FOUR GRAPPLE FOR THE VOTE

Candidates for Melinda Katz's City Council seat in the 29th District squared off at the latest Community Board 9 meeting held last week at the Majestic Marquis in Ozone Park. Candidates pictured (in clockwise fashion, starting from top right) include Mel Gagarin, Lynn Schulman, Michael Cohen and Heidi Chain. The race to determine the next City Council member in the 29th District heated up at the Tuesday, June 9 Community Board 9 meeting at the Majestic Marquis in Ozone Park as four of the five Democratic candidates detailed their respective plans of action.

The 27-year-old Mel Gagarin led things off by promising "a new generation of leadership" to restructure the way government works by giving the people a central role in determining their future.

The Elmhurst native preached greater transparency on the part of city government and keeping the masses in the know on matters such as discretionary spending.

Gagarin further observed how he would help legislators reevaluate how dollars are used through the elimination of wasteful spending and dedicating additional monies to seniors.

The youngest candidate for Melinda Katz's seat also supported the addition of more green jobs in Queens as part of his effort to revi- talize a downtrodden economy.

Fellow candidate Lynn Schulman, on the other hand, vowed to restore the "eroding democracy" in the district areas of Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Rego Park, and parts of Richmond Hill, Maspeth and Elmhurst.

To that end, she called for the preservation of the character of surrounding neighborhoods through the opposition of overdevelopment.

As a community leader who has worked in city and state government along with currently serving as one of the vice-chairs of Community Board 6, Schulman revealed her intention to lead the charge against the closing of the Kew Gardens Post Office, located at Austin Street and Lefferts Boulevard.

The Working Families Party candidate boasted that she's raised more money than the other hopefuls and is deadset on making neighborhood businesses "vibrant" and "viable."

Next up was Heidi Harrison Chain, who presented herself as the most qualified for the job due to her 20 years as a city attorney for the Department of Finance, as well as her experience as the current president of the 112th Precinct Community Council.

"I know about budget gaps, cutting programs and the business of government," she stated.

Chain championed the cause of more prudent spending by doing away with the hiring of ad-hoc consultants for issues that can be solved in house at the City Council level.

The community leader raised infrastructure renovation as a major concern in relation to recent floodings throughout the district area and assured the audience that she would make a 24/7 hotline available to residents to report emergencies.

The Bronx-born Michael Cohen was also on hand to explain the "specifics" he said his competition failed to address.

The one-time Assemblyman spoke of increasing city funds via the restoration of a stock transfer tax designed to levy a maximum charge of is no longer the case.

$50 on each stock trade, estimated to produce $1.6 billion for every penny of a stock transfer assessment. In addition, he advocated empowering the City Council with the final say on all taxes, fees and charges imposed on city residents and commercials entities, since the Council is a legislative body that's accountable to voters, unlike the New York City Water Board. Cohen went on to express his support for speed photo radar as an effective measure that would reduce pedestrian fatalities and serious vehicular injuries by implementing technology similar to the one utilized for red light cameras on Queens Boulevard. Deputy Borough President Karen Koslowitz, who's also running, was not in attendance. Liu weighs in on mayoral control Despite the fact that he originally supported mayoral control of New York City schools in 2002, City Council Member John Liu said that "I never imagined it would morph into what it's become today. It's nearly impossible to have any checks and balances [under the system]," he said Council Member Liu, who is running for city comptroller.

"It's important to define the DOE (Department of Education) as an agency that's subject to legislative oversight."

Currently Mayor Michael Bloomberg's governance over public schools is exempt from any sort of review on the part of the city comptroller.

"It should be like any other system that's part of American democracy— it's mayoral control, not mayoral dictatorship of schools," observed Liu.

He continued by bashing the policies of mayoral control under the Bloomberg Administration, such as the emphasis on test taking, which are preventing schools from becoming places of learning, according to the City Council member.

He additionally stated his opposition to the banning of cell phones on school grounds.

Chairman of the Education and Youth Services Committee Nick Comaianni agreed with Liu, and went further by denounced Bloomberg for depriving community education district councils of real authority.

Comaianni, who also serves as the president of Community Education Council District 24, later introduced a resolution to oppose the continuation of mayoral control, which the board voted overwhelmingly in favor of.

The education activist offered some parting thoughts on the DOE by saying: "They make decisions on your neighborhood, and you don't even know about it."

"Under the current rule," he added, "principals can override what the majority of parents want."

Ulrich on community board rally

City Council Member Eric Ulrich offered kudos to all 300 city community board representatives that attended last week's rally on the steps of City Hall.

As previously reported by the Times Newsweekly, community boards across the city joined forces to protest an upcoming round of budget cuts.

Bloomberg is reportedly aiming to reduce annual funding for the groups from $207,000 to approximately $169,000, which would force staff cuts and probably weaken the influence of the boards.

"To muster up that amount of people with bad weather is a feather in your cap," said Ulrich while addressing board members. "I'm fighting for you and I'm on your side. We're making difficult cuts [by] robbing Peter to pay Paul."

Mary Ann Carey, district manager of Community Board 9, was also pleased with the demonstration's turnout.

Chants of "no more cuts" were reportedly heard loud and clear, according to Carey.

Board 9 Chairperson Andrea Crawford noted that prior to the latest budget reduction proposal, community boards hadn't received an allocation increase in 19 years.

"The mayor, in all his wisdom, thinks everyone should share in the pain. Community Boards haven't seen a dime," she said. "The Board staffs average 3.5 people. But with budget cuts, you're talking about the loss of one person and cutting the hours of another staffer. This would render community boards null and void."

Cops on Forest Park crimes

Crawford voiced her concerns to commanding officer of the 102nd Precinct, Capt. Charles McEvoy, about violent crimes running rampant at Forest Park due to a lack of police presence in the area.

The chairperson specifically asked the commanding officer to update the audience on a recent evening rape in a "not-so-secluded" stretch of the park.

Captain McEvoy confirmed the attack, and also mentioned the assault of a female jogger the following day.

He acknowledged that the precinct's Special Victims Unit was actively investigating the case.

Also noted was the fact that his daytime and nighttime conditions units are already in the park and have reportedly been responsible for 48 arrests in the public area over the past six months.

Over the summer, he added, the precinct's School Safety Unit will be patrolling the problem location along with mounted officers.

McEvoy further communicated that his command is exploring the installation of cameras in the park, but was quick to point out that "things don't happen overnight."

"The park is a destination point that's degenerating. If we lose the park, we'll lose the community so quickly. There will be a ripple effect," cautioned Crawford.

Liquor licenses

Board 9 endorsed the letters of intent received for new liquor licenses and license renewals by the following eating and drinking establishments.

• Bollywood USA Inc., 117-11 Hillside Ave., Richmond Hill;

• Deli King Grocery, 96-04 Jamaica Ave., Woodhaven;

• Villa Russo Il Palazzo, 101-12 101st Ave., Richmond Hill; and,

• Katz Beer Distributors, d.b.a. Family Beer Distributors, 92-25/27 Jamaica Ave., Woodhaven.

Board 9 regularly meets on the second Thursday of the month at various locations in the areas of Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park and Woodhaven.

No meetings are scheduled for July and August.