Queens Chronicle South Edition 04-11-13

C M SQ ONLY page 1 Y K SOUTH QUEENS EDITION Serving Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, City Line and JFK Airport

YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER VOL. XXXVI

NO. 15

THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2013

QCHRON.COM

COMING SOON? PHOTO BY DOMENICK RAFTER; COLLAGE BY ELLA JIPESCU

Food, bikes, boating eyed for Charles Park PAGE 5

The National Park Service and city Parks Department has listed Charles Park as one of the possible sites for new food vending facilities as well bicycle, kayak and canoe rentals, but Howard Beach residents say maintenance should be the first priority.

ON DANGEROUS GROUND Concerns arise over Ozone Park toxic site

PAGE 5

HEALTH

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Ed Kaplan paints Queens photorealistically

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013 Page 2

C M SQ page 2 Y K

Votes and quorums and parkland, oh my!

Boro Board shelves USTA vote over conspicuous lack of council reps

by Joseph Orovic Assistant Managing/Online Editor

orough President Helen Marshall hinted at her looming recommendations regarding the United States Tennis Association’s planned expansion within Flushing Meadows Corona Park, which now includes the possibility of replacing the 0.68 acre of parkland the nonprofit plans to use.

After facing six community boards, the plan sat with a split vote, with three in favor and three opposed. A procedural snafu may have saved the tennis nonprofit’s plan from a fourth no vote at the local level.

The USTA’s proposal reached the Borough Hall-stage of the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure during a Borough Board hearing on Monday before it winds its way towards a vote in the City Council and a hearing before the City Planning Commission.

But the gathering abruptly ended with a touch of confusion, as the various community board chairmen and women and four City Council members left without conducting a vote due to the lack of a quorum.

The unusual move was propagated by a dearth of the 12 eligible voters needed, falling short by one City Council member. The math for a quorum calls for at least one person more than half of the 22 eligible voters in the USTA’s case. A dozen would have put a vote through — a vote the USTA may have lost.

The absence of 11 lawmakers came on a day when the City Council had no scheduled hearings after 2 p.m. and no stated meetings.

Councilmen Danny Dromm (D-Jackson Heights), Peter Koo (D-Flushing), Donovan Richards (D-Rosedale) and Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) were the only members of Queens’ council delega-

B

Borough President Helen Marshall promised to demand replacement parkland in her recommendation for the USTA’s planned expansion in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

PHOTO BY JOSEPH OROVIC

tion at the meeting. All four were set to vote “No” on the project, according to a source close to the City Council who asked to remain anonymous. Had a fifth member of the council delegation arrived to reach a quorum, the three opposing community boards and four councilmen would have combined to deliver a 7-5 no vote, the source said.

The lack of a quorum did not come as a surprise to at least one person, as Marshall’s statement before the board indicated a lack of voters even though it was prepared ahead of the meeting.

A vote is not necessary in order to proceed with ULURP,

and the borough president plans to submit a recommendation on Thursday.

Several members of the Borough Board said “Let’s vote anyway,” with some murmurs of phoned-in votes but those calls were quickly shot down by Community Board Director Barry Grodenchik, who invoked procedural rules in stopping a vote.

The absence of lawmakers came at a delicate time in the negotiations between the city and the USTA. Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras (D-East Elmhurst) will be the guiding vote on the matter, as the USTA’s facilities fall within her district. Her vote at the Borough Board would have shown her cards too soon, sources say. And in the annals of councilmanic politics, it’s considered bad manners to speak out on an issue outside one’s district before the presiding lawmaker takes a stand. Which means bupkis for the USTA now that it’s moving on to the City Council.

The nonprofit is seeking approval to expand its National Tennis Center within Flushing Meadows Corona Park by adding two new stadiums and parking, while reconfiguring some of its grounds. The USTA also says its additions would require an additional .68 acre, which it initially claimed would not need to be replaced by an equal amount of parkland elsewhere.

But NTC Chief Operating Officer Danny Zausner said replacing the parkland is now an option, saying the idea was a repeated issue at community board meetings and “it needs to be explored.”

“I can tell you that I am insisting that any alienated parkland must be replaced,” Marshall said after the vote was scuttled.

“Together, we will stay engaged in this issue as it makes its way through the ULURP process.”

And the park, whose condition has been at the heart of many upset pleas during public hearings?

Q “Central Park can’t touch us!” Marshall declared.

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QUEENS NEWS

CB 10 pans plans for Charles Park Bicycle, boat rentals, food vendors eyed for areas around Jamaica Bay

by Domenick Rafter Associate Editor

The proposals are ambitious and, to many in the community, not necessarily terrible.

There’s just one problem — the location.

As part of an agreement between the federal government and the city to share management of Gateway National Recreation Area, the two parties have issued a request for proposals for bike rentals, kayak and canoe rentals and food vendors at public spaces within Gateway. The bidding process is ongoing, and Parks is expected to pick winning bids next month to implement the proposals for the summer.

One of the spots identified in the RFP is Charles Park in Howard Beach, which falls under federal jurisdiction.

But residents who live near the park say now is not the time to be bringing in those amenities, and many say the right time is never.

At issue is the park’s condition, especially after it was submerged under nearly 10 feet of water during Hurricane Sandy.

Even before the storm, however, the condition of Charles Park has long been an issue that frustrates the community.

“The park is in deplorable condition and has been for years,” Community Board 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton said to Lauren Standke, a project manager for the city Parks Department who came to CB 10’s meeting last Thursday to discuss the RFP.

A worker throws seeds in the baseball field at Charles Park in Howard Beach Tuesday morning, a few days after the city Parks Department received a cold response from Community Board 10 to a plan to PHOTO BY DOMENICK RAFTER bring amenities such as canoeing, bicycle rentals and food to the park.

Braton said the baseball fields and tennis courts are in terrible condition, as is part of the path that circles the park.

And since Sandy, part of the tennis courts’ fencing has collapsed, garbage has been left strewn throughout the park and a wrecked boat that washed up on its west-facing shore in January remained there until it was moved last month. Also, the flag that rises over a memorial to soldiers killed in action was

faded and tattered until it was changed a few weeks ago — the day after the Queens Chronicle ran a story on it. Braton noted the condition of the flag that used to fly there at the meeting.

“The residents of this community are upset,” said Rosemary Cuilla-Frisone, a CB 10 member who lives a block from the park.

“We cannot even get the bocce court fixed.

If they want this to happen, they need to

clean our park first and get police there.”

Standke stressed that Charles Park is only one of a number of locations around Jamaica Bay being considered in the RFP — the others include Marine Park, Canarsie Pier and Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, as well as Riis Park and Bayswater Park in the Rockaways — and added that her agency is not certain if a bidder will propose Charles Park for any recreational offerings.

“We are not 100 percent sure what we’re going to get,” she said.

She stressed the Parks Dept. did not see the plans as a big revenue maker and is doing it to promote unused parkland.

“The idea is to bring the focus back to these parks no one has really visited before,” Standke said.

The members of the board who live in the area expressed a variety of concerns about the idea, including the dangers that exist in the waters next to the park that could make it a bad place for canoes and kayaks. CB 10 member Peter Granickas noted that the waters have an undertow and swimming has long been banned at the park’s shore.

“The undertow didn’t disappear, just the signs warning of it,” he said, adding to the frustrations about the park’s conditions.

Board members also criticized the lack of communication between community organizations and the National Park Service and Parks continued on page 36

Page 5 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013

SOUTH

New concerns arise at Ozone Park toxic site Cleanup detailed at CB 9, but some fret about contamination elsewhere

by Domenick Rafter Associate Editor

real-time readings to make sure the level of TCE does not reach dangerous levels.

The dirt will be transported by large trucks that will load along 100th Street. A wood barrier will be constructed, behind which the trucks will load, but traffic will still be allowed to travel along the street. The dirt will then be taken to a government-sanctioned refuse site. Austin said he did not know where that would be.

“It will be up to the contractor who trucks out the dirt,” he said.

Public records on the project will be kept at Queens Library’s Long Island Division in the Jamaica Central Library and flyers informing local residents about the project will be handed out in the community. Anyone requesting more information or who has concerns should contact Pete Guaraldi at (516) 829-8375.

But members of CB 9 had a litany of concerns about the plan,

David Austin of AECOM points during Tuesday night’s Community Board 9 meeting to an aerial shot of the location in Ozone Park where End Zone Industries will do remediation work on ground soil contaminated with TCE this sumPHOTO BY DOMENICK RAFTER mer. including protecting the public from the dirt while it is being transported, venting the TCE and what will happen if a dangerous amount of the chemical is detected in the air.

“There are procedures for the people who are working to get the dirt out, stockpile it and put it into

a truck,” he explained. “They have to protect themselves and there are also going to be mechanisms on site, like foaming and spraying, to keep the dirt wet.”

Some also expressed concerns about the possibility of TCE continued on page 24

For the latest news visit qchron.com

End Zone Industries, the company tasked with cleaning up dangerous chemicals at a former industrial site in Ozone Park, came to Community Board 9 on Tuesday to explain the process in which they will clean up the location under the former Rockaway Beach Long Island Rail Road line.

Representatives from the company received a healthy interrogation from concerned members of the board, including some questions that could not be answered immediately.

The site, located between 101st and 103rd avenues and 99th and 100th streets, is home to eight storage bays situated beneath the former Ozone Park LIRR station.

When End Zone’s predecessor company, Ozone Industries, was active in its adjacent factory in the late 20th century, it used the bays to store aircraft parts until 1998.

Today the bays are vacant, but the soil beneath them is contaminated with trichloroethene, or TCE, a chemical that is linked to cancer and disorders of the central nervous system.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has been working with End Zone for nearly a decade on a cleanup plan for the bays.

They took the first samples to test for TCE in 2004. The 12,000-square-foot location is a Superfund site.

End Zone last month received the final clearances to access the site from the city, which owns the land.

The remediation work is scheduled to begin in the middle of May. David Austin, project manager for AECOM, a consulting firm working with End Zone on the cleanup, said the project will take 3 to 4 months and will include trucking the contaminated soil away from the site and venting some of the TCE into the air.

He added that air-monitoring systems will be put in place to keep

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013 Page 6

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70 years later, hard memories remain Howard Beach gathers to pay tribute on Holocaust Remembrance Day

by Stephen Geffon Chronicle Contributor

“With Courage Shall We Fight.”

That line is from a poem written by Holocaust survivor and Nazi resistance fighter Frances Berger, whose two sons Ralph Berger and Albert Berger were the guest speakers at the Rockwood Park Jewish Center’s annual Holocaust memorial service on Sunday.

Dozens of people, including Nazi genocide survivors, legislators, clergy, civic leaders, NYPD officials and area residents, attended the service at the Howard Beach synagogue.

Among the survivors at the service were Julius Rafalowicz, Jack Gruer and Judy Berkowitz, mother of the Rockwood Park Jewish Center’s rabbi, Tzvi Berkowitz.

Holocaust Remembrance Day, also known as Yom Hashoah, commemorates the six million Jews who were murdered during the Nazi genocide.

Ralph and Albert Berger edited “With Courage Shall We Fight: The Memoirs and Poetry of Holocaust Resistance Fighters,” which presents the experience their parents, Murray and Frances, during the Holocaust as part of the Bielski partisans resistance group.

Murray Berger was born in the town of Wseilub, in what is now Belarus. Frances Gulkowich Berger was raised in Korelitz, Poland.

Escaping from the Nazis, Murray and Frances Berger joined the Bielski brigade, a resistance group composed of Jewish fighters. They fought the Nazis, engaging in sabotage, blowing up bridges and rail lines, destroying telephone lines, bombing Nazi police headquarters and, at times, engaging in open combat. The brigade also rescued other Jews.

The Bielski detachment grew into a forest community of

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Last FEMA deadline Sat. The deadline to register for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the wake of Hurricane Sandy is this Saturday, April 13.

But unlike the past deadlines, this one will not be extended, according to a FEMA spokeswoman.

FEMA’s original deadline to apply for aid after the Oct. 29 storm was Nov. 23.

However, it was extended six times since then at the request of Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The FEMA spokeswoman, Debra Young, said the April 13 deadline is the last one.

“There will be no more extensions,” she warned.

Even five and a half months after the storm, there are still people who have only just filed for FEMA aid.

Young said 30 people in New York called to register for assistance from the agency for the first time on Monday.

As of Tuesday, more than $950 million in aid has been given to New York victims of Sandy, and the Small Business Administration, which has been giving recovery loans, has approved over $1.2 billion in home loans and $153 million in business Q loans.

— Domenick Rafter

Holocaust sur vivor Judy Berkowitz, mother of Rabbi Tzvi Berkowitz of the Rockwood Park Jewish Center, lights a candle PHOTO BY STEPHEN GEFFON during Sunday’s memorial service. more than 1,200 Jews.

“My parents were passionate about Holocaust education and about educating people to the fact that Jews did not go

like sheep to the slaughter,” said Ralph Berger, adding, “they wanted the world to know that when they could Jews fought back physically and spiritually.

“The real problem, in my opinion, was that not too many wanted to hear about the Holocaust,” he said.

In writing their book, the Bergers seek not only to honor their parents, but to continue their mission of educating people about their experiences, as well as the experiences of others, during the Holocaust.

After surviving the Holocaust Murray and Frances Berger endured the hardship of displaced persons and established themselves in the United States, where they had arrived nearly broke and barely speaking the language.

They lived here for half a century. Frances Berger died on July 12, 1995; Murray Berger died on March 23, 1999.

Hearing the firsthand accounts of the Holocaust survivors on Remembrance Day is worthwhile, state Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) said, because “it is so important that we understand where we have been so we never go back there again. It’s important for us today, it’s important for our children as we go on.”

Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) discussed his trip to Israel with other City Council members and their visit to the country’s Holocaust Museum.

“What really touched us the most was the room of empty shoes, and they were the shoes of children,” Ulrich recalled.

“It is important for us to learn from our history so that we do not repeat it. Anytime that we experience human atrocity, massacres of innocent people, acts of terrorism, we have an obligation to speak out against those injustices when we see them so that we can prevent them from happening again in Q the future.”

Police arrest wrong man in park attack Suspect held on a different sex crime

by Domenick Rafter Associate Editor

The ex-con arrested in connection with a sex attack in Forest Park last week was not the perpetrator in that incident, but he is being held for another crime, according to police sources.

A jogger was tased while jogging on a path near the Jackie Robinson Parkway around 7:30 p.m. on March 29. She was then dragged off the trail and assaulted. The suspect attempted to remove her clothes and the victim fought the attacker. A couple walking their dog came across the attack and scared the suspect away.

Police had arrested Richard Kassebaum, 42, who killed his aunt 23 years ago, on April 2 and charged him with the attack.

But Kassebaum’s arrest was voided last Thursday after police determined he is not the suspect in that crime. An NYPD spokesman would not say what led to them voiding the arrest.

Kassebaum is not free, however. According to police sources, he is being held in connection with another sex attack that

occurred in Woodhaven Easter weekend. In that case, a woman was attacked after leaving a laundromat on Woodhaven Boulevard and 86th Avenue on Easter Sunday. Kassebaum allegedly followed the victim for a block before he allegedly attacked her, groping her and placing her in a chokehold.

The victim broke free and ran away. Kassebaum then allegedly returned to the laundromat, where he was employed.

He is charged with sexual abuse and forcible touching for that incident.

Kassebaum served a 19-year sentence for manslaughter for the murder of his aunt in her Flushing apartment in 1990. He was paroled in 2009 and lives at an address in the Lindenwood section of Howard Beach.

Police are still looking for the suspect in the Forest Park attack.

Anyone with information on that incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit tips by logging onto nypdcrimestoppers.com, or by texting 274637 (CRIMES), then entering TIP577. All tips Q are strictly confidential.

CB 10 leaders are re-elected Community Board 10’s leadership team was re-elected without opposition at the board’s April meeting in South Ozone Park last Thursday.

Betty Braton of Howard Beach, the board’s longtime chairwoman, was unanimously re-elected to her position by the members of the board. Sean McCabe of Ozone Park, the board’s first vice chairman, Robert Ruffin of South Ozone Park, second vice chairman, Isabel Van Putten of South Ozone Park, the treasurer, and Nellie Santiago of Howard Beach, executive secretary, were also re-elected in the unanimous votes.

The entire slate was renominated by CB 10 member Rosemary Ciulla-Frisone of Howard Beach. No one offered up any opposing nominations.

The board also welcomed two new members, Renate Teuschler of Lindenwood and Mohammad Salim of Richmond Hill, and announced the reappointment of half the board’s membership to another two-year term.

“Appointments are staggered,” Braton explained. “Half the board is appointed Q this year, the other half next year.”

— Domenick Rafter

Page 7 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013 Page 8

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EDITORIAL

PAGE

More measures to fight corruption reventing public corruption is essential to ensuring that government works and can effectively keep the public’s trust,” a top state official said Tuesday.

Once you’re done laughing, consider this: That official was Gov. Cuomo, and that line was just the first in his statement introducing a new bill, the Public Trust Act, that’s designed to cut down on the kind of corruption Queens lawmakers Malcolm Smith and Dan Halloran, and four other people, were accused of on April 2.

The proposed law shows promise that unlike the Joint Commission on Public Ethics, which Cuomo created as part of his 2011 ethics reforms, it will actually deter wrongdoing — though we suggest that the governor go even further.

JCOPE has proven so toothless it’s now aptly referred to as JJOKE. The panel is appointed by Cuomo and legislative leaders, so any one of them can direct a member to nix an investigation. And when a probe does go forward, what do you get? The finding of no legal or ethical wrongdoing when, for example, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver OKs the secret payment of more than $100,000 in taxpayer money to the young women his crony Vito Lopez of Brooklyn allegedly harassed. Yeah, that’s an effective watchdog.

The Public Trust Act, on the other hand, would make it easier to convict defendants in bribery cases, increase the penalties for con-

“P

victions, do the same in other pay-to-play cases that involve taxpayer money and bar those found guilty of felony corruption from ever again serving in a public office, lobbying the state and winning state contracts, among other measures.

Not bad. But we also strongly recommend that sitting elected officials convicted of corruption lose their pensions. That already holds true for newly elected lawmakers, but not those who had their seats before the 2011 reforms. The law should apply to them as well. The fact that taxpayers are paying out the pensions of say, ex-state Sen. Shirley Huntley or ex-Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin, both crooked former officials from Queens, is disgusting.

Another improvement would be the elimination of Wilson Pakula petitions, which allow members of one party to run as nominees of another party. This is what Smith, a Democrat, allegedly was trying to bribe the Republican Party into letting him do. Mayor Bloomberg has done virtually the same thing, but legally, making massive contributions to the GOP and the Independence Party when he wanted their support. Most states don’t allow Wilson Pakula-type cross endorsements because of the potential for wrongdoing they create.

It’s time New York joined them, and also stopped forcing its taxpayers to fund the retirement of criminals. Do those two things and pass the Public Trust Act and we just might be getting somewhere.

LETTERS TO THE Published every week by

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Gun control now I Dear Editor: All polls show that Americans approve of stronger gun control regulations. Folks, that’s not enough!

The NRA has a strong grip on most Republicans and many Democrats in Congress. It will take 60 votes in the Senate to pass a reform bill (there are 55 Democrats vs. 45 Republicans there). Neither party is in control. However, the tough battle will be in the GOP-majority House.

If we want the poll “approval” to become reality, the following “urgent action” must be taken ... now! All Americans must get off their butts and demand Congress pass a bill so that Obama can sign it into law. This action will require willpower. We must turn up the heat on Congress — letters, emails, phone calls, petitions.

Tell ‘em in the only language they know: Pass a gun reform bill now or we will vote you out of office!

Anthony G. Pilla Forest Hills

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Gun control now II Dear Editor: Unfortunately I have to agree with Daily News Voicer Joseph Malachi when he says that “background checks will not stop someone from committing a crime. It’s unlikely a convicted criminal will attempt to buy a weapon legally.”

In the light of the NRA’s power over cowardly © Copyright 2013 by MARK I PUBLICATIONS, INC. All rights reserved. Neither this newspaper nor any part thereof may be reproduced, copied, or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, recording or by any information retrieval system without the express written permission of the publishers. This copyright is extended to the design and text created for advertisements. Reproduction of said advertisement or any part thereof without the express written permission of MARK I PUBLICATIONS, INC. is strictly prohibited. This publication will not be responsible for errors in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Bylined articles represent the sole opinion of the writer and are not necessarily in accordance with the views of the QUEENS CHRONICLE. This Publication reserves the right to limit or refuse advertising it deems objectionable.

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EDITOR

politicians, the empty rhetoric that politicians are slinging around is akin to going after a raging rhinoceros with a fly swatter! Some wise person has said, “There is a need to change diapers and politicians regularly ... and for the same reason!”

Some other countries severely control the manufacture, sale, distribution and importation of lethal weapons on a national level. So unless this is done, anyone who lives in a state with strict gun control laws can merely take a few hours’ drive to another state and buy guns — maybe not legally, but surely illegally! There are just too many of them being made and they are obtained too easily now without tight federal control throughout the entire country.

Please note: There are very strict laws in place now here in the United States concerning the manufacture, distribution, importation and sale of high explosives.

Some of today’s high-tech military-type weapons are reaching the same stage of deadliness as high explosives! Why in God’s name, and in the name of common sense, are we permitting ordinary citizens to have access to them with the probability that criminals or mentally

A joke at Boro Hall hink your vote doesn’t matter?

Don’t feel bad — neither do those cast by members of the Borough Board.

That’s one of the nifty tidbits revealed by Monday’s canceled vote on the United States Tennis Association’s expansion plans. The board lacked a quorum you see — and somehow Borough President Helen Marshall knew it would ahead of time, as evidenced by her prepared remarks.

No worries, some members said, we vote without a quorum all the time.

(Oops! Did we say that out loud?)

Well, this time they didn’t vote. But that didn’t hold up the plan, oh no.

Marshall will just approve it herself.

Why do we waste time and money on sham votes by sham boards that mean absolutely nothing in the end?

T

unfit persons can get their hands on them?

For goodness’ sake — this is 2013, not 1821, and certainly not the 1700s. Let’s wake up and smell the gunpowder!

Dave Shlakman Howard Beach

Preserve the preserves Dear Editor: More than seven million people will visit the Adirondacks this year, but sadly, without needed federal support these mountains may not be prepared for such crowds, visitors may see a park which isn’t as pristine as in the past, and development may continue along its borders. The current Congress could bring renewed hope to these majestic mountains — with their beloved lakes, pristine trails and popular ski resorts — by acting to protect our parks for generations to come.

Decades ago, Congress set up the Land and Water Conservation Fund to protect our parks against overdevelopment and pollution. Unfortunately, this program has been routinely underfunded for years. This has put the

SQ page 9

Loving gay families Dear Editor: Here is the answer for anyone who asks, what “same-sex parents” would say when their child asks who their biological parent is. The same thing any parents would tell their adopted child.

Here is a question for all you homophobes, if it were your child who was gay and wanted to raise a family with his or her partner, would you deny or disown your own flesh and blood?

Robert La Rosa Whitestone

Obama cuts Social Security

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U.S.: licensed to steal Dear Editor: The events unfolding in Cyprus are an example of déjà vu happening all over again. I remind the low-information citizens oblivious of the historical record of tyrannical machinations of government bureaucrats — which include the bank closings in the United States in 1933 and President Roosevelt’s Executive Order 6102 requiring all gold coins, bullion and certificates to be delivered to the Federal Reserve.

I am surprised that few realize that what is happening in Cyprus is gaining momentum and acceptance here in America. Our wealth and assets are being devalued by the Fed’s quantitative easing, the inflationary printing policies of the Federal Reserve and the Affordable Health Care Act, aka Obamacare, which imposes an additional 3.8 percent tax on real estate transactions.

A more ominous and potentially destructive policy was proposed by economics professor Teresa Ghilarducci at a congressional hearing.

She proposed “Congress establish universal Retirement Accounts. Every worker would save 5 percent of their pay into their Guaranteed Retirement Account to which the government pays a 3 percent inflation-indexed guaranteed return.”

Here’s the kicker: at retirement, the assets of the plan would be turned over to the U.S. government, which would then pay an annuity to the retiree. The retiree’s heirs would not receive the residual assets upon the death of the retiree.

The governments of Argentina and, I believe, Hungary have already nationalized private retirement accounts. Our government’s policies and legacy do not inspire confidence that it can’t happen here.

Ed Konecnik Flushing

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Schumer for air safety Dear Editor: Finally, from our U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer a voice of sanity is heard. Our senator has requested that the Transportation Security Administration reverse its decision to allow airline passengers to carry small knives,

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Dear Editor: President Obama’s proposal to change how Social Security Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) increases are measured is a drive-by shooting of seniors, disabled veterans and everyone else living on a fixed income from Uncle Sam. He wants to replace the Consumer Price Index with a “chained CPI.” It should be called a “chainsaw” CPI becase it will shred the income of those who can least afford it. The chained CPI is based on the idea of alternative purchases. For example, if meat prices soar, you buy chicken instead. But what if your rent rises, do you move? If your medical costs increase, do you find a new doctor? To lower the deficit, eliminate tax loopholes for 1 percenters, like the carried interest rate enabling private equity pirates and hedge fund hustlers to pay half of what they really owe. Why should we pay for their Park Avenue apartments, Hamptons homes and expensive art collections?

Richard Reif Flushing

baseball bats, golf clubs and other potentially weaponized equipment onto airplanes. The fact that this proposal was made by the TSA in itself is incredulous. How soon they forget that it has only been now approaching 12 years since the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on our New York City. This attack was perpetuated by men with sharp weapons on airplanes.

Thankfully, because of the vigilance of our federal agencies, state agencies and especially our New York City Police Department, our plane travel since then has been safe. The allowing of these potential weapons onto our airplanes can only contribute to an atmosphere of great concern for the airplane passengers and crew. The ending of the policy of banning these items has to be reconsidered with dead seriousness. The TSA would do well to listen to our Sen. Schumer, a voice of sanity and of reason.

Maria A. Thomson Woodhaven

BRADY & MARSHAK, LLP

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Adirondacks — and the memories and experiences millions will have by visiting them — at risk.

That’s bad news for the Adirondacks, as well as other parks like Harriman State Park in the Hudson River Valley and Watkins Glen in the Finger Lakes region, where New Yorkers spend time hiking, fishing, boating, camping or simply enjoying the scenery. We should protect these special places so that future generations can experience seeing a moose up close, or catching trout from the crystalline waters of a mountain lake, just as generations of New Yorkers have done before us.

We owe it to our children to protect the Adirondack Mountains, and other places that make New York special, with full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. I applaud Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand for supporting our parks, open spaces and wilderness areas, and we hope New York’s legislators will give our parks the protections they deserve.

Eric Whalen Field Organizer, Environment New York Manhattan

EDITOR

Page 9 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013

LETTERS TO THE

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013 Page 10

SQ page 10

NYFAC cuts ribbon on new facility Howard Beach office was to open last fall, but then came Sandy

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The new headquarters for New York Families for Autistic Children made the news long before its ribbon cutting on Sunday.

The sparkling new building, complete with giant jigsaw puzzle pieces — the symbol of autism advocacy — played a big role in a video shot by a news crew filmed from a motel across the street during Hurricane Sandy.

Then, 4 feet of rushing water flooded the building at 164-14 Cross Bay Blvd., which was at the time only two-and-a-half A crowd gathers outside the headquarters of New York Families weeks away from its for Autistic Children in Howard Beach for the facility’s delayed PHOTO BY DOMENICK RAFTER grand opening on Sunday. grand opening.

Four and a half months after its scheduled opening, the damage to (D-Rockaway Beach) and David Weprin (Dthe new building has been repaired, and on a Fresh Meadows), Council members Eric sun-drenched Sunday morning this past Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) and Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) and Queens County weekend, the facility held its grand opening.

“It was a long road, but here we are,” Clerk and former Assemblywoman Audrey said NYFAC President and CEO Andrew Pheffer all came to speak about the importance of NYFAC and why the group is Baumann.

Baumann and his wife, Pam, thanked sup- important to the community.

“This is the only center in southern porters of their organization, which was founded nine years ago. NYFAC previously Queens that serves autistic children,” Ulrich operated out of a smaller building on Pitkin explained.

Baumann held three ribbon cuttings, one Avenue in Ozone Park.

Baumann’s son Anthony was diagnosed with the politicians who helped fund the with autism as a child. Now a teenager, he organization, another with civic leaders who opened the ribbon-cutting ceremony by recit- have long supported NYFAC and a third with the children who are served by the group. ing the Pledge of Allegiance.

With the center open, Baumann said he is A caravan of dignitaries, including Rep. Greg Meeks (D-Jamaica), city Comptroller focusing on expanding. He has plans to build a John Liu, state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D- gym in a spot adjacent to the new building that Q Howard Beach), Assemblymen Phil Goldfeder is now home to a parking lot.

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The body of a homeless man was discovered by police inside an Ozone Park apartment Tuesday evening.

Off icers from the 106th Precinct responded to a 911 call of an unconscious person inside an apartment at 88-14 Liberty Ave. at 6:25 p.m on Tuesday.

When off icers arrived at the scene, they discovered the man, whom they later identified as 63-year-old Walter Corcoran, lying on the floor inside an apartment, unconscious and unresponsive.

EMS was also called to the apartment and declared Corcoran dead at the scene.

Police say Corcoran was homeless. They did not know why he was in the apartment, nor were they prepared to say how he may have gotten inside.

Police add that there were no obvious signs of trauma to Corcoran’s body, but have not ruled out homicide as a possibility. The cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner.

The apartment where the body was found is located a few yards from the 88th Street-Boyd Avenue subway station.

Q The investigation is ongoing.

— Domenick Rafter

C M SQ page 11 Y K Page 11 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013

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C M SQ page 12 Y K

Man arrested in flat Woodhaven library opens basement tire robbery spree Suspect accused in four incidents

by Domenick Rafter Associate Editor

A College Point man has been arrested for four of the more than a dozen robberies that have occurred all over Queens in which victims are robbed after perpetrators offer help for flat tires.

Mario Gutierrez, 50, of 125-17 11 Ave., College Point, was nabbed Monday and indicted on his alleged involvement in four of the robberies.

Gutierrez faces charges of grand larceny in the third degree for two for the incidents.

The first was on Aug. 9, 2012, when a suspect allegedly informed a driver who had just exited a Bank of America on Parsons and Northern boulevards that he had a flat tire. As one of the suspects pretended to inspect the tire, another stole property from the victim’s vehicle. The other incident occurred on March 23 at 101st Avenue and 121st Street in Richmond Hill, when a suspect informed a victim that the air in her tires was low and another suspect later robbed the victim while the first perpetrator was supposedly checking the tire.

Gutierrez further faces two counts of grand larceny in the fourth degree, one each for an incident on Feb. 21, in which a victim was robbed of items from her car after driving from a secluded part of Maspeth to a tire repair shop in Sunnyside, and on Feb. 28 in Flushing, where a victim was robbed of items in his car after being distracted when a suspect sprayed a substance on his jacket.

Police did not specify what role Gutierrez is accused of playing in each robbery and are still looking for at a role least one more suspect in those incidents and the others across the city.

The spree began with the Aug. 9 robbery and includes 16 citywide, 13 of which took place in Queens. Most of the robberies occurred in Flushing, but there were two in Howard Beach over the winter that caught the concern of the 106th Precinct.

Deputy Inspector Thomas Pascale, commanding off icer of the precinct, warned residents multiple times this winter of the spree after the two incidents in Q Howard Beach.

Temporary space on lower level of iconic building open for public use

by Ramiro S. Funez Chronicle Contributor

The Woodhaven branch of the Queens Library, which closed last month for renovations, opened its basement to the public on Tuesday to temporarily accommodate customers.

The nearly 90-year-old building, which closed on March 11, will receive new lighting, furniture, bathrooms and a circulation desk. Self check-ins and checkouts will also be installed.

Building renovations are expected to be completed by The Woodhaven branch of the Queens Library opened its lower level on Tuesday to accommodate customers amidst August, library officials said.

PHOTO BY DOMENICK RAFTER Ed Wendell, president of the renovations.

Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association, said he has not seen any outside said. “Renovations are still underway.”

The library was threatened with closure in repairs completed but has noticed ongoing 2010 due to spending cuts in the mayor’s budfirst-floor renovations.

“You can see that they’ve done a lot of get proposal, but was granted enough funding Q work on the first floor when you pass by,” he by the City Council to remain open.

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If you’ve never met them, you’d think the story of Phil and Rachel West is the plot of a romantic movie fused with spectacular imagery of the exotic nature we’ve come to associate with Africa.

Rachel, a native of Neponsit, was raised just a few hundred yards from the ocean in a different climate where the closest giraffe or gorilla is either at the Bronx Zoo or the local bazaar in plush form. Not in her wildest dreams did she think she’d find a fulfilling career — and the man of her dreams — on another continent, 10,000 miles from home. Phil and Rachel West, pictured with a cheetah, met when Rachel, a Rachel didn’t really want Rockaway native, went on a safari in Africa Phil was serving as a to go to Africa when she guide on. They got married a few years later and now live next to a PHOTOS COURTESY RACHEL WEST was invited to fill an open national park in Kenya. slot on a safari trip her mother, Rockaway realtor Robin Shapiro, which is not something human beings typically live to tell about. In Phil, Rachel was taking. But she went anyway.

That was the last time she would call found her soul mate.

“He asked me to stay, so I stayed,” she Rockaway home.

While in Kenya, she met Phil West, a explained.

The two married two months ago in guide on the safari she was on and a native of the East African country. To call Phil “an Kenya and have traveled the world together. outdoorsman” may be an understatement. Rachel pointed out the Amazon as one of He has spent most of his adult life working her favorite places. While there, she and in the raw nature of Africa. On his left her husband visited remote villages.

“The people there are just so beautiful upper arm, he sports large scars — the result of an encounter with a Nile crocodile, and joyful,” Rachel explained.

They now run a safari program called Royal Africa Safaris and some of their clients have been notable people, though the couple will not disclose the names of those who go on safari with them.

Rachel and Phil live among nature. They are building a home on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, adjacent to a national park. Giraffes, rhinos and other varieties of Africa’s fauna regularly stroll by their home.

The couple is back in Rockaway until the summer, helping Rachel’s mother with her real estate business, visiting prospective clients and planning for their next safari trip. They are also helping Rachel’s family recover from Hurricane Sandy, which devastated her native community. They were in Mozambique on an excursion when the storm hit. They were unaware of how serious the storm was until they got back to Kenya a few days later.

“I was definitely worried,” she said.

She tried desperately to reach her parents and siblings and said she was relieved to Phil and Rachel were married in Phil’s native f ind out everyone made it through the Q Kenya. storm OK.

C M SQ page 15 Y K

DOE touts number of new facilities set to welcome students in the fall

by Domenick Rafter Associate Editor

Last month, the city Department of Education faced a barrage of anger and frustration from parents, teachers and union officials over the closing or co-locating of more than 100 schools citywide.

Now, as the changes agreed to by the Panel for Education Policy in last month’s two vociferous meetings begin implementation, the DOE is promoting its plans, including the opening of dozens of schools across the city.

In September, 78 new schools will welcome their first students, including 15 in Queens.

The new schools include two elementary schools: East Elmhurst Community School in East Elmhurst and Elm Tree Elementary School in Elmhurst; middle school Corona Arts and Sciences Academy in Corona; Hawtree Creek Middle School in South Ozone Park; the Emerson School in St. Albans; Queens United Middle School in Jamaica Estates; Hunters Point Community Middle School in the new Hunters Point South development and Middle Village Prep Charter School, which will operate in Christ the King Regional High School’s campus in Middle Village.

The rest of the list will include The Riverview School, a District 75 middle and high school; three new high schools, including the International High School for Health

A rendering of the PS/IS 404 building at 1-50 51 Ave. in Hunters Point South that will host the Hunters Point Community Middle School, opening in September.

RENDERING COURTESY SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY

Sciences at Newtown High School; Veritas Academy and the Queens High School for Language Studies, both in Flushing High School’s campus.

Two career & technical education high schools will open: Health Professions in

Cambria Heights, which will be located in the Campus Magnet Complex, and Energy Tech High School in Long Island City. A new transfer high school, Voyages Prep, will also open at August Martin High School in South Jamaica.

Sara Goodman, the proposed leader for the Hunters Point Community Middle School — the title given to the incoming principal of a school before it opens — said she hopes to integrate the location of her school into the curriculum.

With its site near the confluence of the East River and Newtown Creek, she is planning to focus strongly on environmental issues, especially pertaining to urban settings. She is eyeing projects such as like water testing and studying the design of the building and the Hunters Point South development, which the city boasts is a sustainable project.

“That will give us an ongoing learning lab as to what urban development looks like,” she explained.

The school will eventually serve grades six through eight, and will welcome its first sixth grade class in September. Goodman said the school will boast a strong advisory program with students matched to an advisor and a group of 12 to 15 other students with common interests.

“We think it’s going to be an amazing model for middle school students,” she said.

Goodman, a 16-year veteran of the New York City school system, said she believes this is the right city to educate students in.

“I’m very dedicated to urban education,” she said. “I really feel the most exciting continued on page 37

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Page 15 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013

Fifteen new schools opening in Queens

For the latest news visit qchron.com

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013 Page 16

C M SQ page 16 Y K

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SQ page 17rev

Bricks crumble off video game store on Queens Blvd., injuring one

by Tess McRae Reporter

A 23-year-old man was on his way home from work when white bricks broke off a Game Stop video game store on Queens Boulevard in Elmhurst and pummeled him to the ground on Thursday.

“It was just windy and it kept blowing and blowing and then one more big blow and I saw the bricks fall on him,” Martin Winslow, who was parking his car in the municipal lot across the street at the time. “I know I saw this guy walking and then the bricks fell and I didn’t see him anymore and then I heard a woman scream, ‘He’s under the bricks, he’s under the bricks.’”

Though initially there was a discrepancy over the individual’s gender, the victim, who was transported to Elmhurst Hospital Center, has since been identif ied as Dworin St. Thomas.

Officials said he suffered a broken leg, multiple lacerations and a concussion but is expected to recover.

“There was a lot of blood,” Winslow said.

“I knew he wasn’t dead, but I saw blood on his head and all over his body, but the firefighters and police came so fast so I think he is going to be good.”

The bricks also struck a nearby minivan, shattering the dashboard window and hood but St. Thomas was the only person injured.

Debris crumbled off a Game Stop video game store on Queens Boulevard and landed on 23-year-old Dworin St. Thomas, who was walking home from work. He suffered a broken leg, lacerations and a PHOTO BY TESS MCRAE concussion.

The 40-by-10-foot section of bricks fell over at approximately 4:15 p.m. and by 5 p.m., a partial evacuation was ordered so neighboring shops and off ices would be vacated while the FDNY and NYPD inspected the structure.

“I was going home for the day and I got

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“They came into the store, the police came in and just told us all to get out right away because the bricks,” an employee of a neighboring bodega said. “I didn’t feel anything and had no idea what was going on.

The Department of Buildings website showed that the FDNY requested a structural stability inspection due to the parapet collapse.

Later that day, the DOB sent several inspectors to investigate the structure.

After the inspection, the owner of the building, Queens Crossroads, LLC, was issued a Environmental Control Board violation for failure to maintain the building.

A DOB spokeswoman said the owner of the building will be erecting a sidewalk shelter around the rubble and will begin removing the debris as soon as possible.

A complaint lodged on the DOB website on the same day as the incident states that on the roof and corner above, there are two airconditioning units sitting on a beam with a crack in the facade due to the building shaking and vibrating.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Winslow said. “I mean, the guy didn’t do anything wrong. It’s not like he was involved in a crime or something. All that is just bad timing and bad luck, a freak thing.”

The cause of the collapse is unknown and Q an investigation is ongoing.

Page 17 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013

Facade of building falls on passing man

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013 Page 18

SQ page 18

Smith faces uphill legal, career battles Political and court experts say his fight in scandal has only begun

by Michael Gannon Editor

When details first started coming out following the corruption arrest of state Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-Hollis), Professor Michael Krasner of Queens College just shook his head.

Krasner, a political science professor at the school school since 1970, has long been an observer of Queens politics.

“It is really fantastic that anybody thought Malcolm Smith, with his position as a Democratic senator, an unsavory reputation and no particular accomplishments or reputation for competence or integrity — in fact, quite the opposite — was somehow going to cross over to the Republican Party and become the nominee for mayor,” he said.

“It’s mind-boggling,” he said. “Did he really think he had a chance? It doesn’t seem to make any political sense ... One of my colleagues asked ‘What were they smoking?’”

Smith and Councilman Dan Halloran (RWhitestone) were among six people arrested on federal corruption charges on April 2, allegations that federal authorities claim stem from an attempt by Smith to bribe his way onto the Republican line in November’s mayoral election, with Smith allegedly offering cash bribes and state funding for transportation projects.

Halloran is charged with receiving $45,000 in bribes in part to act as a go-

between with Smith and GOP leaders and for other acts not directly linked to Smith.

Queens County Republican vice chairman Vince Tabone and Bronx GOP Chairman Joseph Savino also have been charged in the alleged scheme, as have Mayor Noramie Jasmin and Deputy Mayor Joseph Desmaret of upstate Spring Valley.

In his alleged quest for what so many, such as Krasner, feel was an impossible goal from the start, Smith could face 45 years if convicted of extortion, wire fraud and conspiracy.

Ian Weinstein, an associate dean and professor at the Fordham University School of Law who practices criminal defense in federal and state courts, said Smith’s defense team faces significant challenges if the case goes to trial.

“It’s still in the early stages,” Weinstein said. “Giving him the presumption of innocence, it seems like these are very substantial charges. It’s very likely his political career is done, as well as a significant risk of going to prison.”

Published reports have cast aspersions on the credibility and reputation of a man who supposedly is the government’s cooperating witness, who acted with an undercover FBI agent posing as a wealthy real estate developer.

Weinstein said that can help, up to a point.

“Attacking a snitch is the bread and butter of any criminal defense lawyer,” he said. “It

gives you a lot of ammunition. The problem is, if there is corroborating evidence, juries may not like the snitch but will tend to believe him.”

And if that corroborating evidence includes a defendant’s voice on an FBI recording — both the cooperating witness and the agent identified as ‘“Raj” were recording conversations with the accused, according to U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara — the defense’s problems really begin.

“If the prosecution has that, or a video of hand-to-hand transfers, that is really difficult evidence,” Weinstein said.

Some of Smith’s defenders, including some who have called the Chronicle, suggested that Smith did nothing that Mayor Bloomberg has not done, writing large checks to various parties in his quest to get his name on other ballot lines in his run for a third term.

Krasner even suggested there were some similarities.

“It’s basically still pay to play,” he said.

But Weinstein said an “everybody does it” defense is unlikely.

“I don’t think that’s very attractive to the prosecution during negotiations,” he said. “It’s not attractive to juries during a trial, and it’s not attractive to a judge at sentencing.”

Smith’s attorney, Gerald Shargel, has not returned messages left at his Manhattan office continued on page 36

A sign on the door of Sen. Malcolm Smith’s district office in Hollis might be a tad optimistic with the senator facing sizeable legal and politPHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON ical troubles.

Staffers bailing on Hollerin’ Halloran Embattled councilman faces long slog back, assuming he’s not guilty

by Joseph Orovic

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Assistant Managing/Online Editor

Understate (v): represent as less than is the case.

Example: Councilman Dan Halloran’s (R-Whitestone) life has become somewhat difficult after he was snagged in an alleged bribery scheme a week ago. Actually, it’s careening towards a professional hellhole.

How else can you describe the life of a man who has been virtually neutered at work, is hemorrhaging staffers and faces a legal and political trek through Dante’s Inferno?

Really, would anyone want to trade places with Dan Halloran right now?

Halloran was snagged on corruption charges after being taped discussing an alleged pay-to-play scheme that would have redirected thousands of taxpayer dollars to a developer, then serving as a conduit for state Sen. Malcolm Smith’s (D-Hollis) failed attempt at buying Wilson Pakula certificates to gain the Republican line for a mayoral run.

The Whitestone lawmaker’s troubles now include the loss of two

Staffers have jumped ship as experts say Dan Halloran will remain politically FILE PHOTO tainted for years. prominent staffers and a virtual lockdown on nearly all of his legislative authority.

The Monday evening departure of Chief of Staff Chrissy Voskerichian was the start of a power vacuum within Halloran’s office.

“As I look forward to my first days off in nearly three years, I wish to thank the Council member’s

staff,” she said in a public farewell sent to the press. “I have never met a group of people who were as hardworking and dedicated as his staff. I also wish to thank the countless members of the community who made the last three and a half years enjoyable. I loved meeting and working with so many outstanding and passionate community leaders, many of whom I now call friends.”

Voskerichian’s name was among the first mentioned by community members lamenting the news on April 2, when the councilman was arrested in the early morning and word of the allegations first started spreading throughout his 19th Council District.

The one person she did not thank in the 205-word statement? Halloran himself. But that did not stop him from thanking Voskerichian in a statement sent hours after her resignation.

“The council member greatly appreciates the hard work in service to the district that his entire staff have put forward, especially his chief of staff,” the statement read, before jumping into the first per-

son. “I am sure that Chrissy Voskerichian will continue to serve her community in many ways for years to come. The office continues to run smoothly and serve our constituents each day.”

A day later, Halloran’s legislative director, John Mulvey, also announced he was jumping ship, effective Friday. His email followed Voskerichian’s tone and substance, including the lack of gratitude for Halloran.

“While he has no plans of resignation and looks forward to clearing his name, he also understands that times like these can cause some staff members to re-evaluate their career paths,” Halloran’s office said in a statement. “He is sincerely grateful for every staff member’s service.”

His effectiveness as a lawmaker shrunk after Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) said his discretionary spending items will be re-evaluated and doled out at the her discretion, as well as Councilman Leroy Comrie’s (D-St. Albans). [see accompanying story on page 36].

The embattled councilman’s

future includes a court date which promises more peril than hope. The possibility of an entrapment defense has been floated among the chattering classes, but that would leave the burden of proof on Halloran’s shoulders, according to Professor Ian Weinstein, associate dean of Fordham University’s School of Law. “They really have to show that the defendant would not have engaged in the conduct but for the intriguing suggestions, offers of money, etc.,” he said. “It’s a difficult defense.”

The odds of a spectacular political recovery are long as well.

Michael Krasner, Queens College political science professor and codirector of the Taft Institute for Government, said Halloran could take 15 to 20 years to dig himself out from under the weight of this scandal.

“Here’s a guy who ran on questions of integrity and it turns out he has been lining his pockets in this bizarre situation,” he said. “The natural reaction for the voter would be to say these are a bunch of Q crooks.”

SQ page 19

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Proposed LaGuardia Airport Service Revisions: New Q70 Limited and Revisions to Q33 Q76: Proposed Weekend Service LaGuardia Airport Service Revisions The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) proposes revisions to MTA Bus Company operated bus service to LaGuardia Airport. A new limited-stop bus service is proposed connecting LaGuardia Airport with regional transit hubs in Jackson Heights (EFMR7) and Woodside (7 7 and the MTA Long Island Rail Road), traveling non-stop via the limited-access Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and Grand Central Parkway. The service would be named Q70 Limited. The Q70 Limited would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Coincident with the implementation of the Q70, it is proposed that the current Q33 local bus route between Jackson Heights and LaGuardia Airport be shortened to no longer enter LaGuardia Airport. The northern terminus would be relocated to 95th Street and Ditmars Boulevard in East Elmhurst, and the southern terminus would remain in Jackson Heights at the EFMR7 subway station. The Q33 would retain its current hours of service, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

These revisions are proposed to be implemented in fall 2013.

Diagrams depicting the proposed changes are available in the station and at www.mta.info.

Q76 Weekend Service The MTA proposes to permanently establish weekend service on the Q76 local bus route operated by MTA New York City Transit. Saturday service was restored and new Sunday service introduced in September 2012 between Jamaica and College Point on an experimental basis. The service would permanently operate every 30 minutes from 5:25 am to 10:25 pm on Saturdays and 6:25 am to 10:25 pm on Sundays.

Time and Place of Hearing

Natasha Marks pleaded guilty to conning man, then jumped bail

by Domenick Rafter Associate Editor

A Queens woman who admitted in 2007 to conning an 85-year-old man out of over $150,000 by tricking him into thinking she was a cancer patient trying to start up a business has been caught in Oklahoma after skipping bail, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said Tuesday.

Natasha Munchkin Marks, 26, defrauded Louis Bruno of Howard Beach in 2006 when Bruno was 85 years old. According to the district attorney’s off ice, Marks met Bruno at a Howard Beach Waldbaum’s in February 2006. Marks was 18 years old at the time.

“The defendant has learned the old adage the hard way; you can run but you cannot hide from justice,” Brown said.

In a 2006 interview with the Queens Chronicle, Bruno said he fell in love with Marks and even planned on marrying her.

Marks even told him she lived in Howard Beach when her last known address, according to Brown, was in Hollis.

That’s when Marks began swindling money from Bruno. Between February and June in 2006, she asked Bruno to give her hundreds of thousands of dollars for medical bills and start-up money for a business venture.

As part of the scheme, Marks asked Bruno to write checks payable to one of her aliases — “Crystal Smith,” which she told him was a friend of hers who would cash the checks.

Other checks were written out by Bruno to “East West Restoration,” a company owned

by Marks’ deceased mother. She later endorsed all the checks herself and cashed them at different locations.

Later in 2006, Marks — using her Crystal Smith alias — also filed with the New York City Department of Finance’s Office of City

Register as power of attorney on Bruno’s behalf without him knowing in order to gain control over his financial transactions.

She then refinanced Bruno’s home, without him knowing, and withdrew more than half a million dollars in equity from the property.

At the mortgage closing, Marks presented a fake Social Security card and an Illinois driver’s license identifying her as Crystal Smith.

In September 2006, a few weeks after Marks refinanced Bruno’s home, a neighbor and a family member notified authorities of their concerns after seeing Marks around Br uno’s home and discovering some of the suspicious activities. The scheme was uncovered when investigators from DA Brown’s Elder Fraud Unit interviewed Marks.

She was later arrested and pleaded guilty to second- and third-degree grand larceny as a hate crime and agreed to make $150,000 in restitution to Bruno. Under New York State’s Hate Crimes Law, enhanced charges can be filed when defendants commit a larceny and targets his or her victims because of their age when the victim is over 60.

Marks also signed a waiver of extradition as a condition of the plea agreement. She had made partial restitution, but failed to appear for a court date. A warrant was then issued for her arrest and she was sentenced in absentia to two to six years in prison in May 2007.

A year later, Marks was indicted on charges of first-degree bail jumping, punishable by up to seven years in prison, and she has been a fugitive until she was caught by authorities in Oklahoma earlier this month.

The DA’s office did not say exactly when or where in Oklahoma she was captured.

She was extradited to New York on Wednesday for arraignment on the bail Q jumping charges.

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SQ page 21 Page 21 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013

RICHMOND HILL HIGH SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT Annual Prom Expo

ichmond Hill High School recently hosted its annual Prom Expo. The Prom Expo is a special fashion show for seniors to usher in the spring senior events that culminate with the prom, the senior barbecue, the senior breakfast, senior awards night and most importantly graduation. The theme of the prom will be “Rio” and this theme was featured throughout.

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Komalpreet Kaur and Fabbiha Chowdhury Alyssa Maharaj and Fahim Rahman

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SQ page 22

Budget includes gas station generators

by Carlotta Mohamed Chronicle Contributor

Gov. Cuomo and state lawmakers are learning from the gas shortage caused by Hurricane Sandy and moving forward with preventative measures.

The recently passed 2013-14 budget includes a funded mandate for gas stations to be pre-wired or equipped with backup emergency generators.

Introduced in December 2012 by state Sen. David Carlucci (D-Rockland/Westchester), the legislation requires retail gasoline outlets located within a half mile from an exit road on a major highway or an evacuation route to be equipped with backup power generators. The outlets affected are located in Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, Westchester, Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens and Richmond counties, according to state Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing).

“Equipping gas stations with backup power capability will help in easing the minds of all New Yorkers while also taking steps to better prepare for the future,” Stavisky said According to a state Senate press release, the state Energy Research and Development Authority will provide $10,000 for pre-wiring expenses and an additional $3,000 for a purchase of a generator by April 1, 2014.

ERDA will also establish a pool of generators during emergencies. The stations

Drivers waited in line for hours for the chance to fill up in the weeks following Hurricane Sandy.

FILE PHOTO

will pay for deployment and installment and a rental fee.

Last year, gas retailers weren’t pleased with a program that didn’t include funding for the costs involved.

Kevin Beyer, president of the Long Island Gasoline Retailers Association, said the new manadate has the organization’s support.

“Originally they were pushing to do unfunded generators, that’s why we fought against it from the beginning,” said Beyer.

“Anything unfunded pushed upon us would

be unfair programming.”

Assemblyman Bill Scarborough (DJamaica), who was a co-sponsor of the passed bill, said that he was pleased it was apart of Governor Cuomo’s budget.

“I think it’s absolutely necessary because there was a collective conclusion that it was not acceptable to allow this situation to continue. There is a pretty strong consensus that the gas situation doesn’t happen again,” Scarborough said.

Councilman Daniel Halloran (R-

WOODHAVEN

Whitestone), who had floated the generator mandate idea last fall, said that the vast majority of motorists and homeowners would appreciate the need for them after what happened with Sandy.

“Not only did it mean not being able to drive our cars, which is a huge consideration in a district without much public transportation, but also many homeowners could not run the home generators they had the foresight to purchase. That left many homes cold and dark, while food spoiled,” Halloran said, speaking before his April 2 arrest on bribery allegations.

According to the state Senate, each existing gas station that’s within a half mile of an exit on a controlled access highway or evacuation route must be pre-wired by April 1, 2014 and must provide the state with documentation showing compliance with the requirements every two years. Stations that sell less than 75,000 gallons per month on average of fuel are exempted from the program.

Gas stations that refuse to comply will be liable for a civil penalty of up to $1,500 per day for every day of such violation.

“We’ll certainly help to alleviate gas lines and shortages in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy,” said Robert Sinclair, spokesman of the Automobile Club of New York. “At least one major link is taken care of for gasoline retailers who were worried, and they should Q be ecstatic about it.”

DEVELOPMENTS

GWDC meeting Tuesday, April 23

by Maria A. Thomson

PHOTO COURTESY NYS ASSEMBLY

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Executive Director GWDC

Hamilton Beach has mail Another sign that the South Queens communities devastated by Sandy are slowly coming back: The Howard Beach post office’s Station B annex in Coleman Square reopened last Friday.

The branch, which serves Old Howard Beach, Ramblersville and Hamilton Beach, was heavily damaged in Hurricane Sandy when 6 feet of water flooded the building, destroying much of the inside and the metal gates outside. The post office had

been closed since the storm.

Cutting the ribbon at the post office’s grand reopening above are Betty Braton, chairwoman of Community Board 10, left, Roger Gendron, president of the Hamilton Beach Civic Association, state Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr., Post Office Branch Manager Vincent Zecca. Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder and Frances Scarantino, owner of Reach for the Stars, a business located around the corner from the post office.

Well, what do you think, is spring finally here? I know we all want this weather to stay for good so that we can all enjoy Jamaica Avenue’s “walkability,” a very desirable part of any shopping strip. So stroll and, yes, walk Woodhaven’s Jamaica Avenue where our streets are cleaned by our Woodhaven Business Improvement District and there are so many stores and businesses for all of your needs.

I stated previously that the Forest Park Carousel (our jewel in Forest Park), along with the Flushing Carousel, had been advertising for bids for prospective concessionaires. The former concessionaire — after abusing our carousel and not keeping the area around it clean and the restaurant sanitary — was charged with fraud.

The $110,000 that should have been used for maintaining the carousel could not be accounted for. This occurrence made the choice of a new concessionaire of vital importance. Since then Parks and Recreation chose a new concessionaire for our “jewel,” who has proven to be excellent and caring. The GWDC has championed for many years to have our carousel landmarked for its perpetual protection and for future generations to enjoy. The carousel is now open on weekends from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and school days off through June. Thereafter, it will be open daily, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The GWDC has low-interest HIP home

improvement loans available at 21⁄2 and 5 percent. Call our office at (718) 805-0202 for more information.

N.Y.S. Department of Environmental Conservation is running Summer Environmental Education Camps for campers ages 11 through 17 with outdoor activities, camping, canoeing and hiking. If interested, call (518) 402-8000.

An article from March 7, 1968 states that a committee had to “fight to save precincts.” At that time, the NYPD wanted to close our 102nd Precinct. At the forefront of this committee were Woodhavenites. Our community has always been supportive of our precinct. We have a forum to discuss police problems and complaints, it is the 102nd Precinct Community Council. The telephone number at the 102nd Precinct is (718) 805-3200.

The Councils April meeting will be on Tuesday, April 16 at 7 p.m. at the Richmond Hill Library, 118-14 Hillside Ave. (lower level).

Also, the “whistle program” that I had started will continue and free whistles distributed.

This program was started so that you can blow a whistle to get help if you feel threatened.

The next GWDC meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle 88th Street cafeteria.

The GWDC spring dinner dance will be held on Friday, June 7 and the GWDC-sponsored “Wonderful Woodhaven Street Festival” will be held on Sunday, Oct. 20.

Q May God bless our America.

SQ page 23

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Page 23 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013

“Perfection Is Not An Accident”

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013 Page 24

SQ page 24rev

Ice Jewelry: where the owners can relate to their clients

Your chance for a job is improving, state reports

by Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief

Ice Jewelry Buying Service is located on Queens Boulevard in Rego Park.

by Denis Deck Chronicle Contributor

For the latest news visit qchron.com

UNEMPLOYMENT WATCH

PHOTO BY DONNA DECAROLIS

In addition to buying gold, silver, diamonds, watches and coins, Ice Jewelry Buying also offers instant cash loans for jewelry and eBay selling services.

Recently, a woman and her boyfriend went into an unassuming gold buying and cash loan shop on Queens Boulevard. She had a $35 offer on Their cash loans program is straightforward her ring from another area shop, but was looking and simple. “It’s a perfect solution for someone to get a better deal. In what may be viewed who has a bill due and a check on the way,” as poor business acumen, she told her new Goldberg said. “But we make sure they have a prospective buyer what her previous offer was. game plan to buy their jewelry back before the Still, after examining her piece, he offered her end of the term. Sometimes these are people’s $1,600. He did so, as he says, “...because that’s heirlooms we’re talking about and we respect what it was worth.” that.”

The plight of the worker who’s hard-up for cash For those who are less Internet-savvy or in today’s economy is something that Arthur Elias just don’t have the time, Ice Jewelry Buying and Edward Goldberg can relate to firsthand, offers a convenient eBay sales service. If what having been laid off from their jobs in jewelry a customer has isn’t an item that Ice Jewelry manufacturing. They understand that people get Buying would purchase, like a handbag or antique into situations where they just need a little cash furniture, they can help find a buyer on their eBay fast to make the bills and Ice Jewelry Buying store. Elias consults with the customer to find a Service hopes to help out in the most honest way target price and let the Internet they can. auctioneers handle the rest.

STORE HOURS “For this, I like to think we’re doing the community a service,” For anyone who has ever MON.-FRI. 11am - 7pm Elias said. “We’re in the business dealt with the hassle of selling SAT. 10am 5pm of helping people who are in a and shipping an item on eBay SUN. by Appointment tough spot. They can come to — all the forms involved in our store and know that we can setting up a user and paypal educate them on what they have and we’ll give account, the 10-15 percent fee that Ice Jewelry them what their items are worth. When that Buying charges to do all the work is really a woman told me her previous offer, it made me bargain deal. wonder how many times this happens — how “At the end of the day, I just want people to many people who really need that money get feel comfortable doing business with us. People taken advantage of?” have this conception of gold buying stores as Elias opened his Rego Park shop with Goldberg these slimy places with slimy people, and they’re less than a year ago, and already they’re seeing typically right. But we want to be different. I don’t a lot of repeat customers and referrals. This is think it’s cool to see someone buy a ring for a sign to them that they’re doing something right $200 and put it in their counter for $800. We — the pawn business typically deals in one-time don’t do that.” transactions but Elias is determined to break that Ice Jewelry Buying Service is located at mold, building a reputation on trust.

98-30 Queens Blvd. in Rego Park. Hours of “Everyone around here is buying gold these operation are Monday-Friday from 11 am to 7:00 days; you can go into the barber shop down the pm and Saturday 10 am to 5 pm; Sunday– private road and sell your jewelry. The problem with all appoinments are available. Call for more these places is they treat everything like it’s a Q information (718) 830-0030. one-shot deal and we don’t do that,” Elias said.

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ICEJ-060627

The employment outlook in Queens improved dramatically in February, according to the state Department of Labor, which released the figures last week.

The jobless rate dropped from 8.9 percent in February 2012 to 8.3 percent two months ago, the state reported. The number of employed people in the borough rose from 1,034,300 to 1, 037,500.

The city as a whole showed the same sixtenths of a percentage point improvement, with unemployment dropping from 9.8 percent to 9.2 percent.

So did the United States, with the national jobless rate slipping from 8.7 percent to 8.1 percent.

New York State, however, saw only half the improvement that the borough, city and nation enjoyed, as unemployment dipped from 9.1 percent to 8.8 percent.

The figures are not seasonally adjusted, which makes them most valid for year-to-year comparisons, according to the state’s labor analysts. February’s fig-

ures were also an improvement over January’s, but that is generally the case because of seasonal reasons, the analysts say.

Although the statewide employment picture did not improve as well as that of Queens, the city and the nation, the Labor Department said the Empire State is one of only seven that has regained the full number of jobs lost during the recession. The statewide February job count suffered a tenth of a percentage point loss due to the school bus strike in the city, the department added.

The state’s monthly jobs reports and other Q data are available at labor.ny.gov.

Unemployment rates Location

Queens NYC NYS U.S.

Feb. 2012 Jan. 2013

8.9% 9.8% 9.1% 8.7%

9.0% 9.9% 9.3% 8.5%

Feb. 2013

8.3% 9.2% 8.8% 8.1%

Source: NYS Department of Labor

Fire awareness education The Fire Department, elected officials and community leaders have responded to a rash of recent f ires in Northeast Queens over the last two weeks by beginning a fire safety awareness campaign in Fresh Meadows.

The effort will help more residents become aware of the dangers associated with residential f ires and ensure that more homes have working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

The FDNY Fire Education Unit will be providing fire safety information and smoke detectors to the community free

of charge at Assemblywoman Nily Rozic’s (D-Fresh Meadows) Fire Safety Awareness Day on April 14 from noon to 2 p.m. at her district off ice, 159-16 Union Turnpike, suite 210, in Flushing.

Volunteer teams will be canvassing the community throughout the week with additional home fire safety tips and information.

On Monday, April 29, the FDNY will also have its Mobile Fire Safety Experience from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at PS 173 in Fresh Meadows to teach children and Q families about fire safety.

End Zone site

in the ground. The school is in Community Board 10’s jurisdiction.

“The concerns that are being raised, that I’m hearing, is less about the area End Zone is working in and more about what’s beyond that area,” said CB 9 member Evelyn Baron.

Austin said they did not have any information about TCE contamination outside of the area they were cleaning up and suggested board members take their concerns to the DEC. “There are issues of concern for the community other than this site,” Cocovillo added before ending the discussion. “But that will have to be talked Q about later on.”

continued from page 5 contamination beyond the eight bays being cleaned.

A local business owner — whose attempt to speak during the presentation resulted in a shouting match between him and CB 9’s new chairman Jim Cocovillo — alleged a cover-up by End Zone and suggested TCE contamination beyond the site, including under PS 65, a public elementary school a block away.

In 2002, the DEC said there were traces of TCE under the school and a ventilation system was put in place to air the chemical

SQ page 25

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Page 25 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013

A Brand New Look - Same Delicious Menu!

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013 Page 26

SQ page 26

State spending hidden from public view Corruption case puts spotlight on shadowy development funds

by Nathaniel Herz

cost upwards of $7 billion annually, according to one estimate from the The sprawling corruption probe Citizens Budget Commission. Over that ensnared state Sen. Malcolm the last two years, less than 15 perSmith (D-Hollis) featured a guest cent of that has fallen under control appearance by a little known pot of of the governor’s councils.

In the latest state budget, which cash used to pay for roads and was just signed, legislative leaders bridges.

“Multimodal money is outside dealt Cuomo two important defeats the budget and it’s always around,” in his quest to give the councils the Federal Bureau of Investigation more financial control, and less to allegedly recorded Smith as saying, the Senate and Assembly.

In his January executive budget as he hatched a plan to funnel $500,000 in state funding to a pro- proposal, Cuomo had sought to use ject on behalf of a real estate $720 million in capital funding to create a new “Transformative Prodeveloper.

Gov. Cuomo has cracked down jects” fund, to be steered by the on legislators’ abilities to dispense councils.

A second measure from Cuomo funds at will. Two years ago, he eliminated funding for member sought to give the councils overitems — grants members directed sight of sales tax breaks granted to to their districts, often to closely businesses by local industrial develallied organizations. He also set up opment agencies, known as IDAs. Gov. Cuomo’s two-pronged bid to retain more power over state spending through Regional Economic Development But both fell out of the budget Councils was a point of contention with the Legislature during budget negotiations, and in the end the governor 10 Regional Economic Development Councils, designed to promote after pushback from legislative lost the battle.

FILE PHOTO coherence and accountability in leaders, who complained that ture intervened on their behalf.

Cuomo’s move was a power grab. them because they use an open, between Albany leaders. state spending on job creation.

“This would, in our opinion, have “This whole process is opaque,” A $2 million state grant helped The fight over economic develop- competitive application process — Binghamton restore or tear down ment spending was so contentious an improvement on Albany’s old said E.J. McMahon, a senior fellow disrupted a program that has been that it was one of the last sticking ways of pork-barrel spending on at the Manhattan Institute for Policy very effective in meeting local ecoblighted houses.

Research. Referring to Cuomo’s nomic development needs,” said points holding up programs like member items.

Wa t c h d o g s “They’ve created a … process administration, he added: “They Brian McMahon, executive director a budget deal in have hailed the that involves more members of the have not invented this opacity, but of the New York State Economic late March. new funding ov. Cuomo is Development Council, a nonprofit “There’s a con- public, and more stakeholders,” they’re not improving it, either.” process as an Cuomo tried to create stronger group that represents IDA leaders improvement. But seen as opening cern the governor Kaehny said. “It’s a heck of a lot is attempting to better than sticking items, line by accountability via the Transforma- and other local development offihundreds of milthe books to the expand the role of line, into the state budget at the tive Projects Program, but budget cials. “I think the legislature recoglions of economic economic very last second, after midnight, documents show that the Assembly nized that there would have been a development dolpublic more, but regional d e v e l o p m e n t and no one understanding who’s rejected the governor’s proposal to significant loss of local control.” lars budgeted long The budget does revive old progive the regional councils control councils to the getting what.” ago still escape not completely.

But the spending that goes over a pot of money that topped a hibitions against other kinds of exclusion of the the same level of locally granted tax breaks for retail scrutiny. Much of that spending is Legislature,’’ Assembly Speaker through the councils “is still just a half-billion dollars.

The Legislature also rejected projects, and adds some new monicontrolled by old agreements Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) said fraction of the economic development universe,” said Tammy Cuomo’s proposal for new controls toring requirements, which Gamerbetween former governors and leg- at the time.

At one point, Silver even floated Gamerman, senior research associ- on sales tax exemptions granted by man called “good but small islatures that make it difficult for the public to know who’s getting the idea of giving the Legislature ate at the Citizens Budget Com- the IDAs, which Gamerman said improvements.”

Buffalo-area Assemblyman would have been “a small step veto power over the councils’ mission. the money, and why.

And for several old programs in towards aligning state and local Robin Schimminger (D-Kenmore), Funds like the one set aside for spending decisions, though that the chairman of the Economic multimodal transit, and others creat- provision didn’t make it into the the state’s new capital budget such efforts.”

IDA officials in communities Development Committee, declined as RESTORE NY and ed during the Pataki administration, budget.

While legislators have criticized Gen*NY*Sis, there’s little informa- around the state strenuously object- to be interviewed about the budget’s are still viewed by good-government groups as “murky, opaque, Cuomo’s councils as giving the gov- tion about how the funds are distrib- ed, saying they would have lost a changes, and the Senate press office and potentially subject to conflict of ernor too much authority, good- uted, other than a reference to a crucial tool in their economic devel- did not respond to an inquiry.

Cuomo spokesman Rich interest and pay-to-play,” said John government groups tend to praise “memorandum of understanding” opment toolkits — and the LegislaAzzopardi would not respond to Kaehny, the executive director of specific questions about the budget Reinvent Albany, which promotes process, and instead gave the World transparency. an emailed statement.

Based on Smith’s alleged “Governor Cuomo’s Regional remarks, some legislators would This article is published under the Queens Joseph Pulitzer’s groundbreaking newspaper of the Council program has a proven track appear to see them the same way.

Chronicle’s partnership with The New York World, same name. Reporters are graduates of the Journalrecord of success, which is why it The state’s patchwork of ecowhich is published by Columbia University’s Jour- ism School, on post-grad appointments. Their work remained unaltered in this year’s nomic development spending pronalism School and is named for school founder is published online at TheNewYorkWorld.com.

Q budget,” Azzopardi wrote. grams, exemptions and subsidies The New York World

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Health & Fitness

Autism rates rising … but why?

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others.

Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a “spectrum disorder” that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause of autism, but increased awareness and funding can help families today.

In early 2012, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued findings from a study that found 1 in 88 children is now diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder by the age of eight. This is a 23 percent increase in ASD diagnoses in just two years. What troubles doctors is that the rate has risen far above the 2006 estimate of 1 in 110.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says that ASD includes a range of complex neurodevelopmental disorders, characterized by social impairment, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior. Children with ASD can have difficulties learning what are typically simple lessons for other children. Although ASD varies in severity, the common thread is that it occurs in all ethnic groups and affects every age. Males are four times more likely to have ASD than females.

Doctors do not understand why autism rates have risen so profoundly. Some believe that a broader definition of autism is fueling these growing numbers. Diagnostic criteria have changed, and ASD is now encompassing conditions that weren’t first included under the autism banner. Currently, ASD is classified into the following subsets.

• Pervasive developmental disorders (not otherwise specified, or PDD-NOS): These include a large group of disorders characterized by delays in communication and socialization skills. Children may vary in their abilities, intelligence and behaviors. A PDD is typically diagnosed by age three.

• Asperger’s syndrome: AS is a developmental disorder that includes repetitive routines or rituals, peculiarities in speech and language, such as speaking in a formal manner or monotone, socially and emotionally inappropriate behavior and the inability to interact with peers, clumsy motor movements and problems with nonverbal communication. Unlike children with autism, children with AS retain their early language skills, but their condition may be realized due to motor development delays, says the National Institutes of Health.

• Autism disorder: Also known as classical autism, those with this diagnosis often have the most severe form of ASD. Characteristics of this disorder include repetitive movements,

self-abusive behavior, inability to speak or communicate, failure to play with other children and no smiling or social responsiveness.

Many with AD have restricted patterns of interest that are abnormal in intensity or focus.

Because children are placed on the autism spectrum at different severities, autism in general is quite a broad term — and only seems to be getting broader. Therefore, net ASD includes more and more children who may not have been diagnosed with ASD in the past. Increasingly, doctors and specialists have a better understanding of behaviors and symptoms indicative of ASD, which means more children have the potential for an ASD diagnosis than in the past. These are just some of the factors contributing to why autism rates seem to be growing.

According to Autism Speaks, just a few years ago little was known about the causes of autism. Now it is known that there is no one cause of autism, just as there is no one type.

Scientists recently identified a number of rare genetic changes, or mutations, associated with autism. Many cases, however, seem to be a combination of genetics and environmental influences during early brain development. The organization also notes that the clearest evidence of these autism risk factors involves events before and during birth. They include advanced parental age at the time of conception (both of mom and dad), maternal illness during

pregnancy and certain diff iculties during birth, particularly those involving periods of oxygen deprivation to the baby’s brain. These factors don’t cause autism, but they can contribute to it.

Autism spectrum disorder affects more than one million children in the United States alone. Mark Roithmayer, president of Autism Speaks, says that autism should officially be considered an epidemic in the United States. Ongoing research and customized treatment options remain the best opportunities for anyone with ASD. Know the signs: Early identification can change lives Autism is treatable. Children do not “outgrow” autism, but studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes.

Here are some signs to look for in the children in your life: • Lack of or delay in spoken language • Repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms (e.g., hand-flapping, twirling objects) • Little or no eye contact • Lack of interest in peer relationships • Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play Q • Persistent fixation on parts of objects — Metro Creative Connection

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C M SQ page 29 Y K Page 29 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013

Health & Fitness

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A new approach to autism Many families may be relieved to learn about a new opportunity to try to stem the tide of autism.

The situation: The rate of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder has reached epidemic proportions, impacting one in 88, up from one in 110 just a short time ago, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the CDC, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Data and Statistics from May 2012, that figure jumps to one in 54 for boys.

• Seeking a solution: Because of this, Cord Blood Registry, the world’s largest newborn stem cell bank, has partnered with Sutter Neuroscience Institute and Sutter Institute for Medical Research to establish the first-of-its-kind FDA-regulated clinical trial that will assess the use of a child’s own umbilical cord blood stem cells to treat select patients with autism.

• The doctor’s opinion: “This is the start of a new age of research in stem cell therapies

• Banking on an answer: “CBR works as a catalyst for medical researchers to advance stem cell medicine and this clinical trial is an example that sets us apart in the industry,” said Heather Brown, vice president of scientific & medical affairs at CBR. “As the largest newborn stem cell bank, we are the best equipped to match researchers with children who have access to their own cord blood stem cells as a potential therapy.”

The study will enroll 30 children between the ages of 2 and 7, who meet the inclusion Q criteria for the study.

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• Understanding autism: Autism is thought to have multiple risk factors including genetic, environmental and immunological components. It is the leading cause of delayed development in children, typically surfacing before 3 years of age. The condition is characterized by impaired communication, repetitive thoughts and behavior and difficulty in socialization. This clinical trial will evaluate the ability of an infusion of cord blood stem cells to help improve language and behavior. To ensure quality of the cellular infusion, only families that have had Cord Blood Registry process and store their baby’s cord blood stem cells will be eligible to participate in this trial.

for chronic diseases such as autism, and a natural step to determine whether patients receive some benefit from an infusion of their own cord blood stem cells,” said Dr. Michael Chez, director of Pediatric Neurology with Sutter Neuroscience and principal study investigator. “I will focus on a select portion of children diagnosed with autism who have no obvious cause for the condition, such as known genetic syndromes or brain injury.”

Umbilical cord blood stem cells have long been used to treat a variety of conditions including certain forms of cancer, blood diseases and immune disorders. The cord blood contains a unique population of stem cells that can be used to rebuild the blood and immune systems.

“We have evidence to suggest that certain children with autism have dysfunctional immune systems that may be damaging or delaying the development of the nervous system.”

“Cord blood stem cells may offer ways to modulate or repair the immune systems of these patients, which would also improve language and some behavior in children who have no obvious reason to have become autistic,” Dr. Chez said.

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A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is blocked, while sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart malfunctions and suddenly stops beating unexpectedly. A heart attack is a “circulation” problem and sudden cardiac arrest is an “electrical” problem.

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What is a heart attack?

A heart attack occurs when a blocked artery keeps oxygen-rich blood from reaching a section of the heart. If the blocked artery is not reopened quickly, the part of the heart normally nourished by that artery begins to die. The longer a person goes without treatment, the greater the damage. Symptoms of a heart attack may be immediate and intense. More often, though, symptoms start slowly and persist for hours, days or even weeks before the heart attack. The Fast action can save lives: It’s a good idea to know heart usually does not stop beating what to do if someone experiences a heart attack or PHOTO COURTESY NAPS during a heart attack. Symptoms can cardiac arrest. differ in men and women. the emergency room right away. Emergency What is cardiac arrest? medical services staff can begin treatment Sudden cardiac arrest often occurs without when they arrive—up to an hour sooner than warning. It’s triggered by an electrical mal- if someone gets to the hospital by car. EMS function in the heart that causes an irregular staff are also trained to revive someone heartbeat (arrhythmia). With its pumping whose heart has stopped. Patients with chest action disrupted, the heart cannot send blood pain who arrive by ambulance may get faster to the brain, lungs and other organs. Seconds treatment at the hospital, too. later, a person loses consciousness and has no pulse. Death occurs within minutes if the What to do: Sudden cardiac arrest victim does not receive treatment.

Cardiac arrest is reversible in most victims if it’s treated within a few minutes.

What is the link?

First, call 911 for emergency medical serThese two distinct heart conditions are vices. Then use an automated external linked. Sudden cardiac arrest can occur after defibrillator if one is available. Begin CPR a heart attack or during recovery. Heart immediately and continue until professionattacks increase the risk for sudden cardiac al emergency medical services arrive. If arrest. Most heart attacks do not lead to sud- two people are available to help, one should den cardiac arrest but when sudden cardiac begin CPR immediately while the other arrest occurs, heart attack is a common calls 911 and finds an AED. cause. Other heart conditions may also disSudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of rupt the heart’s rhythm and lead to sudden death — nearly 360,000 out-of-hospital carcardiac arrest. These include a thickened diac arrests occur annually in the United heart muscle (cardiomyopathy), heart failure States. By performing immediate CPR, you and arrhythmias, particularly ventricular fib- can double or even triple a victim’s chance of rillation and long QT syndrome. survival.

What to do: Heart attack Even if you’re not sure it’s a heart attack, don’t wait more than five minutes to call 911 or other emergency response number. Every minute matters. It’s best to call EMS to get to

Learn more You can find further information about how to help save a life with CPR at Q heart.org/CPR. — NAPS

SQ page 31

Understanding and fighting hypertension go hand in hand

Hypertension, often referred to as high blood pressure, affects millions of people across the globe. According to the American Heart Association, more than 76 million adults in the United States alone have been diagnosed with high blood pressure. But even children and teens can suffer from hypertension, making it a formidable but largely preventable foe.

Understanding high blood pressure, or HBP, may encourage adults and children alike to take steps to maintain a healthy blood pressure, which can reduce their risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney disease.

What is HBP? HBP is often associated with men and women who are considered to be constantly on edge, nervous or hyperactive.

But even laid-back men, women and children can suffer from HBP. As a person’s heart beats, it creates pressure that pushes blood through the body’s arteries and veins. Those arteries are made of muscle and a semi-flexible tissue that stretches when the blood is pumped through them. The more forcefully that blood is pumped, the more that flexible tissue is stretched. When the tissue is stretched too much, a person is at an increased risk of suffering from a host of problems, including blood clots, plaque buildup that can lead to heart attack and stroke, and tissue and organ damage from arteries that have narrowed or become blocked.

Are there symptoms of HBP? The AHA notes that HBP is typically devoid of symptoms. So people suffering from HBP may not know it if they have not routinely had their blood pressure checked.

Over the years many myths have prevailed regarding HBP. Such myths can be dangerous, giving people a false sense

of security regarding their blood help men, women and children manpressure. For example, in the early age their blood pressure and reduce 1900s it was assumed that people HBP if necessary: with high blood pressure experi• Blueberries: Blueberries contain enced more frequent headaches than anthocyanin, a natural compound that those with healthy blood pressure. a recent study published in the AmeriHowever, a study published in the can Journal of Clinical Nutrition found journal Neurology found that people can protect the body against HBP. with high blood pressure were sig• Whole-grain cereal: A Harvard nif icantly less likely to have University study found that wholeheadaches than those with healthy grain cereals that are high in fiber can pressure readings. Nosebleeds have reduce a person’s risk of developing also been linked to high blood presHBP. sure, but one study found that 83 • Beet juice: A study from British percent of patients treated for high researchers published by the AHA in blood pressure did not suffer from its journal Hypertension found that a nosebleeds. glass of beet juice can lower blood Debunking such myths is imporpressure in a matter of hours. tant, as it further emphasizes the • Low-fat dairy products: A 2008 need to receive routine blood presstudy that examined nearly 30,000 sure readings as the only reliable women at an average age of 54 found means for men, women and children that those who consumed the most to determine if they have high, low low-fat dairy products, including skim or healthy blood pressure. Anyone or low-fat milk, were significantly experiencing frequent headaches or Routine blood pressure screenings are often less likely to develop high blood presnosebleeds should consult a physi- the only way men and women can learn if they sure than those who consumed dairy cian but should not assume such are suffering from high blood pressure. products that were high in fat. occurrences are a byproduct of high HBP is a common problem that blood pressure. affects millions of people of all ages across the globe. There are several ways men, women and Can certain foods help reduce high blood pressure? children can reduce their risk of HBP and lower their blood Q One rumor concerning HBP actually has some merit. A pressure if it’s already high. heart-healthy diet that includes the following foods can — Metro Creative Connection

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While many people are excited about the warmer weather and blooming flowers that springtime brings, nearly 40 million Americans are also preparing for the onslaught of seasonal allergy symptoms. For some, springtime allergies can feel like a cold that just won’t go away, but for others, spring allergies can be a trigger for more serious respiratory conditions like asthma.

People with asthma can experience chronic inflammation in both their large and small airways, which in turn can make the airways of the lungs very sensitive. Similar to tree limbs, the airways of the lungs are divided into “branches,” or bronchial tubes, that begin with the large, main bronchi and then break off into many small airways in the lungs.

Increasing evidence suggests that these small airways, when inflamed, may play a significant role in contributing to asthma symptoms and attacks. If inflammation is not treated properly, each time the airways are exposed to triggers, like pollen or other spring allergens, the inflammation increases and asthma symptoms are more likely to occur.

There have been many advances in drug delivery over the past several years, which have led to the availability of treatments that target the small airways in particular— and when used daily, as prescribed, have the ability to improve asthma control.

“About half of all asthmatics also have allergies,” said Dr. LeRoy Graham, pediatric pulmonologist at Georgia Pediatric Pulmonology Associates. “Spring allergies may seem like a small inconvenience to some people, but for a person with persistent asthma, allergy season can be very problematic,

particularly among people who may not have been keeping up with daily asthma treatments before spring allergies hit. During spring allergies, daily asthma management is critical to help reduce inflammation in the large and small airways of the lungs and control asthma.”

While inflammation can be a defense mechanism for the body, it can also be harmful if it occurs at the wrong time or lingers when it is no longer needed. When allergens, like pollen, are inhaled, the body can mistake them for an invader and attack them. When this occurs, the body produces chemicals that cause inflammation around the allergen to isolate and destroy it. The airways of people with asthma are even more sensitive to allergens, which can cause the inner linings of the airways to become inflamed, leaving less room for air to move through. Additionally, the muscles surrounding the airways tighten up and the mucus glands in the airways may produce thick mucus, which can further block the large and small airways.

While asthma is a chronic condition and has many triggers beyond just spring allergens, it can be successfully managed and may not hinder people from doing the things they enjoy. A new website, GetSmartAboutAsthma.com, offers tips about managing asthma and inflammation in the large and small airways. The website also offers downloadable materials, like a symptom tracker, doctor discussion guide and asthma diary, so that patients can track their own asthma symptoms and triggers, during spring allergy season and throughQ out the year.

— NAPS

SQ page 33rev

by Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief

The Queens Chronicle won one of the most prestigious journalism awards bestowed by the New York Press Association last weekend, during the organization’s annual conference in upstate Saratoga Springs.

The paper also took home f ive other awards, in all areas: news, advertising and design.

But it was the Sharon R. Fulmer Award for Community Leadership that was the most notable achievement. The Chronicle won the honor for its “SitWant,” or Situation Wanted, initiative, designed to help veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan find work.

Along with the requisite plaque, the community leadership award comes with a $500 grant the winning newspaper can donate to a charity of its choice.

SitWant, military speak for Situation Wanted, allows veterans of the conflicts in the Middle East to place free classified ads touting their training, discipline and experience, so that employers can find qualified applicants.

It was the brainchild of Chronicle co-founder Stanley Merzon — and it remains available to veterans today.

“The Sharon R. Fulmer Award for

Community Leadership is one of the most important honors ever bestowed on the Queens Chronicle,” Publisher Mark Weidler said. “I commend all the staffers who put so much work into making it happen, and thank Stanley deeply for such a great idea. I also encourage all eligible veterans to get in touch with us so we can help them find the jobs they need.”

“We salute the Queens Chronicle for helping veterans re-enter civilian life,” the judges, who are from another state’s press association, said in bestowing the award.

The Chronicle won five other honors from NYPA this year.

The paper — which due to its high circulation is in the toughest contest division — took first place for its coverage of crime, police and the courts. The judges’ opinion: “Really terrif ic stories, well-written and clear. Nobody in this division covers crime like the Queens Chronicle.”

Chronicle contributor Janne Louise Andersen, who interned here last year, won the paper a third-place award for in-depth reporting with her four-part series on prescription drug abuse.

“A thorough inquiry and explanation from personal, professional, legislative and law enforcement perspectives, woven into an eye-opening, edifying series.” the judges

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The Richmond Hill High School Parent Teacher Association is sponsoring two bilingual individual workshops designed to invite parents of students to learn skills they will be able to use to help themselves as well as their children with school subjects.

The computer technology workshop helps parents learn computer programs that allow them to assist their children in schoolwork, and college applications and scholarship information.

The second workshop focuses on math and is designed to help parents understand the subject so they can assist their children with assignments and help them prepare for Regents exams.

The workshops run on Saturdays 9 a.m. to noon through June 8, except May 25, at Richmond Hill High in Rooms 240 and 251. A continental breakfast will be provided. Availability for the classes is on a first-come-first-serve basis and priority is given to parents of students at RHHS. For more information, email the RHHS PTA at Maurajpappas@ yahoo.com or terrytlj13@yahoo.com or call Donna Crayton at (718) 846-3335, Q ext. 1.

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said. “Great job!”

The Chronicle also won third place for its coverage of education, with Editor Domenick Rafter leading the way and the judges remarking, “Interesting and engaging series of stories on the potential closings of schools. Eloquently answers the ‘So what?’ question often missing in these stories.”

Associate Art Director Ella Jipescu took first place for best graphic illustration for her front-page “Budget storm” design, which ran in several editions last May 10. It showed a tornado of cash being whipped up, with Queens Boulevard as a backdrop, to represent the mayor’s and City Council’s fight over spending.

“Cool,” the judges said. “Best single illustration in this group. It really defines the title of the article very well.”

Account Executive Donna DeCarolisFolias and Associate Art Director Moeen Din teamed up to win third place in the best multiadvertiser pages category, for a pullout celebrating cultural diversity in Sunnyside.

The judges said they “like this very much,” adding that “there is interest and the graphics are awesome.”

“I congratulate all our staffers for the hard work that went into winning these awards,” Q Weidler said.

Parent help at Richmond Hill

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Chronicle wins community leadership press award

Page 33 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013

Our public service rewarded

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013 Page 34

SQ page 34

A half-century of faith and learning After 50 years, Christ the King is far more than just a high school

by Domenick Rafter Associate Editor

On any given school day, throngs of students step off buses or the M train on Metropolitan Avenue — or walk from the nearby neighborhoods — and descend down the hillside toward the grand beige brick building that sits at the bottom of the valley.

Marching in packs, the groups of teenagers chat and laugh as they make their way into the iconic edifice for yet another day of learning.

Welcome to Christ the King Regional High School.

Though younger than most of the borough’s Catholic high schools, Christ the King has etched its place in Queens academia. It’s colors are a vibrant purple and gold — hues that fit the school’s sports name, the Royals.

And sports has put the school on the map. Christ the King has produced a slew of basketball stars — both male and female.

But while Christ the King’s staff will laud its athletic accomplishments, the school community will be the first to tell you sports is only the beginning.

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Christ the King Regional High School Principal Peter Mannarino stands outside his office. PHOTO BY RICH MAIMAN

Christ the King welcomed its first freshman students in 1962 at Mater Christi High School in Astoria while its Middle Village campus was under construction. When the students first sat in their desks in the new building in May, 1963, construction was not even finished yet.

The school divided the genders — boys in one wing, girls in the other — until 1973, when Christ the King become coeducational.

Since then, CTKHS has grown into something far more than just a high school.

“We don’t even consider ourselves just a high school anymore,” said Margaret Tapalaga, Christ the King’s public relations coordinator. “Fifty years is a long time to build roots.”

What began as a response to the rising need for Catholic education in Queens has evolved into a full community center — a town square, so to speak — for this part of western Queens. The school boasts a popular day care program, a continuing education program for adults and tutoring and test prep programs for students — and not just the ones who go to Christ the King. Community Board 5 regularly holds its meetings in the school cafeteria and many other neighborhood events are held there.

In 2010, the state Department of Transportation used the school for a town hall meeting on the proposed replacements for the nearby Kosciusko Bridge.

“We’re lucky enough to provide the services that the neighborhood needs, both as a high school and a place with community services,” said Principal Peter Mannarino “When the community has a need, we try to do what we have to in order to accommodate them.”

Mannarino said the communitycentric policies of CTKHS help students become more “communityminded” themselves, which is one goal the school sets for its graduates.

And on academia, Christ the King is proud of its math club, which has consistently finished in first place in citywide competitions against other high schools. The school’s speech and debate team made it to the state championships this year. Christ the King has also implemented tech programs in which juniors can take Microsoft IT classes and graduate with a certification — one of the first schools in the country to have such a curriculum for students.

“We’ve concentrated more and more on the academic side,” Mannarino said. “And that is really starting to bear fruit.”

He highlighted the school’s chess and robotics clubs, both started by students who came to him with those interests.

Its academic reputations have even won back some alumni, who choose to pursue their teaching careers at Christ the King.

Heather Arzberger graduated from CTKHS in 2000. Today, she teaches music in classrooms where she once sat.

“I loved the family environment at Christ the King,” she said. “I felt comfortable here and I saw a lot of potential in bringing music to the school and I knew I would get the support I needed. Music and musical theater have grown immensely in terms of student interest, and I chalk that up to the school’s response to it and how they welcome it as an important part of the program.”

Arzberger, who works with the school’s concert band, marching band and musical theater program, said she enjoys the fact some of her colleagues were her teachers.

“I can still look at them as mentors,” she said.

Christ the King’s athletics program has given the school national recognition. Basketball stars Lamar Odom, Sue Bird and Tina Charles are all alumni. The school’s women’s

Christ The King Regional High School is celebrating its 50th year in their iconic PHOTO BY DOMENICK RAFTER Middle Village building. basketball team won the state championship in Federation Class AA last month. Coach Joe Arbitello was awarded Coach of the Year, while senior and guard Jon Severe won Varsity Player of the Year.

CTKHS attracts students from all over the borough, and even from as far away as Nassau County and Brooklyn, in part due to its athletic program.

At its core, however, Christ the King is a Catholic school and is dedicated to the catechism. CTKHS holds regular Masses with the student body and sacraments are offered for those who have not received them.

Sister Elizabeth Graham, one of the campus ministers, works directly with students in both religious settings and in helping them through their high school years. She organizes the senior-freshman connection program, in which incoming seniors are paired with incoming freshman to help them through their first days at Christ the King.

Even though it requires some commitments over the summer, Sister Elizabeth said there is a lot of interest in it.

Fashion show, April 12 Ozone Park Civic meeting The South Queens Boys & Girls Club will host its Annual Teen Fashion Show, “Runway for Runaways,” on Friday, April 12 at 6 p.m. at the Clubhouse at 110-04 Atlantic Ave. This year the teens will model designs from Shades

by D Symone and Collection of Mel. Proceeds from the event will benefit the National Runaway Safeline to support their runaway prevention center. The South Queens Boys & Girls Club runs the Let’s Talk Runaway Prevention program in conjunction with the National Runaway Safeline.

For more information on the fashion show, teen center, the Let’s Talk program or any other South Queens Boys & Girls Club programs call (718) 441-6050 or log on to Q www.sqbgc.net.

The Ozone Park Civic Association will be having its monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 16 at 8 p.m. at the Ozone Howard Little League building, 97-14 135 Dr. Please use entrance at Centreville Street and 149th Avenue.

This month’s guest speaker is Shirley Singer, who will address the many senior issues that exist today including Q Social Security and Medicare. All are welcome.

Queens Borough Democratic Club The Queens Borough Democratic Club will hold a meeting on Thursday, April 18 at 7 p.m. at the Tropical restaurant, 88-18 Jamaica Ave. in Woodhaven. Refreshments will Q be served.

“It’s a really popular program,” she said. “Juniors are already asking about it.”

Sister Elizabeth has worked in the campus ministry office since 1986 and enjoys her work with students, especially during private conversations she has regularly with them in the chapel.

“When we are in chapel, it is just the student, God and me,” she explained. “I think what would surprise people is their level of thought is probably better than most adults will credit to them.”

Mannarino has set high goals for the next 50 years.

“My expectation is that we will continue to grow academically,” he said. “We will maintain our high-profile sports exposure, and we will really see what the community needs and is asking for and fulfill their needs and expectations.”

The Golden Jubilee celebrations will begin on Friday, April 19 with a gala dinner Dance at El Caribe in Brooklyn from 7 to 11 p.m. and continue throughout that weekend with musical performances and a Q celebratory Sunday Mass.

South Queens Democratic Club meeting, April 18 The South Queens Democratic Club will meet on Thursday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Old Mill Yacht Club, 163-15 Cross Bay Blvd. in Howard Beach.

There will be a Queens Borough President Candidates panel featuring the Democratic candidates: state Sen. Tony Avella; Councilman Leroy Comrie; former Deputy Borough President Barry Grodenchik; former Councilwoman Melinda Katz; state Sen. Jose Peralta and Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. NYC Public Advocate candidate state Sen. Daniel Squadron will be a guest speaker and there will be updates from state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. and AssemblyQ man Phil Goldfeder.

SQ page 35 Page 35 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013

CHRIST THE KING HIGH SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

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Students donate at blood drive he Christ the King Community, Middle Village, recently hosted its Semi-Annual Blood Drive in conjunction with the New York Blood Center at Christ the King High School. Eligible students took time from their schedules to give the gift of life by donating their blood, as the New York Blood Center is always in need of blood. More than 154 pints of blood were donated.

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SQ page 36

Malcolm Smith analysis continued from page 18 seeking comment for this story, particularly whether or not his client would consider a plea bargain or turning evidence himself.

Weinstein said pleas are not unheard of in similar cases. But he also said at this point prosecutors may not feel they need the cooperation of Smith or anyone else charged.

“Things have tightened up since the Joe Bruno case got overturned,” Weinstein said.

“Prosecutors now look to gather a lot more evidence before an arrest. On the other hand, prosecutors always like to have more evidence.”

He was referring to the 2009 corruption conviction of former Republican state Senate leader Joe Bruno (R-Rensselaer), who was convicted on corruption charges in 2009 before an appeals court ordered a new trial. Initially slated to begin in February, the trial has not yet been rescheduled.

State Sen. Jeff Klein (D-Bronx and Westchester), who along with Smith is a breakaway Democrat in the Independent Democratic Conference, issued a press release last week saying that Smith had been stripped of his leadership position in the caucus, which is supposed to cost him some bonus pay.

Published reports also said Smith would be stripped of some staff members.

Multiple calls to Klein’s Albany office attempting to determine how many aides would be cut, how much money is involved

and where that money would go have not been returned.

All appeared to be normal in a visit to Smith’s Hollis off ice on Monday, with staffers busy and a spokeswoman saying calls are being answered and constituent service is continuing as usual.

“Business as usual” was also a phrase used by Bharara on April 2 to characterize the corruption culture in Albany.

Krasner used it too in a telephone interview with the Chronicle.

“I think it’s too stringent to say ‘Business as usual,’ but it’s not entirely off the mark,” he said. “You know you have a lot of corruption in New York City and New York State politics. Malcolm Smith, Dan Halloran and the others — it’s an extreme story to be sure. It’s bizarre in a certain way, the entire scale of it.”

But he said it is not unusual for money to change hands in return for political favors in New York, again citing lifelong Democrat Bloomberg, who wrote checks quite legally when seeking to run as a Republican and Independent.

Krasner said Gov. Cuomo, who has spoken at length about the need for reform, will be forced to take some sort of action, particularly with the subsequent arrest of Assemblyman Eric Stevenson (D-Bronx) in a separate bribery case on April 4.

He does not think the governor has any Q political concerns of his own.

Charles Park plans panned

For the latest news visit qchron.com

continued from page 5

Department. Standke said she had tried to make it to an earlier CB 10 meeting, but was unable to.

That didn’t sit well with board members.

“How do you not get to this board early on?”

Frank Dardani, CB 10’s parks committee chairman, asked. “When we don’t get this information prior to the bids, it’s a slap in the face.”

Braton added that she appreciated Standke A federal Parks police car patrols the trail around Charles Park PHOTO BY DOMENICK RAFTER coming, but wanted the Tuesday morning.

NPS to also come to the meeting. She said the board has supported and no regular maintenance," she said.

That may have lit a f ire under the the idea of transferring Charles Park from NPS. federal to city control.

On Tuesday morning, as joggers and Opposition to the RFP was unanimous at the meeting, and the entire board agreed park goers came to soak in the first sumto oppose the proposal pending improve- mer-like day of the year, crews worked ments to the park and more consultation seeding and tilling the baseball field and picking up trash. An NPS police vehicle with the community.

Dorothy McCloskely, president of patrolled the path.

At least one regular visitor to the park, Friends of Charles Park, agreed.

“Until the National Park Service figures who was walking along the trail Tuesday out how to run Charles Park on a daily morning, said it was the first time she had basis, they should not be proposing these ever seen a police vehicle there.

“Hopefully this keeps up,” she said. Q ideas where there is no park ranger posted

Quinn, Comrie takin’ over Halloran’s bacon

by Joseph Orovic Assistant Managing/Online Editor

Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) stands accused of taking bribes to guide the flow of taxpayer cash, creating a pay-to-play environment for what is commonly called discretionary spending.

Or, depending on how you feel about it, “pork.”

It has birthed unfortunate pig-related puns like “bringing home the bacon.”

Well, Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) told Halloran to stop eyeing the skillet, because there’s no way he’s going to decide who in the 19th Council District gets a big helping of his pork.

Now Quinn and Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) will be holding back the pen, as elected off icials, community groups and activists all want a say in how to distribute the bacon.

Several elected officials representing the area at the state level have lined up to insist on providing input on how to distribute the funds. But Comrie said everyone needs to calm down and line up at the trough.

First, he said he will honor the results of a recent Participatory Budgeting vote, saying “I don’t anticipate it being a problem.”

He also promised to be as collaborative as possible, with the full Queens delegation and voices from within the community welcome to provide input.

The kerfuffle began after the 19th Council District wrapped up its Participatory Budgeting process on April 7, which would give constituents some voice in how the pork gets sliced. Questions emerged if the results were valid, after Quinn had stripped Halloran of his discretionary spending abilities, as well as his committees.

The councilman’s office released a statement congratulating his district on a sizzling turnout of 1,170 voters. The Poppenhusen Institute garnered a thick slice of the vote, with 52 percent voting to fund the historic site, netting it $250,000 in taxpayer funds.

“I thank my hardworking staff and all the constituents who put so much time and

effort into this process over the past several months,” Halloran said in a statement.

“We all learned a great deal. I especially congratulate the winners and encourage even more participation next year, in every district.”

Quinn grew salty at the Whitestone lawmaker’s assertion.

“I don’t usually quote Mike Bloomberg, but it’s one of the stupidest things I have ever seen, and the height of arrogance,” Quinn said, sizzling in reaction to Halloran’s press release, according to various reports. “And he puts out a press release trumpeting his Participatory Budgeting process. I mean it represents, to me, no real appreciation, steeped in arrogance, of how significant the charges are against him. It was outrageous.”

The speaker wanted to make clear: when it comes to bringing home the 19th Council District’s bacon, there are two cooks in the kitchen: Quinn and Comrie.

A check of Halloran’s 2013 discretionary spending requests shows a smattering of community groups getting greased with proposed pork, including the Bayside Historical Society, the Queens Oratorio Society, the Boy Scouts and the Bay Terrace Community Alliance, among others.

Halloran’s case proves that pols caught being careless in the kitchen can burn their constituents, said BTCA President Warren Schrieber, whose group was slated to get $3,500 in discretionary funds from the councilman.

“Whenever one of our elected officials is ar rested and charged with a crime, unfortunately it doesn’t only affect that elected off icial, it affects all his constituents. People really have to think about that,” he said.

Quinn provided Halloran with a biting reminder that if you play in the taxpayer’s kitchen, you’re going to get burned.

“Councilmember Halloran will have no input in how funds are distributed in his district. Period. End of conversation,” Quinn said. “I don’t care how many stupid Q press releases he issues.”

Weiner for mayor, maybe?

Anthony Weiner, the former U.S. representative who resigned over a 2011 sexting scandal, may be running for mayor this year.

In a New York Times Magazine article that was posted online Wednesday and is set to be published on Sunday, the Democrat and his wife speak on life after the scandal and a possible mayoral run.

“It’s now or never for me,” Weiner said in the article.

For several months, rumors have swirled over Weiner possibly running for mayor or city comptroller after numerous people throughout the city were contacted by

President Obama’s longtime pollster David Binder, asking questions pertaining to Weiner and a possible public office run.

In the article, the former congressman acknowledges that the odds of succeeding Mayor Bloomberg are against him but said he’s ready to move forward.

“We have been in a defensive crouch for so long,” he said. “We are ready to clear the decks on this thing.”

Weiner, who represented Brooklyn and Queens for more than a decade, said he doesn’t know when he’ll decide on the race. Q — Tess McRae

SQ page 37

continued from page 15 education developments are in New York City.”

A mile or so north, the new Energy Tech High School is slated to open with 108 new ninth-graders in the fall in JHS 204’s Long Island City campus.

The school will serve grades nine through 14, meaning it will be a place for students to not only get a high school diploma, but also the start of a college education.

“It’s a very unique high school,” said Hope Barter, the school’s proposed leader.

The school was created through a collaboration between the DOE and energy companies.. The school has been colloquially named “The Con Ed High School” by some parents of JHS 204 students and community members. The aim is to prepare students for a career in a tech industry and allow them to graduate with the equivalent of both a high school degree and an associate degree.

“We’re looking very specifically at tech jobs that are hard to f ill,” Barter explained. “We’re working with college faculty, industry professionals, to work on building what that six-year scope of classes will be.”

Barter, who was a founding teacher of the York Early College Academy in Jamaica, has also taught in India and Nepal.

“It was so inspirational to me to see how even the smallest investment in education and development can be life changing,” she said of her experiences.

Energy Tech will host an information session for prospective students on April 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City.

Some of the 15 new schools, including new co-located high schools at Newtown and Flushing, as well as the closure of one of Campus Magnet’s schools, were met with controversy.

Dmytro Fedkowskyj, Queens’ representative on the PEP, opposed those changes at last month’s meeting.

“While I commend the mayor for opening new schools in newly designed buildings, some of these new schools were created because he either chose to co-locate charter schools in traditional public schools’ space or he decided to close and phase out some of our struggling schools,” he said. “I’m all for creating options, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of existing schools, and there needs to be more focus on supporting some of our struggling traditional public schools with a defined plan of action so that we are fixing what’s wrong and not always starting over.”

Opponents allege the co-locations were a backdoor attempt by the DOE to phase out the schools after a plan to do so failed last summer when an arbitrator ruled it

Public hearing in Queens on May 2 While the increase would be the lowest increase in eight years, that could appear relative following increases of 9.4, 11.5, 14.5, 12.9 and 12.9 percent each year between 2007 and 2011.

The rates for this year increased 7 percent over fiscal year 2012, and would mean that rates have more than doubled since 2006.

City Comptroller John Liu, who also is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for mayor, panned Strickland’s request in a statement issued by his office last week.

“City Hall’s proposal to hike water prices yet again is another blow to struggling New Yorker’s pocketbooks,” Liu said. “After the astronomical rate rises of the past seven years, it is cold comfort that the proposed hike is ‘only’ 5.6 percent.”

Liu called for city residents to protest the DEP’s request during the public hearing process.

One public hearing will be held in each borough. Further information for those interested in attending can be found online Q at nyc.gov/nycwaterboard.

City residents should brace for another increase in water rates based on a proposal made on April 5 by the city Department of Environmental Protection.

The DEP is asking for an increase of 5.6 percent, one that the agency said would increase the average single-family homeowner’s annual bill from $939 a year to $991. The bill for an average multi-family dwelling would go from $610 year year to $644.

“We recognize that any rate increase can be a burden to our customers,” said DEP Commissioner Carter Strickland Jr. in a statement issued last week.

He said they will continue to look for ways to further tighten their belts, and to work with state regulators to reduce costly unfunded mandates.

New rates would be approved on May 10, and would go into effect on July 1, and the DEP is scheduling a series of public hearings on the matter, including one in Queens at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 2 at LaGuardia Community College at 45-50 Van Dam Street in Long Island City.

Page 37 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013

City DEP seeks 5.6 percent water hike

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SQ page 38

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‘42’ — important history and a good film too

by Lloyd Carroll Qboro Contributor

Considering Jackie Robinson’s prominent position in American history, it’s frankly surprising that the film industry had not done a biopic on him until the just released “42,” which stars Chadwick Boseman as Robinson and Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey, the Brooklyn Dodgers general manager who signed him to a contract in 1946 that would finally integrate Major League Baseball a year later.

Screenwriter and director Brian Helgeland wisely limits this fast-moving film to the 1946 and ’47 seasons, and there is certainly enough material for him.

The movie opens with Rickey telling the Dodgers public relations director Harold Parrott (T.R. Knight) that the time has come for baseball to accept a Negro. Rickey is portrayed as a deeply religious man fond of quoting the Scriptures, particularly “Love thy neighbor.” He is well aware of the fact that the United States had just helped conquer fascism thanks in no small part to African-American soldiers. He was also painfully cognizant that the Jim Crow laws of segregation diminished America’s greatness.

When Parrott expresses his qualms about possible backlash by fans against a black player, Rickey scolds him by saying that he is only concerned about winning a World Series.

Winning is also the only thing that matters to irascible Dodgers manager Leo Durocher (Christopher Meloni), who looks forward to managing Robinson.

While there was no shortage of qualified players for Rickey to choose from, he selected Robinson because he was a star in four sports at UCLA, was a World War II veteran and

SPORTS

Chadwick Boseman, left, as Jackie Robinson and Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey in Warner Bros.-Legendary Pictures’ PHOTO BY D. STEVENS “42.” was both intelligent and intense — at times bordering on the belligerent.

“It takes guts not to fight back,” Branch says to Jackie, who reluctantly understands that he will have to play the role of Ghandi if other black players are to make it to the majors.

Boseman thankfully portrays Robinson not as a saint but as someone who possessed a temper and was a bit distant even to those who were on his side, such as Pittsburgh sportswriter Wendell Smith (Andre Howard) — who was the Jackie Robinson of sportswriters as he was the first to integrate the Baseball Writers Association of America in 1948

BEAT

after years of not being allowed to enter a press box.

Robinson most likely would not have been able to survive the incessant ruthless insults that were hurled at him by opposing players, managers and segregationist hotel managers without the bedrock support of his wife, Rachel (Nichole Beharie). She even gave him a batting tip before a crucial September series with the Pirates.

While “42” understandably focuses on the relationship between Robinson and Rickey, Helgeland doesn’t neglect smaller details about that fateful 1947 season. It is disconcerting to hear the racial epithets hurled at Robinson by racist Phillies manager Ben Chapman (Alan Tyduk) and to see the Dodgers bus get turned away at Philadelphia’s Ben Franklin Hotel because the owners did not want to see it get integrated. Making matters worse, some of Jackie’s southern teammates take out their frustrations on him.

Fortunately, Jackie had teammates who were also friends, such as pitcher Ralph Branca and outfielder Gene Hermanski. No white Dodger was more courageous, however, than shortstop Harold “Pee Wee” Reese (Lucas Black), who grew up in Louisville, Ky. While playing at Cincinnati’s Crosley Field in front of a lot of friends and family, Reese got so disgusted with the vitriol aimed at Robinson that he walked over and put his arm around him. “I want my family to see the kind of man that I am,” Reese told him.

As with almost every sports movie, there is some cringeinducing corny dialog here, but it’s kept to a minimum. Ford and Boseman are spectacular in the lead roles, as are Beharie and Howard in their key supporting roles. Not just an imporQ tant history lesson, “42” is a rather good film as well.

I HAVE OFTEN WALKED

Knicks honor ’73 team Fresh Meadows’ first post office

by Lloyd Carroll

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Chronicle Contributor

“We were the first team to ever beat the Celtics, who went 68-14 that year, in a seventh game at the Boston Garden,” former Knicks forward Jerry Lucas recalled last Friday night as the Knicks honored members of their 197273 squad, the last New York team to win an NBA championship.

Lucas obviously took a pride in that accomplishment, but he was also sending a message to fans of the current Knicks team that even the Miami Heat, led by Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, a team that recently peeled off 27 straight wins, can be beaten by the never-say-die Knicks in the playoffs.

I asked Knicks head coach Mike Woodson if his players understand the immortal glory that comes with being a champion, since pro athletes are renowned for being notoriously poor students of sports history. “Rasheed Wallace, Jason Kidd, and Tyson Chandler [members of the Knicks who have won NBA rings with other teams] can tell them how special it is,” Woodson said, then joking about how he asked for autographs from members of the 1973 team at dinner the night before.

Knicks forward “Dollar” Bill Bradley became a U.S. senator from New Jersey in 1978 and was twice re-elected. I asked him about the acidic state of national politics,

where compromise between the two parties has become a laughable concept. “It will probably get worse before it gets better,” he said. “Only about 50 House of Representatives seats are even remotely competitive thanks to state legislatures which draw up districts that are overwhelmingly Democratic or Republican.

Incumbents from both parties have to worry far more about primary challenges from extremists than they do about winning votes in a general election.” The Tea Party’s success against the GOP establishment bears him out.

Bradley also lamented the loss of congeniality in politics. “Senator Alan Simpson and I were good friends even though we were from different parties,” he said, recalling the Wyoming Republican. “He would bring his family to the Jersey Shore for vacations and my family and I would go out to Cody to spend time with his family. That camaraderie helped us when it came to getting legislation passed.”

He also recalled his opponent from his first Senate campaign, conservative Republican Jeffrey Bell. “We debated 21 times across the state that fall,” he said. “We got to know and like each other. We never engaged in personal attacks. Jeff, who was an advisor to President Reagan, was actually very helpful to me with respect to making sure that New Jersey taxpayers were not victimized by the Tax Reform Q Act of 1986.”

by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor

Fresh Meadows got its start as a farming community. It first had the name Black Stump, due to how farmers marked their land by placing blackened, charred The original Fresh Meadows post office, located at 61-30 190 St. in the Fresh Meadows shopping tree stumps along their property lines.

In 1923, Brooklyn attorney Benjamin center, fall 1949.

C. Ribman purchased 141 acres of land, hired A.W. Tillinghast to build a golf course theater, nursery, school and bowling alley.

A post office was dedicated and opened and christened it the Fresh Meadows Country Club. It was the site of the 1930 PGA in the shopping center at 61-30 190 St. WithChampionship and the 1932 US Open. in a few years, these leased quarters were Babe Ruth played there after his baseball outgrown as the community’s population swelled to more than 15,000 residents. career ended.

In 1955, a new postal building was erectAfter World War II, with the return of soldiers, there was a massive housing short- ed at 192-20 Horace Harding Blvd. In 1990, age. The entire golf course was sold in 1946 the gas station next door was torn down and to the New York Life Insurance Company. another building was put in its place, which The goal was to build a model community is now for postal window service only. The from scratch with all the latest technology original building at 192-20 is just the letter of the period. The old name of Black Stump carrier section. Post office stats show Fresh was scrapped in favor of Ribman’s name, Meadows handles 18,502 residential deliverFresh Meadows. The new development was ies and 756 business deliveries every day. opened to the public as a prestigious com- This feat is accomplished through 46 carrier munity of 11,000 residents complete with routes, two parcel post routes and the work Q an air-conditioned shopping center, movie of 16 clerks.

SQ page 39

April 11, 2013

e co

PHOTO BY JOSEY BARTLETT

COURTESY PHOTOS

Ed Kaplan paints Queens photorealistically

by Josey Bartlett

Ed Kaplan is an artist of many styles.

He paints photorealistic movie stills on televisions and landscapes and landmarks around Queens and citywide, as well as motorcycle bodies and surrealist multicolored works.

Kaplan, of Kew Gardens, began drawing with his grandfather in Florida.

“You have to learn to draw first before you can paint,” he said.

Those days by his grandfather’s side paid off. His skills morphed into a career in the arts, wherein Kaplan works as a decorative painter restoring churches such as St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan and giving apartment owners that “exposed brick” look without ever lifting a trowel. He also freelances, airbrushing flames on a fleet of Ozone Park tow trucks and decorating motorcycles.

And he creates decorative paintings in a multitude of styles, works he has shown in galleries in Harlem, Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.

Some of his first paintings were surrealistic works of realistic quaint white houses, musical instruments, pints of Guinness beer and actor and musician Tom Waits floating in swirls of color.

He continued in this vein for awhile.

Then about two decades ago, after a brief two-year stint in Portland, Ore., where he airbrushed motorcycle bodies continued on page 43

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Artist Ed Kaplan at his home in Kew Gardens and three of his paintings of Queens stores.

rne r

Page 39 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013

On th

ARTS, CULTURE & LIVING

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013 Page 40

SQ page 40

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W H AT ’ S H A P P E N I N G

AUDITION

KIDS

An audition and open cast call for “Les Misérables,” will be held on Thursday, April 18, Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20 at American Martyrs Sullivan Hall, Bell Blvd. and Union Turnpike, Bayside from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Bring a head shot and resume (this is a requirement). Sheet music for your audition: 16 bars ballad, 16 bars up tempo. Your calendar for May, June, July and August. Comfortable clothing for a group dance audition. Parts available for 11 years old and up. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. No one seen without the above requirements.

Thalia Spanish Theatre, 41-17 Greenpoint Ave., Sunnyside, presents Garcia Lorca’s “The Billy-Club Puppets/Los Titeres de Cachiporra,” a bilingual puppet musical for children on Sunday, April 14 at 3 p.m. Tickets: $15 for adults and $12 for children.

Family discounts are available. For more information and tickets call (718) 729-3880 or visit thaliatheatre.org.

Robot fans: a Build-a-Bot workshop for kids ages 8-12 and parents will be held on Saturday, April 20 from 1-5:30 p.m. at The Center at Maple Grove Cemetery, 127-15 Kew Gardens Road, Kew Gardens. Space is limited. $10 per child. Call (347) 878-6614 to register.

HOLIDAY St. Josaphat’s R.C. Church of Bayside, 35th Avenue and 210th Street, will hold an Easter dance on Sunday, April 14 from 2 to 6 p.m. Tickets are $35. For more information, call Helen at (718) 746-5138.

THEATER Thalia Spanish Theatre, 41-17 Greenpoint Ave., Sunnyside, presents on Sunday, April 21, Roots of Flamenco, Gypsy Soul presents music and dance from Spain, India, Persia and the Middle East, at 4 p.m. Tickets are $35. For more information call (718) 729-3880 or visit thaliatheatre.org.

DANCE Watch Circuitous Body on Sunday, April 21 at 8 p.m. at The Secret Theatre, 44-02 23 St., Long Island City. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $15 students. Visit danceseries.wordpress.com or chrisferrisdance.com.

FILM Sunday at the movies at Rego Park Jewish Center, 97-30 Queens Blvd., presents the film “The Couple” on Sunday, April 14 at 2:30 p.m. $5 per person. Call (718) 459-1000.

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Bella Italia Mia will meet on Sunday, April 14 from noon to 5:30 p.m. at Christ the King High School, 68-02 Metropolitan Ave., Middle Village, Door No. 10, 3rd floor. A 90-minute video entitled “The Italian Americans” will be shown. There will also be music and dancing. Members, $5; nonmembers, $7. For more information call (718) 426-1240.

“Spectacle: The Music Video” explores the art, history and future of the art form at the Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35 Ave., Astoria now through June 16. For more information call (718) 777-6888 or visit movingimage.us.

MUSIC Holy Cross Fathers’ Club will hold its 15th annual doo wop show on Saturday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m. at 26-20 Francis Lewis Blvd., Flushing. Reserve seating is $40.

For tickets and information call (718) 279-0470.

Rochdale Village Senior Center presents a gospel celebration on Saturday, April 27 at Rochdale Village Grand Ballroom, 169-65 137 Ave., Jamaica.

Auto enthusiasts from the tri-state area with cars such as this 1961 Corvette will gather at Belmont Racetrack PHOTO COURTESY LONG ISLAND CARS on April 20 and 21 for “Long Island Cars” Annual Car Show and Swap Meet.

Doors open at 3:30 p.m. Showtime at 4 p.m. Tickets: $20, children under 12 are $10. For tickets and information call the senior center at (718) 525-2800.

On Sunday, April 14 at 3 p.m. the Sacred Music Chorale of Richmond Hill presents their spring concert at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 86-20 114 St. Admission: $15; seniors and students, advance, $12; children, free. Visit richmondhillny.com.

FLEA MARKETS The Church of Resurrection, 85-09 118 St., Richmond Hill/Kew Gardens, will be having its spring treasure — bake and book sale on Saturday, April 20 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There will be a preview sale on Friday, April 19 from 6-9 p.m. with a fee of $5. For information call (718) 847-2649.

The Friends of the St. Albans Library will hold their spring flea market on Thursday and Friday, April 18 and 19 from 1-5 p.m. at the library, 191-05 Linden Blvd. Admission is free.

All Saints Episcopal Church, 43-12 46 St., Sunnyside, will hold a rummage sale on Saturday, April 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call (718) 784-8031.

A rummage sale will be held on Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the United Methodist Church, 112-14 107 Ave., Richmond Hill. For more information call (718) 843-4841 or visit umcrh.shutterfly.com.

Italian Charities of America will host a flea market on Saturday, April 13 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, April 14 at 2 p.m. at 83-20 Queens Blvd., Elmhurst. For information call (718) 478-3100.

LECTURE Oakland Little Neck Jewish Centers, 10 Little Neck Pkwy., Little Neck, presents “Why Kabbalah Still

Matters” on Saturday, April 13 at 6:30 p.m. For further information call (718) 224-0404.

Rego Park Jewish Center’s lecture series presents “Kiev to Broadway — The Creative Journey of Stage Designer Boris Aronson” on Sunday, April 21 at 2:30 p.m. at 97-30 Queens Blvd. Call (718) 459-1000.

Award-winning professor Raymond Belliotti will talk in Forest Hills at the Central Queens YM & YWHA, 67-09 108 St., on the meaning of life on Monday, April 22 at 1:30 p.m. Call (718) 268-5011 or visit cqy.org

MEETINGS The Parashat and Haftarat club at Rego Park Jewish Center, 97-30 Queens Blvd., will hold its next meeting on Saturday, April 13 at 12:30 p.m. to discuss Parashot Tazria/Metzora. No charge. Call (718) 459-1000.

Northeast Queens Multicultural Democratic Club will meet on Sunday, April 21 at 2 p.m. at Carlyle Towers, 43-10 Kissena Blvd., Lobby Floor, Flushing.

John Liu will speak.

Queens County Bird Club holds a free presentation on Wednesday, April 17 at 8 p.m. at Alley Pond Environmental Center, 228-06 Northern Blvd., Douglaston. Visit qcbirdclub.org.

The Ozone Park Civic will meet on Tuesday, April 16 at 8 p.m. at 97-14 135 Dr. Use the Centerville Street and 149th Avenue entrance of the Ozone Howard Little League Ball Fields.

Flushing Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m. in Flushing Hospital, 146-01 45 Ave.; enter at 45th Avenue and Burling Street, 5th floor, on the first, third and fifth Wednesdays of the month. For more information call (718) 749-0643 or visit flushingcameraclub.org.

There will be a children’s carnival at the Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy., Floral Park, on Saturday and Sunday, April 13 and 14 and Saturday and Sunday, April 20 and 21 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $11 per person. For more information, call Museum Events at (718) 3473276 or visit queensfarm.org.

A Pupp-PET!! workshop will be held at the Center at Maple Grove Cemetery, 127-15 Kew Gardens Road in Kew Gardens on Saturday, April 13 from 1 to 5:30 p.m. Build a sock puppet pet. Get rid of old socks.

Kids 8-12 and parents. Free parking.

CLASSES The Sisterhood of Bay Terrace Jewish Center, 1300 209 St., Bayside, will hold a defensive driving course on Thursdays, April 18 and 25 from 7 to 10 p.m. Participants are eligible for lower insurance rates and points reduction. Cost is $50 per person.

Call Harriet Wolfe at (718) 423-6426 to register.

Watercolor classes at the National Art League, 4421 Douglaston Pkwy., Douglaston. All techniques, beginners to advanced. Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. $25 per session. Call (718) 969-1128.

The JCC-Chabad of Long Island City/Astoria, 1031 Jackson Blvd., hosts Torah Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m.; Taam Shabbat, Mommy and me, on Thursdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.; Carlbach Shabbat service and LeChaim on Fridays at 6 p.m.; Shabbat morning service and kiddush on Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. Call or visit (718) 609-0066 or jewishlic.com for more information.

The Central Queens YM & YWHA 67-09 108 St., Forest Hills, announces the return of PERC, a club for retirees. Come meet and speak with others about what concerns you Tuesday mornings from 10-11:30 a.m. Free for members of the CQY. Nonmembers free for first session, then $2 per session. Call the Adult and Senior Department at (718) 268-5011 ext.

160 or 622 for more information.

Italian Charities of America, 83-20 Queens Blvd., Elmhurst, hosts dance with instructions every Monday and Friday from 7:15 to 8 p.m. and a social dance from 8 to 11 p.m. Call (718) 4783100. Cost is $10.

To submit a theater, music, art or entertainment item to What’s Happening, email artslistingqchron@gmail.com

C M SQ page 41 Y K

Ridgewood’s expanding art scene

by John Zwerenz Chronicle Contributor

The once-quiet residential neighborhood of Ridgewood is rapidly becoming home to a dynamic art scene. Over the last two years large influxes of artists and gallery owners have migrated to Ridgewood from such places as Manhattan’s Chelsea district and Brooklyn’s Williamsburg and Greenpoint.

At the end of 2012 there were roughly a dozen art galleries operating in Ridgewood compared to three years prior.

Fred Valentine, a veteran of New York City’s art scene and the owner of Ridgewood’s Valentine Gallery on Seneca Avenue, explained: “Things are happening very fast here in Ridgewood. The local galleries are thriving with curated shows of paintings, sculpture, everything artistic.”

The Valentine is a quaint, medium-sized gallery, and its owner has made the most of its limited space. The rectangular showroom has an airy feel, and the powder-white brick and plaster walls possess a welcoming support for the many ethereal photos on display.

Many of these portray the natural beauty of lush and varied rural landscapes. Most of these pictures were taken in the backwoods of Ohio and Illinois. A few of them also feature the faces of the lower-middle-class families who live in these regions.

However, most of the exhibits, which draw about 100 people, at The Valentine feature painters and their paintings.

Valentine most frequently displays high-quality, contemporary paintings chosen from a varied pool of local talent.

Small Black Door gallery owner Matthew Mahler at his art PHOTO BY JOHN ZWERENZ studio.

“Art schools are crafting out new artists like crazy. There are a ton of artists here in Ridgewood now,” said the painter and art professor at Pace University.

According to Valentine, the main reason so many artists

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are moving into Ridgewood is rental costs are relatively inexpensive when compared to places such as Williamsburg and Greenpoint.

Like The Valentine, the majority of the new art galleries which have sprung up in the neighborhood attract a wide demographic. Yet there is one art gallery in particular that has captured the enthusiasm of the young among Ridgewood’s growing population of youthful artists and art lovers.

At 19-20 Palmetto Street, just one block east of Woodward Avenue, the Small Black Door, a new, youth-oriented gallery run by owners Matthew Mahler and his longtime friend Jonathan Terranova never fails to stir up, encourage, as well as exhibit the intensely colorful and effervescent, artistic aspirations of Ridgewood’s nascent younger population.

Their main reason for making it public in February 2011 was, as Mahler said, “to give something back to the community in an altruistic way.”

The Small Black Door exhibits paintings, photographs, sculpture, videos and even artistically-fashioned quilts. The last exhibit, held on March 2, was curated by the art critic and photographer Carl Gunhouse. Six other artists’ works were on display. Among them were the latest fruits from Brooklyn’s painter Jacob Rhodes; the newest creations from sculptor Guy Nelson; and a surreal film produced by Keith Sullivan which featured a sonically accurate percussionist playing dramatically, albeit devoid of equipment, to continued on page 00 46

Page 41 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013

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C M SQ page 42 Y K

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Leading man David Holliday, left, as Pseudolus, receives directorial advice from Charles PHOTO BY MARK LORD Repole in “Forum.”

A little advice from a Tony-caliber actor rehearsal, Repole said he chose the show because he “thought it was time the stuWhen the curtain rises each night on dents learned this kind of humor. The jokes Queens College’s production of the musi- come from the characters. It’s a teaching cal comedy classic “A Funny Thing Hap- opportunity — louder, faster, funnier.“ pened on the Way to the Forum,” audiFrom the outset, Repole offers his actors ences will likely find themselves roaring insight into their characters. with laughter at the nonstop rollercoaster “She’s a blank slate,” he tells Grace of onstage shenanigans. Little could they Kahl, of her character, Philia, an innocent imagine the laboriyoung courtesan. “I ous preparations don’t think she that will have gone knows very much.” into making it all To Alex Schirling, appear so effortless. who plays Marcus Under the keen Lycus, the “buyer When: April 11-14 and 18-21 directorial eye of and seller of the Where: Goldstein Theatre, Broadway veteran flesh of beautiful Queens College Charles Repole, women,” Repole chairman of the 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing suggests a change Department of of posture. “Chest Tickets: $18; $10 for seniors and Drama, Theatre & out. He’s proud of students with QC IDs Dance, which is prehimself. Go home kupferbergcenter.org or senting the show in and practice in the (718) 793-8080 collaboration with mirror,” he advises. the college’s Aaron In an effort to Copland School of explain the rapid Music, rehearsals for the show began five back-and-forth banter required for a parweeks prior to the scheduled April 11 open- ticular scene, Repole references the famous ing night.

Abbott and Costello “Who’s on First?”

Working with a mostly student cast, not routine. It’s not the only time he confronts only theater majors but those in other acade- a generation gap, as he is met with blank mic areas as well, Repole — who garnered a stares from some of the students.

Tony Award nomination for his portrayal of As the late nights pile up, many of the the title role in the Broadway musical “Very students are struggling with the demands Good Eddie” — turns the show into a learn- of a show whose style is foreign to many ing experience for his proteges. actors of similar age.

In fact, during a brief break at a recent continued on page 00 44

by Mark Lord

Chronicle Contributor

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‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum’

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The beauty right around the corner continued from page 39 00

for a living, he moved back to the East Coast and settled in Astoria.

“I started seeing televisions all over the street and I decided why not paint on the TVs” Kaplan said.

Walking into his basement art studio in Kew Gardens, it looks as if about a dozen old televisions are on pause. Arnold Schwarzenegger stares at his target and a gunfight erupts on a screen on the right.

But the televisions aren’t on pause. They aren’t even plugged in.

‘Urban Landscapes’

by Ed Kaplan When: Tuesday, April 16, 6 to 9 p.m.

Where: LIC Market 21-52 44 Dr. Tickets: licmarket.com

The photorealistic paintings are created by Kaplan with a fine paintbrush and an airbrush. His TV collection will be on display at Freddy’s Bar at 627 Fifth Ave. in Brooklyn later this month.

But that artist has since moved on.

“I started searching for a new thing,” Kaplan said. “I thought I should be doing paintings of where I live.”

He began from home. Rising out of his backyard is a babyblue water tank, which he painted in a sunrise-like light. The silo got good reviews from friends and viewers, and convinced him to paint more of the type.

He set off with a camera in hand over the bridges of New York City, capturing images that caught his eye. Then he began to paint.

Again the works are like staring at photos, but they’re not the typical images of skyscrapers

OF CUSTOM LARGE SELECTION E/ QUARTZ AT IN GR ANITE/ LAM COUNTERTOPS!

Page 43 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013

boro

These are paintings on real televisions! Robert De Niro, left, in the 1976 film “Taxi Driver” and Jack Nicholson in the 1980 movie “The Shining.”

PHOTO COURTESY ED KAPLAN, LEFT, AND BY JOSEY BARTLETT locations close to home.

“It’s not stereotypical beauty,” Kaplan said. “But I think it’s pretty. These are places off the beaten path. That’s what I bring to the canvas.”

These landscapes are in a show titled “Urban Landscapes” at LIC Market, which opened on a dreary day in February. Not many people braved the rain for the event.

and perfectly kept parks. Instead Kaplan liked the places close to home — Dani’s House of Pizza, the Village Diner and John’s Coffee Shop — as well as reflective puddles under the Manhattan bridge.

An art gallery up the block from his house, which has since closed, only accepted Queensbased art, which gave him a further incentive to paint images of

Lisa DiClerico, the co-owner of the market, and Kaplan — who know each other from about 15 years ago when DiClerico, an artist in her own right, shared a studio with Kaplan’s roommate — hope the spring reception on April 16 will get more play.

Kaplan’s art stays in the 2foot-by-3-foot range and prices Q for about $2,500 to $3,500.

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C M SQ page 44 Y K

Forum continued continued from from page page 42 00 When it comes to developing a character, Repole said, “We usually teach to work from the inside out. Here we’re working from the outside in. It’s like in a dance. How do you add the comedy if you don’t know the steps? Then the character comes in.”

For the pivotal role of Pseudolus, a conniving slave whose relentless pursuit of freedom is at the center of the plot, Repole recruited a former student, David Holliday, who last appeared at the college in a production of “The Pajama Game” in 2005.

“It’s neat for me to be back at the university level. It’s extremely inspirational,” Holliday said, speaking of the actors with whom he shares the stage.

“I can see the hunger in their eyes.”

While he ultimately walked away from the theater, calling it “a tough lifestyle,” he said that being back on stage has “given me a bug to possibly get back out there. I’d love to always keep a foot in the arts.”

Stephen Winburn, 22, who plays the role of Hysterium, unwitting cohort to Pseudolus, wolfs down his now-cold dinner from a foam container, and explains that he had previously worked

with Repole on a production of “Anything Goes,” though most of his onstage work has been in nonmusicals.

“It’s different from what I’m used to,” he said. “It’s very high-energy, very fastpaced, a lot of movement.”

Admitting he is “terrified of musicals” and apprehensive about auditioning, senior Thomas Stagnitta, also 22, finds himself in his first musical, in the featured role of the dirty old man, Senex.

He acknowledges that Repole provides a “very safe environment. He knows what he’s doing. I trust him.”

The students’ enthusiasm is palpable and many of them must make tremendous sacrifices to pursue their theatrical ambitions, though it becomes clear that sometimes other aspects of life interfere.

One cast member dropped out of the show because of personal circumstances. Many of the students are forced to miss rehearsals or arrive late because of conflicting classes or other issues.

Winburn says he has “gotten used to the rehearsal schedule here so I make all my classes before 6 p.m. We rehearse from 6 to 10. I try not to make any social appointments after that.”

“I have 25 students who work, have classes,” Repole said. “Some support their families. It’s always been tough to get them together. It’s not a class. I have to be able to work around their schedules.” Q

THE QUEENS CHRONICLE will publish its annual

Spring Guide on

APRIL 18, 2013

For the latest news visit qchron.com

Read all about • • • • •

Enjoying the Queens waterfront Mets preview and giveaway days Car and motorcycle club shows Day trips beyond the borough Gardening and museums and more

190,000 COPIES OF THE SPRING GUIDE will be distributed to over 1,000 high-traffic locations throughout the borough plus 10,000 will be home-delivered.

RESERVE YOUR SPACE NOW! Black & White and Full Color Ads Available

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL US AT

718 -205-8000 Queens’ Largest Weekly Community Newspaper Group

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MONDAY, APRIL 15TH QCHR-061012

boro SPECIAL EVENTS Oakland Little Neck Jewish Centers, 49-10 Little Neck Pkwy., Little Neck, presents: “Israel Bonds Breakfast” on Sunday, April 14 at 10 a.m.; “Bedouin Tent Extravaganza” to celebrate Yom Haatzmaut—Israel’s Independence Day with Bedouin culture and Israeli current events, games, food and music, on Monday, April 15 at 7 p.m.; and “Our Monthly Shabbat Morning Experience” breakfast and a Torah discussion, on Saturday, April 27 at 9 a.m. For more information call (718) 224-0404.

Long Island Cars’ Car Show and Swap Meet on Saturday and Sunday, April 20 and 21 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Belmont Racetrack, 2150 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont, includes hundreds of custom and collectible cars from vintage to exotic. The rain date is Sunday, April 28. Enter through Gate 3.

Admission: Saturday is $7. Sunday is $9. Both days are $13. Children 12 years and under are free. Visit LongIslandCars.com or call (631)567-5898.

Earth Week in Forest Hills: Community Swap Meet at the Central Queens YM & YWHA, 67-09 108 St., on Sunday, April 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Swap all clean, portable items such as clothes, toys, jewelry and dishes. For more information call (718) 268-5011 or visit cqy.org.

Volunteers needed for the Earth Day beach cleanup at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Broad Channel, on Saturday, April 20 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. To register call (718) 338-3799.

The Annual Glendale Kiwanis Club Street Festival will take place on Sunday, May 5 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Metropolitan Avenue from 73rd Place to 79th Street in Middle Village. Free rides for children from 11am to 1pm. Call (718) 444-6028.

The Myrtle Avenue BID holds its Spring Street Festival on Sunday, April 14 on Myrtle Avenue between Forest and Wyckoff avenues from noon to 6pm.

On Saturday, April 13 at 5 p.m., the Sunnyside Reformed Church, 48-03 Skillman Ave., hosts its 4th annual pasta dinner and a pop-up art show with works from well-known local artists, including the late Louise Nevelson, followed by an open-mic session with music, poetry, comedy and spoken word.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information contact (917) 558-7192 or email st6events@yahoo.com Celebrate Israel’s 65th Anniversary at Rego Park Jewish Center, 97-30 Queens Blvd. on Saturday, April 20 at 12:30 p.m. after Shabbat services. Reserve by April 17. $18 per person. Call (718) 459-1000.

Divine Mercy Catholic Academy welcomes all to its 6th Annual Family Fashion Show at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 18 at Roma View Catering, Crossbay Blvd., Howard Beach. Call (718) 845-3074 for more information.

The Annual Maspeth Kiwanis Club auction will be held Thursday, April 18 at 6 p.m. at the Moose Lodge at 72-15 Grand Ave., Maspeth. A $20 admission includes a buffet dinner, beer, wine, dessert and coffee. Donations of auctionable items are wanted. Call Marie for tickets at (917) 623-6306.

Human Growth Foundation, a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to help children and adults

with disorders of growth and growth hormone, will host its first annual 4.8K Step Up and Walk on Sunday, April 21 from 7 a.m. to noon at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, 113-01 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing. Individual and team registration is now open online at hgfound.org/stepupandwalk_event_registration.html The Sisterhood of Bay Terrace Jewish Center, 1300 209 St., Bayside, is having a luncheon card party on Tuesday, April 23 at 11:30 a.m. Cost is $20 in advance and $22 at the door. RSVP by Monday, April 15. Call Janet at (718) 631-5468 or Marilyn at (718) 229-6877.

Afternoon Composting: Weekly Food Waste Drop-Off at the Broadway Library, 40-20 Broadway in Long Island City on Saturdays at 1 p.m. Call (718) 721-2462.

The Samuel Field Y has two weekday programs for preschool children ages 3-5 with developmental disabilities and their families. On Mondays from 3 to 4:30 p.m. there is Monday Magic: Learn and Play at the Bay Terrace Center, 212-00 23 Ave., Bayside. On Wednesdays from 3-4:30 there is Gym and Creative Exploration at the Little Neck Site, 58-20 Little Neck Pkwy. Contact Amanda at (718) 225-6750 ext. 262 or email asmith@sfy.org for more information.

VOLUNTEERS The Louis Armstrong House, the longtime home of the great musician Louis Armstrong, is a national historic landmark located on 107 St. in Corona. It is open to the public as a historic house museum and needs volunteers to assist in the Welcome Center.

For information, contact Deslyn Dyer at (718) 4788274 or on the web: satchmo.net.

The Samuel Field YWHA, 58-20 Little Neck Pkwy., Little Neck, is seeking individuals who would like to volunteer their time to teach a class in the older adult services or computer department.

Applicants should have some experience either teaching or working in their field of interest, but those with a specific hobby they would like to share are welcome to apply. To volunteer, call (718) 225-6750, ext. 233.

SUPPORT GROUPS Try a NEW way OUT of FAT with Overeaters Anonymous, Thursdays at 11:15 a.m. at Rego Park Library, 91-41 63 Dr. Nar-Anon is a self-help support group for anyone affected by a loved one’s use/abuse of drugs. The group meets every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the basement lounge at The-Church-In-The-Gardens, 50 Ascan Ave., Forest Hills. For information, call 1(800) 984-0066, or go to nar-anon.org.

LISTING INFORMATION Items for the Community Calendar must be sent two weeks before the date of the event. Listings should be typed, from a nonprofit organization, either free or moderately priced, and be open to the public. Keep the information to one paragraph. Because of the large number of requests for the free calendar listings, we cannot include every event submitted. Send to: Queens Chronicle, Community Calendar, P.O. Box 74-7769, Rego Park, NY 11374, fax to (718) 205-0150.

w

gro

C M SQ page 45 Y K

Page 45 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013

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C M SQ page 46rev Y K

boro

King Crossword Puzzle

Ridgewood continued from page 00 41

ACROSS 1 Science workplace 4 One of the Seven Dwarfs 7 Campus area, for short 11 Baghdad’s nation 13 Gorilla 14 Cold War country (Abbr.)

15 List of options 16 — canto 17 Simple 18 Avid 20 Result of overspending 22 Piglet’s mama 24 Mideastern marketplace 28 Donder’s yokemate 32 Cut in two 33 Places 34 Rock band, — Leppard 36 Symbol of craziness 37 Know like — 39 Drop 41 Easter chapeau 43 Menagerie 44 “— Breckinridge” 46 Rudimentary 50 Midwestern state 53 One’s years 55 — list 56 Burn somewhat 57 Poolroom stick

58 Calm before the storm 59 Part of NYC 60 Barbie’s companion 61 Pod occupant

DOWN 1 Citrus fruit 2 Vicinity 3 Gunshot sound 4 Touch lightly 5 Newspaper page 6 Star, for short 7 Chief Aztec god

8 14-Across’ foe 9 Fool 10 Parched 12 It shares a key with the slash 19 Cartoonist Chast 21 “Humbug!”

23 Marry 25 Lotion additive 26 Shakespeare’s river 27 Tear in two 28 Spill the beans 29 Timber wolf 30 PC picture

31 Actor Beatty 35 Tasseled hat 38 Crucial 40 Weep loudly 42 — and field 45 Chills and fever 47 Campbell’s product 48 Not working 49 Soda flavor 50 Frigid 51 Discoverer’s cry 52 Kids’ card game 54 Still, in verse

Answers at right

the driving beat of a song called “Moby Dick” recorded by rock ‘n’ roll’s legendary English group Led Zeppelin.

Mahler opened the Small Black Door in Ridgewood after he was priced out of Greenpoint. “The rents are generally much cheaper here in Ridgewood, and you usually pay considerably less for a lot more space than you would find in the surrounding neighborhoods,” said Mahler.

And it is not only traditional art galleries that are blossoming now in Ridgewood. On Cypress Avenue, just one block south of Myrtle Avenue, stands the Artistic Neon.

This 1950s-styled workshop, owned by Robbie Ingui, serves as a beehive of glass, neon and electric activity.

After a five-year apprenticeship under his father Gasper, who retired in 1998, Ingui became a master of this particular field so eminently equated with the illuminated environs of New York City.

Although neon’s heyday came to an end in the early ’70s after the proliferation of new, cheaper plastics, Ingui said that retro neon signs are becoming desirable items once more to both the public and the owners of restaurants and shops.

For the 40th anniversary of the New York

World’s Fair in Flushing, Ingui was requisitioned to design a miniature Unisphere for the Queens Council on the Arts after being decorated for his many skills in 2001 by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Citing Ridgewood’s diversity as the reason he opened the Artistic Neon there, Ingui said, “This neighborhood is coming alive.”

The astute Valentine agreed with this assessment and exclaimed enthusiastically: “Ridgewood, along with Bushwick, might just become the next big art scene on a surprising, even global scale. We are looking to Q the future.”

Crossword Answers

For the latest news visit qchron.com

ST. FRANCIS PREPARATORY SCHOOL

Spring Open House April 18th, 2013 6:00 - 7:30PM Are you Still Looking?

Learn about our school!

All transfer students and graduating 8th and 9th graders are welcome to join us for a night of information and fellowship.

Your future is here!

ST. FRANCIS PREPARATORY SCHOOL 6100 Francis Lewis Blvd. Fresh Meadows, NY 11365 (718) 423-8810 www.sfponline.org STFR-061018

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Expires 04/25/13.

PRO-VISION HOME IMPROVEMENT

Lic. #1412084 14

• Roofing

Sales & Service For All Major Brands Wholesale & Retail

– SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNT –

UP TO $50 DISCOUNT

Broken or Missing Baluster/Spindles Weak or Broken Steps

• Kitchens & Bathrooms • Basements • Garage • Cement & Brickwork • Carpentry • Windows • Painting • Roofing • Plumbing • Electric • Tiling • Hardwood Floors • Decks • Fencing & More

NO SERVICE CHARGE WITH A REPAIR

Celebrating Our 30 th Anniversary

• Window

WHISKEY PLUMBING SERVICE

• Kitchens & Bathrooms

No Job Too Big or Too Small 17 Free Estimates 718-600-5186 Licensed & Insured

1 Year Warranty

SERVICES

16

• Roofing • Siding • Windows • Cement Work • And More

• • • •

J&B HOME IMPROVEMENTS

NYC Lic. # 0927491

22

MY WAY CONSTRUCTION

Siding Roofing/Rips Gutters Slate, Etc.

Lic. #1270074

ROOFING • SEAMLESS LEADERS & GUTTERS ALL MASONRY WORK • CEMENT • PAVERS • BRICK

Call Leon 718-296-6525

• • • •

LICENSED & INSURED

718-894-0659

Capping Available

LOW PRICES • FREE ESTIMATES 24 Hours A Day • 7 Days A Week

Lic. #1244131

FREE ESTIMATES 33

FREE ESTIMATES

Only

• Gutters Cleaned & Installed • Leaders • Skylights • Specialists in Flat Roofs & Shingles • Roofing Repairs • Rubberoid Roofs

718-598-9754

718-218-5347

COMPLETELY INSTALLED $ 00

ROOFING & SIDING

All Work Guaranteed • Se Habla Español

Same Day Service

16

NYC LIC. #1191201

ALEXIS

On All Roofs With This Ad

Old Furniture, Household Items, Appliances, Yard Waste, Construction Debris And More.

Brickwork • Pavers • Concrete • Waterproofing Sidewalk Violations Removed Anthony Interior • Exterior

Chronicle Services Your Connection To Quality Home Improvement

14

We Remove

• Window & Door Replacement

Cell: 646-262-0153

16

SPRING SPECIALS ON WINDOWS

15

Kitchens Bathrooms Carpentry Painting

AFFORDABLE PRICES FREE ESTIMATES

NEW HEIGHTS CONSTRUCTION LLC

SPRING SPECIAL Gutters - Leaders Siding

16

HEATING & HOME

718-558-0333 917-731-7636

• • • •

We Remove Your Junk, So You Don’t Have To!

All Leaks on Pipes, Faucets, Toilets, Shower Bodies, Radiator Valves, Clear Stoppages in Sinks, Tubs, Also Install Hot Water Heaters Free Estimates Licensed Cheap Rates & Insured Ask for Bob

16

718-598-2634

PARTS • REPAIRS • REMOTE CONTROLS FREE SHOP AT HOME SERVICE

CASSEL & & FREYMUTH, FREYMUTH, INC. INC. CASSEL Serving Queens For Over 50 Years

718-739-8006

Fully Licensed & Insured

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL ELECTRIC GARAGE DOOR OPENERS

13

SQ page 49 Page 49 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013

CLEANCO

CLEANOUT

To Place A Service Ad Call 718-205-8000

SERVICE We Will Remove All Your Unwanted Furniture Junk Removal • From One Piece To A Truck Load From Home or Office Attic • Garage • Basement, Etc. No Job Too Big or Small Fast, Honest, Reliable Service

Ask For Stela

Estate Cleanouts Broom Sweep Residential/Commercial Licensed & Insured www.cleancocleanoutservice.com

FREE ESTIMATE

A Division of Moveco, Inc.

718-738-8732

American Dream Builders Corp.

• All Phases of Construction • Over 25 Years Experience • New Construction, Renovations/Additions • Finished Basements, Roofs, Siding, Tiling, Bathrooms, Kitchens, Etc. • Residential & Commercial • Projects Successfully Completed Within All Budgets • Projects Completed Without Delays

917-577-2598 HIS #1279304

Lic. #1279305

MASTER CARPET CLEANERS RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL • Carpet & Rug Cleaning • Upholstery Cleaning • Tile Cleaning Free • Water Damage Deodo rizing • Flat Low Rates

718-335-7572 347-624-3061

www.mastercarpetco.com

Call 917-577-2598

Sale On Concrete Work

OLD CORONA CONSTRUCTION CORP.

10% Discount with ad 22 Call Billy 718-726-1934

500,000 READERS QUEENSWIDE

9 EDITIONS Double Box Ad 15/8” x 37/8”

$

190

For 5 Weeks

Three Box Ad 15/8” x 5 3/4”

Four Box Ad 33/8” x 37/8”

$

345 $505 $670

For 5 Weeks

For 5 Weeks

For 5 Weeks

Additional Savings Available For 10 Weeks If requested, tearsheet mailed $5.00 ea.

Copy of newspaper mailed $7.00 ea.

Enclose payment & instructions

Write your ad copy on a separate piece of paper. Maximum of 25 words per box. NO changes during the 5 weeks. Send order form, completely filled out with a check for the appropriate amount or you can place your ad by phone on Mastercard, Visa, American Express or Discover

QUEENS CHRONICLE

Mail to: P.O. Box 74-7769, Rego Park, NY 11374-7769 Or Call: Name

(718) 205-8000

_____________________________________

Address ________________________________________________ __________________________Phone ________________________ Signature

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Deadline: Friday, 3 p.m. • Payment Must Accompany Order Call for prices and discounts for larger ads & longer advertising periods $25 CHARGE FOR RETURNED CHECKS

• • • •

Sidewalks Blacktop Waterproofing Basements

• • • •

• Renovations • Free Estimates • Senior Citizen Discounts • Residential & Commercial • Financing Available 14

Lic. #0889386 14

Mjonas@variedcc.com

Driveways Stoops/Patios Retaining Walls Cleanouts

VIOLATIONS REMOVED

718-326-7500

R. REID ARCHITECT, P.C. “The Architect That Builds”™

A Full Service Design/Build Firm Licensed & Insured General Contractor & NYS Registered Architect

ROADSTONE CONTRACTING

917-560-8146

35

Licensed & Insured Free Estimates

ACCARDI CONSTRUCTION CORP. • Bathrooms • Kitchens • Basements • Windows/Anderson/Pella/Skylights • Decks • Concrete • Pavers • Flooring • Painting • Sheetrock • Carpentry • Plumbing • Electrical • Extensions & New Construction

◆ Conversions, Renovations, Remodeling, Additions & Extensions ◆ Residential & Commercial Design ◆ Space Planning ◆ Construction Management ◆ Engineering Reports ◆ Insurance Estimates ◆ Zoning Analysis ◆ Home Inspections for Refinancing & Pre-Purchase ◆ Windstorm Applications

★ 20 Years Excellent Record with Consumer Affairs

“Quality doesn’t cost, it pays!”

HOWARD BEACH RESIDENT

Phone: 1-888-639-8047 or Cell: 917-696-6197 e-mail: rico@rareid.com – www.rareid.com

718-938-2127 22

Lic. #1258952

Families Exterminator We’ll See What’s BUGGING You! TERMITE INSPECTION AND TERMITE JOBS Lowest Rates • Fully Certified All Work Fully Guaranteed Chemicals Rotated - All Areas Commercial & Residential

917-670-1015

INTERIOR SPECIALIST Benjamin Moore Paints Senior Citizen Discount 20% Off 30 Years Experience • Sheetrock • Plastering • Skim Coating • Wallpaper 18 • Taping Removal

10% OFF W/Mention of ad

All Work Supervised 3 Rooms FREE ESTIMATES - INSURED Min.

18

718-357-4719

Professional PAINTER & HANDYMAN • High Quality Work • Low Prices • References • High Quality Specialist Floor Installation

Free Estimates

Serving: Ozone Park/Howard Beach WORK GUARANTEED 18

718-835-3774

Wizard Furniture, Inc. • Professional Furniture Repair • Touch-Ups • Refreshing Kitchen Cabinets & Much More FREE ESTIMATES Call 516-837-0886 or 917-515-7416

• Bathroom Tiling • Mason Work • Roofing • Siding • Carpentry • Dry Wall • Painting • Gutter Cleaning No Job Too Large or Too Small 18

A&M Imbriano LANDSCAPING, Inc. Specializing in Designing, Tree Pruning, Clean-Ups & Sprinklers.

SPRING SPECIAL Give Us A Call To Spruce Up Your Property For Spring.

18 Weekly Maintenance Available

FREE ESTIMATES

718-845-9023 Licensed/Insured

Professional HANDYMAN

18

E-mail: wizardfurniture@yahoo.com

Earl Construction Inc.

718-658-4832 917-593-3926

SENTURY PAINTING

15

Painting, Repairs, Floors, Tile, Finished Basements, Plumbing, Carpentry, Wood Work, Etc.

Victor

18

917-709-5747

OMNI TREE SERVICE Tree Removal, Pruning, Stump Removal and Land Cleaning

We Will Beat Any Estimate!

17 Owner present on all job sites!

Special Discounts for Senior Citizens, Police and Firemen.

Commercial • Residential Licensed/Insured

516-351-3725 • 917-406-6713

For the latest news visit qchron.com

SERVICES Single Box Ad 15/8” x 15/8”

347-418-7309 347-531-3609

• Roofing - All Types • Siding • Complete Home Improvements • Dormers • Bathrooms • Extensions

FULLY INSURED, BONDED & LICENSED

CONCRETE EXPERTS

REACH ALMOST

IN

• TREE REMOVAL • FULL SERVICE LANDSCAPING • SIDEWALK REPAIR • SNOW REMOVAL/CLEANUP

Cell

Specializing in: Brick & Block (patio) Sidewalk, Driveways, Stoops, Interlock Brick Paving, Brick Pointing, Carpentry, Roofing and Waterproofing Lic. #1229326 Licensed & Insured

17

Thunder Tree Experts

FREE ESTIMATES FULLY INSURED

- Low Cost Boiler Repairs - Same Day Boiler Removal and Professional Installation at a Discounted Cost 18

Serving the 5 Boroughs & Long Island for over 30 years

19

– Masonry Work Also Available –

WE CAN ARRANGE:

FREE ESTIMATES Contact Terrence

ALL WORK GUARANTEED

D/B/A Martin’s G.C.

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013 Page 50

SQ page 50

Chronicle CLASSIFIEDS To Advertise Call 718-205-8000

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

Cars Wanted

JOB FAIR

NORTHSIDE AUTO TOWING 1-888-712-5865

$500 Sign-On Bonus MAGGIES PARATRANSIT CORP. Corner of Atlantic and Norwood Avenues, Brooklyn 718-647-2988

APRIL 13TH

FROM 10AM TO 2PM Refreshments Served

Hiring CDL Drivers-Class, A, B, or C With Passenger Endorsement, Dispatchers, Mechanics, Field Supervisors, Managers/Supervisors, YOU GET ALL THIS:

DRIVING RECORD & REQUIREMENTS No more than 4 points active in the last 3 years. No more than 2 convictions in the last 3 years. General knowledge of the 5 boroughs of NYC

MAGGIES PARATRANSIT 233 Norwood Avenue, Brooklyn EOE

HOST INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS Kaplan is looking for host families in Queens who are interested in housing our international students from all over the world. Bring the world to your home and supplement your income with a competitive stipend!

Please Contact Felicitas Reinhold if interested at 646-285-0300 Ext. 36 or email to nychomestay@kaplan.com

LARGE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY LOOKING FOR BUS AND AMBULETTE DRIVERS. CLEAN BACKGROUND AND NYS CDL REQUIRED. NO RESTRICTIONS. MINIMUM 21 YEARS OF AGE. ALL ARE WELCOME

76-19 ROCKAWAY BLVD. WOODHAVEN, NY 11421

CLEANERS Bilingual-50 Needed

For short & long term temp jobs.

Must have operated buffing equip, avail to work 10-12 hour shifts & speak both English & Spanish.

Reg Mon-Wed 10am-2pm.

Resume, I-D & SS card required.

25 West 45th Street, Suite 500

BUS DRIVERS

$

Nursery school in Mid Queens looking for P/T Bus Drivers with “Class-C License.”

COMPENSATION

CALL 718-899-2020

AUTO REPAIR • AUTO COLLISION FLOOD DAMAGE EXPERTS TOWING/JUNK CAR REMOVAL AVAILABLE 24/7

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

FT/PT MALE PERSONAL CARE AIDE

SECRETARY/ INSIDE SALES

Needed by active 43 y/o disabled man. Must be strong and able to lift 135 lbs. for several transfers a day.

Must also help with toileting, dressing, bathing, light cooking & driving a full size van to and from Manhattan.

FT or PT shifts available.

Cash salary paid on the books.

Must be legal. Must have valid and clean driver’s license.

Queens residents only apply.

Call 718-291-3925

F/T MECHANIC Needed for forklift company in S. Ozone Park. Must have basic automotive exp., H.S. Diploma & 5 years exp, Valid driver’s license.

Diagnose equipment problems & report findings to service mgr.

$8,000 6,000 - 7,000 $

Women 21-31 Egg Donors Needed.

100% confidential Help turn couples into families with physicians onThe Best Doctor's List.

1-877-9-DONATE 1-877-936-6283 www.longislandivf.com

Immediate hire, will train.

Duties include: answer phones, filing, order taking, etc. $35,000$65,000 starting pay.

Medical, Dental, 401(K), 2 weeks vacation.

Apply in person: 304 Cross Bay Blvd., Queens bet. 9am & 7pm, Mon-Fri. Visit your new company at:

HELP WANTED

HUNTINGTON COACH 631-271-8931

Call Eric M-F 10am-4pm

*Attendance Bonus Included

Drivers- HIRING EXPERIENCED/ INEXPERIENCED TANKER DRIVERS! Earn up to $.51/mile! New Fleet Volvo Tractors! 1 Year OTR Exp. Req.-Tanker Training Available. Call Today: 877-8826537 www.OakleyTransport.com

Driver- Two raises in first year.

Qualify for any portion of $.03/mile quarterly bonus: $.01 Safety, $.01 Production, $.01 MPG. 3 months Classified Ad Deadline is 12 Noon OTR experience. 800-414-9569 on Tuesday for Thursday’s paper. www.driveknight.com

718-641-3100

Junk Cars Wanted

DONATE YOUR CAR

1-877-591-3075 Free Towing - Tax Deductible Help Prevent Blindness Get A Vision Screening Annually

Merchandise For Sale Merchandise For Sale

E SAV % *

20

SEND BOUQUETS FOR ANY OCCASION anniversary | birthday | just because

Hurry! Flowers from $19.99 +s/h Visit www.ProFlowers.com/splendid or call 888.832.9942 *20% off discount will appear upon checkout. Minimum purchase of $29.00. Does not apply to gift cards or certificates, sameday or international delivery, shipping and handling, taxes, or third-party hosted products (e.g. wine) and cannot be combined with other offers or discounts. Discounts not valid on bulk or corporate purchases of 10 units or more. Offer expires: 11/15/13.

SCHOOL BUS/VAN DRIVERS

cltliftinc@aol.com

Queens catering hall is seeking P/T Weekend Banquet Consultant. Some experience required.

Junk Cars Wanted

WWW.CALLAHEAD.COM

Best Pay Package in the Industry!

Start at $20.62* Bus, $18.00* Van Equal Opportunity Employer FREE CDL Training 5 to 7 Hrs. per day Guaranteed Full Benefit Package

Email resume to:

c0371

For the latest news visit qchron.com

DRIVERS WANTED

www.wantedjunkcars.com

We’re a local company and want to help you while you deal with more urgent matters. May you and your loved ones be Blessed during this time of disaster.

We deal with your insurance company directly and store your vehicle in a safe location.

2 WEEKS PAID TRAINING, COMPETITIVE SALARY, COMPETETIVE PAID HOLIDAYS, PAID VACATION, MEDICAL BENEFITS LIFE INSURANCE, 401k PLAN

(between Atlantic & Fulton)

Cars Wanted

Help Wanted

Child Care/Day Care

HOME HEALTH AIDES: Immediate Work! Free Training-Nassau/Suffolk Only. Sign-on Bonus, Paid Vacation, Paid In-Service, Direct Deposit, FAMILY AIDES, INC. Nassau 516-681-2300, Suffolk 631-654-0789, Bronx 718-7419535, Queens 718-429-6565

LICENSED EDUCATIONAL CHILD CARE PROVIDER

Tutoring Ph.D. provides Outstanding Tutoring in Math, English, Special Exams. All levels. Study skills taught. 718-767-0233 www.joetutor.com. Columbia, 2 Masters. Math (3-9), test taking (SAT, etc.), Lifecoach. Read many success stories. I can help your child. 646-387-0561 Subscriptions are only $19 for a full year!!! Call 718-205-8000

Will prepare your child for kindergarten through 1st grade.

Strong phonics (Reading) & math program. Cash scholarship for children. Call now, space limited.

718-886-2515 917-453-3741 Classified Ad Special Pay for 3 weeks and the 4th week is FREE!

Call 718-205-8000

SQ page 51

Chronicle CLASSIFIEDS

New York City Department of Transportation Notice of Public Hearing

To Advertise Call 718-205-8000

Financial Services

BURIED in CREDIT CARDDEBT?

Over $10,000 in credit card bills?

Can’t make the minimum payments?

Flea Market

Adoption ADOPT: A childless couple seeks to adopt. Loving home with tenderness, warmth, happiness. Financial security. Expenses paid. Regis & David (888)986-1520 or text (347)406-1924; www.davidandregisadopt.com

RICHMOND HILL FLEA MARKET OPEN TO THE PUBLIC EVERY

✔ WE CAN GET YOU OUT OF DEBT QUICKLY ✔ WE CAN SAVE YOU THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ✔ WE CAN HELP YOU AVOID BANKRUPTCY

CREDIT CARD RELIEF

Not a high-priced consolidation loan or one of those consumer credit counseling programs

Flea Market

for your FREE consultation CALL

888-708-1538

We’re here to help you Monday - Friday from 9am-9pm EST

SUNDAY 8 AM TO 3 PM BARGAINS! BARGAINS! • Jewelry • Clothing • Consumables & more!

117-09 Hillside Ave., Richmond Hill, NY 11418

Phone: 347-709-7661

©2012 M1P • RICF-058110

Financial Services

www.richmondhillfleamarket.com

718-205-8000 to place ad NOW!

Not available in all states

Healthcare

Healthcare Call toll-free: 1-800-264-1353

Are You Still Paying Too Much For Your Medications?

You can save up to 90% when you fill your prescriptions at our Canadian and International prescription service. rice Our P

Celecoxib* $58.00

Generic equivalent of CelebrexTM. Generic price for 200mg x 100 compared to

CelebrexTM $437.58 Typical US brand price for 200mg x 100

Get An Extra $10 Off & Free Shipping On Your 1st Order!

Call the number below and save an additional $10 plus get free shipping on your first prescription order with Canada Drug Center. Expires March 31, 2013.

Offer is valid for prescription orders only and can not be used in conjunction with any other offers.

Order Now! 1-800-264-1353 Use code 10FREE to receive this special offer.

OUTDOOR FLEA MARKET VENDORS BROWSERS, BUYERS WANTED SAT. 4/27, 10AM-4PM (Rain Date, Sun. 4/28, same hours)

At the historic Onderdonk House, 1820 Flushing Ave. Corner of Onderdonk Ave., Ridgewood 11385.

Large 12x12’ canopy spaces $25, 8x10’ table spaces $20, reduced rates for not-for-profit organizations. Early vendor registration/payment encouraged. Food and drinks will be available on site.

For more info, call 718-456-1776, or visit the Onderdonk House on Saturdays, Mondays, or Wednesdays, 11am-3pm, for vendor registration and payment.

Please note that we do not carry controlled substances and a valid prescription is required for all prescription medication orders.

Call Toll-free: 1-800-264-1353 Use of these services is subject to the Terms of Use and accompanying policies at www.canadadrugcenter.com.

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous monitoring starting

around

Merchandise Wanted

Furniture Repairs

Cellini Chair Doctor. Refinishing, Reupholstery, Caning, Drapery, Chairs, Tables, Bedrooms, Dining rooms, Custom Upholstered Headboards, Valences, Cornices & more.

Over 50 years experience. FREE PLEASE CALL LORI, 718-324- ESTIMATES call 347-627- 5273.

4330. I PAY THE BEST, MOST HONEST PRICES FOR ESTATES, FURNITURE, CHANDELIERS, LAMPS, COSTUME JEWELRY, WATCHES (WORKING OR NOT WORKING), TURN YOUR UNWANTED FURS, COINS, POCKETBOOKS, CLOTHES INTO NEEDED CHINA, VASES, GLASSWARE, STERLING SILVERWARE, FIG- FUNDS FOR QUEENS CP URINES, CANDLESTICKS, PAINTQueens CP offers you a INGS, PRINTS, RUGS, PIANOS, convenient GUITARS, VIOLINS, FLUTES, TAG SALES, CLEANOUTS, CARS way to LOOKING TO BUY Estates, gold, costume jewelry, old & mod furn, records, silver, coins, art, toys, oriental items. Call George, 718-386-1104

Donations

per week

*with $99 cust omer installat purchase of alar ion m monitoring charge and services.

Call Today, Protect Tomorrow!

1-888-708-1540

Mon-Fri 8am - 11pm • Sat 9am - 8pm • Sun 10am - 6pm EST

Merchandise For Sale Merchandise Wanted

WE BUY ANTIQUE TOYS, TRAINS, COSTUME, JEWELRY, PAINTINGS, STERLING SILVER, SMALL FURNITURE PIECES AND DECORATIVE ITEMS.

Most Insurances Accepted.

We handle all your medical equipment needs.

73-23 20th Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11204

105-18 Metropolitan Ave. Forest Hills, NY

718-676-1320

718-520-1630

SAWMILLS from only $3997.00MAKE & SAVE MONEY with your own bandmill- Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship.

FREE Info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com 1-800-578-1363 Ext.300N

CASH for Coins! Buying ALL Gold & Silver. Also Stamps & Paper Money, Entire Collections, Estates.

Travel to your home. Call Marc in NYC 1-800-959-3419 718-205-8000 to place ad NOW!

Services Responsible, honest, reliable cleaning lady. I will clean your apt or house. I have exp. Call anytime, 718-460-6779

Educational Services AIRLINES ARE HIRING -Train for hands on Aviation Career. FAA approved program. Financial aid if qualified -Job placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866-296-7093 Attend College Online from Home. *Medical, *Business, *Criminal Justice, *Hospitality. Job placement assistance. Computer and Financial Aid if qualified. SCHEV authorized. Call 888-201-8657 www.CenturaOnline.com

dispose of your unwanted clothes, toys, dishes and other used household items.

You get a Tax Deductible Receipt Call Monday-Sunday

718-495-3034

Legal Service REAL ESTATE CLOSINGS $895.00. Expd Attorney. Free Buy/Sell Guide. ESTATES/CRIMINAL MATTERS Richard H. Lovell, P.C., 10748 Cross Bay, Ozone Park, NY 11417 718 835-9300.

LovellLawnewyork@gmail.com

Public Notice

FOOD VENDOR “A Child’s Place” is looking for Bids for the CACFP program for Breakfast, Lunch and Snack. Please submit Bids to Gregory Coles at: A Child’s Place 32-20 108th Street Corona, NY 11368 Sealed bids must be delivered no later than 4pm on the 30th of April, 2013. The meals will be around 220 lunches a day.

Any questions, call: Greg Coles 718-565-2170

Public Notice New York City Department of Transportation Notice of Public Hearing The New York City Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing on Wednesday April 17, 2013 at 2:00 P.M., at 55 Water St., 9th Floor, in Manhattan on the following petition for revocable consent in the Borough of Queens: The City University of New York (LaGuardia Community College Center III) - to construct, maintain and use the building projections above the sidewalks of 29th St., Skillman Ave., Thompson Ave., and 30th St. Interested parties can obtain copies of proposed agreement or request sign language interpreters (with at least seven days prior notice) at 55 Water St., 9 Floor, New York, NY 10041, or by calling (212) 839-6550.

Legal Notices Notice of Formation of 163-165 BEACH 96TH STREET, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/13/13. Office location: Queens County. Princ. office of LLC: 24-30 85th St., Jackson Heights, NY 11370. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Steven Danza, 884-04 Astoria Blvd., Jackson Heights, NY 11370.

As amended by Cert. of Change filed with SSNY on 02/22/13, the process addr. is: 84-04 Astoria Blvd., Jackson Heights, NY 11370.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

No Limit Property Management, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/25/13.

Office in Queens County.

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

SSNY shall mail process to c/o Christina Teape, 119-05 202nd St., St. Albans, NY 11412. Purpose: General.

TKF 168 REALTY LLC, a domestic LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 1/28/13. Office location: Queens County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 153-19 78th Ave., Flushing, NY 11367. General Purposes.

Classified Ad Deadline is 12 Noon on Tuesday for Thursday’s paper.

For the latest news visit qchron.com

LONGEVITY MEDICAL ANTIQUES & HOBBIES SAME LOCATION FOR 25 YEARS SUPPLY, INC. Only the Best!

Delivery Service!

ADOPTION: Educated, financially secure, affectionate married couple want to adopt a baby into a nuturing, warm, and loving enviroment. Expenses paid. Cindy and Adam. 1-800-860-7074

The New York City Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing on Wednesday April 17, 2010 at 2:00 P.M., at 55 Water St., 9th Floor, in Manhattan on the following petition for revocable consent in the Borough of Queens: Consolidated Edison Company of NY, Inc. - to construct, maintain and use additional improvements.

The improvements consist of antennas, equipment boxes and conduits and related appurtenances on the tops and sides of The Department of Transportation street lights poles, in the five (5) Boroughs of the City of New York.

Interested parties can obtain copies of proposed agreement or request sign language interpreters (with at least seven days prior notice) at 55 Water St., 9 Floor, New York, NY 10041, or by calling (212) 839-6550.

Page 51 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013

Public Notice

For the latest news visit qchron.com

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013 Page 52

SQ page 52 ATTORNEY CHARLES R. CONROY Practicing Exclusively in All Areas of

IMMIGRATION LAW Green Cards • Family Visa Petitions • Student Visas Business & Employment Visas • Citizenship Applications Deportation & Removal Defense • Bond Hearings

Call for Appointment (646) 253-0511 Email: info@conroyimmigration.com STATE OF NEW YORK SUPREME COURT QUEENS COUNTY SUMMONS AND NOTICE Index No. 10418-09 NYCTL 1998-2 TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN, Plaintiffs, vs. CLARENCE WIMBUSH, if living, or if he be dead, his wife, heirs-at-law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, assignees, lienors, creditors, successors-in-interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said CLARENCE WIMBUSH, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and all creditors thereof, and the respective wives, or widows of his, if any, all of whose names and addresses are unknown to plaintiffs; ESTELLE WIMBUSH; MUNICIPAL CREDIT UNION; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT AUTHORITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE and “JOHN DOE #1” THROUGH “JOHN DOE #100,” the names of the last 100 defendants being fictitious, the true names of said defendants being unknown to plaintiff, it being intended to designate fee owners, tenants or occupants of the liened premises and/or persons or parties having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the liened premises, if the aforesaid individual defendants are living, and if any or all of said individual defendants be dead, their heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, committees, devisees, legatees, and the assignees, lienors, creditors and successors in interest of them, and generally all persons having or claiming under, by, through, or against the said defendants named as a class, of any right, title or interest in or lien upon the premises described in the complaint herein, Defendants.

TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above-entitled foreclosure action, and to serve a copy of your answer on the plaintiffs’ attorney within thirty (30) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service or within thirty (30) days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner than by personal service within the State.

The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service hereof. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. Queens County is designated as the place of trial. The basis of venue is the location of the subject premises.

Dated: December 13, 2012 TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication, pursuant to an Order of Honorable Diccia T. Pineda-Kirwan, a Justice of the Supreme Court, dated March 4, 2013, and filed with supporting papers in the Queens County Clerk’s Office. This is an action to foreclose certain tax liens (the “Tax Lien”) covering the property known as 115-03 155th Street, Jamaica, New York and identified as Block: 12190, Lot: 9 (the “Premises”). The relief sought is the sale of the Premises at public auction in satisfaction of the Tax Lien. In case of your failure to appear, judgment may be taken against you in the sum of $9,133.16, together with interest, costs, disbursements and attorney’s fees of this action, and directing the public sale of the Premises.

Anthony J. Iacchetta PHILLIPS LYTLE LLP Office and Post Office Address 1400 First Federal Plaza Rochester, New York 14614 Tel. No. (585) 238-2000

Notice of Formation of limited liability company. Name: KINGDOM HOLDING LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 12/13/2012. Office location is Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 146-31 221 Street, 1st Floor, Springfield Gardens, NY 11413. The general purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice is hereby given that an on-premises license, #TBA has been applied for

by SSP America JFK, LLC d/ b/a Shake Shack to sell beer, wine and liquor at retail in an on-premises establishment.

For on-premises consumption under the ABC Law at JFK International Airport, Terminal 4, B Extension CB25, Jamaica, NY 11432.

Notice of Formation of Sand Lane SI, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 3/26/13. Office location: Queens County.

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

SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Mikhail Neystat, PhD, 101-24 Queens Blvd., Suite A, Forest Hills, NY 11375.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of limited liability company.

Name: BORELAND & BORELAND, LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 5/26/2009. Office location is Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Boreland & Boreland, LLC, 244-11 136 Avenue, Rosedale, New York 11422. The general purpose: For any lawful purpose.

Notice is hereby given that an on-premises license, #TBA has been applied for by SSP America JFK, LLC d/b/a Uptown Brasserie to sell beer, wine and liquor at retail in an on-premises establishment.

For on-premises consumption under the ABC Law at JFK International Airport, Terminal 4, CB20, Jamaica, NY 11432.

Notice of formation of limited liability corporation (LLC). Name: Corona Crown Publishing, LLC. Reg. filed with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 3/8/13. 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 103-19 32nd Ave., East Elmhurst, NY 11369.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

MJJS LLC, a domestic LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 3/13/13. Office location: Queens County.

SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Bogdan Skrodzki, 65-47 Myrtle Ave., Ridgewood, NY 11385. General Purposes.

FOR LEGAL NOTICE RATES & INFORMATION

CALL 718-205-8000

Chronicle

REAL ESTATE

To Advertise Call 718-205-8000

Real Estate EQUAL HOUSING. Federal, New York State and local laws prohibit discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, marital status, familial status or disability in connection with the sale or rental of residential real estate. Queens Chronicle does not knowingly accept advertising in violation of these laws. When you suspect housing discrimination call the Open Housing Center (the Fair Housing Agency for the five boroughs of New York) at 212-941-6101, or the New York City Commission of Human Rights Hotline at 212306-7500.

The Queens Chronicle reserves the right to alter wording in ads to conform with Federal Fair Housing regulations.

Apts. For Rent Howard Beach, exclusive agent for studios & 1 BR apts, absentee L/L. Call Joe Trotta, Broker, 718843-3333 Howard Beach/Lindenwood, modern 3 BR, 2 baths, balcony, EIK, LR/DR combo, credit ck & refs.

Owner, 718-738-4013

Houses For Sale

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WHAT IS YOUR HOME WORTH? Free, quick over the Net evaluation of your home.

Learn about homes that have been sold and are currently listed in your neighborhood. Get the facts without the pressure. Based on this information, you will know what your home is worth. This is a complete confidential market analysis and is absolutely free!!

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HOWARD BEACH

98-12 161st Ave., $599K

OZONE PARK 9423 Plattwood Ave. $579K

2-Family, 4 BRs, 2 Baths Full bsmnt, Dvwy, Large 2 Family, 7+ BR, 3 Baths, Fin Bsmnt, 4 Level of living space incl Bkyd, 1 Car Gar. There aren’t too many bsmnt, Lg yard w/Pool, 1 Car Gar. 2 families on the Market! A Must See!

More great properties Here: www.CapriJetRealty.com We have a nice selection of apts too: www.CapriJetRealty.com/Apartments Call Robert 917-225-7584

Co-ops For Sale

Open House

Howard Beach/Rockwood Park, brand new studio w/EIK, no pets/smoking, incl G&E, CAC, $800/mo by owner. 718-848-6302

Howard Beach, 4 room Hi-Rise Co-op, 2 full baths. Call now!

Howard Beach Realty, 718-6416800

Howard Beach/Rockwood Park, 2 fl, 1 BR, G&E incl. No pets/smoking. $1,100/mo. 718-323-7832

Condos For Rent

Howard Beach, Sat 4/13, 12-2, 164-16 96 St. 3 BR, 3 full baths, 2 skylights, lg EIK, lg family room leading to lg yard. Connexion I RE, 718-845-1136

Upper Ditmars, 2 BR, 1 bath + Howard Beach/Rockwood Park, 1 dinette. Corner apt, 2 fl. Near BR walk-in, G&E incl, $1,050/mo. trans, pvt storage, AC’s, new carBroker, 347-846-7809 peting, freshly painted.

Howard Beach/Rockwood Park, $1,700/mo. 917-319-2047 newly decorated, 1 BR, no pets/smoking, $1,375/mo w/ G&E & CAC incl, 718-848-4272 Discover Delaware’s beauty, low Jamaica, 2 BR cozy apt, gas & taxes, milder weather! Distinctive, hot water incl, $1,300/mo. 718- gated community, amazing ameni840-8036 ties- equestrian facility, Olympic Old Howard Beach, 2 fl duplex, 3 pool. New Homes mid $40’s.

BR, 1 1/2 baths, new kit & bath, Brochures available 1-866-629$2,000/mo. Owner, 347-303-2362 0770 or www.coolbranch.com.

Old Howard Beach, 3 1/2 rms, Sebastian, Florida Affordable cuswalk-in apt w/EIK, $1,250/mo, all tom factory constructed homes inclusive. Must have good credit. $45,900+, Friendly community, No Real Estate or State Income 917-880-8001 Taxes ,minutes to Atlantic Ocean.

Woodhaven, studio apt, fully car- 772-581-0080, www.beachpeted, freshly painted, sep ent. cove.com. Limited seasonal $900/mo, all utils incl. Call owner rentals 347-208-4209

Houses For Sale

Furn. Rm. For Rent Howard Beach/Astoria, lg nicely furn rm, close to shops, restaurants, parks. Utils/premium cable, Internet incl, $650/mo.

718-704-4639

Open House

Howard Beach Garden Co-op, Sat 4/13, 2-4, 88-20 155 Ave, Apt 1L, Mint AAA, all new, open layout, a must see! Connexion I RE, 718845-1136

Howard Beach, Sat 4/13, 12-3, 155-40 Killarney St. 2 family Colonial, 6/6, 3 BRs & 1 full bath on each fl. A must see! Asking $589.5K. Will listen to all offers.

Jerry Fink RE, 718-766-9175 or 917-774-6121 Ozone Park, Tudor Village, Sat 4/13, 12-2, 132-30 84 St. 2 family semi-det, in heart of Tudor Village, 3 BR, 2 full baths, EIK, FDR, LR, full fin bsmnt. A must see! Jerry Fink RE, 718-766-9175 or 917774-6121

Vacation R.E./Rental OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND. Best selection of affordable rentals.

Full/ partial weeks. Call for FREE brochure. Open daily. Holiday Real Estate. 1-800-638-2102. Online reservations: www.holidayoc.com

Land For Sale NY LAND BARGAINS- Herkimer County 59.9 acres, woods $68,000.

Montgomery County 33.4 acres, fields $69,000. Otsego County 2.7 acres $29,000. Owner financing www.helderbergrealty.com CALL HENRY: 518-861- 6541

Our Classifieds Reach Over Classified Ad Deadline is 12 Noon 400,000 Readers. Call 718-205- Subscriptions are only $19 for a on Tuesday for Thursday’s paper. 8000 to advertise. full year!!! Call 718-205-8000

C M SQ page 53 Y K Page 53 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013

What an anniversary present!

Happy couple is remodeling their home and saving money too, thanks to the HRA program Iris Escobar is a coupon clipper, proud to be frugal. But you don’t usually clip coupons for home improvement, so when she and her husband, Victor, decided to remodel their home, she had to find another way to save.

But Iris didn’t have to look far. The answer arrived in her mailbox one day last summer: a card advertising the Housing Rehabilitation Assistance program.

Thanks to the HRA, the Escobars are getting a world-class makeover to their kitchen, dining room and downstairs bathroom, along with a new roof and energy-efficient windows — all without spending a dime in cash, and without increasing their mortgage payments a penny. Taking advantage of the program is letting them save thousands of dollars on a project that would have cost $103,000, and thanks to refinancing, they’re making the same monthly payments they were before on their Baldwin home — but now $200 each month is going toward the principal.

They couldn’t be happier — not about the savings, not about the work that’s being done, and especially not about the full range of services HRA is providing as their home is transformed.

“It’s been a great ride,” Victor said.

“I can’t say enough about the HRA program. I can’t say enough about everybody involved with the program.”

His wife agrees. “I’m excited, I’m very excited,” she said. “I’m glad I met this team; they’re great!” Speaking to Carlos Fontanez, the couple’s HRA representative, she added, “I told my sister about you, I told my coworkers about you — I tell everyone about you.”

What Iris is telling everyone is how the HRA guides clients through every step of the home remodeling process, from helping decide what

work should be done to how it will be financed, from securing financial assistance to overseeing the work and making sure the contractors are not paid until the homeowner is satisfied.

A fan of “The People’s Court,” where she sees a lot of irresponsible contractors sued over jobs that weren’t done correctly, Iris said she was especially glad that the HRA holds clients’ money in escrow until they certify that they’re satisfied.

Carlos described how he starts a project with clients like the Escobars: “I explain to them what HRA does and show them the different options for how we can accomplish what they want to do to reach their goals, help them get financing and a reduced interest rate on their mortgage.”

“Af ter t he f i rs t 10 m i n u tes speaking to him, I was sold on the program,” Victor said. “All through this, he’s been great.”

An HRA administrator explained the program’s basic approach: “The services offered by the HRA extend beyond just financial assistance for home improvement projects. We have implemented numerous processes to ensure that projects completed by HRA-approved contractors are done to the homeowner’s satisfaction.”

Just take a look at some of the program’s requirements for contractors. They all must be: • licensed, bonded and insured for at leas t $100,000 per incident; • registered with the Better Business Bureau, with a rating of an A or higher; • in business for at least 10 years; • able to provide the names and addresses of eight clients they have done home improvement projects for in the past year; and • able to perform four test proj-

ects for the HRA prior to working for any clients.

With that kind of screening, it’s no surprise that only the best contractors get to do HRA-sponsored jobs.

At the Escobars’ house, it’s a big job that’s underway. First the roof and windows were replaced, and new gutters and leaders installed. The couple is thrilled with the result. There’s a stunning new bay window in the dining room that measures about 8 feet wide by 5 feet high. The kitchen features a garden window, an especially deep one with a glass shelf so their plants can be surrounded by light from all sides.

Next the interior of the kitchen and bathroom were completely gutted, with everything from new gas lines and plumbing to new Sheetrock and insulation going in. The door to the basement was moved from one wall to another to make room for all the cabinetry surrounding the garden window.

The new kitchen is going to feature only the best equipment and materials, including a six-burner stove with a pot-filler faucet, double sink with pullout faucet, beautiful real-wood cabinets, granite countertops and floor tiles.

A new two-level peninsula with a granite top will serve as a bar, or just another place for family and friends to gather.

There will even be a tilt-out drawer for sponges and brushes in front of the sinks.

“I’m a hoarder,” Iris said. “They’re giving me lots of drawers and shelves to put away my stuff.”

Even more of her and her husband’s “stuff” will go in the new pantries that will be built in an area just off the kitchen. Those will be done in the same deep finish as the kitchen cabinets, and feature modern conveniences like pullout drawers

Iris Escobar shows off the new tiling that will be going in her bathroom. behind the doors.

The bathroom also will be allnew. The shower will feature a bench and a modern rain shower head. The tile walls will be accented by a mosaic design running around the whole room. The hardware will be bronze, and the contractor even found a toilet in Mexican sand, a cream-like color, that will complement the decor perfectly.

I n t h e f r o n t o f t h e h o u s e, the contractor replaced all the windows in the foyer and added insulation. Not only will the Escobars earn tax credits for energy ef ficiency, but Iris says she felt the difference immediately. Drafty for years, the foyer is now cozy, she said.

After all the interior work is done, the project will go back outside, as a new deck and patio get installed.

Iris likes to entertain, but for the last three years hadn’t bothered because she wasn’t happy with how the house was looking. But now she’s looking forward to holding a big bash in June, to show off the renovations made possible by the HRA program and to celebrate the couple’s 10th anniversary. The timing couldn’t have worked out better.

To find out if you qualify for the Housing Rehabilitation Assistance program, just call the HRA toll-free at 866-791-6302. Tell them you read about the Escobars’ job, and they’ll give you the same level of excellent service.

— ADVERTISEMENT —

For the latest news visit qchron.com

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Iris and Victor Escobar are getting rich wood cabinetry in the kitchen and bathroom, and got to see how various colors would look on their walls before choosing. The bathroom will get a carved stone sink.

Carlos Fontanez, the couple’s HRA representative, has become a friend as well — they’ve invited him to a party they’re planning to celebrate their 10th anniversary — and their newly remodeled home.

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013 Page 54

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Scouts step in for library MICG-060863

Please Disregard if already Listed with a realtor

PHOTO COURTESY ROSANNA PHILLIPS

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Girl Scout Troop 4989 from PS 232 in Lindenwood is continuing its ongoing effort to help its neighbors to the south recover from Hurricane Sandy.

Immediately after the storm, the Scouts took up donations to buy gift cards for families in the disaster zone. They have also spent a couple of months collecting books

Howard Beach to Nassau County

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APARTMENT FOR RENT

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©2013 M1P • JERF-061016

HOWARD BEACH

HOWARD BEACH CALL FOR DETAILS

TUDOR VILLAGE OZONE PARK OPEN HOUSE SAT 4/13, 12-2pm, 132-30 84th St.

Lovely 2 Family Colonial, Six over Six, 3 Bedrooms and 1 Full Bath on each flr, New listing!

Must See! All Offers! $589.5K

Beautiful Mini Mansion, with Full Basement, U-shaped Living Rm/ Dining Rm, Fireplace, Custom Built Kitchen w/Center island, 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths, Must See! All Offers!

Beautiful 2 Family Semi - Detached Home Located in the Heart of Tudor Village, Well maintained Property, 3 Bedrooms, 2 Full baths, EIK, Formal DR, LR, Full Finished Basement w/Laundry Room, Must See! Call Today!

OZONE PARK IN CONTRACT AFTER 3 WEEKS! LET US SELL YOURS!

MARINE PARK, BROOKLYN AFTER 1 WEEK, ACCEPTED OFFER LET US SELL YOURS!

WOODHAVEN OPEN HOUSE SUN, 4/14 12-2pm, 92-05 95th St.

Lovely 2 Family Det Colonial w/ 2 Car Garage, & Pvt Dvwy, on a 30x100 lot, 3BRs, 1 full bath on each flr, Full Finished Bsmnt w/ Sep entrance. Must See! Seller Wants To Hear All Offers!

Completely Renovated 3 BR Colonial, Open Flr plan, 2 full baths, H/W Flrs thruout, Custom Built extra Lg EIK, w/SS Appl, Also incls a breakfast nook, Full Fin bsmnt, with Office, & Den, Lg Rear patio with paved yard, Must See!

Beautiful 1 Family Colonial, 3 Bedrooms, 1 Full Bath, New Furnace And Hot Water Heater,Two Car Garage,Full Finished Basement, Front Porch, New Listing! Must See! Seller Wants to Hear All Offers! $430K

HOWARD BEACH

2 Family house with full basement, 2 Bedrms over 3 Bedrms, 2.5 Baths.

LISTING SPECIAL 2.5%

OPEN HOUSE SAT 4/13, 12-3pm 155-40 Killarney St.

4 Rm, 1 BR, Hi-Rise Co-op with Terrace, Just Painted!

Asking $79K

HOWARD BEACH ROCKWOOD PARK Hi-Ranch, 46x100 lot, 3/4 BRs, Gar, New boiler & Hot water heater, Has new heat. Handyman.

Financing thru Wells Fargo Chet Budhwa (516) 314-0184

16 Years of Selling A Name You Can Trust, Service You Can Depend On

HOWARD BEACH

OR EW F N O TO O! PHOT ©2013 M1P • HBRE-060997

For the latest news visit qchron.com

HOWARD BEACH 4 Rms, 1 BR Hi-Rise Co-op, All redone, New Granite Kit, New Bath, New Appl.

PARKING AVAILABLE! Asking $110K

to bring to the Broad Channel library branch, which was devastated by Sandy’s storm surge last October. The library reopened last month.

Above, the Scouts stop for a picture after dropping off dozens of donated books to the library last month, a few days after the branch reopened.

C M SQ page 55 Y K

Connexion I REAL ESTATE SERVICES INC. Get Your House

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SOLD!

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Open 7 Days!

IN

718-845-1136

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HOWARD BEACH/ OLD SIDE ARLENE PACCHIANO

LAJJA P. MARFATIA

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Legal 2 family, 3 Large BRs per floor, Full basement, Pvt dvwy.

Asking $599K

SO

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Beautiful 4 BRs, 2.5 Baths, Hardwood flrs, Updated bath, Walk-in 1 BR Apt, Garage.

Asking $599K NE W

HOWARD BEACH GARDEN CO-OP SAT, 4/13, 12-2pm, OPEN HOUSE

164-16 96 Street

SAT, 4/13, 2-4pm, 88-20 155 Ave., #Apt 1L

Mint AAA, 2 BRs, Newly Renovated, W/D, 1st Fl Parquet Fls, All New, Open Layout.

A Must See!

Mint Unique extended open fl plan home. 3 BRs, 3 Full Baths, Lg EIK wood cabinets, 2 Skylights, All new doors, Lg family rm leading to lg yd. Move-in Cond! $499K

HOWARD BEACH/ ROCKWOOD PARK Large cape on 50x100, Full basement, 4 BRs, 2 Baths, "Room to expand".

Asking only $499K

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Page 55 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013

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HOWARD BEACH/ ROCKWOOD PARK Large Hi-Ranch, Amazing Location! 55x100 irregular lot, 4 BRs, 3 Full Baths, Hardwood Flrs under rugs. Asking $659K

HOWARD BEACH/ LINDENWOOD CO-OPS

• JR4 Hi-Rise Coops .............Only $85K • XLG Updated 1 BR Hi-Rise .......$109K • Updated 1 BR Co-op.................$109K HOWARD BEACH HOWARD BEACH/ • Well maint. 1 BR Hi-Rise Co-op $112K Mint "Amazing" Corner Ranch on • Hi-Rise 2 BRs/2 Updated Baths$150K ROCKWOOD PARK 40x100, 2 Car Det Garage, 3 BRs, Move-in Condition, Hi-Ranch, 4 2½ Baths, All New Kitchen, Cherry • Garden, Mint, 1st Fl, Updated kitchen BRs, 3 Full Baths, Maple wood & bath, 2 BRs, 1 Bath with FDR$169K Cabinets, Granite Countertop, kit cabinets, Granite countertops, • 2 BR, 1 Bath, S/S Appl, Mint ....$189K Stainless Steel Appl, Lg LR w/

Hardwood floors thruout, New windows. Half inground pool, Deck. Call for info. Asking $649K

Fireplace, Huge DR, All New Baths, Full Fin Bsmnt w/Wood Burning Stove. Much More! Asking $549K

OZONE PARK/ CENTERVILLE CONDO • Park Village Condo, Mint 2 BRs, 2 Baths w/Terrace, Unit comes w/1 Parking Spot .............$269K

HOWARD BEACH/ COMMERCIAL SUBLET

HOWARD BEACH/ ROCKWOOD PARK Empire Style Hi-Ranch, 5 BRs and 3 Full Baths, Central Air, Pvt Dvwy & 1 Car Garage, 40x100 Lot, Great Block! Asking $655K

• Old Howard Beach - 800 sq ft office space, Totally renovated, Ground fl, WOODHAVEN Across the street from "A" Train.

Charming very spacious brick Victorian, • New Howard Beach - 1400 sq ft office Mint Hi-Ranch, All redone in 2004, HOWARD BEACH/ 3/4 BRs, All New Kitchen w/ Exquisite wood moldings and wood space, Ground floor. $2200/mo.

Stainless Steel, Appl, All New Brick, ROCKWOOD PARK bannister leading up to 3rd fl. 9 stained Stucco Windows, Kitchen, Baths, Cape on 40x100, 4 BRs, 1 Bath, glass windows, glass doorknobs, pocket • Old Howard Beach - Excellent for Pavers front & back, New Roof, New Medical office, Fully renov, 1200 sq ft, Full unfinished basement, doors and French doors. 6 BRs, 3½ baths, Gas Boiler, CAC, Polished Porcelin Lg Front Rm w/3 Pvt Rms, $1400/mo.

2 car gar, New roof. Asking $629K Needs TLC. Asking $499K Tiles. Asking $699K

HOWARD BEACH/ ROCKWOOD PARK

HOWARD BEACH/ ROCKWOOD PARK Hi-Ranch, Extra Large 5 BRs, 3 Full Baths, 27x55, On 40x109 Lot. Asking $699K

OZONE PARK TUDOR VILLAGE

All Brick Colonial (New Construction 2009),4 BRs, 3½ Baths, LR with Fireplace, 9' Ceilings 1st and 2nd Flrs, Full Finished Basement, Pvt Dvwy, Det 1 Car Gar, Sprinklers, PVC Fencing, Pavers in yard, Wrough iron gates, Mint condition, All New!

Renovation in process, 1 Family Colonial, 2 BRs, 1½ Baths, Totally redone thruout. Only $299K

IN

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HOWARD BEACH/ ROCKWOOD PARK Large oversized corner ranch brick & stone, 4 Brs, 2.5 Baths, Full finished bsmnt. $509K

HOWARD BEACH HAMILTON BEACH Mint Waterfront 50x70 lot, 2 BRs Ranch, Deck overlooking the bay, Updated throughout.

Asking $295K

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2 Family all brick tudor, 3 BRs, 3 Full baths, All new wood flooring Legal 2 family, 6 over 6, 1.5 Baths & tiles, Private driveway, 1 car on each fl, Irregular lot, New roof, garage. Asking Only $659K New Boiler. Only $529K

Beautiful Hi-Ranch, Completely Renovated, Walk-in 1 BR Apt., Main floor converted to 2 BRs w/Large Jacuzzi Bath and deck off MBR. Asking $679K

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Move-in Condition 4 BR Cape, 2 New Baths, New Roof/ Windows, Excellent location.

Asking $610K

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HOWARD BEACH/ OLD SIDE Large home on 42x100, Updated kitchen, 9' ceilings, Fireplace, Pvt dvwy w/detached 2 car garage, Full fin bsmnt.

Asking $629K

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HOWARD BEACH/ ROCKWOOD PARK

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Ultra mint 4 BR Colonial, House redone 4 years ago, 4 new full baths, New kitchen, fireplace, In-ground heated pool, stucco & pavers front & back. $889K

CT SO

Large cape on 60x100, 3 Large BRs, 2 Baths, Updated Kit w/SS Appliances & Granite countertop. Asking $739K

I

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HOWARD BEACH/ ROCKWOOD PARK Corner Ranch on 50x100 lot, 3 BRs 1.5 Baths. Only $585K

!

HOWARD BEACH/ OLD SIDE

SO

LD

!

HOWARD BEACH/ ROCKWOOD PARK

Legal 2 family on 40x100, 5/6 Move-in Condition, Raised Ranch w/large full fin bsmnt, pvt dvwy. on 50x100 lot, H/W Flrs, CAC, 3 Asking $589K BRs, 2.5 Baths. Only $499K

For the latest news visit qchron.com

HOWARD BEACH HAMILTON BEACH

Just Reduced $499K

HOWARD BEACH/ OLD SIDE

HOWARD BEACH/ ROCKWOOD PARK

CONR-060993

HOWARD BEACH

Charming Tudor, 1 Fam SD on a large corner double lot.

3 BRs, 2½ Baths, Det 3 Car Garage, Updated Kit, Parquet fls on 1st fl, Fin bsmnt.

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 11, 2013 Page 56

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Full line of

THE BEST SALADS! So Many To Choose From! Create Your Own!

Check our window signs for our everyday low price on

ve

www.LIBAGELCAFE.com

7 DAYS: 8 AM - 3 PM

A Tradition Since 1986

CONVENIENT PARKING IN THE REAR

CORPORATE ACCOUNTS WELCOME

NOT YOUR ORDINARY BAGEL STORE

Serving Breakfast GRILL OPEN TILL 7 PM

Old-Fashioned, Hand-Rolled, Water-Kettled & Baked to Perfection!

Cold Cut Specials

Hot & Cold. We can customize any package for you. Call for details or go to our website

FREE DELIVERY

BOAR’S HEAD products All Sandwiches include: choice of Side Salad & a Pickle and much more.

er

EXCEPTIONAL CATERING!

LARGEST SELECTION OF CREAM CHEESE, BAGELS & BIALYS S INCLUDE D A L A SIDE S & PICKLE

HOT OFF THE GRILL

• PHILLY CHEESE STEAK HERO ..............$8.95 • MANHATTAN SPECIAL ..........................$8.95 • MONTE CRISTO ..................................... $7.95 • INSIDE OUT GRILLED CHEESE .............$5.95 • GRILLED MEATLOAF MELT ................... $7.95 • THE CLASSIC REUBEN ......................... $7.95 • TRIPLE DECKER REUBEN .....................$8.95 • REUBEN’S BROTHER ............................ $7.95 • TURKEY REUBEN .................................. $7.95

DELUXE HAM $ ©2013 M1P • LIBA-061003

For the latest news visit qchron.com

• GRILLED & LOADED POTATO KNISH ...........$5.95

6

99

LB.

With coupon. Expires 04/24/13.

Not to be combined with any other offer.

Why Go Elsewhere?

THE ONLY PLACE YOU CAN

GET 9 BAGELS & PAY FOR 6 EVERY DAY!

BUY 6 BAGELS

GET 3 FREE With coupon. Expires 04/24/13. Not to be combined with any other offer.

OUR OWN OVEN BAKED TURKEY $

6

99

LB.

With coupon. Expires 04/24/13.

Not to be combined with any other offer.

AMERICAN CHEESE $

499 LB.

With coupon. Expires 04/24/13.

Not to be combined with any other offer.

PLEASE PRESENT COUPONS BEFORE YOU ORDER!

162-54 CROSSBAY BLVD., HOWARD BEACH • 718-843-5700 WE ARE OPEN 5 AM TO 8 PM • 7 DAYS

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ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED