Q F B E H S A J W
Page 2 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
!
" # #
'
!" #$ % & % '(' ()) ((()# ' )
# # $ %
*+,-. /00 -00/ *122. ' / *202 +/2/.
& # $ %
BUSINESS IS BOOMING The secret to success can be seen in the businesses that line the streets of Queens. To make it in this borough, a business needs to be resilient and ahead of the curve, work tirelessly to reach the people and make a difference to the point where we come to rely upon them. Queens businesses exemplify these traits. The businesses we showcase in these pages are just a handful of the many that have made a difference in the lives of our residents. We invite you to turn the page and learn some of the secrets to success of these Queens businesses.
Hilton officials cut the ribbon on their hotel which recently opened at JFK Airport.
Alma Bank ...................................Page 5 Argo Envelope .............................Page 5 Cherry Valley Sandwich Shop ...Page 6 Dallis Bros. Coffee ......................Page 6 Five Star Electric .........................Page 8 Flying Food Group .................... Page 10 Georgia Diner ........................... Page 12 Helios Solar Systems .............. Page 12 F&T Group ................................. Page 15 JetBlue....................................... Page 16
Martha’s Country Bakery........ Page 16 Major Homes ............................ Page 18 Melrose Credit Union............... Page 21 Queen of the Wink .................. Page 21 Resorts World NYC Casino ..... Page 23 Rubies Costume Shop ............ Page 25 SilverCup Studios..................... Page 25 Studio Square .......................... Page 27 Tully Construction .................... Page 28 Weisman Home Outlets ......... Page 28
Whitestone Lanes ........................ Page 30 Business Resource Guide....Pages 32-37 Staying Power .............................. Page 62 This Week’s Tribune Queens Deadline ......................... Page 39 Leisure........................................... Page 41 Edit & Letters ............................... Page 50 QConfidential ............................... Page 61
Cover Design By Candice Lolier Photo By Ira Cohen The Queens Tribune (USPS 964-480) is published weekly every Thursday for $12 per year by Tribco, LLC, 150-50 14th Road, Whitestone, NY 11357. Periodical Postage Paid at Flushing, NY. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Queens Tribune, 150-50 14th Road, Whitestone, NY 11357.
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page 4 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
Alma Bank
Helping Businesses Through Active Lending Rep. Carolyn Maloney (DAstoria) praised the bank in a statement. “I salute Alma Bank on its continuing success in serving the communities of New York City. In the world capital of the banking industry, Alma Bank stands out for its dedication and personal attention to its customers.” The chairman of Alma Bank, Kirk Karabelas, said that within the first nine months of the program, the U.S. Dept. of Treasury recognized Alma Bank as being one of the leaders in small business lending out of 281 participating banks in the program nationwide. As a result, this was followed up by a press conference at Alma bank, with U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (DJackson Heights) in attendance. Since it first opened its doors in September 2007, Alma Bank has been an active small business lender in t h e N e w Yo r k C i t y a r e a . Alma Bank knows that small businesses need credit to g row and hire workers to build their business and spur
Tribune photo by Ross Barkan
By ROSS BARKAN Banks may be getting a bad rap these days, but one community bank is fighting back against that trend. Alma Bank is that bank. Last year, the federal government heeded the call to s t rengthen small business lending programs. As part of President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus incentives, such as the Small Business Jobs Act, the subsequent Small Business Lending Fund program focuses on grassrootslevel small businesses and has fueled the promotion of more local economic growth. In August 2011, community banks across the country received more than $750 million to help small businesses access capital. Leading the way was New York’s Alma Bank. According to Treasury data, Alma Bank has lent $91 million to small businesses in the 12 months finale in June 2010 and $235 million over the last year. That is one of the secrets to its success. Representing the district where Alma Bank operates,
Alma Bank on Northern Boulevard in Bayside. economic growth. This incentive enables small banks like Alma Bank to better extend lending to the local community where they abide by the highest level of service to its customers. The bank also holds an enviable standing in comparative terms with the other 281 community
banks that subscribed to this lending fund. Entrepreneurs are driven to succeed and want to make a difference in their respective communities. As their companies expand, so do the employment opportunities for their neighbors. These renewed small-business
lending incentives also included tax breaks that provide tax relief of more than $50 billion for small businesses. The road to recovery may just be paved by Alma Bank. Reach Reporter Ross Barkan at rbarkan@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127.
Argo Envelopes By JASON PAFUNDI The secret to a good business’ success sometimes can be as simple as their envelopes. And if a business wants to be successful, there is no better option than Argo Envelopes in Long Island City. The full service, family owned and operated printing company has only a few dozen employees, but the quality of their products has allowed the business to succeed in good and bad economic times in Queens and in the U.S. for more than half a century. Queens’ own version of Dunder Mifflin — the paper company on TV’s “The Office” — provides businesses with all their printing needs. And though the company is
called Argo Envelopes, they are more than just paper and envelopes. At their 50,000 square foot LIC factory, located at 43-10 21st St., they produce business cards, letterhead, post-it notes, rubber stamps, bumper stickers, laser labels and customembroidered baseball hats. But their main product is, of course, envelopes. The company manufactures millions of “A Brand” envelopes in thousands of sizes, papers, styles and weights. Among the styles of envelopes are commercial envelopes, clasp, booklet, tyvek, catalog, coin, window, special single and dual window, security tint, custom, remittance,
wallet flap, inter-office, announcements and cards, jumbo and text and rag. “ We pride ourselves on printing high quality offset/ litho or flexo printing on our computerized 1- to 4-color presses, including those critical jobs with hairline register, full bleed and four color processes,” said the company on its website. In addition to the many styles of envelopes, Argo makes sportswear items such as polo shirts, long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies and denim shirts, and all can be imprinted with a custom logo. The stamps that Argo makes include pre-inked, selfinking, and old-fashioned
wooden handle rubber stamps, as well as stamp pads and replacement ink for the pads. For the customer that uses Post-It notes, like mothers and wives who constantly bug their son or husband, Argo Envelopes makes specialty notes with a custom logo — and clients can add information to the notes to use as promotional material. The business has a unique design system on its website that allows customers to design their own post-it notes in a few easy steps and send it directly to the company for printing. The company has the ability to output Quark, Illustrator and PDF files. A rgo Envelope’s entire product line can be found on its website at argoenvelope.com,
where there is also a secure online ordering section. Interested customers can call 1-866247-6368. Items can be printed in up to four colors and in bundles ranging from 500 to 50,000. Additionally, Argo can store products in their warehouse in Long Island City until they are needed by the customer, so clients can take advantage of their deals on large orders, even when there’s little room in the supply closet. So for one-stop shopping for printing needs for any business, big or small, go to Argo Envelope, because they have it all. Reach Reporter Jason Pafundi at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128, or jpafundi@queenstribune.com.
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 5
Offering More Than Just Paper And Envelopes
Cherry Valley Deli & Grill By ROSS BARKAN Cravings for a hot, juicy and wonderfully massive sandwich can come at any time of the day. Sadly, most sandwich shops and delis don’t understand this, shuttering their doors at a certain hour. Hunger knows no temporal boundaries, however. Cherry Valley Deli & Grill understands this basic fact and that is why they are so successful. With its classic Whitestone location and six-year-old shop in West Hempstead, Long Island, Cher ry Valley is renowned in the region for serving up creative and great-tasting sandwiches at any time of day. Open 24 hours, Cherry Valley feeds those 2 a.m. longings for buttered pancakes or French toast, ensuring that no mouth goes unfed. Its extensive menu, with sandwiches like the locally-famous “Beast” and “Bushman,” are one of the reasons people love Cherry Valley so much, said owner and manager Daniel Munoz. “Customers know what good food is,” he said.
“They’re looking for originality, something different.” Though Cher ry Valley’s Whitestone location, now celebrating 32 years at 12-29 150th St., has an interior that may seem unremarkable, its menu continues to astound. Nearly 100 items, from kettle cuisine soups to a grilled turkey burger, ensure Cherry Valley is unmatched regionally. Many customers, Munoz explained, come from Long Island, making the creation of a Hempstead deli feasible. Many of Cherry Valley’s patrons are high school students looking for large, affordable meals at any time of the day. Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Cherry Valley will deliver. That “something different” Munoz referred to may be the Bushman hero. Heroic in size and taste, the Bushman is a chicken cutlet hero with bacon, brown gravy and American cheese on a toasted garlic hero. Gravy is a favored staple of Cherry Valley that typical delis do not always employ. For those not up to eating a hero, wraps are available as
Tribune Photo by Ross Barkan
An Affordable Deli Stocked With Originality
Whitestone’s Cherry Valley is a borough institution and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. . well. If you simply want to eat a lot and do not like heroes (who knows why), try the Boulder Creek wrap. Grilled steak, mozzarella, fried onions and brown gravy may be high in calories but it is even higher in taste. And at Cherry Valley, taste is what matters.
A fun fact is that the Queens Tribune offices are not located too far from Cherry Valley. Hungry and disheveled journalists like yours truly have been known to trek from the fabled offices to the warm embrace of Cher r y Valley to drown their stress in a whole
lot of meat, cheese, gravy and bread. There is nothing better on deadline day than a Turkey Supreme roll, and that is a verifiable fact. Ask the New York Press Association. Reach Reporter Ross Barkan at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127 or rbarkan@queenstribune.com.
Page 6 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
Dallis Brothers Coffee
Coffee From Queen Becomes Multinational Business By DOMENICK RAFTER Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. In nearly every country, coffee is a readily available drink. Millions drink it every day, sometimes multiple times. Coffee is a lucrative business with enough customers to continue to make it viable. Folgers, Maxwell House, Sanka, Starbucks - all names we associate with coffee. But right here in Queens, in the middle of a quiet residential neighborhood, sits the headquarters of a decades-old popular coffee brand name. Dallis Brothers’ ornate coffee house and headquarters at 100-32 Atlantic Ave. looks almost out of place among the postmodern shopping centers and semi-
attached houses that populate the neighborhood. But the turn of the century design of the building on the corner of Atlantic Avenue and 102nd Street attracts curious attention from passersby and local residents. Based in Queens since Russian immigrants, Abe and Morris Dallis started the company 99 years ago, Dallis Brothers used the new innovations of the 20th Century and adapted to the changing marketing structure to help their business succeed. Dallis Brother’s first storefront was on 116th Street in Richmond Hill. During the 1910s, the brothers delivered their coffee door to door in Brooklyn and Queens via horse-drawn wagons. They sold their coffee in
five-pound paper bags back then. When Henry Ford brought the world his Model-T, the Dallis brothers invested in one. With their new vehicle, and the construction of roads, they were able to deliver their coffee farther, with Long Island becoming a major market. In 1926, they moved to their current location on Atlantic Avenue which became their roasting factory. The G reat Depression changed the business and salespeople became distributors. Dallis started grinding and packaging the coffee for them. The company started producing one, two and three pound bags so families on tighter budgets could buy smaller amounts.
House-to-house delivery waned in the mid-20th century as supermarkets became prominent and customers began moving farther out of reach of home delivery. It was during this time that Dallis began a new angle of businesssupplying restaurants with coffee. David Dallis, a third generation Dallis, brought the company into the computer age by introducing computer servers, allowing the company to automate order processing with hundreds of customers. He and his wife Martha focused on a new growing niche - coffee shops, which were becoming a much m o re p r o m i n e n t c o f f e e drinking location than diners and restaurants.
In the 1990s, Dallis Brothers’ Atlantic Avenue Victorianstyle building was renovated and the community began to take notice of this gem hidden in their neighborhood. In 2007, Octavio Cafe from Brazil acquired Dallis Brothers Coffee and the company gained a coffee farm – Fazenda Nossa Senhora Aparecida – as well as a roastery and a café in Brazil, one of the world’s fastest growing economies. Since then, Dallis Brothers Coffee expanded their business to other states, branching out from their original two-borough door-to-door service to what is now a multinational business. Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at (718) 357-7400 Ext. 125 or drafter@queenstribune.com.
It’s A New Season - Need A New Kitchen? Mansfield Kitchen***
me o H n I e Fre ing M e a s uir t o ntmen No Appessary Nec
*
“
1⁄
11 44
In Stock!
E GRANITTOP R COUNTE& INSTALLED
1299
! TED TEMPLAble In 10 Popular Colors
la
Now Avai
49
$ $ Sale Price
$
SQ. FT.
00
Price Based On A Typical 10’x10’ Kitchen (Cabinets Only)
All Wood - Finished Interior In All Cabinets 32 Gallon Round Garbage Pail
White Tank & Bowl Set
Porcelain Wall & Backsplash Tiles
Model #703
69
99 99
Lids Included
” 6” x 6
Without Wheels
Sugg. Retail $19.99
ff 60% O
With Wheels
Sugg. Retail $29.99
Glueless Laminate Laminate Flooring Flooring
Sugg. Retail $2.49 Sq. Ft.
Happy House - 4 Colors Available
Sq. Ft.
Niagra • Marfil • Pearla
§
Faucet Not Included.
39
99 99
Sugg. Retail $2.59 Sq. Ft.
Sugg. Retail $99.99
Porcelain Floor Tiles 12” x 12” Floor
70% Of f
79¢¢
Sq. Ft.
Available In Assorted Colors
Sugg. Retail $8.99 Sq. Ft.
Sugg. Retail $1.99 Sq. Ft.
60% Of f
Starting At
2
all ciia ec pe S Sp e s se a a h h c c r r u P Pu
§
Floor & Wall Glass Tiles
60% Off
Starting At
89¢¢
79
Sugg. Retail $169.99
Galaxy Pedestal Sink
¢¢
13” X 13’ Ceramic Tiles
hase l Purc Specia
• Many Styles To Choose From • Easy Installation
3” x 6 ”
99 99
Sq. Ft.
• Noce • Beige
99¢¢
Sq. Ft.
Sugg. Retail $2.99 Sq. Ft.
SHOP AT HOME 24 HOURS A DAY: WeismanHomeOutlets.com Sale Ends May 2, 2012
QUEENS
BROOKLYN
63-27 Metropolitan Ave..............718.497.0212
1175 McDonald Ave...............718.377.8871
• MIDDLE VILLAGE
• SPRINGFIELD GARDENS
• BOROUGH PARK
218-01 Merrick Blvd...................718.723.4000
STORE HOURS: • MON-WED 8-6 • THURS 8-8 • FRI 8-7 • SAT 9-6 •SUN 10-5 • SPRINGFIELD: MON-WED 8-6 • THURS 8-7 • FRI 8-6 • SAT 9-6 SUN 10-5 ***Pertains to cabinets advertised in today’s ad. All sales final. Not responsible for type errors or omissions. Photos for illustration only. § Manufacturers Sugg. Retail.
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 7
12 99 1699
99 99
§
Five Star Electric Corporation
Growing To Cover Queens’ Electricity Needs
Page 8 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
By DOMENICK RAFTER It is said New York City uses more electricity than most countries. The lights that illuminate our city can be seen from space, so it should not be a surprise that it is fertile territory for the electric business. Ozone Park’s Five Star Electric Corporation was the brainchild of a Long Island electrical worker, Bernard Segal, in 1959. Located on a quiet side street in the heart of a residential community, Five Star’s secret to its success is its ability to respond to the needs of a growing city. One of the company’s prime jobs is working with the School Construction Authority on electrical work at new schools, which are constantly rising in a city teeming with families. The company was founded in Brooklyn and moved to its current headquarters at 10132 101st St. in Ozone Park in
1998. The company tries For much of its histo live up to its name; five tory, Five Star Electric has star, the ratings often focused mainly on workgiven to hotels and restauing on school construcrants and to the best films tion sites, an area the and music records, as well company calls its “niche.” as the rank of the most Five Star grew rapidly as prestigious generals in the the School Construction armed forces. Authority began conFive Star, which in 2011 structing and renovating became a subsidiary of more schools during the Tutor Perini, a leading boom period in the construction company, has 1990s. Five Star boasts exploded in the past two Five Star Electric Corp. in Ozone Park. that it has worked on decades, going from 35 more than 10 million employees in 1991 to more Besides Resorts World, Five square feet of school constructhan 1,300 now. In 2010, Five Star has also been awarded the tion space in its history, inStar was awarded the contract contract for the electrical work cluding numerous schools for the electrical work at the at One World Trade Center in around Queens, like the Glen Resorts World New York Ca- Lower Manhattan. Last Christ- Oaks Campus Complex and sino at Aqueduct Racetrack, mas, the company replaced PS 499 in Flushing. only a few blocks from Five the clear light bulbs on the site Five Star is affiliated with Star’s Ozone Park headquar- with colored ones in an effort the Building Trades Employters. Five Star President Gary to bring festive cheer to con- ers’ Association, the New York Segal, Bernard’s son, said the struction workers at the site City chapter of the National project was especially impor- during the holidays. The col- Electrical Contractors Associatant for the company’s sur- o red lights could be seen tion, Local Union No. 3 IBEW, rounding community. throughout Lower Manhattan. the union Gary Segal’s grand-
Congratulations
Flying Food Group For Its New State-of-the-Art Airline Catering Facility at JFK Airport
Saluting the growth of businesses in Southeast Queens
father, Philip Segal, joined in 1923, triggering his family’s history in the electrical trade, and the Subcontractors Trade Association. Among the other projects in or near Queens that Five S t a r h a s w o r ke d o n : t h e Queens Center Mall expansion, Queens West’s Building Six, Citi Field, the Jamaica Bay Water Treatment Plant and the Corona train yards in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, home to the 7 train maintenance facility. Five Star installed the yards’ entire electric systems including fiber optics, fire alarm, telecommunications and CCTV systems, which were important to security at the site, where graffiti vandalism had long been a problem. Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at (718) 357-7400 Ext. 125 or drafter@queenstribune.com.
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 9
Flying Food Group
Providing Food For Those Flying The Friendly Skies
Page 10 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
Photo by Ira Cohen
By ROSS BARKAN What do you think of when you hear the term airline food? Rubber chicken? Fizzless soda? A packet of peanuts either drenched in too much salt or dry enough to turn to dust in your mouth? Something almost as bland as the romantic comedies those airlines force you to watch? Let us face facts: airline food has a reputation problem. Much like the Yeti, that legendary beast that probably does not exist, good airline food can seem elusive. Unlike the Yeti, it is not as elusive as you think. Right here in Queens, airline food is getting the boost that it needs. No longer will airline patrons suffer thousands of feet above a raging ocean, their food needs unmet. Flying Food Group is here. Relocating to JFK Airport, Flying Food Group is making airline food that is more than
Flying Food Group moved into its JFK Airport location in 2009. a packet of stale pretzels. FFG produces custom prepared food for airlines, pulling in revenue of $369 million in 2011. The company services more than 70 airlines, primarily long-haul carriers. Fresh
Food Solutions, FFG’s retail business, provides private label packaged foods for classy retail partners in the grocery, food service and specialty markets, including more than 4,000 Starbucks.
Food offerings include walnut shrimp, tandoori chicken and duck prosciutto. FFG worldwide has 3,500 employees operating from a network of 18 American production facilities and a kitchen in Shanghai, China. They produce almost 300,000 meals and snacks daily for local, national and international customers. Among the airlines that use FFG are Air France, Air India, ANA, British Air ways, China Airlines, H a w a i i a n A i r l i n e s , JA L , Lufthansa and Qantas. For now, the delectable food will only be available on international flights. A reason for FFG’s success is its attention to a diverse food palette. A multi-ethnic chef staff hands a wide array of cuisines, including American, Chinese, French, German, Halal, Italian, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Thai and Turkish. FFG’s Food
Safety and Operations Team, headed by internationallyknown food safety expert Dr. Paul Hall, oversees industryleading practices. The food comes out of a $30 million catering kitchen. Sue Ling Gin was served an unsavory pastry and coffee on a flight many years ago and was inspired to found Flying Food Group in 1983. Since then, Flying Food Group has been combating that old standby comedian’s joke about the lousy-tasting airline food. Queens, in addition to being the most diverse place on Earth, has a pretty rich culinary heritage as well. Within Queens’ borders, almost any type of food or drink can be uncovered. At Flying Food Group, that richness is real, even when you are thousands of feet in the air. Reach Reporter Ross Barkan at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127 or rbarkan@queenstribune.com.
% 1.01
almabank.com
APY*
9 month CD
Visit us for more information
t t t t
Bronx Pelham Bay t 718.430.0140
Brooklyn Bay Ridge t 718.680.5800 Kings Highway t 718.336.4070 Sunset Park t 718.439.8270 Manhattan Midtown t 212.730.5890 New Jersey Tenafly t 201.862.9460 Fort Lee t 201.224.9292 Member FDIC.
*The Alma Bank APY (Annual Percentage Yield) is accurate as of March 09, 2012. APY is fixed for 9 months term. $2,500.00 minimum amount required to open the account and obtain the APY. Account balance must remain less than $100,000.00. Fees may reduce earnings. Early withdrawal fees may apply in certain instances. Interest will be paid at the maturity. Renewable at maturity at current market rate . Available for Business and Consumers.
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 11
Astoria Ditmars Broadway Bayside
Queens 718.267.1000 718.721.3600 718.726.4800 718.352.8200
Georgia Diner By DOMENICK RAFTER A warm summer Friday seems distant inside the airconditioned dining room. In one corner, a party of six chats about their week as they wait for their food; near the entrance, a couple salivates over the strawberry shortcake in the glass-enclosed dessert carousel. In the middle of the dining room, two suits discuss important business over lunch. The waitress approaches the table, a full coffee pot dangling from her left hand. She leans in to refill the cups. “Could I have some chocolate pudding,” one man asks. “Sure,” the waitress happily obliges before turning her head to his lunch mate. “And for you?” “Nothing for me, thanks.” The other man said. And with that, the waitress rushes off through the two kitchen doors, her hair disap-
Tribune photo by Ira Cohen
Good Location And A Better Reputation
The Georgia Diner pears behind the porthole windows. Those doors never seem to stops swinging. There is always someone to serve at the Georgia Diner and serve they do. Queens is dotted with diners, from Bayside to Jackson Heights to Howard Beach. The diner has always been a staple of borough life, but few have the lore that Georgia
Diner does. The secret to its success? Its location near the crossroads of the borough and its reputation, passed down by more than 30 years of stories like the waitress and the chocolate pudding. Fo u n d e d by G re e k i m m i g r a n t Dimitrios “Jimmy” Kalodis in 1978, the diner is named for his wife Georgia, and not the state down south as many wrongly assume, despite its symbolic peach decorating its sign. The dining room has seating for 300, but often there is a wait, especially late on a weekend night when the club crowds from Long Island and Eastern and Southern Queens began trekking home from their parties in Astoria, Long Island City and Manhattan. Even as
iconic diners close their doors in those parts of the borough, and chain establishments open along Queens Boulevard, Georgia Diner still gets the crowds it’s been getting for more than 30 years. Location is one key component to its survival. Georgia sits along Queens Boulevard, surrounded by a lot of new construction, only steps from the most profitable retail spot in the country, and perhaps one of the busiest. The subway runs right under it, making it easily reachable by public transportation for anyone between Jamaica and Astoria, and if you must drive, Georgia Diner boasts something few establishments in this part of Queens have: free parking. A diner it may be, but Georgia’s menu sometimes gives it a feeling of a formal restaurant. There is the typical burger and fries, even the
food most commonly connected to diners, disco fries. There are wraps and sandwiches, salads and Belgian waffles. Coffee flows like Niagara Falls. But a peak further down the menu and you’ll find seafood, steaks and pasta, food you’d normally find at an expensive restaurant you’d want to, or have to, wear a dinner jacket to. But for most, Georgia Diner is still a place to grab a quick meal when you haven’t eaten in hours, or you know you won’t. A place to stop on your way to LaGuardia or Penn Station, or a place to stop on the way home from a concert at Madison Square Garden or a Mets game at Citi Field. Or even just a place to come on a lazy day, maybe just for some chocolate pudding. Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at (718) 357-7400 Ext. 125 or drafter@queenstribune.com.
Helios Energy Systems By ROSS BARKAN The sun is a massive ball of energ y, nothing more and nothing less. Within its mass is the power to grant life to a planet and fuel that planet’s technology. So far, solar power has been a relatively untapped resource. In America especially, solar power still lags behind traditional energ y sources. With climate change driving more unpredictable weather patterns, cleaner and more efficient energy is a must to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Solar PV systems—“PV” is short for photovolatic—are fast becoming an alternative source of energy in America. Though fossil fuels like coal and oil are still relied upon, the future appears bright for solar power. Utilizing photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight into electrical energy, solar PV systems are being installed with ever increasing
regularity in Queens. Helios Energy Systems, a subsidiary of the successful Crystal Windows & Door Systems, Ltd., is captained by industrialist Thomas Chen. Nationally-renowned, Chen is also a believer in alternative energy. In 2009, Crystal Windows celebrated their 20th anniversary producing energy efficient aluminum and vinyl windows and high-end fenestration systems. The facts seem to back him up. Solar PV systems, if properly installed, can last more than twenty years and increases property values because energy is saved. “Powering Future, Building Future,” is Chen’s motto, one that he applies to Helios. Ho Chen Chien, Helios’ general manager, is a North American Board of Certified Energ y Practitioners certified solar PV installer armed with four years of solar PV design and instal-
lation experience and 25 years of management experience with Con Edison. “It’s been great to come to the United States and build a successful American business,” said Thomas Chen in a statement. “I want to thank the dedicated Crystal employees whose entrepreneurial spirit and drive have enabled the company to reach far and wide.” Chien, a believer in a professionalism that is needed in the energy field, has a team that is experienced and highly-trained in the installation of solar PV systems. Crystal, Chen and his son Steve Chen have been recognized in many ways for their success. Awards and recognitions include the National Minority Business Council Outstanding Minority Business Award, U.S. Department of Commerce National Minority Manufact u rer of the Year Award,
Tribune photo by Ira Cohen
Page 12 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
Looking To The Sun For New Solutions
Crystal Windows & Helios Energy Systems Crain’s New York Business listing for 10 years as a Top 25 New York Minority Owned Businesses, Window & Door Magazine’s Top Window Manufacturers listing for 11 years, Door & Window Manufacturer Magazine’s Ten Com-
panies to Watch list, and Inc. Magazine’s inaugural Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in the United States. Reach Reporter Ross Barkan at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127 rbarkan@queenstribune.com.
Page 14 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
FURNISHED RESIDENCES
RETAIL
ONE FULTON SQUARE is - a mixed use hotel, retail, office and condominum project. A 168 Key Hyatt Place will be built atop a 330,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor retail podiums. A separate tower houses medical and comunity office space below 43 Residential Condominiums. 39-16 Prince Street Flushing, New York 11354 Roosevelt Ave, Prince Street, and 39 Ave Corner
MEDICAL OFFICES
www.fandtgroup.com
HYATT PLACE HOTEL
718.395.8266
F&T Group
One Fulton Square Highlights Economic Resurgence
By ROSS BARKAN A luxurious 168-room Hyatt hotel will soon be rising in Flushing, one of the few neighborhoods in New York City that continued to boom during the rough economic climate. F&T Group’s in house builder, Top 8 Construction, will be building the hotel on 39th Avenue between Prince Street and College Point Boulevard in the heart of downtown Flushing, directly across from the Flushing Mall and
within walking distance of the Sky View shopping center. The hotel, according to F&T Group president Michael Meyer, will be one facet of a much larger development p roject called One Fulton Square. It will include retail shops, condominiums, office space and underground parking. At 110,000 square feet, the hotel will occupy about a third of One Fulton Square’s 303,000 square feet. With a roof-top pool and bar, the Hyatt will add yet more expensive delights to an area that seems to be perpetually on the rise. Meyer said he believes that it is F&T g roup’s relationship with China that helps it thrive. With a foothold in Flushing, which is real estate gold, it is hard to fail. Why is it gold? Meyer believes Rendering of One Fulton Square. the fortunes of surging
China and Flushing are linked. “Our whole approach is to recognize opportunities by bridging culture and business in China and the United States,” Meyer said. “We are able to draw from both economies, societies and cultures.” The influx of Asian immigrants into Flushing triggered an economic resurgence that has lasted for more than twenty years. F&T has been at the forefront of an emerging Flushing, seeking to ensure they have a foothold on what is in essence an international marketplace. F&T’s motto is, “east meets west, west meets east.” New York City is unique within the United States and Flushing is a world of its own within Queens. Hyatt, explained Meyer, is a highly-respected brand in China, and that was part of the reason why they won the bidding to become the newest ho-
A Hyatt hotel will be part of the new development. tel to soar in Flushing. Chinese business professionals respect Hyatt, according to Meyer. For the building of the Hyatt, F&T’s partner will be Shanghai Construction, one of the most prominent construc-
tion firms in China. As the gleaming Hyatt rises, so does China, and Flushing’s future with it. Reach Reporter Ross Barkan at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127 or rbarkan@queenstribune.com
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 15
JetBlue By JASON PAFUNDI In Queens Plaza, the gateway to the borough, Silvercup Studios stands out with its iconic sign that welcomes people into the most diverse county in the nation. After relocating their corporate headquarters to the Brewster Building at Queens Plaza North earlier this year, JetBlue is another major company calling the area home. “Since our start up in New York in 1998 and our first flight from JFK in 2000, JetBlue’s home, heart and soul have always remained in New York,” said JetBlue CEO Dave Barger. “We are proud to stay here in New York, grow here in New York and continue being New York’s hometown airlines.” The company, founded by David Neeleman, previously occupied office space in Forest Hills, and its new headquarters in Long Island City combine that operation — and more than 900 employees — with its Darien, Conn. office where approximately 70 people worked.
Photo by Ira Cohen
Hometown Airline Lands In Long Island City “It reminds us of not only our beginnings, but also our f u t u re and our commitment to our home state.” JetBlue’s move into the Brewster Building was a serendipitous one, considering the structure’s history in aviation. The JetBlue, New York’s hometown airline, building, located at is based in Long Island City. 27-01 Queens Plaza North, was forJetBlue, based at JFK Air- merly an assembly plant for port, is a low-cost airline in the Brewster Buffalo airplanes and same category with Southwest, Rolls-Royce automobiles. AirTran Airways and Spirit JetBlue is in the process of Airlines, serves more than 70 securing the necessary approvdestinations around the U.S. als and permits to erect a sign and Caribbean, South America on the top of the building, and Latin America. similar to the one adorning Before the company de- Silvercup Studios. cided to move to LIC, JetBlue The signage has been met was exploring a move to Or- with both open arms and lando. But according to closed fists. Community Board Barger, the decision to stay in 2 rejected the proposal for the company’s home state was fears that it would open the an easy one. doors to other, less-reputable “New York it at the heart of companies trying to put up JetBlue and JetBlue is at the signs. heart of New York,” he said. The zoning text amend-
ment that would allow for the installation of the sign has been approved by the City Planning Commission and is currently being considered by the City Council. JetBlue move brings 1,000 employees to the area where they will spend money at local businesses, adding more to the economy. “JetBlue’s move to Long Island City is a thrilling addition to a neighborhood that continues to emerge as a hub for jobs, revenue and economic development,” said State Sen. Mike Gianaris (DAstoria), who represents the area. Mayor Mike Bloomberg said that one of the reason’s JetBlue chose to stay in New York was because of the revitalization of Queens Plaza and LIC. “We couldn’t be prouder that JetBlue has cast a major vote of confidence in Long Island City as a great place to do business,” Bloomberg said. JetBlue has 5,300 crew members based in Queens, in-
cluding the 1,000 in Long Island City, making it one of the l a rgest employers in the neighborhood. The company is happy with the economic boon their presence brings to the borough. “Beyond our employment impact, we’re proud to be the engine that brings economic benefits to New York every time a JetBlue aircraft lands at JFK or LaGuardia with 100 or 150 customers arriving in New York to conduct business, visit the sites or see friends and family,” said Jeff Goodell, VP of Government A ffairs. “One of the most attractive benefits in moving to Long Island City is that we’re in a neighborhood that we can be a part of and make a contribution to.” As the company moves forward, it hopes to continue to be a big part of the success of the Queens Plaza neighborhood, of Long Island City and of Queens as the area continues to take flight. Reach Reporter Jason Pafundi at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128, or jpafundi@queenstribune.com.
Satisfying A Sweet Tooth In Three Locations By VERONICA LEWIN Being a former Upstate New Yo r ke r, the allure of Manhattan always kept me from wanting to see the outer boroughs during my trips to the Big Apple. My first visit to the most diverse county in the country was just two years ago. I arrived late on a Friday night and was ready to hit the town with some friends. “Where are we going?” I asked. “Martha’s,” my friend simply replied. Not knowing exactly what she meant, my mind began to wonder. Was it a bar? A friend’s house? Up for an adventure, I followed my friend without hesitation to Martha’s. We
walked through the streets of Bayside until we arrived at Bell Boulevard. My eyes lit up when I realized our final destination: Martha’s Country Bakery. I was immediately greeted with an endless display of cupcakes, pies, cookies and other goodies and could not wait to dig in. After taking a bite of an M&M cupcake, I knew this first trip to Martha’s would not be my last. Martha’s Country Bakery frequents the Queens Tribune’s annual “Best of Queens” list. Reader William Lindauer of Astoria said the bakery has the best cupcakes and tarts in the borough. Martha’s Country Bakery opened in Hell’s Kitchen in
1972, serving the neighborhood with old American dessert classics. After a successful decade, the bakery took its talents across the bridge to Queens and opened a location in Astoria. They expanded their menu to include new favorites, such as strawberr y shortcake, pound cakes, apple pies and their well-known cupc akes topped with butter cream frosting. Martha’s now offers around 15 different varieties of cakes – including red velvet and cheesecake – strudels, bread puddings and caramel crumb cakes. Martha’s Country Bakery also serves gelato and a variety of cappuccinos, coffees and lattes. Aside from three locations
in the borough – Astoria, Bayside and Forest Hills – the ambience of Martha’s could be what keeps people coming back for more. Unlike most bakeries, Martha’s offers sit-down service for people to leisurely satisfy their sweet tooth with friends. Duri n g t h e w a r m e r Martha’s Country Bakery has three m o n t h s , p a t ro n s locations in Queens including this one can enjoy a cup- on Bell Boulevard in Bayside c a ke a n d a l a t t e watch Martha’s pastry chefs outside. If you’re interested in create their classics. Reach Reporter Ve ronica watching the magic happen, each location features an open Lewin at (718) 357-7400, Ext. kitchen to allow visitors to 123 or vlewin@queenspress.com.
Photo by Ira Cohen
Page 16 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
Martha’s Country Bakery
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
126-15 Liberty Avenue Holding LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 2/23/12. Office in Queens County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 1954 Homecrest Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11229. Purpose: General. __________________________________ NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: 23 EQUITIES, LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 02/08/12. 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, c/o Sacco & Fillas, LLP, 31-19 Newtown Avenue, 7th Floor, Astoria, New York 11102. Purpose: For any lawful purpose. __________________________________ Notice of Formation of GOLDEN HILL LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 3/6/12. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to princ. bus. loc.: 38-12 222nd St., Bayside, NY 11361. Purpose: any lawful activity. __________________________________ Notice of Formation: 200 & 202 Knickerbocker LLC. Arts of Org filed with sec of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/02/2011. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 200 & 202 Knickerbocker LLC, 43-31 192 nd Street, Flushing, New York 11354. Purpose: Any lawful activity. __________________________________ Notice of Formation of Avoid Obvious LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 2/14/12. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: National Registered Agents, Inc., 875 Ave of the Americas, Ste. 501, NY, NY 10001, also the registered agent. Purpose: any lawful activities. __________________________________ NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: 30-06 HOBART STREET LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on
02/23/11. 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, 30-06 Hobart Street, Woodside, New York 11377. Purpose: For any lawful purpose. _________________________________ Notice of Formation of GWest Dental Center, LLC”. Arts of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY SSNY on March 8, 2012. Office location: Queens County. Princ. office of LLC: 105-25 65th Ave., Suite P3, Forrest Hills, NY 11375. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o G-West Dental Center., L.L.C. at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any Lawful activity. _________________________________ Notice of Formation of CX Tower LLC, Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 2/6/ 12. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Jiashu Xu, 13403 35th Ave., Flushing, NY 11354. Purpose: any lawful activities. _________________________________ NOTICE OF FORMATION OF JR Accounting, Taxes & Small Business Solutions, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/ 01/2012. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. The Post Office address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon her, 229-22 Linden Blvd., Cambria Heights, NY 11411. Purpose of LLC: To engage in any lawful act or activity. __________________________________ NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: LIVE VIDEO MONITOR LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 02/07/12. 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, 10723 71st Road, Suite 212, Forest Hills, New York 11375. Purpose: For any lawful purpose. _________________________________ Notice of Formation of CENTRE METRO REALTY, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/
28/08. Office location: Queens County. Princ. office of LLC: 1647 Weirfield St., Ridgewood, NY 11385. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: The ownership and disposition of real property and all activites ancillary thereto. _________________________________ Notice of formation of GREINER-MALTZ PROPERTY SALES, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/11/2012. Office location, County of Queens. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Greiner-Maltz Company of New York Inc., 42-12 28th Street, Long Island City, NY 11530. Purpose: any lawful act _________________________________ Horsing Around LLC, A domestic LLC, Art. of Org. Filed with the SSNY on 1/12/12. 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, 31-49 35th Street Apt. 3 Astoria, NY 11106 _________________________________ Notice of Formation of Idea Mobile LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 3/15/12. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Jaspreet S. Mayall, Certilman, Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP, 90 Merrick Ave., East Meadow, NY 11554. Purpose: any lawful activity. __________________________________ CUDDLE BUDDIES LLC, a domestic LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/ 21/2012. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 86-05 60th Rd., Apt. 2H, Elmhurst, NY 11373. Reg Agent: Maria Monique S. Maralit, 86-05 60th Rd., Apt. 2H, Elmhurst, NY 11373. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose. ___________________________________ Notice of Formation of 32-78 47TH STREET, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/27/12. Office location: Queens County. Princ. office of LLC: 31-16 30th Ave., Ste. 304, Astoria, NY 11103. SSNY
designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity. ___________________________________ MONNIES LLC, a domestic LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 3/15/12. 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, 81-12 170 th St., Jamaica, NY 11432. General Purposes. ___________________________________ Busiandre LLC, a domestic LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 3/12/12. Office location: Queens County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process served to: The LLC, 4813 39 th A v e . S u n n y s i d e , N Y 11104. Any lawful purpose. ___________________________________ Notice of Formation of Amazing Worldwide LLC, Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 2/27/12. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 22-12 124 th St., College Point, NY 11356. Purpose: any lawful activities. ___________________________________ NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: 18-10 ASTORIA BLVD LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/ 18/12. 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, 18-10 Astoria Boulevard, Astoria, New York 11102. Purpose: For any lawful purpose. ___________________________________ AMAZIN MEDIA LLC, a domestic LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/30/11. Office location: Queens County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Daniel Perez, 1124 31st Ave., Ste. 7C, Long Island City, NY 11106. General Purposes. ___________________________________ DJ Maple, LLC. Arts of Org filed with NY Sec of State (SSNY) on 7/22/11. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: 134-43 Maple
Ave., #C1C, Flushing, NY 11354. Purpose: Any lawful activity. ___________________________________ Success 88 LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY on 03/27/ 12. Office Location: Queens County, SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: The LLC, 33-14 212 th St., Bayside, NY 11361. Purpose: to engage in any lawful act. ___________________________________ MISTRAST HOLDINGS LLC Art. Of Org. Filed Sec. Of State of NY 03/16/2012. Off Loc.: Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY to mail copy of process to THE LLC, 718 Longacre Avenue, Woodmere, NY 11598. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity. ___________________________________ Notice is hereby given that an Order entered by the Civil Court, Queens County on 4/12/12, bearing Index Number NC-000181-12/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) Zack (Last) Zane My present name is (First) Zakhar (Middle) Yurivich (Last) Abdurakhmanov aka Z, Y Abdurakhmanov My present address is 66-12 102nd Street, Apt. #3A, Rego Park, NY 11374-4526 My place of birth is Kazakhstan My date of birth is December 07, 1984 ___________________________________ Notice is hereby given that an Order entered by the Civil Court, Queens County on 4/11/12, bearing Index Number NC-000178-12/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) Jeannot (Middle) Timex (Last) Mordaunt My present name is (First) Jeannot (Middle) Aba (Last) Mordaunt aka Jeannot A Mordaunt My present address is 7115 Beach Channel Dr. Apt. 8j, Far Rockaway, NY 11692 My place of birth is Queens My date of birth is August 10, 1970 ___________________________________ Notice is hereby given that an order entered by the Civil Court, Queens County, on the 12 day of April 2012, bearing Index Number 189/ 2012, copy of which may be examined at the office of the clerk, located at 89-17
Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica, New York, in room 357, grants me the right to assume the name of Neleema Khan. My present address is 147-44 95 th Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11435. My date of birth is October 28, 1971 at Patuakhali, Bangladesh; My present name is Moshammad Shahida Begum. ___________________________________ Notice is hereby given that an order entered by the Civil Court, Queens County, on the 12 day of April 2012, bearing Index Number NC190/2012, copy of which may be examined at the office of the clerk, located at 89-17 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica, New York, in room 357, grants me the right to assume the name of Ziaul Hassan. My present address is 172-31 90th Avenue, Apt# 3 rd FL, Jamaica, NY 11432. My date of birth is October 6, 1969 at Magura, Bangladesh; My present name is MD Monjur Hossain. ___________________________________ Homeweb LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 3/30/12. Office in Queens County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 167-18 Hillside Ave, Jamaica, NY 11432. Purpose: General. ___________________________________
Notice is hereby given that an Order entered by the Civil Court, Queens County on 4/12/12, bearing Index Number NC-000186-12/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) Chun (Middle) Cao (Last) Williamson My present name is (First) Coco (Last) Williamson aka Chun CaoWilliamson My present address is 5240 39 th Drive, Apt. #9D, Woodside, NY 113774044 My place of birth is China My date of birth is February 21, 1975
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 17
Notice of Formation of 7011 GRAND LLC, a domestic LLC. Arts. Of Org. filed with the SSNY on 03/19/2012. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: The LLC, 7014 Grand Avenue, Maspeth, New York 11378. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose. ___________________________________
Major Homes
Home Improvements With Top-Notch Service
Page 18 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
By JASON PAFUNDI Founded in 1919 by Morris Kersch, Major Homes is a fourth-generation home improvement company with a showroom in Bayside and a home office in Williston Park. For more than nine decades, the company has specialized and excelled in all areas of remodeling and construction. Licensed, insured and bonded, and with over 100,000 clients, Major Homes is one of the TriState area’s largest remodeling companies. According to the company, the key to a successful future begins with a satisfied customer today. The company’s top priority has always been first-class service and an unwavering promise to give expert advice, deliver work of the highest quality and guarantee customer service that is second to none. The guiding principles of the company were crafted to ensure that custom-
ers are always treated the same way that employees would like to be treated. Their pledge to give topnotch service includes a guarantee to provide worry-free home improvements to customers seeking outstanding value for their homes. They offer the best products available in the industry, display the products in a nopressure, customer-friendly showroom, provide education and training to ensure that all their employees are knowledgeable and friendly and work exclusively with quality-conscious craftsmen who treat the customers’ home better than their own. Among the services offered are windows, sliding, dormers and extensions, roofing, doors, kitchens, bathrooms, gutters and leaders and computer imaging. At Major Homes, they offer every brand of window in order to give the customer every option. A team of experts will
work with the customer to find the material, size and model that best fits their needs, and before any decision gets made, the customer will be introduced to a full range of products to assure them that the company’s attention is second to none. Whether the project requires renovation or simple replacement, all the windows are custom-sized and ready to install. The window the customer wants is the window Major Homes offers, in any material including vinyl, wood, aluminum, composite or fiberglass. The client can also choose from a quality selection of interior colors and woodgrains to complement the windows. New construction and direct replacement option are available, so customers can be assured that no matter the demands of the project, Major Homes will find the solution that fully realizes the clients vision. With the ever changing
weather, from rain and wind to sleet and snow, homeowners in Queens realize the importance of quality roofing, and Major Homes does too. The roof can mean the difference between relief during a hurricane or other bad storms or a repair headache that can last for months. As with all their products, Major Homes offers every brand of roofing to give the customer every available option. The company’s experts work with the clients to make sure they understand the state of their roof and determine what the renovation requires. Regardless of the size of the project, Major Homes offers a large guarantee — that the roofing will withstand the toughest of conditions. The options for roofing include asphalt, wood and metal. All of the products are heavy duty and ensured with the highest warranties, and
before a project begins, Major Homes will assess the condition of the roof, replace all rotten wood and install protective house wrap. Everybody loves a new kitchen and at Major Homes, not only will customers get a kitchen they love, but they will love the company that builds it too. The company understands that the kitchen is a major focal point in the home, so they treat every kitchen renovation with the time, attention and preparation needed to ensure that the final product exceeds the client’s expectations. Major Homes has two convenient showrooms, does not use day laborers and accepts credit cards. Kersch also welcomes emails — mkersch@majorhomes.com — from anyone with a comment, good or bad. Reach Reporter Jason Pafundi at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128, or jpafundi@queenstribune.com.
At North Shore-LIJ, experience is at the heart of our cardiac surgery program. Our cardiac team performs open heart surgery seven days a week and we’ve completed over 1,400 open heart surgeries on Long Island in the last 12 months alone. And our experience has bred results. In the most recent report from the New York State Department of Health, which bases its ratings purely on performance, our hospitals are the only ones on Long Island that had significantly lower mortality rates than the state average for open heart surgery.* So when it comes to cardiac surgery, look to the many hospitals of North Shore-LIJ for results that speak for themselves… and for cardiac care that doesn’t miss a beat. For more information, visit www.northshorelij.com/cardiac or call us toll-free at (855) HEART-11 or (855) 432-7811.
Cardiac Surgery Report, 2007-2009 risk adjusted results, CABG, valve, or valve/CABG at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center.
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 19
*Source: New York State Dept. of Health, February 2012 Adult
Melrose Credit Union
Providing The American Dreams To Its Member By JASON PAFUNDI A credit union is a cooperative financial institution, owned and controlled by the people who use its services. In Queens, one of the premier credits unions is the Melrose C redit Union, located on Queens Boulevard in Briarwood. Founded in 1922, the credit union has weathered the tough economic times that have happened over the last nine decades and still provides members with top-notch services. Melrose was initially established to provide financial resources for individuals and small business owners from the Bronx. Through the credit union, members of the community
were afforded the means to pursue the American Dream, something that is still seen in the mission of the credit union today. The mission statement of the Melrose Credit Union is “to fulfill our members’ financial needs in a safe, sound manner while promoting thrift and granting affordable l o a n s f o r p ro v i d e n t p u r poses.” The success of Melrose Credit Union has not diminished its mission to empower the community by offering affordable financial products and services. Today, that community commitment has helped transform Melrose into a more than $2 billion credit union with 20,000-plus members residing across Queens,
the country and the world. The credit union currently and consistently ranks as one of the most successful financial institutions in the United States. Historically, credit unions have always provided their members with above-average yields on savings and low rates on loans. As a member of the credit union, one can enjoy the financial benefits that have been available since its founding 90 years ago. Alan Kaufman, the credit union’s treasurer and CEO, said in a message that many members have called and inquired about the safety of their deposits and the overall condition of the organization, so he wrote a letter to inform members of the credit union’s
fiscal fitness and to put the current economic climate in perspective. “Our loan delinquency remains ex t remely low,” K aufman said. “Melrose Credit Union remains your safest investment option.” Because Melrose is a nonfor-profit financial cooperative, Kaufman said they are driven by serving their members. “The Board of Directors is dedicated to serving the special needs of the Melrose members by promoting thrift and granting loans for provident means,” he said, “and ultimately raising the standards of living for all members.” The credit union is under the supervision of the New York
State Banking Department. All deposit accounts are federally insured, under the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, to at least $250,000 per account by the National Credit Union Administration. Melrose Credit Union is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. (open until 5 p.m. on Tuesdays), and it is also open on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a limited number of services available. For more information for all of your financial needs, visit melrosecu.org, email Melrose@melrosecu.org or call (718) 658-9800. Reach Reporter Jason Pafundi at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128, or jpafundi@queenstribune.com.
Queen of the Wink
Providing A Stylist For Every Type Of Hair at 159-10 Hillside Ave. in Jamaica, prides itself on having a stylist for every hair type. One stylist specializes in children’s hair, while another is knowledgeable about taking care of natural hair. The salon itself specializes in extensions. Each of the six stylists brings a unique skill to the salon, according to Manager Sarah Chambers. “There’s somebody that
The salon’s personalized treatment led to its success in the borough.
does something for everyone,” she said. Queen of the Wink opened its doors five years ago. In addition to styling services, the salon offers massages, spa treatments and makeup services. Outside of hair styling, the name of the salon alludes to its most popular service – eyelashes. Chambers said their temporary lashes, which last two to three weeks, are a common choice for those who may want longer lashes for a special occasion. Queen of the Wink’s most popular eyelash extension is the mink semi-permanent extension. Fur lashes are $75, but Chambers said the long-lasting lashes are easy to maintain and clients can put makeup on them like they could with their natural eyelashes. “It’s really tasteful, and it’s pretty,” she said. Those looking to jazz up their eyelashes can get extensions with jewels on them or eyelashes in different colors. Chambers was a nurse for 10 years before earning her cosmetology license. She said
working at Queen of the Wink helps her express her creativity in a way nursing could not. “It keeps me challenging myself. It keeps me fine-tuned,” she said. She said one thing she enjoys most about working at Queen of the Wink is the client The stylists of Queen of the Wink. interaction, something that attributes to its success in products and styles and cater the neighborhood. “It’s really services to each individual. good to get to know the comChambers said each of munity,” she said. According their stylists has been licensed to Chambers, their clients for at least two years, somerange from working class thing that can be hard to find people to socialites. in small salons throughout the She said the salon’s person- city. She said this helps Queen alized treatment led to the di- of the Wink maintain an edge verse clientele they have built over the competition. over the years. On Tuesdays and Wednes“We don’t treat everyone days, the salon offers a wash, roller set and style for $25. On the same,” she said. Stylists try to maintain a Wednesdays, customers can personal relationship with cli- get a relaxer for $45. For more ents and use top of the line information, call (718) 262products for hair and makeup. 8049. Reach Reporter Ve ronica The owner, Simone West, makes sure her employees are Lewin at (718) 357-7400, Ext. knowledgeable about new 123 or vlewin@queenspress.com.
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 21
By VERONICA LEWIN While walking down Hillside Avenue near Parsons Boulevard, one can’t help but notice the abundance of shops, including tax preparation businesses, restaurants and nail salons. One royal hair salon near the bustling intersection strives to stand out for their customer service. Queen of the Wink, located
Page 22 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
Resorts World New York City Casino
A Complete Entertainment Destination In Queens
Tribune Photo by Ira Cohen
By DOMENICK RAFTER When one stands in the parking lot of the Resorts World New York City Casino, it is hard to believe that it was only less than two years ago that the concrete under foot was once losing a battle with weeds and a dilapidated racetrack grandstand - a relic of a popular form of entertainment that has lost its luster. The question of what to do with Aqueduct Racetrack hung over the communities surrounding it for decades. The ideas were numerous; a shopping mall, a football stadium, a neighborhood. In 2001, the state approved the idea for a racino at the site. It took a decade before the slots opened for business, but in October 2011, Resorts World New York City Casino opened in the renovated track and the aging grandstand found a new life as a casino and entertainment
Slot machines at Resorts World New York City Casino. venue, while continuing as a place for racing. In its first five months in business, Resorts World, the first American enterprise from Malaysian-based entertainment company Genting, made
more than $100 million, adding that money to the state’s education coffers. Why has the casino been successful in its opening year? Resorts World’s President Mike Speller, a veteran of the
Tribune Professional Guide
gaming industry, said the goal of Resorts World New York City is not merely to be a casino, but rather a complete entertainment destination. It doesn’t just offer slot machines, but two upscale restaurants, a buffet, a food court, shopping, a bar with the borough’s largest television, live music and, of course, horse racing. Resorts World New York City sought to attract those who would normally head to Atlantic City or Mohegan Sun as well as those who have long layovers at JFK Airport, only steps away from the casino floor and attract them, not only for the gambling, but also for the various other forms of entertainment and food. In February, the casino hosted a Chinese New Year celebration on its third floor Central Park events space. “This is an opportunity for
New Yorkers to have a Vegaslike experience without having to leave the city,” Speller said. The move was a success. During the first couple weekends, the casino was filled to capacity, much to the chagrin of the surrounding community, not used to the spotlight placed on their quiet enclave and the traffic the first weekends caused. But over time, the community and the casino have developed a more symbiotic relationship. In the future, the casino is eyeing shuttles to and from JFK Airport and area hotels. A proposed convention center is planned for the site and eventually hotels, turning the once out dated and forgotten racetrack into a bustling entertainment center. Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at (718) 357-7400 Ext. 125 or drafter@queenstribune.com.
To reserve your space call 357-7400
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 23
Page 24 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
Rubie’s Costume Co.
From Richmond Hill All Around The World By VERONICA LEWIN Housed in a humble dwelling on Jamaica Avenue is Richmond Hill’s very own one-stop Halloween shop, Rubie’s Costume Company. For decades, South Queens locals have flooded into Rubie’s each October in search of the perfect ghoulish get up. In addition to serving as a community staple come “trick or treat” time, Rubie’s is the largest manufacturer and distributor of Halloween costumes, makeup and accessories worldwide. Although Rubie’s may feel uniquely Richmond Hill, there are locations across the globe from South America to Japan, and it all started here in Queens. In 1950, WWII veteran Rubin Beige and his wife Tillie opened Rubie’s Candy Store in Woodhaven. Over the years, Rubie’s branched out to sell novelty and joke products and
costumes. In 1973, it began to mass produce and wholesale Halloween products. Six years later, it moved to its current site in Richmond Hill. Currently, Rubie’s Costume Company designs and manufactures tens of thousands of licensed and original products — ranging from pet costumes to elaborate hand-painted masks — worldwide to companies such as Target and Walmart. Even though the operation has expanded considerably, Rubie’s is still a wholly familyowned business. Beige’s son, Marc, is the company’s president and his other children and their children are involved in the business to different capacities. Beige’s grandson, Rubin A. Beige, Rubie’s current operations manager, said his grandparents, both of whom are deceased, would be amazed if they could see how Rubie’s has grown. “I don’t think they ever
envisioned that the company would get as big as it is right now,” he said. Worldwide, Rubie’s sells more than 20 million products each year and 50,000 to 75,000 products at the Richmond Hill site alone. Sales figures aside, Beige said he is p roud the Richmond Hill Rubie’s has turned into a fixture in the community. “Our store, in my eyes, has kind of been an institution in this neighborhood,” he said. “Even if they don’t know the name Rubie’s, they know the costume shop on Jamaica Avenue. There’s a lot of people who remember coming here when they were kids. They’ll move out to Long Island or New Jersey, but they’ll keep coming back to the store because this is the costume shop they know.” While many things about Rubie’s remain the same, there are vast differences in the cos-
tume industry as the American consumer-driven society evolves. “Today, Halloween is the second biggest retail holiday behind Christmas,” Beige said. He said trends in the business of Halloween have changed greatly from decades ago when costumes were straight-forward, simple and made from basic cotton. Most notably, the lifespan of a costume is a lot shorter. Though year after year, vampires, witches, goblins, ghosts, Superman and Batman remain top sellers, in terms of gender differences, girls want more mature and revealing costumes and boys stick with licensed characters and costumes with accessories they can play with, what Beige coins “a fun factor.” The secret to Rubie’s longevity in the community is due to their effort to cater to cus-
tomers with tighter budget constraints as well as Hollywood clients. The company has been sure to focus on designing products for customers with a smaller costume budget. “A witch is a witch is a witch, but if it looks good and it’s a couple of dollars cheaper than all the other witches, it will probably be the one that sells,” Beige said. The season’s popular costumes are usually driven by pop culture, Beige said. Although in the world of Halloween costumes, trends may come and go, he emphasized the fact that Rubie’s will remain. “I think it’s very important for customers to have that confidence that we’re there, we were always there and we are always going to be there,” he said. “I think people are comforted by that.” Reach Reporter Ve ronica Lewin at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 123 or vlewin@queenspress.com.
Silvercup Studios
The Northeast’s Largest Film, TV Facility which, in turn, helped keep Silvercup in business. “With the assistance of the state’s film tax credit, Silvercup has helped bring Hollywood to New York by dramatically increasing film and television p roduction in our area. Silvercup is also at the foref ront of environmentallyfriendly initiatives like green roofs, setting an example for other industries.” The complex comprises a total of 13 shooting stages on its Main Lot, with roof and loft spaces also available, located at 42-22 22nd St. in Long Island City. On the studios’ East Lot, located at 34-02 Starr Ave. in Long Island City, there are five 16,000 square-foot spaces and one 9,400 squarefoot space. Both sites offer on-site production offices and extensive set, prop and wardrobe storage areas and are conveniently located within minutes of mid-
town Manhattan in close proximity to the Queens Midtown Tunnel and the Ed Koch Queensborough (59th Street) Bridge. In addition to providing production facilities, Silvercup has a fully-equipped on-site lighting and grip department as well as a lumber yard with paint, hardware and other set building supplies. Silvercup’s affiliated location lighting company, Silvertrucks, also provides a full complement of lighting and grip equipment as well as generators. The studio is known for its television and movie productions. Among the shows filming at Silvercup are “30 Rock, “Gossip Girl,” and “Person of Interest” with Jim Caviezel and Michael Emerson. Probably the most famous p roductions to have been filmed at Silvercup are “The Sopranos” and “Sex in the City,” two legendary HBO
shows. Both of the “Sex in the City” movies were also filmed at Silvercup, along with “Tower Heist,” “New Year’s Eve,” “ The Devil Wears Prada,” “Analyze That,” and “Meet the Parents.” In January, Mayor Mike Bloomberg held a press conference at the studios to celebrate the 100th episode of “Gossip Girl.” During the event, Bloomberg talked about how Silvercup adds so much to the local economy. “Over the past five years, ‘Gossip Girl’ spent $200 million on local development and employed approximately 6,300 individuals both in front of the camera and behind the scenes,” Bloomberg said. “Last season, the show hired more than 120 principal actors, 180 crew members and more than 7,000 background actors.” Without a studio like Silvercup staging these productions, those actors and
crew members might not have the opportunity for as much work and the local economy would not be where it is today. Silvercup Studios also provides facilities for still photography, including shoots for fashion magazines such as Vogue, Elle and Mirabella, and famed photographer Annie Liebowitz’s cover for Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” album was shot there. In addition, music videos have been shot and produced at the studio for artists such as Beyonce, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson. With its iconic sign as you enter the borough and its wideranging history in film and in television, Silvercup Studios is one of the most important businesses in all of Queens. Reach Reporter Jason Pafundi at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128, or jpafundi@queenstribune.com.
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 25
By JASON PAFUNDI When someone thinks of Queens businesses, one of — if not — the first mentioned is Silvercup Studios in Long Island City, and that makes sense considering the iconic sign that greets people as they enter the borough on the Ed Koch Queensborough Bridge. Since it opened its first studio in what used to be a flour silo room at Silvercup Bakery in 1983, Silvercup Studios has established itself as the largest independent, full-service film and television production facility in the northeastern United States. “ S i l v e rcup Studios has proven to be a model corporate citizen, bringing thousands of needed jobs to western Queens in a communityminded manner,” said State Sen. Mike Gianaris (D Astoria), who spearheaded the effort to provide a tax credit for filming in New York State,
Studio Square
An Unparalleled Space For Great Events By JASON PAFUNDI Over the years, Studio Square in Astoria has gone through nearly as many changes as the historic neighborhood where it is located. Originally built as a fivefloor light manufacturing facility in 1920, the building was repurposed into an ammunition factory during WWII. After the war, it was transformed into a metal works for the steel industry, and in the 1970s, it was changed into a movie prop warehouse and storage facility, which it remained until undergoing yet another renaissance in 2009. After a multi-million dollar renovation, the once-modest building, located at 35-33 36th St., just steps away from Kaufman-Astoria has become one of the premiere event destinations in all of New York City. With seven distinct and
unique event spaces, panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline and the versatility of accommodating events with 50 to more than 2,000 guests, Studio Square is an event space that in unparalleled in the New York City metropolitan area. Studio Square is New York’s most versatile and unique venue, featuring four private event spaces capable of hosting up to several thousand guests Many functions are held in one of the three 10,000 square foot loft spaces or if you need something bigger, choose the 18,000 square foot outdoor garden. Venue amenities include: a full onsite liquor license and custom catering packages, specially designed lounge furniture including sectional couches and ottomans, spacious professional warming kitchens,
HD projectors, flat-panel displays, integrated sound system. At Studio Square, you will enjoy exemplary service, world-class cuisine and unobstructed, panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline, which provides the perfect backdrop to make your wedding or formal affair an event to remember for a lifetime. The facility provides an exceptional level of personal attention that ensures flawless service from the moment you and your guests arrive and continues uninterrupted until the last guest leaves. With seven private, unique event spaces, clients have the flexibility and versatility to hold the event of their dreams. In addition to those event spaces, Studio Square also considers itself the City’s first universal filming location.
Tribune Professional Guide
Whether you are scouting an urban setting, chic New York City lounge, neighborhood bar, open rooftop or garden or just raw white space as a blank canvas, Studio Square provides clients with ultimate flexibility and cost effectiveness. The complex is comprised of 10 unique filming locations f rom 2,000 square feet to 30,000 square feet, and the configuration is only limited by the client’s imagination. The on-location filming spaces are The Garden, an 18,000 square foot outdoor beer garden; The Bulb Room, a 5,000 square foot indoor pub; The Pub Room, a 1,500 square foot indoor pub; The Loft, a 10,000 square foot space with private VIP green room and wraparound terrace; The Executive, a lounge-style space with built-in couches and low coffee tables giving it
a Manhattan-lounge feel; The Salon and The Parlor, open spaces with terraces; The Gallery, a 7,500 square foot space with Manhattan views; The Empire Suite, a 7,500 square foot lounge-style space with leather-wrapped, rich mahogany bar and unobstructed Manhattan skyline view; and Top of the Square, a 7,000 square foot open-air roof deck with panoramic views of Manhattan and the Queensboro Bridge to the west and unobstructed 10 mile views to the east. So whether it is a wedding for 400 or a meeting with 2,000 or a commercial that requires a view of Manhattan, Studio Square in Queens is the City’s one-stop shop for all things needed to make an event a memorable one. Reach Reporter Jason Pafundi at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128, or jpafundi@queenstribune.com.
To reserve your space call 357-7400
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 27
Tully Construction
Queens Company Works On Biggest Projects along with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. “For more than eight decades, the Tully family of businesses has brought safety, quality and productivity to the heavy highway and bridge construction industry,” said the company’s website. T & D participated in such projects as the Triborough Bridge and the paving for the viaduct between the Hell’s Gate Bridge and the toll booths — which was dedicated by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1935. The company remained one of the major regional contractors in the ’50s and ’60s, involved in the construction of the Grand Central Parkway, New Jersey Turnpike, LaGuardia Airport, Long Island Expressway and the foundation of the World Trade Center. The business is now being managed by the third generation of the Tully family. Since 1985, the Tully family has been expanding its horizons into the waste management industry. It began when Willets Point Contracting bid its first project for solid waste disposal in ’85. In 1992, Tully Environmen-
waste off Long Island. Since they built the first waste transfer station on Long Island — in Oyster Bay — Tully was awarded the subsequent contract to haul and dispose of the town’s waste. Today, Tully Environmental operates its own private transfer station in Flushing, operational since 2000, and it is a key component in the export of the Dept. of Sanitation’s curbside collection in Queens. Each day, Tully handles 900 tons of municipal solid waste delivered by the DSNY and ships it to a variety of landfills and incinerators throughout the region. The total value of this contract exceeds $150 million. Tully Construction and its affiliates maintain a large inventory of the most up-to-date construction equipment, from payloaders to cranes, backhoes to bulldozers. Because Tully owns and services the majority of their equipment, the company can avoid unnecessary delays and downtime that can jeopardize scheduling. The staff of equipment managers employs strict preventative maintenance sched-
Tully Construction tal, Inc. was formed to concentrate on efforts in the solid waste field. Today, according to the company, they are one of the largest privately held waste hauling companies in the nation, with sales approaching $80 million annually. This has been accomplished by diversifying operations into the fields of solid waste, aggregate recycling, residual management and remediation. The company has grown along with the solid waste industry and was one of the first contractors to export solid
ules to ensure that all equipment is safe and reliable, making for efficient work. As with any construction business, the safety of its employees is of utmost concern, and that is certainly the case at Tully Construction. Management and personnel are dedicated to maintaining a safe work environment and are committed to completing every job with zero accidents. A team of highly-trained, experienced, safety experts with backgrounds in civil engineering, industrial hygiene and enforcement are on hand to make sure everything runs smoothly, mishaps are avoided and employees are not injured. Over the years, Tully has evolved into a full-service construction company, one that is unparalleled in its skill, diversity and expertise. They are a long operating and extremely successful business that Queens can be proud of. For more information on the services Tully can provide, visit tullyconstruction.com or call (718) 446-7000. Reach Reporter Jason Pafundi at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128, or jpafundi@queenstribune.com.
Weisman Home Outlets
Strong Relationships And High Quality Products By STEVEN J. FERRARI Weisman Home Outlets has been providing the greater New York City area with kitchen, bath and flooring products for so long, not even the heads of the company can recall exactly when the business started. “It’s been in the family forever,” said Skip Abrams, who runs the company along with Leonard Weisman. While they have no exact date for when the company opened, Abrams said that it goes back to the early parts of the 20th Century with Weisman’s grandparents. Abrams noted that he and Weisman have more than 80 years of combined experience with the company, and with
that experience comes a desire to be the best home center in the city Abrams said that the company’s reputation has been strengthened by its many years in business, along with the relationships the company has established with both customers and contractors. “ We’ve always been a neighborhood-type store, Abrams said. In stock at Weisman Home Outlets are ready-to-assemble and fully-assembled kitchens in a wide variety of styles and finishes. The company also car ries plumbing fixtures, doors, seasonal furniture, marble tiles, laminate, parquet flooring and other products. Part of the reason for Weisman’s reputation is its
buying power. Abrams noted that the company does “a tremendous amount” of importing. The result of the importing is a wide variety of styles and finishes to help customers complete work on their kitchen, bath or flooring projects. The buying power also means that customers will be able to find what they are looking for and can match products instead of making purchases piecemeal. “We’re very fortunate that we’ve been able to have that kind of continuity,” Abrams said. “We have a steady flow with these types of product.” Weisman Home Outlets has two locations in Queens – in Middle Village and Spring-
Tribune photo by Ira Cohen
Page 28 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
By JASON PAFUNDI Flushing-based Tully Construction Co., Inc., founded in 1978, is owned and operated by the Tully family, which has been in the construction and hauling business for over 85 years. The company, located at 127-50 Northern Blvd., dates back to the 1920s, when it was established under the name of the original founders, Edward Tully and Pete DiNapoli. T & D became one of the major names in the general contracting industry in the U.S., excavating, draining, pile driving, paving, shoring, pumping and underpinning — literally laying the groundwork for some of the worlds most admired structures and traffic arteries. One of the secrets to the decades of success of Tully Construction is their continued striving for excellence while continuing to perform and complete major contracts in the New York Metropolitan area. Tully has completed projects in Nassau, Rockland and Westchester counties, Long Beach, Glen Cove, Oyster Bay, Islip, Smithtown, Hempstead, Middlesex (New Jersey) and Stamford, Conn.,
Weisman Home Outlets. field Gardens – and one location in Brooklyn. For information, call (718) 497-0212 (Middle Village) or (718) 723-4000 or visit
www.weismanhomeoutlets.com. Reach Managing Editor Steven J. Ferrari at (718) 3577400, Ext. 122, or email sferrari@queenstribune.com.
“...your source for qualified employees.�
ZZZ FDRQ\ FRP
Funded by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and their Airline Partners
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 29
Whitestone Lanes
Bowling At Its Best Any Time Of Day By JASON PAFUNDI If you live in Whitestone and you like to bowl, there is no better place than Whitestone Lanes. Family owned and operated for more than half a century, Whitestone Lanes is located right off the Whitestone Expressway at Linden Avenue. The lanes, since the business opened, have been open 7 days a week for 24 hours. So if you have the itch to roll a couple of games at 3:45 a.m. on a Thursday, you can. If you want to recreate scenes from “The Big Lebowski” or “Kingpin” — two of the best bowling movies of all time — at noon on a Monday, you certainly can. The secret to Whitestone Lanes’ success can be attributed, in part, to their affordable rates. On weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., games are just $4.50 per person. Seniors
have it even better from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays when they bowl for just $3.00 per person. All other times — weeknights, weekends and holidays — are $7.50 per person, and bowling shoes, which must be worn at all times, can be rented for $4.50. Also, renta-lane costs $60 an hour for up to five people. In comparison, L u c ky Strike bowling alley, lounge and restaurant, on 42nd Street and 12th Avenue in Manhattan, charges anywhere between $8.95 and $11.95 per game, with shoe rentals costing $5 and rent-a-lane anywhere from $55 per hour to $75 per hour for up to 10 people. Like almost every bowling alley across America, Whitestone Lanes features a full snack and sports bar complete with all your alcoholic beverage needs, because after all, there is a common thought
business, the experts at Pete’s will make sure you get the proper equipment for your size and bowling style. Items for sale include custom-drilled balls, shoes, gloves, braces, cleaners, polish, towels, brushes, socks, grips and rosin bags. They also do Whitestone Lanes is open 24-7. ball repair and refinishing and replacement of soles that bowling is one of the only and heels on your favorite pair sports where you get better the of bowling footwear. more you drink. For the parents of Queens, Pete’s Pro Shop has every- Whitestone Lanes has all your t h i n g t h e s e r i o u s b o w l e r birthday party needs, with speneeds to keep that competi- cial packages designed to fit tive edge. The shop carries a any occasion. The children’s wide variety of equipment party package includes an and apparel to help you bowl hour of bowling and 45 minyour best. From gloves and utes in the party room, with balls to cleaners and ball re- one slice of pizza and two cups pair, Pete’s will do everything of soda, along with candyto ensure you continue to filled goodie bags, free game bowl strike after strike. With coupons and a surprise gift for more than 10 years in the the birthday child. Invitations,
Great Neck Plaza
Restaurant Week Page 30 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
Sunday, April 29 - Sunday, May 6
Spring Edition
MOUTH WATERING
DELIGHTS ASK ABOUT OUR
Restaurant Week April 29 - May 6
$24.95
RESTAURANT WEEK SPECIALS
Visit www.ShopGreatNeck.com for participating restaurants and menus Sponsored by Great Neck Plaza Business Improvement District
shoe rentals and paper goods are included, all for the low price of $16.95 per child. The teen party package, which costs $24.95 per teen, includes 2 1/2 hours of bowling, a hot food tray of Boar’s Head hero sandwiches, a 22ounce beverage, plus invitations, shoe rentals and all paper goods. Whitestone Lanes will even host your corporate event, and they offer catered food for adults including chicken marsala, penne ala vodka, baked ziti, meatballs and eggplant parmigiana. So whether you want to play in a league, bowl a couple of games for fun, have your child’s birthday party or host an event for your company, Whitestone Lanes has something for everyone. Reach Reporter Jason Pafundi at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128, or jpafundi@queenstribune.com.
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 31
Business Resource Guide
Local Development Corporations This list of Local Development Corporations and Chambers of Commerce is arranged by neighborhood and includes all local groups involved in business activity. Some groups are professionally staffed while others are run by volunteers. Periodically, names, offices and phone numbers may have changed since this list was updated. Contact Melva Miller at the Queens Borough President’s Office at (718) 286-2655 or mmiller@queensbp.org for changes or updates. BOROUGH-WIDE & REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Page 32 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
Association of Minority Enterprises of New York (AMENY) James Heyliger 135-20 Liberty Ave., 2nd Floor Richmond Hill, NY 11419 Tel: (718) 291-1641 Fax: (718) 291-1887
Caribbean-American Chamber of Commerce Roy Hastick Brooklyn Navy Yard Brooklyn, NY 11205 Tel: (718) 834-4544 Fax: (718) 834-9774 Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Patricia Mahecha 76-11 37th Ave., Suite 203 Jackson Heights, NY 11372 Tel: (718) 899-4418 Fax: (718) 899-5998 Korean-American Small Bus. Serv. Center Sung Soo Kim 146-03 34th Ave. Flushing, NY 11354 Tel: (718) 886-5533 Fax: (718) 886-8835 New York State Chapter of the National Association of Minority Contractors Lennox Britton, Managing Director Brooklyn Navy Yard 63 Flushing Ave. Unit 310 Brooklyn, NY 11205 Tel: (718) 246-8380 Fax: (718) 246-8376
Queens Borough Chamber of Commerce Jack Freidman, Executive Vice President 75-20 Astoria Blvd., Room 140 Jackson Heights, NY 11370 Tel: (718) 898-8500 Fax: (718) 898-8599 queenschamber.org Queens Economic Development Corp. Seth Bornstein, Executive Director 120-55 Queens Blvd., Room 309 Kew Gardens, NY 11424 Tel: (718) 263-0546 Fax: (718) 263-0594 queensny.org ASTORIA Broadway Merchants & Professional Organization Linda Perno P.O. Box 3212 Long Island City, NY 11102 Tel: (718) 721-8252 Astoria Restoration Association Salvatore Gaglialdo, President Catherine Piecora, Executive Director 31-28 Ditmars Blvd.
Astoria, NY 11105 Tel: 726-0034 Steinway/Astoria Partnership Sam Pirozzolo, Chairman Marie Torniali, District Manager 25-69 38th St, #1C Astoria, NY 11103 www.steinwaystreet.org Tel: (718) 728-7820 Fax: (718) 728-7413 30th Avenue Area Merchants Assoc. Frank Arcabascio 36-17 30th Ave. Astoria, NY 11102 Tel: (718) 956-3366 Fax: (718) 278-1766 36th Avenue Merchants Assoc. Gerald Walsh c/o Dutch Kills Civic 41-20 29th Ave. Long Island City, NY 11101 Tel: (718) 786-2049 Industrial Business Zone Provider Anthony Denaro, Steinway Industrial Business Solutions Director Queens Business Outreach Center 96-11 40th Rd. Corona, NY 11368
Tel: (718) 205-3773 bocnet.org adenaro@bocnet.org BAYSIDE Bayside Business Association Judith Limpert North Fork Bank 214-01 Northern Blvd. Bayside, NY 11361 Tel: (718) 229-4700 Fax: (718) 428-6379 O a k l a n d G a rdens Merchants Assoc. Lewis Gould 61-07 Springfield Blvd. Bayside, NY 11364 BELLEROSE Joint Bellerose Business District Kay Payne 50 Superior Rd. Bellerose, NY 11001 Tel: (516) 352-6415 CAMBRIA HEIGHTS Cambria Heights Development Corporation Eva Duzant, President Phone: (718) 712-4590 chdcqueens.org
(Continued on page 34)
BUSINESS EXPO
TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012 - CITI FIELD 10 AM- 3 PM | FREE ADMISSION | FREE PARKING Take advantage of this opportunity to join hundreds of your colleagues who will be offering goods and services at our Borough-wide Trade Show
Business Breakfast
Sponsored by
Meet Our Panel of Local Entrepreneurs
Hear About Marketing Strategies and Their Paths to Success
Dan Glickberg Fairway Market
Mitch Modell Modell’s
8:00 am to 10:00 am - Fee $25 - This will be a day, not to be missed For table, advertiser, sponsorship information, registration or tickets to the business breakfast, please call 718.898.8500 or register at www.queenschamber.org
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 33
Bruce Bendell Major World
Business Resource Guide
Local Development Corporations (Continued from page 32)
COLLEGE POINT College Point Board of Trade Thomas DePalma, Acting President 14-15 College Point Blvd. College Point, NY 11356 Tel: (718) 939-3393 Fax: (718) 359-1432 collegepoint.org CORONA Corona Business Assoc. Ruben Pena c/o Accion Latina, Inc. 39-19 103rd St. Corona, NY 11368 Tel: (718) 429-0500 Fax: (718) 429-0026 Junction Boulevard Merchants Assoc. John Ferrara 37-50 Junction Blvd. Corona, NY 11368 Tel: (718) 899-6563 Fax: (718) 424-4471
Page 34 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
Lefrak City Merchants Assoc. Jim Galloway P.O. Box 730634 Corona, NY 11373 Tel: (718) 271-4309
Fax: (718) 271-6841 Northern Blvd. Merchants Assoc. Gerard Murray 106-11 Northern Blvd. Corona, NY 11368 Tel: (718)426-2652 Fax: (718) 898-1553 ELMHURST Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce John F. Blaha 87-02 Queens Blvd. Elmhurst, NY 11373 FLUSHING Flushing Chamber of Commerce Richard Gelman, Myra Baird Herce & Jack Hogan, Co-Presidents 136-29 38th Ave. Flushing, NY 11354 Tel: (718) 358-3200 Fax: (718) 358-4400 Flushing Chinese Business Association Peter Tu, President 40-48 Main St., Suite 302 Flushing, NY 11354 Tel: (718) 353-2320 Fax: (718) 353-1092
Flushing Development Center Fred Fu, President 133-31 39th Ave., Suite C-13 Flushing, NY 11354 Tel: (718) 358-9737 Fax: (718) 358-7724 Union Turnpike Merchants Assoc. Wendy Marsh 180-12 Union Tpke. Flushing, NY 11366 Tel: (718) 380-5353 FOREST HILLS Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce Leslie Brown P.O, Box 1123 Forest Hills, NY 11375 Tel: (718) 268-6565 Fax: (718) 268-6565 shopforesthills.com
37-08 73rd St. Jackson Heights, NY 11372 Tel: (718) 533-6581 Fax: (718) 533-6583
Jamaica, NY 11432 Tel: (718) 291-0282 Fax: (718) 658-1405 gjdc.org
Jackson Heights Business & Professional Assoc. P.O. Box 36 77-10 34th Ave., Apt. A74 Jackson Heights, NY 11372 Tel: (718) 476-3173 Fax: (718) 476-0671
John F. Kennedy International Airport Chamber of Commerce Linda Courtis P.O. Box 300687 Jamaica, NY 11430 (718) 656-7850 jfk-airport.org
The New Northern Blvd. Business Assoc. Mal Press 33-26 92nd St. Jackson Heights, NY 11372 Tel: (718) 899-6247 Fax: (718) 899-6247
LAURELTON Local Development Corporation of Laurelton, Rosedale and Springfield Gardens Jacqueline Boyce, President 232-18 Merrick Blvd. Laurelton, NY 11413 Tel: *(718) 977-9100 Fax: (718) 978-2995
GLENDALE Glendale Chamber of Commerce Werner Lehner 71-04 Myrtle Ave. Glendale, NY 11385 Tel: (718) 456-2389
JAMAICA Jamaica Chamber of Commerce Robert M. Richards 90-25 161st St. Room 505 Jamaica, NY 11432 Tel: (718) 657-4800 Fax: (718) 658-4642
JACKSON HEIGHTS Jackson Heights Bangladeshi Business Association Mohammad Pier, President
Greater Jamaica Development Corp. Carlisle Towery, Executive Director 90-04 161st St.
LONG ISLAND CITY Long Island City Business Development Corp. Gayle Baron, President 29-10 Thomson Ave., 9th Fl. Long Island City, NY 11101 Tel: (718) 786-5300 Ext. 32 Fax: (718) 937-1799 licbdc.org
(Continued on page 37)
I have a question about my child’s medicine.
NEW YORK CITY
POISON CONTROL CENTER
1-800-222-1222 or call 311 and ask for the Poison Control Center
Free • Confidential • Interpretation Available Lynda D. Curtis Sr. V.P. and Executive Director Bellevue Hospital Center
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 35
We are here to help.
Page 36 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
Business Resource Guide
Local Development Corporations (Continued from page 34) East River Development Alliance Anitra Gerald 12-11 40th Ave. Long Island City, NY 11101 Tel: (718) 784-0877 Fax: (718) 729-1288 Hunters Point Community Development Corporation Terri Adams 49-10 Vernon Blvd. Long Island City, NY 11101 Tel: (718) 786-9245 MASPETH Queens Outreach Center Lily Hou, Maspeth Industrial Business Solutions Director 96-11 40th Rd. Corona, NY 11368 Tel: (718) 205-3773 bocnet.org lhou@bocnet.org West Maspeth Local Development Corp. Lee Principe
57-20 49th St. Maspeth, NY 11378 Tel: (718) 821-6762 or (718) 4564900 Fax: (718) 651-5175 Maspeth Industrial Development Phil Galasso 2 Galasso Pl. Maspeth, NY 11378 Tel: (516) 433-0333 QUEENS VILLAGE Queens Village Local Development Corporation Laurence Christian P.O. Box 280706 Queens Village, NY 11428 Tel: (718) 217-5217 QueensVillageLDC.org RICHMOND HILL Richmond Hill East Business Persons, Inc. Michael Butler 134-11 Hillside Ave. Richmond Hill, NY 11418 Tel: (718) 291-4838 Fax: (718) 291-4910
Richmond Hill Economic Development Council Vishnu Mahadeo, President 127-21 Liberty Ave., Richmond Hill, NY 11419 richmondhilledc@gmail.com Tel: (347) 323-6019 Fax: (718) 529-9400 RIDGEWOOD Fresh Pond Chamber of Commerce Frederick H. Roberts 67-09 Fresh Pond Rd. Ridgewood, NY 11385 Tel: (718) 821-6235 Fax: (718) 628-6689 ROCKAWAY Chamber of Commerce of the Rockaways Alan Camhi, President 253 Beach 116th St. Rockaway Park, NY 11694 Tel: (718) 634-1300 Fax: (718) 634-9623 rockawaychamberofcommerce.com
Coalition for Far Rockaway Teresa Scott 15-25 Central Ave Far Rockaway, NY 11691 Tel: (718) 327- 7755 chdcqueens.org Ocean Bay Development Corp. Pat Simon, Executive Director 434 Beach 54th St. Arverne, NY 11692 Tel: (718) 945-8640 Fax: (718) 945-8642 Rockaway Development & Revitalization Corp. Kevin Alexander, Executive Director 19-20 Mott Ave., Room 2 Far Rockaway, NY 11691 Tel: (718) 471-6040 Fax: (718) 337-1208 rdrc.org Rockaway Park Business Development Association 425 Beach 123rd St. Rockaway Park, NY 11694
SOUTH OZONE PARK Rockaway Blvd. Local Development Corp. Jacques Kartaron 142-11 Rockaway Blvd. South Ozone Park, NY 11420 Tel: (718) 323-6039 Fax: (718) 323-6257 SUNNYSIDE Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce Luke Adams c/o LaGuardia College 31-10 Thompson Ave. Room M222 Long Island City, NY 11101 Tel: (718) 482-6053 sunnysidechamber.org WOODSIDE Woodside-on-the-Move Rosa M. Reyes, MSW 39-42 59th St., 2nd Fl. Woodside, NY 11377 Tel: (718) 476-8449 Fax: (718) 476-6946
Business Resource Guide
Business Improvement Districts A Business Improvement District is a formal organization made up of property owners and commercial tenants who are dedicated to promoting business development and improving an area’s quality of life. BIDs deliver supplemental services such as sanitation and maintenance, public safety and visitor services, marketing and promotional programs, capital improvements and beautification for the area – all funded by a special assessment paid by property owners within the district. Since its inception over 20 years ago, the City’s BID program has contributed over $930 million in supplemental services to invigorate our neighborhoods. The following is a list of the Queens BIDs and their contact information. 82nd Street Seth Taylor, Executive Director 37-06 82nd St. Jackson Heights, NY 11372 Tel: (718) 335-9421 Fax: (718) 507-2977
Email: sdevi82dma@verizon.net Web site: 82ndstreetbid.org 165th Street Mall Derek Irby, Executive Director c/o Jamaica Arts Center 161-04 Jamaica Ave. Jamaica, NY 11432 Tel: (718) 298-5489 Fax: (718) 658-7922 Email: mall165@hotmail.com 180th Street Derek Irby, Executive Director c/o Jamaica Arts Center 161-04 Jamaica Ave. Jamaica, NY 11432 Tel: (718) 298-5489 Fax: (718) 658-7922 Email: mall165@hotmail.com Long Island City Gayle Baron, Executive Director 27-01 Queens Plaza N. Long Island City, NY 11101 Tel: (718) 786-5300 Ext. 30 Fax: (718) 937-1799 Email: gaylebaron@licbdc.org Web site: licbid.org Myrtle Avenue Theodore M. Renz, Executive Director c/o Ridgewood LDC 60-82 Myrtle Ave. Ridgewood, NY 11385 Tel: (718) 381-7974 Fax: (718) 381-7080
Email: myrtleavenuebid@aol.com Web site: Ridgewood-NY.com
Tel: (718) 888-1805 Email: dyu@flushingbid.com Web site: flushingBID.com
Steinway Street Marie Torniali, Executive Director 25-69 38th St., 1C Astoria, NY 11103 Tel: (718) 721-8252 Fax: (718) 728-7413 Email: steinwaystbid@aol.com Web site: steinwaystreet.org
Sutphin Boulevard Simone Price, Executive Director 89-00 Sutphin Boulevard, Suite 305 Jamaica, NY 11432 Tel: (718) 291-2110 Fax: (718) 291-2109 Email: info@sutphinblvdbid.org Web site: sutphinblvdbid.org
Bayside Village Jim Riso, Chairman 213-38 40th Ave. Bayside, NY 11361 Tel: (718) 423-2434 Fax: (718) 423-1464 info@baysidevillage.com Web site: baysidevillage.com
Jamaica Center Laurel Brown, Executive Director 90-50 Parson Blvd., Suite 402 Jamaica, NY 11432 Tel: (718) JAMAICA (526-2422) Fax: (718) 526-0215 Email: info@jamaicacenter.org Web site: jamaicacenter.org
Sunnyside Shines James Bray, Executive Director P.O. Box 4477, 45-56 43rd St. Sunnyside, NY 11104 Tel: (718) 606-1800 Fax: (718) 228-5554 Email: info@sunnysideshines.org Web site: sunnysideshines.org
Woodhaven Maria Thomson, Executive Director 84-01 Jamaica Ave. Woodhaven, NY 11421 Tel: (718) 805-0202 Fax: (718) 805-2929 Email: gwdcbid@hotmail.com Web site: woodhavenbid.com
Flushing Dian Yu, Executive Director 135-20 39th Ave., 6th Floor Flushing, NY 11354
For more information, call 311 and ask for Small Business Services or visit www.nyc.gov/ sbs or www.queensbp.org.
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 37
Queens is a borough full of emerging businesses and economic development. The City helps new store owners get their feet planted and improve underdeveloped areas at the same time by setting up Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) all over town. In exchange for a small tax, merchants and property owners are promised a revitalized area by providing services such as increased maintenance and security, as well as marketing and promotions. As of 2010, there are 64 BIDs in neighborhoods throughout New York City – 12 in Queens – which make up the largest and most comprehensive network of Business Improvement Districts in the nation. The City’s 64 BIDs annually contribute close to $100 million worth of services in neighborhoods across the five boroughs. The number of BIDs citywide is expected to increase with new potential BIDs coming together in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island.
Page 38 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
Queens Deadline
Gottlieb, Then Green, Bow Out Of Race By ROSS BARK AN It may not be easier being Green than Gottlieb, after all. Jeffrey Gottlieb, a longtime civic leader and Democratic Party stalwart, withdrew on April 19 from the historic and at times perplexing 6th District Congressional race, naming Stephen Green, an attorney from Rosedale, to take his place. Yesterday, Green declined to run as well, ending Gottlieb’s controversial candidacy. According to a source close to the campaign, Gottlieb left the race because he was deeply hurt by an April 14 New York Post story that exposed how he set fire to his empty apartment in 1971. Gottlieb was charged with second-degree arson and had the charge reduced, in a plea bargain, to fourth-degree criminal
mischief. At the time, he took a leave of absence from his teaching job at Benjamin Cardozo High School. The source added that political insiders had known about the arson and that Gottlieb no longer wanted to compete in a hostile campaign environment. “He felt the attacks were going to continue,” the source said. “He and his family didn’t have the stomach for it.” Gottlieb’s entrance into the race was immediately contested: Assemblyman Rory Lancman (DHillcrest) denounced Gottlieb as a “Democratic Party hack” who was only running at the behest of Assemblywoman Grace Meng’s (DFlushing) campaign to split the Jewish voting bloc that Lancman is dependent upon to win the pri-
Jeffrey Gottlieb mary. Lancman and Gottlieb are both Jewish and Meng is running with the support of the Queens Democratic Party.
“It’s not a surprise to me in the least,” Lancman said. “It’s just a game of political musical chairs among people who really ought to be focusing on the issues.” Green did not return multiple calls for comment and Gottlieb directed all calls to political consultant Jay Golub, though Golub is not working with Gottlieb in any official capacity. Green practices law in Cedarhurst, Long Island, and is active in the John F. Kennedy Democratic club, like Gottlieb. A three-member panel that Gottlieb selected chose Green to fill his vacancy. Objections have been filed against all of the candidates who have submitted petitions, including Green, who led the candidates with nine objections. On May 1, the Board of Elections will rule on
which candidates make the ballot. In addition to Meng, whose spokesman said that she would not comment on the internal deliberations of other campaigns, and Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), Robert Mittman, a Bayside-based allergist, and Juan “Ada” Sheng, a Briarwood-based public access television show host, petitioned as Democrats. Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) is the lone Republican candidate. Evergreen Chou is the Green Party candidate and Joseph Traco is petitioning to appear on the Independence Party line, though the Independence Party has endorsed Meng. The primaries will be held on June 26. Reach Reporter Ross Barkan at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127 or rbarkan@queenstribune.com.
Simotas Named Chair Of Smart Power NY
Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas “As a longstanding advocate of clean energy, I support repowering projects because they create jobs, reduce pollution and decrease ratepayers’ bills,” said State Sen. Mike Gianaris (D-Astoria), also a member of the coalition. “We must see more initiatives that produce green energy throughout the state.” The Astoria Repowering Project has been stalled for years despite the wide-range of support from business, labor, environmental groups, local and state elected officials and the community. The Public Service Commission and Dept. of Environmental Conservation have already granted permits for the repowering plan. According to the plans, the project will create 500 construction jobs for a 30-month period, displace less efficient units and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one
million tons each year — which is the equivalent of removing 185,000 cars from city roadways — and reduce emissions by 98 percent on peak days and by 76 percent annually as compared to current emissions from the site. The coalition, in addition to Simotas and Gianaris, includes Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (DAstoria) and the Coalition Helping Organize a Kleaner Environment (CHOKE). Simotas said that the focus of the coalition right now is to get the governor to support the Astoria project, though she added that the group hopes that project acts as a model for other projects around the state. Anthony Gigantiello, the president of CHOKE and an Astoria resident, said that Astoria community has one of the nation’s highest rates of asthma, in part because of the pollution generated by power plants. “Pollution does not discriminate - it travels,” Gigantiello said. “Cleaner energy benefits the entire population.” Simotas said that cleaner energy will do more than just save on energy costs. The cleaner air would, theoretically, reduce the amount of asthma cases in the community, thus saving residents on medical bills, prescription drugs and various ailments associated with having asthma. The Smart Power NY coalition believes that the creation of jobs, the cleaner energy and the reduc-
tion of energy costs to residents of the community, make this project a no-brainer, but there are still some things that need to happen before the Astoria Repowering Project can begin again. “With the governor’s blessing, we believe it will make it easier for
the project to get the Power Purchasing Agreement with the state that is needed as collateral to finance the project,” Simotas said. Reach Reporter Jason Pafundi at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128, or jpafundi@queenstribune.com.
Birds, Blown Tire Disrupt JFK Flights By DOMENICK RAFTER Delta Airlines Flight 1063 lifted off the ground at JFK Airport nearly 20 minutes late on April 19. The Los Angeles-bound Boeing 757 that rose from Runway 13R was barely clear of the airport property when the routine transcontinental fight hit a snag in the form of a flock of birds. Only seconds into the flight, one of the plane’s engines failed, stricken after ingesting a passing bird. Calmly and with relative ease, the pilot of the plane, carrying 179 people, and air traffic control at JFK guided the jet in a loop over Nassau County and back into the airport without incident. No one was injured. The occurrence was caught on video by one passenger who filmed the takeoff and caught the flock of birds flying past the plane’s window on the right side. The event has lit another spark in the ongoing debate over birds and
airports that came to the forefront after the “Miracle on the Hudson” in January 2009 when US Airways Flight 1549 landed in the Hudson River after a flock of birds was sucked into the jets engines on takeoff from LaGuardia Airport. Since 1990, there have been more than 2,500 bird strike incidents, including 250 last year, at JFK alone, though most are non incidents. Flight 1063’s bird strike was the second incident in less than 24 hours afflicting a Delta jet at JFK. On Wednesday, April 18, Delta Flight 185, a Boeing 767, blew a tire on takeoff from Paris, France, bound for JFK. The plane completed its flight, landing at JFK with its blown tire without any injuries or serious damage to the jet. Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at (718) 357-7400 Ext. 125 or drafter@queenstribune.com
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 39
By JASON PAFUNDI Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas (D-Astoria) was named the chair of Smart Power NY, a coalition of business, labor and environmental groups, as well as local and state elected officials just launched to advance a clean energy agenda for New York. The new coalition is advocating for access to safe and reliable sources of power, a reduction of carbon emissions, job creation and policies that will help New Yorkers save on their power bills. In its first action, Smart Power NY sent an open letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week calling for him to support the Astoria Repowering Project, which would update an old power plant in Astoria with new, environmentally efficient equipment. “The Astoria Repowering Project is the environmental equivalent of replacing an old diesel-powered truck with a Prius,” Simotas said. “This is exactly the kind of project that Gov. Cuomo’s Energy Highway Task Force has called for. We need to put New Yorkers to work, dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and offer a significant source of reliable replacement power for New York State.” Cuomo’s stated energy policy, which encourages job growth and innovation to revitalize the state’s economy, is being endorsed by Smart Power NY, specifically his effort to repower existing power plants.
OF THE The Queens Tribune and its advertisers are pleased to once again present our “Mother of the Year” contest. Our Mother’s Day issue will feature winning entries plus thoughts from the children of Queens. This is our small way of paying tribute to the moms out there who help make Queens a better place to live.
Page 40 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
The contest rules are simple. Just submit 250 (typewritten when possible, otherwise legible) words or less as to why your mom is special. You or your mom must be a Queens resident. Entries must be received by Friday, April 27, 2012. Enclose a photo of mom, with her kids if possible (sorry they can't be returned).
Mother's Day Prizes Include:
Mail entries to “Mother of the Year” Queens Tribune, 150-50 14th Rd., Whitestone, NY 11357.
Over $1,000 In Prizes Plus
The entries will be judged in three age groups: A) 8 and under; B) 9-12 and C) 13 - adult. Judging will be based on content, creativity and sensitivity. We are open-minded about this contest and even mother-in-law entries will be accepted. Don't Delay: get your entry in today and pay tribute to your special "MOM" (and get Mother's Day gifts too!)
Mets Tickets
OVER $1,000 IN PRIZES Attach this or a facsimile to your entry
CONTEST RULES
Age
Your Name Address Phone Mom's Name Mom's Address Phone
Mail to “Mother of the Year” Queens Tribune, 150-50 14th Road, Whitestone, NY 11357.
1. Submit 250 words as to why your mom is special. You or your mom must be a Queens resident. 2. Entries must be received by Friday, April 27, 2012. 3. Give your age (18+ acceptable), address, phone number, plus mom's name and address. 4. Enclose a 4x6 photo of mom or mom and her kid(s) where possible; put full names on back of photo. Sorry, they can't be returned. 5. Mail entries to “Mother of the Year,” Queens Tribune, 150-50 14th Road, Whitestone, NY 11357. 6. The entries will be judged in three age groups A) 8 and under; B) 9-12 and C) 13 - adult. Judging will be based on content, creativity and sensitivity.
Leisure
Queens Native Makes Fencing History ships in Kiev, Ukraine, on April 14. The 26-year-old Brat ton a nd teammates Seth Kelsey, Soren Thompson and Co dy Mat tern defeated six-time defending world champions France in the gold medal round by a dominating score of 44-37. In order to reach the finals, Team USA defeated world-class fencers from five continents. “It definitely meant a lot for me to end the season on such a high note,” Brat ton said.
A Sweet Dining Experience
REVIEW
sity, where he received a bachelor’s degree in 2007 and a master’s in psychology after leading the Red Storm fencing team to two silver medals at t he NCA A Fenci ng Championships. He was a threetime fencing All-American. After graduation, he earned a spot on the men’s national team and would soon be considered one of the best fencers in the world. As a nat ional team member, Brat ton competed in five world championships, and the team brought home a silver medal in the 2010 competition in Paris. The World Championships is an annual competition organized by the International Fencing Federation and is considered the most prominent international fencing competition other than the Olympics. With the victor y, Brat ton also became the youngest American ever to win a team gold at the world championships. Brat ton is training and hope s to compete in the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, when epee fencing will be a team sport — it is only an individual competi-
Benjamin Bratton, a world-class fencer from Queens. tion at the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in London. “Al l I can do is just keep working and focusing on the process,” he said. “I know that I am just a few steps away from becoming the athlete I envisioned when I started this journey.” Reach Reporter Jason Pafundi at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128, or jpafundi@queenstribune.com.
Race Helps Runners Find Deeper Focus By ROSS BARK AN As rain and wind slashed through the brutal Sunday night, flooding highways and blinding eyes, Dipali Cunningham was methodically jogging through Flushing Meadows Corona Park. On Monday morning, when the sky was the color of Northern Boulevard pavement, Cunningham was still running. When this story appeared several days later - on April 26 - DiPali was circling the park, accumulating an inhuman amount of mileage. With almost no fanfare, a few dozen runners come together every year in Queens to run what is roughly the distance between New Yor k Cit y a nd Raleigh, Nor t h Carolina. Runners typically complete the equivalent of two or three marathons in a single day. “Before I ran marathons, I suppose, I looked at marathon runners the way I look at these guys now,” said Allison Roe, winner of the New York and Boston Marathons.
“Run and become, become and run,” is the mantra of the Self-Transcendence Six and 10-Day races held annually in Flushing Meadows Park, where runners from several continents, and Queens, race for six or 10 days. They are not obligated to continually run, but the winners of the races are those who run the most miles. Copious rest stops are ill-advised, unless you are comfor table w it h losing. Unlike marathons, runners win no money, and throngs of spectators do not line the route; a small pack of loyal supporters and family members are what the runners have, as well as the curious and confused onlookers that wander into the park to see these strange people run. And run. And run. “The mind’s good for a lot of things but it’s very limited in the capacity it has but within our hearts we have so much more capacity,” said Cunningham, one of the world’s best ultra-distance runners. “I try to
bring my focus out of my mind and into my heart. You can feel that it’s not just you doing it but something deeper within yourself.” Cunningham, a Jamaica resident and native of Australia who has ran as much as 700 miles in a 10 day period, practices mediation to enhance her mental and spiritual strength. Some runners go home at night and resume racing in the morning but the best, like Cunningham, break for one to two hours of sleep in small tents set up in the park. Mobile kitchens help refuel the runners. The races are sponsored by the Sri Chinmoy marathon team, named for the legendar y Indian spiritual teacher and ar t ist who died in 2007. The 10-Day Race, kicked off by Roe, began on April 18 and the Six-Day Race began on April 22. They will each end on April 28. Reach Reporter Ross Barkan at rbarkan@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127.
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 41
place to be. No appetizers for us that day. Though Craig is known in food circles as an “app” man, we went straight for the jugular: the main course. Craig conquered a c h i p o t l e b u r g e r. I d e v o u r e d chicken souvlaki with a side of Greek salad. Greek salad is a faDiners are an American clas- vorite of mine, though I am not sic. Though there has been much G r e e k . T h o u g h t h e G r e e k bellyaching about the decline of economy is going down the tubes, the diner in Queens, many great Greek salads remain a force to be diners still remain. At Whitestone reckoned with. Whitestone Diner is not an exception. Diner in - you guessed As our wonder ful it - Whitestone, the RESTAURANT waitress brought us our diner tradition is upmain courses, Craig and held and the gods of I discussed the par ticufood that watch over us lars of young adulthood, all smile benevolently. such as how we won a On an unusually dodgeball championship chilly April afternoon, in college and why my I arrived at Whitestone fantasy baseball team is Diner to meet the food not that good. Good maestro himself, Craig food and good converJ. Heed, who you may remember from previous restau- sation go together like souvlaki rant reviews. Heed is a veteran s m o t h e r e d i n t z a t z i k i s a u c e , at this point, known chiefly as a wrapped in a pita, of course. connoisseur of spices and tap Though I lamented my poor fanwater. He is a no-frills kind of a tasy baseball season, I was able to guy, a burger and pizza man, but drown my sorrows in wonder ful he knows how to distinguish the tzatziki sauce. Dessert was a cherry pie for me contenders from the pretenders. I should say that it does not and blueberry pie for Craig. Again, have the gaudy, lavish interior it was a classic, but the classics are that you will find at New Jersey what make this country great someor Long Island diners, where a times. Each slice had a scoop of trip to the diner is like being ice cream – vanilla - and I thought beamed into a giant rococo paint- about what it would be like to dwell ing. Whitestone Diner is the type on a planet made entirely of ice of place that earns solid grades cream. Perhaps it would be almost as for ambiance and superb grades for food, and if you want to eat sweet as dining at Whitestone Diner. -Ross Barkan and have a good chat, it is the Whitestone Diner, 149-21 14th Ave., Whitestone, (718) 746-6761 CUISINE: Diner DELIVERY: Yes CREDIT CARD: Yes HOURS: Open ever y day, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Brat ton, who was bor n a nd raised in the borough, began fencing when he was 11, and he joined the Peter Westbrook Foundation, an organization that teaches fencing as a vehicle to develop life skills in inner-cit y youth. Brat ton give s Westbrook much of the credit for his success. “Peter’s suppor t through the wins and the losses gave me the confidence to allow my hard work and discipline to pay off,” Brat ton said. “It also becomes the wellspring for giving back, because when someone as accomplished as Peter gives you so much support, you cannot help but feel the need to emulate them.” Westbrook, a six-time fencing Olympian has just as many compliments to give Bratton as he receives from him. Bratton now volunteer s to coach other inner city youth to help create a new generation of fencers. “There are not enough words to describe how proud we all are of Ben and his historic achievement,” Westbrook said. Brat ton was awar ded a ful l scholarship to St. John’s Univer-
Photo courtesy of Streetfly Studios
By JASON PAFUNDI Queens native Benjamin Bratton probably did not expect to see his name in the same sentence as Jackie Robinson, Arthur Ashe and Tiger Woods, but after what he just accomplished, that is exactly what is happening. Brat ton made h istor y as the first African-American to win team gold as the U.S. Men’s Epee Fencing team became the first American team to ever win the world title, earning the gold at the 2012 World Fencing Champion-
DINING & ENTERTAINMENT
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, IF YOUR ORGANIZATION MEETS ON A REGULAR BASIS, SEND ALL DATES FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.
Page 42 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
SENIORS STAR Looking for actors to audition for established Senior Reper tor y Company. 7760529. SENIOR EXERCISE Saturdays at SNAP of Eastern Queens in Queens Village. 453-2100 information. KEW GARDENS Monday, April 30 British Art talk at 1. Thursday, May 3 Senior Moment art exhibit at 10. Kew Gardens Community Center, 80-02 Kew Gardens Road, suite 202. DUPLICATE BRIDGE Mondays Lunch, lesson and c o n ge n i a l p l ay. P r i d e o f Judea. 423-6200. STAY WELL Mondays at the Central library at 10 and Wednesdays at 10:15 at the East Elmhurst librar y. Learn how special exercise and relaxation techniques make a difference in your life. SENIOR COMPUTERS Tuesdays through May 29 basic computer class at 10 at the South Ozone Park library. AARP 3654 Tuesday, May 1 AARP 3654 meets in Bayside. 423-4237. CAREGIVERS Tuesdays Caregivers Support group at 3:30-4:30 Selfhelp Clearview Senior Center, 208-11 26 th Avenue, Bayside. 631-1886. BRIDGE Wednesdays Reform Temple of Forest Hills. 2612900. STAY WELL Wednesdays at 10:15 at the East Elmhurst library for exercise and other health related programs. STARS Fridays through May 25 Senior Theater Acting Repertory meets at the Queens Village library at 10:30.
TEENS ESSAY WRITING Saturday, April 28 at the Far Rockaway library at 2. ECONOMICS & ARTS Saturday, April 28 high school and college students seeking careers as actors, dancers, fashion designers, singers, cartoonists learn how their hobby can lead to economic success. 11-3 at York College, 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., Jamaica. 516767-9341 information. CHESS CLUB Saturdays Flushing library at 2. AUDITIONS Sunday, April 29 2-4 and Monday, April 30 7-9 auditions for “Into the Woods.” 894-8654. TEEN GAMING Monday, April 30 Fresh Meadows library at 3:30. LAPTOPS Monday, April 30 laptops for use Hollis library at 4. JEWELRY MAKING Monday, April 30 at the Windsor Park library at 4. CULTURAL ENRICH. Monday, April 30 Ms. B’s Cultural Enrichment Corner Pomonok library at 4:30. ART LESSONS Monday, April 30 learn drawing techniques at the L a n g sto n H u g h e s l i b r a r y. Register. TEEN STUDY Mondays through Thursday s at the Lefrak Cit y library at 4. KNIT & CROCHET Mondays Douglaston/Little Neck library at 4. CHESS & CHECKERS Mondays through May 28 at 3 South Ozone Park library. HOMEWORK & GAMES Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays homework help and teen gaming at the Fresh Meadows library at 4. LIC CHESS CLUB Tuesdays LIC library at 4. BOOK BUDDIES Tuesdays Windsor Park library at 4. CHESS & CHECKERS Wednesdays through May 30 at the South Ozone Park library at 3. SISTER TALK Wednesdays through May 30 Pomonok library at 4:30. GAME DAY Wednesdays St. Albans library at 4. CHESS Wednesdays at 3:30 Queens Village library. CHESS & CHECKERS Thursdays through May 31 at 3 at the South Ozone Park librar y. TEEN THURSDAYS T h u r s d ay s B ay Te r ra c e l i -
brary at 3. CHESS CLUB Thursdays East Flushing library at 5.Sunnyside library at 5. CHESS & CHECKERS Fridays through May 25 at 3 at the South Ozone Park library. LOCKER ROOM Fridays through May 25 Life’s Locker Room is for young men in middle school and high school at the Pomonok library at 4. CHESS CLUB Fridays Auburndale library at 3:30. ARTS & CRAFTS Fridays Briarwood library at 4. GAME DAY Fridays Woodhaven library at 4:30. SIGN LANGUAGE Saturday, May 5 at 3 at the Broadway library. Monday, May 14 at 6 at the Pomonok library. Monday, May 21 at 6:30 at the Lefferts library. SOCIAL MEDIA Saturday, May 5 at the Far Rockaway library at 10:30. INTERNET DATABASE Saturday, May 5 at the Langston Hughes library at 2.
PARENTS BD. OF TRUSTEES Wednesday, May 2, June 6 Renaissance Charter School’s Board of Trustees meeting at 6:45. 35-59 81 st Street, Jackson Heights. 8030060. LA LECHE LEAGUE Thursdays, May 3, 17 information and support to mothers who breastfeed at 6 at the Forest Hills library.
THEATER ANNIE Through April 29 “Annie” presented by the Gingerbread Players at St. Luke’s. $12. 268-7772. MUSIC MAN Through May 6 Andrean Players at St. Andrew’s in Flushing. 917-753-8410. AUDITIONS Sunday, April 29 2-4 and Monday, April 30 7-9 auditions for “Into the Woods.” 894-8654. PSYCHO BEACH May 4 through 12 “Psycho Beach Part y” Queensborough Communit y College. 631-6284. RENT May 4 through 13 “Rent” at York College. 262-2412.
Cooking In or Taking Out...
MOTHER’S DAY DINNER PACKAGE 2012
Iavarone Bros. is the place!
For Starters, Choice of...
DINING & ENTERTAINMENT
LONG ISLAND’S LARGEST SELECTION OF IN-HOUSE PREPARED FOODS
Fresh Prime Meats s Fresh Caught Seafood s Imported Cheese & Fine Delicacies s Hand Made Baked Breads s Farm Stand Quality Produce
“Restaurant Quality Cuisine in the Comfort of your Home� Farfalle Primavera Penne Filleti Pomodoro plum tomatoes, prosciutto & onion Lasagna primavera or traditional meat & cheese
Cooking In or Choice of Green Salad... Taking Out... Iavarone Bros. is the place! Fresh Fennel “Chiffonade�
with shaved reggiano & mandarin orange
Gorgonzola Walnut Salad
with dried cranberries over mesculin greens
Baby Arugula & Radicchio
with chevre goat cheese, toasted almonds & dried apricots
The Main Course, Choice of... Grilled Balsamic Turkey Breast
served sliced with a rosemary & balsamic glaze
Š
Chicken Iavarone w/artichokes, mushrooms & red vinegar peppers Grilled Ginger Teriyaki Salmon with oriental vegetables Bourbon Espresso Grilled Hanger Steak Cinnamon Chipotle Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with apple chutney
Choice of Vegetable... Haricot Vertes “Almondine� Roasted Fancy Baby Vegetables Balsamic Grilled Mixed Vegetables Our Own Mini Veggie Patties
For Dessert, Choice of... Fresh Fruit Arrangement w/chocolate covered strawberries Tiramisu Cake s Fresh Fruit Tart
219 00 plus tax s Serves 8-10 People
$
This Week’s Specials! ALL-NATURAL
FREE 1 LB. PKG. OF OUR OWN
VILLA DI PASTA FRESH PASTA WITH ANY $30 PURCHASE
OFFER EXPIRES: 5/2/12. MUST PRESENT COUPON. LIMIT ONE COUPON PER PURCHASE. CANNOT BE COMBINED. QT
999
$
LB.
CITTERIO CLASSICO
GENOA SALAMI
599
$
1-877-IBFOODS IBFoods.com GIFT BASKETS & SPECIALTY FOODS SHIPPED ANYWHERE. GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE ONLINE.
LB.
FRESH MADE
PASTA CAPRESE
WITH MOZZARELLA & TOMATO
499
$
LB.
SEEDLESS
1538 Union Turnpike, Lake Success Center New Hyde Park s 516 488-5600 6900 Grand Avenue, (Corner of 69th Street) Maspeth s 718 639-3623 Visit Our Other Locations... Woodbury & Wantagh 3ALES 3TART s 3ALES %ND .OT 2ESPONSIBLE FOR !NY 4YPOGRAPHICAL %RRORS
FOLLOW US: facebook.com/IavaroneBros
ENGLISH CUCUMBERS
1
00
2-FOR- $
FRESH BAKED
JUMBO DANISH RINGS
“ASSORTED VARIETIES�
4
$
99
24 OZ.
HIN
FRESH MADE
LICED
399
$
LB.
599
$
IMPORTED ITALIAN
(4) 6 OZ. PATTIES
HOT OFF THE SPIT! PECORINO ROTIS ROMANO CHICKSERIE ENS “GRATED OR CHUNK�
599
$
LB.
499
$
EA.
SEEDLESS TOMATOES RED GRAPES ON THE VINE
198
$
LB.
98¢
LB.
FRESH MADE
MARINATED PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND SHRIMP SKEWERS MUSSELS
“GREAT FOR THE GRILL�
999
$
LB.
199
$
LB.
THE FAMOUS
OUR FAMOUS
“ALL VARIETIES�
“ASSORTED VARIETIES�
MARINADES TATE’S GREAT FOR BAKE SHOP BEEF , POULTR COOKIES PORK & FISHY,
399
$
8 OZ. PKG.
299
$
12 OZ.
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 43
USDA BLACK ANGUS
T -S SAUSAGE PORTERHOUSE CHICK EN PATTIES STEAK CUTLETS “ASSORTED VARIETIES�
DINING & ENTERTAINMENT Page 44 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
Queens Today YOUTH QUEENS LIBRARIES Many branches of the Queensborough Library offer toddler and pre-school programs and more. Contact local branches. TIMID TURTLES Saturday, April 28 at Alley Pond Environmental Center. 229-4000. EGG HUNT Saturday, April 28 Spring Egg Hunt at Flushing Memorial Fields, 149 th street and Bayside Avenue at 1. 9390195 to register. SKIPPY JON JONES Saturday, April 28 at 11:30 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. 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. CULTURAL ENRICH. Monday, April 30 Ms. B’s Cultural Enrichment Corner at the Pomonok library at 4:30. TEATRO IATI Monday, April 30 “The Brave Calf” at the Jackson Heights library at 3:30. FLOWER POWER CRAFT Monday, April 30 at the Hillcrest library at 5:30. PJ TIME Monday, April 30 at the Central library at 7. ETIQUETTE Monday, April 30 Etiquette and Character Education at 4:30 at the Hollis library. LEARN TO CROCHET Mondays through May 21 at 5 at the Arverne library. PAPER CRAFTS Mondays through April 30 McGoldrick library at 5. FAMILY WII ZUMBA Mondays through May 14 Lefrak Cit y library at 6:30. CHESS & CHECKERS Mondays through May 28 at the South Ozone Park library at 3. CRAFT KIDS Mondays at the Flushing library at 3. KNIT & CROCHET Mondays at 4 Douglaston/
Little Neck library. CHESS & CHECKERS Tuesdays through May 29 at 3 South Ozone Park library. ERIC CARLE Wednesday, May 2 Eric Carle Story time at 11 at Barnes & Noble, 176-60 U n i o n Tu r n p i ke , F re s h Meadows. BRAIN FUN Wednesday, May 2 Woodhaven librar y. Register. TIMELESS TALES Wednesdays at 10 at the Central library. S TORY T I M E Wednesdays through May 30 at the East Elmhurst library at 11:30. HOMEWORK HELP Wednesdays through May 30 at the Far Rockaway library at 3. CHESS & CHECKERS Wednesdays through May 30 at 3 at the South Ozone Park library. CHESS Wednesdays at 3:30 at the Queens Village library. LIBRARY BUDDIES Wednesdays through May 30 Auburndale library at 4. REPTILE EDVENTURE Thursday, May 3 at 4 at the C a m b r i a H e i g h t s l i b ra r y. See, touch and learn about reptiles and amphibians. HOMEWORK HELP Thursdays at 3 at the Far Rockaway library. CHESS & CHECKERS Thursdays through May 31 at the South Ozone Park library at 3. ARTS & CRAFTS Thursdays through May 10 Auburndale library at 4. TERRIFIC KIDS Thursdays through May 24 at the Cambria Heights library. Register. LOCKER ROOM Fridays through May 25 Life’s Locker Room is for young men in middle school and high school at the Pomonok library at 4. HOMEWORK HELP Fridays through May 25 Far Rockaway library at 3. CHESS & CHECKERS Fridays through May 25 at the South Ozone Park library at 3. CHESS CLUB Fridays through May 25 Auburndale library at 3:30. HOMEWORK HELP Fridays through May 25 at the Woodside library at 3. KIDS ACTIVITIES Fridays at 3:30 at the Briarwood library. GAME DAY Fridays at 3:30 at the Queens Village library.
HEALTH
MEETINGS LIBRARY BUDDIES Fridays through May 25 at the Auburndale library at 4. READ TO ME Fridays Briarwood library at 3. ARTS & CRAFTS Fridays Briarwood library at 4. East Flushing at 4. Ozone Park at 4. GAME DAY Fridays Windsor Park at 4. CHESS CLUB Fridays Auburndale library at 3:30. . CUB SCOUTS 351 Fridays at St. Nicholas of Tolentine. Boys in grades 15. 820-0015.
TALKS PEARLS OF WISDOM Saturday, April 28 authors of “Pearls of Wisdom: 30 Inspirational Ideas to Live Your Best Life Now!” at 1:30 at Barnes & Noble, 176-60 Un i o n Tu r n p i ke , F re s h Meadows. ART IN EUROPE Saturday, April 28 Forest Hills library at 2:30. WOMEN & ART Saturday, April 28 Women and Art in the 2011 Libyan Revolution Flushing library at 3. LOUIS ARMSTRONG Sunday, April 29 “What a Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong’s L a ter Years.” $5. Flushing Town Hall. 463-7700. AUTHOR TALK Monday, April 30 Marilyn Berger discusses her book “This Is A Soul.” Central Q u e e n s Y, 6 7 - 0 9 1 0 8 t h Street, Forest Hills. $6 suggested donation. 268-5011, ext. 151. JANE AUSTEN Monday, April 30 Alternate Austen – Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: A Book Discussion at 6:30 at the Pomonok library. STEINWAY Monday, April 30 “The New Kids” will be discussed at the Steinway library at 6:30. AESTHETIC REALISM Wednesday, May 2 at 6 at the Flushing library. HOLOCAUST Thursday, May 3 The Holocaust Through the Eyes of a Child Survivor at the Kew Gardens Hills library at 2. BUDGET TRAVEL Thursday, May 3 Steinway library at 6:30. FLUSHING BOOK Friday, May 4 “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” discussed at 1 at the Flushing library.
TALK OF THE TOWN Tuesdays, May 1, 15 learn the art of public speaking 7:15 in St. Albans. 640-7092. HAM RADIO CLUB Tu e s d ay s , M ay 1 , J u n e 5 Emergency Communications Service meets in Briarwood. 357-6851. COMM. DIST. ED. COUN. Wednesday, May 2 Communit y District Education Council 26 invites all to a meeting at 7 at Nathaniel Hawthorne MS, 61-15 Oceania Street, Bayside to honor newly appointed principals and bid farewell to retirees. Special dance performance. KNIGHTS OF PY THIAS Wednesdays, May 2, 16, May 6, 20 Queensview Lodge 433 in Whitestone. 917-754-3093. TOASTMASTERS Wednesdays, May 2, 16 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. BEREAVEMENT Wednesdays, May 2, June 6 Bereavement Support Group at Holy Family in Fresh Meadows. 7:30. 9692448. FLUSHING CAMERA Wednesdays, May 2, 16, 30, June 6, 20 Flushing Camera Club at Flushing Hospital. 479-0643. STAMP CLUB Thursdays, May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 at the Forest Hills library at 5:45. LA LECHE LEAGUE Thursdays, May 3, 17 information and support to mothers who breastfeed at 6 at the Forest Hills library. MEN’S PRIDE GROUP Thursdays, May 3, 17 Queens Pride House Men’s group 7-9. 429-5309. TOASTMASTERS Saturdays, May 5, 19 learn how to communicate effectively at 10 at Elmhurst Hospital. 424-9754.
ENVIRONMENT TREE GIVEAWAY Saturday, April 28 BaysideWhitestone Lions Club will host its first Tree Giveaway 11-2 at A&S Nursery, 23-02 Francis Lewis Blvd., Whitestone. RECYCLING Monday, April 30 Recycle at the Broadway, Steinway or Woodside libraries. EARTH WEEK Tuesday, May 1 “Oakland Park” lecture 7:30 at Alley Pond Environmental Center. 229-4000. $8.
HEALTH FAIR Saturday, April 28 Walk-athon and Health Fair 10-4 at the track and field on 160 th Street between Libert y Avenue and South Road. 516233-0476. INSTRUCTION TO YOGA Saturday, April 28 at the Lefferts library. Register.
RELIGIOUS REFORM TEMPLE Friday, April 27 Shabbat service to celebrate the 64 th anniversary of Israel’s independence at the Reform Temple of Forest Hills, 7111 112 th Street at 8. FREE SYNAGOGUE F r i d ay , A p r i l 2 7 Yo m Ha’atzmaut Shabbat Service at 8. Saturday, April 28 informal worship and torah study at 10:30. Sunday, April 29 Hebrew School at 9:30. Family Education at 10:30. Free Synagogue of Flushing. 961-0030.
FLEA MARKETS FLEA/YARD SALE Saturday, April 28 (raindate April 29). Greater Ridgewood Historical Societ y’s outdoor flea market and communit y yard sale at the Onderdonk House, 1820 Flushing Avenue, Ridgewood. ALL SAINTS Saturday, April 28 Spring Rummage Sale at All Saints Church, 43-12 46 th Street, Sunnyside 10-3. FLEA MARKET Sunday, April 29 9-4 flea market and ethnic Polish bake sale at St. Josaphat’s C h u r c h , 3 5 th A v e n u e a n d 210 th Street, Bayside. FLEA MARKET Sunday, April 29 (rain date May 6) at the Maspeth Federal parking lot, Grand Avenue and 69 th Street 10-3. SPRING BOOK SALE Sunday, April 29 Spring Book Sale (books, music CDs and more) at the Bellerose Jewish Center, 254-04 Union Turnpike, Floral Park. INDOOR FLEA MARKET Mondays through June 25 10-3 at the Free Synagogue of Flushing, 41-60 Kissena Blvd. Saturdays 9-5 at Trinit y United M e t h o d i st C h u r c h , 1 0 8 th S t r e e t a n d 86 th Avenue, Jamaica. SPRING FLEA Saturday, May 5 12-4 at the Bay Terrace Countr y Club, 217-14 2 4 th Avenue, Bayside. Rain date May 6.
BLOOD DRIVE Saturday, April 28 in Jamaica. 670-1211. Sunday, April 29 in Flushing. 6706324. ZUMBA Monday, April 30 Richmond Hill library. Register. ZUMBA Mondays, April 30, May 7 Latin Dance fitness program at the Rosedale library. Register. LEARN CPR Monday, April 30 South Ozone Park library. Register. ZUMBA Monday, April 30 at the Corona library. Register. TAI CHI Monday, April 30 at the Cardiac Health Center in Fresh Meadows. 6701695. OVEREATERS ANON. Wednesdays 11 at the Howard Beach library. CAREGIVERS Thursday, May 3 at the South Ozone Park library at 2. BREAST HEALTH Thursday, May 3 at the Baisley Park library at 6. NAMI WALK Sunday, May 5 Queens/ LI NAMI walk at Jones Beach. Walk to change the face of mental illness. 3477284.
DINNER KINGSLAND HOME Sunday, May 6 the Queens H i sto r i c a l S o c i e t y fo r the Queens Preservation Council will hold a luncheon honoring James Driscoll, QHS Vice President of Histor y. 939-0647, ext. 17. YOUNG ISRAEL Sunday, May 6 Young Israel of New Hyde Park and Lake Success Jewish Center will hold an Israel Bonds Breakfast honoring Debbie and Chuck Waxman. 212-4465858. GOLF TOURNAMENT Monday, May 7 Little Sisters of the Poor’s 23 rd Annual Golf Tournament and Dinner. 464-1800. SCHOOL SISTERS Tuesday, May 8 School Sisters of Notre Dame Educational Center’s “A Night Out Italian St yle” dinner/ fundraiser in Howard Beach. 335-7759. CARD PARTY/LUNCHEON Thursday, May 10 Sisterhood of the Jewish Center of Oak Hills will hold a card part y and luncheon in Bayside. 631-0100.
DINING & ENTERTAINMENT
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 45
ENTERTAINMENT Sundays, April 29, My 6, 13, 20, 27 live jazz and r&b 610 at Déjà vu, 180-25 Linden Blvd., St. Albans. PATTI AUSTIN Monday, April 30 at York College. 262-2412. GREEK FOLK Monday, April 30 Greek Folk Music and Dance at the East Flushing library at 6. FLAMENCO CANTE Monday, April 30 Flamenco Cante and Guitar at the Sunnyside library at 6. JAZZ Tuesday, May 1 Jazz at the Chapel at York College. 2622412. BIG BAND Thursday, May 3 York College Big Band. 262-2412. JACK COLE PROJECT May 3-20 musical tribute “Heatwave: The Jack Cole Project” at Queens Theatre in the Park. 760-0064. DEAF HISTORY Friday, May 4 Ninth Annual Celebration of Deaf History, Culture and Language at LaGuardia Communit y College. 482-5324. XOREGOS COMPANY Saturday, May 5 at the Forest Hills library at 2:30.
Xoregos Performing Company presents One Act Gems, one act comedies from Coward, Fitzgerald and more. LAUGHTER Saturday, May 5 Laughter at the Library at 3 at the Fresh Meadows library. JAZZ Saturday, May 5 York College Summer Jazz Program auditions. 262-2412. MARIACHI REAL Sunday, May 6 Mariachi Real de Mexico at the Central library at 3. QUEENS FARM Sunday, May 6 celebrate Springtime at the Queens Count y Farm Museum, 7350 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park 11-4. $5. Sheep shearing, spinning demos, recycling, more. 347-FARM. GUERILLA ARTS Sundays, May 6, 13, 27 Guerilla Arts Ensemble at F l u s h i n g Tow n H a l l . 4 6 3 7700. FOUR PREPS Sunday, May 6 Mal Z. Lawrence with special Guests The Four Preps at Queensborough Communit y College. 631-6311.
EDUCATION/GAMES/CRAFTS ESSAY WRITING Saturday, April 28 at the Far Rockaway library at 2. DEFENSIVE DRIVING Saturday, April 28 at the Knights of Columbus in BOATING SAFETY Saturday, April 28 US Coast Guard Auxiliary’s Boating Safet y Class in Fort To t te n , Ba ys i d e . 9 1 7 - 9 5 2 7014. DEFENSIVE DRIVING Sunday, April 29 at the 109th precinct. $25 collected at 10am for the 10-4 class. MOTIVATIONAL WORK. Mondays, April 30, May 21 at the Laurelton library at 6. POWERPOINT Monday, April 30 introduction to PowerPoint at the Maspeth library at 6. INTRO COMPUTERS Monday, April 30 Fresh Meadows library. Register. JOB READINESS Monday, April 30 Arverne library at 5:30. LIC CRAFT CLUB Monday, April 30noon at the LIC library. KNIT & CROCHET Monday, April 30 Douglaston/Little Neck library at 4. UNDERSTAND COMPUTER Monday, April 30 at the Flushing library at 10:30.
Wednesday, May 2 at the Central library at 1:30. BEGIN CROCHET Mondays through May 21 at the Arverne library at 6. BASIC COMPUTER Tuesday, May 1 at the LIC library at 11. RESUME WORKSHOP Wednesday, May 2 at the LIC library at 1:30. BASIC COMPUTER Wednesday, May 2 at the Woodside library at 10:30. JOB SEARCH W/CRIMINAL Wednesday, May 2 at the Far Rockaway library at 3. Friday, May 4 at the Arverne library at 10:30. For formerly incarcerated job seekers. JOB READINESS Wednesdays, May 2 through June 20 Job Readiness Workshops at the Central library at 6. INTERMEDIATE COMP. Thursday, May 3 at the LIC library at 10. STAMP CLUB Thursday, May 3 at the Forest Hills library at 5:45. BOOT CAMP Thursdays through May 24 Arverne library. Register. PUBLIC SPEAKING Saturday, May 5 communicate effectively at Elmhurst Hospital. 646-436-7940.
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 47
SPENT Through May 6 “Spent” performed at Queens Theatre in the Park. $25. 7600064. GREEK PLAY Through May 6 the Greek Cultural Center in Astoria presents “In Laws From Tirana. 726-7329. AUGUST WILSON Saturday, April 28 an evening with August Wilson at the Central library at 2. MURDER MYSTERY Saturday, April 28 murder mystery at the castle with the Bayside Historical Societ y. 352-1548. CLIFTON ANDERSON Saturday, April 28 Clifton A n d e r s o n a t PAC a t Yo r k College. 262-2412. #7 TRAIN Saturday, April 28 World of the #7 Train tour. Register jaconet@aol.com FAIR Saturday, April 28 Martin Luther HS Fair in the gym. $50 includes buffet dinner and dessert. 894-4000, ext. 133. CARIBE Saturday, April 28 Caribbean songs from Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic at the Thalia Spanish Theatre in Sunnyside. 729-3880. BLUES Saturday, April 28 Swinging Side of the Blues at the Cambria Heights library at 3. BOOK FAIR Saturday, April 28 Queens Spring Book Fair 12-5 at the Jamaica Farmers Market, 904 0 1 6 0 th S t r e e t , J a m a i c a . Panels, networking, book signing, guest speakers, poetry and more. SPANISH OPERETTAS Sunday, April 29 Zarzuelas and Boleros at the Thalia Spanish Theatre in Sunnyside. 729-3880. SPRING PART Y Sunday, April 29 Latin American Cultural Center of Queens’ Spring Par t y at 2:30 in Corona. 261-7664. ARBOR FESTIVAL Sunday, April 29 11-4:30 at Queens Botanical Gardens. 886-3800. ANTIQUE AUTO SHOW Sunday, April 29 33 rd Annual Antique Auto Show at t h e Q u e e n s C o u n t y Farm Museum 11-4. $5. 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park. WAYNE NEWTOWN Sunday, April 29 Way n e Newton performs at Queensborough Communit y College. 631-6311. LIVE JAZZ & R&B
DINING & ENTERTAINMENT
Queens Today
The Queens Congressional Races Worth Following By MICHAEL SCHENKLER The people of Queens have three Democratic Congressional Primaries taking place on June 26.
Running from eastern Queens all the way though the center of the borough to Maspeth, is the 6th Congressional District which has received a great deal of attention of late. Who is in? Who is out? Who is who? Subject to the challenge process and the absurd ballot access standards of New York which helps keep those in power in power, we’ll try to answer the question.
Assemblywoman Grace Meng, an attorney from Flushing, has received the endorsement of the Queens Democratic Party, the Independence Party, the four frontrunner NYC 2013 Mayoral Candidates and several labor unions. Assemblyman Rory Lancman, an attorney from Hillcrest, has received the endorsement of the Working Families Par ty, former Mayor Ed Koch and a considerable number of labor unions. Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley from Glendale, has received the endorsement of several labor unions. The three frontrunners were all born in Queens and had been involved in the public sector before being elected to office. Pundits view this as a likely race bet ween Meng, who leads in fundraising and endorsements and Lancman who got an early start by declaring and running for a seat formerly held by Republican Bob Turner – Anthony Weiner before
him – which vanished as part of the redistricting process. Crowley has so far run a credible campaign but trailing in institutional support makes her a likely third. Also in the race are Dr. Robert Mittman and Juan “Ada” Sheng. Mittman, who I first met many years ago, is an allergist living in Bayside with a practice on Bell Boulevard – to the best of my knowledge has had no previous political involvement. To date, he has not adequately engaged the public or the press for us to get a read on if he can be a factor in this election. Mittman, as an allergist, has on and off for years advertised in the Tribune — see page 9 of this paper. Jua n “Ada” Sheng, of Briarwood, according to her Facebook page, is a graduate of Brooklyn College in 2010 with a Masters in Television and Radio. I’ve never heard of her before she filed petitions for this office. Insiders say that her petitions are unlikely to withstand likely scrutiny.
Page 48 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
The Rich Become Reformers
By HENRY STERN Now that Governor Cuomo is in midst of the second year of his first term, people are pointing to his success as a manager and executive. His popularity rating is 68 percent (Quinnipiac poll) and while there are certainly disputes over specific measures he proposes to eliminate the perennial state debt, one would have to say that he is well-poised to make the effort. The next challenge Cuomo tackles should be campaign finance reform. A new coalition of business, civic and philanthropic leaders called Ne w York Leadership for Accountable Gover nment (N Y Lead) has formed in response to a line uttered by Cuomo in his State of the State address this year expressing his desire to enact campaign finance reform on the statewide level. The group, whose members include David Rockefeller, restaurateur Da nny Me yer, a nd Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes. was described in last week’s Times. In the ar ticle, Frederick A. O. Schwarz Jr., chief counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, says, “It’s a double victor y. You have lower amounts of money that can be given, and No. 2, o r di n a r y p e op l e b e c o m e e n gaged in political campaigns and c a n d i d a te s c h a n g e t he i r a p -
proach to campaigning.” While no bill has yet been submitted in Albany, it appears likely that the proposed statewide campaign finance system would be modeled on New York City’s Campaign Finance Board. While the CFB system has deficiencies, the advantage of mirroring the city’s approach is that it is well-tested and one that is already familiar to a large portion of the legislature. Governor Cuomo’s strong words in favor of campaign finance reform are a comfort to the civic warriors who were so recently defeated on redistricting. Like independent redistricting, campaign finance reform is a worthy effort. If the legislature blocks his proposals, it only shows how they belong to their donors. Cuomo is in a no-lose situation. One of Andrew Cuomo’s gifts is his ability to achieve successful polit ical results w ithout the appearance of having degraded himself or incurring major obligations to other politicians in exchange for their suppor t. T he legislature largely has been forced so far to swallow this. The next few months will give time for the reform proposals to be considered by the legislature. The Republicans in the State Senate are under no obligation to re-
form anything, at least until 2022 when redistricting will beckon again. The Democrats, whose selfinterests also lie in maintaining the status quo, deserve equal suspicion in regard to their sincerity in addressing this issue. It is in the intere st of good government and fostering legitimate competition both between and within the political parties that incumbents be contested by credible candidates who will give voters the opportunit y to make choice s that they have so long been denied. When Cuomo tries to influence the political hacks of both parties, he is clearly acting in the public interest. Of course, it is also true that Governor Cuomo did not follow through on his oft-repeated promise to veto the lines which he did not find satisfactory. One fascinating aspect of Albany polit ics is the w idespread practice of people publicly supporting policies which they personally believe are ruinous and unsupportable. We would compare it to trying to solve a crosswords puzzle in which the answer to each clue is an antonym. One re sponse is that t he y deserve it. Our response to that is that the legislature may deserve it, but do we? StarQuest@NYCivic.org
The in again, out again adventure of civic activist Jeffrey Gottlieb and attorney Stephen Green, both from the JFK Democratic Club, appears to be over with no candidate seeking the ballot. The question remains whether the 40 year old disclosure s and L ancman’s claim of being the real Jew in the race will have any impact on the outcome of this one. While Republicans and third party candidates will appear on the November ballot in many of the races discussed on this page, the only one that can be considered to have even a long shot chance is Queens Councilman Dan Halloran the Republican and Libertarian candidate in the 6th District. Clearly this is the race to watch. THE OTHER RACES As of this writing, in the 5th District, of southeast Queens and a bit of Nassau, former Councilman Allan Jennings, a man with many lives, is on the ballot against Congressman Greg Meeks, as are t wo ot her ca ndidate s, Michael Scala, a Rosedale native and Joseph Marthone. In a ver y small por tion of Queens abut ting Brooklyn is a Democratic Primary between Brooklyn Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries and Brooklyn Councilman Charles Barron to replace retiring Congressman Ed Towns in the 8th District Jeffries is the odds-on favorite against Charles Barron, who is known as an aggressive activist. The irony of a black man from Brooklyn serving as a Congressman from a portion of Queens that includes Howard
Beech is not lost on this writer. Howard Beech will long be remembered as the Queens embodiment of racism as a result of a 1986 incident that began at New Park Pizza, where three black men were chased by a group of whites and ended with the death of a black man, Michael Griffith, on the Belt Parkway which was followed by a never ending series of protests on both sides and a trial which convicted a large group of white teenagers. In New York’s 7th District, a District drawn through the Latino neighborhoods of Brooklyn, Manahattan and Queens, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez faces a challenge from Councilman Erik Dilan, Dan O’Connor and George Martinez. In any race, especially in New York, incumbents are favorites. Put an incumbent in a race in a field of four, even if several are hand-picked by a wily County Leader, the uneven playing field with name recognition, staff, resources and money is slanted greatly towards the incumbent. We have yet to follow the political gamesmanship of Brooklyn Democratic Leader Vito Lopez in this one, but would be surprised if he can overcome Velazquez’s likely win. The rest of the Borough of Queens will see Democratic Candidates Congressman Steve Israel in the east running on Long Isla nd’s nor t h shore t hrough Nassau to Suffolk, incumbent Congressman Joe Crowley in the north crossing the Throggs Neck Bridge into t he Bronx a nd Congre sswoman Carolyn Maloney swimming the east river to her predominantly Manhattan District. MSchenkler@QueensTribune.com
Not 4 Publication.com by Dom Nunziato
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 49
Edit Page In Our Opinion:
Keep Moving Forward Looking at the unique, diverse and successful businesses of Queens serves as a stark reminder of the world we live in. No, they’re not all going to be around in five years – heck some of them may shut down in the next five months, but that’s the way businesses work; they tend to be cyclical. There is no simple trick to keeping your doors open, but one thing is certain: no business that plans to be open next year is sitting back and saying. “We’ve got it good.” Owning and running a business requires a constant push for savings, for growth, for efficiency and for reaching to the next level. When times are tight, we tighten our belts; when competition moves in, we learn to be competitive; when we find ourselves under attack, we go on the offensive. Strategy, purpose, drive and ambition all contribute to the formula that creates progress. We’ve enjoyed sharing with our readers a collection of some businesses that meet these ideals. There are so many more that go unsung, and we have only painted a picture of a small slice of business success in Queens. We have also sent up a signal that, despite the economic woes of the last few years, this borough knows how to succeed, and how to keep moving forward.
In Your Opinion:
Page 50 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
Buckley’s Time To The Editor: The Jamaica Bay area has a number of public works named for notable New Yorkers who merit our remembrance. There is the bridge over part of the bay named for former U.S. Rep. Joseph Addabbo, the Marine Park Bridge named for Mets and Dodgers hero Gil Hodges and Floyd Bennett Field, which honors the famous Brooklyn aviator. And of course, there is John F. Kennedy International Airport. But there is a long-standing major omission in recognizing someone who has helped to change Jamaica Bay and the Rockaways for the better, and we urge that this be corrected. The individual we are writing
about is former U. S. Sen. James L. Buckley. Sen. Buckley was a co-sponsor of S.1192, creating the Gateway National Recreation Area, including the Rockaways and Jamaica Bay. The Senator spoke on behalf of the bill on the Senate floor on Oct. 14, 1972, and specifically mentioned the “wildlife preserve in Jamaica Bay” during the floor debate. Jamaica Bay is the only wildlife refuge within the U. S. National Parks System. We propose renaming the area the “James L. Buckley / Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.” The bay and its wetlands, marshes and islands also represent “one of the most significant bird sanctuaries in the northeast United States,” according to the refuge’s website. Sen. Buckley is an amateur ornithologist (bird watcher) of
Michael Schenkler Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
some note, and continues his love and observation of birds at age 89. As a candidate for U. S. Senate in 1970, Buckley questioned the wisdom of a proposed extension of a JFK airport runway into Jamaica Bay, supporting local community groups. Although Buckley was known for his conservative views on most issues, many liberals and Democrats acknowledged his expertise in and support for conservation and environmental issues. Buckley is perhaps the only living American to have served at the top levels of all three branches of the U. S. government. Aside from his election to the U. S. Senate, Buckley was Under Secretary of State, after which he served as President of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty. Then he was nominated by President Ronald Reagan and confirmed to serve on the U. S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. circuit – generally held to be the second highest court in our judicial system. Although retired, Buckley is in a “senior judge” status, and could be pressed into service under certain conditions. In our lifetimes, all of New York’s U. S. Senators (except for the very most recently serving) have had major public works or other facilities named for them. Sen. Moynihan has the huge Manhattan Federal office building named for him, with the new Penn Station to be called “Moynihan Station.” Sen. Javits has the other immense Federal building named for him, along with NYC’s primary convention center. Sen. D’Amato has the Federal courthouse on Long Island named for him, and the Federal building in Rochester is named for former U.S. Sen. Kenneth Keating. There are a number of schools bearing the name of Robert F. Kennedy, along with the recent renaming of the Triboro Bridge for RFK. Even unelected Sen. Charles Goodell’s name adorns the Fire Department headquarters in his former Congressional district in western New York. Clearly, it is time to honor and recognize the contributions of Buckley to his nation. Aside from his decades of top-level leadership
Marcia Moxam Comrie, Contributing Editor Reporters: Harley Benson, Domenick Rafter, Veronica Lewin, Ross Barkan, Jason Pafundi
Queens County's Weekly Newspaper Group
Steven J. Ferrari, Managing Editor
Founded in 1970 by Gary Ackerman Published Weekly Copyright © 2012 Tribco, LLC
Shiek Mohamed, Production Manager
Photographers: Ira Cohen, Michael Fischthal, Lee Katzman
Ira Cohen, Photo Editor
Contributors: Tom Allon, Melissa Hom, Michael VonDerLieth, Barbara Arnstein
Queens Tribune (718) 357-7400 E-mail Address: news@queenstribune.com 150-50 14th Road Whitestone, NY 11357 www.queenstribune.com
Regina Vogel Queens Today Editor
Interns: Brianna Ellis, Joanna Gonzalez
Michael Nussbaum
License Them To The Editor: About 10 percent of the nation’s elevators are in New York City, and yet New York City, unlike Los Angeles and Detroit, does not require elevator mechanics to be licensed. Ad executive Suzanne Hart’s tragic death was only the most recent face of this quality-oflife concern. We now know that elevator fatalities, including 19 deaths in NYC since 2003, are likely to be caused by human error in the course of fixing and/or maintaining elevators. Metro recently reported that elevators here are 14 to 17 times more likely to have accidents than in locales where mechanics are licensed. In this year alone, the Buildings Dept. has recorded 12 elevator accidents. It is an odd loophole that we have strict inspection requirements for the elevators themselves, but not such strict requirements for mechanics, as according to Dept. of Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri. With decaying infrastructure and some of the oldest housing stock in the nation, New Yorkers deserve to
Shanie Persaud Director of Advertising and Marketing Shelly Cookson Corporate Advertising Account Executives Donna Lawlor Elizabeth Rieger Shari Strongin
Merlene Carnegie Tom Eisenhauer Charles Galluccio
Art Department: Sara Gold, Rhonda Leefoon, Candice Lolier, Barbara Townsend Webmaster: Shiek Mohamed
Executive V.P./Associate Publisher
in the legislative, judicial and executive branches of government, Buckley also served in the U.S. Navy during and just after World War II. Because of Buckley’s advocacy for the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and the Gateway National Recreation Area, this would be an ideal opportunity to recognize Buckley by renaming the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge for him. Finally, at a time when local leaders are trying to marshal resources to save and restore Jamaica Bay’s declining ecosystem, renaming the wildlife refuge for our former U.S. Senator can only draw more positive attention to the cause of the bay, its islands and the Rockaways Gateway region. Thomas M. Long, Community Board 14 Herbert W. Stupp, Former NYC Commissioner, Department For The Aging
Assistant to the Publisher: Ria MacPherson
Maureen Coppola, Advertising Administrator Accounting: Leticia Chen, Stacy Feuerstein
be able to live and work in multistory and high-rise buildings safely. In light of this, the lack of licensing seems dangerously foolish—and able to be easily changed through political action. Urge your City Council member to support the pending bill that would require licensing of elevator mechanics. Roberta Winters, Richmond Hill
RIP Dick Clark To The Editor: I am saddened as many are as we read or heard the news of the passing of Dick Clark, who was called America’s oldest teenager. My prayers go to his family at this time. He was larger than life and brought Rock and Roll into our homes for many years. I remember living in Queens Village in the 60s and watching “American Bandstand.” I got to see the latest dances and the newest singers who got their start on his show and who went on to the big time. Let’s not forget for decades we brought in the New Year with Dick Clark. Now on the many different shows he hosted it was said he hated to say goodbye but would say, “So long” or “So long for now.” Let me say then Goodbye, Dick, and thanks for the memories, for you will truly be missed and as a teenager of long ago let me also say, “Thanks for a rocking roll good time.” Frederick R. Bedell Jr., Glen Oaks Village
Got A Beef ? WRITE THE TRIB! 150-50 14th Rd. Whitestone, NY 11357 Or you can e-mail the Trib at news@queenstribune.com Mitch Kronenfeld: Classified Manager
We reserveMance: the right to edit for length. Elizabeth Administrative Assistant
Mitch Kronenfeld: Classified Manager Elizabeth Mance: Administrative Assistant Classified Ad Representatives: Nadia Hack, Peggie Henderson, Fran Gordon, Marty Lieberman, Chris Preasha, Lorraine Shaw, Sheila Scholder, Lillian Saar
An Award Winning Newspaper
New York Press Association National Newspaper Association The Tribune is not responsible for typographical errors beyond the cost of the space occupied by the advertisement.
Aracely
Bolivian Bombshell
Home: Woodside Age: late 20s Height: 5’ 3" Weight: 113 lbs Stats: 32-24-34
An eagle eyed Glittarazzi spotted Anthony Weiner and wife Huma Adebin on the subway.
Living The Life
Too Busy? Dr. Robert Mittman, a Bayside allergist, filed petitions to run for Congress in the newly-drawn 6th District. The word was he had 2,700 signatures, though no one seemed to know much about the good doctor. Was he involved in politics previously? What are his political positions? Is he Jewish? The answers to these questions did not come easily. Apparently, the receptionist in his Bell Boulevard office admits Mittman won’t return phone calls about his candidacy. He’s “very busy being a doctor,” his receptionist said. News flash Dr. Bob: Congressmen are very busy too.
The subways are good way for a potential mayoral prospect to get a good view of life as a common folk. Just ask Mayor Bloomberg.
Hmmm! Models Of Queens Living Diddy’s Life
Seen in a window on Austin St. We’re not sure how we feel about fashion for young girls this season.
Ever wanted to know what it was like to live like a hip-hop mogul? One Queens man got to experience the life of Sean “Diddy” Combs. Quamine Taylor of Jamaica traveled to East Hampton to live like the rich and famous. Thanks to an unlocked basement door, Taylor walked in and began treating himself to clothing, food and Ciroc, a high-end vodka. When he set off an alarm, he
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do Actor Peter Facinelli, who grew up in Ozone Park, and his wife Jenny Garth recently announced that the couple had filed for divorce. The pair had been separated for some time and were reportedly working on the marriage for the sake of their children, Luca, 14, Lola, 9, and Fiona, 5. Citing irreconcilable differences as the cause, Facinelli and Garth said in a statement that they were committed to raising their daughters together. There was no comment on Ozone Park's Peter Facinelli whether the former “Beverly Hills 90210” starlet had chosen to get back together with Dylan or Brandon.
was able to convince police and the security company that he was a relative of the star. The party lasted for nearly a day, until a break-in was reported. Maybe people who own mansions should lock their basement doors?
Confidentially, New York . . .
www.queenstribune.com • April 26 - May 2, 2012 Tribune Page 61
It’s been almost a year since U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner left office in a blizzard of scandal and seemingly disappeared from sight. Since then, the man who once ran for mayor moved out of his Forest Hills apartment and left the borough all together. Now it appears the former politico has reappeared amongst the bourgeoisie. Weiner and his wife, former Hillary Clinton staffer Huma Adebin, were spotted riding a subway in Manhattan last week. The ex-Congressman, whose seat was won by U.S. Rep. Bob Turner in September, was reading the paper wearing an orange pullover while his wife was checking her Blackberry, making use of the new subway station WiFi. One fellow rider said the couple, who appeared to have weathered the scandal, got off the train at Herald Square.
Aracely Penaranda said that she was never really interested in modeling, her passion being more in the realm of acting. Since we last caught up with her, the Bolivian beauty said that she has really enjoyed her time as a model and being in front of a lens. “I mostly wanted to act, and I was always a dancer. But certain people approached me about different things like modeling, and I just went into it,” she said. She said she enjoys getting the opportunity to be a different person, adopt a role and express herself in ways she normally would not. “I would love to do anything more for petites or more creative, to use my acting skills,” she said. She has a degree in management information systems, but Aracely admits that the career path wasn’t for her, trading in the info systems for finance and real estate. In her free time, she has been training as a runner. When she manages to find some other free time in Queens, she usually goes to the movies, her local pub for a drink or out to a nearby restaurant. Aracely, who says her mother and grandmother are the most important people in her life, is also a big fan of both types of pool – the kind you play and the kind you swim in, “though I really haven’t had a chance to go [to either] much lately.”
Page 62 Tribune April 26 - May 2, 2012 • www.queenstribune.com
STAYING POWER
A common thread through many of the stories told in this issue seems apparent: hard work and determination are for many businesses the secret to their success. Today’s businesses need to adapt to the ever-changing pressures of our economy. Our workforce must be trained to serve in 21st Century positions. Success is not easy. It requires dedication, vision and determination. There is no one easy way to find success. Each business has told a different story, but we hope readers of this edition have gained at least a little insight about how to find, foster or continue success in their businesses. It’s hard work to succeed in trying times, but the people highlighted in this issue show that it can be done, and we hope they keep at it.
Tribune Photo By Ira Cohen
>MORE
®
Always >MORE® ATMs >MORE® Branch Locations >MORE® Banking Hours >MORE® Sunday Banking >MORE® Supermarket Banking
That’s ! e c n e i n e v n co
718-448-7272
www.myNYCB.com
*Top-performing large thrift in the U.S. for the 12 months ended March 31, 2011 among thrifts with $2.0 billion or more in assets, as reported by SNL Financial.
©2012 New York Community Bank. Member FDIC