Apr. 19-25, 2012 Your Neighborhood - Your News® FREE THE NEWSPAPER OF KEW GARDENS, REGO PARK, MASPETH, GLENDALE & MIDDLE VILLAGE Rego Park condo sales among highest in city Page 5 QGuide Page 25 Holocaust tales Lancman picks up union support retold to keep CWA members rally memories alive FRESHING UP FOR SPRING at Verizon center BY STEVE MOSCO in Forest Hills Six million counts of mur- der. BY STEVE MOSCO The world knows all too well about the terrible atrocities com- State Assemblyman Rory mitted during the Holocaust by Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows) Nazi Germany in World War II — accepted the endorsement of the the near-elimination of an entire Communications Workers of race of humanity. America District 1 Monday at But rather than forget this the Verizon Call Center in Forest frightful history, Anne Golden Hills in the four-way Democratic chooses to remember it and pay primary race for Congress. tribute to a heroic family member. The candidate for the seat Her grandmother, Mirra Golden, to be vacated by U.S. Rep. Gary survived that dark time and now Ackerman Anne celebrates her grandmother stood with Related story and others who continued to live. workers “We can’t forget the survi- and leaders PAGE 4 vors or those who died,” said Anne from the Golden, at the Central Queens YM union to demand representatives & YWHA in Forest Hills, days in Washington, D.C., take a fresh before Holocaust Remembrance look at the tax code and support Day, or Yom Hashoah, April 19. Youngsters Scott Kamen (l.), 13, and Noah Cleary, 13, paint tree guards on Continental Avenue near the intersec- the middle class. “My grandmother was stubborn tion with Austin Street as part of an Earth Day community volunteer project, organized by Steve Melnick. See more “Tomorrow on Tax Day, or- and filled with life — and I’m here photos at www.timesledger.com. Photo by Christina Santucci dinary Americans will fork over Continued on Page 14 Continued on Page 16 A CNG Publication • Vol. 16, No. 16 52 total pages New York City’s Freshest Milk. From New York City’s Only Dairy. www.elmhurstdairy.com Buy local. 2 FH City cuts 9 Kew Gdns. trees CB 6 hears city’s plan COM . Agency cites fungal disease, but park group demands evidence to phase out dirty fuel BY STEVE MOSCO to the DEP. TIMESLEDGER “The city Health De- Heavy-grade heat- partment conducted an ing oil is hazardous to the air study and it found that city’s health and more than breathing in heavy heating 120 apartment buildings in oil can result in over 3,000 . 19-25, 2012 . 19-25, 2012 Queens are using it — but deaths, 2,000 hospitaliza- PR , A not for much longer. tions and 6,000 emergency At a Community Board room visits annually,” EDGER L 6 meeting in Kew Gardens, Bowyer told the group at Bethany Bowyer, policy the Kew Gardens Commu- IMES T adviser at the city Depart- nity Center April 11. ment of Environmental She said the city will Protection, said Mayor begin phasing out the No. Michael Bloomberg’s ad- 6 heating oil this July, with ministration has begun to a complete phase-out slated phase out the sludgy, pol- for 2015. luting fuel oil. Of a more immediate Bowyer presented concern, Capt. Ralph For- Workers stuff recently bloomed cherry blossom trees into a woodchipper behind Queens Borough Hall. Park Advocates is calling for the three vials containing gione, commanding officer Department of Citywide Administrative Services to provide proof the trees were diseased. Photo courtesy NYC Parks Advocates three different grades of of the 112th Precinct, gave heating oil to the board: a brief report on the pre- BY STEVE MOSCO of disease. He said Parks preparing to begin con- I can almost guarantee that Nos. 6, 4 and 2. Noticeably cinct’s criminal activity, Advocates asked DCAS to struction on a $21 million nothing was sent to a lab, thicker than the other saying that grand larceny The Department of provide a Tree Health As- atrium project, a city as- so how thorough can this grades, No. 6 oil causes is the one crime running Citywide Administrative sessment report, completed sessment of the trees found thing be?” dense black smoke to rise rampant in the area. Services said a fungal dis- either in-house or by an that nine were diseased and A representative from from stacks atop apartment According to Forgione, ease prompted the removal independent consulting ar- necessitated removal. Borough President Helen buildings across the city. there were 31 grand larce- of nine cherry blossom borist. “As part of the project Marshall’s office said they The two lower grade oils nies in the last 30-day pe- trees behind Borough Hall, While DCAS said it preparation, an arborist are currently reviewing a will reduce emissions by riod, which is on a par with but one group claims the had consulted with an ar- visited the site in 2009 and report from a DCAS-hired up to 50 percent, according Continued on Page 14 landscape leveling was an borist, Croft wonders why found that some of the trees arborist, but could not pro- unnecessary Queens chain- the department will not had fungal and bacterial vide a copy of the report or saw massacre. provide documentation for diseases. Another land- the name of the arborist. New York City Park review or the name of the scape architect confirmed Instead, the office referred Advocates, a nonprofit arborist. that assessment in 2012,” requests for such informa- watchdog group involved “I’m happy these is- Cho said in an e-mail to tion to the landscaping in improving city parks, sues are coming to light,” Croft. firm, Abel Bainnson Butz said neither DCAS nor the said Croft, adding that of Calls to Cho at DCAS LLP, which did not respond landscaping firm hired for the nine chopped trees, and the landscaping firm to requests for comment. the job has provided suffi- only one displayed signs Abel Bainnson Butz LLP Marshall’s representa- cient evidence illustrating of root rot, a disease dev- requesting the arborist’s tive also said the city will the urgent need to remove astating enough to war- report were not returned. plant a new grove of trees the trees, which were in rant immediate removal. “It is our belief that and bushes after the one- full bloom, in Kew Gardens “The care of trees, or lack DCAS did not do their due year construction project April 3. thereof, in many city con- diligence in assessing these is completed. When com- Geoffrey Croft, a struction projects have had trees,” said Croft. “If these pleted, the atrium will pro- Park Advocates represen- serious impacts and need to trees were diseased and we vide space for meetings and Bethany Bowyer (r.), from the city Department of Environmental tative, said his organiza- be addressed.” are going to discuss patho- cultural events, according Protection, speaks to Community Board 6 about the city’s plan to tion is seeking documents DCAS representative gens, then DCAS should to Marshall’s office. use cleaner heating oil. Also in attendance was Frank Gulluscio (l.), that back up the claims Julianne Cho said while have sent samples to a lab. the district manager. Photo by Steve Mosco IN THIS ISSUE HOW TO REACH US Police Blotter ........................................................8 Focus on Queens ................................................22 MAIL: 41-02 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, NY 11361 Editorials & Letters .......................................10-11 QGuide ........................................................... 25-29 PHONE: Display Advertising: (718) 260-4521 — Editorial: (718) 260-4545 FAX: Editorial (718) 224-2934 — Display: (718) 224-5821 Dishing with Dee .................................................12 Business ................................................................36 Classified: (718) 260-2549 Political Action ....................................................12 Sports ............................................................39-42 E-MAIL: Editorial: [email protected] I Sit and Look Out ...............................................13 Classified ......................................................43-49 Display Advertising: [email protected] Classified: [email protected] TO SUBSCRIBE: Call (718) 260-4521 Copyright©2011 Queens Publishing Corp. FOREST HILLS LEDGER RIDGEWOOD LEDGER HOWARD BEACH TIMES (USPS#025128) is published weekly by News Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., 41-02 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, NY.11361, (718) 229-0300. The entire contents of this publication are copyright 2011. All rights reserved. The newspaper will not be liable for errors appearing in any advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Periodicals postage paid at Flushing, N.Y. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Forest Hills Ledger Ridgewood Ledger Howard Beach Times C/O News Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. 41-02 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, N.Y. 11361 3 Jamaica Bay’s survival inspires upcoming documentary F H T IMES Filmmakers hope to save marshland area by reminding city dwellers of environmental beauty L EDGER BY STEVE MOSCO to the bay.” years. from time to time.” , A PR Hendrick and the film The bay is also home Times and minds are . 19-25, 2012 Ask New Yorkers about crew used a number of to an array of reptiles, am- changing, as a multimil- city wildlife and they will people not normally asso- phibians, small mammals, lion-dollar project to build probably tell harrowing ciated with environmental more than 60 species of but- marsh islands in Jamaica tales of dodging sidewalk preservation. From Rus- terflies and a large popula- Bay is expected to restore pigeons and subway rats. sian and Indo-Caribbean tion of horseshoe crabs. eroding wetlands and help TIMESLEDGER Seeking to change the immigrants to lifelong Even with all of that keep the waterway a viable conventional wisdom that Broad Channel residents, natural beauty, the bay ecosystem. one must travel to the far Hendrick said everyone faced challenges under The U.S.