Back to School - Fall Guide 2013 by Queens Chronicle

BACK TO SCHOOL & FALL GUIDE

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Queens’ Largest Weekly Community Newspaper Group

2013

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, August 29, 2013 Page 2

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• Career and technical schools grow in value . . 4 • New public schools opening in Queens . . . . . 5 • QCC and LGCC: our community colleges . . . 6 • A retired teacher reflects on his career . . . . . . 8 • PSAL changes the rules for HS athletes . . . . . 9 • A charter school hopes to grow in Jamaica . . . 10

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• The public school calendar for 2013-14 . . . . .11

FALL GUIDE • Family activities all around the borough . . . . 12 • Fall fashions women can actually wear. . . . . .14 • On display at the galleries and museums . . . 15 • It’s one Long Island — take a trip out east . . 16 • What’s on tonight? The new TV season . . . . 18 FILE PHOTOS; SUPPLEMENT EDITOR: PETER C. MASTROSIMONE; DESIGN: ELLA JIPESCU; EDITORIAL LAYOUT: TERRY NUSSPICKEL LIBI-062131

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City renews focus on CTE education Number of career and technical schools has doubled since 2002

n June, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan paid a visit to Aviation High School in Sunnyside, one of the city’s oldest career and technical high schools. At the school, the federal schools chief learned about the academics there and noted the city’s recent refocus on CTE education. “I think New York is doing remarkable things in the area of career and technical education,” he said. “And I want to shine a spotlight on that.” CTE programs have more than doubled under the Bloomberg Administration – from 18 schools in 2002 to 46 by the start of the next school year – and have become a national model for college and career readiness. Aviation High School is one of the city’s most well-known CTE programs, opening in 1936. In many cases, CTE schools bring students directly into real-world experiences. Aviation students take part in ground operations at JFK Airport. Last winter, students studying electrical work at Queens Vocational and Technical High School in Sunnyside assisted in rebuilding homes in Breezy Point after Hurricane Sandy. In many cases, CTE schools work with partnerships with private companies that offer students those types of realworld experiences. Pencil, a Manhattan-based nonprofit founded in 1995, is involved with bringing together the business world and academic world in eight CTE schools in the city, including Aviation where David Barger, CEO of JetBlue and a board member of Pencil, is involved in bringing students at the school closer to industry leaders. Though Pencil’s beginning and much of its work is done in typical public school settings, their work in CTE programs

by Domenick Rafter

like Aviation was noted even by Secretary Duncan in June. “We like to say that we work at the intersection of business expertise and school needs,” said Sara Clough, Pencil’s senior director of marketing and communications. “Our programs with CTE schools in New York City are a very good illustration in how bringing business expertise can improve school needs.” Other schools, like the High School for Construction Trades, Engineering and Architecture in Ozone Park, give students hands-on experience in academic settings. In the CTEA’s schoolyard on 94th Avenue and 102nd Street, halfbuilt trailers stand, not as future classrooms for an overflow student population, but as a hands-on classroom to learn about construction and architecture outside the traditional classroom setting. Pencil programs with CTE schools not only bring in business leaders for expert instruction, but also teach broader skill, — such as resume writing — to prepare students to land jobs. “Students are getting awareness, access and the skills and getting propelled into those careers,” Clough said. Two new CTE high schools are opening in the borough this year, including Energy Tech High School in Long Island City. The school was created through a collaboration between the DOE and energy companies and has been colloquially named “The Con Ed High School” by some. The mission of the school is to prepare students for a career in a tech industry and allow them to graduate with the equivalent of both a high school degree and an associate degree. “We’re looking very specifically at tech jobs that are hard to fill,” said Hope Barter, the incoming principal. “We’re

The High School for Construction Trades, Engineering and Architecture in Ozone Park is one of nearly 30 career and technical education schools opened in the city since 2002. PHOTO BY DOMENICK RAFTER

working with college faculty, industry professionals, to work on building what that six-year scope of classes will be.” The other new CTE school, the Institute for Health Professions at Cambria Heights, will focus on the healthcare industry, one of the fastest growing industries in the country in the Q past decade.

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Fifteen will open this September, but not without some controversy new school year means new schools and this year more than a dozen are opening their doors in the borough, though some did not come to fruition without controversy. Fifteen new schools will open their doors to students next month, including two new elementary schools, six new middle schools, five new high schools, one transfer high school and one special education school. The two new elementary schools — Elm Tree Elementary School in Elmhurst and East Elmhurst Community School in East Elmhurst — will both open in District 24, the city’s most overcrowded. The six new middle schools are Hawtree Creek Middle School in South Ozone Park; The Emerson School in St. Albans; Queens United Middle School in Jamaica Estates; Hunters Point Community Middle School in Long Island City; and Middle Village Prep Charter School, which will open in the same building as Christ the King High School in Middle Village. Sarah Goodman, the incoming principal for the Hunters Point Community Middle School, said she hopes to integrate the location of her school into the curriculum. With its site near the confluence of the East River and Newtown Creek, Goodman is planning to focus strongly on environmental issues, especially pertaining to urban settings. She is eyeing projects such as such as water testing and studying the design of the building and the Hunters Point South development, which the city boasts is a sustainable project. “That will give us an ongoing learning lab as to what urban development looks like,” she explained. The school will eventually serve grades six through eight, and will welcome its first

by Domenick Rafter

The PS/IS 404 building on the East River at 1-50 51 Ave. in Long Island City will host one of 15 new schools opening in Queens this year — the Hunters Point Community Middle School. PHOTO BY DOMENICK RAFTER

sixth-grade class in September. Goodman said the school will boast a strong advisory program with students matched to an advisor and a group of 12 to 15 other students with common interests. “We think it’s going to be an amazing model for middle school students,” she said. Goodman, a 16-year veteran of the New York City school system, said she believes this is the right city to educate students in. “I’m very dedicated to urban education,” she said. “I really feel the most exciting education developments are in New York City.” Three new high schools will open next month: International High School for Health Sciences at Newtown High School and Veritas Academy and the Queens High School for Language Studies, both co-located in Flushing High School’s campus.

A rendering of PS 287 in Corona, which will be the new home of an already-existing school, PS 330, which opened a few years ago. The Elmhurst building that has been home to PS 330 will become the location of a new grammar school, the Elm Tree Elementary School next month. RENDERING COURTESY SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY

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Flushing High School’s building will house two new high schools, Veritas Academy and Queens High School for Language Studies. The move to co-locate the new high schools at Flushing caused controversy earlier this year when the DOE proposed it and it was approved by the Panel FILE PHOTO for Educational Policy.

The co-locating of those three schools in the Newtown and Flushing campuses was very controversial and was fought right up until the Department of Education’s policymaking body, the Panel for Educational Policy, approved them in March. A similar battle ensued over the new Hawtree Creek Middle School, which will open in the JHS 226 building in South Ozone Park next month, after the school community fought the co-location unsuccessfully. Two new career and technical education schools will also open this year — Energy Tech High School in Long Island City and the Institute for Health Professions at the Campus Magnet Complex in Cambria Heights — adding to the dozens of CTE schools that were created du r ing the Bloomberg years.

Energy Tech is slated to open with 108 new ninth-graders in JHS 204’s Long Island City campus. The school will ser ve g rades nine through 14, meaning it will be a place for students to not only get a four-year high school diploma, but also the first two years of a college education. “It’s a very unique high school,” said Hope Barter, the school’s incoming principal. The school was created through a collaboration between the DOE and energy companies. The school has been colloquially named “The Con Ed High School” by some parents of JHS 204 students and community members. The aim is to prepare students for a career in a tech industry and allow them to graduate with the equivalent of both a high school degree and an associate degree. The Riverview School, the only new special education school in Queens, will open in the same building as Hunters Point Community Middle School in Long Island City. One transfer high school will open — Voyages Prep — at August Martin High School in South Jamaica. That school will be operated by the Forest Hills-based nonprofit Queens Community House. The school will serve older students who are behind on their high school education and is modeled after the alreadyexisting Voyages Prep school in Elmhurst. In order to be considered for admission to one of the transfer high schools, a student must be at least 16 years old, have attended a city high school for at least one year and be under-credited. In the meantime, at least one school will be getting a new home. PS 330 in Corona will move into a new building at 111-08 Northern Blvd. and be renamed PS 287 and serve 420 students. The former PS 330 building at 86-37 53 Ave. will become the site of the new Elm Q Tree Elementary School.

Page 5 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, August 29, 2013

New schools ready for academic year

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Community colleges offer opportunities Students pursue training, degrees and dreams at QCC and LGCC ueens’ community colleges are gearing up for the fall semester, getting ready to prepare new and returning students for a volatile job market and helping residents, immigrants and international students learn English to pursue their dreams. Queensborough Community College, which is located in Bayside, is expanding its successful “Academies” program to all fulltime students this fall to help them complete their associate degrees by connecting with resources and academic support. The program was previously only for freshmen, but now all students will have access to their advisors for the duration of their time at QCC. “We wanted to expand to a whole other level,” said Arthur Corradetti, an associate dean for Academic Affairs. There will be five academies: Business; Liberal Arts; Science, Technology, Engineering and Math; Health-Related Sciences; and Visual and Performing Arts. Incoming students will be automatically enrolled in an academy when they select a course of study. QCC is also using an early alert system, called Starfish, through which teachers can refer struggling students to advisors and recommend tutoring. QCC also provides vocational certifications to help people enter the job market fairly quickly, according to Denise Ward, the dean of Continuing Education and Workforce Development. About 300 students, most of whom are out of work, are studying to become medical office assistants. QCC won a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor and offers the only such program in New York State, Ward said. Judith Richburg, the program director at CUNY Career Paths, said that 68 students have successfully completed medical office assistant occupational training and some are working as phlebotomists, EKG technicians or in hospital billing departments. Richburg said QCC is working with employers such as Parker Jewish Institute

by Laura A. Shepard

and the Ozanam Hall Nursing Home to tailor their curriculums to their needs. As for the students, Richburg said they are “thrilled” to be able to earn college credit, while obtaining skills they can use to get jobs. Mercie Tacury worked at CitiGroup for 26 years, until her job was outsourced. She decided to pursue a college degree and graduated from QCC with a medical office assistant certificate this summer. She said that with the healthcare industry poised to expand through Obamacare, she hopes to use her new skills at a hospital or an insurance company. “All adult people have an opportunity here to take advantage and use all of the resources and attain knowledge,” Tacury said. About 120 students are enrolled in a Massage Therapy program at QCC, according to Isabella Lizzul, the program’s coordinator. The program is Middle States accredited, which means that students can transfer their credits to other programs. The curriculum consists of science courses such as anatomy and physiology, kinesiology and neuroscience. At the end of the two-year program, students sit for the board for professional certification. The program includes electives for students who choose to work in hospitals, with pregnant women, people with sports and orthopedic injuries and Thai massages. The hospital-based and pregnancy specialties within the QCC massage program are affiliated with North Shore Manhasset Hospital. “When they get done, they really know what they’re doing,” Lizzul said. “They’re really prepped and ready to go.” QCC spor ts massage students have worked on dancers from the Russian Ballet, members of the Bayside Senior Center and stressed-out CUNY Law School students. Many students go on to become physical therapists, work at spas or hotels, service semi-professional sports teams or start their own massage practices, Lizzul said, noting that massage therapy applies to many different areas.

Students learn to build bridges and program robotic arms using computer software in LGCC’s PHOTO COURTESY LAGUARDIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE engineering labs in Long Island City.

Students in QCC’s massage therapy program in training for the professional certification exam by practicing on patients at local institutions. The credits students earn in the certificate program PHOTO COURTESY QUEENSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE are transferrable to other accredited colleges. QCC also offers a Chinese academy, where 200 to 300 students learn the language and culture. Many are second- or third-generation Americans and fear losing their cultural identity, Ward said. At LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, about 1,200 students will study English as a Second Language at the school’s English Language Center, the largest noncredit program in New York City. Students come from all over the world to brush up on reading and study for the TOEFL tests, according to Victoria Badalamenti, the center’s director. “Our students have academic backgrounds in their country,” Badalamenti said of the international students who come over with student visas and often need some remedial classes to pass placement tests. The center also has a language clinic to provide free additional practice for students. The Ecuadorian government began sponsoring students to learn English at LaGuardia this past winter, and the Colombian and Peruvian embassies are looking to follow suit, Badalamenti said. Residents and immigrants participate in free civics programs in the division of Adult Continuing Education, but they have long waiting lists, she said. An “enjoyable unique part of the program,” is a Dance as a Second Language elective class, whereby students are required to communicate with dance partners in English, Badalamenti said. Roberto Lam came from Panama to pursue his dream of attending college in America. He took ESL classes before he was able to enroll in math, science and engineering classes, which he said helped prepare him for college engineering classes. He was among the first class to graduate from LaGuardia with a degree in electrical engineering in 2007 and continued his education at City College, where he also graduated with honors in 2010. Students who earn an associate degree in engineering at LaGuardia

are automatically admitted to City College to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Lam is working as an adjunct instructor in the math and computer science departments while pursuing a master’s degree. At LaGuardia, he prepares projects for students in the engineering labs, which give them hands-on experience, from programming robotic arms to designing bridges using software. Professor Abderrazak Belkharraz, the dean of the Mathematics, Engineering and Computer Science Department, also credits LGCC for his professional success. He began working there nine years ago as an associate professor and worked his way up to head the department. “They make you so comfortable and give you everything you need to succeed,” Belkharraz said. “This is a most amazing place.” He noted the remarkable diversity in his students, who come from all over the world and speak over 140 different languages. He said that while many are struggling financially, they strive to fulfill their dreams of finishing college. “There’s fire in them, you can see that, sense it in them,” he said. Belkharraz said his dream came true when he won a grant, along with Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology at LaGuardia Airport to establish the LaGuardia Youth Center for Engineering Excellence. The LYCEE program offers college credits to Queens high school students for participating in an afterschool program where they build robots and learn computer science. Students present their work to their peers and take part in competitions. Also for high school students, LaGuardia is launching the New Energy Technology program in the fall of 2014 to prepare students for jobs in the energy sector. LaGuardia professors are working with National Grid and Con Edison as they design the curricuQ lum, according to Belkharraz.

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Tales from the front of the class Not only did I teach my students in Queens, I learned from them too

s the new school year rolls up for the first time since June. And what I around, I am reminded of miss most of all is seeing the students when the words sung by the they return, filled with a renewed sense of young English schoolteach- optimism. That’s a big part of why even though I’m er to her royal pupils in the classic musical, “The King officially retired, I still teach part time at a private school in Queens. and I.” I had wanted to become a schoolteacher “It’s a very ancient saying, but a true and honest since I was a child. I can recall playing t hou g ht , t h at i f you school with many a friend, always with become a teacher, by your myself at the blackboard. It seemed at every pupils you’ll be taught,” birthday party, my friends, aware of my she tells them. As a teach- passion, used to bring me presents of noteer, I have come to under- books, pencils, and other school-related trappings. stand how true those words actually are. I think it might have been my interest in Each year around this time I experience a strange combination of emotions: excite- teaching that indirectly got me hooked on ment, anticipation, and, yes, anxiety. And my avocational passion, the theater. the last night before the first day back I typI was 9 years old when I first saw a proically sleep restlessly, a phenomenon which, duction of the show that has meant so much I learned long ago, is common among to me throughout my life. I was taken not teaching colleagues, much like the more only, as one might expect, by the other chilwidely recognized actor’s nightmare of dren I saw on stage but by the role Anna, the going blank while on stage. young schoolteacher, played in the history of Over the years, I have had one recurring Siam, where she taught the king’s many chilnightmare all my own. It stems from my dren. And, of course, I still marvel at the obsession with keeping meticulous atten- words she sang, as I too continue to learn dance records. Perfrom my students, haps half a dozen m a ny of whom I times I’ve dreamed remain in touch with t h a t my s t u d e nt s after all these years. nd so, as the days of we r e le av i n g my As a st udent at summer wane, and classroom before I Queens College, I the back-to-school had had a chance to took all the necestake attendance. sary courses to set sales become ever But my ca ref u l me on the path to more intrusive, I’m record-keeping has becoming a teacher. a c t u a l ly c ome i n Unfortunately, at the reminded about how handy at least twice. time, a hiring freeze much I miss being On one occasion, was in effect in the in a classroom. a former student of city, and it took four mine was accused of years before I was committing a crime finally appointed to that occurred while he should have been in my first full-time teaching job. school. Even though several years had passed, I reported to August Martin High School I still had my roll book (to this day, I have in Jamaica, where, due to circumstances, I every single one since I started my career) was fortunate enough to be able to get my and was able to provide definitive proof that feet wet before being thrust into a full prohe was, indeed, in my classroom at the time. gram all my own. I team-taught with four He was found not guilty of the charges. experienced teachers, each of whom taught A second incident was of a more serious me many lessons. The fifth class was all nature, a federal offense. Again, I was con- mine. tacted and able to provide precise informaThe first time I stood in front of that tion about the student involved. Again, all room, as I turned to write my name on the charges against him were dropped. blackboard, I felt a coin being tossed in my But I digress. It seems no matter how direction ... and then another ... and yet long one has been teaching, the approach of another. I knew not what to do, but I reala new school year raises the same ques- ized at some point I would have to turn tions: Will any of my favorite students be in around and face those who were testing me. any of my classes again? Will I have to deal In the meantime, I kept writing ... and writwith that one certain kid who can upset the ing ... and writing. classroom dynamic merely by appearing in Finally, I looked at the class and said, “If the doorway? Will I actually get to teach you’re going to throw coins, at least make the particular subjects I requested at the end them quarters. What’s with all these penof the previous year? nies?” or something to that effect. They Strange that all this should still come to laughed, we hit it off, and my teaching permind, as I retired four years ago — as a sonality was born. New York City high school English teacher. My love of theater played a large role in In reality, what I’ve felt these past few my teaching career. Of the thousands of years in place of the anxiety is a yearning, a students I have taught, I remember best longing to be there when the faculty meets those with whom I worked on various

by Mark Lord

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On our author’s first day teaching at August Martin High School in Jamaica, some of the kids threw pennies at him while his back was turned. His retort requesting quarters instead broke the PHOTO BY ANDREW BENJAMIN ice and set the tone for a long career there and at RFK HS in Flushing. school productions. One year, I was directing a play in which I cast a sophomore in the lead role, a responsibility ordinarily entrusted to upperclassmen. But this young man was outstanding. I saw him as the next James Earl Jones, with whom he shared a resonant voice and larger-than-life stage presence. A couple of d ays before open i ng, rehearsal was about to get under way when he approached me about leaving for a while to visit with his father, whom he had not seen in years. At that moment, all I cared about was pulling the show together and, I’m ashamed to admit, I went into a rant about how he, the leading man, could even think of leaving at such a time. He said he understood and without another word took his place on stage. A moment later I came to my senses and apologized, and told him certainly he could go to see his dad. By that pupil I was taught ... about respect, discipline and the need to put things in perspective. We remain friends to this day. For several years I had arranged for professional actors to participate in an inschool residency program with my theater classes. One day, my class was up on stage in the auditorium. The teaching artist, as the actors were known, asked each student to share a personal story with the class. Among the first up was a young man, a football player, who happened to be in the class because, as I recall, an error was made in his program. He decided to remain. He related a story about a friend who had been killed and, in the middle of the telling, burst into tears and darted up the aisle to the exit. Little did he know how the incident would affect the rest of the class. If it was okay for someone like him to show that kind of emotion, it was perfectly all right for others in the class to bare their innermost souls. And each of them did. By that pupil I was taught, too ... about

the importance of giving everyone, particularly young people, a place to be themselves without being judged. I wish I knew where I could find him today to let him know how much that moment meant to me. After 14 years at Martin, it was time to move on. I transferred to Robert F. Kennedy Community High School in Flushing, where I was to remain for the next 15 years until my retirement. There I met a young man in my leadership-training class who was so afraid of speaking in public that he refused to make a required oral presentation. I was forced to fail him but, to my great sur prise, he showed up in my drama class the next year, telling me of his interest in becoming an actor. That was all I had to hear. He not only passed but got involved in school productions and after that, community theater. And then there was the robust-looking young man who, to my shock, was suffering from a life-threatening illness. He had to take a semester off and be homeschooled. I spoke to him one day on the telephone and told him I would like to visit him. I asked him what he’d like me to bring him. He wanted some books to read, he said, and added that he couldn’t wait to get back to school. If only every student could appreciate that! It was working with young people like those I’m remembering that made my nearly three decade career so rewarding. And so, as the days of summer wane, and the back-to-school sales become ever more intrusive, I’m reminded about how much I miss being in a classroom full time. The point was driven home just a day or two ago, when I saw online a picture of a proud-looking young man as he stood in his empty classroom, anticipating the first day of his teaching career. Not too long ago, that young man was a student of mine. I can only imagine what lessons his pupils — as Q yet unmet — have in store for him.

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The regulations include a new “5 + 1” rule, which requires athletes to pass five credit-carrying courses, plus physical education in the most recent marking period. Three of the five must be in major subject areas. Career and technical education, or CTE, classes cannot count toward the major class requirement. A senior who is scheduled for four or five classes and fails one can participate in PSAL as long as the failed class is not one required for graduation. Until this year the requirement was the “4 + 1” rule. Another new requirement is that student-athletes have a passing grade point average when they are being examined for eligibility. In the event a student is ruled ineligible, his or her school’s athletic director may under extenuating circumstances submit a formal request for review, an appeal that must be approved by the school’s principal. Effective Feb. 1, 2014, an athlete must accumulate 10 credits for the two semesters prior to suiting up. Physical education does not count toward that total. As for attendance, students now will be required to have a minimum attendance rate of 90 percent at the end of each marking period. The previous rate was 80 percent. The change will actually ease restrictions on ninth grade students who transfer to a new school. Under existing standards, ninth-graders who transfer are not automatically eligible to participate for one year. Regulations kicking in in September will deem all ninth-graders Q eligible if they are granted a transfer.

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he Public School Athletic League in September will considerably strengthen academic and attendance eligibility requirements this September for students seeking to play on interscholastic sports teams. “The goal of these new requirements is to increase graduation rates and academic performance of students participating in PSAL,” Eric Goldstein, chief executive of school support services at the PSAL, said in a memo to principals last February. Under the new regulations, students must keep on a track to obtain 44 high school credits and graduate. The old standards required a minimum of 36 credits, and did not require that students be on a track to graduate in four years with their class. In a statement obtained from the city’s Department of Education, Chancellor Dennis Walcott said the new standards are just part of an ongoing — and necessary — effort to increase high school graduation rates citywide. “Under our reform efforts, we have been raising academic standards and our students have been meeting the challenge, as indicated by a graduate rate of 65.5 percent in 2011 compared with 52.8 percent in 2007,” Walcott said. “We want to continue our progress and are making changes to the requirements for PSAL to reflect the higher standards so that all our students are college- and careerready when they graduate f rom high school,” he added.

by Michael Gannon

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, August 29, 2013 Page 10

C M BTS Section page 10 Y K

Charter school dreams undaunted Theater founder says community needs Black Spectrum MS plan

ith t wo applications rejected in recent years, one could forgive Carl Clay for being apprehensive about asking the state for a charter school that would be r u n by h is Black Spect r u m T heat re Company. But nothing could be further from the truth, with Clay more upbeat than ever in a recent interview. “I look at it as we’ve learned a lot of things,” Clay said. “This isn’t the lottery. We didn’t lose anything. We’ve gained a lot of knowledge in the process.” Clay, with credits as a writer, producer and filmmaker, founded the theater in 1970 in an effort to showcase and foster AfricanAmerican cultural expression in the community, and to broaden exposure to contemporary film and live theater. Clay is a product of and has taught in the city’s public schools, and said at times he had to overcome difficulties as a student. “Here in District 29, parents do not have a lot of options,” Clay said. “And sixth, seventh and eighth grade are important developmental years for children.” State University of New York charter school officials rejected applications the last two times, leading Clay’s team to regroup,

by Michael Gannon

Leaders of the Black Spectrum Theatre in Roy Wilkins Park envision a charter middle school with a strong background in the arts to fill myriad needs in Southeast Queens. A space outside the PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON park would have to be located in order to accommodate 375 students. seeking out talented advisors knowledgeable about the system and the process. September’s application will be to the state’s Department of Education. “If they approve, we could open in September 2014,” he said. “Nothing against the SUNY system, but there if you are rejected,

you have to wait a year to apply again, then it takes another year before you can open. I don’t want to be 99 and still waiting to open a school.” Clay said those with concerns sometimes have to be reminded that a charter school still would be a New York City public school.

“We would take IEP [special education] students, ELL [English Language Learner] students, everybody,” Clay said. And the arts, which in tough times tend to be particularly vulnerable to the Department of Education’s budget ax, would play a key role in enriching students beyond the three Rs. The initial plan would be to bring in 125 students the first year, then to approximately double that the following September before filling up in their third year. Clay said 375 slots would not only enrich the students at a Black Spectrum school, but also help alleviate overcrowding in neighboring middle-school feeder zones. And he does not take pause at the very real possibility that he could have hundreds and hundreds of applications each time he opens 125 or so slots. “That’s what choice is all about,” he said. “Plus there will be some attrition — students changing their minds or parents deciding to make another choice. And I don’t want it to be just us. We want more charter schools in the district.” The Parks Department has denied permission to house the school at the theater’s sprawling complex, and Clay believes it might have to incubate at another school Q until it can become established.

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C M BTS Section page 11 Y K Page 11 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, August 29, 2013

PUBLIC SCHOOL CALENDAR FOR 2013-14 Sept. 9 Sept. 10 Sept. 11 Oct. 14 Oct. 24 Nov. 5 Nov. 11 Nov. 28, 29 Dec. 12 Dec. 23 – Jan. 1 Jan. 20 Jan. 31

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Monday Thursday Tuesday Monday Thursday and Friday Thursday Monday through and including Wednesday Monday Friday

Feb. 3 Feb. 17, 21 April 10 April 14 – April 22 May 26 June 5 June 26

Monday Monday through Friday Thursday Monday through Tuesday Monday Thursday Thursday

SCHOOL SESSIONS BEGIN FOR ALL STUDENTS. (Partial day for prekindergarten.) Partial day for prekindergarten. First full day for prekindergarten public school students. Columbus Day observed (schools closed). Prekindergarten non-attendance day. Election Day, students will not be in attendance. Veterans Day observed (schools closed). Thanksgiving recess (schools closed). Prekindergarten non-attendance day. Winter Recess — including Christmas and New Year’s Day (schools closed). Students return on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (schools closed) Fall Term ends for high school students. No high school students in attendance. All other students will be in attendance. Spring term begins for high school students. Midwinter recess including Washington and Lincoln’s birthdays (schools closed). Prekindergarten nonattendance day. Spring recess — including Good Friday, Easter and Passover (schools closed). Students return on Wed., April 23). Memorial Day observed (schools closed). Chancellor’s Conference Day. Students not be in attendance. LAST DAY FOR ALL STUDENTS.

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, August 29, 2013 Page 12

C M BTS Section page 12 Y K

Family fall events abound in Qns. Many programs are educational as well as fun for people of all ages

amily fun doesn’t have to stop with the end of summer. Youngsters may be going back to school soon, but there are plenty of weekend activities to keep everyone happy throughout the fall season. The weather should be accommodating at least through the end of October, and there are plenty of indoor as well as outdoor events to please people of all ages. Most are free unless otherwise noted. Here’s a sample of programs at museums, parks and various cultural institutions in the borough: On Sept. 28, take part in National Estuaries Day at Alley Pond Environmental Center, 228-06 Northern Blvd., in Douglaston from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be boat rides on Little Neck Bay, educational exhibits and interactive booths. King Manor, located in King Park on Jamaica Avenue at 153rd Street in Jamaica, was the home of Rufus King, one of the signers of the U.S. Constitution, who bought the house in 1805 and whose son became governor of New York State. Tour the house and stay for fall activities, which are free. On Sept. 14 at King Manor from noon to 3 p.m. youngsters can discover what school was like 200 years ago as well as learn how to write with a quill pen. On Oct. 19, also noon to 3 p.m., the younger set can learn about harvest time on the King farm and make a fall-themed craft. On Oct. 26, King Manor will hold a fall festival from noon to 4 p.m. Learn how to make apple cider using a traditional cider press. Finally, on Nov. 9 from noon to 3 p.m. a program titled Gather Around the Hearth will focus on the King family. Youngsters will make a craft.

by Liz Rhodes

Learning to write with a quill pen is one of the topics that will be taught at King Manor in Jamaica. The fall programs for children offer crafts projects and a history lesson.

Youngsters at the New York Hall of Science go ga-ga over a 3-D printer during one of the many COURTESY PHOTOS hands-on programs at the Flushing Meadows Park institution. The Queens County Farm Museum at 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy. in Floral Park has loads of activities this fall. Start out at the Queens County Fair on Sept. 21 to 22 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It’s a traditional county fair with blue ribbon competitions in livestock, produce, crafts and more. There will be contests, entertainment, a corn maze and more. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for children. T he cor n m a z e w i l l re m a i n op e n through Oct. 27 from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Evening hours will be held on Oct. 5 and 12 until 9 p.m. The cost is $9 for adults and $5 for children. Other fall events at the farm include a free festival on Oct. 6 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; a Halloween festival on Oct. 27 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a $5 fee for all; a Halloween haunted house on Oct. 25-27 from 4 to 7 p.m. at a cost of $4; and wildlife weekends on Nov. 2-3 and 9-10 featuring birds of prey and animal shows. Admission is $9. Flushing Town Hall at 137-35 Northern Blvd. offers family workshops and programs in October and November. A hands-on workshop on canning food will be held on Oct. 6 at 1 p.m. The cost is $40 for adults, $5 for children. On Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. take part in an outdoor full moon drumming workshop. The cost is $25. A free Halloween event will be held on Oct. 31 at 4 p.m. Crafts and ghost stories are in store for participants. On Nov. 17 take part in a cross-cultural food harvesting event at 1 p.m. The cost is $10 for adults and

The Voelker Orth Museum at 149-19 38 Ave. in Flushing is offering storybook discovery days beginning Sept. 14 at 11 a.m. and continuing on the second Saturday of every month. Karyn Mooney will share the joys of reading with young children, 6 and under. The suggested donation is $5. There will also be a Halloween family fun day on Oct. 30 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the museum. Spooky creatures will be on the grounds and there will be crafts, stories and surprises. Admission is $2 and children must be accompanied by an adult. The New York Hall of Science, in Flushing Meadows Park, offers hands-on programs throughout the year. A special inspirational exhibit on tennis legend Arthur Ashe will run now through Sept. 9 and is free. It is open during this year’s US Open. An exhibit on inventor Nikola Tesla will run through Oct. 20. A World Maker Faire will be held Sept. 21 and 22 to create, learn and be inspired. The cost varies for one day or all weekend. On Oct. 26, meet Atka, a live Arctic gray wolf from the World Conservation Center. A small fee, plus museum admission is required. Weather permitting, don’t miss the science playground, which is open daily during regular museum hours at a cost of $4 plus general admission, and the Rocket Park Mini Golf on weekends, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., which costs $6 for adults and $5 for children with general admission. Both outdoor activities are open through Dec. 31. General museum admission is $11 for adults and $8 for children. For further information on programs, call 718-699-0005. Q

$5 for children. For reservations for any of the Town Hall programs, call 718-463-7700 ext. 222. The Queens Botanical Garden at 43-50 Main St. in Flushing is hosting an ecohouse exhibit through Aug. 31. It’s free with garden admission and is a mobile, interactive display on how to save energy, money and protect the environment. Pack a picnic and enjoy the Arab music and dance ensemble Zikrayat on Sept. 7 at 6:15 p.m. It’s f ree w it h ga rden admission. An autumn moon festival is set for Sept. 21 at 1 p. m . w it h f a m i ly-f r ie n d ly activities and crafts. The cost is $2. And for Halloween, the QBG will host its annual harvest fest and pumpkin patch on Oct. 20 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be demonstrations, food, craf ts and beer. Free with admission plus an additional fee for the pumpkin. Over at the Queens Zoo in Flushing Meadows Park look for a special Boo at the Zoo weeke nd eve nt for H a l lowe e n . Admission is $8 for adults, $5 Dracula doesn’t look too scary at this Halloween program for children. For information set again for Halloween at the Voelker Orth Museum in Flushing. call 718-271-1500.

C M BTS Section page 13 Y K Page 13 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, August 29, 2013 AQUD-062134

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, August 29, 2013 Page 14

C M BTS Section page 14 Y K

Fall fashion from catwalk to sidewalk Incorporating this year’s clothing trends into your day-to-day life

or some, fashion is a sport, and Fall Fashion Week is the Super Bowl, the World Series and the Stanley Cup bundled together in one Burberry-print sack. “The fall fashion season is a pivotal season,” said Kelsy Zimba, fashion designer and entrepreneur. “It’s the longest season and allows designers to be the most creative within the boundaries. Women are also willing to invest more in their fall wardrobe.” Zimba’s firm, Zimba Collections, is a high-end fashion line founded in 2009. A native of Minnesota, Zimba first began transitioning her line into a brand at the NYDesigns incubator at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City. Since she has spent a number of years working in the outer boroughs and has four design studios and factories that turn out her clothing, Zimba has a well-rounded view of designing practical items without sacrificing chicness. Fashion powerhouse Vogue Magazine, often considered the best fashion publication in the world, calls the fall 2013 fashion season one of duality and opposites attracting. “For ever y beaded, bejeweled rocker chick shimmying in an extravagant f u r and shor t sk ir t, there’s a minimalist sporting a sober dress that gives maximum coverage,” the introduction to the magazine’s fall guide reads. “For every over-the-top fur scarf, there’s a discreet, long-closetlife purse. Ever ything is being flipped and turned around.”

by Tess McRae

A sophisticated skir t with a little edge creates a modern business look for the new fall fashion season. Zimba said black, gray and white are big colors for this year but adding a splash of bright color can make an outfit a little more fun.

But while the pieces rocked by for example, and you don’t look good models who strut down runways in neon green, you don’t have to wear it.” in Tribeca are often avant-garde works of art, many average Zimba, herself, doesn’t keep her people find difficulty in taking designs 100 percent in line with the trends from the catwalk to what the magazines say is in either. the sidewalks of Middle Vil“I’m aware of what the trends are lage or Jackson Heights. but I don’t limit myself to that,” she “Everything in those said. “I like to answer the needs of my maga zi nes is n ice to clients.” look at but I literally Zimba’s line, which is mostdo not k now how I ly a c ol le c t ion of s u it s , cou ld ever i mple cocktail dresses and evement it in my own n i ng wea r, is mea nt t o life,” Ju les Henbring femininity back to d r icks, a Long the business suit. Island City resi“Designing those types dent, said. of clothing is where my “Some of those niche has always been,” clothes look she said. “I noticed that cool but let’s be t here wasn’t a lot of real, there is no women suit offer ings way I’m walkthat look like qualitying around in a t a i lo r e d it e m s a n d clear shower curthat’s what I try to do tain with a bunch of with my designs.” birds sewed onto it.” Zimba attributes the conser vative yet Zimba, whose trendy look to the state brand became an LLC our society is in. last year and who is now “People in general are designing for the fashion in this serious, reflective hot-spot Saks Fifth Avemood with all the changnue, said that this year, women like Hendricks This Kelsy Zimba power suit brings a es happening in the counare in luck because many feminine touch to the t ypic al try and in the world right desig ners are taking a business attire. The designer says now and that’s ref lected she likes to bring beauty to the usual in the clothing this year,” more classic route. she said. “When people “Some of the t rends boxy suits of the past. PHOTOS COURTESY ZIMBA COLLECTIONS are in that mindset, you we’re seeing in my collecdon’t want to wear sometion and in general are a lot of classic blouse-and-pants with a thing ostentatious or over the top. You clean shape, sort of a power suit,” want something serious.” While some, like Zimba, use the trends she said. “We’re using a lot of blacks, whites, grays with splashes plastered on billboards and magazine covof red, and we’re also seeing ers as a jumping off point, there are others some powder pinks and baby who disregard the fall trends entirely. “I think it’s ridiculous,” Ron Goldsman, a blues. Usually, a majority of the fall color palate is very serious 30-year-old businessman from Astoria, said. but I think those two colors “They’re clothes. I dress the way I do for are a way of adding a splash work but let me tell you, if I could wear of color that isn’t too over- sweatpants and a T-shirt all day, I’d do it, no questions asked. I feel like if it was accepted whelming or heavy.” Many well-known design- by society as being ‘in,’ then everyone ers such as CGBG, Louis would just wear what’s comfortable.” Jess Louis, a 21-year-old college student Vuitton and Kate Spade are taking the classic business look from who lives in Ridgewood, said that fashion the ’50s and ’60s and adding a touch should never be dictated by a single brand of f lair like feathers, leather or or designer. “I love clothes,” Louis said. “I have way chunky thigh-high boots, and while these items can figure into the thou- too many and I know that, but I think that sands, similar designs can be found what people see in magazines is overrated. at nearby depar tment stores and Wear what you like; wear what stands out. You’re the one the clothes should be pleasboutiques for far less. “I think it’s always important to ing, so who cares if Cosmo magazine feel good in your clothes and to doesn’t have my skirt in their ‘top 10 items wear colors and silhouettes but you for the fall’ or whatever? Fashion is about can still be aware of the trends and self-expression. You should love what rei nter pret them for you rself so you’re in and love how you feel in it. I you’re still current but make your- think that is more important than fall fashself look a s good a s possible,” ion, spring fashion or whatever. It’s about Q Zimba said. “If neon green is in, being confident.”

A chic pantsuit designed by Zimba who said she takes into account what her clients enjoy wearing when she puts together a piece.

BTS Section page 15

Museums and galleries prepare for a busy fall season

ith the change of s e a so n s , We s t e r n Queens’ art galleries and museums gear up for their next slate of exhibitions.

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Polish film and sound artist Agnieszka Kurant will have her first solo exhibit in the United States at the SculptureCenter 44-19 Purves St. from Nov. 10 to Jan. 27. The pieces explore how “rumors and fictions become phantom capital.” MoMA PS1 will be dedicating Danish artist Tue Greenfort the whole museum, something it will also be making his debut at has never done, to Mike Kelley’s the gallery during the same time brightly colored installations, with new works that look at nature including his well-known balls of and the environment. Group disstuffed animals. Kelley was an cussions are an integral part of the American artist who died last year. show. Check out sculpture-center. The show will run from Oct. 13 org for exact dates. until Feb. 2. The center is open Thursday MoMA PS 1 at 22-25 Jackson through Monday from 11 a.m. to 6 Ave. in Long Island City is open p.m. There’s a suggested donation noon to 6 p.m., Thursday through of $5 for adults and $3 for students. Mike Kelley’s “Deodorized Central Mass with Satellites,” an installation of plush toys sewn over wood and wire frames at Monday. Tickets cost a suggested The Queens Museum of Art in MoMA PS 1. PHOTO COURTESY PERRY RUBENSTEIN GALLERY BY JOSHUA WHITE/JWPICTURES.COM. $10 for adults. Flushing Meadows Corona Park will reopen in October after Bread and Puppet Theatre founder released closer to the openings. opportunity for architects and e x t e n s i v e s u m m e r- l o n g and director Peter Schumann. The Flux is open weekends from 1 to designers in partnership with the renovations. Architectural League of NY, will be Queens Museum’s presentation of 6 p.m. and by appointment. From Oct. 13 to Dec. 29 Schumann’s political performance The Materials for the Arts Gal- on display all fall. Last year’s winphotos of the museum’s trans- art is a response to questions about lery presents new artwork from art- ner is displayed in a former parking formation by Taiwan-born, the role of the artist in society. lot at 43-29 Crescent St. ist-in-residence Vadis Turner. Queens-based photographer The GrowNYC Greenmarket “Stor m Systems” resemble The Flux Factory at 39-31 29 St. Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao will be in LIC hosts a 15-artist group exhi- abstract paintings, but are made continues every Saturday at the park on display. bition titled “Untitled (As of Yet)” with leftover ribbon and fabric from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. though Nov. 28 From Nov. 23 to March 1, from Sept. 6 to 29 to look at events donated by city-based fashion com- and free weekend yoga and tai chi “Pedro Reyes: The People’s that first appear to be catastrophic, panies. The exhibition also looks at classes continue through Sept. 28. UN” creates a mock-193-mem- but eventually open the door to new i n d iv id u a l s’ i m p a c t o n t h e Opening Sept. 8 is the parks emerging artist show, which will be A Peking Scroll Drawing titled “Ye Kau ber United Nations with perfor- thoughts, practices and opportuni- environment. This event is sponsored by the displayed with Broadway Billboard Jong” by Isamu Noguchi at The Noguchi mances referencing the build- ties. The show includes several perMuseum. PHOTO COURTESY THE NOGUCHI MUSEUM ing’s history of hosting the formances and discussions such as Robert Rauschenberg Foundation by the artist Wangechi Mutu. General Assembly of the UN walks with strangers organized by as part of the 2013 Marfa Dialogues Occupying the entire park, The Noguchi Museum will host between 1946 and 1950. SkowheganPerforms invites SkowDillon de Give on opening day and on art and climate change. Also to celebrate the new space, a secret adventure to an undisclosed the show entitled “Isamu Noguchi Materials for the Arts, at 33-00 hegan School of Painting & Sculpand Qi Baishi: Beijing 1930,” which the museum hosts its sixth annual location led by Christopher Robbins Northern Blvd., third floor, is open ture alumni to activate Socrates shows about 50 drawings and sculp- Queens International from Oct. 13 and Douglas Paulson on Sept. 12. Monday through Friday from 10 with an afternoon of performance to March 2. Usually the show focus- Checkout fluxfactory.org for more a.m. to 4 p.m. The opening recep- on Sept. 28 from 1 to 5 p.m. tures of the two artists side by side. Noguchi was a nomad, setting up es on Queens-based visual artists, information. On Oct. 5 the park will open a tion is on Thursday, Sept. 12 from 6 studios in France, Mexico, Italy, but this year with the added space series of green roofs as part of In October, curator-in-resi- to 9 p.m. Japan, China and beyond. When he the institution will add performance dence Loney Abrams will put Socrates Sculpture Park at Marfa Dialogues/NY — a citywide was 26 he stopped in Beijing where art as well. together another group show and 32-01 Vernon Blvd., Long Island examination of climate change sciFrom Oct. 13 to March 9 the then in November United King- City is buzzing this fall. he met Baishi. ence, environmental activism and The museum at 9-01 33rd Road m u s e u m w i l l s h ow “ Pe t e r dom-based collective Reactor will Tree wood by Toshihiro Oki, the artistic practice, in partnership with in Long Island Cit y is open Schumann: The Shatterer,” in the present its project “Reversed winner of the 2013 Folly Competi- t h e R o b e r t R a u s c h e n b e r g Wednesday through Friday from 10 first solo museum exhibition of Flow.” Further information will be tion, the park’s annual design Foundation. a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and On Oct. 19 from 11 a.m. to 3 Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. p.m. the park will once again be Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for filled with artists leading free artstudents and seniors, free for chilmaking workshops for children as dren 12 and under and for all New park of the Halloween Harvest FesYork City public school students. tival. Every year for more than a On the first Friday of every month, decade, Socrates has invited the admission is pay-as-you-wish. community and their dogs for a celThe Dorsky Gallery Curatoriebration of costumes, performance, al Programs will dedicate its art-making and an annual Canine space at 11-03 45 Ave. in LIC to Costume Contest. “Artists’ Walks” from Sept. 8 to The Fisher Landau Center For Nov. 17. Artists in the exhibition Art at 38-27 30 St. closed for the have created unique works based summer for renovations and has on the act of walking. not decided on a date to reopen. The Dorsky is free and open 11 Vadis Turner addresses climate change through her For more than a decade the Socrates Sculpture Park has Check flcart.org for details about hosted a fun family (and dog friendly) Halloween Har- the new show when released. a.m. to 6 p.m. from Thursday ribbon artworks shown at Materials for the Arts. Q PHOTO COURTESY SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK through Monday. Admission is free. PHOTO COURTESY MFTA vest Festival.

by Josey Bartlett

Page 15 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, August 29, 2013

Long Island City bursts with art

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, August 29, 2013 Page 16

BTS Section page 16

Day trippers, Sunday drivers — hit LI, yeah Beaches, wineries, nightlife, quaint villages and more abound out east

f you’re looking to get out of town for a day in the suburbs or countryside, and you don’t want to pay tolls or cross water, there’s only one way to go, and that’s east. Long Island offers all kinds of activities and cool little nooks and crannies to discover for families, singles, fans of fine art, ecologists, historians — in short, everybody. You’ve got the big ocean beaches — Jones, Robert Moses and Smith Point — going west to east along the South Shore. The North Shore offers the rockier but still charming Sunken Meadow Park around the Island’s east-west midpoint. Sprinkled in between all over are smaller town and village beaches, and of course the East End offers the famous Hamptons shoreline. Summer isn’t over just yet, and there’s still time to lay out in the sun and be lulled by the sounds of the surf. But let’s say you want to spend a day outdoors on the Island but aren’t looking to hit the beach. You’ve got plenty of options. For a relatively short trip close to home, you might visit Old Westbury Gardens in, you guessed it, Old Westbury. It’s off Exit 32 on the Northern State Parkway, which is what the Grand Central turns into, or Exit 39 on the Long Island Expressway. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the site features more than 200 acres of lovely gardens and a magnificent mansion. You can take guided tours or just stroll around on your own. Go a bit further east to Centerport, tucked away on a North Shore peninsula just past Huntington, and you can visit another historical mansion, the Vanderbilt Museum. Situated on lovely waterfront grounds, the old estate also features the Vanderbilt Planetarium, where you can learn all about the heavens, see a psychadelic light show, or both. Across the Island on the South Shore, and a little bit further east, is another landscaped paradise with a mansion on the grounds, the Bayard Cutting Arboretum. The arboretum sits on the Connetquot River in Oakdale and fea-

by Peter C. Mastrosimone

tures remarkable specimens of various flora, including massive oak trees that were there when work on the site began in 1887. Don’t let the name fool you into thinking you should bring a pair of shears, however — Cutting was the name of the family that donated the property to the state parks system. Adjacent to the arboretum is Heckscher State Park, another natural gem. Just east of Oakdale is Sayville, one of the Island’s many quaint villages and hamlets. If you want to feel like you just stepped into New England, spend some time walking around Main Street, aka Montauk Highway. At night, docks all over the area are great for crabbing. Along with the much-larger Bay Shore to the west and Patchogue to the east, Sayville also has ferries that run to Fire Island. The barrier beach is home to 17 distinct communities, ranging from the “party town” of Ocean Beach to the famously-gay friendly Cherry Grove and more rugged, natural areas like Watch Hill that are great for camping. And with the exception of emergency vehicles, no cars are allowed on Fire Island. Talk about retro. One great thing about all three of the communities with ferry service to Fire Island is that they’re on the Long Island Rail Road’s Montauk branch, and it’s not too far from the station to the boat in any of them. Opposite Sayville, back on the North Shore, is another lovely seaside village, Port Jefferson. Port Jeff, as most call it, abounds with restaurants and nightlife, like many of Long Island’s communities, from the city line all the way to the Hamptons. And it’s one of the many villages that take pride in their history, especially in seafaring, offering points of interest for the local historian. It was founded in the late 1600s —by a shoemaker from Queens named John Roe. Port Jeff is also home to a ferry, the one that runs to Connecticut, with boats so big they accommodate cars. Much of Long Island, especially Suffolk County but also parts of Nassau, is what you might call suburborural — less dense than communities such as Oyster Bay or Valley

Bear right for the beach, bear left for ... more beaches, arboretums, concert halls, shopping and just about everything else under the sun. This is the eastbound Northern State Parkway at the PHOTO BY PETER C. MASTROSIMONE entrance to the Meadowbrook. Traffic isn’t always so heavy. Stream but not quite the countryside either. But that changes once you’re east of say, Exit 64 on the expressway, which leads to Port Jeff to the north and Patchogue to the south. Then you’re entering the untouched lands of the Pine Barrens and some very small hamlets. And then, after you pass through the Town of Riverhead, located where the Island forks — possibly stopping at the Long Island Aquarium — you’re on the East End. Hit the South Fork to enter the Hamptons or go all the way to Montauk Point, where you can visit a historic lighthouse or maybe fish for sharks; or enter the North Fork to see some less pretentious and truly rustic places. Either way, you’ll find charming communities, pretty parks, history, fine dining and, of course, wineries. Long Island’s wine industry has been growing in recent years and really making a mark with oenophiles. There are dozens of vineyards you can visit for tours, tastings or special

events, or just to pick up a few bottles. Also in the region are a number of roadside stands with the freshest and best locally grown vegetables around. George Costanza may have been lying when he told the Rosses he had a house in the Hamptons, but he was right about the quality of Hampton tomatoes. There’s more information online about all the places cited here, including even some of the roadside stands. And of course this article only touches upon some of the many sites to visit out east. There are many, many more. Nassau and Suffolk counties both provide information online for the day-tripping tourist. In a sense, Queens and the rest of New York City do “have it all.” But the Long Island that Queens is a part of geographically though not politically offers something else altogether, in dozens of communities, each with its own appeal. Take a ride out there and who knows Q what you’ll discover.

Visiting Old Westbury Gardens, left, may make you feel like you’re at an English estate, while visiting Montauk Point will get you closer to England than any other spot on Long Island. You can even PHOTOS BY GRYFFINDOR / WIKIPEDIA, LEFT, AND OPERABUG / FLICKR hear a faint echo of a British accent among some residents of East Hampton Town, where Montauk is located, who are known as Bonackers.

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Previewing the fall ’13 TV season

hen I was a kid, fall meant the end of summer vacation and a return to the school grind. The good news was that it meant the end of the summer TV rerun doldrums and the eager anticipation of checking out the new fall TV lineup. As an adult, I still look forward to the debut of new shows.

by Lloyd Carroll

CBS CBS remains the most watched TV network in the world and therefore has fewer slots for new programs. Its chief executive officer, Leslie Moonves, is hoping that new shows slated for this September will do better than the quickly canceled “Made in Jersey” and “Partners” did last fall. Robin Williams is returning to television after a very successful film career to play an advertising executive in the “The Crazy Ones,” co-starring Sarah Michelle Geller of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” fame. Anna Faris, a sexy comedy actress whose film career never caught f ire, makes her f irst attempt at a TV series as a single mother who is also a recovering alcoholic in “Mom.” Will Arnett is a very f u n ny g uy who is respected by his comedy peers but for some reason has never found a television show that has struck a chord with the masses. The legendary “A r r e s t e d D evelo p ment,” which has been revived on Netflix, is his Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle biggest claim to fame. Geller will star in “The Crazy Ones.” CBS is hopi ng that PHOTO COURTESY CBS Arnett’s bad luck with the Nielsen ratings will change with “The Millers,” in which he replays a recently divorced man. CBS is banking on a tense drama, “Hostages,” starring Dylan McDermott and Toni Collette. The trailer is designed to make you bite your nails but “Hostages” would seem to be better off as a miniseries than as a weekly one. The key for CBS, though, may lie not in beating its broadcast competitors but rather in reaching a deal with Time Warner Cable to restore its signal. Currently TWC is blocking out CBS not only in New York but in Los Angeles and other parts of the country as well.

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FOX The decline of “American Idol” was a key reason for Fox garnering less than stellar ratings last season. Fox Entertainment Chairman Kevin Reilly can’t count on his network’s old standby to save the day any longer and is investing in a number of new shows. Seth MacFarlane is responsible for a number of Fox’s successful animated shows over the years including “Family Guy,” and he is trying his hand at his first live-action comedy with a project called “Dads” that stars Seth Green, Peter Riegert and Martin Mull. From the laugh-free segment I saw, it seems as if Fox picked up the series as a favor to MacFarlane. Two other comedies, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” starring former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Andy Samberg, and “Enlisted,” an Army comedy in the “Stripes” mold, don’t look like winners either. On a more upbeat note for Fox, “Rake,” starring Greg Kinnear as a reprobate lawyer, and “Sleepy Hollow,” which transports some of the characters of the Washington Irving classic short story to the 21st century, appear promising.

NBC

Cable

With the advent of cable and satellite providers across the U.S. over the last 30 years, the delineations between broadcast and cable networks get increasingly blurred. While practically every cable channel carries some reruns from CBS, ABC, NBC, and FOX, nearly all of them have some original programming as well. USA Network, which for years was run by Hollis native Bonnie Hammer (who has been promoted to chairwoman of all of NBC’s cable properties), has long been the cable ratings champ thanks to its cheeky series — such as “Suits,” Burn Notice,” “Royal Pains,” “White Collar,” “Covert Affairs” and “Psych” — that personify its “Characters Welcome!” slogan. “Graceland,” a show that has nothing to do with Elvis, which premiered this summer and will carry over into the fall, is a bit darker than the prototypical USA series as it is about a pair of FBI agents in Southern California. USA spent a fortune to acquire the broadcast rights to past “Modern Family” episodes. Fox has been busy creating new cable hubs. Two weeks ago it launched its competitor to ESPN, Fox Sports 1, and now it is cloning its popular FX Network with a second channel, FXX, and a movie home, FXM. FX has done well this summer with “The Bridge,” its dramatic series about violence along the El Paso-Ciudad Juarez border starring Diane Kruger, and it will continue into the fall. “The Bridge” will also be broadcast in Spanish this fall on Mundo Fox. A new series based on the film “Fargo” and starring Billy Bob Thornton will debut on FX either late fall or early spring. On a lighter note, comedian George Lopez, whose talk show was surprisingly canceled by TBS last year, is back on familiar sitcom ABC t e r r a i n at F X w it h The Alphabet Network, to use Variety “ Sa i nt G e orge,” i n Magazine lingo, is in the same ratings-chalwhich he plays a lenged boat as NBC. ABC Entertainment divorced dad. President Paul Lee is throwing a lot of Speaking of Turner things at the wall in the hopes that someNetwork’s TBS, offbeat thing will stick. The best of the lot seems to Hollywood screenwriter be “The Goldbergs,” an ’80s version of Diablo Cody will be “The Wonder Years”; “Super Fun Night,” hosting “Me Time,” starring Australian comedy actress Rebel an unscripted, fictionWilson; and an action series, “Marvel’s a l i z e d lo ok a t h e r Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” daily life. “Cheeseheads,” is, you guessed “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” PHOTO COURTESY ABC it, a comedy about CW d ieha rd G reen Bay For a network few have watched since “Gossip Girl” depart- Packers fans, while comic actor Steve Carell is producing ed, the CW is sticking with most of its programs that have been “Tribeca,” a comedy series about cops in the Manhattan ignored over the years, such as “America’s Next Top Model” South precinct. and “Nikita.” One new offering will be “Reign,” a drama about Over at TBS’s drama sister network, TNT, Mr. “Law & a young Mary, Queen of Scots. Order” himself, Dick Wolf, is producing “Cold Justice,” a realWhile glitzy primetime shows grab all of the attention, it ity series about unsolved crimes that stars former prosecutor has been a well-kept secret in the television industry that day- Kelly Siegler and onetime crime scene investigator Yolanda time shows are the most profitable since they’re far less costly McClary. Steven Spielberg is the executive producer behind a and can be produced for a weekday schedule, as opposed to revival of the 1950s detective series, “Peter Gunn.” Let’s hope evening shows that have expensive talent and air only once a that he keeps the great instrumental theme written by the legweek. Brain-numbing reality series as “Maury,” “Jerry endary Henry Mancini. Springer,” “Dr. Phil” and “The Bill Cunningham Show,” as Discovery Networks is the largest cable network conglomerwell as the endless array of small claims court shows like ate of them all. Its flagship network, Discovery, has drawn “The People’s Court,” “Judge Mathis,” “America’s Court with high ratings with its nonfiction lineup of programs. This fall it Judge Ross,” and the grand doyenne of them all, “Judge Judy,” goes into unexplored territory with “Klondike,” its first scriptare veritable monetary printing presses for the TV industry. ed series starring Sam Shepard, that will be a fictionalized While the aforementioned have all had long runs, it has look at the Alaska Gold Rush. At Investigation Discovery, Kew been a different story in the post “Oprah” era. Ellen DeGe- Gardens’ own Jerry Springer is in his milieu as he hosts “Tabneres’ “Ellen” has had the most success, while the jury is loid,” a weekly look at sensational stories, some of which may still out on Katie Couric’s “Katie,” though it will have a sec- actually be true. ond season. Talk shows hosted by Jeff Probst, Anderson TLC has long been the home of humorous albeit sometimes Cooper and Ricki Lake have reached the end of the line. snarky reality series, and the network won’t disappoint its Taking their place behind the host’s desk and mike will be longtime fans with such new offerings as “Alaskan Women Queen Latifah, Bethenny Frankel and former “Today Show” Looking for Love,” “Best Funeral Ever,” “Husband Hunters” anchor Meredith Vieira. Q and “My Teen Is Pregnant and So Am I.”

Things have gotten so bad for the Peacock Network that it lagged behind Univision in terms of eyeballs during the February ratings sweeps. It is no wond e r t h a t N BC Enter tain ment Chair man Bob Greenblatt received tepid applause this past May when he was introduced at Michael J. Fox returns to T V in “The the NBC Upfront Michael J. Fox Show,” with Betsy Brandt as at R a d io Cit y PHOTO COURTESY NBC his wife. Music Hall. Greenblatt was able to coax Michael J. Fox into returning to his network in an eponymous show starring Fox as a WNBC anchorman who has Parkinson’s Disease, something he has valiantly battled in real life. The five-minute preview was warmly received, as was the snippet of “The Blacklist,” starring James Spader in what appears to be a knockoff of “Silence of the Lambs.” A reboot of “Ironside” with Blair Underwood taking over the role made famous by Raymond Burr also created buzz. On the other hand, how can NBC greenlight “Welcome to the Family,” a comedy about teen pregnancy with ugly ethnic stereotypes to boot?

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