Download - Southeast Queens Press Epaper
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Volume 12 Issue No. 24 June 17-23, 2011
Online at www.QueensPress.com
I QUITEmbattled U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner resigned Thursday, just 10 days after a tearful press conference where he admitted to sending lewd photos and messages to women he met on the internet. See Coverage…Page 3
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News BriefsFree Wi-Fi In Parks
Queens parks will soon be connected.
In an effort to keep borough residents
surfing the net, Wi-Fi service will be intro-
duced to multiple City Parks, including
three in Queens.
On June 9, Mayor Mike Bloomberg and
AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall
Stephenson announced a five-year initia-
tive to provide Wi-Fi service at 26 loca-
tions in 20 City parks throughout the five
boroughs.
"We're pleased to join Mayor
Bloomberg and the New York City De-
partment of Parks & Recreation to bring
the convenience and benefits of Wi-Fi to
many of the city's world-renowned parks,"
Stephenson said.
The three borough parks scheduled to
be serviced by Wi-Fi are Flushing Mead-
ows Corona Park, Astoria Park and
MacDonald Park in Forest Hills.
"Park visitors will now have more op-
tions to surf the net while enjoying the
great outdoors of New York City's open
spaces," said Parks Commissioner
Adrian Benepe, who said he was pleased
with the partnership's five-borough
reach.
The introduction of Wi-Fi service to
New York City parks is part of Road Map
for the Digital City, Bloomberg's compre-
hensive strategy to make the Big Apple
the nation's leading digital city.
The initiative also aims to enhance the
City's engagement with New Yorkers by
increasing their access to new technolo-
gies, the intention is to make government
information and services more transpar-
ent while promoting the tech industry.
"New York City has the greatest net-
work of public parks in the world,"
Bloomberg said. "We've invested heavily
to expand and enhance them."
Stephenson assured users that the ser-
vice will be "reliable and very dependable."
Although free Wi-Fi service has been
introduced throughout the city in the past
at various commercial locations, such as
Starbucks and McDonalds, this initiative
is free to all city residents who own
laptop computers, smartphones and tab-
lets. Hotspot locations will be marked by
signs.
Users will not have to register and will
only have to agree to the term and condi-
tions of the AT&T service.
Although there is no specific date
schedule for connection, the Wi-Fi ser-
vice is expected to be installed at the
Queens locations this summer.
Fighting Meter Hike
Less than six months after the City
Council defeated a plan to raise parking
meter rates, they are regrouping to do it
again.
The Dept. of Transportation quietly
announced last week that it would seek
to raise parking meters from 75 cents an
hour to $1 an hour outside of Manhattan.
The rate hike is part of Mayor Mike
Bloomberg's budget plan released last
month.
The announcement led outer-borough
Council members like Karen Koslowitz
(D-Forest Hills) to slam the plan that
would affect hundreds of parking meters
in her district, which includes commer-
cial strips like Jamaica Avenue, Austin
Street and Yellowstone Boulevard.
"It is unconscionable," Koslowtiz said.
Small businesses in Forest Hills, Kew
Gardens and Elmhurst rely on customers
who park their cars at meters. She said
she feared increasing the price of meters
will drive people away from Austin Street
and Queens Boulevard to shopping malls
on Long Island.
The plan to raise parking meter rates
for this past January was met with stiff
opposition from members of the City
Council and business owners in neighbor-
hoods where businesses rely on shoppers
who park along the street. If the rates in-
crease, it would affect hundreds of meters
in Astoria, Flushing, Bayside, Jackson
Heights, Forest Hills , Ridgewood,
Woodhaven, Jamaica and Fresh Mead-
ows.
Koslowitz and Council Transportation
Committee chairman James Vacca (D-
Bronx) both promised to kill the planned
increase a second time. Both were instru-
mental in killing the planned increase in
December.
Vacca noted that the increase was
likely not necessary, as the amount of
money the city would raise with rates at
the current level would far exceed the
city's projected portion of the DOT bud-
get in 2012.
Calls To Save Fire Houses
Last Thursday, Bayside residents took
time from their protests and rallies to do
something different to try to save their
firehouse - and 19 others across the City
slated for closure in Mayor Mike
Bloomberg's budget.
Under the leadership of Community
Board 11 member Tom Meara, residents
and firefighters of Engine 306 in Bayside
held a phone bank at Bourbon Street Res-
taurant on Bell Boulevard; volunteers used
their own cell phones to call residents and
tell them how to voice their concerns
about the proposed closures.
Each volunteer and firefighter at the
event was given a list of names to call and
a sheet of paper briefly explaining what
to say when they call. It is a very simple
process that only takes about three min-
utes, Meara explained.
If they were able to get in touch with a
resident, they were told to tell them to
call 311, select the language preference
and press 0 when the recording starts to
list specific services, which will transfer
them to a live operator. Then tell the op-
erator "you want to register your concerns
over the closing of the 20 firehouses spe-
cifically, Engine 306."
"It is unfortunate that people can't
reach the mayor," he said.
If Engine 306 is closed, then response
time for local emergencies would increase
by two minutes, he said. In a area where
many senior citizens live, it is imperative
to have firefighters available at all times,
Meara said.
"Is it really worth $2 million in a $60
billion budget," he asked. "He's a mayor
that's out of touch."
People that will be affected firsthand
are the firefighters. Two firefighters of
Engine 306 who wished to remain anony-
mous, said they are infuriated that their
house along with 19 others could possi-
bly be closed.
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BY SASHA AUSTRIE
Officials and a legion of grocers and
employees from the last remaining dairy
farm in the City protested against
Starbucks’ plan to move its milk source
from Elmhurst Dairy to national conglom-
erate Dean Foods, which locally operates
Tuscan Dairy Farms, the No. 1 distributor
of milk in New York Metro region.
“Elmhurst Dairy is an invaluable institu-
tion in our City, not only as a provider of
dairy products for New Yorkers, but as a
long-time employer and good corporate
citizen,” said Councilman Leroy Comrie
(D-St. Albans). “Starbucks’ plan to move
the production of the milk supplied to
their stores out of New York City to a non-
union plant would potentially result in the
loss of hundreds of union jobs in South-
east Queens, which has long suffered from
unemployment.”
Elmhurst Dairy employs 702 people, of
which 252 work in the processing plant
headquartered in Jamaica; another 450
are commissioned for delivery and sup-
port operations. Rally attendees contend
that if Starbuck’s eliminates its contract,
Elmhurst Dairy will fold.
Starbucks refuted the claims that 702
people would be out of work.
“First and foremost, this move will re-
sult in no New York City job loss,” the
company wrote in a statement. Starbucks
referenced court documents in which its
New York based distributor, Bartlett, which
contracts milk sourcing through Elmhurst
Dairy, states that “If Elmhurst lost the
Starbucks volume it would not have to lay
anyone off, but rather it would merely cut
the substantial overtime it is currently giv-
ing its workers.”
“Elmhurst Dairy is the last vestige of
New York City’s agrarian past, and its
employees deliver fresh, local milk that
families depend on every day,” said Coun-
Starbucks Contract Snub Puts Squeeze On Dairy
BY JOSEPH OROVIC
AND DOMENICK RAFTER
U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Kew
Gardens) resigned from Congress Thurs-
day, nearly two weeks after he tearfully
admitted to engaging in raunchy online
conversations with at least six women,
sending them photos of himself.
Weiner announced his resignation at a
senior center in Sheepshead Bay, Brook-
lyn, where he launched his career in public
service nearly 20 years ago when he ran,
and won, a seat on the New York City
Council representing Southern Brooklyn.
“I’m here to apologize for the personal
mistakes I have made and the embarrass-
ment that I have caused,” Weiner said.
He added that “the distraction I cre-
ated has made” representing his constitu-
ents in Congress “impossible.”
Weiner was greeted with shouts of “We
love you” when he walked into the room,
but was heckled with yells of “pervert” as
he announced his resignation. He took no
questions at the press conference and was
not joined by his wife, Huma Abedin, a top
aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Few have come to the Rep’s side in the last
week, as President Barack Obama and House
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California)
both suggested Weiner step down.
“I can tell you that if it was me, I would
resign,” Obama said in an interview with
NBC. “I think he’s embarrassed himself.
He’s acknowledged that. He embarrassed
his wife and his family. Ultimately, there’s
going to be a decision for him and his
constituents.”
Other members of the Queens delega-
tion refused to defend him and expressed
regret at his resignation.
“This is a sad day,” said U.S. Rep.
Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica), “but Anthony
has made the right decision for himself, his
family and the Democratic Party. He will
be sorely missed by me and his constitu-
ents. I wish him the best.”
“I’m sorry it has come to this, but I think
it’s best for both him and his family and for
the Congress,” said U.S. Rep. Carolyn
Maloney (D-Astoria). “While the disclo-
sures of his behavior have been incredibly
disappointing, I’m going to choose to re-
member all the good things he’s done for
his district and our city.”
Weiner’s successor will likely be cho-
sen by a special election to be called by
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, but with redistrict-
ing only a few months away, Weiner’s
successor could be representing a district
that will not exist in the 2012 elections.
A special election would take place
between 70 and 80 days after Gov. Cuomo
calls for one. Two state assembly seats
within in the 9th district are currently
vacant since the resignations of Nettie
Mayersohn and Audrey Pheffer, and a
special election for Congress could coin-
cide with those special elections, which
have not yet been called by the governor.
A likely date would be Sept. 13, the same
day as the citywide primary.
Another, more unlikely option, is for
the seat to remain vacant and a successor
chosen in the regular November election,
allowing for September primaries.
“The Governor will take the appropri-
ate steps to ensure New Yorkers in the 9th
district are fairly represented in Congress,”
Gov. Cuomo’s office said in a statement.
Among the potential candidates who
could run for the seat: former Council-
woman Melinda Katz, who narrowly lost
to Weiner in the 1998 Democratic pri-
mary for the seat; Councilman Mark
Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens); former
Councilman Eric Gioia; or Assemblyman
Rory Lancman (D-Hillcrest). Republicans
may look to Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-
Ozone Park). Politico reported on Wednes-
day that former Mayor Rudy Giuliani has
spoken to Ulrich about running.
Reach Deputy Editor Joseph Orovic at
[email protected] or (718) 357-
7400, Ext. 127.
Weiner Resigns:
Vacates Office In Wake Of Scandal
cilman James Sanders (D-Laurelton). “If
we were to lose Elmhurst, we face the very
real possibility of milk shortages and sky
rocketing prices as milk becomes a rare
and precious commodity. Further, we add
to New York’s growing unemployment
rolls in a time of economic uncertainty,
climbing gas prices, fewer jobs, and more
stress than ever on our local businesses,
residents, and families.”
The Starbucks contract is only 10 per-
cent of Elmhurst’s overall business, ac-
cording to the coffee giant, and Elmhurst
Dairy failed to participate in the RFP
process last fall as Starbucks sought to re-
bid for its milk.
“We awarded the business to another
dairy in New York State that submitted a
bid,” the release reads.
The company has provided Starbucks
with processed milk since 2003, and has a
contract with Bartlett that runs through
2013, which Bartlett said it would honor.
“It is imperative that we support local
proprietors of our community in order for
them to expand, grow and flourish,” said
State Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-Jamaica). “I
encourage Starbucks to remain invested in
Elmhurst Dairy which is a part of New
York’s business community. I am prepared
to explore the use of state resources to find
a solution.”
The owner of Elmhurst Dairy hopes for
a change of heart.
“Elmhurst Dairy provides well-paying
jobs to hundreds of New Yorkers and
provides the milk that has literally fed
generations of the City’s residents,” said
Henry Schwartz, Elmhurst Dairy owner
and president. “As a locally based busi-
BY SASHA AUSTRIE
Veterans and the St. Albans commu-
nity may soon get their wish to stop the
Enhanced Use Lease Process at the St.
Albans Community Living Center.
An amendment, attached to the Mili-
tary Construction and Veterans Affairs
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
of 2012, passed in the U.S. House of
Representatives 411 to 5. The amend-
ment, which was introduced by Congress-
men Greg Meeks (D-Jamaica) and Peter
King (R-Nassau), would stop the preferred
developer, St. Albans Village, from build-
ing a new facility mirroring the existing
center and leasing 25 acres of land for 75
years.
“The passing of this legislation with the
inclusion of my bipartisan amendment is a
big win for veterans in my district and
Bill Stopping VA Plans Passes House
Many of the plan’s detractors contend
that the VA’s plan is outdated and does
not meet the needs of the veterans or the
St. Albans community.
“For seven years now, the Dept. of
Veterans Affairs has pursued a perhaps
well - intentioned, but a stubbornly
wrongheaded plan for the St. Albans pri-
mary and extended care facility, which is
located in the county of Queens,” said U.S.
Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside). “I am
very concerned that the VA is proceeding
full speed ahead with its plans to lease
property currently dedicated exclusively
for veterans.”
The bill will move onto the Senate and
Meeks hopes the bill will become law by
the end of the month.
Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at
[email protected] or (718) 357-
7400, Ext. 123.
veterans across Metropolitan New York,”
Meeks said. “By having the amendment
included in this bill, it will prevent the
fabric of my community from being de-
stroyed by the creation of high-density
residential and retail developments.”
The VA center has been at the heart of
a tug of war between veterans and the
Veterans Administration. Veterans insist
the site should house a full-service hospi-
tal and the VA’s current plan includes
replacing the existing facilities with a
new nursing home, psychosocial rehabili-
tation domiciliary and expanded outpa-
tient facilities. The 25 acres garnered to
the developer is slated for about 1,000
units in a jazz-themed neighborhood com-
plete with a jazz plaza and enhanced
train station.
As of press time, the VA had not re-
turned calls for comment.
ness, Elmhurst Dairy aligns closely with
the principles of social responsibility that
Starbucks claims are its hallmark.”
Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at
[email protected] or (718) 357-
7400, Ext. 123.
Elected officials and Dairy workers rally at
City Hall to urge Starbucks to keep using
milk from the Jamaica processing plant.
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BY SASHA AUSTRIE
Though Resorts World New York ca-
sino initiated a new on-site employment
center, there is a community faction ques-
tioning whether or not enough has been
done to outfit Southeast Queens residents
with jobs.
“The opening of this on-site employ-
ment center has flooded the area with
great excitement and optimism,” said
Michael Speller, President of Resorts
World Casino New York. “Our hiring
process is about building a hardworking,
diverse and local Resorts World
workforce.”
But while Leroy Gadsden, NAACP Ja-
maica president, commended the com-
pany for the employment center, but said
the Resorts World has not negotiated in
good faith with the community. He con-
tends that the employment center is in
response to the NAACP’s constant ha-
ranguing of the company to the media.
There are three demands Gadsden said
Resorts World needs to meet: 25 percent
of permanent and construction jobs set
aside for Southeast Queens residents; a
special training facility to prepare resi-
dents for management positions; and hir-
ing an equal opportunity officer. Gadsden
said the company has not complied with
the organization’s demands. He said the
NAACP’s stipulations are legitimate and it
is common business practice for a commu-
nity to benefit from a large corporation.
NAACP Demands More SEQ Hires
“They have a moral obligation, for that
which they tear down and destroy, they
have to build up,” he said.
He said the only community stake hold-
ers that have had a limited involvement
with Resorts World are residents in Com-
munity Board 10.
“More than Community Board 10 would
be involved with the negative impact of the
casino,” Gadsden said, adding that illicit
activity will rise throughout Community
Boards 12 and 13 because of the casino.
“Community Board 12 and 13 have been
ignored and left out of the process.”
Gadsden charges that Resorts World
has not hired a decision maker from the
affected communities.
“We hope the community realizes just
how disrespectful this company is being,”
he said.
To quell the NAACP’s claims, Stefan
Friedman, a spokesman for Resorts
World’s parent company Genting, said
contractor Tutor Perini has awarded $50
million in sub-contracts to minority- and
women-owned businesses, 54 percent of
project’s workforce are minority and fe-
male workers, and MWBE-certified sub-
Resorts World officials enter into a labor agreement with local unions to ensure equality in
hiring practices at the groundbreaking for the Aqueduct casino.
contractors and suppliers stand at 25% of
total contracts awarded to date.
Anthony Gellineau, a member of the
South Ozone Park Civic Association West,
disagrees with the notion that Resorts
World has not engaged the surrounding
community.
“From day one they have met with us,”
he said.
Gellineau said detractors of Resorts
World are out of bounds.
“They met with Genting with a five
page document with 25 demands,” he
said. “How do you meet someone for the
first time and come with demands?”
He said instituting a casino at aqueduct
has been a lengthy process.
“Where were they when MGM had the
contract?” he asked. “Where were they
when we were trying to get money to keep
the whole thing going? We have been
there for the past 20 years.”
Betty Braton, Community Board 10
chairwoman, said the NAACP has never
contacted the board to discuss their con-
cerns.
Braton supports Gellineau in his char-
acterization of the company.
“Genting has been extremely forth-
coming about their desire to hire locally,”
she said. “There are plenty of people who
are working there already who are from the
local area.”
Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at
[email protected] or (718) 357-
7400, Ext. 123.
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BY DOMENICK RAFTER
All of Queens' State Senators are in
support of marriage equality and a final
vote is expected before the end of the
week as activists on both sides jockey to
lobby the final undecided Senators.
State Sens. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica)
and Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach)
who both voted "no" in 2009 have
switched their vote in support, along with
fellow Democrat Carl Kruger (D-Brook-
lyn), another 2009 "no" vote. Huntley and
Addabbo both said there were significant
shifts in support among constituents in
their districts.
"The numbers have changed," Huntley
said at a press conference Monday an-
nouncing her support. Her district, she
said, is 60/40 in favor.
Addabbo said more than 6,000 con-
stituents wrote or called his office on the
issue. Of those, more than 4,800 of them
were in support.
Both have said their "no" votes in 2009
were based on surveys of their districts
that showed their constituents against,
but that has changed.
Their votes mean 29 of the State
Senate's 30 Democrats, including all seven
Queens Senators, are now in support of
the bill, with only Sen. Ruben Diaz (D-
Bronx) in opposition. They were joined by
two Upstate Republicans, Sen. Jim Alesi
(R-Rochester) and Sen. Roy McDonald
(R-Saratoga Springs) leaving the measure
just one vote shy of passing as of Wednes-
Addabbo, Huntley Flip As Vote Nearsday. The bill passed the Assembly by a vote
of 80-63 Wednesday night with most of
Queens' members voting for it.
"Years from now, I'm still going to be
proud of this vote," said freshman Assem-
blyman Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside), who
voted yes.
Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi (D-For-
est Hills) injected some humor into the
debate, noting that legalizing same-sex
marriage meant many of his
friends will soon have wed-
dings, requiring him to buy
them gifts.
"I swore an oath to up-
hold the constitution....it is
our duty to make sure all
citizens are treated equally.
Period," he said before vot-
ing yes.
Meanwhile, Gov. An-
drew Cuomo met with Re-
publicans on Monday to
push the bill.
"I believe the votes will
be there for marriage equality," Gov.
Cuomo said.
But some potential "yes" votes from the
GOP side are already gone. Long Island
Republicans Chuck Fuschillo, Jack Mar-
tins and Kemp Hannon have announced
they would oppose the bill, as has Sen.
Betty Little (R-Glens Falls), and freshman
Sen. Greg Ball (R-Hudson Valley). The
other potential "yes" votes, Andrew Lanza
(R-Staten Island), Steven Saland (R-
Poughkeepsie), and Mark Gristani (R-Buf-
falo), who represents a very Democratic
district, were still undecided as of Wednes-
day. Advocates in favor of marriage equal-
ity who have been tallying votes say there
are anywhere from three to seven Repub-
licans still on the fence.
Republicans are feeling the heat from
the state's powerful Conservative Party,
whose ballot lines Republicans often need
to win elections. State Conservative Party
chairman Michael Long has
warned he would pull his
party's support for any Re-
publican who voted for the
bill, but that feeling hasn't
been echoed by some Con-
servative Party county chairs,
who will ultimately have con-
trol over who gets party sup-
port next year. Also, the anti-
gay-marriage group New
Yorkers For Constitutional
Freedoms is threatening
Senate Majority Leader
Dean Skelos with potential
third-party general election challenges if he
even brings the bill up for a vote. Arch-
bishop Timothy Dolan spoke in staunch
opposition on Tuesday, comparing same-
sex marriage to government intervention
into families in totalitarian countries.
"Last time I consulted an atlas, it is clear
we are living in New York, in the United
States of America - not in China or North
Korea," he said. "In those countries, gov-
ernment presumes daily to 'redefine' rights,
relationships, values, and natural law."
In the meantime, activists are continu-
ing the push, with same-sex marriage sup-
porters like New York Ranger Sean Avery
and actress Cynthia Nixon headed to Al-
bany to lobby the final undecided votes,
and organizations like New York Young
Democrats holding phone banks to keep
public pressure on the undecided legisla-
tors. Pro-marriage equality clergy held a
rally Tuesday in Rochester, in Sen. Alesi's
district, to offer him support. Former State
GOP Chairman Alexander Treadwell, who
ran against now-Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand for
her Upstate House seat in 2008, also called
on Senate Republicans to not only hold a
vote, but vote yes, on marriage equality.
"I strongly encourage our fellow Repub-
licans to allow a vote and to let individual
Senators vote their conscience as Sen.
Skelos has suggested," Treadwell said. "I
believe that when they do, Republicans
will help make history and enact the free-
dom to marry in New York State."
Should it pass, New York would be the
sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage
and the largest. It would also mark the first
time such a bill passed a Republican-con-
trolled legislative chamber.
Marriage equality is one of the major
pieces of legislation Albany is tackling in
the final days of the session. The legislature
is also working on reauthorizing rent regu-
lations and passing a property tax cap, a
major priority of Senate Republicans.
Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at
[email protected] or (718) 357-
7400, Ext. 125.
State Sen. Shirley Huntley
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In Our Opinion:In Our Opinion:
OF SOUTHEAST QUEENS
150-50 14th Road
Whitestone, NY 11357
(voice) (718) 357-7400 fax (718) 357-9417
email [email protected]
The PRESS of Southeast Queens
Associate Publisher
Brenda Jones
Executive Editor:
Brian Rafferty
Deputy Editor:
Joseph Orovic
Contributing Editor:
Marcia Moxam Comrie
Production Manager:
Shiek Mohamed
Queens Today Editor
Regina Vogel
Photo Editor: Ira Cohen
Reporters:
Harley Benson
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Domenick Rafter
Jason Banrey
Art Dept:
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Rhonda Leefoon
Candice Lolier
Barbara Townsend
Advertising Director
James Mammarella
Sr. Account Executive
Shelly Cookson
Advertising Executives
Merlene Carnegie
A Queens Tribune Publication.
© Copyright 2011 Tribco, LLC
Michael Schenkler,
President & Publisher
Michael Nussbaum,
Vice President,
Associate Publisher
Holding Our Breath
Editorial LettersP
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Letters
A Personal Perspective
BY MARCIA MOXAM COMRIE
First and foremost – we thank and congratulate Sens. Shirley Hunt-
ley and Joe Addabbo for changing their position on gay marriage. The
two were the only remaining Queens Democrats who had previously
voted against gay marriage; this week they said they changed their minds.
Yes, we recognize that they perceived the issue to be in opposition of
their constituents, and we are glad to see that the people they represent
spoke up in great numbers to convince them to change their position.
We certainly realize that this is not a fait accompli. As of printing,
there were only 31 Senators committed to voting in favor of granting
members of the LGBT community the right to marry one another; 32
are needed, and a vote was expected by Friday.
This newspaper has taken great pride in championing what we feel is
the basic equality of civil rights for all New Yorkers. If, indeed, the
measure does pass, it will be a historic day in New York – and one of
celebration here in Queens, home to one of the largest organized gay
communities on the East Coast.
We patiently await the vote of the Senate. Do the right thing. We all
should be equal.
Resign Now
To The Editor:
I write with sadness not anger.
The congressman from Forest
Hills Gardens has become a na-
tional laughing stock. The tab-
loid newspapers have published
unsavory disgusting photos of
female friends of Anthony Weiner
on Twitter.
In the early 1980s, Nita Lowey
represented us who lived here in
Parkway Village. On a snowy Sun-
day morning in January, her con-
gressional staff set up a table in
our supermarket on Union Turn-
pike. Her staff asked her constitu-
ents what help was needed. An-
thony Weiner does not reply to a
letter. I had Joe Crowley’s staff
send a letter to Weiner’s staff just
to please get an answer on ques-
tions of veterans’ entitlement.
As a registered Democrat in
Queens for 40 years, I demand
Weiner resign. Let him run in a
special election to vindicate him-
self.
Ryan Hayes,
Jamaica
Betrayed
To The Editor:
We have learned a lot about
Congressman Anthony Weiner
over the past few weeks. While it
troubles me to see a human being
publicly humiliated over a self-
imposed scandal, the issues here
go well beyond what Weiner does
in his private life. The core prob-
lem is repeated dishonesty and
shameless hypocrisy.
Putting aside the creepiness
of his actions, Congressman
Weiner has shown himself to be
untrustworthy and therefore un-
fit to serve. Weiner betrayed his
trust and lied to the media and his
constituents. Only after his clear
involvement was exposed, did he
confess and claim to accept re-
sponsibility. However, he contin-
ued to lie, claiming he did not use
government resources in the scan-
dal, or coach anyone else to lie.
New evidence suggests he did
indeed coach a woman on how to
mislead the press and even of-
fered the assistance of a Congres-
sional staff PR expert.
General House Ethics Rules
state that all members of the
House must conduct themselves
at all times in a manner that re-
flects credibility on the House. It
also states that members should
not in any way use their office for
private gain. Nor should they at-
tempt to circumvent any House
rule or standard of conduct.
When it became apparent in
Washington that Weiner’s viola-
tions of House rules are signifi-
cant, Nancy Pelosi and the Demo-
cratic leadership team began call-
ing for his resignation. Once a
representative has lost the confi-
dence of his own party leaders,
he is no longer capable of serving
the best interests of his constitu-
ents, regardless of the situation.
Many people have argued that
although Weiner lied and broke
house rules, he is not guilty of
breaking the law. But let’s con-
sider the scandal in this way…
any private citizen would be fired
from their position if they be-
haved in a similar way. Shouldn’t
our elected officials be held to the
same standards of behavior as
ordinary citizens?
Congressman Weiner is a
tragic example of how power
corrupts. When a leader is willing
to cheat, lie, blame and mislead
people in order to hold onto
power, then that individual’s
power does not serve the people
and his power must be revoked.
The issue is not whether for-
giveness can be offered to some-
one who has erred in the public
eye. But I believe Weiner has be-
trayed the public trust past the
point of being able to function in
this position.
Congressman Weiner must re-
sign.
Bob Turner,
Howard Beach
The 2012 Presidential Cam-
paign finally got underway earlier
this week with the first Republi-
can debate. It was a bit of a yawn,
but it did serve up an array of
candidates to represent the party
going into fall 2012’s general elec-
tion.
Mitt Romney, the presumed
front-runner, has done this be-
fore while running for governor
of Massachusetts and for presi-
dent in 2008, so he handled him-
self well, as expected.
Tim Pawlenty, whose best shot
was as John McCain’s running
mate, which never happened,
proved he belongs in the lineup.
Still, he didn’t wipe the floor with
anyone.
Congressman Ron Paul, who
also ran last time, is a quirky sort
of perpetual candidate and you’re
not quite sure what to make of
him. But he’s nobody’s fool. He
hung in for a long time last time
out and had people talking.
Former House Speaker Newt
Gingrich was knowledgeable and
able but won’t get very far. There
has already been an exodus of
campaign staffers and a jewelry
store snafu. His time has come
and gone; and he won’t get much
traction.
Ex Pizza CEO Herman Cain
seems to be hoping he’ll be the
Republican alternative to Presi-
dent Obama. Only trouble is, most
black voters are registered Demo-
crats and not too many will switch
party allegiance to vote for “alter-
native to Obama.” Nonetheless,
it is good to have him in the race.
He’s no Barack Obama, but he
still held his own. He’s a political
novice who will learn a lot for his
next venture, which won’t be a
presidential race.
There were others of course,
but the one who stole the show
was the lone woman, Michelle
Bachmann. The Tea Party dar-
ling from Minnesota proved she
can definitely handle herself in
the ultimate boys’ club. In fact,
she was a revelation.
It is delightful to see the rela-
tive diversity of an African-Ameri-
can and a woman in the lineup;
and greater yet to see that they
were not there for comic relief.
But in terms of sheer potential,
Bachman was the more interest-
ing of the two. Certainly she beats
Cain on legislative experience and
name recognition. He has nei-
ther.
But hot on the heels of Hillary
Rodham Clinton’s historic run
for president and Sarah Palin’s
zany run for vice president with
McCain, Bachman garnered a lot
of interest and will have gotten
the most mileage out of this first
debate.
In terms of the potential for
popularity, she could well be the
Palin-with-gravitas candidate for
Republican women voters and
Tea Party zealots. It is also not
outside the realm of possibility
that women will cross party lines
to vote for her if she proves she
can go the distance.
Bachmann, a former state sena-
tor and the mother of five who
has foster-mothered some 23
children, is going to appeal to
women across the spectrum.
An attorney by profession,
Bachmann has said, “I don’t
change what I say based on politi-
cal winds and desire.”
We haven’t known her long
enough to make a fair assess-
ment of that statement, but if she
makes it all the way to the first
primary next spring, we will have
plenty of time to find out for
ourselves.
Unlike Hillary, Bachman
comes with less presumed bag-
gage. However, she can be acer-
bic and that could turn off voters.
Still, it’s encouraging to have a
woman in the race who is at least
as viable as any of the better male
candidates in the line up.
It should help to make the
next 18 months worth tuning in
to. It would also be fun to see her
go up against the Obama jugger-
naut, should she score the nomi-
nation. He would defeat her but
women have fought for the right
to compete fairly whether it leads
to a win or not.
Ah politics, such a great alter-
native for those who don’t watch
a lot of sports!
Birth Of A New Woman Candidate For President
Send your thoughts, ideas,
opinions, outrage, praise,
observations about our
community
To the PRESS of Southeast Queens
150-50 14th Rd.
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Sorry, I Can’t Resist: Weiner No Longer Cocky
Not 4 Publication.com by Dom Nunziato
By MICHAEL SCHENKLERWow!I’d love to utilize the near-tragic
situation of Congressman AnthonyWeiner to get some chuckles – andI’m sure I will occasionally veer frommy serious message – but from thetime the news of Weinergate firstbroke to this moment, there areserious consequences for our na-tion wrapped up in this small Con-gressional member and his inap-propriate adventures.
First, a disclosure. I’ve knownAnthony Weiner since he was aBrooklyn Councilman running tosucceed Chuck Schumer in hisBrooklyn-Queens congressionalseat some 13 years ago. I’ve inter-viewed him several times; sat andtalked to him one-on-one a smallhandful of times and enter tainedhim (and a couple of hundred otherfriends) at the Trib Holiday party.I found on most occasions that wewould spar – a good-natured intel-lectual challenging about small de-grees of difference.
I always enjoyed the time I
spent with Anthony but never re-ally developed a friendship as Ihave with others who have beenin the political game for a longtime.
Secondly, his brother’s restau-
rant Almond, in Bridgehampton isone of my favorite places to dine.If support ing Anthony throughthis crisis would get me a tablewithout a rezzy in the summer, Imay be able to be bought. And ifbro Jason brings back the Satur-day night five-course tasting menu,I’m in.
Finally, all I want for Anthony
and our country is justice andequality. I want standards thatapply to him to apply toCharlie Rangel and every othermember of Congress.
I do not want to see thepuritanical roots of this nationin the far-off Midwest dictate tomy County, my City that youcan’t deviate slightly from ac-ceptable sexual mores or sexualbehavior without resigning, butcriminal misconduct doesn’t riseto the same heights. At themoment, Carl Kruger, a corruptindicted State Senator, sits inoffice. As I recall, popular U.S.Rep. Dan Rostenkowski, whorepresented a poor working classdistrict in Chicago from 1958to 1995 and served 13 years aschairman of the Ways andMeans Committee, was allowed toremain in office although he resignedhis chairmanship, while under Fed-eral indictment on mail fraudcharges. Rosty lost his seat whenthe voters refused to reelect him.
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi,
my friend Democratic CampaignCongressional Commit tee chairSteve Israel of Long Island, andDemocratic National chair DebbieWasserman-Schultz in a coordi-nated effor t have cal led forWeiner’s resignat ion – for thewrong reasons. Their concern isnot good government. Their con-cern is that the Republicans willutilize Anthony’s insane onlineconduct and contrast it with thequick resignation of upstate bare-chested emailing CongressmanChris Lee to point out that theDemocrats do not hold their mem-bers (excuse me) to the same stan-dards as the Republicans.
Now, I am not defending orcondoning Anthony’s behavior. Icondemn it. However, this aberrantbehavior is a personal failing andas long as it is not criminal, heshould and can remain in office. Ul-timately, his constituents shouldmake the decision.
His district should not be thetarget of the map-drawers whenthe anti-good-government politicalredistricting process takes place.
Anthony should be given thetime to heal himself and his fam-ily, seek therapy, all while he gets
Congressman Anthony Weiner and Trib
Publisher Mike Schenkler during better
times for Weiner.
back to work. He should be al-lowed to continue his impres-sive fight for those thingsprogressives of this nation be-lieve in.
And his party should notbuckle under the pressure ofthe right wing of the Republi-can Party, but should stand upand demand: let he who iswithout sin cast the first stone.
Damn, if we were gettingrid of every imperfect memberof Congress (especially thosewho lied about their imperfec-tion), Joe Crowley would findthe halls of the Capitol a verylonely place.
On the advice front, myposition has not changed andI wish I had written this andAnthony read it when the
story first broke. I now offer An-thony the following advice – I wishhe could have taken it before thelying began.
Anthony should acknowledgehis personal fai l ings, explainsexting as an addiction – an illness,and obtain professional help. Yes,Anthony has an ego that has pre-vented him from resorting to the“illness” explanation. But come on— putt ing a likely Mayoralty injeopardy for a couple of onlinethrills is a sickness.
Admit it. Get treatment. Re-build the confidence of your wife.And heal yourself.
Our nation is a very forgivinglot. Bill Clinton is still our idol.
I returned Saturday night, af-ter writing this column, from a dayout and dinner at Almond, to findthat Anthony had asked for a shortleave to seek professional treat-ment to become “a better husbandand healthier person.”
He’s on the right road.Now, Anthony, can you get
me that table at Almond?(This column was written on Satur-day, well before Anthony Weiner re-signed on Thursday afternoon.)[email protected]
By Rev. Dr. CALVIN RICEOur communities here have
been devastated by unemploymentand home foreclosures. The aban-doned storefronts and crowded em-ployment services centers are con-stant reminders of Queens’ harsheconomic climate. At a time whenour residents are facing such tre-mendous economic peril, we needall the help we can get, par ticu-larly when we have seen few indi-cations that our economic situa-tion is changing for the better.
Therefore when someonemakes the decision to invest hun-dreds of millions of dollars in ourcommunity like Resor t s WorldCasino New York has done, weshould be fair and considerate; evenwhen it goes against our personalideology, political and religiousbeliefs.
Throughout the years I’vewatched numerous developerspromise to fairly distribute jobs tolocal minority and women work-ers, only to be disappointed whenall that talk failed to amount to anyreal action. Thankfully, the samecannot be said about Resor tsWorld.
I say this because on a recentsite visit I saw firsthand the realityof their commitment to subcon-tracting Minority Women OwnedBusiness Enterprises (MWBE’s) andhaving a diverse staff at the facil-ity. In fact, when Resorts Worldclaims that 25% of subcontracts orMWBE’s and that minorities andwomen make up more than halfof the work force for the project it
matches what I saw as Iwalked the site and spokewith countless men andwomen of African descentin particular.
If Re sor ts World’scommitment to diversityin its constructionworkforce is any indica-tion of what its perma-nent staff will be like, I amvery confident that thechronic unemploymentand lack of economic for-tune that has plagued usfor so long wil l star t to wane. With the 1,150 permanent posi-tions that will be available at thefacility, and the countless spilloverjobs that will be created in thecommunity as a result of ResortsWorld’s arrival, this is a projectwith economic benefits that willstretch far beyond the grounds ofthe Aqueduct Racetrack. And, thisis a project that is presenting eco-nomic oppor tunit ies t hat wewould be ill-advised to overlook.
As a community, we have tomeet this type of commitmentwith a cooperative spirit, sendinga message to others contemplat-ing making the type of investmentResorts World has that Queens isopen for business, and that wehave the talent pool right here inSouth Queens to make any ven-ture succe ssful. The Resor t sWorld project can be the modelproject, leading the way for oth-ers such as the Delta project, thecontinued revitalization of Down-town Jamaica, the Sutphin Bou-
levard project andthe arrival of an-other accreditedcollege, TechnicalCareer Institute(TCI).
To be clear, asthe pastor of one ofthe largest Baptistchurches in Queensand a leader in theN YS ProgressiveBaptist ConventionI do not in any way
support gambling because I haveseen some of the negative effectsit has had on some who becomeobsessed with greed and lose theirlife savings.
Our great challenge will be togain the benefits of employment,and enjoy the family friendly aspectsof the project such as the diningand enter tainment features thathave been carefully isolated fromthe casino which is in the centerof the facility and leave the gam-ing which is the profitability of theproject to the tourist and thosewho can best afford it.
Resorts World has informedme that they are working with theNew York Council on Problem Gam-bling to train their staff on prob-lem gambling, and to provide as-sistance for anyone with a gamblingproblem.
Rev. Dr. Calvin Rice is pastorat the New Jerusalem BaptistChurch in Jamaica, Queens and theFirst Vice President of the NewYork State Progressive BaptistConvention.
Resorts World:The Right Partner for Queens
Dr. Calvin Rice
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BY JOSEPH OROVIC
The battle over Willets Point’s rede-
velopment reached its highest technical
peak at a public hearing regarding the
plan’s oft-lambasted ramps leading to and
from the Van Wyck Expressway. The road-
way additions have driven the case
against the project for more than a year.
The hearing, held last Wednesday, was
most notable for what it lacked: atten-
dance was sparse, about 50 people in to-
tal; passions were tempered; and a some-
what subdued tone overtook most of the
project’s adamant opponents. It was a
far cry from last winter’s hearing regard-
ing Phase 1 of the redevelopment, which
brought out workers and landowners op-
posing the project with red-faced anger,
damning the New York City Economic
Development Corp. and its planned use
of eminent domain.
Last weeks’ hearing, held in the Flush-
ing Library, offered a second chance at
more salvos against the NYCEDC and
its plans. Yet most involved have seem-
ingly resigned themselves to letting court-
rooms, agency approvals and legal filings
be the stage for the battle. The fate of
Willets Point may ultimately, and without
much fanfare, rest in the hands of num-
ber-crunching traffic gurus.
The Road To The Ramps
The lead-up to Wednesday’s hearing
provides an abject lesson in the density,
scope and epic mountain of red tape re-
quired to slap new ramps around Flush-
ing Bay. It’s a three-year odyssey of com-
peting reports, varying math formulas and
legal gamesmanship. What emerges is a
veritable chess match, with leading op-
position group Willets Point United and
the EDC playing an exhausting series of
countermoves based on the ramps.
As the plan to redevelop Willets Point
wound its way through the Uniform Land
Use Review Procedure in 2008, the City
Council’s ultimate stamp of approval in-
cluded the plan’s Final Generic Environ-
mental Impact Statement (FGEIS). The
report mapped out the potential traffic
impact of the project, as well as the ramps’
role in easing any congestion.
At the outset, WPU latched onto the
ramps as the potential linchpin to any
challenges of the project. The interchange
between the Grand Central Parkway and
the Whitestone and Van Wyck Express-
ways already presented a nightmare of
congestion at peak rush hours. The City
presented a bleak picture of the ramps’
ability to ease traffic in the surrounding
local roads, WPU argued, with the added
congestion of a planned monolithic
mixed-use redevelopment of the 62-acre
Iron Triangle. The City Council approved
the plan regardless.
A subsequent legal challenge initiated
by WPU lived a short life in court but still
achieved some success. The EDC prom-
ised Judge Joan Madden it would not
employ eminent domain until the ramp
plan was fully approved, marrying the con-
troversial land acquisition technique to
the State Dept. of Transportation and
Federal Highway Administration’s OK. It
was as good an outcome as WPU could
hope for. The group steadfastly believed
the ramps were a fool’s errand, the
EDC’s figures were f lawed at best, and
no state agency would ever approve the
plan.
Initially, the gambit appeared to work.
Emails acquired by WPU through freedom
of information requests showed State
DOT’s engineers were skeptical about the
ramps’ traffic-saving ability. WPU felt as-
sured the ramps’ lack of approval could
keep the project tied up in agency offices
and red tape, effectively leaving eminent
domain off the table for the foreseeable
future. But EDC screwed their hopes
cross-eyed when it segmented the project
into phases.
The first chunk to be redeveloped fell
outside the auspices of the proposed
ramps, the agency argued, and therefore
did not require DOT approval. The 22-
acre chunk of land, with nine landown-
ers still not selling to the City, began a
public review process required for the use
of eminent domain.
WPU contended the fragmented ap-
proach was meant to sidestep EDC’s
promises to Judge Madden while lending
the redevelopment an air of inevitability.
The agency said the switch was a
byproduct of a rough financial climate,
making a singular developer undertaking
the entire mammoth project difficult, de-
spite receiving 29 responses to its initial
Request for Qualifications for the project.
The initiation of the public review pro-
cess opened a door for legal challenges,
and WPU charged through it, with two
lawsuits aimed at halting the EDC’s
march to redevelopment without the
ramps’ approval, while also questioning
the legality of the project as a whole.
WPU’s plans took a second hit when
Where Are The Cars?
the ramps made it
past the DOT.
Though lacking the
state agency’s final
endorsement, the
plan was sent out for
public review. EDC
welcomed the move
as a signal of the
ramps’ imminent ap-
proval. WPU con-
tended the DOT’s
new commissioner
and former EDC
Transportation Vice
President Joan
McDonald was re-
turning favors to her
former employer.
Part of the pend-
ing approval process
requires an environmental assessment, a
draft of which EDC put together in
March. The report addresses the impact
on surrounding highways. It concludes,
“The proposed access modification
project would be necessary to prevent sig-
nificant congestion on these freeway seg-
ments within the study area.”
That draft EA, held alongside the
FGEIS, provided a morphing depiction
of the ramps’ impact, according to WPU.
The group enlisted Brian Ketcham, a
Brooklyn-based transportation engineer
with a history of being a pain in the City’s
backside (he effectively killed Westway,
the Koch era’s massive West Side High-
way proposal). Ketcham’s number
crunching and colorful assertions have
become the dogma behind WPU’s oppo-
sition. His reports, the most recent a 286-
page rebuttal of the draft EA, amount to
the group’s sacred text.
Same Math,
Different Results
Should the redevelopment of Willets
Point go through as planned, all roads
within a two-mile radius would become a
hellhole of steady brake lights, honking
horns and an incapacitated mass transit
system, according to Ketcham.
“They’re essentially proposing the larg-
est shopping mall in the city,” he said.
“The impact on the surrounding local ac-
cess roads is so horrendous. They low-
balled the traffic, they have overstated
the impact of transit. These folks are play-
ing games with the numbers.”
Ketcham’s point lies in the differences
between gridlocked hell depicted in
2008’s FGEIS and smooth driving por-
trayed in the draft EA, both prepared by
engineering firm AKRF. According to
Ketcham’s submission, the latter hides
many of the flaws laid bare in the FGEIS,
underreporting the estimated car trips by
as much as 100 percent.
The gulf between the FGEIS and draft
EA can easily be explained by competing
formulas, according to the EDC’s dense,
three-paragraph response to Ketcham’s
assertions
“[The draft EA], which is more re-
gional in its approach, and focused on
highway systems, uses different model-
ing procedures for forecasting future traf-
fic volumes,” the agency said. “In con-
trast, the FGEIS analysis conservatively
assigned vehicles according to the most
direct route between their origins and des-
tinations. Both approaches are appropri-
ate and represent industry-standard pro-
tocol for evaluating traffic.”
While the FGEIS states half of the
Iron Triangle’s auto traffic would use the
Van Wyck Expressway, the latest EA low-
ers the figure to one third. An estimated
2,000 cars were not reassigned to local
roads in the report , according to
Ketcham, showing “operating conditions
on local roads that are better than re-
ported in the FGEIS despite carrying 26
percent more Willets Point trips. More
trips, lower impacts: it is mysterious why
EDC thinks anyone will believe this.”
Ketcham claims the EDC’s reports
willfully ignore the ongoing development
within Downtown Flushing, with the likes
of Flushing Commons, the RKO Keith’s,
Skyview Parc and other big ticket projects
adding to traffic congestion.
“They just don’t complete all the cal-
culations,” he said. “My analysis does.
The frustration for someone like me is
where is the planning? Where is the
upfront analysis? They will build it and
nobody will come because they can’t get
into or out of it. Or the whole area will be
gridlocked.”
Ace Up Their Sleeve
Ketcham’s latest rebuttal to a City-
produced report will play a major role in
any lawsuits challenging the planned
ramps, including a case returning to Judge
Madden’s court.
“If the court rules [it] does have juris-
diction and that we should litigate the mer-
its of the traffic impact, Ketcham’s report
would definitely be integral,” said Michael
Gerrard, WPU’s attorney for the case.
Gerrard also hopes Ketcham’s find-
ings will encourage the Federal Highway
Administration to undertake a Federal
Environmental Impact Statement, which
would most closely mirror WPU’s desire
for a non-partisan third party to assess
the traffic impact of the plan.
Meanwhile, the EDC is currently gath-
ering responses to its recent Request For
Proposals for Phase 1. It has consistently
reiterated its belief that the ramps’ ap-
proval is coming.
The next move in the ongoing chess
match appears to be the July 20 oral argu-
ments both parties will present, once
again, to Judge Madden.
Reach Deputy Editor Joseph Orovic at
[email protected] or (718) 357-
7400, Ext. 127.
Willets Point Foes, City EDC
Square Off Over Ramp Data
Attorney Michael Gerrard speaks as opponents of the Willets Point
Redevelopment Plan’s ramps rally before a public hearing.
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Police BlotterCompiled By DOMENICK RAFTER
101st Precinct
Shot In Head
On Sunday, June 12, at approximately
2:52 p.m., police responded to a 911 call
reporting a man shot at 364 Beach 56th
St. in Arverne. Upon arrival, police dis-
covered Yommaine Hunter, 23, who lived
at the location in apartment 4C, lying in
the fourth f loor hallway after being shot
twice in the head.
EMS also responded to the location
and pronounced the victim dead at the
scene There were no arrests and the in-
vestigation was ongoing.
105th Precinct
Another Shot
On Wednesday, June 8, at approxi-
mately 2:50 p.m., police responded to a
report of a person shot in the vicinity of
111th Road and Francis Lewis Boulevard
in St. Albans.
Upon arrival, police discovered Jimmolt
Gonsalves, 26, of 111-08 Francis Lewis
Blvd., St. Albans, lying on the ground with
a gunshot wound to his head. EMS also
responded to the location and pronounced
him dead at the scene. There were no ar-
rests and the investigation was ongoing.
110th Precinct
Burglar Sought
The NYPD is seeking the public’s as-
sistance in locating the following man
wanted in connection with a burglary that
occurred in Elmhurst
On Tuesday, May 3, at approximately
4:30 p.m., a Hispanic man, 40-45 years
old, 5-foot-10, 220 lbs., entered an apart-
ment at of 78-36 46th Ave. in Elmhurst
and removed a safe, containing an un-
known amount of cash and jewelry, be-
fore f leeing. The suspect was last seen
wearing a beige shirt with black pants.
Anyone with information in regards to
this incident is asked to call Crime Stop-
pers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477). The pub-
lic can also submit their tips by logging
onto the Crime Stoppers Web site at
nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting their
tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering
TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.
113th Precinct
Victim Dragged
The NYPD is asking for the public’s
assistance in locating two men wanted in
connection with a robbery that occurred
in St. Albans.
On Monday, June 6, at around 6:50
p.m., the two men walked into the GBA
Computer store located at 110-32 Farm-
ers Blvd. in St. Albans and walked out with
a laptop computer without paying. A store
employee followed both suspects out of
the store and confronted them. The men
then assaulted the victim causing injuries.
Both suspects then entered a blue
Honda Civic and attempted to f lee. As
they began to drive away, the victim hung
onto the vehicle and the suspects dragged
him, resulting in him sustaining multiple
lacerations to his arm. The victim was
able to let go of the vehicle and both sus-
pects drove off northbound on Farmers
Boulevard toward 109th Avenue.
Both suspects are black men in their 20s,
5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10. One suspect was wear-
ing dark pants and a dark colored zippered
vest, while the other was wearing a dark base-
ball hat, white t-shirt and grey jogging pants
with black stripes on the side of the legs.
Anyone with information in regards to
this incident is asked to call Crime Stop-
pers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477). The pub-
lic can also submit their tips by logging
onto the Crime Stoppers Web site at
nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting their
tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering
TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.
By BRIAN M. RAFFERTY
The Queens DA’s office has dropped
the final charge against former Demo-
cratic Nassau County Legislator Dave
Mejias who was arrested last year after
allegedly threatening an ex-girlfriend.
On Sept. 1, 2010, while in the heat of
a Senate race against Kemp Hannon (R-
Garden City), Mejias was accused of
menacing, reckless endangerment and
stalking after an alleged incident. He had
been accused of tailgating a former girl-
friend, causing her to pull off the road.
When both cars were pulled over, he al-
legedly slammed his fist onto her car hood
and yelled at her in obscenity-laden lan-
guage.
Due to Mejias’ connection to the Nassau
County political infrastructure, the prosecu-
tion for the case was handled by Queens
DA Richard Brown. The menacing and stalk-
ing charges were officially dropped in De-
cember 2010, but well after the political
damage had been done. Mejias pulled him-
DA Says Mejias
Cleared Of Charges
self out of the Senate race.
Last Friday, the Queens DA’s office
dismissed the final charge, and sealed the
case. From the beginning Mejias had con-
tended that the incident did not go down
the way his ex had described it, and he
characterized what happened as a busi-
ness dispute that turned into a roadside
argument.
According to court papers, the woman
had called and text messaged Mejias more
than 200 times in the month prior to the
incident, including five times earlier on
the day of the incident and three times as
the incident was happening.
Oscar Michelen, an attorney for
Mejias, characterized the incident as “an
argument between adults,’ and said that
it at no point crossed the line into crimi-
nality.
Mejias said that he no longer intends
to seek elected office.
Reach Editor Brian Rafferty at
[email protected] or (718) 357-
7400, Ext. 122.
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Southeast Queens Photos Edited By Harley Benson
pix
Peter Engelbrecht (r.), architect, contractor, landscape artist, and plumberretired after 38 years as the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation'sDirector of Planning, Design, and Capital Projects on May 30. F. CarlisleTowery, President of GJDC, praised his colleague and friend. "PeterEngelbrecht is a rare combination of artist and bulldog. He's a great vi-sionary, but he will also never give up until the job is done-and done right.All of Jamaica, indeed the entire City of New York, owes him a great debtfor all he has built and all he has saved of our city's heritage."
More than 15 employers and 1,000 residents participated in a job fair spon-sored by Councilman Ruben Wills in partnership with the Rochdale YouthCouncil and Rochdale Community Center held at the Rochdale Village BigMall. Pictured l. to r.: Assemblywoman Vivian Cook, Assemblyman WilliamScarborough and Council Member Ruben Wills listen to a presentation byan employer at the job fair held inside the Rochdale Village Big Mall.
Members of the Jamaica Rotary Club and Police Officers from QueensSouth, 102nd, 103rd and 113th precincts sponsored a Barbeque forQueens Centers for Progress' program participants at their BelleroseCampus. Hot dogs and hamburgers were served and everyone presentwas treated to tee shirts, face painting, a magic show and a live DJ.Pictured l. to r.: Joseph Iaboni, President Jamaica Rotary Club; AlfredJimenez, QCP Program Participant; Queens South Chief James Secreto;Maryann McAleer, QCP Director of Development ; and NYPDCounterterrorism Deputy Chief, Michael A. Blake.
Councilman Ruben Wills (r.) and Rushell White (c.), principal of MS 226on Rockaway Boulevard, pose with students at the End of Year SchoolCommunity Barbecue on June 4.
End Of Year Celebration
Rochdale Job Fair
Progress Barbecue
Englebrech Retires
Ph
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ARE YOU A SUMMER READER?
Register at any Queens Library location or online at www.summerreading.org.
1102
6-5/
11
Queens Library is an independent, not-for-profit corporation and is not affiliated with any other library system.
Free programs
and events for all ages,
including adults.
This ad is underwritten by Astoria Federal Savings.
www.queenslibrary.org
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Borough Beat
BY DOMENICK RAFTER
The clouds that socked in the city last
week were beginning to break shortly after
7 a.m. Monday as a half dozen people gath-
ered on a dock in Hunters Point, waiting
for the inaugural East River Ferry to make
its way uptown from Wall Street and take
them across the river to East 34th Street.
Among those gathered on the dock
were Gayle Baron, President of the Long
Island City Partnership, and a handful of
commuters from Long Island City who
decided to try out crossing on the river,
rather than under it on the crowded 7 train.
"It's good to have options," Baron said
as the 74-foot ferry boat appeared head-
Commuting Along Our Waterwaysing north from Brooklyn. When the boat
docked, the Queens commuters were
greeted by U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney
(D-Astoria) and Councilman Jimmy Van
Bramer (D-Sunnyside) who were joined
on the first cruise by Mayor Mike
Bloomberg, Council Speaker Christine
Quinn and Manhattan Borough President
Scott Stringer. Less than five minutes
later, everyone arrived in Manhattan.
The ferry, operated by New York Wa-
terway, which runs successful ferries along
the Hudson River and from New Jersey,
makes six stops along the East River. Its
southern terminus is Pier 11 at Wall Street,
where ferries from New Jersey also dock.
On its way uptown, it makes a series of
stops in Brooklyn; first in DUMBO at
Brooklyn Bridge Park, Schafer Landing
in South Williamsburg, North Sixth Street
in North Williamsburg and India Street in
Greenpoint followed by its single stop in
Queens at Hunters Point. The ferry then
makes the quick trip across the river to
East 34th Street where commuteArs can
take buses to Herald Square and
Rockefeller Center. The entire trip from
Pier 11 to East 34th Street only takes
about a half hour.
On the weekends and on Friday nights
throughout the summer, the ferry will add
a leg from Pier 11 to Governors Island.
The ferry runs every 20-30 minutes (20-
60 minutes in the winter), from 7 a.m. to
8 p.m. on the weekdays and 9 p.m. to 7
p.m. on weekends.
The double-decker boats, capable of
carrying 149 passengers, also has a bike
rack in the front of the boat for two-
wheeled commuters.
Two hours after the inaugural trip,
three commuters waited for the uptown
ferry at Wall Street. It left at 8:40 a.m., its
passenger totals doubling at each stop in
Brooklyn. Most of the passengers gath-
ered in the small open-air section on the
second f loor of the boat, taking pictures
of the Manhattan skyline, while others
stayed indoors, relaxing on the velour,
cushioned seats, reading the paper or
checking their emails.
"There's free coffee by the way," an-
nounced a female passenger who boarded
in North Williamsburg, taking advantage
of the perks of the ferry's first day, "You
won't find that on the L train."
There were still some first-day kinks
to work out. When the uptown ferry ar-
rived in Greenpoint, the downtown ferry
was parked in the slip, leaving the boat to
idle in the river for about two minutes.
"Nothing in this city is without its de-
lays," joked a male passenger from
DUMBO.
By the time the boat arrived in Hunt-
ers Point shortly after 9 a.m., about three
dozen people were aboard. A few more
boarded as it left for Midtown.
The one downside to the ferry's Hunt-
ers Point location is its distance from resi-
dential areas; the dock is three blocks
south of the Queens West development
on Second Street, in the middle of the
Hunters Point South construction site - but
there is a $5-a day parking lot. Baron said
she hopes the dock will be moved to Gan-
try Plaza State Park, which would be more
convenient for those living in Queens West.
The ferry is free through June 24, and
will be $4 one-way after that. There will
be a $1 surcharge for bikes.
For more information, including a full
schedule, go to eastriverferry.com
Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at
[email protected] or (718) 357-
7400, Ext. 125.
Riders from Queens and Brooklyn disem-
bark after docking in Manhattan.
The boat navigates its way out of Hunters
Point.
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A A A A A &&&&& E E E E EJu
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Restaurant Review
Comedic Novel Steps Back In Time
BY JASON BANREY
Judging a book by its cover is the worse
cliché any enthusiastic reader would want
to find themselves under. According to
Jack Newcastle, author of “The Fine Art
Of Mixing Girls,” his debut novel may look
deceiving, but leaves it to the readers to
not oversimplify.
“It’s unfortunate if anyone judges this
book by its cover,” said Newcastle with a
subtle chuckle. “[Mixing Girls] is definitely
more than what seems to be.”
Set in the 1950s, this quick-witted com-
edy tells the tale of Roosevelt P. Lane, a
New York City entertainment columnist
with a nose for news in the nightlife of a
town brimming with dubious debutantes,
cunning Commies and lackadaisical lushes.
Torn between two loves – an unassum-
ing salacious starlet and a pragmatic, pro-
gressive arts editor – Lane struggles to
not only decide who to be with, but which
one is the “right one” to be seen with.
With each night that passes, Lane
finds himself in dodgy dilemmas.
Whether it’s saddling up to a song and
dance at The Stork over a martini, or tak-
ing the gents up on a drinking contest at
Father Doyle’s hole in the wall, Lane
never finds himself without enough ma-
terial to muster up and rattle out of his
typewriter each morning at the Daily Mail.
Just when the book’s main character
believes he sees a bit of light at the end of
the tunnel, Newcastle pulls the rug out
from under him, which he feels is a come-
dic catharsis Lane needed to experience
before making his final decision on who
to be with as the book climaxes.
“It was important that [Lane] looked
back and said to himself ‘Could I have
done something differently,’” Newcastle
said about the book’s conclusion. “The
ending will make my readers think – some-
thing I wanted to achieve.”
The Astoria author assures his
readers that Lane is strictly a fic-
tional character, who is in no way
near based on himself – despite
their mutual disdain for vodka, ‘that
national drink of Mother Russia’
and a spirit which finds itself at
the heart of Lane’s lovely di-
lemma.
The fast banter and rhythmi-
cally placed dialouge carry Lane
from chapter to chapter, creat-
ing a recipe for disaster, unfold-
ing a plot that only a 1950’s sa-
vant could concoct.
Compared to today,
Newcastle admits it was not easy
recreating a world where social
media and smartphones never ex-
isted.
Nonetheless, Newcastle
stresses the fact that his novel
is a complete comedy while ac-
knowledging his attempts to paint a time
which is completely different than today;
a time where the fate of opinions of one
another rested solely on actions rather
than the frequency of Facebook status
updates.
RED HOUSE
192-03 Union Tpke., Fresh Meadows
(718) 468-0888
CUISINE: Chinese & Japanese
HOURS: Mon-Thu: 11:30 am-10 pm;
Fri.-Sat 11:30 am-11 pm; Sun noon to 10 pm
CREDIT CARDS: All Major
DELIVERY: Yes
In only eight months, Red House has
done more than just attract neighbor-
hood locals and borough residents to
feast on its delicacies from the Far East.
Word has it, Red House’s clientele ex-
tend all the way out to Brooklyn, Long
Island and as far as Washington D.C.
If people were willing to travel
nearly 250 miles from the U.S. capital
just to get a taste of one of our borough’s
hidden gems, my companion and I de-
cided to take a short trek to see what all
the fuss was about.
Located only 10 minutes away from
Queens Boulevard, the authentic Asian
fusion restaurant finds itself at the foot
of Cunningham Park’s forested trails.
On entry, we were graciously welcomed
by the warm staff and slowly soothed
to our booth by the restaurant’s tranquil
Asian music which crafted a gentle at-
mosphere.
Initially, we sifted through the menus
filled with a variety of options of both
fine Japanese and Chinese cuisine. Look-
ing over the menu we immediately no-
ticed the Sashimi Pizza dish. Intrigued
by the unconventional combination of
raw fish spread over a fried scallion crispy
pancake, we ordered away.
At a quick glance the dish gives off a
culinary kaleidoscope of colors. A mix-
ture of tuna and salmon is sprinkled on
a pancake among sodden seaweed and
sliced avocado, along with a dusting of
sesame seeds.
Skeptical of the plate’s combination,
my guest looked across at me and took
the first bite. As I hesitated, her eyes
rolled into the back of her head with
satisfaction. I immediately followed her
move and placed the triangular treat on
my tongue and crunched it back which
fully pleased my belly’s longing for some-
thing different. Salaciously savored by
our taste buds, each bite brought on dif-
ferent flavors an experience no culinary
aficionado should miss.
Next we order from the Chinese
menu. Keeping along with the “try some-
thing new” motif, we asked for the
steamed tiny buns with pork and the
Triple Delight with Scallions.
Opening the warm bamboo steamer
revealed the delicately rolled dough
which enveloped a generous portion of
pork that laid stewing in a warm tangy
broth. Nibbling off the tip of the bun
gave us access to the juices within, a
temperate transition for what was to
come next.
The sound of the Triple Delight with
Scallions echoed the gluttonous passion
we had already embraced. Sliced beef,
chicken and shrimp sautéed in an auburn
sauce specially prepared by the chef
seemed like the way to end our date.
The glazed plump shrimp, inter-
mingled within the tenderly cooked
meats, was a perfect seductive sampling.
The slightly sweet sauce along with
shoots of scallions brought silence over
the table. Throughout the entire experi-
ence we realized we barely uttered a
word to each other and the realization
of Red House restaurant’s widely re-
nowned recognition reigned over us.
We will be back.
—Jason Banrey
The second annual “June in Jackson
Heights” initiative, sponsored by Coun-
cilman Danny Dromm, is in full swing
with art shows, performances, films and
historic tours. Now, residents and visitors
will be able to sample cuisine from around
the world during Jackson Heights Res-
taurant Week, Monday, June 20, through
Saturday, June 25. This year, more than
20 restaurants will offer specially priced
menus during the week-long event.
Many restaurants were happy to be in-
cluded again, including Natives Restaurant
(82-22 Northern Blvd.), which offers a
shell salad filled with grilled chicken,
shrimp or salmon and a glass of wine for
only $15. Also participating once again is
La Pequeña Colombia (83-27 Roosevelt
Ave.), offering a choice of appetizer and a
selected entree with soda or juice for $20.
Delicious entrees from Nepal can be
found at Mustang Thakali Kitchen (74-
14 37th Ave.) where a 10 percent dis-
count off anything on the menu is avail-
able for the entire week and Desi Chi-
nese newcomer Himalayan Hut (75-18
37th Ave.) has a grand deal for two: soup
and one special entrée with rice and tea
for just $14.95.
Delhi Heights (37-66 74th St.) which
has received an outstanding Michelin rat-
ing, offers a fresh and authentic home-style
Indian cuisine with a buffet that runs from
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for only $10 or 15 percent
off their delectable dinner menu. Mehfil
(76-05 37th Ave.) is also on the list again
where a vegetable samosa, an a la carte
entrée, naan, rice and soda will cost $20.
City Coffee (77-17 37th Ave.) will of-
Local Restaurant Week
Returns To Jackson Hts
fer a small Greek salad with moussaka for
$10 while at Espresso 77 (35-57 77th St.)
an entrée and a glass of wine for two will
run $20 and an entrée and a glass of wine
for one will cost $10. Ricky’s Café (75-02
37th Ave.), a local favorite, has a great
lunch special for just $7.
Japanese Restaurant, Tomo (86-12
37th Ave.), will provide any three regular
rolls for $10 and a la carte sushi and
sashimi for $1 apiece. Happy Kitchen (80-
12 37th Ave.) meanwhile, is offering the
aptly named Jackson Heights Roll, Shrimp
Tempura Roll, and California Roll for $10.
For Italian cuisine, head over to
Armondo’s Italian Restaurant (74-27
37th Ave.), which will offer 10 percent
off. Head to El Coyote (80-16 Northern
Blvd.) for Mexican done right at $20 for
three courses. For Greek food, Plaka (75-
61 31st Ave.) is an excellent choice with
a great menu at 20 percent off.
If you like steak, restaurants that hail
from countries in South America like La
Porteña, La Boina Roja, Novo and Cafe
La Nueva, have the best cuts at the best
prices. Of course, we cannot forget Ameri-
can dining. For a Texas BBQ walk over to
Legends (71-04 35th Ave.) with a “buy
one get one free” signature BBQ sandwich.
To promote the event, organizers have
created a website, juneinjacksonheights.com,
containing a full list of all the June activi-
ties, as well as all of the restaurants par-
ticipating in Jackson Heights Restaurant
Week. Additionally, local web sites like
jacksonheightslife.com will be working to
promote June in Jackson Heights
throughout the month.
Go Visit Red House
Author Jack Newcastle’s new book not only oozes
1950’s style, so does his wardrobe.
Whatever way you see it, it is a com-
edy, Newcastle confesses.
“It is a comedy. Till it isn’t.”
Reach Reporter Jason Banrey at
[email protected] or (718) 357-
7400, Ext. 124.
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A Shindig For Dads Who Love Jazz
Faith
Notebook50’s Garden
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A Garden Teaches PS 140 Students
BY SASHA AUSTRIE
The gray overcast skies did not
dampen the mood of PS 140's Second
Annual Garden Party.
Hope Dorsey, math teacher and leader
of PS 140's Down and Dirty Horticultural
Society, said the event is to celebrate the
beginning of the planting season.
The Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson Commu-
nity Garden, on 165th Street, was lively as
students and community residents filled
the space, donning colorful hats.
Word“Few nations have been so poor as to have but
one god. Gods were made so easily, and the
raw material cost so little, that generally the
god market was fairly glutted and heaven
crammed with these phantoms.”
—Robert Ingersoll
Chyna Taylor, 12, said visiting the gar-
den makes her proud. Last year, she helped
plant strawberries, eggplants and tomatoes.
Natalia Taylor, 11, marveled at the lush
garden laden with fresh herbs and veg-
etables. Looking at the rewards from the
labor of community residents and the club,
she felt a sense of achievement.
"It was an enjoyable experience," Natalia
said. "I feel I can accomplish more than just
sitting at home all day watching TV."
For her, planting is a hobby she enjoys
not only with her classmates, but also with
her grandmother. "Planting
the tomatoes felt like find-
ing buried treasure," she
said. "We [unearthed] all
kinds of different insects."
Beverly Baptiste, parent
coordinator and Down and
Dirty Horticultural Society
member, said being part of
the process from inception
to harvesting is beautiful.
Though the Down and
Dirty Horticultural Society is
in its second year, Dorsey
and colleague Susan Gittling
have been tending the
garden's soil for three years.
"It's like therapy," she
said.
While the Society has yet to begin
planting, Dorsey said this year's crops will
include tomatoes, lettuce, peppers and
herbs. Throughout the summer, Dorsey
and the students will volunteer their time
to nurture and plant.
David Norment, PS 140's principal,
said the garden is the perfect learning en-
vironment for students.
"It's amazing for our kids to get out of
the building, and go to a place in their neigh-
borhood to see life growing in an environ-
ment that is warm and loving," he said. "This
is the type of learning that is sometimes
overlooked with all the standards."
Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at
[email protected] or (718) 357-7400,
Ext. 123.
Teachers and students enjoying a day at the garden.
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, along with students and community members at the rapper's
eponymous garden in Southeast Queens at its opening two years ago.
By SASHA AUSTRIE
Still unsure of where to take dad for
Father's Day? Does he love Jazz? The
men at the Presbyterian Church of St.
Albans have just the event for you.
The church is hosting a "Pre-Father's
Day Men Who Cook and Love Jazz"
event at 4 p.m. on June 18 at the sanctu-
ary located at 190-04 119th St.
"It is very, very uplifting for men to
join in and participate and be at the
forefront," said Elder on Session at the
Presbyterian Church of St. Albans
Patrick Tomlinson.
Tomlinson said the church's celebra-
tion of Father's Day began in 2003.
"Usually it was an event on Father's
Day at an outside venue," he said. "In the
last three years, we brought it back to
church."
Tomlinson said attendees can look
forward to a good time.
"I have heard [people] talking and they
are looking forward to having their pal-
lets and senses delighted on Saturday."
The church was borne out of cottage
prayer meetings. In 1898, the year before
The Presbyterian Church of St. Albans is hosting a pre-father's day
event.
the town of St .
Albans was named,
a group of Christians
started holding
Wednesday evening
meetings in their
houses.
Although the
foundation was laid
well before there
was a building to
house the spirit of
the church, people
worshipped in the
Community Hall,
built in 1903, which
is now the First
Church of God in
Christ.
The cornerstone
known as the Pres-
byterian Church of St. Albans was built in
1907. The church, which has endured
more than a century within St. Albans
stands as a symbol of its resilience.
"This church was founded March 5,
1907, by mothers and fathers in St. Albans
and the main thrust was focusing on the
children," said the Rev. Edward Davis,
who has led the church for more than two
decades. "That same spirit has penetrated
every aspect of the 100 years. There is a
great interest in young people and youth."
The event is open to the public; it costs
$15 for adults and $8 for children. For ad-
ditional information call (718) 528-2495.
Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at
[email protected] or (718) 357-7400,
Ext. 123.
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Queens TodaySECTION 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.
EDUCATION/GAMES/CRAFTS ENTERTAINMENT
MOVING IMAGEMuseum of the Moving Im-age, 35th Avenue and 37th
Street, Astoria. $10 adults.777-6888.SOAP BOX DERBYSaturday, June 18 in EastElmhurst. 468-5144.HOT JAZZSaturday, June 18 the BriaAkonberg Quartet at 2 at theLou i s Armst rong Garden .$10. 478-8274.APOLLOSaturday, June 18 From Ha-vana to Harlem at QueensTheater in the Park . 760-0064.ASTRONOMY NIGHTSaturday, June 18 Eveningwith the Stars from 8-10 atAl ley Pond EnvironmentalCente r . 229 -4000 . $10adults.ASTORIA HISTORICALSaturday, June 18 HistoryRo u n d Ta b l e w i t h th eevents of the Civi l War in1 8 6 1 a t 1 . $ 5 . G r e a t e rAstoria Historical Societ y,35-20 Broadway, 4^: th floor.278-0700.JAMAICA BAY CRUISESaturday, June 18 JamaicaBay Cruise 4-7 from Brook-lyn. 318-9344.SPRING CONCERTSunday, June 19 Children’sOrchestra Societ y presentsthe i r 42 nd Annua l Sp r ingConcert at 5 at Queensbor-ough Communit y Col lege.516-869-9696.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.OPEN MICThursday, June 23 at theEast Elmhurst library at 6.OPEN MICThursday, June 23 OpenMic: An Urban Love Story atLaGuardia Performing ArtsCenter .LIVE JAZZFridays through December13 at 180-25 Linden Blvd..,S t . A lbans . 347-262-1169ticket information.STAMP SHOWSunday, June 26 BaysideStamp Show at the RamadaInn in Bays ide . 10 -4 :30 .Free.CONCERTSunday, June 26 Quintet ofthe Amer icas per forms at2:30 at the Queens Botani-cal Gardens. Free.CONCERTSunday, June 26 concert onthe lawn in Fort Totten Parkat 6.JAZZSunday, June 26 Hot Jazz/Cool Garden, a July 4th birth-day ce lebrat ion for LouisArmstrong. July 30 GordonAu and the Grand S t reetS tompers . Augus t 4Jazzmobile in front of themuseum a t 7 . August 20Baby Soda Jazz Band .Armstrong House Museum.478-8274.DANCE ODYSSEYMonday, June 27 a t theFlushing library at 6:40.
WOODBLOCK PRINTINGEasy method in full color atthe Nat iona l Ar t League .969-1128.JH ART CLUBClasses in all art forms daysand evenings for chi ldrenand adults. 454-0813.PUBLIC SPEAKINGSaturday, June 18 learn tocommunicate effectively atElmhurst Hospital. 646-436-7940.CRAFT CLASSESSaturdays 11 -3 at Mar iaRose International Doll Mu-seum in S t . A lbans . 276 -3454.SCRABBLE CLUBSaturdays at 10 at CountBasie Jr. HS, 132nd Street andGuy R. Brewer Blvd. 886-5236.PET OWNERSSaturdays (not on holidayweekends ) f rom 1 -4 f reeDogg ie Boot Camp a tCrocheron Park in Bayside(weather permitt ing). 454-5800 . Rese rva t ions re -quired. Donations accepted.BALLROOM DANCEMondays, June 20, 27 ball-room dancing at 6:30 at theForest Hills library.BRIDGE CLUBMondays except holidays 12-4 a t P r ide o f Judea inDouglaston. Lesson & play$10. Partners arranged. 423-6200.KNIT & CROCHETMondays at the Douglaston/Little Neck library at 4.DRAWING CLASSMondays at the National ArtLeague in Douglaston. 361-0628.LINE DANCEMondays beginner to inter-med ia te l e s sons 6 -9 inBayside. 917-886-0519.ADULT CHESSMondays and Thursdays atthe Queens Village library at5:30.BEGIN ENGLISHMondays and Wednesdaysf r ee Beg inner s Eng l i shC las ses 10 -11 :30 a t thePomonok Senior Center, 67-09 Kissena Blvd., Flushing.591-3377.CAREER POTENTIALMonday, June 20 and Thurs-day, June 23 discover yourcareer potential at the Cen-tral library.POETRY WRITINGTuesdays, June 21, July 19budding poets are invited toa constructive feedback in apersonalized setting at 7:30at Barnes & Noble, 176-60Union Turnpike, Fresh Mead-ows.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.TANGO CLASSWednesdays, June 22, 29 atBuenos Aires Tango in For-est Hills. 347-642-4705.NOOK NIGHTWednesday, June 22 at 7 atBa rnes & Nob le , 176 -60Union Turnpike, Fresh Mead-ows.DUPLICATE BRIDGE
Wednesdays 10:30-3:00 atthe Reform Temple of For-est Hi l l s . $12 sess ion, in -cludes light lunch. 261-2900INDOOR SOCCER – DADSWednesday evenings at theForest Hills Jewish Center.263-7000.OIL PAINTING CLASSWednesdays 6 -8 adu l tc l a s ses , a l l l eve l s . GraceLutheran Church in ForestHills. 472-4055.WATERCOLOR CLASSWednesdays at 9:30 at NAL.Tradit ional and contempo-rary, all levels. 969-1128.CHINESE LANGUAGEWednesdays, June 22, 29 atthe Laurelton library. Regis-ter .QUILTING CLASSESThursdays 10-2 at the MariaRose Dol l Museum in S t .Albans. 276-3454 or 917-817-8653 to register.QUILTERSThursdays a t the Eas tElmhurst library at 12:30.CHESS CLUBThursdays at the East Flush-ing library. Register.COMPUTER CLASSThursdays a t theQueensboro Hill library. Reg-ister.KNIT & CROCHETThursdays a t the F reshMeadows library at 6.BALLROOM DANCINGThursdays, June 23, 30 at theWoodside library at 6:30.PAINTING WORKSHOPFr idays through June 24New Crea t i v i t y and Ad -vanced Painting Workshop atNational Art League. 1-646-546-2296.KNITTING CLUBFridays at the Maspeth li-brary at 10.KNIT & CROCHETFridays at the Fresh Mead-ows library at 10:30.BAKERS & SHAKERSStarting Sunday, June 26 4course class for the family.Star ting Tuesday, June 288 session course for adults.Central Queens Y. 268-5011,ext. 482.JOB INFORMATIONThursday, June 30 Job Infor-mation Center at 7 at theCentral library.
ASTORIA PARK CONCERTThursday, June 30 at 7:30.Free. Astoria Symphony per-forms.OPEN MICMonday , J u l y 11 O p e nMic Poetry Night at 7 :30at Barnes & Noble, 176-60U n i o n Tu r n p i k e , F r e s h
Meadows.WORLD MAKER FAIRESeptember 17-18 family funfes t i va l to make , c rea te ,learn, invent and more bycelebrating arts, crafts, en-gineering, food, music, sci-ence and technology. Hall ofScience.
DANCE
COUNTRY WESTERNSaturday, June 18 WhiteLightening performs at theFathers Day Dance . $12 .Glendale Memorial Building,72-02 Myrtle Avenue at 7:30.763-4328.ISRAELI FOLKMondays 7 :15 -9 :45 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.
EXHIBIT
ENVIRONMENT
DINNER
QUEENS HISTORICALTuesdays , Sa turdays andSundays 2:30-4:30 new ex-h ib i t “Fo r Love o f theGames: A History of Sportsin Queens,” with other ex-hibits, “Unraveling History:Using Texti les to Date thePas t , ” “K ings l and : F romHomestead to House Mu-seum,” “Persistence: A Cel-ebrat ion of Landmarks inQueens – Past, Present, Fu-ture,” and “The Civil War’sLast ing Memory.” QueensHi s to r i ca l Soc ie t y a tKingsland Homestead, 144-35 37th avenue, F lush ing .939-0647, ext . 17. $2 se -niors and students, $3 adults.MOVING IMAGEThrough June 12 “Real Vir-tual i t y.” Through July 17“City Glow.” Museum of theMoving Image, 35th Avenueand 37th Street, Astoria. $10adults. 777-6888.AMER. CIVIL RIGHTSThrough 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.NY REGIONAL AESTHETICSThrough June 30 “Express:Loca l /New York Reg iona lAesthetics” at the QueensCol lege Ar t Cente r . 997 -3770.SOCRATES SCULPTUREThrough August 7 “Vista”at Socrates Sculpture Park,intersection of Broadway andVernon Blvd., LIC. 956-1819.FLUSHING COUNCILThrough September 2011“Within the Emperor’s Gar-den : ” The Ten ThousandSprings Pavilion.” ThroughNovember 14 “EndangeredArt/ists: China.” November19 through January 7 “Ko-rean Painting Exhibition: AWalk Through Nature.” Per-manen t d i sp l ays i nc lude“Jazz Live!”, “Flushing TownHall:” Fact or Folklore,” anhistorical exhibition on Flush-ing Town Hall and its placein history, “Legends of theQueens Jazz Trail” 463-7700.DOLL MUSEUMWednesday through Satur-days 12:30-4:30 the MariaRose Dol l Museum in S t .Albans. 276-3454.BAYSIDE HISTORICAL“The Cas t l e , ” “Na t i veBayside/Native Voice,” “I fThe Hat Fits,” “The Womenof Bays ide” and “Bays ideLife” On the Edge of Moder-nity” are on display at theBayside Historical Societ y,352-1548. Tuesday-Sunday11-4. $3 donation.LOUIS ARMSTRONGGuided tours at the Coronamuseum. $8 adults, $6 se-niors, students, groups. 478-8274.
DINNER CRUISEThursday, June 30 1st annualcharit y dinner dance cruisefor Bobbi and the Strays.JEWISH WOMENTuesday, June 21 luncheonby the NY section of the Na-t iona l Counc i l o f J ew i shWomen. 1-800-829-NCJW.CENTENNIAL 2011September 24 QueensChamber of Commerce willcelebrate the Centennial atTerrace on the Park.
SPRING BIRD WALKSSunday, June 19 APEC. $5members, $7 others . 229-4000.ENVIRONMENTAL FILMSThursday, June 23 “HomoToxicus” Idlewild Park Sci-ence Learning Center. 347-824-2301 to register.
ANTHROPOLOGYThe Anthropology Museumof the People of New Yorkand the Armenian CulturalEducational Resource Cen-te r Ga l l e ry a re open a tQueens College. 428-5650to visit.LI ARCHIVESLaGuardia and Wagner Ar-chives display various exhib-its exploring the history ofNYC. LaGuardia CommunityCollege. 482-5709. Free.ALLEY POND C TR.Var ie t y o f exh ib i t s and achance to see nature up-close in the mini -zoo andaquar ium. 229-4000 for acurrent program guide.KING MANORPre-Hampton 19th centuryget-away Village, Jamaica Vil-lage, is recaptured at KingManor Museum, in themidd le o f K ing Pa rk . $2adults, $1 children. Limitedwinter hours , by appoint -ment only. 206-0545.ONDERDONKSelf-guided tours of the na-t iona l l andmark bu i ld ing ,built circa 1709. School pro-grams, craft courses, horti-cultural activities and histori-ca l s l i de shows . Grea te rRidgewood Historical Soci-et y, 1820 Flushing Avenue,Ridgewood. 456-1776.BOWNE HOUSEOriginal 17th, 18th and 19thcentury furnishings. 37-01Bowne Street, Flushing. 359-0528. $4 adults, $3 seniors,$2 students and children.POPPENHUSENVisit the kindergarten room,Victorian Hall, old village jailcel ls and current exhibits ,inc luding the “September11 Memor ia l , ” “Co l l egePoint Then and Now” andthe “Nat ive Amer ican Ex -hibit.” 10-2. 358-0067.BOTANICAL GARDEN38 acre garden provides rec-reation, formal and informaleducational opportunit ies.Queens Botanical Gardens,43-50 Main Street, Flushing.886-3880.COUNTY FARMTours avai lable of histor icAdriance Farmhouse, whichdates back to 1772. QueensCount y Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Flo-ral Park. 347-FARM.HALL OF SCIENCEAdults $7.50, children 4-15and seniors $5. 699-0005.FISHER LANDAUThe Fisher Landau Center forArt, 38-27 30th Street, LIC.937-0727. Free. Recent ac-quisitions and core holdingsin photography, painting andsculpture.ISAMU NOGUCHINoguch i Museum, 32 -37Vernon B lvd . , L IC . $10adults, $5 seniors and stu-dents. 204-7088.
RELIGIOUS
MISCELLANEOUS
DOG/CAT VACCINEThrough July 30 Pet landDiscount locations offer lowcost dog and cat vaccina-t ions . Contact your loca lstore.HOUSING EXPOSaturday, June 11 9-4 atQueens Co l l ege S tuden tUnion Ballroom. 298-6505.GOLF CLASSICJune 20 23rd Annual Ameri-can Heart Association GolfClassic. 516-450-9129.EXHIBITJune 22 unique program oflocal artists at the Kew Gar-dens Community Center, 80-02 Kew Gardens Road 11-7.WALK & RUNSeptember 25 Long IslandHeart Walk and 5K Run. 516-450-9126.ORATORIO SOCIETYMondays through April theOratorio Society of Queensrehearses at the North Pres-byterian Church. 279-3006.COMMUNITY SINGERSMondays through May theCommun i t y S inge r s o fQueens, Inc. rehearses atMessiah Lutheran Church,42-15 165th Street, Flushing.New members we lcome .658-1021.
BUKHARIAN MUSICTuesday, June 21 at 1:30 atthe Cent ra l Queens YM-YWHA, 67-09 108th Street,Forest Hills. $6 donation.HISTORY OF ZIONISMJune 23 at Temple Tikvah,3315 Hillside Avenue, NewHyde Park. $10 non-mem-bers.. 8pm.
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Profile
Frat Maintains Legacy Of SupportBY SASHA AUSTRIE
For more than a century, the men of
the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity have toiled
in their communities across the globe.
Here in Queens, the brothers of the alumni
chapter Zeta Zeta Lambda are keeping
with tradition.
"It gives me a means to provide ser-
vice to the community," said Malik
Goodson, president of the chapter.
To celebrate the work that the organi-
zation has completed during the fraternal
year from September to June, the alumni
chapter will host their 2011 Presidential
Awards and Scholarship Presentations. The
festivities will begin at 3 p.m. on Saturday
at St. John's University's D'Angelo Center.
"We will present some awards to some
of the people who have helped us during
the year," Goodson said.
This year, the alumni chapter will be-
stow the Annie C. Singleton Award to
two women, Lynn Stanton and Hilda
Air Force Airman Kerron A. Henry
graduated from basic military training at
Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio,
Texas.
The airman completed an intensive,
eight-week program that included train-
ing in military discipline and studies, Air
Force core values, physical fitness and
basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training
earn four credits toward an associate in
applied science degree through the Com-
munity College of the Air Force.
He is the son of Wayne Henry of Ja-
maica. Henry graduated in 2008 from
August Martin High School, Jamaica.
Air Force Airman Ramon C. Aarons
graduated from the Utilities Systems Ap-
prentice Course at Sheppard Air Force
Base, Wichita Falls, Texas.
The course is designed to train stu-
dents in water processing, analysis, oper-
ating principles of water treatment plants,
maintenance of water and waste water,
fire suppression and backflow prevention
systems and components; and mainte-
nance and repair of water supply, waste,
Kerron A. Henry
fuels, and natural gas systems. The train-
ing included monitoring systems opera-
tion to ensure efficiency and compliance
with safety and environmental regulations
for hazardous materials; performing in-
spection, recurring maintenance, and sea-
sonal overhaul on systems and compo-
nents; troubleshooting malfunctions and
removing, repairing, and replacing defec-
tive components; and modifying equip-
ment for specific missions or to increase
efficiency.
Aarons is regularly assigned to the
341st Civil Engineering Squadron, based
out of Malmstrom Air Force Base, Great
Falls, Mont.
He is the son of Almarie A. Delahaye
of Brooklyn. His wife, Alicia, is the daugh-
ter of Ionie James of St. Albans.
Army Pvt. Ruben E. Caminero has
graduated from the Basic Field Artillery
Cannon Crewmember Advanced Indi-
vidual Training course at Fort Sill,
Lawton, Okla.
The course is designed to train
servicemembers to maintain, prepare and
load ammunition for firing; operate and
perform operator maintenance on prime
movers, self-propelled Howitzers, and am-
munition vehicles; store, maintain, and
distribute ammunition to using units as a
member of battery or battalion ammuni-
tion section; perform crew maintenance
and participate in organizational mainte-
nance of weapons and related equipment;
and establish and maintain radio and wire
communications.
Caminero is the son of Antonia Veras
of Rockaway Park. His wife, Seydy, is the
daughter of Lupe Hernandez, also of
Rockaway Park. The private is a 2010
graduate of Beach Channel High School,
Rockaway Park.
The University of Connecticut re-
cently announced the students who at-
tained the Dean’s List for the spring 2011
semester. To make the Dean’s List, stu-
dents must be taking at least 12 credits,
finish the semester with a grade point
average that is among the top 25 percent
of students enrolled in their school or
college, and have no grade below a “C.”
Julie Kim of Elmhurst, Helen Cai of Flush-
ing, Kimberly Koop of Forest Hills, Alvin
Cheung of Fresh Meadows, Evins Clauther
of Jamaica and Jose Torres of Whitestone
were all awarded with the honor.
Army National Guard Pfc. Jonathan
Fowler has graduated from basic combat
training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.
During the nine weeks of training, the
soldier studied the Army mission, his-
tory, tradition and core values, physical
fitness, and received instruction and
practice in basic combat skills, military
weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet
training, drill and ceremony, marching,
rif le marksmanship, armed and unarmed
combat, map reading, field tactics, mili-
tary courtesy, military justice system,
basic first aid, foot marches, and field
training exercises.
He is the son of Lydie Boutros-Fowler
of Jamaica. Fowler graduated in 2005
from Martin Van Buren High School,
Queens Village, and received an associ-
ate degree in 2010 from Technical Ca-
reer Institute.
The State University of New York at
Geneseo has announced its Dean’s List
for the spring semester 2011. To be on
the list, a student must have achieved a
3.5 grade point average while taking at
least 12 credit hours.
Students on the list from this area are:
Saskia Talay from Floral Park, Nicole
Karras from Long Island City, Oliver Lee
from Flushing, Derek Weng from Queens,
Efthimia Barbagiannis from Whitestone,
Elizabeth Kussman from Whitestone,
Will iam Labate from Whitestone,
Fangyuan Jin from Flushing, Brianne Rosa
from Bayside, Christine Bae from Bayside,
Jesse Hong from Bayside, Hyein Kim from
Bayside, Doris Lee from Douglaston, Gre-
gory Palermo from Bayside Hills, Inhwa
Song from Oakland Gardens, Collette
Spagnolo from Oakland Gardens, Ashley
Thornton from Bayside, Joon Min Chun
from Flushing, Minji Lee from Fresh
Meadows, Natalia Bagnowska from Flush-
ing, Valeria Maroutsis from Flushing, Jisu
Ryu from Corona, Raymond Ferreira from
East Elmhurst, Daniel Nan from Rego Park,
Jack Silano from Forest Hills, Elizabeth
Solaimanian from Forest Hills, Haisu Qu
from Woodside, Mateusz Zukowski from
Maspeth, Stephanie Halvax from Middle
Village, Sierra Hunt from Glendale, Fiona
Harvey from Cambria Heights, Marilyn
Yang from Richmond Hill, John David
Acevedo from Jamaica and Nazibur
Rahman from Jamaica.
Hampton University’s 141st Annual
Commencement ceremony was held on
May 8, 2011 at Armstrong Stadium. Ac-
tor/comedian Bill Cosby served as the
commencement speaker.
The following local residents gradu-
ated from Hampton University during the
ceremony.
Malynda Washington of Glen Oaks,
Ianandra Booker of Flushing, Jasmine
Butler of Oakland Gardens, Antoinette
Brown of Cambria Heights, Shanel
McMillian of Cambria Heights, Tiffany
Edwards of St. Albans, Shanise Johnson
of St. Albans, Kirsten Jones of Laurelton,
Jonathan Petersen of Springfield Gar-
dens, Yampu Freeman of Rosedale,
Simone Lomax of Jamaica, Natalie Bennett
of Jamaica, Shanae Cole of Jamaica,
Kacia Hunter of Jamaica, Sahlia Joseph-
Pauline of Jamaica, King Imasuen of Ja-
maica and Dominique Harris of Far
Rockaway.
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The members of Alpha Phi Alpha’s alumni chapter, Zeta Zeta Lambda.
Rogers, who have aided the fraternity.
Singleton, dubbed the mother of the
fraternity, helped the founders of the or-
ganization by providing a meeting space
and lodging for a few members.
The organization will award six schol-
arships, totaling in $12,000, four to gradu-
ating high school seniors, and two to stu-
dents enrolled in an accredited university.
Though the chapter focuses heavily
on young men, the Alpha’s impact can be
felt throughout the community.
Alpha Phi Alpha was founded on the
campus of Cornell University as the first
Greek-letter fraternity for black males. It
was founded by five of the fraternity's
seven jewels, and it initially served as a
support and study group for minority stu-
dents facing racial and social discrimina-
tion at Cornell.
The legacy of the Alphas includes Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr., Adam Clayton
Powell Jr., Dr. Cornel West, U.S. Rep.
Greg Meeks (D-Jamaica), and Council-
man Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans).
Goodson believes the men who came
before him made his life easier and it is
his mission to aide the next generation.
"There was work to be done then, and
there is still work to be done now," he said.
Since the first group of young men
blazed the trail, the Alphas have expanded
worldwide, with chapters nationwide and
abroad. It may have started out as a frater-
nity that focused on black men, but about
40-years-ago it morphed, and the mem-
bers are now a representation of all races.
Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at
[email protected] or (718) 357-
7400, Ext. 123.
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Peacemaker?Queensbridge native baller Ron
Artest showed why he has gainedrespect lately (following someunfortunate incidents a few yearsback), when after leaving a club hebroke up a fight between a drunkwoman and a man without havingto throw a punch. People in Detroitand Indiana may be wonderingwhere this guy was when he playedfor their teams.
Every now and then, we atQConf like to take a look backat one of our favorite models,and check in to see how thingsare going.
It turns out that ElleSantangelo, who first appearedon our page six years ago, isabout to have a small featuredrole in a movie that has been inthe works for about four years.
“Bamboo Shark” is a filmabout a handful of MIT stu-dents who drop out of college tomake a movie – but no companywill finance it because thereare no celebrities in the film.
So the guys take it uponthemselves to impersonate ce-lebrities, ranging fromMichael Jackson to ArnoldSchwarzenegger and evenJudge Judy.
Though Elle’s part is small,as Lingerie Girl No. 3, we thinkshe will probably steal what-ever scenes she is in.
A New Jersey native, Ellewas living in Astoria when welast spoke to her. She had al-ready enjoyed a few good photoshoots under her belt, and wasspending plenty of time enjoy-ing work on student films andgetting her foot in the door asan actor.
Hopefully this will be thetime that she gets noticed. Welook forward to seeing more ofher… er… seeing her more.
Elle SantangeloLocation: AstoriaHeight: 5’ 9"Weight: 115 lbsAge: 25Stats: 32-24-33
Mod
els
OfQu
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Elle
Ringmaster JimWhen the Big Apple Circus
comes to town, it offers folks inQueens relief from the politicalsideshows that seem to pop updaily. Of course when you throw aCity Council member into the mix,you’re sure to have the best ofboth worlds. Here, Councilman JimGennaro steps into the ring towelcome kids from PS 82 who allgot to go free thanks to an alloca-tion from Ringmaster Jim. Part cir-cus, part sideshow, all Queens.
Councilmember Jim Gennaro
Still WildAfter being a member of the
Mets from 1985 to 1989, helpinglead the team to two World Series,including the victorious year of1986, Lenny Dykstra’s life haschanged greatly. The Mets of 1986were known to party hard, butDykstra apparently hasn’tstopped. Last Monday in LosAngeles, he was charged with 23felony counts and two misde-meanor charges.
He was charged with grand theftauto, identity theft and posses-sion of cocaine, ecstasy and syn-thetic human growth hormone. Hewas also charged with bank fraudby federal authorities in May.Dykstra failed to make his $500,000bail and could face up to 12 yearsin prison if convicted.
Portrayed in the Mets 1986post-season video as a “WildBoy,” it would seem the monikermay not have been that far off.
Lately, LL Cool J has immersedhimself in his acting career. Wealmost believed that he had aban-doned his first love – music, butlast Thursday he was a specialguest at a free Black Eyed Peasconcert held in Central Park.
To those who didn’t get achance to hear the Queens emceerock the mic, there is a possibilitythat LL will get a chance to spit fireon an upcoming “NCIS LA” epi-sode. LL is cast on the televisionseries as former Navy SEAL andundercover agent, Sam Hanna.
If he can give us a little of“Mama Said Knock You Out” and“Doing It,” we will be happy camp-ers.
Ladies Still Love Him
Queens since birth, LL Cool J
How many times have youfallen asleep on the train and wokenup way past your expected desti-nation? We admit that for some ofus at QConf, it has happened moreoften than it should.
In an attempt to keep Queensand Brooklyn commuters up whileriding the rails, McDonald’s intro-duced 1,000 subway ads to thecity trains, promoting their ice coldjava.
The poster depicts a shot of aniced cup of McCafe raised up to aslogan that reads, “To not fallingasleep and ending up in FarRockaway. (Unless, of course, youlive there.)”
Cheers to that!But when Councilman James
Sanders, who represents Far Rock,“refused to be the butt of a cheapjoke,” Ronald agreed to take themall down.
Thanks James; but how elseare we going to remember to stayawake now? Guess we’ll have tofight the urge of nodding off aftera late night in Brooklyn.
(Wait… did we just publiclyadmit we hang out in Brooklyn?!)
Somebody’s not paying atten-tion to the ad.
Who better to grace the coverof Russia’s latest issue of “Es-quire” than Astoria native Chris-topher Walken?
Ever the professional, Walkenmanned up for the role and posedfor the creepiest, most depressingshot of him ever taken. What couldbe more appropriate for the land ofSiberia, gulags and the KGB?
Though we’re sad to see himaging, we’re proud he’s wearinghis wrinkles with flair. Now if onlyhe can reprise a role along the linesof “Deer Hunter.”
Comrade Chris
Lenny Dykstra back in the day
Conf ident ia l ly, New York . . .
Ron Artest
McDonald’s Ad
QConfidential, a selection of lo-cal celebrity, politics and gossip ed-ited by Michael Schenkler.
Contributors: Sasha Austrie, Ja-son Banrey, Marcia Moxom Comrie,Mike Nussbaum, Joe Orovic, BrianRafferty, Domenick Rafter.
You can reach us by email [email protected]
Who We Are
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SATURDAY, JUNE 18
Youth & Tennis
The Youth and Tennis group meets
every Saturday morning at Roy Wilkins
Park Saturday. To learn more, call Bill
Briggs at (718) 658-6728.
Walkers for Wellness Club
Looking for a fun way to improve your
health? Join the Walkers for Wellness Club
at New Hope Lutheran Church of Ja-
maica. Under the guidance of a Walking
Leader, you will walk two to three times
each week at a comfortable pace with
others along routes throughout Southeast
Queens. The club is open to walkers of all
ages and abilities. The walking schedule is
Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m., and
Saturdays at 8 a.m. Walkers meet at New
Hope Lutheran Church, located at 167-24
118th Ave. T-shirts and pedometers will
be provided. Contact Thurkessa Brown at
(917) 553-1089 for more information.
Roy Wilkins Park Fundraiser
The Friends of Roy Wilkins Park cor-
dially invites you to attend their 7th annual
fundraising dance. This is a BYOBB affair.
All proceeds will benefit Roy Wilkins Park.
For information and tickets, call Ernest
Darby at (718) 978-6546, Wendy White
at (917) 916-6891, Barbara Dillard at
(718) 527-0139, Mary Ramseur at (718)
723-0570, Liz Evans at (718) 528-8666,
Yvonne Richardson at (718) 527-5085,
or Andrew Straker at (917) 863-7356.
Checks made payable to “The Friends of
Roy Wilkins Park, Inc.” should be mailed
to Friends of Roy Wilkins Park, PO Box
341042, Rochdale Village, NY 11434.
This event will take place at the Robert
Ross Johnson Family Life Center, 172-17
Linden Blvd, from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tickets
cost $35.
Queens Health Fair
Councilman Leroy Comrie is pleased
to present a Queens Health Fair. Don’t
miss this day of screenings for blood pres-
sure, glucose, cholesterol, EKG, weight
and height, asthma, and brain tumors.
There will be workshops on nutrition and
diabetes, as well as asthma education. A
dental van will be on site, and kids can be
finger printed. For additional information,
call (718) 776-3700 or visit
leroycomrie.com.
This free event will take place at Major-
ity Baptist Church, 115-21 Farmers Blvd.,
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Be Sickle Smart Workshop
The Queens Sickle Cell Advocacy Net-
work, New York Chapter of the National
SCDAA, is pleased to invite you to a “Be
Sickle Smart Empowerment Workshop.”
Join others in your community in an ex-
change of ideas and insights on success-
fully living with Sickle Cell Anemia. At-
tend an important workshop and get edu-
cated on Sickle Cell Disease and Iron
Overload. Get a free screening to see if you
are at risk of Iron Overload. Receive a
personally autographed Sickle Cell Dis-
ease tool kit from Dr. Ian Smith. The first
100 people to register will receive a free T-
shirt and a bag of goodies! Registration is
required to attend this event. Please sub-
mit your registration form at
www.qscan.org. For additional informa-
tion, visit www.qscan.org, or contact
Genay Adams at (718) 712-0873 or
This free event will take place at Crown
Plaza Times Square Hotel, 1605 Broad-
way, from 10 a.m. 4:30 p.m.
Journeys: A Cultural Celebration
Take a magical trip around the world
and explore the similarities and differ-
ences of various cultures woven together
in a magnificent tapestry of music and
dance. Visit places like Africa, Mexico,
Spain, Scotland, the Middle East, India,
Hawaii, Canada, Ireland and Russia.
When: Saturday, June 18th - 2:00 pm
This free event will take place at the
Queensborough Public Library’s Central
Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., at 2 p.m.
MONDAY, JUNE 20
Adult Chess Club
Practice your chess skills weekly, on
Monday and Thursday evenings.
The event is held at 6 p.m. every Mon-
day at Queens Village Library, 94-11 217
St., (718) 776-6800.
Living in America Forum
Please join us for this interactive forum,
“Living in America Now....and then, “I
Remember”....
This free event will take place at the
Queensborough Public Library’s Central
Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., at 12:30
p.m.
Discover Your Career Potential
Take the Career Exploration Inven-
tory, a self-scored, easy-to-use survey guide
to choosing a career based on your inter-
ests and experiences.
This free event will take place at the
Queensborough Public Library’s Central
Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., at 1 p.m.
Poetry Workshop with Michael
Alpiner
MFA graduate Michael Alpiner will lead
a 90-minute workshop on poetry writing.
This free event will take place at the
Queensborough Public Library’s Central
Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., at 4 p.m.
TUESDAY, JUNE 21
Job Club
Every Tuesday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
the Jamaica Neighborhood Center offers
a free service to assist people from South-
east Queens with job-readiness skill sets in
writing a professional resume and cover
letter; interviewing practices and tech-
niques; applying on-line procedures; el-
evator pitch and Microsoft Suite 2007.
For additional information, contact Lenin
Gross, Job Coach, at (718) 739-2060, Ext.
18 or [email protected].
This free event will be held at the Jamaica
Neighborhood Center - 161-06 89th Ave.
Camera Club
The Southeast Queens Camera Club
welcomes photographers, beginners to
advanced. Meetings are held the second,
third and fourth Tuesday every month at
7:30 p.m. at Roy Wilkins Family Life Cen-
ter, 177-01 Baisley Blvd.
Walkers for Wellness Club
See Saturday’s listing. At 7 p.m.
Create an Email Account
In this single-session workshop, cus-
tomers will learn how to set up/open their
own email account. Pre-registration is re-
quired in person at the Cyber Center Desk.
Participants must possess basic mouse and
keyboarding skills.
This free event will take place at the
Queensborough Public Library’s Central
Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., at 10 a.m.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22
York Observatory Open Night
The York College Observatory is open
to the public every second or third Wednes-
day of the month - rain or shine - at 8:30
p.m. Gather in room 2E01 and then pro-
ceed to the fourth floor terrace off G
corridor if it’s clear. For additional infor-
mation, contact Tim Paglione at
[email protected] or (718) 262-
2082.
This free event will be held at the York
College Academic Core Building (AC
2E01), 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd. from
8:30-9:30 p.m.
JSPOA Action Coalition
Interested in living a better life, getting
information about ramps and lifts, or learn-
ing more about Medicare and Medicaid?
Then join JSPOA’s action coalition. For
additional information, call (718) 657-
6752.
This free event will take place at the
Rockaway Boulevard Senior Center, 123-
10 143rd St., at 10:30 a.m.
JSPOA Annual Meeting
The Jamaica Service Program for Older
Adults’ Chairperson Ann Wilkinson and
President William Collins, Jr. are pleased
to invite you to the JSPOA annual meeting.
Don’t miss this celebration of service to
seniors!
This free event will take place at JSPOA
Theodora G. Jackson Adult Center, 92-47
165th St., at 5:45 p.m.
Grant Writing
Councilman Leroy Comrie is pleased
to present a series of Community Non-
Profit Resource Seminars. This week’s
seminar will focus on grant writing. Topics
covered will include: hiring a grant writer;
advertising; and running a successful non-
profit. For additional information, call
(718) 776-3700 or visit leroycomrie.com.
This free event will take place at the
York College Academic Core Building,
94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd, from 6-9 p.m.
THURSDAY, JUNE 23
Walkers for Wellness Club
See Saturday’s listing. At 7 p.m.
Union Hall Street Thursdays
Come one come all, to the greatest
block party of them all. Applebee’s, the
Jamaica Center Business Improvement
District, Councilman Leroy Comrie, Ja-
maica First Parking, and the Downtown
Jamaica Open Space Coalition are pleased
to present Union Hall Street Thursdays.
Come on out for and evening of food,
drink, music and dance. Tonight’s special
guest will be the York College Blue Notes
- under the direction of Tom Zlabinger.
This free event will take place at Union
Hall Street (between Jamaica and Archer
Avenues) at 6 p.m.
Discover Your Career Potential
Take the Career Exploration Inven-
tory, a self-scored, easy-to-use survey guide
to choosing a career based on your inter-
ests and experiences.
This free event will take place at the
Queensborough Public Library’s Central
Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., at 7 p.m.
FRIDAY, JUNE 24
Senior Theatre Acting Repertory
Calling all older adults: Join our galaxy
of STARs to perform theatrical works at
the library with a great group of people
while brightening your life.
Rehearsals are held at 10:30 a.m. Fri-
days at Queens Village Library, 94-11 217
St., (718) 776-6800.
The group will have a performance at
the Bellerose Library, 250-06 Hillside Ave.,
at 2 p.m.
ONGOING
CPR Training
The FDNY Mobile CPR Training Unit
will hold regularly scheduled free CPR
classes in all five boroughs. The first Tues-
day through the fourth Tuesday and the
fourth Thursday of every month there will
be Borough CPR training sessions in Man-
hattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island
and Queens.
Training is free to anyone over the age
of 14. The goal of this program is increase
the number of people in New York City
trained in bystander CPR Each class lasts
1 hour and participants in the class learn
basic CPR skills from a member of the
FDNY Emergency Medical Service.
Volunteers for the class follow along
using the CPR Anytime Personal Learning
Kit, which features an instructional DVD
and an inflatable mannequin. All partici-
pants are able take home the kit at the end
of class and asked to pledge to use the kit
to show five of their family members and
friends how to perform CPR. This class
teaches basic CPR technique and is not a
certification course.
In Queens, the classes will be held the
fourth Thursday of every month at EMS
Station 54, 222-15 Merrick Blvd. In addi-
tion, please visit www.nyc.gov/cprtogo
for New York Sports Club locations offer-
ing free CPR classes starting in January.
Please visit www.fdnyfoundation.org or
call (718) 999-2413 for more information.
Group Sessions
Clergy United for Community Empow-
erment, Inc. Group Sessions are located at
89-31 161st St., 10th Floor, Jamaica, for
the community on various topics such as
Domestic Violence, Mental Health, Sub-
stance Abuse intervention, Decision Mak-
ing, Condom Use, High Risk Behaviors
leading to HIV, and self – esteem aware-
ness. All group sessions offer light snacks
and beverages. Group sessions are open to
the public.
Round-Trip Metro Card reimbursement
is available at the end of each completed
session. For further information call (718)
297-0720. All services are free. Please call
for next group date.
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