Southeast Queens Press EPaper

Volume 12 Issue No. 40 Oct. 7-13, 2011

PRESS Inset Photo by Ira Cohen

LOOKING AHEAD

Page 18

Lt. Gov. Bob Duffy (l.) and New York State Economic Development Council local Chairman Matthew Goldstein (inset) were on hand Tuesday as part of a York College meeting to discuss and fund future development in NYC, including the Greater Jamaica Development Corp.’s Airport Village plan, shown here.

By Veronica Lewin…Page 3

Online at www.QueensPress.com

News Briefs FAA RKO Concern The Federal Aviation Administration has thrown a monkey wrench into plans to redevelop the RKO Keith's Theatre in Flushing, claiming in a letter to developer Patrick Thompson's attorney that the project "exceeds obstruction standards" given its proximity to LaGuardia Airport.

The agency recommends shaving the project down to 118 feet from 162 in order for it to meet acceptable height standards.

The RKO's previous developer had received FAA approval for a project identical in size.

According to John D. Mogul, Thompson's FAA consultant, the agency's "Notice of Presumed Hazard" notification is just another step in applying for the project's approval - a bump in the road.

"This is part of a normal process," he said, adding the developer has requested a second look at the project and is seeking a determination in 60-90 days.

The plans for the neighborhood eyesore drew the hopes of local leaders and activists, after spending more than two decades tumbling into a state of disrepair.

Thompson's proposal for a 17-story apartment building cruised to approval from Community Board 7 and local elected officials as it included a promise to fully restore the theater's historically landmarked lobby.

Page 2 PRESS of Southeast Queens Oct. 7-13, 2011

Biz Joins Rescue Site Astoria's Heavenly Angels Animal Rescue has joined more than 13,500 other shelters and adoption organizations on Petfinder.com, a Web site that allows nonprofit organizations to list their animals on their site for free.

Petfinder.com helps shelters get more adoptions, and helps animals find homes.

The site has placed approximately 17 million pets in homes. They have more than 359,000 animals listed and the site is updated daily.

According to Kim Saunders, vice president of shelter relief and public relations for Petfinder, over 50 percent of adoptions done in North America are done through petfinder.com.

Petfinder is user-friendly. All a prospective pet owner has to do is search through a range of criteria - which can include specifics such as gender, age or breed, or even "small and furry" requests - and contact the shelter where the pet is being held.

Heavenly Angels Animal Rescue, which joined Petfinder.com two weeks after opening about five months ago, charges $150 for cats and $250 for dogs.

They do not euthanize animals.

Fighting Hunger Thanksgiving is just around the corner and the gym Ultimate Fitness Queens is teaming up with the Food Bank for New York City to gather canned food for the hungry. Today, 1.3 million New Yorkers rely on food pantries and soup kitchens, and roughly 3 million find it difficult to afford food for their families.

The gym's main location, at 26-50 Brooklyn Queens Expressway W, will collect canned goods through Nov. 20. The non-perishable canned foods can be dropped off into the five cardboard bins

that will be set up outside the facility.

It is the first time Ultimate Fitness has worked with the Food Bank, and Salamone hopes the food drive will be a victorious win for the borough.

While the Food Bank supplies the gym with five collection bins, Salamone has higher expectations.

The most needed items are typically canned beans, milk, fruit, meat, fish, juice, stew, vegetables, soups and peanut butter.

According to the Food Bank, food is delivered to the community-based programs. These programs include soup kitchens, food pantries, after-school and summer programs, low-income day care centers, shelters, churches, open market backpack centers and rehabilitation centers.

The Food Bank for New York City's Web site also allows users to find food programs in their neighborhood. Find them online at foodbanknyc.org.

Teaming Up Against Cancer For its University Service Day, St. John's University teamed up with the Pediatric Center Research Foundation to raise money for medical treatment research with the first "Dribble for the Cure," which consisted of the men's and women's basketball teams dribbling basketballs around the Queens campus with more than 400 fans watching.

The benefactor of the event is Dr. Mitchell Cairo, director of the PCRF Laboratory at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center at New York Medical College.

One man who played a large part in the event was John Vallely, who is on the Board of Directors of the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation. Vallely, a survivor of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and cancer, discussed his role.

"Dribble for the Cure" was a concept developed by a St. John's alum, Al McGuire. Vallely said the fund-raiser forms a link between the team and community.

"It brings in the community and increases awareness. Teams meet the community, and the community can meet the basketball stars. The band plays, cheerleaders dance, and it creates an environment where everybody wins," he said.

The Red Storm basketball players were also happy to help out. Freshman Maurice Harkless was glad to participate with his teammates. "We're bonding well together; I'm actually surprised at how well," he said. "If you see one of us, you basically see all of us. I'm really excited about today. It's for a great cause. I love stuff like this."

Freshman D'Angelo Harrison agreed.

"I like St. John's; Coach Lavin's the man," he said. "I'm excited being with my teammates and playing with the kids."

Lavin, who has dealt with his family's fight against cancer, praised the participants. "You are champions for a great cause like this," he told the participants.

"Events like this raise awareness. There is a degree of hope, hope for longer lives.

You all helped with that."

Brief Us! Mail your news brief items to: PRESS of Southeast Queens 150-50 14th Rd. Whitestone, NY 11357

Presstime

Biz Leaders: SEQ Can Boost Economy

BY VERONICA LEWIN

Southeast Queens is bustling with economic opportunities, enticing businesses and organizations to invest in the borough.

The New York City’s Economic Development Council met Tuesday at York College in Jamaica to discuss ways the City can tap into its own economic potential. Gov. Andrew Cuomo established the Council as one of 10 throughout the state that can apply for $1 billion in funding for development projects. The meeting was co-chaired by Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy and CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein.

Improving New York City is important because it drives 60 percent of the state’s economy. “The work that you’re doing here is really going to be the underpinning for the changes that we see across the state,” Duffy said.

Regional Plan Association President Robert Yaro said the three keys to sustaining the city’s global competitiveness are maintaining a high quality of life, efficient transportation and investing in higher education. The Javitz Center renovation and the placement of a convention center in Queens at Willets Point are some of the largest economic development projects in the state and will help

Double GOP Meetings Cause Party Trouble

BY DOMENICK RAFTER

Improvement District wants to bring more sit-down restaurants and shopping to the area. Laurel Brown, executive director of the Jamaica Center BID, pointed out there is a void of stores that sell electronics, books and mass-market fashion.

Some said revitalizing the economy will take more than just creating business.

Towery said managing the foreclosure crisis in the area will increase its economic potential. Nearly 3,500 Southeast Queens homes were in foreclosure last year. Borough President Helen Marshall stressed the importance of investing in human capital in addition to creating jobs. She wants to make sure today’s youth are qualified for any job by making sure science is taught in every school.

The council wants to continue to improve the food, fashion and film industries city-wide, which already attracts many to the Big Apple. Stakeholders also suggested improving minority and women owned businesses and taking advantage of brownfields. The city currently has 350 economic development projects. The regional council needs to submit a five-year draft plan to the state

by Nov. 14.

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

Boro Councilmen Say Meet Never Happened

BY VERONICA LEWIN

Smith's vacated seat in Albany, according to the newspaper. Wills denies the closedTwo City Councilmen have refuted ru- door meeting ever happened. mors that a secret meeting took place to "That's not a meeting I would be a part pick a successor for U.S. Rep. Greg Meeks of," Wills said. Comrie called the article a (D-Jamaica). "total fabrication" and also said the meetThe New York Post reported Oct. 2 that ing never took place.

Borough Democratic Meeks' integrity has been Leader U.S. Rep. Joe questioned in recent weeks Crowley (D-Jackson after landing on a governHeights) held a meeting at ment watchdog group's list the Guy Brewer Demoof the nation's most corrupt cratic Club last month with lawmakers. Citizens for ReSoutheast Queens elected sponsibility and Ethics in officials. The Post said State Washington states Meeks Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-Jaaccepted improper gifts and maica) and City Councilloans, failed to report inmen Leroy Comrie (D-St. come and loans on personal Albans) and Ruben Wills financial disclosure forms (D-Jamaica) were in attenand has ties to banker Allen dance. According to the arStanford, who was indicted ticle, the group was woron Ponzi scheme charges.

U.S. Rep. Greg Meeks ried Meeks would quit or be The Congressman called the forced to step down amidst ethical and report a "stunt" and said he has corrected criminal investigations, and crafted its own his disclosure reports and brought his plan of action. financial house in order.

"I don't know where the Post got that If Meeks were to leave Congress, Gov. from," Wills said.

Andrew Cuomo could call a special elecThe article claims the politicians tapped tion to fill the seat - as recently happened Smith to run in the Congressman's seat if when embattled U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner Meeks leaves. Both Meeks and Smith are (D-Kew Gardens) resigned - or leave the under federal investigation for allegedly seat empty until the 2012 election. mishandling funds raised for Hurricane Reach Reporter Veronica Lewin at Katrina victims. Comrie, who has served vlewin@queenspress.com or (718) 357-7400, three terms in City Council, would take Ext. 123.

Oct. 7-13, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 3

According to the bylaws of the Queens County Republican Party, and based on the interpretation of an attorney for the State Republican Committee, last week’s splinter meeting by a group of district leaders who elected Tom Ognibene as the new head of the Queens GOP never should have happened.

But it did, and Ognibene, a former Queens Councilman and current election lawyer, said he will see the truth come out in court.

In the meantime, the Queens GOP, which has gained two City Council positions and a Congressional seat in the last two years, has been thrown into disarray.

According to State law, a county party committee must meet within 15 days of the primary in order to select a chairman and officers. Within three days those results need to be passed along to the State Board of Elections. On Sept. 28, exactly 15 days after the primary, two County GOP meetings were held – the one chaired

by Phil Ragusa, who retained leadership after a divisive vote two years ago, and one called by Bart Haggerty, where Ognibene was elected leader.

David Previte, general counsel for the New York State Republican Party, said the county organization bylaws are the governing rules for setting meetings. The meeting that elected Ognibene was called by Bart Haggerty as chairman of the “Queens County Republican Committee,” while the Ragusa meeting was called by Ragusa as chairman of the “Queens County Republican Party.”

Asked this week to explain what authority gave Haggerty the right to call a meeting, Ognibene simply said the matter would be settled in court. He called Haggerty the outgoing chairman, and said the meeting was valid because it contained quorum, more than 25 percent of the authorized county committee members. He did not provide an exact number when asked.

Previte noted that it was not impossible for multiple meetings to be called, and the

unprecedented discrepancy would have to be settled in court.

Robert Hornak, the incumbent Queens Republican Party’s spokesman, said Ragusa was unequivocally chosen the chairman.

“We held the official meeting,” he said.

“We still have overwhelming support.”

According to Hornak, representatives from 13 of the 18 Queens Assembly districts attended Ragusa’s Flushing meeting, with the exceptions coming from districts in Central or Southern Queens.

The support at Ragusa’s meeting was overwhelming, but not unanimous. Anthony Nunziato, a district leader in the Maspeth-based 30th district, voted for Ognibene at the Flushing meeting, while his co-district leader, Rosemarie Iacovone, supported Ragusa.

“I supported Tom Ognibene,” Nunziato said, adding he is hopeful Ognibene will ultimately prevail within the Ragusa group.

“It’s time for a new direction in the party.”

Attorneys for Ragusa filed a request for an injunction prior to the Haggerty meeting in an attempt to block it, and served the paperwork prior to the meeting, but it had not been endorsed by a judge. Both sides went to court this Tuesday and a judge threw out Ragusa’s challenge to the Ognibene meeting. This sets up Ragusa’s expected to move to challenge Ognibene’s claim to leadership in court.

As of right now, both committees have filed paperwork with the State Board of Elections claiming chairmanship and officers for the Republican Party in Queens.

Results of a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain copies of the documents are pending.

The chairmanship of the Queens GOP is seen as a valuable job, not only for the 2012 elections, but also for the 2013 citywide elections when the party will defend three borough Council seats and will hold a lot of sway over who receives the GOP nod to replace Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

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

the city thrive in the global market.

Many said Southeast Queens has the most potential to be an economic engine for the five boroughs. “Jamaica has become a vital, multi-cultural hub of commerce, higher education, healthcare, transportation and government,” said Simone Price, executive director of the Sutphin Boulevard Business Improvement District.

The East Side Access Project, which will connect the LIRR’s Main and Port Washington lines in Queens to a new terminal beneath Grand Central will open Jamaica to better commuting across the tri-state region, while the expansion of JFK will create better access to Jamaica from other boroughs, Yaro said.

Price and Greater Jamaica Development Corp. President Carlisle Towery are in support of building an “Airport Village” surrounding the AirTrain to bring even more stimulation to the economy and bring jobs to the community. “While the AirTrain project has been tremendously successful for the airport and its customers, it has yet to fulfill its promised potential to bring jobs, shoppers and visitors to Sutphin Boulevard,” Price said.

Other stakeholders want to improve the perception of safety and cleanliness in Jamaica Center, which sees 85,000 visitors daily. The Jamaica Center Business

DEP Delay Leaves Residents Soaked Heavy rains often cause major headaches for thousands of Southeast Queens homeowners, with widespread flooding across the area.

Relief is not near, as the City's Dept. of Environmental Protection for delaying plans to pump water out of 69 Jamaica Water Supply Co. ground wells until 2018.

Retired 74 year old homeowner Lucille Jordan has lived in her home for close to 50 years, raising three children in her threebedroom home. Her problems began when the City took over JWS in 1996 and shut down its wells, specifically Station 24, at 106th Avenue and 180th Street.

JWS once pumped millions of gallons of water out of the ground every day, which kept the water table low. When DEP took over, they ended the practice, instead bringing water down through tunnels from upstate New York. Left in the ground, the water level has risen to 30 inches, and continuing to rise.

"I pay my taxes. I pay my water bill. Why is the city not doing anything about this problem that's destroying our homes?"

Jordan said.

Last month, Hurricane Irene dumped 10 inches of water on New York and that water, with no place to go, wound up in homeowners basements, seeping right through foundations.

"The standing water level has risen higher than some of our basements and

Photo by: Juliet Kaye

BY JULIET KAYE

Assemblyman William Scarborough with frustrated homeowner Lucille Jordan who has two large water pumps pumping 24/7 and whose basement has been destroyed by constant flooding. low level offices, which now are experiencing 24/7 flooding even on dry days," said Assemblyman William Scarborough (D-Jamaica). "York College, for example, pumps a million gallons of water from its low level facilities because of this high water table."

Jordan installed two large water pumps in her basement many years ago, which pumps every day. The pumps' replacement costs her $1,000 every year. She estimates she has spent at least $20,000

Page 4 PRESS of Southeast Queens Oct. 7-13, 2011

When it comes to natural gas pipelines, there’s no such thing as too safe.

Pipeline safety is something we take very seriously at National Grid. Even though most lines are buried underground, that doesn’t mean you can ignore them.

You can keep your family and your community safe by helping to prevent gas leaks.

Always contact your one call center for New York City at 1-800-272-4480 or 811 before you dig. Remember, some gas lines are marked, but others are not.

More importantly, you should know the signs of a gas leak. We’ve added a spoiled egg smell that makes natural gas easier to identify. You can also look for bubbles in standing water, a white cloudy mist or blowing dust, which indicates that an underground gas line may have ruptured; or, listen for a hissing, roaring or whistling sound.

If you smell, see or hear any of those indications, leave the area immediately, then call National Grid at 1-718-643-4050. Don’t make the mistake of thinking someone else will make the call. Be smart and be safe. Call before you dig and know the signs of a gas leak. A little prevention could make all the difference. ©2011 National Grid

on pumps and water damages. Hurricane Irene flooded her basement with a putrid mix of water and sewage and resulted in the growth of white mold spores. In the past month, those spores have grown into huge white clouds of mold all over the stripped down walls of the walls and ceiling of the basement.

The DEP was pressed by community officials to find a way to resume pumping water from the JWS wells and purify it.

DEP began a pilot project to do this around

2003, which was discontinued without notice or explanation. Elected officials and residents pressed for an explanation, as well as a plan for a permanent solution to the flooding at a town hall meeting this past May. On Aug. 24, the agency released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for plans to pump water out of the JWS wells in 2018, when the city must shut down and repair one of the three tunnels that brings water to New York City from upstate, and an alternative water supply will be needed.

Scarborough blasted the late date.

"Right now our residents and businesses are suffering damage to their property and threats to their health due to daily exposure to flooding conditions, rain or shine," he said. "We need relief now, not in 2018."

He also called for a permanent solution the flooding problems.

"Had the Station 6 pilot project been continued, the technology might have been refined by now and capable of duplication at other wells in the area," Scarborough said.

Jordan is frustrated. She can not sell her home and move into a low-maintenance condo apartment, where she would not have to deal with running up and down the steps to the basement to check on water pumps.

Scarborough and the elected officials in Southeast Queens have scheduled a meeting with the DEP Commissioner and city officials to push for relief for the community.

LIRR Investigates Service Outage

BY DOMENICK RAFTER It was another nightmare commute last Thursday for thousands of LIRR passengers headed through Queens.

Lightning zapped the railroad's new state-of-the-art signal system in Jamaica and cascaded, knocking out the backup system and the tertiary system designed to bring the signals back up in the event of a catastrophic situation.

The lightning bolt hit around 4 p.m. on Thursday at the "Jay" signal just west of Jamaica station near the Van Wyck Ex-

pressway overpass. A short time later, the "Hall" signal east of the station also failed, completely shutting down service and paralyzing it during the evening rush. Some trains were stuck on the tracks for hours.

LIRR crews worked through the night to restore the signal system. By about 4:30 a.m. Friday, the electronic signal and switch system had been restored and the morning rush was near normal, but the situation put in question the reliability of the railroad's new signal system which the MTA said would fix the common problems associated with weather that had effected the nation's

busiest commuter rail line in the past.

The railroad said it would work with the system's developer and a consultant to investigate what caused the outage and how it can be prevented in the future.

"The LIRR has launched a full review of both the service and communications provided to customers and the underlying failure of the Jamaica signal system network," the agency said in a statement released Friday. "We are working closely on identifying the root causes of the malfunctions with Ansaldo, the designer of the newly installed micro processing

switch and signal equipment. In addition, the LIRR is retaining an outside consultant, Systra, to help in the review process, including the system's lightning protection, diagnostics and backup systems."

The railroad noted that the new system allowed them to fix the problem much more quickly that the old system would have, allowing service to be completely restored 12 hours after the lightning strike.

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

Gennaro Blasts Fracking Regulations

BY JOSEPH OROVIC The State’s Dept. of Environmental Conservation released draft regulations for hydraulic fracturing, a.k.a. “fracking,” setting the stage for hearings regarding the state’s most hotly-contested environmental issue.

The controversial method of natural gas extraction set for the Marcellus Shale region has drawn the ire of Councilman Jim Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows). Shortly after the DEC released its preliminary regulations, the Councilman issued a scathing critique of the agency’s methods, call-

ing it the “illegitimate progeny” of a draft supplemental generic environmental impact statement.

A longtime supporter of a moratorium on the process, Gennaro had initially backed the governor’s creation of a task force to look at ways to implement safe hydrofracking that protects the City’s water supply. Since seeing its initial report, his tune has changed.

“Today’s release of the […] draft regulations for hydraulic fracturing brings us one step closer, in my opinion as both an environmental public policymaker and a geologist, to the possible unprecedented

contamination of New York City drinking water and other drinking water supplies throughout the State,” Gennaro said.

The DEC plans to hold public hearings in November, accepting public comment and written submissions.

Once the comment period is over, the state will issue a final environmental impact report, after which permits can be issued.

The councilman, who chairs the Council’s Environmental Protection Committee, said the DEC’s process has been flawed from the onset.

“In a legitimate environmental regula-

tory process, the environmental impact statement (EIS) – which is supposed to inform the drafting of environmental regulations – is finalized before the drafting of regulations is commenced,” Gennaro said.

“In this case, these regulations are not only informed by a draft EIS, but an EIS that is a fatally-flawed document that does not come close to assessing properly the myriad of environmental issues and impacts associated with hydraulic fracturing.”

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

Oct. 7-13, 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 Executive Editor:

Brian Rafferty Deputy Editor:

Joseph Orovic Contributing Editor:

Marcia Moxam Comrie Production Manager:

Editorial A Beautiful Buzz Though far from headline-grabbing or controversial, the success and growth of the Queens honey bee industry in the last 18 months has been fantastic. Queens has a solid agricultural past, and has been a leader in innovative agriculture technology dating back to the Linnaean gardens planted by William Prince in the 18th Century.

To take such a self-reliant, agrarian industry and find ways to make it thrive in our ever-changing urban landscape is a testament to the ingenuity and entrepreneurship of the people of Queens. The actions of these hardy few who have transformed their love and interest into a business and even an industry should be commended.

In troubled times, as we look to see what new industrial path we will follow in this brave new world of ours, it is refreshing to see that there are still those among us who can forge their own path, who can take an ancient art and give it meaning and relevance in a 21st century environment.

We applaud these honeycomb innovators, and look to see who is next.

If you’ve got a thought on that, drop us a note at editor@queenstribune.com to let us know who is raising the bar, making a difference and inspiring us all to do more for ourselves.

Shiek Mohamed

Letters

Queens Today Editor

Regina Vogel

Why Fight?

Photo Editor: Ira Cohen

Reporters: Harley Benson Domenick Rafter Jason Banrey Veronica Lewin Art Dept:

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

Page 6 PRESS of Southeast Queens Oct. 7-13, 2011

A Queens Tribune Publication. © Copyright 2011 Tribco, LLC

Michael Schenkler, President & Publisher

Michael Nussbaum, Vice President, Associate Publisher

To The Editor: “Dual GOP Meetings Show Rift In Queens,” concerning the most recent fight for control of the official Queens County Republican organization between factions led by current GOP county chairman Phil Rugusa and challenger Bart Haggerty and his insurgents reminds me of two hyenas fighting over the carcass of a dead animal - in this case remnants of the once relevant Queens Republican Party. This is the latest chapter of a periodic civil war whose origins can be traced to the 1980s among the remaining handful of GOP party activists.

Take a trip down memory lane to understand why today’s descendants of the once vital Queens County Republican organization spend more time fighting each other rather than offering Democrats any serious competition on the city, state or federal level.

After the 1982 reapportionment, Democrats eliminated the districts of Queens GOP Assembly members Rosemary Gunning, John LoPresto, John Flack, Al DelliBovi and John Esposito.

Doug Prescott briefly held a seat in Bayside in the 1990s but eventually lost, leaving NYC’s GOP with two out of 61 Assembly members, both elected from Staten Island.

Despite overwhelming Democratic Party enrollment in Queens County, creative gerrymandering by the GOP-controlled State Senate in 2002 continued to preserve the seats of both Republican State Sens. Serphin Maltese and Frank Padavan. Eventually, Democrats beat Maltese in 2008 with Joe Addabbo and Padavan in 2010 with Tony Avella.

Before the surprise election of Bob Turner, the last Republican Congress member from Queens

was Seymour Halperin who, after the 1972 reapportionment, declined to run against Democrat Lester Wolff of Great Neck when both were merged into one Queens/Nassau district. In 1982, GOP Congress member John LeBoutellier briefly recaptured this seat for one term.

You would have to go back to the 1950s or earlier to find the last GOP Queens Borough President. Nat Hentel was the last GOP District Attorney in 1970.

Crossover Democrats, who voted for former Presidents Reagan and Bush Sr. in the 1980s, Bush Jr. in 2000 and 2004, former Mayor Giuliani in the 1990s along with Mayor Bloomberg in 2001, 2005 and 2009 continue to move out of town, retire out of state or succumb to old age. There has been no successful GOP outreach to new Caribbean, Hispanic, Asian and other immigrant groups. Attempts to reach middle class African American homeowners in former GOP neighborhoods have failed.

For decades, once the GOP loses any incumbent City Council, State Assembly, State Senator or Congressional representative, they are seldom ever able to reclaim the district.

The NYC Council Districting Commission will draw new Council district boundaries based upon the 2010 Census. Their action could determine future political survival for the last remaining Queens Republican elected officials — Council members Dan Halloran, Eric Ulrich and Peter Koo. Democratic Council Speaker Christine Quinn using gerrymandering could make it impossible for any of them to win another term. If Quinn fails, you can be sure Congressman and party boss Joseph Crowley will target all three for defeat. He wants all three votes in his pocket to assist him in delivering the

Letters office of NYC Council Speaker to Queens in 2014.

Both Queens GOP factions should be thinking about the future instead of their own respective egos. The time and energy they spend fighting each other could have made a difference if both factions assisted viable but underdog candidate Jane Deacy, who came close in her race against Democrat Phil Goldfeder to fill the 23rd State Assembly District formerly represented by Audrey Pheffer. Otherwise, the ever-dwindling number of Queens Republicans will continue down the path to political extinction like dinosaurs. How disappointing that voters will have to look elsewhere for alternatives to the Queens County Democratic Party machine monopoly.

Larry Penner, Great Neck

Stop And Frisk To The Editor: This past weekend I spoke at Riverside Church about a police policy that is driving a wedge between communities of color and law enforcement. All New Yorkers want to get guns off our streets, but the dramatic expansion of our police department’s “stop and frisk” policies has failed to achieve this goal.

I am calling on City Hall and One Police Plaza to re-examine this policy and change it.

Last year police conducted more than 600,000 stops of New Yorkers, but no guns were found 99.8 percent of the time. Only 7 percent of these encounters resulted in arrests. Not only is stop and frisk as currently practiced ineffective in getting guns off our streets, it also disproportionately targets Black and Hispanic New Yorkers, who make up 85 percent of all those stopped. This year the number of stops is on target to hit 700,000.

Sadly, more than 45 years after Martin Luther King spoke eloquently about “the fierce urgency of now,” we remain separate and unequal on the streets of New York. If you are an 18 or 19 yearold Black or Latino male, the chances you have been stopped by police are over 80 percent – and probably not just once.

Stop and frisk has become a grim rite of passage for too many young people, and today Black and Latino parents have completely different conversations with their children than other families in the City. Some parents teach their children early that if they are in trouble, they should find a police officer. But for too many Black and Latino parents the conversation is different. It is about explaining to their child how they may be presumed guilty, even if they are not, and about how to keep a bad

situation from getting worse.

The best back-up we can give our police officers is the trust of communities they are sworn to protect, but this program is mainly producing some 50,000 low-level marijuana arrests every year – nearly one in seven arrests in the City – and costing taxpayers more than $75 million a year in police and court costs. These arrests saddle our young people with minor records that become major problems when it comes to obtaining or keeping a job, getting a Pell grant to continue their education, or serving in our armed forces.

Here’s what I am proposing we do: 1. Test the “Call In” strategy now being employed in 70 cities, including Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles. By joining together the police and district attorneys with social services that offer jobs and other paths off the streets, this approach slashed homicide rates in Chicago by 37 percent, and cut youth homicides in Boston by 63 percent in just two years.

2. Train officers to make street stops that are more constitutional and less confrontational. We start by re-drafting the training manual to identify clear behavioral triggers for when a stop is justified, and hold police commanders accountable for ensuring that stops are executed in a constitutionally allowable manner.

3. Finally, we should pass legislation by Assemblymember Hakeem Jeffries requiring police to ticket those with small amounts of marijuana, rather than arresting them and sending them through the jail and court systems.

At the end of the day, this is about using police resources more effectively and restoring trust to our criminal justice system. It is about being tougher and smarter on crime. The moment we do that, New York City will be a better, safer place for all of us.

Scott M. Stringer, Manhattan Borough President

SOUND OFF Send your thoughts, ideas, opinions, outrage, praise, observations about our community To the PRESS of Southeast Queens 150-50 14th Rd. Whitestone, NY 11357 e-mail:news@queenspress.com

fax: (718) 357-9417

Independent Redistricting: A Reality In New York?

By MICHAEL SCHENKLER Last week, on this page, in a column titled: “LATFOR: A Sorry Excuse For Good Government,” I lambasted the ver y lambastable New York State Legislature.

“It’s pretty black and white.

The New York State Legislature has been the most dysfunctional in the nation for well over the past decade.

Every ten years, they get the chance to start anew. The law requires a redrawing of legislative

districts based on the change in population as compiled by the United States Census, taken every ten years.

Well, when it comes to the New York State Legislature, you can be pretty damn sure that you’ll find consistency. Even though a majority of legislators pledged, during the last election cycle to support independent, non-partisan redistricting, they are back to the same old, same old. . .

How does the Legislature respond?

They appoint the Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research — known as LATFOR – and send them around the state to hold hearings.

In Albanese, LATFOR means stooges for the Legislative Leaders. As long as the heavy hands of the leaders of the Senate and Assembly are guiding the process, they are really drawing the maps.

It is more about incumbency and less about party.

Yes, the game has always been a bi-partisan effort to make sure incumbents have districts they can win. The Dems control the Assembly maps and the Republicans, the Senate. And the lack of competitive races continues to stifle the true election process in government to the detriment of the people.

Yes, when the legislature controls the redistricting process, the winners are the incumbent legislators, the legislative leadership and the special interests that continue to fund the nation’s most dysfunctional legislature.

The losers are the people.”

Now don’t get me wrong.

While I deservedly condemned the entire State Legislature, there have been a few small voices from that body calling out for a process that was independent. Queens’ Mike Gianaris, who moved from the Assembly to the Senate last year, has been a longtime advocate for

an independent commission. But years ago, he acknowledged to me, that the uphill fight seemed mountainous at the time.

Well, welcome to the mountaintop.

temptation to trade.

We wonder if Andrew Cuomo, an early signer of the ‘pledge,’ is truly a hero of reform.”

On Friday, the day following the pubMy column closed lication of this collast week with a chalumn, Andrew Cuomo, lenge to the Governor, appearing on The The apparent hero of who up to this point Capitol Pressroom,” reform and redistricting, in his short tenure has Governor Andrew Cuomo a statewide public rabeen a n impre ssive dio program, made and effective advocate for the himself crystal clear on the subject people and for reform. of LATFOR and the Legislature’s “Is there a hero in the room? involvement in redistricting: Perhaps.

“I believe the process is not But sometimes heroes bargain independent and I don’t see how and trade instead of being heroic. a non-independent proce ss can There are budgets and legis- come up with an independent lative programs that also need the product.” vote of the legislature and they “I therefore would veto a bill can be held hostage to enforce that was not an independent prodtheir involvement in redistricting. uct.”

But true heroes can withstand Bravo! the threats of future votes and the MSchenkler@QueensPress.com

How We Get Better Leaders? Looking At 1976 Moynihan is a question that will never be answered. Alex Rose, leader of the Liberal Party, died i n December 1976. Howe ver, even if Ms. Abzug had received the Liberal nomination, she might have lost to Senator Buckley.

Moynihan defeated Buckley by about 585,000 votes. He was considered a moderate liberal and appealed to a broader range of voters than Ms. Abzug. Of course, no one can be certain with regard to hypothetical contests.

The determining event in that primary was the New York Times’ last-minute support for Moynihan, a decision made by publisher Arthur O. Sulzberger (not the present publisher, but his father) to over-rule the editorial board, which had suppor ted Ms. Abzug. That was an extremely impor tant choice, because Senator Moynihan, who had been U.S. Representative to the United Nations and had advised four Presidents (two Democrats a nd t wo Republicans) was reelected three times and enjoyed an extraor di nar y reputat ion.

Moynihan retired in 2000 and was succeeded by S enator Hi l lar y Rodham Clinton, who served until she resigned in 2009 to become Secretary of State.

Return with us now to the thrilling days of yesteryear. The other New York Senate seat was occupied successively by Jacob K. Javits, four terms, 1957-81; Alfonse D’Amato, three terms, 1981-99; and Charles E. Schumer, 1999 to t he pre sent. The seat Moynihan held was held, as we have noted by, Jame s Buckley, Charle s Goodel l and Rober t F. Kennedy, who defeated Kenneth Keating, a Rochester Republican

congressman. FYI, years ago, New York was considered a Republican state.

The governor in 1976 was the late Hugh Carey (Rockefeller had become Vice President under Ford).

The state comptroller was Arthur Levit t, a Democrat who served from 1955 to 1978 (six four-year terms), longer than anyone else in the history of the office. The attorney general was Louis J. Lefkowitz, a Republican, who also had the longest tenure in that position, 1957 to 1979 (five and one half terms). Lefkowitz succeeded Jacob Javits, also born on the Lower East Side, who resigned as AG when he was elected to the Senate in 1956.

Do public officials today measure up to the standards of those of a generation or two ago? I think

probably not. It is altogether possible that the bosses did a better job of choosing candidates for high office than the consultants and sloganeers who now manage political campaigns for hire. After all, Alfred E. Smith and the first Rober t F. Wagner were plucked by Tammany Hal l from the mediocracy of the state legislature.

And are any boss-chosen governors comparable to Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson?

We close with a memorable couplet by the satirical poet Alexander Pope (1688-1744), who wrote in “An Essay on Man” in 1734: “For Forms of Government let fools contest; Whate’er is best administer’d is best.”

StarQuest@NYCivic.org

Not 4 Publication.com by Dom Nunziato

Oct. 7-13, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 7

By HENRY STERN the criminal solicitation Today we will discuss of a hit man to kill his events in the memorable former busine ss par tyear in our history, the biner, ran fifth. After his centennial of the Declararelease from prison, he tion of Independence. ran again for the SenJame s Buckle y, ate. brother of the the author Under the New William F. Buckley, who ran York State Elect ion for Mayor in 1965, was a Law, polit ical par tie s United States Senator from are required to nomiHenry Stern New York. James had been elected nate candidates before Primar y on the Conservative Party line in Day. The minor parties, therefore, 1970, when the liberal vote was must make their choices before the divided between Democrat Richard major par ties. The Liberal Party Ottinger, a Congressman, and Re- could not foresee who would win publican-Liberal Charles Goodell, the Democratic primary for the who had been appointed to the Senate. The identity and philosoSenate in 1968 by Governor phy of the Democratic nominee Nelson A. Rockefeller to fill the would be a major factor in detervacancy caused by the assassina- mining whom the Liberals would tion of Robert F. Kennedy. Sena- choose. It was therefore necessary tor Goodell had five sons, one of to select a candidate who could whom is Roger Goodell, commis- withdraw after the primary. The sioner of the National Football law provided only three paths to League. withdrawal: death of the candidate, After one six-year term, Sena- moving out of the State of New tor Buckley was defeated for re-elec- York, or nomination for a judicial tion by Daniel Patrick Moynihan, office. It was therefore desirable to the Democratic-Liberal candidate. nominate a lawyer, who would be After leaving the Senate, Buckley able to depart from the race honwas appointed by President Reagan orably and safely if circumstances as Undersecretary of State for In- warranted a substitution. ternational Security Affairs (where At t hat t ime, I w as Cit y he succeeded Matthew Nimetz) and Councilmember at Large from Judge on the U.S. Court of Ap- Manhattan, and the only elected peals for the District of Columbia Liberal in the state. I was asked Circuit (where he was succeeded by to be the Senate candidate and, John G. Roberts, Jr.). of course, accepted. When Pat Moynihan had narrowly won Moynihan won the Senate prithe Democratic primary in a race mary, the Liberal Party found a that featured three candidates from candidate it could proudly support, the par ty’s left wing: Congress- and I was nominated by the party woman Bella Abzug, former City for the New York State Supreme Council President Paul O’Dw yer Court, an office that had always and former U.S. Attorney General been filled by major party nomiRamsey Clark. Abe Hirschfeld, a ga- nees. What would have happened rage magnate later imprisoned for if Bella Abzug had defeated

What’s The Buzz?

Just A Year Since Ban Is Lifted, Boro Bee Population Is Swarming to,” Chase Emmons, chief beekeeper and director of business development at the Brooklyn Grange, said of the insect’s ability to pollinate distances farther than their immediate reach around the hive. “Technically, they can go within a seven-mile radius.”

Currently, the grange hosts four hives. Although one harvest has already yielded 175 pounds worth of honey this season alone, as of press time, the Grange was expecting approximately an additional 150 pounds more of the golden nectar, which would be bottled and sold at neighborhood markets throughout the city, making the locally-produced honey available to borough residents.

BY JASON BANREY

Page 8 PRESS of Southeast Queens Oct. 7-13, 2011

Before bringing his honey bee hive to Astoria, Ralph Gaeta accepted his hobby may cause a stir.

The tiny critters carried a negative stigma among his neighbors. He had trouble finding space to place his hive.

But after a little bit of some sweet convincing, the neighbors seemed to change their minds.

“As a steward of bees, I made it my duty to give my neighbors a taste of my hive’s honey,” Gaeta said. “It shows them the positive side of the little lives that honey bees lead.”

Now, Gatea counts himself among many who, with a sweet spoonful of honey, strive to change the perceptions of people fearful of the bumbling bug one person at a time.

For more than a year, Queens has been buzzing. After a citywide ban on beekeeping was lifted by the Dept. of Health last year, honey bee hives have spread throughout the metropolitan area, taking a once-hidden hobby out of the shadows and into the backyards of borough homes and city rooftops.

From cultivating a hive on top of apartment buildings to selling the sweet rewards manufactured by the petite insects, borough residents have become smitten by the pastime, bringing back an art form that once thrived before urbanization.

A Historic Buzz Since its settling in 1683 and way before 1898, when the modern era of New York City was ushered in, Queens was considered by some to be the birthplace of horticulture. Sprawling with fields of farmland as well as unsettled acres full of wildlife, the county experienced a boom in agriculture.

Although honey bees are not native to the Western Hemisphere, they have come to play a role within the nation’s agriculture industry. Historical records show that colonies of honey bees were shipped from England to the colonies of North America.

In the 18th century, “vegetable truck farms and the number of large greenhouses from flower nurseries pointed to a thriving bee population,” said Bob Singleton, President of the Greater Astoria Histori-

Ruth Harrigan smokes the honey bees before handling her hives.

Ralph Gaeta shows off one of his three hives. Ruth Harrigan’s “Dancing Queen Honey” is popular at Douglaston markets. cal Society. “In view of the vital importance of horticulture in Queens, beekeeping was not only present but must have been thriving.”

Another fact which points to the insect’s prominence within the borough came in 1873, when the Common Council of Long Island City adopted its Coat of Arms, incorporating various enterprises represented within the area. Within the design, located within the center of the crest, were two beehives.

Among the typical Dutch and Native American symbols, the two beehives were symbolic of industry and prosperity, two dimensions which Long Island City wanted to project to the world, Singleton said.

Home On The Grange Today, Long Island City continues to carry on that beekeeping tradition. One institution that has made bees a cornerstone of its work is the Brooklyn Grange Farm, a commercial organic farm atop a roof of an industrial building located at 37-18 Northern Blvd.

Although the flagship farm was established in Brooklyn, it has been thriving in Queens, producing an abundance of both vegetables and honey for city residents and local businesses. Not only do the bees fulfill their purpose of pollinating the 40,000-square-foot farm, they also make their way throughout the area’s neighborhoods, helping play an essential role in local ecosystems which include gardens, cemeteries as well as parks.

“Honey bees can go as far as they have

Fighting City Hall Despite the progress in harvesting honey, just a year ago beekeeping was an illegal operation in the City of New York. Once categorized among a diverse group of animals including grizzly bears and condors, the honey bee was banned within the city limits, allowing the Dept. of Health to levy fines of between $200 and $2,000 to apiarists found in violation of harboring a hive.

In an effort to lift the ill-conceived inclusion of the honey bee ban within the Health Dept.’s classification of “wild animals,” beekeepers banded together.

One man who became a vocal proponent of bringing beekeeping back was Andrew Coté. As a founding member of the New York City Beekeepers Association, Coté along with Just Food, a leading local farming advocacy group, approached the city agency for a reversal in classification.

Initially, the City was against the proposal, but eventually opened up to hearing out the requests of urban beekeepers.

“The Health Department bent over backwards to make beekeeping legal,” said Coté of the beekeepers’ patient group effort to push for the change, which was announced in March 2010. “They wanted to do it safely and prudently, which was understandable.”

Where Hives Thrive Queens beekeepers have jumped on the bandwagon, bringing scads of beehives to the borough.

After the ban was lifted, Ruth Harrigan of Douglaston went out and took advantage of the opportunity. For her, having a hive is not just about harvesting honey but about educating others who have a negative perception about the buzz of a bee.

Busy borough bees can produce hundreds of pounds of honey annually.

“Just by looking into a beehive you could learn so much,” Harrigan said. “It is such a tight knit society with so much cooperation. They all know what to do.

It is easy to see their perseverance, hard work and love for the whole community.

It is a lesson everyone can learn from.”

Currently, Harrigan has four hives of her own and has integrated her four children into the process of extracting honey, which she sells publicly at festivals and markets within the borough.

For Gaeta, the interaction with his honey bee hives is therapeutic. Tending to the tiny ecosystem each week, he gets lost in the bees’ buzz which, mesmerizes his senses.

“When you become a bee guy there’s something special about the relationship you share with each hive,” Gaeta said. “I wouldn’t know what to do if I did have that interaction. It’s a special bond.”

After four years of beekeeping out in Long Island and upstate New York, he jumped at the opportunity of bringing his hives into the borough he has always called home.

“I felt I was outside of the beekeeping culture,” said Gaeta of the hours he spent traveling back and forth to his hives when beekeeping was banned. “It’s all changed since last year. Now I am proud to say I am a beekeeper.”

The Bee’s Knees In September, in celebration of the city’s first year of beekeeping, Queens hosted the first-ever Honey Festival.

Swarming a stretch of the Rockaways’ boardwalk, the festivities drew more than 1,000 visitors and offered extraction demonstrations, honey inspired edible creations, and an overflowing amount of the city’s beekeepers’ honey.

Back to becoming a burgeoning hobby, beekeeping has returned from near obscurity, making the city’s greenest borough a humble host. With 31 community gardens, a plethora of parks, plazas, and open spaces Queens looks has again become the home of the honeybee.

“I think this is one of the better places to keep bees in the city, and I can’t imagine a better foraging ground than it,” said Coté, who helps oversee more than 300 city beekeepers. “I’ve seen Queens become an ideal place to keep bees again.”

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

Police Blotter Compiled By DOMENICK RAFTER

102nd Precinct Shooting

104th Precinct Kid Groper

The NYPD is seeking the public's asThe NYPD is seeking the public's assistance in locating a man sistance in identifying a man wanted in connection with wanted in a connection with a shooting in Woodhaven. a sex abuse that occurred in On Thursday, Sept. 22, at Ridgewood. approximately 10:45 p.m., On Friday, Sept. 16, bethe victim, a 26-year-old tween the hours of 4 p.m. and black man, was walking in 6 p.m., an unknown suspect front of 86-30 98th St. in approached at 5-year-old Woodhaven when he heard Asian girl at 54-32 Myrtle Ave. several gunshots and then The suspect touched her realized he had been shot groin area over her clothing one time in the right arm. He and fled the location. The vicwas transported by private Police are looking for An- tim did not sustain physical means to Jamaica Hospital drew Palacios of Brook- injuries during this incident.

Medical Center, where he lyn, wanted in connecThe suspect is described was treated and released. tion with a Woodhaven as a Hispanic man in his 20s No other injuries were re- shooting. with a thin build, last seen ported. wearing blue jean shorts.

Police are looking for Andrew Palacios, Anyone with information regarding 22, of Grant Avenue in Brooklyn in con- this incident is asked to call Crime stopnection with the shooting. pers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477). The pubAnyone with information in regards lic can also submit their tips by logging to this incident and the whereabouts of onto the Crime stoppers Web site at Palacios is asked to call Crime Stoppers nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting at (800)-577-TIPS (8477). The public their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then encan also submit tips by logging onto the tering TIP577.

C r i m e St o p p e rs We b s i t e a t nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. All calls are strictly con- Subway Slashing On Friday, Sept. 16, at approximately fidential.

106th Precinct

5:48 p.m., a 34-year-old white man was iPhone 4 cell phone. The suspect then slashed at the Rockaway Boulevard sub- fled on foot in an unknown direction. way station in Ozone Park near Rockaway The victim's phone, however, was Boulevard and Liberty Avenue. equipped with an application called The victim was treated at iGotcha, which activated Jamaica Hospital and reand took a photograph of ceived 30 stitches. the suspect when he unsucPolice are looking for a cessfully tried to unlock and black man in his 20s, apuse the phone. The resulting proximately 6-feet, 180lbs. photograph of the suspect He was last seen wearing a was emailed to the victim, green long-sleeve shirt, basewho brought the photoball hat, and sunglasses. graph to investigators and Anyone with information identified the man in the regarding this incident is photograph as the suspect asked to call Crime stoppers who stole her phone. at (800) 577-TIPS (8477). This suspect, wanted for The suspect is described The public can also submit stealing an iPhone, had as a Hispanic man, approxitheir tips by logging onto the his photo taken by an app. mately 5-foot-8, with dark, Crime stoppers Web site at close-cropped hair and an nypdcrimestoppers.com or earring in his left ear. by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) Anyone with information regarding then entering TIP577. this incident is asked to call Crime stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging iDope The NYPD is seeking the public's assis- onto the Crime stoppers Web site at tance in identifying and locating the fol- nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting lowing individual wanted in connection their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. with a Grand Larceny in Richmond Hill On Monday, Oct. 3, at approximately 10 p.m., the victim, a 31-year-old Asian woman, was walking in front of 111-14 Liberty Ave., when an unknown male susYOU DON'T HAVE TO REVEAL YOUR pect bumped into her, reached into her IDENTITY TO HELP SOLVE A CRIME. front right pocket and removed her black

Oct. 7-13, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 9

pix

Mall Swearing In The pledge of allegiance took on new meaning to 30 children who were administered the Oath of Allegiance to the United States in Queens Center Mall’s the 11th Annual Citizenship Ceremony held by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Southeast Queens Events Edited By Harley Benson

Chamber Turns 100

Astronaut Ellen Shulman Baker (l. to r.), former Borough President Claire Shulman and current BP Helen Marshall enjoy the night.

Phyllis and Ron Shafran enjoy the evening.

Page 10 PRESS of Southeast Queens Oct. 7-13, 2011

New At The Gallery

Former Gov. Mario Cuomo, U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley and philanthropist and business leader Joe Mattone were on hand recently to help the Queens Chamber of Commerce celebrate its 100th anniversary.

Queens Library Gala

Queens Chamber Executive Director Carol Conslato is awarded a gorgeous bouquet.

The Queens Library Foundation held a gala at Studio Square in Long Island City Monday. Above: Representatives of 1100: Architect are given a n a w a r d b y L i b r a r y C E O T h o m a s G a l a n t e ( r. ) . B e l o w : M a r i s s a Shorenstein (c.) presents AT&T’s gift to Galante and Foundation Executive Director Diana Chapin.

“Duality: Stoneware and Bronze,” an exhibition of dynamic sculptures that foster traditional Chinese techniques with a contemporary expression by artist Wenzhi Zhang (below) opened at Queensborough Community College’s Art Gallery.

Borough President Helen Marshall, whose office has provided more than $100 million in funding for Queens libraries, talks about the new Helen Marshall Children’s Library Discovery Center. At r., New York Community Bancorp President Joe Ficalora, a member of the Board of Directors, addresses the more than 300 attendees. Below: Galante (l. to r.) joins Connie and George Stamatiades and Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan.

George Stamatiades was honored as a Children’s Champion.

Borough Beat

Pinman Sticks Around For The Mets

BY ALESSANDRA MALITO

The Mets’ season may be over for 2011, but that only means that fans – and one in particular – are preparing themselves for 2012.

He can be seen sitting in his seat enjoying the game, roaring up the crowds with his “Let’s go Mets” chant, hanging out near the Cow Bell man, and of course – clearly the most obvious indication of who he is – sporting his popular jersey. He is Nick Giampietro, otherwise known as the Pinman.

He wears 280 pins on his jersey with his “Pinman” name on the back – there are pins from all years, including his favorite, the 1986 World Series championship; a David Wright pin; Mr. Met pins; and even some non-Met pins, like one of the Cyclones and one of the Honeymooners’ famous duo – Jackie Gleason and Art Carney. He even has flashing pins that can be programmed with a saying, such as, “Let’s Go Mets.” His oldest is his No. 14, Gil Hodges.

To match, he wears blue and orange shorts during the warmer days.

Giampietro, who lives only 15 minutes away from Citifield in Ridgewood, picks up a new pin “whenever I see something,” he said. And over the years, gave pins out to kids. According to Giampietro, he gave

out about 5,000 pins because he likes to see the young kids happy, and has a total of 8,000 pins in his possession.

“I’ve been the Pinman since 2006,” Giampietro said. “I just started putting a few on.” Someone saw them on him, deemed him the Pinman, and it stuck.

But he has been going to games long before earning his nickname.

Giampietro’s first game was in 1966, with his dad at the former Shea Stadium.

Since then, he has been to well more than 1,000 games, he said. He has gone to 60 games a year for the past six years alone.

He even takes road trips – he recently went to Washington and Pittsburgh, and for his 50th birthday, he went to Chicago.

“I had a connection early in life,” the 53-year-old pin collector said.

He has watched as the team excelled over the years and he’s watched them as they met their demise, and, like most Mets fans, he remembers the 1986 championship clearly. His favorite of that series games was Game Six, not the ultimate seventh.

“The Mets beat the Red Sox in Game Six,” Giampietro said. “It was a miracle they won that game.”

For 15 minutes straight, he jumped up and down in excitement. His parents were at the game too.

“I love the sport, the game, the competition, being outside in the summertime,” he said. “I played when I was younger.

It’s in my heart, in my blood.”

But the times have changed since the World Series days.

“I’ve seen ups and downs,” he said, adding that the team’s not going in the “right direction” and “are not as good as they were” back in the 1980s. He said even the next couple of years after the 1986 win were good years, although Pinman Nick Giampietro and his 280 pins are not hard to miss at they did not come out Citifield. of the seasons with clean the jersey and then put the pins rings.

Giampietro has eight jerseys and a together. It takes three to four hours to countless number of hats – some jerseys line the pins up, and if it’s a matter of say ‘Pinman” on them, and are for all types putting them where the holes already were, of weather, while other jerseys are regular about an hour and a half.

Each year he makes a new hat.

Mets jerseys. He has a process to taking “New season, new hat,” he said. care of them as well.

Well, if that’s the case, he can already If he has a jersey already tacked with pins, he will take the almost 300 pins off, get started on making his 2012 hat.

Oct. 7-13, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 11

Profile

Taking Steps Against Spousal Abuse

BY VERONICA LEWIN

displays possessive behavior, such as constantly wanting to know where you are or asking to check phone messages.

The walk will begin at Flushing Meadows Corona Park’s Ederle Terrace at 9 a.m. next Sunday. The one and a half mile walk will conclude around noon. To register, visit www.powersinc.org, call (866) 974-9533 or e-mail dvwalktorestore2011@powersinc.org.

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

Photo by Marten Bentsen

Two Queens women will participate in an upcoming walk to increase awareness of domestic violence and prevent others from becoming victims.

The P.O.W.E.R.S. Inc. DV Walk to Restore 2011 will be held Oct. 16 at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The Brooklyn-based organization provides counseling services, self-defense classes, yoga, and job training and placement services while increasing awareness of domestic violence.

Domestic violence includes physical, emotional or sexual abuse used to gain power in the relationship. “There’s so many ways to be intimidated and it doesn’t have to be just physical,” said survivor Maria Delgado.

According to P.O.W.E.R.S., 95 percent of all domestic violence victims are female. Male victims are more likely to be assaulted by other men. However, only 25 percent of domestic violence incidents are recorded to the police.

Delgado, who now lives in Richmond Hill, said her boyfriend only became abusive when he was drunk. One night, she said he choked her until she passed out.

When Delgado regained consciousness, her boyfriend passed out because he was so intoxicated.

She called for help, but it did not come

this spring. Johnson’s abuse started six years ago. She said it was difficult to leave because he is the father of their son, and she did not want to break up the family. Last year, Johnson moved into her own place to start fresh.

Her abuser found out where she lived and beat her so badly in the hallway she needed to go to the hospital. He will be sentenced this month for the incident.

Maria Delgado with her daughter Victoria.

Johnson suffered an orbital floor fracture in soon enough. Delgado said he woke up her right eye and will need corrective and began throwing her against the wall, surgery to fix it. “Every time I look in the sending her to the hospital. She then took mirror, I remember,” Johnson said. “It’s a stand and pressed charges against him like this nightmare that just won’t go and he was deported 24 hours later, on away.” Johnson said she experiences ocher birthday. Delgado said she tries to be casional night sweats when rememberan example for her daughter so she will ing her last violent encounter with her not grow up to face the same things her abuser. mother did. Still, the abuse is something Their son, now 5, witnessed the enDelgado struggles with. tire incident and now calls his father the “You’ll never forget and it’s always “Bogeyman.” Johnson said what hurts the fresh in your heart,” she said. most is that her ex never apologized for Tiffany Johnson of Jamaica chose to what happened, especially for the abuse write a book about her experiences called that took place in front of their child.

“Enough Is Enough,” which was released Johnson said to be wary of a partner who

Tiffany Johnson

Page 12 PRESS of Southeast Queens Oct. 7-13, 2011

People Major General Patrick A. Murphy, The Adjutant General for the State of New York, announces the promotion of members of the New York Army National Guard in recognition of their capabilities for additional responsibility and leadership.

Nyesha Stephenson from Jamaica, and serving with the 133rd Quartermaster Support Company is promoted to the rank of Private First Class; Lotoya Harris from Jamaica, and serving with the 133rd Quartermaster Support Company is promoted to the rank of Private First Class; Kareem Gibbs from Jamaica, and serving with the 133rd Quartermaster Support Company is promoted to the rank of Private; Thaddeus Wohl from Queens Village, and serving with the 133rd Quartermaster Support Company is promoted to the rank of Private; Leroy Poole from Jamaica, and serving with the 133rd Quartermaster Support Company is promoted to the rank of Specialist; Herbert Tudor from Queens Village, and serving with the 133rd Quartermaster Support Company is promoted to the rank of Specialist; Rashawn Townsend from Jamaica, and serving with the 442nd Military Police Company is promoted to the rank of Private First Class; Eon Myers from St. Albans, and serving with the 7th Finance Detachment is promoted to the rank of Private; Annette Laffosse from Arverne, and serving with the Company C 101st Signal Battalion

is promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant; and Lawrence Medas from Queens Village, and serving with the Company C 642nd Support Battalion is promoted to the rank of Sergeant First Class.

The New York Lottery announced the names of area Lottery players who claimed a winning ticket from one of the Lottery’s live drawings between Sept. 25 and Oct. 1. The following winners each received a cash prize valued at $10,000 or more.

Kurt Tan of Flushing won $10,000 on the Mega Millions drawing of Sept. 23.

Tan’s winning ticket was purchased at the 7-Eleven at 146-26 Northern Blvd. in Flushing.

Herminio Pena of Corona won $10,000 on the Mega Millions drawing of Sept. 20. Pena’s winning ticket was purchased at the 7-Eleven at 107-24 Corona Ave. in Corona.

Franklin Leocadio of Long Island City won $10,000 on the Mega Millions drawing of Sept. 27. Leocadio’s winning ticket was purchased at the Martin’s News And Sundry at 60 Wall St. in New York.

Eduvid Domenech of East Elmhurst won $39,145 on the Take Five drawing of Sep. 26. Domenech’s winning ticket was purchased at the Zibber at 89-20 Northern Blvd. in Jackson Heights.

Kamalodin Ibrahim of Richmond Hill won $10,000 on the Mega Millions drawing of Sept. 9. Ibrahim’s winning

ticket was purchased at the M.H. Grocery at 158-02 Rockaway Blvd. in Jamaica.

Sahadeo Ramsaroop of Astoria won $20,000 on the Win 4 drawing of Sept.

28. Ramsaroop’s winning ticket was purchased at the Madhu at 24-08 34th Ave. in Astoria.

Gary Ngai of Bayside won $15,776 on the Take Five drawing of July 10. Ngai’s winning ticket was purchased at the Fu Xing Market at 5822 8th Ave. in Brooklyn.

Shkyra Jackson of Long Island City won $10,000 on the Win 4 drawing of Sept. 23. Jackson’s winning ticket was purchased at the La Minita De Oro Grocery at 9-01 40th Ave. in Long Island City.

Gloria Lopez of Whitestone won $25,000 on the Win 4 drawing of Sept.

28. Lopez’s winning ticket was purchased at the Mi Pueblito Grocery at 1133 Washington Ave. in Bronx.

The principal, Brother Leonard Conway, of St.Francis Prep announced that Dragana Bozic, Sean C. Ennis, Daniel J. Graham, Rachel Rho, Catherine Vallone and Aakaash Varma have been named Commended Students in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program. A Letter of Commendation from the school and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), which conducts the program, will be presented by the principal to

these scholastically talented seniors.

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2012 competition for National Merit Scholarships, Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2012 competition by taking the 2010 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/ NMSQT).

“The young men and women being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” commented a spokesperson for NMSC. “These students represent a valuable national resource, recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportuities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic excellence.”

Tell The PRESS

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

A&E

Int’l Film Fest Lands In Astoria/LIC

BY JASON BANREY

Western Queens is already becoming New York City's next standout arts scene.

As both Astoria and Long Island City continue to draw attention toward their f lair for the arts, the second Annual Astoria/Long Island City International Film Festival promises to become an institution that gives city filmmakers their debut.

"One of the hardest things is to be seen," Dennis Cieri, founder of the film festival, said of struggling indie filmmakers looking for exposure.

"People who don't know these filmmakers will be able to see their work right here. By having a festival like this we are helping the up-and-comers be seen."

Not only will locals be featured throughout the three-day event, but so will film producers from as far as Iran, Brazil, Cyprus and Poland.

Cieri is looking forward to this year's

festival with hopes of enlightening the community on social issues around the world by bringing a "true international flavor." "[The festival] is going to open people's lives to thoughts they've never had before," he said of the more than 50 new films that will be featured. "The public will be happy with what they see. Hopefully viewers will grow from the experience."

The festival kicks off Oct. 14 with an open mic at the Egarage, located at 4402 23rd St., at 5 p.m. The night will feature host Megan Boyle of Improv Nation, a quick-witted comedy troupe, and showcase a line up of locally talented musicians, comedians, and magicians. The festival will then set the weekend of films off with an opening party at the Z-Hotel, located at 11-01 43rd Ave., at 6 p.m.

Films will be shown throughout the day Oct. 15 and 16 at the Secret Theater, Egarage and the Boys and Girls Club.

Viewers who purchase tickets will also

Restaurant Review

Takeout That Delivers KEILLY CHINESE RESTAURANT 21-40 Utopia Pkwy., Whitestone (718) 352-1201 CUISINE: Multi-regional Chinese HOURS: Mon-Thu: 11 am-10:30 pm; Fri-Sat 11 am-11 pm; Sun noon-10:30 pm CREDIT CARDS: All Major PARKING: Lot In Rear DELIVERY: Yes

The second annual Astoria/LIC Film Festival promises to highlight local indie filmmakers.

York PAC’s Kickoff Begins With Jazz Bigs Along with the Jazz Live Series, the York College Performing Arts Center will A local college has made it possible host two other series presenting dance, for residents to enjoy the culture of New music and drama to the community.

Some of the shows scheduled for the York City without leaving the borough.

The York College Performing Arts fall include “The Lynching of Emmitt,” Center kicked off its annual Jazz Live “Zora Returns to Harlem” and a campus Series this Saturday with a concert fea- production of “RENT.” The Performing turing Latin jazz legends Bobby Sanabria Arts Center will also host concerts featuring the Steven Kroon Sextet, Jaleel and Candido Camero.

Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Shaw and Clifton Anderson.

“I’m excited for all of the fall events.”

Albans) attended the event, presenting the artists with city proclamations for their Katz said. “All of our events are a way for members of our community to come tocultural contributions to the community.

York College Performing Arts Center Di- gether and see some quality programming. rector Matthew Katz said he felt that the It’s a good way to meet and enjoy each concert was a great way to honor the musi- other’s community/” Nancy Jacobson, an cians while celebrating the growing culture attendant of the event who travelled of the York College Performing Arts Center. from Great Neck, said she felt that the “It’s always great when you have such concert was a great way to kick off the legends of jazz performing here in our com- artistic events at the Performing Arts Cenmunity,” he said. “We have some of the ter.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for people best artists in the area and people have an opportunity to see and hear what they to take advantage of the Queens area,” would normally have to go to Manhattan she said. “These places are so available culturally to us and we don’t always take to do and have to pay a higher fee.” advantage of them. It’s great because we don’t have to go all the way to Manhattan to get a taste of great culture.”

For more information on events at the York College Performing Arts Center, visit york.cuny.edu/centersinstitutes/performingarts/events.

Reach Intern Ramiro Fúnez at interns@queenstribune.com The York College Performing Arts Center will kick off its annual or (718) 357-7400, Ext. Jazz Live Series on Saturday.

124.

BY RAMIRO FÚNEZ

Oct. 7-13, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 13

For more than 20 years, Keilly's has kept the flavor coming. So much so the restaurant staff boasts 20,000 customers in the Whitestone area loyal to the Chinese mainstay. With those types of stats, I headed over to the neighborhood staple knowing they wouldn't disappoint.

On entry, I wasn't immediately convinced I'd be a fan. My first thought was "What could this two-decade-old establishment offer me that was not already available at my local Asian eatery?" Although much of both the interior and exterior of the place is not different from your traditional Chinese take-out, there was something special about Keilly's and I wasn't the only one who sensed it.

On any particular afternoon during the week the 16-seat establishment is brimming will all types of patrons, especially during a busy lunch hour. Everyone from college students to local nurses and shopkeepers on a quick break filed in to take advantage of Keilly's 36 lunch specials.

Hanging over the counter, a menu gleamed with all the typical dishes one would expect: beef and broccoli, General Tso's chicken as well as sweet and sour shrimp. But don't be distracted by the familiarity of it all.

Upon further inspection, though, I noticed a menu with more than 190 items to choose from. My eyes scrambled.

I overlooked the more exotic options in pursuit of what I knew; with a short lunch break I was in need of something quick and classically consistent, so I chose a selection of personal favorites, spreading my options across the board.

First came the House Special Lo Mein. The tongue-twisting noodles were packed full of flavor. Shrimp, bits of beef, mushrooms, bean sprouts, bok choy, carrots and celery created a cornucopia of colors on the plate before me. I dug in.

An orchestra of chefs waved their tongs while the pitter patter of saucepans and woks played in the background. I was brought a sampler platter of various dishes - alone they are delicious but together they were marvelous: succulent sesame chicken, gloriously glazed boneless spare ribs and plump pork dumplings with the house special dipping sauce. After each bite I didn't know where to poke my fork next. To some the medley of dishes would not mix, but that day they did.

Keilly's versions of my typical items knocked my taste buds back to the Orient where many of these dishes originate.

After walking in a skeptic, I left a believer. From the rather usual, which will always be favorites, to the more exotic Dragon and Phoenix Chef Special, Keilly's promises a fast, fresh and healthy Chinese cuisine that is guaranteed to be the best.

—Jason Banrey

have access to six panel discussions on Oct. 15 featuring writers, directors, and producers. On Oct. 16, local bands will be featured in 11 music videos at the Egarage from 5-8 p.m.

The event will culminate with the Fan Choice Awards. Each viewer will be able to vote and rate their favorite movies, awarding this year's film honors in several categories.

Tickets are $10 per movie with a Super Pass for all the festival's events available at $150. Readers who mention the Queens Tribune will receive a 50 percent discount on their Super Passes.

For more information and tickets go to astorialicff.com.

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

Faith

BY VERONICA LEWIN Young people will have the opportunity to be mentored at the first-ever Urban Youth Summit.

The Royal People Group is hosting the summit that will be held on Friday, Oct. 14 at the Shekinah Youth Church near Sayers Avenue and Merrick Boulevard. There will be two mentoring sessions earlier in the day and the event concludes with a concert at Rufus King Park.

Next weekend’s event is Royal People

Group’s first for youth in the area. The nonprofit started a year ago and strives to show teens their self-worth. “We want the youth to know that they are royal people and they have so much good in store for them,” said founder Roxanne Lord.

Twelve high school and college students will share their experiences in the hopes of helping youth choose a positive life path. In addition to mentoring, advice will be given on how to pursue higher education. Lord said many students waste their time in high school and are unaware

Word

“The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus by the Supreme Being in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter.”

– Thomas Jefferson

of the importance of taking the SATs for being accepted into good colleges.

“There’s a need to directly mentor the young people and help them to make better choices,” Lord said. She added too many youth in the area are being incarcerated at an early age, making it difficult to seek desirable employment later.

Representatives from the Joseph P. Addabbo Health Center are coming to educate youth on contraception, as teen pregnancy is a growing problem. A dentist will speak to the youth about the importance of dental hygiene, and a dietician will stress the importance of eating healthy.

The first session is 9:30 a.m. to noon and the second session is from 12:30-2:30 p.m. Food will be provided throughout the day. The concert at Rufus King Park begins at 4 p.m. and the summit concludes at 7 p.m. Registering in advance is strongly encouraged. Those interested in attending can RSVP at royalpeoplegroup@gmail.com or (917) 720-2485.

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

Roxanne Lord

Notebook Afrikan Poetry Theatre

Learning Through APT Fall Series One cultural gem in Southeast Queens is celebrating 35 years of entertaining and educating the borough.

The Afrikan Poetry Theatre in Jamaica is hosting a series of events this fall, including a gala next month. The theatre was founded in 1976 by poets John Watusi Branch and the late Yusef Waliyaya. Decades later, APT remains instrumental to the Southeast Queens community, and many stakeholders work to uphold its reputation. Watusi Branch travels to Africa several times a year.

“I think realizing this need for cultural, educational programs in Queens is probably the motivation and incentive,” said Byron Perry, who has been a member of the theatre for more than 30 years.

Though the name suggests the organization focuses on poetry, the theatre located at 176-03 Jamaica Ave. hosts jazz concerts, dance classes, plays and lectures. During the summer APT hosts a summer camp for children and has educational programs throughout the school year. This Sunday, Oct. 9 the theatre is hosting Heritage Sunday. Professor James Small will give a lecture called “Afrikan Spirituality: What is it and why we should embrace it?” Sunday’s lecture begins at 1:30 p.m.

Every year the theatre hosts a Thanksgiving feast and a Kwanzaa celebration.

Perry stresses people from all ethnicities and backgrounds are welcome to attend events, which the theatre hosts at least

ments will be served. Every five years, the theatre hosts a Grand African Ball, where guests are encouraged to wear their best traditional African garb. APT will honor five community activists for their work at this year’s gala. The theatre recommends purchasing tickets for the Nov. 5 gala in advance for $85. For more information, call (718) 523-3312.

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

five nights a week. Most events are free or at a low cost to guests.

Next Friday, Oct. 14, APT is hosting an Open Mic Night. Tickets are $15 for adults 18 and older. Food and refresh-

Photo by Veronica Lewin

Page 14 PRESS of Southeast Queens Oct. 7-13, 2011

BY VERONICA LEWIN

Byron Perry at the Afrikan Poetry Theatre in Jamaica.

Is Your School Doing Something Good?

Write The PRESS of Southeast Queens 150-50 14th Road Whitestone, NY 11357

Photo by Darryl Madison

Youth Summit To Guide SEQ Kids

What’s Up SATURDAY, OCT. 8 Youth & Tennis The Youth and Tennis group meets every Saturday morning at Roy Wilkins Park Saturday. To learn more, call Bill Briggs at (718) 658-6728.

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

Black Spectrum Theatre’s Fall Institute Think you might have an actor in you?

Then come audition for the Black Spectrum Theatre’s Fall 2011 Theatre Institute. Classes for children, teens, and adults are available. Audition on Saturday October 1st, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Registration will take place: Saturday, October 8th, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Here is your chance to learn acting, singing, dancing, stage make-up, and perform at the semester’s end on the world famous Black Spectrum stage. For additional information, call (718)-723-1800.

This free event will be held at the Black Spectrum Theatre, 177th Street and Baisley Boulevard from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Are is hosting a lecture called “Afrikan Spirituality: What is it and why we should embrace it?” The afternoon will feature Pan-Afrikanist and historian Professor James Small.

This free event will be held at Afrikan Poetry Theatre, 176-03 Jamaica Ave. at 1:30 p.m.

Open Mic For Poets Purvi Shah’s book of poems, “Terrain Tracks,” explores migration as potential and loss, won the Many Voices Project prize and was nominated for the Asian American Writers Workshop Members’ Choice Award in 2007.

This free event will be held at the Queensborough Public Library’s Central Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd. at 2 p.m.

MONDAY, OCT. 10 Adult Chess Club Practice your chess skills weekly, on Monday and Thursday evenings.

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

TUESDAY, OCT. 11 Intro to MS Word In this two-session workshop, customers will learn how to save files; cut, copy and paste text; format documents. Participants must possess basic mouse and keyboarding skills. Pre-registration is required in person at the Cyber Center Desk. For details, please call (718) 990-0769.

This free event will be held at the Queensborough Public Library’s Central Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., at 6 p.m.

Learn how to develop your idea into a to create a demand for a product or service, set goals and objectives, budgeting and timelines, identifying resources and networks and Getting ready to open your “doors.” To register, call 718-990-5102.

This free event will be held at the Queensborough Public Library’s Central Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd. from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Congressional Town Hall With WEDNESDAY, OCT. 12 Meeks The South Ozone Park Civic Associa- York Observatory Open Night tion will host a Congressional Town Hall with U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks.

This free event will be held at Virgil Grissom Middle School 226, 121-10 Rockaway Boulevard from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Join the YMCA for an open house that will allow you to experience the Y for free, take sample classes, experience community vendors and enjoy refreshments. For additional information, visit ymcanyc.org/ jamaica, or contact Sheila Clark-Hawkins at 718-739-6600, Ext. 6005 or sclarkhawkins@ymcanyc.org.

This free event will be held at Jamaica YMCA, 89-25 Parsons Blvd. from noon to 4 p.m.

Heritage Sunday African Ministries I Am Because, We

Part I: Are you ready to be a US citizen?

Part II: What documents do you need to present? Part III: What are the common barriers to naturalization? Part IV: Naturalization interview & beyond.

This free event will be held at the Queensborough Public Library’s Central Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., at 6:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, OCT. 13 Walkers for Wellness Club See Saturday’s listing. At 7 p.m.

Mock Job Interviews Are you nervous for your next interview? Practice makes perfect with a mock interview at the library. Participants learn how to face the interview, how to overcome nervousness and how to answer traditional and tough questions. Participants must register and class size is limited. To register, call 718-990-5102.

This free event will be held at the Queensborough Public Library’s Central Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd. at 4 p.m.

Microsoft Word for Spanish Speakers Introduction to Microsoft Word in Spanish. Attendees should have basic computer skills, such as being able to use the keyboard and the mouse, and to open and close applications. Register in advance at the Cyber Center Reference Desk.

This free event will be held at the Queensborough Public Library’s Central Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd. at 6:30 p.m.

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

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

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

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. For details, please call (718) 990-0769.

This free event will be held at the

FRIDAY, OCT. 14 36th Anniversary and Scholarship Dinner The United Black Men of Queens is celebrating their 36th Anniversary while raising funds for the UBMQ Mentoring Program. Get set for a night filled with dinner and dancing, friends and surprises.

Donation is $100 per person in advance and $125 at the door.

For additional information, or for tickets, visit www.UBMQ.org, or contact Rodney Pride at (347) 886-5629 or ubmq@ymail.com.

This event will be held at Terrace on the Park, 52-11 111th Street, Flushing Meadows Corona Park from 7 p.m. to midnight.

ONGOING 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Infant Mortality Clergy United for Community Empowerment’s Infant Mortality Reduction Initiative program provides the following services free of charge: case management services, parent skills building, crib care, breast feeding education, health education, nutritional information/education, referral for HIV testing, confidential oneon-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.

Oct. 7-13, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 15

SUNDAY, OCT. 9 Enjoy A Healthier and Happier Life

Pathway to Citizenship

Owning Your Own Business

Hands-on History: Let’s Go Trains! business plan. Participants will learn how Enjoy a free drop-in program for kids.

Learn about trains through stories, crafts, and more. Hands-on History workshops are programs designed for families with children.

This free event will be held at King Manor Museum 153rd Street and Jamaica Avenue, from noon to 3 p.m.

Queensborough Public Library’s Central Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., at 10 a.m.

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.

ENVIRONMENT COMPOSTING Tuesdays, Oc tober 11, 18, 25 waste food drop off at the Steinway library at 4.

DINNER IDLEWILD PRESERVE S a t u r d a y, O c t o b e r 2 9 Idlewild Wetland and Wildlife Preserve Benefit and Awards Luncheon at the Inn at New Hyde Park. 347-8242301.

GREEN GALA Thursday, November 15 2011 Green Gala at Alley Pond Environmental Center.

229-4000.

THEATER CROSSING DELANCEY Oc tober 14 through 29 at the Douglaston Communit y Theatre. 482-3332 reservations.

KILLING KOMPANY The Killing Company performs mystery dinner shows.

1-888-SHOOT-EM for information.

Page 16 PRESS of Southeast Queens Oct. 7-13, 2011

TALKS MAN OF PEACE Saturday, Oc tober 8 special program on Father Mychal Judge, Chaplain, FDNY exploring his life and the effect he had on many NYers. $5 suggested donation. 1 at Greater Astoria H i s to r i c a l S o c i e t y, 3 5 - 2 0 Broadway, LIC. HILLCREST Tuesday, October 11 “Sill Alice” will be discussed at the Hillcrest library at 2.

NIGHT BOOK CLUB Thursday, Oc tober 13 “Enemies of the People” will be discussed at 6:30 at the Windsor Park library.

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.

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

ENTERTAINMENT GREEK FESTIVAL T h u r s d ay , O c to b e r 6 through Sunday, October 9 at the Greek Orthodox Shrine Church, 196-10 Northern Bld., Flushing.

Thursday 6-10, Friday 6-12, Saturday 12-12 and Sunday 12-8. Free.

AMAZING MAZE Through Oc tober 30 the Amazing Maize Maze3 114:30 at the Queens Count y Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway. $9, $5 children. 347-3276.

SOUNDS OF COLOMBIA Through Oc tober 30 at Thalia Spanish Theatre in Sunnyside. 729-3880.

MOVING IMAGE Through January 16 Jim Henson Screenings and Programs. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35 th Avenue, Astoria. 777-6800. $15.

CHINA Saturday, Oc tober 8 Celebration of Centennial Commemoration of China with music and dance at the Flushing library at 2.

QUINTET OF AMERICAS Sunday, Oc tober 9 Quintet of Americas performs at the NY Hall of Science. Free with museum admission. 6990005.

OPEN MIC Sunday, Oc tober 9 at 2 at the Central library.

SAY YOU HEAR Sunday, October 9 “Say You Heard My Echo” theater performance of spoken word at F l u s h i n g To w n H a l l . 4 6 3 7700.

BAYSIDE VILLAGE EXPO S u n d ay, O c to b e r 9 1 2 - 6 retail expo in Bayside Village. 423-2434.

CLASSICAL & JAZZ S u n d ay, O c to b e r 9 A l va Anderson Classical and Jazz Ensemble performs at St. Gabriel’s Anglican Church, 196 th Street and Jamaica Avenue, Hollis. $20 adults, $10 children. 2pm. Tickets at the door.

LIVE JAZZ Sundays through December 18 at 180-25 Linden Blvd., St. Albans from 5-9. $5 donation. 347-262-1169.

OPEN MIC Mondays, Oc tober 10, November 14, December 12 evening of poetry at 7:30 at Barnes & Noble, 176-60 Union Turnpike.

BINGO Tuesdays at 7:15 at American Mart yrs Church, church basement, 216-01 Union Tu r n p i k e , B a y s i d e . 4 6 4 4 5 8 2 . Tu e s d ay s at 7:15 (doors open 6) at the Rego Park Jewish Center, 97-30 Queens Blvd. 459-1000.$3 admission includes 12 games.

SCRABBLE Tuesdays at the Fresh Meadows library at 1.

ART EXHIBIT Friday, Oc tober 14 at the Richmond Hill library at 11.

Exhibit with Albert Iskhakbayev.

THEATRE Friday, Oc tober 14 Afternoon of Theatre at the Hollis library at 2:30.

LIVE JAZZ

Fridays through December 13 at 180-25 Linden Blvd.., St. Albans. 347-262-1169 ticket information.

BANANAGRAM/SCRABBLE Fridays at the Windsor Park library at 2.

GAME PLAYERS CLUB Fridays at 2 at the Hillcrest library.

CEMETERY TOUR S a t u r d a y, O c t o b e r 1 5 Greater Astoria Historical Societ y tour of Green-Wood Cemetery. $25. 278-0700 to register.

FALL FESTIVAL S a t u r d a y, O c t o b e r 1 5 Pumpkin Patch and Fall Festival 9-3 at All Saints Church, 214-35 40 th Avenue, Bayside.

LATIN SALSA Saturday, Oc tober 15 Aurora Flores Y Zon Del Barrio & Yo m o To ro a t F l u s h i n g Town Hall. 463-7700.

ASTRONOMY Saturdays, October 15, November 12, December 17 at Alley Pond Environmental Center. 229-4000 to register.

THREE MO’ TENORS S u n d a y, O c t o b e r 1 6 a t Queensborough Communit y College. 631-6311.

STAR PARTY Saturday, Oc tober 22 star part y astronomy night at Alley Pond Environmental Center. 229-4000.

HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL Saturday, Oc tober 22 a t Fort Totten 12-3. Family fun, games, rides, craft, contests, more. 352-4793.

COLOMBIAN FESTIVAL Saturday, Oc tober 22 Family Day at Flushing Town Hall.

463-7700.

ITALY UNIFICATION Saturday, Oc tober 22 commemorate 150 years of Italian Unification with food, culture and music and more at 1 at the Greater Astoria Historical Societ y. 278-0700.

COMPANIA FLAMENCA S u n d a y, O c t o b e r 2 3 a t Queensborough Communit y College. 631-6311.

STAMP SHOW Sundays, Oc tober 23, November 20, December 18 Bayside Stamp Show at the Ramada Inn, 220-33 Northern Blvd., Bayside 10-4:30.

Free admission.

HAUNTED LANTERN TOUR Friday and Saturday, Oc tober 28, 29 at Fort Totten.

Mix history with Halloween on a lantern tour of the historic Water Battery at Fort Totten. 352-4793.

HALLOWEEN TOUR Saturday, Oc tober 29 Halloween Walking Tour along the LIC waterfront with the Greater Astoria Historic Societ y. 278-0700.

FULL MOON GAZING Saturday, December 10 at Alley Pond Environmental Center. 229-4000.

DANCE COUNTRY WESTERN Saturday, Oc tober 15 San Antones and Halloween Costume contest. $12. Glendale Memorial Building, 72-02 Myrtle Avenue at 7:30. 7634328.

EDUCATION/GAMES/CRAFTS KAYAKING Week e n d s t h r o u g h O c to ber 9 (weather permitting) kayaking from Socrates Sculpture Park Beach at Hallets Cove. 228-9214.

LANDSCAPE/FLORAL Charcoal and pen and ink classes. 969-1128.

JH ART CLUB Classes in all art forms days and evenings for children and adults. 426-9821.

SEWING CLASSES Saturdays 11-3 at Maria Rose International Doll Museum in St. Albans. 2763454.

SCRABBLE CLUB Saturdays at 10 at Count Basie Jr. HS, 132 nd Street and Guy R. Brewer Blvd. 8865236.

PET OWNERS Saturdays (not on holiday weekends) from 1-4 free Doggie Boot Camp at Crocheron Park in Bayside (weather permitting). 4545800. Reservations required. Donations accepted.

KNITTING CIRCLE Mondays, Oc tober 10, 24, November 7, 21, December 5, 19 Knitting Circle at Alley Pond Environmental Center. 229-4000.

BRIDGE CLUB Mondays except holidays 12-4 at Pride of Judea in Douglaston. Lesson & play $10. Partners arranged. 4236200.

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

DRAWING CLASS Mondays at the National Art League in Douglaston. 3610628.

LINE DANCE Mondays beginner to intermediate lessons 6-9 in Bayside. 917-886-0519.

KNITTING CIRCLE Mondays at Alley Pond Environmental Center. Register 229-4000.

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

BASIC COMPUTER Tuesdays, Oc tober 11, 18, 25 at the Arverne library at 10:30.

PRACTICE LAB TIME Tuesdays, Oc tober 11, 18, 25 computer practice lab time at the Far Rockaway library at 4.

LI CHESS CLUB Tuesdays, Oc tober 11, 18, 15 at the LIC library at 4.

SCRABBLE CLUB Tuesdays at the East Flushing library at 3:30.

KNIT & CROCHET Tuesdays, Oc tober 11, 18, 15 at the Windsor Park library at 2.

WORLD EDUCATION Tuesday, October 11 World Education Services at 6 at the Flushing library.

GET YOUR YARNS OUT! Tuesdays after evening Minyan at 8, knitters, crocheters, needlepointers, and others meet at the Forest Hills Jewish Center. 263-7000, ext. 200.

COMPUTER BASICS Wednesdays, Oc tober 12,

19, 26 at the Windsor Park library. Register.

BELLY DANCE Wednesdays, Oc tober 12, 19, 26 at the Flushing library t 6.

LANGUAGE CLASS Wednesdays Conversational Hebrew 2:30-3:30 and Torah Stories in Yiddish 3:30-4:30 at the Bayside Jewish Center. 352-7900.

TANGO CLASS Wednesdays, Oc tober 12, 19, 26 at Buenos Aires Tango in Forest Hills. 347642-4705.

DUPLICATE BRIDGE Wednesdays 10:30-3:00 at the Reform Temple of Forest Hills. $12 session, includes light lunch. 261-2900 INDOOR SOCCER – DADS Wednesday evenings at the Forest Hills Jewish Center.

263-7000.

OIL PAINTING CLASS Wednesdays 6-8 adult classes, all levels. Grace Lutheran Church in Forest Hills. 472-4055.

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

PREPARE FICTION Thursdays, October 13, 20, 27 preparing your fiction; A Creative Writing Workshop at the Langston Hughes library at 6.

TAI CHI Thursdays, Oc tober 13, 20 at t he Fore st Hills librar y.

Register.

COMPUTER BOOT CAMP Thursdays, Oc tober 13, 20 at the Arverne library at 10:30.

BASIC WEB DESIGN Thursdays, Oc tober 13, 27 at the Arverne library at 6.

QUILTING CLASS Thursdays 10-2 at the Maria Rose Doll Museum in St. Albans. 276-3454 or 917817-8653 to register.

QUILTERS Thursdays at the East Elmhurst library at 12:30.

CHESS CLUB Thursdays at the East Flushing library. Register.

COMPUTER CLASS Every Thursday at the Queensboro Hill library. Register.

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

COMPUTER PRACTICE Fridays, October 14, 21, 28 at the Arverne library at noon.

KNITTING CLUB Fridays at the Maspeth library at 10.

KNIT & CROCHET Fridays at the Fresh Meadows library at 10:30.

COMPUTER COURSE Every Friday at the Ozone Park library. Register.

DEFENSIVE DRIVING Saturday, Oc tober 15 in Franklin Square. 516-8728062.

PUBLIC SPEAKING Saturdays, Oc tober 15, 29, November 5, 19, December 3, 17 Learn to communicate effectively at Elmhurst Hospital. 646-436-7940.

WRITE GREAT ESSAYS Sunday, Oc tober 16 essay-

writing workshop using “Everything You Need To Write great Essays You Can Learn F ro m Wa t c h i n g M ov i e s ” from 2-5 at Barnes & Noble, 1 7 6 - 6 0 Un i o n Tu r n p i k e , Fresh Meadows.

HEALTH/ MEETINGS NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS 7 days a week. 962-6244.

MARIJUANA ANONYMOUS Sundays 7-8:30 at Zion Episcopal Church, 143-01 Northern Blvd., entrance on 44 th Avenue, room 5, Little Neck.

WAITANKUNG Sundays at 2. Waitankung is a great total-body workout.

Join these ancient Chinese exercise classes in the Flushing Hospital/Medical Center auditorium on 45 th Avenue between Parsons and Burling. Free. Jimmy 7-10pm 347-2156 information.

NICOTINE ANONYMOUS Mondays 6:45-8:00 at the Center for Tobacco Control, 2 2 5 C o m m u n i t y D r i ve , Great Neck. 516-510-7826.

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

670-1695. $5 a class.

ALZHEIMERS Tuesdays, Oc tober 11, 25, November 8, 22, December 13, 27 Caregiver Support Group in Forest Hills. 5925757, ext. 237.

WELL SPOUSES Wednesdays, Oc tober 12, November 9, December 14 Well Spouses or Partners of the Chronically Ill and Disabled meet at St. Charles Rehab Center, 201 IU Willets Road, Albertson at 7. Free.

Donation. 516-829-8740.

YOGA Wednesdays 5:30-6:30 at the Cardiac Health Center in Fresh Meadows. 6701695. $10 class.

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

FREE YOGA Thursdays, October 13, 20, 27 at the Queensboro Hill library. Register.

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

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

CANCER S a t u r d a y, O c t o b e r 1 5 American Chinese Women’s Association of NY presents Lung and Esophageal Cancer at the Flushing library at 2.

STRESS LESS Mondays, Oc tober 17, 24, 31 Achieve more and stress less through the power of meditation at the Flushing library at 6.

Queens Today SENIORS

ITALIANS UNDER 49 Are you interested in starting an Italian Cultural Social Organization for those 49 and under? Call 426-1240.

AMERICAN LEGION Mondays, Oc tober 10, November 14, December 12 American Legion Post 510 meets at St. Robert Bellamine in Bayside Hills.

428-2895.

CATHOLIC VETS Mondays, Oc tober 10, November 14, December 12 American Mart yrs Catholic Wa r Ve t e r a n s Po s t 1 7 7 1 meets in Bayside. 468-9351.

TELEPHONE PION. Tuesdays, Oc tober 10, November 8, December 13 Te l e p h o n e P i o n e e r s o f America meet in College Point. 463-4535.

VFW 4787 Mondays, Oc tober 10, 24, November 14, 21, December 12, 26 Whitestone VFW Communit y Post meets. 7460540.

LIONS CLUB Tuesdays, Oc tober 11, November 8, December 13 Ravenswood Lion Club meets at 6:30 at Ricardo’s by the Bridge, 21-01 21 st Avenue, Astoria.

COMM. BD. 9 Tuesday, October 11 at the Fairfield Pavilion. Tuesday, November 8 at the Royal Indian Palace. Tuesday, December 14 at t he Trump Pavilion in Richmond Hill.

286-2686.

MEN’S CLUB SOCCER Tuesday evenings at the Forest Hills Jewish Center. 2637000.

FRESH MEADOW CAMERA Tuesdays the Fresh Meadows Camera Club meets.

917-612-3463.

ADVANCED WRITERS Tuesdays Advanced Bayside Writers’ Group meets at 6:30 in the Terrace Diner, 212-97 26 th Avenue, upper level. Get feedback on your writing and develop your skills.

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.

UNITED 40S T h u r s d a y, O c t o b e r 1 3 United Forties Civic Association meets at 7 at St. Teresa P a r i s h C e n t e r , 5 0 - 2 2 4 5th Street, Woodside.

STAMP CLUB Thursday, Oc tober 13 at the Forest Hills library at 5:45.

DEMOCRATIC CLUB Thursdays, October 13, November 10, December 8 Jefferson Democratic Club meets at the Clearview Gold Course Clubhouse at 7:30.

ILION BLOCK ASSN. Fridays, Oc tober 14, November 11, December 9 Ilion Area Block Association meets at the African Center fo r C o m m u n i t y E m p owerment, 111-92A Farmers Blvd., St. Albans at 7:30.

WOMEN’S GROUP Fridays the Woman’s Group

of Jamaica Estates meets at noon. Call 461-3193 for information.

BELLA ITALIA MIA Sundays, Oc tober 16 (14 t h Annual Celebration Reservations required), November 13, December 11 Bella Italia Mia meets at Christ the King High School, 68-02 Metropolitan Avenue, Middle Village. 426-1240.

P-FLAG Sundays, Oc tober 16, November 20, December 18 PFLAG, a support group for parents, families and friends of lesbians and gays, meet in Forest Hills. 271-6663.

AUBURNDALE Tuesdays, Oc tober 18, November 15 the Auburndale Association meets at St. Kevin’s, 45-21 194 th Street at 7:30.

BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT Tuesdays, Oc tober 18, November 15, December 20 at Holy Family Catholic Church, 175-20 174 th Street, Fresh Meadows at 7:30.

TALK OF THE TOWN Tuesday, Oc tober 18 learn the art of public speaking in St. Albans at 7:15. 640-7092.

TOASTMASTERS We d n e s d a y, O c t o b e r 1 9 learn the art of public speaking at the Voices of Rochdale To a s t m a s t e r s C l u b i n J a maica. 978-0732.

MISCELLANEOUS PET BLESSING Saturday, Oc tober 8 at 10 at Grace Episcopal Church, Clintonville Street and 14 th Road, Whitestone. All pets welcome.

EDUCATOR RECEPTION Saturday, Oc tober 16 a t Barnes & Noble, 176-60 Union Turnpike, Fresh Meadows from 2-5.

RELIGIOUS BAYSIDE JEWISH Oc tober 7, 8 Yom Kippur service. 352-7900.

ASTORIA CENTER Friday, Oc tober 7 Kol Nidre service at 6:30. Saturday, O c t o b e r 4 8 Yo m K i p p u r Services at 9. Saturday, Octo b e r 1 5 To t S h a b b a t a t 10:45. Saturday, Oc tober 15 Shabbat Youth Program at 9:30. Astoria Center of Israel, 27-35 Crescent Street, Astoria. 278-2680.

PET BLESSING Saturday, Oc tober 8 at 10 at Grace Episcopal Church, Clintonville Street and 14 th Road, Whitestone. All pets welcome.

YOM KIPPUR S a t u r d a y, O c to b e r 8 Queens Communit y for Cultural Judaism will gather at 4 at Amaddiya Muslim Communit y Building, 188 t h street and Grand Central Parkway, Holliswood. $18 non-members.

ST. GABRIEL’S S u n d ay, O c to b e r 9 A l va Anderson Quartet concert. $20. St. Gabriel’s Episcopal C h u r c h i n H o l l i s . 1 9 6 th Street and Jamaica Avenue.

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

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.

HOMEWORK HELP Saturdays 10-noon teen tutors available at the Bayside library.

CHESS CLUB Every Saturday at the Flushing library at 2.

S TORY TIMES Saturdays at 11 and Tuesdays at 10:30 weekly story

TEENS COLLEGE FAIR Saturday, Oc tober 8 at the Robert Ross Johnson Family Life Center, 172-17 Linden Blvd., St. Albans from 9-3.

INTRO KNITTING S a t u r d ay, O c to b e r 8 fo r those 10-16 at the Steinway library. Register.

HOMEWORK HELP Saturday s, Oc tober 8, 15, 22, 29 tutors at the Bayside library at 10.

CHESS CLUB Every Saturday at the Flushing library at 2.

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

LI CHESS CLUB Tuesdays, Oc tober 11, 18, 25 at the LIC library at 4.

COVER LETTERS Wednesdays, Oc tober 12, 26 cover letters for teens at 4 at the Arverne library.

BOOK MAKING Wednesdays, Oc tober 12, 19 at the LIC library. Register.

TEEN REC ROOM Wednesdays, Oc tober 12, 19, 26 at the Steinway library at 4.

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

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

WEB DESIGN Thursdays, Oc tober 13, 27 at the Arverne library at 6.

PREPARE FICTION Thursdays, October 13, 20, 27 creative writing workshop at the Langston Hughes library at 6.

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

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

BOOK BUDDIES Fridays, October 14, 21, 28 at the Bayside library at 4.

GAME TIME Fridays, October 14, 21, 28 at the Windsor Park library at 4.

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

times at Barnes & Noble, 1766 0 Un i o n Tu r n p i ke , F re s h Meadows.

HISPANIC HERITAGE Sunday, Oc tober 9 Hall of Science celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with handson science activities. Free with NYSCI admission.

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.

HOMEWORK HELP Mondays 3:30-5:00 teen tutors available at the Bayside library.

AUTUMN STORY TIME Tu e s d ay, O c t o b e r 1 1 a t 10:30 at Barnes & Noble, 1 7 6 - 6 0 Un i o n Tu r n p i k e , Fresh Meadows.

PENGUIN EXPLORERS Tuesday, Oc tober 11 learn about polar life at the Corona library at 4.

LIC CHESS CLUB Tuesdays, Oc tober 11, 18, 25 at the LIC library at 4.

REMAKE IT

FLEA MARKETS RUMMAGE SALE Friday and Saturday, Oc tober 7, 8 9-2 at the United Methodist Church, 112-14 1 0 7 th A v e n u e , R i c h m o n d Hill.

PARISH FLEA Saturday, Oc tober 8 9:304:00 at Incarnation School auditorium and grounds, Francis Lewis Blvd. between 8 9 th a n d 9 0 th A v e n u e s , Queens Village.

ST. JOSAPHAT Saturday, October 8 11-4 and Sunday, Oc tober 9 9-3 at St. Josaphat’s RC Church, 3 5 th A v e n u e a n d 2 1 0 th Street, Bayside.

RUMMAGE SALE Saturday, October 8 10-4 and Sunday, Oc tober 9 124 annual rummage sale at St. Luke’s, 85 Greenway South, Forest Hills.

AUTUMN TREASURE Saturday, Oc tober 8 9:303:30 and Sunday, Oc tober 9 11:30-3:30 at Church of the Resurrection, 85-09 118th Street, Richmond Hill.

FLEA MARKET Sunday, Oc tober 16 f lea market and ethnic bake sale from 9-4 at St. Josaphat, 35 th A v e n u e a n d 2 1 0th S t r e e t , Bayside.

ARTS & CRAFTS S u n d a y, O c to b e r 16 Bayside arts and crafts fair in the parking lot and street adjacent to the Chase Bank on 41 st Road and Bell Blvd and 41 st Avenue from Bell Blvd. to 213 th Street and the LIRR train station park.

CRAFT FAIR Sunday, November 20 American Legion Post 104 in Glendale. 821-9726.

THRIFT SHOPS Saturdays 11-4 at Bargain Boutique Thrift Shop, Queens Baptist Church, 9323 217 th Street, Queens Village.465-2504. First and Third Wednesdays through June at Grace Church, 1415 Clintonville Street, Whitestone. 767-6305.

Tuesday, Oc tober 11 ecofriendly crafts workshop at the Steinway library. Register.

S TORY T I M E Wednesdays, Oc tober 12, 19, 26 Happy Happy Story Time at the LIC library at 10:30.

S TORY T I M E Wednesdays, Oc tober 12, 19 at the Steinway library at 10:30.

CRAFTS Wednesdays, Oc tober 12, 19 at the Steinway library at 11.

BOOK MAKING Wednesdays, Oc tober 12, 19 at the LIC library. Register.

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.

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.

SIGN LANGUAGE Friday, Oc tober 14 at the Jackson Heights library. Register.

FAMILY STORY TIME Fridays, October 14, 21, 28 at the Queensboro Hill library at 11.

GAME DAY Fridays, October 14, 21, 28 Bay Terrace library at 2:30.

YU-GI-OH Fridays, October 14, 21, 28 at the Queensboro Hill library at 4.

BOOK BUDDIES Fridays, October 14, 21, 28 at the Bayside library at 4.

GAME TIME Fridays, October 14, 21, 28 at the Windsor Park library at 4.

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

ARTS & CRAFTS Fridays 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.

GAME PLAYERS Every Friday at the Hillcrest library at 4.

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

DOG A DONUT S a t u r d a y, O c t o b e r 1 5 storytime celebrating “If You Give A Dog a Donut” at 11 at Barnes & Noble, 176-60 Union Turnpike, Fresh Meadows.

COOKIE MOUSE S a t u r d a y, O c t o b e r 1 5 Cookie Mouse visits Barnes & Noble, 176-60 Union Turnpike, Fresh Meadows at 11:30.

Oct. 7-13, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 17

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

523-1330.

NEW CLASSES Mondays comedy writing and Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline at the Kew Gard e n s C o m m u n i t y C e n t e r.

268-5960.

SNAP BELL PARK Monday, Oc tober 10 blood pressure screening. SNAP Bell Park. 740-3906.

AARP 4158 Tuesdays, Oc tober 11, November 8, December 13 North Flushing chapter 4158 meets at noon at the Church on the Hill, 167-07 35 th Avenue, Flushing. New members and visitors welcome.

DEFENSIVE DRIVING Tuesday, October 11 at the Auburndale library. 641-3911 to register.

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.

CHAIR EXERCISE Tuesdays low impact chair exercise at 11 at the Flushing-Fresh Meadows Jewish Center. $5. 357-5100.

AARP 3698 Wednesdays, Oc tober 12, November 9, December 14 AARP Chapter 3698 meet at Zion Episcopal Church, 24301 Northern Blvd., Douglaston. Meeting at 1, program at 2.

DRIVING CLASS Wednesday, Oc tober 12 at the Forest Hills library at 1.

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.

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

DEFENSIVE DRIVING Friday, Oc tober 14 at the Ro s e d a l e l i b ra r y. Re g i ste r 479-8914.

STARS Fridays, October 14, 21, 28 Senior Theater Acting Repertory at the Queens Village library at 10:30. 776-0529.

AARP 1405 Monday, Oc tober 17 Halloween part y for paid members only with Flushing AARP chapter 1405 at the Bowne Street Communit y Church at 1.

FREE LUNCH Saturdays, October 29, November 26, December 17 at Church of the Resurrection in Kew Gardens. 847-2649 reservations.

AARP 3654 Tuesday, November 1 AARP chapter 2654 meets in Bayside. 423-4237.

YOUTH

MEETINGS

Models Of Queens

The Steinway Mansion: Perfect for the large family or for party throwing.

Steinway Deal?

Looking to upgrade from that studio apartment or ditch those whiny older roommates who always ask you to clean up dishes that aren’t yours? Well, Astoria’s got a bargain for you!

That’s if you have several million dollars to drop.

According toTopTenRealEstateDeals.com, Steinway Mansion is one of the Top 10 best home deals within one of the nation’s best cities.

For an “affordable” $3,495,000, the historically landmarked mansion could be yours. If you’re thinking that’s a bit too pricey for your taste, check out the amenities: 25 rooms, five bedrooms, four full baths and one half bath. It’s also at the top of a hill overlooking a coffee factory and Bowery Bay’s Waste Water Treatment facility.

We wonder what the Web site’s criteria are when picking these so called “deals.”

If we had $3,494,000 in our bank accounts to blow on this pad, with major house party potential, we’d probably be in.

Good luck finding a buyer.

A Sin To Be Proud Of

Page 18 PRESS of Southeast Queens Oct. 7-13, 2011

It’s a sin.

It’s a mitzvah.

It’s a SIN! It’s a MITZVAH! Stop fighting you two… it’s a Sin and a mitzvah!

The Masbia Kitchen in Rego Park has been open for the last year or so providing free meals to the needy in the community. The concept began in 2005 when Mordechai Mandelbaum and Alexander Rapaport opened their first food kitchen in Boro Park to provide kosher food to the hungry Jewish population. Help Masbia and get a free Sin. In 2009 and 2010 they expanded to other parts of Brooklyn and then into Rego Park.

Currently, with the High Holidays upon us, Masbia is seeking to make the New Year sweeter for the needy, and is asking for donations.

Contributors of $108 a month or more (which provides about 18 meals), will each receive a custom made ceramic paper plate by awardwinning designer Virginia Sin, whose pieces have been featured in Martha Stewart Living and Food and Wine.

To learn more go to Masbia.org or call (718) 792-4446. Just think, you could earn Sin by doing a mitzvah. Your bubbe would be so proud.

Mella Home: Rego Park Age: 25 Height: 5’10" Weight: 130 lbs.

Stats: 34-26-36.5

When Mella moved to Rego Park, she improved the aesthetics of the borough. After nearly a year in the Big Apple, she said she is finally getting settled. “In the beginning it was a bit tough, but the city’s being a lot nicer to me,” she said.

Four years ago, she signed with Dan Modeling agency in New Orleans. “You get a lot of interesting people in NOLA,” she said. Recently, she walked in two runway shows during

Williamsburg’s Fashion Weekend and had a photo shoot last week.

Aside from the catwalk, this Queens girl has been featured on MTV’s Silent Library and a movie called Paraplegic. The fashion grad is currently a design intern with Hot Kiss.

Mella can do more than pose for photos. Not only does she write and take photos, but she makes Navajo-inspired beaded jewelry.

“I could see myself with an estab-

Ole!

Oh no! State Sen. Malcolm Smith has a spokeswoman stuck overseas!

Editors, reporters and members of the community received a plea for a wire transfer so Tai White can fly back home. Apparently, during an “urgent” trip to Madrid, Smith’s staffer was mugged and left with nothing.

Or, her e-mail account just got hacked.

Nevertheless, the Monday morning email humored the QConf staff. We haven’t received a final confirmation of White’s whereabouts, but Tai, on the long shot chance that you are stranded in Spain, enjoy a bullfight for us.

Secret Fashion Recipe Ever since Lady Gaga walked onto the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards last year dressed like a butcher shop exploded all over her, other artists have been attempting to turn dinner into fashion.

The latest is Queens’ own Nicki Minaj. The pop star who attended JHS 210 in Ozone Park appeared at the Iheartradio Music Festival last weekend, wearing a necklace that included a pink fried chicken wing. When asked to describe her style at the event, she simply told E! that she calls it… well… “chicken wing.”

And if you want, you too can have poultry dangling betwixt your bosom. Minaj’s necklace is for sale online at onchmovement.bigcartel.com for only $79.99, in either wing or drumstick styles. While you’re there, buy yourself a candy bow tie or bacon bracelet.

Queens girl Nicki Minaj, wings it.

Just stay away from hungry stray dogs.

lished jewelry line,” she said.

Though she enjoys being in shows, Mella is looking for jobs off the runway. Five years from now, Mella sees herself being a successful commercial model.

She plans to establish herself as a force and a brand in New York.

When this beauty’s not busy booking gigs, she enjoys watching a classic movie -especially Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. In this case, QConf prefers Mella.

MMA Arrest Does anyone really still watch

Tai White: Does she travel as much as her boss?

mixed martial arts any more?

Apparently they do.

Recently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials arrested Queens native Mohamed Ali, 19, accused of running two Web sites which illegally streamed Pay Per View MMA and boxing.

According to ICE officials, the sites have received more than 50,000 hits since being shut down.

Confidentially, New York . . .