News

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Naeisha Rose

TimesLedger Newspapers

As January came to a close, the Department of Homeland Security announced an extension to the Temporary Protected Status for nearly 7,000 Syrians that came to the United States before Aug. 1, 2016, but the remaining 2,000 recipients will have to find immigration relief through other channels and no new Syrian applicants will be accepted into the program.

Recipients under TPS are in the United States because they were displaced from their countries due to natural disasters, war and political strife, according U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Syria was granted the status because of a political uprising there in 2011, which erupted into a violent civil war that displaced 6 million people by 2014, according to the Federation of American Scientists, an organization that analyzes national and international security.

“After carefully considering conditions on the ground, I have determined that it is necessary to extend the Temporary Protected Status designation for Syria,” said Dept. of Homeland Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

“It is clear that the conditions upon which Syria’s designation was based continue to exist, therefore an extension is warranted under the statute.”

The Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs was pleased with the extension.

“New Yorkers welcome the Trump Administration’s decision to provide a common sense extension of Temporary Protected Status for nearly 7,000 Syrians living in the United States today,” said Bitta Mostofi, the Acting Commissioner of MOIA.

However, the lack of support for the newer Syrian TPS recipients by the Trump Administration was deemed inexcusable.

“The Administration is talking out of both sides of its mouth and putting people in danger as a result,” Mostofi said.

Oxfam, an international organization dedicated to combatting poverty, issued a press release on Feb. 5 stating that in the Afrin district of Syria, 140 people have died and 310 were injured by warring parties in the country. Homes were destroyed and more than 5,000 people and have a lack of food, water and medicine.

Babies, young children, pregnant women and the elderly are trapped in the midst of the violence, according to the Oxfam Country Director in Syria, Moutaz Adham.

“By recognizing that Syria is not able to safely absorb current TPS recipients, there is no justification for refusing their fellow nationals currently in the United States the same humanitarian relief,” said Mostofi. “Syria is still an active war zone.”

There is no current count of Syrian TPS recipients in Queens or throughout New York City, according to MOIA.

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

Comment on this story.

Source: Times Ledger

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Gina Martinez

TimesLedger Newspapers

Queens rent prices dropped in 2017, according to a new StreetEasy report.

The real-estate website reported that 28 percent of Queens rentals received price cuts in the fourth quarter of 2017, following a citywide trend that showed 34 percent of Manhattan rentals seeing a price cut, as well as 28 percent of rentals in Brooklyn.

Median rent in Queens dropped to $2,066 — a 1.3 percent year-over-year decrease — in the final quarter of 2017, according to the report, which said northwest Queens saw the biggest median decline in rent, with a 2.5-percent decrease to $2,129.

Rent cuts were most prevalent in Corona, where they declined by 44 percent, followed by College Point, where they dropped by 36 percent, and Long Island City, where they fell by 33 percent.

StreetEasy Senior Economist Grant Long attributed the rent cuts to the winter’s usual market slowdown, and to new construction. He said a flood of new builds primarily propelled the rental market’s slowdown over the last year, and that the fourth quarter’s rent cuts are more far-reaching than in previous years.

“The cooling in the market is no longer limited to new, high-end buildings in select pockets of the city, there’s a broader trend of rents topping out across all price points,” Long said. “The slowdown is forcing landlords across the city to cut deals, and renters now have the most negotiating leverage in years.”

StreetEasy reported that all sub-market rents grew less than two percent year-over-year citywide.

While rents have dropped, the new report said that Queens resale prices rose twice as fast as they did in 2016. The median resale price for condos, townhouses, and co-ops in the borough rose 6.1 percent year-over-year to $509,217.

Properties in Central and Northeast Queens, where resale prices went up more than 8 percent, led the borough’s price growth, the StreetEasy report said.

And Northeast Queens’ resale price, which grew by 8.2 percent to a median of $588,052, was the highest the real-estate site ever recorded in the area, according to its report.

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

Comment on this story.

Source: Times Ledger

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Steve Spanolios

TimesLedger Newspapers

In the last 18 months, I immersed myself in a lot of things, one of which was understanding state politics.

The first thing I discovered as a resident of Astoria is that my representative — Jose Peralta — was a member of the Independent Democratic Caucus (“IDC”).

I did my due diligence on the IDC. I inhaled articles that both complimented and criticized the IDC. I asked some people who work in and with Albany about the impact and significance of the IDC.

As a lifelong Democrat, the more I read, the angrier I got. I understood the political argument that joining IDC allowed these members to caucus with Republicans and gain benefits for themselves and their respective communities. The concept that being a valuable member of a group allowed them to get funds for schools and environmental studies in their communities. But I was also not privy as to what this really was: a grab for power.

In all the justifications for why they abandoned their progressive campaign promises and absent from those altruistic descriptions were the direct individual benefits these eight members of the IDC obtained by betraying their party and to a certain extent the people who voted for them.

Also, apparently not part of the analysis was whether staying loyal to their party and the general beliefs of the Democratic Party would have somehow precluded them from getting those same benefits in their communities. It seems like the only thing that was mutually exclusive was the ability to sit on various committees that in turn gave the IDC members what they sought in actuality – influence and power.

The thing stands out to me in 2018 is that I no longer have the patience for politicians who rely on our cynicism in order to personally benefit themselves. The idea that you can run on a certain platform and then compromise your beliefs in the name of practicality no longer works in this political environment, even for a pragmatist like me.

And that is why when I saw women like Jessica Ramos and Alessandra Biaggi taking on two members of the IDC (including Senator Peralta), I was pleased. I quickly donated to both and added my name as a potential volunteer. Smart women who have worked in government and are more than qualified to hold these positions is what we need in our communities and government. People who will understand that you can be practical without sacrificing your moral compass.

I write this now for all those politicians and all those members of the media who are trying to grasp how things will play in 2018. The message from all these marches, protests and general activism is that time for compromising your ideology for personal benefit as a civil servant is over.

At least here in New York City, the people you align yourself with matters more than the words justifying why you stand with them. Even a pragmatist like me has lost patience with you, and I won’t let my cynicism cause me to turn away from this.

My anger is just a small part of what is coming in the next couple of years. If there is one thing we can learn from what occupies the White House, it is that the ransom you received for power and influence cannot be justified because it came at the cost of what a politician should value the most- their integrity. I believe Ms. Ramos and Ms. Biaggi are the reckonings for the IDC and the politics that helped create it.

Steve Spanolios

Astoria

Comment on this story.

Source: Times Ledger

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Merle Exit

TimesLedger Newspapers

A free film screening, a theatrical performance and a concert highlight Black History Month at Jamaica Center for the Performing Arts and the Jamaica Center for Learning.

“Finding Samuel Lowe: From Harlem to China” is a film about three successful black siblings who discover their heritage as they trace their long-lost grandfather, Samuel Lowe. Their journey takes them from Toronto, Canada, all the way to China, where they are reunited with hundreds of Chinese relatives, but not without a stop in Jamaica along the way.

The film will be screened at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning located at 161-04 Jamaica Ave. Friday, Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m.

“We are happy to be able to offer this free screening of ‘Finding Samuel Lowe: From Harlem to China’,” said JCAL director Cathy Hung. “It offers a completely different view of black in America. Ultimately, it is a story about how we are all related and we are all from the same place.”

Musical stylings as diverse as gospel, rhythm and blues, bluegrass and original Negro spirituals, with an infusion of American folk music highlight the Children’s Theater Company’s production of “Henry ‘Box’ Brown” on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. Mehr Mansuri, director of the theater company, wrote the book and lyrics to this historic performance that tells the true story of an 1850s Virginia slave who shipped himself to freedom in a box. Mansuri also co-composed most of the 19 songs with Frank Sanchez.

“We pay homage by weaving in some of the heart-stopping Negro spirituals, sung by the creme de la creme of gospel music from the world-renowned Christian Cultural Center, a massive megachurch in Brooklyn,” said Mansuri.

Mansuri chose Henry “Box” Brown because he wanted to tell a story about the triumph of the human spirit, where sacrifice was made by both whites and blacks for the greater good.

“Henry is also a story teller and a musician and a man of faith, so it was much more organic to produce original songs within a ‘musical’ model. Because he was also a man of great faith in God, it was a perfect excuse to weave in the songs of faith and perseverance that embodied the Negro spirituals,” Mansuri said. “We wanted to give homage to those nameless, faceless musicians and orators who created those amazing songs, arguably the founders of American music.”

Mansuri is co-directing this epic with Tony winner Ben Harney, who was in the original Broadway run of “Dreamgirls.”

“Mr. Harney is, among other things, an African-American music historian,” Mansuri said. “He has led the research and musical execution of the original Negro spirituals that infuse the show. While not credited as a writer for the show, he is credited as a music dramaturge, ensuring the accuracy of non-original/public domain Negro spirituals.”

“Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz” is a Langston Hughes project scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 17 at the Jamaica Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. “Ask Your Mama” is an homage to social and artistic freedom movements that began in the 1960s. The concert will feature the Ron McCurdy Quartet.

“We want to be able to celebrate Black History in a diverse approach and offer an opportunity for the family to celebrate together,” said Hung.

Langston Hughes scored this 12-part epic poem with musical cues from gospel songs, boogie-woogie, blues, Dixieland, Latin “cha cha” and bebop as well as German lieder, Jewish liturgy and West Indian calypso. This multi-media masterwork was left unperformed at his death.

Comment on this story.

Source: Times Ledger

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

TimesLedger Newspapers

Affordable housing is finally coming to Willets Point.

On Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Borough President Melinda Katz and Councilman Francisco Moya (D-Corona) unveiled their new plan for the abandoned land that promised construction of 1,100 affordable apartments on six acres of Willets Point, starting in 2020.

This new plan will offer 225 additional affordable homes than the original development proposal. According to the mayor, this new plan will include three, 100 percent affordable buildings including a standalone building with 220 homes for low-income seniors and also apartments for families at lower incomes than originally proposed.

The one-million square foot project will also include a new 450-seat public elementary school, neighborhood retail and public open space and according to de Blasio the city will pursue additional school seats if more residential units on the site are built.

De Blasio said this project will focus on the community’s main concern, affordable housing.

“It’s time to jump-start Willets Point, and we are doing that by building more than a thousand homes for seniors and families struggling to make ends meet,” he said. “ I look forward to working with Borough President Katz and Councilman Moya to ensure these homes are delivered on time, and that we build even more affordable homes, schools and parks across Willets Point,”

The city will still work with developer Queens Development Group but the new plan increases the affordable homes to 1,100 across just six acres, compared to the 2013 agreement, which would have produced 875 affordable homes across the entire 23-acre development site. This new agreement will also provide more homes for individuals who earn less than $17,190, or $25,770 for a family of three. The city announced that nearly 100 apartments will be reserved for formerly homeless families and 220 apartments for seniors.

According to the mayor, environmental remediation of the 23 acres will be completed by the developers by the end of 2020 and by 2022 at least 500 of the project’s housing units are expected to be finished.

One of the more controversial aspects of the 2013 proposal has been modified as well, The city will retain ownership of the property through a long-term ground lease for the six-acre site. Under the 2013 plan all of the 23 acres would have been sold to the developers for only $1.

Last June the New York Court of Appeals ruled against the development of a proposed mega mall project, ruling that the developers needed approval from the state Legislature before moving on with the project to be built on parkland.

Willets Point United, a group of business owners in the area against eminent domain abuse, are not happy with the City’s decision to stick with original developer QDG. The group said if the initial phase of development is going to be limited to the Willets Point Phase One property without expanding the project onto public parkland as QDG had proposed, then the City should re-start the developer selection process, with no unwarranted special status given to QDG, Sterling Equities or The Related Companies.

“There is absolutely no basis to think that QDG is the “best” developer for this six-acre site and configuration, because the de Blasio administration did not implement any competitive sealed proposal process (although it should have done so).” The group wrote in a blog post.

Recently elected councilman Moya said the city will move forward with his proposed task force where the community can give input on their priorities and come up with recommendations for the remaining 17 acres of the development site.

“Willets Point has been 12 years of bad politics and broken promises,” he said. “With this deal, we can look to providing some great housing relief for a lot of people who need it. By securing school seats, deep affordability, and senior housing we have accomplished something none of the previous iterations have been able to, and now with the task force I will co-chair, we can ensure this same community minded development continues in future phases.”

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

Comment on this story.

Source: Times Ledger

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Naeisha Rose

TimesLedger Newspapers

Queens served as the last leg of the five-borough “Still We Rise NYC Human Justice Summit,” which featured the NYPD’s top brass at the New Jerusalem Worship Center in South Jamaica last Wednesday.

The borough-wide police tour was the brainchild of Rev. Que English, the founder of the New York City Clergy Roundtable, a nonprofit that combines the efforts of religious and civic leaders in tackling social problems.

The purpose of the tour was to improve relations between police officers and the African American community, said English.

“Why are we doing this?” asked English to the crowd of hundreds at the church from all over Queens.

“Its simple,” she said. “Public safety is a shared responsibility. While there are responsibilities that fall on NYPD, there are also responsibilities that fall on the community, and communities of faith, because all of us are working together for the same end goal.”

Rowena Taylor, a South Jamaica resident and member of the New Jerusalem church, was excited for the event as she sat in the pews.

“The event is wonderful,” Taylor said. “The exposure to what is going on in the community is amazing. Most people are not aware that if they have a problem, they could go to the 113th Precinct and that there is an officer at community affairs who is in charge of the community.”

Mary Robinson, who came all the way from Flushing, agreed with Taylor.

“I think it is very informative,” Robinson said. “They are bringing the communities together and I am so for it.”

After the Ferguson riots sparked by the unarmed shooting death of Michael Brown in Missouri, the Eric Garner chokehold tragedy on Staten Island, and the assassinations of NYPD officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, Commissioner James O’Neill said it was time for the community and the police to work together and that meetings like this were the solution.

One of the ways he has helped to address bridging a gap between the African American community and police officers is through the Neighborhood Coordination Officer initiative.

“We embarked on a structural change back in May of 2015, and that was a direct result of what has transpired,” O’Neill said. “It is the neighborhood policing philosophy.”

According to Department Chief Terrance Monahan, the purpose of the NCO initiative and precision policing is to work with the 99 percent of residents who are doing good to root out that one percent who are committing crimes, instead of a blanketed approach to targeting criminals.

When it comes to tackling quality-of-life issues, the commissioner said the NYPD has reduced arrests and summonses and chosen a civil option to tackling low-level crimes, issuing fines instead of clogging the court system.

Some of the ways the NCOs are reaching out to youth is through the Explorer’s program, the Youth Leader Council and a cadet program.

Tracee Keesee, the Deputy Commissioner of Equity and Inclusion, says that through these programs, police get to know the youth in their neighborhood, and kids get to the opportunity to see what police do, like attending firearm training at the College Point Academy.

The elected officials at the event were Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman (D–Springfield Gardens), state Sen. Leroy Comrie (D–St. Albans), Councilman and newly appointed chair of public safety Donovan Richards (D–Laurelton) and Public Advocate Letitia James.

James thanked Commissioner O’Neill for participating in the event and for practicing policing that provided a means of “healing and reconciliation that changes the culture of ‘us-versus-them.’ ”

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

Comment on this story.

Source: Times Ledger

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Gina Martinex

TimesLedger Newspapers

An 11-year-old Middle Village boy is dead after falling through the ice on a frozen pond, FDNY officials said.

According to police, Anthony Perez, 11, and his friend Juan Umpierrez, 12, were playing on the frozen waters of Strack Pond in Forest Park Tuesday afternoon when Umpierrez fell through. Perez rushed to help Umpierrez, fell in himself, and was unable to get out of the freezing water.

Police said Umpierrez ran home to call 911 and when the FDNY arrived, firefighters had to break through the ice with their hands so they could get to the area that they knew he would most likely be, then went into the water to get him.

Once they retrieved his body from the pond, firefighters performed CPR to try to revive Perez, but were unable. The boy was taken to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Two firefighters were treated for hypothermia and are in stable condition, the FDNY said.

FDNY Deputy Chief George Healy implored parents to make sure their kids know the ice on the lakes and ponds of the city are not safe places to play.

“It won’t support your weight,” he said in a statement. “Please stay off the ice. There are signs around all the lakes in the city and we implore you, tell your children it can have tragic consequences. Again, the ice looks to be safe, it looks to be thick, but the temperature today was well above freezing.”

Medical examiners will determine Perez’s cause of death.

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

Comment on this story.

Source: Times Ledger