Queens Tribune Epaper

Vol. 42, No. 9 March 1-7, 2012

Liu’s Blues

No Hope For College Point Mail Facility Page 3

Film Festival Features World Releases

Page 42

Page 14

Special Section Inside: Home Improvement Q

Pages 19-26

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A second member of the City Comptroller’s campaign for mayor is arrested on fraud charges.

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I N ­S I D E Deadline....................................................................3 Editorial....................................................................6 Not 4 Publication.....................................................8 This Week...............................................................10 Police Blotter.........................................................12 Focus......................................................................13 Trib Pix....................................................................27 Leisure....................................................................29 Queens Today........................................................30 Classifieds..............................................................33 Confidential............................................................42

Page 2 Tribune March 1-7, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com

Queens Deadline

John Liu Campaign Treasurer Arrested a scheme that used “straw donors” to funnel large, illegal contributions above the individual limit authorized by the New York City Campaign Finance Board with the intent to increase the matching funds provided by the CFB. “New York’s campaign finance laws are not optional,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said. “They ensure that all candidates operate on a level playing field and that everyone plays by the rules.

“As today’s charges demonstrate, unlawful campaign conduct will not be tolerated,” he added.

In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Liu expressed surprise at the arrest.

“I am stunned by this news about Jenny Hou,” the statement read. “These accusations against her are uncharacteristic and unexpected. Jenny is a smart, hardworking person who I hope will be treated fairly.”

In November, the FBI arrested Xingwu “Oliver” Pan during a sting operation on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and attempting to commit wire fraud.

Reach Managing Editor Steven J. Ferrari at sferrari@queenstribune.com or (718 357-7400 Ext. 122.

Photo by Ira Cohen

By STEVEN J. FERRARI Less than five months after a fundraiser for City Comptroller John Liu was arrested in a fraud scheme, a top-ranking official on Liu’s campaign staff has also been arrested.

Jia “Jenny” Hou, the treasurer for Liu’s mayoral campaign, was charged Tuesday morning with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of attempting to commit wire fraud and one count of obstruction of justice. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Hou, 25, of Queens, allegedly participated in

Jia “Jenny” Hou

College Point Postal Facility To Close USPS’ efficiency when stacked up against UPS or FedEx. The Brooklyn facility, some warn, is not readily accessible. The College Point center is adjacent to the Whitestone Expressway, while the closest commercial highway to the Brooklyn facility, located near Jamaica Bay on the border of Brooklyn and Queens, is the Van Wyck Expressway- almost four miles away.

Officials also warn the Brooklyn facility may already be overburdened and would not be able to handle the excess in mail.

The U.S. Postal Service’s College Point However, USPS says the decline in usage bulk facilit y. means the Brooklyn facility will be able to But local officials say the center’s closure handle the expected amount of mail in the could cost as many as 1,000 jobs and dramati- coming years. cally increase mail delivery time for Queens “With the economic downturn, the Postal residents and businesses, further effecting Service is facing declining mail volume and

increasing costs. This has left us with excess capacity at many processing plants,” workers at the College Point facility were told last week. “We have to match our resources with mail volume to hold the line on expenses.

This move will help us do that.”

Members of the New York Congressional delegation, led by U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-Hudson Valley), said they would challenge the planned closure, one of 223 nationwide and a handful in the state, but besides increasing funding for the postal service, an unlikely prospect in an election year, it is uncertain what specific steps Congress can take.

Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at drafter@queenstribune.com or (718) 3577400 Ext. 125.

Hospital Closure Worries Boro Officials

By V ERONICA LEWIN Days after the State shut down Peninsula Hospital Center for failing to meet standards, some are wondering if the struggling hospital will ever make a full recovery.

“If Peninsula Hospital closes, we are in a crisis,” Councilman James Sanders Jr. (DLaurelton) said.

The City Dept. of Health named the Rockaways as a health crisis zone, and the closing of a central hospital in a densely populated area would make it difficult for residents to get the care they need.

“It’s a death sentence,” the councilman said. “It means that people will not get to the hospital in the time that they need.”

On Feb. 23, the State Dept. of Health suspended the clinical laboratory for 30 days after the Far Rockaway hospital failed a state inspection. Since the clinical laboratory is critical to the daily operations of a hospital, the DOH ordered Peninsula to shut down and transfer current patients to other facilities. St. John’s Episcopal Hospital is the only other hospital on the peninsula. Elected officials who represent the area surrounding the hospital expressed shock over Peninsula’s lab suspension.

“Putting patient safety at risk is outra-

geous and unacceptable,” said Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Far Rockaway). “Our hospitals and health care facilities must be held to the highest standard to protect the health and safety of our families.”

Since September 2011, Revival Home Health Care has been running Peninsula Hospital Center. The company opened in 1994 and provides home health care service to residents in the five boroughs, Long Island and counties north of the city. Peninsula is the company’s first hospital. A spokeswoman at Revival Home Health Care declined to comment on the clinical lab suspension.

“There can be no doubt that this was a simple failure of proper oversight and careful administration,” Sanders said. He said he met with Peninsula’s Chief Operating Officer Todd Miller last week and Miller said he is working to keep the hospital open.

When the debt troubles of Peninsula Hospital Center were first diagnosed last summer, the borough braced itself for the death of yet another hospital. The summer months were filled with ups and downs, leaving residents wondering where they would go for medical care. The hospital seemed to stabilize when Revival Home Health Care took over operations in place of MediSys last fall, but now the

borough waits to see if the hospital will open after the 30-day suspension.

“Even though Peninsula Hospital is critical to the provision of medical care for residents of the Rockaway Peninsula, patient safety is of paramount importance,” Borough President Helen Marshall said in a statement.

Marshall released a report in 2006 that warned Queens could face a health care shortage if the borough did not act quickly.

The main finding of the report was that there are not enough hospital beds to serve the demand for health care in Queens. She said this results in people leaving the borough for specialties such as cardiology, orthopedics and cancer treatment.

The study recommended a new hospital should be put in western Queens to better serve residents. Two years after the report, New Parkway Hospital closed in November 2008, with the shuttering of St. John’s and Mary Immaculate following soon after. If Peninsula cannot survive, the borough will be left with roughly 3,600 hospital beds to serve more than 2 million people who call Queens home.

Reach Reporter Veronica Lewin at vlewin@queenspress.com or (718) 3577400, Ext. 123.

www.queenstribune.com • March 1-7, 2012 Tribune Page 3

By DOMENICK RAFTER The U.S. Postal Service’s College Point bulk facility is hard to miss. The sprawling brown building can be easily seen by drivers on the Whitestone Expressway. Recently, the facility has taken center stage in a local chapter of a nationwide story on the future of the post office.

Facing a national budget shortfall of more than $14 billion, the USPS announced in November that the facility, which serves as the main bulk sorting facility for the borough of Queens and part of western Nassau County, would close this year and be merged with a sister facility in East New York, Brooklyn. The move, one of hundreds nationwide, came with little warning and sparked outrage from local officials who protested the move, demanding the postal service reconsider.

In December, USPS announced it would give the facility a reprieve until May and pushed for Congress to act on fixing the postal service’s finances. But with little hope of that happening in an election year, USPS’ Triboro District Manager Frank Calabrese essentially threw in the towel on keeping the facility open in a letter to the President of the Flushing chapter of the American Postal Workers Union dated Feb. 22.

“After a review of the individual installations [in Brooklyn and Queens], it was decided that the consolidations were in the best interest of the Postal Service,” the letter stated.

Local officials pounced.

“Rather than take advantage of the time that has been bought for USPS by Congress in a recent moratorium on post office closures, USPS has decided to finalize their plans to shut down this facility,” said State Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing), who spearheaded the fight among local officials to keep the center open. “This is like governmental ‘Jeopardy!’ – the USPS has the answers before we’ve asked the questions.”

According to a study released in November that suggested the closure of the Queens center and consolidation with Brooklyn, the USPS would save just under $31 million by closing the facility and combining it with the center in Brooklyn.

Groups Protest Wage Disparity At Airports

Page 4 Tribune March 1-7, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com

BY VERONICA LEWIN A family of four in the Big Apple needs an income of $59,027 to cover basic necessities, according to a recent report. Still, families struggle everyday to make ends meet with much less than that. Some of those New Yorkers include full-time airport employees who are scraping by on just $16,000 a year.

Now, clergy, community leaders and concerned residents are speaking out against the poverty wages paid by some of the most successful companies in the world.

The Southeast Queens Clergy Coalition for Good Jobs and other community groups held a press conference last Friday at the Greater Refuge Church of Christ in South Ozone Park. The group of about 30 gathered on the church’s steps to protest what they call poverty wages paid by airlines at the three major airports in the area, all owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The press conference came on the heels of a new report from New York University’s Women of Color Policy Network, which revealed contract employees at LaGuardia, JFK and Newark are not compensated enough to support themselves, much less a family.

According to the report, many of the people trusted to keep passengers and their belongings safe are making a median average of $8 an hour working as baggage handlers, maintenance workers and security officers, among other jobs. At the three main airports, the report also revealed a wage gap

between male and female employees. Nearly 75 percent of contracted workers earning more than $10 an hour were men. These low wages cause one out of 10 airline contract employees to hold another job to support themselves, in addition to supplementing income with public benefits.

Because a majority of the employees live where they work, the consequences of underpaying people often spread outside of the airports to the surrounding communities, often communities of color. The study found more than one-third of a contract

employee’s income is spent on housing.

Because of this, more than half of the people surveyed reported having difficulty paying for a place to live. Low wages can cause homeowners to fall behind on their mortgage rates, further contributing to the foreclosure problem in the borough. The areas surrounding LaGuardia and JFK Airports have the highest concentration of foreclosures in the borough.

While the Port Authority does not directly hire these employees, Executive Director Patrick Foye said he will work with the

airlines to improve wages for contract employees.

“As I told members of SEIU 32BJ at a forum this week where the report was released, I come from a union family and have directed Port Authority staff to review the findings,” Foye said in a statement. “I will seek recommendations on how we can work with our aviation partners on ways to improve the current situation.”

Reach Reporter Veronica Lewin at vlewin@queenspress.com or (718) 3577400, Ext. 123.

Newtown Plant Clears The Rain

By DOMENICK RAFTER The ongoing effort to clean up the long polluted waters of Newtown Creek received a much needed boost last week. A key component of the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant went into operation, increasing the plant’s ability to treat rainwater.

The so-called “south battery” of the plant, located on the Brooklyn side of the river that serves as a natural boundary between Brooklyn and Queens for three and a half miles, is part of an overall $5 billion upgrade to increase the plant’s treatment capacity from 620 to 700 million gallons per day of combined wastewater and rainwater flow. The plant contains three batteries, or tanks, that perform secondary treatment of wastewater,

a biological process using naturally-occurring bacteria to break down pathogens as wastewater passes through aeration and sediment tanks. The south battery consists of eight grit tanks, four aeration tanks, and eight sedimentation tanks. The battery upgrade remodeled the existing grit, aeration, and sedimentation tanks that perform the secondary wastewater treatment process.

A Superfund site since September 2010, Newtown Creek is notorious for its pollution.

Decades of raw sewage, industrial waste and oil from the Greenpoint oil spill, the largest in U.S. history, have turned the creek into a stereotype of urban waterways. Since the creek is stagnant and has no current, 15 feet of black sludge has developed on the creek bed. The creek, which

abuts the Queens neighborhoods of Long Island City, Sunnyside, Maspeth and Ridgewood, is surrounded by some of the most industrialized areas of the city.

Last May, DEP certified that the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, located just north of Greenpoint Avenue in Greenpoint, is meeting the secondary treatment standards of the Clean Water Act — which requires wastewater to be treated to remove at least 85 percent of certain pollutants before post-treated water, known as effluent, is discharged into surrounding waterways—two years ahead of schedule.

Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at drafter@queenstribune.com or (718) 3577400 Ext. 125.

Houses Of Worship Face Attacks On Feb. 29, police arrested Efram Sanders, 28, of Flushing on charges of burglary, grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property.

Though police recovered all of the property, with the exception of two torah pointers, the robbery was the latest in a rash of crimes committed against religious sanctuaries in Queens over the past year.

“Just shock, I don’t know what else to say,” a despondent Sporer said in Degel Israel’s threshold when asked how the congregation reacted to the theft. Sporer, who lives nearby, has been a congregant at the 150-person synagogue on Main Street and 68th Drive for

Tribune photo by Ira Cohen

By ROSS BA RKAN Adar is supposed to be the most joyous month in the Jewish calendar. For Zvi Sporer and the congregants of Degel Israel in Kew Gardens Hills, the irony of last week’s alleged robbery is too crushing to even consider.

The silver crowns on top of the synagogue’s torah, each worth $3,000 and inscribed with the names of families who donated them to honor the deceased, were gone. According to police reports, everything stolen was silver: three torah crowns, two torah minicrowns, three torah breastplates, four torah pointers, and one silver cup, all together worth as much as $15,000.

The interior of Congregation Degel Israel.

more than 30 years. The robbery could have occurred on almost any day in the previous week because the torah lies in an upstairs room that is rarely used during the week. It is also unlocked. Anyone can walk in.

As observant Jews embark on the month of Adar—Purim, a holiday that celebrates the Jewish people’s defeat of an ancient genocidal plot, occurs during Adar—religious Queens residents of all faiths will warily look back at 2011 and early 2012.

In early January, the Jamaica Islamic center Imam Al-Khoei was firebombed. No one was injured. Swastikas appeared on a Jackson Heights synagogue and library buildings in November. That same month, at the Rego Park synagogue Ohr Natan, the words “we will never be friends” were found scrawled on its outer walls. St. Bartholomew’s Church in Elmhurst was robbed of chalices and communion cups worth thousands of dollars in March of 2011.

“We have many people who went through persecution, who went through the Holocaust,” said Rabbi Nahum Kaziyev of Ohr Nathan, the Rego Park synagogue. “It was very hard to see something like this had happened in 2011 in New York.”

On Feb. 25, Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Hillcrest) announced he was co-sponsoring legislation with State Sen. Jeffrey Klein (D-Bronx) that would increase penalties for theft committed against houses of worship.

The announcement, made at Ohr Natan, did

This image provided by the NYPD shows some of the items stolen from Congregation Degel Israel in Kew Gardens Hills.

The items were recovered earlier this week when a suspect was arrested. not formally mention the alleged theft at Degel Israel. Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz, who attended the press conference, did allude to it, however.

“It’s a special kind of cowardice to steal from the poor and the needy,” Simanowitz said. “It’s especially heinous when you do it from a religious institution, a place of togetherness.”

Paul Engel, executive director of the Flushing Jewish Community Council, does not necessarily believe there is a new trend of bigotry.

“I think some of the crimes could be related to economic times, certainly,” Engel said. “These things seem to occur. I don’t know if it’s really any more than usual. Especially with Flushing, being so diverse, it’s definitely something that cannot be tolerated as far as attacks on individual or groups.”

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

www.queenstribune.com • March 1-7, 2012 Tribune Page 5

Edit Page In Our Opinion:

It’s Time To Go As he has risen up the ladder of City government, John Liu has been a beacon for the Asian-American population of the borough and the City. His accomplishments have been impressive and he has clearly done a lot of good work for the City as both a councilman and the Comptroller.

However, John Liu, the candidate for mayor, has shown that he may not be the man City residents want in charge.

This week’s arrest of his campaign treasurer – the second such indictment of senior Liu money people - is a sign that despite his accomplishments, he might not be the right man for the job.

As a candidate, Liu is the man responsible for making sure his campaign staff follows the letter of the law. As City Comptroller, Liu is the chief fiscal officer of the City. The voters have entrusted him with the billions in pension dollars and the finances of City agencies, but it seems that he is unable to oversee the finances of his own campaign.

If Liu cannot keep his campaign honest, why should we believe he is capable of running the Comptroller’s office – let along the office of the Mayor?

Given his recent spate of troubles, it is time for Liu to step aside as City Comptroller.

In Your Opinion:

Page 6 Tribune March 1-7, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com

Enough Is Enough To The Editor: I am writing to voice my disdain with what I see as a new fad being used as a self-promotional tool amongst politicians who, quite often, are seeking higher office throughout this City and State. This new fad we are witnessing is the multitude of “State of the State” and “State of the City” addresses.

While I have no problem with the governor, mayors and heads of municipalities throughout New York giving addresses, the issue I have is that many elected officials have seen the attention that these speeches have received and have decided that hosting their own spinoff events would be a politically expedient way of patting themselves on the back while touting their ideas and achievements.

Recently, in New York City, we have seen the City Council Speaker, City Comptroller and Borough Presidents all host their own ad-

dresses. It is ridiculous and a complete waste of time and money to set up these events that often seem like campaign speeches without the banners and adoring supporters.

I rarely applaud our federal politicians for setting an example but neither the Speaker of the House nor the Senate Majority Leader has their own State of the Union addresses following the President’s. I am sure many of our senatorial and congressional representatives would love to speak on behalf of the Union but it is simply not their place. In the same way it is not appropriate for the Council Speaker, Comptroller or any other elected official to speak on behalf of the City.

The shameless self-promotion and grandstanding needs to end.

Our City and State face great challenges that deserve our undivided attention. All these self aggrandizing speeches really only serve to beg the question that with all of these great ideas and accomplish-

Michael Schenkler Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

ments by these politicians, why do we still face such serious problems?

Tony Avella, State Senator, 11th Senatorial District

Constitutional Powers To The Editor: We hear so much in the news media about the candidates that are running for President of the United States. According to the U.S. Constitution, the President has limited powers. The representatives elected to Congress have more powers than the President. They have the authority to declare war, to coin money, all bills that raise revenue must originate in the House of Representatives, etc. The members of Congress have been allowing the President to usurp their authority.

We must elect members to the House of Representatives and the Senate who take very seriously, when they are sworn into office, the oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States.

It does not matter what party they belong to, it does matter how they vote. Do they vote in accordance with the U.S. Constitution or do they vote for more government and higher taxes? We must be familiar with our Constitution. We should communicate with our representatives and remember that they work for us. Our country became great because of the freedoms that its citizens have and what the government was prevented from doing by our Constitution.

Janet McCarthy, Flushing

Still Behind Obama To The Editor: In a recent issue of the Queens Tribune, Mr. Rolf Adams refers to and comments on a letter, “Wrong Mandate,” which appeared in an earlier edition. Mr. Adams is perfectly right; the inner machinations of the politicians in either Party are somewhere between illusive and invisible, closer to the latter. Three

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items were listed as failures by our president: Solyndra, “Fast & Furious,” and the Geithner selection. I feel some are valid, some not and some are gray.

Solyndra applied for a government approved loan guarantee in December 2006. In March 2009, Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced a $535 million conditional loan guarantee to Solyndra and was approved six months later by OBM. The solar panel company was not adequately vetted as it should have been. Right move; wrong firm.

In 2006, the ATF initiated a “Gun Walking” plan called “Operation Wide Receive.” In 2009, the ATC decided to repeat the procedure, now naming it “Fast & Furious” and it lost control of the guns.

President Bush did not initiate “Operation Wide Receive,” nor did President Obama initiate “Fast & Furious.” Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms & Explosives plans and carries out their operations.

I totally agree with Mr. Adams’ contention that it was wrong for President Obama to carry over the previous administration’s Financial Advisor Geithner, and that goes for Bernanke as well. What was (is) he thinking? That’s like insisting that tax cuts for the wealthy creates jobs when we see clearly that since the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, jobs had plummeted; the old “trickle down” farce. However I disagree about Janet Napolitano. She has a cool unruffled mind is a great choice to head the Department of Homeland Security.

One could add to the list of President’s disappointments with the word “NOT.” Not managing to close Guantanamo, Not repeal the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, Not allow imported prescription drugs, Not forbid companies in bankruptcy from giving executives bonuses and a dozen other promises not yet fulfilled. This is what precipitated the “Wrong Mandate” and the letter to which Mr. Adams refers. The disappointment was validated by the no-show voters in 2010.

Finally I double down in agreement with Mr. Adams’, “One man, one vote.”

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In order to accomplish this, we must have the outrageous 5-4 Conservative Supreme Court, “Citizens United” ruling overturned. It is nothing but a giveaway to corporations which in turn are the benefactors of the Republican Party. A Corporation is not a “person”.

All things considered, there are not enough nots in President Obama’s list of goals not yet accomplished to even consider voting Republican. Besides, check out the line-up.

Christopher Nicholas, Bayside

Lenten Diet To The Editor: Last Wednesday marked the beginning of Lent, the 40-day period preceding Easter, when Christians would abstain from meat and dairy products in remembrance of Jesus’ 40 days of reflection before launching his ministry.

Devout Christians who still observe meatless Lent help reduce chronic diseases, environmental degradation, and animal abuse. In the past four decades, dozens of medical reports have linked consumption of animal products with elevated risk of heart failure, stroke, cancer, and other killer diseases. A 2007 U.N. report named meat production as the largest source of greenhouse gases and water pollution. Undercover investigations have documented animals being raised for food under abject conditions of caging, crowding, deprivation, drugging, mutilation, and manhandling.

Lent offers a superb opportunity to honor Jesus’ powerful message of compassion and love for all living beings; to stop subsidizing disease, devastation, and cruelty; to choose a wholesome nonviolent diet of vegetables, fruits, and grains and a vast array of meat and dairy alternatives. It’s a diet mandated in Genesis I-29 and observed in the Garden of Eden.

Entering “vegetarian lent” in your favorite search engine provides ample tips and recipes.

Felix Britt, Fresh Meadows

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LEGAL NOTICE

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LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: JSDC MANAGEMENT LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/04/12.

Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to the LLC, 34-47 42nd Street, #2RL, Astoria, New York 11101. Purpose: For any lawful purpose. ___________________________________ G & D INSTALLATION LLC, a domestic LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 9/8/ 11. Office location: Queens County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: G Moller, 166-19 24 th Ave., Whitestone, NY 11375.

General Purposes. ___________________________________ 8101 Flatlands LCL. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/13/11.

Office in Queens County.

SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to10210 Metropolitan Ave Ste 200, Forest Hills, NY 11375. Purpose: General ___________________________________ 141-22 ROCKAWAY BOULEVARD LLC, a domestic LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/21/11. Office location: Queens County.

SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: Helen Sanders, 579 S. Main St., Freeport, NY 11520.

General Purposes. ___________________________________ J Coco Realty LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 9/7/11. Office in Queens County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 28-60 31 st St, Astoria, NY11102. Purpose: General. ___________________________________ SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS. Index No. 1391/ 2011. STATE OF NEW YORK. SUPREME COURT – COUNTY OF QUEENS. U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, FOR GSR MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2006-5F, Plaintiff, vs.- MIGUEL H. SEGOVIA, if living and if he be dead, and all persons who are wives, lienors, heirs, devisees, distributes, successors in interest of such of them as may be dead, and their husbands and wives, heirs, devisees, dis-

tributes, and successors in interest all of whom and whose names and places are unknown to Plaintiff; ORFA N. VASQUEZ; CITY OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; “JOHN DOE” AND “JANE DOE” said names being fictitious, it being the intention of Plaintiff to designate any and all occupants of premises being foreclosed herein, Defendants. Mortgaged Premises: 94-31 86th Avenue, Woodhaven, N.Y. 11421.

TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANT(S): YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service hereof. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that there is a deficiency in the sale proceeds, a deficiency judgment may be entered against you. That this action is being amended to correct the name of the defendants to add the possible heirs of MIGUEL H. SEGOVIA as a necessary party to the action, as he cannot be located.

NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME. If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property.

Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action.

YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. QUEENS County is designated as the place of trial. The basis of

venue is the location of the mortgaged premises. Dated: December 21, 2011, /s/, Mark K. Broyles, Esq. FEIN, SUCH & CRANE, LLP Attorneys for Plaintiff Office and P.O. Address 28 East Main Street Suite 1800 Rochester, New York 14614 Telephone No. (585) 232-7400 (DISTRICT:, SECTION:, BLOCK: 8887, LOT: 31).

NATURE AND OBJECT OF THE ACTION. The object of the above action is to foreclose a mortgage held by the Plaintiff recorded in the County of QUEENS, State of New York on April 25, 2006, in CRFN 2006000229484, said mortgage was then assigned by Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for Griffin Mortgage Corporation to Griffin Mortgage Corporation by virtue of a GAP Assignment of Mortgage, executed January 13, 2011, and sent to the County for recording on January 17, 2011, which mortgage was further assigned to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for IndyMac Bank, F.S.B. by virtue of an Assignment of Mortgage, recorded in the QUEENS County Clerk’s Office on August 8, 2006, in CRFN 2006000447527, which mortgage was further assigned to the Plaintiff by virtue of an Assignment of Mortgage, executed on January 13, 2011, and sent to the County for recording on January 17, 2011. TO THE DEFENDANT, except MIGUEL H. SEGOVIA, the plaintiff makes no personal claim against you in this action. To the above named defendants: The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of the Hon. Jaime A. Rios, a Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of N.Y., dated January 27, 2012 and filed along with the supporting papers in the Queens County Clerk’s Office. This is an action to foreclose a mortgage. The premises is described as follows: Beginning at the point on the northerly side of 86th Avenue (formerly Elmwood Street) distant 170 feet westerly from the corner formed by intersection of the westerly side of 96th Street (formerly Willard Avenue) with the northerly side of 86th Avenue; being a plot 100 feet by 40 feet by 100 feet by 40 feet. Premises known as 9431 86th Avenue, Woodhaven, N.Y. 11421. ___________________________________ Notice of Formation of Common Sky LLC Arts. of Org.

filed with Secy. of State of NY SSNY on 1/24/2012.

Office location: Queens County. Princ. office of LLC: 3545 32 nd ST. #1F, Long Island City, NY, 11106 SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Common Skky, LLC at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity. ___________________________________ BIG CITY SPORTS LLC, a domestic LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/ 27/2011. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 154-38 11 th Ave., Whitestone, NY 11357. Reg Agent: Demian Deviccaro, 154-38 11 th Ave., Whitestone, NY 11357. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose. ___________________________________ “Notice of Formation of The Tejas Group LLC. Arts. Of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY SSNY on 1/3/2012.

Office Location: Queens County. Princ. Office of LLC: 87-52 108 th S t r e e t , R i c h mond Hill, NY 11418. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o The Tejas Group LLC c/o Deepan Bajwa, Esq. at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity.” ___________________________________ SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS Index No.: 18835/11 D/O/F: February 2, 2012 Block: 09299 Lot: 0033 SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF Queens NYCTL 2010-A TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK, AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN FOR THE NYCTL 2010-A TRUST, Plaintiffs, -against- ANTHONY LAINO; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANACE; UNKNOWN HEIRS, DEVISEES, DISTRIBUTEES OR SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST OF THE LATE PHYLLIS LAINO, IF THEY BE LIVING OR DEAD, THEIR SPOUSES, HEIRS, DEVISEES, DISTRIBUTEES AND SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST, ALL OF WHOM AND WHOSE NAMES AND PLACES OF RESIDENCE ARE UNKNOWN TO PLAINTIFF, if living, or if either or all be dead, their wives, husbands, heirs-at-law, next of kin, distributees, executors, ad-

ministrators, assignees, lienors and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said UNKNOWN HEIRS, DEVISEES, DISTRIBUTEES OR SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST OF THE LATE PHYLLIS LAINO, IF THEY BE LIVING OR DEAD, THEIR SPOUSES, HEIRS, DEVISEES, DISTRIBUTEES AND SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST, ALL OF WHOM AND WHOSE NAMES AND PLACES OF RESIDENCE ARE UNKNOWN TO PLAINTIFF, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise, of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and the respective husbands, wives, widow or widowers of them, if any, all of whose names are unknown to plaintiff; “JOHN DOES” and “JANE DOES”, said names being fictitious, parties intended being possible tenants or occupants of premises, and corporations, other entities or persons who claim, or may claim, a lien against the premises, Defendants. TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Amended Complaint in this action, and to serve a copy of your Answer, or, if the Amended Complaint is not served with this Supplemental Summons, to serve a Notice of Appearance on the Plaintiffs’ Attorneys within twenty (20) days after the service of this Supplemental Summons, exclusive of the day of service, where service is made by delivery upon you personally within the State, or within thirty (30) days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner, and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Amended Complaint.

YOU ARE HEREBY PUT ON NOTICE THAT WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT, AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THE PURPOSE. TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS: The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Honorable Diccia T. Pineda-Kirwan of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, signed on January 11, 2012, and filed with supporting papers in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Queens, State of New York. The nature of this action is to foreclose a tax lien certificate recorded against said premises. The Tax Lien Certificate was dated

August 5, 2010 and recorded on August 12, 2010 as CRFN: 2010000272817. Said premises being known as and by 87-87 109TH STREET, RICHMOND HILL, NY 11427, which is more fully described as Block: 09299; Lot: 0033.

Dated: November 18, 2011 Batavia, New York Virginia Grapensteter, Esq. ROSICKI, ROSICKI & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Attorneys for Plaintiffs Batavia Office 26 Harvester Avenue Batavia, NY 14020 585.815.0288 Help For Homeowners In Foreclosure New York State Law requires that we send you this notice about the foreclosure process. Please read it carefully.

Mortgage foreclosure is a complex process. Some people may approach you about “saving” your home.

You should be extremely careful about any such promises.

The State encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. There are government agencies, legal aid entities and other non-profit organizations that you may contact for information about foreclosure while you are working with your lender during this process.

To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by the New York State Banking Department at 1-877-BANKNYS (1-877-226-5697) or visit the Department’s website at www.banking.state.ny.us.

The State does not guarantee the advice of these agencies. ___________________________________ Supreme Court, Queens County, Matter of Juanita Watkins a.k.a. Juanita E. Watkins an incapacitated person, pursuant to Court Order dated January 24, 2012, of Hon. Howard G. Lane, JSC, for application to sell premises 1077 Dean Street, Brooklyn, New York 11235 on March 19, 2012 at 11:00 am. In IAS Part MGM, Supreme Court – Queens County 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, New York 11432 under contract subject to court approval for $700,000.00 call Zenith T. Taylor, Esq. (718) 268-1300 for info ___________________________________ CRESPO MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING SERVICE PLLC, a Prof. LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 09/13/2011. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 70-18 57th Dr., Apt 1, Maspeth, NY 11378. Purpose: To Practice The Profession Of Lic. Mental Health Counselor.

www.queenstribune.com • March 1-7, 2012 Tribune Page 7

LEGAL NOTICE

Government Of The People, By The People . . .

By MICHAEL SCHENKLER with DOMENICK RAFTER Politicians aren’t exactly the most popular people in America at the moment.

Ask many as to why their opinion of our elected officials are so low, you might end up getting some form of “they don’t listen to us” as an answer. The lack of faith in the public’s ability to influence

legislation and policy has been blamed for notorious low turnout in elections and low approval ratings, especially for legislators.

Voters expressing cynicism in government will often say they feel outnumbered by lobbyists, corporate money or unions. Some look at the high incumbent reelection rates and partisan gerrymandering as signs their voice s won’t be heard- whether during debates or in elections.

Yet there are some recent examples of enough public outcry influencing policy makers. The Tea Party moved us to the right several years ago. Then in 2010, Occupy Wall Street was credited with reigniting an argument over the tax rate on the richest Americans.

When a bill to legalize samesex marriage came to a vote in

New York in 2009, some state legislatures who were undecided on the bill took the pulse of their districts. When announcing his “yes” vote, Queens State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. announced calls to his office were overwhelmingly supportive, when in 2009; they had been a majorit y in opposit ion.

Addabbo voted no that year.

It is possible to make your voice heard – possible, but not easy.

There are various ways to do this; phone, email, let ter, town hall meetings or organizing demonstrations. The most common and often effective way to do so is by phone. A simple phone call to your local representative’s office will be taken by office staff and noted. Often, elected officials wish to receive these calls during hotly

Page 8 Tribune March 1-7, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com

If You Build It, They Will Come

By JACK FRIEDMAN negativity I say, “If we build it, they Welcome to Queens. Land of will come”. our region’s two major airports, The Queens convention cenhome to the United States Tennis ter was included in the New York Open and the New York Mets, the Cit y Regional Council’s strategic site of our City’s only casino. With plan. That group included promi2.3 million people livnent and well-reing in a borough that spected business leadcontinued to grow durers like Kathy Wylde of ing the sluggish the Ne w York Cit y economy of the past Par tner sh ip, Gail few years, with exciting Grimmet of Delta Airdevelopment in Long lines, Steve Spinola of Island City, downtown REBNY, Peter Ward of Flushing, Jamaica, the Hotel Trade s Astoria and more Council and others.

Queens is thriving. Yes They represented deQueens Chamber’s velopers, airlines, hosManhat tan, there are Jack Friedman other boroughs. pitality, business and So why are naysayers from other sectors vital to the New York Manhattan being so negative about City economy. They are all ManGovernor Andrew Cuomo’s recent hattan-based, yet as a group they announcement of plans to develop supported the Queens Convention the countr y’s largest convent ion Center in their plan. and exhibition center at Aqueduct Governor Andrew Cuomo, Racetrack in Southern Queens? Empire State Development CEO The same naysayers, I remind you, Kenneth Adams, and Mayor have been complaining about the Bloomberg all suppor t the plan. antiquated Javits Center and its in- Rober t Yaro, Pre sident of the abilit y to draw fir st-class trade highly regarded Regional Plan Asshows since it was built. They are sociation spoke at the Queens the same folks who run NYC & Chamber of Commerce last week Co., the organization tasked with touting the center as a transforpromoting tourism for all New mational project that can be a York City, yet acts as if Queens stimulus beyond Aqueduct and doesn’t exist. I don’t have an issue Southern Queens and in fact, will with those who want to insure we have an impact on all of Queens, address all the concerns that come Ne w York Cit y and the region. with building a facility of this size; These are no lightweights. These traffic, commute to Manhattan, are the thought leaders and policy truck access, etc. But to all the drivers for our City and State. So

why all the negativity?

The answer is simple. Our efforts as a City are far too Manhattan-centric. The U.S. Open is the most successful sporting event in Ne w York Cit y, responsible for more than $800 million of tax revenue annually. They play in Queens. Resorts World New York is attracting 20,000 visitors a day, earning the State $1 million daily.

It is in South Queens. Millions of people visit our City, State and Country daily through our major airports, both in Queens. It’s time that Queens is recognized as a land of opportunity for the hospitality, tourism and convention sector.

Lets rally behind this project.

Genting has proven to be a smart, reliable partner w ith experience building these t ypes of facilities around the World. They are willing to invest $4 billion of private money into this venture. It will guarantee thousands of jobs and billions in revenue. Stakeholders have a right to be concerned, many issues remain unresolved, but none are insurmountable.

Naysayer Michael J. Stengel from Marriott Hotels recently stated “Good luck. I know we’re not putt ing a hotel out t here any time soon”. That’s fine. If you don’t, others will and you’ll be sorry you missed the boat.

Welcome to Queens.

Jack Friedman is the Executive Director of the Queens Chamber of Commerce.

contested debates over issues.

Emails and letters could be le ss effective, especially in scenarios where an issue is galvanizing a large portion of the population. Email addresses given to the public are usually generic ones that could receive thousands of inquiries a day. Personal letters could take a while to reach a local official’s office, especially since the 2002 Anthrax scares led to increased security measures for regular mail.

A community event and meeting one on one with constituents is the best way to emphasis your point of view with your local representatives. Town hall meetings are common, especially in smaller communitie s. However, security concerns in the wake of the assassination attempt on former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has not made it any easier to access an elected official.

Organizing or participating in a demonstration outside an elected official’s office or at a scheduled appearance certainly makes your point but may not be a way to

make friends with the elected.

Using the legislative bodies’ websites is the easiest way to find contact information. Each legislator on every level lists their office location, email and phone number on their individual website and often list upcomi ng communit y events they will be appearing at or holding.

Type the following addresses into your browser and follow instructions to find your representative: • City Council: council.nyc.gov/ html/members/members.shtml • Assembly: assembly.state.ny.us/ mem/ • State Senate: nysenate.gov/ • Congress: www.house.gov Even if you get no response, or your representative took a vote you disagree with, an American citizen will always have the power of the vote. And if you don’t think one vote can make a difference, ask former Connecticut State Representat ive John Kovale ski. T he Democrat lost his 2002 reelection campaign by a single vote.

MSchenkler@QueensTribune.com

This column is in response to the following letter from a reader: I enjoy your informative articles and insights into the political issues and would like to request a little help from you..

When I read about a bill pending, or opposing views on an issue, I would like to voice my opinion. I’m sure alot of readers feel the same, as we don’t seem to have much ‘say’ lately in government.

Could you give information to me and your readers how we best get our voices heard?

I don’t like being part of the silent majority. I’d greatly appreciate your letting me know how I determine whom to contact Are calls and emails equally effective?

Thanks for your time and help.

Susan H. Fleming

Not 4 Publication.com by Dom Nunziato

www.queenstribune.com • March 1-7, 2012 Tribune Page 9

Queens This Week

2/3 Goat

Page 10 Tribune March 1-7, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com

Astor ia Band Seeks National Prominence Urbandictionary.com defines a ‘metrobilly’ as “someone who appreciates art museums and dirt track racing along with a well mixed martini and a cold Budweiser.”

For Astoria-based band 2/3 Goat, the definition seems right on the money.

Pronounced two-thirds goat, the band is fronted by Annalyse McCoy and her fiancé, Ryan Dunn, who met in the City about five years ago and began performing in small clubs and open mic nights.

“We clicked right away,” McCoy said.

The pair each moved to the City to be actors — McCoy from Kentucky and Dunn from New Jersey— and when they first met, music was an excuse to get together.

They added Ryan Guerra, a fiddle player from Texas who moved to the City to be a musician; Jon Cavendish, who plays bass; and drummer Andy Wilmoth, and 2/3 Goat was formed.

The name, she said, was chosen because McCoy and one of the band’s former members were both Capricorns — a goat— so she suggested 2/3 Goat.

“We were trying to come up with names forever, and I was sold on calling us PDA, the Pumpkin Destruction Association,” Dunn said.

In 2009, the band won the MR King Productions singer-songwriter competition.

Soon after, they recorded their debut album, Up the Mountain, at Tainted Blue Studios in Times Square.

According to the band’s bio on their website, the fusion of folk, blues, rock and country summons the likes of Johnny Cash with a contemporary spin, echoing the singers’ diverse backgrounds.

McCoy grew up in a small town of 500 in Kentucky and Dunn, a burly, bearded fellow, is from the Pine Barrens of South Jersey.

“I tend to write from a more rock and blues standpoint, and she is more from a folk and country standpoint,” Dunn said. “That was the mixture in our mind.”

In the last year, McCoy said the band was out of town performing for approximately six months, visiting places like Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Delaware, South Carolina, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

“Last year we just kind of played everywhere and anywhere we could to get out there and get our music heard,” Dunn said.

“We wanted to meet new people and find new venues.”

He said that this year, though, they plan to scale back on the travel and be more

focused on what they are doing.

“It’s tough to be on the road for four or five months straight,” Dunn said. “Especially when you’re touring out a two-door Honda Civic.”

The traveling — Dunn said they drove 16,000 miles in three months — throughout the East Coast was difficult, but it is paying dividends for the band. They all agree that their future is bright.

Dunn said in five years, he wants the band to be touring nationally as either an opening act or a headliner, and he hopes they will have released at least two full-length albums. He also wants to be a banjo aficionado, while McCoy wants to just keep playing.

“We want to be playing with even better people more and more,” McCoy said. “That is one of the most exciting things about being a musician. We will hopefully keep doing that.”

The group’s second album, Stream of Conscience, was recorded on vintage equipment at Welcome to 1979 Studios in Nashville. The title song directly addresses the group’s opposition to moutaintop removal coal mining, which is still being done in Appalachia, where McCoy is from.

A statement on the band’s website says that taking rock from under the ground is one thing. But blowing up mountains, burying thousands of miles of freshwater streams, inciting flooding in areas where it has never been a problem and causing the highest cancer rates in the nation from industry runoff is another.

“It is interesting how unaware people can be here in New York,” McCoy said. “It is unregulated capitalism and greed taking over.

It is sacrificing an entire culture.”

For more information on 2/3 Goat, visit twothirdsgoat.com.

Reach Reporter Jason Pafundi at jpafundi@queenstribune.com or (718) 3577400, Ext. 128.

—Jason Pafundi

Group Wants New Street Names Douglaston is on the verge of getting its history back.

The Parks and Recreation Committee of the City Council will soon vote on a bill that would restore the street names of six streets in Douglaston. If the bill passes, it will go before the City Council for a vote. Currently numbered, the streets would gain the names they lost when Queens reconfigured its street system in the early 20th century.

Under the proposal, 240th Street would become Prospect Avenue, 242nd Street would become Hamilton Place, 243rd Street would become Orient Avenue, 42nd Avenue would become Poplar Street, 43rd Avenue would become Pine Street, and 44th Avenue would become Church Street.

As Stuart Hersh, a trustee for the Douglaston and Little Neck Historical Society explained, this is a restoration and not a renaming. It also completes a process that began in 1997 with the designation of the

Douglaston Manor Historic District.

"Historical accuracy and preservation is important to us," Hersh said. "We think named streets are nicer than numbered streets.

We're interested in preserving and authenticating the history of the area."

Hersh said the DLNHS had originally lobbied to change 235th Street's name as well, but commercial establishments rejected the idea because all of their stationary would have to be changed. State Sen. Tony Avella (DBayside), then in the City Council, originally advocated for the street name changes. Councilman Dan Halloran (D-Whitestone) has picked up where Avella left off, and Hersh is confident the Parks and Recreation Committee, the City Council and finally Mayor Michael Bloomberg will approve the proposal.

With modern navigation devices, Hersh does not believe the name changes of relatively small streets will create any problems for residents or visitors.

"Douglaston is one of the most unique neighborhoods in our City," Halloran said in a statement. "Its history and heritage are well worth remembering. This bill pays homage to the neighborhood's history by restoring street names to the way they were hundreds of years ago."

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

-Ross Barkan

Locals Dispute Plan For Flushing Closure Elected officials, teachers and community leaders rallied on the grounds of Flushing High School to protest the Dept. of Education's plan to close and reopen the school, replacing half its faculty.

Flushing High School is one of about 33 schools targeted for closure by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcot t. The 3,000-student school is located at the corner of Nor thern Boulevard and Union Street.

"This is a different school; this is a school of mostly immigrants from all over the City," Councilma n Peter Koo (D-Flush ing) said during the Feb. 24 rally. He was joined by Assembly woman Grace Meng (D-Flushing) and State Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing).

"They are mostly from underprivileged families. They don't speak English. It's hard to compare this school with Bayside High School or Cardozo High School."

Stavisky argued that Flushing High's upward trend did not justify its closure, which would amount to a radical restructuring of the school that would replace 50 percent of its staff. Flushing received a "D" on its latest progress repor t, including an "F" for school per formance. Stavisky citied rising graduation rates, from 54 percent in 2009 to 60 percent in June 2011, as a reason to keep it open.

"The trend is there," Stavisky said.

Union leaders and politicians also contend that more investment of resources from the DOE would improve the school. Additional English Language Learner classes and suppor t service s for students still learning the English language would aid the school, Stavisky said.

"Nobody is standing here advocating for bad schools," said Dermot Smythe, Queens Polit ical Action Coordinator for the United Federation of Teachers. "The funds will be coming, but now we're going to be removing half the staff and create chaos in the building."

The DOE did not respond to requests for comment as of press time.

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

-Ross Barkan

City Seeks Rezoning To Protect Neighborhood The city's ongoing rezoning of Queens is focusing in on Woodhaven and Richmond Hill.

The Dept. of City Planning announced this week that a 229-block section of the two neighborhoods between Forest Park and 103rd Avenue, the Van Wyck Expressway and the Brooklyn border, will be eyed for rezoning. The area is almost exclusively within Community Board 9.

City Planning said the rezoning aims to protect the one and two family homes in the neighborhood and prevent them from being bulldozed and replaced by structures "out of character." The neighborhoods, especially north Jamaica Avenue, are known for their large Victorian-style homes and detached one and two family homes. In parts of the southern end of the neighborhood, especially between Atlantic and 103rd Avenues, many of the detached homes have been razed for more modern two and three family apartment-style homes.

The neighborhoods have seen their populations grow in recent years but due to antiquated zoning, they are experiencing growth in the wrong places," said City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden. "Numerous homes have been demolished and replaced with out-of-character buildings, while major corridors that have access to transit and can accommodate growth have not seen development opportunities. This rezoning proposal will protect the low-density residential character and direct new mixed-use development to the major corridors of Jamaica and Atlantic Avenues."

The rezoning would also direct new mixeduse development along the neighborhood's commercial strips including Jamaica and Atlantic Avenues. The proposal would also update commercial zones to support economic development and ensure that business uses don't encroach on residential uses on area side-streets, and ongoing issue in the community especially along the two avenues. Concerns raised by CB 9, local civic organizations and local elected officials about out-of-character development prompted the Dept. of City Planning to explore rezoning proposals.

Zoning in Woodhaven and Richmond Hill has not been examined since the Zoning Resolution was adopted in 1961.

Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at drafter@queenstribune.com or (718) 3577400 Ext. 125.

—Domenick Rafter

Queens Girl Takes Unique Path To TV

By JASON PAFUNDI The career path of the average sports broadcaster probably goes something like this: athlete growing up, intern during college at a TV or radio station, degree in broadcasting and a first job in a small town before moving to a bigger city. It makes for a very boring story.

But for Queens’ Erin Sharoni, her career path has been anything but.

Sharoni, after working in finance for five years and as a sideline reporter for St. John’s University, is now a co-host on CNBC’s “Sports Biz: Game On” and has been a guest host on NBC Sports Talk. She was also recently announced as a host on SB Nation’s new 24-hour online sports network, in partnership with YouTube, which launched on March 1.

Born in what was then Booth Memorial Hospital in Flushing, Sharoni moved with her family to the Rego Park/Forest Hills area when she was about five.

“Growing up in Queens, I had the world in my backyard,” she said. “The most amazing thing about growing up was that I had friends from every country and who spoke all different languages.”

She attended high school at the LaGuardia School for the Arts — from which the movie “Fame” was based. She was and still remains an avid artist, sculptor, drawer and painter.

“I credit my mother greatly for always

supporting my artistic endeavors and en- because that is what people do when they are couraging me to pursue my creativity from a unemployed,” she said.

While she was looking for work, she was young age,” she said.

She graduated from Wesleyan University spotted at a party by someone who suggested in 2003 with a degree in studio art, but she enter a casting call for FILA. It was a moment that changed her despite her love of all things life. She was hired by FILA artistic, she did not see heras one of the faces of a new self making that a career. marketing campaign, and “Wesleyan is good at things snowballed from many things, but one thing there. it is not good at is prepar“The decision to go to ing you for a career in a that casting call, on a rainy traditional sense,” she said. day when I almost didn’t “A lot of people leave there go, really changed my life,” unfocused, and I definitely she said. did.”

She talked to FILA After graduating, she about getting their new interned briefly in the crecampaign onto CNBC, ative department at Def Jam and in October 2010, records, but quickly realFILA brought her to the ized she did not want be a Erin Sharoni network, where she met graphic designer and stare Darren Rovell, the channel’s sports business at a computer all day.

She coached swimming for a year and reporter and her current co-host on “Sports then worked as a personal trainer at a fitness Biz: Game On.” FILA wanted her to have a social media club on Wall Street, which is how she got presence, and though she first thought Twitstarted in finance.

After working for three years on the eq- ter was silly, Sharoni gives it a lot of credit in uity trading floor at Bear Stearns, she lost her making her who she is today.

When she was on CNBC for FILA, Rovell job and was unemployed for 12 months after Bear Stearns was the first bank to collapse asked her why she was working in finance, then tweeted a photo of her from the ad during the economic crisis.

“During the year I was unemployed, I campaign. She went from around 10 followstarted to explore my artistic side again, ers to more than 500 that day, and that is

when she was noticed by St. John’s University, who invited her to a game and then asked her to be a sideline reporter.

She hosted a show about St. John’s on SNY that Rovell told Sharoni he really liked.

“Darren told me he thought I had a future in the business,” she said. “Coming from him, it made a huge difference. I’ll never forget that.”

In June 2011, right around her birthday, Rovell called and invited her to be his co-host for his new CNBC sports business show.

Sharoni said it was the best birthday present she has ever received.

In addition to her work on CNBC, the NBC Sports Network and SB Nation, Sharoni is a 2012 brand ambassador for FILA. She does modeling and makes appearances, films a monthly video segment and writes articles for their website.

She now has more than 7,700 followers at erinsharoni and recently signed with Creative Artists Agency, the largest talent agency in the world, with a roster that includes George Clooney, Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Kate Winslet and Brad Pitt.

“Your life takes such crazy turns,” she said. “People always ask where you want to be in five years, but if someone would have asked me that, I never would have said this.”

Reach Reporter Jason Pafundi at jpafundi@queenstribune.com or (718) 3577400, Ext. 128.

www.queenstribune.com • March 1-7, 2012 Tribune Page 11

Compiled by JASON PAFUNDI

Page 12 Tribune March 1-7, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com

102nd Precinct ROBBERS WANTED: The NYPD is seeking the public’s assistance in locating and identifying three suspects who are wanted in connection with a robbery that occurred in Woodhaven.

Three men entered a private residence at 88-25 75th St. on Feb. 18 at 7:04 a.m. The first suspect displayed a black revolver. The three suspects proceeded to punch the victims about the body in an attempt to remove property. The two victims sustained minor injuries as a result of this incident. The suspects fled in a 2010 or 2011 black GMC Acadia in an unknown direction.

Suspect No. 1 is described as a Hispanic male, 25, 5’9," 220 lbs., muscular, with a medium skin tone and shaved head.

Suspect No. 2 is described as a Hispanic male, 25, 5’10," 180 lbs. and medium skin tone. He was last seen wearing a black baseball cap and a black waist length jacket.

Suspect No. 3 is described as a Hispanic male, 25, 6’0," 180 lbs. and a medium skin tone. He was last seen wearing a black waist length jacket and a multi colored bandana.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1800-577-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 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577.

112th Precinct MISSING WOMAN: The NYPD is seeking the public’s assistance locating Mei Cheng-Chui, a 76-year-old female from 7202 Manse St. Cheng-Chiu was last seen at her residence at approximately 8 a.m. on Feb. 26. She is described as being 5’3" tall, weighing 120 lbs, with gray hair and brown eyes. She was last observed wearing a gray coat and two different colored shoes.

Distr ict Attor ney FORMER METS EMPLOYEE PLEADS: DA Richard Brown announced that Charles Samuels, the former longtime clubhouse manager for the New York Mets, has pleaded guilty to criminally possessing almost $2.3 million worth of on-field and game-used Mets memorabilia and collectibles.

The collection included autographed jerseys, bats and baseballs. He also pleaded guilty to evading City and State taxes.

Samuels, 55, of Arverne, began his career with the Mets in 1977, was made equipment manager in 1983 and then became the clubhouse manager and traveling secretary. He was fired by the organization in November 2010.

Samuels has been free on $75,000 bail since his arrest in May 2011. He pleaded guilty to the crimes of second-degree criminal possession of stolen property and thirdand fourth-degree criminal tax fraud.

As part of his plea, Samuels agreed to pay restitution of almost $21,000 to the State’s Dept. of Taxation and Finance, almost $15,000 to the City’s Dept. of Finance, almost $25,000

to Sterling Mets, L.P. and $15,000 in forfeiture to the DA’s office.

Additionally, Samuels is banned from Citi Field, the Mets’ minor league stadium in Brooklyn and their spring training facility in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Sentencing is scheduled for April 16 and Samuels is expected to be sentenced to five years’ probation.

RACINO EMPLOYEES BUSTED: DA Richard Brown announced that two employees at Resort World Casino at Aqueduct Racetrack have been charged with generating and distributing between 70 and 200 fraudulent casino player cards – each one representing $100 in casino credit – over the last seven weeks. Two casino players were also charged with unlawfully using at least seven of the cards at the casino.

Two of the defendants are casino employees Moises Jones, 29, from the Bronx, and Rolanda Roberts, 33, of Brooklyn. Both were arraigned on Feb. 21 on a criminal complaint charging each of them with one count of fourth-degree grand larceny, 24 counts of second-degree forgery, 24 counts of seconddegree criminal possession of a forged instrument, 24 counts of first-degree falsifying business records and 24 counts of fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.

Jones was ordered held on $5,000 bail and Roberts was released on her own recognizance. The two each face up to seven years in prison if convicted and were ordered to return to court on March 9.

Casino players Sonny Vlado, 40, and Richard Ulado, 45, both of Brooklyn, were arraigned on Feb. 20. on a criminal complaint charging each of them with one count of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, one count of petit larceny and one count of fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property. The duo faces up to seven years in prison if convicted, were released on their own recognizance and ordered to return to court on March 12.

TEACHER CHARGED: DA Richard Brown announced that Brett Picou, a 30year-old teacher’s aide from Far Rockaway, has been charged with sexually abusing six female students on multiple occasions between November 2011 and February 2012 at the school where he is employed, P.S. 52 in Springfield Gardens.

He is charged with seven counts of firstdegree sexual abuse, seven counts of forcible touching, one count of second-degree course of sexual conduct against a child and six counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

According to the charges, Picou hugged nine- and 10-year-old female students and moved his hands down their backs and then touched their buttocks on multiple occasions. In addition, it is alleged that the defendant slapped the buttocks of one child and held the buttocks of other female students as they walked up stairs.

Brown said the case came to light when school personnel overheard the students talking about the touching and notified the NYPD.

Queens Focus PEOPLE. . .PEOPLE. . . PEOPLE. . .PEOPLE. . .PEOPLE. . .PEOPLE. . .PEOPLE. . .PEOPLE. . .PEOPLE. . .PEOPLE ...PEOPLE . .PEOPLE. . .PEOPLE.. PEOPLE. . .PEOPLE . . .PEOPLE...

Celebrating 20 Years:

Drill Team Sweep:

Deborah Torruellas of Laurelton won $45,101 on the Take Five drawing feb. 3.

Torruellas’ winning ticket was purchased at Excellent Enterprises in New York.

Joseph Bertorelli of Astoria won $10,000 on the Mega Millions drawing Jan. 31. Bertorelli’s winning ticket was purchased at Blue Mood Food, 32-04 30th Ave., Astoria.

Chatchavarn Purkosesa of Jamaica won $10,000 on the Mega Millions drawing Feb. 7. Purkosesa’s winning ticket was purchased at Hilltop Grocery of NY, 87-54 Parsons Blvd., Jamaica.

Meagan Maclaren of College Point was named to the President’s List for the fall 2011 semester at SUNY Brockport.

Anna Di Re of Flushing was named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2011 semester at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore.

Local students were named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2011 semester at SUNY Oswego. They include: College Point: Ekaterina Gounko, Paola Palacios.

Flushing: Michael T. Marcinowski.

Local students were named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2011 semester at the University of Albany. They include: College Point: Young Kim, Natali Quimi.

Flushing: Ziaochao Jiang, Wei Lin, Carla Roman, Justin Sacks, Jessica Tung, Gorby Wan, Xiyang Wang, Richard Weiner, Matt Weiner, Brittany Wong, Conor Burke, Stephanie Lee, James Murphy, Amy Su, Yuen Ting Wong, Shun Kwan Tu, Celine Katz, Sebastian Sulit.

Whitestone: Jennifer Catera, DakotaJames Kirschner-Rooney, Robert Pagan, Jennifer Roman, Jessica Santagato, Fransheska Schwartz, Alexa Scott.

Local students were recently awarded scholarships to attend Berkeley College.

They include: College Point: Ashley Petinarcou.

Corona: Daisy Andrade, Alexandra Compres, Clarizze Damaso, Evelyn Quizhpi, Jonathan Silva.

East Elmhurst: Edwin Cobos, Michael Tapia.

Elmhurst: Nohely Javier.

Flushing: Tatiana Aviles.

Forest Hills: Nora Soliman.

Fresh Meadows: Kai Wong.

Long Island City: Jessica Priego.

Rego Park: Katherine Diaz.

Sunnyside: Fitore Morina.

Woodside: Lissette Caravantes, Michelle Gallo, Monica Luna, Stephanie Ortega.

The New York Lottery announced the names of area Lottery players who claimed a winning ticket from one of the Lottery’s live drawings Feb. 5-11. The following winners each received a cash prize valued at $10,000 or more.

Michael Forgione of Ozone Park won $19,703 on the Take Five drawing Feb. 4.

Forgione’s winning ticket was purchased at the Fortune Hut, 76-11 101st Ave., Ozone Park.

Jiangshan Lin of Flushing won $10,000 on the Powerball drawing Feb. 1. Lin’s winning ticket was purchased at the Monalisa Wine And Liquor at 3490 Broadway in New York.

St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the University’s oldest division, has launched a new Graduate program in Public History to begin fall 2012.

The program, geared at preparing a new generation of historians for careers beyond academe, combines advanced historical research with technology and electronic media for use in managing public and private information collections. The 33-credit Master of Arts degree program is part of a new, interdisciplinary initiative within St. John’s College called the Committee on Public History, Museum and Archive Studies.

For more information on the Master of

Arts Degree Program in Public History, contact Dr. Kristin Szylvian at (718) 9905239; szylviak@stjohns.edu or visit www.stjohns.edu.

George Asllani of Forest Hills was named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2011 semester at Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Del.

Local students were named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2011 semester at Marist College in Poughkeepsie. They include: Flushing: Nicolas Davis, Robert Schule.

Whitestone: Megan Warne.

The following local students are spending the fall semester studying abroad through a program run by the International Programs office at Marist College in Poughkeepsie.

Nicolas Davis of Flushing is studying in Cork, Ireland.

Alex Gobright of Woodhaven is studying in Prague.

Courtney Klopfer of Glendale is studying in Florence, Italy.

Ryan Moyles of Bayside is studying in Florence, Italy.

Nicole O’Loughlin of Far Rockaway is studying in Florence, Italy.

Daniel Waters of Forest Hills was named to the fall 2011 Athletic Director’s Honor Roll at Binghamton University. Waters is a Management Honors Marketing major and is on the Mens Track and Field Team.

Yoshiaki Yasuda of Forest Hills was named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2011 semester at SUNY Institute of Technology in Utica.

Michelle Cusumano and Barbara Mangino, both of Forest Hills, and Zulyenne Hoyos of rego park were named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2011 semester at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Conn.

Chana Boruchov of Rego Park was named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2011 semester at Boston University in Boston, Mass.

Peter M. Michelli and Rebecca Tan, both of Forest Hills, were named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2011 semester at Boston University in Boston, Mass.

Hawa Omar of Forest Hills has been invited to join the Mu chapter of Omicron Delta Epsilon, the international economics honor society at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Va.

Jonathan Kaye of Richmond Hill received a Bachelor of Science during fall 2011 commencement ceremonies at Excelsior College in Albany.

Dogeli Rojas of South Richmond Hill was named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2011 semester at the College of St. Rose in Albany.

Lisbeth Reyes-Fondeur of Richmond Hill was named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2011 semester at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Conn.

Byron Mendez of Ozone Park was selected to represent New York as a National Youth Delegate attending the Washington Youth Summit on the Environment at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. Rocco M. Bagnarol and Jessica A. Jimenez, both of Howard Beach, were named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2011 semester at Boston University.

www.queenstribune.com • March 1-7, 2012 Tribune Page 13

Erwin Petschauer (left), vice president of Petschauer Insurance Agency, recently celebrated 20 years in the insurance industry. Vera Farquharson (right), a field sales specialist from the CNA Insurance company, presented him with a plaque in recognition of his service.

The Francis Lewis Patriot Battalion Drill Team recently swept the New York City Area Drill Competition, held at Francis Lewis High School. The team competed against others from Xavier, Theodore Roosevelt, Long Island City, Uniondale, Morris, Wyandanch, and Fort Hamilton High School.

Festival Presents Films From

AroundTheWorld

By JASON PAFUNDI The second-annual Queens World Film Festival, presenting challenging films from around the world and around the corner, kicks off March 1, with a world premiere film by an Iranian filmmaker at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria.

Festival founders Don and Katha Cato chose “War Story” because it represents what they treasure in independent filmmakers: commitment, passion and the determination to be heard.

“This filmmaker had no resources and sold his car to make this film,” Katha Cato said. “It is a decent film. It was a huge risk, a life and death risk, a personal risk for which he would pay clearly. He could lose what little freedom he has or worse.”

Katha said the festival likes films that take a fresh look at topics and themes.

“We like risk takers,” she said. “We like films that don’t suddenly become another movie halfway through, and we like films that stand up and demand to be noticed.”

The festival features more than 100

films that will be shown at three different locations in Jackson Heights — Renaissance Char ter School, PS 69 and Jackson Heights Cinema on 82nd Street.

The Catos used to volunteer at another festival in Queens run by Marie Castaldo that Katha called a “scam fest.” It is how the Queens World Film Festival was born.

“A few volunteers and us felt that a new festival was warranted, but then they discontinued their participation,” Katha said. “[My husband and I] continued and have remained committed because Castaldo embarrassed Queens, and we are determined to reverse that embarrassment and make Queens a destination for filmmakers and film lovers.”

Katha said one of the main goals of the festival is to support the filmmakers and bring their work to audiences who would otherwise never get a chance to view the films.

She said they want to provide opportunities for people to see films outside of today’s corporate for mulaic studio structure.

“Story telling is basic to the survival of any culture,” Katha said. “We promote the telling of stories in a variety of formats that exist outside of the mainstream.”

She said the other big goal of the festival is to get filmmakers to realize that when they land at either JFK or LaGuardia airport and drive into Manhattan, that they are passing through Queens, a borough ready to be noticed.

“Queens can support a world class festival and all of the volunteers and festival associates that work with us are going to prove it,” Katha said.

Running a film festival, as one would imagine, does not come without its challenges. Katha said the two biggest challenges her festival faces are time and money. She said they are largely self-financed with a small handful of sponsors.

“We need capitol to build the administrative support the events like this require,” she said. “We have great volunteers who work tirelessly for the festival, and we try to make sure they know how much we appreciate them. But I want to hire them.”

Time is also a factor because she works full-time and her husband is still making films. She said they need another 10 hours added to every day to get all the things in place so that the audiences and filmmakers have a positive experience.

Katha said she has big plans for the festival in the future. She hopes to get sustainable community par tnerships, build a thriving educational element and have industry visibility.

“Most importantly, we hope our reputation with filmmakers is positive,” she said. “We would like to be known as a festival that suppor ts filmmakers and helps them develop.”

For more information and to buy tickets, visit queensworldfilmfestival.com.

Reach Repor ter Jason Pafundi at jpafundi@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128.

Page 14 Tribune March 1-7, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com

Five Films To Watch At Queens Festival Mr. Bricks After being shot in the head, a petty thug takes bloody revenge on the corrupt New York City cop who tried to kill him – and stole his girl. Brutality has a new name, and it’s Mr. Bricks. Tim Dax is Mr. Bricks, an ex-con left for dead in an empty New York City warehouse. All he wants is to find his missing girl Scarlet, and vows to kill anyone that gets in his way. But what if Scarlet doesn’t want to be found? Love is murder in this bloody tale of lust, desire and revenge.

Showtime: Friday, March 2, 10:30 p.m., Jackson Heights Cinema Screen No. 1 Are All Men Pedophiles We live in a society that condemns pedophiles, though biological instinct and world cultures throughout history suggest that an attraction to adolescents is as natural as it is unavoidable. The fashion industry on the one hand sexualizes ever-younger girls while those who act on these instincts are reviled. The apparent hypocr isy at the heart of society forces the

question: What do we mean when we talk about Pedophilia? Are All Men Pedophiles?

Showtime: Friday, March 2, 9:30 p.m., Jackson Heights Cinema Screen No. 2

denly, he can write again. As minutes elapse, he is not sure anymore about his proposal. And then Kate finally arrives.

Showtime: Saturday, March 3, 9 p.m., PS 69

Dinosaur Park Fed-up with his stalled writing career, Justin decides to move on with his life.

His first step is to propose to his longstanding girlfriend, Kate. To celebrate the event, Justin books a remote cabin. But as he waits for a very late Kate, Justin experiences a wave of inspiration. Sud-

The Bag Hildy, a comfor tably middle-aged woman who enjoys her life, is shocked to learn that her mother has been hoarding pills in order to kill herself. Worse, her father has agreed to a suicide pact with her mother. Understandably hurt and confused by what she sees as their betrayal,

Hildy must decide if she should try to interfere, or if she should respect her parents’ decision. The film is based on a personal experience by Marlyn Mason, who wrote the screenplay and also stars as the extremely conflicted Hildy.

Showtime: Saturday, March 3, 11:30 a.m., Renaissance Charter School Best Friend’s Charms We are raised to believe that Love and Friendship can bring a life of happiness and fulfillment. Through the use of character narration, visual metaphor and the intimacy and choreography of dance, this short film exposes the fragility of love, friendship and our carefully laid plans for our own futures. Dance is used as a central metaphor for the magical and difficult act of two people living as one. Friendships and romances blend together to unleash dar k emotions and hidden desires whose outcome we cannot know.

Showtime: Saturday, March 3, 6 p.m., PS 69 - Jason Pafundi

LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

File No.: 2010-4392/A SUPPLEMENTAL CITATION THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK BY THE GRACE OF GOD, FREE AND INDEPENDENT To: Pamela Roberts Harold Wilson, Jr. Leslie Richard Wilson Mary Elizabeth Fulton Carolyn White Attorney General of the State of New York The unknown distributees, legatees, devisees, heirs at law and assignees of JAMES KEYE, deceased, or their estates, if any there be, whose names, places of residence and post office addresses are unknown to the petitioner and cannot with due diligence be ascertained. Being the persons interested as creditors, legatees, distributees or otherwise in the Estate of JAMES KEYE, deceased, who at the time of death was a resident of 11401 127 Street, S. Ozone Park, NY 11420, in the County of Queens, State of New York. SEND GREETING: Upon the petition of LOIS M. ROSENBLATT, Public Administrator of Queens County, who maintains her office at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, Queens County, New York 11435, as Administrator of the Estate of JAMES KEYE, deceased, you and each of you are hereby cited to show cause before the Surrogate at the Surrogate’s Court of the County of Queens, to be held at the Queens General Courthouse, 6 th Floor, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, City and State of New York, on the 29 th day of March, 2012 at 9:30 o’clock in the forenoon, why the Account of Proceedings of the Public Administrator of Queens County, as Administrator of the Estate of said deceased, a copy of which is attached, should not be judicially settled, and why the Surrogate should not fix and allow a reasonable amount of compensation to GERARD J. SWEENEY, ESQ., for legal services rendered to petitioner herein in the amount of $10,627.04 and that the Court fix the fair and reasonable additional fee for any services to be rendered by GERARD J. SWEENEY, ESQ., hereafter in connection with proceedings on kinship, claims etc., prior to entry of a final Decree on this accounting in the amount of 6% of assets or income collected after the date of the within accounting; and why the Surrogate should not fix and allow an amount equal to one percent on said Schedules of the total assets on Schedules A, A1, and A2 plus

any additional monies received subsequent to the date of this account, as the fair and reasonable amount payable to the Office of the Public Administrator for the expenses of said office pursuant to S.C.P.A. §1106(4); and why each of you claiming to be a distributee of the decedent should not establish proof of your kinship; and why the balance of said funds should not be paid to said alleged distributees upon proof of kinship, or deposited with the Commissioner of Finance of the City of New York should said alleged distributees default herein, or fail to establish proof of kinship, Dated, Attested and Sealed 16th day of February, 2012 HON. PETER J. KELLY Surrogate, Queens County Margaret M. Gribbon Clerk of the Surrogate’s Court GERARD J. SWEENEY, ESQ. (718) 4599000 95-25 Queens Boulevard 11 th Floor Rego Park, New York 11374 This citation is served upon you as required by law. You are not obliged to appear in person.

If you fail to appear it will be assumed that you do not object to the relief requested unless you file formal legal, verified objections. You have a right to have an attorney-at-law appear for you. Accounting Citation ___________________________________ POST NATURE ART, LLC, a domestic LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/ 28/2011. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: Marica Cooper, 104-20 68th Dr #B37, Forest Hills, NY 11375. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose. ___________________________________ Notice of Formation of Amapola, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY SSNY on1/13/2012. Office location: Queens County. Princ. office of LLC: 102-25 46 th Ave., Corona, NY 11368. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Amapola, LLC at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity. ___________________________________ Notice of Formation of 15055 14 ROAD LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/26/12.

Off. loc.: Queens County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to:

12-40 Clintonville St., Lower Level, Whitestone, NY 11357. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. ___________________________________ NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT: QUEENS COUNTY Astoria Federal Savings and Loan: Plaintiff(s) vs. ABDUL RAHIM GURMOHAMED A/K/ A ABDUL R. GURMOHAMED; et al; Defendant(s) Attorney (s) for Plaintiff (s): ROSICKI, ROSICKI & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 2 Summit Court, Suite 301, Fishkill, New York, 12524, 845.897.1600 Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale granted herein on or about May 23, 2011, I will sell at Public Auction to the highest bidder at Queens County Supreme Court located at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, in room #25, Jamaica, NY 11435. On March 30, 2012 at 11:00 AM Premises known as 92-32 213 STREET, QUEENS VILLAGE, NY 11428 Block: 10625 Lot: 15 All that certain lot piece or parcel of land with the building and improvements thereon erected situated, lying and being at Queens in the Fourth Ward of the Borough of Queens of the City of New York County of Queens and State of New York. As more particularly described in the judgment of foreclosure and sale. Sold subject to all of the terms and conditions contained in said judgment and terms of sale. Approximate amount of judgment $71,968.54 plus interest and costs. INDEX NO. 7903/09 Joseph J. Risi, Esq., REFEREE ___________________________________ NOTICE OF SALE OF COOPERATIVE APARTMENT matter of Renee Hadida, an Incapacitated Person. Pursuant to an Order of this Court dated February 9, 2012, by Hon. Lawrence V. Cullen, A Justice of this Court. An application to sell 461 shares of stock of LANE TOWERS OWNERS CORP, together with all right, title and interest in and to a Proprietary Lease between said Corporation and Renee Hadida for apartment 16D in the building known as 107-40 Queens Boulevard, Forest Hills, New York, together with all fixtures and articles of personal property now or hereafter affixed to or used in connection with said apartment will me made March 20, 2012, at 9:30 A.M., at an I.A.S. Part 25G, Courtroom 44A of the Supreme Court at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, New York 11435. Apartment is sold AS IS and subject to the consent if necessary of LANE TOWERS OWNERS CORP. The purchase for the Shares and Lease of the

Apartment is presently under Contract, subject to the approval of the Court, for the price of $250,000. Contact VIVIA L. JOSEPH, ESQ., Attorney for Guardian at 22922 Linden Boulevard, Cambria Heights, New York 11411 (718) 977-4132. ___________________________________ NOTICE OF FORMATION OF PRINCESS NEHA, LLC Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/30/ 2011. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. The address to which SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC is to: PRINCESS NEHA, LLC-34-33 75 th Street, Jackson Heights, NY 11372. Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity. ___________________________________ Notice of Formation of WTDF Now, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/24/12.

Off. loc.: Queens County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: National Corporate Research, Ltd., 10 E. 40 th St., 10 th Fl., NY, NY 10016. Purpose: any lawful activity. __________________________________ Notice of formation of AURALNATION LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on 11/25/ 2011. Office located in QUEENS. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC 11554 220 STREET QUEENS NY 11411. Purpose: any lawful purpose. ___________________________________ NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: MUGA LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/13/12. The latest date of dissolution is 12/31/2112. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail a copy of process to the LLC, 147-04 8th Avenue, Whitestone, New York 11357. Purpose: For any lawful purpose. ___________________________________ Notice of formation of THE H U M M I N G B I R D RISTORANTE LLC Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on 03/28/2011.

Office located in Queens.

SSNY has been designated

for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to 3475 Carey Lane, Baldwin, New York, 11510. Purpose: any lawful purpose. ___________________________________ Notice of Formation of Jamaican Website LLC. Arts of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY SSNY on 12/08/2011.

Office location: Queens County. Princ. office of LLC: 13752 174 th Street, Springfield gardens, NY 11434 SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Jamaican Website, LLC. At the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

411 (718) 977-4132. ___________________________________ 85-10 123 RD ST LLC a domestic LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/9/11.

Office location: Queens County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 85-08 123 rd St., Richmond Hill, NY 11418.

General Purposes. ___________________________________ Notice is hereby given that an Order entered by the Civil Court, Queens County on 1/ 18/12, bearing Index Number NC-001270-11/QU, a copy of which may be examined at the Office of the Clerk, located at 89-17 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435, grants me the right to: Assume the name of (First) Ivy (Middle) Yujia (Last) Rifkind My present name is (First) Ivy (Middle) Yujia (Last) Liu aka Yujia Liu, aka Ivy Yujia Rifkind My present address is 2-01 50 th Avenue Apt 17E, Long Island City, NY 11101 My place of birth is China My date of birth is December 04, 1986 ___________________________________ Notice of formation of WM BILLING CONSULTANTS LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on 8/13/10. Office located in Queens County. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process served against the LLC. 31-16 87 th st.

Jackson Heights NY 11369.

Purpose: any lawful purpose. ___________________________________ Notice is hereby given that an Order entered by the Civil Court, Queens County on 1/ 17/12, bearing Index Number NC-001253-11/QU, a copy of which may be examined at the Office of the Clerk, located at 89-17 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435, grants me the right to: Assume the name of (First) Eitan

(Middle) Yakov (Last) Haimof My present name is (First) Adam (Middle) Yakov (Last) Haimof (infant) My present address is 65-10 108 th Street, Apt. #2F, Forest Hills, NY 11375 My place of birth is Queens, NY My date of birth is October 12, 2011 ___________________________________ Notice is hereby given that an Order entered by the Civil Court, Queens County on 1/30/12, bearing Index Number NC-000017-12/QU, a copy of which may be examined at the Office of the Clerk, located at 89-17 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435, grants me the right to: Assume the name of (First) Nina (Last) Chen My present name is (First) Hong (Last) Guo My present address is 144-63 35 Ave 4H, Flushing, NY 11354 My place of birth is China My date of birth is November 03, 1959 ___________________________________ Notice is hereby given that an Order entered by the Civil Court, Queens County on 1/25/12, bearing Index Number NC-001298-11/QU, a copy of which may be examined at the Office of the Clerk, located at 89-17 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435, grants me the right to: Assume the name of (First) Michael (Last) Ma My present name is (First) Tse (Middle) Fang (Last) Ma My present address is 218-14 Horace Harding Expwy, Bayside, NY 11364 My place of birth is Manhattan, NY My date of birth is June 08,1987 ___________________________________ Notice of Formation, Basicroot LLC. Arts of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 9/19/2011 Office loc.: Queens County.

SSNY designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copies of process served against LLC to: Basicroot LLC c/o Business Filings Incorporated, 187 Wolf Road, Suite 101, Albany, New York 12205 Purpose: all lawful activities. ___________________________________ Notice is hereby given that an Order entered by the Civil Court, Queens County on 2/9/12, bearing Index Number NC-000056-12/QU, a copy of which may be examined at the Office of the Clerk, located at 89-17 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435, grants me the right to: Assume the name of (First) Riley (Middle) Gunn (Last) Jun My present name is (First) Egan (Last) Jun (infant) My present address is 4609 189 th Street, Flushing, NY 11358 My place of birth is Queens, NY My date of birth is April 24, 2008

www.queenstribune.com • March 1-7, 2012 Tribune Page 15

LEGAL NOTICE

Business, Banking & Real Estate

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Hilton Makes Its Return To Queens

Page 16 Tribune March 1-7, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com

By DOMENICK RAFTER Standing alongside the Belt Parkway in South Ozone Park, a line of hotels overlooks the highway

and JFK Airport like a tall concrete forest. The hotels, right outside the airport’s property, are popular with pilots, flight crews, and visitors who do not want to pay

the high hotel prices of Manhattan.

The names of the hotels are familiar: Courtyard

by Marriott, Doubletree, Sheraton, but one of the names might seem new to you- or if you’ve travelled the Belt Parkway for a long time- a blast from the past.

Hilton has moved into the building that once housed a Holiday Inn and the JFK International Hotel at 14402 135th Ave. The glistening blue lights illuminating Hilton’s iconic name now shine over the Belt Parkway and one of JFK’s major runways.

“With our rich history of pioneering the airport hotel concept in 1959 in San Francisco, we are delighted to welcome this newly renovated, modern airport hotel near New York City to our global portfolio,” said Dave Horton, global head, Hilton Hotels & Resorts.

The hotel features 356 contemporary guest rooms, ranging from 263 standard and 64 executive rooms to 11 suites and 18 handicap-accessible guest rooms.

Half of the hotel’s guest rooms overlook one of JFK’s busiest runways. Guests can enjoy a heated indoor pool and workout facility as well as a coffee bistro in the lobby that serves a selection of drinks and graband-go snacks. The hotel’s dining facility, Restaurant 144 offers modern American cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner, complete with a private dining room that extends an intimate, elegant setting for small groups. With five meeting rooms including a ballroom measuring 3,784 square feet, Hilton New York JFK Airport also caters to business guests with an executive lounge and flight status board in the lobby. The hotel also provides a complimentary airport shuttle 24-hours a day.

Hilton is no stranger to JFK. The company owns the Doubletree hotel next door to the new Hilton and runs a Hampton Inn and Hilton Garden Inn nearby. Hilton also once operated the vacant curved hotel building overlooking the Belt Parkway/Van Wyck Expressway interchange on the other side of the Doubletree building.

Bank Names New CEO Ridgewood Savings Bank recently announced the promotion of Peter M. Boger to chairman and chief executive officer. Boger will continue to serve as the bank’s president.

Boger, who joined Ridgewood Savings Bank in March 1999, succeeds William C. McGarry as chairman and chief executive officer.

“It has been an honor and inspiration to have worked with Bill McGarry for many years. His leadership and vision have been essential factors in Ridgewood Savings Bank’s notable growth and success,” Boger said. “As we pass our 90th anniversary, I look forward to continuing our bank’s mutuality and unwavering mission as a ‘community first’ bank. We will always be guided by a steadfast commitment to personalized banking relationships and success through service.”

Boger serves as a trustee on the boards of St. Joseph’s College and Helen Keller Services for the Blind. He is also a board member of The Greater New York Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and The Real Estate Institute at Stony Brook University.

By ROSS BARKAN About 18 months in, Michael Dana is bullish about Sky View Center’s prospects.

Dana, president of Onex Real Estate Partners, owner/developer of Sky View

Center, is excited about Sky View’s present and future, despite still unsold condominiums at Sky View Parc. The massive development on College Point Boulevard, which has not been without its growing pains, is being fed by a bur-

Sky View Parc, the condominiums built around the center’s shopping mall, opened in June 2010.

geoning Flushing populace.

“The Flushing community is incredibly strong,” Dana said. “There’s a strong demand for people who want to move to the area. It’s a true 24 hours, seven day a week community in New York. Outside of Manhattan, there aren’t too many.”

Sky View is a mixed-use, three-story development with approximately 800,000 square-feet in retail space. Sky View Parc, the luxury condominiums built around the shopping mall, has sold a little more than 50 percent of available apartments. Its official pre-launch date was in June. Sky View Center, the mall, opened in October 2010.

Design flaws, such as awkward points of entry and exit, and a still moribund real estate market have kept Sky View Parc from meeting its initial sale projections when ground was broken in 2007. As Dana points out, the economic environment shifted during the development, and expectations needed to be revised.

“We reevaluated our sales based on market about 18 months ago,” Dana said.

“We’re ahead of what we reevaluated. If the economy had stayed as strong as 2006 and 2007, we would’ve sold out already.”

While the condominiums have had some growing pains, the profits from the shopping mall at Sky View have been

strong. Retailers in the mall have seen sales growth in the double digits. Seven new stores opened and occupancy has surpassed 80 percent.

SkyFoods, a 36,000-square-foot specialty Asian supermarket, opened in July.

Dana also trumpeted Sky View’s partnership with the Queens Center for Performing Arts. Sky View will host musical performances and arts and crafts days.

“We want people not just live and shop. We want them to experience the whole environment,” Dana said.

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

Biz, Banking & Real Estate

Profits High At Sky View Center Mall

The Sky View Center has been a popular spot in Flushing since opening.

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Design Trends Revive Your Home Spring’s new growth and warm sunshine provide inspiration for renewal in our lives. It is a time to pack away the sweaters and boots for lighter layers and brimmed hats. Homeowners should embrace this same mindset - one where you pack away the heavy textures and colors of winter in favor of breezy fabrics and fun decor that inspire a fresh feeling in your house.

Break out of the winter gloom by making some simple changes to your home with bright, fresh decor. Here are the top trends in interior decorating that capture the optimistic feeling of springtime, without having to spend a lot of time or money.

blue of the sky at the noon hour? Try picking one thing and paint it that bold color - a single wall, a door, or even a piece of furniture. Watch as the entire room suddenly comes to life.

Mix In Decor Making small changes to your home’s decor is a great way to refresh the interior, and you don’t have to spend a ton of money. Window treatments are a great place to start - replace dense fabrics with airy options that beg to blow in the warm breeze.

Next, store away existing rugs and replace with ones that feature bright colors or botanical designs. Dark accent pillows can be replaced with fluffy, colorful options that add life to dated couches and chairs. Seasonal decor changes are simple and can be swapped out year after year.

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HOME IMPROVEMENT

Color Happy To uplift your mood and give your home a new personality, color should be the first thing you address. Paint is an easy and affordable way to dramatically change a living space. Spring’s hot color palette includes rich hues of blue and turquoise, vibrant pink and orange tones, and soft greens and neutrals. Visit your local Lowe’s for inspiration from the paint color studio that allows do-it-yourselfers to identify the “hot” paint colors of the season and even pick up samples of each hue to try at home.

Feeling adventurous? Dabble in some vibrant shades inspired by the flora and fauna in your region. Love the bright red of blooming tulips? How about the rich

Bring Green Indoors The buds and blooms of spring are a big reason it’s such an inspirational season, and houseplants are a great tool for awakening that sense of nature and bringing the outdoors inside. Houseplants make any room look more luxurious, and they are natural air cleaners, awakening the senses of spring’s fresh air. Good, low-maintenance indoor houseplants include the peace lily, spider plant and snake plant.

Interior decor can also reflect the natural feeling that indoor plants provide.

Coordinate pieces that feature nature’s

Break out of the winter gloom by making simple changes with bright decor. elements, such as a leaf motif on a lamp shade or a beach scene on a piece of wall art. These elements, while subtle, will work together to provide a seamless update to any drab decor.

Cut The Clutter Of course any home refresh is not complete without some cleaning. Do not let spring cleaning overwhelm you - start small and go through any clutter, sorting into

piles to use, store, give away and throw away.

A good dusting goes a long way too, so be sure to hit all the surfaces with a damp cloth.

Shine up mirrors, which will reflect that beautiful spring sunshine to brighten and enlarge the feeling of the room.

Changing your home to reflect the seasons is easy with a few basic steps and a little creativity. Remember to embrace the feeling of spring, and the inspiration will come naturally.

Seven Simple Steps To Senior Bathroom Safety • A shower chair is also a safe solution that can be easily placed where balance is a challenge.

• Flexible handheld shower wands with an on/off button might be easier to use than a traditional shower head. These are especially useful in combination with shower chairs.

• Toilets can be replaced with ADAapproved raised-height models to lessen the chance of a harsh fall. Alternatively, raised-height seats can be installed on existing toilets.

• Check temperature settings on water heaters, as water hotter than 120 degrees can scald skin. Special no-scald faucets or a no-scald regulator can be installed as a secondary layer of protection.

• Some faucet handles are difficult for arthritic hands to grip and turn. These should be replaced with models that are easier for seniors to use.

A study by the Home Safety Council found that falls are the leading cause of home injury-related deaths among older adults. Making simple home installations can make day-to-day living for seniors easier, reduce their risk of falling and give peace of mind to those close to them.

Keeping bathrooms safe is important for senior health.

www.queenstribune.com • March 1-7, 2012 Tribune Page 19

One in three seniors over the age of 65 will experience at least one fall annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The bathroom is one of the most dangerous rooms in the home for the elderly. Slick floors, small spaces, sharp edges and few things to grasp make mobility difficult and increase chances for dangerous falls.

Unable to complete everyday tasks with the same mobility they once had, many senior homeowners are left with unsafe measures to prevent falling in the bathroom. These may include insufficiently secured towel racks that could fall when gripped for support, shower chairs that are not slip resistant and sliding shower doors that could move unexpectedly when entering and exiting the tub.

Here’s a list of what you can install in a senior’s bathroom to keep it safe: • Equip showers and surrounding walls with sturdy grab bars anchored to wall studs so they can support the full weight of an adult. Some portable safety handles use super strong suction cups and are easy to apply and remove.

• Consider installing nonskid tape or mats on the floor of a shower or bathtub.

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HOME IMPROVEMENT Page 20 Tribune March 1-7, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com

Leak Detection Can Help In Home Improvement American Leak Detection — leak detection without destruction— is an international leak detection company, specializing in non-destructive testing (NDT) to pinpoint the source of water, gas and sewer leaks. The company uses acoustic, ultrasonic, leak noise correlators, line indicators, hydrostatic testing and sewer cameras. They perform leak surveys, line locating and identify the sources of unaccountable water loss.

Through all their various techniques, American Leak Detection finds leaks in sewer and drain plumbing, well lines, water supply lines, fire protection and irrigation sprinkler systems, oil and gas distribution lines, boilers and chillers, conduit inspection, foundations, basements, slabs, window framing, sealant and roofing.

Internationally, American Leak Detection has 37 years — founded in 1974 — of experience in training technicians and finding leaks. Technicians receive the best training in the industry and have the support of the company’s research and design center, which continues to design and build new technology each year, leading the leak detection field.

ALD serves residential homeowners looking for non-destructive leak detection services on their properties. This includes, but is not limited to, roof/build-

would include restaurants, stores with plumbing, schools and gyms.

ALD serves industrial accounts including engineering firms, property management companies or facilities maintenance departments of fuel lines, oil and lubricant lines and factory supply lines who are experiencing leaks in their piping and plumbing infrastructure. Also, ALD services construction and contracting agencies looking to have their projects certified with leak and waterproofing surveys.

Leaks in the home can end up being costly.

Lastly, ALD serves municipal and state water auing leaks, plumbing leaks and pool leaks. thorities, utility companies and other In addition, ALD will be referred to in- government agencies that oversee large spect the properties of clients of municipal water mains and sewer lines. homeowner’s insurance carriers when the In addition, ALD will be referred to ininsured have filed a claim for losses in- spect such lines from contractors, especurred due to water intrusion and leaks as cially those in plumbing, mechanical and well as the residential clients of property HVAC trades who service existing account and cannot locate leak issues on managers.

Commercial businesses who are either their own.

Richard “Dick” Rennick founded Ameriowners or tenants looking for non-destructive leak detection on their proper- can Leak Detection over 30 years ago. ties use ALD. Such commercial accounts According to the company, they have

found over 5.8 million leaks for commercial, industrial, residential and municipal clients since 1974.

Queens customers can depend on ALD because of four main reasons. The company says they are the world leader in accurate, non-destructive detection of all types of leaks. They have more than 35 years of experience, state-of-the-art equipment and ongoing research and development for new leak detection technology and techniques.

ALD’s non-invasive methods assure a timely and economical and ensure that damage to property is eliminated or reduced.

The company said that their customers prefer an accurate price based on us accurately inspecting the situation and making recommendations. Many service companies will quote any price over the phone because they know people may be shopping for the lowest price. Therefore, many phone quotes are inaccurate and change after a technician sees the job. ALD feel this method is not fair to customers, so after speaking with their office, customers will know up-front what the cost will be to detect the leak.

For more information, visit americanleakdetection.com or call general manager Travis Huang at (917) 5127126. For Chinese language service, call (718) 509-9071.

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HOME IMPROVEMENT

Windows Can Save On Energy Bills

By DOMENICK RAFTER This may not have been the best winter to figure out if your house is drafty, but if you’re still feeling the cool air seeping into your otherwise warm house, you may know it’s time for new windows or doors.

With oil prices skyrocketing, the cost of every amount of heat lost in a home increases just as quickly as gas prices. One way you can reduce drafts and heat loss in your home is by replacing old windows

and doors with new ones, especially energy efficient ones.

At Crystal Windows’ 215,000-squarefoot rustic manufacturing facility in College Point, off the Whitestone Expressway, energy-efficient windows are manufactured daily. The facility offers an architectural products showroom, window mock-up staging area, and expert technical support staff to discuss special project requirements such as ergonomics, cus-

Page 22 Tribune March 1-7, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com

New windows, like these manufactured by College Point’s Crystal Windows can help bring down heating and cooling costs.

tom shapes, custom colors, finishes, hard- training and certification program for new ware options and integrated shading sys- construction and replacement installers tems. of windows and exterior glass doors in the Crystal emphasizes their Energy-Star residential and light commercial markets. windows made at their College Point plant. The program is designed to teach installThese windows can save homeowners up ers the best practices and installation to 15 percent on energy techniques based on estabbills. Most of the windows lished industry standards. made at the College Point It provides an assurance facility use Low E glass with that the installer has been argon filling- a good source trained and has passed the of insulation against outwritten test.

The side elements.

InstallationMasters™” For dealers looking to training and test adminisbegin a business in home tration can only be conimprovement, Crystal been ducted by accredited inconducting the structors who have comInstallationMasters™ pleted a two-day training Training and Certification and passed the instructor Program since 2001 to proexam. Crystal has two invide installation companies structors on staff and is with high quality training At the Crystal Windows state- proud to offer this course for installation techniques of-the-art facility on the to its customers. for both commercial and Whitestone Expressway, EnCrystal Windows is one residential product portfo- ergy Star windows are manu- of the best known window lios. InstallationMasters™, factured every day. retailers. Besides their Colprompted by the Building lege Point headquarters, Environment and Thermal Envelope Crystal Windows has offices in ConnectiCouncil (BETEC) through the U.S. De- cut, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Chicago and St. partment of Energy and development by Louis, Mo. For more information, visit the American Architectural Manufactur- their website at crystalwindows.com or call ers Association (AAMA), is a nationwide (800) 472-9988.

Water leaks can cause your water bill to rise, and damage your property.

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SAVE YOUR PROPERTY

HOME IMPROVEMENT

save water, save time, save resources...

Take control of the situation by calling American Leak Detection first.

Leak Facts

W We use state-of-the-art thermal imaging to inspect your home from rooftop to basement, finding all types of concealed leaks, including: 6 Swimming Pools & Spas 6 Basements 6 Landscaping 6 Water features 6 Water intrusion in roofs 6 Behind walls 6 Water mains 6 Under concrete 6 Utility lines 6 Slabs and asphalt

6 A 1/8 inch hole in a metal pipe, at 40 psi, leaks 2,500 gallons of water in 24 hours.

6 A leak the size of a pinhead can waste 360,000 gallons per year, enough to fill 12,000 bathtubs to the overflow mark.

6 A leaking toilet can lose 90,000 gallons of water in 30 days.

6 A dripping faucet/hose bib can lose up to 180 gallons a month or 2,160 gallons per year.

6 Approximately 1 in every 20 pools has a leak.

6 Approximately 1 in every 318 homes or buildings has a leak.

6 A typical toilet leak at today’s rate can add $500 to a single water bill.

6 One trip through a car wash uses 150 gallons of drinking water.

6 Collecting water for gardening from the faucet while waiting for hot water saves about 250 gallons of water a month.

6 Using a pool cover prevents about 1,000 gallons per month from evaporating.

Determine if you are at risk by checking the Signs and Symptoms on our website.

For self tests, try the Meter Test for plumbing and the Bucket Test for pools and spas.

About American Leak Detection American Leak Detection sets the standard for non-invasive leak detection and repair with proprietary methods and technology. Founded over 30 years ago, we now operate a network of highly trained Original Leak Specialists on five continents.

Call American Leak Detection and one of our expert leak specialists will be happy to help.

866.570.LEAK

Each office independently owned and operated.

TIONESTRUCTION C E T E D K LEA WITHOUT D

www. American Leak Detection.com

www.queenstribune.com • March 1-7, 2012 Tribune Page 23

6 Using a broom to clean the sidewalk instead of a hose saves 150 gallons of water.

AmericanLeakDetection.com

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HOME IMPROVEMENT

Daylighting Pays Off For Homeowners If your home will be on the market this spring, you are probably looking for every possible edge that will make it stand out to potential buyers. But even if you are staying put, you still want to make your home as attractive and valuable as your budget will allow.

“Daylighting” improvements that boost your home’s brightness and energy efficiency offer substantial return on investment for both home sellers and those who will be staying in their homes for the foreseeable future.

Bring The Concept Home

Page 24 Tribune March 1-7, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com

Industrial and office designers have long used daylighting - the concept of illuminating interior spaces with natural light from above - to improve energy efficiency, healthfulness and functionality of rooms. The slower housing market and sluggish economy have raised homeowner interest in the concept.

“Daylighting improvements not only elevate a home’s visual appeal for potential buyers, they can enhance homeowners’ enjoyment of their living space, and reduce energy costs,” says Ross Vandermark, national product manager with skylight manufacturer VELUX America.

Homeowners who want to apply the principles of daylighting to their home have many options: They can add windows or roof windows or install any number of types of traditional skylights or Sun

rooms, and are operated by hand. A double-sash roof window is available that opens from both bottom and top to form a balcony on your roof.

These units are often used in place of, or to replace, dormers.

Skylights are usually positioned higher on the ceilVenting skylights in baths exhaust humidity and odors while provid- ing, out of reach. ing privacy. Venetian blinds are available, as are light-block and Venting models can be opened or light-filtering blinds in a variety of colors and patterns. closed manually with a control rod or by remote control.

Tunnel tubular skylights.

If you opt to install a manual or electric venting skylight, it can be a natural, lowEasy Upgrades While adding a window in the wall of energy way to vent humidity, fumes and stale your home may raise practical and design air from your home. Electric venting models issues, adding a roof window or skylight open and close by remote control and have can be much easier. Roofs are, for the rain sensors to close them automatically. most part, a blank slate, allowing you to install skylights wherever they are needed Efficient And High Tech most. And daylighting from above does Another important similarity among not just add functionality; it offers room- windows, roof windows and skylights is in changing drama and decorating flair. the glazing, or how the glass is manufacRoof windows are hinged, venting units tured. Since the units are mounted facing designed to be installed in easily accessible directly at the sun, skylight glazing techareas, such as the angled walls in attic bonus nology has to be among the best in the

industry. Quality Energy Star-qualified units feature double-pane, gas-filled construction to control heat gain or loss, and filter the sun’s fade-causing rays.

Independent research done in Denmark shows that skylights admit 30 percent more light than vertical windows in dormers, and provide the drama of a sky view that can’t be achieved with vertical windows.

In addition to high-tech features such as remote control and automatic rain sensors, skylight blinds are available in a varied palette of colors and patterns. Homeowners can utilize blinds as another decorating option while achieving as much as a 37 percent increase in energy efficiency.

Researchers recommend closing the blinds on high heat/sun days in the summer to reduce potential solar heat gain and, on cold winter nights, to provide an extra layer of thermal insulation to keep warm air indoors.

Skylights also address important health considerations. One in five Americans suffers varying degrees of Seasonal Affective Disorder, a condition in which the symptoms can include depression and fatigue due to lack of sufficient daylight.

Skylights can help by admitting abundant daylight while visually expanding rooms in any style or size home.

Modern, low-profile skylights are unobtrusive and as dependable as vertical windows.

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HOME IMPROVEMENT

Emphasis On Energy Efficiency Grows Even in a volatile economy, homeowners are making home upkeep a priority. While the number of projects annually had been on the decline in recent years, a recent study from BuildFax, a resource for building, remodeling and repair information, found remodeling activity was up in 2011.

Additional data shows homeowners are opting to invest in what matters most with projects that benefit their wallets, personal comfort and the environment.

Know The Facts Before buying anything, shoppers are taking time to learn more about the products they put in their homes. For one in four consumers, knowing and understanding what makes up general household products is important. As options continue to increase, this attention to research is key to finding efficient products that offer maximum value. For instance, homeowners will find that a few newer home insulation products that help provide greater energy efficiency also boast new sustainable formulations.

Energy-Efficient Essentials According to the 2010 Home Improvement Research Institute Trends Program Report, reducing household energy usage and bills through energy-efficient

improvements continues to be the main reason homeowners make home improvements. That same report also indicated six out of 10 consumers need help identifying what they can do to be more environmentally conscious.

“Now is the right time to make efficiency improvements around the home because homeowners will see an immediate impact on their monthly utility bills, and will reap even greater benefits in the long term,” says Frank O’Brien-Bernini, chief sustainability officer at Owens Corning EcoTouch Insulation. “According to the U.S. Dept. of Energy, buildings use more energy in the U.S. than either transportation or industry, accounting for the consumption of 40 percent of our nation’s energy resources. On a more granular level, the primary use of energy in a home is for heating and cooling. In many homes,

excessive energy is wasted through poorly sealed and insulated attics, walls and ductwork - all problems that can be solved by handy do-it-yourselfers or through experienced contractors.”

The Home Improvement Research Institute reports roughly one in three homeowners plans to purchase more energy-efficient doors, windows or HVAC systems in the coming year. Sealing all openings around doors and windows can help homeowners make the most of their investment. Air ducts should also be inspected to ensure they are clean, are free of leaks and holes and direct air to the right spaces.

Recycling 101 While recycled content is commonly focused on, recyclable materials are also important. Often with home improvement projects, old materials are thrown out

Simple Projects For Your Home As the days get longer and things get a little brighter inside your house, it becomes easier to notice the places that could use a little extra TLC. It’s also the perfect time to work on simple home improvement projects as you wait for

warm weather to come.

Here’s a checklist you can work on now so your home will be vibrant and welcoming once long summer days roll around.

repainting or restaining your window frames. You can also use a heat gun to help you remove old paint or varnish from your frames.

Once the light begins to reflect off your floors, you really start to notice some imperfections. If you’ve been waiting to screen and recoat your hardwood floor to give it a new shine, now’s the perfect time to do it. If you’re replacing tile, vinyl or linoleum flooring, a heat gun is a great tool to help soften the adhesive for easy removal.

As the weather warms up and you’re again ready to use your deck, you’ll probably notice plenty of debris that’s collected over the winter. Start by giving it a good spray with the hose to clear away everything. If you plan on staining or repainting your deck, mild temperatures are ideal. If you get it done in the spring, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy it throughout the year.

Floors

Painting

One of the easiest ways fill your rooms with warmth is to give them a fresh coat of paint. Increased sunlight will help you choose the color that works best with your room, and you can finish painting before the weather gets really nice and you want to spend more time outside.

Windows

Page 26 Tribune March 1-7, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com

and replaced with the new. What many homeowners may not know is that many building materials and appliances are recyclable. Recycling is a better solution for the environment, and may be less costly than taking material to a landfill.

“There are more recyclable materials on and in a home than you might first assume. Millions of tons of shingles torn off from roofs end up in our country’s landfills each year. Fortunately, the technology now exists for all those shingles to be recycled instead,” O’Brien-Bernini said.

Homeowners looking for more information about shingle recycling and other types of recycling can turn to Earth911.com.

The site hosts the largest and most accurate recycling directory in North America and provides information about what materials can be recycled as well as lists of recyclers in local markets.

Spring is a great time to take a look at your window treatments and see if they could use a little love. Cleaning your blinds and washing your curtains can give your indoor space a little extra life. If you’re repainting, you may also want to consider

Deck

Bathrooms

Since you’re freshening up the rest of your house, don’t forget the bathrooms.

Besides simply scrubbing your tub, cleaning bathroom tile and regrouting is an easy way to get your bathroom looking clean and bright. This project can be done over a weekend and is simple enough for most homeowners to handle.

By taking some time to tackle these projects now, you’ll give yourself a whole summer of relaxing in the warmth of your newly refreshed home.

Celebrating Black History

Winter Wonderland More than 150 children with special needs were treated to their very own winter wonderland at St. Mary’s annual Winter Fest celebration, held at Terrace on the Park in Flushing.

Councilman Leroy Comrie recently held a celebration of black history, on Feb. 25 at the Black Spectrum Theatre in Jamaica.

Community Board 12 Education Chair Adrienne Adams sang the National Anthem at Councilman Leroy Comrie’s Black History celebration.

Official Of The Year

pix

Queens Events Edited By Harley Benson

ROTC Honored

State Sen. Joseph Addabbo received the Keith Romaine Elected Official of the Year Award from Touro Law School for his work in Albany. Addabbo, a 1992 graduate of the law school, was given the award by Dean Lawrence Raful.

Diplomatic Meeting FDNY Honors

Assemblyman Rory Lancman honored the members of the Francis Lewis High School ROTC Patriot Battalion Drill Team for sweeping the recent New York City Area Drill Competition.

Wear Red

Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer recently presented a proclamation to Rescue 4 and Engine 292 for saving lives at a fire in Woodside in December. Photo by William Alatriste, New York City Council.

Mr. Met and members of the New York Mets organization are pictured celebrating Wear Red Day, sponsored by the American Heart Association.

U.S. Rep. Bob Turner (left) recently met with Danny Lopez, British Consul-General in Turner’s Middle Village office. The two discussed a number of issues that will affect both the borough and the country.

www.queenstribune.com • March 1-7, 2012 Tribune Page 27

The Hon. Hazel Dukes, president of the NAACP New York State Conference, was the keynote speaker at Comrie’s event. Photos by Ira Cohen

Page 28 Tribune March 1-7, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com

Leisure

Book Inspires Reading In Cyber Age

By ROSS BA RKAN Kids are lost in cyberspace. Jeff Pflaum thinks he can pull them out and get them reading again.

Pflaum, a Bayside resident, is the author of "Motivating Teen and Preteen Readers: How Teachers and Parents Can Lead the Way," published last year by Rowman & Lit tlefield Education. His book offers more than a thousand questions to motivate adolescents to read actively. Working as an English educator for almost 40 years in Brooklyn public schools taught Pflaum that young people, more than anything else, require self-

motivation to learn effectively.

They are also up against a mountain of electronic distractions that makes sitting still and reading more difficult than ever.

"When I taught, I wanted kids to be present with me," said Pflaum, who taught grades two through six in Williamsburg and Bedford-Stuy ve sant until h is retirement in 2002. "I had all sorts of writing programs to get them into the present. I didn't take anything for granted."

As a teacher, Pflaum star ted working on what he called "the magic reading theater of the mind." Detailed in his book and blogs

Indian Cuisine Not To Be Ignored

REVIEW

New Bar Brings Live Music To Elmhurst

By DOMENICK RAFTER Elmhurst is a neighborhood known for quite a few things;: its diversit y, its histor y as one of the borough’s first set tlements, its shopping and the neighborhood’s dramatic growth in the past few decades, but one thing the neighborhood isn’t often known for- its music scene.

Queens has lagged behind Manhattan and Brooklyn in music venues. But one Elmhurst locale is looking to bring the music scene back to the borough that gave the world such musicians as Run DMC, Cyndi Lauper and The Ramones.

Located at 80-12 51st Ave. near a busy stretch of the borough’s namesake street, Queens Boulevard, the Arena looks like just

another bar, but it takes its place i n the borough’s nightlife scene as host to music as diverse as the borough itself. The Arena also hosts various dance par ties from Lat in to Hip-Hop, and is the new home of the infamous Berlin Goth event featuring live bands and DJs spinning Goth, 80s and Synth pop music on the first Friday of every month.

The Arena has food and an outdoor space with a water fall t hat w ill make it a good summer spot. For more information on other upcoming events at the Arena, call (917) 822- 4628 or visit facebook.com/ArenaQueens.

Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at drafter@queenstribune.com or (718) 3577400 Ext. 125.

www.queenstribune.com • March 1-7, 2012 Tribune Page 29

lar in shape, they have a magical crunch and always leave you wanting more. After finishing my samosa, I immediately wished I had been a true glut ton and ordered 10 more.

Chicken chat, a chicken and vegetable appet izer, also succe ssful ly whet ted my burgeoning appetite. I was prepared for He looked up at the waitress, hungr y my main course. Judgment time had arrived. and ready.

Craig, as noted before, fancies “T he cur r y is goi ng to be himself some type of spice Caespicy. India n spicy.”

RESTAURANT sar, though I wasn’t so conceited.

“I think I can handle spicy.”

I wanted a dish that granted me It was typical cavalier Craig, variety. I opted for the mixed grill, fearless and reckless, but the Craig for the chicken cur ry.

Namaste journey had begun. We Succulent shrimp approximatwere both ready. ing the size of a baby dolphin, Astoria is a pret t y hip place lamb superior to any that your these days. Restaurants of all flamom’s butcher shop chopped up vors and nationalities fight for the for you, and chicken of a higher attention of residents who expect order made my mixed grill a feast more and more out of their eatto lovingly recall years from now eries. Meals are events. Ambience matters. Taste triumphs, but taste is not when feasts of that caliber will probably be a mere t winkle in a cyborg’s eye. Yes, it absolute—elegance matters, too.

I spent a rainy Friday afternoon with was that good. I tried some of Craig’s my restaurant-reviewing pal Craig dining ch icken cur ry because I’m the type of perin Namaste, an Indian restaurant superior son who tries other people’s food. The spice to any I’ve dined at thus far. Granted, my was right a nd the chicken, rich and chew y, Indian food experiences—mass-produced sated me.

For de ssert, our waitress brought us an college cafeteria food and an assor tment of small restaurants—have not made me an Indian rice pudding called kheer. We deexpert, but I do know my way around a voured it quickly.

“Namaste” is a word that yoga-practisamosa. So does Namaste.

Sleek, a bit minimalist, and above all tioners will recognize. When the word is classy, Namaste sets the mood for a fine spoken to another person, it means the dining experience and doesn’t fail to de- speaker is recognizing the divine spark that liver. During lunch hours, they offer both a is within all of us. In India, it indicates a buffet a nd full service dining. People who deep form of respect, with the word acwant to make up for disastrous Valentine’s companying a bow.

It can be debated whether a restaurant Days, take note—your date will like it here.

Your date may even like you afterwards. has a divine spark, but what can’t be deTry the chicken chat and vegetable samosas bated is that Namaste is a restaurant that for appetizers. Samosas are an Indian should not be ignored by anyone who wants staple, a deep fried snack stuffed with ei- great Indian cuisine in New York Cit y.

-Ross Barkan ther meat or vegetable s. Vaguely trianguNamaste 31-15 30th Ave., Astoria (718) 626-2783 w w w.namasterestaurantny.com CUISINE: Indian HOURS: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily CREDIT CARDS: Yes-all major

Pflaum cites contemporar y philosopher on t he B A M Radio Net work, Pf laum's method is to push readers to use their imagi- David Abram as a person who has helped nation as thoroughly as possible. Visualiz- him hone his approach, though Pflaum says ing what one reads is integral to understand- he devised his inquiries and visualization ing. To start readers on a mental journey, techniques during his time in the classroom.

When Basal readers, ofthe'll ask them to visualize used literacy textbooks, certain phrases like broken failed to interest his stuglass, puffy clouds, or a dents, he simply needed to sunflower forest. try something else.

This works toward what Like education he calls a "3-D holographic historian Diane Ravitch, vir tual reality." If a reader Pflaum is an opponent of transmutes symbols into standardized testing in the images, and engages with classroom. The new, more them in three dimensions, carefully-scripted classroom they will gain a greater apis hur t i ng student s a nd preciation and understandteachers alike, he argues, ing for what they read. and the joy of reading is Pflaum believes this will being stamped out. Teachhelp reading compete with ers also are not taught what current media. When he types of questions to ask of was a young teacher in the their students.

1970's, this was less of a Think of a word challenge. that makes you feel good, "I want readers to have Pflaum wants a teacher to an inner eye, a mind's eye Jeff Pflaum's book. ask a student, and repeat it that sees the images flashed silently to yourself. How do on an imaginary television screen. They need to have a silent inner read- you feel?

"I give a kid a question, he writes a reing voice that is narrating and reading stosponse, and parents and teachers discuss the ries. Reading is a silent, internal process."

With video games, smart phones and high response," he said. "How do you expand the definition televisions, the classic art of read- response? How do you get a kid to dig ing may be losing its appeal among students. deeper into reading life? That's the hardest But Pflaum believes effective questions can thing in teaching and those are the triggers jumpstart any mind. For example, he would that get kids to be self-motivated and take ask his students questions like, are words responsibility."

Reach Reporter Ross Barkan at just black and white, or something more?

Once they begin to explain their answer, they rbarkan@queenstribune.com or (718) 3577400, Ext. 127. are thinking about what they are reading.

Queens Today SECTION EDITOR: REGINA VOGEL

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, c/o Regina.

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DINNER

Page 30 Tribune March 1-7, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com

AWARDS Saturday, March 10 East Elmhurst-Corona Civic Association luncheon and awards ceremony in Jackson Heights. 426-3147.

IAAP Saturday, March 24 Queens chapter of International Association of Administrative Professionals meet. 516-437-7038 evenings.

ITALIAN LECTURE Sunday, April 24 “Leonard Covello” lecture at St. John’s starting at noon. $15.

Reserve by April 20th .

QUEENS TASTE 2012 Tuesday, May 1 at Caesars Club at Citifield. Contact disco erqueens.info/ queenstaste.

ELMHURST HOSPITAL Thursday, May 17 180 Years celebrating women’s health.maerkerj@nychhc.org.

FLEA MARKETS THRIFT SHOP Tuesday, March 6 9-2 at the Jewish Center of Kew Gardens Hills, 71-25 Main Street.

FLEA MARKET Sunday, March 11 flea market and ethnic Polish bake sale 9-4 at St. Josaphat’s RC C h u r c h , 3 5 th A v e n u e a n d 210 th Street, Bayside.

INDOORFLEA MARKET S a t u r d ay s 9 - 5 a t Tr i n i t y United Methodist Church, 1 0 8 th S t r e e t a n d 8 6 th A v enue, Jamaica.

RELIGIOUS SHABBAT AMERICA Friday, March 2 Shabbat Across America at the Little Neck Jewish Center. 2240404.Also at the Rego Park Jewish Center. 459-1000.

Queens Today

ENTERTAINMENT MOVING IMAGE Through March 4 Jim Henson Screenings and Programs. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35 th Avenue, Astoria. 777-6800. $15.

TANGO Through March 18 world premiere musical at Thalia Spanish Theatre in Sunnyside. 729-3880.

FOLKLORIC MUSIC Saturday, March 3 Folkloric music and tango of Argentina at the Flushing library at 2.

MIENTRAS TANGO Saturday, March 3 Mientras Tango at t he Jamaica Performing Arts Center. 618-6170.

ONE MAN SHOW Saturday, March 3 Blood Ty p e : R a g u , a o n e m a n show, at St. John’s Universit y at 6:15. 990-7541.

MUSICA REGINAE Saturday, March 3 Praxis String Quartet at Church in the Gardens in Forest Hills. $20. 894-2178.

MURDER MYSTERY Saturday, March 3 at Temple Tikvah in New Hyde park. 776-4812.

BAARIA Sunday, March 4 film “Baaria” shown at St. John’s Universit y. Reserve by February 27 th . $15.

CONCERT Sunday, March 4 Irish traditional songs at the Central library at 3.

LIVE JAZZ & R&B Sundays, March 4, 11, 18, 25 live jazz and r&b 6-10 at Déjà vu, 180-25 Linden Blvd., St. Albans.

READINGS Tuesday, March 6 Colum M c C a n n . Tu e s d ay, M a r c h 20 Nicole Krauss. Tuesday, March 27 Chimananda Ngozi Adichie. Tuesday, April 24 EL Doctorow. 7pm at the Queens College Music Building, Concert Hall. $20. 997-4646.

BINGO Tu e s d a y s 7 : 1 5 A m e r i c a n Mart yrs Church in Bayside.

4 6 4 - 4 5 8 2 . Tu e s d a y s 7 : 1 5 (doors open 6) Rego Park J e w i s h C e n t e r . 4 5 9 -1 0 0 0 . $3 admission includes 12 games.

SCRABBLE Tuesdays Fresh Meadows library at 1 and East Flushing library at 3:30.

CHESS Tuesdays 4:30 Rosedale library and 4 at LIC library.

BLUE NOTES Wednesday, March 7 York College Blue Notes with Essentially Ellington Regional.

262-2412.

SOUTHWEST INVERSION Friday, March 9 Southwest Inversion performs at WaltzAstoria at 8. 23-14 Ditmars Blvd. $10 table fee.

GAME DAY Fridays 4:30 Woodhaven library.

BANANAGRAM/SCRABBLE Fridays Windsor Park library at 2.

GAME PLAYERS CLUB Fridays 2 Hillcrest library.

GARDEN FAMILY DAY Saturday, March 10 at the Queens Botanical Gardens, 43-50 Main Street, Flushing.

886-3800.

ORGAN RECITAL Saturday, March 10 at 6:15 at St. Josaphat in Bayside.

Free. 229-1663.

CHINESE E N T E R TA I N MENT Saturday, March 10 NaiNi Chen and Ahn Trio perform dance and music at 8 at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center. $15 advance, $20 at the door. 4825151.

OPEN MIC POETRY Monday, March 12 Barnes & Noble, 176-60 Union Turnpike, Fresh Meadows at 7:30.

BLUES BROTHERS REVUE Saturday, March 17 at Queensborough Communit y College. 631-6311.

THOUSAND LAUGHS Saturday, March 17 Thousand Laughs at the little Neck Jewish Center. 224-0404.

TALONS Sunday, March 25 Talons at Alley Pond Environmental Center. $10. 229-4000.

CINDERELLA Sunday, March 25 Moscow Festival Ballet at Queensborough Communit y College. 631-6311.

HONEYBEES Sunday, March 25 honey and honeybees at Alley Pond Environmental Center. $8. 229-4000.

EXHIBIT SOCRATES SCULPTURE Through March 4 Emerging Artist Fellowship Exhibition at Socrates Sculpture Park.

956-1819.

NAL Through March 6 Small Works Members’ Exhibition 44-21 Douglaston Parkway 14 Monday through Thursday and Saturday. Free.

QUEENS PROJECT Through March 31 “Vignettes from the Queens Project”Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main Street.

EDUCATION/GAMES/CRAFTS HENNA PAINTING Saturday, March 3 at the Steinway library at 2.

JOB SEARCH Saturday, March 3 at the Central library. Register.

PUBLIC SPEAKING Saturdays, March 3, 17, 31, April 7, 21 learn to communicate effectively at Elmhurst Hospital. 646-436-7940.

SEWING CLASSES Saturdays 11-3 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 Bayside (weather permitting). 4545800. Reservations required. Donations accepted.

GENEALOGY WORKSHOP Sunday, March 4 2:30-4:30 at Kingsland Homestead in Flushing. $5. 939-0647, ext.

14.

WORD Monday, March 5 at the Central library. 990-5102.

CROCHET Monday, March 5 at the Rosedale library at 4.

RESUME WORKSHOP Monday, March 5 at the Arverne library at 5:15.

BEGIN CROCHET Monday, March 5 the Arverne library at 6.

COVER LETTER TIPS Monday, March 5 Central library. 990-5102.

BALLROOM DANCING Mondays, March 5, 12, 19, 26 at the Forest Hills library at 6:30.

BRIDGE CLUB 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.

ADULT CHESS Mondays and Thursdays Queens Village library at 5:30.

BASIC COMPUTER Tuesday, March 6 at t he Rosedale library at 10:30 and the LIC library at 11.

CHESS CLUB Tuesday, March 6 at the LIC library at 4.

INTRO WORD Tu e s d a y s C e n t ra l l i b ra r y.

990-0700 to register.

OWN BUSINESS

Ever y Tuesday Owning Your Own Business: The Nuts and Bolts of Getting Started 6:30-7:30 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.

GET YOUR YARNS OUT! Tu e s d a y s a f t e r ev e n i n g Minyan at 8, knitters, crocheters, needlepointers, and others meet at the Forest Hills Jewish Center. 2637000, ext. 200.

ONLINE LEARNING Wednesday, March 7 at the Central library. 990-5102.

BASIC COMPUTER Wednesday, March 7 at the Woodside library at 10:30.

RESUME DESIGN Wednesday, March 7 at the Central library. 990-5102.

GOOGLE AD WORDS Wednesday, March 7 at Queens Council on the Arts at the Kaufman Astoria Studios.

Contact at qca@queenscouncilart s.org INTRO INTERNET Wednesday, March 7 at the Windsor Park library. Register.

LEARNING LABS Wednesdays at the LIC library at 1:30.

KNITTING CLUB Wednesdays Bayside library.

Register.

INTRO COMPUTERS Wednesdays Central library.

Register.

DUPLICATE BRIDGE Wednesdays 10:30-3:00 Re f o r m Te m p l e o f F o r e s t Hills. $12 session, includes light lunch. 261-2900 DRAWING/WATERCOLOR Wednesdays Drawing and Wa tercolor classes at the National Art League.9691128..

OIL PAINTING CLASS Wednesdays Grace Lutheran Church in Forest Hills. 472-4055.

BOOT CAMP Thursday, March 8 at the Arverne library at 10:30.

NON PROFIT JOBS Thursday, March 8 at the Central library. 990-5102.

FLICKR Thursday, March 8 Flickr and Digital Photos at 6 at the LIC librar y.

LEARN TO DANCE Thursdays ballroom smooth and Latin dances at the Samuel Field Adult Center in Little Neck. 225-6750, ext. 236.

BOOT CAMP Thursdays learn computer

programs at the Arverne library at 10:30.

COMPUTERS Thursdays Glen Oaks library. Register. Rosedale library at 6.

QUILTING CLASS Thursdays 10-2 Maria Rose Doll Museum in St. Albans.

276-3454 East Elmhurst library at 12:30. .

COMPUTER CLASS Thursdays Queensboro Hill library. Register.

HEALTH BEREAVEMENT Starting March 3 at Grace Episcopal Church. 4616393.

BLOOD DRIVE Sunday, March 4 at Young Israel of New Hyde Park.

552-6449.

WAITANKUNG Sundays at 2. Total-body workout. Flushing Hospital/ Medical Center. Free.

Jimmy 7-10pm 347-2156.

CANCER SUPPORT Monday, March 5 Franklin Hospital’s Cancer Support Group 2-4 in the cafeteria.

516-256-6478.

TAI CHI Mondays and Thursdays at 11 at the Cardiac Health Center in Fresh Meadows.

670-1695. $5.

ALZHEIMERS Tu e s d a y , F e b r u a r y 2 8 Caregiver Support Group in Forest Hills. 592-5757, ext.

237.

CAREGIVERS SUPPORT Tuesdays Western Queens Caregiver Network in Sunnyside. 5:30-6:30. 7846173, ext. 431. Also, 3:304:30 Selfhelp Clearview Senior Center, 208-11 26 : th Avenue, Bayside. 631-1886.

AUTISM Tuesdays Quality Services for the Autism Community holds workshops for families and friends of autistic children and adults. 7-AUTISM, ext. 1219.

DAY TOP Tuesdays support for family and friends of those affected by substance abuse. 1-8002Daytop.

ZUMBA Wednesdays 6:30-7:30 Cardiac Health Center in Fresh Meadows. 670-1695. $10 class.

MEDITATION Thursday, March 8 meditation for body, mind and spirit at the Hillcrest library at 6.

CO-DEPENDENTS ANON. Fridays 10-11:45 at Resurrection Ascension Pastoral C e n t e r , 8 5 - 1 8 6 1 st R o a d , Rego Park. Women only.

www.queenstribune.com • March 1-7, 2012 Tribune Page 31

Queens Today

Queens Today YOUTH

Page 32 Tribune March 1-7, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com

MEETINGS BEREAVEMENT Starting March 3 at Grace Episcopal Church. 4616393.

PUBLIC SPEAKING Saturdays, March 3, 17, 31 learn how to communicate e f f e c t i ve l y. 1 0 - 1 2 : 1 5 a t Elmhurst Hospital. 424-9754.

COMET CIVICS Monday, March 5 at 7 at Bethzatha Church, 85-20 57 Avenue, Elmhurst.

CIVIL AIR PATROL Mondays Falcon Senior Squadron at 7 at JFK Airport.

781-2359.

HAM RADIO CLUB Tu e s d ay, M a r c h 6 E m e r gency Communications Service meets in Briarwood.

357-6851.

TALK OF THE TOWN Tu e s d a y s , M a r c h 6 , 2 0 learn the art of public speaking at 7:15 in St. Albans.

640-7092.

MEN’S CLUB SOCCER Tu e s d a y e ve n i n g s F o r e st Hills Jewish Center 8-9:30.

263-7000.

FRESH MEADOW CAMERA Tu e s d ay s Fre s h M e a d ow s Camera Club. 917-6123463.

ADVANCED WRITERS Tuesdays Advanced Bayside Writers’ Group meets at 6:30 in the Terrace Diner, 212-97 26 th Avenue, upper level.

BEREAVEMENT Wednesday, March 7 Bereavement Support Group at Holy Family in Fresh Meadows. 7:30. 969-2448.

TOASTMASTERS Wednesdays, March 7, 21 learn the art of public speaking at the Voices of Rochdale To a st m a s t e r s C l u b i n J a maica. 978-0732.

KNIGHTS OF PY THIAS Wednesdays, March 7, 21 Queensview Lodge 433 in Whitestone. 917-754-3093.

FLUSHING CAMERA Wednesdays, March 7, 21, April 4, 18 at Flushing Hospital. 479-0643.

BARBERSHOP Wednesdays Jamaica Chapter of t he Societ y for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet in Flushing. 468-8416.

UNITED 40S Thursday, March 8 United Forties Civic Association, Inc. meets at 7 at St. Teresa P a r i s h C e n t e r , 5 0 - 2 2 4 5 th Street, Woodside.

JEFFERSON DEMS Thursday, March 8 Jefferson Democratic Club meets 7:30 at the Clearview Golf Course Clubhouse.

CIVIL AIR PATROL Thursdays at 3 at August

Martin HS, 156-10 Baisley Blvd., Jamaica. 525-6925.

LEADD CLUB Thursday evenings and one Saturday afternoon. Recreation Socialization Program for Learning Disabled Adults. 18+, able to travel on public transportation.

Arn310@aol.com information.

ILION BLOCK Friday, March 9 Ilion Area Block Association meets t the African Center for Community Empowerment, 111-92A Farmers Blvd., St. Albans at 7:30.

SENIORS DUPLICATE BRIDGE Mondays Lunch, lesson and c o n g e n i a l p l a y. 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 librar y. Learn how special exercise and relaxation techniques make a difference in your life.

HOWARD BEACH Tuesday, March 6 “Medicare, Medicare D and Medicaid” at 10:30. Theatre Group starting at 10 Tuesday, March 13 “Fall Prevention” at 10:30. Wednesdays mah jongg at 10 and Zumba Gold 1:30-2:30. 156-45 84 th Street. 738-8100.

BEREAVEMENT Starting Tuesday, March 6 8 session bereavement group for seniors at SNAP in Queens Village. 4542100.

AARP 3654 Tuesdays, March 6, April 3, May 1 AARP 3654 meets in Bayside. 423-4237.

TAX HELP Tuesdays, March 6, 13, 20, 27 at the Hollis library. 4657355.

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

STARS Wednesday, March 7 Senior Theater Acting Repertory meets at 10:30 at the Hollis library.

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.

AARP 29 Thursdays, March 8, April 12, May 10 AARP 29 meets at noon at Grace House, 1 5 5 - 0 2 9 0 th A v e n u e , J a maica.

TAX HELP Thursdays, March 8, 15, 22, 29 tax counseling for lowincome older adults at the

Fresh Meadows library at 1.

AARP 3698 Fridays, March 9, April 13, May 11 AARP Chapter 3698 meets at Zion Episcopal Church, 243-01 Northern Blvd., Douglaston at noon for social hour, meeting at 1, program at 2. 229-3394.

STARS Fridays, March 9, 16, 23, 30 Senior Theater Acting Repertory meets at the Queens Village library at 10:30.

AARP QUEENS CHORUS Fridays through March rehearsals at 1 at the Selfhelp Clearview Senior Center.

523-1330 information.

AARP 4158 Tuesday, March 13 North Flushing chapter 4158 meets at noon at the Church on the H i l l , 1 6 7 - 0 7 3 5 th A v e n u e , Flushing. New members and visitors welcome.

FREE LUNCH Saturday, March 17 All Saints Church in Richmond Hill. 849-2352 reservations.

KEW GARDENS Wednesday, March 21 Basic Sewing. Mondays 1:30 dancercise, 2:30 comedy workshop. Fridays tai chi at 10, Dancercise at 1:30. Kew G a rdens Communit y Center, 80-02 Kew Gardens Road, suite 202.

TALKS TURKISH & ENGLISH Wednesday, March 7 Salient Differences in Sound, Word and Sentence Structure at Powdermaker Hall, room 156, Queens College at 12:15. 997-5597.

CALLIGRAPHY Thursdays, March 8, 15, 22, 29 appreciation of classical Chinese calligraphy at the Flushing library at 6:30.

TURKISH LANGUAGE Wednesday, March 14 How a Language Migrated from Central Asia to the Mediterranean at Campbell Dome, Queens College at 12:15. 997-5597.

ARMENIA & TURKEY Wednesday, April 25 at Powdermaker Hall, room 156, Queens College at 12:15. 997-5597.

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

APEC PROGRAMS March Alley Pond Environmental Center will hold Toddler time Nature Programs, Sunny Bunnies and Fledglings (for those 3-4). 2294000.

DR. SEUSS Saturday, March 3 at 11 at Barnes & Noble, 176-60 U n i o n Tu r n p i ke , F re s h Meadows.

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.

HOMEWORK HELP Saturdays 10-noon Bayside library.

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.

ANIMAL CARE Sunday, March 4 at Alley Pond Environmental Center.

229-4000.

BEAUTIFUL OOOPS Monday, March 5 making accidental art at the North Forest Park library. Register.

LITTLE TOT Monday, March 5 at the Hillcrest library at 4.

LEGOS BUILDERS Monday, March 5 at the LIC library at 6:15.

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

HOMEWORK HELP Mondays 3:30-5:00 Bayside library.

YOGA AND ME Tuesday, March 6 yoga and me for pre-schoolers at the Douglaston library. Register.

BOOK BUDDIES Tuesday, March 6 at t he Hillcrest library at 3:30.

DANCE & LITERACY Tu e s d a y, M a r c h 6 a n d Thursday, March 8 and Tuesday, March 13 at the Cambria Heights and LIC library at 4. Wednesday, March 7 and Friday, March 9 at the Ridgewood library at 4.

CHESS CLUB Tuesdays LIC library at 4 and Rosedale library at 4:30.

LIBRARY BUDDIES Wednesday, March 7 at the Auburndale library at 4.

HAPPY HAPPY STORY Wednesday, March 7 story time at the LIC library at 10:30.

S TORY T I M E Wednesday, March 7 at the East Elmhurst library at 11:30.

KNITTING Wednesdays Bayside library at 4.

KNIT & CROCHET Wednesdays at the South Ozone Park library at 1.

GAME DAY Wednesdays Poppenhusen library at 4.

DRAMA POSSEE Thursday, March 8 at the Hillcrest library at 3:30.

3D ECO ART Thursday, March 8 at the Glendale library. Register.

SPRING ARTS Thursday, March 8 at the Hillcrest library at 5.

CRAFT TIME Thursdays 3:30 Ozone Park library.

WII GAMING Friday, March 9 at the

Astoria library at 4:30.

READ TO ME Friday, March 9 at the Briarwood library at 3.

KIDS ACTIVITY TIME Friday, March 9 at the Briarwood library at 3:30.

ARTS & CRAFTS Friday, March 9 at the Briarwood library at 4.

KIDS COLORING Friday, March 9 at the Queensboro Hill library at 11.

LIBRARY BUDDIES Friday, March 9 at the Auburndale library at 4.

TODDLER CRAFT Fridays Briarwood library at 10:30.

READ TO ME Fridays Briarwood library at 3.

ARTS & CRAFTS Fridays at 2 Queens Village and LIC libraries. Briarwood library at 4.

GAME DAY Fridays Queens Village library at 2.

FLASH FRIDAYS Every Friday at 3 Ozone Park library.

GAME PLAYERS Every Friday Hillcrest library at 4.

TEENS INTERNET DATABASE Saturdays, March 3 Internet Database Sessions for teens at 2 at the Langston Hughes library.

HENNA WORKSHOP Saturday, March 3 Henna hand painting workshop at the Steinway library at 2.

JOB SEARCH Saturdays, March 3, 17 at the Central library at 10:30.

CHESS CLUB Saturdays Flushing library at 2.

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

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

TEEN CHESS Mondays at 6 Bayside library.

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

DANCE & LITERACY Tuesdays, March 6, 13, 20 interactive workshops using literacy to explore the roots of contemporary culture.

Cambria Heights and LIC library at 4. Wednesdays,

March 7, 14, 21 es: at the Ridgewood library at 4.Thursdays, March 8, 15, 22, 29 at the Cambria Heights library and the LIC library at 4. Fridays, March 9, 16, 23, 30 at the Ridgewood library at 4.

TEEN BINGO Tuesday, March 6 at the Flushing library at 4.

LIC CHESS CLUB Tuesdays LIC library at 4.

BOOK BUDDIES Tuesdays Windsor Park library at 4.

RESUME WRITING Wednesdays 4 Arverne library.

GAME DAY Wednesdays Howard Beach and St. Albans libraries at 4.

CHESS Wednesdays at 3:30 Queens Village library.

KNIT & CROCHET Wednesdays South Ozone Park library at 1. Knit at the Bayside library. Register.

KNITTING CLUB Wednesdays at the Bayside library. Register.

3D ECO ART Thursdays, March 8, 15 create an environmentally themed painting at the Glendale librar y. Register.

Models Of Queens

Lindsay Curtis Home: Woodhaven Age: 18 Height: 5’ 2" Weight: 135 lbs Stats: 34-29-42 NYPhotoByNick

Math Major

While helping her friend Venus with makeup and photo shoots for models, Lindsay Curtis was eventually convinced to step in front of the camera.

The 18-year-old Woodhaven college student said it isn’t going to be a career choice for her, but rather a “side project.”

“I actually really enjoy it,” she said, “I do plan on continuing to model.”

Modeling will be a side project to her desired career, a math teacher.

Lindsay is studying at Queens College and hopes to teach math when she graduates.

“I really enjoy math,” she said. A graduate of George Washington Carver High School in Springfield Gardens, she involved herself in math classes and math challenges while there and was inspired by her math teacher to become one herself.

Whatever free time Lindsay has, which she admits isn’t often, she spends it with her friends.

“We don’t really do much,” she said. “We just sit at home and watch movies.”

Lately, she said, she’s been watching a lot of war movies, but her taste for movies and music is very eclectic.

“My iPod is very random,” she said, with everything from The Beatles to hip-hop.

Page 42 Tribune March 1-7, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com

Through The Nose Mets pitcher Jon Niese reported to spring training on Monday, Feb. 20, about 10 lbs lighter — because he got a nose job.

And no, his nose itself was not carrying an extra 10 lbs on it, but the procedure allowed him to work out harder in the offseason and drop the weight.

At the suggestion of former teammate Carlos Beltran, who offered to pay for the surgery, Niese got the operation last October.

Beltran was traded to the Giants and now plays for the defending champion Cardinals.

Niese told reporters in Port St. Lucie that “the Jon Niese before the nose job. bill is in the mail.”

Considering Beltran signed a 2-year, $26 million contract in the offseason, writing that check shouldn’t be too difficult.

Winter Beach Blanket Bingo?

What Winter?

Atria, Kew Gardens threw a Winter Beach Party for residents, staff and families at the senior living facility last week.

The beach-themed celebration’s attendees were treated to tasty tropical drinks and live musical entertainment inside the facility. With the Mary Durniak (from left), Elizabeth weather the area has exMacellaro and Sue Ann Macellaro have some fun at the winter beach party. perienced, however, they probably could have packed a cooler, put on some sun block and headed out to enjoy an actual day at the beach.

Dan Halloran chalks up another Irish credential.

Irish Eyes Are Smiling The luck of the Irish is with ol’ Hollerin’ Halloran: The Irish Echo has honored Councilman Dan Halloran with one of their “Irish 40 Under 40” award. Halloran is an Irish-American, though he is no longer under 40 (he was 39 during the nomination process). He accepted his award Feb. 23 at Rosie O’Grady’s in Manhattan.

Unique for his non-Christian

orthodoxy among Irish Catholics (we won’t get into his religion here, that’s like beating a dead Pegasus), Halloran has been one of the more distinctive councilmen during his tenure in Northeast Queens. He’s also very adept at holding rousing press conferences and blaming City Hall for ignoring the needs of Queens.

It’s a green dawn for Irish Dan.

Queens Rocks

Party Time When thinking of Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), most of us don’t think about the words “Tea Party.”

Well, maybe if you’re a senior in his district, you do.

Comrie hosted a senior high tea event last week, where guests were encouraged to don their favorite hats. Maybe this is what the Tea Party originally had in mind?

Confidentially, New

American Idols Heejun Han and Creighton Fraker hail from Queens This season’s American Idol York . . . competitors are down to 24. With everything heating up for the semifinals earlier in this week, amazingly, 2 of the 24 future-stars still left singing hail from Queens.

Heejun Han, of Flushing, and Creighton Fraker of Astoria are both in the semifinal round, and sang earlier this week to the nation’s adoring “Idol” TV fans who will vote to select the finalists.

Fraker, 28, a preacher’s kid from South Dakota moved to Astoria eight years ago. His experience comes from singing in church choirs and local singing groups.

Han, 22, originally from Korea, cried as the judges told him he made it to the round of 24.

The viewers will vote which 12 will go on to the final round.

We hope they vote Queens.

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