press epaper 052314

Volume 15 Issue No. 21 May 23-29, 2014

ONLINE AT WWW.QUEENSPRESS.COM

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TOP COP TALK

Commissioner Bill Bratton comes to Jamaica to discuss the NYPD’s new policies, including changes to Stop & Frisk.By Joe Marvilli … Page 4.

PRESS of Southeast Queens May 23-29, 2014

News BriefsGuy R. Brewer Club Endorses Comrie

On May 20, the Guy R. Brewer Club announced that it has endorsed former City Councilman Leroy Com-rie for State Senate in the race against embattled State Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-Jamaica).

When he made his candidacy an-nouncement earlier this month, Com-rie joined attorneys Munir Avery and Clyde Vanel, as well as Navy veteran Bernadette Semple, in the race to un-seat Smith, who is presently awaiting trial on corruption charges.

“I’ve had an overwhelming amount of requests from people to step for-ward and come back into public ser-vice as an elected official,” Comrie said in an earlier interview with the PRESS of Southeast Queens.

The Guy R. Brewer Democratic club released a statement regarding their endorsements, touting Com-rie’s accomplishments.

“Since his days as a key member of my City Council staff...I’ve known Leroy to be a hard-working, honest public servant,” said Guy R. Brewer United Democratic Club executive leader Archie Spigner in a statement.

“We are proud to endorse Leroy Comrie, and both myself, District Leader Leslie Spigner, the officers and board members of the Guy R. Brewer United Democratic Club look forward to helping him win this election,” he added.

Comrie also issued a statement re-garding the endorsement.

“I am honored and humbled that GRB has decided to endorse my can-didacy for State Senate and I am go-ing to do everything I can to earn the support of every major influencer in the 14th Senatorial District as I am going to work hard to earn the re-spect of every voter during this cam-paign,” he said.

SEQ Man Convicted Of Killing Parents

On May 22, Queens District At-torney Richard Brown announced that Shane Jaggarnauth, a Spring-field Gardens man, has been convict-ed of first-degree murder in the death of his parents, whom he shot as they were sleeping nearly three years ago.

According to the trial testimony, Jaggarnauth and an unidentified individual entered the bedroom of his parents, Sugrim and Rosie Jag-garnauth, at their Grayson Street residence at approximately 4 a.m. on Sept. 2, 2011. The suspect allegedly shot his father fatally once in the forehead at close range as he slept. He then shot his mother once, how-ever, the shot did not prove fatal and she was able to call 911 for help.

While on the phone with a 911 op-erator, his mother was shot three more times, of which at least one shot proved fatal. Shortly thereafter, Shane Jag-garnauth called 911, to report that he had been shot in the left shoulder by an intruder who had also murdered his parents. Jaggarnauth was taken to a lo-cal Queens hospital for treatment of his non-life-threatening gunshot wound.

“The defendant has been found guilty of parricide – the act of killing his own parents, which in this case occurred without warning or provo-cation,” Brown said in a statement. “Such a brutal and morally reprehen-sible crime calls for a lengthy prison sentence to ensure that justice is served and society is protected.”

Jaggarnauth was convicted of two-counts of first-degree murder, two-counts of second-degree murder and one-count of second-degree criminal possession. Jaggarnauth faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Advocates Rally For Missing Persons Reform

Earlier this week, Assemblyman William Scarborough (D- Jamaica), Council Members I. Daneek Miller (D-St. Albans) and Elizabeth Crowley (D-Glendale), along with The Lamont Dottin Foundation, gathered on the steps of City Hall for a rally in favor of missing persons reform in advance of National Missing Children’s Day.

A current proposal in the State Legislature by Scarborough and State Sen. James Sanders (D-Rochdale Vil-lage) would enact “Lamont Dottin’s Law” (S.7404 / A.8961). This would enhance reporting abilities, establish standards in searching for missing per-sons and require police departments to make a trained missing persons spe-cialist available to families in need.

Lamont Dottin’s tragic disappear-ance in 1995 and the inability of police to launch an immediate inves-tigation as he was above the age of majority is one prime example of the need for change in how our society searches for missing people.

“Still today families continue to suf-fer, more than a decade after the death of Lamont Dottin,” said Miller. “Due to the inadequacies of current law which fails to value all missing persons, we have come together here in support of reform and urge Albany to take action in enacting Lamont Dottin’s Law.”

“What happened to Lamont Dottin and the toll it has taken on his family is a tremendous tragedy,” said Sanders. “I especially want to applaud the efforts of Lamont’s mother, Dr. Arnita Fowler, who is so committed to making sure no mother will have to experience the trag-edy that has fallen on her family. She is truly inspirational.”

May 23-29, 2014 PRESS of Southeast Queens

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Comptroller Scott Stringer has called the conduct of the Queens Library board and its head Thomas Galante, “dis-graceful.”

BY NATALIA KOZIKOWSKA

In honor of National Transit Month, on May 16, Amalgamated Transit Union workers and commu-nity leaders rallied together in an ef-fort to engage with riders in support of better and safer public transporta-tion.

The press conference, held at the corner of Parsons Boulevard and Ar-cher Avenue in Jamaica, sought to educate transit riders from all over the country on the need for increased funding in public transportation, en-listing them to contact their elected officials to demand more funds.

“Public transportation is the back-bone of this City. It funds peoples’ transportation needs, it funds them going to school and it also helps busi-nesses flourish in the neighborhood,” said Mark Henry, president of ATU Local 1056. “There is a great need for funding for public transportation and it’s something that should have been done years ago.”

John Lyons, president of ATU Lo-cal 1179, echoed Henry’s sentiments, highlighting the many vital services buses and trains offer to commuters.

“Every single bus that pulls up to a stop feeds an area that is not served by the subway. Without the right public funding for transportation, these buses won’t run,” Lyons said. “People won’t be able to get to work or doctor’s appointments and they won’t be doing all the things we take

ATU, Electeds Rally For Transit Improvementsfor granted in New York City every single day.”

Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica) similarly pointed out the need for increased funding in the country’s transportation system.

“We need to play catch up. We have more people with more destina-tions than ever before,” Meeks said. “If we don’t put money into our pub-lic transportation system, as well as our infrastructure, then our country will be falling apart.”

Meeks also noted the benefits of increased funding, including eco-nomic development, new jobs and fewer cars on the road, which would decrease pollution.

Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Fresh Meadows) was also on hand to lend his support, focusing on the need for better service in his district.

“Most of my assembly district is not accessible by subway,” Weprin said. “I’ve been fighting for more bus service, more money for buses because they are the lifeline of many residents in Queens that do not have accessibility to public transporta-tion.”

“We need cars to get around be-

U.S. Rep. Greg Meeks and Assembly-man David Weprin rallied with union workers and community leaders to call for better and safer public trans-portation.

cause public transportation is not what it should be,” he added. “So we need the City investment, the State investment and we need the federal investment for our buses and infra-structure.”

Just days after the Jamaica press conference, on May 20, thousands of transit workers, riders, public of-ficials and transportation advocates gathered in Washington D.C. to march on Capitol Hill to lobby fed-eral officials to increase investment.

“We want our riders to know we stand with them in the fight for more, better and safer public transit and together, we can ensure that our voices are heard,” said Larry Han-ley, international president of ATU, in a statement. “With our exploding urban populations, worsening traffic jams, young people forgoing cars, transit ridership at record levels and stressed public transit systems, we need a major urban agenda and in-vestment to address growing demand for public transit.”

Reach Reporter Natalia Kozikows-ka at (718)357-7400 Ext. 123 or [email protected] or @nkozikowska.


The Queens Library saga contin-ues.

This week, in an interview with the PRESS of Southeast Queens, City Comptroller Scott Stringer revealed that his case against Queens Library has made its way to court and that he is confident there will be a ruling in his favor.

The news comes just two weeks after members of the board failed to pass a motion that would require the nonprofit to fully comply with an au-dit by Stringer. The Library denied the motion on several grounds, in-cluding a stipulation made nearly 17 years ago.

“The conduct of the Queens Li-brary board is absolutely disgrace-ful,” Stringer said.

The Stipulation of Settlement, signed into agreement in 1997, states that “the Comptroller will not audit revenues to or expenditures from subpoena the records of, or other-wise seek to compel the production of any financial records from the past, present or future.”

But when weighing the hefty chunk of funding that the Library receives from taxpayers, Stringer is

adamant that the nonprofit give his auditors access to all financial records.

“Libraries are the centerpiece of our communities and some 75-85 percent of Queens Library’s fund-ing comes from tax dollars,” Stringer said. “All we want to do is make sure that the money is going to benefit the citizens of our City.”

Stringer is not the only City leader who believes there is a problem with the governance at Queens Library. Earlier this week, Queens Borough

Queens Library, City Comptroller In CourtPresident Melinda Katz sent a letter to State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Majority Leader of the State Senate Dean Skelos and Independent Democratic Conference Leader Jeff Klein, urging they pass legislation to reform the Library’s structure. The letter was also signed by the 14 Queens council members.

“Because of the current problems plaguing the Library … the trust and confi-dence in the Library has been undermined,” Katz wrote. “And unfor-tunately, the board of trustees has shown little leadership thus far in dealing effectively with all of these issues. Faith must be restored in the

Library, so we are asking [for] your support in passing [this legislation,] which would institute the enhanced oversight and transparency neces-sary.”

Time and time again, Queens Library has claimed it “believes in accountability and transparency,” highlighting that it “has released all requested financial documentation in accordance with the court ordered agreement of 1997.”

But Stringer said he feels that the Library’s claims that it has been acting with transparency is mislead-ing.

“For them to mislead the public and tell the public that they are, in fact, cooperating, is nothing more than a bold-faced lie,” he said.

He went on to say that he is con-fident he will win the case, but ex-pressed frustration with the Library’s consistent lack of cooperation.

“We’re going to eventually get the documents and we’re probing spend-ing and best practices in the Library,” he said. “But if this is any indication of how they approach transparency and good government, I think we have a real problem.”

When asked about the future of Queens Library in terms of City funding, Stringer said that it is en-tirely possible that the nonprofit will suffer.

“If you don’t turn over the docu-ments, how in good conscience can you fund an organization that’s op-erating behind closed doors?” he asked.


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BY JOE MARVILLI

NYPD Commissioner William Bratton swung by Southeast Queens this week, discussing the depart-ment’s policy changes under his leadership.

New York’s returning police com-missioner spoke to a full crowd of community leaders during the Sev-enth Annual Membership Meeting of the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation at the Jamaica Perform-ing Arts Center. While he touched on nearly every aspect of the NYPD, he dedicated a significant amount of time to Stop and Frisk and whether the force needs more officers.

In terms of the controversial Stop, Question and Frisk policy, Bratton stuck to a talking point he made in January, when he said that its prob-lems had been “more or less solved.” He said that the number of stops had gone down by hundreds of thousands in the last few years of his predecessor, Ray Kelly, and crime had not gone up as some had predicted. Now, officers will be trained as to when to make a stop and how to do so appropriately.

“Our cops need to be trained on what is reasonable suspicion and allows them to stop that person to question them and appropriately frisk

Bratton Visits Southeast Queens, Talks Policies

them,” Bratton said. “Train them in a way so they are able to articulate why they did it, how they did and for what purpose.”

Bratton added that the NYPD would cooperate with the Inspector General’s department the City Coun-cil installed to supervise the police, despite a veto by then-mayor Michael Bloomberg. More than 50 personnel are assigned to the oversight depart-ment, with more to come. Bratton has worked with an Inspector Gen-eral before, during his time as the Chief of Police in Los Angeles.

“We will not be fighting with the Inspector General. We will be seeking

to work with them for the betterment of all New Yorkers,” he said. “If an Inspector General, if a racial profil-ing bill, if an empowered [Civilian Complaint Investigation Bureau] can raise the trust and respect of New York residents for their police department, then that is a great investment. That is the paramount goal: to reduce the ten-sions, to repair the damaged relation-ship between the community and its police department.”

Additionally, the NYPD plans to be in contact with community groups to make sure the changes to Stop and Frisk continue to move in the right direction. It has also started a 10-question phone survey to prompt feedback on how the department is doing. The calls will eventually cover all precincts in the City.

The commissioner also talked about how the NYPD is reflecting the City’s diversity, with more than 2,000 officers of the Muslim faith and a growing number of Latino of-ficers on the force.

“We have a City that is constantly changing and the police department will change with it,” Bratton said. “That is the vision. That is the goal.”

A recent battle that opened up be-tween the City Council and Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office is whether the

budget should include funding for an additional thousand officers. While the City Council said more officers are needed, de Blasio said the City is sufficiently covered with the force it has now. While Bratton said he would welcome the additional cops, they would not be worth the trade-off of losing the overtime budget available.

“Some of the trade-off in those 12 years is that as officers were lost in the roll count, what the City did was increase the overtime budget. The overtime we have available, we are in the position to almost replace those who get lost. The overtime that I have access to is the equivalent of 2,000 to 2,500 officers,” he said. “I don’t want to take them if the City Council…is going to take the over-time away. I cannot use them with the flexibility I can use the overtime.”

In terms of crime, Bratton said that the NYPD would work on pre-venting quality of life crimes, such as graffiti or people dancing and asking for money in the subway cars. The force is going to work with the Dept. of Homeless Services as well to take on the growing homeless population present in the subway system.

Reach Reporter Joe Marvilli at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 125, [email protected], or @Joey788.

NYPD Commissioner William Bratton

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PEDESTRIAN SAFETY WORKSHOP


By Jackie StrawBridge

The New York State DREAM Act is getting back into the ring.

Last Tuesday, the DREAM Act was reintroduced to the State Assem-bly. This legislation, which would give qualifying undocumented im-migrant students access to financial aid, scholarships and student loans for higher education, passed the State Assembly last year but was de-feated in the Senate.

Although a majority of Senators voted to pass the DREAM Act, the bill fell short of the required 32 votes to pass, receiving 30.

The bill will now have to pass the Assembly once again, then the Sen-ate before arriving on Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s desk. On Monday, Assem-bly Speaker Sheldon Silver stated that he wants to see the DREAM Act passed before the end of the legisla-tive session on June 19.

“By continuing this fight, we have made it clear that we will not allow the aspirations of our State’s DREAMers to wither on the vine,” said Councilman Francisco Moya (D-Jackson Heights) in a state-ment released Monday. “Since the DREAM Act has the support of the Assembly Speaker, the Governor and

one of the Senate’s co-leaders, there’s no reason we can’t get it done this year.”

To be eligible for State assis-tance under the DREAM Act, undocumented students would have to graduate from a New York high school or receive a New York GED, apply for college within five years and affirm that they will pursue legal citizenship as soon as they are able.

According to a 2013 report from the office of New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, roughly 8,300 students enrolled in New York’s public higher educa-tion institutions are undocument-ed immigrants.

However, these students consti-tute only five to 10 percent of all undocumented students who grad-uate from New York high schools, according to the Immigration Policy Center, due to the costs they face when pursuing a degree.

“So many of our undocumented high school members are graduat-ing from high school, and have not been able to make set college plans for next year because they cannot af-ford it without access to State finan-cial aid,” said Razeem Zaman, Cam-paign Organizer of the New York

State Youth Leadership Council, a volunteer organization of undocu-mented youth working for immigrant advancement and education.

“I hope this time around, the New York State Senate will put students before politics and keep New York’s best interests in mind,” Zaman add-ed.

After the bill’s failure in the Sen-ate last March, DREAM Act propo-

dreaM act debate renewed in albanynents were critical of two absent Republican Senators – Sen. Phil Boyle (R-Bay Shore) and Sen. Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City) – who were expected to be sup-portive, as well as of Cuomo, who did not include the measure in his executive budget.

For his part, Cuomo has been vocal in his support of the DREAM Act, stating since the bill’s first introduction that he would sign it if it reached his desk.

State Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst), who sponsored the bill, said, “we have an op-portunity here in New York to build on the growing national consensus, among business, labor and Republican and Democratic leaders, on both the need and obvious economic benefits of the

DREAM Act.”Moya reiterated this sense of in-

evitability. “Speaker Silver has never given

up on the DREAM, neither have I, nor have our State’s DREAMers,” he said. “There’s no stopping us.”

Reach Reporter Jackie Strawbridge at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128, [email protected] or @JN-Strawbridge.

assemblyman Francisco Moya debated the New york State dreaM act on the assembly floor early this year.


OF SOUTHEAST QUEENS150-50 14th Road

Whitestone, NY 11357(voice) (718) 357-7400 fax (718) 357-9417

email [email protected] PRESS of Southeast Queens

Editor-in-Chief:Steven J. Ferrari

Contributing Editor:Marcia Moxam

ComrieProduction Manager: Shiek Mohamed

Queens Today EditorRegina Vogel

Reporters: Natalia Kozikowska

Joe MarvilliLuis Gronda

Jackie Strawbridge

Art Dept:

Rhonda LeefoonLianne Procanyn

Barbara Townsend

Maureen CoppolaAdvertising Director

Shanie PersaudDirector Corporate

Accounts/Events

Advertising Executives Shari StronginBrenda Jones

A Queens Tribune Publication

© Copyright 2014 Tribco, LLC

Michael Nussbaum Publisher

Ria McPhersonComptroller

LettersEditorial

A Personal PerspectiveBy MARCIA MOXAM COMRIE

LettersWRITE ON:

The PRESS of Southeast Queens, 150-40 14th Rd., Whitestone, NY 11357

email [email protected]

David Paterson has finally landed a role which seems more befitting a former gov-ernor than some of the gigs he’s had since leaving office four years ago.

Earlier this week, his suc-cessor, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, announced Paterson as State Democratic Party Chairman. The headline-making appoint-ment was aptly made at the start of the party’s State convention.

As the “accidental gover-nor” (2008 –2010), Paterson struggled to find his mojo in the throes of “the great reces-sion.” He tried hard to do the best he could with what was available but he simply came across as inept. There were so many problems.

As the State’s first African-American governor, Paterson should have been able to write his own ticket after leaving of-fice. But it was anything but… He has struggled to find his footing and that’s probably due in part to the fact that he was not elected; and his ten-

ure was fraught with scandals and missteps.

This new gig should be a good fit. Because of his relative youth (he’s now 55), Gov. Paterson was too young to have been considered an “elder statesman.” He needed a dignified job in keeping with the fact that he had been our governor, accidental or not.

He’s now in a place where he can build the party, earn a respectable salary (one hopes) and earn the respect of the Democratic faithful -- fingers crossed.

Cuomo, in a press release, praises Paterson as “one of New York State’s finest pub-lic servants with a lifetime of fighting for a stronger and more progressive State.”

The former governor im-mediately told reporters at the convention that his first order of business will be to reunify the Senate Democrats and reclaim majority status in that body. Good luck with that, Mr. Chairman.

The Democrats in the Senate have been fractured for the past several years to the point where a small group, led by State Sen.

Jeff Klein (D-Bronx) have cre-ated their own splinter group known as the Independent Democratic Caucus (IDC). It’s a mess up there.

Just imagine being in a corporate office where em-ployees refuse to cooperate with the company’s mandate and people hold up progress and some even form their own company within the com-pany…dysfunction reigns.

Anyhow, always one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I find the Paterson appoint-ment good but suspect.

Cuomo’s current Lt. Gover-nor, Robert Duffy of Rochester, is not seeking reelection so that opened the opportunity for the governor to pick a new running mate. You figure he’d pick a down-stater this time. You also figured he’d pick an African-American, Latino or “other.”

But he picks another upstate candidate. He has chosen Kathy Hochul, who had a blink-and-you-miss-it stint in Congress. Hochul who, like Duffy, is also from the Buffalo area, is an at-torney. She hails from modest means, so she should be able to be relatable. She seems like a

good ticket balancer for Cuomo, in terms of gender anyway.

Did Cuomo appoint Pater-son as a means of placating the African-American community in advance? Did he fear we would have been upset if he had not picked a Black, His-panic or Asian candidate so he “takes care of” Paterson so he could pick an Anglo candidate from upstate for his running mate? I’m leaning toward a “Yes” answer here.

Obviously, no one expected him to pick Paterson as a running mate. But there were other choices he could have made in his ticket balance maneuvering. We have learned from the Spitzer/Paterson debacle that who you pick for Lt. Governor is important be-cause he or she could become governor by default. That per-son is a heartbeat or scandal away from becoming governor. We have seen it happen in presidential politics as well.

Let’s hope Cuomo got it right with this pick and that David Paterson can really lead the Senate body to a unified force whether they are Demo-crats or Republicans.

Party Chair Post Perfect For Paterson

We are heartened to see that members of the State Legislature have reintroduced DREAM Act legislation to give undocumented immigrant students access to funding for higher education.

New York City has always been seen as a land of opportunity for immigrants. As the population of Queens continues to diversify and bring in new residents from countries all over the world, it is imperative that these individuals have every chance to succeed. If we expect these undocumented immigrants to become productive members of our society, they must have the tools necessary to suc-ceed. The DREAM Act will ensure they can attain these skills.

The failure to include the DREAM Act in the new state budget was a classic example of politics getting in the way of good policy. But politics should never play a role when it comes to education or when it comes to ensuring that those in need are able to have a bright future.

We hope that the DREAM Act manages to be more success-ful the second time around than the first. But it will only happen if our representatives in government can look beyond the typical political games.

Keep The Dream Alive

Remember The Sacrifices

To The Editor: As the nation approaches

Memorial Day, we must re-

member all of the men and women, past and present, who have sacrificed their lives so that we here at home could be able to live in freedom. Our military is the greatest in the

world, and we owe them all a debt of gratitude for their sacrifices, past and present. We must improve the situation for all of our veterans, so that they can receive the best of care, since they are the best of the best!

God Bless all of them, and God bless America, the great-est country in the world!

John Amato,Fresh Meadows

Memorial Day Opportunity

To The Editor:Folks ready to fire up their

outdoor grill on Memorial Day face a deadly choice of inflicting food poisoning or cancer on family and friends: food poisoning by E. coli and Salmonella bacteria, if they undercook the meat; cancer, if they heat meat to the point of creating cancer-causing compounds.

Luckily, a bunch of enter-prising food manufacturers and processors have met

this challenge head-on by developing a great variety of healthful, delicious, and convenient, un-chicken, veg-gie burgers and soy dogs. These delicious plant-based foods don’t harbor nasty pathogens or cancer-causing compounds. They don’t even carry cholesterol, saturated fats, drugs, or pesticides. And, they are available in the frozen food section at most supermarkets and natural food stores everywhere.

This Memorial Day offers a superb opportunity to consign meat to a bad memory and make new memories by shar-ing wholesome veggie options that are better for you and your family and friends.

Freddy Green,Flushing

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By Luis Gronda

The urgent care center is a huge part of Wyckoff Heights Medical Center.

Every year, thousands of people go to the urgent care center to get the immediate assistance they need.

According to Dr. Lisandro Irizarry, chairman of the Dept. of Emergency Medicine at Wyckhoff Hospital, the facility gets about 85,000 visits per year from patients and about 35,000 to 40,000 of that number is from the urgent care area of the hospital.

The hospital offers both urgent care and acute emergency care. The difference between the two, Dr. Irizarry said, is acute emergency care is for patients that need the most im-mediate assistance, like if they suf-fered from a heart attack or got a serious injury from a car accident, for example.

Urgent care is for patients that cannot wait for their scheduled doc-tor’s appointment or “emergency but non-emergencies” as Dr. Irizarry put it. Examples of that include a sprained ankle, a bee sting or refills on your medication pills.

The urgent care center is open 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week and it is made up of 15 doctors and 20 physi-cian assistants.

Among the most common visits to their facility, Dr. Irizarry said, are

urgent Medical Care services at Wyckoff Heightsfor people who have injured them-selves and require an x-ray to help determine the extent of the injury. Other ailments that people come for are urinary tract infections and other similar injuries, he said.

Now that it is close to the summer time, Wyckoff gets a lot of patients for muscular injuries, including leg and arm injuries and minor lacera-tions. That is because there is more outdoor activity as the temperature gets warmer, which leads to more of those injuries. Dehydration is anoth-er common visit during the summer months, the doctor said.

All of the patients walk in to use the urgent care department and they do not require an appointment, ac-cording to Dr. Irizarry.

Although they get many visits from patients each year, it does put a strain on their staff and resources.

To ease the burden on its staff, they have recently launched an ini-tiative to let the patients know that they can see a doctor or visit one of their clinics instead of going straight to their department. They are doing this by telling their patients when they should visit urgent care and when it would be advisable to go to one of their clinics.

“We are trying to reset the under-standing and expectations for the pa-tients,” he said.

Dr. Irizarry said they want to

make sure that they go to their de-partment for true emergencies and to see a doctor or visit a clinic for their ailment if it is possible.

In the first month since they be-gan the initiative, they have seen an increase in the number of referrals to clinics in their hospital or a private doctor. Their goal, Dr. Irizarry said, is

to increase the number of referrals by 50 percent within the next six months.

Wyckhoff Hospital is primarily based in Brooklyn, but recently ex-panded its facilities into Queens as well.

Reach Reporter Luis Gronda at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127, [email protected], or @luisgronda.

new york Hospital Queens’ registered nurse, nancy Parnell, takes a blood pressure reading for Jonathan Pannell at the hospital’s stroke risk assessment day on May 20. The event is held annually by the hospital for members for the community to mark national stroke awareness Month.

Photo courtesy of new york H

ospital Queens

By naTaLia KoZiKoWsKa

Since it was first established in 1891, before Queens County was even a part of the City of New York, Jamaica Hospital’s mission has been to provide the best possible treat-ment for patients. This is especially true over the last few decades, as the hospital underwent major transfor-mations.

Led by its board of trustees, in the late 1970s, Jamaica Hospital was brought back from the brink of financial doom. Although the odds were stacked against them, in the years that followed, the facility did a complete 180 after it was rebuilt to feature some of the most modern technologies.

Today, Jamaica Hospital is rec-ognized for its world-class medical staff and has established itself as one of the most respectable institutions in the City. The hospital serves a population greater than 1.2 million in Queens and eastern Brooklyn and despite the growing need for health-care facilities across the country, it has kept up with demand.

director of public affairs, Jamaica Hospital sees an average of 300 emergency room patients on a daily basis. This is a stark differ-ence from when the hospital first opened more than 120 years ago, in a rented, four-bedroom home in Jamaica.

Between the hospital’s main campus on the Van Wyck Express-way and its multiple ambulatory care centers, which are scattered across Southeast Queens and Brooklyn, the institution sees more than 300,000 outpatient vis-its annually.

“Our emergency department is open 24/7 for people who need care

latory care centers are open six days a week and we have weekend and eve-ning hours. So our role is to be there for the community whenever they need us. It always has been.”

The hospital’s ambulatory care centers provide a full range of ser-vice, including pediatrics, internal medicine, family medicine, gynecol-ogy, podiatry, surgery, gastroenterol-

ogy, social services, dental, cardiol-ogy and even dental.

Jamaica Hospital’s emergency de-partment, a Level 1 Trauma Center and Stroke Center, is one of the busi-est in New York and the only one in Southern Queens. It is designated as a New York City Hypothermia/Car-diac Destination Facility and also in-

Jamaica Hospital: a History of Helpingcludes a dedicated pediatric emer-gency room, chest pain center and fast-track for minor injuries.

“Our philosophy was adopted

time ago, Jamaica Hospital had a vi-sion of bringing healthcare into the community and becoming an es-tablished healthcare center. We’ve moved from a hospital-centric to a patient-centric model and our em-phasis is on promoting wellness in the community. By doing this, we are keeping them healthy.”

In addition to many of its

staff at Jamaica Hospital sets the medical center apart from other hospitals in the City.

“Most of our employees are from the community. They have

ties to the community and care about the community,” he said. “I think that’s a very unique feature, be-cause a lot of our staff have started here and have grown here and have a stake in the institution.”

Reach Reporter Natalia Kozikowska at (718)357-7400 Ext. 123 or [email protected] or @nkozikowska.

Jamaica Hospital sees approximately 300 emergency room patients in a day.

NYHQ Holds Stroke Awareness Day

urgently,” Hinck said. “Our ambu-

According to Michael Hinck,

decades ago,” Hinck said. “A long

unique services, Hinck said the

On The Occasion Of This Memorial Day 2014, We Pause To Honor All

Veterans, Past And Present. Thank You For Your Service!

129-32A Merrick Blvd.Jamaica, New York 11434

718-723-5412

Assemblyman William Scarborough

Have a Happy & Safe Memorial Day!

Paid for by Friends for Gregory Meeks

Rockaway District Offi ce67-12 Rockaway Beach Blvd.

Arverne, NY 11692PH: (718)230-4032

CongressmanGregory W. Meeks

U.S. House of Representatives5th District-New York

Washington D.C. Offi ce2234 Rayburn House Offi ce Building

Washington, D.C. 20215PH: (202) 225-3461

Jamaica District Offi ce153-01 Jamaica Avenue

Jamaica, NY 11432PH: (718) 725-6000



Police Blotter

Borough Beat

102nd PrecinctBurglary Pattern

The NYPD is asking the public’s assistance identifying and locating a Hispanic male connected to three burglaries that occurred within the confines of the 102nd Precinct.

The first incident occurred at ap-proximately 8:50 a.m. on April 24 in the vicinity of Jamaica Avenue and 123rd Street. The suspect removed two watch-es, a necklace and earrings from inside the apartment. During the second in-cident on May 2 at approximately 9 a.m. in the vicinity of Jamaica Avenue and 108th Street, the suspect removed $2,000, a wedding band and comic books at the location. The third inci-dent occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. on May 6. The suspect entered the vicinity of Jamaica Avenue and 113th Street and removed $1,000, a laptop, two watches and a Samsung tablet.

The suspect was last seen wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and a dark colored baseball hat.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-tips, visit www.nypd-crimestoppers.com or text tips to 274637(CRIMES), then enter TIP577. All calls are confidential.

at 229-12 Merrick Blvd., by cutting a hole in the roof. The suspect removed about $2,600 and fled the location. The suspect is believed to be roughly 25-30 years old. He was last seen wear-ing a light colored sweatshirt, light col-ored camouflage pants, light sneakers and was carrying a book bag.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-tips, visit www.nypd-crimestoppers.com or text tips to 274637(CRIMES), then enter TIP577. All calls are confidential.

108th PrecinctCity Employee Arrested

At 4:43 a.m. on May 18, police ar-rested Feaster William, 27, an off-duty NYC Department of Corrections em-ployee and charged him with criminal possession of a weapon-firearm and menacing-weapon.

111th PrecinctFatal Collision

At approximately 12:35 p.m. on May 16, police responded to a report of a vehicle collision on the Clearview Expressway at 58th Avenue.

Upon arrival, officers discovered

104th PrecinctRobbery

The NYPD is asking the public’s assistance identifying the following suspect wanted for a gunpoint rob-bery of a livery cab that occurred in front of 71-36 67th Place, within the confines of the 104th Precinct.

At 2 a.m. on May 14, the suspect, a Hispanic male, roughly 25 years old, was picked up at Marcy Avenue and Fulton Street. The suspect displayed a firearm and demanded money when he was at 67th Place. The suspect fled the auto with $200. No injuries were reported.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS, visit www.nyp-dcrimestoppers.com or text tips to 274637(CRIMES), then enter TIP577. All calls are confidential.

105th PrecinctBurglary

The NYPD is asking the public’s assistance identifying and locating a Black male suspect wanted for a bur-glary that occurred within the con-fines of the 105th Precinct.

At 4:45 a.m. on May 10, a suspect entered a 99 Cent Dream store located

Ingrid L. Arcuik, 51, of Queens, un-conscious and unresponsive. EMS responded to the scene and declared the woman dead at the scene.

A preliminary investigation re-vealed that a blue 2007 Dodge Se-dan was traveling northbound on the Clearview Expressway when it veered to the right and struck the rear of a Peterbuilt tow truck parked on the shoulder of the expressway.

The operator of the tow truck, a 51-year-old unidentified male, was trans-ported to Long Island Jewish Hospital in stable condition. There were no ar-rests and the investigation is ongoing.

113th PrecinctHomicide

At 3:04 p.m. on May 10, police re-sponded to a 911 call of a male shot inside of Roy Wilkins Park (Merrick Blvd and Baisley Blvd). Upon arrival, officers observed the victim, an un-identified male, 24, with a gunshot wound to the head. EMS also re-sponded to the location and moved the victim to Jamaica Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The identification is pending family noti-fication. There are no arrests and the investigation is ongoing.

By JACkiE StRAwBRidgE

One of the several sources of ten-sion between New York City and Al-bany – the debate over a municipal minimum wage – took a step in May-or Bill de Blasio’s direction last week.

While de Blasio wants the City to have the option to set its own mini-mum wage, Gov. Andrew Cuomo be-lieves such a law would be destructive to the State economy.

The Council approved a resolution last Wednesday known as RaiseUpNY, which allows for local governments to raise their own minimum wage.

“It is more expensive to live in New York City than anywhere else in the State and it only makes sense that the minimum wage reflects that real-ity,” Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) said in a statement released last week.

Dromm and Councilman Daneek Miller (D-St. Albans) introduced the resolution, which was sponsored by State Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assem-blyman Karim Camara (D-Crown Heights).

Just before the resolution passed, Dromm and Miller gathered on the City Hall steps alongside a number of fast food workers and members of RaiseUpNY to support the legisla-tion.

“This Council urges the State Leg-islature to pass and the Governor to sign this important bill,” Miller said. “It will enable working families in New York City to address the needs of our City’s high cost of living.”

Dromm and Miller also noted that most people in the City living on the minimum wage are Black, La-tino and women.

For Dromm, one important conse-quence of this fact is that women find themselves almost impoverished if they become single family bread win-ners, and having to take up second or third jobs, lose time with their chil-dren and their children’s schools.

“The impact on families is great,” Dromm said. “We shouldn’t expect people to have to go out and get sec-ond and third jobs in order just to get by.”

According to the Economic Policy Institute, a family of four living in New

York City requires almost $95,000 per year to “attain a secure yet mod-est living standard” that covers basic necessities.

This total is more than twice what two parents working full-time on mini-mum wage would make even after the $9 minimum wage begins in New York State by 2016.

Whitney Charles has been work-ing on the minimum wage at KFC for about two years.

“Eight dollars an hour is too low,” she said. “I’m currently a student in

school and I find myself [having] to choose between a Metro Card or my school books, and I also have to pay rent.”

“I have to make a lot of neces-sary sacrifices,” Charles added.

If Albany approves the mea-sure, New York City would join a handful of other American cities that set their own minimum wage, including Seattle, San Francisco and Santa Fe.

Cuomo has stated that he op-poses the municipal minimum wage, because it would create chaos, with cities trying to steal

business from one another.Nevertheless, Dromm remains

hopeful for the municipal minimum wage effort.

“I do expect it to be passed in Al-bany,” he said. “New York State is the progressive capital of the world, the Governor has said that himself. Issues of economic justice are vitally impor-tant to maintaining that title.”


Local Officials in Favor Of City Minimum wage

(From left) Councilmen Andy kind, daniel dromm and daneek Miller gathered last week with advocates and fast food workers to support raising the minimum wage in New york City.


pixSoul Singing

Acapella Soul got people moving to Motown and Doo Wop hits during the group’s concert Sunday afternoon at the World’s Fair Anniversary festival.

Welcome Back To The Fair

Swim Strong

Resorts World Casino New York City presented the Swim Strong Foun-dation with a $2,500 donation in honor of Water Safety Awareness Day on May 18. Pictured (from left) are Michelle Stoddart, Resorts World Casino Public Relations & Community Development Coordinator and Shawn Slevin, Founder Swim Strong Foundation.

Veteran Inductee

State Sen. Malcolm Smith chose Ms. Blossom Ferguson for the 2014 New York State Senate Veterans’ Hall of Fame, an honor which was created to recognize outstanding veterans from the Empire State who have distinguished themselves both in military and civilian life. Blossom is a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the United States Army Reserve and a licensed New York State Registered Nurse and Adult Nurse Practitioner.

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On May 19, the York Col-lege/CUNY Teachers as Leaders Program (TALP) welcomed back a number of its previous participants. The Teachers as Leaders Program is an initiative that was established by the City University of New York’s Black Male Initiative in 2008. Several of York’s TALP participants have graduated and are current-ly serving in teaching and mentoring roles in schools all over the globe, one as far as South Korea.

Teachers Leading

Delores Clarke (seated) accepted proclamations in honor of her late husband, Unsiphere designer Gilmore Clarke, during a ceremony at the World’s Fair Anniversary Festival on May 18. Participating in the ceremony were (from left) Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewan-dowski, Borough President Melinda Katz, Assemblywoman Margaret Markey, Public Advocate Letitia James and Flushing Meadows Corona Park Administrator Janice Melnick.

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People

Profile

Alma Mater Visit

Jamelah Plato of Jamaica and Mar-quea Alexander of Queens Village were initiated into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society at Clark Atlanta Uni-versity.

Gaitrie Sackichand of Queens Vil-lage, a student at Hofstra University, was inducted into Phi Kappa Beta.

Local students took part in the an-nual Student Research and Creative Activity Day at SUNY Oneonta.

Jamie Pitter of Jamaica worked with Andrew Kahl of the Department of Theatre on a project titled “Student Driven Production: Staging Identity Plays.” Pitter was the co-presenter for the project.

Tiffany Squire of Jamaica worked with Charlene Christie of the Depart-ment of Psychology on a project titled “Hookups, Shame and Gender.” Squire was the primary presenter for the project.

Dexter Jones of Jamaica received a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology during spring 2014 commencement ceremonies at SUNY Fredonia.

Sanam Mariam of Hollis received a Master of Science degree in organi-zational management during spring

2014 commencement ceremonies at Chadron State College in Nebraska.

Army Reserve Pfc. Najee J. Mozie has graduated from basic infantry training at Fort Benning, Columbus, Ga. During the nine weeks of train-ing, the soldier received training in drill and ceremonies, weapons, map reading, tactics, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid, and Army history, core values and traditions.

Mozie is the son of Gail Perry of Queens and brother of La’Quan John-son of Jamaica.

Justin Bailey of Jamaica, a student at Farmingdale State College, has been awarded the Empire State Diver-sity Honors Scholarship.

Stephanie Boothe of Hollis was named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2013 semester at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa.

The Queens Tobacco Control Coali-tion recently completed its one year National Leadership Academy for the Public Health fellowship, funded by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and has now entered its alumni status. The four

member cohort’s mission is to reduce youth exposure to the marketing, pro-motion and sale of tobacco products in Queens County and to focus on increasing the number of smokefree multiple housing units in Queens County. The team is comprised of Nancy Copperman, MS, RD, CDN, housing the QTCC Team Leader, who is the Corporate Director of Public


Since 2005, A Cause, A Concern, A Solution Network, a Jamaica-based nonprofit, has been striving to provide New York City’s youth with a number of valuable resources and programs.

Christina Winslow, president and founder of A Cause, A Concern, A Solution Network, said that original-ly, she had no intention of starting a nonprofit – she only wanted to give back to her community in some spe-cial way.

“I didn’t necessarily seek out to start a nonprofit – I just saw that there was a need in the community,” she said. “There was a need for the events that I was already putting together. A nonprofit just seemed to work well for the mission that I had.”

Having earned her nonprofit sta-tus that same year, Winslow, along with a few volunteers, hosted a num-ber of annual events, giving children of low-income families essential goods that their parents might not be able to afford. Since the organization

was established, Winslow estimates that she has helped thousands of families.

“The motto of the organization is to focus on helping those who are in need,” Winslow said. “That is why our back to school program means the world to me, because I can give young people the supplies that they

need for school. Right now, it’s very hard to afford supplies for school, so I am so honored that I have been able to do this for 10 years.”

In addition to her annual back to school event, Winslow said that A Cause, A Concern, A Solution Network hosts annual toy donation drives for Toys For Tots, as well as Women’s Empowerment Confer-ences.

“It’s our goal to help those that just need that little extra help,” she said. “In the beginning, our goal was to help children in Southeast Queens, but now we also want to put a focus on young women. We want to let them know that there are women and mentors in the community that love them and want to help them and be there for them. A lot of girls don’t have any female role models, so the Women’s Conference came out of that.”

“[At the Women’s Empowerment Conference], we reach out to several schools, agencies and organizations in the community,” she added. “On Saturday morning, from 10 to 4, we host different workshops that are

meant to empower young women, educate them and allow them to ask questions.”

After nearly a decade, Winslow said she is happy to announce that A Cause, A Concern, A Solution Net-work will finally have its own office, which she will be doing the ribbon-cutting for on June 14. She hopes that the new space, located at 150-17 109th Ave., Jamaica, will afford her the op-portunity to help more in need.

“I want this to be a community center that offers a sense of hope. I want to be able to supply and assist our community with any services they need,” she said. “It’s time for change in our community. Our young people need change and I feel that if I stay on this course, everything is going to come in place.”

To learn more about A Cause, A Concern, A Solution Network, or to learn how you can volunteer, you may reach Christina Winslow at (917) 349-1704.

Reach Reporter Natalia Kozikows-ka at (718)357-7400 Ext. 123 or [email protected] or @nkozikowska

Jamaica Nonprofit Gives To Those In Need

Health Initiatives, Office of Commu-nity and Public Health North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System; Isabel Rodriguez, MPH, Borough Coordinator, Queens Smoke-Free Partnership; Sean Robin, Director of Housing Initiatives at the New York City Dept. of Health and Mental Hy-giene; and Phil Konigsberg, a smoke-free community advocate.

Queens Borough President Melinda Katz visited her high school alma mater, Hillcrest High School in Jamaica, on Friday, May 9. The Borough President met with Hillcrest’s principal, David Morrison, and with faculty members and with several students, including representatives from Hill-crest’s student government. Some of the kids Borough President Katz met are enrolled in the school’s ground-breaking Small Learning Community program, which has small groups of students participating in specialized programs structured around their areas of interest (such as pre-med, pre-law and theater).

In 2005, Christina Winslow began the nonprofit A Cause A Concern, A Solution Network, which aims to bring the community together.


A & E

BY JOE MARVILLI

This summer, young thespians will get the chance to create and work on a musical at Queens Theatre.

“Show Stoppers,” the first annual summer musical program at Flush-ing Meadow Corona Park’s perform-ing arts venue, will take place this July and August, giving students the chance to work on a musical from beginning to end. The children will work with theater professionals that have backgrounds in both perfor-mance and youth performing arts education.

The idea for a summer theater course came from Education Direc-tor Richard Hinojosa, who joined Queens Theatre in a full-time capac-ity in the winter of 2012. This type of program was one of the main ideas he wanted to pursue.

“One of the first things I wanted to do was to get our summer camp started. It was a no-brainer getting a theater summer camp here,” he said.

The camp is open to all kids be-tween the ages of 7 and 14, with no

prior theater experience necessary. At the beginning of the session, students are given a theme to write the play’s script. The theater direc-tor and choreographer will help the students along with the plot’s gestation, characters and a dance.

Registration Open For ‘Show Stoppers’

The musical director will work with the kids to write a short, original song, as well as teaching them a kid-friendly song from Broadway or a movie musical.

“The program is really about the journey, about the kids developing something original, something they have full ownership of,” Hinojosa said.

The program lasts for two weeks, with two sessions happening over the summer. The first session runs from July 21 to Aug. 1, with a performance starting at 3 p.m. on the last day. The second session starts on Aug. 4 and

During this summer’s “Show Stoppers” program, kids will get the chance to write, sing and act in a musical that they will work on over the course of two weeks.

ends with a performance at 3 p.m. on Aug. 15.

The theme for the first session is animals, accompa-nied by a trip to the Queens Zoo, and the second ses-sion’s topic is art, with a trek down the block to the Queens Museum.

The cost of one session is $400 per week per child. Those who opt for both sessions will pay $350 per week per child, for a total of $1,400. Acceptance into the program is on a first-come, first-served basis, with auditions for roles tak-ing place once the session has begun.

“I hope they walk away learning a little bit about performance and how we

create a show,” Hinojosa said. “Mostly, I hope they walk away with a new confidence in themselves. I hope they walk away with team-building skills.”

To register, visit www.queen-stheatre.org/showstoppers, print out the forms and mail them to the Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Avenue South, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens NY 11368. The registration deadline is June 20.

Reach Reporter Joe Marvilli at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 125, [email protected], or @Joey788.

California Chrome, winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, arrives at Barn 26 at Belmont Park on May 20, where he will be stabled and worked out in preparation for the Belmont Stakes. He is being led into the barn by assistant trainer Alan Sherman, son of California Chrome’s trainer Art Sherman.

Ready For Belmont:

Photo by Bruce Adler

BY JACKIE StRAwBRIDgE

Families and neighbors hoping to celebrate Memorial Day this Mon-day will have a morning packed with activity.

The Laurelton Memorial Day Pa-rade steps off at 9 a.m. from Francis Lewis and Merrick Boulevards, and finishes at the Veterans Memorial Triangle. The parade is sponsored by the Laurelton Lions Club, the Garden Club of Laurelton, the Con-cerned Citizens of Laurelton, Ameri-can Legion Post 1946, the Federated Blocks of Laurelton and the Veterans of Foreign Wars post 5298.

“It’s not just a barbeque,” said Annette Manigault, community vol-unteer and former Laurelton Lion. “We’re really thanking [the veter-ans]. They’re still out there in the community … it’s a day that we come out for them, and when you see the amount of people that are out there, it’s a nice thing.”

This year marks the 25th anniver-sary of the Laurelton Memorial Day Parade. A special float will be fea-tured in celebration.

two SEQ Parades Set For Memorial Day

Later in the morning, the Rosedale Memorial Day Parade will leave from 243rd Street and Mayda Road at 10:45 a.m., with Jacques M. Leandre, president of the Rosedale Jets Football Assocation, as grand marshall.

For Irnel Stephen, senior board member with the Rosedale Civic Association, part of the value of the parade is the participation it brings across generations.

“[The significance] is to have all age groups participating in some-thing historical, something patriot-ic,” Stephen said.

Two Memorial Day services will be held following the Rosedale pa-rade. Gather at 11:30 a.m. at Veter-ans Square and Vietnam Memorial Square – located at Sunrise High-way and Francis Lewis Boulevard – and at 1 p.m. at the Rosedale – Lau-relton American Legion Post 483, on 135th Avenue and Brookville Boulevard.


Queens today

WEDNEsDay 5/28

Got EvEnts?send all information to

[email protected] or mail to:

Queens Tribune150-50 14th Rd.,

Whitestone, Ny 11357

moNDay 5/26

FRIDay 5/23

saTURDay 5/24

moNDay 5/26SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

sUNDay 5/25onGoInG

mEmorIal day paradEHElEn sunG trIoCelebrated jazz pianist Helen Sung will perform at Flushing Town Hall at 8 p.m. Accompanied by Harish Raghavan on the bass

and Rodney Green on the drums, Sung will play num-bers from her five previous

albums, as well as her new record, “Anthem For A New Day.” Tickets are $15 for the general audience and $10 for members and students. Flushing Town Hall is located at 137-35 Northern Blvd.

JoHn yaoJoin the Queens Botani-cal Garden for a lively performance of jazz favorites. Asian–American trombonist, composer and arranger John Yao has been an integral member of the Jazz and Latin music scenes and will have you tapping your feet. The concert runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and is free with Garden admis-sion. Call (718) 886-3800 for more information.

dr. HsIn-ya HsIaoSoloist and collaborative artist Dr. Hsin-Ya Hsiao and her students will present a flute and piano recital featuring classical and popular music at Flush-ing Library. Selections will include “The Entertainer” by Scott Joplin, “Military March” by Franz Schubert and many other works. The free concert will run from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

soutH amErIcan voIcEsTwo ensembles will head to the stage at 7 p.m.

at Flushing Town Hall for a musical performance that will get the audience

dancing. Tangolandó, which fea-tures Sofia Tosello and Yuri Juarez, is a combi-nation of

tango with Afro-Peruvian music. Festejation mixes traditional Afro-Peruvian music with jazz, funk and other Latin styles.

dancE EntropyFlushing Library will present Valerie Green and Dance Entropy, a professional modern dance company founded in 1998. The four color-ful, vibrant short works in “Color and Mystery” are sure to get you thinking, feeling, laughing and mov-ing. The event runs from 5 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.

dIy prIntInGLearn the basics of art printing at Socrates Sculpture Park from noon to 3 p.m. Using natural ma-terials from the park as well as repurposed plastic and foam. Kids 5 to 13 years old and their families will create paintings and patterns. For more information, call (718) 956-1819.

drop-In FamIly WorksHopThe Queens Museum invites children 5-12 and their adult companions to Studio A to explore different works on view through a variety of fun hands-on art making activi-ties. Children with special needs welcome, adaptations available. No fee or advance

registration required. Just show up between 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. and stay for as long as you like. For information, call (718) 592-9700.

concErt Friends of MacDonald Park will host a concert at MacDonald Park. They are recruiting musicians to play the park for tips. The show is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. MacDonald Park is located at Queens Boulevard, between Yellow-stone Boulevard and 70th Road in Forest Hills. For more information, contact the Friends of MacDonald Park at [email protected].

ForEst HIlls mEmorIal day paradECelebrate Memorial Day at the Forest Hills Me-morial Day parade. It is scheduled to begin at noon. The parade begins at Metro-politan and Ascan Avenues and ends at Trotting Course Lane and Alderton Street, where a ceremony will take place afterwards.

paradEThe 87th Annual Little Neck Douglaston Me-morial Parade will start 2 p.m. on May 26, operat-ing under the support of the United War Veteran’s Council. For information, call (718) 279-3200 or visit www.lnd-memorialday.org.

paradEThe 25th annual Lau-relton Memorial Day Parade will kick off at 9 a.m. May 26 at Francis Lewis and Merrick Boulevards. The parade will continue to the Veterans Memorial Triangle, at 225th Street and North Conduit Avenue. The parade

will feature the Queens Area Pathfinders March-ing Band and the Black and Gold Marching Elite Band. The parade is sponsored by the Laurelton Lions Club, American Legion Post 1946, Garden Club of Laurelton, Federated Blocks of Laurel-ton and Concerned Citizens of Laurelton, in conjunction with VFW Post 5298. For information, or to be a part of the parade, call (718) 525-7655.

trIo sHalvaJazz musicians Assaf Gle-izner, Koby Hayon and Nadav Snir-Zelniker will perform as Trio Shalva at Flushing Library from 2 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. The group blends Hebrew folk traditions and contemporary jazz into an original sound that transports listeners to a new Middle Eastern musical landscape.

FlEa markEt at knockdoWn cEntErMaspeth’s Knockdown Center hosts a flea mar-ket every Sunday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Admission is free. The center is located at 52-19 Flushing Ave.

GrEEnmarkEt In ForEst HIlls The greenmarket sells local grown, fresh products for residents to purchase. Cooking demonstrations and activi-ties for kids will also occur. The market begins at 8 a.m.

and admission is free. It is located in front of the For-est Hills post office on the corner of Queens Boulevard and 70th Avenue.

lIGHts, camEra, astorIa!Using film stills, behind-the-scenes photographs, oral histories and posters, the Museum of the Moving Image explores the leg-acy and renaissance of Kaufman Astoria Stud-ies. Screening everything from early Marx Brothers to “The Cosby Show” to “Nurse Jackie,” the exhibi-tion reveals the significant role of the Astoria studio in moving-image history. Tickets are $12 for general admission, $9 for seniors and students and $6 for kids under 12 years old. For more information, call (718) 777-6888.

tHrouGH may 25Four takEs on onE plotGideon Productions had a simple but unprecedented idea: approach four star writers, give them all the same plot and ask them to write a play from it. In The Blueprint Project at the Secret Theater, Dan Kos, Johnna Adams, J. Holtham and Mariah MacCarthy demonstrate the many paths play-wrights can forge from the same storyline. Tickets are $18. For more information, call (718) 392-0722.

The Whitestone Veterans Memorial Association’s annual Memorial Day Parade will kick off with a ceremony at noon on May 26 at the field located at 149th Street and 15th Drive.

The parade will begin at 1 p.m.


LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICESUMMONS Index No. 23124-13 D/O/F: December 20, 2013 Premises Address: 119-27 198TH STREET SAINT AL-BANS, NY 11412 SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF QUEENS WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., Plaintiff, -against- TANYA R. CLEMENTS; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIO-LATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJU-DICATION BUREAU; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION & FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMER-ICA-INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; JOHN DOE 1 THROUGH 50; JANE DOE 1 THROUGH 50, INTEND-ING TO BE THE UNKNOWN HEIRS OF THE ESTATE OF MARGARET L. PITCHFORD WHO WAS BORN ON MAY 4, 1925 AND DIED ON MAY 11, 2008, A RESIDENT OF THE COUNTY OF QUEENS, THEIR SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST IF ANY OF THE AFORESAID DEFENDANTS BE DECEASED, THEIR RE-SPECTIVE HEIRS AT LAW, NEXT OF KIN, DISTRIB-UTES, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, TRUSTEES, LIENORS, CREDI-TORS, ASSIGNEES AND SUC-CESSORS IN INTEREST OF THE AFORESAID CLASSES OF PERSON, IF THEY OR ANY OF THEM BE DEAD, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE HUSBANDS, WIVES OR WIDOWS, IF ANY, ALL OF WHOM AND WHOSE NAMES AND PLACES OF RESIDENCE ARE UNKNOWN TO THE PLAINTIFF; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMEN-TAL CONTROL BOARD;; ''JOHN DOES'' and ''JANE DOES'', said names being fictitious, parties intended being possible tenants or occupants of premises, and corporations, other entities or persons who claim, or may claim, a lien against the premises, Defendant(s), TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFEN-DANTS: 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 Sum-mons, to serve a Notice of Appearance on the Plaintiff's Attorneys within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, where service is made by delivery upon you personally within the State, or within thirty (30) days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner, 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 ATTOR-NEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. The fol-lowing notice is intended only for those defendants who are owners of the premises sought to be foreclosed or who are liable upon the debt for which the mortgage stands as security. YOU ARE HEREBY PUT ON NOTICE THAT WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO COL-LECT A DEBT, AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. The amount of the debt: $259,292.64 con-sisting of principal balance of $229,735.13 plus interest of 22,437.63, escrow/im-pound shortages or credits of $4,859.06, late charges of $396.40; Broker`s Price Opinion, inspection and miscellaneous charges of $105.00; surrogate search fee of $21.73; attorney fee $1,200.00 and title search $537.69. Because of interest and other charges that may vary from day to day, the amount due on the day you pay may be greater. Hence, if you pay the amount shown above, an adjustment may be necessary after we receive the check, in which event we will inform you. The name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed: WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A.. Unless you dispute the validity of the debt, or any portion thereof, within thirty (30) days after receipt hereof, the debt will be assumed to be valid by the herein debt collector. If you notify the herein debt collector in writ-ing within thirty (30) days after your receipt hereof that the debt, or any portion thereof, is disputed, we will obtain verification of the debt or a copy of any judgment against you representing the debt and a copy of such verification or judgment will be mailed to you by the herein debt collec-tor. Upon your written request within 30 days after receipt of this notice, the herein debt collector will provide you with the name and address of the original creditor if different from the current creditor.

Note: Your time to respond to the summons and com-plaint differs from your time to dispute the validity of the debt or to request the name and address of the original creditor. Although you have as few as 20 days to respond to the summons and complaint, depending on the manner of service, you still have 30 days from receipt of this summons to dispute the validity of the debt and to request the name and address of the original creditor. TO THE DEFEN-DANTS: The Plaintiff makes no personal claim against you in this action. TO THE DEFEN-DANTS: If you have obtained an order of discharge from the Bankruptcy court, which includes this debt, and you have not reaffirmed your liability for this debt, this law firm is not alleging that you have any personal liability for this debt and does not seek a money judgment against you. Even if a discharge has been obtained, this lawsuit to foreclose the mortgage will continue and we will seek a judgment authorizing the sale of the mortgaged premises. Dated: December 19, 2013 Shanna J. Black, Esq. ROSICKI, ROSICKI & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Attorneys for Plaintiff Main Office 51 E Bethpage Road Plainview, NY 11803 516-741-2585 Help For Homeowners In Fore-closure New York State Law requires that we send you this notice about the foreclosure process. Please read it care-fully. Mortgage foreclosure is a complex process. Some people may approach you about “saving” your home. You should be extremely care-ful about any such promises. The State encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. There are government agencies, legal aid entities and other non-profit organizations that you may contact for informa-tion about foreclosure while you are working with your lender during this process. To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by the New York State Banking Department at 1-877-BANKNYS (1-877-226-5697) or visit the De-partment’s website at www.banking.state.ny.us. The State does not guarantee the advice of these agencies.________________________INDEX NO.: 1314/2013. Filed Date: 4/17/2014. SUP-PLEMENTAL SUMMONS AND NOTICE. MORT-GAGED PREMISES: 109-66 153RD STREET, JAMAICA, NY 11433. (BL #: 12142 – 20). Plaintiff designates Queens County as the place of trial; venue is based upon the county in which the mort-gaged premises is situate.

STATE OF NEW YORK SU-PREME COURT: COUNTY OF QUEENS U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE, SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL AS-SOCIATION AS TRUSTEE, SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO LASALLE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR WASHINGTON MU-TUAL ASSET-BACKED CER-TIFICATES WMABS SERIES 2007-HE2 TRUST, Plaintiff, -against- JOSE MEDRANO, if living, and if dead, the respective heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, execu-tors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignors, lienors, creditors and succes-sors in interest, and generally all persons having or claim-ing under, by or through said defendant who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and their respective husbands, wives or widows, if any, and each and every person not specifically named who may be entitled to or claim to have any right, title or interest in the property described in the verified complaint; all of whom and whose names and places of residence unknown, and cannot after diligent in-quiry be ascertained by the Plaintiff, CHRIS VRETTOS, NEW YORK CITY ENVI-RONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD, NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU, NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU, NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXA-TION AND FINANCE, CACH OF COLORADO, LLC, THE UNITED STATES OF AMER-ICA, THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, KEN-NETH JAMISON, SHALIEK JAMISON, JOANNE JAMI-SON, CHARLES JAMISON, Defendants. TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUM-MONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Sum-mons, to serve a notice of appearance on the attorneys for the Plaintiff within 20 days after the service of this Sum-mons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York). In case of your failure to appear or an-swer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Com-plaint. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS SUM-

MONS AND COMPLAINT BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE AT-TORNEY FOR THE MORT-GAGE COMPANY WHO FILED THIS FORECLOSURE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU AND FILING THE AN-SWER 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 INFORMA-TION ON HOW TO AN-SWER THE SUMMONS AND PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY. SENDING PAYMENT TO YOUR MORTGAGE COM-PANY WILL NOT STOP THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTOR-NEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above cap-tioned action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure $ 380,000.00 (modified to $ 390,180.94 by a Loan Modi-fication Agreement dated January 15, 2009) and inter-est, recorded in the Office of the Clerk of Queens on October 3, 2006, at C.R.F.N. 2006000554311, covering premises known as 109-66 153rd Street, Jamaica, NY 11433 – BL #: 12142 – 20. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. The Plaintiff also seeks a deficiency judgment against the Defendant and for any debt secured by said Mortgage which is not satis-fied by the proceeds of the sale of said premises. TO the Defendant JOSE MEDRANO, the foregoing Summons is served upon you by publica-tion pursuant to an Order of the Hon. Rudolph E. Greco, Jr. of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, and dated February 4, 2014. Dated: New Rochelle, N.Y. April 15, 2014. McCABE, WEIS-BERG & CONWAY, P.C. By: /s/________________ Leroy

J. Pelicci, Jr., Esq. Attorneys for Plaintiff 145 Huguenot St., Ste. 210 New Rochelle, NY 10801 p. 914-636-8900 f. 914-636-8901 HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS IN FORE-CLOSURE NEW YORK STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT WE SEND YOU THIS NOTICE ABOUT THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME. IF YOU FAIL TO RESPOND TO THE SUM-MONS AND COMPLAINT IN THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION, YOU MAY LOSE YOUR HOME. PLEASE READ THE SUMMONS AND COM-PLAINT CAREFULLY. YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CONTACT AN ATTORNEY OR YOUR LOCAL LEGAL AID OFFICE TO OBTAIN ADVICE ON HOW TO PRO-TECT YOURSELF. SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE. The State encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. In addition to seeking assistance from an attorney or legal aid office, there are government agen-cies and non-profit organiza-tions that you may contact for information about possible options, including trying to work with your lender dur-ing this process. To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by the New York State Banking Department at 1-877-226-5697 or visit the Department’s website at www.dfs.ny.gov. FORE-CLOSURE RESCUE SCAMS Be careful of people who approach you with offers to “save” your home. There are individuals who watch for notices of foreclosure actions in order to unfairly profit from a homeowner’s distress. You should be extremely careful about any such promises and any suggestions that you pay them a fee or sign over your deed. State law requires any-one offering such services for profit to enter into a contract which fully describes the services they will perform and fees they will charge, and which prohibits them from taking any money from you until they have completed all such promised services.

You Can E-Mail Your Legal Copy to

[email protected] to Place Your Legal Advertisement

or Call the PRESS of Southeast Queens at (718) 357-7400 Ext. 149



Faith

NotebookHillcrest High School


From July 23 through July 27, Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral in Jamaica will hold its 10th bi-annual Worship Conference, drawing Chris-tians from all over the world to gather to honor God through dance, mime, sign language and prayer.

This year, the conference’s work-shops and sermons will be centered around the theme of “Living Sacrific-es” and the workshops will be taught by a number of well known ministers from all over the country. According to Denise Robinson, who sits as chair of the event’s planning committee, a great deal of energy will be spent by the ministers highlighting this Bible theme.

“We do have breakout sessions, where technique and choreography are taught in a way that the facilita-tors will elaborate more on the dif-ferent parts of the Bible that address the theme,” Robinson said. “It’s the theme and the thread of everything throughout.”

“It’s very fulfilling and helps you maintain your focus and to draw from

Greater Allen To Hold Worship Conference

one another spiritually,” she added. “That is one of the great things. It is an intense time of learning, as well as movement. It’s very invigorating.”

The Worship Conference has been a tradition at Greater Allen A.M.E. since 1999, and, according to Robinson, it was created to teach Christians the appropriate ways to embrace God through the arts.

“It was created to inform and help the other communities of dancers who want to know the proper way

to represent their ministry to the con-gregation and to the world,” she said. “The focus is on praise and worship, on ministry attire and on choreogra-phy.”

The Worship Con-ference has always been a very popu-lar event, Robinson said, with more than 700 Christians participating in the 2012 event.

“They come from all over the country, as well as internationally,” she said. “Some people make a vaca-tion out of it and really use the time to worship and reflect. It’s extremely colorful [and] vibrant. The Holy Spirit is just moving throughout the entire building. You can see people worshipping and dancing and giving themselves up to God.”

When asked what her favorite parts of the conferences were, Rob-inson said she really enjoys catching

up with people that she has not seen in a very long time.

“A lot of people peg the confer-ence as a family reunion. People from around the country come to-gether and every other year, we are very excited to see each other,” she said. “We are excited to share what has happened with us since the last time we met.”

“In addition to the connections you made and the camaraderie, I really enjoy that we are feeding and giving out the truth of God through movement and dance,” she added. “This way, people can get an under-standing of what is necessary for them to be effective in their minis-try.”

For more information about the Greater Allen A.M.E. Worship Conference, including ticket prices, visit www.gacworshipconference.org.

Tickets purchased before May 31 are sold at a discounted price.


In July, Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral in Jamaica will hold its bi-annual Worship Conference, which will be centered around the theme, “Living Sacrifices.”

In honor of “It’s My Park Day,” on May 10, Haydee Recinos, a teach-er at Hillcrest High School, took her students to volunteer at a clean-up at Cunningham Park.

The initiative has been a tradition for Recinos over the past six years, along with Linda Quackenbush, another teacher at the high school. Twice a year, the pair takes their stu-dents to participate in the Citywide initiative. Both teachers said that the tradition came into fruition with the help of Bob Harris, a close contact for the school.

According to Recinos, Harris in-forms the teachers about the dates for “It’s My Park Day” every semes-ter and together, they plan which day to take their students to volun-teer. “It’s My Park Day” takes place in several parks around the City, with volunteers celebrating by cleaning and repainting park benches.

“The kids clean up, they plant, cleaning and planting in the fall, [but during the spring], they mulch and paint the benches,” Recinos said.

She also said that her students participate in “It’s My Park Day” because it is part of the community service requirement for her class. Recinos teaches a leadership class, which consists of a mix of students in grades 9-12.

“To be in the leadership class, [students] have to be recommend-ed by the guidance counselor and

they must have good grades,” she said.

During their vol-unteer service ear-lier this month, the students who par-ticipated swept up dead leaves, removed weeds and put down wood chips to com-bat erosion.

According to Re-cinos, Hillcrest High School is community service-oriented. Since community service is part of her class’ grade requirement, the stu-

dents participate in about seven to eight community service projects each year.

Recinos’ students are involved in the Queens for Center for Progress, an organization that is committed to helping children and adults who have developmental disabilities with opportunities that will make them independent in the community. In

addition to QCP, her students also volunteer with the Lupus Alliance, American Society for the Preven-tion of Cruelty to Animals, as well as Kids in Need of Desks Foundation, where the money they raise goes to kids in Africa.

The community service is not only for classroom credit. Recinos said that “[students] are encouraged to have community service during the summer.”

Recinos also noted that the com-munity service her students do carry over with them while applying for college. In order to receive credit for their volunteer services, the students are given a letter which they submit to their guidance counselors and the counselors then help them to submit it to the colleges they are applying to.

Whether it is cleaning parks or raising money for those in need, Re-cinos and her students prove that a helping hand is all that is needed to make the world a better place.

-Esther Shittu

Students Volunteer For ‘It’s My Park Day’

On May 10, Haydee Recinos, a teacher at Hillcrest High School, took her students to volunteer at a clean-up at Cunningham Park.


What’s UpMay 24york College Summer Jazz Program auditions

The York College Summer Jazz Program is holding auditions for all New York City public high school musicians. All accepted students will study jazz performance at York Col-lege from July 7-Aug. 14 (Mondays-Thursdays) and earn five college credits for free. For more informa-tion, contact York College Depart-ment of Performing and Fine Arts at (718) 262-2412. The audition will be held at York College Performing Arts Center, located at 94-45 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., Jamaica, and will be-gin at 10 a.m.

The york College Blue NotesEnjoy a night of music from the

York College Blue Notes. For more information, contact York College Department of Performing & Fine Arts at (718) 262-2412. The event is free and will be held at the York Col-lege Performing Arts Center, located at 94-45 Guy R. Brewer Blvd. Jamai-ca, and will begin at 7 p.m.

May 2625th annual Laurelton Memorial Day Parade

All are invited to come pay tribute to the veterans at the 25th Annual Memorial Day Parade. The Queens Area Pathfinders Marching Band and the Black and Gold Marching Elite Band are all featured in the Pa-rade. For information on being part of the parade or general questions, call (718) 525-7655. The parade starts at Francis Lewis and Merrick Boulevards and will end at the Veter-ans Memorial Triangle 225th Street and North Conduit Avenue. It will begin at 9 a.m.

Rosedale Memorial Day Parade

Enjoy hot dogs and ice cream at the Rosedale Memorial Day Parade. The event is sponsored by Rosedale Civic Association. For more informa-tion, contact the Rosedale Civic As-sociation at (718) 978-4701 or (917) 796-6096. The Parade starts at 243rd Street and Mayda Road, Rosedale, and will step off at 10:45 a.m.

May 28105th Precinct Community Council

If you are interested in finding out what is happening in the 105th Precinct, then attend the 105th Pre-cinct’s Community Council Meeting- generally held on the last Wednesday

of the month. For additional infor-mation, call (718) 776-9090. The meeting will be held at 8 p.m. at 92-08 222nd St., Queens Village.

May 29‘Sizwe Bansi Is Dead’

The Caribbean American Rep-ertory Theatre presents Rudolph Shaw and Fulton Hodges in “Sizwe Bansi is Dead.” The award-winning play illustrates the horrors of the apartheid system. The play, shown in honor of Nelson Man-dela, will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20. The play will be held at the Presbyterian Church of St. Albans, located at 190-04 119th Ave., St. Albans. For more information, call (718) 974-6487. There will two other viewings of the play on the 30th and 31st.

May 30Kewl Skewl Klub

Don’t miss the opportunity to see Afrikan Poetry Theatre morph into the Kewl Skewl Klub on the last Fri-day of the month. Enjoy live music, entertaining DJs, an open mic and more. Hosted by Apani Smith, the cost of admission is $10. For addi-tional information, call (718) 523- 3312. The event will take place at the Afrikan Poetry Theatre, located at 176-03 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica.

JuNe 1National Council of Negro Women’s 27th annual Black & White awards Banquet

The National Council of Negro women present its 27th Annual Black and White Awards Banquet. The theme is “Celebrating the Achieve-ments of Those Who Inspire Com-munity Transformation.” The ban-quet will be held at Antun’s, which is located at 96-43 Springfield Blvd., Queens Village. Tickets are sold in advance for an $85 donation. For more information, contact Lizzie Gregory at (718) 528-5134 or Dar-lene Henderson at (718) 380-3261.

JuNe 6‘Frozen’

The movie “Frozen” will be shown at Rochdale Park. The park is located at Guy R. Brewer Boulevard between 130th Avenue and 137th Avenue. The movie will be shown from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, call (718) 206-2068.

ONGOINGClergy united Programs

Clergy United for Community

Empowerment offers group sessions at 172-17 Linden Blvd., second floor, St, Albans. Topics covered include domestic violence, substance abuse intervention, decision-making and self-esteem awareness. Group ses-sions are open to the public, but it is important to call ahead for the next group session.

Other programs offered by Clergy United include:

Early intervention services, a sim-ple and accurate way to find out if you have HIV. No needles, no blood test. On-site testing walk-ins welcome Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Infant mortality reduction initia-tive program provides free services, including case management, parent skills building, crib care, breast feed-ing education, health education, con-fidential counseling and more.

Free summer vacation for your child, through enrollment with the Fresh Air Fund, for kids ages 6-12. Contact Ms. Richardson at Clergy United for more information.

For information on programs of-fered through Clergy United, call (718) 297-0720.

youth OrganizationsLP FAM’s Youth Organization

is holding youth baseball registra-tion for boys and girls ages 5 to 14 every Saturday, 12 p.m. until 3 p.m. at Dunton Presbyterian Church, lo-cated 109-29 135th St., South Ozone Park. Call Derick Braswell at (917) 692-4775 or Paul Cox at (718) 835-8416 for more information.

The organization is also holding registration for its basketball pro-gram. Boys and girls between 8 and 16 years old can register every Satur-day from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Queens Transition Center, located at 142-10 Linden Blvd., South Ozone Park. For more information, call Mike Glasgow at (917) 442-0479, Paul Cox (718) 835-8416, or David Reid at (646) 241-4211.

LP FAM is also looking for vol-unteer youth baseball and football coaches. Please call Paul Cox at (917) 607-2421 or Derick Braswell at (917) 692-4775 for more information.

Overcoming Barriers To employment

Every Friday, the Queens Central Library in Jamaica helps residents experiencing barriers to employ-ment. A Job Information Center case manager is available on Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to dis-cuss potential problems you may have regarding child care, housing, immigration, degree evaluation,

healthcare, goal and career planning, former incarceration, education and training and more. To schedule an appointment, call (718) 480-4222 or stop by the Job Information Center. No registration is required and the service is free.

Forestdale STya youth Mentor

Forestdale, Inc., an organization with a great history of supporting families in need and committed to empowering children in foster care and in the local community, launched a new mentoring program in January 2014. This new program, called “Fu-ture Prep: Successfully Transitioning Youth to Adolescence,” or STYA, is designed to attract community-minded people who may not be able to commit to foster parenting, but nevertheless want to make a signifi-cant investment in the lives of chil-dren and their better future. We are looking for mentors (18 or older) to work with children ages 9-12 for one year. Starting in January, there will be four 10-week sessions through-out the year, each running for three hours on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The program will take place at the Hollis Community Center at 203-09 Hollis Ave.

This is an excellent opportunity to truly make a difference is someone’s life, build meaningful relationships and be part of an enthusiastic, compassion-ate and supportive environment, in addition to a great learning experience with the opportunity to learn about a multitude of issues facing underprivi-leged youth in New York City today. For additional information, contact Mirzya Syed, Youth Volunteer Coordi-nator, at [email protected] or (718) 263.0740, ext. 365.

Queens Satellite High School and College Mentoring Program

Queens Satellite High School is seeking volunteers to provide stu-dents with the skills and experienc-es that will support their personal growth. Key to the institute is the active participation its volunteers in the private sector and community members who wish to provide real world connections for their students through weekly seminars.

Mentors can participate in one-day sessions or teach a seven-week seminar on a topic of their choice. Technical assistance for lesson plan-ning will be provided throughout your experience.

For additional information, con-tact Kristy Nguyen at (718) 657-3920 ext. 4031.

Jeanne Marie Boes

After 14 years of court battles, it seems that the case of the care of Asian elephants at Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus has finally come to an end.

Earlier this month, the Hu-mane Society of the United States and its co-defendants agreed to a $15.75 million settle-ment to the circus' parent com-pany, Feld Entertainmnet.

The case cited inhumane treatment of the 42 Asian el-ephants used by the circus during performances.

The original Endangered Spe-cies Act lawsuit saw a discovery that animal rights activists paid a former circus employee $190,000 to serve as a "paid plaintiff" for the cause.

"We hope this settlement payment, and the various court decisions found against these animal rights activists and their attorneys, will deter individuals and organizations from bringing

Musicians OF QuEEnsQCONF

IDEN

TIAL

Jeanne Marie Boes has known that she wanted to be a professional musician since she was a teenager. Knowing what she wanted to do at an early age led her to the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, where she received invaluable lessons and friendships.

“Over the course of those four years, I learned every-thing I needed to know to pursue a career and made friends and connections to last a lifetime,” she said.

Boes started singing when she was 9 years old and started playing the piano at the age of 12. Since then, she has messed around with violin, guitar and electric bass. No matter which instru-ments she uses to carry her soulful vocals, the melody is vital to her.

“My first love was and forever will be a beautiful melody,” Boes said.

Those melodies are some-times written with the help of Boes’ father, James. While the process has its ups and downs, Boes said that their love of writing helps them overcome any obstacles they run into.

“We’ve written a song together in 15 minutes, or over the course of weeks,” she said. “It’s definitely an enjoyable experience - and if there’s a disagreement, we work around it, or come up with something even better.”

When it comes to her lyrics, Boes looks at issues of the hearts, whether it is newfound love, the end of a romance or something in-between. Life experiences are the subjects that she feels most drawn to.

And The Winner Is...

Since 2009, Boes has released three albums and an EP, along with her latest single, “The One.” She said her debut, “A Seasoned Heart,” was recorded at her apartment in Astoria, creating difficulties with surrounding noise bleeding into her song takes. Since that first album, Boes said she has become more collaborative, particu-larly on “The One.”

“I walked into the studio and came out a few hours later with a bluesy-rock track, which I recorded and performed with my very good friends, Brendan and Lee Press, of the band, Ekra, at their studio in LIC,” she said.

Besides music, Boes ex-presses her creativity through photography and painting. Both her mother and brother are painters, so the skill runs in the family. Photography started with her taking shots of bands onstage and it grew from there.

“Photography was a hobby of mine for many years. Just this past year or so, I posted some of those photos on Fa-cebook and friends and fans alike took an interest,” she said. “It was just a natural progression to do it profes-sionally, and I haven’t turned back.”

For the rest of 2014, Boes will be working on a new album and trying to fulfill a lifelong dream of appearing on “The Late Show With David Letterman.”

You can catch her perform-ing live at Flushing Town Hall on June 5 and at The Shillelagh Tavern with Kayla O’Keefe on Aug. 2.

To keep up with the latest from Boes, visit www.jean-neboes.com.

A new FOX sitcom coming in 2015 shines the spotlight on Queens. It won’t be all that flattering a light, though. The comedy, which centers on a group of four friends living in Ridgewood, is called “Weird Loners.” The net-work describes the new show as the story of “four single 30-something underdogs who are unexpectedly thrust into one another’s lives and form an unlikely bond in a Queens townhouse.” According to FOX, one character is high-strung and boy-crazy, another is a serial seducer incapable of real re-lationships and another is “a sweet, odd man-child.” We here at QConf are glad to see Queens getting some prime time attention, but we hope the show won’t link its characters’ social awkwardness to the personality of the Borough – a Borough, by the way, that has produced such hip icons as Christopher Walken, Lucy Liu, Louis Armstrong, Jack Kerouac and Joey and Johnny Ramone. And we definitely hope FOX won’t send its characters down the M line every time something cool is supposed to happen.

QConf is edited by:

Steven J. Ferrari

Contributors: Bruce Adler, Luis Gronda, Natalia Kozikowska, Joe Marvilli, Marcia

Moxom Comrie, Michael Nussbaum, Michael Schenkler, Jackie

Strawbridge.

Follow us on Twitter: @QueensTrib

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QueensTrib

Some TV Time For Queens

The Elephants Win Millions

Even during their trying times, Queens Borough Presi-dent Melinda Katz stood by her baseball team’s side. According to reports, in the week before the Subway Series, Katz and Bronx Borough Presi-dent Ruben Diaz made a sweet bet as to which New York team would win more games during the four-game set. If the Yankees would have won, Diaz would be treated to some Italian heroes from Mama’s of Corona/ Leo’s Latti-cini and pastries from Astoria’s Omonia Café.

During the festivities for the World's Fair Anniversary at Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Sunday, Queens Borough President

Melinda Katz got a chance to get behind the wheel of the Batmobile from the 1966 Adam West "Batman" TV show. We have to wonder,

what would her partner, Curtis Sliwa, have done with the iconic vehicle while out patrolling with the Guardian Angels?

frivolous litigation like this in the future," Kenneth Feld, chairman of Feld Entertainment, said in a statement.

We wonder if the circus' at-torneys called any of the Asian elephants to the stand to testify. After all, elephants are supposed to have great memories...

If the Mets were able to pull off a victory, like they did last year, Katz would get to enjoy some tasty empanadas from Babalu on East Tremont Road and fresh cannolis from Egidio Pastry Shop in Belmont. Bragging rights this year were split, though, with the Yankees and the Mets both winning two games of the split set. The result meant that both BP’s were required to honor the results and send some treats to the other side. Looks like both Katz and Diaz walked away with a winner!

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