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Volume 15, Issue No. 49 • Dec. 5-11, 2014
ENOUGH IS
ENOUGH
INSIDE:
Queens Real Estate
Marketplace
Special Pull Out
Section
From Southeast Queens to the
rest of the City, residents express
outrage and sadness over the
grand jury’s announcement in the
Eric Garner Case … Page 3.
PRESS Photo by Jackie Strawbridge
Editorial: Sadness, But Not Surprise
Marcia: Verdict Puts Justice in a
Chokehold … Page 6
Faith: Religious leaders react to the
decision … Page 16.
ONLINE AT WWW.QUEENSPRESS.COM
Page 2 PRESS of Southeast Queens Dec. 5-11, 2014
Dec. 5-11, 2014 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 3
Presstime
City Protests Following Garner decision
By LuiS Gronda
A Staten Island jury voted on
Wednesday to not bring Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo to trial for the
death of Eric Garner.
Garner, who was 43, died on July
17 as a result of a chokehold applied
to his neck by Pantaleo. Garner was
approached by police for selling
loose cigarettes and the situation
escalated when the officers believed
Garner was resisting arrest.
Following the announcement of
the decision, people in New York
and in other parts of the country
took to the streets to protest their
displeasure with the decision.
A crowd, including members of
Garner’s family, gathered outside the
store in Staten Island where Garner
was killed. Some protestors reportedly threw garbage onto the street
where he was killed. The Garner
family pleaded with people to protest
peacefully.
Later on Wednesday, thousands
of people marched in several parts of
Manhattan to protest the decision.
They gathered at major areas such as
Times Square and Union Square and
walked up and down the Borough.
They staged “die ins” at major high-
ways and bridges, such as the West
Side Highway, the Queensboro and
Brooklyn Bridges, shutting down
traffic to cars for a period of time.
In a “die in,” demonstrators lay on
the ground in protest of Black men
like Garner and Michael Brown losing their lives.
While there was no reported violence against police at the protests,
the NYPD reportedly made about 80
arrests related to the protest, mostly
for disorderly conduct.
Milan Taylor, who heads the
Rockaway Youth Task Force, a predominantly Black and Latino youth
organization, was present at the protests in Manhattan on Wednesday
night. He said he stayed in the Union
Square area for a brief time.
Taylor called the protests “very
emotional,” saying it was a great feeling to see people of many different
races come together to express their
dismay for the decision.
He said that there is no simple
answer for how to fix this problem,
but one way to start is community
policing. He believes that officers
should patrol the neighborhoods
that they are from so they feel more
comfortable in their surroundings
and, in turn, residents can feel
more comfortable with them.
“This is an issue that’s going to be
fixed if we come together as humans,
not through legislation,” Taylor said.
The group will host a youth town
hall next week in Rockaway to give
young people of color a chance to
discuss the issue. Taylor said the
voices of young men and women of
color go often unheard, even though
issues like the Garner decision affect
them just as much.
“We want to provide a safe environment for young people to express
themselves,” he said.
The St. John’s University chapter
of the NAACP also held a “die-in”
on Thursday.
Mayor Bill de Blasio called it a
“deeply emotional day” for the Garner family and all of New York.
“Today’s outcome is one that many
in our city did not want. Yet New
York City owns a proud and powerful tradition of expressing ourselves
through non-violent protest. We trust
that those unhappy with today’s
grand jury decision will make their
views known in the same peaceful,
constructive way,” he said. “We all
agree that demonstrations and free
speech are valuable contributions to
debate, and that violence and disor-
der are not only wrong – but hurt the
critically important goals we are trying to achieve together.”
Councilman Donovan Richards
(D-Laurelton) said that injustice
against people of color is still apparent in this day and age.
“It is with a heavy heart and sincere disappointment that I acknowledge once more that our judicial system has failed to administer justice
on behalf of those most vulnerable.
It is imperative now for the communities of color and our allies to collectively voice our concerns on excessive policing and work diligently
to enact systemic change,” he said.
Councilman I. Daneek Miller
(D-St Albans) said he was “disappointed, appalled and ashamed” by
the decision.
“It appears in this case, as in the
most recent case of Michael Brown,
that the process has failed us. And
for that reason, I assure you that the
process is not over and I will continue to stand with those who remain to
fight for the justice that is deserved
by the mother, father, wife and children of Eric Garner,” Miller said.
Reach Reporter Luis Gronda at
(718) 357-7400, Ext. 127, lgronda@
queenstribune.com, or @luisgronda.
action and outrage at Garner Protest
Jackson Heights locals joined the
City-wide response to a Staten Island
grand jury’s decision not to indict
Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the death
of Eric Garner, chanting “Black lives
matter, all lives matter,” on a march
to Diversity Plaza Wednesday night.
A contingent of about 20 local
parents, neighbors and community
organizers – as well as a few passersby who stopped to listen – met before
the march at the 37th Avenue post
office. Standing on the post office
steps, protesters took turns voicing
their reactions to the decision to end
the case against Pantaleo, who was
filmed in July using a fatal chokehold
on Garner in Staten Island.
The overwhelming sentiment was
outrage.
Laura Newman, a lead organizer
behind Wednesday’s protest, said she
was “horrified” by the decision. Fahd
Ahmed of the DRUM South Asian
Organizing Center called the decision “outrageous,” while resident
Milton Toujillo called it a “slap in
the face” to the City’s communities
of color.
“Honestly, I just wanted
they say if Black lives don’t
to cry,” Toujillo added.
matter, and they’ve been
Most protesters framed
citizens of this country for
Garner’s death within
long – if someone like Eric
their frustration with broGarner who’s supposed to
ken windows policing in
be protected by the Conthe City and the local comstitution, who’s supposed
munity.
to have all these rights –
Steven Molina of the
if his life doesn’t matter,
Justice Committee came
then I matter even less.”
to the protest wearing a
At the end of the march,
Cop Watch t-shirt, repreprotesters held a moment
senting the Committee’s
of silence for Sean Bell
project of observing and
and Noel Polanco, two undocumenting police-work Jackson Heights locals gathered on wednesday to protest armed young men, Black
in real time as an effort to a grand jury’s decision not to indict the officer who put a and Hispanic, respectively,
Staten island man in a fatal chokehold.
combat abuse.
who were fatally shot by
“We need to begin to
police officers in Queens.
put forth real mechanisms of ac- real concern and that we feel like
Speaking in closing at Diversity
countability, community control, may happen, something like that – a Plaza, Newman said she looks to
community input on how policing death or police abuse – will continue her local community – one that celis done. Those are some beginning to happen in our communities.”
ebrates and takes pride in its diversisteps to a wound that’s been bleedMattos and a number of others ty – as a potential “nexus of change”
ing since forever,” Molina said.
also called for the removal of Police moving forward.
Both Ahmed and Tania Mattos of Commissioner Bill Bratton, whose
“We ought to be able to do it here,
Queens Neighborhoods United made focus on quality of life offenses they we ought to be able to do it in the
specific reference to police harass- said exacerbates tension between po- whole City,” she said.
ment and a high number of Stop and lice and communities of color.
Reach Reporter Jackie StrawFrisks that they said they are aware
Toujillo also noted that local un- bridge at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128,
of within Jackson Heights.
documented residents “might feel [email protected] or
Mattos said, “it’s really a time of like they cannot do anything because @JNStrawbridge.
Photo by Jackie Strawbridge
By JaCkie StrawBridGe
Safe Space Center Reopens, Honors Late President
BY JORDAN GIBBONS
On Dec. 1, Episcopal Social Services of New York and Safe Space, a
community-based organization, celebrated the re-opening of its Family
Resource Center.
The recently merged organization received a $25,000 grant from
HopeLine from Verizon that will go
towards financing staff training at all
three of Safe Space’s centers, which
are located in Jamaica, Ozone Park
and Far Rockaway. The grant will
also help provide resources for women that attend weekly support group
meetings.
Safe Space was founded in 1919
with the mission to ensure that vulnerable children and youth receive
the care they need to remain free of
violence, abuse and neglect. They
provide after school programs, early
childhood education and child welfare.
“This was already our homeless
youth drop-in center, but anyone
who had been here before has seen
the remarkable face lift that there is,”
Elizabeth McCarthy, president and
CEO of ESS Safe Space, said.
HopeLine turns old donated cell
phones and accessories into support
for domestic violence victims and
survivors, while diswith in different roles
posing of old phones
throughout the years.
in an environmentally
“Not only did she
sound way.
make a difference at
Andrew Testa, pubSafe Space, she became
lic relations manager
a real leader in child
for Verizon Wireless
welfare,” she said. “She
Metro New York, said
went way too soon, but
that HopeLine colleft a big mark.”
lects the old phones to
McCarthy said Molrefurbish them and donar meant a lot to the
nate them to domestic
staff personally and
violence victims to
was the force behind
help them connect
the organization’s sucwith resources. They
cess.
also sell them for cash
“She was amazing.
to create grants to give
She never got tired of
to nonprofit organithe work,” McCarthy
zations, such as Safe
said. “She took on evSpace.
ery challenge. It was a
Since the program’s
big job and she really
creation in 2001,
took the time to conHopeLine has donat- ESS Safe Space President and CEO Elizabeth McCarthy dedicated nect with individuals. I
ed more than 180,000 the reopening of the center to former president Christine Molnar, think that’s what makes
phones to domestic who passed away in 2013.
people miss her so
violence shelters and
much, but also makes
more than $21 million in cash grants the former president and CEO of this such a special organization.”
to domestic violence organizations.
ESS Safe Space’s executive headSafe Space, Christine Molnar, who
“Domestic violence is a very seri- died suddenly in January 2013 at the quarters is located at 89-74 162nd
ous problem,” Testa said. “At Veri- age of 47.
Street. For more information, call
zon, we take our role as a corporate
Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, deputy (718) 526-2400.
leader in this fight against domestic mayor for health and human servicReach Reporter Jordan Gibbons at
violence very seriously.”
es, attended the event to honor the (718) 357-7400, Ext. 123, jgibbons@
The celebration was dedicated to memory of Molnar who she worked queenspress.com or @jgibbons2.
Port Authority Increases Noise Monitoring
BY JORDAN GIBBONS
At the Port Authority of New
York and New Jersey roundtable
discussion at York College on Nov.
20, representatives from the agency
announced measures to enhance aircraft noise monitoring around John
F. Kennedy International Airport
and LaGuardia Airport.
The Port Authority uses permanent noise monitors to measure the
noise produced by departing aircrafts
and identify aircrafts that exceed 112
Perceived Noise Level in Decibels.
Portable monitors are placed in
communities without monitors and
are typically used outside the 65
Day-Night Sound Level contour,
which is the area around an airport
that the Federal Aviation Administration considers to have significant
noise impact.
The Port Authority has seven
monitors in Queens to measure PNdB
around JFK, located in Springfield
Gardens, South Ozone Park, Rosedale,
Arverne and Hamilton Beach.
For the LaGuardia area, six monitors are located in Flushing, Jackson
Heights, Bayside and Murray Hill.
It plans to install new portable
monitors at nine more locations
throughout Queens, Long Island
and Brooklyn. The areas in Queens
scheduled to get new monitors are in
Far Rockaway, Broad Channel, College Point, Maspeth and Bayside.
The sites for the portable monitor must have no excessive ambient
noise such as highways, busy streets
or firehouses. There also must be
access to an electrical outlet and a
Right of Entry Agreement must be
signed with the property owner.
Ed Knoesel, the Port Authority’s
manager of aviation environmental
programs, said that they want to get
a full year of monitoring and optimize the coverage area.
“We’re trying to get the best picture of what the noise factors are
around Kennedy and LaGuardia,”
he said.
If planes do exceed the 112 decibel level, the carrier of the plane is
notified and fined $250, he said.
Knoesel also presented statistics
the Port Authority collected for noise
complaints in October.
In total, between LaGuardia, JFK,
Newark Liberty International Airport and Stewart International Airport, 5,508 complaints were made,
with only 74 coming from the latter
two airports.
Knoesel pointed out that about 69
percent of complaints were made by
10 individual complainants.
Jackson Heights had the most dis-
City To Accelerate Body
Cameras Program
BY JOE MARVILLI
Hours before a Staten Island
grand jury decided against indicting
the officer who placed Eric Garner
in a fatal chokehold, Mayor Bill de
Blasio and the NYPD announced
that its body cameras program would
start as soon as Dec. 5.
Speaking at the Police Academy
in College Point, the Mayor and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton outlined their efforts to eventually outfit
nearly every patrol officer with body
cameras. Earlier this year, the NYPD
said the pilot program will kick off in
Jamaica, the South Bronx, East New
York, Brooklyn and northeastern Staten Island, where Garner died.
The three-ounce Vievu LE3 cameras are made to clip on to the uniform shirts of police officers. The
pilot program was initially part of an
order from a federal judge last year.
The mandate came from legal action
taken against the controversial Stop
and Frisk interactions between police officers and minorities.
During a media event in Staten
Island after the verdict, de Blasio
said the cameras were part of a wider
effort to reform the NYPD and improve community relations.
While the body cameras have been
in the cards for some time, no indictment against the officer who killed
Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.
pushed the effort forward in an attempt to increase accountability and
transparency. However, in the hours
after officer Daniel Pantaleo walked
away without charges for his role in
Garner’s death, critics said the cameras would not improve community
relations or lead to indictments in
future scenarios. Garner’s death was
filmed and the video was used as evidence in the case, but to no avail.
The push for body cameras goes
beyond New York City, as President
Barack Obama is asking for $263
million in funding for body cameras and police training. It would
offer $75 million over three years to
match state funding for cameras by
50 percent. The program would need
congressional approval. De Blasio recently met with the President to discuss community-police relations.
Reach Reporter Joe Marvilli at (718)
357-7400, Ext. 125, [email protected], or @JoeMarvilli.
tinct households to register a complaint with 91, while Bayside had the
second highest in Queens with 41.
The Airport Noise Compatibility
Planning Study, known as the Part
150, that was contracted in September will consist of two studies, one
for JFK and one for LaGuardia.
The studies will develop noise exposure maps, indicating the contours
for areas where aircraft noise levels are
considered significant. They will also
identify noise impacts and land use
that exists now and in the future, along
with incompatible land uses within
contours and work to develop solutions within the FAA’s framework.
The findings of the studies will
be available on a website, Knoesel
said. He also said that there will be
two Technical Advisory Committees,
one for each study. The roundtable,
which is still being framed, will appoint one member to each TAC.
The date for the next meeting is
not scheduled yet, but it will not be
until after the start of 2015.
Reach Reporter Jordan Gibbons at
(718) 357-7400, Ext. 123, jgibbons@
queenspress.com or @jgibbons2.
Editorial
OF SOUTHEAST QUEENS
150-50 14th Road
Whitestone, NY 11357
(voice) (718) 357-7400
fax (718) 357-9417
email [email protected]
The PRESS of Southeast Queens
Editor-in-Chief:
Steven J. Ferrari
Contributing Editor:
Marcia Moxam
Comrie
Production Manager:
Shiek Mohamed
Saddened, But Not Surprised
Just weeks after a grand jury in Missouri decided not to
indict the officer involved in the shooting of Michael Brown,
we were given our own taste of similar disappointment this
week. The decision not to indict the police officer who placed
Eric Garner in a chokehold that resulted in death was another
chilling reminder of the unbalanced experiences minorities face
in New York City.
We were saddened at the news, we were most certainly disappointed to hear the results, but unfortunately for many of us, we
were not surprised. There has always been a disconnect between
the City’s Black population and the police, and Wednesday’s
decision not to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo just underscores
that. Many feel that there is no justice for this wrongful death,
and it is hard to argue that right now.
The community relies on the police to keep them safe from
danger, “To Serve and Protect” as the motto goes. While our
leaders in City government have made the usual head fakes
towards contrition for the incident, their words ring false when
the NYPD is neither held accountable for a needless death nor
is it made to change its practices to ensure that every resident
in the City feels safe from this kind of situation, regardless of
the color of their skin.
Will Eric Garner’s death spur positive changes within the
structure of the NYPD? Or will the administration continue to
say all the right things until we move on from our sadness and
outrage, allowing the status quo to continue?
We will continue to hope for change, for a greater sense
of community that will eventually lead us into a more peaceful
coexistence with those who are tasked with our protection. But
we will also continue to advocate for that change, and call on
Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton to
create a police force that understands and connects with the
communities it is called on to serve.
There may be no justice for the family of Eric Garner, no
relief for their pain and their loss. But we hope that in the wake
of this decision, future incidents like this can be avoided.
Garner Verdict Puts Justice In A Chokehold
Reporters:
Jordan Gibbons
Joe Marvilli
Luis Gronda
Jackie Strawbridge
Art Dept:
Rhonda Leefoon
Lianne Procanyn
Karissa Tirbeni
Maureen Coppola
Advertising Director
Howard Swengler
Major Accounts Manager
Shanie Persaud
Director Corporate
Accounts/Events
Advertising Executives
Shari Strongin
Karyn Budhai
A Queens Tribune
Publication
© Copyright 2014
Tribco, LLC
Michael Nussbaum
Publisher
Ria McPherson
Comptroller
A Personal Perspective
BY MARCIA MOXAM
COMRIE
As the dust started to settle
in Ferguson, Mo., following
the grand jury verdict in the
Michael Brown police shooting case, here in New York
City we awaited our own
grand jury decision in yet another police brutality case.
It came once again against
the victim and in favor of the
police officer who killed the
victim.
Eric Garner was just a
middle-aged guy selling
loose cigarettes on a Staten
Island street corner who resisted arrest for that benign
offense. Next thing he knew,
he was in the chokehold
of the arresting officer and
brought to the ground where
he remained – with a foot on
his head for a time – as he
begged for help.
“I can’t breathe,” he reportedly pleaded until the
life left his body. No one
heeded his cry for help. Not
the arresting officers and not
the EMS folks who arrived
shortly thereafter. And the
grand jury decided against
indicting the officer.
Like Michael Brown,
Eric Garner was unarmed.
Whereby some have said that
the 18-year-old Brown was
aggressive toward Officer
Darren Wilson, Garner, a 44
year-old “gentle giant” had
his hands up in protest against
being arrested as he backed
away from Officer Daniel
Pantaleo. He was resisting
arrest, but he was not being
aggressive nor was he verbally disrespectful. One can
understand that an arresting
officer will be annoyed with
a “suspect” who resists arrest.
One can even understand that
the officer may get aggressive
to get the job done and save
face at the same time.
But under no circumstances would anyone expect that
someone of Eric Garner’s
age and poor health would
be placed in a chokehold and
forced to the ground in such
a cruel manner. Most of all,
most people would not have
expected that officers and
EMT personnel would let
the man die for the lack of
oxygen right there in front
of them. All they had to do
is sit him up and give him
some oxygen.
The coroner ruled Garner’s death a homicide with
contributing factors of asthma and weight-related issues.
But the death was brought on
by the “neck compression”
Pantaleo gave him. Why then
was he not indicted?
Mayor Bill de Blasio gave
a quietly passionate speech
following the verdict. Like
me, and like so many others,
in our City, he has a Black son.
He’s a teenaged son to boot. If
Dante were to take down that
afro, he would lose the protection of being recognized on
the street as the Mayor’s son
and that would render him as
vulnerable as any of our other
Black teenaged sons. That is
what Al Sharpton meant when
he so in-artfully said it in that
now famous panel discussion
with the Mayor and police
commissioner.
Sharpton is blunt. He’s
not interested in softening
his truth telling. That is why
he told the Mayor, “If Dante
wasn’t your son, he’d be a
candidate for a chokehold!”
The Mayor must’ve cringed,
but he and his wife are well
aware of that fact; and have
said that it is an ongoing discussion with their son -- just
as it is with ours.
In my family, we’ve been
having this discussion since
our son was about nine. Even
when he wanted a water gun
I was afraid for him. It was a
big colorful thing, but I still
warned him he could only play
with it in our backyard and to
never point it toward the street
because if a cop is passing by,
it could be trouble.
We are so sick and tired
of cops killing the men in our
families that we ache in our
hearts. And each time it happens, it goes unpunished. In
fact, the only people who get
punished when a cop kills an
unarmed man, is the public
who pays their salary. We have
to pay again when the families
bring civil suits against the
City as redress for the murder
of their loved ones.
Our tax dollars get placed
in a chokehold to pay off
these justifiable lawsuits.
Why is it that cops always
have to use such excessive
force? They killed the unarmed and completely innocent Amadou Diallo in a hail
of 44 shots; 50-plus fired at
Sean Bell and reportedly, the
Ferguson cop emptied his gun
on Michael Brown. These are
human beings, how many bullets does it take to kill them;
and why are you even killing
them in the first place?
But back to the Garner
verdict, chokeholds are prohibited in this City, so if these
things follow logic then there
should have been an indictment in this case given that
the coroner said that Garner’s
death was triggered by the
neck compression Pantaelo
had him in.
This verdict serves no
justice for Eric Garner. His
killer, like most others, gets
off without so much as a trial.
He is free to do as he pleases
to anyone else he jolly well
pleases. What did the grand
jury see?
They were blind, racist or
totally stupid; but they’ve put
justice in a chokehold.
News Briefs
New South Asian Senior
Center Opens
Councilman Rory Lancman (DHillcrest) announced the opening of
the Desi Senior Center at the Jamaica Muslim Center this week.
The center is the first senior facility focused on serving the South
Asian community three days a week
at a single location.
Lancman said the program will
positively impact the lives of many
seniors in the area.
“Providing accessible, culturally
significant activities for all of our
residents is of the utmost importance
to me and I hope this program only
grows from here,” he said.
The 24th District has the largest
Bangladeshi population in the City
and has more than 23,000 residents
of South Asian descent.
U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) said that senior centers play
an important role in helping aging
adults stay active and social.
“It will be a valuable resource for
older adults in our borough’s South
Asian community and I look forward
to advocating for more,” she said.
Dr. Mohammad Rahman, president of the Jamaica Muslim Center,
said that he is proud to have the new
center in the facility to serve the
South Asian community.
“Having a senior center for our
community has always been just a
dream for us,” he said. “Seniors are
the foundation of our community
and serving them properly is making
us all stronger.”
Lancman used a $100,000 grant
from his discretionary funding to
create the center and provide culturally relevant programming and daily
meals that adhere to cultural dietary
restrictions.
Dr. Vasundhara Kalasapudi, executive director of India Home, said
that he was thankful to Lancman
for securing the funding and excited
for his organization’s new ability to
serve the community.
“We are thrilled to be able to provide culturally appropriate services
like our new halal food service,” he
said.
Neighborhood Grant
Applications
The Citizens Committee for New
York City is accepting grant applications for 2015.
Citizens Committee awards microgrants of up to $3,000 to residentled groups to work on community
and school improvement projects
throughout the City.
They prioritize groups based in
low-income neighborhoods and Title
I public schools.
Citizens Committee supports projects that address issues that communities identify as important to them and
they can be anything from community
gardens to tenant organizing.
They will also be hosting grant
information sessions to inform communities about the grants and answer
questions.
For more information about the
information sessions, contact Tehmina at [email protected] or
(212) 822-9563.
For general questions, contact
Citizens Committee at [email protected] or (212) 822-9563.
JFK Baggage Handlers
Charged With Theft
District Attorney Richard Brown
joined Port Authority Chief Security
Officer Joseph Dunne this week to
announce that seven baggage handlers who worked at John F. Kennedy International Airport have
been charged with stealing numerous
items from travelers’ checked luggage
between 2012 and 2014.
Brown said that items such as iPads, laptops, cell phones and jewelry
were stolen.
“The defendants have been caught
red handed and will now face the
consequences of their alleged acts,”
Brown said.
The defendants are awaiting arraignment on grand larceny and criminal
possession of stolen property charges
in Queens Criminal Court. If convicted, five of the defendants face up
to four years in prison. The two others
face up to seven years in prison.
According to the complaints,
Brown said the defendants named
their prices, set up meeting places on
the airport grounds or nearby and even
made promises about other items that
they could steal. The value of the stolen electronics and jewelry is alleged to
have totaled more than $20,000.
“The Port Authority will continue
to aggressively investigate complaints
of baggage theft and arrest those,
whether Port Authority or outside
contractors, who violate the trust
given them in handling property of
the traveling public,” Dunne said.
Mail your news brief items to:
PRESS of Southeast Queens,
150-50 14th Rd.,
SE Queens Asks For Equal Shelter Distribution
BY JORDAN GIBBONS
As the City continues to implement methods to counter the rising
numbers of homeless families and
individuals, communities throughout
Queens have been struggling to deal
with the burdens caused by this historic crisis.
Next week, Community Board 12
will vote on a resolution that asks
for a moratorium on expanding and
building homeless shelters in the
area for several years.
Adrienne Adams, chair of CB 12,
said that the board has been requesting this for years, but it has fallen on
deaf ears.
Over the last few months, residents
and elected officials in Elmhurst, Astoria, the Rockaways and Glendale
exhibited varying degrees of pushback against shelters that eventually
became permanent, in Elmhurst, Astoria and the Rockaways, or are currently being proposed, in Glendale.
While Adams said the community is not against homeless shelters
in general, the area is overburdened
with them already. There are already
10 shelters in CB 12, while all of
Queens has 21, which is significantly
lower than the amount in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx.
“We’re definitely sympathetic to
the need for services,” she said. “Our
resources are stretched and we’ve
had enough. It’s more about equity
within the entire Borough.”
Councilman Donovan Richards
(D-Laurelton), who represents the
Rockaways and several Southeast
Queens neighborhoods, said that his
communities have traditionally carried the burden for far too long.
Richards added that a new shelter
was proposed in the Rockaways, but
Mayor Bill de Blasio made an executive decision to not place a second
one there after seeing how the com-
munity suffered after Superstorm
Sandy.
“It’s going to be a losing situation.
You’re going to be compounding the
different issues,” he said. “Without
resources being added to these places, we’re going to fail them.”
The amount of people relying on
homeless shelters has reached record
numbers and is only going up. As of
October, more than 59,000 people
in the City are sleeping in shelters
and more than 25,000 are children,
according to the Dept. of Homeless
Services, Human Resources Administration and NYCStat shelter census
reports.
The Mayor does have three rent
subsidy programs that just got started, which are aimed at transitioning
families who have lived in shelters
the longest, have full-time employment or have been recently affected
by domestic violence. Families eligible for the Living in Communities
Rental Assistance programs will be
contacted directly by DHS and HRA.
The programs are expected to help
about 4,000 families transition into
their own homes in the first year.
Patrick Markee, deputy executive
director for advocacy at the Coalition for the Homeless, said that the
implementation of the programs is
good news, but the City has not seen
the impact yet.
Markee said that one of the biggest
concerns is the rising amount of family homelessness, since 80 percent of
the people in homeless shelters are
families.
“We haven’t seen that many families yet, because the policies are
new,” Markee said, referencing the
amount of families transitioning out
of shelters. “Hopefully we’ll see that
increase next year.”
In addition to the Mayor’s programs, another City official wants to
take a closer look at homeless services
The Skyway Family Shelter
in Jamaica and the Saratoga
Homeless Shelter in Springfield
Gardens are two of the 10 shelters in Community Board 12.
available across the City and State.
Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi (DForest Hills) is holding a hearing in
Albany next week to figure out how
to utilize funding to help diminish
the staggering amount of struggling
New Yorkers.
“Homelessness in New York City
is at a critical mass. The numbers of
homeless individuals, and particularly children, are at record levels
with no signs of letting up,” Hevesi
said. “The most vulnerable among us
deserve a coordinated, efficient and
effective response. This hearing will
look at the problem from a macro
perspective in order to make sure we
bring every resource we have at our
disposal to bare.”
As far as placing homeless shelters throughout Queens, DHS does
not propose sites since the locations
are submitted by shelter providers
through an open request for a
proposal process, a DHS representative said.
The agency has instituted a
seven-day advanced notification process to educate and inform the community when there is a
need to site a shelter. But, the opening of a new shelter can be expedited
to ensure no families or individuals
are turned away, since the City is
required to shelter anyone who is in
need throughout the five boroughs,
the representative said.
Adams said she does hope that
once the resolution is passed through
CB 12 and forwarded to elected officials and City agencies, that their
concerns are considered.
“We’re hoping that with all the
eyes on the resolution that we will
have satisfaction,” she said. “We
need the City and DHS to step up
regarding the equitable distribution
of all communities throughout the
entire Borough of Queens.”
(718) 357-7400, Ext. 123, jgibbons@
Judge Dismisses Queens Library Suit
BY JOE MARVILLI
A lawsuit filed by former Trustees of the Queens Library against
Borough President Melinda Katz
has been tossed out.
Judge Frederic Block of the United
States District Court for the Eastern
District of New York dismissed the
lawsuit from the six former Trustees
that Katz removed from their posts
over the summer. The suit aimed to
restore the board members to their
positions, calling their removal part
of a “brazen, and unconstitutional,
power grab…to transform the Queens
Borough Public Library into an organ of City Government controlled
by the Queens Borough President
and Mayor.”
Former board chairman Joseph
Ficalora, as well as former Trustees
Jacqueline Arrington, William Jefferson, Grace Lawrence, Terri Mangino
and George Stamatiades, filed the
suit. Katz removed these members
in July, stating they had failed to
oversee the finances of the Queens
Library.
Katz praised Block’s decision
to throw out the suit, which she labeled as baseless.
“This lawsuit was a bitter attempt by the removed Trustees at
personal retaliation devoid of consideration for the public interest,”
Katz said. “The Court’s action underscores just how specious their
claims were.”
The dismissal of the lawsuit is
the latest move in what has been a
year of controversy for the Queens
Library. In response to the problems involving then-CEO Thomas
Galante’s salary and spending
practices, the State passed legislation that gave the BP and Mayor
Bill de Blasio the ability to remove
Trustees that they appoint.
From the summer and into the
fall, Katz and de Blasio appointed
several new Trustees, who took
steps to increase the library’s
transparency and accountability.
The new board agreed to Stringer’s audit, selected Bridget QuinnCarey as the Interim President
and CEO and re-hired 19 full-time
union custodian employees that
had been replaced with contract
cleaners.
Reach Reporter Joe Marvilli at
(718) 357-7400, Ext. 125, jmarvilli@
queenstribune.com, or @JoeMarvilli.
COUNTDOWN TO
A HEALTHIER YOU.
AT EMBLEMHEALTH, WE SEE THE START OF THE NEW YEAR AS A CHANCE
TO RENEW OUR COMMITMENT TO HEALTHIER LIVING — JUST LIKE YOU.
But we also believe a healthier you doesn’t have to be put on pause
during the holidays.
So whether your New Year’s resolution is to be more active or eat better,
you can get a head start, today. And we can help. With our Small Steps
to a Healthier You App, you’ll get easy access to healthier living tips and
resources in the neighborhood — anywhere in NYC. It’s also FREE!
Please, check out the enclosed insert to learn more about
events and activities that are happening in the neighborhood.
To download the app, visit smallesteps.emblemhealth.com.
A fresh start to a healthier you is just a tap away!
*Dates and availability subject to change. Group Health Incorporated (GHI), HIP Health Plan of New York (HIP), HIP Insurance Company of New York and
EmblemHealth Services Company, LLC are EmblemHealth companies. EmblemHealth Services Company, LLC provides administrative services to the
EmblemHealth companies. Neighborhood Care is a division of EmblemHealth. ©EmblemHealth Inc. 2014, All Rights Reserved.
Police Blotter
103rd Precinct
109th Precinct
Homicide
Collision Investigation /
Pedestrian Struck
At 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 1, police responded to a 911 call of an assault in
front of 107-22 Watson Place, Jamaica. Upon arrival, police discovered a
female victim, identified as Margarita Rivera, 31, of Jamaica, who had
been stabbed multiple times in the
head and chest.
The victim was taken to Jamaica
Hospital where she was pronounced
dead. The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information is asked
to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-tips, visit www.
nypdcrimestoppers.com or text tips
to 274637(CRIMES), then enter
TIP577. All calls are confidential.
At 10:35 p.m. on Nov. 5, police
responded to a 911 call of a motor
vehicle accident involving a pedestrian at the intersection of Northern
Boulevard and Union Street.
Upon arrival, officers observed a
60-year-old male with severe trauma
about the body, lying on the roadway.
EMS also responded to the location and transported the aided male
to New York Hospital Queens, where
he was later pronounced dead.
Further investigation revealed
the male, a pedestrian, was crossing Union Street at Northern Boulevard, from south to north within the
crosswalk, when an MTA Q13 bus
was traveling northbound on Union
Street and was turning right onto
Northern Boulevard, heading east,
when it struck the pedestrian. The
operator of the bus remained on the
scene.
105th Precinct
Investigation
At 10:34 a.m. on Nov. 22, police
officers responded to 246-18 137th
Ave., Rosedale. Upon arrival, officers discovered a 3-year-old female
identified as Kay-lee Williams, unconscious and unresponsive. EMS
responded and transported the aided
to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The Medical examiner will determine the cause of death and the investigation is ongoing.
110th Precinct
Homicide
At 8:35 a.m. on Nov. 26, police
officers responded to 98-15 Horace
Harding Expy., Corona. Upon arrival, officers discovered Anastasia
Massey, 27, of Corona, who had a
gunshot wounds to the chest and
arm.
EMS responded and transported
the victim to Elmhurst Hospital,
where she was pronounced dead.
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information is
asked to call the NYPD’s Crime
Stoppers at (800) 577-tips, visit
www.nypdcrimestoppers.com
or
text tips to 274637(CRIMES), then
enter TIP577. All calls are confidential.
115th Precinct
DWI
At 11:31 on Nov. 28, police arrested Aaron Sanchez, an off-duty
NYPD police officer, and charged
him with DWI and leaving the scene
of an accident.
Queens DA
Insurance Fraud
Queens District Attorney Richard
Brown announced that Dr. StanleySangwook Kim, D.O., 41, of Manhasset, who maintains a medical practice at 33-34 Parsons Blvd., Flushing,
has been charged with defrauding
six insurance companies out of more
than $25,000 by billing for medical
services he never provided.
Kim, the director of the surgical residency program at St. John’s
Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway,
was arraigned in November before
Queens Criminal Court Judge Michelle Armstrong on charges of
fifth-, fourth- and third-degree insurance fraud, fourth- and third-degree
grand larceny, petit larceny, fifth-,
fourth- and third-degree criminal
possession of stolen property, firstdegree falsifying business records
and scheme to defraud.
According to the charges, Dr. Kim
submitted fraudulent claims totaling
more than $63,000 to six health insurance carriers – Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, Optum Health Care
(United Healthcare), Health Plus
(Amerigroup) and Affinity Health
Plan – for medical treatment he supposedly rendered to 13 patients during a 16-month period between May
2012 and September 2013 which, in
fact, he did not provide.
It is alleged that because of the
false claims – a majority of which
were for incision of rectal abscesses – Dr. Kim unlawfully received
$25,060 in payments from the insurance carriers.
Dr. Kim, who faces up to seven
years in prison if convicted, was
released on his own recognizance
and ordered to return to court on
Dec. 10.
Borough Beat
City Planning Head Visits Borough Board
The Dept. of City Planning made
an appearance at this week’s Borough Board meeting to go over its
development plans and possibilities
for Queens.
Carl Weisbrod, the Director of the
Dept. of City Planning and Chairman of the City Planning Commission, attended the meeting on Dec. 1,
speaking to Borough President Melinda Katz, Queens members of the
City Council and community board
chairs about the future of Queens.
The biggest news to come out of the
meeting was an update on the Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning, which
will be fully outlined early next year.
On that point, Weisbrod said
that any areas that are rezoned in
the future, such as high density and
mid density residential districts, will
require a percentage of affordable
housing for developments made. In
the past, residential projects were
Photo by Joe Marvilli
BY JOE MARVILLI
types of markets. It will
not be one size fits all,”
Weisbrod said.
During the discussion,
Weisbrod also went over
several housing projects
or changes that are part
of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s
plan to preserve 200,000
units of affordable housing over the next 10
Carl Weisbrod (center), from the Dept. of City years. Part of that effort
Planning, talked to the Borough Board about fu- involves a conversation
ture development in Queens.
of what affordable actually means.
“What we mean by afoffered subsidies or incentives to include affordable housing, but it was fordable puts a greater emphasis on
optional. The recently approved As- the lower end of the income band,
toria Cove development is the first but also put more emphasis on the
one to have mandatory affordable moderate ends of the income band,”
Weisbrod said.
housing.
One of the main goals of City PlanThe City Planning head said that
the Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning ning at the moment is the creation
plan would not follow one standard of new neighborhoods, like Flushing
West, and the building up of other
for the entire City.
“It will probably differ in different neighborhoods. The agency is doing
this by talking to elected officials, institutions and community groups in
order to create a consensus on what
would work best in the area.
“I do not believe in planning from
above, I believe in planning from the
ground up,” he said.
Weisbrod added that another new
advantage the Dept. of City Planning
has is its inclusion in the City budget discussion for the first time in 40
years. Its participation in the budget
should help in the process of creating new communities or expanding
existing ones.
While the agency is working to
improve housing opportunities in
all five boroughs, its head said that
Queens has the best prospects in the
City.
“It’s the Borough, I think, that has
the greatest potential of any borough
right now,” Weisbrod said.
(718) 357-7400, Ext. 125, jmarvilli@
pix
Community Service and
Vision awards
Still Giving
Students from the Business & Computers and the Humanities and the
Arts High Schools in the Campus Magnet Complex in Cambria Heights
served as ushers and introducers at the Community Service and Vision
Awards Gala, presented to community volunteers by the Royal people
Group and Peoples First Baptist Church at Terrace on the Park.
Blood Drive
The Kiwanis Club and St. Andrew’s Church of Flushing donated more than
50 turkeys for low-income families affected by autism. In a longstanding tradition, the Kiwanians of Queens carried out the club’s mission to
“serve the children of the world” by helping those most in need in the
community.
College Week
The Student Government and Leadership Classes of Hillcrest High
School recently held its annual blood drive in the school auditorium.
The drive collected 58 pints of blood.
Photo by Bob Harris
Turkey Bowl Tournament
To celebrate College Week, the Humanities and the Arts High School in
the Campus Magnet Complex asked students to write essays on topics
including “How A Significant Experience Changed My Life” or “How A
Role Model Affected Me As A Leader.” Winners were invited to Principal
O’Mard’s Conference Room for a luncheon. Pictured (from left) are junior Jobert Desgraviers, junior Deja Gaus, Principal Rosemarie O’Mard,
college advisor Miranda Smalls, senior Claudia Paguay and sophomore
Krystle Hall.
On Nov. 25, five teams participated in the 2nd Annual Co-Ed Turkey
Bowl Soccer Tournament, hosted by Scholars’ Academy. Kappa VI,
Scholars’ Blue, Waterside, MS 105 and Scholars’ White all fought for
the first place spot. The Co-Ed Turkey Bowl Tournament is part of the
Peninsula Sports League and offers athletic opportunities to students
across Rockaway and Queens.
A&E
‘Orange’ Star coming to Lic’s chain Stage
By Jackie StrawBridge
A holiday fundraiser at the Chain
Theatre brings Barbara Rosenblat to
Long Island City, in the form of 14
different characters.
The “Orange is the New Black”
star – she plays Miss Rosa on the
hit Netflix series – will perform
a staged reading of Jane Wagner’s
“The Search for Signs of Intelligent
Life in the Universe” to benefit the
Chain Theatre, one night only on
Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. The play is part of a
“12 Days of Chain Christmas” series
staged this month by the Variations
Theatre Group, which runs and operates the theater.
“The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe” depicts
14 diverse but interrelated characters, including a fitness nut, a
punk teenager and a Times Square
“bag lady.” Rosenblat called the
Queens Band Selected to
tour Venezuela
Street Beat Brass Band will represent american culture during a tour of Venezuela in January.
By JOe MarViLLi
A Queens band will represent
American culture during a tour of
Venezuela early next year.
The U.S. Embassy in the South
American country selected Street
Beat Brass Band for a tour sponsored
by the U.S. State Department. The
band, which has three members from
Queens, will be musical ambassadors
as they traverse Venezuela between
Jan. 14 and 21.
Specifically, Street Beat Brass
Band will visit Caracas and San Cristobal. The group will perform at the
San Sebastian Cultural Festival and
the members will conduct master
classes for students of El Sistema,
a low-income music education program that groomed L.A. Philharmonic conductor Gustavo Dudamel.
Composer-trombonist Jeff Fairbanks created the group in 2012 by
handpicking several jazz musicians he
had worked with as a freelancer. He
said he was excited about the upcoming tour.
“I was thrilled with the opportunity to represent my country and to
help build international goodwill,”
he said. “The U.S. Embassy to Ven-
ezuela reached out to us about this
tour. They picked us because they
said we would represent American
culture well, and we can march and
interact with people.”
While this is the band’s first international trip, the individual members
of Street Beat Brass Band have performed all over the world. Fairbanks
and drummer Vin Scialla are from
Sunnyside, while trumpeter Jason
Wiseman lives in Astoria.
When they get to Venezuela, Street
Beat Brass Band plans to perform
some originals as well as brass-based
tunes in the style of New Orleans
jazz, polka, Mexican Banda, gospel
and funk. They hope to play a couple
of Venezuelan folk songs as well.
If you want to see Street Beat
Brass Band before they head to
South America, you will have three
chances to do so for free. The band
will perform concerts at Choga on
Dec. 12 and Jan. 6, as well as a show
at Rockwood Music Hall on Jan. 2.
For more on the group, visit
http://streetbeatbrass.com or www.
facebook.com/streetbeatbrass.
(718) 357-7400, Ext. 125, jmarvilli@
piece “very cleverly crafted.”
“The variety is what I find so delightful. The yin and yang of it,” she
said.
Alongside TV acting and a theater resume that includes Broadway,
Rosenblat has extensive experience
recording audiobooks. Kirk Gostkowski, artistic director of the Variations Theatre Group, said that her
“amazing training” from this work
made her a perfect fit for the piece.
“It’s so difficult as an actor to be
able to sound like different people,”
Gostkowski said.
But with Rosenblat, the audience
could close their eyes and think the
actor had changed, he noted.
For her part, Rosenblat said, “I
know what it means to have a large
cast of characters in a single piece of
work.”
She went on to explain that her
preparation involves slow and thorough reading of the text, “allowing
an audio landscape to start to rear
its head.”
Gostkowski said that Wagner’s
work fits comfortably into the Chain
Theatre’s programming this season,
which included other socially conscious writing of the same era, such
as Eric Bogosian’s “Talk Radio.”
Both Rosenblat and Gostkowski
also noted that the Chain Theatre’s
stage is well suited to Wagner’s play.
“All these different people that
Barbara rosenblat
she portrays are confessing things”
throughout the reading, Gostkowski
said. “A big function of our theater is
we want you to feel like you’re part of
the action, that you’re involved intimately with what’s happening, and this
is really one of those kinds of plays.”
“I like the fact that I can practically touch everybody,” Rosenblat
said of the space.
For more information on Variations Theatre Group programming,
visit
www.variationstheatregroup.
com. More information on Rosenblat
can be found at barbarrosenblat.com.
Reach Reporter Jackie Strawbridge
at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128, [email protected] or @JNStrawbridge.
Pearl Jam Fundraiser
Scheduled For Jan. 8
By LuiS grOnda
The effort to bring Pearl Jam
to the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium
has its first fundraiser scheduled.
The PearlJamForestHills movement will have its first in-person
fundraising event on Jan. 8 at Austin’s Ale House in Kew Gardens.
The fundraiser’s founder, Daniel Sheffer, said it is an opportunity
for Pearl Jam fans and supporters
of the cause to meet and hang out
at a fun event.
Sheffer said there will be laptops set up at the fundraiser if
people want to donate while they
are at the bar, but there will also
be prizes and raffles for fans who
attend the fundraiser. According
to Sheffer, there will be Pearl Jam
goodies raffled off at the event, including band-related T-shirts, posters and stickers.
As for how much money they
have raised, the PearlJamForestHills
fund now has more than $70,000
in its piggy bank to bring the rock
band to the Tennis Stadium.
In a press release about the milestone, Sheffer said that money is more
than what Foo Fighters fans raised to
get that group to play a show.
“If we stop at $100,000, and
turn that over to the band,” Sheffer said in the release, “then after
you pay the stadium, security, permits and so on, what’s left for Pearl
Jam? We want to make sure they
aren’t working for free.”
He said he still has not heard
from band representatives about
playing the show but there has been
much support from fan clubs related
to the band.
Reach Reporter Luis Gronda at
(718) 357-7400, Ext. 127, lgronda@
queenstribune.com, or @luisgronda.
Queens today
FRIDay 12/5
Song” at 8 p.m. The concert
will take place at the Church
on the Hill, located at 16707 35th Ave., Flushing. RSVP
by calling (718) 658-1021.
SANtAtHON fOR CHARItY
DEEpER HARmONIES
To mark Human Rights
Week 2014, six groups
will perform at Flushing
Town Hall to celebrate
religious freedom and
to raise awareness of the
persecution of religious minorities around the world.
The show, called Deeper
Harmonies, will start at 7
p.m. Tickets are $15, $12 for
members and $10 for students. Contact the Flushing
Interfaith Council at flushinginterfaithcouncil@gmail.
com or (646) 926-7844 for
more information.
‘It’S A WONDERful lIfE’
The Variations Theatre
Group brings “It’s a
Wonderful Life: A Live
Radio Play” to the Chain
Theatre. Shows run weekends until Dec. 21. For more
information or to reserve
seats, visit variationstheatregroup.com.
tREE lIGHtING At
BOHEmIAN HAll
Bring the family for
cookies, hot chocolate
and holiday cheer at
Astoria’s Bohemian Hall
and Beer Garden tree lighting
ceremony, starting at 7 p.m.
lIC SCHOOl Of BAllEt’S
NutCRACkER ACt II
The Long Island City
School of Ballet is pleased
to present its first ever
all-student Nutcracker.
Students of our Basic and
Graded Level Ballet programs, as well as upper level
boys from our Sportsdance
program, will perform the
second act divertissements
at the Secret Theatre. For
performance times and
tickets, call (718) 781-1169.
Through Dec. 7.
Your best Santa attire is
required for Sunnyside’s
Boulevard Bars Santathon, a pub crawl for a
good cause. Purchase a
$10 wristband at any participating Sunnyside bar for
$4 drink specials starting
at 3 p.m. All proceeds go to
toys for local kids in need
this season. Wristbands can
be purchased at any point
before the Santathon. For
a list of participating bars,
visit facebook.com/sunnysidesboulevardbars.
DAY WItH(Out) ARt
The Queens Museum’s
Open AIR Artist Services
program in Collaboration
with Visual AIDS invite you
to join them for a series of
screenings, workshops,
discussions, presentations and performances
honoring the 25th annual Day With(out) Art
in conjunction with
Worlds AIDS Day. All
events are free and open
to the public. The program
runs from 12 to 5:30 p.m.
SWINGtImE BIG BAND
sUNDay 12/7
VIENNA BOYS CHOIR
Queens College’s Kupferberg Center
for the Arts will host the Vienna Boys
Choir at Colden Auditorium.
Starting at 3 p.m., the concert will
include a program of classical and
popular music that includes traditional
Christmas carols, Gregorian chants,
songs from around the world and
popular holiday favorites.
Tickets range between $20 and $30.
Call (718) 793-8080 to learn more or
to buy tickets.
Historic House Tour from
1 to 5 p.m. The tour will
visit several Flushing locations, including Kingsland
Homestead, Voelker Orth
Museum and Flushing Town
Hall. Tickets are $20 for
adults and $10 for children.
They must be purchased
in advance. To do so, visit
queenshistoricalsociety.org.
If you have questions, call
(718) 939-0647, Ext. 17.
St. NICHOlAS DAY
uNDER HIS VERY WINDOWS
TUEsDay 12/9
Dr. Susan Zucotti will
give a lecture on the
Vatican and the Holocaust in Italy at 1 p.m.
at the Kupferberg Holocaust Resource Center and
Archives. Located on the
campus of Queensborough
Community College, her
presentation will look at the
actions or lack thereof from
the Vatican and Popes Pius
XI and Pius XII from 1938
through World War II.
The Swingtime Big
Band sound is coming
to Woodhaven in a show
presented by St. Thomas the
Apostle Catholic Academy.
The show will be held at 3
p.m. at Msgr. Mulz Hall.
WINtERCON
WinterCon at Resorts World
Casino will be the first
comic book convention held at the casino.
Advance tickets are $15 for
children and $20 for adults.
Day-of tickets are $20 for
children and $25 for adults.
The convention will begin
at 10 a.m.
saTURDay 12/6
sUNDay 12/7
Join the Community
Singers of Queens for a
“Holiday Celebration of
The Queens Historical
Society is holding its
27th Annual Holiday
CHORAl CONCERt
SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK
HIStORIC HOuSE tOuR
St. Nicholas Day at the Onderdonk House in Ridgewood.
Learn the Legend and
enjoy cider, hot chocolate, traditional treats,
crafts and a tree lighting
at 3 p.m. Adults $3, children
free. The Onderdonk House is
located at 1820 Flushing Ave.
It will begin at noon and end
at 4 p.m.
Avenue Diner, starting at 7
p.m. The group is researching 1912, 1916, 1921, 1924,
1930, 1935, 1937, 1941 and
1961. The group encourages
people to attend even if you
do not want to research.
The diner is located at 91-06
Jamaica Ave.
THURsDay 12/11
‘A CHRIStmAS CAROl’
Queens Theatre and
Titan join forces to
bring a new adaptation of Charles Dickens’
classic story of Ebenezer
Scrooge and the three
transformational visits he
endures from spirits of his
past, present, and future.
Performances will take place
on Dec. 11 to Dec. 14 and
Dec. 19 to Dec. 21. Tickets
range between $25 and $30.
To learn more, visit queenstheatre.org or call (718)
760-0064.
‘SOpHIE SCHOll: tHE
fINAl DAYS’
ARtmAkING WORkSHOp
In this Queens Museum
workshop led by Teaching Artist Paul Lambermont, families and
children will look closely
at several drawings, paintings and collages in the
exhibition “Anonymous:
Contemporary Tibetan
Art,” looking for symbols
and ideas together. Adults
and children will also make
their own collage painting
and drawings inspired by
the contemporary Tibetan
artists. The workshop is free
and runs from 1:30 to 4:30
p.m.
The Kupferberg Holocaust
Resource Center and Archives at Queensborough
Community College
presents a screening of
“Sophie Scholl: The Final
Days” at 1 p.m. The 2005
German film by director
Marc Rothemund is about
the last days in the life of
Sophie Scholl, a 21-year-old
member of the anti-Nazi
non-violent student resistance group the White Rose.
WEDNEsDay 12/10
StuDY GROup
The third meeting of
the Woodhaven Study
Group will be held at the
tREE lIGHtING At
AStORIA pARk
Celebrate Astoria’s new
holiday tradition with the
Central Astoria Local Development Coalition. Starting
at 6:30 p.m., a Holiday tree
lighting ceremony takes
place on the Astoria Park
Great lawn, with a program including Chanukah
klezmer for kids, Christmas
carols and a blessing and
kwanza stories and songs.
For information, visit centralastoria.nyc/events.
GOt EVENtS?
send all information to
[email protected] or mail to:
150-50 14th Rd., Whitestone, Ny 11357
Profile
Cornerstone Center Builds Up The Community
BY JORDAN GIBBONS
The Cornerstone Community
Center at the South Jamaica Houses
offers programs designed to foster
holistic development for residents.
Through a collaborative initiative
between the New York City Dept. of
Youth and Community Development
and the Southern Queens Park Association, the NYCHA-based center
serves youth with programs for the
ages of 5 to 12, 13 to 15, 16 to 21 and
adults over 21.
There is a daily afterschool program that is offered for grades K
through 7 and operates from 2:30
to 6 p.m. The daily teen and evening
programs are from 6 to 10 p.m. The
center is also open on Saturdays
from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for special
events and programming, which includes mentoring programs called
the Young Men’s and Young Women’s Mentoring Program Initiatives,
literacy initiatives and the arts.
The main goals of the programming are helping participants gain
the skills and attitudes they need to
graduate from school, sucof the center. The council
ceed in their chosen cahelps by providing fundraisreers and enhance skills to
ing support and cultivates
promote social interaction,
parent engagement and incommunity engagement,
volvement. The council also
recreation and community
has six sub-committees that
service.
include education, fundraisThe Cornerstone proing, parent enrichment, a
gram also offers a summer
street team, beautification
camp that is free. Each
and health initiatives.
child has the opportunity
NYCHA is charged with
to experience activities that
the maintenance, repair
include offsite trips and
and upkeep of the building,
experiential learning activiwhich has presented chalties. The Cornerstone Sum- The Cornerstone Community Center offers a variety of lenges over the years.
mer Camp offers a variety programs for South Jamaica Houses and the surrounding
The center serves as a
of events that surround community.
warming center in the winand encompass the chosen
ter and a cooling center
theme of the year.
is supported by the Family and In- in the summer. It is also used as an
During both the school year and dividual Support Services/Preven- emergency shelter when necessary.
the summer, the Cornerstone has tive Service Dept., which is led by a
The center is open to all residents
a team that consists of carefully licensed social worker. The team is and local community members.
screened staff who are educators, staffed by experienced case planners
The Cornerstone center is located
group leaders and youth workers. and counselors.
at 109-04 160th St., South Jamaica.
They receive ongoing training in the
The center has an advisory coun- For more information, call (718)
areas of group facilitation and poli- cil, which consists of community 297-7237.
cies for working with children and members, professionals from various
youth.
industries, local stakeholders and par- (718) 357-7400, Ext. 123, jgibbons@
Throughout the year, Cornerstone ents who help advance the mission queenspress.com or @jgibbons2.
People
Champlain College student Daniel Canal of Jamaica travelled to the
fifth annual Northeast Eco-Reps
Symposium on Nov. 15. The conference, which was held at Tufts University in Medford, Mass., gave student
Eco-Reps from around the Northeast
the opportunity to learn about and
discuss various environmental topics.
Army Pvt. Arlan Mercado has
graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.
During the nine weeks of training,
the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness and received
instruction and practice in basic
combat skills.
Mercado is the son of Altanavis
and Diogenes Mercado of Queens
Village.
Municipal Credit Union (MCU)
announced that it will participate in
two charitable initiatives this holiday
season: City Harvest’s Daily News
Food Drive and the Salvation Army
Toys for Tots toy collection. These
goodwill partnerships are part of
MCU’s ongoing corporate commit-
ment to give back to the communities in which it serves.
MCU branches will serve as dropoff and collection sites for both of
these programs. Collection sites include 90-15 Queens Blvd., Elmhurst
and 134-66 Springfield Blvd., Springfield Gardens.
A complete list of all MCU branches and drop-off site locations can be
found at www.nymcu.org/branches.
Ozone Park Civic Association will
host pictures with Santa where participants will get a free gift from 1111:30 a.m. on Dec. 6 at the Ozone
Howard Little League Hall in Ozone
Park. For information, call (646)
298-7575.
New York Families For Autistic
Children has decided to help out
families in need this holiday season.
The organization has donation boxes
at the following Raymour & Flanigan locations: 86-08 Queens Blvd.,
Elmhurst; 168-53 Jamaica Ave.,
Jamaica; 66-26 Metropolitan Ave.,
Middle Village.
For more information, call Tonia
Cimino, NYFAC’s director of development, at (347) 566-3122, Ext. 305.
The New York Mets and Metropolitan Hospitality will host the first
Winter Fest at Citi Field from 1-5
p.m. on Dec. 13. Attendees will enjoy an afternoon of family fun activities including winter arts and crafts,
mascot appearances and more.
Tickets for Winter Fest are $10 for
adults and $7 for children and can be
purchased online at Mets.com/WinterFest. Free parking is available in
Lot G for ticket-holders.
Borough President Melinda Katz,
in conjunction with the NonProfit
Help Desk, will host no-cost training
workshops, “Taking Your NonProfit
to the Next Level,” to help empower
organizations with knowledge and
skills for success.
The workshop will take place
from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 8 at Queens
Borough Hall, 120-55 Queens Blvd.,
second floor.
The two-part workshop on Diversity Training and Governance will
be offered by NPHD, a division of
the Jewish Community Council of
Greater Coney Island. The workshop will be open to the management, staff and board members of
any nonprofit community service
organization or business based in the
Borough of Queens. To register for
the workshop, visit www.queensbp.
org/queens-calendar.
Army Pvt. Celina D. McNeill has
graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.
During the nine weeks of training,
the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received
instruction and practice in basic
combat skills.
McNeill is the niece of Marie and
Ricardo Paz of Woodhaven.
Fairleigh Dickinson University in
Madison, NJ, recognized Bernard
Lefkowitz of Forest Hills for 45 years
of service to the university. Lefkowitz
is an Associate Professor of Electronic Engineering in the Gildart Haase
School of Computer Science and
Engineering in FDU’sUniversity College at the Metropolitan Campus.
Send notices of graduation, awards,
anniversaries, etc., to:
PRESS of Southeast Queens
150-50 14th Rd.,
Faith
Clergy Look Forward After Grand Jury
BY JORDAN GIBBONS
gious leaders have voiced their reactions to Wednesday’s decision to the
Press of southeast Queens to help
provide perspective in a complicated
situation.
“We have to work through this
whole thing to become a better City,”
the Rev. Floyd Flake said.
The former Congressman, now
the senior pastor at Greater Allen
AME Church, noted that he did not
believe the verdict was fair, and that
he hoped Commissioner Bill Bratton
would make the necessary changes
to improve police relations with the
community.
“The most significant change is
to make sure police understand that
they are part of the citizenry,” he
said. “They must learn to apply the
law equally.”
Flake also said that people must
make sure that crime does not take
over the community.
“Things are better now, but there’s a
lot of work that needs to be done, not
just with the police department, but
with the whole community,” he said.”
The Rev. Phil Craig of Greater
Springfield Community Church said
that he does not condone any of the
violence that occurred after the Fergu-
After last week’s grand jury decision to not indict Officer Darren
Wilson in Ferguson, New York City
saw a repeat of that decision in the
Staten Island grand jury tasked with
determining if Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who placed a chokehold that led
to the death of Eric Garner, should
go to trial.
Protestors throughout the City
rallied again in response to another Black man who was killed by
a NYPD officer, which is another
case in a long list of names, including Sean Bell, Ramarley Graham,
Anthony Baez, Amadou Diallo and
most recently, Akai Gurley.
But, the Garner killing was vastly
different than the countless others
that have occurred in the City because it was caught on camera. Unfortunately, for those who were seeking justice for Garner’s death, the
camera footage did not give them the
result they were looking for.
Now, communities of color
throughout the City are searching for
ways to move forward and progress
within a system they do not trust.
Several Southeast Queens reli-
son decision and that everyone needs
to work together to find ways to prevent these events from happening.
“We just need to discuss racism
period and not allow these incidents
to define America,” he said. “We
need to have an understanding to get
past all this mess. And we need to
rely on praying and peace.”
The Rev. Chuck Norris of Communities United for Church Empowerment also spoke out against violence, but he does expect the Black
community to voice their opinions
through a variety of methods.
“I would hope that the Mayor and
Police Commissioner stand up for
this community in Staten Island,”
he said. “We’re patient people and
we’ll patiently wait to see where
the changes come from. We may do
some marching in the streets and we
may do some boycotting to show that
our dollars mean something, like our
lives mean something.”
Norris also said that Pantaleo
should be fired for what happened
and he was saddened that there was
no indictment with the amount of
evidence against the officer.
“I’m really hurt by the action
taken by that grand jury,” he said. “It
was a travesty of justice.”
The Rev. Edward Davis of the
Presbyterian Church of St. Albans
said he was involved in a rally in the
Rockaways the night of the grand jury
decision and added that the community should voice their displeasure by
seeking changes both in the NYPD
and in the prosecutor’s office.
“The community moving forward
would have to coalesce around policy
change; police instructional changes
and changes through elections,” he
said. “All of that needs to be restructured in the light of all people, not
black and white. It needs to be independent policy change.”
(718) 357-7400, Ext. 123, jgibbons@
WORD
“Finally, all of you, have
unity of mind, sympathy,
brotherly love, a tender
heart, and a humble mind.”
- 1 Peter 3:8
Notebook
Humanities & the Arts High School
Humanities and the Arts High
School in the Campus Magnet
Educational Complex in Cambria
heights recently hosted a discussion
in the campus library with Michael
Mitnick, the screenwriter for the
blockbuster movie “The Giver,” and
his sister, Prof. Jennifer Mitnick of
Columbia University’s Teachers College, where she runs the social studies teaching program.
Scores of interested students were
on hand to listen and ask questions
as part of the contiguous enrichment
activities at the school. Michael Mitnick is a playwright and screenwriter
whose plays and musicals have been
produced for years. He told how he
started to write plays in high school for
his friends. As a youth, “The Giver”
was his favorite book. Since his sister has read the entire series, she was
able to explain to him about the future
events in the books so he could tie it in
to things he wrote in the screenplay.
Photo by Anna Mooney
Writer Discusses ‘The Giver’ With Students
Writer Michael Mitnick and his sister Jennifer joined students and staff at
the Humanities and the Arts High School in Cambria Heights for a literary
discussion.
In response to questions from
students, Mitnick explained that
writing screenplays pays better than
just writing plays. He urged students
not to give up, because he has been
rejected more times than he has
been accepted for things he applied
to. He explained that when he has
writer’s block, he walks around the
neighborhood to focus his thoughts.
He told the attentive students to
“just write what you want.” He said
he likes comedies, but writes different types of movies to make things
fresh and fun. He noted that his
teachers and his parents were his
role models.
Moderating the event was senior
Claudia Paguay, who is a theater major and is interested in television and
film, is the Campus Complex tennis
captain and a potential candidate for
salutatorian. Cameron Bryan, who
has majored in dance, theater and
music and plays the piano, is a College Summit Peer Leader and who
wants to study medicine, was the comoderator.
The event was coordinated by Assistant Principal Alison Bassell.
– Bob Harris
What’s Up
DEC. 5
Climate Change
The Idlewild Environmental Science Learning Center is pleased to
present “Climate Change & Earth’s
Unique Habitats.” In this course for
six to eight year-olds, students will
use Idlewild Park Preserve as an outdoor laboratory to investigate the
effects of climate change on Earth’s
habitats, wildlife and the human environment. The course is free, but
a $50 registration fee is required.
To register, call (347) 824-2301 or
email [email protected].
Networking
The Central branch of the Queens
Library is holding a free networking workshop from 10 a.m. to noon.
Through networking, you can exchange information with others
about job opportunities, interesting
organizations, or up and coming
industries. To register, please visit
jobmap.queenslibrary.org. The class
code is JR190.
Tableau Vivant
Dongsok Shin performs on King
Manor Museum’s fortepiano with
violinist Karen Marmer. These members of the baroque ensemble REBEL play sonatas by Mozart, Dussek,
Edelmann and Bach. King Manor
Museum is located at King Park,
Jamaica Avenue between 150th and
153rd Streets, Jamaica. The performance starts at 6 p.m.
Help Lovin’ Dat Man” from Jerome
Kern’s “Show Boat” and songs based
on lyrics by Langston Hughes from
Ricky Ian Gordon’s “Only Heaven,”
as well as spirituals and other songs.
The concert will take place at Central
Library, from 3 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
DEC. 9
Holiday Crime Prevention
DEC. 6
Temple Transformation
Join the Rev. Phil Craig for his
monthly event, Temple Transormation: A Breakfast Workshop. The
event will take place at the Greater
Springfield Community Church, located at 177-06 129th Ave. It runs
from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Call (718)
527-0100 to learn more.
Tree Lighting
Join Councilman Donovan Richards for a tree lighting ceremony in
Brookville Park, between 5:30 p.m.
and 7:30 p.m. Enjoy holiday music,
treats, gifts, giveaways, craft projects
and much more at this free event.
Participating groups include Friends
of Brookville Park, Storm Rydaz,
NYPD Explorers and NYPD School
Safety. Call (718) 393-7370 or (718)
527-4356 for more information.
Wintercon is coming to Resorts World
Casino on Dec. 6.
Wintercon
WinterCon will take place at Resorts World Casino. It will be the
first comic book convention held at
the casino. Advance tickets are $15
for children and $20 for adults. Day
of tickets are $20 for children and
$25 for adults. The convention will
begin at 10 a.m.
DEC. 7
Monique McDonald
Acclaimed American soprano
Monique McDonald and friends perform “Summertime” from George
Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess,” “Can’t
Councilman Donovan Richards is
hosting a community holiday crime
prevention and snow safety information meeting at St. Luke Resource Center, located at 133-24 233rd St., Laurelton. Residents who attend the meeting,
which starts at 6:30 p.m., will hear
from the 105th Precinct and Dept. of
Sanitation Community Affairs.
DEC. 10
“The Nutcracker”
The Jamaica Performing Arts Center presents a family-friendly performance of “The Nutcracker.” This fairy
tale ballet centers on a family’s Christmas Eve celebration. With a cast of 13
dancers, 4 children and a narrator, the
show is for those in grades K through
12 and runs for 50 minutes. Call (718)
658-7400 to learn more. The center is
located at 161-04 Jamaica Ave.
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
SUPREME COURT OF THE
STATE OF NE W YORK
COUNTY OF QUEENS Filed:
Index No. Plaintiff designates
QUEENS County as place
of trial Venue is based upon
County in which premises
are being situate SUMMONS
WITH NOTICE ACTION TO
FORECLOSE A MORTGAGE
AND TO DEEM A SENIOR
MORTGAGE SATISFIED MLB
SUB I, LLC, Plaintiff, -againstQUEENS RELIABLE MANAGEMENT CORP.; SANDRA
MORRISON; GREEN TREE
SERVICING LLC; NEW YORK
CIT Y PARKING VIOL ATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK
CIT Y ENVIRONMENTAL
CONTROL BOARD; NEW
YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU;
NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND
FINANCE; NEW YORK CITY
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE;
BROOKHAVEN SERVICING
CORP.; CRIMINAL COURT
OF THE CITY OF NEW
YORK; QUEENS SUPREME
COURT; “JOHN DOE #1”
through “JOHN DOE #10”
inclusive the names of the
ten last name Defendants
being fictitious, real names
unknown to the Plaintiff,
the parties intended being
persons or corporations having an interest in, or tenants
or persons in possession of,
portions of the mortgaged
premises described in the
Complaint, Defendants. TO
THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY
SUMMONED to answer
the Complaint in this action
and to serve a copy of your
Answer or, if the Complaint
is not served with this Summons, to serve a Notice of Appearance upon the Plaintiff’s
attorney within twenty (20)
days after the service of this
Summons, exclusive of the
date of service or within thirty
(30) days after the service is
complete if this Summons is
not personally delivered to
you within the State of New
York. If you fail to so appear
or answer, judgment will be
taken against you by default
for the relief demanded
in the Complaint. DATED:
Elmsford, New York May
15, 2014 NOTICE YOU ARE
IN DANGER OF LOSING
YOUR HOME If you do not
respond to this summons and
complaint by serving a copy
of the answer on the attorney
for the mortgage company
who filed this foreclosure
proceeding against you and
filing the answer with the
court, a default judgment
may be entered and you can
lose your home. Speak to an
attorney or go to the court
where your case is pending
for further information on
how to answer the summons
and protect your property.
Sending a payment to your
mortgage company will not
stop this foreclosure action.
YOU MUST RESPOND BY
SERVING A COPY OF THE
ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF
MLB SUB I, LLC AND FILING
THE ANSWER WITH THE
COURT. Richard F. Komosinski Knuckles, Komosinski & Elliott, LLP Attorneys for Plaintiff
565 Taxter Road Suite 590
Elmsford, NY 10523 Phone:
(914) 345-3020 TO THE
ABOVE DEFENDANTS: The
foregoing Summons is served
upon you by publication
pursuant to order the Hon.
Howard G. Lane, a Justice of
the Supreme Court, Queens
County, dated Oct. 23, 2014
and filed with the complaint
and other papers in the
Queens County Clerk’s Office, Jamaica, NY. Prem. k/a
217-14 133rd Rd., Springfield
Gardens, NY a/k/a being in
Springfield, Long Island, N.Y.,
known and designated on a
certain map entitled, “Map
of Ryder Heights, 4th Ward,
Borough of Queens, N.Y.,
City of New York surveyed
February, 1906, by E.W.
Conklin, City Surveyor” as
part of Lots Nos. 17 and 18, in
Block No. 1, being 40 ft. wide
front and rear by 80 ft. deep
on both sides. THIS IS AN
ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A
DEBT. ANY INFORMATION
OBTAINED WILL BE USED
FOR THAT PURPOSE. NOTICE TO OCCUPANTS: MLB
SUB I, LLC IS FORECLOSING
AGAINST THE OWNER OF
THIS PREMISES. IF YOU
LIVE HERE, THIS LAWSUIT
MAY RESULT IN YOUR
EVICTION. YOU MAY WISH
TO CONTACT A LAWYER
TO DISCUSS ANY RIGHTS
AND POSSIBLE DEFENSES
YOU MAY HAVE. NOTICE
OF OBJECT OF ACTION
AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE
OBJECT of the above-entitled
action is for the following: (a)
to foreclosure a mortgage
bearing date July 24, 2006
given by Sandra Morrison to
MERS as nominee for BNC
Mortgage, Inc. to secure
the sum of $374,000.00
and recorded as CRFN:
2006000501031 in the office of the County Clerk/
Cit y Register of Queens
County on September 5,
2006 and which mortgage
was ultimately assigned to
the Plaintiff herein as later
evidenced by written instrument dated April 7, 2014
which is to be recorded
with the County Clerk/City
Register of Queens County;
and cancellation/satisfaction
of the following: (b) a mortgage bearing date January 16,
1975 given by Dantes Fluery
LeBlanc to Nationwide Holding Corp. to secure the sum of
$24,500.00 and recorded as
Liber 812 at Page 1159 in the
office of the County Clerk/
Cit y Register of Queens
Count y on January 21,
1975 and which mortgage
was ultimately assigned to
Brookhaven Servicing Corp.
as later evidenced by written
instrument dated February
18, 1975 and recorded in
Liber 822 at Page 1855
with the County Clerk/City
Register of Queens County
on March 15, 1975 covering
the premises described as
follows: 217-14 133rd Road,
Springfield Gardens, New
York The relief sought in the
within action includes a final
judgment directing the sale of
the premises described above
to satisfy the debt secured
by the mortgage described
above. The Plaintiff makes
no personal claim against
any Defendants in this action
Sandra Morrison.- #85112
________________________
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY
OF QUEENS HSBC BANK
USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR
DEUTSCHE ALT-A SECURITIES INC., MORTGAGE PASS-
THROUGH CERTIFICATES,
SERIES 2007-AR3, Plaintiff,
against ANDRE BAKSH, et al.,
Defendant(s). Pursuant to a
Judgment of Foreclosure and
Sale duly dated 4/24/2014 I,
the undersigned Referee will
sell at public auction at the
Queens County Courthouse
in Courthouse #25, 88-11
Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica,
New York on 12/19/2014 at
10:00AM, premises known
as 197-17 100TH AVENUE,
Hollis, NY 11423 All that
certain plot piece or parcel
of land, with the buildings
and improvements erected,
situate, lying and being at
Hollis, in the Borough and
County of Queens, City and
State of New York, BLOCK:
10844 LOT: 19. Approximate amount of judgment
$650,805.60 plus interest
and costs. Premises will be
sold subject to provisions
of filed Judgment Index#
15598/09. Joseph F. Defelice,
Esq., Referee Gross Polowy,
LLC, Attorney for Plaintiff,
P.O. Box 540, Getzville, NY
14068 1116567
You Can E-Mail Your
Legal Copy to legals@
queenstribune.com to Place
Your Legal Advertisement or
Call the Tribune at
(718) 357-7400 Ext. 149
Tallying Up The Write-Ins
A listing of the write-in
votes for the Governor’s race
shows that some people really
like to waste their vote.
While most New Yorkers
voted for the two major candidates running
for the seat, incumbent
Gov. Andrew Cuomo
or Republican candidate
Rob Astorino, there were
others who wrote in, let’s
say, people that were not
necessarily running for
office.
A breakdown of the
write-in votes shows that
many people wrote-in
almost anyone under
the sun, including other
elected officials, athletes,
actors and actresses and
fictional characters.
Some of the more
notable write-in votes
coming from Queens voters
included Derek Jeter, Howard
Stern, professional wrestler
Mick Foley, President Barack
Obama and even Pope Francis.
Others casted their vote for
fictional characters, including
C. Montgomery Burns from
The Simpsons and Francis
Underwood from House of
Cards.
There are also those
that wrote-in a vote but
do not know how to spell
names correctly. Those
included “Jack Baer,”
“Ned DeGrasse Tyson,”
“Peter Valone Sr.” and
“Rudy Guiliani.”
Other elected officials
also got write in votes:
Councilman Eric Ulrich
got two votes, while State
Sen. Tony Avella, Rep.
Carolyn Maloney and
Brooklyn Assemblyman
Dov Hikind all received
one.
We want to give a sarcastic round of applause
to those people who used their
right to vote on someone other
than the two main candidates,
even if they voted for people
that don’t even exist. Democracy in action!
Q
CONFIDENTIAL
Family” were in Glendale, and
that the “King of Queens” home
was in fact located in Cliffside
Park, NJ.
Let’s give Queens some onlocation love.
“Seinfeld’s” George Costanza spent a grumpy season at his
parents’ Queens home, which
is located in Astoria, according to reports from a surprise
trip Jerry Stiller (a.k.a. Frank
Costanza) took to the house in
2010.
Though he’s not a sitcom
character, we would be remiss
Ekra
QConf is edited by:
Steven J. Ferrari
Contributors: Bruce
Adler, Jordan Gibbons,
Vladimir Grjonko, Luis
Gronda, Walter Karling,
Joe Marvilli, Marcia
Moxam Comrie, Michael
Nussbaum, Michael
Schenkler, Jackie
Strawbridge.
Follow us on Twitter:
@QueensTrib
@SEQueensPress
They're Not Real, But They Are From Queens
Maybe your neighbors are
more interesting than you
thought.
A list compiled by New York
City movie location scout Nick
Carr, which pointed out all the
real-life buildings that sitcom
characters have inhabited
throughout the City, got us
at QConf thinking about the
fictional population of the
Borough.
Carr’s list is fairly light on
Queens, noting only that exterior shots of Archie and Edith
Bunker’s home in “All in the
Musicians OF QuEEns
if we skipped Peter Parker,
the Forest Hills resident and
spidery superhero who lived
in Forest Hills. The 2002 Toby
Maguire “Spider-man” movie
was filmed significantly in
Queens.
Finally, while she spent her
time in a Manhattan mansion
throughout the episodes of
“The Nanny,” Fran Fine was
a native Flushing girl who
was raised and worked in the
Borough before her pilot.
Carr’s full list can be found
at www.scoutingny.com.
Spin City
Is it art or political commentary? A window display at SAKS 5th Avenue has Rumplestiltskin emerging
from City Hall to spin some straw into gold. Could the retail landmark be making a comment about
Mayor Bill de Blasio's press policies...?
The Queens husband/wife
duo of Ekra describes their
musical style as “okapi,” after
the African mammal. Also
called the zebra giraffe, they
are known for their distinct,
strikingly lined markings. Like
those animals, Ekra stands
out with a unique signature.
The band plays experimental music that dips into
the waters of shoegaze or
progressive rock, but with an
energy, passion and focus that
draws you in. The couple, Lee
(drums, vocals and keyboard)
and Brendan (vocals, bass
and keyboard) met on Craigslist in 2004, when Lee was
looking to join a band. Once
the two of them got rehearsing, along with a bassist who
is no longer with the group,
Ekra was born.
Over the course of three
records, Ekra has moved from
one challenge to another,
some self-imposed and some
from outside circumstances.
For the band’s 2009 debut,
“Moons,” the duo decided to
carry on without their bassist
by having Brendan switch to
the instrument and removing
guitars. Besides learning
to write together, the duo
also took on a construction
project.
“We wanted to have the
freedom to work at our own
pace and really find our
sound, so we decided to
build a studio in our Jackson
Heights apartment,” Brendan
said. “We soundproofed the
closets, built a drum riser for
the electric kit, took a week
off from work and nailed it. It
was challenging, but we made
some great memories.”
From there, Ekra recorded
and released their second
record, “Men,” in 2012. With
three songs, each clocking
at over 10 minutes, the album
pushed the band into progressive rock territory. After
the two of them went further
musically then they had
before, Ekra’s third album,
“Mouha,” went in the opposite direction, restraining
their songs in a much more
difficult process.
“If ‘Men’ was the equivalent
to holding our breath, then
‘Mouha’ was supposed to
be the release. Instead, we
restricted ourselves and the
process was much harder than
we expected,” Brendan said.
“It's transitional, the album
you need to make before you
really find a new path. We
wanted a short and sweet album, and somehow we ended
up with our darkest.”
Brendan added that “Mouha,” which came out this
year, is about Ekra’s home
in Jackson Heights and the
experiences he has had in
Queens. One of the songs is
even called “Queens Crawl,”
with a reprisal further down
the album as well.
“I'm proud to be from
Queens,” Brendan said. “There
are a lot of hard working people
struggling to survive, but still
manage to find the passion
and light in life. I think more
than anything that mentality
permeates ‘Mouha.’”
Ekra shows no signs of
slowing down. The duo is
already five songs into its
new album, which they plan to
release as an ongoing series
on singles. The band also
started a blog called Kiss Them
For Me, reviewing bands from
or passing through New York.
You can check out the blog at
http://xthem4me.tumblr.com
and visit Ekra’s website at
www.ekrasound.com.
- Joe Marvilli
For more information on this artist, including
an audio clip, check out the TribCast, our
new podcast, posted Fridays exclusively on
queenstribune.com.
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