Southeast Queens Press

Volume 12 Issue No. 35 Sept. 2-8, 2011

Page 18

PRESS Photo by Ira Cohen

IN THE DARK

Though Con Edison gave out dry ice to people in Southeast Queens who lost power due to Hurricane Irene, some think the utility has given them the cold shoulder.

By Veronica Lewin…Page 3 See additional Hurricane Irene coverage throughout this week’s edition.

Online at www.QueensPress.com

News Briefs Trio Cleans Up Ave. Three council members representing Richmond Hill and Woodhaven have secured funding for extra trash pickup along Jamaica Avenue after concerns that the current pickup schedule was not enough to handle the heavily trafficked corridor's trash.

Councilmembers Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) and Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills), who all represent portions of Jamaica Avenue, allocated a tot al of $18,236 between the three of them to add 26 more trash pickup days along Jamaica Avenue between the Brooklyn border and the Van Wyck Expressway in Woodhaven and Richmond Hill.

The three council members announced the new funding with Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty in Woodhaven on Aug. 18.

"Because of the high volume of traffic through Jamaica Avenue, we saw that there was a need for additional litter basket service," Crowley said.

"This funding will go a long way towards improving the quality of life for residents and business owners alike," Ulrich added.

Ulrich's money takes care of the pickups along the south side of Jamaica Avenue between the Brooklyn border and about 115th Street, while Crowley's funds are for pickup along the north side of that stretch. Koslowitz's funding will take of both sides of Jamaica Avenue from about 115th Street to the Van Wyck Expressway.

The 26 extra pickups will be scattered through the year at the discretion of the Sanitation Dept., when the need warrants them, such as during the holiday season when Jamaica Avenue becomes busy with shoppers. The pickups will only be for public trash cans along Jamaica Avenue and not for residential street pickups.

Doherty said extra enforcement will also be out to watch for residents dumping their private garbage in the public trash receptacles, a common problem in South Queens neighborhoods. Dumping your private trash from home in the public bins carries a $100 fine.

Funding, mainly from Ulrich's office, has already been allocated for additional pickups along 101st Avenue and Liberty Avenue in Ozone Park and South Richmond Hill.

Page 2 PRESS of Southeast Queens Sept. 2-8, 2011

Furry Friends Dodge Irene When Hurricane Irene aimed her fury at our Atlantic coast, calls of mandatory evacuations of neighborhoods close to the shore both in Queens and on Long Island included Freeport, home to the large animal shelter run by Bobbi Giordano of Glendale's "Bobbi and the Strays."

The shelter, acquired by Bobbi in March, sits in an area of Freeport vulnerable to a hurricane storm surge. It is across the street from the main waterway that runs through Freeport near the famous "Nautical Mile," home to popular restaurants and bars. When Nassau County officials called for the evacuation of the area, the pets at Bobbi's shelter were in jeopardy; she had to get the pets living there to Queens before Irene hit.

"It was rough," Bobbi said of the evacuation. She was forced to remove the pets

from her location at JFK Airport as well.

She gives a lot of credit to the volunteers, many pet owners who adopted pets from her in the past, for helping move the dogs and cats to Queens, as well as the Shops at Atlas Park, which Bobbi said was accommodating.

"They were wonderful," Bobbi said, "They let me use the back areas to hold the pets."

Other organizations also helped out; the Long Island Veterinarian Specialists in Plainview housed 19 cats and North Shore Animal League took 40 animals, picking them up and bringing them home themselves. The ASPCA also helped out, lending Bobbi crates, giving food for the pets and using their Animal Transport Trailer, a custom-built 60foot vehicle to transport more than 100 cats and dogs back to Freeport from Atlas Park on Monday.

"They reached out to us. We received a request to help out in transporting the animals from the Freeport shelter to Queens," said Bret Hopman, a spokesman for the ASPCA. "We have six to eight members of our Field Investigation and Response team helping with loading, unloading and driving the transport vehicle."

The Freeport shelter was hit by the storm surge. Though there was no structural damage, it left behind a mess.

"The water came up to the door," she said. "The office and the laundry room had water in it. It was pretty bad."

The shelter at the airport was also affected; the back of the building at JFK was flooded, but the building itself suffered no damage.

During the storm, a group of volunteers stayed with the pets in Atlas Park through the night to take care of them.

Some of the ill pets got the medicine they needed, and though a few had to pay the vet a visit, none were seriously affected by the hurricane. Bobbi said she was most thankful for all who got involved and the volunteers who helped make the situation as stress-free as possible for the animals.

"Because of the people that we had, we got through it," she said.

Substation Remediation The New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation and the State Dept. of Health plan to remediate contaminants found near Bayside's LIRR Substation at the intersection of 216th Street and 41st Avenue.

The quarter-acre site currently operates as an electrical substation. The brick building and transformer yard used mercury rectifiers from the early 1930s until 1951. The last of the mercury rectifiers were removed in the early 1980s.

The remedial action plan calls for the excavation and removal of the contaminated soil on the site to an off-site landfill. Approximately 210 cubic yards of coil will be removed, and the resulting hole filled with backfill.

The agencies have opened up a public comment window for the proposed remedy until Sept. 19.

Written comments can be mailed to: Robert Filkins, New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation, DER, Bureau B, 12th Floor, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233. You can also send an e-mail to rhfilkin@gw.dec.state.ny.us

Presstime

SEQ Distressed By Storm Response Worried about the impact Hurricane Irene would have on his home, Edy Guerrier chose to park his car on the street last weekend, instead of in his shady driveway. Early Sunday morning, the Jamaica resident was thankful for his decision.

While Guerrier watched from his bedroom window, the tree in front of his home came crashing down in his direction Sunday, which he said was terrifying. Part of the tree went through his bedroom window and as of Monday, it was impossible for him to get in and out of his home without climbing over branches and fallen power lines.

A few blocks away, residents took the precaution of not parking in the tree-filled area of the street to prevent damage to their cars. One thing Hermine Pryce was not worried about was the tree in front of her home, which she calls Lady of Grace.

Pryce was born in Jamaica and came to the United States in 1977. She moved to her home on 125th Street 30 years ago and said Lady of Grace had been there since she moved in. When breakfast time approached Sunday, Pryce said she thought her neighborhood was spared from the storm.

"We thought the worst of it was gone," Pryce said. When her son in Florida called to check on her, she told him Hurricane Irene was not as bad as she thought it was going to be. When the storm first started around 2 a.m. Sunday, Pryce and her family began watching the tree outside their home. As the eye of the storm approached

PRESS Photo by Ira Cohen

BY VERONICA LEWIN

Queens. ConEd promised homes would have power restored by 11 p.m. Tuesday.

In order to help families save their perishables, ConEd gave away bags of dry ice at the Springfield Gardens Pathmark, located at 134-40 Springfield Blvd. Many waiting in line hoped ConEd would inform customers about the dry ice giveaway when the outage first happened, instead they learned about it by calling customer serStrong winds in Souteast Queens led to trees toppling around vice from 311 or by word the neighborhood. of mouth.

While many who were Coney Island in the morning, Pryce said picking up dry ice were pleased with the the tree calmly swayed back and forth until City's precautions leading up to Hurricane it slowly fell over into the street. Lady of Irene, most were unhappy with ConEd's Grace took down several power lines, and response after Irene struck their neighborleft Pryce's neighbor across the street stuck hoods.

"It was terrible, and it's still terrible bein his home.

"If it had come this way, the whole cause we don't have any lights," Dorothy house would have been gone," Pryce said. Miller said on Monday. She lost power on "That tree cannot be replaced because it Saturday when the storm first came in. Miller kept the place so cool," Pryce said. The does not think the City and ConEd handled mother of 14 said watching the tree fall the aftermath of the tropical storm well.

Cambria Heights resident Barbara said was like watching one of her children die, the blackout made it difficult for her and but she is thankful no one was injured.

The fallen trees caused multiple power her husband to get the latest updates on outages in the area. Out of Con Edison's cleanup. "Trying to find a newspaper is reported 112,000 outages in New York, like looking for a needle in a haystack right 28,000 of homes left in the dark were in our now, so it's like a news blackout. We have borough. Due to the abundance of trees, a no information," she said Monday.

She said this is the second blackout she majority of the outages were in Southeast

experienced this month, as the last heavy rainfall caused a two-day blackout in her neighborhood. Barbara said there was not an explanation for the outage and did not receive a credit on her utility bill.

Several Southeast Queens residents picking up dry ice said they were disappointed with the lack of emergency vehicles they saw in their neighborhoods after the storm Sunday and Monday.

"I would like to have seen some more emergency trucks because we didn't see any," Sylvia G. said.

Southeast Queens Councilmembers Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), James Sanders (D-Laurelton) and Ruben Wills (DSouth Jamaica) stayed in their districts last weekend to address the needs of their constituents before and during the storm.

Early this week, they have been out in their districts assessing damage. Comptroller John Liu was in Jamaica Tuesday with Wills to look at fallen trees, including the ones affecting the homes of Guerrier and Pryce. The councilmen urged the City to act quickly in removing trees to help residents get their power back as soon as possible.

Though Hurricane Irene left many in distress, the storm served as an opportunity to strengthen communities. Pryce said the tropical storm brought her whole neighborhood together, and she met people this past week that she had not had the chance to meet in the 30 years she's been in her home.

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

Boro Dodges Brunt Of Irene's Fury tation that on Tuesday afternoon at 5 o'clock I would be happy."

Some civic leaders and activists, however, would rather give the Mayor and his agencies a Bronx salute.

West Cunningham Park Civic Association First Vice President Elaine Young grew anxious Monday afternoon, as some houses still propped up fallen trees, and roads remained blocked.

"It really is very typical of the City's response to this borough in any major Children play in the flooded Unisphere just hours emergency," she said, questioning the after the rain stopped but while winds were still Parks Dept. prioritization in removing whipping through Queens. trees.

Councilman Dan Halloran (RAt a Monday morning press conference, Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe asked Whitestone) faced 4,500 constituents for time. "Homeowners, be patient and without power on Sunday morning. By please bear with us," he said. "This was one Monday that figure dropped to 200.

Various Community Board District of the storms of the century, so it's going to Managers preached patience to callers take us time to clear these streets up."

Glen Oaks Village President Bob who complained of downed trees and a Friedrich also decried the City's response loss of power. Clearing 100-year-old trees to the outer borough's eastern edge - and takes time.

Some were understanding of specific his co-op in particular.

"I have yet to see one Parks Dept. complaints.

"I can't criticize the city's response," vehicle," he said late Monday afternoon.

"I know there have been a lot of those in Weprin said. "But then again, I don't have a tree on top of my house."

Manhattan."

Reach Deputy Editor Joseph Orovic at Friedrich said the co-op would skip waiting on the Parks Dept. and foot the jorovic@queenstribune.com or (718) 3577400, Ext. 127. tree removal bill on its own.

Sept. 2-8, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 3

By Sunday night, for most in Queens, Irene was already relegated to the memories of large-scale weather events of the past. People always talk about Gloria, the '77 Blackout, the 1996 January Nor'easter.

Irene has joined their ranks.

Not everybody walked away unscathed; this tropical lady left a distinct mark on our borough. Trees were felled (some rested atop houses), homes were flooded or washed away, Cross Bay Boulevard went aquatic, and thousands of residents were left without power - but things could have been worse.

The borough's death toll stood at zero, and Citywide registered only one as of printing.

In the days since, many eyes have monitored the City's response. Which would it be? The City that a year ago had done a largely admirable job clearing the disaster left behind by a tornado, or the lackluster response to a winter's blizzard, which left a distinct sense that the Bloomberg administration had lost touch with New Yorkers?

The verdict given down by elected officials in the parts of the borough hardest hit is largely positive. Local electeds applauded the Mayor's Office of Emergency Management, Con Edison, and the Parks Dept. for the swift response to the felled trees in the borough, and custom-

ers left without electricity.

As of printing, Hurricane Irene had knocked down more than 2,000 trees citywide, with 70 percent cleared, according to the Mayor's office. Half of the trees knocked down were in Queens.

Councilman James Sanders (DLaurelton), whose district was nearly entirely evacuated and largely flooded, generally lauded the City's preparation for the hurricane, but demanded a swift response to downed trees and power lines, one of which already caused a fire.

"The danger is very real," he said, calling on the City to "expedite the removal of these trees, which are creating an unacceptably dangerous situation for all my constituents, and residents throughout the City."

"I think we did dodge a bullet," said Councilman Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens), whose district was among the worst hit - the National Weather Service reported a tornado cut through Cunningham Park, a feat hard to discern in a hurricane.

Councilman Jim Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) also applauded the City's response, though the hurricane knocked down trees around his district like bowling pins.

"I was really worrying about the devastation that had been wrought by the storm, that we would still be in a very bad state of affairs right now," he said. "I had no expec-

PRESS photo by Joseph Orovic

BY JOSEPH OROVIC

Evacuation Was Seamless, Smooth

BY DOMENICK RAFTER

home in Richmond Hill.

Evacuees at John Adams were treated with a catered dinner Saturday night courtesy of George Russo, owner of Villa Russo in Richmond Hill and Russo's on the Bay in Howard Beach.

Rockaway also houses a number of senior citizen homes and nursing homes that also needed to be evacuated. A number of them were evacuated to inland care centers like Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Crown Heights, which High waters ran down the streets in the Rockaway Pentook in dozens of acute-care and insula. high-need patients from nursing homes in the Rockaways.

Home, Seacrest Nursing Home and Among the many responders was the Shorefront Nursing Home. Parker also staff of the Parker Jewish Institute for Health helped move people to and from Care and Rehabilitation, in New Hyde Park, Holliswood Care Center, the shelters at and the Institute's medical transportation John Jay College and Hunter College and division, Lakeville Ambulette. facilities on Long Island.

"The remarkable teamwork, courage and When the evacuation order was lifted expertise of Parker's staff, in the face of the on Sunday afternoon, a fleet of MTA powerful and dangerous Hurricane helped buses headed back to the Rockaway Penensure the safety and well-being of Parker's insula to be put in service also carried residents and patients, as well as the elderly evacuees back to their homes. The carawho were evacuated from nursing homes in van drove down Cross Bay Boulevard, low-lying 'Zone A' areas," said Parker Presi- with their LCD screens reading "Hurrident and CEO, Michael Rosenblut. cane Shelter."

Among the Rockaway Peninsula nursAll evacuees had returned home by ing homes to and from which residents 5:30 p.m. on Monday. were evacuated to safety by Parker were Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at Haven Manor, Resort Nursing Home, St. drafter@queenstribune.com or (718) 357Joachim and Anne Residence Nursing 7400, Ext. 125.

Page 4 PRESS of Southeast Queens Sept. 2-8, 2011

TODAY WE SALUTE THE WORKERS MEN AND WOMEN WHO BUILT OUR COUNTRY AND KEEP IT STRONG! Congressman

GREGORY MEEKS 6TH DISTRICT

Paid for by Friends for Gregory Meeks

Photo by Jessica Glennon

When Mayor Mike Bloomberg ordered the first mandatory evacuation in New York City history ahead of Hurricane Irene, more than 300,000 New Yorkers were faced with the reality of having to leave their homes in advance of a possible impending disaster. Among them, the more than 100,000 people living on the Rockaway Peninsula and in Broad Channel.

Though not all of the Rockaway Peninsula was in Zone A, the mayor ordered everyone out anyway as the risk of storm surge threatened to inundate the entire peninsula. The mass evacuation, the largest in city history, also displaced people in other densely populated parts of the city, including Coney Island and Red Hook in Brooklyn, Battery Park City and the Lower East Side of Manhattan - as well as large parts of coastal Staten Island.

More than 9,500 people stayed in 91 emergency shelters around the city on Saturday night, though most in Queens housed only a few; about 30 in Aviation High School in Sunnyside - mostly evacuees from riverfront parts of Williamsburg and Greenpoint in Brooklyn - and about two dozen in Flushing High School. Closer to the evacuation zone however, more than 500 people were sheltered at John Adams High School in Ozone Park. The evacuees, mostly from Rockaway and Broad Channel, spent the night on cots in the school's cafeteria and auditorium and were,

for the most part, in good spirits.

Jennifer Montano, who lives on Beach 29th Street in Far Rockaway, came to the shelter at John Adams with her children.

She said she would have probably ridden out the storm at home if not for the kids, but wanted to get them to a safe place.

She knew of a few who stayed on the peninsula during the storm.

"Some did stay," she said. "But most of my area left."

Montano said she lives only feet from the boardwalk and the beach.

Some evacuees, mostly from New York City Housing Authority houses in the Rockaways, came in buses and vans. One Rockaway resident, who lives in Hammel Houses, said she was not worried so much about the hurricane as she was about the possibility of looting if power was cut to the peninsula.

"If people are being evacuated, doesn't that mean cops will be, too?" she said.

Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), who represents most of the Rockaways, said some emergency services and law enforcement stayed behind because the peninsula would likely be on their own during the storm and perhaps after. All the bridges to Rockaway were shut down at the height of the hurricane.

Bob Turner, the Republican candidate for the open 9th Congressional seat, was also forced to leave his Breezy Point home.

Turner visited evacuees at John Adams with Ulrich on Saturday afternoon before he and his wife took shelter at his brother's

Powerful Storm Surge Enters, Exits Quickly

BY DOMENICK RAFTER While some inland were wondering what the fuss was about, closer to shore Hurricane Irene's effects were definitely felt. As the eye of the storm made landfall over Coney Island Sunday morning, the storm surge pushed onshore and into Jamaica Bay, inundating the communities there, but the waters receded just as fast.

Broad Channel appeared to bear the brunt of the storm damage in the borough.

Two bungalows in the neighborhood were destroyed; one on West 12th Road was smashed to bits. The neighborhood was completely cut off during the storm as both the Addabbo Bridge to Howard Beach and Cross Bay Bridge to Rockaway were closed.

On the Rockaway Peninsula, those who stayed behind witnessed the full force of Hurricane Irene. Jessica Glennon sent her two kids out of town with her father, who lives close to the beach, and rode out the storm in her Beach 92nd Street apartment.

At daybreak Sunday, with Irene about to make landfall just to the west, her first floor hallway began filling up with water.

The storm surge left about a foot of water in the front hallway and about two feet of water in the middle of Rockaway Beach Boulevard, but to her surprise, her parent's home near the beach was untouched.

"We got lucky," she said. Her concern on Monday morning moved from the effects in Rockaway to the status of her

mother, who evacuated to the Catskills where flash flooding from Irene has wiped out entire towns. She's been in contact with her, but all the roadways off the mountain her mother is staying on near Hunter are blocked or washed away.

Rockaway was not left completely unscathed. The storm surge did a noticeable amount of damage to the boardwalk, smashing the ramps onto the beach

and lifting an entire section up. The surge left sand covering the handball courts at Beach 92nd Street and frothy sea foam in the streets even after the waters receded.

Ozone Park was spared a storm surge, but some wondered if a tornado came down in the neighborhood. A large fallen tree blocked Sutter Avenue near Cross Bay Boulevard and a tree came down on 98th

Street near Engine 285/Ladder 142 and took down a series of telephone poles with it, snapping them like twigs. A huge tree crashed down into a garage on Woodhaven Boulevard just south of Jamaica Avenue in Woodhaven, obliterating it and the car inside, narrowly missing the house.

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

Opinions Split On Severity Of Hurricane

BY JASON BANREY On Monday, Queens slowly came back to life.

At 9 a.m., along Vernon Boulevard in Long Island City, restaurants and shops were receiving their regularly scheduled deliveries while residents slowly hobbled towards the 7 train to begin their work week.

As a slice of the western half of the borough was ordered to evacuate, some remained divided about Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s order while others applauded his initiative. “[Bloomberg] made the wrong call,” said Andrew P. who fled his apartment in Long Island City. “He made it seem like it was the end of the world and nothing really happened.”

After succumbing to the serious nature of the Mayor’s message at his press conference on Friday, Andrew grabbed his bulldog and

headed for higher ground at his girlfriend’s place on 64th Street in Manhattan.

Though the evacuation was mandatory for his neighborhood, he would have rather stayed on his side of the East River than making the trek west.

“He inconvenienced me again,” Andrew said, still bitter about the Mayor’s botched snow job after last December’s blizzard. “What a disappointment.”

Gerardo Delgado stayed put with his wife in their seventth floor apartment overlooking the city as the storm neared.

“We weren’t worried at all,” said the three-year Long Island City resident. “Hurricane Gloria was worse.”

In Astoria Park, all major flooding subsided and all major debris was already cleared. Runners, tennis players, skaters and walkers filled the 65-acre park, flooding the track, tennis courts and skate park.

On the northern side of the RFK

Triborough Bridge, Parks Dept. crews and lifeguards worked steadily to remove the leaves and limbs that rustled free from overhead trees and fell into the crystal clear water of the Astoria Pool during the hurricane’s pass.

“All we got was a bit of leaves here and there,” said one Parks official who was helping coordinate clean-up efforts at the 75-yearold pool, which reopened Tuesday. “We’re ready to go now it’s too bad we can’t.”

In Jackson Heights, Irene Javors surveyed her neighborhood’s streets for damage while walking down 80th Street past 35th Avenue.

“This hurricane was far worse than Gloria in 1985,” said the 27-year resident. She stopped next to a two-story tree that had toppled over the day before. “Besides this, I think our neighborhood did fairly well.”

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

Sept. 2-8, 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

Brenda Jones Executive Editor:

Brian Rafferty

Editorial We Were Lucky Looking at the devastation and damage Hurricane Irene caused in the Catskills, it is dismaying to hear the voices of some who contend that we overreacted or over-prepared for Hurricane Irene.

We did exactly what we should have done. We were just lucky. Our Mayor, our city and our people took the necessary precautions. Sure, most of us didn’t need to stock up like it was the Apocalypse, and some went overboard, but just ask the people who today still don’t have power whether or not they needed all those batteries. Ask the people who were evacuated from their homes and returned to find them submerged if the evacuations were necessary.

The storm wasn’t a big deal for most of us because we prepared for it.

We applaud the mayor – clearly on the hook for the failure of the Dec. 26 blizzard – for stepping up, staying in town and making sure that the city was ready for our unfriendly guest from the tropics. We may not have been dealt the catastrophe that was possible, but we did show our ability to be ready the next time.

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 Domenick Rafter Jason Banrey Veronica Lewin Art Dept:

Sara Gold Rhonda Leefoon Candice Lolier Barbara Townsend

One of the most important functions in an emergency – such as either the earthquake or hurricane of the past week – is communication. We need to know that not just for the everyday, but in all emergencies, we have a reliable cellular network that is able to handle the demand of the ever-growing customer base.

That is why we are in support of the merger with AT&T and TMobile. The benefit to customers on both networks, new subscribers, emergency personnel and to our City as a whole is sure to be enormous.

Though we are often leery when we see the merger of larger companies, we recognize that the pooling of resources in this case will result in a beneficial outcome for Queens and beyond. As more of us come to rely on cellular networks for phone and data service, it is good to know that companies are growing and expanding to meet our demand.

We support the merger and look forward to the expanded service it will provide.

Letters Redistricting To The Editor: Across the state this summer,

a little-known entity, the Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment,

or LATFOR, has been conducting public hearings on redistricting reform. The Queens hearing will take place on Sept. 7 at Borough Hall.

Redistricting is a once-in-a-decade process in which district boundaries for state legislative and congressional seats are redrawn to reflect changes in population so they are equal or nearly equal in the number of people.

Decade after decade LATFOR has drawn maps with one primary aim: ensuring incumbent legislators from the dominant party get re-elected. And it has been dramatically successful.

Since 1999, incumbents in the state legislature have had a 96 percent re-election rate. Only 53 incumbents since 1982 have lost a general election because districts are drawn in a way that results in discouraging competition. The New York State Senate has been controlled by the Republican Party every year but two since 1965 and the Assembly has been run by Democrats every year since 1974.

To establish their incumbents’ protection program LATFOR carves competitors’ homes out of the district. They draw weirdly shaped districts while dividing communities and diminishing their ability to advocate for their interests. And they marginalize growing minority groups to protect the old guard. Here in Queens, the most ethnically diverse county in America, it took until 2000 for the first Latino to be elected to the state Senate and it

was not until 2004 that the first Asian American was elected to the Assembly.

But Queens and the rest of New York have spoken loud and clear on the drawing of district lines. The public wants an independent commission - not the partisan, legislature-controlled LATFOR - to draw state legislative and congressional district boundaries according to fair and objective criteria while allowing for robust public input into the process.

The Queens Civic Congress is part of a diverse redistricting reform campaign, ReShapeNY, consisting of 37 different organizations, including civic, issue-advocacy, labor and business groups united behind creating a more independent redistricting process.

Of the state legislature’s 212 members, 184 including most Queens lawmakers, pledged or co-sponsored bills that would change the state’s rigged process for drawing district lines.

Lawmakers need to return to Albany during a special legislative session to end partisan gerrymandering and enact redistricting reform by passing legislation to form an independent commission to draw impartial legislative and congressional lines.

Redistricting can’t wait until next year, which means next decade. Queens and the rest of New York deserve better than ten more years of delay.

Patricia Dolan, President, Queens Civic Congress

Advertising Director James Mammarella

Tennis Fans Will Be Missing Venus

Sr. Account Executive Shelly Cookson

A Personal Perspective

BY MARCIA MOXAM COMRIE

Advertising Executives Merlene Carnegie

A Queens Tribune Publication. © Copyright 2011 Tribco, LLC

Page 6 PRESS of Southeast Queens Sept. 2-8, 2011

Good For Everybody

Letters

Michael Schenkler, President & Publisher

Michael Nussbaum, Vice President, Associate Publisher

Once upon time, most AfricanAmericans were not tennis aficionados. But then came along Althea Gibson, followed years later by Arthur Ashe, followed many years later by the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena.

There have been too few of us who have made it in tennis due to lack of opportunity; but the ones who have made it, really make the world of tennis more exciting; and none more so than Venus and Serena Williams.

And just when we were gearing up to enjoy them at the U.S. Open this season again, Venus had to drop out due to a debilitating disease. That is absolutely disappointing - especially after she had just vanquished her first opponent, Vesna Dolonts two days earlier.

The 7-time Grand Slam champion abruptly dropped out because she simply could not find the energy to continue playing for the season. A rare immune sys-

tem disease that leaves the victim drained of energy was mightier after all.

The unpronounceable disease known as sjogren's syndrome causes extreme fatigue and the body's white blood cells attack moisture-producing glands leading to dry eyes, dry mouth and in some cases, arthritis.

The past 18 months or so have not been kind to the mighty Williams sisters.

Serena, 13-time Grand Slam champion, has also battled injuries and disease as well. Earlier this year, she almost died from a lung embolism caused by leg injury and subsequent surgery.

I love tennis and can enjoy any great player. But Venus and Serena bring an excitement to the game that make it that much more watchable. These young women have overcome excruciatingly painful racial obstacles to be the most recognizable women names in the game since Chris Everett and Martina Navratilova hung up their rackets.

Their respective prowess on the court has become the stuff of legends. Unfortunately, we see no immediate successors to them.

There are many youngsters from the Black community who are playing well; but we have not yet seen anyone to give us chills the way Venus and Serena did when they were just starting out.

Way back around 1975, music critic Jon Landau said in Rolling Stone magazine, "I have seen the future of rock and roll and its name is Bruce Springsteen."

Landau was right in his assessment of the scruffy New Jersey rocker; and we would like to be able to say the same thing about the next great Black tennis player as Venus and Serena's storied careers inevitably peter out and end.

In our community, Youth and Tennis based in Roy Wilkins Park is as good a starting ground as any.

The indefatigable Bill Briggs, with the support of local legislators and others, has been exposing kids in our area to this wonderful sports option for some 40 years

now; and there is also a good program based in Cunningham Park.

So maybe we can see the future of tennis in one of the young kids in one of these programs.

Meanwhile, we have learned a new name in autoimmune disease and that is always helpful in monitoring our own health. Tennis experts predict that Venus will return to form following treatment and a period of rest. Her ranking has tumbled to 36 and they predict that if she's not back by next year it could fall out of the top 100. That is quite a disappointment for her legions of fans around the world.

However, we hope that Serena will be able to play without incident at the U.S. Open, representing the family name with aplomb.

In sports, you're only as good as your last win and we're looking forward to seeing Serena in fighting form on the court where she belongs and to see Venus get well and return to her domain…back on the court in the top ten.

Get well and come back to us, Venus!

We Have the Power To Take Back Our Government

By ED KOCH Money has taken over our political system in a way that is simply horrifying. Special interest groups in particular corporations, unions, Wall Streeters and bankers dominate our politics. They have devastated this country economically, yet they have gotten away with it because they choose and finance our candidates for low and high public office. We complain but do nothing about this situation and feel helpless.

But we are not helpless. Because of our numbers, we have in our power the ability to amend the Constitution of the United States to vastly limit the power of money to manipulate and control the electoral process. Let’s do it. Those in our society who unfairly use the power of money to oppress us do not have to prevail. They are vastly outnumbered by the backbone of our nation, the middle class, and by others who are similarly outraged by the power of money to oppress us.

Whenever commentators talk about a possible political candidate running for high office, particularly for president, their first observation will be, does he/she have the capacity to raise the money needed to fund the campaign?

President Obama, seen as a reformer to his supporters, surprised many when he announced he would be raising a billion dollars for his 2012 reelection campaign. He expects the Republicans will be raising at least that much and probably more.

The U.S. Supreme Court in a host of decisions has made clear that it interprets the Constitution as allowing the broadest freedom in spending money on a campaign for public office. The case which set the tone for the cases to follow was Valeo v. Buckley in 1976. It established that candidates for public office who agreed not to take public funding could spend as much of their own money as they wanted to on their own

campaigns, federal, state and local.

The most recent of the U.S. Supreme Court decisions on this issue, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission in 2010, went further and stated that the government may not ban political spending by corporations in candidate elections.

Rules are imposed by the Federal Campaign Finance Board on federal campaigns. Localities like New York City have their own monitoring agencies. Candidates are required to make a host of public filings on amounts collected, monies spent, and provide the names of contributors to the different campaigns, both those administered by the candidates directly and those administered independently of the candidates but supporting candidates or public issues. The rules are many and campaigns employ lawyers and accountants to follow them. Many candidates fail to file all the information required or to observe all the regulations

and are subject to major fines.

The greatest expenditure for most campaigns is the cost of television and radio commercials, the former far outweighing any other media. The television licenses provided by the government could require as they do in some other countries that the station provide the candidates with free time and remove that enormous financial burden from the campaign. Regrettably, that has not happened in our country. The television industry is far too powerful to permit such free access. The television industry is one of the special interests dominating the Congress.

This past weekend there was a front-page article in The New York Times addressing the issue of campaign finance. The Times and other newspapers and opinion makers have addressed that issue in the past, but apparently for the most part, those articles and the inherent warnings have fallen on deaf ears. Neither the Congress nor

Debt Threatens U.S. Prosperity ket, the economic state of the nation is not healthy for more than twenty million Americans. The rate may be 9 percent, but if you are one of the 9 percent, the rate is 100 percent.

Some problems are fairly obvious. If goods can be manufactured or asStern sembled in China or in any number of third world countries, at a far lower cost of production than in the United States or most European nations, why should any business organized to earn a profit for its shareholders and wealth for its officers manufacture products anywhere else? The decline and fall of tariff barriers in international trade has generally been regarded by moderates as a good thing. Its effect was supposed to be to increased wages and improved working conditions in the poorer countries, without adverse effects on the wealthier nations.

Unfortunately, political and economic issues sometimes work out in ways that were not expected. We do not have the ability or expertise to tell at what level, if any, tariffs should be imposed.

President Obama’s actions to turn the economic tide have been ridiculed by his political opponents, who have directed a constant stream of attacks on whatever he does or says. This is comparable in some ways to the Democrat s’ assault on George W. Bush. Obama has been scorned by both the right and the far left, although with the Congress as it was in 2009, it is not clear what more Obama could have accomplished.

One thing we have learned by living through enough business cycles is that, in general, the result of repeated rises and falls is a rise in the indexes. That is not true of specific stocks, bonds or real or personal property, which may become worthless as time goes by. Although present eco-

nomic conditions will eventually improve, possibly sooner than later, a great deal of damage will have been done to people who will not be in a position to benefit from the recovery.

When he came to office in January 2009, in the wake of the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September and the forced sale in March of Bear Stearns to J.P.Morgan for $10 a share (it had sold for $133.20 within a year before) Obama and his new cabinet were faced with the risk of a rapidly deteriorating economy. President Bush and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulsen (former head of Goldman Sachs) had secured the first bailout legislation from Congress, which Bush signed on Oct. 3, 2008.

When asked why he supported and signed the bailout when all his life he had been a supporter of free enterprise and generally opposed to government intervention (interference is the pejorative synonym), Bush replied that he did not want to go down in history as the President who watched the economy go to pieces and did nothing about it.

Are the federal remedies for unemployment and the credit freeze working today? Certainly not as well as we would like. Is there anything more that could be done? The idea that keeps recurring is putting the unemployed to work on the infrastructure, as President Roosevelt did during the Great Depression.

Unbelievable as it may seem today, at one time in the ’30s there were 1800 architects and engineers working for the New York City Parks Department under Commissioner Robert Moses paid by the federal government. They built or renovated over six hundred parks, playgrounds, swimming pools and beaches.

Part of my underlying liberalism is the opinion that people who are capable and willing to work hard should have the opportunity to do so, perhaps not in the field or at the level they prefer, but they should be enabled to support them-

selves and their families. How to do this within a free enterprise system is a challenge.

The economic situation today is unsatisfactory for tens of millions of Americans. The President is likely to be judged on how he deals with the economy. But little as he may have been able to do, his political opponents offer less equity and new innovation.

The idea that everything will get better if it is made easier for people to exploit the less fortunate is hard to believe and not supported by evidence or experience. We will see how it resonates with the American people. In 2010, they voted by a substantial margin to replace incumbents. Who will they blame if conditions do not improve by 2012?

These are the views of a self-proclaimed liberal with sanity. Some may challenge that characterization, but these are the differences in opinion to which, as part of their certain inalienable rights, all men and women are entitled, dare one say, by their Creator.

StarQuest@NYCivic.org

Not 4 Publication.com by Dom Nunziato

Sept. 2-8, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 7

Although my opinions are my actual beliefs, and this column is serious, I do not suggest that you buy or sell any investment on the basis of my observations.

By HENRY STERN Apart from the falling stock market, which appears to be a worldwide condition, Henry public opinion is trending to concern that America may be headed for a new recession. The anticipated decline is not particularly the fault of American banks or irresponsible lending policies, although unsound business practices have weakened the economy. European nations as well appear to have spent more than they have, and the result of their overspending has undermined the euro and threatens the economies of other countries in the zone.

The allegedly offending nations are Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain. As luck would have it, the acronym for the quartet is PIGS. The problem of spending is however global. It results from people’s natural desire to enjoy goods and services which they cannot afford to purchase with their current earnings, which come from jobs that may or may not exist next year. The issue of debt affects individuals, families, small and large businesses, and governments on the municipal, state and national levels.

Our democracy has served us for 235 years, and the United States has not yet been bankrupted. The country has weathered wars, panics, recessions and depressions. Individuals have been wiped out financially, and too many are today unable to find work. Yet America moves forward, with its people enjoying a generally high standard of living by comparison with other countries.

Nonetheless, with our unemployment rate stubbornly above nine per cent, and with many additional millions of people underemployed, or so discouraged that they have left the labor mar-

the public has responded with action.

On Aug. 28, The Times reported on an independent committee raising mone y for Republican Gov. Mit t Romney’s campaign for president. The reporter, Nicholas Confessore, wrote: “Mr. Romney’s appearance underscored the increasingly blurry line between presidential candidates and the so-called Super PACs that have proliferated since a 2010 Supreme Court ruling allowed independent groups to raise unlimited amounts to promote candidates.”

The article went on: “Increasingly, the new Super PACs are taking on tasks that in previous years were handled – and paid for – by the candidates themselves. But instead of using money raised in the $2,500 increments that federal law imposes on candidates, the Super PACs can accept donations of unlimited amounts. (The groups must disclose their donors, though some Super PACs, including Priorities USA and the Karl Rove-founded American Crossroads, have affiliated nonprofit arms that do not have to disclose donors.)”

What is so absurd is that there is a remedy: a constitutional amendment.

Yes, it is difficult to pass a constitutional amendment and rightfully so. The Constitution shouldn’t be easily amended.

But this situation is so awful, I have no doubt that Democrats, Republicans, Independents and others would flock to the cause.

Around the world many times through violence and non-violence, as was just illustrated in India, through an act of pacifism by one person and his willingness to engage in a hunger strike, the people in all their majesty win.

Why don’t the good government groups in our country convene a meeting to discuss how best to proceed with a constitutional amendment limiting the amounts of money that can be raised from any one individual, corporation or union and spent in any election for public office by candidates and their supporters? We currently have no greater need than that of protecting our democratic system of government.

Ed Koch was the Mayor of New York City from 1978-1989.

Hurricane Irene:

Borough Dodges Date With Disaster

For The Dogs Hunkering down during the hurricane was the plan for one resident and business owner in Long Island City.

As Irene approached Friday night, Bruce Barlin, owner of Pooches Sport and Spa, located just a block from the East River, ignored the city's first-ever mandatory evacuation of some of the city's

PRESS Photo by Ira Cohen

Last Wednesday night, worry warts, tough guys and chatterbugs began spreading the same gossip. Weather reports, social media and everyone short of the odd hermetic neighbor were awash in predictions the City could get hit by a cruel mistress named Hurricane Irene over the coming weekend.

The forecast was grueling, and prospects seemed dim. A Category Two. Possibly. Flooding, 100 mph wind gusts and days spent without electricity. Maybe.

Mayor Mike Bloomberg took early action, popping into Laurelton Thursday morning to tout the city's preparedness.

"The City has already seen the power of Mother Nature once this week," he said, referencing an earthquake that shook the city last Tuesday. "Mother Nature may not be done with us yet."

A very New York perspective took hold. First an earthquake, now this? As if we did not have enough problems.

Plans for an evacuation of low-lying areas were being drawn up, as the Mayor repeated a mantra of taking every precaution necessary. So while Hurricane Irene was still crawling towards North Carolina at 14 mph, New Yorkers were getting a crash course on the contents of a "go bag."

By Thursday afternoon, meteorological models predicted Hurricane Irene would take on a romp up the eastern seaboard, before hitting the City and dispersing over New England. Friday morning's forecasts made Hurricane Irene's arrival a matter of when - and how big of a wallop she would pack.

The Mayor, in what the City claims was a first, ordered the evacuation of lowlying areas. Supermarkets and department stores could not stock enough supplies.

Looking for D batteries and bottled water? Get in line. Order remained, and precautions were taken. Rationality and civility thankfully did not evacuate ahead of Irene's arrival.

By the time the MTA shut down all service at noon on Saturday, overcast skies already began letting out periodic rains, windless and without any force. The calm before this storm was particularly soggy. By the time Irene's nastier facets appeared, she had been worn down to a Category 1, making a thorough mess of everything between North Carolina and Staten Island in the process.

She began her onslaught on the borough at around 9 p.m. Saturday, nearly a full day ahead of initial forecasts, and did not let up for 12 hours, until her eye peered down upon Coney Island at around 9 a.m.

Sunday.

mer basic sailing classes on Mon- land Gardens), Hurricane Irene provided day and Tuesday due to the a chance to have mom over for the night. f looding at its compound on But her presence did not sooth nervousMeadow Lake. TASCA is cur- ness caused by an oncoming hurricane.

"I spent my night mostly pacing berently operating out of a makeshift boathouse on the southeast tween the attic and the basement," he shore of the lake adjacent to the said. "I can't say I chilled out. It was anxiGrand Central Parkway while the ety-filled and the wind… as it started to Flushing Meadows boathouse on get strong… you never know."

And while the borough thankfully sufthe northeastern end of the lake alongside the Van Wyck Express- fered no human casualties, Councilman Jim Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) laid to way is being renovated.

Cherry pickers stand at the ready in Jamaica Estates TASCA President Jim Jordan rest, with great sadness, cannolis he to repair downed power lines. said the entire compound is bought at Lulu's Bakery. As of Tuesday, flooded in eight inches of water his Jamaica Estates home was still withlow-lying and coastal areas. and the entrance to the dock, which is out power. As with all perpetually-off re"I wasn't worried about the East River located next to the jogging path about frigerators, something had to give. overflowing its banks," he said. "It never 100 feet from the makeshift boathouse, "I didn't mean throw the cannolis out; has and it never will." is under two feet of water, but no equip- that really hurt," he said. "And shame on But as the Category 2 hurricane ment was damaged and none of the club's me. Shame on me for letting them go bad." steadily loomed closer Saturday, Barlin sailboats capsized or suffered damage.

Gennaro paused and added, "Truth be began to rethink his original plan of stayThis is the third time TASCA has been told, there was a fair amount that did get ing put with 25 canines boarding at his forced to cancel class during the summer eaten." doggy day-care facility. session. The July heat wave forced the In haste, the Long Island City resident cancellation of one Saturday class and Aftermath began to reach out to all his clients, mak- floods caused the cancellation of class Early Sunday afternoon, as Irene's eye ing them aware of Irene's advance. on Aug. 14. rested over the heart of the borough, "I had to call them," Barlin said. "I've The area around Meadow Lake is very Flushing Meadows Corona Park burst to been doing this for 15 years; I understand vulnerable to flooding and is labeled as life, appearing indistinguishable from how people feel about their pets. I had to part of "Zone B" in the city's hurricane nearly any other summer weekend. make sure they understood the situation." risk map. The flooding around Meadow Children raced around the Unisphere, After successfully contacting 22 cli- Lake did not affect the U.S. Open tennis enjoying a playful game of tag. Some ents, one by one, dog owners who can- tournament at Flushing Meadows Corona plowed bikes through a waist-deep ring celled their weekend getaways came to Park which started on Monday, though of water at the base of the behemoth. The pick up their precious pooches, to take Arthur Ashe Kids Day set for Saturday path leading away from the borough icon them out of potential harm's way. was cancelled. was still slick with rain, keeping crowds Erring on the side of caution, while off. A father and son took the opportudeciding to give up a chunk of his revNobody Was Immune nity to use the barren steps for a game of enue, Barlin told clients in Manhattan he Elected officials were destined to pass with a soccer ball. would come to them, and made a move, make speeches and take positions followAnd futbol was still the primary past transporting three dogs across the river. ing Irene's hit, but politicians, it appears, time - jerseys of club and country still scat"It had to be done," Barlin said. are not immune to freaking out about a tered across both official and makeshift By dusk on Saturday, with thick gray hurricane and the headaches that follow. fields. Wives played goalie for their husclouds of the hurricane's outer ring conAt a press conference bands, backpacks serving tinuing to accumulate overhead, Barlin held on Sunday, a visibly as goalposts. found himself with three dogs still in his drowsy Councilman Peter And the ref lecting care. One he gave to an employee to take Koo (R-Flushing) admitpools, for the first in home for the night and the others stayed ted to not exactly getting a seemingly uncountable on-site as the hurricane rolled overhead. good night's sleep. His disyears, actually had water "They had a ball," Barlin said of the trict and home in particuin them. two dogs he overnighted with during the lar were among those Irene Queens residents hurricane. "They had the whole place to let off easy. But no worries dove back into the little themselves."

- Koo paid his dues. pleasures of life as soon By the time she passed through New as nature let them, and "Everyone was afYork Sunday morning, Irene had already fected," he said. "My wife few retreated when Irene been downgraded to a tropical storm, and didn't get to sleep until 3 whipped a tail of misty the waters surged up within a foot of the or 4 in the morning." rain and wind at them pier at Gantry Plaza State Park - but went later that afternoon.

In the neighboring disno further. trict, Councilman Dan As then-Tropical "As far as the rest of the neighbor- Halloran (R-Whitestone) Storm Irene dissipated hood, we didn't have a puddle," Barlin got his staff soggy during On Sunday, Flushing Mead- over New England, one said. "It ended up not being too bad over an overnight stay manning ows was still partially under could see this generation, here." the district office. The base- water, but it didn’t keep visi- buzzing about hours after a hurricane tore through ment f looded, at a time tors away for long.

More Water, Anyone? town, could add its voluwhen power outages Hurricane Irene's wrath made the plagued the rest of the district. But at least minous list of "Big Deal" stories - from city's largest lake even larger.

Halloran remained connected, unlike an- terrorist attacks, to blizzards, blackouts The area of Flushing Meadows Co- other unfortunate legislator. and tornados. rona Park around Meadow Lake was Now we can all start a sentence with Press and staff alike had a difficult time completely underwater and Meadow Lake getting a hold of U.S. Rep. Gary "I remember this one time we got hit by a expanded by over 150 feet. In some parts Ackerman (D-Bayside). Quite frankly, hurricane… called Irene." of the park, the water flooded the road everyone did. It turns out even CongressJason Banrey and Domenick Rafter that circles the lake and the jogging path men can lose power - but only for an hour. contributed. was almost completely submerged.

Reach Deputy Editor Joseph Orovic at He was still without cable (and internet) The American Small Craft Association as of Monday though. jorovic@queenstribune.com or (718) 357(TASCA) was forced to cancel their sumFor Councilman Mark Weprin (D-Oak- 7400, Ext. 127.

PRESS Photo by Joseph Orovic

Page 8 PRESS of Southeast Queens Sept. 2-8, 2011

BY QUEENS TRIBUNE STAFF

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Sept. 2-8, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 9

a. turning it off when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not in use

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US Open Returns To Queens The annual fun and fighting at Flushing Meadows Corona Park returned this week as the US Open tennis tournament kicked off.

Southeast Queens Events Edited By Harley Benson

Photos by Ira Cohen

Serena Williams speaks with reporters.

Mardy Fish plays in the first round.

A view of the stadium.

A violinist wails during the opening ceremony Monday.

The Stars and Stripes are on display.

The opening ceremony is capped with a fireworks display.

E V E RY T H I N G YOUR SMALL BUSINESS NEEDS TO GROW IS HERE.

Page 10 PRESS of Southeast Queens Sept. 2-8, 2011

THE GOLDMAN SACHS 10,000 SMALL BUSINESSES PROGRAM IS IN NEW YORK. APPLY TODAY. Goldman Sachs is pleased to announce open enrollment for the next 10,000 Small Businesses program in New York. The program, led by LaGuardia Community College, is designed to give local small businesses the resources to grow by providing them with greater access to business education, financial capital and business support services.

Learn more and apply today at www.lagcc.cuny.edu/ACE/10000smallbusinesses.aspx or (718) 730-7400.

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Sept. 2-8, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 11

Long Island: Olive Branch Book-

Police Blotter Compiled by DOMENICK RAFTER

103rd Precinct Missing Man The NYPD is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a missing Jamaica man. Mohammed Saleem, 24, of 90-60 179th Place, Jamaica, was last seen on Friday Aug. 26, at around 6:40 p.m. in front of 253-06 Hillside Ave. in Bellerose.

He was last seen wearing a long sleeve black t-shirt, blue jeans and black boots.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers Web site at nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.

Crime Spree The NYPD is asking the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect wanted for commercial robberies across the borough.

The suspect robbed a Pathmark Supermarket at 134-40 Springfield Blvd. in Springfield Gardens on Tuesday, July 26

Police are looking for the public’s help in locating Mohammed Saleem, who has gone missing. at 4:22 a.m.; a T-Mobile store at 205-20 Jamaica Ave. in Queens Village on Thursday, July 28 at 5:25 p.m.; a Walgreens at 119-02 Rockaway Blvd. in South Ozone Park and a 7-11 at 218-01 Northern Blvd.

Borough Beat

Best Efforts Fall Short At Famed Restaurant

Page 12 PRESS of Southeast Queens Sept. 2-8, 2011

BY JASON BANREY

On Aug. 26, as Hurricane Irene coursed its way towards New York City, many Long Island City residents and business owners had two choices: stay or leave.

Making that decision was not as easy for some as it was for others.

On Friday, the Waterfront Crab House was still serving up seafood to its regular customers.

"We saw some customers in here, but we were constantly listening to weather reports to see whether or not to close," said Manager Tony Mazzarella. "By Saturday, we made the decision to close."

Preparing for potential flooding, employees built makeshift wooden stands to place much of the restaurant's heavy equipment in the basement off the floor. Produce as well as much of establishment's inventory was well above one foot off the ground - well above a flood's touch, they thought.

After the tropical storm passed on Sunday, Mazzarella returned to see how the seafood restaurant had fared through the storm's whip lashing winds and surge of the East River.

"I couldn't even get into the basement," Mazzarella said of the flooding, which overlapped from the Hunts Point South Project onto his property. "There was nearly 4 feet of water down there."

Gathering together workers to get the restaurant up for service, Mazzarella made do with the only water pump they had

available and got to work.

Within one room, much of the heavy appliances had shifted off of the wooden lifts and made their way into one of the corners. An ice machine was completely inoperable and the two washers that sat next it had not been tested yet.

With their best effort, they had managed to purge much of the water with minimal damage to the edible inventory. It was too early to assess the electrical damage.

On Monday, as construction continued on the Hunts Point South Project across the street, Mazzarella returned, once again, ready to reopen for business.

After taking a complete walkthrough of the restaurant, from top to bottom, Mazzarella, walked out of the main entrance and lit a cigarette.

"The basement was ruined," he said taking a long pull, looking over the corner of Borden Avenue and Second Street, which the day before was overrun with water.

Workers looked confused. Most of them had never seen that type of damage before. While walking through the lower level, Mazzarella directed his employees to salvage any produce which had not already perished as he took photos of all the damage that occurred.

"It's for the insurance people," he said, scratching his head while wiping the sweat off his brow. "I wonder how long it's going to take them to handle this one."

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

in Bayside on Monday, Aug. 1 at 3:38 a.m. and 3:45 a.m.; a Shell gas station at 185-25 North Conduit Ave. in Springfield Gardens on Monday, Aug. 22 at 2:50 a.m.; and a Family Dollar at 199-09 Jamaica Ave. in Hollis on Wednesday, Aug. 24 at 11 p.m.

In all the incidents, the suspect enters the location armed with a gun, demands money and f lees the location.

There were no reported injuries. The suspect was wearing beige shorts, black tshirt, tan work boots, and a black baseball hat with a t-shirt hanging from underneath it.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers Web site at nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.

113th Precinct Popeye’s Robbery The NYPD is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying and locating a man wanted for committing an armed robbery in St. Albans.

On Sunday, July 31, at approximately 10:05 p.m., the suspect entered the Popeye’s restaurant located at 117-25 Farmers Blvd. in St. Albans. He ap-

proached the counter, displayed a silvercolored firearm and demanded that the employee hand over money from the cash register. When handed a bag containing cash, the suspect fled on foot northbound on Farmers Boulevard toward Linden Boulevard. No injuries were reported.

The suspect is described as a black man in his 20s, heavy set, wearing a gray Tshirt and tan slacks.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers Web site at nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.

115th Precinct Killed On Northern On Aug. 27, at around 12:30 a.m., police responded to a 911 call of a pedestrian struck at Northern Boulevard and 101st Street in Corona. Upon arrival, police determined that a 1988 Chrysler traveling eastbound on Northern Boulevard struck an unidentified black woman who was crossing 101st Street.

The victim was taken to Elmhurst Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival. The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene. No criminality was suspected.

A&E

BY BARBARA ARNSTEIN

On Aug. 23, a scene for the new fall drama “Unforgettable,” was filmed inside a detached house on 157th Street and 10th Avenue in Beechhurst. The show, which premieres Tuesday, Sept. 20, on CBS, at 10 p.m., stars Poppy Montgom-

ery (best known for playing FBI agent Samantha Spade on the TV show “Without a Trace”) and Dylan Walsh (best known for his starring role on “Nip/ Tuck”). Montgomery plays Carrie Wells, a police officer whose perfect memory is a great help to her police work, and she was in the scene.

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The stage is set for indoor filming at a home in Beechhurst.

“Unforgettable” star Poppy Montgomery walks outside the house with a member of the crew. after a lunch break at 3 p.m.

“When the earthquake hit, I felt like I was in L.A. but I’m in New York,” someone commented. Right after lunch, it was time for the final rehearsal.

The episode will air in late September or early October. The name of the episode at press time (it may be changed) is “Checkout Time”. For a sneak peek at a clip from “Unforgettable,” go to http:// www.cbs.com/shows/unforgettable/video.

Devotees Pay Tribute With Record-Breaking

BY DOMENICK RAFTER A world record was broken in Queens last week, and it had nothing to do with Hurricane Irene.

The Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team, led

by Ashrita Furman, holder of more than 130 world records, went for yet another world record last week, this time arraigning the world’s longest floral garland.

The garland of 80,000 multicolored carnations ended up being over 2.1 miles long and completely encircled Meadow Lake in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

The garland was put together by more than 170 volunteers from all over the world to celebrate the 80th birthday of Sri Chinmoy, the spiritual leader who was born in what is now Bangladesh and lived in Jamaica until his death in 2007.

The volunteers gathered in the parking lot on the north side of Meadow Lake near the LIE and began putting the garland together early Friday morning.

Teams of volunteers placed the flowers along roughly five-foot strings, loaded them into boxes and then into vans where they were driven out to far ends of the lake and laid side by side. By 10 a.m., the thin garland, consisting of different colored flowers from farms in South America stretched across the lawn, over a bridge and along the shore of Meadow Lake.

Some volunteers rode bikes out to the far end of the lake and patiently pieced the strings together, connecting them all the way around.

After the garland was completed, a short ceremony was attended by Coun-

A volunteer works to adjust the garland around Meadow Lake to honor spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy. cilman Jim Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows), a friend of the late spiritual leader who helped put the last piece of garland together.

Furman, who has broken numerous other records, including bouncing the fastest mile on a kangaroo ball on the Great Wall of China and longest juggling duration underwater, spoke about Sri Chinmoy’s influence on him, the group and their practice of breaking world records.

“My friends and I have a tradition to express our gratitude to Sri Chinmoy as he inspires us to discover inner peace, joy and strength through meditation,” he said. “On the occasion of Sri Chinmoy’s 80th birthday anniversary we wanted to do something special. The huge garland expresses the deep gratitude we feel.

There was a great feeling of oneness and harmony because people from 35 countries were connected by the garland in a circle symbolizing planet earth.”

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

Sept. 2-8, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 13

There are many benefits to having an Italian buddy – loyalty, kinship, a deeper understanding of “The Godfather.” But arguably the most underrated is grandma’s cooking. Those of us blessed with a Tony, Vinny or Mikey in our lives know the delight in being invited to Nonna’s Sunday feasts, where every uncle, aunt, cousin and family pet gathers to get a big helping of the good stuff from the Old Country, as Padre Pio inevitably watches on from the mantle.

It is as much a rite of passage as any omerta oath, and makes you realize the slew of “Italian” ristorantes spread around our borough are faking it all the way. But the search for Nonna’s best is what keeps us trying new places.

Well look no further, for rising above all the cookie-cutter Italian joints comes Mario Gigliotti’s Il Triangolo Ristorante.

In an era when hotshot young chefs in Manhattan experiment fusing Italian with Far East cuisine, Gigliotti keeps it old school. Il Triangolo presents a triple threat – fresh, homemade and delicious.

The ambiance perfectly mimics the best trattorias in the boot-shaped homeland. Dark woods and modern chic give the setting an edge over the old-school, dusty chandelier places, where the only things older-looking than the furniture are the waiters.

Mario, like any true Italian, takes family seriously – so much so he employs his own. You can find daughter Josephina at the bar, son Angelo waiting tables and wife Pierina baking Il Triangolo’s delicious bread and desserts.

And the feeling of family permeates every thing the restaurant does – including the scope of meals.

My guest and I began our meal with some wonderful sautéed eggplant with marinara sauce, fresh-baked bread with a black olive and anchovy spread, prosciutto and figs. The antipasti – hot, cold, sweet, tangy, sour – prepped the palate for the onslaught to come. First came a zucchini flower stuffed with spinach and goat cheese – a delicacy picked

from Gigliotti’s own garden. The subtle mix of unique flavors gave away why it’s considered a treat.

Next came the business of pasta – ey, this is Italian! Homemade gnocchi with pesto, a delicious take on an Italian staple, made with fresh basil. Also Fettucini Alla Triangolo – an absurdly delicious combination of parmesan cheese, peas, onions, and prosciutto in a gorgonzola cream sauce.

For our main course, Angelo suggested his favorite – Vitello Mario’s Style – veal with pancetta, peas and fresh tomatoes. The meat was perfectly cut and swimming in a sauce bordering on the divine. The pancetta lent flavor with gusto while the peas rounded out a playful texture. It was the most downto-earth yet delicious veal I’ve had in a long time. Thanks, Angelo.

Along the way, Mario kept our glasses full of his homemade wine, made from cabernet sauvignon and merlot grapes with some sweet white grapes.

Sweet but still bringing some late heat, the drink is dangerous. After a quick dance on the palate, the wine slides down with incredible ease. I’d lie if I said I left able to easily pass a sobriety test. Good thing I wasn’t driving.

For dessert, I had tiramisu while my guest enjoyed some cheesecake with fruit atop. The desserts, unlike their Americanized counterparts, provided a fantastic cap with flavorful but not overpowering sweetness. Alas, Mario put me over the top with a glass of his homemade Limoncello, a dangerously delicious aperitif.

As the meals kept coming, one couldn’t help but feel like guests in the Gigliotti household. Mario, ever the gracious host, chatted up patrons, laughed, shook hands. With AM-radio quality scratchy Italian music playing in the background, I peered down by the bar to see him gyrating, twisting his torso and waving his hands, enjoying a robust tarantella as much as any boy in Napoli.

Il Triangolo follows the Italian tradition of making great food feel, taste and seem simple. It’s a trick – these meals border on religious, a communal rite passed down for generations. It’s almost too generous for anyone to share this food outside their home, for strangers no less. But Italy, in spirit, has been nothing if not generous to the world.

Sit. Mangia! Every Nonna would be proud.

–Joseph Orovic

The day before, notes about the filming and permit notices were attached to trees, street signs and light poles in the surrounding blocks, which were staked off with traffic cones. The notes said that an area of several blocks would be used by the company, mostly for parking, between 6 a.m. and 2 a.m. The next morning, tremendous trucks gradually began arriving and by afternoon, the normally quiet streets were filled with trucks, trailers, technical equipment, and dozens of scurrying crew members unloading and setting up equipment.

Scaffolding was put up on both sides of the house to hold lights, wires ran along the sidewalk in front of it, and a “cherry picker” was parked out front. A table holding snacks for the cast and crew was set up in the street, under a tent.

By 2 p.m., actors were rehearsing inside the house, called “the Smiths’ house” in the script. “Silence for the rehearsal,” someone called, and just then, a plane flew overhead. Soon after the rehearsal concluded, a brief, unexpected earthquake suddenly shook the ground in the neighborhood (and the rest of New York, and several adjoining states) but, as the saying goes, the show must go on, and it did,

Photos by Barbara Arnstein

On The Set, On The Street In Queens

Faith

Our Savior Spared Irene's Wrath

BY VERONICA LEWIN Members of the Our Savior Lutheran Church came together after Hurricane Irene to worship the Lord.

The church, located at 90-04 175th St. in South Jamaica, held a candlelight service Sunday at 8 p.m. "It was a nice service," Pastor Bob Fritch said.

He added it was a small service, and rain and winds likely kept most of the

Word "Religion, whatever it is, is a man's total reaction upon life." â&#x20AC;&#x201D;William James

congregation away Sunday night. Concerned for the safety of his staff and congregation, Fritch cancelled the church's three Sunday morning services. The pastor expected Hurricane Irene to knock out the church's electricity, so they bought candles in advance.

The pastor took precautions the week before, such as cleaning out gutters and drains, which he said helped decrease the church's damage. Fritch said he went to the church around 11 a.m. Sunday to assess the damage. Though there was minor flooding and part of the ceiling in the church entryway came down, Fritch said the church did not experience major loss. Fritch said Midland Parkway had a lot of trees down, but the immediate neighborhood surrounding the church was spared.

"Honestly and thankfully, there were very few storm experiences in the people that I've talked to," Fritch said.

The pastor stands by his decision to cancel Sunday's services in compliance with Mayor Mike Bloomberg's warning to

Global Teens

Jamaica Y Gives Teen Chance To Help Abroad

Page 14 PRESS of Southeast Queens Sept. 2-8, 2011

BY VERONICA LEWIN While most teens are spending the last weeks of summer at the beach or hanging out with friends, one Southeast Queens teen was making an impact across the globe.

Olivia Hawkins traveled to South Africa this month as part of the Jamaica YMCA's Global Teens program. The Global Teens program allows young people in the community to participate in international experiences and community service. The year-long program includes a year of pre-departure training and service and interactions with peers. After the student returns home, the Jamaica Y offers post-trip service and time for reflection.

In addition to helping others in different countries, Global Teens also does community service in New York.

"The YMCA Global Teens program empowers youth with a desire and ability to help address the most pressing issues of today's world," Executive Director of the International YMCA Sandy Mitchell said. "Through transformative service and cultural exchange experiences, youth will witness first-hand the impact they can have on communities, both here in New York City and across the globe."

More than 100 teens had the opportunity to travel to one of eight countries: Thailand, South Africa, Senegal, Colom-

bia, Peru, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Depending on the needs of the region, each group of students focuses on a particular challenge that faces their host community and tries to provide solutions.

Students tackle issues such as access to education, immigration, environmental conservation and more.

"We are excited for our local teens to give back to others and to experience another culture," Executive Director Cedric Dew said. "The Jamaica Y is proud that Olivia Hawkins has dedicated part of her summer to helping others around the world."

The trip to South Africa was a part of Hawkins' third year in the Global Teens program and said the trip was an inspiring experience. "Not only did we touch the lives of the people we met abroad but they did the same for us," Hawkins said. "I learned more than I would have ever dreamed about their culture and gained another family amongst my group."

The Jamaica Y provides services to 7,000 youth and 5,000 adults in the neighborhoods of South Ozone Park, Springfield Gardens and Jamaica. Teens who are interested in participating in next year's program can visit internationalymca.org.

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

Our Savior Lutheran Church weathered Hurricane Irene thanks to some early preparation.

PRESS Photo by Ira Cohen

Notebook

stay home until noon, after the eye of the storm was expected to pass. "It might not have been necessary to cancel worship on Sunday, but I'm glad we did."

The church is holding a 9/11 10-year anniversary service at 4 p.m. on Sunday. On Sept. 17, Our Savior Lutheran Church will be hosting a carnival for its congregation. Fritch will be celebrating his 20th anniversary with the church this fall. For more information, call (718) 739-7452.

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

Queens Today SECTION EDITOR: REGINA VOGEL

Send typed announcements for your club or organization’s events at least TWO weeks in advance to “Queens Today” Editor, Queens Tribune, 150-50 14 Road, Whitestone NY 11357.

Send faxes to 357-9417, c/o Regina.

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

ALUMNI MARTIN LUTHER HS Saturday, September 24 Martin Luther HS in Maspeth will host an Alumni Day for all grades. 894-4000.

THOMAS JEFFERSON Sunday, January 15 class of 1961 will meet in Florida.

Tjhs1961@aol.com

DANCE COUNTRY WESTERN Saturday, September 10 Patience and the Cowboy Angels. $12. Saturday, October 15 San Antones and Halloween Costume contest. $12. Glendale Memorial Building, 72-02 Myrtle Avenue at 7:30. 763-4328.

LINE DANCING Saturdays 2-4 at Holy Family RC Parish Church, Msgr.

Mahoney Hall, 175-20 74 th Avenue, Fresh Meadows.

Light refreshments. Bring friends!

ISRAELI FOLK Mondays 7:15-9:45 at Hillcrest Jewish Center, 18202 Union Turnpike. $10 session. 380-4145.

ENVIRONMENT COMPOSTING Tuesdays, September 6, 13, 20, 27 waste food drop off at the Steinway library at 4.

GREEN FAIR Saturday, September 10 Western Queens Green Resources Fair at the Broadway library at 2. Eco-crafts, giveaways, exhibitors, more.

COMMUNITY SINGERS Starting Monday, September 5 the Communit y Singers of Queens rehearses for their winter concert at 8 at Messiah Lutheran Church, 42-15 165 th Street, Flushing.

658-1021.

NEVER FORGET 9/11 Friday, September 9 Conversation Group about 9/11 at the LIC library at 1:30.

MINI GOLF Through December 31 Rocket Park Mini-Golf 10-6 weekends, 2-5 Fridays at the Hall of Science. $6 adults, $5 children plus general NYSCI admission.

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

SCIENCE PLAYGROUND Weekends through December 31 10-6 and 2-5 Fridays at the Hall of Science. $4 plus general NYSCI admission.

SCULPTURE PARK Saturdays through September 24 the Socrates Sculpture Park will hold drop-in workshops for families.

STORY BOOK LADY Saturdays 12:30-1:30 reading enrichment program for 6-9 year olds at Maria Rose International Doll Museum, 187-11 Linden Blvd., St. Albans. $7.50. 276-3454.

MATH HELP Saturdays at the Flushing library at 10.

CHESS CLUB Every Saturday at the Flushing library at 2.

S TORY TIMES Saturdays at 11 and Tuesdays at 10:30 weekly story times at Barnes & Noble, 1766 0 Un i o n Tu r n p i ke , Fre s h Meadows.

CRAFT Saturday, September 3 Back to school craft at 11:30 at Barnes & Noble, 176-60 Union Turnpike, Fresh Meadows.

KNIT & CROCHET Mondays at 4 at the Douglaston/Little Neck lib ra r y. B r i n g n e e d l e s a n d yarn.

BOOST Monday, September 5 Communit y Word Project at the Central library at 5:30.

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS Tuesday, September 6 a t the Glen Oaks library at 11.

For those 3-5.

LI CHESS CLUB Tuesday, September 6 a t the LIC library at 4.

BOOST Tuesday, September 6 Mixing in Math at the Central library at 4:30.

STORY TIME Wednesday, September 7 at the Hollis library at 10:30.

HAPPY STORY TIME Wednesday, September 7 at the LIC library at 10:30.

FAMILY STORY TIME Wednesday, September 7 at the Seaside library at 11.

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

BOOST SCIENCE Wednesday, September 7 at the Central library at 4:30.

READING BUDDIES Wednesday, September 7 at the McGoldrick library at 5.

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

KNITTING Every Wednesdays at the Bayside library at 4.

TOPS TRUMP CARD Every Wednesday tournament at the LIC library at 4.

PICTURE BOOK Thursday, September 8 at the Queens Village library at 1:30.

PUPPY TALES

SENIORS

Thursday, September 8 at the Hillcrest library at 4.

MAKE A BEAR Thursday, September 8 at the Windsor Park library at 4.

BOOST Thursday, September 8 International Library Day at the Central library at 4:30.

BOOST HEALTH SCI. Thursday, September 8 at the McGoldrick library at 5.

PRINCESS & FROG Thursday, September 8 at the Whitestone library at 6.

CRAFT TIME Every Thursday at 3:30 at the Ozone Park library.

BOY SCOUTS Thursdays Boy Scout Troop 138 meets at 7:30 in the basement at 192-15C 64 th Circle, Fresh Meadows. For those 11 and older. 4542391.

STORY TIME Friday, September 9 at the Hollis library at 10:30.

ARTS & CRAFTS Fridays at 2 at the Queens Village library.

ARTS & CRAFTS Fridays at the LIC library at 2.

GAME DAY Fridays at the Queens Village library at 2.

FLASH FRIDAYS Every Friday at 3 at the Ozone Park library.

CHESS CLUB Fridays, September 9, 16, 23, 30 at the Auburndale library at 3:30.

GAME DAY Friday, September 9 at the Bay Terrace library at 2:30.

GAME PLAYERS Every Friday at the Hillcrest library at 4.

CRAFTS Friday, September 9 at the Seaside library at 4.

GAME TIME Friday, September 9 at the Windsor Park library at 4.

BOOST CRAFT Friday, September 9 at the McGoldrick library at 5.

CUB SCOUTS 351 Fridays at St. Nicholas of Tolentine school cafeteria, Parsons Blvd. and Union Turnpike. Boys in grades 15. 820-0015.

FLUSHING FLYERS Saturday, September 10 at 8, Monday, September 12 at 5 and Tuesday, September 13 at 5. The Flushing YMCA Flyers will hold tryouts for its swim teams for those 5-18 at the YMCA, 138-46 Northern Blvd. 961-6880 information.

SCIENCE LAB Saturday, September 10 at the Central library at 11.

NATURE PHOTO. Sundays, September 11, 18 at Alley Pond Environmental Center. 229-4000.

THEATER KILLING KOMPANY Friday, September 23 “The Re a l i t y T V M u r d e r s ” a t Riccardo’s in Astoria. The Killing Company performs mystery dinner shows. 1-888SHOOT-EM for information.

BRIDGE INSTRUCTOR Bridge instructor needed at SNAP Bell Park Senior Center. 740-3906.

AARP CHORUS Like to sing? The AARP Queens Chorus holds practice rehearsals for performances at nursing homes, rehab and senior centers.

523-1330.

AARP 3654 Tu e s d a y s , S e p t e m b e r 6 , O c t o b e r 4 , N ove m b e r 1 AARP chapter 2654 meets in Bayside. 423-4237.

BAYSIDE CENTER Tuesdays line dancing 9:30 and Thursdays 10:00. Fridays ballroom instruction at 10:15, ballroom and social dancing 1-3. Bayside Center for classes in movie, ping pong, bridge instruction, healthy lifest yle, card games, Wii bowling, painting, ESL, computer, exercise, dance,

TEENS CHESS CLUB Every Saturday at the Flushing library at 2.

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

9/11 Tu e s d a y, S e p te m b e r 6 teens remember 9/11 at the Laurelton library at 3.

LI CHESS CLUB Tuesday, September 6 at 4 at the LIC library.

CHESS TIME Tuesday, September 6 a t the Seaside library at 4.

SUMMER READING Tuesday, September 6 a t the Woodside library at 4.

RESUME WRITING Wednesday, September 7 at the Arverne library at 4.

GAME DAY Every Wednesday at the Howard Beach library at 4.

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

MANGA CLUB Thursday, September 8 at the Flushing library at 4.

TEEN THURSDAYS Every Thursday at the Bay Terrace library at 3.

CHESS CLUB Every Thursday 4-5:30 at the Douglaston/Little Neck library.

CHESS CLUB Fridays, September 9, 16, 23, 30 at the Auburndale library at 3:30.

GAME PLAYERS CLUB Every Friday at 4 at the Hillcrest library.

YOUNG REFORMERS Friday, September 9, 16, 23, 30 America’s Young Reformers meet at the Laurelton library. Register.

FLUSHING FLYERS Saturday, September 10 at 8, Monday, September 12 at 5 and Tuesday, September 13 at 5. The Flushing YMCA Flyers will hold tryouts for its swim teams for those 5-18 at the YMCA, 138-46 Northern Blvd. 961-6880 information.

SAT STRATEGIES Saturday, September 10 at the Ridgewood library. Reservations 800-273-8439.

wellness workshops, etc.

Lunch at 11:30. 225-1144.

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

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

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.

MAMMOGRAMS Thursday, September 8 and Saturday, November 19 nocost mammograms with Communit y Board 6. Appointment needed. 7381111.

HORIZONS CLUB Thursday, September 8 Horizons, a club for those 55 and over, meets at the Reform Temple of Forest Hills, 7 1 - 1 1 1 1 2 th s t r e e t . $ 3 i n cludes coffee and cake.

AARP 29 Thursdays, September 8, Oc tober 13, November 10, December 8 at Grace House, 155-02 90 th Avenue, Jamaica.

SNAP BELL PARK Friday, September 8 Sept e m b e r 1 1 t h Tr i b u te D a y.

PARENTS SAMUEL FIELD Y Diverse array of program and services for the needs of children of all ages, stages and abilit y levels. 225-6750.

ADHD OR PDD Daily after school programs to meet the needs of elementary school aged children who have learning disabilities and ADHD or PDD at the Bay Terrace Center, 212-00 23 rd Avenue, Bayside from 2:30-6:00. 225-6750, ext.

266.

ANIBIC Association for Neurologically Impaired Brain Injured Children, Inc. sponsors programs including Saturday Play Group (5-17), Tutorial (5 to adult), Weekend Respite (17+), Young Adult Program (17+) and Adult Respite Program (21+). 423-9550, ext.

243.

KIDS KORNER After School Center is at the Central Queens YM-YWHA in Forest Hills. 268-5011, ext. 201. Extended hours.

PLAYGROUP The CUMC Playgroup is accepting registration for its preschool parents’ cooperative program in Middle Village. Children 18 months to 4 years are eligible. 8942293.

TOUGH LOVE Tu e s d a y s at 7:30 p.m.

Toughlove International Parent Support Group for parents of out-of-control children (teens, pre-teens and adult children) meet at IS158 in Bayside. 393-7788.

Monday, September 12 CVS Diabetes Clinic. Monday, Oc tober 3 flu shots 92 . M o n d a y, O c to b e r 1 0 blood pressure screening.

SNAP Bell Park. 740-3906.

DEFENSIVE DRIVING Friday, September 9 one day class at the Laurelton library. Register in advance.

STARS Fridays, September 9, 16.

23, 30 Senior Theater Acting Repertory at the Queens Village library at 10:30. 7760529.

TALKS QUESTIONS OF LIFE Wednesday, September 7 ART Answers the Questions of Your Life. Wednesday, September 14 What Are Yo u Lo o k i n g F o r i n Love?

Wednesday, September 21 Welcoming the Unknown.

Flushing library at 7.

LAWYER COMPLAINT Thursday, September 8 How to File a Complaint Against a Lawyer at 6 at the Flushing library.

BOOK TALK Thursday, September 8 “That Old Cape Magic” will be discussed at 6:30 at the Glendale librar y.

NIGHT BOOK CLUB Thursday, September 8 “Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival Resilience and Redemption” will be discussed at 6:30 at the Windsor Park library.

NEVER FORGET 9/11 Friday, September 9 Conversation Group about 9/11 at the LIC library at 1:30.

FUNDRAISING PLANNING Friday, September 9 at the Central library at 2.

AUTHOR TALK Saturday, September 10 book signing with Sister Betty Dopson at the Langston Hughes library at 3.

RELIGIOUS MESSIAH LECTURES Through September 14 series of lectures about the Messiah with Rabbi Gerald Solomon from 10:30-noon at the Flushing-Fresh Meadows Jewish Center, 193-10 Peck Avenue, Flushing. 357-5100.

REFORM TEMPLE Wednesday, September 7 the Reform Temple of Forest Hills, 71-11 112 th Street, will hold an open house from 6-8.

JESSE TERRY Saturday, September 10 Jesse Terr y will perform at 7:30 at Temple Tikvah in New Hyde Park. $20 advance, $25 at the door. 516-746-1120.

LUTHERAN REDEEMER Sunday, September 11 memorial service at 9:30. Regular service begins September 18 at 8:30. Sundays regular worship service with Holy Communion at 8:30 and 10:30. Sunday School, Adult Bible Class and Friendship Hour at 9:30. Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, 157-16 65 th Avenue, Flushing. 358-2744.

Sept. 2-8, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 15

MISCELLANEOUS

YOUTH

Profile

Collier Takes The Reigns At JSPOA

BY VERONICA LEWIN Southeast Queens native Beverly Collier has dedicated her life to service and will now work to improve the quality of life for seniors in her area. The Jamaica Service Program for Older Adults announced she has taken over as the organization's executive director.

"We are pleased to have Ms. Collier join JSPOA," said William Collins, Jr., JSPOA's President of the Board of Directors. "[She] is a talented leader whose experience will guide JSPOA to greater heights and continue its tradition of providing quality services and programs for older adults."

The St. Albans native has lived in Queens all of her life and graduated from Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Bayside. Prior to taking the position at JSPOA, Collier led "My Turn," a tuitionfree college education program offered at Kingsborough Community College for people 60 years of age or older who want to pursue higher education. She earned a bachelor's degree in business and a Master's degree in management at Baruch College. In the past, Collier worked for Services for the Underserved for nearly 20 years.

Collier began her position on July 28 and said she is still learning about all

JSPOA has to offer its seniors. generation of human services "It's been a month of growth," employees. When not helping she said, adding the seniors others, Collier enjoys going to were very welcoming and even the beach and reading historigave her gifts, such as a shawl, cal novels. quilt, puzzle and artwork when Collier said the best part of she started her position. her job is seeing the seniors enjoy their themselves and taking Though she did not study soownership and pride in the procial work in college, Collier soon grams. found a way to use her educaOne of JSPOA's services tion to help others the best way that anyone can take advantage she can. "I actually began to like of is their senior employment the idea of being able to put adprogram, where the organizaministrative skills and managetion helps people in need find ment skills to work in an organijobs in the area. JSPOA offers zation that was benefiting free transportation to their people," Collier said. members, but will also take seJSPOA offers a variety of proniors in Southeast Queens to grams such as classes that focus JSPOA's New Executive Director Beverly Collier doctor's appointments for a reon diet and exercise, Senior duced fare.

Strollers walking club, computer During these challenging economic training, field trips, intergenerational pro- stages of Alzheimer's disease.

The organization will also host social times, Collier worries about receiving the grams, drama, dance, ceramics, and arts and crafts. A lot of programs are based on events, including monthly birthday cel- funding necessary to provide programs the interests of the community, and Collier ebration. JSPOA offers assistance for and services. A year from now, the new crime victims, programs for the visually executive director sees JSPOA continusaid several programs are run by seniors.

JSPOA operates three senior centers impaired, health monitoring and runs an ing to expand quality services and remain a staple in the Southeast Queens commuin Southeast Queens: the Theodora G. HIV/AIDS awareness campaign.

In addition to serving as executive di- nity. For more information, call (718) Jackson Adult Center, Rockaway Boulevard Senior Center, and the Friendship rector, Collier is an adjunct professor with 657-6500.

Reach Reporter Veronica Lewin at Center. The Friendship Center is for se- the human services department at the niors who are physically or mentally frail, New York City College of Technology. vlewin@queenspress.com or (718) 357-7400, including adults who suffer from the early She said she enjoys educating the future Ext. 123.

Page 16 PRESS of Southeast Queens Sept. 2-8, 2011

People Air Force Airman 1st Class Sharon A. lege of the Air Force.

He is the son of Elizabeth Mohamed Pierre graduated from basic military trainof Hillside Ave., Queens Village. ing at Lackland Air Force Base, Mohamed graduated in 2008 San Antonio, Texas. from Martin Van Buren High The airman completed an School. intensive, eight-week program that included training in military Raza Mohammad Wani of Hollis discipline and studies, Air Force was named to the Dean's List for core values, physical fitness, and the spring 2011 semester at Washbasic warfare principles and ington University in St. Louis. Wani skills. is a graduate of Trinity School in Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward Sharon A. Pierre New York, NY, and is enrolled in the university's John M. Olin an associate in applied science degree through the Community College School of Business. of the Air Force.

Army Pvt. James E. Smith has graduShe is the daughter of Monica Nicholson of 157th Street, Jamaica. Pierre ated from Basic Combat Training at Fort graduated in 2004 from Mar tin Van Sill, Lawton, Okla.

During the nine weeks of training, the Buren, Queens Village, and received a bachelor's degree in 2010 from State Uni- soldier studied the Army mission and received instruction and training exercises versity of New York, Old Westbury. in drill and ceremonies, Army history, core values and traditions, Air Force Airman Javed S. military courtesy, military justice, Mohamed graduated from basic physical fitness, first aid, rifle military training at Lackland Air marksmanship, weapons use, Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. map reading and land navigation, The airman completed an infoot marches, armed and untensive, eight-week program that armed combat, and field maneuincluded training in military disvers and tactics. cipline and studies, Air Force He is the son of Jossie Espinal core values, physical fitness, and of 175th St., Jamaica. Smith basic warfare principles and Javed S. graduated in 2010 from Reperskills.

Mohamed tory Company High School for Airmen who complete baTheatre Arts. sic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science AllyKatzz announced that Victoria degree through the Community Col-

Ogundipe, 15, of Laurelton, born and various weapons and weapons defenses raised in Nigeria and the founder of Af- available to the infantry crewman.

He is the nephew of Sharon rica & Us, an organization geared Prawl of 131st Road, Rosedale. toward informing the global Walker graduated in 2006 from community of the issues in AfriSpringfield Gardens High can countries, is one of 14 reSchool. markable young women who took the stage with actress and Allstate Insurance Agent UN Youth Champion Monique Yolanda Sullivan, whose office is Coleman as A.L.L.Y. Award relocated at 161-15 Rockaway Boucipients and panelists at the Inlevard in Jamaica, has received ternational Year of Youth CulmiVictoria the Agency Hands in the Comnation Celebration.

Ogundipe munity Award for her commitAllyKatzz is a media comment to volunteering in the company that provides online and off line platforms for girls and young munity. With this award came a $1000 women to speak out, be heard and change grant from The Allstate Foundation for the New York & New Jersey Minority Supthe world.

The recipients of the ALLY Award are plier Development Council (MSDC) in young women from across the globe -who New York, where Sullivan volunteers.

"Yolanda is an active and respected will be acknowledged for their dedication and contributions toward changing the member of the business community, protecting people with insurance world. and financial services products," said Linda Collora, New York reArmy Pvt. Dwayne A. Walker gional sales leader at Allstate Inhas graduated from basic infansurance Company. "She also try training at Fort Benning, Comakes a point of getting involved lumbus, Ga. personally by dedicating her time During the nine weeks of trainand efforts to making a differing, the soldier received training ence in people's lives. in drill and ceremonies, weapons, "Allstate believes that it is map reading, tactics, military courvery important for corporations tesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid, and Army history, Yolanda Sullivan to take an active interest in the communities they serve. core values and traditions. Additional training included development of Allstate is proud to support the MSDC basic combat skills and battlefield opera- through The Allstate Foundation," contions and tactics, and experiencing use of cluded Collora.

Queens Olympians

Olympic gold medalist and record-breaking track and field star of South Jamaica Bob Beamon has been named chief executive officer for Art of the Olympians Museum and Gallery at the Al Oerter Center for Excellence in Fort Myers, Fla. The center is named for four-time Olympic gold medalist from Astoria. Oerter and Beamon both won Gold at the 1968 Olympics.

A businessman, philanthropist and author, Beamon is best known for his long-standing world record in the long jump at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, which remained unchallenged for 23 years. He has since been elected into the USA Track & Field and U.S. Olympic hall of fames.

“It is a tremendous honor to

Al Orter, Bob Beamon and Gertrude Ederle, three Olympic champions who came from Queens. carry on the legacy of the great Al Oerter, the legendary four-time Olympic gold medal discus thrower,” Beamon said.

Now if there were some way to get Gertrude Ederle into the mix, we could have the Queens Olympic trifecta.

Lost Your Shirt?

Page 18 PRESS of Southeast Queens Sept. 2-8, 2011

Need a cover for your new iPad? How about something from Bernie Madoff’s closet?

Frederick James, a designer who has created numerous unique cases for iPads made out of clothes, has added pieces of Madoff’s pants to its collection that includes plaid hunting clothes and Hawaiian shirts. The pants were obtained by James at an auction.

For $350, probably less money than Madoff carried in the back pocket, you can have a piece of his khakis. But hurry, there is only a limited number and his Banana Republic chinos are already gone.

The disgraced Ponzi schemer who If you lost your shirt to Bernie Madoff, you can get his pants grew up in Far Rockaway is serving -- for your iPad. multiple life sentences for swindling his clients out of billions of dollars, so the only pants he’ll be needing is of the orange jumpsuit variety.

What Park?

Sen. Mike Gianaris and others were actually in Windmuller Park. Photo by Ira Cohen

Laura Aguinaga was a boy once. It’s not what you think.

The Woodside native played a male character in a high school play while attending John Bowne High School. It was then that the acting bug bit her, and she put aside her early dream of being a veterinarian to study acting.

By age 17 she began modeling, after her sister, who was involved in the fashion industry, needed models. She took the opportunity to network.

“I stayed in touch with the people I worked with,” she said.

“They gave me the opportunity to build my portfolio.”

Since then, Laura, who graduated from Hunter College with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in theater, has found herself in front of the movie camera. She had a role in a movie called “Blue Knight,” which won awards at the L.A. Cinema Festival of Hollywood. She also had a role in an episode of “Law & Order: SVU” alongside Mischa Barton. Now she’s starring in “S.E.A.L.S.,” where she’ll be playing an underground mixed martial arts fighter.

Modeling allowed Laura to pose in a variety of different characters and convince filmmakers of her ability to play a wide range of roles.

“It was all thanks to modeling that I was actually able to portray these characters,” Laura said.

“S.E.A.L.S.” will be featured at this year’s Comic Con in October, where Laura will take part. It’s

Laura Aguinaga

Models Of Queens

Home: Woodside Age: 28 Height: 5’ 5" Weight: 125 lbs Stats: 34-26-34

Lovely Laura exciting for her because she said she loved Comic Con when she was younger. It’s a genre, she said, that fits her profile.

“I’m a gamer,” she added. “I love this genre.”

And gaming is how she spends a lot of her free time. But you may not find her with a brand new Wii, Laura is nostalgic about her games.

Her current favorite is Final Fantasy 3, which was released in 1990.

On The Search

iSteal

Even at home, the Mets can’t get no love.

According to HopStop.com, a Website that gives directions via transit, Yankee Stadium is much more popular than Citi Field, even in Queens.

The Web site says residents of at least four Queens neighborhoods, have asked for directions to Yankee Stadium more often than Citi Field. But not all Queens folks are traitors. The most popular searches for Citi Field come from Pomonok and Southeast Queens, including Far Rockaway.

True Mets fans know how to get to Citi Field. Yankee Stadium on the other hand…well no one wants to risk getting lost in THAT borough.

Talk about bad reception.

A Queens UPS driver was caught pilfering iPhones, re-routing the hot commodities to his home.

According to the New York Post, brown khaki cowboy Alfonso Suarez was caught in a sting by cops, who put GPS tracking devices in two packages containing 45 iPhones. Suarez allegedly relabeled the boxes to his house.

As far as we know, there is no app that can solve the grand larceny charge Suarez faces.

Okay, so last Tuesday’s earthquake didn’t really do any measurable damage here in New York, but some of us were certainly a little off for the rest of the day.

Anna Adams-Sarthou, State Sen. Michael Gianaris’ new Communications Director, was one of those people. She sent out photos from a ribboncutting at Windmuller Park in Woodside held earlier in the day. The email, however, included a statement from Sen. Gianaris that identified the park as Windhull Park. She quickly sent out a secondary email correcting her mistake.

“Sorry, the name of the park is Windmuller Park.

Earthquake must have distracted me,” the email said.

We confess, even we were looking for Windhull Park on Google Earth, so don’t feel bad Anna, the quake scrambled all of our brains.

Confidentially, New York . . .

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Up SATURDAY, SEPT. 3 Youth & Tennis

MONDAY, SEPT. 5 Adult Chess Club

The Youth and Tennis group meets every Saturday morning at Roy Wilkins Park Saturday. To learn more, call Bill Briggs at (718) 658-6728.

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.

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.

Bulldogs Homecoming The Jamaica Bulldogs Youth Football, Cheer, Dance and Step cordially invite you to the Jamaica Bulldogs Homecoming. Come on out for this full day of football, halftime shows, music, food (for purchase), raffles and much more. For additional information, contact Camille Morgan at jamaicabulldogs@aol.com.

This free event will be held at Detective Keith Williams (a.k.a. Liberty) Park, 173rd Street between 106th and 107th Avenues, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

For Jazz Lovers The Margert Community Corporation and Councilman James Sanders Jr. are pleased to present another great concert in their Garvey-Tubman Music Series. This afternoon's musical offering includes jazz legends Roy Ayers, Bobbi Humphrey and Jean Carne. Call or stop by the Laurelton Office, (718) 527-4356, 234-26 Merrick Blvd. for additional information.

When: Saturday, September 3rd - 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm This free event will be held at Brookville Park, Brookville Boulevard at 143rd Avenue, from 3-7 p.m.

Family Day

SUNDAY, SEPT. 4 Reggae Rhythm & Blues Festival IrieJam Media is pleased to present its first Labor Day Weekend Reggae Rhythm and Blues Festival. Don't miss this crosscultural music celebration featuring: Machel Montano; David Mavado Brooks; Tarrus Riley; the international Grammy Awardwinning BennieMan, Kenny Babyface Edmonds, and Monica. For additional information, visit reggaerhythmandblues.com This event will be held at Roy Wilkins Park, Merrick Boulevard at Baisley Boulevard, from noon to 8 p.m. Admission is $60.

The Southeast Queens Camera Club meets at Roy Wilkins Park, Administration Bldg., 2nd Floor, 177-01 Baisley Blvd.

Summer photography classes occur on the second, third and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 7:30 p.m. Classes are free - bring camera manual.

For full details, visit seqcc.org or (718) 723-6849 or (516) 328-3776.

Eat Well Jamaica!

The New York Restoration Project, in partnership with Just Food, will be hosting a four-part healthy cooking workshop series in South Jamaica. They'll explore topics that include cooking with in-season ingredients and how to cook well keeping the whole family in mind.

This free event will be held at 50 Cent Community Garden - 165th Street and Foch Boulevard - at 5:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 7 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) 2622082.

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.

Intro to Computers In this single-session workshop, customers will learn the basics of using the computer; how to log on and off; use the keyboard and mouse; open and close "windows"; use toolbars and scroll bars. Preregistration is required in person at the Cyber Center Desk.

This free event will be held at the Queensborough Public Library's Central Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., at 10 a.m.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 8 Walkers for Wellness Club See Saturday's listing. At 7 p.m.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 9 Senior Theatre Acting Repertory 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.

ONGOING CPR Training The FDNY Mobile CPR Training Unit will hold regularly scheduled free CPR

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.

HIV Awareness Clergy United for Community Empowerment provides intervention and curriculum-based prevention education sessions on HIV/AIDS, to reduce risk behaviors that lead to HIV transmission. Services are located at 89-31 161st St., Jamaica. Call (718) 297-0720 ask about our presentation to adolescents and men/women of color. Services are available Tue.-Thurs., 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Laurelton Flea Market A flea market has opened at 221-02 Merrick Blvd. On sale are a wide range of items, including household items, jewelry and clothing.

The market is open every Thursday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

CPR Class Learn to protect yourself and others at Heron Care with a CPR class that includes a certification from the American Heart Association. Please call (718) 291-8788 for more details. Heron is located at 16830 89th Ave., Jamaica.

PAL Volunteers The Police Athletic League (PAL) is looking for volunteers to continue its mission of serving New York City's young people by donating their time and talents to help serve Queens youngsters at PAL's Redfern Cornerstone and Far Rockaway Beacon in Arverne-Far Rockaway, PAL's Edward Byrne Center in South Jamaica and PS 214 in Flushing.

PAL Centers in Queens offer a wide range of opportunities for volunteers of all talents. PAL's Redfern Cornerstone and Far Rockaway Beacon are looking for people to participate in a center clean-up day. Volunteers are needed to tutor and mentor young people during the After School Program's daily homework help sessions. In addition, individuals can also donate their time assisting the many special events held at PAL's Centers throughout the year. PAL is also seeking professionals to give career advice and talk about their own careers to young people, as well as guest speakers who can share information on a specific hobby of interest to the youngsters.

To become a volunteer with the Police Athletic League or to learn more about volunteer opportunities, please visit palnyc.org. Volunteers will go through an application process that includes an interview, screening and an orientation. For more information, please contact PAL's Volunteer Coordinator, Alexandria Sumpter-Delves, at (212) 477-9450, Ext. 390 or volunteer@palnyc.org.

Job Club 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 Ethan Chazin, Job Coach, at (718) 739-2060, Ext. 18 or echazin67@gmail.com.

This free event will be held at the Jamaica Neighborhood Center - 161-06 89th Ave. Services are available Mondays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Up With You? Send your community events to the PRESS for a free listing at 150-50 14th Rd, Whitestone, NY 11457.

All events will be considered for publication, without a fee.

Sept. 2-8, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 19

LP Fam's Youth Organization will hold its 12th Annual Family Day. There will be fun for the kids, including a dance contest, live band, free food and drinks, basketball games and a live DJ. For more information, contact Paul Cox at (917) 607-2421.

This free event will be held at Lincoln Park, Linden Boulevard and 134th Street, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 6 Camera Club

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.