Queens Chronicle Spring Guide 2012

C M Spring Guide page 1 Y K

SPRING S P R I N G

G U I D E INSIDE: Spring fun for kids The Queens arts scene Community gardens Outlook for the Mets’ season

and more ...

GUIDE

2012

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 12, 2012 Page 2

C M Spring Guide page 2 Y K

Looking to

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2012

GUIDE

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• Baby Shower • Birthday Party • Bar/Bat Mitzvah • Wedding Reception • Quinceanera • Celebration • Spring fun for kids ........................................ 4

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• Professional performing arts schedule ............ 8 • Outlook for the Mets’ season ........................10 • Community gardens brighten neighborhoods ....13

SPRING GUIDE • 2012

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• New flower and vegetable varieties ready for planting ........................................14

The Free Synagogue of Flushing is two blocks from the subway #7 train & LIRR - Main Street Flushing (Port Washington Line).

• Exercising in borough parks ..........................16

Please call (718) 961-0030 or email rentals@freesynagogue.org

• Growing grapes for wine in Queens ................17 • It’s green spring cleaning time .......................18 • Best desserts for spring ............................. 20 • Day trips close to home .............................. 22

FREE ON-SITE PARKING ©2012 M1P • FRES-057586

Front page photo: Steve Malecki; Supplement editor: Liz Rhoades; Design: Ella Jipescu; Editorial Layout: Terry Nusspickel

Page 3 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 12, 2012

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SPRING GUIDE • 2012

SPRING GUIDE • 2012

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 12, 2012 Page 4

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Activities for youngsters

SPRING FORWARD, STAY CLOSE TO HOME ith such a mild winter, it was hard to tell when spring actually began. But now that event schedules are

by Maria catching up to the Fitzsimons weather, there’s no need to leave the borough to engage children, get them to unplug from technology and become part of their communities this season.

Queens offers a variety of activities for youngsters to take advantage of during warmer days, including events for the last weekend of spring recess for New York City public schools. And many events are free — which will certainly make mom and dad happy.

The New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows Park offers a hilarious take on something so simple in “BubbleMania: Science, Art & Comedy! with Casey Carle.” For an additional $5 with the price of admission, children will become privy to the science behind creating soap bubbles. This special performance runs April 13 to 15, at 1 and 2 p.m.

Didn’t think you could visit with farm animals in a city? Think again.

The Queens County Farm Museum at 73-50 Little Neck Parkway in Floral Park, has organized a “Children’s Carnival” in its apple orchard.

W

This event includes hayrides, games and a magic show in the barn during the afternoon, every hour on the hour from 2 to 5 p.m.

The cost is $10 per person to enter the farm grounds and includes carnival rides at no additional charge. This event runs April 14, April 15, April 21 and April 22, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Youth can cheer on their skilled peers at the First Regional Talent Show Finale, held at the Central Library in Jamaica at 89-11 Merrick Blvd., on Saturday April 21 at 2 p.m. In this free event, winners ages 7 to 15, from local Queens libraries, will compete for the top spot of the borough.

Show your support to budding young actors from, “LaMicro Children’s Theater Workshop” by taking your kids to a free short play by youth ages 6 to 9 at the Sunnyside library, 43-06 Greenpoint Ave. The performance titled “Sultan the Cat” which incorporates the Sunnyside community into the story, is at 3:30 p.m. on April 21.

Expose your young ones to the fun side of learning with a free hands-on history workshop at King Manor Museum, 150-03 Jamaica Ave. in Jamaica. “Music, Mozart & The Manor” offers children the chance to discover Mozart, make their own musical instrument and

Urban park rangers offer programs to fit all skill levels in fishing and archery in parks throughout Queens. Fans of “The Hunger Games,” for one, might aim for an upcoming event at Alley Pond Adventure Center. PHOTO BY DANIEL AVILA/NYC PARKS

learn how to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, one of the influential composer’s famous classical variations. The workshop, held on April 21 from noon to 3 p.m., is designed for the entire family to participate.

Alley Pond Environmental Center, 228-06 Northern Blvd. in Douglaston is celebrating Earth Day on Sunday April 22 at 1 p.m. with a live animal event, “Animal Adventures.” Children of all ages are welcome, with a paying adult, to pet and observe at least eight animals, such as a wallaby, a lemur and a large snake.

Interesting stories and information on the animals involved will be part of the celebration. An adult ticket is $15, $12 for APEC members, and entry for kids up to age 12 is $8.

Call to reserve at (718) 229-4000.

Families and children 8 years old and older are invited to learn about fishing and archery in Queens parks.

Both activities foster patience while teaching your youngster to connect to the environment around them.

Skilled urban park rangers have archery programs to fit all skill levels. The event meets on Saturday, April 28 at 1 p.m. at Alley Pond Adventure Center, Winchester Boulevard under the Grand Central Parkway.

Urban park rangers also instruct young participants how to freshwater fish, which is strictly a catch and release program. Be sure to get in on the fun early, as involvement is on a first come, first serve basis.

The program meets at Kissena Park at 11 a.m. on May 12 at the entrance at Rose and Oak avenues.

Kids of all ages can join in on larger than life play during “Puppet Parade” at the New York Hall of Science. Free with the price of admission, participants can use their arms to puppeteer and interact with creatures as they’re projected on the wall for interactive entertainment.

This creative program runs on weekends from 11- 5 p.m. until Sunday May 6 Discover New York City’s bountiful wildlife with “Urban Wildlife Appreciation Day” at Cunningham Park, which borders Fresh Meadows and Bayside off Union Turnpike.

“Children’s Carnival” at the Queens County Farm Museum, held in the apple orchard. This full day event includes hayrides, games and a magic show.

PHOTO COURTSEY QUEENS FARM MUSEUM

This program meets on Sunday, Informative urban park rangers reveal to families the best places in the city May 20 at 11 a.m. in the park parking lot on Union Turnpike and 197th to watch wildlife in their habitats.

This event meets in the park’s Street.

Fun for the youth of Queens is parking lot on Union Turnpike and 197th Street on Saturday, May 5, endless this season. Whether participating with your children or letting from noon to 3 p.m.

Let’s not forget about the tykes of them venture out with friends, this Queens. The second annual “Mamas selection of events for spring is a Expo” is being held at the New York great opportunity to get your youngHall of Science on Saturday, May 5, sters involved in programs through10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Little ones up to age out the borough.

Encourage them to go offline, 6 can participate in hands-on activiunplug from technology and enjoy ties and product demonstrations.

Parents can attend workshops, try all that Queens has to offer — close Q out new products and receive give- to home. aways. The event is free with admission to the hall.

Staycations just got more scenic with biking in Queens parks held at Cunningham Park. Suitable for the entire family, urban park rangers will introduce riders to breathtaking views, public artwork, landscape design and local wildlife.

Kids are able to ride at a leisurely pace — but are required to bring their own bicycles and helmets, along with a recommended Comic bubble-ologist Casey Carle, “BubbleMania: light snack and plenty of Science, Art & Comedy!” will be at the New PHOTO COURTSEY NYSCI York Hall of Science. water.

Spring Guide page 5 Page 5 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 12, 2012

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Spring Guide page 6

Arts scene EXHIBITS ABOUND AT QUEENS SHOWS

A work by Manuel Ocampo, a contemporary artist from the Philippines on view at Topaz Arts in PHOTO BY TODD RICHMOND AND PAZ TANJUAQUIO Woodside through May 12.

New gallery exhibits flourish this spring throughout the borough his spring, a number of new exhibits are opening around the borough. In addition, the second annual LIC Arts Open will run from May 12 to and feature a week of events

by Paula 20 including open art studios, exhiNeudorf bitions and live performances (visit licartsopen.org).

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SPRING GUIDE • 2012

Donna Levinstone and Demetrius Manouselis solo shows. Opening reception April 15, running through May 6.

LIC Arts Open: Curated group show featuring 16 artists, May 15, 6-8:30 p.m.

Long Island City’s Jeffrey Leder Gallery will continue its string of solo shows with artists Donna Levinstone and Demetrius Manouselis; each artist’s works will be featured on a floor of the gallery’s two-story brownstone. Pastels by Levinstone on one floor will complement Manouselis’ abstract works on the top floor.

After the show closes on May 6, Jeffrey Leder Gallery will also be participating in the LIC Arts Open, by staging an opening on the same day as several other galleries in the Court Square area on May 15.

For more visit jeffreyledergallery.com or contact Leder at (917) 767-1734. Address: 2137 45 Rd., LIC.

“Cyclone Fence, Leo Castelli Warehouse, New York 1968,” will appear at the Sculpture Center in Long Island City.

PHOTO BY SHUNK-KENDER/ROY LICHTENSTEIN FOUNDATION

SCULPTURE CENTER “Bill Bollinger: The Retrospective,” opening reception April 22, 5-7 p.m., running through July 30.

Surveying works created by American artist Bollinger between the years 1966 and 1970, this new show will feature sculpture, works on paper and one film. To complement the show, the Sculpture Center will offer a panel discussion with curators and other events.

For more visit sculpture-center.org or call (718) 361-1750. Address: 44-19 Purves St., LIC.

QUEENS COLLEGE ART CENTER “Rapunzel (in perpetuum: forever II)” through April 25. Building on a previous exhibit which honed in on how artists influence each other, the center features the works of over two dozen artists led by Anne Sherwood Pundyk. For information, visit qcpages.qc.cuny.edu and click on art or call (718) 997-3770. Address: Queens College, Rosenthal Library, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing.

during the fest and beyond, and by hosting a live show on May 16 in conjunction with the Clock Tower (LICA), Gotham Center‘s ground floor and the Space featuring experimental music, modern dance, computer graphics and VJ artists.

For more visit resobox.com or call (718) 784-3680. Address: 41-26 27 St., LIC.

FLUSHING TOWN HALL “Interwoven Worlds: Exploring Domestic and Nomadic Life in Turkey,”through April 30.

Organized by Queens College’s GoodwinTernbach Museum and on view at Flushing Town Hall, it highlights textiles from the museum’s permanent collection with objects that would be found in Turkish homes and spaces.

For more, visit flushingtownhall.org/events or call (718) 463-7700. Address: 137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing.

MOMA PS1

“Distortional Sensibility,” featuring the work of Jongwang Lee. April 12 through May 3; “Symbiosis,” a group show. May 4 to 13; Janet Bruesselbach solo exhibit. May 18- 31.

For more, visit spacewomb.com or call (917) 670-1342. Address: 22-48 Jackson Ave., LIC.

“Lara Favaretto: Just Knocked Out,” May 3 through Sept. 10. Sunday sessions through May 13. PS1 presents a survey of Lara Favaretto’s audio, sculptural and kinetic works from the past 15 years, as well as pieces created specifically for the show at the museum.

Through May 13, the museum will also be hosting events every Sunday, featuring lectures, light, sound and music installations as well as special performances.

For more visit momaps1.org or call (718) 784-2084. Address: 22-25 Jackson Ave., LIC.

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“Art from the Earth,” through April 27 LIC Arts Open: Curated group show featuring Japanese artists, May 12. Live music night, May 16.

Japanese gallery Resobox’s new exhibit, focuses on works by Yasumitsu Morito, who was born in Mashiko, Japan, a village known for its pottery. Morito works with clay and ceramics, and bowls, sculptures and other works are on view.

In addition to the Morito show, Resobox is participating in the LIC Arts Open by featuring a group show on May 12 which will run

Photos and videos of Chile by students, opening reception May 10, 6-7 p.m.

A display of work by students who participated in photo internships in Chile will be displayed in an LGCC gallery. A lecture on May 14 will further explain the project at 1 p.m. at 31-10 Thomson Ave., room E-500.

For more visit lagcc.cuny.edu/lgccchilestudyabroad. The show will take place in the Gallery of Photographic Arts on the third floor of the college’s “B” building, located at 30-20 Thomson Ave. in Long Island City.

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TOPAZ ARTS GALLERY “Manuel Ocampo: The 80s,” through May 12, Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. Closing reception May 12.

This is a solo exhibition of recent paintings

by Ocampo, a renowned contemporary artist from the Philippines, on view at Woodside’s Topaz Arts Gallery every Saturday. The show features a series of his most abstract works, presented unconventionally.

For more visit topazarts.org or call (718) 505-0440. Address: 55-03 39 Ave., Woodside.

SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK “Civic Action: A Vision for Long Island City,” opening reception May 13, 2-6 p.m.

Show runs through Aug. 5.

In the fall, four teams led by artists Natalie Jeremijenko, Mary Miss, Rirkrit Tiravanija and George Trakas developed visions for the future of Long Island City’s waterfront, which went on view at the Noguchi Museum.

Beginning May 13, those visions will be realized in part through sculpture, performance and related events at Socrates Sculpture Park.

Events include a “Kite Flight” with Jeremijenko, when she will demonstrate how to create maps using kites on May 19, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; outdoor cinema every Wednesday night, with regional food served out of Tiravanija’s installation (July 4- Aug. 22).

For more visit socratessculpturepark.org or call (718) 956-1819. Address: 32-01 Vernon Blvd., Astoria.

QUEENS MUSEUM OF ART “Queens International 2012: Three Points Make a Triangle” and “Frank Oscar Larson: 1950s New York Street Stories,” through May 20. QMA’s roundup of 31 artists living in the borough.

As previously covered in the Chronicle, longtime Flushing resident Larson’s treasure trove of documentary photographs of 1950s New York, unearthed by his grandson, are well worth a look. This show also closes May 20.

For more visit queensmuseum.org/ or call (718) 592-9700. QMA is located in Flushing Q Meadows Park.

Spring Guide page 7

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 12, 2012 Page 8

Spring Guide page 8

Performance Arts QUEENS VENUES OFFER MUSIC, DANCE AND THEATER ARTS SC E

NE

The same venue provides a good laugh and music all in one. On May 6 at 3 p.m. the actor and comedian Mal Z. Lawrence is performing accompanied by The Four Preps, the group who won eight gold singles and three gold albums throughout the 1950-70s, and who will be singing everything from doo-wop to Tin Pan Alley standards. All seats are $40.

Kupferberg Center Performances at Queens The award-winning dance company Viver Brazil takes audiences on an inspiring journey through College also pays a tribute to Broadway with Afro-Brazilian dance and music on April 14-15 at Queens Theatre in the Park PHOTO BY JORGE VISMARA Neil Berg’s “100 Years of Broadway” on SaturThalia also presents a bilingual premiere of Next an intercultural experience is April 20 at day, April 14 at 8 p.m. The first New York City show and a Queens exclusive, “100 Years of 8 p.m. when the venue hosts Queens Symphony “La Callas & Medea.” The great soprano Maria Broadway” recreates the greatest moments from Orchestra featuring contemporary works by liv- Callas encounters her most famous character, the finest shows of the century. The cast and the ing composers George Tsontakis and Justice Medea, in this dream-like drama about two legendary Greek women, famed for their capacity band take the audience on a trip down memory Chen. The event is free.

On April 28 at 7.30 p.m. bassist and to love and fall victim to betrayal. It will be lane and back to the present with popular composer Ben Allison and his band performed alternate days in English and in numbers from Broadway’s latest hit take over the stage. Known for his Spanish from May 18 to June 24. Tickets are shows. Tickets run $15 to $28. lyrical melodies, inventive $22 and $25.

On a quieter note, Kupferberg Dance Entropy Inc. in Long Island City pregrooves, and inspired arrangeCenter also hosts Turkish ments, Allison draws from the sents the Green Space Blooms Dance Festival, pianist Zeynep Ucbasaran on jazz tradition to rock, folk and featuring the work of 40 choreographers on six April 15 at 2 p.m. Ucbasaran world music and blends them evenings at 8 p.m. on April 14 through 22. Tickwas twice a prizewinner in the into a cinematic, cohesive musi- ets are $15 and $20.

Los Angeles Liszt CompetiFrank Sinatra School of Arts presents a jazz cal experience that has so far tions. Tickets range from $15 resulted in 10 albums and sever- ensemble concert with the grammy-winning saxto $36. ophone giant Joe Lovano in the Tony Bennett al awards. The concert is free.

Finally, Kupferberg Center York College Performing Arts Concert Hall on April 20 at 7 p.m. Tickets are will be hosting the final concert Center in Jamaica has L’Aprile Con- $10 and $15. of the 2012 Arts & Music Festival, Susan McKeown and her band performtradicentrate on their program on the world premiere of “1001 Voices — a Symphony for Kupferberg Center hosts Turkish April 20 at 7 p.m. Featured tional folk songs and contemporary adult rock Queens,” including a 190- pianist Zeynep Ucbasaran on singer is April Lynn James, a from past and present at the Main Hall at New York Irish Center on April 28 at 8.30 p.m. Tickvoice choir comprised of the April 15 at 2 p.m. COURTESY PHOTO lyric mezzo-soprano.

Specializing in 18th-century ets are $15 and $18.

Queens College Choral Society Venues featured in this piece are listed below. & Queens College Choir. The event is on April music and operas composed by women, she Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd.; enjoys playing the gallant young men featured in 29 at 3 p.m. and is free.

See the full program for the 1001 Voices 18th- century Italian opera, some of which she (718) 463-7700 ext. 222.

Kupferberg Center at Queens College, 65-30 Festival, which runs April 14 to 29, at will be singing at the performance.

Next in York’s program is the Clifton Ander- Kissena Blvd. in Flushing; (718) 793-8080. queenssymphony.org Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing MeadFlushing Council on Culture and the Arts at son Quintet on April 28 at 7 p.m. Anderson’s Flushing Town Hall has a career reflects work with diverse musical giants ows Park; (718) 760-0064.

Queensborough Performing Arts Center, 222varied spring program. It such as Frank Foster, McCoy Tyner, Stevie Wonbegins with the virtuoso der, Dizzy Gillespie, The Mighty Sparrow, Lester 05 56th Ave. in Bayside; (718) 631-6311.

Queens Symphony Orchestra Off ice at players of Chinese Folk Bowie, Paul Simon, WyClef Jean, and Dionne Queens College, 65-30 Kissena Blvd. Flushing, Music on April 14 at 7 Warwick. Tickets are $10 to $20.

Thalia Spanish Theatre in Sunnyside cele- NY 11367, (718) 570-0909 p.m. The virtuoso is estabThalia Spanish Theatre, 41-17 Greenpoint lished by master perform- brates spring with the variety and richness of ers from the Department Spanish and Latin music. The venue will offer Ave. in Sunnyside; (718) 729-3880.

York College Performing Arts Center, 94of Fine Arts of China “Caribe,” starring Anissa Gathers, who will perOcean University in Qing- form Caribbean songs from Cuba, Puerto Rico 45 Guy R. Brewer Blvd. in Jamaica; (718) dao, China. Highly and the Dominican Republic on April 28 st 8 262-3750.

Green Space, 37-24 24th St. #301 Long acclaimed, this group per- p.m. Tickets are $25.

On April 29 at 4 p.m. the audience can enjoy Island City (718) 956-3037. forms not only traditional Tony Bennett Concert Hall, 35-12 35th Ave, Chinese music, but also beautiful arias and duets from the best-loved modern and contempo- Spanish operettas, and the most popular romantic Astoria (718) 361-9920 Take a trip down memory lane with Neil Berg’s 100 Years of Broadway, rary Chinese folk music. Latin American songs in “Zarzuelas and New York Irish Center, 10-40 Jackson Ave, Q COURTESY PHOTO Tickets are: $10 to $20.

April 14 at 8 p.m. at Kupferberg Center.

Long Island City, (718) 482-0909 Boleros.” Tickets are $25 or $44 for both.

his spring, Queens venues feature a varied span of international and national big-name artists and new musical highlights for culture-craving residents.

Queens Theatre in the Park in

by Janne Flushing Meadows Park has four Louise very different shows on their proAnderson gram. First, the award-winning dance company Viver Brazil takes audiences on a journey through Afro-Brazilian traditional and contemporary movement and nonstop percussion and voice on Saturday, April 14 at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 15 at 3 p.m.

All seats cost $46.

The following weekend, the theatre features New York’s own Grammy Award-winning folk music legend Janis Ian. Ian performs on April 21 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. All seats are $44. Producer’s Circle is $60 Next the scene is set for the Bronx Wanderers, who will take the audience back to the 1950s when the soulful, melodic sounds of doo-wop and a new style of music called rock and roll ruled the airwaves. That’s on April 22 at 2 and 6 p.m. All seats are $35.

And from May 3 through 20, audiences can see the work of Jack Cole live with the world premiere of “Heat Wave: The Jack Cole Project,” a musical tribute to the unsung genius. Cole was considered one of the most important choreographers of the 20th century, producing classics like “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” which made Marilyn Monroe a superstar; “There’s No Business Like Show Business” and “Les Girls.” Tickets run $42, on weekdays and $49 on weekends.

Queensborough Performing Arts Center in Bayside presents “Mr. Las Vegas” on April 29 at 3 p.m. In his only New York appearance, audiences can experience Wayne Newton, the most talked about Las Vegas showman, with more than 25,000 concerts in his past. All seats are $55.

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C M Spring Guide page 9 Y K

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Baseball METS EXPECT LITTLE; SO DO THE FANS Lack of new players, loss of Reyes lead to low expectations this year he Mets are understandably promising to make a big deal of their golden anniversary as a baseball franchise.

Given how things have gone for the local major league team the past

by Lloyd few years, you can be sure that Carroll there will be comparisons between the 2012 Mets and their 1962 forebears.

The good news is that given the dilution of talent in the big leagues, combined with the wear and tear of the travel and other hindrances that come with a 162-game season these days, it is extremely unlikely that this Mets team will lose 120 games as the first one did. The bad news is that a 100-loss season is a very real possibility.

One relief for Mets fans is that they won’t have to hear about the specter of Bernie Madoff hovering over their team’s operations. Unfortunately, as pointed out back in December, Mets ownership still has serious debt issues.

It’s precisely those mounting liabilities that precluded Mets Chief Executive Officer Fred Wilpon and General Manager Sandy Alderson from even making a token contractual offer to retain their very popular shortstop, Jose Reyes, who wound up being the National League batting champion, which ironically was the first time a Met ever won that title. Reyes, of course, has taken his talents down to South Beach, technically downtown Miami.

While the Mets’ dispiriting handling of Reyes deflated their fans, they have a very capable replacement at shortstop in Ruben Tejada. While he doesn’t possess Reyes’s speed and power, nor his outgoing personality, Tejada is an excellent fielder and a very good contact hitter. He hit .284 last year, and you can be sure manager Terry Collins will be ecstatic if he can repeat that in 2012.

His four-hit game last Sunday against the Braves certainly brightened Collins’s spirits.

The Mets made news last fall when they announced that they would be moving in their outfield fences. Management’s fervent hope is that

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the shortened dimensions will improve the psyches and statistics of third baseman David Wright and leftfielder Jason Bay especially. The bad news is that the Mets won’t be able to move the fences back when the opposing team is hitting.

Wright has long been the face of the franchise and has stated that he would like to remain a Met for his entire career. He has a $16 million option in his contract that will kick in if he is on the Mets roster in 2013. It is that stipulation, however, that may lead to his departure before the July 31 trade deadline.

He certainly looked like an all-star last weekend and even delivered a fly ball to score the Mets’ first run on Sunday.

While it would be easy to criticize Mets ownership for even thinking of dealing Wright, the reality is that if you are going to pay any player that kind of money, he’d better produce. In the last couple years, Wright has made a number of throwing errors on routine plays, and has also shown a glaring propensity to strike out, especially when there is a runner on third base with less than two outs and a mere fly ball would score a run.

The Mets do have some pop in their lineup thanks to Daniel Murphy and Ike Davis. Murphy is a very accomplished hitter but his defensive skills have been lacking. The Mets are hoping he will be a passable second baseman and that he can finally complete an entire season without winding up on the disabled list.

Davis has proven to be the best first baseman both defensively and offensively for the Amazin’s since Keith Hernandez was in his prime. But, like Murphy, Davis has also been a habitue on the DL, and everyone is keeping their fingers crossed that he can stay healthy as well. Earlier this spring, he

was diagnosed with valley fever, a common ailment for Arizona residents, of which he is one. So far he has remained symptom-free, thankfully.

Last year, rookie outfielder Lucas Duda came up from the Mets’ Triple-A farm club, the Buffalo Bisons, and displayed respectable power as well as hitting nearly .300. If the Mets can get similar production from him this year, Citi Field will be a brighter place.

Alderson has made very few trades so far in his tenure as general manager. He did send centerfielder Angel Pagan, an accomplished fielder and hitter, to the Giants for Andres Torres, an older version of Pagan with far less upside.

Although it was clear that Alderson was not enamored of Pagan, primarily because of rumors that he was sullen in the clubhouse and was not a favorite of Collins, this trade was a head-scratcher.

Sure enough, Torres missed a good chunk of spring training with a leg injury. His injury has opened the door for Whitestone native Mike Baxter to get some playing time in Flushing.

The Mets’ pitching staff is a big question mark. The good news is that ace Johan Santana, who missed all of 2011 recovering from a plethora of arm ailments, made it through spring training without getting hurt and was able to get opposing hitters out for the most part.

Ageless knuckleballer RA Dickey was 8-13 last year but he was done in by a lack of run support. Dillon Gee started out last year with a 7-0 record but ran out of gas in the second half as he settled for a 13-6 record with a pedestrian 4.43 earned run average. Jonathon Niese has been the textbook definition of mediocre, compiling a 22-23 record in two-plus seasons as a Met starter with a nondescript 4.39 lifetime ERA.

Of course no starter is a bigger enigma than Mike Pelfrey. After being named the Mets’ ace last year by Collins in light of Santana’s absence, “Big Pelf ” came up very small. His 713 record and 4.74 ERA only begin to tell the sad story. More often than not, he was badly whacked around by opposing hitters.

This past March the same thing was happening. According to numerous sources, Mets executives were thinking of releasing him just as they did Oliver Perez last spring. Pelfrey was on the Opening Day roster but it’s clear that he is on a very short leash.

Even the most ardent Mets fan can’t be blamed for asking “Who are these guys?” when discussing the Mets bullpen. The Mets had to sign former Blue Jays closer Frank Francisco to a two-year, $12 million contract when both Bobby Parnell and Ozone Park’s own Pedro Beato proved unable to hold any late-inning leads after Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers last summer.

Frank Francisco was completely ineffective during spring training, which certainly had to cause Alderson some agita although he did earn a save in each of the Mets’ first three games. Other newcomers joining the Mets relief corps are Ramon Ramirez and Jon Rauch.

Adding to the Mets’ woes is the fact that they are in arguably baseball’s most competitive division, the National League East. The Phillies may be aging but they still have the best starting staff in the game. The Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals have both considerably upgraded their rosters. The Atlanta Braves always have a very talented team.

Even Collins downplayed unrealistic expectations about his team’s fast start out of the gate.

“We have a long way to go,” he said at his postgame press conference last Sunday.

If nothing else, Mets fans can enjoy the fun and tasty cuisine of Shake Shack and the Acela Club this year. Lines should not be a Q problem in 2012.

PHOTOS COURTESY NY METS

SPRING GUIDE • 2012

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 12, 2012 Page 10

C M Spring Guide page 10 Y K

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Johan Santana

David Wright

Ruben Tejada

C M Spring Guide page 11 Y K Page 11 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 12, 2012

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Community Gardens

PRODUCE AND FLOWERS CLOSE TO HOME

The Dunton Block and Civic Association community garden in Jamaica offers a myriad of fresh fruits and PHOTOS COURTESY BROOKLYN QUEENS LAND TRUST vegetables as well as classes on gardening and special events.

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of the people who live in the community. “We are trying to make this a safe place for everybody,” she said.

Those who would like to join the garden can stop by the green space and pick up an application. There is a $24 membership fee and those who join each get a small plot of land or gardening box at the site, if there is one available.

For more information, call Abdul-Qaadir at (347) 885-3217.

Founded in 1980 by a local development corporation as a community beautification project, the Merrick-Marsden Neighbors Association Garden at 118-18 Merrick Blvd. in Jamaica measures 40-by-100 feet with raised beds for vegetables, flowers and fruit trees.

This garden is located across the street from an early childhood development center and the children often visit, according to recently retired member Moses Smith.

“It’s fun to watch the various things grow,” Smith said. “And to see people’s faces light up when they see everything come to maturity.”

Smith said the group, which has approximately 16 members, is trying to collaborate with the Queens Botanical Garden to hold gardening workshops in the future. For more information, Smith can be reached at (347) 400-8551.

At the Malcolm X Garden at 33-02 112 St. in Corona, children can grow flowers and vegetables. There are also community picnics and barbecues. Founded in 1980, the group grows beets, carrots, corn, cucumbers, pumpkins, string beans, sunflowers, tulips, petunias, pears, peaches, crab apples and more.

“People seem to really like it,” said longtime member Dominique Edwards. “People can sit outside and they can watch the children working in the garden.”

They also offer workshops on making dried flowers and potpourri, among other classes. For more information, Edwards can be reached at (718) 651-7880.

Founded in 1978, the McIntosh Neighborhood Association Garden at 25-16 McIntosh St. in East Elmhurst is a large site with more than 20 beds for growing vegetables, flowers and fruit trees.

“We grow herbs, vegetables, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash — you name it,” said Ada Smothers, one of the garden’s founders.

“It’s an outlet. It’s a place where you can just sit and relax. It’s made my life more enjoyable.”

The McIntosh Neighborhood Association Garden in East Elmhurst has lots of vegetables, flowers and mature trees.

Smothers is proud of how far the garden has come over the years, from a vacant lot that was a blight on the community to a beautiful space that all residents can enjoy. Smothers said one of the garden’s highlights is its large fig tree.

She has recently planted raspberry and blueberry bushes, but she said they are still small and haven’t born fruit yet. For more information, Smothers can be reached at (718) 639-4934.

The 227th Street Cambria Heights Community Garden was founded in 1974 after a member of the area block association mentioned at a meeting that civic groups could obtain land from the city to start their own gardens, according to long-time member Robert Jurgens.

The members grow tomatoes, peppers, collard greens, rhubarb, and string beans, along with Jurgens’ favorite — sweet potatoes. They have apple and peach trees, but they don’t yield much fruit. The members typically grow what they plan to eat, but they will give away produce to passersby who ask for it.

Jurgens has always loved gardening. His grandfather owned a farm, and his family always had something growing in their backyard. “I enjoy growing plants, especially some of the more exotic stuff,” he said. “I also enjoy eating fresh fruits and vegetables.”

The garden is open 20 hours per week, but the schedule varies depending on volunteer availability. For more information, call Jurgens Q at (718) 527-2144.

SPRING GUIDE • 2012

They give away about 75 percent of what they grow, according to Smith. People can stop by and pick up a pound or two of produce. They also offer programs on how to garden for youth and adults, something Smith said is especially important.

“Children need to learn where produce comes from,” Smith said. “It doesn’t come from the supermarket, or from a can. It comes from seeds and the earth.”

The garden is open to the public beginning on Arbor Day, April 27, when members will have a celebration from noon until 4 p.m. with workshops on composting, creating all-natural soaps, and collage-making, along with planting classes for youth and a free lunch.

The season will extend through December and the garden is open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Weekend hours vary depending on what events are scheduled. Smith said they hope to offer free concerts this year. For more information, contact Smith at (917) 224-8217.

The Back To Eden Community Garden at 14427 Lakewood Ave. in South Jamaica was started in 1984 by gardeners Ella Heron and her husband Percy, who dedicated 21 years to improving the quality of life in their neighborhood.

Since reopening in the summer of 2004, the garden has been tended to by dedicated members and volunteers. They grow all kinds of vegetables from asparagus to zucchini; flowers including marigolds, African violets, roses and tulips; herbs such as basil, oregano, and cilantro; and fruits such as raspberries, strawberries and blueberries. The group tries to give away everything it grows.

“It’s important to know where our food comes from — to eat healthy fresh foods and help our community,” said garden co-President Sabriyah Abdul-Qaadir. “I’m a God-fearing woman and being close to the earth makes me feel more a part of life and nature.”

Back To Eden will be collaborating with the Dunton garden members on their Arbor Day celebration. Abdul-Qaadir hopes to create an International Day event with The 227th Street Cambria Heights Community Garden was music, dancing, food and martial arts, to celebrate the many cultures founded more than three decades ago.

pring is the season of growth and renewal, and nowhere is that better demonstrated than at the many community gardens in Queens. In most cases they began as plots of

by AnnMarie empty land until concerned residents rolled up their Costella sleeves and started planting — the result, peaceful green spaces in an otherwise concrete jungle.

Among the groups behind these oases is the Brooklyn Queens Land Trust manages 34 community gardens in 10 different neighborhoods — six of them in Queens. The organization ensures that the gardeners can work in a safe environment that is permanently protected from development.

In 1984, the founders of the Dunton Block and Civic Association Garden took a blighted lot that was the site of illegal dumping and turned it into a beautiful green space where residents get fresh produce and learn how to grow their own.

“When we see what we have been able to accomplish, we feel proud,” said Sharon Smith, one of the garden’s founders. “This is our community, and we want our community to look decent.”

The garden, located at 143-01 Shore Ave., has cabbage, carrots, kale, zucchini, squash, collard greens, bok choi, tomatoes, lettuce, potatoes, corn and more, including an apple tree and a blueberry bush.

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 12, 2012 Page 14

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Gardening READY FOR PLANTING SEASON If you’re looking for more colorful flowers, try the zinnia sunrise mix, which features red, yellow and white blooms throughout the growing season. And zinnias are easy to grow from seeds. Just sprinkle them in dirt and wait for the results.

Echinacea or coneflowers have become popular over the last few years for their interesting pink flowers that resemble inverted daisies.

Now there is a white variety known as powwow white. The PanAm Seed Co. recommends leaving some spent blooms on the plant in the fall because their seeds provide winter food for finches and other birds.

If you like beach grass for an accent but don’t have the room, try the new burgundy bunny miniature fountain grass. It only grows 12 to 16 inches tall and its stems turn scarlet in the fall.

Another miniature is the Lo and Behold ice chip butterfly bush, also known as the buddleia. Yes, they definitely do attract butterflies, but this one only grows to two feet and has either white or lilac blooms. It can even be grown in planters.

Looking to plant a vegetable garden but have little yard space or only a patio? The seed companies Gardeners can get lots of ideas and tips by can help you out. visiting the Queens Botanical Garden in Flushing.

The Burpee catalogue is PHOTO COURTESY QUEENS BOTANICAL GARDEN featuring peas in a pot this

he unusually warm spring weather is giving those with a green thumb the itch to begin planting, but

by Liz experts warn that colder evening temperaRhoades tures are still possible.

So as much as gardeners want to get their hands in the soil, it’s more important than ever to find out how hardy seeds and plants are before setting them out.

This year, plant enthusiasts have a lot of new choices in flowers, bushes and vegetables — many in smaller sizes, which work well in often tiny Queens gardens.

SPRING GUIDE • 2012

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This miniature buddleia or butterfly bush will remain compact with lots of PHOTO COURTESY WAYSIDE GARDENS flowers throughout the growing season.

The new sunrise mix zinnias produce bright flowers and are easy to grow.

PHOTO COURTESY NATIONAL GARDEN BUREAU

year. The 10-inch plants yield four times that of larger plants.

Renee’s Garden, another seed catalogue, is featuring a container zucchini called Astia. It’s a bush variety developed for container growing or in small gardens. It has compact vines and bears fruit early.

Also new this year from Renee’s is its wasabi arugula. This leafy salad green has the flavor of spicy wasabi paste. Like most greens, it can be grown in the early spring or fall.

For many plants, remember: don’t plant until the chance of a frost is gone. However most flowers are hardy enough to be planted now, especially pansies, petunias, snapdragons, primrose and sweet alyssum.

Early vegetables that can go in the ground now are peas, lettuce, onions and radishes.

More delicate vegetables such as eggplants and tomatoes are safe to plant by Mother’s Day, May 13, when the soil is much warmer.

And don’t overlook planting herbs.

They grow equally well in planters or in the ground, between your other crops or flowers. Some favorites are basil, parsley and mint that go great in salads, soups and other dishes.

Once your garden is in, be sure to give it plenty of water. One inch of water a week is adequate for most

plants. Consider using soaker hoses or drip systems.

Add fertilizer during the growing season and read the package label instructions carefully because you can kill a plant with too much fertilizer.

For those planning on container gardening, f iberglass and resin planters are lightweight and retain moisture well. Be sure the containers have drain holes and set them on bricks or blocks to allow for proper drainage and aeration.

Because fertilizer will wash out with watering in a pot, it is important to add a diluted liquid fertilizer with every other watering. Water a few times a week or daily in hot, dry weather.

But the beauty of pots is that they can be moved whenever necessary to bask in or hide from the sun.

If you’re new to gardening and want to learn the basics, there are several Queens institutions that offer

A new variety of seagrass called burgundy bunny miniature fountain is small enough to be grown in a container.

PHOTO COURTESY WAYSIDE GARDENS

programs and workshops this spring. Here are just a few: Queens Botanical Garden, 4350 Main St., Flushing will hold a National Wildflower Week garden tour on Thursday, April 19 at 1 p.m., free with garden admission. On April 22, celebrate Earth Day from 1 to 4 p.m. Learn to plant seeds and make floral creations. It’s free with garden admission.

On April 29, an arbor festival will run 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

There will be workshops, garden specialists, entertainment and more. Free with garden admission. And on May 6, meet the QBG master composters and learn how to help the earth at an Earth Day fair at the Central YM&YWHA, 67-09 108 St., Forest Hills. It’s free.

At the Voelker Orth Museum, 149-19 38 Ave., Flushing, which features a bird sanctuary and Victorian garden, horticulturist Urte Schaedle will hold a workshop on environmentally friendly gardening that will include a lesson on soil, sowing seeds and mulching on Wednesday, April 18 at 2 p.m.

On May 9, Schaedle will discuss and demonstrate growing herbs in containers. Each class is $10. Call to register (718) 359-6227.

The Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park, will hold a celebration on May 6 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring sheep shearing, compost projects, tours, and the sale of seedling flowers and vegetables. Admission is $5.

And don’t overlook your neighborhood garden centers that will provide lots of ideas and choices Q for planting your garden.

C M Spring Guide page 15 Y K

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C M Spring Guide page 16 Y K

Let’s get physical GET IN SHAPE THIS SPRING FOR FREE! Parks Department offers fitness stations in more than 30 locations itness is all the rage in New York City now. As the sun stays out later and the days get warmer, many people like to take the time to get in shape without

by Kevin having to pay increasingly high gym membership fees. FortunateKorber ly, the New York City Parks Department has provided many facilities where people can tone and buff up for free in a public park.

Queens alone is home to more than 30 fitness stations, all of which are located in parks and recreation areas throughout the borough. Forest Park, Flushing Meadows Park, Kissena Park and Cunningham Park have multiple fitness stations, but smaller parks throughout the borough also house similar facilities. Fitness equipment areas include gear with which people can do chin-ups, sit-ups and other toning exercises, as well as free-movement areas and long-jump equipment like sand pits.

While these locations don’t have the expensive amenities and glitz of the modern-day fitness center, some Queens residents prefer the Andrew Korber stays in shape by working out at park fitness areas to gyms. Unlike other park Victory Field in Woodhaven. PHOTO BY KEVIN KORBER strength training programs, park fitness equip-

F

ment does not require a permit or membership obtained from the Parks Department; just show up and start working out.

“I just found out about the spot by my house at Victory Field,” said Alex Ariza, 24, of Richmond Hill. “It’s great to have here; it’s so much cheaper than having a gym membership.”

“I’m not alone here, either,” Ariza added.

“This place is always crowded on the weekends.”

Public fitness equipment is approved by the Parks Department for use by children. However, parents are encouraged to take extra precautions in making sure that their youngsters exercise on the equipment in a safe manner.

Queens is also home to four fitness paths, areas set aside by the Parks Department for people to partake in running and cardiovascular activities. Unlike full-purpose race tracks, fitness paths are designed more for fitness, rather than for competitive sport. The fitness paths, located in Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village, Kissena Park in Flushing, Phil “Scooter” Rizzuto Park in Richmond Hill and St. Albans Memorial Park, take the place of

larger-scale tracks, which are for public use but are occasionally rented out by sports teams with a Parks Department permit, while still providing park patrons with the opportunity to get in shape.

Getting fit outdoors does require some precautions in the warmer weather. Be sure to wear sunscreen as well as lightly-colored, light-fitting clothing to prevent heat exhaustion and always carry water or a sports drink to stay hydrated while working out. Also, pay attention to any possible symptoms of exhaustion, including light-headedness, fatigue, and muscle cramps.

Working out on strength training equipment does involve some precautions. People using the equipment are asked to be careful to do exercises like sit-ups and push-ups properly, as mistakes made while exercising can lead to serious injury. Take care to be safe while getting fit.

To find the nearest set of fitness/strength training equipment in your area, visit the BeFitNYC page on the Parks Department website at nyc.gov/parks and click on Q Queens.

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Spring Guide page 17 Page 17 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 12, 2012

Fine wines QUEENS COUNTY FARM MUSEUM GEARING UP FOR ITS 2012 VINTAGE alk through the 2-acre vineyard at the Queens County Farm Museum with Gary Mitchell and the talk invariably turns to time.

Time spent hand-pruning

by Michael the vines; a growing season Gannon that can vary greatly due to small changes in rain and temperature; and the months or even years it can take for grapes to go from the fields in Floral Park to buyers dinner tables.

Mitchell, director of operations at the farm museum, said the growers are used to the time that must be invested — and to exceeding expectations.

“We planted our first vines in 2004 and had grapes two years later, which is about two years earlier than usual,” he said.

On a recent walk, almost half the vines had been pruned back, with the rest still waiting.

They combine grape-growing wisdom developed over thousands of years with modern techniques.

While they have grown various types of red and white grapes singe 2004, the 2012 vintage will be a merlot.

“There are as many opinions about wine as there are people,” Mitchell said. “But I think the consensus is that the Merlot grapes are best suited for Long Island soil.”

W

The art of winemaking is relatively new to geographic Long Island. But grapes grown in the soil of the Queens County Farm Museum already have produced vintages that are gracing tables and satisfying sophisticated palates.

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL GANNON

repeated success and generally good conditions, they are as susceptible to mother nature as any farmer.

“You don’t want too much rain,” Mitchell said in a tour in late March. “There’s a saying that the vines don’t like to have their feet wet.

Perfect weather for us would be for a drought from now to September, though the rest of the farmers wouldn’t like that.”

He said too much water can mess with the delicate balance of water, sugar and acid that are essential for plump, abundant fruit.

“Even last winter, which was terrible, wasn’t bad for us,” he said. “All we need to worry about now is a late frost. But last summer and spring, with all that rain ...”

He said the pruning and dry conditions, known as stressing the plants, make the vines put all their effort into producing good grapes in a few large bunches.

And even when winters look to be tough, they cover the base of the plants with an organic mulch. All the mulch is produced on site, most of it in the pens of the cows and other animals who call the museum home.

When the weather is just right, the Queens growing season can range well into the fall.

“We don’t harvest until September, unless there’s going to be a lot of rain,” Mitchell said.

“And sometimes we can wait until November to give the grapes more time to ripen.”

Once the grapes are picked, they are rushed that day to the Premium Wine Group in Mattituck, LI, which has the presses, barrels and storage space. Then the Queens vintners follow the grapes to do the work.

“They don’t make the wine,” Mitchell said.

“They will consult, and will provide some services for a fee, but we make the wine. We supply our own bottles and the labels.”

The bottles’ shapes and colors depend on the wine they will contain, and, he said, have become fairly standard over the years.

Then there is the choice of real or artificial cork or screw caps.

Despite the appeal of cork, Mitchell said it

The 2012 vintage is still several years away, but visitors to the Queens Farm Museum still have a wide range of wines to which farm museum staff and Mother Nature have devoted the necessary patience and time. can have problems with leakage.

“I think screw caps can actually leave less chance for things to get into the wine,” he said.

“And many good wines are now being sold in boxes.”

Mitchell said white wines, such as chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, age in large steel tanks, and can go from the press to wine glasses in six to eight months.

The reds, such as cabernet sauvignon, and pinot noir, are a little more time-consuming.

The 2012 merlot, for instance, which will be pressed in November, could be years away from the most patient consumer.

“We still haven’t released our 2008 Merlot,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell and Bate said red wines begin in wooden barrels, and can be left to age there for 18 months or longer.

“And then they age in the bottles, where another 18 months or more also is not uncommon,” Bate said.

All bottles are $20 and are available at the Q museum’s gift shop.

SPRING GUIDE • 2012

Gary Mitchell, director of operations at the Queens Farm Museum, examines the vines that will produce the museum’s 2012 merlot this coming November. But it will age for years in barrels and bottles before ever heading to market for sale.

Vintners have been using trellises — the frames upon which the vines climb — for millennia, though those in Queens have some modern characteristics, such as wire, spaced at exactly measured intervals.

“Canopy management,” he said. “If we get two or three buds on a shoot, we’ll pare off two so the plant produces better fruit. You want them growing about waist level so they’re easier to harvest by hand.”

The concept of wine from vineyards on Long Island is a relatively new one for people accustomed to those from Italy, France and California. And Mitchell says people still are surprised to learn that the farm’s vineyard — the only one in New York City — exists and produces commercially marketed wine.

Though in a suburban location, Mitchell said vineyards traditionally are planted away from the trees that thrive on and around the 47-acre farmstead.

“With woods nearby you run greater risk of things like fungus and diseases, because we grow everything organically,” he said. “There’s also the birds.”

But he also said nature knew what it was doing more than 10,000 years ago when the last ice age ended, with glaciers leaving a mammoth pile of rock and soil that would come to be known as Long Island in their wake as they retreated northward.

“Over by that tree line is where the glaciers stopped,” Mitchell said recently, standing amid rows of vines being readied for spring. “They left some rich soil on Long Island.”

Steve Bate, executive director of the Long Island Wine Council, said nature also blessed vintners here with a good climate, where summers are tempered by Long Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean on three sides.

He said the soil drains well and makes for a flavor and composition more similar to French and other European wines than those of their American cousins from California.

“They’re extremely food-friendly and versatile,” Bate said. “Long Island white wines go well with our abundant local seafood. The reds go well with any number of dishes, including our famous Long Island duck.”

The first vineyard was the idea of Jim Trent, founder of the farm museum.

Getting the first state permits, Mitchell said, was a task.

“First, it was New York City,” he said. “And they never had an application from a nonprofit before. And we weren’t a winery.”

And Mitchell said despite the early and

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 12, 2012 Page 18

Spring Guide page 18

Green solutions

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY CLEANING

PHOTOS BY NATASHA DOMANSKI

Go green at home for better health and financial benefits he days are longer, the sun’s shining brighter, but the only thing to be seen is the dust flying around homes and apartments.

After most spring cleaning

by Natasha rituals the only smell lingering Domanski is not refreshing, but chemical, including a faint hint of ammonia — but not this year.

Executing your spring cleaning in an environmentally conscious manner is healthier and more convenient than ever.

‘Green’ spring cleaning should always start inside the home and the first step can be taken with smart recycling.

Instead of making frequent garbage trips to the curb, some of those items can be spared with easy strategies that save time, energy and your local environment.

Using old T-shirts or mismatched socks as rags are perfect for dusting or cleaning. They also prevent wasting tons of paper towels or disposable wipes of any kind. Americans throw away 83,000 tons of disposable towels per year, which is the same weight as a standard cruise ship.

So ditch those tree-killers and instead use old newspapers and coffee filters for washing windows. And, this method causes less streaking than store-bought window cleaners and wipes.

Drastic changes can be made in the air quality of your home by using these simple recipes for healthier cleaning solutions.

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HOMEMADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT 1 Fels Naptha soap bar 5-gallon bucket with lid 1/2 cup of Borax 1 cup of Arm and Hammer Super washing soda 8 drops of lavender oil

SPRING GUIDE • 2012

A simple mixture of baking soda, hot water and environmentally-friendly liquid soap can be used as an all purpose cleaner.

Grate the soap bar. It doesn’t have to be grated super fine, just enough for it to dissolve in the next step.

Heat 4 cups of water over medium to high heat and dump the grated soap into the water.

Stir frequently with Borax and baking soda until the soap is completely dissolved. This takes about 10 minutes.

Fill your 5-gallon bucket up with warm water half way.

Mix with lavender oil for scent and store, indefinitely.

Skipping the dryer cycle in the neverending laundry process also saves 16.8 gallons of water per use, benef iting a household by cutting out a whopping 22.7 percent of daily water use. Whenever possible hanging a clothes line outside will do the job of dr ying, only extending the process by an average of 20 minutes. And you can use twine sitting in the junk drawer to do the job.

With the popularity of the “green” movement, homemade recipes for cleaning supplies are becoming more common and for good reason. For one, they reduce temporary ailments like heavy breathing, headaches and dizziness that chemical-ridden products can cause while the cleaning is going on.

They also reduce long-term cancer effects from exposure to chemicals like bleach, and cancers that are caused by water runoff since almost none of the traditional store brands are biodegradable. They are also much cheaper.

ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 2 cups hot water A few drops of environmentallyconscious liquid soap Use a sponge or reusable rag for application.

WINDOW CLEANER 1/2 teaspoons of environmentallyconscious liquid soap 3 tablespoons of white vinegar (soda can be used to avoid vinegar smell) 2 cups water Use coffee filters to reduce streaking

Coffee filters work best to get rid of window streaks.

OVEN CLEANER 1 cup baking soda 1 cup water Drop or 2 of environmentally-conscious liquid soap

Apply on all surfaces and let sit overnight.

Wipe clean in the morning and repeat if stains remain.

FURNITURE POLISH 1/2 teaspoon oil (olive or jojoba) 1/4 cup of vinegar or lemon juice Dab on reusable rag to use. Just add warm water to use this on wooden floors, as well.

When bottling this recipe, it lasts as long as you keep it.

PORCELAIN AND TILE CLEANER Equal parts baking soda and water Dust surface with dry baking soda, then scrub with moist reusable rag.

Add kosher salt for tougher grime CARPET AND RUG CLEANER Club soda or cornmeal Beat dust off rug outside.

Blot soda on any new stains.

For bigger carpet messes, cover problem areas with cornmeal and let sit for 15 minutes, or 30 to eliminate odors CLOGGED DRAINS 1/2 cup baking soda 1/2 cup vinegar Spoon the baking soda down the drain.

Add the vinegar.

Flush with at least 2 cups of boiling water.

MOLD KILLER 2 teaspoons tea tree oil 2 cups water Shake well in bottle and spray it on.

Do not rinse.

DISHWASHER SOAP 1 cup borax 1 cup baking soda 1/4 cup salt 2 packages of lemonade-flavored unsweetened Kool-Aid. Mix all the above in a reusable container .

Add a tablespoon into each cup of your dishwasher.

Another benefit of using homemade products is that most of these ingredients are commonly found in households, therefore, costing less. At greencleaning.ny.gov/Products.asp, the website for New York’s Green Cleaning Program, a cost calculator is provided so people can figure out how much they spend on cleaning products in a year, compared to makQ ing them at home.

CLEANING CHECKLIST reen spring cleaning is such a simple way to reduce your carbon footprint that there is actually a checklist for it.

1. Start in the kitchen. To clean the refrigerator combine salt and club soda. The bubbling action of the club soda combines with the abrasive texture of the salt. Scrub this on with any leftover materials that are abrasive, ideally, an old piece of carpeting.

2. To get rid of lime buildup around the faucet lay paper towels over the fixture, soak it with vinegar and let it set for one hour.

Removal is easy after deposits have settled.

3. Clean screens with a scrap of carpeting.

It makes a powerful brush that removes all the dirt.

4. Clean windows with a rag and soapy water, and then dry them with coffee filters to reduce streaking.

5. In the kitchen or the living room, to clean drapes, take them out of the window, remove the hooks and hang them with a wet towel on a clothes line (to draw off the dust) for 45 minutes. Hang them back in the windows immediately to avoid wrinkling.

6. To clean hardwood floors, use boiling water and two teabags. The tannic acid in tea creates a beautiful shine for hardwood floors. Let two teabags steep in the boiling water for a few minutes. Pour the tea into a bucket. Take a soft cloth and wring it out in the tea. This will enable the floor to dry quickly. Wash the floor and be ready to be amazed by the shine.

If there are scratches that stand out after cleaning the hardwood floor, take a crayon the color of the floor and rub it on the scratch to fill the gap. Turn a blow dryer on high, heat the area where the crayon was applied and buff it with a soft cloth.

7. Clean vinyl floors by mixing borax in a bucket of warm water and wash the floor with scrub brush.

For a clean smell in your home, ditch the toxic room air fresheners and use vanilla extract. Just damp the corners of your curtains or sheets at home to keep things smelling fresh. Flowers are another idea, since they look great and it’s a wonderful way to bring that spring feel into a newly Q cleansed home.

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Spring Guide page 19

The Greater Ridgewood Historical Society Upcoming Events 2012

RIDGEWOOD LOCAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION Don’t Miss The Fun !!

MYRTLE AVENUE SUNDAY, APRIL 15TH

New short-term exhibit

REFLECTING THE PAST, PROMISE OF THE FUTURE

12 Noon to 6 pm

Celebrating 100 Years of Girl Scouting.

Exhibit runs through April, 2012

MYRTLE AVENUE - RIDGEWOOD QUEENS SENECA AVENUE TO WYCKOFF AVENUE

GENEALOGY LECTURE SERIES

OVER 200 VENDORS!!!

un!

Lots of Family F

SHOPPING GALORE ENTERTAINMENT CHILDREN’S RIDES GAME BOOTHS

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FLEA MARKET ©2012 M1P • MYRA-057655

- CORPORATE SPONSORS -

CLEARVIEW FESTIVAL PRODUCTIONS 1-646-230-0489 “Queens’ Largest Street Festival Production Company” SAVE THIS DATE: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2012

ANNUAL FALL STREET FESTIVAL Sponsored by the Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District Fresh Pond Road to Cypress Avenue 12 pm to 6 pm Other Entertainment: North Shore Animal League Adoption Van, Antique Cars, Game Booths and other features

About to Graduate?

Explore St. Joseph’s College.

SPRING CLEANUP Sunday, Monday April 22nd, 23rd

These programs are supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the NYC Council, Diana Reyna and Elizabeth Crowley, Council Members

Saturday, April 28th.

Sign up through our Facebook.

STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL & VINTAGE CAR SHOW Sunday, June 10th

©2012 M1P • GRHS-057658

• • • •

with Anthony Lauriano.

April 21st, May 19th, July 21st

Photo: Ellen Brody-Kirmass, 2005

Page 19 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 12, 2012

2012 SPRING STREET FESTIVAL

Look for updates on website: www.onderdonkhouse.org and a link to our Facebook.

The Vander Ende-Onderdonk House 1820 Flushing Ave., Ridgewood, NY 11385 • 718-456-1776 (Corner of Onderdonk Ave.)

sjcny.edu

At St. Joseph’s College we are preparing leaders for this new and changing world, both inside and outside the classroom through our academics and affordable tuition. No wonder St. Joseph’s is consistently ranked among the nation’s top four-year private colleges

by U.S.News & World Report.

JOIN US FOR TRANSFER DAYS Brooklyn Campus, 245 Clinton Ave, Burns Hall Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Long Island Campus, 319 West Roe Boulevard, O’Connor Hall Tuesdays, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Come visit us and meet with an Admissions Counselor to discuss financial aid and scholarship options and how you can transfer up to 64 credits.

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SPRING GUIDE • 2012

Transforming lives— one student at a time.

“The best thing about St. Joseph’s is that they really prepare you to work at what you love, whatever that might be.”

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 12, 2012 Page 20

Spring Guide page 20

Recipes to try this spring DESSERT SPECIALS TO PERK UP TASTE pring is here and what better time to try a

by Liz delicious, rich dessert than before the hot Rhoades & weather arrives? Below are six varied Natasha recipes, all tried and all wonderfully flavorful.

Domanski Bon appetit.

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BEET CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE 1 cup butter softened, divided 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar 3 eggs 1 ounce semisweet chocolate 2 cups pureed cooked beets 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt Vanilla icing or confectioners’ sugar (for dusting) In a mixing bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and brown sugar. Add eggs; mix well. Melt chocolate with remaining butter; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Blend chocolate mixture, beets and vanilla into the creamed mixture, which will appear separated. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased and floured 10-inch fluted tube pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Cool completely. Before serving, dust with confectioners’ sugar or vanilla frosting.

CHERRY MINT PUDDING

SPRING GUIDE • 2012

1 large loaf brioche bread 6 cups pitted frozen cherries 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 2 bunches mint sprigs 1/4 cup water pinch salt 1 pint whipping cream Line a 6-cup glass bowl or a deep serving dish with a large piece of plastic wrap to cover the bottom and sides of the bowl.

This will make it easy to unmold the pudding. Remove the crusts from the brioche and cut it into about 1-inch thick slices. Arrange the bread slices in the prepared bowl, cutting as necessary, to Cherry mint pudding is a refreshing cover the bottom and change of pace. PHOTO BY NATASHA DOMANSKI sides. You should have some leftover slices.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, over medium heat, combine the cherries, sugar, 1-3/4 bunches of fresh mint sprigs, water and pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the cherries begin to soften and release their juices, about 20 minutes. Spoon about half the cherry mixture into the prepared bowl. Put a layer of brioche slices on top of the cherries and press down gently. Spoon more of the cherry mixture over the brioche layer. Reserve a little of the cherry liquid for the sauce. Look at the brioche slices at the bottom of the bowl. they should be nicely colored with the liquid but not too saturated or too wet.

Cover with the last layer of brioche slices and add more of

the cherry mixture. If you run out of brioche slices, you can always use your crust trimmings.

Tightly wrap the whole pudding and bowl with plastic wrap and put a plate, smaller than the top of the bowl, on top of the pudding to weigh it down. Put a heavy weight on top of the plate to compress further, such as heavy canned goods or even an iron skillet. Refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.

Simmer the reserved cherry liquid in a small saucepan over low heat. Reduce the liquid by half, then discard the mint sprigs, cool down and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. When ready to serve, whip the cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form, then add a teaspoon of the reduced cherry syrup. Whip to incorporate.

Unmold the pudding onto a serving plate. Brush some of the syrup over the pudding to add a nice sheen. Cut into wedges and serve with dollops of the flavored whipped cream.

Drizzle some of the syrup over each serving and add a garnish of fresh mint sprig.

KUMQUAT CREAM PIE 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 8-ounce container whipped topping, defrosted 1/2 cup lemon juice 2/3 cup kumquats, pureed 9-inch baked pie shell or graham cracker crust Wash the kumquats. Cut them in half. Remove seeds. Place kumquats in food processor. Process. Can add 1/2 cup sugar, if desired. In a separate bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and whipped topping. Beat until completely combined.

Stir in lemon juice and kumquat puree and pour into prepared crust. Refrigerate pie overnight or for at least 2 hours.

Watergate cake was popular in the 1970s and is still a hit today.

PHOTO BY SARAH CASEY

cookie sheet lined with brown paper. Hollow out center with back of spoon. Bake 50 minutes at 275 degrees. Turn oven off and leave in for 10 minutes. Remove, cool and store in airtight container.

Raspberry sauce 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2/3 cup sugar 2 pints fresh raspberries or 2 10-ounce packages frozen raspberries 2 tablespoons lemon juice

WATERGATE CAKE 1 package yellow or white cake mix 1 package instant pistachio pudding 1 cup vegetable oil 3 eggs 1 cup club soda 1 cup nuts, chopped fine (optional) Mix all ingredients together then beat for four minutes.

Grease and flour a Bundt or angel food pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan for 20 minutes. Turn out on plate and when cool, frost with icing.

Watergate (Coverup) Icing 2 packages Dream Whip 1 box instant pistachio pudding 1/4 cup milk (If you can’t find Dream Whip near the pudding aisle, substitute with a large container of whipped topping and 1/3 cup milk.)

Blend together and beat until light and fluffy. Spread on cake and refrigerate.

Editor’s note: This cake was developed in the 1970s during the Watergate case. It’s unclear who named it.

MERINGUE NESTS WITH ICE CREAM AND RASPBERRY SAUCE 4 egg whites, at room temperature 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup chopped pecans Beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and vanilla.

Continue beating until doubled in volume. Mix in sugar a tablespoon at a time until meringue is stiff and glossy. Fold in nuts.

Form meringue nests by dropping about 2 tablespoons onto a

Mix cornstarch with sugar in double boiler over simmering water. Add raspberries and gradually stir until thickened and shiny. Add lemon juice. Refrigerate. Serve meringue nests with a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with sauce. Serves eight.

QUEEN BONA’S DESSERT 8 ladyfingers, split 1/3 cup sherry, rum or brandy 1/3 cup toasted blanched almonds 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup sugar 2 squares unsweetened chocolate 1/4 cup milk 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon vanilla walnut halves candied cherries Place ladyfingers on large platter and sprinkle them with sherry. Don’t overdo as they will fall apart if oversaturated.

Grind almonds fine. Cream butter and sugar together until thoroughly blended. Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over hot water. Beat together milk, egg yolk and vanilla. Add mixture to chocolate in double boiler. Cook over simmering water until smooth, stirring constantly. Blend in butter-sugar mixture. Remove from heat. Beat with rotary beater until smooth. Then cool. With a broad spatula, place half of the ladyfinger halves on serving dish, taking care not to break them. Carefully pour a thin layer of chocolate cream over ladyfingers. Cover with remaining ladyfingers. Then cover with remaining chocolate cream. Decorate with nuts and cherries. Chill thoroughly.

Editor’s note: The cake is named after Queen Bona, an Italian princess who married the king of Poland in 1518. She is responsible for bringing the Italian cuisine to her adopted country. Q

C M Spring Guide page 21 Y K Page 21 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 12, 2012

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QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 12, 2012 Page 22

C M Spring Guide page 22 Y K

Day trips EXPLORING THE CITY, FROM ELLIS ISLAND TO THE ZOOS This spring, there is a variety of activities for everyone in the family hough it’s easy to find plenty to do in Queens with the arrival of warmer weather, residents should consider gathering their families, grabbing a camera and venturing out to

by Anna explore what the other boroughs Gustafson have to offer this spring — and there is plenty for everyone.

Whether it’s a family history game show at Ellis Island, art gallery tours at Wave Hill in the Bronx, or a ferry ride to Staten Island, this season’s lineup of activities provides plenty of incentive for everyone from Queens’ youngest to oldest residents to take a day outside the borough.

Ellis Island will host its family history game show on Thursday, April 19 at 1 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. at its Learning Center. Staff will introduce participants to treasures from the National Archives and Records Administration, which stores information about the 12 million immigrants who came through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954, through an interactive game. For more information, go to archives.gov/northeast/nyc/public/work shops.html#gameshow.

National Park Week will kick off Saturday, April 21 with the opening of a children’s exhibit on Ellis Island’s first floor, and children ages six through 12, as well as their families, are invited to gain a better understanding of the immigrant experience a century ago through an array of interactive learning stations.

Throughout the week, children ages seven to 12 are welcome to participate in the Junior

SPRING GUIDE • 2012

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PHOTO COURTESY THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Jersey Palisades and includes a botanical garden and an art gallery. The Wave Hill House was built in 1843 and was rented by Theodore Roosevelt’s family in 1870 and 1871. Additionally, Mark Twain leased the estate from 1901 to 1903, during which time it is said that he set up a treehouse parlor in the branches of a chestnut.

Wave Hill will host free art gallery tours every Tuesday and Saturday at 2 p.m., beginning April 21 and running through Aug. 18.

The tours will give individuals a chance to study the numerous pieces in the estate’s show, “Tending Toward the Untamed: Artists Respond to the Wild Garden,” including paintings, photography, animation, sculpture and installations by artists Gary Carsley, Chris Doyle, Julie Evans, Isabella Kirkland, Janelle Lynch, Rebecca Morales, Erik Sanner and Anat Shiftan.

On Saturday, April 22 at 3:30 p.m., awardwinning choreographer Merian Soto will present one of the four dances she is presenting A trip to the Statue of Liberty is always throughout the year at Wave Hill. Soto, who is wor th it, especially once the weather participating in a one-year residency at Wave becomes a little warmer.

PHOTO COURTESY THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Hill, will work with five dancers on the piece, as well as a percussionist, for the piece that family entertainment, including Nickelodeon’s explores humanity’s connection to nature.

The estate is offering many more events, Dora and Diego, PBS’s Sid the Science Kid, and including cooking classes and garden walks, more. Shows are held every weekend from Satthroughout the season, all of which are listed at urday, April 21 through Sunday, June 30. Visit its website, wavehill.org. Wave Hill’s telephone bronxzoo.com for a detailed schedule of showtimes and appearances. number is (718) 549-3200.

The zoo is located off the Bronx River ParkAt the Bronx Zoo, families can catch the “Animal Tales Extravaganza,” which includes way at exit 6, can be accessed by the 2 or 5 subrainforest creature parades and a full line-up of way lines and the Q44 bus line, and can be contacted by calling (718) 367-1010.

If you don’t feel like jumping into the car or onto the subway, consider glimpsing some gorgeous views of the city on the free Staten Island ferry. Once in Staten Island, there’s plenty to do, including a visit to the Historic Richmond Town at 441 Clarke Avenue. The site, founded in 1728, will host a number of Saturday concerts this spring, also well as other events that can be viewed at the group’s website, historicrichmondtown.org.

Meanwhile, the Staten Island Zoo will host a number of musical theater events for children and an Earth Day celebration on April 22 at Individuals can take tours of Wave Hill’s art gallery in the Bronx, giving them 1:30 p.m.

Visit statenislandzoo.org for additional a chance to study such pieces as Rebecca Morales’ “Seral,” shown above.

Q information.

IMAGE COURTESY WAVE HILL

Ranger Program at Liberty Island, on which the Statue of Liberty stands. The family-friendly program will give participants an opportunity to learn more about the statue through a number of activities led by National Park Service staff.

For more information about these, and other events, visit nps.gov/STLI or nps.gov/ELIS. Also in Manhattan is the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, located at Pier 86 at 46th Street and 12th Avenue on the West Side. The military and maritime museum kicked off its “Women in Aviation: World War II” exhibit on March 1, and it will run through July 8. The exhibit explores the accomplishments of women aviators during the Second World War, as well as the contributions of female pilots during the 1920s and 30s.

Mothers will be able to pay the same price as their kids on Mother’s Day — Sunday, May 13 — provided that they bring a coupon downloadable at the museum’s website, intrepidmuseum.org.

From May 23 to 28, the Intrepid Museum will celebrate Fleet Week, when active military ships recently deployed in overseas operations dock in New York, as well as a number of other major U.S. cities.

More details on this, as well as other events, are available on the museum’s website, or by calling (212) 245-0072.

For residents who may have already frequented Manhattan’s sites, it may be time to check out a more hidden gem — Wave Hill in the Bronx’s Riverdale neighborhood. Located at 675 W. 252 St., Wave Hill is a 28-acre estate overlooking the Hudson River and the New

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in Manhattan is running an exhibit exploring the accomplishments of women aviators during World COURTESY PHOTO War II this spring.

Ellis Island will host a number of events this spring, including a family history game on April 19, when children can learn more about the 12 million immigrants who came through the site between 1892 and 1954.

C M Spring Guide page 23 Y K Page 23 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 12, 2012

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.

HOUR-057628

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SPRING GUIDE • 2012

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 12, 2012 Page 24

C M Spring Guide page 24 Y K

PLANNING FOR YOUR RETIREMENT TAKES MORE THAN LUCK

Now, more than ever, you need to plan for a secure financial future.

By putting your hard earned dollars into an FDIC-insured IRA† today you can rest assured knowing that your money will be growing SAFELY and SECURELY. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE GREAT BENEFITS: •Up to $5,000 contribution per individual for 2011 •Earnings grow TAX-DEFERRED •Up to $5,000 contribution per individual for 2012 •Contributions may be TAX DEDUCTIBLE†† •Catch-up contributions of $1,000 per individual 50 years of age or older for 2011 and 2012 tax years

TAX TIP: The 2011 IRA Contribution deadline is April 17, 2012.

Why not consider using a portion of your 2011 Tax Refund to fund your 2011 or 2012 IRA?

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www.myNYCB.com

*Top-performing large thrift in the U.S. for the 12 months ended March 31, 2011 among thrifts with $2.0 billion or more in assets, as reported by SNL Financial.

FDIC-Insured IRAs held at one financial institution are aggregated and insured in the amount of up to $250,000 per participant. ††Contact your tax advisor for more information.

© 2012 New York Community Bank. Member FDIC

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SPRING GUIDE • 2012

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