Southeast Queens Press Epaper

Volume 14 Issue No. 9 March. 1-7, 2013

PRESS Photo by Ira Cohen

‘DON’T ABANDON US!’ Parents, teachers and students gathered to protest the proposed phase out of the Business, Computer Applications and Entrepreneurship High School in Cambria Heights.

By Natalia Kozikowska … Page 3.

Online at www.QueensPress.com

Page 2 PRESS of Southeast Queens March 1-7, 2013

News Briefs Far Rockaway Girl Missing

Karen Daley

Search Underway For Missing Jamaica Woman Police are asking for the public’s help in locating a missing woman from South Jamaica.

Karen Daley, 45, was last seen on Feb. 14 around 3 p.m., waiting for a bus with her aunt at 162-21 Jamaica Ave., according to the authorities.

Daley, of Remington Street, is described as 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighs 135 pounds and was last seen wearing a red ski hat, blue jeans and a red bubble jacket.

Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS, submit tips online at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or text tips to 274-637-CRIMES, entering TIP577.

Fellowship Hosts Taste Fundraiser The Queens Fellowship, a professional development and networking program for Queens-based community leaders, will host a fundraiser for the Queens Fellowship Grant – The One Queens Grant – from 6 to 8 p.m., March 14 at the Magill Auditorium, First Baptist Church of Jamaica.

The grant was created with the purpose of funding projects for Queens-based organizations that educate and advocate for a healthier Queens through inter-neighborhood collaboration.

The event, “Taste of Queens,” seeks to raise money through an auction of variously donated goods from organizations and corporations throughout Queens. All proceeds will directly benefit the One Queens Grant, which will then be donated to Queens organizations that best exemplify its mission on advocating for a healthier Queens.

The First Baptist Church of Jamaica is located at 89-60 164th St., Jamaica. Tickets cost $20. For more information, call (212) 983-4800, Ext. 144, or email thequeensfellowship@gmail.com.

Police are searching for a missing Far Rockaway girl who was last seen more than two months ago.

According to the NYPD, Reimy Torres, 15, was last seen at her Arverne home on Dec.13, located at 54-15 Beach Channel Drive.

Authorities describe her as 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighing 110 pounds with a thin build, a medium skin complexion and brown eyes. At the date of her disappearance, she was wearing a blue coat, blue pants and gray shoes, according to police.

If you have any information on Torres’ whereabouts, call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-577-8477.

You can also submit a tip online at nypdcrimestoppers.com or text your tip to 274637 and enter TIP577.

Drunk Driver Fatally Strikes Elderly Man A drunk Queens driver was arrested on Feb. 28, after hitting an elderly man in Woodhaven.

Viveshdyal Thakoordyal, 47, was driving a maroon Nissan Pathfinder eastbound on Jamaica Avenue when he mowed down John Eberling, 76, as he crossed the avenue near 80th Street, according to the NYPD. The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m.

Witnesses say Thakoordyal ran a red light and struck Eberling.

While Eberling was rushed to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, just three miles away from the accident, he was pronounced dead once he arrived.

Thakoordyal has been taken into custody and charged by police with driving while intoxicated and vehicular manslaughter.

Man Jumps To His Death at Mall A 28-year-old man died on Feb. 27 after jumping from the third floor of the Queens Center Mall.

The yet-to-be-identified 28-yearold victim reportedly leapt from the walkway on the mall’s third floor at about 12:35 p.m., landing in the sublevel near Macy’s and a Baby Gap store.

Surveillance footage is said to have captured the man pacing back and forth with his headphones on before he made the decision to jump. The victim did not die upon impact. Emergency workers took the man to Elmhurst Hospital in an attempt to save him, but he went into traumatic cardiac arrest and died shortly afterwards.

Police said no criminality is susp ected.

March 1-7, 2013 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 3

Presstime

DOE In Hot Seat Over School Closure level of performance academically,” claimed Josiah Butts.

Dozens of angry parents, teachers “The business school and students gathered at a public hearhas had three princiing to express their outrage with the pals within the past Dept. of Education’s recent proposal four years. You can not to phase out the Business, Computer expect a school to Applications and Entrepreneurship change effectively afHigh School in Cambria Heights. ter so many leadership The proposal, released by the DOE changes.” on Jan. 7, placed 26 New York City Another member of schools on the chopping block. Magthe audience, teacher net School of Law, Government and Joel Vigne, was so conCommunity Service, another high sumed by his emotions school in the four that exist at the that he was asked to sit Campus Magnet Complex, was also away from the panel, among that list. where representatives “This decision to phase out BCAE from the DOE and is a difficult one and we do not take school sat, while awaitthis decision lightly,” said Dorita ing to give his presenGibson, Deputy Chancellor of the tation.

DOE said to a distressed crowd on “I refuse to sit at this Tuesday evening. “We examine many factors and data before we propose Parents, teachers and students gathered at a public hearing to protest the DOE’s decision to close panel and I was told their school. that I had to move. I this course of action.” understand that, I re“I would like to acknowledge the ally do. I’m not blaming anybody for Barely proclaimed. students who are here, and their fami- with a new school.

But the BCAE family would not go “If you have the facilities to re- that, but I will not, and I can not sit lies, and who feel their children are doing well and served well by BCAE down without a fight. More than 20 structure, why don’t you use those with this going on!,” a passionate and tonight, we will hear some suc- people took to the mic at the high same funds, materials, to restructure Vigne asserted. Loud cheers from the cess stories and we will honor these,” school’s auditorium, at times even the existing structure?” she asked. audience filled the auditorium.

In his presentation to the DOE, Gibson continued. “But we also need raising their voices, demanding the Her comment was followed by loud Vigne, a math teacher, argued that to consider the other students, whom DOE reevaluate its assessment and burst of applause.

Even students brought some valid only 13 students separated the school the school is not serving well, and help the struggling school rather than arguments to the table to defend the from achieving a 60 percent graduawho have not had experiences that “abandoning” it.

“I’m just saying, I have a problem school’s low 47 percent graduation tion rate – a rate Vigne determined gain success. These students also wrapping my brain around you com- rate and letter D progress report would have been enough to lift BCAE deserve the best.” off the chopping block list.

If approved, BCAE would phase ing, talking about phase outs and you grade.

“Our principal changes – this has He continued to argue that the out gradually over the next several saying it’s a last ultimatum when it years. The school would close in June doesn’t seem like all the constructive been one of the main reasons why DOE’s standard to measuring a 2016 after its phase out is complete. measures have been exercised – at students have not been able to pro- school’s success was inaccurate, even The DOE also plans to replace BCAE all!,” former PTA president Anne duce a high level, or at least average a “lie.”

According to his studies, another school with the same 47 percent graduation rate earned a letter B grade from the DOE because it had a high percentage of students earning more than 10 credits a year.

However, this school’s average One week later, when counting

BY NATALIA KOZIKOWSKA A challenge is unlikely, however, resumed, the BOE determined that, as reports claim that Osina conceded SAT scores – 332 in math and 319 in reading, were significantly lower than Donovan Richards has nabbed the after the absentee ballots and affida- and congratulated his opponent.

31st District Council seat in the vits were tallied, Richards, former “I can officially say I’m the Coun- BCAE’s average scores – 420 in math chief of staff to Sanders, cilman of the 31st District! Thank and 390 in reading. cliffhanger special elecThis is the second time the high had a 2,646-2,567 lead Jesus!” Richards tweeted on Tuesday tion that put him neck and school has been proposed for phase over Osina. neck with Jewish Orthoafternoon.

Reports say that of the dox candidate, Pesach The following day, even Osina’s out. Two years ago, the DOE made a 520 additional absentee boss and avid supporter, Assembly- similar proposal but BCAE was able Osina. and paper ballots, man Phil Goldfeder (D- Ozone Park), to escape the fate.

On Feb. 20, just one The DOE expects to consider the Richards received 133 and acknowledged the victory on Twitday after the Board of proposal at their March 11th Panel Osina received 79, widen- ter.

Elections ceased counting his paper thin lead to ing with a mere 2.63 per“Congrats @DRichards13 on a for Education Policy meeting at 79 votes. cent of votes unread, both well run campaign and victory! We Brooklyn Technical High School at 6 This victory margin, just are going to do great things for the p.m. Brooklyn Technical High School Richards and Osina had slightly larger that 0.5 per- Rockaways together,” the assembly- is located at 29 Fort Greene Place, their heads up high and Brooklyn. declared victory for the Donovan Richards cent, is enough to avoid an man tweeted at Richards.

Reach Reporter Natalia Kozikowska automatic recount by the Reach Reporter Natalia Kozikowska hotly contested seat to replace James Sanders (D-Jamaica), BOE, unless the votes are challenged at (718)357-7400 Ext. 123 or at (718)357-7400 Ext. 123 or nkozikowska@queenspress.com. in court. nkozikowska@queenspress.com. who vacated to join the Senate.

Photo by Ira Cohen

BY NATALIA KOZIKOWSKA

Richards Wins Special Election

Page 4 PRESS of Southeast Queens March 1-7, 2013

Exclusive

Caughman Very Likely To Run For D27

BY NATALIA KOZIKOWSKA

Photo by Natalia Kozikowska

Manuel Caughman, an aide to Assemblyman William Scarborough (D-Jamaica), told The PRESS of Southeast Queens that he will very likely be running for the 27th District Council seat this fall on the Democratic line.

The seat, held by Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), will be up for grabs as Comrie is term-limited.

Although Caughman, 74, said he is not ready to officially announce his candidacy, he did confirm that he has been exploring ways to raise funds and anticipates he will make the announcement soon.

"I'm about 99 and 44/100th percent sure," Caughman said jokingly.

"Is that close enough?"

Having worked alongside Scarborough for nearly 10 years, Caughman said he feels that he is highly qualified for the position. Well equipped with his connections and experience, he hopes to tackle some of the most pressing problems that plague that 27th District.

"I've been involved in community and politics for last 25 years. I've worked with mostly every elected

Assemblyman William Scarborough's aide, Manuel Caughman, is almost certain that he will run for Leroy Comrie's seat this fall. official - they know me and that's one of the reasons I feel qualified for City Council," he said. "I know how to navigate the system and cooperate with different elected officials on the important issues."

Caughman's experience serving as the executive director of the Guy R. Brewer Democratic Club for approximately seven years is also helpful in

identifying the community's needs, he said.

If elected, Caughman said that his number one priority would be to improve education in the struggling school district, especially following the news that the Dept. of Education is planning to phase out three schools in southeast Queens.

"I do not agree with the complete mayoral control [of the school system]," Caughman said. "I think parental input should be placed in the schools. Right now what we're doing isn't really working."

Economic development, foreclosures of homes and the lack of jobs in the community are also relatively high on the potential candidate's to-do list.

"I was Leroy Comrie's campaign manager in 2009 and a lot of issues that Leroy is addressing, I would continue to address those same issues," he said. "But my priorities are education, jobs and the foreclosures - quality of life issues."

Because Scarborough has worked extensively to alleviate flooding in the southeast Queens region, it is not surprising that Caughman, his aide, hopes to continue tackling the

same problems in District 27.

"I am an environmentalist. I am a person who brought the environmental issues to the forefront in Southeast Queens," he said. "I was aboard before a lot of our elected officials started addressing the problem. To this point, Mayor Bloomberg appointed me to the Jamaica Bay Watershed Advisory Committee and I've done extensive work. It is definitely a priority."

Caughman is a native of South Carolina but has resided in Springfield Gardens for more than 40 years.

Before he entered the political landscape, Caughman served four years in the United States Air Force and was part of the first team of Radar Obsevers deployed to Saudi Arabia. He was honorably discharged.

The only candidate to have officially announced her candidacy is Springfield Gardens attorney Joan Flowers, The PRESS of Southeast Queens reported first. But attorney Clyde Vanel and labor leader Daneek Miller are rumored to be in the pool of candidates.

Reach Reporter Natalia Kozikowska at (718)357-7400 Ext. 123 or nkozikowska@queenspress.com.

March 1-7, 2013 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 5

GJDC Reflects On Past, Looks To Future With a number of successful projects under their belt, the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation touted their accomplishments at its Feb. 27 meeting. But as the group reflected on the past, GJDC leaders also expressed concern for the struggles ahead of them.

"We have a long view of Jamaica's prospects and potentials and some of the immediate steps require priority attention if we are going to continue on our path of progress," Lamont Bailey, former chairman of GJDC, said. "Most notable are two troubling conditions in a long-standing and active partnership with the City of New York."

The first problem, Bailey said, is that GJDC relied on the City for significant financial support. He argued that not only has this funding declined recently, but the City was expecting money from the group in the form of property taxes.

"Greater Jamaica is apparently now seen by the City as a source of funds," he continued.

Bailey revealed that the City has revoked GJDC's real estate tax exemption on all of their properties after it determined the group was

"not a charitable organization." As a result, GJDC will need to cough up $1 million in taxes to the City annually - more money than Bailey said the City has ever given them in grants for any given year.

This unanticipated change leaves GJDC in a bind because it did not budget for the payment.

"It is an amount which calls into question our capacity to continue at current levels of effort, not to mention, move forward on basic goals," Bailey said.

GJDC does plan to appeal the decision in the appellate courts and has reached out to Mayor Bloomberg's office a number of times.

The other major obstacle for the group, Bailey argued, is the high con- Former chairman of GJDC says the group centration of homeless shelters in the will face new and ongoing obstacles in the confines of Community Board 12. upcoming year.

"The second item of urgency or seriousness is the continued practice Despite GJDC's new and ongoing of the City to concentrate problem challenges, the group remained posipopulations, including shelters for tive by revisiting some of their most homeless families, in Community recent successful endeavors.

Richard Werber, director of busiBoard 12," he said.

In an effort to deflect the "problem ness services at GJDC, spoke about population," Bailey said, GJDC has the group's Brownfield Opportunity partnered with Assemblyman Will- Areas project. The project will supiam Scarborough (D-Jamaica) to draft port aggressive marketing strategy legislation that would prevent any to attract private investment for the one area from absorbing all shelters. redevelopment of the Jamaica StaPhoto by Natalia Kozikowska

BY NATALIA KOZIKOWSKA

tion Area. It will also support preliminary design studies for infrastructure improvements, focusing on enhancing pedestrian and vehicular routes leading into Station Area.

Other beautification projects include; Station Plaza, which will create new subway entrances, canopies and a roadway realignment which would widen the sidewalks; The Atlantic Avenue extension, which will construct a new street, linking Atlantic Avenue with 95th Avenue; and the rehabilitation of the Long Island Rail Road underpass.

The group also praised its progress in the start of construction on the 161st Street mixed income housing apartments in Jamaica. The building, which will also include retail space, is expected to generate over $30 million in local economic activity and construct 100 affordable homes for families and individuals.

For more information about the projects of the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation, visit www.gjdc.org.

Reach Reporter Natalia Kozikowska at (718)357-7400 Ext. 123 or nkozikowska@queenspress.com

Page 6 PRESS of Southeast Queens March 1-7, 2013

Editorial No More Delays OF SOUTHEAST QUEENS 150-50 14th Road Whitestone, NY 11357 (voice) (718) 357-7400 fax (718) 357-9417 email news@queenspress.com The PRESS of Southeast Queens Managing Editor:

Steven J. Ferrari Contributing Editor:

Marcia Moxam Comrie Production Manager:

Shiek Mohamed Queens Today Editor

Regina Vogel Photo Editor: Ira Cohen

Reporters: Harley Benson Natalia Kozikowska Joe Marvilli Luis Gronda

Art Dept:

On Feb. 19, more than 8,000 voters in Council District 31 went to the polls to vote for a new representative. The seat had been vacant for nearly two months due to the election of James Sanders to the State Senate. With such a relatively small number of voters and a new electronic voting system meant to simplify the process, it is simply unacceptable that it has taken more than a week to finalize the proceedings.

After the damage caused to the district by Superstorm Sandy, it should have been a priority to ensure that the people in the district had a representative on the City Council fighting for them. Instead, the Board of Elections once again provided the people of New York City with ineptitude.

The new schematics for elections were designed to make the process easier while providing faster results. The BOE, however, seems to have not received the memo. In November, lines were as long as they have ever been, as Election Night was fraught with information delays. Instead of ensuring the new systems run smoothly in the future, the BOE is floating the idea of going back to the old machines for the September primaries.

If the Board of Elections has trouble with one City Council district, what will happen when the whole City votes later this year? We can only imagine the problems.

It is time for the Board of Elections to be held accountable for the consistent mess we experience on Election Day. With all the technology we have available to us, we should not have to wait more than a week to announce the winner of an election with less than 10,000 voters.

WRITE ON:

The PRESS of Southeast Queens, 150-50 14th Rd., Whitestone, NY 11357

email news@queenspress.com Fax: (718) 357-9417

A Personal Perspective

BY MARCIA MOXAM COMRIE

Sr. Account Executive Shelly Cookson

If ever there was a guy who should know better, it is Brooklyn Assemblyman Dov Hikind.

Hikind, in some ways, is the Charles Barron of the Jewish community: always quick to hold a press conference on matters of race/cultural insults, with fiery rhetoric . That is not a bad thing at all. But what’s good for the goose should also be good for the gander.

If you speak up when your community is under attack, you should be sensitive to people from other communities and also be willing to take your own to task for offending or harming them in any way.

Well, Hikind is the one being taken to task this week for the offensive getup he donned for a Purim party (a costume party, which is part of Jewish culture). The problem is that Hikind , who

A Queens Tribune Publication © Copyright 2013 Tribco, LLC

Michael Schenkler, President & Publisher Michael Nussbaum, Vice President, Associate Publisher

For The Arts To The Editor: I laud Bro. Carl Clay, of the Black Spectrum Theatre, for his desire to see another type of educational facility that would be inclusive of the theatre arts.

I’m pleased that he realizes that our children can learn above and beyond the so-called traditional methodologies.

It appears that CB12 member Edith Thomas views the world through horse flappers, i.e., a vision with serious limitations and insight into creative learning experiences hasn’t settled in her mind to evidence a level of ignorance/lack of exposure; or, she simply has never paid any attention to the on-screen credits after a movie to see the litany of behind-thescenes people that take a few minutes to recognize.

Edith must look beyond the finished product and see the talent others have developed in a plethora of theatrical occupational areas with some components introduced through a vocational training protocol. Entrepreneurs come in many fields and owe their success to those who believed in their educa-

tional goals, artistic achievements and courage to live the dreams both in front and behind the camera or curtain.

Afi Phoebe, Retired Educator, Jamaica

Green Needs To The Editor: Regardless if you believe or do not believe in global warming and climate change, we can all do our part in promoting a cleaner environment (“Queens Reps Get Green Grades,” Natalia Kozikowska – Feb. 21). Recycle newspapers, magazines, glass, plastics, old medicine, paints and cleaning materials. For local neighborhood trips, walk or ride a bike and leave your car at home. For longer travels, consider many public transportation alternatives such as local and express bus, ferry, jitney, subway and commuter rail services. If none are available, join a car or van pool. All use less fuel and move far more people than cars.

A cleaner environment starts with everyone.

Larry Penner, Great Neck

The Assemblyman And The Insulting Costume

Rhonda Leefoon Lianne Procanyn Barbara Townsend

Advertising Executives Merlene Carnegie Shari Strongin

Letters

hosted the party, donned blackface and an afro wig to host his event. He went as a 1970s basketball player.

Apparently one of his own guests outed his host and posted a photo online. To compound the insult, Hikind at first refused to apologize, explaining, “’I don’t have a racist bone in my body.’”

That may be how he feels inside; but to African Americans that “costume” is tantamount to England’s Prince Harry’s Nazi uniform at a costume party several years ago. Jews and all decent people were shocked and offended by it.

There is absolutely nothing funny about dressing up as anything that has caused untold pain to other people.

At least the errant prince was only 20 at the time; so a lot of people just chalked it up to the poor judgment of a privileged young man. There is no excuse for Dov Hikind.

The Vaudevillian-era per-

former, Al Jolson, is a reviled figure in the African-American community as the person who popularized “blackface,” which simply put, is a white person with face painted black to depict African-Americans as buffoons. Hikind should certainly know this history and if he did not, then one has to wonder how informed he is as an American and a politician.

African-American elected officials have all condemned the Assemblyman’s actions and some, such as the aforementioned Barron, are calling on Speaker Sheldon Silver to strip him of his leadership positions.

Although Hikind insists he is not a racist, the costume might have betrayed something else. We don’t know what’s in his heart, but going by what we saw in that ridiculous getup, many beg to defer.

It is not my place to judge him with assumptions about his motives. But I do have the right to condemn his actions.

The same way he defends his Jewish constituency against slurs, slights and attacks, I also have the right to defend myself and my people against insulting depictions as well.

If Hikind wanted to host Purim as a basketball player he could simply have gone as Larry Bird or some other white basketball player from the era.

Certainly there are and have been white basketball players for him to have dressed up as.

Hikind finally succumbed to the pressure to apologize and did so by saying he now understands how his action that day has caused pain. He finally got it through his thick skull. As such, I am not joining the chorus calling for his resignation or other acts of punishment. I just think he should get some sensitivity training. We all fall short, but we must also seek forgiveness and endeavor to do better.

Forgiveness begets forgiveness. Let’s forgive Hikind and move on.

March 1-7, 2013 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 7

Page 8 PRESS of Southeast Queens March 1-7, 2013

Affordable Care Act

How Does It Affect Queens Hospitals?

BY JOE MARVILLI As 2013 moves forward, more and more provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will go into effect, impacting hospitals throughout the country and throughout Queens.

Being the largest overhaul to the United States healthcare system since the introduction of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965, the ACA will shape the future of both Queens hospitals and physicians in nearly every field. It will cause a complete restructuring of finances and how care is delivered.

Signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010, the ACA has staggered its large amount of changes over a five year period, from 2010 to 2015.

The Changes The initial slew of modifications to the health system in 2010 mainly dealt with increasing coverage and closing loopholes. The reach of Medicare and Medicaid was expanded; young adults are allowed to stay under their parent’s plan until they turn 26-years-old and insurance companies could no longer deny coverage due to technicalities or because of a pre-existing condition.

In 2011, the provisions moved on to saving consumers money, both through cheaper healthcare options and through preventative programs.

Consumer assistance programs were established to help people establish health policies, a Prevention and Public Health Fund was started, prescription drug and healthcare premiums costs were brought down and at-home care was increased.

Two of the most signif icant changes for hospitals occurred in 2012. The ACA encouraged physicians to form “Accountable Care Organizations,” which would coordinate patient care and reduce preventable hospital admissions. The law also created a Value-Based Purchasing program, which would give financial incentives for strong hospital performances.

The provisions enacted on Jan. 1 of this year dealt with improving preventative health coverage and increasing primary care. The act will supply new funding to state Medicaid programs that cover preventive services for patients at little or no cost. It will also require states to pay primary care physicians no less than 100 percent of Medicare payment rates in 2013 and 2014 for primary

Mills also said that the care services, though this ACA has caused the depayment would be funded nial of one- and two-day by the federal governadmissions to the hospiment. tal, which the Centers for In 2014, the biggest Medicare and Medicaid, impact to hospitals will be have deemed to be unnecan increased access to essary. Instead, the paMedicaid will be eligible tient is put in an observafor Americans who earn tion unit for up to 24 less than 133 percent of hours and either allowed the poverty level. The folin as hospital admittance lowing year, 2015, will see or sent home. the final provision of the This cutback on hosACA, which will tie physipital patients with noncian payments to the qualemergency issues and the ity of care they provide.

While these are just a Hospitals are looking at changes as the provisions of President shift to primary care in the community will comfew of the many changes Obama’s Affordable Care Act begin to take hold. pletely rearrange what the ACA will cause, they are the ones that hospitals in Queens gets penalized. There is also a term hospitals are used for.

“The shakeout is that a hospital used by the federal government called seem to be preparing for the most. as we know it will be a trauma center “Never Events.”

“Those are things like, to give an and a large intensive care unit, my The Impact If hospitals continue to operate extreme example, operating on the definition for very sick patients,” Mills as they have in the past, with no ad- wrong leg. The reason they call it said. “The routine trauma, broken justments for the ACA, they seem un- ‘Never Events’ is that they should bones, accidents, etc., we would cerlikely to sur vive, warned Terry never happen,” he said. “You obvi- tainly take care of through our emerLynam, the vice president of Public ously don’t get paid for medical er- gency rooms and our level one trauma center.”

Relations at North Shore-LIJ Heath rors.”

North Shore-LIJ is taking a proSystem. active move towards preventative “If they don’t change the way The Hospitals’ Response they are delivering care, hospitals will To adjust to these new changes, care, adding programs to help those not be able to sustain themselves fi- many hospitals are moving towards who get sick due to an unhealthy nancially,” he said. “They have to be primary and preventative care. This lifestyle. For example, the medical much more pro-active.” is a move away from the emergency center would recommend fixation One of the reasons hospitals are room and specialists and towards a programs for those who smoke.

“The reason being is that one of hurting is due to the decrease in Medi- system of primary physicians who care and Medicaid reimbursement. oversee their patients’ medical well- the primary factors behind spiraling According to Stephen Mills, presi- being. Nurse practitioners would be health care costs in this country is dent and CEO of New York Hospital a big part of this shift, as Lynam the fact that a lot of what we’re payQueens, the drop started when the praised their skill at managing pa- ing for are health problems people bring on themselves,” Lynam said. hospital industry decided to help pay tients’ care.

Another adjustment North Shore for their share of the ACA by taking “In other words, having people $160 billion out of the Medicare pro- get in the habit of selecting and go- is slowly making is how their congram. As a result, there has been a ing to a primary care physician who tracts are laid out with insurers. At the $65 million revenue shortfall from can oversee their care on an ongoing moment, 95 percent of the hospital’s Medicare and Medicaid to NYHQ basis, become familiar with the pa- revenue comes from “fee for services” over the last five years. tient and treat them much more effi- contracts, which means the organizaMills was also worried about the ciently than if they just show up to tion is paid every time a patient walks impact the sequestration would have an emergency room every time they through the door. As they move forward, a growing percentage of that if the cuts went through. The seques- get sick,” Lynam added. tration is an across-the-board spendNYHQ has opened primary care fee will be through “value-based coning drop enacted by the federal gov- facilities in Whitestone and Maspeth tracts,” which rewards accountability, ernment in 2011. If a new deal is not so far. There are plans underway for quality care and prevention.

Although the changes are numerreached by Congress and the Presi- additional locations in Astoria and dent, $85 billion in cuts, split be- Bayside later this year. In order to ous and the financial impact is sigtween defense and domestic pro- combat the combined financial short- nificant, both Mills and Lynam begrams, would go into effect in March. fall of less hospital admittance and lieve that the ACA will work out for Looking forward over the next 10 the Medicare/Medicaid reduction the best in the long run.

“We’re doing things to move care years, it would cost NYHQ about an- though, the additional facilities may other $30 million in Medicare/Med- come at the cost of some programs. out into the community, less expen“The reaction to that can only be sively. That metamorphosis is changicaid reductions.

One of the other major provisions looking at programs we can no longer ing the health care environment comthat will affect hospitals financially afford to provide, looking at reduc- pletely,” Mills said. “Patients will be is penalties for subpar care. Accord- ing expense, but at the same time, better served if this works correctly.”

Reach Reporter Joe Marvilli at (718) ing to Lynam, if a patient is dis- trying to put out primary care praccharged from the hospital and read- tices in various communities,” Mills 357-7400, Ext. 125, or at jmarvilli@queenstribune.com. mitted within 30 days, the hospital said.

March 1-7, 2013 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 9

Police Blotter Compiled by STEVEN J. FERRARI

102nd Precinct Fatal Fire On Feb. 24 at 2:35 a.m., police responded to a 911 call of a residential fire inside 115-18 95th Ave., in South Richmond Hill. Upon extinguishment of the fire, officers observed the victim, a 43-year-old Asian male, unconscious and unresponsive with severe burns about the body.

EMS also responded to the location and pronounced the victim dead at the scene.

The fire has been deemed suspicious and the investigation is ongoing.

103rd Precinct Rape Suspect Apprehended On Feb. 19 at 4:25 p.m., officers conducted a vertical patrol of the subway station located at Archer Avenue and Parsons Boulevard. During the patrol, Officer Timothy Russo, who graduated the Police Academy class in January, observed a suspect jump the turnstile in order to evade payment.

Officer Russo immediately placed

the suspect under arrest. Upon further investigation, Russo determined the suspect, Kenny Campbell, 30, of Jamaica, was wanted for a rape committed in August 2012 within the confines of the 106th Precinct. In that crime, the suspect allegedly broke into the victim’s home, strangled her with an electrical cord and raped her.

Campbell was arrested on charges of rape and theft of service for jumping the turnstile.

109th Precinct Petit Larceny The NYPD is asking the public’s assistance identifying and locating the following suspect wanted in regards to a petit larceny that took place inside 35-14 150th Place in Flushing.

On Jan. 29 at 1:59 p.m., the suspect, identified as Sammy Nour, 31, removed a victim’s unattended cell phone without permission or authority and fled the location. No injuries were reported at this incident.

Nour is described as 5-foot-9 with brown eyes and black hair.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-

TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by visiting nypdcrimestoppers.com or texting their tips to CRIMES (274637) then enter TIPS577.

All calls are strictly confidential.

110th Precinct Robbery The NYPD is seeking the public’s assistance identifying a suspect wanted for a robbery.

On Feb. 14 at 6:20 p.m., the victim entered her apartment in Elmhurst and found the suspect in her apartment. The suspect grabbed the victim, a 69-year-old woman, threw her to the floor and tied her up. The suspect then removed clothing, jewelry and cash from the apartment and fled.

The suspect is described as a darkskinned Hispanic male in his 20s, 5foot-9 and weighing 150 lbs.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by visiting nypdcrimestoppers.com or texting their tips to CRIMES (274637) then enter TIPS577.

All calls are strictly confidential.

114th Precinct Burglary The NYPD is seeking the public’s assistance identifying an individual for a burglary that took place on Feb. 18 inside of the Friendship Baptist Church, 38-35 12th St., Long Island City. The suspect broke the rear door of the church and removed electronics.

Accident Investigation On Feb. 21 at 12:43 a.m., police assigned to PSA 9 responded to a priority emergency 911 call. At approximately 12:45 a.m., while traveling eastbound on 40th Ave., the officer’s patrol car struck an unidentified adult male who attempted to cross northbound on 40th Avenue, mid-block, in between 10th and 11th Streets. EMS also responded and pronounced the man dead at the scene.

The investigation is ongoing.

Save 911 For The Real Thing!

Page 10 PRESS of Southeast Queens March 1-7, 2013

pix

Honoring Rosa

Public Service Award

Photos by Ira Cohen

Queens DA Richard Brown presented the 2013 William Tucker Garvin Public Service Award to Executive Assistant District Attorney Jesse Sligh in celebration of Black History Month. The William Tucker Garvin Public Service Award was established in 2001 when District Attorney Brown held a ceremony to honor the memory of the first African-American Assistant District Attorney appointed in Queens County and is annually presented during Black History Month.

The United States Postal Service, elected officials and members of the community gathered at PS 254 – The Rosa Parks School on Feb. 28 to unveil the USPS’s new stamp honoring Rosa Parks.

March 1-7, 2013 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 11

Borough Beat

More Fines For Outer Boro Businesses

BY LUIS GRONDA

The City’s outer boroughs have become the target for increased inspections and fines, according to a report released by Public Advocate Bill de Blasio last week.

The report, titled “Borough Bia$: How the Bloomberg Administration Drains Outer Borough Businesses,” shows that there have been increased fines and inspections to businesses outside of Manhattan in the past three years.

Speaking to the PRESS of Southeast Queens on his report, de Blasio said that it looks like communities such as Richmond Hill took on the majority of the increased fines and inspections because of its immigrant population.

“That’s what I wonder and that’s what I fear,” he said. “We don’t have anything in this data, or some smoking gun, that 100 percent confirms that, but the circumstantial evidence is pretty strong.”

According to the report, between 2010 and 2012, inspections by the Dept. of Consumer Affairs have increased by 66 percent; violations from

that department have spiked by 153 percent and revenue from those fines have sky-rocketed by 102 percent.

The same is true for the Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene. The report says that, for that same time period, inspections visits have increased by 55 percent to the tune of over 98,000 visits. Violations and revenue from those violations also spiked for that city agency by 73 percent and 90 percent respectively.

According to the report, businesses in Queens face two percent more inspections and four percent more in fines compared to Manhattan. The Bronx is the hardest hit by the increased fines and inspections, showing eight percent and seven percent increases over Manhattan in the last three years.

For Queens, the neighborhoods with the highest rates of inspections and violations by the DCA are South Ozone Park, Woodhaven, St. Albans and Bellaire. South Ozone Park had 348 inspections from the DCA, 2.5 times more than the City average, the report states, while businesses in Woodhaven had 223 DCA violations issued, which is three times more than the average citywide.

Laurelton and Rosedale were the two neighborhoods that paid the most in fines issued by the DCA last year, according to the report. Shops in Laurelton paid $253,668 in fines in 2012, while Rosedale paid $193,400 in that same year.

De Blasio has publicly criticized Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the City Council, specifically Council Speaker Christine Quinn, stating that the City targets the outer boroughs for more fines and inspections. At a press conference held Monday afternoon in Richmond Hill, de Blasio said that the City is using small businesses in Queens as an ATM. De Blasio also criticized Quinn, both whom are running to be the next Mayor of New York, for not doing enough to prevent the imbalance of fines and inspections.

“I don’t think it’s a state secret that the Council leadership has taken a big pass on this issue,” de Blasio said.

“This is a case of [Quinn] looking the other way in a very big way because she’s not going to challenge [Bloomberg] on it.”

In response to de Blasio’s comments, City Council spokesman Jus-

tin Goodman said in an email that Quinn has a record in coming up with results that positively affect small businesses including creating a penalty relief initiative that saved business owners and individuals $36 million in fines and interest.

“Her record on supporting small businesses is second to none,” Goodman said in a statement.

The Mayor’s office has not responded to requests for comment on the report as of press time, but Bloomberg spoke about it during his weekly radio appearance on WOR on Friday.

He said that the reason for more inspections outside of Manhattan is because there are more small businesses in those outer boroughs.

“Manhattan’s population is 1.5 million out of 8.4 million so that shouldn’t be a surprise that there are more places to inspect,” Bloomberg said. “Our job is to make sure that you don’t get sick, for example, if you eat their food.”

Reporter Joe Marvilli also contributed to this report.

Reach Reporter Luis Gronda at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127 or at lgronda@queenstribune.com.

Page 12 PRESS of Southeast Queens March 1-7, 2013

Profile

Emblem Health Opens Center In Cambria Heights

BY NATALIA KOZIKOWSKA EmblemHealth has just opened a new health guidance center in Cambria Heights that will help equip residents with the information they need to take advantage of the services around them.

In an unprecedented effort to help the struggling neighborhoods of southeast Queens, EmblemHealth, the largest New York-based health insurer, is integrating its resources with those in the area to achieve a better standard of living.

The center, EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care, will give locals the chance to meet with experts who will listen to their health challenges and help them use their insurance coverage and other community facilities to live healthier lives – all at no cost.

“We say we’re bringing care back to healthcare,” said Dan Shur, director of strategic planning and administration at EmblemHealth. “In care, we’ve actually brought in the whole technician of it – it’s not just about the provisioning of healthcare but its concerns, considerations

[and] respect. It’s about being very effective and taking care of people’s needs.”

The company’s qualified team of experts is comprised of healthcare solution specialists, community liaisons, a registered nurse, a pharmacist and even a behavioral health specialist.

Together, they assist people in finding a doctor, identifying affordable options, solving claims and billing issues, making sense of their medication, joining health and wellness programs and finding in-network treatment options.

Each appointment is about 20 minutes.

In addition to its health guiding services, EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care, a 2,800square-foot facility, has a wide variety of special features to members of the community that are available for free.

Visitors have access to a health and wellness library, education classes and seminars, an Xbox Kinect fitness station, an iPad station and a ‘neighborhood room’ – a room where neighbors can interact.

“One of our objectives is to teach people the tools that they already have can be used for healthcare purposes – an iPad, a lot of people have iPads these days. Xbox, pretty much everyone has those these days,” Shur said. “We teach them about the [iPad] apps. We teach them things that they can get on their own at home.”

The center will also offer members and neighborhood residents access to community meeting spaces, educational materials and lectures and free health screenings such as blood pressure and body mass index. Their interactive technology will provide visitors with information to help assess health risks and make more informed choices.

EmblemHealth’s initiative was to select neighborhoods that had a need for such centers and their studies determined that Cambria Heights had a high demand.

“We looked to see where the demand was. We saw where people were. We saw where the best practitioners said they should be and we calculated what the gap was,” he said.

“We went to the areas with the big-

gest gaps for everything – depression, mammography, cancer screenings, you name it.”

This comes as good news to southeast Queens, which recently lost three healthcare facilities in a short period of time.

“The challenge is to see how you can keep people healthier by just pointing them to things that already exist,” said David Flemister, director of brand strategy and community marketing at EmblemHealth.

“It’s all about keeping people healthier.”

The health insurer has also opened a location in Harlem, has made the arrangements to build a facility in Chinatown and will even look to expand to other areas in Queens.

EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care is located at 206-20 Linden Blvd., and is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday. For more information about the center, call (866) 539-0999 or visit www.emblemhealth.com/ehnc.

Reach Reporter Natalia Kozikowska at (718)357-7400 Ext. 123 or nkozikowska@queenspress.com

March 1-7, 2013 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 13

A&E

Battle Of The Boroughs Hits Queens

BY JOE MARVILLI Since Queens is the most diverse area in the world, it contains a large assortment of different musicians.

Now, the best of these genres are coming together to battle it out for the chance to be the winner of the Battle of the Boroughs.

In its fourth year, the Battle of the Boroughs is a music competition where artists face off in individual battles in each of the City's five boroughs. With Brooklyn's competition having already taken place, Queens is next up with their contest set for March 1 at 7 p.m. at the Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, 44 Charlton St., Manhattan.

Seven artists from Queens are joining the 64 contestants overall, each vying for a spot in the final stage of the competition, labeled as The Ultimate Battle. That will take place on June 21.

Winners will be selected through votes from both the live studio audience and the online audience watching via a live telecast. Voting will be available online at www.wnyc.org/ thegreenespace and via mobile phone by texting vote codes to 69866.

Five of the bands will be chosen after the evening's votes are tallied and fans will have a chance to vote for another week to narrow it down to one Queens artist, who will be chosen on March 11.

The Ultimate Grand Prize winner

Radio Jarocho

Cavelle-Nell Romeo

will receive a chance to perform at the Apollo Theater in Harlem during its Amateur Night. They will also win an exclusive concert at The Greene Space with a live video webcast, a professional, multi-track recording session and a Tekserve package including iPads, a professional photo shoot and a produced music video.

Each of the seven Queens artists has their own unique style and personality.

Pop rock band The Dirty Gems started in 2007 when Raycee Jones (vocals), Ulises Amaya (bass) and Cam Underhill (synth, vocals) were chosen by their college professor to form a jazz combo as part of a course at Hofstra University. Soon after, Mills (piano), Jack Goode (drums) and Gary Heimbauer (guitar) were added to the mix. The Astoria-based group plans to release their second EP in the near future.

Having formed in 2011, the Ridgewood-based Gentleman Brawlers moves between the lines of strong songwriting, theatrics and sonic experimentation, through the fusion of ambient and psychedelic melodies of guitarists Jim Thompson and Matt Walsh, the Latin funk polyrhythms of bassist Alexis ArkusDun tov an d drummer Da vi d Ashkenazy, and vocal combination and singer Becca Fox's moving stage presence.

The band's debut EP, "We Were Made For These Times," was released in December.

Although Neo Blues Maki mostly performs outside of Queens, the band calls Astoria home. The group formed when bassist Soshi Uchida moved to the City from Japan. He ran into two friends and fellow musicians he knew from his home countr y, singer Kayo Yoshioka and keyboardist/arranger Junya Yamaguchi. The result is a sound that fuses Yoshioka's enka (sentimental Japanese ballads) singing with progressive rock/jazz fusion instrumentation.

Gentleman Brawlers

Dirty Gems

Sean Nowell is another journeyman.

Having grown up with the blues and gospel in Alabama, the tenor Sean Nowell saxophonist moved to New Emmanuel Huitzil on York where he was Nicole Zuraitis marimbol and Carlos Cuessteeped in world tas on leona and vocals, are rhythms concepts. The now Astoria- based in Astoria, Jackson Heights based artist put together his band, the and East Elmhurst.

Kung Fu Masters, as a way to express The band released its first album, the creative experiences he has had "CafĂŠ CafĂŠ," in May 2012. around the world. The group hopes For Cavelle-Nell Romeo, singing to unite humanity through positive has been a part of her life since she expressions of the human spirit with was five years old. Born in the CaribMartial Arts, Jazz/Funk Music, bean twin islands of Trinidad and ToBreakdancing and Video Projection. bago, the R&B singer was strongly Nowell will have a CD release influenced by her mother, who was show on March 15 at 7 p.m. at The also a singer. Now based on St. Bitter End in Manhattan.

Albans, Romeo's musical tastes inRadio Jarocho lets you know clude gospel, jazz, soul and afro-Carwhat type of music they play right ibbean, all of which come through in in their band name. The five-piece her songs. She has performed at the performs son jarocho, a regional Apollo Theater and sang the Nafolk dance style from Veracruz, tional Anthem at Madison Square Mexico. The members, which in- Garden. Her first single, titled "Your clude Gabriel Guzman on jarana Time To Shine," was recently reand vocals, Julia del Palacio on leased. bailadora and vocals, Juan Carlos Nicole Zuraitis is another singer Marin on requinto and vocals, who started at a young age. From the moment she sang Disney's "Zip-aDee-Doo-Dah," music was never far from her mind. A few years ago, the singer/songwriter settled in Astoria and formed a jazz trio, with various members moving in and out of the group.

Zuraitis just released her sophomore album, "Pariah Anthem," and will have a CD release party at Rockwood Music Hall on April 14.

Reach Reporter Joe Marvilli at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 125, or at Neo Blues Maki jmarvilli@queenstribune.com.

Page 14 PRESS of Southeast Queens March 1-7, 2013

Faith

Pastor Helps Community With Learning Center

BY NATALIA KOZIKOWSKA Rev. Roxanne “Lady Simone” Lord, of the People’s First Baptist Church, has opened a new community learning center in Jamaica to help residents better themselves, their families and their neighborhood.

The Community Computer Learning Center, which opened its doors about three weeks ago, provides a wide variety of affordable or free classes to southeast Queens locals to address the area’s growing needs.

“People need more information.

People really need more knowledge.

People are just dying out here,” said Lord. “There are a lot of people suffering out here because they don’t have knowledge. They don’t know what to do, how to make money.

There are a lot of unemployed people – just a lot of people who don’t know what to do with themselves.”

A stone’s throw from the Long Island Rail Road Jamaica Station and the J and E trains, the Community Computer Learning Center already has a lot of people calling in to in-

better and be more quire about classes. prosperous.”

The facility had By offering its first recurring class many instructional on Feb. 15. The business courses at course, How to Get little or no cost to and Keep a Spouse, locals, Rev. Lord is intended for both hopes to improve singles and couples. the economic conLike many of the dition of Jamaica. other courses offered “This is defiat the facility, it is nitely one of the taught by a pastor, main reasons that Ann Marie Knox. we started the cenOther classes ter, to really make an available at the ComRev. Roxanne impact economimunity Computer “Lady Simone” Lord cally and to help Learning Center include; How to Write a Book, How to people increase their finances and Write a Great Movie Script, How to prosper,” she said. “There is too Detox, How to Create Wealth, Com- much lack and to be honest, I don’t puter classes, Word, Excel, think God wants us to be lacking.”

A wide variety of courses are also PowerPoint, Meditation and Yoga, How to Fix Your Credit, How to Buy available for the young adults in the and Sell Real Estate and How to Mas- neighborhood. The goal of the center is to guide them into making better Social Media.

“It’s really about giving back to the ter career and education choices. To community and every pastor is called reach that goal, the facility has even to do that,” Lord said. “We are here partnered with trade schools to proto lead the people to the right direc- vide technical training to tion, so I’m just really answering the the unemployed.

Some of the facility’s other calling of my life to help people do

courses, like How to Manage Anger and Resolve Conflict by Creating Art and How to Survive High School and Get into a Great College, are geared towards helping youth. These classes aim to give the disengaged teens a place to nurture their artistic talents.

“The youth sometimes does not have an outlet,” the Reverend explained. “We provide the outlet for them, where they can come and draw out their creative energy and move them away from violence. We are really using that as a technique to lessen the violence.”

The center is located at 147-12 Archer Ave., and is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. For more information about the center, call (718) 291-1094.

The center’s grand opening will be held on March 8 and will be open to the general public. If you are interested in attending the grand opening, call the same number listed above.

Reach Reporter Natalia Kozikowska at (718)357-7400 Ext. 123 or nkozikowska@queenspress.com.

Notebook Browning School

Local Student Attributes Family To His Success

BY NATALIA KOZIKOWSKA St. Albans teen Christopher Stephens has remained focused on his path towards success since he was a little boy. He attributes much of his academic achievements to having a strong family foundation at home.

Stephens, now 17, began his education at the Laurelton Academy, a small nursery school on 244th Street.

Soon after, the motivated student attended the Waldorf School, a selective and rigorous school in Garden City.

After studying in Nassau County for some time, Stephens continued his education in his hometown in southeast Queens. He attended the Allen Christian School in Jamaica, where he began to demonstrate his academic talents and shine as a student.

In the seventh grade at the Allen Christian School, Stephens was inducted into the National Junior

After Stephens Honor Society and was graduated from the similarly accepted into eighth grade, he went the Oliver Scholars Proon to pursue his edugram – an honor socication at the Brownety comprised of ing School in Manhat“highly motivated” Aftan. The all-boys colrican American and lege preparatory Latino descent stuschool, a selective pridents. He also served as vate school, has captain for the school’s slightly more than 100 math team where he students in its upper competed against other level grades. Stephens schools.

Christopher Stephens still attends Browning In addition to his and earned a 3.3 academia, Stephens spends a lot of time taking part in his grade point average this semester.

In a neighborhood where all too neighborhood activities. For six summers, he participated in plays hosted often young adults steer towards a by the Black Spectrum Theatre of Ja- path of violence and crime, the star student said having a strong family maica.

“I was lucky because I was ac- structure has kept him on the right cepted even though I was too young course.

“I think having a very good fambecause they thought I was ready,” Stephens said. “I participated in six ily foundation is a very key and vital plays. Each play had two perfor- part to staying on the track of sucmances and all the performances cess,” he said. “I feel very bad for the kids [in my neighborhood] that don’t were paid, which was pretty nice.”

have the same. I think that’s one thing we’re lacking and one reason why we are struggling, especially in education. A lot of people blame the teachers or the tests but a lot of it starts at home with the families.”

When he gets older, Stephens aspires to open his own gaming software company that he wishes to open in Queens.

“Because I’ve grown up in Queens all my life, I just think it has an influence,” he said. “I think having the company in Queens, I can enhance and go on those influences – just like it’s helped me grow.”

Although he has not yet applied for any colleges, Stephens said he definitely plans to go. He has his eyes set on schools like the University of Pennsylvania, New York University, Boston College and Yale.

“And those are just to name a few,” Stephens said.

Reach Reporter Natalia Kozikowska at (718)357-7400 Ext. 123 or nkozikowska@queenspress.com.

March 1-7, 2013 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 15

Queens Today SECTION EDITOR: REGINA VOGEL

TEENS

SENIORS

Send announcements for your club or organization’s events at least TWO weeks in advance to “Queens Today” Editor, Queens Tribune, 150-50 14 Road, Whitestone NY 11357. Send faxes to 357-9417, c/o Regina or email to queenstoday@ queenstribune.com

BUKHARIAN LOUNGE Central Queens Y in Forest Hills. 268-5011, ext.

202.

CHESS CLUB Saturdays Flushing library at 2.

TEEN ZONE Monday, March 4 Queens Village library at 4.

LAPTOPS Mondays-Thursdays Hollis library at 3.

CHESS CLUB Tuesday, March 5 South Hollis library. Register.

SISTER-TO-SISTER Tuesday, March 5 for girls 9 and over at the Pomonok library at 4:30.

TEEN ZONE Wednesday, March 6 Queens Village library at 4.

RUBIK’S CUBE Wednesday, March 6 Queens Village librar y.

Register.

ON LINE TEST PREP Wednesday, March 6 LIC library. Register.

TALENT AUDITION Wednesday, March 6 at 5 aLefrak Cit y library.

GAME DAY Wednesdays Howard Beach library at 4.

CHESS Wednesdays at 3:30 Queens Village library.

ANIME CLUB Thursday, March 7 Flushing library t 4.

VIDEO CLUB GAME Thursday, March 7 Peninsula library at 4.

CROCHET WORKSHOP Thursday, March 7 Ridgewood library at 4.

TEEN CHESS Thursday, March 7 South Hollis library. Register.

COLLEGE RESEARCHG Thursday, March 7 Cambria Heights library at 5:30.

CHESS CLUB Thursdays Rochdale Village library 4:30.

KAROAKE & OPEN MIC Friday, March 8 Peninsula library at 4.

SCARF Friday, March 8 at the Whitestone library at 4.

CHESS CLUB Friday, March 8 at 4 at the Woodside library.

MOVIE AFTERNOON Fridays Central library at 3:30.

WII FRIDAYS Fridays at the Hollis library at 3:30.

GAME DAY Fridays at 4 at the Sunnyside librar y.

KNIT & CROCHET Saturday, March 9 a t the Peninsula library at 11.

DIRECTOR/ACTORS STAR is interviewing for a Director of the senior acting group and senior actors. 776-0529.

SOUTH ASIAN Alternate Saturdays Selfhelp BR-PS Senior Center in Flushing. Indian-st yle activities, lunch. 886-5777.

ALZHEIMERS Adult Day Care MondayThursday 9-4 in Flushing.

358-3541.

AARP TAX HELP Monday, March 4 Pomonok library at 11:30.

JACKSON SENIOR Mondays, March 4, 11, 2 5 Ta i - C h i a t 1 0 : 3 0 .

March 14, 21 Zumba Gold 10:45. Fridays 1:30 ESL classes. Breakfast $1, lunch $1.50. Jackson Senior Center. 657-6500.

MEN’S CLUB Mondays 10-noon Men’s club for those over 65 at the Central Queens Y in Forest Hills. 423-0732.

POMONOK CENTER Mondays ESL 10-12 and 1 - 2 : 3 0 . Tu e s d a y s a n d Thursdays free ESL classes 9-10:30. Thursdays Dear Abby Group at 11 and Knitting and Crochet Club at 1 and Chinese Language Classes at 1. Pomonok Senior Center, 67-09 Kissena Blvd., Flushing.

591-3377.

SENIOR COMPUTER Tuesday, March 5 South Ozone Park library at 10.

TAX HELP Tu e s d a y, March 5 Auburndale library at 1.

NUTRITION CLASS Wednesdays through March 27 Nutrition and Health classes for seniors 2-4. 657-6500, ext.

1581.

TAX HELP Wednesday, March 6 Winsor Park library at 1.

STARS Wednesdays Senior Theatre Acting Repertory at the Hollis library at 11:15.

BRIDGE Wednesdays Reform Temple of Fore st Hills.

261-2900.

TAX HELP Friday, March 8 Pomonok library at 11:30.

STARS Fridays Senior Theater Acting Repertory at the Queens Village library at 11.

FASHION SHOW Saturday, March 9 10-2 at Jackson Center, 92-47 1 6 5 th S t r e e t , J a m a i c a . $10 donation. Lunch 11noon.

Yearly schedules and advanced notices welcome!

THEATER OUR TOWN Through March 9 “Our Tow n ” a t Q u e e n s b o r ough Communit y College. 631-6311.

MARISOL May 3-11 “Marisol” is an apocalyptic urban fantasy which urges societ y to ‘wake up.’ Queensborough Communit y College. 631-6311.

HIT LIST March 7-17 at Queens Theatre in the Park. 7600064.

TALKS APPLY FOR FUNDS Saturday, March 2 Flushing library at 2.

Monday, March 4 Elmhurst Hospital at 6.

Saturday, March 9 Fullness of Joy Ministries in St. Albans at 2. Discretionary funding workshops for 2014.

TRUE LOVE Saturday, March 2 “True Love” discussed at UUCQ, Ash Avenue and 149 th Street, Flushing. $5 donation. 380-5362.

WINDSOR PARK Monday, March 4 “I’m Forbidden” discussed at the Windsor Park library at 2.

ROCKAWAY WOMEN Monday, March 4 Forgotten Pioneers: Women of Rockaway Beach at the Peninsula library. Register.

DANCE ISRAELI FOLK Mondays 7:15-9:45 at Hillcrest Jewish Center. $10 session. 380-4145.

LINE DANCING Mondays 6:30-9:30 at Kowalinski Post 4. $7.

Cake and coffee. 5652259.

YOUTH QUEENS LIBRARIES Many branches of the Queensborough Library offer toddler and preschool programs and more. Contact local branches.

DR. SEUSS Saturday, March 2 Central library at 11.

FAMILY STORY TIME Saturday, March 2 Flushing library at 11:30.

WILDLIFE THEATER Saturday, March 2 Central Park Zoo Wildlife Theater presents Polar Opposites at 1 at the Central library.

FAMILY FUN DAY Saturday, March 2 Far Rockaway library at 4.

CHESS CLUB Saturdays at the Flushing library at 2.

MATH HELP Saturdays for grades 48 Flushing library at 10.

SCIENCE LAB Saturdays Central library at 11.

CHESS CLUB Saturdays Flushing library at 2.

TODDLER TIME Sunday, March 3 at Alley Pond Environmental Center. 229-4000.

S TORY T I M E Monday, March 4 at the Hollis library at 11:30.

ECO-CRAFTS Monday, March 4 at the Astoria library at 3:30.

FAMILY STORY TIME Monday, March 4 at the Auburndale library at 4.

LANYARD MANIA Monday, March 4 Far Rockaway library at 4.

LEGOS Monday, March 4 at the Ridgewood library at 4.

GAME NIGHT Monday, March 4 Richmond Hill library at 5.

CRAFT KIDS Mondays Flushing library at 3.

BEGIN CHESS Mondays at 3:30 Windsor Park library.

KNIT & CROCHET Mondays Douglaston library at 4.

SCIENCE CLUB Tuesday, March 5 at the Peninsula library at 3.

NATURE KIDS Tuesday, March 5 at the Sunnyside library at 3:15.

DIGITAL PHOTO. Tu e s d a y, March 5 L aurelton library. Register.

BOOK BUDDIES Tuesday, March 5 East Elmhurst library at 4.

COMPUTERS Tu e s d a y, March 5 Ridgewood library. Register.

WORD PROJECT Tuesday, March 5 Cen-

tral library at 4:30.

BUGS AS PETS Tuesday, March 5 at the Broadway library at 5.

HEALTH & SCIENCE Tuesday, March 5 t the McGoldrick library at 5.

KNIT & CROCHET Tuesdays at 5 Rochdale Village library.

ECO CRAFTS Wednesday, March 6 at the Broadway library at noon and at 2 at the Steinway library.

SIGNING TIME Wednesday, March 6 Douglaston library at 1:30.

READING FOR FUN Wednesday, March 6 at the Laurelton library at 3:30.

ARTS & CRAFTS Wednesday, March 6 Auburndale library at 4.

BUGS AS PETS Wednesday, March 6 Briarwood library at 4.

SCIENCE PROGRAM Wednesday, March 6 Central library at 4:30.

TALENT AUDITION Wednesday, March 6 Lefrak Cit y library at 5.

CHESS Wednesdays at 3:30 Queens Village library and 4:30 Poppenhusen library.

GAME DAY Wednesdays Howard Beach library at 5.

CRAFTERNOONS Wednesdays at the Ridgewood library. Register.

YOUNG LEADERS Wednesdays and Fridays Young Leaders Institute of Laurelton at the Laurelton library at 3:30.

ECO-CRAFTS Thursday, March 7 at the Woodside library at 11:30 and 12:30.

BUGS AS PETS Thursday, March 7 Far Rockaway library at 4.

DR. SEUSS Thursday, March 7 Richmond Hill library at 4.

ZUMBA Thursday, March 7 W i n d s o r Pa r k l i b ra r y.

Register.

DRAMA POSSE Thursday, March 7 Hillcrest library at 4:30.

ECO-CRAFT Thursday, March 7 Broadway library at 5.

READING BUDDIES Thursday, March 7 McGoldrick library at 5.

GAME ON Thursdays at the Central library at 3:30.

PRESCHOOL CRAFT Friday, March 8 at the W i n d s o r Pa r k l i b ra r y.

Register.

SHSAT PREP Friday, March 8 at the

LIC library at 3:30.

BOOK BUDDIES Friday, March 8 at the Douglaston library at 3:45 and at 4 at the Fresh Meadows library.

ST. PATRICK’S CR AFT Friday, March 8 at the McGoldrick library at 5.

KIDS ACTIVITIES Fridays at 3:30 Briarwood library.

CRAFT TIME Fridays at 3 at the Ozone Park library.

GAME DAY Fridays at 3:30 Queens Village library.

ARTS & CRAFTS Fridays Briarwood library at 4. East Flushing Register. Ozone Park at 3.

GAME DAY Fridays Windsor Park at 4.

CHESS CLUB Fridays Auburndale library at 3:30 and W i n d s o r Pa r k l i b ra r y.

Register.

YOUNG CHEFS Saturday, March 9 at Alley Pond Environmental Center. 229-4000.

PICTURE BOOK Saturday, March 9 Ridgewood library at 10:30.

NATIVE AMERICANS Saturday, March 9 at Alley Pond Environmental Center. 229-4000.

WIZARD OF OZ Saturday, March 9 a t the Central library at 4.

GLOBAL WARMING Sunday, March 10 at Alley Pond Environmental Center. 229-4000.

PARENTS PARENT WORKSHOP Monday, March 4 at the Lefrak Cit y librar y at 11:15.

ED TOWN HALL Thursday, March 7 Education Town Hall 6-8 at Mt. Moriah AME Church, 116-20 Francis Lewis Blvd., Cambria Heights.

PARENTING Saturday, March 9 parenting classes for possible behavioral and emotional disorders.

Register LIC library.

PSYCHOLOGICAL CTR Family and child therapy, parent management training and more. 5700500 sliding scale.

ANIBIC Association for Neurologically Impaired Brain Injured Children, Inc. sponsors programs for those through adulthood.

423 - 9550.

March 1-7, 2013 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 17

People Local students were named to the President’s List at Berkeley College.

They include: Queens Village: Christopher Cintron and Nalesha Narine.

Local students were named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2012 semester at SUNY New Paltz. They include: Jamaica: Mili Ali, Gabriela Minueza, Farzana Rahman, Jozina Campbell and Luana Horry.

Laurelton: Sarah Broughton.

Rosedale: Xavier Avery.

St. Albans: Tasheen Harris.

South Ozone Park: P e t e r Mulligan.

South Richmond Hill: Amanda Dallara.

Local students were named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2012 semester at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. They include: Jamaica: Domonique Moody.

Queens Village: Noble Abraham and Terrance McDaniel.

Alisha LaHogue of St. Albans and John Lu of Jamaica were named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2012 se-

mester at Marist College in Poughkeepsie.

Julian Omeally of St. Albans was named to the President’s List at Southern New Hampshire University.

Tatiana Wilson of Rosedale was named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2012 semester at St. Bonaventure University.

Arvin Tangalan of Jamaica was named a member of the SUNY Delhi Alumni Advisory Council, serving on the Council’s Alumni Weekend committee.

Local students were named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2012 semester at the University at Albany. They include: Cambria Heights: Jasmine Adjaye, Roland John, Koren Kersellius, Khadeya Piedra, Delonie Plummer, Sasha Sinckler, Kristal Stanigar.

Hollis: Felisha Brown, Oluwadamilola Oni. Jamaica: Simone Arthur, Jibran Duran, Raisa Karim, Tenaya McDaniel, Nikya Medford, Seun Omotosho, Louis Pacheco, Kevin Riley, Oneisha Robinson, Kiajah Rowe,

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Sheliza Samuels, Michael Simms, Nancy Yang.

Queens Village: Angela Lin, Mohendra Shiwnarain, Kimberli Wallace.

Rosedale: Diamond Anglin, Wayne McKellar, Sonye Nebedum, Geraldine Paul.

St. Albans: Natasha Cooper, Amadin Enobakhare, Thea Reid, Taina Wagnac.

South Ozone Park: Marjorie Salomon, Jeremy Teekasingh.

Laquanique Lake of Jamaice has been inducted to Phi Zeta Kappa’s junior honor society for the fall 2012 semester at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.

Sade Singh of Hollis was named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2012 semester at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington, Mass.

“America’s Beloved Tenor” Daniel Rodriguez will entertain guests at a fundraising gala from 6 to 11 p.m. on April 25 at Flushing Town Hall. The fundraising gala will benefit a special endowment fund for Flushing House.

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Queens Community for Cultural Judaism will present an author’s book talk, “True Love,” a Queens memoir

by Margaret Gruen at 2 p.m. on March 2 at the UUCQ building and Ash Avenue in Flushing. For information, call (718) 380-5362.

A new RFP called 2013 One Queens Grant will award up to $1,000 grants for Queens 501(c)(3) organizations whose projects make the borough a more unified place to live.

Deadline for RFPs is April 11. To apply, visit w w w.communityuplnk .net / onequeens2013rfp.pdf.

Tell The PRESS Send notices of graduation, awards, anniversaries, engagements and honors to: PRESS of Southeast Queens,150-50 14th Rd.,Whitestone, NY 111357 All announcements will be considered for publication without fee.

To Advertise in the Southeast Queens Press Classifieds Call (718) 357-7400 Fax (718) 357-0076 Deadline for Classified Ads is Monday at 2 p.m. prior to publication on Friday Call for Rates

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Page 18 PRESS of Southeast Queens March 1-7, 2013

While Chantal Sade has had a lifelong interest in modeling, she saw it as an art form and a chance to find new forms of expression.

“It just gives me a chance to creatively express myself,” she said. “I see myself as an artist and it allows me to get myself out there.”

Although Sade has only started modeling this past May, the pursuit was instantly gratifying for her; an outlet that let her explore a longstanding passion for glamour. A dental assistant by day, the Queens native was drawn to modeling ever since she was a kid, when she used to dress up for fun. The real appeal for her was the art behind a photo shoot.

“I was more attracted to the art of it,” she said. “You can capture a moment in a photo that people can remember forever.”

Having lived her whole life in the house her grandfather built in East Elmhurst, Sade finds life in Queens nowadays to be peaceful. One of her pastimes involved going down to the bay near LaGuardia Airport and watching the sun set. If she wants to do something more active, she often heads up to Harlem and enjoys listening to jazz music.

“I can be anywhere and I can have fun,” Sade said.

While modeling is a creative hobby for her, Sade said she’s happy to pursue it as long as it allows. She also plans to take up dancing again, particularly ballet.

For more information about her, visit chantalmyrick.wix.com/blacwynter.

Model Of Queens

Creative Expression

One Queens prankster has been arrested for organizing a flash mob of the popular internet dance craze, the “Harlem Shake” at his school.

According to reports, hundreds of students at Forest Hills High School were ordered to disperse when they jammed to the song around 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 15.

The senior who organized the flash mob on Facebook, Arnis Mehmetaj, 17, was hauled away to the 112th

Precinct when he invited more than 500 students to attend. He was charged with disorderly conduct and was given a desk appearance ticket.

To make matters worse, Mehmetaj was also given a five-day suspension from school.

While it has become a worldwide phenomenon, to this QConf reporter, the “Harlem Shake” just looks like people suffering from a seizure.

Hidden Heroin

Chantal Sade Location: East Elmhurst Age: 23 Height: 5’5” Weight: 105 lbs.

Stats: 38-25-32 Photo by Jim Chow

Trump Hall of Fame Bound

Donald Trump - the newest member of the WWE Hall of Fame

He's one of the richest men in the world, hosts a wildly popular television show and has even mulled running for office. But all of that pales in comparison to the latest honorific on Donald Trump's resume.

On Monday, it was announced that the Queens native would be made the celebrity honoree for this year's WWE Hall of Fame class.

Trump will be inducted during a ceremony at Madison Square Garden on April 6, the night before WWE's annual WrestleMania.

The Donald is no stranger to the squared circle or to WrestleMania. Trump Plaza in Atlantic City hosted the event in 1988 and 1989, and Trump participated in a Hair vs.

Hair (toupee?) battle with WWE owner Vince McMahon in 2007.

Trump will be inducted alongside wrestling champions Bruno Sammartino, Bob Backlund, Mick Foley and Trish Stratus.

Who We Are @ QConf QConf is edited by: Steven J. Ferrari. Contributors: Luis Gronda, Natalia Kozikowska, Joe

Marvilli, Marcia Moxom Comrie, Mike Nussbaum, Mike Schenkler, John Scandalios.

Email: Conf@QueensTribune.com.

Fries With That Shake?

Although Dominican singer Martha Heredia was a winner on “Latin American Idol,” she was a real loser when she got caught trying to smuggle heroin on to a plane bound for New York City.

Heredia was arrested on Feb. 20 after police found 2.9 pounds of heroin stuffed into three pairs of platform shoes packed in her suitcase. Law enforcement is still attempting to determine whether she was working as a mule for a drug-trafficking organization.

Back in 2011, the singer, also known by her nickname “La Baby,” called her first

Latin American Idol Martha Heredia album “Lose or Win.” Sadly, this case shows which of those categories she’s falling into.

Fashionable Pooch A Greek fashion publicist was arrested at John F. Kennedy Airport last week for allegedly stealing a Salvador Dali painting from a Manhattan art gallery last year.

According to reports, Phivos Istavrioglou was cuffed at JFK right when he got off of a flight from Milan, Italy.

Istavrioglou reportedly walked off with the “Cartel de Don Juan Tenorio” painting while he was looking at paintings.

The alleged robbery was caught on surveillance video and he anonymously mailed the painting back to the United States, undamaged.

The publicist pleaded not guilty in Manhattan Criminal Court and will be due back in court.

QConf would like to remind readers beauty is in the eye of the beholder, not the person holding the beautiful works of art.

Campaign Misstep Organizing a campaign is hard work on any level, but running a campaign for Mayor of New York City involves a lot of organization for candidates.

Just ask John Catsimatidis, for instance.

Last week, the candidate sent out a press announcement touting a recent endorsement.

At the bottom of the release was a link to Catsimatidis' website, www.johncatsimatidis2013.com.

The link, however, directed readers to catsimatidis2013. com, which the candidate clearly never registered.

It looks like someone could use a little bit of help on the campaign trail...

March 1-7, 2013 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 19

What’s Up and up. Call (718) 480-4300 to schedMARCH 2 an appointment. This free proJazz at St. Albans: Camille ule gram will be held at the Adult LearnThurman ing Center located 91-14 Merrick St. Albans native Camille Thurman, a multi-talented saxophonist, vocalist and composer will be playing at the St. Albans Congregational Church.

Her lush, velvety sound on the tenor saxophone has invited caparison to tenor greats Gene Ammons, Stanley Turrentine and Lester Young. The free concert will begin at 5 p.m. at the church located at 172-17 Linden Blvd.

Donations are welcome.

MARCH 3 Women LEAP This forum is for women who are or want to become leaders within their communities but poses a challenge to achieving that. Whether you want to play an integral role in your local PTA, school board, library board, civic association, county government or State government, we understand that there are many obstacles, circumstances and uncertainties that may be holding you back. Come hear from women who have lived your struggles and who can help answer your questions. For additional information, contact Monique HardialSwaby at (516) 469-1176. The free forum will be held from 2:30 to 4:30 at 64 Rockaway Ave. in Valley Stream.

Breaking Boundaries The "ladies" who founded the King Manor Association in 1900 epitomized the dynamism exhibited by many American women in the early twentieth century who were eager to re-direct their energies beyond their traditional domestic sphere. The King Manor Association worked not only to restore and preserve a valuable historic house in the Jamaica community, but also to "foster patriotism and good citizenship." These efforts are now recognized as part of the nationwide Women's Club movement. A free event celebrating their accomplishments will be held at 3 p.m. at the museum located at 153rd Street and Jamaica Avenue.

MARCH 4 Stay Well Learn how special exercises and relaxation techniques can make a difference in your life. This free event will be held at 10 a.m. at the Queens Central Library.

MARCH 5 Are You Ready for the GED? Are you ready for the GED? The Queens Central Library is offering a free GED assessment for kids ages 17

Blvd., 6th Floor, Jamaica at 9:30 a.m.

Brown. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for students with ID. The celebration will be held at the school at 6:45 p.m. The Humanities and the Arts High School is located at 207-01 116th Ave.

Small Business Workshop Learn how to develop a business idea into a business plan at the Queens Central Library. Participants will learn about creating a demand for a product or service; setting goals, objectives, budgets, and timelines; identifying resources and networks; and getting ready to open your "doors."

For further information, please visit the Job Information Center or call (718) 990-8625. The free workshop will begin at 7 p.m.

MARCH 6 Interview Skills It takes practice to perfect interviewing skills, which is why the Queens Central Library will host a free workshop to help residents learn how to prepare for a job interview and successfully deal with difficult questions.

For more information, call the Job Information Center at (718) 9908625. The workshop will be held at 10 a.m.

ONGOING Lincoln Park Basketball Association The Lincoln Park Basketball Association is starting its winter/spring basketball program. Boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 15 are welcome. The registration fee is $50.

It includes insurance, weekly training sessions and a t-shirt. Full payment must be made by Feb. 9, with no exceptions. Parents or guardians must bring proof of their child's age. Birth certificates, passports or school records are all valid forms of ID. All participants must remember to bring sneakers and shorts to the gym.

Coaches are needed as well. The basketball clinic will take place at the Queens Transition Center on 142-10 Linden Blvd. in South Ozone Park.

The entrance for the program is in the school yard in the rear of the school.

The clinic lasts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

It is ongoing until March 23.

ShapeUp NYC: Aerobics for Mobile CPR Program FDNY EMS instructors will come Adults Keep that New Year's resolution with free weekly fitness classes through ShapeUp NYC. Aerobics for Adults, a free class offered at the Queens Central Library, provides a moderate workout that burns calories and improves cardiac function. Space is limited. Participation is on a firstcome, first-served basis. The class starts at 4 p.m.

Professional Development Workshop for Childcare Providers This free interactive workshop held at the Queens Central Library, will provide information and resources to informal (license-exempt) childcare providers throughout the five boroughs of New York City on building relationships and nurturing social and emotional development; how children learn; physical well-being and development; language and literacy.

It will begin at the library at 6:30 p.m.

MARCH 7 "The Journey: Through the Eyes of a Dancer" Humanities and the Arts High School invites you to celebrate Black History Month with a dynamic program featuring our dance program under the direction of Rhonda

out to your site to conduct the CPR training using your facilities. The Be 911 Compressions Only CPR Program is brought to you free of charge

by FDNY and NYC Service. The goal of the program is to train as many people as possible in basic CPR skills.

In addition, participants will be briefly educated on the automated external defibrillator (AED) used to try and revive a person suffering from cardiac arrest. Though this program does not certify any participants, the FDNY and NYC Service believe increasing the knowledge of how to save a life is far more beneficial.

The program welcomes all ages, as long as the individual can demonstrate competency in retaining the required skills.

Appointments can be made Monday through Friday during the hours of 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Classes may be approximately 20 minutes depending on the size of the group.

For group registration of 10 or more participants or further information, contact the FDNY's CPR Training Unit at Telephone Number (718) 281-3888.

Group Sessions Clergy United for Community Empowerment, Inc. Group Sessions are located at 172-17 Linden Blvd.

Second Floor, St. Albans, for the community on various topics such as domestic violence, mental health, substance abuse intervention, decision making, condom use, high risk behaviors leading to HIV, and self - esteem awareness. All group sessions offer light snacks and beverages. Group sessions are open to the public.

Round-Trip Metro Card reimbursement is available at the end of each completed session. For further information call (718) 297-0720. All services are free. Please call for next group date.

Infant Mortality Clergy United for Community Empowerment's Infant Mortality Reduction Initiative program provides the following services free of charge: case management services, parent skills building, crib care, breast feeding education, health education, nutritional information/education, referral for HIV testing, confidential one-on-one counseling, workshops, and women support groups. IMRI provides referrals for Food stamps, GED, GYN, Emergency Baby Formula (qualifications required) and more. Call (718) 297-0720. Located at 172-17 Linden Blvd. Second Floor, St. Albans. Services are available Tue.-Thurs. 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

HIV Awareness Clergy United for Community Empowerment provides intervention and curriculum-based prevention education sessions on HIV/AIDS, to reduce risk behaviors that lead to HIV transmission. Services are located at 172-17 Linden Blvd. Second Floor, St. Albans. Call (718) 297-0720 ask about our presentation to adolescents and men/women of color. Services are available Tue.-Thurs., 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Merrick Flea Market A flea market has opened at 22102 Merrick Blvd. On sale are a wide range of items, including household items, jewelry and clothing.

The market is open every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

What’s Up With You? Send your community events to the PRESS for a free listing at 150-50 14th Rd. Whitestone, NY 11457 All events will be considered for publication, without a fee.

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