The Forum West 49 2013

VOL. 12 • NUMBER 49 • DECEMBER 5, 2013

THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SMALL BUSINESS

Away from the chaos of the malls, Queens residents sought out holiday bargains from what is often known as the borough's economic backbone the smaller, individually-owned shops along such commercial hubs as Forest Hills' Austin Street. Places like Marc Pine's Instant Replay and Rena Mongenis' Stoa Jewelry saw a steady stream of customers who wanted little to do with the big box stores.

Listen Up de Blasio! Parents Say Schools Must Change Page 8

Chabad of Rego Park Celebrates Hanukkah Page 16

See coverage on page 34

Break A Leg! CTK Set to Perform 'A Christmas Carol' Page 21

Hannah Sheehan/The Forum Newsgroup

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013 | 1

2 2 | THE THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013 FORUM NEWSGROUP • October 25, 2012

112th Precinct Goes Cyber

Community Council takes giant technological step

By Patricia Adams One interesting twist to cyber Monday night saw the launch of an innovative approach to what could quite possibly be the future of community meetings, thanks to the 112th Precinct Community Council.

Several months ago, the commanding Officer of the 112, Captain Thomas Conforti, along with the help of Precinct Council President Heidi Harrison Chain, announced plans to hold virtual “Town Hall” meetings on line.

While “virtual meetings” were never intended to replace regular meetings, they were instead viewed as a means to reach members of the community who may not be able to physically attend.

The project was the brainchild of Commanding Officer Thomas Conforti, who said the idea first crossed his mind when he stumbled across the website Spreecast.com. The site, billed as a Social Video Platform, connects people through video conversation.

Spreecast is currently being used to discuss current events, explore various interests and host business meetings and conferences.

Conforti saw the potential to introduce the concept at the community level and was immediately intrigued about bringing the technology to the community council meetings and opening up access to so many more people. “It is not always possible for people to attend meetings,” said Conforti. “Dealing with family and professional obligations leaves many of our residents

Patricia Adams/The Forum Newsgroup

Audience members, some seen at the bottom of the photo, at the 112th Precinct Community Council virtual meeting on Monday evening were able to interact with their cyber hosts Community Council president, Heidi Harrison Chain, and the Commanding Officer of the 112, Captain Thomas Conforti.

without the time to spend travelling to and from and attending meetings.”

And so the wheels were set in motion, according to Chain who said that the NYPD Department heads were unbelievably helpful during the arduous setup of the system. She thanked many

of the Chiefs of Police at the onset of Monday’s cyber meeting for their attention to the matter and their support in setting it up.

The actual broadcast found Chain at her home with the captain, Community Affairs and Crime Prevention officers, all set up at the

CEC 24 Rejects City's Rezoning Plan

Photo Courtesy NYC Department of Education

The city's rezoning plan for Community Education Council 24 was rejected in part because CEC members said the proposal would have taken students from the overcrowded PS 49 and placed them in PS 128, which is also teeming with too many pupils.

By Anna Gustafson A city school rezoning proposal that would have reduced overcrowding at PS 49 in Middle Village - but increased the population at two nearby schools - was unanimously rejected by Community Education Council 24 members at their meeting last week.

CEC 24, a parents organization that oversees schools in Glendale, Ridgewood, Elmhurst, Maspeth, Middle Village, and Corona, has the final say on rezoning proposals, meaning last Wednesday’s vote stops the city’s plan dead in its tracks.

“It wasn’t a well thought-out plan,” CEC 24 President Nick Comaianni said. “They were trying to alleviate overcrowding at 49

precinct.

Conforti led a discussion about department crime stats to analyze the burglary situation in the precinct and provided viewer with a link so they could pull up the stat sheet and follow along with his explanation. In addition to offering information about how to accurately interpret often confusing police stats, Conforti clearly demonstrated one aspect of the technology -being able to upload and read documents relevant to the current discussion. He also showed several videos, most notably one concerning the implementation of the departments Operation Identification Program.

The platform also allows for audience members to participate either on camera, as allowed by the hosts, and to submit questions during the broadcast.

There were many technical glitches throughout the meeting and other first time bugs to deal with however those in attendance could not deny that the concept shows great potential as developing into a tremendous aid in crime prevention and crime fighting as well as the opportunity to get the police department more closely linked with the community simply by being able to reach so many more people.

The next meeting has not yet been scheduled and will be subject to the time required for all necessary technical adjustments to be made. For more details you can visit the 112th Precinct Community Council on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/112thPrecinctCommunityCouncil.

Thieves Strike Gym Lockers in 104th Pct.

but they wanted to alleviate it by putting kids into other schools that are over 100 percent capacity.”

In an attempt to cut the number of students at PS 49, which is now operating at about 131 percent capacity and is located at 63-60 80th St. in Middle Village, the city Department of Education had proposed to move some of PS 49’s pupils to nearby PS 128 at 69-10 65th Dr. in Middle Village and PS 102 at 55-24 Van Horn St. in Elmhurst.

While parents said they wholly supported efforts to reduce class size - District 24 is the most overcrowded district in the city - but argued the city was only putting a band-aid on a problem because PS 128 is now operating at 118 percent capacity and PS 102 at Officers from the 104th Precinct are urg108 percent capacity, according to city ing residents to not store valuables, money, or statistics. any important documents inside gym lockers “Ideally we should build another exten- following a number of grand larcenies that sion at PS 49 - that’s one of the things we’ve have occurred inside gyms in Ridgewood and proposed and they’re doing a feasibility Glendale. study on that,” Comaianni said. “We’d like Police said multiple grand larcenies have to find them an annex or space to use until occurred inside Planet Fitness at 329 Wyckoff Ave. in Ridgewood and New York Sports this extension can be built.”

City education officials said the DOE has Club at the Shops at Atlas Park.

The perpetrator, or perpetrators, entered long been attempting to address packed the locker rooms at these locations and classes in District 24.

“We will continue to work with the com- removed property from the lockers, the munity and CEC to explore all options to 104th Precinct said.

In addition to not storing valuables in help alleviate overcrowding,” said DOE replockers, police recommended that anyone resentative Harry Hartfield.

There are currently four new elementary using a locker should have a strong padlock with a key to secure it. Officers said residents schools, one PS/IS building, and one midshould not use combination locks to protect dle school that are either in planning or their lockers. under construction in District 24, which The 104th Precinct will be conducting will add 4,211 seats to the district between crime prevention initiatives in front of these September 2014 and September 2016. locations to alert the public.

In addition to the 4,211 seats under conIf you have any information regarding the struction, the proposed capital plan calls for thefts at these locations, please contact the creating another 4,045 seats in seven new 104th Detective Squad at (718) 386-3004. buildings in the district.

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013 | 3

With Cheer, Carols, and, of Course, Santa, Casino Kicks off Christmas Season

By Michael Florio Resorts World Casino New York City welcomed the community as they brought holiday cheer with its annual Christmas tree lighting at the South Ozone Park facility last Tuesday.

The night kicked off with carolers singing Christmas favorites, such as “Jingle Bells” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

Santa Claus himself came out to thank all the community members, casino workers and carolers in attendance for coming. He then asked children what they wanted for Christmas and gave a big “Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas,” to all those present.

Senior Vice President of Marketing at Resorts World Casino New York City, Missy Lawrence, also welcomed the holiday revelers and thanked everyone for coming out.

Resorts World Casino New York City President Edward Farrell told the crowd about all the holiday festivities that the casino is hosting, including a menorah lighting ceremony on the first day of Hanukkah and a Kwanza celebration on Dec. 27. He also thanked the community members for all their support. He then kicked off the tree lighting.

“Now it is my privilege to announce that Santa Claus with the help of his reindeer will put down the eggnog and turn on the Christmas lights,” he said.

Many delighted “oohs and aahs” came from the audience followed by a big cheer as Saint Nick waved to all, standing in front of the lit up tree.

The tree, now featured in the lobby, stands 40 feet tall and is wrapped in 6,500 LED lights. The tree’s 2,200 branches are decorated with 1,500 ornaments and 5,400 feet of red velvet and gold ribbon and filled with 300 poinsettias.

4 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013

Michael Florio/The Forum Newsgroup

Carolers entertained the crowd at the Resorts World Christmas tree lighting with many festive holiday tunes.

Santa Claus joined Resorts World Casino New York City President Edward Farrell to light the tree that stands a towering 40 feet.

The tree stands in the casino's entrance and is wrapped in 6,500 lights. The tree's 2,200 branches are decorated with 1,500 ornaments and 300 poinsettias.

Saint Nick spends time with the numerous children who came to the tree lighting to catch a glimpse of their favorite North Pole resident.

City Launches “Sandy Tracker” Website Site to provide accountability on Sandy funding

By Alan Krawitz In response to increasing calls from councilmembers and city politicians alike, the Bloomberg Administration launched on Monday the Sandy Funding Tracker website, just prior to a City Council hearing to call for greater detail on how Sandy-related expenditures are reported.

City Councilman Donovan Richards (DLaurelton), who sponsored the “Sandy Tracker Bill,” designed to create an online database of expenditures of Hurricane Sandy recovery and rebuilding funds coming to the city, hailed the site’s launch as a victory.

“I am elated that New York City has finally launched a website that openly tracks where dollars are going to rebuild devastated communities from the Rockaways to Staten Island,” said Richards, whose own district includes Laurelton, Rosedale and Far Rockaway.

The councilman added that government “has an obligation to be transparent and to be held accountable to the taxpayers who are footing this bill to help families get back in their homes.”

In Queens, the Sandy bill had strong support which included Council members Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills), Eric Ulrich (ROzone Park), Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens) and Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans).

“I think this tracker website is a very good idea,” said Koslowitz, who attended Monday’s hearing on greater detail related to expenditure reporting for Sandy funding.

File Photo

A hearing was held Monday on legislation that would create a database of Hurricane Sandy recovery expenditures.

At the hearing on Monday, council members asked for reporting that will spotlight the number of jobs created by each new city contract awarded through Sandy funding in addition to encouraging contractors to hire locally, preferably in the storm affected areas which are being rebuilt.

“I hope that if you’re giving contractors taxpayer money then they will be paying prevailing wages,” Richards told Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway.

Mike Flowers, the city’s director of analytics who helped design and develop the site,

explained how the site will help to assist both homeowners and landlords with data broken down by borough and individual applicants.

“The site will give New Yorkers clear and granular detail on how Sandy funds are being spent,” Flowers said at the hearing.

Other issues discussed at the hearing included privacy concerns on not disclosing too much information about the more than 26,000 New Yorkers who have applied for some type of Sandy aid in addition to “specific jobs data,” on how many jobs the Sandy aid is creating across the city.

Deputy City Mayor Cas Holloway said current plans are for the site’s expenditures to be updated quarterly and for new rebuilding program details to be updated monthly.

The push to monitor the funds comes in the wake of Sandy victims often having to wait long amounts of time to access funding to help them rebuild – and many have not seen any of the money they expected to come their way.

Richards has stressed that the bill would also help to ensure that contractors who accept public money from the federal or state government would have to report the wages they are paying workers – as well as if their employees are being hired locally.

The misuse of funds meant for Sandy victims has come into question numerous times following last October’s storm, and state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman released a report over the summer that said at least $238 million of the more than $575 million that was raised for Sandy relief had not been spent as of last April.

The report also raised questions as to whether some of the funds reportedly spent on Sandy relief were actually used for organizational overhead or other non-Sandy related purposes.

Richards’s revised Sandy Tracker legislation is expected to pass the Council in December to ensure that the de Blasio administration keeps the site’s momentum going through the transition.

For more information or to view the Sandy Tracker website, visit: www1.nyc.gov/sandytracker.

Cuomo Announces $50M for Howard Beach Storm Protections

By Anna Gustafson While Howard Beach residents welcomed Gov. Cuomo’s announcement last Friday that $50 million in federal funding has been approved for a resiliency project along a 150-acre span along Spring Creek and Jamaica Bay, they stressed that flood mitigation efforts need to be implemented in additional vulnerable areas in the neighborhood.

The project, which aims to better protect homes and businesses from destructive storm surges, such as the one that occurred during Hurricane Sandy, will use an initial $3 million for engineering and design work and, once approved, approximately $47 million towards resiliency efforts.

“Like several other communities located by water, Howard Beach suffered incredible damage from storm surges during Superstorm Sandy,” Cuomo said in a prepared statement. “...

As the state continues to work with local communities to identify and implement strategies to make at-risk areas more resilient to extreme weather, this project is another example of how we’re building back better to better protect New Yorkers’ homes and businesses.”

Cuomo's office said the flood mitigation

efforts will occur along Spring Creek's eastern shore and Jamaica Bay's northern shore. The project site is bounded by the Belt Parkway to the north and, to the southeast, 78th Street, 161st Avenue, 83rd Street, 165th Avenue, and Cross Bay Boulevard.

The project will feature low- and high-level vegetated salt marshes, dune complexes, grasslands, and maritime forests. Additionally, approximately 765,00 cubic yards of material will be excavated at the project site and reshaped to create higher inland contours. About 40,000 cubic yards of sand will be imported and spread across the project area to create a six-food cover for planting purposes.

According to Cuomo, the project will restore more than 150 acres of maritime habitats, including dunes and forests; 49 acres of low marsh; 10 acres of high marsh; and six acres of tidal creek.

Though residents, including members of Howard Beach’s New York Rising Committee, said this is certainly good news for the area, they stressed that residents must continue to advocate for storm barriers, dunes, and resiliency protection for Old Howard at Charles Park and Hamilton Beach, as well as for movable storm gates and locks for Shellbank and Hawtree basins.

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THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013 | 5

Let the Teachers Teach!

Dear Editor: Some things can easily be measured quantitatively, and some things cannot. In baseball, for instance, without a doubt, 3 strikes and you are out. However, the strikes and balls thrown at a batter are subjectively determined by an umpire. The umpire is trained and experienced to judge a strike from a ball thrown by the pitcher based on a somewhat specified, but not exactly defined perimeter boundary. In previous years, the procedure for classroom teacher evaluation was based on the supervision of a trained experienced supervisor who was either a principal, assistant principal or department chairman.

These people were part of a school's administration. It was his/her main function to oversee the teachers under his/her jurisdiction as to effectiveness and suitability, by periodically observing a teacher teaching.

To help the teacher grow in effectiveness, there were post-observation meetings where the supervisor pointed out strengths and weaknesses in the teacher's performance.

As the drive to make education more like the business world increased, supervisors were burdened with more and more responsibility and paperwork aimed at measuring students and teachers quantitatively, rather then qualitatively.

I can't help thinking how a recent Dilbert cartoon (unknowingly) portrayed the evolution of the educational dilemma we are presently seeing in our schools. The manager (read supervisor) approaches his worker (read teacher) and says, "How's your creativity coming along?" The worker grudgingly says, "I don't have any. Your management style makes me focus all of my energy on staying out of trouble."

Translated to today’s classrooms, teachers are induced to teach towards the (so called) standardized exams. Creativity is a thing of the past. Great amounts of time and effort are devoted by almost all parties involved to look good on the outcome of test results. Unfortunately not all students are part of this effort as current 6 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP •

testing results demonstrate.

Manipulating, even cheating, is not unheard of to try and achieve the ends of the very questionable means in place.

Years ago you were taught by the teacher. Either you did your homework and your class work and interacted positively with the teacher, and got good grades, or you didn't, and you received a poor mark, maybe a failing one.

Dave Shlakman Howard Beach

The New Jersey Fox Dear Editor: During WWII, the most famous German General, Erwin Rommel, was affectionately known by allied troops as the “desert fox.” America has a fox in our current political wars. This writer considers New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to be the most astute Republican leader in America. As governor of a blue state, his stunning victory captured the imagination of ethnic minorities who abandoned their Democratic candidate for his charm and wit, as he worked with Obama to help New Jersey become “stronger than the storm.”

However, I wish to alert these minorities that they were duped by his clever, appealing personality. Let’s examine the modus operandi of this cunning fox.

1) He declared war on public education in New Jersey.

Like most conservatives, the governor disprizes public employee unions. He made it easy to fire teachers, alter their tenure rights and pension benefits. He reduced funding for schools and cut afterschool programs for poor students. Christie even closed schools, rather than improve them. 2) The governor killed the Hudson River Tunnel (Obama’s stimulus recovery project), which would have created thousands of construction jobs. Folks, remember when another GOP governor, Rick Scott of Florida, turned down stimulus funds to build the Tampa to Orlando speed rail?

And this is the part that said, “Jobs, jobs, jobs!” Where are all the jobs Mr. President?

Could it be due to the fact that the construction worker’s December 5, 2013

union funds Democratic candidates? Food for thought.

3) Christie gave tax cuts to corporations and property owners, but opposed raising the minimum hourly wage.

4) He loaned “big bucks” to complete construction of Atlantic City’s white elephant–Revel hotel and casino. This “monkey pit” is currently in a financial crisis. Will the Jersey fox return with more state funds? While the country was going through the recession courtesy of George W. Bush, was it necessary for Trenton to issue another license?

Revel is currently attempting to lure players from other hard pressed Atlantic City casinos with their “Gamblers Wanted” promotion in which the casino refunds all slot losses and matches all competitor slot offers. They have become the vulture on the boardwalk.

Earnings from Atlantic City casinos went from a $5 billion high in 2007 to $3 billion in 2012. This 40% drop was due mainly to the new kid on the block, Pennsylvania. Gov. Edward Rendell was right. In 2005 he told the Harrisburg legislature that he wanted to make Pennsylvania the Vegas of the east–and he did.

Here is a Pilla suggestion to Christie. Follow New York’s gaming age of 18 instead of your 21. If young adults can vote, serve in our armed forces, get married and raise a family, why not grant them gaming rights? This should help save Atlantic City’s gaming industry. Remember readers, Andrew Cuomo is breathing down Christie’s neck. New York voters just approved our governor’s plan to add four Vegas style casinos within the next three or four years.

If, by a fluke, Christie becomes our 45th president, will his abrasive temper erupt at a White House press briefing if a reporter provokes him? As governor his ugly side flared up on several occasions.

Anthony Pilla Forest Hills

We Need Your Support Dear Editor: "Reusing the former LIRR Queens Rockaway Beach Line (RBL) for transportation is

the best plan. It will reunite north and south Queens and decrease travel times and increase investments for everyone especially the poor and middle class areas that are underserved, excluded and separated from the American dream.

The QueensWay plan and the No Way plan are exclusive and divide our borough. It also prevents development and investments in Queens.

We need jobs and businesses for all the people so we can grow and help each other.

The QueensWay plan sounds good [on the surface] but it will only benefit a few people and a small area of Queens.

It’s the small plan while the transportation plan is the big plan, the most inclusive plan.

The reactivation of the RBL will expand the transit system, increase social and economic opportunities, increase property values and tax revenues. As a rail line,

the RBL will increase transit options including faster travel times to work, home, school, shopping, recreation, dining, family visits, and doctor visits.

The RBL will decrease pollution, accidents, unemployment, crime and government dependence, reduce present and future overcrowding and unreliable buses, trains and roadways at a much, much greater level than the QueensWay plan.

Thank you also to New York State Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder and Queens College for organizing this reasonable and affordable study to reuse this vital public asset.

Thank you to the NY Daily News for endorsing the Queens RBL for transportation."

Please ask your family and friends and commuters to sign our petitions to support the Reactivation of the Queens CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

PUBLISHER Patricia L. Adams EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Anna Gustafson PRODUCTION Marisa Pilato EDITOR REPORTERS Alan Krawitz Samantha Geary CONTRIBUTING Hannah Sheehan REPORTERS Kerry Goleski Kate Bubacz Michael Florio Ben Kleine DIRECTOR OF Donna DeCarolis MARKETING PHOTOGRAPHERS Robert Stridiron Richard York

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EDITORIAL

Carjackings, robberies, home invasions—these are, after all, the things we read about in the newspaper right? Things we see on TV news. Those things don’t happen here—not in Howard Beach. Well at least they didn’t use to…

But the violent attack just last week, on a local businessman as he walked to his car at 10:30 at night, steps off Cross Bay Boulevard, across the street from a well-lit Kentucky Fried Chicken, doors down from the Hess station at the corner, has set this town on its feet. The attack came on the heels of yet another gunpoint carjacking a week before that, just about two blocks away.

During the course of the last two weeks, I have heard the same comment, at Waldbaum’s and at Crossbay Chemist. In Ragtime and at Gap Kids. In Dr. Hershfeld's and at Bruno’s. At the bank, in the street, on line at New Park and pumping gas at Hess.

Over and over and over again in one form or another: “Where are the cops?” “I never see a cop here anymore.” In fact, I am amazed

We've Been Robbed. at just how many variations of that phrase there actually are.

In any case, regardless of the words used, the message is still the same: Howard Beach is unsafe.

In conversations with the police sources at the 106 over the course of the last few weeks concerning two carjackings, the robbery of Ragtime Newsstand, captured on video camera within the same time period and around 4 a.m., and other serious personal and property crimes that have taken place in the neighborhood recently, we have thus far learned that which we basically already knew: The distribution of resources in a police precinct follows a very routine protocol. Cops are assigned by a priority distribution system where need is the single most consequential factor. Cops go where trouble is. It’s a plain and simple rule of NYPD thumb.

We have also received confirmed reports from the police that since the incidents began, they have increased personnel in How-

LEGALLY SPEAKING

Many people are surprised when I tell them that they don’t necessarily have to lose time from work in order to collect Workers’ Compensation benefits. While many people know about the medical coverage through their employer’s Workers’ Compensation carrier, and that they will be paid Workers’ Compensation benefits while they are unable to work, they are very unfamiliar with some of the other benefits they may be entitled to despite returning to work.

These benefits are not advertised by the employer or the employer’s compensation carrier, or explained to you individually by the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board. So today I am going to let you in on a little secret not widely known to the average person or for that matter, by the average employer. If you get hurt on the job and you have a permanent injury to an extremity (arms, legs, hands, feet, fingers or toes) or have an injury that results in a loss of vision or hearing, or sustain a facial scar, you are entitled to a cash award. Howev-

er, if you don’t apply for this award, you will never receive it.

As described in a prior article, if you get hurt on the job you should notify your employer immediately, seek medical attention and let the medical practitioner or hospital know that you were hurt while working, and file the claim with the New York State Workers’ Compensation board within two years.

If your medical provider indicates that the injury to your extremity is permanent in nature (generally determined as six-12 months after the injury), you may be entitled to a schedule loss of use award.

One of the reasons it is so important to see a doctor coded under Workers’ Compensation is that they know the rules and procedures.

They know the proper paperwork to file and they know the standards necessary for determining schedule loss of use findings. Permanency to an extremity can result not only from a fracture, but from a tear with or without surgery or a serious sprain. To determine schedule loss of use, the doctor takes into consideration mobility defects, loss of power and impaired dexterity or coordination.

Ask your doctor when you’ve reached maximum medical improvement. If your injury is permanent, your doctor will state how much less you can use that body part and will file the percentage loss with the Board. The law states how many benefit weeks you'll receive and is

ard Beach. An infusion of resources came from the borough command and other city units as well.

There is another standard proviso that we know to be true: Communities get cops when they demand them.

Whenever this newspaper asks you to trust our judgment, I think it’s safe to say we do so with the best interests of the community at heart. I’m really asking that you take this advice to heart and mind and soul. Take it where ever you have to take it to, but rest assured this is no pass-the- buck, let the next guy do it situation. Howard Beach needs to take a stand together and demand the police resources that are required for safety.

There is no more powerful deterrent to crime than physical police presence. There is nothing that will guarantee our safety that remotely compares to the effect of having more police on duty. There is no other way to get that except to make that request heard.

Begin with an email or write directly to

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and call 311 to report the absence of police and the escalation of serious, violent crime. It’s time to pressure the people in charge of protecting us. The more calls and letters the commissioner and One Police Plaza receive, the more attention will be paid to the situation.

Lastly and most importantly we urge you to join your neighbors who will meet at the 106th Police Precinct Council meeting on Wednesday night, December 11 at 7:30 p.m. The meeting is the best opportunity to speak personally with the Commanding Officer of the precinct, Deputy Inspector Jeffrey Schiff and other police personnel.

Feeling frightened on our streets is clear indication that something is very wrong.

This isn’t about luxury vehicles being stolen. This is about our family. Our friends.

Our neighbors. Our homes. Our community. Our lives.

We shouldn’t have to wait for crime to happen before we have enough cops on the street to say it didn’t happen.

Letters Cont'd based on the particular extremity and how much it was damaged, as well as how much you earned prior to your injury. For example – someone who earns $900 a week and has a 10% loss of the arm will receive 31.2 weeks at 2/3 of his/her earnings ($600) for a total of $18,720. If you lose time from work, any prior payments are deducted from the overall award. The same applies for a loss of vision or loss of hearing.

Additionally, if you sustain a serious facial disfigurement, you also can be eligible for a cash award up to a maximum of $20,000. These awards are tax free and are not dependent upon losing time from work.

I hope this information is helpful to you. Again – no one wants to get hurt on the job, but if you do, know your rights. Knowledge is power!

Catherine M. Stanton is a senior partner in the law firm of Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano, LLP. She focuses on the area of Workers’ Compensation, having helped thousands of injured workers navigate a highly complex system and obtain all the benefits to which they were entitled.

Ms. Stanton has been honored as a New York Super Lawyer, is the past president of the New York Workers’ Compensation Bar Association, the immediate past president of the Workers’ Injury Law and Advocacy Group, and is an officer in several organizations dedicated to injured workers and their families. She can be reached at 800.692.3717.

Rockaway Beach Line, the New Queens Crosstown, eliminate the toll on the Queens Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge for everyone and expand the Queens Rockaway Ferry: • www.rockawaybeachrail.com/ • www.change.org/petitions/ governor-andrew-m-cuomoreactivate-the-lirr-rockawayline-in-central-queens • www.assembly.state. ny.us/mem/PhillipGoldfeder/story/45022/ • www.keeprockawayferry.com Philip McManus Rockaway

Hope Restored Dear Editor: Around this time last year, we were starting to feel warm again (because we were finally able to get a new hot water heater.)

However, this year the warmth is radiating from my heart -- and the furnace, too, thank God. Even though Thanksgiving has come to pass, I continue to give thanks each and every day, Although what our community went through last year was surely devastating, I consider us lucky.

When you really take the time to look at all the heartache out there, I am happy to be where I am. Around family. Around

friends. With food in my stomach and a smile on my face. I look forward to celebrating this Christmas in a way unlike I ever have in the past. I have a newfound appreciation for the little things.

The little things that would be the big things to so many others. Just the opportunity we have to spend holidays with family is something we too often take for granted.

So yes, we lost many things last year - floors of our homes, possessions, pictures from way back when. I think another thing we lost for a while was hope. But I can honestly say that mine has been restored. And that is in thanks to all of you - to the neighbor who spared a blanket, to the friend of a friend who brought us a container of gas, to the elected officials who never stopped trying. It was truly heartwarming to see how many selfless acts were made. It was then that I realized what a community was capable of -- pulling together to get through.

I will no longer look back on that time in our lives with a bitter taste in my mouth. I will consider it an obstacle God faced us with to help bring out the best in people. Yes, for a while things got ugly. But look at us now. Look at all we have. I am forever grateful for it all.

Barbara Haggerty Howard Beach

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013 | 7

From Alleviating Overcrowding to Restoring Art and Music, Parents Urge de Blasio to Stray from Bloomberg's Path

By Anna Gustafson For the parents, school representatives and other education officials gathered at Queens Borough Hall Tuesday evening, the message for the incoming mayoral administration was simple: It’s time for change.

Year after year, members of Queens Borough President Helen Marshall’s Parent Advisory Board said, parents, teachers and civic leaders have routinely been snubbed by City Hall - and have witnessed art, music and foreign language programs being wiped from schools, an overemphasis on standardized testing decimate learning, a preoccupation with data drive teachers from the profession, and parent participation in the school system plummet in the wake of feeling as though City Hall could, at best, barely tolerate them, and, at worst, actively work against them.

“There’s a new mayor, a new administration - things will hopefully be different,” said Dmytro Fedkowskyj, who chairs the Parent Advisory Board and is the borough president’s appointee to the city Panel for Educational Policy.

Advisory board members voiced a long laundry list of things they hope will change under de Blasio - the first new mayor in 12 years and only the second one in the city’s history to assume mayoral control of the city’s public schools - from alleviating the overcrowded classrooms that plague much of the borough to having parents’ concerns be heeded by a responsive City Hall and city Department of Education. The members’ ideas were documented and will be passed on to Borough President-elect Melinda Katz, who, along with de Blasio, will take office Jan. 1.

A number of those at Tuesday’s meetings said, with numerous Queens schools operating at over 100 percent capacity, overcrowding must be addressed. A notorious problem in Queens, overcrowded conditions in borough schools have translated to pupils taking classes in trailers and even closets, students eating lunch in the early morning hours, and illegal student to teacher ratios.

“I would definitely like to see trailers removed,” said Kate Mooney, deputy chief of staff to Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village).

Part of the area Crowley represents includes school District 24 - the most overcrowded district in the city that faces a shortage of nearly 5,000 classroom seats.

District 24 includes schools in Corona, Elmhurst, Glendale, Ridgewood, Maspeth, and Middle Village.

Isaac Carmignani, president of Community Education Council District 30 which includes schools in much of western Queens, also stressed that he hopes the new administration will address the packed classrooms, noting that, “where we abut [District] 24 is where we have all these issue.”

Anna Gustafson/The Forum Newsgroup

Dmytro Fedkowskyj, who chairs the Parent Advisory Board and is Borough President Helen Marshall's appointee to the Panel for Educational Policy, was honored by the borough president, as well as Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, both of whom gave Fedkowskyj proclamations for his work on the PEP.

“We need buildings in that area,” Carmignani said of the area bordering District 24.

Parents from all corners of Queens also blasted the Bloomberg administration and the DOE for what they said amounted to a blatant disregard for their input.

“There seems to be no accountability, no checks and balances - all the decisions are very driven by the DOE,” said Deborah Dillingham, president of Community Education Council District 28 - which covers schools in Forest Hills, Rego Park, and Jamaica. “In the past few years, parent participation has really decreased.”

Dillingham also noted that access to foreign language programs in Queens

schools has decreased under Bloomberg, with some schools slashing the number of years that pupils must take a foreign language from four to one. A number parents noted that music and art programs have gone by the wayside.

“Music and arts - what happened to those?” said Community Education Council District 29 member Feline Lazarus. “It really deprives children to not have the arts.”

Fedkowskyj noted that the significant drop in art and music programs resulted from the city DOE removing the budget line item for the arts, which allowed schools to decide how much funding to

Deborah Dillingham, president of Community Education Council District 28 and a resident of Forest Hills, and numerous other parents at Tuesday evening's Parent Advisory Board, said Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio's administration needs to change the city's educational landscape.

8 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013

allocate for those programs.

Other parents, including Community Education Council District 24 member Lucy Accardo, said the frustration they have felt in recent years has many feeling helpless and wondering if any of the work they do in various educational organizations, such as the CECs, is ever paid attention to at City Hall - or, more specifically, at Tweed Courthouse, home to the city DOE. “Parents are demoralized; there’s less parent involvement,” said Accardo, whose statement was followed by another parent yelling, “decentralization, anyone?”

To better enhance parents’ voices, Dillingham, as well as other parents, said the makeup of the city Panel for Educational Policy - a decision-making group that votes on education plans, including school closures and co-locations - needs to change in order to better reflect communities’ wishes. The PEP is often seen as a rubber stamp for Bloomberg, as the panel has never voted against the mayor who appoints the majority of the board’s members. The PEP, for example, has voted to approve the closures of large community high schools throughout the city, including the more than century-old Jamaica High school, and replace them with smaller schools that those at the meeting criticized for being administration-heavy and too interest-specific.

“There are way, way too many high schools to choose from now,” said Paola de Kock, president of the Citywide Council on High Schools. “If you go to the high school fairs, they’re a mad house. ...Community high schools, that’s where you see a variety of programming.”

While many parents lambasted the PEP, they lauded Fedkowskyj - a frequent critic of the Bloomberg administration who parents, civic leaders and legislators alike have praised for consistently working to address educational issues throughout the borough.

A number of parents stressed they hope Katz will keep Fedkowskyj on as the appointee to the PEP. The borough president-elect has not yet announced who she will choose as her appointee.

Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan (DRidgewood), who chairs the state’s Education Committee, too heaped praise on Fedkowskyj and said “it has been a joy to have a collaborative relationship” with him and Borough President Marshall.

“I always did my best to represent your values and hope that you will remember me as a fighter for the kids of Queens and New York City,” Fedkowskyj said at the meeting. “And although I was involved with so many issues, both visible and invisible, what I would like people to remember most about me is that I was fair, reasonable and a fighter - and that I was able to get things done, working with the majority of PEP members controlled by the mayor.”

This Holiday Season, Airport Workers Say Jobs Give Them Little to be Thankful for

By Phil Corso Thanksgiving week brought a greater security presence to LaGuardia Airport, but not for obvious reasons.

More than 700 airport workers rallied throughout the day at the Queens transportation hub last Tuesday, demanding better working conditions through a raucous public rally during one of the busiest travel weeks of the entire year. The workers’ voices were heard so clearly that they were barred from protesting in the following days after LaGuardia brought in more security officers to keep the peace.

“The workers came out this week and showed the public that poverty wages don’t fly,” said Jose Santos, organizer with the service workers union 32BJ SEIU. “We’re not here for pennies. It’s time these workers get better standards.”

Santos said the week’s protests led to several workers being escorted away from the airport by police, but that did not stop them from petitioning passengers throughout LaGuardia as the week went on. Their message still remained in bold lettering to drivers passing underneath the 94th Street, where a banner read, “LGA Poverty Wages Don’t Fly.” Mercedes Ramos said she has com-

Photo Courtesy Dave Sanders, 32BJ SEIU

Throughout much of this holiday season, workers at LaGuardia, pictured here, as well as JFK International, have been protesting what they said are egregious working that include poverty level wages.

muted from Long Island City five days a week for 12 years to clean airplanes before and after takeoffs for $7.50 an hour and has yet to be given adequate sick and vacation days.

“If I get sick, I have to decide to either work sick or stay at home without pay,” she said.

While using Santos as a translator, the Dominican Republic native Ramos said airport employers with three major companies used “fear factors” to

keep more than 1,400 workers from speaking up against unfair working conditions there. But the protests did not start there.

Ramos and her union representatives called out three of LaGuardia’s largest companies they said employ workers for poverty wages without a contract, including Air Serv, Aviation Safeguards and PrimeFlight. The union has been zeroing in on low-level jobs being doled out at the city’s major airports

for over a year and pressuring airlines to force contractors to pay higher wages.

Air Serv, Aviation Safeguards and PrimeFlight did not return requests seeking comment.

“Workers are saying that the boss holds all the marbles,” Santos said.

“Workers have been dismissed for petty stuff. We want to sway that balance.”

Several borough officials have already thrown their support behind the union workers, including U.S. Rep.

Grace Meng (D-Queens) and City Councilman Donovan Richards (DLaurelton).

Similar demonstrations have been held at all three major metropolitan airports, including John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. Over 100 airport employees held a similar rally outside JFK earlier last month against two of the major companies overseeing the labor there. In all, Santos said the union’s movement encompassed more than 20,000 workers across all the major airports.

Protests got so heated last year that workers at JFK threatened to strike in the days leading up to Christmas – another hectic traveling time nationwide.

But when asked if a similar type of action was being considered this year, Santos said the union was not ready to make another bold move.

“We’re not looking into extremes just yet,” he said. “All we are saying is that the money is there. The airlines made over $20 billion last year, yet nothing has been given to the workers.”

Airport officials celebrated a $1.4 billion expansion to JFK Airport’s Terminal 4 earlier this year and LaGuardia was also slated to undergo a $3.6 billion makeover set to usher in infrastructure improvements and a new terminal.

Wielding Concerns About Rockaway Rail Line Plans, Woodhaven Group Demands Voices be Heard

By Phil Corso Following a series of contentious meetings about plans for an abandoned railroad line running from Rockaway to Rego Park, one faction of residents is standing up to demand a stronger voice at the negotiating table.

Ed Wendell, president of the Woodhaven Residents' Block Association, has serious concerns about a plan that would revitalize an old Rockaway Beach rail line that runs along 98th Street. But those in support of the plan have seemingly drowned his voice out without providing an adequate avenue for residents to channel their gripes, he said.

“The residents who live near this thing – the ones whose backyards it goes right through – are fairly resentful because people on both sides of this issue never even came to visit their houses until much later in the process,” Wendell said. “It was kind of an afterthought. We want to be consulted, not insulted.”

The borough has been grappling over what to do with the old Rockaway Beach branch for some time, and two proposals have recently been put forward - one that would transform a piece of the land into a 3.5-mile public park known as QueensWay and another that would revitalize the old rail line that ran from Rockaway to Rego Park. The QueensWay would run from Rego Park to Ozone Park and cross through Forest Park.

The rail line, which, in addition to Rockaway and Rego Park, traveled through Forest Hills, Middle Village, Woodhaven, Ozone Park, and Howard Beach, was once owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road but was sold to the city in 1962. The city abandoned it, and, over the past five decades, the line has fallen into disrepair, its tracks covered by unruly weeds and graffiti.

Both supporters of the QueensWay and reactivating the line have said their respective proposals would benefit residents throughout the borough. Park proponents often cite there being about 250,000 residents in the area surrounding the proposed 3.5-mile line whose quality of life would be boosted by the green space, while those who want the line reactivated have said it would bring crucial economic development to South Queens and the Rockaways – areas that are

File Photo

The Woodhaven Residents' Block Association will hold a meeting on Monday, Dec. 9 to discuss the future of an abandoned rail line that once ran from Rockaway to Rego Park.

underserved by mass transportation.

But other residents, including individuals living on 98th Street in Woodhaven who represent the group No Way QueensWay, have said those two proposals are not the only options for the old line and said the area could remain undeveloped.

Wendell said even though he lives several blocks away from the controversial railway, there were enough issues still waiting to be addressed at nearby Forest Park that an entirely new green space would only exacerbate.

“We’re not anti-park at all. We love Forest Park. We fight for it.

We make a lot of noise to try and get things repaired there,” he said.

“We would be fools if we didn’t at least raise these concerns.”

Philip McManus, chairman of the Queens Public Transit Committee, has been a staunch supporter of using the old railway for transportation rather than parkland, arguing it would boost economic activity in the borough.

“The Rockaway Beach Line will decrease pollution, accidents, unemployment, crime and government dependence, reduce present and future overcrowding and unreliable buses, trains and road-

ways at a much, much greater level than the QueensWay plan,” he said in a statement.

State Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway Beach) lauded an impending study to be done with help from the Queens College Urban Studies Department to examine how the revitalization plans might help borough residents. The college agreed to provide grant money to conduct the study along with anywhere between $50,000 and $100,000 from the state.

The assemblyman’s announcement came after Gov. Andrew Cuomo rolled out an additional $467,000 in grant money so the Trust for Public Land could conduct a study of its own, though that study will focus solely on the greenway.

Cuomo’s office did not return requests seeking comment.

Wendell said the different proposals and all of their proponents have made it difficult for anyone from the opposition to have their concerns addressed. Members of his association attended some of the workshops hosted by the QueensWay Planning Consultants, but have yet to see tangible results to questions they raised, he said.

“They haven’t built trust with the communities,” he said. “If we’re going to feel that the folks dealing with us are not trustworthy on little things such as this, then how willing are people going to be trust them when they come back with any proposals in the next few months?”

Friends of the QueensWay did not respond to a request for comment.

The Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association scheduled a special public forum for Monday, Dec. 7 at Emanuel United Church of Christ to discuss the defunct rail line so anyone interested would have a chance to voice comments and concerns.

And moving forward, Wendell said a major wild card in the ongoing debate rested in the hands of incoming Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio and Queens Borough President-elect Melinda Katz. While he could not speculate as to how their administrations might impact the decision-making, the association president said he hoped they would consider where the city’s resources are most needed.

Neither de Blasio nor Katz’s offices returned calls seeking comment.

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013 | 9

FORUM COMMUNITY

In Effort to ‘Heal,’ CB 9 Will Not Hold Re-Vote on Esposito

By Anna Gustafson After the chairman of Community Board 9 said his organization would hold another vote on whether or not to retain member Sam Esposito as part of the group, the board’s executive committee decided there would not be another round of yeas or nays on the matter.

“They removed it from the agenda - it’s over,” said Esposito, whose potential removal had been voted on at the past meeting after a couple board members told CB 9 Chairman Jim Coccovillo that Esposito had sent them an email with antiSemitic remarks - something which Esposito said was offensive and untrue.

Coccovillo issued a press release about two and a half weeks ago stating the board would hold another vote on Esposito because members had not properly followed CB 9’s bylaws during the procedure. The chairman said in the release that the board would have to weigh in again because there had been no public discussion prior to the vote.

“It should’ve never gone out,” Esposito said of the press release. “[The vote] wasn’t even mentioned

File Photo

Community Board 9 will not hold another vote on retaining Sam Esposito as a member, despite its chairman recently announcing otherwise.

at the [executive committee] meeting. When the agenda was printed, that item was deleted.”

Esposito said he believes the original vote - which was 34-10 in favor of the member remaining part of the organization - occurred because Coccovillo wanted him off the board once Esposito supported CB 9 District Manager Mary Ann Carey after some members, including the chairman, had wanted to remove her earlier this year. Coccovillo, meanwhile, said there were concerns over Esposito’s conduct on the board, including being ab-

sent from meetings.

Following the board’s vote at its last meeting, CB 9 member Wallace Bock, one of three members who said Esposito had made antiSemitic remarks, walked out of the meeting and said he was planned to resign.

The remarks to which Bock referred to were statements Esposito made in an email to three Jewish board members after they aired complaints that food served at the board’s June meeting did not include items suitable for individuals with a Kosher diet.

Esposito has said that their complaints riled him because he “spent over $1,000 on food and it wasn’t appreciated.”

After one of the members told board member Rabbi Daniel Pollack that it seemed unfair for those with a Kosher diet to have nothing to eat at the meeting, Esposito said in an email that the members were “acting like little children” who “did not get their way at the playground, calling daddy on the phone complaining.”

Esposito went on to write that, “if that is what being Jewish is all

about, I would rather be atheist because I was raised proper with respect and much different than you three.”

The three members then submitted a request to Coccovillo that Esposito be removed from the board, saying that his statements were offensive and anti-Semitic.

Esposito, however, stressed that when he realized there was not food for the three members, he went out of his way to get them Kosher items they would be able to eat.

“You can ask anyone - I have never been anti-Semitic,” Esposito said.

Now that the matter will no longer be taken up by the board, Esposito said he hopes the board can focus on other issues facing the community, including the proposed QueensWay park along a portion of the abandoned Rockaway Rail Line.

“I’m glad it’s over,” he said. “I’m glad that [CB 9 Vice Chairperson Andrea Crawford] became the hero of the executive board to say, ‘Let’s move in a positive direction and let’s bring healing to the board.’

I don’t need any apologies; I just want to move forward.”

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Rabbi, Imam Tackle Muslim-Jewish Relations at Upcoming Talk in Forest Hills

By Alan Krawitz

Can the abiding rift between Muslims and Jews ever be repaired? That’s one of the key questions to be answered at an upcoming author’s forum in Forest Hills featuring both a distinguished rabbi and a prominent imam.

Rabbi Marc Schneier and Imam Shamsi Ali, co-authors of the book “Sons of Abraham,” are hoping to challenge Jews and Muslims to get beyond the rhetoric and connect on common ground while confronting important theological and political issues that have all too often kept the two religions at odds.

“Islam and Judaism are the most identical religions in the world,” said Ali, who is the spiritual leader of Jamaica Muslim Center, New York City’s largest Islamic center, as well as a former imam of the Islamic Cultural Center of New York.

“The only difference, I think, in my view, is our understanding of the Middle East conflict in terms of how to get to a solution,” Ali said.

Schneier, vice president of the World Jewish Congress and founder of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, agrees that there are a “host of similarities” between the two religions.

“We not only share a common faith but also a common fate,” Schneier said.

The two men, now friends as well as collaborators, first met during a CBS television interview in 2005 about outreach initiatives to non-Christian communities, including Jews and Muslims, following the passing of Pope John Paul II. Schneier recalled that the two “shook hands but didn’t really look at each other,” due to the

long-standing tensions between the Jewish and Muslim communities.

“As a Muslim born into a majority nonMuslim society, I had studied in a Madrassa and later went to Pakistan to pursue my higher studies on Islam,” Ali recalled.

“I also lived in a very exclusive Muslim society in Saudi Arabia and I used to believe that all Jews want to destroy Muslims in order to rule the world,” he continued.

Such misconceptions, said Schneier, are at the heart of the Muslim-Jewish conflict.

“When Jews refer to themselves as ‘the chosen people,’ this is a source of much controversy and angst within the Muslim world,” Schneier said.

He added that the meaning of the term “chosen” needs to be explained, stressing that it does not mean superior but rather refers to being “chosen by God.” And, by contrast, Schneier says that Islam refers to itself as “the best nation” in the Koran.

The rabbi said that members of both religions need to understand the other’s texts so as not to feel that one speaks disparagingly about the other.

According to Ali, the idea for the book, “Sons of Abraham,” sprang from the two men’s realization that despite their own personal connection, their respective peoples remained doubtful of many religious concepts.

“Muslims often questioned me, saying how it is possible to trust that Jews will mutually respect our community while they believe to be chosen,” Ali said.

The imam said that in response to such doubts, the two decided to put their thoughts

into writing.

“But, we think the best way to respond to them is by telling our own journey of transformation from suspicion and mistrust to friendship and partnership,” he said.

Both men report that their efforts have already established an unprecedented dialogue between the two religions.

“Many Muslims have asked me to help them organize events between Jews and Muslims,” Ali said.

Schneier, who founded his Foundation for Ethnic Understanding in 1990 to originally repair relations between blacks and Jews amid tensions from several incidents including the Crown Heights riots and inflammatory remarks by black leaders, now says that blacks and Jews are in a state of “cooperation rather than conflict.”

Further, Schneier adds that about seven years ago, he also joined with hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons to try and bring about better understanding between Muslims and Jews, which Schneier described as “one of the major religious conflicts of the 21st century.”

He says that today, “rabbis speak at mosques and imams speak at synagogues.”

Schneier says that the main purpose of the book is to break down barriers between the two peoples by helping Jews and Muslims to better understand each other.

“I think our work is heroic,” said Schneier, making the comparison to the Jews’ biblical journey through the desert for 40 years.

“We’ve only been on this journey (the journey to Muslim-Jewish reconciliation) for six years,” he said. “But, the good news is that the

Photo Courtesy the Central Queens YM&YWHA Rabbi Marc Schneier and Imam Shamsi Ali will speak about repairing the relations between Muslims and Jews at the Forest Hills Jewish Center on Sunday, Dec. 15.

journey has begun.”

The event, Sons of Abraham: A Candid Conversation about the Issues that Divide and Unite Jews and Muslims, will take place on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 2 p.m. at the Forest Hills Jewish Center, located at 106-06 Queens Boulevard. A minimum $15 donation is requested in advance, or $20 at the door. For more information, call (718) 268-5011 or visit www.cqy.org/tickets.

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013 | 11

To be held at 1:00 pm.

12 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013

Katz Appoints Comrie for Deputy Boro Pres

By Anna Gustafson Borough President-elect Melinda Katz announced Tuesday that she has appointed her former rival, Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), as the next deputy borough president.

Additionally, the incoming borough president tapped Jay Bond, who spent nearly a decade serving as senior policy advisor to Katz while she was in the City Council, as her chief of staff.

Katz lauded Comrie - who ran against Katz for borough president in the past election - and Bond, who most recently worked as policy director for the New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

“Jay’s years of experience in the public and private sectors and Leroy’s long history of leadership in Queens will be essential as we build the most open, inclusive, and transparent transition in Queens history,” Katz said in a statement issued Tuesday.

This “transition” team - which echoes the group of the same name for Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio - will, Katz said, reach out throughout the city to build a new administration at

Melinda Katz

Queens Borough Hall.

“From the beginning, this campaign was about empowering working families and making life better for every Queens resident,” said Katz, who will replace Borough President Helen Marshall Jan 1. “In order to make that vision

Leroy Comrie

a reality, Borough Hall needs the best public servants from across our city - and I’m confident we can find them.”

Comrie, who was first elected to the Council in 2002 and has represented St. Albans, Hollis, Cambria Heights, Jamaica, and parts

of Queens Village, Rosedale, and Springfield Gardens, is the chair of the Council’s powerful Land Use Committee and sits on the committees on consumer affairs, cultural affairs, libraries and international intergroup relations, and finance.

“Now more than ever, Queens needs Melinda’s vision for a more prosperous and equitable borough,” Comrie said in the same statement.

“Over the 20 years I’ve spent working with her, Melinda has proven herself a tireless and honest public servant with a real plan to move our borough forward.”

Bond too praised the incoming borough president.

“For years, Melinda Katz has served our borough with distinction and achieved tangible results on the issues working families care about,” he said. “i’m excited to build on that progress by helping Melinda assemble the most qualified team possible from every walk of life and every corner of our city. With their help, and with Melinda’s leadership, Borough Hall will fight for better schools, expanded health care, and a more robust business environment throughout Queens.

State Allocates Money for Residents Struggling Under Food Stamp Cuts

By Anna Gustafson For Queens residents whose food stamps were just cut, some relief could be coming their way after Gov. Cuomo announced last week that the state is allocating $4.5 million in emergency food assistance grants during the holiday season.

The funds will aid 2,600 emergency food providers throughout New York, including in Queens, that work with individuals impacted by the federal government’s cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, otherwise known as food stamps. The recent reduction to SNAP has impacted more than 47 million people across the country and is the largest cut to food stamps since Congress first passed the 1964 Food Stamps Act. The cuts went into effect last month, and, for example, one Howard Beach resident who went to the River Fund food pantry in Richmond Hill last week, said his monthly $200 food stamp budget was cut by $11 - which, he told The Forum, “really hurts me.”

Anna Gustafson/The Forum Newsgroup “With the holiday season upon us, New York South Queens residents lining up at the River Fund food pantry in Richmond Hill last week said federal cuts to food state is stepping up to help food banks and soup stamps left them struggling even more than usual.

kitchens across the state stock their shelves and feed those in need,” Cuomo said in a prepared statement. “These state grants are aimed at filling the gap caused by recent cuts in federal SNAP benefits and provide a boost to vital food assistance programs, to help provide relief to impacted New Yorkers.”

“This time of year is also about celebrating the spirit of giving, so I encourage all New Yorkers to join our efforts by donating food or volunteering their time at local food banks and soup kitchens,” Cuomo continued. “A little can go a long way, and I encourage all who can to help those less fortunate this year.”

Overall, the number of emergency meals reported for 2013 is trending at approximately 13 percent more than the same time last year, according to data provided to the state’s Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program. Recent federal cuts to the SNAP program will eliminate a total of $302 million of annual SNAP benefits in New York, and this year’s increased demand for emergency food has resulted in emergency food providers struggling to keep their shelves stocked.

Don’t Forget!

Next week we will be featuring a special Pet Section:

Dressing Up Your Pet

READERS: Send us in a picture of your pet dressed up for the holiday season. We will be featuring some of your photos in our special section. Please include your pet’s name. Email forumsouth@gmail.com with subject line: Dressing Up Your Pet. We will contact the winner via email and have the gift card mailed out to you.

Make sure you send us a picture of your ADVERTISERS: If you would like the pet dressed for the holidays. The winner of opportunity to feature your store or busiour contest will receive a $25 Gift Card to ness in our section, call 646-670-0849 for Claws & Paws Grooming & Pet Supply! more information.

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013 | 13

Park Crime Could be Worse Than Numbers Report, Boro Pol Says

File Photo

Flushing Meadows Corona Park has been listed as one of the city's most crime-ridden green spaces, according to police.

Corona Park is the second most dangerous green space in the city, those numbers do not represent While the NYPD released alarming crime the entire picture, said one Queens legislator who statistics about public parks at the end of the sum- said the city needs to provide more reliable crime mer, including reporting that Flushing Meadows statistics for many more public spaces.

By Anna Gustafson

14 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013

Councilman Peter Vallone (D-Astoria), the chairman of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, is sponsoring a bill that would mandate the NYPD to submit crime reports to the Council on all public parks and playgrounds that are larger than one acre.

Seven years ago, Vallone introduced similar legislation that required the city to begin reporting at all on felony crimes in parks. The Council passed that bill, but it resulted in the NYPD only reporting on the city’s 31 largest parks, including such sites as Central Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, and Forest Park.

Should his most recent bill be given the stamp of approval, the number of parks for which the NYPD provides crime data would skyrocket from 31 to 870. The bill would likely be one of the last to be sponsored by Vallone, who is leaving office as of January because of term limits.

At a recent public hearing on the legislation, a number of concerns were raised about Parks Enforcement Patrol Officers - namely, there aren’t enough of them to go around. With data being provided on parks large and small, some have said the number of PEP officers would need to dramatically increase.

Vallone has long been an advocate for increasing the number of officers.

According to the NYPD's summer report, Forest Park had the second highest number - 27 - of serious crimes reported last year. There were more felonies reported in Central Park than any other large park in the city. Of the 37 reported crimes at Central Park, there was a rape, two robberies, and five felony assaults.

Maspeth Bicyclist Killed in Hit-and-Run Thanksgiving Eve

By Anna Gustafson A 54-year-old bicyclist was killed after police said he was struck by a commercial truck while crossing Borden Avenue in Maspeth Wednesday night, devastating his family who had been preparing to spend their Thanksgiving with a loving father.

Pedro Lopez was hit by a white truck making a right from Maurice Avenue by the Long Island Expressway around 5 p.m., according to the NYPD. The driver fled the scene, and police are continuing to look for the individual. Lopez was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead, cops said.

The accident left Lopez’s family shocked, and his son, Pedro Alonzo Lopez, 23, described Lopez to the Daily News as someone who was “humble and kind.”

“He was a very happy person,” the son told the Daily News.

Lopez was one four people hit and killed by vehicles Wednesday night, according to police.

An 88-year-old woman, who police did not identify, was struck by a Con Ed truck in Manhattan by Avenue C, and two women were hit and killed by a car as they crossed Forest Hill Road in Staten Island. The two victims were Marion Anderson, 47, of Bay Parkway, Brooklyn, and Lizette Sorrano, 59, of Staten Island.

Both Anderson and Sorrano were brought to Staten Island University Hospital, where they died, the NYPD said.

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013 | 15

Chabad of Rego Park Celebrates Hanukkah with Grand Menorah Lighting

By Michael Florio

work that the Chabad does both in Rego Park and throughout the city,” she said. “It is a blessing for all of us to be together again.”

Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills) was also in attendance.

“This is very exciting every year and I want to wish everyone a happy Hanukkah,” Koslowitz said.

Woodside resident Harry Bieber was honored at the event for his contribution for fighting in Israel’s war for independence in 1947.

Bieber got to help Blokh and the Chabad’s honorary president, Vladimir Fulman, light the torch, which was then passed around throughout the crowd. Blokh then took the torch and lit the first five candles, starting with the fifth, as the crowd recited a prayer.

Chabad of Rego Park, a Jewish Russian community center, hosted a menorah lighting on Sunday at Federoff Triangle.

While Hanukkah began on the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 27, the group waited until Sunday so they could celebrate with the fifth candle. Rabbi Eli Blokh, founder of the organization, explained the importance of celebrating the fifth day of Hanukkah. He said for those who celebrate, the fifth night represents “a deeper level to affiliation and commitment.”

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after a group of Jewish warriors defeated the occupying Greek armies.

Queens Borough President-elect Melinda Once the lighting was complete, those in Katz celebrated with the Chabad at Federoff Triangle, which is bounded by Queens Boule- attendance got to celebrate with song and dance and some complimentary hot latkes and vard, 102nd Street, and 67th Road.

“Thank you Rabbi Blokh for once again doughnuts.

Photos by Michael Florio pulling everyone together and for the good

TOWN JUNIPER PARK CIVIC ASSOCIATION PRESENTS A

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16 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013

Christmas Flash It’s All In The Lights…

John’s All Season Holiday Decorating Let Us Make Your Holiday Bright!

Whether you are hosting a holiday party or looking to turn your home or business into a winter wonderland this season…

John‛s All Season is here to help you!

Photo Courtesy John’s All Season

Simple yet elegant this beautiful layout used classic elements of white pine roping, wreaths, white lights and touches of red throughout the design.

By Patricia Adams For years Howard Beach houses have been the source of oooh’s and aaaah’s from drivers and passersby in reaction to the neighborhoods Christmas lights. One Howard Beach company says they can make your house into a car stopper too and that’s not all.

Johnny Tiro, owner of John’s All Season Holiday Decorating, says that people love their Christmas lights, but it doesn’t stop there. “People are getting into decorating for every holiday,” Tiro says, with the biggest spikes coming at Halloween and Easter. More and more these “secondary to Christmas” holidays are finding homeowners celebrating with some form of lighting.

But decorating a house on a large scale is no easy task, and many proud displays are accompanied by tales of woe and sometimes have dangerous complications. Short circuits, fires and the risk of falling off a ladder are all good reasons to avoid the risk according to those in the business of professional decorating.

Tiro, who started the business 13 years ago, with partner John DiLorenzo, definitely agrees.

Over the years he says he has seen interest grow tremendously. “Decorations make everybody feel better and they really promote the spirit of a holiday—they just brighten your day.” That’s why he says his customer base continues to grow.

Another thing fueling the boom is the change in the actual decorations. The Illuminated blow-ups tethered to front lawns and LED computerized/musical light shows of today are a far cry from the big red bows and giant multicolored bulbs of yesterday.

And even for those not interested in elaborate displays, Tiro says virtually all of his new customers say the same thing after decorating—or trying to decorate—themselves. “It’s so funny,” he laughs, ­­"The first thing they say is ‘I had no idea how much was involved’.”

And according to reformed decorators it’s not just the work of actually putting the decorations up. It’s the initial shopping for your stuff, thinking about a design, planning it out, placing

the decorations, making sure they work, then taking it down and packing it all, having a place to store it where it will be safe so it looks good and works for the next year, that may seem a little overwhelming, shall we say, to some.

Tiro contends that using a professional decorator will get you a beautiful display and save you lots of time and work. But he says there is some serious advice for anyone doing it themselves. It’s on an issue which he says should never be compromised--safety. “People can get carried away sometimes and they have to make sure there’s enough power to handle what they have.” Not knowing the wattage and amperage of the decorations or the house’s capabilities, he warns, is certainly a recipe for disaster.

The company offers customers the option of purchasing or renting a display or part of one directly from them or having their own decorations installed. By using their service he points out that a customer can change their look without having to go out and buy everything from scratch.

Displays can be as simple and elegant or elaborate as the customer chooses. The price tag for services begin with a basic design on a standard size house coming in at around $500 and increasing as does the size of the property and the level of decorations used. “Obviously the more of a blow-out you want, the more expensive it gets,” says DiLorenzo. “But no matter what we do,” he says, “we treat our customers equally in terms of maintenance and service.”

For those interested in getting on the path to Christmas decorating, John’s All Season serving both residential and commercial clients, offers services including roofline, walkway and stake lighting as well as string lights, clear or colored and LED lighting, wreaths and garland, lit and unlit, animations, Nativity Scenes and more.

They are also offering a 20% discount to all first time customers only.

You can reach them at 718-751-6235 or 646-403-2259 or visit them on the Web at www. johnsallseasom.com or on Facebook at: www. facebook.com/johnsallseason

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718-751-6235 • 646-403-2259 www.johnsallseason.com www.facebook.com/johnsallseason THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013 | 17

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Howard Beach, NY 11414 718-843-2500 20 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013

At Christ the King, Students Show Off Their Talents With Musical Rendition of 'A Christmas Carol'

By Anna Gustafson As students whirled around the stage in the Hugh P. Kirwan Perform Arts Center at Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village in a frenzy of dance and song on Monday, they gazed upon an auditorium that, come Friday evening, will be teeming with friends, family, community members, and theater lovers of all kinds eager to see the school’s first ever performance of “A Christmas Carol.”

About 65 students from the Christ the King Theatre Production group have since August been preparing for Friday, Dec. 6, when they will put on a musical version of Charles Dickens’ beloved 1843 tale of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and his emotional transformation following visits from Scrooge’s former business partner, the deceased Jacob Marley, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.

“I really liked seeing how it was adapted to a musical - that has reinvigorated the story,” said Max Lamadrid, who plays Bob Cratchit Scrooge’s overworked and underpaid clerk.

Like fans of “A Christmas Carol” for more than a century and a half, students said they believe the story speaks to a message close to their own hearts: The importance of family.

“There’s the idea that you should be spending Christmas with people who love you,” said Joseph Ortega, who plays the miserly Scrooge.

“It shows you to never let the people you love go,” added Megan Gonzalez, who plays the Ghost of Christmas Future.

Launching rehearsals in August, the students from the actors to the stage crew - have spent countless hours together, creating an experience that has not only cemented the idea that they want to spend their lives on, or behind, a stage, but which has brought the pupils together in a very different way than happens in regular school classes.

“You get to spend a lot of time with people who share the same interests as you,” said Daniella Cariola, who is in charge of the sound for the show.

Montana Balzer, who is in charge of lighting, and Richard Tuske, the stage manager, also noted how close everyone has become - from those on stage to those off.

“It’s fun seeing the show come together,” Tuske said. This production is one of numerous shows performed by the Christ the King Theatre Production group, which was founded during the 2004-05 school year and has since put on such performances as “Grease,” “Sweeney Todd,” and “Phantom of the Opera” - for which they were the first school to receive royalties from Broadway composer Andrew Lloyd Weber.

Alongside the students, parents and other com-

Students gather for one of the last rehearsals before their five-show run of "A Christmas Carol" debuts Friday.

Joseph Ortega, who plays the miserly Scrooge, rehearses on Monday.

Christ the King High School students in the performance said they have bonded with their classmates while spending hours together rehearsing for the production.

The production's co-directors, John Bellington, left, Heather Arzberger, and Frank DeBiase said they have been thrilled to watch their students grow during the months of rehearsals.

Students work on the show's lighting and sound.

munity members are frequently part of the performances - for example, in “A Christmas Carol,” a number of area residents are part of the 22-person live orchestra that plays during the show.

After beginning with about 13 students in 2004, interest in the theater group has skyrocketed and more than 60 pupils are now part of the organization. A number of graduates of the program have gone on to professional theater groups.

“We try to give them a professional experience,” said Heather Arzberger, who co-directs the production alongside John Bellington and Frank

Anna Gustafson/The Forum Newsgroup

DeBiase - three people on whom Christ the King Regional High School President Michael Michel lauded.

“Without these three people, it would’ve never been the success that it is,” Michel said of the theatre program.

Watching as the students began hours of practice on Monday, Bellington and his co-directors said they could not wait see the culmination of the months of hard work this weekend.

“We’ve seen them grow, and we’ve seen how talented they are,” Bellington said of the students.

After performing for more than 1,000 students from other area schools, both public and private, on Wednesday, the theatre group will begin its run of “A Christmas Carol” at 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6.

There will be shows at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7 and Saturday, 14, as well as shows at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8 and Sunday, Dec. 15.

Tickets for the general public are available for purchase by visiting www.showtix4u.com or www. ctkny.org.

For more information, call the school at (718) 366-7400.

Adam Sandler Set to Film New Indie Movie in Glendale Glendale residents, get ready: Your neighborhood is about to shine in the latest indie film from Adam Sandler, of “Happy Gilmore” and “Funny People” fame.

“The Cobbler,” which also stars Steve Buscemi and Dustin Hoffman, is expected to film at the intersection of 79th Street and 77th Avenue in Glendale on Dec. 11, 13 and 14.

Written and directed by Tom McCarthy - the acclaimed director

behind such movies as “The Visitor” and “The Station Agent” - the film follows the life of Max, a merchant on the Lower East Side who discovers he has the chance to morph into almost anyone - a power he hopes will land him his love interest.

Sandler, 47, was born in Brooklyn, where his father worked as an electrical engineer and his mother as a nursery school teacher. After moving to New Hampshire as a young child, Sandler

went on to attend New York University and soon after launched a successful career in comedy in film that has included starring roles in “Big Daddy,” “Punch-Drunk Love” and “Reign Over Me.” He founded Happy Madison Productions, a film and television production company, in 1999.

Buscemi, also a Brooklyn native, has starred in such movies as “Reservoir Dogs,” “Armageddon” and “Big Fish.”

Since 2010, he has starred on the criti-

cally acclaimed television series “Boardwalk Empire.”

Hoffman’s long and storied career includes his breakthrough role in “The Graduate,” as well as starring roles in “All the President’s Men,” “Kramer Vs. Kramer,” and “Rain Man.” Photo Courtesy Wikipedia

Adam Sandler is expected to film his latest indie movie in Glendale in mid-December.

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013 | 21

FREE HOME DELIVERY SALE STARTS 12/05/13

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22 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013

Ozone Park Native Sets Sights on Becoming the Next Miss New York

By Anna Gustafson

Photo Courtesy Kelly Bojos

Kelly Bojos, 20, is setting her sights on winning the Miss New York Pageant - which she competed in earlier this year and placed in the top 10.

BR

Of all the lessons a lifetime of dancing has taught Ozone Park native Kelly Bojos, perhaps one of the most important is that rejection is a part of life - and all one can do after falling is to get up, dust off, and keep shooting for the stars.

This is exactly what Bojos, 20, is planning on doing come Jan. 17, when the Queens resident aims to win the Miss New York Pageant in which she competed earlier this year. One of the youngest of the 135 women from throughout the state to compete at the event that was held last January at SUNY Purchase College, Bojos ended up placing in the top 10 in her first-ever pageant.

Now the young woman is setting her sights on doing even better than she did last time.

“I would love to win,” said Bojos, a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology who attended St. Mary Gate of Heaven in Ozone Park and graduated from the prestigious LaGuardia High School in Manhattan. “I want to make the top five. I want to go beyond the point I went last year. I’ve been looking at my videotape from last year and

BRUNO-RISTORANTE ITALIANO

studying what I did and what I can do better.”

While the Miss New York competition was her first pageant, Bojos is not stranger to the world of performing- she spent much of her earliest years learning Spanish dancing, such as the merengue and salsa, from her grandmother and began her dancing career at the age of five at Ozone Park’s Rising Stars Dance Studio, where she now teaches. As a student at St. Mary Gate of Heaven, she starred as Sandy in “Grease” and as Glinda the Good Witch in “The Wizard of Oz.” “I feel like dancing has definitely given me that extra drive,” Bojos said. “It’s prepared me to really learn how to balance my work ethic - I’ve juggled a lot between school, work and dance in my life. Without that, I don’t know if I’d be as daring as I am. I’m not scared of rejection.”

Throughout her life, Bojos said she has had the nonstop support from members of her family - who are now cheering her on as she prepared for the next chapter of her pageant life. If she takes first place in Miss New York, she would go on to compete in Miss U.S.A. - and if she landed the gold in that, Bojos would

move onto Miss Universe.

Should she claim the top honors in Miss New York, Bojos would, as all those who win first place do, travel the state to speak to students about a platform of her choosing.

In Bojos’ case, she hopes to get the chance to address bullying and the performing arts.

Still, even if she doesn’t get the chance to travel statewide to speak to students, Bojos has already inspired youngsters.

“I teach 3- to 17-year-olds at Rising Stars, and I want to be a role model for them,” she said. “I love teaching them.”

Ultimately, Bojos, who is a junior at FIT studying advertising, marketing and communications, hopes to venture into the world of broadcast media.

“I love entertainment, so my dream job is doing entertainment news and maybe one day hosting a show,” she said.

But, no matter where life takes her, dancing will always play a starring role.

“Dancing will always be in my blood,” she said. “And pageants I’m very new to, but I met so many amazing girls there. It’s incredible.”

Bruno’s Ristorante 158-22 Cross Bay Blvd., Howard Beach 718-322-7866

Happy Holidays from Bruno Ristorante Bruno and the entire staff would like to wish you all a very happy and healthy holiday season!

Take Out Feast Available for Christmas Eve! All of your traditional favorites, prepared just the way you love them Pulpo, Baccala, Seafood Salad and many more Let us help you bring the best to your table for this special night!

Call early to place your order for Christmas Eve Open from noon to 6 p.m.

The dining room will be closed for serving on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013 | 23

TAKING CARE OF "BIDness"

A Holiday Wonderland of Savings Christmas Tree ing & Menorah Light pm

Shop Woodhaven’s Jamaica Avenue “The Everything” Avenue

From Dexter Court to 100th Street Discounted Prices December 6 at 6:30 Forest Parkway Plaza 2-Hour Parking For Your Shopping Convenience Forest Parkway & Jamaica Ave. Clean • Safe • Extra Security a t n a S Welcome n Parade Specialized “Small Town” Shopping ve 2 noon a h d o o W to December 7 at 1 Lane H.S. Starts at

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ATTORNEYS James F. Rooney, Esq8................................ 86-07 Marianne Gonzales Esq ............................... 95-07 Joseph T. Schmidt Esq ................................. 95-29 AWARDS Capo’s Awards.............................................. 79-13 BANK Queens County Savings Bank.............80-35, 93-22 Chase Bank .................................................. 84-01a Community Federal Savings Bank ............... 89-07 Chase Bank .................................................. 90-14 BAKERY Pan Ugo Bakery ........................................... 84-42 La Gitana Bakery.......................................... 90-12 Paneorama ................................................... 95-20 BEAUTY SUPPLY Sumi Eyebrows ............................................ 79-17 Mehak Beauty Salon .................................... 87-12 Pretty Beauty Supply.................................... 87-16 Coco Nail and Spa ....................................... 87-24 Miss Nails ..................................................... 90-22 I Stars Beauty Supply................................... 91-05

CLOTHING - ATHLETIC Sports Lane .................................................. 85-15 Pro Trend Sneaker Store.............................. 92-13 DRIVING SCHOOL Trama's Auto School..................................... 79-10 LADIES’ APPAREL Mary’s Fashion Boutique .............................. 79-10 Rainbow Shop .............................................. 85-12 Today’s Girl................................................... 85-13 Baby Blue Ladies ......................................... 91-17 Maragarita’s Outlet ....................................... 95-07 MEN’S Valerie’s Men & Women’s............................. 80-17 R.S. Army/Navy............................................ 91-13

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INSURANCE State Farm Insurance ................................... 79-22 Allstate.......................................................... 84-15 Ohlert & Ruggiere......................................... 89-11

FLORIST Park Place Florist ......................................... 88-16 Lands Flowers .............................................. 92-03 Forever Flowers ........................................... 92-18

CLEANERS Wash & Dry Round the Clock Laundromat... 78-07 H.M.Y. Laundry............................................. 84-14 Spirare French Cleaners...............................84-20A Florence Cleaners ........................................ 84-29 Montana Cleaners ........................................ 85-06

MARKET C-Town ......................................................... 74-39 Compare....................................................... 77-20 Sam’s Deli .................................................... 80-01 Fish Store ..................................................... 84-30 Gratia Market................................................ 84-31 Scaturro’s ..................................................... 84-39 Harry’s Grocery Store................................... 86-06 Sam’s Deli ................................................... 87-08 Jamaica Gourmet Deli .................................. 89-02 Pioneer ......................................................... 90-03 Minimarket .................................................... 95-13 C-Town Bravo ............................................... 98-02 HEALTH Health Store Vitamins................................... 84-09

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MULTISERVICES Woodhaven Multiservices............................. 87-09

CRAFT STORE Smiley Yarn .................................................. 92-06

CELLULAR & PHONE RELATED STORES Universal Multi-Services Inc ......................... 76-08 Verizon Wireless........................................... 80-05 A-One Electronic Cellular Phone & Jewelry. 85-07 Sprint PCS.................................................... 90-24 Radio Shack ................................................. 92-11 CPR Wireless ............................................... 93-29 Cellular Explosion......................................... 95-07

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FOOT CARE Podiatry ........................................................ 86-12 Podiatrist Doctor........................................... 87-24 Woodhaven Footcare ................................... 95-11

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FURNITURE J&L Furniture ................................................ 78-19 The Home Furnishing Center ....................... 80-38

FRAMES Woodrich Glass & Mirror .............................. 86-11

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24 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013

ber 14 a nd 21 Forest P arkway Plaza 1:00 pm – 4:00 p m

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Look for our Holiday Trolley on Sunday, December 15th!

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Have Taken w Your Photo ith Santa Decem Cla

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PRINTING Beat the Clock .............................................. 97-13 RESTAURANTS May May Kitchen (Chinese Food) ................ 74-22 Fried Chicken Restaurant............................. 74-38 King Wok Chinese Food............................... 79-09 Shanghai Kitchen ......................................... 80-11 Subway......................................................... 80-28 Frank’s.......................................................... 80-29 Fresco Tortillas ............................................. 84-17 Palace Fried Chicken ................................... 84-50 Japanese/Sushi ............................................ 85-18 The New Pops .............................................. 85-22 Thai Restaurant ............................................ 86-05 Kentucky Fried Chicken ............................... 87-17 Tropical Restaurant ...................................... 88-18 Ho Wan Take-Out ......................................... 88-22 McDonald’s................................................... 91-01 Avenue Diner (Formerly Forest View Restaurant) .............. 91-06 Carnival House (Chinese) ............................ 92-09 Dunkin’ Donuts ............................................. 92-17 Dunkin’ Donuts ............................................. 84-13 Popeye’s Chicken......................................... 92-20 Hetmans Polish Deli ..................................... 94-18 Manor German Deli ..................................... 94-12 Dumpling House ........................................... 95-12 Cheung King................................................. 97-17 El Anzualo .................................................... 98-01 UPHOLSTERY Polo’s Upholstery.......................................... 77-09 Imperial Upholstering ................................... 86-08 VARIETY Melanie’s Gift Shop ...................................... 79-17 Gift Shop ...................................................... 79-16 99¢ Store ...................................................... 80-16 Dee ‘n Dee ................................................... 80-19 GEM ............................................................. 84-33 Variety Store ................................................. 85-08 Hallmark Cards............................................. 86-03 Jembro ......................................................... 90-34 Discount Express ........................................ 91-04 Priceless ....................................................... 91-07 $5 And Up-Deals .......................................... 96-01 VIDEO STORE Tyler’s Video ................................................. 79-24 AND MANY MORE!

Howard Beach Mourns for Beloved Community Pharmacist Dave Olsen's courageous struggle ends peacefully

By Patricia Adams Howard Beach was deeply saddened over the passing of one of its beloved community members shortly before Thanksgiving.

Dave Olsen was well known to many as the pharmacist in Waldbaum’s for nearly 15 years and also served as a dedicated volunteer for the Howard Beach Relay for Life.

Dave was diagnosed with cancer four years ago––in fact he received the news one week before the first relay took place. But he did not let that stop him; he continued to bring his cheer, hope and encouragement, not only to the event each and every year but also throughout the year, despite being so ill himself.

He is someone that will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved him and certainly by the HB Relay community.

Following are some thoughts about Dave from the Relay chair, Phyllis Inserillo: Every year that we have joined together at Charles Park for the ACS Relay For Life, one of the parts that I always looked forward to the most is visiting the survivors’ reception right after the first lap.

For five years, the same person always greeted me first ––Dave Olsen. His wife Stephanie and their daughters, Caitlin and Emily, were never far behind, serving food and handing out gifts.

Photo Courtesy HB Relay for Life Dave Olsen ( far left) with in-laws Peter and Grace Belmonte, wife Stephanie and daughters Caitlin and Emily at 2010 Relay for Life at which he was the Survivor Honoree of the Year.

They are a family dedicated to the greater good, inspiring everyone along the way.

I remember Dave's diagnosis, just a week before the first relay; he had spent the weeks prior fund raising with his girls at the little league, at church and even holding a lemonade sale with me and my kids at the Memorial Day parade. It was hard to understand how someone who was so full of life

had this terrible disease.

Initially, I feared his diagnosis would lead to him shying away from Relay, but he never strayed and was always there, willing to help.

I came to learn that Dave lived his entire life according to the premise upon which Relay was built: try to make someone’s life a little bit better, just by being there.

As chair of the event for the last five years and being a family friend of the Olsen’s for even longer, I witnessed the love that Dave has for his children, wife and extended family.

For over 14 years as the pharmacist at Waldbaum’s on Cross Bay Boulevard, he showed tremendous patience and kindness to all of his customers.

At his funeral mass, long time friend Father John described him. “ Dave not only taught us how to live, he taught us how to die.” Having decided to forego a holistic approach that would have taken him out of state when doctors told him that conventional treatments wouldn’t help him, he just wanted to stay home and live the rest of his life peacefully. He wanted to be with his family and for them to have the most normal life possible. He was worried about them not himself.

Dave’s influence is evident in the way his daughters have handled his death. They are strong and there for one another and their mom ––who has shown herself to be an amazing woman.

Many may question how they will get through this but I know they will, having been taught by someone so wonderful and so selfless.

Dave will be missed on the track at Relay but there is no doubt that he will be watching the survivor lap from up above offering the loving brand of encouragement that was his trademark.

Rest in peace Dave and know that the mark you made on us will live a thousand lifetimes.

YOU'RE INVITED!

tHE LITTLE NORTH POLE An annual holiday event hosted by Joe Mure to benefit JDRF

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Pre-show and music and 5:30pm sharp • Show 6:00 pm sharp 144-03 Neponsit Avenue • Neponsit Beach, NY

Live Entertainment, Food, Drinks and Toys for All! Emcee Goumba Johnny & Joe Causi • Tony Sirico–The Sopranos • American Bombshells • Lucas Prata • Carol Douglas Angelo Venuto • Christopher Macchio • LaSara • Special surprise guest

Drawing for 2014 Mercedes Benz CLA-250–24 Month Lease

Rain Date: Sunday, December 8th at 5:00pm sharp THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013 | 25

You Are Invited to a SPECIAL HEALING SERVICE at Howard Beach Assembly of God • prayer with the laying-on-of-hands for all who are in need • true-life testimonies • faith-building message

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7 at 10:45 a.m.

Howard Beach Assembly of God Church 158-31 99th Street, Howard Beach 26 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013

FORUM FUN & GAMES ACROSS 1. Bug hitting windshield, e.g.

6. Presidents' Day month 9. Party barrels 13. Moonshine 14. Grassland 15. Beyond normal limits 16. _____ Boo Boo 17. Opposite of nothing 18. It has front and rear seats 19. *Misfit elf dentist 21. *"It's a Wonderful Life" star 23. Unopened tulip 24. Oliver Twist, e.g.

25. White wine and cassis 28. ___ _ good example 30. Sect follower 35. "National Velvet" author Bagnold 37. Earth's neighbor 39. Some are on a shorter one than others 40. Windmill blade 41. Top dog 43. Attached to a wheel 44. Magazine's special feature 46. *"A Christmas Story" leg ____ 47. Capital on the Dnieper 48. Vital 50. Cleopatra's necklace 52. Chester White's home 53. Strip of wood 55. *"__ Be Home For Christmas" 57. *It happened on 34th Street 61. Show off 64. Acid in proteins 65. Ides month 67. Holy See loyalist practicing different rites 69. Closely watched on Black Friday 70. Before prefix 71. ___ Domingo 72. Old World duck 73. *Astaire's character in "Holiday Inn" 74. Clear the blackboard

DOWN

1. "Be quiet!"

2. *"Winnie the ____ and Christmas Too" 3. Like a famous Ranger 4. Tart 5. Immune system organ 6. Strip the skin off 7. Slippery reef dweller 8. Model-building wood 9. Acknowledged or recognized 10. Tropical tuberous root 11. Its seed yields gum used as thickener 12. Email folder 15. Utilitarian 20. Swelling from accumulation of fluid 22. Clinical twitching 24. "On the _______" or in a belligerent mood 25. *He was left home alone 26. Silly 27. Between shampoo and repeat 29. ____ tale 31. Pipe problem 32. Yellow rides 33. Speck in the ocean 34. *Famous lampooner on Christmas vacation 36. Owner's acquisition 38. Idiot, Yiddish 42. Patriots' Day month 45. Phone companies 49. Indian dish 51. *Agreement to assume Santa's identity 54. Dangle a carrot 56. Relating to the moon 57. Physics calculation 58. Mosque V.I.P. 59. Agitate 60. All over again 61. *Santa's bitter old brother 62. Columbus' vessel 63. Makes lace 66. Exist 68. Corn site

CROSSWORD

SOLUTIONS FROM LAST WEEK'S PUZZLE

SUDOKU

TRIVIA

1. What's the name of the ballet danced by the Ghost of Christmas Present in 'Scrooged'?

2. What's the name of the film-within-a-film watched by Kevin McCallister in 'Home Alone'?

3. What does Clark Griswold receive as his Christmas bonus in 'Christmas Vacation'?

4. What is Buddy's favorite food in 'Elf'?

Answers from Last Week: 1: Amen. 2: Mafia. 3: Drunk.

4: Presses Suits. 5: A Drum Roll.

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013 | 27

THE HAPPENINGS

Thursday, Dec. 5

Christ the King Tree Lighting

Christ the King Regional High School 68-02 Metropolitan Ave., Middle Village 6 p.m.

Bring your camera and take a picture with Santa on his magic sleigh at Christ the King’s annual Christmas tree lighting. For children, there will be bouncy houses indoors. Hot chocolate and cookies will be available, and there will be a sing-along with Christ the King’s chorus. For more information, please call the school at (718) 366-7400.

Howard Beach Senior Center Art Class

155-55 Crossbay Blvd.

The Howard Beach Senior Center will offer art classes with a certified teacher from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., as well as from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. All individuals age 60 and older are welcome to attend. The center is located on Crossbay Boulevard across from Waldbaums.

For more information, call (718) 738-8100.

Exercise at Ridgewood Older Adult Center

59-14 70th Ave., Ridgewood 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Seniors age 60 and older are welcome to attend the one-hour Richard Simmons exercise activity each Thursday beginning at 10:30 a.m. For more information, please call Karen at the center at (718) 456-2000.

Friday, Dec. 6 Broad Channel Craft Fair

Howard Beach Senior Center Bridge

Yoga in Howard Beach

Howard Beach Senior Center 155-55 Cross Bay Blvd. 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

All seniors, ages 60 and over, are welcome to attend yoga with Charlie Roemer every Friday morning.

For more information, call the center at (718) 738-8100.

Yoga at Ridgewood Older Adult Center

59-14 70th Ave., Ridgewood 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Seniors age 60 and older are welcome to attend a yoga class with Rosemarie Augoustatos every Friday.

For more information, please call Karen at the center at (718) 456-2000.

Saturday, Dec. 7 The Little North Pole

144-03 Neponsit Ave., Neponsit Beach 5:30 p.m.

Joe Mure will host his annual holiday event to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The pre-show and music will begin at 5:30 p.m., and the show will begin at 6 p.m. There will be live entertainment, food, drinks, and toys for all. A drawing for a 2014 Mercedes Benz will also be held.

The rain date is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 8 at 5 p.m.

Our Lady of Hope Eliot Avenue at 71st St., Middle Village 9 a.m to 5 p.m.

More than 80 vendors selling various items at great prices will be at Our Lady of Hope. Ample parking is available in the church lot, the kitchen will be open all day, and there will be raffles.

Festival of Lessons and Carols

St. Nicholas Day Celebration

Maspeth’s Tree Lighting Ceremony

Maspeth Memorial Plaza 69th Street and Grand Avenue, Maspeth 6 p.m.

The annual Maspeth tree lighting ceremony will include a visit from Santa, entertainment by local musicians, and a free raffle for a bicycle. The event is sponsored by the Maspeth Chamber of Commerce. For more information, visit www.maspethchamberofcommerce.org.

Friday, Dec. 6 Saturday, Dec. 7 Sunday, Dec. 8 Saturday, Dec. 14 Sunday, Dec. 15

‘A

Holiday Fair and Flea Market

Making Music with Marimba

The Church-in-the-Gardens 50 Ascan Ave., Forest Hills 7:30 p.m.

International percussion virtuoso and Queens resident Makoto Nakura plays with violinist Jesse Mills and pianist Barbara Podgurski. The program includes Nakura’s own transcriptions of Bach’s Solo Partita in E major and Saint-Saëns’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso; the pyrotechnic display of Paganini’s Caprice no. 24 and Stravinsky’s Three Movements from Petrushka; and more recent works by Japanese composers Toshi Ichiyanagi and Toshio Mashima. Admission is $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, $10 for students, and free for children under 12. For more information, please visit www.musicareginae.org.

Sunday, Dec. 8 Christmas Tree Lighting in Glendale

Glendale Memorial Triangle Myrtle Avenue and 69th Street 5:30 p.m.

Everyone is invited to celebrate the holidays with the Glendale Chamber of Commerce’s annual Christmas tree lighting. Joe Fuoco and friends will be performing all your favorite holiday tunes, and neighborhood children can visit with Santa Claus and receive a free gift. This is an annual neighborhood tradition that attracts hundreds of children and their families, so come and enjoy the kickoff of the holiday season with all of your friends and neighbors.This is a free event, but any donation for the Glendale Volunteer Ambulance Corps will be greatly appreciated.

Ridgewood Market

Gottscheer Hall 657 Fairview Ave., Ridgewood 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

More than 40 independent and local artisan vendors will be at the Ridgewood Market’s holiday event. Local, artisan and vintage gifts will be available for purchase, and there will be food, pastries, and brunch. Vendors are welcome to reserve space by going to www.ridgewoodmarket.com/sell-here.

Church of the Resurrection For more information, email contact@ridgewoodmarket.com, 85-09 118 St., Richmond Hill 6:30 p.m.

Come join the Church of the Resurrection for an evening of fun call (347) 460-7549, or visit www.fb.com/ridgewoodmarket or and enjoyment. The event is open to the community and will www.ridgewoodmarket.com. This event will be held again on Sunday, Dec. 15, at the same time and place. include a St. Nick prayer service at 6:30 p.m. in the church. At 7 p.m., there will be food, fun, music, and a visit from St. Nick with gifts in the parish center. There is no admission fee.

To make reservations or for more information, please call (718) 847-2649.

Broad Channel Craft Fair

American Legion Post 1404 209 Cross Bay Blvd., Broad Channel 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The Broad Channel Crafters will hold their annual craft fair, and all proceeds will benefit the American Legion Post 1404 Rebuilding Fund. There will be homemade crafts, baked goods, chocolates,

Christmas Carol’ Musical Performance

Christ the King Regional High School 68-02 Metropolitan Ave., Middle Village 2 p.m.

Christ the King will perform the beloved musical version of “A Christmas Carol,” based on Charles Dickens’ famous novella that tells the story of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation following visits by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. For more information, please visit www.CTKNY.org or call (718) 366-7400.

28 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013

Flea Market in Ridgewood

155-55 Crossbay Blvd.

The Howard Beach Senior Center offers a variety of bridge Ridgewood Older Adult Center playing experiences. There is supervised bridge on Fridays 59-14 70th Ave., Ridgewood 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and duplicate bridge is offered on Fridays from 12:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. The Howard Beach Senior Still need to go holiday shopping? All are invited to the flea market at the Ridgewood Older Adult Center on Saturday.

Center is now located across from Waldbaums on Cross Bay For more information, please call (718) 456-2000.

Boulevard and is open to anyone 60 or older.

For more information, call (718) 738-8100.

American Legion Post 1404 209 Cross Bay Blvd., Broad Channel 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The Broad Channel Crafters will hold their annual craft fair on Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. All proceeds will benefit the American Legion Post 1404 Rebuilding Fund. There will be homemade crafts, baked goods, chocolates, holiday gifts, and raffles. The kitchen will be open, so come on down and have a bite to eat to help support this worthy cause.

For more information, call the Post at (718) 474-5029.

Our Lady of Hope Church 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Eliot Avenue and 71st Street, Middle Village All are welcome to attend the Festival of Lessons and Carols, a great Advent celebration that is not to be missed. Hosted by the St. Padre Pio Group, the festival is an evening that will be inspirational and entertaining and will include readings, carols, prayers, and many surprises.

holiday gifts, and raffles. The kitchen will be open, so come on down and have a bite to eat to help support this worthy cause.

For more information, call the Post at (718) 474-5029.

Winter Solstice Celebration and Tree Lighting Ceremony

Queens Botanical Garden 43-50 Main St., Flushing 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Get into the holiday spirit with an afternoon of family fun, including a winter garden tour, botanical crafts, live musical performances, and a holiday marketplace.

From 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., photos with Santa will be available.

A tour of the winter garden will run from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., botanical crafts will be available from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and there will be a concert by the Rough Dozen a cappella group performing seasonal songs from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. The tree lighting ceremony and sing-along will occur from 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, visit www.queensbotanical.org.

Holiday Fair and Flea Market

American Martyrs Church 79-43 Bell Blvd., Bayside 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

More than 80 vendors selling various items at great prices will be on site for this holiday fair and flea market. There is parking in the church’s lot, and the kitchen will be open all day.

We'll show you how to have a good time...

Enjoy your community.

Queens Holiday Historic House Tour

1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The Queens Historical Society will kick off the holiday season by offering its 26th annual holiday historic house tour, during which individuals will be able to get a glimpse into what life was like in the borough more than a century ago.

Seven sites are participating in the tour: The Kingsland Homestead, Voelker Orth Museum, Bird Sanctuary and Victorian Garden, Lewis H. Latimer House Museum, Friends Meeting House, Flushing Town Hall, the Bowne House, and, new this year, the Louis Armstrong House Museum.

The Kingsland Homestead, which will feature musical performances and a special holiday gift shop sale of local history books, is located at 143-35 37th Ave. in Flushing. Piano performances and a special gift and plant sale will be held at the Voelker Orth Museum, located at 149-19 38th Ave. in Flushing. The Lewis H. Latimer House Museum will offer house tours and traditional holiday refreshments and is located at 34-41 137th St. in Flushing. The Friends Meeting House will feature performances by the John Scardinia Musical Ensemble, will be open for tours all day, and is located at 137-16 Northern Blvd. in Flushing. The Bowne House is under restoration, but its parlor will be decorated for the holidays and open to visitors.

Beginning at 1:30 p.m., there will be a talk on traditional American Christmas customs at the Bowne House, located at 37-01 Bowne St. in Flushing. The Louis Armstrong House will feature rare audio clips from the musician’s personal recordings, and visitors will get to hear Satchmo’s magical voice reading “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” and other seasonal recordings. The Armstrong museum is located at 34-56 107th St. in Corona.

Advance all-access tickets are $10 and provide admission to all seven sites. These tickets can be purchased online at HolidayHouseTour2013.eventbrite.com or from the Queens Historical Society. Tickets will be sold at the door on Dec. 8 for $12.

A complimentary trolley service from each site is included with all tour tickets. For more information about the tours, contact the Queens Historical Society at (718) 939-0647 or email info@queenshistoricalsociety.org.

Monday, Dec. 9 Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association Public Forum

Emanuel United Church of Christ 91st Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard 7:30 p.m.

The Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association will host a public forum to discuss the future of the defunct Rockaway Branch rail line, which runs along 98th Street.

All are welcome to attend, but only Woodhaven residents will be permitted to speak.

For more information, email info@woodhaven-nyc.org, call (718) 296-3735, or visit www.woodhaven-nyc.org.

Exercise at Ridgewood Older Adult Center

59-14 70th Ave., Ridgewood 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Seniors age 60 and older are welcome to attend the one-hour Richard Simmons exercise activity each Monday beginning at 10:30 a.m.

For more information, please call Karen at the center at (718) 456-2000.

Tai Chi in Howard Beach

Howard Beach Senior Center 155-55 Cross Bay Blvd. 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

All seniors, ages 60 and over, are welcome to attend the tai chi classes, taught by Elaine Fleischman.

For more information, call the center at (718) 738-8100.

Howard Beach Chair Aerobics

Howard Beach Senior Center 155-55 Cross Bay Blvd. 10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

All seniors, ages 60 and over, are welcome to attend chair aerobics with Charlie Roemer.

For more information, call the center at (718) 738-8100.

Game Night at Richmond Hill Library

118-14 Hillside Ave., Richmond Hill 5 p.m.

Children ages 6 to 12 and their families are invited to the Richmond Hill Library’s game night htat is held every Monday evening. There will be board games, puzzles and Legos.

For more information, call the library at (718) 849-7150.

Tuesday, Dec. 10 St. Margaret’s Boy Scout Troop 119 Meeting

St. Margaret’s Parish Hall 66-05 79th Place, Middle Village 7:30 to 9 p.m.

St. Margaret’s Boy Scout Troop 119, the oldest boy scout troop in New York City, is looking for new members to join this nearly 70-year-old organization. Boys ages 8.5 through 17 years old are welcome to join. The troop meets every Tuesday evening from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, please call Charles Krzewski at (718) 894-4099.

Chess Club

Howard Beach Library 92-06 156th Avenue 4 p.m.

Join fellow chess players each Tuesday at the Howard Beach Library. All ages and levels are welcome.

For more information, call (718) 641-7086.

Zumba Dance Fitness for Kids

Richmond Hill Library 118-14 Hillside Ave., Richmond Hill 4:30 p.m.

Children and their families are welcome to come to this Zumba dance activity at the library. Another Zumba dance class will be held Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 4:30 p.m.

For more information, call the library at (718) 849-7150.

Wednesday, Dec. 11 Massage Therapy in Ridgewood

Jewelry Making in Ridgewood

Ridgewood Older Adult Center 59-14 70th Ave., Ridgewood 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Seniors age 60 and older are welcome to attend massage therapy every Wednesday.

For more information, call Karen at the center at (718) 456-2000.

Computer Class for Seniors

Howard Beach Library 92-06 156th Avenue 4 p.m.

Every Wednesday, teens are welcome to enjoy friendly competition with a variety of board games, including Monopoly, checkers, Scrabble, and more.

For more information, call (718) 641-7086.

Ridgewood Older Adult Center 59-14 70th Ave., Ridgewood 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Seniors age 60 and older are welcome to attend a jewelry making class every Monday. For more information, please call Karen at the center at (718) 456-2000.

Ridgewood Older Adult Center 59-14 70th Ave., Ridgewood 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Seniors age 60 and older are welcome to attend a computer class every Monday.

For more information, please call Karen at the center at (718) 456-2000.

Game Day in Howard Beach

Toddler Time

Howard Beach Library 1:30 p.m. 92-06 156th Avenue Join us for stories and fun for children ages 12 months to 36 months and their caregivers.

For more information, call (718) 641-7086.

Thursday, Dec. 12 Richmond Hill South Civic Association Meeting

Knights of Columbus Hall 135-45 Lefferts Blvd. 7:30 p.m.

All are welcome to attend the Richmond Hill South Civic Association’s monthly meeting, at which the group will hold their annual Christmas party. Please bring an $8 gift that will be included in the grab bag. Santa Claus may even make an appearance.

Christmas Blood Drive

Christ the King Regional High School 68-02 Metropolitan Ave., Middle Village 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The blood drive will be held in Christ the King’s high school gymnasium. Walk-ins are welcome.

For more information, please call (718) 366-7400.

Angry Birds Crafts

Richmond Hill Library 118-14 Hillside Ave., Richmond Hill 5 p.m.

Children and their families are invited to learn how to make Angry Birds crafts at the library. The library will also host an ornaments craft event on Thursday, Dec. 12 at 5 p.m., a cookie snowman craft event on Dec. 19 at 5 p.m., and a paper pom poms craft event on Dec. 26 at 5 p.m.

For more information, please call (718) 849-7150.

Saturday, Dec. 14 ‘A Christmas Carol’ Musical Performance

Christ the King Regional High School 68-02 Metropolitan Ave., Middle Village 8 p.m.

Christ the King will perform the beloved musical version of “A Christmas Carol,” based on Charles Dickens’ famous novella that tells the story of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation following visits by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. For more information, please visit www.CTKNY.org or call (718) 366-7400.

Sunday, Dec. 15 Ave Maria Catholic Academy Christmas Fair

158-20 101st St., Howard Beach 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Finish off your holiday shopping at Ave Maria’s Christmas fair, which will feature a wide variety of items from dozens of vendors.

The following vendors will be at the event: Bella Beads, Tracies online Boutique, Salon 57 Boutique, Sorelli Designs, Victoria Cake Pops, Tastefully Simple, Baby G’s, Unique Boutique, Red Gems, Marilenas Pampered Chef, Itty Bitty Posh, Kaaj, Mac Makeup by Terri, Many Masons.com, Oragami Owl, Stella and Dot, The Sugar Shop, Fran Amores Creations, Jessicas Coffee, Vitas Precious Creations, Kristens Bags and Accessories, Debbi Best and Co., Tellili Bowtique, AMCA Christmas Shop, Unlimited Boutiques by C&J, Esthetics by Sandra Velandia, Chic n Shine, and Michell’s Body Wrap.

For information, please contact Doreen DeCandia at (718) 757-2728 or Michelle Soriano at (917) 304-9924.

Christmas Concert

The First Presbyterian Church of Newtown Queens Boulevard at 54th Avenue, Elmhurst 8 p.m.

The First Presbyterian Church of Newtown, newly listed on the National Register of Historic Places, will host an annual Christmas Concert. The church choir will perform with the Harmonious Chorus. Victor Lui and Jonathan Breit will direct, and piano accompaniment will be by Yang Yang and Shirley Ou. There is no charge, but a donation will be collected for badly needed repairs to the church’s present buildings, which date from 1895. The church was founded in 1652.

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013 | 29

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30 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013

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Legal Notices Parsons Plaza Development LLC, Arts of Org filed with SSNY on 07/22/13. Office Location: Queens County, SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: The LLC, 37-20 Prince St., #4A, Flushing, NY 11354.

Purpose: to engage in amy lawful act.

Astoria Distilling Company LLC Arts of Org filed with NY Sec of State (SSNY) on 09/10/12. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: P.O. Box 6410, 2117 Broadway, Astoria, NY 11106. General Purposes.

GREEN TARA INFINITY, LLC Arts of Org filed with NY Sec of State (SSNY) on 06/07/13.

Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 13235 41 Road, Apt. 2D, Flushing, NY 11355. General Purposes.

1446 Gates LLC Arts of Org filed with NY Sec of State (SSNY) on 05/02/13. Office: Queens County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC: P.O. Box 640691, Oakland Gardens, NY 11364.

General Purposes.

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Legal Notices Notice of Formation of 11-11 CLIFFS, LLC, a domestic LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/14/2013.

Office location: QUEENS County.

SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: The LLC, 16741 147TH AVENUE JAMAICA NY 11434. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

FE & MW LLC, a domestic LLC, filed with the SSNY on 9/10/13. Office location: Queens County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Georges Wolecki, 240 Alameda Ave., Douglaston, NY 11362.

General Purpose.

Notice of Formation (LLC). Name: SEMPERIDE LLC Articles of Organization filed with NY Dept. of State on 10/25/13. Office location: Queens COUNTY. NY DOS shall mail copy of process to: 9153 79TH STREET, WOODHAVEN, NY, 11421 Purpose: Any lawful activity Notice of Formation of 1128 DECATUR STREET, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/05/13. Office location: Queens County. Princ. office of LLC: 210 Hollywood Ave., Douglaston, NY 11363. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of Black Box Productions, LLC. Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 10/18/13. Office location: Queens County. Princ. bus. addr.: ­­­­­6464 Sunset Blvd., Ste. 800, Los Angeles, CA 90028. LLC formed in DE on 7/11/13. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served.

DE addr. of LLC: 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes.

444 MIDDLE NECK RD LLC Art. Of Org. Filed Sec. of State of NY 04/26/2013. Off. Loc.: Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY to mail copy of process to The LLC, 4 Sands Court, Great Neck, NY 11023. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity.

NO CAP LLC Arts of Org filed with NY Sec of State (SSNY) on 10/23/13.

Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: P Samant 2323 33rd Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11106. General Purposes.

TRI FUTURE VISION LLC Arts of Org. filed NY Secy of State (SSNY) 10/9/13. Office:Queens Co. SSNY design. agent of LLC upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy to 5822 Hewlett St. Little Neck NY 11362. Purpose: any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: VAGAST HOLDING I LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/06/13. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to the LLC, c/o Vasiliki Vagenas, 147-34 7th Avenue, Whitestone, New York 11357.

Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Communikate Media, LLC Arts of Org filed with NY Sec of State (SSNY) on 09/05/13. Office: Queens County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC: 133-43 85th Street, Ozone Park, NY 11417. General Purposes.

90-08 Queens LLC Arts of Org filed with NY Sec of State (SSNY) on 10/8/13. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 118 Eldridge St, #8, NY, NY 10002. General Purposes.

Legal Notices Notice of Formation of JOHN H. JOSEPH PLLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/19/2013. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC 7153 Nansen Street, Forest Hills, NY 11375. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of formation of GREEK CONCERT STATUS, LLC. Art. Of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 9/5/2012. Office in Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 19664 49th Avenue Fresh Meadows, NY 11365. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of NY SKYLINE ASSOCIATES LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/11/2013. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Kamil Grabowski 11031 73 Road, Ste 2H, Forest Hills, NY 11375. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF GUARDIANSHIP PETITION TO: JONMEL HURDLE FROM: Clerk of Court - At Risk New Castle County ALYS SMITH has brought suit against you for Guardianship in the Family Court of the State of Delaware for New Castle County in petition number 13-06400.

If you do not serve a response to the petition to the Court or to the Petitioner’s Attorney Within 20 days after publication of this notice, exclusive of the date of publication, as required by statute, this action will be heard without further notice at Family Court.

Notice of Formation DEM NY-NC ASSOCIATES LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 10/09/13. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to the LLC: 217-15 136 Road, Springfield Gardens, NY 11413.

Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of 118-12 101 LLC, a domestic LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 09/03/2013.

Office location: QUEENS County.

SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail acopy of process to: 81-15 138th Street, Briarwood, NY 11435.

Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Notice of Formation of MAY SQUARED REAL ESTATE LLC. Arts of Org. filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 4/24/13. Office: Queens.

SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to The LLC, 255-07 61st Avenue, 1st Floor, Little Neck, NY 11362. Purpose: any lawful activity.

DATE WRITE LLC, a domestic LLC, filed with the SSNY on 8/28/13.

Office location: Queens County.

SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: James Swierczewski, 79-17 Pitkin Ave., Ozone Park, NY 11417. General Purposes.

MWB PROPERTIES, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/30/05. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 32-75 Steinway St., Ste. 212, Astoria, NY 11103. Purpose: any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: NY QUEENS DEVELOPMENT LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 04/25/13. Office location: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to the LLC, 58-32 218th Street, Oakland Gardens, New York 11364.

Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation AUGUSTINE GOLD CPA PLLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York Majestic Realty Prestigious Homes (SSNY) on 07/29/13. Office location: And Estates LLC Arts. of Org. filed Queens County. SSNY has been with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on designated as agent of the LLC upon 1/5/12. Office in Queens Co. SSNY whom process against it may be desig. agent of LLC upon whom served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process against it may be served. process to the LLC: 153 Oakwood SSNY shall mail process to 71-27 Road, Huntington, NY 11743.

Myrtle Ave., Glendale, NY 11385.

Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Purpose: General.

Notice of Formation of P&R ASTORIA, LLC Arts. of Org. filed Touchstone Clinical Research with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on LLC Arts of Org filed with NY Sec 11/06/13. Office location: Queens of State (SSNY) on 04/22/13. Office: County. Princ. office of LLC: 154Queens County. SSNY designated 50 12th Rd., Whitestone, NY 11357. as agent of LLC upon whom SSNY designated as agent of LLC process may be served. SSNY shall upon whom process against it may mail process to: Touchstone Clinical be served. SSNY shall mail process Research LLC 203 42 27th Avenue, to the LLC at the addr. of its princ.

Bayside, NY 11360. General office. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Purposes.

THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013 | 31

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THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013 | 33

Away From the Crowds, A Welcome Respite in Mom-and-Pop Shops

By Hannah Sheehan

ed in the holiday as a way of supporting the community. “I like the idea of it,”she said.

“In our area, there’s a couple of small businesses that have shut down recently, and it’s vacant storefronts,” Alex said. “You want to support these small businesses to avoid that kind of stuff.”

At Thank Heaven Children's Clothing and Toy Boutique, employee Catherine used a pair of scissors to curl pink ribbon as she wrapped a gift for a customer.

“Every item in the store has been handpicked,” Catherine explained, so you can’t go wrong when choosing a present.

“Parents may not be so generous with their own kids, but when it comes to celebrating new life, people are very kind,” she said, adding that the chance to celebrate with them is part of the reason she loves her job.

The store’s owner, Ariena Thomsen, first opened shop at 72-18 Austin Street nine years ago.

“We’re not on commission and I think it definitely translates into individual attention,” Catherine said.

Further down the block at Stoa Jewelry, owner Rena Monogenis sat in the back of the cozy little shop repairing a necklace.

“It has become a trend--not to be busy,” Marie Sinanian, the store’s co-owner, grumbled.

Monogenis was more optimistic, viewing the lull as a temporary setback. “The two holidays fell together and people are away, but I think people are pretty concerned about the economy,” she said.

“It’s also cold. There are many factors, but I would say it’s mainly the economy,” Monogenis elaborated. “I think people psychologically are down and I think economically, they’re afraid.”

The shop owners have been through stretches like this before while in business over the past 45 years.

“We’ve done whatever has needed to be done to jewelry as long as technically it can be done,” Monogenis said with a smile.

Sinanian chimed in. “We have very unusual things and it’s not because we say it, our customers say it,” she said.

“They can go to department stores if they want the usual thing,” Monogenis shrugged.

“I put myself into my business," she continued. "For us, it’s quite personal and I would not have it any other way.”

“Small Business Saturday,” a mom-and-pop retailer-promoting shopping holiday created

by American Express in 2010, was a low-key affair in Forest Hills last week.

Shoppers strolled down Austin Street arm in arm, leisurely sipping coffee and intermittently stopping to peer into store windows.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving scene was casual and convivial - a far, and, for many, welcome, cry from the big box store pandemonium of Gray Thursday - other wise known as Thanksgiving - or Black Friday.

At 72-28 Austin Street, the Naples-born owner of DMITRY Ties was arranging colorful Italian silk pocket squares. He was offering a sale in honor of the shopping event: Five ties and five pocket squares for $150 dollars.

Hannah Sheehan/The Forum Newsgroup Dmitry Toscano designs the ties himself and The owners of Stoa Jewelry said their customers know to go to them for unique items. changes the patterns every month and a half.

“We try to do a young, more modern look because ties are such an old accessory, so you always try to change things up, like with the vivid colors,” he said.

Toscano opened the men’s accessories store in 2006. Apart from his own designs, he also sells shirts by Brio and Dolce Guava and popular Lorenzo Uomo socks. Toscano is carrying a line of women’s gloves especially for the holidays.

“The big item is the reversible ties," he said. "These are basically two ties in one. And then we do skinny ties for much younger customers and we have the regular width ties, which are more classic."

Stoa Jewelry has been in business for nearly five decades.

Marc Pine was manning the counter of his comfortably overstuffed antique shop a few doors down. Pine opened the store, Instant Replay, 35 years ago as a consignment shop.

He used to have to seek out his merchandise. “Now it just comes in. People just bring it into me all the time. ‘You wanna buy this?’

‘You wanna buy that?’ It’s much easier than it used to be,” he said.

The business soon expanded to include art objects and antiques.

“I have ancient things. I have things that are 500 years old, a thousand years old, and I have, you know, last year’s Chanel,” he explained.

Outside the store, Kew Gardens residents Kelly and Alex, who prefered not to give their last names, said they the found the holiday’s At Thank Heaven Children's Clothing and Toy Boutique, residents perused items like stuffed animals and children's board games. philosophy of celebrating small businesses appealing.

“We actually weren’t meaning to shop. We were just coming back from the gym and remembered that it was Small Business Saturday,” Kelly said.

Neither member of the pair had made a purchase, but Alex explained that their impromptu amble was more akin to a scouting mission than a shopping spree.

“We’ve been going from store to store pointing out things that we want for Christmas, but I don’t think either one of us are bold enough to buy it in front of the other. So there might be return solo trips in the future,” he said.

Kelly said she registered her American Express card at ShopSmall.com to get $10 back on one purchase of $10 or more at a par- Dmitry Toscano, who originally hails from Italy, designs the ties he sells at his Austin Marc Pine opened Instant Replay 35 years ago and it has since become a popular ticipating store, but felt she was more interest- Street store. antiques store.

34 | THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013

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THE FORUM NEWSGROUP • December 5, 2013 | 35

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