http://www.queenstribune.com Visit us on the World Wide Web Vol. 41, No. 1 Jan. 6-12, 2011 Q B E F A H J S W Tribune Photo by Ira Cohen IN SIDE Deadline................................................................... 3 Editorial ................................................................... 6 Not 4 Publication .................................................... 8 This Week .............................................................. 10 Closeup ................................................................. 11 Police Blotter ........................................................ 16 Trib Pix................................................................... 18 Leisure ................................................................... 23 Queens Today ....................................................... 24 Classifieds............................................................. 28 Focus ..................................................................... 31 Confidential ........................................................... 38 Students at the new schools within the Jamaica High School building have more guidance, a better student-teacher ratio and more opportunity than the students of the building’s namesake school, which faces ‘closure.’ By Sasha Austrie & Jessica Ablamsky… Page 3 A Look Back At 2010’s News That Mattered PAGE 20 Newest Electeds Head Up North To Tackle Albany PAGE 5 Sanitation Staff Rebuke Alleged Slowdown Plan PAGE 3 PAGE 38
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Students at the new schools within the Jamaica High School building have more guidance, a better student-teacher ratio and more opportunity than the students of the building’s namesake school, which faces ‘closure.’By Sasha Austrie & Jessica Ablamsky…Page 3
In what could be a sad end to its illustrious100-year history, Jamaica High School leavesits students walking the halls with kids thathave more.
Never meant to be a campus, the JamaicaHigh School building on Gothic Drive justnorth of Hillside Avenue is home to fourschools – segregated into different floors andwings – that share gyms, labs, a lunch roomand auditorium. Coordinating shared facili-ties is a challenge that requires careful coor-dination and what some feel is too much ofa compromise.
Though the cafeteria was designed to hold200 students, for safety’s sake, no more than150 were assigned to each lunch period in thepast. Today, students start eating before 10a.m., and each lunch period sees studentsfilling the room to its maximum capacity.
Maximum capacity is the new normal forstudents at Jamaica High School. The aver-age class has 34 students crammed into eachroom.
With a dwindling population of 1,200 stu-dents, Jamaica’s resources are quickly evapo-rating, and the effects manifest as a graduationrate that hovers between 52 and 53 percent.
The Advanced Placement program at Ja-maica High School is not what it used to be.In 2007, the school offered six or seven collegelevel courses. Today, they can only afford one.
While Jamaica has been slated for phaseout, Queens Collegiate, one of the co-locatedschools in the same building, has plans toexpand. Housed on the third floor of theJamaica High School building, Collegiate
By DOMENICK RAFTERSanitation workers are pushing back
against accusations that DOS supervisorspurposely ordered their workers to slowdown snow cleanup after last month’s bliz-zard in protest of Mayor Mike Bloomberg’sbudget cuts.
Federal and local prosecutors have, at thesame time, opened criminal investigationsinto the alleged slowdowns.
The office of U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynchin Brooklyn opened a criminal probe into theresponse, as did the DAs of Brooklyn andQueens, to investigate if any criminal activityoccurred in the accused slowdown, even asSanitation workers continue to deny it occurred.
“It’s not true. There was no work slow-down” said Tony DiLeonardo, a Sanitat ionworker from Bellerose. He said many of hiscoworkers who were caught sitt ing in snow-plows the day after the blizzard were therebecause their trucks got stuck in the snow,forcing them to wait for long periods of timefor rescue vehicles to come – sometimes hours.
“We couldn’t even see [while working],”he said. While plowing the LIE between theNassau County border and Lefrak City, con-ditions were so bad that DiLeonardo said hecouldn’t see a few feet in front of him. Hesaid cars that had got ten stuck during theblizzard blocked plows from moving all overQueens, including on the LIE.
DiLeonardo, who worked long hours dur-ing the blizzard, said the storm’s strength, aswell staff strength, were issues for DOS. Hesaid the agency did not have the emergencypersonnel list they normally had during pastblizzards and instead had to rely on a Sundaylist, which left the department understaffed.
“The city sent us out 12 hours too late,”he added.
Inequality Reigns On Gothic Drive
Sanit Staff Deny Slow Snow Scheme
currently offers sixth, ninth, and 10th grades.The school opened in September 2008 andhas more than 300 students.
Collegiate has two AP classes and plans toadd three more next year.
Though Collegiate has only one guidancecounselor and a counseling intern, its smallerstudent population allows its 30 staffers tohost an advisory program, with a ratio of 15students to each administrator.
Occupying one hallway of the sprawlingbuilding is the Hillside Academy of Arts andLetters, in its first year. Its philosophy is thatart fosters academic achievement. Withclasses in session, all that can be heard fromthe hall is a softly echoing chatter.
Hillside’s 90 students have access to oneguidance counselor, and meet weekly ingroups of 16 for sessions with an advisoryteacher.
Jamaica High School, with considerablyfewer resources in comparison, has fourguidance counselors for its 1,200 students. Acatch-22, the school is proposed for closuredue to poor performance, but the inadequateguidance staff makes it tough to boost gradu-ation rates.
Also in its first year, the High School forCommunity Leadership was designed to de-velop civic-minded critical thinkers. In partner-ship with local organizations, students performnine-week, resume-boosting internships.
Like the most elite private schools, youwill not find single desks at Leadership.Classes are set up to encourage dialogue,with students seated around brand-new tables.
Though the school can afford a com-puter for each student, administrators
capped their purchase atone computer for everytwo students.
Some classes have asfew as 10 students en-rolled.
“Each new school getsstart-up funding for sup-plies and many chose toinvest in technology,” saidDOE Spokesman JackZarin-Rosenfeld. “Strug-gling schools like Jamaicasee decreased enrollmentbecause parents are choos-ing better options for theirkids, and smaller schoolsnaturally have smaller bud-gets.”
After a walk through ofthe Jamaica High Schoolbuilding, State Sen. TonyAvella (D-Bayside) Coun-c i l membe r s Ka renKoslowitz (D-Forest Hills) and Danny Dromm(D-Jackson Heights) and Queens clergy met.They expressed their concern with the lack ofresources for Jamaica High School and thebounty of assets at the other schools.
“Jamaica High School students are sec-ond-class citizens,” said Avella.
Koslowitz said Jamaica students are forcedto learn in an environment that promotes“psychological hindrance.”
“It’s like seeing a group of kids with aGucci bag and you are holding a paper bag,”she said.
Avella vowed to fight the closure of Ja-
The students who occupy the Jamaica High School build-ing may be separate, but they are certainly not grantedequal opportunities.
maica High School. The electeds promisedto attend the public hearings to staunch theclosure of the school and explore legal op-tions, including a lawsuit with the UnitedFederation of Teachers, if necessary.
“How can we stand here and watch ourchildren be neglected?” Koslowitz asked.
Both Dromm and Koslowitz fearedNewtown and Richmond Hill high schoolswould be next on the chopping block, andtheir students would meet a similar fate.
Reach the Queens Tribune newsroomat [email protected] or (718)357-7400.
Danny McCormick worked the night shiftaround Flushing and Bayside the night ofthe storm. He said get t ing to work from hishome in Nassau County was uncharacteris-tically difficult because of cars stuck on theroads. He denied there was any purposefulslowdown.
“There was absolutely no work slow-down,” McCormick said. “Everyone takesthe snow seriously. Even if there are dis-gruntled supervisors get ting demoted, therewas no discussion on that at al l.”
McCormick said he and his colleagueswere ordered to st ick to primary roads onthe first night and no one was sent to sec-ondar y routes, which was uncommon, but
was done because the primary roads wereabnormally difficult to clear.
“I’m not management, so I don’t knowhow they position trucks,” he said. “But Inoticed this was the most difficult storm I’veexperienced.”
He said many trucks, including his own,got stuck in the snow, especially the day af-ter, which had also never happened before.
“I just think it was a combination of manyfactors,” he said.
Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone)said the workers who came to Halloran’soffice to confess to an organized slowdownrepresented only a small portion of the DOS,and he had never implied that the slowdown
was a citywide problem.“Only a small number of DSNY supervi-
sors were behind the slowdown. The vastmajority of workers did their jobs, and theyshould be commended,” said Halloran. “Theyare rightly outraged, but they should be madat their colleagues who put personal grudgesover their obligations to New Yorkers.”
Halloran spokesman Steven Stites saidvideos showing plows driving up streets withtheir plows raised and pictures of sleepingSanitation workers in trucks that didn’t ap-pear to be stuck in the snow generate anec-dotal buzz, but don’t prove anything.
Last week, State Sen. Tony Avel la (D-Bayside) filed Freedom of Information re-quests to access communications betweenthe Mayor’s office, the DOS and other Cityagencies during the blizzard.
“New Yorkers lives were put in jeopardyfollowing this storm,” Avella said. “We mustmake sure that this does not happen again.”
Unplowed streets are being blamed for de-laying emergency help to people in the hoursand days after the blizzard. Fire Departmentofficials had to dig their way through snow-covered Elmhurst streets to get to a five-alarmfire the day after the storm. A Corona woman,Yvonne Freeman, died, and a Corona new-born is currently on life support after emer-gency aid was delayed in getting to them.
“I don’t know of another area in the citywhere the consequences of failing to plowstreets in a timely manner were as devastat-ing as in my district,” said State Sen. JosePeralta (D-Corona).
The City Council will hold hearings onblizzard cleanup on Jan. 10.
Plows made it to some major thoroughfares in the early hours of the blizzard,but were quickly overwhelmed, according to Sanitation employees.
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By JASON BANREYQueens parents are boasting their first
born babies as the city's first of 2011.Two families that call the borough home
have given birth to the first babies born in thecity this year.
In a special moment, which the familyalready believed to be a once-in-a-lifetimeexperience for them all, the Wong family ofFresh Meadows welcomed Selina as the NewYear's first girl.
Entering the world at one minute into theNew Year, the 7-lbs, 12-oz, bundle of joygreeted her proud parents for the first time asthe borough celebrated a new decade.
After checking into New York HospitalQueens at around 9 a.m. on Dec. 31, parentsRichard and Ting Li spent just more than 15 hoursin the delivery room awaiting their first baby.
Despite the exhaustive natural delivery,both parents retained enough energy to ex-press their excitement after sharing an "unbe-lievable" experience together.
"I never thought I would have one of thefirst babies of the New Year," said Ting Li,
Queens Babies Dominate New Yearwho originally hails from South China.
More than eight miles away, in Manhat-tan, Maspeth parents embraced, possibly whatmay be Queens' first resident born in 2011.Born 57 seconds after the clock struck mid-night, Jacek and Marta Kozlowski, welcomedKacper, the city's first-born baby boy as NewYear's revelers kissed 2011 into existence.
Originally due Dec. 30, Marta began togrow worried as it took several days for the
Parents Ting Li and Richard Wong withtheir new born baby Selina, the firstQueens-born baby of 2011.
By JOSEPH OROVICThe New York State Pavilion is getting a
once-over by the City.The Parks Dept. awarded a contract to
study the stability of the foundations of theborough's iconic structures, as well as anassessment of the observation towers' sound-ness. The agency expects work to begin inMarch and is expected to last four months.
The results of the study, paired with a2009 study of the Tent of Tomorrow, willprovide Parks with a better understanding ofthe work necessary to stabilize, or perhapsfully restore the landmark buildings, as wellas provide an estimate for the cost of thework, according to an agency spokesman.
The study's announcement was met withopen arms by park advocate Greg Godfrey.Riding the high of two landmark designa-tions for the Pavilion on the State and Federallevel, Godfrey hopes this study will be a steptowards solidifying the former World's Fairsite's place as a City landmark, as well as leadto its full restoration.
"My hopes for the structure are that the
city's sanitation plows to reach their family'sstreet after last weeks blizzard paralyzed thecity with 20 inches of snow. Nonetheless, the7-lbs., 14-oz., little "treasure" held on, decid-ing to reveal himself during the city's NewYear's celebration.
Nervously awaiting the arrival of his sonas he watched the clock, Kacper's fatherwaited outside the delivery room wonderingwhat year his son would be born in.
"I waiting outside and I was so nervousand I looking at the watch and what's goingon - is it going to be 2010 or 2011?" said thenew father.
No matter when it happened, the experi-ence was amazing either way, Marta said.
"All the attention makes it more excitingand surreal," the proud mom said. "It wasn'tup to me. Things happen for a reason and itsort of happened like this."
Aging Relic’s Base Studiedfoundation is sound, that theoverall rehabilitation is eco-nomically viable," he said, ac-knowledging spending mil-lions on the site's restorationwould reflect a disconnectwith reality.
"Obviously we're r ightnow at a time when people'smortgages are at stake,"Godfrey said. "You have toput this in context of a very,very harsh time."
Instead, he suggests therestoration of the structurescould be part of a larger, pub-lic works-style stimulus plan.
"If there's another roundof stimulus money, this isanother perfect project," Godfrey said.
He also hopes the City will ultimatelylandmark the building, and wondered whythe Landmarks Preservation Commission hasshuffled its feet on the designation.
"LPC has to get its act together with
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caring about Queens more," he said. "It's anoutright crime that the site is not a citylandmark."
Reach Reporter Joseph Orovic [email protected] or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127.
A Parks Dept. study will determine the stability andpotential future of the iconic towers of the New YorkState Pavilion in Flushing Meadows.
By DOMENICK RAFTERAs the new session of the state legisla-
ture begins, Queens' new representativesin Albany are get t ing to work and aimingto restore the tarnished reputation of aninstitution that has become synonymouswith dysfunction.
State Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria),who was elected to the Senate after fiveterms in the State Assembly, said there was"no time to waste" in transitioning.
"We're busy right out of the box," he said.Gianaris said going from the Assembly,
where he was in the majority and one of150, to the State Senate, where he is in theminority and one of 62, is "a very differentexperience."
"Regardless of who is in control of theSenate, the majority is so slim, every Sena-tor counts," he said. "My influence mat tersand I'm seeing that already."
His key issue in the first weeks andmonths is independent redistricting, whichhe championed in the Assembly. He said53 of the 62 Senate members suppor t it,including the Republican leadership.
"It's very rare we have that kind of over-whelming agreement in the Senate," he said."We stand ready to pass it tomorrow."
Assemblyman Francisco Moya (D-Jack-son Heights), who won the Assembly seatvacated by State Sen. Jose Peralta (D-Corona) early last year, said put t ing to-gether his staff was the easie st par t oft r a n s i t i on ; ge t t i ng o f f i c e space ha sproven more dif f icult .
"We're waiting to get the office ap-proved," he said.
If and when that does happen, Moya willhave his office located in the same JacksonHeights site his predecessor occupied at 82-
Newest Servants Head Up To Albany
11 37th Ave. He said he hopes to be in theoffice in the next few weeks.
Moya said his main focus in that timewould be quality of life issues, including gangviolence, and unemployment, both of whichhe described as "major problems" for his dis-trict. He said the state government is goingto have to work with banks to get them tolend to local small businesses because that ishow the jobs lost would come back.
"Small businesses employ locally," he said.Moya said despite the transition and lack
of office space, he and his staff have madethemselves accessible to the community.
"We haven't stopped working since wewon," he said.
For Assemblywoman Aravel la Simotas (D-Astoria), her job as representative of her com-munity star ted the moment her office doorsopened Monday.
"We had a couple of constituents come in
already," she said, including one whom shespoke to before she took office. Simotas toldthe constituent to come in on the first dayher office opened, and she did.
Simotas, who occupies the Assembly seatvacated by Gianaris, said the first few daysare mostly "administrative stuff," but vowedto tackle her main issues, including educa-tion and reform, once the session gets intofull swing.
"We need to make sure schools get ad-equate funding so school programs are notcut," she said, calling herself "an advocatefor students"
She said her top priority on the educa-t ion front w i l l be to protect ar ts programs,which she credited for giving her a leg upacademically as a student growing up inAstoria.
On reform, Simotas said the state legisla-ture has to rebuild its constituents' trust and
Albany newcomers Aravella Simotas (l. to r.), Ed Braunstein and Francisco Moyaare going to get a quick lesson in Albany politics as they approach the newbudget.
get people to "look up to government again."She said she would be a strong advocate inethics reform and fair redistricting.
"We have to surprise people," she said.With the help of former Assemblywoman
Ann-Margaret Carrozza, transitioning intooffice has been a breeze for AssemblymanEd Braunstein (D-Bayside).
"I'm excited about the swearing in," hesaid in a phone interview on his way up toAlbany. "I'm looking forward to becoming'official.'"
With a $9-$10 billion deficit projectedfor the next budget cycle, his first month inoffice wil l probably be focused on cut t ingspending.
"From what I hear, it's going to be a verypainful, difficult budget," he said. "It's justthe reality of the situation. We're in a ter-rible economy. I don't think the state is go-ing to be get ting as much federal money aswe have in the past."
Though he was elected to a state-levelposition, Braunstein is looking forward toworking on local issues like education andquality of life.
Despite a tough election season that sawthe ousting of longtime State Sen. FrankPadavan in favor of Tony Avel la, a formercouncilman, Braunstein is confident that hecan work with both Republican CouncilmanDan Halloran (R-Whitestone) and DemocratAvella.
"Absolutely, I think I can work with bothof them," Braunstein said. "I think every-body is going to get together and put theconstituents first."
Jessica Ablamsky contributed.Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at
Tony NicodemoJoanne NaumannEarl SteinmanLarry StewartShari Strongin
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There certainly are conflicting reports about what hap-pened to the clean-up of the snow that fell Dec. 26 and 27across the City.
In Queens, there are allegations of a deliberate slow-down as a result of staff layoffs at Sanitation. Some Sanita-tion employees allegedly confessed to taking direct ordersfrom supervisors to sit and wait rather than plow.
If this is indeed true, and any loss of life or property canbe attributed to the ordered inaction of the SanitationDepartment, criminal charges should be filed.
However, we cannot rush to judgment of an entire citydepartment because of the potential misdeeds of what mayhave been a select few. There will be investigation at theCity Council level, and prosecutors at the county and federallevel are already looking into the situation. Let us be patientand await review before rushing to hasty criticism.
That said, we’re expecting more snow this weekend. Thepeople of Queens expect and demand clean streets. It’s timefor the Dept. of Sanitation to step up and show this boroughwhat a good job it can do.
The Queens Tribune (USPS 964-480) is published weekly every Thursday for $12 per year by Tribco, LLC, 150-50 14th Road, Whitestone, NY 11357. Periodical Postage Paid at Flushing, NY.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Queens Tribune, 150-50 14th Road, Whitestone NY 11357.
More Snow Coming
An A? Really?To The Editor:
It is clear from anyone who livesin Queens that the Sanitation De-partment failed miserably in lastweek’s snow storm and did notfollow its own operating proceduresfor snow removal as it has done inother large snow storms of the past.
The residents of Queens saw theabsence of snow plows for two daysor more after the storm ended andnow must listen to Sanitation Com-missioner John Doherty telling themedia that he gives his departmentan “A” for snow removal.
It’s unimaginable what a “D”would be in Doherty’s fantasy world.We do indeed live in an “Alice-in-Wonderland” world where fantasyis reality. Will Doherty tell us that thesky is red or the moon is made ofcheese? At least we can be thankfulthat Bloomberg did not choose himas our School Chancellor.
Bob Friedrich,Glen Oaks
Union’s FaultTo The Editor:
The performance of the Sanita-tion Dept. during the recent bliz-zard shows us how greedy unionsand spineless politicians beholdento those unions have conspired tosaddle the working, tax-paying citi-zens of New York City with anunsustainable pension system basednot on salary but on overtime.
Perhaps the only way out of this
mess is to let all City-funded pen-sion plans declare bankruptcy. Then,under court direction, a system ofwages and pensions could be devel-oped in keeping with New York’sshrinking population and reducedtax base.
If something is not done, andsoon, New York’s population willbe reduced to those who either arealready on welfare or going on wel-fare, all feeding at the soon-to-be-empty public trough.
David Rivkin,Jamaica
Answers NeededTo The Editor:
If it is indeed true that there wasa deliberate job slowdown by Sani-tation workers during the recentdevastating blizzard because theywere angry about layoffs and bud-get cuts to their department, thereneeds to be a thorough investiga-tion as to why this was permitted.
Certainly, the workers have aright to be upset about layoffs andbudget cuts – they have families tosupport and bills to pay. However,we all have to pay bills and supportfamilies in this city. There is abso-lutely no valid or logical reason forthe Sanitation workers to deliber-ately slow down plowing of streetsand roadways. There were so manystreets that were not plowed rightafter the storm, all over the area, andthis caused very serious problemsfor the fire department, police de-partment, emergency services and
the MTA, with hundreds of busesand other vehicles, including am-bulances and some fire truckstrapped in the snow.
Yes, this was a very powerfulstorm, with blinding, blowing snowfalling at the rate of 2-3 inches perhour, accompanied by 50-60 mphwinds, thunder and lightning. Cer-tainly it made plowing by the Sani-tation Department very difficult.However, you cannot take out yourfrustrations at the mayor for notdoing the job of plowing the streetsand roadways, which is your respon-sibility. If this was the case, then it isan absolute disgrace! CommissionerDoherty needs to conduct an inter-nal investigation as to why this oc-curred. What will happen when thenext storm comes along? After all,this was only the end of December,and we have January, February andMarch to get through.
John Amato,Fresh Meadows
On Sage ShuffleTo The Editor:
A response to the article “MixedEmotions Flow Over Sage Shuffle,”Dec. 2, 2010.
The school’s approach to thisimportant change in their educa-tional approach baffles me: Whywas it done in secrecy? Why wasnothing mentioned, neither orallynor in writing, to the parents? Canthe principal of Russell Sage, MarilynGrant, change the “contract” in mid-year? And if so, on what grounds?
What is still unclear to me is whythe school has changed the sixthgrade class allocation, two and ahalf months into the school year?
Regardless, I was appalled by theway the school administration an-nounced the change in class alloca-tion. The parents were notifiedthrough their children after theannouncement was already made inclass. Parents were not given anyadvance warning, so that they couldprepare their children for this sig-nificant change, not only with re-gards to the children’s newly formedpeer attachments, but also with re-gards to being placed in one of thetwo lower level classes.
Regardless, again, of whether Iagree with the school’s approach toclass allocation, I believe that theschool administration acted cal-lously, in terms of neglecting toconsider the impact of their deci-sion on the children’s self-imageand self-esteem, and deceivingly, interms of presenting the parents witha ‘fait accompli.’
Why were parents not notified atthe beginning of the school yearthat the sixth grade students may bedivided into levels based on their
fifth grade state test scores? Espe-cially when the state test results werealready known. If I had known thatthe school may change its approachto class allocation midyear, I (andprobably many other parents),would not have sent my child toRussell Sage. When the decision ismade after the children are alreadyadjusted to the new school and otherschools are closed for enrollment, Iam literally forced to keep my childat a school against my husband’s,and my own, educational beliefs forour child.
After the announcement wasmade, I was confused, since therewas no clear indication from theschool administration as to howthey determined the SP (honors)class placement. What were theircriteria? Only after I asked for writ-ten criteria, and five days later, theschool was kind enough to send anemail specifying it.
I also do not understand why theschool administration did not sim-ply divide more evenly the two over-crowded classes and the third onepopulated by a handful of ESL stu-dents, from the beginning of theyear.
However, two and a half monthsinto the school year, there was noneed to divide the students based ontheir state test scores. A simple re-allocation of students to the threeclasses, if absolutely necessary, wouldhave sufficed (albeit not desired forthe already settled children).
My feeling is that the “over-crowded classes” excuse was usedto justify a much more radical changein the school educational approach.
I also would like to know why,when asked specifically about thepossibility of having a sixth gradeSP class, I was told by Mrs. MarilynGrant, the Russell Sage principal,that there was no plan to instate anSP class in the sixth grade. In re-sponse to my question about thisparticular issue in recent days, bothMrs. Grant, the Principal and Mrs.Laurence, the Assistant Principal,said, “It was the furthest thing fromour minds. We had other things todeal with.” I find it hard to believethat the school administration hadno idea that this significant changemight take place, especially whenthey admitted to having some par-ents voicing their requests for anSP class for this year’s (as well as lastyear’s) sixth grade.
I was then told that the schooladministration did not know in ad-vance how many of their newly-enrolled students would fit the SPclass criteria. I can understand that,but that still doesn’t explain why theschool administration did not indi-cate at the beginning of the yearthat they may consider instating an
SP class if the right circumstancespresented themselves.
At this time, the sixth grade inRussell Sage consists of three classes.Some English-speaking children arenow placed in the ESL class, whichwas renamed an “enrichment” class.From first-hand information, I knowthat the curriculum in this class wasnot modified to accommodate theEnglish-speaking students, whichhas probably affected their scholas-tic learning. Is the academic successof those students less important thanthe academic success of the SP classstudents? I would be surprised if theparents of those children are part ofthe group of “overall people (that)are happy with this change,” as onePA member put it. In fact, I knowparents of at least four students whoraised their voices so loud that theprincipal took those very angry par-ents’ children out of that “enrich-ment” class and put them back wherethey more appropriately belonged.
Anne Alexander,Forest Hills
Bus SolutionTo The Editor:
It is no surprise that the Q79 vanoperator has suspended service “BusWoes” (Letter to the Editor by BobFriedrich, Dec. 30). Why not makethis service more attractive for cus-tomers and financially viable for thevan operator so they can stay inbusiness? The van operator mustsurvive on sufficient riders provid-ing farebox revenues as there is noCity subsidy.
NYC Taxi and Limousine Com-missioner David Yassky, State Sen.Tony Avella, State AssemblymanDavid Weprin along with New YorkCity Councilmen Mark Weprin andDan Halloran should negotiate withthe Village of Floral Park. Any ofthese elected officials could alsooffer to allocate a small portion oftheir respective individual memberitem budget allocations to help sub-sidize this service.
Extending this service threeblocks beyond Jericho Turnpike tothe Floral Park Long Island RailRoad station would provide con-nections to Jamaica and FlatbushAvenue Brooklyn not available onthe Port Washington branch. Thiswould offer patrons additional op-tions attracting other users. In thepast, residents of Floral Park prac-ticed the NIMBY philosophy refus-ing to grant permission extendingthe Q79 to their LIRR Station. Flo-ral Park residents didn’t want large40 foot New York City Transit buseson their streets. Perhaps they willaccept smaller commuter vans.
Larry Penner,Great Neck
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criticism leveled at MayorBloomberg because of thecity’s poor response tothe blizzard is somewhatover the top.
Many factors contrib-uted to the city’s failureto clean the streets, andthere is likely to be at leastone invest igation to explore thesequence of events and offer pro-posals to prevent or mitigate arecurrence. Actually, the last twomajor snowfal ls had been wel l-handled, which led to the public’sexpectation that this storm wouldbe dealt with promptly and pro-fessionally.
The Mayor attracted criticismbecause of his init ial attitude to-ward the storm, treating it as anuisance rather than as a seriousblow to others, whose homescould not be reached by ambu-lances or were unable to get towork. As the crisis continued, theMayor changed his stance and tookthe situation much more seriously.
Actually, the MTA response tothe storm appears to have beenfar worse than the Department ofSanitation’s, judging from thelength of t ime that lines were outof service. We have not previouslyassociated the unpopular MTA withfailure to respond to snowstormswhich blocked the tracks, but theysure messed up this time.
With all the city’s faults, webelieve that the concentration ofblame on Mayor Bloomberg isunjustified. It seems to us as if the
media and the peoplefinal ly have found aplausible reason to ex-press their dissatisfac-tion at a number of un-popular decisions madeby the Mayor over thelast few years.
First, and most im-portant, was the 2008reversal of his long-held
public position on his own tenure,when he decided to seek re-elec-tion by using his puppets on theCity Council to rush through a lawextending eligibility from two tothree terms. The unfairness ofchanging the rules in the middleof a confl ict runs up againstpeople’s ideas of fair play.
A number of other mat tershave chewed at the Mayor’sreputation. The repeated indica-tions of pre-Presidential activities,travels and speeches, and the for-mation of nation-wide organiza-tions and coalitions for variousgood cause s, coupled with thesame denials Bloomberg made re-peatedly when he was askedwhether he would run for a thirdterm, tug a bit at the credibility ofthe non-candidate. Of course he isnot running today, but if circum-stances warrant a change of heart,there is no reason why he shouldnot run.
It was once seen as possiblethat he would be a more moderateand effective President than eitherMr. Obama or Ms. Palin,assuming they were to be the ma-jor parties nominees.
On Nov. 9, Mayor Bloomberg
suddenly announced the appoint-ment of Cathie Black as SchoolsChancellor. Ms. Black had abso-lutely no experience in education,but is an engaging and attractivemember of the mayor’s circle ofacquaintances. She required awaiver of State legal requirements,which was obligingly granted by theState Education Commissioner.
Then, on Dec. 12, the Mayorconfessed on NBCs Meet thePress that he want s to goout having a reputation as a verygood, maybe the greatest, mayorever. Although the context of thestatement may have been a denialof President ial ambit ions, thewords were criticized as overly self-referential.
As luck would have it, on Dec.15, the first (and hopefully the last)major scandal of the administra-tion broke, with $80 million re-ported stolen and uncounted mil-l ions wasted in a computerfraud. Although the Mayor was ob-viously unaware of the thieverygoing on, and expressed zero tol-erance for such behavior, the ques-tion at once arises as to who, un-der him, was in charge of theCityTime project.
We hope that the curse of thethird term worked itself out thisyear, and that the remaining threeyears will be happy and peacefulones for the cit y and for it sMayor. The problem is that sub-stantial budget cuts lie ahead, whichwill lead to reduced services andincreased unemployment.
These are hard times for any-one who governs. Mayor
Bloomberg knew that. In fact, hesaid on Oct. 2, 2008 at the pressconference announcing his inten-tion to seek a third term, that han-dling this financial crisis whilestrengthening the essent ial ser-vices such as education and publicsafety is a challenge he wants totake on for the people of NewYork.
As the year 2010 comes to amerciful end, we hope that 2011will be as good as it can be underthe circumstances. Rough times lieahead for all governments, but outof the three sovereignties: federal,state and local, it is the City ofNew York that has been most fi-nancially responsible for the lastdecade.
Bloomberg Beleaguered By Medley of MishapsWe have a decent, honorable
and intelligent mayor. His person-ality appeals to some, and not toothers.
A problem he will face in histenth year in office is that after awhile the people get tired of you.It happened to LaGuardia, Wagnerand Koch, all now highly regardedmayors.
The Mayor should try to doas much good as he can in a cli-mate of reduced sustenance for theCity and lowering clouds for him-self. We par t icularly recommendthat he “be kind to man andbeast.”
We wish all of you good healthand good will in the new year.
of office as New York State’s 56thgovernor. We anticipate calls forreform, budget restraint, no newtaxes and an attack on the mul-tiple levels of mini governmentsthroughout the state.
And while, l ike most suchspeeches, we expect few specifics,we do expect the ambitious anddriven Governor to make reform-ing the dysfunctional State Gov-ernment a priority. Natural ly, hewill offer to do so in partnershipwith a Legislature which is respon-sible for a continuous decline sinceAndrew first lived in the ExecutiveMansion with his father, GovernorMario.
Corruption, uncontrolledspending, off-the-books debt, per-sonal and patronage excess, mem-ber item abuses and catering tospecial interest s have been theshibboleths by which the legisla-ture has functioned. Cuomo nowhas the near-impossible task ofgoverning with the same legisla-ture that has brought New York tothe brink of bankruptcy while ca-tering to its own needs and thoseof the special interests which sup-port them.
He is not the first to be electedwith the pledge and mission of re-forming State Government. Onlyfour years ago, Eliot Spitzer camecharging in on a white stallion withan overwhelming mandate to re-form State Government. Well, theSpitzer steamroller ran into theBruno buzz saw and it did not takelong for the uncompromisingSherriff of Wall Street to be iso-lated as the a man who could notwork with others. And as soon ashis first misstep occurred, the pow-ers that be pounced upon his per-sonal (and legal) indiscretion andClient 9 was forced from office.
He was followed by a reform-
minded David Paterson, who inspite of years of legislative leader-ship, proved inept at achievingmeaningful reform.
Sheldon Silver’s Assembly andnow Dean Skelos’ Senate havebeen created on a diet of servingthemselves. Insuring their reelec-tion, delivering the bacon to theirsupporters at home, legislating tothe wishes of the special interestswhich support and fund them arepatterns that seem impossible tobreak.
You see, the people have tol-erated it. In spite of the generalacceptance that New York State’sLegislature is the most dysfunc-tional in the nation, the votersrarely if ever blame their local leg-islators for the problem. And yearafter year, the hordes of go-along-to-get-along legislators are returnedto office to continue the patternsof dysfunction.
Andrew Cuomo must bringchange. Cuomo has a state to run.A state buried in debt, mired in dys-function and so ethically challengedthat indictments are more com-monplace than heroics among pub-lic servants. We site for examples
several that made us take note:Alan Hevesi, Pedro Espada, TonySeminario, Joe Bruno, BrianMcLaughlin.
Cuomo also has the legisla-ture to work with. And that will bethe challenge.
He has the mandate for reformbut needs the votes to achieve it.
He can work with the legisla-ture or challenge them. The doubleedged option is likely to woundeven the most skilled politician.
The tests will not be in thisweekend’s speeches but in theearly months to come in 2011.
We look first to the budgetprocess. Will cutbacks be real? Willfiscal prudence trump special inter-ests? Wil l member items be se-verely curtailed, with larger grantsawarded competitively and moni-tored ethically? Will off-the booksauthorities be brought under con-trol and their debts be acknowl-edged by the State? Will a trulybalanced budget be approved andstill allow for effective governance?Will the budget be on time?
Test number two wil l comewhen the redistricting process isdefined. Cuomo and a majority of
the legislators have commit tedthemselves to a non-par tisan, in-dependent redistricting process.Commitment aside, we find it diffi-cult to believe that the legislaturethat has disappointed us so fre-quently in the past will live up tothe commitment they have made.It is just too easy for Skelos’ Re-publicans to draw the Senate lineswhile Silver’s Dems draw the As-sembly lines, insuring ten moreyears of comfort for the incumbentsand a best case scenario for theirpar ties.
A gubernatorial veto – or per-haps the threat of one – could forcethe legislature to do the right thingor throw the entire process to acour t-appointed master. Unlessthere is truly independent and non-par t isan redistr ict ing, AndrewCuomo will never earn his stripesas a good government reformer.
Should he produce an on-time, effective balanced budget andachieve independent redistricting,Andrew will quickly become themost talked-about Democrat onthe national scene.
Dupont Street AssociatesLLC. Arts. of Org. filed withSecy. of State of NY (SSNY)on 6/27/02. Ofc in QueensCty. SSNY designated agentof LLC upon whom processagainst it may be served.SSNY shall mail process to79-63 68th Rd, Middle Vil-lage, NY 11379. Purpose:General .________________________________________________________________SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONSSUPREME COURT OF THESTATE OF NEW YORK -COUNTY OF QUEENS INDEX# 10847/2008 U.S. BANK,N.A . AS SUCCESSORTRUSTEE TO BANK OFAMERICA, N.A. AS SUCCES-SOR BY MERGER TOLASALLE BANK N.A. , ASTRUSTEE FOR MERRILLLYNCH F IRST FRANKLINMORTGAGE LOAN TRUST,MORTGAGE LOAN ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SE-R IES 2007 -5 , PLAINT IFFAGAINST KAMRUL HASAN,ENVIRONMENTAL CON-TROL BOARD; “JOHN DOE#1-10” AND “JANE DOE #1-10”, THE NAMES JOHN DOEAND JANE DOE BEING FIC-TITIOUS, THEIR IDENTITIESBEING UNKNOWN TO THEPLAINTIFFS, IT BEING THEINTENTION OF PLAINTIFFTO DESIGNATE ANY ANDALL UNKNOWN PERSONS,INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIM-ITED TO, THE TENANTS, OC-CUPANTS , CORPORA-TIONS, AND JUDGMENTCREDITORS, IF ANY, HOLD-ING OR CLAIMING SOMERIGHT, TITLE, INTEREST ORLIEN IN OR TO THE MORT-GAGED PREMISES HEREINDEFENDANTS. PROPERTYADDRESS : 25 -51 88 TH
STREET, EAST ELMHURST,NY 11369 NOTICE YOU AREIN DANGER OF LOSINGYOUR HOME If you do notrespond to this summons andcomplaint by serving a copyof the answer on the attorneyfor the mortgage companywho fi led this foreclosureproceeding against you andfiling the answer with thecourt, a default judgmentmay be entered and you canlose your home. Speak to anattorney or go to the courtwhere your case is pendingfor further information onhow to answer the summonsand protect your property.Sending a payment to yourmortgage company will notstop this foreclosure action.YOU MUST RESPOND BYSERVING A COPY OF THEANSWER ON THE ATTOR-NEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF(MORTGAGE COMPANY)AND FILING THE ANSWERWITH THE COURT. TO THEABOVE NAMED DEFEN-DANTS: YOU ARE HEREBYSUMMONED and requiredto serve upon plaintiff’s at-torney, at the address statedbelow, an answer to the at-tached complaint. If this sum-mons was personally servedupon you in the State of NewYork, the answer must beserved within twenty daysafter such service of the sum-mons, excluding the date ofservice. If the summons wasnot personally delivered toyou within the State of NewYork, the answer must beserved within thirty days af-ter service of the summons is
complete as provided by law.The United States of America,if designated as a defendantin this action may answer orappear within sixty (60) daysof service hereof. If you donot serve an answer to theattached complaint within theapplicable t ime l imitat ionstated above, a judgment maybe entered against you, bydefault , for the rel ief de-manded in the complaint,without further notice to you.The action is brought in theSupreme Court of the Stateof New York, in and for theCounty of QUEENS becausethe Mortgaged Premises islocated in QUEENS County.NOTICE OF NATURE OF AC-TION AND RELIEF SOUGHTNOTICE IS HEREBY GIVENthat an action has been com-menced and is now pendingin the SUPREME COURT OFTHE STATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF QUEENS uponthe Complaint of LASALLEBANK N.A., AS TRUSTEE FORMERRILL LYNCH F IRSTFRANKL IN MORTGAGELOAN TRUST 2007-5, MORT-GAGE LOAN ASSET-BACKEDCERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-5, holder of a mortgage thatwas executed, acknowledgedand delivered by KAMRULHASAN TO MERS AS NOMI-NEE FOR FIRST FRANKLINFINANCIAL CORP., AN OP.SUB. OF MLB&T CO., FSB,IN THE AMOUNT OF$650,000.00, DATED JUNE28, 2007, AND RECORDEDON JULY 23, 2007, WITHCRFN 2007000376239Please take notice that youmay obtain a copy of theComplaint from the Plaintiff’scounsel, Doonan, Graves &Longor i a , LLC , 100Cummings Cen te r , Su i te225D, Beverly, MA 01915AND THAT YOU MUST RE-SPOND TO THIS NOTICE BYFILING AN ANSWER TO THECOMPLAINT WITH THECLERK OF THE SUPREMECOURT OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF QUEENS ANDBY SERVING A COPY ONPLAINT IFF ’S COUNSELWITHIN THIRTY DAYS OFTHE LAST DAY OF THE PUB-L ICAT ION OR DEFAULTJUDGMENT WILL BE EN-TERED AGAINST YOU.DOONAN, GRAVES &LONGORIA, LLC ATTOR-NEYS FOR PLAINT IFFRENEAU J. LONGORIA, ESQ.STEPHEN M. VALENTE, ESQKEVIN GRAVES, ESQ. *100CUMMINGS CENTER ,SUITE 225D BEVERLY, MA01915 978-921-2670 35 OldTa r ry town Road Whi tePlains, NY 10603 914-949-8373 TO THE ABOVE NAMEDDEFENDANTS: The forego-ing summons and notice areserved upon you by publica-tion pursuant to an order ofthe Court dated NOVEMBER12, 2010 and filed along withthe supporting papers in theQUEENS County Clerk’s Of-fice. This is an action to fore-close a mortgage. HELP FORHOMEOWNERS IN FORE-CLOSURE New York StateLaw requires that we sendyou this notice about the fore-closure process. Please readit carefully. Mortgage fore-closure is a complex process.Some people may approachyou about “sav ing” your
home. You should be ex-tremely careful about anysuch promises. The State en-courages you to become in-formed about your options inforeclosure. There are gov-ernment agencies, legal aidentities and other non-profitorganizations that you maycontact for information aboutforeclosure while you areworking with your lenderduring this process. To lo-cate an entity near you, youmay call the toll-free helplinemaintained by the New YorkState Banking Department at1-877-BANK-NYS (1-877-226-5697) o r v i s i t theDepar tment ’ s webs i te a twww.bank ing . s ta te .ny .us/The State does not guaran-tee the advice of these agen-cies. SCHEDULE 1 - DESCRIP-TION ALL that certain plot,piece or parcel of land, situ-ate, lying and being in theBorough and County o fQueens, City and State ofNew York, bounded and de-scribed as follows: BEGIN-NING at a point on the east-erly side of 88th Street (60feet wide) distant 126.34 feetnortherly from the cornerformed by the intersectionof the easterly side of 88th
Street with the northerly sideof 30th Avenue (80 feet wide);Running thence easterly andat right angles to the easterlyside of 88th Street, and part ofthe distance through a partywall , 100.00 feet; Thencenortherly and parallel withthe easter ly s ide of 88th
Street, 18.00 feet; Thencewesterly and again at rightangles the easterly side of88th Street, and part of thedistance through a party wall,100.00 feet to the easterlyside of 88th Street; Thencesoutherly along the easterlyside of 88th Street, 18.00 feetto the point or place of BE-GINNING.______________________________________________________________NOTICE OF FORMATION OFLIMITED LIABILITY COM-PANY. NAME: PATRIOT(2010) LLC. Application forAuthority was filed with theSecretary of State of New York(SSNY) on 11/17/10. The LLCwas originally filed with theSecretary of State of Dela-ware on 11/05/10. Office lo-cation: Queens County. SSNYhas been designated as agentof the LLC upon whom pro-cess against it may be served.SSNY shall mail a copy of pro-cess to the LLC, 2 GalassoPlace, Maspeth, New York11378. Purpose: For any law-ful purpose._______________________________________________________________Notice of formation of LETGROUP LLC. Articles of Or-ganization filed with the Sec-retary of State of New YorkSSNY on July 30, 2010. Of-fice located in Queens. SSNYhas been designated for ser-vice of process. SSNY shallmail copy of any processserved against the LLC 15-24201 ST Bayside, NY 11360.Purpose: any lawful purpose________________________________________________________________SEVENTY TWO EQUITIESLLC Articles of Org. filed NYSec. of State (SSNY) 11/26/2010. Office in Queens Co.SSNY desig. agent of LLCupon whom process may beserved. SSNY shall mail copyof process to 80-74 209th St.,
Queens Village, NY 11427,which is also the principalbusiness location. Purpose:Any lawful purpose._______________________________________________________________SUPREME COURT OF THESTATE OF NEW YORK,COUNTY OF QUEENS ,Sonam Gyalpo, Plaintiff –against- Phuntsok Dolma, De-fendant. Index No. 15616/2010. Date Summons filed:June 18, 2010. Plaintiff des-ignates Queens County asthe place of the trial. Thebasis of venue is: Plaintiff’sre s idence . SUMMONSWITH NOTICE Plaintiff re-sides at: 85-39 58th Avenue,1st Floor, Elmhurst, NY 11373,County of Queens. ACTIONFOR DIVORCE to the abovenamed Defendant: YOU AREHEREBY SUMMONED toserve a notice of appearanceon the Plaintiff’s Attorney(s)within twenty (20) days afterthe service of this summons,exclusive of the day of ser-vice (or within thirty (30) daysafter the service is completeif this summons is not per-sonally delivered to you withinthe State or New York); andin case of your failure to ap-pear, judgment will be takenagainst you by default for therelief demanded in the no-tice set forth below. Dated:June 17, 2010. Attorneys forPlaintiff: Yoon & Hong, Ad-dress: 75-21 Broadway, 3rd
Floor, Elmhurst, New York11373 Phone No.: (718) 533-1111. NOTICE: the nature ofthis action is to dissolve themarriage between the par-ties on the following grounds:DRL 170 subd. 2 – Abandon-ment in accordance with DRL170(2). The relief sought is aJudgment of Absolute Di-vorce in favor of the Plaintiffdissolving the marriage be-tween the parties in this ac-tion. The nature of the ancil-lary relief demanded is: a)Granting to Defendant leaveto resume use of her pre-marital or former surname,to wit: “Dolma”; b) Such otherand further relief as to thecourt seems just and proper.________________________________________________________________P&F Sheetmetal Works, LLCArticles of Org. filed NY Sec.of State (SSNY) on 10/5/2010as P&F Mechanical, LLC. Of-f ice in Queens Co. SSNYdesig. agent of LLC uponwhom process may beserved. SSNY shall mail copyof process to 58-33 57th Dr.,Maspeth, NY 11378, whichis also the address of the reg-istered agent of the LLC,Doug la s Droga l i s , uponwhom process against the LLCmay be served. Purpose: Anylawful purpose.________________________________________________________________PROBATE CITATION File No.2009-5054/B SURROGATE’SCOURT – QUEENS COUNTYCITATION THE PEOPLE OFTHE STATE OF NEW YORK,By the Grace of God Freeand Independent TO theheirs at law, next of kin, andd i s t r ibu tees o f MAXINEPLANKARD SMITH, De -ceased, if living, and if any ofthem be dead, their heirs atlaw, next of kin, distributees,legatees, executors, admin-istrators, assignees and suc-cessors in interest whosenames are unknown and can-not be ascertained after due
d i l i gence , and J EANNEBASSETT PIROUTEK, RAEMcHENRY RANDALL, MARYCASTILLO, * JOHN NOELBRENNAND,* and QUEENSCOUNTY PUBLIC ADMINIS-TRATOR *adversely affectedby codicil A petition havingbeen duly filed by Edward L.Smith, who is domiciled at34-20 79th Street, JacksonHeights, New York 11372YOU ARE HEREBY CITED TOSHOW CAUSE before theSurrogate’s Court, QueensCounty, at 88-11 SutphinBoulevard, Jamaica , NewYork, on February 17 2011,at 9:30 o’clock in the fore-noon of that day, why a de-cree should not be made inthe estate of Maxine PlankardSmith lately domiciled at 34-21 78 th S t ree t , J acksonHeights, New York, admit-ting to probate a Will datedAugust 28, 2007, (a Codicildated August 21, 2009), acopy of which is attached, asthe Will of Maxine PlankardSmith deceased, relating toreal and personal property,and directing that (x) Letterstestamentary issue to: EdwardL. Smith (State any furtherrelief requested) Dated, At-tested and Sealed DEC 162010 HON. ROBERT L .NAHMAN Surrogate MAR-GARET M. GRIBBON ChiefClerk Edward L. Smith Attor-ney for Petitioner (212) 490-3340 Te lephone NumberRockett & Smith LLP, 521Fifth Avenue-17th Floor, NewYork, New York 10175 Ad-dress of Attorney [NOTE: Thiscitation is served upon youas required by law. You arenot required to appear. Ifyou fail to appear it will beassumed you do not object tothe rel ief requested. Youhave a right to have an attor-ney appear for you.]________________________________________________________________Notice is hereby given thatan Order entered by the CivilCourt, Queens County on12/3/10 , bea r ing IndexNumber NC-001175-10/QU,a copy of which may be exam-ined at the Office of the Clerk,located at 89-17 Sutphin Bou-levard, Jamaica, NY 11435,grants me the right to: As-sume the name of (First) Wai(Middle) Kwong (Last) ChanMy present name is (First)Benny (Middle) Wai Kwong(Last) Chan aka Wai KwongChan My present address is145 -29 22 nd Avenue ,Whitestone, NY 11357 Myplace of birth is China Mydate of birth is August 04,1959________________________________________________________________At an IAS Term Part 2 of theSupreme Court of the Stateof New York held in and forthe County of Queens at theSupreme Courthouse at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Ja-maica, New York on the 15day of December 2010 IN-DEX NO: 28170/10 ORDERTO SHOW CAUSE PRESENT:HON. ALLAN B. WEISS ANAM. CALIO, Plaintiff, -against-SAMUEL BREITER & CO.,INC. and WANDACLEMONS, CITY REGISTERQUEENS COUNTY Defen-dants. Upon reading and fil-ing the annexed affirmationof Thomas E. Lee dated No-vember 5, 2010, togetherwith all prior papers and pro-
ceedings in this action andsufficient cause appearing,LET Defendants named in theabove caption show causebefore this Court at an IASPart 2 to be assigned beforethe Honorable Justice AllanB. Weiss to be held at theSupreme Court of the Stateo f New York , QueensCounty, 88-11 Sutphin Bou-levard, Jamaica, New York onthe 23 day of Feb 2011 at9:30 a.m. or as soon thereaf-ter as counsel can be heardwhy an Order pursuant toCPLR 316 should not be en-tered directing service of theSummons and Compla intherein upon Samuel Breiter& Co., Inc. by publication.LET service of a copy of thisOrder to Show Cause uponthe De fendan t , Samue lBreiter & Co., Inc. be madeon or before 2/15/11 by pub-lication pursuant to CPLR 316in the Queens Tribune &Queens Ledger ENTER J.S.C.12/15/10________________________________________________________________SUPREME COURT OF THESTATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF QUEENS DATEFILED: 11/15/10 INDEX NO.28170/10 SUMMONSPLAINT IFF DES IGNATESQUEENS COUNTY AS THEPLACE OF TRIAL The basis ofvenue is County where realproperty subject matter islocated Plaintiff resides at 94-42 134th Avenue OzonePark, New York ANA M.CALIO, Plaint i f f , -against -SAMUEL BREITER & CO.INC. and WANDACLEMONS, CITY REGISTERQUEENS COUNTY Defen-dants . YOU ARE HEREBYSUMMONED to answer theComplaint in this action, andto serve a copy of your An-swer, or if the Complaint isnot served with this Sum-mons, to serve a Notice ofAppearance on the Plaintiff'sAttorney within twenty (20)days after the service of thisSummons exclusive of thedate of service, or withinthirty (30) days after comple-tion of service where serviceis made in any manner otherthan by personal serv icewithin the State of New York.In case of your failure to ap-pear, or answer, judgmentwill be taken against you bydefaul t for the re l ief de-manded in the Complaint.Venue is based upon theCounty in which the pre-mises are situated. Dated:New York, New York Octo-ber 27, 2010 LEE & KANE,P.C. Attorneys for Plaintiff2175 Flatbush Avenue Brook-lyn, New York 11234 (718)252-4467 The object of thisact ion is to discharge ofrecord a mortgage betweenAnna Ca l io and Samue lBreiter & Co. Inc. dated 9/20/89 in the amount o f$78,000 and recorded on 9/20/89 in Reel 2876, Page0149 with the NYC Register,Queens County which is alien on the premises 94-42134th Avenue, Ozone Park,New York, Block 11494, Lot28 pursuant to RPAPL 1501(4)
Bayside HS Key Blub President Stanley Kang prepares to have his head shaved.With the help of the Ozone Park Kiwanis Club, the Key Club was able to raisemore than $4,500 for UNICEF during the holiday season.
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Join In To Aid SoupKitchen Mitzvah
How many mitzvahs can one 11-year-oldrack up? Or better yet, how much moolahcan a sixth-grader raise for a non-profit?
If young Abby Hofstetter is any sort ofexample: the answer to both questions is apretty big number.
The volunteer and charitable soul hasgone viral and raised $11,300 for the white-tablecloth Kosher soup kitchen Masbia in amatter of months.
Abby's first visit a few weeks ago toMasbia's Rego Park location, at 98-08 QueensBlvd., was merely as a volunteer. But the urgeto do something more struck during hervisit.
"I was thinking, 'this is the place; I have tohelp them,'" she said of her reaction to hervisit. "I was thinking these people are sopoor, they really needed help."
Abby's mother Sarah told Masbia Execu-tive Director Alexander Rapaport her daugh-ter may want to help in a bigger way.
"I thought alright, that's nice, what can an11-year-old do?" Rapaport said. "I thoughtshe'd do a nice bake sale."
Abby's Bat Mitzvah was approaching, andshe felt the need to give something back tothe organization.
"Abby really just kind of got attached to itand thought it was a really important organi-zation," said her mother. "It was part ofaccepting responsibilities with becoming aJewish adult."
Abby's fundraising efforts began with arecyclables collection, soliciting bottles andcans from relatives. At $7, it was not exactlya decent start.
Next came a bake sale, which saw Abbypeddling red velvet cupcakes, blondies andother cookies, made with the help of hermom. It helped raise another $170, but Abbydreamed bigger. How about $10,000?
The duo had an idea to help raise funds forMasbia by making a YouTube video aboutthe organization to be played at Abby's BatMitzvah.
"She's always been a very empathetic kid,"Sarah said. "She has always been more entre-preneurial than charitable."
With Abby's script in tow, and her mother'son-the-fly slideshow skills, the two made avideo pleading Masbia's case.
The two posted the video, and hopped onboard to fundraising Web site crowdrise.com.Sarah's parents passed the video along totheir friends. Within weeks, the two met their
goal - six months before Abby's Bat Mitzvah.The results stunned Rapaport and taught
him a valuable lesson about low-cost fund-raising.
"Start your own page, start your owneffort, do your own YouTube clip," he said."That's the lesson here; and that's ultimatelywhat is going to keep our doors open."
Abby set her sights higher - to the tune of$100,000. Mom tempered her expectations,bringing her down to a more "realistic"$25,000.
The donations have come in droves, fromcomplete strangers, which Abby finds gener-ous but unnerving.
"It feels great and it also feels really weirdbecause I don't know these people at all," shesaid.
With six months to go, Abby feels her goalis attainable.
"Right now I'm thinking anything is pos-sible," she said.
To he lp wi th Abby 's e f for ts , v is i tcrowdrise.com/abbymasbia.
Reach Reporter Joseph Orovic [email protected] or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127.
—Joseph Orovic
Block Captains SoughtFor Fresh Info
When the plows didn't come to Woodhavenafter last month's blizzard, Ed Wendell, presi-dent of the Woodhaven Residents Block As-sociation, talked with elected officials likeAssemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven)about cleanup.
When Miller asked Wendell what streetsneeded to be plowed, Wendell took toFacebook to try to get information. It proved,however, not to be the best method.
"Although we heard back from many resi-dents, this was a haphazard and spotty way ofdetermining just how bad the situation was inour community," he said.
In response, Wendell is asking residentsin Woodhaven to resurrect a long-abandonedprogram aimed at quickly gathering infor-mation neighborhood-wide. He is askingresidents to volunteer to become "block cap-tains."
During the blizzard, he said he askedresidents on Facebook to give him updateson the situation in their areas "as far as theycan reasonably see from their porch," but hesaid he would like to make those areas evensmaller.
"I'd prefer to break it down closer than
The Woodhaven Residents Block Association is looking for "block captains" tohelp gather information on unplowed streets like this one when the next blizzardhits.
that," he said. He could see for about fourblocks from his front porch, but would likea few "block captains" in that radius. Whena storm hits the neighborhood, the "blockcaptains" would all pass information to theWRBA.
"I want to be able to gather that informa-tion and be able to put it in a spreadsheetwithin an hour or so to give to our electedofficials," he said.
The blizzard isn't the only time when"block captains" could be utilized, he said,noting that in the past year, his neighbor-hood suffered from two blizzards, a seriouswindstorm last March and the tornado andmicroburst in September which grazed theneighborhood and knocked down a few treesand power lines.
"An orderly, grassroots gathering of in-formation will greatly assist our communitywhen dealing with the next storm, whether itbe a blizzard, a tornado, or a blackout," he
DOT Examining TrafficPlan Results
Half a year after its implementation, thetrial period for Flushing's revamped Down-town Traffic Plan will come to an end Jan. 17,followed by an assessment of the new trafficflow's effectiveness.
The Dept. of Transportation has spent thebetter part of the last six months compilingdata, including counts of turning movements,speeding and pedestrian levels, according tospokesman Monty Dean. The figures will bejuxtaposed against pre-pattern change levelsto gauge the effectiveness of the new pattern.
The agency will then provide a reportsummarizing the results.
"We will look at the impact the plan has onthe safety of all street users as well as trafficoperations," Dean said, adding the early datapoints to improved conditions overall.
Councilman Peter Koo's (R-Flushing) of-fice has not received a flurry of complaintsabout the new plan, according to his Chief ofStaff James McClelland.
"Not to say that there haven't been prob-lems," he added.
Koo will wait until the DOT provides itsfinal numbers before making any recommen-dations going forward.
The relatively hiccup-free transition to thenew flow, and the unusually low number ofcomplaints, caught the plan's early naysayersoff guard, according to Community Board 7Chairman Gene Kelty.
"I should be happy to the point that itworked, that it proved us wrong," he said.
The plan came as a surprise to members
of the Board, who had spent an exorbitantamount of energy working with the DOT ona previous project for several years, a now-defunct dual one-way plan.
The original $6 million plan would haveseen Main Street, one of the area's mostheavily traveled passageways, change to onlyallowing northbound traffic on two lanes fromSanford Avenue to Northern Boulevard, whilebuses would get one designated lane on eachside for their regular routes. Union Street,which runs parallel to Main, would have takenon strictly southbound car traffic and alsokeep its bus routes going in each direction.
The original proposal also intended tomitigate congestion by adding more bus stops.
Other proposed changes included mak-ing Sanford Avenue a two-way street, cuttingsidewalks, adding delivery truck restrictionsand the loss of nearly 200 metered parkingspaces along Main and Union Streets,Roosevelt and Sanford Avenues and North-ern Boulevard.
The revised plan was met with muchskepticism when it was suddenly unveiled inlate February 2010.
The current traffic flow prohibits left turnsfrom Northern Boulevard onto Main Street forall vehicles except buses; prohibits left turnsfrom Union Street onto Northern Boulevard;prohibits all turns from Main Street ontoRoosevelt Avenue; prohibits left turns fromMain Street onto 37th Avenue for all vehiclesexcept buses; and enforces "No Standing AnyTime" regulations at corners of Main Streetand 37th and 38th Avenues.
The plan also added curb extensions to thenorthwest and southeast corners of Main Streetand Roosevelt Avenue and the northwest cor-ner of Union Street and Northern Boulevard.
Kelty said the early results and lack of com-plaints called in to the Community Board are allwelcome signs, but expressed doubts the goodnews will be permanent. With the monolithicFlushing Commons' construction looming onthe horizon, as well as work on the RKO Keith'stheater site being planned, Kelty imagines thegood vibes may dissipate eventually.
"This is fine and dandy when there's notconstruction going on," he said, adding whenwork begins "all of a sudden you'll see a lot ofthings popping up where they weren't be-fore."
And the chance to voice displeasure mayhave passed.
"Those people who haven't said anythinguntil now, it's too late," Kelty said.
Reach Reporter Joseph Orovic [email protected] or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127.
ciation has moved its’ Winter Town HallMeetings to the second Saturday of eachmonth. The next meetings are Jan. 8 and Feb.12. The meetings start at 1 p.m. and are heldat the Woodhaven Richmond Hill VolunteerAmbulance Corps, 78-15 Jamaica Ave.
“During the cold, dark winter monthsmany of our residents don’t like going out toevening meetings. On a Saturday afternoon,they can fit our meeting in with their shop-ping,” sa id WRBA Pres ident EdwardWendell. The monthly meetings were held ona Saturday last year as an experiment andproved very popular.
Among the topics expected to be dis-cussed at the next meeting: the Forest ParkCarousel, graffiti in the neighborhood, andthe proposed rezoning of Woodhaven. Formore information on the Woodhaven Resi-dents’ Block Association, call (718) 296-3735, or visit them online at woodhaven-nyc-org.
Forest Hills ShabbatOn Jan. 28, at 6 p.m., Havurat Yisrael will
host a Shabbat across Forest Hills. Let’sspend an evening celebrating what unifies allJews … Shabbat! Everyone is invited… singles,couples, families... all ages. Newcomers atHavurat Yisrael $12 , others $25. To reservea space call Havurat Yisrael at (718) 261-5500 or email [email protected].
presents the Con Brio Ensemble, which willgive a Twilight Concert on Sunday, Jan. 16,at 4:30 p.m. There will be works for violinand piano including; Beethoven’s “Kreutzer”Sonata opus 47; selections by Szymanowskiand Wieniawski; works for oboe and pianoby Mozart, Still, Godard, and Colin. Ticketsare $12; $10 for seniors and students
Defensive DrivingThe Forest Hills Jewish Center, 106-06
Queens Blvd., will host a Defensive DrivingCourse sponsored by the National SafetyCouncil on Sunday, Jan. 30, from 9 a.m. to3:30 p.m. For information and/or registra-tion, call (718) 263-7000.
A Benefit Concer tThe Church-in-the-Gardens, 50 Ascan
Ave., Forest Hills, presents Betina HersheyRusso and the Garden Players, who willperform a one-hour concert Jan. 23 at 5 p.m.in the Sanctuary of Church-in-the-Gardensto benefit the carol Hershey Memorial Fundwhich benefits the Garden Players. There willbe special guests. Suggested donation is$20, but please come, donate whatever youcan, and enjoy the music. There will be aselection of jazz, r&b, originals, and a heavysprinkling of Beatles songs.
Folk InfluencesMusica Reginae will come to the Church-
in-the-Gardens, 50 Ascan Ave., Forest Hills,on Sunday, Jan. 30, 5 p.m. in the churchsanctuary. Experience musical cultures fromall over the world. Join Musica Reginae Cham-ber Artists as they explore dance rhythmsfrom Spain, the gypsy inflections of Roma-nia, the marching bands of America, and folksingers from Czechoslovakia. Program willinclude Dvorak’s masterful Piano Quintet.
Children’s PhotosThe LIRR speeding away from the Kew
Gardens station, inside and outside lookingat the snow covering familiar streets, younger
sister under a big umbrella, the playgroundwithout any children, mom rushing alongQueens Boulevard, the quietness of MapleGrove Cemetery, the beauty of the neighbor-hood architecture when the sun is goingdown.
To view these photographs and manyothers taken by Kew Gardens children, K-6grade, please join us at the Kew GardensChildren’s Photo Show at the Q GardensGallery, 80-61 Lefferts Blvd., Kew Gardens,(347) 494-5704, qgardensgallery.com. Thisdynamic group show will be on view Jan. 14to Feb. 5. A gala opening reception, with akid-friendly menu, will be held Friday, Jan.14, 4-8 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 15, 3-7 p.m.
Photographs hold an honored place inour homes, family albums, and help to com-prise our history. It is a rare opportunity forchildren to photograph their community andthen to have their photos professionally dis-played in a gallery. The photos say as muchabout them as about what they photographed,from their own point of view. Ron Marzlock,supporter of the arts and owner of the QGardens Gallery, immediately embraced theproject because it was “an opportunity forchildren to look at their community, to cap-ture their special moments photographicallyand to possibly discover talents that theydidn’t know they had.”
The mission of the project seems to havebeen accomplished. In the words of ShanaBlock, one of the participating photogra-phers, “If you look at things closely they canbe beautiful even though you might nothave thought so at first. I found it easier totake still life photos over moving objects.Squirrels move too fast! I picked photos thathad feeling and an interesting composi-tion.“
Sponsored by a New Yorkers for BetterNeighborhoods Grant awarded by the Citi-zens Committee for New York City to theKew Gardens Improvement Association, Inc,over 40 photos will be enlarged and displayedand … each one has a story to tell.
Founders’ WeekThe 17th annual observance of Founders’
Week on the campuses of St. John’s Univer-sity will commence Jan. 23 and run throughJan. 29. The week coincides with the anni-versary of the founding of the Congregationof the Mission, by St. Vincent de Paul, onJan. 25, the Feast of the Conversion of St.Paul.
The University dedicates this week todeepening knowledge and appreciation ofthe Vincentian heritage of St. Vincent dePaul. Several events and activities are plannedfor the celebration which includes:
Founder’s Masses at the University’sStaten Island (Jan. 24, 1:30 p.m.) CampusCenter, and Queens (Jan. 25, 12:15 p.m.),St. Thomas More Church) campuses.
Academic Lecture Series: “Compassion-ate People: The Core of Global Justice andPeace.” Deogratias Niyizonkiza, a refugeefrom the war-torn African country of Burundi,will speak on Friday, Jan. 28, in the LittleTheatre on the Queens campus at 3 p.m. andon Staten Island at 10 a.m. in the CampusCenter Upper Level. Deogratias left his home-land in 1993 and returned in 2006 to startVillage Health Works. His story is the subjectof the book Strength in What Remains byTracy Kidder.
The Vincentian Chair of Social JusticeLecture, Jan. 27, 4 p.m. in St. Thomas MoreChurch (Queens), given by Most ReverendDavid M. O’Connell, C.M., J.C.D., Bishop ofthe Diocese of Trenton.
Many other activities for students, faculty
and administrators will be held throughoutthe week at all St. John’s University locations(Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, andOakdale, NY as well as Rome, Italy, Paris,France).
The task of the Vincentian University is tomake tomorrow’s leaders more fully human.St. John’s University looks to St. Vincent asa role model of leadership in our times. To“Be Vincentian”, one must know Vincentfrom an intellectual perspective, accept hisway in their hearts and live the core values oftruth, love, respect, excellence, opportunityand service.
For more information please contact MaryAnn Dan tuono , As soc i a t e D i r e c to r ,Vincentian Center, St. John’s University [email protected] or visit the web siteat stjohns/edu/foundersweek.
Fresh Meadows CameraThe Fresh Meadows Camera Club meets
every Tuesday at 7:45 p.m. They have cri-tiques, Photoshop classes, competitions, andassorted shoots in their own facility. Call Joeat (917) 612-3463 or Richie at (646) 831-5962 for information and directions.
Restaurant Boot CampThe Queens Chamber of Commerce is
starting 2011 with The Restaurant BootCamp, a full calendar of events dedicated tothe 5,067 restaurants in our borough. Mostof them are small family owned businesses,and they will face new requirements by theCity of New York, which will post lettergrades that correspond to evaluation scoresresulting from sanitary inspections.
To run a successful restaurant, one mustknow how to manage employees and ex-penses, as well as decipher which licenses arerequired. This Restaurant Boot Camp willhelp clarify all the basic requirements to geta restaurant up and running in New YorkCity.
Today restaurants are facing serious busi-ness challenges. The Restaurant Boot Campwill be free of charge, offered by the QueensChamber of Commerce and NYC BusinessSolutions. It is the ideal place to learn how toavoid large fines by knowing the regulationsregarding minimum wage, overtime vs. shiftpay, uniforms, and worker’s compensation.
The first Restaurant Boot Camp seminarof 2011 will be held on Thursday, Jan. 13,from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Bulova Corpo-rate Center in conjunction with The NYCBusiness Solutions. The workshop will covertopics of interest for both the first-time andexperienced food business owners, like howto apply for the right licenses and permits orhow to use a new online license informationsystem in your business. If you are alreadyrunning your restaurant, do not miss thisopportunity to learn valuable information toupgrade your business and comply with thegrade (or grade pending) card implementedin July 2010 by New York City Health De-partment.
The second Restaurant Boot Camp will bein Spanish on Tuesday, Feb. 1, 10 a.m. atNatives Theater and Restaurant. The lastworkshop of the trimester will be in March inChinese in conjunction with The FlushingChinese Business Association.
Hall Of Science1001 Inventions, Through April 24:
Uncover 1,000 years of science & technol-ogy. The “dark ages” were a golden age!Discover a forgotten history of science andscholarship in this hands-on exhibition.The New York Hall of Science hosts theU.S. premiere of 1001 Inventions, whichopens December 4. Free with general ad-mission. 1001 Inventions is sponsored by
ALJ Community Initiatives.Design Squad Nation Family Day, Jan.
15, noon to 5 p.m.: Engage your creative andinventive side with tabletop design chal-lenges, just like the PBS Kids! show DesignSquad Nation! In addition to hands-on activ-ity challenges, you can view clips from up-coming episodes of Design Squad Nation,participate in trivia time with Design Squadhosts, get photos and autographs with theshow’s hosts, and cheer on a large scale,design challenge. Best for kids ages 7 – 14.Free with general NYSCI admission.
Digital’10: Planet Earth, Through Jan.30: The digital prints in this exhibition arethe result of the 12th annual juried, interna-tional competition organized by Art & Sci-ence Collaborations, Inc. The exhibition’spurpose is to demonstrate how digital tech-nology is enabling new aesthetic imagingpossibilities and conceptual statements. ForDigital’10, artists and scientists were invitedto submit original digital prints that reflecttheir perceptions of our planet. Free withgeneral NYSCI admission.
The New York Hall of Science, in Flush-ing Meadows Corona Park, is open Tuesday- Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Friday, 9:30a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.to 6 p.m.
Admission is $11, $8 for ages 2-17 andseniors. To learn more go to nysci.org or call(718) 699-0005.
Rappoport ReturnsThe Jewish Center of Oak Hills in Oak-
land Gardens, Bayside, is pleased to an-nounce that once again, on Wednesdayevening, Jan. 19, at 8 p.m., we can all sharea specia l evening with Rabbi Jef freyRappoport. Back by popular demand, we arefeaturing “Stump the Rabbi.” All questionsfor the Rabbi are fair game, and the Rabbi willtry to give the answers.
The Center is located at 50-35 CloverdaleBlvd., and is handicap-accessible, with anelevator to all floors. Admission is free. Fortravel directions, call the center office at(718) 631-0100.
Musical TheaterWorkshops
FSF Community Theatre Group, 41-60Kissena Blvd., Flushing, is offering two work-shops in acting, singing and dance for 10-19year olds. Starting in January they will offer“Learning the Basics” for beginners and“Beyond the Basics” for intermediate stu-dents, all of whom will be in the May MusicalRevue, May 14, 21, 22. To learn more call(516) 521-5500.
The cost is $150 for both classes, andincludes t-shirt, costumes and a party. Fornon-members there is an additional $20 reg-istration fee. Classes begin January 2011.
Special Needs GroupThe Samuel Field Y is pleased to offer
Project Child, an after-school program forchildren ages 5-15 with ADD, ADHD,Asperger’s syndrome, learning disabilitiesand high-functioning children on the AutismSpectrum. Project Child operates during theschool year and is located in Bayside, NY atthe Bay Terrace Center of the Samuel FieldY. Project Child offers high child-to-staffratios and includes programming specificallydesigned to meet the needs of children withlearning differences and special needs. Home-work help and snack are provided daily, aswell as educational and recreational activi-ties. Project Child operates from 2:30-6 p.m.daily when school is in session. For moreinformation, including fees and registration,contact Meredith Guberman at (718) 423-6111, Ext. 228 or email [email protected]
Notice of Formation 494Broadway, LLC art. of org.filed Secy. of State NY (SSNY)6/18/04. Off. Loc. In QueensCo. SSNY des igna ted asagent of LLC upon whomprocess may be served. SSNYshall mail copy of process to:4211 Northern Blvd, Queens,NY 11101. Purpose: Any law-ful purpose.________________________________________________________________Notice of Formation CampHighlight LLC art. of org. filedSecy. of State NY (SSNY) 8/23/10. Off. Loc. In QueensCo. SSNY des igna ted asagent of LLC upon whomprocess may be served. SSNYshall mail copy of process to:PO Box 5173, Astoria, NY11105. Purpose: Any lawfulpurpose.________________________________________________________________SUMMONS: JONES V JONESSUPREME COURT OF THESTATE OF NEW YORK,COUNTY OF QUEENS, IN-DEX NO. 20747/10 ;CYNTHIA JONES, Plaintiff, —
against- QUENTIN LAVARJONES, Defendant, Summonsand Notice in divorce action,venue based upon Plaintiff’sresidence, cause of action isabandonment. You are sum-moned to appear in this ac-tion by serving a Notice ofAppearance on the Plaintiff’sa t to rney , Thomas P .McNulty, Esq., 347 5th Av-enue, Suite 310, New York,NY 10016 (212) 344-0272within 30 days after serviceis completed and if you fail toappear, judgment wi l l betaken against you by default.To the above named Defen-dant, this Summons is servedupon you by publication byOrder of Hon. Thomas D.Raffaele, a justice of thiscourt, granted on December6, 2010. The nature of theancillary relief demanded is:The Plaintiff may resume useof her maiden name, CynthiaMcClough , o r any o therformer surname. The FamilyCourt shall have concurrent
ju r i sd ic t ion wi th the Su -preme Court with respect toany future issues of mainte-nance and support. The pro-visions of DRL Section 236Part B Section 2, and DRLSection 255 shall apply. TheCourt may grant such otherand further relief as it maydeem just and proper. Therelief sought is a Judgment ofDivorce.________________________________________________________________EURO CRAFT DESIGN &CONSTRUCTION LLC, Ar-ticles of Org. filed N.Y. Sec.of State (SSNY) 8th day ofOctober 2010. Of f ice inQueens Co. at 30-72 37th
Street, Astoria, New York11103. SSNY des ig . ag t .Upon whom process maybeserved. SSNY shall mail copyof process to 30-72 37 th
Street, Astoria, New York11103 . Reg . Ag t . Uponwhom process may beserved: Spiegel & Utrera,P.A., P.C. 1 Maiden Lane,NYC 10038 1 800 576-1100.Purpose: Any lawful purpose.________________________________________________________________NOTICE OF FORMATIONOF LIMITED LIABILITY COM-PANY. NAME: EASTERN REALESTATE HOLDINGS, LLC. Ar-ticles of Organization werefiled with the Secretary ofState of New York (SSNY) on12/03/10. The latest date ofdissolution is 12/31/2110.Of f i ce loca t ion : QueensCounty. SSNY has been des-ignated as agent of the LLCupon whom process againstit may be served. SSNY shallmail a copy of process to the
LLC, 37-08 Main Street, Suite301, F lushing, New York11354. Purpose: For any law-ful purpose.________________________________________________________________Notice of formation of Con-nect Global, LLC, a limitedliability company. Articles ofOrganization filed with theSecretary of State of NewYork (SSNY) on October 29,2010. Off ice Located inQueens County. SSNY hasbeen designated for serviceof process. SSNY shall mail acopy of any process servedagainst the LLC to c/o theLLC to 41-25 Kissena Boule-vard, Suite 119, Flushing, NY11355-3150.________________________________________________________________Notice is hereby given thatan Order entered by the CivilCourt, Queens County on12/14/10 , bear ing IndexNumber NC-001231-10/QU,a copy of which may be exam-ined at the Office of the Clerk,located at 89-17 Sutphin Bou-levard, Jamaica, NY 11435,grants me the right to: As-sume the name of (First) Crys-ta l (Middle) Caryn (Last )Finardo My present name is(First) Crystal (Middle) Caryn(Last) Mayol aka Crystal C.Mayol My present address is66-08 102nd Street, Apt #2E,Rego Park, NY 11374 Myplace of birth is Brooklyn, NYMy date of birth is January16, 1991________________________________________________________________1059 Manhattan Avenue,LLC, a domestic Limited Li-ability Company (LLC), filedwith the Sec of State of NY on
9/27/10. NY Office location:Queens County . SSNY isdesignated as agent uponwhom process against the LLCmay be served. SSNY shallmail a copy of any processagainst the LLC served uponhim/her to The LLC, 60-43Maspeth Ave., Maspeth, NY11378. General Purposes.________________________________________________________________Name: M 309, LLC Art. OfOrg. Filed Sec. Of State ofNY 01/02/2003. Off. Loc.:Queens Co. SSNY designatedas agent upon whom processagainst it may be served.SSNY to mail copy of processto THE LLC, 20-74 SteinwayStreet, Astoria, NY 11105.Purpose: Any lawful act oractivity.________________________________________________________________
Notice is hereby given thatan Order entered by the CivilCourt, Queens County on10/28/10 , bear ing IndexNumber NC-001050-10/QU,a copy of which may be exam-ined at the Office of the Clerk,located at 89-17 Sutphin Bou-levard, Jamaica, NY 11435,grants me the right to: As-sume the name of (First)Darren (Last) Hardyal Mypresen t name i s ( F i r s t )Sahindra (Last) Hardyal Mypresent address is 5301 32nd
Ave, Apt 1N, Woodside, NY11377 My place of birth isQueens, NY My date of birthis June 21, 1992________________________________________________________________NOTICE OF FORMATIONOF LIMITED LIABILITY COM-PANY. NAME: LCR 90 HOLD-
INGS, LLC. Articles of Orga-nization were filed with theSecretary of State of NewYork (SSNY) on 10/18/10.Of f i ce loca t ion : QueensCounty. SSNY has been des-ignated as agent of the LLCupon whom process againstit may be served. SSNY shallmail a copy of process to theLLC, c/o Catherine Romano,147 -19 8 th Avenue ,Whi tes tone , New York11357. Purpose: For any law-ful purpose.________________________________________________________________
Notice of Formation of SPAR-TAN GREEN LLC. Arts. ofOrg. filed with Secy. of Stateof NY (SSNY) on 12/07/10.Of f i ce loca t ion : QueensCounty. Princ. office of LLC:128-15 26th Ave., Flushing,NY 11354. SSNY designatedas agent of LLC upon whomprocess against it may beserved. SSNY shall mail pro-cess to Lowenstein SandlerPC, Attn: Daniel J. Barkin,Esq. , 65 L iv ingston Ave. ,Roseland, NJ 07068-1791.Purpose: Any lawful activity.________________________________________________________________
Notice of formation G.W.ACCOUNTING, LLC. Art ofOrg. filed with SSNY on 08/27/2008 Off. Loc.: QueensCounty. SSNY designated asagent of LLC upon whom pro-cess may be served. SSNYshall mail copy of process tothe LLC 135-30 RooseveltAve., Ste 202, Flushing, NY11354. Purpose: any lawfulactivity.
To Place YourLegal Advertisement,Call the Tribune at
On Jan. 10, the NYC City Council will beholding a hearing on the delayed response insnow removal. Once again the outer bor-oughs such as Queens are being excluded.The City needs to remember that residentsfrom all five boroughs experienced massivedelays in the clearing of streets and sidewalksfollowing the blizzard.
Assemblywoman Grace Meng’s (D-Flush-ing) office received close to 60 complaintsabout the city’s snow removal efforts. Con-stituents throughout Queens called repeat-edly informing the office that while most ofthe main roads have been cleared, many of theside streets remain buried underneath thesnow.
Assemblywoman Meng stated, “to get anaccurate complete overview of how severelythe City’s residents were affected, a hearingshould be held in every borough, preferablyduring the evening hours so that our con-stituents can testify. The very people whowere stranded on buses and trains, forced tosuffer delayed responses in emergency ser-vices are owed the right to give accounts ofwhat happened so that we can prevent it fromever happening again.”
Kosher KutbacksGovernor David Paterson laid off 898
state employees as his term came to and endlast week. Included on these layoffs werethe last remaining kosher food inspectors,formerly employed by the New York StateDepartment of Agriculture and Markets.The department once had 11 kosher in-spectors.
The elimination of the jobs will save an
estimated $1 million a year in salary, benefitsand services, such as computers and cars,according the department.
“The loss of kosher food inspectors inNew York State is devastating, particularlyfor the communities that rely on kosher cer-tification in their religious observances anddaily life. The lack of oversight in this indus-try makes these communities vulnerable tothe fraud and abuse this division was origi-nally created to fight against. While the bud-get crisis New York State faces is daunting,it is my hope that we can restore at least a fewof these positions to the Department of Agri-culture and Markets to ensure that this indus-try is held to the right standard,” said Assem-blyman Andrew Hevesi (D-Forest Hills).
Free ForumCouncilman Mark Weprin (D- Oakland
Gardens) and The Alliance of Condo and Co-op Owners are sponsoring a free informa-tional forum for co-op shareholders and condounit owners. It will take place on Wednesday,Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. at PS 186, 252-12 72nd
Ave., Bellerose. A panel of experts will speakabout the role of the board, the role of man-agement, shareholders’ rights, and owners’rights.
“Co-ops and condos make up a consider-able portion of the housing in EasternQueens,” said Weprin. “Co-op shareholdersand condo unit owners need to know theirrights.”
The panelists will include attorneys LucasA. Ferrara and Steven Dobkin as well as LarrySimms, President, Alliance of Condo andCo-op Owners.
Bad IdeaWith GOP Congressional leaders plan-
ning to bring a bill to repeal health carereform to the floor this week, U.S. Rep.Anthony Weiner (D-Kew Gardens) releasedthe following statement:
“Republicans want another debate abouthealth care reform? Well, so should Demo-crats. They beat is in round one with l iesand scare tactics – we welcome a secondshot.”
“By planning to introduce a bill to repealhealth care reform the first week of the 112th
Congress, Republicans have made it veryclear what direction they intend to take thecountry – backwards.”
“Republicans are against a lot of things,but they are for kicking young Americansoff their parents’ insurance plans, for rein-stating copayments for preventive measureslike cancer screenings, and for denying chil-dren coverage based on preexisting condi-tions.”
“This is a dangerously misguided inter-pretation of what Americans voted for inNovember.”
Lead On LeadCouncil Members Elizabeth Crowley (D-
Middle Village) and James Vacca (D-Bronx),along with a legion of city workers, ralliedoutside the Metropolitan TransportationAuthority (MTA) headquarters at 347 Madi-son Avenue in New York in advance of theMTA board meeting to call on the MTA tocommit to a higher standard for lead abate-ment on capital projects to protect the airquality and the health of workers and thehealth from lead poisoning.
In March 2007, a judge in New YorkCounty Supreme Court ruled that the MTAwas responsible for the health problems ofseveral workers, who were exposed to largeamounts of lead dust during the renovation ofGrand Central Terminal but the MTA has notcommitted to a higher standard since thatruling.
“It’s no secret to the MTA that the irre-sponsible removal of lead paint from struc-tural steel projects is hazardous to the healthof all New Yorkers— we need look no furtherthan the 2007 New York Supreme Courtruling that exposed the MTA as responsiblefor the health problems of several workersduring the renovation of the Grand CentralTerminal,” Crowley said. “Given this irre-sponsible and preventable exposure to largeamounts of lead dust, the MTA has still notcommitted to a higher standard since thatruling. MTA: Let’s keep our workers, ourresidents and our city safe. Let’s protect NewYork against lead paint.”
The Society for Protective Coating (SSPC)was established to set the standards and mini-mize the risk of construction and renovationprojects. The SSPC certifies contractorsthrough their “Painting Contractor Certifi-cation Program,” a nationally recognizedindependent contractor evaluation program,developed by a diverse committee of industryprofessionals. Any agency can require that asuccessful bidder for one their projects becertified by the SSPC to help assure that acontract is awarded to an experienced, re-sponsible contractor. While the New YorkCity Transit Authority requires SSPC certi-fication on their bridge and maintenance ofway projects, they do not require it in theirCapital Projects RFP process.
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By DOMENICK RAFTERCiting what he called "the most common
complaint" with the new voting machinesthis past election, State Sen. Joe AddabboJr. (D-Howard Beach) is introducing legisla-tion that would make the font on the ballotsbigger and easier to read.
"Current election law does not containany requirements as to ballot readability orusabi l i ty, and only requires candidates'names to appear in all capital bold-type let-ters with no minimum type size, which mademany bal lot s used in New York City andelsewhere very difficult and frustrat ing forvoters to read and to use," Addabbo said.
The bi l l would require bal lots to beprinted in "simple, easy-to-read type," suchas Arial and Universe style font. It wouldalso mandate that candidates' names, theiroffice titles and political designations, as wellas the reading form of all ballot questionssubmit ted, w il l be printed in capital let tersfollowed by lower case letters of at least 12-point bold type.
The bil l would also require that Stateand City Board of Elections, as well asErie, Nassau, Suffolk and WestchesterCounties, have a ful l-t ime staff member
Making BallotsEasier To Read
trained in ballot use and design."Exper t ise in bal lot design and usabi lity
is lacking within our boards of elections,"Addabbo said.
During the September primary and No-vember general elections last year, voters com-plained that the font size on the ballot wastoo small and cramped, complicating theirability to read names and discern betweendifferent races. One problem with the 2010ballot was the number of races. There werefive statewide races, plus two state legislativeraces and any local elections, as well as ballotissues, which all had to fit on one ballot.
As a solution, Addabbo said the StateBoard of Elections suggested a two-sidedballot, which Addabbo does not favor be-cause it could lead to voters missing raceson the reverse side. Instead, his position isfor a longer ballot sheet.
"I want to discuss this in commit tee andI want to do it soon," said Addabbo, whowas chair of the Senate Elections Commit-tee last year until Republicans took controlof the Senate.
By JESSICA ABLAMSKYJust in t ime for those New Year's resolu-
tions, the City Dept.of Health unveiled a newseries of anti-smoking television ads, di-rected by Spike Lee, that warn parents ofthe short- and long-term health effects ofsecondhand smoke on children: asthma,bronchit is, ear infect ions and cancer.
"More than half of New York City non-smokers are still inhaling noxious chemi-cals from other people's cigarettes," saidDr. Thomas Farley, New York City HealthCommissioner. "No one should have tobreathe secondhand smoke - whether athome or in a public recreation area. If youhaven't quit smoking, protect yourself aswell as your loved ones by quit t ing today.If you haven't made your home smoke-free,now is the time. Choose health, for your-self and your family."
The good news is that fewer adults in theCity are smoking. Between 2002 and 2008,
Spike Lee, Health Dept. Urge Quittingsmoking rates fell by nearly 6 percent, or350,000 fewer smokers, according to a newreport from the DOH.
When they do smoke, fewer are doing itat home. Over the same period of time,smoking at home fell by 9 percent.
The bad news is that more nonsmokersin the City are exposed to secondhand smokethan nationally.
In 2004, 57 percent of smokers in theCity, versus 45 percent nationally, had el-evated levels of a chemical that indicates re-cent tobacco exposure, possibly due to NewYork City's h igh housing density.
The DOH estimates that: 1.5 million NewYorkers al low smoking at home, 150,000with children in the house - nearly 60 per-cent of smokers allow smoking at home;
Female smokers are more likely to allowsmoking at home, and among them, 65 per-cent allow smoking in the home, while only53 percent of men do the same;
Black smokers are more likely thanother races to allow smoking at home;
U.S.-born smokers are more likelyto allow smoking in the home thanforeign-born residents;
Smokers from Queens are morelikely to disallow-in home smoking -half of all smokers in Queens allowsmoking in the house, compared to54 percent in Brooklyn and 68 per-cent in The Bronx and Manhat tan;
Our youngest adults are morelikely to be exposed to smoking athome - among 18-24 year-old non-smokers, 28 percent are exposed tosecondhand smoke at home, com-pared to 16 percent of the 25 andup crowd;
In one of the new commercials, a young childwarily eyes the cigarette held by an adult.
Black and Asian nonsmokers report moresecondhand smoke exposer than whites, 21percent versus 15 percent.
Reach Reporter Jessica Ablamsky [email protected] or (718)357-7400, Ext. 124.
In 2010, low-income Queens resi-dents used Food Stamps atgreenmarkets more than ever before –and experts expect that number to grow.
Residents receiving benefits throughthe Supplemental Nutrition AssistanceProgram spent $66,197 at sevenGreenmarket locations in Queens, nearlydouble the 2009 total of $37,276.
Since 2007, the city has helped put$1.3 million of Council funds into pur-chasing wireless terminal equipment formarket vendors, helping markets pro-cess Electronic Benefits Transfer swipecards.
Witnessing an increase in FoodStamp usage and the development of aloyal customer base in the borough,Greenmarket Regional Coordinator forQueens Margaret Hoffman said the year-round market in Jackson Heights is ben-efitting from the increase, while provid-ing low-income residents within the di-verse community with a broad spectrumof products.
“We see new customers using EBTat the Jackson Heights market every
week,” said Hoffman. “Our EBT custom-ers have also come to appreciate thediversity of products available at themarket and are using their Food Stampsat the market for more and more of theirgrocery shopping.”
Through the introduction of EBT tech-nology, farmers are able to easily pro-cess Food Stamp benefits through swipe
scanners at al lGreenmarket locationsin Queens. Using theirEBT card, Food Stamprecipients are able topurchase fresh, lo-cal ly-sourced prod-ucts that includeart isanal cheeses,fruits, vegetables, beefand local seafood.
Although al lGreenmarkets in theborough are not openyear-round, some lo-cations did see signifi-cant increases in theusage of Food Stamps.Within six months at
the Greenmarket location in Elmhurst,near Elmhurst Hospital, residents spentmore than $10,000 in Food Stamps atthe new site.
Greenmarket operator GrowNYC be-gan the open-air market initiative in1976. By promoting regional agriculture,the non-profit organization providessmall family farms the opportunity to selltheir products locally, giving New York-ers access to nutritious food.
According to GrowNYC, some farm-ers working in low-income neighbor-hoods have seen as much as a 35 per-cent of their sales in Food Stamps.
At a Greenmarket in Jackson Heights, where Food Stampusage is on the rise.
By JESSICA ABLAMSKYFortunes were made after the Mega
Millions drawing on Jan. 4 for a $355million jackpot – but not anywhere nearhere. Two winning tickets were pur-chased in Idaho and Washington Stateby parties that have not yet come for-ward.
Closer to home, Queens residentsgave into lotto fever, on the chance ofbeating odds that are no less than onein 176 million.
Whitestone resident John Peluso hasbeen buying lotto tickets based on hislate father’s numbers since 1982.
“Every other year his birthday comesup,” Peluso said.
Like many, if he won the big jackpot,he’d retire.
“I think I’d go back to school,” hesaid, adding that he would also buy an
Dollars And DreamsDon’t Equal Winnings
apartment in Manhattan and a houseupstate.
“First I’d figure out a way to cash itwithout everyone knowing,” he said.“Suddenly everyone would be yourfriend.”
Liz Wild, also from Whitestone, is nota lottery regular.
“I don’t play it all the time, just when itgets big,” she said. “I’d take care of myfamily and give to the charities. Life tome is all about who you can help.”
Though there was no big winner inQueens, New York Lottery retailers rakedin big bucks over the last week or so asthe jackpot spiraled up wildly.
Better luck next time, New York play-ers.
Reach Reporter Jessica Ablamsky [email protected] or (718)357-7400, Ext. 124.
By JOSEPH OROVICReal estate barons like the Related
Companies and Muss Developers willbe walking on egg shells starting Jan.10, when a federal appeals court startshearing a case that could allow buyersto back out of contracts on luxury condo-miniums around the city.
A group of buyers is challenging thedevelopers, under a 42-year-old law, inthe hopes of recouping hundreds ofthousands of dollars in up-front pay-ments on units they no longer want. Thelaw demands developers be transpar-ent in key details of their projects to buy-ers.
Some wary buyers tried to challenge
Court Holds Fate ForDevelopers’ Futures
their contracts at One Hunters Point inLong Island City, but lost.
The law requires developers regis-ter their projects with the Dept. of Hous-ing and Urban Development and disclo-sure certain information to buyers be-fore they sign contracts.
The case being heard this monthcould set the tone for up to 40 new de-velopments around the city, including SkyView Parc in Flushing, which reportedlyhas 100 buyers unwilling to close ontheir contracts, looking to back out ofbuying instead.
Reach Reporter Joseph Orovic [email protected], or (718)357-7400, Ext. 127.
In the past year, open-air markets atmore than 40 locations throughout thecity have experienced an increase in theamount of Food Stamps that are spenton items eligible under the federal FoodStamp program.
EBT customers receive $2 in HealthBucks when swiping $5 in Food Stamps,an incentive created by the NYC Depart-ment of Health and Mental Hygiene,which allows Food Stamp customers topotentially increase their value of FoodStamps by 40-80 percent.
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) said he believes it is es-sential for low-income families to haveaccess to healthy and organic produce.With two greenmarkets located in hisdistrict, Van Bramer urges more FoodStamp recipients to take advantage offresh food options available in theirarea.
“It’s important for people using FoodStamps to stop at these markets to pro-vide themselves with healthier food op-tions,” said Van Bramer. “It’s great thatgreen markets support Food Stamp us-age.”
For more information aboutGreenmarket locat ions throughoutQueens go to grownyc.org.
Reach Intern Jason Banrey [email protected] or (718)357-7400, Ext. 128.
*Survey compiled for American Banker by the Reputation Institute, which conducted an online poll of nearly 7,800 consumers in January and February 2010.
LEARN A LANGUAGE ATWe specialize in an introductory and advanced beginner curriculum.
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ARABIC · FRENCH · HEBREW · ITALIAN JAPANESE · MANDARIN · SPANISH · YIDDISHBeginner and advanced beginner levels
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102nd PrecinctFIRST 2011 MURDER: On Saturday,
Jan. 1, at approximately 5:34 a.m., policeresponded to 127th Street and 94th Avenuein Richmond Hill after hearing shots fired.Upon arrival, Dwayne Haughton, 29, of 132-15 156th St., South Jamaica, was foundlying on the ground with gunshot wounds tohis neck and chest.
EMS re sponded and t r an spo r t edHaughton to Jamaica Hospital where he waspronounced dead on arrival. There were noarrests and the investigation was ongoing.
BURGLAR SOUGHT: Detectives fromthe 102nd Precinct are requesting the public’sassistance in locating a suspect wanted in tworesidential burglaries in Woodhaven.
The first incident occurred Aug. 13 be-tween 7:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. at 94-31 ParkLane South in Woodhaven. The second inci-dent occurred Sept. 3 between 8 a.m. and9:45 p.m. at 76-50 85thDr. in Woodhaven.
The suspect, MatthewMisla, 32, allegedly en-tered via the rear of thelocations; once inside heremoved money, jewelryand electronic equip-ment. He is described asa Hispanic man, 6-feet,180 lbs , wi th browneyes, black hair and agoatee.
Anyone with informa-tion in regards is asked tocall the NYPD’s CrimeStoppers Hotline at (800)577-TIPS. The public canalso submit their tips bylogging onto the CrimeStoppers Web site atnypdcrimestoppers.comor texting their tips to274637(CRIMES) thenentering TIP577.
LAUNDRY THIEF: Police are asking forthe public’s assistance in locating a suspectwanted in connection with a commercialburglary in Woodhaven. The burglary oc-curred at around 5:48 a.m. on Sunday, Dec.5, at 78-07 Jamaica Ave., a laundromat, inWoodhaven.
The suspect broke the front windows atthe location, entered the building and un-successfully attempted to pry open a changemachine. The establishment was closed atthe time.
He is described as a Hispanic man, 5-foot-10, 175 lbs, of light complexion and wearinga hooded sweatshirt.
Anyone with information in regards isasked to call the NYPD’s Crime StoppersHotline at (800) 577-TIPS. The public canalso submit their tips by logging onto theC r i m e S t o p p e r s W e b s i t e a tnypdcrimestoppers.com or texting theirtips to 274637(CRIMES) then enteringTIP577.
All calls are strictly confidential.
103rd PrecinctFINAL 2010 MURDER? On Friday,
Dec. 31, at approximately 11:36 p.m., policeresponded to a call of shots fired at the cornerof Merrick Boulevard and 109th Avenue inSouth Jamaica.
Upon arrival, responding officers discov-ered Jamal West, 26, of 160-18 107th Ave. inSouth Jamaica, shot numerous times in the
back . EMS a l so r e -sponded to the scene andpronounced him dead.There were no arrests andthe investigation was on-going.
104th PrecinctCOPS SHOOT: On
Wednesday Dec. 22, at9:36 p.m., inside of 64-49 Sha l e r Ave i nRidgewood, police re-sponded to a 911 call of aman with a knife. Uponarrival, uniformed policeofficers were confrontedby Zach Bingert, 21,armed with a knife.
The o f f i c e r s d i s -charged their firearms,striking Bingert severaltimes about the body.EMS responded to the
scene and pronounced him dead at the scene.The officers were removed to Jamaica Hos-pital for trauma and minor injuries.
Mayor Mike Bloomberg greets outgoing 38-year veteran Sen. Frank Padavan at a special farewell party hosted on his behalf at Leonard’s of Great Neck last Wednesday.
So Long, Frank Padavan
Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky and two leaders of the United Federation of Teachers, District 25 Representative Jo-seph Kessler and Queens Borough Representative Rona Freiser, spoke at the December meeting of the FDR Democratic Association. Pictured l. to r.: Stavisky, Kessler, Freiser, FDR Democratic Assn. President Judith Abbot.
Stavisky & FDR
Councilwoman Liz Crowley, together with the Glendale community groups, students of PS 113, Sacred Heart Girl Scout Troops and the Sacred Heart Children’s Choir hosted the Glendale Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Frederick Haller, Jr. Triangle on the corner of Myr-tle Avenue and Union Turnpike.
Crowley Christmas
Councilman Eric Ulrich visited the Catholic Charities Neighborhood Services Ozone Park Senior Center to wish its members a happy holiday. As part of the festivi-ties, Ulrich donated a gift basket featuring wine, candles, candy and a $25 Pathmark gift card for the center’s lunch raffle. Pictured: Ulrich and Site Manager Rosemary Heg-gers are joined by seniors (front row, l. to r.) Hazel Mon-teleone, Joanne D’Antuono, Madge Bucchio and mem-bers of the Staples Development Team.
Ulrich’s Holiday
A Childen’s Christmas Show sponsored by Youths Inter-national was held Sunday, Dec. 19, at Saint Paul’s Parish Hall in Corona. About 200 kids and their families cele-brated with singing carols and receiving holiday gifts.
Children’s Christmas
Left: Well-wishers raise a glass to Padavan and thank him for his de-cades of service to the people of Queens and New York.
Below, right: Queens DA Richard Brown pres-ents a citation to Pada-van, thanking him for his service.
Below, left: The three remaining Republican officials from Queens, Councilmen Eric Ulrich (l. to r.), Peter Koo and Dan Halloran, thank Frank Padavan for his work.
By QUEENS TRIBUNE STAFFA monster tornado, a new casino and
political upheaval were some of the big-gest stories to dominate the Queens Tri-bune headlines and front pages for 2010.Join us as we take a look back at thenews that touched our lives and ourhearts in 2010.
Tornado AlleyIt was a typical Thursday afternoon in
Queens on Sept. 16. Rush hour had hit;the highways were filled with cars carry-ing people home. Most school buses haddelivered their charges; kids were doinghomework, playing with friends and help-ing get dinner ready.
The sky turned gray, then black. Windswirled, buffeting the commuters, shak-ing children in their houses. An ominoussound bore down from overhead as thesky turned green, lightning dancingacross the sky. To see it was disorient-ing; rain seemed to lift from the ground,trees that had swayed now flew acrossthe highway, over cars and into homes.The crash of debris blended with thesmashing of the rain until the sound be-came deafening.
And then it was gone.For about 15 minutes this scene
played out across a swath of Queensrunning from Ridgewood to Middle Vil-lage and Rego Park, Forest Hills, Flush-ing, Fresh Meadows, Auburndale andBayside before exiting at Little Bay. Each
location felt the force ofthe storm for no morethan 2 or 3 minutes.
The final verdict: an80-mph tornado thatstarted in Brooklyn cutinto Ridgewood andflattened out to a nearlyf i v e - m i l e - w i d e“macroburst” as i tslammed into MiddleVillage and Rego Parkat 125 mph. From thatburst a new tornadoformed, tearing throughthe borough at 100mph, but entire sec-tions of the borough –Astor ia and JacksonHeights in the North-west, Jamaica and Flo-ral Park in the Southand East – never felt it.
In the blink of an eye thousands oftrees were uprooted or ripped apart. Inthe first 24 hours alone the Parks Dept.reported 3,931 residential trees dam-aged – that number does not even bearin mind the ones inside Forest, JuniperValley, MacDonald, Flushing Meadows,Kissena, Bowne or Crocheron parks.
In the days since the tornado, helpwas easier to come by for some. Therewas a limit to the number of tree special-ists, insurance adjusters, contractors andcity workers who could handle the load.Progress in some fringe areas that werenot as hard hit – along Parsons Boule-vard in Flushing and on Calamus Avenuein Maspeth – had been slow. In ForestHills, communities came together toclean up. From the unaffected neighborswho have offered food and shelter tothose displaced to the volunteers whocleared out dozens of fallen trees at alocal little league, the tales of generosityare widespread.
But so, too, were the tales of woe. Poorinsurance, questions over individual vs.city responsibility and the shock of thescale of the damage have been hard toswallow for some. There were very fewinjuries reported as a direct result of thetornado, though there was one death. A30-year-old Pennsylvania woman wascrushed by a tree that fell on her carwhen she pulled over on the Grand Cen-tral Parkway at the height of the storm.
Eventually, President Barack Obamadeclared Queens a disaster area, free-ing up millions of federal dollars to helprepay the city – and some home owners– for their expenses related to the clean-up.
Casino RoyaleIn January, after weeks of delay, Gov.
David Paterson chose AEG to operatevideo lottery terminals at Aqueduct.Within weeks, AEG was under criminalinvestigation, the lottery called the com-pany unlicensable and the whole planwas on the verge of collapse.
In May, promising a more transparent
process, new bidders were sought and,though six ponied up the $1 million en-try cost to vie for the prize, only one team,Genting New York, ended up in the race.
In July, Genting came to CommunityBoard 10 to pitch its merits.
There was a noticeable whiff of skep-ticism in the room, but local elected offi-cials, many having been through this pro-cess before, tried to inject some optimisminto the crowd.
Genting took the opportunity to intro-duce to the community the Malaysia-based company and the principals in-volved in the bid, including JCJ Construc-tion and Tutor-Perini contractors, whoworked on the AirTrain and the recentJFK runway rehabi l i tat ion project.Genting’s management team, includingMichael Speller, who is a former CEO ofFoxwoods and helped develop the Sen-eca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls, alsointroduced themselves to the communitymembers.
“We’re always sensitive to communityissues,” Speller said. “I can assure youthat’s what we’ll do here.”
In August, the New York Lottery madeGenting’s win official, and ground was
A Look Back AtOur News
Seen from atop Terrace on the Park, the tornado whips its way across ForestHills and toward Flushing.
Nearly every tree in Forest Hills’ MacDonald Park wasshredded by the tornado that touched down at the parknear the intersection of Queens Boulevard andYellowstone Boulevard.
St. George’s Church in Flushing lostits historic steeple to the tornado.
City, state and Genting officials swing hammers to symbolically break groundat the Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Councilman Thomas White Jr. died ofcancer in August. He was replaced ina special election by Ruben Wills.
From our Family to YoursBest Wishes for a Happy, Healthy
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broken in October for Resorts World NewYork, the casino at Aqueduct Racetrackthat will have 4,500 video lottery termi-nals.
Political ChangeOne long-time public servant was
ousted by the voters in 2010, and anotherpassed on, as Sen. Frank Padavan, the38-year veteran was defeated and Coun-cilman Tom White Jr. died.
After two consecutive close races forthe seat held by Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) for the last 38 years, formerCouncilman Tony Avella threw the knock-out punch, defeating the borough’s lastGOP state legislator 54-46 percent. Cel-ebrating at Sullivan’s in Bayside on elec-tion night, Avella was joined by Sen.-electMike Gianaris, who gave up his Assem-bly seat to run for the post vacated byretiring George Onorato (D-Astoria).They were joined by Sens. Toby Stavisky(D-Flushing) and Jose Peralta (D-Co-rona), as well as Assemblywoman GraceMeng (D-Flushing).
The rhetoric of the “Queens Coalition”
Year In Review:
2010:A LA LooookkBBack Aack AttOur NewsOur News
was focused on bringing true reform andtransparency to the most dysfunctionalstate legislature in the country. Later inthe evening, Avella spoke of bringing “de-mocracy with a lower-case ‘d” back toNew York.
Councilman Tom White Jr. (D-SouthOzone Park) died Aug. 27 at North ShoreLIJ Hospital at the age of 71, after a longbattle with lung cancer.
“He did very well representing hiscommunity,” said Adjoa Gzifa, Commu-nity Board 12’s chairwoman. “He wasvery much a person who cared about hisconstituents.”
White served a combined 15-year ten-ure in the City Council, beginning with a10-year stint in the 1990s. After beingterm limited out in 2001, he regained the28th District’s Councilmanic seat in 2005.
“Today, Southeast Queens lost aniconic advocate, and I lost a dear friend,”said State Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-St.Albans). “City Councilman Thomas WhiteJr. served his community with great prideand distinction for over three decades,fighting to keep our streets safe and drugfree, and improve the quality of life forseniors, children and small businessowners.”
Counci lman James Sanders (D-Laurelton) said that White was an “inspi-ration” to both his colleagues and con-stituents.
“Tom served his community, his con-stituency and his City with pride and dis-tinction, and his voice will be sorelymissed in City Hall,” Sanders said. “NewYork City has lost a great public servant;working people have lost a tireless cham-pion and fearless advocate; and I havelost a dear friend.”
White is survived by his mother, twochildren and two grandchildren.
As chair of the Council’s Economic
Development Committee, White waspraised for his prowess in bringing homefunds to Queens and his district. Smithsaid White’s support of women and mi-nority-owned businesses, along with therevitalization of economically distressedareas, have created “countless jobs andhelped families struggling to get by putfood on their tables and pay their bills.”
“He searched for ways to break thecycle of pover ty and violence,” saidCouncil Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan). “He fought for job trainingand placement programs, and invest-ments in long-term economic growth. Hehad a particular soft spot for women andminority business owners, pushing foradditional resources to help them stay
afloat and create good jobs for theirneighbors.”
Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St.Albans) said White championed and se-cured funds for seniors, educational, so-cial services, youth programs and eco-nomic development projects, all whileencouraging beneficial zoning changes.
“His tenure as chair of the Council’sEconomic Development Committee wasmarked by his unrelenting pressure onthe City to ensure that minority andwomen- owned businesses received theirfair share of contracts,” he said. “CouncilMember Thomas White was a quietleader and community servant who willbe missed tremendously. I mourn hispassing and will miss my friend.”
Former Councilman Tony Avella, shown here with his wife at his victory party,knocked 38-year Sen. Frank Padavan out of his seat.
By ANGY ALTAMIRANORomance is in the air this New Year as
the poet Valentinno brings his readers a bookfi l led with words to soothe our hear ts andspark the romance in all of us.
"A Romant ic's Passion: The Tenth Muse"is a modern-day love story told in severaldifferent styles.
The book is a collection of prose poems,love let ters, essays, extended verse and inti-mate photos, with quotes under each photo-graph to enhance the beauty. The story is ofa poet who is deeply in love with his muse;she becomes his life's work and for the restof his life, his poetry is based on her.
Aside from the various styles used in thebook, it also serves as an example of how awoman should be treated, said the poet. "Themuse is reflected as all women; they shouldbe loved as God says - the most beautifulcreation," Valentinno said.
After spending time researching andreading poetry and books writ ten in classicstyles, Valentinno brings his readers back tothe Romant ics, getting inspiration from po-ets Lord Byron, Percy Shel ley and JohnKeats. He said the language brings morebeauty and meaning rather than the modernlanguage of contemporary poets.
Valent inno, 36, was born, raised and stilllives in Glendale. He began writ ing poetryat 14 and has not stopped since. He haswon two awards at the CNU Writers' Con-ference, has been nominated for best bookaward and the Dickinson Award. He hasbeen credited with more than 60 literaryhonors and was inducted into the "Who'sWho of Poets."
Through his years of writing, he has writ-ten a poem for Queen Elizabeth II and hasworked with Tony Blair, former Br it ishPrime Minister, in writ ing and collaborat ingwith 20 authors from 20 different nationsfor The Millennium Movement, fightingagainst malaria.
"Poet Valentinno is a romantic in the bestsense of the word. He captures the divine
Love Oozes Its WayOnto Boro Poet’s Page
romance of life through his brilliant prose,"said William McDonald, President of theAmerican Authors Association. "One canalmost feel this inner joy and 'l ight' heprojects with images from his words andphrasing."
"I like that when I write something, thereader could feel the same exact emotionsthat I feel. They will cry or they will smile.That's the ultimate thing for a writer; if youcould make that person feel the same youdid, then you have done your job," saidValentinno.
Se t fo r re lease l a te r t h i s year, "ARomantic's Passion: The Tenth Muse" w i l lbe found on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.For more information on the book and thepoet, visit valentinno.com.
By DOMENICK RAFTERNicole Steinberg is a child of Queens.
She grew up in Jackson Heights near Junc-tion and Northern Boulevards, went to schoolin Bayside, Whitestone and Flushing andeven had her first date at Bay Terrace. Butwhen she talked to people from elsewhereabout her home borough, she realized justhow lit tle they knew about Queens.
"People didn't know anything about theborough," she said.
That inspired her to put together a bookof stories that would really tell the tale ofQueens. The result is an anthology of anec-dotes and poems about her home boroughpublished by SUNY Press w ith a t itle thatmany borough residents would agree with,especially after the recent blizzard clean-up:"Forgot ten Borough."
"I want to generate interest and excite-ment in the borough," Steinberg said.
In the book's introduction, Steinberg,who said she has "a lot of Queens pride,"opens with the infamous quote about the 7train by former Atlanta Braves pitcher JohnRocker in 2000 that required him to enterShea Stadium with extra security. She thenexplains how Queens, unlike the other bor-oughs, does not have a reputation of its own.
"People tend to forget about Queens," shewrites. "They're surprised to hear culture ex-ists here too, as if some kind of force fieldexists on the right hand side of the East River."
For the next 200 pages, more than twodozen stories, poems and even Queens-themed haikus take a reader on a culturaltour of the borough, stopping in neighbor-hoods from Astoria to the Rockaway Penin-sula, giving readers a thorough taste of thedensely-populated piece of land they mightonly know for being what's outside theirvehicle's windows when they're stuck in traf-fic. Some of the stories revolved around real-life events, such as the 2003 blackout and thedemolition of the Maspeth gas tanks in 2001.
"I was looking for stories on differentperspectives on living there and on neigh-borhoods," she said.
That led to some neighborhoods beingthe setting for more than one story, but witha different theme, she said.
Steinberg began working on the bookwhen she was living in Sunnyside, but whileput ting it together, she moved to Ph iladel-phia, where she currently works at The PewCenter for Ar ts & Heritage.
"It was pret ty bit tersweet," she said ofediting the book after having moved out ofthe borough.
A poet by trade, Steinberg said she found
The New York Mets w il l host their an-nual Winter Blood Drive in partnership withthe New York Blood Center this Thursday,from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Caesar's Club.
On Jan. 6, fans donating blood will re-ceive a voucher redeemable for one pair oftickets to a select Mets game in April 2011.In addition, fans can show their voucher atthe Mets Team Store at Cit i Field to receive
Mets Fans Give Blood15 percent-off regularly-priced merchandise.
Season Ticket Holders who give bloodcan show their voucher and ID card to get 20percent off regularly-priced items. The dis-count will only be honored Thursday, Jan. 6.
Fans may park in Lot G on 126th Streetbetween the Right Field Gate and RooseveltAvenue, and enter in the first base VIP,named for Mets legend Gil Hodges.
edit ing the book "rewarding, but very, verydifficult." She said she put her own poetryon hiatus for the book and hopes to focuson that in the future, but left often the possi-bility of more Queens anthologies if this oneproves to be successful.
"There was a lot of stuff I didn't cover thatI could have the first time around," she said.
"Forgotten Borough" will be released nextmon th , and can be p re -o rde red a ts u n y p r e s s . e d u / p - 5 1 5 6 - f o r g o t t e n -borough.aspx
FAT BOYS PIZZA61-07 Utopia Pkwy., Fresh Meadows(718) 321-0694CUISINE: Pizzer iaHOURS: Mon-Fr i 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.,weekends 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.CREDIT CARDS: YesDELIVERY: Yes
It’s impossible to live in Queens – oranywhere in the New York Metro area forthat mat ter – and not have a favorite localpizzeria. You don’t have to descend from aMediterranean ethnicity to enjoy a goodslice of pizza; just be hungr y. In FreshMeadows, a new favorite local pizzeria isserving the traditional Italian dish withsome unusual trimmings.
When one orders pizza, themost popular toppings are obvi-ous; pepperoni, sausage, meat-balls, mushrooms – but the favor-ites of the customers at Fat Boys,which opened on Utopia Park-way, one b lock south of theHorace Harding Expressway, in2009, are not any of the above.One of their most popular slices,especially among the local stu-dents from Francis Lewis High School whofrequent the establishment before and aftertheir classes, is the Philly Cheesesteak Pizza.Imagine a pizza topped with crispy greenpeppers, melted cheese, onions and juicyslices of steak. The recipe for the pizzacame from owner Nick Vorrais’ grandfa-ther back in Greece, who recently passed.
Another favorite, especially among FatBoy’s older crowd, is the Baked Ziti Pizza.This is Fat Boy’s traditional cheese pizzatopped with a generous helping of baked zitipasta cooked to perfection, or if you’re Ital-
ian, the way your grandmother used to makeit, accompanied by dollops of ricotta cheese.
If you’re brave enough to tackle spicyfood (and who isn’t up for such a chal-lenge?) try the Buffalo Ch icken Pizza. Onebite and you’ll forget what spicy Buffalochicken tastes like when not piled on topof a pizza.
These slices cannot be eaten the tradi-t ional New York way, folding them in halflike a paper airplane and chomping down,stuffing your mouth with as much pie aspossible. Instead they must be eaten like theyare in Europe, with a fork and knife, sa-vored piece by piece. For those who aren’tthat adventurous and prefer traditional pep-peroni or mushroom, Fat Boys has it, as
well as a wide array of moreAmerican-style food like hamburg-ers, French fries, and Buffalowings (not on a pizza). Fat Boy’salso does not forget its owners’Greek heritage; the traditionalGreek gyro is on the menu as well.
Fat Boy’s puts its own per-sonal touch in their pizzas andnearly every thing on their menu.All their dough and breads arehomemade, baked on site.
Until about 6 p.m., Fat Boys caters toits student crowd. Downstairs from themain restaurant is a game room, with twobilliards tables frequented by students dur-ing the day that doubles as a par ty room orcatering hall. After the students go homefor the evening, Fat Boys gets its regularlocals, who enjoy a delicious meal.
Don’t feel like going outside? Fat Boy’sdelivers, and also does curbside pickup, soyou don’t have to worry about finding thatparking spot on your way home from work.
—Domenick Rafter
Valentino’s latest poetry collection willbe released later this year.
Jackson Heights na t i ve Nico leSteinberg’s “Forgotten Borough.”
SECTION EDITOR: REGINA VOGEL
Send typed announcementsfor your club or
organization’s events atleast TWO weeks in
advance to “Queens Today”Editor, Queens Tribune,174-15 Horace HardingExpressway, Fresh Mead-
ows, NY 11365. Send faxesto 357-9417, c/o Regina.
IF YOUR ORGANIZATIONMEETS ON A REGULARBASIS, SEND ALL DATESFOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.
Queens Today
ENTERTAINMENT
DANCE
ISRAELI FOLKMondays 7:30 -10 :00 a tHillcrest Jewish Center, 182-02 Union Turnpike. $10 ses-sion. 380-4145.LINE DANCINGMondays 6 :30 -9 :30 a tKowal insk i Pos t 4 , 61 -57Maspeth Avenue. $7. Cakeand coffee. 565-2259.
SYMPHONY 101Saturday, January 8 at 1 atthe Forest Hills and at 3 atthe Sunnyside l ibrary. Per-formance/workshop aboutthe different instruments inthe traditional symphonic or-chestra. For the entire fam-ily.KAISSASunday, January 9 African,reggae, jazz, R&B, makossaand Brazilian fusion music byKaissa at 3 at the Central li-brary.MOVIE & TALKMondays the F r iends o fPomonok present a movieand discussion. Bring lunch.1 at the Pomonok library.TROUBLED WATERMonday, January 10 show-ing of the film “Troubled Wa-ter” with English subtitles anddiscussion at 2 at the FreshMeadows library.OPEN MIC POETRYMondays, January 10, Feb-ruary 14, March 14 at 7:30at Barnes & Noble, 176-60Union Turnpike, Fresh Mead-ows.FAMILY GAME NIGHTMonday, January 10 at theSouth Jamaica library at 6.BINGOTuesdays at 7:15 at Ameri-can Martyrs Church, churchbasement , 216 -01 Un ionTurnp ike , Bays ide . 464 -4582. Tuesdays at 7:15(doors open 6) at the RegoPark Jewish Center, 97-30Queens Blvd. 459-1000.$3admis s ion inc ludes 12games.DINO ROSITuesday, January 11 con-cert of international songswi th D ino Ros i a t theAuburndale library at 3.KIDS’ CHOIRThursday, January 13 NYHospital Queens will host theSt. Francis Prep Children’sChoir from 3-4 in the LangAuditorium for a free con-cert. 670-1211 to register.ZOMBIE!Thursday, January 13 use ofzombies in literature, mediaand film at the Pomonok li-brary at 6.MLK JR.Friday, January 14 A Com-munity Conversation aboutthe legacy o f Dr . Mar t inLu the r K ing J r . a t theLangston Hughes library at7 .MLK JR.Saturday, Januar y 15 Tri-Boro Intergenerational Ser-vices of Jamaica invites all toan afternoon of reflectionsand entertainment at theirannual celebration dedicatedto the Life and Legacy of Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr. at 2at the Merrick Park BaptistChurch , 120 -02 B i shopCurtis G. Norton, Sr. Drive(Marsden Street), Jamaica.276-5039 information. Freewill offering.CON BRIO ENSEMBLESaturday, January 15 at theFlushing library at 2.,ASTRONOMYSaturday, January 15 from7-9 at Alley Pond Environ-mental Center. 229-4000 toregister. $12 adult, $7 chil-dren.LAS POSADASSaturday, January 15 Ra-
dio Jarocho celebrates LasPosadas at 3 at the Elmhurstlibrary.AMERICAN HEARTLANDSaturday , January 15Claremont Strings presentsMus ic o f the Amer icanHeartland at 3 at the JacksonHeights library.OPEN MICSunday, January 16 at theCentral library at 2.MLK JR.Sunday, January 16 ClergyUnited for Communit y Em-powerment, Inc. presents acelebration service of com-memoration for the Rev. Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. at 5at Mt. Olivet Baptist Church,202-03 Hollis Avenue.CON BRIO ENSEMBLESunday, January 16 at 4:30at Church in the Gardens,50 Ascan Avenue , Fores tHills. $12.GUITAR NIGHTSunday, January 16 Inter-na t iona l Gu i ta r N igh t a tQueens Theatre in the Park.760-0064 tickets.CON BRIO ENSEMBLESaturday, January 22 at 2at the Langston Hughes li -brary.CONCERTISunday, January 23 youngvir tuos i take the stage toper fo rm a p rog ram o fconcerti with orchestra. Allages. 997-3888.GOLDILOCKSSaturday , January 29Goldi locks and the ThreeBears at Queens Theatre inthe Park. 760-0064.BACK TO THE 60SSaturday, January 29 RonDante , Sonny Gerac i andDennis Tufano per form atQueensborough Commu-nity College. 631-6311.COFFEEHOUSEFebruary 5 at the Forest HillsJewish Center. 263-7000.TANGO BUENOS AIRESSunday , February 20 a tQueensborough Commu-nity College. 631-6311.
FLEA MARKETS
THRIFT SHOPSSaturdays 11-4 at BargainBout ique Th r i f t Shop ,Queens Baptist Church, 93-23 217th Street, Queens Vil-lage.465-2504.
SENIORS
TALKS
AARP 1405Mondays, January 10, 24Flushing AARP Chapter 1405meets at the Bowne StreetCommunity Church, 143-11Roosevelt Avenue at 1. Newmembers welcome.STARSWednesday, January 12 at10:30 at the Hollis library andFriday, January 14 at 10:30at the Queens Village library.Senior Theater Acting Rep-ertory meets.WOMANSPACEWednesdays Womanspace,a discussion group devotedto i s sues concern ingwomen, meets 1 -3 at theGreat Neck Senior Center,80 Grace Avenue . Newmembers welcome.AARP 29Thursdays, January 13, Feb-ruary 10, March 10 AARPChapter 29 meets at GraceHouse, 155-02 90th Avenue,Jamaica at noon.FREE LUNCHSaturdays, January 15, Feb-ruary 19, March 19 at AllSaints Church in RichmondHill. 849-2352 reservations.
WINDSOR PARKMonday, January 10 “Hotelon the Corner of Bitter andSweet” will be discussed at2 at the Windsor Park library.NYS LABOR LAWSMonday, January 10 Under-standing NY State Labor Lawat 6:30 at the Jackson Heightslibrary.SEASIDEMonday, January 10 “IslandBeneath the Sea” will be dis-cussed at 6:30 at the Seasidelibrary.WHITESTONETuesday, January 11 “OliveKitteridge” will be discussedat 1 at the Whitestone l i -brary.HILLCRESTTuesday, January 11 “TheAssistant” will be discussedat 2 at the Hillcrest library.GLENDALEThursday, January 13 “TheAwaken ing” w i l l be d i s -cussed at 6:30 at the Glen-dale library.WINDSOR PARKThursday, January 13 “TheDiscomfort Zone: A PersonalHistory” will be discussed at6:30 at the Windsor Park li-brary.MYSTERY BOOKSaturday, January 15 Para-normal/Mystery Book Clubmeets at the LIC library at3:30.MOVIES & MUSICMonday, January 17 bookdiscussion focused on titleswith strong ties to music andmovies. “Love Is A Mix Tape:Life and Loss, One Song at aTime” wil l be discussed at7:30 at Barnes & Noble, 176-60 Union Turnpike , F reshMeadows.P
FM POETSSaturday, January 8 FreshMeadows Poets meet to dis-cuss their work at 10 at theForest Hills library.RESUME WRITINGSaturday, January 8 at theLIC library at 10:30.CAREER POTENTIALSaturday, January 8 at theCentral library at 2.PUBLIC SPEAKINGSaturdays, January 8, 15,29, February 5, 19 learn tocommunicate effectively atElmhurst Hospital. 646-436-7940.SCRABBLE CLUBSaturdays at 10 at CountBasie Jr. HS, 132nd Street andGuy R. Brewer Blvd. 886-5236.PET OWNERSSundays (not on holidays)from 1-4 free workshops onpet behavior at CrocheronPark in Bays ide (weatherpermitting). 454-5800.KNIT & CROCHETMondays at the Douglaston/Little Neck library at 4.ENGLISH CONV.Monday, January 10 EnglishConversation Groups at theBellerose library. Register.ADULT CHESSMondays and Thursdays atthe Queens Village library at5:30.COMPUTER CLASSMonday, January 10 at theFresh Meadows library. Reg-ister.JOB INFO SERVICESMonday, January 10 at theMiddle Village library. Reg-ister.CRAFT CLUBMonday, January 10 at theLIC library at 6.BALLROOM DANCINGMonday, January 10 at theForest Hills library at 6:30.INTRO E-MAILTuesday, January 11 at theQueens Village library. Reg-ister.COMPUTER CLASSTuesday, January 11 at theArverne library at 10.COMPUTER CLASSTuesday, January 11 at theSunnyside library. Register.ADULT SCRABBLETuesday, January 11 at theFresh Meadows library at 1.KNIT & CROCHETTuesdays at the WindsorPark library at 2.SCRABBLE CLUBTuesdays at the East Flush-ing library at 3:30.GET YOUR YARNS OUT!Tuesdays after evening Min-yan at 8, knitters, crochet-ers, needlepointers, and oth-ers meet at the Forest HillsJewish Center . 263-7000,ext. 200.DUPLICATE BRIDGEWednesdays 10:30-3:00 atthe Reform Temple of For-est Hi l l s . $12 sess ion, in -cludes light lunch. 261-2900.WATERCOLOR CLASSWednesdays at 9:30 at NAL.Tradit ional and contempo-rary, all levels. 969-1128.INDOOR SOCCER – DADSWednesday evenings at theForest Hills Jewish Center.263-7000.US CITIZENSHIPThursday, January 13 Path-way to US Citizenship at theElmhurst library at 5:30.
QUILTING CLASSESThursdays 10-2 at the MariaRose Dol l Museum in S t .Albans. 276-3454 or 917-817-8653 to register.CHESS CLUBThursdays at the East Flush-ing library. Register.KNIT & CROCHETThursdays a t the F reshMeadows library at 6.WRITER’S WORKSHOPThursday, January 13 at theBayside library. Register.SIGN LANGUAGEThursday, January 13 at Al-l ey Pond Env i ronmenta lCenter. 229-4000 to regis-ter. For the entire family.KNITTING CLUBFridays at the Maspeth li-brary at 10.KNIT & CROCHETFridays at the Fresh Mead-ows library at 10:30.COMPUTER CLASSFriday, January 14 at theMiddle Village library. Reg-ister.SCRABBLE
Fridays Bananagrams andScrabble at the Windsor Parklibrary at 2:30.JIC JOB INFOSaturday, January 15 at theCentral library at 11.POETRY WRITINGTuesday, Januar y 18 a tBa rnes & Nob le , 176 -60Union Turnpike, Fresh Mead-ows at 7:30.NOOK NIGHTWednesday, January 19 atBa rnes & Nob le , 176 -60Union Turnpike, Fresh Mead-ows at 7.DEFENSIVE DRIVINGSaturday, January 22 a tWes ley Uni ted Methodis tChurch in Franklin Square.516-872-8062.DEFENSIVE DRIVINGSunday, January 30 from 9-3:30 at the Forest Hills Jew-ish Center. $50. 263-7000to register.JH ART CLUBClasses in all art forms daysand evenings for chi ldrenand adults. 899-0065.
HEALTH
NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS7 days a week. 932-6244.WAITANKUNGSundays at 2. Waitankung isa great total-body workout.Join these ancient Chineseexercise classes in the Flush-ing Hospital/Medical Centerauditorium on 45th Avenuebe tween Pa r sons andBurling. Free. Jimmy 7-10pm347-2156 information.BLOOD DRIVESunday, January 9 blooddr i ve f rom 9 :30 -1 :30 a tTemple Tikvah, 3315 HillsideAvenue, New Hyde Park.OBESITY & AGINGMonday, January 10 Re-serving the #1 Cause of Ill-ness: Obesity & AcceleratedAging at 6 at the Flushing li-brary.ZUMBA EXERCISEMonday, January 10 at theLefrak City library at 6.TAI CHIMondays and Thursdays at11 at the Card iac Heal thCenter in Fresh Meadows.670-1695. $5 a class.CAREGIVERS SUPPORTEver y Tuesday We ste rnQueens Caregiver Networkin Sunnys ide . 5 :30 -6 :30 .784-6173, ext. 431.ALZHEIMERSTuesdays, Januar y 11, 25,February 8, 22, March 8, 22Caregiver Support Group inForest Hills. 592-5757, ext.237.YOGAWednesdays 5:30-6 :30 atthe Cardiac Health Centerin F resh Meadows . 670 -1695. $10 class.CAREGIVERS WORKSHOPWednesday , January 12top ic s i nc lude ca reg ive rburnout, resources, more.Flushing library at 10:30.WELL SPOUSESWednesdays, January 12,February 9, March 9 WellSpouses or Partners of theChronically Ill and Disabledmeet at 7 at St. Charles Re-hab Center, 201 IU WilletsRoad, Albertson. Donation.516-829-8740.
SELF DEFENSEThursday, January 13 SelfDe fense Workshop fo rwomen and G i r l s a t theSunnyside library at 4.OAThursdays a t the HowardBeach library at 10:30.OAFridays 6:30-8:30 at UnityCenter of F lushing, 42-11155 th S t ree t . Saturdays10:30-noon at ResurrectionAscension, Feely Hall, 85-1861st Road, Rego Park. Be-ginners meeting except thelast Friday of each month,which is a writing meeting.CO-DEPENDENTS ANON.Fridays 10-11:45 at Resur-rection Ascension PastoralCente r , 85 -18 61 st Road ,Rego Park. Women only.
RELIGIOUS
MISCELLANEOUS
CANNED FOOD DRIVEThrough Saturday, January8 at the Hillcrest library.EDUCATOR APPRECIATESaturday , January 15through Sunday, January 23pre-K to grade 12 educatorswill enjoy special discountsat Barnes & Noble, 176-60Union Turnpike, Fresh Mead-ows.
FOREST HILLSSunday, January 9 ShivaMinyan Breakfast at 9, aftermorning Minyan. $10. RSVPby January 6. Thursdays Tal-mud Class following Morn-ing Minyan. $10 non-mem-bers. Forest Hills Jewish Cen-ter. 263-7000, ext. 200.MLK JR.Sunday, January 16 ClergyUnited for Communit y Em-powerment, Inc. presents acelebration service of com-memoration for the Rev. Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. at 5at Mt. Olivet Baptist Church,202-03 Hollis Avenue.
BEREAVEMENTNew bereavement g roupforming at the Forest HillsJewish Center . 263-7000,ext. 223 for information.CATHOLIC VETSMondays, January 10, Feb-ruary 14, March 14 Ameri-can Mart yrs Cathol ic WarVeterans Post 1772 meets inBayside. 468-9351.VFW 4787Mondays, January 10, 24,February 14, 28, March 14,28 Whitestone VFW Com-mun i t y Pos t mee t s . 746 -0540.FRESH MEADOW CAMERATuesdays the Fresh Mead-ows Camera C lub meets .917-612-3463.COMM. BD. 9Tuesday, January 11 Com-muni t y Board 9 meets a tPunjabi Palace. 286-2686.LIONS CLUBTuesdays, January 11, Feb-ruary 8, March 8 the LionsClub of Ravenswood meetsat 6:30 at Riccardo’s by theBridge, 21-01 21st Avenue,Astoria.WOMANSPACEWednesdays Womanspace,a discussion group devotedto i s sues concern ingwomen, meets 1 -3 at theGreat Neck Senior Center,80 Grace Avenue . Newmembers welcome.QUEENS CENTRAL ROTARYThursdays 6:30-8:30 Comelearn i f Rotary is for you.465-2914.UNITED 40SThursday , January 13United Forties Civic Associa-tion, Inc. meets at St. TeresaPar i sh Center , 50 -22 45th
Street, Woodside.ADVANCED TOASTMASTERThursdays, January 13, 27,February 24, March 17, 31learn the art and science ofpublic speaking in Queens.525-6830.CIVIL AIR PATROLFridays 6-10 at Vaughn Col-lege of Aeronautics, 86-0123rd Avenue, East Elmhurst.AcademyWOMAN’S GROUPFridays the Woman’s Groupof Jamaica Estates meets atnoon. Call 461-3193 for in-formation.P-FLAGSundays, January 16, Feb-ruary 20, March 20 PFLAG,a support group for parents,families and friends of lesbi-ans and gays, meet in ForestHills. 271-6663.
TEENS
CHESS CLUBSaturdays at the Flushinglibrary at 2.KNIT & CROCHETMondays at the Douglaston/Little Neck library at 4.MANGA CLUBMonday, January 10 at thePeninsula library at 4.LAPTOPS FOR TEENSMonday-Friday, January 10-14 at the Holl is l ibrary at4:30.TEEN TUTORINGMonday, January 10 at 3:30at the Bayside library.RESUME WRITINGMonday, January 10 at 3:30
at the Broadway library.TEEN ADVISORY BD.Monday, January 10 at theCentral library at 4.CHESS CLUBMonday, January 10 at theBayside library at 6.CRAFT CLUBMonday, January 10 at theLIC library at 6.FAMILY GAME NIGHTMonday, January 10 at theSouth Jamaica library at 6.GRAPHIC NOVELISTTuesday, January 11 at 4 atthe Bay Te r race l ib rar y.Thursday, January 13 at 4at the Richmond Hill library.Meet and learn from graphicnove l i s t and ch i ld ren^ : ’ sbook au thor Ne i lNumberman in this art work-shop.WINTER CRAFTTuesday, January 11 at theQueens Vi l lage l ibrary a t4:30.DRAWING MANGATuesday, January 11 at theSeaside library at 4:30.BOOK BUDDIESTuesday, January 11 at theHillcrest library at 3:30.CHESS & CHECKERSTuesday, January 11 at 4 atthe LIC libraryDUNGEONS & DRAGONSTuesday, January 11 at theBaisley Park library. Register.CHESSWednesdays at 3:30 at theQueens Village library.TEEN GAMESWednesday, January 12 atthe Central library at 4.GAME DAYWednesday, January 12 atthe St. Albans library at 4.TEEN GAME DAYWednesday, January 12 atthe Kew Gardens Hi l l s l i -brary at 4:30.LEARN MAGICWednesday, January 12 atthe Queens Village library at4 .HISTORY OF CINEMAWednesday , January 12History of Cinema for YoungAdults at 4 at the Steinwaylibrary.DRAMA POSSEThursday, January 13 at theHillcrest library. Register.PRACTICE SATThursday, January 13 at theAstoria library at 4.DRUMSThursday, January 13 findyour rhythm at the Leffertslibrary at 4.SELF DEFENSE GIRLSThursday, January 13 at 4at the Sunnyside library.WII TOURNAMENTThursday, January 13 at theWindsor Park library. Regis-ter .ZOMBIE!Thursday, January 13 zom-bies in literature, media andfilm at 6 at the Pomonok li-brary.INTERNET SAFETYThursday, January 13 at theRidgewood library Register.HAPPY HOURFriday, January 14 at theFlushing library at 3.BOOK BUDDIESFriday, January 14 at theFresh Meadows library at 4.GAME PLAYERSFridays at the Hi l lcrest l i -brary at 2.
BOOK BUDDIESFriday, January 14 at theBayside library at 4.MLK JR.Friday, January 14 Honor-ing the Legacy of Dr. MartinLuther King, Jr. – A Commu-nity Conversation at 7 at theLangston Hughes libraryTEEN TUTORINGSaturday, January 15 at theBayside library at 10.SCIENCE FAIR HOW TOSaturday, January 15 at theRidgewood library at 1.MYSTERY BOOK CLUBSaturday, January 15 at theLIC library. Register.OPEN MICSaturday, January 16 at theCentral library at 2.ACQC SUPPORTACQC Teen Peer Suppor tGroup - informat ion, sup-port, skills development train-ing for those “touched byHIV/AIDS.” Ages 14-16. 896-2500.ART CLASSESFr idays t he A l l i ance o fQueens Artists in Forest Hillsoffers teen workshops. 520-9842.BOY SCOUTS 138Thursdays Boy Scout Troop138 meets at 7:30 at 192-15C 64th Circle, basement,Fresh Meadows. For those upto 17. 454-2391.BUKHARIAN LOUNGEBukharian Teen Lounge, forthose 15-18, at the CentralQueens YM-YWHA in ForestHills. 268-5011, ext. 202.CATALPA YMCASaturdays r ec rea t ion ,Weigh t room and f i tnesscenter available. 69-02 64th
S t ree t , R idgewood . 821 -6271.COUNSELINGCall 592-5757 for free coun-se l ing a t the Fores t Hi l l sCommunity House.DROP IN CENTERMondays-Thursday from 4-7 the Queens Rainbow Com-mun i t y Center, 30 -374Steinway Street , 2nd f loor,Astoria, holds a Drop-In Cen-ter for LGBTQQ youth up to22. 204-5955.EMPLOYMENT SERVICESunnyside Community Ser-vices Youth Employment Ser-vices avai lable. 784-6173,ext. 129.GAY GROUPMondays the AIDS Center ofQueens County has a Gay/B i /Lesb ian Yout h Group(ages 16 -21) meet ing de -s i gned to suppor t youngpeople in exploring feelingsabout sexualit y and other is-sues. 896-2500.SCOUTINGThe Rego Park Jewish Cen-ter wi l l offer boy and gir lscouting. 516-526-2492.SCOUTINGJo in Scout ing in Queens .212-651-2897.VAC YOUTH SQUADThe Glen Oaks VolunteerAmbu lance Corps YouthSquad is looking for newmembers 14-18. 347-1637.YOUTH GROUPFr iday s t h e C o m m u n i t yChurch of Litt le Neck wil lh o l d t h e i r C o m m u n i t yYouth Group from 7-9. 46-1 6 L i t t l e N e c k Pa r k way.229-2534.
QUEENS LIBRARIESMany b ranches o f theQueensborough Library of-fer toddler and pre-schoolprograms. Contact your lo-cal branch for dates.MATH HELPSaturday at the Flushing li-brary.MAD SCIENTISTSaturday, January 8 at Al-l ey Pond Env i ronmenta lCenter for those 8-12. 229-4000 to register.SCIENCE LABSaturdays, January 8, 15 atthe Central library at 11.FOOTPRINTS IN SNOWSaturday , January 8 fo rthose 3 -4 and Saturday ,January 22 for those 5-6 atAl ley Pond EnvironmentalCenter. 229-4000 to regis-ter .SYMPHONY 101Saturday, January 8 at 1 atthe Forest Hills library and at3 at the Sunnyside library.P e r f o r m a n c e / w o r k s h o pabout the dif ferent instru-ments in the traditional sym-phonic orchestra.CHESS CLUBSaturdays at the Flushinglibrary at 2.STORY TIMESSaturdays at 11 and Tues-days at 10:30 weekly storytimes at 7 at Barnes & Noble,176 -60 Un ion Tu rnp ike ,Fresh Meadows.KNIT & CROCHETMondays a t 4 a t theDouglaston/Li t t le Neck l i -b ra r y. B r ing need les andyarn.HOMEWORK HELPMonday-Friday, January 10-14 at the Lefrak City libraryat 3.LITTLE TOT TIMEMonday, January 10 at theHillcrest library at 4.AFTERSCHOOL TIMEMonday, January 10 at 3 atthe Arverne library.TEEN TUTORINGMonday, January 10 at theBayside library at 3:30.WINTER CRAFTMonday, January 10 at theQueens Village library at 4.FAMILY GAME NIGHTMonday, January 10 at theSouth Jamaica library at 6.PJ STORY TIMEMonday, January 10 at thePomonok library at 7.NUTRITION WORKSHOPTuesday, Januar y 11 fo rthose 11-14 at the LIC l i -brary. Register. Also at theL IC l ib ra ry on Thursday ,January 13. Register.ACTING WORKSHOPTuesday, Januar y 11 fo rthose 10-14 at the Peninsulalibrary,. Register.BOOK BUDDIESTuesday, January 11 at 3:30at the Hillcrest library.CHESS & CHECKERSTuesday, January 11 at theLIC library at 4.DUNGEONS & DRAGONSTuesday, January 11 at theBaisley Park library. Register.CHESSWednesdays at the QueensVillage library at 3:30.CRAFTSWednesday, January 12 atthe Steinway library. Regis-ter .GAME DAY
Wednesday, January 12 atthe St. Albans library at 4.STORY TIMEWednesday, January 12 atthe East E lmhurst l ib rary.Register .PRESCHOOL CRAFTWednesday, January 12 atthe Windsor Park l ibrary.Register .PICTURE BOOK TIMEWednesday, January 12 atthe Rego Park library at 3:30.SKATEBOARDWednesday , January 12Personalize your own skate-board at the Lefrak Cit y li-brary at 4.ANNIE THE DOGThursday, January 13 at theQueens Village library at 4.PUZZLE PROJECTSThursday, January 13 at theHillcrest library at 4:30.WII TOURNAMENTThursday, January 13 at theWindsor Park library. Regis-ter .CHESS CLUBFriday, January 14 at thePoppenhusen library at 3:30.GAME DAYFr idays a t 3 :30 a t theQueens Village library.ARTS & CRAFTSFriday, January 14 at the EastFlushing library. Register.GAME PLAYERS CLUBFridays at the Hillcrest libraryat 4.GAME TIMEFridays at the Windsor Parklibrary at 4.CHESS CLUBFridays at the Douglaston/Little Neck library. Register.FAMILY STORYTIMEFriday, January 14 at theSeaside library at 11.MLK JR.F r iday , January 14 ce l -ebrate Martin Luther King,Jr.’s birthday at the Bay Ter-race library. Register.BOOK BUDDIESFriday, January 14 at theBayside library at 4.MLK JR.Friday, January 14 at theEast Elmhurst library at 4.ARTS & CRAFTSFriday, January 14 at thePeninsula library at 4.MLK JR.Friday, January 14 at theLangston Hughes library at7 .TEEN TUTORINGSaturday, January 15 at theBayside library at 10.ANIMAL CARESaturday, January 15 andSunday , January 23 fo rthose 8-12 at Alley Pond En-v i ronmenta l Center . 229 -4000 to register.STORY TIMESaturday, January 15 storyt ime featur ing books thatce leb ra te each pe r son ’ suniqueness and show howimportant it is to be a goodf r iend a t 11 a t Ba rnes &Noble, 176-60 Union Turn-pike, Fresh Meadows.MLK JR.Saturday, January 15 pro-gram at the Central librarybeginning at 11:30.SCIENCE FAIR HOW TOSaturday, January 15 at theRidgewood library at 1.BOY SCOUT 138Thursdays Boy Scout Troop138 meets at 7:30 in the
basement at 192-15C 64th
Circle, Fresh Meadows. Forthose 11 and o lder . 454-2391.CUB SCOUTS 351Fridays at St. Nicholas ofTolentine school cafeteria,Pa r sons B lvd . and Un ionTurnpike. Boys in grades 1-5. 820-0015.CUB/TROOP SCOUTSFridays f rom Septemberthrough June Pack 357 andTroop 357 meet s in t heScout Room, 69 -16 164th
Street, Flushing. 591-9514Cubs, 279-9085 Scouts.SCOUTINGJo in Scout ing in Queens .212-651-2897.SHABBAT SCOUTSSundays Shomer ShabbatBoy Scout Troop 613 meetsfrom 6-7:30 at Young Israelof Windsor Park. 969-1571.
EXHIBIT
QUEENS HISTORICALTuesdays , Sa turdays andSundays 2:30-4:30 new ex-hibit “For Love of the Games:A H i s to ry o f Spor t s i nQueens,” with other exhib-its, “Unraveling History: Us-ing Textiles to Date the Past,”“K ings l and : F rom Home-stead to House Museum,”“Persistence: A Celebrationof Landmarks in Queens –Past, Present, Future,” and“ The C iv i l War ’ s L a s t ingMemory.” Queens HistoricalSociety at Kingsland Home-stead, 144-35 37th avenue,Flushing. 939-0647, ext. 17.$2 seniors and students, $3adults.AMER. CIVIL RIGHTSThrough January “A JourneyI Stone and Wood,” sculp-tures by Gladys ThompsonRoth . February th roughApril “Bindu Masks from theImperato Collection.” Febru-ary through June “QCC ArtGallery: 20 Years of Collect-i ng . ” May through June“Depar tment o f A r t andDesign’s Juried Student Ex-hibition.” QCC Art Gallery.631-6396.AFGHANISTANThrough January 13 “Win-dows and Mirrors: The Warin A fghan i s tan” a t theGodwin-Ternbach Museumat Queens College.NAL STUDENTSJanuary 3-29 National ArtLeague Students’ Art Exhibi-t ion a t the league, 44 -21Douglaston Parkway. Mondaythrough Thursday 1-4 andweekends 1-3. Free.NY REGIONAL AESTHETICSJanuary 29 through June 30“Express : Local/New YorkRegional Aesthetics” at theQueens College Art Center.997-3770.FLUSHING COUNCILThrough September 2011“Within the Emperor’s Gar-den : ” The Ten ThousandSprings Pavilion.” Perma-nent displays include “JazzLive!”, “Flushing Town Hall:”Fact or Folklore,” an histori-cal exhibit ion on FlushingTown Hall and its place inh i s to ry , “Legends o f theQueens Jazz Trail” 463-7700.
Army National Guard Pvt. Gustavo A.Avenia has graduated from basic infantrytraining at Fort Benning, Columbus, Ga.
During the nine weeks of training, thesoldier received training in drill and ceremo-nies, weapons, map reading, tactics, militarycourtesy, military justice, physical fitness,first aid, and Army history, core values andtraditions. Additional training included de-velopment of basic combat skills and battle-field operations and tactics, and experienc-ing use of various weapons and weaponsdefenses available to the infantry crewman.
He is the son of Adela Caviedes of Flushing.
Maspeth Federal Savings donated $5,000to Our Lady of Hope School in Middle Villageand St. Stanislaus Kostka School in Maspeth.Currently both schools participate in the bank’sYoung Savers Program, which allows the stu-dents to open bank accounts through the school.The students deposit weekly into the accountsand the bank sends employees to pick up anddrop off the deposits for the students.
Kenneth Rudzewick, President & ChiefExecutive Officer of Maspeth Federal pre-sented the schools with the checks on Friday.“At Maspeth Federal, we strongly believe ineducation and supporting the children of our
community. It’s a special time for them andtheir family, and we just want to give back inthe best way we see possible”
At Our Lady of Hope, the school used thedonation for a Smart Board for their 3rdGrade class. Smart Boards look like largescreens that resemble a white chalk board,but they are actually monitors hooked into aninternet-connected computer that the teachercan use just as someone uses a desktop orlaptop computer. The screens are interac-tive, using touch-screen technology, and pro-grams, lessons, internet searches and muchmore can be done right in front of the class.
“The Our Lady of Hope School Commu-nity wishes to thank Maspeth Federal Savingsfor their unending support and generosity.The Smart Board is a wonderful tool to helpus enhance the students’ interests and grasptheir attention in a way they understand giventoday’s technological world.” Said Ms. MicheleKrebs, Principal of Our Lady of Hope School.
At St. Stanislaus Kostka, they plan to con-tinue to provide Smart Board Technology intheir classrooms and to upgrade and increase thenumber of our school laptops used by the chil-dren for classroom research.
“St. Stanislaus Kostka School thanks Mr.Rudzewick and Maspeth Federal Savings for
Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky and two leaders of the United Federation of Teachers,District 25 Representative Joseph Kessler and Queens Borough RepresentativeRona Freiser, spoke at the December meeting of the FDR Democratic Associa-tion. Pictured l. to r. Sen. Stavisky, Kessler, Freiser, FDR Democratic Assn.President Judith Abbot.
FDR Democratic Assoc.:
‘giving back’ to our children while, at the sametime, helping them to learn the value of investingand saving money through the bank’s YoungSavers Program.” Said Sister Rose Torma,Principal of St. Stanislaus Kostka School.
St. John’s has appointed Joseph M.Mattone, Sr., Chairman of the Board ofMattone Group, LLC., to the University’sBoard of Trustees. Mattone, a St. John’sUniversi ty Law School Alumnus ( ‘55,‘94HON), was unanimously elected by his
peers this past September. He will serve in hisfirst capacity as St. John’s Board Trusteeduring a full meeting of the board at theUniversity’s Queens campus this month. Hehad previously served as a founding memberof St. John’s University’s Board of Governors.
Mattone has been involved in real estatedevelopment since 1955, both individually andunder the Mattone Group banner. He is aSenior Partner in the law firm of Mattone,Mattone, Mattone, Mattone, Mattone, Megnaand Todd, a full service Queens-based law firm.
concrete & masonry concrete & masonry
contractor contractor construction contracting construction construction
Lindsay Curtis fell into model-ing almost by accident. While help-ing her friend Venus with makeupand photo shoots for models, shewas eventually convinced to stepin front of the camera.
The 18-year-old Woodhavencollege student said it isn’t goingto be a career choice for her, butrather a “side project.”
“I actually really enjoy it,” shesaid, “I do plan on continuing tomodel.”
A side project to her desiredcareer, math teacher, Lindsay isstudying at Queens College andhopes to teach math when shegraduates.
“I really enjoy math,” she said.A graduate of George WashingtonCarver High School in SpringfieldGardens, she involved herself inmath classes and math challengeswhile there and was inspired by hermath teacher to become one her-self.
Whatever free time Lindsay has,which she admits isn’t often, shespends with her friends.
“We don’t really do much,” shesaid. “We just sit at home and watchmovies.”
Lately, she said, she’s beenwatching a lot of war movies, buther taste for movies and music isvery eclectic.
“My iPod is very random,” shesaid, with everything from TheBeatles to hip-hop.
digging their cars out of last week’sblizzard, one unlucky QConf stafferhad to dig the blizzard out of his car.
Armed with ice scraper in hand,he came to find his Jeep Wranglervirtually free of any snow on theoutside. But the poor chump wasnot as lucky as he originally thought. He opened his car to find a nicecoating of snow on the inside. Fortunately, it was on the passenger side.
We’re not sure if the Dept. of Sanitation does car detailing, but afterfour nightmarish years of dealing with this junker, the QConf stafferwished a garbage truck would just plow the damned thing away already.
Say it ain’t so, Joe.
Inside the staffer’s clunker.
Many people think Jerry Seinfeldwalked away from a goldmine when“Seinfeld” ended, but they have no ideathe paper he is commanding now.
The Queens comedian will garner apayday of £1 million ($1.5 million) for a 90minute show in London on June 3.
We know it’s not anything comparedto the sum he pulled for an episode ofSeinfeld, but consider this, there is noGeorge, Kramer, Newman or Elaine withher psychotic dancing.
The only personality he has to dealwith is his own.
Hey Jerr, this is the season of per-petual hope. Why not share?
This Queens College alum
certainly isn’t worried about
his next paycheck.
Still Filthy Rich
Ode To Queens 2010Seth Bornstein, the Executive Director of Queens Economic Devel-
opment, needs a vacation.For many of us, when we have toiled away at our jobs for too long
without a break, we get kinda punchy, and it shows. Seth, with apologiesto every poet who has ever lived, decided to send out an e-mail blastthat we couldn’t help but share with those not fortunate enough to beon his list.
This is his poem, folks – unedited:
As we bid farewell to 2010It’s time to look back and “remember when.”So turn off the computer and take out a penIt’s less techie and provides a few moments of zenHere at QEDC we’ve been busy as beesOur alphabet programs meet so many needs:EAP, WBC and Avenue NYC help small businesses lead,And Restaurant Week is a borough-wide feedThey’re packed in at Citi Field for the Taste,And we’re really in love with the Entrepreneur’s Space.Business Blueprint seminars help all win the raceAnd Discovering Queens – oh, what a place!Gotham Center is making Long Island City look snazzier,And JetBlue’s presence will make Queens Plaza classier.Shop at Skyview Center, drink bubble tea with tapioca latherThe exhibits at NY Sci and MMI help increase your brain matterDowntown Jamaica has Applebee’s and sleek apartments at Moda,In the new Rockaway Stop & Shop there’ll be black cherry soda.At expanded Kaufman Studios you may spy Ray LiottaBut Costco Rego Park toilet-paper packs outsize a Toyota
Seth, why don’t you take a day off?
Google QueensEvery year Google, the do-no-
evil internet giant that is takingover the world, puts together itszeitgeist list of the top searches bycity or region, and this year, forNew York City, the Queens Li-brary made the Top 10 – at No. 10.
Joining the ranks of suchsearches as Streeteasy, CUNYPortal and IKEA Brooklyn (the topthree), our borough’s library as-cended to the chart – the onlylisting that was uniquely Queens.Sure, Hopstop, NYC Weather,MTA and nyc.gov made the list aswell, but we don’t see the NewYork Public Library or the NewYork Yankees on the list either.
It just goes to show, if it’s outthere, it’s in the Queens Library.Congratulations, and let’s shootfor the top next year.
The show must go on… unless Assemblyman Rory Lancman hasanything to say about it.
Perhaps the most highly anticipated disaster in Broadway history,“Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark,” based on the story of our ForestHills web-slinger, has delighted and terrified audiences alikeduring a preview run in which four actors were injured – one witha concussion and another with broken ribs and internal bleeding.
“Several actors have been injured during the show’s shortpreview season, and the danger to actors, theater employees andaudience members seems to have reached unacceptable levels,”said Lancman in a letter to producer Michael Cohl, complete withthreats to hold hearings. “Turn Off The Dark” is feeling pressure
to turn off the lights.
His Spider Sense Is Tingling
Did you lose a bag full of Tiffany merchan-dise in Astoria recently?
If you did, did you think you’d ever get itback? Well someone in Astoria found your bagof Tiffany’s goodies and didn’t sell them oneBay for a nice profit or give their special some-one a free Christmas present. Instead the goodsamaritan posted flyers across the neighbor-hood with a phone number to call to claim thebag. The flyers note that there is jewelry inside.
Depending on who you talk to, the personwho found the bag is either an incrediblysincere, honest and selfless individual, or stu-pid. You decide.
Astoria Tiffany’s
Call the number if
your tiara is missing.
For now, new safety protocolsseem to have satisfied localelecteds.
