Cops Apatron, and Business the Robbed Blvd., Again Where They Merrick at 114-08 Business, Acheck-Cashing Tered Trons
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May 10-16, 2012 Your Neighborhood - Your News® FREE THE NEWSPAPER OF HOLLIS, ST. ALBANS, CAMBRIA HEIGHTS, SPRINGFIELD GARDENS, ROSEDALE & RICHMOND HILL Queens HS for Science ranked No. 7 in state Page 4 QGuide Page 33 105th Precinct’s ranks gain 34 to Ex-Jamaica turn tide of crime BY RICH BOCKMANN Hosp head gets The NYPD has fulfilled a re- quest by Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis for more boots on the ground to combat rising crime trends in the 105th Precinct, but the community’s wishes for a new precinct appear to have been 3 yrs. in prison looked over once again. The 105th’s commanding of- ficer had made a request for an Rosen to appeal conviction for bribery impact zone, an area where the department deploys an increased number of new officers fresh out BY STEVE MOSCO prison and a $250,000 fine for the of the academy to fight concen- bribery scheme, but even the re- trated crime. Thirty-four new A federal judge sentenced a duced sentence he received drew officers were deployed to areas former Queens hospital executive tears from his family members. like Queens Village and Cam- Monday to three years in prison “He made this a government bria Heights beginning April 20, for bribing three state legislators not of the people, but of the de- and will remain under Courtesis’ in exchange for lobbying on his bauched,” said Manhattan Feder- command for an indeterminate institution’s behalf. al Judge Jed Rakoff as he imposed amount of time. As his visibly upset family Rosen’s sentence. The community has also looked on in Manhattan federal According to the U.S. attor- long sought to have the 105th split court, David Rosen, former chief ney in Manhattan, Rosen’s ille- in half, with a new precinct cre- executive officer of MediSys gal actions included more than ated in the southern section. The Health Network — owner of Ja- $400,000 in payments made to NYPD opened a satellite precinct maica Hospital, Flushing Hospi- Seminerio through a sham con- house in Rosedale in 2007, and tal and Brookdale Hospital — will sulting company; a no-show job community members want it to be begin to serve his term Aug. 8, given to Boyland between 2003 made into the new 116th Precinct. pending an appeal. and 2008 that paid close to $35,000 ; Dan Andrews, spokesman for Rosen, 64, had been convicted and an attempt to bribe Kruger by Queens Borough President Helen of bribing state Sen. Carl Kruger steering Brookdale to do business Marshall, said it was a “long- ANATOMY OF FUN and state Assemblymen William with Compassionate Care Hos- standing request due to response Boyland Jr., both of Brooklyn, pice, a concern in which Kruger time and length of precinct.” Sisters Kayla, 6 (l.), and Sarah, 8, Singh from Jamaica reassemble a mod- and Queens Assemblyman An- had an interest. Marshall made it one of her el of the human body during The Youth Resource Fair, organized by City thony Seminerio with hundreds Rosen’s lawyer, Elkan budget priorities this year, but Councilman Ruben Wills in partnership with the city Department of Youth of thousands of dollars in a non- Abramowitz, contended that the Mayor Michael Bloomberg did and Community Development. Photo by Christina Santucci jury trial. hospital executive acted in the Continued on Page 18 Rosen faced up to 70 years in Continued on Page 17 A CNG Publication • Vol. 18, No. 19 56 total pages 2 JT Jamaica art peaks curiosity Jamaica Ball project COM . ‘Humps and Bumps’ forces people to refl ect on their environment to benefi t nonprofi ts BY RICH BOCKMANN to know that there aren’t TIMESLEDGER BY RICH BOCKMANN enough friends of my or- Don’t just party — par- ganization to purchase the A newly installed ty with a purpose. number of tickets needed speed bump near the cor- That is the message for a big celebration,” Mays ner of Archer Avenue and Greg Mays, founder of A said. 10-16, 2012 10-16, 2012 153rd Street has Jamaica Better Jamaica, wants to “So I thought, ‘What AY , M commuters slowing down send with the inaugural can I do as part of my — with some even coming Jamaica Ball, a chance group’s mission to support EDGER L to a complete stop. for community members the work of other nonprof- The bump behind the to show their support for its in Jamaica?’ And then IMES T Jamaica Center for Arts the nonprofits serving the I was like, “Oh, wow! Why and Learning is not de- greater Jamaica area as don’t I just sort of pull all signed to slow down mo- they eat, dance and party these folks together and torists, though. The bench- the night away. have a joint fund-raiser?’ like public art installation More than 10 local non- And that’s the Jamaica near the transit hub invites profits — such as the artist Ball,” he said. passersby to stop, take a advocate Cultural Collab- Due to the size of the load off and give their ur- orative Jamaica and the performing arts center, ban surroundings a second Southern Queens Park As- there is a 250-ticket limit, thought. sociation — have signed up but Mays said if the event The work, entitled for the May 19 mixer at the is a success, he would like “Humps and Bumps,” was Jamaica Performing Arts to be able to host upwards designed and created by Center, at 161-04 Jamaica of 1,500 attendees in a few a collective of five artists A woman sits on a public art installation, which is part of “Humps and Bumps.” Ave. A full 90 percent of years. known as BroLab, and Photo by Rich Bockmann every $50 ticket, which can “Quite honestly, I hope commissioned by the city be purchased at thejamai- to grow out of the venue,” Department of Transpor- The piece — which is life.” 400-some-odd gallons of wa- caball.com, will be donated he said. tation under its Urban Art 8 by 10 feet and about 3 1/2 Kevin Lin, 15, stared at ter,” he said. “I was deliri- to the organization of the The party is sponsored initiative. feet tall — is in the shape of the sculpture perplexedly ous at one point. It was so buyer’s choice. by the stalwart Greater Ja- Heng-Gil Han, JCAL’s a speed bump turned back as he was waiting to catch a exhausting and staggering. “I’ve been on enough maica Development Corp., visual arts curator, said the against itself, creating slop- bus to Fresh Meadows. We worked in shifts and we boards of directors and and Mays was able to se- functional sculpture takes ing curves that invite worn- “It looks like a chair,” were usually by ourselves. enough spring benefits and cure corporate funding the iconic, everyday image down passers-by to relax. It he concluded, a bit unsure. Walking like that was some- anniversary celebrations Continued on Page 18 of a speed bump and reap- is a wooden frame coated Adam Brent, one of what lonely and contempla- propriates it in a way that with rubber pellets nor- the BroLab artists, said tive and meditative. I think forces the public to reflect mally used for playground the group met in 2009 at that’s an underlying tone in on their urban surround- surfaces. an artists-in-residency all our projects.” ings. After the sculpture program at the Bronx Mu- The performance was “It talks about the tran- was installed last week, seum. Their first collabo- the first time Han had seen sit system,” he said, noting people making their way to ration was a performance BroLab’s work. how the curves of the yel- trains and buses had var- art piece for Art in Odd “I thought it was non- low and black-striped piece ied reactions. Some looked Places entitled “Pump 14,” sense,” he said with de- mimic the contours on the on curiously and others sat in which 12 individuals light. “They were wasting roof of the nearby subway and talked on their phones. carried buckets of water on so much energy! But I was station. “It doesn’t look Some simply walked up and yokes back and forth along quite interested in the proj- like their image of sculp- poked at it to investigate. 14th Street in Manhattan ect.” The Queens Sickle Cell Advocacy Network, represented by found- ture, and that’s the point. It “I like those behav- between the Hudson and Brent, 38, said the most er and President Gloria Rochester (l.) during a walk to raise mon- shifts our preconceived no- iors,” Han said. “It breaks East rivers. gratifying thing about see- ey for research last year, is one of more than 10 nonprofits that tion of what art is and what down the distance between “We walked roughly ing the sculpture completed attendees can choose to direct funds toward when attending the it looks like.” contemporary art and daily 26 miles each and carried Continued on Page 18 Jamaica Ball. 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