Press epaper 060614

Volume 15 Issue No. 23 June 6-12, 2014

ONLINE AT WWW.QUEENSPRESS.COM

FACING THE

COURTThe trial of State Sen. Malcolm Smith, along with former Councilman Dan Halloran, is underway. Smith and Halloran face corruption charges in an alleged scheme to get Smith on the Republican ballot for Mayor last year. By Joe Marvilli … Page 3.

PRESS of Southeast Queens June 6-12, 2014

BY JORDAN GIBBONS

Councilman Donovan Richards (D-Laurelton) and concerned Lau-relton residents gathered on Merrick Boulevard to voice their concerns against the proposed construction of a Verizon cell tower in the area Wednesday morning.

The free-standing tower would be about 58 feet tall and is expected to be built behind a strip of businesses on 229-27 Merrick Blvd.

Bess DeBetham, a Community Board 13 member, said she is strong-ly opposed to the construction of the tower, calling it an “ungodly, unsight-ly object.”

“If the area is congested, we don’t want or need Verizon in the area,” she said. “It is open for growth, but not for a cell tower. We want some-thing that will enhance our commer-cial strip.”

Verizon spokesman David Sam-berg said the network in the area had a capacity issue and the area was a good location for a potential upgrade for Verizon customers. The goal of the tower is to take the network in the area and turn it from a two-lane highway into a four-lane highway.

Laurelton Residents Rally Against Cell Tower

“We take into consideration envi-ronmental concerns, but it has to be in the search zone,” Samberg said. “You do everything to make the most amount of people comfortable that you can.”

Richards said Verizon needs to abandon their plan, citing a variety of other matters that the community is dealing with, such as environmental issues caused by John F. Kennedy In-ternational Airport and train traffic.

“I think Verizon has their wires

crossed. This is a residential area,” he said. “Today, we are here to tell Verizon to hang up their plan. Your cell tower is not welcome in our com-munity.”

Some of the resi-dents’ concerns are focused on the lack of communication and potential health problems in the long term.

Dwight Johnson, president of the Federated Blocks of Laurelton, said he is

disappointed Verizon did not consult residents before moving forward with their plans.

“They never came forward to speak with the community,” he said. “Many of our people have a lot of concerns, a lot of questions. Now that Verizon has all their ducks in or-der, they want to come to us.”

Samberg said the waves being emitted for the new LTE service, which includes voice and data, are sent through radio frequency.

“It’s no different than a radio sta-tion,” he said.

The American Cancer Society’s website states there is very little to be concerned about.

“Some people have expressed con-cern that living, working or going to school near a cell phone tower might increase the risk of cancer or other health problems,” the website states. “At this time, there is very little evi-dence to support this idea.”

Community Board 13 was sched-uled to have a public hearing to dis-cuss and vote on the tower Thursday night, after press time. There will be a Verizon representative at the meet-ing, Samberg said.

The official decision for the tower’s construction will be up to the Board of Standards and Appeals so the re-sults of the vote are not binding.

If the plan moves forward, resi-dents plan to push for a boycott for Verizon’s services.

“Our plea goes out to the BSA,” DeBetham said. “We’re going to rally as much as we must. We’ll ask people to drop Verizon as their carrier.”

Reach Reporter Jordan Gibbons at (718)357-7400 Ext. 123, [email protected] or @jgibbons2.

BY JOE MARVILLI

Two bills have been introduced into the State Legislature to deal with the recent problems concerning the Queens Library.

State Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) and Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry (D-Corona) are sponsoring a bill in their respective chambers that would re-structure aspects of the Queens Library, to make sure it cannot misuse pub-lic funds. State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) has introduced his own bill that goes further in what it wants to change.

The two pieces of leg-islation came out of sev-eral revelations earlier this year, regarding Queens Library’s chief executive officer, Thomas Galante. On top of a $392,000 salary, Galante had a second job as a consultant, earning more than $114,000. The executive also spent $140,000 on office reno-vations.

The Gianaris/Aubry bill would decrease the terms of the Board of Trustees from five years to three years. It would put into effect a pro-cess to remove a trustee in the case

of misconduct, incapacity, neglect or failure of duty. Trustees must either be residents of Queens or operate a business in the Borough. The bill would create an audit committee to oversee the library’s finances, cre-ate a labor committee, subject it to conflict of interest laws and limit the outside employment of key library

staff.Avella’s legislation in-

cludes everything in the Gianaris/Aubry bill, but goes further in the chang-es it wants the library to undergo. It would require the appointment of a new Board of Trustees, reduc-ing the number of mem-bers to 11, effective Janu-ary 2015. It also calls for all three New York library systems to be subject to State and City Freedom of

Information Laws (FOIL). Outside employment would be

prohibited for any executive director and any key library executive person-nel who receive a salary in excess of $150,000. The trustees would also have to hold a yearly public budget hearing and provide a 30-day public comment period prior to its adop-tion.

Avella said that he reached out

to Borough President Melinda Katz about his bill, believing that the one she worked on with Aubry and Gia-naris did not go far enough.

“I take a look at hers and my first reaction was ‘this is nice, but it doesn’t fix the problem,” he said.

Katz and Gianaris both said that their bill has a good chance of pass-ing before the session ends this month, mentioning that the entire Queens Del-egation, minus Avella, and the City Council supports it and that Avella does not yet have a sponsor in the Assembly. However, Avel-la argued that as a member of the IDC, he is part of the majority with the Re-publican Caucus and his bill would have a better chance of getting through the State Senate.

“Sen. Avella did reach out to me. That was very kind of him,” Katz said. “My issue right now is to get a restructuring passed. As far as I can tell, if you don’t have an assembly sponsor, it’s not going to become law this year.”

However, Katz and Gianaris’ of-fice said that their bill would be add-ing an amendment to include Avel-la’s proposals about FOIL for the

Legislators Look To Restructure LibraryQueens Library and the public bud-get hearings. Avella’s representative said the Senator was happy about the addition, but he is still going ahead with his bill.

The Queens Library’s representa-tive, Joanne King, said the legislation was unnecessary.

“The Board of Trustees of the Queens Library already has in place many of the policies in the proposed legislation, including poli-cies on conflicts of inter-est, an audit committee and policies on financial disclosure for key person-nel,” she said. “We will move forward to continue to deliver the best public li-brary service to the people of Queens, while keeping Queens Library, as a pri-vate not-for-profit, appro-

priately free of undue government and political control.”

Earlier this week, the library’s executive vice president, Bridget Quinn-Carey, testified before the City Council about the need to in-crease its funding during a Council budget session.

Reach Reporter Joe Marvilli at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 125, [email protected], or @JoeMarvilli.

State Sen. Michael Gianaris

State Sen. Tony Avella

Councilman Donovan Richards (left) and Dwight John-son, president of the Federated Blacks of Laurelton, voiced their concerns about the cell tower Wednesday morning.

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June 6-12, 2014 PRESS of Southeast Queens

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BY JORDAN GIBBONS

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday that there will be 10,400 addi-tional full-day pre-kindergarten seats in community-based early childhood centers by September. The Mayor announced more than 500 seats for both Flushing and Jamaica as part of the initiative.

The seats were approved by the Panel for Educational Policy. The new sites are posted online at www.nyc.gov/prek and de Blasio asked parents to apply by June 26 to find the best option for their children. Parents were scheduled to receive no-tification of placements in the public school’s pre-K programs on June 5.

The Mayor toured the A to Z Cen-ter Too child care facility in Queens Village before the announcement and was impressed with the attentiveness of the children.

“It was great to visit the class-room,” he said. “The engagement, the poise, they are right there with it.”

Jasmin Farrier, of St. Albans, a

Mayor de Blasio Expands Universal Pre-K

mother of three and PTA vice-pres-ident of PS 118, was on hand for the announcement after registering her son, London, 4, at the facility earlier that morning. She found out about the program the night before.

“I rushed over immediately,” she said. “Full-day pre-K is essential in early child development. The process was seamless.”

A to Z currently has 20 seats for

full-day pre-K. In Sep-tember, it will have 74. In all of Queens, there will be an addi-tional 4,500 seats for the new school year and there are now 1,200 public schools and community-based organizations that offer universal pre-K in New York City.

The new sites added to the pro-gram must meet the quality standards of the City before they

open in September and will be su-pervised and supported by the City, according to Deputy Mayor Richard Buery.

“There are going to be high-quali-ty programs coming to communities across the five boroughs,” he said. “We are trying to reach every parent with an eligible child to make sure they get the message, apply early and apply often. We want every family to

find the best fit for their child.”There are now universal applica-

tions provided by the City that can be found online and work at any center. Parents can apply to as many centers as they want.

Public Advocate Letitia James said she was very proud of the prog-ress made so far, but said the most important part is that it is all free.

“The benefits of pre-K are im-measurable and innumerable,” she said. “Quality pre-K works. Universal pre-K is a family issue, a middle class issue and a women’s issue.”

State Sen. James Sanders (D-Lau-relton) was also in attendance and said that the City needs to address the education issue now.

“America is falling further and fur-ther behind in the education race,” he said. “These youth especially have to be prepared for the next generation. New York City must continue. What-ever is going to happen to America is going to happen here first.”

Reach Reportert Jordan Gibbons at (718)357-7400 Ext. 123, [email protected] or @jgibbons2.

BY JOE MARVILLI

The trial for State Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-Hollis) and former coun-cilman Dan Halloran is underway.

The two accused men made their way to the U.S. District Court in White Plains on June 2 to begin their federal corruption trial, a case that has been more than a year in the making. Joining them in court is co-defendant Vincent Tabone, the former vice chairman of the Queens Republican Party.

The first two days of the trial were spent seating a jury, a process that was complicated by legal wrangling. For their opening statements, law-yers for Smith and Halloran argued that neither of their clients had com-mitted any crime.

The trial is the culmination of a long road that started in the spring of 2013.

Federal agents arrested Smith and Halloran the morning of April 2, 2013, indicting them for attempt-ing to rig the then-upcoming mayoral election. According to the criminal complaint, Smith wanted the Re-publican Party to give him a Wilson Pakula, an authorization by a politi-cal party that allows a candidate to

run on its ticket for an election, despite not being registered with that party.

According to U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, Smith allegedly arranged for $40,000 in cash bribes to go to Tabone and Bronx Republican Chairman Jay Savino, the latter of whom pled guilty to corruption charges last November. Halloran is said to have received $20,500 for help-ing Smith set up the meetings with Republican leaders.

Smith’s attorney, Gerald Shargel, said that if the case dealt with bribery, then “not one dollar was placed in the pocket of Malcolm Smith.” Instead, he called the charges an attempt by the govern-ment to entrap the senator, calling him the victim of a sting operation by cooperating witness, Moses Stern, a Rockland County businessman try-ing to get leniency on his own federal charges.

“He wanted that meeting in the hope of making a crime out of no crime,” Shargel said.

The attorney for Halloran, Vinoo Varghese, said in his opening state-ment that the idea of Smith running for mayor came from the former

councilman, as part of an attempt to “change the face” of the Republican Party. He also said that rather than accepting bribes, Halloran was seek-ing political donations.

As the trial date approached, Smith and Halloran both asked for their trial to be postponed. In Febru-ary, Shargel asked U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas to delay the trial so Smith could have a “fair election” this fall. Last month, Halloran tried to use an insanity defense to delay the trial, claiming that a 2012 surgery to remove a brain tumor was respon-sible for his role in the scheme.

The judge denied attempts to delay

the trial and said that Halloran’s insanity plea came six months after the deadline for pretrial motions and there was not enough evidence to back it up.

In the last pretrial ruling, Karas said the jury would be al-lowed to hear secretly recorded discussions regarding published reports that link Smith to controver-

sies in the award of a casino contract at Aqueduct racetrack.

Besides the trial, Smith is facing a primary for his seat from former councilman Leroy Comrie, attorney Clyde Vanel, attorney Munir Avery and Bernadette Semple. Halloran chose not to seek re-election last year and his seat went to Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside).

If convicted, Smith and Halloran face up to 45 years in prison, while Tabone faces up to a 25-year jail sen-tence.


Smith, Halloran Corruption Trial Underway

Dan Halloran State Sen. Malcolm Smith

State Sen. James Sanders spoke about the City’s need to address education issues at Mayor de Blasio’s press conference.


OF SOUTHEAST QUEENS150-50 14th Road

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email [email protected] PRESS of Southeast Queens

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Reporters: Jordan Gibbons

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Jackie Strawbridge

Art Dept:

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Accounts/Events

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A Queens Tribune Publication

© Copyright 2014 Tribco, LLC

Michael Nussbaum Publisher

Ria McPhersonComptroller

LettersEditorial

A Personal PerspectiveBY MARCIA MOXAM COMRIE

Keep Politics Out Of The Library

As we detail elsewhere in this issue, the Queens Library system is the subject of two separate bills in the State Senate, calling for reforms to the way the Library does business. While the Senators behind these bills say they are trying to do what is best for the system, and the Borough President’s office calls for reforms and the City Comptroller’s office investigates the books, the Library’s Board of Trustees has publicly stated that its practices are fine, and no reforms are needed.

But no one seems to be saying these things to one another. The Queens Library system is one of the best in the world, of-

fering more than just books. Educational and language programs, computer and job training and afterschool events for kids are all offered throughout the Library’s branches. The more politi-cal games get played with the proposed reforms, the higher the chances that these programs can be lost.

While the continued barking about the needs for reforms makes for a great story, it is time for a sensible end to these public negotiations. It is time for the Queens Library’s Board of Trustees to stop playing defense, for the elected officials calling for reforms to halt their offensive. Instead of going back and forth behind separate closed doors, the two sides need to come together and negotiate a plan that works for all involved – especially the people that rely so heavily on the library for its services.

As far as anyone knows, there have been no meetings with all the principle players in this drama. We call on those individuals who say they are protecting the library – the members of the Board of Trustees, the Borough President and members of the Queens delegation in the State Legislature – to meet, not to argue over who is right and who needs to go, but to determine how best to go forward to ensure the future of the Queens Library is protected.

The political games need to stop. The time for talking is now.

Fed Up With Status Quo

To The Editor:In a previous issue was a

letter from Robert LaRosa questioning why people vote Republican and why the GOP is predicted to make gains this year.

Robert, you ought to know that in time, most Americans get fed up with the status quo. When Republicans dominate, after a while people vote them out and turn towards the Dem-ocrats. And when Democrats have been in charge, after a while people become dissatis-fied and vote Republican.

Polls show the major reason why citizens plan to vote for the GOP is dissatisfaction with Obamacare. Both the President and Congress passed the bill, despite opposition from a ma-jority of Americans, not read-ing the entire bill and exempt-ing themselves from coverage. I think those are sufficient reasons for disapproval.

Since implementation, the registration website was dis-organized, people have lost coverage, employers have had to dismiss workers to pay for it, premiums have increased and

reports of illegal aliens getting benefits are rampant. Seems like the public has justification for rejection of the bill.

Right here in Queens, I know of three employers who let workers go specifically due to Obamacare.

In short, Americans felt President Obama and Con-gress, primarily Democrats, violated the will of the people in passing the bill. Except for hard core Democrats and those far to the left of center, many have objectively placed the blame on the President and his party.

Robert, I have been reading your letters for many years. You are not just angry, but harsh and invective in your tone. Anger will get you no-where. I am a Republican, but in the past have condemned some of them for the same.

You will get further with honey than vinegar. And also with facts. I don’t agree with other letter writers who are Democrats either, such as Anthony Pilla. But Anthony backs up his statements with facts, statistics and speaks courteously.

Edward Riecks,Howard Beach

Most of us realized John Liu wouldn’t be able to stay out of politics after failing to make the cut in last year’s mayoral race; and he proved us right last week.

The former councilman and city comptroller has an-nounced that he will challenge State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) for the 11th Senate District. It is not going to be a cake walk for either of them. But it should be fun for politi-cal junkies to watch.

Avella, who served in the City Council with Liu, is known for his hard work on behalf of constituents. He is also known for his commitment to his own ideals, often to the chagrin of colleagues. And therein may be his weakness – if indeed that is a weakness.

Avella, the maverick law-

maker, recently left the Senate Democratic Conference to join State Sen. Jeff Klein’s (D-Bronx) splinter group, the Independent Democratic Caucus (IDC). He suddenly became persona non-grata to the Democratic Party in Queens County. It is neither a surprise that Avella joined the IDC nor that the party would be upset with him.

Enter the easygoing John Liu whose mayoral bid is still fresh in everyone’s mind. And that’s not a bad thing. He lost the election, but the publicity of being a mainstream candi-date in a mayoral race is price-less. John has citywide name recognition so he is certainly not an unknown quantity in the 11th S.D.

But here’s the rub: The dis-trict is not mostly Asian, which has been Liu’s base since he started running for office. The African-American community has also embraced him. But once again, this base is not a

big part of that senate district. What he does have going for him – aside from name recog-nition – is that he is a fierce campaigner and his war chest puts Avella’s to shame.

And yet, Avella could also turn the tables and make that war chest an issue. Two mem-bers of Liu’s old campaign staff were found guilty in a “straw donor” scandal and to date no investigation has completely cleared Liu. It remains an unfortunate spot on an otherwise admirable tenure in the Council and the Comptroller’s office. This scandal is part of the reason he lost the mayoral primary last year. Campaign Finance held back more than $3 million in matching funds from him. It was sad to watch.

But he remains a beloved figure in the Asian community and elsewhere. Cliché as it may sound, John Liu transcends ethnicity. And with all that he

has going for him, he could give Avella a run for his limited funds. Many thought Liu was going to challenge State Sen. Toby Stavisky, whose Flushing area district is now predomi-nantly Asian. But Liu is not interested in running as ‘the Asian candidate.” He simply wants to be able to serve as the better lawmaker, in his and many other people’s opinion.

Public service done with integrity is an honorable calling. Both Liu and Avella have done well by their con-stituents and will battle each other for the right to keep doing exactly that.

I for one am looking forward to the rumble between these two fascinating candidates. Who knows what they are do-ing. People will find that one is easygoing and one has more of a prickly personality. Avella will give as good as he gets.

This should be fun to watch.

Ready, Set, Go: Liu Battles Avella


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Assemblyman William Scarborough presented a citation to Gerald Carter, Remediation Specialist with the Parodneck Foun-dation, who has spent every Thursday at Scar-borough’s District Of-fice helping Southeast Queens homeowners with loan mediation. Scarbor-ough commended Carter for his hard work helping hundreds of homeowners falling behind on mort-gage payments prevent foreclosure and stay in their homes, as well as often saving them a lot of money with reduced interest rates and princi-pal reductions and defer-ments.

Business Achievement

The PRESS of Southeast Queens honored a number of Small Businesses throughout the Borough during the second Small Business Achieve-ment Awards, held at Queens College on May 20. Among the businesses honored by Publisher Michael Nussbaum were Continental Pharmacy, Absolutely Trophies, GMD Industries, Kanta Electric and Pa’lante Green Cleaning.

Introducing the Commish

The Rev. Floyd Flake introduced Police Commissioner Bill Bratton at a recent meeting of the Greater Jamaica Development Corp. New Interns

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown recently announced that 80 law school and college students are participating in the Queens District Attorney’s Office’s annual 10-week 2014 Volunteer Summer Internship Program.

Mookie Speaks

Mets legend Mookie Wil-son made an appearance at LaGuardia Community College to speak with stu-dents at the LaGuardia African Heritage 2014’s Sports and Race in Amer-ica program, held in La-Guardia’s Little Theater.

Mediation Citation

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BY JOE MARVILLI

Small businesses in Queens are experiencing great successes, though challenges lie ahead, experts say.

Both Comptroller Scott Stringer and the Queens Economic Develop-ment Corporation said that the small business market is operating strongly in Queens at the moment, having re-covered significantly from the recent Great Recession. However, the im-pact from Superstorm Sandy, the lack of housing and a need for more infra-structure are all problems that have to be solved to keep business booming.

According to Rob MacKay, direc-tor of public relations, marketing and tourism at the QEDC, there are about 45,000 small businesses in the Borough, with many of them centered in different economic hubs. These hubs - Long Island City, Asto-ria, Flushing, Jackson Heights and Jamaica - are doing well and contin-ue to be flourishing neighborhoods. Some new economic centers are popping up too, such as Ridgewood, which is picking up the spillover from Williamsburg and Bushwick in Brooklyn.

Areas hit hard by Superstorm San-dy at the end of 2012 are still strug-gling, but recovery funds have started flowing towards those communities, setting them up for an improved standing this year.

“The Rockaways is still in recov-ery mode, but this year is going to be much better than last year. The money actually came through that was promised to them by the govern-

Small Business Going Strong In Queensment,” MacKay said.

According to Stringer, who spoke at the PRESS of Southeast Queens Small Business Achievement Awards breakfast on May 20, the focus of the econo-my for today and the future lies in high-tech and in the City’s immigrant commu-nity.

Just like New York used to conduct most of its busi-ness at the port and then in manufacturing, its path for-ward is in computing, pro-gramming and high technol-ogy, a field that has been booming in Long Island City for the last decade.

“When you become a programmer or coder, the first job pay scale you have is a $60,000-$70,000 per year job,” Stringer said. “Today, young people want to be around a table in shared office space, with a laptop and an iPad, and they want to invent and they want to be creative.”

Although Silicon Valley still leads the nation in software development, the Comptroller argued that New York has the creativity that is pushing high-tech businesses forward.

“You know why they need us in New York City? Our young people represent the creativity, the media, the marketing, the special sauce that drives a lot of these businesses,” he said.

To make sure that Queens and

Comptroller Scott Stringer speaks at the PRESS of South-east Queens Small Business Achievement Awards breakfast on May 20.

the City keep up with the rest of the world, Stringer called for additional broadband infrastructure throughout the five boroughs. Improving connec-tivity will help small businesses work with others and grow into medium-sized businesses. He added that in the digital era, any small business could become an international company, es-pecially in such a diverse city.

“We speak 170 different languages from 200 countries. Suddenly, our di-versity has become our true strength,” Stringer said.

MacKay agreed that Queens’ diversity is one of its greatest strengths, giving the market a level of variety not found any-where else.

“We have so many dif-ferent tastes, people with different ethnic back-grounds. You can almost always find a market,” he said.

One of the biggest challenges the City faces, Stringer said, is the lack of affordable housing. Due to rent deregulation, the number of apartments that small business own-ers can afford to live in is dwindling. The Comptrol-ler said this trend has to be reversed if Queens is to remain as a powerful economic home for small business.

“If we’re going to build our small business-

es and our communities, we can’t just have a city for the very, very wealthy with enclaves for the very, very poor and nothing in between,” he said. “We’re going to lose so many of our diverse entrepreneurs from around the world. That goes counter to the New York experi-ence. If we keep the kids we already have here, what city is posed to be global? It’s us.”


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Outlook For Queens Businesses Is PositiveBY NEW YORK StAtE COMPtROLLER thOMAS P. DINAPOLI

Queens, New York is unlike any other place in the country. It is the single most diversely popu-lated county in the United States. Of the 2.3 million residents who call Queens home, nearly half are immigrants from more than 120 countries around the world. This blend of cultures has helped make Queens the suc-cess story it is today.

My office recently released a report on the Queens econ-omy, highlighting the borough’s resil-iency. The report shows that Queens has rebounded strongly from the re-cession. More jobs have been added

than were lost during the recession. There are almost 500,000 available private sector jobs, a record high for the borough.

As fiduciary of the $176 billion New York State Common Retire-ment Fund (Fund), I am always on the lookout for new and exciting op-

portunities to invest in New York State-based businesses that are looking to grow and expand in our state.

Keeping the pen-sion fund healthy and strong in order to provide a secure re-tirement for the more than one million mem-

bers of the New York State and Local Retirement System is a first priority. But when we can make smart invest-ments in New York’s businesses, it’s a win for the Fund and a win for New

York’s local com-munities. We’ve found some good opportunities in Queens.

The Fund’s In-State Private Eq-uity Program has invested millions in Queens busi-nesses - helping them stay and ex-pand in New York. And, through our partnership with the New York Busi-ness Development Program, we’ve loaned millions to small businesses in Queens for working capital, equip-ment or real property.

There is still work to do in Queens as the recovery process continues, but the outlook is posi-

tive. I encourage business owners in Queens to visit our website www.osc.state.ny.us to learn more about the programs available to help their business grow and keep the borough of Queens strong.

State Comptroller thomas DiNapoli speaks during the Small Business Achievement Awards breakfast on May 20 at Queens College.

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“there is still work to do in Queens as the recovery process continues, but the outlook is positive.”

– Thomas DiNapoli


Police Blotter

Borough Beat

By Jackie StrawBridge

Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights), chair of the City Council Education Committee, said last week at a City Hall hearing that he opposes Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) programs in high schools.

JROTC was founded through the National Defense Act of 1916. Its mis-sion today is to teach subjects such as physical fitness, critical and creative thinking and effective communication.

“Although they’re prohibited from directly recruiting, the whole glori-fication of war is what I object to,” Dromm said. “If it were for adults, it’d be different. But these [pro-grams] are for children.”

JROTC is not designed to func-tion as a recruitment tool, although it offers enlistment incentives, such as advanced enlistment rank. JROTC students – referred to as cadets – can also receive an award for recruiting classmates into JROTC.

Francis Lewis High School in Fresh Meadows has one of the larg-est JROTC programs in the nation. According to Lt. Col. Albert Lahood, senior army instructor with Francis Lewis JROTC, very few of his cadets go into the military after graduation.

education chair Opposes Junior rOtc

This year, of the 123 graduating ca-dets at Francis Lewis, seven will enlist.

Funding for JROTC comes jointly from the City and the Federal govern-ment. The curriculum is designed by the military, and covers public speak-ing, American History, geography and first aid, among many other topics.

Cadets might also participate in pro-grams ranging from community service trips and science camps to rappelling, drill formation and air rifle competitions. Prohibited JROTC training includes live firing of rifles and tactical training, such as patrolling and ambushing.

Barbara Harris is a former City public school teacher. In a letter released through her organization, Granny Peace Brigade, she asked,

“how does the City Coun-cil and the NYC Dept. of Education justify the display of facsimile guns and weap-ons in school assemblies, parades, drills and school events when there is a regu-lation of zero tolerance for such weapons in schools?”

Lahood described JROTC not as a militaristic endeavor, but as a means to build better students.

“We provide students a good grounding for success

in whatever they do,” Lahood said, adding that for the two years he has been at Francis Lewis, JROTC had a 100 percent graduation rate.

“From things as simple as time management, to what I personally think is one of the most important, is self-motivation and to break that cycle of procrastination,” Lahood added.

Councilman Peter Koo (D-Flush-ing), who represents the district where Francis Lewis lies, said, “the JROTC program...provides these young people with a career option to explore. Not only does JROTC training serve to pre-pare future leaders for a possible career with the greatest military the world has ever seen, but it also teaches valuable life skills, teamwork and a sense of

discipline that can be employed in any aspect of that person’s young life.”

For Dromm, a major problem with JROTC is that “oftentimes these stu-dents come from lower income com-munities that don’t see any other al-ternatives to getting out of poverty or into college without these types of pro-grams, and that’s what’s unfortunate.”

“We should have similar programs for students that promote peace and offer them scholarships, rather than have this type of program in our high schools,” Dromm added.

As of press time, the Dept. of Edu-cation could not confirm what per-centage of City JROTC cadets are minority students.

Dromm said he has observed JROTC programs in action in Staten Island and at Francis Lewis High School, although he has had no direct contact with JROTC instructors.

“I have no relationship with the military,” he said.

Alongside Francis Lewis, three other Queens high schools offer JROTC: Long Island City High School and Aviation High School in Long Island City and John Bowne High School in Flushing.

Reach Reporter Jackie Strawbridge at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128, [email protected] or @JNStrawbridge.

Francis Lewis High School in Fresh Meadows has one of the largest JrOtc programs in the nation.

106th Precinctrobbery

The NYPD is asking for the pub-lic’s assistance in identifying and locating two suspects, one male and one female, wanted in connection to a robbery.

At 3:20 p.m. on May 27, in the vicinity of 153rd Avenue and 88th Street, the victim, a 73-year-old fe-male, was walking on the sidewalk with a cart of groceries when an un-known female approached her from behind and took the victim’s pocket-book from the cart. The pocketbook contained $100, a trac cell phone and assorted personal items. An un-known male then punched the victim in the face, causing her to fall to the ground. The victim sustained a lac-eration to her ear and abrasions to her arm. The victim was transported to Jamaica hospital and treated for her injuries.

The suspects are described as a thin-build Black female, approxi-mately 18-years-old, last seen wearing a vest, and a thin-build Black male,

approximately 18-years-old, last seen wearing dark clothing and tan cargo shorts.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stop-pers at (800) 577-tips, visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or text tips to 274637(CRIMES), then enter TIP577. All calls are confidential.

robberyThe NYPD is asking for the pub-

lic’s assistance in locating two male suspects wanted in connection with a robbery.

At 11:30 p.m. on April 24, two suspects approached a male victim, 47, on 115th Street from a silver Dodge mini-van. They demanded his money, property and keys to his vehicle, a 2014 black Range Rover. One of the suspects produced a black firearm. The suspects fled with the victim’s watch, $500, iPhone, credit cards and vehicle. No injuries were reported.

The suspects are described as two Hispanic adult males last seen wear-

ing black masks, black jackets and blue jeans.


108th PrecinctBank robbery

The NYPD is asking for the pub-lic’s assistance in locating a male sus-pect wanted in connection to a bank robbery.

At 3:30 p.m. on May 27, a suspect entered HSBC Bank located at 22-15 43 Ave., approached a bank teller, passed a demand note and fled the bank with $4,262. No injuries were re-ported and no weapon was involved.

The suspect is described as a heavy build Hispanic Male, 30- to 35-years-old, 6’0” and 230 lbs. with a mustache.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stop-pers at (800) 577-tips, visit www.

nypdcrimestoppers.com or text tips to 274637(CRIMES), then enter TIP577. All calls are confidential.

112th PrecinctBurglary

The NYPD is asking for the pub-lic’s assistance in identifying and locating two suspects wanted in con-nection to two burglaries.

At 2:52 a.m. on May 28, the two suspects entered a dental office lo-cated at 94-24 63rd Drive and fled with no proceeds. At 3:18 a.m., the suspects entered Petland Discounts, located at 94-18 63rd Drive, where they removed birds and bird cages. These items were later recovered.

The suspects were both described as white males, 17 to 20 years old, approx-imately 5’8 to 5’11 tall, and were both seen wearing a light colored t-shirt.



A & E

By Luis Gronda

TNA Wrestling star Gail Kim has established herself as one of the most prominent woman wrestlers in the in-dustry today.

From her time in the WWE, to be-coming the first and longest reigning Knockouts champion in TNA, Kim has accomplished her dream of be-coming a wrestler.

According to Kim, or Gail Kim-Ir-vine outside the squared circle, she has been a big wrestling fan since she was a kid. While attending college in her na-tive Toronto, Canada, she decided to es-chew her college education and instead train to be in the wrestling business.

Kim-Irvine trained under well-known wrestling trainer Ron Hutchinson, who has taught other Canadian wrestlers like Edge, Christian and Trish Stratus. She made her wrestling debut in 2000 and eventually started at the WWE in

Gail Kim rises as Tna Wrestling star2002, after spending time at Ohio Val-ley Wrestling, which was essentially their minor league system prior to pro-motion to the main organization.

She is now on her second stint in TNA, also making two trips to the WWE.

Kim-Irvine describes the differ-ence between the two organizations as “night and day,” saying TNA allows her to showcase her in-ring talent rath-er than focus solely on her beauty.

“For someone like me, my talent lays out in the ring,” she said in an interview with the PRESS.

Three wrestlers in particular have served as big influences in her career, according to Kim-Irvine. The first is Nora Benshoof, better known as Mol-ly Holly in the wrestling world. Kim-Irvine said she recognized her talents and introduced her to WWE officials that eventually gave her the first big break of her career.

Rey Mysterio Jr. was the inspiration for her high-flying wrestling style that she uses in the ring today, she said.

While she precluded it as a bit of a sore subject, Kim-Irvine said Chris Benoit also inspired her during his career. She emulated his microphone style and his ability to cut good pro-mos in the ring. Benoit was a former WWE and WCW superstar who killed his wife and son and then committed suicide in 2007.

The wrestling lifestyle does not leave time for other activities, Kim-Irvine said, although it is something she was expecting when she got into the business.

“This is the way I know life,” she said. “It’s hard to schedule or plan ahead.”

Kim-Irvine and her husband, celeb-rity chef Robert Irvine, do manage to see each other whenever the opportu-nity arises, she said.

As for what is left in her wrestling career, she is not sure when retirement will come, but she said when it comes time to hang up the boots, she would like to become a trainer and help young wrestlers get their career started.

“One thing I’ve always said is that I

The Indo-Caribbean Federation will celebrate its 29th Annual East Indian Arrival Day on June 8 at Smokey Park in Richmond Hill.

The ancestors of East Indians left the shores of India 176 years ago to seek a better life in the Caribbean. Al-though the ancestors faced unimagina-ble hardships, they were comforted in their traditions and morals. Through oppression, the ancestors held to their faiths and beliefs with steadfastness. The adversities they faced did not stop them from passing their rich heritage and culture to their children. From a strong work ethic, to the respect of the elderly, Indo-Caribbean’s ances-tors have instilled great values that have continued for generations and have survived through time and the modernization of the Indo-Caribbean community.

East Indian Arrival Day is a day for Indians to reflect and celebrate the sacrifices and sufferings the ancestors endured to make certain that their cul-ture thrived. Indo-Caribbean culture is an integral part of America’s rich cultural diversity and the community contributes to the economic, cultural and social life of the metro area.

Arrival day is celebrated annually

indo-Caribbean Federation To Celebrate East indian arrival day

to honor the triumph and survival of the ancestors who made the travel those many years ago. Many children take part in an Indian dance, singing and wearing traditional clothing in honor of this day. The annual congre-gation demonstrates the richness and beauty of the East Indian culture.

This year’s Arrival Day celebration will begin at 1 p.m. and conclude at 7 p.m. Prominent artistes will display their talents. All are invited to come out to cheer the artistes and show appreciation to the organizers for celebrating their ancestors’ contribu-tions. The East Indian pride will be shown through an array of dancing, singing, music, a fashion show and a special appearance by the Nirvana Humanitarian Foundation doing a skit about the ancestors’ living condi-tions in the Caribbean.

By JoE MarViLLi

A local favorite is in the running to have its own concession stand at Citi Field.

Corfu Grill is one of three restau-rants nominated for the Citi Small Business Call Ups program, which will present a City restaurant with the chance to highlight its food during the second half of the Mets’ 2014 season at Citi Field. The fans are voting on the three eateries, with the winner get-ting their own spot alongside some of the stadium’s culinary brands.

“Citi Small Business Call Ups is a unique opportunity to leverage our valued relationship with the New York Mets, create a one-of-a-kind platform for one of our small business clients to market their business and bring the rich flavors and culture of New York into Citi Field,” Robert Kleiber, Head of Small Business at Citi Field, said.

Competing against Corfu Grill, a Greek restaurant located in Forest Hills, are Ceetay, a Thai and Asian fusion restaurant in the Bronx, and Lady M Confections, a Manhattan-based venue that offers cakes and con-fectionary delights. Whichever estab-lishment gets the most votes by June 6 will start its run at Citi Field on July 5, serving fans until the last game of the regular season on Sept. 28.

The owner of Corfu Grill, Geor-gios Aspiotis, was thrilled to be one of the finalists selected by Citi

Field for the contest.“I feel great. I’m feeling very proud

about my business,” he said. “I will do my best for the customers of Citi Field to be satisfied and enjoy great meals.”

The 10-year-old restaurant has a wide variety of Greek specialties, such as Moussaka, Souvlaki, pasticcio, seafood and more. They also have a number of brunch options, desserts, pasta plates, hot and cold appetizers and traditional American meals. Catering is also avail-able. Aspiotis said that popular items like chicken kebabs, gyros, salads and Greek yogurt would be served at Citi Field if the restaurant wins.

As of press time, Corfu Grill had a commanding lead, garnering 46 percent of the vote, with the other two restaurants hovering in the 20s. Aspiotis said he was confident in his restaurant’s victory.

“I’m the winner. It’s a done deal. See you at Citi Field,” he said.

The voting opened on May 23 and will continue until June 6, with the online ballot found at www.mets.com/citicallups. Anyone can vote daily un-til the contest wraps up. The winner will be announced on July 5.

Corfu Grill is located at 70-17 Aus-tin St., Forest Hills. For more on the eatery, call (718) 263-6263 or visit www.corfugrillnyc.com.


Corfu Grill up For Citi Field Contest

Gail Kim will appear with Tna Wres-tling at the Grand Ballroom in Man-hattan this summer.want to retire when I’m on top,” Kim-Irvine said.

TNA will host their very first event in New York City, taping three IM-PACT episodes on June 25-27 at the Grand Ballroom in Manhattan. The company recently scheduled three more IMPACT tapings at the same venue, scheduled for August 5-7.

Reach Reporter Luis Gronda at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127, [email protected], or @luisgronda.

Queens today

Got EvEnts?Send all information to

[email protected] or mail to: 150-50 14th Rd.,

Whitestone, NY 11357

moNdaY 6/9

FRIdaY 6/6

SaTURdaY 6/7

SaTURdaY 6/7SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

SUNdaY 6/8 onGoInG

DEsIGn LAB oPEnsCelebrate the opening of the Design Lab,

a new permanent exhibition at the New York Hall of Science.

Made up of five distinct pods, this exhibit will allow visitors to engage in activities, experiments and challenges that provide a deeper understanding of engineering and the design process.

It is free with NYSCI admission.

“BrAvE”Head to Crocheron Park at 8 p.m. for a free screening of Disney’s “Brave.” Princess Merida, determined to make her own path, defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, she must rely on her bravery and archery skills to undo a beastly curse. The film will be shown by 35th Avenue and the Cross Island Park-way in the park.

LIttLE rED’s HooDCityParks PuppetMobile presents “Little Red’s Hood,” a retelling of “Little Red Riding Hood” at Bowne Park. Little Red is a smart, young city slicker who is too focused on her smartphone to notice her surroundings. Wulfric is a misunderstood wolf with a sweet tooth. When Little Red travels from New York City to the country to de-liver some cupcakes to her Grandma, she encounters a colorful cast of characters as Wulfric the Wolf tries to head her off at the pass. The free show starts at noon.

FAmILy scIEncE ADvEnturEsDiscover and explore classic summer activities with a sci-ence twist at the New York Hall of Science. Children and parents can engage in exciting, hands-on outdoor activities, in-cluding water play, mud painting and experi-menting in the Science

Playground. The work-shop runs from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets cost $60, with another $15 for each additional sibling. Scholar-ships are available. For more information or to request a scholarship form, call (718) 699-0005 ext. 341 or email [email protected].

musIc WItH A BoWGrammy-nominated record-ing artist, violin soloist, concertmaster, chamber musician and teacher Dale

Stucken-bruck will demon-strate instru-ments that are played with a bow, in-

cluding a singing saw. He will appear at the Flush-ing Library from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. The library is located at 41-17 Main St.

PArAnormAL InvEstIGAtIonThe Bayside Historical Society’s Seekers Club is holding a paranormal in-vestigation at the Lawrence Cemetery at noon. Join the Seekers Club as they guide you through a live investigation, explain-ing the tools and tech-niques used to discover paranormal activity. The event costs $10 for the gen-eral audience, $8 for BHS members. Reserve your spot by calling (718) 352-1548.

outDoor ExHIBItFlux Factory and LIC Com-munity Garden present “Nightlight,” an interac-tive outdoor installation exploring the power of light in creating a safe public space within the City. The installation spans

the entire garden and is powered exclusively by solar energy. The installation runs every evening in June – its opening party will be held Saturday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call (347) 669-1406.

communIty HEALtH FAIrMount Sinai Hospital and United Community Civic Association add some weekend fun to a health screening program this weekend in Astoria. On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Most Precious Blood Church in Astoria, their an-nual community health fair offers free health screenings, refreshments and giveaways, as well as face painting, clowns and a bouncy castle for kids. For more information, visit www.mshq.org/com-munity/events.

KIDs Art In tHE PArKThe 6th annual Kew Gar-dens Kids Art in the Park will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Kew Gardens Cinemas Park. Children of all ages are invited to a fun-filled day of mural paint-ing, arts and crafts and creative activities. The main attraction of the free event is a large-scale group mural kids can work on. Kew Gardens Cinemas Park is located on Austin Street, off Lefferts Boulevard.

monumEnts AnD mEmoryRenowned architectural his-torian John Kriskiewicz will lead a tour for the 75th and 50th anniversa-ries of the World’s Fairs in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The tour

will look at the extant struc-tures of the 1964 World’s Fair, such as the Unisphere, the Port Authority Heliport, Westinghouse Time Cap-sules and Wallace Harrison’s Hall of Science/Space Park. The tour is free and open to all. It runs from 4 to 6 p.m.

AnnIvErsAry cELEBrAtIon Emanuel United Church of Christ will celebrate its 75th Anniversary in the current building with a special mass, followed by a barbecue on 91st Avenue, right outside the church building. Emanuel is located on the corner of 91st Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard. It will begin at 9:45 a.m. and run until about 1 p.m.

coFFEE concErt Come celebrate the two-year anniversary of Norma’s Coffee in Ridgewood. There will be a group of musicians that normally play at other Queens venues, hanging out and playing Norma’s. The day-long event will begin at 8 a.m. Norma’s is located at 59-02 Catalpa Ave.

FILm scrEEnInG At coFFEEDLIC’s neighborhood locally sourced eco-cafe Coffeed, located on Northern Boulevard down-stairs from the Brooklyn Grance rooftop farm, will be hosting a film screening on Monday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The film tells stories of creative solutions to

uncertain political times. For information, call Cof-feed at (718) 606-1299 and learn about the film at www.intransitionmovie.com.

sHort FILms From JErusALEmThree short films from the Israeli Sam Spie-gel Film School will be discussed. Two brothers on the West Bank set out with their grandfather’s old cart to peddle roasted beans and run into the realities of their everyday lives; a young man reluctantly goes back to his kibbutz to help his father, after years of estrangement; a middle aged Palestinian man kidnaps an Israeli sol-dier, yet struggles between his conscience – and his desire for revenge for the humiliation of himself and his wife. The discussion will begin at 12:30. The Central Queens Y is located at 67-09 108th Street in For-est Hills.

yIDDIsH tHEAtEr LABTarget Margin Theater con-cludes the 2013-14 season and their two-year explora-tion of Yiddish Theater with the summer 2014 TMT Lab: Yiddish Version at the Secret Theater. TMT’s Lab offers a sampler of works from the canon of Yiddish theater and literature, to remind us all how diverse and sophisticated Yiddish culture was, and how great its loss. All performances are in English. Tickets are $15. For more information, call (718) 392-0722.



People

Profile

South Jamaica rapper X-YLE is looking forward to the release of his latest album, “Thoughts of a New Yorker,” in July.

Local residents received academic honors for the spring 2014 semester at Berkeley College. They include:

President’s List Jamaica: Kern Alcindor, Mamou-

dou Diallo, Ndukwe Eleanya, Lorrain Vaughn.

Queens Village: Sabrina Tulsee. Rosedale: Ethan Joseph. South Ozone Park: Salome

Shivrattan.South Richmond Hill: Andy Del-

gado. Dean’s ListCambria Heights: Abdulhameed

Darhan, Maleika Phillips. Hollis: Myesha Perez, Victoria

Walters. Jamaica: Sabrina Alishayeva, Jona-

than Allen, Chiandra Barnhill, Carl Bosquet, Justyn Brown, Maria Buri, Rudyard Burke, Thomas Charles, Ziji-an Chen, Kirk Douglas, Joshua Dunn, Glenn Law, Candace Mitchell, Sean Persaud, Valerie Reed, Sophia Shand, Jose Tejada, Jennifer Umana, Alma Ynoa.

Queens Village: Terri Gooden-Miller.

Rosedale: Natalee Beaufort, Mar-lon Elliot, Phillisa Ellis-Montgomery.

South Ozone Park: Ginero Gordon, Kevin Layne, Aliyah Mohammed, Na-rissa Persaud.

South Richmond Hill: Manider Kaur, Sharon Mohan, Deneeta Nan-an, Melissa Rivera, Hawattie Sancler, Jonathan Silva.

Springfield Gardens: Romel Roach-ford.

St. Albans: Fatima Hall, Patrice Nathan, Mikell Richards.

Marlone Benedict of Queens Vil-lage was named to the Dean’s List for the spring 2014 semester at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C.

Denzel Quincy McLarty of Jamaica graduated with a major in physics and a minor in economics during spring 2014 commencement ceremonies at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine.

Randy Neckles of Springfield Gar-dens received a Bachelor of Arts de-gree during spring 2014 commence-ment ceremonies at Providence College in Rhode Island.

U.S. Air National Guard Airman 1st Class Timothy A. Chan graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San An-tonio, Texas. The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values,

physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Chan is the son of Gaitree and Sharma Chan of South Ozone Park.

Jonathan Ghansiam of Hollis was named to the Dean’s List for the spring 2014 semester at Hudson Val-ley Community College in Troy.

Angelo Hunt of Rosedale gradu-ated from the Westminster School during spring 2014 commencement ceremonies in Simsbury, Conn.

Raphael Walcott of Springfield Gardens was named to the Dean’s List for the spring 2014 semester at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Mass.

Daniel Recker of Rosedale and Na-than Thomas of Jamaica were named to the Dean’s List for the spring 2014 semester at Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C.

The 14th annual Forest Hills Festi-val will take place from noon to 6 p.m. June 8, rain or shine, on Austin Street, between 69th Road and 72nd Road. The free event will showcase 150 ven-dors and stores, along with kid’s rides, food and live music.

BY JORDAN GIBBONS

A lifelong South Jamaica resi-dent, Donald Patterson, 28, has been honing his craft since the young age of 11. Taking the stage name X-YLE, he said he wants to stand out on his own with his song-writing ability and not get lost in the common themes found in the mainstream hip hop scene.

His music displays influences from DMX’s deep and emotional persona, Nas’ storytelling ability and Busta Rhymes’ animated and ener-getic characteristics.

“My way of doing things reminds you of that era,” he said. “My bal-ance is finding a way of fusing that past era of hip hop with modern day hip hop.”

He prides himself in telling sto-ries through his music, not boasting about crimes and accomplishments in the streets.

“I don’t talk about what everyone else is talking about,” he said.

Last October, he was signed to a

South Jamaica Rapper Standing Out On His Ownone-year contract with BMH/Island Def Jam. The contract opened a few doors for him and provided him with some positive feedback, he said. He has been at several Hot 97 events in Brooklyn. He has performed at the Static Lounge in Astoria prior to its recent rebranding and has also done a children’s after-school program in Flushing.

His next big event will be opening up for The Spotlight Music Show-case: Hot 97 Edition at the Nuy-orican Poets Café in Manhattan on June 29. Other artists being featured that evening are Fred the Godson and Ron Browz.

X-YLE has honed his craft by per-forming at shows for Violator, Street Sweepers, Bad Boy, G-Unit, Inter-scope Records, Def Jam Records and The Source Magazine. He prides himself in his ability to control the audience with his crowd interaction, slick delivery and demeanor.

His latest album, “Thoughts of a New Yorker,” will be released in July and features what he said was his fa-

vorite song he has written so far, “Deep Prayer.”

“It wraps everything I’m feel-ing as far as not getting support from the community,” he said. “People want you to conform and want you to go a certain way.”

He is also CEO of his own re-cord company, Frontlyne, which currently has four other artists: Two hip hop and two R&B art-ists.

X-YLE has many goals for his hip hop career and his current plan is centered on the longevity of his career. When all is said and done, he wants to leave a legacy where he is respected for what he brought to the hip hop genre.

“My main drive is to be remem-bered in history,” he said. “I want to be historic. I want to be one of those who go down as someone who was true to the art.”

Reach Reporter Jordan Gib-bons at (718)357-7400 Ext. 123, [email protected] or @jgibbons2.

For information, call (719) 268-6565 or email [email protected].

Upcoming events at the Howard Beach Senior Center include:

Emergency Preparedness For Se-niors with Christine Kraft, 10:30 a.m. June 10.

Fantastic Fiber with Cassie Plum-mer, 10:30 a.m. June 12.

Getting Your Energy Back With Nutrition, 10:30 a.m. June 24.

Stretching, Balancing and Aerobics with Lisa Garcia, 1:15-2 p.m. Fridays.

The Howard Beach Senior Center is located at 155-55 Crossbay Blvd., How-ard Beach. For information, call (718) 738-8100.

U.S. Air National Guard Airman Da-vid Chan graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas. The air-man completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in mili-tary discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Chan is the husband of Jessica Hyun of Forest Hills.

Christina Rukki of Forest Hills re-ceived a degree in estudios hispanicos, cum laude, during spring 2014 com-mencement ceremonies at St. Law-rence University in Canton.


Faith

NotebookCampus Magnet Complex

BY JORDAN GIBBONS

In 1983, the Jamaica Muslim Cen-ter opened in a living room. Since then, it has moved to a basement, a house and is now the fully constructed Masjid Al Mamoor, which includes a Mosque, a school, a place for religious gatherings and eating facilities.

The Mosque offers regular prayers five times a day, as well as seminars and lectures on the celebration of the Islamic calendar. They also have lectures and Quaranic classes seven days a week.

The Mosque holds annual inter-faith dialogues with other denomina-tions, such as Buddhism, Christian-ity and Judaism.

“We discuss the misconceptions among other religions, all nonviolent and nonhatred,” Akhter Hussain, general secretary, said. “We open our doors for them and they open their doors for us. We build a community

Muslim Center Rises From Humble Beginningsto have tolerance for each other.”

The weekend Islamic school has more than 250 students who are taught by qualified teachers, provid-ing education on the Quran, Islamic studies and traditions. There are cur-rently 18 classes and 19 teachers.

The Al Mamoor School is char-tered under the New York State Board of Education curriculum and currently goes from pre-kindergarten to 8th grade. Every year, the board of education grants them one more grade. Next year, 9th grade will be added when they move to a new com-plex. The school’s structure is similar to a Catholic school’s, with one hour of religion and the rest of the day for general studies.

Al Mamoor recently expanded the facility by adding a new building at Parsons Boulevard to move its edu-cational programs over from the cur-rent school.

“We teach our students how to

deal with parents, neighbors with re-ligious values,” Hussain said. “Be a good Muslim, be a good human.”

The center raises funds through their congregates to help local com-munity projects and centers, assist with funeral expenses locally and provide the means to fund burials from the U.S. back to the country of origin. They also raise funds for victims of catastrophic events such as Hurricane Katrina, Superstorm Sandy, the Thailand Tsunami and various floods and earthquakes.

They also hold two fundraising dinners each year: one during Rama-dan and one in October. This year, the Ramadan fundraising dinner will be held on July 12.

On June 14, the center is sponsor-ing a program with nonprofit Stop the Hunger. At 3 p.m., 150 volun-teers will package food that is being shipped from Pennsylvania. They are making 30,000 packages of food that

Stop the Hunger will distribute. The center will also hold a press

conference with local politicians today at 1:45 p.m. to address a recent deci-sion by the City Dept. of Transporta-tion to convert traffic in a one-way direction in front of the mosque. This measure is expected to reduce traffic and increase pedestrian safety. There has also been an increased police pres-ence in the area to decrease crime, es-pecially during Ramadan when there are more visitors to the center.

“Local police are very active with us,” Hussain said. “Police are always there. You can see crime is going down thanks to the group effort of the community, local politicians and the police.”

The Jamaica Muslim Center is lo-cated at 85-37 168th St. Call (718) 739-3182 for more information.

Reach Reporter Jordan Gibbons at (718)357-7400 Ext. 123, [email protected] or @jgibbons2.

Alexander and Matthew Ram-roop were both named Valedictorian for 2014 in their high schools at the Campus Magnet Complex in Cam-bria Heights. Alexander received the honor for the Humanities and the Arts High School and Matthew for the Law, Government and Com-munity Service High School. Both students are receiving Advanced Re-gents diplomas.

Alexander finished with a 93.8 GPA and is interested in fashion de-sign. He is a member of the school’s HA! Theater Company and has per-formed in the school plays “Fame” and “Cheaper by the Dozen.” He is in the College Summit program in his school and he took part in 21st Century Video Production at Queens-borough Community College, where he also takes enrichment courses on weekends through the Project Prize program.

Miranda Smalls, college advisor and College Summit advisor, credits Alex with an incredible, motivational drive, the ability to take on multiple tasks simultaneously and the abil-ity to produce high quality results.

Two Brothers; Two Valedictorians At Campus MagnetShe noted his activities in the theater club, par-ticipation in the school’s concert and marching band and his role in the student government as a College Summit Peer Leader.

Principal Rosemarie O’Mard said that Alexan-der has gained a high de-gree of confidence over the years and has earned the respect of staff and students. He never com-promised his ideals, is dedicated, smart and has integrity. She congratu-lated him on his accom-plishments.

Matthew finished with a 94.9 GPA and is inter-ested in a music business career. He hopes to have a band and become a record producer. He is a member of the National Society of High School Scholars, volunteers in the princi-pal’s office daily, volunteers as a tu-tor after school for freshmen in the World Leaders Program and served

as an intern in the Black Spectrum Theatre working with children. He has also been an active member on the varsity bowling team, the poetry club and the French club.

In the summer of 2012, he went to a Law and CSI Forum in Maryland and later attended a Queens Science

Program. He has taken a College Now course in linguistics and is now enrolled in one for po-litical science at Queens College. He loves heavy metal and rock but re-spects genres of music such as blues, country and classical. He plays the guitar and likes to skateboard. He plans to take part in the Summer Youth Program this year and then attend Mercy College with a partial honors scholarship.

School Counselor and College Advisor Elaine Bancone said Matthew is hardworking, orga-nized, responsible and

has leadership qualities. She said he is mature and well-liked by his peers and adults in school.

Principal Delfyett-White said Mat-thew is a wonderful student, always willing to help and is often sought out by his classmates for assistance with their school work.

Matthew and Alexander Ramroop were both named Valedictori-ans at the Campus Magnet Complex in Cambria Heights.

Phot

o by

Bob

Har

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What’s UpJune 6eHnC Community Partnership Meeting

The EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care Partner invites all interested in joining the group to come to its part-nership meeting. The meeting will be-gin at 9:30 a.m. at the EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care Center, located at 206-20 Linden Blvd., Cambria Heights. For more information, call (866) 539-0999.

Aviation/ Community Job FairQueens Borough President, Me-

linda Katz presents her first annual Job fair. The fair will start at 10 a.m. at Queens Borough Hall, located at 120-55 Queens Blvd, Kew Gardens. For more information, call (718) 286-3000.

All attending the fair are encour-aged to dress in business attire, have copies of resumes, copies and origi-nals of their I.D. and Social Security Card. Qualified applicants must be at least 18 years or older with a High School diploma, have a flexible work schedule that includes weekends & holidays, be able to provide a 10 year history of employment, unemploy-ment and education and pass drug-screening, finger-printing and a 10 year background check.

FrozenFrozen will be shown at Rochdale

Park from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The park is located at Guy R. Brewer Bou-levard between 130th Avenue and 137th Avenue. For more information, call (718) 206-2068.

First Fridays Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning

presents First Fridays in Downtown Jamaica. Enjoy great music, drinks, networking and great art with other young urban professionals (25+) who work, shop, live and dine in the down-town Jamaica area. Business casual attire encouraged. The event starts at 7 p.m. at Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning, located at 161-04 Jamaica Ave. Jamaica. Admission is $5 for those with Business Cards or Student IDs and $10 for those without. Doors open at 6 p.m. For more information, call (718) 658-7400.

AJJ entertainment’s upscale Party

All are invited to join AJJ Enter-tainment at its free Upscale Party, hosted by Andre, Jamal and Justin. Doors open at 11 p.m. Trendy attire encouraged. Hats, boots and athletic wear are discouraged. For more infor-mation or to RSVP, email ajjent13@

gmail.com. The party will be held at CityRib BBQ, located at 89-04 Par-sons Blvd., Jamaica.

June 7Cash for Guns

Turn in a weapon and receive a $200 bank card for the return of oper-able handguns and assault rifles and $20 bank card for the return of rifles and shotguns. Guns must be placed in a plastic or paper bag. Unlimited guns can be submitted but payment for three guns will be received. The drop off site for the guns is Major-ity Baptist Church, located at 115-21 Farmers Blvd., Jamaica. The drop offsite will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. No current or retired Law En-forcement Guns. For more informa-tion, call 311.

Sarcoidosis Support GroupHave Sarcoidosis? Come to a free

support group meeting. The group will meet at 10 a.m. at the EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care Center, located at 206-20 Linden Blvd., Cambria Heights. For more information, call (866) 539-0999.

Juneteenth CelebrationGifts from Deez Hands presents

its annual Juneteenth Commemo-ration in honor of the abolition of slavery in the U.S. state of Texas in 1865. The commemoration will begin at 11 a.m. and will feature a lecture by Hidden Colors and The Dogon People, the Aquaman Music Ministry, Barbara Haskins-Scott. There will be a reading corner and Precious Promise, the Christian Clown for the children entertain-ment. The Anita Herring Com-munity Service award will be pre-sented. Dinner will be served by Deez Family of helpers. General admission is $25, $20 in advance. The commemoration will be held at Gifts from Deez Hands Rosedale Showroom, located at 255-44 147th Rd., Rosedale. For more informa-tion, call (718) 978-7798.

Awards LuncheonThe Women’s Industrial Service

League presents its scholarship and awards luncheon honoring outstand-ing senior citizens and high school graduating seniors. The cost of ad-mission is $50 in advance and $55 at the door. The luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. at Antun’s, located at 96-43 Springfield Blvd., Queens Village. For more information, call Rev. Mary Beamon at (718) 949-5802 or Lois Menyweather at (718) 464-7818 or (646) 284-1689.

Family Fun DayCouncilman Donovan Richards

invites families to a Family Fun Day. Enjoy music, snacks, and a ton of games. The event will begin at 12 p.m. at Springfield Park, located at 146-02 Springfield Blvd., Jamaica. For more information call (718) 527-4356.

Summer Fitness WorkoutJoin EmblemHealth Neighbor-

hood Care for a cardio workout this Saturday. The workout will focus on using strength training to build mus-cle. All are encouraged to notify their doctors about the class before com-ing. The class will be held from 2:30 to 3:30 at EmblemHealth Neighbor-hood Care Center, located at 206-20 Linden Blvd., Cambria Heights. For more information or to RSVP, call (866) 539-0999.

Jamaica Collections 2014Jamaica Center BID’s red carpet

event returns with “The Jamaica Col-lections: Epicenter of Style.” Enjoy an amazing lineup of trendsetting de-signer fashion presentations and en-tertainment in NYC’s largest urban fashion district. General admission is $10. The event will begin at 7 p.m. at Jamaica Performing Arts Center, lo-cated at 153-10 Jamaica Ave., Jamai-ca. For more information, call (718) 618-6170 or email [email protected].

Voter Registration DriveJamaica Branch NAACP will host

a rally to inform and assist communi-ty members eligible to register to vote. The focus will be on the importance of mid-term elections and there will be announcement of the community voter registration project. The rally will begin at 10:30 a.m. at Jamaica Branch NAACP Office, located at 18-26 Linden Blvd. St. Albans. For more information, call Leroy Gadsden at (718) 723-3653.

King’s GalaThe King of Kings Foundation

presents the King’s Gala. The black tie event will raise funds to build stronger, safer and closer communi-ties. Enjoy an open bar, five course meals and entertainment. The Gala will start at 8 p.m. at Floral Terrace, located at 250 Jericho Turnpike, Floral Park. The general admission is $150. For more information, call (718) 712-7684.

June 8Charter Day Celebration

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Epsilon Pi Omega chapter presents its 64th Annual Community Charter

Day Program. The Chapter will award 43 deserving college-bound Queens Students with academic scholar-ships. This year’s keynote speaker is esteemed professor, author and en-trepreneur Dr. Lindamichelle Baron. The AKA will also honor Ms. Vanes-sa Sparks as the “Community Leader of the Year.” The event will begin at 4 p.m. at St. John’s University D’ Ange-lo Center, 4th Floor, located at 8000 Utopia Parkway, Jamaica. For more information, call (718) 990-2000.

June 10Addisleigh Park Civic Organization Meeting

Residents of Addisleigh Park are invited to gather for the Addisleigh Park Civic Organization meeting. The meeting will start at 7:30 p.m. at the Robert Ross Johnson Family Life Center, located at 172-17 Linden Blvd., Jamaica. For more informa-tion, visit www.addisleighpark.com

June 12Meditation Made easy

Learn how to meditate in a few simple steps. Meditation can help create a feeling of calmness, ease and quiet inner knowing. The class will begin at 2 p.m. at the EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care Center, located at 206-20 Linden Blvd, Cambria Heights. For more information or to RSVP, call (866) 539-0999.

Council Member Miller’s Participatory Budgeting Info Session

Community members residing in New York City Council District ages 14 and above are invited to come pro-pose ideas, projects, and make deci-sions with the City budget. For more information, call (718) 776-3700. To rsvp, call Jessica Douglas at (718) 776-3700 or email [email protected]. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at Maranatha Center, located at 112-50 Springfield Blvd., Queens.

June 14Property Management 101

All new and existing property own-ers are encouraged to attend a free workshop on property management. Topics include responsibilities of a homeowner, tenancy pros and cons, property management assistance and financial assistance options. The workshop will start at 10 a.m. at The Community Bridge Home, located at 120-50 Springfield Blvd.

RSVP at [email protected] if you plan to attend. Breakfast will be served.

Chris ShamkinYou never know what kind of email you’ll get during an election cycle. Take, for example, this email from Clyde Vanel, who is looking for assistance in obtaining signatures to get on the ballot to run against State Sen. Malcolm Smith in the 14th State Senate District Primary:

“Baby Vanel is praying for your assistance. I need your help collecting petition signatures in order to qualify as a candidate for NYS Senate,” the email read. It was accompanied by the photo

Musicians OF QuEEns

QCONF

IDEN

TIAL

For some people, the deci-sion to become a musician is an epiphany, when they know in an instant what they want to do. For others, the process is gradual. Music becomes engrained in their everyday lives and they discover that it is the path for them. Chris Shamkin’s journey to a music career was the latter.

“I love to write and per-form. In my heart, there’s no better form of expression. I’m not sure if there was really one moment where I said, ‘I’m going to be a song writer,’” he said. “My parents had this gigantic record col-lection from the 60s and 70s and listening to music was a daily pastime in our house. I remember picking up my dad’s guitar and thinking, ‘I love this.’”

Shamkin’s music is sim-ple, using just voice and an acoustic guitar to weave warm melodies and relatable lyrics. It is gentle, but always keeps the listener's attention. For the Long Island City musi-cian, a song can evolve from anything in his life, slowly growing until it is complete.

“It’s ever-evolving. I might sit on an idea for a year, or until I see a whole story take form,” Shamkin said. “The music soon follows, but that’s where I love to experiment with different rhythms and chords, or instrumentation. By the end of the process, the song may be miles from where it started.”

The songs are also varied, not relying on the same tricks for each number, a lesson Shamkin learned during his time in Japan, where he heard a lot of excellent music.

“I learned to listen to and

Halloran's 'Induciae'

play with as many different artists, and as regularly as I could find,” he said. “Variety broadens the palette and avoids stylistic dead ends.”

Shamkin also formed the band Wooden Nickel, after hosting an open mic in Mil-lerton, NY. It was there that he met singer-songwriter Lance Middlebrook. The two musicians hit it off and formed a duo, adding bassist John Matthews and drummer Ken Hafford to round out the band.

Wooden Nickel keeps the feather-light touch of Sham-kin’s solo work, though the addition of a rhythm section and a country tinge creates a strong separation between the two projects.

“Things get more organic and fixed in place when play-ing with other artists and instruments. Sometimes, an open mind is the best attitude when adding other perspec-tives to the mash,” he said.

In addition to being a musician, Shamkin has been teaching incarcerated young men between the ages of 16 and 18 years old for the last four years.

“I’m deeply affected by the honesty of someone not afraid to burst into song or rhyme about their stories and situations,” he said. “It’s therapeutic in a way, almost like being able to laugh in the face of hardship.”

Shakim plans to record a new album this summer and will perform at LIC Bar on Sept. 14.

For more information on his music, visit www.facebook.com/Shamsongs or www.reverbnation.com/chrisshamkin.

Despite fanfare over the new arterial slow zone along Queens Boulevard – aka the Boulevard of Death, where 23 people have died since 2008 – it turns out zero actual reforms will hit the speed limit on the rough thoroughfare. While a handful of Queens streets will have their speed limits lowered from 30 miles per hour to 25, Queens Bou-levard’s will stick at 30, where it’s been since 2001. Slow zone signs will go up encouraging drivers to hit the

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Contributors: Bruce Adler, Jordan Gibbons,

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No Slowing Down At Slow Zone

'Baby Vanel' Looking For Signatures

It’s always humorous when one event randomly relates to ongoing news in Queens. A Queens resident was eliminated from the Scripps National Spelling Bee competi-tion last week for misspelling a word that a troubled former councilman is trying to do in his case. S ai Vi shu d h i C h an -drasekhar, a 12-year-old from Flushing, misspelled the word “Induciae,” which is a delay allowed for the performance of a legal obligation. It appears that former councilman Dan Halloran is attempting to call for his own induciae.

of “Baby Vanel” seen here. While the incumbent is on

trial this week, Vanel has some tough competition, as former Councilman Leroy Comrie has thrown his hat in the ring, along with Munir Avery and Bernadette Semple.

Here at QConf, we’re hoping that the other candidates push-ing for a spot in the September primary also release their baby pictures.

To the cutest baby go the spoils!

Last week, the troubled ex-elected official attempted to stall the case against him, which went to trial this week, by pleading for insanity. Hal-loran was arrested last year in relation to a corruption case that attempted to put State Sen. Malcolm Smith on the mayoral ballot. Halloran’s attorney said in a letter that because the former councilman underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor, he did not realize the consequences of his actions. The trial began this past Monday, in what will surely be one of several court hearings for that trial.

brakes, but not mandating it. “Our engineers felt like 30 was really the right speed for that street,” Transportation Commissioner Polly Trot-tenberg said, according to published reports. We here at QConf wonder: Right for what? Right for whom? Meanwhile, at Vision Zero safety workshops across the Borough, residents continue to coat maps of their neighbor-hoods with stickers, marking areas that need improvement.

50 Cent Is Bringing Backup To Citi Field The New York Mets announced that 50 Cent will be joined by the rest of G-Unit for his post-game concert on Saturday, June 14. Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, Young Buck, Kidd Kidd and other special guests may be serving as reinforcements to protect 50 from any verbal insults that get tossed in his direction for his abysmal attempt at a first pitch before the Mets game on May 25. Hopefully for 50’s sake, the insults will be a good 15 feet off the mark, just like his epically bad first (and most likely last) pitch.


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