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Volume 11 Issue No. 38 Sept. 24 - 30, 2010

Online at www.QueensPress.com

The City Council voted unanimously to rezone Rosedale, which will preserve the neighborhood’s character.By Sasha Austrie...Page 3

STAYINGTHE SAME

PAGE 22

14631_ROP_QR

Astoria30-27 Steinway St.(@ 30th Ave.)718-249-9500

32-70 Steinway St. (@ 36th Ave.)718-887-8042

Corona111-04 Roosevelt Ave.718-701-5111

40-34 National St. (@ 41st Ave.)718-233-1324

Elmhurst76-09 Broadway (@ 76th St.)718-779-2235

Queens Center Mall (On Concourse Level)718-233-1338

Far Rockaway32-21 Beach Channel Dr. (@ Beach 32nd St.)718-864-2029

Flushing136-76 Roosevelt Ave.(@ Union St.)718-886-3550

162-08 Northern Blvd.(@ Depot Rd.)718-961-8861

36-09 Main St. Ste. CU-109 (@ Northern Blvd.)718-762-3600

Forest Hills71-24 Austin St.718-487-4770

Jamaica135-02 Jamaica Ave. (@ 186th St.)718-737-3628

87-64 Sutphin Blvd. (@ Hillside Ave.)718-526-0500

87-86 Parsons Blvd.(@ 88th Ave.)718-297-9500

Long Island City13-05 40th Ave. (@ 28th St.)718-737-3975

Ozone Park9621 Rockaway Blvd. (@ 96th St.)718-200-6887

Richmond Hill112-20 Jamaica Ave. (@ 112th St.)718-441-2230

Rockaway Park227 Beach 116th St.(@ Rockaway Beach Blvd.)718-233-4993

Woodhaven94-17 Jamaica Ave. (@ 94th St.)718-310-9611

Woodside35-11 64th St.718-565-1850

54-20 31st Ave. (@ 54th St.)718-626-1300

5716 Woodside Ave.718-533-0888

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Presstime

Queens Ripped Apart

By Surprise Tornado

BY BRIAN M. RAFFERTY

It was a typical Thursday afternoon in

Queens on Sept. 16. Rush hour had hit; the

highways were filled with cars carrying

people home. Most school buses had de-

livered their charges; kids were doing home-

work, playing with friends and helping get

dinner ready.

The sky turned gray, then black. Wind

swirled, buffeting the commuters, shaking

children in their houses. An ominous sound

bore down from overhead as the sky turned

green, lightning dancing across the sky. To

see it was disorienting; rain seemed to lift

from the ground, trees that had swayed

now flew across the highway, over cars and

into homes. The crash of debris blended

with the smashing of the rain until the

sound became deafening.

And then it was gone.

For about 15 minutes this scene played

out across a swath of Queens running from

Ridgewood to Middle Village and Rego

Park, Forest Hills, Flushing, Fresh Mead-

ows, Auburndale and Bayside before exiting

at Little Bay. Each location felt the force of

the storm for no more than 2 or 3 minutes.

The final verdict: an 80-mph tornado

that started in Brooklyn cut into

Ridgewood and flattened out to a nearly

five-mile-wide “macroburst” as it slammed

into Middle Village and Rego Park at 125

mph. From that burst a new tornado

formed, tearing through the borough at

100 mph, but entire sec-

tions of the borough –

Astoria and Jackson

Heights in the Northwest,

Jamaica and Floral Park in

the South and East – never

felt it.

In the blink of an eye

thousands of trees were up-

rooted or ripped apart. In

the first 24 hours alone the

Parks Dept. reported 3,931

residential trees damaged

– that number does not

even bear in mind the ones

inside Forest, Juniper Val-

ley, MacDonald, Flushing

Meadows, Kissena, Bowne

or Crocheron parks.

In the days since the

tornado, help has been easier to come by

for some. There is a limit to the number of

tree specialists, insurance adjusters, con-

tractors and city workers who can handle

the load. Progress in some fringe areas that

were not as hard hit – along Parsons Bou-

levard in Flushing and on Calamus Av-

enue in Maspeth – has been slow. In Forest

Hills, communities have come together to

clean up. From the unaffected neighbors

who have offered food and shelter to

those displaced to the volunteers who

cleared out dozens of fallen trees at a local

Little League, the tales of generosity are

widespread.

But so, too, are the tales of woe. Poor

insurance, questions over individual vs.

city responsibility and the shock of the

scale of the damage have been hard to

swallow for some. There have been very

few injuries reported as a direct result of

the tornado, though there was one death.

A 30-year-old Pennsylvania woman was

crushed by a tree that fell on her car when

she pulled over on the Grand Central

Parkway at the height of the storm.

As the community continues to clean

up, the Queens Tribune dedicates this issue

to the people, families, schools, homes

and businesses affected by last week’s

devastating weather – and to being pre-

pared for the next time.

Reach Editor Brian M. Rafferty at

brafferty@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-

7400, Ext. 122.

BY DOMENICK RAFTER

When the epic storm roared through

Queens last Thursday afternoon, it deliv-

ered a double blow from two destructive

forces not common in New York City.

The storm first spawned a tornado in

Brooklyn. The F0 twister touched down

in Park Slope at 5:33 p.m. and dissipated

two miles to the northeast in Clinton Hill.

The same storm crossed into Queens seven

minutes later and unleashed a macroburst,

a wide swath of straight-line winds of

around 125 mph; the strength of a Cat-

egory 3 hurricane.

The macroburst was eight miles long

and five miles wide, according to the Na-

tional Weather Service, extending from

Jackson Heights to Richmond Hill, with

the hardest hit areas being Middle Village,

Rego Park and Forest Hills. Reports of

fallen trees extended as far away as Ozone

Park, Hollis and College Point.

At 5:42 p.m., an F1 tornado, packing

winds of 100 mph, touched down near

Forest Hills High School, bisected Flush-

ing Meadows Corona Park north of

Meadow Lake, and crossed the Long Is-

land Expressway near Main Street. The

twister zigzagged in a general northeast-

erly direction through Flushing,

Auburndale and Bayside, passing close to

Queens College, Kissena Park and

Clearview Golf Course before dissipating

in the Long Island Sound near Fort Tot-

ten less than a mile from the Throgs Neck

Bridge.

Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at

drafter@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-

7400, Ext. 125.

Twisted Storm’s Path

Sliced Queens In Half

BY SASHA AUSTRIE

From here on in, Rosedale's architec-

tural character should remain largely un-

changed. On Thursday, the City Council

voted to rezone Rosedale by a unani-

mous vote almost a month after the City

Planning Commission approved the

down-zoning.

"The strength of our community has

always been derived from the beauty and

character of our neighborhood," said

Counci lman James Sanders (D-

Laurelton). "We will not allow sleazy

developers to ravage our communities by

taking down stately mansions and put-

ting up cheese-box houses, unfit for the

designation of a home."

The rezoning would benefit 193 blocks

within Community Board 13. Zoning has

remained unchanged in Rosedale since

1961. The new zoning law would replace

all or portions of the existing R3-2 zoning

district with R2, R3A, R3X or R3-1 dis-

Council Approves Rosedale Rezoningtricts. In addition, most of the C1-2 and

C2-1 overlay districts will be replaced with

C1-3 or C2-3 districts. Certain 2-1 and C1-

1 overlay districts will be eliminated or

reduced where residential or community

facility uses exist and a new C1-2 overlay

district is proposed to be mapped where

commercial uses exist.

The R3-2 zoning replacements would

ensure that one to two family detached

homes continue to inhabit Rosedale

neighborhoods. The maximum building

height is 35 feet and allows one parking

space per unit.

"The Rosedale rezoning in southeast

Queens is another significant advance in

our extensive work to protect lower-den-

sity neighborhoods by removing old zon-

ing that allows out-of-character develop-

ment," said Amanda Burden, City Plan-

ning commissioner. "By applying new

zones that more closely match and rein-

force local building patterns, we will pre-

serve the beautiful blocks in Rosedale that

are lined with one- and two-family de-

tached and semi-detached homes, and

protect the appealing suburban-style char-

acter that is cherished by its neighborhood

residents. I am thrilled to vote yes."

Sanders had hoped that the rezoning,

which had been sought after for 40 years,

would be completed before the housing

market rebounds.

"We are seeking rules and regulations

that say if you take down a one-family

home, you can only put up a one-family

home," he said.

The rezoning effort was collaborative,

as Community Board 13 and local civic

associations pushed for the down-zoning.

Lawrence McClean, Community Board

13 district manager, said the new zones

would keep the character of Rosedale.

"[The rezoning] means the quality that

made Rosedale a residential community

will now be maintained," McClean said

previously.

Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at

saustrie@queenspress.com, or (718) 357-

7400, Ext. 123.

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MacDonald Park in Forest Hills was hit dead-on by the

tornado.

The signature single- and two-family homes that define Rosedale were given permanence with

the City Council's approval of a new zoning for the neighborhood.

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BY SASHA AUSTRIE

They stood around him in an arc.

Friends, family, mentors and clergy gave

Ruben Wills their support in his bid for the

28th Council District seat. He is their

candidate.

“Ruben has been field tested,” said

Councilman Leroy Comrie (D- St. Albans.)

“He has volunteered at every level of ser-

vice [in New York State government]. He

is unafraid to take on issues.”

The 28th District became vacant when

late-Councilman Tom White, who had

served the district for 15 years, died in

August. Wills and 10 other opponents are

vying for the seat, which will be deter-

mined in a nonpartisan Nov. 2 special

election.

Like Comrie, State Sen. Shirley Hunt-

ley (D-Jamaica) was confident in Wills’

ability to lead the district.

Wills said his agenda is focused on

“Jobs, jobs, jobs, healthcare and economic

development.” He added that equipping

the district with both a community center

and a youth center is also on his to-do list.

Wills said he is running on his experi-

ence and record of delivering for the com-

munity throughout the last 15 years. He

previously worked for Comrie and served

as Huntley’s Chief of Staff. Wills said,

though it was a losing battle, he aided the

community in the fight to stop the closure

of two Queens hospitals, adding that he

tried to navigate the foreclosure crisis plagu-

Wills Touts Endorsements, Platform

ing Southeast Queens as Huntley’s top

adviser.

“I am mature enough to know what the

youth need,” Wills said. “I am mature and

seasoned to know senior issues.”

A gentleman applauded Wills’ decision

to locate his campaign office in Richmond

Hill.

“Never has there been a political office

on this side of the Van Wyck,” he said.

“Once you honor your word of coming to

Richmond Hill, we will work with you.”

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Councilman Leroy Comrie, (l. to r.) Marcia and Ruben Wills and Mohammed Hack gathered

to endorse Wills’ run for the 28th Councilmanic District seat.

This is not Wills’ first attempt to lead

the 28th District. Last year, Wills launched

a campaign against White and a slew of

other opponents and placed fourth in the

race.

Wills said this campaign feels different,

with people talking about his candidacy as

if it belongs to them.

His wife Marcia Wills said her first reac-

tion to her husband’s political ambitions

was, “Let’s pray about this. We wanted to

make sure it was the right time.”

Almost a week after White died, she

gave the signal to march ahead.

Between now and Nov. 2, Wills plans

on blitzing the district.

“We will knock on every door we can

knock on,” he said. “We want to make sure

the community is engaged. We want to

remove some of the apathy that people

have.”

Ondrea Harris, a Baisley Houses resi-

dent, said Wills has her vote come Elec-

tion Day.

“Ruben is the one that we want and will

get,” she said. Harris said her nephew was

killed in Mount Vernon and Wills went to

support the family.

“He goes beyond Queens,” she said.

“He is helping us open [the Baisley Houses

Community Center] along with [Hunt-

ley]. He and his wife Marcia, they are like

family.”

Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at

saustrie@queenspress.com, or (718) 357-

7400, Ext. 123.

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DEP Outreach Clarifies New Plans

BY SASHA AUSTRIE

On Monday, Dept. of Environmental

Protection representatives gave South-

east Queens homeowners a tidbit of infor-

mation in a customer service outreach

event.

Matthew Mahoney, Associate Com-

missioner for Intergovernmental Affairs

and John Singleton, deputy commissioner,

briefed attendees on the usage of their

water and sewer fees, the new automated

meter reading, the Water Debt Assistance

Program and other payment options.

DEP uses the majority of the revenue to

make billions in improvements and fulfill

mandated investments issued by the state

and federal governments.

From fiscal year 2003 to 2010, DEP

had $19 billion in capital project commit-

ments, of which 69 percent or $13 billion

were legal mandates.

Including ensuring that city water is safe

for consumption, mandates have also

added to customers bills. Between fiscal

year 2002 and 2011, the agency increased

the water rate 24 percent. This year, legal

mandates cost homeowners $177.

DEP has lowered the proposed rate for

fiscal year 2011 by 1.4 percent to help

lower water rates, according to Mahoney.

Other efforts to lower rates include a re-

duction in employees by 214, a reduction

of non-emergency fleet saving $2.7 mil-

lion and energy savings reducing costs by

$1 million.

New automated meter reading is one in a host of programs the Dept. of Environmental

Protection is introducing to update its systems and help homeowners save money.

Another money saving measure is

the installation of 460,000 automated

meter readings.

Singleton said the devices, which

are ins ta l l ed f r ee o f cha rge to

homeowners, will send water usage to

DEP four times a day. Also, it allows

customers to monitor their water usage

online.

"It gives the number of gallons and the

amount of water used," Singleton said. "It

gives the payment history for the last three

years and bill history from the day the

AMR device was installed. You can figure

out hourly usage."

Singleton said the apparatus will be a

boon for home as leaks can be noticed and

remedied before it affects a homeowner's

wallet.

Farrell Sklerov, DEP spokesman, said

the entire city will be outfitted with AMRs

by the end of 2011.

Mahoney highlighted the Water Debt

Assistance Program, which was launched

in February 2008. He said enrollment

would temporarily relieve homeowners

on the brink of foreclosure with past-due

water and sewer bills. To qualify,

homeowners have to be delinquent on

their mortgage, a notification of lien, sale

or service termination and tax Class 1,

owner occupied one-, two-, or three-fam-

ily home.

"It's not a forgiveness, it's a forbear-

ance," Singleton said. "It gives people a

little bit of breathing room."

Including the debt assistance, there are

also payment plans and tax exemptions

for senior citizens.

Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at

saustrie@queenspress.com, or (718) 357-

7400, Ext. 123.

In Our Opinion:In Our Opinion:

OF SOUTHEAST QUEENS

174-15 Horace Harding Expwy.

Fresh Meadows, NY 11365

(voice) (718) 357-7400 fax (718) 357-9417

email news@queenspress.com

The PRESS of Southeast Queens

Associate Publisher

Arnold Thibou

Executive Editor:

Brian Rafferty

Contributing Editor:

Marcia Moxam Comrie

Production Manager:

Shiek Mohamed

Queens Today Editor

Regina Vogel

Photo Editor: Ira Cohen

Reporters:

Harley Benson

Sasha Austrie

Joseph Orovic

Domenick Rafter

Jessica Ablamsky

Editorial Intern:

Angy Altamirano

Jason Banrey

Rebecca Sesny

Art Dept:

Tania Y. Betancourt

Sara Gold

Rhonda Leefoon

Candice Lolier

Barbara Townsend

Advertising Director

Alan J. Goldsher

Sr. Account Executive

Shelly Cookson

Advertising Executives

Merlene Carnegie

A Queens Tribune Publication.

© Copyright 2010 Tribco, LLC

Michael Schenkler,

President & Publisher

Michael Nussbaum,

Vice President,

Associate Publisher

Tornado And The City: Oh What A Tangled Mess

A Personal Perspective

By MARCIA MOXAM COMRIE

A tornado tore through three of

our city's five boroughs last week

like it thought it was in Kansas.

Brooklyn, Staten Island and

our beloved Queens took a beating

last Thursday at the close of the

workday, trapping commuters on

highways, parkways and byways

alike with blinding rain and light-

ning while toppling trees. It also

led to the death of one commuter

in the drive-time mêlée.

When it was all said and done,

neighborhoods in Forest Hills,

Flushing, Jamaica Estates, Hollis

Hills and other parts, were a mess

of tumbled trees and electric

wires, crushed cars and damaged

houses. There were no yellow

brick roads to the fix-it wizard.

Days after the onslaught, we were

still chopping out of it.

Myth holds that cities don't

get hit by tornadoes, but New

York is starting to shatter that

opinion. Meteorologists now say

Letters

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Editorial Letters

Bringing Out Our Best

The worst natural disaster to hit Queens in at least a quarter century

brought out the best in some of our residents this week.

Within minutes of the tornado passing through, as the shock of the

damage was still settling in, people immediately started dragging limbs

off roads to help allow traffic to pass.

Within hours, as commuters faced a nightmare of either delays or

cancelled service, the drivers who waited hours to pass through a few

short miles did not lean on their horns. They knew that we all, at this

point, needed to work together.

That spirit was true from Forest Hills to Flushing, from Middle

Village to Auburndale and in every corner of our borough. Strangers

and neighbors have been helping each other survive, adjust and get back

to normal following the devastating storm.

Today, despite the rift caused by the tornado that split our borough

in two, we have come together to unite as one people, side-by-side, neigh-

bor-by-neighbor.

Let us continue to work together.

No Reform Hero

To The Editor:

I was outraged this week after

picking up a copy of the Eastern

Queens Gazette and looking at

the front cover of the paper which

called State Sen. Frank Padavan

a "Hero Of Reform." Padavan is

anything but a Hero Of Reform.

He has had 38 years to prove that

he is a reformer and he has not.

He is probably one of the most

anti-reform politicians I could

ever think of.

Padavan has always been a

supporter of making abortions il-

legal. Last year when he had an

opportunity to give his LGBT

constituents marriage equality he

voted against the bill. In 2008 he

challenged hundreds of St. Johns

University students' voter regis-

trations in court during finals

week. Padavan has always been

against the legalization of gam-

bling in New York State, which is

something that would help close

our state's budget gap. And how

can we forget Padavan's role in

last year's Albany coup which

paralyzed State Government for

weeks.

After all this, how could

Padavan possibly be a "Hero Of

Reform?" The only reason why

he signed onto Mayor Koch's NY

Uprising pledge is to save his own

hide.

Padavan's opponent this year,

former Councilman Tony Avella,

has spent his entire career being

a reformer and he is someone

that we can all believe will go up

to Albany and help bring change

to what is the most dysfunctional

legislature in the country. To all

voters in the 11th Senatorial Dis-

trict, please vote for reform and

change this November. Vote

Tony Avella for New York State

Senate.

Matthew Silverstein,

Bayside

Anti-Semitic Tony

To The Editor:

We are still months away from

the November elections. How-

ever, before things get heated up

with too many political messages

and ads, it is imperative for voters

to take note of former

Councilmember Tony Avella,

who is vying to run against State

Sen. Frank Padavan.

In 2009, when current Coun-

cil member, former Black Panther

member, and outspoken anti-

Semite Charles Barron decided

that he may run for the Speaker's

seat, almost all Council members

abstained from giving him sup-

port, because Barron has a long

record of drumming up anti-

Semitic and racist sentiments.

However, the only Council mem-

ber to support Barron was Avella,

who helped form the "Barron/

Avella New York City Council

Democrat ic Reform Move-

ment." In May, when Barron

compared Gaza to "a concen-

tration death camp," Avella

didn't see a need to denounce

his friend's statement.

A few years ago, Barron intro-

duced a bill in the Council that

would have named a street in the

memory of known anti-Semite

and racist Sonny Carson, who

few New Yorkers remember in

good light. Avella joined the most

radical members to vote to fulfill

the wish of a known anti-Semite

to put in memory the name of

someone who was an instigator

of hate in the City and architect

of the bloody Crown Heights riot.

Due to Avella's actions, it is

known within the Democratic

City Council caucus that Barron

has always a loyal vote to support

him in his hateful agenda.

The last thing that we need is

to send to Albany someone who

was ready to give the second most

powerful city seat (the Speaker

post) to an outspoken anti-

Semite. In this critical year, when

every seat hangs in the balance

on all levels of government, we

cannot afford to send to Albany

a person that supports and sup-

ported divisions and anti-Semitic

rhetoric.

Whatever one's political party

affiliation may be, it is certain

that where Avella comes into play,

one needs to vote the other way.

Charles Gold,

Queens

WRITE ON:

The PRESS of

Southeast Queens,

174-15 Horace Harding Expy.

Fresh Meadows, NY 11365

email news@queenspress.com

fax: (718) 357-9417

New York City has been hit by

tornadoes more often this year

than have rural areas. About five

years ago, a mid-day tornado also

decimated parts of Brooklyn. So

much for that theory!

The thriller that got us last

week is said to have migrated

from Kansas and Ohio and "ac-

celerated into the East." That was

some acceleration.

It felled monster trees like little

boys topple toy soldiers. Some

snapped in two and others sim-

ply succumbed, root and all, to

the tempest. It was a frightful

experience. As New Yorkers, we

are not used to this sort of natural

assault; but more and more these

last few years, there have been

rude awakenings.

Last spring, dozens of trees

also toppled throughout the city.

We had endured history-making

rain falls and the soggy soil sim-

ply gave way around the roots of

the big old trees, even causing a

few deaths.

One cannot help but wonder if

Mayor Mike Bloomberg, while

busy putting in new trees,

shouldn't also mandate that some

older, top-heavy trees be given

extreme trims or simply be re-

placed with saplings.

Our citizens, our homes and

our automobiles are being endan-

gered by these toppling mon-

strosities. I'm all for cleaning our

air via the grand old trees, but

they need to be monitored. Sap-

lings take time to mature and pro-

vide the cleaning and shade that

the veteran trees do. There is

history and splendor in the older

trees; but at what price do we

keep our vulnerable old beauties?

We would not want to go on a

random slash and burn, but we do

need to make sure they are safe.

About a decade ago, a tree on

Francis Lewis Boulevard in

Laurelton toppled on a bus trans-

porting children to school.

A woman lost her life on the

Grand Central last week when

she parked parallel to a tree dur-

ing the shocking blow-by. Visibil-

ity was poor, traffic was barely

moving and she tried to be safe by

pulling over to the side. Her pas-

senger was also hospitalized.

I was not home when the tor-

nado hit; I was on the road and it

was frightening. I was worried for

my own safety and for my prop-

erty and neighbors. It was a big

sigh of relief that I uttered upon

returning to find that we were

unscathed in our part of Queens.

The Earth seems to have en-

tered into an era of natural unrest.

Environmentalists are blaming glo-

bal warming due to the centuries

of abuse the planet has sustained

at our hands. There is plenty of

blame to go around on that score.

In the meantime, the city

cleans itself up from the rubble;

FEMA is determining whether or

not affected neighborhoods

qualify for aid and homeowners

try to negotiate payments from

their insurance carriers. It will be

a while before any kind of com-

pensation exchanges hands.

We wish them all well.

SANABRIA & QUINTETO OKOBIOwith special guest

NEA JAZZ MASTER, CANDIDO

Saturday, September 25, 2010 ● 7:00PM

Major funding for this series provided by NYC Councilmembers Thomas White Jr.(28th-CD), Chair of Economic Development, and Leroy Comrie (27th-CD) DeputyMajority Leader New York City Council and Chair of Land Use Committee.

YORK COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTERTickets available at the Box Office, 94-45 Guy R. Brewer Blvd. Call: 718-262-2840 or online at theatermania.com

$20.00 Adults / $10.00 Students & Seniors

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or visit www.nyhomes.org

The State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA) offers first-time homebuyers:

The path to your first home.

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Police BlotterCompiled By DOMENICK RAFTER

102nd Precinct

Found Dead

On Tuesday, Sept.14, at 6:54 p.m.,

police responded to a 911 call of an un-

conscious person in front of 84-27 85th

Ave. in Woodhaven. Upon arrival police

found a Nicholas Cordova, 17, of 84-22

106th St., Richmond Hill, lying on the

ground with an injury to his head.

EMS transported Cordova to Jamaica

Hospital where he was later pronounced

dead on arrival. There were no arrests at this

time and the investigation was ongoing.

110th Precinct

Crushed By Van

On Wednesday, Sept. 15, at 7:15 a.m.,

police responded to a 911 call of a man hit

by a car on 76 Street and Woodside Av-

enue, in Elmhurst. Upon arrival, police ob-

served Rashid Muhammad, 75, of 75-06

Woodside Ave., Elmhurst, unconscious and

unresponsive, with trauma to the body.

At that intersection, a 2001 Chevy van

collided with an ambulance. The van then

flipped on its side and in that process hit

Muhammad. He was removed by a sepa-

rate ambulance but died en route to the

Elmhurst Hospital. An investigation was

ongoing. No arrests were made. The driv-

ers of both the van and the ambulance were

in stable condition at Elmhurst Hospital.

112th Precinct

Suspect Sought

The NYPD is seeking the public’s as-

sistance in identifying a man wanted in

connection with five grand larcenies that

took place in Forest Hills and Rego Park.

The suspect approaches the victims on a

bicycle, removes property and f lees the

location on the bicycle. In four of the in-

cidents, the suspect f led on a red bicycle,

while during the fifth, the suspect was

riding a silver BMX bicycle with rear pegs.

113th Precinct

Shot To Death

On Wednesday, Sept. 15, at 2:44 a.m.,

police responded to a 911 call of a man

shot near 143-04 Linden Blvd. in St.

Albans. Upon arrival, police found Sand-

ers Jones, 29, of 143-04 Linden Blvd.,

with multiple gunshot wounds to his body.

EMS also responded and transported

Jones to Jamaica Hospital where he was

pronounced dead on arrival. There were

no arrests made in regards to this inci-

dent and the investigation was ongoing.

St. John's Fund-Raiser Paid Herself $1M: DA

By DOMENICK RAFTER

A former dean at St. John’s University

was arrested last week and charged with

embezzling more than $1 million from the

school over a six-year period.

Dr. Cecilia Chang, 57, who had been

Vice President of International Relations

and Dean for the Center for Asian Stud-

ies until her suspension in September

2009, was arrested at her home on Tryon

Place in Jamaica Estates last Wednesday.

She was charged in a 205-count indict-

ment with one count of first-degree grand

larceny, one count of second-degree

grand larceny, one count of second-de-

gree attempted grand larceny, 69 counts

of second-degree forgery, 69 counts of

second-degree criminal possession of a

forged instrument and 64 counts of first-

degree falsifying business records.

Queens DA Richard Brown said

Chang allegedly submitted travel and en-

tertainment charges for reimbursement as

costs related her to job when in fact, the

charges were not work-related. The

charges included casino expenses, meals

at restaurants, lingerie shopping and even

her son’s tuition at St. John’s School of

Law. The DA’s office has placed a lien on

her Jamaica Estates mansion.

Chang is also alleged to have diverted

hundreds of thousands of dollars in foun-

dation donations intended for the school

to herself, including $250,000 from a Saudi

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, head

of the charitable organization the King-

dom Foundation. According to the DA’s

office, she attempted to appropriate an-

other $550,000 by creating a fake not-for-

profit organization called the Global De-

velopment Initiative Foundation and mis-

lead the Saudi foundation into believing

the money would go to St. John’s.

“It is disheartening, indeed, to see an

alleged betrayal of this magnitude which

inexcusably deprived the University of

much needed educational funds and

could have a chilling effect on the school’s

future fund-raising efforts,” Brown said.

Brown said that the investigation lead-

ing to last week’s indictment began fol-

lowing a 2009 internal audit by University

officials of Chang’s travel and entertain-

ment expenses that led to her suspension.

According to the charges, Chang was

required to submit her credit card bills to

the University with an explanation of the

expenses. Her expenses were usually

high. She allegedly used a credit card from

a Taiwanese bank and submitted those

charges, which included her son’s tuition,

to be reimbursed, arguing she could only

use that card while overseas.

If convicted, Chang could face 25

years in prison.

Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at

drafter@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-

7400 Ext. 125.

Henry Stern

Not 4 Publication.com by Dom Nunziato

The Truth About Ethics and the State We’re In

By HENRY STERN In an initial take on

last week’s primary, weoffer some nuggets of fact,surmise and opinion.

1. The Democraticand Republican party or-ganizations continueto weaken. They aremost influential in raceswhere no one knowswho the candidates are, usually forjudgeships or at the bottom of theticket. For more important offices,where voters have familiarity withthe candidates, they make theirown decisions as to whom theywill support, guided to some ex-tent by the campaigns and themedia.

The generally low Democraticturnout placed a premium on ma-chine support. Percentage wise,more Republicans cast ballots.

2. Tuesday was a good nightfor incumbents. As far as we know,only two state senators were de-feated. Pedro Espada, Jr., in theBronx, against whom the entirecivilized world had combined, lost62-33 to Gustavo Rivera; and BillStachowski of Buffalo, lost, 63-26,to Tim Kennedy.

Stachowski, a state senator for28 years, was a target of environ-mental groups for his oppositionto clean up of toxic wastes, andgay organizations objected to hishost i l i ty to marriage equality.Stachowski was supported by theWorking Families and the Inde-pendence Party. He held up thestate budget because he insisted ongreater autonomy for SUNY Buf-falo. However, in the end he cavedand disappointed his constituents.

Tim Kennedy is an ErieCount y legislator, who linkedStachowski to the dysfunction inAlbany. We also suspect there were

demographic changes inthe district since the Pol-ish-American solon, aformer football star atHoly Cross, was firstelected a generationago. Both candidatessigned the Koch pledge.

3. The only twoAssemblymembers to bedenied renomination

were Ginny Fields in SuffolkCounty, who lost to Ken Mangan,53-47, and Francine DelMonte ofNiagara County, who lost to JohnAccardo, 52-48. Reform was not aparticular issue in these races, allfour candidates having signed thepledge.

4. The majority of incumbentstate legislators were not chal-lenged by other aspirants. There-fore, primary elections were notheld for those positions.

Fifteen incumbent senatorswere challenged. For the remain-ing 47 seats (out of a total of 62),the incumbents were unchallenged.

Twenty-seven assembly mem-bers were challenged. For the re-maining 123 seats (out of 150) theincumbents were not challenged ina primary.

5. According to Jerry Skurnik,who is an expert in these matters,the reason there are proport ion-ally more contested city than stateelect ions is that the city’s cam-paign finance system provides formatching funds on a 6-to-1 basisfor contributions of $175 or less.The maximum public subsidy for acity council race was $88,550 in2009, and it will rise in 2013. Theexpenditure limit was $161,000; ittoo will rise.

There is no provision formatching funds in state elections,so the candidate must raise all thefunds he spends. This discourages

candidacies, because to attain aminimal level of exposure in anassembly race against an incum-bent, spending close to $100,000is a requirement. Double that sumfor a state senate race. Since peopleare usually unlikely to give largesums to local candidates, there isa great advantage to aspirants whocan fund their own races.

6. The roll out of the newelectronic vot ing machines wasflawed, drawing the ire of the pub-lic and spurring elected officials toberate the Board of Elections. Nowwe must find out how accurate theelectoral counts tabulated by themachines are. The Board is con-ducting a lottery to randomly se-lect 3 percent of the election dis-tricts in the five boroughs for a handrecount of the paper ballots pro-cessed by the machines. We willkeep you posted on how the twosets of figures match up. Theoreti-cally, they should be identical.

7. The 2011 legislature will bevery much like the 2010 legisla-ture, except that the coup con-spirators Espada and Monserratewill be gone. We cannot predictwhich party will control the statesenate next year, and what the ef-fect of the Paladino candidacy willbe on Republican legislative can-didates. Will the GOP be energizedby its standard bearer, or will fright-ened moderates deser t the el-ephant line?

Democratic senate leaderJohn Sampson of Brooklyn willpresumably succeed Pedro Espadaas majority leader, if the Demo-crats retain their senate majority.Sampson has written a letter sign-ing on to the Koch reforms, as hasDean Skelos, the Republicanleader, and all his troops.

8. If the senators keep theirwritten pledges, substantial legis-

lative reform would be a strongpossibility in the areas of redistrict-ing by an independent commission,ethics reform identifying and limit-ing the private employment ofelected public servants in the leg-islature, and requiring a state bud-get to be balanced budget pursu-ant to generally accepted account-ing principles (GAAP). This is thelaw in New York City, but not inNew York State.

The Assembly will be a hardersell. Speaker Silver says that hewould allow some reforms, but hehas balked at an independent re-districting commission.

An important element of theSpeaker’s power to enforce his willis the ability to punish refractory(from his viewpoint) legislators byabolishing their districts, mergingthem with others, or removingtheir homes from their districts. Anindependent commission wouldpresumably not be congenial to

What We Learned From The Primaryspot redistricting on the basis of alegislator’s independence or sub-mission to the Speaker.

The leadership has many otherpowers over individual members,including committee assignments,lulus (pensionable payments tocommit tee chairs and miscella-neous favored designees), the useof the Rules Commit tee to ad-vance or to bottle up bills, the as-signment of office space and otherfacilities, etc. The Speaker’s powerwas likened many years ago, withregard to the City Council, to theauthority of a Mother Superior ina convent. The power to terminatea polit ical career by reapportion-ment is a superfluous award of au-thority to the most powerful manin state government (with the oc-casional, but not recent, exceptionof the governor).

It is now 40 days to the elec-tion. We will be following the race.

StarQuest@NYCivic.org

By MICHAEL SCHENKLERPedro Espada was destroyed

at the Primar y polls last week.Hiram Monserrate did no better. Nooffense to Gustavo Rivera who Ido not know or Francisco Moyawho I do know, but those electionswere not their victories, but lossesfor two disgraced has-beens. Wewish the best to Rivera and Moya,who we endorsed, the best but seethe story in the selective defeat ofthe losers.

The inside establishmentturned on Espada and Monserrate.Members of their own party, theircaucus and many of their formerfriends and al lies vil lainized thetwo. Hiram first became a targetof his colleagues and par ty andsuffered the humiliation when re-moved by his colleagues last year,citing his behavior and convictionof a misdemeanor in a domesticviolence incident – he was foundinnocent of the major charges.

Espada is facing charges ofcorruption for his alleged misuseof public funds in his Bronxhealthcare business and rightfullywas condemned by his party andcolleagues.

But I think it is clear they bothsuffered their Democratic col-leagues’ animus when they brokewith the Democratic Caucus andthrew Senate control to the Re-publicans in the summer of 2009.Then they returned to their caucusextracting prices which were paidby the angry Democratic caucus.

Well, the repayment is nowcomplete. The Senate Democraticcaucus-led vendetta has destroyedboth of the fallen amigos politi-cally. Neither again will be able toobtain elective office or hold ap-pointed jobs. They are both pari-ahs so painted by a political worldthat has tolerated such behaviorswhen the offenders are loyal partymembers whose votes can be

counted on.Don’t get me wrong, I am not

condemning the Democratic Sena-tors who turned on Pedro andHiram; their behaviors deserved it.

But there have been many leg-islators before them who were abu-sive, corrupt or so embarrassing tothe Legislature but their colleagueslooked the other way.

It took an insurgent namedShirley Huntley to beat a physi-cally abusive Ada Smith in theDemocratic Primary for State Sen-ate four years ago. Smith’s col-leagues and party looked the otherway in spite of a clear pat tern.Brooklyn State Sen. Kevin Parkerhasn’t been reprimanded by his col-leagues in spite of a series of inci-dents of physical abuse. Smith,Parker, Monserrate: they all shouldhave been called on the carpet andpunished by the Senate; but onlyHiram who deserted his party andthrew the Senate into chaos last

summer was punished.And who joined Hiram – or

led him – in last summer’s greater

dysfunct ion than usual? PedroEspada – an apparent crook.

He was an apparent crookwhen the Republicans embracedhim and made him Senate Presi-dent in exchange for his vote. Hewas an apparent crook when theDems kept him as Senate Presi-dent and increased his memberitem allocation to buy him back.

But the history of the Legis-

lature shows apparent crooks aresupported by their caucus untilconvicted of a felony. The list ofunethical crooks that should havebeen abandoned by their col-leagues is long, starts with formerSenate Leader Joe Bruno and runsstraight on til morning.

Without prejudging any mem-ber of the Legislature, it is clear tome that the ethics oversight of themembers by the Assembly and Sen-ate is a political self-serving pro-cess to protect those in office.

As we approach the potentialnew era of reform forced upon theLegislature, ethics looms large.

Right after the courts or thegovernor rejects their self-servingattempts at reapportionment, lookto the budget process and ethics totop the list of reforms to be rammeddown the legislature’s throats.

And that’s the State of NewYork.MSchenkler@QueensPress.com

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Borough Beat

BY JOSEPH OROVIC

The neo-gothic spire atop St. George’s

Church rose above the din of Main Street

Flushing for 156 years. It took a scant few

moments to tear down.

By the time the colossal winds and

pounding rain were done, the Episcopal/

Anglican church’s iconic apex laid strewn

across Main Street in tattered ruins. The

church itself was founded in 1702, and

had among its members Declaration of

Independence signer Francis Lewis. The

spire was erected in 1854.

A neighboring hotdog stand owner

braved the storm on the corner of 39th

Avenue and Main Street, holding onto his

cart as the winds blew north up Main

Street. He managed a glance over his

shoulder to see the spire get hit by light-

ning then twist slightly in the wind like a

bottle cap before detaching from the

church.

The scene left Downtown Flushing in

disarray. Police cordoned off the entire

stretch, shoving aside centuries-old piles

of wood and clearing the street.

According to the parish’s sexton Blaise

Scelsi, the spire nicked an MTA bus but

thankfully missed any pedestrians.

The storm caught the church at an

awkward moment, as it is in the midst of

a power transfer.

Ancient Spire Ruined Atop Flushing Church

The iconic peak of St. George’s is now gone.

The copper cross from atop the spire is now mangled.

The spire’s remains lie as a pile of debris outside the church

Friday.

Interim pastor

Shawn Duncan had

hardly been tempo-

rarily at the helm for a

week when the storm

hit. He admits his con-

nection to the physical

structure is not that

great as a result, but

adds, “The Church isn’t

the building – it’s the

people.”

In that spirit ,

Duncan held regular

services the night of the

storm.

As of printing, con-

tractors were slated to

come and assess the

extent of the damage,

as well as seal-off any

holes in the steeple left

as a result of the storm.

Duncan could not esti-

mate how long rebuild-

ing would take.

The only recogniz-

able remnant left is the dilapidated cross

that once crowned the spire. The mangled

wood and copper fixture rested within the

church’s main entrance, a twisted mess

hardly resembling its original self.

The church itself carries on, but is un-

sure what will replace the

lost structure.

Reach Reporter Joseph

Orovic at

jorovic@queenstribune.com

or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127.

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BY PRESS STAFF

Residents and community leaders

emerged from Thursday's storm to find a

diagonal gash of disarray across the bor-

ough as remnants of the dual tornados and

a macroburst faded east into the distance.

In the most recent count, thousands

of trees had toppled, 24 homes required

forced evacuation - five of which need to

be demolished - and one life was lost. It

had been 25 years since Queens faced a

tornado, and the immediate question fol-

lowing the destruction was, "Can we re-

coup from this effectively?"

Leaders Weigh In

By most accounts, the answer is a tenu-

ous "yes," given the circumstances. Ac-

cording to local leaders and elected offi-

cials, the city, Parks Dept. and Con

Edison showed an overall effective level

of coordination. Mayhem was kept at bay.

Major roads were cleared relatively

quickly. An epic tragedy was averted.

Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz's (D-

Forest Hills) district served as the storm's

practice grounds, with massive trees left

prostrate across streets.

"It took the 'forest' out of Forest

Hills," she said. "This could have been

really disastrous."

Koslowitz found the city's response

effective overall, and was impressed with

the speed of cleaning. She had one gripe

with schools being left open while their

entrances were plugged

by downed trees, espe-

cially PS 174.

"I looked at all the

schools and it was a di-

saster area," Koslowitz

said. "I was a little up-

set."

Those trees have

since been cleared.

The northern swath

of Councilman Jim

Gennaro's (D-Fresh

Meadows) district suf-

fered downed trees and

lost power from the

storm.

"In my estimation

there is no doubt what-

soever that this area has

been made into a disas-

ter area. It just is. It's a

fact," he said.

Still, he heralded the response within

the first few days.

"There's been a remarkable amount of

work and progress that's been made in

the last 100 hours."

But the assessment is not so positive

for Councilman Dan Halloran (R-

Whitestone), who found the city's reac-

tion within the first 24 hours lackluster.

"What we've been trying to do is play

catch up," he said.

The f lawed response includes poor

communication, difficulty getting through

to 911, the late activation of local CERT

teams, Parks Dept. offices closing for the

weekend and even a shortage of yellow

caution tape, according to Halloran.

Is It Safe?

While many are assessing the damage

to their homes and personal properties,

Queens residents should be vigilant of any

suspect trees, according to arborist

Gerard Arnold, who does work for the

Queens Botanical Garden.

While the immediately obvious trees

are being addressed by the city, Arnold

said a second round of trimming, uproot-

ing and cutting should be expected, as

the less apparent damage begins to show.

"There's usually an initial wave then a

second wave," he said.

Erring on the side of caution is best

when handling trees suffering residual

damage from Thursday night's storm.

Arnold recommends folks keep an eye

on even slightly damaged trees. Dangling

branches and leaning stumps could

present problems down the road.

According to Arnold, homeowners

should look for uniformity in the colora-

tion of leaves. If any section of the tree

begins to yellow or wither ahead of fall's

schedule, they should have the tree

checked out. But do not tackle the project

alone - entangled branches cut incorrectly

can send wood crashing down. Folks are

best off calling in a specialist.

"Have a professional handle it, al-

ways," Arnold said.

Safe For School?

A little more than half a day after last

week's macroburst and tornado roared

though the borough,

schoolchildren all over

Queens were waking up

to f ind out schools

were open. They

weren't the only ones

who were upset by it.

Mayor Mike

Bloomberg, while sur-

veying tornado dam-

age in Corona on

Thursday night, said

schools were to remain

open Friday, despite

some having been dam-

aged. Koslowitz and

CB 6 District Manager

Frank Gulluscio both

said some of the

schools in Forest Hills

and Rego Park, though

structurally sound, were

dangerous places for

children to be.

At PS 174 in Rego Park, downed trees

and debris littered the sidewalks around

the school and the schoolyard. Over the

school's main entrance, tree branches,

hanging by threads, swayed over the

heads of students. Debris from the storm

still made Dieterle Crescent impassable,

forcing parents who usually drive their

kids to school to walk instead, in streets

littered with debris.

"It's a mess, it's too dangerous for

them to be there," Gulluscio said.

Russel Sage JHS on Austin Street in

Forest Hills was open, despite the fact

that a 50-foot tree tumbled into the front

yard near the entrance and remained un-

moved by the time students got to

school Friday morning. The side-

walks along adjacent Yellowstone

Boulevard were impassable and

many students were forced to walk

in the busy street. On the opposite

side of Yellowstone Boulevard, only

a block from the school, Austin Street

was closed for a one-block stretch

because of downed power lines.

Though no damage was done to

the school, or its grounds, students

and parents at PS 49 in Middle Vil-

lage were forced to maneuver

through debris-clogged streets to the

school's east and southeast after the

storm. Fallen and damaged trees in

Juniper Valley Park, directly across

the street from the school, worried

some parents.

Every classroom at Rego Park's

Our Savior Lutheran School were ei-

ther badly damaged or destroyed.

The private school, at 64-33

Woodhaven Blvd., was closed Fri-

day and Monday to allow crews to

fix structural damage to the build-

ing. The school's playground suf-

fered considerable damage, and a

shed that housed toys and barbe-

cues was completely destroyed.

Burst Bubble

At Queens College, almost every cor-

ner of the campus had trees that had

fallen due to the strong winds of

Thursday's storm. Lamps along the cam-

pus had been shattered and the glass de-

bris scattered on the f loor. Yet, cleaning

crews had arrived early Friday to aid in

clean up.

One of the biggest damages that the

campus suffered was the shredding of the

tent that houses the indoor tennis center.

The strong winds and fallen trees ripped

a hole through the tent and brought it

down onto the court inside. Even though

the outcome was horrible, members of the

Women's softball team joined together

to help clean up the wreckage.

"I didn't believe it was real," said Sara

Kumou, a senior. "After seeing the tent, I

realized it was real and actually hap-

pened." Kumou, along with team mem-

bers and friends, including seniors Julia

Carbone and Victoria Coan and sopho-

more Alex Dragl, cleaned up the softball

field and then moved on to clean up the

indoor tennis court.

Businesses Bashed

For Ruben Borukhov, the day after the

storm was not his best. Standing in front of

his shop on Francis Lewis Boulevard, he

asked passersby, "Want a Christmas tree?"

Though many of them laughed and

exchanged pleasantries, none patron-

ized his namesake operation, Ruben's

Barbershop.

"We cleared [the debris] away last

night," he said. "You couldn't even see

the sign. We need people to come in."

Despite his best effort, trees and de-

bris were piled so high that his awning,

and those of his neighbors, were hard to

see. Asked how business was going,

Borukhov replied, "Oh, forget about it."

Though he had not yet called insur-

ance for his damaged sign, it could be a

costly replacement. The small sign cost

$4,000.

Though business was bad for some,

others used the chaos as an opportunity

to make a little money, like the enterpris-

ing individual who hung up a handmade

poster board sign that read, "we buy storm

damaged cars" in an area that sustained

severe damage.

Moving Onward

According to the district managers of

the affected areas, a healthy dose of per-

spective has generally kept residents'

complaints to a minimum.

"You've got to realize that this is some-

thing not for New York," said CB 7 Dis-

trict Manager Marilyn Bitterman. "Under

the circumstances, they did a very, very

good job."

Gennaro said some residents are upset

over slow clean-up efforts, but he constantly

reminds them of the city's priorities.

"You need to tell people that streets

are not cleared and areas that don't have

power and that the priority is getting the

people's power back on," he said.

Most agree a recovery is a long time

away. But how exactly to even define a

"recovery" is difficult.

The council members agreed that their

districts lost more than trees - they lost a

chunk of the neighborhoods identity.

"I'm not sure that tree canopy is go-

ing to look like that," Halloran said. "It's

going to be decades before we see any-

thing like it again."

Gennaro was more succinct.

"We lost a lot of good wood out there,"

he said.

Reach the Queens Tribune newsroom at

editor@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-7400,

Ext. 122.

The Road Ahead:

Along Kissena Boulevard, a

firefighter hacks away at a tree to

remove it piece by piece.

Baby Steps Toward A Full Recovery

The Wedding Gazebo at Queens Botanical Garden

was destroyed.

A worker helps clear away a tree in Flushing.

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Southeast Queens Events Edited By Harley Benson

pix

Meeting participants discussing the appearance of the recent issueof the PRESS of Southeast Queens: (seated) Committee ChairmanWilliam Martin, Ayanna Spurlock-Shackelton; (standing) ArnoldThibou, Alan Goldsher, Bruno Iciano.

The Greater Jamaica Development Corp. held its bi-monthly meet-ing of its Downtown Committee Sept. 15.

A Community Focus

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Ayanna Spurlock-Shackelton,Program Director for Youth& Community Empower-ment of the CommunityMediation Services, de-scribed her organization'srecent and future activities.

Guest speaker BrunoIciano, Community AffairsLiason with the NYC De-partment of Sanitation,provided helpful tips inpromoting the upkeep ofthe neighborhood by keep-ing the area free of trash.

PRESS of Southeast QueensAssociate Publisher andfeatured speaker ArnoldThibou informed the meet-ing, among other things, oftargeted display advertis-ing and general classifiedads in promoting one'sbusiness.

Featured speaker QueensTribune Advertising Direc-tor Alan Goldsher explain-ing the benefits of keep-ing one's business namein the public eye throughthe community press.

Guest speaker Deputy In-spector Charles McEvoy ofthe 103rd Police Precinctrelated positive crime-fight-ing statistics in the area.

THE YORK COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER94-45 Guy Brewer Blvd., Jamaica, NY 11451

Major funding for this series provided by NYC CouncilmembersThomas White Jr. (28th-CD), Chair of Economic Development,and Leroy Comrie (27th-CD), Deputy Majority Leader NY CityCouncil and Chair of Land Use Committee.

Box Office: 718-262-2840PAC Information: 718-262-3750

Tickets are available online at:www.york.cuny.edu

$20.00 Adults / $10.00 Students & Seniors

Saturday, October 2, 2010 • 7:00 pm

Vissi Dance Theater NYC Presents

QUEENSGALA EVENT

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Profile

SEQ Poets Thrive For Over 30 YearsBY SASHA AUSTRIE

With its bold hues, The Afrikan Po-

etry Theatre seems out of place in a neigh-

borhood rife with muted colors. But for

31 years, it has grown roots on Jamaica

Avenue.

The Afrikan Poetry Theatre was the

brain child of two poets, Yusef Waliyaya

and John Watusi Branch. The two met at

the “East” Cultural Center and Uhuru Sasa

Shule “Freedom Now School” in Brook-

lyn. They brought their talents together

in 1976.

Within a year, the duo had evolved

from an ensemble with drummers to ex-

panding the power of their words with

additional musicians and poets. Without

a permanent place to call home, the

theater’s first audiences were in public

parks, prisons, outdoor festivals, commu-

nity center and clubs. A mere two years

after coming into being, the organization

found a space close to the Central Li-

brary on Merrick and a year later they

made their home in the current location

on Jamaica Avenue.

To celebrate their history in the com-

munity, the Afrikan Poetry Theater is host-

ing its annual Creative Cuisine event at 6

p.m. on Oct. 30 at the Harvest Room,

located at 90-40 160th St.

Byron Perry, a consultant and board

member of the theater, said patrons of

the event can expect an exquisite evening

of dinner and entertainment. Food will

be cooked by about 30 men. Tickets are

$35 for adults, $40 at the door and $15

for children. For tickets call (718) 523-

3312.

“The brothers are prepared,” Perry

said.

He said the menu will be rife with

southern African and Caribbean foods.

Sekou Branch, 36, said he grew up

within the walls of the theatre, which are

covered with African American leaders

peering out of picture frames.

“I was raised in here, so a lot of my

thinking comes from here,” he said. “It’s

been here about 34 years; two generations

of this community grew up in the theatre.”

Perry said the establishment is unique

as it caters to the entire family. He said the

programs range from jazz music to lectures

on Africa and African American issues.

“Ironically, we don’t have black his-

The Afrikan Poetry Theatre will celebrate its history with its annual Creative Cuisine event

on Oct. 30.

tory programs because we celebrate black

history all year round,” Perry said. “We

have the largest Kwanzaa program in New

York City.”

Perry joined the Afrikan Poetry The-

atre 30 years ago. He said then he was a

poet and volunteered his time to the or-

ganization.

Ronald Burwell, assistant administra-

tor and affiliate of the theatre for 29 years,

said he became a permanent fixture to

benefit the children of the community.

“We started a youth group – a brother-

hood/sisterhood school,” he said.

Burwell, said the school, dubbed

MAAT, which is a Kiswahili word mean-

ing balance, operated for 20 years.

“We tried to reach them and teach

them about culture,” he said.

Even after 34 years, the theatre is still

making strides to reach beyond its four

walls. Perry said renovations of the

theatre’s space will soon commence. In-

cluding renovations, the establishment is

reaching out to a new generation via the

web, afrikanpoetrytheatre.org, Twitter and

Facebook.

“I want people to support the program

all year round,” Perry said. “Come to the

fundraiser, become a member.”

Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at

saustrie@queenspress.com, or (718) 357-

7400, Ext. 123.

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Restaurant Review

QBG Artist Interacts With Visitors

Quintet Boro Concert

Set For This Sunday

NAPLÈ29-02 Francis Lewis Blvd., Flushing

(718) 358-0070

CUISINE: Italian

HOURS: Mon-Sun 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

CREDIT CARDS: Yes

PARKING: Street

The downed trees blocking my path

and a steady drizzle that lingered long

after the storm gave me a feeling that I

was not in Queens anymore; the sunshine

yellow walls and green and white accents

of Naplè made for a welcome refuge.

I have been here before and I hap-

pily worked through every morsel put

in front of me. My one goal at Naplèwas to not repeat any of my past selec-

tions. Right out of the gate, I failed.

Perusing the menu, I found the clas-

sic caprese - beefsteak tomato layered

with buffalo mozzarella and parma pro-

sciutto - drizzled with with balsamic

vinegar and kissed by basil leaves. I was

tempted by the beef Carpaccio - thin

raw sliced beef marinated with extra

virgin olive oil, lemon, and accompa-

nied with arugula, shitake mushrooms

and sliced parmesan cheese - but I

ended up with the perfection of the

caprese. I had committed its simple el-

egance to memory and in doing that it

branded me.

Though the complimentary home-

made bread arrived after the appetizer,

it was worth the wait. As customary,

the bread is drizzled with olive oil, rose-

mary and a pinch of salt. The browned

edge of the bread is infused with the

essence of the oven.

Being in the bright atmosphere sur-

rounded by a bevy of chatter and soft

music, Mother Nature's rant was for-

gotten; the main focus was selecting

an entrée.

I lingered on the lasagna emiliana.

I had it last time. Being determined not

Queens Botanical Gar-

den announced that artist

Susan Springer Anderson

will be its new artist-in-resi-

dence, working at the Gar-

den for a month from Sept.

18 through Oct. 17. She will

create a collection of figura-

tive installation sculptures

utilizing natural materials

collected from the Garden.

As a twist, Anderson will

create the sculptures with the

assistance of the community

through a series of drop-in

workshops. The project is

made possible through a

grant with the Queens Com-

munity Art Fund.

Anderson is an artist and teaching art-

ist, working and living in New York City.

She is a graduate of Anderson University

Quintet of the Americas woodwind

ensemble will be in concert on Sunday,

Sept. 26, at 3 p.m. at Natives Theater,

82-24 Northern Blvd. in Jackson Heights.

This program is presented in celebration

of Hispanic Heritage Month in coopera-

tion with the Latin American Cultural

Center of Queens.

Repertoire for this concert includes

Judah Adashi's "Songs and Dances of

Macondo," based on Gabriel Garcia

Marquez's "One Hundred Years of Soli-

tude;" William Grant's "Still's Folk Suite

No 4" and "Adolorido and Yaravi" from

"Miniatures;" Paquito D'Rivera's "Aires

Tropicales;" Carl MaultsBy's "Still Rockin

in Jerusalem;" Leonard Bernstein's

"Danzon" (arr. Oldham); James Cohn's

"Samba Nostalgica" and "Finale" from

"Fiesta Latina;" Piazzolla's "Libertango;"

and a selection of Colombian dances.

The Sept. 26 concert is free and open

to the public. For more information, call

Natives Theater at (718) 335-0780.

Members of Quintet of the Americas

are Sato Moughalian, flute, Matt Sullivan,

oboe, Nicholas Gallas, clarinet, Barbara

Oldham, horn and Maureen Strenge, bas-

soon. Founded in Bogota, Colombia in

A Slice Of Old Napoli

to repeat, I wavered between the

fagottini - fresh pasta fil led with

gorgonzola cheese and walnuts, served

with smoked prosciutto and sage in a

cream sauce - and the breaded chicken,

topped with prosciutto, fontina cheese

and a brown sauce accompanied with

mashed potatoes and spinach.

I asked the server for input, without

hesitation she said, "Get both." So, I

got both.

There was nothing left to be desired.

I got everything I bargained for and

more. The fagottini was creamy and

cheesy. The walnuts added a great tex-

ture and a nice crunch. I then tackled

the breaded chicken. The f lavors gave

a hint of chicken parmigiana, but in a

different fashion. It was pure comfort.

The mashed potatoes were homemade

and the spinach added color and con-

trast to the plate. I felt less guilty for

consuming the creamy entrees by hav-

ing a side of green.

My date ordered the lasagna

emiliana - meat and béchamel sauce

topped with parmesan cheese.

Though I was quite satisfied with my

two entrées, I jealously took a forkful of

the lasagna. Just as rich and creamy as I

remember.

Up next came dessert, which at

Naplè means a wonderful marriage of

f lavors in a gelato concoction. We

settled on the coppa stracciatella -

chocolate chip gelato with hazelnuts

and a dusting of cocoa powder.

There is nothing more delectable

after a hearty meal than a delightful

dessert

Go ahead, visit Naplè and if none

of the entrées or desserts pique your in-

terest, just go simple and try the pizza.

No matter what you get, you won't be

disappointed.

— Sasha Austrie

in Indiana with a B.A. in

Graphic Design and a work-

ing emphasis in sculpture.

She studied design abroad at

James Cook University in

Townsville, Australia. She is

a 2010 QCAF recipient.

Her body of work focuses

on exploring and exposing

the different layers of the hu-

man experience through the

assemblage of a variety of

repurposed materials. She has

shown her armature assem-

blage sculpture in juried gal-

lery shows, solo features and

in non-traditional spaces in

New York, New Jersey, Chi-

cago, Indiana, North Carolina

and Washington D.C. Examples of Susan's

current work can be found on her website:

home.earthlink.net/~susan.springer/

1976, the Quintet has specialized in bring-

ing new music from the Western hemi-

sphere to audiences in the United States

since its arrival in New York in 1979.

The group has enjoyed an interna-

tional career that has taken them to con-

cert halls throughout the Americas, the

Caribbean, and Eastern Europe. They are

currently in residence in The Department

of Music and Performing Arts in The

Steinhardt School at New York Univer-

sity. Visit their website at quintet.org and

become their friend at facebook.com.

This program is made possible with

public funds from the New York State

Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years

of building strong, creative communities

in New York State's 62 counties.

This program is supported, in part, by

public funds from the New York City De-

partment of Cultural Affairs, in partner-

ship with the City Council. Additional

funding comes from The Jarvis and

Constance Doctorow Family Foundation.

This performance of "Songs and

Dances of Macondo" is sponsored by the

American Composers Forum through its

Encore Program, supporting repeat per-

formances of new works.

The members of the Quintet of the Americas.

id2.html. Susan also has a blog that is track-

ing her progress throughout the QBG

project at delicateutility.blogspot.com/.

While in-residence at QBG, Anderson

and the garden goers assisting her will be

creating three or four "people" in the Gar-

den. These people will be posed as if they

were looking at something in the Garden -

for example, one will be seated on a bench,

another will be looking into the Rose Gar-

den, and yet another will be in the Bee

Garden dressed as a 19th century apiarist.

The community is invited to join Susan

Springer Anderson to create these sculp-

tures in the garden beginning Sept. 18, 2010.

The remaining schedule of events for her

time in-residence is: Sunday, Sept. 26, 1-4

One of Susan Springer

Anderson's pieces. She will

work with visitors to create

"people" for the Queens

Botanical Garden.

p.m., Community Workshop; Saturday, Oct.

2, 9:30 a.m. to noon and 1-4p.m., Commu-

nity Workshop; and Sunday, Oct. 17, 3-5

p.m., Exhibit Opening.

Queens Botanical Garden is an urban

oasis where people, plants and cultures

are celebrated through inspiring gardens,

innovative educational programs and

demonstrations of environmental stew-

ardship. Located at 43-50 Main St. in

Flushing, Queens Botanical Garden is

easily accessible by car, train or bus. Park-

ing is available in the Garden's lot on

Crommelin Street.

For travel directions and more infor-

mation visit queensbotanical.org or call

(718) 886-3800

NotebookSteps To Success

Faith

Imam Advocates Equality and Peace

Program Changes Negative Outlook

BY ROB MCKAY

When Tiana Marie Farmer enrolled in

the Steps To Success program at the com-

munity-based organization Safe Space last

year, she was defensive and confronta-

tional, frequently lashing out at others. An

adoptee, the Jamaica resident had family

issues and financial difficulties, which at

times made her feel that attending col-

lege wasn't possible.

As part of the Steps To Success cur-

ricula, Farmer worked on her emotional

health through conflict resolution classes,

group therapy sessions and one-on-one

supervision with Stacey Bristow, a youth

employment and leadership coordinator

at Safe Space, which offers a wide array

of services focusing on mental health,

community health, at-risk youth, violence

prevention and school-based education

enrichment.

Farmer admitted, but Bristow helped

change her mind. "It felt good to have

BY SASHA AUSTRIE

There are events that can change the

essence of one's life. Imam Shamsi Ali's

life changer came on Sept. 11, 2001. In the

midst of the broken buildings and devasta-

tion, the storm against Islam was brewing.

"Our religion is innocent of these

things that happen," he said. "We Mus-

lims are opposed to them."

As a cloud of dust and smoke chased

thousands out of the city, Ali hailed a cab

to take him home to Astoria and the cab-

bie unleased hurtful epithets about Mus-

lims. He kept quiet.

His own fury was building against those

who had destroyed the Twin Towers in the

name of Islam and those who demonized

his religion. Ali's anger spilled out at the

Interfaith Center of New York, where he

was asked to speak days after 9/11.

"I was angry at the terrorists," he said. "I

cursed the attacks. I spoke from my heart."

Ali, clad in a suit in the confines of his

office at the Jamaica Muslim Center, looks

more a businessman than an Imam. At first

glance, his distinctly Asian features do not

fit the conventional Muslim portrait.

"Only 18 percent of Muslims come

from the Middle East," he said. The ma-

jority of Muslims come from Asia.

Ali was born and raised in Indonesia. At

the age of 12, he started going to Muslim

school. He was being groomed to be an Imam.

"We are the people who interpret the

Koran," he said. He continued his educa-

tion at the International Islamic University

in Pakistan. Ali was the assistant Imam.

After his completion of his education, he

accepted a teaching position in Saudi

Arabia at the Islamic Foundation Institute,

where he also served as the Imam.

In 1996, Ali immigrated to the

United States to lead the Masjid Al-

Hikmah in Astoria. Just as people have

preconceived notions about, Muslims

Ali said the feeling was mutual.

"Growing up in Indonesia, going to

school in Pakistan and teaching in Saudi

Arabia, I had feelings

about the other - Jews,

Christians, Americans,"

he said. Ali said his no-

tions changed because of

his Irish Catholic neigh-

bors, who embraced his

family.

"They changed my

thinking," he said.

And as his neighbors

altered his assumptions he

sought to do the same for

his neighbors after the up-

heaval of 9/11.

"September 11th really

changed me," he said. "It

began my engagement with

the American mainstream."

Ali was one of two

Imams who met with

President George W. Bush when he toured

Ground Zero. He had this message for

Bush, "Tell the people this has nothing to

do with Islam and Muslims." Bush's care

to mention his words made him proud.

The latest firestorm, which involves

Park 51, the proposed community center

blocks from Ground Zero, came as a sur-

prise to Ali, who said it is mostly politi-

cally motivated.

"The first time this came to the public

sphere, it was on the front page of the

New York Times and no one paid atten-

tion to it," he said. "In June 2010, it was

blown up in the media. The project has

been hijacked."

Mayor Michael

Bloomberg advised that af-

ter the November elec-

tions much of the clamor

would cease.

Ali said developers of

Park 51 are steadfast and

believes moving the center

sets a dangerous prece-

dent that Muslims do not

have equal rights.

"We want to make sure

our country is on the right

track," he said. "We want to

make sure our country is most

beautiful and respectful."

He contends that

those condemning Islam

forget that for centuries,

people have justified evil

with religion on their side.

"Religions are intended for good things.

It is people that do bad," he said. "All reli-

gious people must take back their religion."

As he was in the days after 9/11, Ali is

again optimistic that the squalor lobbed

at Islam will pass.

"I want our fellow Americans to see

Muslim Americans as normal Americans,"

he said. "See us as human beings before

anything else."

Reach Reporter Sasha Austrie at

saustrie@queenspress.com, or (718) 357-

7400, Ext. 123.

Word"The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic

is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken

man is happier than a sober one. The happiness

of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality."

- George Bernard Shaw

Imam Shamsi Ali, of the Ja-

maica Muslim Center has

emerged as a leader in the

fight against efforts to ostra-

cize Muslim Americans.

Ph

oto

b

y S

ash

a A

ustrie

somebody on my side. She really cared

about me."

Farmer learned job readiness, inter-

view skills and how to create a resume

and cover letter. She also built up her vo-

cabulary and even improved her presen-

tation abilities.

One of the most effective activities

was writing an autobiography, as Farmer

found the process therapeutic. Her adop-

tive mother didn't like the the idea of

Farmer disclosing the family's informa-

tion, but it eventually made them closer.

"It was good to get it out," Farmer said.

Through a Steps To Success contact,

Farmer got an internship at the Possibil-

ity Project, which gives youth the oppor-

tunity to express themselves through the-

ater and dance. Then she decided to train

for a job in a duty-free store at JFK Inter-

national Airport. Now 20 years old, she is

in her third year at Queensborough Com-

munity College and hopes to transfer to

either Queens College or Molloy College

on Long Island.

Stacey Bristow of Safe Space (l.) helped Tiana Marie Farmer overcome a pessimistic attitude

and helped her find an internship.

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People

Eileen A. Auld John Lomio Mary Ann Mattone

The Queens Library Foundation will

host its Annual Gala on Monday, Oct. 4,

from 5:30-10 p.m. at Water’s Edge, on

the East River at 44th Drive, Long Island

City. Being honored as 2010 Children’s

Champions are Eileen A. Auld, New York

State Community Relations Director,

Citi; John Lomio, President, JMK Con-

struction Group; and Mary Ann Mattone,

Community Leader and Past President of

the Queens Library Board of Trustees.

Proceeds from the Gala will support the

Futures Fund, an endowment ensuring

availability of library materials, educa-

tional and intellectual development re-

sources for the children of Queens.

Eileen A. Auld joined Citi in 2003 and

has served as New York State Director

for Community Relations for Citi’s Glo-

bal Consumer since 2007. She is the point

person for all franchise-wide community

relations activity within the State. Ms.

Auld works closely with Citi’s businesses

to leverage Citi’s financial and human

capital in addressing community needs.

She serves as the Vice Chair of the Long

Island City Business Improvement Dis-

trict, Treasurer of the NYPD’s Police Man-

agement Institute, a board member of the

Flushing Willets Point Corona LDC, the

Neighborhood Opportunities Fund and

the New York City Department of Youth

and Community Development Commu-

nity Action Board. She was appointed by

Mayor Bloomberg to the N.Y.C. Depart-

ment of Consumer Affairs’ Office of Fi-

nancial Empowerment Advisory Council.

Prior to joining Citibank, Auld was Assis-

tant Commissioner, Community Affairs

of the NYPD.

John Lomio is president of JMK Construc-

tion. He has more than 25 years experience

in the construction industry. Growing up in

a family operated construction business has

given Mr. Lomio exposure to all facets of the

construction world. He is particularly expert

at all aspects of interior finish work. Lomio

has led JMK Construction Management’s

involvement with installation of RFID-pow-

ered self-service technology at Queens Li-

brary over the last five years. Mr. Lomio is a

benefactor to several worthy not-for-profit

organizations, including Bronx Lebanon

Hospital, among others.

Mary Ann Mattone is a trustee of

Queens Library, past president of the

Board and current chair of the Adminis-

trative Committee, and a member of the

Queens Library Foundation’s Board of

Directors. This continues a distinguished

career in community service and

volunteerism dedicated to improving the

lives of New Yorkers. She was honored

by the Queens Borough President Helen

Marshall for her efforts; April 7, 2010 was

Mary Ann Mattone Day in Queens.

Mattone is a registered nurse and earned

a Master’s degree in Public Health from

Columbia University. She co-authored

many scientific articles in the field of psy-

chiatric research. Among her philan-

thropic interests are the Ladies’ Auxiliary

of the Columbus Citizens Foundation and

the Queens Botanical Garden; she was

appointed by Mayor Giuliani to the Cul-

tural Advisory Board of the City of New

York. She also serves the Foundation of

York College and the Italian Cultural Cen-

ter of St. John’s University and she is a

Lady of the Holy Sepulchre, among many

other charitable endeavors.

Tickets for the event are $350 per per-

son. For more information on the event,

including corporate packages/sponsorship

opportunities, please phone (718) 480-

4273 or visit queenslibraryfoundation.org.

The Queens Library Foundation raises

funds to augment the programs and ser-

vices of Queens Library, the highest cir-

culating library in the U.S. The Futures

Fund is an endowment that benefits

children’s library services. For more in-

formation on supporting the Queens Li-

brary Foundation, please visit

www.queenslibraryfoundation.org.

Army Reserve Spec. Ramon D. Murrell

is returning to the U.S. after a deploy-

ment to Iraq or Afghanistan in support of

Operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring

Freedom, respectively.

The soldiers return to Fort Dix, N.J.

for debriefing, evaluations and out-pro-

cessing procedures before returning to

their regularly assigned Army Reserve or

National Guard units.

The specialist served in support of

Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Iraq The-

ater of Operations.

Murrell, a human resource specialist,

is a member of the 389th Combat Sus-

tainment Support Battalion, Fort Totten,

Bayside, N.Y. He has served in the mili-

tary for two years.

He is the son of Brenda F. Pleasant of

Queens Village. In 2008, Murrell gradu-

ated from Robert F. Kennedy High

School, Flushing.

Queens TodaySECTION EDITOR: REGINA VOGEL

Send typed announcementsfor your club or

organization’s events atleast TWO weeks in

advance to “Queens Today”Editor, Queens Tribune,174-15 Horace HardingExpressway, Fresh Mead-

ows, NY 11365. Send faxesto 357-9417, c/o Regina.

IF YOUR ORGANIZATIONMEETS ON A REGULARBASIS, SEND ALL DATESFOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.

TEENS

CHESS CLUBSaturdays at the Flushinglibrary at 2.KNIT & CROCHETMondays at the Douglaston/Little Neck library at 4.CHESS CLUBMonday, September 27 at5:30 at the South Hollis li-brary.CREATIVE WRITINGMonday , September 27Creative Writing and DanceWorkshop at the Laureltonlibrary. Register.CHESSWednesdays at 3:30 at theQueens Village library.TEEN GAMINGWednesday, September 29at 3 at the Fresh Meadowslibrary.GAME DAYWednesday, September 29at 4 at the Howard Beach li-brary.TEEN MANGAWednesday, September 29Teen Manga and Anime Clubat 3:30 at the Bayside library.B’NAI B’RITH YOUTHThursdays for high schools tuden t s a t Temp le Be thSholom, 172 nd S t reet andNorthern Blvd., Flushing at7:30.WII PLAYThursday, September 30 atthe Bayside library. Register.CREATIVE WRITINGThursday , September 30Creative Writing and DanceWorkshop at the Holl is l i -brary. Register.GIRL SCOUTSThursday, September 30 at4 at the Queens Village li-brary.GAME PLAYERSFridays at the Hi l lcrest l i -brary at 2.SCOUTINGThe Rego Park Jewish Cen-ter wi l l offer boy and gir lscouting. 516-526-2492.SAMUEL FIELD YBasketball, SAT Prep, moreat the Samuel Field Y’s TeenCenter at PS169. 423-6111.TENNISYout h and Tenn i s , I nc .teaches tennis to those 4-18at the Roy Wilk ins TennisCenter. 658-6728.VENTURE CREW 158First and Third Fridays atRedeemer Lutheran Church,92 nd Avenue and 217 th

Street, Queens Village. Boysand girls 14-21 are encour-aged to try this new adven-ture in scouting.YOUTH GROUPFr idays t he Commun i t yChurch of Litt le Neck wil lhold their Community YouthGroup from 7-9. 46-16 LittleNeck Parkway. 229-2534.ART CLASSESFr idays t he A l l i ance o fQueens Artists in Forest Hillsoffers teen workshops. 520-9842.CATALPA YMCASaturdays r ec rea t ion ,Weigh t room and f i tnesscenter available. 69-02 64th

S t ree t , R idgewood . 821 -6271.GAY GROUPMondays the AIDS Center ofQueens County has a Gay/B i /Lesb ian Yout h Group(ages 16 -21) meet ing de -s i gned to suppor t youngpeople in exploring feelings

about sexualit y and other is-sues. 896-2500.TEEN CENTERTuesdays and Thursdays 7-9the Samuel Field Y offers aTeen Center at PS169. 423-6111.BOY SCOUTS 138Thursdays Boy Scout Troop138 meets at 7:30 at 192-15C 64th Circle, basement,Fresh Meadows. For those upto 17. 454-2391.COUNSELINGCall 592-5757 for free coun-se l ing a t the Fores t Hi l l sCommunity House.ACQC SUPPORTACQC Teen Peer Suppor tGroup - informat ion, sup-port, skills development train-ing for those “touched byHIV/AIDS.” Ages 14-16. 896-2500.GENERATION QThe Queens Lesbian, Gay,B isexua l and TransgenderPr ide Communi t y Cente rhold a Generation Q YouthService program. Call GAY-2300.SCOUTINGJo in Scout ing in Queens .212-651-2897.POMONOK TEENSTeen Council addresses teeni ssues in the communi t y.591-6060.BUKHARIAN LOUNGEBukharian Teen Lounge, for

those 15-18, at the CentralQueens YM-YWHA in ForestHills. 268-5011, ext. 202.VAC YOUTH SQUADThe Glen Oaks VolunteerAmbu lance Corps Yout hSquad is looking for newmembers 14-18. 347-1637.DROP IN CENTERMondays-Thursday from 4-7 the Queens Rainbow Com-mun i t y Center, 30 -374Steinway Street , 2nd f loor,Astoria, holds a Drop-In Cen-ter for LGBTQQ youth up to22. 204-5955.YOUTH SERVICESThe 105th Precinct Commu-nit y Counci l of fers a L awEnforcement Explorers Pro-gram for interested youth inthe surrounding areas. Con-tac t PO K i rk land a t 776 -9164.EMPLOYMENT SERVICESunnyside Community Ser-vices Youth Employment Ser-vices avai lable. 784-6173,ext. 129.BOY SCOUTS 158Fridays, through mid-Junea t Redeemer Lu the ranChurch, 92 nd Avenue and217 th S t ree t , Queens V i l -lage, from 7:30-9:00.SCOUTINGThe Rego Park Jewish Cen-ter wi l l offer boy and gir lscouting. 516-526-2492.

YOUTH

QUEENS LIBRARIESMany b ranches o f theQueensborough Library of-fer toddler and pre-schoolprograms. Contact your localbranch for dates.ALLEY PONDAl ley Pond Environmenta lcenter in Douglaston pre-sen t s Sunny Bunn ies fo rthose 3-4, Wee Sprouts forthose 18-23 months, ToddlerTime for those 24-35 monthsand Fledglings for those 3-4Through December . Ca l l229-4000 for exact schedule.CHESS CLUBSaturdays at the Flushinglibrary at 2.STORY TIMESSaturdays at 11 and Tues-days at 10:30 weekly storytimes at 7 at Barnes & Noble,176 -60 Un ion Turnp ike ,Fresh Meadows.SCIENCE LABSaturday, September 25 atthe Central library at noon.KNIT & CROCHETMondays a t 4 a t theDouglaston/Li t t le Neck l i -b ra r y. B r ing need les andyarn.CHESS CLUBMonday, September 27 at5:30 at the South Hollis li -brary.CREATIVE WRITINGMonday , September 27Creative Writing and DanceWorkshop at the Laureltonlibrary. Register.BOOK TALKTuesday, September 28Children’s Book Discussionat 4 at the Queens Villagelibrary.CHESSWednesdays at the QueensVillage library at 3:30.STORIES & CRAFTS

Wednesday, September 29at 10:30 at the Bay Terracelibrary.WII PLAYThursday, September 30 atthe Bayside library. Register.GIRL SCOUTSThursday, September 30 at4 at the Queens Village li-brary.ART WORKSHOPSSaturdays Women’s StudioCente r i n L IC ho ldsChildren’s Art Workshops.361-5649.SHABBAT SCOUTSSundays Shomer ShabbatBoy Scout Troop 613 meetsfrom 6-7:30 at Young Israelof Windsor Park. 969-1571.BOY SCOUT 138Thursdays Boy Scout Troop138 meets at 7:30 in thebasement at 192-15C 64th

Circle, Fresh Meadows. Forthose 11 and o lder . 454-2391.CUB/TROOP 158Fr idays Cub Scouts andTroop 158 in Queens Villagemeet s a t Evange l i ca lLutheran Church of the Re-deemer, 92-10 217th Street.465-1712 Troop, 468-5235Cubs.CUB SCOUTS 351Fridays at St. Nicholas ofTolentine school cafeteria,Pa r sons B lvd . and Un ionTurnpike. Boys in grades 1-5. 820-0015.CUB/TROOP SCOUTSFridays f rom Septemberthrough June Pack 357 andTroop 357 meet s in t heScout Room, 69 -16 164th

Street, Flushing. 591-9514Cubs, 279-9085 Scots.SCOUTINGJo in Scout ing in Queens .212-651-2897.

EDUCATION/GAMES/CRAFTS

WOMEN & WORKFree job training programfor women at Queens Col-lege. 997-4899.DRAWING CLASSStar t ing Oc tober 4 Na -tional Art League will holddrawing fundamentals andadvanced techniques 1-4 inDouglaston. 361-0628.FRESH MEADOWS POETSSaturday, September 25 at10 poets meet to discuss andcritique their poetry at theForest Hills library.SCRABBLE CLUBSaturdays at 10 at CountBasie Jr . HS, 132nd Streetand Guy R. Brewer B lvd.886-5236.KNIT AND CROCHETSaturdays at the Seaside li-brary at 2:30.PET OWNERSSundays (not on holidays)from 1-4 free workshops onpet behavior at CrocheronPark in Bays ide (weatherpermitting). 454-5800.KNIT & CROCHETMondays a t 4 a t theDouglaston/Litt le Neck l i -brary, 249-01 Northern Blvd.INSTRUCTION & DANCEMondays and Fr idays e) :7:15 -8 :00 dance lessons ,dance f rom 8 -11 . I t a l i anCharities of America, 83-20Queens B l vd . , E lmhur s t .$10.ADULT CHESSMondays at 6 at the QueensVillage library.BALLROOM DANCEMonday, September 27 atthe Forest Hi l ls l ibrary at6:30.COMPUTER CLASSMonday, September 27 atthe Lef fer ts l ibrary. Regis-ter .POLISH RESUMEMonday, September 27 atthe Central l ibrary. Regis -ter .POETRY WRITINGMonday, September 27 atthe Woodhaven l ib rar y.Register .LI CRAFT CLUBMonday, September 27 LICraft Club at 1 at the LIClibrary.CREATIVE WRITINGMonday, September 27 atthe North Hills library. Reg-ister.FABRIC JEWELRYMonday , September 27Fabric Beaded Jewelry work-shop at 2 at the Rego Parklibrary.CHESS CLUBMonday, September 27 atthe South Hollis l ibrary at5:30.GET YOUR YARNS OUT!Tuesdays a f te r even ingMinyan at 8, knitters, cro-cheters, needlepointers, andothers meet at the ForestHi l l s Jewish Center . 263-7000, ext. 200.OPEN BRIDGETuesdays at 8 at the ForestHi l l s Jewish Center . Ca l l263-7000 for fees.COMPUTER BASICSTuesday, September 28 atthe Astoria library. Register.ADULT SCRABBLETuesday, September 28 at1 at the Fresh Meadows li-brary.COMPUTER BASICSTuesday, September 28 at

the Glen Oaks library. Regis-ter .DUPLICATE BRIDGEWednesdays 10:30-3:00 atthe Reform Temple of ForestHills. $12 session, includeslight lunch. 261-2900.WATERCOLOR CLASSWednesdays at 9:30 at NAL.Tradit ional and contempo-rary, all levels. 969-1128.INDOOR SOCCER – DADSWednesday evenings at theForest Hil ls Jewish Center.263-7000.ZUMBAWednesday even ings andThursday mornings at the BayTerrace Jewish Center. 281-0912.JOB ASSISTANCEWednesday, September 29Job Assistance Workshop at6:30 at the Flushing library.CRAFT WORKSHOPThursday , September 30Go green! Elegant Environ-mental Jewelry: A Craft Work-shop fo r Adu l t s a t theSunnyside library. Register.SCRABBLE/CHESSThursdays at 4 at the WindsorPark library, 79-50 Bell Blvd.,Bayside.QUILTING CLASSESThursdays 10-2 at the MariaRose Do l l Museum in S t .Albans. 917-817-8653 to reg-ister.KNIT/CROCHETThursdays at 6 and Fridaysat 10:30 at the Fresh Mead-ows library.QUILTERSThursdays at 1:30 at the EastElmhurst library.ADULT CHESSThursdays at 6 at the QueensVillage library.OPEN BRIDGEThursdays from 8-10pm atthe Forest Hills Jewish Cen-ter. $12 per player. 275-6615to register.MANDARIN CHINESEThursday , September 30learn to speak Mandarin Chi-nese at the Flushing library.Register .US CITIZENSHIPThursday , September 30Pathway to US Citizenship:Becoming a US Citizen andBuilding Your Civic Knowl-edge at 5:30 at the Leffertslibrary.ARTIFACTS & RELICSThursday , September 30Artifacts & Relics: Poetry as aMedium for Telling and Pre-serving Personal History at6:30 at the Langston Hugheslibrary.PUBLIC SPEAKINGSaturdays, October 2, 16, 30learn to communicate effec-tively at Elmhurst Hospital.646-436-7940.POETRY WORKSHOPMonday, October 18 poetrywriting workshop at Barnes& Noble, 176-60 Union Turn-pike, Fresh Meadows at 7:30.JH ART CLUBClasses in all art forms daysand evenings for ch i ldrenand adults. 899-0065.WOMEN’S NETWORKThe Queens Women’s Net-work can help with resumeass i s t ance , t yp ing andMic roso f t tu to r i a l s , jobsearch, interv iewing tech-niques, GED and ESL classes,re fe r ra l s to t r a in ing p ro -grams. 657-6200.

ALUMNI

SPRINGFIELD GDNS 73-78September 25 party cruisein Freeport. 845-323-3119.BAYSIDE 90September 25 a t A rnosRistorante. 800-655-7971.NEWTOWN 85September 25 Newtown HSa t As to r i a Manor .Marialoves2write@yahoo.comMATER CHRISTI 65, 70, 75,80Saturday, Oc tober 2 at St.John’s Prep, formerly MaterChristi. 721-7200, ext. 686.OUR LADY OF VICTORYSaturday, October 9 classo f 1970 reun ion .Olv70reunion@aol.comCARDOZO 84-85November 6 at the Marriottin Melville. 800-655-7971.CARDOZO 90November 13 a t t heMarr iot t in Melv i l le . 800-655-7971.

ENVIRONMENT

DINNER

EMANUEL UNITEDSaturday , September 25full course Hungarian Gou-lash dinner and entertain-ment at Emanuel Church inWoodhaven . $15 adu l t s ,$7.50 children. 849-1153.JEWISH WOMENOctober 14 gala journal lun-cheon a t the Swan Club .$60. National Council of Jew-ish Women. 516-487-1199.

NATIONAL ESTUARIES DAYSaturday , September 25join Alley Pond Environmen-tal Center for a festival tocommemorate our local es-tuary – Little Neck Bay – andmeet members o f yourne ighborhood h i s to r i c ,health service, recreational,c i v i c a s soc ia t ion , schoo lgroups and government or-ganizations. Hike, listen tomusic, more. 11-3 at 228-06Northern Blvd., Douglaston.Free. 229-4000.

THEATER

KILLING KOMPANYSaturday, October 2 “TheOktober fes t Murders !” a tRiccardo’s in Astoria. TheKi l l ing Company performsmystery dinner shows. 1-888-SHOOT-EM for information

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Queens TodayENTERTAINMENT

LUNCH/CARD PARTYRegister by October 4 forthe Sisterhood of Bay Ter-race Jewish Center ’s Lun-cheon Card Party on Tues-day, October 19 at 11:30.$20 reservations. 631-5468.MODERN DANCESaturday , September 25Queens Museum of Art pre-sents Beginner and Interme-diate Modern Dance in Man-darin Chinese at noon at theFlushing library.AMAZING MAZEThrough Sunday, November7 a 3 -acre corn maze atQueens Count y Farm Mu-seum. $8 adults, $5 children.347-3276 information andtimes.JOURNEY TO THE WESTSaturday, September 25 AStory in the Style of BeijingOpera told in Engl ish andChinese at 2:30 at the Jack-son Heights library.HORACIO LAGUNASaturday , September 25World Classics at 2 at thePeninsula library.HISPANIC HERITAGESaturday , September 25learn to make bal loon ar -rangements (noon), listen tomar iachi band (2pm) andwatch f l amenco dancer s(3:30pm) at the LangstonHughes library.&CHINESE MUSICAL ARTSSaturday , September 25Love of Mid-Autumn FestivalConcert at 2 at the Flushinglibrary.SYMPHONY 101Saturday , September 25Strings Attached: A Perfor-mance/Workshop fo r theEntire Family at 1 at the For-est Hills library and at 3 atthe Sunnyside library.RAT PACKSaturday , September 25tribute to Sinatra, Davis andMartin at 2:30 at the FreshMeadows library.YORK JAZZSaturday , September 25Bobby Sanabria and CandidoCamero at 7 at the York Col-lege Performing Arts Cen-ter. $20 adults. 262-3750.COUNTY FAIRSaturday and Sunday, Sep-tember 25, 26 from11-6 atthe Queens Count y FarmMuseum. $7 adults, $4 chil-d ren 12 and under . L ive -stock, produce, home crafts,pig racing, petting zoo, ani-mal rides, more. 73-50 LittleNeck Parkway, Floral Park.347-FARM.DANZA MEXICANASaturday and Sunday, Sep-tember 25, 26 at QueensTheatre in the Park . 760-0064. $27.CHURCH BAZAARSaturday , September 2510-5 and Sunday, Septem-ber 26 12-3 at Holy TrinityRussian Orthodox Church,25-36 37th Street, Astoria.CON BRIO ENSEMBLESunday, September 26 ConBrio Ensemble will performworks by Mozart, Kodaly andSchumann at 4:30 at Churchin the Gardens, 50 AscanAvenue. $12. 459-1277.SHINING THROUGHSunday, September 26 thefilm “Shining Through” (star-r i ng Michae l Doug la s ,

Me lan ie Gr i f f i t h , L i amNeeson) will be shown at 3at the Bay Terrace JewishCenter. $5 donation. 13-00209 th S t reet , Bays ide . Re -freshments served.MANDY PATINKINSunday, September 26 at 3at the Queensborough Per-forming Arts Center . 631-6311. $45.AMER. SONGBOOKMonday , September 27Naomi Zeitlin and the GreatAmerican Songbook at 6:30at the Howard Beach library.Be r l i n , Ke rn , Ger shwin ,Arlen, Ellington and more.SINATRA…Monday, September 27 at r ibu te to the mus ic o fSinatra, Manilow, Sedaka andmore at 6:30 at the QueensVillage library.BINGOTuesdays at 7:15 at Ameri-can Martyrs Church, churchbasement , 216 -01 Un ionTurnp ike , Bays ide . 464 -4582 . Tuesdays a t 7 :15(doors open 6) at the RegoPark Jewish Center, 97-30Queens Blvd. 459-1000.$3admis s ion inc ludes 12games.AMER. SONGBOOKTuesday, September 28Arnie Gruber and the GreatAmerican Songbook: Porter,Kern and Gershwin at 2:30at the Bayside library.BLUESThursday , September 30The Swing in ’ S ide o f theBlues with Eddie Lee Isaacsa t 6 :30 a t the Cambr iaHeights library.COUNTRY WESTERNThursday , September 30Savannah Sky performs at6:30 at the Douglaston/LittleNeck library.MOLLY PICONThursday , September 30Mus ica l sa lu te to Mo l l yPicon, star of the YiddishTheatre with Diane Cypkinat 6:30 at the Forest Hills li-brary.SINATRA…Thursday, September 30 at r ibu te to the mus ic o fSinatra, Manilow, Sedaka andmore at 6 at the Whitestonelibrary.SIXTIES BEATSaturday October 2 start-ing at 4 in the Rochdale Vil-lage Senior Center’s audito-rium, 169-65 137th avenue,Jamaica. Sixt ies Beat withthe Limelites, Johnny Allen,Mel Lewis “Jesters” and theNew Marvelletes. 525-2800ticket information.ONE MAN CIRCUSSunday, Oc tober 3 LouJohnson, a Ringling Brothersgraduate, will present a OneMan C i rcus a t Temp leT ikvah, 3315 Hi l l s ide Av -enue, New Hyde Park at 3.$15 advance , $18 a t thedoor. 516-746-1120. ‘SWONDERFULSunday, October 3 the f irstnew Gershwin musical since“Crazy for You” will be per-fo rmed a t 3 a t theQueensborough PerformingArts Center. 631-6311. $35.CAPITOL STEPSSunday, October 10 spoofof politics at 3 Queens-bor-ough Performing Arts Cen-ter. 631-6311. $30-39.

HEALTH

NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS7 days a week. 932-6244.www.westernqueensna.org.FAMILY HEALTH FAIRSaturday , September 25starting at 10 at the LIC li-brary. Health screenings, in-formation and more.TAI CHIMondays and Thursdays at11 at the Card iac Heal thCenter in Fresh Meadows.670-1695. $5 a class.INTRO TO YOGAMonday, September 27 atthe Lefrak Cit y library andthe South Hollis library. Reg-ister.ZUMBAMonday, September 27 atthe Hillcrest l ibrary. Regis-ter .CORONA CANCERMonday , September 27Corona Cancer Action Coun-cil Meeting at 6 at the Co-rona library.FEMALE CANCERMondays , September 27,Oc tober 11 , 25 “ LookGood, Feel Better” programfor women undergoing che-mothe rapy and rad ia t iontherapy in Flushing. 1-800-ACS-2345.STRESS FREE LIVINGMonday , September 27workshop at 6:30 at the LIClibrary.VEGETARIAN DIETMonday , September 27learn about the benefits ofthe vegetarian lifestyle at 6at the Steinway library.ALZHEIMERSTuesdays , September 28,Oc tober 12, 26 CaregiverSuppor t Group in Fo res tHills. 592-5757, ext. 237.MS SELF-HELPTuesdays , September 28,Oc tober 12, 26 Mult ipleSclerosis Self-help group toshare a common life experi-ence for support, educationand mutual aid 1-2:30 at theHoward Beach library.YOGA DANCETuesdays 4:30-5:30 at theCard iac Heal th Center inFresh Meadows. 670-1948.$10 class.CAREGIVERS SUPPORTEver y Tuesday We ste rnQueens Caregiver Networkin Sunnyside. 784-6173, ext.431.LEARN CPRWednesday, September 29help save a life by learningCPR at the Bellerose library.Register .OAThursdays a t the HowardBeach library at 10:30.LEARN CPRThursday , September 30help save a life by learningCPR a t 7 a t the HowardBeach library.INTRO TO YOGAThursday, September 30 atthe Jackson Heights libraryand the Ste inway l ib ra ry.Register .MEMORY LOSSFridays Couples with onepar tne r exper ienc ingmemory loss meet a t theSamuel Field Y. 225-6750,ext. 236.CO-DEPENDENTS ANON.Fridays 10-11:45 at Resur-rection Ascension PastoralCente r , 85 -18 61 st Road ,Rego Park. Women only.

HILLCREST JCSunday , September 26Sukkot Dinner. Sunday, Oc-tober 3 Adult Education willfeature the Coller MemorialLecture at 9 :30. Hi l lc res tJewish Center. 380-4145.SUKKOT LUNCHEONTuesday, September 28 theSisterhood of the Bay TerraceJewish Center wi l l hold aSukkot Luncheon. $18 mem-bers, $7.50 children and $20non-members. 428-6363 res-ervations.

RELIGIOUS

FLEA MARKETS

OUTDOOR FLEASaturdays and Sundays un-til November 28 St. Nicho-las of Tolentine from 9-5 atthe intersection of ParsonsBlvd. and Union Turnpike,Jamaica.WEEKLY FLEASundays 9-4 at Our Lady ofthe Angelus Church, schoolfield, 98-05 63rd Drive, RegoPark.OUTDOOR YARD SALESaturday, September 25 9-3 at All Saints’ Church, 214-35 40th Avenue, Bayside. Ifit rains, inside gym.FLEA/HEALTHSaturday, October 2 9-5 50vendors, free health testingat Saint Mark’s Church, 33-50 82 nd S t ree t , J acksonHeights.CRAFT FAIRSaturday , November 13sponsored by the PTA of St.Agnes Academic H ighSchool in College Point.RUMMAGE/BOUTIQUESunday, November 21 9:30-3:00 at Young Israel of NewHyde Park, 264-15 77th av-enue.THRIFT SHOPSSaturdays and Sundays 10-4 at S t . F ide l i s Mother &Ch i ld Res idence , 124 -1514th Avenue, College Point.353-4749. Saturdays 11-4 atBa rga in Bou t ique Th r i f tShop, Baptist Church, 93-23217 th S t ree t , Queens V i l -lage . 527-2132. Mondays10-3 at the Free Synagogueof Flushing, 41-60 KissenaBlvd. Mondays and Wednes-days 9:30-1:30 at TempleSholom of Floral Park, 263rd

Street and Union Turnpike.Tuesdays and Wednesdays2 -5 a t Church - in - the -Gar -dens, 50 Ascan Avenue, For-est Hills. 268-6704. First andthird Wednesday 10:30-2:30at Grace Episcopal Church,14th Avenue and ClintonvilleS t ree t , Avenue . Wednes -days at Grace Church, 151-17 14th Road, Whitestone.Wednesdays and Saturdays9-2 at the Floral Park UnitedMethodist Church, 35 Ver-bena Avenue, F loral Park.354-4969. Thursdays from10-1 at All Saints’ Church,215th St reet between 39th

and 40th Avenues, Bayside.229-5631. Fridays 11-3 at theMaspeth United MethodistChurch, 66-35 58th Avenue.JUDAICA SHOPSDaily and by appointmentForest Hills Jewish Center’sJudaic Gift Store. 263-7000.Sundays 9-11:30 at the BayTerrace Jewish Center, 13-00 209th Street. 428-6363.

MEETINGS

JEWISH VETSSundays , September 26 ,October 24, November 28,December 26 Jewish WarVeterans of the USA Lipsky/Blum Post meet at the Gar-den Jew i sh Cente r . 463 -4742.ST. ALBANS CIVICSundays , September 26 ,Oc tober 24, November 28the St. Albans Civic Improve-ment Association meets at1 :30 a t the S t . A lbansLu the ran Church , 200 th

Street and 119th Avenue inthe undercroft. 276-4263.QUEENS TOASTMASTERSMonday , September 27Queens Toastmasters Clubmeets. 525-6830.VFW 4787Mondays , September 27,October 11, 25 WhitestoneVFW Communi t y Pos tmeets; ladies auxiliary meetsthe 2nd Monday. 746-0540.FRESH MEADOW CAMERATuesdays the Fresh Mead-ows Camera C lub meets .917-612-3463.ADVANCED WRITERSTuesdays at 6:30 at the Ter-race Diner at Bay TerraceShopping Center and alsot he l a st Tuesday o f t hemonth in the Communi t yRoom in Panera Bread at BayTerrace Shopping.FLUSHING CAMERAWednesday, September 29Flushing Camera Club meetsat F lushing Hospita l . 441-6210.BEREAVEMENTThursdays, September 30,Oc tober 28 St. Adalbert ’sBethany General Bereave-ment g roup meet s i nElmhurst. 429-2005.QUEENS CENTRAL ROTARYThursdays 6:30-8:30 Comelearn i f Rotary is for you.465-2914; me1nc@aol.comCIVIL AIR PATROLFridays 6-10 at Vaughn Col-lege of Aeronautics, 86-0123rd Avenue, East Elmhurst.AcademyWOMAN’S GROUPFridays the Woman’s Groupof Jamaica Estates meets atnoon. Call 461-3193 for in-formation.NALFriday, October 1 NationalArt League meets for “Build-ing Drama & Feeling you’reyour Oil Paintings,” a dem-onst rat ion by ar t i s t PetroPappa las a t 8 . 44 -21Douglaston Parkway. Publicis invited. Free.

SENIORS

TALKS

COMPUTER SKILLSThe YMCA of Greater NY isconducting small computerclasses at the Cross IslandYMCA Senior Center andthe Jamaica YMCA SeniorCenter. Contact 479-0505 or739-6600 for information.FREE LUNCHSaturdays, September 25,Oc tober 30 at Church ofthe Resu r rec t ion in KewGardens. 847-2649 reserva-tions.STAY WELLMondays at 10 at the Cen-tral library. Tuesdays at 2 atthe F lu sh ing l i b ra ry and

SOFT SKILLSSaturday , September 25author discuss ion with LuMing, who will talk about hisnew book at 2 at the Flush-ing library.BUILDING WEALTHMonday , September 27Building Wealth: SuccessfulStrategies for All at 6 at theBayside library.BUSINESS TRENDSMonday , September 27Business Trends and Oppor-tunities in Flushing at 6 atthe Flushing library.PERUMonday , September 27Peru: Beautiful and HistoricWonder at 6 at the Hollis li-brary.POMONOK BOOKMonday, September 27 “AFine Balance” wi l l be dis -cussed at 2 at the Pomonoklibrary.FORECLOSURE RIGHTSMonday, September 27 at6:30 at the St. Albans libraryand Thursday, September30 Know Your Rights: TheForeclosure Process at 6:30at the Central library.

PARENTS

Wednesdays at 10 at theEast Elmhurst library. Specialexercises and relaxation tech-niques.CLEARVIEWMonday , September 27Music Appreciation at 12:30.Tuesday, September 28 Lu-nar Festival Celebration at 1.Wednesday, September 29Tai Chi at 2. Thursday, Sep-tember 30 Speaker’s Bureauat 10:15 and blood pressurecheck a t 9 :15 . Se l fhe lpClearv iew Sen ior Center ,208 -11 26 th Avenue ,Bayside. 224-7888 to regis-ter .AARP 1405Monday, September 27 theFlushing AARP Chapter 1405meets at the Bowne StreetCommunity Church, 143-11Roosevelt Avenue at 1.STARSWednesday, September 29at 10:30 at the Hollis library.Come join to perform theat-rical works at the library.

FREE SCHOOL HELPFree school help for studentsof all ages, parents and teach-ers. FreeSchoolHelp.comKIDS KORNERAfter School Center is at theCentral Queens YM-YWHAin Forest Hi l l s . 268-5011,ext. 201. Extended hours.PLAYGROUPThe CUMC Playgroup is ac-cepting registration for itspreschool parents’ coopera-tive program in Middle Vil-lage. Children 18 months to4 years. 894-2293.ADHD OR PDDDaily after school programsto meet needs of elementaryschool aged chi ldren whohave learning disabilities andADHD or PDD at the BayTerrace Center, 212-00 23rd

Avenue, Bayside from 2:30-6:00. 225-6750, ext. 266.

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SATURDAY, SEPT. 25

Youth & Tennis

The Youth and Tennis group meets

every Saturday morning at Roy Wilkins

Park Saturday. To learn more, call Bill

Briggs at (718) 658-6728.

Seido Karate

Japanese system Seido Karate empha-

sizes building of spirit, mind and body,

using hand, elbow, and foot techniques.

Adults can learn how to defend them-

selves in a safe and friendly atmosphere

every Tuesday and Saturday until Oct. 30

at the Jamaica YMCA, 89-25 Parsons Blvd.

All levels are welcome. The fee to partici-

pate is $120.

Classical Ballet

Studying ballet is one of the most effec-

tive and elegant ways of improving pos-

ture, grace, flexibility, and strength. No

experience needed for these classes. Stu-

dents are taught at the barre and must be

6-15 years old.. Learning ballet is a good

foundation for all other dance styles.

The class will be held every Saturday

until Oct. 30 at the Jamaica YMCA, 89-25

Parsons Blvd. at 11:30 a.m. The fee to

participate is $110.

Belly Dancing

Kids between 6 and 15 years old will

learn basic and traditional belly dancing

movements. Movements will be built into

a choreographed routine. The class is a

great way to build self-confidence, bal-

ance and coordination.

No prior belly dance experience required.

The instructor was featured on

"America's Got Talent."

The class will be held every Saturday

until Oct. 30 at the Jamaica YMCA, 89-25

Parsons Blvd. at 2:30 p.m. The fee to

participate is $110.

York Women's Volleyball

Come support the local team when the

York Women's Volleyball team faces off

against Old Westbury/St. Josephs. For

additional information, contact John

Scarinci at jscarinci@york.cuny.edu or

(718) 262-5104.

This free event will be held at York

College's Gymnasium at 11 a.m.

Historic House Festival

The King Manor Museum cordially in-

vites all children, families and adults to

enjoy guided tours of King Manor's period

rooms, with a special focus on archaeo-

logical discoveries and what they reveal

about life and food in Rufus King's home.

View rarely-seen collection pieces and

learn why we no longer consider our north

kitchen a "summer kitchen," what types of

foods the King farm produced, and more.

When: Saturday - September 25th - 1:00

pm through 5:00 pm (last tour begins 4:30pm)

This event will be held at the King

Manor Museum, at 153 Street and Jamaica

Avenue, from 1-4 p.m. Admission is $5 for

adults, $3 for seniors and students and

free for all children under 16.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 26

Sickle Cell Walk-A-Thon

It's National Sickle Cell Awareness

month, and Gloria Rochester is pleased to

present the annual Sickle Cell Walk-A-

Thon. For additional information, visit

qscan.org, or contact Gloria Rochester at

(718) 712-0198 or

SickleCellWalk@verizon.net.

This event will be held at Walk-A-Thon

Begins at Merrick and Baisley Boulevards

at 10 a.m. Participation costs $20.

HISTORIC HOUSE FESTIVAL

See Saturday's listing.

MONDAY, SEPT. 27

Adult Chess Club

Practice your chess skills weekly, on

Monday and Thursday evenings.

The event is held at 6 p.m. every Mon-

day at Queens Village Library, 94-11 217

St., (718) 776-6800.

Zumba

The Zumba program fuses hypnotic

Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves

like merengue, salsa, cumbia, reggaeton,

belly dance, flamenco, tango and samba

which creates a mind blowing, one-of-a-

kind fitness program. Zumba not only has

long-term benefits, but will allow all to expe-

rience, in an hour, calorie-burning, body-

energizing and awe-inspiring movements

meant to engage and captivate for life.

This class will be held every Monday

until Oct. 25 at the Jamaica YMCA, 89-25

Parsons Blvd. at 7:40 p.m. The fee to

participate is $100.

York College Barbershop

Does your image define you? Come and

share your thoughts on this somewhat

controversial topic. Special invited guests

discuss why they are on a campaign to

improve the image of inner-city males. For

additional information, contact Jonathan

Quash at jquash@york.cuny.edu or (718)

262 - 3772.

This free event will be held at York Col-

lege Academic Core Building - 94-20 Guy R.

Brewer Blvd., Room 2D01, from 5-7 p.m.

Polish Your Resume

Bring a copy of your resume on disk;

volunteers will guide you through editing

and producing a professional quality re-

sume using Cyber Center computers. Par-

ticipants must have keyboard and mouse

experience. Preregistration is required at

the Job Information Center.

This free event will be held at The

Queensborough Public Library's Central

Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd. at 6:30 p.m.

NAACP Monthly Meeting

Join the NAACP for their monthly

meeting. Items on the agenda include the

election of the nominating committee. All

members whose memberships are current

as of thirty days (30) prior to the meeting

date may be elected to the Nominating

Committee.

This free event will be held at NAACP

Jamaica Branch, 189-26 Linden Blvd.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 28

Seido Karate

Japanese system Seido Karate empha-

sizes building of spirit, mind and body,

using hand, elbow, and foot techniques.

Adults can learn how to defend them-

selves in a safe and friendly atmosphere

every Tuesday and Saturday until Oct. 30

at the Jamaica YMCA, 89-25 Parsons Blvd.

All levels are welcome. The fee to partici-

pate is $120.

Camera Club

The Southeast Queens Camera Club

welcomes photographers, beginners to

advanced. Meetings are held the second,

third and fourth Tuesday ever month at

7:30 p.m. at Roy Wilkins Family Life Cen-

ter, 177-01 Baisley Blvd.

Intro to Excel

In this two-session workshop, custom-

ers will learn the basics of how to create

spreadsheets, use formulas, and print tables.

Preregistration required in person at Cyber

Center Desk.

This free event will be held at the

Queensborough Public Library's Central

Branch, 89-11 Merrick Blvd. at 6 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 29

Men's Soccer

Come have some recreational fun in a

non-competitive and friendly environ-

ment. A great way to stay active and meet

people who enjoy the sport. Soccer is

played in Jamaica YMCA's main gymna-

sium at 89-25 Parsons Blvd. every Wednes-

day, 7-10 p.m., until October 27. All levels

are welcome. Rough play will not be toler-

ated. The fee to participate is $50.

Sewing 101

Learn how to be creative without spend-

ing a lot of money. Joining sewing 101, a

class that will teach you the basics of how

to sew from threading, stitching and set-

ting a sewing machine for different fea-

tures. Step by step, the instructor will guide

you in learning how to also read a pattern,

cutting and piecing. No sewing experi-

ence necessary. The class is open to any-

one 13 and older. Homework may be re-

quired to complete a project.

The class will be held every Wednesday

at the Jamaica YMCA, 89-25 Parsons

Blvd., from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The fee is $150.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 30

Adult Chess Club

Practice your chess skills weekly, on

Monday and Thursday evenings.

The event is held at 6 p.m. every Thurs-

day at Queens Village Library, 94-11 217

St., (718) 776-6800.

FRIDAY, OCT. 1

Senior Theatre Acting Repertory

Calling all older adults: Join our galaxy

of STARs to perform theatrical works at

the library with a great group of people

while brightening your life.

Rehearsals are held at 10:30 a.m. Fri-

days at Queens Village Library, 94-11 217

St., (718) 776-6800.

ONGOING

CPR Training

The FDNY Mobile CPR Training Unit

will hold regularly scheduled free CPR

classes in all five boroughs. The first Tues-

day through the fourth Tuesday and the

fourth Thursday of every month there will

be Borough CPR training sessions in Man-

hattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island

and Queens.

Training is free to anyone over the age

of 14. The goal of this program is increase

the number of people in New York City

trained in bystander CPR Each class lasts

1 hour and participants in the class learn

basic CPR skills from a member of the

FDNY Emergency Medical Service.

Volunteers for the class follow along

using the CPR Anytime Personal Learning

Kit, which features an instructional DVD

and an inflatable mannequin. All partici-

pants are able take home the kit at the end

of class and asked to pledge to use the kit

to show five of their family members and

friends how to perform CPR. This class

teaches basic CPR technique and is not a

certification course.

In Queens, the classes will be held the

fourth Thursday of every month at EMS

Station 54, 222-15 Merrick Blvd. In addi-

tion, please visit www.nyc.gov/cprtogo

for New York Sports Club locations offer-

ing free CPR classes starting in January.

Please visit www.fdnyfoundation.org or

call (718) 999-2413 for more information.

Group Sessions

Clergy United for Community Empower-

ment, Inc. Group Sessions are located at 89-

31 161st St., 10th Floor, Jamaica, for the

community on various topics such as Do-

mestic Violence, Mental Health, Substance

Abuse intervention, Decision Making, Con-

dom Use, High Risk Behaviors leading to

HIV, and self - esteem awareness. All group

sessions offer light snacks and beverages.

Group sessions are open to the public.

Round-Trip Metro Card reimbursement

is available at the end of each completed

session. For further information call (718)

297-0720. All services are free. Please call

for next group date.

Infant Mortality

Clergy United for Community

Empowerment's Infant Mortality Reduc-

tion Initiative program provides the fol-

lowing services free of charge: case man-

agement services, parent skills building,

crib care, breast feeding education, health

education, nutritional information/educa-

tion, referral for HIV testing, confidential

one-on-one counseling, workshops, and

women support groups. IMRI provides

referrals for Food stamps, GED, GYN,

Emergency Baby Formula (qualifications

required) and more. Call (718) 297-0720.

Located at 89-31 161 St., 10th floor,

Jamaica. Services are available Tue.-Thurs.

9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

HIV Awareness

Clergy United for Community Empow-

erment provides intervention and curricu-

lum-based prevention education sessions

on HIV/AIDS, to reduce risk behaviors

that lead to HIV transmission. Services are

located at 89-31 161st St., Jamaica. Call

(718) 297-0720 ask about our presenta-

tion to adolescents and men/women of

color. Services are available Tue.-Thurs.,

9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Laurelton Flea Market

A flea market has opened at 221-02

Merrick Blvd. On sale are a wide range of

items, including household items, jewelry

and clothing.

The market is open every Thursday

through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Conf ident ia l ly, New York . . .

If you recognize BrittanyRamos, it’s probably not from herlatest fashion shoot. Her face hasyet to grace Cosmopolitan maga-zine or a billboard in TimesSquare.

A newbie to the business, thisbudding model has big dreams.Currently taking classes atLaGuardia Community College,Brittany plans to transfer to afour-year school and eventuallygo on to law school.

“I’ve been saying I wanted to bea lawyer since I was maybe 10years old,” she said. “I’m pretty

Queens Cutie

talkative and I like to argue mycase a lot, so I think law would bereally good for me.”

While her main focus rightnow is on school, the busy bee hashad “countless jobs,” — Claire’s,Toys ‘R’ Us and even handing outflyers.

“I had to hand out flyers in therain and everything, but it pays,”she said. “Anything to earn themoney that I want.”

Although her recent photoshoot was a first, it hopefullywon’t be her last. Brittany ishoping to turn modeling into a

lucrative side gig.“I’ve always been interested,”

she said. “It was nice to know thatI could do it even though I’m shortand not the skinniest personalive.”

When this Queens-raisedcutie isn’t attending school, Brit-tany likes to jog, read and write.Her favorite haunts in Queensare Glendale and Long Island City.

“I couldn’t see myself reallyliving anywhere else but Queens,”she said. “I know pretty muchevery transportation, every nookand cranny there is to know.”

Models Of Queens

Brittany RamosHome: Middle VillageAge: 19Height: 5’ 6"Weight: 130Stats: 36-29-34 “Sextuplets Take New York” debuted on TLC last Tuesday and the

verdict is that they are no Gosselins.The Carpios of Queens are the average New Yorkers just trying to

make ends meet and raise happy healthy kids. Digna and Victor Carpioalready had a son, Jhan Carlos, before they added six to their familyalmost two years ago.

The Queens couple’s most contentious battle on the first episodewas whether to get harnesses or leashes to stop the toddlers fromwandering off.

Hmmm.Well, the season is still young. In the realm of reality television drama

is always one episode away. We’ll see.

The Carpio family hits Times Square.

Reality Bites

How observant are NYC Traf-fic Agents? Well, observantenough to notice your car illegallyparked, but if you’re inside, introuble, don’t expect help.

Nicholas Rappold’s Jeep wasillegally parked on 165th Streetnear 35th Avenue on the morningof Sept. 14 when a traffic agentnoticed and wrote the 21-year-olda ticket.

But the the ticket writer failed tonotice Rappold was inside his car,claiming she couldn’t see inside

Ticketed To Death?because of the Jeep’s tinted win-dows, even though the ticket wasleft on the windshield, which wasNOT tinted.

An hour after the ticket wasissued, Rappold’s friend, whomhe had been visiting the nightbefore, apparently had no troubleseeing though the Jeep’s windows;he found Rappold…dead of anapparent drug overdose, his bodyslumped over the wheel.

We wonder who will have topay the ticket.

QConfidential is edited by:Michael Schenkler. Contributors:Jessica Ablamsky, Sasha Austrie,Marcia Moxom Comrie, MikeNussbaum, Joe Orovic, Brian Rafferty,Domenick Rafter.

Conf@QueensTribune.com;

Darling NickiMTV lovers might have noticed a new phe-

nomenon – Nicki Minaj fever. The YoungMoney honey kicked off the biggest night of theyear in music, the MTV Video Music Awards,with her first ever solo televised performance.

The Queens-raised emcee strutted down therunway in a metallic pink and purple unitard thatmight be useful in the next Star Trek movie, andwiggled her hips in a leather catsuit for the bigperformance.

Recently declared by the music giant MTV asset to take the world by storm, welcome to the bigtime, Nicki!

What’s dark, gloomy, wet witha raging fury and blows so hard itcan knock over trees like bowlingpins?

No, it’s not Republican guber-natorial nominee Carl Paladino. Itwas the tornado that bore throughQueens on Thursday evening,leaving the borough in shock andpartially paralyzed.

Members of the Queens Tri-bune staff were unlucky enoughto be on hand as the twister mo-seyed past the paper’s office, tak-ing out tree branches, flooding theHorace Harding Expressway andleaving our neighbor’s awning intatters. One reporter’s car evenshifted across the street.

The borough was last hit by atornado in 1985. We usually endthese items with a joke, but in allsincerity, if early reports of thedamage are any indication, wehope it will be quarter century untilanother hits.

Twister

The Trib office on the LIE service road in Fresh Meadows is just one

of the many Queens spots that was visited by last week's twister.

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