14 THE QUEENS COURIER • DECEMBER 22, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM Deal to merge two of the largest fi nancial institutions in Queens falls through BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI smonteverdi@qns.com @smont76 New York Community Bancorp (NYCB) and Astoria Financial Corporation announced on Tuesday, Dec. 20, that both companies’ boards of directors have mutually agreed not to extend the companies’ merger agreement. Th e agreement will offi cially be terminated eff ective Jan. 1. Th e decision comes 14 months aft er NYCB announced that it had purchased Astoria Financial Corporation in a $2 billion deal. At the time of the agreement, the intent was that Astoria Financial Corporation would merge into New York Community Bancorp and existing Astoria branches would operate through an Astoria Bank Division of New York Community Bank. An earlier statement from NYCB indicated that the fi nancial institution did “not expect to receive the regulatory approvals required to consummate the proposed merger with Astoria Financial Corporation” by the end of 2016. Th e Courier reached out to NYCB and Astoria Financial Corporation for comment and is awaiting a response. New York Community Bancorp has assets totaling $49.5 billion and is the leading producer of multi-family loans on rent-regulated apartment buildings in the New York City. Astoria Financial Corporation, with assets of $15 billion, is the holding company for Astoria Bank. New ParkNYC app lets drivers pay to park on city streets without lugging quarters around BY EMILY DAVENPORT edavenport@qns.com @QNS Parking in New York City is about to get much easier. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Dec. 19 the launch of ParkNYC, which allows drivers to pay to park at a metered spot online or on their smartphone. ParkNYC links registered license plate numbers to NYPD traffi c enforcement agents’ handheld devices that confi rm payment. “Parking in New York City can be a challenge, but ParkNYC will make it just a bit easier,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “With no paper receipt and the ability to quickly get on your way, this new pay-by-cell tool fulfi lls our commitment — made in this year’s State of the City address — that we would help save New Yorkers the most precious of resources: their time.” Th e ParkNYC mobile app offi cially launched on Friday, Dec. 16, and is available for free in the App Store and Google Play. It can be used as zones are phased in citywide on a rolling basis through next summer. Here’s how to use ParkNYC: - Download the ParkNYC app or go to www.parknyc. org to register an account. - Enter personal information including phone number and email; create a password. - Provide a license plate number for the account and set alert/notifi cation preferences. - Load your wallet. A ParkNYC wallet works like EZPass, and can be reloaded in increments as low as $25. Once registered, drivers may use the mobile app, internet or a toll-free number to pay for parking. - Park. Aft er parking, enter the unique zone number for block and length of time. Aft er confi rmation, the driver is set. - Extend. If time is running out and maximum time has not already been reached, parking time can be extended without returning to the car. “With ParkNYC, drivers no longer have to scramble for change or even walk to a Muni-Meter to get a receipt for their dashboard,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “With no added fees, mobile alerts that let you know when your parking session is ending, and the ability to extend a session without returning to your car, ParkNYC off ers a great convenience to New York drivers.” Even with the introduction of ParkNYC, DOT Muni- Meters would continue to accept coins and credit/debit cards for payment for customers who don’t wish to use the new service. Visit https://parknyc.parkmobile.us/ parknyc/ for more information. North Shore Towers bans smoking from its grounds, becoming largest co-op to do so BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI smonteverdi@qns.com @smont76 North Shore Towers, a gated co-op with 1,844 apartments near the Queens/Nassau border, voted in favor of passing bylaws banning cigarette smoking anywhere on the 110-acre property — including inside of apartments. Th is makes them the largest cooperative in New York City to implement smoke-free protections. Th e new by-laws will take eff ect on Jan. 1. “Th is is one of the largest cooperative communities in the city,” Council Member Barry Grodenchik said at a Dec. 19 press conference at North Shore Towers. “I know that this could not have been easy … But this is a tremendous step forward in the health and well-being of all the people who not only live here, but also work here and visit here on a daily basis. And that is a lot of people.” Th e eff ort was spearheaded by Phyllis Goldstein, a resident and board member at North Shore Towers. “Why did we do this?” Goldstein said. “We are a community that works together; and we also breathe the same air.” Goldstein explained that about 50 volunteers organized and took to the complex of three 33-story buildings with 1,844 total units for a near two-month campaign, working hard to make sure people were informed and cast their ballots. “Th ese people worked with me every single week for seven weeks making strategies,” Goldstein said. Because of their eff orts, Goldstein and volunteers were able to get a 88 percent voter turnout — with 73 percent of those shareholders voting in favor of the bylaws. “Our community wanted it, voted for it and got it,” Goldstein said. “So it can be done. As diffi cult as it is, it can happen.” Th e cooperative worked in collaboration with Northwell Health and NYC Smoke Free to inform residents about the dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke during the campaign. Th e two groups made an educational, joint presentation at the co-op back in August that was so well attended it was standing room only, according to Goldstein. “Th e initiative is not against the smoker; it’s against the smoking,” said Nancy Copperman, director of public health initiatives at Northwell Health. Copperman explained that resources are available to residents — and New Yorkers in general — who are trying to quit smoking, including the New York State Smoker’s Quitline and Northwell Health’s Center for Tobacco Control. Photo: Shutterstock Photos by Stephen Vrattos Photo via Google Maps Astoria Bank location in Flushing on Kissena Boulevard.
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