Women pols voice opposition to Jung’s views on abortion

Friday was Women’s Equality Day and elected officials and advocacy groups took advantage of the occasion by holding a news conference on Geraldine Ferarro Way in Forest Hills to denounce S.J. Jung for his stance on abortion. State Assemblywoman Nily Rozic (D-Flushing), Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills), Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas (D-Astoria) and Government Affairs Manager for Campaign for Pro-Choice New York Emily Kadar all shared their views on the Democratic candidate for state senate.

At a Tuesday night debate at the Queens Library in Flushing, Jung and current state Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing), who are facing off against each other in the primary, were given the opportunity to ask each other one question. Stavisky framed her question around the fact she is the first woman to be elected to state senate from Queens County. She asked Jung’s stance on abortion.

“This is such an important issue, allow me to be clear: I would not support abortion unless it threatens the health of a pregnant woman. That’s the only exception that I can think of. This is a very serious issue. You know, we pretend to know everything, but I completely disagree. Life is still a mystery,” Jung responded. “So I will not support a woman’s choice.”

Jung clarified his point of view by saying he would passionately advocate for other women’s rights, such as equal pay.

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Transit advocate weighs in on death of Flushing cyclist

The death of 78-year-old cyclist and Flushing resident Michael Schenkman on Northern Boulevard in Bayside hit close to home for many pushing to make the streets a safer place. Schenkman, a Bronx native and former high school industrial arts teacher, had been riding in the eastbound lane near the 223rd Street intersection when he was struck by a 25-year-old driver going in the same direction in a black Chevy Impala on the morning of Aug. 24. Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives Paul Steely-White, whose organization advocates to make cities safer and better for car-free commuters, issued a statement on the death of Schenkman, an active member of the group.

Schenkman’s son Peter recalled his father’s passion for cycling, which came from his original love for motor bikes. Schenkman had to give up on motorcycles, however, after a close call with a truck which lost a load of shingles on the BQE. After avoiding disaster by laying down the BMW motorcycle, he decided New York City was simply too dangerous for two wheels.

“My father always looked for organized bike events because it was safer than riding on the streets of New York where he grew up riding up and down Hamden Place in the Bronx,” he said. “He would ride wherever, whenever, with or without a partner. Last Wednesday, he rode alone.”

Peter Schenkman said his father often dealt with poor bicycling conditions and rude drivers on the road, which has only seemed get worse. There still has not been a traffic summons for driver who killed his father.

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FDNY unveils plaque dedicated to Capt. “Tommy” Thompson at Engine 306

Loved-ones, firefighters and elected officials unveiled a plaque at Engine Co. 306 firehouse at 40-18 214th Place in Bayside Friday to commemorate the life of Capt. Thomas Thompson, who died from an illness related to his service at Ground Zero on Aug. 17, 2015.

Members of FDNY’s Pipes and Drums were at the firehouse, where Thompson commanded the respect of many to open the ceremony, which began with a speech by FDNY Commissioner Dan Nigro , who was followed by peers and Thompson’s son.

Chief-of-Department James Leonard said Thompson not only played a powerful role in the 306 house, but he also made an influential contribution to the Fire Department, whose ranks were diminished by the 9/11 attacks.

“We were a great department before 9/11, but 9/11 took us to our knees. A lot of people didn’t know we would be able to recover from losing 343 members and massive retirements,” said Leonard, before directing his speech at Thompson’s wife and three children. “But people like Tommy Thompson stayed around. He was a senior member and we share the greatness this department is now because of people like your husband or your dad.”

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DiNapoli and Stavisky talk campaign reform

State Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing) and state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli spoke at a news conference last Friday about the campaign finance reform and ethics in politics.

DiNapoli opened the conference with the announcement of his endorsement of Stavisky, who has held the seat for the past seven elections, saying she stands as an example of integrity.

He said Stavisky was part of a minority of state legislators who signed on to an initiative known as the Clean Conscience Pledge, which is a legislative promise and joint effort from Citizens Union New York Common Cause and NYPIRG designed to restrict outside income for legislators.

According to the comptroller, real campaign finance reform starts with closing the limited liability corporation loopholes where money flows in from corporate entities whose sole purpose is to funnel money to politicians as campaign contributions. DiNapoli called for greater disclosure and transparency in the budgetary process for discretionary funding to offer accountability he sees as a much-needed reform in government.

He not only expressed his admiration for Stavisky’s support for higher education in her district, but also for her role as a leading woman in the political arena.

“She is a person of history in this borough,” DiNapoli said, referring to the fact that Stavisky was the first woman to be elected to state Senate in Queens.

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Stavisky/Jung petition debate continues, both claim victory

The petition feud between state Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing) and her Democratic primary opponent, S.J. Jung, moved to State Supreme Court as Jung brought his attempt to knock Stavisky off the ballot to trial.

Both camps announced victories from the trial in press releases, with Stavisky making it known that the Supreme Court had rejected Jung’s challenge to her petition signatures, and Jung announcing he had succeeded in proving more of Stavisky’s signatures invalid. Ultimately, the court ruled that not enough signatures had been shaved away to disqualify Stavisky from running for re-election.

The official ruling from Justice Timothy Dufficy is not yet publicly available], city lawyers said. Both candidates sent out press releases containing their own interpretations of the decision.

The Stavisky camp said Dufficy upheld the decision of a city Board of Elections hearing Aug. 1 which determined that even after challenges reduced her signatures to 1,296, she still met the minimum of 1,000. At the hearing, the board knocked off a 2,223 of Stavisky’s 3,519 signatures, according to the BOE clerk’s report. The Supreme Court trial disqualified about an additional 160 signatures.

“I am extremely grateful for the work Darryl Fox and our legal team did in preparing for this case,” Jung said in his release. “Darryl Fox is one of the best election lawyers in New York and did an outstanding job.”

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Big City musicians showcase talent at LIC venue

Big City Music Festival returned to Long Island City’s LIC Bar, where 24 musicians and groups from across the city gathered to showcase their original song-writing talent Saturday and Sunday. The two-day event comes along every two years and was founded by Niall Connolly, an Irish immigrant who sought to bring a little bit of home to the city. Among performers gaining in notoriety were Warren Malone, August Wells and Youth in a Roman Field.

Connolly came to the United States a decade ago, and as a musician began to miss the Hibernian custom of sharing songs among friends and family at gatherings. Big City Folk started as a collective network of songwriters who gathered at a Wednesday night club to do just that and the festival, which happens every two years, grew from there.

Warren Malone, a British-born musician, performed his songs and promoted a new album which recently earned the attention of Pulizter Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon, who invited him to play with Rosanne Cash and Loudon Wainwright III at the Irish Art Center Sept. 19. Malone will be performing again at the LIC Bar , at 45-58 Vernon Blvd., Aug. 31 for a night of rockabilly sound.

Malone pics expertly on the acoustic guitar and tells stories about the relationship between him and his wife. He explains that the performers at the event are part of a tight-knit community and Big City Music Festival is a joy for all the musicians involved because it allows them reach a broader audience while reconnecting with peers who may have drifted apart.

“That’s the Big City Music Festival. It’s a train of acoustic guitars, coming full-speed into your face,” Lewis said.

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Woodhaven residents rally against Select Bus Service

Neighborhood residents and activist groups gathered in Woodhaven Saturday to protest the city Department of Transporta­tion’s new Select Bus Service plan. The route would reconfigure lanes and eliminate left turns at major intersections as well as install bus stops in the median of Woodhaven Boulevard, which opponents fear will create unsafe conditions along the corridor and interrupt flow of traffic.

State Sen. Joe Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), state Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven), the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association, Maria Thomson of the Business Improvement District, the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation, the Task Force for a Better Woodhaven, and the Queens Public Transit Committee all spoke out on the corner of Jamaica Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard and blamed not only the unwillingness of DOT to accept resident input on the plan but also the de Blasio administration for not taking an active role in the dispute.

“They could have off-board fare collection, extra-long articulated buses. They could have signal priorities so that buses don’t have to wait at red lights,” said Alex Blenkinsopp, director of the block association and longtime opponent of the plan. He favors adding a bus route along the inactive rail road tracks of the Rockaway Beach Line that would expedite service for commuters and reduce traffic along the boulevard.

“But the only thing that they’re going to do is commit in advance to a plan that’s going to costs hundreds of millions of dollars and raises numerous problems,” Blenkinsopp said.

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Stavisky petitions upheld by city Board of Elections

A hearing at the Manhattan office of the city Board of Elections Tuesday found objections to state Sen. Toby Stavisky’s (D-Flushing) campaign petitions to be insufficient to knock the incumbent off the ballot for the upcoming election.

The challenges raised by her Democratic opponent, S.J. Jung, and other residents within the district, claimed the signatures to qualify her for re-election were illegible or had addresses outside of the district, leaving only 13 out of 3,519 valid. Commissioners from the BOE, however, determined there were 2,243 valid signatures, which met the minimum of 1,000 required for Stavisky to make it on the ballot.

The 16th Senate district runs through Flushing west to Woodside and east to Glen Oaks.

The attorney representing Jung’s campaign stood before the BOE commissioners and stated he believed all the Stavisky signatures deemed valid by the city agency were incorrectly designated to which the commissioners reacted with confusion.

“Just saying that you’re challenging this ruling, you have to provide some information as to what this erroneous determination was,” one board member at the hearing responded.

The Jung campaign marked signatures which they contended had illegible addresses, many of which the BOE had tracked down to the individual and verified the information with the signature. One BOE member maintained that since the board was able to give credence to the signature by contracting the signer and the attorney was not able to do this, then the board’s ruling would be final.

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Arrests made in nearly $5M Rego Park bank robbery

Three men were arrested Tuesday morning for allegedly executing two bank burglaries in Queens and Brooklyn which temporarily made them $5 million richer, law enforcement officials said.

When an employee from the Maspeth Federal Savings Bank in Rego Park arrived at work May 23, he discovered a hole in the roof leading down into the safe. An ambitious robbery, seemingly straight out of Hollywood, had taken place over the weekend resembling that of another heist, which happened at an HSBC Bank in Brooklyn in April.

Michael Mazzara, 44, Charles Kerrigan, 40, and Anthony Mascuzzio, 36, all residents of Brooklyn, allegedly left little evidence at the two crime scenes where they took cash and belongings from safe deposit boxes, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan said. At the Maspeth Federal Savings Bank, located at 64-19 Woodhaven Blvd., the crew had allegedly built a plywood shed on the roof to mask their operation, and had used welding torches to enter and rob the vaults, prosecutors said.

Anthony Mascuzzio comes from a legacy of crime. His father, also Anthony Mascuzzio, an associate of Gambino crime boss John Gotti, was found dead in the basement of a Manhattan discotheque after being shot twice in 1988.

According to the criminal complaint filed by the U.S. attorney, the alarm went off twice on Saturday morning at the Maspeth bank and was reset each time. Approximately $296,000 was lifted in cash from the bank and about $4.3 million in cash, diamonds and coins from safe deposit boxes, prosecutors said.

“These heists resembled scenes from the movie “Heat” – the work of a crew that was well organized, meticulous, and elusive to law enforcement,” NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton said. “This investigation was conducted with painstaking persistence. Left with few clues after the heists, our crime scene teams hunted for every shred of evidence. From the plywood purchased at a nearby Home Depot, to the torches from a Brooklyn welder used to muscle into the vault, the picture slowly came into focus, resulting in today’s arrests and charges.”

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Jung challenges validity of Stavisky’s petitions

S.J. Jung challenged the validity of state Sen. Toby Stavisky’s (D-Flushing) campaign petitions at a Tuesday news conference claiming many of the signatures were out of the district, illegible or lacking a valid address to the extent that the incumbent was only left with about 13 valid signers.

The Democratic challenger facing Stavisky in the primary displayed examples of petition sheets that showed scribbled lettering and incomplete addresses, while his campaign volunteers had gone through each sheet and marked which signatures were out of the district.

But the Stavisky campaign seemed less concerned than annoyed.

“S.J. Jung needs to stop wasting everyone’s time with ridiculous challenges that have no chance of success,” said Veronica Ng, campaign manager for Stavisky. “The truth is that he’s a perennial candidate who has been rejected time and time again by the voters and is now reduced to making silly claims. Senator Stavisky is working hard for the people of Queens and that’s why she will be re-elected by a wide margin.”

Jung ran against Stavisky in 2014 and picked up about 40 percent of the vote in the primary.

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