Bayside Battles Fickle Muni- Meters
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LARGEST AUDITED COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER IN QUEENS • LITTLE NECK LEDGER • WHITESTONE TIMES July 5-11, 2013 Your Neighborhood - Your News® FREE ALSO COVERING AUBURNDALE, COLLEGE POINT, DOUGLASTON, GLEN OAKS, FLORAL PARK Little Neck residents face From LIC NE Queens air noise bill liens for sidewalk repairs to Cannes passes state Legislature Page 2 QGuideGuide Pages 37-4237-42 Page 21 Motorist shot Bayside battles fi ckle muni- meters in feud over Council legislation parking spot HOLY WATER tries to minimize boro drivers’ woes BY JOE ANUTA A 39-year-old man took road BY PHIL CORSO rage a bit too far in downtown Flushing last weekend when he Parking along Bell Boule- allegedly claimed to be an NYPD vard has become a microcosm officer and shot someone over a of what busy business districts parking space, court documents throughout the city have been revealed. struggling to address because of The transit hub is known consistently inconsistent Muni- for its clogged thoroughfares and Meters, community leaders said. lack of parking, and last Saturday In Bayside particularly, Com- night Ji Feng Tian apparently had munity Board 11 District Man- been eyeing a spot near the corner ager Susan Seinfeld said she has Continued on Page 43 fielded complaints from residents who park their car only to walk up and down the boulevard to find a meter that works. And even if they do work, there are times when machines run out of receipt paper and leave drivers stranded Police investigate the crime scene without a ticket after already pay- where a man allegedly was packing The Rev. Monsignor Joseph Finnerty (l.) from St. Kevin’s parish in Auburndale blesses FDNY Marine 4 Boat with ing for one, she said. heat during a parking spot spat. Firefighter Patrick Tuohy aboard at the dock of the Bayside Marina during the marina’s annual boat blessing to kick It is an issue that Seinfeld Photo courtesy World Journal off the summer season. Photo by Christina Santucci said comes up at her own board Continued on Page 43 A CNG Publication Vol. 79 No. 27 56 total pages CATS For MAYOR A New Yorker for all New Yorkers cats2013.com Paid for by Catsimatidis 2013 2 BT Lien outrage in Little Neck Swindlers stake out COM . Homeowners protest city requirement to fi x cracked sidewalks College Pt. lot: Cops BY JOE ANUTA create a diversion while an TIMESLEDGER BY PHIL CORSO sate the buyer for any po- accomplice rifles through tential repair costs. Groups of con artists the front seat before flee- Sidewalk cracks along “The city needs to have recently been duping ing in a variety of vehicles, Little Neck Parkway can change their policy so that northeast Queens residents including two minivans, 5-11, 2013 5-11, 2013 be traced directly to the residents are not penalized out of cash in person and maroon and tan in color, ULY center of the busy street twice for receiving a side- over the phone, the 109th and a white Nissan Sentra, , J where they formed, but ho- walk violation that the city, Precinct warned this week. Maguire said. EDGER meowners who live there and not the homeowner, is A band of thieves have The crew targeted L were slapped with liens on responsible for,” he said. hit shoppers at Jetro Cash Asian women between the IMES T their property for them, Neighbor Hope Bana- and Carry, on 132nd Street ages of 30 to 50 who were residents said. kos said she could see the in College Point, five times shopping alone in each in- Anna Stefanidis has same kinds of damages over the last three weeks, stance, according to the lived along the bustling across Little Neck Parkway according to Inspector Bri- inspector, who added that parkway for decades and that have gone without pen- an Maguire, commanding Jetro is frequented by busi- said faulty street paving alty and wondered why the officer at the stationhouse. ness owners who potential and uprooted trees have city had chosen only her “Once people realize criminals may believe car- caused the sidewalk in small strip of homes. this is going on, they will ry large amounts of cash. front of her home to dete- “I think it is very un- hopefully use more cau- Maguire urged Queens riorate. fair when I leave my house tion,” he said at a Monday shoppers to always carry But after an inspec- and come back and have a news conference. their pocketbooks on them, tion, the city Department registered letter saying I The latest incident hap- slung securely across their of Transportation put a have a violation from the pened Saturday, when the shoulders to prevent theft, non-monetary lien on her city,” Banakos said. “We crew waited in the parking and not to leave any valu- home, ultimately making are retired people. It is lot for a 37-year-old woman ables unattended. the cracking pavement a Little Neck native Anna Stefanidis (l.) protests the city placing a only my block. Nobody else coming out of the wholesale The crew also hit the personal priority to have lien on her home for sidewalk cracks as state Sen. Tony Avella (r.) in my neighborhood was goods store and rammed a parking lot of BJ’s Whole- fixed. looks on. Photo by Phil Corso touched.” shopping cart into the back sale Club in the College A DOT spokeswoman Susan Seinfeld, dis- of her car, police at the pre- Point Shopping Center said property owners are the city does such a sloppy sponsible for. trict manager at Com- cinct said. June 23. A similar but pos- responsible for repairing job that we can hear the “Placing a lien on a munity Board 11, said she When the woman got Continued on Page 9 and maintaining the side- bumps,” Stefanidis said as property, even if it is non- had spoken with the hom- out to investigate the dam- walk adjoining their prop- cars zoomed by. “We are monetary, can cause seri- eowners along Little Neck age, a second man stole her erties. If the city does repair all in our late 70s and 80s. ous issues, especially if the Parkway who were feeling pocketbook out of the front a sidewalk, the spokes- What if something happens homeowner is trying to sell singled out by the city. She seat, making off with her woman said, the property to us? Who is going to be af- their property,” Avella said. said city inspections were credit cards, green card owner will not be charged fected? Our children!” “This obviously seems like complaint-based and if it is and driver’s license, ac- for work related to any up- State Sen. Tony Avella an attempt by the city to found that city trees caused cording to the 109th. rooted city trees. Only then (D-Bayside) joined with the skirt their own responsi- the cracks, it would not be- The same group of can the non-monetary lien residents who live along bilities and pressure hom- come the residents’ respon- three to five men also pulled be removed, she said. Little Neck Parkway — all eowners into repairing the sibility. variations of the stunt June The Little Neck native of whom were given non- sidewalk, despite not being But it is the city that 14, 15, 20 and 28, according said cracks stemmed from monetary liens after the responsible for the dam- ultimately makes that call, to police. poor pothole patchwork on city inspected their block ages.” she said. “They use different the parkway, which left mi- for sidewalk cracks. The The senator said the kind of ruses to get people Inspector Brian Maguire nor bumps in the road that senator protested to the liens could become a big Reach reporter Phil out of the car,” Maguire shows two getaway vehicles become worse as cars drove Transportation Depart- problem if the homeowners Corso by e-mail at pcorso@ said. used by thieves preying on over them. ment’s policies on behalf of decide to sell their property cnglocal.com or by phone at In some cases, they College Point shoppers. “There are potholes the residents, saying they because they would have to 718-260-4573. ask for directions or engage Photo by Joe Anuta that they come and repair, should not be punished for pay out of pocket in escrow shoppers in conversation to but when they repair them, damages they were not re- before closing to compen- IN THIS ISSUE HOW TO REACH US Police Blotter ........................................................8 Focus on Queens ................................................26 MAIL: 41-02 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, NY 11361 Editorials & Letters .......................................10-11 Eldercare ...................................................... 29-32 PHONE: Display Advertising: (718) 260-4537 — Editorial: (718) 260-4545 Political Action ....................................................12 Q Guide ...........................................................37-42 FAX: General: (718) 225-7117 — Editorial (718) 224-2934 The Civic Scene ...................................................12 Business ................................................................44 Display: (718) 260-4537 — Classified: (718) 260-2549 I Sit and Look Out ...............................................13 Sports .............................................................47-49 E-MAIL: Editorial: [email protected] Display Advertising: [email protected] Mayoral Spin Cycle .............................................13 Classified ......................................................50-54 Classified: [email protected] TO SUBSCRIBE: Call (718) 260-4590 Copyright©2013 Queens Publishing Corp. 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