Southeast Queens Press Epaper

Volume 13 Issue No. 20 May 18-24, 2012

PAGE 18

PRESS Photo by Ira Cohen

WAGE WAR

Elected officials, clergy and community supporters gathered at JFK Airport Wednesday to call for basic standards for nonunion airport workers.

By PRESS Staff … Page 3

Online at www.QueensPress.com

News Briefs

Page 2 PRESS of Southeast Queens May 18-24, 2012

All-Stars Citi Field Bound At an announcement at City Hall on Wednesday, Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan “Bud” Selig named Citi Field the host for the 2013 MLB All-Star Game. Selig was joined by New York Mets chairman and CEO Fred Wilpon, Mayor Mike Bloomberg, and, of course, Mr. Met for the event.

The 84th annual game is scheduled for Tuesday, July 16, and will be broadcast nationally on FOX. This will mark only the second time in the team’s history that they will play host to the Midsummer Classic. Shea Stadium — in its inaugural season — was the site of the 1964 game, won by the National League 7-4 on a three-run walk-off home run with two outs by Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johnny Callison.

Overall, New York City has hosted eight previous All-Star Games, with the old Yankee Stadium being the site in 1939, 1960, 1977 and 2008, its final season.

The Brooklyn Dodgers hosted the game in 1949 at Ebbets Field, while the Polo Grounds, home to the New York Giants, had the exhibition in 1934 and 1942.

In Queens, Seth Bornstein, executive director of the Queens Economic Development Corporation, said having an event of this magnitude come to the borough is a great opportunity.

While many who come to the City for the All-Star Game might choose to stay at one of the many luxury hotels in Manhattan, Bornstein said his group will be working with local agencies to ensure that visitors spend their money in Queens.

With a large interest in Queens among tourists, Bornstein said the announcement brings even more attention to the borough.

He said the QEDC will make sure to highlight the opportunity to have a great meal in downtown Flushing or along Northern Boulevard, or visit the beach in Rockaway.

A study released by the New York City Economic Development Corporation estimates that the 2013 game will generate $191.5 million in total economic impact.

Farmers Market Coming To Forest Hills Farmers markets have become a popular destination for urbanites seeking some slice of fresh country life, or strawberry rhubarb pie. Popping up all over the borough in the last few years, there are farmers markets in Astoria, Douglaston and even Jamaica.

Now, Forest Hills will join the list of urban centers serving fresh farm produce.

Every Sunday beginning in July and ending in November, eight to 10 farmers will gather in front of the post office at Queens Boulevard and 70th Avenue and sell fruit, vegetables and homemade pies from upstate farms. The market received

a street activity permit from the City so that the trucks could access the site, but the market will not take up any street space, rather would be regulated to the wide sidewalk adjacent to the post office directly across the Queens Boulevard eastbound service from MacDonald Park.

A farmers market has been a top priority for some local residents who say the closest markets, such as the one at the Shops at Atlas Park, are too far to walk in a neighborhood where many do not have cars. Other nearby farmers markets, such as Corona and Jamaica, are only accessible by public transportation. At a meeting of local environmental advocates at the Central Queens Y last year, a local farmers market was listed as a top priority with the location in front of the post office a top suggestion along with the section of 70th Road between Queens Boulevard and Austin Street and Forest Park.

Community Board 6 District Manager Frank Gulluscio said the farmers market, which got the support of the board at its May meeting, had near unanimous support from the community.

Gulluscio said around 100 calls and letters in support of the farmers market were received by CB 6.

He added there would still be plenty of room for the farmers market to expand next year if there is a great reception and interest in other farmers to join the market.

It’s My Park Day New York City’s premier park volunteer event, It’s My Park Day, will take place in more than 150 parks throughout the City, including 22 parks in Queens, on Saturday, May 19.

The event, run by Partnership for Parks, invites families to join in local volunteer projects and free cultural events in their neighborhood parks. From planting to painting to nature walks and boating, plus arts and crafts suitable for all ages, thousands from all over the city are expected to join in with the community-building event.

In Astoria Park, the Astoria Park Alliance is helping to bring free fitness classes to the park and, in connection with Partnership for Parks, will launch “People Make Parks,” a program that helps New Yorkers participate in the design of their parks.

Lopez-Gilpin first got involved in the park in 2007 by simply picking up trash she noticed on the ground. This small act led her to organize the Astoria Park Alliance, which works to better and beautify the park.

Jules Corkery, the alliance’s other cochair, said educating the public would help make the park a better place.

It’s My Park Day events in Queens will take place in Briarwood, College Point, Corona, Jamaica, Middle Village, Rockaway Beach, Rochdale, Rosedale, Springfield Gardens, Sunnyside and Woodside.

Presstime

Community Rallies Against Toxic Lighting

BY VERONICA LEWIN

PRESS Photo by Veronica Lewin

In 1978, the federal government banned the manufacturing of polychlorinated biphenyls in building materials, such as light fixtures. The move was made after growing safety concerns about the chemicals. Thirty-four years later, traces of this chemical remain in the lights of more than 600 City schools, causing parents and community leaders to take action.

A rally was held outside of PS 195 in Rosedale Wednesday afternoon to express concern about the old T-12 lighting used at the elementary school. The ballasts of these lights are known to contain PCBs, toxic chemicals that have been linked to cancer, asthma and other repertory disorders. Though it is hard to detect, it is likely that many of the T-12 lights are leaking PCBs, increasing the chance of exposure.

“The so-called Education Mayor and his cronies at the DOE are dragging their feet while our chil-

Parents and community leaders rally outside of PS 195 on Wednesday to call on the Dept. of Education to replace dangerous lighting now. dren have to sit in toxic situations,” said Jean Sassine, PS 195 parent and leader of New York Communities for Change’s Queens Chapter.

Last year, the City began a 10year plan to remove PCB lighting fixtures in 650 schools and replace them with energy efficient

lights. The group noted that by the time the repairs get made in the next nine years, most of the students will have advanced to other schools. Meanwhile, teachers could have to endure up to nine more years of exposure to PCBs. The DOE said that repairs

could take years because the lights will be replaced outside of school hours to minimize disruption.

“That’s just simply inaccurate,” said Christina Giorgio, staff attorney with the New York Lawyers For Public Interest.

PS 195 Principal Beryl Bailey

sent a letter to parents dated April 3 alerting them of the DOE’s plans to fix the lights eventually. The letter emphasized that there is no immediate health risk to students and staff currently in the building.

A study released last month by the Children’s Environmental Health Center at Mt. Sinai listed PCBs as the third most likely environmental toxin to cause autism and learning disabilities.

Down the road, PCBs can cause reproductive complications in women years after exposure.

The new PCBs Lights Out Campaign encourages parents to do their own walkthroughs inside public schools to detect lights leaking PCBs. “Parents should walk through the schools and see if they can find leaks,” Giorgio said. The campaign is sponsored by the Chancellor’s Parents Advisory Council.

For more information, visit pcblightsout.org.

Reach Reporter Veronica Lewin at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 123 or vlewin@queenspress.com.

Super Accused Of Harassing Gay Tenant doing his job.”

Alba was forced by the Dept. of Housing Preservation and Development to fix Gonzalez’s broken toilet and windows, which were at one time bolted shut.

HPD’s Housing Litigation Division has been involved in more than 10 cases in housing court filed against the owner between 2005 and 2011. In the Human Rights complaint, Gonzalez alleges that Alba called him a “queer,” “gay” and “pedophile.”

“This is America, anyone can choose any lifestyle, and nobody has the right to criticize their skin color, their religion or their lifestyle,” said Anderson, who has resided for the entirety of her life – 67 years – at Loval Hall.

“Please, the people of New York, don’t let people do this, this is not the way it’s supposed to be.”

Gonzalez was eager to speak of his plight.

“I don’t think in any other country, this has happened to a

human being, no way,” he said.

“We are in a dangerous situation.”

Reach Reporter Ross Barkan at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127 or rbarkan@queenstribune.com

Wage Parity:

Councilmen Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) and Jumaane Williams (D-Brooklyn) were among the dozens of people who took over Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy Airport Wednesday afternoon.

Elected officials, clergy and community groups joined employees to call for an Airport Worker Bill of Rights that would guarantee basic standards for all contract airport employees at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s airports.

May 18-24, 2012 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 3

Within the walls of Loval Hall on 88-22 Parsons Blvd. in Jamaica, Sergio Gonzalez said he has been suffering.

The openly gay tenant alleges that the building’s superintendent, John Alba, bombards him with anti-homosexual slurs and spat at him. A 39-year resident of the downtown Jamaica apartment building, Gonzalez filed a complaint with the City Human Rights Commission last fall against Alba.

“What bullies do is attack people for who they are,” said Councilman Jim Gennaro (DFresh Meadows). “Sergio is a gay man, and he has endured slurs from the super who is a goon.”

Gennaro called a press conference outside of Gonzalez’s apartment building on May 11 to denounce the superintendent and owner of the apartment building, New York Affordable

Housing Associates, III. Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights), a representative from Christine Quinn’s office (DManhattan), various LGBT advocacy groups and Make the Road New York, a Latino advocacy group, joined Gennaro.

Michael Mallon, president of the Gay and Lesbian Independent Democrats, spoke in support of Gonzalez as well.

While Amy Anderson, the building’s tenant representative, accused Alba of physically intimidating her and refusing to repair leaky roofs, malfunctioning plumbing, or provide overnight heating, Thornton Hubbard, vice president of the Tenant Association, defended Alba and argued tenants were lying about Alba’s harassment.

“They’re just slandering his name,” Hubbard said. “They don’t like that he’s a person that can’t be manipulated or used or a servant to them. He’s

PRESS Photo by Ira Cohen

BY ROSS BARKAN

City Council Begins Redistricting Process

BY DOMENICK RAFTER The new maps for Congress and the state legislature are drawn, but the redistricting is not over. New City Council district lines still have to be drawn and the process to do that is beginning.

But unlike the other two processes, the lines will not be drawn by a single judge or the

council members themselves, but rather by an independent commission.

The commission, mandated by the City Charter, is made up of 15 members, eight appointed by the City Council party leaders and seven by the mayor.

Members must include at least one from each borough and include racial and language minority groups. The first eight mem-

bers of the 15-member commission were appointed earlier this month; five members were picked from the majority Democrats and three members by the minority Republicans. Mayor Mike Bloomberg will pick the final seven members.

Two of the eight Council appointees are from Queens; Forest Hills lawyer Linda Lin is one of the Democratic appointees and

former Councilman and Council Minority Leader Tom Ognibene was appointed by Council Republicans to the committee.

The commission will meet this summer and have a draft plan for the new council districts by the fall, followed by public hearings on the proposed maps.

A revised plan will be submitted to the City Council early in 2013 for final approval in about a year.

The plan would also have get clearance for the U.S. Dept. of Justice. The new maps would go into effect for the 2013 elections.

The last redistricting process for the City Council occurred in 2002-2003 and was in effect for the 2003, 2005 and 2009 elections.

Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at (718) 357-7400 Ext. 125 or drafter@queenstribune.com.

Ozanam Hall Nurses Could Call For Strike

BY ROSS BARKAN

Page 4 PRESS of Southeast Queens May 18-24, 2012

Nursing workers at Ozanam Hall in Bayside are on the verge of going on strike.

Represented by UFCW Local 342, the workers at the Catholic nursing home have been without a contract since 2010 and are locked in intense negotiations with management that union spokesman Kate Meckler has characterized as "frustrating."

According to Meckler, the certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses, housekeepers, dietary and clerical staff that make up the union have voted to strike, though the vote has not been certified by union leaders as of press time. On May 18, the union will hold a press conference outside Ozanam Hall on 201st Street to call on Diocese of Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio to intervene and

address their myriad concerns.

The union contends that Ozanam Hall wants to shrink the hours of full-time workers from 37.5 to 35 and deny workers "fair" wage increases. A union audit discounted the nursing home's claim that its financial situation is dire. The auditor, according to Meckler, signed a confidentiality agreement and will not release the exact figures. The union is seek-

ing a 3 percent wage increase.

Workers at Ozanam Hall stuck in 2002 and 2006. The union is also arguing that cutting hours will adversely impact patient care. Ozanam Hall joins a long list of Queens-area nursing and medical facilities, including St. Mary's Healthcare System for Children in Bayside and Flushing Hospital Medical Center, that have experienced labor staff.

"A fair increase will help workers keep up with cost of living experiences, and pay bills," Meckler said.

"We're not looking for the moon, we're looking for people to survive."

Ozanam Hall did not return requests for comment as of press time.

Reach Reporter Ross Barkan at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127 or rbarkan@queenstribune.com.

Forum Warns Of Social Media Woes For Teens

BY VERONICA LEWIN

Photo by Veronica Lewin

Social media has evolved as a way to share your lives with friends and family around the world. Though its benefits are vast, it has changed the way people interact with each other.

Some organizations are beginning to take a look at the effect social media has on adolescents.

The Queens Forum hosted a discussion called “The Impact of Social Media on Teen Health� at LaGaurdia Community College on May 8. A panel of six people who have an interest in the well being of teenagers weighed in on the role technology has played in the way young people grow up today.

Tali Horowitz, New York City education program manager of Common Sense Media, was the keynote speaker at last week’s event. She said that today’s youth are spending an average of 7.5 hours a day with technology. While teenagers have usually been self-absorbed, social media has provided

today’s teens with numerGasper, senior assistant disous platforms to express trict attorney for the themselves.

Queens DA’s Office. She The forum mainly fooften visits schools and orcused on cyber bullying. ganizations to speak with While bullying has always youth about the consebeen a problem in schools, quences of their actions beits reach has extended over fore they engage in inapthe past 20 years. In the propriate behavior. past, students were safe One of the effects of sofrom bullying outside of the cial media is the instant school’s walls. Ten years gratification it allows. ago, AOL Instant Messen- Social media sites like Twitter can be a source When someone posts on ger followed kids from the of cyber bullying for teens.

Facebook, they often reclassroom to their home ceive feedback instantly. In The panel said another issue recent years, young people have computers. Now, social media platforms and smart phones with social media websites is the taken advantage of this to know make it difficult for a child being ability to remain anonymous. Stu- where they stand with their dents today tend to say things peers. bullied to escape torment. “You may or may not know online that they would not say to According to Horowitz, teenwho the cyber bully is, and even a peer face to face. Because of the age girls have been posting phoif you do know who the cyber ability to post comments under an tos and videos of themselves on bully is, you’re not sure how alias, it could be more difficult to YouTube and Facebook and askmany other people are seeing track who is doing the bullying. ing people to rate their appear“Teenagers, on the one hand, ance. While comments can be what’s going on and that could really exacerbate the feelings of seem to enjoy the fact that ev- positive, some users take the erybody can see what they’re opportunity to be as frank as aloneness,� Horowitz said.

According to the panel, be- doing but, on the other hand, possible. One user told a girl she ing a victim of cyber bullying can don’t appreciate the conse- should commit suicide because lead to substance abuse, eating quences of everybody seeing of her looks. what their doing,� said Kateri disorders or even suicide.

According to Maggie

Flaherty, communications manager at the National Eating Disorder Association, recent studies have shown that young women who spend more time on social media sites are more apt to develop eating disorders.

A new social media site called Pinterest allows users to post photos of their interests.

People soon began posting photos of thin women they aspire to look like, also known as “thinspiration.� After a push from the National Eating Disorders Association, Pinterest now warns users who search for “thinspiration� that eating disorders are not lifestyle choices and refers them to a national hotline.

Still, that has not stopped young people from posting these photos.

To curb the negative impacts of social media, Horowitz recommends being a role model for young people and teaching media literacy at a young age.

Reach Reporter Veronica Lewin at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 123 or vlewin@queenspress.com.

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Letters

Editorial 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

Keep Them In Queens With so many diverse cultures, Queens has a lot to offer anyone who travels to the borough. With this week’s announcement that Citi Field will host the 2013 All-Star Game, it’s time we showed the world the wonders of the borough.

The borough is replete with food from around the world. Destinations like the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria and the New York Hall of Science are wonders that can fill anyone’s day with culture. Flushing Meadows Corona Park, the site of two World’s Fairs, gives visitors a great sense of the borough’s history. These attractions should be highlighted, and the All-Star Game is a great opportunity to show them off.

The City Economic Development Corp. estimates that nearly 200,000 people will travel to the City for the activities surrounding the event. Instead of highlighting what New York City has to offer for those travelers, officials should highlight all the amenities that Queens has to offer and keep those visitors from boarding the 7 train out of the borough.

There is so much going on every day in Queens. Now is our chance to show that to the world.

Letters

Photo Editor: Ira Cohen

Reporters: Harley Benson Veronica Lewin Domenick Rafter Ross Barkan Jason Pafundi Interns: Brianna Ellis Joanna Gonzalez Art Dept:

Rhonda Leefoon Candice Lolier Barbara Townsend

Page 6 PRESS of Southeast Queens May 18-24, 2012

Advertising Director Shanie Persaud Sr. Account Executive Shelly Cookson Advertising Executives Merlene Carnegie Shari Strongin

A Queens Tribune Publication. © Copyright 2012 Tribco, LLC

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

More Hours Needed To The Editor: One of the most valuable cards in my wallet is my Queens Library card. I use the library not only for recreational reading but also for

research in developing topics for presentation to my adult learning group at Hofstra University (PEIR). I can refer to as many books as I need without having to purchase them. Or even knowing if they will be helpful or not. Just request it (on line) peruse it and

get to know its contents.

The library is used all day.

When I arrive at opening time people are waiting to get in and at closing time they are reluctant to leave until the last minute.

Children are ever present after school hours. Unfortunately they, and we, can no longer visit the library on Saturdays.

Over the years I have been observing the cuts to this valuable resource for the citizens of Queens. This needs to stop. Citizens in a democracy need access to information. This most valuable resource must be kept available in sufficient days and hours.

No more cuts. In fact hours and days should be added back.

Eve Winter, Flushing

tells us about the criteria for public office has to do with “intelligence, honesty…” etc., etc.

Gimme a break, Benny. When the votes are tallied in June, you’ll see the majority of votes in the Jewish area going to Lancman, the great bulk of the Asian vote in Meng’s column and the Christian tallies in favor of Crowley.

We’ll have to rewrite the civic books!

By the by, Barack Obama got 97.3 percent of the black vote in 2008. Care to comment on that one, Mr. Haber? One other thing, Mr. Haber: you describe yourself as a “registered Democrat.” There is no such animal; you are an enrolled Democrat who has registered to vote.

Kenneth Lloyd Brown, Forest Hills.

Ethnic Divide To The Editor: Benjamin Haber, in one of his usual goody-goody letters, wants us to believe that people in the coming Democratic congressional primary in the 6th CD that has an Asian woman, a Christian woman and a male Jew won’t divide the vote on an ethnic-religious basis. He, tongue-in-cheek,

WRITE ON: The PRESS of Southeast Queens,

150-50 14th Rd. Whitestone, NY 11357 email news@queenspress.com fax: (718) 357-9417

Karma’s Crap Falls On Former Senator A Personal Perspective

BY MARCIA MOXAM COMRIE The long, ugly saga of Pedro Espada finally ended with a conviction in a Brooklyn courthouse earlier this week. Normal people would assume that if you are on trial for ripping off the non-profit you founded then your personal funds will be depleted by legal fees.

But the most remarkable thing about this sordid case is that we found out a day after the conviction that the former state senator’s legal defense was being paid with funds from the Soundview Health Clinic. Yep, the very clinic he’s on trial for having ripped off in the first place.

Who does that?!

Well, Espada does, apparently. How brazen, how moronic and how bizarre can this case get? The man (along with his son) has been charged with looting the clinic he founded about 30 years ago to provide afford-

able healthcare for people in his community. You can bet that a lot of good came out of those intentions. But with absolute power comes absolute corruption.

Espada, who grew up dirt poor, seemed to have been given free reign with a “company” credit card, which he allegedly treated like his own personal trust fund.

He ate like a king, supposedly, and spent freely on his personal residence outside the Bronx. He drove expensive cars, wore expensive suits and watches and partied like a rock star on the clinic’s state-provided dime.

His antics at trial were laughable as he worried about witchcraft and witch hunts alike. The former boxer strutted into court daily like it was a joke and not the fight of his life. And now we find out he was using Soundview money to finance his defense. Espada is just making a mockery of the legal system and taxpayers. It has even been

revealed that he stopped paying malpractice insurance for the doctors and other healthcare providers at the clinic.

He was living so high on the hog at theirs and the patients’ expense he just didn’t care to take care of business. Unless Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who as attorney general was the one who had Espada investigated, steps up and saves the clinic, the people who depend on Soundview will be without treatment or having to go out of their way to find a new place. And that also means that the people who work at the clinic will be unemployed as well.

One man’s greed has led to all this inconvenience and devastation of so many people’s lives. He came from nothing to the founder and chief – or some would say, founder and thief — of an important medical facility in his community. But as if that weren’t enough, he got himself elected as a state senator, then rampaged

his way into the majority leadership of the Senate, making him, for a short while, the highest ranking Latino politician in the state.

But it was the first time that the top leadership of the Senate had to be split. When the similarly pugnacious Joe Bruno had it for all those years he held all the power. However, as soon as one minority person got it (Malcolm Smith), Espada cried foul and forced his way into a sharing situation. It essentially watered down the power of the position.

But there was more nastiness to come. He soon became part of the coup to oust Smith.

But that also fell down on his head. With his legal troubles and pugilistic personality, a year later he was beaten at the polls. It was poetic justice.

He caused a lot of unnecessary grief for a lot of people and cost our community of Southeast Queens a lot in potential development dollars.

A Redistricting Year But Most Incumbents Have It Easy

By MICHAEL SCHENKLER Okay.

I’m complaining.

When our forefathers wrote the Constitution, they demonstrated prescience a nd intellect perhaps never before present in a document that governs a nation.

We all know the beginning of this blueprint to American Democracy: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

But today, my focus is on Article 1, Section 2 of the United States Constitution, which is the basis of the decennial census and reapportionment which follows.

Every 10 years, since 1790, there has been a census taken nationwide to determine the country’s population. The decennial census day has, since 1930, been designated as April 1, I assume with no bearing or relationship to the other celebration we have the same day.

Once the census figures are

repor ted, the nat ion adjusts the number of representatives in Congress from each state and then each political subdivision is adjusted to insure fair representation – one man (or one person), one vote. This reapportionment or redistricting was envisioned by the drafters of the Constitution.

Besides envisioning keeping ever y thing fair among polit ical subdivisions, this writer believes those prescient American visionaries foresaw and intended to address the advantage s of incumbency.

If districts were redrawn every 10 years, there would logically be turnover in elected officials. The changing of political subdivision lines would enable new blood to enter the system and further the drafters concept of a non-permanent legislature.

Democratic businessman John Messer (left) gears up a half a million dollar plus campaign to unseat Toby Stavisky whose family dynasty has held this seat for almost 30 years. Redistricting has taken Stavisky out of her home base and made it half Asian favoring Messer the husband of a Chinese woman.

Politicizing the process, especially to the extent done in New York, further slants an already very un-

State Senator Shirley Huntley (left) is being challenged by Councilman James Sanders Jr. in a primary that pits these two popular south Queens politicians against each other. The inclusion of the Rockways in the new District give Sanders a reason to believe.

But, at least in the sovereign State of New York, the legislature has turned the redistricting process into a bad April Fool’s Day joke.

Not 4 Publication.com by Dom Nunziato

May 18-24, 2012 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 7

Councilman Eric Ulrich (left) has been convinced by the Senate Republican Majority to challenge State Senator Joe Addabbo, Jr. The November election will see both parties target this seat making it a multi-million dollar election.

even playing field.

Rather than encouraging the election of newcomers, the political parties utilize the process to further their grip(s) on power.

And so, this redistricting year in Queens, with 27 local legislators at the State and Federal level seeking reelection, we only anticipate three possible close races.

Quickly, our assumptions: Queens is represented in full or in part by six members of Congress (presently and in the new redistricting plan). Congressman Gary Ackerman and newly-elected Bob Turner are not standing for reelection. The other four will be reelected. While Nydia Velazquez does have a race, we don’t categorize it as a threat.

Of the 18 members of the Assembly, we are assuming that

6th Congre ssional ca ndidate s Grace Meng and Rory Lancman are not running for their present Assembly seats – they both would easily be reelected if they did. The other 16 will waltz back into office.

There are seven State Senators, all of whom are standing for reelection. However, three of the seven face challenges that could rise to the level of unseating them.

In the General Election in Southwestern Queens, Democratic Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. will have to defend his seat in November against sitting Republican Councilman Eric Ulrich—a driven and popular campaigner.

In south Queens, Senator Shirley Huntley, faces a primar y

against an energetic sitting Councilman James Sanders Jr. And in north-central Queens, sit t ing Sen. Toby Stav isky has been redistricted into a seat with incumbent Sen. Tony Avella, but has chosen to run in a neighboring seat which has no incumbent.

She faces a challenge from businessman/at torney John Messer.

Messer, who is married to a Chinese woman and has commit ted $500,000 of his own money to the race, is expected to be very competitive in this district that is half Asian.

Based on our look from now through November, other than the vacant seats, only in the 16 Senatorial District might we see an incumbent elected official lose an election to someone who is not already in elective office. Both Huntley and Addabbo face members of the City Council.

At the end of the day, Nov. 5, 2012, it is conceivable that all 27 electeds standing for reelection may win. Perhaps 1 or 3.7 percent of those standing for reelection or 2 or 7.4 percent will lose.

Such is the abysmal commentary on New York State’s process of open elections.

In non-redistricting years, the odds are much worse.

Does anyone remember the commitment to independent redistricting?

Welcome to New York.

Yes, I’m complaining.

Where are all the races?

MSchenkler@QueensTribune.com

Wildlife Nightmare:

Animal IssuesDisrupt Disrupt Animal Issues Flights Flights At Airports Queens Airports At Queens

BY DOMENICK RAFTER

Page 8 PRESS of Southeast Queens May 18-24, 2012

Canadian geese, snowy owls, black-tailed jackrabbits, diamondback terrapin turtles. You can find all of these exotic creatures in one spot in New York City.

No, not at the Bronx Zoo or the Museum of Natural History.

These animals live in an unlikely and sometimes worrisome place - among the runways and terminals of John F. Kennedy International Airport.

It is not surprising that wildlife teems on the 4,930 acre site.

The airport sits alongside Jamaica Bay, not far from Gateway National Recreational Area and its popular bird sanctuary. Adjacent to the concrete runways and taxiways are grasslands and marshy shorelines that attract birds and other fauna looking for a comfortable natural home in a megalopolis of buildings and pavement.

But as with most animals, the creatures that live at the airport do not stay in the grass or in the water. They travel in search of food or a place to mate. This is where the problem arises. Wildlife and packed jetliners do not coexist well.

Winged Dangers Since US Airways Flight 1549 collided with a flock of Canadian geese and made a dramatic landing in the Hudson River in January 2009, the problem of bird strikes has taken its place among the top concerns in the minds of air travelers. That concern was only exacerbated last month, when a Delta Airlines jet bound for California ingested a bird into one of its engines, causing it to shut down. The jet was forced to return to the airport and made an emergency landing without injury. But the damage was done. In five years, two aircraft were immobilized by birds while taking off from New York airports.

LaGuardia and JFK airports have been dealing with animals disrupting flights, including jackrabbits, turtles and birds like cormorants.

At JFK, at least, birds are a natural problem. Don Riepe, director of the Northeast Chapter of American Littoral Society and Jamaica Bay Guardian, said the airport’s geography makes it vulnerable to birds.

“JFK is located along the migratory flyway, and that makes it much more prone for bird activity,” he said.

Canadian geese are common around the airport, as are other large birds that could pose a danger to planes, including swans, cormorants, herring gulls and black gulls. Though not as big, the snowy owl has also made a home in the airport.

The first bird strikes at JFK were recorded in the 1970s, though none have been serious or resulted in any injuries. The number of bird strikes increased in the 2000s due to a variety of reasons, including more air traffic and different plane designs.

Many older planes, like the Boeing 727 and Lockheed Tristar, had engines fixed to the plane’s body or tailfin, while most new planes are built with engines on the wings, which are more exposed.

A dozen miles away at LaGuardia Airport, where US Airways Flight 1549 lifted off the ground on its ill-fated flight, an ongoing fight over a garbage transfer station in College Point has reignited after the Delta bird strike at JFK. Though the city argues the transfer station, which is located

just across Flushing Bay from LaGuardia Airport, is designed to prevent garbage from being exposed to air, and thus would not attract birds, opponents of the transfer station worry that barges and trucks coming to and from the location would become a magnet for large birds.

“Even with the best laid plans, you have human factors that come into play. There is no way to prevent 100 percent,” said Ken Pasker of Friends of LaGuardia Airport, who opposes the transfer station. “There’s already a problem now, this is just going to make it worse.”

Wildlife On The Tarmac Aviary dangers are not the only wildlife concerns at JFK. Other animals that could be a hazard are living on the grassy knolls and marshy shore at the airport.

Rabbits are common, including the eastern cottontail and the black-tailed jackrabbit, the latter of which is native to the Great Plains and deserts in the Southwest United States. How the hare was introduced to the area is unknown, though Riepe said it is possible it came via air cargo in the 1950s and found JFK to be an inviting spot.

“Because Kennedy Airport is an open prairie type atmosphere, they’re doing quite well,” he said.

The rabbit itself possess little threat to air travel, but its predators in the wild include hawks and eagles - large birds that could

pose a problem to departing and arriving planes.

In recent years, diamondback terrapins have arrived at JFK as well. Surfacing from Jamaica Bay every year in the early summer, turtles search for a place to mate or lay their eggs.

The slow moving reptiles wander on the runway and the adjacent tarmac looking for an ideal spot.

On June 29, 2011, 150 turtles rose out of Jamaica Bay and onto Runway 4L, which juts several thousand feet out into the bay, looking to mate. The reptiles were first spotted by a departing aircraft who warned the tower.

Within a few minutes other pilots reported more turtle sightings and the runway was temporarily closed while the turtles were removed from the path of outgoing planes and to a safe place to do their business away from the runways and taxiways.

While the turtle parade was met with humor and tongue-incheek parodies, including a Twitter handle, the reptiles could pose a danger to planes. A jet could blow a tire if it runs over a turtle’s hard shell which could jeopardize a plane’s ability to land or at worst, damage a plane’s structure. A blown tire was the cause of the 2000 Air France Concorde crash in Paris.

A number of turtle strikes have been recorded at JFK, including one in 2009, but none resulted in any damage to the aircraft.

Preventing A Catastrophe Riepe said solutions to the bird problem will require “creative thinking,” including better airplane design. He praised the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s handling of the bird situation.

“To the [Port Authority]’s credit, they have a bird hazard management team to deal with the birds,” he said, noting that there are daily patrols by the agency and non-lethal methods to scare off birds. Lethal force is permitted, though any use of it must be reported to the state.

In a statement, the Port Authority said its bird control methods “exceeded FAA standards,” and were effective.

“Our wildlife biologists and staff efforts to minimize threats to aircraft include reducing nesting areas, removing standing water and eliminating food sources. We also use pyrotechnics to disperse birds. We believe those efforts are effective since the number of incidents at JFK resulting in aircraft damage has remained about the same since 2008,” read the statement.

Lethal force has been used against the rabbits. Last year, nearly 100 rabbits were killed by Port Authority and U.S. Dept. of Agriculture workers in an effort to reduce the population and prevent them from attracting dangerous birds of prey.

Keeping the animals out of JFK in the first place is also being explored. Dr. Russell Burke, an assistant professor of Biology at Hofstra University, who has been studying the diamondback terrapin turtles, is also working to create a barrier system around the airport that could keep wildlife, at least land-dwelling animals, from entering airport grounds, Riepe said.

Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at (718) 357-7400 Ext. 125 or drafter@queenstribune.com.

Police Blotter Compiled by JASON PAFUNDI

103rd Precinct

106th Precinct

Man Busted

Men Killed

Two NYPD officers on foot patrol made an arrest when they spotted a 2007 Honda Accord with excessively dark window tinting. The officers were walking a foot post along Jamaica Avenue at 165th Street at about 1:55 p.m. when they motioned for the car to pull over. Upon approaching the stopped vehicle, the smell of marijuana was evident and the officers asked the driver to step out. The officers spotted a gravity knife in plain view, along with a bag of alleged crack cocaine and a bag of alleged marijuana.

An inventory search of the vehicle also revealed a backpack in the truck that contained approximately two kilos of cocaine. The driver, 34-year-old Silvestre Mahon of Norwich, Conn., was arrested and charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Unlawful Possession of Marijuana, an equipment violation — for the excessive window tinting — and Acting in a Manner Injurious to a Child less than 17. Mahon’s 13-year-old son was in the car with him at the time. The boy was released into the custody of his mother.

On May 10 at 12:35 a.m., the NYPD responded to a report of a person shot inside of the Hilton Garden Inn located at 148-30 134th St. Upon arrival, officers discovered a 31-year-old man shot in the head. A second individual, a 47-year-old male, sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and both were pronounced dead at the scene.

The men were identified as Brian Weiss, 31, of Davie, Fla., and Gary Zalevsky, 47, of Sunny Island Beach, Fla.

Hit and Run On May 13 at approximately 3:15 a.m., the NYPD responded to a 911 call of a pedestrian struck at the intersection of 108th Street and Liberty Avenue in Ozone Park. Upon arrival, officers determined that Rohan Singh, 47, was crossing Liberty Avenue at the intersection of 108th Street when he was struck by a vehicle traveling eastbound on Liberty Avenue.

The vehicle did not remain on the scene.

EMS also responded to the location and transported the victim to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information in regards to this missing person is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to CRIMES (274637) and then entering TIP577.

All calls are strictly confidential.

108th Precinct Pedestrian Killed On May 13 at approximately 2:40 a.m., police responded to a 911 call of a pedestrian struck at the intersection of Greenpoint Avenue and 46th Street in Sunnyside. Upon arrival, officers observed a 24-year-old Hispanic man unconscious and unresponsive. EMS also arrived at that location and transported the man to Elmhurst Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Further investigation yielded the male was standing at the northwest corner of Greenpoint Avenue and 46th Street, on the sidewalk, when a gray 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis, traveling westbound on Greenpoint Avenue at 46th Street struck the pedestrian on the sidewalk and then subsequently struck multiple parked vehicles.

Sayesh Avedis, a 58-year-old Brooklyn man, has been arrested and charged with manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and driving while intoxicated.

110th Precinct Grand Larcenies The NYPD is seeking the public’s assistance with the whereabouts and identity of a man wanted in connection to a pattern of grand larcenies.

On six different dates in October and November of last year, the victims called a phone number from a flyer that was posted on a utility pole and set up appointments to see vacant apartments. After being shown the apartments, the suspect, a Hispanic male, requests a deposit to hold the apartment. After the deposit is left and the victims attempt to contact the suspect to move in, the cell number is disconnected.

All told, the suspect allegedly made off with $9,950.

Borough Beat

‘Comfort Women’ Memorial Stirs Controversy

BY ROSS BARKAN

of the University of California, Irvine and Dr. Lisa Yoneyama of the University of Toronto disagree with the notion that the Japanese military did not systematically abuse these women, though they argued that the unsettling truth of comfort women has also been misused by Americans to justify a myth of “liberation” for the Japanese people after the war, a liberation that included the decimation of civilian-dominated cities and a military occupation.

The Japanese government denied to Koo that they had any part in writing the letters. A representative from the Japanese government said they have officially apologized for the suffering of comfort women. Koo’s chief of staff, James McClelland, described the meeting with a Japanese ambassador as “cordial.”

“I will continue to meet with community leaders and discuss this issue further,” Koo said. “Together we are committed to

finding a fitting and respectful way to remember these women.”

For Park, staff attorney of the Korean American Voters Council, the memorial’s purpose is to ensure future generations understand the mistakes that were once made and should not be made again. Koo and Park point to a memorial in Palisades Park, N.J. that recognizes comfort women , a memorial commemorated in 2010. Park said he has been pushing for a memorial since 2009.

“The reaction from Japan proves we need to do a lot of things,” Park said.

“They are not teaching the right history and it makes Japanese look worse in the international community. We’re not trying to insult the Japanese government and people, but we don’t want to repeat this type of human rights violation.”

Reach Reporter Ross Barkan at (718) 3577400, Ext. 127 or rbarkan@queenstribune.com.

May 18-24, 2012 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 9

On the traffic island that splits sleepless Northern Boulevard in two, Chejin Park wants to see a memorial. He cannot see it because it does not exist, and some Japanese would prefer if it stayed that way.

Park, Councilman Peter Koo (DFlushing) and State Senate candidate John Messer want a memorial or street renamed in Flushing to honor the unknown thousands of women that the Japanese military coerced into sexual slavery during the Second World War. These women were primarily from occupied territories like China and Korea, two countries that most of Flushing’s populace emigrated from. Like Turkey contesting the definition of genocide to describe the organized slaughter of millions of Armenians, the Japanese government has been reluctant to acknowl-

edge the so-called “comfort women” who suffered during the war. Japanese scholars have estimated as many as 20,000 women were involved, while Chinese scholars place that figure as high as 410,000.

When Koo and other local leaders began attempts to memorialize the comfort women, backlash from Japan arrived in the form of mysterious letters sent to all City Council members. In one letter addressed to Councilman Vincent Ignizio (R-Staten Island), a man named Takuro Tsuzuku from Tokyo wrote that, “The term ‘comfort women’ refers simply to prostitutes in wartime. But Koreans have long been promoting a false version of history that Japan abducted hundreds of thousands of Korean women and coerced them into a sex trade for Japanese soldiers outside of Japan during World War II.” Scholars like Dr. Laura Hyun Yi Kang

pix

Downtown Committee Photo by Walter Karling

Southeast Queens Events Edited By Harley Benson

Page 10 PRESS of Southeast Queens May 18-24, 2012

Audiologist John Ioannou from the Lexington Hearing & Speech Center performs a hearing test for Queens Borough President Helen Marshall.

Art On Display

Art teacher Gina Molino and her students from P.S. 96 in Richmond Hill held a reception for an exhibit of art from students at the school. More than 400 pieces of art were hung on the walls of the school.

Photos by Ira Cohen

Hearing Test

Guest speakers discuss the agenda during the recent meeting of the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation's Downtown Committee. Pictured (from left) are Councilman Ruben Wills, Frank Scalese, managing director for MetLife; Carlotta Cuenca, day camp director for the Jamaica YMCA; William Martin, chairman of the Downtown Committee; Moses Rivers, business services consultant for Moses Rivers International Inc.; and Bruce Blaylock, president and CEO of Blaylock Consulting Group.

Some examples of the art work on display during the exhibit.

May 18-24, 2012 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 11

Profile

Juice Bar Brings Healthy Options to SEQ

BY VERONICA LEWIN In a neighborhood filled with fast food joints offering high calorie meals with low nutritional value, residents in Queens Village now have a healthier option.

Instead of getting an unhealthy after-school snack, students can now stop and get an all-natural smoothie from the Fountain of Youth smoothie and juice bar.

The smoothie and juice bar, located on 217-93 Hempstead Ave., prides itself on being a healthy alternative for people in the neighborhood. Having fresh fruits and vegetables is not always the easiest choice, but Fountain of Youth feels it is the best option to give to the community. During the summer months, the business will get most of their more than 20 kinds of fruits and vegetables from the local farmer’s market.

Maurice Wiggan grew up in a

taste best. Martinez West Indian family, said she has customers where his father who come in and ask made a lot of his for the “usual,” and she own juices, exposwill know what drink to ing Wiggan to the make for them. She said process. In February it is really special when 2010, Wiggan, children will save up along with his their allowance to brother Desmond come and purchase a and girlfriend smoothie, and will help Sandra Martinez, the children make ends decided to open a meet if they did not juice bar in the borsave up quite enough for ough. Six months their favorite treat. later, Fountain of Though the menu Youth opened its Fountain of Youth serves all natural smoothies and juices. suggests more than a doors. dozen drink combinaWiggan said people often ask him why he neighborhood that may take it tions, customers are not limited to what is on the board. Customchose to open a juice bar in for granted.

Having excellent customer ers can walk in and make their Queens Village, instead of an area like Williamsburg, Brooklyn. service is something that the own creation with the fruits and The Queens native said it is more owners of Fountain of Youth vegetables available at Fountain important to him to have a Foun- strive to maintain. Months be- of Youth.

For those unsure of what intain of Youth located in an area fore the store opened, the three that truly needs healthy eating researched and tested drink gredients will produce a drink options, rather than a trendy combinations to see what blends that will meet their health needs,

Fountain of Youth offers books to customers to educate them on the nutritional benefits of foods, such as wheatgrass. For those looking to watch their weight, Fount ain of Youth offers smoothies designed to replace one meal a day. The juice bar also suggests all natural blends that will cure everyday ailments, such as a carrots, celery, parsley and spinach drink that will ease headaches.

In addition to smoothies, Fountain of Youth offers other beverages such as tea and coffee, and fresh baked carrot muffins that contain flaxseed. The store also has Wi-Fi. Fountain of Youth is open until 11 p.m. Monday-Saturday and closes at 7:30 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, call (718) 776-7164.

Reach Reporter Veronica Lewin at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 123, or vlewin@queenspress.com.

People

Page 12 PRESS of Southeast Queens May 18-24, 2012

New York Air National Guard recently announced that Airman 1st Class Curtis Grimes of Jamaica completed training for the U.S. Air Force Basic Military Training Course at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

Alisha Lahogue of St. Albans recently performed in the Marist College Dance Ensemble’s spring semester showcase, “Dance Your Story.” Marist College is located in Poughkeepsie.

Jasmin Torres of Astoria won $15,000 on the $3,000,000 Bonanza scratch-off game. Torres winning ticket was purchased in Manhattan.

Local students will receive associates degrees during spring 2012 commencement ceremonies at Herkimer County Community College. They include: Jamaica: Toluwalope Fasan, AA in liberal arts and sciences: social science; Shanequa Michelle Hughes, AAS in criminal justice;

Stephen S. Watts, AAS in business: marketing; Sheldon J. Williams, AA in fine arts.

Local students will receive degrees during spring 2012 commencement ceremonies at SUNY New Paltz. They include: Jamaica: Allyson Eames, BA in communication studies; Paula Clay, BA in English; Laura Dardignac, BA in international relations.

Queens Village: Stefanie Aluia, BA in sociology; Krystal Miller, BA in psychology.

The New York Lottery announced the names of area Lottery players who claimed a winning scratch-off ticket and received a cash prize valued at $10,000 or more.

Isidro Hernandez of Queens Village won $10,000 on the $5,000,000 Cash scratch-off game. Hernandez’s winning ticket was purchased at the M&P Tobacco & Stationary, 205-10 Hillside Ave., Hollis.

Boodnie Pandohie of Jamaica won $10,000 on the $5,000,000

Cash scratch-off game.

Pandohie’s winning ticket was purchased at the Atlantic Quickserve, 134-30 Atlantic Ave., Jamaica.

The New York Lottery announced the names of area Lottery players who claimed a winning ticket from one of the Lottery’s live drawings and won a cash prize of at least $10,000.

Rochenel Ductan of Queens Village won $22,610 on the Take Five drawing May 4. Ductan’s winning ticket was purchased at the Sunshine Deli Grocery, 16834 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica.

Sunny Sit of Forest Hills won $10,002 on the Mega Millions drawing April 3. Sit’s winning ticket was purchased at Food Dynasty, 63-76 Woodhaven Blvd., Rego Park.

John Christie of Forest Hills won $10,000 on the Mega Millions drawing May 4. Christie’s winning ticket was purchased in Manhattan.

Alex Villagran of Rego Park won $50,000 on the Win 4 draw-

ing May 9. Villagran’s winning ticket was purchased at Get Liquor From Us, 47-31 Junction Blvd., Corona.

Lokritia Matsis of Astoria won $17,642 on the Take Five drawing April 14. Matsis’s winning ticket was purchased at Astoria Convenience, 22-55 31st St., Astoria.

Genao Diaz of Corona won $10,000 on the Mega Millions drawing April 20. Diaz’s winning ticket was purchased at Key Food, 42-15 30th Ave., Astoria.

Vanessa Colon of Flushing won $79,094 on the Take Five drawing May 3. Colon’s winning ticket was purchased at the Super Deli, 144-10 Northern Blvd., Flushing.

Lokritia Matsis of Astoria won $17,642 on the Take Five drawing April 14. Matsis’s winning ticket was purchased at Astoria Convenience, 22-55 31st St., Astoria.

Genao Diaz of Corona won $10,000 on the Mega Millions drawing April 20. Diaz’s winning ticket was purchased at Key Food, 42-15 30th Ave., Astoria.

Local students were named to the Honors List for the spring 2012 semester at SUNY Institute of Technology in Utica. They include: Laurelton: Raymond Robinson, majoring in mechanical engineering technology.

Rosedale: Robert Dipeolu, majoring in civil engineering technology.

Springfield Gardens: Omar Thompson, majoring in electrical engineering technology.

Local students were named to the President’s List for the spring 2012 semester at SUNY Institute of Technology in Utica. They include: Queens Village: Allian Gentille, majoring in mechanical engineering technology.

South Ozone Park: Tiffanie Hawes, majoring in computer information systems.

Local students were named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2011 semester at Villanova University. They include: Hollis: Kelly Escobar.

A&E

Class Teaches The Art Of Spinning Records

BY VERONICA LEWIN It takes a lot of skill to keep people on the dance f loor.

Whether you grew up wanting to be a DJ or your experience is limited to DJ Hero, a school in Queens Village is preparing music lovers for a career in spinning.

After a 12-year hiatus, Mainline’s DJ School is making a return to the borough. For $350, aspiring DJ’s can take four three-

hour courses taught by people in the business. Owner Frank Garcia said every instructor has at least 15 years of experience.

Mainline moved their business from Flushing to Queens Village, a more central location in the City. Garcia said the Queens Village storefront is around 15 miles from Manhattan and Suffolk County, making it accessible for almost anyone who wants to take classes or purchase sound and

Restaurant Review

Great Food Any Time Court Square Diner 45-30 23rd St., Long Island City (718) 392-1222 www.courtsquarediner.com CUISINE: Diner HOURS: 24 hours CREDIT CARDS: Yes – All major

pet, saxophone and drums.

“At 15, I was definitely going to do something with music,” he said.

Soon after, he went to the old club Elephas in Bayside and was able to give spinning a try. He said he found mixing music to be the ultimate challenge and has been a DJ ever since.

“I’m passionate, I love it.

There’s so many different facets of it,” Garcia said.

Mainline’s DJ course also teaches video mixing and MC skills. By the end of the course, students will learn the necessary software and hardware and how to set up equipment. Students also receive discounts on all DJ equipment.

Down the road, Garcia said he wants to start a program for children called “Choose Music Not Drugs.” After being featured in the magazine “DJ Times,” Garcia received a letter from a teenager at a correctional facility in Texas. He told Garcia he

was inspired by his career and moved to New York after his release and took a DJ class. It was then Garcia realized the impact he could have on young people.

“You can help shape someone’s life,” he said.

He plans to eventually offer classes to people with special needs.

“There’s nothing that says that just because someone has a special issue that they cannot be a DJ,” he said.

Garcia said he hopes to soon add job placement to the DJ school to make it easier for spin masters to find employment after completing the four-session course. Classes are available days, evenings and weekend mornings to accommodate different schedules.

For more information, call (718) 479-4848.

Reach Reporter Veronica Lewin at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 123 or vlewin@queenspress.com.

Husband And Wife Team Highlights Big Apple Circus

BY BARBARA ARNSTEIN Dream Big! That’s the theme of the 34th season of the Big Apple Circus at Cunningham Park in Queens from May 22 through June 17.

Scott Nelson and Muriel Brugman, the first comedy duo to win the title of “World Champions of Magic,” will perform a hilarious and absolutely amazing routine. The 11 Chinese Shandong Acrobats will wow audiences with their human juggling. The Flying Cortes Brothers soar, leap and flip through the air in their fantastic trapeze act. Grandma the Clown (played

by Barry Lubin), in his 25th year with the Big Apple Circus, will inspire endless laughter with his antics. The mesmerizing Melanie Chy will perform her wonderfully graceful hand-balancing act, Jenny Vidbel presents her amazing Arabian horses and

dynamic dogs, and there’s much more.

Husband and wife Nelson and Brugman, equally adept at performing comedy and magic, won the Grand Prize at the World Championships of Magic, and two special prizes at the International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo in Monaco.

Brugman’s clown character silently and hilariously expresses a zany and child-like joy, very much like the stage and screen character of Harpo, one of the famous Marx Brothers. Nelson plays a magician who finds that things never go as smoothly as he expects they will. The greatest element of their act is the incredible way its illusions create twists their audiences never expect and can’t believe.

Nelson, from California, and Brugman, from Holland, began working together in 1999 and won the “FISM Grand Prix” in

Portugal the following year, winning over 139 other contestants.

Just one month earlier, they were named National Champions of Holland. In 2003, they were the only illusionists to work with Cirque du Soleil in the company’s first television series and in 2004 they created a show that toured for three years in the Netherlands, and since 2006, in Austria and Germany. When they performed at the International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo in 2008, they were the first illusionists to appear there for twenty years. In 2009, they were awarded a Golden Clown at the second World Festival of Clowns in Russia.

To buy tickets to the Big Apple Circus visit bigapplecircus.org or call (888) 541-3750. Cunningham Park is located at Union Turnpike in Fresh Meadows. Various shows begin at 11 a.m., 12:30, 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

May 18-24, 2012 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 13

As you all know by now, I love diners. It was one of the things I was most looking forward to about moving to New York City from Florida, because in my home state, the closest thing you have to a diner is Denny’s. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Located underneath the 7 Train station at Court Square sits the appropriately named Court Square Diner, which opened in 1946 and has become one of the more popular dining establishments in all of Long Island City.

And that fact is just what I used to lure Queens Tribune reporter Ross Barkan, known for his diverse palette from dim sum to mushroom-crusted salmon, and photographer Ira Cohen, who does not like to stray too far from Flushing, all the way to Long Island City.

Mr. Ross, as he is affectionately called by his young cousin Marcy, lamented on how he was upset that he was not in the

mood for breakfast for dinner, a notion I countered by ordering two scrambled eggs, pancakes and a side of whole wheat toast.

Ira, who came dressed in a long-sleeved flannel shirt even though it was May, surprised us both by ordering a meat souvlaki platter with chunks of marinated meat on pita bread, with yogurt sauce, French fries and a Greek salad. Ross and I were under the impression that Ira only enjoyed food from Asia, so to see him order something from Eastern Europe was truly inspiring.

After keeping our personable server waiting, Ross finally decided on a peasant sandwich, which is hot meatloaf topped with grilled tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, served on focaccia bread. He added a side of corned beef hash and washed it down with a Hawaiian Punch from the fountain that he said reminded him of elementary school.

The service came with a smile and it was quick and accommodating to all our requests, which included being seated in the same booth used in a recent episode of “Person of Interest” on CBS. At the Court Square Diner, you can get anything you want, whenever you want it, and that is just what we did. And we went home happy.

-Jason Pafundi

lighting equipment. The twofloor building, located at 218-12 Hillside Ave., houses an equipment store as well as the DJ school in the basement.

Garcia – who has been spinning for the past 34 years – said taking a course could lead to a lucrative career. Disc jockey can make anywhere from $150 to more than $500 a night to spin at a bar or club. As opposed to other entrepreneurial businesses, DJ’s do not need to rent office space to house their business.

Students learn the art of keeping a party going in a semi-private class complete with multiple turntables. Students will learn how to mix in all media formats, including vinyl, to cater to all kinds of crowds. The course begins with basic beat mixing and then advances to trick mixing and musical education. Garcia said having a musical background could aid aspiring DJ’s. By the age of 15, he was already playing the trum-

Faith

Church To Host Memorial Day Street Fair

BY VERONICA LEWIN This Memorial Day, one of the oldest Presbyterian churches in the country is hosting a street fair for the community.

On May 26, the First Presbyterian Church of Jamaica is hosting a community-wide street fair

from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The fair will be held outside of the church on 164th Street between 89th Avenue and Jamaica Avenue. The fair is sponsored by Community Health Network, Project Renewal, Friends of the Congressional, Neighborhood Health Providers and NYCHA Housing.

Word

“Great faith is the product of great fights. Great testimonies are the outcome of great tests. Great triumphs can only come out of great trials.”

- Smith Wigglesworth

The daylong celebration kicks off with a marching band.

The event will feature live performances, food, vendors and entertainment for children.

The street fair focuses on health as well, with free health screenings available to the public. At 8:30 a.m., guests can participate in an aerobics step class. At 11 a.m., an outdoor Zumba fitness class will be offered. From 2 to 6 p.m., there will be live music and dance performances during an outdoor salsa party.

Next week’s event is a continuation of the First Presbyterian Church of Jamaica’s 350th anniversary celebration. The church was founded in 1662 by a group of Dutch settlers. Since then, it has grown into an all-inone center for the community.

In addition to building a congregation, one of the church’s

building’s served as a movie theater, while other buildings had playhouses, bowling alleys, or gyms.

All of these amenities transformed the church from being solely a place where people can come worship to a place people could go to feel a sense of community.

“We’ve always seen ourselves as being here to serve the community,” the Rev. Patrick O’Connor said in January. This August, O’Connor will celebrate his 20th anniversary as the church’s pastor.

The family-like qualities of the First Presbyterian Church may be responsible for the birth of several staples in the neighborhood.

According to O’Connor, the Jamaica YMCA, Jamaica Hospital Center and J-SPOA all got their start inside the First Presbyterian Church. The church also contributed money for the founding of

Rev. Patrick O’Connor Princeton University.

For more information about the May 26 street fair, contact (718) 526-4775 or visit firstchurchjamaica.org.Reach Reporter Veronica Lewin at (718) 3577400, Ext. 123 or vlewin@queenspress.com.

Notebook Empower My Hood

Senior Helps Peers Prepare For College Page 14 PRESS of Southeast Queens May 18-24, 2012

BY VERONICA LEWIN Applying for college can be a daunting process for some. Luckily, one savvy senior in Queens Village is helping her community pursue higher education.

Ayana Cole is a senior at St. Agnes Academic High School in College Point. Throughout her high school career, she has managed to maintain a 3.8 GPA. Her accomplishments include frequenting her school’s first honor roll and being a member of the Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society and the National Honor Society.

She is also the founder of Empower My Hood, an organization with the goal of helping high school students in communities around the City prepare for college. In addition to SAT preparations, Empower My Hood does everything from help-

ing students understand FASFA forms to providing useful websites to ease the college application process.

The Queens Village resident said she got the idea to start Empower My Hood after participating in the College Access Leadership institute at New York University. She then realized that a lot of students in the City did not have the opportunity to get help with the college admission process.

“As a young child I was encouraged to reach for the stars and take advantage of the vast opportunities life has to offer me,” Cole said. “I have learned to live by this motto throughout my elementary and high school years.”

Empower My Hood held its first event on Jan. 7, where more than 100 people attended. “It was a way for us to get our orga-

Ayana Cole nization across to our community,” Cole said.

Cole said she has spent the last four years talking about how she cannot wait to become a doctor. After graduation, she will study medicine at CUNY’s Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education. She hopes to become a primary care physician

who specializes in pediatric anesthesiology.

Outside of academics, Cole keeps herself busy with a plethora of extra-curricular activities. She has been a member of the St. Agnes volleyball team since her freshman year and earned the position of team captain her sophomore and junior years. She attended the Girl Scouts Scholars Program at Lehman College in 2009. On several Saturdays, Cole volunteered with New York Cares to help revitalize elementary schools in the City. Each academic year, she dedicates more than 100 hours to Maranatha Baptist Church’s Youth Ministry.

As a member of the Kerri Edge Children’s Dance Ensemble for seven years, Cole performed all over the City at events such as the NAACP youth event in Summer 2009 and a Toys for

Tots event at York College.

Ten years from now, Cole plans to be a resident at a hospital preparing for a lifelong career in medicine. Instead of telling adolescents that she will be successful in the future, she hopes to be able to be able to tell young people the road to her success in a decade.

Though Cole is attending college in the fall, she plans to make sure Empower My Hood lives on. She hopes to continue the organization’s six-week SAT preparation program as well as having bi-annual college planning workshops. She is currently recruiting a team of ambassadors to keep the program going while she is studying to be a doctor.

For more information, visit empowermyhood.com.Reach Reporter Veronica Lewin at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 123 or vlewin@queenspress.com.

Queens Today SENIORS

MISCELLANEOUS

Send typed 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,

STAR Looking for actors to audition for established Senior Reper tor y Company. 7760529.

FREE LUNCH Saturdays, May 19, June 16 All Saints Church in Richmond Hill. 849-2352 reservations.

AARP 1405 Monday, May 21 Flushing Chapter 1405 meets at the Bowne S treet Communit y Church, 143-11 Roosevelt Avenue, Flushing.

AARP 3334 Monday, May 21 1-4 at St. Kevin’s Parish Center. Medicare representative. Parking lot on 195 th Street and 45 th Avenue. All welcome. Elevators available.

KEW GARDENS Monday, May 22 salute to veteran, followed by birthday party at noon. Mondays Falun Gong (to purify mind and body) at noon, French class 12-1, get in shape at 1:30, comedy writing 2:303:30. Mondays and Tuesdays Get in shape, lose weight and feel good class at 1:30. Wednesdays Spanish conversation at 10 and Building muscle and strength at 11. Thursdays 10-12 Relax and improve your health. Fridays Tai Chi/ Chi Kung classes at 10 and Drawing/Painting at 1 (no experience needed).

DUPLICATE BRIDGE Mondays Lunch, lesson and c o n ge n i a l p l ay. P r i d e o f Judea. 423-6200.

STAY WELL Mondays at the Central library at 10 and Wednesdays at 10:15 at the East Elmhurst library. .

SENIOR COMPUTERS Tuesdays, May 22, 29 basic computer class at 10 at the South Ozone Park library.

CAREGIVERS Tuesdays Caregivers Support group at 3:30-4:30 Selfhelp Clearview Senior Center, 208-11 26 th Avenue, Bayside. 631-1886.

BRIDGE Wednesdays Reform Temple of Forest Hills. 2612900.

STAY WELL Wednesdays at 10:15 at the East Elmhurst library for exercise and other health related programs.

STARS Friday, May 25 Senior Theater Acting Repertory meets at the Queens Village library at 10:30.

DEFENSIVE DRIVING Friday, May 25 AARP Defensive Deriving at the Laurelton library. 479-8914.

TOUR OF ST. JOHNS Monday, May 21 tour of St. John’s Universit y at 4. 917376-4496.

CANDLELIGHT CEREMONY Monday, May 21 United Veterans and Fraternal Organizations of Maspeth will hold their Annual Candlelight Ceremony at 8 at Maspeth Memorial Park, corner 69 th Street and Grand Avenue.

Rain location American Legion Hall.

IF YOUR ORGANIZATION MEETS ON A REGULAR BASIS, SEND ALL DATES FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.

SINGLES SIMCHA SINGLES Friday, May 18 Simcha Singles for those 30-60+ at the Little Neck Jewish Center, 49-10 Little Neck Parkway at 8. Friday night services followed by discussion “Success In Your Relationship: Taking Responsibilit y F o r Yo u r O w n F e e l i n g s . ” 516-487-0674.

THEATER MURDER TAKES… Fridays and Saturdays, May 18, 19, 25, 26 at 8 and Sunday, May 20 and Saturday, May 26 at 2.

D o u g l a sto n C o m m u n i t y Theatre presents the murder mystery “Murder Takes the Stage: at Zion Episcopal Church. $15, $13 seniors.

482-3332 reservations.

GYPSY Saturday, May 19 at 8 FSF Communit y Theatre presents “Gypsy” in Flushing. $14-16. 229-8547.

TALKS AUTHOR TALK Monday, May 21 “B de Bella” with Alberto Ferreras at 6 at the Corona library.

POMONOK Wednesday, May 23 “Sacrifice of Tamar” discussed at 2 at the Pomonok library.

FAMILY TREE Thursday, May 24 “Formatt i n g th e Fa m i l y Tre e : T h e Kinship Chart” at 7 at the Bayside Historical Societ y. $12 non-members. 3521548.

MANAGE MONEY Saturday, May 26 Managing Your Money at 10:30 at the Far Rockaway library.

RELIGIOUS CULTURAL JUDAISM Saturday, May 19 at 2 Queens Communit y for Cultural Judaism presents its Adult Perspectives Session on Spinoza. Free to first timers, $5 others. UUCQ, Ash Avenue, corner 149 th Street, Flushing. 380-5362.

ST. GABRIEL’S Sunday, May 20 St. Cecilia’s Guild of St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church presents a program of music for the 125 th anniversary of the church at 1 at 196 th Street and Jamaica Avenue, Hollis. $20 advance, $25 at the door. $10 children. 4652876.

FLEA MARKETS SPRING FESTIVAL Saturday, May 19 Redeemer Lutheran Church, 2 1 7 th S t r e e t a n d 9 2 n d A v enue, Queens Village, will hold a Spring Festival from 10-5 with games, face painting, rummage sale, crafts, music, food and more.

GALA THRIFT SALE Sunday, May 20 at noon and Monday, May 21 at 4.

Bayswater Jewish Center, 2355 Healy Avenue, Far Rockaway. 471-7771.

INDOOR FLEA MARKET Mondays through June 25 10-3 at the Free Synagogue of Flushing, 41-60 Kissena Blvd. Saturdays 9-5 at Trinit y United M e t h o d i st C h u r c h , 1 0 8 th S t r e e t a n d 86 th Avenue, Jamaica.

FLEA & CRAFT Sunday, June 3 at St. Joan of Arc, 82-00 35 th Avenue, Jackson Heights 8-4.

THRIFT SHOPS Saturdays 11-4 at Bargain Boutique Thrift Shop, Queens Baptist Church, 9323 217es: th Street, Queens Village.465-2504. First and Third Wednesdays through June at Grace Church, 1415 Clintonville Street, Whitestone. 767-6305.

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

STORY BOOK LADY Saturdays 12:30-1:30 reading enrichment program for 6-9 year olds at Maria Rose International Doll Museum in St. Albans. $7.50. 2763454.

SCIENCE LAB Saturdays Central library at 11.

MATH HELP Saturdays Flushing library at 10.

CHESS CLUB Saturdays Flushing library at 2.

S TORY TIMES Saturdays at 11 and Tuesdays at 10:30 weekly story times at Barnes & Noble, 1 7 6 - 6 0 Un i o n Tu r n p i k e , Fresh Meadows.

PHOTO WORKSHOP Sunday, May 20 at the Bayside Historical Societ y.

352-1548 to register.

LEARN TO CROCHET Monday, May 21 at 5 at the Arverne librar y.

CHESS & CHECKERS Mondays, May 21, 28 at the South Ozone Park library at 3.

CRAFT KIDS Mondays at the Flushing library at 3.

KNIT & CROCHET Mondays at 4 Douglaston/ Little Neck library.

CHESS & CHECKERS Tuesdays, May 22, 29 at 3 at the South Ozone Park library.

TIMELESS TALES Wednesdays at 10 at the Central library.

S TORY T I M E Wednesdays, May 23, 30 at the East Elmhurst library at 11:30.

HOMEWORK HELP Wednesdays, May 23, 30 at the Far Rockaway library at 3.

CHESS & CHECKERS Wednesdays, May 23, 30 at 3 at the South Ozone Park library.

CHESS Wednesdays at 3:30 at the Queens Village library.

LIBRARY BUDDIES Wednesdays, May 23, 30 at the Auburndale library at 4.

HOMEWORK HELP Thursdays at 3 at the Far Rockaway library.

CHESS & CHECKERS Thursdays, May 24, 31 at the South Ozone Park library at 3.

TERRIFIC KIDS Thursday, May 24 at the C a m b r i a H e i g h t s l i b ra r y.

Register.

LOCKER ROOM Friday, May 25 Life’s Locker Room is for young men in middle school and high school at the Pomonok library at 4.

HOMEWORK HELP Friday, May 25 at the Far Rockaway library at 3.

CHESS & CHECKERS Friday, May 25 at the South Ozone Park library at 3.

CHESS CLUB Friday, May 25 at the Auburndale library at 3:30.

HOMEWORK HELP Friday, May 25 at the Woodside library at 3.

KIDS ACTIVITIES Fridays at 3:30 at the Briarwood library.

GAME DAY Fridays at 3:30 at the Queens Village library.

LIBRARY BUDDIES Friday, May 25 at the Auburndale library at 4.

READ TO ME Fridays Briarwood library at 3.

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

GAME DAY Fridays Windsor Park at 4.

CHESS CLUB Fridays Auburndale library at 3:30. .

CUB SCOUTS 351 Fridays at St. Nicholas of Tolentine. Boys in grades 15. 820-0015.

COOKIE STORIES Saturday, May 26 at 11 at Barnes & Noble, 176-60 Un i o n Tu r n p i ke , F re s h Meadows.

LITTLE NUTBROWN HARE Saturday, May 26 character appearance at 11:30 at Barnes & Noble, 176-60 Un i o n Tu r n p i ke , F re s h Meadows.

TEENS ONLINE LEARNING Saturday, May 19 at the Far Rockaway library. Register 327-2549.

SHSAT TEST Saturday, May 19 free practice test. Register 800-2738439. Ridgewood library.

YOUNG WOMEN Saturday, May 19 African Center for Communit y Empowerment will kick-off its Girls’ PRIDE Initiative 12-5 in St. Albans. 111-20 Farmers Blvd.

CHESS CLUB Saturdays Flushing library at 2.

SIGN LANGUAGE Monday, May 21 at 6:30 at the Lefferts library.

TEEN STUDY Mondays through Thursdays at the Lefrak Cit y library at 4.

KNIT & CROCHET Mondays Douglaston/Little Neck library at 4.

CHESS & CHECKERS Mondays, May 21, 28 at 3 at the South Ozone Park library.

HOMEWORK & GAMES Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays homework help and teen gaming at the Fresh Meadows library at 4.

LIC CHESS CLUB Tuesdays LIC library at 4.

BOOK BUDDIES Tuesdays Windsor Park library at 4.

CHESS & CHECKERS Wednesdays, May 23, 30 at the South Ozone Park library at 3.

SISTER TALK Wednesdays, May 23, 30 at

the Pomonok library at 4:30.

GAME DAY Wednesdays St. Albans library at 4.

CHESS Wednesdays at 3:30 Queens Village library.

PAINTING & LITERATURE Thursdays, May 24, 31 explore young adult fantasy literature theme through the mediums of watercolor, pencil and collage at 4 at the Langston Hughes library.

CHESS & CHECKERS Thursdays, May 24, 31 at 3 at the South Ozone Park library.

MOTIVATIONAL WORK. Thursdays, May 24, 31 at 5 at the Laurelton library.

OPEN MIC Thursday, May 24 at 6 at the East Elmhurst library.

TEEN THURSDAYS T h u r s d ay s Ba y Te r ra c e l i brary at 3.

CHESS CLUB Thursdays East Flushing library at 5.Sunnyside library at 5.

CHESS & CHECKERS Friday, May 25 at 3 at the South Ozone Park library.

LOCKER ROOM Friday, May 25 Life’s Locker Room is for young men at the Pomonok library at 4.

CHESS CLUB Fridays Auburndale library at 3:30.

ARTS & CRAFTS Fridays Briarwood library at 4.

GAME DAY Fridays Woodhaven library at 4:30.

May 18-24, 2012 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 15

SECTION EDITOR: REGINA VOGEL

Queens Today EDUCATION/GAMES/CRAFTS BOATING CLASS Saturday, May 19 About Boating Safet y class at Fort Totten. 917-952-7014. $65.

PUBLIC SPEAKING Saturdays, May 19, June 2, 16, 30 learn to communicate effectively at Elmhurst Hospital. 646-436-7940.

ONLINE LEARNING Saturday, May 19 at 10:30 at the Far Rockaway library.

Free online learning opportunities.

INTER. COMPUTER Saturdays, May 19, June 3, 10, 17 at the LIC library at 2.

SEWING CLASSES Saturdays 12-3 at Maria Rose International Doll Museum in St. Albans. 2763454.

SCRABBLE CLUB Saturdays at 10 at Count Basie Jr. HS. 886-5236.

PET OWNERS Saturdays (not on holiday weekends) from 1-4 free Doggie Boot Camp at Crocheron Park in Bay SIGN LANGUAGE Monday, May 21 at the Lefferts library at 6:30.

Plumb./Heat

KNIT & CROCHET Monday, May 21 at the Douglaston/Little Neck library at 4. Bring your own needles and yarn.

BEGIN CROCHET Monday, May 21 at the Arverne library at 6.

MOTIVATIONAL WORK. Monday, May 21 at the Laurelton library at 6.Deals with everyday issues that people are confronted with in life.

TOUR OF ST. JOHNS Monday, May 21 tour of St. John’s Universit y at 4. 917376-4496.

POETRY WORKSHOP Monday, May 21 at the Woodhaven library at 6:30.

Register.

LIC CRAFT CLUB Monday, May 21 at noon at the LIC library.

POETRY WRITING Monday, May 21 workshop at 7:30 at Barnes & Noble, 1 7 6 - 6 0 Un i o n Tu r n p i k e , Fresh Meadows.

COMPUTER BOOK CAMP Mondays, May 21, 28 at the Far Rockaway library. Register.

Violations

ENTERTAINMENT

BRIDGE Mondays except holidays 12-4 at Pride of Judea in Douglaston. Lesson & play $10. Partners arranged. 4236200.

DRAWING CLASS Mondays National Art League in Douglaston. 3610628.

LINE DANCE Mondays beginner to intermediate lessons in Bayside.

917-886-0519.

LEARN TO DRAW Tuesday, May 22 learn to draw, or draw better at the Hillcrest library. Register.

INTRO COMPUTERS Tu e s d a y eve n i n g s a t t h e Central library. Register.

OWN BUSINESS Every Tuesday Owning Your Own Business: The Nuts and Bolts of Getting Started 6:307:30 at the Central library.

LI CHESS CLUB Tuesdays LIC library at 4.

KNIT & CROCHET Tuesdays Windsor Park library at 2.

PRACTICE LABS Tuesdays Arverne library at 10:30.

Floors

JACK COLE PROJECT Through May 20 musical tribute “Heatwave: The Jack Cole Project” at Queens Theatre in the Park. 7600064.

SLAVIC SOUL Saturday, May 19 Slavic Soul Part y performs at 2 at the Flushing library.

SPRING FESTIVAL Saturday, May 19 Redeemer Lutheran Church, 217th Street and 92nd Avenue, Queens Village, will hold a Spring Festival from 10-5 with games, face painting, rummage sale, crafts, music, food and more.

INTERNATIONAL DAY Saturday, May 19 11-4 at Russell Sage JHS, Austin Street and Yellowstone Blvd.

Food, drinks, raffles and games.

ROMANCE OF SPRING Saturday, May 19 Community Singers of Queens presents “The Romance of Spring” at Church on the H i l l , 1 6 7 - 0 7 3 5 th A v e n u e , Flushing t 8. 658-1021.

GOSPEL CHOIR

Floors

Sunday, May 20 York College Gospel Choir at 3. 2622412.

STAMP SHOW Sundays, May 20, June 17 Bayside Stamp Show at the Ramada Hotel, 220-33 Northern Blvd., Bayside 10-4:30. Free admission and free parking. 6457659.

MEN’S GLEE CLUB Sunday, May 20 Bayside Men’s Glee Club will present its Spring Concert at 3 at Church on the Hill, 1 6 8 th S t r e e t a n d 3 5 th A v enue, Flushing at 3.

ST. GABRIEL’S Sunday, May 20 St. Cecilia’s Guild of St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church presents a program of music for the 125th anniversary of the church at 1 at 196 th Street and Jamaica Avenue, Hollis. $20 advance, $25 at the door. $10 children. 4652876.

ORATORIO SOCIETY Sunday, May 20 Oratorio Societ y of Queens performs at Queensborough Communit y College. 279-3006.

Floors

LIVE JAZZ & R&B Sundays, May 20, 27, June 3, 10, 17, 24 live jazz and r&b 6-10 at Déjà vu, 18025 Linden Blvd., St. Albans.

MUSICAL PROGRAM Monday, May 21 7:30 Sisterhood of the Bayside Jewish Center presents a musical program by Steve Gilman, prominent acoustic guitar player, accompanied by bass guitar player, perfo r m i n g To p 4 0 C l a s s i c s .

631-4372.

SALSA Mondays Resorts World Casino holds Monday Night Salsa events. Lessons 7:30.

110-00 Rockaway Blvd., South Ozone ark. 215-2828.

Free.

LAUGHTER Tuesday, May 22 Laughter at the North Forest Park library at 2:30.

OPEN MIC Thursday, May 24 at the East Elmhurst library at 6.

BIG BAND Saturday, May 26 York College Big Band Spring Concert. 262-2412.

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Classified Deadline: Friday Before 5 P.M. Unless Otherwise Specified Press Policy: All advertisers are responsible to give correct advertising as it will appear. The South East Queens Press will assume no financial responsibility for errors or omissions. We reserve the right to edit, reject or reclassify any ad. All ads are prepaid! NO REFUNDS, FUTURE AD CREDIT ONLY. Ads ordered to run more than one week as part of a consecutive week rate may be cancelled a fter the first week but no refund will be issued!

May 18-24, 2012 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 17

Boiler Service

Buckeye Beauty Models Of Queens

Justyna Rudny Home: Ridgewood Age 27 Height: 5’ 10" Weight: 125 lbs.

Stats: 34-25-35

Justyna Rudny has dreamed about the bright lights of the greatest City in the world since she was a little girl growing up in Ohio. It was her time working in her cousin’s boutique in Poland, however, that inspired her to seek out everything the Big Apple has to offer.

Justyna fled the Buckeye State in the hopes of being noticed. Her acceptance to FIT in the cosmetics and fragrance marketing program just cemented her desires.

“New York is a city of endless opportunities,” Rudny said. “If you want to be seen, this is where you want to be.”

Settling into Ridgewood’s tight knit Polish community, Rudny felt just at home Since we last checked in, Justyna has had the opportunity of delving into the fashion industry, networking with photographers, stylists and designers who have helped guide her career.

But more and more, modeling is becoming just a hobby.

“Although I love modeling, I’m doing it for fun,” she said. “I really aspire to be an account executive for L’Oreal.”

Between the photo shoots and her studies, you can catch Rudny kicking it with her girls on Fresh Pond Road in Ridgewood at one of the neighborhood’s polish cafes.

Page 18 PRESS of Southeast Queens May 18-24, 2012

Queens’ Air Dog Birds weren’t the only members of the animal kingdom seemingly out to ruin air travel in New York recently.

Besides the flock of feathered flyers that took out the engine of a Delta jet at JFK, LaGuardia Airport was forced to deal with an intruConfidentially, New sion of the animal kind.

Two weeks ago, traffic was momentarily halted at the airport when a dog Dog on LaGuardia runway was seen running loose on the airport’s runways.

The pooch, a Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy, broke free from a TenAfter skipping work, one nessee-bound Delta flight and Queens elementary school staffer roamed free along the tarmac until tried to be creative. School Parent airport officials were able to coax it Coordinator Raquel Abad returned back into its cage 10 minutes later. to PS 280 the following day claim- The Port Authority said only “2 or ing she was hospitalized after be- 3 flights” were inconvenienced. ing struck by a taxi and even This isn’t the first time a canine donned a removable cast on her disrupted humanity at LaGuardia. arm. Sadly, the school didn’t buy In June 2010, a dog escaped a it and followed up with Mount Continental Airlines jet’s cargo Sinai, where Abad had claimed hold and ran around the runways she was treated, who denounced until it eventually leaped into the claim. Abad was fired. While Flushing Bay for a swim. she gets an “A” for effort, maybe Even man’s best friend agrees Abad will come up with a better that LaGuardia Airport is for the excuse next time. dogs.

Excuses

An odd family portrait: Grace Meng, Jeff Gottlieb, Rory Lancman

Ready To Rumble?

At Community Board 8 in Hillcrest, one of the better community boards out there, a few fascinating individuals converged on May 9.

There was Rory Lancman, CB 8’s (often) returning prodigal son, Grace Meng, his congressional rival, and Jeff Gottlieb, the man Lancman called the “hackiest hack in all of hackdom” - or something like that.

The three were supposedly there for non-political reasons: they all want the Brinckerhoff Cemetery in Fresh Meadows landmarked so a developer doesn’t build on top of it. Fair enough.

Even during election season, po-

litical types can all agree on certain things.

Biggest shocker of the night was the lack of brawling between Gottlieb and Lancman. No headlocks, no jabs, no flying elbows. This reporter was half-expecting CB 8 chair Alvin Warshaviak to ring a bell and let the men duke it out.

Maybe next month…sigh….

York . . .

Terrace's ups and downs

Shafted A restaurant worker at Terrace on the Park managed to avoid a crushing blow when his legs became trapped between an elevator car and shaft wall on the second floor of the Flushing Meadows Park building.

No one seems to know how the 22-year-old dishwasher got stuck, but rescue workers were able to get him free within an hour. He was taken to New York Hospital Queens to be checked out. Miraculously, though, the unnamed worker suffered no serious injuries.

Hopefully, the dishwasher tries to find a new route when he tries to sneak away from work.

What’s Up MAY 19 Jazz Program Auditions The York College Summer Jazz Program ’12, an auditiononly, college credit, tuition-free jazz performance program, will hold auditions for saxes, trumpets, trombones, piano, bass and drums. Students should prepare one solo piece of any kind and be ready to sight read!

For additional information, contact Tom Zlabinger at tzlabinger@york.cuny.edu or (718) 262-2412.

This free event will be held at York College Performing Arts Center - 94-45 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., at 9 a.m.

It’s My Park Day The Friends of Brookville Park cordially invite you to It’s My Park Day. For this year’s celebration, the Friends will be participating in a revitalization project by painting benches, lamp posts, and taking part in a major park clean up. Volunteers come out and beautify our community! For additional information, contact Kangela Moore, President, at friendsofbrookvillepark@gmail.com.

This free event will be held at Brookville Park, Brookville Boulevard at 143rd Avenue, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Business Expo

Street at Jamaica Avenue, from noon to 3 p.m.

The Tragedy of Tupac Domestic Violence Workshop The Daughters of Isis Foundation, Inc. is pleased to present “Be B.R.A.V.E Domestic Violence Workshop and Brunch.”

Don’t miss this domestic violence workshop to increase awareness of concerns and issues affecting our communities and women of color. For more information, visit thedaughtersofisisfoundation.com, or contact Simone Williams at (718) 206-2694 or isis.staff@gmail.com.

This free event will be held at Young Queens Loft - 148-14 Liberty Ave., 2nd Floor, from noon to 3 p.m.

Pride Initiative Kick-Off The African Center for Community Empowerment (ACCE) is pleased to present a kick-off of a “Girls and Young Women Pride Initiative.” Please join ACCE in kicking off their Girls and Young Women Pride Initiative. The Girls and Young Women Pride Initiative helps to support and encourage social skills, health, creative arts, mentoring, leadership, and education. Pride builds girls and young women’s belief in themselves, their potential and their call to serve others. For additional information contact Tammie S. Williams, Pride Project Director, at (718) 2649638 or (516) 945-5230.

This free event will be held at African Center for Community Empowerment, 111-20A Farmers Blvd., from noon to 5 p.m.

Hands-On History Hands-on History workshops are free drop-in programs designed for families with children.

King Manor is starting its own garden! Learn about the plants that Rufus grew on his farm and help to plant seeds in the garden at the Museum. Learn about the way plants grow and take home a plant to grow in your own house.

Come visit your garden at King Manor throughout the summer and watch peas, tomatoes, herbs and much more grow!

This free event will be held at King Manor Museum, 153

Just who did shoot Tupac Shakur? If you really want to know, then you need to check out the Black Spectrum Theatre’s production of “The Tragedy of Tupac or Who Shot Me?” Written by George Carroll and Christina Tyler.

For tickets and information, visit www.blackspectrum.com or call (718) 723-1800. Tickets are $25; $20 with a college ID. This event will be held at Black Spectrum Theatre - 177th Street and Baisley Boulevard, at 8 p.m.

For tickets and information, visit www.blackspectrum.com or call (718) 723-1800. Tickets are $25; $20 with a college ID. This event will be held at Black Spectrum Theatre - 177th Street and Baisley Boulevard, at 8 p.m.

MAY 21 Cleaning Workshop Join us in this interactive workshop presented by Memories on the Move, Inc., with steps on how to clean up and dispose of clutter.

This free event will be held at Queens Public Library’s Central Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., at 11:30 a.m.

Queens Legal Services; NYC Family Justice Center, Queens; Other State and City Agencies; and Community Based Organizations.

For more information, visit huntley.nysenate.gov or contact Lois Menyweather at lmenyweather@gmail.com or Aiysha Jaggassar at (718) 5233069. Light refreshments will be served.

This free event will be held at the SUNY Equal Opportunity Center, 158-29 Archer Ave. from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

MAY 24 Walkers For Wellness Club See May 19 listing. At 7 p.m.

MAY 20 Jazz Program Auditions The York College Summer Jazz Program ’12, an auditiononly, college credit, tuition-free jazz performance program, will hold auditions for saxes, trumpets, trombones, piano, bass and drums. Students should prepare one solo piece of any kind and be ready to sight read!

For additional information, contact Tom Zlabinger at tzlabinger@york.cuny.edu or (718) 262-2412.

This free event will be held at York College Performing Arts Center - 94-45 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., at 9 a.m.

Open Mic For Poets Featured reader John Rice is a poet and writer from New York City obsessed with food and the power of weirdness. He has an MFA from Queens College, is the former recipient of the Silverstein-Peiser and James Kreuzer awards, and last year was a featured reader in the Summer Festival of the Performing Arts of both Queens College and Brooklyn College.

This free event will be held at Queens Public Library’s Central Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., at 2 p.m.

The Tragedy of Tupac Just who did shoot Tupac Shakur? If you really want to know, then you need to check out the Black Spectrum Theatre’s production of “The Tragedy of Tupac or Who Shot Me?” Written by George Carroll and Christina Tyler.

MAY 22 Walkers For Wellness Club See May 19 listing. At 7 p.m.

Computer Basics for Older Adults Adults with zero or limited computer skills will learn the basics in this workshop. Preregistration is required by phone or in person at the Cyber Center Desk.

For details, please call (718) 9900769.

This free event will be held at Queens Public Library’s Central Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., at 6 p.m.

MAY 23 Intro to New Technologies

Washington, D.C. Day Trip The Springfield Gardens Taxpayers and Citizens Association is pleased to present a day trip to the nation’s capital. The day will include a White House tour, Arlington Cemetery, the Smithsonian Museum, the Capitol Building, the Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial and a Baltimore Harbor Crabfest. The $125 price includes roundtrip motorcoach service, breakfast, lunch and dinner. For additional information, contact (718) 813-7936.

The bus departs from Salem Missionary Baptist Church, 17914 140th Ave., at 3 a.m.

Town Hall Meeting

Our tech experts will answer any questions you have about blogs, social media, smart phones, wikis, and more. Students must possess basic mouse and keyboarding skills. Preregistration is required by in person at the Cyber Center Desk or by calling (718) 990-0769.

This free event will be held at Queens Public Library’s Central Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., at 9:30 a.m.

Assemblyman Bill Scarborough’s next town hall meeting will feature the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). They’ll discuss the solutions to the ongoing problem of flooding in Southeast Queens, what is being done, and what is planned for the future!

This free event will be held at Robert Ross Johnson Family Life Center, 172-17 Linden Blvd., from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Domestic Violence

MAY 25 Defensive Driving

New York State Sen. Shirley Huntley, Assistant Minority Leader for Intergovernmental Affairs, invites you to attend a series of workshops on Domestic Violence. Come learn about your legal rights as a victim.

Invited panelists include: Safe Horizon; Queens Criminal and Supreme Court Program; Queens Legal Aid Society;

This AARP course teaches older drivers how to stay safe on the road. Advanced registration is not required. For more information, contact Ms. Downing at (718) 479-8914.

This free event will be held at Queens Public Library’s Laurelton Branch, 134-26 225th St., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

May 18-24, 2012 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 19

Council Member Leroy Comrie invites you attend the City Council Black Latino and Asian Caucus’ Employment and Small Business Opportunities Expo. This free event includes: power hour sessions on New York City’s Training Grant program; resume review and job matching strategies for high growth industries; small business fundamentals; developing a business plan; financing facts and fictions; conducting business with government and tips for successful bidding; and employment opportunities. Free transportation provided for those who register.

Buses will depart from the office of Council Member Leroy Comrie (113-43 Farmers Boulevard) promptly at 10 a.m. and will leave Manhattan at 2:30 p.m. To register, please contact (718) 7763700 or email mrivas@council.nyc.gov.

This free event will be held at New Balance Track and Field

Center, 216 Fort Washington Ave. in Manhattan, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The new 390,000 sq. ft. Fiterman Hall at Borough of Manhattan Community College replaces the one lost on 9/11, with new classrooms, instructional and computer labs, an art gallery and café.

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Bronx Community College’s, 98,000 sq. ft. North Instructional Building and Library, provides classrooms, a library, a café, a two-story commons, study rooms and lounges.

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CUNY Law School moves to 2 Court Square, an environmentally green building in Long Island City with 260,000 sq. ft. of classrooms, library, law clinic, moot court, an auditorium and offices.

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ESIGNED TO INSPIRE INQUIRY AND INNOVATION, five new, state-of-the-art education hubs — part of The City University of New York’s capital program to upgrade and build facilities to meet record

enrollments and 21st-century needs — open their doors this fall. CUNY’s construction program is a job-creating economic engine for New York, responsible for nearly 20 percent of all construction in New York City.

— Matthew Goldstein, Chancellor The New Community College at CUNY, an exciting new college opens in the center of midtown Manhattan at 50 West 40th Street, overlooking Bryant Park. The first entering class will be 300 students.

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Lehman College’s 69,000 sq. ft.

New Science Facility, Phase I, showcases its strength in plant science teaching and research with high-tech sustainable laboratories, science learning centers and offices.

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Visit www.cuny.edu/admissions for more info.