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Queens Rallies for Rails Over Trails in Transit-Starved Borough


BQE Admin on July 24, 2025

“Transit Deserts” in Queens Spark Student-Led Fight for Subway Line

By MOHAMED FARGHALY

mfarghaly@queensledger.com

Student organizers, transportation advocates, and local elected officials gathered on July 16 beneath the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) bridge at 63rd Drive and Austin Street in Rego Park to call on Mayor Eric Adams and city leaders to support the QueensLink project, a proposed subway expansion that would reactivate a long-abandoned rail line in Queens.

The event highlighted the delivery of a petition bearing nearly 1,500 student signatures to a representative from the Mayor’s office, urging the city to fund and prioritize reactivating the Rockaway Beach Branch rail corridor for transit use rather than converting it exclusively into parkland. The rally coincided with the release of the student-led QueensLink Report, which lays out the urgent need for expanded transit options in Queens and outlines the potential benefits the project could bring to the borough.

Before the rally began, two supporters in the crowd joked with each other, “I’m a little late—I would’ve been here faster if only there was a train that would’ve gotten me here quicker,” a nod to the very project they were here to support.

The QueensLink proposal calls for converting the 3.5-mile stretch of the unused Rockaway Beach Branch, which has been dormant for over 60 years, into a modern subway corridor that would extend the M train south from Rego Park through underserved neighborhoods, eventually reaching the Rockaways. Advocates say this would create a vital north-south connection, easing some of the longest and most burdensome commutes in New York City.

Matthew Paolucci, a recent Queens College graduate and organizer of the rally, emphasized that the QueensLink project is fundamentally about improving the lives of students and everyday commuters in Queens. Standing alongside fellow advocates, elected officials, and students, he described the project as an opportunity to “absolutely revolutionize transportation in Queens.” He pointed to the abandoned Branch just behind the rally site, stressing that it’s not just in need of a park but also a subway line to connect residents more efficiently.

Paolucci noted that the QueensLink Report includes personal stories from students who face commutes of over an hour to travel just a few miles, calling that “unacceptable in the world’s borough.” He outlined five future-facing recommendations, including stronger community outreach and a push to include the project in the MTA’s 2025–2034 Capital Plan. He also linked the project to broader infrastructure developments like the JFK Airport expansion and Van Wyck Expressway widening, warning that without investment in public transit, traffic and inequity will worsen. “We need mass transit that is not just going to meet the present needs, but it’s going to meet the future needs,” he said, ending with a rallying cry: “We want QueensLink, and we want it now.”

QueensLink supporters stress that the transit expansion would not only reduce commute times but also boost economic development, improve quality of life, and help reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions. The project aligns with broader goals to build a more sustainable, equitable transit system across New York City.

Yet the QueensLink proposal faces stiff competition from the city-backed QueensWay plan, which would transform the same rail corridor into a linear park with walking trails, bike lanes, and green space. QueensWay has received significant funding, including $117 million in federal grants secured last year and $35 million from the Adams administration.

Kashif Hussain, Deputy Public Advocate for Infrastructure and Environmental Justice, spoke from his background in grassroots organizing, highlighting the Office of the Public Advocate’s longstanding support for QueensLink. “It just makes sense,” he said, noting that the project doesn’t force a choice between a park and transit. “The beautiful piece of this plan is you don’t have to choose one or the other.”

He emphasized the decades-long neglect of South and Central Queens, calling them “the largest transit desert” in the city. Hussain stressed that new transit investments deliver “economic growth, social benefits, equity and opportunity to uplift communities,” including easier access to jobs, schools, and family for residents and students.

Referencing a report from his office published in May, he said, “This project would make a significant impact on every Everyday Lives for the people of Queens,” arguing it would shift commuter habits away from cars and toward transit. He warned that building only a park now could block future transit options. “Mark my word on this one,” he said. “Losing this opportunity will do a major disservice to our most vulnerable communities.”

Hussain closed by urging the MTA to begin with an environmental impact study and to take “a deeper, more serious and more objective look at this plan,” framing QueensLink as a critical step toward “a more equitable New York.”

The QueensLink campaign has also faced financial hurdles. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), responsible for overseeing such expansions, has cited high cost estimates as a barrier to reactivating the line. A 2018 MTA study pegged the price tag at $8.1 billion, though later revised it downward to $5.9 billion. QueensLink supporters argue those figures are inflated, with their own transportation consultants estimating the cost at $3.5 billion.

Rick Horan, Executive Director of QueensLink, opened by expressing surprise that such an obviously needed project still requires advocacy. “You would think that reactivating a rail line in the middle of a transit desert would be a no brainer. Unfortunately, it’s not,” he said. Horan emphasized the importance of collective involvement, saying, “We have to get involved in everything if we’re going to even make the obvious happen.”

He thanked attendees for showing up to support the project and especially acknowledged the efforts of students at Queens College and NYPIRG, who, along with QueensLink, stand to benefit most from improved transit. Horan praised the student-led QueensLink Report, calling it a strong contribution to the movement: “It just lends credibility to the fact that, you know, we may not need better transit in the future. We needed it yesterday.” He closed by affirming the group’s commitment to the cause: “We look forward to continuing the fight with you.”

 

The initiative received a boost earlier this year when the New York State Senate included $10 million in its 2025 budget proposal to fund an environmental review of QueensLink. This move followed a sustained grassroots campaign led by QueensLink organizers, who mobilized supporters to send thousands of letters to elected officials urging support. Six state senators and seven assemblymembers signed on in favor of the project.

Still, the Assembly budget did not include funding for QueensLink, a disappointment to backers who say the plan has broad legislative support and a clear community mandate.

City officials and MTA representatives have emphasized that the QueensWay park plan does not preclude future transit use, but QueensLink advocates note that the MTA’s most recent 20-Year Needs Assessment gave the QueensLink proposal a low priority, citing QueensWay as a competing interest.

Edward, known online as the creator behind the YouTube page Joint Transit Association, voiced enthusiastic support for QueensLink, calling it “a good project” and making clear there is “absolutely no way with QueensWay.” Citing his own successful advocacy that helped push the MTA to consider swapping the F and M trains between the 63rd and 53rd Street tunnels, he highlighted the power of public pressure and grassroots organizing.

Edward criticized the lack of transit infrastructure in Queens, saying, “We only have the equivalent of, like, what, two and a half train lines, maybe three on a good day when the N or W aren’t shutting down.” He argued that QueensLink would provide the critical north-south service the borough is missing and could cut travel times by 15 to 30 minutes for riders throughout Queens.

He emphasized that the project is a necessary, scalable transit solution for a growing borough, saying, “We need National Transit solutions, not a Walmart High Line that will block trains on the route.” He pushed back on the idea that rail and park space are mutually exclusive: “We can do both rails and trails,” he said. Ending on a hopeful note, he praised the report released at the event for backing up what transit advocates have long claimed, and declared, “I am proud to support this transit revolution.”

The rally drew a diverse crowd of students, community leaders, and transportation experts who stressed that expanding transit options in Queens is critical to addressing the borough’s growth and longstanding inequities.

QCP Celebrates 75 Years With Debut of Theater Program

BQE Admin on July 24, 2025

Courtesy Ellen Arrocho

MOHAMED FARGHALY

mfarghaly@queensledger.com

As Queens Centers for Progress (QCP) marked its 75th year of service, a new chapter in creativity and inclusion unfolded with the debut of The QCP Players Theater Program. Over the past 12 weeks, more than 100 participants from QCP’s Day Habilitation program rehearsed Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka Kids, culminating in two free public performances on June 27 at QCP’s Adult Center in Jamaica, Queens.

The initiative, launched just days before Disability Pride Month, integrates individuals with developmental disabilities not only on stage but also behind the scenes. Participants took part in acting, singing, dancing, set design, costuming, ushering, and concessions, bringing the production to life with passion and pride.

The theater program was created through a partnership with AhHa!Broadway, a nonprofit organization focused on inclusive performing arts. Under the guidance of professional Teaching Artists and a full design team, QCP participants developed new skills and boosted self-esteem while experiencing the transformative power of storytelling.

Josie Davide, director of QCP’s 164th Street Day Services, described the program’s focus on joy. “From day one, this program has been about joy,” she said. “We wanted our participants to have a space where they could express themselves, try something new, and shine in every sense of the word.”

Davide, who has worked with QCP since 1989, shared insights on her long career in the field. “I started out with Queens Centers for Progress in our children’s center, and I’ve actually worked my way up to the director of the day program that I currently have now,” she said. Growing up in Corona, Queens, and now living in East Meadows, Long Island, Davide recounted how her family experience inspired her path: “My father had had a stroke when we were younger… he was paralyzed. So I got into physical therapy, and I worked at the hospital, and I kind of worked my way from there. I always, all my life, I loved helping people.”

Reflecting on the evolution of QCP’s day habilitation program, Davide noted, “We started with eight individuals, and now we have over 162 enrolled. We worked with individuals… many of the people that we support, all adults 21 and over, we have gotten many of them jobs. They volunteer throughout Queens.”

The theatrical element grew organically from participants’ love for performing. “They love to act, they love to perform, they love to sing, they love to do all this giving this fun stuff that they see on TV,” Davide said. “We’ve done fashion shows, open mics, musical numbers, and always wanted to do a theater program.”

Choosing Willy Wonka Kids was a natural fit. “We picked Willy Wonka, because Willy Wonka has some of the individuals who auditioned fit the parts of Willy Wonka perfectly,” Davide explained. After 12 weeks of twice-weekly rehearsals, 27 performers embraced their roles. “I was in tears the whole time. They really, really did a great job.”

The backstage crew also contributed, working on set painting and design with guidance from AhHa!Broadway artists. “The collaboration between the individuals and my staff and the director and the set design was just amazing,” Davide said.

The performances drew enthusiastic audiences. “They were in shock,” Davide said. “They didn’t think they can do as well as they did, memorizing everything and learning all the lines and singing and just being happy and really bringing to life Willy Wonka.”

Following the success of the debut, QCP plans to continue offering creative opportunities. “We’ll be doing open mics on Fridays, probably in a month or two,” Davide said. “Next year, we’re gonna put on another production. It’ll be a musical number coming next year… We find that the individuals love to sing, and they sing their lines so great, so that we want to do it more, more musical than line.”

Davide encouraged community support for QCP’s mission. “Donations are always accepted,” she said. “You can come and support the shows when we have them, that’s wonderful. And just if there are any volunteer sites in the community that need volunteers, let us know. They could even contact me directly.”

The QCP Players Theater Program’s inaugural performances at 81-15 164th Street in Jamaica offered a glimpse of the power of inclusion and the joy of artistic expression, highlighting the organization’s enduring commitment to empowering individuals with developmental disabilities.

Courtesy Lorraine Heaney

 

Elmcor, a Black-Led Nonprofit, Will Build $51.5M Affordable Housing Development in Sunnyside

BQE Admin on July 24, 2025

Christian Spencer

Sunnyside is in desperate need of affordable housing, according to local community members.

On Monday, July 7, one of New York City’s most established Black-led nonprofits broke ground on a new development to help meet that need.

Elmcor Youth & Adult Activities is leading the construction of a $51.5 million affordable housing project aimed at addressing displacement and structural inequality.

This latest effort reflects Elmcor’s commitment to pairing housing with dignity, particularly for Black and Brown New Yorkers disproportionately impacted by housing insecurity.

The six-story building will include 55 permanently affordable apartments—studios through three-bedrooms—and feature a community space and embedded services such as job readiness, mental health support, and youth programming.

“This is stability for 55 families that will have permanent affordable housing right here in Queens,” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said. “We think about 55 units, but there are 55 stories behind every unit count that’s going to be built here.”

“This is a really smart way that Elmcor is building this project because it’s not just about physical infrastructure,” said U.S. Representative Grace Meng, who was present at the event. “It also comes with the backing of wraparound services for families—from youth to the seniors who are going to be living in these buildings. And it’s close to public transportation.”

The outdoor event, held at 43-12 50th Street near the 46th Street–Bliss Street station on the 7 line, brought together nonprofit leaders, elected officials, architects, and city housing officials in a show of support for Elmcor’s model of nonprofit-led development.

The project is a joint development between Elmcor, Lemle & Wolff Companies, and Sarana Development Group, with public financing from city agencies and contributions from lending partners such as Webster Bank.

Meng, who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, noted the federal role in supporting projects like this.

“Every year, we allocate funding to New York State, New York City, and we are actually trying to get more,” she said. “I have legislation that would allocate billions of dollars more to build projects like these.”

The project is about more than delivering affordable housing; it is rooted in a community-led vision that prioritizes design integrity and neighborhood identity.

Officials involved in the development, including Acting HPD Commissioner Ahmed Tigani, emphasized the importance of architectural continuity, noting that the building was deliberately designed to echo Sunnyside’s historic Art Deco housing stock from the 1920s and ’30s.

“Having affordable housing built here in Sunnyside not only aligns with the city’s promise to address this issue in every borough—it also means investing in an incredibly rich, diverse, and culturally important neighborhood,” Tigani said. “Delivering 55 units here is very important to HPD, and I’m excited to see it happen.”

Tigani also outlined the city’s financial commitment: “We contributed tens of millions of dollars to make sure we could meet the affordability requirements. That includes city capital, Council and Borough President RESO-A funds, and support from partners like Webster Bank and a Community Development Financial Institution.”

He described the agency’s rigorous vetting process for developers: “We evaluate proposals based on our term sheets, sustainability goals, broadband access, unit mix, and other requirements that address both housing and broader city policy needs.”

While subtle to outsiders, this design choice carries deep significance for longtime residents. It honors the neighborhood’s architectural legacy and ensures that affordability does not come at the expense of quality or character, reflecting the same level of care typically reserved for market-rate developments.

“Queens has one of the longest waitlists of any borough to get affordable housing,” Meng said. “And so we need more housing.”

She also connected the project to her broader legislative goals, saying, “This organization is providing a lot of wraparound services to the families who are living here, so it’ll be great.”

Queens Man Charged in Double Homicide of Family

BQE Admin on July 24, 2025

Courtesy Freepik

Murder-Suicide Attempt Leaves Mother, Child Dead in NYC

A Queens man has been charged with murder after allegedly stabbing his wife and 2-year-old daughter to death in what authorities are investigating as a murder-suicide attempt carried out during a video call with a relative, police said.

Officers responded to a 911 call just after 7 p.m. Saturday reporting an assault in progress inside an apartment on Forest Avenue near Menahan Street in Ridgewood. Police said the call came from a relative who was on FaceTime with the suspect at the time of the attack.

Inside the apartment, officers found 41-year-old Ana Pilatagsi-Moposita and her daughter, Analiz Cruz, with multiple stab wounds to their necks and chests. The Mother was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital, while Anila was taken to Wyckoff Heights Medical Center where they were both pronounced dead.

The alleged attacker, 54-year-old Ernesto Cruz, was found with a stab wound to his chest. He was also taken to Elmhurst, where he remained in critical condition as of Sunday. Police say the stabbing appears to be a domestic violence incident and are investigating it as an attempted murder-suicide.

Cruz was charged Sunday with two counts of murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, the New York Police Department said.

According to investigators, the FaceTime call was placed to Cruz’s nephew during the incident. The nephew contacted authorities immediately after witnessing what appeared to be the stabbing of the child and her mother.

According to Channel 7, Neighbors described the scene as chaotic and horrifying.

Investigators say Pilatagsi-Moposita was stabbed approximately 18 times, and the toddler nine times. The couple and child reportedly kept to themselves, and no prior domestic disturbances had been reported at the residence, police said.

Officials said the motive for the attack remains under investigation.

The Ridgewood community, a quiet residential area in northwest Queens, is reeling from the violence. Outside the building Sunday, a small memorial of flowers and candles began to take shape as neighbors mourned.

The investigation is ongoing.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org.

Courtesy NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst

Attention New York City: ICE is Here to Stay

BQE Admin on July 24, 2025

Robert Hornak

Robert Hornak is a veteran political consultant who has previously served as the Deputy Director of the Republican Assembly Leader’s NYC office and as Executive Director of the Queens Republican Party. He can be reached at rahornak@gmail. com and @roberthornak on X.

The shooting this past week- end of an off-duty Border Patrol agent during a robbery in upper Manhattan has increased tensions over what the American people want done about the millions of illegal immigrants that entered the country during the four years the Biden administration disregarded our immigration laws.

Donald Trump won the election on a platform that led with securing the border and getting rid of illegals that came here and are committing crime. Securing the border was the easy part – and without any of the new laws that Biden and many Democrats insisted was needed to make that happen. The farcical claim that massive illegal immigration was due to a broken immigration system was exposed as yet another lie.

But the second part is turning out to be a little more complicated as state and local elected Democrats are actively trying to impede and undermine these efforts, even going so far as to be complicit in the doxxing of federal agents who just do their job and take illegals into custody.

In a rare display of common sense, embattled mayor Eric Ad- ams backed an executive order to allow ICE to set up an office on Rikers Island, to make the process of taking illegals into custody an uneventful process.

But Democrats in the city council refused to allow this to be a safe, easy process. They went to court to block the deal, getting the judge to rule that this deal looked like payback for Adams’ favorable treatment from the U.S. Attorney’s office in his pending federal corruption trial.

The result of the left’s obstruction is that now ICE must go out into the communities where these illegals are likely to be found and do what they can to apprehend them. And since there is no law that says if you are not committing crime you can stay, potentially otherwise law-abiding illegals of- ten get swept up in these actions. And, yes, they too will now be at risk of deportation or if they have an outstanding deportation order they will likely have their deportation expedited.

As they say, be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. And Democrats are certainly get- ting it.

In a post-shooting press conference in NYC on Monday, border czar Tom Homan said, “You don’t want to let us in the jails

to arrest a bad guy in the safety and security of a jail.” and went on to say, “So what are we gonna do? We’re gonna put more agents in New York City to look for that bad guy. So, sanctuary cities get exactly what they don’t want: more agents in the community.”

And, of course, Adams passed the buck, saying, “I have nothing to do with the rules that are put in place. I just carry out the rules.”

This as New York is trying to pass a bill to make it illegal for law enforcement to wear masks, as ICE has been doing to make it harder for the obstructionists to doxx them. A move that will be both inflammatory and likely un- constitutional as no city or state can regulate the federal government. Something that was made very clear in the recent confrontation between Trump and California Gov Newsome over control of the national guard.

The bottom line is clear. Many Americans want criminal illegal aliens deported. And ICE will be conducting these operations for as long as the country has leadership willing to enforce our immigration laws.

If the Democrats want the fo- cus to be primarily on criminals and want to make these apprehensions safe for all concerned, they need to cooperate instead of obstructing. But, sadly, it appears as if they want to allow even the worst criminals who have com- mitted the most heinous crimes to remain in this country with impu- nity.

All Faiths Cemetery Moves Forward With New Board and Renewed Vision

BQE Admin on July 24, 2025

Sofia Montagna

News@Queensledger.com

All Faiths Cemetery, located in Middle Village, NY in Queens, is entering a new chapter.

Once the subject of a state investigation into financial misconduct on behalf of the cemetery’s previous board, the 501(c)(13) nonprofit cemetery is now under new leadership. The cemetery’s new board members say they’re working to restore the cemetery’s grounds and be “good neighbors” for the community.

The shift followed the New York State Attorney General’s 2019 lawsuit against several board members of the cemetery after an investigation revealed financial misconduct. The previous board was consequently replaced with a new leadership team.

When asked about the state investigation, James McClelland – the cemetery board’s treasurer and a longtime resident of the area – commented, “The state attorney general did come in. They did an investigation. They did find wrongdoing. Restitution was made to the cemetery, and we took over. There were some forensic financial audits [the new board dealt with] that went back from 1999 onwards.”

“The new board was constituted in 2021, so it started off with three people,” McClelland further noted. There are currently four board members.

When the new board was appointed, the cemetery was in need of repairs. Since stepping in, they have launched several projects, including reconstructing multiple blocks of sidewalk along Metropolitan Avenue in front of the cemetery, paving the roads inside the cemetery, and large-scale landscaping and repairs inside the cemetery.

According to McClelland and the cemetery’s co-president, Brian Chavanne, the stretch of crumbling sidewalk that the board had reconstructed (an approximately $500,000 project) had been in need of repairs since at least 1987. McClelland explained that prior to the repairs, “If you had a wheelchair or had a shopping cart, you couldn’t walk on this side [of the sidewalk].”

Much of the restoration work, McClelland and Chavanne explained, was driven by safety concerns. Crumbling sidewalks and interior paths created a safety and accessibility issue, making it difficult for visitors to visit their departed loved ones in the cemetery.

The board is also looking to strengthen ties with the surrounding community. Hopes for the cemetery’s future include offering historical tours of the cemetery, having community events, and engaging the Boy Scouts and veteran groups to make sure that on holidays like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, the cemetery recognizes the men and women of the service who are buried in its grounds.

“We want to make sure that we are good neighbors, that we are responsible neighbors, and that we provide a safe environment,” McClelland noted.

Pol Position: Referendums In Play

BQE Admin on July 24, 2025

There are two charter revision commissions, one through the mayor’s office and one through the city council. The mayor’s commission floated the idea that all registered voters, no matter what party affiliation, can vote in the primary. Council member deference is cultural understanding in the city council for generations. Partiality to the opinion of a project in the councilperson’s district is respected through the other council members. The determination on the outcome of the passing of a project is deferred to the local representative. Much like in the State Senate, Senator Jessica Ramos seemed to be the only person who was against the Metropolitan Park Project, turning Willets Point into a Casino. That stalled the project from going forward as a bid to be one of the three casino licenses given in the State. In the past, neighboring Senator would never publicly come out against, his colleague. Senator John Liu did indeed come out in favor of the Casino, and that was quite rare. Member deference has been a breeding ground for some of the more ugly happenings in politics. Making it a law seems trite.

Being appointed means you are not in charge

Was Adams running the police force like a criminal enterprise? An ex-chief accused the mayor of actually having control of the police department.

Memo to anyone who is appointed to a post …… You are not in charge! You are appointed to represent that person who appointed you, and you can be removed. Former Police Commissioner Tom Donlon, who was police commissioner for two months in 2024, has filed lawsuits of corruption. One of his complaints, which really spoils his suit is claiming that he wasn’t really in charge of the force. The mayor still ran the department. 

Well no kidding…

The other charges in the suit are quite jarring. Buying promotions to looking the other way. It was among almost a half dozen lawsuits against the mayor in recent months. Some in high places claim these suits come about so Adams will drop out of the race, leaving Cuomo with a path to victory. Adams maintains that he will stay in the race until the end.

Mayoral Candidate Joe Hernandez Came By

Few people have talked about this independent mayoral candidate. Read about Joe Hernandez on our front pages this week. What makes him quite interesting is his explanation about how the use of AI can streamline everything in the city from transit to public safety to easing traffic. It’s kind of a fascinating story about a guy who came from Cuba at age 7. A scientist who went to Yale and Oxford, this guy made something of himself, financially. And now he’s running to be mayor.

The Mayor That Once Lived in Forest Hills

BQE Admin on July 21, 2025

Mayor Hylan throws a ball to open the World Series at Ebbets Field, 1920, Courtesy of Library of Congress, George Grantham Bain Collection.

A Spotlight on Two-Time NYC Mayor John Francis Hylan

 By Michael Perlman

With much dialogue underway for what may be the most debated mayoral elections, it is time to take a step back to a century ago, and enter the world of a political figure of Forest Hills. Mayor John Francis Hylan (1868 – 1936) resided in a charming stucco early Spanish/Mediterranean Revival home at 2 Olive Place in Forest Hills Gardens, after serving two terms. A graceful approach from Continental Avenue features a curved planting bed accompanied by three flagstone steps, parallel to the house, erected in 1926. In May 1932, The New Yorker reported that two white light globes were installed in front to symbolize Hylan’s terms in office.

Forest Hills is an extensive cultural breeding ground for notables, whose trades, talents, and personalities are often unique. It is inspirational how an individual raised on a sixty-acre farm in Hunter, Greene County in the Catskill Mountains, and with $3.50 in his pocket, made his way by stage and boat to New York City, and would become the 96th mayor, serving office from 1918 to 1925. Prior to living in Forest Hills, he and his wife, childhood sweetheart Marion Louise O’Hara, made their home in a brownstone at 959 Bushwick Avenue in Brooklyn.

Mayor Hylan on 1924 bronze medal from Democratic National Convention.

In 1921, his mayoral reelection was a success after defeating a fare increase and founding a transit commission to reconfigure a transportation system. He played an integral role in the creation of a subway owned and operated by the public, which would become the Independent Subway System on March 14, 1925. A complete city-operated subway would come to fruition fifteen years later, when the ISS/IND merged with the IRT and BMT.

Backtracking, a young Hylan was employed with the Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad, which was renamed the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT), and operated streetcar trains in Brooklyn and Queens. It later joined forces with the Interborough Rapid Transit System, an early subway system of Manhattan, to launch a dual contract system of unregulated and privately controlled transportation. Hylan’s career path migrated to a lawyer who fought Tammany Hall’s advances, and eventually became their loyal candidate. Hylan pursued his studies at Long Island Business College and New York Law School.

Mayor Hylan & world’s youngewst songwriter & bod-time stories author Betty Gulick open first public school kids automatic savings bank at PS 4, LIC, May 2, 1923.

On March 25, 1919, he tendered the Welcome Home Dinner at the Leading Hotels and Restaurants to the Gallant 27th Division, American Expeditionary Forces with Major-General John F. O’Ryan, “commanding in recognition of their valiant services rendered in the Great World-War of 1914 – 1918.”

The earliest known recording of a New York City mayor dates to the fall of 1921 and can be found on an Okeh Record which is titled “Speech of acceptance on his Renomination for Mayor by Mayor Hylan at City Hall.” It was made available by the General Phonograph Corporation of New York. Hylan focused on the need for home rule, opposing the governor’s appointed transit commission, which he emphasized holds the power to “nullify subway contracts and take away the five-cent fare.” He referenced it as “supreme issues” and advocated for taking away subway leases from the private traction companies. This became a dominant subject on WNYC during its earliest months on air in 1924, and during the first full day of broadcasting at their new studio on July 9, he appeared with Plant and Structures Commissioner Grover A. Whalen. WNYC is regarded as one of the first municipal radio stations, which became a reality during the Hylan administration.

Mayor Hylan’s house, 2 Olive Place, Forest Hills Gardens in a circa 1940 tax photo.

As of 1920, the 19th amendment granted citizens the right to vote regardless of gender. In Hylan’s acceptance speech, he stated, “In the conduct of municipal affairs, the women of this city have been a most potent factor. This administration acknowledges the splendid and efficient service which they have rendered.” Hylan was also respected for his voice in opposition to “the interests,” consisting of international banking and standard oil.

Administration highlights also included erecting and repairing schools and hospitals, securing the city as the healthiest for a newborn, the beginning of the development of the city’s waterfront, and the building and opening of the much-praised Coney Island boardwalk. The Bureau of Fire Investigation originated to work around the clock, as the Fire Department expanded, new alarm systems were implemented. He was also recognized for reducing crime.

Forest Hills firehouse plaque, 1923, featuring Mayor John F. Hylan, Photo by Michael Perlman.

Mayor Hylan would not serve a third term after losing the Democratic primary in September 1925. “I will return to private life with my self-respect unimpaired and my conscience clear,” he graciously stated, which was noted by the Long Island Daily Press and Daily Long Island Farmer. “I take this opportunity to thank the many thousands of men and women who so kindly worked for and loyally supported me on primary day. I return to private life with the satisfaction of having scrupulously lived up to my oath of office.” His vote was reportedly at 154,036, whereas Senator Walker’s was 249,579.

Mayor John Francis Hylan, Produced by Underwood & Underwood Studios.

If one looks closely for signs of Mayor John F. Hylan in Forest Hills, his name is inscribed on a plaque from 1923 at the landmarked Engine Company 305, Hook & Ladder Company 151 firehouse at 111-02 Queens Boulevard. He is commemorated alongside Fire Commissioner Thomas J. Drennan, Deputy Fire Commissioners Joseph M. Hannon and William F. Thompson, Chief of Department John Kenlon, Deputy Chief, Brooklyn & Queens John O’ Hara, and Chief of Bureau of Repairs & Supplies Hubert J. Treacy.

Hylan was active in community affairs as a judge at the Forest Hills lady popularity contest in 1930 at the Forest Hills Theatre, which featured Agnes Geraghty of Olympic swimming fame and musical comedy star Dorothy Stone. In the early 1930s, he served as Justice of the Queens Children’s Court at $17,500 annually. He was also a family man, with three grandchildren, and with civic matters in his heart, composed a history of New York.

Mayor John Francis Hylan, March 25, 1919, Welcome Home Dinner.

Hylan’s Forest Hills Gardens home was designed and erected by the significant Manhattan-based firm Patterson & Willcox for an estimated $35,000. The architectural plans were revised in accordance with the planned garden community’s restrictive covenants. On August 20, 1926, The Daily Star referenced its distinctive style and 14 rooms, and an unusual half-story as part of the basement, whereas the majority of homes of this nature would feature a half-story atop. An excerpt read, “The dining and living rooms will be ceilings with huge rafters, similar to those found in the Spanish mission type of home. Three huge stone fireplaces with decorative mantels will be installed. One will be placed in the living room, and the third in the basement. The fireplace chimney is exposed on the outside of the house and forms one of the decorative features of the architecture.”

At the time of his passing in 1936, the Associated Press reported, “Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia ordered flags on all public buildings lowered to half-staff and instructed Police Commissioner Valentine to mobilize a uniformed escort for the funeral.” His final resting place is at St. John Cemetery in Middle Village. In 1939, a portrait of Hylan, which was painted by Peconic resident Irving Ramsey Wiles and presented by his nine-year-old granddaughter Norma Jean Sinnott, was displayed in a reception area that led to Mayor La Guardia’s office.

Hylan’s homestead from his autobiography, 1922.

Today, Hylan’s spirit comes alive as New Yorkers and tourists alike take the subway or travel along Hylan Boulevard in Staten Island, a renaming that became official in 1923. Enthusiasts can also spend an afternoon in the 15-acre Hylan Park in the Bronx, which was named by NYC Parks Commissioner Stern in 1987. Another honorary property is Brooklyn’s John F. Hylan Public School.

The spirit of Hylan’s voice resonates if one were to pick up a copy of “Mayor Hylan of New York: An Autobiography” (1922). He advised “to never be afraid of hard work” and wrote, “A boy should never decline to perform a task which will make things easier for another. In order to succeed, one cannot be selfish. If you make rosy the path for another, your own path, beyond any doubt, will be bright. The lesson involved in this message applies equally to rich and poor, to the city lad as well as to the farmer’s son.”

Mayor Hylan’s Forest Hills Gardens home, April 4, 2019 photo by Michael Perlman.

Mayor Hylan memorabilia can occasionally be acquired on eBay, such as a 1924 tennis men’s double sterling medal, a 1922 Safe & Sane Fourth of July Athletic Celebration gold medal, a 1919 WWI Welcome Home Dinner menu, and his portrait alongside the Statue of Liberty and The Municipal Building on a 1924 bronze medal from the Democratic National Convention. He also appears in numerous news photos that capture significant events.

Mayor Hylan on 1924 bronze medal from Democratic National Convention, back.

The 2025 Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District Annual Meeting

BQE Admin on July 18, 2025

By Sofia Montagna

On June 25, the Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District (BID) – a partnership of property owners, business owners, residents, elected officials, and city agencies that aims to enrich the economic life of Sunnyside – was joined by community members for its annual meeting at Sunnyside Community Services.

Event attendees had the opportunity to hear from a variety of speakers, including New York Secretary of State Walter Mosley and Executive Director of Sunnyside Shines BID Dirk McCall de Paloma.

In his keynote speech for the event, Walter Mosley spoke extensively about Governor Kathy Hochul’s affordability agenda, which he described as an effort to keep money in the pockets of New Yorkers. “Affordability across the state is the number one issue. As a result, the governor said, ‘We’re going to find ways to keep money in the pockets of New Yorkers, while at the same time, put money back into the pockets of New Yorkers to the degree that, on average, every single taxpaying New Yorker will probably see, on average, $5,000 back into their pockets,’” Mosley said.

In addition to expressing the need for New York to become more affordable, Mosley described ongoing state efforts to help make New York more business-friendly. Mosley explained, “We do that by providing new access to low-interest capital for small businesses. We enhance our performance-based associate job tax credit. We protect workers from wage theft.”

Mosley also stressed the need for strong public-private partnerships to make sure that proper revitalization takes place in communities like Sunnyside.

The meeting also featured speeches by representatives from the New York Police Department (NYPD), the NYC Department of Buildings, the New York State Liquor Authority, and the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. These speakers shared updates on their organizations’ initiatives and successes, including efforts to support local businesses.

Dirk McCall de Paloma, the Executive Director of Sunnyside Shines BID, delivered a presentation reviewing the organization’s efforts and accomplishments over the past year. In the past year, 11 new businesses were launched in the district and Sunnyside Shines BID launched the first Sunnyside Night Market (in August 2024). The organization’s initiatives also included graffiti removal, sanitation, streetscape enhancements, plaza activation, neighborhood marketing, and a robust calendar of cultural programming and live performances via the Sunnyside Community Cultural Initiative.

McCall de Paloma commented, “We are making sure that these events look like Sunnyside, and we’re making sure that we celebrate all the cultures that are here.”

Op-Ed: Take Fears About Battery Storage Facilities Seriously

BQE Admin on July 18, 2025

Guest Op-Ed by Michael P. Mezzacappa

Dozens of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facilities are currently proposed or being built in some of New York City’s tightest-knit communities. As policymakers prioritize climate goals over the health and safety of neighborhoods like Middle Village and, most recently, St. Albans, residents are right to be concerned.

The push for battery storage centers is born out of the desire to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The New York Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (NYCLCPA) calls for cutting emissions 40% by 2030 and 85% by 2050. However, this law totally disregards the reality of fire science, which is within my area of the practice of law.

Toxic Chemicals Forced Fire- fighters to Let Fires Burn Out

While the FDNY is the best and most experienced in confronting fires and fatalities from small-scale lithium-ion battery fires – 277 toxic fires in 2024 – it’s entirely different on an industrial scale. Lithium-ion batteries burn hotter and faster, requiring much more water to extinguish. In fact, incidents involving these are more akin to an explosion, followed by a fire. Putting aside the fact that harvesting lithium has grave environmental consequences, including emitting 15 tons of carbon dioxide for every 1 ton of lithium harvested, New York is rushing too far, too fast down this road. Consider what happened this past January at the Moss Landing Power Plant, about 90 minutes south of San Francisco. While the facility has now caught fire on five separate occasions, the scale of the January 2025 blaze was incomparable. Due to the emissions of hydrogen fluoride and other toxic chemicals, firefighters were forced to let the fire burn itself out, rather than risking severe damage to their own lungs along with that of members of the surrounding community. Upwards of 1,200 people were forced to evacuate and in the days that followed, community residents report- ed feeling unwell.

While that west coast power plant had the benefit of being over half a mile from any built-up residential areas, imagine such a fire in a crowded New York residential neighborhood like St. Albans, where the latest planned BESS center is set to go up across from the St. Albans Veterans Hospital, on the site of a former gas station, where the underground gas tanks have been left in place for decades.

The borough is already home to 16 other functional BESS centers, only accounting for a minuscule 11.9 megawatts, the equivalent to power less than 12,000 homes. At least 14 more are planned for the borough, putting our homes and schools in the shadow of these potentially hazardous facilities. The FDNY deserves credit for its successful crackdown on illegal manufacturing and battery repair sites, and their ingenious use of specialized fire blankets to smother lithium-ion fires. Having litigated dozens of cases involving building infernos that resulted from lithium- ion batteries, I can personally attest to the insurance underwriting nightmare these massive scale facilities pose.

Most Batteries are From China – Companies Uninsured

What the BESS sponsors might not tell you is that the U.S. currently gets most of its lithium-ion batter- ies from China. It’s relevant because the producers responsible for mak- ing these batteries never respond to a single court summons and are, in the majority of cases, completely uninsured. Also, attorneys often cannot obtain jurisdiction over the manufacturer or the supplier of the batteries due to laws that, in many instances, favor foreign countries more than our own citizens. When something goes wrong, buyer beware!

Directly Across From PS 128

Yet while most new commercial, industrial or residential buildings here are required to have sprinkler systems, there is no current fire suppression technology capable of confronting industrial-sized lithium-ion battery fires.

While the FDNY has specialized fire blankets that can cover an electric vehicle, is it even possible to deploy one to cover an entire industrial building? The countless families in Middle Village, where a BESS facility is planned directly across from K-8 school PS 128, should be rightly concerned, as should those living near the 250-bed St. Albans VA Medical Center.

While New York City law prohibits smoking within 100 feet of a school building, why on earth can it be sensible to put a building packed full of materials that can emit toxic fumes when set alight, adjacent to a school, or a hospital serving our veterans?

As New York recklessly gallops ahead with building more BESS facilities, it should heed the concerns of its citizens before it is too late. The instability of lithium-ion batteries will simply not go away because they want it to. The time has come for a moratorium on any further construc- tion of BESS centers, near schools and residential neighborhoods.

Michael Mezzacappa, a partner and general counsel with New York-based Coffey Modica, represents insurers, property owners, managing agents and other professionals in major litigations that include lithium-ion battery explosions and fires.

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