Ready on the left

Queens Chronicle

Absentee counts are proving a repeat of the blue progressive wave of 2018.

As of Wednesday night, the absentee ballot count yielded several more victories for insurgent Democratic primary candidates for Assembly across western and southern Queens.

Progressive challengers Jenifer Rajkumar, Jessica González-Rojas and Zohran Mamdani each claimed victory over incumbents, based on unofficial counts. The outlier to the trend is senior Assemblymember Jeff Aubry (D-Corona), who was able to expand his lead over challenger Hiram Monserrate in the aftermath of election day.

The next step is for the Board of Elections to certify the results. The general election is Nov. 3.

Rajkumar, an Indian-American lawyer from Woodhaven, came out with 3,624 votes to Assemblyman Mike Miller’s (D-Woodhaven) 1,469 total.

Rajkumar’s apparent win in Assembly District 38, which stretches over Woodhaven, Ridgewood, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park and Glendale, would make her the first South Asian woman to be elected to the state Legislature. She noted that her campaign came out on top in every single election district, and that she won by the largest margin of any Assembly candidate in the election cycle.

“Our campaign had been able to achieve the near impossible by winning with a margin of 27 percentage points during a global pandemic. When the people of South Queens needed a leader, our office was the first to show up, setting up a 24/7 Coronavirus response team that operates in seven languages,” said Rajkumar. “As President John F. Kennedy once said: ‘The life of service is a constant test of your will.’”

Ozone Park residents want state troopers to help bring down crime

Queens Chronicle

 State lawmakers are asking Gov. Cuomo to assign state troopers to an area of Ozone Park that has been the scene of several brutal street crimes in recent months.

The precincts that cover the area known as Cityline in the western part of Ozone Park are “spread too thin,” said Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven). “We wanted to get as much help as we can.”

Miller, Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Rockaway Park) and Assemblyman Eric Dilan (D-Brooklyn) made the request last Friday.

State police are already a presence in the city at state-owned bridges and tunnels and on some roadways. But stationing troopers in neighborhoods would be new in New York City.

Last year, at the request of Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, troopers were dispatched to the Village of Hempstead on Long Island to aid the local police with a growing gang violence problem.

The appeal for police help is the latest development to come out of community uproar over a rising tide of crime on the western edge of Ozone Park and on the other side of the Brooklyn border in Cypress Hills.

The area, whose residents are largely Bangladeshi, lies at the junction of three different precincts — the 106th, 102nd and 75th — and is therefore overlooked by regular police patrols, local leaders contend.

“It’s a unique area,” said Pfeffer Amato.

Ozone Park protests homeless shelter for mentally ill men

Caption contest doubleshot!

(Interesting how all the Crowley kiss assers are lining up behind someone who not only beat him but doesn't have much competition in the general election. Where were they before the primary?)

"I’m a fan of Bob’s more than anyone but it’s a great one." - Jack

Photo op award winner

First prize goes to...

NYPD call boxes now in Forest Park

From DNA Info:

Joggers and cyclists frequenting Forest Park can now call for emergency help with the press of a button, thanks to several solar-powered call boxes recently installed throughout the green space.

The NYPD has already placed eight such boxes in the park, with nine more slated to be installed there by June 29, the department said.

The 500-acre green space is popular among local families and sports aficionados, but it has seen its share of violence in recent years, including a string of sexual assaults, several robberies, numerous car break-ins and a murder.

Following the series of sexual attacks, the 102nd Precinct assigned permanent patrols to monitor the park, and last summer, 14 cameras were placed in seven locations around the park, after Assemblyman Mike Miller and State Sen. Joseph Addabbo allocated $250,000 for that purpose in 2013.

Councilman Eric Ulrich, whose constituents frequent the green space, allocated $140,000 for the call boxes, hoping that they "will help to keep Forest Park visitors safe,” he said.

Assemblyman Miller also footed a portion of the bill, according to Ulrich's office.

The locations of the new call boxes, which include Metropolitan Avenue and Forest Park Drive as well as Woodhaven Boulevard and Forest Park Drive, were determined by the NYPD, officials said.

An important update from Mike Miller

Mike Miller newsletter by queenscrapper on Scribd

Assembly Member Mike Miller would like to update us on all the important things he has been doing in office.

Cameras finally installed in Forest Park

From DNA Info:

After numerous delays owing to red tape in Albany, NYPD security cameras have finally been installed around Forest Park, nearly three years after the last assault in a string of sexual attacks that terrified parkgoers.

In total, 14 cameras were placed in seven locations around the 500-acre park last week, including at the entrances to the park, near main trails used by bicyclists and joggers, and close to playgrounds, officials said.

The equipment was installed after Assemblyman Mike Miller and State Sen. Joseph Addabbo allocated $250,000 for the cameras to be placed in the park back in 2013.

Officials said they hope the cameras will serve as a deterrent to crime and that they will also help identify suspects in the future.

Pols ask for some common sense

From the Queens Chronicle:

Three elected officials representing a large stretch of Woodhaven Boulevard have asked the Department of Transportation to go back to an alternative plan for its Select Bus Service proposal.

Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven) and state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) in a May 2 letter urged DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg to utilize what is called Concept 1 for SBS from Rockaway Boulevard to Park Lane South.

The DOT originally proposed three concepts for SBS and last March announced it is going ahead with Concept 2, much to the chagrin of some residents who oppose the plan. Others, however, support it.

Concept 1 would have the dedicated bus lanes along the corridor be placed along the service road of Woodhaven Boulevard, rather than along revamped medians, as is being proposed by the agency.

The stretch of Woodhaven Boulevard from Park Lane South to Rockaway Boulevard will be the only part of the corridor that has the median lanes, which also will require commuters to wait in the middle of the road on redesigned bus stops.

Still no cameras at Forest Park

From the Queens Chronicle:

Two years after Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven) secured $250,000 for surveillance cameras in Forest Park, the state Division of Budget earlier this month approved the funds, according to a spokesman at the agency.

Now, Miller said in a phone interview on Tuesday, the money must be released to the NYPD, which will purchase and install the cameras. The assemblyman hopes that process can begin before the new year.

The surveillance cameras were a major topic of discussion at last Saturday’s Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association meeting, where several residents said they would help with deterring crime in the park.

“Just like how we’re not going to let people force things down our throats, we’re not going to let people sit on things that we really need in our community,” WRBA President Martin Colberg said. “We’re at a point where there is no reason where this should still be sitting there.”

There have been some incidents in Forest Park recently that residents claim could’ve been deterred, or more easily solved by police, if cameras were present.

About two weeks ago, a body was found in the park near Woodhaven Boulevard and Myrtle Avenue. In June, a homeless man was accused of murdering a jogger around the same area.

There have also been a series of car break-ins near the park in the past few years.

Forest Park cameras a victim of red tape

From the Queens Tribune:

In 2013, Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven) announced that money was allocated to place NYPD security cameras in the park in response to crimes occurring that year, including an attempted rape.

The $250,000 project, which was done in conjunction with State Sen. Joe Addabbo (D-Middle Village), aims to serve as a deterrent to crime in the park and help the local police precinct catch criminals if something does happen, Miller has said in the past.

While it was announced nearly two years ago, the plan has not yet become a reality, but appears to be happening soon.

Angel Vazquez, chief of staff for Miller’s office, said the cameras have to clear one more bureaucratic hurdle before they are placed in the park.

According to Vazquez, The Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee, as well as the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, approved the cameras and now it must get the green light from Gov. Cuomo’s State Division of Budget.

The reason for the delay, Vazquez said, was over a small conflict in deciding who would pick where the cameras are installed. Because the money was allocated to be placed in a specific area, Vazquez said Miller’s office wanted control the NYPD, to make sure the cameras were placed in Forest Park instead of another part of the city. The NYPD did not respond to a request for comment as of press time.

When the sh*t hits the basement

From the Queens Courier:

Homeowners gathered around on Seneca Avenue near Norman Street in Ridgewood on Thursday afternoon to get answers from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regarding sewage problems they have been experiencing since earlier this year.

Homeowner Angela Georgescu said she started seeing sewage flood her basement as far back as eight years ago after National Grid excavated the road in front of her house.

The problem was sporadic until sometime in early 2015, when she learned that seven other houses on her block were also having trouble doing their laundry and were spending more time in their basements cleaning up.

Mark Chen Oi Ming, one of her neighbors, claimed he saw utility workers damage the sewage line eight years ago. At the time, the employees told him they would come back to make repairs but Ming did not see them again.

The Department of Health has visited the site at least twice because the sewage has overflowed into the sidewalk, neighbors claimed.

Georgescu and other homeowners have tried calling 311 and contacting local Assembly and Council members but have received no response or have been told that action cannot be taken since the sewage line is private. A representative for Assemblyman Mike Miller told the homeowners to individually call plumbers to identify the problem.

Georgescu and other homeowners hired plumbers to check their sewage lines and have all received the same answer – their individual sewage lines are clean and damage free.

DEP officials visited the site on April 2 to provide information about the sewage infrastructure and next steps the homeowners need to take to repair this problem. According to DEP officials, these homes were built more than 100 years ago, which means the sewage pipes were constructed before the city sewer was put into place.

In this case, the DEP claimed, the sewage lines are considered private property and the responsibility of the homeowner. The sewage from these seven homes collects into a private drain that then connects to the city sewer and travels to a sewage treatment plant.

Assembly stalling on Forest Park cameras

From The Forum:

While a sexual predator responsible for six attacks in Forest Park remains at large, the application to install security cameras on the grounds is still being reviewed by the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, with no firm date set for the completion of the process.

“There was an initial delay by the city Police Department returning the preliminary application to the Ways and Means Committee,” said Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven), who formally requested the extra security measure. “After final review, the application will be sent to the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York for their own independent review of the NYPD’s application for the security cameras. Since we have no control over these processes, I cannot guarantee a date for the installation of the cameras; however, the process is moving swiftly and we will continue to follow up to ensure the cameras are installed as soon as possible.”

The bureaucratic procedure has done little to assuage the anxiety of park patrons and area residents. According to the NYPD, the suspect has struck half a dozen times during daylight hours over a two-year period inside the expansive, 507-acre flagship green space: On Aug. 26, 2013 he used a stun gun to subdue and rape a 69-year-old woman near Myrtle Avenue and Forest Park Road; on March 29, 2013, the suspect sexually assaulted a 23-year-old jogger; on Nov. 18, 2012 he assaulted a 40-year-old woman as she walked her dog; on Aug. 15, 2012, the man fondled a 34-year-old woman at Woodhaven Boulevard and Park Lane South; he struck and attempted to disrobe his youngest victim, a 13-year-old girl, on Sept. 7, 2011; and on March 25, 2011, in what cops believe was his initial attack, the man jumped a 54-year-old female jogger from behind on Park Lane South, the NYPD said.

Cameras coming to Forest Park

From the Times Ledger:

State Assemblyman Michael Miller (D-Woodhaven) and state Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) allocated $250,000 for surveillance cameras after the NYPD said police had linked the rape of a 69-year-old woman in the park this September to five additional rapes or attempted rapes over the past 2 1/2 years.

The legislators hope the seven surveillance units, which come with two cameras apiece, deter sexual predators from targeting parkgoers.

Miller’s office said the equipment is slated to be installed near the corner of Park Lane South and Woodhaven Boulevard, the intersection of 80th Street and Myrtle Avenue, the junction of Forest Parkway and Park Lane South and the corner of Freedom Drive and Myrtle Avenue.

Cameras are also coming to the park’s visitor center on Woodhaven Boulevard, the Buddy Monument near Myrtle Avenue and Park Lane South and the Forest Park Bandshell, according to Miller’s staff.

New state law proposed to keep young adults from gambling

From the Times Ledger:

After bills to raise the gambling age to 21 stalled in state Legislature committees last year, Ozone Park lawmakers hope the measures’ odds will shake out better this session.

State Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) and state Assemblyman Phillip Goldfeder (D-Rockaway Beach) introduced bills in January that would prohibit anyone under 21 from gambling in New York, noting concerns about the Resorts World racino in South Ozone Park.

Addabbo said that in the last session the Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee was preoccupied with the recently passed referendum to authorize up to seven full-scale casinos in New York. He said now that there will be more casinos to regulate, he wants to convince colleagues that gambling poses a danger for 18- to-20-year-olds currently allowed in racetrack casinos, often called racinos.

“I am optimistic that we can pass it. It has no real price tag. It doesn’t cost the state any money. There’s no real fiscal impact,” Addabbo said. “The bottom line is, why not?”

Goldfeder’s bill has attracted three co-sponsors — Assemblymen Tom Abinanti (D-Greenburgh), Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Brooklyn) and Michael Miller (D-Woodhaven) — and moved to the Committee on Racing and Wagering. Sen. Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan) has signed on as a co-sponsor of Addabbo’s bill, which is in the Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee.

Because altering the gambling age would require an amendment to the state constitution, it would require both the Assembly and State to twice approve the legislation and then voters’ approval via a ballot referendum.

Goldfeder said he was concerned by the prevalence of younger gamblers at Resorts World, which he said can make it difficult for the racino to prevent underage drinking.

Addabbo said Resorts World has had issues with underage gamblers and its proximity to John Adams High School is distressing.

Both lawmakers emphasized that other major gambling establishments like Atlantic City are not open to those under 21.

“The gambling addition, once it is an addition, knows no boundaries, certainly not age,” Addabbo said. “There’s a big difference between 18 and 21 in terms of maturity.”

Did he say "addition" or "addiction?" I'm hoping the latter.

Yes, there is a difference in terms of maturity. So why do we allow 18-20 year olds join the military and potentially get themselves killed? Why do we have kids as young as 15 being charged as adults? But they can't make the decision to drink, smoke or gamble? Hmmm...

Out-of-state plate legislation being introduced in Albany

From The Forum:

Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven) has a message for drivers wielding out-of-state license plates who are hogging parking spaces on the street: Your time is up.

The lawmaker is introducing a bill this week in Albany that aims to “stop the abuse of the registration of out-of-state vehicles in all our communities.”

The bill, which Miller expects to soon have corresponding legislation in the state Senate, would prohibit vehicles with out-of-state license plates to park on the street between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. daily.

“We know some people are fortunate to own homes out of state, so there’ll be exemptions for them, and you’ll be able to get a pass for families from out of state,” Miller said “We don’t want to curtail tourists from coming in, so people can buy a pass for a specific period of time through the DMV.”

Saying that the idea behind the bill is that “parking is difficult and we all pay for that privilege,” Miller said he believes the bill will help residents find the often elusive street parking – as well as ensure that the state receives money it deserves from registrations.

“There are a lot of cars with out-of-state plates,” Miller said. “Out of every 50 cars, I’m sure you have five or six cars that have them.”

Five or six? More like 20 or 25. There are days when I walk down my block and there are more out-of-state plates than NY plates on the cars.

Resolution for collapsed building may be in the works

From the Forum:

After months of civic leaders pleading with the city to do something about a Woodhaven building that partially collapsed in April, sending a sea of bricks crashing onto Jamaica Avenue during a busy rush hour, an elected official said there could be a light at the end of the tunnel regarding the structure that has prompted numerous safety concerns and become what residents call a serious eyesore.

Assemblyman Michael Miller (D-Woodhaven) said this week that the property’s landlord, a group by the name of 78-19 Jamaica Ave. LLC, has hired an architect to look into fixing the crumbling building that stands in a bustling commercial corridor.

“It took a long time, but at least something is going to be done about it,” Miller said.

When the roof of the abandoned furniture store collapsed, it sent a storm of bricks into an area often packed with vehicles and pedestrians during rush hour. A car was badly damaged in the collapse, but no one was hurt.

The landlord, who could not be reached for comment, has reportedly recently paid thousands of dollars in fines owed to the city for a variety of violations, from a failure to maintain the building to conducting work without a permit, according to area elected officials and civic leaders. However, those payments have not been recorded on the city Department of Building’s website, which still states that there are 33 open DOB violations on the property, as well as eight open Environmental Control Board violations.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Buildings said the DOB issued a criminal court summons for failure to maintain the building and failure to comply with the DOB commissioner’s order to file plans and commence work to repair the building by Nov. 29, 2013. While a judge in a criminal court case does not have the power to force a defendant to make repairs, there is incentive for the owner to comply with the summons – and make repairs – because it can lead to a better outcome for them.

Forest Park to get cameras

From the Queens Courier:

Criminals should say cheese before they commit a crime in Forest Park.

State Assemblymember Mike Miller, who represents the park, allocated $250,000 for more than a dozen cameras inside the park, and received permission from the NYPD on Monday to have the devices installed within the next few months, following a string of sexual assaults in the green space.

“I think it will be extremely helpful in being a deterrent to crime,” Miller said. “If somebody thinks of doing something there, and they see the camera, they will think twice before committing a crime.”

Miller said they haven’t decided the exact locations of where the cameras will be placed in the park, but he wants to put them in entrances and areas where many people gather, such as Victory Field.

There will be a total of seven $35,000 units with two cameras on each, for a total of 14 cameras. Miller hopes installing the devices will not only be a crime deterrent, but will also help the NYPD identify suspects.

1) Entrances and areas where many people gather are not where crimes are happening.
2) Without adequate lighting, the cameras might as well be turned off.

Community cleans up what Crowley left an eyesore

From the Juniper Berry:

In December 2009 our Council Member, Elizabeth Crowley, organized a press conference on the corner of Metropolitan Avenue and Fresh Pond Road to call for the area to be made into a community garden. On the site was an abandoned newsstand, a graffiti covered 200 ft. LIRR retaining wall, weeds and a good deal of dumping. Crowley invited State Senator Joe Addabbo, Assembly Member Mike Miller, Community Board 5 District Manager Gary Giordano and community leaders. After the press conference nothing happened. Surprise, surprise. Is anyone out there shocked by the inaction? The elected officials got some face time in the Dec. 13, 2009 Daily News with the headline "Blighted area at Metropolitan Ave., Fresh Pond Rd. intersection to become green site." However as usual, the community once again got nothing except a lingering eyesore.

On Saturday, May 18th, volunteers from the Juniper Park Civic Association and the Juniper Juniors took matters in their own hands. About 20 volunteers descended on the area armed with brooms, garbage bags, weed wackers and 15 gallons of puritan stone colored paint and transformed the area.

The JPCA funded the clean-up. Council Member Crowley did not.

Special thanks to JPCA Board Member Len Santoro and his wife Barbara for organizing another great cleanup.

Can anyone out there name one - just one - thing that Liz Crowley has done to improve her district?

Glendale pols apply for new zip code

From The Forum:

Glendale may soon have its own ZIP code, distinguishing it from Ridgewood and hopefully clarifying mail delivery.

The two politicians working on the project, Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Glendale) and Congressman Bob Turner (R-Queens), say it’s a practical step with the benefit of boosting Glendale as a neighborhood.

“Glendale is a unique community and should have its own ZIP code,” Turner said. “Sharing a ZIP code has created numerous, and sometimes dangerous, problems for Glendale residents such as delays in medication delivery and first responder services. Assemblyman Miller and I are asking the USPS to help remedy these issues by taking our application into consideration as soon as possible.”

On May 22, Turner delivered an application for changing the ZIP code to the USPS. Along with the application were letters from residents, businesses and civic organizations backing the idea and a petition with 1,000 signatures.

Miller said this could have an everyday impact on residents’ lives.

The assemblyman said he was recently trying to make a purchase online and when the site asked for his ZIP code, it wouldn’t allow him to pair it with Glendale.

Instead, the site insisted he lived in Ridgewood. He had to call customer support to work out the problem but ended up having to enter his address as a Ridgewood residence.