Southeast Queens Press

Volume 12 Issue No. 22 June 3-9, 2011

PAGE 18

RESIDENTS ON FLOODING:

PRESS Photo by Ira Cohen

-/2% 7/2+ .%%$%$

Though the Dept. of Environmental Protection has been working hard to repair and upgrade flooded areas, residents at a town hall meeting last week said the agency has to keep pushing – until all the water woes are resolved.

By Sasha Austrie…Page 3

Online at www.QueensPress.com

News Briefs Signage Bill Councilmen Peter Koo (R-Flushing) and Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) announced legislation that could alleviate some of the ethnic tension and recent complaints regarding signage in Downtown Flushing.

The duo has authored legislation that would give the City Dept. of Consumer Affairs the onus of enforcing Section 131 of the State's General Business Law, a wishy-washy bill that mandates English signage, but does not dictate its location within the business.

As it stands, enforcement is split among three city agencies: DCA, which oversees the signs' content; the Dept. of Buildings, which is in charge of placement and size of English writing; and the NYPD, which is expected to enforce the rules.

The Koo-Halloran bills would hand all duties, to DCA, while also giving a fouryear grace period to allow businesses to fall in line with the new rules. The bill would also allow 40 percent of any sign to contain ethnic language, in an effort to not diminish the character of immigrant neighborhood.

"The way the current state law is written, there is no provision for the use of a foreign language printed on the sign," Koo said. "Our bills will allow immigrant businesses and communities to keep their ethnic character while complying with the law."

Page 2 PRESS of Southeast Queens June 3-9, 2011

Seawall Fix Taking Shape The Parks Dept. announced last week it was releasing a Request for Proposals for part of the reconstruction of the deteriorating Queensbridge seawall.

Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe announced the agency was drafting a RFP to proceed with testing the site, the first step in reconstructing the seawall, at a meeting held with U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria), Borough President Helen Marshall, East River Development Alliance President Bishop Mitchell Taylor, and representatives from other legislators who represent Queensbridge.

"We are very pleased that we are finally able to undertake necessary testing within Queensbridge Park, which is the first important step toward the reconstruction of the park's seawall," said Benepe.

The RFP asks for proposals that would include testing the site to determine if the soil at the location is contaminated.

The winning bidder will be required to take samples of the soil at various depths and of ground water, which will then be given to an independent laboratory for analysis. The contract also calls for a review of findings and the issuance of a final report, which will outline legal and recommended disposal means for contamination and restoring the shoreline and the seawall.

The seawall along the East River in Queensbridge Park has been failing and crumbling into the river for more than a decade, putting the waterfront off limits for people using Queensbridge Park, adjacent to Queensbridge Houses just north of the Queensboro Bridge.

Also, the collapsing seawall is putting at risk critical MTA-owned cathode protection devices located under the seawall,

which are used for subway operations in the F train tunnel between the Roosevelt Island and 21 Street/Queensbridge stations, below the seawall. The Army Corps of Engineers deemed any repair of the seawall to be in the federal interest because of these devices.

Maloney allocated $550,000 to pay for a feasibility study to be conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers, while state and local officials allocated another half million dollars. The city later decided not to utilize the Corps and do the work itself.

The Parks Dept. is ultimately expected to head up the reconstruction.

Soil testing should begin in late June, meaning the winning bid would need to be chosen this month, though Parks Dept. spokeswoman Patricia Bertuccio said the RFP was still being drafted as of Tuesday. The testing will take 12 weeks to complete.

Boro Duo Cheated IRS Two Irish immigrant businessmen from Maspeth pleaded guilty to evading federal taxes last month after they kept some of the construction company's wages a secret from the IRS. Eamonn McDonnell, 45, and Owen O'Reilly, 45, immigrants from County Cavan, Ireland, admitted to knowingly and falsely failing to report nearly half a million dollars in wages and over $73,000 in FICA taxes to the IRS during the third and fourth quarter, July 1 through Dec. 31, of 2004, from their construction company, Mc&O Construction, Inc., based in Maspeth.

According to the charges, Mc&O cashed checks made payable to the company, and used the cash to pay wages to its employees. Between Jan. 1, 2002 and Jan. 31, 2005, Mc&O were required to file quarterly payroll tax forms, and did, but did not include the wages paid from the cashed checks in those two quarters.

McDonnell and O'Reilly pleaded guilty to two counts of tax evasion in front of a federal judge in Suffolk County on May 16. Both defendants were released on $250,000 bail and will be sentenced at a date still to be determined. They could face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

This isn't the duo's first brush with the law. In 2004, Mc&O Construction was cited for four serious violations, including failure to train workers and failure to provide adequate safety measures, by OSHA after an employee of the company was killed on a job in the Bronx.

Brief Us! Mail your news brief items to:

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

Presstime

Town Hall Promises Flooding Fix

BY SASHA AUSTRIE Flooding in Southeast Queens has been a constant source of contention throughout the years, and at an environmental town hall meeting on Thursday, the deluge was a recurring theme. "[Southeast] Queens is plagued with instances of flooding, sewer back-ups and a number of problems that have been frustrating," said Assemblyman Bill Scarborough (D-Jamaica), a sponsor of the town hall. "Many of our communities didn't have sewers that connected to anything."

Dept. of Environmental Protection Deputy Commissioner James Roberts said the agency has spent $1.7 billion on Queens projects from 2002 to 2011, and plans to spend another $729 million from 2011 to 2015. Of the funds to be spent in the coming years, $43 million will be spent in Community Boards 8, 12 and 13.

"There is a large area of Queens that still lacks storm sewers, including Southeast Queens, parts of Whitestone and the Rockaways." Roberts said. With ongoing improvements to the borough's sewer system flooding "complaints are trending down steeply."

Though Roberts was confident of the decrease in grievances, residents came to ask for help with a specific block. On 134th Avenue and 155th Street a town hall attendee said her area has been plagued with standing water for almost five years.

She also said that trees planted by the City are drawn to the water and are infiltrating homeowners' sewers and are pushing up through the sidewalks.

Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) said he knew the area and hoped to secure funding to fix the sidewalk.

Residents and lawmakers discuss flooding at a town hall meeting.

Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) said DEP would soon start a project in the area to alleviate the flooding.

An attendee whose basement has been flooded twice said it is not a few pockets of Southeast Queens that have flooding issues, but the entire area.

"Through my lifetime, I would like to see the sewers built," she said. "It's wonderful what they are doing for the water [in the Delaware Aqueduct,] but what are they going to do with the water in Southeast Queens?"

Though Scarborough applauded the DEP for outfitting a bevy of Southeast Queens neighborhoods with sewers, the assemblyman highlighted two issues that concerned him: the area's high water table and Station 6, which was slated to become a water treatment facility to remedy a toxic plume that has inhibited underground wells for decades. The wells were part of the

Jamaica Water Supply Company that serviced Southeast Queens between 1887 and 1996.

"When we stopped drinking the groundwater we celebrated," said former Councilman Archie Spigner. "Didn't somebody at the DEP find out what's going to happen to that 60 million gallons that we weren't drinking? We were happy to get off the water, now we will be happy to get back on."

To remedy the inundation, Roberts said DEP would continue to outfit the area with sewers and manage the water more effectively. Also, the agency has cleaned about three miles of sewers in Queens since January to restore flow.

In regards to Station 6, Roberts said the plant, which would treat water in underground wells, would cost half a billion dollars to complete. The price tag has stalled the project.

"Our lives are depending on construction cost?" asked Assemblywoman Vivian Cook (D-Jamaica). "How long do we wait?"

Roberts said the organization has brought surface water to Southeast Queens, and the Groundwater System has not fed into the community for years.

"Our water is second to none," Roberts said. "What we do is second to none all over the world."

Though the wells are not operational, DEP is considering the option when the Delaware Aqueduct, which provides 900 million gallons per day to New York City, is shut down for repairs in 2017. The Delaware Aqueduct, which is currently leaking 15 to 35 million gallons per day because of cracks in its concrete liner, will have to be replaced. If the tunnel fails, the City could run out of water within four to nine months.

During the refurbishing process, the city has to supplement its water supply and exercise options including conservation, Catskill Aqueduct improvements, New Jersey Water Agency Connection, Nassau County Connection, Croton Dam Spillway Raise and Queens groundwater.

The community bristled at the prospect of going back to the underground wells, where clean water was an anomaly.

"Any water that we deliver has to meet [Environmental Protection Agency] regulations," Roberts said. "When we activate any system, it will meet all the requirements."

There was skepticism on whether or not DEP could clean the groundwater without Station 6.

Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at saustrie@queenspress.com or (718) 3577400, Ext. 123.

BY JASON BANREY

While growing up in Manhattan, Sen. Toby Stavisky (DFlushing) lived in a rent controlled apartment. Despite the low income her family earned, rent regulations made it easier for her family to survive during times of hardship.

"New York City has to remain affordable for the middle class family," Stavisky said.

"It will only get worse without the strengthening of rent regulations."

The tent city set up in Woodside is symbolic of the struggles From 1994 to 2010, it was rent-controlled and rent-stabilized Queens tenants would estimated that 300,000 af- face if rent-protection laws are not renewed. fordable housing units were removed from rent regulation rolls, Stavisky said. She assured residents Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) said Gov. living in rent stabilized apartments her Andrew Cuomo needs to push Republican Senators to follow suit. pledge to not let that happen again.

"Cuomo needs to be more aggressive," "The Senate Democratic Congress has made a commitment to keeping this issue Peralta said. "We need to shut down the halls at the top of our agenda," Stavisky said. of Albany because there is a need to under"We will do the best can to see it through." stand the importance of rent regulations."

Reach Reporter Jason Banrey at Although many Democratic legislators have pledged their support toward ex- jbanrey@queenstribune.com or (718) 357tending and strengthening rent laws, Sen. 7400, Ext. 128.

June 3-9, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 3

One by one, tents and cardboard boxes were pitched inside the parking lot of St. Mary's Church in Woodside last Thursday.

The site was dubbed Cuomoville, a tent city filled with displaced New Yorkers - a potential sight tenants and advocates of affordable housing fear the city would slowly begin to look like if rent laws are not strengthened or extended.

With rent regulation laws set to expire June 15, Mary Tek, rent regulation organizer for Tenants and Neighbors, a protenant advocate group, said more than 2.5 million city residents who live in more than 1 million rent regulated apartments city wide would be negatively affected if legislators did not act.

"Rent stabilization keeps many of Queens' residents in their homes," Tek said. "If there are no rent laws, tent cities like this will pop up all over New York."

Established in 1943 by the federal government and now administered by the state, rent control and rent stabilization programs protect working- and middle-class families by limiting rent increases and by assuring

tenants with lease renewals.

According to the 2008 Housing and Vacancy Survey, in Queens, 199,509 families lived in rent regulated units.

Betty Guman, 50, has lived in her Elmhurst apartment for 17 years. Following the Sept. 11 attacks she was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.

Due to her condition, Guman qualifies for the Disability Rent Increase Exemption Program (DRIE), a rent stabilization program that exempts her from rent increases.

Guman is a full-time student at LaGuardia Community College where she is in her final semester, pursuing a career in social work. She fears if the rent laws are not extended, she would have to go back to working full-time, putting her future career aspirations in jeopardy.

"Where am I supposed to go," Guman asked. "If I have to leave, I wouldn't be able to afford a studio on my income alone. Our legislators must act now."

Borough legislators pledged their support towards strengthening and extending rent laws while stressing that more pressure needed to be put on Republican Senators to understand the core issue.

Photo by Ira Cohen

Advocates Fear Rent Destabilization

Traffic Change Upsets Local Drivers

BY DOMENICK RAFTER

Page 4 PRESS of Southeast Queens June 3-9, 2011

Drivers in Southern Queens are angry over a recent traffic pattern change that they say is making traffic worse, and leading to a ticketing blitz against the unaware driver.

Until recently, two of the three eastbound lanes of Atlantic Avenue over the Van Wyck Expressway were open for left turns onto the expressway's northbound service road in Jamaica. Recently, the Dept. of Transportation changed the pattern so only the left lane allows for left turns.

The vast majority of traffic heading east on Atlantic Avenue before the intersection turns left at the Van Wyck. Atlantic Avenue actually ends at the intersection; east of it, the road is much smaller and named 94th Avenue. Atlantic Avenue is a major route for residents of Richmond Hill, Ozone Park and Woodhaven to access the Van Wyck Expressway and also roads through Downtown Jamaica like Archer, Hillside and Jamaica Avenues.

The intersection is close to Jamaica Hospital and is only a few blocks from the Jamaica LIRR station. Jamaica-bound Q24 buses make the left turn to access Archer Avenue on the other side of the LIRR tracks.

At rush hours, and at times during the midday and on the weekends, traffic heading east on Atlantic Avenue is often backed

up four or five blocks before the Van Wyck mistake, and the DOT perhaps meant to Expressway, and drivers keep two lanes on the often have to wait as many eastbound side for left as four traffic light rota- "There's not much traffic turns, while only one lane tions before they reach the coming from Sutphin on the westbound side, left turn. That was a prob- Boulevard coming to the heading out of Jamaica, lem that existed even be- Van Wyck, That's why I for left turns onto the fore the change, but has think this perhaps was a southbound Van Wyck only been exacerbated service road. mistake." since.

"There's not much —Harpreet Singh Toor traffic coming from Richmond Hill civic leader Harpreet Singh Sutphin Boulevard comToor said he believes the pattern was a ing to the Van Wyck," Toor said. "That's

why I think this perhaps was a mistake."

Besides the added traffic, some say the NYPD has ticketed numerous drivers trying to make a left from the center lane, which was legal up until the change. Toor said the police pulling people over have also created a traffic nightmare on the northbound Van Wyck service road near the LIRR overpass as police pullovers often block the right lane.

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

BY SASHA AUSTRIE

Bellaire site and other locations in 1999, to ascertain whether mercury was released into the environment. The investigation was completed in 2009, and the LIRR has put forth the proposal to the NYSDEC and the public.

To comment on the proposal, email rhfilkin@gww.dec.state.ny.us or write to New York State Depart. of Environmental Conservation, DER Bureau B, 12th Floor, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233. The Remedial Action Work Plan can be viewed in its entirety at the Queens Borough Public Library—the Queens Village branch.

Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at saustrie@queenspress.com or (718) 3577400, Ext. 123.

Comment On LIRR Cleanup

The public has 19 days to comment on a proposal to cleanup the Long Island Rail Road’s Bellaire substation.

The substation, located in a light industrial area, includes a brick building and two transformers totaling 2,220 square feet. It houses electrical equipment to power the railroad and a storage yard. Some of the electrical equipment contained mercury, which was replaced in the 1980s.

For sites similar to the Bellaire substation, State Dept. of Environmental Conservation regulations require mercury levels to be no more than 5.7 parts per million.

At the site, 195 sub-surface soil samples

were tested, and 27 of the specimens had a maximum concentration of 503 ppm.

The contaminated soil is located within the fence substation area that is not accessible to the public.

If adopted, the Remedial Action Work Plan would enable the LIRR to excavate and dispose of the 47 cubic yards of onsite soil contaminated by mercury. The removed soil would be replaced with clean fill. The public has until June 22 to comment. The remediation would be overseen by the NYSDEC. The agency estimates that the clean up process will take a week.

More than a decade after the mercuryridden equipment was removed, the LIRR began conducting investigations at the

York’s Valedictorian Helps Seniors

BY MARCIA MOXAM COMRIE Trudy Rowe is a natural-born smiler and these days she has even more reasons to up the wattage. She has just been named valedictorian of York College’s Class of 2011.

Rowe, a student from the island of Barbados, has completed her Bachelors Degree in Gerontology a year early and is now fielding offers from graduate schools such as New York University, Rutgers and Hunter College.

She boasts a near-perfect grade point average and wants to study Gerontological Social Work and return to her homeland to serve the senior population there. She worked hard to maintain a good academic record.

“I cried,” she recalled of the drop in her GPA from a perfect 4.0 to somewhere in the high 3.9s due to a lone A-. “Hey, I’m an overachiever and those minuses can really mess you up,” she said.

She has enjoyed both the class work and the research aspects of the Gerontology program. The choice was inspired by her late grandmother, Una Ifill.

“I love the population of geriatrics,” she said. “I love the seniors. My granny helped raise me. Without her, I would not have been around elderly people and she opened up my eyes to seniors. I will always be indebted to that population.”

Ifill died in 2009 at the age of 92; but her granddaughter believes she will be “smil-

Dr. Susan Letteney and Valedictorian Designee, Trudy K. Rowe. ing down” on her on graduation day. However, Grandma Ifill’s smile from the beyond will be joined by the smiles of living family members such as her aunt, Marcia Callender, with whom the young scholar has been living; her parents, Don and Baneta Rowe, her sister Kerry and niece Wynter are all coming from Barbados for the exciting event.

Rowe has always known what she wants and how to chart her course.

Growing up “right in the flight path” of Gemswick, St. Philip, Barbados, Rowe took a job with Virgin Atlantic Airlines in

her late teens to help support her college goals, which actually started in Barbados.

Disenchanted with their refusal to let her into the Geriatrics program, saying she was “too young.” She walked away after only one semester and with the support of her parents, came to York.

Rowe was nurtured not only by a loving grandmother, but her hard-working parents whom she called her “stable force” and the ones who prepared her for success.

“I think my parents’ purpose in life is to be great parents and they have been that,”

she says. “God gives you everything from your inception.”

As for her professors at York, Rowe also believes they are God-sent.

“The professors at York have been angels around me,” she said. “I wish more students would reach out to faculty. They will welcome them with open arms.”

Among those “angels,” Rowe listed Dr. Linda Rose Barley, Dr. Charlene Lane and Dr. Susan Letteney.

“I had the pleasure of working with Ms. Trudy Rowe on a project about the ‘Cultural Obligations Related to HIV Disclosure to Children in the Global Context,’” Dr. Letteney said. “As a research assistant on a PSC-CUNY grant, she helped me to conduct a comprehensive literature review for this project. For her Honors Program thesis project, Trudy studied a variation of this project, the ‘Cultural and Religious Factors Related to HIV Disclosure to Family Members.’ In February 2011, she presented a peerreviewed poster of her findings at the annual meeting of The Society of CrossCultural Research in Charlotte, S.C. where she was the only undergraduate student presenter.”

Letteney added that Rowe impresses her as someone with a bright future.

“She is a dedicated and diligent future researcher,” she said. “As a Gerontology major, she will be recognized by the Social Science Department as an Emerging Scholar in Social Work.”

June 3-9, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 5

OF SOUTHEAST QUEENS 150-50 14th Road Whitestone, NY 11357 (voice) (718) 357-7400 fax (718) 357-9417 email news@queenspress.com The PRESS of Southeast Queens Associate Publisher

In Our Opinion: Brenda Jones Executive Editor:

Editorial Memorial Day Pride This past weekend was a time of celebration for some, of tears for others. Memorial Day is when we honor the sacrifices made by the brave men and women who throughout our history – and today – fight to keep our country free.

Amid the parades, the barbecues and the special ceremonies, one message was carried no matter who was marching, grilling or saluting – pride in our heroes.

Last week our newspaper was dedicated to a different kind of pride.

Today, we want to remind our readers of the pride we have in our brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters who make sacrifices – some small, some extreme – to serve this great nation of ours.

We thank all of them for their service, and for those in harm’s way, we wish for their speedy return home.

Brian Rafferty Deputy Editor:

Joseph Orovic Contributing Editor:

Marcia Moxam Comrie Production Manager:

Shiek Mohamed Queens Today Editor

Regina Vogel Photo Editor: Ira Cohen

Reporters: Harley Benson Sasha Austrie Domenick Rafter Jason Banrey Stefan Singh

Art Dept:

Sara Gold Rhonda Leefoon Candice Lolier Barbara Townsend Advertising Director James Mammarella Sr. Account Executive Shelly Cookson Advertising Executives Merlene Carnegie

Page 6 PRESS of Southeast Queens June 3-9, 2011

A Queens Tribune Publication. © Copyright 2011 Tribco, LLC

Michael Schenkler, President & Publisher

Michael Nussbaum, Vice President, Associate Publisher

Letters Equality For All? To The Editor: It was welcoming to see both sides of the debate given space in your Queens Pride edition. For those who oppose same-sex marriage, their success is dependent on their image. How can one oppose marriage equality without appearing as a bigot? The second topic involves legal ramifications.

Everyone knows that pastors, rabbis, and imams would not be compelled to officiate same-sex weddings, but under marriage equality, Orthodox and Catholic institutions would be compelled by law to hire gay job applicants, and pay for their spousal benefits. Religious seminaries would be compelled to allow gay student organizations on campus.

The religious tenets of these institutions would be greatly compromised by legal requirements.

An ideal compromise here would be to allow religious institutions to avoid paying spousal

benefits and sanctioning gay student clubs. The marketplace will do the rest. Gay students, workers and their supporters will take their intellectual capital, manpower and buying power to more tolerant institutions. Religious conservatives will do the opposite. Everyone should be happy with this solution. In order for the deadlock in Albany to come to a resolution, creative compromises need to be made, where marriage equality and religious freedom can both come out as winners.

Sergey Kadinsky, Forest Hills

Achievement To The Editor: Benjamin Kabak (who writes the 2ndAvSagas blog) and train enthusiasts on a subway message board found a poster up at the subway station announcing that the transfer facility for the E-MG-7 lines in Long Island City will open on June 3. When I heard

Letters about the delays in opening the transfer, I wrote to the Queens Borough President, to Mayor Bloomberg, to Sheldon Silver and to Citibank Chair Vikram Pandit to add my voice to the chorus.

The transfer facility is the last element of the 63rd Street Connector Project to be implemented.

The first element was the 63rd Street extension, which opened in 1989. The second element was the Connector, which resulted in the F train being routed through the 63rd Street tunnel.

Back in 2001, when the MTA was holding hearings for comment on the 63rd Street Subway Connector Service Plan (that’s when they proposed to route the F train through 63rd Street), virtually all the public comment they got was criticism and condemnation for a decision to replace the F with a local on 53rd Street, and the decision to truncate the G train, even though the MTA’s own trails to run fice services through the interlockings proved that it could not be accomplished.

I was living in Queens at the time. I wrote to the MTA, focusing on solutions for G riders. I proposed an integrated, ADAcompliant (handicapped accessible) station cluster in Long Island City including Court Square, the G station and the E train. I also proposed a MetroCard-enabled transfer at the 63rd Street Station in Manhattan. On the day of the public hearing in Long Island City, after hearing a lot of people spend their time at the microphone bashing MTA, I repeated the proposal for the Board.

Helen Marshall, at that time a City Council member, today the Queens Borough President, and I talked. I explained MTA’s intent

with the particular subway routing it proposed and what I wanted to accomplish with my proposal. She gave me a ride back to the subway from the hearing.

I received a very enthusiastic reply from the MTA, from the office of the chairman and from public affairs. The agency thought highly of my proposals and agreed to implement them. In the letter, MTA said that the implementation in LIC would be in the form of a physical arrangement that would accomplish what my proposed cluster would do, and would be very close to what I envisioned. Implementation would, of course, require funding.

The free MetroCard-powered transfer between 59th Street and 63rd Street was implemented immediately, as was a MetroCard transfer in LIC, but the physical transfer took eight years to win funding. But now it’s finally here. I left New York before the new facility was constructed, but when I visited NYC and saw the station under construction, it was incredibly gratifying. I wrote to MTA to thank the agency for keeping a promise to me (and more importantly, to its constituents) and I got a very friendly letter back thanking me for recognizing the agency’s achievement.

This story proves that, with persistence, patience, and a focus on solutions, you can get the agency to do some wonderful things for the traveling public. MTA is very customer-responsive, a lot more than for which people give it credit. When I’m in NYC, I’m proud to carry a MetroCard in my wallet (the current MetroCard itself is a product of a proposal by a citizen, solicited by MTA).

Ron M. Aryel, Reno, NV

Twitter Scandal Thrusts Congressman Into Spotlight A Personal Perspective

By MARCIA MOXAM COMRIE Anthony Weiner has long been considered one of the shrewdest politicians in New York. How then, did he end up in such a pickle over an underwear shot sent from his Twitter account to a college student? He says it was a hacker who sent it.

The photo, they say, features a male from the waist down with the camera focused on an obviously "happy" crotch area. In testy media responses, he has gone from calling the poster "a hacker" to "a prankster" and the longer it drags on the milder his descriptions of the post gets.

It may simply be a tempest in boxer shorts; but it's starting to look suspicious according to some of the political talking heads. It seems Weiner's explanation won't fly and now he has hired an attorney to investigate and that

ought to suffice. He has said that a government investigation would be a waste of taxpayer dollars.

Because he naturally watches the bottom line, we could probably give him a pass on that one. But it seems he should want an investigation launched and the guilty party exposed. That's what most people would want. Now the latest assertion is that he's saying that could be "his weiner" as one headline puts it.

The combative congressman has long fought off gay rumors and got married last year. You don't expect that he would have any reason to send a risqué photo of himself to a cyber fan - especially since an upstate colleague recently resigned for doing essentially the same thing.

You want to think that the popular congressman with the endlessly pun-able last name (and this scandal is providing us with much more opportunities) would never do such a thing; and until

otherwise proven, then he did not.

We know he loves the spotlight, but you don't ever want to start fires like these to get attention.

It would be a tragedy to see an effective representative lose his position to something as silly as an inappropriate photograph.

Weiner is a guy whose public appearances are preceded by a "town crier" announcing his imminent arrival via a poster held aloft, so we know he enjoys himself in the spotlight. But a crotch shot is not the way to go about getting publicity. It's hard to imagine him being that desperate that he would gamble away his career for some cheap publicity.

One of the daily papers headlined an article, "This Weiner Is Cooked." If it proves he was behind the photo then he could well be. It will be, "stick a fork in him, he's done." Or, "just add mustard…."

Old nemesis Melinda Katz could be watching with great in-

terest. She famously gave up her Assembly seat to run for the Congressional seat vacated by Chuck Schumer. Weiner, a Schumer mentee, won and Katz eventually won a City Council seat where she served for eight years before a failed bid for City Comptroller against John Liu and others.

If he's guilty of this dumb stunt, then it's anybody's guess as to what will happen to his brilliant career. If proven he schemed this, he can kiss running for mayor goodbye, and may well be asked to resign.

But for right now, he needs to take a page from the Bill Clinton book of scandal survival: "Stop digging."

Every time he opens his mouth on the matter, he digs himself in deeper and he won't stop. He's blaming the Republicans and the media and everyone, but the Weiner himself. If proven he was behind the whole stunt, it would be a shame in more ways than one.

What a sorry mess.

Police Blotter Compiled By DOMENICK RAFTER

109th Precinct Fake Gun, Real Trouble On Friday, May 27, at 9:40 a.m., police responded to Flushing High School on Union Street and Northern Boulevard after a student aide received an anonymous phone call while answering the school’s main telephone. The caller stated that a 15-year-old male student was carrying a gun in his backpack and was sitting in classroom 318.

The student aide then notified the dean of the school who in turn located the student in room 357, and recovered the toy gun, along with a box cutter, from inside of the student’s book bag.

The black imitation Uzi had a red tip, which had been marked over with a black marker.

Police arrested the teenager and he was charged with Criminal Possession of a Weapon and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon on School Grounds. There is no indication that the student was showing the gun or threatening students prior to being arrested, police said. The student’s name was withheld because he is a minor.

114th Precinct Identity Theft The NYPD is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a woman wanted for a theft, which took place March 17.

The suspect, described as a white or Hispanic female, obtained the victim’s financial information to open up a Staples credit account and then made purchases on the account.

The suspect was last seen leaving a Staples store wearing black pants and a white jacket.

115th Precinct Shot Dead

The fake gun that led to real trouble.

On Saturday, May 21, at approximately 6:45 a.m., in front of 27-51 McIntosh St., East Elmhurst, police responded to a call of an unconscious man. Upon arrival, police found Judah Johnson, 33, of 5525 98th Place, Corona, with three gunshot wounds to the torso.

EMS responded and pronounced the

Police are looking for this woman related to an identity theft. man dead at the scene. There have been no arrests, and the investigation is ongoing.

From the DA Slash Sentencing A Corona man who tried to slash his wife’s neck with a hunting knife as she slept has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Pedro Parrales, 67, of Corona Av-

enue, Corona, was convicted last month of second-degree attempted murder, first-and second-degree assault, fourthdegree criminal possession of a weapon and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child following a one-and-onehalf week jury trial. The judge imposed the maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision.

According to trial testimony, on May 3, at approximately 3 a.m., the victim, Paula Silva, 45, was awakened by Parrales, who was on top of her and attempting to slash her throat with a hunting knife. Silva began to scream and tried to grab the knife to stop the attack but suffered deep lacerations to her face, head, chest and hands. The couple’s 9year-old daughter was in the room screaming for Parrales to stop and their 15-yearold son jumped on top of Parrales to stop the attack.

He stopped briefly, but then jumped on top of his wife again and tried to cut her throat. The son managed to jump on top of Parrales and grab the hunting knife, cutting himself in the process. After the attack, the defendant tried to hang himself twice – once he was cut down by his son, the second time he was cut down by police who saw him hanging from a fire escape when they arrived. Prior to the attack, Silva told Parrales that she and the children were moving out of the apartment.

June 3-9, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 7

Behind The Scenes:

Secrets Of Port Authority Success In Replacing Main JFK Runaway

By DOMENICK RAFTER

Page 8 PRESS of Southeast Queens June 3-9, 2011

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's ambitious, albeit muchneeded, rehabilitation of JFK Airport's main runway is nearly complete. Those who led the project unveiled how they were able to do it on-time and on-budget - and with only minimal disruptions to air traffic and the surrounding communities.

The bay runway is the nickname of Runway 13R/31L, the 14,000-foot runway that runs along Jamaica Bay on the south side of the airport. Last year, it underwent a $376 million renovation to replace the aging and difficult-to-maintain asphalt surface with 18 inches of concrete overlay.

The construction required the entire runway to be shut down for four months and tested the limits of both airport and Port Authority security and air traffic.

James Steven, Program Director of JFK's Physical Plant and Redevelopment; Guy Zummo, principal civil engineer; and Thomas Amoia, resident engineer, explained, in detail, the process from start to finish at a panel discussion on May 24 at Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology in East Elmhurst.

In Preparation The Port Authority began studying the runway's reconstruction as early as 2007, Steven said. During the study, the PA had to figure out how it could go about reconstructing one of the country's busiest runways with minimal disruption to air traffic in the busy airport already notorious for delays. The questions that needed to be answered included: what can be done?

How can it be done? What would the effect be on security at JFK? And what is it going to cost?

The contractor, Tutor Perini, built "a test section" before doing the work on the runway. The test section was a small taxiway south of the bay runway that connects to Runway 4L/22R, JFK's second longest runway, which intersects the bay runway. The test section ended up becoming part of the airport itself and is in use as a taxiway for planes headed to and from 4L/22R. Informing the public was also important to the Port Authority. The bay runway's closure required a change in the traffic pattern into and out of JFK. That runway is often used for takeoffs and landings over Howard Beach, the Rockaways, and the Five Towns section of Nassau County. With that runway closed, air traffic was diverted to other runways, meaning increased use of the airport's two north/south runways and the smaller Runway 13L/31R, which rerouted departing aircraft over neighborhoods not used to them.

The PA engaged in an unprecedented public information strategy, which included going to community meetings in Queens and Nassau County; using videos and webcams; pitching articles to local newspapers about the project; and keep-

ing it able to accommodate larger jets like the Airbus A380 and potentially larger fleets in the future. There are new holding pads alongside the runway where planes can move out of the way of other aircraft. This will help ease ground delays. The concrete overlay makes the runway more durable and gives it a longer lifespan: 40 years rather than just eight years on an asphalt runway. The runway also has a new lighting system to help address complaints from the FAA. The runway's surface was improved drastically thanks to a problem at the intersection of the bay runway and 4L/22R, the busiest intersection at the airport. The new concrete on the bay runway would have caused a huge bump on 4L/22R where it crosses the bay runway. To fix it, six inches of the runway was milled to make it even. It ended up fixing more than the bump.

The runway was previously bowed, though not dangerously so, and fixing the intersection allowed the runway to be straightened.

"It turned out to be beautiful for us," Zummo said. "It's smoother than it was before."

When 4L/22R reopened after work on the intersection, Zummo said he called JFK's tower after the first few planes used the runway to see if there were any complaints from pilots about that section.

There were none.

Port Authority planned for years so construction (above) would have little impact on operations. The new runway (r.) is 50 feet wider and concrete rather than asphalt. ing the public abreast about how the project was moving, especially during the four month runway closure.

"The Port Authority is often the punching bag for the media," Amoia said.

"We reached out to the media on this project."

They also worked with the airlines, discussing the types of planes in use -108 different types of planes fly into and out of JFK. Steven said the airport's two largest carriers, Delta and JetBlue, have a big morning push. They needed to get the bulk of the construction done before daybreak.

The airlines, Steven said, had the ability to adapt very quickly, but they needed to be engaged and informed early.

The Construction From March 1 to June 29, 2010, the Port Authority closed the entire bay runway so the bulk of the work could be done.

After June 29, 10,000 feet of the 14,000foot runway was reopened until the runway work was completed at the end of the year. Before closing the runway, however, all other projects, like repairing the taxiways, had to be completed. During the first few weeks of the runways closure, weather was an issue, but the team had fallback options to help keep the job moving on time.

"Everything that could have gone wrong weatherwise, did," Steven said.

The PA kept Tutor Perini in the time frame by placing monetary penalties if work went over, including $300,000 per day if work that required closure of the whole runway ran late (it ended a few days early) and $315,000 a day for the work at the intersection of runway 4L/22R, which proved to be a major concern in itself.

The Port Authority also made use of the runway's proximity to Jamaica Bay. Most of the equipment and material was barged in via Jamaica Bay right to the shorefront, only feet from the runway.

"Our goal was to get vehicle traffic off the roads," Amoia said, noting trying to get construction vehicles to JFK via the

Runway 13R/31L is JFK’s longest and busiest.

Van Wyck Expressway would have proven to be a nightmare. Using the bay also allowed the PA to isolate the construction site to the south end of the airport, eliminating the need to move equipment and material across the airport while it was up and operating, and making it easier to handle security issues.

A makeshift concrete plant was also built on site so concrete could be mixed and ready to pour immediately, also keeping concrete trucks off major highways.

Amoia said the contractor asked for 20 acres of land at the airport for storage, but admitted they ultimately needed more.

There were problems. The first nine slabs laid on the runway had to be redone because they didn't cure the first time around, but any hiccups did not affect the timing of the project.

New And Improved The new runway is 50 feet wider, mak-

Lessons Learned "We picked up a lot of information from this project," Steven said.

That will be important as the bay runway is not the only one at JFK that the PA plans to renovate. Runway 4L/22R is next on the list. Steven said some of the lessons learned in the bay runway reconstruction will be applied in that project, but that runway, because of its location and orientation, will be much harder. 4L/22R runs northeast/southwest from Jamaica Bay to the cargo hangars just south of Rockaway Boulevard. It is closest to the Central Terminal zone, is surrounded by heavily-used taxiways and it crosses two runways.

Steven said the PA hopes to begin working on a study on how to pull off the admittedly much more difficult reconstruction of Runway 4L/22R in 2013. In the meantime, the PA will ingest the lessons and information received from the bay runway project, including what worked and what didn't. "[Pre-planning] took all the excuses away," Steven said. He added that the greatest lesson learned in the bay runway project was that reconstructing a busy, vital runway at one of the world's busiest airports within a set time frame and budget, and without crippling delays, was possible.

"It the end it was a big success and that's the best lesson learned," he said.

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

Borough Beat

Taxi Bill Would Help Fight Sex Trafficking

BY JASON BANREY The scene plays out the same way night after night. Taxi drivers - both of yellow and livery cabs - pick up women engaged in illegal sex trade and bring them to brothels in Queens where waiting customers expect more than a gracious hello from their "escorts."

The taxis, according to one Queens State Senator, are just as much of the problem as the nefarious pimps who force undocumented women into having sex upon threat of violence or deportation.

Stepping up his offensive to tackle the sex trade on Roosevelt Avenue in Corona and Jackson Heights, State Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) announced the introduction of a bill which would educate cab drivers about human trafficking.

"We have to dispel the dangerous notion that prostitution is a victimless crime," Peralta said. "Someone aware of this brutal reality is less likely to participate in the continued exploitation of these women."

The bill would require taxi and livery cab drivers to be educated on how to identify a situation of human trafficking while they are on duty and would be incorporated in the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission's training program.

Joining the effort to curb both human trafficking and prostitution, Restore NYC,

a nonprofit organization which helps sextrafficking victims, welcomed the firsttime collaboration between the Senator and the TLC. According to Faith Huckel, executive director and co-founder of the nonprofit, there are approximately 27 million people currently enslaved throughout the world.

"Most are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation," Huckel said. "Eighty percent are female."

Sold the "American Dream," women are lured with the promise of a good job or false marriage then kidnapped or sold into the sex trade where they have ended up in brothels within the borough, Huckel said.

This is the second bill Peralta has introduced this year into the Senate in an attempt to curtail prostitution along Roosevelt Avenue. In March, along with Assemblyman Francisco Moya (D-Jackson Heights), Peralta introduced a bill prohibiting the distribution of "Chica Chica" cards, depicting naked and scantily clad women on business cards, advertising "free delivery" of prostitutes.

Felix Suero, president of Dominicana Radio Dispatch, a livery cab service in Corona, said incidents of human trafficking have been noticed in the past.

Although New York City taxi and livery cab drivers already undergo a training

program for initial licensure and renewal, Suero said the additional educational program will teach drivers "to say something if they see something."

Peralta will also co-sponsor a bill to increase fines and lengthen jail sentences for soliciting a prostitute.

Peralta believes the three-pronged approach will have a tremendous impact on diminishing prostitution and human trafficking. He said the bills will hit the Senate floor for a vote before the end of session in June and is optimistic they will pass.

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

BY JOSEPH OROVIC

Despite having fallen on hard times, hosting the world's sport has always been the Mets' intention, according to Howard.

"We want to use Citi Field all year round," he said.

The match will present a number of firsts for the new stadium, but Howard said it certainly will not be the last time a soccer game is played at Citi Field. The Mets are currently exploring hosting another friendly game between two major club teams, as well as a Major League Soccer franchise.

One "first" has already been accounted

for prior to the game. State Sen. Mike Gianaris (D-Astoria) has the distinction of being the first to score a goal of any kind at Citi Field, though Mr. Met was the keeper, which must diminish the achievement.

Gianaris, whose parents are from Greece, and Assemblyman Francisco Moya (D-Jackson Heights), who is of Ecuadorian descent, waged a friendly bet of empanadas and baklava.

Reach Deputy Editor Joseph Orovic at jorovic@queenstribune.com or (718) 3577400, Ext. 127.

Mets Host Soccer Match At Citi Queens will host the national soccer teams of two of its biggest ethnic groups on June 7, when Greece faces off against Ecuador in an international friendly match at Citi Field.

About 25,000 tickets have already been sold for the Tuesday night match.

"National pride will be in abundance," said Mets Executive Vice President of Business Operations Dave Howard.

The foray into soccer is a long-anticipated one for the Mets organization.

June 3-9, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 9

pix

Brewer Democrats The Guy R. Brewer United Democratic Club, one of the oldest and most active political organizations, celebrated its 56th Anniversary with a Gala Dinner Dance at Antuns. The Hon. Archie Spigner and Dora Young have shared the leadership of the club for the past 37 years. Sen. Chuck Schumer, U.S. Rep. Charlie Rangel, City Comptroller John Liu, and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio came to Queens to congratulate the honorees.

Photos by Juliet Kaye

Southeast Queens Events Edited By Harley Benson

Jamaica Book Assemblyman William Scarborough (l. to r.), Assemblywoman Barbara Clark, Comptroller John Liu, U.S. Rep. Greg Meeks, Councilman Ruben Wills, State Sen. Shirley Huntley, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, U.S. Rep. Charlie Rangel, Councilman James Sanders, State Committeewoman Anne Wilkinson.

Page 10 PRESS of Southeast Queens June 3-9, 2011

Students from the Aquinas Honor Society of the Immaculate Conception School in Jamaica recently signed copies of their book, "Images of America: Jamaica" at the Barnes & Noble located at 176-60 Union Turnpike in Fresh Meadows. State Sen. Tony Avella congratulated the students on the launch of their book.

Seated (l. to r.) Honoree William McDonald, State Comm. Anne Wilkinson, Sen. Shirley Huntley, D.L. Jacqueline Boyce, Honorees Mattie Oliver and C.O. Krystal Johnson, Schoolship Awardees Amanda Smith and a YCGTCC student. Standing l. to r. Honoree Dr. Howard Bradnock, State Committeewomen Joan Phelps, Joan Flowers, Esq., Councilman Leroy Comrie, Assemblywoman Barbara Clark, Assemblyman William Scarborough, U.S. Rep. Greg Meeks, Judge Janice Taylor, Councilman Ruben Wills, Hon. Archie Spigner, State Sen. Malcolm Smith, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, Honorees Rev. Victor Hall and Lonza Elgin Henderson, Peggy Kirkland.

Profile

A Sorority With A Global Mindset

BY SASHA AUSTRIE For 98 years, the women of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority have been instrumental in the worldwide community, and 60 years ago they brought their hard work and dedication to Queens.

"We are an organization comprised of women and our goal is community service," said Roslin Spigner, president of the Queens Alumnae Chapter.

On Saturday, the Queens Alumnae Deltas will celebrate 60 years with a gala at the Crest Hollow Country Club. On Sunday, the organization will recognize their partners in community service at 2 p.m. at St. John's University's D'Angelo Center.

On June 4, 1951, what would become the Queens Alumnae Chapter was established, and this branch would carry with it the legacy of the Deltas. It spoke to women who walked into the bosom of history by marching in the Women's Suffrage movement.

"We deemphasized the social side of sorority life," Spigner said. "We participated in something so profound when we walked with other women."

The Queens Alumnae has about 200 members and worldwide, there are 300,000 Deltas.

Service is at the very core of the Delta's mission. In that regard, the organization

has committed its members to serve their communities. The Queens Alumnae Chapter has held fast to the five goals of the Deltas: educational development; economic development; international awareness and involvement; physical and mental health; and political awareness and involvement.

"We are a sisterhood, so what we do is we try to build leadership from within," she said.

The Alumnae Chapter has given more than a 1,000 scholarships since 1953. In 2011, $34,000 was given to 26 high school seniors. The scholarship is awarded for four years, as long as the student maintains a 2.5 GPA or better. The organization has also contributed to Borough President Helen Marshall's African American Heritage Month. They donate $1,000 to the United Negro College Fund and Dollars for Scholars.

Members also donate their time. For the past 19 years, the Queens Alumnae Chapter has conducted college tours to historically black campuses.

Though the organization is based on women leadership and members, its benefits are bestowed on both boys and girls.

It is evidenced by the Delta Academy and Delta Gems, which both emphasize leadership and academics for girls, and

is part of their international awareness and involvement. The school is for developmentally challenged persons.

Members of the sorority adopt a student and pay for their education. Every year, a small contingent of sorors make the pilgrimage to the school. The organization has also taken steps to keep young people aware of HIV. The Alumnae Chapter has also delved into the heart of health issues.

With the growing problem of obesity, The Queens Alumnae Chapter of the the organization has partnered with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, led by The 50 Million Pound Challenge and Roslin Spigner (inset). has hosted a health fair in conjunction with Shiloh Baptist Church. Also, EMBODI (Empowering Males the sorority has taken up the challenge to Building Opportunities for De- educate people about the signs and sympveloping Independence). The toms of mental disorders.

Deltas work in conjunction with The Or"We are taking the issues in our comder of the Feather Fraternity for the munity and bringing them to the foreEMBODI program. front," she said.

On the economic development front, In terms of political awareness, the the organization hosts financial literacy organization set a goal in 2008 to regisworkshops and collaborates with local ter 1,300 voters by 2013. Queens Alumbanking institutions. Also, the Queens nae Chapter is 200 signatures shy of their Alumnae Chapter strives to support local goal and two years ahead of schedule. entrepreneurs.

"When people think about sororities, "We support all businesses, but we fo- they think they just run around and have cus and emphasize minority owned busi- fun, but I beg to differ," Spigner said. nesses," Spigner said.

Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at The Deltas have adopted the New saustrie@queenspress.com or (718) 357Horizon School in Accra, Ghana, which 7400, Ext. 123.

Page 12 PRESS of Southeast Queens June 3-9, 2011

People The New York Lottery announced the names of area Lottery players who claimed a winning instant game ticket from April 10-16 and received a cash prize valued at $10,000 or more. The past week’s winners include: Nigel King of Far Rockaway who won $20,000 on the Cashword Doubler instant game. King’s winning ticket was purchased at the Cigar Warehouse at 28-65 Steinway St. in Astoria.

Barbara Williams of Cambria Heights who won $25,000 on the Find The 9’s instant game. Williams’s winning ticket was purchased at the N B S Stationery at 1619 Dutch Broadway in Elmont.

Rosemarie Santoro of Middle Village who won $50,000 on the Win $1,000,000 A Year For Life instant game.

Santoro’s winning ticket was purchased at the Supreme News & Grocery at 71-69 Yellowstone Blvd. in Forest Hills.

Abdulla Masum of Jackson Heights who won $10,00 0 on the Make A Cashword instant game. Masum’s winning ticket was purchased at the Woodside Deli & Grocery at 77-02 Woodside Ave. in Elmhurst.

The New York Lottery announced the names of area Lottery players who claimed a winning ticket from one of the Lottery’s live drawings April 10-16. The following winners each received a cash prize valued at $10,000 or more.

Alvaro Almeida of Oakland Garden who won $10,003 on the Mega Millions draw-

ing of March 4. Almeida’s winning ticket was purchased at the The Source Service Station at 2 Old Country Rd. in Westbury.

Horace Hamilton of Hollis who won $10,000 on the Mega Millions drawing of April 8. Hamilton’s winning ticket was purchased at the Queensbury Discount Wines at 205-20 Jamaica Ave. in Hollis.

Lakhwinder Kaur of South Ozone Park who won $98,320 on the Take Five drawing of April 8. Kaur’s winning ticket was purchased at the Soni Wine & Liquor at 9714 Seaview Ave. in Brooklyn.

Carmen Veras of Jamaica who won $12,936 on the Take Five drawing of April 11. Veras’s winning ticket was purchased at the Pramukh 71 at 107-36 71st Ave. in Forest Hills.

Andrzej Zabczyk of Rockaway Beach who won $10,000 on the Mega Millions drawing of April 12. Zabczyk’s winning ticket was purchased at the C-Town Supermarket at 87-15 Rockaway Beach Blvd. in Rockaway Beach.

Hernando Moyano of Kew Gardens who won $30,000 on the Powerball drawing of April 13. Moyano’s winning ticket was purchased at the Metropolitan Pharmacy at 116-07 Metropolitan Ave. in Kew Gardens.

Stella Perdikogiannis of East Elmhurst who won $27,647 on the Take Five drawing of April 12. Perdikogiannis’s winning ticket was purchased at the Rusha at 302 E 50th Street and 2nd Avenue in New York.

Major General Patrick A. Murphy, the Adjutant General, announced the recent

reenlistment of members of the New York Army National Guard in recognition of their continuing commitment to serve community, state and nation as part of the Army National Guard.

Sergeant Carlos Moralesfebus from Ridgewood has reenlisted to continue service with the 7th Finance Detachment; Sergeant Donald Everett from St Albans has reenlisted to continue service with the Company C, 101st Signal Battalion; Sergeant Donny Mckay from St Albans has reenlisted to continue service with the Company D, 1-69th Infantry; Specialist Johnathon Aaron from St Albans has reenlisted to continue service with the 727th Military Police Detachment, Law And Order.

Staff Sergeant Virginia Waldon from Springfield Gardens has reenlisted to continue service with the 14th Finance Detachment; Sergeant 1st Class Aubrey Budhu from Jamaica has reenlisted to continue service with the Company G (Forward Support Company-Field Artillery) 427th Brigade Support Battalion; Specialist George Ruiz from Woodhaven has reenlisted to continue service with the 222d Chemical Company; Staff Sergeant Eric Golowach from Woodhaven has reenlisted to continue service with the 107th Military Police Company; Sergeant Windollyn Patino from Jamaica has reenlisted to continue service with the 719 Transportation Company;

Specialist Ronald Rivas from Jamaica has reenlisted to continue service with the 145th Maintenance Company.

Staff Sergeant Mahendranauth Dabichan from Jamaica has reenlisted to continue service with the Company G (Forward Support Company-Field Artillery) 427th Brigade Support Battalion; Specialist Perry Batts from Jamaica has reenlisted to continue service with the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1-258th Field Artillery; Specialist Tanesha Orridge from Jamaica has reenlisted to continue service with the 14th Finance Detachment; Specialist Michael Brown from Jamaica has reenlisted to continue service with the Company G (Forward Support Company-Field Artillery) 427th Brigade Support Battalion; Specialist Clayton Smith from Jamaica has reenlisted to continue service with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2-108th Infantry; and Staff Sergeant Deshon Blyden from Rockaway Park has reenlisted to continue service with the Company B, 101st Signal Battalion.

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

A&E

Journey To Bridge A Generation Gap about love, forgiveness and friendship we can relearn ourselves. Mushy parts aside, Literary history is rife with stories of Keating hopes the book will reignite activjourneys to self-discovery. Enter Celine ist streaks that have gone silent.

"I guess in some strange Keating's "Layla," a take on way, I was almost hoping, the proud literary tradition 'C'mon this is possible,'" with a twist.

The novel follows Layla Keating said. "It would be lovely to see people take a James, a modern teenage more activist role." protagonist with an artistic Layla's story does not bent, but conservative sendeviate wildly from Keating's sibilities. own, who is also the prodSaddled with the death of her former-hippie mother uct of two working-class parents from Queens. She also and the ghost of a father lost her father at an early age. who only left her with a "I'm not the age of the name (you can guess its oriprotagonist, but I always gins on your own), the aspirwondered what would it be ing photographer undertakes a journey across the Celine Keating's novel of like to have a daughter," she said. "One with very differcountry. Spurred by a myste- a journey and discovery. ent values." rious letter left by her mother, The characters Layla meets are familiar Layla encounters the sometimes dormant activists of the flower-power generation to the author, herself a product of the 1960s.

After graduating Queens College in the on her road to a surprising twist ending.

On her road from New York to a com- early 1970s, Keating took a cross-country mune in California, Layla discovers lessons trip to California, volunteering for Cesar

BY JOSEPH OROVIC

A Chinese Mainstay

Soon after finishing the first round, our dishes began to arrive. First, the roast pork fried rice arrived, replete with sprouts, chunks of char siu, onion and herbs. As that cooled, the duck was brought tableside, and the server prepared the wraps for us. Chinese pancakes get folded burrito-style around slices of the tender meat, which is dipped in a nutty hoisin. Crisp skin and fresh cucumber and scallion fill out the interior, and the plate of neatly wrapped, hand-held duck is placed at the table. While we waited for our other dishes, we made quick work of the duck.

The kung pao chicken arrived, generously filled with tender chicken, peanuts and ubiquitous Szechuan pepper flakes.

This is the way I like it - the balance of salty, sweet and spicy caused flavors to dance along my tastebuds. Yum. As we ate, we continued to wait for our final dish, a request that had to be made a few times before our beef with string beans arrived. Though we did feel a bit ignored at times, the dish was certainly worth the wait. Like the chicken, the beef was tender, cooked just enough without being overdone. The sauce was a sweet and slightly sour golden delight, and the beans were fresh, still with a snap on the teeth - perfectly executed.

Though the service seemed to be off that night - they didn't know we were writing a review, perhaps, I've never experienced the problem before. I knew that when I made a mention to our hostess as we left, that the issue would be addressed.

And like I said, the food was certainly worth the wait.

—Brian M. Rafferty

Circus Of Superheroes Takes Over Boro Park

BY BARBARA ARNSTEIN Special effects are only tricks, but the Big Apple Circus is for real.

The superheroes of this circus demonstrate the dexterity of Daredevil, twirl lassos like Wonder Woman and command creatures like Aquaman. With mighty muscles like Superman, Big Apple athletes jump, juggle, balance, bend and soar high in the air. Now is the time to catch the show at Cunningham Park in Fresh Meadows, where it Barry "Grandma" Lubin interacts with an audience will remain through June 5. member.

Walking on stilts is a challenging feat, and Andrey Mantchev maages to do it using his hands. The Bul- backward to entertain their audiences. garia-born gymnast began his career at the Jennifer Vidbel's act includes a dozen age of 6 and succeeded in becoming a white ponies, a majestic Arabian stallion, member of the Junior National Team be- several very talented dogs, and goats who fore 14. At that time, he was chosen to ride ponies. The ponies prance in a tradijoin a team that traveled to America, tional "liberty act," which means they where he joined the Big Apple Circus in freely pace around the ring without any 1999. Russian gymnast Regina riders, displaying the classic beauty of Dobrovitskaya, a permanent member of rhythmic pacing. Queens native Paul the cast, toured with a Moscow circus.

Simon metaphorically celebrated such an The act of the amazing Hebei Wuqiao act in the song, "One Trick Pony," which acrobats includes a breathtaking demon- includes the admiring lyric, "When he stration of lassoing techniques and team- steps into the spotlight,/you can feel the work that won them the Golden Lion heat of his heart come shining through." award at the 11th China Wuqiao InternaOne of the best parts of the Big Apple tional Acrobatic Circus festival in 2007. Circus experience is something that's hiThe Kenyan Boys jump and juggle, dem- lariously different every time: audience onstrating terrific teamwork. interaction. Lucky members of the audiThe circus's clowns of renown, Rob ence are chosen to work together with Torres and Barry Lubin (who plays the the clowns in various ways (a clue: the character "Grandma"), have won many title of this year's presentation is "Dance international awards and honors, but their On."). Best of all: every visitor has an exgreatest achievement is winning every cellent view, thanks to the considerate viewer's interest with super sight gags and close-up seating and the one-ring intimacy perfect pantomime. of this exciting extravaganza.

You can see the imaginary X-Men on Cunningham Park is at 196-22 Union the silver screen, but why not watch the Turnpike. For more information, go to incredibly flexible, real-life "X Bud Roses bigapplecircus.org, or call (800) 922Troupe" of Chinese contortionists? The 3772, Monday through Friday, from 10 lovely young ladies literally bend over a.m. to 6 p.m.

June 3-9, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 13

TUNG SHING HOUSE 97-45 Queens Blvd.

(718) 275-9818 CUISINE: Chinese HOURS: Noon to 11 p.m.

CREDIT CARDS: Yes DELIVERY: Yes On a busy Saturday night, five of us took a break from the Memorial Day weekend heat to enjoy a classic meal at one of the oldest and most renowned Chinese restaurants in Queens - Tung Shing House.

We've been there before. My grandmother used to hold her "Family Circle" meetings there; I've been there a few times on my own and with my family.

I've yet to find a dish I haven't liked.

Saturday was no exception.

We started with the most important part first - ordering the Peking Duck.

You need to give them 30 minutes or so to get the meal together - it is done to order to ensure that you get that perfect balance of juicy meat and crisp skin.

More on that later.

We started with a couple of simple classics - pan-fried dumplings and barbecue ribs. The dumplings are the pot stickers of old, crisply browned on one side, steamy and juicy in the middle with a great mix of soy, sesame, rice wine vinegar and hint of Szechuan pepper dipping sauce. The ribs were not the red, overcooked kind that so many take-out joints proffer, but meaty, chewy, golden and tangy. The dish of fried noodles helped round out our first course.

Though some tables got roasted peanuts and pickled beets, our table was somehow overlooked. It was a busy night.

admitted there is a gap between the novel she envisioned and the finished product which is not necessarily a bad conclusion.

"It never meshes. At some point you say, 'This is what it is,'" she said. "It's always such a peculiar experience because how you feel the vision and what happens on the page, it's just two separate things. It wasn't too far off, at least, close enough to let go of it."

Keating hopes the novel will bridge a gap between the children of flower children and their parents.

"It would be great if parents and young adults would read the books and discuss it," she said. "You'd love to think that something you write would have meaning for someone."

Reach Deputy Editor Joseph Orovic at jorovic@queenstribune.com or (718) 3577400, Ext. 127.

PRESS photo by Ira Cohen

Restaurant Review

Chavez's farm workers' union. She also participated in the anti-war movement. To say her personal experience has geared her towards activism is an understatement.

She looks back upon the era longingly.

"It's always hard to argue that your period was more important," Keating said. "I definitely think it was a seismic period of change. The whole 1960s era still had such and effect on the regular daily lives of people. Nothing felt like it saturated every corner of the country like that period did."

Those same peers that color her memories were very much on her mind when writing, as was her native borough.

"It leaks through certainly in some of the scenes, and [Layla's] family is still in Queens," she said. "Queens was definitely off the beaten track for the centers of power."

Still, when writing a nostalgic journey and homage to her generation, Keating

Faith

Year-Long Celebration For Bishop

BY SASHA AUSTRIE The Bishop Roderick Caesar of Bethel Gospel Tabernacle is hosting a three-inone celebration all year round.

Caesar is celebrating his 65th birthday, 27 years as a pastor, and 17 as a bishop.

For the June celebration, from noon to 4 p.m., on Saturday, the church will host a Men’s Fashion Show and Lun-

cheon. There is a $10 donation. There are also events planned for Father’s Day weekend with Sunday guest speakers, the Rev. Tom Maharis at 7:30 a.m. and the Rev. Richard Galloway at 11 a.m.

Bethel Gospel Tabernacle has been in the community for 75 years. It was established by Bishop Roderick Caesar, Sr. and the Rev. Gertrude Caesar.

The church expanded into seven

Word “Science can only determine what is, but not what shall be, and beyond its realm, value judgments remain indispensable. Religion, on the other hand, is concerned only with evaluating human thought and actions; it is not qualified to speak of real facts and the relationships between them.”

—Albert Einstein

branches, four of which became independent churches, and are still linked to Bethel Gospel Tabernacle. Bethel Tabernacle is located at 110-25 Guy R. Brewer Blvd. Jamaica.

The founders started a radio ministry in 1940, which has now been expanded to television. In 1947, 2the church opened the Bethel Bible Institute, which according to the churches’ Web site, is an accredited institution for the systematic study of God’s Word.

The church hosts a bevy of ministries, including the women’s ministries, men’s group, a prison outreach, Joppa Youth Ministr y, am22ong oth2ers. It also hosts Camp Joharie, which deals primarily with children’s ministries for four weeks during the summer.

They also have hospital and home missions where they spend and serve patients in nursing homes and hospitals. Bethel Gospel Tabernacle will be hosting a year-round Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie three-in-one celebration to honor Bishop Roderick at saustrie@queenspress.com or Casesar.

(718) 357-7400, Ext. 123.

Notebook Leaders Organization

Senior Leads While Others Follow

Page 14 PRESS of Southeast Queens June 3-9, 2011

BY BOB HARRIS Armani Davidson is a resident of Hollis who is president of the Leaders Organization in Martin Van Buren High School in Queens Village. The Leaders are a selected group associated with the Physical Education Department who perform community service in and outside of the school. They are recognized by the red gym uniforms they wear.

When she joined the Leaders in her sophomore year, she was named Most Appreciated New Leader and by her Junior year, she was on its governing board.

She was also invited to join the Scholars Institute of Martin Van Buren, which is for students with the most potential.

They engage in a vigorous academic program which includes preparing for and performing research. She has been on the Principal’s Honor Roll since her freshman year. As a member of the school chapter of the Key Club, a community service organization, she has participated in the America Cancer Society’s Breast Cancer Wall, which has been held in Cunningham Park and will now be in Fort Totten.

In her junior year at Van Buren, Davidson was named the Most Appreciated Leader, Top Leaders Fund-Raiser,

Armani Davidson and placed on the 100 percent Attendance Roll and the Principals’ Honor Roll.

She joined the Leaders Governing Board, Arista National Honor Society and the Book Club. During the summer, she joined a workshop at Bayside High School as part of the Big Apple Games to develop her volleyball skills. She also took part in the Science & Technology Entry Program

(STEP) at Barnard College, where she was the winner of the STEP jeopardy contest.

In her senior year, Davidson continues on the Principal’s Honor Roll, was voted Most Likely to Succeed, is Secretary of the Senior Class, is Social Action Advisor of Arista, became president of Leaders Organization, joined the Drama Club, the Sign Language Club and stayed active in the Key Club, organized a canned food drive, helped raise money for a local animal shelter, played on the Girls Varsity Volleyball team, and is always ready to help in the Student Government Office.

Recently, she and a group of Key Club and Leaders members went to Cunningham Park to help the West Cunningham Park Civic Association clean the park near the flag pole during “It’s My Park Day” on May 21.

Brian Greenspan, The Coordinator of Student Affairs (COSA) at Van Buren, writes glowingly that, “Although I’ve only known Armani since April 2010, she has proven herself to be one of the most valuable workers I’ve ever had under my supervision. Armani is an executive board member of my Student Organization. No

task I’ve ever assigned her has been too challenging; she is intelligent enough to perform the most menial task. She is easily the most driven student I’ve ever met.

It is this focus of hers, combined with her academic prowess, her radiant personality and her irresistible charm that makes her an asset to any university she enters.”

Davidson has been chosen by Van Buren’s administration to be a student member of the school C30 committee which, along with parents and staff members, reviews the files of prospective assistant principals and principals and votes for the ones deemed best qualified. She has also been appointed to the Queens Borough Student Advisory Council (BSAC) consisting of representatives from all the Queens high schools, which meets monthly to discuss issues of concern to the students, hear speakers and bring important information back to their schools.

Davidson has taken college English Composition and Speech at Queensborough Community College. She has been accepted to The City College of New York and plans to major in psychology and minor in political science and ultimately become a politician. Her favorite quote is, “Why follow when you can lead?”

Queens Today HEALTH

SECTION EDITOR: REGINA VOGEL

Send typed announcements for your club or organization’s events at least TWO weeks in advance to “Queens Today” Editor, Queens Tribune, 150-50 14th Road, Whitestone NY 113572809. Send faxes to 3579417, c/o Regina.

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

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.

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 1-877-664-2469.

CAREGIVERS SUPPORT E v e r y Tu e s d a y We st e 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.

OA Thursdays at the Howard Beach library at 10:30.

OA Fridays 6:30-8:30 at Unit y Center of Flushing, 42-11 1 5 5 th S t r e e t . S a t u r d a y s 10:30-noon at Resurrection Ascension, Feely Hall, 85-18 61 st Road, Rego Park. Beginners meeting except the last Friday of each month, which is a writing meeting.

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

BLOOD DRIVE Sunday, June 12 9-2 at

EDUCATION/GAMES/CRAFTS

Queen of Angels Church in the Parish Center, 43-18 Skillman Avenue, Sunnyside. 646-541-6526.

BLOOD DRIVE Saturday, June 4, 8:45am to 2 pm, Long IslandCouncil #197 Knights of Columbus, 94-04 Linden Blvd. 347-9350252. Bring photo ID NAR-ANON Thursdays, 7:30 to 9 pm, NarAnon Never Alone is a 12Step support group for anyone affected by a loved one’s use and/or abuse of drugs. There are no dues or fees. Meetings are held at the VFW Hall in Whitestone, 19-12 149 St. 217-0364

RELIGIOUS REFORM TEMPLE Wednesday, June 15 Reform Temple Forest Hills, 7111 112th St., OpenHouse 68 pm. Tour buildign and lean about activities.

HEALING PRAYER Sunday, June 12, 3 pm, A Christian Science lecture titled “Prayer That Heals, Protects and Restores,” First Church of Christ Scientist, 60 Greenway Terrace, Forest Hills.

SHAVUOT PROGRAM Thursday, June 9, noon, Horizons, for 55 and older, will discuss the givings of the Torah at Reform Temple of Forest Hills, 71-11 112th St. $ includes coffee and cake.

INCLUSION SHABBAT Friday, June 10, 8 pm, Michelle Hackman, second place award winner in the Intel Sciecne Talent Search will speak with Rabbi Perlmuter at Shabbat of Inclusion, Reform Temple of Forest Hills, 71-11 112th St.

MISCELLANEOUS DOG/CAT VACCINE Through July 30 Petland Discount locations offer low cost dog and cat vaccinations. Contact your local store.

FLEA MARKETS enue, call 767-1243.

BAKE & BOOK Saturday, June 4, 9:30 to 3:30 and Sunday, June 5, 11:30 to 3:30, Church of the Ressurection, Summer Treasure Bake and Book Sale, 8509 118th Street. Used clothing, household items, oneof-a-kind, baked goods, snacks and lunch GROCERY AUCTION Friday, June 3, 7:30 pm, Grocery Auction at Emanuel Unitd Church of Christ, 93-

DINNER QUEENS GO RED June 9 Queens Go Red for Women Breakfast with the American Heart Association.

516-450-9123.

LICBDC REAL ESTATE June 15 breakfast in LIC. 786-5300, ext. 21.

JEWISH WOMEN

June 21 luncheon by the NY section of the National Council of Jewish Women. 1-800829-NCJW. CENTENNIAL 2011 September 24 Queens Chamber of Commerce will celebrate the Centennial at Terrace on the Park.

12 91st Avenue, $8 admission includes 50 chances to win groceries, plus coffe and cake THRIFT SHOP Tuesday, June 14, 9 am to 2 pm, Sisterhood of the Jewish Center of Kew Gardens Hills, 71-25 Main Street.

Used clothing, household items, bric-a-brac, books, jewelry

TEENS REGENTS REVIEW In June Maspeth Town Hall offers Regents Review Classes. $80. 335-6049.

CHESS CLUB Saturdays at the Flushing library at 2.

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

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

DANCE 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.

FREE LINE DANCE Mondays, 1 pm, Pomonok Senior Center with instructor Bernardo, 67-09 Kissena Blvd., call 591-3377

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 CLASS Wednesdays at 9:30 at NAL. Traditional and contemporary, all levels. 969-1128.

QUILTING CLASSES 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 Thursdays at the Queensboro Hill library. Register.

KNIT & CROCHET Thursdays at the Fresh Meadows library at 6.

PAINTING WORKSHOP Fridays through June 24 N e w C re a t i v i t y a n d Ad vanced Painting Workshop at National Art League. 1-646546-2296.

KNITTING CLUB Fridays at the Maspeth library at 10.

SAFE BOATING Saturday, June 4, Eight-hour New York State Boating Class at All-Saints Episcopal Church, Great Neck. 917952-7014 BOATING SAFELY Saturdays, June 11 and June 26, Eight Hour About Boating Safely class at Fort Totten, Bayside. 917-952-7014 ST GREGORY THE GREAT June 16 - June 16, 7-11 pm, 32nd Annual gregorian Summer Festival, 87th Avenue and Cross Island Parkway SUMMER FIESTA Saturday, June 11, 1-4 pm, St Joan of Arc Church, 82-00 35th Avenue, will hold its Summer Fiesta with barbecue, ethnic foods, children’s games, wine, refreshments, raffles and prizes, entertainment, more.

CARD PARTY

Tu e s d a y, J u n e 1 4 , 1 1 : 3 0 am, The Siaterhood of Bay Terace Jewish Center, 1300 209th St., Bayside, will holst a luncheon card part y. $20 in advance, $22 at the door.

RELIGIOUS REFORM TEMPLE Wednesday, June 15 Reform Temple Forest Hills, 7111 112th St., OpenHouse 68 pm. Tour buildign and lean about activities.

HEALING PRAYER Sunday, June 12, 3 pm, A Christian Science lecture titled “Prayer That Heals, Protects and Restores,” First Church of Christ Scientist, 60 Greenway Terrace, Forest Hills.

SHAVUOT PROGRAM Thursday, June 9, noon, Horizons, for 55 and older, will discuss the givings of the Torah at Reform Temple of Forest Hills, 71-11 112th St. $ includes coffee and cake.

INCLUSION SHABBAT Friday, June 10, 8 pm, Michelle Hackman, second place award winner in the Intel Sciecne Talent Search will speak with Rabbi Perlmuter at Shabbat of Inclusion, Reform Temple of Forest Hills, 71-11 112th St.

TALKS FRESH MEADOWS Thursday, May 26 “Lost Cit y of Z” will be discussed at 2:30 at the Fresh Meadows library.

TALKS FRESH MEADOWS Thursday, May 26 “Lost Cit y of Z” will be discussed at 2:30 at the Fresh Meadows library.

MISCELLANEOUS DOG/CAT VACCINE Through July 30 Petland Discount locations offer low cost dog and cat vaccinations. Contact your local store.

THEATER KILLING KOMPANY Friday, June 3 “Graduation to Murder” at Riccardo’s in Astoria. The Killing Company performs mystery dinner shows. 1-888-SHOOTEM for information.

AUDITIONS Tues and Wed – June 14 & 15, 7:30 p.m., Auditions for a musical-comedy about civil rights and rock & roll will be held by FSF Communit y Theatre Group, which is looking for a large multi-racial cast of singers, dancers, actors ages 14 thru adult. Performances in November. Tues and Wed – June 14 & 15, 7:30 p.m., Free Synagogue of Flushing, 41-60 Kissena Blvd. 516-354-5210 ANNIE GET YOUR GUN

Tuesday, June 14, 7:30 p.m., Thursday, June 16, 7:30 p.m. , Interested performers are invited to audition for Theatre By The Bay’s production of Irving Berlin’s “Annie Get Your Gun” at Bay Terrace Jewish Center, 13-00 209th St., Bayside. 718-428-6363.

BE A STAR Wednesdays, 10:30 am, Join our group of older adults inspired by a theatre professional who achieves exceptional results. Rehearsals are held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays at the Hollis Public Library, 202-05 Hillside Ave., and on Fridays at 10:30 a.m. at the Queens Village Library, 94-11 217th St. Call (718) 776-0529 for more information.

June 3-9, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 15

THRIFT SHOPS Saturdays 11-4 at Bargain Boutique Thrift Shop, Queens Baptist Church, 93th 23 217 Street, Queens Village.465-2504.

MASPETH SALE Saturday, June 4, 10 am, Multi-dwelling yard sale, 60th Street off Flushing Avenue, rain dat June 5.

FLEA MARKET Saturday, June 4, 9 am to 4 pm, First Reformed Church, 119th Street and 14th Av-

WOODBLOCK PRINTING Easy method in full color at the National Art League.

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.

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, June 4, 18 learn to communicate effectively at Elmhurst Hospital. 646436-7940.

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.

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

BEGIN ENGLISH Mondays and Wednesdays free Beginners English Classes 10-11:30 at the Pomonok Senior Center, 6709 Kissena Blvd., Flushing.

591-3377.

BASIC COMPUTER Tuesday, June 7 at the Glendale library. Register.

QUILTERS Tuesdays at the Richmond Hill library from 12-2.

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.

DUPLICATE BRIDGE Wednesdays 10:30-3:00 at

Queens Today MEETINGS

ENTERTAINMENT ASTORIA HISTORICAL Saturday, June 4 “Episode 6: New York: A Documentary” at 1. Free. Sunday, June 5 walking tour of Old Astoria Village. $10 at 11am.

Monday, June 6 Documentary on Newtown Creek at 7. $5. Saturday, June 18 History Round Table with the events of the Civil War in 1861 at 1. $5. Greater Astoria Historical Societ y, 35-20 Broadway, 4 th floor.

278-0700.

STAMP SHOW Sunday, June 26 Bayside Stamp Show at the Ramada Inn in Bayside. 10-4:30. Free.

LIVE JAZZ Fridays through December 13 at 180-25 Linden Blvd..,

St. Albans. 347-262-1169 ticket information.

JAMAICA BAY CRUISE Saturday, June 18 Jamaica Bay Cruise 4-7 from Brooklyn. 318-9344.

INTERNATIONAL CONCERT Friday, June 17, International Concert with Dino Rosi , Whitestone Library, 3 LOVE STORY Saturday, June 11, 8 pm, Cantor Guy Bonne and special musical guests will perform the greatest love songs e ve r w r i t t e n a t Te m p l e Tikvah, 3315 Hillside Avenue, New Hyde Park. $18 516-746-1120 IT’S SHOW TIME Sunday, June 12, 5-7 pm,

Musica Reginae Productions and & Church In The Gardens present an organ concert with Katherine Meloan: “It’s Show Time!” 50 Ascan Ave., Forest Hills.

MUSIC AND SONG Monday, June 13, 6:30 pm, An Evening of Music and Song will be held in the Richmond Hill Library Auditorium, 118-14 Hillside Ave. (enter through driveway on Babbage Street).

The evening, which is sponsored by the Friends of the Richmond Hill Library, will include popular and classical selections and will feature singer Victor Starsky and William Thomas Smiddy, pianist. 718-849-7150

YOUTH QUEENS LIBRARIES Many branches of the Queensborough Library offer toddler and pre-school programs. Contact your local branch for dates.

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

Saturdays 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 , Fre s h Meadows.

KNIT & CROCHET Mondays at 4 at the Douglaston/Little Neck library. Bring needles and yarn.

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

CHESS CLUB Fridays at the Poppenhusen library at 3:30.

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

CHILDREN’S ART EXHIBITION June 6-30, National Art League headquarters, 44-21 D o u g l a sto n P k w y. Galler y Hours are 1-4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Saturday. Admission is free. The public is invited.

JEWISH VETS Sunday, June 26 Jewish War Veterans of the USA Lipsky/ Blum Post meet at the Garden Jewish Center. 4634742.

ST. ALBANS CIVIC Sunday, June 26 St. Albans Civic Improvement Association meets at 1:30 at St. Albans Lutheran Church, 200 th Street and 119 th Avenue in the undercroft. 2764263.

TOASTMASTERS Mondays, June 6, 20 True Potential Toastmasters meet at 7:10. 646-269-1577.

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.

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.

FH VAC Wednesdays, June 22, July 27 Forest Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corp meets.

793-2055.

QUEENS CENTRAL ROTARY Thursdays 6:30-8:30 Come learn if Rotary is for you.

465-2914.

WOMAN’S GROUP Fridays the Woman’s Group of Jamaica Estates meets at noon. Call 461-3193 for information.

FOR THE BIRDS Wednesday, June 15, 8 pm, T h e Q u e e n s C o u n t y B i rd Club will hold its monthly meeting at Alley Pond Environmental Center, 228-06 Northern Blvd., Douglaston.

OPEN HOUSE Wednesday, June 15, 6-8 pm, The Reform Temple of Forest Hills, located at 71-11 112th St., will hold an open house. Refreshments will be served.

COMMUNITY DAY June 18, Community Day for Queens Library at Long Island Cit y and this year we are celebrating with a Swap & Shop. This family event is free and there will giveaways, food, a live DJ, a Zumba class, crafts and much more. Swap participants will exchange crafts, books, DVDs, music CDs, video games, small plants and other small household items. Local merchants or vendors may sell small non-food items such as costume jewelry, gadgets, clothing, and crafts. Neighborhood non profits and merchants must apply for table space in advance. 7523700

MS SPRING FLING Thursday, June 23, 6:301 0 : 3 0 p m , T h e N e w Yo r k Cit y - Southern New York Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Societ y cordially invites you to the Fifth Annual Spring Fling at Riccardo’s by the Bridge, 2101 24th Ave., Astoria. Registration Deadline: Monday June 13. $12 per person.

Guest Limit: three guests per member living with MS. To register by phone, call 800-FIGHT-MS, Option 1.

DEFENSIVE DRIVING Saturday, June 11, 9:30 a.m. to 4 pm, A defensive driving course for insurance and point reduction will be given at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Jackson Heights 631-360~9720. The cost is $45.

STRAWBERRY FAIR Saturday, June 11, 11 am to 6 pm, Come to the Strawberry Fair . There will be vendors to purchase from, food to buy, and fun to have. There will be hamburgers, hot dogs, cake and, of course, strawberries. Also, there will be international foods of different countries from around the world, a communit y auction, balloon animals and face painting for the kids. The festival will be at All Saints’ Church, 43-12 46th St., Sunnyside.

784-8031

CLASSIFIEDS Wanted To Buy

Tree Services

Old Records

ARNOLDO’S TREE SERVICE

♫

♪

Doo-Wop - Rock & Roll Soul - 70’s Disco - Lattin Reggae/Calypso - Blues - Jazzz - Gospel Blue Grass - Middle Eastern & Otheer Ethnic Music Charlie

516-612-2009

Autos Wanted

Autos Wanted

Urology

PROSTATE & POTENCY CENTER

• Pruning • Stump Grinding • Planting • City Permits Obtained • Prompt Storm Service 149-57 Beech Ave. • Flushing New York 11355 Ph: 718-463-7829 Cell: 917-337-4062

UROLOGIST

COMPLETE IMPOTENCE CENTER

a Viagivren

MUSE treatment for erection TUINA, Indigo Laser-latest outpatient treatment TUMT MICROWAVE for prostate surgery BRACHY THERAPY–Seed Implant, no surgery for prostate cancer Kidney stones without surgery, including laser surgery Complete Urological Center for Males & Females Stress Incontinence for Females Over 20 years in Queens Area

Pill G with FREE ation lt u Cons

FAX YOUR AD TO US AT

718-357-0076

Urology

Most Ins., HMO’s accepted

Kris K. Jhaveri, M.D., F.A.C.I.P., F.I.C.S., F.A.C.P.E. SONOGRAM ON PREMISES Rego Park Office (718) 271-2800 Se habla Emergency 24 hours (800) 846-8991 Español

WWW.QUEENSPRESS.COM

Unless Otherwise Specified

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

WORK!

PLACE YOUR AD TODAY (718) 357-7400 EXT 151

June 3-9, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 17

CLASSIFIED DEADLINE: Friday Before 5 P.M.

CLASSIFIEDS

Models Of Queens

About six years ago, still in college, Michelle Nistorescu was walking through the Queens Center Mall, and saw a poster in the window of a new store about to open.

“Yellow Rat Bastard was asking for people to submit pictures if they wanted to be part of a promotional poster for the store,” Michelle said. Little did she know, this was to be the start of something big.

“They called me and asked me if I was interested, and about a week later they wanted to know if I would be interested in appearing in an ad for the PX clothing line. I had to pretend to be cleaning while a guy wearing the PX clothing was lounging. All I was wearing was a pair of boy shorts and heels. It was shot from the back.”

The job didn’t pay a lot – only about $100, but it certainly gave Michelle a taste for the business.

“From then on, I graduated college in 2006, and I was approached on the street by recruiters from Abercrombie and Fitch who asked me to be a store model,” she told QConf. Her next opportunity came at G Star Raw Denim company.

Michelle admits that modeling is just a hobby, and not her main focus. Though she has a degree in mass communications with a concentration in advertising, she has been working in the finance industry as an assistant for an asset management fund.

When she has some actual free time, Michelle enjoys the lounges in her neighborhood, especially Claret — a wine bar on Skillman Avenue or Bar 43 or Sidetracks on Queens Blvd.

“I love Queens Boulevard,” she said. “You just walk right on it and there are all these types of restaurants. You just walk there and it feels like you’re in Europe.”

For anybody interested in getting into the modeling industry, Michelle has advice.

“Never pay for anything,” she said, about photo sessions and working Michelle Nistorescu with photographers Home: Sunnyside and make-up artists.

Age: 27 “Also, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Height: 5’ 10" Always make sure you ask 100 questions.”

“And if they want you to lose weight – don’t,” she said.

Weight: 135 lbs “Don’t let them try to make you into something you’re Stats: 34-24-36 not.”

Bus Bonanza

Page 18 PRESS of Southeast Queens June 3-9, 2011

Teacher traffic is not the only thing that ties up roads during the school year. If you’re driving around South Queens in the middle of the afternoon on a school day, you’ll probably want to avoid Atlantic Avenue.

While trying to cross the major thoroughfare at 96th Street from Woodhaven into Ozone Park several weeks ago, we got caught up in what can only be described as a traffic tangle eerily similar to Forest Hills after last September’s tornado.

Shortly before 5 p.m., like ants swarming toward an uneaten picnic dinner, dozens of school buses ending their day headed for the

The buses try to make their way through Ozone Park in hopes of getting into the lot by 5 p.m. Photo by Domenick Rafter small single entrance to the Logan Bus Company’s lot in Ozone Park Confidentially, New on what used to be the Rockaway LIRR line. Traffic lights were rendered irrelevant and only after a few abnormal swerves, we were only able to escape the clustered mess.

Norm’s Wang Flushing-born actress Linda Wang has found a new recurring gig on a show hosted by former SNL newsman Norm MacDonald.

“Sports Show With Norm MacDonald” is a goof on 24-hour sports networks, and Wang was featured as a Korean woman in LA who pokes fun at MacDonald’s awe MacDonald and Wang of Asian female golf players.

This is not Wang’s first foray into nighttime sketch comedy. Back when Conan O’Brien briefly helmed the Tonight Show, she played a blonde wig-wearing girlfriend of a recurring character – a masturbating bear.

We’re glad to see that Wang’s career is putting her in less ursine situations, and look forward to her making a primetime debut – hopefully in something that doesn’t involve bear suits or self-gratification.

New York Government Stars: Linda Sun, Aravella Simotas, Tai White

Under 40, On Top Though The Capitol, a weekly newspaper based out of Manhattan, is dedicated to coverage of what happens in Albany, a handful of Queens ladies made it into their most recent issue in a “40 Under 40 Rising Stars” special.

Some Queens glitterati on the list include freshman Astoria Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas, Assemblywoman Grace Meng’s Chief of Staff Linda Sun and Sen. Malcolm Smith Press Secretary Tai White.

White’s interview in particular was interesting, in that the 30year-old, who is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Public Relations, expects that in five years

her business card, besides showing that she is a person who helps New York, would also read “wife and mother.”

Student, worker, wife and mom?

Sounds busy – yet it seems we can always get her on the phone in a pinch.

Simotas, on the other hand, if she were not an Assemblywoman and a lawyer, would have loved to pursue her other dream job – ballerina.

“My dream job would be to be a member of the New York City Ballet,” she said. “I studied ballet but then took a different path.”

Indeed.

Keep it up ladies.

Dr. Liu? What do you consider success? Is it being a multi-millionaire or starring in a plethora of movies?

For most the answer to that would be a boisterous yes, but for Lucy Liu’s parents that career path is iffy.

Even though the Jackson Heights beauty has starred in films like “Charlie’s Angels” and appeared in movies such as “Kill Bill,” her parents are skeptical about her career path, and they are holding out hope that she will eventually become a doctor or lawyer.

York . . .

In our minds Lucy, you are the most successful member of our family. Would we be able to score complimentary tickets for “Kung Fu Panda 2?” Please. We would really love to see you reprise your role as Viper.

Kochya It is beginning to sink in – Queens will always have a Koch in front of it.

Signs are already littering the city streets making us aware the Queensboro Bridge name is no longer the same.

Still upset, many Queens residents have said they will never utter the new name.

But Koch may be able to lend the borough a bit of a friendly reminder.

Last week, speaking at the Water Club, former Mayor Ed Koch addressed a crowd of VIPs, gleaming across the horizon at the bridge that now bears his name.

When asked if he knew it would take time for city residents to catch on to the bridges new name, Koch replied, “It will ultimately catch on because I will be shouting it everywhere I go.”

What’s Up SATURDAY, JUNE 4 Youth & Tennis The Youth and Tennis group meets every Saturday morning at Roy Wilkins Park Saturday. To learn more, call Bill Briggs at (718) 658-6728.

Walkers for Wellness Club Looking for a fun way to improve your health? Join the Walkers for Wellness Club at New Hope Lutheran Church of Jamaica. Under the guidance of a Walking Leader, you will walk two to three times each week at a comfortable pace with others along routes throughout Southeast Queens. The club is open to walkers of all ages and abilities. The walking schedule is Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m., and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Walkers meet at New Hope Lutheran Church, located at 167-24 118th Ave. T-shirts and pedometers will be provided. Contact Thurkessa Brown at (917) 553-1089 for more information.

Dance Under The Stars Councilman Leroy Comrie, in partnership with the New York City Parks & Recreation Department, will co-host "Dancing Under The Stars," a night dedicated to Salsa music heritage, at Rufus King Park, located at 153rd Street and Jamaica Avenue, Queens from 7-10 p.m.

Admission is free. There will be salsa instructors present to teach basic dance lessons while deejays play the sounds of great Salsa legends like Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colon and Tito Puente.

Calling Public HS Musicians The York College Summer Jazz Program will hold auditions from 9 a.m. to noon. SJP '11 is a tuition-free, collegecredit program for NYC public high school students. Students study jazz performance for six weeks (July 5 - August 11, Mondays - Thursdays) in a big band setting with professional jazz musicians. Students must provide their own instrument and be able to read music. No jazz experience is necessary. For more information, visit: http:/ /www.tomzlabinger.com/sjp11.pdf This free event will take place at York College Performing Arts Center, 94-45 Guy R. Brewer Blvd.

Youth Dancers Showcase

Community Café The Eastern Queens Alliance invites you to participate in its Community Cafe. Come out and learn about the things that make a difference. Share your ideas, and knowledge, to tackle some of the difficult challenges that we face in southeast Queens. In order to attend, you must RSVP via e-mail at info@easternqueensalliance.org or via phone at (347) 824-2301.

This free event will take place at Herbert Birch Early Childhood Center, 145-02 Farmers Blvd., from 9 a.m. to noon.

SUNDAY, JUNE 5 Sofia Rei Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, the music of Sofia Rei is grounded in traditional South American rhythms such as chacarera, zamba and vidala from Argentina, Afro-Peruvian festejo and lando, AfroUruguayan candombe, Colombian cumbia and bullerengue and other genres that merge involving jazz harmonies, electronic sounds and rich improvisations. Her ensemble produces a range of textures as diverse as the cultural roots of its members.

This free event will take place at the Queensborough Public Library's Central Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., at 3 p.m.

MONDAY, JUNE 6 Adult Chess Club Practice your chess skills weekly, on Monday and Thursday evenings.

The event is held at 6 p.m. every Monday at Queens Village Library, 94-11 217 St., (718) 776-6800.

Job Info Center Orientation What is the Job Information Center and what does it do? Find out at an interactive orientation about its services: career resources including workshops in English and Spanish; assistance with your job searching; Job Information Center resources of books, newspapers, pathfinders, bookmarks and brochures, resume/cover letter reviews; and Queens Workforce 1 information.

This free event will take place at the Queensborough Public Library's Central Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., at 1 p.m.

TUESDAY, JUNE 7 Job Club Every Tuesday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Jamaica Neighborhood Center offers a free service to assist people from Southeast Queens with job-readiness skill sets in writing a professional resume and cover letter; interviewing practices and techniques; applying on-line procedures; elevator pitch and Microsoft Suite 2007. For additional information, contact Lenin Gross, Job Coach, at (718) 739-2060, Ext. 18 or lgrossjnc@yahoo.com.

This free event will be held at the Jamaica Neighborhood Center - 161-06 89th Ave.

Camera Club The Southeast Queens Camera Club welcomes photographers, beginners to advanced. Meetings are held the second, third and fourth Tuesday every month at 7:30 p.m. at Roy Wilkins Family Life Center, 177-01 Baisley Blvd.

Walkers for Wellness Club See Saturday's listing. At 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8 York Observatory Open Night The York College Observatory is open to the public every second or third Wednesday of the month - rain or shine - at 8:30 p.m.

Gather in room 2E01 and then proceed to the fourth floor terrace off G corridor if it's clear. For additional information, contact Tim Paglione at paglione@york.cuny.edu or (718) 262-2082.

This free event will be held at the York College Academic Core Building (AC 2E01), 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd. from 8:30-9:30 p.m.

Job Workshop Councilman Ruben Wills, in partnership with Teens Against Crime and Citizens Against Recidivism, are pleased to present a free resume and job readiness workshop. For additional information, or to RSVP, call (718) 206-2068.

This free event will take place at the Queens Educational Opportunity Center, 158-29 Archer Ave. from 6-9 p.m.

THURSDAY, JUNE 9 Walkers for Wellness Club See Saturday's listing. At 7 p.m.

All Stars of Comedy Rally to Stop Library Cuts Councilman James Sanders Jr. invites you to come out and say no to budget cuts that will affect our children and our community. For more information, contact Councilman Sanders' office at (718) 5274356 or jsanders@council.nyc.gov.

This rally will take place at the Queensborough Public Library's Laurelton Branch, 134-26 225th St. at 3:30 p.m.

Come out and enjoy a night of comedy with the best comedians in New York.

Hosted by Ed Lover of 98.7 Kiss and Ray Dejon of Video Music Box. For additional information, call (718) 600-6036.

This event will take place at the York College Performing Arts Center, 94-45 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., from 8:30-11 p.m.

Tickets are $10.

Jazz Vocalist Claudette Morgan

"No" to Teacher Layoffs

FRIDAY, JUNE 10 Senior Theatre Acting Repertory

Quietfyre Productions is pleased to present Jazz Vocalist Claudette Morgan in concert. You don't have to go to Manhattan for a Blue Note experience. Come out and enjoy an evening of classic jazz in Queens. Morgan will be joined on stage by bassist Eric Lemon, drummer Doug Richardson, and pianist Yayoi Ikawa. For additional information, contact Claudette Morgan at (347) 781-8310.

Councilman Ruben Wills encourages you to just say "no" to teacher layoffs. Join the Councilman and the United Federation of Teachers at a town hall meeting at which teacher layoffs will be discussed.

For more information, contact Councilman Wills' office at (718) 206-2068.

This free event will take place at P.S. 80Q (Thurgood Marshall Magnet) - 17105 137th Ave., from 6-8 p.m.

Calling all older adults: Join our galaxy of STARs to perform theatrical works at the library with a great group of people while brightening your life.

Rehearsals are held at 10:30 a.m. Fridays at Queens Village Library, 94-11 217 St., (718) 776-6800.

The group will have a performance at the Bellerose Library, 250-06 Hillside Ave., at 2 p.m.

Discover Your Career Potential Take the Career Exploration Inventory, a self-scored, easy-to-use survey guide to choosing a career based on your interests and experiences.

This free event will take place at the Queensborough Public Library's Central Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., at 3 p.m.

ONGOING CPR Training The FDNY Mobile CPR Training Unit will hold regularly scheduled free CPR classes in all five boroughs. The first Tuesday through the fourth Tuesday and the fourth Thursday of every month there will be Borough CPR training sessions in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island and Queens.

Training is free to anyone over the age of 14. The goal of this program is increase the number of people in New York City trained in bystander CPR Each class lasts 1 hour and participants in the class learn basic CPR skills from a member of the FDNY Emergency Medical Service.

Volunteers for the class follow along using the CPR Anytime Personal Learning Kit, which features an instructional DVD and an inflatable mannequin. All participants are able take home the kit at the end of class and asked to pledge to use the kit to show five of their family members and friends how to perform CPR. This class teaches basic CPR technique and is not a certification course.

In Queens, the classes will be held the fourth Thursday of every month at EMS Station 54, 222-15 Merrick Blvd. In addition, please visit www.nyc.gov/cprtogo for New York Sports Club locations offering free CPR classes starting in January.

Please visit www.fdnyfoundation.org or call (718) 999-2413 for more information.

Group Sessions Clergy United for Community Empowerment, Inc. Group Sessions are located at 89-31 161st St., 10th Floor, Jamaica, for the community on various topics such as Domestic Violence, Mental Health, Substance Abuse intervention, Decision Making, Condom Use, High Risk Behaviors leading to HIV, and self - esteem awareness. All group sessions offer light snacks and beverages. Group sessions are open to the public.

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

Infant Mortality Clergy United for Community Empowerment's Infant Mortality Reduction Initiative program provides the following services free of charge: case management services, parent skills building, crib care, breast feeding education, health education, nutritional information/education, referral for HIV testing, confidential one-on-one counseling, workshops, and women support groups. IMRI provides referrals for Food stamps, GED, GYN, Emergency Baby Formula (qualifications required) and more. Call (718) 297-0720.

Located at 89-31 161 St., 10th floor, Jamaica. Services are available Tue.-Thurs.

9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

June 3-9, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 19

The Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning is pleased to present the Young Dancers Showcase - a presentation of JCAL's youth dance classes. Participating classes will incude: Hip Hop Dance for Kids I; Hip Hop Dance for Kids II; Tap for Tots; Tap/ Hip Hop Integration; Basic Ballet for Kids; African Dance for Kids; and Hip-Hop Dance For Tweens/Teens.

This event will take place at Jamaica Performing Arts Center, 153-10 Jamaica Ave., at 3 p.m. Admission costs $10.

This event will take place at Black Spectrum Theatre, 177th Street and Baisley Boulevard from 7-9 p.m. Tickets are $25 at the door, $20 in advance.