Jury Convicts Halloran of Bribery
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LARGEST AUDITED COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER IN QUEENS Aug. 1-7, 2014 Your Neighborhood - Your News ® 75 cents THE NEWSPAPER OF FLUSHING, AUBURNDALE, KEW GARDENS HILLS & FRESH MEADOWS MTA moves bus layovers Visit us online Dragon Boat away from St. George’s TimesLedger.com fest 2014 Page 27 Special Section Pagea 29-36 Willets mall Jury convicts Halloran of bribery challenged in Queens’ leaders mixed on verdict after ex-councilman spends eight weeks on trial BY KELSEY DURHAM jury convicted the for- of charges stem- The jury took less than 90 court session mer northeast Queens ming from his in- minutes to reach a verdict follow- After eight weeks of argu- representative of pock- Full coverage volvement in ar- ing the nearly two-month-long BY ALEX ROBINSON ments, former City Councilman eting city money from PAGE 4 ranging bribes for trial that began June 2. Dan Halloran was found guilty discretionary fund- county GOP leaders The 42-year-old Halloran fac- Opponents of a plan to build a this week of all charges on a five- ing by orchestrating a kick-back across the city as part of a scheme es up to 45 years in prison when megamall on parkland adjacent to count indictment in his federal scheme with two men who were to win their support for running sentenced Dec. 12, prosecutors Citi Field made their arguments corruption case. later revealed to be undercover state Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-St. said. in State Supreme Court in Man- At a courthouse in White FBI operatives. Albans) on the GOP ticket in the hattan Wednesday afternoon. Plains Tuesday, an 11-member Halloran was also convicted 2013 mayoral race. Supreme Court Justice Manuel Mendez heard opposing arguments concerning the proj- MOVERS AND SHAKERS ect, which is part of a $3 billion redevelopment of Willets Point by developers Related Cos. and Ster- ling Equities, which make up the Queens Development Group. Continued on Page 54 MAILING ADDRESS GOES HERE Hilary Rodriguez (front) performs in “Street Beat” at Flushing Town Hall Sunday along with others from the Young Dancemakers Company, a collection of teen dancers from various New York City high schools. Photo by Ken Maldonado A CNG Publication Vol. 24 No. 31 64 total pages 2 FT Arborcide strikes Bayside Mini McMansion COM . draws Flushing’s ire Police investigate felled city trees at former Keil Bros. property BY ALEX ROBINSON “I don’t have any prob- TIMESLEDGER BY KELSEY DURHAM lem with people building,” A second house is about said Daniel Powers, who City officials have be- to spring up on a Flush- grew up on the block and gun investigating why a ing block where neighbors whose mother put her house . 1-7, 2014 2014 . 1-7, row of trees owned by the have been raging over an- up for sale as soon as con- UG city Parks Department was other recently constructed, struction on the first two- , A suddenly — and illegally — two-story dwelling which story home began. “I don’t EDGER L chopped down in Bayside. they said dwarfs the size of have any problem with af- Residents who live their own homes. fordable housing, but I do IMES T near the former Keil Bros. The new house, at 146- have a problem with these property, at 210-11 48th 21 56th Road, like its prede- houses, which my grand- Ave., were shocked to see cessor three doors down, parents, [who were] World that five city-owned trees will replace a one-story War II vets, lived in and that previously lined the dwelling that was built in bought in the ’30s and ’40s, edge of the property were 1935 in a row of attached being desecrated like this. I cut down last week. In their houses, according to city think it’s wrong.” places, passers-by now Department of Buildings City Councilman Peter see five short tree stumps records. Koo (D-Flushing) has called where four ash trees and “I’m gonna fight like for a moratorium on any one American Sycamore hell to stop what they’re do- more houses being built on used to stand. ing up there,” said Mildred the block before the Depart- The Parks Department Higgins, who has lived on ment of City Planning con- released a statement last the block for 38 years with ducts a zoning study of his Friday that it was work- her husband John. “I was so district, which he has re- ing with the NYPD to de- A row of trees that lined the former Keil Bros. property in Bayside was illegally cut down last week. upset when they put up the quested but the department termine who cut the trees Photo courtesy Parks Department crane to rip out the front of has not committed to. down and why. that first house, I almost Koo’s office is set to “Arborcide is a seri- city School Construction since hearing about the had a heart attack.” meet with Planning of- ous crime that deprives Authority, which has plans trees being removed. He Neighbors have said ficials in August over the communities of the cleaner to build a new school on the Five trees were said the civic group would the new houses will com- issue. air, cooler streets and ad- site — a move that much of continue to closely monitor pletely change the charac- “These row houses are ditional oxygen that trees the community opposes. estimated to be whatever activity goes on ter of their Queensboro Hill designed to be lived in by provide,” said Dorothy Le- The city Department of about 30 years at the site from now on. block and have caused a one family, not designed to wandowski, the Queens Education, which oversees The Parks Department number of residents to sell build big mansions here,” parks commissioner. the SCA, had no comment. old. said the stump of the Amer- their longtime homes. Continued on Page 54 The agency said all five City Councilman ican Sycamore tree was trees were estimated to be Mark Weprin (D-Oakland about 18 inches in diam- about 30 years old and had Gardens) also released a eter and the ash trees had a total value of more than statement after hearing stumps ranging from 28 to $340,000. Lewandowski that the trees had been cut be working to support the 32 inches in diameter. The said the Parks Department down and said he would do Parks and Police depart- agency was urging anyone and police would be seek- what he could to help find ments to see that the per- with information about ing full restitution of that who was responsible. petrators are prosecuted to the incident to contact the monetary value when the “I am outraged to the full extent of the law.” NYPD’s Crime Stoppers person in charge had been learn that five New York Michael Feiner, presi- hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS. identified. City trees on 48th Avenue dent of the Bayside Hills The property has tak- in Bayside Hills have been Civic Association, said his Reach reporter Kelsey en center stage in recent unlawfully removed,” We- organization is outraged Durham at 718-260-4573 or A new house on 56th road, which neighbors are complaining months after Keil Bros. prin said. “Arborcide is a and has complained to by e-mail at kdurham@cn- changes the character of their block, is nearing completion. sold the lot last year to the criminal offense and I will elected officials in the area glocal.com. 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FLUSHING TIMES (USPS#03925) 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 2014. 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 FLUSHING TIMES C/O News Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. 41-02 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, N.Y. 11361 3 Lone gas station in Bay Terrace to close its doors soon BT T IMES Gulf will shut down Aug. 31 near shopping center after developer decided not to renew lease L EDGER BY KELSEY DURHAM race Shopping Center, ser- for a new tenant vicing the community and Warren Schreiber, , A UG The Bay Terrace com- surrounding areas for over president of the Bay Ter- 2014 . 1–7, munity is lamenting the up- 50 years, and we would like race Community Alliance, coming loss of its only gas to acknowledge and thank said the loss of the gas sta- station after learning the our Gulf gas station tenant tion will certainly affect spot will be closing at the for its wonderful service to the community, but he said TIMESLEDGER end of August, the store’s the community,” the letter residents seem to be deal- developer said. said. “We wish them well in ing with it well so far.