When Silvia Hsu opened her latest Con Edison utility bill, her heart dropped.

She was expecting her electric and gas bill to be around its monthly average of $250, but instead she received a bill for $670.

Hsu isn’t alone, as New Yorkers saw a spike in their energy bills for the month of January with cold weather creating an increased demand for natural gas.

Silvia and Kevin Hsu, tenants of an Astoria apartment building, called the utility company but were told that Con Ed couldn’t do anything about it.

“Purely from a resident perspective, what are we supposed to do?” asked Silvia. “We can’t afford this. Are they going to come in and give us some aid?”

Dimitri Kantzoglou, the building manager for the 36-unit apartment building, also says a tenant received a $14,000 bill from Con Ed before requesting a new and revised bill.

The utility company has yet to issue the tenant a new bill, he says, but a field technician is scheduled to visit the building on February 23. Another tenant in the building, George Tzoganakis, received a $300 bill for his 500-square-foot apartment.

“Personally, I’ve taken my bill off the automatic payment system because I don’t want to pay this bill until somebody comes and there is a final resolution,” said Kantzoglou. “I’m just waiting until the 23rd to see what happens.”

In his own first-floor apartment, Kantzoglou says the energy consumption that was quoted is “completely wrong.” He spent November through the beginning of January at home recovering from a procedure on his knee. He says he sometimes used a plug-in space heater for additional warmth, which never created spikes in his prior bills.

“There’s no way I used more heat in January than in December,” said Kantzoglou, citing a 40 percent increase in energy use than the prior month. “I can understand spikes in prices, but the usage doesn’t make sense.”

In response, city and state officials are urging the utility company to review their billing policies and practices, as well as provided financial aid for New Yorkers.

“The extreme utility bill increases we are seeing across the state come at a time when New Yorkers are already struggling financially following the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Governor Kathy Hochul. “Even though the spike we are seeing in electricity, natural gas and fuel prices were predicted and are due to severe winter weather, I am calling on Con Ed to review their billing practices because we must take unified action to provide relief for New Yorkers, especially our most vulnerable residents.”

A February 11th letter from the Public Service Commission (PSC) to Con Ed requested a detailed review of their billing practices.

“While the PSC and the utilities cannot control supply prices, utilities can improve their procurement and billing practices to reduce the likelihood of dramatic price swings in the future,” said PSC chair Rory M. Christian. “We are requiring Con Edison to address this going forward.”

The utility company will comply with the requests.

“Con Edison is taking action to address the increase in energy supply costs and its impact on our customers,” said a spokesperson. “We are reviewing all of our practices that affect customer supply costs, including our energy-buying practices, the tools we use to reduce supply price volatility, the way we communicate changes in supply prices, and our programs to help customers who have fallen behind on their bills.”

Con Ed also sent out an email to its customers last Friday saying that bills may be higher this month, “even if you didn’t use more energy than usual.”

The company puts most of the blame on varying energy supply costs, which are out of their control.

“Con Edison buys energy on the wholesale market and provides it to customers at the same price we paid without a profit,” the email continued. “We don’t generate electricity.”

Bills received by Con Ed have both a delivery charge and a supply charge. The regulated delivery costs are approved by state agencies and are not subject to market changes.

The unregulated supply costs and fees are not set by Con Ed, and are collected and distributed without making a profit. By law, Con Ed is not allowed to earn a profit from selling electricity.

In January, the utility company filed for an increase for electric and gas rates with the PSC. The request would raise both electric and gas delivery rates at a cost of $1.2 billion and $500 million, respectively.

The new rates could become effective January 1, 2023.

Aid is available for New Yorkers via the Home Energy Assistance Program to avoid any potential service interruptions. Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements, which vary by income and household size.

For tenants like the Hsu’s, a warning of a larger bill would have been appreciated. Upon reading their latest bill, Silvia was hesitant to share the amount with Kevin.

“We are in a very tight spot financially,” she said. “I was born and raised here. I told him my entire life that I’d never move out of here. Now I’m like, why am I living here? You’re literally paying for a zip code.”

Each year, nostalgic signs that are a work of art which tell a story, vanish from our city’s landscape. Last Friday, preservationists were proud to rescue the vintage H. Goodman Furs shop sign at 116-07 Queens Blvd in Forest Hills. This columnist facilitated a donation to the New York Sign Museum / Noble Signs, which was co-founded by visionary David Barnett. Also contributing to this project were preservation colleague Evan Boccardi, Forest Hills South Owners, Lovett Realty, and the new tenant, Chris, who opened Legit Fit NYC.

The sign will now be restored, re-illuminated, and displayed in the museum’s collection. Preservationists feel that if keeping a vintage sign on site is not an option, donate it to the NY Sign Museum for preservation, education, and appreciation.

H. Goodman Furs’ history dates to 1908. It was founded by Hyman Goodman in the Bronx. Then it was acquired by his son Jack Goodman, followed by his son Marvin Goodman and wife Rosemary Goodman. This family business operated in Forest Hills from 1967 to 2020.

In the name of Americana, much is being lost annually. David Barnett said, “As recently as 10 years ago, there were several classic 20th century storefronts on every commercial block citywide, but now we are lucky to have a few in each neighborhood. The tide is shifting rapidly.”

Barnett is a 35-year-old artist who lives in Crown Heights with his wife and daughter. He was born in Queens and was raised in South Orange, NJ. Barnett and his partner Mac Pohanka launched Noble Signs in 2013 based on an appreciation of vanishing classic signage citywide. He explained, “Our goal was to bridge traditional methods and styles with contemporary design and technology, and create signs that were aesthetically pleasing and had a sense of context within the history of New York signage.” The team of six is based in East New York on Atlantic Avenue.

He called the H. Goodman Furs sign a really unique example of early plastic signage. He explained, “Starting in the 50s and 60s, acrylic became a popular way of adding depth to signage that had traditionally been entirely painted. The acrylic sheets were typically sketched directly onto or traced onto with letter templates, and then handout with a jigsaw. This sign is particularly unique because of both the unique typography, especially the serif letterforms that read ‘FURS,’ and the fact that it is a fully framed out lightbox sign with significant weight and depth, as opposed to a flat plastic sign.”

The sign’s face is acrylic panel with applied cut acrylic details. The letters are cut acrylic with silver trimcap, and the frame molding of the face is steel with a brass finish. The case is aluminum clad on a welded steel frame, and the interior has 8’ fluorescent ballasts and two large transformers. Interestingly, he said, “We found a screwdriver that someone left inside the sign.”

After spending weekends with his grandma in Middle Village, Barnett developed a love for New York’s storefront culture. He recalled, “Joining her on her daily walks along Metropolitan Avenue, I have fond memories of a variety of local businesses where everyone seemed to know each other, and we would wave to the baker, the butcher, and the deli owner as we walked past their shops. The signs were such a big part of that experience. As a designer, I have worked in print, and digital, but nothing has the tangible satisfaction of seeing the signs you produced when you walk around the city.”

Over the past 5 years, the team rescued around 20 full-size storefront signs and several smaller signs from the trash. Barnett explained some of their best acquisitions as the Quisqueya Supermarket sign from Eastern Parkway, the Premier Dairy sign from Myrtle Ave in Glendale, the Farmacia corner signs from Essex Street, the Raders sign from Pitkin Avenue in Brownsville, and the Essex Card Shop sign from the Lower East Side.

There is a wide range of sign styles that are not produced as often nowadays. Some are porcelain signs, vacuum form signs, trim-cap plastic letter signs such as H. Goodman Furs, Art Deco neon Signs with painted cases, hand-painted top signs, marquee bulb Signs, and step-down awning signs. Barnett said, “Some are out of style and some are too complex or time-consuming for most shops to want to have. With the exception of a couple that we are still working on, these are all styles we have tried to revive with Noble Signs.”

For the NY Sign Museum, preserving vintage signs signifies showcasing the rich history of individual expression and personal character that defined 20th century New York City. Barnett added, “They are an example of a time when craft and aesthetics were taken much more seriously by our culture, and because of that, they inspire joy in the people that view them. Many signs are in some way impossible to truly recreate since they incorporate materials from a supply chain that no longer exists. The quality of the materials themselves has gone down, but hopefully by preserving these signs, we can create a living library where designers and all people can be inspired. History and trends are cyclical, and we are optimistic that these classic styles will make a comeback within our lifetime.”

For now, the East New York sign shop accommodates a small display. Their short-term goal is to acquire space with storage, a display, and offices. As for the long-term, he said, “We would like a large enough space capable of displaying full NYC storefronts and their signs. We are open to any location within the 5 boroughs, but ideally within walking distance of public transportation.”

“Keep track of signs, and talk to your neighbors and landlords about saving and donating ones that matter to you and your community,” said Barnett.

The public can play a role in the museum’s future by participating in a fundraiser this spring, following @nysignmuseum, or contacting 646-450-0621 or nysignmuseum@gmail.com

In an effort to raise money for the families of fallen police officers Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora, the NYPD and FDNY men’s volleyball teams held the first annual game in their honor at Maspeth High School over the weekend.

Malcolm Brissett, officer at the 77th Precinct and captain of the NYPD volleyball team, organized the event.

“I’m thankful for everyone’s love and support during this difficult time,” said Brissett. “We lost two officers in the line of duty, two officers who sacrificed their lives by protecting others. It’s important we give back to them.”

Before the game began, attendees had the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets and t-shirts from the NYPD and FDNY.

The raffle prizes were all donated by local businesses, including Patrizia’s, Villa Erasmo, Connolly’s Corner and Enchanted Florist & Greenhouse.

Jerry Matacotta, volleyball coach at Maspeth High School and a member of the FDNY team, said the event is intended to be based in community and unity.

“It’s important to get together after a terrible event and show the city that we’re still here and we’re still strong,” he said. “We wanted to get morale back up again and help the families, so that’s how it’s become an event more than just a game.”

The NYPD won the first game, and the FDNY won the second. The NYPD went on to win the next two rounds to win the title.

The evening will be remembered for years to come as a ball signed by all the players will be displayed at the high school.

“The police and firemen are so important in this community, and it’s great that so many people support them,” Matacotta said. “It’s not even about the game, it’s about community.

“We’re all so divided now, but in reality most people back the firemen and police officers,” he continued. “So this is an event to have a good time and show their respect to the two officers who were killed.”

Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport is now complete.

The opening of LaGuardia Terminal B’s western skybridge, and the opening in December of Terminal B’s second concourse, means that every arriving and departing passenger at Terminal B will experience newly built facilities from gate to curb thanks to a $4 billion transformation.

Ground was first broken on the project in 2016.

All of the terminal’s temporary walkways will now be taken out of service. With the completion of the second pedestrian bridge, which will span an active aircraft taxiway, Terminal B also becomes the world’s first airport with dual pedestrian skybridges.

“The transformation of LaGuardia airport into a world-class destination that is internationally recognized for its beauty is an integral part of our bold vision for a new era in New York,” Governor Kathy Hochul said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week. “The completion of this project will help provide a brand new passenger experience for everyone traveling through Terminal B, easing connections and creating lasting impressions.”

Terminal B was awarded UNESCO’s Prix Versailles in December as “Best New Airport in the World” by a panel of international architects assembled by the United Nations agency.

The new terminal features 35 gates, a 3,000-car parking garage, and new covered, convenient pickup facilities for both taxis and ride-sharing vehicles.

The terminal offers best-in-class retail, vast dining experiences, stunning art and amenities that provide customers with a world-class 21st century travel experience.

With the interior work at Terminal B now complete, the remaining small portion of the old Central Terminal has been removed from service and will be torn down, with demolition expected to be completed by spring of this year.

“From a passenger point of view, the old LaGuardia is no more,” said Rick Cotton, executive director of the Port Authority. “We have gone from worst to best, something no one thought was possible when this project began.”

As one of Terminal B’s most distinct architectural elements, the pair of skybridges span active aircraft taxi lanes, connecting the new, light-filled arrivals and departures hall to the terminal’s two island concourses.

The construction of both skybridges has enabled more than two additional miles of taxiway space to be built, reducing delays for arrivals and departures and will help ease customers’ ability to travel seamlessly to their gates.

The dual bridges are impressive architecturally, but also assure that aircraft that are taxiing have two ways to enter or exit their gates.

Previously, aircraft movements could be blocked because there was only one way into the gates and one way out.

In other work at the airport, Delta’s new arrivals and departures hall at Terminal C is scheduled to open in spring 2022.

“It’s time to get New York City moving again, and a world-class airport here in Queens will help us do that,” said Mayor Eric Adams. “This is a whole new LaGuardia.”

Members of the nonprofit New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE) members last week shared how their immigration status prevents them from being able to get steady work.

Around two dozen members waited an hour outside NICE headquarters in Jackson Heights wearing masks that said “Citizenship for All” as Senator Chuck Schumer listened to testimonials about how undocumented status affects immigrants’ lives.

Araceli Cerrano is an undocumented immigrant who spoke at the meeting about how her immigration status is literally threatening her life. Cerrano has kidney issues and is on dialysis three days a week.

“Without being able to be admitted to a transplant list, her time is literally running out,” said Diana Moreno, interim executive director of NICE. “This is a truly life-or-death situation for so many of our members, not just because they might be dealing with a health issue, but in the labor we do, during the pandemic we have sometimes risked our very lives.”

Cerrano said it felt good to have Schumer listen to her issues.

“I really hope they are helping us because we all really need it,” she said. “Especially in my case. I need to get on the list for a transplant, so I really need papers.”

Democrats in Washington have failed multiple times to pass immigration reform since President Joe Biden took office. Schumer said talks are resuming with one Democratic holdout, Senator Joe Manchin of West Virgiinia, and is “confident they will be able to set aside the parliamentarian”.

The parliamentarian is a nonpartisan position that makes decisions about procedure in both the House and Senate. The Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, has previously ruled that immigration reform could not be tacked onto Biden’s spending bill, a crucial decision as spending bills only need 50 votes to pass and cannot be filibustered.

“As you know, Joe Manchin couldn’t come to agreement with the president on this,” said Schumer. “And we need all 50 Democrats because we have no Republicans. But talks are resuming and we’re going to try to get as much of the BBB bill done as we can. Once we have a BBB bill on the floor, then we can move for a path to citizenship for immigrants to be added to it.”

Schumer emphasized how grassroots organizations like NICE need to get every Democratic senator to support the measures.

“I wish I could get all of my senators to hear you, but I will be your voice” Schumer said. “You’re hard working and want the best for yourselves and your families. We have to do everything we can to make that happen.”