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Volume 12 Issue No. 34 Aug. 26 - Sept. 1, 2011

A Dept. of Environmental Protection truck dredges a sewer catch basin in advance of the expected deluge from Hurricane Irene.

Online at www.QueensPress.com

DIGGING INMayor Mike Bloomberg and officials came to Laurelton Thursday morning to assure residents that the City was doing all it can to be prepared for Hurricane Irene, which as of Thursday afternoon was headed straight for Jamaica Bay. By Veronica Lewin…Page 3

Page 22

Presstime

BY VERONICA LEWIN

Days before Hurricane Irene is expected

to hit New York City, officials are taking

precautions to prevent another flooding

nightmare similar to one that hit South-

east Queens in 2002.

As of Thursday, Hurricane Irene calls

for six to 12 inches of heavy rain on

Sunday and strong winds of at least 60

miles per hour. Mayor Mike Bloomberg

said Long Island will receive the brunt of

the hurricane, so the City will likely only

see tropical storm-like conditions such as

heavy rain and strong winds, which could

cause fallen trees and limbs.

"Now the City has already seen the

power of Mother Nature once this week,"

the Mayor said, referencing an earthquake

that shook the city on Tuesday. "Mother

Nature may not be done with us yet."

The Mayor met with Southeast Queens

officials Thursday to discuss plans for the

upcoming hurricane. The City invested

$242 million to upgrade sewer systems in

Southeast Queens in an attempt to reduce

impact in the most flood-prone neighbor-

hoods in the City. Far Rockaway and

Broad Channel are at the highest risk for

severe flooding in the borough.

Bloomberg said he has been in touch

with MTA Chairman Jay Walder to come

up with a plan if an evacuation is necessary.

In addition to making sure you have a full

tank of gas, Bloomberg urged New Yorkers

to prepare for the storm by packing a "go"

bag as soon as possible. Some items that

should be included in a "go" bag are a first-

aid kit, drinking water, a flashlight, batter-

Be Prepared:

Mayor Promises SEQ Ready For Irene

ies, important medications and documents

and an extra set of house keys and car keys.

If you live in a low-lying area, the Mayor

recommends finding a parking spot on top

of a hill if possible to prevent flood damage.

"Take some precautions now so that if

it gets to that, you'll have less to do," said

Office of Emergency Management Com-

missioner Joseph Bruno.

Albert Rudd, who has lived in Laurelton

for 28 years, was there nine years ago when

a storm left Southeast Queens practically

underwater. He said it was scary, but the

neighborhood got through it. Though he

does not know what to expect Sunday, he

has been taking precautions. Rudd said he

has been tying down furniture outside and

made sure the drain in front of his house

was cleaned in preparation for the storm.

At this time, it is too early to tell the

severity and impact of Irene on New York

City. Still, the Dept. of Environmental

Protection has been cleaning out catch

basins in attempts to decrease flooding

levels on streets and plans to have extra

crews out this weekend.

Only in the worst circum-

stances will the Mayor issue

an executive order to force

people to leave their homes.

Bloomberg warned people

who choose to ignore an ex-

ecutive order will face a pen-

alty much more significant

than arrest.

"The worst case if they didn't

leave and we ordered them,

they could die," Bloomberg

said. "The only reason you is-

sue something like that is because you think

people's lives are in jeopardy."

To protect homeless New Yorkers from

the storm, the City will double its street

outreach operation and simplify the intake

process at shelters and safe havens to house

as many people in need as possible. The

Dept. of the Aging is making sure homebound

seniors have their meals by delivering an

extra one on Friday and making a special

Saturday delivery before the storm.

Councilman James Sanders (D-

Laurelton) said Bloomberg has laid out an

incredible program for hurricane precau-

tions. Far Rockaway, which Sanders called

"ground zero," has the highest risk for ex-

treme flooding in his district. This is con-

cerning to him, as one-third of the

Rockaways population is over 65. Sanders

is hoping things will go smoothly this week-

end, but the councilman and his staff plan

to stay at a shelter in Far Rockaway Sunday

to help his constituents weather the storm.

The Councilman is meeting with officials

Friday to construct a plan specific to the

needs of residents in Southeast Queens.

BY VERONICA LEWIN

MediSys pulled the plug on debt-ridden

Peninsula Hospital Center in Far

Rockaway this week, leaving the institu-

tion at an even greater risk for closure.

MediSys, which operates Flushing

Hospital Medical Center and Jamaica

Hospital Medical Center, ended its affili-

ation with the Far Rockaway hospital

effective Tuesday. This caused the hospi-

tal to immediately lose access to anesthe-

siologists and critical administrative func-

tions.

To protect patient health and safety,

the State DOH advised ambulances be

sent to other emergency rooms and that

the hospital not admit any new patients

until further notice. According to Council-

man James Sanders (D-Laurelton), the

hospital is accepting emergency room

patients as of Wednesday night. "If they

were to close it in a hurricane, that would

be the height of irresponsibility," Sanders

said.

Current patients will be discharged or

transferred to area hospitals. St. John's

Episcopal Hospital, the only other hospi-

tal on the peninsula, received permission

Peninsula Will Close Without Helpfrom the state Wednesday to begin its

expansion of facilities to handle the influx

of Peninsula patients. According to St.

John's, the hospital has already seen Pen-

insula patient transfers over the past few

days.

"We are dedicated to our mission of

providing excellent healthcare for the

Rockaways and the Five Towns and will

aggressively work to help meet the in-

creased demand for services posed by

Peninsula's suspension of operations,"

said Nelson Toebbe, CEO of St. John's.

St. John's will add 17 additional emer-

gency department bays, 51 medical and

surgical beds, 10 critical care beds, and

one additional pediatrics bed. These 62

beds will bring the total count at St. John's

to 319.

Peninsula's suspension brings the num-

ber of hospital beds down to 3,655 to

serve more than 2 million people in the

entire borough of Queens.

Before Peninsula Hospital Center can

legally close, the Hospital Closure Plan-

ning Act requires the State Dept. of Health

to hold a public forum to determine the

closure's impact on the community and

measures taken to decrease the impact of

the loss. The Act, sponsored by Assembly-

man Rory Lancman (D-Hillcrest), was

signed into law last year, after the borough

lost New Parkway, Mary Immaculate and

St. John's hospitals.

Vendor services have also stalled, pre-

venting the hospital from receiving intra-

venous fluids, laundry supplies and oper-

ating room supplies. There has been a lack

of staff due to many employees seeking

jobs at other hospitals. The state DOH

said it is continuing to work with the Pen-

insula Hospital Board to evaluate any plans

that could potentially save the failing hos-

pital.

Reach Reporter Veronica Lewin at

vlewin@queenspress.com or (718) 357-7400,

Ext. 123.

Laurelton leaders join Mayor Mike Bloomberg for a

breakfast to discuss the community's preparedness for

Hurricane Irene, which could cause flooding.

The Mayor stresses the importance of

checking local media and nyc.gov to stay

informed if an evacuation is needed. He

also emphasized the importance of stay-

ing out of the water this weekend, as the

riptides will be stronger than usual.

For more information about how to

stay safe this weekend, call 311 or down-

load the Ready New York: Hurricanes and

New York City guide at nyc.gov.

Reach Reporter Veronica Lewin at

vlewin@queenspress.com or (718) 357-7400,

Ext. 123.

How to prepare for Hurricane Irene:

•Find out if you live in an evacuation

zone (www.nyc.gov)

•Sign up at nyc.gov/notifynyc to receive

e-mail, text or voice call updates in the

event of an evacuation

•Secure all outdoor furniture

•If you live in a two-story home, move

as many things out of the basement

level as possible

•Make sure your car has a full tank of gas

and try to park your car on a hilltop

•Stock up on bottled water and non-

perishable food items

•Pack a "go" bag: first-aid kit, drinking

water, a flashlight, important medica-

tions and documents and an extra set

of house keys and car keys

•Have an evacuation plan in order:

make plans to stay with a family mem-

ber or friend in advance

•Check on neighbors, especially the

elderly

•Stay tuned to local media this weekend

A popular imam and former candidate

for late Councilman Tom

White Jr.'s seat was arrested

on Tuesday after proposition-

ing a woman on a street cor-

ner in Jamaica.

According to reports,

Imam Aziz-Ud-Bin "Charles"

Bilal, was arrested only ten

blocks away from his mosque

and charged with soliciting a

prostitute for $25.

Bilal ran two unsuccessful

bids for the City Council in

2001 and 2010.

In the past, Bilal had been an outspo-

Charles Bilal

Sex Sting Snags Bilal

ken opponent against sexual offenses and

alluded that sex offenders were

being deliberately dumped in

District 28.

In October 2010, Bilal told

the PRESS: "I'm beginning to

realize that all of the sex offend-

ers committing these heinous

crimes are on this side of town."

Bilal is also reportedly under

investigation by the city Dept. of

Correction after a 9mm handgun

was allegedly found inside his

2004 Mercedes Benz when his

car was towed in July 2010 to a city impound.

— Jason Banrey

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BY VERONICA LEWIN

The Southeast Queens community is

mourning the loss of long-time political

activist Dora Young. The District Leader

from Addisleigh Park passed away Aug. 20

at age 93 after a long illness. She is sur-

vived by a brother, a sister-in-law and a

host of nieces and nephews.

In addition to serving as District Leader

for the 29th Assembly District, Young

served as the first female Deputy City

Clerk, where she married more than

250,000 couples in her career.

"Dora Young was a great leader who

seemed larger than life until you met her

and immediately realized how down to

earth she was," City Comptroller John Liu

said. "Even as she faced her toughest

health battles, she always had her smiles

and encouragement for you. She will be

missed dearly."

Young was the Executive Member of

the Guy R. Brewer United Democratic

Club and played a role in the elections of

the first black City Council member, State

Senator, Congress member and Queens

Borough President. She also supported

the campaigns of the first female Borough

President Claire Shulman, current Bor-

ough President Helen Marshall and U.S.

Sen. Charles Schumer.

Young was a founder of the Guy R.

Brewer Learning Center. She served as

Vice Chair of the Queens Democratic Party,

and was a member of organizations such

SEQ Loses An Activist And Leader

as Links Inc, the Queens Women Political

Caucus, Addisleigh Park Civic Associa-

tion and the Jamaica branch of the NAACP.

Young was a devout member of St.

Benedict the Moor Roman Catholic

Church in Jamaica.

Southeast Queens politicians will greatly

miss Young, who helped many of them

become elected officials. Co-District Leader

Archie Spigner, who served alongside

Young at the Guy R. Brewer

United Democratic Club, said

Young responded effectively

and immediately to the various

challenges in the community

and credited her for many of

the projects accomplished in

the area.

"She served us brilliantly at

a crucial time when our com-

munity required political

strength and courage to en-

sure that our concerns would

not fall on deaf ears," Spigner

said.

"We were very fortunate

that Ms. Young dedicated her

life to many years of public

service," said Councilman

Ruben Wills (D-South Ja-

maica). "As co-district leader

of the 29th Assembly District,

and executive board member

of the Guy R. Brewer Demo-

cratic Club, Ms. Young was a

pillar of leadership."

Assemblywoman Vivian Cook (D-Ja-

maica) said Young was a beautiful woman

who mixed very well with people. The two

attended several events together over the

50 years they were both elected officials.

Cook said the one thing she will miss the

most is Young's smile.

State Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans)

said Young was like a surrogate mother to

him and called her a woman of active

compassion. "She didn't just care, she did

something about it," Smith said. "She never

sat on the sidelines; she rolled up her sleeves

and fought for our community. The future

will never be the same. She was a role model

for all who will be forever missed."

Assemblyman Bill Scarborough (D-Ja-

maica) called Young a political mentor

and said she was instrumental in him get-

ting elected to his Assembly seat. Through-

out the more than 30 years Scarborough

knew Young, he said she had a concern

about the quality of life in Southeast

Queens, and did whatever she could as

district leader to resolve those problems

and improve conditions. "Those are the

kind of the things that help to make South-

east Queens a livable community,"

Scarborough said. "People like Dora

Young."

State Sen. Shirley L. Huntley (D-Ja-

maica) was a long-time friend of Young's.

"Dora helped to pave the way for so many

young women in the civil rights movement

and in local politics," she said. "She dem-

onstrated the ability to be a community

activist, union leader, and a loving wife

when women were expected to be just

housewives."

The funeral will be held Friday, Aug. 26

at 11 a.m. at St. Benedict the Moor Roman

Catholic Church at 171-17 110th Ave.,

Jamaica.

Reach Reporter Veronica Lewin at

vlewin@queenspress.com or (718) 357-7400,

Ext. 123.

Dora Young in her days as Deputy City Clerk.

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BY VERONICA LEWIN

One year after the passing of City Coun-

cil veteran Thomas White Jr., his family is

committed to building on the foundation

he left behind in the community.

J-CAP Foundation Inc. is hosting the

first Thomas White Jr. Memorial Golf

Outing and Dinner Sept. 1. The all-day

event will be held rain or shine at the

Clearview Park Golf Course, located at

202-12 Willets Point Blvd., Bayside.

"My family and I decided we needed to

do something to commemorate his pass-

ing and honor him in a way that would be

memorable," said Bryan White, the late

councilman's son and president of J-CAP.

White passed away Aug. 27, 2010, at age

71, after a battle with cancer. White served in

the Council from 1991-2001, ran again suc-

cessfully in 2005, serving until his passing.

J-CAP, founded by White, is one of the

largest substance abuse treatment pro-

grams in the state. The organization has

been around for 30 years and has partnered

with several non-profit organizations to

better serve the community.

Bryan White said one of his father's

wishes was that his family establish a me-

morial scholarship fund in his passing.

Since then, J-CAP established the Tho-

mas White Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund

to continue White's mission to help stu-

dents achieve academic excellence and

community empowerment. The organiza-

tion has given scholarships to four college-

Raising Funds For White's J-CAP

bound students in the area to date.

Next Thursday's event starts at noon

with a barbeque lunch, followed by an

opening ceremony. Councilman Ruben

Wills (D-South Jamaica) will commemo-

rate the event with the first tee-off. Dinner

will be served at 6 p.m., followed by an

award ceremony and the announcement

of prize winners. The night will conclude

with a silent auction, where guests are

encouraged to bring checks or cash.

So far, the organization has received

more donations from supporters than tick-

ets for the golf tournament, but White is

optimistic the memorial event will have a

good turnout. Attendees will have the

opportunity to participate in various con-

tests at the memorial event such as longest

drive and closest to the pin. The winner of

the hole-in-one contest will win a new car.

J-CAP hopes to make the memorial golf

outing and dinner an annual event, and

wants to have two signature events a year,

in addition to a gala to present scholar-

ships for elementary to college students.

"What we're trying to do is continue on

BY VERONICA LEWIN

A loss of revenue and financial troubles

has led the federal government to con-

sider closing 3,700 post offices across the

country, including 35 in the City. Four of

these post offices are in Southeast Queens.

One of the post offices on the chopping

block is the Rosedale Post Office branch at

145-06 243rd St. Councilman James Sand-

ers (D-Laurelton) held a rally Tuesday to

oppose the post office's closure.

Around 30 residents and post office

employees attended the rally. A represen-

tative from U.S. Rep. Greg Meeks' (D-

Jamaica) office came to show his support.

In a neighborhood where so many people

walk to run their errands, residents argue it

is unrealistic for them to travel to another

post office in Southeast Queens to take care

of their mailing needs, especially in the busy

holiday season and winter months.

According to Sanders, the area sur-

rounding the post office was filled with

boarded up buildings and vacant proper-

ties in the 1980s. Now, the area on 243rd

Street is bustling with businesses that many

of the residents depend on. Sanders wor-

ries closing the Rosedale post office will

put the neighborhood at risk to seeing

boarded up buildings once again.

Right now, the government is studying

how many people use the branch in Rosedale.

Soon after, the post office will allow an oppor-

Rally To Save Post Officetunity for public input. After the 138 day

process, the postal service will determine if it

will limit services at the Rosedale branch or

close the location altogether.

Rally participants stressed the impor-

tance of getting the word out to those who

may not be aware the Rosedale branch is

in danger of closing.

Perkins encouraged residents to attend

the Sept. 27 Rosedale Civic Association

meeting. The meeting will be held at

Throop Memorial Presbyterian Church at

140-17 243rd St. in Rosedale. For more

information, call (718) 978-4701.

Reach Reporter Veronica Lewin at

vlewin@queenspress.com or (718) 357-7400,

Ext. 123.

in his honor," Bryan White said.

The cost for the barbecue, golf and

dinner is $150 per person, or $575 for a

team of four. Those only interested in

attending the dinner can purchase a ticket

for $50. Proceeds will benefit the Thomas

White Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund and

J-CAP. For more information, contact

Tyquana Henderson at (347) 927-5408

or Bryan White at (917) 923-8270.

Reach Reporter Veronica Lewin at

vlewin@queenspress.com or (718) 357-7400,

Ext. 123.

OF SOUTHEAST QUEENS

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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:

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Domenick Rafter

Jason Banrey

Veronica Lewin

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

Editorial Letters

LettersTo Tom White

Dear Dad,

It's been a year now and the pain

of your loss still lingers deep in my

heart. It seems that the world

changed in an instant when God

called you home. Each day seems to

get easier, but it's not. There are

moments when I feel your presence

guiding me, helping me, and even

carrying me forward, while walking

with our Lord. Then there are days

when I can't feel you at all, wonder-

ing if you've slipped far away from

this world and completely left me

behind. This may be selfish on my

part, but it's hard to let go.

I remember as a little boy how

you'd take me riding in your Buick,

and how exciting it was just to be

with my dad. There were the family

gatherings with everybody danc-

ing. I still remember when I did a split

"like James Brown" and you looked

at me with amazement, and laughed

so hard with amusement. I must

have been only 10 years old then.

There's the time when you taught

me to play horseshoes at a family

picnic. Tossing the shoe only the

way you can, and landing near or

around the spike. The days I'd spend

with you sharing your fatherly ad-

vice on being responsible and com-

pleting my education. How happy

you were at each of my graduations,

especially the one from college. That

was an accomplishment. You

wouldn't let me quit, and because of

you I'm the man you wanted me to

be. I can't remember if I ever said

thank you, and it hurts.

There is so much we said and

a lot that was not, but we both

thought we had more time. I hope

you realize just how much I loved

you, and wanted to make you

proud. During the last days you

let me know that I had, and that

meant more to me than anything

else. And then you were gone.

I miss you Dad, so much. The

world has changed and some-

times I have a hard time accept-

ing that, no matter how hard I try.

But I will never forget what you

taught me and the promises I

made to you. I will love you infi-

nitely and keep you in my heart

forever. Continue to walk with

the Light, until we meet again.

Love your son,

Bryan

Minority Sciences

To The Editor:

The Mayor's recently an-

nounced plan to build a govern-

ment-sponsored, engineering

and science campus in New York

challenges us to deliver training

and jobs to the many talented

young men and women of color

that our economy has left be-

hind. It is an opportunity we

cannot afford to miss.

Mayor Bloomberg is to be com-

mended for launching the ambi-

tious Applied Sciences NYC ini-

tiative that seeks to partner with

a top-tier engineering school and

establish a cutting-edge science

and technology campus here.

This addition to New York's

economic and intellectual capi-

tal will only reach its full poten-

tial, however, if it directly ad-

dresses the glaring opportunity

gap facing women, African-

Americans and Latinos in sci-

ence and engineering.

According to the National Sci-

ence Foundation, just 6 percent of

graduate engineering students are

African Americans or Latinos.

Women hold just 24 percent of the

jobs in science, technology, engi-

Be Prepared

As of Thursday afternoon, the center track of Hurricane Irene has it

hitting New York in Jamaica Bay. That may change, but less than 72

hours before Irene touches New York, it appears that Southeast Queens

may get the worst of the storm's effects.

The City has opened its emergency command center and the Mayor

came to Laurelton Thursday morning to assure residents that the city

has been doing - and continues to do - everything it can to prepare for the

pending storm.

Anybody living below South Conduit or the Belt Parkway is in a

Hurricane Evacuation Zone if the storm hits as a Category 2. If it is

stronger, the evacuation line will move north to cover all areas south of

Rockaway Boulevard, all of Rochdale, Baisley and the Guy R. Brewer

neighborhoods.

We urge all of our readers to keep on top of the storm as it develops,

to look for evacuation warnings and to be safe, should we actually need

to worry.

The Passing Of A Queens Legend

A Personal Perspective

BY MARCIA MOXAM COMRIE

Dora Young. The very name

conjures up images of elegance

and accomplishments.

But Dora's accomplishments

have never been just what she had

accomplished for herself. No, she

believed that her purpose here was

better served in the empowerment

of other people, whether it was just

registering the masses to vote or

endorsing and fighting for the elec-

tion of mentees in the Guy Brewer

United Democratic Club.

As a district leader, Dora never

seemed interested in running for

any higher office. She was con-

tent with whipping other people

into shape to run for larger offices.

She was a trailblazer not only in

Southeast Queens, but in our bor-

ough, city and state. Dora's mem-

bership in the Guy R. Brewer

United Democratic Club started

back in the 1950s as one of the

early women to infiltrate the old

boys' network of party politics

and make a name for herself.

As a co-leader to her male coun-

terpart, the former councilman

Archie Spigner, she worked long

hours in the Club with other pio-

neers such as the aforementioned

Guy Brewer, Robert Croom,

Helen Wright, Jack Tennyson,

Alice Brooks, Johnny Newsome

and so many others, charted the

election of a series of firsts in the

Borough of Queens.

Brewer became the first Afri-

can-American Assemblyman,

Archie Spigner the first New York

City Councilman; Andrew

Jenkins the first State Senator

and Helen Marshall the first bor-

ough president.

Dora and the group also saw

to the election of countless

women to judgeships and sup-

ported candidates outside of

Queens running for higher office

as well. They fought for the elec-

tion of "first African-Americans"

such as Percy Sutton to borough-

wide office as Manhattan Bor-

ough President; David Dinkins as

mayor and William Thompson as

New York City Comptroller.

And it wasn't always about

race. Dora and the Club also sup-

ported the election of anyone

they felt was qualified and willing

to look after the interests of all

constituencies. They supported

the election of a former first lady

to state-wide office - along with

other local clubs. As a result,

Hillary Clinton became the state's

first female Senator, and John Liu

is now City Comptroller.

Dora also served the commu-

nity as a member of the NAACP,

The Links, The League of Women

Voters and various other groups.

As Deputy City Clerk for Queens

County she also served the bor-

ough and beyond by marrying

countless couples. Her

Valentine's Day "marriage-athon"

became the stuff of legends.

It was no surprise that Dora

would have succeeded as a Queens

political figure. She was fond of

telling the guys that she grew up in

a family of brothers who taught her

to box, so she would be able to

protect herself. And no wonder

they were concerned.

Dora was a beauty when I first

met her about 25 years ago. By

then she was already in her six-

ties so one could only imagine

her as a teenager and young

woman. But that was not her call-

ing card. She relied only on her

hard work and made service to

others her goal in life.

She helped to break down

doors through which countless

other people could walk and for

that she will long be remembered.

May she rest in peace.

neering and mathematics - a shame-

ful statistic that has not budged in

a decade and that U.S. Commerce

Secretary Rebecca Blank has

rightly described as "unacceptable."

The initiative as it is proposed

presents a rare chance to level the

playing field even more.

The schools that hope to ben-

efit from this partnership with

City government should be re-

quired to demonstrate their com-

mitment to expanding opportu-

nities to all New Yorkers.

The institutions applying to

build a science campus here should

be measured on their track record

with minorities and women in ar-

eas such as student recruitment,

graduation rates, and job-place-

ment; their hiring and promotion

of faculty and staff; and their suc-

cess in turning academic break-

throughs into spin-off companies

owned by minorities and women.

Schools should also provide

detailed plans for outreach and

partnership with underrepresented

communities moving forward.

The City should also consider

appointing more underrepresented

minorities, as well as more women

to the Advisory Committee for the

Applied Sciences NYC initiative.

Currently, there are nine members

but no African-Americans or

Latinos on the committee.

Lastly, the review process

should be as open and transparent

as possible. The Advisory Com-

mittee should hold public hear-

ings, applicant submissions should

be accessible to the public, and

scoring criteria should be publi-

cized. The better informed and

involved the public is in this pro-

cess, the more successful it will be.

John Liu,

NYC Comptroller

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answer: b answer: c

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A Once In A Blue Moon Election In Queens

Will The Legislature Do What’s Right For All?

Not 4 Publication.com by Dom Nunziato

Every once in a blue moon astory comes along that has theability to sway an election.

Now New York’s 9th Congres-sional District has had several BlueMoon stories in, well, less than aBlue Moon.

“Once in a Blue Moon” is acommon way of saying not veryoften, however, it was not easy todetermine exactly what a BlueMoon is.

A recent popular definition,says it is the second full moon tooccur in a single calendar month.And since the interval between fullmoons is about 29.5 days, and thelength of an average month is 30.5days, it is rare but does sometimeshappen.

There will be 41 months thathave two Full Moons in every cen-tury, so by common definition and

math, once in a Blue Moon actu-ally means once every two-and-a-half years.” In fact, “Once in a bluemoon” is most frequently used col-loquially to mean “a rare event.”

Blue Moon Story 1: First andforemost was the Anthony WeinerSext ing story which stood thenews media on its head and rivaledin coverage the bizarre adventuresof the likes of Charlie Sheen, Do-minique Kahn and Lindsay Lohan.It’s effect not only resulted in theresignation of Anthony Weinerfrom Congress, but it eliminatedhim from the 2012 Mayoral racewhere he was the perceivedfrontrunner.

Blue Moon Story 2: FormerMayor Ed Koch comes along andmakes an election that should bean easy win for almost any Demo-crat over almost any Republican,a personal crusade against Presi-dent Obama’s stance on Israel. Heopposes the Democrat Dav idWeprin (with a history of supportfor Israel) to back Bob Turner, theRepublican with little or no recordon very much – especially Israel.Koch’s ongoing barrage managesto bring what should be more thana 10 point victory by Weprin downto what polls are reporting as a 6point lead. In fact, 6 points canevaporate quickly, even without aBlue Moon Story.

Well, the Koch effect behindus, and the boredom beginning tocreep in, this writer assumed thenormal patterns would evolve andthe race would soon be back to aclose-to-10-point Democratic winto represent the polit ical leaningsof a District which heavily leanstowards Democrats in registrationwith some recent right wing influ-ence. Couple this with the effec-t iveness of the Queens CountyDemocratic Organization, theproven fundraising abi lit y ofWeprin who amassed impressiveamounts as a comptroller candi-date in 2009 and adding theWeprin family network, we couldhave dismissed this as the race thatnever was.

Well, we haven’t seen the can-didates financial filings – they’redue Sept. 1 — but it doesn’t ap-pear Weprin is spending as muchas Turner. Sources tell us that theDemocratic and Republican Con-gressional Campaign Committeesdo not intend to invest in this dis-trict, which is likely to be sacrificedin the upcoming redistricting. Andthere are still 3 weeks for Weprinto spend and lengthen his unim-pressive lead.

Remember, Turner was theRepubl ican Candidate againstAnthony Weiner in 2010 andwe assumed he showed us his

best back then.Hold onto your hats. Turner

has done it again.Blue Moon Story 3: The

Daily News reported on Sunday ona two decade old, h igh profi lestory about an AIDS-str ickenBrooklyn woman’s quest to findnew parents for her son:

“A dying Rosemary Holmstromgot offers from people around theworld who wanted to take in herthen-8-year-old C.J.

The Queens couple whoadopted the boy and made himpart of their family never wantedto be identified - until now.

Bob Turner, the Republicannominee for disgraced ex-Rep.Anthony Weiner’s vacant Brook-lyn-Queens seat, and his wifePeggy, raised C.J., now 26.

“This was not a tough deci-sion,” Bob Turner said. “It wasn’t‘should we or should we not.’ Itwas the right thing to do.”

“He was so cute. He was ador-able,” added Peggy Turner, remem-bering C.J. as a young boy.”

A picture of candidate Bob,wife Peggy flanking 26-year-oldC.J. Turner accompanied the heart-wrenching story.

Now the story may have beenreleased on Bob Turner’s timetable,but the selfless deed was done bythe Turners 20 years earlier, before

Turner dreamed of elective office.What will be the effect from

this story, which we believe willtake center stage, in an electionwhere the economy, the debt ceil-ing differences of the parties andjobs in New York should be theissues? Well, the Democratic sidehas not demonstrated an ability tofocus on the differences betweenWeprin and Turner. In fact, theyhave been on the defensive sinceEd Koch poked his nose across hisbridge that used to be ours.

Now, can the Weprin campkeep his left-leaning vote in linewith a candidate who hasdemostrated he has the heart, souland compassion usually belongingto the Democrats?

Weprin and his campaign teamhave their task cut out for them.They must take control of themessage of this campaign from theTurner camp, which has been incontrol for the past month. Theymust different iate between thestances of the candidates. Theymust differentiate between the be-liefs of the parties.

The 9th CD is a DemocraticDistrict and has a long history ofvoting Democratic.

And only once in many BlueMoons can it be expected to devi-ate from the pattern.MSchenkler@QueensPress.com

By HENRY STERNIt is an ancient tru-

ism that the first law ofnature is self-preservation.The thought was ex-pressed elegantly by An-drew Marvell in 1675 inEngland in a metaphysi-cal poem, “Hodge’s Visionfrom the Monument”:“ S e l f - p r e s e r v a t i o n ,nature’s first great law, / All thecreatures, except man, doth awe.”

The relevance of this to today’spolitics arises when we considerthe decennial issue of redistricting.

New York State is historicallynoted for egregious gerrymandering.For roughly the last half century, theAssembly has been districted to electDemocrats, whereas the Senate linesfavor Republicans. The steadygrowth in allegiance to the Demo-crats and the relative depopulationof upstate has made it increasinglydifficult to draw Senate lines to keepthe Republican Senate majority.

In 2008, the Democrats actu-al ly gained a Senate majority be-cause of the high vote for Presi-dent Obama. They managed theirmajority so shamefully and cor-ruptly that the Republicans nar-rowly regained control in 2010.During the campaign, all the Re-publicans promised in writing tosupport an independent redistrict-ing commission in order to win theapproval of Mayor Koch and an

organization he andothers formed calledNew York Uprising.

After the Republi-can victory, they con-cluded that the indepen-dent commission theypromised to supportcould not come into ef-fect until the state Con-stitution was amended,

an event that would not take placebefore 2013, at the earliest, andwould not apply until the 2022election. What happened, ofcourse, was that once they had amajority, the Republicans repudi-ated their pledge, as it was nolonger in their self- i nterest tohonor it.

Governor Cuomo has repeat-edly pledged to veto any districtingplan that is not prepared by anindependent commission. He does,however, leave h imself somewiggle room by requiring that theplan be fair, reasonable and non-part isan, without re-emphasizingthe necessity for an independentcommission.

To his credit, the Governorhas stated that he does not be-lieve that the committee of statelegislators charged with statutoryauthority to draw the lines, theNew York State Legislative TaskForce on Demographic Researchand Reapportionment (LATFOR),can see past their own personal

and polit ical interests and createdistrict that are equitable.

A possible scenario is that,anticipating Governor Cuomo’sveto, the Legislature will avoid theconsequences of overriding theGovernor’s honest and populiststance and instead stall as long asit can, perhaps unt i l Februar y2012, before issuing its lines.

The aim of this strategy wouldbe for the legislature to make thecase to the courts, which wouldthen be charged with drawing theline s, that there would not beenough time before the April 24,2012 primary date to come upwith new lines, and thus therewould be no alternative but toadopt the LATFOR lines.

To thwart this potential ma-nipulation, Governor Cuomoshould appoint a nonpartisan, in-dependent commission now thatwould draw up equitable lines. Thiscommission’s recommendationswould not be binding, nor wouldthey carry official weight, but theywould be valuable if the redistrict-ing battle winds up in the courts,and the judiciary needs a viablealternative to the LATFOR lines.

Common Cause New Yorkdeserves praise for the substantiallabor that it is currently perform-ing to create their own set of lines,drawn up according to the prin-ciples commonly held by goodgovernment groups. Basic fairness

requires that legislative districts becompact, contiguous, equal inpopulation, reflect communities ofinterest, and not be stacked,packed, hacked or cracked, whichare terms used to describing eitherstuffing members of one group intoa district in order to control it, orbreaking up natural concentrationsof people to diminish their powerto elect a member of their group.

There is still a possibility thatthe Legislature will honor its pledgeand hold a special session to ap-point an independent commission

in place of LATFOR. That is, how-ever, highly unlikely as it wouldalmost certainly frustrate the Sen-ate Republicans’s desire to main-tain their majority, which they maylose unless President Obama’s de-feat in 2012 is massive.

The voters have a right tochoose their elected officials. Theofficials do not have a right tochoose their voters, although infact they try to do just that. Some-times they even succeed. In NewYork State they usually do.

StarQuest@NYCivic.org

Henry Stern

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Compiled by DOMENICK RAFTER

Police Blotter

108th Precinct

Gun Point Robbery

The NYPD is asking for the public's

assistance in identifying a man

wanted in connection with a rob-

bery that occurred in Woodside.

On Sunday, Aug. 14, at 1:55

a.m., the suspect approached

a 21-year-old Hispanic man at

the corner of 72nd Street and

41st Avenue, displayed a sil-

ver firearm and demanded his

p roper t y. He removed the

victim's cell phone and an un-

determined amount of cash and

fled the location in a green four-

door sedan.

The suspect is described as a

black man, 30-40 years old, 5-

foot-7, 150lbs, dark complexion,

speaks with a foreign accent and was last

seen wearing a blue stripe polo shirt.

Anyone with information regarding

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 en-

tering TIP577.

110th Precinct

Pedestrian Struck

On Sunday, Aug. 21, at approximately

7:12 a.m., police responded to a 911 call

of a pedestrian struck at Corona Avenue

and 93rd Street in Corona. Upon arrival,

police determined that a 25-year-old His-

panic woman had entered the road-

way in front of a GMC minivan

driven by a 53-year-old Asian

man. The pedestrian was at-

tempting to cross the street

when she was struck. EMS re-

sponded and the victim was

taken to Elmhurst General Hos-

pital where she was pronounced

dead on arrival. The operator of

the vehicle remained at the

scene and there appears to be

no criminality at this time. The

investigation was ongoing. The

name of the decease was pend-

ing family notification.

114th Precinct

Newborn Found

The NYPD is asking for the public's

assistance in identifying a newborn baby

found in Astoria.

On Friday, Aug. 19, at 7:05 a.m., po-

lice officers responded to a 911 call of an

abandoned baby at 21-62 28th St. in

Astoria. Upon arrival of police and EMS,

a newborn white or Hispanic girl with the

umbilical cord still attached was discov-

ered inside of a shoe box in front of the

building. EMS rendered aid to the child

and transported the newborn to Elmhurst

Hospital in stable condition. The parents

of the newborn have not been located, a

hospital canvass was initiated and the

investigation was ongoing.

The baby is 7 pounds 1 ounce and it is

believed that she was born within the previ-

ous 24 hours before she was found.

Anyone with information regarding

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 en-

tering TIP577.

From the DA

Insecure Deposits

A Richmond Hill man has been

charged with taking approximately

$53,300 in security deposits from pro-

spective tenants for the same apartment

in his residence although, in fact, it was

never available for rent.

The defendant was identified as

Shahab Khan, 32, of 86-46 127th St. in

Richmond Hill. Shahab was arraigned on

a criminal complaint charging him with

two counts of third-degree grand larceny,

six counts of fourth-degree grand larceny

and one count of first-degree scheme to

defraud. He was ordered held on $50,000

bail and to return to court on Sept. 6.

Queens DA Richard Brown asked that

anyone who believes that he or she may

have been a victim of the defendants' al-

leged scheme to contact his Economic

Crimes Bureau at (718) 286-6673.

Khan was additionally arrested on an-

other criminal complaint on Aug. 19 with

11 counts of fourth-degree grand larceny

and one count of first-degree scheme to

defraud. He was arraigned on that com-

plaint on Aug. 20 and released without bail.

He was ordered to return to court on Oct. 4

and faces up to four years in prison on each

of the grand larceny counts if convicted.

According to the criminal complaints,

between May 31 and Aug. 10, the defen-

dant allegedly advertised the first floor

apartment located at his residence in Rich-

mond Hill on Craigslist and showed it to

20 prospective tenants on various occa-

sions and accepted security deposits and

first month's rent ranging from $2,000 to

$4,350 from the complainants. The com-

plaint states that when the prospective

tenants tried to arrange a move-in date they

were variously allegedly stalled by the de-

fendant who allegedly made up excuses

as to why they could not move in as sched-

uled. The complaints further state that on

at least one occasion a man identifying

himself as the defendant's father told one

of the complainants who tried to move in:

"This is my house, you're not moving in."

On another occasion, according to the

complaint, a woman believed to be the

defendant's mother returned $1,300 to a

complainant who had given the defendant

a $3,500 security deposit.

Police are seeking

this man in connec-

tion with a robbery

in Woodside.

BY VERONICA LEWIN

In just nine months, Rushell White

turned MS 226 from one of 16 persis-

tently dangerous schools in the state to a

welcoming building where students feel

they have a role in their education.

The year before White became princi-

pal, the South Ozone Park middle school

logged 150 violent incidents for the 2009-

2010 school year. White took the job as

principal with the mission to transform the

climate of the school as soon as possible.

According to the State Education

Dept., a school is designated as "persis-

tently dangerous" if it has two successive

years of serious incidents that meet or

exceed established criteria. Homicide;

sexual offenses; robbery; assault resulting

in physical injury; arson; kidnapping; reck-

less endangerment and possession; and

use or threatened use of a weapon all clas-

sify as serious incidents.

A Renewed Culture

MS 226 ended its school year with

just 30 violent incidents, which White

attributes to the school collaborating as a

whole to change its culture. She said fac-

ulty, staff, students, parents and commu-

nity members all had a role in the middle

school's transformation in such a short

period of time.

"It's a vision that I've always had of a

school, if I had that opportunity to be

leader of a school. I always envisioned

having that school be somewhat of a uto-

pian situation where kids come in and

they feel welcomed," White said.

White was honored Aug. 9 at the 50th

celebration of Jamaican Independence

Day for her accomplishment of reducing

the number of violent incidents at her

school. "It was easy to pick her," said

Councilman Ruben Wills (D- Jamaica),

who presented the award

along with Councilman Leroy

Comrie (D-St.Albans).

Prior to taking the position

as head of MS 226, White had

been in the school system for

13 years, serving as the dean

at Maxwell High School, a

supervisor for six years and a

teacher prior to that.

White said the number of

violent incidents has signifi-

cantly decreased at the

school because the school has

changed from a place focused

solely on curriculum to a place

where students can grow so-

cially as well as academically.

The school now has a "Posi-

tive Behavior Intervention"

program in order to highlight

and encourage ideal behavior

instead of emphasizing the

negative actions of a few.

In January 2011, the

school unveiled its "Star

Bucks" program, where chil-

dren receive vouchers that

can be redeemed for prizes

at the school store. Every

faculty and staff member has

20 "bucks" to hand out to students ex-

hibiting good behavior.

"It's giving them more of an interac-

tion in their school system, both staff and

students are able to interact a lot more

than they used to," White said. Before

implementing the program, MS 226 had

between five and seven violent incidents

a month. Starting the program cut the

number in half, which shocked White.

Improved Academics, Extras

White said math scores have risen

since taking over as principal. The school

Effective Changes:

New Principal Brings Fresh Ideas

To Rejuvenate 'Dangerous' School

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Principal Rushell White (c.) accepts an award from Councilmen Ruben Wills and Leroy Comrie for her

accomplishments at MS 226 at last week's Jamaican Independence Day celebration.

MS 226 was ranked one of 16 persistently dangerous schools in the state before White took over.

has a "Get Caught Reading" program,

where a candid photo is taken of a stu-

dent reading. The school partners with

the Queens Public Library to offer book

signings every six weeks for students who

earn an average of 90 percent or higher.

When White arrived at the school, it

lacked extracurricular activities. Now stu-

dents have more than a dozen clubs to

participate in, such as technology, Indian

dance and creative writing. In order to

start a club at MS 226, students had to fill

out a petition with 25 interested mem-

bers. She said the kids were eager and

wanted the school to represent their in-

terests.

Student government was also intro-

duced during the 2010-2011 school year

and coincided with local government

elections. The elected students meet with

White and her assistant principals to ad-

dress their concerns.

"You should see my kids: they're all

sitting around with notepads and notes

of things that they want to address and

comments that they got from their peers,"

she said. With the feedback from their

peers, the student government was able

to add a monthly theme day at school,

had their first overnight trip to Washing-

ton D.C. and added curry chicken to their

lunch menu.

"We've given kids an opportunity to

create the atmosphere for themselves,"

White said.

Recognizing Each Other

One of the most popular programs

implemented this past school year is the

Student and Staff Member of the Week.

If chosen, the student's picture is dis-

played on the bulletin board outside of

the main office. The fact that it is a peer-

driven program is a key to its success.

"When the kids find out that their

friends can nominate them and they can

actually win, you see them running around

with paper, saying 'Vote for me for stu-

dent of the week! Vote for me," White said.

White said she'll always remember

when a proud student ran into her office

to tell her she had collected 350 signa-

tures from her peers for student of the

week. She said it is nice to see her stu-

dents taking the initiative to be recog-

nized for their work.

White said she is surprised at how

much the school has accomplished thus

far. Nearly a year ago, police were in the

school on a weekly basis arresting stu-

dents. By the end of the school year, po-

lice were coming in once a month to give

workshops. Safety agents who were once

solely responsible for the safety of all in

the building are now leading mentoring

programs for the students. The principal

said after all the school has accomplished

in just a year, there can only be more posi-

tives to come out of MS 226.

"Five years from now, I see the school

nationally recognized for its efforts, na-

tionally recognized for excellence and

progress and performance," White said.

"We will be acknowledged for high per-

formance in ELA, high performance in

math and serving as an exemplary school

in South Ozone Park and in the nation."

Reach Reporter Veronica Lewin at

vlewin@queenspress.com or (718) 357-7400,

Ext. 123.

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up to $1,000 rebate for a high-efficiency space heating boileror up to $600 rebate for a space heating furnace, saving up to30% on your heating costs by using less energy to produce thesame amount of heat as standard equipment

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For more information, please visit: www.powerofaction.com/nyc13

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Southeast Queens Events Edited By Harley Benson

pix

Paige 1 Beauty Salon, lo-cated on Merrick Blvd. and130th Avenue held the 130thAvenue Block Party forneighbors, friends and cus-tomers. Food was plentifuland children enjoyed an in-f latable bouncy house.Neighbor AssemblymanWilliam Scarborough (l.)whose District Office is lo-cated two doors away onMerrick, joined Paige 1 pro-prietor Camille Jacksonand some of the childrenfrom the neighborhood whowere enjoying the bouncyinflatable and great food.

The Garvey-Tubman Music Series"Smooth Soul Hitmakers" Free Sum-mer Concert held at Brookville Park inRosedale on Saturday, July 30, broughtout the community on a warm summerday to hear the soulful sounds ofMeli'sa Morgan, Allison Williams andJeff Redd. The annual concert is spon-sored by Margert Community Corp. and

Councilman James Sanders. (l. to r.) Assemblyman William Scarborough,Councilwoman Letitia James and Councilman James Sanders.

Assemblyman Will-iam Scarboroughpresented WilliamScarborough Schol-arships to four YouCan Go To CollegeCommittee studentsat his district office.The students partici-pated in the You CanGo To College Com-

mittee program which has been helping students get into some of the topAfrican American colleges in the country for the past 14 years. Pictured l. tor.: Executive Director Dorita Clarke, scholarship recipients Amanda Smith,Dana Harris, Assemblyman William Scarborough, Amanda Kenny, ParrishGentry, Educational Director Sister Shirley Dye.

Garvey Tubman Music

Go To College

The Jamel Robinson Child Welfare Reform Initiative, in partnership with KeepOur Streets Safe (K.O.S.S.) and the Shiloh Baptist Church held a United WeServe 2011 Family Day on 106th Avenue and 173rd Street. AssemblymanWilliam Scarborough (5th l., 2nd row) praised the Jamel Robinson ChildWelfare Reform Initiative and the enterprising young man, Jamel Robinson(4th l., 2nd row) for his hard work in preventing 18 to 21 year old foster careyouth aging out of the foster care system ending up in homeless shelters.

Robinson Reform

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Paige 1 Block Party

www.windowworld.com

A A A A A &&&&& E E E E E

Restaurant Review

PR

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US Open Champions Rafael Nadal

and Kim Clijsters, world No. 1 ranked

Novak Djokovic, former US Open Cham-

pion Andy Roddick and the 2010 US Open

Wheelchair Champion David Wagner will

team up with actor Bradley Cooper, New

Kids Take Over Open On Saturday

Dine Like A Duke

York Knicks All-Star Carmelo Anthony,

and pop star Cody Simpson at the 16th

Annual Arthur Ashe Kids' Day presented

this Saturday, Aug. 27, at the USTA Billie

Jean King National Tennis Center in Flush-

ing from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Hosted by TV personalities/actors La

La Anthony and Quddus, the popular full-

day tennis and music festival for children

and adults alike - including interactive

games, musical entertainment and tennis

activities - will also feature performances

from up-and-coming stars including Girls

Nite Out, Action Item, Jacob Latimore

and Nickelodeon's The Fresh Beat Band.

Arthur Ashe Kids' Day will kick off the

2011 US Open, which runs from Aug. 29

- Sept. 11.

From 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., kids

and their families can experience an ex-

citing schedule of free tennis games, live

music and attractions taking place

throughout the grounds of the USTA

Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Inside Arthur Ashe Stadium from 1-3

p.m., the live tennis and music show will

feature fun exhibition matches and skills

competitions with Rafael Nadal, Novak

Djokovic, Kim Clijsters, Andy Roddick,

David Wagner and other top players and

celebrities with musical performances by

Cody Simpson and more.

Stadium show tickets are on sale now

through Ticketmaster (1-866-OPEN-

IL DUCALE RISTORANTE

12-53 150th St., Whitestone

(718) 767-4699

CUISINE: Italian

HOURS: Noon- 11 p.m., 7 days

DELIVERY: Yes

CREDIT CARDS: All major

In Queens, one can say Italian eat-

eries are a dime a dozen, but in

Whitestone, where there is no shortage

of places to enjoy the cuisine of that

boot-shaped country, there is one place

that stands out.

Il Ducale, which means "of the duke"

in Italian, is more than just an eating ex-

perience; it's almost like a mini tour of

Italy in itself. Inside is the ornate dining

room decorated with floor to ceiling fres-

cos of the Italian coastline that almost

makes you feel you are eating on a top of

a cliff in Amalfi, on a beachfront in Reggio

Calabria, the water splashing up against

the patio, or on a hilltop overlooking the

Adriatic in Ancona, watching the ferries

disappear over the horizon.

But getting lost in the ambience is

only the beginning. For anyone who has

ever been to and eaten in Italy, Ducale's

cuisine is even more of a throwback than

the paintings of the red roof shorefront

villages. You will feel as if you're eating

meals made specifically for a duke.

For starters, we dove into a mixed

selection of shellfish, ricotta rolled-up

in eggplant and stuffed mushrooms.

Three out of four of us enjoyed the

mixed platter. To our delight, one of our

companions suffered from a shellfish allergy

which meant there was an extra item for

each. Thank God for delicious allergens.

The shrimp was the table's favorite.

As they swiftly disappeared from the

plate, we silently moved on to the

stuffed clams while our shellfish-free

friend sat waiting in envy for the main

courses to arrive. The lightly breaded

baked clams melted like butter on our

taste buds, comparable to some of the

best we've ever tried. With just a bit of

room in our bellies we stuffed the rolled-

up ricotta eggplants down and sat satis-

fied while waiting for the next course.

One by one, our waiter placed our

plates before us, one chicken dish after

another and fitting to our personalities.

The Pollo Normandi, chicken

breasts marinated with diced apples,

raisins and cognac cream sauce, is a dish

not often seen at many Italian eateries,

but it's the perfect meal for a summer,

or autumn day, and one for a lover of

sweet, fruity f lavors. Sometimes the

dish can be tart, but Ducale's recipe

delivered just enough fruity essence to

give the dish its signature f lavor with-

out going overboard. When biting down

on a slice of chicken, be sure to top it

with a slice or two of apple and a few

raisins for the full effect.

If the Duke was going capture our

taste buds, he'd have to do it with some-

thing simple. And he did.

Initially, one of us was hesitant about

ordering a dish that required too much

effort from the chef. So he stuck with

an Italian staple of mine (or at least what

he believed to be an Italian staple) and

choose the chicken parmesan with a

side of spaghetti.

The side of spaghetti was just as any

other, so he immediately directed his

fork towards to perky poultry. A gener-

ously carved cutlet lay beneath a melt-

ing muddle of mozzarella cheese mes-

merizing him.

Whether it was because he had not

eaten out in a long (long) time or that this

was after only having a bowl of dry cereal

for breakfast that morning, he was sold.

Awaiting her first real meal since break-

fast, our allergy-prone guest's plate arrived

just in time. The Chicken Francese came

on a platter-sized dish with three gener-

ously sized chicken breasts. Each golden

brown morsel had just the right amount

of crispiness. The sauce had the perfect

hint of lemon and herbs, and there was

plenty to spare. After the heaping side of

lightly sauced pasta, there wasn't much

room for dessert, but that didn't stop us

from splitting one.

Given the Italian-ness of the meal's

proceedings, tiramisu felt mandatory.

With cappuccinos and espressos, which

could hold their own against any warm

brew served at a café, we washed it back,

restarting our engines.

The fluffy lady fingers making up the

tiramisu's central layers remained firm,

despite soaking up a sizable amount of

coffee. Where others often crumble un-

der the pressure of a fork, this tiramisu

retained its shape and consistency, the

bitterness of the coffee mixing with a

sweet cream to give a balanced and re-

freshing finale to our meal.

It seems the ownership picked a de-

serving name. Il Ducale truly is

Whitestone's Duke of Italian cuisine.

Viva Ducale!

–Queens PRESS Staff

"I want people to know that mental

illness is not someone having a bad day,

or a bad week, but a chronic disease that

surely causes as much suffering as a seri-

ous physical illness -- on both the af-

f licted and their loved ones."

So says Flushing native Nina Bannett,

author of "Lithium Witness," a poetry chap-

book that chronicles her life growing up

with a mother who suffered from bi-polar

disorder, formerly called manic depression.

Just 4 years old when her mother was

initially diagnosed, Bannett explores what

it's like to be the young child of someone

who lives in her own f luctuating reality

and also what it was like growing up sur-

rounded by both mental illness and the

strongest bonds of love.

The New York City College of Tech-

nology student's poems take the reader

through a 30-year-long painful cycle of sepa-

rations and reunions, depicting an unbreak-

able mother-daughter relationship tested by

anxiety, illness and ultimately, death.

The 26 poems communicate the psy-

chological, medical, and financial impact

of mental illness as well as Bannett's

struggle to come to terms with her

mother's unexpected death in 2004 from

undiagnosed colon cancer. "Lithium Wit-

ness" addresses the themes of mental ill-

ness, mother-daughter relationships and

the woman as artist.

Bannett has been chairperson of City

Tech's English department since 2009.

She began teaching full-time at the Col-

lege in 2003, after previously serving as a

part-time adjunct professor for six years.

Her academic area of specialty is 19th

Mental Health Seen

Through Poet’s Eyes

and 20th century American Women's fic-

tion, and she has published articles on

the work of Louisa May Alcott, Elizabeth

Stoddard and Anzia Yezierska.

Bannett's parents divorced when she

was a teenager, and she continued to live

with her mother in the years that followed

while seeing her father on the weekends.

Winning a full academic scholarship to at-

tend Queens College enabled Bannett to

live at home and care for her mother while

earning an undergraduate degree in English.

She went on for her master's and PhD de-

grees at The CUNY Graduate Center.

"I was an only child and needed to

stay at home to try to provide the emo-

tional support my mother needed," ex-

plains Bannett, who says "Lithium Wit-

ness" is meant to be "a tribute to my

mother and a way to keep her in my life."

She proudly notes that she is the third

generation in her family to graduate from

Queens College. Her mother graduated

in 1965, her father in 1961, and her grand-

mother in 1984.

At first, Bannett wrote the poems for

herself, but as time went on, she began to

see the value of sharing them with oth-

ers. It was when she read "The Rose Tat-

too," a poem in the collection, to a City

Tech literature class, that she realized she

wanted to publish a collection of work

about her mother.

"Occasionally, my mother would talk

about wanting to write a book about her

life, but for lots of reasons, this eluded

her," she explains. "Lithium Witness is

not the book she would have written, but

it is one I think she would be proud of."

Crowds file in for Arthur Ashe Kids Day at

the US Open.

TIX), usopen.org and at the USTA Billie

Jean King National Tennis Center box

office. American Express is the official

card of Arthur Ashe Kids' Day. General

admission promenade tickets cost $10

and loge tickets are $20. Arthur Ashe

Kids' Day will be broadcast nationally by

CBS on Sunday, Aug. 28, from noon to

1:30 p.m. Kids 12-and-under with stadium

show tickets will receive a free Arthur

Ashe Kids' Day hat from the USTA and

Hess on a first-come, first-served basis.

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Faith

NotebookYoung Women’s Leadership

Word"I believe in one God, and no more; and I hope

for happiness beyond this life. I believe in the

equality of humans; and I believe that religious

duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and

endeavoring to make our fellow creatures happy."

—Thomas Paine

By VERONICA LEWIN

This weekend, kids in Jamaica have

an opportunity to put down the video

game controller and pick up a jump rope.

The Arms of Love Community Out-

reach Inc. is hosting its second Back to

School event this Saturday, Aug. 27, at

the Merrick Park Baptist Church at 120-

02 Marsden St. in Jamaica. From 10 a.m.

to 5 p.m., children and other members in

the community can take advantage of a

plethora of activities the organization is

offering. This year's theme is "No Batter-

ies Necessary."

"We're trying to promote exercise and

healthy living," said Donald Edge, spokes-

man for Arms of Love.

Arms Of Love Pushes Healthier Kids

Kids will have the opportunity to hula

hoop, dance, and participate in a double

dutch competition. The Federation of

Black Cowboys of Queens and Brooklyn

will perform a horse show at 2 p.m.,

weather permitting. For the little ones,

there will be inflatable games and a magic

show. All of Saturday's events, including

breakfast and a barbeque lunch, are free

to the community. State Sen. Shirley Hunt-

ley (D-Jamaica), Assemblyman Bill

Scarborough (D-Jamaica) and City Coun-

cilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) are

scheduled to attend.

Arms of Love is a non-profit, faith

based organization that strives to provide

services to underserved youth and adults.

The organization offers a variety of ser-

vices, including vocational training, career

development and resume building. Edge

said the organization's motto is "Reclaim-

ing the village, come as you are and grow

as you go."

Just in time for the new school year,

about 200 students will go home with a

sling bag backpack full of school supplies.

Adults will not likely leave empty-handed,

as there will be several giveaways through-

out the day. New York Hospital Queens

will be handing out Mets tickets to those

who donate blood. Blood pressure screen-

ings will be available as well as free

mammograms for women over 40.

Dwayne Tatum Haircuts will be giving

away three free haircuts for men, while

Classic Hair Works salon will be giving

one woman a free hairdo.

Arms of Love is making this event pos-

sible solely through donations from the

community and local businesses. To do-

nate or get more information about

Saturday's event, call (646) 770-2382 or

(718) 529-8842.

Reach Reporter Veronica Lewin at

vlewin@queenspress.com or (718) 357-7400,

Ext. 123.

Some 25 middle school girls from the

Young Women's Leadership School re-

cently completed City Parks Foundation's

three-week intensive Green Girls Summer

Institute. The young women had the op-

portunity to "guest blog" about their ex-

periences at People + Parks, City Parks

Foundation's blog.

Janmarie Acosta, 11, was among the

group of Green Girls who visited the

Queens Botanical Garden in Flushing.

"We saw Osage Orange trees, which were

in the shape of an orange, but they were

green and looked like a brain. The build-

ing was designed to be environmentally

friendly. The building was designed so

that when it rained, the water would fall

off the building into a little pond or it was

used to water plants. It used solar and geo-

thermal power. We learned about compost:

you put lots of garbage in a bin with worms

because worms will eat the garbage,"

Janmarie wrote in her blog entry.

The Green Girls Summer Institute is a

program that focuses on enriching science

learning and addressing environmental

justice issues, through field trips, commu-

nity service projects in parks, and citywide

exploration.

Green Girls enjoy intensive summer

experiences in a three-week institute to

educate them about New York City's vast

natural and cultural resources and promote

leadership skills. The curriculum addresses

a variety of science subjects, including en-

vironmental education, ecology, biology,

geology, zoology and botany. They ex-

plore their personal potential and learn

about the career opportunities that are

available in the sciences.

Green Girls is supported by Time

Warner Cable through the company's

Connect A Million Minds initiative, which

Green Girls In Queens

At Botanical Garden

was created to inspire the next genera-

tion of problem solvers by connecting

young people to the wonders of science,

technology, engineering and math

(ConnectAMillionMinds.com).

Founded in 1989, City Parks Founda-

tion (CPF) is the only independent, non-

profit organization to offer park programs

throughout the five boroughs of New York

City. CPF works in over 750 parks

citywide, presenting a broad range of free

arts, sports, and education programs, and

empowering citizens to support their parks

on a local level. CPF's programs and com-

munity building initiatives reach more than

600,000 people each year, contributing to

the revitalization of neighborhoods

throughout New York City. For more de-

tails, please visit CityParksFoundation.org.

City Parks Foundation Green Girl Janmarie

Acosta explores Queens Botanical Gardens.

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Borough Beat

BY DOMENICK RAFTER

There's no summer vacation for the can-

didates vying to replace former U.S. Rep.

Anthony Weiner - nor for those who seek to

out-shout their opponent's supporters.

Democratic candidate David Weprin

and Republican candidate Bob Turner

have been crisscrossing the district in both

Brooklyn and Queens meeting voters and

rounding up endorsements.

Weprin got a key cross-party endorse-

ment last week from Councilman Peter Koo

(R-Flushing), who had endorsed and cam-

paigned for Turner in 2010; he endorsed

Weprin at the Flushing Chinese Business

Association on Main Street on Aug. 18.

Koo focused on immigration issues in

his endorsement of Weprin.

"I am crossing party lines to support the

best candidate for this community," Koo

said. "David Weprin embraces new immi-

grants and he knows the importance of

having the opportunity to achieve the Ameri-

can dream. When I look in the mirror, I know

in my heart I'm making the right choice."

Weprin also gained the endorsement

of the top firefighters unions, the Uni-

form Fire Officials Association and the

Uniform Firefighters Association. The

two unions gave their endorsement, along

with Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley

(D-Middle Village) at Engine 305 in

Koo Backs Dem; Debate Turns Ugly

Forest Hills on Sunday.

He also received the endorsement of

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

At a spirited debate Monday night held

at Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills and

sponsored by the Queens Civic Congress,

the candidates faced off in front of an

unruly crowd of hecklers. Turner explained

his position as a true independent running

under a Republican banner. "I owe no one

anything," he said. "I am not a party loy-

alist and they don't have anything I want

or need."

Weprin noted his positions against

President Barack Obama on Israel and

against Council Speaker Christine Quinn

on congestion pricing and term limit ex-

tensions as signs that he is not always

going to toe the line of his party.

Turner has vowed to cut 35 percent in

federal spending over the next 10 years, and

that would include dramatic reductions in

agencies such as the U.S. Dept. of Agricul-

ture and the U.S. Dept. of Education. He

also opposed extending unemployment

benefits for people who have been receiving

unemployment for 99 months.

"Fifty percent of people whose ben-

efits run out end up finding a job," he said.

"When is enough enough? The burden is

on the individual. There is a point, and I

think we've reached it."

Many of Weprin's responses to ques-

tions were cut short as he would bring up Tea

Party references to Turner's candidacy, elic-

iting huge roars and protest from the crowd,

who then would drown out his answers.

The National Republican Campaign

Committee, the body that oversees GOP

Congressional campaigns nationwide, sent

Turner's campaign $44,500 in funding last

week, a sign they may be taking the race

seriously.

Editor Brian M. Rafferty contributed.

Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at

drafter@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-

7400, Ext. 125.

BY DOMENICK RAFTER

Mayor Mike Bloomberg is officially chal-

lenging the results of the 2010 Census that

showed tepid growth in New York City

and almost no growth in Queens, saying

the bureau severely miscounted many neigh-

borhoods including Astoria and Jackson

Heights, but Queens College professor and

demographer Andrew Beveridge says the

City’s challenge may be all for naught.

Beveridge said there were a number of

reasons why the Census results could ac-

tually be correct, including the effects on

population caused by the Sept. 11 terror-

ist attacks and the 2008 financial crisis,

which shook the nation’s financial indus-

try, based in New York City.

First, he took issue with the idea that

housing statistics point to a higher popu-

lation in areas like Astoria. Beveridge

Census Data May Be Right

pointed out that a lot of new housing does

remain vacant in areas like Astoria and

Bay Ridge.

“New York City, along with the rest of

the United States, experienced a housing

bubble and is still working through the

extra units that were constructed during

that bubble,” he said in an April piece for

the Gotham Gazette.

Also, Beveridge said, immigration num-

bers might have dwindled toward the end

of the decade, and while the city was

preparing for numbers similar to what they

saw in the 1990s, they instead found the

flow of immigrants may have slowed due to

fewer job prospects after the 2008 reces-

sion and a perceived unfriendly climate

toward immigrants in the United States.

Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at

drafter@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-

7400, Ext. 125.

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,

150-50 14 Road,Whitestone NY 11357.

Send faxes to 357-9417, c/o Regina.

IF YOUR ORGANIZATIONMEETS ON A REGULARBASIS, SEND ALL DATESFOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.

EDUCATION/GAMES/CRAFTS

KAYAKINGWeekends through Oc to -ber 9 (weather permitting)kayak ing f rom Socra tesScu lp tu re Pa rk Beach a tHallets Cove. 228-9214.LANDSCAPE/FLORALCharcoal and pen and inkclasses. 969-1128.JH ART CLUBClasses in all art forms daysand evenings for chi ldrenand adults. 454-0813.WOODBLOCK PRINTINGEasy method in full color atthe Nat iona l Ar t League .969-1128.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.SCULPTURE WORKSHOPSaturdays through Septem-ber 24 children and fami-lies at the Socrates SculptureMuseum. 956-1819.PET OWNERSSaturdays (not on holidayweekends ) f rom 1 -4 f reeDogg ie Boot Camp a :a tCrocheron Park in Bayside(weather permitt ing). 454-5800 . Rese rva t ions re -quired. Donations accepted.SKYPE CHATMondays, August 29, Sep-tember 12, 19, 26 at theQueens Village library at 2.BALLROOM DANCINGMondays, August 29, Sep-tember 12, 19, 26 at theForest Hills library at 6:30.BRIDGE CLUBMondays except holidays12-4 at Pr ide of 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.KNITTING CIRCLEMondays at Alley Pond Envi-ronmental Center. Register229-4000.ADULT CHESSMondays and Thursdays atthe Queens Village library at5:30.JOB INFORMATIONMonday, August 29 at theMiddle Village library. Reg-ister.INTRO MICROSOFT WORDTuesday, August 30 at theMcGoldrick library at 10:30.INTRO COMPUTERTuesday, August 30 at theQueens Village library. Reg-ister.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.TOUR THE WORLDTuesday, Augus t 30 a t

10:30 adults tour the worldv ia the in te rne t a t theRosedale library.INTRO COMPUTERTuesday, August 30 at theQueens Village library. Reg-ister.INTRO POWERPOINTTuesday, August 30 at theSteinway library at 10:30.COMPUTER TRAININGTuesday, August 30 at theBellerose library. Register.INTRO EXCELTuesdays, August 30 at theSteinway library. Register.KNIT & CROCHETTuesday, August 30 at theWindsor Park library at 2.LANGUAGE CLASSWednesdays ConversationalHebrew 2:30-3:30 and TorahStories in Yiddish 3:30-4:30at the Bayside Jewish Cen-ter. 352-7900.TANGO CLASSWednesdays , Augus t 31 ,September 7, 14, 21, 28 atBuenos Aires Tango in For-est Hills. 347-642-4705.DUPLICATE BRIDGEWednesdays 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.BOOK AND NOOK FAIRWednesday , Augus t 31Open house from 3:30-5:30at Barnes & Noble, 176-60Union Turnpike, Fresh Mead-ows.INTRO WORDThursday, September 1 atthe Steinway library. Regis-ter .QUILTING CLASSThursdays 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 CLASSEvery Thursday a t theQueensboro Hill library. Reg-ister.KNIT & CROCHETThursdays a t the F reshMeadows library at 6.BALLROOM DANCINGThursday, September 1 atthe Woods ide l i b ra ry a t6:30.BEGINNERS COMPUTERFriday, September 2 at theMiddle Village library. Reg-ister.KNITTING CLUBFridays at the Maspeth li-brary at 10.KNIT & CROCHETFridays at the Fresh Mead-ows library at 10:30.COMPUTER COURSEEvery Friday at the OzonePark library. Register.CHESS CLUBFridays, September 2, 9, 16,23, 30 at the Auburndale li-

ENTERTAINMENT

MOVING IMAGEThrough September 4 TheFilms of Frank Sinatra. Sep-tember 9-30 Gus Van Sant.Through January 16 J imHenson Screenings and Pro-grams. Museum of the Mov-ing Image, 36-01 35 th Av-enue , As to r i a . 777 -6800 .$15.JON BATES BANDSaturday, August 27 1-5 JonBates Band performs. 505-1800.FM POETSSaturday, August 27 FreshMeadow Poets meet at theForest Hills library at 10.PIANO CONCERTSaturday, August 27 pianoconcert at 2 at the Flushinglibrary.DINO ROSISaturday, August 27 inter-nat iona l songs wi th DinoRosi at the Broadway libraryat 3.ICE CREAM & DOGSSaturday, August 27 icecream social and dog showat 1. Sundaes and floats 1.5.Dog show at 2 with Blessingo f the An ima l s . F i r s t Re -formed Church of CollegePoint, 118-17 14th Avenue,College Point.GREEK FILMSSaturday, August 27 “Panicin the S t reets . ” Sunday ,August 28 “Baby Doll.” Sat-urday, September 3 “A Facein the Crowd.” Sunday, Sep-tember 4 Greek AmericanFilmmakers. Films in Greek.Greek Cu l tu ra l Center inAs to r i a a t 6 . 26 -80 30 th

Street. Free.SUMMER FUNSunday, August 28 Theatrefor the New Cit y presents“Bambooz led . ” Sunday ,September 11 September11th tribute. Sunday, Sep-tember 25 Jackson HeightsGreen Alliance Ending Cel-ebrat ion. 5pm at the 78 th

Street Play Street, 78th Streetbetween Northern Blvd. And34 th Avenue , J acksonHeights.SINATRAMonday, August 29 Sinatratribute at the Arverne libraryat 5.GREEN FILMSMonday, August 29 “TheEnd o f the L ine” w i l l beshown at the Astoria at 6.ELLINGTON TRIBUTEMonday, August 29 tributeto Duke Ellington and BillyStrayhorn at the Seaside li-brary at 6.KAROAKETuesday, August 30 sizzlin’summer karaoke at 5:30 atthe Flushing library.SCRABBLETuesday, August 30 at theFresh Meadows library at 1.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.JEWISH MUSICWednesday, August 31 fam-i ly enterta inment . 7pm atCunn ingham Park , Un ionTurnpike and 196 th Street.

brary at 3.MICROSOFT WORDFriday, September 2 at theFa r Rockaway l ib ra ry a t10:30.PUBLIC SPEAKINGSaturdays, September 3, 17learn to communicate effec-tively at Elmhurst Hospital.646-436-7940.BALLROOM DANCINGThursday, September 8 ball-room dancing for beginnersat the Woodside library at6:30.

Free.SUMMER MOVIESFr iday , September 2“Invictus.” St. Joseph Parish,43-19 30th Avenue, Astoria.278-1611. BBQ begins at 7,movie at sundown.LIVE JAZZFridays through December13 at 180-25 Linden Blvd..,S t . A lbans . 347-262-1169ticket information.BANANAGRAM/ SCRABBLEFridays at the Windsor Parklibrary at 2.GAME PLAYERS CLUBFriday, September 2 at theAuburndale library at 3:30.FIRST FRIDAYSFr iday , September 2Socrates Sculpture Park of-fers evening hours.FM POETSSaturday, September 3 theFresh Meadows Poets meetto discuss their work at 10 atthe Fresh Meadows library.ARTIST TALKSaturday, September 10 4-6 a r t i s t t a l k fo r “Go ingGreen” exhibit at CrossingAr t , 136 -17 39 th Avenue ,ground floor, Flushing.MUSIC IN GARDENSSunday , September 11Music in the Garden , re -sented with Bang on a Canat Socrates Sculpture Park at3 .OPEN MICMondays , September 12,October 10, November 14,December 12 evening ofpoetry at 7:30 at Barnes &Noble, 176-60 Union Turn-pike.WORLD MAKER FAIRESeptember 17-18 Hall of Sci-ence.

DANCE

ALUMNI

LINE DANCINGSaturdays 2-4 at Holy Fam-ily RC Parish Church, Msgr.Mahoney Hall, 175-20 74th

Avenue , F resh Meadows .Light refreshments.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.

THOMAS JEFFERSONSunday, January 15 class of1961 wil l meet in Florida.Tjhs1961@aol.com

ENVIRONMENT

EXHIBIT

COMPOSTINGTuesdays, August 30, Sep-tember 6, 13, 20, 27 wastefood drop off at the Steinwaylibrary at 4.

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.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.GOING GREENThrough September 11 “Go-ing Green” at Crossing Art,136-17 39th Avenue, groundfloor, Flushing.NOGUCHIThrough September 18“ Tracks : Animal Drawingsfrom Noguchi’s Travel” and“Highlights from the Collec-tion.” Noguchi Museum, 32-37 Vernon Blvd., LIC. $10adults, $5 seniors and stu-dents. 204-7088.MOVING IMAGEThrough January 16 J imHenson’s Fantastic World.Museum of the Moving Im-age, 35th Avenue and 37th

Street, Astoria. $15 adults.777-6888.

RELIGIOUS

MESSIAH LECTURESThrough September 14 se-r ies of lectures about theMessiah with Rabbi GeraldSolomon from 10:30-noon atthe Flushing-Fresh MeadowsJewish Center, 193-10 PeckAvenue, Flushing. 357-5100.ICE CREAM & DOGSSaturday, August 27 icecream social and dog showat 1. Sundaes and floats 1.5.Dog show at 2 with Blessingo f the An ima l s . F i r s t Re -formed Church of CollegePoint, 118-17 14th Avenue,College Point.OPEN HOUSESunday, August 28 10-noonat the Bay Terrace JewishCenter, 13-00 209th Street,Bayside.REFORM TEMPLEWednesday, September 7the Reform Temple of For-est Hills, 71-11 112th Street,will hold an open house from6-8.LUTHERAN REDEEMERSunday, September 11 me-morial service at 9:30. Regu-lar service begins Septem-ber 18 a t 8 :30 . Sundaysregular worship service withHoly Communion at 8:30 and10:30. Sunday School, AdultBible Class and FriendshipHour at 9:30. Youth Groupat 12:30. Wednesday prayergroup and Bible Study at 7.Lutheran Church of the Re-deemer , 157 -16 65 th Av -enue, Flushing. 358-2744.

MISCELLANEOUS

SCHOOL PROJECTSaturday, August 27 FirstBap t i s t Church o f Eas tElmhurst will provide schoolbook bags , supp l i e s andmore. 446-0200.METROCARD VANWednesday , Augus t 31Metrocard Van from 10-noonat the Howard Beach SeniorCenter, 156-45 84th Streetand from 1-3 at the MaspethFederal Savings Bank, 56-1869th Street, Maspeth.

FLEA MARKETS

FLEA MARKETSaturdays and Sundaysthrough October 1 at FaithMission, 114-40 Van WyckExpressway.RUMMAGE SALESaturday, September 3 inthe church parking lot, 43rd

Street and Skillman Avenue10 -3 . Queen o f Ange l sChurch.TRASH & TREASURESaturday, September 17 9-3 at All Saints Church, 214-35 40th Avenue.BOOK & HEALTH FAIRSaturday , September 2412-6 6th Annual Queens Bookand Health Fair in the Har-vest Room at Jamaica Mar-ket, 90-40 160th Street, Ja-maica.

THEATER

KILLING KOMPANYFriday, September 23 “TheRea l i t y T V Murder s ” a tRiccardo’s in Astoria. TheKi l l ing Company performsmystery dinner shows. 1-888-SHOOT-EM for information.

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Queens Today

HEALTH

YOGA CLASSESSaturdays 10-11 and Sun-days 9:30-10:30 workshopson Yoga. Other classes in-clude meditation, Ayurvedic,yoga phi losophy, Sanski r tlanguage. Hispanic Cham-ber of Commerce in JacksonHeights. 646-912-1885.YOGA IN THE PARKSaturdays through Septem-ber 24 at Socrates SculpturePark. 956-1819.CAPOEIRA IN THE PARKSaturdays through Septem-ber at Socrates SculpturePark. 956-1819.NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS7 days a week. 962-6244.Flushing.MARIJUANA ANONYMOUSSundays 7-8:30 at Zion Epis-copal Church, 143-01 North-ern Blvd., entrance on 44th

Avenue, room 5, Little Neck.PILATES IN THE PARKSundays through Septem-ber 25 at Socrates SculpturePark. 956-1819.TAI CHI IN THE PARKSundays through Septem-ber 25 at Socrates SculpturePark.956-1819.WAITANKUNGSundays at 2. Waitankung isa great total-body workout.Join these ancient Chineseexercise classes in the Flush-ing Hospital/Medical Centerauditorium on 45th Avenuebe tween Pa r sons and

Burling. Free. Jimmy 7-10pm347-2156 information.NICOTINE ANONYMOUSMondays 6:45-8:00 at theCenter for Tobacco Control,225 Commun i t y Dr i ve ,Great Neck. 516-510-7826.TAI CHIMondays and Thursdays at11 at the Card iac Heal thCenter in Fresh Meadows.670-1695. $5 a class.CHAIR YOGAMonday, August 29 intro-duction to chair yoga at theLaurelton library. Register.

MEETINGS

GAM-ANONTuesdays Free Synagogue ofFlushing and Zion EpiscopalChurch. Wednesdays Al lSaints Episcopal Church inBayside, First PresbyterianChurch in Forest Hills, Churchon the Hill in Flushing andUnited Methodist Church inMiddle Village. ThursdaysFree Synagogue of Flushingand Zion Episcopal Church.Call 1-877-664-2469.CAREGIVERS SUPPORTEver y Tuesday We ste rnQueens Caregiver Networkin Sunnys ide . 5 :30 -6 :30 .784-6173, ext. 431.

MEN’S CLUB SOCCERTuesday evenings at the For-est Hills Jewish Center. 263-7000.FRESH MEADOW CAMERATuesdays the Fresh Mead-ows Camera C lub meets .917-612-3463.ADVANCED WRITERSTuesdays Advanced BaysideWr i te r s ’ Group meet s a t6:30 in the Terrace Diner,212-97 26th Avenue, upperlevel. Get feedback on yourwr i t ing and develop yourskills.FLUSHING CAMERAWednesdays , Augus t 31 ,September 7, 21 FlushingCamera Club meets at Flush-ing Hospital. 479-0643.

AARP CHORUSL ike to s ing? The AARPQueens Chorus holds prac-t ice rehearsals for perfor -mances at nursing homes,rehab and senior centers .523-1330.FREE LUNCHSaturdays, August 27, Sep-tember 24 at Church of theResurrect ion in Kew Gar -dens. 847-2649 reservations.CAREGIVERSEvery Tuesday CaregiversSupport group at 3:30-4:30at the Se l fhe lp Clearv iewSenior Center, 208-11 26th

Avenue, Bayside. 631-1886.

SENIORS

YOUTH

QUEENS LIBRARIESMany b ranches o f theQueensborough Library of-fer toddler and pre-schoolprograms. Contact your lo-cal branch for dates.SCULPTURE PARKSaturdays through Septem-ber 24 the Socrates Sculp-ture Park will hold drop-inworkshops for families.MATH HELPSaturdays at the Flushing li-brary at 10.CHESS CLUBEvery Saturday at the Flush-ing library at 2.STORY TIMESSaturdays at 11 and Tues-days at 10:30 weekly storytimes at Barnes & Noble, 176-60 Union Turnpike , F reshMeadows.KNIT & CROCHETMondays a t 4 a t theDouglaston/Li t t le Neck l i -b ra r y. B r ing need les andyarn.WORLD TRAVELERSMonday, August 29 at thePeninsula library at 2.FAMILY YOGAMonday, August 29 at theRosedale library. Register.STORY TIMETuesday, August 30 Back toSchool Storytime at 10:30 atBa rnes & Nob le , 176 -60Union Turnpike, Fresh Mead-ows.READING PARTY

Tuesday, August 30 k idssummer reading party at theSeaside library at 3.DROP IN & READTuesday, August 30 at thePeninsula library at 2.LEGO BUILDERSTuesday, August 30 at theLIC library at 1.DROP IN & READTuesday, August 30 at thePeninsula library at 2.CHESSWednesdays at the QueensVillage library at 3:30.KNITTINGEvery Wednesdays at theBayside library at 4.TOPS TRUMP CARDEvery Wednesday tourna -ment at the LIC library at 4.THEATRICKSWednesday, August 31 at4:30 at the Kew GardensHills library.FROG HATThursday and Friday, Sep-tember 1 and 2 a t t heWhitestone library at 3.PICTURE BOOK TIMEThursday, September 1 forthose 3-5 and caregivers at1:30 at the Queens Villagelibrary.CRAFT TIMEEvery Thursday at 3:30 atthe Ozone Park library.BOY SCOUTSThursdays Boy Scout Troop138 meets at 7:30 in thebasement at 192-15C 64th

Circle, Fresh Meadows. Forthose 11 and o lder . 454-2391.

TALKS

STEINWAYMonday, August 29 “Let theGreat World Spin” wil l bediscussed at the Steinway li-brary at 6:30.FLUSHING BOOKFr iday , September 2“Middlesex. Friday, Oc to-ber 7 “House of the Spir-i ts .” Friday, November 4“The Help.” Friday, Decem-ber 2 “The Stranger.” Flush-ing Book Discussion Groupsat 1 at the Flushing library.CENTRAL QUEENS YTuesday, September 13“What are the limits of FreeSpeech?” A Conversation ofNY Council for the Humani-t i e s w i th J ames Co l l a t1:30.Free. Tuesday, Septem-ber 20 i nves t i ga t i ve re -porter Snigdha Prakash willdiscuss sensational trial vs.Merck . $6 dona t ion re -ques ted . 1 :30 . Cen t ra lQueens YM-YWHA, 67-09108th Street, Forest Hills.SUMMER READINGTuesday, September 20 “AGesture L i fe” wi l l be d is -cussed at the LIC library at10.

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Profile

Creating The Bridge To EducationBY VERONICA LEWIN

After witnessing the inconsistencies

in the public school system, one St.

Albans woman took it upon herself to

make sure students in the community ex-

cel in the classroom.

Born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents,

Lovina Ikenga spent a lot of her early

years traveling back and forth to Nigeria.

She left New York City to pursue her

master's degree and now resides in St.

Albans.

After Ikenga received her master's

degree in classics from University of Colo-

rado Boulder, she started teaching Latin

at Boulder High School and soon taught

adult education courses while being a pri-

vate tutor. As her tutoring network grew,

Ikenga found herself too busy to tutor all

interested students and began to ask

friends to help with her workload. Two

years ago, Bridgesmart Tutors opened for

business.

Ikenga said she only hires instructors

with degrees in the subjects they will be

teaching, as opposed to applicants with

education degrees. This provides the stu-

dent with a more specialized learning

environment, she said. "You need some-

one who knows their subject very well,"

Ikenga said.

Ikenga said she believes in a rigorous

People

tutoring program that is designed for stu-

dents who want to excel in school. Some

of Bridgesmart's methods are conserva-

tive, as they used Christian home-school

materials and offer Christian Latin les-

sons. Bridgesmart also offers a Math and

Latin Academy, which it believes is one

of the best ways to develop a student's

mind. The academy is offered year

round in a classroom setting at specific

locations.

Ikenga said her method of teaching

may not be effective for all students.

"It's a very structured environment that

might not work for all cultures. It works

for the Caribbean community; they're

used to that. It works for the African

community."

Bridgesmart mainly serves students

in Queens and Brooklyn, but is begin-

ning to branch out to parts of Manhat-

tan and the Bronx. Ikenga said word of

mouth has helped the company expand

its tutoring services.

Bridgesmart has three program co-

ordinators and seven instructors. The

company offers tutoring sessions in

reading and writing, core subjects and

college preparation.

For a while, Ikenga tutored for No

Child Left Behind, where she realized

the fate of our public education system.

I was shocked and appalled," Ikenga

said. She said it surprised her how

undereducated some students were. One

high school sophomore she tutored had

the reading level of a fifth grader.

Ikenga blames video games and a lack

of discipline for some students' inability

to be attentive and take interest in school.

Ikenga said there is not much that can be

done to fix the City school system's prob-

lems because it is too large to change.

"If the children from certain cultures,

certain communities do not have a proper

education, then they can't get a job,"

Ikenga said. "So what are they going to

do? They're going to roam the streets,

looking for people to attack, and that's

exactly what's happening."

Bridgesmart was originally located

in Fresh Meadows, but moved into an

office in Long Island City at the begin-

ning of summer. All one-on-one tutor-

ing is conducted in the student's resi-

dence after a program coordinator

does a free consultation to discuss the

needs of the student. The first five-

hour block of tutoring is also an assess-

ment period of the student's reading,

writing, and speaking skills. If parents

are satisfied, they have the option to

purchase more f ive -hour tu tor ing

blocks in needed subjects.

Though Bridgesmart does not use di-

agnostic tests to measure a student's aca-

demic ability, Ikenga said her students

perform well on State Regents exams.

For more information, contact

Bridgesmart at (718) 450-6493.

Reach Reporter Veronica Lewin at

vlewin@queenspress.com or (718) 357-7400,

Ext. 123.

Students can still register for the upcoming

Math and Latin Academy, which will be held in

one of Bridgesmart's classrooms.

New York City Councilman James

Sanders, Jr. formally announced the pro-

motion of Donovan Richards, his long

time "Acting" Chief of Staff to the for-

mal position of Chief of Staff. Richards,

who has served the 31st Council Dis-

trict at the Councilman's side for the past

eight years, has informally run day to day

operations and overseen

the staff at all three of

Councilman Sanders' of-

fices, from Manhattan to

Far Rockaway.

The promotion comes

at a critical juncture for New

York City and state, as la-

bor issues, ongoing eco-

nomic turmoil and a shaky

fiscal future add rising pres-

sure on city officials to de-

liver for their constituen-

cies. But Richards says he's

ready for the challenge.

"After eight years under

Councilman Sanders, I

wear the scars of many battles fought and

won," said Richards. "The struggles we

face as a community and a city are un-

precedented in my lifetime, but I'm ready

to roll up my sleeves and set to work to

help the people of our district get back

on the right track. I want to thank my

mentor and friend, Councilman Sanders

for this opportunity, for the trust he has

placed in me, and for his wisdom and

guidance these many years."

Said Sanders: "Donovan has proven

himself a tireless champion for the needs

of our community. He has received a life

time of experience in these past eight years,

and has grown into a competent, capable

and distinguished young man who has

earned the trust and respect of my entire

team. This promotion was overdue, but I'm

proud to have such an outstanding Chief

of Staff in charge of my office."

John Nedd who's the

President and CEO of

JonWesley Consulting,

LLC Personal-Private Glo-

bal Security Consulting

Company was named as the

first Vice President of 100

Black Men of Long Island.

Nedd is also a veteran Law

Enforcement Officer with

the Nassau County Police

Department, currently as-

signed to the Federal Bu-

reau of Investigations.

Nedd is also a member of

the Incorporated Village of

Westbury, Taxi and Limousine Commission.

He's a Director of the National Organiza-

tion Black Law Enforcement Executives,

Long Island Chapter. He's a three time Presi-

dent of The Nassau County Guardians As-

sociation, a Life Time Member of the

Roosevelt/Freeport Branch of the NAACP,

Member The Long Island Chapter of the

Urban League, ASIS International, The

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. Sigma Beta

Beta Chapter of Long Island,The Frater-

nal Order of Police and The International

Association of Chiefs of Police.

The New York Lottery announced the

names of area Lottery players who

claimed a winning ticket from one of the

Lottery's live drawings from Aug. 14- 20:

Alipio Santos of Hollis won $10,000

on the Mega Millions drawing of August

16th. Santos's winning ticket was pur-

chased at the L & M American Store at

191-01 Jamaica Ave. in

Hollis.

Jorge Berenguer of Far

Rockaway won $10,000 on

the Powerball drawing of

August 6th. Berenguer's

winning ticket was pur-

chased at the The Depot/

New Smithhaven Smoke at

1133 Green Acres Mall in

Valley Stream.

Asuno E. Udoh of Ja-

maica, a student at

Binghamton University's

College of Community and

Public Affairs, earned an

MPA, Public Administration

Army Pvt. Ababio O. Tyson has gradu-

ated from Basic Combat Training at Fort

Sill, Lawton, Okla.

During the nine weeks of training, the

soldier studied the Army mission and re-

ceived instruction and training exercises

in drill and ceremonies, Army history,

core values and traditions, military cour-

tesy, military justice, physical fitness, first

aid, rifle marksmanship, weapons use, map

reading and land navigation, foot

marches, armed and unarmed combat,

and field maneuvers and tactics.

Tyson is the son of Brenda Tyson of

Villa Ave., Bronx, and brother of Abdul

Tyson of Beach 96 St., Rockaway Beach.

Air Force Reserve Airman Evelyn L.

Waite graduated from basic military train-

ing at Lackland Air Force

Base, San Antonio, Texas.

The airman completed

an intensive, eight-week

program that included

training in military disci-

pline 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 Community

College of the Air Force.

She is the daughter of

Merlyn Waite of 147th Street, Rosedale.

Waite graduated in 2001 from Hillcrest

High School, Jamaica, and received a

bachelor's degree in 2006 from John Jay

College, New York.

Tell The PRESSSend notices of graduation, awards,

anniversaries, engagements and honors to:

PRESS of Southeast Queens

150-50 14th Rd., Whittestone, NY 111357

All announcements will be considered for

publication without fee.

Evelyn L. WaiteJohn Nedd

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Conf ident ia l ly, New York . . .

It’s only been a year since welast wrote about SeregonO’Dassey, a Pennsylvania nativewho is working on making a namefor herself here in the big city.

This gal has been in Maxim,Stuff and Playboy, but her truefocus is on acting. The modelingis great, but she sees her truefuture on screen.

This self-described Star Trekgeek admits that working along-side a space traveler would be her

Seregon O’DasseyHome: Woodside

Age: 30Height: 5’ 7"

Weight: 120 lbsStats: 36-24-36

ultimate role.She envisions “a fantasy story

I write gets picked up by a networkand I am playing one of the leadroles, directed by Joss Whedon(The Avengers) or JonathanFrakes (Star Trek The Next Gen-eration).”

“Or a contract role on a soapopera,” she added.

In the meantime, Seregon hasa slew of small parts in some up-coming movies with fascinating

titles, including “Girl ScoutCookies,” “Sound Of Mind,”“Scream Queens Campfire” and“Witch’s Brew.”

Whatever the role, we’re sureSeregon will steal the scene. Keepworking at it; you’re sure to hitthe big time.

Seregon ReturnsM

odel

s Of

Que

ens

Astoria is short one potential gay couple.The makers of Sesame Street – which is

shot at Astoria's Kaufman Studios – dis-missed rumors that Bert and Ernie are gay,ending hopes for the show’s first gay wed-ding.

“Even though they are identified as malecharacters and possess many human traitsand characteristics (as most Sesame StreetMuppets do), they remain puppets, and donot have a sexual orientation,” the show saidin a statement.

The announcement came after a Facebook

Sesame St. Pride

page launched by gay rights ac-tivists asked the bathtub-sharingduo to tie the knot on the show toteach the acceptance of gays andlesbians.

We’re glad Sesame Streetcleared that up. Now if only wecould find out if Big Bird is a dudeor chick.

Bert and Ernie are just puppets with no sexual orientation

After a successful release thissummer on the big screen, thescrawny boy from Queens with ashield of armor may be returning toour borough in the future. Withthe success of Captain Americaand the plans for him to be fea-tured in five more Marvel movies,moviegoers may see Chris Rogersin Queens again.

After seeing him at the 1939World’s Fair in the movie, pro-ducer Stephen Broussard hintedthat he maybe appearing in Queensagain, but didn’t say which film.So for those of you that saw thefilm or to those who grew up read-ing the comic, get ready to seemore of the super hero in Queens.

Marvel To Return to Queens

Captain America could be local

The Queens Chamber of Com-merce knows a lot about Queens.In the century they’ve beenaround, they’ve been the go-togroup for businesses in the bor-ough. So it surprised us when wereceived their (well-put together)invitation to their centennial cel-ebration and found a mistake notcommon among those who knowQueens.

The invitation was designedlike a U.S. Passport (is this evenlegal?) In the back, a series ofstamps identifying Queens neigh-borhoods are on a page that lookslike the one in your passport thatgets stamped at customs. Theneighborhoods listed include KewGardens, Far Rockaway, Maspeth,College Point, Bayside, NorthCorona, and Richmond Hills, - yes,Richmond Hills with an "s."

Now of course we know theneighborhood is Richmond Hill –

How Many Hills?

New geography for the Queens

Chamber of Commerce passport?

just one. Perhaps the QueensChamber of Commerce thinks theneighborhood is so awesome,there should be more like it?

Or perhaps they just need acopy editor.

Clean Up!Though the story is a mess, we

know that during a routine repairjob within the Dept. of Sanitationmaintenance facility in Maspeth, asalt spreader owned by the Dept.of Corrections ended up crashingthrough the outer wall of the build-ing and nearly plunging three sto-ries to the parking lot below.

Fortunately, nobody was be-low when the crash occurred, sothe falling debris banged up somecars and nobody was hurt.

As for the driver, he ended upstuck dangling for a while beforehe and the truck could be rescued.

We just love the picture.

Just when we thought we’ve seen everything in thisborough we got another surprise.

On Aug. 10, some Queens residents got their oppor-tunity to run with the bulls – and they didn’t even haveto fly to Pamplona.

After making a break from a Jamaica slaughterhouse,a bold bull legged its way along Liberty Avenue in anattempt to escape his inevitable demise.

Onlookers recorded the event as the brazen bullbolted its way into York College before being corralled.

Although the incident did not seem as exciting as theworld famous event in Spain, spectators seemed toenjoy the debacle as two butchers were in tow, tryingto corral the brown bovine in an amateur attempt of areal-time rodeo.

Running of the Bull

More traffic on Liberty Avenue, Jamaica

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What’s UpSATURDAY, AUG. 27

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.

Arms of Love

The Arms of Love Community Out-

reach, Inc. of South Jamaica will present

its 2nd Annual - "Wellness/Back to School

Community Event: No Batteries Neces-

sary" from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Merrick

Park Baptist Church, 120-02 Marsden St.

This event is free to the fublic!

The aim of this event is to bring health

awareness and preventative resources to

the community for the entire family.

Stretch, Tone and Dance

Stay fit and have fun with a series of free

fitness activities at Idlewild Cricket Field

in Idlewild Park Preserve. All classes are

weather permitting. There are no rain dates.

Participants will be lead by instructor

Beverley A. Brown through stretching and

toning exercises from Yoga and Pilates, as

well as do light aerobic dance movements

found in Ballet, modern, jazz and Ethnic

Dance forms. No experience necessary.

Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Bring a

mat or beach towel.

This free event will be held at Idlewild

Park, Brookville Boulevard at 149th Av-

enue, at 9:15 a.m.

Inter-Tribal Festival

The Friends of Roy Wilkins Park is proud

to present the 1st Annual Inter-Tribal Na-

tive American Indian Festival/Pow Wow.

This is a family event so bring the kids and

enjoy Native American drumming, danc-

ing, history, arts and crafts, food, and ven-

dors. Special attractions include the Aztec

Fire Dancers "The Salina Family."

For additional information, contact

Tony Moon Hawk Langhorn at (917)

415-5139, Yvonne Richardson at (718)

527-5085, Andrew Straker at (917) 863-

7356, Ernest Darby at (718) 978-6546, or

Wendy White at (917) 916-6891.

This free event will be held at Baisley

Pond Park from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Free Backpacks

Know a child who needs a backpack?

Bring them out to Cambria/Cabbell Park.

That's where the organization Future

Grads will be distributing free backpacks

to any student who needs one.

This free event will be held at Cambria/

Cabbell Park - Francis Lewis Boulevard at

120th Avenue - from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Highest Praise Gospel

God's Children Productions presents the

second annual "Highest Praise Gospel Cel-

ebration 2K11" featuring Kurt Carr and the

Kurt Carr singers, Shekinah Glory, Forever

Jones, Jabez, Gary Anglin, Briget Blucher,

Michael Reid, Wendy Mitchell, Lovonne

Jackson Wright, Warrior, Mona Dell Olivair,

Kingsley Ogunde, Devon Johnson & Damaul

Francis and The Youth Impact Choir of

New Life Tabernacle Church in Brooklyn.

This event will be held at Roy Wilkins

Park - Merrick Boulevard at Baisley Boule-

vard - from noon to 9 p.m. Admission is $40.

French Fire w/Tabou Combo

The Margert Community Corporation and

Councilman James Sanders Jr. are pleased to

present another great concert in their Garvey-

Tubman Music Series. The afternoon's musi-

cal offering includes the international Haitian

konpa band Tabou Combo. Call the

Councilman's Laurelton Office (718) 527-

4356 or the Far Rockaway Office (718) 471-

7014 for additional information.

This free event will be held at Brookville

Park - Brookville Boulevard at 143rd Av-

enue - from 3-7 p.m.

MONDAY, Aug. 29

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.

TUESDAY, AUG. 30

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 lgrossjnc@yahoo.com.

This free event will be held at the Jamaica

Neighborhood Center - 161-06 89th Ave.

Camera Club

The Southeast Queens Camera Club

meets at Roy Wilkins Park, Administra-

tion Bldg., 2nd Floor, 177-01 Baisley

Blvd. Summer photography classes occur

on the second, third and fourth Tuesdays

of the month at 7:30 p.m. Classes are free

- bring camera manual.

For full details, visit seqcc.org or (718)

723-6849 or (516) 328-3776.

Eat Well Jamaica!

The New York Restoration Project, in

partnership with Just Food, will be hosting

a four-part healthy cooking workshop se-

ries in South Jamaica. They'll explore top-

ics that include cooking with in-season

ingredients and how to cook well keeping

the whole family in mind.

This free event will be held at 50 Cent

Community Garden - 165th Street and

Foch Boulevard - at 5:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 31

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

paglione@york.cuny.edu 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.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 1

Walkers for Wellness Club

See Saturday's listing. At 7 p.m.

Family Fun Day

The Lawrence Nursing Care Center,

350 Beach 54 St., will be hosting a Family

Fun Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 2

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.

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.

Infant Mortality

Clergy United for Community

Empowerment's Infant Mortality Reduc-

tion Initiative program provides the fol-

lowing services free of charge: case man-

agement services, parent skills building,

crib care, breast feeding education, health

education, nutritional information/educa-

tion, referral for HIV testing, confidential

one-on-one counseling, workshops, and

women support groups. IMRI provides

referrals for Food stamps, GED, GYN,

Emergency Baby Formula (qualifications

required) and more. Call (718) 297-0720.

Located at 89-31 161 St., 10th floor,

Jamaica. Services are available Tue.-Thurs.

9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

HIV Awareness

Clergy United for Community Empow-

erment provides intervention and curricu-

lum-based prevention education sessions

on HIV/AIDS, to reduce risk behaviors

that lead to HIV transmission. Services are

located at 89-31 161st St., Jamaica. Call

(718) 297-0720 ask about our presenta-

tion to adolescents and men/women of

color. Services are available Tue.-Thurs.,

9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

CPR Class

Learn to protect yourself and others at

Heron Care with a CPR class that includes

a certification from the American Heart

Association. Please call (718) 291-8788

for more details. Heron is located at 168-

30 89th Ave., Jamaica.

PAL Volunteers

The Police Athletic League (PAL) is

looking for volunteers to continue its mis-

sion of serving New York City's young

people by donating their time and talents

to help serve Queens youngsters at PAL's

Redfern Cornerstone and Far Rockaway

Beacon in Arverne-Far Rockaway, PAL's

Edward Byrne Center in South Jamaica

and PS 214 in Flushing.

PAL Centers in Queens offer a wide

range of opportunities for volunteers of all

talents. PAL's Redfern Cornerstone and

Far Rockaway Beacon are looking for

people to participate in a center clean-up

day. Volunteers are needed to tutor and

mentor young people during the After

School Program's daily homework help

sessions. In addition, individuals can also

donate their time assisting the many spe-

cial events held at PAL's Centers through-

out the year. PAL is also seeking profes-

sionals to give career advice and talk about

their own careers to young people, as well

as guest speakers who can share informa-

tion on a specific hobby of interest to the

youngsters.

To become a volunteer with the Police

Athletic League or to learn more about

volunteer opportunities, please visit

palnyc.org. Volunteers will go through an

application process that includes an inter-

view, screening and an orientation. For

more information, please contact PAL's

Volunteer Coordinator, Alexandria

Sumpter-Delves, at (212) 477-9450, Ext.

390 or volunteer@palnyc.org.

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