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Local teacher creates short film

Jessica Meditz on July 6, 2022

‘Coming Home’ made quarterfinals in Big Apple Film Festival

Between school plays, off-off Broadway shows, and the front of school classrooms—Angelo Amato has performed in various arenas.

Most recently, his journey in the performing arts community has taken him to the world of short films, leading him to write, produce, direct, and star in his new short film, “Coming Home.”

Filmed entirely in Whitestone, where Amato lives, “Coming Home” is a drama about an Italian-American family of four living in Queens and experiences a great loss.

Much of the film’s theme is inspired by his own Italian heritage, as well as his local connections to Glendale, where his father owned a luncheonette on Myrtle Avenue; Howard Beach, where he spent some of his childhood years; and Nassau County, where he lived before coming to Whitestone in 2003.

Amato grew up loving films and acting, looking up to big names such as Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Gene Hackman, and Jack Nicholson.

However, his greatest influence is John Hughes, who is best known for his iconic ‘80s films, which he says heavily inspired his own filmmaking style.

“When it comes to film, I think of myself as a product of ‘80s pop culture. To me, those films were the best because the technology met at the perfect spot with the storytelling,” he said. “Films are about relationships between people, and each character in ‘Coming Home’ has their own deep backstory, something that they’re struggling with—like their relationship with the father or their relationships with each other.”

Amato plays Matthew, the responsible older brother figure, Zack Glassman plays Robert, the rebellious younger brother, Julia Caine plays Samantha, the little sister who’s just gone off to college, and Sarah Marie Miller plays Gail, the mother who navigates the family’s path and supports them during a tough time.

“[Samantha] is just coming to that age where she is realizing that her parents are more than just her parents, they’re also people… people that are not perfect, they make mistakes, they have their own lives, wants, fears, and hopes,” Caine said of her role in the film. “She’s going through a lot; it’s a complex character for a really interesting story.”

“It’s always really interesting to tell a story that has so much humanity in it,” Miller said. “These are universal things, whether the specific events of this story resonate with you or not, we all understand what it’s like to deal with grief and loss and the questions that can sometimes come up with that. It’s definitely a story that’s really just a slice of life.”

Amato has been acting since he was a child, and played Kenickie in his 8th grade rendition of “Grease.”

“The only way I can describe it is to say it was like the first time you fall in love,” he said.

Throughout high school, he starred in plays such as “42nd Street,” “South Pacific,” “Our Town,” and “A Streetcar Named Desire” at Iona College where he attended.

After college, Amato was involved in numerous off-off Broadway productions, but eventually stepped away from acting and started teaching Social Studies, which he says feels a lot like acting.

“When you’re teaching, I feel you’re definitely on stage,” he said. “It’s funny because I don’t really talk about it at work. I stepped away from acting for a while, but when something’s in your soul, it calls you back.”

This led him to star in a play at the Manhattan Repertory Theatre in 2019, and create “Coming Home.”

“Coming Home” finished as a quarterfinalist in the Big Apple Film Festival, and Amato said he plans to enter it into other well-known film festivals such as Tribeca and Sundance.

When it comes to his goals with acting and film, Amato’s motto is “go big or go home.”

“At this point in my life, I can honestly say that it has nothing to do with money or fame. I’ve come to a point in life where I realize we are all here for only a certain amount of time,” he said.

“It’s never too late to pursue what you love…and it doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else other than yourself. For me, that’s the takeaway.”

WATCH: “COMING HOME” AN ANGELO AMATO FILM

Two women assaulted in Glendale

Jessica Meditz on July 6, 2022

Perpetrator still on the loose

On June 16 at around 12:30 p.m., two women were physically assaulted on Myrtle Avenue in Glendale.

A 33-year-old woman, who requested to remain anonymous, said that during her regular lunchtime walk, an unknown individual came up from behind and punched her in the back of the head.

The incident occurred on Myrtle Avenue across the street from Mount Lebanon Cemetery, near the Glendale Library.

“It wasn’t my first thought that somebody had hit me,” she said. “I thought maybe something had fallen from the roof or some kids were playing with a basketball—almost like something had been thrown at me very hard.”

Instead, a male bystander working at a garage for the cemetery told her, “That man just punched you in the head.”
In the distance, she could see the perpetrator walking away casually in the opposite direction.

A few moments after the male bystander allowed the woman to come into the garage to call 9-1-1, another woman pushing a child in a stroller approached them, visibly shaken up.

“The man I was with said to her, ‘Did he hit you, too?’ and she said, ‘Yes, he punched me in the head and tried to push me into the street,’” the woman said.

“At that point, I was still kind of on autopilot trying to explain to 9-1-1 what the situation was. After we hung up and the police were on the way, I started to get upset and was processing what was actually going on,” she continued. “I could still see [the perpetrator] walking in the distance, continuing down Myrtle Avenue toward the McDonald’s.”

She added that the other woman who was assaulted said she was afraid to walk home as she needed to go in the same direction.

The two women, the child in the stroller, and the male bystander waited together outside the garage for the police to arrive.

But before they did, the suspect approached them again, yelling nonsensical statements and threatening them.

“We ran inside the garage and hid inside a tiny office in there. There was a glass window, so we can kind of see him outside,” the woman said.

“He was looking inside the garage for us, and at that point I felt like something was really wrong,” she continued. “It felt more like he intended to hurt us the second time, because why else would you come back? It was very menacing.”

By the time the police arrived, the suspect was gone, and they searched the surrounding area for him for a few minutes.

The cops could not locate him, and took the two victims’ statements.

Although the cemetery’s security cameras were able to capture a clear image of the suspect, the woman said that “nothing has been done” by the police as far as her case goes.

“It felt like the detective that I spoke to a few days later was blowing me off. He didn’t seem to know about the security footage, even though both of the officers who responded saw it, and I believe one of them took a picture with his cell phone,” she said.

“It’s been well over two weeks now, and I haven’t heard anything back. As far as I know, nobody’s been caught, and the picture hasn’t been circulated anywhere,” she continued. “It just kind of felt like nobody was going to do anything about it, or that it wasn’t an ‘important crime,’ like a ‘there are bigger fish to fry’ type of thing.

The woman described the assailant as a Black male in his mid-to-late 20s, average-size, wearing an oversized black t-shirt, a black durag, and what appeared to be red headphones around his neck.

She said that he looked very unassuming, and would not think twice if she’d simply passed him on the street.

It is unclear whether or not the individual was mentally unwell or under the influence of a substance, or if he came from the nearby Cooper Rapid Rehousing Center, a 200-bed men’s homeless shelter, which has caused a stir in the community.

“A lot of people that I’ve told the story to seem to think he came from there… I feel a lot of compassion for people who are experiencing homelessness, and was kind of an idealist when the shelter was first opening up,” the woman said.
“If this person was from the homeless shelter, I just hope he gets whatever help he needs.”

Since being assaulted, the 33-year-old Glendale resident said that she worries about the individual hurting someone else, and now feels very unsafe in the neighborhood.

“I’ve lived in Glendale pretty much my entire life, and I’ve never felt unsafe—especially in the middle of the day walking around. Now I feel like I’m constantly on high alert, and I’m afraid to go too far from my home or from my office,” she said. “I had a routine where I would walk on my lunch break and after work. A lot of times, I would go for a longer walk around the neighborhood, maybe an hour or so. I don’t feel comfortable doing that anymore.”

“I feel like there’s somebody still out there who maybe is looking to harm people or possibly doesn’t even remember harming people, depending on what his situation is,” she added. “The fact that he came back to us like that… that’s the kind of crime that can escalate. That’s the part that’s most concerning to me, and I almost feel like nothing’s going to happen unless he does something again.”

The NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Information confirmed that no arrests have been made at the time of publication, and the investigation is ongoing.

Virgil Abloh’s vision brought to life at Brooklyn Museum

Jessica Meditz on July 6, 2022

‘Figures of Speech’ open now through Jan 29, 2023

Virgil Abloh, a first-generation Ghanaian-American who rose to success as a fashion designer, entrepreneur, and artist, tragically died at the age of 41 after battling cancer.

One of Virgil Abloh’s many fashion forward designs.

Although he’s no longer able to share his craft with the world, his vision and art live on at the Brooklyn Museum in an exhibition dedicated to his life: “Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech.”

The exhibit is organized by Michael Darling, former James W. Alsdorf chief curator at the Muse- um of Contemporary Art Chicago, and the Brooklyn Museum presentation by guest writer and curator Antwaun Sargent.

“When I first started talking with Virgil about this show, I knew the best person to shape our iteration of them was Antwaun… When I would check in with Virgil to hear how the collaboration was going over a period of about two and a half years, he’d beam. He had that great Virgil smile,” Anne Pasternak, the Brooklyn Museum’s Shelby White and Leon Levy director said.

“Virgil always seemed to radiate with excitement, and that was certainly true about this show,” she continued. “He saw his art as a conceptual practice, embodying every artistic medium. Virgil wouldn’t let his practice be put in a proverbial box; his creativity was simply too big to contain, just like his energy.”

Anne Pasternak, Brooklyn Museum’s Shelby White and Leon Levy director

Pasternak added that Abloh wanted this installation to happen at the Brooklyn Museum for two primary reasons: to see his work in the context of a museum that rep- resents the best of visual culture in 5,500 years of global creativity, and to open up opportunities for young people, especially BIPOC youth, to express themselves as well as shaping culture and society.

“Figures of Speech” features a wide range of Abloh’s work from throughout his career, including collaborations with artist Takashi Murakami, musician Kanye West, and architect Rem Koolhaas, as well as material from his fashion label Off-White, and designs from Louis Vuitton, where he served as the first Black menswear artistic director.

The exhibit’s focal point, given Abloh’s background in architecture, is his Social Sculpture, located in the center.

Made in collaboration with ALASKA ALASKA, his London studio, “Social Sculpture” is a large, wooden house-like structure with a porch designed for artists, designers, architects, students, ac- tivists and the community to come together.

It was designed with the idea of “negritude architecture” in mind, a term coined by artist David Hammons, which describes “the way Black people make things,” such as houses or magazine stands in Harlem.

The wall text beside the sculpture reads: “Just the way we use carpentry. Nothing fits, but every- thing works. The door closes, it keeps things from coming through. But it doesn’t have that neatness about it, the way white people put things together; everything is a thirty-second of an inch off.”

Abloh’s designs will be on display at the Brooklyn Museum through January 2023.

Sharon Matt Atkins, deputy director for art at the Brooklyn Museum, played a big role in planning the exhibition, as well as working with Sargent and all of the teams involved with its genesis—including Abloh’s team.

She and the museum also worked with MCA Chicago, where the exhibit originally opened.

“We very much had a sense of his vision for what this show should look like, because New York and Brooklyn specifically was so special to him,” Matt Atkins said.

“He really wanted our presentation to be distinctive, and I can say without any question that we have done that,” she continued. “We have fully realized his vision, including the works displayed on the sculptures that appear as tables that are runways that are drafting tables, and the ‘Social Sculpture,’ which is in the center.”

Those interested in seeing Virgil Abloh’s life through his creations are fortunate to have a wide time-frame to catch the exhibit, as it will be on display in the Brooklyn Museum now through Jan. 29, 2023.

Raga claims Dems ticket in Assembly primary

Jessica Meditz on July 1, 2022

On track to becoming first Filipino-American elected in New York

Steven Raga, a lifelong Woodside resident and former chief of staff for Assemblyman Brian Barnwell, declared victory in the Democratic Primary for Assembly District 30, based on the unofficial results from the State Board of Elections.

Raga won in a landslide with 71 percent of the vote—receiving 2,561 of the 3,618 locals who cast their ballots—over his opponent, Ramón Cando, in his bid to represent Elmhurst, Woodside, and Maspeth.

This means that should he defeat Republican challenger Sean Lally, a petition carrier for Andrew Giuliani’s gubernatorial campaign, in the general election this November, Raga will make history as the first Filipino-American person to hold office in New York State.

Cando, a Democratic district leader and proud member of Laborers Local 78, came up short in the polls with approximately 28 percent of the vote. Running as a “common sense” candidate, his campaign was focused predominantly on repealing bail reform and increasing NYPD resources and funding.

According to Raga, he and Cando were originally supposed to go head-to-head for the district leader position, but that changed in April, when Barnwell announced that he would not seek reelection.

Raga was unanimously selected by a committee on vacancies to fill his former boss’ spot on the ballot. He said it was a very sudden, and therefore difficult decision.

“I had a day or two to think about it… and I talked to some friends who said, ‘If you want to represent these communities and feel like you have the experience to fight for them now, sometimes the timing is not the way you want, but the opportunity is there,’” Raga said. “So I said, ‘sure.’”

Barnwell previously told The Queens Ledger that he bowed out of the race because despite his efforts to resolve various community issues, “people would rather play politics than solve the real problems [the district] is facing.”

With this knowledge, Raga said he will strive to make a difference in Albany by reaching out to more electeds to build coalitions surrounding certain issues, prioritize safety, and write legislation that people will support.

Raga has experience working with communities and making an impact, shown by his work with the Susan G. Komen Foundation, AARP, the United States Commission on Civil Rights, Queens Community Board 2, and Woodside on the Move.

He said that as the former executive director of Woodside on the Move, he was able to double its budget in the last quarter, which hasn’t increased in years.

“That was kind of a dream job, you get to work for the community, work on policies that are needed, and help vulnerable communities in the neighborhood,” Raga said. “I could really put my skill set into it. I also widened the scope of policies by doubling on housing and focusing on healthcare.”

In the Assembly, Raga would prioritize the issues of housing injustice, rent stabilization, public safety, infrastructure investments, education, climate, healthcare, LGBTQ+ resources, and workers’ rights.

Because of his ancestry, as the descendant of the Philippines, Raga said that public safety hits close to home, having seen friends and family targeted and harassed because of their race.

“I would take a comprehensive look at how to make city streets safer, but also address the root cause,” he said.

“That includes stable housing, so folks are not rendered homeless and in a more precarious position, more jobs to keep people stable, and mental health services and resources.”

While working as Barnwell’s former chief of staff, Raga helped set up a new constituent case system for his office, which allows residents of the district to direct their complaints or concerns directly to the Assemblyman and his staff.

Raga said he plans to continue to provide the same accessibility to his constituents.

“I want to prioritize helping constituents, which means picking up the call and making sure you get back to your constituents—whether or not they voted for you, whether or not they’re registered in a particular party. It doesn’t matter,” he said.

“You have to help the folks that live in the neighborhood, whether they hate on you or they go on social media,” he continued. “That’s part of what I learned from the current Assemblymember, and I would definitely re-emphasize that as a priority if I take the seat.”

Raga received a broad range of endorsements for the campaign, including organizations such as the Lesbian Gay Democratic Club of Queens, New York City Immigration Coalition Action Fund, New American Leaders Action Fund, and TenantsPAC. He also gained the support of Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Congresswoman Grace Meng, Congressman Gregory Meeks, Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz, Assemblyman Khaleel Anderson, Assemblyman Ron Kim, Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi, Councilman Shekar Krishnan, and State Senator John Liu.

In response to his win, Meng took to Twitter to congratulate Raga, highlighting the importance of Asian representation in politics: “We did it! We helped elect the first Filipino American ever in the state of NY!!! ⁦@RagaForQueens⁩ #history!!!!”

She also responded to a tweet that pointed out how AAPI voters make up more than 40 percent of the vote in Assembly District 30, and how “representation matters now more than ever.”

“Thank you for entrusting me with your vote. It is an incredible honor to be your Democratic Nominee for Assembly District 30,” Raga said in an Instagram post.

“I love my community and know that it deserves so much more in attention, recognition, and resources. [This] victory proves that our neighbors agree and are ready to bring our fight to Albany,” he continued. “The work does not stop now. In November, we will be facing a Republican candidate. So, tonight we rest and tomorrow, we’ll get back to work.”

Speech pathologist assists locals with disorders

Jessica Meditz on June 30, 2022

Whitney Thomas, 34, a speech-language pathologist living in Downtown Brooklyn, was originally on track to pursue nursing.

However, she learned about speech pathology during her time in college at Ohio State University, when she had a family member who suffered from a brain injury.

Whitney Thomas, 34, a speech-language pathologist

She attended some of his sessions, and quickly became intrigued by the field from seeing the improvement and growth in her relative’s communication skills.

“I became very intrigued, and started doing more research into the field. Speech therapy covers so many areas, not just communicating… It was also, of course, working with children who stutter, in hospitals with adults who had strokes, and voice patients,” Thomas said.

Thomas works for VNS Health, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of people through high-quality, cost-effective health care in the home and community.

Her work with VNS Health entails interacting with patients 18 and up, and sometimes children on a case-by-case basis, primarily in the Southern Queens communities of Jamaica, the Rockaways, Queens Village, and Richmond Hill.

She engages with folks in an intimate way by entering their homes and working with them in a space that’s familiar and comfortable for them.

“I think that a lot of times, you become part of the family,” Thomas said. “I have a patient who I worked with for several months because she had cancer, and I really enjoyed coming to see her every week.”

“Her family was always excited to see me, and when she had success, they were just so excited to update me on her progress… Even months later, they still keep in contact with me to tell me how she’s doing and send pictures,” she continued. “I like that you really get to know people and their family members.”

Thomas assists people with speaking, cognitive, and swallowing issues caused by cancer, stroke, Parkinson’s, traumatic injuries, and aphasia, a language disorder that impacts a person’s communication skills, among many other conditions.

While there are about 46 million people in the U.S. who have communication and swallowing disorders, Thomas feels that they are extremely underrepresented in society.

“For example, most people have never even heard of aphasia, which is a big one because it’s very typical after having a stroke,” she said. “I think Bruce Willis was recently diagnosed with aphasia, which was actually really helpful in spreading awareness for the disorder.”

She cited Muhammad Ali as a famous example of someone with Parkinson’s disease who had difficulty with speech.

Despite the lack of representation, as well as other obstacles like the COVID-19 pandemic and the stress of managing cases,

Thomas said that she is passionate about her career, enjoys serving the community and gaining more knowledge on a daily basis.

“I’m someone who gets bored easily, so I like being in a career that allows me to always grow or learn new things, which is something I appreciate,” she added.

Food Bank’s mobile pantry to serve Ozone Park

Jessica Meditz on June 30, 2022

The Food Bank for New York City brought its Mobile Food Pantry Program to Ozone Park last week, along with an $80,000 donation from Stop & Shop to help keep the pantry stocked for weekly distributions through the summer.

Director of Special Projects for the nonprofit food bank Chantel Peters helped oversee the Mobile Food Pantry Program, situated at the corner where 101st Avenue and Liberty Avenue meet in southeast Queens, which is expected to feed 200-to-300 families each week between June 24th and August 26th.

“The Food Bank is here because our communities are struggling during this time and we want to ensure that folks don’t have to make a choice between their normal household responsibilities and food,” Peters said. “We’ve had some hardships throughout the Queens neighborhoods.”

Before the COVID-19 pandemic struck in early 2020, approximately 9.7 percent of Queens residents were food insecure. Today, the Food Bank for New York City projects that number to be nearly 16 percent of the borough, or 360,000 residents, having difficulty putting food on the table.

In 2021, the nonprofit distributed more than 121 million meals.

It’s a “360 degree” approach to tackling food insecurity according to Peters, who said that the Food Bank for New York City is equipped to try and end the cycle of poverty. With tax programs, community kitchens and pantries, along with nutrition programs promoting healthy cooking, the nonprofit aims to get to the root of food insecurity.

Peters said that instead of utilizing large-scale pop-up distributions, the nonprofit decided to do smaller and more dependable distributions in communities throughout the borough.

At the weekly pantries, food including proteins, whole grains, and dairy, as well as culturally relevant Halal food items will be distributed. Fresh fruit, produce and leafy greens will also be available in a farmer’s market style distribution. No identification or personal information is needed for food distribution, all that is asked is the size of the household.

Mohammad Khan, executive director of nonprofit Cityline Ozone Park Civilian Patrol (COPCP), can attest to the rising need of his own diverse neighborhood.

“Ozone Park… where nearly everyone is an immigrant,” Khan said.

The neighborhood of Ozone Park is nestled just to the east of Brooklyn neighborhoods Cypress Hills and East New York, and surrounded by Queens neighborhoods South Richmond Hill, Woodhaven and Howard Beach.

“The needs in this community are not just Ozone Park’s needs,” Khan said. “It’s also the needs of the areas around Ozone Park.

In COPCP’s own weekly and monthly food pantries, Khan has seen the lines grow over the past two years.

“The need has grown and we’re here to fulfill that gap,” he said. “We’re here to make sure that our community is taken care of by us.”

New Commanding Officer of the 104

Jessica Meditz on June 28, 2022

Deputy Inspector Kevin Coleman discusses plans for community, uptick in crime

Although he doesn’t have a New York accent, NYPD Deputy Inspector Kevin Coleman is no stranger to the city—or the borough of Queens.

He first moved to Astoria from Rochester, NY in September 2001—just 10 days before 9/11—and now lives in Manhattan.

Coleman joined the NYPD exactly 19 years ago, and started his career at the 6th Precinct in Lower Manhattan.

He went on to work at the 25th Precinct in East Harlem, 43rd and 52nd Precincts in the Bronx, 10th Precinct in the west side of Manhattan, where he served as commanding officer, and the Patrol Borough Bronx before being transferred to the 104 three weeks ago.

The 104th Precinct serves the western section of Queens, containing the Ridgewood, Glendale, Middle Village, and Maspeth neighborhoods.

“I’m very excited to be here,” Coleman said. “Working-wise, this is my first time in Queens, as I was mainly a Manhattan and Bronx cop for my career. But I’m happy to be here at the 104 and in a new experience working in Queens.”

Coleman said he made the conscious decision to go to bed early the night before his first day, June 6, and he’s glad he did—as the fatal shooting at 1080 Wyckoff Avenue happened early that morning.

“My patrol sergeant called me, and I woke up to respond directly to the scene there. We had a fatality there; a man was shot in the head, which is a tragedy on its own,” he said.

“We had about four shooters that are pretty much linked to crews in Brooklyn, and even the Bronx, and they have an ongoing dispute,” he continued. “It’s horrible. We had a fatality, but it could have been worse there.”

Coleman said that the 104’s former commanding officer, Captain Louron Hall, has been very helpful for his transition into the new precinct.

Hall is now the Commanding Officer of the 109th Precinct in northeast Queens.

Similarly to Hall’s approach, Coleman aims to engage with the community as much as possible, by way of meeting with stakeholders and elected officials, attending local events, being active on social media, and being present at community meetings to hear people’s concerns.

“I like to talk with people,” Coleman said. “I have what I call an open door policy for my cops. I’ll talk to them, but also with people in the public by arranging meetings.”

Coleman attended his first 104th Precinct Community Council meeting last week, where he and other police officers from the precinct listened to community members’ concerns and provided them with crime statistics.

He shared that the precinct is up in almost all categories of crime, especially gun violence, as there have been seven shooting incidents year-to-date versus zero at this time last year. The Ridgewood section of the precinct is the area with the most violent crimes, as it borders the 83rd Precinct in Brooklyn.

“None of [the shootings] are connected, but I think it does illustrate that people are walking around with firearms, which is concerning,” Coleman said. “We want to make it very clear that this violence will not be tolerated here.”

He added that the 104th Precinct recovered a handful of guns in the past two weeks alone, and emphasized that any type of violent crime is a priority of the precinct, as well as other crimes such as scams, robberies, or grand theft auto.

As for interacting with the community, Coleman said that so far he feels supported by them, despite the widespread anti-police sentiments.

“Obviously, there are people that can have justified concerns about policing, and that goes for any profession. However, the thing that was really shocking to me during the ‘defund the police’ movement is this stigma to paint all cops, the entire profession, as bad people,” Coleman said.

“I know for a fact, being in the NYPD for 19 years, that there are so many good people who are here for the right reasons. They want to help communities, they want to help people, and they want to reduce crime,” he continued. “Because of the pandemic and the incidents that happened, such as the murder of George Floyd, I think people in general challenge authority more than they once did.”

Coleman reflected on a past experience in the Bronx, where he and his partner arrested an individual wanted for a crime.

During the arrest, the person turned to him and the other officer and said, “You guys are the bad guys now.”

“Although I don’t think that’s true, it certainly felt that way,” Coleman said. “And I think these things can be about perception, and where it becomes a problem is the bad guys out there that commit crimes, if they believe that they have this ability to challenge the police and that they feel like the public is on their side about that, that empowers them.”

Despite this, Coleman acknowledges that the majority of New York City actually supports the police, and feels that those who do not are in the minority.

“It’s almost like its own little world, here in these neighborhoods, which are right in the center of Queens and Brooklyn,” he said. “I like that this community is really closely knit and supportive—not just of the police, but for each other.”

Catalytic converter theft pattern raises eyebrows

Jessica Meditz on June 28, 2022

New state legislation to address issue

While almost universally used in most modern cars to reduce harmful pollution, catalytic converters are a hot commodity in today’s economic climate.

They are so sought after that thieves go out of their way to steal them from under strangers’ vehicles—especially in Queens—where street parking is so common.

Catalytic converters, on average, sell for $1,500 to $3,000, due to their valuable metals platinum, palladium, and rhodium, which continue to rise in price.

Deputy Inspector Kevin Coleman, the new commanding officer of the 104th Precinct, said that the short time it takes to steal a catalytic converter also plays a role.

“Perpetrators of this crime have become very good at it, and often, what they do is pull up to the target vehicle, and two of them get out,” he said.
“They can perform this operation in under a minute, or 30 seconds, very quickly,” he continued. “It happens in the blink of an eye and they drive off.”

As a result of constituent complaints and concerns heard at local civic meetings, NYS Senator Joseph Addabbo and his state colleagues approved a bill to combat catalytic converter theft.

The newly adopted legislation requires vehicle dismantlers and scrap processors to document information on the seller of the device, otherwise they will face a hefty fine.

State lawmakers, including Addabbo, hope these requirements will deter thieves from committing the crime.

“The ease of removing these devices from vehicles and the valuable precious metals used in catalytic converters has made this particular item a prime target for thieves,” Addabbo said. “This legislation, which for me is a direct result of constituent complaints, will ensure law enforcement has the necessary tools to thoroughly investigate the theft of this vital equipment which serves to protect the environment, while also ensuring individuals caught stealing will face appropriate consequences.”

Charlie, a Forest Hills resident who declined to give his last name, said he personally witnessed two thieves stealing his neighbor’s catalytic converter.

“I saw one guy acting as a lookout and I heard some sawing sounds coming from under the car. I immediately took out my phone and started taking photos, and I even got a good shot of the license plate, which was a paper one,” he said.

“The spotter noticed me taking photos and started yelling at me, asking me what I’m doing,” he continued. “They were pretty much done in 10 to 15 minutes, and by the time the cops arrived these thieves were long gone.”

Charlie said he did not want to get too close to the perpetrators, as they could have been armed, and hopes that the new state legislation will make thieves think twice before stealing the part.

“The parts cost so much money to replace, and it’s certainly hurting the pockets of the people that own the cars or the insurance companies,” he said. “Because of the high cost of parts replacement in addition to the inconvenience caused to car owners, thieves and chop shops should also pay a big price for stealing these parts.”

Michael Zhou, a Rego Park resident, said that his brother’s catalytic converter got stolen last week in Kew Gardens Hills, and his own was stolen in February.

He is frustrated that this crime is so rampant in the community, and how perpetrators only seem to care about making fast money with no consideration for the people it affects.

“It takes the perpetrator less than 2 minutes to steal it. For someone to make $300, like my daughter who works for an ice cream store at $15.50 an hour, she would need to work 19 hours. Perps, of course, would rather earn $300 in two minutes instead of working for 19 hours,” Zhou said.

Middle Village Relay For Life raises $78K

Jessica Meditz on June 28, 2022

Cancer survivors, caregivers, family, friends, prominent community figures, and even pets gathered in Juniper Valley Park on Saturday to stand up against cancer.

For the 19th year, the American Cancer Society hosted the Relay For Life of Middle Village, which honored locals who have been affected by cancer, as well as those who have donated to support the cause.

Collectively, the Middle Village Relay For Life raised well over $78,000 for cancer research, patient care programs, and other valuable resources.

The list of sponsors includes local businesses and organizations such as Maspeth Federal Savings, Kiwanis Club of Glendale, Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, Move to the Melodie, Main Street Radiology, Cord Meyer Development Company, Ridgewood Moose Lodge 1642, and O’Neill’s Maspeth.
Maspeth resident Leslie Orlovsky of the American Cancer Society, who led the event, said that the overall goal of the Relay For Life is to support groundbreaking cancer research, to ultimately find a cure.

“I know a lot of survivors, and people who are close to me that have lost their battle to cancer,” Orlovsky said. “And I’m so thankful for the science and the recent breakthrough cancer research we have seen. I hope we are close to a cure.”

New York City Councilman Robert Holden was in attendance, and reminisced about the event’s past successes and celebrated the promising future for cancer research.
“I thank everyone who’s here and is keeping the faith. There have been great strides this year in the fight against cancer, with some major breakthroughs,” he said.

Since the event was held at the Multi-purpose Play Area/Field 8 of the park, it was much smaller than years past, but Holden said that he can “almost guarantee” that it will be back at the Juniper Valley Park track and field next year.

Melissa Alke-Sparnroft kicked off the event by sharing her cancer story with the crowd, which was followed by a series of walks and team laps around the track. There was also a relay, fun and games, a Zumba dance class taught by Melodie Mattes, and the Luminaria Ceremony in the evening.

Alke-Sparnroft, a resident of Ridgewood and a mother-to-be, is living proof that cancer does not discriminate.

Her journey began in 2018 when she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, and began going for yearly blood work and ultrasounds.

In 2020, she was due for her annual appointment, which got canceled due to the first COVID-19 panic.

In June of that year, Alke-Sparnroft found out she was pregnant with her first son, Jackson, but she had a stillbirth in October.

Right around Christmastime, she got the call from her doctor that she had papillary thyroid cancer.

“That just goes to show that cancer doesn’t care,” she said. “I ended up having surgery in February 2021 to get my thyroid and a few lymph nodes removed… I went into isolation for a week.”

Although it was one of the most difficult times in her life, Alke-Sparnroft is pleased to say that the medical procedures worked, and she and her husband will soon welcome a child into the world.

“I’m really thankful for science because without it, the researchers and the doctors would not have been able to basically find a way to cure this type of thyroid cancer,” she said. “You also really have to be your own advocate and use your voice. Go to your recommended cancer screenings. You have to take control and go to it.”

“When you’re in those really difficult times, you have to do what you can to keep moving forward,” she continued. “My personal motto is ‘Day by day, sometimes hour by hour, and sometimes it’s even minute by minute.’ You have to do what you can, holding onto some sort of hope for the future and moving forward.”

WellLife Network brings affordable housing to Glendale

Jessica Meditz on June 22, 2022

Housing for homeless, income-eligible folks

After years of planning, vying for community support, and construction, WellLife Network finally cut the ribbon on a brand new five-story affordable apartment complex in Glendale.

Dedicated to serving people across the five boroughs and Long Island with developmental disabilities or mental illnesses, WellLife Network plans to continue its mission to empower individuals to live dignified lives and achieve their goals with this new supportive mixed use apartment building.

The building, located at 80-97 Cypress Avenue, has 66 units, which are a combination of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments.

Forty of these units are reserved for the homeless, while the remaining 26 units are for individuals in the community who meet low-income eligibility criteria, or 60 percent of the area median income.

Sherry Tucker, CEO of WellLife Network, is saddened by the fact that over 25,000 applications were submitted for the 26 community units, revealing how much demand there is for affordable housing in New York.

The previous property at the site of 80-97 Cypress Avenue was a community eyesore for years.

“At WellLife, we work very hard to be good neighbors, wherever we go, and we are always interested in trying to improve the areas in any way we can,” she said. “We’d love to be an asset to the neighborhood and really try to help in any way we can to make it be the very best it can be, and we always want to be a part of the community in any way possible.”

On June 9, WellLife Network commemorated the official grand opening of the building with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Local officials attended the event to compliment the project, including Ingrid Lewis-Martin, chief adviser to Mayor Eric Adams; Ahmed Tigani, deputy commissioner of NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development; and New York City Councilman Robert Holden.

“WellLife, in partnership with the New York City Department of Housing, Preservation, and Development has created a model mixed-housing development for some of our most vulnerable residents in need of supportive services, as well as for New Yorkers who just need good and decent affordable housing,” Lewis-Martin said. “We strongly encourage other developers to ‘honor the call’ to create affordable housing with amenities in communities that systematically have been on the fringes. Kudos to WellLife and HPD for a job well done.”

Tucker said that WellLife’s proposal to open this apartment complex was approved unanimously by Community Board 5.

Walter Sanchez, chairman of CB5’s Land Use Committee, said that the board’s decision to approve was the right thing for the neighborhood.

“We know that every area has to do their part in supportive housing, and we think this fits in very well with us, so our board voted overwhelmingly to approve the project,” he said.
WellLife also held public forums to hear the community’s concerns—many of which they took into consideration when tweaking the specs of the project, such as potential traffic congestion and excessive height.

However, some neighbors on Cypress Avenue are skeptical of what changes the new apartment complex might bring to the community, especially with widespread concerns about the nearby men’s homeless shelter on Cooper Avenue, Cooper Rapid Rehousing Center.

“We’re not happy about this; it’s going to be a mess,” one neighbor, who requested to remain anonymous, said. “That’s why my landlord is selling this house and we’re leaving.”

Another neighbor, Yaffa Tamano, said that she’s also not in favor of the project because it’s out of character for the rest of the block, and might bring unwanted change to the neighborhood.

Councilman Robert Holden, who has openly criticized the Cooper homeless shelter in the past, emphasized that WellLife’s new affordable housing project is in no way comparable to it.

“This is actually a home for people; they’re going to stay there. This is not something like a shelter where they’re transient and they come and they have problems,” Holden said.
“This place actually supports and treats them … Some have mental health issues, some are just falling on hard times, and some are coming from shelters, but they will get their own apartment, which is great.”

Tucker said that the building has various amenities and services that will significantly improve the quality of life for residents, such as 24/7 front desk coverage, on-site support services, a laundry room, gym, and a deck that offers a perfect view of the city skyline.

She noted that the site just passed a final routine HPD inspection, and families could start moving in as early as this week.

“The Cypress Avenue residence helps WellLife achieve its ongoing vision to create income-eligible, supportive, and affordable mixed-use housing developments that offer a safe and nurturing environment where all tenants feel a sense of belonging to a larger community,” she said.

Editor’s Note: Walter Sanchez is the publisher of BQE Media. His recent remarks were made in his capacity as chairman of CB 5’s Land Use Committee.

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