at the public's request.

New Yorkers fed up with the antics of the city's furry masked bandits could get some relief under a bill that makes it easier to capture and release raccoons.

The bill, being unveiled today by Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, requires the city to trap raccoons anywhere in the five boroughs simply at the request of the public.

And in a conciliatory nod to the raccoons, the city Health Department would be encouraged to humanely release the critters. Under current guidelines, most trapped raccoons are euthanized because they can carry rabies.

"People have been calling my office complaining that they are seeing a lot of raccoons," Crowley said. "But the Health Department will only come if the raccoon is injured or sick. People are told to hire someone to trap them."

Dozens of raccoons in Central Park have tested positive for rabies, prompting the city to conduct an aggressive trapping and vaccination program.

"I have made reports and no one will listen to me," said a Queens woman, upset that a family of raccoons moved in behind her Ridgewood home. "I have two young daughters and I'm afraid. I was told if I called about a coyote, the city would come right away."

Health Department officials were mute on Crowley's bill, saying they don't comment on pending legislation.

But they encouraged any New Yorker who sees an aggressive or sick raccoon to call 911.

Wildlife experts encouraged New Yorkers to seal up their trash and leave healthy raccoons alone.

"You can't pick up and relocate every animal you see," said Bobby Horvath, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. "They are in the city, and you have to learn to live with them. They will have less contact with us if we don't invite them."