Volume 12 Issue No. 4 Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, 2011
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PRESS Photos by Ira Cohen
Tenants at this Hollis apartment claim their landlord gives them heat for no more than 10 or 20 minutes a day, and they have a litany of structural complaints that fall on deaf ears. By Sasha Austrie…Page 8
Online at www.QueensPress.com
News Briefs
Page 2 PRESS of Southeast Queens Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, 2011
New QHC Director
Wool’s vision for the future combines pragmatism with compassion. He promotes the importance of developing seamless partnerships among hospital administration, nurses, physicians, and support and ancillary staff in order to enhance the patient care experience. “There must be active engagement by all levels of staff in everything we do to realize a continuous improvement in the quality of care,” he says. “Ultimately we want to provide the right care at the right time to achieve the best possible clinical outcomes for our patients – for that is at the core of our mission as a public hospital.” Julius Wool succeeds George M. Proctor, who was appointed Senior Vice President of the Health and Hospitals Corporation North Brooklyn Network and Executive Director of Woodhull Medical Center in October.
Queens Hospital Center, a member of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, recently announced the appointment of Julius Wool, MPA as its new Executive Director. Wool has had a long and distinguished career with the Health and Hospitals Corporation. Since joining HHC in 1985 he has assumed increasingly demanding leadership positions that have well qualified him for his new role. He has been Chief Financial Officer for the Queens Health Network, which comprises both Queens and Elmhurst Hospital Centers, since 1998, and for nine years prior was the Budget Director and Chief Financial Officer at Queens Hospital Center. He has also been responsible for the Network Managed Care Department and Health Information Management Department at Elmhurst. “Julius Wool has demonstrated an un- Valentine’s Concert wavering and longstanding commitment Continuing his ongoing effort to turn to our public hospitals and the patients we Queens into one of New York City’s preserve,” said Ann Sullivan, MD, Senior Vice miere music and concert spots, CouncilPresident of the Queens Health Network. man James Sanders, Jr. (D-Laurelton), has “In all of the positions he’s held, he has picked the most romantic night of the year, proven a steadfast advocate for quality Valentine’s Day, to partner with U.S. Rep. services for our patients while working to Greg Meeks to sponsor a free “Valentine’s ensure the financial viability of our hospi- Night Concert” at Springfield Gardens High tals. I am confident that Queens Hospital School on Monday, Feb. 14. Center will be in good hands with Julius as A complimentary meal will also be we move forward and begin to navigate an served prior to the start of the concert. uncertain fiscal climate amid greater de- Doors open at 6 p.m. and showtime is 7 mand for healthcare services in the bor- p.m. Tickets are necessary for entry, and ough.” can be reserved for free by calling Sanders’ “Since 2008, when the Caritas Hospi- district office at (718) 527-4356. tals closed, we have experienced an inThe concert will feature some major creasing demand for our services and have names in R&B music, including: The Manexperienced higher volumes in the emer- hattans featuring Gerald Alston & Blue gency department, inpatient Medical/Sur- Lovett and Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes gical service, primary care clinics, dental with Sharon Page. The concert will be services and mental health services,” Wool hosted by radio personality Johnny “The said shortly after his appointment on Dec. Duke” Allen, and will feature a comedy act 2. “We will continue to focus on providing by ventriloquist Wayne and his sidekick broader access to primary and preventive Charlie. healthcare services to keep our community “Valentine’s is a day to remember and healthy and out of the hospital. celebrate our loved ones, and what better “My ongoing challenge as Executive way to do that than by treating ourselves Director will be to sustain improvement in to a night of music, dancing, food and the quality, safety, and access of care for fun?” Sanders said. “Queens is a vibrant our patients, in an environment in this and dynamic cultural center, with music borough where demands are constantly from around the world, and we owe it to increasing as resources are shrinking.” ourselves to take advantage of all our borA true son of Queens, Julius Wool grew ough has to offer. This Valentine’s Day, up in the Pomonok Houses in Flushing, let’s enjoy some classic R&B from some of attended Benjamin Cardozo High School the most legendary groups of all time.” in Bayside, received his BA from Queens For more information, or to reserve College and his MPA from Baruch Col- tickets, please call or visit Councilman lege. His career path has been one of Sanders District office at (718) 527-4356, public service in New York City govern- or 234-26 A Merrick Blvd., in Laurelton. ment. Among his accomplishments in the Health and Hospitals Corporation was his leadership of the HHC Inpatient Documentation and Coding Improvement Project. The initiative improved collections by $60 million corporate-wide, including $14.5 million at Queens and Elmhurst Hospitals, from September 2009 to June 2010. He has additionally served on the HealthFirst Board of Directors and the Greater New Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes will be some of the performers York Hospital Association at the Valentine’s Day celebration. Finance Committee.
Presstime
Tensions Grow Over Jamaica’s Fate
Daylight was slowly fading into blackness, but a small contingent of students and staff from Jamaica High School continued to toe the picket line. “Don’t close Jamaica,” they chanted, their voices barely audible over the persistent clanging of a cowbell. Their picket signs read, “You can shatter our body, but you can never shatter our spirit,” and “DOE calls us persistently low achieving, but we are persistently high diplomas.” This was only the preliminary round. The main event was the joint public hearing the Dept. of Education hosted on Thursday. It was the second hearing in as many years that the DOE held, discussing the phasing out of Jamaica High School. Like last year, the DOE was met with the same rancor. “The quality of life for Jamaica High School’s students has deteriorated,” said Monica Ayuso, a member of the Citywide Council of High Schools. She said even the successful lawsuit filed by last year to save 19 schools from phase out did not alter the DOE’s plans. “They never changed,” she said. “They never reconsidered. They never did anything else.” John White, deputy chancellor, highlighted why Jamaica was again on the chopping block and what would happen if the Panel for Educational Policy adopted the phase out proposal. He said the decision was made in December 2010 because the school “would not turn around quickly enough.”
Photo by Ira Cohen
BY SASHA AUSTRIE
tion rate improvements mirrored the City’s from 2005 to 2009. He said over the four year span, both the citywide and Jamaica graduation rates improved 16 percent. In some instances, Eterno said Jamaica has surpassed citywide improvements. He said the school’s special education graduation rate is 38 percent, 9 percent higher than the citywide average. Eterno said Jamaica’s The campus on Gothic Drive may be home to four schools, but improvements happened Jamaica High School is treated unequally and not given the while the DOE was cutting the school’s resources. chance to succeed, say opponents of its closure. “The Dept. of White said the 2010 graduation rate Education’s decision to treat Jamaica High hovered around 50 percent and that Ja- School like a ‘step child’ learning institution maica was on the New York State list of is unacceptable considering that the Dept. of Education fully funds other high schools persistently low-achieving schools. James Eterno, UFT chapter leader and on the Jamaica High School’s campus,” said School Leadership Team member, shot Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Little Neck). “This intentional decision to limit back. “We just heard the so-called facts,” he said. resources and to advise future parents of the “Just for once, I wish the Dept. of Education school’s possible closure, while the school is still operational, violates the spirit of providofficials would bring accurate data.” Eterno acknowledge that in 2005, the ing quality education for all of our students.” Robert Klugman, a longtime math and graduation rate dipped, but slowly, the numbers were improving. He said in 2005, Earth Science teacher at Jamaica, said the rate was 38 percent and in 2005 it staff mulled the chance to “phony up the increased to 53 percent. He said this year, grades like they do at Flushing High he estimates the graduation rate will hit 56 School, Hillcrest High School” to show greater improvements. percent. “Even at Queens Collegiate, they are “A Jamaica diploma is real and it’s under pressure to phony up the grades to earned,” Eterno said. He said Jamaica High School’s gradua- 80 percent because that’s what the princi-
pals expect,” he said. Queens Collegiate is one of four schools including Jamaica High school that is collocated in 167-01 Gothic Dr. Kevin Gonzalez, a student and SLT member, castigated White and the DOE for the effect the proposed phase out has had on Jamaica and its student population. The proposed phase out plan of last year started the school’s demise even though the plan was thwarted by the lawsuit. Gonzalez said the school lost 25 teachers because of a minute freshman class. With the 25 teachers went electives such as creative writing, music, Advanced Placement Spanish or government, as well as after-school tutoring. “How do you expect us to succeed if we don’t have the resources?” he asked. “What do you expect the numbers to be?” To further prove the DOE’s abandonment of Jamaica, a sophomore stated that students have had to reuse fill-in-the-bubble sheets. State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bellerose) charged the DOE with manufacturing the data “so it looks bad.” He walked the halls of 167-01 Gothic Drive and Avella said the three existing “specialized high schools” are given preference. “What is going on here is a disgrace,” he said. “You have created the problem. This is the worst example of discrimination I have seen as a public official. The DOE should be sued for the unequal education. “If you think you had a fight on your hands last time, you’ll have a bigger fight on your hands this time” he said. Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at saustrie@queenspress.com, or (718) 3577400, Ext. 123.
Sikhs Cautioned Over ‘Random’ Air Searches cil candidate, underwent a pat-down in San Francisco as well, after leaving loose change in his pocket. The ensuing metal detector beeping set off what Singh Toor claimed was a very vocal and public singling out, as TSA agents directed him to a very public pat-down. They did not offer the option of removing the change and giving the metal detector another go. "You feel like it's the intentional, deliberate dehumanization of the person," he said.
The Sikh Coalition's alert reminds travelers they can always refuse an AIT screening, and administer their own turban patdown. They also recommend any traveler who feels they were subject to profiling or were searched outside of standard procedure to get the officer's name and badge number, then report the incident in detail to them or the TSA directly. Reach Reporter Joseph Orovic at jorovic@queenstribune.com, or (718) 3577400, Ext. 127.
Members of the Sikh community, which number in the thousands in Queens, are being cautioned that they will be “randomly’ searched at airports 100 percent of the time.
Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 3
The skies remain anything but friendly for the Sikh community months after a national uproar over enhanced pat-downs and full body scanners largely subsided. An alert sent by the Sikh Coalition lays out the procedure members of the community can expect - and tips. But the gist is rather simple: If you wear a turban, be ready to undergo an additional search. "Sikhs should now expect to be secondarily screened 100 percent of the time at American airports, even after passing through so-called Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) machines," the coalition said. "Although [the Transportation Security Administration] publicly asserts on its Web site that such machines can see through 'layers of clothing,' the TSA has made clear in both word and practice that such machines are not powerful enough to see through Sikh turbans." It has become a common source of dismay among the borough's Sikh community, who believe they are being unfairly targeted and degraded by the process. "We have to go through this three-step dance," said Hansdeep Singh, senior staff attorney of United Sikhs. "We're put in a
situation where we can't win. We understand about security, but we don't want to be treated differently." Singh and his wife underwent a patdown recently, when they opted out of an AIT scan in San Francisco International Airport. They nearly missed their flight. According to the Coalition's alert, turbans fall outside the definition of clothing that fits the "natural contours" of a body. "Your turban must first go through a pat-down (either self-administered or administered by a TSA screener) to scan for non-metallic threat items," the Coalition's alert said. "After this procedure is finished, your turban will now also be subjected to a hand-held metal detector wand search to scan for metallic threat items." Even after the pat-down, the additional metal detector screenings can spell trouble. TSA agents test the hands of passengers after a self-pat-down, checking for explosives. The Sikh Coalition recommends all flyers wash their hands before going through security. Tales of screenings from members of the Sikh community involve uniform complaints questioning the balance between maintaining one's dignity and national security. Harpreet Singh Toor, former City Coun-
Photo by Ira Cohen
BY JOSEPH OROVIC
Cops Fingered In Widow’s Lawsuit BY SASHA AUSTRIE
Page 4 PRESS of Southeast Queens Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, 2011
Sitting in the cramped space in Councilman Leroy Comrie’s (D-St. Albans) office, Doris and Ernestine Hudson sat meekly beside their attorney, Bonnie Speller. Supporting them in their demand for justice were Comrie, Councilman Ruben Wills (DJamaica) and police organizations. “We are here to support the Hudson Family,” Comrie said. “What happened on Friday was totally unnecessary.” Doris Hudson, 72, alleged that on Jan. 14, officers Julio Orozco and Dominick Lettieri stopped her and her husband, Robert Hudson, for a seatbelt infraction. She claims she was wearing a seatbelt, but took it off to enter Casson Pharmacy. Allegedly, Robert Hudson had all his relevant documentation—license, registration and insurance—but officers asked Doris Hudson to produce identification, which she left at home. Hudson family attorney, Bonita Zelman, said the officers made Robert Hudson, 72, walk half a mile to his home and back to the scene where he was allegedly ordered to leave his wife and car to retrieve Doris Hudson’s license. Robert Hudson died from a massive heart attack after officers left the scene. The family is filing a wrongful death lawsuit to demand punitive damages not only from the officers, but their supervisors. “We do not need police officers to act with human indifference,” she said. “[It
was] a totally avoidable death.” Zelman contends that the stress, combined with the cold weather, caused the heart attack and death of Robert Hudson. It was about 28 degrees at the time of the incident. “They took away my partner, my soul mate, my best friend,” Doris Hudson said. “They took away everything from me. He was the love of my life.” In a statement, Deputy Inspector Kim Royster said officers never directed Robert Hudson to walk home. “They told both parties that they had sufficient ID at the scene,” the statement read. “Nonetheless, Mr. Hudson insisted on returning to his residence to retrieve additional documents for his spouse, for whom the summons was already written by the time he returned.” Zelman alleged that officers used Doris Hudson’s prescription as identification after her husband had started home. She called the police version of events as “incredible.” Anthony Miranda, The National Latino Officers Association of America executive chairman, bolstered Zelman’s argument. “These facts are clear,” Miranda said. “They absolutely detained his wife.” He said the officers could not detain the Hudson’s for a seatbelt infraction and the officers’ demeanor and speech dictated Robert Hudson’s reaction. Miranda continued, “They could have warned them.” He said officers Orozco and Lettieri did not use common sense.
Comrie demanded that the NYPD apologize and suspend the two officers involved in the incident. “They treated him less than human,” Comrie said, adding the NYPD needs to prove that “courtesy, professionalism and respect is their mantra and not just a symbol on their car.” The department’s community outreach and sensitivity training needs to be brought
up to another level, according to Comrie. Miranda said there are two standards of enforcement. He asked if the Hudson’s were of a different ethnic background, would they have been treated the same. “We are calling for the immediate suspension of these officers,” he said. Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at saustrie@queenspress.com, or (718) 3577400, Ext. 123.
Mending Fences:
Sen. Toby Stavisky (c.) met with New York City Schools Chancellor Cathie Black (l.) and UFT President Michael Mulgrew in Albany. Although she had misgivings about Black’s appointment, she is prepared to work together with both of them in the coming year on issues important to the education community.
KENNY BARRON TRIO Saturday, February 5, 2011
•
7:00 pm
$20.00 Adults / $10.00 Students & Seniors
YORK COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Tickets available at the Box Office located at 94-45 Guy R. Brewer Blvd. Call: 718-262-2840 or online at www.york.cuny.edu For more information call 718-262-3750 Free Parking
Don’t miss GERI ALLEN! Saturday, March 5, 2011 • 7:00 pm. Call for tickets!
Blizzard Of Fury At Boro Hearing BY JASON BANREY On the morning of Dec. 27, 2010, after 20 inches of snow pummeled the “forgotten borough” of Queens, Yvonne Freeman laid in her daughter’s arms, gasping for air, as she struggled to hold on to what would become the last moments of her life. Freeman’s daughter, Laura, did what anyone in an emergency would do and dialed 911. After nearly an hour of attempting to get a hold of emergency services, all she received were recorded messages and buzzing tones while her mother began to suffer from a heart attack. According to Bloomberg News, the city’s 911 emergency-response system received 49,478 calls, leaving thousands backlogged or unanswered, as snowstranded emergency vehicles found themselves scrambling to help residents in need. Brought to tears by the memor y, Freeman’s daughter spoke in front of the City Council Committees at the Blizzard Hearing in Queens Borough Hall last Friday, walking listeners through the dreadful events the morning that left her motherless. “I did everything I could do,” said the bereaved daughter as tears streamed down her face. “I called and called and called and nobody answered.” Packing the public hearing, anxious
stuck. It was just horrific to get out,” Sgaraglia said. Living on a fixed income, Sgaraglia made council members aware of how financially important each day is to a working senior. After missing three days of work, Sgaraglia told council members, “We live hand to mouth. Who’s going to give us that money?” Some community leaders and residents also recommended that snow removal decisions be made at a borough-level, leaving snow clean up responsibilities to individual neighborhoods. Suggesting the patchy clean up could have been handled differently, Giovanna Reid, district manager of Community Board 3, pointed out that City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (c.) sits with elected officials, including Borough President “every decision cannot be made in Helen Marshall, Brooklyn’s Councilwoman Letitia James, Councilmen Leroy Comrie, Ruben Manhattan.” Wills and Jimmy Van Bramer (l. to r.) during a hearing about the City’s response to Dec. 26’s With hearings being held in all five blizzard. boroughs- two in some- Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhatseniors, community board leaders and why sanitation workers bypassed their tan) believes the public meetings would uncover and “address issues on a microborough residents who “suffered unimag- streets with raised plows. inable losses” addressed their council Echoing the plight of seniors, Elmhurst level.” By analyzing isolated incidents city members. resident Italo Sgaraglia recalled the initial Community leaders and board mem- difficulties he faced trying to get out of residents faced in each borough, Quinn bers and residents from around the bor- his house, only to find out he was not the said she hopes the hearings will prevent a repeat of the City’s lackluster response. ough presented statements that criticized only one stranded. Reach Intern Jason Banrey at the Mayor’s whereabouts during the “When I [did] get down to my block, storm, asked why CERT teams and vol- 30th Avenue, buses were stuck, ambu- jbanrey@queenstribune.com or (718) 357unteer ambulances were not called in and lances were stuck, and even cop cars were 7400, Ext. 128.
Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 5
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Editorial A New Jamaica High Jamaica High School has a storied history, a deep base of important people who call the school their alma mater and – perhaps most importantly – has a history in this community. There is no way Jamaica High School could ever be replaced. And we don’t want that to happen. In our eyes, Jamaica High School is not going anywhere. Its name may change and its graduates may see some strange jumble of words on their diplomas, but as far as we are concerned, the students who go to that magnificent landmark structure on Gothic Drive will always be students at Jamaica High School. The Panel for Educational Policy is set to vote next week to abolish Jamaica High School permanently. We see it as the Dept. of Education is looking for a way to improve the welfare of the students of our neighborhood. They are, in their own twisted way, looking out for our children. They just plan to rip this community apart in order to save it. Well, let’s let them. Gut it. Go ahead. Knock the walls back to the studs and build from scratch inside – metaphorically, of course. But don’t saddle us with experimental programs for the best kids and tire retreading for the least of them. Give us a real program that is based on the fundamental principles that every child – no matter their religion, race, finances or upbringing – has the ability to learn and succeed. Let’s take this as an opportunity to expand on the successful Gateway program, which pairs up teachers and students in a mentoring fashion; which prepares our kids for careers in health and science – where tomorrow’s jobs are headed. Don’t sell us short. Don’t ask us to make this sacrifice in vain. We’ll give you our school. We’ll give you our kids. We’ll give you the tools you need and the support you want. Just give back to us a future for our children, hope for their families and respect among their peers. And while we’re at it, give us a way to keep the name. The Gateway School at Jamaica High School has a good ring to it.
Letters Twisted Bulbs To The Editor: How many of us know that our
government is outlawing incandescent light bulbs next year, which will force us to use the
Letters more expensive fluorescent bulbs? These are the ones that appear to resemble chicken’s intestines, and will not do much to enhance the dining room chandelier. This, they assure us, will save energy. The Dept. of Energy was initiated because we were too dependent on foreign oil, importing onethird of our needs. Now we import two-thirds and it’s getting worse. The DOE costs billions, yet produces nothing but regulations which, in turn, create dependency. Like all the other socialist agencies, it is sand in the economic gears and should be abolished, freeing the market. That would aid our economy on every level and prevent our chandeliers from looking like they were designed by Herman Munster. Lawrence Burke, Roslyn
Meat Is Violent To The Editor The shootings in Tucson are a dramatic reminder that we are one of the world’s most violent societies. Violence governs our foreign relations, our sports and video games, and our daily diet. Yes, our diet. Desensitization to violence begins in the home, when parents assure their naturally inquisitive, animal-loving children that chickens “give” eggs, cows “give” milk, and that pigs “give” their flesh for us to eat. The horrific daily violence and barbaric slaughter visited on these
innocent animals and subsidized by us at the checkout counter gets buried in our subconscious mind. Once our kids have learned to live with the violence of their diet, how much of a stretch is it to while away their idle hours on video games like “Mortal Kombat,” “Manhunt” or “Grand Theft Auto?” How likely is this experience then used to govern how they resolve a social confrontation in their neighborhood or a military one in an Afghan village? Most of us abhor violence, but we don’t know how to prevent it. Giving our kids an honest answer when they ask “Mommy, where do hamburgers come from?” is certainly a great start. Freddy Green, Flushing
Next Year To The Editor: The Jets had a good season but unfortunately they did fall short. As a lifelong Jets fan, I feel they gave a truly valiant effort. They played the best in the playoffs but just couldn’t close the deal where it counted. I guess the Steelers were too much for Rex Ryan and his team. In my view, it is time to regroup and see what went wrong. Murphy’s Law was in full force against the Jets and that was too bad. Well I guess there’s always next year, right? Frederick R. Bedell Jr., Glen Oaks
The Truth Has Set A Kidnapped Child Free A Personal Perspective By MARCIA MOXAM COMRIE
It seems odd that a baby abducted at less than three weeks old had to grow up and solve her own missing person case. It is a familiar refrain – kidnapped and exploited children not found by the authorities within the first days and weeks either have to wait for some stranger to get suspicious and call the authorities, as in the case of Elizabeth Smart of Utah and Jaycee Dugard of California, or they escape their abductor and find help. Carlina White had to figure out the pieces of her own puzzle to make it back to her family. What a story. A tiny baby rushed to Harlem hospital in 1987 for a high fever was snatched by a heartless young woman who, according to reports, failed to produce an heir for her drug-dealing boyfriend. She stole someone else’s infant to fool him into thinking she had given birth to his child and she kept up the charade for 23 years. Since she was pregnant the
last time he saw her, Ann Pettway’s boyfriend accepted that this was indeed their child. For 23 long years, she kept up the travesty in Connecticut while a grieving mother, father and family in New York City wondered what became of their baby. Carlina, renamed Nejdra Nance by her abductor, had been getting increasingly suspicious. As a teen wanting a first job, there was no birth certificate and no social security card to be had. Somehow or another, she was finally able to get both. But no one got suspicious when she had to write “unknown” where it asks for place and date of birth. Every time the young woman was required to provide that information, she had to write that terrible word so reminiscent of the victims of the slavery. Then one night, about a month ago, a counselor at a center for missing and exploited children answered a call. “It’s me who’s been missing for 23 years,” the caller reportedly told her, shyly. It was the former “Baby Carlina,” now a mom of a little girl herself, solving her own mystery after more than
two decades. DNA tests with her parents quickly confirmed that indeed this cold, cold case was finally solved. As they used to say in old mystery books, the jig was up, and “abductor mom,” after trying to escape the law, finally turned herself in. During a court hearing, the woman who later gave birth to her own children (at least we’re assuming they’re really hers this time), uttered a feeble apology to Carlina’s family. She’s not sorry. If she was ever sorry, she would have returned that child to the nearest fire station or hospital anonymously years ago with a note explaining that she’s the baby stolen from Harlem Hospital. You have to wonder how one woman could do such a thing to another woman. A young mother was left empty-armed and grieving for her baby while a kidnapper raised her only 45 miles away in Bridgeport. You can’t help thinking that this is a wicked woman who deserves no mercy from the courts and no sympathy from anyone else. A child had to grow up not just without her natural parents and
family, but without any idea of when and where she was born. She says she even questioned her ethnic identity as she looked nothing like the family with which she grew up. She wondered if she was Dominican or Ethiopian and there was no one to tell her the truth. The saying “the truth shall set you free” usually refers to the person telling the lie. In this case, the truth has emancipated the victim of a dastardly crime. Now White knows the “who, what, when, why and how” of her own story. Her biographical information is up to date and she is now free to establish a relationship with her rightful family. What happened to that child and that whole family is a painful shame and I hope she finds wholeness in this long-deferred truth. Meanwhile her abduction from a hospital led to changes. In the wake of that abduction by Pettway posing as a nurse, pediatric wards are now monitored with cameras and other electronic devices. It’s not so easy anymore. Hopefully no other family will ever have to endure such a dreadful fate.
Police Blotter Compiled By DOMENICK RAFTER
101st Precinct Found Dead On Jan. 24, at approximately 7:13 p.m., police responded to a 911 call reporting a possible dead person inside 22-88 Mott Ave., Apt. 3G in Far Rockaway. Upon arrival, police discovered a 42-year-old black man lying on the floor with multiple stab wounds to the abdomen. EMS also responded to the location and pronounced the man dead on arrival. Identification of the victim is pending proper family notification.
105th Precinct Teen Missing The NYPD is asking the public’s assistance in finding a teen reported missing in Queens Village. Marc Morisseau, 14, of 112-18 Witthoff St., Queens Village, was last seen on Wednesday, Jan. 19, at approximately 10:55 p.m. at his residence. Morriseau is 5-foot-9, 210 lbs, has black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a black North Face coat. Anyone with information in regards to this inci-
dent is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at (800)-577-TIPS. The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Web site at nypdcrimestoppers.com or texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then entering TIP577.
114th Precinct Burglar On The Loose
On Friday, Jan. 7, at approximately 12:15 a.m., a white or Hispanic man, broke open the front door of Nature’s Chemist, located at 23-92 21 St. in Astoria. Once inside, the suspects removed a display of lottery tickets. A short time later, the suspect was captured on video turning in some of those lottery tickets at a different location. The suspect was wearing a red sweatshirt, with a “NY Giants” logo on his chest, black skull hat, black gloves. Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at Police are seeking help in (800)-577-TIPS. The public finding Marc Morisseau, can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime 14, of Queens Village. Stopper s Web site at
nypdcrimestoppers.com or texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then entering TIP577.
site at nypdcrimestoppers.com or texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then entering TIP577.
Sexual Assailant On Thursday, Jan. 20, at 12:30 a.m, a 19-year-old Hispanic woman was walking in the vicinity of 26th Avenue and 2nd Street near Whitey Ford Field in Hallets Cove, when she was approached from behind by the suspect. The suspect pushed her to the ground and sexually assaulted her. The victim fought with the suspect, who took her pocketbook and fled the scene. She was brought to an area hospital where she was treated and released. The suspect is described as a Hispanic man, 18-20 years old, 5-foot-7, 150-160 lbs wearing a blue North Facetype wind breaker, dark pants and dark sneakers. Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at (800)-577TIPS. The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Web
The NYPD is seeking assistance in identifying this suspect wanted for a sexual assault in the Hallets Cove section of Astoria.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO REVEAL YOUR IDENTITY TO HELP SOLVE A CRIME.
Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 7
A Cold Shoulder:
Shivering Tenants Fight ‘Slumlord’ BY SASHA AUSTRIE The low hum of the radiator in Alfred Whitaker’s apartment was an anomaly on Jan. 11. “I got a flu messing around with this apartment,” he said. “This is the first day – period. You only see heat for 10 minutes.” At 91-21 195 St., tenant complaints include leaky ceilings, mold and mildew, vermin, inoperable stovetops and broken ovens.
Left Shivering
Ongoing Problems
Page 8 PRESS of Southeast Queens Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, 2011
Andrew said issues in the building have been ongoing for four years. Including minimal heat, Whitaker has complained to management about a leak in his living room ceiling. The crevice is puckered and he said melting snow is dripping into his living room. In Joseph Iliomme’s apartment, the oven has been inoperable for years;
PRESS Photo by Sasha Austrie
By far, the most common grievance lodged against owner Sutphin Hollis Realty and manager Charlie Krause is the lack of heat. “My oven heated up the apartment more than the heat in the last two months,” said James Andrews, a 16-year tenant. “[Krause] told us all to get heaters.” Andrew said mold and mildew has infiltrated his bathroom and his wife has tried to bleach it out, “but it just comes back.” James and his wife said the heat is on for about 15 to 20 minutes per day. “He is a slumlord,” Andrews said, referring to Krause. Dewery King, Andrew’s neighbor, bolstered the claim of minimal heat throughout the building. “What he is trying to do is save some money,” King said. He added that he has inquired about the heat on several occasions and he was told the heat is managed from the main office. Krause could not be reached for comment.
Dilapidated ceilings reveal poorly-insulated pipes and exposed wires (above). These sorts of hole riddled ceilings are the norm, according to residents (inset).
when it is turned on, it only emits an odor. Also, the door to the apartment can only be opened from the inside, he has a bulging ceiling, bed bugs, no smoke detector and no carbon monoxide monitor. His wife has had to repaint their unit. “This needs to be fixed,” Iliomme said. “They don’t come and check.” Antoine McKnight, a tenant since Oct. 15, 2010, said the falling temperatures kept him out of his home for days. “I couldn’t even stay here because there is no heat,” said McKnight, who also has a broken window in his bedroom and had to repaint the apartment and door. Like many residents, he has
been using his oven to heat his apartment. Since the mercury dropped, his electric bill has more than tripled. McKnight said initially his bill was about $23 a month, but it has now increased to $83.99. McKnight’s neighbor, Nelson Guzman, said his windows and door do not close properly. “We really need attention,” he said. “I’m afraid to leave my apartment.” Guzman said he has come home to see his door open on three occasions. His ceiling leaked for almost two months before it was repaired. Guzman said is concerned about sheetrock dust falling from the ceiling. “Every time the person walks upstairs dust falls from the ceiling,” he said. Guzman said his apartment is also infested with rats and roaches. “I want everything in my apartment right,” he said. “For the amount we pay,
we should have better services.” arie Clery has been unable to bake in her oven for four years. There is also mold in her bathroom and the familiar “no heat” complaint. “Since the winter started, I only found that we have heat last night,” she said recently. “The big storm that we had, we spent it the whole time with no heat.” Jean Constant’s bedroom was outfitted in plastic before Housing Preservation and Development fixed and painted her ceiling. She said that for a year, every time it rained she would cover her bedroom in plastic. “Charlie never do nothing,” she said referring to Krause. Constant said another leak sprouted in the bathroom and though it was fixed, there is still water falling from the ceiling and though off, the shower head drips water.
Unpaid Wages Peter Frederick, the unofficial super of the building, corroborates the tenants’ complaints. “When I walk through the building, it is so cold,” he said. “It is not animals that are staying here. It is people.” Fredrick started working at the building in November and said he has only been paid $40. “How could you have people working for you every day and don’t pay them,” he asked. Though Frederick acknowledges that he did not sign a contract with management or the owner, he has lived in the building rent free since November. He said his nephew, who is the super, asked him to take the job. Frederick said he has renovated two apartments including the one he is occupying. “They think I suppose to work for free and eat wind?” he asked. Frederick said he has had to pawn his jewelry to survive. “I had to sell down to my wedding band to get food to eat,” Frederick said. Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at saustrie@queenspress.com, or (718) 3577400, Ext. 123.
Some tenants are paying their rent, but other The entrances to many apartments at 91-21 195 St. are For some residents, the decay has spread to ancillary parts of apartments, freeloading vermin are an unwelcome but persistent part of life at the buiding. like counter tops. anything but welcoming.
Borough Beat
Finding A Place To Honor Jewish Vets BY JASON BANREY Most Americans cannot fathom the violent clash of war or the terrible experiences of combating foreign enemies in unknown territories. One World War II
The plaque honors the names of Jewish chaplains killed in the line of duty.
veteran remembers one of history’s deadliest conflicts and the appalling treatment he received from both the belligerent adversary and his fellow soldiers, all because he was Jewish. “Anti-Semitism was terrible during WWII,” Seymour Weber recalls when asked about his experiences during the war. “My commanding officer was an anti-Semite.” At the age of 18, Weber was drafted; he served in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944. Weber was unsure if he would return to Queens in one piece after landing in Belgium to defend Western Europe from the Nazis. Despite the physical and emotional tribulations Weber faced while he was abroad, he could not have done it without the comfort of his Jewish chaplain. “My [Jewish] chaplain helped me with the strength to cope,” said Weber. “I saw I wasn’t alone.” In an attempt to establish a memorial that would honor Jewish war chaplains who served in combat, U.S. Rep. Anthony Wiener (D-Kew Gardens) announced legislation he believes will bring about a monument at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C. Currently, Chaplains Hill at Arlington National Cemetery contains memorials honoring Protestant and Catholic chaplains.
“These chaplains who served their country so honorably deserve this memorial just like those of other faiths,” said Weiner. “With this legislation we’re trying to change this.” Military chaplains provide soldiers in the field of duty religious services, offering pastoral care to individuals who are in need of spiritual advice or support during combat. The privately funded memorial will honor 13 Jewish chaplains who were killed while serving overseas during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War with a $30,000 plaque and headstone. Some 23 members of Congress have already co-sponsored the U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner stands with Jewish War proposed memorial and Weiner Veterans, discussing the need to recognize Jewish hopes to have the legislation con- military chaplains. sidered and signed by Congress in time for Jewish Heritage Month this May. tions of Jews and Americans can acknowl“I look forward to the day when I can edge while visiting Arlington National stand with my colleagues and see this Cemetery. memorial unveiled at Arlington National “Although we are still experiencing Cemetery,” Weiner said. anti-Semitism today, why should we be Although Weber is no longer in contact different because we’re Jewish,” said with the chaplain who consoled him Weber. “I can’t wait to visit it.” through tough times, he believes this meReach Intern Jason Banrey at morial will give his friend a permanent jbanrey@queenstribune.com or (718) 357mark in history, one which future genera- 7400, Ext. 128.
Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 9
pix
Pictured l. to r.: Darwin M. Davis, President, BAE; Maria C. Willis, Co-Chair, BAE MLK Luncheon; Carla D. Brown, Chair, BAE MLK Luncheon; Imam El-Hajj Talib Abdur Rashid; DeMarco Morgan, WNBC-TV Anchor and Master of Ceremonies.
Southeast Queens Photos Edited By Harley Benson
Black Agency Executives On Jan. 20, the Black Agency Executives held their 34th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Luncheon and 22nd Annual Founders’ Awards. Recognized as the premier networking event of the season and known for its powerful keynote speakers, the luncheon proudly honored three of the most prominent civil rights organizations in the nation – National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and National Urban League (NUL). Following the awards ceremony, Chair Jacqueline A. Berrien, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, facilitated a panel discussion with Hazel N. Dukes, President, NAACP New York State Conference and Dr. Barbara L. Shaw, Chair, NCNW and Arva Rice, President, New York Urban League.
Page 10 PRESS of Southeast Queens Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, 2011
Pictured l. to r.: Maria C. Willis, Co-Chair, BAE MLK Luncheon; Arva Rice, President, New York Urban League; Dr. Barbara Shaw, Chair, NCNW; Hazel Dukes, President, NYS Conference NAACP; Darwin M. Davis, President, BAE; DeMarco Morgan, WNBC-TV Anchor and Master of Ceremonies.
Pictured l. to r.: Maria C. Willis, Co-Chair, BAE MLK Luncheon; Mary D. Redd, President & CEO, Steinway Child & Family Services; Darwin M. Davis, President, BAE; Carla D. Brown, Chair, BAE MLK Luncheon; Honorable Jacqueline A. Berrien, Chair, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; Honorable Priscilla Hall, NY Supreme Court, Appellate Division.
Black Agency Executives Group with Hazel N. Dukes and Dr. Barbara Shaw
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Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 11
Parker Jewish Institute for
Profile
Clearing Snags On Road To College BY SASHA AUSTRIE There were moments in Christavious McAllister’s life when his mother wondered, “Would he survive? Would he accomplish his dreams? Had she made the right decisions for him?” As his mother, she will never stop worrying about his well being, but these days the anxiety has subsided slightly. On Saturday, Jan. 15, Lakit a Middlebrooks drove her oldest son to Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica. McAllister’s road to college was not paved in gold, but his determination and her guidance brought him to his dream. “He always wanted to go to college,” she said. Middlebrooks, originally from Atlanta, said she flirted with the idea of moving to New York for a decade. A souring marriage finally gave her the push needed to move. “I wanted a new atmosphere,” she said. “I moved here to start over. Though both her father and grandfather lived in New York City, Middlebrooks chose to move into a shelter. She simply did not want to burden her family. Of her seven children, only four made the journey north. McAllister and two of his siblings decided to stay in Atlanta.
Christavious McAllister’s journey to college was full of tremendous obstacles, which he overcame with the help of his mother Lakita Middlebrooks. McAllister chose to live with his grandaunt. In a matter of months, McAllister joined his mother. “Things weren’t working out with him and my aunt,” she said. The transition was trying. High school
is a challenge for any teenager, but compound that with being supplanted from home and living in a shelter can make the situation impossible. Middlebrooks said McAllister chose to attend W. H. Maxwell Career and Technical Education High School because of their computer program. Because of a variety of educational requirements, McAllister spent the last two years of his high school career going to school at least six days a week and at least 10 hours a day. She said even with his hectic schedule, he still kept a robust athletic agenda. He was on the basketball, baseball and bowling teams. Within three weeks of moving into the shelter, she found a job. Within three months, she moved to a three bedroom apartment in Far Rockaway. The second move in less than a year started to evoke changes in McAllister. Middlebrooks said at first he was determined and diligent, but the commute and his surroundings started weighing on him. “He started getting lazy,” she said. Then she questioned her decision to uproot him from his home. “Sometimes he would throw it up in my face,” Middlebrooks said. The worst was yet to come. She experienced every parent’s nightmare.
Middlebrooks received a call that her son was shot in the chest. “I couldn’t actually really believe it,” she said. “It was just so hard.” Her worries turned into triumph when McAllister graduated on June 25 of last year. When she left him at his dorm on Saturday, she was grateful that he achieved his goal. “It felt wonderful,” Middlebrooks said. McAllister’s future does not end at Mohawk. He is planning on transferring to a school in Atlanta after two years at the community college. “He got it planned,’ she said. “Thank God.” Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at saustrie@queenspress.com, or (718) 3577400, Ext. 123.
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Page 12 PRESS of Southeast Queens Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, 2011
People The New York Lottery announced the names of area Lottery players who claimed a winning ticket from one of the Lottery’s live drawings between Dec. 26, 2010 and Jan. 1, 2011. The following winners each received a cash prize valued at $10,000 or more. Maria Karlovic of Flushing who won $10,000 on the Mega Millions drawing of Dec. 24. Karlovic’s winning ticket was purchased at the Unirx at 41-06 162nd St in Flushing. Anthony Reid of Springfield Gardens who won $10,000 on the Mega Millions drawing of Dec. 24. Reid’s winning ticket was purchased at the Ronnie Ron Deli at 13447 Springfield Blvd in Springfield Gardens. David Singh of Bellerose who won $250,000 on the Mega Millions drawing of Oct. 29. Singh’s winning ticket was purchased at the Thai Ceong Salad at 455 Fulton St in Brooklyn. Several area residents have been named to the President’s and Deans’ lists for the fall semester at SUNY Oswego. Showing academic achievement, with their major and honor in parentheses, are: Hannah M. McHale of Belle Harbor, a sophomore (history, Deans’ List). Anthony Aggrey of Floral Park, a freshman (biology, Deans’ List). Yan Chen of Flushing, a sophomore (finance, President’s List). Elaine Wu of Fresh Meadows, a junior (public relations, Deans’ List).
Shannon M. Hatton of Glendale, a senior (elementary education, Deans’ List). Emmanuel Ezenwa of Hollis, a senior (psychology, Deans’ List). Elizabeth Reytblat of Jackson Heights, a senior (human development, Deans’ List). Castelli Laflotte of Jamaica, a junior (biology, Deans’ List). Ezeleni Herrera of Long Island City, a freshman (sociology, Deans’ List). Shuave L. Jackson of Long Island City, a freshman (elementary education, Deans’ List). Stephanie Leung of Maspeth, a freshman (undeclared, Deans’ List). Brittany L. Mischner of Oakland Gardens, a junior (elementary education, Deans’ List). Antonio J. Troina of Oakland Gardens, a senior (biology, Deans’ List). Rebecca A. Laghezza of Oakland Gardens, a sophomore (secondary education, Deans’ List). Annibel A. Tejada of Ozone Park, a freshman (psychology, President’s List). Esthefania Rodriguez of Ozone Park, a sophomore (human development, Deans’ List). Anant K. Rangan of Rego Park, a senior (political science, President’s List). Kevin G. Leonard of Rockaway Park, a senior (English, Deans’ List). Brianna K. Daley of Rosedale, a sophomore (broadcasting and mass communication, Deans’ List). Nadia D. Misir of South Ozone Park,
a freshman (global and international studies, President’s List). Steffi N. Salazar of Woodside, a junior (psychology, Deans’ List). John Valencia of Woodside, a sophomore (operations management and information systems, management information systems, Dean’s List). Morrisville State College recently announced that Marcus Figaro of Rosedale was named to the President’s List for the fall 2010 semester, and was among students to graduate from Morrisville State College in December. Morrisville State College recently announced those students who were named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2010 semester. Tracy Picardo, a resident of Long Island City; Veronica Yuqui, a resident of Sunnyside; Merkis Cabrera, a resident of East Elmhurst; Nicole Williams, a resident of Queens; Oladipo Famuyiwa, a resident of Queens Village; Dwight Cox, a resident of Jamaica; Bismark Appiah, a resident of Arverne and James Smyth, a resident of Breezy Point. The Scholars Academy Lady Seawolves basketball team, having a fantastic season, defeated Far Rockaway High School on Wednesday, Jan. 19. Senior Rebecca Moers scored a game high 25 points. Out of 9 field goals, 7 were 3pointers. Moers also added 7 assists. Se-
nior Kristin D’chiutiis had a doubledouble with 15 points and 10 assists, and senior Fallon Mullen scored 11 points and had 6 rebounds. With this win the girls improved their record to 11-0, and sit in first place in the Queens B East Davison. On the boys’ side, the Scholars’ Academy Seawolves hosted Flushing International High School on Jan.y 18, their final meeting of the 2010-2011 season. The Seawolves took control of the game early and did not look back. The Seawolves received outstanding play from Captain Lawrence Johnson who had a game high 16 points and brought the crowd to its feet with two key blocks. Sophomore Casey Shamloo added 11 points and was key on defense. Another top performer, Brian Despot scored 7 points. The Seawolves went on to victory, defeating FIS 48-41. Come out and support The Seawolves at their next, and last home game of the season, as they take on Renaissance High School on Feb. 28. —Robert DeVita
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A&E
New Studio LLC Exhibit At JCAL The Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning announced a special exhibition that will be held at its gallery space Jan. 26 to March 26, celebrating the work of the artists who have participated in the pilot year of its Studio LLC program.
The year-long program was created in 2010 and is designed to provide up-andcoming artists with guidance on how to establish and run an art studio as a business. The 20 participants in the program, who were required to be under 30 years
Lunar New Year Plans At Flushing Town Hall Of all the traditional Chinese holidays, Lunar New Year is the most important. That's why Flushing Town Hall is offering a full slate of exceptional programming in January and February to celebrate The Year of The Rabbit that cannot be found anywhere else. And, as an added bonus, these programs are low or no cost, helping the community to enjoy them without any financial stress. Saturday, Jan. 29, 2 p.m. Lantern Making/Open House FREE Lantern Festivals are celebrated in many Asian countries. We invite participants of all cultural backgrounds to share their country's traditional lantern-making techniques, and learn about lanterns made in other countries. Make a lantern to take home and one to decorate Flushing Town Hall. Sunday, Jan. 30, 1 p.m. Workshop: Dance With Sounds of Korea Ticket Prices: $6 Non-Member Adults/$3 Children (Members free with tickets to 2:15 p.m. show) For Families: Move to the rhythms of salmunori percussion and learn the celebratory P'oong-m'ul Nori, otherwise known as the Farmers' Dance from members of Sounds of Korea.
Opening Saturday, Feb. 5, and running through Thursday, March 31 Gallery Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 125 p.m. Exhibition: Culture Blending in Ceramic Arts Suggested Admission: $5/ Members free Lunar New Year kicks off with a vibrant presentation of Culture Blending in Ceramic Arts, a program of Queens College's Year of China. Works created by contemporary ceramic artists from across the U.S. are heavily influenced
Sunday, Feb. 6, 2 p.m. Make A Clay Rabbit Ticket Prices: $5 It's the Lunar Year of the Rabbit! Make a clay rabbit to take home with international ceramic artist and curator Sin-ying Ho. Saturday, Feb. 12, 1 p.m. Lunar New Year Dance Sampler Free An annual Favorite! A sampler of spectacular dance performances from Korea, India, Thailand, Taiwan, and China. Presented by the NY Institute of Culture and the Arts. Curated by Dr. Hsing Lih Chou. Friday, Feb. 18, 8 p.m. Victor Lin Quartet Ticket Prices: $20/$16 Members/$10 Students with I.D. Virtuosic jazz pianist Victor Lin performs regularly at Manhattan's Knickerbocker where he showcases his skills on both the violin and piano. First generation Chinese-American composer and educator, Lin studied under Kenny Barron and has performed at Lincoln Center's Out-ofDoors, Bryant Park, and Blue Note. Friday, Feb. 25, 8 p.m. Hey Rim Jeon Quartet Ticket Prices: $20/$16 Members/$10 Students with I.D. International jazz pianist and composer Hey Rim Jeon will be presented at Flushing Town Hall with her band "Hey Rim Jeon & Friends" featuring Tim Mayer on saxophones, Greg Holt on bass, and J. Curtis Warner Jr. on drums. Ms. Jeon will be performing jazz standards and original compositions from her latest CD "Mona Lisa Puzzle." Mona Lisa Puzzle won the Best Jazz Album Category in the 2009 New England Urban Music Awards and reached CD Baby's top 10 modern creative jazz albums list. Described as a "brilliant pianist" by legendary saxophonist Benny Golson, Jeon has been featured on NBC's "Weekend Today in New York", and a recent documentary special broadcast on KBN, Korea’s National TV network channel. For information, visit f lushingtownhall.org, or call the Box Office: (718) 463-7700, Ext. 222.
gram and exhibition is provided by the New York Community Trust. For almost 40 years, the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning has served as an arts oasis in a section of NYC where cultural opportunities are extremely limited. Created in 1972 as part of an effort to revitalize Jamaica, JCAL has earned a reputation for inspiring youth to take an interest in the arts, showcasing the talents of up and coming local artists and performers and creating dynamic multicultural programs and workshops that have been embraced by the community. Each year, tens of thousands of visitors of all ages, backgrounds and skill sets pass through its doors each year to attend classes and workshops, view art exhibitions, attend performances or immerse themselves in an art residency. To learn more, go to jcal.org or call (718) 658-7400.
Haitian Song Queen Comes To Queens Site The Queen of Haitian Song, Emeline Michel, will bring the Haitian Mass Choir with her for a special concert at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center this Saturday, Jan. 29, at 8 p.m. Michel combines traditional rhythms with social and political content. Her broad palette of musical styles includes the native Haitian compas, twoubadou and rara. A versatile singer and songwriter, Michel inspires and mesmerize audiences. Jamaica Performing Arts Center is located at 153-10 Jamaica Ave. Tickets are $25, $20 for World Music Institute members. They can be purchased at the theater, by calling the box office at (718) 618-6170 or by going to jamaicaperformingartscenter.org.
Emeline Michel, the “Queens of Haitian Song.”
Cosby Comes To Boro The Museum Of The Moving Image in consecutive years, and was credited with Astoria presents an evening with Bill reviving the sitcom, as well as NBC, while Cosby on Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m. also changing the stereotypical percepCosby is one of the most influential and tion of African-Americans. Cosby created successful performers and crethe successful series "A Difative figures in television hisferent World" (1987-1993), a tory. "I Spy," which debuted in spinoff of The Cosby Show 1965 during the height of the starring Lisa Bonet as Denise Civil Rights movement, was Huxtable, a student at a ficthe first network series with a tional black college. black actor in a leading role. It Bill Cosby has also had tremade Cosby one of the most mendous success as a comepopular actors in television. dian, movie actor, educator, Cosby then starred as Los musician, and activist. He will Angeles gym teacher Chet be interviewed by the Kincaid in "The Bill Cosby Bill Cosby will be at the Museum's chief curator, Show" (1969-1971), the first Museum of the Moving David Schwartz black sitcom to provide a Image on Feb. 15. Tickets are $30, $20 for genuine portrayal of middlemuseum members, free for Silclass life for African-Americans, as well ver Screen members and above. To buy adas Asian and Hispanic Americans. "The vance tickets online go to movingimage.us Cosby Show" (1984-1992), about the or call (718) 777-6800. The Museum Of The Huxtables, an affluent family living in Moving Image is located at 35th Avenue at Brooklyn, was the top-rated show for five 37th Street in Astoria.
Jan. 28 Feb. 3, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 13
Sunday, Jan. 30, 2:15 p.m. Sounds of Korea Ticket Prices: $12/$10 Members/$8 children/$6 Member Children For Families: The mesmerizing "Fan Dance" and "Drums of Ecstasy" are among the dazzling and engaging repertoire of Sounds of Korea. Under the direction of Sue Yeon Park, noted master artist and recent recipient of the NEA National Fellowship Heritage Award, their beautifully crafted instruments and colorful costumes play an integral role in this stunning production.
by China's 5,000 year history of ceramics. Explore a new path from the Silk Road to the Statue of Liberty.
of age and to have completed a degree within the last three years, met once a month for a series of seminars given by artists, arts administrators and curators. Topics included networking throughout the art community, marketing art work to galleries, tips on portfolio preparation, insurance, tax considerations and securing a viable studio space. "Not only does their work represent a cross-section of the diverse artistic practices currently co-existing in the New York art world, but it represents the point of view of a specific generation," Guest Curator Louise Barry said of the participants in this year's Studio LLC program. The exhibition is titled "Year Zero," referencing the experience of starting from the beginning and building something new - an experience shared by both these young artists and JCAL. Major support for the Studio LLC pro-
Faith
Rev. Norris Passes The Torch To Jr.
BY SASHA AUSTRIE
At Bethesda Missionary Baptist Church of Jamaica, the leadership has shifted. Father and son sit side by side in the pastor’s office. The Rev. Charles Norris Sr., whose stewardship of Bethesda ended last year after four decades, sat in an oversized chair and his son and the Church’s new spiritual leader, the Rev. Charles Norris Jr., sat squarely behind the desk. To honor his father’s service to both Bethesda and the surrounding community, the church is hosting “An Affair To Remember” at Dante Caterers in East Elmhurst. The event will be held from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Feb. 12. For ticket information, call (718) 297-5908. “It is the best thing that could happen to me,” Norris Sr. said. “It isn’t anything I asked for.” Remnants of Norris Sr. are still tacked to the wall, but make no mistake, the baton has been passed. This is not by design, but sheer happenstance.
“I did not want this at all,” Norris Jr. said. He was 18 years old when his father was asked to lead Bethesda. Taking the reins was never a part of Norris Jr.’s plans. He was into music and just happy to play “My place was behind the organ,” he said. He had become a minister of music for a few churches, including Bethesda, but he resisted the call of the pulpit. During his minister of music stints, Norris Jr. felt his spirit was not being fed. He immersed himself in Sunday school at St. John’s Baptist Church in Inwood. With his spirit alive with ministry, his calling became clearer. Yet, he struggled with the decision. In August 1998, Norris Jr. finally answered the call. He would hone his skills at St. John’s, but his first preaching engagement outside of the church was at Bethesda. It was there the urge to go home came back. Another internal skirmish was brewing. A congregant at St. John’s told Norris Jr. she had a dream and he was in
Word “The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never worshipped anything but himself.” –Richard Francis Burton
it. She told him that it was “okay.” He said he told no one that he wrestled with the idea of leaving, but he found validation in a four letter word, “Okay.” Decades before Norris Jr.’s spirit was restless with the need to minister, his father had a similar battle. Norris Sr. had served almost every role short of pastor at the First Baptist Church in Far Rockaway. He too fought the call to minister. He said the preacher who baptized him when he was 12 told his grandmother, “Something is wrong with that boy.” About a year later, the same pastor told him, “You are going to preach one day.” “I shook my finger in his face and said, ‘No, not me,’” Norris Sr. said. The Reverends Charles Norris, Junior and Senior, Though he resisted the urge, he tried at the younger Norris’ ABC Chaplains Ministry his hand at preaching. In 1969, Graduation on July 10, 2010. though he was not ordained, he preached his first sermon at First Baptist. vated and the building is fully air condiHe remembers Saturday, Oct. 11, vividly. tioned. He also takes pride in the food “The church was packed,” he said. program the church hosts. Soon he garnered his license and ordiThough he is pastor emeritus, for the nation from the same pastor who told him congregants, old habits die hard. Norris he would “preach one day.” On May 3, Sr. still has to remind them that there is a 1973, he was elected pastor of Bethesda new shepherd leading Bethesda. after serving as the church’s supply pas“It was a developing process I went tor for seven months. The founder of the through myself,” Norris Sr. said of seeing church died 11 months after it began. his son take the lead. “It takes a lot off my “To be here this length of time was shoulders and it makes me feel good to just a joy to do it,” he said. know that I can send [worshippers] to Norris Sr. said he is proud of his ac- him and know it will get done.” complishments. Under his stewardship, Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at the church edifice has been completely saustrie@queenspress.com, or (718) 357paid off, the sanctuary has been reno- 7400, Ext. 123.
Notebook Hillcrest HS
Hillcrest Journalist Writing Historic Novel Page 14 PRESS of Southeast Queens Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, 2011
BY BOB HARRIS Parbattie Narainram is a junior at Hillcrest HS who lives in Richmond Hill and is a reporter on the staff of the school newspaper, The Highlighter. She is currently writing a historic romantic novel about an English aristocratic girl who lives in New York City and falls in love with a New Yorker in spite of the opposition of her father. She is always writing because
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last year, as part of her participation in the Model UN program, she won an award for her position paper representing Denmark. As a member of Hillcrest’s Humanities Institute, she has joined the High Arts Society and with the other students helps duplicate famous art work on the walls and ceilings of the rooms of the Humanities Complex using charcoal and paint. They have duplicated works of art such as Dante’s Inferno, Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel and Egyptian figures. She learned how to paint using different media after her sophomore year internship at MOMA, where she learned to use various media under guidance of animator Tim Burton and other artists. She is also in the Knitting Club at Hillcrest and volunteers in the Sanatan Dharm Mandir of New York, where she sings and dances. Narainram attends law classes at Columbia University on Saturdays and wants to study law and become a paralegal.
Among other interests, Hillcrest junior Parbattie Narainram hopes to pen a historic novel.
Queens Today SECTION EDITOR: REGINA VOGEL
Send typed announcements for your club or organization’s events at least TWO weeks in advance to “Queens Today” Editor, Queens Tribune, 174-15 Horace Harding Expressway, Fresh Meadows, NY 11365. Send faxes to 357-9417, c/o Regina. IF YOUR ORGANIZATION MEETS ON A REGULAR BASIS, SEND ALL DATES FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.
DANCE COUNTRY WESTERN Saturday, January 22 San Antones perform. Saturday, February 12 Mary Lamont performs at the Valentine’s Day Dance. The NY Metropolitan Country Music Association. $12. Glendale Memorial Building, 72-02 Myrtle Avenue at 7:30. 7634328. ISRAELI FOLK Mondays 7:30-10:00 at Hillcrest Jewish Center, 18202 Union Turnpike. $10 session. 380-4145. LINE DANCING Mondays 6:30-9:30 at Kowalinski Post 4, 61-57 Maspeth Avenue. $7. Cake and coffee. 565-2259.
ENVIRONMENT GLOBAL WARMING 101 Saturday, January 29 at Alley Pond Environmental Center. 229-4000. Explore and understand the phenomenon of Global Warming.
SENIORS
CHESS CLUB Saturdays at the Flushing library at 2. TEEN TUTORING Saturdays, January 29, February 5, 12, 19, 26 at the Bayside library at 10. KNIT & CROCHET Mondays at the Douglaston/ Little Neck library at 4. TEEN TUTORING Mondays, January 31, February 7, 14, 28 at the Bayside library at 3:30. TEEN MANGA CLUB Monday, January 31 at the Peninsula library at 4. LAPTOPS Mondays, January 31, February 7, 14 at the Hollis library at 4:30. TEEN CHESS CLUB Mondays, January 31, February 7, 14, 28 at the Bayside library at 6. BOOK BUDDIES Tuesdays, February 1, 8, 15, 22 at the Hillcrest library at 3:30. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Tuesdays, February 1, 8, 15, 22 at the Baisley Park librar y. Register. LAPTOPS Tuesdays, Februar y 1, 8, 15 learn how to use a laptop at 4:30 at the Hollis library. LAPTOPS Wednesdays, February 2, 9, 16 learn how to use a laptop at 4:30 at the Hollis library. CHESS Wednesdays at 3:30 at the Queens Village library. CROCHET Wednesday, February 2 at the Astoria library at 4, Bayside library at 3. GAMES Wednesday, February 2 at the Central library at 4. GAMING FUN Wednesday, February 2 at the Lefrak Cit y library at 4. GAME DAY Wednesday, February 2 at the St. Albans library at 4. POETRY CLUB Wednesday, February 2 at the Langston Hughes library at 4:15. TEEN GAME Wednesday, February 2 at the Kew Gardens Hills library at 4:30. DRAMA POSSE Thursdays, February 3, 10, 17, 24 at the Hillcrest library at 3. LAPTOPS Thursdays, February 3, 10, 17, 24 learn how to use a laptop at 4:30 at the Hollis library. GIRL SCOUTS Thursday, February 3 at the Queens Village library at 4. CHINESE NEW YEAR Thursday, February 3 at the Briarwood library at 4. HAPPY HOUR Fridays, February 4, 11, 18, 25 at the Flushing library at 3. GAME PLAYERS Fridays at the Hillcrest library at 2. SCULPTURE WORKSHOP Friday, February 4 at the Far Rockaway library at 4. PROM Friday, February 4 do-ityourself prom: The Basics at the LIC library. Sewing program at 4. GAMES
Friday, February 4 at the Seaside library at 4. BOOK BUDDIES Fridays, February 4, 11, 18 at the Bayside library at 4. WII SPORTS Friday, February 4 at the Lefrak Cit y library at 4:30. PLANT PROJECT Fridays, February 4, 11 Intergenerational Plant Project at the Hollis library. Register.
PARENTS BOARD OF TRUSTEES February 2, May 4, June 1 the Renaissance Charter School’s Board of Trustees meet at 6:30. 803-0060. OPEN HOUSES Tuesday, Februar y 15 at 6 and Tuesday, March 15 at 9 at the Renaissance Charter School. 803-0060, ext. 106
MEETINGS BEREAVEMENT New bereavement group forming at the Forest Hills Jewish Center. 263-7000, ext. 223 for information. FRESH MEADOW CAMERA Tuesdays the Fresh Meadows Camera Club meets. 917-612-3463. AMERICAN LEGION Tuesday s, Februar y 1, 15, March 1, 15 Edward McKee Post 131 meets in Whitestone. 767-4323. BEREAVEMENT Wednesday, February 2, Tuesday, Februar y 15 Bereavement Support Group at Holy Family Catholic Church, 175-20 174 th Street, Fresh Meadows t 7:30. 969-2448. FLUSHING CAMERA Wednesdays, February 2, 16, March 2, 16, 30 Flushing Camera Club meets at Flushing Hospital at 7:15. 479-0643. TOASTMASTERS Wednesdays, February 2, 16, March 2, 16 learn the art of public speaking at the Voices of Rochdale Toastmasters Club in Jamaica. 9780732. KNIGHTS OF PY THIAS Wednesdays, February 2, 16, March 2, 16 Queensview Lodge 433 meets in Whitestone. 917-754-3093. WOMANSPACE Wednesdays Womanspace, a discussion group devoted to issues concerning women, meets 1-3 at the Great Neck Senior Center, 80 Grace Avenue. New members welcome. QUEENS CENTRAL ROTARY Thursdays 6:30-8:30 Come learn if Rotary is for you. 465-2914. ART LEAGUE Friday, February 4 the National Art League presents a demonstration by Multi-Media artist Susie Gach Peele at 8 at the league, 44-21 Douglaston Parkway. Public invited. WOMAN’S GROUP Fridays the Woman’s Group of Jamaica Estates meets at noon. Call 461-3193 for information.
QUEENS LIBRARIES Many branches of the Queensborough Library offer toddler and pre-school programs. Contact your local branch for dates. SNOWPEOPLE Saturday, January 29 parents and 3-4 year olds participate at Alley Pond Environmental Center. 2294000. TEEN TUTORING Saturdays, January 29, February 5, 12, 19, 26 at the Bayside library at 10. MATH HELP Saturdays at the Flushing library at 10. SCIENCE LAB Saturdays, January 29, February 5, 12, 19, 26 at the Central library at 11. CHESS CLUB Saturdays at the Flushing library at 2. S TORY TIMES Saturdays at 11 and Tuesdays at 10:30 weekly story times at 7 at Barnes & Noble, 1 7 6 - 6 0 Un i o n Tu r n p i k e , Fresh Meadows. KNIT & CROCHET Mondays at 4 at the Douglaston/Little Neck lib ra r y. B r i n g n e e d l e s a n d yarn. AFTERSCHOOL TIME Mondays, January 31, February 7, 28 at the Arverne library for those 7 and over. CRAFT KIDS Monday, January 31 at the Flushing library at 3. TEEN TUTORING Mondays, January 31, February 7, 14, 28 at the Bayside library at 3:30. LITTLE TOT TIME Monday, January 31 at the Hillcrest library at 4. HOMEWORK HELP Weekdays at the Lefrak Cit y library at 3. Call 592-7677 to confirm. SEA MONSTERS Tuesday, February 1 at the LIC library at 1. BOOK BUDDIES Tuesdays, February 1, 8, 15, 22 at 3:30 at the Hillcrest library. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Tuesdays, February 1, 8, 15, 22 at the Baisley Park library. Register. CHINESE NEW YEAR Tuesday, Februar y 1 story and craft at 4 at the Central library. BOOST READING Tuesday, February 1 at the McGoldrick library at 5. CHESS Wednesdays at the Queens Village library at 3:30. STORY & CRAFT Wednesday, February 2 stories and crafts for toddlers at 10:30 at the Bay Terrace library. CRAFTS Wednesday, February 2 crafts for those 2-4 at the Steinway library at 11. First come, first served. BABY CRAWL Wednesday, February 2 at the Forest Hills library at 1:30. For those 4-17 months. STORY TIME Wednesday, February 2 Kindergarten story time at the Bellerose library. Register. CROCHETING
Wednesday, February 2 at the Bayside library. Register. CHINESE NEW YEAR Wednesday, February 2 for those 3 and up at the East Flushing library. Register. GAMING Wednesday, February 2 at the Lefrak Cit y library at 4. TRIVIA FOR KIDS Wednesday, February 2 at the Seaside library at 4. GAME DAY Wednesday, February 2 at the St. Albans library at 4. BANANA RACE Wednesday, February 2 at the Steinway library at 4. CHINESE NEW YEAR Wednesday, February 2 at the Hillcrest library. Register. DISCOVER SCIENCE Wednesday, February 2 at the McGoldrick library at 5. ARTS & CRAFTS Thursdays, February 3, 10, 17, 24 at the Auburndale library. MYSTERIES Thursday, February 3 twominute mysteries at the Bay Terrace library at 3:30. CHINESE NEW YEAR Thursday, February 3 at the Briarwood library at 4, LIC library register, Ridgewood library at 4. AFRICAN-AMER. DANCE Thursday, February 3 at the Cambria Heights library at 4. AFTERSCHOOL TIME Thursdays, February 3, 10, 17, 24 at 3 at the Arverne library. GIRL SCOUTS Thursday, February 3 at 4 at the Queens Village library. NUTRITION WORKSHOP Thursdays, February 3, 10, 17, 24 at the Cambria Heights library. Register. AFRICAN TALES Thursday, February 3 at the Hillcrest library at 4:30. GEOGRAPHY TRIVIA Thursday, February 3 at the Steinway library at 4:30. LEARN MAGIC Thursday, February 3 at the Woodhaven library at 4:30. ARTS & CRAFTS Thursday, February 3 at the McGoldrick library. Register. CHESS CLUB Fridays at the Poppenhusen library at 3:30. GAME DAY Fridays at 3:30 at the Queens Village library. GAME PLAYERS CLUB Fridays at the Hillcrest library at 4. PLANT PROJECT Fridays, February 4, 11 Intergenerational Plant Project at the Hollis library. Register. GAME TIME Fridays at the Windsor Park library at 4. CHESS CLUB Fridays at the Douglaston/ Little Neck library. Register. FAMILY STORY TIME Friday, February 4 at the Seaside library at 11. PRESCHOOL CRAFTS Friday, February 4 at the Sunnyside library. Register. DRAMA WORKSHOP Friday, February 4 at the C a m b r i a H e i g h t s l i b ra r y. Register. ARTS & CRAFTS Friday, February 4 at the
East Flushing library. Register. BOOK BUDDIES Friday, February 4 at the Fresh Meadows library at 4. AFRICAN AMER. SONGS Friday, February 4 at the Langston Hughes library at 4. GAMING FUN Friday, February 4 at the Lefrak Cit y library at 4. CRAFTERNOONS Friday, February 4 at the Ridgewood library. Register. GAMES Friday, February 4 at the Seaside library at 4. WII SPORTS Friday, February 4 at the Lefrak Cit y library at 4:30. GAME DAY Friday, February 4 at the Woodhaven library at 4:30. BOOK BUDDIES Fridays, February 4, 11, 18 at the Bayside library at 4. FAMILY STORY TIME Saturday, February 5 at the Flushing library at 11. KIDS’ THEATER Saturdays, February 5-April 9 LaMicro Children’s Theater Workshop at the Sunnyside library. Register.
EXHIBIT QUEENS HISTORICAL Tu e s d ay s , S a t u r d ay s a n d Sundays 2:30-4:30 new exhibit “For Love of the Games: A History of Sports in Queens,” with other exhibits, “Unraveling History: Using Textiles to Date the Past,” “Kingsland: From Homestead to House Museum,” “Persistence: A Celebration of Landmarks in Queens – Past, Present, Future,” and “The Civil War’s La sting Memory.” Queens H i s to r i c a l Societ y at Kingsland Homestead, 1443 5 3 7 th a v e n u e , F l u s h i n g . 939-0647, ext. 17. $2 seniors and students, $3 adults. AMER. CIVIL RIGHTS Through Januar y “A Journey I Stone and Wood,” sculptures by Thompson Roth. QCC Art Gallery. 631-6396. NAL STUDENTS Through January 29 National Art League Students’ Art Exhibition at the league, 44-21 Douglaston Parkway. Monday through Thursday 14 and weekends 1-3. Free. SMALL WORKS January 31 through February 26 at the National Art League, 33-21 Douglaston Parkway. Monday-Thursday and Saturday 1-4. Free. NY REGIONAL AESTHETICS January 29 through June 30 “ E x p re s s : Lo c a l / N ew Yo r k Regional Aesthetics” at the Queens College Art Center. 997-3770. FLUSHING COUNCIL Through September 2011 “Within the Emperor’s Gard e n : ” T h e Te n T h o u s a n d Springs Pavilion.” Permanent displays include “Jazz Live!”, “Flushing Town Hall:” Fact or Folklore,” an historical exhibition on Flushing Town Hall and its place in history, “Legends of the Queens Jazz Trail” 463-7700.
Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 15
FREE LUNCH Saturdays, January 29, February 26, March 26 at Church of the Resurrection in Kew Gardens. 847-2649 reservations. AARP 3654 Tu e s d a y s , F e b r u a r y 1 , March 1, April 5, May 3 AARP chapter 3654 meets in Bayside. 423-4237. STARS Wednesdays, February 2, 9, 16, 23 at 10:30 at the Hollis library and Fridays, February 4, 11, 18, 25 at 10:30 at the Queens Village library. Senior Theater Acting Repertory meets. TAX HELP Wednesday, February 2 at the Broad Channel library at 1. Register in advance. STAY WELL Wednesdays at 10:15 at the East Elmhurst library for exercise and other health related programs. WOMANSPACE Wednesdays Womanspace, a discussion group devoted to issues concerning women, meets 1-3 at the Great Neck Senior Center, 80 Grace Avenue. New members welcome. TAX HELP Thursday, February 3 at the Fresh Meadows library at 1.
YOUTH
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Queens Today EDUCATION/GAMES/CRAFTS AWARENESS One-on-one discussion on Awareness Building (Get Back to Work ASAP) with the C Network in Forest Hills. 263-3501. INTRO FACEBOOK Saturday, January 29 at the LIC library at 10. PUBLIC SPEAKING Saturdays, January 29, February 5, 19 learn to communicate effectively at Elmhurst Hospital. 646-436-7940. US CITIZENSHIP Saturdays, January 29, February 5, 12 Pathway to US Citizenship at 2:30 at the Jackson Heights library. SCRABBLE CLUB Saturdays at 10 at Count Basie Jr. HS, 132 nd Street and Guy R. Brewer Blvd. 8865236. PET OWNERS Sundays (not on holidays) from 1-4 free workshops on pet behavior at Crocheron Park in Bayside (weather permitting). 454-5800. KNIT & CROCHET Mondays at the Douglaston/ Little Neck library at 4. DRAWING CLASS Mondays at the National Art League in Douglaston. 3610628. ADULT CHESS Mondays and Thursdays at the Queens Village library at 5:30. BALLROOM DANCE
Mondays, January 31, February 7, 14 Standard Ballroom Dance and Waltz Class at the Flushing library. Register. BALLROOM DANCE Mondays, January 31, February 7, 14, 28 Ballroom Dancing with Jing Chen at the Forest Hills library at 6:30. COMPUTER CLASS Tuesdays, February 1, 8, 15, 22 at the Arverne library at 10. COMPUTER CLASS Tuesdays at the Sunnyside library. Register. KNIT & CROCHET Tuesdays at the Windsor Park library at 2. SCRABBLE CLUB Tuesdays at the East Flushing library at 3:30. GET YOUR YARNS OUT! Tuesdays after evening Minyan at 8, knitters, crocheters, needlepointers, and others meet at the Forest Hills Jewish Center. 263-7000, ext. 200. INTRO COMPUTERS Tuesday, February 1 at the Peninsula library. Register. MICROSOFT WORD Tuesday, February 1 at the McGoldrick library. Register. BASIC COMPUTERS Tuesday, February 1 at the Astoria, Glendale and LIC libraries. Register. AFRICAN ART
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GOLDILOCKS Saturday, January 29 Goldilocks and the Three Bears at Queens Theatre in the Park. 760-0064. PEKING OPERA Saturday, January 29 at the Flushing library at 2. JOHNNY MERCER Saturday, January 29 tribute to Johnny Mercer featuring Diane Hoffman at 3 at the Bayside library. BACK TO THE 60S Saturday, January 29 Ron Dante, Sonny Geraci and Dennis Tu fano per form at Queensborough Communit y College. 631-6311. STAMP SHOW Sundays, January 30, February 27, March 27 at the Ramada Inn, 220-33 Northern Blvd., Bayside. Free. 104:30. BOWLING Sunday, January 30 Clergy United for Communit y Empowerment, Inc. sponsors a Fa m i l y T h a t “ P l ays” To ge ther…Bowling Extravaganza at JIB Lanes in Flushing. 2970720. FOLK INFLUENCES Sunday, January 30 musical cultures from around the world at Church in the Gardens, 50 Ascan Avenue, Forest Hills at 5. $20. MOVIE & TALK Mondays the Friends of Pomonok present a movie
and discussion. Bring lunch. 1 at the Pomonok library. BINGO Tuesdays at 7:15 at American Mart yrs Church, church basement, 216-01 Union Tu r n p i k e , B a y s i d e . 4 6 4 4 5 8 2 . Tu e s d ay s at 7:15 (doors open 6) at the Rego Park Jewish Center, 97-30 Queens Blvd. 459-1000.$3 admission includes 12 games. BIG BAND SINGERS Thursday, February 3 music of the big band singers with Peter J. LaRosa at 2 at the Mitchell-Linden library. MUSIC STYLES Thursday, February 3 a kaleidoscope of music featuring Carl and Teri-Ann at 6 at the Bayside library. VIOLIN Thursday, February 3 Olga Cacenova performs works by Brahms, Ravel and more at 6:30 at the Forest Hills library. HOUSE MUSIC Thursday, February 3 listen to and learn about the elements and the history of this genre at 6:30 at the Steinway library. MOVIE BASED ON BOOK Friday, February 4 “Memoirs of a Geisha.” Friday, March 4 “The Painted Veil.” Friday, April 1 “To Kill a M o c k i n g b i r d . ” Wa t c h a movie based on a book at 2 at the Flushing library.
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COFFEEHOUSE Saturday, February 5 at the Forest Hills Jewish Center. 263-7000. MENTALIST Saturday, February 5 internationally acclaimed mentalist David Levitan will entertain at 7:30 at Temple Tikvah in New Hyde Park. $20 advance, $25 at the door. 516746-1120. KENNY BARON Saturday, February 5 at 7 at York College. $20, $10 students, seniors. 262-3750. AMER. SONGBOOK Saturday, February 5 Arnie Gruber and the Great American Songbook – Porter, Kern and Gershwin at 2 at the Forest Hills library. HARLEM Saturday, February 5 Harlem on My Mind with the Xoregos Performing Company at 2 at the Peninsula library. MARACATU NY Sunday, February 6 concert at the Central library at 3. CONCERT ORGANIST Sunday, February 6 concert organist Katherine Meloan performs at 4 at the Communit y Church of Douglaston. 229-2169 tickets. LANGSTON HUGHES Saturday, February 12 annual Langston Hughes celebration starting at 11 at the Langston Hughes library.
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Tuesday, February 1 African Art and Design craft workshop at 2 at the Hillcrest library. RECORDING STUDIO Tu e s d ay, F e b r u a r y 1 Re cording Studio Workshop: Audio Engineering, Editing and Mixing at the Far Rockaway library at 3:30. DUPLICATE BRIDGE Wednesdays 10:30-3:00 at the Reform Temple of Forest Hills. $12 session, includes light lunch. 261-2900. WATERCOLOR CL ASS Wednesdays at 9:30 at NAL. Traditional and contemporary, all levels. 969-1128. INDOOR SOCCER – DADS Wednesday evenings at the Forest Hills Jewish Center. 263-7000. ENGLISH CONVERSATION Wednesday, February 2 at t h e L e f ra k C i t y l i b ra r y a t 10:30. BASIC COMPUTERS Wednesday, February 2 at the Woodside library at 10:30. CAREER POTENTIAL Wednesday, February 2 discover your career potential at 2 at the Central library. CHESS & CHECKERS Wednesday, February 2 at 3 at the Woodside library. All skill levels welcome. CHESS CLUB Thursdays at the East Flushing library. Register.
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Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 17
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What’s Up SATURDAY, JAN. 29 Youth & Tennis The Youth and Tennis group meets every Saturday morning at Roy Wilkins Park Saturday. To learn more, call Bill Briggs at (718) 658-6728.
“Working On My Inner Divatude” The Daughters of Isis Foundation is pleased to present “Working On My Inner Divatude.” This workshop for young girls/ ladies 12-24 years of age will focus on fostering a positive self-esteem, attitude, and developing a plan of action. For additional information, visit thedaughtersofisisfoundation.org, or contact Simone Williams at (347) 731-1721 or isis1995@netzero.com. This free event will be held at the Young Queens Loft, 48-14 Liberty Ave., at noon.
Community Health Fair State Sen. Shirley Huntley and the PTA of PS/MS 156 cordially invite you to a community health fair. Topics to be covered include Diabetes, cardiovascular health, and nutrition. Onsite screening will be provided by the New York University Dental School and the Jamaica Hospital Center asthma unit. Representatives from New York Life’s Child ID Program Children will participate by preparing Picture ID Cards. Parents must be present. For additional information, visit huntley.nysenate.gov or contact Lois Menyweather at (718) 949-1601 or menyweatherl@gmail.com. This free event will be held at P.S./M.S. 156Q, 229-02 137th Ave., from noon to 3 p.m.
Emeline Michel and the Haitian Mass Choir Regarded as the reigning Queen of Haitian Song, Emeline Michel combines traditional rhythms with social and political content. Her broad palette of musical styles includes the native Haitian compas, twoubadou and rara. A versatile singer and songwriter, Emeline Michel inspires and mesmerizes audiences. For more information, contact JPAC at info@jamaica-performingartscenter.org or (718) 618-6170. This event will be held at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center, 153-10 Jamaica Ave. at 8 p.m. Admission is $25.
The event is held at 6 p.m. every Monday at Queens Village Library, 94-11 217 St., (718) 776-6800.
Discover Your Career Potential Take the Career Exploration Inventory, a self-scored, easy-to-use survey guide to choosing a career based on your interests and experiences. This free event will be held at the Queensborough Public Library’s Central Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd. at 7 p.m.
NAACP Meeting The NAACP’s Jamaica branch will hold a meeting in its office, 189-26 Linden Blvd., at 7 p.m.
TUESDAY, FEB. 1 Job Club Every Tuesday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Jamaica Neighborhood Center offers a free service to assist people from Southeast Queens with job-readiness skill sets in writing a professional resume and cover letter; interviewing practices and techniques; applying on-line procedures; elevator pitch and Microsoft Suite 2007. For additional information, contact Lenin Gross, Job Coach, at (718) 739-2060, Ext. 18 or lgrossjnc@yahoo.com. This free event will be held at the Jamaica Neighborhood Center - 161-06 89th Ave.
A Tribute to “Mae Jemison” An African-American physician and a NASA astronaut, Dr. Mae Jemison was the first woman to travel in space. Don’t miss what promises to be a fantastic piece of theatre at the Black Spectrum Theatre. For tickets and info, call (718) 7231800. Tickets available at BSTC and online at http://www.blackspectrum.com. This event will be held at the Black Spectrum Theatre, 177th Street and Baisley at 10:30 a.m. Tickets cost $7.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 2 Lunch In Church Join us for lunch and get refueled, renewed and refilled. This free event is held every Wednesday at noon at the First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, 89-60 164th St. For more information, call (718) 526-4775, Ext. 10. Come just as you are.
A Tribute to “Mae Jemison” Don’t miss the Jamaica YMCA’s Open House. Come on out for free Zumba and Salsa slasses, face painting, arts and crafts, membership registrations (with waived joining fees) and more. The event will be broadcast live over LaMega Radio Station. Call for a full event schedule. For additional information, visit ymcanyc.org/jamaica or contact Sheila Clark-Hawkins at (718) 739-6600 or sclarkhawkins@ymcanyc.org. This free event will be held at the Jamaica YMCA, 89-25 Parsons Blvd., from noon to 4 p.m.
MONDAY, JAN. 31 Adult Chess Club Practice your chess skills weekly, on Monday and Thursday evenings.
See Tuesday’s listing.
Discover Your Career Potential Take the Career Exploration Inventory, a self-scored, easy-to-use survey guide to choosing a career based on your interests and experiences. This free event will be held at the Queensborough Public Library’s Central Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd. at 2 p.m.
Councilman James Sanders Jr. is pleased to present a “Salute to Gospel.” This inspiring event will feature: the Timothy Wright Memorial Choir; Rev. Richard Hartley and Heaven Ministries; the Greater Highway Deliverance Temple Choir; Jason Hendrickson and Nusoundz; Petula Beckles; Terrence Daye and CM Ministries; Laos in Harmony and Ritchie Righteous. For additional information, call (718) 527-4356. This free event will be held at the York College Performing Arts Center, 94-45 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., from 6-10 p.m.
FRIDAY, FEB. 4 Senior Theatre Acting Repertory Calling all older adults: Join our galaxy of STARs to perform theatrical works at the library with a great group of people while brightening your life. Rehearsals are held at 10:30 a.m. Fridays at Queens Village Library, 94-11 217 St., (718) 776-6800.
ONGOING CPR Training The FDNY Mobile CPR Training Unit will hold regularly scheduled free CPR classes in all five boroughs. The first Tuesday through the fourth Tuesday and the fourth Thursday of every month there will be Borough CPR training sessions in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island and Queens. Training is free to anyone over the age of 14. The goal of this program is increase the number of people in New York City trained in bystander CPR Each class lasts 1 hour and participants in the class learn basic CPR skills from a member of the FDNY Emergency Medical Service. Volunteers for the class follow along using the CPR Anytime Personal Learning Kit, which features an instructional DVD and an inflatable mannequin. All participants are able take home the kit at the end of class and asked to pledge to use the kit to show five of their family members and friends how to perform CPR. This class teaches basic CPR technique and is not a certification course. In Queens, the classes will be held the fourth Thursday of every month at EMS Station 54, 222-15 Merrick Blvd. In addition, please visit www.nyc.gov/cprtogo for New York Sports Club locations offering free CPR classes starting in January. Visit www.fdnyfoundation.org or call (718) 999-2413 for more information.
Group Sessions
Practice your chess skills weekly, on Monday and Thursday evenings. The event is held at 6 p.m. every Thursday at Queens Village Library, 94-11 217 St., (718) 776-6800.
Clergy United for Community Empowerment, Inc. Group Sessions are located at 8931 161st St., 10th Floor, Jamaica, for the community on various topics such as Domestic Violence, Mental Health, Substance Abuse intervention, Decision Making, Condom Use, High Risk Behaviors leading to HIV, and self – esteem awareness. All group sessions offer light snacks and beverages. Group sessions are open to the public. Round-Trip Metro Card reimbursement is available at the end of each completed session. For further information call (718) 297-0720. All services are free. Please call for next group date.
A Tribute to “Mae Jemison”
Infant Mortality
THURSDAY, FEB. 3 Adult Chess Club
See Tuesday’s listing.
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.
HIV Awareness Clergy United for Community Empowerment provides intervention and curriculum-based prevention education sessions on HIV/AIDS, to reduce risk behaviors that lead to HIV transmission. Services are located at 89-31 161st St., Jamaica. Call (718) 297-0720 ask about our presentation to adolescents and men/women of color. Services are available Tue.-Thurs., 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Laurelton Flea Market A flea market has opened at 221-02 Merrick Blvd. On sale are a wide range of items, including household items, jewelry and clothing. The market is open every Thursday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
CPR Class Learn to protect yourself and others at Heron Care with a CPR class that includes a certification from the American Heart Association. Please call (718) 291-8788 for more details. Heron is located at 16830 89th Ave., Jamaica.
PAL Volunteers The Police Athletic League (PAL) is looking for volunteers to continue its mission of serving New York City’s young people by donating their time and talents to help serve Queens youngsters at PAL’s Redfern Cornerstone and Far Rockaway Beacon in Arverne-Far Rockaway, PAL’s Edward Byrne Center in South Jamaica and PS 214 in Flushing. PAL Centers in Queens offer a wide range of opportunities for volunteers of all talents. PAL’s Redfern Cornerstone and Far Rockaway Beacon are looking for people to participate in a center clean-up day. Volunteers are needed to tutor and mentor young people during the After School Program’s daily homework help sessions. In addition, individuals can also donate their time assisting the many special events held at PAL’s Centers throughout the year. PAL is also seeking professionals to give career advice and talk about their own careers to young people, as well as guest speakers who can share information on a specific hobby of interest to the youngsters. To become a volunteer with the Police Athletic League or to learn more about volunteer opportunities, please visit palnyc.org. Volunteers will go through an application process that includes an interview, screening and an orientation. For more information, please contact PAL’s Volunteer Coordinator, Alexandria Sumpter-Delves, at (212) 477-9450, Ext. 390 or volunteer@palnyc.org.
Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, 2011 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 19
SUNDAY, JAN. 30 Jamaica YMCA Open House
Salute to Gospel