Back to School August 2015 by Queens Chronicle

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2015

FALL GUIDE

Back To School & Fall Guide 2015

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• De Blasio limited in mayoral control . . . . . . . . . . .6 • The debate over charter schools. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 • Today’s fashions for your tween kids . . . . . . . . . .8

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NE Queens students ranked highest on state exams Only a quarter of test takers in the eastern part of borough were ‘proficient’ in both math, ELA

That led to an opt-out movement, in which or theast st udents, keep your heads up parents pulled their students from school the day of the exams. This year, 114 Queens stuhigh. Children in School dents opted out of the ELA test and 133 did District 26 had the highest “proficiency” rat- not take part in the math exam. The former CEC president — who still has ing — scoring a 3 or a 4 — on state math and English language arts exams this past school children in the public school system — said students in her area have succeeded in other year. In ELA, 58.5 percent got a 3 or 4 and in areas such as the arts. She does acknowledge, however, that math that number was 70.3, according to state changes should be made to the education sysstatistics. The district covers Bayside, Oakland Gar- tem, both here in the borough and in Albany. One of the things she hopes to do upstate, dens, Fresh Meadows, Douglaston, Little Neck, Glen Oaks, Floral Park, Bellerose, should she win the election, is advocate for Jamaica Estates, Jamaica Hills, Hillcrest and the city to receive the $2.2 billion the state was ordered to give the city after losing the parts of Hollis Hills and Holliswood. Alan Ong, president of Community Educa- Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit in 2006 tion Council 26, said “it’s not surprising, but — which successfully argued that the state underfunded city public school students and good to hear” that his district was at the top. “District 26 has always been a high-per- denied them their constitutional right to a high-school-level education. forming district,” Ong said in an interview. She said that money could be used to When asked what contributed to his district’s success, Ong — who is in his first reduce class sizes and ensure students receive year of CEC leadership — said it was a “col- a better education. Hyndman, like Ong, stressed that parent laboration between parents, teachers and the involvement is key to children being successCommunity Education Council.” ful in the classroom. “It’s the culture of “We have some District 26,” he said. parent involvement “Everyone had a play hose scores don’t but I’d like to broaden in it so it’s a congratdefine District 29 at that,” she said. ulations to everyone.” Ong called “parent But it’s not all all. They shouldn’t involvement” a comabout tests, he added. be used as absolute bination of things, but T he schools i n at the minimum it is barometers.” District 26, he said, being aware of what do prepare students — Alicia Hyndman, former CEC 29 is going on at a stufor the tests, but they president and Assembly candidate dent’s school or CEC. do not focus on just Parents who k now the exams. “As a parent, we don’t want to have a what’s going on there, Ong added, can sugschool that just focuses on the tests,” Ong gest appropriate changes to the school or council. added. “We need the parents help also,” he said. At the other end of the spectrum, children Elsewhere in Queens, school districts in much of southeastern Queens struggled on lagged behind the students in Northeast the state tests. Only about a quarter in School District 29 Queens on the state tests. School District 25 came in second in both earned a proficient mark — 25 percent in math and 25.3 in ELA. The highest scores for the math and ELA exams — 57.8 and 43.2 students there were a 1 in math, 40.6 percent, percent, respectively. That’s still a 12.3 and 12.5 percentage and a 2 in ELA, 40.2. The district covers Bellerose, Briarwood, point difference compared to how neighborBrookville, Cambria Heights, Holliswood, ing District 26 did. District 25 is based in Flushing. Laurelton, Queens Village, Rosedale, SpringSimilarly, the second-lowest performing field Gardens and St. Albans. But Alicia Hyndman — a member of CEC district had a bit of a gap from how 29 did. District 27, which represents South 29 and the Democratic candidate for the Assembly seat in that area vacated by Bill Queens, had 34.2 percent of its students earn Scarborough — said students should not be a proficient grade, 9.2 percentage points highjudged by their performance on the state tests er than District 29 did. The difference in the two’s ELA exams alone. “Those scores don’t define District 29 at was smaller — only 29.8 percent of 27’s stuall,” Hyndman said in an interview. “They dents got a 3 or 4, 4.5 percentage points higher than the southeastern school district. shouldn’t be absolute barometers.” That trend continues when you look at the Education advocates and some Democrats rallied earlier this year against what they test scores for the third-highest districts in the called an over-reliance on state test scores to borough. For ELA, that was District 28 — which judge how students and teachers are performing. Several others cried out against the use of encompasses Jamaica and parts of Forest Hills and Rego Park — which had 35 percent the Common Core curriculum.

by Anthony O’Reilly

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This chart shows how students in each Queens school district did on the state ELA and math tests. Statistics provided by the state Education Department. of its students get a 3 or 4 on the test, an 8.2 34.2 percent in math — compared to 35.2 percentage point difference from the Flushing now. ELA scores saw an increase from 28.4 district. percent in 2014 to 30.4 now. Mayor de Blasio and city Schools ChanLong Island City-based School District 30 came in third for the math test with 42.4 per- cellor Carmen Fariña praised the small cent of its students being ranked proficient — increase in test scores. “It’s steady progress, and we are going to a 15.4 percentage point difference from what continue building on it. We’ve set the highest District 25 scored. The difference between third and fourth standards anywhere in the nation, and the was minimal — in math, District 28’s 41.1 reforms we are undertaking are giving stupercent proficiency rating was only 1.3 per- dents, teachers and families the tools they centage points lower than District 30’s. For need to succeed,” de Blasio said. “While this progress is meaningful, we ELA, District 30’s 34.5 proficiency rating still have a lot of work to do to achieve our was 0.5 percentage point below District 28’s. Glendale-based District 24 had 32.8 per- ultimate goal of putting every student on the cent of its students ranked proficient in ELA path to college, meaningful careers, and a lifetime of learning,” and 40.1 percent in math Far iña said. “More — 1.7 and 1 percentage New York City stup oi nt s , r e s p e c t ively, s a parent, we dents are meeting the lower than the fourthdon’t want to higher bar set by the placed district in those Common Core stansubjects. have a school dards, and that is a tesCit y w id e , Q u e e n s that just focuses tament to the extensive came in third place for on the tests.” work we’ve done to proficiency in ELA with innovate and improve 35.7 percent of all stu— Alan Ong, instruction across our dents getting a 3 of 4. president of CEC 26 schools.” Manhattan and Staten Councilman Danny Island were tied for first with 37.6 percent performing at a proficient Dromm (D-Jackson Heights), chairman of rate. The Bronx had the lowest proficiency the Council’s Education Committee, called the slightly improved grades a sign that “Our rate, 17. Queens took home the top prize in math. schools are moving in the right direction. “I am encouraged by these improvements In that subject, 42.7 percent of students were proficient. Staten Island came in second with and look forward to further gains as recent 39.7 and the Bronx was again in last with reforms implemented by Chancellor Fariña are built upon,” he added in a statement pro20.4. The World’s Borough also saw a slight vided by the Mayor’s Office. Also in a statement, United Federation of bump in the number of students performing at the highest levels. In 2013, 32 percent of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew said the scores are “good news for our schools students scored a 3 or 4 in ELA. In the same year, 37 percent of students and children and much more positive and credible development than the rapid, but ultiwere proficient in math. The slight increase was a trend that was mately meaningless, increases in scores touted by Michael Bloomberg during his tenure seen across all five boroughs. Q Last year, the city’s proficiency rate was at as mayor.”

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Why only one year for mayoral control? Mistrust Senate majority leader says de Blasio needs to prove himself worthy to be in charge of NYC schools

oth times then-Mayor Bloomberg went up to Albany to lobby for mayoral control of the city’s public school system, state legislators granted him seven years to oversee children’s educations. When Mayor de Blasio made his plea for mayoral control this year, at times arguing it should be made permanent, he was shot down by the Republican majority in the Senate and was only given a one-year extension. At first, many thought the reason for the short extension was because of a dislike of de Blasio on the part of the Senate Republicans, and some Democrats. Earlier this month, however, state Sen. John Flanagan (R-Nassau) said in a New York Post op-ed that the reason was because the state needs to review the administration’s plans for the public school system — saying he’s not sure de Blasio is doing his best for students in the five boroughs. “Every student should have the same opportunity to succeed and get ahead, but given what we know now about the state of the school system, from conversations with school off icials, parents and th rough detailed media reports, I have serious

by Anthony O’Reilly

doubts about whether that mission is being fulfilled,” Flanagan said in his op-ed. The majority leader and former chairman of the Senate Education Committee, Flanagan argued that the reports of in-house grading of state tests and educators helping students cheat on tests prove that he and his colleagues were wise to take “such a cautious approach to mayoral control.” Enacted in 2002, mayoral control puts City Hall’s top official in charge of the education system — rather than the nowdefunct Board of Education. Flanagan writes that he believes mayoral control is the best system for the city’s public schools, but that he does not think it should come at “any cost.” He also questioned de Blasio and city Schools Cha ncellor Ca r men Fa r i ña’s Renewal School Plan — to put extra resources and implement longer hours at 94 struggling schools — saying there are unanswered questions “both financial and otherwise” regarding that initiative. Flanagan also said he needs the mayor to be present at hearings on mayoral control, noting that he was not earlier this year. In an interview with Capital New York, Fariña was asked about Flanagan’s remarks

Mayor de Blasio’s plans for city public schools need to be thoroughly reviewed before mayoral FILE PHOTOS control can be extended again, state Sen. John Flanagan, right, said in an op-ed. and responded that she has met with the senator and talked education issues with him. “I thought he knew a lot about education and I was very happy to answer questions,”

she told the reporter. “I am also not naïve and understand that politics is politics. So you can have a wonderful conversation with someone, be in agreement, and then all of a sudden what goes public is very different.” Q

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Sides in the charter school debate are digging in for the long haul

The poster children in the charter school debate that only appears to be growing more polarized over time: Michael Mulgrew, left, president of the United Federation of Teachers, and former Councilwoman Eva Moskowitz, whose Success Academy has more than 30 schools in the city. FILE PHOTOS progress is not as simple as charter advocates would state. “An indication of real progress is the fact that the rate of increase [emphasis in the original] for city reading scores this year, (1.9 percentage points) was more than twice that of the state’s (.07),” Mulgrew said. He also wrote that special intervention programs at a number of troubled schools have shown results, as have more than half of the schools coming under the UFT’s Community Schools Program. A common theme among charter school critics has been the diversion of money and space — the latter raised particularly in the case when a charter is introduced into an existing school building, or co-located. Mulgrew raised that issue back in July when state education officials announced that 62 city schools were on their list of chronically struggling schools that could be placed in receivership if they fail to turn around. “We have seen this over and over again in New York State and across the country,” Mulgrew wrote on the UFT’s website. “What these schools need are resources, and that is what New York City Schools are getting in Mayor de Blasio’s School Renewal Program. Investing in schools is what makes them better and what works for students — not receivers, whose default position is simply to close schools, not to fix them.” The main arguments on both sides of the charter issue were argued in Jamaica back in April when, for the second time in two years, the city held a public hearing at August Martin High School as required before a vote on co-locating a charter there. The first proposed school, initiated by Bloomberg and approved in 2014, wound up

going elsewhere. But the New Visions Charter High School for Advanced Math and Science IV opens this year with 125 ninth-grade students, and de Blasio, who had campaigned for mayor against co-locations, was loudly berated by parents and public officials gathered in August Martin’s auditorium. The high school has suffered from subpar performance for more than a decade. Those who back in the spring opposed the New Visions facility said the type of investment that Mulgrew supports is what is needed rather than a new school that many fear eventually will force August Martin into oblivion as it adds grades for the next three years, with the ultimate goal of 566 students in grades nine through 12. They expressed disbelief that the money being spent on the charter could not be just as well-spent by augmenting math, science and technology instruction at August Martin. They also fear that things like August Martin’s aviation program, including a pair of flight simulators, its restaurant-quality kitchens that host an award-winning culinary arts program and its $1.2 million communications studio might be in danger as New Visions expands in the coming years. In an email to the Chronicle, Department of Education Spokesman Harry Hartfield said August Martin is not losing any of its facilities, and that all of its programs will still be in place. Budgets, he said, are determined by the number of students enrolled in a school. “We anticipate August Martin will have a similar number of students as it did in previous years, and the co-location will have no impact on the school’s budget,” he said. But the fears of August Martin supporters

are not entirely unjustified. Jamaica High School, founded in 1897, awarded its last diploma in 2014, its campus now shared by four smaller, specialized city public high schools. Campus Magnet school complex in Cambria Heights now hosts multiple small, specialized institutions within the building that until 1994 was known as Andrew Jackson High School. Messages left with Sharon John, the “school leader” at New Visions at August Martin, were not returned prior to the Chronicle’s deadline. In New York City, 207 charters are operating and 22 more have been approved for future opening, leaving 50 slots available under the state-imposed cap of 279. Not including New Visions, the city DOE’s website lists 14 charters operating in Queens. Four more are on a list of those slated to open their doors for the 2016-17 school year. Those are listed as Success Academy Charter School NYC 4, 12, 13 and 14. One school apiece is scheduled to open in school districts 24, 27, 28 and 30, though a Success spokeswoman contacted by the Chronicle said last week in an email that no specific locations have been designated yet. “We expect to learn more from the DOE in the next few months,” she said in an email on Aug. 21. Success Academy was founded by former City Councilwoman Eva Moskowitz and already has more than 30 schools in the city. Moskowitz has become a favorite target of the administration and the UFT after handing de Blasio some legal setbacks in court. She also is said to be entertaining a run for mayor herself in 2017. De Blasio, who has been feuding with Gov. Cuomo and Republicans who control the state Senate, has suffered some legislative defeats as well, the most glaring of which was the decision from Albany this summer to extend mayoral control over city schools by only one year. Bloomberg, on the other hand, secured a seven-year extension on his last try. The state budget negotiations this year resulted in a 50-charter increase in the state cap, but the UFT did successfully stop tuition tax credits for those who send their children to private or parochial schools. Charter school proponents say the cap should be raised even more to meet the demand. An estimate released by the Charter School Center said there was a waiting list in the city of 47,900 based in enrollment information from the 2014-15 school year. But Mulgrew and the UFT oppose lifting the cap, saying in a May 26 statement that there already are 2,500 empty slots in existing charter schools. Mulgrew wants an outside audit of the reported vacancies, saying it is needed to weed out things like duplicate applications in order to present a more accurate picture of Q demand.

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or all the talk and controversy about charter schools, only one new one — co-located in August Martin High School in Jamaica —is opening in Queens this school year. But what only a few years ago seemed to be reported mostly a local territorial labor spat between Mayor Mike Bloomberg and the United Federation of Teachers now is important enough to impact negotiations over the $142 billion state budget. Charters, the state cap on them, teacher evaluation procedures, standardized tests and the issue of mayoral control over the school system are also affecting legislative races hundreds of miles from New York City, as charter opponents and supporters now openly are vying for control of the Republican-run state Senate in next year’s elections. The concept of charters started out simple enough: experimental schools, run by private or nonprofit concerns, that are actual New York City public schools under charters granted by either the SUNY Board of Trustees or the Board of Regents. They were supposed to function as laboratories where new ideas for teaching, instruction and learning could be tested, honed and then either rejected or passed on for the benefit of other schools in the city. They are permitted to largely operate free of many of the rules and regulations to which regular public schools are bound through the city’s contract with the UFT, the union that represents about 200,000 teachers, classroom aides, guidance counselors, other school-related personnel and retirees. Proponents say results show that students at charters routinely outperform those at all but the best regular public schools. Critics claim that some charters cherrypick students and drain badly needed resources from the rest of the system. “New York City charter schools, which are 92 percent African American and Latino, continue to far outpace district schools serving similar populations of students,” James Merriman, CEO of the New York City Charter School Center, said in a statement on Aug. 12 when results of standardized state test scores came out. He said that in math, African-American students in charter schools were more than twice as likely to be proficient as their counterparts in traditional schools, calling that definitive proof that charter schools serve a critical role in meeting the needs of traditionally underserved populations. “And it shows why they are in such high demand from families in long-underserved communities,” Merriman added. Michael Mulgrew, president of the union, has been unmistakably clear in his criticism of charters dating well back into the Bloomberg administration. In his own statement on test scores, published Aug. 13 and obtained from the UFT website, Mulgrew said the measure of

by Michael Gannon

Page 7 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, August 27, 2015

Un-charter-ed territory

Cool fashion trends for the tween set From girly-girl to macho man, Queens has it all

t’s shopping time for Queens tweens who don’t have to wear a school uniform. Fashions this fall include puffs, plaids, pastels and colorful camos presented as either moshed-up grunge or au courant classics. Ultra-feminine elements for girls include dresses with puffy skirts and a continuation of the soft pastels trend. There’s a micro-trend toward monochrome pastel outfits, such as a pink dress paired with a loosely structured asymmetrical pink jacket and pink pumps. Plaids are patched on male and female shoulders, cuffs and sleeves. Jeans, horizontal stripes and camouflage motifs appear in every color. Boys this year are getting deep but loud colors, such as bright rose red and vibrant electric green. One boys’ trend spotted in Queens stores this August is slightly toned-up sweat pants that can almost pass for slacks at schools with relaxed dress codes. They’re made of nicer fabrics but still sport the stretchy waists and cuffs everyone loves. The term “tween” accurately clarifies the challenge of finding clothes to please kids whose personalities and tastes vacillate between childhood and adolescence and are still crafting a gender persona. Macho man or

by Victoria Zunitch

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regular Joe? Girly girl or tomboy? Fortunately, Queens is a textbook case of shopping variety. Kiddie City in Ridgewood is an option for the budget-conscious. Fancy tween girls can find a blue-and-white horizontal pinstripe sheath dress outfit with a puffy skirt overlay, a comfortable scooped neckline and a flashy silver-colored oversized pendant necklace. Fluff-averse girls can find midi-skirts in both sober solids and abstract prints, or gravitate to the store’s color wheel of solid and patterned jean-cut slacks, some in a light denim. Boys who like a natty look might choose Sean John khakis with a red long-sleeved sweater, framed in gray at the cuffs, hem and neck, or an ENYCE jersey-style No. 96 shirt with bright red roses and leaves blended artfully into a camouflage pattern. More casual khakis and plaids abound on longer shorts and sweat-style slacks. If your child trends young and likes traditional “boy” and “girl” looks, Children’s Place has outlets in Queens Center, Forest Hills, College Point, Jackson Heights, Jamaica, Fresh Meadows, Ridgewood, Astoria and Bayside. Kids and parents alike are loyal to the predictability of “The Place,” which offers cuts that vary little each year. Once you find a form that fits, you can update each year with new

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Expect success from Flushing’s gridiron group and both Aviation and Francis Lewis’ soccer squads

igh school football in New York City can be summed up in just three words: under the radar. The vast majority of public schools in the five boroughs known for their prowess in sports are renowned for either basketball or baseball, with dozens of NBA and MLB players hailing from the city. But often overlooked is New York’s ability to pump out many gridiron forces over the course of the last 80 years. Brooklyn-bred Hall of Fame Chicago Bears quarterback Sid Luckman is an Erasmus Hall High School alumnus. Wide receiver Ricky Proehl called the Bronx home before going on to catch 54 career touchdowns and win two Super Bowls over 17 NFL seasons from 1990 to 2006. There are numerous ties between the NFL and New York City in today’s game, too. New England Patriots defensive tackle and defending Super Bowl champion Dominique Easley starred at Curtis High School on Staten Island while threetime Pro Bowl offensive lineman D’Brickashaw Ferguson, of the New York Jets, was born in Manhattan. And as the Queens high school football scene heats up, the next Super Bowl hero may currently be lacing up his cleats for the Flushing Red Devils, arguably the borough’s best gridiron gang over the last two seasons. After shocking the Public School Athletic League by reaching the PSAL semifinals in 2013 before falling to eventual city champion Lincoln, Flushing, led by coach Jim DeSantis, nearly replicated the feat last year, again losing 31-6 to the eventual city champion Railsplitters in the quarterfinals.

by Christopher Barca

The Red Devils were led in both seasons by quarterback Terrence Chavis, who graduated in May along with many fellow members of the Red Devils football squad. But the loss of such a veteran presence should be minimized by DeSantis, named 2013 PSAL Coach of the Year by the Daily News, who has shown the ability to get the most out of each player, no matter their age. Look for athletic junior cornerback Kameron Walker to help lead Flushing to another successful season in 2015, which begins at home on Sept. 5 against Fort Hamilton. When it comes to the sport those around the world call football, Queens has no shortage of stellar teams, both male and female. The Aviation High School boys’ soccer squad may not have been the best team in the borough going into the PSAL “AA” Division playoffs in 2014, but the aptly-named 12th-seeded Flyers soared to new heights in the postseason, stunning topseeded and nationally ranked powerhouse Martin Luther King Jr. High School in the semifinals before downing Susan Wagner in the city title game. Despite losing senior star Kevin Zepeda to graduation, a majority of the Flyers, based in Long Island City, will return in the fall, looking to defend their title. But the best Queens PSAL soccer squad in 2015 may very well be found once again on the grounds of Francis Lewis High School in Fresh Meadows The Lady Patriots were arguably the best in the borough last year, racking up a 13-0 regular season record before losing 3-1 in the PSAL semifinals to Bronx Science.

Page 9 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, August 27, 2015

Both kinds of football are on the come up in Queens

Expect Queens soccer squads such as the ones at Aviation and Francis Lewis high schools to excel this fall. Forward Panagiota Tsourapis may have graduated, but don’t be surprised if junior goal scorers Samantha Margolis and Sarafina Smith lead Francis Lewis on another deep playQ off run this fall.

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Choices abound in area private colleges Touro, Plaza and Vaughn colleges offer a large variety of programs in Queens

“We direct you, we advise you,” he said. s anyone who has considered attending col- “You’re never on your own. We try to assist lege could attest, few you in as many ways as we can. We try to things are more daunt- make you feel at home.” Help at NYSCAS takes a variety of ing than finding the perfect fit. One important question that needs to be forms, including individual tutoring in decided is: Do I want to go away to school many subjects; online 24/7 assistance; and or would I feel more comfortable remaining personal counseling in academics, financial aid and program planning. close to home? NYSCAS enrolls a large number of transAny local residents who choose the latter option are in luck, with a wide variety of fer students, many of whom are eligible to private colleges from which to select right receive credits for courses completed at other accredited colleges or universities. here in the borough. Undergraduate tuition is $6,650 per Consider, for instance, the Touro College semester plus up to and University System, $300 in various fees per w h ich , s i n c e b e i n g s e m e s t e r. I n t e r n a l established in 1970, has tudents at Plaza grants and scholarships grown to serve a widely aren’t just students. are available, based on diverse population of ne e d a nd a ca d e m ic over 18,000 students They’re part achievement. across 29 schools in five of the Plaza Another division of countries. Touro, Lander College Two d iv i s io n s of College family.” for Men, is located at Touro are located in 75-31 150 St., FlushQueens, including the — Brittany Travis, director of i ng, w it h it s sis t e r New York School of communications at Plaza school on 60th Street Ca reer a nd Applied in Manhattan. Studies at 71-02 113 St., Touro also offers master’s degree proForest Hills. NYSCAS offers associates and bachelor’s degrees in biology, business man- grams at its various graduate school locaagement and administration, human servic- tions. Tuition for graduate programs varies. Rolling admissions afford students the es, education, psychology, paralegal studies, social sciences, liberal arts and sciences, opportunity to apply at their convenience. information technology and digital multi- Classes are offered during the day, in the media design, in addition to professional evening and on Sundays. While Touro opened its doors over 40 opportunities in pre-law, pre-medical and years ago with an eye toward enriching the pre-dental. With approximately 3,500 students in Jewish heritage, “We welcome everyone 2014, NYSCAS is set apart by the personal who wants a good education,” Volfson said. For further information on NYSCAS, call attention it offers, according to site director 520-6471 ext. 109 or visit touro.edu/nyscas. Naum Volfson.

by Mark Lord

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“S

Plaza College in Forest Hills is a family-run operation with 800 students. It was founded in 1916 and prides itself on the personal approach to education.

Touro College offers courses in Forest Hills and Flushing with rolling admissions, allowing PHOTOS BY MARK LORD students to apply at their convenience. Also in Forest Hills is Plaza College at 118-33 Queens Blvd., a comprehensive institution of higher education with approximately 800 students in its two schools. Founded in 1916, the family-operated college moved into its current location in July of last year, remaining committed to preparing students to enter the workforce. At its School of Allied Health, students are prepared for changes in the medical field, while students may pursue careers in business administration and related fields through its School of Business and Technology. According to Plaza’s director of communications Brittany Travis, the school offers associate and baccalaureate degrees as well as certificate programs, including a new 40-credit medical coding and billing course “that’s perfect for the current workforce to get up-to-date with new requirements.” In fact, Travis indicated that “workforce demands drive program development and innovation at Plaza.” The school also prides itself on its personal approach to education. “Students at Plaza aren’t just students,” Travis said. “They’re part of the Plaza College family.” The family atmosphere is understandable. According to Travis, various members of departments throughout the school are actually members of the founding family. Students at Plaza have access to new classrooms and medical labs, in addition to the latest technology, tutoring and educational support at no charge to them. “We want to see our students walk across the graduation stage and we’re here to help them achieve that,” Travis said. And following graduation, the school provides career services that will send students out on interviews and help them get

placed in the field they desire, Travis added. According to Travis, tuition has not increased for the past six years, and Plaza offers federal and state financial aid as well as institutional scholarships for students who qualify. The fall semester begins on Sept. 10. To schedule a visit to the campus or for further information, call (718) 779-1430 or visit plazacollege.edu. One of only three colleges in the country to offer a mechatronic engineering program that is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Vaughn College at 86-01 23 Ave. in East Elmhurst, adjacent to LaGuardia Airport, has as its mission to educate and train future leaders in engineering and technology management and aviation. The school offers master’s, bachelor’s and associate degrees in engineering, technology, aviation and management. The college has recently added a mechanical engineering bachelor’s degree to its program offerings, qualifying graduates to obtain a position in any engineering industry, according to the school’s public affairs director Maureen Kiggins. A new bachelor’s program in aeronautical sciences has also been added, designed to provide students with a broad perspective, potentially leading to a career in airport management, Kiggins said. The school reports that 92 percent of its graduates are employed or continue their education within one year of graduation. More than 90 percent of its students receive financial aid. Enrollment is approximately 1,700 students, with a 15:1 student/faculty ratio. For further information, call (718) 429-6600 Q or visit vaughn.edu.

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Queens’ fall art scene goes deep Themes of perception, identity and human consciousness abound

s temperatures get ready to d rop, compelli ng many indoors, several Queens art exhibitions this season seem to turn inward, too. Many galleries are readying exhibits opening this fall, and several showcase a diverse variety of artistic viewpoints, an unsurprising occurrence in the World’s Borough. Amid the many different voices spotlighted, it seems that deeper themes probing identity, human culture and human perceptions of reality are shared goals, with common invitations to prompt viewers to think critically about their environments and humans’ places within them. One exhibit, at Flushing Town Hall, presents that theme of identity head-on. The space’s visual arts members annual show, “Who Am I? What Do You See?,” is intended to communicate to viewers something about the piece’s creator. There are photographs, painted portraits, still-life pieces and more by 35 artists, with 33 of them Queens-based, from neighborhoods such as Jamaica Estates, Hollis and Elmhurst. That may allow Queens residents to get to know their neighbors in a deeper way. “Lost in Thought” by Doris Frankel is one example of using the human form to invite contemplation. The exhibit is on display at 137-35 Northern Blvd. until Sept. 13. Gallery hours are Saturdays and Sundays, from noon to 5 p.m. The suggested donation is $5. For details, visit flushingtownhall.org or call (718) 463-7700. Heading east, at Dorsky Gallery Curatorial Programs in Long Island City, more voices will abound starting Sept. 20. The gallery, known for uniting works from multiple artists to illuminate certain philosophies or struggles, features 11 artists. “Uncanny/Figure,” curated by Lilly Wei, focuses on — you guessed it — figure representation in sculpture, painting and video. The driving idea behind it is that amid developments in the contemporary art world, the longvaunted focus on figures has waned. But these artists tackle the subject in a way that directly relinks identity to the body. “One reason for the renewed interest in figuration might be that in an age of the increasingly virtual, it reaffirms the importance of our bodies, reminding us that we are more than incorporeal mind,” Wei wrote. Some particularly intriguing pieces include “Mouse,” a haunting and detailed sculpture by Rona Pondick. Pondick grafted a life cast of her body parts, composed of matte stainless steel, onto stainless steel bodies of schematized animals. And, artist Elizabeth King’s hybrid of self-portrait and puppet, which looks eerily like a robot summoned to life, is explored in a video installation called “What Happened,” also by Richard Kizu-Blair. In melding the real and artificial, King births a new take on identity. The exhibit will be on display, at 11-03 45 Ave., until Dec. 13 and is free to view. For more details, call (718) 937-6317 or visit dorsky.org.

by Cristina Schreil

Also a vast look at humanity — but with a focus on materials — an exhibit opening on Oct. 7 at The Noguchi Museum called “Museum of Stones” will present around 50 pieces by 30 artists. The collection, on view until Jan. 10, observes how various groups have harnessed the sturdy materials. It “explores the variety of ways in which artists from the 1970s onward have explored the integral place of rock and stone in human culture,” according to curators. Also notable is that this will be the first time that contemporary artists will be featured alongside Noguchi’s original installations. The museum is located at 9-01 33 Road and open Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is $10 to $5. For details, call (718) 204-7088 or visit noguchi.org. Southeast of Noguchi, at SculptureCenter on Purves Street in Long Island City, there will be two concurrent exhibits running from Sept. 20 to Jan. 4. One of them, “Gabriel Sierra: Numbers in a Room,” will rework SculptureCenter’s galleries to link architecture and design to the exhibit’s objects. One aspect, which also seems to bring in the viewer through an invitation to contemplate the environment, is that there is a mirroring in the work. “... The various structures comprising an exhibition in an institution create a mirroring effect, where each thing recalls another thing,” a press release for the exhibit reads. Sierra, a Colombian artist, presents an interesting challenge for viewers, seeming to invite visitors to dismantle how humans approach gallery spaces and also, the world. The other exhibit, “Anthea Hamilton: Lichen! Libido! Chastity!,” will be an avantgarde investigation of cultural appropriation and pop culture, looking at design, music and fashion in sculptures and videos. Identity and its societal contexts also seem to be key ideas. “Verging on the absurd, the works articulate perverse fantasies, intimately binding the body to products and things,” curators wrote. SculptureCenter, located at 44-19 Purves St., is open Thursday through Monday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For details, call (718) 361-1750 or visit sculpture-center.org. In contrast to exhibits exploring many different voices at once, an upcoming exhibit at the Godwin-Terbach Museum at Queens College in Kew Gardens Hills spotlights watercolors and prints from one artist: Gertrud Parker. Parker has created for over 40 years and Godwin-Ternbach curated a fascinating range of color, form and emotional tones. Critics have found “insightful explorations of the darker themes of human existence” in her works. The exhibition will be on display at 405 Klapper Hall, at 65-30 Kissena Blvd., from Sept. 8 to 27. For details, call (718) 997-4747 or Q visit gtmuseum.org.

Among the featured pieces are “What Happened (video still),” by King and Kizu-Blair, top; “Manblind No. 5,” by Hamilton, middle left; “Afghanistan,” by Parker, middle right; “Lost in Thought,” by Frankel, bottom left; and “Untitled COURTESY PHOTOS (ALLÍ/THERE),” by Sierra, left.

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The Mets: An Amazin’ October? First-place lead should mean an exciting stretch run

n the past when I have written an article on the Mets for the Chronicle’s fall preview issue, the focus has been basically a prognosis of what the team would be during the off-season, since the remaining month of the season was fairly meaningless. This year, however, the Mets are legitimately in contention for a postseason berth. And no matter what happens in September (and longtime Mets fans know that a lot of good and bad has happened in the team’s history the last month of the season) the Amazin’s have made significant progress this year. Even the most rabid Mets fan will concede that their firstplace team has been the beneficiary of the fact that the Washington Nationals, with a vastly superior and expensive roster that has plenty of postseason experience, have badly underachieved this season. Like the Mets, the Nationals lost many of their starting players to lengthy stays on the disabled list. Second-year manager Matt Williams has been roundly criticized for questionable in-game moves and there is a good chance that he may be canned after the season even if the Nationals do overtake the Mets and win the National League East. The reason that Mets fans were able to find their team atop the NL East standings in August for the first time in seven years is their starting pitching. Young studs Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard have lived up to billing and more. Skeptical Mets fans were concerned that they would be the second coming of the Generation K trio of 20 years ago. Sadly the trio of Paul Wilson, Bill Pulsipher and Jason Isringhausen never lived up to the hype, although to be fair, Izzy did carve out a durable career as a relief pitcher. Credit also has to go to veteran Jon Niese, who has also been adept at shutting down opposing hitters, and to 42-yearold Bartolo Colon. Colon was the Mets’ most successful pitcher as far as racking up wins in the first part of the season. The wins have been harder to come by in the second half but the fact that he has worked a lot of innings even in losses has put less pressure on both his fellow starters, and the team’s Achilles heel, its bullpen. Bullpen failure was the key reason that the Mets collapsed in September of both 2007 and 2008. Mets fans are understandably concerned about history repeating itself in 2015. Closer Jeurys Familia has been money in the bank for most of this year but lately has shown signs of fatigue. Perhaps hitters are getting smarter as they are laying off his sinker which more times than not breaks out of the strike zone. General manager Sandy Alderson made a shrewd acquisition obtaining setup man Tyler Clippard from the Oakland Athletics. Clippard was a key reliever for the Mets’ nemesis,

by Lloyd Carroll

Matt Harvey: a key Mets ace.

the Washington Nationals, for years. He is certainly battle-tested. Ironically, it was six weeks ago that the bullpen appeared to be an asset for the Mets. Things went south, however, when Jenrry Mejia, who had missed a good chunk of the 2015 season serving a suspension for steroid use but had pitched great in his seven appearances in July, tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs for a second time. Mejia was hit with a 162-game suspension. The role of the seventh-inning specialist then fell to Bobby Parnell, who had done a fine job as the Mets closer before undergoing Tommy John surgery on his pitching shoulder in 2014. Unfortunately, Parnell was not the same dominant performer that Mets fans were accustomed to seeing. The velocity on his fastball was down and so was his location. A rough weekend two weeks ago against the Pirates, in which he was a key reason that the team got swept in its three-game series at Citi Field, forced the Mets to place him once again on the disabled list. Carlos Torres is a good option out of the bullpen but manager Terry Collins has not used him in a lot of high-pressure situations. Two relievers who were not on the Mets’ radar screen at the beginning of the year, Sean Gilmartin and Hansel Robles, will be counted on in crunch time. Another guy to watch in September will be Vic Black, who performed well in 2014 for the Mets but was injured during spring training and has not been able to get promoted from the Mets’ Las Vegas 51’s AAA team all year because he has not pitched well. Then again, Black is one of the few players I have ever seen who has better stats at the big-league level than the minors. The Mets’ hitting has been an issue all season long, although Alderson did ameliorate things a bit by acquiring veteran infielders Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe, and hard-hitting outfielder Yoenis Cespedes just before the July 31 trade deadline. All have played well in their limited time as Mets and the team’s overall hitting has improved dramatically. First baseman Lucas Duda has been a streaky home run hitter all season, though for some strange reason he has been pretty good at Citi Field but dreadful on the road. His defense has been better than expected this year, though he is prone to an occasional mental lapse in the field. Duda is currently out of action because of back issues but is expected to return in another week. The wildcard for September is the return of third baseman David Wright, who had missed the entire 2015 season, save for a few games in April, battling spinal stenosis. Assuming that he can stay healthy, the question is whether he can contribute the way that Mets fans have become accustomed

Bartolo Colon: ageless pitching wonder.

David Wright: The Mets captain returns.

Jacob deGrom: 2014 NL Rookie of the Year.

PHOTOS COURTESY METS

from him over the last decade. Wright certainly put a lot of Mets fans minds at ease in his first game back this past Monday in Philadelphia, as he had two hits including a home run in his first at-bat since April — and then his teammates put seven more over the fence in their 16-7 win. If you want a barometer as to whether the Mets will have a shot at a parade down the Canyon of Heroes then see how the Sept. 18 to 20 weekend series at Citi Field with the Yankees turns out. The Yankees always seem to get the better of the Mets when the money is on the line, and the stakes of this Subway Series will be the highest since the 2000 World Series because both teams are fighting for division titles. The Yankees took two out of three from the Mets right after the Amazin’s were riding high by winning 11 games in a row in April. The Mets went into a lengthy tailspin right after that. If the Mets can take at least two out of three from the Bronx Bombers this time, that will be a harbinger of good things to come. If they can only win one of the three, there is cause for concern. If they get swept, as they were by the Pirates two weeks ago, then it will certainly have an effect on their confidence and will likely spur on the Washington Nationals. No one around the Mets is going to talk about this of course, but in a worst-case collapse scenario, it’s crucial that they at least win 82 games this year to end a streak of six straight losing seasons. Having a winning season should at least serve as a springboard for an exciting 2016. Being in a pennant race is uncharted territory for most of the current Mets. To paraphrase the late Mets Hall of Fame Q broadcaster Bob Murphy, “Fasten your seat belts!”

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Bowling is fun for all ages at places such as Jib Lanes in Queens

f you’re looking for good, old-fashioned family fun you can enjoy no matter what the weather is like, you’d be hard-pressed to beat bowling. Queens has a number of places to enjoy the game, including Astoria Bowl, Whitestone Lanes in Flushing and Cozy Bowl in Ozone Park. And not far from the very center of the borough is Jib Lanes in Electchester, which draws everyone from the seasoned professional to high school teams, younger kids and even preschoolers, who get to play with a little help from technology. “We like to say bowling is a lifetime sport,” said Joe LaSpina, who co-owns Jib Lanes with his father, John, and sister, Teresa McCarthy. “It’s one of the few things you can start as a 2-year-old and still do as a 100-year-old.” Yes, today you can bring your toddlers bowling. They get to roll the ball down cool dragonthemed ramps for momentum, and Jib has lanes where bumpers along the side are programmed to rise to prevent gutter balls. Those amenities mean Jib Lanes is booking more and more birthday parties for 2- and 3-year-olds. Bowling is already the most popular birthday party activity for 5- to 8-year-olds, according to industry statistics, LaSpina said.

by Peter C. Mastrosimone

Fa l l S pe c i a l s

Jib also offers many programs for adults, including free lessons. You can learn more at jiblanes.com. And, along with the family’s three

“You can have a fun

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— Jib Lanes co-owner Joe LaSpina

Jib Lanes in Electchester is a family-owned bowling alley that accommodates everyone from the PHOTO BY STEVE FISHER youngest children to professionals who can roll a perfect 300. For the older ones, Jib Lanes offers a number of leagues, and it also hosts teams in the Public School Athletic League, such as Townsend Harris High School’s squad. Now is the perfect time to sign up for one of Jib’s leagues, which run with the school year. It offers three different ones that start on Saturdays at 10 a.m. The Bantams are bowlers between 5 and 8 years old. Teenagers compete in the Preps and Juniors. And all kids, mostly those 5 to 12, can

join a parent, grandparent or other adult on a two-person team in the Adult-Child League. Two other programs for children start Sept. 18, with mentors teaching younger kids how to bowl. One is $8 a week and runs eight weeks; the other is $12 a week and runs for 12 weeks. At the end of either one, participants get a free bowling ball of their own. “We cycle a lot of kids through the building every week,” LaSpina said. “It’s nice.”

The Original Since 1981

bowling alleys on Long Island, and one in Florida, it’s hosting more and more fundraisers, especially ones helping animal rescue groups. Of course, you can also just come and hit the lanes anytime. Jib is open every day of the year. And it’s got all the amenities you’d expect — other games, food, soft drinks and a full bar. LaSpina’s family has been in the bowling business for three generations, more than 50 years, and he loves seeing his customers have such a great time knocking down those pins. “Compare bowling to golf,” he said. “It’s hard to play golf; it’s hard to enjoy golf until you’re good. With bowling, the barriers to entry are much lower. You can have a fun bowling Q experience almost the first time you do it.”

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Fall is a fine time to take a hike Great spots for a day trip into the natural world lie outside the city

s Queens resident s, we’re proud of our parks. We don’t have to leave the borough to get lost in the woods, swim at the beach or birdwatch in the wetlands. But when we want a change of scene we’re also lucky to be within range of some incredible places to hike, places with the more rugged aesthetic we find when we leave the city behind and venture out into the great beyond. Fall is prime time for hiking thanks to the more temperate weather, fewer bugs and vivid foliage. Obviously hikes vary in their intensity — some are family-friendly and even wheelchair accessible, while others require the skill and fitness level to clamber over jagged rocks and scale steep inclines. Here are just a few recommendations. Bayside residents Arlene and Marshall Cohen explored Caumsett State Historic Park on a summer weekend, a departure from their typical (almost daily) route along the Cross Island Parkway pedestrian path. “I hardly ever leave 11361,” Marshall joked, “I had no idea this was out here.” Arlene said the park was beautiful: “There were few other people around so it was a chance to see the beauty of nature. It’s an enjoyable thing for people to do if they’re interested in history, and if you’re into walking, it’s the perfect place to go.” She added that she’s excited to return in the fall when the leaves change color. At Caumsett, on the vast estate of department store tycoon Marshall Field III, hikers can meander through woodland paths as they make their way to the rocky coast to dip their feet in the Long Island Sound. In fact, Caumsett is the Matinecock Indian name for the Lloyd Neck peninsula and means “Place by a Sharp Rock.” While the park is only about 30 miles east of Queens, the park feels like it’s a world away. Chipmunks scuttle across the paths and bird calls are the soundtrack. It is also home to horse stables and gardens. Its paved paths are ADA-compliant and ideal for biking. Parking costs $8. The Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference runs hikes, sells maps

by Laura A. Shepard

and maintains trails. Tom Casey, the vice president of the volunteer-run organization, recommends the Nassau-Suffolk Trail, which runs northsouth from Cold Spring Harbor to Massapequa. He noted that it’s contiguous for 20 miles, but not necessarily wilderness for all of it. “A lot of our trails are a backyard wilderness,” he said. “We live in such a crowded area that it’s nice to be out in the woods without having to drive off of Long Island, which can be awful.” The southern end is accessible via the Massapequa Park train station. Casey also recommends exploring West Hills County Park, which contains the highest spot on Long Island. “Fall is my favorite season to hike,” he said. “There’s the color and the air after the first frost is crisper and I have more energy.” As New Yorkers, we don’t miss an chance to disparage New Jersey, but when it comes to hiking, the state does have a High Point, literally. A 220-foot obelisk sits atop the Garden State’s highest spot, 1,803 feet above sea level. From the summit, hikers can see New York and Pennsylvania on the other side of the Delaware River. Some Appalachian Trail hikers say the spot is one of the most picturesque on the trail. High Point State Park is about 70 miles from Queens. Astoria resident Bill Baer, the director of The Cliffs, a popular rock climbing spot in Long Island City, unhesitatingly declared Breakneck Ridge in New York’s Hudson Highlands State Park the No. 1 spot to go to. The steep, rocky cliff leads to some of the best views of the Hudson River, but is not as familyfriendly as other trails around Cold Spring and Beacon. Baer relishes the chance to get out of the city and is glad so many hikes are accessible by train and uses Metro North to access places near Cold Spring, Beacon, Garrison, Tuxedo and Suffern. He’s even worked out that by train it’s possible to hike the New York section of the AT, which runs from Georgia to Maine. One of his favorite places to stop and admire the scenery is “Nuclear Lake” along the AT, named so because it’s radioactive, but is a still a “beautiful

Among the beautiful sights you can see not too far from the city are this waterfall on Platterkill Creek in the Catskills, Mt. Taurus in Hudson Highlands State Park, below left, and Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve on Long Island. PHOTOS COURTESY ANDRE GRATTO, ABOVE, AND BY LAURA A. SHEPARD

lake with a great view.” “Every hike is a little different and special in its own way,” Baer said. He explained that when he hikes alone his goal is to cover as much distance as possible and when he goes with his wife, Starr, the hikes are more leisurely. Going in the fall provides opportunities, such as boat tours up the Hudson, and there are events like Octoberfest in Bear Mountain. Those looking for a more walkable — but no less beautiful — hike are better off on Mount Taurus, aka Bull Hill. The mighty Hudson is the star of this hike, but there are other noteworthy features along the park’s trail network. You’ll see an old quarry, a babbling brook with intermittent waterfalls, the ruins of Edward J. Cornish’s once-grand estate that now belongs to nature, birds and trains on both sides of the river. Woodside resident Lily Goderstad frequents Harriman State Park for hiking and camping trips, often with her boyfriend, Sam June. “We always see wildlife,” she said. “There are deer, bears, snakes, birds, raccoons who try to steal your dish towel in the middle of the night, wild turkeys and beavers.” In the fall, as the leaves change, Goderstad enjoys climbing up the hills and elevations to look out on the forest’s canopy of colors. Bald Rock is one of her favorite overlooks, but there’s a lot to explore, she said. “Hiking kind of changes your thought process,” Goderstad said. “When you’re just walking and you exhaust yourself, your inner dialogue

changes. You feel like humans are supposed to feel. If you don’t know how to be in your world without the manufactured society and culture, you don’t really know how to be a human.” The park is only an hour and a half away from the city but is such a different environment, June said, adding, “It’s also cheap because you can take the train out of Penn Station.” For Hudson River views, “The Timp” is a great hike near Bear Mountain. On a clear day, you might even be able to see Queens (or at least the Manhattan skyline) from the summit, 45 miles away. The hike up passes caves and abandoned railroad tunnels, fuel for discussions about the past. The views of the Indian Point Nuclear Facility across the river lend themselves to more existential discussions about the future and life in general. Bring lots of water: You’ll appreciate it while you’re sitting on the rocks at the top catching your breath watching hawks circle the valley below. “When I’m hiking, it calms me down and lets me see what life is really about instead of that petty stuff,” Aline Euler, a retired educator at the Alley Pond Environmental Center, said. “It’s calming, quiet and very beneficial.” Maureen Regan, the founder and president of Green Earth Urban Gardens and a Queens Botanical Gardens education specialist, said there are tangible mental health benefits to going outside the city. “The air is

different, the scenery is peaceful, it’s calming on the body and restorative,” she said. Regan goes to the Hudson Valley every weekend to explore the vineyards, farms and community activities, as well as hike. “It’s huge for New York City goers, who can day trip or go for a whole weekend. There are so many things to go and see.” If you don’t have friends and family to go hiking with, there are several Meetup groups based in Queens and the rest of the city you can join. Just one is the Hiking and Nature Meetup, which does everything from short, relaxing walks to grueling, 20-mile hikes. See what they’re up to next at meetup.com/New-York-City-Hiking. Hiking and Nature Meetup organizer Andre Gratto, who lives in the Bronx, says there are as many reasons to love hiking as there are kinds of trips to go on. “In the summer I hike to escape the city, which usually means a short hike in the morning to a cool lake or waterfall,” Gratto said. “In the fall I head up to the Adirondacks or White Mountains to enjoy the sweeping summit vistas and the smell of pine and campfires on a cool evening. And of course sometimes I take on a challenge ‘because it is there,’ and that might be a winter ascent of Mt. Washington in howling wind and subzero temperatures or a 20-mile day hike summiting several major peaks.” Yes, hikes sure do vary in their Q intensity, as do hikers.

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Warm recipes for your tummy As seasons start to change, so do appetites for home cooking

occasionally, until smooth or do it in the microwave, stirring every minute until blended. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla. Then stir in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in flour and salt, mix until flour is just moistened. Spread batter in a greased nine-inch square glass baking pan. Drop spoonfuls of preserves on batter in the corners and around edges. Gently pull knife through batter and preserves toward center for a swirled effect. Do not overdo the swirling. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely then cut into 20 bars.

ith summer temperatures still soaring, it’s hard to imagine that in a few short weeks fall weather will be upon us and with it the desire for more substantial food. Summer salads and light meals will make way for heartier fare like soups, chili and meat dishes. Below is a sampling from soup to dessert you may want to try.

by Liz Rhoades

Sausage vegetable soup • 1 ½ pounds sliced sausage • 2 large onions, chopped • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes • 1 cup beef broth • 1 ½ cups red wine • ½ teaspoon dried basil • 3 cups bowtie pasta • 2 medium zucchini, sliced ¼-inch thick • 1 green pepper • 3 tablespoons chopped parsley • 5 ounces Parmesan cheese

Apple crisp

Classic beef stroganoff hits the spot when cool weather prevails. Try it with a salad and a loaf of PHOTO COURTESY OLGASFLAVORFACTORY.COM crusty bread for a complete dinner. • 4 ounces goat cheese • 8 ounces rotini, cooked • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley • ½ teaspoon salt

Cut sausage in 1/2-inch thick slices and saute until cooked. Drain and discard fat. Add onions and garlic and cook until limp. Stir in tomatoes, breaking them up into small pieces. Add broth, wine and basil and simmer for 30 minutes. Cool by refrigerating. Then skim fat from surface. Heat, adding pasta, vegetables and parsley. Simmer for 25 minutes until vegetables are tender. Serve with grated cheese. Serves 6 to 8.

Saute onion in hot oil in skillet until tender. Stir in shrimp and garlic and saute four minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Remove from heat. Heat milk and goat cheese in a saucepan over low heat for five minutes or until cheese melts. Stir into shrimp mixture. Toss with pasta and sprinkle with parsley and salt. Serves 3 to 4.

White chili

Southwestern quiche

• 1 tablespoon olive oil • 1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into cubes • ¼ cup chopped onion • 1 cup chicken broth • 4-ounce can chopped green chilies • 1 teaspoon garlic powder • 1 teaspoon ground cumin • ½ teaspoon oregano • ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper • 16-ounce can white kidney beans, also known as cannellini beans, undrained • shredded cheddar cheese • chopped onion Saute chicken in oil for five minutes, stirring often. Remove from skillet and keep warm. Saute onion for two minutes. Stir in broth, chilies and spices. Simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in chicken and beans and simmer another 10 minutes. Serve with shredded cheese and chopped onion. Serves 4.

Shrimp and goat cheese pasta • 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp • 1 medium onion, diced • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1 garlic clove, minced • ½ cup milk

• ½ pound ground beef • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese • 1 cup milk • 2 eggs, beaten • 2 teaspoons minced onion • 2 ounces chopped green chilies • 1 unbaked pie shell Brown ground beef in skillet. Drain well. Mix together beef, cheese, milk, eggs, onion and chilies. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake another 35 minutes or until center is set. Serves 6.

Beef stroganoff • 1 pound sirloin steak, cut in strips • 2 tablespoons butter • ½ pound mushrooms, sliced • 1 medium onion, chopped • 10 ¾-ounce can beef broth • 1 garlic clove, minced • 1 teaspoon salt • 3 tablespoons flour • 1 cup sour cream • 4 cups uncooked noodles • chopped parsley Melt butter and add mushrooms and

onion. Cook until onion is tender. Remove from skillet. In same skillet cook 1/2-inch strips of steak until light brown. Be sure to cut meat against the grain. Put aside 1/3 cup beef broth. Stir remaining broth, garlic and salt into meat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir f lour and 1/3 cup broth and add to meat mixture. Then add mushrooms and onion and heat to boiling, stirr ing of ten. Boil and stir one minute. Reduce heat. Stir in sour cream to heat. Prepare noodles according to package directions. Remove beef mixture from heat and serve over noodles. Garnish with parsley. Serves 4.

• 6 cups apples, peeled and sliced • ½ cup sugar • 1 teaspoon cinnamon • ½ cup butter • ¾ cup sugar • 1 cup flour Mix together apples, sugar and cinnamon. Place in a greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Meanwhile, cut butter into flour and sugar to make crumbs. Sprinkle over apples. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Serves 12.

Louisiana cake • 2 ½ cups crushed pineapple with juice • 1 ½ cups sugar • 2 large eggs • ½ teaspoon salt • 2 ½ cups flour • 2 teaspoons baking soda

Green beans with warm vinaigrette • 2 pounds fresh green beans • 2 shallots, minced • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar • ½ cup olive oil • salt and pepper to taste Cook green beans in a large pot of water until crisp-tender, about four minutes. Drain well. While beans are cooking, place shallots, mustard, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in a small saucepan. Heat, whisking constantly until mixture is hot. Toss green beans with dressing to coat.

Raspberry brownies • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate bits • ½ cup butter • 1 cup sugar • 2 teaspoons vanilla • 2 eggs • 1 cup all-purpose flour • ¼ teaspoon salt • 3 tablespoons raspberry preserves Heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat, stirring

Blend together all ingredients, mixing well. Pour in a greased 8-by-12-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Good with ice cream. Serves 16 to 20.

Praline coffee popcorn • 10 cups popped popcorn • 1 cup pecan halves • ¾ cup brown sugar • 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules • 1/3 cup butter • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup • 1 teaspoon vanilla Combine popcorn and pecans in large bowl. In a four-cup glass measuring cup mix together brown sugar, coffee, butter and corn syrup. Microwave on high for two minutes. Stir and microwave for two more minutes. Stir in vanilla and quickly pour over popcorn mixture, tossing until coated. Transfer half to an ungreased microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for three minutes, stirring after each minute. Spread out on aluminium foil to cool. Repeat with remaining popcorn. Popcorn will become crisp when it cools. Q Makes 12 cups.

C M BTS page 19 Y K

he television industry has done a better job at introducing shows throughout the year, but there is still little doubt that the fall is when the various networks want to make the biggest splash. Yes, there are more cable television networks than ever, and even digital-based companies such as Hulu, Netflix, Amazon and Yahoo are catching an increasing amount of eyeballs, but it’s still the old-school broadcast networks that generate the lion’s share of the buzz when the calendar turns to September.

by Lloyd Carroll

CBS

naked woman suffering from amnesia who is covered with tattoos all over her body. She has no recollection how they got there but eve r yone qu ick ly learns that they could be clues to an impending terrorist attack. A nother new show, “People Are Talking,” appears to be a routine young couples comedy that probably won’t stick around.

Kermit and Miss Piggy may be splitting. Check out “The Muppets” on ABC this fall.

The Tiffany Network remains America’s “Angel from Hell,” on CBS, ABC most watched television network. CBS is so starring Jane Lynch. successful that in order to introduce new Times have been tough in the Nielsens for FACEBOOK/CBS shows its programming department had to what Variety has long called “The Alphabet defer the new seasons of such ratings winners as “2 Broke Network.” ABC is relying on Kermit and Miss Piggy to draw Girls,” “Mike & Molly” and the enthralling “Person of Inter- viewers in the latest installment of “The Muppets.” The gimest” to early 2016. Having NFL games on Thursday night for mick here is that America’s favorite porcine puppet will be the second straight season also reduces the amount of avail- hosting a fictitious talk show that draws A-list celebrities. able prime-time real estate. Ken Jeong, who has generated a lot of laughs in both “The The most promising new offering from CBS’s comedy Hangover” trilogy of films and the former NBC cult comedy department is “Angel from Hell,” in which an uptight der- “Community,” stars in a family comedy, “Dr. Ken.” In real matologist is befriended, whether she likes it or not, by a life Jeong was a physician before turning to acting. The quesfoul-mouthed guardian angel played by Jane Lynch in a tion to be settled is whether Dr. Jeong, who has had a lot tailor-made role. The network is taking some of success as a supporting risks as well. “Supergirl,” star- player, can carry a show as ring Melissa Benoist, is the kind its lead. In yet another variation of DC Comics fare that one expects from CBS’s corporate of the iconic ’80s series sibling, the CW Network. “Lim- “Dallas,” Don Johnson, who itless” is a tale about a man who most of us still think of as can unleash all of the compart- S o n n y C r o c k e t t f r o m ments of a brain by taking a pill “Miami Vice” 30 years that is based on the 2011 Bradley later, and Chace Crawford, who played a hunky teen on Cooper film of the same name. The biggest concern for CBS, the CW’s “Gossip Girl,” however, is whether Stephen star as members of a very Colber t will be able to f ill wealthy North Dakota fami- “Blood & Oil,” on ABC this fall. “Supergirl,” starring Melissa David Letterman’s big shoes at ly in “Blood & Oil.” FACEBOOK/ABC Benoist. FACEBOOK/CBS 11:30 p.m. each night.

NBC

FACEBOOK/ABC

CW The CW has done a great job reinventing itself. A couple of years ago it was thought of as the network of preteen girls. In the last two years it has tried to attract young guys with comic book fare as “The Flash” and “Arrow.” Last year it achieved its first bona fide hit since “Gossip Girl” with “Jane the Virgin.” This year it may top that success with “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” according to respected Variety contributor Hillary Atkin, whose Atkin Report is read by the movers and shakers of the LA “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” on the CW. FACEBOOK/THE CW entertainment community. “The buzz on this show is incredibly high,” Atkin told me. It stars newcomer Rachel Bloom as a New York attorney who moves on a whim to the Los Angeles suburb of West Covina after running into an old high school crush on a Manhattan street who informs her that he is relocating to that town for a prestigious job. “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” was originally slated for the premium cable network, Showtime, before it became a CW property. In addition to comedy, expect to see numerous song and dance routines. Now if only CW president Mark Pedowitz can finally find a way to cancel the very long-in-the-tooth “America’s Next Top Model.”

Cable Forest Hills’ own Billy Eichner moves his “Billy on the Street” guerilla interview show to Tru TV after three seasons on Fuse. Tru TV has long been overlooked by Turner Entertainment, which runs both TBS and TNT. Things may be changing as it’s investing in another off-the-wall reality comedy, “Adam Ruins Everything,” starring comic Adam Conover, who skewers Billy Eichner stars on Tru TV long-held conventional beliefs. in “Billy on the Street.” TBS will be spoofing the old FACEBOOK/TRU TV ABC dramatic series “Lost” with “Wrecked,” a comedy about survivors of a plane crash on a deserted island. Hollis native Bonnie Hammer has done a terrific job running the sizable portfolio of networks that comprise NBC Universal Cable as its CEO. Hammer will be looking to an old friend from the neighborhood, advertising legend and former CNBC show host Donny Deutsch, to keep up the good fortunes of the USA Network, cable’s most watched. Deutsch will be Q playing a fictional talk show host on “Donny!”

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The Peacock Network seemed to be on life support just a few years ago, but it has turned things around thanks to both “Sunday Night Football” and “The Voice.” NBC’s scripted programming hasn’t fared quite as well, but “The Mysteries of Laura” and “The Blacklist” are back for their second and third seasons, respectively. NBC is counting on Neil Patr ick Ha r r is to revive the long dormant live variety show format with “Best Time Eve r.” For me r film star and conThe “Best Time Ever,” starring Neil Patrick victed tax delinHarris on NBC. FACEBOOK/NBC q u e n t We s l e y Snipes is the star of “The Player,” which, based on the snippet that I saw, is full of Las Vegas action but whose plot seems hard to follow. Flushing native Marc Berman, who is the publisher of TV Media Insights, gives 7-1 odds against this show making it into a second season. The program which will probably generate the most initial buzz is “Blindspot.” The show opens in Times Square with a

FOX As “American Idol” has gone, so has Fox. Ratings for the one-time pre-eminent talent show have plummeted so much over the years that the network announced that this spring will be its last. Recent Fox offerings such as “Rake,” which starred Greg Kinnear as a fast and loose lawyer, and “Backstrom,” which had Rainn Wilson playing an irascible Portland detective, were both terrific shows that inexplicably failed to find an audience. The show that should generate the most interest in celebrity glossy magazines is “Scream Queens,” which stars a bevy of attractive young actresses such as Emma Roberts, Lea Michele, Ariana Grande and Abigail Breslin, w h o pl ay sorority sisters who are getting bumped off one by one each week by a serial killer. Jamie Lee Curtis plays a college dean. “Scream Queens,” on FOX this fall. FACEBOOK/FOX

Rob Lowe portrays an actor whose “Perry Mason”-like show gets canceled and so he returns to his small Midwestern town to help his brother, a real lawyer (Fred Savage), win cases in “The Grinder.” Another ’80s heartthrob, John Stamos, is a fun-loving bachelor who discovers that not only did he father a child but is now a granddad as well, in “Grandfathered.” Miami is the locale for “Rosewood,” with Morris Chestnut as a pathologist who enjoys solving open murder cases.

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Fall 2015 television preview

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