Southeast Press Epaper Issue 012513

Volume 14 Issue No. 4 Jan. 25-31, 2013

PRESS Photo by Ira Cohen

HELEN’S FAREWELL

The Queens Borough President delivers her final State of the Borough address, looking forward to a year filled with projects.

By Joe Marvilli … Page 8.

Online at www.QueensPress.com

Page 2 PRESS of Southeast Queens Jan. 25-31, 2013

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CBP Nabs Drug Smugglers At JFK Officers at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection at John F. Kennedy International Airport arrested two passengers on Jan. 12 for two separate attempts to smuggle in cocaine and heroin, respectively.

The CBP officers intercepted passenger Luz Massiel Pérez Arlequín arriving from the Dominican Republic.

During inspection of her luggage a pair of sneakers was determined to have unusually thick soles. The soles of the sneakers were probed producing a white powder that tested positive for cocaine. Continuing with their inspection, CBP officers also found a bra to be unusually thick, which when probed also produced a white powder that tested positive for cocaine. The approximate amount of cocaine seized was a little more than two pounds.

The following morning, officers intercepted Samuel Osafo, who was arriving on a flight from Ghana. During that inspection, CBP officers found the side of the passenger’s suitcase to be unusually thick. The officers probed the suitcase producing a brown powder that tested positive for heroin. The approximate weight of the heroin seized was just over 11 pounds.

“CBP officers at JFK demonstrate daily their determination and vigilance in keeping these illegal and potentially dangerous narcotics out of the United States,” said Robert E. Perez, Director of Field Operations in a statement.

The two suspects were turned over to agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. They now face federal narcotics smuggling charges and will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the U.S. Eastern District Court of New York.

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A Far Rockaway mother, whose seven-year-old son allegedly brought a .22 caliber handgun to school on Jan. 17, has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon, reckless endangerment, endangering the welfare of a child and, following the execution of a search warrant at her home, unlawful possession of marijuana, according to a statement released by Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.

The defendant is identified as Deborah Farley, 53, of 21-18 Cornaga Ave., in Far Rockaway. According to the criminal complaint, Farley went to the principal’s office at Wave Preparatory Elementary school, located at 535 Briar Place, between 10 and 11 a.m. and tired to

pick up her seven-year-old for a dental appointment.

Shortly after leaving the school, she returned to the office and said that she believed her son had given a gun to a friend in school, stating that one of her sons had put the gun, which was inside a purple bag, inside the seven-year-old’s backpack. The principal searched the bag and found an orange and black flare gun.

In searching Farley’s son’s backpack, which was in her possession at the time, police recovered a .22 caliber firearm, a full magazine with ten .22 caliber rounds of ammunition and a clear bag containing 14 .22 caliber rounds of ammunition.

The complaint further alleges that Farley made statements to police in which she said that she had purchased the .22 caliber pistol back in June or July for protection and that before she had left her apartment the night before, she put the .22 caliber gun in her son’s school bag, along with the flare gun – which was in the house for a while and which she knew to be unloaded because her kids had played with it in the past.

Farley also allegedly stated that after she dropped her son off at the school about 7:50 a.m., she realized sometime before 10:00 a.m. that she had left the guns in her son’s school bag and returned to the school, telling the principal that she needed to take her son to the dentist.

Once outside the school, Farley allegedly checked her son’s school bag and asked him where was the gun, to which he replied that he had given the gun to a friend. Farley then went back to the school and told the principal that there was a gun in the school. It is alleged that Farley also admitted that the original story that she had told the principal and police was a lie because she was afraid of going to jail for possessing the gun and that the ammunition recovered washers and that she had it for a while.

Finally, the criminal complaint alleges that in executing a court-authorized search warrant at Farley’s residence, police recovered four rounds of .22 caliber ammunition in a cardboard box in a bedroom in one apartment and seven small bags of marijuana from bedrooms in a second apartment.

“The defendant faces serious criminal charges,” said District Attorney Brown in the statement. “It is disturbing to think of what could have potentially occurred in this case if authorities had not found out about the handgun when they did. Illegal firearms pose a serious and deadly threat to public safety.”

Jan. 25-31, 2013 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 3

Presstime Exclusive:

Flowers ‘Seriously Considering’ D27 Run

BY NATALIA KOZIKOWSKA Attorney and community activist Joan Flowers told The Press of Southeast Queens that she is “seriously considering” running for the 27th council district, seeking to replace Borough President candidate Leroy Comrie, (D- St. Albans) who will be termlimited this year.

“Residents have approached me to consider it seriously,” Flowers said.

“They think that I have been doing a lot in the community and I’m well known so they are trying to talk me into it.”

Flowers, who has her own law practice in Springfield Gardens, has been heavily involved with the community and instrumental in some of its biggest victories.

“I was involved with the Springfield Gardens Civic Association in their efforts to stop the hot sheet motel,” she said.

The attorney has also used her law degree to assist the State Assembly and Senate in halting the construction of a slaughterhouse that was slated for Farmers Boulevard.

“I brought a law suit in Queens County Supreme Court and got an injunction so that construction could be halted,” she said.

Joan Flowers Flowers began her legal career as a criminal defense attorney working with the Queens County Legal Aid Society. She feels that her experience working with the QCLAS would be particularly relevant in serving the crime-ridden 27th district.

“My experience there with our kids being arrested and just being picked up in sweeps makes me uniquely qualified to deal with the situation we have here in Queens,” she said.

“I know what the laws are. I know how to guide our youngsters in the community to stay away from trouble.”

Although she has not officially announced her candidacy, she already has a number of ideas and strat-

egies to improve the communities District 27 encompasses, which include Jamaica, Cambria Heights, Baisley Park, Hollis, Rosedale, Addisleigh Park, Queens Village and her hometown, St. Albans.

“I am very familiar with the Stop and Frisk program and I like the idea [District Attorney Robert] Johnson from the Bronx has brought up. He has stated that he is not going to be prosecuting those cases that are brought in and instead a hearing is held to show that there was legal reason for the kids to be stopped,” she said. “If I do go ahead with this I am going to be talking to DA Johnson because that’s something I’d like to bring to the entire police force.”

Flowers also expressed her desire to add medical facilities in the neighborhood.

“The lack of medical services in our community is almost criminal at this point. We’ve lost three of our hospitals,” she said. “However, medical services to not always have to be provided by a hospital. As a matter of fact, it’s less expensive if it’s done on a smaller basis and people tend to get better quality of care if they have smaller facilities.”

While Flowers admits she is “still in the process of being convinced” to run for council, she did note that

being the first woman to represent the district sounded appealing.

“I would be the first woman representing the 27th and I think that as a mother of three boys, growing up in New York City – that also sets me apart to a certain extent,” she said. “Raising them in New York City was difficult, it took time and that’s part of what I also think I bring to the position.”

The ‘on the fence’ candidate said she understands that there is a lot of responsibility associated with leading the community as a member of council but is willing to put her law practice aside and devote her time in bettering her community.

“Once I do it, my time is devoted to that. I do have a practice, but as you know the City council position is technically a part time job, however, it never is,” she said. “My practice would be secondary at that point. At this point in my life and in my career, I’ve had a successful law practice and this community is very dear to me. I just think that the value here in this community, both the emotional and financial value, is to be treasured and we must keep it moving forward.”

Reach Reporter Natalia Kozikowska at (718)357-7400 Ext. 123 or nkozikowska@queenspress.com.

Parking Perks For CB Chairs Eliminated

BY NATALIA KOZIKOWSKA Community Board chairs are furious with the City’s recent decision to eliminate their parking placards – a pass that allows them to park anywhere for free for three hours.

The new rule, which will take effect on Feb. 1, will revoke passes for all 59 New York chairs. It will not affect Community Board district managers, who are employed by the City.

“In terms of whoever made the decision, it fails to recognize that community board chairs are serving the City without pay,” said CB 10 Chair Betty Braton. “Often, we have to leave our own jobs to attend meetings and therefore time and convenience is an issue.”

Braton, like many others, expressed concern that the new rule will make it difficult for chairs to attend important meetings, especially in the Borough of Queens, where using public transportation may be difficult or inconvenient.

“In terms of Queens, many times the locations we have to get to are not

available to us or easily accessible to us by public transportation,” she said.

“It will have some impact. There are meeting that I may want to be at, that I may not be able to attend. Community Board chair people have to be available through their districts. Many of those are meetings that we have to be at to keep ourselves informed.”

The district manager of CB 11, Susan Seinfeld, who spoke on behalf of Chairman Jerry Iannece, shared similar sentiments as Braton and revealed that Iannece has written a letter to the City of New York to express his feelings.

“He is most certainly unhappy with this,” Seinfeld said. “Jerry has written a letter to the Community Affairs Unit Commissioner, saying basically that they are volunteers for the City and they go to various meetings on their own time. Out here, in Queens particularly, it could take two or three buses to get somewhere using public transportation. His point was that they are volunteering their time for the betterment of

the community and without a pass, it hinders their ability to go to a meeting.”

Other Community Board chairs, like Joseph Hennessy of CB 6, said they are outraged that the City only eliminated the parking perk for chairs that are volunteers and not district managers who are employed by the City.

“The most ridiculous thing is they gave it to the district managers, who are City employees. If they were going to take it away from the chairs, they should have taken in away from the DMs [district managers] because their time is on City time,” Hennessy said. “My time is on my personal time. Realistically, a lot of district managers have meetings in their office and if they have to travel, they can travel on City time.”

Hennessy also expressed concern that the new rule will take time away from his paying job, which graciously allows him to leave to important meetings during normal work hours.

“I think it’s a cheap thing to do to volunteers who have been volunteering for a number of years,” he said. “It’s

also a situation where I personally have to leave my job to go to a meeting during the day and the time consumed using public transportation.”

The City has not returned calls as of press time.

Walking Tour Friday State Sen. James Sanders Jr. (D-Jamaica) will host the “Rochdale Village Listening Tour” from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Rochdale Village Recreation Building, 16965 137th Ave., Rochdale.

Sanders has invited community members to attend the event to share concerns, questions and ideas to improve the community. Sanders and his staff will answer questions and chat with attendees.

For information, call Tamika Hogan, director of scheduling and special projects, at (718) 523-3069.

Page 4 PRESS of Southeast Queens Jan. 25-31, 2013

Principal Wants Change At MVB

BY NATALIA KOZIKOWSKA Less than one week after the Dept. of Education proposed to phase out three schools in Southeast Queens, Martin Van Buren High School Principal Sam Sochet addressed Community Board 12 and expressed the school’s need for academic improvement.

Sochet, who is in his first year as principal, showed concern for his school, which has recently struggled.

According to the DOE’s website, in the 2009-10 school year, Martin Van Buren received a C letter grade, in 2010-11 the school received a D grade and last year it just barely earned a C.

“It’s a 340,000-square-foot facility, it’s got a beautiful athletic field, and I looked at it and said, ‘Why is this place considered an undesirable destination for families to send their children to?’” Sochet asked. “And everyday I keep asking myself that.”

Although the school did improve from a D to a C between 2011 and 2012, Sochet noted that it was a small improvement and that he is hoping for more.

In an effort to improve Martin Van Buren, Sochet shared strategies with CB12. His first idea was to change the attitude of the adults at the school by removing the blame of poor performance away from the students.

“The adults create the culture of the school, not the kids,” he said.

“The culture of the school has to shift from blaming the kids to taking ownership of what we need to do as adults that kids can model. That’s how you change a school.”

The principal also expressed a need for better communication between the school and the community.

Sochet admitted that in order for the school to see better results in testing, MVB needs to bring in more qualified and flexible teachers. He did not specify whether this plan meant that the school was looking to let go of its employees.

“My observation of teaching at the

school, it’s not the teachers, it’s their skill level,” he said. “Their skill level is not there. It’s not serving the kids the way it needs to. Everything I’m talking about takes not just money, but expertise.”

Sochet’s last plan to make MVB more appealing is to add four new programs for the 2013-14 school year: a pre-medical program, a robotics engineering program, a forensics law program and a computer technology program. Each of these programs will be affiliated with either a college or a hospital.

Reach Reporter Natalia Kozikowska at (718)357-7400 Ext. 123 or nkozikowska@queenspress.com.

Asian Women In Media, a nonprofit organization based in Long Island City, to collaborate with the State Dept. of Environmental Conservation in order to monitor Sandy-related air pollution in the regions of Holland Avenue, Beach 84th Street and Jacob Riis Park in the Rockaways.

“Considering I live in a basement in Long Island City, where I experienced flooding and damage to many

of my belongings, I was seeking a way to help people who might have been facing a similar situation,” she said.

“So far tests results from DEP’s monitor buses have not shown any significant air pollution.”

While she was elated to discover there was no significant air pollution, Gullas said that as a registered nurse, she is also concerned about the recent surge in flu victims.

“I am really hoping to continue to work with various City agencies to conduct a report of the local hospitals to see how many people have been experiencing this, she said.”

Although she has yet to create a website for her organization, Gullas said that within the coming weeks she looks forward to posting a blog about the experiences she has garnered while volunteering in the Rockaways.

LIC Woman Helps DEP Monitor Pollution

BY MEGAN MONTALVO

After being personally affected by Superstorm Sandy, Cecilia Gullas decided to find a way to help monitor environmental damage caused to Jamaica Bay and other highly-damaged areas of the City.

Gullas, who both lives and works in what was dubbed “Zone A” in western Queens, used her leadership in

Jan. 25-31, 2013 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 5

Pilot ROTC Program at York College After more than 40 years, the Reserve Officers Training Corps program is officially back in the City University of New York, with its first pilot program launched at York College in Jamaica.

As of September 2012, York College took the lead in introducing the ROTC program, making it the first time since 1960 that it has been offered to any student at a CUNY school.

The program was reintroduced to CUNY in a response to an inquiry from General Colin Powell, a graduate of a City College. Powell initially wanted to study geology, but found his calling when he joined the City College’s ROTC program. He became commander of his unit and graduated in 1958 at the top of his ROTC class with the rank of Cadet Colonel.

The three-credit course, Military Science (MSci 101) launched in the 2012 fall semester with 17 students.

That course will be followed by MSci 102 and 202, offered in the spring 2013 semester. To date, 10 students have registered for the spring class, but registration is not over. Other courses include Military Custom and Courtesies, Warrior Ethos, Army Val-

ues, Rank Structure and Ina nice gender balance,” she troduction to Army Writing. said. “There were at least four Lt. Colonel Juan Howie, or five females so I think the the CUNY Army ROTC digender balance is also posirector at York College, detive because women are also scribes the school’s ROTC looking at careers in the army program as a strong enrichas a place they can go into ment opportunity for the stuleadership positions in the dents. army.”

“This is the only approved The president of York Col24-credit course sequence lege, Dr. Marcia Keizs, is simiwithin the CUNY system,” larly delighted that York ColYork College president Marcia Keizs (center) celebrates lege is taking the lead in reinHowie said in a statement. the launch of ROTC on campus with Col. Twala Mathis stating the ROTC program at “The program teaches stu(left), U.S. Army Cadet Command and Second Brigade CUNY schools. dents leadership skills, helps Commander in charge of ROTC for the Northeast, York them establish critical and cre“I am glad that York is students who completed the first semester of ROTC, leading the way with the reative thinking and prepares Geneva Walker-Johnson, Vice President of Student De- introduction of ROTC in them to reach obtainable cavelopment (center left) and LTC Juan Howie, CUNY CUNY,” said Keizs in a statereer goals.”

Army ROTC Director (right).

Acting Director of Comment. “ROTC is not necesmunications at York College, sarily about joining the army; Linda Zango-Haley, echoed similar them into future career paths and rather it is about developing strong sentiments, noting that programs like one of the things they are also get- leadership skills for life. With this the ROTC are important for young ting out of the program is physical preparation, our participating stuindividuals, especially in helping them fitness. I think generally, it’s a pro- dents are enhancing their abilities as build their character and helping them gram that will give them self confi- leaders while in college and upon in their careers. dence.” graduation, will be ready to establish “I think it is very important beZando-Haley was also pleased to careers in numerous fields of intercause the program tries to steer them report that York College’s ROTC pro- est, including the military if they so towards leadership,” she said. “They gram has attracted multiple female choose.” are really learning discipline and lead- students at the school.

Reach Reporter Natalia Kozikowska ership qualities, they are learning “One of the things that it’s particu- at (718)357-7400 Ext. 123 or things that are really going to take larly interesting is that our ROTC has nkozikowska@queenspress.com.

Photo courtesy of Linda Zango-Haley

BY NATALIA KOZIKOWSKA

Page 6 PRESS of Southeast Queens Jan. 25-31, 2013

Editorial Still Dreaming OF SOUTHEAST QUEENS 150-50 14th Road Whitestone, NY 11357 (voice) (718) 357-7400 fax (718) 357-9417 email news@queenspress.com The PRESS of Southeast Queens Managing Editor:

Steven J. Ferrari Contributing Editor:

Marcia Moxam Comrie Production Manager:

Shiek Mohamed

On Aug. 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have A Dream” speech to more than 200,000 civil rights supporters on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. In that speech, King expressed a desire for freedom and equality between races and called on this country to move past a culture of hatred.

As we approach the 50th anniversary King’s speech, the United States celebrated another milestone this weekend, appropriately held on a day of observance of King’s legacy. Barack Obama, the country’s first Black President, was inaugurated into his second term of office on Monday.

King’s dream of acceptance and equality may not have completely come to pass 50 years later, but the United States has come a long way from what it was 50 years ago. Queens has historically led the way when it comes to acceptance of race, religion or sexual orientation. Living in the most diverse county in the world affords us all the opportunity to advance King’s mission of hope and compassion on a daily basis.

As we continue to celebrate the anniversary of his speech, let us all honor his vision and continue to dream of a better tomorrow.

Queens Today Editor

Regina Vogel

Letters

Photo Editor: Ira Cohen

Keep Reading Reporters: Harley Benson Natalia Kozikowska Megan Montalvo Joe Marvilli Luis Gronda

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Advertising Director Gerry Laytin Sr. Account Executive Shelly Cookson Advertising Executives Merlene Carnegie Shari Strongin

A Queens Tribune Publication © Copyright 2013 PFH Media Group NY, LLC

Michael Schenkler, President & Publisher Michael Nussbaum, Vice President, Associate Publisher

To The Editor: Regardless of “Tribune Under New Ownership,” newspapers including the Queens Tribune have to deal with in-

creasing costs for newsprint, delivery and distribution along with reduced advertising revenues and declining readership due to competition from the Internet and

Letters other new information sources.

While daily papers concentrate on international, national, statewide, business and sports news, weekly newspapers such as Queens Tribune along with your sister publication, PRESS of Southeast Queens filll the void for coverage of local community news.

This past year, I’m grateful that the Queens Tribune has afforded me the opportunity to express my views via your letters to the editor section, along with others who may have different opinions on the issues of the day. Thanks to you, an ordinary citizen like myself has the freedom to comment on the actions and legislation of various elected officials at the city, state and federal level. Public officials are powerful with easy access to taxpayers dollars used on a regular basis to promote their views. This is done via mass mailings of newsletters, news releases, letters to the editor and guest opinion page columns. In many cases, they are pro-

duced or ghost written by campaign or office staffers paid for by taxpayers on public time. Ordinary citizens like myself only have the limited ability when we can to find the time and just submit a simple submission.

Local neighbors need to continue supporting Queens Tribune. Patronize their advertisers; they provide the necessary revenues to help keep them in business. Let them know you saw their ad.

This helps keep our neighbors employed and the local economy growing.

In the marketplace of ideas, let us hope there continues to be room for everyone including Queens Tribune and others.

Larry Penner, Great Neck

WRITE ON: The PRESS of Southeast Queens, 150-50 14th Rd. Whitestone, NY 11357 email news@queenspress.com fax: (718) 357-9417

Stand Up To Bullies Like Rosa Parks Did A Personal Perspective

BY MARCIA MOXAM COMRIE

It was 57 years ago last Dec. 1 that Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on an Alabama bus. She had paid her fare like everyone. She was physically tired and she was tired of the Jim Crow Laws that forced Blacks in the American South to cede to whites in everything.

Park’s action could have cost her life or her freedom, but she had had enough; and that simple act of defiance by one person became the catalyst for the desegregation of public transportation and other disadvantages and the modern Civil Rights movement.

Indeed one person can make a difference and last week a Houston wait staffer stood against a bunch of adult bullies sitting in the restaurant where he works. They were bullies because they, as adults, were complaining about a little boy with down syndrome sit-

ting at a nearby table.

They changed tables but complained loudly enough to be heard when one reportedly said, “’Special children should be special somewhere else.’”

The server risked his job by refusing to serve the bullies and the restaurant actually backed him. Now he is being celebrated on television and elsewhere for standing up for his principle. Good for him!

Dr. Martin Luther King was fond of the Edmund Burke (1729 – 1797) quote, “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” The 18th century philosopher’s words are still relevant now in the 21st century.

All of us have a responsibility to do something when we see evil rearing its ugly head. It is not necessarily that we need to throw caution to the wind and endanger our lives. But we do need to help in any possible way.

Over the years, I have used this space to speak out against racism, police brutality, gay

bashing and a whole host of other ills inflicted upon us as New Yorkers. The Houston waiter in his own way also made his displeasure for unfair treatment known. We can all speak out against ill-treatment in our own way.

The people who complained about that little boy with down syndrome in that restaurant are not just cruel but ignorant. That child had as much right to eat out as anyone else in that eatery.

His parents should not be made to feel badly because they chose to dine out with their child who is “different.” It was mean-spirited. We should not tolerate that in our local restaurants here in Queens either. As a parent I feel for the family that had to endure the insults.

As a human being I am outraged that we can be so cruel to one another.

If we were to understand that every human being is valuable in the eyes of our Creator, we would conduct ourselves with more civility.

But it is also just plain good manners to treat people well.

Not so long ago I saw a group of middle school students pulling at one of their classmates as he tried to get away from their grasp on his coat. I opened my car window to hear what was going on and realized they were teasing him for being “short.”

I yelled at them to leave him alone and then said to myself, “Don’t they realize that to his mother the sun rises and sets on him?” If we were to view everyone that way we could not possibly be cruel to anyone even when they are adults.

This new year of 2013 presents a new opportunity for all of us to come together and stand up to the bullies in ways that get the message across without causing physical harm to them or ourselves.

Life is short, too short in fact. Let’s look out for one another so that whatever time we have will count.

Have a safe, healthy and prosperous 2013, everyone!

Jan. 25-31, 2013 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 7

Not Goodbye; Just A Slight Change Of Focus For what seems to have been a lifetime – almost 35 years — it has been my privilege to guide the Queens Tribune. Serving as publisher and CEO of any newspaper is a n awe some responsibility requiring skill and integrity: to guide the chronicling of a community, to serve as a mirror reflecting a people’s way of life, and to advocate for the be st interests of the community.

Inherit ing t he task from Gar y Ackerman in 1979 – a much younger Gary Ackerman – meant that along with the high journalistic bar, came a commitment to community and justice.

As a fellow child of Queens, a product of Queens College and as one, like Gary, who wears the “liberal” tag proudly, the challenge of running the Tribune, was a challenge I relished.

And boy, did I enjoy it for what seems to have been most of my life.

As a former N YC teacher and principal, the Tribune world opened doors a nd offered oppor tunit ies I had never imagined and I am grate-

ful for each moment.

As you have probably read or heard, our company has sold the Tribune and its other papers including the Press of Southeast Queens, and now, a new custodian assumes that awesome responsibility of keeping the official voice of Queens honest and true.

Me, I’m not walking away. The word ret irement uncomfor tably rolls off my lips and nags at the spirit of this person, who has loved being in the center of the action. So I’m going to hang around a bit. I’ll be remaining on with the new company as a consultant. I will be writing – hopefully frequently – about Queens, its spirit, its people, its politics and its challenges, all of which I’ve come to know well over the past almost 35 years publishing this ne wspaper. I hope to continue to work with some people and causes I enjoy and believe in. Yes, I may travel more, I may relax and play more, but how can I not come back to sample the ethnic food, the diversity, the most vibrant communities that can be found anywhere or

break bread with some of the wonderful people who make Queens, Queens.

Of course there will always be the politics – it’s in my blood. Supporting the right people, supporting the right causes, and sharing the analysis, all have given me hundreds of columns, several awards and years of pleasure.

The conflicts, the triumphs and the diversity of the most multicultural count y on ear th are a n on-goi ng story I plan to be par t of. Its list of issue s and chal lenge s pre sent too much oppor tunit y for me to leave

Queens, the Tribune and my friends.

So, this is not goodbye – just a slight change of focus.

There are many phone calls that I owe and many lunches I hope to eat . . . but of equal importance, there are many columns I intend to write.

Keep in touch; let me know what’s on your mind – you’ll be reading what’s on mine.

Michael Schenkler served as Publisher and/or CEO of the Queens Tribune from 1979 to 2013 and can be reached at MSchenkler@GMail.com.

Page 8 PRESS of Southeast Queens Jan. 25-31, 2013

Marshall Gives Final State Of The Borough Borough President Helen Marshall gave her State of the Borough address on Tuesday, the final one of her tenure.

Speaking at Queens College’s Colden Auditorium to a packed house of politicians, community leaders and Queens residents, Marshall touched on everything that happened over the course of the last 12 months in the Borough, including construction projects, education and Superstorm Sandy.

She was introduced to the stage

by QC President Dr. James Muyskens and Council Speaker Christine Quinn. Though most of the event was made up by her speech, there were a few musical interludes from the Louis Armstrong Middle School Senior Chorus and Band.

Given that it was Marshall’s final address, much of her speech discussed what her office had done since 2002 to improve Queens. She also spent just as much time looking forward at upcoming projects and upgrades expected to be carried out in 2013.

Post-Sandy Marshall began her State of the Borough address by speaking at length about Superstorm Sandy, both the devastation it wrought and the recovery effort currently underway.

Particularly, she dedicated the address to the memory and spirit of Dylan Smith, a Belle Harbor resident and surfer, who helped to rescue six people using a homemade rope bridge and his surfboard during the massive fire that destroyed dozens of homes the night Superstorm Sandy hit. Smith drowned in late December off the coast of Puerto Rico.

“He was the good neighbor we all want in times of trouble, a lifeguard and angel of mercy,” she said.

The Borough President used the tribute to announce a $10,000 grant in Dylan Smith’s name to the Swim Strong Foundation, which promotes healthy lifestyles for children on the Rockaway Peninsula.

Her speech was followed by a photo presentation of both the catastrophe and the ongoing recovery.

It was followed by the Louis Armstrong Chorus performing “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers.

Marshall also praised Michael McDonnell, a Belle Harbor resident, for his heroic efforts during the storm. McDonnell used a makeshift rope to help seven people outrun the flooding and fire. He was invited to

PRESS Photo by Ira Cohen

BY JOE MARVILLI

Borough President Helen Marshall delivered her final State of the Borough address on Jan. 22. the stage to say a few words.

“People have called me a hero that night for what I had done. But I’m no hero. Rather, I was just determined and focused,” he said. “The truth is, lifelines have been made in Belle Harbor every day since that storm. Not from wires, extension cords, twine, but from the generosity, kindness and concerns of others.

Belle Harbor can and will be restored.”

Then and Now Much of Marshall’s address dealt with the continued growth and improvement Queens has seen over the last decade, along with plans to keep the borough growing strong in the future.

Rezoning has been one of the biggest undertakings Marshall took on during her reign. The zoning layout of 2002 jeopardized Queens’ character and construction efforts. Together with the Department of City Planning Queens Director John Young and the City Council, more than 6,300 blocks in the Borough have been rezoned since then.

Plans are underway for another 1,000 blocks to be rezoned this year, including those in Bellerose, Floral Park and East Elmhurst. Once this effort is complete, almost half of the entire borough will have been rezoned during Marshall’s run.

This rezoning has helped certain neighborhoods of Queens achieve immense growth over the last several years, such as Long Island City.

JetBlue and the City Dept. of Health both now have headquarters in the area. The CUNY Law School has also moved to LIC. “This is happening when companies like Google and Facebook are

expanding their footprints in our City,” the Borough President said.

To continue this tech boom into the future, Marshall’s office will develop a plan to create a “Tech Zone” on the Queens side of the East River.

The B.P. office was just awarded a $150,000 state grant to put together strategies for waterfront revitalization that will support tech innovation in the Borough.

Jamaica is another neighborhood where significant growth is underway.

Marshall’s office provided $3 million to construct the Atlantic Avenue Extension Gateway Park. A 200-capacity sit-down restaurant will open in the former Queens Family Courthouse found on Parsons Boulevard and 89th Avenue. In addition, the completed Sutphin Underpass, which won a Queens Chamber of Commerce Building Award this month, will gain its first tenant, a Visitors’ Center for Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct.

Moving on to education, Marshall looked back at her time as an advocate for public schools. During her tenure, the Borough President opened 60 new school buildings in Queens with more than 28,000 new seats. This September, another six schools with 3,000 seats will open as well.

“I know that every child deserves a seat in a class where class size matters,” she said.

Marshall also mentioned that the City’s schools need to provide a link to the growing economic sectors of math, science, technology and engineering. She announced that over the next year, her office will earmark $2 million to purchase mobile science labs for every one of the 30 Queens schools that do not currently have them.

In terms of CUNY, more than $63 million throughout the CUNY institutes during Marshall’s tenure. This money helped projects like the renovation of Colden Auditorium, new science labs at Queens and York College, a new library at LaGuardia Community College and support for the Kupferberg Holocaust Resource Center and Archives at Queensborough Community College.

The Queens Library branches saw major changes during the last decade as half of them have been completely remodeled or renovated. In terms of future projects, 2013 will see the groundbreaking for a replacement library on Central Avenue in Far Rockaway, an expansion of the East Elmhurst Library and a new state-ofthe-art branch in Elmhurst. Construction will also begin this year on a new Hunters Point library and an expanded Kew Gardens Hills Library.

A new library in Glen Oaks is scheduled to open this year.

The new year will also see more plans in the Borough’s parks move forward. A new Environmental Center in Idlewild Park in Southeast Queens and a new facility for the Alley Pond Environmental Center in Douglaston are both set to be worked on.

While Marshall was looking forward to this year’s Major League Baseball All-Star game at Citifield, she was more cautious about the expansion of the United States Tennis Association and the possibility of a Major League Soccer Stadium at Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

“I will keep the message front and center that this park is one of the most heavily used open space in the City,” she said. “This green space is a precious resource.”

In terms of housing, 2013 will see the completion of affordable housing facilities for families and seniors, which includes Macedonia Plaza and Calvary Grandparent Residence, the latter of which is an intergenerational residence for grandparents who have custody of their grandchildren.

To end her last State of the Borough address, Marshall thanked her family and the people Queens for their support during her administration and expressed her confidence in the Borough’s future.

“Let us all use this year of hope to resolve that through sheer determination and good old Queens grit that we will build a better and safer future for our families and our communities,” she concluded.

Reach Reporter Joe Marvilli at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 125, or at jmarvilli@queenstribune.com.

Jan. 25-31, 2013 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 9

Police Blotter Compiled by STEVEN J. FERRARI

104th Precinct Pedestrian Struck At approximately 6:50 p.m. on Jan. 17, police responded to a 911 call of a child struck at Myrtle Avenue and Madison Street in Ridgewood. Upon arrival, police determined that a 2002 Toyota SUV traveling east on Myrtle Avenue struck a 7-year-old male who was crossing Madison Street. The child was taken to Wycoff Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The driver of the car remained at the scene and no criminality was suspected.

109th Precinct Burglary Pattern The NYPD is seeking the public’s assistance in ascertaining the identity of the following individual wanted in connection to one burglary and two larcenies.

The first incident occurred at 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 4 inside of 40-06 Main St., Flushing, where a male suspect entered the location and removed three laptops.

The second incident occurred at 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 20 inside of 40-

06 Main St., Flushing, where a male suspect entered the location by crawling underneath a security gate and removed two computers.

The third incident occurred at 11 a.m. on Jan. 10 inside of 42-47 Main St., Flushing, where a male suspect entered the location and removed the victim’s purse.

The suspect is described as a Black male, between 35-45 years old, with a thin build. The male is observed in surveillance photos to be welldressed, wearing a black jacket and a dark-colored “Kango” hat.

Anyone with information in regards to these incidents is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by visiting www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to CRIMES (274637) then enter TIP577.

113th Precinct Criminal Possession On Jan. 15, members of the Queens Narcotics and the 73rd Precinct conducted a search warrant inside 145-09 133rd Ave., Jamaica. Five suspects were arrested and the fol-

114th Precinct Robbery

The above items were confiscated during an arrest in Jamaica. lowing evidence was recovered: an AK-47 assault rifle, a 9mm semi-auto pistol, a .357 revolver, 399 rounds of ammunition for the above-mentioned weapons, a bulletproof vest and a quantity of marijuana. The following individuals were arrested in regards to this incident: Leroy Lyking, 62; Deborah Lyking, 57; Deja Taitt, 17; Dawn Taitt, 38; Troy Taitt, 38.

All five arrested individuals lived at the above address. They were all charged with criminal possession of a machine gun, criminal possession of a loaded firearm, criminal possession of three or more firearms, criminal possession of an assault rifle, criminal possession of an ammo clip, criminal use of drug paraphernalia and criminal possession of marijuana.

The NYPD is seeking the public’s assistance in ascertaining the whereabouts and identity of the following individual wanted in connection to a gun-point commercial robbery.

At 6 a.m. on Jan. 9 inside of Astoria Cleaners, 23-17 31st St., Astoria, the suspect entered the location, pointed a shotgun at a female employee, struck her on her head and body and removed cash.

The suspect then fled on foot and got into a black Volkswagon going north on 31st Street. The victim was not hospitalized as a result of the incident.

The suspect is described as a Black male, between 6-foot-1 and 6foot-2, last seen wearing a hooded sweatshirt.

Anyone with information in regards to these incidents is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577TIPS (8477).

The public can also submit their tips by visiting www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to CRIMES (274637) then enter TIP577.

Page 10 PRESS of Southeast Queens Jan. 25-31, 2013

pix

Bill Talk

Southeast Queens Events Edited By Harley Benson

Saving a Treasure State Sen. Malcolm Smith and U.S. Reps. Gregory Meeks and Peter King discuss the Sandy Aid Bill in Washington D.C.

Ribbon Cutting Photo by Ira Cohen

Marie Rose International Museum founder Naida Njoku (center) invited Assemblyman William Scarborough (second from left), Parodneck Foundation Mortgage Remediation Specialist Gerald Carter (right) and Parodneck Executive Director Ken Wray (second from right) to thank them for saving her museum. Njoku and museum manager Shirley Phipps (left) show off the most recent acquisitions, dolls of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in formal wear.

EmblemHealth, the largest New York-based insurer, announced this week EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care, a new initiative to integrate the company's resources with the needs of the community. On Jan. 23, the company opened a Neighborhood Care location at 206-20 Linden Blvd., Cambria Heights. Photo by Ira Cohen.

Jan. 25-31, 2013 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 11

Borough Beat

Rockaway Bagel Store Set To Reopen A Rockaway bagel store put on its back by Superstorm Sandy is set to get back on its feet later this month.

Seaside Bagels, located at 95-11 Rockaway Beach Blvd., will open at the end of January after a long rebuilding process that required it to strip down and start over.

According to Scott Edwards, coowner of the bagel and coffee shop, the store took on more than four feet of water inside the establishment and much of the cooking and prep equipment they use for its food had to be thrown out and replaced. As was the case with many homes and businesses, the walls of the store became engulfed in mold, so they had to tear them down and replace them as well.

Edwards said that they did not have flood insurance, only typical business insurance that covered some of the damage from Sandy.

They applied for federal aid from FEMA, but he said that they have not yet received any assistance.

But to the rescue came Front

Street, a Long Island-based facilities management company that specializes in rebuilding businesses like Seaside that have been affected by a natural disaster or are in need of a boost.

They ponied up the bill to renovate and replace whatever equipment the store front needed.

“They came in right away and they had the dry wall people, electricians, plumbers, demolition people and it was just like one, two, three, done,” Edwards said. “We blinked and the place looks similar to what it was before the storm.”

They found out that Front Street was interested in helping a business in need after the storm through an email the store’s owners received.

Edwards said that they replied back asking for assistance. This started a dialogue between the two companies, which eventually led to the management company helping out Seaside with their rebuilding.

Marc Lash, director of New Business Development at Front Street, said that they chose to help the bagel store because they saw the extensive damage it received and the popu-

larity of the place.

On his visits to the store, residents who thought that he was one of the owners would constantly ask him when it was going to be open once again.

“It’s a wonderful feeling,” Lash said, describing the work that his company has done at Seaside Bagels co-owner Scott Edwards reviews the rethe store. “Since we pairs to the store, which were financed by Front Street, a came in, they’ve Long Island company. been so appreciative.” small change to the way the store He would not divulge how much does things. He declined to say what exactly it cost to rebuild the store, that was, saying that regulars of the only saying it was well over shop would know what he means. $500,000.

“That’s what’s great about a diEdwards said that many of the saster like this, people do step up and needed repairs and renovations to really help each other out,” he said. the storefront are complete and they “We were just lucky enough to reexpect to reopen at the end of Janu- ceive that help.” ary. He added that they will have Reach Reporter Luis Gronda at mostly the same menu when they are (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127 or at back in business, but there will be a lgronda@queenstribune.com.

Photo by Luis Gronda

BY LUIS GRONDA

Page 12 PRESS of Southeast Queens Jan. 25-31, 2013

Profile

South Jamaica Comedian Makes Waves

BY NATALIA KOZIKOWSKA South Jamaica native Leighann Lord is making a splash with her original stand-up comedy.

Inspired by George Carlin, Lord has crafted a unique style which has earned her the New York City Black Comic Award for “The Most Provoking Black Female Comic.” She has also been named Harlem Week’s official comedian for two consecutive years – a feat only one other comedian, Richard Pryor, has accomplished.

At a young age, Lord knew she was always drawn to the world of comedy. Her first exposure to standup was through television.

“Flipping channels and I was just addicted and completely attracted to that brick wall. I saw a brick wall, a microphone and some guy standing and said that’s what I’m watching all night. Even as a kid, I may not have gotten some of the jokes, but who doesn’t like to laugh?” she said.

Growing up in South Jamaica gave her plenty of inspiration for the funny material which would eventually jumpstart her career.

Leighann Lord “Part of it [my inspiration] is growing up in a funny family. My parents are hilarious, but they don’t always mean to be,” she said. “Growing up in South Jamaica, there is a lot of material to pull from, and I think this is a feeding ground of some very interesting people.”

Lord has taken her talents across the world. She has performed in London, the Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada and countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan and Saudi

Arabia, where she generously entertained troops. Despite having performed almost everywhere, Lord admits there is nothing like performing in her hometown.

“I perform all over the City, but there is nothing like being able to perform in my home Borough and not have to pay a toll,” she said jokingly.

“I’ve traveled all over the world, I’ve traveled all over the country, but this is my home. This is where I grew up, I love it here.”

Lord explores a multitude of topics in her stand-up routines but particularly enjoys to tell jokes that her audience can relate to.

“I get a lot from what’s going on in the news, in my every day life which is what is going on for everyone else,” she said. “You’ve got a job you may not like, you’ve got a spouse you may not like, kids you wish you can trade in on eBay or you’ve got a crazy dog. I don’t think my life is any different from any other people — I’m just crazy enough to go on stage and talk about it.”

While Lord admits that it may be difficult to be in the comedic indus-

try, especially as a woman, she absolutely loves her job and enjoys the connection between herself and the audience, especially when she makes them laugh.

“When you are doing standup, you’re kind of out there on this high wire all by yourself and you fail or succeed by yourself in a way. It’s just you and the audience,” she said.

“When it works, it’s fantastic. The laughter of strangers is completely addictive. I love what I do. I think it’s not necessarily being a doctor or astronaut but it’s necessary. Laughter reduces stress.”

Lord will be performing at the Laughing Devil in Long Island City on Saturday, Jan. 19. She will have two shows – one at 8 p.m. and one at 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 with a minimum two drink purchase.

To purchase tickets to the show, visit laughingdevil.com. The Laughing Devil is located at 47-38 Vernon Blvd., Long Island City.

Reach Reporter Natalia Kozikowska at (718)357-7400 Ext. 123 or nkozikowska@queenspress.com.

People liams of Jamaica and is a 2011 graduate of Aviation High School, Long Island City.

Ricole Beaubian of Queens Village was named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2012 semester at SUNY Potsdam.

Sebastian Howard of Queens Village and Jonathan Moore of Jamaica were named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2012 semester at SUNY Potsdam.

Air Force Airman Cedric Williams Air Force Airman Cedric Williams graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Williams is the son of Gloria Wil-

Naomi Anthonio of Springfield Gardens was named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2012 semester at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Fla. The New York Army National Guard recently announced the reenlistment of members in recognition of their continuing commitment to serve community, state and nation as part of the Army National Guard.

Specialist Rushain Parker of Cambria Heights has re-enlisted to continue service with the 14th Finance Detachment.

Sergeant Windollyn Patino of Jamaica has re-enlisted to continue service with the 719th Transportation Company.

Staff Sergeant Ryan Bhoorasingh of Jamaica has re-enlisted to continue service with Company A, Recruiting and Retention.

Sergeant Rian Barnes of Hollis has re-enlisted to continue service with Company B, 642nd Support Battalion.

Specialist Jolie Powell of Jamaica has re-enlisted to continue service with Company E (Forward Support Company Infantry), 427th Brigade Support Battalion.

Sergeant Edgar Ochoa of Jamaica has re-enlisted to continue service with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1-69th Infantry.

Specialist Audrey Alexispeacock of Jamaica has re-enlisted to continue service with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 27th Brigade Special Troops Battalion.

Nadia Misir of South Ozone Park was named to the President’s List for the fall 2012 semester at SUNY Oswego.

Local students were named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2012 semester at SUNY Oswego. They include: Cambria Heights: Christopher Davius.

Queens Village: Maya Siegel.

Richmond Hill: Esthefania Rodriguez.

South Richmond Hill: Leonard Coccaro.

Sudan Garner of Jamaica was named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2012 semester at Beloit College in Wisconsin.

Tell The PRESS Send notices of graduation, awards, anniversaries, engagements and honors to: PRESS of Southeast Queens 150-50 14th Rd., Whitestone, NY 11357 All announcements will be considered for publication without fee.

Jan. 25-31, 2013 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 13

A&E

Comedy Benefit Features Queens Celebs

BY JOE MARVILLI

This weekend, Madison Square Garden will be full of laughter for a good cause.

The Theater at MSG will host the Garden of Laughs at 8 p.m. on Jan. 26. Net proceeds from the star-studded event are being donated to the Garden of Dreams Foundation.

Presented by Chase, the show will include stand-up performances

by Adam Ferrara, Darrell Hammond, Robert Klein, Brian Regan and Wanda Sykes. It will also feature Forest Hills-raised comedian Ray Romano and will be hosted by Queens’ own Bob Costas. Garden of Laughs will be executive produced by Rory Rosegarten, who is known for his two Emmy wins for Romano’s TV show “Everybody Loves Raymond.”

“In being around the Garden, I was well aware of the amazing work they were doing through the Garden of Dreams Foundation for children

in the area,” said Rosegarten. “I am thrilled to be a part of an event that I know will be a great night, and will help the Garden of Dreams Foundation continue to change the lives of these kids.”

The Garden of Dreams Foundation is a nonprofit charity that works closely with the Madison Square Garden Company “to make dreams come true for kids facing obstacles.” The organization has been in existence for six years, working with the New York Knicks, Rangers, Liberty, MSG Media, MSG Entertainment and Fuse.

To achieve its goal, Garden of Dreams partners with a wide array of children’s organizations to bring joy to those kids facing illness, homelessness, poverty, foster care issues or tragedy.

Some past examples of what the charity put together included surprise player visits to local children’s hospitals to deliver toys, trips to community-based organizations to distribute coats donated during a drive by the

Restaurant Review

Pleasurable Pizza And More Whitepoint Pizzeria & Restaurant 132-13 14th Ave., College Point (718) 746-5555 Whitepointpizzeria.com Mon.-Sat.: 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Sun.: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

CUISINE: Italian, Pizza CREDIT CARD: Yes, all major While I was doing some shopping at the Whitepoint Shopping Center, I started to hear that growling noise your stomach makes when it’s telling you that it needs food. I knew that I had to find somewhere to eat and fast.

There were a few different places to eat around 14th Avenue, but my girlfriend and I were in the mood for some Italian food, so we decided to have lunch at Whitepoint Pizzeria & Restaurant.

In addition to the extensive palate of pizza slices offered, it also has pasta dishes for those craving a bigger meal.

We started off with orders of fried calamari and garlic bread. The calamari was breaded nicely with the familiar squid-like taste with every bite. They also provided plenty of

lemons for me to shower my calamari in, which I love to do. The garlic bread also served as a nice touch for the appetizers. The loaf was peppered with garlic, olive oil and parmesan cheese. It was crunchy, but just soft enough that it was easy to bite into without getting bread crumbs all over your clothes.

We then moved on to the main course. We both got similar meals, she got chicken cutlet parmigiana, while I opted for the shrimp parmigiana. The shrimp parm was breaded and plastered in marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. I got a full dose of shrimp and cheese with every bite and used the leftover bread to dip into the sauce.

My girlfriend enjoyed her meal as well, repeatedly telling me how good it was. I sampled a piece of her chicken and it was well-cooked and tasted great.

Overall, we had a pleasant experience dining at Whitepoint Pizzeria & Restaurant and if you’re ever in College Point, a stop at this place is something that I highly recommend.

-Luis Gronda

Queens’ Ray Romano and Bob Costas are featured performers at the Garden of Laughs event on Jan. 26.

Rangers, opportunities to meet players and celebrities on Dream Suite Nights or at Rangers Skating Parties and the opportunity to perform at Radio City Music Hall at the MSG Entertainment Talent Show.

To date, it has created lifetime memories for more than 225,000 children.

“It’s going to be an incredibly

funny night, and I look forward to sharing the stage and a lot of laughs with my fellow comedians to help raise money for children who need a helping hand,” said Romano.

Tickets for Garden of Laughs are priced between $50 and $125.

Reach Reporter Joe Marvilli at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 125, or at jmarvilli@queenstribune.com.

Art Dealer Donates To Sandy Hook

BY MEGAN MONTALVO While it has often been said that art imitates life, for Michael Capo of Capo Auction Fine Art and Antiques, the use of art is helping to recover lives.

Last month, the third-generation antiques dealer held an auction at his gallery, located at 36-01 Queens Blvd. in Long Island City, which raised nearly $2,000 for the family members who were affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

“I’ve had a personal connection to the town for a lifetime because the Antiques and The Arts Weekly, which is printed in Newtown, is the Bible for antique dealers,” Capo said. “Having been a subscriber for a lifetime and then an advertiser over the years, I thought it was appropriate to reach out to my contacts there that might have been affected by the event.”

After making a call to the Newtown Bee, the publishing company that prints Antiques and The Arts Weekly, Capo said that he discovered some his colleagues were personally tied to two individuals who were at the scene of the shooting – one of whom died and the other survived.

“I was happy for the money we raised for the families of the victims, but I wish I could do more,” he said.

In an effort to “do more,” Capo Auction Fine Art and Antiques will

Michael Capo once again donate a portion of their earnings to the Newtown, Connecticut Rotary Club’s Sandy Hook School Fund at their upcoming auction on Jan. 26.

“While I’m very happy that we can make a donation, we also wish that these types of things do not happen,” Capo said. “It’s tragic.”

For those who are interested in participating in Saturday’s auction, previews will be held on-site each day leading up to the event. Bidding will begin at 11:00 a.m. and is available either in-person or online at www.capoauction.com.

Reach Reporter Megan Montalvo at (718) 357-7400 Ext. 128 or mmontalvo@queenstribune.com.

Page 14 PRESS of Southeast Queens Jan. 25-31, 2013

Faith

BY NATALIA KOZIKOWSKA In response to the difficult economic times, First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica formed a Job Club Support group to help local residents learn about the resources that are available to aid the unemployed.

The group was first brought to the

Word For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

-Romans 1:17

church by a visiting pastor, David Coello, in March, 2012. Its initial goal was to help unemployed individuals understand where to look for jobs all while providing them a safe haven to discuss the troubles and stigmas that come with being jobless.

Stephanie St. Clair, a member and co-leader of the group, is currently unemployed and found that having a support group like the one at First Presbyterian Church was crucial in helping her get through difficult times.

“Being unemployed, there are times when you just really feel that you are alone and there is nobody you can talk to. It is a safe haven,” she said. “It really was a place where people can come to feel like there is a place they can go to talk about their problems. This church doesn’t want to just be a building. We want to assist people in their lives and in enriching their lives.”

In her spare time, St. Clair volunteers at the church office and at the church’s soup kitchen. She finds that even though she is unemployed, she enjoys keeping herself preoccupied

Photo courtesy of www.firstchurchjamaica.org.

Jamaica Church Aids Unemployed

First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica offers local residents a unique Job Club Support Group to help the unemployed. by helping others. She also tries to encourage new members of the group to do the same.

“I started volunteering here in the office to keep my skills up and when Mr. Coello had asked me about being

a part of the group, I said yes because its one of those things where I know how it feels to walk in those shoes. I try to tell others to do the same,” she said.

“Since I’ve joined the group, I’ve been able to help,” she added.

“Whether it’s showing my support by listening to them or by bringing in information and directing them to different websites where they can find jobs. If there is a job I see that’s not for me, I like to pass the information along to someone in the group who can take advantage of it.”

The First Presbyterian Church holds its Job Club Support Group every Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the church. The club is open to the general public and people of any faith.

For more information on how to become a member, call (718) 5264775 ext.

29 or visit www.firstchurchjamaica.org.

First Presbyterian Church is located at 89-60 164th Street, Jamaica.

Reach Reporter Natalia Kozikowska at (718)357-7400 Ext. 123 or nkozikowska@queenspress.com.

Notebook Campus Magnet High School

Scholar Athlete Captain of Bulldogs

BY NATALIA KOZIKOWSKA Springfield Gardens resident Nohah Vickers is not just the captain of the Campus Magnet basketball team, he is also an honor student who puts as much focus into his academics as his athletics.

Vickers, the team's point guard, averages 22 points and six assists per game. Being that this year the Bulldogs are a young team, Vickers is particularly useful in helping new players adjust. The high school senior has been on the basketball team since he was a freshman three years ago.

In addition to his success on the basketball team, Vickers has a 90 average and is on the MAST H.S. honor roll and is in the school chapter of the Honor Society, Arista.

Before each game, the Bulldogs coach Charles Gramby has a mentoring session with his team. At

the last game he spoke to his players about the need to study and get good grades all while enhancing their basketball skills. During that mentoring session, the coach used Vickers as an example for his teammates. He also told the players to feed Vickers the ball and not to be jealous of someone who works hard and does well.

"I believe the team will get better, especially if they help each other out," Vickers said in a statement.

"The most important thing is to win so we will be noticed."

Vickers' parents, Debbie and Ken, are extremely supportive of their son and Campus Magnet High School.

They attend every game and his mother is on the School Leadership team, which is the governing body for the school. His parents also keep on his back to ensure he does all his schoolwork and studies hard.

He is currently doing science re-

search in Christine Kola's Global Environment class through the Urban Bar Code Project. He has submitted proposals to do a project on apples to ascertain why the different varieties have different colors, tastes and grow in different seasons. If his proposal is accepted, he will work with a partner and have the project completed by April.

During the summer, Vickers also volunteers as a basketball coach for local kids in the Rosedale Springfield Park.

Vickers' brother, Israel, also played under coach Gramby many years ago. Israel Vickers played on the Bulldogs for three years and went on to play basketball at City College for four years. He was a math major there and earned a 3.3 grade point average and might come to teach at his alma mater, MAST. Reach Reporter Natalia Kozikowska at (718)357-7400 Ext. 123 or nkozikowska@queenspress.com

Captain of the MAST l team Nohah Vickers manages to balance his school work and basketball.

Jan. 25-31, 2013 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 15

Queens Today SECTION EDITOR: REGINA VOGEL

Send announcements for your club or organization’s events at least TWO weeks in advance to “Queens Today” Editor, Queens Tribune, 150-50 14 Road, Whitestone NY 11357. Send faxes to 357-9417, c/o Regina or email to queenstoday@ queenstribune.com Yearly schedules and advanced notices welcome!

TALKS CHINESE ART Saturday, January 26 lectures on Chinese Art at 3 at the Flushing library.

STEINWAY Monday, January 28 “Unfamiliar Fishes” discussed at 6:30 at the Steinway library.

COMM. RESOURCES Wednesday, January 30 Queens Communit y Resources workshop at 11:30 at the Pomonok library.

THEATER OUR TOWN March 1-9 “Our Town” at Queensborough Comm u n i t y C o l l e ge . 6 3 1 6311.

FLEA MARKETS THRIFT SHOP Saturdays 12-4 at the Queens Baptist Church, 9 3 - 2 3 2 1 7 th S t r e e t , Queens Village. 4652504.

RELIGIOUS TEMPLE BETH Saturday Friday, January 25 Shabbat Services at 8. Saturday, January 26 Shabbat Services and Torah Study at 10. Sund ay, J a n u a r y 2 7 Tu B’Shevat celebration at 9:30.

Te m p l e Beth Sholom, 172nd Street and Northern Blvd., Flushing.

463-4143.

REGO PARK Saturday, January 26 Tu B’Shevat luncheon at 12:30 following Shabbat services. $18. Reservations. Rego Park Jewish Center, 97-30 Queens Blvd. 459-1000.

YOUTH

TEENS BUKHARIAN LOUNGE Central Queens Y in Forest Hills. 268-5011, ext.

202.

CHESS CLUB Saturdays Flushing library at 2.

FLOWER CREATION Monday, January 28 at t h e Wo o d s i d e l i b r a r y.

Register.

DRUM WORKSHOP Monday, January 28 Douglaston library at 4.

PILLOWCASE Monday, January 28 make your own pillowcase at the Queens Village library. Register.

TEEN ZONE Monday, January 28 Queens Village library at 4.

EVENING CRAFTS Monday, January 28 Fresh Meadows library at 6.

LAPTOPS Mondays-Thursdays Hollis library at 3.

BOOK BUDDIES Tu e s d a y, J a n u a r y 2 9 readers 12-15 read to those 3-5 at the Hillcrest library at 4.

KNIT & CROCHET Tuesday, January 29 at the Rochdale Village library at 5.

AUTHOR VISIT Tu e s d a y, J a n u a r y 2 9 Mariah Fredericks discusses “The Girl in the Park” at 4:30 at the Pomonok library.

LANDMARKS Wednesday, January 30 Explore Your Community at the Central library at 4.

TEEN ZONE Wednesday, January 30 Queens Village library at 4.

RECYCLED CANS Wednesday, January 30 turn an ordinar y empt y soda can into a winter work of art at 4 at the Flushing library.

CHESS Wednesday, January 30 Corona library at 6.

CHESS CLUB Wednesday, January 30 at the Poppenhusen library at 4:30.

MAGIC TRICKS Wednesday, January 30 Rosedale library. Register.

GAME DAY Wednesdays Howard Beach library at 4.

CHESS Wednesdays at 3:30 Queens Village library.

S TORY T I M E Thursday, January 31 Elmhurst library at 11:30.

ANIME Thursday, January 31 at the Flushing library at 4.

DRAMA POSSE

Thursday, January 31 for those 11-14 at the Hillcrest library at 4:30.

MANGA CLUB Thursday, January 31 Corona library at 5.

COOL GIRLS Thursday, January 31 girls 11-21 will explore college, and more at the Rosedale library at 3:45.

PRE-SCHOOL CRAFTS Friday, February 1 Sunnyside library. Register.

YOUNG LEADERS Friday, February 1 Young Leaders Institute at the Laurelton library at 3:30.

TEEN ZONE Friday, February 1 Queens Village library at 4.

VALENTINE CRAFTS Friday, February 1 Whitestone library at 4.

SENIORS SOUTH ASIAN Alternate Saturdays Selfhelp BR-PS Senior Center in Flushing. Indian-st yle activities, lunch. 886-5777.

ALZHEIMERS Adult Day Care MondayThursday 9-4 in Flushing.

358-3541.

DEFENSIVE DRIVING Monday, January 28 Laurelton library 5282822.

MEN’S CLUB Mondays 10-noon Men’s club for those over 65 at the Central Queens Y in Forest Hills. 423-0732.

BASIC COMPUTERS Tu e s d a y, J a n u a r y 2 9 class for seniors at 10 South Ozone Park library.

CAREGIVERS Tu e s d a y s C a re g i ve r s Support group at 3:304:30 Selfhelp Clearview Senior Center, 208-11 2 6 th A v e n u e , B a y s i d e .

631-1886.

ALZHEIMERS Caregivers Support Group for Alzheimer’s caregivers at Queens Communit y House. 2685960, ext. 226.

DANCE PART Y Wednesday, January 30 Sweet Lorraine Dance Part y at 2:15. Dinner follows. Atria Forest Hills.

RSVP 516-721-3909.

STARS Wednesdays Senior Theatre Acting Repertory at the Hollis library at 11:15. Fridays at 11 Queens Village library.

TAX HELP Fridays, February 1, 8, 15, 22 Pomonok library at 11:30.

QUEENS LIBRARIES Many branches of the Queensborough Library offer toddler and preschool programs and more. Contact local branches.

DR. KING Saturday, January 19 tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at 1 at the Central library.

FAMILY STORY Saturday, January 19 Flushing library 11:30.

CHESS CLUB Saturdays at the Flushing library at 2.

MATH HELP Saturdays for grades 48 Flushing library at 10.

SCIENCE LAB Saturdays Central library at 11.

CHESS CLUB Saturdays Flushing library at 2.

FAMILY STORY TIME Monday, January 21 preK-2 Auburndale library at 4.

CRAFT KIDS Mondays Flushing library at 3.

BEGIN CHESS Mondays at 3:30 Windsor Park library.

KNIT & CROCHET Mondays Douglaston library at 4.

CRAFT Y TUESDAYS Tu e s d a y, J a n u a r y 2 2 Forest Hills library 3:30.

YOGA FOR KIDS Tuesdays, January 22, 29 Corona library at 4.

WRITING WORKSHOP Tuesdays, January 22, 29 Langston Hughes library at 4:30.

CURRENT EVENTS Tuesdays, January 22, 29 McGoldrick library at 5.

TEAM SCIENCE Tuesdays, January 22, 29 Corona library at 6.

BOOK BUDDIES Tuesdays, January 22, 29 those 3-5 are read to by 12-15 year olds Hillcrest library and Windsor Park library at 4.

KNIT & CROCHET Tuesdays at 5 Rochdale Village library.

TIMELESS TALES Wednesdays, January 23, 30 Central library at 10.

PICTURE BOOK Wednesdays, January 23, 30 McGoldrick library at 11:15.

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS Wednesdays, January 23, 30 Glen Oaks library at 11:30.

CRAFTIVITIES Wednesdays, January 23, 30 East Flushing library. Register.

ARTS & CRAFTS Wednesday, January 23 Auburndale library ages

5-12 at 4.

DREAM BIG Wednesday, January 23 stories of courage and bravery ages 6 and up Briarwood library at 4.

HEALTH & SCIENCE Wednesday, January 23 McGoldrick library at 5.

READY READERS Wednesday, January 23 K-2 Corona library at 5:30.

CHESS Wednesdays at 3:30 Queens Village library and 4:30 Poppenhusen library.

GAME DAY Wednesdays Howard Beach library at 5.

CRAFTERNOONS Wednesdays at the Ridgewood library. Register.

YOUNG LEADERS Wednesdays and Fridays Young Leaders Institute of Laurelton at the Laurelton library at 3:30.

S TORY T I M E Thursday, January 24 at the East Elmhurst library at 11:30.

PICTURE BOOK Thursdays, January 24, 31 at the Flushing library at 1:30 and the Queens Village library.

DRAMA POSSE Thursdays, January 24, 31 Hillcrest library at 4:30.

ZUMBA FITNESS Thursday, January 24 at the Hollis librar y. Register.

MANGA CLUB Thursdays, January 24, 31 at the Corona library at 5.

TEAM SCIENCE Thursday, January 24 at the Corona library at 6.

OPTICAL ILLUSIONS Thursday, January 24 at the North Hills librar y.

For those 5-12. Register.

FAMILY STORY TIME Thursdays, January 24, 31 preschoolers and toddlers Bay Terrace library at 11:30.

PRE-SCHOOL STORY Thursdays, January 24, 31, February 7, 14 Bellerose librar y. Register.

DOT ART Thursday, January 24 Richmond Hill library at 4.

GAME ON Thursdays at the Central library at 3:30.

TIGER TOTS Friday, January 25 Kung Fu for children under 5 at the Briarwood library.

Register.

VIDEO/BD GAMES Friday, January 25 Rochdale Village library at 4:30.

PRE-SCHOOL CRAFT Friday, January 25 at the Sunnyside library. Register.

BOOK BUDDIES Friday, January 25 at the Fresh Meadows library at 4.

ICY PALS Friday, January 25 M i d d l e V i l l a ge l i b ra r y.

Register.

TALENT SHOW Friday, January 25 at the Corona library at 4:30.

CHESS FOR KIDS Friday, January 25 at the Windsor Park library at 5.

KIDS ACTIVITIES Fridays at 3:30 Briarwood library.

CRAFT TIME Fridays at 3 at the Ozone Park library.

GAME DAY Fridays at 3:30 Queens Village library.

ARTS & CRAFTS Fridays Briarwood library at 4.East Flushing Register. Ozone Park at 3.

GAME DAY Fridays Windsor Park at 4.

CHESS CLUB Fridays Auburndale library at 3:30 and W i n d s o r Pa r k l i b ra r y.

Register.

SCIENCE FAIR Saturday, January 26 Don’t fear the Science Fair at the Central library at 10.

CRAFTS WORKSHOP Saturday, January 26 Carved, Constructed and Cast Sculpture at the Howard Beach library at 2.

PARENTS PSYCHOLOGICAL CTR Family and child therapy, parent management training and more. 5700500 sliding scale.

KIDS KORNER Weekdays Central Queens YM-YWHA in Forest Hills. For K-6. 2685011, ext. 203.

PARENT WORKSHOP Mondays, January 28, February 4, 11, 25 at the Lefrak Cit y librar y at 11:15.

TALK TO KIDS Monday, January 28 How to Talk to Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids W i l l Ta l k a t 6 a t t h e Ridgewood librar y.

ANIBIC Association for Neurologically Impaired Brain Injured Children, Inc. sponsors programs for those through adulthood.

423-9550.

Page 16 PRESS of Southeast Queens Jan. 25-31, 2013

Queens Today MEETINGS GARDENING CLUB Saturdays in the Steinway library courtyard at 4.

JEWISH VETS Sunday, January 27 Jewish War Veterans of the USA Lipsky/Blum Post meet at the Kissena Jewish Center in Flushing.

4 6 3 - 4 7 4 2 . Ko re a n Wa r Ve t S o c c e r Te a m a l s o meets.

NEW YORK CARES Monday, January 28 NY Care meets to recruit new volunteers at the Forest Hills library at 3.

ORATORIO SOCIETY Mondays at 7:45 at Temple Beth Sholom in Flushing. 279-3006. Auditions required.

COMMUNITY SINGERS M o n d ay s C o m m u n i t y Singers start rehearsals for their spring concert at 8 at Messiah Lutheran in Flushing.

658-1021.

GLEE CLUB Tuesdays Bayside Men’s Glee Club rehearses at 7:30 at All Saints Episcopal Church. 961-6852.

MEN’S CLUB SOCCER Tuesday evenings Forest Hills Jewish Center 89:30. 263-7000.

ENTERTAINMENT WORLD CASINO 110-00 Rockaway Blvd., South Ozone Park. Free admission.

WINTER PRIDE Saturday, January 26 Largest annual fundraiser for the Queens Pride Committee at Astoria World Manor. www.queenspride.org for tickets.

LANGSTON HUGHES Saturday, January 26 Langston Hughes in Harlem at 3 at the Rochdale Village lib ra r y.

PIANO CONCERT Saturday, January 26 pianist Jean Park performs at 3:30 at the Forest Hills library.

NU URBAN CAFÉ Saturdays live jazz, r&b, open mic 8-midnight.

Free. 188-36 Linden Blvd., St. Albans. 917817-8653.

TOTAL RECALL Sunday, January 27 movie shown at 2 at the Central library.

MUSICA REGINAE Sunday, January 27 Tomorrow’s Artists Today featuring “Face the Music” at 5:30 at Church in the Gardens. 894-2178.

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NOOK WORKSHOP Saturday, January 26 Forest Hills library. Register.

CRAFTS WORKSHOP Saturday, January 26 Carved, Constructed and Cast Sculpture Howard Beach library at 2.

ENGLISH CONV. Monday, January 28 English Conversation class Douglaston library. Register.

METRIX LEARNING Monday, January 28 C e n t r a l l i b r a r y. 9 9 0 8625.

MAC MONDAYS Monday, January 28 C e n t r a l l i b r a r y. 9 9 0 8625.

EVENING CRAFT Monday, January 28 Fresh Meadows library at 6.

FLOWER CREATIONS Monday, January 28 Woodside library. Register.

SMALL BUSINESS Monday, January 28 Jackson Heights library at 6.

CRAFT CLUB Monday, January 28 Broadway library at 12:30.

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TALKING DRUM Monday, January 28 Nigerian Music and Dance at 6 at the Flushing library.

SALSA Mondays Resorts World Casino holds Monday Night Salsa events. Lessons 7:30. 110-00 Rockaway Blvd., South Ozone ark.

215-2828. Free.

BOOK LAUNCH Tu e s d a y, J a n u a r y 2 9 book launch for “The Man in 3B” at the Central library at 6.

BINGO TuesdaysNe: 7:15 American Mar t yrs Church in Bayside. 464-4582. Tuesdays 7:15 (doors open 6) Rego Park Jewish Center. 459-1000. $3 admission includes 12 games.

SCRABBLE Tuesdays Fresh Meadows library at 2.

CHESS Tuesdays 4 Rosedale library.

SINATRA TRIBUTE Wednesday, January 30 at the Hollis library at 2.

LONG SHADOW Wednesday, January 30 “The Long Shadow of Incarceration’s Stigma” at 5 at the Central library.

EDUCATION/GAMES/CRAFTS

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Monday, January 28 Douglaston library at 4.

BALLROOM DANCING Monday, January 28 Forest Hills library at 6:30.

BRIDGE Mondays e x c e p t h o l i days 12-4 at Pride of Judea in Douglaston. Lesson & play $10. Partners arranged. 423-6200.

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

MICROSOFT ACCESS Tuesday, January 29 LIC librar y. 752-3700.

BEGINNERS EXCEL Tu e s d a y , J a n u a r y 2 9 Flushing library at 10.

DOWNLOAD E-BOOKS Tu e s d a y , J a n u a r y 2 9 Flushing library at 10.

INTRO INTERNET Tu e s d a y , J a n u a r y 2 9 C e n t r a l l i b r a r y. 9 9 0 0769.

KNIT & CROCHET Tuesdays Windsor Park library at 2.

SMALL BUSINESS Tu e s d a y , J a n u a r y 2 9 C e n t r a l l i b r a r y. 9 9 0 8625.

GET YOUR YARNS OUT! Tuesdays after evening Minyan at 8, knitters,

c r o c h e t e r s , needlepointers, and others meet at the Forest Hills Jewish Center. 2637000, ext. 200.

HEALTH PSYCHOLOGICAL CTR Individual and group counseling, family and couple therapy and more. 570-0500 sliding scale.

DIABETES Saturday, January 26 Living With Diabetes: It’s More Than Just Sugar at 1 at the Langston Hughes librar y.

WAITANKUNG Sundays 2-5. Total-body workout. Flushing Hospital/Medical Center.

Free. Jimmy 7-10pm 347-2156.

SCHIZOPHRENICS Sundays in Rego Park.

896-3400.

FERTILITY Monday, January 28 at the Flushing library at 5.

MEDITATION Mondays, January 28, Februar y 4, 11 Tra n s forming the Heart Through Meditation at the Flushing library at 6.

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Page 18 PRESS of Southeast Queens Jan. 25-31, 2013

During his lifetime, Jacob Riis was a muckraking journalist who fought for reform for the City’s poorest citizens at the tail end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century. More than 100 years later, a bust of Jacob Riis in the Rockaways fought to survive the strong winds of Superstorm Sandy. Like the man himself, the statue came out on top.

The bronze bust of Jacob Riis, located in Riis Park on the edge of the beach, was replaced two years ago by a group of students from Queens after they received $10,000 from the Aquinas Honor Society at Immaculate Conception School in Jamaica Estates.

The original bust was stolen

Not even Superstorm Sandy could take down the bust of Jacob Riis, which sits in the Rockaways. back in 1964.

While many of the Rockaways landmarks suffered damage, it is good to see that a symbol for social reform made it through unscathed. It wasn’t even knocked off its pedestal.

Sandy Stories Two Superstorm Sandy documentaries are in the works chronicling the damage the Rockaways suffered from the storm and their long road to recovery.

The films are called “John Cori Warned You” and “Beach 119.”

The first movie explores if things could have been done to prevent the amount of damage the peninsula took on as a result of the storm and if

something like that could ever happen again.

“Beach 119” concentrates on the residents that live in Beach 119th Street and how the storm has affected their lives.

A third documentary, “Beach 87th St/Surfing After Sandy,” was released on Jan. 1 and it focuses on the area’s surfing community and how they have been affected by the storm.

Confidentially, New York . . .

Passion For People Modeling was a passion Lisa didn’t realize she had until she joined a fashion show on a whim.

“A friend of mine was in talks with a designer,” she said. “He needed a few extra models in his fashion show. I was painted like a tiger, but I really enjoyed it!”

Since that first show last August, the budding Jamaica model, through her continued networking, has walked in fashions shows for charities and set up photo shoots for herself.

“After my first show, this was all I wanted to do.

It’s something I’ve grown really passionate about,” Lisa said.

Her enthusiasm is more than apparent when talking about modeling full time.

“I love that I get to model during the work week,” she said. “I work on the weekends, but once Monday comes around, I continue to set up more shoots.”

Lisa works at Papa John’s during the day and is an aide to the mentally ill at night. In her free time, she loves to go to the movies, exercise and occasionally visit a night club.

“I live around Green Acres Mall [in Rosedale], so I can always do some-

Model Of Queens

Jacob Riis 1, Superstorm Sandy 0

thing different. That sums up Queens too; I’ve lived here for 15 years and I’m always surrounded by new opportunities.”

Lisa’s advice to modeling hopefuls lies in networking.

“It’s so important for others to know your name.

Without a network of people to work with, you’ll get nowhere,” she said. “But models should take their time and

Lisa Browne Age: 28 Location: Jamaica Height: 5’6” Weight: 135lbs.

Stats: 34-28-38 Photos by John Scandalios figure out what they really want to get into. Everything pays off in the end.”

A Baby For Rosie

Want to be our cartoonist? Email editor@queenstribune.com

Who We Are @ QConf QConf is edited by: Steven J. Ferrari. Contributors: Luis

Gronda, Natalia Kozikowska, Joe Marvilli, Marcia Moxom Comrie, Megan Montalvo, Mike Nussbaum, Mike Schenkler.

Email: Conf@QueensTribune.com

Queens native Rosie O’Donnell welcomed a new bundle-of-joy to the family last week.

According to published reports, O’Donnell announced that she and her wife, Michelle Rounds, adopted the couple’s first daughter, Dakota.

O’Donnell announced the news by posting a photo of herself with her, Rounds and Dakota on Instagram. “we r thrilled to announce the arrival of r daughter Dakota - #withloveandthanks – AMEN,” She wrote along with the photo.

According to USA Today, the baby was born on Jan. 5, weighing in at 5 pounds and 5 ounces.

O’Donnell has four other children from a previous

Rosie O'Donnell, wife Michelle Rounds and daughter Dakota marriage with her ex, Kelli Carpenter.

She married Rounds in June

of last year after proposing to her on the now-cancelled talk show “The Rosie Show.”

Jan. 25-31, 2013 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 19

What’s Up JAN. 25 Oldies But Goodies Night The Queens Chapter National Action Network will host its Second Annual ‘Oldies But Goodies Night.’

Enjoy an evening of live entertainment, dinner, dancing.

For additional information, visit www.nationalactionnetwork.net, contact the Queens Chapter NAN at (718) 959-9500 or 1-855-2326724, or send an e-mail to Queenschapternan2011@hotmail.com.

The event will be held at the Thomasina’s Catering Hall located at 205-35 Linden Blvd. from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tickets are $30.

Jack and the Beanstalk The Black Spectrum Theatre Company will present their Daycare Theatre Series. Next up in the series is “Jack and the Beanstalk”. For groups over 50, the price is $6 per person.

One teacher is also free with every 20 students. For additional information, call (718) 723-1800. The show will be held from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Black Spectrum Theatre located at 177th Street and Baisley Boulevard. Tickets are $7 for children and $10 for adults.

JAN 26 Business Plan Competition 2012 The Queens Economic Development Corporation will begin the 7th Annual Queens StartUP! Business Plan Competition in September 2012. The competition gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to strengthen their business knowledge, learn about business trends, and gain insights about starting and growing a business, as well as offering an introduction to the vast resources at Queens Central Library. The free event will be held at 11 a.m. at the Queens Central Library.

Audition for JCAL’s New Dance Company Calling all young dancers! Here is your chance to audition for Jamaica’s next great dance company – the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning’s new dance company. Auditions will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning Gallery located at 161-04 Jamaica Ave.

Google Tools in Bengali The Queens Central Library will offer a computer class in Bengali and English. It will explore the range of uses of Google accessories: how to

search the Internet with Google, manage email with G-mail, find locations with Google Maps and travel with Google Earth. The class is free and will begin at 3 p.m.

Urvashi, A Love Story Throughout the years, the Natraj Center for the Performing Arts has assisted many cultural and religious organizations in their efforts to promote cultural awareness and respect through professional performances at various social functions, fundraisers and cultural events. Garnering international recognition, Natraj will conduct a dance show at the York College Performing Arts Center, located at 94-45 Guy R. Brewer Blvd. For additional information, call (718) 468-1604. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for children. The show will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

JAN. 27 Total Recall The Queens Central Library will offer a free screening of ‘Total Recall’ at 2 p.m. As nation-states Euromerica and New Shanghai vie for supremacy, a factory worker begins to suspect that he’s a spy, but doesn’t know which side he’s on. Starring Colin Farrell, Bokeem Woodbine, and Bryan Cranston; directed by Len Wiseman; rated PG-13; 121 minutes; Columbia Pictures, 2012.

JAN. 29 Book Launch Event for “The Man in 3B” Meet Carl Weber, New York Times bestselling author at the Queens Central Library. Learn how he develops stories about seemingly ordinary people who have crazy things happen in their lives. His latest novel is a tale of drama, mystery, scandal, and intrigue set in Jamaica, Queens. Books will be available for sale and signing.

Light refreshments will be served.

The event is free and will begin at 6 p.m.

Small Business Workshop Learn how to develop a business idea into a business plan in our Tuesday evening small business workshops at the Queens Central Library. Participants will learn about creating a demand for a product or service; setting goals, objectives, budgets, and timelines; identifying resources and networks; and getting ready to open your “doors.”

For further information, please visit the Job Information Center or call (718) 990-8625. The workshop is free and will begin at 7 p.m.

JAN. 30 Aerobics for Adults Keep that New Year’s resolution with free weekly fitness classes through ShapeUp NYC. Aerobics for Adults provides a moderate workout that burns calories and improves cardiac function. Space is limited. Participation is on a first-come, firstserved basis. The session will be held at 4 p.m. at the Queens Central Library and is free.

Town Hall Meeting w/ State Senator Malcolm Smith Come out and hear the issues that are affecting the Southeast Queens community from the Senator himself.

For more information, call Senator Smith’s office at (718) 454-0162.

The Town Hall meeting will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Alpha Phi Alpha Senior Citizens Center located at 220-01 Linden Blvd., in Cambria Heights.

JAN. 31 Mock Interviews The Queens Central Library is offering free mock interviews. Mock interviews let you make mistakes before they count. In this one-on-one practice interview, you will learn how to prepare beforehand, successfully deal with difficult questions and follow up properly afterwards. Space is limited. To schedule an appointment, call (718) 990-8625 or visit the Job Information Center. Participants must arrive 10 minutes before class starts, latecomers will not be seated. The event will begin at 9 a.m. at the library.

ONGOING Lincoln Park Basketball Association The Lincoln Park Basketball Association is starting its winter/spring basketball program. Boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 15 are welcome. The registration fee is $50.

It includes insurance, weekly training sessions and a t-shirt. Full payment must be made by Feb. 9, with no exceptions. Parents or guardians must bring proof of their child’s age. Birth certificates, passports or school records are all valid forms of ID. All participants must remember to bring sneakers and shorts to the gym.

Coaches are needed as well. The basketball clinic will take place at the Queens Transition Center on 142-10 Linden Blvd. in South Ozone Park.

The entrance for the program is in the school yard in the rear of the school.

The clinic lasts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

It is ongoing until March 23.

Mobile CPR Program FDNY EMS instructors will come out to your site to conduct the CPR training using your facilities. The Be 911 Compressions Only CPR Program is brought to you free of charge

by FDNY and NYC Service. The goal of the program is to train as many people as possible in basic CPR skills.

In addition, participants will be briefly educated on the automated external defibrillator (AED) used to try and revive a person suffering from cardiac arrest. Though this program does not certify any participants, the FDNY and NYC Service believe increasing the knowledge of how to save a life is far more beneficial.

The program welcomes all ages, as long as the individual can demonstrate competency in retaining the required skills.

Appointments can be made Monday through Friday during the hours of 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Classes may be approximately 20 minutes depending on the size of the group.

For group registration of 10 or more participants or further information, contact the FDNY’s CPR Training Unit at Telephone Number (718) 281-3888.

Group Sessions Clergy United for Community Empowerment, Inc. will hold group sessions for the community on various topics such as domestic violence, mental health, substance abuse intervention, decision making, condom use, high risk behaviors leading to HIV, and self – esteem awareness. All group sessions offer light snacks and beverages. Group sessions are open to the public.

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

Infant Mortality Clergy United for Community Empowerment’s Infant Mortality Reduction Initiative program provides the following services free of charge: case management services, parent skills building, crib care, breast feeding education, health education, nutritional information/education, referral for HIV testing, confidential one-on-one counseling, workshops, and women support groups. IMRI provides referrals for Food stamps, GED, GYN, Emergency Baby Formula (qualifications required) and more. Call (718) 297-0720. Located at 89-31 161 St., 10th floor, Jamaica.

Services are available Tue.-Thurs. 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

AmeriCorps needs you for a care-giving respite program called Willing Hearts-Helpful Hands.

Volunteer to help older adults and their families. Make a difference by helping to ease the burdens of family caregivers of older adult loved ones‌ And receive $110 per month for 10 hours per week. You can also earn $1,468 for an educational voucher.

Limited opportunity. Call now.

(718) 289-2100 Ext. 4296 www.willingheartshelpfulhands.org