1. law, govt and politics
2. legal issues
3. civil rights

Photo by Mc Alexander Cicero
Vol. 16, Issue No. 11 • March 13-19, 2015
‘RELIVING THE
MOMENT’
York College students
reminisce on walking in the
footsteps of Civil Rights
icons on the 50th anniversary
of “Bloody Sunday.”
By Jackie Strawbridge
ONLINE AT WWW.QUEENSPRESS.COM
Page 2 PRESS of Southeast Queens March 13-19, 2015
News Briefs
PLAY DINE UNWIND
Over 5,000 Games. Minutes Away!
110-00 Rockaway Blvd. Jamaica, NY 11420
rwnewyork.com • 1-888-888-8801
In Queens Near JFK Airport.
Locate Your Free Shuttle: RWRedExpress.com
MUST BE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER TO PLAY THE NEW YORK LOTTERY GAMES.
PLEASE PLAY RESPONSIBLY. 24-hour Problem Gaming Hotline: 1-877-8-HOPENY (846-7369).
Turner Picked To Lead
Queens Republicans
It appears the Queens GOP party has finally united. The party has
elected one leader to represent the
long-fractured organization.
Former Rep. Bob Turner was
chosen as the new head of the party
Monday. Turner’s election appears
to bury the hatchet between groups
within the party, who have been feuding for years.
When reached by phone, Turner
said the reason he decided to take on
the task of reuniting the Queens GOP
is because the dysfunction within the
party needed to be finished.
“It needs an overhaul and a coming together,” he said. “What we have
here is an opportunity for everyone
to work together.”
The former Congressman said
there were missed opportunities in
the past to field more candidates for
City Council, State Senate and Assembly races because of the ongoing
feud.
“It could have been a lot better,”
Turner said. “We have an opportunity to field some great candidates and
we need to put them in as many races
as possible.”
Two-thirds of Queens Republican
District leaders, 21 out of 31, signed
a petition sent to State Republican
Chairman Ed Cox asking that Turner be named the new Queens GOP
head, according to Pierre Alcantara,
the executive director of the Queens
Republican Party and Bart Haggerty,
one of the district leaders who signed
the letter.
Alcantara said Turner’s election
allows them to move beyond the feud
that has plagued the party for years
and gear towards getting more Republicans elected in Queens.
“The war is over, finally,” he said.
Now, with those disputes behind
them, the focus shifts to becoming
a bigger force within the Borough,
where Democrats far outnumber Republicans.
“I think people trust me,” he said.
“I’ll do what’s best for the party; I
don’t have a personal agenda.”
The former Congressman will be
officially sworn in as Queens GOP
chair at a ceremony this Thursday
evening at the American Legion Continental Post 1424 in Forest Hills.
Weprin Releases Budget
Ballot
Councilman Mark Weprin (DOakland Gardens) released his top
10 budget items Tuesday that will appear on the Participatory Budgeting
ballot in his district. Residents will
be able to choose as many projects
as they want up to $1 million. The
projects were chosen by a committee
of 60 community volunteers serving
as budget delegates.
The list includes $223,000 for
CCTV upgrades for Queens Library
branches in Queens Village and
North Hills; a self check-in kiosk
for the Queens Village library costing $385,000; fitness equipment
that will run $450,000 for Alley
Pond Park; a $300,000 rehabilitation for the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway greenway; $105,000 for security
cameras at three sites in the council
district that will be chosen by the
NYPD; a $300,000 gym renovation
at Benjamin Cardozo and Martin
Van Buren high schools; a new audio and video sound system at PS
33 costing $75,000; smartboards
worth $200,000 for four schools in
the district and technology upgrades
at nine schools including PS 18 in
Queens Village, PS 213 in Oakland
Gardens and Queens High School of
Teaching.
Voting, open to any resident of the
23rd District, will kick off on Sunday, April 12, and will continue
through April 19. Any resident of the
district who is sixteen years of age or
older can vote. The projects that get
the most votes will be funded in this
year’s City budget.
“Participatory Budgeting is a great
way to get the community involved,”
said Frank Toner, president of the
Rocky Hill Civic Association and an
active participatory budgeting volunteer. “I commend Councilman Weprin for bringing this program to the
residents of Eastern Queens.”
Weprin was one of the first members in Queens to conduct the process, an intiative championed by
Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito (D-Manhattan/Bronx). Other
Queens Council members conducting participatory budgeting include
Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), Donovan Richards (D-Laurelton) and I.
Daneek Miller (D-St. Albans).
“Participatory budgeting is a
unique process that empowers the
community by giving residents a real
say in how money in the district is
spent,” Weprin said in a statement.
“I encourage everyone to spread the
word about PB so that this year, we
have the biggest voter turnout yet.”
Brief Us!
Mail your news brief items to:
PRESS of Southeast Queens,
150-50 14th Rd.,
Whitestone, NY 11357
March 13-19, 2015 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 3
Presstime
Greater Jamaica Announces New President
BY JORDAN GIBBONS
Greater Jamaica Development
Corporation is bringing a new ray of
hope to Downtown Jamaica.
Peter Kulka, the chairman of
the board of directors of GJDC,
announced yesterday that Hope
Knight, the current COO of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone,
has been named Carlisle Towery’s
successor as president of GJDC.
“Hope has the background and experience to best project the Greater
Jamaica Development Corporation’s
mission,” Kulka said. “She has proven herself extensively in her work at
the Upper Manhattan Empowerment
Zone and she is widely respected
throughout circles dedicated to expanding economic development and
opportunity in emerging urban communities.”
Knight has led UMEZ since 2003
and helped to leverage public financing to drive private investment that
led to the creation of hundreds of
businesses and thousands of jobs in
the Harlem area.
Knight said she looks forward to
meeting with Jamaica’s elected officials, York College officials, community leaders, heads of cultural
organizations and officials from economic development and transportation agencies.
“I have large shoes to fill following Carlisle Towery’s four decades
of commitment to Jamaica,” Knight
said in a statement. “I am ready to
roll up my sleeves and build on the
progress to which he has contributed
so much. Whether it’s York College,
the Air Train and the transportation
hub, the Jamaica Market or developers of the residential, commercial
and hotel projects now underway or
about to begin, Greater Jamaica is
poised to achieve greater success as
a place to live, work, visit and play.”
Towery, who has led Greater Jamaica for more than 40 years and
announced his retirement last year,
welcomed Knight’s appointment and
looks forward to seeing her continued his work.
“I could not be more delighted to
leave Greater Jamaica Development
Corporation in the capable and dedicated hands of Hope Knight,” Towery said. “Jamaica is poised to reach
even greater heights in the future, and
everything about Hope’s experience
and commitment gives us reason to
believe she will help take us there.”
Kenneth Knuckles, CEO of
UMEZ, congratulated his coworker
despite losing her leadership in the
organization.
“Upper Manhattan’s loss is Jamaica’s gain, as Hope Knight is uniquely
qualified to bringing the same en-
ergy and dedication to community
empowerment and economic development in a prime Queens neighborhood that she demonstrated at
UMEZ,” Knuckles said.
Knight earlier served as a vice
president for Morgan Stanley in New
York and in Tokyo. She serves on the
boards of a number of corporate and
non-profit entities, include the Carver Bank Community Development
Corporation, Grameen America and
Morgan Stanley New Markets, and
is chair of the Marymount Manhattan College Board of Trustees, where
she earned her bachelor’s degree in
business management. She went on
to earn her MBA from the University
of Chicago.
Knight will begin her role as president in May.
Reach Reporter Jordan Gibbons at
(718)357-7400, Ext. 123, jgibbons@
queenspress.com or @jgibbons2.
Africa’s First Female President Visits York
BY JORDAN GIBBONS
Liberian President Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf visited York College Wednesday night for a discussion on Ebola
and her determination to lead her
country through a series of turmoils.
Earlier in the week, Africa’s first
woman president sat down with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office to address Liberia’s successful
battle with Ebola that captivated the
world last year.
NY1 reporter Cheryl Wills, who
served as the moderator for the discussion, asked Sirleaf about her talk
with the President.
Sirleaf said she and Obama spoke
about rebuilding Liberia’s healthcare
system to help minimize any chance
of a reoccurrence of the deadly Ebola virus, as well as rebuilding the
economy, which has been devastated
by the disease. Sirleaf also addressed
the help that her country received
from around the world.
“The response was slow in coming, but when it did come it was very
effective,” she said. “We understood
the fear of this disease, we were
frightened too. We didn’t know what
to do in the initial stages.
Sirleaf credited Obama with helping to turn around the situation by
calling on all the leaders of the world
and pointing out to them that they
should not see this as a threat just to
Liberia and West Africa, but to the
entire world.
In addition to the global effort,
Sirleaf said that it took a collaborative effort from her administration
and Liberian healthcare professionals.
“We rallied around in a unified
way under my leadership and with
our technical team, the incident management team was organized,” she
said. “Our doctors, I mean they were
so courageous and brave at a time
when there was nobody there, they
were struggling with this disease, using whatever measures they had to be
able to treat the infected.”
Sirleaf’s career in politics began
when she ran for vice president in
1985 under Jackson Doe, but was
placed under house arrest that August and sentenced to 10 years in
prison soon after for sedition because
she insulted members of the Doe regime in a speech. She was released
and pardoned a month later after international calls for her release, only
to be arrested and imprisoned that
November by Doe’s forces after an
attempted coup against the government. Sirleaf was released in July
1986 and fled to the United States
later that year.
She was elected president in 2005
after the end of the Second Liberian
Civil War and the establishment of a
transitional government.
“You never know until your tested, how much strength you have,”
Sirleaf said about her imprisonment. “Every challenge provided an
opportunity to be able to overcome
that challenge and to succeed and to
Liberian President
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
move on to the next day.”
Wills went on to ask Sirleaf about
her thoughts on America electing a
woman president.
“The world is waiting,” Sirleaf replied.
Wills also asked Sirleaf if she saw
herself as a leader or a politician.
“You can be both; you have to be
both,” she said. “To be a leader in my
country you have to be a politician.”
Sirleaf concluded the discussion
with some advice for women across
the world who may have doubts
about accomplishing lofty goals.
“Determine what you want to be
and go for it,” she said. “Stay the
course, stay focused and stay persistent in achieving your goals.”
Sandra Okeke, a sophomore in
York’s nursing program, came to see
Sirleaf because it was a rare opportunity to see a president and a Nobel
Peace winner.
“My favorite part from the event
was when she spoke about dreams,
she said if your dreams don’t scare
you then it’s definitely not big
enough. I could relate that to myself because sometimes I think to
myself can I actually achieve these
heights that I am trying to attain,”
Okeke said. “But what she said really touched me and makes me feel
that I know I can attain anything, it
does’t matter about your background
or anything, you can do anything and
it was very beautiful. With the way
women are treated in Africa and for
her to be a president in that continent is a big deal.”
Gloria Rochester, president of
the Queens Sickle Cell Advocacy
Network, attended the discussion
because sickle cell anemia is a hereditary blood disorder that affects
mostly people of African decent and
she wanted to hear how Sirleaf handled the Ebola crisis by working with
other nations.
“We are pleased and happy to
know she will work with the world
on health issues,” Rochester, whose
organization works with Black communities all over the world, said. “We
hope some day in the near future to
eradicate sickle cell.”
Reach Reporter Jordan Gibbons at
(718) 357-7400, Ext. 123, jgibbons@
queenspress.com or @jgibbons2.
Page 4 PRESS of Southeast Queens March 13-19, 2015
York College Students reflect On Selma
A group of York College students
got a glimpse of history this week
as they took a bus to Selma, Ala. to
commemorate the 50th anniversary
of “Bloody Sunday.”
As part of the Selma Voting
Rights Movement that ultimately led
to the passage of the voting Rights
Act in 1965, 600 marchers heading
to Montgomery from Selma were attacked by state troopers and county
residents at the Edmund Pettus
Bridge on Sunday, March 7, 1964 “Bloody Sunday.” Two other marches followed, during which civil rights
activist and minister James Reeb was
murdered.
A Bridge Crossing Jubilee takes
place each year in remembrance.
The visiting York students attended
Jubilee festivities, including the Freedom Trail historical tour, the Jubilee
Street Festival and Freedom Flame
Awards Gala, as well as several discussions and a unity breakfast.
Some students described the chill
of returning to a place that holds
such important social significance.
“I felt like I was reliving the moment walking across the bridge,”
social work major Rachelle Antoine
said. “I felt nervous. I felt, ‘Oh my
God, I am meeting
them!’”
“It impacted me in a
way to be more graceful. People think history
is boring but a lot of
what’s going on is because people don’t know
their history. I can’t do
that anymore,” community health major Shirley
Reid said.
Others reflected on
the work done before
their time.
“Goose bumps happened to me the whole
trip,” student photographer Mc Alexander Cicero said. “Everything
York College sent 30 students to Selma, who linked arms as they recreated the march over
we went through to get
Edmund Pettus Bridge last weekend.
there was working. We
didn’t have to worry
“Now we have to take on issues to the Voting Rights Act, which had
about getting beaten, getting killed.
like Ferguson,” Mabrouk adeed.
We got there on buses with toilets!”
portions struck down by the Supreme
Like Mabrouk, social work major Court in 2013; House lawmakers in“To be there first of all meeting
the foot soldiers was such an honor,” Sheila Reynolds used the experience troduced legislation to restore it in
Fatima Mabrouk, a social work ma- as a lens through which to examine February.
jor and activist, said. “There was an present-day struggles.
“We have to organize. Jesse Jack“Some of the same issues are still son says, ‘keep hope alive,’ I’m trying
86 year-old woman…I couldn’t even
stand up to talk to her. I was kneeling here 50 years later. We have to be to bring hope back!”
out of respect. I told her ‘Thank you!’ vigilant and if we don’t do that we
Reach Reporter Jackie Strawbridge at
she started to cry. She took my face will be right back where we were 50 (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128, jstrawbridge@
years ago,” Reynolds said, referring queenstribune.com or @JNStrawbridge.
in her hands. I was in the moment.”
Condo? Co-Op? Rental?
To you it’s simply “Home.”
(ZR TL HIV\[ [OL RPUKZ VM WVSPJPLZ (SSZ[H[L
VMMLYZMVY*VUKVTPUP\TVY*VVWLYH[P]LV^ULYZ
HUKYLU[LYZ
;/,>90./;(.,5*@
Policy issuance is subject to qualifications. Allstate Indemnity Co. Northbrook, IL. © 2009 Allstate
Insurance Co.
116830
X'-,0/07XccjkXk\%Zfd
_kkg1&&X^\ekj%XccjkXk\%Zfd&Xek_fep$
Photo by Mc alexander Cicero
BY JaCkiE StrawBridgE
March 13-19, 2015 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 5
QCA Reaches Out To
Jamaica Artists
BY JORDAN GIBBONS
The Queens Council on the Arts
is calling on all artists in the Jamaica
area to help them develop themselves
professionally and bring the community together.
QCA is partnering with the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning for
the Jamaica Arts Leaders Program
to provide services and resources for
local artists.
On Wednesday, QCA held its first
town hall meeting at JCAL to bring
artists, performers, musicians and
creative thinkers together to apply
to participate in the program and inform them about its details.
“There is a lot of creative talent in
Jamaica that is neglected,” Molaundo Jones, QCA’s artist coordinator,
said. “We’re really working hard to
bring more services and resources to
artists in Jamaica.”
Jones said that the first thing on
the agenda was to introduce QCA to
the local artists and inform them of
the program.
A grant QCA received from the
New York State Council on the Arts
will allow for professional development workshops every month to help
artists learn how to market themselves more effectively, use social
media for their benefit and manage
their finances.
QCA will also help artists use their
creative spaces for discussions and presentations, and allow them to present
their works in progress to engage the
community in their creative process.
Artists will be selected for the program after an interview process and
will gain access to these resources as
well as six monthly sessions that will
be held in groups.
“These artists will also have direct
access to doing things in QCA space,”
Jones said. “They’ll be closer to the
fold. Artists in the program who
choose to do more with QCA will
have greater access to our facilities.”
Selected artists must live in Jamaica and commit to the monthly
sessions beginning this month.
In addition to gaining access to
QCA’s Build Your Own Business
workshop, which are designed to develop creative careers through grantwriting, marketing and fundraising
strategies, artists will also be able to
exhibit their work in QCA space and
have opportunities to meet other artists from the Borough.
Cathy Hung, executive director at
JCAL, thinks the partnership with
QCA is a wonderful opportunity for
local artists.
“We are very happy to be the site
of this new program and JCAL is the
perfect location,” she said. “By bringing this partnership program to the
community, we can bring in more
diverse artists.”
For more information on how to apply, visit queenscouncilarts.org or email
[email protected].
Reach Reporter Jordan Gibbons at
(718) 357-7400, Ext. 123, jgibbons@
queenspress.com or @jgibbons2.
Continuing The Legacy
718.472.1999 | www.hospice.nyc
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITES
COMMUNITY HOSPICE NURSES (RN)
MEDICAL SOCIAL WORKERS (LMSW/LCSW)
Bilingual English/Spanish; English/Mandarin; English/Cantonese.
Reliable automobile & valid driver’s license are preferred.
Competitive compensation and benefits package.
Hospice of New York is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
FORWARD RESUME TO: JUDITH GAYLE
[email protected] or Fax: 718.784.1413
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITES
Come Make a Difference
New training groups each month!
Patient Care Volunteers
Support patients and their loved ones in your community
Bereavement Volunteers
Support families who have lost a loved one
Administrative Voluteers
Assist personnel in our Long Island City office
NASSAU & QUEENS
Contact Angela Purpura
[email protected]
or 516.222.1211
Assemblyman William Scarborough sponsored “Continuing the Legacy”, a
Black History Month event on Feb. 27 at Roy Wilkins Family Center in St.
Albans, honoring the sons and daughters of some the giants of black history. The Honorees were Dr. Julius Garvey, son of Marcus Mosiah Garvey;
Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of Malcom X;Thelonious Sphere Monk III, son
of jazz icon Thelonious Monk; and Dominique and Ashley Sharpton, daughters of the Rev. Al Sharpton. Enjoying the festivities are Ashley Sharpton,
left, Audelco-Award winner Colby Christina, Dr. Garey, Ilyasah Shabazz,
Dominique Sharpton, Thelonious Sphere Monk III and Scarborough.
MANHATTAN, THE BRONX
& BROOKLYN
Contact Sandra Nielsen
[email protected]
or 718.472.1999
BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT SERVICES
Free bereavement support services for adults who have
had a loss (Loved one is not required to have had hospice care)
Contact our Bereavement Department at 347.226.4823
Page 6 PRESS of Southeast Queens March 13-19, 2015
OP-ED
Editorial
OF SOUTHEAST QUEENS
150-50 14th Road
Whitestone, NY 11357
(voice) (718) 357-7400
fax (718) 357-9417
email [email protected]
The PRESS of Southeast Queens
Editor-in-Chief:
Domenick Rafter
Contributing Editor:
Marcia Moxam
Comrie
Production Manager:
Shiek Mohamed
Reporters:
Jordan Gibbons
Luis Gronda
Jackie Strawbridge
Daniel Offner
Honoring The Past,
Continuing The
Fight
On the 50th anniversary of “Bloody
Sunday,” where Civil Rights protesters
were attacked on the Edmund Pettus
Bridge during a march from Selma to
Montgomery, Ala., it was heartening to
see students from our own York College
marching on that same bridge, along
with President Barack Obama, former
President George W. Bush and Rep.
John Lewis of Georgia, a Civil Rights
icon.
It was a reminder of just how far
we’ve come as a nation since that era that
today Americans of all races can walk
across that same bridge, hand-in-hand.
But these students, who were born decades after the Civil Rights Era, still have
a job to do – protect the gains that were
made and strive for an even better society
than the one they were born into.
We hope 50 years from now, when
we have moved even further toward a
fair and just world, that our children and
grandchildren still commemorate events
like Selma, and continue the fight to
make us an even better society.
The struggle continues.
Intern:
Steven Rodriguez
Art Dept:
Rhonda Leefoon
Lianne Procanyn
Karissa Tirbeni
Maureen Coppola
Advertising Director
Howard Swengler
Major Accounts Manager
Shanie Persaud
Director Corporate
Accounts/Events
Advertising Executives
Shari Strongin
Karyn Budhai
A Queens Tribune
Publication
© Copyright 2015
Tribco, LLC
Michael Nussbaum
Publisher
Ria McPherson
Comptroller
RIP Your Eminence
To The Editor:
Edward Cardinal Egan, Archbishop
emeritus of the New York Archdiocese,
has gone to his eternal home. Egan
loved the people of New York so much,
he adopted New York City as his home.
He was also a member of the Knights of
Columbus, an organization dedicated to
helping those in need with works of charity by its 1.8 million members worldwide. I
am also a member as Grand Knight of St.
Anastasia Knights of Columbus Council
#5911 in Douglaston and also grieve the
lost of a truly dedicated man of God.
Edward Cardinal Egan was a voice that
was comforting and was inspiring during
the tragedy of 9/11 and who guided the
church in a most difficult financial time.
Here was a man who dedicated his whole
life helping others. This being said, may
the memory of Edward Cardinal Egan
be remembered for his kindness and
love he gave to his flock that needed a
good shepherd.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.
Glen Oaks
Go Further on Fracking
To The Editor:
A new Environment New York report
highlights frackings dirty track record.
The analysis of the oil and gas industry in
Pennsylvania shows that all types of gas
fracking companies are prone to infractions of environmental and public health
protections. Over a nearly four-year period, the top 20 violators of regulations
included Fortune 500 companies, momand-pop operators, and even companies
like Chevron who tout their green records.
Taken all together, the worst offenders
averaged a violation every single day
that posed real risks to human health,
air quality, or drinking water.
This is just the latest study showing
that fracking is a failure for our environment and health. That’s why we’re
calling on New York’s Congressional
Delegation to support a ban on fracking
on federal public lands.
Heather Leibowitz
Director, Environment New York
WRITE ON:
The PRESS of
Southeast Queens,
150-50 14th Rd.,
Whitestone, NY 11357
email: [email protected]
fax: (718) 357-9417
Selma March Reminds Us The Battle Is Still Not Won
A Personal Perspective
BY MARCIA MOXAM
COMRIE
As we commemorate the
50th anniversary of “Bloody
Sunday,” which led to the
pivotal federal legislation,
the Voting Rights Act of 1965
signed into law by President
Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965,
one cannot but marvel on how
vulnerable this law is now 50
years later.
This crucial piece of
legislation in the lives of
African-Americans, achieved
by the shedding of blood and
loss of many lives, is at risk
of being dismantled bit by
bit. Indeed, in 2013, the U.S.
Supreme Court plundered
many of its protections; and
in Shelby County, Texas and
legislatures in other southern
states and towns, restrictions
are being enacted on minority voters once again. This
includes constrictive voter
identification laws. It is not
too far-fetched to think that
we will once again be subjected to reading tests and the
like in order to cast a vote.
In his Selma speech for the
50th anniversary, President
Barack Obama acknowledged
that it was the foot soldiers
who took the beatings and
endured the hardships, who
made it possible for VRA to
happen and thereby made
it possible for his election
to the presidency. He also
praised the protective acts of
President Ronald Reagan and
President George W. Bush,
who was in the audience, to
shore up the VRA.
It was Obama’s most
riveting speech since his
“national introduction” at the
2004 Democratic National
Convention in Boston as a
candidate for U.S. Senate. He
showed that his election as
president is attributed to the
VRA, but he also showed us
that this may not be possible
for someone else like him in
the future.
In watching and listening to the various speakers
in Selma over the weekend,
one realizes that the most
important message of the an-
niversary observation was not
“look how far we’ve come,”
even though that is true; but
the prevailing sentiment was
“don’t get comfortable, the
march continues.”
We have to continue to
f ight for permanent and
meaningful protection of
our hard-fought right to vote.
African-Americans and all
other minorities deserve to
be able to exercise this basic
right of citizenship whether
that citizenship is by birth
or naturalization. To gut the
Voting Rights Act of 1965 is to
gut us as African-Americans.
If this is allowed to happen,
we will be right back at square
one. This is a way of lynching
us in the 21st century.
People can and will go to
jail if they physically lynch
us now; so this is the virtual
lynching done with impunity.
We have got to rise up and
fight for our perpetual right
to vote. We are not going back
to the days when people were
killed for trying to vote or be
given a thousand excuses why
we cannot do so.
The near murder of nowCongressman John Lewis and
his fellow marchers on the
Edmund Pettus Bridge during
the first Selma March in 1965
cannot be for naught. The
sacrifice of Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner and
James Chaney’s in Mississippi
in the summer of 1964 cannot
now go in vain. The killing of
four young girls in the 16th
Street Baptist Church in
Birmingham, Alabama must
not be forgotten; the sacrifices
off all the “foot soldiers” cannot now be insulted with the
dismantling of this key piece
of legislation.
We have to start advocating
again for this protection. Let
us embolden our Congressional representatives and the
president with a letter-writing
campaign the likes of which
they have never seen before.
We’ve come this far by
faith, blood sweat and tears.
It’s time for us to rise up again
and say as our Jewish brothers
and sisters in historical oppression have said since the
Holocaust, “never again!”
March 13-19, 2015 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 7
Shootings At Record Low In 103rd Precinct
BY JORDAN GIBBONS
At the 103rd Precinct Community Council meeting Tuesday night,
Dep. Inspector John Cappelmann,
the precinct’s commanding officer,
updated the community with some
good news about the crime statistics
around Downtown Jamaica.
The precinct is seeing its lowest
number of shootings in decades,
with only one incident - on Jan. 2 on
Beaver Road that left a man seriously
injured. Before that, the last incident
was on Oct. 24.
“It’s tremendous; it’s one too
many, but every shooting is too
many,” Cappelmann said. “If you
asked me last year if it’s possible, I
would’ve said no way.”
Overall, the precinct has experienced a 35 percent decrease in all
crime over the last 28-day period.
One pattern of crime that Cappelmann noted was a series of carjackings that occurred within the 103rd,
105th and 113th precincts.
On Feb. 17, there were two carjackings back-to-back and on Feb.
22 there were four different carjackings that happened in the 103rd and
105th precincts.
Community Council President Donna Clopton speaks with Dep. Inspector John
Cappelmann during the 103rd Precinct’s monthly meeting.
Cappelmann said that in all cases
there were two males with firearms
who walked up on people sitting in
their cars at traffic lights or parked
on the side of the street, took personal property and dumped the cars
shortly after.
The crimes occurred between 10
p.m. and 4 a.m. Cappelmann did offer
some advice for residents who were
concerned about the carjackers.
“Late at night, if you’re sitting in
your vehicle somewhere, you have to
be aware,” he said. “There has not
been an arrest in the case so they’re
still out there unless they were caught
for something else. And nobody has
been hurt.”
There were also two burglaries
that happened in February, but the
culprits were caught on Feb. 23 between 3 and 4 a.m. Cappelmann said
that the robbers were part of a larger
group that had committed 41 burglaries throughout the City.
“This was the first time they came
down to the 103 and we caught them,
so they won’t be coming back here,”
he said.
Cappelmann was also happy to
report that the number of civilian
complaints about excessive use of
force, authority and disrespectful
language by officers in the precinct
have decreased year over year, with
66 in 2013, 32 in 2014 and only 5 so
far this year.
“We want to keep that up,” he
said. “We want to be able to help
everybody, but we want to do it the
right way.”
Cappelmann attributed the lower number of complaints to better
training, as well as the NYPD’s new
three-day retraining course aimed at
improving how officers work with
their communities.
He said that the 103 has 12 new
officers and they are training with
veteran officers who are familiar
with the community.
“They’re working with senior officers and they’re getting the best of
the best training in the precinct,” he
said.
Reach Reporter Jordan Gibbons at
(718) 357-7400, Ext. 123, jgibbons@
queenspress.com or @jgibbons2.
Phagwah Parade Postponed Amid Dispute
BY LuIS GRONDA
It was a normal, quiet Sunday
morning on Liberty Avenue last
week, but that was not necessarily
a positive for many Richmond Hill
residents.
The annual Phagwah parade, the
Hindu celebration of the beginning
of spring, was postponed and it is
uncertain whether or not the parade
will take place this year.
The parade’s postponement is due
to an internal battle within the parade’s organizing committee, called
the Hindu Parades and Festivals
Committee.
There were two separate permits
filed with the NYPD to host Sunday’s parade. The dispute between
both parties, and the uncertainty of
which application is the correct one,
led police to reject both, and forced
the matter into court.
According to documents filed at
Queens Supreme Court, former executive officers of the parade committee allegedly engaged in misconduct
that lead to them getting kicked off
the board.
The ex-members, including former president Benimadho Misir and
former vice president Romeo Hitlall,
are accused of trying to fix parade
committee elections so they could
keep their positions.
“The directors found that Petitioner was using the office as President to engage in political favoritism,
cronyism and nepotism by openly
and blatantly engaging in election
rigging activities among friends and
family members in flagrant breach
of his fiduciary duties to the corporation. For instance he was promising ‘Guaranteed Board Positions’
upon the condition that the person
guaranteed such positions vote in a
certain manner and agreed to certain
nominations as stipulated by him,”
the suit says.
Roy Singh, a current member of
the parade committee, who claims to
be one of the applicants on the other
permit submitted to the NYPD, said
the integrity of this year’s parade was
ruined by the former members of the
committee who tried to fix elections so
they could remain in their positions.
Singh said he is one of the primary
organizers of the parade, making multiple trips to New Jersey, where the
floats of the parade are made.
“It has become an institution because of the way we run it,” Singh
said.
Hitlall, a member of Community
Board 10, said he could not comment
Revelers at the 2014 Phagwah Parade in Richmond Hill. This year’s parade has
been postponed indefinitely.
as it was a legal matter and referred
a reporter to a phone number that
he said belonged to their lawyer for
the case. Calls made to that number
have not been returned.
Vishnu Mahadeo, president of
the Richmond Hill Economic Development Corp., called the fighting
between the two sides “sad” and he
hopes the event will be rescheduled
soon.
“It’s a real failure of the leadership of the Hindu community to put
personal interest ahead of the community’s interest,” he said.
Looking at the situation from a
business perspective, Mahadeo said
the stores on Liberty Avenue feel the
parade’s absence the most.
“The business community is the
one that misses the parade the most,”
he said. “It’s a boost to business on
Liberty Avenue and the restaurants
get enhanced traffic during the parade as well.”
A court date has been set for
March 19.
Reach Luis Gronda at (718) 3577400, Ext. 127, [email protected], or @luisgronda.
Page 8 PRESS of Southeast Queens March 13-19, 2015
Photo by Jackie Strawbridge
rent regulations his “number one
priority.”
Strasburg and Freund said their “A win is status quo. For
goal is not to let rent laws expire on people whose incomes fall
June 15, but rather to keep them as-is.
“A win is status quo,” Strasburg below a certain threshold,
said. “For people whose incomes fall who pay more than 50
below a certain threshold, who pay
percent of their income
more than 50 percent of their income
paying rent, we want them protected.” paying rent, we want them
He added that the RSA supports protected.”
free legal aid for tenants in housing
– Joseph Strasburg,
court.
RSA President
“The fact that you have legal counsel may actually expedite the housing
court process,” he explained.
However, he said, he fears that based subsidies programs similar to
stronger rent legislation would trans- the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exlate to added costs for small land- emption and Disability Rent Increase
Joseph Strasburg, president of the RSA
lords.
Exemption, whereby a tenant’s rent is
Due to continually rising taxes frozen and the landlord receives propalongside small rent increases engi- erty tax credits in return.
neered by the Mayor, Strasburg said,
“Forget this system of rent stabi“we’re in dire straits.”
lization, which is not based on inHe went on to add that the “real come,” Freund said. “If you happen
danger” his industry faces is City con- to be lucky you could be a millionaire
trol of rent regulation, as the Mayor living in a rent stabilized apartment.
has said he wants, due to what the Let’s go to an income based system
RSA sees as his unfair bias towards of subsidies. Let’s determine who you
tenant groups.
want to help, what the income level
“You have a mayor who has made is that you want to provide assistance
it very clear what his political agenda to, and provide [assistance].”
is, and his rhetoric,” Strasburg said.
“The problem isn’t rents. The
“That’s the real concern. And his problem in our minds is incomes,”
aim is not to protect those who have Freund said.
By Jackie Strawbridge existing housing stock - that’s not his
In late February, the City Council
priority.”
declared a rent emergency in the City,
Similarly, the RSA is critical of the as part of a symbolic step towards
With a new Assembly Speaker on them. The advocacy coalition Al- City’s Rent Guidelines Board, which passing rent legislation in June. On
championing stronger rent regula- liance for Tenant Power has identi- controls rent adjustments for rent sta- Tuesday, the Council’s Committee
tion laws, and the expiration of those fied legislative priorities that include bilized apartments, because all mem- on Housing and Buildings approved
laws looming this summer, the Rent repealing vacancy decontrol and bers are appointed by the Mayor.
a handful of resolutions calling on
Officials at the Rent Guidelines the State for stronger rent laws.
Stabilization Association said its modifying how building improveBoard could not be reached for comgoal is to keep the status quo.
ment costs are borne by tenants.
These resolutions included calling
In a conversation at the PRESS of
Both Assembly Speaker Carl ment as of press time.
on the State to repeal vacancy deconAlthough the RSA’s short-term goal trol and to make renovation-related
Southeast Queens offices on Tuesday, Heastie (D-Bronx) and de Blasio
RSA president Joseph Strasburg and have been pushing for stronger rent is a rent-law status quo, Freund said rent increases temporary.
vice president Jack Freund spoke regulations in Albany; the pair held he ultimately envisions an entirely difReach Reporter Jackie Strawbridge
about their priorities in Albany, their a joint press conference in Crown ferent affordable housing system.
at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128, jstrawThis new system would be based not [email protected] or @JNperspective on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Heights, Brooklyn in February, duraffordable housing agenda and their ing which Heastie called stronger on stabilization but rather on income- Strawbridge.
vision for a fairer system for both tenants and landlords.
The RSA is a trade association
representing the interests of the
residential housing industry. It was
established in 1969 as part of the
City’s attempt to create a self-regulated rent stabilization system, but became a private entity when the State
assumed control of rent regulation in
the 1980s.
According to Freund, the majority
of the RSA’s 25,000 members own
less than 20 units.
“We’re the voice of the small
property owner in New York City,”
Freund said.
The State’s rent laws are set to
expire on June 15. In anticipation,
tenant advocacy groups have been
campaigning for legislation that they
believe will make rent regulated and
controlled apartments more stable
and liveable for those who depend Operation & management Costs for landlords of rent stabilized apartments have risen by over 25 percent since 2003.
RSA Talks
Priorities
Ahead Of Rent Law
Expiration
March 13-19, 2015 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 9
Like all New Yorkers, police officers want to live and work in a city on the rise. We want safe streets, fair
treatment and economic security. We want to work with the public to achieve these goals for ourselves,
for our families, and for every person in this city.
But we can’t effectively engage with the community while short staffing leaves us racing from call to
call. We can’t protect our city and ourselves from new threats without the right equipment. And we
can't expect our finest police officers to meet the professional demands of 21st century policing, while
still offering them below-market pay and inadequate disability protections.
Our city’s economic outlook is bright, but these important public safety needs remain unfulfilled. Let’s
move forward together today by giving police officers the support and resources they need to protect
New York City’s tomorrow.
Support your police officers for a stronger, safer city.
Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association of the City of New York
125 Broad Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10004 • 212-233-5531
Patrick J. Lynch, President
www.nycpba.org
Page 10 PRESS of Southeast Queens March 13-19, 2015
Police Blotter
102nd Precinct
Subway Robbery
103rd Precinct
Dead On Train
Police are looking for two men
On Sunday, March 8, at approxiwanted in connection with a robbery mately 7:05 a.m., police responded
that occurred on the night of Feb. 28 to 911 call for an aided male inside
on a platform at the Jamaica-Van Wyck of a Jamaica-bound E train at the Jasubway station in Richmond Hill.
maica Center station. Upon arrival,
At 10:55 p.m., the two suspects, officers discovered an unidentified
both Hispanic men, exited a Jami- 55-year-old male unconscious and
aca-bound E train and assaulted the unresponsive with no obvious signs
18-year-old male victim, waiting on of trauma therein. EMS responded
the Manhattan-bound platform, be- to the scene and pronounced the
fore fleeing on foot with his iPhone male deceased. The Medical Examin5, wallet, jacket and $50.
er will determine the cause of death.
The first suspect
The investigation is
is described as being
ongoing.
19-years-old, 5 ft, 11
inches tall and 160
lbs. The other suspect
is 20-years-old, 5 ft, 10
inches tall and about
Radio Shack
130 lbs.
Anyone with inforRobbery
mation in regards to
The NYPD is seekthis incident is asked
ing the public’s help in
to call Crime Stopidentifying and locating
pers at 1-800-577-TIPS
two suspects wanted
(8477). The public
for grand larceny for
can also submit their
robbing a Radio Shack
tips by logging onto
in Richmond Hill.
the Crime Stoppers
On
Wednesday,
website at NYPD- Police are looking for these Feb. 18 at 5:07 p.m.,
Crimestoppers.com or two men in connection with an unknown man and
by texting their tips a mugging on the platform woman entered the
to 274637 (CRIMES) of the Jamaica-Van Wyck Radio Shack located
subway station on Feb. 28 at 113-20 Liberty Ave.
then enter TIP577.
106th
Precinct
While the female suspect distracted
the employee, the male suspect removed merchandise from the store
shelves and placed them into a bag.
The suspects then fled the store to
parts unknown.
The suspects are described as a
Black woman with long hair, wearing
a brown jacket and a Black man wearing a black ski hat and black jacket.
Anyone with information in regards
to this incident is asked to call Crime
Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
The public can also submit their tips
by logging onto the Crime Stoppers
website at NYPDCrimestoppers.
com or by texting their tips to 274637
(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
108th Precinct
Shooting Arrest
The NYPD has arrested on suspect
in a shooting that occurred outside a
Sunnyside nightclub in October.
On Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014 at approximately 10:45 a.m., two suspects
displayed firearms and discharged
them at each other, striking four bystanders in front of the Allure Night
Club, at 33-02 Queens Blvd. A 37
year-old male were struck once in the
chest, while a 19 year-old female, a
28 year-old male, and a 23 year-old
male were all struck once each in the
leg. Each victim was taken to the
hospital for medical treatment.
Traevon Robinson, 23, of South
Jamaica was arrested last week and
was charged with four counts of
felony assault and three counts of
reckless endangerment. The second
suspect remains at large.
109th Precinct
Murder-Suicide
At approximately 2:51 p.m.
on Friday, March 6 at 147-24 Beech
Ave. in Flushing, police responded to
a report of two individuals who were
unresponsive. Upon investigation a
42-year-old unidentified male and a
woman, Song Shim, 41, were both
discovered with gunshot wounds to
their heads on the 3rd floor of the
location. EMS responded and pronounced both individuals dead at the
scene. The investigation is ongoing.
115th Precinct
Found Dead
On Thursday, March 5 at 7 p.m.,
police responded to a report of a man
in need of aid inside of 32-40 81 St.
in East Elmhurst. Upon arrival, they
found Joel Ferreira, 25, male laying
in bed unconscious and unresponsive. EMS responded to the location and declared the male deceased.
There were no signs of trauma and
the Medical Examiner’s Office will
determine the cause of death.
Borough Beat
City Funds $100M For Queens Blvd Redesign
The City has pledged a truckload
of money to fund the redesign of a
major thoroughfare commonly called
“the boulevard of death.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced
last week that $100 million will be
dedicated specifically towards the
redesign of Queens Boulevard. It
is part of de Blasio’s Vision Zero
plan to decrease pedestrian fatalities
around the City.
The mayor announced the news
before a City Council transportation
committee hearing.
The money is part of a $250 million allocation for the “great streets”
initiative that is funding safety redesigns for major streets in the City.
In addition to Queens Boulevard,
Atlantic and Fourth Avenues in
Brooklyn and the Grand Concourse
in the Bronx will also get a slice of
that money. Part of the plan itself in-
cludes renovating curbs
7 rally calling for imin those areas.
proved safety on Queens
Frank
Gulluscio,
Boulevard.
District Manager of
Transportation AlCommunity Board 6,
ternatives hosted the
which includes part of
march, which began
Queens Boulevard, said
at MacDonald Park in
he was delighted that
Forest Hills and walked
the City is making the
down to the steps of
road a priority in terms
Queens Borough Hall,
of safety.
where they held the
“We’re excited that
rally.
the mayor has dedicatCouncilwoman Kared the resources to imen Koslowitz (D-Forest
prove the safety of peHills) was among those
destrians, seniors and
in attendance at the
children,” he said.
rally, calling on DOT
The City Depart- Pedestrians maneuver through traffic at the intersection of Queens to expedite the project.
ment of Transportation Boulevard and union Turnpike.
She announced she has
has begun holding pubpledged $1 million to
lic workshops on Queens Boulevard, ideas of the redesign with the com- help start the Queens Boulevard inihosting one in Sunnyside earlier this munity and other local partners and tiative as well.
stakeholders next month,” a spokesyear.
Reach Reporter Luis Gronda at
“DOT continues to work on the person said in a statement.
(718) 357-7400, Ext. 127, lgronda@
The news came before a March queenstribune.com, or @luisgronda.
plan and we aim to begin sharing the
Photo by Jackie Strawbridge
By LuiS GROnDA
York Marches in Selma
Photos by McAlexander Ciceron
pix
March 13-19, 2015 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 11
Southeast Queens Art Exhibit
Students from York College joined thousands of others, including
President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush, to
commemorate the “Blood Sunday” march across the Edmund Pettus
Bridge in Selma, Ala. on March 7, the 50th anniversary of the march,
which was a pivotal moment in the battle for Civil Rights.
An art lover glances upon a work by William West at the Southern Queens
Park Association’s Annual Art Exhibit at the Roy Wilkins Family Center in
St. Albans. The exhibit, featuring works by artists from all over Southeast
Queens, and even from school children, is open through March 14.
The current controversy over policing was not far from the minds of
the marchers on the bridge last weekend. Here, a marcher holds a
sign with the phrase commonly used by those protesting the recent
incidents between police and Black men.
Rod Ivey’s painting featuring Negro League players at the exhibit
Evelyn Knight, 81,
with Dr. Selena Rodgers, York professor. Knight was
among those who
crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge
50 years ago.
Photos by Jordan Gibbons
York College sophomore, Rachelle
Antoine, hugs
Congressman John
Lewis of Georgia,
50 years after his
near fatal beating
by anti-civil rights
police during a provoting rights march
across the bridge.
Paintings by Southeast Queens students on display at the exhibit
Page 12 PRESS of Southeast Queens March 13-19, 2015
A&E
York Track Takes Second In CUNY Meet
For the second consecutive year,
the York College Men’s Track and
Field team had another solid performance at the City University of New
York Athletic Conference Indoor
Championships, which took place at
the New Balance Track & Field Center, finishing second overall.
The Cardinals fell short to City
College at the meet last Sunday at
the New Balance Track & Field Center in Manhattan, with a total of 102
points. CCNY took first place by a
landslide, with a total score of 178
points. Lehman College came in
third, followed by Hunter College
and Medgar Evers College.
“York performed really well for
the second straight season. We have a
pretty good team, we have really good
sprinters, which is why we did very well
in the sprint events,” York’s Assistant
Athletic Director and Sports Information Director, John Scarinci, said.
Shaquille Hodges and Roshane
Wright were the driving force for
the Cardinals in sprints. Hodge won
the 200-meter dash in 22.55, a new
personal best, and he came in fifth
in the 60-meter dash in 7.14. Wright
came up short in the 200-meter dash,
one he was expected to win, but he
and jumps, where they dous amount of depth,” said Scarinci.
were outmatched in
Additionally, York had some oththose events by City. er notable performances from the
The Cardinals did CUNYAC. Nigeria native Chimerehave some progress in ucheya Ezihie, won the 800-meter
the jumps and throws run with a time of 205.11. The final
as Nosa Edinowe came race of the night was the 4x400 relay,
in second in the weight Ezihie, Hodge, Wright and Jesus Methrow with a person- dina teamed up to win the race with
al-best toss of 14.63 a season-best time of 3:27.31, accordmeters. York’s Jason ing to York’s athletics website.
Williams placed secAs far as individual performancond
in
the
triple
jump
es,
Wright and Hodges posted up
York Track and field athletes
with
13.22
meters.
18
and
16 points respectively. Peter
Shaquille Hodge, left, and
Wright
came
in
secDehazya
of CCNY scored 24 points
Roshane Wright.
ond in the long jump which earned him the Most Valuable
with a distance of 6.24. Performer of the CUNYAC.
After a successful season, most of
could not finish the race. Wright did Even with these good performances
make up for it by winning the 400- CCNY dominated by winning the York’s team will rest before the start
meter dash in what was also a per- long jump, high jump, weight throw of the outdoor track season, which is
and sweeping the shot put.
slated to begin on March 14 against
sonal best of 49.86.
“We have a really good young team, Queensborough Community College
“Wright has been performing really well and he’s been very exciting but we need more depth. That is why in Bayside.
– Steven Rodriguez
to watch. He’s going to be competing CCNY beat us. They have a tremenin the Eastern College Athletic Conference next week, which should be
fun to watch,” said Scarinci. Wright
will also be performing at the NCAA
championships the following week,
according to York’s athletics website.
The decisive blow that caused
definitely my favorite,” he said. “It’s
By JORDAN GIBBONS
York to come in second were throws
the one I poured my heart into.”
Mendez started cooking in 2011,
When Luis Mendez attempted to
bake a lemon scented cake topped when he started attended the Food and
with créme fraîche, chopped maca- Finance High School in Manhattan.
damia nuts and a lemon basil sorHe said that baking is his favorite
bet for the first time he could not part of cooking, and he enjoys makget the sorbet to freeze up.
ing sorbet the best, despite his recent
As the clock ticked away during close call at the competition.
of established filmmakers,” David
America’s Best High School Chef
Out of 33 students who comSchwartz, chief curator of the MuseCompetition, he began to panic.
peted at the event on Feb. 28 at
um of the Moving Image, said.
One of the assistant’s at Monroe the Culinary Arts Center in New
The feature film for closing night
College, the host of the competi- Rochelle, five of them were from
– Afia Nathaniel’s “Dukhtar” – is a
tion, helped out by placing the sor- Queens, including Mendez, a Jastory about the practice of marrying
bet on the top shelf of the freezer, maica resident.
pre-pubescent girls to much older
but it still was not completely froWhen Mendez graduates in June,
men for tribal, political and economzen so Mendez grabbed the frozen he will continue to study baking at
ic reasons.
parts and made it work.
Monroe where he will fine-tune his
“I love picking films for this FestiHis cake helped him land second craft and continue working towards
val because we get to bring the world
place in the baking competition and his goal of opening up his own cato Queens and Queens to the world,”
a scholarship that will pay half his tering company or restaurant.
Queens World Film Festival Artistic Dituition for an Associate’s degree at
Reach Reporter Jordan Gibbons at
rector Don Cato said in a statement.
Monroe’s Culinary Arts program.
(718) 357-7400, Ext. 123, jgibbons@
Each year, the festival awards priz“This dish, out of all of them, is queenspress.com, or @jgibbons2.
es for the best animation, best LGBTQ short film, best comedy short
film, best actress, best actor, best
cinematographer, best director, best
documentary and best narrative in a
short or feature film.
Winners will be announced during the closing night of the film festival, on Saturday, March 22 at the
Museum of the Moving Image.
For more information on showtimes,
visit queensworldfilmfestival.com.
Reach Reporter Daniel Offner at
Jamaica resident luis Mendez (second from right) finished second in Amer(718) 357-7400, Ext. 125, doffner@
ica’s Best High School Chef Competition.
queenstribune.com, or @DanielOffner.
Queens World film festival
Returns This March
BY DANIel OffNeR
Beginning next week, the fifth annual Queens World Film Festival will
showcase 117 short and feature films
– 19 made here in Queens – with
daily screenings at the Museum of
Moving Image in Astoria, the Secret
Theatre in Long Island City and PS
69 in Jackson Heights.
Kicking off the week-long film
competition, the museum will feature a special opening night tribute
on March 17, to Leon Ichaso, a
Los Angeles-based director of such
groundbreaking films as “El Super,”
“Crossover Dreams” and “Paraiso.”
He will be presented with the “Spirit
of Queens” award from Cynthia Lopez, commissioner with the Mayor’s
office for media and entertainment.
Ichaso will also be at the museum on
March 18 to present his latest film,
“Bitter Sugar,” which chronicles the
political disillusionment of a Cuban
revolutionary.
“The Queens World Film Festival
is a vibrant, energetic event, showing
an exciting array of new films while
also highlighting the achievements
Student Bakes His Way
To A Scholarship
March 13-19, 2015 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 13
Queens today
tHURsday 3/12
STRoNg TAkES
Host Pete Bladel presents
five comics with strong
opinions and even
stronger punchlines at
Q.E.D. Astoria. You’ll receive
nothing but the best, uncut
takes New York comedy has
to offer. Show runs from 9
p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and costs
$5. For more information,
visit qedastoria.com.
SuSTAINAbIlITy ClASS
Attend this 2-hour class,
organized for CNYC by
Solar One, and learn how
to keep your building in
high-performing condition. In this interactive
workshop, organized by Solar One as independent
contractor to NYSERDA,
you will learn about: costeffective ways to reduce
energy expenses and have
a healthier, greener, more
comfortable building; proven strategies for working
with your coop or condo
board, building residents
and staff, and property
managers; incentives and
other sources of funding for
capital improvements related to energy efficiency and
renewable energy systems;
complying with new green
laws and code changes such
as Local Law 84, Local Law
87 and the City’s phase out
of No. 4 and 6 heating oil
and avoiding the associated
penalties. Queens Borough
Hall, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., registration starts at 6 p.m.
satURday 3/14
ExHIbITIoN WAlkTHRougH WITH guEST
CuRAToR
Join guest curator Dr.
Arshiya Lokhandwala,
from 4 to 5 p.m., for a
special tour of the Queens
Museum’s upcoming exhibition, “After Midnight:
Indian Modernism to Contemporary India 1947/1997,”
which will be on view from
March 8 to June 28. The
“After Midnight” exhibit
presents a comparative
study of art created in the
wake of two defining moments in Indian history.
FAMIly DAy
Parents and children are
invited to join the Queens
Botanical Garden, located
at 43-50 Main St., from 2
to 4 p.m., for this instructional program all about
gardening and the environment. The family day
event is sponsored by HSBC
and is free and open to the
public. For information visit
queensbotanical.org.
TAyloR 2
Established in 1993 by Paul
Taylor to ensure his works
would be seen worldwide, Taylor 2 is modern
dance unhindered by technical limitations. This repertoire includes dances that
span the broad spectrum of
his original work. At 1 p.m.,
join Taylor 2 members
for an interactive dance
workshop. (Workshop:
$7/$4 for children/free
for members with tickets
to 2:15 p.m. show; performance: $13/$8 for children.)
Flushing Town Hall, 137-35
Northern Blvd., Flushing.
JAzz IN THE SANCTuARy
CASINo CoNCERT
Color Me Badd and All4-One will perform at
Resorts World Casino,
featuring chart-topping hits
like “I Wanna Sex You Up,”
“All 4 Love,” “I Swear” and
“I Can Love You Like That.”
Doors open at 8pm. Tickets
range from $25 to $75.
Saxophonist David
Schnitter and singer
Marti Mabin return to
the same place where they
offered a dazzling concert
last year. Free. 7 p.m. Sunnyside Reformed Church,
48-03 Skillman Ave., Sunnyside.
sUNday 3/15
ST. PATRICk CElEbRATIoN
Celebrate St. Patrick’s
Day with Veterans from
1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the
American Legion, 89-02 91st
St., you’ll get a Family Style
Dinner - corned beef and
cabbage and mashed potatoes and all the trimmings,
beer, wine, soda, coffee and
SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK
ONgOiNg
MATTHEW WEINER’S “MAD MEN”
This new major exhibition at
the Museum of the Moving Image
explores the creative process
behind “Mad Men,” one of the
most acclaimed television series
of all time, now launching its final
seven episodes on AMC.
Featuring large-scale sets
including Don Draper’s office
and the kitchen from the Draper’s Ossining home, more than 25 iconic costumes,
props, video clips, advertising art and personal notes and research material from
series creator Matthew Weiner, the exhibition of fers unique insight into the series.
The exhibition runs until June 14. For more information, call (718) 784-0077.
dessert. Plus, dancing with
DJ Richie. $30 per person,
call Jennifer (718-296-3923)
or Loretta (718-843-1292) to
buy tickets. All proceeds go
towards American Legion
Post 118, which is approaching its 100th anniversary
- and starting next year will
begin decorating the Memorial Trees in Forest Park,
dedicated to boys from
Woodhaven who gave their
lives for this country.
abilities Film Festival
presents award-winning
films by and about
people with disabilities
at the Central Queens Y in
Forest Hills. Post-screening
discussions and author
talks bring the community
together to explore, discuss,
embrace, and celebrate the
diversity of our shared human experience. The films
begin at 10 am and 2 pm
on March 15 and 2pm on
March 16.
CINEMARoSA
“gENDERINg”
ASToRIA SyMPHoNy
oRCHESTRA
The Astoria Symphony
Orchestra will present
music of Mozart, Brahms
and Barber in a concert
at 5 p.m. at Long Island
City High School, under
the baton of Music Director David Štech. Knoxville
native and Astoria resident,
special guest soprano
Colette Boudreaux will perform with the orchestra. The
concert concludes with the
monumental and final symphony of Johannes Brahms,
Symphony No.4. The Fourth
Symphony contains almost
every human emotion, from
the jubilant to the tragic
- it has a cathartic power.
Brahmsians often label it
as the composer’s greatest
orchestral work.
DISAbIlITIES FIlM
FESTIVAl
ReelAbilities: NY Dis-
Cinemarosa, the monthly
Queer film series, returns to
the Queens Museum with a
special presentation of
the program “Genderings” from 3 to 6 p.m.,
featuring the works of local
and national filmmakers
who focus their lens on
the lives and experiences
of transgender and gendernon-confirming people in
the United States.
tUEsday 3/17
QuEENS WoRlD FIlM
FESTIVAl oPENER
The Borough’s fifth annual international film
festival kicks off at the
Museum of the Moving Image at 7:15 p.m. A
fundraising event features
the festival founders, filmmakers and Leon Ichaso,
the 2015 Spirit of Queens
Honoree. Screenings start at
8 p.m.
WEdNEsday 3/18
THE WRoNg SIDE oF
RIgHT
Help the Astoria Bookshop
celebrate the publication
of Jenn Marie Thorne’s
debut novel, “The Wrong
Side of Right,” from 7
p.m. to 8 p.m. Set against a
backdrop of politics, family
and first love, this is a story
of personal responsibility,
complicated romance and
trying to discover who you
are even as everyone tells
you who you
should be.
Thorne will
read from the
book before
being joined
in conversation by
author Leila
Sales (“This
Song Will Save Your Life.”)
Refreshments will be served.
RSVP at facebook.com/
events/1528184437440869.
oNgoINg
AARoN lANDSMAN: RuNNINg AWAy
FRoM THE oNE WITH
THE kNIFE
This play is about suicide and religious faith.
It’s a memorial and an exorcism for a woman named
Christina; it’s the story of
her sister and the monk who
is their friend. The play is
terse, allusive and full of
monologues, repeated short
scenes and hastily scrawled
signs that comment on
what’s happening. 8 p.m.
The Chocolate Factory Theater, 5-49 49th Ave., Long
Island City.
goT EVENTS?
send all information to
[email protected]
or mail to: 150-50 14th Rd.,
Whitestone, Ny 11357
Page 14 PRESS of Southeast Queens March 13-19, 2015
Sports
Knights Quest for nCaa Championship
After a triumphant 16-point
comeback in the second-half of the
East Coast Conference Championship, the Queens College Women’s
Basketball team defeated New York
Institute of Technology in a 65-63
nail biter. They now advance to the
NCAA Division II Championship
against Stonehill College.
In the early goings of the game,
things were looking good for the
Knights, until the last 12-minutes of
the first half, when NYIT would pull
ahead to lead 39-23.
Led by sisters, MacKenzie and
Madison Rowland, who each had
a double-double in the game, the
Knights rallied a comeback in the
second half to pull Queens College
within two points of victory.
Trailing by two, with 24 seconds
left, more defensive pressure led
Madison to steal the ball and get the
game-tying basket. Point guard Joya
Photo Courtesy of Queens College
By Daniel Offner
Queens College Women’s Basketball Team Wins eCC Title.
McFarland would cap off the game
with a pair of free throws, with less
than 11 seconds on the clock, bringing the final score to 65-62.
After defeating four regionallyranked opponents, the Knights went
on to defeat NYIT and reach the D-II
NCAA Championship for the second
time in school history. The win also
marks a back-to-back 20-win season
for Queens College – the team’s first
in 30 years.
MacKenzie Rowland, a junior,
finished the season second in scoring for the team, was voted All-ECC
Second Team and was selected to
participate on the ECC All-Tournament team. Meanwhile, her younger
sister Madison, a sophomore, had
one of her best years in school history.
Madison became the ninth player
in school history to achieve 1,000
career points. She also led the nation in steals per game, led the
sophomore class in scoring, was
chosen All-ECC First Team, ECC
Player of the Year and earned the
Most Outstanding Player award for
her performance in the ECC Championship game.
The Knights are currently seeded No. 5 in the East and go on to
face Stonehill College at Adelphi
University on March 13. The winner of that game will go on to play
either No. 1 seed Adelphi or No.
8 seed Holy Family University on
March 14.
Reach Daniel Offner at (718) 3577400, Ext. 125, [email protected], or @DanielOffner.
Queens today
SENIORS....................
Computer Classes
Weekdays 9:30 a.m. to 3
p.m. Howard Beach Senior
Center, 155-55 CrossBay
Blvd., Howard Beach. 718738-8100.
tai Chi
Mondays @ 9:30 a.m.
Howard Beach Senior
Center, 155-55 CrossBay
Blvd., Howard Beach. 718738-8100.
senior Fitness
Mondays and Wednesdays
@ 10 a.m. CityParks Senior
Fitness Tennis, Astoria
Park, 21st Street and Hoyt
Avenue South.
Mondays and Wednesdays
@ 10 a.m. CityParks Senior
Fitness Tennis, Flushing
Meadows Corona Park.
Tuesdays and Thursdays
@ 9 a.m. CityParks Senior
Fitness Tennis, Cunningham Park.
Tuesdays and Thursdays
@ 9 a.m. CityParks Senior
aFitness Yoga, Roy Wilkins
Park.
Tuesdays and Thursdays @
10 a.m. CityParks Senior
Fitness Yoga, Cunningham
Park.
Tuesdays and Thursdays
@ 10 a.m. CityParks
Senior Fitness Tennis, Roy
Wilkins Park.
staywell
Wednesdays @ 10:30 a.m.
East Elmhurst Library,
95-06 Astoria Blvd. 718424-2619.
healthy aging
Wednesdays @ 1:15 p.m.
Through Jan. 21. Howard
Beach Senior Center, 15555 Crossbay Blvd., Howard
Beach. 718-738-8100.
art Classes
Thursdays @ 9:30 a.m. and
12:30 p.m. Howard Beach
Senior Center, 155-55
CrossBay Blvd., Howard
Beach. 718-738-8100.
TEENS & KIDS......
laptops For
homework
Weekdays @ 3 p.m.
Laurelton Library, 134-26
225th St. 718-528-2822.
homework Zone
Weekdays @ 3:30 p.m. For
ages 12 and under. Central
Library, 89-11 Merrick
Blvd. 718-990-0778.
homework help
Weekdays @ 3:30 p.m.
Poppenhusen Library, 12123 14th Ave. 718-359-1102.
FBla
Weekdays @ 4 p.m.
Laurelton Library, 134-26
225th St. 718-528-2822.
study hall
Weekdays @ 3:30 p.m.
Glen Oaks Library, 256-04
Union Tpke. 718-831-8636.
games galore
Fridays @ 3 p.m. Board
and console games for ages
8 and up. Queensboro Hill
Library, 60-05 Main St.
718-359-8332.
make it: one BloCk
Challenge
March 14, 15, 21 & 22; @
1:30 to 3 pm & 3:30 to
5 pm
Participants explore what
can be built with a 3-inch
block of wood and a
simple hand tools. Recommended for ages 6 and
older. $3 per adult/child
pair, plus NYSCI admission. (Members: $1 per
adult/child pair.)
little makers: sink,
Float, Flink
March 15 @ 10:30 am –
12:30 pm
Children ages 18 months
and older experiment with
a variety of materials to
find out what sinks, floats
or flinks (neither floats
nor sinks). They’ll also
design their own boat to
sail in their bathtubs. $8
per family, plus NYSCI
admission. (Members: $5
per family.)
ENTERTAINMENT..
Bingo
Tuesdays @ 6 p.m. Rego
Park Jewish Center, 97-30
Queens Blvd., Rego Park.
718-459-1000.
israeli danCe
Wednesdays @ 1:15 p.m.
Price based on registration
date. Central Queens Y, 6709 108th St., Forest Hills.
718-268-5011, Ext. 160.
www.cqy.org/registration.
the rape oF
luCretia
By Benjamin Britten and
presented by the Queens
College Opera Studio,
March 13-15, $15, LeFrak
Concert Hall, Queens College, 65-30 Kissena Blvd.,
Flushing
saCred ConCert
Martin Luther School’s
Middle and High School
students will host their
annual Sacred Concert
onFriday, March 13 at 7
p.m. at the school, 60-02
Maspeth Ave. in Maspeth, The Concert will
feature performances by
our Concert Choir, Symphonic Band, Mixed Chorus and Middle School
Vocalists. We invite you
to come out and support
our wonderful student
musicians and vocalists.
A free-will offering will
be received.
the luCk oF the
irish:
Share stories of leprechauns and shamrocks
and craft a rainbow with
a pot of gold. $5, March
14, 11 a.m.. Voelker Orth
Museum, 149-19 38th Ave.,
Flushing
Fairs
The Church of the Resurrection in Richmond Hill
will be having its Spring
Treasure Bake and Book
Sale on Saturday, March
21 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30
p.m. and Sunday, March
22 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30
p.m.
EDUCATION..............
art Classes
Saturdays @ 10 a.m. Sponsored by LACCQ. ARROW
Community Center, 35-30
35th St., Astoria. 718-2617664.
danCe instruCtion
Mondays and Fridays @
7:15 p.m. $10 Italian Charities of America, 83-20
Queens Blvd., Elmhurst.
718-478-3100.
riChmond hill
Quilters
Tuesdays @ Noon Richmond Hill Library, 118-14
Hillside Ave. 718-849-7150
waterColor Classes
Wednesdays@ 9:30 a.m.
National Art League, 44-21
Douglaston Pkwy., Douglaston. All techniques,
beginner to advanced with
demonstration. 718-9691128.
Boyhood Viewing
The Kew Gardens Community Center will show the
Oscar nominated picture
“BOYHOOD” on Tuesday
March 17 @ 1 p.m. at
the center’s community
room, 80-02 Kew Gardens
Rd Suite 202. For more
information, call 718-2685960.
HEALTH......................
men’s exerCise
Tuesdays and Thursdays
@ 10:30 a.m.. For men 60
and older. Queens Community House, Pomonok
Senior Center, 67-09
Kissena Blvd., Flushing.
718-591-3377.
gentle yoga
Tuesdays @ 9:30 a.m.
$10 per class. Bay Terrace
Garden Jewish Center,
13-00 209th St., Bayside.
718-428-6363.
ZumBa Classes
Fridays @ 7 p.m. Starting
March 6. Free. NYFAC,
164-14 Cross Bay Blvd.,
Howard Beach.
men’s exerCise
group
Tuesdays and Thursdays @
10:30 a.m. Queens Community House, Pomonok
Senior Center, 67-09 Kissena Blvd., Flushing.
exerCise Classes
Mondays @ 9:30 a.m. Tai
Chi w/ Elaine Fleischman.
Mondays @ 10:45 a.m.
Chair Aerobics w/ Charlie
Roemer.
Tuesdays @ 9:15 a.m.
Calypso-Cardio.
Wednesdays @ 10:15 a.m.
Project Staywell w/ Irma
Mains.
Thursdays @ 9:15 a.m.
Calypso-Cardio.
Fridays @ 10:30 a.m. Yoga
w/ Charlie Roemer.
Fridays @ 1:15 p.m.
Stretching, Balancing &
Aerobics w/ Elissa Garcia.
Howard Beach Senior Center, 155-55 Cross Bay Blvd.,
Howard Beach.
MEETINGS................
Richmond Hill Quilters
Tuesdays @ Noon. Richmond Hill Library, 118-14
Hillside Ave. 718-849-7150.
support group
Thursdays @ 7 p.m. Group
for women. Center for
Women of New York,
Queens Borough Hall,
120-55 Queens Blvd., Kew
Gardens. www.cwny.org.
March 13-19, 2015 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 15
Profile
Jamaica Teen To Graduate From York At 19
When Trivendra Persaud of Jamaica graduates from York College
on May 29 with a B.A. in psychology, he will be the youngest in his
class. The 19-year-old managed to
achieve this accomplishment within
two years of starting his college career and now is set to start pursing
his Master’s degree.
“He is always well prepared for
examinations, and is a top ranking
student in my classes,” Adjunct Assistant Professor of Behavioral Sciences, Dr. Gabriel Feldmar said.
“Trivendra is a courteous and friendly individual with an engaging personality, it has been a pleasure having him in my classes.”
Persaud started achieving his college credits when he attended the
York Early College Academy in Jamaica, which has students grades
sixth through 12. The high school
allows students to start earning college credits through college courses.
Persaud graduated from YECA with
an advanced Regents diploma, along
with 58 college credits in June of 2013.
He was also part of the first graduat-
ing class of the program.
“I was so happy to hear that
my son was able to get into the
YECA program and we’re all
very happy to see that all of his
hard work is working and paying off,” Sanyagita Persaud,
Trivendra’s mother, said.
Persaud started attending
York in the fall of 2013 and
never took a break between semesters; he took classes during
winter and summer sessions.
“I started with 58 college
credits and now I’m close
to hitting that 120 credits,”
Persaud said. “I never took a
semester off, I went straight
through fall, winter, spring,
At 19, Trivendra Persaud will be the youngest
summer.”
Once Persaud graduates York College graduating class in May.
from York in May, he already
plans to work on getting his Mas- back. After I’m done studying I plan
ter’s degree in occupational therapy. on working for at least 10 years, save up
He plans to keep attending York for some money and hope to open up my
graduate studies as part of the col- own practice someday,” Persaud said.
lege’s three-year program for occupaCezar Giosan, also an adjunct
tional therapy.
professor of Behavioral Sciences and
“I love helping others and giving one of Trivendra’s professors, said
he is “an intelligent student
whom I enjoy teaching.”
Giosan sees Persaud as a
role model for the community because of his academic
accolades.
“It is indeed a great accomplishment for Trivendra
to graduate with a B.A in
Psychology at the age of 19,”
he said. “He is certainly selfmotivated and an admirable
role model to many.”
Persaud is the middle child
of three siblings, and he is the
second to receive his bachelor’s degree. According to
Persaud’s mother, his sister
is following his footsteps and
in his will also be attending YECA.
Persaud said his dream is
to open his own practice for
occupational therapy.
“I could probably see Trivendra
helping those in need, possibly the
mentally ill, since he wants to pursue
graduate studies in psychology,” Giosan suggested.
-Steven Rodriguez
People
Army Spc. Curtly A. Gravesande has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.
During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army
mission, history, tradition and core
values, physical fitness and received
instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training,
drill and ceremony, marching, rifle
marksmanship, armed and unarmed
combat, map reading, field tactics,
military courtesy, military justice
system, basic first aid, foot marches
and field training exercises.
Gravesande is the son of Phyllis
Gravesande of Jamaica.
He is a 2008 graduate of John Adams High School, Ozone Park.
Air Force Reserve Tech Sgt. Allison A. Hall graduated from basic
military training at Joint Base San
Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio,
Texas.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline
and studies, Air Force core values,
physical fitness, and basic warfare
principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree
through the Community College of
the Air Force.
Hall is the daughter of Vanceta A.
Hall of Jamaica., niece of Daphney
Douglas of McDonoug, Ga., cousin
of Nadia Charles of Lowell, Mass.
and wife of Marcelo Dutra.
She earned an Master’s degree in
2014 from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Sergeant Cam Mai from Jamaica
has reenlisted to continue service
with the Division Signal Company,
42nd Infantry Division.
Sergeant Stacey Missigher from
Queens Village has reenlisted to continue service with the Company B,
101st Signal Battalion.
Sergeant Daron Harvey from Jamaica has reenlisted to continue service with the 1156th Engineer Company.
Specialist Corey Hines from Jamaica has reenlisted to continue
service with the 4th Finance Detachment.
Felix V. Matos Rodríguez
Staff Sergeant Neftali Perez from
Arverne has reenlisted to continue
service with the Battery A, 1-258th
Field Artillery.
Sergeant Kenneth Burris from Far
Rockaway has reenlisted to continue
service with the Headquarters and
Headquarters Company, 369th Sustainment Brigade.
Sergeant Victor Chan from Jamaica has reenlisted to continue service
with the Operations Company, 42nd
Infantry Division.
Queens College President Felix
V. Matos Rodriguez has been recognized by the Aspen Institute as a
2015 Ascend Fellow for his efforts
to advance opportunities for low-income families. Matos Rodriguez developed the Two Generation Student
Retention and Degree Acceleration
Pilot Program to support low income
students in their pursuit of a college
degree by providing quality, affordable summer care for their children
in grades K-12.
The Aspen Institute’s Ascend
Fellowship invests in leaders from
a range of sectors who have breakthrough ideas to build economic
security, educational success, and
health and well-being for low-income families. The 18-month fellowship spurs new partnerships, increases the impact of Fellows’ work,
strengthens their leadership capacity
and networks, fuels their passion and
inspires them to action.
Page 16 PRESS of Southeast Queens March 13-19, 2015
Faith
Richards Inducted To local Church’s Hall of Fame
BY JoRDAN GIBBoNs
Before Councilman Donovan
Richards (D-Laurelton) became an
elected official, he learned how to
be an effective public speaker, how
poverty-stricken villages suffered on
an international level and how to
avoid peer pressure as a high school
student.
He attributes all of that knowledge to his time as a member of the
St. Albans Congregational Church at
172-17 Linden Blvd., St. Albans.
Last weekend, his church honored
his service as a representative for the
community by inducting him into its
Heritage Hall of Fame, which was
created in 1995 to honor members of
the congregation for personal accomplishments that reflect and advance
the church’s mission values.
“This award is one that I will remember the most because these
people helped mold me into the man
I am today,” Richards said. “Many
there have seen me grow from a little
man to a big man.”
Richards said when he was about
9 or 10 years old, he started speaking
in front of the entire church along
with other youth members about celebrating moments in Black history.
When he was 12 years old he had
the opportunity to travel to Port-
ing him put his life in
perspective at a time
when he was dealing
with a lot of turmoil.
When he was in
9th and 10th grade,
Richards said he was
battling a lot of peer
pressure as a student
at Jamaica High
School and it was
Simmons who made
sure he went down
the right path.
“Rev. Simmons sat
me down and said,
‘you have to make a
decision in life. Do
Councilman Donovan Richards said he’s received many you want to be something or not be someawards but this honor meant the most to him.
thing,’”
Richards
au-Prince, Haiti, where he visited said. “His genuineness helped me
four villages as a missionary for the make it through high school. He told
church and was able to see poverty me, ‘you can make it. You can excel.
outside of the United States, rather You are bright.’”
Richards remembers meeting
than the poverty he experienced in
other teens from the community on
Southeast Queens.
“That was an experience to help Fridays at the church and speaking
shape me to want to be active in com- about their week at school and any ismunity engagement,” he said, adding sues they had. He said that anybody
that he gained an appreciation for from the community was allowed to
advocating for areas that suffered attend even if they were not members
of the church.
from poverty.
Once a month, the youth group
Richards credited the Rev. Henry
Simmons with stepping in and help- would wrap 200 to 300 sandwiches
to give out to homeless shelters.
“The teachings you get there, you
will have them through your journey
in life,” he said. “It wasn’t just talking about the bible, but how Rev.
Simmons spoke the truth to young
people.”
Richards said that when young
people tell him they cannot do something, he is encouraged by knowing there are people who care. He
offered some advice for any young
people who are dealing with similar
issues he experienced.
“I had immense challenges in high
school and was still able to make it,”
Richards said. “Don’t be fooled by
the glitter and supposed gold out
there. Everything takes hard work.
There’s no such thing as a shortcut.
Shortcuts leads to trouble.”
Reach Reporter Jordan Gibbons at
(718) 357-7400, Ext. 123, jgibbons@
queenspress.com or @jgibbons2.
Keep’n The Faith
Then it’s time to share...The PRESS wants
to hear about special programs in your faith
community. Send your thoughts, stories,
prayers and photos to:
The PRESS at 150-50 14th Rd., Whitestone,
NY 11357. All stories will be considered.
Photos cannot be returned.
Notebook
Campus Magnet Complex
Campus Magnet Developing BlossoM Chapter
The Law, Government and Community Service and the Business,
Computer Applications and Entrepreneurship high schools in the
Campus Magnet Complex in Cambria Heights are sponsoring a chapter of Beautiful Ladies of Substance
Soaring Onto Magnificence.
BLOSSOM is a city-wide program
developed by Darlen Walker Munjin
of the Department of Education.
BLOSSOM is an empowerment program for young ladies between the
ages of 13 and 18, designed to provide skills needed to boost their selfesteem, create a positive self-image,
bond with other sisters and set goals
for improving their lives.
The Campus Magnet Complex
Chapter is led by president Deanna
Best and vice president Constance
Bingham. Both are students in the
Law, Government and Community
Service High School.
Best and Bingham like the program because they meet different
people at the events they attend. The
students went to a BLOSSOM sponsored trip to see the Off-Broadway
play, “Sistas,” and they are planning
to put on a play as a way to empower
themselves as women. They hope to
create a support system for the girls
in their schools.
Principal Donna Delfyett-White
of the Law school, Principal Lynne
Callender of the Business School
and Assistant Principal Pierre-Casimir are all overseeing the program
with the assistance of Program Coordinator Darlene Walker Mungin of
the DOE.
Campus Magnet BlossoM President Deanna Best, left, and Vice President
Constance Bingham.
March 13-19, 2015 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 17
What’s Up
MaRCh 14
hands-on history
King Manor Museum is hosting
“You’ve Got Mail: Quill and Ink”
from noon to 3 p.m. Write a letter
with a quill and ink, and hear a true
story about a dog that helped postal
workers in the 19th century. Take a
museum tour and see a mailbox used
in Jamaica 200 years ago. The event
is free. King Manor Museum is located at 150-03 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica.
For more information, visit www.
kingmanor.org.
Women’s Conference
To celebrate Women’s History
Month, S.A.S.S.Y. is hosting its
Spirit-filled Women’s Conference at
Thomasina’s Catering Hall at 20536 Linden Blvd., St. Albans from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m. Join in to celebrate,
learn, connect, anoint, pour blessings, encourage and spread wisdom
into each other’s lives. Early bird registration online costs $65 and general tickets cost $75. Register at www.
spiritfilledwomensconference.com.
Women In Power
State Sen. James Sanders Jr. will
present a free Women in Power
workshop on Saturday as part of
Women’s History Month. It will
take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at
New Jerusalem Baptist Church, located at 122-05 Smith St., Jamaica.
To register, go to voterunlead.org/
events/state-senator-james-sanders-jrpresents-women-in-power/.
MaRCh 19
Education Forum
Assemblyman William Scarborough is sponsoring an education forum, which was rescheduled due to
a winter storm. This forum seeks to
discuss these issues and other important education initiatives: mayoral
control, should the legislature approve the governor’s plans for dealing
with failing schools and is $1 billion
a fair increase for education? Invited
guests include State and City education officials, chairs of the State and
City education committees and local
education officials. Representatives
from the UFT and charter schools
are also invited. Co-sponsors include
State Sen. Leroy Comrie, State Sen.
James Sanders and Assemblymembers Vivian Cook, Barbara Clark and
Michelle Titus. Other organizations
co-sponsoring this forum include
Family Initiative Regarding Education (F.I.R.E.) and Justice and Witness Ministry of St. Alban’s Congregational Church.
The entire community is invited
to come and participate in this im-
portant discussion. Everyone’s input is valued. The forum will be held
at Robert Ross Johnson Family Life
Center at 172-17 Linden Blvd., St.
Albans from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
ence” starting at 10:15 a.m. The center is located at 92-47 165th St., Jamaica. For more information call the
program office at (718) 657-6500,
Ext. 1581.
ONgOINg
art Exhibit
Flea Market
The Southern Queens Park Association’s 13th annual art exhibit is
having its opening reception at the
Roy Wilkins Park Family Center located at 177-01 Baisley Blvd., Jamaica from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Borough
President Melinda Katz will be the
keynote speaker for the event. The
exhibit features artwork from local
students and artists. The featured
artist is David Rashid Gayle. The
exhibit is open through March 14.
Exhibit hours are Monday-Friday 10
a.m. to 7 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
on the weekends. For more information, contact (516) 328-3776.
Women artists gallery
The Jamaica Center for Arts and
Learning is having its opening reception for IN SITU: Women Artists in
Place at the Miller Gallery from 6 to
8 p.m. The exhibit features 10 female
artists, curated by Margaret Rose
Vendryes, Ph. D, who represent the
breadth and depth of diversity in the
visual field. The exhibit will be open
from March 6 to May 28. JCAL is
located at 161-04 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica.
Noguchi Exhibit
The works of Isamu Noguchi,
who patented the baby monitor and
the kitchen timer, among many other
ingenious inventions, is the subject
of the latest exhibit at the Geoffrey
Yeh Art Gallery at St. John’s University. Isamu Noguchi, Patent Holder:
Designing the World of Tomorrow
was developed in response to a borough-wide call to celebrate the 75th
and 50th anniversaries of the two
Queens World’s Fairs of 1939-40 and
1964. The display at St. John’s is an
expanded version of the exhibit originally housed at the Noguchi Museum
and surveys the symbiotic relationship
in Noguchi’s work between sculpture
and design in the years leading up to
the 1939 World’s Fair, as well as his
extensive design work beyond this
period. The exhibit is on display until
March 19. St. John’s University is located at 8000 Utopia Pkwy.
Exercise Classes
Every Tuesday and Friday at Theodora G. Jackson Adult Center offer
exercise classes. Seniors are invited
to get in shape, stay in shape and be
in shape with “The Tommy Experi-
Go down to the Rockaway Blvd.
Senior Center to discover “Rockaway’s Closet Treasures” at a flea
market with Rockaway’s Treasure
Finders. The flea market is every
first and third week of the month on
Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10
a.m. to noon. The center is located
123-10 143rd St., Jamaica. For more
information, call (718) 657-6752.
Soup Kitchen
Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral
of New York opens their doors for a
soup kitchen and food pantry twice a
week all year long. On Mondays from
11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the church hands
out food, including fresh vegetables,
canned goods and frozen meat. On
Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
there is a sit-down dinner with hot
food and a clothing station. Greater
Allen is located at 110-31 Merrick
Blvd., Jamaica. For more information, call (718) 206-4600.
Food Pantry
Greater Springfield Community
Church distributes food every Saturday from 9 to 10 a.m., while supplies
last, at the church located at 177-06
129th Ave., Jamaica. For more information, call (718) 527-0100.
Free Tutoring
First Presbyterian Church of Jamaica offers help on Saturdays preparing for the SAT, the Math, English, History or Living Environment
Regents or 9th and 10th grade Math
and English exams. Tutoring is offered 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Homework
help is also being offered. For more
information contact Dr. Cicely Rodway at (646) 334-2677 or email [email protected]. First Presbyterian is located at 89-60 164th St.,
Jamaica.
Beautiful Music, Beautiful
Writing
In the first half hour of this weekly
one-hour session, children in grades
1-8 will practice their penmanship
and cursive writing while listening to
jazz and classical music. In the second half hour, learn simple phrases
in Spanish, French and Japanese.
The class is held every Friday from
4 to 5 p.m. at the Queens Library
Rochdale Village branch located at
169-09 137th Ave., Rochdale Village.
Send your community events to the PRESS
for a free listing at 150-50 14th Rd.,
Whitestone, NY 11357. Call (718) 357-7400
or email [email protected].
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
STATE OF NEW YORK SUPREME COURT COUNTY
OF QUEENS SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS Index No.
706420/2014 WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., Plaintiff,
-vs- KENNETH MOXEY A/K/A
KENNETH G. MOXEY, DENNIS WOODBINE, and JOHN
DOE, Defendants. To the
above named Defendants:
You are hereby summoned
to answer the complaint in
this action and to serve a
copy of your answer, or if
the complaint is not served
with this summons, to serve
a notice of appearance on
the plaintiff’s attorneys within
thirty days after the service
of this summons, exclusive
of the day of service, and in
case of your failure to appear
or answer, judgment will be
taken against you by default
for the relief demanded in
the complaint. NOTICE YOU
ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do
not respond to this summons
and complaint by serving a
copy of the answer on the
attorney for the mortgage
company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against
you and filing the answer with
the court, a default judgment
may be entered and you can
lose your home. Speak to an
attorney or go to the court
where your case is pending
for further information on
how to answer the summons
and protect your property.
Sending a payment to your
mortgage company will not
stop this foreclosure action.
YOU MUST RESPOND BY
SERVING A COPY OF THE
ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF
(MORTGAGE COMPANY)
AND FILING THE ANSWER
WITH THE COURT. This is an
attempt to collect a debt and
any information obtained will
be used for that purpose. The
foregoing summons is served
upon you by publication
pursuant to an Order of Honorable Denis J. Butler, Justice
of the Supreme Court of the
State of New York, signed the
13th day of February, 2015 at
Queens County, New York.
The object of this action is
to foreclose a mortgage on
the following property: Tax
I.D. No. Block: 13620 Lot:
37 ALL that certain plot piece
or parcel of land, with the
buildings and improvements
thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Fourth
Word, Borough and County
of Queens, City and State of
New York being more particularly bounded and described
as follows: BEGINNING at
a point on the Northerly
side of 249th Street, distant
99.80 feet Westerly from
the corner formed by the
intersection of the Westerly
side of Hook Creek Blvd. with
the Northerly side of 249th
Street; RUNNING THENCE
Northerly at right angles
to 249th Street, 100 feet;
THENCE Westerly parallel
with 249th Street, 40 feet;
THENCE Southerly again at
right angles to 249th Street,
100 feet to the Northerly
side of 249th Street; THENCE
Easterly along the Northerly
side of 249th Street, 40 feet to
the point or place of BEGINNING. Subject to easements,
covenants, and restriction
of record. These premises
are also known as 13812
249th Street A/K/A 138-12
249th Street, Rosedale, NY
11422.
Q
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 18 PRESS of Southeast Queens March 13-19, 2015
Snow Of Support
When members of the City
Council visited Israel and the
West Bank last month, they
brought more than just the New
York state of mind.
While the 14 Council members were traveling around the
Middle East, a rare snowstorm
dropped 10 inches of snow to
the area, paralyzing cities like
Jerusalem and Amman, Jordan.
Previously, this winter had
been mild in the Middle East
with little snowfall.
We here at QConf are sure
the citizens of Israel and the
West Bank appreciated the
presence of our City’s legislators a lot more than the
mounds of snow that came
with them.
But at least, the Council got
a reminder of home on their
9-day trip.
Contributors: Bruce
Adler, Jordan Gibbons,
Luis Gronda, Walter
Karling, Marcia
Moxam Comrie,
Michael Nussbaum,
Daniel Offner, Jackie
Strawbridge.
Follow us on Twitter:
@QueensTrib
@SEQueensPress
Gone But
Not Forgotten
Saving Duke
Duke from the smoke and
flames, brought him to the
NYPD Animal Abuse bureau
because his owner could not
immediately be found and
later was taken to BluePearl
Veterinary Services in Forest
Hills for medical care.
Though his injuries required
several days of emergency oxygen to counter the effects of the
carbon monoxide, Duke will
see his second of many future
birthdays. He has since been
reunited with his owner.
No Parking?
Parking rules
in New York City
can sometimes be
confusing. Street
cleaning, school
regulations, snow
emergency route
rules and other
parking limits often lead the DOT
to crowd a pole
with confusing
and often conflicting signs.
On 104th Street in Ozone
Park, the signs reach another
level of confusing. Years of
sunlight have apparently bleached
the parking regulation signs near
a school, leaving
drivers scratching
their heads over
when it is Ok to
park there.
Apparently they
weren’t leaving it
to chance. QConf
observed only one
car parked there
at 7:30 p.m., long after school
hours were over. Probably the
smart thing to do.
Addi and Jacq
QConf is edited by:
Domenick Rafter
Like us on Facebook:
facebook.com/
QueensTrib
facebook.com/
QueensPress
Here’s a warm-hearted story
to serve as a reminder that New
York’s Bravest and Finest are
not only here to protect man,
but also his best friend.
When firefighters responded to a blaze at an apartment
in St. Albans on March 3, they
were relieved to find no people
were injured, but unfortunately
found Duke, a beagle just shy
of two years old. The dog was
physically fine, but had inhaled
a dangerous amount of carbon
monoxide. Firefighters rescued
Musicians OF QuEEns
A defunct Queens hospital
recently made an appearance
on a popular TV show.
Parkway Hospital, the Forest Hills medical center that
closed in 2008, was referenced
in a recent episode of “Law and
Order: SVU.”
As is typical in the nationally
televised crime drama, SVU
shows the location of where
the detectives are headed in between scenes. In this particular
episode, the crew headed to the
abandoned building that used
to be the hospital.
They described it as “Basement of Abandoned Hospital
70-33 113th Street in Forest
Hills Sunday, February 1st.”
The episode was about trying to find a girl whom a pimp
had kidnapped and was hiding
in an unknown location.
We don’t know if this pimp
chose Parkway Hospital for the
hiding place, but we’re sure that
the detectives eventually found
the girl as that is the case for
every SVU episode ever.
With nothing but a rehearsal
room, a harp and a voice, Astoria-based duo Addi and Jacq
have created a diverse and
compelling body of music.
“We have no idea what
is going to come out,” harpist Jacqueline Kerrod, who
comprises half of Addi and
Jacq alongside singer Addi
McDaniel, said of their songwriting process.
“I play something on the
harp, Addi improvs over
that,” Kerrod continued. “Or
sometimes it will start with a
melody one of us had in our
heads that week and it evolves
from there. We laugh a lot.
When we find something that
we like, we start the process
of structure.”
What results are songs that
span pop, jazz, folk, R&B and
more. Some buzz with quick
vocals and smart rhymes,
while others bubble slowly
with blended voices, though
all are grounded by skilled
writing, singing and playing.
The variety in Addi and
Jacq’s output can be partly attributed to their wide range of
musical influences, which they
said include everyone from
Mozart to Radiohead, Rufus
Wainwright to Pink Floyd.
“We have never set out to
create anything in particular,
stylistically that is,” McDaniel
said.
The pair said they met as
part of an Off-Broadway show,
and came together as organically as their songs do.
“We shared a dressing room
and after discovering we both
had an obsession with gummy
bears, became fast friends,”
they explained. “We never
really contemplated forming a
duo, it was just a spontaneous
idea to get together and jam.
We did and it was great fun
and just kept doing it.”
Their musicianship, however, is well-honed and purposeful.
The harp, for example, is
a tool for innovation in Addi
and Jacq’s music, they said.
Kerrod uses both an electric
and acoustic harp, as well as
a looping pedal, to carve new
creative paths.
“We look for different sounds
on the harp,” McDaniel said.
“The harp becomes the band.”
“I am always more at home
on the acoustic because of
the way my body feels around
the instrument - it’s what
I’m used to,” Kerrod added.
“But, we both love the sound
of the electric. It can sustain
much longer than the acoustic
harp and with the addition of
the looping/effects pedal, the
sky’s the limit.”
Addi and Jacq released
their debut album “Less Likely
Places” last year and have already collected accolades that
include winning the Queens
Battle of the Boroughs contest
in February. They will compete
against the other Boroughs’
winners in an Ultimate Battle
on March 27.
The duo is also currently
exploring new musical territory by collaborating with
an orchestra for a March 18
performance at Manhattan’s
The C.O.W.
As their success builds, the
duo said that they will continue
to aim for “the truth” and “the
good, the bad and the ugly” in
their songwriting, while never
abandoning what they called
“band policy” – refusing to take
themselves too seriously.
For more information on
the band and their upcoming
performances, visit addiandjacq.com.
-Jackie Strawbridge
The official podcast of the Queens Tribune - the TribCast
- is now on iTunes! Listen to new episodes every week!
Help Wanted
CLASSIFIEDS
Help Wanted
Help Wanted
Help Wanted
March 13-19, 2015 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 19
To Advertise in the Southeast Queens Press Classifieds
Call (718) 357-7400 • Fax (718) 357-0076
150-50 14th Road, Whitestone NY 11357
Help Wanted
Help Wanted
Attorney
Attorney
DRIVERS WANTED
DELUX TRANSPORTATION
Need Experienced Drivers
• NYCTLC FHV DRIVERS LICENSED REQUIRED
• 95% OUT OF TOWN NO LOCAL CITY
• COMPETITIVE SALARY, TIME & ½
• KEEP GRATUITIES
• 401K
IMMIGRATION
If you are 25 yrs. old w/a clean NYS Drivers License
w/excellent customer service skills
Call 516-861-2002
POLO HOME CARE
AGENCY
Private Duty Nursing
HHAs, PCAs, THERAPISTS
AVAILABLE
Live-in, Flexible hrs. 7 days/week
Lisc. & Insured
718-304-3349
*FREE
REAL ESTATE
SEMINAR
March 26, 2015
At 7:00PM
Call now to register and get
additional details. Inviting all
Buyers and Sellers.
Don’t miss out. Complimentary
snacks and refreshments
will be served.
718-454-9000
House 4 Sale
Jamaica
1 Family House • 3 Bdrm
2½ Bths • L/R • D/R
Finished Basement
Fully Renovated
Asking $309K Only 1% down
More New Homes Available
Call Nir: 516-668-5264
117. 8 ACRES surveyed off the
grid camp w/year around
stream and several pond Sites.
Near Cannonsville Res. Lake.
Asking $300,000
Real Estate Broker Owned
607-865-5357 Todd Ogden
[email protected]
D. T. Ogden Real Estate
LOOK
Old Clocks & Watches Wanted
By Collector, Regardless of
Condition - Highest Prices Paid
917-748-7225
HHA’s & PCA’s
English/Spanish Speaking
Call Mon-Fri 10am-4pm
Alternate Staffing
718-972-2500
Ext. 10 or 38
HHA, PCAs Live In/hourly
Work in your neighborhood
Start Immediately
Permanent Cases
Flexible & Long HRs Available
Bilingual a plus Span/Eng
2 weeks paid vac, sick pay,
sign on bonus
QUEENS, BKLYN, MANH, BX
& NASS. CTY
HHA & PCA
Experienced Workers and Trainees Needed
CASES IN QUEENS, BROOKLYN, BRONX, MANHATTAN AND NASSAU
COMPETITIVE PAY RATES
• FREE Family Medical and
PREMIUM PAY FOR DRIVERS
Dental Insurance
AND WEEKENDS
• Live-in & Live-out Cases
SIGN ON BONUS LIVE-INS &
• Vacation & Sick Benefits
DRIVERS
• FREE HHA TRAINING
FT & PT HOURS
APPLY TODAY
VIP Health Care Services
116-08 MYRTLE AVENUE, RICHMOND HILL, NY 11418
Equal Opportunity Employer
718-928-6400
Heating Oil
Heating Oil
www.LynnHomeCare.com
Safe Legal Disposal
718-874-3354
No Title, No Keys = NO PROBLEM
State Issued Photo I.D. Required
NYS Certified 7002706
LAW OFFICE OF NOLAN MATZ
BOILER MAN
Home Repairs, Snow Removal
Picture ID. Ref. required
JUNK CARS BOUGHT
TOP CASH PAID
You may be entitled to compensation®
Boiler Service
Occasional Work Only
Cars Wanted
FALSELY ARRESTED
$
Se Hablal
Españo
email: [email protected]
Looking for dependable,
reasonable, personable handyman
347-495-6867
CALL FOR APPOINTMENT
H. ZALCMAN-ATTORNEY AT LAW
Tel: (212) 378-2051
HANDYMAN
Seeking position
Weekends/evening work
Ref. Available
20 years experience
516.374.5467
Cedarhurst - 575 Chestnut Street, NY 11516
450 7th Avenue suite: 1508
New York, NY 10123
Email: [email protected]
Lisc. Daycare Provider
Call and inquire about
IMMIGRATION REFORM UPDATES
Free Consultation
718-261-6400
Laurelton: 718-723-3426
All your immigration needs
Real Estate and Other Legal Matters
BROOKLYN LOCATION AVAILABLE
Tree Services
Tree Services
All Aspects of Heating
New Gas & Oil Boilers
Oil Tanks installed
or removed
Water Heaters
All Piping/Radiators
Separate Zones
Heating Repairs
Heating System Tune-Ups
516-815-8510
Psychic
Construction
NUNEZ CONSTRUCTION
We Specialize In
Crack Repairs
also Ceiling, Wall Repairs
& Painting
EXPERT WORK ON STOOPS
BRICK, BLOCK & CONCRETE
7 Days, Lowest Prices Free Estimate
Licensed & Insured
718-219-1257
nunezforu.com
Member of Angie’s List
A Rating
Storage
SELF
STORAGE
SPIRITUAL
READER & ADVISOR
BY PATRICK
Gibraltar Self Storage
954-394-1061
www.gibraltarstorage.com
As Low As $1.00 A Day
Specializing in Reuniting
Loved Ones in 3 Days
Call for 1 FREE Question
Hollis, NY
718-217-8900
It’s a
new
day for
rehab.
Peninsula Nursing and
Rehabilitation is proud
to announce the grand
reopening of its updated,
state-of-the-art facilities.
Now under new ownership,
we’re ready to go above
and beyond.
State
of the Art
Rehabilitation
Center
24-Hour Skilled Nursing Care
Short Term and Long Term Rehab
Comprehensive Therapies
Pre and Post Operative Care
Sub-Acute Care
On-Site Amenities
Coming Soon: On Site Dialysis
Renew.
Restore.
Rehabilitate.
Peninsula
ĆĀƫāĆƫ!$ƫ$**!(ƫ.%2!Čƫ.ƫ+'35ČƫƫāāćĊāƫđƫĈāĉċĈăąċĂĀĀĀƫđƫ333ċ//!*.!ċ+)ĥ,!*%*/1(