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Jackson Heights man indicted on narcotics, weapons charges

Alicia Venter on November 10, 2022

Search of defendant’s home found cocaine, handgun and ammunition 

 

By Alicia Venter

[email protected]

 

A Jackson Heights man has been indicted on charges of criminal sale of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a weapon and other charges, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office. 

Alejandro Rodriguez, 43, was arraigned yesterday on an 18-count indictment, including 14 counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the first and third degrees. He faces 20 years in prison if convicted.

According to the charges, Rodriguez is accused of supplying a large quantity of narcotics to an undercover officer over the course of five months.

The indictment states that there were a total of seven transactions Rodriguez and an undercover officer where more than 14 ounces of cocaine were sold. 

Rodriguez is of 91st Street in Jackson Heights. On Oct. 19, a search of the defendant’s home resulted in the recovery of 60 grams of cocaine, an unlicensed .45 caliber handgun and 20 rounds of ammunition.

Following this search, the defendant was arrested, and an additional 100 grams of cocaine were recovered from his person.

The defendant has been ordered to return to court on Dec. 6.

“Illicit drug sales fuel addictions that destroy lives and violence that endangers  our communities,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement. “We will not relent in our efforts to remove this poison from our streets and hold accused dealers  accountable. I thank my Major Economic Crimes Bureau as well as our law enforcement partners for their commitment to those we serve.” 

 

LIC Partnership looks to expand

Alicia Venter on November 9, 2022

By Alicia Venter

[email protected]

As Long Island City expands, the Long Island City Partnership President Laura Rothrock has her hands full. Beginning in September, Rothrock has taken the mantle of an organization unlike any other in Queens, offering aid to local businesses, members and stakeholders to Long Island City.

The mission of the partnership, which is the neighborhood development organization for Long Island City, is to advocate for the economic development of the community. The partnership is a member and sponsor-based organization.

The partnership, which also manages a business improvement district (BID), which began in 2005, has shown its strength in the past year. In the 2022 fiscal year, which runs from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022, there were 30 new businesses opened in the BID’s boundaries. That is a record number, which Rothrock noted is interesting given the residual effects of the pandemic.

“It’s been a tricky time economically, but people have long-term confidence in Long Island City, which is great,” Rothrock said.

The BID’s core services include marketing, sanitation, beautification and public safety.

Through their services, 204 businesses were assisted with permit approval, access to financial and payment plans set up with Con Edison within the fiscal year.

“A BID is only a piece of what we do,” Rothrock said. ”We do a lot with a limited budget.”

The LIC BID has a texting service to directly connect with the community regarding their services. Rext LICBID to (929) 269-8848 for more information.

The organization provides business services to six different zip codes, helps community members navigate the city agencies, manages a marketing team and holds events. A key initiative for the partnership is marketing for stakeholders and so locals can see the services offered nearby.

“We’re really unique because we are the most mixed use community in the country,” Rothrock said. “We want to be able to promote that more.”

The partnership has their marquee event soon — the LIC summit is on Tuesday, Nov. 15.

The event will be a panel discussion — with speakers including Councilwoman Julie Won and Queen Borough President Donovan Richards — on how being a mixed-use neighborhood has contributed to the resiliency of the community, as well as Long Island City’s future.

The LIC Summit will be held at the Museum of the Moving Image, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Tickets can be purchased through the LIC Partnership website, licqns.com.

There are typically four major events held by the partnership, such as the Real Estate Breakfast held in March. These events, Rothrock said, bring a “signature program” for the partnership.

Working with elected officials such as Won — who is on the board of the partnership automatically as the councilwoman for the area — and the Borough President’s office, the partnership is able to connect with the local residents in the community as well as the businesses it serves.

“Even though we are a business organization, we also want to collaborate with the residents and that we’re promoting the local retail business to the residents,” Rothrock said.

Her last job was as a consultant at Nicholas and Lence Communications. Prior to this, during the Bloomberg Administration, she worked at the Department of Small Businesses Services and managed the BID Program. As such, she has experience both as a private consultant and within the government.

The organization is working on two BID expansions, one towards the west and one to the east, past Sunnyside Gardens. Stakeholders outside of the Long Island City BID boundaries expressed the need for supplemental services, the partnership website stated, to address the changing needs of the neighborhood. If all goes through, the BID assessment budget will double through this growth.

It will be under “the BID umbrella,” Rothrock said, but given the difference in the neighborhoods, each sub-district needs its own budget and planning to meet its needs.

The expansion to the east is in the industrial area of Long Island City, and it has no residents.

“For all intents and purposes, we’re one BID, but [the east expansion] will have its own budget and slightly different services, because the services needed in the industrial area are different,” Rothrock said.

It is a very lengthy process to expand the BID, Rothrock said, beginning with a planning phase that took the partnership approximately two years to complete.

The outreach phase has begun, which included four public forums, and soon the planning will enter the legislative phase.

Rothrock’s experience prior to becoming President allowed her to transition easily into the role.

The biggest controversy in Long Island City is Innovation QNS, which the partnership has expressed support of through testifying at the city council meetings.

“We’re hoping that they reach an agreement, because it really would be a missed opportunity if the project didn’t go through,” Rothrock said.

However, Rothrock expressed how the organization is apolitical and non-partisan — Innovation QNS does not fall within the boundaries of the BID, and they purely look at the project as a way for the community to grow economically, as well as gain quality of life improvements such as new open space.

More information about the LIC Partnership can be found at www.licqns.com

Dog Parade Held in Kew Gardens

Alicia Venter on November 2, 2022

First parade a huge success for the community

Pepper is the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man and the Ghostbusters were with him. Photo: Michel Leroy, @michelleroyphoto www.michelleroyphoto.com.

 

By Alicia Venter

[email protected]

Forest Park Barking Lot and We are Kew Gardens wished the community a “Happy Howl-o-ween,” partnering to host their annual Dog Parade and Costume Contest.

The parade on Saturday, Oct. 23 featured approximately 40 dogs, according to organizers Esta-Joy “EJ” Sydell and Anne Craig. 

Onyx the Husky was Harry Potter and won 2nd Prize. Photo: Michel Leroy, @michelleroyphoto www.michelleroyphoto.com.

Some owners joined their dogs in costume as they marched from Forest Park Barking Lot to Austin Ale House at 82-70 Austin St. The winner this year was a beagle named “Bella” who dressed as Wonderwoman. The whole family of Bella’s was there, celebrating their dog’s victory. In second place was husky “Onyx” dressed as Harry Potter and third place went to “Moose,” a chocolate lab dressed as R2D2.

Honorable mentions included local dog “Cleo” dressed as a “Poop Factory” and Queens Khalifa, a bulldog dressed as a sunflower. 

“I was really kind of impressed by them, because I thought there would be a lot of barking,” Sydell said. “The dogs were moving along like it was their day down the street.”

The dog park has held similar contests within the park for the past four years, but this year, Craig approached Sydell with the hope to bring the event more into the community. 

Craig is part of the community organization We are Kew Gardens. The group is focused on building volunteer and community service opportunities for people in the neighborhood and creating events to engage the community.

“What began as a costume contest in the Barking Lot became a parade,” Craig said. 

Beyond Craig and Sydell, two key organizers of the event included Viana Tran and Hannah Bridgham.

Sydell has been part of the dog park, which is a nonprofit organization, since it opened in 2015. She has served as its president since 2019 and serves on Community Board 9 on the Parks, Recreation and Environment Committee. Sydell works in the community to support dog parks and educate the community on responsible pet ownership. 

Sydell’s love for the community shined through every time she spoke of the different businesses and organizations around the dog park. Austin Ale House has been overwhelmingly supportive of the park in its early years, and Sydell shared her deep appreciation for their help.

“Shoutout to the Austin Ale House. They’ve been nothing but really good to the dog park and the community as a whole for many years,” she said. She has held fundraisers at the restaurant, including Cocktails for Canines.

Among the attendees was Queens Borough President Donovan Richards. He enjoyed the event so much, Sydell and Craig shared, that he said he wanted to be a judge the following year. 

“We are going to hold him to that,” Sydell said with a laugh. 

“It was just really nice for Anne to bring this to me, so that we can combine forces and maybe draw some people in the community’s attention more to helping volunteer at the dog park, as well as just bringing some joy to the neighborhood,” Sydell said. “People really had great feedback and a great time. People who didn’t have dogs came out to watch. It was just a really fun, nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon.”

Judges included Roberta “Bobbi” Giordano, owner of the no-kill shelter Bobbi and the Strays, Mark Morrill, the Democratic District Leader for Kew Gardens, and Vina Castillo, who owns the Kew and Willow Store. 

Local pet supply stores donated the gifts given at the event: K9 Caterers, Dog Days and Cat Nights and Wagging Tails all provided supplies and gifts for the dogs, as well as gift certificates. 

Bobbi and the Strays donated “huge gift baskets filled with doggie toys and treats that were absolutely incredible,” Sydell shared.

“When it comes to dogs, the community really steps up,” Sydell shared. “You can’t be upset about dogs, especially in costume. What’s cuter?”

Both Craig and Sydell encourage the community, particularly the younger members, to get involved in the dog park and We are Kew Gardens, as well as the community at large.

“We believe in community service. We believe that communities are built by the communities that live in them,” Craig said. “We do these things like the dog parade to really engage the community. To get the community involved and have a really fun day, while also giving back to the community.”

‘Friends of Smokey Park’ brings community together for its first cleanup

Alicia Venter on November 2, 2022

By Alicia Venter

[email protected]

 

Phil Rizzuto “Smokey” Park sits in the middle of Richmond Hill, and long- time residents Aleena and Bill Knight have heard neighbors talk for years about their desire for the park’s renovation.

As the founders of the 95th Avenue Block Association, which was formed two years ago, the couple decided to lead the initiative to

beautify the neighborhood park themselves.

“My wife and I just decided, ‘let’s do it,’ so we did,” Bill Knight said.

Four months ago, the group “Friends of Snokey (Phil Rizzuto) Park” officially formed.

This past Saturday, they held their first cleanup, drawing elected officials and members of the community for a memorable afternoon.

In attendance were volunteers and members of Friends of Smokey Park, Juliet Ganpat, Pastor Charles McGowan of Gospel Baptist Church, Sherry Algredo, Chair of Community Board 9 and Senator Joseph Addabbo.

A few years prior to the group’s organization, the children’s playground was redone; the group now looks to other sections of the park to continue the improvements that were halted in what likely was due to funding, Knight said.

One of the goals that the organization has, though Knight acknowledges it “won’t happen right away,” is to put a three or four lane track around the large grass field within the park.

There is a large senior citizen community that frequents the park, Bill Knight explained. However, he noticed that they would do their morning exercises outside the park, while enjoying the park’s interior.

Another major concern they noticed takes place during the summer — during baseball games held in the park, visitors will park on the sidewalk, which causes safety concerns and concerns regarding the overall quality of the park.

“It will be available to local schools for track teams and groups,” Knight said. “More importantly, it [will give] senior citizens a safe place for them to walk around.”

The group also looks to renovate the basketball court.

“We are really serious about making an impact that will be beneficial to the community, not to us,” Knight said. “We are a non- profit. We have no skin in the game.”

Though they have long- term goals on the horizon, the group is also looking to make change now.

On Saturday, the group took rakes and trashbags around the park, cleaning trash and other debris. They also planted bulbs.

Aleena Knight and Joe Addabbo

“On a beautiful Saturday, these volunteers could all be somewhere else, with families or private businesses or home,” Addabbo said. “But they are there in the park, giving back to the community. It’s great to see, and I just came by there to say thank you — because too often those two words often volunteers don’t hear.”

Addabbo noted the presence of Community Board 9 Chair Sherry Algredo and the Partnership for Parks. It was “great to see” the city park’s department providing supplies and support to the group.

“It is always great when you can see the local folks take an initiative to upkeep their parks and be involved in their community,” said Algredo. “That is exactly what some residents have chosen to do and hosted their first ‘It’s my Park’ cleanup this past Saturday. Community Board 9 was happy to be there to support this effort and we applaud all the volunteers that came out and worked hard in this cleanup initiative.”

The Park’s Department was not just supporting from afar.

Alejandra Vanegas, outreach coordinator for “Parknership for Parks” was in attendance, helping the organizers plant bulbs and clean.

Her job is to help provide the tools and provide support in the organization of the event so as to make their vision of beautifying the park a reality.

A huge part of the organization of the group was Senator James Sanders Jr., who suggested the group form.

The 95th Avenue Block Association has printed newsletters monthly and delivered them door-to-door with information regarding Community Board meetings, and events.

Now, the Friends of Smokey Park has a Facebook page, which they encourage nearby residents to join. Visit www.facebook. com/groups/friendsof- smokeypark for more information.

2022 Election Profile: Andrew Hevesi runs for re-election in District 28

Alicia Venter on October 27, 2022

By Alicia Venter

[email protected]

Hevesi runs for re-election in District 28.

After 17 years in the New York State Assembly, Andrew Hevesi is vying to score his ninth victory in District 28.

His district, which he has held since 2005, encompasses parts of Forest Hills, Rego Park, Ridgewood, Richmond Hill, Middle Village, Glendale, Maspeth and Kew Gardens, the latter of which he recently gained due to redistricting.

The boundaries of Assembly District 28. Photo: Redistricting and You: New York, Graduate Center of Cuny.

Hevesi, 48, sits as Chair of the Assembly Standing Committee on Children and Families.

In this role, Hevesi strives to target adolescent trauma through implementing support systems for both children and parents. 

“What I’ve been working on primarily, and we had great success last year, was in using as much state funding into any program that’s going to prevent or mitigate psychological trauma from adverse childhood experiences,” Hevesi said. “Everything you are seeing in the papers — from crime to rising homeless, to kids dropping out of high school, to higher rates of suicide, and all kinds of things — I think it’s all a function of unprecedented and unmitigated adverse childhood experiences and childhood trauma.”  

Hevesi and his office worked last year to coordinate a coalition of approximately 100 assembly members and 40 senators to attack this issue as effectively as possible.

“The rest was that in the budget this year was the largest single investment in children in New York State history,” Hevesi said.

This agreement was a $7 billion investment over four years that will raise the salary level of the childcare workforce, which Hevesi noted is primarily Black and Brown women, and to increase the number of childcare seats available throughout the city. 

From this investment, 400,000 new seats were made available for children up to the age of 13.

“Childcare is one of the best ways to prevent childhood trauma from when kids are home alone,” Hevesi said. “It’s socialization. It’s the protective factors that you need to offset this kind of trauma.”

Furthermore, $10 million was invested into YouthBuild, a program originally founded in the 1980s.

The program’s direction has shifted to directly target children who are 16 or 17 years old who are at risk of “picking up guns or becoming a part of gangs,” and instead encourages them to find a career.

“There are a variety of other wins for kids just by money in the budget,” Hevesi said.

To best serve his community while balancing his responsibilities in Albany, Hevesi delegates funding to organizations within his neighborhoods that serve “the most vulnerable people” — those facing food insecurity and who need services to serve their basic needs. 

Hevesi has recently been given approximately $1 million in capital appropriation, which he breaks into smaller pots for distribution. 

“I believe a good member of the assembly, or a good senator, should have an issue that they are expert on,” Hevesi said.

That issue was homelessness for years, as Hevesi was part of numerous efforts to reach an agreement in Albany and with then-Governor Andrew Cuomo on a rent supplement plan to prevent those who are struggling to pay for housing from being forced into shelters. After the plan failed for five years (“Try working on something for five years and then have to give it up!”), Hevesi was appointed the Chair of the Assembly Standing Committee on Children and Families. 

If re-elected, Hevesi exclusively told the Queens Ledger that he spoke to leadership, and informed them that he would like to chair the Health Committee in the upcoming term.

Hevesi is a Forest Hills native. Born and raised in the neighborhood, he now lives with his wife, daughter and dog, Lola. 

“I’m a Forest Hills guy completely,” Hevesi added. 

Forest Hills is set to become the home to QueensWay, a linear park along 3.5 miles of abandoned tracks that run through Central and Southern Queens. The plan has been met with controversy, particularly from those who supported QueensLink, a plan to turn the abandoned tracks into a railway. 

Hevesi supported the QueensWay when it was first conceived — “It must have been a decade ago,” he exclaimed — but he admittedly didn’t believe the plan would ever come to fruition.

He described arguments he used to have with Phil Goldfeder, the then-assemblyman of District 23, whose seat has since been filled by Stacy Pheffer-Amato. 

“He and I used to have arguments about it, and then we’d laugh because either one of the proposals cost billions. You’re going to get a rail, I’m going to get a park? Forget about it,” he said. “And then strangely, the QueensWay kept pushing. Adams bit, and put money behind it.” 

The QueensWay will cause trouble for Hevesi, he explained, because it runs behind the Forest Park Little League, so a plan must be made to work around this issue.

Although he supported turning the railroad into a park, Hevesi did sign on in support of a feasibility study for the QueensLink to see if there is a possibility of the park also serving as a transportation hub.

“I’ve been supportive of the QueensWay for a while,” he concluded. “It’s not my top issue, but I think it could be a very good thing for the community.”

To remain accessible to his constituents, Hevesi explained that the best way he can talk to the people in his community is by going door-to-door.

“If people don’t want to talk to you, that’s fine,” he said. “But the fact that you’ve shown up and taken an interest, and they have the opportunity to tell you something about the neighborhood? I think knocking doors is the best way to do it.”

Furthermore, when a constituent writes a letter or email to the assemblyman, he writes a letter back “in substance,” providing a full answer for their concerns.

Hevesi faces Mike Conigliaro this election, a Republican candidate who serves as the president of the Community Education Council – District 24 school board. The election is on Nov. 8.

Electeds introduce bill to make Diwali a public school holiday

Alicia Venter on October 20, 2022

Legislation has been introduced to the New York State Assembly for Diwali to become a public school holiday. This designation would constitute for school to be canceled for the celebration of Diwali.

Despite previous efforts not coming to fruition due to an inability for holidays to be added to the academic calendar, elected officials believe they have found a solution — remove ‘Anniversary Day’ as an academic holiday so room can be made for Diwali.

The bill for Diwali to become a public school holiday was introduced last week by Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, with support from Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Education Chancellor David Banks. They announced their partnership and support for this bill on Thursday, Oct. 20, at Tweed Courthouse on 52 Chambers Street in Manhattan.

“South Asian and Indo-Caribbean families like mine all over this city have made incredible contributions,” Rajkumar said. “Today, I am proud to say, our time has come.”

Diwali, one of the most sacred holidays for Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists, was celebrated this year on Oct. 24. It is observed on the 15th day of the 8th month in India’s calendar, and falls in either October or November of the Gregorian calendar used in the United States. Diwali is celebrated by an estimated 200,000 New Yorkers, with celebrations for the “Festival of Lights” held throughout the city.

Similar bills have been presented in the past — in 2021, Rajkumar introduced a bill to establish Diwali as a school holiday and it was introduced in the New York State Senate by Senator Kevin Thomas. In 2018, Councilman Danny Dromm introduced a resolution, wanting the Department of Education to establish an official Diwali holiday.

None of these attempts came to fruition, with claims that there were not enough days in the academic calendar to add another holiday. As mandated by State Education Law Section 3604, there must be a minimum of 180 days of school instruction.

Together, Rajkumar, Chancellor Banks and Adams were able to find a “surplus” — a day that can be used to celebrate Diwali “without our young people losing days of school in the process.” That day is Anniversary Day, also known as Brooklyn-Queens Day. 

Anniversary Day, termed an “antiquated holiday” by Rajkumar, recognizes the anniversary of the founding of the first Sunday school in Brooklyn in the 1800s. State law requires Brooklyn and Queens schools close on this day, and as a result the city closes all schools that day.

“There is no religious obligation or longstanding tradition compelling anyone to forgo school or work to observe the day. Given this lack of significance, Anniversary Day is an appropriate school holiday to rescind to accommodate designation of Diwali as a school holiday,” the bill reads.

“This is an educational moment,” Adams said. “When we acknowledge Diwali, we are going to encourage children to learn about what [Diwali is].”

“As [Chancellor Banks] has stated over and over again, education must be a place where we develop the full personhood of our children, not only to make them academically smart but emotionally intelligent,” he continued. “That intelligence comes from acknowledging and seeing each other.”

Community Board 9 — which represents Woodhaven, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill and Kew Gardens — and its chairperson Sherry Algredo have previously shown support for Diwali to become a public school holiday. When Rajkumar introduced the bill in 2021, Algredo, then first Vice Chair and an education chair, headed the passage of a resolution in the Community Board calling for Diwali to be recognized as a school holiday.

“It is a religious holiday,” Algredo told The Ledger on Oct. 20. “Just like everybody else, you would like to see it recognized.”

If passed, the bill would take effect on July 1, 2023. The assembly is set to reconvene in January 2023.

“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair,” Rajkumar said, quoting Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress. “I have brought this bill to the table so that all South Asian and Indo-Caribbean New Yorkers will have a seat at the table.”

Man charged for manslaughter after death on tracks at Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue station

Alicia Venter on October 19, 2022

 

A man has been charged with manslaughter in the death of a 48-year-old shoved on the subway tracks on Oct. 17 at the Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue station.

According to the charges, Carlos Garcia, 50, was in a physical altercation with the victim. Between 4:40 p.m. and 4:47 p.m., the defendant allegedly assaulted the victim, causing him to fall onto the subway tracks, the Queens District Attorney’s Office announced on Oct. 18. A train approached the subway platform at the time of the fall, striking the victim.

Garcia is of 133rd Street in South Ozone Park, and was arraigned on Oct. 17. The defendant has been ordered to return to court on Oct. 21. If convicted, Garcia faces up to 15 years in prison.

“The subway system is a vital lifeline for the millions of New Yorkers who depend on it to get around our great city,” Queens District Attorney Katz said in a statement. “The recent spate of violence on trains and in stations is a threat not only to commuters, but to the city’s economic and social vitality. The violence must end. We must do everything we can to ensure that all New Yorkers can commute safely, and to that end we have charged the defendant and will be holding him accountable.”

 

Former Student Charged for Bomb Threat at St. Francis Prep

Alicia Venter on October 13, 2022

By Alicia Venter

[email protected]

A 16-year-old former student has been charged with making a terroristic threat to bomb St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows.

The arrest came on Oct. 12, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the following day.  

The defendant, not named by the DA’s Office, has been charged with making a terroristic threat, reckless endangerment and other crimes. Katz did share that the defendant is from Oakland Gardens. Furthermore, records from 

St. Francis Preparatory School showed that the defendant had been expelled from the school in February 2022 for disciplinary reasons, the DA’s Office stated.

The defendant allegedly attempted to orchestrate a phoned bomb threat at St. Francis Preparatory School on April 25, 2022.

According to the charges, at approximately 9:00 a.m., a phone call was made to the NYPD Highway Patrol Unit 3 by a male individual using the name “Jake.” 

On this call, “Jake” allegedly stated that he was a ninth grader at the school, and that he placed four pipe bombs inside the school. 

The defendant allegedly went to the extent of naming said locations of these placed bombs — two inside a locker on the first floor of the school, one inside a male bathroom and one inside a female bathroom.

The school immediately evacuated its approximately 2,000 students, while police searched the premises. No bombs or otherwise harmful devices were found. 

The NYPD Intelligence Bureau, in partnership with the DA’s Major Economics Crime Bureau, launched an investigation that led to the discovery of a conversation on “Discord,” an online social media platform, that revealed a conversation between the defendant another Discord user known to law enforcement about making a false threat to St. Francis Preparatory School in exchange for $80 as payment for the services.

In this conversation, the Discord user — who was later identified as a Polish national — asked the defendant if they would like a bomb squad called; in response, the defendant responded, “Just a normal SWAT… as long as the school gets evacuated.” 

Law enforcement officials were able to trace cryptocurrency that was used as payment to the Discord user in Poland; police law enforcement authorities have been notified of the incident. 

Officials were also able to link the username of the defendant to an I.P. address registered to an internet service provider at the home address of the defendant, as the owner was listed as the defendant’s mother.

“Bomb threats are never amusing, and they are never harmless. My Officewill use all tools at our disposal to find individuals who think they can commit crimes safely behind their computer screen and bring them to justice,” Katz said. “As alleged, the defendant went to great lengths to orchestrate an elaborate and realistic threat against his former high school, placing thousands of students and their families in fear for their lives. This behavior will not stand, and the defendant has now been charged accordingly. I thank our partners at the NYPD for their dedication in holding alleged perpetrators accountable.”

Astoria resident hosts ‘Ruth Sent Us’ Charity Benefit

Alicia Venter on October 11, 2022

The performers for ‘Ruth Sent Us.’ Photo: Cathryn Lynne

By Alicia Venter

[email protected]

Astoria resident and professional artist Mara Jill Herman is doing more than creating work for pleasure and enjoyment. With her numerous individual works and charity benefits, Herman is trying to spread a message. 

“Usually what happens is that I feel frustrated or rageful about something and I channel that rage into an art baby,” Herman said. This ‘art baby’ takes the form of activism, as Herman has dedicated much of her individual work towards raising awareness and proceeds for humanitarian and social causes.

Her third and most recent charity benefit concert was this recent Tuesday, Oct. 11, titled “Ruth Sent Us: A Benefit For Reproductive Justice.” This “Ruth” is Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second female Supreme Court Justice and the first female Jewish Justice. 

Some of the proceeds from this concert were donated to benefit the Jewish Fund for Abortion Access.

Herman was inspired by a sign she saw while protesting in Washington Square Park on June 24 — when the Supreme Court Case Roe v. Wade was overturned — which read ‘Ruth Sent Us.’

“That really hit me and impacted me in a meaningful way. I felt like ‘yes, she most certainly did [send us,]” Herman said “That’s where the inspiration came from for the title of the concert and why I wanted to celebrate her legacy.”

Fellow actors joined together for ‘Ruth Sent Us,’ at the Green Room in Manhattan, including Jennifer Apple, Rebecca Hargrove, Kendyl Ito, Annemarie Josephson and Austin Ku. 

Original music from the duos Marina Pires and Luke Wygodny of The Heartstrings Project were performed.

The livestream video can be purchased through Oct. 24.  

Tickets are on sale now but they must  bepurchase no later than 5 p.m. on Oct. 24 to view the replay later that night. 

The venue will distribute livestream tickets two hours before showtime. Tickets are $19.

To purchase the video, visit this link: https://thegreenroom42.venuetix.com/show/details/t3dfoKPu4fgev2hvrOUP/1666652400000.

For additional livestream support, email [email protected] or call (917) 239-6560.

Herman is a Jewish woman, and this identity influences her artistic expression. She has often gravitated towards roles that are an extension of her culture, and allow her to express this cultural identity. Such a role she played was is in ‘The Band’s Visit,’ a Tony Award winning musical.

“That was a really cool moment in my life when I was specifically hired for that project because of my ability to read and sing in Hebrew,” Herman said. “So that was a nice way to blend my artist and Jewish identity in a work that went on to have some great success.”

Herman views a ban on abortion as against her religion, and as such, it should be protected under the Constitution. 

The first benefit that Herman produced, titled “Stronger than Hate, was for the anti-Semitic attack in Pittsburgh at the Tree of Life synagogue in 2018. 

“Several people were killed, simply by showing up and praying in a synagogue,” she said. “So that really hit me.” 

The following year, Herman had been actively volunteering with the StateraArts, an organization that works to uplift and amplify women in art spaces, with their mission dedicated to gender equality. The benefit, titled ‘Changemakers,’ was about celebrating female and non binary people in the arts. 

Her goal from her most recent benefit is simple — education. 

“I want to feel like I helped raise awareness and  helped raise funds that get to the people who need it the most, because while abortion may be legal in New York State, it still impacts all of us,” she said. 

Ozone Park RBA calls for change after 4 shot in London Planetree Park

Alicia Venter on October 6, 2022

By Alicia Venter 

[email protected]

Four men were shot near London Planetree Park on Tuesday, Sept. 27. The park is located between 88 and 89th Streets on Atlantic Avenue. 

The Ozone Park Resident Block Association has issued a statement regarding the shooting, calling the catastrophe “a day of horror that many of these kids will never shake from their memories.”

“We are fed up with the current state of affairs in our community,” the statement read. “Anything goes, and it seems to be getting worse over time. This park was the scene of a very chaotic shooting where families, women, children, and teenagers were running for their lives. What was once a tranquil neighborhood has now become the OK Corral.”

The association wants money allocated by elected officials for at least two NYPD ARGUS CCTV camera surveillance systems to be fitted in each park.

These cameras would help deter crime and allow the NYPD to identify perpetrators of any crime.

They also request a round table discussion with elected officials to revisit their budgets and discuss other issues in the community. 

The Ozone Park Resident Block Association uses their Facebook to update the community hourly on what is happening in the community. For more information about what is happening in the community, visit www.facebook.com/groups/ozoneparkvoice.

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