Queens Press Epaper
-
Upload
queens-press -
Category
Documents
-
view
225 -
download
2
description
Transcript of Queens Press Epaper
PR
ES
S P
hoto
by
Ira
Coh
en
Volume 11 Issue No. 38 Sept. 24 - 30, 2010
Online at www.QueensPress.com
The City Council voted unanimously to rezone Rosedale, which will preserve the neighborhood’s character.By Sasha Austrie...Page 3
STAYINGTHE SAME
PAGE 22
14631_ROP_QR
Astoria30-27 Steinway St.(@ 30th Ave.)718-249-9500
32-70 Steinway St. (@ 36th Ave.)718-887-8042
Corona111-04 Roosevelt Ave.718-701-5111
40-34 National St. (@ 41st Ave.)718-233-1324
Elmhurst76-09 Broadway (@ 76th St.)718-779-2235
Queens Center Mall (On Concourse Level)718-233-1338
Far Rockaway32-21 Beach Channel Dr. (@ Beach 32nd St.)718-864-2029
Flushing136-76 Roosevelt Ave.(@ Union St.)718-886-3550
162-08 Northern Blvd.(@ Depot Rd.)718-961-8861
36-09 Main St. Ste. CU-109 (@ Northern Blvd.)718-762-3600
Forest Hills71-24 Austin St.718-487-4770
Jamaica135-02 Jamaica Ave. (@ 186th St.)718-737-3628
87-64 Sutphin Blvd. (@ Hillside Ave.)718-526-0500
87-86 Parsons Blvd.(@ 88th Ave.)718-297-9500
Long Island City13-05 40th Ave. (@ 28th St.)718-737-3975
Ozone Park9621 Rockaway Blvd. (@ 96th St.)718-200-6887
Richmond Hill112-20 Jamaica Ave. (@ 112th St.)718-441-2230
Rockaway Park227 Beach 116th St.(@ Rockaway Beach Blvd.)718-233-4993
Woodhaven94-17 Jamaica Ave. (@ 94th St.)718-310-9611
Woodside35-11 64th St.718-565-1850
54-20 31st Ave. (@ 54th St.)718-626-1300
5716 Woodside Ave.718-533-0888
Offer available on UPGRADES OR NEW ACTIVATIONS. Limit 5 per Household. Certain restrictions apply. Mail-in rebate is a limited time offer for a Visa prepaid card. Offer expires 10/3/10 or while supplies last. See http://www.metropcs.com/promotions for full promotion details. Coverage not available everywhere. Not all services available in all covered areas. Nationwide long distance available only in continental U.S. and Puerto Rico. Use of MetroPCS services acknowledges acceptance of our Terms and Conditions of Service found at www.metropcs.com/terms. Visit metropcs.com or a MetroPCS store for information on specific Terms and Conditions of Service, coverage areas, handset capabilities and any applicable restrictions. Rates, services and features subject to change. No guarantee of text message delivery. Phone not shown actual size. Screen images simulated. MetroPCS related brands, product names, company names, trademarks, service marks, images, symbols, copyrighted material, and other intellectual property are the exclusive properties of MetroPCS Wireless, Inc. and its subsidiaries, parent companies, and affiliates. BlackBerry®, RIM®, Research In Motion®, Curve®, and related trademarks, names and logos are the property of Research In Motion Limited and are registered and/or used in the U.S. and countries around the world. Copyright ©2010 MetroPCS Wireless, Inc.
888.8metro8metropcs.com
Big Savings Make Buying
Them a No-Brainer.
Hurry In!These Phones Get Two Thumbs Up.
your price $49
$99 LG Imprint™
- $30 (mail-in rebate) - $20 (instant rebate)
Monthly service charge not included. Mail-in rebate via Visa® Prepaid Card.Monthly service charge not included. Mail-in rebate via Visa® Prepaid Card.
your price $229
$279 BlackBerry® Curve™ - $50 (mail-in rebate)
MetroPCS Authorized Dealers
Pa
ge 2
P
RE
SS
o
f S
ou
th
ea
st Q
ueen
s S
ep
t. 2
4-3
0, 2
01
0
Presstime
Queens Ripped Apart
By Surprise Tornado
BY BRIAN M. RAFFERTY
It was a typical Thursday afternoon in
Queens on Sept. 16. Rush hour had hit; the
highways were filled with cars carrying
people home. Most school buses had de-
livered their charges; kids were doing home-
work, playing with friends and helping get
dinner ready.
The sky turned gray, then black. Wind
swirled, buffeting the commuters, shaking
children in their houses. An ominous sound
bore down from overhead as the sky turned
green, lightning dancing across the sky. To
see it was disorienting; rain seemed to lift
from the ground, trees that had swayed
now flew across the highway, over cars and
into homes. The crash of debris blended
with the smashing of the rain until the
sound became deafening.
And then it was gone.
For about 15 minutes this scene played
out across a swath of Queens running from
Ridgewood to Middle Village and Rego
Park, Forest Hills, Flushing, Fresh Mead-
ows, Auburndale and Bayside before exiting
at Little Bay. Each location felt the force of
the storm for no more than 2 or 3 minutes.
The final verdict: an 80-mph tornado
that started in Brooklyn cut into
Ridgewood and flattened out to a nearly
five-mile-wide “macroburst” as it slammed
into Middle Village and Rego Park at 125
mph. From that burst a new tornado
formed, tearing through the borough at
100 mph, but entire sec-
tions of the borough –
Astoria and Jackson
Heights in the Northwest,
Jamaica and Floral Park in
the South and East – never
felt it.
In the blink of an eye
thousands of trees were up-
rooted or ripped apart. In
the first 24 hours alone the
Parks Dept. reported 3,931
residential trees damaged
– that number does not
even bear in mind the ones
inside Forest, Juniper Val-
ley, MacDonald, Flushing
Meadows, Kissena, Bowne
or Crocheron parks.
In the days since the
tornado, help has been easier to come by
for some. There is a limit to the number of
tree specialists, insurance adjusters, con-
tractors and city workers who can handle
the load. Progress in some fringe areas that
were not as hard hit – along Parsons Bou-
levard in Flushing and on Calamus Av-
enue in Maspeth – has been slow. In Forest
Hills, communities have come together to
clean up. From the unaffected neighbors
who have offered food and shelter to
those displaced to the volunteers who
cleared out dozens of fallen trees at a local
Little League, the tales of generosity are
widespread.
But so, too, are the tales of woe. Poor
insurance, questions over individual vs.
city responsibility and the shock of the
scale of the damage have been hard to
swallow for some. There have been very
few injuries reported as a direct result of
the tornado, though there was one death.
A 30-year-old Pennsylvania woman was
crushed by a tree that fell on her car when
she pulled over on the Grand Central
Parkway at the height of the storm.
As the community continues to clean
up, the Queens Tribune dedicates this issue
to the people, families, schools, homes
and businesses affected by last week’s
devastating weather – and to being pre-
pared for the next time.
Reach Editor Brian M. Rafferty at
[email protected] or (718) 357-
7400, Ext. 122.
BY DOMENICK RAFTER
When the epic storm roared through
Queens last Thursday afternoon, it deliv-
ered a double blow from two destructive
forces not common in New York City.
The storm first spawned a tornado in
Brooklyn. The F0 twister touched down
in Park Slope at 5:33 p.m. and dissipated
two miles to the northeast in Clinton Hill.
The same storm crossed into Queens seven
minutes later and unleashed a macroburst,
a wide swath of straight-line winds of
around 125 mph; the strength of a Cat-
egory 3 hurricane.
The macroburst was eight miles long
and five miles wide, according to the Na-
tional Weather Service, extending from
Jackson Heights to Richmond Hill, with
the hardest hit areas being Middle Village,
Rego Park and Forest Hills. Reports of
fallen trees extended as far away as Ozone
Park, Hollis and College Point.
At 5:42 p.m., an F1 tornado, packing
winds of 100 mph, touched down near
Forest Hills High School, bisected Flush-
ing Meadows Corona Park north of
Meadow Lake, and crossed the Long Is-
land Expressway near Main Street. The
twister zigzagged in a general northeast-
erly direction through Flushing,
Auburndale and Bayside, passing close to
Queens College, Kissena Park and
Clearview Golf Course before dissipating
in the Long Island Sound near Fort Tot-
ten less than a mile from the Throgs Neck
Bridge.
Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at
[email protected] or (718) 357-
7400, Ext. 125.
Twisted Storm’s Path
Sliced Queens In Half
BY SASHA AUSTRIE
From here on in, Rosedale's architec-
tural character should remain largely un-
changed. On Thursday, the City Council
voted to rezone Rosedale by a unani-
mous vote almost a month after the City
Planning Commission approved the
down-zoning.
"The strength of our community has
always been derived from the beauty and
character of our neighborhood," said
Counci lman James Sanders (D-
Laurelton). "We will not allow sleazy
developers to ravage our communities by
taking down stately mansions and put-
ting up cheese-box houses, unfit for the
designation of a home."
The rezoning would benefit 193 blocks
within Community Board 13. Zoning has
remained unchanged in Rosedale since
1961. The new zoning law would replace
all or portions of the existing R3-2 zoning
district with R2, R3A, R3X or R3-1 dis-
Council Approves Rosedale Rezoningtricts. In addition, most of the C1-2 and
C2-1 overlay districts will be replaced with
C1-3 or C2-3 districts. Certain 2-1 and C1-
1 overlay districts will be eliminated or
reduced where residential or community
facility uses exist and a new C1-2 overlay
district is proposed to be mapped where
commercial uses exist.
The R3-2 zoning replacements would
ensure that one to two family detached
homes continue to inhabit Rosedale
neighborhoods. The maximum building
height is 35 feet and allows one parking
space per unit.
"The Rosedale rezoning in southeast
Queens is another significant advance in
our extensive work to protect lower-den-
sity neighborhoods by removing old zon-
ing that allows out-of-character develop-
ment," said Amanda Burden, City Plan-
ning commissioner. "By applying new
zones that more closely match and rein-
force local building patterns, we will pre-
serve the beautiful blocks in Rosedale that
are lined with one- and two-family de-
tached and semi-detached homes, and
protect the appealing suburban-style char-
acter that is cherished by its neighborhood
residents. I am thrilled to vote yes."
Sanders had hoped that the rezoning,
which had been sought after for 40 years,
would be completed before the housing
market rebounds.
"We are seeking rules and regulations
that say if you take down a one-family
home, you can only put up a one-family
home," he said.
The rezoning effort was collaborative,
as Community Board 13 and local civic
associations pushed for the down-zoning.
Lawrence McClean, Community Board
13 district manager, said the new zones
would keep the character of Rosedale.
"[The rezoning] means the quality that
made Rosedale a residential community
will now be maintained," McClean said
previously.
Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at
[email protected], or (718) 357-
7400, Ext. 123.
PR
ES
S P
ho
to
b
y Ira C
oh
en
MacDonald Park in Forest Hills was hit dead-on by the
tornado.
The signature single- and two-family homes that define Rosedale were given permanence with
the City Council's approval of a new zoning for the neighborhood.
PR
ES
S P
ho
to
b
y Ira C
oh
en
Sep
t. 2
4-3
0, 2
01
0 P
RE
SS
o
f S
ou
th
ea
st Q
ueen
s P
ag
e 3
Pa
ge 4
P
RE
SS
o
f S
ou
th
ea
st Q
ueen
s S
ep
t. 2
4-3
0, 2
01
0
BY SASHA AUSTRIE
They stood around him in an arc.
Friends, family, mentors and clergy gave
Ruben Wills their support in his bid for the
28th Council District seat. He is their
candidate.
“Ruben has been field tested,” said
Councilman Leroy Comrie (D- St. Albans.)
“He has volunteered at every level of ser-
vice [in New York State government]. He
is unafraid to take on issues.”
The 28th District became vacant when
late-Councilman Tom White, who had
served the district for 15 years, died in
August. Wills and 10 other opponents are
vying for the seat, which will be deter-
mined in a nonpartisan Nov. 2 special
election.
Like Comrie, State Sen. Shirley Hunt-
ley (D-Jamaica) was confident in Wills’
ability to lead the district.
Wills said his agenda is focused on
“Jobs, jobs, jobs, healthcare and economic
development.” He added that equipping
the district with both a community center
and a youth center is also on his to-do list.
Wills said he is running on his experi-
ence and record of delivering for the com-
munity throughout the last 15 years. He
previously worked for Comrie and served
as Huntley’s Chief of Staff. Wills said,
though it was a losing battle, he aided the
community in the fight to stop the closure
of two Queens hospitals, adding that he
tried to navigate the foreclosure crisis plagu-
Wills Touts Endorsements, Platform
ing Southeast Queens as Huntley’s top
adviser.
“I am mature enough to know what the
youth need,” Wills said. “I am mature and
seasoned to know senior issues.”
A gentleman applauded Wills’ decision
to locate his campaign office in Richmond
Hill.
“Never has there been a political office
on this side of the Van Wyck,” he said.
“Once you honor your word of coming to
Richmond Hill, we will work with you.”
PR
ES
S P
ho
to
b
y S
ash
a A
ustrie
Councilman Leroy Comrie, (l. to r.) Marcia and Ruben Wills and Mohammed Hack gathered
to endorse Wills’ run for the 28th Councilmanic District seat.
This is not Wills’ first attempt to lead
the 28th District. Last year, Wills launched
a campaign against White and a slew of
other opponents and placed fourth in the
race.
Wills said this campaign feels different,
with people talking about his candidacy as
if it belongs to them.
His wife Marcia Wills said her first reac-
tion to her husband’s political ambitions
was, “Let’s pray about this. We wanted to
make sure it was the right time.”
Almost a week after White died, she
gave the signal to march ahead.
Between now and Nov. 2, Wills plans
on blitzing the district.
“We will knock on every door we can
knock on,” he said. “We want to make sure
the community is engaged. We want to
remove some of the apathy that people
have.”
Ondrea Harris, a Baisley Houses resi-
dent, said Wills has her vote come Elec-
tion Day.
“Ruben is the one that we want and will
get,” she said. Harris said her nephew was
killed in Mount Vernon and Wills went to
support the family.
“He goes beyond Queens,” she said.
“He is helping us open [the Baisley Houses
Community Center] along with [Hunt-
ley]. He and his wife Marcia, they are like
family.”
Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at
[email protected], or (718) 357-
7400, Ext. 123.
Sep
t. 2
4-3
0, 2
01
0 P
RE
SS
o
f S
ou
th
ea
st Q
ueen
s P
ag
e 5
DEP Outreach Clarifies New Plans
BY SASHA AUSTRIE
On Monday, Dept. of Environmental
Protection representatives gave South-
east Queens homeowners a tidbit of infor-
mation in a customer service outreach
event.
Matthew Mahoney, Associate Com-
missioner for Intergovernmental Affairs
and John Singleton, deputy commissioner,
briefed attendees on the usage of their
water and sewer fees, the new automated
meter reading, the Water Debt Assistance
Program and other payment options.
DEP uses the majority of the revenue to
make billions in improvements and fulfill
mandated investments issued by the state
and federal governments.
From fiscal year 2003 to 2010, DEP
had $19 billion in capital project commit-
ments, of which 69 percent or $13 billion
were legal mandates.
Including ensuring that city water is safe
for consumption, mandates have also
added to customers bills. Between fiscal
year 2002 and 2011, the agency increased
the water rate 24 percent. This year, legal
mandates cost homeowners $177.
DEP has lowered the proposed rate for
fiscal year 2011 by 1.4 percent to help
lower water rates, according to Mahoney.
Other efforts to lower rates include a re-
duction in employees by 214, a reduction
of non-emergency fleet saving $2.7 mil-
lion and energy savings reducing costs by
$1 million.
New automated meter reading is one in a host of programs the Dept. of Environmental
Protection is introducing to update its systems and help homeowners save money.
Another money saving measure is
the installation of 460,000 automated
meter readings.
Singleton said the devices, which
are ins ta l l ed f r ee o f cha rge to
homeowners, will send water usage to
DEP four times a day. Also, it allows
customers to monitor their water usage
online.
"It gives the number of gallons and the
amount of water used," Singleton said. "It
gives the payment history for the last three
years and bill history from the day the
AMR device was installed. You can figure
out hourly usage."
Singleton said the apparatus will be a
boon for home as leaks can be noticed and
remedied before it affects a homeowner's
wallet.
Farrell Sklerov, DEP spokesman, said
the entire city will be outfitted with AMRs
by the end of 2011.
Mahoney highlighted the Water Debt
Assistance Program, which was launched
in February 2008. He said enrollment
would temporarily relieve homeowners
on the brink of foreclosure with past-due
water and sewer bills. To qualify,
homeowners have to be delinquent on
their mortgage, a notification of lien, sale
or service termination and tax Class 1,
owner occupied one-, two-, or three-fam-
ily home.
"It's not a forgiveness, it's a forbear-
ance," Singleton said. "It gives people a
little bit of breathing room."
Including the debt assistance, there are
also payment plans and tax exemptions
for senior citizens.
Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at
[email protected], or (718) 357-
7400, Ext. 123.
In Our Opinion:In Our Opinion:
OF SOUTHEAST QUEENS
174-15 Horace Harding Expwy.
Fresh Meadows, NY 11365
(voice) (718) 357-7400 fax (718) 357-9417
email [email protected]
The PRESS of Southeast Queens
Associate Publisher
Arnold Thibou
Executive Editor:
Brian Rafferty
Contributing Editor:
Marcia Moxam Comrie
Production Manager:
Shiek Mohamed
Queens Today Editor
Regina Vogel
Photo Editor: Ira Cohen
Reporters:
Harley Benson
Sasha Austrie
Joseph Orovic
Domenick Rafter
Jessica Ablamsky
Editorial Intern:
Angy Altamirano
Jason Banrey
Rebecca Sesny
Art Dept:
Tania Y. Betancourt
Sara Gold
Rhonda Leefoon
Candice Lolier
Barbara Townsend
Advertising Director
Alan J. Goldsher
Sr. Account Executive
Shelly Cookson
Advertising Executives
Merlene Carnegie
A Queens Tribune Publication.
© Copyright 2010 Tribco, LLC
Michael Schenkler,
President & Publisher
Michael Nussbaum,
Vice President,
Associate Publisher
Tornado And The City: Oh What A Tangled Mess
A Personal Perspective
By MARCIA MOXAM COMRIE
A tornado tore through three of
our city's five boroughs last week
like it thought it was in Kansas.
Brooklyn, Staten Island and
our beloved Queens took a beating
last Thursday at the close of the
workday, trapping commuters on
highways, parkways and byways
alike with blinding rain and light-
ning while toppling trees. It also
led to the death of one commuter
in the drive-time mêlée.
When it was all said and done,
neighborhoods in Forest Hills,
Flushing, Jamaica Estates, Hollis
Hills and other parts, were a mess
of tumbled trees and electric
wires, crushed cars and damaged
houses. There were no yellow
brick roads to the fix-it wizard.
Days after the onslaught, we were
still chopping out of it.
Myth holds that cities don't
get hit by tornadoes, but New
York is starting to shatter that
opinion. Meteorologists now say
Letters
Pa
ge 6
P
RE
SS
o
f S
ou
th
ea
st Q
ueen
s S
ep
t. 2
4-3
0, 2
01
0
Editorial Letters
Bringing Out Our Best
The worst natural disaster to hit Queens in at least a quarter century
brought out the best in some of our residents this week.
Within minutes of the tornado passing through, as the shock of the
damage was still settling in, people immediately started dragging limbs
off roads to help allow traffic to pass.
Within hours, as commuters faced a nightmare of either delays or
cancelled service, the drivers who waited hours to pass through a few
short miles did not lean on their horns. They knew that we all, at this
point, needed to work together.
That spirit was true from Forest Hills to Flushing, from Middle
Village to Auburndale and in every corner of our borough. Strangers
and neighbors have been helping each other survive, adjust and get back
to normal following the devastating storm.
Today, despite the rift caused by the tornado that split our borough
in two, we have come together to unite as one people, side-by-side, neigh-
bor-by-neighbor.
Let us continue to work together.
No Reform Hero
To The Editor:
I was outraged this week after
picking up a copy of the Eastern
Queens Gazette and looking at
the front cover of the paper which
called State Sen. Frank Padavan
a "Hero Of Reform." Padavan is
anything but a Hero Of Reform.
He has had 38 years to prove that
he is a reformer and he has not.
He is probably one of the most
anti-reform politicians I could
ever think of.
Padavan has always been a
supporter of making abortions il-
legal. Last year when he had an
opportunity to give his LGBT
constituents marriage equality he
voted against the bill. In 2008 he
challenged hundreds of St. Johns
University students' voter regis-
trations in court during finals
week. Padavan has always been
against the legalization of gam-
bling in New York State, which is
something that would help close
our state's budget gap. And how
can we forget Padavan's role in
last year's Albany coup which
paralyzed State Government for
weeks.
After all this, how could
Padavan possibly be a "Hero Of
Reform?" The only reason why
he signed onto Mayor Koch's NY
Uprising pledge is to save his own
hide.
Padavan's opponent this year,
former Councilman Tony Avella,
has spent his entire career being
a reformer and he is someone
that we can all believe will go up
to Albany and help bring change
to what is the most dysfunctional
legislature in the country. To all
voters in the 11th Senatorial Dis-
trict, please vote for reform and
change this November. Vote
Tony Avella for New York State
Senate.
Matthew Silverstein,
Bayside
Anti-Semitic Tony
To The Editor:
We are still months away from
the November elections. How-
ever, before things get heated up
with too many political messages
and ads, it is imperative for voters
to take note of former
Councilmember Tony Avella,
who is vying to run against State
Sen. Frank Padavan.
In 2009, when current Coun-
cil member, former Black Panther
member, and outspoken anti-
Semite Charles Barron decided
that he may run for the Speaker's
seat, almost all Council members
abstained from giving him sup-
port, because Barron has a long
record of drumming up anti-
Semitic and racist sentiments.
However, the only Council mem-
ber to support Barron was Avella,
who helped form the "Barron/
Avella New York City Council
Democrat ic Reform Move-
ment." In May, when Barron
compared Gaza to "a concen-
tration death camp," Avella
didn't see a need to denounce
his friend's statement.
A few years ago, Barron intro-
duced a bill in the Council that
would have named a street in the
memory of known anti-Semite
and racist Sonny Carson, who
few New Yorkers remember in
good light. Avella joined the most
radical members to vote to fulfill
the wish of a known anti-Semite
to put in memory the name of
someone who was an instigator
of hate in the City and architect
of the bloody Crown Heights riot.
Due to Avella's actions, it is
known within the Democratic
City Council caucus that Barron
has always a loyal vote to support
him in his hateful agenda.
The last thing that we need is
to send to Albany someone who
was ready to give the second most
powerful city seat (the Speaker
post) to an outspoken anti-
Semite. In this critical year, when
every seat hangs in the balance
on all levels of government, we
cannot afford to send to Albany
a person that supports and sup-
ported divisions and anti-Semitic
rhetoric.
Whatever one's political party
affiliation may be, it is certain
that where Avella comes into play,
one needs to vote the other way.
Charles Gold,
Queens
WRITE ON:
The PRESS of
Southeast Queens,
174-15 Horace Harding Expy.
Fresh Meadows, NY 11365
email [email protected]
fax: (718) 357-9417
New York City has been hit by
tornadoes more often this year
than have rural areas. About five
years ago, a mid-day tornado also
decimated parts of Brooklyn. So
much for that theory!
The thriller that got us last
week is said to have migrated
from Kansas and Ohio and "ac-
celerated into the East." That was
some acceleration.
It felled monster trees like little
boys topple toy soldiers. Some
snapped in two and others sim-
ply succumbed, root and all, to
the tempest. It was a frightful
experience. As New Yorkers, we
are not used to this sort of natural
assault; but more and more these
last few years, there have been
rude awakenings.
Last spring, dozens of trees
also toppled throughout the city.
We had endured history-making
rain falls and the soggy soil sim-
ply gave way around the roots of
the big old trees, even causing a
few deaths.
One cannot help but wonder if
Mayor Mike Bloomberg, while
busy putting in new trees,
shouldn't also mandate that some
older, top-heavy trees be given
extreme trims or simply be re-
placed with saplings.
Our citizens, our homes and
our automobiles are being endan-
gered by these toppling mon-
strosities. I'm all for cleaning our
air via the grand old trees, but
they need to be monitored. Sap-
lings take time to mature and pro-
vide the cleaning and shade that
the veteran trees do. There is
history and splendor in the older
trees; but at what price do we
keep our vulnerable old beauties?
We would not want to go on a
random slash and burn, but we do
need to make sure they are safe.
About a decade ago, a tree on
Francis Lewis Boulevard in
Laurelton toppled on a bus trans-
porting children to school.
A woman lost her life on the
Grand Central last week when
she parked parallel to a tree dur-
ing the shocking blow-by. Visibil-
ity was poor, traffic was barely
moving and she tried to be safe by
pulling over to the side. Her pas-
senger was also hospitalized.
I was not home when the tor-
nado hit; I was on the road and it
was frightening. I was worried for
my own safety and for my prop-
erty and neighbors. It was a big
sigh of relief that I uttered upon
returning to find that we were
unscathed in our part of Queens.
The Earth seems to have en-
tered into an era of natural unrest.
Environmentalists are blaming glo-
bal warming due to the centuries
of abuse the planet has sustained
at our hands. There is plenty of
blame to go around on that score.
In the meantime, the city
cleans itself up from the rubble;
FEMA is determining whether or
not affected neighborhoods
qualify for aid and homeowners
try to negotiate payments from
their insurance carriers. It will be
a while before any kind of com-
pensation exchanges hands.
We wish them all well.
SANABRIA & QUINTETO OKOBIOwith special guest
NEA JAZZ MASTER, CANDIDO
Saturday, September 25, 2010 ● 7:00PM
Major funding for this series provided by NYC Councilmembers Thomas White Jr.(28th-CD), Chair of Economic Development, and Leroy Comrie (27th-CD) DeputyMajority Leader New York City Council and Chair of Land Use Committee.
YORK COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTERTickets available at the Box Office, 94-45 Guy R. Brewer Blvd. Call: 718-262-2840 or online at theatermania.com
$20.00 Adults / $10.00 Students & Seniors
1-800-382-HOME (4663)For more information, call
or visit www.nyhomes.org
The State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA) offers first-time homebuyers:
The path to your first home.
Sep
t. 2
4-3
0, 2
01
0 P
RE
SS
o
f S
ou
th
ea
st Q
ueen
s P
ag
e 7
Police BlotterCompiled By DOMENICK RAFTER
102nd Precinct
Found Dead
On Tuesday, Sept.14, at 6:54 p.m.,
police responded to a 911 call of an un-
conscious person in front of 84-27 85th
Ave. in Woodhaven. Upon arrival police
found a Nicholas Cordova, 17, of 84-22
106th St., Richmond Hill, lying on the
ground with an injury to his head.
EMS transported Cordova to Jamaica
Hospital where he was later pronounced
dead on arrival. There were no arrests at this
time and the investigation was ongoing.
110th Precinct
Crushed By Van
On Wednesday, Sept. 15, at 7:15 a.m.,
police responded to a 911 call of a man hit
by a car on 76 Street and Woodside Av-
enue, in Elmhurst. Upon arrival, police ob-
served Rashid Muhammad, 75, of 75-06
Woodside Ave., Elmhurst, unconscious and
unresponsive, with trauma to the body.
At that intersection, a 2001 Chevy van
collided with an ambulance. The van then
flipped on its side and in that process hit
Muhammad. He was removed by a sepa-
rate ambulance but died en route to the
Elmhurst Hospital. An investigation was
ongoing. No arrests were made. The driv-
ers of both the van and the ambulance were
in stable condition at Elmhurst Hospital.
112th Precinct
Suspect Sought
The NYPD is seeking the public’s as-
sistance in identifying a man wanted in
connection with five grand larcenies that
took place in Forest Hills and Rego Park.
The suspect approaches the victims on a
bicycle, removes property and f lees the
location on the bicycle. In four of the in-
cidents, the suspect f led on a red bicycle,
while during the fifth, the suspect was
riding a silver BMX bicycle with rear pegs.
113th Precinct
Shot To Death
On Wednesday, Sept. 15, at 2:44 a.m.,
police responded to a 911 call of a man
shot near 143-04 Linden Blvd. in St.
Albans. Upon arrival, police found Sand-
ers Jones, 29, of 143-04 Linden Blvd.,
with multiple gunshot wounds to his body.
EMS also responded and transported
Jones to Jamaica Hospital where he was
pronounced dead on arrival. There were
no arrests made in regards to this inci-
dent and the investigation was ongoing.
St. John's Fund-Raiser Paid Herself $1M: DA
By DOMENICK RAFTER
A former dean at St. John’s University
was arrested last week and charged with
embezzling more than $1 million from the
school over a six-year period.
Dr. Cecilia Chang, 57, who had been
Vice President of International Relations
and Dean for the Center for Asian Stud-
ies until her suspension in September
2009, was arrested at her home on Tryon
Place in Jamaica Estates last Wednesday.
She was charged in a 205-count indict-
ment with one count of first-degree grand
larceny, one count of second-degree
grand larceny, one count of second-de-
gree attempted grand larceny, 69 counts
of second-degree forgery, 69 counts of
second-degree criminal possession of a
forged instrument and 64 counts of first-
degree falsifying business records.
Queens DA Richard Brown said
Chang allegedly submitted travel and en-
tertainment charges for reimbursement as
costs related her to job when in fact, the
charges were not work-related. The
charges included casino expenses, meals
at restaurants, lingerie shopping and even
her son’s tuition at St. John’s School of
Law. The DA’s office has placed a lien on
her Jamaica Estates mansion.
Chang is also alleged to have diverted
hundreds of thousands of dollars in foun-
dation donations intended for the school
to herself, including $250,000 from a Saudi
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, head
of the charitable organization the King-
dom Foundation. According to the DA’s
office, she attempted to appropriate an-
other $550,000 by creating a fake not-for-
profit organization called the Global De-
velopment Initiative Foundation and mis-
lead the Saudi foundation into believing
the money would go to St. John’s.
“It is disheartening, indeed, to see an
alleged betrayal of this magnitude which
inexcusably deprived the University of
much needed educational funds and
could have a chilling effect on the school’s
future fund-raising efforts,” Brown said.
Brown said that the investigation lead-
ing to last week’s indictment began fol-
lowing a 2009 internal audit by University
officials of Chang’s travel and entertain-
ment expenses that led to her suspension.
According to the charges, Chang was
required to submit her credit card bills to
the University with an explanation of the
expenses. Her expenses were usually
high. She allegedly used a credit card from
a Taiwanese bank and submitted those
charges, which included her son’s tuition,
to be reimbursed, arguing she could only
use that card while overseas.
If convicted, Chang could face 25
years in prison.
Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at
[email protected] or (718) 357-
7400 Ext. 125.
Henry Stern
Not 4 Publication.com by Dom Nunziato
The Truth About Ethics and the State We’re In
By HENRY STERN In an initial take on
last week’s primary, weoffer some nuggets of fact,surmise and opinion.
1. The Democraticand Republican party or-ganizations continueto weaken. They aremost influential in raceswhere no one knowswho the candidates are, usually forjudgeships or at the bottom of theticket. For more important offices,where voters have familiarity withthe candidates, they make theirown decisions as to whom theywill support, guided to some ex-tent by the campaigns and themedia.
The generally low Democraticturnout placed a premium on ma-chine support. Percentage wise,more Republicans cast ballots.
2. Tuesday was a good nightfor incumbents. As far as we know,only two state senators were de-feated. Pedro Espada, Jr., in theBronx, against whom the entirecivilized world had combined, lost62-33 to Gustavo Rivera; and BillStachowski of Buffalo, lost, 63-26,to Tim Kennedy.
Stachowski, a state senator for28 years, was a target of environ-mental groups for his oppositionto clean up of toxic wastes, andgay organizations objected to hishost i l i ty to marriage equality.Stachowski was supported by theWorking Families and the Inde-pendence Party. He held up thestate budget because he insisted ongreater autonomy for SUNY Buf-falo. However, in the end he cavedand disappointed his constituents.
Tim Kennedy is an ErieCount y legislator, who linkedStachowski to the dysfunction inAlbany. We also suspect there were
demographic changes inthe district since the Pol-ish-American solon, aformer football star atHoly Cross, was firstelected a generationago. Both candidatessigned the Koch pledge.
3. The only twoAssemblymembers to bedenied renomination
were Ginny Fields in SuffolkCounty, who lost to Ken Mangan,53-47, and Francine DelMonte ofNiagara County, who lost to JohnAccardo, 52-48. Reform was not aparticular issue in these races, allfour candidates having signed thepledge.
4. The majority of incumbentstate legislators were not chal-lenged by other aspirants. There-fore, primary elections were notheld for those positions.
Fifteen incumbent senatorswere challenged. For the remain-ing 47 seats (out of a total of 62),the incumbents were unchallenged.
Twenty-seven assembly mem-bers were challenged. For the re-maining 123 seats (out of 150) theincumbents were not challenged ina primary.
5. According to Jerry Skurnik,who is an expert in these matters,the reason there are proport ion-ally more contested city than stateelect ions is that the city’s cam-paign finance system provides formatching funds on a 6-to-1 basisfor contributions of $175 or less.The maximum public subsidy for acity council race was $88,550 in2009, and it will rise in 2013. Theexpenditure limit was $161,000; ittoo will rise.
There is no provision formatching funds in state elections,so the candidate must raise all thefunds he spends. This discourages
candidacies, because to attain aminimal level of exposure in anassembly race against an incum-bent, spending close to $100,000is a requirement. Double that sumfor a state senate race. Since peopleare usually unlikely to give largesums to local candidates, there isa great advantage to aspirants whocan fund their own races.
6. The roll out of the newelectronic vot ing machines wasflawed, drawing the ire of the pub-lic and spurring elected officials toberate the Board of Elections. Nowwe must find out how accurate theelectoral counts tabulated by themachines are. The Board is con-ducting a lottery to randomly se-lect 3 percent of the election dis-tricts in the five boroughs for a handrecount of the paper ballots pro-cessed by the machines. We willkeep you posted on how the twosets of figures match up. Theoreti-cally, they should be identical.
7. The 2011 legislature will bevery much like the 2010 legisla-ture, except that the coup con-spirators Espada and Monserratewill be gone. We cannot predictwhich party will control the statesenate next year, and what the ef-fect of the Paladino candidacy willbe on Republican legislative can-didates. Will the GOP be energizedby its standard bearer, or will fright-ened moderates deser t the el-ephant line?
Democratic senate leaderJohn Sampson of Brooklyn willpresumably succeed Pedro Espadaas majority leader, if the Demo-crats retain their senate majority.Sampson has written a letter sign-ing on to the Koch reforms, as hasDean Skelos, the Republicanleader, and all his troops.
8. If the senators keep theirwritten pledges, substantial legis-
lative reform would be a strongpossibility in the areas of redistrict-ing by an independent commission,ethics reform identifying and limit-ing the private employment ofelected public servants in the leg-islature, and requiring a state bud-get to be balanced budget pursu-ant to generally accepted account-ing principles (GAAP). This is thelaw in New York City, but not inNew York State.
The Assembly will be a hardersell. Speaker Silver says that hewould allow some reforms, but hehas balked at an independent re-districting commission.
An important element of theSpeaker’s power to enforce his willis the ability to punish refractory(from his viewpoint) legislators byabolishing their districts, mergingthem with others, or removingtheir homes from their districts. Anindependent commission wouldpresumably not be congenial to
What We Learned From The Primaryspot redistricting on the basis of alegislator’s independence or sub-mission to the Speaker.
The leadership has many otherpowers over individual members,including committee assignments,lulus (pensionable payments tocommit tee chairs and miscella-neous favored designees), the useof the Rules Commit tee to ad-vance or to bottle up bills, the as-signment of office space and otherfacilities, etc. The Speaker’s powerwas likened many years ago, withregard to the City Council, to theauthority of a Mother Superior ina convent. The power to terminatea polit ical career by reapportion-ment is a superfluous award of au-thority to the most powerful manin state government (with the oc-casional, but not recent, exceptionof the governor).
It is now 40 days to the elec-tion. We will be following the race.
By MICHAEL SCHENKLERPedro Espada was destroyed
at the Primar y polls last week.Hiram Monserrate did no better. Nooffense to Gustavo Rivera who Ido not know or Francisco Moyawho I do know, but those electionswere not their victories, but lossesfor two disgraced has-beens. Wewish the best to Rivera and Moya,who we endorsed, the best but seethe story in the selective defeat ofthe losers.
The inside establishmentturned on Espada and Monserrate.Members of their own party, theircaucus and many of their formerfriends and al lies vil lainized thetwo. Hiram first became a targetof his colleagues and par ty andsuffered the humiliation when re-moved by his colleagues last year,citing his behavior and convictionof a misdemeanor in a domesticviolence incident – he was foundinnocent of the major charges.
Espada is facing charges ofcorruption for his alleged misuseof public funds in his Bronxhealthcare business and rightfullywas condemned by his party andcolleagues.
But I think it is clear they bothsuffered their Democratic col-leagues’ animus when they brokewith the Democratic Caucus andthrew Senate control to the Re-publicans in the summer of 2009.Then they returned to their caucusextracting prices which were paidby the angry Democratic caucus.
Well, the repayment is nowcomplete. The Senate Democraticcaucus-led vendetta has destroyedboth of the fallen amigos politi-cally. Neither again will be able toobtain elective office or hold ap-pointed jobs. They are both pari-ahs so painted by a political worldthat has tolerated such behaviorswhen the offenders are loyal partymembers whose votes can be
counted on.Don’t get me wrong, I am not
condemning the Democratic Sena-tors who turned on Pedro andHiram; their behaviors deserved it.
But there have been many leg-islators before them who were abu-sive, corrupt or so embarrassing tothe Legislature but their colleagueslooked the other way.
It took an insurgent namedShirley Huntley to beat a physi-cally abusive Ada Smith in theDemocratic Primary for State Sen-ate four years ago. Smith’s col-leagues and party looked the otherway in spite of a clear pat tern.Brooklyn State Sen. Kevin Parkerhasn’t been reprimanded by his col-leagues in spite of a series of inci-dents of physical abuse. Smith,Parker, Monserrate: they all shouldhave been called on the carpet andpunished by the Senate; but onlyHiram who deserted his party andthrew the Senate into chaos last
summer was punished.And who joined Hiram – or
led him – in last summer’s greater
dysfunct ion than usual? PedroEspada – an apparent crook.
He was an apparent crookwhen the Republicans embracedhim and made him Senate Presi-dent in exchange for his vote. Hewas an apparent crook when theDems kept him as Senate Presi-dent and increased his memberitem allocation to buy him back.
But the history of the Legis-
lature shows apparent crooks aresupported by their caucus untilconvicted of a felony. The list ofunethical crooks that should havebeen abandoned by their col-leagues is long, starts with formerSenate Leader Joe Bruno and runsstraight on til morning.
Without prejudging any mem-ber of the Legislature, it is clear tome that the ethics oversight of themembers by the Assembly and Sen-ate is a political self-serving pro-cess to protect those in office.
As we approach the potentialnew era of reform forced upon theLegislature, ethics looms large.
Right after the courts or thegovernor rejects their self-servingattempts at reapportionment, lookto the budget process and ethics totop the list of reforms to be rammeddown the legislature’s throats.
And that’s the State of [email protected]
Pa
ge 8
P
RE
SS
o
f S
ou
th
ea
st Q
ueen
s S
ep
t. 2
4-3
0, 2
01
0
Sep
t. 2
4-3
0, 2
01
0 P
RE
SS
o
f S
ou
th
ea
st Q
ueen
s P
ag
e 9
Borough Beat
BY JOSEPH OROVIC
The neo-gothic spire atop St. George’s
Church rose above the din of Main Street
Flushing for 156 years. It took a scant few
moments to tear down.
By the time the colossal winds and
pounding rain were done, the Episcopal/
Anglican church’s iconic apex laid strewn
across Main Street in tattered ruins. The
church itself was founded in 1702, and
had among its members Declaration of
Independence signer Francis Lewis. The
spire was erected in 1854.
A neighboring hotdog stand owner
braved the storm on the corner of 39th
Avenue and Main Street, holding onto his
cart as the winds blew north up Main
Street. He managed a glance over his
shoulder to see the spire get hit by light-
ning then twist slightly in the wind like a
bottle cap before detaching from the
church.
The scene left Downtown Flushing in
disarray. Police cordoned off the entire
stretch, shoving aside centuries-old piles
of wood and clearing the street.
According to the parish’s sexton Blaise
Scelsi, the spire nicked an MTA bus but
thankfully missed any pedestrians.
The storm caught the church at an
awkward moment, as it is in the midst of
a power transfer.
Ancient Spire Ruined Atop Flushing Church
The iconic peak of St. George’s is now gone.
The copper cross from atop the spire is now mangled.
The spire’s remains lie as a pile of debris outside the church
Friday.
Interim pastor
Shawn Duncan had
hardly been tempo-
rarily at the helm for a
week when the storm
hit. He admits his con-
nection to the physical
structure is not that
great as a result, but
adds, “The Church isn’t
the building – it’s the
people.”
In that spirit ,
Duncan held regular
services the night of the
storm.
As of printing, con-
tractors were slated to
come and assess the
extent of the damage,
as well as seal-off any
holes in the steeple left
as a result of the storm.
Duncan could not esti-
mate how long rebuild-
ing would take.
The only recogniz-
able remnant left is the dilapidated cross
that once crowned the spire. The mangled
wood and copper fixture rested within the
church’s main entrance, a twisted mess
hardly resembling its original self.
The church itself carries on, but is un-
sure what will replace the
lost structure.
Reach Reporter Joseph
Orovic at
or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127.
PR
ESS
Ph
oto
by Ira
Co
hen
PRESS
P
ho
to
b
y J
osep
h O
ro
vic
PRESS
P
ho
to
b
y Ira
C
oh
en
PRESS
P
ho
to
b
y J
osep
h O
ro
vic
BY PRESS STAFF
Residents and community leaders
emerged from Thursday's storm to find a
diagonal gash of disarray across the bor-
ough as remnants of the dual tornados and
a macroburst faded east into the distance.
In the most recent count, thousands
of trees had toppled, 24 homes required
forced evacuation - five of which need to
be demolished - and one life was lost. It
had been 25 years since Queens faced a
tornado, and the immediate question fol-
lowing the destruction was, "Can we re-
coup from this effectively?"
Leaders Weigh In
By most accounts, the answer is a tenu-
ous "yes," given the circumstances. Ac-
cording to local leaders and elected offi-
cials, the city, Parks Dept. and Con
Edison showed an overall effective level
of coordination. Mayhem was kept at bay.
Major roads were cleared relatively
quickly. An epic tragedy was averted.
Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz's (D-
Forest Hills) district served as the storm's
practice grounds, with massive trees left
prostrate across streets.
"It took the 'forest' out of Forest
Hills," she said. "This could have been
really disastrous."
Koslowitz found the city's response
effective overall, and was impressed with
the speed of cleaning. She had one gripe
with schools being left open while their
entrances were plugged
by downed trees, espe-
cially PS 174.
"I looked at all the
schools and it was a di-
saster area," Koslowitz
said. "I was a little up-
set."
Those trees have
since been cleared.
The northern swath
of Councilman Jim
Gennaro's (D-Fresh
Meadows) district suf-
fered downed trees and
lost power from the
storm.
"In my estimation
there is no doubt what-
soever that this area has
been made into a disas-
ter area. It just is. It's a
fact," he said.
Still, he heralded the response within
the first few days.
"There's been a remarkable amount of
work and progress that's been made in
the last 100 hours."
But the assessment is not so positive
for Councilman Dan Halloran (R-
Whitestone), who found the city's reac-
tion within the first 24 hours lackluster.
"What we've been trying to do is play
catch up," he said.
The f lawed response includes poor
communication, difficulty getting through
to 911, the late activation of local CERT
teams, Parks Dept. offices closing for the
weekend and even a shortage of yellow
caution tape, according to Halloran.
Is It Safe?
While many are assessing the damage
to their homes and personal properties,
Queens residents should be vigilant of any
suspect trees, according to arborist
Gerard Arnold, who does work for the
Queens Botanical Garden.
While the immediately obvious trees
are being addressed by the city, Arnold
said a second round of trimming, uproot-
ing and cutting should be expected, as
the less apparent damage begins to show.
"There's usually an initial wave then a
second wave," he said.
Erring on the side of caution is best
when handling trees suffering residual
damage from Thursday night's storm.
Arnold recommends folks keep an eye
on even slightly damaged trees. Dangling
branches and leaning stumps could
present problems down the road.
According to Arnold, homeowners
should look for uniformity in the colora-
tion of leaves. If any section of the tree
begins to yellow or wither ahead of fall's
schedule, they should have the tree
checked out. But do not tackle the project
alone - entangled branches cut incorrectly
can send wood crashing down. Folks are
best off calling in a specialist.
"Have a professional handle it, al-
ways," Arnold said.
Safe For School?
A little more than half a day after last
week's macroburst and tornado roared
though the borough,
schoolchildren all over
Queens were waking up
to f ind out schools
were open. They
weren't the only ones
who were upset by it.
Mayor Mike
Bloomberg, while sur-
veying tornado dam-
age in Corona on
Thursday night, said
schools were to remain
open Friday, despite
some having been dam-
aged. Koslowitz and
CB 6 District Manager
Frank Gulluscio both
said some of the
schools in Forest Hills
and Rego Park, though
structurally sound, were
dangerous places for
children to be.
At PS 174 in Rego Park, downed trees
and debris littered the sidewalks around
the school and the schoolyard. Over the
school's main entrance, tree branches,
hanging by threads, swayed over the
heads of students. Debris from the storm
still made Dieterle Crescent impassable,
forcing parents who usually drive their
kids to school to walk instead, in streets
littered with debris.
"It's a mess, it's too dangerous for
them to be there," Gulluscio said.
Russel Sage JHS on Austin Street in
Forest Hills was open, despite the fact
that a 50-foot tree tumbled into the front
yard near the entrance and remained un-
moved by the time students got to
school Friday morning. The side-
walks along adjacent Yellowstone
Boulevard were impassable and
many students were forced to walk
in the busy street. On the opposite
side of Yellowstone Boulevard, only
a block from the school, Austin Street
was closed for a one-block stretch
because of downed power lines.
Though no damage was done to
the school, or its grounds, students
and parents at PS 49 in Middle Vil-
lage were forced to maneuver
through debris-clogged streets to the
school's east and southeast after the
storm. Fallen and damaged trees in
Juniper Valley Park, directly across
the street from the school, worried
some parents.
Every classroom at Rego Park's
Our Savior Lutheran School were ei-
ther badly damaged or destroyed.
The private school, at 64-33
Woodhaven Blvd., was closed Fri-
day and Monday to allow crews to
fix structural damage to the build-
ing. The school's playground suf-
fered considerable damage, and a
shed that housed toys and barbe-
cues was completely destroyed.
Burst Bubble
At Queens College, almost every cor-
ner of the campus had trees that had
fallen due to the strong winds of
Thursday's storm. Lamps along the cam-
pus had been shattered and the glass de-
bris scattered on the f loor. Yet, cleaning
crews had arrived early Friday to aid in
clean up.
One of the biggest damages that the
campus suffered was the shredding of the
tent that houses the indoor tennis center.
The strong winds and fallen trees ripped
a hole through the tent and brought it
down onto the court inside. Even though
the outcome was horrible, members of the
Women's softball team joined together
to help clean up the wreckage.
"I didn't believe it was real," said Sara
Kumou, a senior. "After seeing the tent, I
realized it was real and actually hap-
pened." Kumou, along with team mem-
bers and friends, including seniors Julia
Carbone and Victoria Coan and sopho-
more Alex Dragl, cleaned up the softball
field and then moved on to clean up the
indoor tennis court.
Businesses Bashed
For Ruben Borukhov, the day after the
storm was not his best. Standing in front of
his shop on Francis Lewis Boulevard, he
asked passersby, "Want a Christmas tree?"
Though many of them laughed and
exchanged pleasantries, none patron-
ized his namesake operation, Ruben's
Barbershop.
"We cleared [the debris] away last
night," he said. "You couldn't even see
the sign. We need people to come in."
Despite his best effort, trees and de-
bris were piled so high that his awning,
and those of his neighbors, were hard to
see. Asked how business was going,
Borukhov replied, "Oh, forget about it."
Though he had not yet called insur-
ance for his damaged sign, it could be a
costly replacement. The small sign cost
$4,000.
Though business was bad for some,
others used the chaos as an opportunity
to make a little money, like the enterpris-
ing individual who hung up a handmade
poster board sign that read, "we buy storm
damaged cars" in an area that sustained
severe damage.
Moving Onward
According to the district managers of
the affected areas, a healthy dose of per-
spective has generally kept residents'
complaints to a minimum.
"You've got to realize that this is some-
thing not for New York," said CB 7 Dis-
trict Manager Marilyn Bitterman. "Under
the circumstances, they did a very, very
good job."
Gennaro said some residents are upset
over slow clean-up efforts, but he constantly
reminds them of the city's priorities.
"You need to tell people that streets
are not cleared and areas that don't have
power and that the priority is getting the
people's power back on," he said.
Most agree a recovery is a long time
away. But how exactly to even define a
"recovery" is difficult.
The council members agreed that their
districts lost more than trees - they lost a
chunk of the neighborhoods identity.
"I'm not sure that tree canopy is go-
ing to look like that," Halloran said. "It's
going to be decades before we see any-
thing like it again."
Gennaro was more succinct.
"We lost a lot of good wood out there,"
he said.
Reach the Queens Tribune newsroom at
[email protected] or (718) 357-7400,
Ext. 122.
The Road Ahead:
Along Kissena Boulevard, a
firefighter hacks away at a tree to
remove it piece by piece.
Baby Steps Toward A Full Recovery
The Wedding Gazebo at Queens Botanical Garden
was destroyed.
A worker helps clear away a tree in Flushing.
PRESS
P
ho
to
b
y J
osep
h O
ro
vic
PRESS
P
ho
to
b
y Ira C
oh
en
Ph
oto
b
y A
ng
y A
lta
mira
no
Pa
ge 1
0 PRESS
o
f S
ou
th
ea
st Q
ueen
s S
ep
t. 2
4-3
0, 2
01
0
Pa
ge 1
2 P
RE
SS
o
f S
ou
th
ea
st Q
ueen
s S
ep
t. 2
4-3
0, 2
01
0
Southeast Queens Events Edited By Harley Benson
pix
Meeting participants discussing the appearance of the recent issueof the PRESS of Southeast Queens: (seated) Committee ChairmanWilliam Martin, Ayanna Spurlock-Shackelton; (standing) ArnoldThibou, Alan Goldsher, Bruno Iciano.
The Greater Jamaica Development Corp. held its bi-monthly meet-ing of its Downtown Committee Sept. 15.
A Community Focus
Ph
oto
s by W
alter Karlin
g
Ayanna Spurlock-Shackelton,Program Director for Youth& Community Empower-ment of the CommunityMediation Services, de-scribed her organization'srecent and future activities.
Guest speaker BrunoIciano, Community AffairsLiason with the NYC De-partment of Sanitation,provided helpful tips inpromoting the upkeep ofthe neighborhood by keep-ing the area free of trash.
PRESS of Southeast QueensAssociate Publisher andfeatured speaker ArnoldThibou informed the meet-ing, among other things, oftargeted display advertis-ing and general classifiedads in promoting one'sbusiness.
Featured speaker QueensTribune Advertising Direc-tor Alan Goldsher explain-ing the benefits of keep-ing one's business namein the public eye throughthe community press.
Guest speaker Deputy In-spector Charles McEvoy ofthe 103rd Police Precinctrelated positive crime-fight-ing statistics in the area.
THE YORK COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER94-45 Guy Brewer Blvd., Jamaica, NY 11451
Major funding for this series provided by NYC CouncilmembersThomas White Jr. (28th-CD), Chair of Economic Development,and Leroy Comrie (27th-CD), Deputy Majority Leader NY CityCouncil and Chair of Land Use Committee.
Box Office: 718-262-2840PAC Information: 718-262-3750
Tickets are available online at:www.york.cuny.edu
$20.00 Adults / $10.00 Students & Seniors
Saturday, October 2, 2010 • 7:00 pm
Vissi Dance Theater NYC Presents
QUEENSGALA EVENT
Y O R K C O L L E G E
SP
EC
IA
L P
RE
SE
NT
AT
IO
N S
ER
IE
S
Sep
t. 2
4-3
0, 2
01
0 P
RE
SS
o
f S
ou
th
ea
st Q
ueen
s P
ag
e 1
3
Pa
ge 1
4 P
RE
SS
o
f S
ou
th
ea
st Q
ueen
s S
ep
t. 2
4-3
0, 2
01
0
Profile
SEQ Poets Thrive For Over 30 YearsBY SASHA AUSTRIE
With its bold hues, The Afrikan Po-
etry Theatre seems out of place in a neigh-
borhood rife with muted colors. But for
31 years, it has grown roots on Jamaica
Avenue.
The Afrikan Poetry Theatre was the
brain child of two poets, Yusef Waliyaya
and John Watusi Branch. The two met at
the “East” Cultural Center and Uhuru Sasa
Shule “Freedom Now School” in Brook-
lyn. They brought their talents together
in 1976.
Within a year, the duo had evolved
from an ensemble with drummers to ex-
panding the power of their words with
additional musicians and poets. Without
a permanent place to call home, the
theater’s first audiences were in public
parks, prisons, outdoor festivals, commu-
nity center and clubs. A mere two years
after coming into being, the organization
found a space close to the Central Li-
brary on Merrick and a year later they
made their home in the current location
on Jamaica Avenue.
To celebrate their history in the com-
munity, the Afrikan Poetry Theater is host-
ing its annual Creative Cuisine event at 6
p.m. on Oct. 30 at the Harvest Room,
located at 90-40 160th St.
Byron Perry, a consultant and board
member of the theater, said patrons of
the event can expect an exquisite evening
of dinner and entertainment. Food will
be cooked by about 30 men. Tickets are
$35 for adults, $40 at the door and $15
for children. For tickets call (718) 523-
3312.
“The brothers are prepared,” Perry
said.
He said the menu will be rife with
southern African and Caribbean foods.
Sekou Branch, 36, said he grew up
within the walls of the theatre, which are
covered with African American leaders
peering out of picture frames.
“I was raised in here, so a lot of my
thinking comes from here,” he said. “It’s
been here about 34 years; two generations
of this community grew up in the theatre.”
Perry said the establishment is unique
as it caters to the entire family. He said the
programs range from jazz music to lectures
on Africa and African American issues.
“Ironically, we don’t have black his-
The Afrikan Poetry Theatre will celebrate its history with its annual Creative Cuisine event
on Oct. 30.
tory programs because we celebrate black
history all year round,” Perry said. “We
have the largest Kwanzaa program in New
York City.”
Perry joined the Afrikan Poetry The-
atre 30 years ago. He said then he was a
poet and volunteered his time to the or-
ganization.
Ronald Burwell, assistant administra-
tor and affiliate of the theatre for 29 years,
said he became a permanent fixture to
benefit the children of the community.
“We started a youth group – a brother-
hood/sisterhood school,” he said.
Burwell, said the school, dubbed
MAAT, which is a Kiswahili word mean-
ing balance, operated for 20 years.
“We tried to reach them and teach
them about culture,” he said.
Even after 34 years, the theatre is still
making strides to reach beyond its four
walls. Perry said renovations of the
theatre’s space will soon commence. In-
cluding renovations, the establishment is
reaching out to a new generation via the
web, afrikanpoetrytheatre.org, Twitter and
Facebook.
“I want people to support the program
all year round,” Perry said. “Come to the
fundraiser, become a member.”
Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at
[email protected], or (718) 357-
7400, Ext. 123.
A A A A A &&&&& E E E E ES
ep
t. 2
4-3
0, 2
01
0 P
RE
SS
o
f S
ou
th
ea
st Q
ueen
s P
ag
e 1
5
Restaurant Review
QBG Artist Interacts With Visitors
Quintet Boro Concert
Set For This Sunday
NAPLÈ29-02 Francis Lewis Blvd., Flushing
(718) 358-0070
CUISINE: Italian
HOURS: Mon-Sun 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
CREDIT CARDS: Yes
PARKING: Street
The downed trees blocking my path
and a steady drizzle that lingered long
after the storm gave me a feeling that I
was not in Queens anymore; the sunshine
yellow walls and green and white accents
of Naplè made for a welcome refuge.
I have been here before and I hap-
pily worked through every morsel put
in front of me. My one goal at Naplèwas to not repeat any of my past selec-
tions. Right out of the gate, I failed.
Perusing the menu, I found the clas-
sic caprese - beefsteak tomato layered
with buffalo mozzarella and parma pro-
sciutto - drizzled with with balsamic
vinegar and kissed by basil leaves. I was
tempted by the beef Carpaccio - thin
raw sliced beef marinated with extra
virgin olive oil, lemon, and accompa-
nied with arugula, shitake mushrooms
and sliced parmesan cheese - but I
ended up with the perfection of the
caprese. I had committed its simple el-
egance to memory and in doing that it
branded me.
Though the complimentary home-
made bread arrived after the appetizer,
it was worth the wait. As customary,
the bread is drizzled with olive oil, rose-
mary and a pinch of salt. The browned
edge of the bread is infused with the
essence of the oven.
Being in the bright atmosphere sur-
rounded by a bevy of chatter and soft
music, Mother Nature's rant was for-
gotten; the main focus was selecting
an entrée.
I lingered on the lasagna emiliana.
I had it last time. Being determined not
Queens Botanical Gar-
den announced that artist
Susan Springer Anderson
will be its new artist-in-resi-
dence, working at the Gar-
den for a month from Sept.
18 through Oct. 17. She will
create a collection of figura-
tive installation sculptures
utilizing natural materials
collected from the Garden.
As a twist, Anderson will
create the sculptures with the
assistance of the community
through a series of drop-in
workshops. The project is
made possible through a
grant with the Queens Com-
munity Art Fund.
Anderson is an artist and teaching art-
ist, working and living in New York City.
She is a graduate of Anderson University
Quintet of the Americas woodwind
ensemble will be in concert on Sunday,
Sept. 26, at 3 p.m. at Natives Theater,
82-24 Northern Blvd. in Jackson Heights.
This program is presented in celebration
of Hispanic Heritage Month in coopera-
tion with the Latin American Cultural
Center of Queens.
Repertoire for this concert includes
Judah Adashi's "Songs and Dances of
Macondo," based on Gabriel Garcia
Marquez's "One Hundred Years of Soli-
tude;" William Grant's "Still's Folk Suite
No 4" and "Adolorido and Yaravi" from
"Miniatures;" Paquito D'Rivera's "Aires
Tropicales;" Carl MaultsBy's "Still Rockin
in Jerusalem;" Leonard Bernstein's
"Danzon" (arr. Oldham); James Cohn's
"Samba Nostalgica" and "Finale" from
"Fiesta Latina;" Piazzolla's "Libertango;"
and a selection of Colombian dances.
The Sept. 26 concert is free and open
to the public. For more information, call
Natives Theater at (718) 335-0780.
Members of Quintet of the Americas
are Sato Moughalian, flute, Matt Sullivan,
oboe, Nicholas Gallas, clarinet, Barbara
Oldham, horn and Maureen Strenge, bas-
soon. Founded in Bogota, Colombia in
A Slice Of Old Napoli
to repeat, I wavered between the
fagottini - fresh pasta fil led with
gorgonzola cheese and walnuts, served
with smoked prosciutto and sage in a
cream sauce - and the breaded chicken,
topped with prosciutto, fontina cheese
and a brown sauce accompanied with
mashed potatoes and spinach.
I asked the server for input, without
hesitation she said, "Get both." So, I
got both.
There was nothing left to be desired.
I got everything I bargained for and
more. The fagottini was creamy and
cheesy. The walnuts added a great tex-
ture and a nice crunch. I then tackled
the breaded chicken. The f lavors gave
a hint of chicken parmigiana, but in a
different fashion. It was pure comfort.
The mashed potatoes were homemade
and the spinach added color and con-
trast to the plate. I felt less guilty for
consuming the creamy entrees by hav-
ing a side of green.
My date ordered the lasagna
emiliana - meat and béchamel sauce
topped with parmesan cheese.
Though I was quite satisfied with my
two entrées, I jealously took a forkful of
the lasagna. Just as rich and creamy as I
remember.
Up next came dessert, which at
Naplè means a wonderful marriage of
f lavors in a gelato concoction. We
settled on the coppa stracciatella -
chocolate chip gelato with hazelnuts
and a dusting of cocoa powder.
There is nothing more delectable
after a hearty meal than a delightful
dessert
Go ahead, visit Naplè and if none
of the entrées or desserts pique your in-
terest, just go simple and try the pizza.
No matter what you get, you won't be
disappointed.
— Sasha Austrie
in Indiana with a B.A. in
Graphic Design and a work-
ing emphasis in sculpture.
She studied design abroad at
James Cook University in
Townsville, Australia. She is
a 2010 QCAF recipient.
Her body of work focuses
on exploring and exposing
the different layers of the hu-
man experience through the
assemblage of a variety of
repurposed materials. She has
shown her armature assem-
blage sculpture in juried gal-
lery shows, solo features and
in non-traditional spaces in
New York, New Jersey, Chi-
cago, Indiana, North Carolina
and Washington D.C. Examples of Susan's
current work can be found on her website:
home.earthlink.net/~susan.springer/
1976, the Quintet has specialized in bring-
ing new music from the Western hemi-
sphere to audiences in the United States
since its arrival in New York in 1979.
The group has enjoyed an interna-
tional career that has taken them to con-
cert halls throughout the Americas, the
Caribbean, and Eastern Europe. They are
currently in residence in The Department
of Music and Performing Arts in The
Steinhardt School at New York Univer-
sity. Visit their website at quintet.org and
become their friend at facebook.com.
This program is made possible with
public funds from the New York State
Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years
of building strong, creative communities
in New York State's 62 counties.
This program is supported, in part, by
public funds from the New York City De-
partment of Cultural Affairs, in partner-
ship with the City Council. Additional
funding comes from The Jarvis and
Constance Doctorow Family Foundation.
This performance of "Songs and
Dances of Macondo" is sponsored by the
American Composers Forum through its
Encore Program, supporting repeat per-
formances of new works.
The members of the Quintet of the Americas.
id2.html. Susan also has a blog that is track-
ing her progress throughout the QBG
project at delicateutility.blogspot.com/.
While in-residence at QBG, Anderson
and the garden goers assisting her will be
creating three or four "people" in the Gar-
den. These people will be posed as if they
were looking at something in the Garden -
for example, one will be seated on a bench,
another will be looking into the Rose Gar-
den, and yet another will be in the Bee
Garden dressed as a 19th century apiarist.
The community is invited to join Susan
Springer Anderson to create these sculp-
tures in the garden beginning Sept. 18, 2010.
The remaining schedule of events for her
time in-residence is: Sunday, Sept. 26, 1-4
One of Susan Springer
Anderson's pieces. She will
work with visitors to create
"people" for the Queens
Botanical Garden.
p.m., Community Workshop; Saturday, Oct.
2, 9:30 a.m. to noon and 1-4p.m., Commu-
nity Workshop; and Sunday, Oct. 17, 3-5
p.m., Exhibit Opening.
Queens Botanical Garden is an urban
oasis where people, plants and cultures
are celebrated through inspiring gardens,
innovative educational programs and
demonstrations of environmental stew-
ardship. Located at 43-50 Main St. in
Flushing, Queens Botanical Garden is
easily accessible by car, train or bus. Park-
ing is available in the Garden's lot on
Crommelin Street.
For travel directions and more infor-
mation visit queensbotanical.org or call
(718) 886-3800
NotebookSteps To Success
Faith
Imam Advocates Equality and Peace
Program Changes Negative Outlook
BY ROB MCKAY
When Tiana Marie Farmer enrolled in
the Steps To Success program at the com-
munity-based organization Safe Space last
year, she was defensive and confronta-
tional, frequently lashing out at others. An
adoptee, the Jamaica resident had family
issues and financial difficulties, which at
times made her feel that attending col-
lege wasn't possible.
As part of the Steps To Success cur-
ricula, Farmer worked on her emotional
health through conflict resolution classes,
group therapy sessions and one-on-one
supervision with Stacey Bristow, a youth
employment and leadership coordinator
at Safe Space, which offers a wide array
of services focusing on mental health,
community health, at-risk youth, violence
prevention and school-based education
enrichment.
Farmer admitted, but Bristow helped
change her mind. "It felt good to have
BY SASHA AUSTRIE
There are events that can change the
essence of one's life. Imam Shamsi Ali's
life changer came on Sept. 11, 2001. In the
midst of the broken buildings and devasta-
tion, the storm against Islam was brewing.
"Our religion is innocent of these
things that happen," he said. "We Mus-
lims are opposed to them."
As a cloud of dust and smoke chased
thousands out of the city, Ali hailed a cab
to take him home to Astoria and the cab-
bie unleased hurtful epithets about Mus-
lims. He kept quiet.
His own fury was building against those
who had destroyed the Twin Towers in the
name of Islam and those who demonized
his religion. Ali's anger spilled out at the
Interfaith Center of New York, where he
was asked to speak days after 9/11.
"I was angry at the terrorists," he said. "I
cursed the attacks. I spoke from my heart."
Ali, clad in a suit in the confines of his
office at the Jamaica Muslim Center, looks
more a businessman than an Imam. At first
glance, his distinctly Asian features do not
fit the conventional Muslim portrait.
"Only 18 percent of Muslims come
from the Middle East," he said. The ma-
jority of Muslims come from Asia.
Ali was born and raised in Indonesia. At
the age of 12, he started going to Muslim
school. He was being groomed to be an Imam.
"We are the people who interpret the
Koran," he said. He continued his educa-
tion at the International Islamic University
in Pakistan. Ali was the assistant Imam.
After his completion of his education, he
accepted a teaching position in Saudi
Arabia at the Islamic Foundation Institute,
where he also served as the Imam.
In 1996, Ali immigrated to the
United States to lead the Masjid Al-
Hikmah in Astoria. Just as people have
preconceived notions about, Muslims
Ali said the feeling was mutual.
"Growing up in Indonesia, going to
school in Pakistan and teaching in Saudi
Arabia, I had feelings
about the other - Jews,
Christians, Americans,"
he said. Ali said his no-
tions changed because of
his Irish Catholic neigh-
bors, who embraced his
family.
"They changed my
thinking," he said.
And as his neighbors
altered his assumptions he
sought to do the same for
his neighbors after the up-
heaval of 9/11.
"September 11th really
changed me," he said. "It
began my engagement with
the American mainstream."
Ali was one of two
Imams who met with
President George W. Bush when he toured
Ground Zero. He had this message for
Bush, "Tell the people this has nothing to
do with Islam and Muslims." Bush's care
to mention his words made him proud.
The latest firestorm, which involves
Park 51, the proposed community center
blocks from Ground Zero, came as a sur-
prise to Ali, who said it is mostly politi-
cally motivated.
"The first time this came to the public
sphere, it was on the front page of the
New York Times and no one paid atten-
tion to it," he said. "In June 2010, it was
blown up in the media. The project has
been hijacked."
Mayor Michael
Bloomberg advised that af-
ter the November elec-
tions much of the clamor
would cease.
Ali said developers of
Park 51 are steadfast and
believes moving the center
sets a dangerous prece-
dent that Muslims do not
have equal rights.
"We want to make sure
our country is on the right
track," he said. "We want to
make sure our country is most
beautiful and respectful."
He contends that
those condemning Islam
forget that for centuries,
people have justified evil
with religion on their side.
"Religions are intended for good things.
It is people that do bad," he said. "All reli-
gious people must take back their religion."
As he was in the days after 9/11, Ali is
again optimistic that the squalor lobbed
at Islam will pass.
"I want our fellow Americans to see
Muslim Americans as normal Americans,"
he said. "See us as human beings before
anything else."
Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at
[email protected], or (718) 357-
7400, Ext. 123.
Word"The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic
is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken
man is happier than a sober one. The happiness
of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality."
- George Bernard Shaw
Imam Shamsi Ali, of the Ja-
maica Muslim Center has
emerged as a leader in the
fight against efforts to ostra-
cize Muslim Americans.
Ph
oto
b
y S
ash
a A
ustrie
somebody on my side. She really cared
about me."
Farmer learned job readiness, inter-
view skills and how to create a resume
and cover letter. She also built up her vo-
cabulary and even improved her presen-
tation abilities.
One of the most effective activities
was writing an autobiography, as Farmer
found the process therapeutic. Her adop-
tive mother didn't like the the idea of
Farmer disclosing the family's informa-
tion, but it eventually made them closer.
"It was good to get it out," Farmer said.
Through a Steps To Success contact,
Farmer got an internship at the Possibil-
ity Project, which gives youth the oppor-
tunity to express themselves through the-
ater and dance. Then she decided to train
for a job in a duty-free store at JFK Inter-
national Airport. Now 20 years old, she is
in her third year at Queensborough Com-
munity College and hopes to transfer to
either Queens College or Molloy College
on Long Island.
Stacey Bristow of Safe Space (l.) helped Tiana Marie Farmer overcome a pessimistic attitude
and helped her find an internship.
Pa
ge 1
6 P
RE
SS
o
f S
ou
th
ea
st Q
ueen
s S
ep
t. 2
4-3
0, 2
01
0
"When I started, I had a bad attitude,"
Sep
t. 2
4-3
0, 2
01
0 P
RE
SS
o
f S
ou
th
ea
st Q
ueen
s P
age 1
7
People
Eileen A. Auld John Lomio Mary Ann Mattone
The Queens Library Foundation will
host its Annual Gala on Monday, Oct. 4,
from 5:30-10 p.m. at Water’s Edge, on
the East River at 44th Drive, Long Island
City. Being honored as 2010 Children’s
Champions are Eileen A. Auld, New York
State Community Relations Director,
Citi; John Lomio, President, JMK Con-
struction Group; and Mary Ann Mattone,
Community Leader and Past President of
the Queens Library Board of Trustees.
Proceeds from the Gala will support the
Futures Fund, an endowment ensuring
availability of library materials, educa-
tional and intellectual development re-
sources for the children of Queens.
Eileen A. Auld joined Citi in 2003 and
has served as New York State Director
for Community Relations for Citi’s Glo-
bal Consumer since 2007. She is the point
person for all franchise-wide community
relations activity within the State. Ms.
Auld works closely with Citi’s businesses
to leverage Citi’s financial and human
capital in addressing community needs.
She serves as the Vice Chair of the Long
Island City Business Improvement Dis-
trict, Treasurer of the NYPD’s Police Man-
agement Institute, a board member of the
Flushing Willets Point Corona LDC, the
Neighborhood Opportunities Fund and
the New York City Department of Youth
and Community Development Commu-
nity Action Board. She was appointed by
Mayor Bloomberg to the N.Y.C. Depart-
ment of Consumer Affairs’ Office of Fi-
nancial Empowerment Advisory Council.
Prior to joining Citibank, Auld was Assis-
tant Commissioner, Community Affairs
of the NYPD.
John Lomio is president of JMK Construc-
tion. He has more than 25 years experience
in the construction industry. Growing up in
a family operated construction business has
given Mr. Lomio exposure to all facets of the
construction world. He is particularly expert
at all aspects of interior finish work. Lomio
has led JMK Construction Management’s
involvement with installation of RFID-pow-
ered self-service technology at Queens Li-
brary over the last five years. Mr. Lomio is a
benefactor to several worthy not-for-profit
organizations, including Bronx Lebanon
Hospital, among others.
Mary Ann Mattone is a trustee of
Queens Library, past president of the
Board and current chair of the Adminis-
trative Committee, and a member of the
Queens Library Foundation’s Board of
Directors. This continues a distinguished
career in community service and
volunteerism dedicated to improving the
lives of New Yorkers. She was honored
by the Queens Borough President Helen
Marshall for her efforts; April 7, 2010 was
Mary Ann Mattone Day in Queens.
Mattone is a registered nurse and earned
a Master’s degree in Public Health from
Columbia University. She co-authored
many scientific articles in the field of psy-
chiatric research. Among her philan-
thropic interests are the Ladies’ Auxiliary
of the Columbus Citizens Foundation and
the Queens Botanical Garden; she was
appointed by Mayor Giuliani to the Cul-
tural Advisory Board of the City of New
York. She also serves the Foundation of
York College and the Italian Cultural Cen-
ter of St. John’s University and she is a
Lady of the Holy Sepulchre, among many
other charitable endeavors.
Tickets for the event are $350 per per-
son. For more information on the event,
including corporate packages/sponsorship
opportunities, please phone (718) 480-
4273 or visit queenslibraryfoundation.org.
The Queens Library Foundation raises
funds to augment the programs and ser-
vices of Queens Library, the highest cir-
culating library in the U.S. The Futures
Fund is an endowment that benefits
children’s library services. For more in-
formation on supporting the Queens Li-
brary Foundation, please visit
www.queenslibraryfoundation.org.
Army Reserve Spec. Ramon D. Murrell
is returning to the U.S. after a deploy-
ment to Iraq or Afghanistan in support of
Operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring
Freedom, respectively.
The soldiers return to Fort Dix, N.J.
for debriefing, evaluations and out-pro-
cessing procedures before returning to
their regularly assigned Army Reserve or
National Guard units.
The specialist served in support of
Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Iraq The-
ater of Operations.
Murrell, a human resource specialist,
is a member of the 389th Combat Sus-
tainment Support Battalion, Fort Totten,
Bayside, N.Y. He has served in the mili-
tary for two years.
He is the son of Brenda F. Pleasant of
Queens Village. In 2008, Murrell gradu-
ated from Robert F. Kennedy High
School, Flushing.
Queens TodaySECTION EDITOR: REGINA VOGEL
Send typed announcementsfor your club or
organization’s events atleast TWO weeks in
advance to “Queens Today”Editor, Queens Tribune,174-15 Horace HardingExpressway, Fresh Mead-
ows, NY 11365. Send faxesto 357-9417, c/o Regina.
IF YOUR ORGANIZATIONMEETS ON A REGULARBASIS, SEND ALL DATESFOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.
TEENS
CHESS CLUBSaturdays at the Flushinglibrary at 2.KNIT & CROCHETMondays at the Douglaston/Little Neck library at 4.CHESS CLUBMonday, September 27 at5:30 at the South Hollis li-brary.CREATIVE WRITINGMonday , September 27Creative Writing and DanceWorkshop at the Laureltonlibrary. Register.CHESSWednesdays at 3:30 at theQueens Village library.TEEN GAMINGWednesday, September 29at 3 at the Fresh Meadowslibrary.GAME DAYWednesday, September 29at 4 at the Howard Beach li-brary.TEEN MANGAWednesday, September 29Teen Manga and Anime Clubat 3:30 at the Bayside library.B’NAI B’RITH YOUTHThursdays for high schools tuden t s a t Temp le Be thSholom, 172 nd S t reet andNorthern Blvd., Flushing at7:30.WII PLAYThursday, September 30 atthe Bayside library. Register.CREATIVE WRITINGThursday , September 30Creative Writing and DanceWorkshop at the Holl is l i -brary. Register.GIRL SCOUTSThursday, September 30 at4 at the Queens Village li-brary.GAME PLAYERSFridays at the Hi l lcrest l i -brary at 2.SCOUTINGThe Rego Park Jewish Cen-ter wi l l offer boy and gir lscouting. 516-526-2492.SAMUEL FIELD YBasketball, SAT Prep, moreat the Samuel Field Y’s TeenCenter at PS169. 423-6111.TENNISYout h and Tenn i s , I nc .teaches tennis to those 4-18at the Roy Wilk ins TennisCenter. 658-6728.VENTURE CREW 158First and Third Fridays atRedeemer Lutheran Church,92 nd Avenue and 217 th
Street, Queens Village. Boysand girls 14-21 are encour-aged to try this new adven-ture in scouting.YOUTH GROUPFr idays t he Commun i t yChurch of Litt le Neck wil lhold their Community YouthGroup from 7-9. 46-16 LittleNeck Parkway. 229-2534.ART CLASSESFr idays t he A l l i ance o fQueens Artists in Forest Hillsoffers teen workshops. 520-9842.CATALPA YMCASaturdays r ec rea t ion ,Weigh t room and f i tnesscenter available. 69-02 64th
S t ree t , R idgewood . 821 -6271.GAY GROUPMondays the AIDS Center ofQueens County has a Gay/B i /Lesb ian Yout h Group(ages 16 -21) meet ing de -s i gned to suppor t youngpeople in exploring feelings
about sexualit y and other is-sues. 896-2500.TEEN CENTERTuesdays and Thursdays 7-9the Samuel Field Y offers aTeen Center at PS169. 423-6111.BOY SCOUTS 138Thursdays Boy Scout Troop138 meets at 7:30 at 192-15C 64th Circle, basement,Fresh Meadows. For those upto 17. 454-2391.COUNSELINGCall 592-5757 for free coun-se l ing a t the Fores t Hi l l sCommunity House.ACQC SUPPORTACQC Teen Peer Suppor tGroup - informat ion, sup-port, skills development train-ing for those “touched byHIV/AIDS.” Ages 14-16. 896-2500.GENERATION QThe Queens Lesbian, Gay,B isexua l and TransgenderPr ide Communi t y Cente rhold a Generation Q YouthService program. Call GAY-2300.SCOUTINGJo in Scout ing in Queens .212-651-2897.POMONOK TEENSTeen Council addresses teeni ssues in the communi t y.591-6060.BUKHARIAN LOUNGEBukharian Teen Lounge, for
those 15-18, at the CentralQueens YM-YWHA in ForestHills. 268-5011, ext. 202.VAC YOUTH SQUADThe Glen Oaks VolunteerAmbu lance Corps Yout hSquad is looking for newmembers 14-18. 347-1637.DROP IN CENTERMondays-Thursday from 4-7 the Queens Rainbow Com-mun i t y Center, 30 -374Steinway Street , 2nd f loor,Astoria, holds a Drop-In Cen-ter for LGBTQQ youth up to22. 204-5955.YOUTH SERVICESThe 105th Precinct Commu-nit y Counci l of fers a L awEnforcement Explorers Pro-gram for interested youth inthe surrounding areas. Con-tac t PO K i rk land a t 776 -9164.EMPLOYMENT SERVICESunnyside Community Ser-vices Youth Employment Ser-vices avai lable. 784-6173,ext. 129.BOY SCOUTS 158Fridays, through mid-Junea t Redeemer Lu the ranChurch, 92 nd Avenue and217 th S t ree t , Queens V i l -lage, from 7:30-9:00.SCOUTINGThe Rego Park Jewish Cen-ter wi l l offer boy and gir lscouting. 516-526-2492.
YOUTH
QUEENS LIBRARIESMany b ranches o f theQueensborough Library of-fer toddler and pre-schoolprograms. Contact your localbranch for dates.ALLEY PONDAl ley Pond Environmenta lcenter in Douglaston pre-sen t s Sunny Bunn ies fo rthose 3-4, Wee Sprouts forthose 18-23 months, ToddlerTime for those 24-35 monthsand Fledglings for those 3-4Through December . Ca l l229-4000 for exact schedule.CHESS CLUBSaturdays at the Flushinglibrary at 2.STORY TIMESSaturdays at 11 and Tues-days at 10:30 weekly storytimes at 7 at Barnes & Noble,176 -60 Un ion Turnp ike ,Fresh Meadows.SCIENCE LABSaturday, September 25 atthe Central library at noon.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.CHESS CLUBMonday, September 27 at5:30 at the South Hollis li -brary.CREATIVE WRITINGMonday , September 27Creative Writing and DanceWorkshop at the Laureltonlibrary. Register.BOOK TALKTuesday, September 28Children’s Book Discussionat 4 at the Queens Villagelibrary.CHESSWednesdays at the QueensVillage library at 3:30.STORIES & CRAFTS
Wednesday, September 29at 10:30 at the Bay Terracelibrary.WII PLAYThursday, September 30 atthe Bayside library. Register.GIRL SCOUTSThursday, September 30 at4 at the Queens Village li-brary.ART WORKSHOPSSaturdays Women’s StudioCente r i n L IC ho ldsChildren’s Art Workshops.361-5649.SHABBAT SCOUTSSundays Shomer ShabbatBoy Scout Troop 613 meetsfrom 6-7:30 at Young Israelof Windsor Park. 969-1571.BOY SCOUT 138Thursdays Boy Scout Troop138 meets at 7:30 in thebasement at 192-15C 64th
Circle, Fresh Meadows. Forthose 11 and o lder . 454-2391.CUB/TROOP 158Fr idays Cub Scouts andTroop 158 in Queens Villagemeet s a t Evange l i ca lLutheran Church of the Re-deemer, 92-10 217th Street.465-1712 Troop, 468-5235Cubs.CUB SCOUTS 351Fridays at St. Nicholas ofTolentine school cafeteria,Pa r sons B lvd . and Un ionTurnpike. Boys in grades 1-5. 820-0015.CUB/TROOP SCOUTSFridays f rom Septemberthrough June Pack 357 andTroop 357 meet s in t heScout Room, 69 -16 164th
Street, Flushing. 591-9514Cubs, 279-9085 Scots.SCOUTINGJo in Scout ing in Queens .212-651-2897.
EDUCATION/GAMES/CRAFTS
WOMEN & WORKFree job training programfor women at Queens Col-lege. 997-4899.DRAWING CLASSStar t ing Oc tober 4 Na -tional Art League will holddrawing fundamentals andadvanced techniques 1-4 inDouglaston. 361-0628.FRESH MEADOWS POETSSaturday, September 25 at10 poets meet to discuss andcritique their poetry at theForest Hills library.SCRABBLE CLUBSaturdays at 10 at CountBasie Jr . HS, 132nd Streetand Guy R. Brewer B lvd.886-5236.KNIT AND CROCHETSaturdays at the Seaside li-brary at 2:30.PET OWNERSSundays (not on holidays)from 1-4 free workshops onpet behavior at CrocheronPark in Bays ide (weatherpermitting). 454-5800.KNIT & CROCHETMondays a t 4 a t theDouglaston/Litt le Neck l i -brary, 249-01 Northern Blvd.INSTRUCTION & DANCEMondays and Fr idays e) :7:15 -8 :00 dance lessons ,dance f rom 8 -11 . I t a l i anCharities of America, 83-20Queens B l vd . , E lmhur s t .$10.ADULT CHESSMondays at 6 at the QueensVillage library.BALLROOM DANCEMonday, September 27 atthe Forest Hi l ls l ibrary at6:30.COMPUTER CLASSMonday, September 27 atthe Lef fer ts l ibrary. Regis-ter .POLISH RESUMEMonday, September 27 atthe Central l ibrary. Regis -ter .POETRY WRITINGMonday, September 27 atthe Woodhaven l ib rar y.Register .LI CRAFT CLUBMonday, September 27 LICraft Club at 1 at the LIClibrary.CREATIVE WRITINGMonday, September 27 atthe North Hills library. Reg-ister.FABRIC JEWELRYMonday , September 27Fabric Beaded Jewelry work-shop at 2 at the Rego Parklibrary.CHESS CLUBMonday, September 27 atthe South Hollis l ibrary at5:30.GET YOUR YARNS OUT!Tuesdays a f te r even ingMinyan at 8, knitters, cro-cheters, needlepointers, andothers meet at the ForestHi l l s Jewish Center . 263-7000, ext. 200.OPEN BRIDGETuesdays at 8 at the ForestHi l l s Jewish Center . Ca l l263-7000 for fees.COMPUTER BASICSTuesday, September 28 atthe Astoria library. Register.ADULT SCRABBLETuesday, September 28 at1 at the Fresh Meadows li-brary.COMPUTER BASICSTuesday, September 28 at
the Glen Oaks library. Regis-ter .DUPLICATE BRIDGEWednesdays 10:30-3:00 atthe Reform Temple of ForestHills. $12 session, includeslight lunch. 261-2900.WATERCOLOR CLASSWednesdays at 9:30 at NAL.Tradit ional and contempo-rary, all levels. 969-1128.INDOOR SOCCER – DADSWednesday evenings at theForest Hil ls Jewish Center.263-7000.ZUMBAWednesday even ings andThursday mornings at the BayTerrace Jewish Center. 281-0912.JOB ASSISTANCEWednesday, September 29Job Assistance Workshop at6:30 at the Flushing library.CRAFT WORKSHOPThursday , September 30Go green! Elegant Environ-mental Jewelry: A Craft Work-shop fo r Adu l t s a t theSunnyside library. Register.SCRABBLE/CHESSThursdays at 4 at the WindsorPark library, 79-50 Bell Blvd.,Bayside.QUILTING CLASSESThursdays 10-2 at the MariaRose Do l l Museum in S t .Albans. 917-817-8653 to reg-ister.KNIT/CROCHETThursdays at 6 and Fridaysat 10:30 at the Fresh Mead-ows library.QUILTERSThursdays at 1:30 at the EastElmhurst library.ADULT CHESSThursdays at 6 at the QueensVillage library.OPEN BRIDGEThursdays from 8-10pm atthe Forest Hills Jewish Cen-ter. $12 per player. 275-6615to register.MANDARIN CHINESEThursday , September 30learn to speak Mandarin Chi-nese at the Flushing library.Register .US CITIZENSHIPThursday , September 30Pathway to US Citizenship:Becoming a US Citizen andBuilding Your Civic Knowl-edge at 5:30 at the Leffertslibrary.ARTIFACTS & RELICSThursday , September 30Artifacts & Relics: Poetry as aMedium for Telling and Pre-serving Personal History at6:30 at the Langston Hugheslibrary.PUBLIC SPEAKINGSaturdays, October 2, 16, 30learn to communicate effec-tively at Elmhurst Hospital.646-436-7940.POETRY WORKSHOPMonday, October 18 poetrywriting workshop at Barnes& Noble, 176-60 Union Turn-pike, Fresh Meadows at 7:30.JH ART CLUBClasses in all art forms daysand evenings for ch i ldrenand adults. 899-0065.WOMEN’S NETWORKThe Queens Women’s Net-work can help with resumeass i s t ance , t yp ing andMic roso f t tu to r i a l s , jobsearch, interv iewing tech-niques, GED and ESL classes,re fe r ra l s to t r a in ing p ro -grams. 657-6200.
ALUMNI
SPRINGFIELD GDNS 73-78September 25 party cruisein Freeport. 845-323-3119.BAYSIDE 90September 25 a t A rnosRistorante. 800-655-7971.NEWTOWN 85September 25 Newtown HSa t As to r i a Manor [email protected] CHRISTI 65, 70, 75,80Saturday, Oc tober 2 at St.John’s Prep, formerly MaterChristi. 721-7200, ext. 686.OUR LADY OF VICTORYSaturday, October 9 classo f 1970 reun ion [email protected] 84-85November 6 at the Marriottin Melville. 800-655-7971.CARDOZO 90November 13 a t t heMarr iot t in Melv i l le . 800-655-7971.
ENVIRONMENT
DINNER
EMANUEL UNITEDSaturday , September 25full course Hungarian Gou-lash dinner and entertain-ment at Emanuel Church inWoodhaven . $15 adu l t s ,$7.50 children. 849-1153.JEWISH WOMENOctober 14 gala journal lun-cheon a t the Swan Club .$60. National Council of Jew-ish Women. 516-487-1199.
NATIONAL ESTUARIES DAYSaturday , September 25join Alley Pond Environmen-tal Center for a festival tocommemorate our local es-tuary – Little Neck Bay – andmeet members o f yourne ighborhood h i s to r i c ,health service, recreational,c i v i c a s soc ia t ion , schoo lgroups and government or-ganizations. Hike, listen tomusic, more. 11-3 at 228-06Northern Blvd., Douglaston.Free. 229-4000.
THEATER
KILLING KOMPANYSaturday, October 2 “TheOktober fes t Murders !” a tRiccardo’s in Astoria. TheKi l l ing Company performsmystery dinner shows. 1-888-SHOOT-EM for information
Pa
ge 1
8 P
RE
SS
o
f S
ou
th
ea
st Q
ueen
s S
ep
t. 2
4-3
0, 2
01
0
Queens TodayENTERTAINMENT
LUNCH/CARD PARTYRegister by October 4 forthe Sisterhood of Bay Ter-race Jewish Center ’s Lun-cheon Card Party on Tues-day, October 19 at 11:30.$20 reservations. 631-5468.MODERN DANCESaturday , September 25Queens Museum of Art pre-sents Beginner and Interme-diate Modern Dance in Man-darin Chinese at noon at theFlushing library.AMAZING MAZEThrough Sunday, November7 a 3 -acre corn maze atQueens Count y Farm Mu-seum. $8 adults, $5 children.347-3276 information andtimes.JOURNEY TO THE WESTSaturday, September 25 AStory in the Style of BeijingOpera told in Engl ish andChinese at 2:30 at the Jack-son Heights library.HORACIO LAGUNASaturday , September 25World Classics at 2 at thePeninsula library.HISPANIC HERITAGESaturday , September 25learn to make bal loon ar -rangements (noon), listen tomar iachi band (2pm) andwatch f l amenco dancer s(3:30pm) at the LangstonHughes library.&CHINESE MUSICAL ARTSSaturday , September 25Love of Mid-Autumn FestivalConcert at 2 at the Flushinglibrary.SYMPHONY 101Saturday , September 25Strings Attached: A Perfor-mance/Workshop fo r theEntire Family at 1 at the For-est Hills library and at 3 atthe Sunnyside library.RAT PACKSaturday , September 25tribute to Sinatra, Davis andMartin at 2:30 at the FreshMeadows library.YORK JAZZSaturday , September 25Bobby Sanabria and CandidoCamero at 7 at the York Col-lege Performing Arts Cen-ter. $20 adults. 262-3750.COUNTY FAIRSaturday and Sunday, Sep-tember 25, 26 from11-6 atthe Queens Count y FarmMuseum. $7 adults, $4 chil-d ren 12 and under . L ive -stock, produce, home crafts,pig racing, petting zoo, ani-mal rides, more. 73-50 LittleNeck Parkway, Floral Park.347-FARM.DANZA MEXICANASaturday and Sunday, Sep-tember 25, 26 at QueensTheatre in the Park . 760-0064. $27.CHURCH BAZAARSaturday , September 2510-5 and Sunday, Septem-ber 26 12-3 at Holy TrinityRussian Orthodox Church,25-36 37th Street, Astoria.CON BRIO ENSEMBLESunday, September 26 ConBrio Ensemble will performworks by Mozart, Kodaly andSchumann at 4:30 at Churchin the Gardens, 50 AscanAvenue. $12. 459-1277.SHINING THROUGHSunday, September 26 thefilm “Shining Through” (star-r i ng Michae l Doug la s ,
Me lan ie Gr i f f i t h , L i amNeeson) will be shown at 3at the Bay Terrace JewishCenter. $5 donation. 13-00209 th S t reet , Bays ide . Re -freshments served.MANDY PATINKINSunday, September 26 at 3at the Queensborough Per-forming Arts Center . 631-6311. $45.AMER. SONGBOOKMonday , September 27Naomi Zeitlin and the GreatAmerican Songbook at 6:30at the Howard Beach library.Be r l i n , Ke rn , Ger shwin ,Arlen, Ellington and more.SINATRA…Monday, September 27 at r ibu te to the mus ic o fSinatra, Manilow, Sedaka andmore at 6:30 at the QueensVillage library.BINGOTuesdays at 7:15 at Ameri-can Martyrs Church, churchbasement , 216 -01 Un ionTurnp ike , Bays ide . 464 -4582 . Tuesdays a t 7 :15(doors open 6) at the RegoPark Jewish Center, 97-30Queens Blvd. 459-1000.$3admis s ion inc ludes 12games.AMER. SONGBOOKTuesday, September 28Arnie Gruber and the GreatAmerican Songbook: Porter,Kern and Gershwin at 2:30at the Bayside library.BLUESThursday , September 30The Swing in ’ S ide o f theBlues with Eddie Lee Isaacsa t 6 :30 a t the Cambr iaHeights library.COUNTRY WESTERNThursday , September 30Savannah Sky performs at6:30 at the Douglaston/LittleNeck library.MOLLY PICONThursday , September 30Mus ica l sa lu te to Mo l l yPicon, star of the YiddishTheatre with Diane Cypkinat 6:30 at the Forest Hills li-brary.SINATRA…Thursday, September 30 at r ibu te to the mus ic o fSinatra, Manilow, Sedaka andmore at 6 at the Whitestonelibrary.SIXTIES BEATSaturday October 2 start-ing at 4 in the Rochdale Vil-lage Senior Center’s audito-rium, 169-65 137th avenue,Jamaica. Sixt ies Beat withthe Limelites, Johnny Allen,Mel Lewis “Jesters” and theNew Marvelletes. 525-2800ticket information.ONE MAN CIRCUSSunday, Oc tober 3 LouJohnson, a Ringling Brothersgraduate, will present a OneMan C i rcus a t Temp leT ikvah, 3315 Hi l l s ide Av -enue, New Hyde Park at 3.$15 advance , $18 a t thedoor. 516-746-1120. ‘SWONDERFULSunday, October 3 the f irstnew Gershwin musical since“Crazy for You” will be per-fo rmed a t 3 a t theQueensborough PerformingArts Center. 631-6311. $35.CAPITOL STEPSSunday, October 10 spoofof politics at 3 Queens-bor-ough Performing Arts Cen-ter. 631-6311. $30-39.
HEALTH
NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS7 days a week. 932-6244.www.westernqueensna.org.FAMILY HEALTH FAIRSaturday , September 25starting at 10 at the LIC li-brary. Health screenings, in-formation and more.TAI CHIMondays and Thursdays at11 at the Card iac Heal thCenter in Fresh Meadows.670-1695. $5 a class.INTRO TO YOGAMonday, September 27 atthe Lefrak Cit y library andthe South Hollis library. Reg-ister.ZUMBAMonday, September 27 atthe Hillcrest l ibrary. Regis-ter .CORONA CANCERMonday , September 27Corona Cancer Action Coun-cil Meeting at 6 at the Co-rona library.FEMALE CANCERMondays , September 27,Oc tober 11 , 25 “ LookGood, Feel Better” programfor women undergoing che-mothe rapy and rad ia t iontherapy in Flushing. 1-800-ACS-2345.STRESS FREE LIVINGMonday , September 27workshop at 6:30 at the LIClibrary.VEGETARIAN DIETMonday , September 27learn about the benefits ofthe vegetarian lifestyle at 6at the Steinway library.ALZHEIMERSTuesdays , September 28,Oc tober 12, 26 CaregiverSuppor t Group in Fo res tHills. 592-5757, ext. 237.MS SELF-HELPTuesdays , September 28,Oc tober 12, 26 Mult ipleSclerosis Self-help group toshare a common life experi-ence for support, educationand mutual aid 1-2:30 at theHoward Beach library.YOGA DANCETuesdays 4:30-5:30 at theCard iac Heal th Center inFresh Meadows. 670-1948.$10 class.CAREGIVERS SUPPORTEver y Tuesday We ste rnQueens Caregiver Networkin Sunnyside. 784-6173, ext.431.LEARN CPRWednesday, September 29help save a life by learningCPR at the Bellerose library.Register .OAThursdays a t the HowardBeach library at 10:30.LEARN CPRThursday , September 30help save a life by learningCPR a t 7 a t the HowardBeach library.INTRO TO YOGAThursday, September 30 atthe Jackson Heights libraryand the Ste inway l ib ra ry.Register .MEMORY LOSSFridays Couples with onepar tne r exper ienc ingmemory loss meet a t theSamuel Field Y. 225-6750,ext. 236.CO-DEPENDENTS ANON.Fridays 10-11:45 at Resur-rection Ascension PastoralCente r , 85 -18 61 st Road ,Rego Park. Women only.
HILLCREST JCSunday , September 26Sukkot Dinner. Sunday, Oc-tober 3 Adult Education willfeature the Coller MemorialLecture at 9 :30. Hi l lc res tJewish Center. 380-4145.SUKKOT LUNCHEONTuesday, September 28 theSisterhood of the Bay TerraceJewish Center wi l l hold aSukkot Luncheon. $18 mem-bers, $7.50 children and $20non-members. 428-6363 res-ervations.
RELIGIOUS
FLEA MARKETS
OUTDOOR FLEASaturdays and Sundays un-til November 28 St. Nicho-las of Tolentine from 9-5 atthe intersection of ParsonsBlvd. and Union Turnpike,Jamaica.WEEKLY FLEASundays 9-4 at Our Lady ofthe Angelus Church, schoolfield, 98-05 63rd Drive, RegoPark.OUTDOOR YARD SALESaturday, September 25 9-3 at All Saints’ Church, 214-35 40th Avenue, Bayside. Ifit rains, inside gym.FLEA/HEALTHSaturday, October 2 9-5 50vendors, free health testingat Saint Mark’s Church, 33-50 82 nd S t ree t , J acksonHeights.CRAFT FAIRSaturday , November 13sponsored by the PTA of St.Agnes Academic H ighSchool in College Point.RUMMAGE/BOUTIQUESunday, November 21 9:30-3:00 at Young Israel of NewHyde Park, 264-15 77th av-enue.THRIFT SHOPSSaturdays and Sundays 10-4 at S t . F ide l i s Mother &Ch i ld Res idence , 124 -1514th Avenue, College Point.353-4749. Saturdays 11-4 atBa rga in Bou t ique Th r i f tShop, Baptist Church, 93-23217 th S t ree t , Queens V i l -lage . 527-2132. Mondays10-3 at the Free Synagogueof Flushing, 41-60 KissenaBlvd. Mondays and Wednes-days 9:30-1:30 at TempleSholom of Floral Park, 263rd
Street and Union Turnpike.Tuesdays and Wednesdays2 -5 a t Church - in - the -Gar -dens, 50 Ascan Avenue, For-est Hills. 268-6704. First andthird Wednesday 10:30-2:30at Grace Episcopal Church,14th Avenue and ClintonvilleS t ree t , Avenue . Wednes -days at Grace Church, 151-17 14th Road, Whitestone.Wednesdays and Saturdays9-2 at the Floral Park UnitedMethodist Church, 35 Ver-bena Avenue, F loral Park.354-4969. Thursdays from10-1 at All Saints’ Church,215th St reet between 39th
and 40th Avenues, Bayside.229-5631. Fridays 11-3 at theMaspeth United MethodistChurch, 66-35 58th Avenue.JUDAICA SHOPSDaily and by appointmentForest Hills Jewish Center’sJudaic Gift Store. 263-7000.Sundays 9-11:30 at the BayTerrace Jewish Center, 13-00 209th Street. 428-6363.
MEETINGS
JEWISH VETSSundays , September 26 ,October 24, November 28,December 26 Jewish WarVeterans of the USA Lipsky/Blum Post meet at the Gar-den Jew i sh Cente r . 463 -4742.ST. ALBANS CIVICSundays , September 26 ,Oc tober 24, November 28the St. Albans Civic Improve-ment Association meets at1 :30 a t the S t . A lbansLu the ran Church , 200 th
Street and 119th Avenue inthe undercroft. 276-4263.QUEENS TOASTMASTERSMonday , September 27Queens Toastmasters Clubmeets. 525-6830.VFW 4787Mondays , September 27,October 11, 25 WhitestoneVFW Communi t y Pos tmeets; ladies auxiliary meetsthe 2nd Monday. 746-0540.FRESH MEADOW CAMERATuesdays the Fresh Mead-ows Camera C lub meets .917-612-3463.ADVANCED WRITERSTuesdays at 6:30 at the Ter-race Diner at Bay TerraceShopping Center and alsot he l a st Tuesday o f t hemonth in the Communi t yRoom in Panera Bread at BayTerrace Shopping.FLUSHING CAMERAWednesday, September 29Flushing Camera Club meetsat F lushing Hospita l . 441-6210.BEREAVEMENTThursdays, September 30,Oc tober 28 St. Adalbert ’sBethany General Bereave-ment g roup meet s i nElmhurst. 429-2005.QUEENS CENTRAL ROTARYThursdays 6:30-8:30 Comelearn i f Rotary is for you.465-2914; [email protected] AIR PATROLFridays 6-10 at Vaughn Col-lege of Aeronautics, 86-0123rd Avenue, East Elmhurst.AcademyWOMAN’S GROUPFridays the Woman’s Groupof Jamaica Estates meets atnoon. Call 461-3193 for in-formation.NALFriday, October 1 NationalArt League meets for “Build-ing Drama & Feeling you’reyour Oil Paintings,” a dem-onst rat ion by ar t i s t PetroPappa las a t 8 . 44 -21Douglaston Parkway. Publicis invited. Free.
SENIORS
TALKS
COMPUTER SKILLSThe YMCA of Greater NY isconducting small computerclasses at the Cross IslandYMCA Senior Center andthe Jamaica YMCA SeniorCenter. Contact 479-0505 or739-6600 for information.FREE LUNCHSaturdays, September 25,Oc tober 30 at Church ofthe Resu r rec t ion in KewGardens. 847-2649 reserva-tions.STAY WELLMondays at 10 at the Cen-tral library. Tuesdays at 2 atthe F lu sh ing l i b ra ry and
SOFT SKILLSSaturday , September 25author discuss ion with LuMing, who will talk about hisnew book at 2 at the Flush-ing library.BUILDING WEALTHMonday , September 27Building Wealth: SuccessfulStrategies for All at 6 at theBayside library.BUSINESS TRENDSMonday , September 27Business Trends and Oppor-tunities in Flushing at 6 atthe Flushing library.PERUMonday , September 27Peru: Beautiful and HistoricWonder at 6 at the Hollis li-brary.POMONOK BOOKMonday, September 27 “AFine Balance” wi l l be dis -cussed at 2 at the Pomonoklibrary.FORECLOSURE RIGHTSMonday, September 27 at6:30 at the St. Albans libraryand Thursday, September30 Know Your Rights: TheForeclosure Process at 6:30at the Central library.
PARENTS
Wednesdays at 10 at theEast Elmhurst library. Specialexercises and relaxation tech-niques.CLEARVIEWMonday , September 27Music Appreciation at 12:30.Tuesday, September 28 Lu-nar Festival Celebration at 1.Wednesday, September 29Tai Chi at 2. Thursday, Sep-tember 30 Speaker’s Bureauat 10:15 and blood pressurecheck a t 9 :15 . Se l fhe lpClearv iew Sen ior Center ,208 -11 26 th Avenue ,Bayside. 224-7888 to regis-ter .AARP 1405Monday, September 27 theFlushing AARP Chapter 1405meets at the Bowne StreetCommunity Church, 143-11Roosevelt Avenue at 1.STARSWednesday, September 29at 10:30 at the Hollis library.Come join to perform theat-rical works at the library.
FREE SCHOOL HELPFree school help for studentsof all ages, parents and teach-ers. FreeSchoolHelp.comKIDS KORNERAfter School Center is at theCentral Queens YM-YWHAin Forest Hi l l s . 268-5011,ext. 201. Extended hours.PLAYGROUPThe CUMC Playgroup is ac-cepting registration for itspreschool parents’ coopera-tive program in Middle Vil-lage. Children 18 months to4 years. 894-2293.ADHD OR PDDDaily after school programsto meet needs of elementaryschool aged chi ldren whohave learning disabilities andADHD or PDD at the BayTerrace Center, 212-00 23rd
Avenue, Bayside from 2:30-6:00. 225-6750, ext. 266.
Sep
t. 2
4-3
0, 2
01
0 P
RE
SS
o
f S
ou
th
ea
st Q
ueen
s P
ag
e 1
9
What’s UpP
age 2
0 P
RE
SS
o
f S
ou
th
ea
st Q
ueen
s S
ep
t. 2
4-3
0, 2
01
0
SATURDAY, SEPT. 25
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.
Seido Karate
Japanese system Seido Karate empha-
sizes building of spirit, mind and body,
using hand, elbow, and foot techniques.
Adults can learn how to defend them-
selves in a safe and friendly atmosphere
every Tuesday and Saturday until Oct. 30
at the Jamaica YMCA, 89-25 Parsons Blvd.
All levels are welcome. The fee to partici-
pate is $120.
Classical Ballet
Studying ballet is one of the most effec-
tive and elegant ways of improving pos-
ture, grace, flexibility, and strength. No
experience needed for these classes. Stu-
dents are taught at the barre and must be
6-15 years old.. Learning ballet is a good
foundation for all other dance styles.
The class will be held every Saturday
until Oct. 30 at the Jamaica YMCA, 89-25
Parsons Blvd. at 11:30 a.m. The fee to
participate is $110.
Belly Dancing
Kids between 6 and 15 years old will
learn basic and traditional belly dancing
movements. Movements will be built into
a choreographed routine. The class is a
great way to build self-confidence, bal-
ance and coordination.
No prior belly dance experience required.
The instructor was featured on
"America's Got Talent."
The class will be held every Saturday
until Oct. 30 at the Jamaica YMCA, 89-25
Parsons Blvd. at 2:30 p.m. The fee to
participate is $110.
York Women's Volleyball
Come support the local team when the
York Women's Volleyball team faces off
against Old Westbury/St. Josephs. For
additional information, contact John
Scarinci at [email protected] or
(718) 262-5104.
This free event will be held at York
College's Gymnasium at 11 a.m.
Historic House Festival
The King Manor Museum cordially in-
vites all children, families and adults to
enjoy guided tours of King Manor's period
rooms, with a special focus on archaeo-
logical discoveries and what they reveal
about life and food in Rufus King's home.
View rarely-seen collection pieces and
learn why we no longer consider our north
kitchen a "summer kitchen," what types of
foods the King farm produced, and more.
When: Saturday - September 25th - 1:00
pm through 5:00 pm (last tour begins 4:30pm)
This event will be held at the King
Manor Museum, at 153 Street and Jamaica
Avenue, from 1-4 p.m. Admission is $5 for
adults, $3 for seniors and students and
free for all children under 16.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 26
Sickle Cell Walk-A-Thon
It's National Sickle Cell Awareness
month, and Gloria Rochester is pleased to
present the annual Sickle Cell Walk-A-
Thon. For additional information, visit
qscan.org, or contact Gloria Rochester at
(718) 712-0198 or
This event will be held at Walk-A-Thon
Begins at Merrick and Baisley Boulevards
at 10 a.m. Participation costs $20.
HISTORIC HOUSE FESTIVAL
See Saturday's listing.
MONDAY, SEPT. 27
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.
Zumba
The Zumba program fuses hypnotic
Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves
like merengue, salsa, cumbia, reggaeton,
belly dance, flamenco, tango and samba
which creates a mind blowing, one-of-a-
kind fitness program. Zumba not only has
long-term benefits, but will allow all to expe-
rience, in an hour, calorie-burning, body-
energizing and awe-inspiring movements
meant to engage and captivate for life.
This class will be held every Monday
until Oct. 25 at the Jamaica YMCA, 89-25
Parsons Blvd. at 7:40 p.m. The fee to
participate is $100.
York College Barbershop
Does your image define you? Come and
share your thoughts on this somewhat
controversial topic. Special invited guests
discuss why they are on a campaign to
improve the image of inner-city males. For
additional information, contact Jonathan
Quash at [email protected] or (718)
262 - 3772.
This free event will be held at York Col-
lege Academic Core Building - 94-20 Guy R.
Brewer Blvd., Room 2D01, from 5-7 p.m.
Polish Your Resume
Bring a copy of your resume on disk;
volunteers will guide you through editing
and producing a professional quality re-
sume using Cyber Center computers. Par-
ticipants must have keyboard and mouse
experience. Preregistration is required at
the Job Information Center.
This free event will be held at The
Queensborough Public Library's Central
Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd. at 6:30 p.m.
NAACP Monthly Meeting
Join the NAACP for their monthly
meeting. Items on the agenda include the
election of the nominating committee. All
members whose memberships are current
as of thirty days (30) prior to the meeting
date may be elected to the Nominating
Committee.
This free event will be held at NAACP
Jamaica Branch, 189-26 Linden Blvd.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 28
Seido Karate
Japanese system Seido Karate empha-
sizes building of spirit, mind and body,
using hand, elbow, and foot techniques.
Adults can learn how to defend them-
selves in a safe and friendly atmosphere
every Tuesday and Saturday until Oct. 30
at the Jamaica YMCA, 89-25 Parsons Blvd.
All levels are welcome. The fee to partici-
pate is $120.
Camera Club
The Southeast Queens Camera Club
welcomes photographers, beginners to
advanced. Meetings are held the second,
third and fourth Tuesday ever month at
7:30 p.m. at Roy Wilkins Family Life Cen-
ter, 177-01 Baisley Blvd.
Intro to Excel
In this two-session workshop, custom-
ers will learn the basics of how to create
spreadsheets, use formulas, and print tables.
Preregistration required in person at Cyber
Center Desk.
This free event will be held at the
Queensborough Public Library's Central
Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd. at 6 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 29
Men's Soccer
Come have some recreational fun in a
non-competitive and friendly environ-
ment. A great way to stay active and meet
people who enjoy the sport. Soccer is
played in Jamaica YMCA's main gymna-
sium at 89-25 Parsons Blvd. every Wednes-
day, 7-10 p.m., until October 27. All levels
are welcome. Rough play will not be toler-
ated. The fee to participate is $50.
Sewing 101
Learn how to be creative without spend-
ing a lot of money. Joining sewing 101, a
class that will teach you the basics of how
to sew from threading, stitching and set-
ting a sewing machine for different fea-
tures. Step by step, the instructor will guide
you in learning how to also read a pattern,
cutting and piecing. No sewing experi-
ence necessary. The class is open to any-
one 13 and older. Homework may be re-
quired to complete a project.
The class will be held every Wednesday
at the Jamaica YMCA, 89-25 Parsons
Blvd., from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The fee is $150.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 30
Adult Chess Club
Practice your chess skills weekly, on
Monday and Thursday evenings.
The event is held at 6 p.m. every Thurs-
day at Queens Village Library, 94-11 217
St., (718) 776-6800.
FRIDAY, OCT. 1
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 Empower-
ment, Inc. Group Sessions are located at 89-
31 161st St., 10th Floor, Jamaica, for the
community on various topics such as Do-
mestic Violence, Mental Health, Substance
Abuse intervention, Decision Making, Con-
dom Use, High Risk Behaviors leading to
HIV, and self - esteem awareness. 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.
Laurelton Flea Market
A flea market has opened at 221-02
Merrick Blvd. On sale are a wide range of
items, including household items, jewelry
and clothing.
The market is open every Thursday
through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Conf ident ia l ly, New York . . .
If you recognize BrittanyRamos, it’s probably not from herlatest fashion shoot. Her face hasyet to grace Cosmopolitan maga-zine or a billboard in TimesSquare.
A newbie to the business, thisbudding model has big dreams.Currently taking classes atLaGuardia Community College,Brittany plans to transfer to afour-year school and eventuallygo on to law school.
“I’ve been saying I wanted to bea lawyer since I was maybe 10years old,” she said. “I’m pretty
Queens Cutie
talkative and I like to argue mycase a lot, so I think law would bereally good for me.”
While her main focus rightnow is on school, the busy bee hashad “countless jobs,” — Claire’s,Toys ‘R’ Us and even handing outflyers.
“I had to hand out flyers in therain and everything, but it pays,”she said. “Anything to earn themoney that I want.”
Although her recent photoshoot was a first, it hopefullywon’t be her last. Brittany ishoping to turn modeling into a
lucrative side gig.“I’ve always been interested,”
she said. “It was nice to know thatI could do it even though I’m shortand not the skinniest personalive.”
When this Queens-raisedcutie isn’t attending school, Brit-tany likes to jog, read and write.Her favorite haunts in Queensare Glendale and Long Island City.
“I couldn’t see myself reallyliving anywhere else but Queens,”she said. “I know pretty muchevery transportation, every nookand cranny there is to know.”
Models Of Queens
Brittany RamosHome: Middle VillageAge: 19Height: 5’ 6"Weight: 130Stats: 36-29-34 “Sextuplets Take New York” debuted on TLC last Tuesday and the
verdict is that they are no Gosselins.The Carpios of Queens are the average New Yorkers just trying to
make ends meet and raise happy healthy kids. Digna and Victor Carpioalready had a son, Jhan Carlos, before they added six to their familyalmost two years ago.
The Queens couple’s most contentious battle on the first episodewas whether to get harnesses or leashes to stop the toddlers fromwandering off.
Hmmm.Well, the season is still young. In the realm of reality television drama
is always one episode away. We’ll see.
The Carpio family hits Times Square.
Reality Bites
How observant are NYC Traf-fic Agents? Well, observantenough to notice your car illegallyparked, but if you’re inside, introuble, don’t expect help.
Nicholas Rappold’s Jeep wasillegally parked on 165th Streetnear 35th Avenue on the morningof Sept. 14 when a traffic agentnoticed and wrote the 21-year-olda ticket.
But the the ticket writer failed tonotice Rappold was inside his car,claiming she couldn’t see inside
Ticketed To Death?because of the Jeep’s tinted win-dows, even though the ticket wasleft on the windshield, which wasNOT tinted.
An hour after the ticket wasissued, Rappold’s friend, whomhe had been visiting the nightbefore, apparently had no troubleseeing though the Jeep’s windows;he found Rappold…dead of anapparent drug overdose, his bodyslumped over the wheel.
We wonder who will have topay the ticket.
QConfidential is edited by:Michael Schenkler. Contributors:Jessica Ablamsky, Sasha Austrie,Marcia Moxom Comrie, MikeNussbaum, Joe Orovic, Brian Rafferty,Domenick Rafter.
Darling NickiMTV lovers might have noticed a new phe-
nomenon – Nicki Minaj fever. The YoungMoney honey kicked off the biggest night of theyear in music, the MTV Video Music Awards,with her first ever solo televised performance.
The Queens-raised emcee strutted down therunway in a metallic pink and purple unitard thatmight be useful in the next Star Trek movie, andwiggled her hips in a leather catsuit for the bigperformance.
Recently declared by the music giant MTV asset to take the world by storm, welcome to the bigtime, Nicki!
What’s dark, gloomy, wet witha raging fury and blows so hard itcan knock over trees like bowlingpins?
No, it’s not Republican guber-natorial nominee Carl Paladino. Itwas the tornado that bore throughQueens on Thursday evening,leaving the borough in shock andpartially paralyzed.
Members of the Queens Tri-bune staff were unlucky enoughto be on hand as the twister mo-seyed past the paper’s office, tak-ing out tree branches, flooding theHorace Harding Expressway andleaving our neighbor’s awning intatters. One reporter’s car evenshifted across the street.
The borough was last hit by atornado in 1985. We usually endthese items with a joke, but in allsincerity, if early reports of thedamage are any indication, wehope it will be quarter century untilanother hits.
Twister
The Trib office on the LIE service road in Fresh Meadows is just one
of the many Queens spots that was visited by last week's twister.
Pa
ge 2
2 P
RE
SS
o
f S
ou
th
ea
st Q
ueen
s S
ep
t. 2
4-3
0, 2
01
0