Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Permits Filed For 43-42 43rd Avenue In Sunnyside, Queens - See the Editor's Note

 

43-42 43rd Avenue in Sunnyside, Queens via Google Maps

Permits have been filed for an eight-story mixed-use building with affordable housing at 43-42 43rd Avenue in Sunnyside, Queens. Located at the intersection of Queens Boulevard and 43rd Avenue, the corner lot is a short walk to the 46th Street-Bliss Street subway station, serviced by the 7 train. John J. Ciafone of City View Construction Corp. is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 79-foot-tall development will yield 73,762 square feet, with 67,098 square feet designated for residential space and 6,664 square feet for commercial space. The building will have 99 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 677 square feet. The concrete-based structure will also have two cellar levels, a 31-foot-long rear yard, and 138 enclosed parking spaces.

Gerald Caliendo Architects is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits will likely not be needed as the lot is vacant. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

You may be wondering why we put up a Queens development, but one has to read between the lines to see the real facts. 

While this is the corner of Queens Boulevard directly across the street just out of the photo is the elevated Queens Boulevard #7 subway line. The subway stop is only two blocks away, so residents will hear the screeching of the subway brakes as the subway comes into the station. The building will probably overshadow the smaller six story building on 43rd Street, and tower over the four story building on Queens Boulevard. 

This is what you can expect in the East Bronx in the coming years. Larger open areas will be developed into huge apartment buildings, and then the one or two family homes are next that have large yards, driveways with outside garages, and corner properties. 

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Lincoln Hospital Gives out 500 Turkeys and 500 Bags of Food

 

Staff at Lincoln Hospital gave out five-hundred turkeys, and five-hundred bags of food for the Thanksgiving holiday to local area residents.


A Lincoln Hospital staffer puts up the last of the five-hundred bag of food to be given out one hour later with the five-hundred turkeys.


A few other staffers from Lincoln Hospital stand in front of the five-hundred turkeys that will be given out to local area residents for Thanksgiving.

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - NOVEMBER 23, 2021

 Clinical specimen testing for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) at Wadsworth Laboratory

76,451 Vaccine Doses Administered Over Last 24 Hours  

27 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday


 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19.  

"We are two days away from gathering with loved ones, many of us for the first time since the onset of the pandemic - I want to urge New Yorkers to do everything they can to ensure they stay safe this holiday season," Governor Hochul said. "The vaccine is the best tool we have to prevent the spread of COVID-19. If you haven't gotten yours yet, go out and get it today, and if you have and you're due for your booster, get yours as soon as possible. Vaccines are safe, effective, and readily available throughout the state."

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

  • Test Results Reported - 118,953
  • Total Positive - 5,336 
  • Percent Positive - 4.49%
  • 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 3.81% 
  • Patient Hospitalization - 2,515 (+154)
  • Patients Newly Admitted - 372 
  • Patients in ICU - 474 (+4) 
  • Patients in ICU with Intubation - 235 (-1) 
  • Total Discharges - 213,583 (+209) 
  • New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 27 
  • Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 46,283

The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only. 

  • Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 58,948 

This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.

  • Total vaccine doses administered - 29,226,424 
  • Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 76,451 
  • Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 694,257 
  • Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 85.4%
  • Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 78.0%
  • Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 90.1% 
  • Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 80.4% 
  • Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 73.6% 
  • Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 66.1% 
  • Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 77.2% 
  • Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 68.1% 

Team AOC - COP26: Explained

 

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Congress

If you’ve been following Alexandria’s Instagram over the last week, you know that she’s been sharing a lot of “behind the scenes” footage from COP26 – the UN climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland. 

Now that COP has officially concluded, we wanted to share some of Alexandria’s thoughts about how we should view the outcomes of the summit. We know some folks are understandably disappointed, so we want to break it down – because there is some good news here, as well as areas where we need to keep pushing. 

This is a longer than usual email, but we hope you take the time to read it –  because your activism is critical to what happens next.

Before we start…what is COP?  

COP is short for the “Conference of Parties,” but essentially it’s the international climate summit hosted by the UN each year. This is the 26th year, which is why this year is COP26.1 

Is COP a joke? Is it useless? 

This is an important question. You might have heard some people say COP is a waste of time or just a lot of talk. 

But Alexandria’s experience boils down to this: COP is important even if we are disappointed by it. 

Here’s why COP is important: 

If we write off COP as useless and choose to ignore it – the consequences will be huge. Because the truth is, the pressure from grassroots organizers is working. 

The commitments that came out of COP were much stronger than they would have otherwise been because of the pressure from the outside. 

In the negotiations, Alexandria saw global leaders at the highest levels being very concerned and nervous about public sentiment and opinion. In prior COPs and climate summits, many of these leaders were not as worried because they didn’t think people were watching. 

So what happened at COP? Tell us the good, bad, and the ugly. 

There’s good news and bad news. We’ll start with the bad news. 

The ambition and timelines for action are not good enough – especially if you are under the age of 40 and will live to see the consequences. The commitment to “net zero emissions by 2050” is simply not enough. 

“Net zero” does not mean zero emissions. What it means is that by 2050, we will still be emitting fossil fuels. The “net” theory goes that we will be investing in so much drawdown technology and practices that the amount that we drawdown will be equal to what we’re emitting. 

That is not acceptable if we want to stick to 1.5 degrees of warming. What we are seeing in terms of climate impacts is only just the beginning. It will only get worse. This is just science. 

If the pace of emissions continues, we would reach 4 degrees of warming by 2100. At that point, half of all landmass on Earth will be uninhabitable to human life due to floods, drought, wildfires, sea level rise, etc. 

Governments have had 30 years to address this problem. About half of all emissions on Earth have all been emitted since the first episode of Seinfeld aired. We’re tired of waiting.

Here’s the good news. 

There’s obvious signs the pressure from advocates is working. Much of the news from COP may feel underwhelming, but there is also some that is really promising. Consider the agreement reached by the U.S. and China. Together, these two countries account for 40% of total global emissions - yet, until COP26, we’d never agreed to work together to address climate emissions. Often, the U.S. and China are at odds on global policies. The agreement to work together is a significant step toward taking “concrete actions” to reduce global emissions. 

If governments won’t step up enough, what can we do?

If the world is relying on governments to stop climate change, that is not going to happen. Governments are a critical aspect of solving climate change, but they are not the only ones. 

Grassroots organizing is going to be very important – and not just protesting. There’s other kinds of organizing that we need to engage in to change the systems that are driving this crisis. 

For example, we need to organize new ways of operating in our communities that both address climate and systemic inequities. This can look like creating working co-ops or community solar power, which we saw take off in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. 

These examples are crucial to providing models for how alternative and cooperative models can work, and it takes organizing to build them. 

Naming the positive structures that we want to see – cooperative economies vs competitive, extractive ones – helps visualize the world we are fighting for and what we want. 

Any other key takeaways?

The worst powers-that-be are relying and counting on us giving up. But, things are working. There is a commitment. There are many complications and challenges that threaten our transition, but it is worth it to keep going. We must keep going. Just. Don’t. Give. Up. 

We can win the world that we know is possible because the world that is possible is already here. It’s just about taking the world we’re fighting for and scaling it up. 

Thank you for reading this far. If you’d like to chip in to support our movement for climate justice, you can contribute here.

With resolve, 

Team AOC

Attorney General James Launches Investigation into Babylon School District Over Allegations of Sexual Abuse and Misconduct

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced an investigation into the Babylon School District over allegations of widespread sexual abuse and misconduct against former Babylon High School students by educators:

“Every student on Long Island and across New York deserves to feel safe and protected at school. The reports of sexual abuse of students at the hands of their teachers and coaches are troubling and must be investigated. My office is launching an investigation into the Babylon School District over these disturbing allegations. The safety and wellbeing of students — both past and present — is of utmost importance, and we will do everything in our power to protect their right to a safe learning environment.”

If you have information regarding sexual abuse and misconduct within the Babylon School District, please contact the Attorney General's Office through the online portal.

Governor Hochul, Elected Officials and MTA Leadership Tour Second Avenue Subway Tunnels

 Governor Hochul touring the Second Ave tunnel

Historic Level of Federal Grant Opportunities for Transit Expansion Made Available in Infrastructure Bill Signed by President Biden
 
Grant Request Submitted by MTA for Phase 2 of Subway Extension to 125th Street
 
Extension Will Include Three New Subway Stations, at 106th St, 116th St and 125th St

 Governor Kathy Hochul today joined elected officials and leaders from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to tour the site of the Second Avenue Subway expansion that would extend the Second Avenue line to 125th St in East Harlem. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed by President Joe Biden provides $23 billion in new grant opportunities for transit expansion, a historic level of funding that doubles the amount of grants available for major projects like Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway. The MTA has submitted a grant request to the U.S. Department of Transportation for Phase 2 of the expansion that will include the construction of three new subway stations, at 106th St, 116th St, and 125th St in East Harlem.
 
"New Yorkers dream big and act big, and the plan for Phase 2 of the Second Avenue subway expansion unlocks our incredible potential to give communities the transportation infrastructure and equity they will need to compete economically," Governor Hochul said. "I want to thank Senate Majority Leader Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, Congressman Espaillat and our Congressional delegation for their tireless work to secure the resources that can help us deliver for East Harlem a project that was promised decades ago." 

Approximately 70 percent of East Harlem residents use public transportation to get to work, much higher than the citywide average of 55 percent. The expansion of Second Avenue Subway would help advance the Biden Administration's and New York State's goal for transportation equity and would improve the local community's access to jobs, health care, and other services, while reducing congestion on Lexington Avenue and improving air quality.  

MTA Acting Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, "Expanding the Second Avenue Subway has been talked about for decades, and thanks to the billions of dollars coming to New York in the infrastructure package, we can finally stop talking and start doing. The MTA is ready to move forward on this project that will greatly benefit East Harlem, an underserved community that heavily relies on mass transit to get to work and school. It will also alleviate congestion on the Lexington Avenue Line, which serves more riders daily than Boston, Chicago and San Francisco's rail systems combined." 

Phase 1 of the project extended the Q line from 63rd St to 96th St and was New York City's biggest expansion of the subway system in 50 years. Service opened on January 1, 2017, with additional stations at 72nd St and 86th St. Since its completion, the Second Avenue Subway has carried more than 130 million passengers and carried more than 200,000 passengers on a pre-pandemic day. The tunnel segment that will be used for Phase 2 was built in the 1970s from 110th St to 120th St along Second Avenue.   

Fast Facts to Know 

  • This phase of the project will extend train service from 96th St north to 125th St, approximately 1.5 miles. 
  • There will be new stations at 106th St and 116th St on Second Ave and 125th St at Park Ave. 
  • Phase 2 will provide direct passenger connections to the Lexington Avenue (4/5/6) subway line at 125th St and an entrance at Park Ave to allow convenient transfers to the Metro-North Railroad 125 St Station. 
  • Each station will have above-ground ancillary buildings that house ventilation mechanical, and electrical equipment. These will include space for possible ground-floor retail. 
  • Expansion will serve an additional 100,000 daily riders. 
  • Will provide three new ADA accessible stations - raising the bar for customer comfort and convenience. 
  • Increased multimodal transit connectivity at the 125th St station - with connections to the 4/5/6, Metro-North trains and the M60 Select Bus Service to LaGuardia Airport, allowing convenient transfers to other subway and commuter rail lines, facilitating smoother, faster transportation across the city and region.

Humberto Rodriguez, a/k/a “El Bori,” Pleads Guilty To April 2020 Murder

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that HUMBERTO RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “El Bori,” pled guilty today in Manhattan federal court to the April 18, 2020, murder of Jorge Miguel Cabrera.  U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel accepted the defendant’s guilty plea.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “In the early morning of April 18, 2020, Humberto Rodriguez shot and ultimately killed Miguel Cabrera in connection with a failed drug transaction.  This case is yet another tragic reminder of the violence that often accompanies narcotics trafficking. We continue our daily work with our law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe by vigorously investigating and prosecuting acts of violence and drug trafficking.”

According to the allegations in the Second Superseding Indictment and other documents filed in federal court, as well as statements made in public court proceedings:

On or about April 18, 2020, RODRIGUEZ and other members of a Bronx-based narcotics trafficking organization attempted to purchase one kilogram of cocaine on East 175th Street in the Bronx.  After obtaining the buyers’ money, the sellers attempted to flee the scene.  At that point, RODRIGUEZ fired a gun at the sellers’ vehicles, striking Cabrera in the spine.  Cabrera ultimately died from the gunshot wound. 

RODRIGUEZ, 27, pled guilty to one count of murder through the use of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 924(j) and 2, which carries a maximum term of life in prison and a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison.  The maximum and minimum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.

RODRIGUEZ is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Castel on March 9, 2022.

On July 27, 2021, Rodriguez’s codefendant Alex Melendez pled guilty to narcotics and firearms offenses.  On November 11, 2021, Rodriguez’s codefendant Sharone Lewis pled guilty to a narcotics offense. 

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New York City Police Department, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.  This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli - Monitoring Federal COVID Funding

 

The Office of the State Comptroller updated its COVID-19 Federal Relief Program Tracker to include spending through Oct. 31. See what’s changed in federal recovery aid spending and learn more about the different pandemic relief programs.

"We have updated our online federal tracker with new data from October,” said State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. “We will continue to do so each month because this historic level of federal funding right now requires scrutiny at all levels of government. My office’s job is to follow the money and ensure funds are used wisely and administered efficiently.”