Roxanne Shanté in Far Rockaway April 7
In the 1980s, the Queensbridge Houses complex was the epicenter of Battle Rap with participants exchanging insults and boasts in rhyme in front of animated crowds. Nobody was better than Lolita Shanté Gooden — even at age 10 with ponytails and braces.
In 1985, the 14-year-old hit it big with Roxanne’s Revenge and the stage name Roxanne Shanté. This sparked a long, varied career that achieved immortality last year, when she won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Now, the living legend is back in her home borough as part of Books & Bars, a multi-month program at Queens Public Library. From February to May, she’ll make monthly appearances at different branches to talk about the music industry and how youngsters can build a career while protecting their art. She’ll also extol the many benefits of libraries.
And as part of the fun, those who think they have some game can step to the mic and spit 90-second verses about the last books they borrowed from QPL and get feedback from Shanté.
Tuesday, March 3 at 4 p.m.
Elmhurst Branch, 86-07 Broadway
Tuesday, April 7 at 3 p.m.
Far Rockaway Branch, 16-37 Central Ave.
Thursday, May 7 at 3:30 p.m.
Long Island City Branch, 37-44 21st Street
Born on March 8, 1969, Shanté got her start with the Juice Crew, a Queensbridge-based hip hop collective spearheaded by radio personalities Mr. Magic and Marley Marl and aligned with the Cold Chillin’ record label. Other members who made it big include Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie and MC Shan.
Fearless and with a gift for rhyming on the spot, she produced diss tracks mocking rivals and collaborated on other songs that were so successful that she basically retired from the music industry at age 25.
She moved to New Jersey to live the suburban life while occasionally appearing in commercials and films and founding a nonprofit. She’s still in the public eye today, hosting some events and making guest appearances at others.
There will be concerts through June at the New
Crossroads Concert Series
St. Patrick’s Day is a little more than a month away, but you can became to feel the green with some Traditional Gaelic music mixed with sounds from around the world, as the New York Irish Center for the Crossroads Concert Series 2026 takes place over the next six months. General admission is $25.
Supported by The Irish Institute of New York and truly back by popular demand, the second annual Crossroads Concert Series will present six all-new fusion concerts this year.
All the concerts begin at 7 p.m.
Feb. 26: Irish & Classical Turkish Eren Erdogan (kaval), Taulant Mehmeti (çifteli/guitar), Nzih Antakli (darbuka, riqq, bendir), Eileen Goodman (flute/tin whistle), Dylan James (banjo/ fiddle/ dance), and Colin Harte (vocals, piano, bodhrán).
March 26: Irish & Sene-Gambian
A return to West Africa but a departure from the percussion of past concerts with Salieu Suso (kora), Ebrima Jassey (balafon), a djembe percussionist, Eilidh McRae (Celtic harp), Dylan James (banjo/fiddle/dance), and Colin Harte (vocals, piano, bodhrán).
April 16: Irish & Moroccan Gnawa Atlas Phoenix (Moroccan gimbri), two qraqeb percussionists (TBD), PJ Doran (piano accordion), Dylan James (banjo/fiddle/ dance), and Colin Harte (vocals, piano, bodhrán).
May 28: Irish & Puerto Rican Bomba
Jorge Vazquez (congas, vocals), PJ Doran (piano accordion), Bernadette Fee (fiddle/ dance), and Colin Harte (vocals, piano, bodhrán).
June 11: Irish & Albanian Fusion Taulant Mehmeti (çifteli/guitar),
Nezih Antakli (darbuka, riqq, bendir), Tom Fitzgerald (fiddle/dance), Dylan James (banjo/fiddle/ dance), and Colin Harte (vocals, piano, bodhrán).
The New York Irish Center is located at 10-40 Jackson Ave. in Long Island City. The storefront venue is about 300 feet from the eastern most entrance/exit to the Vernon Blvd-Jackson Av subway station on the 7-line.
–Jeffrey Bessen
Courtesy Queens Tourism Council
York Irish Center in Long Island City.
NYPD helicopter lifts three from icy bay
Three men were rescued from the frigid waters of Jamaica Bay on Feb. 6 after the ice beneath them gave way,
triggering a large, multiagency emergency response and underscoring the dangers of walking on frozen waterways.
Shortly after 4 p.m., witnesses reported seeing the trio — all 22-years- old — walk roughly a football field’s
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length from shore onto an ice-covered stretch of the bay. Moments later, the ice collapsed, plunging all three into water just above freezing.
People there called 911 as the men struggled to stay afloat in the icy water. Units from the NYPD’s Scuba Team, Aviation Unit and Emergency Service Unit responded, along with FDNY firefighters and emergency medical personnel.
Rescuers carefully made their way across unstable ice amid bitter wind and worsening conditions. At least one firefighter and one NYPD diver briefly entered the water during the operation but were able to pull themselves out and continue assisting.
Working together emergency crews pulled the men from the bay onto the breaking ice and put them into a NYPD helicopter. Each man was secured and hoisted into the aircraft before being flown to awaiting ambulances.
Two of the men were taken to Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital, while the third was taken to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital. As of press time, all three were reported in stable condition, an outcome
officials credited to the rapid response and teamwork of the agencies involved.
Officials said the men had been walking on what appeared to be frozen ice when it suddenly gave way.
The incident serves as a reminder of the dangers posed by frozen bays, ponds and inlets, particularly during periods of fluctuating winter weather. While ice may appear solid from shore, currents and tidal movement can create hidden weak spots that collapse without warning.
Safety experts note that at least four inches of solid ice is generally needed to support a person’s weight, though thickness alone does not guarantee safety. Slushy or wet surfaces can indicate melting, and snow can weaken ice by insulating it and slowing the freezing process below.
Emergency officials said that people should to stay off all ice-covered waterways and to call 911 immediately if someone is seen in distress, emphasizing that rescues should be left to trained professionals equipped to handle lifethreatening conditions.
— Jeffrey Bessen
After three men fell through the ice in Jamaica Bay on Feb. 6 multiple NYPD units and FDNY rescued the trio.
Troop 20 welcomes former scout Rick Lorenz
By AIDAN WARSHAVSKY awarshavsky@liherald.com
For Cedarhurst native Rick Lorenz, being a Boy Scout was a foundational part of his life. He had an opportunity to pay that experience forward on Jan. 27, donating some of his military artifacts and patches to BSA Troop 20 in Hewlett.
Lorenz shared his wisdom and stories with 20 scouts. Though he now lives in Tacoma, Wash., Lorenz, 79, was a member of Troop 20 from 1957 to 1960, when it was headquartered in Cedarhurst before disbanding in 2013.
When Lorenz was a scout, troop meetings were held in the gym of what was then known as Lawrence School Districts’ Public School No. 5. The troop had a small room for flags and equipment.
In 2019, when Eugene Corless and his family reassembled the troop in Hewlett, he came across a virtual Vietnam memorial wall on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall of Faces website. Lorenz had created a touching tribute to Sgt. George Camomere, a U.S. Army 8th cavalry soldier who was a former troop member whom Lorenz admired for his physical prowess and mental toughness.
Corless, the current scoutmaster of troop 20, and Lorenz, had the chance to connect in January 2025. Lorenz promised to stop by a meeting in the troop’s Hewlett headquarters at Trinity St. Johns on Broadway, next time he was in town.
Lorenz graduated from Marquette University in 1968, served as a judge advocate in the U.S. Marine Corps, and was part of the First Marine Expeditionary Force in 1992, serving in Bosnia as a senior legal adviser for the NATO implementation force in 1996. After retiring as colonel in 1998, he became a senior lecturer at the University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies, teaching
courses like humanitarian law.
He credits much of his life’s success to Boy Scouts, having grown up in a singleparent household without a father.
“It was a beginning for me,” he told the Herald.
He recalled taking part in a water-boiling contest at a scout jamboree, for which then Scoutmaster Paul Baynes gave Lorenz and his partner, Eugene Kushner, pitch pine instead of regular wood so the fire they built would burn faster, and boil water faster.
“When lit, the pitch pine was literally a torch,” Lorenz said, recalling their winning 62-second boiling time. “Our scoutmaster had developed a way to give us an advantage over the other troops.”
The patches and artifacts he donated to Troop 20 will be placed in an archival frame and mounted on a wall at its headquarters.
“It’s with enormous pride that we will be displaying and preserving them,” Corless said, “so future generations of scouts can understand Rick’s legacy as someone
who has served our country.”
Conor Corless, 17, Eugene’s youngest, who is working toward Eagle Scout, said that Lorenz’s visit last week changed his perspective, and made him “think more outward.”
“Never thought about what my life might look like outside of scouting,” Conor said. “I never thought about its influence.”
Lorenz reflected some of the differences between the past and the present. When he was in scouting, he said he moved on when he was 14 to become an Explorer, which is now known as an Adventure Scout. Now, scouts ages 11 to 18 remain in their troop. Conor said he was captivated, because Lorenz offered perspective on the way the Boy Scouts used to operate.
Conor also found it interesting to hear Lorenz talk about his time in the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Marquette in the late 1960s, and being an Adventure Scout when he was younger.
Some of the older scouts agreed. “They
found it was an interesting topic,” Conor said. “Many kids raised their hands, asking questions.”
Lorenz clearly made an impression on Conor, who, after seeing the accomplishments of a former scout, had come to admire him. “He’s living his best life,” Conor said. “Maybe scouting can give me this outlet to become like that.”
Eugene Corless thanked Lorenz for taking the time to visit the troop, saying he offered scouts inspiration and the opportunity to see what’s possible.
“I wanted them to understand that there are no limits to what they can achieve,” Corless said, “and to see someone who was doing exactly what you’re doing moving on to pursue wonderful things.”
Lorenz said it was a pleasure to come back and meet the scouts. As he looked at his box of military memorabilia, he smiled, knowing what he was passing down to the next generation.
“I’m glad I found a home for them,” he said.
Lawrence UPK celebrates multicultural day
Lawrence Universal Preschool (UPK) celebrated multicultural day, a special event that honored the rich diversity of cultures represented within its school community. The celebration provided students with meaningful opportunities to learn about and appreciate the traditions and backgrounds of their classmates.
Children wore traditional clothing representing their own cultures or the countries of their ancestors, filling the classrooms with vibrant colors and cultural pride. Students also brought in special items from home to share in the school’s Cultural Mosaic Museum, where families and classmates explored artifacts that reflected a wide range of traditions, values, and customs.
Through these hands-on experiences, students learned about similarities and differences among cultures while developing respect, curiosity, and understanding for one another. Multicultural Day highlighted the importance of inclusion and helped children recognize that diversity is a strength that enriches the entire community.
“The Lawrence UPK Multicultural Day celebration was a joyful reminder of the many cultures that come together to make the school community welcoming, unique, and special,” the district wrote in a news release.
— Melissa Berman
Courtesy Eugene Corless
BSA Troop 20 welcomed veteran Rick Lorenz, center, who was a member of the troop from 1957 to 1960.
Courtesy Lawrence school district
Lawrence Universal Preschool (UPK) celebrated multicultural day by having students wear traditional clothing representing their own cultures or the countries.
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What do we do about cold spots in a new house?
Q. We are in our house for the first winter, and are noticing lots of cold spots. Our concern is pipes freezing. Is there anything we can do, temporarily, before spring comes, when we can open outside walls to see where insulation is missing? Also, we have a lot of creaking in the stairs and doors, and even just when the wind is howling. Is there anything we can do?
A. With freezing temperatures comes the reveal of lots of cold spots. As you stated, the biggest concern, immediately, is whether cold areas are near pipes, such as heat pipes or bathroom plumbing. Cold air outside will radiate cold to anything not protected, and if you see that the heat has dropped and the pipes feel cool or cold to touch, that should be the first place to start.
Sometimes people just add a jacket of pipe insulation, but this may worsen the problem in some instances, because the warmer interior air must reach the pipes to keep them from being jammed with ice from the cold-air exposure. In situations like this, it’s best to open the walls where the pipes have frozen and get the pipes warmed up. Don’t use anything with extreme heat or an open flame. A hair dryer may work, but be careful not to make the heat intense enough to start any kind of melting or scorching of the surrounding materials.
I once felt around heat pipes, found the specific spot by touch, and before heat could be applied, the pipe actually split right there in front of me. My plumber used an electric heat clamp to thaw the pipe before cutting the section and replacing it.
As for other parts of the house where it just feels chilled, check for visible gaps around windows, walk barefoot to feel the cool spots and make a list. Some may be almost unreachable without tearing out large sections of interior gypsum or plaster, while others may be able to be filled with insulation. I recommend blown-in cellulose instead of foam, because the foam may encase wires or pipes that later will take much more effort to remove.
Apply foam to areas you can see. Be careful not to use expanding foam in areas that will cause the materials around to move too much, such as around window frames, unless the windows and doors are tightly closed in the frame. Expanding foam will bow the door and window frames so that you can’t close doors and windows later.
This is a good time to use a silicone lubricant, adding a few drops to hinges of doors. The stairs need to be addressed with care, especially hardwood finished treads, so as to not damage them. If you can get under the stairs, try using construction glue at joints before moving on to screws. Only treated, finished nails, adhesive-coated, will work from above. Be prepared to match the wood finish over the tiny nail heads. Good luck!
© 2026 Monte Leeper
Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.
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