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Power, Grace, Service The Rev. Dr. Floyd Flake is a servant in the truest sense of the word. Fifty years ago he felt the calling to serve people’s souls; in 1986 he was called to run for Congress; and after serving more than a decade he returned to the church, this time called to bring ministry and help well beyond the walls of the church. This year, he celebrates 50 years at the pulpit and 35 years as the spiritual leader of one of the largest churches in Queens – the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York, located in Jamaica. Turn the page and join us as we honor this man of the cloth and man of the people.
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www.queenstribune.com • July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 Tribune Page 3
Cover Design By Candice Lolier Cover Photo By Ira Cohen
WITH
APPRECIATION AND
ADMIRATION GREATER JAMAICA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
SALUTES THE HONORABLE REVEREND DOCTOR
FLOYD H. FLAKE
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LEADER PAR EXCELLENCE MINISTER EDUCATOR JOB CREATOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPER ELECTED OFFICIAL ADVOCATE FRIEND
Bound For Glory:
One Of 13 Children Raised In Texas, Flake’s Path To Pulpit Took Turns graduate; she died about two months before," Flake recalled. After graduating from Wilberforce, Flake planned to start a career in the field of psychology. He moved to Pennsylvania where he began treating patients. He quickly learned this career was not a good fit for his personality. The reverend said he was too sensitive to his client's needs to be able to be a successful therapist. Flake said if he stuck with the job, he would probably end up in a psych ward himself some day. "If you feel the pain of people, it's different than if you just treat it as a job," he said. "I could not treat it like a job." In addition to his bachelor's degree, Flake has earned a doctor of ministry from the United Theological Seminary, and has studied at Payne Theological Seminary and Northeastern University School of Business. He also has several honorary degrees from institutions such as Boston University, Fisk University, Lincoln University and Cheney State. "I got as much education as I think I'm going to get in this life," Flake said while laughing.
BY VERONICA LEWIN Although the Rev. Floyd Flake is now known for his work at Allen A.M.E. church in Jamaica, he almost chose a different profession. "I started out assuming I'd be an educator," the pastor said.
Nose To the Grindstone In 1962, without any money, Flake boarded a Greyhound bus going to Dayton, Ohio to pursue a degree in psychology. He was the first in his family to leave for college, and his mom
Flake persevered through his life, and went from a child growing up in Texas to a respected religious and political leader spending time with the likes of Cornel West, Mayor Mike Bloomberg, the Rev. Al Sharpton and former NAACP President Kweisi Mfume. did not understand why he chose a school so far away from home. Flake said he probably would not have gotten his bachelor's degree if he went to a school close to home; most of his friends who stayed near home for school never completed their undergraduate degrees. When he arrived at Wilberforce, he met with the president and asked if there were any jobs available to help him pay to go to school. Flake was offered a job in the campus cafeteria, where he worked for his entire undergraduate career. The reverend did not have enough money to travel back to Texas for holiday breaks, so he would manage the cafeteria staff himself for the students who also did not go home. Since Flake was putting himself through school, it took him an extra year to get his bachelor's degree.
regation in Ohio, and living there wasn't as bad as living in other parts of the country that had more racial tension. "I couldn't go in a restaurant so when other people got off the bus," Flake said, "I had to scrounge around and try to see if there was a place I could find a sandwich or something; but I never let it get embedded in my heart as hatred." After the Civil Rights Movement started, the reverend participated in two freedom rides, one to North Carolina, and the other to South Carolina. He and a group of his classmates sat outside of a barbershop in Yellow Springs, Ohio to try to convince the owner to cut the hair of black people. Flake's roommate and a few of his peers were arrested for the peaceful protest.
Segregation & Civil Rights Flake lived in Ohio in the early 1960's when de jure segregation was still in place, and recalled times where he had to go to the back of the bus and use the bathroom for "colored" people. Still, the reverend said there were only vestiges of seg-
Moving On When Flake graduated from Wilberforce in 1967, one important guest was missing. "My greatest heartbreak was that my mother had cancer in my junior year and her greatest desire was to see the first in the family to go to college
Headed Toward 'The Job' Soon after he left psychology behind, Flake was recruited to be a salesperson at Reynolds, the aluminum manufacturer. While he was working in a store for Reynolds, someone approached him and offered him a job as a marketing analyst at Xerox, where he worked for three years. For a majority of positions Flake has held in his life, people have contacted him and offered him a job, instead of the traditional job search process. "I have never looked for a job," Flake said. In 1973, the vice president of Boston University called the reverend and asked him to be the next director of the Martin Luther King Center at the university. During his time at Boston University, he held a second position as acting dean of the chapel before eventually becoming the dean of students. Before assuming his role as pastorate, the reverend also held a position as the associate dean of students at Lincoln University. In 1976, he was asked to pastor at Allen A.M.E., where he has been for the past 35 years. Rev. Flake attributes his success to his hard work. When faced with adversities, Flake pushed through instead of succumbing to the pressure. "I don't allow challenges to depress me," he said. Reach Reporter Veronica Lewin at vlewin@queenspress.com or (718) 3577400, Ext. 123.
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A Focused Childhood Flake was born in Houston, Texas. in 1945. He comes from parents who have a 5th and 6th grade education, and has 12 siblings. In spite of having a large family, Flake said his home life was enjoyable. "Large families have a way of just developing relationships, I think unlike many others, but we're a pretty close family," he said. His teachers would allow him to stay at school to do his homework late, because it was too hectic to complete assignments at home with a dozen siblings in the house. The reverend has three younger brothers and four younger sisters still living. While growing up in Texas, Flake began working at a young age. When he was around 8 years old, he had his own paper route in the neighborhood. He cut lawns and cleaned houses for people in the community, and by the time he was in high school, he was taking a bus across town to work at a restaurant. Flake comes from a religious family, so he had been involved in the church all of his life. When the reverend was 15 years old, he officially began preaching. His peers did not understand why the teenager would preach instead of doing things 15year-olds normally do. "Because I started preaching at 15, my sisters used to tease me and say I'll never get a wife and all that nonsense because they wanted to party and I wouldn't party with them," Flake said. He got his preacher's license soon after, and was ordained when he was 17. When he was 19 years old, he received his second ordination. While in high school, Flake was on the track team. He was offered an athletic scholarship and planned to attend college in the Houston area. An alumnus offered Flake an opportunity to visit Wilberforce University in Ohio, the oldest private black university in the United States. The reverend met the president of the college and decided Wilberforce was where he wanted to pursue higher education.
Leading From The Pulpit:
Flake Led Allen A.M.E.’s Growth To Serve Beyond Church’s Walls Astounding Growth In the last 35 years, Flake’s vision turned Allen A.M.E. in Jamaica into the nationally-recognized church it is today. When Flake assumed the role of pastorate in 1976, Allen A.M.E. was housed in a building on the corner of Sayers Avenue and Merrick Boulevard. The church could seat about 600 people, which the congregation outgrew in just four years. In 1980, the church built a new home at the corner of Linden and Merrick Boulevards that could seat twice as many people. This new location eventually became the Allen Christian School when the congregation doubled once again. In 1997, Allen A.M.E. moved to its current home at 110-31 Merrick Blvd, which holds approximately 2,500 people. Since arriving at Allen, Flake said he has never used a sermon twice, and writes fresh material every week. Flake attributes the congregation’s rapid growth to the services the church provides. “People come where they feel a church is doing more than just preaching,” Flake said. “It’s one thing to preach it, but it’s another thing to make it manifest in a visible way.” Allen A.M.E. now has more than 100 ministries, including ministries for diabetes support, a prison min-
Inside the hall of Greater Allen
east Queens, the drug culistry, single parents’ minture was rampant. The pasistry and the Recovery tor changed the community through Christ ministry one block at a time, buying which helps people who and renovating whatever are struggling with addicbuildings he could. He has tion. built hundreds of homes for The church has far the residents of Southeast more than 20,000 memQueens over the last three bers. Rev. Flake said the decades. Flake feels this apchurch is filled to capacity proach to rebuilding comfor the 8:30 a.m. and munities is better than the 11:15 a.m. Sunday sergentrification that other vices. Around 1,500 communities in New York people who cannot attend City have done. This way, the morning service make residents are allowed to stay it to Allen A.M.E. in time in their homes and can affor the 6:30 p.m. service. Those unable to make it to Rev. Floyd Flake greets worshipers following a Sunday ford to live in the community they were raised. Jamaica can stream the service. “Until the recession, we didn’t church service online, a service that pastor at Allen. From 1986 to 1997, have many move-outs,” Flake said. has been offered since 2007. Prior to Flake served in the U.S. Congress. Flake said he did not have an in- “People are moving now because they 2007, Allen A.M.E. had two television shows where members could terest in politics prior to running for can’t afford to stay. Before the recestune in to hear the pastor speak. Ac- Congress. The reverend said he re- sion, Southeast Queens was excording to Flake, more than 30,000 ceived a phone call one day from tremely strong.” Since taking over the church, people a month log on to hear the someone who thought he would be a good fit for the job. The voters in the Flake and Allen A.M.E. have created pastor’s sermons. “It’s a much more convenient way 6th District agreed, as he was elected several organizations, including the to operate … and you touch more as a U.S. Representative in 1986. Greater Allen Development CorpoWhile in Congress, he still continued ration, South Jamaica Multi-Service people,” Flake said. Center and the One Stop Small BusiThe reverend has followers from his pastoral duties at Allen A.M.E. During his time in Congress, he ness Capital Center. all over the country, including mem“Any kind of operation, even a bers from New Jersey and Connecti- focused on how he could improve the cut. People travel from Westchester lives of his constituents, many of church, is a business, and you run it County and Long Island to attend whom were members at his church. like a business,” the reverend said. Allen A.M.E.’s Sunday service; Flake By the time he entered Congress, the “And if you run it like a business, said more than 3,000 of his 20,000 church was already building one of you’re always looking for what the its senior housing units. The Con- needs are for your customers; so for members are from Long Island. “My thesis is, marches and protests gressman wanted to find ways to me, a congregation represents my are okay, but at the end of the day, if bring more resources to Southeast customers; I have to meet their you create visible evidence that com- Queens. He achieved bringing the needs.” The Allen Christian School, which munities can be sustained and they can Food and Drug Administration be saved and so that’s been my hall- building to the borough, and keep- opened its doors in 1982, is seen as mark for the last 35 years,” Flake said. ing the Federal Aviation Administra- one of the best private schools in the tion building in Queens, saving jobs area for children. Flake said the building used to be a food service in the area. Keeping Busy “Congress, for me, was an experi- business owned by drug dealers, and After assuming his role as pastorate in 1975, Flake has held a few ence that gave me a real sense of how it was a breakthrough when the positions while also being a full-time the political process worked,” Flake church was able to purchase it. Though the pastor is busy, he tries said. Flake collaborated with the then- to keep a presence at Allen Christian President Bill Clinton to bring more School. When visiting the school, the federal dollars to underserved com- students stop what they are doing to munities like Southeast Queens. Dur- greet the former Congressman. Flake ing his time as president, Clinton said he visits the school around two would come and visit the church on or three times a week. He said he occasion, Flake said. While in Con- cannot go into the classrooms durgress, Flake partnered with the ing the school day, as it becomes too former president to form the nation’s disruptive to teacher instruction. Flake said he doesn’t usually have first one-stop small business capital center, known as the Jamaica Busi- time to unwind, but exercises every morning. He plans to preach every ness Resource Center. From 2002-2008, Flake served as Sunday as long as he is healthy, bepresident at his alma-mater, cause he thinks he would get bored Wilberforce University in Ohio, while at home. “I don’t want to sit with my wife traveling back to Queens every week and watch Lifetime all day,” he joked. to preach the Sunday service. Reach Reporter Veronica Lewin at vlewin@queenspress.com or (718) 357Restoring Jamaica When Flake first arrived in South- 7400, Ext. 123. A.M.E. Cathedral of New York. Photo by Ira Cohen
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By VERONICA LEWIN When the Rev. Floyd Flake got the call to become a full-time pastor at the Greaten Allen A.M.E. in 1976, he almost turned down the job. Prior to then, he had never been a full-time pastor of a church, and was not sure if he could handle the responsibilities. He was also hesitant to move to New York City because he was terrified of the area.
In Congress:
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BY DOMENICK RAFTER On April 10, 1986, U.S. Rep. Joseph Addabbo Sr., who had represented South Queens in Congress for more than a quarter century, passed away in Washington D.C. The race to succeed him would be extremely competitive and extremely quick. Though he lived in Ozone Park, Addabbo’s district had a black majority and included Jamaica, St. Albans, Hollis, Laurelton and Cambria Heights. The assumption was that after Addabbo, a black politician had an excellent chance of winning the position. The Rev. Floyd Flake, then in his 10th year as pastor of the Greater Allen A.M.E. Church, was arguably one of the most influential men in the district. Flake ran in the special election to succeed Addabbo as a third-party candidate. The election was held only two months after Addabbo passed away. Flake lost to then-State Assemblyman Alton Waldon Jr., the Democratic candidate, but only narrowly – by 278 votes. The vote set up the stage for Flake to take on Waldon in the Democratic primary that September, where he got the endorsement
Photo by Ira Cohen
The Pastor Packs For Washington DC A keepsake from his time in Congress still hangs in Flake’s office at Allen A.M.E. of Mayor Ed Koch, helping him win by racking up big margins in the western portion of the district that had been Addabbo’s base. The district’s Democratic lean meant Flake easily won the general election in November. He consistently was reelected in the district, winning more than 70 percent of the vote in each of his re-election campaigns. Flake was an advocate for cities and urban communities while he was in Congress. For more than 11 years, Flake represented the Jamaica-based district in Washington while continuing his pastoral duties at Allen. He served on the Banking Committee,
rising to be chairman of the Subcommittee on General Oversight. In 1993, he authored legislation that empowered financial institutions to invest in poor urban neighborhoods for both residential and commercial development. The legislation had strong bipartisan support and support of financial institutions and consumer groups. He helped steer federal money to his district for development, focusing on seniors and infrastructure, and was called one of the most effective downstate federal legislators. A Democrat, Flake was known for his bipartisanship, supporting some of Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s Contract with America, while lamenting that it did not do enough for urban communities; he also opposed his party on the issue of school vouchers. In 1996 he criticized the welfare reform bill, a compromise between Gingrich and President Bill Clinton, because of the cuts it made to programs important to his constituents in Southeast Queens. He resigned from office in 1997 to go back to Allen full time, stating the difficulty in leading his congre-
gation while traveling to the nation’s capital. “My calling in life is as a minister,” Flake said upon announcing his resignation 1997, “so I had to come to a real reconciliation, and it is impossible to continue the sojourn where I am traveling back and forth to DC.” He served until the end of the 1997 session, leaving office in November. Though out of elected office, he remains politically active in the community. He is considered a mentor for some of Southeast Queens’ most powerful politicians including his successor U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks – whom Flake supported in the competitive special election to succeed him in 1998 – and former State Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith. But his endorsements didn’t end in the Democratic Party, Flake crossed party lines to support Rudy Giuliani and Mike Bloomberg for mayor and George Pataki for governor. Recently, he has helped candidates across the country, both Republican and Democrat, including Ken Blackwell, the 2006 GOP candidate for governor of Ohio and Adrian Fenty, former Democratic mayor of Washington D.C.
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His Best Friend:
The Other Rev. Flake On Her Husband BY JASON BANREY There are not many people who have seen all sides of the Rev. Floyd Flake. One of the few is his wife, the Rev. Dr. Margaret Elaine Flake. Before the two mar ried and moved to New York to begin what would become an overwhelming career, developing one of the biggest churches in the Metropolitan area which has provided the community with countless resources and services, the pastors started as a humble young couple with dreams and aspirations just as any other. It was during their time at Boston University where Mrs. Flake met her husband. The two became fast friends after becoming members of the same church where Mrs. Flake was teaching. According to Mrs. Flake, in those days, her husband-to-be was being pursued from many sides of the female congregation, especially the choir. “[Mr. Flake] was a pretty big catch in the church,” she said. “It was funny because he was really shy at the time.” Despite the competition from all angles, they developed a strong friendship which quickly evolved into something more than Mrs. Flake was expecting. Although Mrs. Flake denies they had a definitive first date, the two
c o u r t e d o v e r m a n y b re a k f a s t s , university] then his vision for pasturlunches and dinners getting to ing evolved.” After graduating from Boston know one another’s dreams and University the two had their first desires. child, Aliyah, and de“It went from a cided to move to Jafriendship to somemaica only nine thing a little more semonths after getting rious,” Mrs. Flake said. married. “I thought we were just In that same year friends. I never knew the two took over the he had more intenAllen A.M.E. Church. tions.” Under their leaderThose intentions ship, the Flakes turned turned into a proposal, the church into the sealing there bond forsecond-largest minisever in a marriage try in the City, expandwhich took place in ing its membership to December of 1975. more than 5,000 mem“ I w a s s h o c ked when it happened,” The Rev. Dr. M. Elaine bers in a little over a Mrs. Flake said. “I had Flake is the person who decade. Since their days no idea he was going best knows the Rev. courting in Boston, to propose, but I think Floyd Flake. they have developed he wanted to be sure that the relationship was real and it an inseparable bond, linked through the church and their dedication to was.” While finishing their degrees in their family. Mrs. Flake acknowledged her Boston, Mr. Flake never talked about his vision for religious ministry, Mrs. husband’s ability to be a loving and devoted father to their four children Flake said. “When we married it seemed he as they were growing up. “Despite his responsibilities in wanted to stay involved in education at the University, learning the ropes the church, Congress or business he of school management,” Mrs. Flake is very much a family man,” Mrs. said. “He seemed to be grooming Flake said. “He always drove the himself to become a president [of a kids to school and never really
missed too many recitals.” What developed as a passion of community service, their ability to utilize the church to materialize results for Southeast Queens has come a long way from their daydreaming days in Boston. As his wife of nearly 40 years, Mrs. Flake has been through it all with her husband and could have not seen her life going any other way. Year after year, the couple has worked tirelessly to fulfill their vision. “I think [Mr. Flake] has done an incredible job helping to transform this community,” Mrs. Flake said. “Since we got married we haven’t stop working. We have stayed who we are making the necessary concessions in terms of time. We just kind of ride it out.” Although she feels the church’s work is never done, Mrs. Flake does look forward to the couple’s future years of retirement – a time which she says is not far off. “I often say that our retirement years are going to be interesting,” Mrs. Flake said. “So it’ll be nice to get away with my husband. But I wouldn’t know what to do if we weren’t busy. So we’ll soon see.” Reach Reporter Jason Banrey at jbanrey@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128.
Building Networks:
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Flake’s Influence Extends To Boards
BY BRIAN M. RAFFERTY Success is best achieved through hard work, but it also helps to know the right people and to make sure you build a network capable of supporting your endeavors. The Rev. Floyd Flake has done just that over his 35 years at Allen A.M.E. In 2001, President George W. Bush established the President’s Commission on Excellence in Special Education, comprised of 19 leaders in education and governance, to help lead the path for new standards in Special Education. At the time, Flake was president of Edison Charter Schools, and according to Bush’s executive order, “Flake focused his efforts on bringing about greater understanding of America’s urban agenda and on improving the long-term economic fortunes of residents of urban communities by joining private and public sectors and by improving education for students served in low-performing schools.” “Flake understands the negative consequences of schools that are not held accountable and that fail to provide every child with an excellent
education,” the President said. Joining Flake on the board were Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, former Dallas Mayor Steve Bartlett, and other educators, political leaders and philanthropists. Flake served on the Fannie Mae Foundation, which disbanded in 2007 and was a supporter of the arts, a contributor to food banks and an educator for low-income home buyers. In 2006 the organization distributed $61 million in grants. Serving the New York City Investment Fund’s Civic Capital Corporation, Flake was a part of organization, the goals which are “to mobilize the city’s financial and business leaders to help build a stronger and more diversified local economy.” The Fund built a network of top experts from the investment and corporate communities who help identify and support New York City’s most promising entrepreneurs in both the for-profit and not-forprofit sectors. Established in 1996 under the auspices of the nonprofit The Partnership for New
York City, it was initially capitalized by contributions of $1 million each from 67 individual and corporate investors, who invested for the good of the city and without expectation of financial returns. Today, the board of directors includes such luminaries as Jeff T. Blau, President of the Related Companies; Kathryn Wylde, President and CEO of the Partnership for New York City; and Robert K. Steel, NYC Deputy Mayor for Economic Development. From 2002 to 2006 Flake served on the board of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Advisory Committee on Banking Policy, which was created to examine policy initiatives in the areas of deposit insurance, supervision of financial institutions, resolutions and management of failing and failed institutions, and other issues impacting the financial services industry. Flake’s service in Congress on the Banking & Finance and Small Business committees gave him keen insight into the needs for customers and the FDIC’s agency pitfalls. At the Princeton Review, Flake
helped the organization achieve its goals of helping students, parents, and educators achieve the best results at every stage of their educational careers. By focusing on preparation and practice, the company helps students improve their performance in the classroom and on standardized tests. Flake was also a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Social and Economic Policy, where he has written op-eds in the New York Times and the New York Post, in which he advocated for school choice and the need for charter schools. In his time there, Allen was described as having “attracted a unique cadre of skilled corporate directors, corporate operations executives, commercial bankers, educators, and social service providers to establish a leadership model for community-based faith organizations. In fact, if Allen were a for-profit entity, it would appear as one of the nation’s 100 largest African American-owned enterprises.” Reach Editor Brian Rafferty at brafferty@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 122.
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Educational Pedigree:
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Schooling A Constant Factor For Flake BY BRIAN M. RAFFERTY For the young man raised in Texas who was the first in his family to go away to college, education has been a key component in the life of the Rev. Dr. Floyd Flake. From the day he packed his bags for Wilberforce University in Dayton, Ohio to his ongoing studies that have earned him advanced degrees and perspective in both the secular and religious sides of his life, Flake has made education a cornerstone of his being. Today, he serves as an advocate for and developer of charter schools in a district where parents feel left behind by the public school process. The founder of one of the largest religious schools in Queens, Flake's educational pedigree is tough to match.
of this railroad became Wilberforce University. As the Underground Railroad provided a route from physical bondage, the University was formed to provide an intellectual Mecca and refuge from slavery's first rule: ignorance. The University was newly incorporated on July 10, 1863. In 1887 the State of Ohio began to fund the University by establishing a combined normal and industrial department. This department later became the University's sister institution, Central State University. Wilberforce also spawned another institution, Payne Theological Seminary. It was founded in 1891 as an outgrowth of the Theological Department at Wilberforce University. Floyd Flake served as president of the University from 2002 to 2008.
Bachelor of Arts, Wilberforce University Founded in 1856, Wilberforce University can trace its origin to a period of history before the Civil War, when the Ohio Underground Railroad was established as a means of escape for all those blacks who sought their freedom in the North from the yoke of slavery; one of the destination points
Doctor of Ministry, United Theological Seminary The Doctor of Ministry degree is an advanced professional degree in the practice of ministry that employs action research methods to call participants toward deeper spiritual and intellectual synthesis to strengthen prophetic and pastoral competence. The D.Min. program at United
brings together religious leaders to pioneer new models of ministry that empower both minister and context to transform society. The program consists of a contextual model that offers the flexibility to learn and practice theology in one's own context. Part of the school's curriculum now includes the Floyd and Elaine Flake Certificate in Music Ministry Payne Theological Seminary Payne Theological Seminary, a free standing graduate school mandated by the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1844, is dedicated to the preparation of men and women for leadership in local, national and global ministries. Payne Theological Seminary offers an Afrocentric theological education focusing on teaching and research that emphasizes salvation which finds expression in liberation, reconciliation, social justice and the dignity of all humankind. The seminary values African American history, the African American experience, and the biblical tradition. Flake studied for a time at Payne. Boston University Flake served as the Director of
the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center and concurrently as Interim Dean of the Chapel, and Dean of Students. The Martin Luther King, Jr. collection, donated in 1964, consists of manuscripts, notebooks, correspondence, printed material, financial and legal papers, a small number of photographs and other items dating from 1947 to 1963. Manuscripts include class notes, examinations and papers written by Dr. King while a student at Morehouse College, Crozer Theological Seminary and Boston University. Dr. King's office files, which date from 1955 to 1963, make up the bulk of the collection and consist primarily of letters. There is material related to both the Dexter Avenue Church in Montgomery, Alabama, and the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Flake also attended Northeastern University School of Business and received honorary degrees from Boston University, Fisk University, Lincoln University and Cheney State. Reach Editor Brian Rafferty at brafferty@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 122.
Experience Counts!
The Administration, Medical Staff and Employees at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center wish to congratulate
Rev. Floyd Flake
Bruce J. Flanz President & CEO
Neil Foster Phillips Chairman of the Board
For more information about Jamaica Hospital’s complete list of services, call us at (718) 206-6000 or visit our website www.jamaicahospital.org 8900 Van Wyck Expressway, Jamaica, NY 11418
www.queenstribune.com • July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 Tribune Page 13
for his many years of dedicated service to the borough of Queens
Page 14 Tribune July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 • www.queenstribune.com
LEGAL NOTICE UNA Management LLC, Arts. Of Org. filed with SSNY on 05/11/11. 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, 52-31 39TH Rd., Woodside NY 11377. Purpose: to engage in any lawful act. _____________________________________________________________ IKON MANAGEMENT LLC, a domestic Limited Liability Company (LLC), filed with the Sec of State of NY on 3/ 7/11. NY Office location: Queens County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon him/her to The LLC, 3940 30th St., Long Island City, NY 11101. General Purposes. _____________________________________________________________ Notice of Formation of HARMANJOT TRANS LLC, a domestic LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/ 05/2011. 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: Sarmail Pelia, 114-12 Lefferts Blvd, South Ozone Park, NY 11420. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose. _____________________________________________________________ Name of LLC: Feng Mao LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with NY Dept. of State: 4/26/11. Office loc.: Queens Co. Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o Business Filings Inc., 187 Wolf Rd., Ste. 101, Albany, NY 12205, regd. Agt. upon whom process may be served. Purpose: any lawful act. _____________________________________________________________ Notice of Formation eStock Books, LLC art. of org. filed Secy. of State NY (SSNY) 5/ 6/11. Off. Loc. in Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: 27-28 Thomson Ave #628, Long Island City, NY 11101. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. _____________________________________________________________ “Notice of Formation of Provectus Technologies, a limited liability company. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 05-3111. 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 any process served against the LLC to: 33-11 165 th Street Flushing NY 11358 Purpose: any lawful act or activity.” _____________________________________________________________ Notice of Formation of TIVITOWN LLC, a limited liability company. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 02/28/2011. 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 any process served against the LLC to:
LEGAL NOTICE 1710 FIRST AVE. #121, NEW YORK, NY 10128-4902 Purpose: any lawful act or activity. _____________________________________________________________ Notice of Qualification of OCTROI CAPITAL ULTRA SHORT INCOME FUND L.P. Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/07/ 11. Office location: Queens County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 05/23/11. Princ. office of LP: c/o Octroi Capital GP, LLC, 178-36 Wexford Terr., 3B, Jamaica Estates, NY 11432. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Garey M. Fuqua, 178-36 Wexford Terr., 3B, Jamaica Estates, NY 11432. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. DE addr. of LP: c/o Corporation Service Co., 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., P.O. Box 898, Dover, DE 19903. Purpose: Any lawful activity. _____________________________________________________________ GALIS COMPANY, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 6/21/2011. Office in Queens Co. SSNY design. agent ofLLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 47-15 195 th St., Flushing, N.Y. 11358. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. _____________________________________________________________ Notice of Formation of JAG & JORA TRANS LLC, a domestic LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/09/ 2011. 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: Jorawar Singh, 135-19 128 Street 2nd Fl, South Ozone Park, NY 11420. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose. _____________________________________________________________ Notice of formation of Ugly Art Room LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on 05/13/2011. Office located in Queens. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC 64-02 79th St, Middle Village, NY 11379. Purpose: any lawful purpose. _____________________________________________________________ UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK Case No: 1:10-cv-03864 (NG)(CLP) SUMMONS ON A THIRDPARTY COMPLAINT HAROLD LEWIN, an incapacitated person by his legal guardian MARIS GORDON Plaintiff, - against - HSBC BANK USA NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Defendant. HSBC BANK USA, N.A., Third-Party Plaintiff, - against -. ANTOINE ROSA, ThirdParty Defendant. TO ANTOINE ROSA: This summons is served upon you by publication, pursuant to an Order of the Honorable Cheryl L. Pollak United States Magistrate Judge of the District Court for the Eastern District of New York, dated
LEGAL NOTICE June 22, 2011. The Order has been filed with the ThirdParty Complaint in the office of the United States District Court, Eastern District of New York located at 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York. This is a third party action brought by Defendant/Third-Party Plaintiff, HSBC Bank USA, N.A (“HSBC”), against you as Third-Party Defendant. The third party complaint against you was filed in the United States District Court, Eastern District of New York, on February 24, 2011. The relief sought is indemnification and contribution, and for all the costs and expenses incurred in HSBC’s defending the action filed by Plaintiff, Harold Lewin, an incapacitated person by his legal guardian Maris Gordon. In case of your failure to appear, judgment may be taken against you in the amount of any judgment which may be obtained herein by the Plaintiff against HSBC, plus all the costs, disbursements, attorney fees and expenses incurred in HSBC’s defending the action filed by Plaintiff, together with costs, disbursements, attorney fees and expenses of this action. Currently, Plaintiff is claiming in excess of $700,000.00 against HSBC. Service of this summons is complete the twenty-eighth day after the first publication of this summons. Within 21 days after service of this summons on you is complete, you must serve on the Defendant and on the Plaintiff and an answer to the third-party complaint or a motion under Rule 12 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The answer or motion must be served on the Defendant or Defendant’s attorney, whose name and address are: Phillips Lytle LLP, Attn: Preston L. Zarlock, Esq. One HSBC Center, Suite 3400 Buffalo, New York 14203 It must also be served on the Plaintiff or Plaintiff’s attorney, whose name and address are: Gordon & Gordon, P.C. Attn: Peter S. Gordon, Esq. 108-18 Queens Blvd., 6th Floor Forest Hills, New York 11375 If you fail to respond, judgment by default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the thirdparty complaint. You also must file the answer or motion with the court and serve it on any other parties. Dated: New York, New York June 23, 2011 PHILLIPS LYTLE LLP By /s/ Preston L. Zarlock Preston L. Zarlock, Esq. Andrew J. Wells, Esq. Attorneys for Defendant Suite 3400 One HSBC Center Buffalo, New York 14203-2887 Telephone No. (716) 847-8400 pzarlock@phillipslytle.com 437 Madison Avenue 34th Floor New York, New York 10022 Telephone No. (212) 759-4888 _____________________________________________________________ Davidov Capital LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 5/2/11. Office in Queens County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall
LEGAL NOTICE mail process to Alexy Davidov, 68-61 147th St, Flushing, NY 11367. Purpose: General. _____________________________________________________________ Roth Realty Management LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 7/2/10. Office in Queens County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 79-63 68 th Rd, Middle Village, NY 11379. Purpose: General. _____________________________________________________________ Notice of Qualification of POOCH PALS LLC, Authority filed with the SSNY on 05/ 13/2011. Office location: Queens County. LLC formed in DE on 03/05/2011. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: 3110 23rd St., Apt 5G, Astoria, NY 11106. Principal office of LLC: 31-10 23rd St., Apt 5G, Astoria, NY 11106. Cert of Formation filed with DE Div. of Corps, 401 Federal St., Suite 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose. _____________________________________________________________ The Law Firm of Ryan J. Walsh & Associates PLLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 4/8/11. Office in Queens County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Ryan J. Walsh, 70-50 Austin St Ste LL 106, Forest Hills, NY 11375. Purpose: Profession of Law. _____________________________________________________________ ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION OF EMBELLISH STYLE LLC Under Section 203 of the Limited Liability Company Law FIRST: The name of the limited liability company is: EMBELLISH STYLE LLC SECOND: The county within this state in which the office of the limited liability company is to be located is: Queens. THIRD: The Secretary of State is designated as agent of the limited liability company upon whom process against it may be served. The address within or without this state to which the Secretary of State shall mail a copy of any process against the limited liability company served upon him or her is: 115-108 221 St Cambria Heights, NY 11411 Nancy Hernandez (signature of organizer) Nancy Hernandez (print or type name of organizer) ____________________________________________________________ Notice of Formation Milou Realty LLC art. of org. filed Secy. of State NY (SSNY) 4/ 12/02. Off. Loc. in Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: 57-58 59 th St, Maspeth, NY 11378. Purpose: Any lawful purpose, latest date 12/31/2152. _____________________________________________________________ ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION OF F.X. Real Estate Holdings, LLC Under Section 203 of the LImited Liabilitiy Company Law FIRST: The name of the limited liability company is: F.X. Real Estate Holdings, LLC SECOND: The county, within this state, in
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
which the office of the limited liability company is to be located is: Queens THIRD: The Secretary of State is designated as agent of the limited liability company upon whom process against it may be served. The address within or without this state to which the Secretary of State shall mail a copy of any process against the limited liability company served upon him or her is: F.X. Real Estate Holdings, LLC 2043 Hemlock Farms Hawley, PA 18428 USA Louis SA Abrams (signature of organizer Louis S. Abrams (print or type name of organizer) _____________________________________________________________ 3902 LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 5/10/11. Office in Queens County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 102-10 Metropolitan Ave Ste 200, Forest Hills, NY 11375. Purpose: General _____________________________________________________________ Notice of Formation of JMS PARTNERS LLC, a limited liability company. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 05/11/2011. 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 any process served against the LLC to: 65-20 BOOTH STREET, APT. 3L, REGO PARK, NY 11374 Purpose: any lawful act or activity. _____________________________________________________________ STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CLARENDON CASE NO: 2010-DR-14-456 IN THE FAMILY COURT FOR THE THIRD JUDICIAL CIRCUIT SUMMONS FOR ADOPTION LOUIS MAYS, JR. AND VIRGINIA R. MAYS, PLAINTIFFS, VS. MYA BEVERLY HARRIS, A MINOR UNDER THE AGE OF SEVENTEEN YEARS, LATARA CLARK, NATURAL MOTHER AND JAIME HARRIS, NATURAL FATHER, DEFENDANTS. TO THE DEFENDANTS ABOVE NAMED: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED and required to answer the Complaint in this action, of which a copy is herewith served upon you, and to serve a copy of your Answer to said Complaint on the subscribed Land, Parke & Welch, P.A., 29 South Mill Street, Manning, South Carolina 29101 within THIRTY (30) days after the service hereof, exclusive of the date of such service. YOU WILL PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that within THIRTY (30) days of receiving notice you shall respond in writing by filing with the Court in which the adoption is pending notice and reason to contest, intervene or otherwise respond; The Court must be informed of your current address and of any changes in address during the adoption proceedings; Your failure to file a response within THIRTY (30) days of receiving notice constitutes consent to adoption of the child and forfeiture of all rights and obligations with
respect to the child. LAND, PARKER & WELCH, P.A. BY: William Ceth Land, Esquire Post Office Box 138 29 South Mill Street Manning, South Carolina 29102 803-4358894 December 14, 2010 Manning, South Carolina _____________________________________________________________ TEMP DIRECT, LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/27/2011. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 34-41 77/Th St. (#526), Jackson Heights, NY 11372. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose. _____________________________________________________________ Notice of formation of ASTORIA DOG WALK, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on May 11, 2011. Office located in Queens. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC 2042 23rd Street, 2 nd Floor, Astoria NY 11105. Purpose: any lawful purpose. _____________________________________________________________ PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, PURSUANT TO LAW, that the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs will hold a Public Hearing on Wednesday, August 3, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. at 66 John Street, 11 th floor, on a petition from Totore Pizzeria & Restaurant, Inc. to continue to, maintain, and operate an enclosed sidewalk café at 36-20 Ditmars Boulevard in the Borough of Queens for a term of two years. REQUESTS FOR COPIES OF THE PROPOSED REVOCABLE CONSENT AGREEMENT MAY BE ADDRESSED TO: DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, ATTN: FOIL OFFICER, 42 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10004 _____________________________________________________________ Notice of Formation of Benmillam LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 06/08/2011. Office located in Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: Benmillam LLC, 143-70 Ash Ave, Flushing, NY 11355. Purpose: any lawful purpose. _____________________________________________________________ NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: BAR 131 LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/15/11. 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, 131-02 14th Avenue, College Point, New York 11356. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.
You Can E-Mail Your Legal Copy to legals@queenstribune.com To Place Your Legal Advertisement or call the Tribune at (718) 357-7400 Ext. 149
Developing A Neighborhood:
Allen Branches Into Local Growth
By VERONICA LEWIN The Greaten Allen Development Corporation was founded in 2007. After 31 years of building houses and bringing jobs to Jamaica and the borough of Queens, the Rev. Floyd Flake opened the corporation to further carry out the goals of the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral. “Any kind of operation, even a church, is a business, and you run it like a business,” the reverend said. “And if you run it like a business, you’re always looking for what the needs are for your customers and so for me, a congregation represents my customers, so I have to meet their needs.” Although there are hundreds of pastors in the borough of Queens, Flake said a lot of them do not see community building as part of the job responsibility. “If you don’t work a community, build it like we’ve done – from the inside out – it’s not going to happen,” he said. Flake said he wants the members of his church to live well, and building a strong community around Allen A.M.E. helps strengthen the neighborhood of Jamaica. Rehabilitating the community has also helped the success the church has
When Flake and his wife Elaine arrived in Southeast Queens in 1976, the drug culture was rampant. On some streets near what is now the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral, such as the corner of Sutphin Avenue and Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, you could not walk down them without risking your life. Wanting to improve the lives of his members and othThe Rev. Floyd Flake speaks with one of the ers in the community, residents of the church’s housing developments. Flake decided to revitalize the area surrounding the church. seen in the last 35 years. Flake changed the community “You don’t gain much when your community’s falling apart around one block at a time, buying and renovating whatever buildings he could. you,” Flake said. The GADC strives to be a City and He said he feels the GADC’s apnational leader for restoring proach to rebuilding communities is underserved or struggling commu- better than the gentrification that nities. Since opening four years ago, other communities in New York City it has provided hundreds of afford- have done. This way, residents are able housing units to residents in allowed to stay in their renovated Southeast Queens. The corporation homes and will be able to afford to also strives to provide residents with continue to live in the community information on homeownership and they’ve called home for years. The GADC partners with commufinancial literacy so they can make informed decisions on home loans nity development organizations, including Local Initiatives Support and credit.
Corporation and Enterprise, Citi and the New York City Dept. of Housing Preservation and Development. “We just started doing what we felt was important to do to strengthen the community, and its benefited – not only the church and its growth, but certainly in the community as well in the value of homes,” Flake said. The GADC currently has five affordable housing programs. The Neighborhood Redevelopment Program rehabilitates multi-family housing; the Allen Neighborhood Homes Program promotes homeownership by rehabilitating homes in need of repair and selling them under the current market rate – currently seven homes are in the program; the Special Initiative Program is designed to help tenants make the transition into permanent housing; Allen Community Estates provides housing for seniors in the area; and the Sutphin Veteran’s LP focuses on providing housing for elderly veterans who were formerly homeless. According to Flake, these programs help people in his community stay in Southeast Queens. Reach Reporter Veronica Lewin at vlewin@queenspress.com or (718) 3577400, Ext. 123.
Allen Christian School
Preparing Students For Bright Futures
The Allen Christian School When the school officially began offering classes on Sept. 10, 1982, only 234 students were enrolled in grades pre-K through third. Today, the school has a waiting list of more than 150 students each year. Three years after opening, the school received its Absolute Charter from the New York State Board of Regents and has already offered thousands of children an educational foundation which has led to some of the nation’s top colleges and universities. As more students continued to
enroll, the Flake’s felt the need to expand their services and acted accordingly. “Opening our own school was always in the back of our heads,” Mrs. Flake said. “I would have never thought that [Floyd Flake] would have built a building for a school. I never had any idea that ministry could be so widespread and life changing because I had never seen that.” Rev. Floyd Flake’s time as an associate dean at Boston University
made him realize that many public school students entering the collegiate realm were not at a competitive level academically. Although he helped provide remedial services to compensate their inability to overcome their barriers he witnessed that they had already been paralyzed by the public school system. In an effort to deter this from happening, the Flakes installed a rigorous curriculum, focusing on the fundamentals of reading, language arts and math. Coupled with a dress code and small class sizes, the institution allows for a high degree of individualized attention and student-teacher parent interaction. According to the school’s Web site, the atmosphere of Allen is one of a loving family. Within a class structure that promotes an understanding for both faculty and administration to know each student’s strengths and weaknesses, teachers regularly meet to discuss student progress. As the school comes closer to its 30th anniversary, it promises to continue promoting excellence to pupils within its institution. Reach Reporter Jason Banrey at jbanrey@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128.
www.queenstribune.com • July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 Tribune Page 15
BY JASON BANREY From its humble beginnings in the basement of what was the Allen A.M.E. Church in 1981, until now, the Allen Christian School has grown to become a cornerstone within the community of Jamaica. For nearly three decades, the school has annually provided children with an education based in religious principles. Today, the school serves some 750 students. From pre-kindergarten to eighth grade, the facility’s co-ed day-school offers a Christ-centered educational experience where children are offered a traditional and Christian curriculum which includes computer skills, foreign language and the arts. The Revs. Floyd and Elaine Flake had always dreamed of opening a school. It was not until they moved from Boston in 1976 that they actually decided to pursue the challenge. Following their greater role as a pastoral family within the church, the couple’s dream gained momentum. Already with one child and a second on the way, they recognized a need for a quality institution which would offer their children, as well as countless children in the community, an opportunity to receive both a religious and secular education.
Multitude Of Services:
Center Gives Outreach Under One Roof In addition, the center offers a BY VERONICA LEWIN In a struggling economy, it may G.E.D. preparation program, be difficult for the residents of South- parenting skills program for teens, east Queens to have access to afford- a health clinic and a specialized area able healthcare. Those in the area for pediatric and geriatric patients. who may need medical help have the The South Jamaica Center for Chiloption of the medical services avail- dren and Parents is located on the same property. The able at Jamaica Medical organization receives Center, or travel to City funding for 126 Hempstead to utilize seats in the Headthe services Planned “People come Start program, which Parenthood has to offer. when they feel a offers educational Keeping with the church is doing programs for children goal to make sure the aged 3 to 5. The promembers of Greater more than just gram is designed to Allen A.M.E. Cathedral preaching. It’s one help children from and the surrounding thing to preach it, low-income families community live well, succeed in school. the Rev. Floyd Flake but it’s another The South Jamaica sponsored the South Ja- thing to make it Multi-Service center maica Multi-Service is just one facet of the Center, located at 114- manifest in a Greater Allen A.M.E. 02 Guy R. Brewer Blvd visible way.” in Jamaica. –Floyd Flake Cathedral’s commuAccording to Flake, nity development initiative. Organizations the multi-service center and services such as gives residents access to City programs like WIC and several the Allen Neighborhood Preservacounseling and mental health pro- tion and Development Corp., Allen grams that residents in need may not Senior Citizens Community Center and the Allen Housing Development otherwise have access to. “All of that’s under this roof,” Fund are all apart of Flake’s mission Flake said. to improve the area around the
Congratulations to
Page 16 Tribune July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 • www.queenstribune.com
REVEREND DR. FLOYD FLAKE for his leadership on the pulpit for the past 35 years and for his vision for our community
BRIAN SIMON
church, where most of his members live. The South Jamaica Multi-Service Center is also a place where people in the area can receive reproductive health services. With the help of funding from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, the center provides a nutritious supplemental food program for new mothers and children up to age 5. If one meets the eligibility requirements, food vouchers are The Multi-Service Center offers a range of services distributed and nu- under one roof. trition counseling is provided. make it manifest in a visible way.” The multi-service center also ofDue to the abundance of services fers sexual health screenings and the South Jamaica Multi-Service tests for residents of Jamaica, which Center provides, the organization is had the second highest rate of searching for a new location that can AIDS-related death in the borough accommodate increasing demand in 2009. and better serve the residents of “People come when they feel a Southeast Queens. church is doing more than just Reach Reporter Veronica Lewin at preaching,” Flake said. “It’s one thing vlewin@queenspress.com or (718) 357to preach it, but it’s another thing to 7400, Ext. 123.
LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given a License Number (PENDING) for on-premises Liquor has been applied for by the undersigned to sell liquor at retail in a Restaurant under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 158-22 A & B Crossbay Boulevard, Howard Beach, NY 11414 for on premises consumption. B R RESTAURANT CORP. D/B/A BRUNO RISTROANTE ITALIANO _____________________________________________________________ Notice is hereby given that an Order entered by the Civil Court, Queens County on May 31, 2011, bearing Index Number NC-000340-11/QU, a copy of which may be examined at the Office of the Clerk, located at 89-17 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435, grants me the right to: Assume the name of (First) N.J. (Last) El My present name is (First) Nathaniel (Last) Jay My present address is 131-05 Van Wyck Expwy, Jamaica, NY 11436 My place of birth is Brooklyn, NY My date of birth is July 12, 1960 _____________________________________________________________ Notice is hereby given that an Order entered by the Civil Court, Queens County on 7/ 20/11, bearing Index Number NC-000593-11/QU, a copy of which may be examined at the Office of the Clerk, located at 89-17 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435, grants me the right to: Assume the name of (First) Sultan (Middle) Suliman (Last) Al-Otaibi My present name is
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
(First) Carlos (Middle) Miguel (Last) Esquilin Gonzalez My present address is 90 Glen Street, Brooklyn, NY 11208 My place of birth is Puerto Rico My date of birth is February 28, 1982 _____________________________________________________________ Notice of formation of MV Elements,LLC. Articles of Org. filed with the Sec. State of NY on 06/08/11. Office located in Queens. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail any process to: The LLC, 26611 Bridgewater Ave. Floral Park, NY 11004. Any lawful purpose. _____________________________________________________________ “THE UNBAKERY LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) Nov. 09, 2009. Office in Queens Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 6714 108 ST, F O R E S T H I L L S , N Y. P u r pose: Any lawful purpose.� _____________________________________________________________ NOTICE OF FORMATION OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: M.G. CARDIOLOGY PLLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/28/11. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to the PLLC, 79-23 Metropolitan Avenue, Middle Village, New
York 11379. Purpose: For the practice of the profession of Medicine. _____________________________________________________________ Notice of Formation of 224650 THIRD AVENUE LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/24/ 11. 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 Gloria LoSchiavo, 138-22 1 1 th Ave., Whitestone, NY 11357. Purpose: any lawful activity. _____________________________________________________________ File No. 2005 – 3764/D 2 nd SUPPLEMENTAL CITATION THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, By the Grace of God Free and Independent TO: ERNESTINE SORRENTINO, ANNA CAMERLINGO, THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR OF THE COUNTY OF QUEENS, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. To the heirs at law, next of kin, and distributes of Dolores Camerlingo, deceased, if living, and if any of them be dead to their heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, legatees, executors, administrators, assignees and successors in interest whose names are unknown and cannot be ascertained after due diligence. Being the persons interested as creditors, legatees, devisees, beneficiaries, distributees or otherwise in the Estate of Dolores Camerlingo, deceased, who
LEGAL NOTICE at the time of her death was a resident of the County of Queens, state of New York, A petition having been duly filed by Judith De Lorenzo, who is domiciled at 337 149th Place, Whitestone, New York 11357, YOU ARE HEREBY CITED TO SHOW CAUSE before the Surrogate’s Court, Queens County, at the Queens General Courthouse, 6 th Floor, Room 621, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, City and State of New York, on the 25 th day of August, 2011, at 9:30 o’clock in the forenoon of that day, why a decree should not be made in the estate of DOLORES CAMERLINGO, lately domiciled at the Clearview Nursing Home, 157-15 19 th Avenue, Whitestone, in the County of Queens, City and State of New York, admitting to probate a Will dated May 26, 1998, a copy of which is attached, as the Will of DOLORES CAMERLINGO, deceased, relating to real and personal property, and directing that [ X ] Letters Testamentary issue to: JUDITH DE LORENZO. Dated, Attested and Sealed JUL 07, 2011, HON. PETER J. KELLY, Surrogate, Queens County, MARGARET M. GRIBBON, Chief Clerk, CHRISTOPHER HANSCOM, ESQ., (203) 644-2257, Attorney for Petitioner, 666 Old Country Road, Suite 509, Garden City, New York 11530. This citation is served
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
upon you as required by law. You are not required to appear. If you fail to appear it will be assumed you do not object to the relief requested. You have a right to have an attorney appear for you. _____________________________________________________________ CITATION File No. 2010-197 SURROGATE’S COURT, Queens COUNTY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK By the Grace of God Free and Independent TO: Estelle Nathanson Salberg, Beatrice Nathanson Elsman, being known distributees of the decedent Public Administrator, Queens County And to the heirs at law, next of kin and distributees of HENRY NATHANSON, deceased, if living, and if any of them be dead to their heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, legatees, executors, administrators, assignees and successors in interest whose names are unknown and cannot after due diligence, be ascertained. A petition having been duly filed by Meryl Finkelstein who is/are domiciled at 234 Community Circle, Old Bridge, New Jersey 08857 YOU ARE HEREBY CITED TO SHOW CAUSE before the Surrogate’s Court, Queens County, at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, New York, on September 1, 2011, at 9:30 o’clock in the forenoon of that day, why a decree should not be made in the estate of Henry
Nathanson lately domiciled at 108-25 Horace Harding Expressway, Flushing, New York 11368, United States admitting to probate a Will dated January 6, 2004 (and Codicil(s), if any, dated ) a copy of which is attached as the Will of Henry Nathanson deceased, relating to real and personal property, and directing that: Letters Testamentary issue to Meryl Finkelstein Dated, Attested and Sealed, JUL 05 2011 Seal HON. Peter J. Kelly Surrogate Margaret M. Gribbon Chief Clerk Douglas J. Chu, Esq. Print Name of Attorney Hynes & Chu, LLP Firm 475 Park Avenue So., 26th Fl., New York, New York 10016 Address (212) 643-1112 Telephone NOTE: This citation is served upon you as required by law. You are not required to appear. If you fail to appear it will be assumed you do not object to the relief requested. You have a right to have an attorney appear for you.
To Place Your Legal Advertisement, Call the Tribune at (718) 357-7400 Ext. 149 or E-Mail Your Copy to the Tribune at: legals@queenstribune.com
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www.queenstribune.com • July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 Tribune Page 17
A Place To Call Home:
Flake Replaces Blight With Housing
Early Troubles and Vision Flake was an unfamiliar face in the community, which beset him with a host of troubles well before he even planned to build anything. “In the early stages, one of the prime obstacles I faced were people saying this guy is new in the community,” he said. “There was no sense on their part that I had a sense of ownership.” In a spirit of outreach, and to gauge where he was most needed, Flake set out to find the three key areas bugging Southeast Queens folks at the time. The results? In no particular order: education, housing and crime. Unsurprising, but how did he pick which to address first? “Housing just kind of broke out because once I saw the vacant lots, I recognized the need for it,” Flake said. So the new guy now had a to-do list. Flake set about shifting pieces into place to create a form of affordable housing that was experimental at the time (the same kind we all know today). “I think when I started, that’s the time I met Mario Cuomo,” he said. “He was trying to do the same thing in some other communities. Over time, it just evolved.” Affordable housing has been a central focus of The Reverend’s push Rev. Flake since he became pastor of Greater was fueled by a belief that Allen A.M.E. rot grows from within, and BY JOSEPH OROVIC Surveying the Southeast Queens landscape in 1976, The Rev. Floyd Flake was dumbstruck by all the space. Not “space” in the ethereal sort sense of a welcoming vastness begging to be explored. Nope. Just a whole bunch of lots – an empty, unused and quite frankly sad-looking collection of City-owned-and-wasted potential. Flake recognized the negative effect of all these empty plots of nothingness. He set out to, among other things, fill them up with homes, families and a community. In essence, the seeds for a thriving neighborhood were planted, sewn via blueprints and a wild foray into affordable housing that many never heard of before. Left in the wake of Flake’s ambition were 225 homes, a rejuvenated neighborhood and the sense that this Flake guy was a bit of alright.
Rev. Floyd Flake at Allen Hall Estates, an affordable housing complex in South Jamaica. can be overcome through a direct attack. “My vision was that if I build homes in the community and built the school in the community, it would not only benefit the people but benefit the church,” Flake said. “I have to believe that a large part of it is because we were doing something that met the needs of the community. “For me it meant adding value, empowering people because it meant home ownership. If you build a community from the outside in, there is a real possibility of growth.” He met with then-Mayor Ed Koch to see if the City could unlock the land, and worked to bring in the resources necessary. Mind you, all of this was Greek to
Respect Your Edlers:
Homes For The Most Vulnerable
Rev. Floyd Flake in front of the Allen Senior Citizens Housing complex, home to the Allen Senior Citizens Center. also provided three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for seniors who live in the center’s catchment’s area in Southeast Queens. The center is conveniently located on Linden Boulevard about halfway
between Guy R. Brewer and Merrick Boulevards, and is accessible by at least five bus lines that connect people to spots all over Southeast Queens including Far Rockaway, Rosedale, Cambria Heights and Downtown Jamaica. The Allen Center provides hot lunch daily for all interested seniors across the city. For more information on the Allen Senior Center, including events and transportation, contact (718) 6580980 or (718) 657-9157. The senior housing complex that surrounds the senior center is a major piece of Flake’s legacy. Completed last decade, a $42 million assisted living facility on Linden Boulevard more than doubled the number of living facilities for seniors. Last year, Flake’s church received money for 66 more senior living units in a facility located in Far Rockaway. Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at drafter@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 125.
Getting It Done By the time the work was over, 225 homes were created. The series of two-family homes were owner-occupied with a tenant. Thanks to thenGov. Mario Cuomo, first-time home buyers got their new place for 5 percent down. Their rental income was able to cover the cost of the remaining mortgage payments, according to Flake. The occupants represented the sort of broad-spectrum community urban planners dream of. “What we wound up with was quite a few civil servants, educators,” he said. “It’s come a very long way.” In a way, Flake is wrong. Not much has changed. By his own account, all of the original owners still live in their homes. And if you go to the development’s cul de sac at 166th Street and Linden Boulevard, you will see the heart of a rejuvenated Southeast Queens pumping away, as it did. More Work Is Done Chief among future developments for Flake was Allen A.M.E. Hall Estates, a group of 50 affordable twofamily homes on Linden and Guy Brewer Boulevards. It gave financially strapped families a shot at home ownership. In total, Flake’s output as been prodigious. Allen A.M.E. owns about 300 units of affordable housing, as well as 630 units of senior housing. At the end of his interview, Flake was his typical gracious self. But he was busy again. In two days, he would close on 66 more units of senior housing. Reach Deputy Editor Joseph Orovic at jorovic@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 124.
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BY DOMENICK RAFTER Whether as a pastor at the pulpit or as a Congressman in Washington D.C., Floyd Flake has made caring for senior citizens a key issue on which to focus. A few blocks away from the Greater Allen A.M.E. Church, which Flake leads, is the Allen Senior Citizens Community Center at 166-01 Linden Blvd., sharing the property with Allen Senior Center Housing. Budget cuts have threatened the closure of numerous senior centers citywide, especially in Southeast Queens. Allen Senior Citizens Center has been forced to pick up the slack left behind by reduced services at other centers. The center was established in 1974 and hosts a wide array of planned activities including birthday parties and trips, both for the day – like to Broadway shows and museums – or overnight for the over 2,000 members of the center. Transportation to and from the senior center is
Flake at the time. He was a pastor, which left him grossly unqualified for jobs as an architect or urban designer. “I learned everything on the fly,” he said. “When it came to building homes, it just came down to making a decision to do it.”
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Streaming Faith:
Taking The Word To Online Viewers BY JOSEPH OROVIC While Allen A.M.E. has enjoyed various stints of broadcast on television, it has stepped into the new millennium using the full spectrum of online tools available to it. With the guidance of the Rev. Floyd Flake, the church is working to prove the redeeming factor of Christ’s love can go viral.
Spearheading its efforts are a host of new approaches common for your Gen-X worshiper and younger, including a vibrant Facebook presence and streaming services online, according to Church Communications Director Rodeena Stephens. Allen A.M.E. still enjoys a broadcast on satellite’s TV One and 1190 WLIB on the radio. Its television
presence morphed throughout the years, at one point enjoying a stint as a talk show format with Flake joined by holy men and stars alike. The church also enjoyed broadcasts on The Word, but its new focus rests on the potential of the Web. First is YouTube, with Allen A.M.E. hosting its own channel. The page features condensed versions of
For Business:
Keeping The Money Flowing
BY JOSEPH OROVIC Well before microfinance was winning Nobel Prizes, the Rev. Floyd Flake used his Congressional gravitas to bring the bite-sized lending practice to Southeast Queens’ small business owners and entrepreneurs. Today, the Jamaica Business Resource Center continues its founding mission to do as much as possible to help trade flourish in the area. During a time when lenders tightened their purse strings, President Bill Clinton asked then-Congressman Flake if there was anything his
community needed. “I got complaints from small business owners that they couldn’t get funding,” Flake said. The president was pioneering a new One Stop Capital Shop program, which offered a second resort for business owners turned down at classic lenders, with various services designed to help commerce grow. But Southeast Queens, as it stood, did not qualify. The income variable of the area was above the federal guidelines set to open up a One Stop Capital Shop. A day after voicing his complaint,
Clinton told Flake his district would set the standard for the future 13 One Stop Capital Shops to open around the country. In the time since, the One Stop Capital Shop became the Jamaica Business Resource Center and has helped businesses reach capital as well as a litany of other services. “I didn’t go to Congress for a career,” he said. “I went to see what would enhance my community.” Reach Deputy Editor Joseph Orovic at jorovic@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127.
the Sunday preaching, whether it be from Flake himself or others at the pulpit. “We try to definitely take our experience that we have on Sunday mornings, something that reflects the entire worship experience,” Stephens said. “We’re constantly trying to keep our content fresh.” Allen A.M.E. also streams its services live online every Sunday, through “Streaming Faith.” The service allows viewers to engage in an ongoing conversation with the day’s worship and message, with Stephens keeping a mindful over proceedings. For his part, Flake monitors it from a distance, assured he left the duty of tending to his online flock in capable hands, Stephens said. “He’s a numbers person, so he can relate to it,” she said. Numbers drove the decision to go online in the first place. With cable TV broadcasts, the numbers of viewers were always wishy washy at best. “The Pastor is engaging people,” Stephens said. “We’re constantly identifying ways to reach our audience. It gives us more flexibility.” Reach Deputy Editor Joseph Orovic at jorovic@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127.
I am proud to honor the
REVEREND DR. FLOYD FLAKE
Assemblywoman
VIVIAN COOK 32nd District
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for his 35 years of service to both his congregation and to the people of Queens. We have all benefited from his work in empowering our neighborhoods both economically and spiritually.
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AN OUNCE OF HUMANITY CAN OUTWEIGH 500 TONS OF METAL. DELTA SALUTES REV. FLOYD FLAKE FOR HIS MANY DECADES OF SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE OF QUEENS.
Nabbing Federal Sites:
Pastor Key To Landing FAA, FDA BY JASON BANREY While serving in Congress as the representative of New York’s 6th District, the Rev. Floyd Flake established a reputation for bipartisanship. Through his political prowess and effective efforts he helped develop productive initiatives, materializing structural legacies within a community which was once plagued by deterioration. With the intention of developing Southeast Queens into a firm setting for not only commercial operations, Flake was able to garner federal and local support that won two regional facilities for government agencies. In an effort to increase the region’s stability, not only in the borough but also in the city, his initiatives helped attract both the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration into Jamaica. According to Edwin Reed, who served as Flake’s chief of staff in Congress, the concept that began traction on attracting the FDA was that
they would be able to move close to an educational institution and have access to its academics. “York College just made a lot of sense,” Reed said of the federal agency’s decision to finally move its headquarters onto its Jamaica campus. “The FAA has a respect for community contribution just like [Flake] always did.” As Flake poised himself to resign from office in October 1997, the fiFlake in nal steps were already taken towards completing an agreement on establishing South Queens as the new home of the FDA. When the developer was chosen, Flake hailed the announcement as one of his proudest achievements, calling it “probably the best kind of retirement present one can have,” in
Young Adults:
A Community’s Future Rests With Its Youth Each Friday night, young believers are drawn to the church to worship and read the Bible. In 2007, the weekly study’s membership tripled and moved into the sanctuary to accommodate young adults who were coming from throughout the city, Vermont, Connecticut and New Jersey. In 2004, the Young Adult Conference began as a two-day event. Since then the conference has grown into a semi-annual multi-day occasion, attracting guest artists and speakers from around the nation as well as attendees from as far as Puerto Rico and the Netherlands. After Carson left to pastor elsewhere in 2004, the Rev. Terrance M. McKinley took the helm, ushering a refined vision for the YAM. Hosting two national conferences annually has helped bring about an era which is breaking beyond its boundaries of Southeast Queens and slowly touching the lives of youth around the world. “I have always wanted the conferences to be a time of renewal for our church,” McKinley said. “Every year, the Conference has been a time of sowing and reaping, when we come together, get centered and get empowered.” Reach Reporter Jason Banrey at jbanrey@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128.
an interview in 1997. Since 2000, the FDA has called Southeast Queens its home. Located within an area brimming with possibility, the federal agency has not only affected students within York itself but has also nurtured economic growth for businesses along Jamaica Avenue. “There is a synergy that is developing in [Jamaica] because of the FDA,” said Lamont Bailey, chairman of the Greater Jamaica Development Corp., an influential organization that was also pivotal in helping attract the FDA to the region. “York’s students are benefiting from this opportunity and it is influential in getting a pharmaceutical school in the area. People in the community can now pursue different career opportunities, which the FDA is also benefiting from as well.” After arriving, the FDA provided a much-needed boost to the economy of Jamaica as a whole. According to Carlisle Towery, president of the Greater Jamaica Development Corp., the facility helped set the stage for multiple projects in the vicinity, such as the AirTrain terminal as well as development projects within the local commercial area. Many also credit Flake with keeping the FAA’s headquarters in Queens. According to officials, before selecting New York as its final choice, the FAA was considering sites in other states along the east coast such as Massachusetts and Virginia. Flake’s persuasive politics and bipartisan bargaining materialized results for his constituents and gave the area another economic anchor. Although Flake received some pushback from the New York delegation, for him the important issue was job creation, an important part of his campaign and a The Food and Drug Administration building that concern he held firm go- is such a strong part of the York College campus.
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BY JASON BANREY The Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral has been committed to the community since its inception nearly 180 years ago. Since then, the Allen Ministry has made the youth an integral part of its congregation. Reaching out to young adults within the community between the ages of 18-35, the Young Adults Ministry is determined to empower the lives of these individuals. Instilling the importance of living life through the religious teachings of Jesus Christ, YAM hopes participating youth will take a positive message and demeanor back to their homes, communities, schools and workplaces. Through the vision of the Revs. Floyd and Elaine Flake, YAM was founded in 1996 to encourage fellowship and acknowledge the many practical and spiritual needs of young adult Christians. Feeling a need to provide a positive outlet for an underserved population of young adults, the Rev. Tiate Carson introduced two institutions: the Young Adult Bible Study and the Young Adult Conference. Capstones within the ministry itself, both the bible study and conference have become overwhelmingly popular attracting youth from far and wide.
front of the FAA facility he landed in
ing into his political career when he was elected to Congress. “I didn’t go to Congress for a career,” Flake said. “I went to see what would enhance my community.” Due to pressure from Republican Sen. Al D’Amato, who was in favor of bringing the facility to the area, the FAA’s was persuaded and settled on the Jamaica location at 159-30 Rockaway Blvd. To Reed, what Queens. helped clinch the deal was providing the FAA with incentives that Flake saw within the community and helped pitch along to the federal agency with the help of local elected officials, GJDC, and community officials. “You don’t get an FAA and the FDA just because you want them in your district,” Reed said. “The effectiveness of getting both those buildings was to understand their needs and then building programs around them to serve their purposes.” To Arlene Feldman, former administrator for the FAA’s Eastern region, who oversaw the $60 million project, the agency’s decision to stay in Queens simply made sense, as many of the regional facility’s employees already lived in the area and it would have been complicated to move outside of the region. In the end, both facilities helped bolster the Southeast Queens region as an economic player within the borough and helped generate more than 2,000 jobs at a total cost of over $280 million. Reed pointed out that both federal agencies could have been located anywhere but did not. Eventually they chose the 6th district. “It’s rare that you to find this many federal buildings in this district alone. And this isn’t even Manhattan,” Reed said. “That shows the true engagement if Flake and his efforts along with others.” Reach Reporter Jason Banrey at jbanrey@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128.
Bringing Tourists By Train:
BY DOMENICK RAFTER For decades, officials have recognized the need of some sort of public transportation system to move people into and out of JFK Airport. The Van Wyck Expressway was, and still is, clearly inadequate at handling the amount of traffic. Discussions over how to bring transit to JFK go back almost as long as the airport has been in existence. The MTA attempted at a system by establishing a special line, called the “JFK Express” or “The Train To The Plane,” which ran along the F and A train line from 57th Street in Midtown to Howard Beach serving stations in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn. The service ran from 1978 to 1990 and proved to be not very effective. It was not much faster than the regular A train and passengers still had to take a bus from Howard Beach. The Rev. Floyd Flake represented the airport and the communities surrounding it in Congress while that debate was ongoing. He was instrumental in coming up with the final plan that exists today: a system that can be used not only to get passengers in and out of the airport, but from terminal to terminal, and one
Photo by Ira Cohen
Flake Pushed For JFK Rail Connect Hills. Though perhaps more convenient, locals in those communities opposed that alignment. The Rockaway Beach LIRR line has been abandoned since 1962 and has been taken over by the A train south of Ozone Park. Local opposition allowed Jamaica representatives, including Flake, to suggest building a new line The AirTrain, which was pushed by Rev. along the median of the Floyd Flake in Congress, now connects JFK Van Wyck Expressway to the Jamaica LIRR station, alto Downtown Jamaica. ready the third busiest in that brings millions of people each the metropolitan area. That alignment, they hoped, would bring reviyear into Downtown Jamaica. The system would connect passen- talization to economically depressed gers to two terminals: one in Howard Downtown Jamaica, especially Beach where passengers can take the around Sutphin Boulevard and ArA train to Rockaway or Brooklyn and cher Avenue and the neighborhood Lower Manhattan; and a larger one south of the station, which was one in Jamaica, which connects to the E, of the poorest and most crime-ridJ, Z subway lines and the LIRR, con- den in the city in the 1990s. “The rail link is another step in necting pretty much the rest of Long the process of bringing the commuIsland and Manhattan. Earlier ideas for a train to the nity to a place where it ought to be, plane would have routed a line up stable, viable and sound,” Flake said the abandoned Rockaway Beach line in 1999. Though some residents along of the LIRR through Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Glendale, and Forest the Van Wyck opposed the train at
first, construction began in 1999, a short time after Flake left Congress, and was finished and opened in 2003. Construction of the project created thousands of jobs, which helped the community weather the 2001 recession. Since its opening on Dec. 17, 2003, the number of passengers using the AirTrain system has doubled despite cynics of the project warning that it may fail. It has also become a commuter system for residents of Howard Beach to access the LIRR and E trains for a quicker commute to Manhattan and also for pilots, flight attendants and other airport workers who have begun to plant roots in the Jamaica area. Besides the AirTrain, it was under Flake’s term that the airport began expanding, adding more gates and larger terminals, a project that is still ongoing. The expansion projects that begun under Flake’s term have helped entice airlines like Delta to add to its presence at JFK, and they were a major factor in JetBlue’s decision to locate its hub at JFK and its headquarters in Queens. Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at drafter@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 125.
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has done all of his life.” Rev. Edwin Reed, After Flake resigned from ConGGT Development The Rev. Edwin Reed has been gress in 1997, Reed remained with with the Rev. Floyd Flake through it the reverend and was given the opall. From Washington D.C., during portunity to manage the operations Flake’s time in Congress, all the way of Allen’s multiple ministries as well back to the borough to help build as it affiliated corporations which Allen A.M.E.’s Cathedral, Reed has employed 350 members of staff and totaled more than $92 million in asstuck by the reverend’s side. Together, they have expanded the sets. As chief financial officer for role of the church in the community. Developing multiple resources Allen’s corporations, Reed oversaw throughout Southeast Queens and numerous operations which materialized a myriad of benenhancing the area’s infraefits for community resistructure. Reed has helped dents. Through Flake’s see Flake’s vision to fruivision and with the tion and is proud to say church’s mission, to that he made that decision build the community 28 years ago. through uplifting its It was as a member of resident, Reed says they his congregation where were able to impact the Reed began to believe in heart of the community the effectiveness of Flake’s – its residents. message. After moving to “It feels very good to New York in 1983, Reed see the impact the and his wife joined Rev. Edwin Reed church has had on the A.M.E’s ministry. It was at Sunday service were they began to lives of people,” Reed said. “Allen’s see first-hand how Flake’s efforts institutions, from the bricks and were already influencing community mortar, are wonderful but it’s really about the people.” residents. As the community began to take “We realized he was such a great leader,” Reed said. “We became in- advantage of the opportunities the volved very quickly in the church church was providing, Reed witbecause of its message and all that it nessed the pride and integrity the neighborhood was taking not only in had already accomplished.” In 1986, in a leap of faith, Reed themselves but also in their families. “When I see a father walking his took a leave of absence from his role at General Motors as senior execu- kids to school in the morning, that’s tive and dedicated all of his time to- power to me,” said Reed of the resiward taking the Allen ministry be- dents who now live within Allen’s developments and are searching for yond its four walls. In a decision that would cement a better future. “In the end, you know it’s not that their relationship forever, Flake asked Reed to help manage his bid you’ve changed a portion of the community,” Reed said. “You’ve changed for Congress. “The community came to him and the fabric of the community and deasked him to run for Congress,” Reed feated many of the stereotypes it was said of Flake’s decision to transition once battling.” Much of this success came from from the church into politics. “He never had political aspirations but it Flake’s close dealings with people. was something [residents] seriously Reed attributes this to the reverend’s friendly and welcoming demeanor asked of him.” Without hesitation, Reed accepted and his ability to transfer a positive the reverend’s request. Little did he sense of well being onto others know his new role would take him throughout the neighborhood. “What’s special about [Flake] is beyond the borders of Queens and into the nation’s capital. “My idea that he cares about being friendly was coming into the campaign office with everyone,” Reed said. and doing administrative work for “It’s his warm spirit that Flake,” Reed said, acknowledging attracts people.” After 28 years of knowFlake’s ability see greater roles for those who do not envision them ing and working with Flake, Reed has not found themselves. “Instead, he asked me to become it difficult to be both the his campaign manager and eventu- reverend’s friend and proally his chief of staff,” Reed said with fessional colleague. “In fact, it actually ena chuckle. “I had a little bit of background in politics but that was cer- hanced our ability to optainly more than I had expected him erate more efficiently for the community,” Reed to ask of me.” Greg Joining Flake’s political office said. “As two professionals, was one of the best decisions Reed we wanted to do our jobs and see sucever made. It was Flake’s ability to cess for each other. Because of that I surround himself with effective pro- believe we’ve been so successful fessionals that made his time in of- within the community which we owe fice so productive for the 6th district, all to God.” Reed said. “Floyd is a hopeful person and a Greg Meeks, visionary leader,” Reed added. “He 6th Congressional District U.S. Rep. Greg Meeks (D-Jais very good at recruiting people to the team to achieve goals. I call this maica) is one of the few people who leadership leverage. A lot of people know what it’s like to step into the can lead but many don’t get much shoes of Rev. Floyd Flake. Meeks sucdone. This is what [Flake] does and ceeded Flake in Congress in 1998
after Flake’s resignation and has rep- with a big afro,” Smith said. The resented the Jamaica-based district senator said he met the pastor when that includes most of Flake’s congre- the now-Allen Christian School was a business called Benson Burgers, gation ever since. “I don’t know a more dedicated and before the church’s homes for seand innovative individual,” Meeks nior citizens were built. “He’s done quite a bit for the area said of his predecessor, whom he has known for more than 30 years. “I with the economic development, in watched as he began to take [Greater addition to the surrounding areas, Allen A.M.E. Church] from a church because as a result of his vision and that had a barely 500 members to development, it spun off all around well over 15,000, but in doing that the City.” When Smith met Flake, he not only making the church concerned in its congregations, but thought the pastor was going to transforming the entire community.” bring a new style of leadership to Meeks said Flake completely Southeast Queens and New York City changed the neighborhoods of because of the different vision he had Southeast Queens in his time as a for the community. The senator attended many of the pastor and as a Congressman in an groundbreaking ceremonies for “unprecedented” way. “He was able to take that and buildings Greater Allen A.M.E. purbuild inspiration and hope into the chased and developed, including the community and people,” Meeks said, first senior citizen center and the “that’s what propelled him from just Allen Christian School. Smith is a member of the church being a pastor to a Congressman” There is a laundry list of lessons, and goes to Allen A.M.E. to hear Flake’s sermons every SunMeeks said he learned day. from Flake, but most noThe two have collabotably he learned that a rated on several projects in Congressman, from eiSoutheast Queens, includther party, can get a lot ing the development of done if he works with evMerrick Academy, the eryone in a “common Arverne by the Sea project sense way.” and the South Jamaica “The lesson that I housing development near learned from him there, Sutphin Boulevard. whether we were in the “I’ve worked on almost majority or the minority, every project with him,” you have to figure out Malcolm Smith Smith said. The senator how to get things done,” Meeks said. “He always talked about was Flake’s district director during thinking out of the box, demon- his time as a Congressman. Smith said the pastor has an abilstrated it and how and why it would be successful. For me, coming into ity to negotiate in a non-confrontaCongress, that was a lesson well tional way, and tap into someone’s interests in a way where everyone learned.” Flake’s legacy will be economic feels like they have won when a comdevelopment in Southeast Queens, promise is reached. “If you can accomplish 10 percent Meeks said, noting that Merrick Boulevard in St. Albans has gone from of what a person wants, everybody run down and lacking commercial gets a little, then together we all get a lot,” the senator said. development to thriving. Smith said he and the pastor’s Meeks called Flake “the people’s preacher,” and said during his career Christian beliefs can cause them to he remained focused not just on the put too much trust in people who church he led, but the community as may not have the best intentions. a whole. He will be remembered for The senator said he tries to model understanding “that in order to re- Flake’s style of negotiation when up ally have a free and thriv- in the Capitol. While in Albany, ing community, you have Smith tries to bring everyone to the to do it economically and table and work together for the comcreate business opportu- mon good of all involved. “It’s been very successful for me nity,” Meeks said. “The legacy will last in South- as well, even when we were coming east Queens for a long into the majority in the Senate,” said Smith. period of time” The senator thinks very highly of Meeks added that his legacy is well known na- his nearly 30-year relationship with tionwide and leaders Flake, and thinks there is more to from all over the country come from the pastor from Houston, come to visit Flake in Ja- Texas. Meeks “I think he has been one of God’s maica to see the community he helped grow and bring the greatest gifts to the borough of lessons he applied to Southeast Queens and the City of New York. He Queens back to their own part of the has shown God is not through with him yet, and there’s much that one country. can learn from his style of being selfless when it comes to trying to do the Malcolm Smith, best for people in our community 14th Senate District When State Sen. Malcolm Smith and our city.” (D-Hollis) met the Rev. Floyd Flake a few decades ago, the pastor had a Shirley Huntley, different hairstyle than the one he 10th Senate District Back when State Sen. Shirley sports today. “I knew him when he was pastor (continued on page 28)
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(continued from page 26) Huntley (D-Jamaica) was a spritely community activist in the 1970s, the Rev. Floyd Flake presented himself as a willing ally and open ear to ongoing and new battles. Decades have passed, and not much has changed. “When I met him, I knew Allen A.M.E. hit the jackpot,” Huntley said. “Naturally he just has a way with people. He was really gracious.” Huntley first encountered Flake and his family in prototypical neighborhood fashion – at the suShirley permarket. From the getgo, Flake was receptive to Huntley’s various causes. Well before she was elected to public office, Huntley always found a slot in Flake’s schedule. “Even if you were not members of his church,” she said, “if you called him, he always found time. I wasn’t even thinking about being a State Senator. He tried to help whenever you asked.” Huntley is most thankful for the work Flake did in the rejuvenation of Merrick Boulevard. Once known as a derelict stretch of Southeast Queens, a small business section of the borough was revived by the pastor. “I remember Merrick Boulevard when it was a mess,” she said. “It almost had the appearance of a dead community. Every time I pass down
Merrick, I think about him. I thank him every day.” The ability to identify and address problems quickly became a signature of Flake’s approach, and translated into his Congressional tenure, according to Huntley. But the position never went to his head. “Every time we would meet him, he always had time to hug you, and it wasn’t the kind of politician hug,” she said. “He never talked about being the Congressman.” To this day, Huntley said Flake keeps his ear to Huntley the ground and works towards bettering the community. “Even though he’s not the congressman, he still packs a lot of power,” she said. “I’m very grateful that he is in our community. But his work in the community isn’t over. “We still need him.” Bill Scarborough, 29th Assembly District Assemblyman Bill Scarborough (D-Jamaica) first encountered the Rev. Floyd Flake while serving as a member of the Guy Brewer Democratic Club in 1986. As Flake and former Congressman Al Waldon contested for support during the Democratic primary, Scarborough recalled the reverend’s oratorical skill, which set him aside from his opponent. “[Flake] was inspirational,”
Scarborough said “He is the master Scarborough worked with city ofof language technique. The emotion ficials and local politicians to make he puts in to his speeches makes you sure developments within the district ultimately had the residents’ think about the issues.” The ability to deliver a speech needs in mind. Since its approval by the comwithin a crowded room may be easy for some, but according to munity board, the Greater Allen Scarborough, he remained im- Senior Residence came to provide pressed with the soon-to-be Con- affordable housing for over 300 seniors, some of whom Scarborough gressman. Through his election into Con- s h a re s a p e r s o n a l re l a t i o n s h i p gress, Flake became a strong politi- with. “They are very happy where they cal figure while continuing to maintain a strong religious presence are at,” Scarborough said. “The sewithin the community in Southeast nior residence provides a great service which they say they’re pleased Queens. Flake’s religious tenor and strong with.” Not only has Flake sense of community are provided affordable seen throughout the area, housing within the area, Scarborough said. he has also addressed “The many institutions economic development, he has emplaced using the Scarborough said. power of the black church “Economic develophave had an impact in ment is one of the biggest improving this commuissues in the black comnity,” Scarborough said of munity,” Flake said. Flake’s work, which has “[Flake] is taking it head created a school, affordon and he’s done well able housing and various Bill Scarborough with it.” senior services. “I think To Scarborough, Flake’s legacy his service follows a tradition that has been within the black community for has already touched multiple facets of Southeast Queens. decades, if not centuries.” “I think it is clear that he has been Scarborough has also witnessed the personal impact Flake has in- an asset to the South Queens for a stilled on his constituents and the di- number of years,” Scarborough said. rect tangible benefits his services “I appreciate his effort for the community. [Southeast Queens] wouldn’t provide. B e f o re b e i n g e l e c t e d t o t h e be the same without him.” State Assembly, as district manager (continued on page 30) of Community B o a rd 12,
American Airlines A Ai l congratulates l Rev. Floyd Flake for his years of service to the community of Queens.
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(continued from page 28) Vivian Cook, 32nd Assembly District Assemblywoman Vivian Cook (DSouth Jamaica) has known Rev. Floyd Flake since he first arrived in Jamaica in 1976. At that time, she was involved with the old Greater Allen A.M.E. Church when it was located on South Road closer to Downtown Jamaica. She was part of a congregation that was waiting with hope and exVivian citement for their new pastor to arrive. “We were all excited about him,” Cook said. “He had visions of building a new church.” Her involvement with the church and in local politics allowed her to get to know Flake over the years and the two later served in government together. She was elected to the State Assembly in 1990, four years after Rev. Flake was elected to Congress, representing the same South Jamaica, Rochdale, Baisley Park and South Richmond Hill constituents Rev. Flake was representing in Washington. “I just feel he is one of those very anointed people. I happen to like him very much and I’ve enjoyed working with him,” she said. “He’s always available when you call.” The two served their communities in government and often worked with each other on their constituent’s main issues for seven years before Flake resigned from Congress in 1997, the same year the grand cathedral was built on Merrick Boulevard. That church is what Cook points to, along with the senior centers that are a part of the church, as Flake’s greatest legacy. She also noted his friendly demeanor and said he never forgets a face. “He never forgets people,” Cook said. “He always remembers who you are. That is something that people don’t usually do.” Leroy Comrie, 27th Council District It is my great privilege to join your family, members of your congregation and colleagues in congratulating you on 50 years in the Ministry and on your 35th anniversary as Pastor of the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral, and may I also add on your 11 significant years in Congress. As a great preacher and teacher, you have achieved Leroy many important accomplishments in this span of time; impressive growth has come to Southeast Queens. Our community and our nation have benefited from your legislative triumphs as well as the economic, housing and senior citizen projects that have emanated from the strength and commitment of the members of Allen. Likewise, generations of children will achieve lives of fulfillment because of the success of Allen’s Church School.
The more than 100 dynamic Ministries of Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral have surrounded your congregation with the light and love of God. Allen’s world famous Cathedral Choir, ground breaking Shekinah Youth Ministry, Elder Care, Helping Hands and Social Action Ministries, and the Women’s Resource Center, just to name some, have touched many hearts and many souls but all your Ministries have empowered the members of Allen Cook to worship God with true faith and “to help others with gentle hands and care with compassionate hearts”. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. told us that the most persistent and urgent question of our time is “what are we doing for others” and you have answered with true Christian purpose. All you have accomplished through your compassion and courage and the magnanimity of your spirit have benefited your fellow human beings. Through your leadership the members of the Allen family have kept their commitment to others. I would be remiss in not praising the incredible leadership of your wife Reverend Dr. Margaret Elaine M. Flake whose social concern and belief in the welfare of others has led her to help the most vulnerable and most needy. I look forward to help in every way possible as you continue your great mission for Christ and the community. Your City and Nation are truly grateful.
Dennis Walcott, NYC Schools Chancellor New York City Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott has known the Rev. Floyd Flake for nearly three decades. During that time, the two have fostered a professional relationship through regular commuDennis nication and a shared interest in public education. Whether it is through class trips in one of Southeast Queens’ schools or during one of their many conversations regarding community issues, Walcott has observed Flake’s dedication to education. “Education has always been a part of his agenda when it comes to strengthening the community,” Walcott said. “[Flake] was always fond of educating the community and it shows.” Comrie As the city’s foremost official on education, Walcott understands Flake’s passion for the community, a passion which is delivered through the Allen Christian School. Walcott’s daughter was among some of the school’s first pupils to attend Allen. Since 1983, he has enrolled all of his four children in to Flake’s school because of its dual focus. “We wanted our children to have a religious foundation as well as an
understanding of religious educa- end to the Borough President. “It was a pleasure for me to work tion,” Walcott said. Over time, Walcott has seen Allen with him,” she said. “He was absogrow from an educational institution lutely incredible.” Flake’s tenure in Conwhich began teaching gress was a particularly children in the basement fruitful one for the borof what was then the Allen ough, and Shulman laA.M.E. Church into an exmented its limited nature. tensive facility with mul“I remember him betiple buildings that now ing a very, very active offers classes to 750 puCongressman,” she said. pils. “When he was there, we “His ability to have a got a lot of things out fedpositive impact on the eral government. I hoped community is trementhat he would stay in Condous,” Walcott said. Claire Shulman gress longer.” Flake’s awareness of what Despite the accomplishments, is going on in the community and what is happening with its residents Flake remains the same forwardas well as members of his parish set looking public servant, according to him aside from other community Shulman. “I’ve got nothing else to add exleaders, Walcott added. Walcott also mentioned Flake’s cept that I love him.” ability to not allow party politics affect his agenda for the community Carlisle Towery, and implement improvements for Greater Jamaica Development Corp. the greater good of its residents. Carlisle Towery, CEO of the “Instead of being locked into party politics because of what others Greater Jamaica Development Corp. want, he looks at a variety of issues has known The Rev. Floyd Flake and sees through to what needs to since he first arrived in Jamaica 35 be done,” Walcott said. “Flake is years ago. Towery knows Flake not smart, knowledgeable and commu- for his pastoral duties, but for his nity minded and this has generated leadership in the community, both in Congress and out. a lot of benefits for the area.” “I’ve known him the whole time he’s been here. I’ve known him as an Claire Shulman, especially able guy who deals with Former Borough President The mere mention of The Rev. fundamentals,” Towery said. “He alFloyd Flake’s name elicits admiration ways has the big picture and vision, from former Borough President but also has a very pragmatic perClaire Shulman. The duo spent the spective.” He said that Flake’s focus has albetter part of the last 20plus years helping trans- ways been the “collective commuform Southeast Queens nity,” but that Flake is also conscious of what is important to the individual into a lively hub. “He’s a dynamo; I don’t as well. “He’s the kind of person who sees know what else to say,” she the forest and the trees,” Towery said. said. Both in and out of Congress, The two worked together on most major Flake has been a supporter of the Southeast Queens projects GJDC, Towery said. “He has always supported us in that occur red during Shulman’s 16-year tenure one level or another,” he said. Flake’s legacy was his leadership in Borough Hall. The tanWalcott dem achieved so much, in bringing three federal agencies to Shulman had a hard time recalling the Jamaica area, Towery said, most notably the FDA, which relocated to what they did. “He was so active and so into ev- York College when Flake was in Conerything and so knowledgeable that gress. “We had been courting it’s hard for me to give the FDA for years,” Towery you details,” she said. explained. “This was his Chief among Flake project with us. We jointly and Shulman’s accomsold Jamaica as the right plishments was the arrival place [for the FDA to reloof the Federal Aviation cate].” Administration and Food Besides the FDA, the and Drug Administration Social Security Administrato Southeast Queens. But tion has moved one of its the former beep recalls a main offices to Downtown number of obstacles stood Jamaica. Flake was also inbetween the dream and Carlisle Towery strumental in bringing the reality; chief among them FAA to Queens. The agency a hesitant CUNY Chancellor, who fought the FDA’s arrival had been planning on moving to Nassau County, but Flake helped seat York College. “We went ahead and did it any- cure its Springfield Gardens location. Both as a Congressman and as a way,” Shulman said, adding the move exemplifies Flake’s ability to see community leader, Flake was also through obstacles. “We worked too heavily involved in the AirTrain and hard together on so many things; we the expansion at JFK. “He helped build a community kind of ignored them.” Shulman and Flake meshed over consensus in a time where there a shared attention to detail, which wasn’t it,” Towery said of Flake’s supimmediately ingratiated the rever(continued on page 32)
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healthcare and affordable housing, two things that have been made available by the Greater Allen Development Corp. and the South Jamaica Multi-Service Center. When Bronx resident Amadou Diallo was killed after four plainclothes officers fired 41 shots at him in 1999, both Gadsden and Flake condemned the action of the officers, and publicly fought to expose police brutality and unfair treatment Leroy Gadsden, of blacks in the City. Jamaica NAACP Gadsden lauded the reverend for Leroy Gadsden, president of the Jamaica chapter of the NAACP, said his role in transforming Allen A.M.E. he was in awe when he first met the from just a church to a conglomeration of organizations, making it one Rev. Floyd Flake. “Over the years I’ve seen his as a of the largest job providers in Queens. Gadsden said role model,” Gadsden bringing more jobs to an said. area often results in deGadsden respects how creased rates of incarceraapproachable the former tion, which is one of the Congressman is to people NAACP’s goals. He comin the community. mended Flake on achiev“He would always take ing his goal of making sure time to communicate people in Southeast with everybody, regardQueens have an opportuless of title, regardless of nity to live the American status,” he said. dream sought by so many. The two have not diGadsden’s admiration of rectly collaborated on any Leroy Gadsden Flake grew when the reverprojects in South Queens, but Gadsden and Flake often support end was constructing the building the same goals of equality, liberty and that now houses the Allen A.M.E. church. He said Flake stood his accessibility for their residents. Flake’s transformation of the ground when unions wanted to use neighborhood surrounding the outside contractors, and fought until Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral has the unions conceded to hiring local helped the NAACP achieve its initia- contractors to do the task. Gadsden tives. Gadsden said the organization said he could have easily given up, but is always pushing for access to he kept pushing to bring employment
Page 32 Tribune July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 • www.queenstribune.com
(continued from page 30) port of the AirTrain. “He also knows the importance of JFK Airport in providing jobs for the community.” Towery added that Flake’s influence can be seen in almost every corner of Jamaica and Southeast Queens. “He’s made a demonstrably visible impact on the Jamaica community,” He said.
one of the turning factors as far as the improvement of the neighborhood was concerned. He was actually doing something for the residents.” At first, Bailey confessed he heard a lot of negative stories about the reverend which made him hesitant about his initial meeting. That perception later changed once Bailey witnessed Lamont Bailey, Flake’s dedication to the community. Greater Jamaica Development “I think he has his church and the Corp. As chairman of the Greater Ja- community’s best interest at heart,” maica Development Corp., Lamont Bailey said “I realize now he has been criticized unfairly – a lot Bailey sits side by side with of it due to jealously.” Rev. Floyd Flake. As the According to Bailey, GJDC continues to revitalFlake’s ability to foster a biize and strengthen Japartisan relationship while maica, Bailey admits Flake in Congress served as a key has become a key figure toward acquiring the diswhen it comes to seeing initrict funds and has made tiatives through to fruition. him an essential figure of “As a leader, Flake is in the board at the GJDC. tune to the needs of com“ [ F l a ke ] d e a l t w e l l munity and the issues they with both Democrats and face,” Bailey said. “Because Lamont Bailey Re p u b l i c a n s , ” B a i l e y of his connection he is able said. “He got things done and to get doors open for the [GJDC].” Bailey grew up in close proximity brought home the bacon to his disto Flake’s church but it was not until trict.” As Flake’s ideas and community a few years after 1976, when he had the opportunity to meet him. In that concerns continue to hold weight same year, Flake was asked to head within the GJDC’s board, Bailey knows the heart of Jamaica residents’ the Allen A.M.E. Church. Although Bailey was not a mem- concerns will always be represented ber, he quickly noticed a difference in their best interest and it is because in the community once Flake became of the reverend. “There is nobody really at present the reverend. “Flake’s predecessor was big that has his gravitas,” Bailey said. within their denomination, but he “Especially in New York, there is nowasn’t as community-oriented as body now like him that has accomFlake was,” Bailey said. “[Flake] was plished as much in this community.” to members of the community. “When I saw this, it really just boosted my admiration and respect for him,” he said. Gadsden said Flake is a role model for him and other young leaders in the community.
www.queenstribune.com • July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 Tribune Page 33
Leisure
Books Give Glimpse Into Boro History By BARBARA ARNSTEIN Reading any one of the series of historical captioned photo books from Arcadia Publishing is like traveling through time. Queens resident Jason Antos, a Queens newspaper editor, is the aut hor of "Images of America: Whitestone," "Then & Now: Queens" and "Then & Now: Flushing." Each book features interesting photos, postcards, drawings and documents that trace the progress of Queens from 1645 to the present, and depict a wide variety of scenes and structures, including roads, restaurants, railroad stations, banks, bridges, libraries, churches, trolley cars, stores, and so on. One page of "Flushing" quotes part of an 1886 letter, in which a woman wrote to her husband, "There is a rumor of a horse railroad to College Point and also talk of electric lights too. Oh! Flushing is changing, dear," and include s a 1926 photo, which depicts the dramatic differences in size and
Fort Tot ten i n September style between a huge furni1995," it should also have ture factory and the old-fashmentioned that it is now ioned mansion beside it. used as a training area for Another page includes an the police and fire depar tundated photo of the "King ments. The mention of Neptune Fountain," decoAstoria Park says nothing rated with statues of Nepabout the popular pool tune and four mermaids, there, the oldest and largest and bedecked with flower in the city, but "Flushing" urns, that stood at the interdoes include the intriguing section of Nor thern Boulefact that the Roosevelt Avvard and Main Street from enue Subway Bridge over 1874 to 1946. Sadly, there Flushing Creek was built as is no photo of the RKO a lift bridge that was the largKeith's theatre in its cinest of its kind at the time. ematic heyday, or any menStrangely, there is no t ion of its older h istor y of "Then & Now: Flushing" by photo in "Flushing" of the hosting vaudeville acts. 1964-1965 World's Fair at Among other fascinating Arcadia Publishing Flushing Meadows, and the facts, "Queens" reveals that Bayside boasts America's oldest hamburger only photo of the 1939-1940 World's Fair in fast-food restaurant (open since 1932). Al- it disappointingly shows only the Tr ylon and though it mentions that "Congress closed Perisphere (its symbols) from a distance.
More strangely, although many long- vanished mansions are mentioned in all three books, there is no mention of Flushing's Voelker-Or th Museum, the beautifully restored mansion (with a beautiful Victorian Garden), at 149-19 38th Ave., where tours are regularly conducted, and events held. Most strangely of all, in “Whitestone", Antos states that "developers created beautiful beach clubs but their time was shor tlived," ignoring the fact that private beach clubs still exist there, and have for decades. There is so much intere st ing h istor y in Beechhurst that I am now gathering material for an Arcadia Publishing book about that area. If you have any photos, postcards, maps, let ters or other materials relating to its development, or even interesting family stories involving Beechhurst to share, please allow me to consider them for the book. Write to me in care of the Q u e e n s Tr i b u n e , 1 5 0 - 5 0 1 4 t h Ro a d , Whitestone, NY, 11357.
DC Rolls Red Carpet For MLK Celebration
Page 34 Tribune July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 • www.queenstribune.com
Destination DC, the official tourism and marketing office for the nation's capital, is offering combination hotel and ticket packages for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Dedication on Aug. 28 in Washington, D.C. This arrangement is in partnership with the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. Destination DC's allocation of tickets are combined with two-night stays at one of 16 Washington, DC hotels. These exclusive bundles will be available until they are sold out. Tickets are non-transferable and nonrefundable. "Thousands of people from across the country and around the world have been touched by the life and legacy of Dr. King. Destination DC is excited to present this unique oppor tunity to witness history," said Elliott Ferguson, President and CEO of Destination DC. "To be able to offer Dedication Ceremony tickets paired with exceptional hotel rooms for the celebrator y weekend creates a special visitor experience in the
Nation's Capital, a city with a unique and substantial connection to Dr. King." Located on the Tidal Basin, the Mar t in Luther King, Jr. Memorial is the first on the National Mall to honor a non-president, and will be dedicated on the 48th anniversary of the March on Washington and Dr. King's stirring "I Have a Dream" speech. The occasion will be accompanied by four days of special events, including a familyfriendly expo, "Par tners in the Dream" at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center as well as inspirat ional concer ts, a VIP gala and civil rights leaders luncheons. Complete details about Dedication Week events can be found at DedicateTheDream.org. "The legacy of Dr. King's message of nonviolent conflict resolution and equality is known the world over. We look forward to welcoming visitors to the city and to our website, Washington.org, as they plan future trips," said Ferguson. "The Destination DC team is excited to assist visitors eager to share the significance of this historic new
A Grand Old Time around this street corner café is charming and there's something about the outdoors that make digesting easier - and you'll be doing plenty of that. Get the skir t steak, made from silver medallion Black Angus meat from the local butcher; it is definitely a specialty. The rest of the food was The Grand Café tries to be all RESTAURANT tasty and there is plenty of varithings to all people - so long as the ety on the menu. Being in word casual is in there somewhere. Astoria, the Grand Café offers The restaurant bills itself as high good eggplant, hummus and arend casual food and it certainly tichoke spinach, as well as a wide delivers, serving great food to variety of desserts and great spesomeone in shorts or a suit. The cialty drinks. The salads were interior of the restaurant is split fresh and robust as well. among many different zones, inThe prices are "casual" as cluding booths, large tables and well, in that they are no deep dismore intimate tables for two, but counts, but the high quality food all of these disparate elements are held to- makes the cost reasonable. gether by the tasteful interior design, which The Grand Café also features a private is both creative and not overwhelming. room with a separate side entrance, which But do yourself a favor and sit outside is per fect for baby showers or corporate if the weather is worth it. The breeze, the functions. bustle of 30th Avenue and the ample space — Br ian Raffer ty Grand Café 37-01 30th Ave., Astoria (718) 777-7321 Cuisine: Moder n Diner Hours: Mon-Thurs 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., Fri-Sun 8 a.m. to 3 a.m. Parking: Street
REVIEW
addition to our city on this extraordinar y weekend, and surely for years and generations to come." Destination DC is also creating a special brochure for the occasion. The "Official Washington DC Travel Information Guide for the Mar tin Luther King, Jr. Memorial" will
highlight how to experience DC's historic relationship with Dr. King and be distributed free to visitors for the rest of the year. A limited number of hotel and dedication ticket packages are available and are on sale now at Washington.org/MLK and (877) 2011-MLK.
Hot Jazz, Cool Garden The Louis Armstrong House Museum will host the monthly hot jazz/ cool garden outdoor concer t series with Gordon Au and the Grand Street Stompers on Saturday, July 30, at 2 p.m. Now in its fourth season, the outdoor series is held each summer in the Armstrong Garden at Louis Armstrong House Museum, located at 34-56 107th St. in Corona. The musical extravaganza showcases upand-coming traditional jazz bands that play the musical sounds of Louis Armstrong. The Grand Street Stompers are a The Grand Street Stompers, led by Gordon Au, swinging hot jazz band led by fresh- will play at the Louis Armstrong House this Satfrom-New Orleans trumpeter Gordon urday. Au. With one foot stomping in vintage tradition and the other in modern style, niors over 65, students and children. Group they delight swing dancers and music lovers rate for eight or more is $6. Children under alike w ith ever y thing from show tunes and 4 are free. All ticket prices include a guided Louis Armstrong hits to exciting originals, tour of the museum that can be taken before classical covers, and Disney and movie or after the concer t. themes. To learn more, go to Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for se- louisarmstronghouse.org.
Bound For Broadway Bound For Broadway 2011 is coming to Bayside at The Professional Per forming Arts Center at Queensborough Community College, pre sented by the Theatre Ar ts Center. The all-singing-and-dancing revue is choreographed and staged by Guest Artists from Broadway, such as Robbie Roby and J. Austin Eyer from "Billy Elliot," Shannon Lewis from "How to Succeed," Tony Gonzalez from "Mama Mia," Stephanie Klemons from "In the Heights" and Beth Johnson Nicely from "Young Frankenstein." The two-act spectacular is the product of
TAC's four-week Musical Theatre Workshop and features songs and dances from Broadway shows new and old. It is performed by talented young singers and dancers from New York and beyond. Director Robert Laconi has been producing the show in Queens since 2001. Performances will be on Saturday, July 30, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 31, at 3 p.m. The Theatre is located at 222-05 56th Ave. on the Queensborough Community College campus in Bayside. Tickets are $15, no reservations nece ssary. For more information visit TheatreArt sCenter.com.
www.queenstribune.com • July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 Tribune Page 35
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, 174-15 Horace Harding Expressway, Fresh Meadows, NY 11365. Send faxes to 357-9417, c/o Regina. IF YOUR ORGANIZATION MEETS ON A REGULAR BASIS, SEND ALL DATES FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.
ALUMNI AME CHURCH August 5, 6, Macedonia AME Church will host a homecoming/reunion. 3535870. THOMAS JEFFERSON Sunday, January 15 class of 1961 will meet in Florida. Tjhs1961@aol.com
DANCE LINE DANCING Saturdays 2-4 at Holy Family RC Parish Church, Msgr. Mahoney Hall, 175-20 74 th Avenue, Fresh Meadows. Light refreshments. Bring friends! ISRAELI FOLK Mondays 7:15-9:45 at Hillcrest Jewish Center, 18202 Union Turnpike. $10 session. 380-4145. LINE DANCING Mondays 6:30-9:30 at Kowalinski Post 4, 61-57 Maspeth Avenue. $7. Cake and coffee. 565-2259.
RELIGIOUS
Page 36 Tribune July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 • www.queenstribune.com
ASTORIA CENTER S a t u r d a y, A u g u s t 6 To t Shabbat. Astoria Center of Israel, 27-35 Crescent Street, LIC. 278-2680.
THEATER AUDITIONS Tuesday, August 2 auditions for Annie Get Your Gun at the Bay Terrace Jewish Center at 7. 428-6363. STOP THE WORLD Friday, August 5 at 8, Saturday, August 6 at 7 and Sunday, August 7 at 3. Jubilee Cluster Players present “Stop the World I Want to Get Off” at the United Methodist Church of Glendale. Saturday, August 13 at 7 and Sunday, August 14 at 3 at Trinit y Reform Church in Ridgewood. 894-8654. WEST SIDE STORY August 5-14 at St. Gregory Theatre Group in Bellerose. 989-2451 KILLING KOMPANY Friday, September 23 “The Re a l i t y T V M u r d e r s ” a t Riccardo’s in Astoria. The Killing Company performs mystery dinner shows. 1-888SHOOT-EM for information.
ENTERTAINMENT MOVING IMAGE Museum of the Moving Image, 35 th Avenue and 37 th Street, Astoria. $10 adults. 777-6888. POW WOW Friday, July 29 gates open at 6, performances 7-10. Saturday, July 30 gates open at 10, performances 1-5 and 7-10. Sunday, July 31 gates open at 10, performances 15. 33 rd Annual Thunderbird American Indian Mid-Summer Pow Wow at the Queens Count y Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway. $10 adults. 347-FARM. BRAZILIAN ROMANCE Saturday, July 30 at the Broadway library at 2:30. WOMEN IN HIP HOP Saturday, July 30 lecture and performance with DuEwa Frazier at the Langston Hughes library at 2:30. OLDIES Saturday, July 30 rock and roll, doo-wop and pop at 2:30 at the Ridgewood library. JAZZ Saturday, July 30 Gordon Au and the Grand Street Stompers. August 4 Jazzmobile in front of the museum at 7. August 20 Baby Soda Jazz Band. Armstrong House Museum. 478-8274. MODERN CUBAN SON Saturday, July 30 at 2 at the Flushing library. CONCERT Saturday, July 30 free concert of rock, doo-wop, pop and country at the Ridgewood library at 2:30. GARDEN PART Y Sunday, July 31 one of the oldest houses in the Douglaston Historic District will hold a House Tour and Garden Part y from 2-5. $35. 105 Depew Avenue. COUNTRY WESTERN Sunday, July 31 NY Metropolitan Country Music Association presents the Mary Lamont Band at Seuffert Bandshell, Forest Park Drive, Forest Park, Woodhaven at 7. MOVIE NIGHTS Mondays, August 1, 8, 15 at the Arverne library at 5. CUNNINGHAM MOVIES Monday, August 1 Karate Kid. Monday, August 8 Breakfast with Scot. Thursday, August 11 Rent. Monday, August 15 Despicable Me. Thursday, August 18 Grown Ups. Cunningham Park at 8. Bring blankets and chairs. FAMILY FILM Tuesday s, August 2, 9, 16 family films at the Pomonok library. Register. BINGO Tuesdays at 7:15 at American Mart yrs Church, church basement, 216-01 Union Tu r n p i k e , B a y s i d e . 4 6 4 4 5 8 2 . Tu e s d ay s at 7:15 (doors open 6) at the Rego Park Jewish Center, 97-30 Queens Blvd. 459-1000.$3 admission includes 12 games. SHAKESPEARE Tuesday, August 2 Othello a t 7 . Tu e s d a y , Au g u s t 9 Much Ado About Nothing at 7. Socrates Sculpture Park.
Bring a blanket or chair and picnic. OUTDOOR FILMS Wednesdays, August 3, 10, 1 7 C u l t u r a l D i ve r s i t y o f Quee4ns with Outdoor Cinema 2001 at 7 at Socrates Park. BOOK PARTY Wednesday, August 3 at the Hillcrest library at 2. SUMMER MOVIES Friday, August 5 “Secretariat.” Friday, August 12 “Inception.” Friday, August 19 “ O f G o d s a n d M e n . ” F r i d ay, Au g u s t 2 6 “ Tr u e Grit.” Friday, September 2 “Invictus.” St. Joseph Parish, 43-19 30 th Avenue, Astoria. 278-1611. BBQ begins at 7, movie at sundown. FIRST FRIDAYS Fridays, August 5, September 2 Socrates Sculpture Park offers evening hours. LIVE JAZZ Fridays through December 13 at 180-25 Linden Blvd.., St. Albans. 347-262-1169 ticket information. PASSPORT FRIDAYS Fridays through August 26 the Queens Museum of Art will hold its 7 th International Outdoor Film, dance and music series. 592-9700. POP CLASSICS Saturday, August 6 at 2 at the Flushing library. ANTIGONE Saturday, August 6 at the Jackson Heights library at 3. CANOE TOUR Saturday, August 6 Urban Rangers will hold a free canoe tour of Willow Lake. 539-8462. HAWAIIAN HULA DANCE Sunday, August 7 at 2 at the Queen Museum of Art. Learn how to hula with John Cho.
MISCELLANEOUS DOG/CAT VACCINE Through July 30 Petland Discount locations offer low cost dog and cat vaccinations. Contact your local store. WALK ABOUT Saturday, July 30 Independence Residences, Inc. will hold the 2 nd Annual Queens Walk About in Cunningham Park. 805-6796, ext. 133. ADOPTION MEETING Saturday, July 30 at 10 at Family Focus Adoption, 5440 Little Neck Parkway, suite 4, Little Neck. 224-1919. BOOK FAIR Deadline July 31 for C&B Books Distribution’s Annual Queens Book and Health Fair on September 24 th in the Jamaica Harvest Room. Authors interested in exhibiting should contact 591-4525. SCHOOL PROJECT Saturday, August 27 First Baptist Church will provide school book bags, supplies and more. 446-0200. WALK & RUN September 25 Long Island Heart Walk and 5K Run. 516450-9126. AUXILIARY OFF. The 105 th Precinct Community Council invites all interested in becoming an Auxiliary Police Officer.776-9268.
Queens Today EDUCATION/GAMES/CRAFTS Wednesdays, August 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 at Buenos Aires Tango in Forest Hills. 347642-4705. HEBREW Starting August 3 a 4 session adult Hebrew class will be held at the Central Queens YM-YWHA. 2685011, ext. 160. BASIC COMPUTERS Wednesday, August 3 learn the basics at the Woodside library at 10:30. DUPLICATE BRIDGE Wednesdays 10:30-3:00 at the Reform Temple of Forest Hills. $12 session, includes light lunch. 261-2900 INDOOR SOCCER – DADS Wednesday evenings at the Forest Hills Jewish Center. 263-7000. OIL PAINTING CLASS Wednesdays 6-8 adult classes, all levels. Grace Lutheran Church in Forest Hills. 472-4055. WATERCOLOR CL ASS Wednesdays at 9:30 at NAL. Traditional and contemporary, all levels. 969-1128. QUILTING CLASS Thursdays 10-2 at the Maria Rose Doll Museum in St. Albans. 276-3454 or 917817-8653 to register. QUILTERS Thursdays at the East Elmhurst library at 12:30. CHESS CLUB Thursdays at the East Flushing library. Register. COMPUTER CLASS
Every Thursday at the Queensboro Hill library. Register. KNIT & CROCHET Thursdays at the Fresh Meadows library at 6. PLASTICS & CODE Thursday, August 4 Safer Alternatives to Plastics: Cracking the Code on Plastic Labels at 6 at the Sunnyside library. BALLROOM DANCING Thursdays, August 4, 18, 25 ballroom dancing for beginners at the Woodside library at 6:30. COMPUTOR TUTORIALS Thursdays, August 4, 11, 18, 25 at the Woodside library at 6:30. KNITTING CLUB Fridays at the Maspeth library at 10. KNIT & CROCHET Fridays at the Fresh Meadows library at 10:30. ADULT GAME PLAYERS Fridays, August 5, 12, 19 at the Hillcrest library at 2. COMPUTER COURSE Every Friday at the Ozone Park library. Register. GAME DAY Fridays, August 5, 12 at the Arverne library at 3. CHESS CLUB Fridays, August 5, 12, 19, 26 at the Auburndale library at 3. WOODSIDE CHESS Fridays, August 5, 12, 19, 26 at the Woodside library at 4.
MEETINGS MEN’S CLUB SOCCER Tuesday evenings at the Forest Hills Jewish Center. 2637000. FRESH MEADOW CAMERA Tuesdays the Fresh Meadows Camera Club meets. 917-612-3463. HAM RADIO CLUB Tuesday, August 2 The Emergency Communications Service meets in Briarwood. 357-6851. TALK OF THE TOWN Tu e s d a y s , A u g u s t 2 , 1 6 , September 6, 20 learn the art of public speaking in St. Albans at 7:15. 640-7092. BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT Wednesday, August 3, Tuesday, August 16 at Holy Family in Fresh Meadows. 9692448. FLUSHING CAMERA Wednesdays, August 3, 17, 31, September 7, 21 Flushing Camera Club meets at Flushing Hospital. 479-0643. TOASTMASTERS Wednesdays, August 3, 17, September 7, 21 learn the art of public speaking at the Voices of Rochdale Toastmasters Club in Jamaica. 978-0732. WOMANSPACE Wednesdays Womanspace, a discussion group devoted to issues concerning women, meets 1-3 at the Great Neck Senior Center, 80 Grace Avenue. New members welcome. QUEENS CENTRAL ROTARY Thursdays 6:30-8:30 Come learn if Rotary is for you. 465-2914. GAY MEN
Thursdays, August 4, 18 Queens Pride House Men’s Group meet. 429-5309. WOMEN’S GROUP Fridays the Woman’s Group of Jamaica Estates meets at noon. Call 461-3193 for information. AMER. LEGION 131 Tuesdays, August 16, September 20 American Legion, Post 131 meets at 8 at 10-20 Clintonville Street, Whitestone. 767-4323. DEBTORS ANON. Saturdays at 11:30 and Mondays at 7:30 Debtors Anonymous meets at Our Lady of Mercy, school auditorium in Forest Hills. 212969-8111. CIVIL AIR PATROL Mondays Falcon Senior Squadron at 7 at JFK Airport, Federal Express, Building 260, Jamaica. Falcon Senior Squadron. 781-2359. FM CAMERA Tuesdays at 7:45 the Fresh Meadows Camera Club meets. 917-363-6720. QUEENS PRIDE Wednesdays Spanish and English Club (conversational level). Thursdays Movie Night. Fridays Café Social. Saturday Art Club. Queens Pride House. 429-5309. BARBERSHOP Wednesdays a t 8 t h e J a maica Chapter of the Societ y for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America meets in Mahoney Hall in Flushing. 468-8416 or 381-8689.
www.queenstribune.com • July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 Tribune Page 37
KAYAKING Week e n d s t h r o u g h O c to ber 9 (weather permitting) kayaking from Socrates Sculpture Park Beach at Hallets Cove. 228-9214. LANDSCAPE/FLORAL Charcoal and pen and ink classes. 969-1128. JH ART CLUB Classes in all art forms days and evenings for children and adults. 454-0813. CRAFT CLASSES Saturdays 11-3 at Maria Rose International Doll Museum in St. Albans. 2763454. SCRABBLE CLUB Saturdays at 10 at Count Basie Jr. HS, 132 nd Street and Guy R. Brewer Blvd. 8865236. SCULPTURE WORKSHOP Saturdays through September 24 children and families at the Socrates Sculpture Museum. 956-1819. PET OWNERS Saturdays (not on holiday weekends) from 1-4 free Doggie Boot Camp at Crocheron Park in Bayside (weather permitting). 4545800. Reservations required. Donations accepted. PUBLIC SPEAKING Saturdays, July 30, August 6, 20 learn to communicate effectively at Elmhurst Hospital. 646-436-7940. POETRY WORKSHOP Monday, August 1 at the Woodhaven library at 6:30. BRIDGE CLUB Mondays except holidays 12-4 at Pride of Judea in Douglaston. Lesson & play $10. Partners arranged. 4236200. KNIT & CROCHET Mondays at the Douglaston/ Little Neck library at 4. DRAWING CLASS Mondays at the National Art League in Douglaston. 3610628. LINE DANCE Mondays beginner to intermediate lessons 6-9 in Bayside. 917-886-0519. KNITTING CIRCLE Mondays at Alley Pond Environmental Center. Register 229-4000. ADULT CHESS Mondays and Thursdays at the Queens Village library at 5:30. SCRABBLE CLUB Tuesdays at the East Flushing library at 3:30. GET YOUR YARNS OUT! Tuesdays after evening Minyan at 8, knitters, crocheters, needlepointers, and others meet at the Forest Hills Jewish Center. 263-7000, ext. 200. TOUR THE WORLD Tuesdays, August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 at 10:30 and Thursdays, July 28, August 4, 11, 18, 25 at 6 adults tour the world via the internet at the Rosedale librar y. POWERPOINT Tuesday, August 2 at the McGoldrick library at 10:30. LANGUAGE CLASS Wednesdays Conversational Hebrew 2:30-3:30 and Torah Stories in Yiddish 3:30-4:30 at the Bayside Jewish Center. 352-7900. TANGO CLASS
Queens Today
Page 38 Tribune July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 • www.queenstribune.com
HEALTH YOGA CLASSES Saturdays 10-11 and Sundays 9:30-10:30 workshops on Yoga. Other classes include meditation, Ayurvedic, yoga philosophy, Sanskirt language. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Jackson Heights. 646-912-1885. YOGA IN THE PARK Saturdays through September 24 at Socrates Sculpture Park. 956-1819. CAPOEIRA IN THE PARK Saturdays through September at Socrates Sculpture Park. 956-1819. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS 7 days a week. 962-6244. Flushing. PILATES IN THE PARK Sundays through September 25 at Socrates Sculpture Park. 956-1819. TAI CHI IN THE PARK Sundays through September 25 at Socrates Sculpture Park.956-1819. WAITANKUNG Sundays at 2. Waitankung is a great total-body workout. Join these ancient Chinese exercise classes in the Flushing Hospital/Medical Center auditorium on 45 th Avenue between Parsons and Burling. Free. Jimmy 7-10pm 347-2156 information. CANCER SUPPORT Monday, August 1 Franklin Hospital’s Cancer Support Group meets 2-4 in the cafeteria. 516-2566478. NICOTINE ANONYMOUS Mondays 6:45-8:00 at the Center for Tobacco Control, 2 2 5 C o m m u n i t y D r i ve , Great Neck. 516-510-7826. TAI CHI Mondays and Thursdays at 11 at the Cardiac Health Center in Fresh Meadows. 670-1695. $5 a class. GAM-ANON Tuesdays Free Synagogue of Flushing and Zion Episcopal Church. Wednesdays All Saints Episcopal Church in Bayside, First Presbyterian Church in Forest Hills, Church on the Hill in Flushing and United Methodist Church in Middle Village. Thursdays Free Synagogue of Flushing and Zion Episcopal Church. Call 1-877-6642469. CAREGIVERS SUPPORT E ve r y Tu e s d a y We ste r n Queens Caregiver Network in Sunnyside. 5:30-6:30. 784-6173, ext. 431. CAREGIVERS SUPPORT Every Tuesday 3:30-4:30 at the Selfhelp Clearview Senior Center, 208-11 26 th Avenue, Bayside. 631-1886. ZUMBA Wednesdays the Sisterhood of Bay Terrace Jewish Cent e r , 1 3 - 0 0 2 0 9 th S t r e e t , Bayside, will hold Zumba Fitness classes from 7:30-8:30. $8 members, $10 others. 428-6363. YOGA Wednesdays 5:30-6:30 at the Cardiac Health Center in Fresh Meadows. 6701695. $10 class. TAI CHI Thursdays, August 4, 11, 18, 25 at the Forest Hills library. Register.
TEENS MOVIES Mondays, August 1, 8, 15 at the Flushing library at 2. TRIVIA Mondays, August 1, 8, 15 Are You Smarter Than a 6 t h Grader at the Pomonok librar y. Register. SUMMER READING Mondays, August 1, 8 at the St. Albans library at 2. MOVIE NIGHT Mondays, August 1, 8, 15 at the Lefrak Cit y library at 3. SUMMER READING Mondays, August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 at the Peninsula library at 4. MOVIE NIGHT Mondays, August 1, 8, 15 at the Arverne library at 5. TEEN CHESS Mondays, August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 at the Bayside library at 6. GLOBAL DIALOGUE Tuesday, August 2 tell me about your country and I will tell you about mine at the East Elmhurst library at 1:30. SUMMER READNG Tuesdays, August 2, 9 at the Hillcrest library at 2. HS EXAM Tuesdays, August 2, 9 and Thursdays, August 4, 11 specialized high school entrance exam prep at the McGoldrick library. Register. DROP IN & READ Tuesdays, August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 and Thursdays, August 4, 11, 18, 25 drop in and read at the Peninsula library at 2. FAMILY FILMS Tuesdays, August 2, 9 at the Pomonok library. Register. CROCHET CLUB
TALKS HIP HOP Saturday, July 30 The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip Hop with Dan Charnas at 3:30 at the Langston Hughes library. FLUSHING RIVER Sunday, July 31 Exploring the Flushing River with Sergey Kadinsky at 2:30 at Kingsland Homestead, 14335 37 th Avenue. $5 members QHS, $8 others. ARCHITECTURE Wednesday, August 3 How Can We Be Proud of Ourselves. August 10 Art Answers the Questions of Our Lives. August 17 Do Depth and Surface Have to Fight in Ourselves. Flushing library at 6. FLUSHING Friday, August 5 “A Thousand Splendid Suns.” 1 at the Flushing library. THREE KINGS Saturday, August 6 Three Kings But Not Three of a Kind: The Wisdom and Madness of Rufus, William and Cyrus King lecture at King Manor Museum. $5 donation. 206-0545, ext.3 reservations. IMAGES OF AMERICA Sunday, August 7 at 3 book signing of Images of America: Jamaica with a brief talk with the author. King Manor Museum. 2060545, ext. 3 reservations.
Tuesdays, August 2, 9 at the Douglaston library. Register. WII & BOARD GAMES Tuesdays, August 2, 9, 16, 23 Bayside library at 3. SUMMER READING Tu e s d a y s , A u g u s t 2 , 9 Briarwood librar y. Register. CHESS LESSONS Tuesdays, August 2, 9, 16 at t h e W i n d s o r Pa r k l i b ra r y. Register. GAME DAY Wednesdays, August 3, 10 at the St. Albans library at 4. CREATIVE WRITING Wednesdays, August 3, 10 at the Windsor library at 4. SUMMER CRAFTS Thursdays, August 4, 11 at the Broad Channel library. Register. CRAFT DAY Thursdays, August 4, 11 at the Flushing library at 2. VIDEO GAME Thursdays, August 4, 11 ultimate video game tournament at the LIC library at 2. TEEN THURSDAYS Every Thursday at the Bay Terrace library at 3. ROSEDALE TEENS Thursdays, August 4, 11 Rosedale Teens Read Too at the library at 3. GRAPHIC ARTS Thursdays, August 4, 11 teen comic and graphic arts workshop at the Bayside librar y. Register. COOKBOOK Thursdays, August 4, 11 The One World, Many Stories Cookbook at the Langston Hughes library at 4:30. CHESS TOURNY Thursdays, August 4, 11 East Flushing Library Chess Tournament at the library at 5. TEEN TIME Fridays, August 5, 12 at the Douglaston library. Register. TEEN HAPPY HOUR Fridays, August 5, 12 at the Flushing library at 2. ARTS & CRAFTS Fridays, August 5, 12, 19 at the LIC library at 2. GAME DAY Fridays, August 5, 12 at 3 at the Arverne library. READING FUN Fridays, August 5, 12, 19, 26 at the Peninsula library at 3.
SENIORS FREE LUNCH Saturdays, July 30, August 27, September 24 at Church of the Resurrection in Kew Gardens. 847-2649 reservations. SELF DEFENSE Tuesday, August 2 self defense class for seniors with Fearless Female Fighters. At the Middle Village Senior Center at 11:15. RESERVE Wednesday, August 3 professionals 55 and over with skills and generosit y of spirit can reinvest a career’s worth of skills. Learn more at www.reserveinc.org or 212-710-9220. Flushing library at 10:30. DANCE LESSONS Fridays, August 5, September 2, Oc tober 7 free dance lessons at the Pomonok Center. 591-3377.
Queens Today
Cardiac Interventional Group
YOUTH SING & CELEBRATE Tuesday, August 2 sing and celebrate around the world at the Flushing library at 2:30. FAMILY FILM Tuesdays, August 2, 9, 16 at the Pomonok library. Register. READING 4-6 GRADES Tuesday, August 2 at the South Ozone Park library at 2. CROCHET CLUB Tuesdays, August 2, 9 at the Douglaston library. Register. WII & BOARD GAMES Tuesdays, August 2, 9, 16, 23 at the Bayside library at 3. READING CRAFT Tuesdays, August 2, 9 at the Broad Channel library. Register. SUMMER READING Tuesdays, August 2, 9, 16 at the North Forest Park library at 3. CHESS CLUB Tuesdays, August 2, 9, 16 at the Steinway library at 3:30. CHESS LESSONS Tuesdays, August 2, 9, 16 at t h e W i n d s o r Pa r k l i b ra r y. Register. LEARN CHESS Tuesdays, August 2, 9 at the Rosedale library at 4:30. CHESS Wednesdays at the Queens Village library at 3:30. READ TO ME Wednesdays, August 3, 10, 17, 24 at the Bay Terrace library at 10:30. READ TO ME CLUB Wednesdays, August 3, 10, 17, 24 at the Bellerose library. Register. SUMMER READING Wednesday, August 3 at the Sunnyside library. Register. READ & PLAY Wednesdays, August 3, 10, 17 at the Broadway library at 10:30. STORY TIME Wednesdays, August 3, 10 at the Fresh Meadows library at 10:30. TAKE ME TO THE WORLD Wednesdays, August 3, 10, 17, 24 at the Peninsula library at 10:30. READ TO ME Wednesdays, August 3, 10 at the Rosedale library at 10:30. FAMILY PLAY TIME Wednesdays, August 3, 10, 17 at the Queensboro Hill library. Register. READER ROUNDUP Wednesdays, August 3, 10 at the Glendale library at 2. PRE-SCHOOLERS Wednesdays, August 3, 10, 17 at the Lefrak Cit y library. Register. WORLD EXPLORERS Wednesdays, August 3, 10, 17, 24 at the Peninsula library at 2. FUN READING CLUB Wednesdays, August 3, 10, 17 at the Bay Terrace library at 3:30. BABYMOUSE CLUB Wednesdays, August 3, 10, 17 at the Arverne library at 4. KNITTING Wednesdays, August 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 at the Bayside library at 4.
TOPS TRUMP CARD Wednesdays, August 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 tournament at the LIC library at 4. GIRL SCOUTS Thursday, August 4 at the Rosedale library at 1. WORLD OF CRAFTS Thursday, August 4 at the Glendale library at 2. TONY VACCA Thursday, August 4 at 10:30 at Queensbridge Park, 4 1 s t Ave n u e a n d Ve r n o n Blvd. SUMMER CRAFTS Thursdays, August 4, 11 at the Pomonok library. Register. ARTS & CRAFTS Thursdays, August 4, 11, 18 at the Steinway library. Register. CRAFT TIME Every Thursday at 3:30 at the Ozone Park library. T WILIGHT TALES Thursdays, August 4, 11 at the Douglaston library. Register. SUMMER READING Thursday, August 4 at the Maspeth library at 2. SING & CELEBRATE Thursday, August 4 sing and celeb rate around the world at the Queens Village library at 4. MAGIC WORKSHOP Thursday, August 4 at the Kew Gardens Hills library at 4:30. TODDLER CRAFTS Fridays, August 5, 12, 19 at the Briarwood library. Register. CREATIVE WRITING Friday, August 5 at the Bayside library at 2. ARTS & CRAFTS Fridays at 2 at the Queens Village library. GAME DAY Fridays, August 5, 12 at the Arverne library at 3. FLASH FRIDAY Fridays, August 5, 12, 19, 26 at the Ozone Park library at 3. STORY & COLORING Friday, August 5 family story and coloring time at the Queensboro Hill library at 11. LEGO Friday, August 5 LEGO World Builders at the Glendale library. Register. KIDS GAME DAY Fridays, August 5, 12, 19 at the Rosedale library at 3. CHESS CLUB Fridays, August 5, 12, 19, 26 at the Auburndale library at 3:30. GAME DAY Friday, August 5 at the Bay Terrace library at 2:30. BALLOON WORKSHOP Friday, August 5 balloon animal workshop at 4 at the Woodhaven library. BOOK BUDDIES Fridays, August 5, 12, 19 at the Bayside library at 4. YU-GI-OH Fridays, August 5, 12, 19, 26 at the Queensboro Hill library at 4. CHESS LESSONS Fridays, August 5, 12, 19 at t h e W i n d s o r Pa r k l i b ra r y. Register. CHESS CLUB Fridays, August 5, 12, 19, 26 at the Woodside library at 4.
Cardiac Interventional Group is a highly experienced medical practice with direct access to the world-class diagnostic and clinical services at St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center®. Our board certified cardiologists and interventional cardiologists are trained to care for a patient’s total cardiac health. We employ a wide range of state-of-the-art diagnostic tools including echocardiograms, nuclear stress testing, EKGs, Holter and event monitoring, pacemaker and defibrillator check-ups, and cholesterol and blood pressure screening.
HC Glick, M.D.
Antonio Madrid, M.D.
Theofanis Tsiamtsiouris, M.D.
Ibrahim Saraya, M.D.
Our goal is to provide comprehensive cardiac care, with a focus on prevention and early detection. All major types of insurance accepted • Languages spoken: English, Greek, Spanish, Polish, Russian ®
An affiliate of St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center , ranked one of the best hospitals in America by U.S. News & World Report
163-03 Horace Harding Expressway • Suite 100 • Fresh Meadows, NY 11365 • (718) 454-4600 • Fax (718) 454-3954
www.queenstribune.com • July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 Tribune Page 39
QUEENS LIBRARIES Many branches of the Queensborough Library offer toddler and pre-school programs. Contact your local branch for dates. FAMILY CRAFT Saturdays, July 30, August 13 at the Bayside librar y. Register. SCULPTURE PARK Saturdays through September 24 the Socrates Sculpture Park will hold drop-in workshops for families. MATH HELP Saturdays at the Flushing library at 10. CHESS CLUB Every Saturday at the Flushing library at 2. S TORY TIMES Saturdays at 11 and Tuesdays at 10:30 weekly story times at Barnes & Noble, 1766 0 Un i o n Tu r n p i ke , F re s h Meadows. KNIT & CROCHET Mondays at 4 at the Douglaston/Little Neck lib ra r y. B r i n g n e e d l e s a n d yarn. SUMMER READING Mondays through August 8 at the Laurelton library at 2. PLANET DEFENDERS Monday, August 1 join the Horticultural Societ y to release ladybugs as organic pest control at the Steinway library at 4. GIRL SCOUTS Monday, August 1 at the Hollis library at 3:30. DRAMA CLUB Mondays, August 1, 8, 15 at the Arverne library at 2. READING KIDS 4-7 Mondays, August 1, 8, 15 at the Briarwood library. Register. READ TO ME Mondays, August 1, 8, 15, 22 at the Hillcrest library at 2. BOOK REPORT Mondays, August 1, 8, 15 at the Lefrak City library. Register. WORLD TRAVELERS Mondays, August 1, 8, 19 at the Peninsula library at 2. READING & CRAFTS Mondays, August 1, 8, 15 at t h e W i n d s o r Pa r k l i b ra r y. Register. CROCHET Mondays, August 1, 8 at the Rosedale library at 3. GREEK HEROES Mondays, August 1, 8, 15, 22 recycled art project at the Broadway library. Register. MOVIE NIGHT Mondays, August 1, 8, 5 at the Arverne library at 5. S TORY T I M E Tuesday s, August 2, 9, 16 bilingual storytime at the Astoria library at 10:30. READING GRADES 1-3 Tuesdays, August 2, 9, 16 at the Lefrak City library. Register. SUMMER READING Tuesdays, August 2, 9 at the Maspeth library at 2. DROP IN & READ Tuesdays, August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 at the Peninsula library at 2. MAD SCIENTISTS Tuesday, August 2 at the Arverne library at 2.
Queens Deadline Wedding Bells Ring: By DOMENICK RAFTER Gregory Levine and Shane Serkiz arrived at Queens Borough Hall Sunday morning around 7 a.m. The Astoria couple had waited more than a decade, 4,223 days to be exact, for this day to come, but they didn’t realize their early arrival would earn them a spot in history. Greg and Shane became the first gay couple in the borough of Queens to be legally married. At 9:07 a.m. on Sunday, one month after the State Senate passed a bill legalizing marriage equality in the state, Judge Sidney Strauss pronounced Greg, a high school math teacher originally from Brooklyn, and Shane, a special education teacher who grew up near Binghamton, legally married. Applause and cheers erupted from Greg’s family who had come to witness the marriage. When asked how it felt to be legally married, Serkiz simply responded “validated.” Greg and Shane’s marriage triggered a busy day where more than 90 couples wed at Queens Borough Hall. Inside the clerk’s office the scene was bustling. Volunteers helped guide the couples, whose attitudes ranged from beaming to nervous, through the process of getting their paperwork filed and, if needed, acquiring a waiver to void the 24hour waiting period, which most couples did so they could get married right away. Richard and Marc Claflin stood patiently at the window in the clerk’s office as their paperwork was filled out. When that was done, the Manhattan couple was led across the room to get the waiver. Dressed in board shorts and t-shirts, they were en-route to a vacation on Fire Island planned before they knew they would be getting married. They were then led over to another wing of Borough Hall; where they met an ecstatic Judge Maria Milin, a Brooklyn Housing Court judge who volunteered to marry couples on
Photo by Ira Cohen
First Gay Couples Wed At Boro Hall
Gregory Levine (l.) and Shane Serkiz were the first gay couple married in Queens. complete with their new hyphenated surname; Chimelowski-Liu. Laura Casini and Therese Lendino had their ceremony outdoors, in the small park behind Borough Hall. Laura, a defense attorney, and Therese, a prosecutor, met 18 years ago in the Queens County Courthouse, right next door. The couple, who both grew up in Queens, now live in Malverne, Long Island with their 11-year-old daughter Gianna, who stood at her moms’ side during the ceremony. Laura said she could not imagine getting married anywhere else than in New York. “I’m a New York girl,” she said. The park, where Laura said she’s eaten lunch before, made sense as a location. “We spent a lot of our lives on Queens Boulevard,” she said. By early afternoon, more than 70 couples were married at Borough Hall. New York’s highest ranking LGBT officeholder, City
the first day. After a five-minute ceremony, Judge Milin’s first, where Richard and Marc exchanged rings, she happily declared them married and they shared a kiss and both received a hug from their close friend and witness Alina, who flew in from Los Angeles to share in their day. Many of the couples married in Borough Hall on Sunday were from out of state. Maryann Brancaccio and Maria Vanni, restaurant owners from Philadelphia, came to Queens, where Maryann grew up, to exchange their vows after 40 years together. The couple had thought they would get married in Manhattan, but the city bumped them to Queens where there was a lighter caseload. They were more than happy to oblige. Andy Liu and Joseph Chimelowski came from Baltimore to get married in the borough where Andy was raised. The couple, who brought Andy’s mother as their witness, proudly showed off their marriage license,
Council Speaker Christine Quinn, arrived in Kew Gardens to share in on the happy day. “This sends a chill up my spine; New York is back where it should be,” Quinn said, making note of the many out-of-state couples who came to get married. She also acknowledged the many of the couples will spend time and money in the city, boosting the economy here. She called it “a nice byproduct” of marriage equality. But most importantly, she emphasized, marriage equality in New York may be the catalyst to equality nationwide. “New York sets the trend,” she said. Community Board 6 member Lynn Schulman, who is openly gay, noted the ethnic and racial diversity of the couples getting married. “It’s incredible,” she said. But while gay couples can marry in New York, nationally, there’s work to be done. Casini said the next goal is to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, the federal law that limits the recognition of marriage on the federal level to a man and a woman. A repeal of the bill has been introduced by Congressional Democrats and endorsed by President Barack Obama. The U.S. Dept. of Justice has stopped defending the law’s constitutionality in court. “If we can get the federal government to recognize this, it’s truly important,” Casini said. In the meantime, many of the newlyweds relished in the reality that the state of New York now treats their relationship like any other. New York is only the sixth state to legalize marriage equality. “It’s about being recognized by the state that I work for and pay taxes to,” said Levine after he and his spouse left Borough Hall to start their new lives. Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at drafter@queenstribune.com or (718) 3577400, Ext. 125.
administration’s position that negotiations for a Palestinian state should start on boundar ie s that existed before the 1967 war. Though that has been U.S. policy for decades, Obama is the first president to openly admit it. An Israeli flag stood alongside the two with an American flag, making it clear the issue Koch wanted to highlight, but Koch also took aim at Republicans in Congress and said Turner would be a maverick in his par ty and move them away from their farright position on entitlements like Medicare and Social Security, both of which Republica ns have at tempted to privat ize in the last decade. “I think the Republicans are scoundrels,” Koch said, slamming the GOP leadership over their position on the debt ceiling debates currently going on in Washington. His harsh criticisms of Republicans seemed to make Turner’s supporters and volunteer in the back of the office uncomfor table at times. Some of them could be seen cringing as Koch blasted Republicans for rejecting deals with Democrats on raising the debt ceiling. The two were not exactly on the same page on a debt ceiling deal; while Koch endorsed the idea of raising taxes on the wealthy, Turner did not, endorsing cut s to spending instead. Turner said entitlement s
Bob Turner (l.) was joined by former Mayor Ed Koch to receive hizzoner ’s endorsement, given to “send a message” to both the president and to Republicans in Congress. like Medicare and Social Security needed to be “protected, preserved, and should remain a moral obligation and a right,” and did endorse raising the debt ceiling. Turner and Weprin will face off on Sept.
13 to serve the remainder of Weiner’s term, which ends on Dec 31, 2012. Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at drafter@queenstribune.com or (718) 3577400, Ext. 125.
www.queenstribune.com • July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 Tribune Page 41
By DOMENICK RAFTER Bob Turner, the Republican candidate for the open Congressional seat vacated by former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, received a plum endorsement this week from former Mayor Ed Koch, a Democrat. Appearing w ith Turner at h is Howard Beach campaign headquarters, Koch said the Obama administration’s “hostile” policy toward Israel was “not the same vision” for the Jewish state held by Jewish voters in New York. The 9th district has one of the highest populations of Jewish voters in the nation. Koch admitted that Democrat ic candidate David Weprin was also a strong supporter of Israel and cal led it “ver y painful” to not be endorsing him, but he said electing Weprin would not send a message to the administration the way electing a Republican would. In response, the National Jewish Democratic Council criticized Koch. “Koch is certainly free to endorse whomever he wants,” the Jewish Democratic group said in a statement. ”But with a record like this, he clearly does not represent the vast majority of American Jews or the mainstream of the Democratic Par ty.” Koch, who has endorsed Republicans like Rudy Giuliani, George Pataki and George W. Bush, has been crit ical of the Obama
Photo by Ira Cohen
Koch Sends Message, Endorses GOP
Ed Koch Has Lost His Way On David Weprin By MICHAEL SCHENKLER Ed Koch has lost it. The 86 year-old 105th Mayor of New York City who served from 1978-1989 has gone off the deep end. He’s always been a bit odd. He’s always been a stand up guy.
His style, outspoken manner and in-your-face approach to politics has earned him the admirations of New Yorkers – in addition to four terms in Congress and three terms as Mayor. But it was well over 20 years ago that he left elective office and he still is a New York icon (and now he’s a bridge too). He started reviewing movies for the Trib in 1990 – I think – and is self publishing his reviews
on the web today. His regular commentarie s are also available by email. His opinions on movies and the world are frequently a bit off. But Ed is bright, knows New York, has a good heart and damn, does he speak his mind. But when it comes to the election to replace resigned troubled Congressman Anthony Weiner in the 9th C.D. Ed’s synapses have misfired. Now don’t get me wrong, in ever y – well, most — elect ion there are choices. And in the Special Election on Sept. 15th there may be reasons to support littleknow n Republican Bob Turner over well-known David Weprin. But when Ed Koch cites support of Israel as the major reason for him crossing party lines and endorsing Turner, he is either disingenuous or his sharp intellect is sharp no longer. This paper and this writer are not ready to take sides in this one, but we know David Weprin as one of the most active, outspoken supporters of Israel in New York today. The Queens Or thodox Jew has been consistent in that position for his entire public life. We
wealthiest Americans are really don’t know of any bet ter off w it h Barack record on Israel for Bob Obama and his DemoTurner. crats’ point of view than During this ridiculous the Tea Par ty strongly process, Koch has made influenced Republicans. reference to the fact that And by the way Ed, Weprin’s father Saul, the President is not basformer Speaker of the ing his foreign policy on New York State Assembly the outcome of the 9 th was one of the few New C.D. Special Election. York Jews who did not And Ed, David suppor t him over Mario Weprin is the established Cuomo – and as Koch stronger ally of Israel. pointed out – Ed Koch has And Ed, if David’s a long memory. father supported Mario The former Mayor Cuomo over you, and has also taken to voice his extreme dissatisfaction Trib Publisher Mike Schenkler and Hizzoner at Gracie now you are looking for w it h Pre sident Obama Mansion back in the day when Ed Koch was Mayor and retribution, Saul will never know. over Israel, Medicare and got it right most of the time. If the main issue in the 9th CD more. It seems that Koch believes supporting the Middle East’s only is Israel – and it shouldn’t be – Obama will be watching the 9th CD Democracy. and take a message from the votWhile many would prefer David Weprin would be the clear ers — if they reject Weprin, they Obama to espouse an unwilling- choice. reject Obama. If the consideration is helping ness to compromise on tweaking Ed, give me a break. the American longstanding social President Obama achieve the best President Obama continues to safety net, Obama is committed to for the average American, he needs sh i ne and repre sent s t he be st pre serving Medicare, Medicaid, every Democrat he can get in Conth ings t his countr y sta nds for. Social Security and the American gress. While many would prefer a more way of life. He also recognizes that If the issue is getting even for extreme or intransigent position to deal with the Republicans in the acts of the father, you are not on Israel, only the most extreme Congress who control one house the Ed Koch I remember. would think of suggesting that the and have a voice in the other, he Ed, stick to movie reviews. President is not committed to fully must compromise. But any but the MSchenkler@QueensTribune.com
Page 42 Tribune July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 • www.queenstribune.com
Jay Walder Is Not Casey Jones, Jumps From NYC By HENRY STERN Jay Walder is no Casey Jones. Unlike the iconic railroad engineer, who kept his hand on the throt tle while his train plunged down curving tracks to disaster (and by doing so saved the lives Henry of many people) the MTA chief Jay Walder did not even complete two years at the helm of the tra nsit aut horit y before he jumped ship for a more secure and lucrative berth in a private, profitable transit system. Walder was not shanghaied in the dead of night; he is going voluntarily to MTR (Mass Transit Railway), a railroad colossus headquartered in Hong Kong. Any idea where they might bank? Actually, Walder had a number of good reasons for his secretive flight from New York and the MTA. The first is the impoverishment of the system he is leaving. The MTA has consistently been undersupported, not given enough money to operate, let alone to build and maintain the system in good repair. Before he came, they overspent wildly, in part because of bureaucracy, over-engineering, and weakne ss before unions, as well as traditional corruption, particularly in construction and real property. Walder did not want his reputation endangered by too many years presiding over a system subject to those perils.
Second is the apparent indifference of Governor Cuomo to the plight of the MTA, and the absence of any effort to develop a relationship with Walder. It was not nearly as bad as Governor Paterson, who refused to speak with Lee Sander, Stern Walder’s predecessor, or even to return his calls, because Sander had been appointed by his predecessor, Governor Spitzer. Walder chose to accept what could be the best transit job in the world, at a multiple of the salary which was begrudged to him in New York. He thus avoided the fate of his predecessor. Last week, I watched The Call on New York 1. People called and emailed t he stat ion to expre ss their views on Walder. Almost all were very negative, with the exception of Richard Ravitch, the former lieutenant governor, as well as MTA chair. Ravitch was highly complimentar y, as was Mayor Bloomberg. The hostile attitude of the public came because of the service and personnel reductions that Walder was obliged to make because of the lack of public funds and steadily rising expenses, most but not all of which were uncontrollable. How many years should one devote to serving people who think you are doing a lousy job, when in fact you are doing a very competent job at an obviously thankless task?
One could tell that many of the disgruntled callers were transit employees or union activists. Even so, there were precious few callers who admired the service they received from the MTA or its departing chairman. If there were an attempt to jam the switchboard, it succeeded. If there were not, the negative sentiment was more authentic. Of course, no one likes waiting for a train on a hot platform, being squeezed or crushed inside a car, or being delayed for an indefinite period, whether by “the dispatcher” or by “train traffic ahead.” The underlying fact is that the transit system is in a financial bind comparable to that which faces the United States, except that it cannot run up $14 trillion in deficits and then ask for more. Sooner or later, probably sooner, fares will rise and interest on the MTA’s indebtedness will increase. The State and City, traditional sources of additional funding, are, as we know, undergoing severe fiscal problems and highly unlikely to substantially increase transit subsidies, if indeed they are willing to retain them. One cannot mention state aid without recalling with sorrow the disgraceful decision of the New York State Assembly to eliminate the commuter ta x on May 17, 1999, a date which will live in infamy in mass transit history. How long should Walder remain at the helm of a sh ip which takes on more water each year?
We believe that Jay Walder is, by and large, a decent, honorable, hard-working and competent bureaucrat, who will be missed after he is gone. He is not an inspirational figure, nor did he attempt to be one. “Speak truth to power” is a noble slogan, but truth is better spoken by those with no power than by those with some. People w it h i nter mediate degree s of power are likely to lose what little they have if they engage in unappreciated candor. Those outside the Beltway (or its local equivalent) are less subject to the whims
of the authorities. We wish Walder the best in his new adventure. The search for a successor should begin at once. It will be a real challenge to the Governor and the MTA to find someone as knowledgeable and professionally skilled as Walder. But once such a person is hired, s/he must be given the appropriation that is needed for the MTA to do the job right. P.S. It is ironic that people now go from New York to Hong Kong in order to triple their wages. StarQuest@NYCivic.org
Not 4 Publication.com by Dom Nunziato
Edit Page In Our Opinion:
Honoring Flake The Rev. Floyd Flake is not a perfect person, nor does he claim to be. He has been the subject of investigations, his partnership with a failed bidder for Aqueduct casinos was a black eye on his development record and as a person in the public eye he has been the target of scorn and venom. But he is better than all that. Floyd Flake, in his 35 years leading from the pulpit at Allen A.M.E., has been a force for change and salvation for thousands. He has touched countless lives through the housing initiatives he has launched; he has helped tens of thousands of parishioners find peace and meaning in their lives; his organization has been one of the largest privatesector employers in the City; and as a member of Congress, he literally put his money where his mouth is. The influence Floyd Flake has developed over the last three and a half decades was not handed to him – he worked hard for every ounce of respect he has been granted. It is with that respect in mind that we have dedicated this special edition to honoring the 35-year legacy of the man at the pulpit at the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York.
In Your Opinion: Market Watch To The Editor: I have noticed an increase of non-Asian food products in the New York Mart in Flushing. Could it be that the voices of the people are being heard? Could this be because of the opening of two mega-markets (primarily Asian) and now NY Mart needs us? Well, whatever the reason, I and my neighbors hope it continues. I hope the neighborhood reads this and then goes and supports NY Mart’s effort to accommodate us. Let’s hope we are on the path to finding “the perfect market.” Mary Ann Boroz, Flushing
Page 44 Tribune July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 • www.queenstribune.com
David Is Goliath To The Editor: The Sept. 13 special election to fill the Ninth Congressional District seat vacated by former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner reminds me of David and Goliath. In this case, Republican/Conservative Party candidate Bob Turner is David the underdog versus Democrat/Independence/Working Families Party candidate David Weprin as Goliath the overwhelming favorite. Since 2001, David Weprin has been running around every neighborhood and County Democratic clubhouse in support of past unsuccessful campaigns for NYC Council Speaker along with NYC Comptroller. He ran for Council Speaker in 2001 and 2005 and for Comptroller in 2009. He is a product of the Queens Democratic Party clubhouse from
the days of his late father, Assembly Speaker Saul Weprin. David is welltrained in his craft of politics. He has a local political clubhouse based in the 24th State Assembly district which has been gerrymandered to elect a Weprin family member for decades. As a former City Councilman and current State Assemblyman he has sent out dozens of mailings to voters over the same time period – many at taxpayers’ expense. He has the so called famous “Weprin” family name. He will once again have endorsements from most major labor unions. He will easily be able to raise between $500,000 to $1,000,000 more from “Pay for Play” contributors. This affords him the opportunity to outspend his opponent Bob Turner by hundreds of thousands of dollars. This doesn’t include independent expenditures by liberal political action committees and labor unions for their own newspaper ads, phone banks and mailings to members. Congressman and Queens County Democratic Party boss Joe Crowley along with is counterpart Kings County Democratic Party boss Vito Lopez will join forces in mobilizing their vast resources for Weprin. Those looking for support from Crowley and Lopez for their own future re-election campaigns including Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, Congressman Ackerman, Gov. Cuomo, State Comptroller DiNapoli, Attorney General Schneiderman, State Senate Minority Leader Sampson and Speaker Silver will be on the Weprin bandwagon. They will be joined by 2013 Mayoral wannabe Council
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Speaker Quinn, former Comptroller Thompson, Public Advocate DiBlasio and Manhattan Borough President Stringer along with many other Council, Assembly, Senate and Congress members to endorse and campaign for the “anointed” one. Weprin has active local Democratic political clubhouses in almost a dozen State Assembly districts which overlap or are adjacent to the 9th CD boundaries. They will supply hundreds of county committee and active members to volunteer. They will be supplemented by numerous major labor unions. They will make a coordinated effort to conduct a vigorous telephone, mail, e-mail, door-to-door get-out-thevote operation on his behalf. Turner will have to rely primarily on ordinary, local, non-political, community-based volunteers. Other than Councilman Eric Ulrich and Brooklyn State Sen. Marty Golden, he has no local GOP/Conservative public officials to assist him. His recent endorsement by former Mayor Ed Koch will move some Jewish, Democratic and Independent voters into Turner’s column. Unfortunately for Turner, many of Koch’s supporters from decades ago have moved out of town or passed away. Turner’s potential local Assembly District Republican and Conservative party organizations is virtually non-existent. They have few active members and numerous vacant county committee positions. With a registration advantage favoring Democrats along with unlimited resources, the race is Weprin’s to lose. Turner faces a steep uphill climb. A Turner victory would be one the biggest upsets in Big Apple political history. Larry Penner, Great Neck
Bet ter Banking To The Editor: For most New Yorkers, earning money and depositing it in bank accounts are the building blocks to a better financial life – and an important investment in their future. These are the gateways to the American Dream. But for many residents – including 108,413 people in Queens – their money never gets to the bank. These residents cash their paychecks in bodegas and other outlets, and they pay an average $530 in checkcashing and bill-paying fees each year. That’s money which could be better spent on food, housing and other needs. Today, we are announcing the expansion of a program into Queens that will encourage these so-called “unbanked” residents to participate in the banking system. We are Deputy Editor: Joseph Orovic
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Postur ing To The Editor: Obama keeps calling for a “big” deal on the national debt, comprehensive and to include an increase James Mammarella
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launching the Queens version of Bank On Manhattan, a program that was begun successfully last year in Manhattan by Borough President Stringer, and which is currently underway in 56 cities in six states. Under this program, a network of banks in Jackson Heights, Corona, Elmhurst, East Elmhurst and Woodside will offer safe, low-cost checking accounts to New Yorkers who don’t have them. There is a minimum opening deposit of only $25, and monthly fees which range from nothing to $6. Just as important, foreign IDs will be accepted in opening new accounts. The program is a joint venture of retail banks, community-based organizations and bank regulatory institutions in New York City. This public-private partnership offers a safer and more efficient way to handle money for thousands of hard-working Queens residents. It’s also designed to help overcome the distrust they may feel toward banks. There is no pressure to join, and tremendous benefits to participants who do. Here’s the bottom line: Doesn’t that extra $530 belong in your pocket? More than 7,000 New Yorkers have already signed up in Manhattan, and the program has become so successful on a national level, President Obama has committed $50 million to creating a Bank On USA initiative. Beyond dollars and cents, Bank On account-holders can take comfort in the fact that their money is safer in the event of a robbery or home fire – and so is their financial future. For any family that dreams of buying a home, opening up a new small business, or putting children through college, a banking account is not only helpful – it’s essential. Bank On also gives participants the chance to take special financial education classes for free, so they can learn how to manage their money and grow their savings during tough economic times. This summer, don’t get ripped off at check cashers. Join with thousands of other New Yorkers in opening a checking account today and remember: It’s about your future. To learn more about Bank On in Queens, please check out bankonmanhattan.com, or call (877) 464-2BANK State Sen. Jose Peralta, Queens BP Helen Marshall, Manhattan BP Scott Stringer
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in taxes on corporations and wealthy Americans. With a little more than a week to go, Congressional Republicans, on the other hand, are floating the concept of giving a President the ability to raise the debt limit three times in as many years, and pushing for “Cut, Cap and Balance.” With a little more than a week to go, I don’t see any of the negotiating parties pulling an all-nighter to achieve their goals, or working through a weekend, as the NFL did. Our lawmakers, in fact, took some time off. Athletic spectator sports apparently are more of a priority in this country than its financial health in terms of “playing ball.” Why can’t both sides see that the solution is much simpler? Authorize this President to raise the debt ceiling once to avert the impending current crisis, and as part of that legislation, put in place specific benchmark dates to accomplish such goals as reforming the IRS Code, Medicare, Social Security, etc., with at least one of those troublesome programs to be overhauled by the end of Obama’s current term. If Republicans are truly serious about fiscal responsibility and accountability, they should have no problem agreeing to this, as it conforms to their espoused goals, one of which is to keep the country economically stable and preeminent. It’s about U.S., not “us” versus “them.” I find it ironic that Betty Ford died during this debate. Our elected officials would do well to reflect on the lessons of her husband’s administration during equally troubling times - translation: deign to crack open a history book and not let his collaborative ways remain in the past. Karen Ann DeLuca, Alexandria, VA
Winehouse To The Editor: It is with great sadness I read about Amy Winehouse who has just died from apparent substance abuse at age 27. She was so very talented and had won five Grammy Awards in 2008, including record of the year, song of the year and best new artist. Like other talented artists who died young due to substance abuse, I find this very sad. As for myself I can truly relate and understand a little what these people like Amy are going through. For I have been clean and sober for 12 years now and thank God for that.. Unfortunately, some people like Amy don’t get the message until it is too late. My prayers go out to her family at this most difficult time. Frederick Bedell Jr., Glen Oaks 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
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you should always turn off your air conditioner...
to keep your home cooler in the summer, it’s a smart idea to...
a. when zombies attack b. at night c. every other hour d. when you leave home a. use ceiling fans as much as possible to supplement a /c
b. grill outside instead of heating up the oven
c. open windows and turn of f a/c when it’s cool at night
d. all of the above
answer: d
answer: d
what should you do if you smell gas?
cell phone, mp3 player and pda chargers use energy... a. only when charging b. when plugged in, whether they’re charging or not
b. do not use electrical devices, including ashlights
Â&#x2039; &RQVROLGDWHG (GLVRQ &RPSDQ\ RI 1HZ <RUN ,QF $G $UQHOO *URXS
c. both of the above c. even when disconnected from the outlet
answer: b
answer: c
for 100+ energy saving tips visit conEd.com or ďŹ nd us on Facebook at Power of Green
www.queenstribune.com â&#x20AC;˘ July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 Tribune Page 45
a. leave the area immediately, then call Con Edison at 1-800-75-CONED
Page 46 Tribune July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 â&#x20AC;˘ www.queenstribune.com
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Models Of Queens
Just Julia
Julia Gorbach Home: Bayside Age: 20 Height: 5’ 3" Weight: 115 lbs Stats: 34-27-37
The petite beauty hails from the Ukraine, but she’s happy to call New York home. She’s lived in Queens and two other boroughs, and got help launching her career thanks to the folks at Bayside’s Shortstack Modeling. Though she keeps herself busy as a Media Studies and Russian Language and Literature double major and Political Science minor at Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, she is also a contestant for the Miss NY pageant this coming January. “If someone told me even a year ago that I would be a contestant of the Miss NY pageant, I would have been very skeptical,” she said. “As big of a fan of [the Sandra Bullock movie] ‘Miss Congeniality’ as I was growing up, I never saw myself as the ‘pageant type’ of woman. Yet, when I came into the information session and met some of the other contestants, I was instantly impressed and awestruck at all the different powerful, influential, and strongwilled women that surrounded me. It was truly inspiring and wonderful to be part of a team- a sisterhood- of a group of intelligent, generous, curious, down-to-earth and openminded women.” Julia credits Shortstack as giving her the inspiration to enter the modeling field – and for broadening her horizons. The non-profit company helped her believe in her talent and overlook her height limit. She has had a slew of modeling work, including pieces for the Village Voice, Amazon.com, an event at the Indian Embassy and even some magazine spreads. A student of yoga and meditation, and “a constant ponderer of life,” Julia describes herself as “a beginner student of holistic health and nutrition, and, in all honesty, quite an addict – to buying books, that is.”
Oversaturated?
Buzzworthy When a friend of Arthur “Tip” Sempliner asked to move his more than 5,000 bees to his Douglaston home, he thought it was a pretty cool idea. That is, until 67-year-old Sempliner was stung with a $2,000 City fine for not providing water for the bees. According to Sempliner, there is a water dispenser two feet from the hive, but the bees will not drink it because they prefer salt water. Sempliner, who is a cartoonist for a local Queens newspaper,” now has to attend an administrative hearing in lower Manhattan next month. What a buzzkill.
Though not Sempliner’s hive, a home for bees needs water nearby, apparently.
Tax Man Tags Rule Hollis has been famous for producing rappers including Run DMC, LL Cool J and Ja Rule. Run DMC were some of the greatest rappers of all time and LL Cool J always appeals to the women. But, Jeffrey Atkins, a.k.a. Ja Rule, keeps finding himself behind bars. On Monday, the multi-platinum artist was sentenced to two years in federal prison for failing to file over $3 million in income Ja Rule came to give out Christmas taxes. This only makes things presents to Queens kids a couple of worse because he is already servyears ago – and without the court ing up to two years in state prison ordering him to. Photo: Ira Cohen for possession of an unregistered semi-automatic firearm in 2007, though he will be able to serve the two sentences concurrently. Who knows, maybe he will continue to make albums from his cell block just as many other rappers have done.
Weiner’s Return? A tale of two coffees.
As disgraced Congressman Anthony Weiner fades in the memory of New York’s media, one more conservative Islamic outlet is rehashing the bulge
Confidentially, New York . . .
that was. In the latest edition of Al Qaeda’s emagazine (not that we subscribe to it), “Inspire,” a fake ad “brought to you by A Cold Diss” depicts Weiner sporting that unforgettable snout, sneering before the House of Representatives. The weasley Weiner is placed next to a quote he gave just after Weinergate broke. “This seems like this was a prank to make fun of my name! You know, when you’re named Weiner, that happens a lot!” The fake ad is a poor attempt to get back at Weiner for speaking out against Shaykh Anwar alAwlaki video posts on “the world’s largest bully pulpits,” Youtube. Touché Al Qaeda! Who would have thought the terrorist network had a sense of humor.
www.queenstribune.com • July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 Tribune Page 57
We all know that Starbucks is everywhere. It seems there’s one on every corner. Even “The Simpsons” mocked the coffee house chain once showing Bart walking through a mall where every store was a Starbucks, except one, which was closing to become a Starbucks. On the Seattle-based chain’s Wikipedia page, there’s a section dedicated to “Criticism and Controversy,” and the first criticism is of its market strategy: saturating the market. As a visual example of Starbuck’s “saturation,” the Wikipedia page features a picture of two Starbucks in one shopping center, right here in Queens. The picture is of the Stop & Shop shopping center on Union Turnpike in Forest Hills, where there was a standalone Starbucks store, and a kiosk inside the Stop & Shop, within feet of each other, which Starbucks’ licensing allows. The standalone store has since closed, while the kiosk in Stop & Shop remains, but there are two more Starbucks within walking distance on 71st Avenue and in Atlas Park, so the point stands; many in Queens live closer to Vanilla Bean Frappuccinos than they do to a park.
Typically, we don’t expect our borough to be the center of anything citywide – we know that when it comes to movie premieres, red carpet walks and opening night galas, most of the time Queens doesn’t make the invite list. So imagine our surprise when NYC & Co., the City’s official marketing arm, announced a series of promotions “citywide” to usher in the latest incarnation of “The Smurfs,” which was set to come to theaters nationwide July 29. We eagerly checked out the map on the NYC & Co. Web site to see where these blue dudes would be headed in Queens. Would they Papa Smurf paints the town blue romp through Flushing Meadows? in NYC & Co.’s promo. Dine in Forest Hills? Climb to the top of the Queens College clock tower? No. It turns out that “citywide” only means Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn. The smurfs will show up at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum and the NY Botanical Garden in the Bronx, but Queens – it seems the City has told us to go smurf ourselves. What the smurf is wrong with the smurfs at NYC & Co., who spend all their smurfing time helping promote the most smurfy attractions in the Manhattan, yet can’t be bothered to give a smurf about the people of Queens? We’re blue!
Smurfed Again
Page 58 Tribune July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 • www.queenstribune.com
Going Strong
Though his wife, the Rev. M. Elaine Flake, hinted in our pages that her and the Rev. Floyd Flake’s retirement is not too far off, we find it hard to imagine life in Queens without his dynamic sermons, his gracious presence and his unstoppable work ethic. We’re pretty sure that even when that day does come, we will not see the last of this power broker. In the meantime, we will continue to observe his deeds, expect to hear of new and more focused service and expect to see him, like in this picture, at the helm of Allen A.M.E. – where he has been for the last 35 years.
Tribune Photo By Ira Cohen
BEST IN QUEENS 2011
PR WIN IZ ES
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www.queenstribune.com • July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 Tribune Page 59
FOOD & DINING Bagels: Bakery: Bar: Breakfast: Burgers: Butcher: Chinese: Coffee Shop: Cookies: Deli: Desserts: Diner: French: Fried Chicken: Happy Hour Bar: Ice Cream: Italian: Japanese: Pizza: Seafood: Steak: Sushi: