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Candidates spar in pair of debates in 24 hours

Three candidates vying for an Astoria City Council seat faced off in a pair of debates less than 24 hours apart last week, giving their opinions on local issues just a week before voters go to the polls.
Tiffany Cabán, the winner of the Democratic primary, Felicia Kalan, the Republican candidate, and Edwin DeJesus, who is running as an independent, are all on the ballot for a seat that has been vacant since the departure of Costa Constantinides.
Among the topics discussed were vaccination mandates, public safety concerns and the city’s recent elimination of the Gifted and Talented programs in schools.
“If it saves lives, it’s worth doing,” Caban said of the mandates. “We’ve got to do it.”
Kalan and DeJesus disagreed, with the Republican candidate unsettled with people losing their jobs or not having access to education based on their vaccination status.
Candidates were asked about the uptick in crime and gang-related violence in the 114th Precinct, which Kalan stated was the most important issue in the race.
“We pay a $98 billion budget, and I think public safety is a basic city service,” said Kalan. “First of all, we cannot be defunding the police. We should be investing in crime prevention. I think the best way we can do that is through investing in education and economic opportunities for people.”
Cabán shared concerns of public safety, but focused on the efficacy of the NYPD and said violence is up due to the ongoing economic crisis.
“Why we pump more money into a police force that is proven to disproportionately brutalize black and brown folks and also not get good public safety results is beyond me,” she said.
Cabán said she agreed with the decision of the outgoing mayor to phase out the Gifted and Talented program, favoring a holistic learning environment for students.
“We have really encouraged this scarcity mentality where parents and students are fighting over limited resources, when the fact is we have almost a $90 billion budget and we need to be pumping more of it into our schools so that every single child has the opportunity to learn and thrive,” she said, “no matter their ability, no matter the manner in which they learn.”
Kalan said that she is against eliminating the program and would rather see it expanded.
“I think this just goes to show why the mayor should not have full control over the education system,” said Kalan. “I actually didn’t have my daughter take the test because we love our school, but I don’t want to take opportunities away from other children.”
DeJesus disagreed.
“I think it was a huge mistake,” he said. “I think we should have expanded the Gifted and Talented programs. It shouldn’t have been all or nothing.”
Pressed about the selection of community board members, the candidates gave different views on how to increase civic engagement.
“I think that we need a commitment to making sure that there is a diverse cross-section of folks represented on the community board,” said Caban. “We can’t ignore the fact that there are folks that have lacked representation on our community boards for a long time.”
DeJesus said residents that haven’t lived in a neighborhood for at least five years should be barred from serving on a community board.
“We need to have more representation from people who have been living in Astoria their entire lives, such as myself,” said the 24-year-old Astoria native. “Whether you’re from Richmond Hill like Tiffany Cabán or Ohio like Felicia Kalan, that’s totally fine, but we have to make sure that people have been living here for at least five years. That’s how we get seniors involved, the disabled community involved, veterans involved, but also young people like myself.”
Kalan corrected the record, saying she was born in Indiana, but said her heart is in Astoria where she raises her two children.
“I actually tried to get on the community board, funny enough, just a few years ago and I was not able to do that,” she said. “I don’t think that who is on the community board should be determined by a City Council person.”
When asked about the protected bike lanes on Crescent Street, candidates offered their views on bicycle infrastructure throughout the city.
DeJesus said his primary mode of transportation is by bike, and he would want to expand biking in general.
Kalan said she was not in favor of the Crescent Street bike lanes due to the fact it eliminates parking in front of the emergency room at Mt. Sinai Hospital.
“I can’t think of a single person I know who is for the bike lane on Crescent Street,” said Kalan. “I think we should be engaging the community.”
Cabán said that the Crescent Street bike lane has to be “better protected,” and that expanding the bike lane infrastructure is critical to combating the climate crisis.
“We will not have a world to hand off to our children or our children’s children if we don’t change the way that we live right now,” said Cabán. “The government’s job is to create the infrastructure so that those changes are incentivized.”
Cabán added that planning where bike lanes are placed is often reactionary rather than strategic.
“Too often, not just here but around the city, we’ll get a bike lane put in after someone dies, rather than being proactive and looking at the connectivity and where it makes sense to do these bike lanes,” said Caban.

Artists come together at “Urban Bruja” art showing

Although the weather hasn’t felt like October lately, the “Urban Bruja” art showing hosted recently at Fien Coffee in Ridgewood brought some witchy vibes to the neighborhood.
Owners Eli Falcon and Johnny Williams welcomed guests with champagne and homemade treats as they mingled and admired the artwork. They were pleasantly surprised by the great turnout.
“I’m really surprised that a lot of people came, especially because we opened just three months ago and don’t have a big social media presence,” said Falcon. “I wanted to open up the space to more artists because this is an art community. We wanted to make sure that artists have a space to go to.”
Kira Britt, a visual artist and native New Yorker, came up with the show’s concept and curated the works. Britt applied for a City Artists Corps grant, received it and chose to use the funding to collaborate with Fien Coffee on the show.
She had three acrylic paintings on display, “Roja,” “Porta-Bella” and “Kaminoke,” and explained how each one represents a different part of her identity.
“The concept of this whole show came into my head because recently I’ve been trying to get more in touch with my Spanish roots, which is the aspect of ‘bruja’ in the show,” said Britt.
Rosa Rosario, founder of Raressence Natural Products, had a table with her products for sale, including candles, body butters and healing salves. Like many other creators, Rosario became inspired to pursue her brand during the pandemic.
“I’ve always been into organic products and natural ingredients, and I just started playing with the ingredients in my kitchen and seeing what could go together,” she said. “I’m really passionate about teaching people about how to heal using essential oils.”
Ben Eshleman and Johnathan Olson also had their work featured at the event.
Eshleman had a table with various prints for sale, as well as a personal book of his which he basically turned into a canvas.
The prints were inspired by a sense of positivity he felt following the worst of the pandemic.
Olson’s painting, “Don’t Panic” caught everyone’s attention at the show. The large, paint-splattered skull, despite its dark appearance, actually has a wholesome message.
“It started with listening to music and splattering and trying to find an image within that,” he said. “I suppose I had fear on my mind at the time, so I titled it ‘Don’t Panic’ because the more I looked at it, the more I felt confident.
“I thought about skulls as well, and how initially they scare a lot of people,” Olson added. “But the reality is we all have skulls and they’re not that scary. They’re in fact very beautiful, structural and grounding, and I thought that in the midst of chaos, it’s tough to be grounded.”

Push to save Trylon Theater & Tower Diner

Local preservationists and congregants are calling for Trylon LLC/RJ Capital Holdings to halt proposed demolition of the Trylon Theater, Tower Diner, and adjacent small businesses.
On November 3 at 7:30 p.m., Community Board 6 will hold a public hearing via WebEX on the developer’s plan to demolish the buildings to build a 17-story condo. Those wishing to join the meeting should email Qn06@cb.nyc.gov.
A petition launched by City Council candidate Michael Conigliaro garnered over 3,300 signatures in favor of preserving the buildings.
Some small business owners decided to relocate prematurely, including the owners of Tower Diner, who plan to close on November 30. The diner opened in the building in 1993, which used to be home to a bank.
Trylon Liquors moved across the street, while a European collectibles shop decided to relocate to Brooklyn.
Trylon Theater, named after the 1939 World’s Fair’s spire-like monument, was known as “The Theater of Tomorrow” when it opened. Today, it is home to the Ohr Natan congregation.
Rabbi Nahum Kaziev has been trying to negotiate with the developer for years to keep the congregation on site.
“In Judaism, if you raze a synagogue, you will never have a blessing,” he said. “I cannot imagine any reputable business opening in a space where there was a synagogue, a holy place that served thousands.
“We are a second home to many, including concentration camp survivors,” he added.
Ohr Natan serves over 1,000 people, mostly Bukharian Jews. It hosts religious services, festivals, English classes, and provides food for 480 families.
“Since Ohr Natan opened in 2006, it has been the main center for our big local Jewish immigrant community,” said congregant Svetlana Aronoff. “We are all saddened that our lease is not being renewed and the city has not been helping us.”
“I love that the Trylon Theater’s Art Deco architecture is associated with the 1939 World’s Fair, and it’s so heartwarming that a once-beloved theater is now the spiritual home for an immigrant Jewish community,” said Chaya Weinstein.
Nearby resident Dorothy Catherine Kaldi opposes the development and the influx of new residents it will bring.
“It is already torture to navigate the area by car,” she said. “Furthermore, the subways will be even more crowded, effectively turning commuters into sardines crammed into a moving can. Our quality of life in Forest Hills will be severely compromised if this building is built.”

College Point Fields to get more upgrades

Thanks to $4.5 million in city funding, a new grass soccer field and sidewalks and improved area drainage are in store for College Point Fields.
The renovations will convert an under-utilized baseball field into a soccer field adjacent to the existing synthetic soccer field.
Queens Parks Commissioner Michael Dockett called the future renovations a “tremendous investment” that adds to a number of projects that have reshaped the park and its athletic amenities.
He praised Councilman Paul Vallone for his commitment to the fields. Vallone also secured over $7 million for a natural turf football field that is set to be completed next fall.
Separately, $2.8 million in funds were secured to build sports and security lighting around the new fields and walkways, as well as an LED scoreboard.
Renovations also include a new access point to the park via a pedestrian pathway bridge on Linden Place, as well as new plantings along the connection paths.
Vallone said that the demand and feedback his office received was mostly, if not all, for more soccer fields. Currently, there is a year-long waiting list for teams to use the nearby synthetic field.
“It feels amazing,” said Vallone. “Everyone knows agencies don’t work with brilliant speed, but these projects you can see have been getting worked on.”

104th Precinct Police Blotter (10/11/2021-10/17/2021)

Monday, Oct. 11
Christopher Ramos was arrested at 74-46 65th Street for strangulation by Detective Lodato.
Eite Adhikary was arrested at 51-26 69th Street for misdemeanor assault by Officer Quintanilla.

Tuesday, Oct. 12
Hashon Bullock was arrested at 73-10 Edsall Avenue for menacing by Detective Bublin.
Hope T. Hatcher was arrested at 60-80 Myrtle Avenue for felony assault by Officer Lenoci.
Cherline Charles was arrested at 60-80 Myrtle Avenue for misdemeanor assault by Officer Lenoci.
Sandro Poliseno was arrested at 60-27 79th Street for misdemeanor assault by Detective Scrimenti.
Alberto Toledo was arrested at 1035 Wyckoff Avenue for criminal possession of stolen property by Officer Diaz.

Wednesday, Oct. 13
Anna Dakimowicz was arrested at 60-28 56th Road for misdemeanor assault by Officer Fitzalbert.
Haile Ferguson was arrested at 72-31 Metropolitan Avenue for criminal contempt by Detective Moon.
Jevaughn Dixon was arrested at 54-25 Flushing Avenue for felony assault by Detective Rogers.
Michael Acevedo was arrested at 60-09 Gates Avenue for misdemeanor assault by Officer Arfeen.
Cerline Marinez was arrested at 60-09 Gates Avenue for misdemeanor assault by Officer Arfeen.

Thursday, Oct. 14
Nicholas Kyrkostas was arrested at 62-92 Dry Harbor Road for strangulation by Detective Lodato.
Edgar Idrovo was arrested at 72-06 Forest Avenue for criminal obstruction of breathing by Officer Duran.
Raymond Bardroff was arrested at 74-06 64th Place for criminal mischief by Officer Reyes.
Jeamaine Walden was arrested at 78-16 Cooper Avenue for misdemeanor assault by Officer Felicano.
Jermaine Bailey was arrested at 920 Seneca Avenue for burglary by Officer Gutierrez.

Friday, Oct. 15
Arbraham Bautista was arrested at Aubrey Avenue and Metropolitan Avenue for aggravated unlicensed operator by Officer Martinez.

Saturday, Oct. 16
Steven Garcia-Puesan was arrested at Maurice Avenue and Long Island Expressway for driving while intoxicated by Officer Rodriguez.
San Vicente Pinzon David was arrested at Centre Street and Wyckoff Avenue for felony assault by Detective Wright.
Edgar Idrovo was arrested at Centre Street and Wyckoff Avenue for misdemeanor assault by Detective Wright.
Carlos J. Fletes was arrested at Centre Street and Wyckoff Avenue for misdemeanor assault by Detective Wright.
Manuel Mirando was arrested at 67-33 79th Street for criminal obstruction of breathing by Officer Lee.

Sunday, Oct. 17
Samuel Cuadrado was arrested at 66-06 60th Place for criminal contempt by Officer Reyes.
Anthony Pena was arrested at 64-02 Catalpa Avenue for petit larceny by Detective Clarke.
Jose Terrero was arrested at 2020 Menahan Street for driving while intoxicated by Officer Armond.

Linda C. Buis

Linda C. Buis of Ozone Park passed away on Wednesday, October 20, 2021 at the age of 70. Beloved Wife of the late Willem, devoted Mother of William. Mother-in-Law of Stephanie and Grandmother of Amelia. Services offered at St. Stanislaus BM Church, Ozone Park on Monday, October 25, 2021 at 10:45 AM. Cremation followed at Fresh Pond Crematory, Middle Village, NY under the direction of Hess-Miller Funeral Home, 64-19 Metropolitan Avenue, Middle Village, NY.

Laura R. Longo

Laura R. Longo passed away on Monday, October 18, 2021 at the age of 74. Beloved Mother of Diane Caggino and Ivan Caggino. Cherished Grandmother of Julianna. Loving Companion of Jude. Private Cremation held on Wednesday, October 20, 2021 at Fresh Pond Crematory, Middle Village, NY. Mass of Christian Burial offered at St. Mary’s Church on Wednesday, October 20, 2021 10:15 AM under the direction of Papavero Funeral Home, 72-27 Grand Avenue, Maspeth, NY 11378.

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