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By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

The property manager of a Sunnyside condominium who became the focus of multiple state and city investigations after he was accused of intimidating and harassing residents has resigned from the condominium’s board of managers in a settlement the city’s Commission on Human Rights announced last Friday.

Neal Milano, 70, and his “one-man reign of terror” were exposed by Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) after he toured the lobby of the building at 47-55 39th Pl. in August, where he found displays of Nazi and Confederate imagery, swastikas and symbols of hate on every wall, and even the names of infamous Nazis Josef Mengele and Rudolph Hess in the building’s directory.

The Commission launched an investigation into discrimination at the condo after several tenants and unit owners reported that Milano was harassing tenants on their immigration status, national origin, and race, as well as creating a generally hostile environment.

“This kind of behavior is disgusting and unacceptable. People were terrified,” Van Bramer said. “As soon as we saw what was happening, we alerted the commission, who acted swiftly. No person in New York City should feel threatened or be harassed and discriminated against based on where they were born, how they pray, or who they love — especially in their own homes. I am happy to see this resolved and to know that the residents will no longer have to live in fear, and can feel safe in our own community.”

The settlement required Milano and two other members from the board to step down and remove “all offensive posters, symbols and materials from the lobby. The condo unit owners elected five new board members last Thursday.

“We hope this settlement sends a strong message to housing providers citywide that New York City does not tolerate discrimination and harassment and that we will not hesitate to take immediate action when we learn of violations,” Assistant Commissioner for the Law Enforcement Bureau at the NYC Commission on Human Rights Sapna V. Raj said. “Housing providers, including condo boards, supers, landlords, and brokers have a legal obligation to follow the NYC Human Rights Law, which prohibits discrimination and harassment based on national origin, immigration status, race or any other protected category. We encourage anyone who is experiencing discrimination or harassment to report it to the commission by calling 718-722-3131.”

During its investigation, one tenant told the commission that Milano stopped her as she was walking to her apartment with her boyfriend, who is of Puerto Rican descent, demanding to see his passport and exclaiming that he “could be anyone illegal.” Another unit owner said that Milano left her a voicemail claiming to be Adolf Hitler and stating that “the grandmaster of the KKK is coming to the lobby.”

The same unit owner said that Milano also responded to her attempt to rent her apartment to a Latina woman by declaring, “She’s Spanish. They are low lifes and don’t pay the rent.” The condo board remains under investigation by New York’s Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

“We are encouraged by the actions taken tonight by the NYC Commission on Human Rights with whom we have been working closely on this investigation,” Schneiderman said. “Our investigation into potential state civil rights violations and financial misconduct at the condominium continues.”

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

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

Woodside resident Melissa Sklarz announced Tuesday she will mount a primary challenge against state Assemblyman Brian Barnwell (D-Maspeth) in September.

Sklarz, a longtime Democratic party insider, is the first transgender person to run in the 30th Assembly District, which includes Woodside and Maspeth, as well as parts of Middle Village, Astoria, Long Island City and Sunnyside.

“I have been advocating for New Yorkers my entire life,” Sklarz said. “After the 2016 election, I realized this is no time to be on the sidelines. With our transportation network in crisis, the assault on New Yorkers with the Trump budget that slashes billions in federal assistance to vital programs, and women still lacking proper representation, I am determined to make sure all voices are heard in Albany.”

Sklarz is a progressive Democrat who has served the party in a number of roles during the past 15 years. In 1999, she was the first trans person elected to any office in New York State when she won a post as a judicial delegate in Manhattan’s 66th Assembly District, and served as a delegate in the 2016 Democratic National Convention after being appointed to the Credentials Committee in 2004 and 2012, and the Rules Committee in 2008.

She bought her first home at Boulevard Gardens in Woodside more than 11 years ago, becoming a neighbor of Barnwell, who stunned the borough’s political class in 2016 when he upset nine-term incumbent Margaret Markey in the Democratic primary before defeating Republican nominee Tony Nunziato convincingly in the general election, 63 percent to 23 percent.

The two candidates are at opposites on at least one issue already. Sklarz was previously homeless herself and says she is painfully aware of the city’s homelessness epidemic. She says she’s committed to strengthening rental protections, as well as moving people from the streets and shelter system into permanent affordable housing. Barnwell took part in the nightly protests outside the Holiday Inn Express in Maspeth, which the city tried unsuccessfully to convert into a homeless shelter.

“I find it odd Ms. Sklarz wants to run for office in this district, considering I heard her personally call the sections of Middle Village, Maspeth, and Woodside all racists who are living in the past,” Barnwell said.

Sklarz’s campaign explained her comment was made during a Democratic club meeting at the Boulevard Gardens complex and the topic of the Mayor forcing shelters onto communities without any public dialogue came up.

“In truth, she called Brian’s political posturing regarding the homeless shelter racist and she finds it odd that he continues to draw attention to his stance on not wanting to provide shelter for the most vulnerable in her district,” Sklarz Campaign Strategist Michael Czaczkes said. “Melissa is running to ensure that city officials can’t force solutions on neighborhoods without input of those who live in the community.”

Barnwell disagreed.

“That’s not true at all. She flat out said the people in this district were racist and live in the past,” Barnwell said. “It’s not political posturing, it’s the truth. I don’t need a campaign strategist like she does to change her wording around. This is the second news article she addressed my comments, and now she is changing her response.”

Sklarz is also running to protect women’s reproductive health, to fix the city’s transit system, and to continue the long-held neighborhood values in the 30th Assembly District.

“Throughout history, New Yorkers have led the nation when it comes to progressive values and policy,” Sklarz said. “From women’s suffrage, to the Stonewall riots, to most recently leading the nation on raising the minimum wage. However, there is much more to do, as evidenced when our current Assemblymember voted against the Reproductive Health Act, which aims to protect women’s health.”

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

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Tammy Scileppi

TimesLedger Newspapers

Despite an always-changing world and the addictive draw of technology and social media, something as important as the arts should never be cast aside or forgotten. But behind the scenes, it seems that keeping the arts alive and relevant has been an ongoing challenge for creators, choreographers, artistic directors and producers, despite their best efforts – especially these days, with rising rents, a shortage of studio space, and changing audiences.

But for creatives like Kevin Albert and Nicola Iervasi, creating dance for all is their raison d’etre and a true labor of love. The Woodside residents have been partners, on and off stage, for 16 years. Albert graduated from the Boston Conservatory in Theater, and Nicola moved to the U.S. from Southern Italy as a scholarship student at the Martha Graham School.

As founders and directors of Emerging Choreographer Series (ECS), they have combined their expertise in theater and dance, and remain committed to promoting the arts locally through ECS and other imaginative programs, with the help of the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center.

The Queens Council on the Arts and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, have recognized the couple’s ongoing contributions to the borough’s dance scene.

ECS embraces all styles of dance, while providing artistic, logistical, and production support for the next generation of dance makers. In celebration of the program’s fifth edition, ECS is presenting its 2018 concert in The Little Theater at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (LPAC), located at LaGuardia Community College, 31-10 Thomson Ave., Long Island City on Monday, Feb. 26 and Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 7:30 p.m.

Promising a variety of “dance voices,” Albert said concert-goers will see the culmination of eight weeks of hard work.

“We will present a wide range of dance styles, including contemporary, experimental, modern, hip hop, tap and musical theater dance. Also, the level of dancing is very professional,” he said.

After choosing the choreographers, the directors organize auditions for dancers and help them make the best choice for their piece. This year, nine emerging choreographers from across the U.S. as well as Costa Rica and Italy are being presented.

ECS developed organically in 2013, after the couple had been teaching their unique training method, The Wave Within, for several years. “More and more, we would witness participants use material they had created in class to start a new piece or use the tools they learned to better share their ideas with dancers,” said Albert.

Feeling they were ready for this new adventure, Albert and Iervasi applied for funds from Queens Council on the Arts.

“The hardest part was finding venues to host such an intensive program. When we met with Steven Hitt at LPAC, we knew immediately we had found a home,” Iervasi recalled.

Starting this year, each participant is mentored by an established choreographer who provides feedback and advice for their artistic and professional growth.

“The support we are getting from the industry is almost overwhelming. The expertise of this year’s team of panelists, mentors and consultants has exceeded our wildest dreams,” Albert said. “This is the proof that we are doing something extremely important and needed in New York City and in Queens.”

According to Albert, choreographers are receiving less financial and practical support while also seeing greater demand for productivity and organization. The partners say their goal has been to create responsible, business-ready choreographers with hands-on experience in best practices. The program is completely free, and each choreographer and their dancers receive stipends.

ECS also connected with Spaceworks NYC, a non-profit in Long Island City, and or the last few years, has received the CASA grant from the city with support from Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside).

Albert pointed to other programs ECS is involved in, like an after-school program for K-12, called The Young Wave based off of The Wave Within method.

This program partners with creative writing teachers at PS 11 and PS 152. Students write about a subject and their writing is used to put together a script. Then a director is brought in along with a choreographer to work with the kids to develop staging and choreography, according to Albert.

“We also bring in Queens-based composer, James Rubio, to create a song for the children to sing, based also off of their creative writing,” said Albert. “The creative team helps them develop the show and it is performed for friends and family.

At the end of the program, the students are treated to a Broadway show.

“We feel it is important, after all the hard work they put in to create their show, to see a professional production — offered free of charge to the kids — which always helps to spark magic and wonder in their eyes.”

Albert blames the dwindling of dance audiences on addictive technology and the battle for commodified attention, but also rising costs.

“I have a feeling what is playing into the decline is part of the commercialization of our consciousness,” Albert said. “We are always connected to a computer or phone, and we see as much or as little of dance as we wish by clicking here or there. The way the city is set up now, it is too expensive for young or established artists to spend time exploring something that is unknown.”

One of the main goals of ECS, Albert said, is to make dance more accessable.

“This is part of why we created the ECS,” he said. “We could see a future where young artists were no longer able to afford the experimentation and the art of choreography would be left to commercial dance or to those who have the funding. We felt a need to support the up and coming to combat this problem, to give them a chance to learn about the business and maximize their creative potential.”

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

Activists and elected officials are not letting Christ the King High School off the hook after a black student was told he could not use the name “Malcolm X” on a school sweater.

City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Public Advocate Letitia James and state Sen. Jesse Hamilton (D-Brooklyn) rallied at the Middle Village Catholic school Wednesday to pressure the administrative staff to allow 17-year-old Malcolm Xavier Combs to use the name of the controversial civil rights leader after they have repeatedly denied the request.

“Leaders are oftentimes born out of a crisis and I want to thank this young man for being a leader,” James said. “I’m prepared to have a meeting with the administrations of this school to talk about an inclusive curriculum.”

Combs also spoke at the rally, again questioning why he was not allowed to use the “Malcolm X” name on his sweater.

“I need to know if you teach Malcolm X, why it is not OK for me to have it on my sweater?” Combs said. “I need to know why does everyone else have their names and initials and nicknames on their sweaters, but I can’t have my real name? Today is the day Malcolm X was assassinated in physical [form], but I will be here to make sure he is not assassinated in name.”

Stringer called for change and applauded Combs for speaking up.

“We are not going to keep these high school kids down any more,” Stringer said. “It’s happening all over America. We’re not going to allow our kids to get shot up anymore, we’re not going to let our kids get discriminated against any more, and quite frankly, if we adults haven’t figured it out by now, then the next generation is going to educate us.”

Combs ordered the sweater through the school, but was later called out of AP English class to the office of Assistant Principal Veronica Arbitello, where he was told he should not be associated with the name of Malcolm X, who has been labeled a terrorist by his detractors.

Combs was a guest at Rev. Al Sharpton’s weekly rally in Harlem on Feb. 10, where he and his family spoke about the incident.

“[She] told me she could not put my name on the sweater,” Combs said. “She said I did not want to be associated with that name. She asked me if that was my real name and I said yes… Her husband walked into the office and she said, ‘This is the new Malcolm X,’ and she laughed at me… I was silent the whole time because I was in shock that in this year that she would say something like that.”

The Sharpton rally was attended by Combs’ mother and father, who said the school gave them the runaround when they tried to speak with the staff directly.

Ilyasah Shabazz, the daughter of Malcolm X, also delivered remarks on the incident at the podium of Sharpton’s National Action Network headquarters.

The notion of Malcolm X as a terrorist stemmed from a fiery speech given days before his Feb. 21, 1965 assassination in Washington Heights, in which he condoned black retribution against hate groups and bigots such as the Ku Klux Klan, according to news reports at the time. Stringer’s rally took place on the 53rd anniversary of the assassination.

Christ the King’s chairman of the board, Serphin Maltese, who once served as state senator in the district now represented by Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), said in a statement a week prior to Stringer’s rally that the order form for sweaters only allowed for first and last names and sometimes nicknames. He said this had been misconstrued by the family and in media reports.

“The recent articles about one of our students and Malcolm X has, unfortunately, been taken out of context and has been misconstrued,” Maltese said. “When this student’s family raised the issue about the name he wished on the sweatshirt, the school readily agreed to meet and discuss the matter. Unfortunately, before that meeting took place, this became a media issue.”

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 Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

The city’s health department confirmed that an 8-year-old LeFrak City girl’s death last week was flu related, but it was unclear if Amely Baez had received a flu shot.

Baez is the fourth child believed to have died from the flu outbreak that has swept the city in recent weeks, with more than 13,000 laboratory-confirmed cases. Queens has been the hardest hit of the five boroughs with more than 4,000 cases to date, according to the state health department.

State Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) went to the sprawling residential complex in Corona Tuesday and offered free flu shots in cooperation with Elmhurst Hospital Center and LeFrak City Maintenance Services, warning that the outbreak still poses a danger.

“Unfortunately, this flu season is not over. The tragic deaths of Amely and three other children reminds us of how dangerous the flu outbreak is,” Peralta said. “I urge New Yorkers to protect themselves, and their children, and get vaccinated if they haven’t done so already. We need to ensure we do everything possible to combat the spread of this deadly virus as the number of hospitalizations is increasing. The influenza vaccine can be the difference between life and death. Nationwide, 63 children and teenagers died from the flu.”

Israel Rocha, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, agreed with Peralta.

“The best line of defense continues to be the flu shot, which helps to prevent the flu or, just as important, to minimize the flu’s symptoms for those who still catch it. It can save lives.”

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

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside) reintroduced a bill to City Hall which will mandate an animal shelter be built in Queens as part of the advocacy work he began in 2016 to bring relief to overburdened receiving centers and reduce euthanasia.

Vallone received the green light to build a shelter in the Bronx and Queens in May 2016 along with $10 million from the city’s FY 2017 executive budget, but with the Bronx center already in the works, he claimed his new bill ensures an adoption facility is established in his home borough.

“Receiving centers are not enough! They do not provide shelter or medical care for homeless animals, nor do they provide a place to recover lost pets before they’re euthanized,” Vallone said. “Most importantly, since animals brought to these receiving centers in Queens must be transported to a full service shelter in the other boroughs, their continued absence places insurmountable pressure on the existing facilities, which already operate at maximum capacity. In the end, homeless animals are the ones that face the consequences of this pressure, as many otherwise healthy pets are lost to euthanasia.”

Under the leadership of Vallone’s father, former Council Speaker Peter Vallone, a 2000 law required the city to add an animal shelter in every borough in the city. This, however, was repealed by a 2011 bill known as Local Law 59, Vallone said.

“Throughout the last four years, [City Council] Speaker [Corey] Johnson and I have fought to make full service animal shelters a reality for Queens and the Bronx. I applaud the administration for moving forward with the new Bronx shelter as it reflects their commitment to this important issue,” Vallone said. “If it were its own city, Queens alone would rank as the nation’s fourth largest and it is unacceptable that no animal shelter currently exists.”

Projections released at a May 2016 news conference by Vallone and Councilman Barry Grodenchik (D-Oakland Gardens), as well as NYCLASS Executive Director Allie Taylor, showed that New York City pet adoptions could more than double from installing new animal shelters. In 2016, adoptions from city shelters numbered at 7,158. The number is estimated to reach 16,000 by 2018.

“It really is a scandal that we don’t have a full service shelter in Queens,” Grodenchik said in 2016. “To get to Brooklyn, which is the nearest shelter, it begs the question of why this has taken so long. This has been a quest for so many civic leaders and animal lovers for so long. We will hold this administration’s feet to the fire. We do want to thank Mayor de Blasio for taking this step.”

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 Gina Martinez

TimesLedger Newspapers

City Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Hillcrest) is praising a landmark decision that determined that judges should consider a defendant’s ability to pay before setting bail.

Dutchess County Supreme Court Justice Maria Rosa ruled that setting cash bail for a defendant without considering his or her ability to pay violates the constitutional rights of due process and equal protection.

The decision came after a New York Civil Liberty Union lawsuit on behalf of Christopher Kunkeli, who spent three months in jail in Poughkeepsie on a petit larceny charge after a judge set his bail for $5,000. According to the NYCLU, Kunkeli only earned $10,000 a year, making his bail half of his yearly earnings. Kunkeli pleaded guilty to the petit larceny charges and was released on time served last month.

Rosa ruled that the bail was set at an unreasonable amount, saying freedom should not depend on an individual’s economic status.

“Protection against discrimination is never more important than when a person’s freedom is at stake,” Rosa wrote. “Since one accused of a crime in the United States is presumed innocent until proven guilty, the setting of bail is supposed to be limited to those defendants who are either a danger to a specific individual or to the public or who pose a flight risk.”

The U.S. Supreme Court has held that imprisoning someone solely because of their poverty violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantees of equal protection and due process.

Despite this, tens of thousands of New Yorkers like Kunkeli who cannot afford bail are kept in jail simply because they cannot afford to pay. The NYCLU said it is seeking a ruling that could set standards for state courts and lead to large reductions in the numbers of New Yorkers held before trial.

New York’s bail statute allows judges to consider alternatives to restrictive forms of bail, according to the NYCLU. Alternatives include unsecured and partially-secured bond and pretrial release services, which are available in most counties and have been successful at ensuring participants appear in court.

The NYCLU said the judge in Kunkeli’s case set his $5,000 bail and $10,000 bond without considering his ability to pay, and ordered him jailed in Dutchess County when he could not come up with the money.

In Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s annual State of the State Address last month, he proposed ending the use of cash bail in low-level cases. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez and Westchester County DA Anthony Scarpino Jr. have all announced that their prosecutors will no longer be requesting monetary bail in most low-level or misdemeanor cases. Queens DA Richard Brown has stated that the numbers in the borough show that the current policy on bail in misdemeanor cases when a defendant has a history of not showing up to court works.

Lancman, who also serves as the chairman of the Committee on the Justice System, has been at the forefront of the bail reform movement in New York City. In 2015 he convened a Courts & Legal Services Committee hearing to examine the current bail system and he is also the prime sponsor of legislation to provide judges with defendants’ financial information at arraignment.

He said this ruling is a step in the right direction

“This landmark ruling sets an important standard for our judges that setting bail without first considering a defendant’s ability to pay is a violation of both the United States and New York Constitutions,” he said. “As chair of the Committee on the Justice System, I will continue to support programs that provide judges with defendant’s financial information prior to setting bail, like the Vera Institute’s Bail Project.”

Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmartinez@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.

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