File Photo

Avonte Oquendo

By Michael V. Cusenza
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday reached out to the Department of Justice urging them to ensure that grant funding provided under Kevin and Avonte’s Law is directed toward local entities to provide wandering-prevention education and to provide caregivers with tracking devices.
Enacted on March 23, 2018, Kevin and Avonte’s Law protects children with autism or other developmental disabilities who may wander away from safety, according to the autism advocacy organization Autism Speaks. The law promotes initiatives that reduce the risk of injury or death related to the wandering characteristics of some children with autism.
Kevin and Avonte’s Law is named in honor of two boys with autism who died after wandering. Kevin Curtis Wills, 9, wandered from home, slipped into Iowa’s Raccoon River and drowned in 2008. Avonte Oquendo was a non-verbal 14-year-old boy who bolted from his Long Island City school in October 2013. His remains washed up on a College Point shoreline three months later. Law-enforcement officials concluded that Avonte had fallen into the East River and drowned.
Kevin and Avonte’s Law reauthorized and expanded the existing Missing Alzheimer’s Disease Patient Alert Program to include children with a developmental disability such as autism. The new Missing Americans Alert Program is administered by the Justice Department and provides grant funding to law enforcement agencies, public safety agencies, and nonprofits for wandering-prevention education work, as well as to provide caregivers with tracking devices that they and law enforcement could use to quickly locate a missing loved one. The program is voluntary for parents, and works in conjunction with schools, local law enforcement and other entities with experience in this area, such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The law also establishes privacy protections to ensure that the tracking technology is used safely and the data is kept secure.
According to Schumer’s office, the Kevin and Avonte’s Law’s grant solicitation is being amended/reissued because the DOJ tried to fold the program and other smaller programs into funding a national center for police officer training in response to individuals with mental health disabilities. This was inconsistent with appropriators who intended for Kevin and Avonte’s grant money to go to local police, non-profits and educational groups that could use the grant funding to provide training and tracking technology to families who care for special-needs loved ones, New York’s senior senator said.
“I have serious concerns that deviating from Kevin and Avonte’s mandate will divert key resources from in-need families and communities,” Schumer wrote in a letter to Katharine Sullivan, principal deputy assistant attorney general, Office of Justice Programs. “These resources are vital in helping bring peace of mind to families who care for children, teens or adults with developmental disabilities.”
A 2017 report by the National Autism Foundation revealed that between 2011 and 2016, nearly one-third of autistic missing-person cases resulted in death or required medical attention. According to the Autism Wandering Awareness Alerts Response and Education Collaboration, and the National Autism Association, of these children, 74 percent run or wander from their own home or from someone else’s home; 40 percent run or wander from stores; and 29 percent run or wander from schools.

Photo Courtesy of NYPD

Area cops recently responded to Richmond Hill residents’ calls for action against large commercial vehicles parked or idling along Atlantic Avenue.
According to 102nd Precinct commanding officer, Deputy Inspector Courtney Nilan, the command’s Traffic Safety Unit conducted an operation last Wednesday night on the thoroughfare in which numerous tractor-trailers and other trucks were booted and towed. In addition, several illegal ATV’s and motorcycles were also seized, Nilan noted.

Photo Courtesy of Google

Abrahamson lived in Melville, L.I., but kept an office on 63rd Drive in Rego Park.

By Forum Staff
A podiatrist with offices in Rego Park and on Long Island has been sentenced to a year and a day in prison for his role in a healthcare-fraud scheme, federal prosecutors announced on Friday.
Hal Abrahamson, 57, pleaded guilty on June 26, 2018, to healthcare fraud in connection with the operation of his podiatry practice. According to court documents and as established at the plea proceeding, Abrahamson’s healthcare-fraud scheme was ongoing from January 2013 until January 2017. The doctor used several fraudulent billing techniques over the years, including: billing for skin grafts and wound-packing services never performed; billing for work purportedly done by another podiatrist whose reimbursement rate was higher, but which was in fact done by Abrahamson, or not at all; and billing for more expensive procedures than those actually performed.
Regarding the fraudulent billing for skin grafts, Abrahamson billed for this procedure 1,092 times over a four-year period in which a podiatrist with a comparable practice in Plainview, L.I., billed only once and another podiatrist in Abrahamson’s office billed only five times. And Abrahamson billed for wound-packing services 757 times over a four-year period; he would routinely add this to his false billing under another podiatrist’s name, according to court papers.
“Greed dictated this doctor’s billing practices,” said Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue. “The defendant stole a million dollars from Medicare and private insurance companies, but has been brought to justice.”
Abrahamson has also been ordered to pay restitution of $869,651, a $50,000 fine, and forfeit $177,000.

Rendering Courtesy of DOE

City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) recently “got a sneak peak” at the new PS 66 annex and gave it a glowing review.
“It’s even more beautiful and impressive than the architectural rendering. The children and families in Richmond Hill will absolutely love it!” Ulrich said of the 124-seat addition set to open in a few weeks.
The annex features sorely-needed bathrooms and a cafeteria and gym.
Principal Helen Kraljic-DeSario said she “can’t wait” until the kids see the new 102nd Street facility.
“We can’t thank you enough for your support in making this our reality,” Kraljic-DeSario wrote to Ulrich on Twitter.

File Photo

Many empty storefronts still dot the landscape along bustling borough thoroughfares such as Jamaica Avenue.

By Michael V. Cusenza
The City Council on Tuesday passed a bill aimed at combating the storefront-vacancy epidemic that has affected all five boroughs.
The new measure requires the City’s Department of Small Business Services to establish a public, online searchable database of all commercial storefronts in New York. Each storefront’s location, size, current use, availability, and monthly rent, as well as contact information for the property owner, will be included in the database. Owners will be required to submit this information to SBS every year, and every time the property becomes vacant.
The proposed law was jointly introduced earlier this year by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal (D-Manhattan), and Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who all noted that NYC has been hit with an epidemic of empty storefronts, sprouting on city blocks from Astoria to Arverne, often remaining mysteriously vacant for years on end. It’s hard to ignore the eyesores, and prior to Tuesday, City law didn’t have a tool for measuring and tracking the stark spaces.
“Whether it’s our five Chinatowns, or the hundreds of Caribbean-owned businesses in Flatbush, or the South American restaurants and businesses of Elmhurst—successful small businesses are the backbone of the middle class, particularly for new immigrants. Unfortunately, we have witnessed the loss of far too many small businesses in the last several years, leaving only empty storefronts behind,” Rosenthal said this week. “This essential information will be the basis for solutions which help keep small businesses in our communities.”
In 2017, Rosenthal released a 20-page report examining storefront vacancies on the Upper West Side, and the myriad reasons why independently owned businesses close, including soaring rents, changing consumer habits, and specific family circumstances.

First and foremost—and forever—we say thank you to the men and women who literally sacrificed their lives for total strangers on that fateful Tuesday morning in lower Manhattan 18 years ago.
Thank you to the elected officials who ate, slept, breathed the effort to make the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund permanent. Thank you to all who voted in approval of the “Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act,” which will make the fund permanent by federal law.
“We can never thank our brave first responders enough for all they did on and in the aftermath of September 11th,” said U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing). “Each and every day, they put their lives on the line to keep us safe. That’s why I was proud to vote for renewing the Victim Compensation Fund today. We must never, ever turn our backs on these heroes who became sick from working at Ground Zero.”
“I’d like to say particularly: we have great 21st century heroes, whose names are Zadroga and Pfeifer and Alvarez. And I’d say to the Zadroga and Pfeifer and Alvarez families—many of whom are here—your losses, painful as they are, are not in vain, as today shows. The men you lost, and all the others, did what the Bible says we should all do: Not curse the darkness, but light a candle. And today that candle burns very, very brightly,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. “So, to all of our friends who made this happen, for all of us who now breathe one gigantic sigh of relief, particularly the men and women behind me: thank you. These are tough times for America. Sometimes we doubt its goodness. And it’s awfully hard to have that goodness shine through, but today it did. Thank God it did. Let it be a beacon to everyone else.
“I put on this flag: 9/12/01, I wear it every day,” Schumer continued. “It represented close to 3,000 people who were lost, and unfortunately every day this flag represents more people. But we will never take it off, as long as there are brave people who stood up for us, and this flag, and all flags will remind us that we have to stand up for them.”
City Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro added, “I thank Congress for recognizing the bravery and sacrifices of the 200 FDNY members who have lost their lives since September 11th, and the thousands more who are battling illnesses still today. By reauthorizing the 9/11 Victim’s Compensation Fund, they have made a lifelong commitment that these men and women have earned, and truly deserve.”
Thank you, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn), for your tireless efforts and these beautiful words: “The true Twin Towers of New York are the FDNY and the NYPD, and fully funding and permanently authorizing the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund is the least we can do to honor their sacrifices. I will not rest until the September 11th Victim Compensation Program is made permanent and we finally turn our promise to Never Forget into law. I hope the President signs this legislation quickly, so we can finally give these heroes the peace of mind they deserve.”
And finally, thank you, City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) for characterizing Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)—one of two senators who voted “no” on the bill to make the fund permanent—so eloquently.
“Well once again, @RandPaul proves himself to be a piece of sh*t.”

Photo Courtesy of Riders Alliance

“This weekend was a wake-up call, and we will see further breakdowns until we modernize these systems,” said Brooklyn Borough President Adams. “The health and safety of riders and transit workers alike are at risk.”

By Michael V. Cusenza
After a week that featured power failure, cataclysmic flooding, and a massive signal meltdown that scuttled subway service, a large group of riders, advocates, and elected officials on Monday rallied outside Metropolitan Transportation Authority headquarters demanding from Gov. Andrew Cuomo an MTA capital plan that puts congestion pricing funds toward subway reliability and accessibility upgrades, and an MTA structure that recruits and retains experienced and competent transit leaders.
“The abject failure of our subway system shows disrespect for its riders. If we want our city to function, we need reliable and accessible mass transit,” said State Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris.
“This weekend was a reminder of how dysfunctional our mass transit system has become, with tens of thousands of rush hour commuters stranded on sweltering subway platforms and installed trains,” added Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. “If we’re going to turn this crisis around, we need targeted investments in persistent underlying issues like our signal system and communications technology—not just the features for which you can hang a plaque or cut a ribbon. We also cannot overlook our bus system, which is plagued by low speeds and declining ridership. Real leadership requires putting politics aside and focusing on underlying solutions. This weekend was a wake-up call, and we will see further breakdowns until we modernize these systems. The health and safety of riders and transit workers alike are at risk.”
The MTA Board was scheduled to vote on Wednesday on the massive agency reorganization and Transformation Plan recently recommended by the consulting firm AlixPartners.
“Make no mistake about it, this transformation will allow us to finally give our customers the system they deserve, and prepares us to execute on what is likely to be the biggest capital plan in MTA history,” MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick Foye said last week.
City Comptroller Scott Stringer on Wednesday emphatically underlined the importance of the plan and getting it right. Following a 90-minute subway meltdown on all numbered lines during a heat wave last week at one of the busiest commuting times of the day, Stringer sent a letter urging the MTA Board closely examine the proposed Transformation Plan and ensure that the plan’s suggested centralization would not adversely affect riders and the City’s finances.
“The subway is the lifeblood of our city—and the MTA Transformation plan must truly deliver the lasting change riders need and deserve,” Stringer said. “Millions of New Yorkers and visitors rely on our subways, bridges, and buses every day and if our economy is going to remain strong, our subways must keep New Yorkers moving. Recent subway meltdowns have showed us in stark detail that reforming the MTA is absolutely urgent, but any reorganization must be done right. We have to ensure a thoughtful, thorough, and transparent process that’s fully accountable to its primary stakeholders—New Yorkers. I urge the Board to take a close look at this proposed plan, ensure it protects the best interests of riders and the City’s finances and vote for changes if not. We cannot afford to get this wrong.”

Photo Courtesy of Sen. Addabbo’s Office

“There is literally enough good food going to waste that no one in America should be going hungry,” Fedkowskyj said.

By Michael V. Cusenza
A nonprofit recently crafted an online petition urging City schools to donate their food excess to groups that will distribute this food to the less fortunate.
Catering for the Homeless, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization that utilizes food waste for the homeless, poor, and food insecure by connecting catering companies, grocery stores, schools, and restaurants to associations that distribute their food that has been going to waste, established the “Petition for NY Schools to Donate Excess Food to Alleviate Hunger Crisis” at change.org.
“New York City has the most food insecurity of any city in the nation. 1 in 4 people in NYC experience hunger on a regular basis. According to the Coalition for the Homeless, in NYC families make up 70% of the homeless in shelters, 40% of those are children. In NYC, 10% of the children in schools are homeless,” coalition founder and President Dmytro Fedkowskyj wrote in the online appeal. “While the United States is seeing the worst homelessness and hunger in the history of the nation, 133 billion tons of food goes to waste every year. There is literally enough good food going to waste that no one in America should be going hungry.”
The petition, according to Fedkowskyj, who is also the chairman of Community Board 5’s Special Committee on Homeless Issues, “is to advocate for the schools in New York to opt into” a law enacted in 2017 that established voluntary State guidelines to enable school districts, colleges, and other educational institutions to donate excess, unused and edible meals to pantries and other charitable organizations.
“This bill represents a win, win, win situation,” said State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach), a co-sponsor of the legislation. “It would help combat hunger among the poor, the elderly and others who often have trouble making ends meet and receiving proper nutrition. It would help food pantries, which rely on donations, to achieve their missions more easily, and it would reduce food waste and its many negative environmental impacts.”
Under the law, the State Education Department and State Department of Agriculture and Markets would work together to devise voluntary guidelines to encourage the donation of unused food by New York schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations.
Addabbo said the law addresses “two extremely important issues of saving individuals and their families from hunger and malnutrition, and saving our planet from unnecessary and negative environmental degradation.”
The National Resources Defense Council has estimated that approximately 25 percent of freshwater in the United States is used to produce wasted food, Addabbo noted. In addition, reports by the Food and Agriculture Organization show that food waste leads to very high levels of greenhouse gas emissions.
According to Fedkowskyj, more than 50 schools have been contacted “to get on-board” with the measure, “but until the Department of Education opts into this law, most of the schools will not get on-board, and will continue to throw away perfectly good, quality, untouched food into the trash on a regular basis.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, 426 people had signed the petition.

File Photo

During the 2019 legislative session, Sen. Addabbo penned a measure to legalize sports betting with a mobile component in New York that passed the Senate but failed to be brought to a vote in the Assembly.

By Michael V. Cusenza
New Jersey made history in May by taking in more money from sports betting than Nevada—and State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) on Friday said its disconcerting to watch the Empire State sit on the sidelines as its neighbor wins big and informs Albany that a significant slice of that greenback pie came courtesy of New York bettors.
According to their individual state’s gaming controls, New Jersey books took in $318.9 million in bets for the month of May, while Nevada recorded $317.4 million in wagers over the same 31 days. Kip Levin of Fan Duel and Lindsay Slader of Geo Comply both testified at a hearing of the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee, that approximately 25 percent of New Jersey’s sports bets come from New York residents. That would mean New Yorkers placed more than $79 million in sports bets in New Jersey during the month of May.
“It’s frustrating to see those numbers and realize that money—and more—could be coming to New York to help our students and citizens,” said Addabbo, committee chairman. “Eighty percent of tax revenue generated from gaming goes directly to educational funding, which means without having legal sports betting in New York with a mobile component, our children are losing out on hundreds of millions of dollars.”
During the 2019 legislative session, Addabbo penned a measure to legalize sports betting with a mobile component in New York that passed the Senate but failed to be brought to a vote in the Assembly.
Jersey’s impressive sports-wagering numbers aren’t confined to May’s figures. From sports betting’s inception in New Jersey on June 14, 2018 to June 2019—one full year of legal sports betting—the Garden State has raked in $203.8 million in Sports Wagering Gross Revenue, according to the New Jersey attorney general’s report based on filings with the Division of Gaming Enforcement.
Addabbo noted that in NY, an attempt is being made to prove that there is a market for sports betting in the state, as the State Gaming Commission is issuing a Request for Proposals to provide a gaming market study in relation to the evaluation of the gaming market in the New York, and potential impacts of changes to that market both within and outside of the state.
“One of the major detractions against sports betting here in New York is that there is no appetite for it,” the senator said. “This gaming market study proposed by the NYS Gaming Commission aims to find out exactly that. We can no longer sit on the sidelines and watch as money that could be coming to our state goes to New Jersey and surrounding states that allow mobile sports betting. I believe that we can simultaneously address the issues related to problematic gaming, satisfy our constitutional requirements and credibly develop a gaming industry plan that maximizes its potential.”
In May 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the federal ban on sports betting, indicating that it is up to individual states to decide if they want to allow wagering on athletic events.

Photo Courtesy of Sen. Gillibrand’s Office

The congressional testimony, complete with handwritten note to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, of hero NYPD Det. Luis Alvarez, who died on June 29 from Sept. 11-related cancer.

By Michael V. Cusenza
City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) didn’t mince words when he recently ripped U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) for being one of just two senators who voted against the bill to make the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund permanent.
“Well once again, @RandPaul proves himself to be a piece of sh*t. I say that as a lifelong New Yorker and Republican,” Ulrich posted on Twitter.
Paul and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) voted “no” on the “Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act” reportedly due to concerns regarding compensation costs for federal taxpayers. The bill passed the Senate last week, 97-2, after already getting the thumbs-up (402-12) from the House of Representatives.
“This bill sends a powerful signal from our nation, from Congress, and from all the people we represent in all 50 states that we will never forget what our 9/11 heroes did for us,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). “This bill is for every single person who decided in that terrible moment – when we were attacked, when we were vulnerable, and we were scared – to do the unthinkable: to risk their lives for total strangers and sacrifice their bodies for our country. It is for every person who spent days, weeks, and months on the pile, and has had to suffer physical and mental scars for years because of that heroic work. It is for every survivor who lived in a home or went to school downtown when the government told them the air was safe to breathe. The Senate promised that we would ‘never forget,’ and today we finally lived up to that promise. We will never forget our 9/11 heroes and we will never stop helping them when they are in need – and now, once and for all, they can finally exhale and go home to be with their families. This day is long overdue, and now I urge President Trump to immediately sign this bill into law.”
On Feb. 15, September 11th Victim Compensation Fund announced that due to a funding shortfall, injured and ill Sept. 11 responders and survivors will receive cuts to the awards that they were expecting of 50 percent for pending claims and 70 percent for future claims.
In the years since Sept. 11, 2001, thousands of first responders and survivors have become ill and many have lost their lives from exposure to a toxic cocktail of burning chemicals, pulverized drywall and powdered cement that was present at Ground Zero. After years of urging Congress to act, in 2010 and again in 2015, legislation was passed to provide medical monitoring and treatment through the World Trade Center Health Program until 2090. However, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund was only extended until 2020 and the money is already running out. Now, thousands are facing dramatically reduced awards and without this legislation, the VCF will actually be closing next year just as thousands more responders and survivors are expected to be diagnosed with Sept. 11-related cancers.
The new legislation is designed to ensure that the VCF is fully funded and will remain open for those who will become ill in the future, Gillibrand said.

Forum Photos by Michael V. Cusenza

By Michael V. Cusenza
A single mother of three and her 7-year-old daughter were killed Sunday after a two-alarm blaze quickly bounded through their two-story Richmond Hill home, according to Fire Department officials and reports.
Silvia Umana, 51, and Guadalupe Perez were rushed to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center where both perished shortly after arrival. Umana’s two teen sons were injured in the inferno. The eldest was taken to Jamaica Hospital where he was listed in critical condition; the younger brother was transported to Kings County Hospital in stable condition.
The blaze broke out in the home on 117th Street near Atlantic Avenue shortly after 9:30 on a sweltering Sunday morning in which the mercury was already in the upper 80s. More than 100 smoke-eaters battled the beast until it was brought under control roughly an hour later.
“They wear a lot of gear,” FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Michael Ajello told the New York Daily News. “They quickly overheat—heat exhaustion, which subsequently leads to heat stroke. We have to rotate our personnel quite frequently at a fire like this. We call extra people to the scene.”
City fire marshals determined that the fire was accidental, caused by a damaged air-conditioner cord. They also noted that a working smoke alarm was not present.
“FDNY urges New Yorkers to check cords regularly and replace any damaged or frayed cords immediately,” department officials said. “And remember—working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are a critical component of your escape plan. Have a working smoke and CO alarm, or combination smoke/CO alarm, on every level of your home, including basements and where you sleep.”
According to the FDNY, in New York City, your risk of dying in fire is cut in half when there are working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in your home. And 70 percent of fire deaths in the five boroughs in recent years have occurred in homes where there were no working smoke/carbon monoxide alarms.

Photo Courtesy of Google

Thomas has a law office on Francis Lewis Boulevard in Rosedale.

By Forum Staff
A Brooklyn woman, who has a law office in Rosedale, has been charged with stealing more than $200,000 from a client following the sale of a residential property in Brooklyn in November 2013, Acting Queens District Attorney John Ryan announced Tuesday.
Audrey Thomas, 49, turned herself in to law enforcement early Monday morning and was arraigned several hours later on a criminal complaint charging her with second-degree grand larceny. Thomas was released on her own recognizance and ordered to return to court on Sept. 12.
According to the charges, in May of 2013, a Brooklyn woman hired Thomas to represent her in the sale of a home she owned on Madison Street in Brooklyn. The contract for the sale of the property was $1 million, and during the closing in November of 2013, several checks were issued. Thomas was to hold all funds in escrow for the client. The checks were deposited into Thomas’s Bank of America account, but in May of 2014, that account was closed and the balance was transferred to a JP Morgan Chase account.
Over time, Thomas allegedly engaged in a pattern of activity depleting the account, using the funds for both personal and business expenses. By November 2014, the Chase bank account balance was down to just $25. Thomas, when confronted by the victim’s daughter, allegedly said that she had lost all proceeds from the sale of the home.
Ryan said Thomas allegedly “acted without regard for her client to benefit her own greed. Such alleged actions cannot go unpunished.”
If convicted, Thomas faces up to 15 years in prison.

File Photo

Scott Brettschneider

By Forum Staff
Scott Brettschneider, a former criminal defense attorney from Forest Hills also known as “Mighty Whitey,” has been sentenced to 60 days of confinement in a community center, four years of probation, 80 hours of community service, and fined $2,000 for his role in writing a false letter to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to assist an inmate to gain entry to a substance abuse program and thereby obtain an early release from prison, federal prosecutors announced Friday.
Brettschneider, 62, was convicted of conspiring to make, and making, a false statement to the BOP following a five-day jury trial in April 2019. According to federal officials, Brettschneider and two co-defendants—Charles Gallman, 57, and Reginald Shabazz-Muhammad, 63, both of Queens—agreed to prepare and submit a phony letter to the BOP about the drug treatment history of inmate Richard Marshall—Brettschneider’s client and a source of client referrals. If successful, their scheme would have resulted in Marshall’s gaining entry to the Residential Drug Abuse Program in prison, and potential early release from custody. Brettschneider tasked his part-time paralegal, Shabazz-Muhammad, with the job of writing the fraudulent letter, and Gallman acted as the middleman between Marshall and Brettschneider.
Marshall pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make false statements, and was sentenced on Oct. 6, 2018 to three years’ probation and a fine of $1,500. Shabazz-Muhammad pleaded guilty to making false statements, and was sentenced on Jan. 30 to two years’ probation and a fine of $1,000. Gallman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make false statements and to violating the Travel Act for bribing a witness, and was sentenced on March 20 to three years’ imprisonment.

Photo Courtesy of Google

The rare drawing was discovered at the Habitat for Humanity New York City ReStore in Woodside.

By Forum Staff
A drawing by famed Austrian Expressionist artist Egon Schiele valued as much as $200,000 was recently discovered at the Habitat for Humanity New York City ReStore in Woodside, according to Galerie St. Etienne in Manhattan, where the previously unknown sketch is currently on view.
A part-time art handler, picker and collector found the pencil-on-paper work at the Northern Boulevard thrift store. The drawing, along with related material, is now part of the Galerie St. Etienne exhibition, “The Art Dealer as Scholar,” on display at the celebrated West 57th Street space.
The anonymous finder of the rare depiction confirmed its authenticity with Jane Kallir, director of Galerie St. Etienne and the world’s leading expert on Egon Schiele. According to Kallir, it was sketched by Schiele in 1918, not long before he died in Vienna at age 28 in the Spanish flu pandemic. Other drawings of the same series are currently in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Leopold Museum in Vienna, Kallir noted.
The buyer, who also wishes to remain anonymous, immediately recognized a striking similarity to Schiele and contacted Galerie St. Etienne soon after purchasing the work to confirm its authenticity.
“A while ago, we were sent a rather blurry [computer file] of a drawing that had been purchased at a thrift store,” Kallir recalled. “‘Antiques Roadshow’ notwithstanding, works of genuine significance are seldom discovered in such a setting. So we did not expect much when, finally, the buyer of this drawing brought it in for us to examine. Nevertheless, based on the fluidity and spontaneity of the line, this drawing is, in my opinion, clearly by the hand of Egon Schiele. The subject, too, is unmistakably his: a little girl who regularly posed for the artist, alone and with her mother, in 1918.
“In over 30 years of authenticating Schiele’s work, I have only once before encountered a drawing with such an unlikely provenance,” Kallir added.
The owner has committed to donating a portion of the proceeds to Habitat for Humanity New York City. The Habitat NYC ReStore sells high-quality overstock and lightly-used furniture, appliances, building materials and home décor at steep discounts.
“We are so very grateful for their generosity and willingness to give back. And, maybe a little bit in shock but ultimately really happy for all involved,” said Karen Haycox, CEO of Habitat for Humanity New York City. “I can’t help but think that were it not for the Habitat NYC ReStore, this piece of art history might have ended up in a landfill, lost forever. Instead, like many of the excellent pieces of furniture, appliances and home items that we sell every day, it has been given new life. And I know that the gift to Habitat NYC will ensure that a hardworking, low-income family will have the opportunity for a simple, affordable place to call home. That is a life-changing gift that will last for generations to come.”
“The Art Dealer as Scholar” will be on display at Galerie St. Etienne through Oct. 11.

Photo Courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

By the end of 2021, the City Department of Transportation will install more than 80 miles of protected lanes.

By Forum Staff
At least 17 cyclists have died in street accidents so far this year—the highest number through July of any year since the launch of Vision Zero in 2014. To confront this alarming rise in fatalities, Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday unveiled a $58.4 million plan that, according to Hizzoner, combines design, enforcement, legislation, policy and education to make city streets safer for cyclists—and all street users.
According to the administration, “Green Wave: A Plan for Cycling in New York City” is a multi-prong, multi-agency approach to curtail bike injuries and fatalities at a time when cycling popularity is on the rise, the City continues to expand its bike network, and Citi Bike is expanding into new neighborhoods and boroughs. The new plan includes six major elements: create citywide protected bike lane network; improve and update intersection design; expand NYPD enforcement; promote legislation and implement policy; target trucks in major safety initiative; and continued expansion of outreach/helmet safety.
To implement the Green Wave plan, the City has committed $58.4 million in new funding over the next five years, with 80 additional new staff. It will build 30 miles of protected bicycle lane annually. By the end of 2021, the City Department of Transportation will install more than 80 miles of protected lanes.
DOT has also identified 10 Brooklyn and Queens community boards as Bike Priority Districts, which together represent 16 percent of community boards and 14 percent of the bike lane network—yet have 23 percent of all NYC’s bicycle fatalities. DOT has committed to build 75 miles of bicycle infrastructure in these districts by 2022.
DOT has pledged to build upon innovative intersection designs with a focus on areas where the majority of fatalities occur. Fifty intersections will receive turn calming treatments in 2019 and where possible, protected intersection designs will be added for new projects after streets are resurfaced or reconstructed. Among innovations, DOT will in 2019 pilot so-called “Green Wave,” progressive signal-timing that discourages speeding and encourages steady cycling speeds—and it will identify other corridors for implementation in 2020. The agency will also install Green Skip Bars at key intersections to increase cyclist visibility.
Under the Green Wave plan, the NYPD will ramp up enforcement at the 100 most crash-prone intersections and target enforcement on highest risk activities: speeding, failing to yield, blocking bike lanes, oversized trucks/trucks off route. The department has pledged to maintain continuous citywide implementation of “Operation Bicycle Safe Passage” initiative—extending elevated enforcement of blocked bike lanes and hazardous driving violations. And specialized units and precincts will increase enforcement against oversized and off-route trucks.
DOT officials also noted that the agency will implement local legislation that passed the City Council last week that allows cyclists to proceed on the pedestrians signal and will work with the speaker and council members to pass additional legislation requiring a three-foot passing distance between car and cyclist and enhanced requirements for truck sideguards.
“Whether it’s the $58 million the mayor is spending or the $50 the average speed violator pays, every cent is worth it compared to the price victims of traffic violence pay due to politics, delays, and callous community banter,” said Cristina Furlong, co-founder of Make Queens Safer.

Photo Courtesy of Sen. Gillibrand’s Office

“Congress has a responsibility to make sure our states have the resources they need to protect their most essential infrastructure from the worst damage, and that’s what the Resilient Highways Act would help do,” Sen. Gillibrand said.

By Forum Staff
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) on Monday announced new legislation to provide more flexibility for New York and states across the country to use their federal transportation funding for projects that make bridges and highways more resilient to the impacts of sea-level rise, extreme weather, and climate change.
The Resilient Highways Act of 2019 would incentivize investments in strengthening highway infrastructure to protect against future floods and natural disasters, saving money in the long-term, according to Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
“Families and business owners across our state are already seeing firsthand the enormous damage that rising sea levels and extreme weather—the consequences of climate change—are having on our roads and bridges,” New York’s junior senator said. “Congress has a responsibility to make sure our states have the resources they need to protect their most essential infrastructure from the worst damage, and that’s what the Resilient Highways Act would help do.”
Gillibrand said the RHA would do the following:
• Allow states to use up to 15 percent of the funds apportioned under the National Highway Performance Program for projects to mitigate the risk of recurring damage from extreme weather, flooding, and other natural disasters on infrastructure that is in the National Highway System. These include raising and relocating roadways out of flood or slide-prone areas, constructing new protective features like drainage structures and scour protection, and using natural infrastructure to mitigate flood risk.
• Incentivize states to include resiliency protective features in federally funded transportation projects and infrastructure by authorizing the federal cost-share for those features to be 100 percent.
• Make changes to the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program to authorize Emergency Relief funds to be used to pay for new protective features on highways and bridges when repairing and rebuilding infrastructure after a natural disaster. This will help ensure that states are not just rebuilding back what was lost, but that they are also making critical improvements to protect the infrastructure against future damage from floods, wildfires, and other disasters.
The Empire State has experienced significant infrastructure damage in recent years due to extreme weather like Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene, and Tropical Storm Lee. This legislation would help states like New York better prepare their highway infrastructure for future risks by incorporating design features that protect against damage from flooding, storm surge, sea-level rise, and other climate impacts. The Resilient Highways Act of 2019 is expected to be marked up this week in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee as part of America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act of 2019, which reauthorizes federal highways programs.
“I’m proud to introduce this urgently needed bill,” Gillibrand added.

Photo Courtesy of NYPD

Members of the Epiphany Mar Thoma Church in Ozone Park stopped by the 106th Precinct stationhouse on Sunday to drop off special “Survival Kits” for the officers.
According to the children of the church, each kit features: “Life Saver: To remind you of the many times you’ve been one; Starburst: For the Burst of Energy you will need; Jolly Rancher: To remind you to laugh; Hershey Kisses: Because you deserve them; Gum: To help your unit stick together; and Peppermint Patty: To help you keep your cool.”

Photo Courtesy of Councilman Ulrich’s Office

Howard Beach entrepreneur and philanthropist Frank Russo on Thursday was sworn in as an honorary City Fire Department battalion chief by Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro (second from l.)
Also on hand to congratulate the proprietor of Russo’s on the Bay and Vetro on the honor were FDNY Chief of Department John Sudnik and City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park).

File Photo

National Night Out Against Crime is this Tuesday, Aug. 6.

By Michael V. Cusenza
South Queens communities—and the cops that patrol them—are eagerly anticipating that annual rite of summer: National Night Out Against Crime.
In the 106th Precinct, which serves Howard Beach, Hamilton Beach, Lindenwood, Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, and Resorts World Casino New York City, its National Night Out is set for Tuesday, Aug. 6, 6 p.m.-9 p.m., at the Addabbo Playground section of Tudor Park, located at 133rd Avenue and 82nd Street in Ozone Park. The free event will feature refreshments, music, giveaways, activities for children and adults, as well as information on many topics.
As for the 102nd Precinct, serving the communities of Woodhaven, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, and Kew Gardens, its National Night Out event this Tuesday will take place from 6 p.m to 9 p.m. at Victory Field in Forest Park, which is located at Woodhaven Boulevard and Myrtle Avenue.
“Join us for FREE food & drinks, raffle prizes, entertainment & informative literature,” precinct officials wrote on Twitter.
In 1984, the National Association of Town Watch, founded to connect community watch programs across the country and provide them the resources they needed to make a difference in their neighborhoods, officially introduced the National Night Out as an event in which community members and local police officers would band together to meet with each other, discuss community safety concerns, and celebrate the neighborhoods where they live. It has become an American tradition for residents to forge a positive bond with the law enforcement officers who are tasked with protecting their community.

Photo Courtesy of Marc Hermann/MTA New York City Transit

“This reorganization builds upon the progress made and will transform every aspect of our service and deliver modern, fully accessible transit to riders,” MTA New York City Transit President Andy Byford said.

By Michael V. Cusenza
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board has approved a comprehensive reorganization plan, the beleaguered agency announced last Wednesday afternoon.
The recommendations for this historic reorganization were made following an extensive evaluation process conducted by the consulting firm AlixPartners.
“The MTA’s reorganization plan is a good start, but now it comes down to execution and sound management,” said Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “The timelines should provide hard dates to assess progress.”
To that end, the MTA also released critical deadlines and milestones for several of the major initiatives to make the reorganization plan a reality.
“This reorganization builds upon the progress made and will transform every aspect of our service and deliver modern, fully accessible transit to riders,” MTA New York City Transit President Andy Byford said last Wednesday.
• According to the MTA, the transformation plan contains the following key recommendations:
In the new organization, the agencies should focus exclusively on service delivery, safety, day-to-day operations and maintenance, rather than general support functions.
• To address slow, costly, and bureaucratic processes and to create accountability, all Capital-related functions across the MTA should be merged into a central group. This new capital group will be accountable for planning, development, and delivery of the Capital Program. This group would identify optimal project delivery (groupings, timing, delivery), increase competition in a historically constrained supplier market, and complete important capital projects that improve service and customer experience quicker.
• To address many existing differing communication types (i.e., service updates, timetables, customer feedback, etc.) from several different agencies, MTA should centralize communications to clearly and consistently manage the message, medium and content.
• The MTA should create a centralized human resources department focused on attracting, developing, and retaining the talent required to improve MTA performance and service delivery. This new entity will be tasked with clearly articulating a new talent strategy. This will help to resolve issues of duplication and improve analytics, data consistency, and data integrity.
According to the MTA, to drive the transformation, the agency will require a selection of new leadership roles and capabilities:
• A Chief Operating Officer should lead the team of agency leaders including subway, commuter rail, bus, and bridge/tunnel transportation systems to deliver safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation services. The COO will shape operations with a regional, multimodal view of service design and delivery.
• A Chief Transformation Officer is responsible for leading the execution of ongoing and new initiatives across the $18 billion enterprise. These efforts will include reorganization, development of strong center-led business functions, streamlining business processes, quality assurance and establishing internal controls. According to the MTA, the CTO will play a crucial role in quality assurance and should focus on building and embedding cross-functional capabilities that ensure intended results from vendors and suppliers, including on-time performance and accountability. Waste, fraud, abuse and possible legal violations remain the jurisdiction of the MTA Inspector General. However, the two offices could work collaboratively. This Chief Transformation Officer will report directly to the MTA Board and work closely with the MTA Chief Executive Officer and COO.
• To accelerate the creation of a fully accessible transit system, AlixPartners recommended that the MTA should hire the first-ever network-wide MTA Accessibility Officer reporting to the Chief Executive Officer.