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By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

State Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) announced last Friday that he would not participate in the Legislature’s process for appointing a new attorney general ahead of November’s general election.

Acting Attorney General Barbara Underwood, 73, took over the office after the abrupt resignation of Eric Schneiderman hours after the release of a blockbuster report in the New Yorker May 7 that he allegedly committed violent acts against romantic partners.

“I am grateful to the many leaders who are encouraging me to run for attorney general and intend to give serious consideration to doing so,” Gianaris said. “In the coming days and weeks, I will continue speaking with my supporters and other interested New Yorkers as I decide whether to seek election to the attorney general’s office this year. This is a critical time in New York and a decision that deserves careful thought.”

He added, “As a result, I will not be participating in the expedited legislative selection process.”

Under state law, the Legislature has the authority to appoint an attorney general should the job become vacant and interviews with 13 applicants began Tuesday. City Public Advocate Letitia James also withdrew her name from consideration in the selection process.

State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) gave his full support to Underwood Tuesday.

“If there’s any justice in the world where we reward people for their experience and longstanding dedication to the public good, then Barbara Underwood should be nominated by both political parties as the next attorney general,” Avella said. “It would be the best thing for the state of New York to have somebody with her experience and apolitical approach to the job. I can’t think of a better attorney general.”

Underwood was the first of 13 attorney general applicants to interview with the bipartisan legislative committee Tuesday. She told the lawmakers she was not interested in running for the office in November and would serve out the rest of Schneiderman’s term if she is appointed interim attorney general.

Meanwhile, Gianaris announced Tuesday the Senate Committee on Investigations and Government Operations passed his legislation banning state tax dollars from being used to bail out legal expenses incurred by political campaigns by a vote of 7-2. Under current law, politicians can use their campaign committees as legal defense funds if charged with a crime. If acquitted, the campaign committee may recoup attorney’s fees from the state. The politicians can then use that money to run for office or donate to other candidates, according to Gianaris. Former Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno did just that in 2014 — donating his windfall of over $1 million from state taxpayers directly to Senate Republicans.

“It’s an outrageous abuse of taxpayer dollars for public monies to reimburse criminal defendants’ campaign accounts,” Gianaris said. “Taxpayers should not be paying for the campaigns of those accused of crimes.”

Gianaris’ proposal would prohibit campaign committees from seeking reimbursement from the state for their legal expenses. The legislation moves to the Senate Finance Committee for consideration.

Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.

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By Carlotta Mohamed

TimesLedger Newspapers

“Do you live in this area?!” some Woodside residents shouted repeatedly last week at the Community Board 2 public meeting with developer Madison Capital Realty, which is planning to construct a two-tower residential building at 69-02 Queens Blvd.

During the public forum at St. Mary’s Winfield at 70-31 48th Ave., residents asked questions and vented their frustrations at the developers about how the project would affect their community.

“Queens Boulevard is known as the Boulevard of Death,” said Raymond Lee at the May 9 meeting, which drew about 60 people. “There will be more traffic, construction, congested schools, and public transportation.”

Under the firm’s proposal, which would require rezoning, the project would mark a large new residential development from the ground up in Queens, paving the way for a half-million-square-foot complex with 561 units — of which 169 would be affordable — and 5,600 square feet of retail. The project would include a pair of towers, one 14 stories and the other 17 stories, along with a 242-space surface parking lot.

“As of right now they’re allowed to put 207 units; they’re proposing to build 561,” said Councilman Robert Holden (R-Maspeth). “Now what happens with a one-bedroom? Sometimes you get a family of four or six in one-bedroom apartments. I have serious reservations about this. I didn’t hear very good answers today, and am still waiting.”

Holden said he would’ve preferred the development of a school in the neighborhood instead of two high-rise buildings since District 24 is the “most overcrowded district with unfunded public school seats.”

With little or no response to the public’s concerns about the issue of overcrowding, Madison Capital Realty said amenities would include a recreation room, parking lot for its residents, and open space with chairs and tables outside. Its plans also include a tree-lined courtyard and 5,600 square feet of retail space.

The project is currently going through the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, under which the rulings of Community Board 2 and the borough president on the rezoning are advisory, and then brought to the City Council where a decision will be made, said CB 2 Chairwoman, Denise Keehan-Smith.

According to the Commercial Observer, that provides information on the commercial real estate industry, if Madison Capital Realty doesn’t get the rezoning, it could still possibly build a 12-story, 289-unit building with 58 below-market units on the site.

The rezoning would force Madison Capital Realty to rent 30 percent of the development’s units to families earning at or below 80 percent of the area median income, which is part of the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing Program.

The development site spans six parcels, but Madison Capital Realty only owns two lots. The properties were once home to a gas station, a Mexican restaurant, a florist and an Armenian cultural center. The florist and cultural center have not yet sold their lots, both of which are industrially zoned.

Among cheers and boos at the meeting, another resident, Shane Toner, who is part of the New York City District Council of Carpenters, said he was “concerned about the company’s use of non- union workers to build the towers.”

Joseph Geiger, who is the executive secretary treasurer, of the Council of Carpenters, said it was a shame how undocumented workers are exploited by non-member unions, and urged the developers to “build responsibly.”

“Will you have responsible contractor language for these 561 units to be built to give to the community, to my members, so they can afford to live here?” said Geiger. “Now I know you’re the developer, not the contractor, but it’s your responsibility to hire someone that’s going to be a responsible contractor.”

Madison Capital Realty has already developed three rental buildings in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, and completed condominium projects at One Great Jones Alley in Noho and 78 Irving Place in the Gramercy Park area.

Reach reporter Carlotta Mohamed by e-mail at cmohamed@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4526.

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Tammy Scileppi

TimesLedger Newspapers

Sadly, fables have become an almost forgotten genre of reading, what with the plethora of modern-day children’s books written for a new generation of precocious kids.

But now, some of those wonderful, enchanting tales that have sparked youngsters’ imaginations since days of yore have been brought to life through dance, in “Fables,” a production every family should experience.

Thanks to the Queens Borough Community Dance Project — a new initiative launched by RIOULT Dance NY — lucky students between the ages of 8 and 16, who either live or go to school locally, will have a rare opportunity to rehearse and perform alongside RIOULT’s professional dancers. Performances, presented in partnership with LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, will take place in the Mainstage Theatre at 31-10 Thomson Ave. in Long Island City May 19 at 3 p.m.

Dance education and giving more children access to dance has always been at the heart of RIOULT’s mission as an organization, and in a few months doors to their new home at RIOULT Dance Center on Steinway Street will open, establishing residency in Astoria’s popular Kaufman Arts District.

“Fables” is their first performance as a Queens-based company but audiences have been enjoying a myriad of productions presented at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center and at Queens Theatre for many years.

“We are very excited to begin working with our new community. We hope that this experience, offered free to the student participants, will broaden their horizons and encourage them to continue dancing throughout their lives,” said Pascal Rioult, RIOULT Dance NY’s founder and choreographer.

As a co-producer of “Fables,” LPAC’s executive director Steven Hitt joined forces with the dance company to make this project possible. The collaboration follows a long history of presenting free lecture demonstrations for New York City students in LPAC’s theater and also serves as a resource for RIOULT Dance NY in producing their annual New York Season, according to Rioult.

While RIOULT’s modern-day dances a la fables of olde were created around elements of fun and whimsy, all are inspired by the 17th century poet Jean de la Fontaine, whose delightful Fables rank among the greatest masterpieces of French literature. He offered young readers valuable messages that were as relevant then as they are today.

Deeper meanings can be found behind thought-provoking, imaginatively told and beautifully illustrated tales, in which animal protagonists always have a lot to say. The main theme of his book series has been described as “the everyday moral experience of mankind throughout the ages, exhibited in a profusion of typical characters, emotions, attitudes, and situations.”

“My piece, ‘Fables,’ celebrates the timeless stories that teach children life lessons embraced by the many cultures found in the borough of Queens,” Rioult said. “Being from France originally, I read and was inspired by the rhythmic narrative of Fables, so I wanted to use the universal language of dance to bring to life familiar tales including the ‘Crow and the Fox,’ ‘Tortoise and the Hare,’ ‘Oak and the Reed,’ ‘Ant and the Grasshopper,’ and ‘Animals Sick with the Plague.’ There is a twist to my interpretation of these tales in that Jean de la Fontaine used animals to portray human behaviors and in my piece the dancers represent contemporary people who find themselves in the same situations.”

The audience will hear music written especially for “Fables” by the composer Paul Salerni. The costumes are contemporary clothing designed by Pilar Limosner after the original designs by Russ Vogler; the sets were designed by Harry Feiner, and light design was created by David Finley. “All of these theatrical elements create a very special, magical world where the dancing takes place,” Rioult said.

Among the schools that have students who are performing this weekend are: PS139 Q; PS113; PS85Q; PS165Q; PS199; PS/IS 113Q; PS144; PS/MS 164; J.H.S. 190 Russell Sage; BELL Academy; PS169; PS/MS 164; Q300; Garden School; Frank Sinatra School of the Arts; Forest Hills High School; And Manhattan’s PS 199.

For tickets, visit the LPAC box office or go to www.lpac.nyc/event/0b047530ed7f1414f8a51134fcb675f4.

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By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

A three-day expo showcasing the food and culture of Flushing and the surrounding neighborhoods will be kicking off next month, evoking the spirit of the 1964 World’s Fair with a modern twist that reflects the worldliness of the borough today.

Flushing’s World Fair — scheduled for June 15-17 — has received over $1 million from the city’s Small Business Services and will feature workshops on how businesses can capitalize on the growing tourism industry in Queens and the best practices for roping in customers through social media.

“Whether you’re looking for amazing food, meaningful history, or world-class shopping, Flushing has something for everyone. Flushing’s World Fair will be a great opportunity for visitors to get a first-hand look into the emerging industries our community has to offer,” City Councilman Peter Koo (D-Flushing) said. “We also invite those who already know us to rediscover Flushing and explore a neighborhood that is constantly evolving.”

The first day of the expo will be held at the Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel with a forum discussing the future of tourism in Queens moderated by Rob McKay, director of PR for Queens Tourism Council.

“Strong neighborhoods are the backbone of our city, and the $1.15 million in investments to Flushing is going a long way towards revitalizing key commercial corridors,” Gregg Bishop, commissioner of the SBS, said. “By working with Asian Americas for Equality and the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce, we are responding to local needs to support small business growth and build more vibrant neighborhoods for all New Yorkers.”

The program also includes several walking tours of Flushing with Queens historian Dr. Jack Eichenbaum leading the explorations. Food writer and author of “111 Places in Queens That You Must Not Miss” Joe DiStafano, will lead a tour of the local cuisine.

“People from around the world have been coming here for decades to make Flushing, Queens, the most vibrant and dynamic community in the United States,” Taehoon Kim, president of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce, said. “The attention and admiration this expo will generate for our amazing community is more than past due.”

Asian Americans for Equality is also organizing the event, which is expected to draw about 500 visitors from beyond Flushing.

“Flushing businesses offer an incredibly rich and diverse mix of culture from around the globe in one convenient location,” Doris Koo of AAE said. “We want to share this jewel of the city with the rest of the world and give local businesses the support they need to tell their engaging stories.”

Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Naeisha Rose

TimesLedger Newspapers

Linda McMahon, the head of the Small Business Administration, has stayed true to the organization’s promise to reinstate the LGBT Outreach page on the SBA website

The restoration of the website Wednesday came days after U.S. Reps. Yvette Clarke (D-Brooklyn) and Nydia Velázquez (D-Brooklyn), whose district covers parts of Ridgewood and Woodhaven, wrote a letter to McMahon demanding that the page go back up after being shut down on Jan. 25, 2017, which was shortly after the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

The letter came on the heels of McMahon’s media blitz, which started earlier this week, to visit small businesses across the country and address issues entrepreneurs were facing across the country.

Clarke and Velázquez, who is the ranking member of the House Small Business Committee, criticized the SBA in their joint letter for scrubbing the web page of the website for over a year.

“Erasing these resources from SBA’s website shortchanges gay, lesbian and transgender Americans who happen to be among our nation’s most successful small business owners,” said Velázquez. “The fact that this move took place shortly after Donald Trump came into office raises troubling concerns and, as the Committee of jurisdiction, we intend to get to the bottom of how this happened and see the situation rectified, quickly.”

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender entrepreneurs contribute $1.7 trillion to the United States economy and have created more than 33,000 jobs, according to the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

When the web page was closed following Trump’s January 2017 inauguration, the Democratic staff of the House Committee on Small Business pressed the SBA over the disappearance in August 2017, only to be told it was being fixed, but since then other web pages have been reinstated.

“SBA is an inclusive agency, proud to support all small businesses including the LGBT community,” said an SBA spokesman.

Not only did the letter condemn the SBA, it also highlighted the contributions of LGBT businesses, and requested a May 22 response from the administration about the lengthy webpage reconstruction.

“As you may know, [of] the nation’s nearly 28 million small businesses, only 964 are certified LGBT Business Enterprises, according to the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce,” the congresswomen said. “Despite their low numbers, these firms contribute over $1.1 billion to the U.S. economy and realize an average of $2.5 million in revenue each year – almost triple that of other small firms.”

The lawmakers also stressed that on average, small LGBT businesses have tended to outlive other small businesses by three times. While most start-ups close before their fourth year, LGBT businesses have lasted over 12 years.

The congresswomen were pleased the webpage has been reinstated, but were still requesting answers to why LGBT entrepreneurs had to go without resources from the federal government for over a year, and hope that this asset does not get used as a political tool again.

“It is important that all federal agencies are inclusive and work proactively to serve the needs of all Americans.”

Reach reporter Naeisha Rose by e-mail at nrose@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

City Comptroller Scott Stringer is holding his ground after data provider AirDNA issued a cease-and-desist letter to his office claiming his report on the economic impact of the room-sharing app Airbnb improperly used their data.

AirDNA is now calling for the comptroller to retract the report, which accused Airbnb of being responsible for the affordability crisis in the city and cited a negative impact on neighborhoods in Queens.

“We stand by the integrity of our report, which is consistent with studies done in other jurisdictions, that Airbnb has an impact on rent levels,” a spokeswoman for Stringer said.

But AirDNA contended that Stringer’s office did not obtain permission to uthe data, violating their terms of service and not getting the “full granularity” of the information available from the company.

“In short, the comptroller’s report is nothing more than hotel propaganda released under the guise of economic research,” the letter said. “The comptroller also violated AirDNA’s terms of service, which limits the use of AirDNA data to “personal, non-commercial use” unless a specific license is obtained.

The report by Stringer claimed New York City renters paid an additional $616 million in 2016 because of Airbnb’s practices, making the affordability crisis even worse.

According to Stringer’s report, rent in Long Island City and Astoria saw an increase of $20,092,964 throughout 2016 attributed to Airbnb; the cost to Sunnyside and Woodside was $9,431,814; Forest Hills and Rego Park were hit by $4,088,401; and Elmhurst, Corona and Jackson Heights saw a combined effect of about $5,285,274, while northeast Queens neighborhoods faced a rise of about $4,104,914.

The week prior to the cease-and-desist letter being issued there was a shouting match between Stringer and Airbnb, with the city official calling for full data transparency from the short-term rental company.

Airbnb’s head of global policy, Chris Lehane, claimed in a May 7 press conference call that the numbers in the report were misrepresented with no evidence indicating the company had any “material impact” on renters citywide, a message that was supported by AirDNA.

“It may be the case that the comptroller was simply misled, bamboozled, duped, by whoever provided him the data,” Lehane said.

Lehane said the comptroller operated on the assumption that entire units were being rented all year around and that people are only using spaces within their homes to accommodate guests as opposed to renting the entire unit or whole homes in compliance with Airbnb’s one host, one home policy.

“Airbnb’s high-priced lobbyists are doing what they always do when confronted with facts they don’t like, which is hold press conferences to try and smear those who dare to question the company’s impact on cities,” Stringer said in response to Lehane.

Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.

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