ZERO ON QUEENS BLVD

Bike Pool with other commuters from Queensboro Bridge to Elmhurst.

MONTHLY BIKEPOOLS ARE A PART OF ZERO ON QUEENS BLVD:
A CAMPAIGN TO WIN A PROTECTED BIKE LANE AND ELIMINATE TRAFFIC FATALITIES
ALONG THE LENGTH OF QUEENS BOULEVARD

JOIN THE MONTHLY BIKE RIDE
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH, 6:30 PM
QUEENS SIDE OF THE QUEENSBORO BRIDGE

CONTACT BIKETRANSALT.ORG TO CONNECT WITH THE RIDES AND THE CAMPAIGN.

Astoria Swap-O-Rama on Saturday, November 22nd

Calling all men, women and children: bring your clothing, shoes, jewelry….and get ready to swap!

Swap-O-Rama

If you're a closet greenie, love to save money, DIY-centric, or all of the above, this is the event for you! Swap-o-ramas (aka swaplucks) are a fantastic way to get free new-to-you clothes, find a new home for clothing that no longer excites you, meet new friends and help save the environment.

Saturday, November 22nd
11:00 am-2:00pm

A.R.R.O.W. Community Center
35-30 35th Street in Astoria


Light refreshments will be available. Remaining items will be donated to the Astoria Park Alliance for their December 6th fundraiser or to a thrift-store nearby. This event co-sponsored by Triple R Events (http://www.3R-events.blogpost.com) and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.

RSVPs appreciated but not required: queensisgreen@gmail.com or call Lynne Serpe at 646-202-0825.
By Train: N train to 36 Avenue. Proceed to 35 Street and make a left.
For other directions, call A.R.R.O.W. at (718) 349-0444.

Gosh Dern Parking Garage and Dang Old Sears at that Rego Park mall hell.

Dagnabbit. Trying to buy some gosh dern hardware and a air cleaner purifier thing. Stuck in this lousy garage some punk in three-sizes too large 'SECURITY' outfit telling me I can't pay to leave the danged GARAGE!

You know what they went and did? They got these ATM parking machines now at the Rego Park Shopping Hell. You come in, get your ticket same as usual. But now, instead of leaving like usual, you have to drive back in, park, get out, go stand in line with a bunch of cranky cussers in their baggy pants and pay at the parking ATM. and Damnit if that robot voice isn't turned up too loud too!

Sheminy! Dag gummnit! And then. THEN! some old fart bag's wife is stuck up at the front of the line sticking her damned ticket in the machine and out it comes. and in the machine, and out it comes! and you know why? Because she doesn't KNOW about the robot ATM parking yeller!

We're stuck! Five honking, pounding, puke filled cars deep! Oh. Lord! LORD! Where's that kid in the uniform with the marble mouth!

Dirt Bag's Wife has to LEAVE HER CAR - GO TO THE ROBOT YELLER - COME BACK - FIGURE IT OUT AND THEN LEAVE.

and where is that punk in the uniform?????

Did you ever think that the day would come when you'd be sitting in one danged line to drive out of the garage for LONGER than you'd be standing in line at SEARS waiting for just ONE of the MARTHAS standing around to jump on that OTHER REGISTER???

Well, friends that day has come. IT'S TOTAL SYSTEM BREAKDOWN. The END IS NEAR.

Repent or spend eternity in a parking garage in Rego Park, HONKING, POUNDING BASS, YELLING ROBOTS, PUNK KIDS IN SECURITY UNIFORMS IGNORING YOUR PLEAS FOREVER AND EVER.

Here's a number you can call while you rot in hell: 718.897.4833

Red Means Go on Queens Boulevard

Yesterday afternoon I watched three cars blow through a red light on Queens Boulevard at 44th St. These cars were not racing to beat a yellow light. This light had been red long enough for me to cross to the center under the 7 train. I was about to step into the intersection--pushing my stroller--when my lizard brain realized that the oncoming cars were not going to stop. The light was not malfunctioning in any way. The cars just ignored the red light!

I am still shaking. How does this happen?

Queens Library Hosts Calligraphy Exhibit

QUEENS LIBRARY HOSTS CALLIGRAPHY EXHIBIT
Works of Masako Inkyo on Display at International Resource Center Gallery

Queens Library's International Resource Center Gallery is hosting an exhibition of the calligraphy of Masako Inkyo. The artwork will be on display through December 31, 2008 at Queens Library at Flushing, International Resource Center, 41-17 Main Street near Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, NY. Admission is free. For further information, phone 718-661-1229.

Masako Inkyo’s university degree is in Japanese Calligraphy (“shodō”) . She is a member of the three largest shodō professional associations in Japan. In all three she holds the highest rank, based on work she has submitted. She has also received many awards, including first prizes in both shodō and pen calligraphy in national competitions sponsored by the Ministry of Education. For more information about the artist, visit www.masako-inkyo.com

QUEENS LIBRARY AT SUNNYSIDE BEGINS RENOVATION

Supercool!

Queens Library at Sunnyside, 43-06 Greenpoint Avenue, is being renovated. The library will be closed as of November 8 for approximately one week. It will re-open for limited service, using a small area of the library and a side entrance on Greenpoint Avenue.

Construction will be completed in spring of 2009.

Customer service improvements will include: a new entrance featuring a glass façade, fast RFID self-service check out, a bright, new décor, a new teen area with computers, more computers, more seating and a new media area.

Fermentation Workshop! Sat. 11/8

Perennial Design Workshop Series presents:
Fermentation:
storing food and increasing its vitality

Saturday, 8 November 2008
11:30 am - 2:30 pm
All Saints Church
43-12 46th Street, Sunnyside, Queens
(#7 to 46th Street stop)

In this hands-on session Andrew Faust will show participants how to make kimchee, sauerkraut and fermented root vegetables which they can take home and enjoy. Ingredients and Mason jars will be provided. We will also discuss ways of supporting local economies and eating regional and seasonal diets. Come with questions about overall diet and health in the Kitchen.

What to bring: Apron, cutting board, a good sharp Chef’s knife, large earthen or plastic bowls, optional: your own favorite salt, i.e. Himalayan or Celtic sea salt

Registration: RSVP to Gusti Bogok at jayagusti8@yahoo.com to ensure your space

Cost: $32 if check received before 1 November, $40 after November 1
Mail checks or money orders to Gusti Bogok:
Gusti Bogok, 130 W. 16th Street # 41, New York, NY 10011

Andrew Faust lived completely off the grid for seven years in rural West Virginia. While living without refrigerators or freezers, he learned about natural food storage and fermentation methods which increase nutrition and vitality. Currently living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Faust continues to produce his own homemade ferments and sprouts from a multitude of grains and beans, including whole-grain beers, sauerkraut, kimchee and kombucha. He has made sourdough for farmers markets, local restaurants and students, and has produced kimchee on a large-scale for the Flack Family farm. As an avid educator on the health benefits of raw dairy, pastured meats and fermented whole foods, Mr. Faust makes learning about these ancient culinary arts enjoyable and accessible to a wide range of audiences. Andrew Faust offers Edible and native Landscaping services in NYC and creates self-sufficient Ecological designs for individuals, cooperative communities and farms. For more information, you can visit www.homebiome.com.

Two Coves Community Garden presents "It's My Park! Day" on Saturday, October 25th

It's My Park! Day is a citywide effort to care for and celebrate New York City's parks, coordinated by Partnerships for Parks. The all-volunteer members of Two Coves Community Garden in Astoria have organized a day of fun-filled activities for all to enjoy.

This free event will include live music, a potluck, an instrument-making workshop for children, a worm bin demonstration for indoor composting, a soil workshop, recipe sharing, a children's costume parade and so much more.

Guests will also be invited to help plant daffodil bulbs. So come get dirty with us — for some clean, green fun!

WHEN: Saturday, October 25th, Noon-4:00 PM
WHERE: Two Coves Community Garden
At the triangle between Astoria Blvd, 8th Street and Main

More info: twocovesgarden@yahoo.com

SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK 2009 Artist Application Guidelines Now Posted

SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK
2009 APPLICATION GUIDELINES

Artists can apply for one or more of the following exhibition categories:

-SPRING EXHIBITION
-EMERGING ARTIST FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
-OPEN SPACE
-FLOAT

THE 2009 ARTIST APPLICATION GUIDELINES ARE NOW AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE: WWW.SOCRATESSCULPTUREPARK.ORG

DEADLINE: MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2009

ABOUT SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK
Socrates Sculpture Park was an abandoned landfill and illegal dumpsite until 1986 when a coalition of artists and community members, under the leadership of sculptor Mark di Suvero, transformed it into an open studio and exhibition space for artists and a neighborhood park for local residents.

Located in an industrial neighborhood in Long Island City, Socrates is a waterfront park that overlooks the Manhattan skyline; the site is an affecting and inspiring place for artists to work and a spectacular setting for the presentation of public art. To date, Socrates has hosted over 700 artists and currently attracts more than 73,000 visitors annually.

Socrates Sculpture Park is the only site in the New York Metropolitan area specifically dedicated to providing artists with opportunities to create and exhibit large-scale sculpture and multi-media installations in an outdoor environment that invites interaction between artists, artworks and the public. Socrates is world renowned as a laboratory where experimentation and innovation expand, reinvent and redefine the tradition of art in public spaces.

ARTIST INFORMATION SESSION
NOVEMBER 2, 2008
1PM - 3PM

Socrates Sculpture Park will be hosting an artist information session in the Park's outdoor studio. We will review the application process, tour the studio facilities, and give an over view of the Park's history and programming, focusing specifically on our annual exhibitions. We will be addressing questions regarding the application process, and exhibiting and working at Socrates. We highly encourage all interested applicants to join us for this event.

Please RSVP by November 1 to: mt@socratessculpturepark.org


APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Artists seeking a Socrates Sculpture Park grant are strongly encouraged to visit the Park before submitting their application. Applicants must take into account the site's rugged, urban outdoor environment and be aware that sculptures installed in the Park must meet safety requirements and be able to withstand the effects of weather and public use. Visiting the site will give applicants a clearer idea of the factors that effect installations at the Park and an overview of the facilities that the Park has to offer, including the tools and equipment available in the studio and the materials and resources available in Long Island City.

Artists can apply for one or more of the following exhibition categories:

·Spring Exhibition
·Emerging Artist Fellowship Program
·Open Space
·FLOAT

If you are applying for more than one exhibition category, you only need to send one application package.

Grants and fellowships are not available to artists who are enrolled in a school, college or university program.
Spring Exhibition
For spring 2009, the Park will present an exhibition entitled State Fair. The show will open on May 3 and remain on view until early August. State Fair will cast the Park as a fairground, creating a platform for artists who are inspired and influenced by themes and subject matter relating to American rural society. The exhibition will include works that examine topics such as animal husbandry, local agriculture, specialized horticulture, traditional craft, and presentation, pageantry and competition within these fields. The exhibition will also address the wide variety of entertainment, rides, amusements and foods traditionally presented at state fairs.

For this exhibition, Socrates will provide artists with funding, administrative and technical assistance, a one to three month residency in the outdoor studio, and access to facilities, materials and equipment to create a new work - or will assist with shipping and rigging to place an already existing work - to be presented in the Park. The amount of financial support available to artists is contingent upon the requirements of their project and the funding that Socrates receives to support this exhibition.

Eligibility:
This program is open to all artists, nationally and internationally, but Socrates cannot provide any housing or transportation. Artists living outside New York will have to make their own living and travel arrangements.

Emerging Artist Fellowship Program
Fellowship artists are selected through an open application process. Proposals are reviewed by an advisory committee composed of past EAF recipients, prominent curators, artists, writers, gallerists, and arts administrators and the Park's Executive Director and Exhibition Program Manager. Following the first round of selections, Socrates staff members meet with the artists individually to discuss their proposal in greater detail and assist them with the development, engineering and fabrication of the project.

Emerging Artist Fellowship recipients are granted financial support in the amount of $5,000, a two to six month residency in the outdoor studio, and access to facilities, materials, equipment and technical assistance to create a work for the annual Emerging Artist Fellowship Exhibition (opening September 2009). Fellows are also given the administrative assistance to do additional fundraising for their project, procure in-kind support and pursue future commissions, residencies and placement for their work.

Eligibility:
Fellowships are awarded to artists who are not yet well established, are New York State residents and are in need of financial assistance.

Open Space
Socrates grants are also awarded for single artist projects and collaborations that are presented as separate exhibitions throughout the year. Through the Open Space program, Socrates provides artists with funding, administrative and technical assistance, a one to six month residency in the outdoor studio, and access to facilities, materials and equipment to create a new work - or will assist with shipping and rigging to place an already existing work - for exhibition in the Park. Funding for this program varies from year to year and the amount of financial support available to artists is contingent upon the requirements of a given proposal and the grants that Socrates receives to support the Open Space exhibitions.

Eligibility:
This program is open to all artists, nationally and internationally, but Socrates can not provide any housing or transportation. Artists living outside New York will have to make their own living and travel arrangements.

FLOAT
FLOAT is a biennial series of site-specific, temporary, interactive and ephemeral works that are installed, performed and screened throughout the Park. The series was launched in 2003 to address the environment of the Park, enabling participating artists to explore site-specific practice through a variety of media and formats.

Eligibility:
This program is open to all artists, nationally and internationally, but Socrates cannot provide any housing or transportation. Artists living outside New York will have to make their own living and travel arrangements.

Information about Socrates Sculpture Park and application guidelines are now available on the web:
www.socratessculpturepark.org
SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK
32-01 VERNON BOULEVARD (AT BROADWAY)
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11106
TEL: 718-956-1819 FAX: 718-626-1533
WWW.SOCRATESSCULPTUREPARK.ORG
EMAIL: INFO@SOCRATESSCULPTUREPARK.ORG

Craft Fair Preview--Cute Baby Pants & Hats!

Check out the SSCOOP booth at Sunnyside Gardens Park this Saturday, 10/11 from 12-5 for all kinds of draft adorableness. Plus enjoy the Octoberfest & general park fun!

The park is located on 39th Ave at 49th St. 7 train to 46th St or the Q32 or Q60 to 48th. There's also a bus from Astoria that goes to 48th St.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Rain or shine, an army of local breast cancer survivors and volunteers will march in the 15th annual American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk at the Queens Borough Hall. Last year, an estimated 6,500 people participated in Making Strides in Queens raising $706,000 locally. Proceeds go to support the American Cancer Society’s breast cancer research, education, advocacy and patient service programs that serve Queens residents.

Thousands are expected to come to support breast cancer research and find the cure. Monies raised go to sustaining vital patient and family support programs in Queens and fighting for public policies that improve access to breast cancer screening so all women can be screened and treated. For more information, call 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org/stridesonline

Sunday, Oct. 19th, 2008
Registration begins at 9 a.m.
The walk begins at 11 a.m.

Queens Borough Hall
120-55 Queens Blvd., Kew Gardens


The walk is on October 19th
Registration starts at 9 AM
Opening ceremony is at 10 AM
The walk starts at 11 AM
Starts at the Queens Borough Hall- 120-55 Queens Boulevard in Kew Gardens

Craft Fair Preview--Dog Bonnets & Felted Cakes

You'll find these adorables at the SSCOOP booth at the Sunnyside Gardens Park Oktoberfest & Craft Fair, Saturday, 10/11 from 12-6.

Also, I'm told that Two Lost Turkeys is traveling all the way from Williamsburg to make their Queens debut! Let's give 'em a warm Queens welcome... interpret how you will.

Celebration of Queens Arts

If you're interested in donating to local causes:

The Queens International Film Festival is proud to present our first annual "Celebration of Queens Arts" on November 7, 2008.

The event is going to be completely FREE of charge to the public and includes:

- A live concert by the Queens Symphony Orchestra Playing the Most Celebrated Film Scores of the 20th Century.

- A silent auction and exposition by the Alliance of Queens Artists.

- A book signing by Tony "Nap" Napoli - Author of the new bestseller "My Father, My Don"

-Plus much more to be added!


In order to put this celebration together, we need to raise $15,000. I would like to ask all of your help in accomplishing this. No matter how big or small you can donate, all donors will be put on the official banner for the event, and will receive a special "Thank You" gift.

I believe in leading by example however, so on behalf of Forest Hills Celebrity & Entertainment Magazine and JML Media Group, LLC, I will be the first to commit $500 towards our goal.


Thank you all so much for your time and consideration and I wish you all my best,

Joseph M. Lara
Senior Vice President
International Marketing, Media, & Sponsorships
Queens International Film Festival
(908) 310-1659

Crafters unite!

The Sunnyside Gardens Community Association's annual Craft Fair and Oktoberfest is happening Saturday, October 11th from 12-6 at Sunnyside Gardens Park on 39th Ave at 49th St. My friend Katie will be on hand to sell you her adorable appliqued baby tees and onesies. I'll have some more promo images up, so keep watching!

Meanwhile, I received this from one of the organizers:

We still have spots available for interested crafters, plus everyone should come check out this year's craft fair! The deadline for the 2nd Annual Sunnyside Gardens Park Craft Fair is coming up soon. This event will be bigger and better than last year as we are teaming up with the park's Oktoberfest, so there will be pumpkins, drinks and plenty of people - we hope you can join us.

Email me (clairedeveron -at- gmail -dot- com) for the vendor contract and contact info.

Your Friends and Neighbors Put on a Show

I received this email from some local readers, Sunnyside residents who are treading the boards.

MINNIE PEARL DOES BROADWAY

Grand Ol’ Opry and Hee Haw legend Minnie Pearl is down from Heaven for one night only to sing all the Broadway songs she never got a chance to perform. From A Chorus Line to The Wiz, Minnie belts out show tunes like only she can. She’ll tell stories and jokes and there will even be a door prize! There is also a question and answer period where Minnie answers questions from the audience. Assisting her onstage is the often talked about but never before seen Uncle Nabob. Cabaret artist Mark Alan Jones stars as Minnie Pearl with Darron Cardosa as Uncle Nabob.

Check out this video clip:



"Jones has captured the wide-eyed, plain-talking, man-hungry spinster handily!" -Cabaret Scenes Magazine
"Back from the dead and sassier than ever! Minnie and Nabob should have performing Broadway standards all along." -Theatreiseasy.com

Don’t Tell Mama
343 W 46th St. between Eighth and Ninth Aves.
212-757-0788
howdyminnie@yahoo.com

Monday October 6, 7:00 PM

Subway: A,C,E to 42nd St-Port Authority
$12 cover + two drink minimum

And Speaking of Crafting

I hear knitters are getting tipsy with alpaca over at the Grind on Thursday nights from 7:30-9:30. If Ruth ever figures out that bedtime means stay asleep, you'll see me over there working on a Knitted Farmyard for her.

Queens County Fair--So Much Fun--One More Day

Wesley, Ruth & I had a fantastic time at the Queens County Fair today. Did you know there's some guy in Woodside churning out prize winning produce? Or that you can carve heads out of golfballs? Or that baby goats are darn cute?

The fair also boasts the Amazing Maize Maze, a beer garden with live music, rides, and a craft showcase where I watched a woman do bobbin lace. I was transfixed and plan to take this on as my next craft right after Marie Walnut teaches me how to smock.

The fair runs one more day, but you will be able to get lost in the maze through October 26. Details are on the Queens Farm Museum site.

Boo, Starbucks

A Starbucks employee approached a group of moms yesterday & told them that a customer had complained about them because some of them were breastfeeding ZOMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This same Starbucks has "child free zone" graffitied on one of the changing tables.

Um, NYS law permits a mother to breastfeed her child in any public or private location.

N.Y. Penal Law § 245.01 et seq. says they can even ttake their tops off.

It's legal. Get over it. The Starbucks employee should not have said that. I mean, they have dealt with this before.

You know that friend you have who looks at your plate and says, "That looks so disgusting, how can you eat that?" That person is a jerk, just like people who can't enjoy their overpriced scorched coffee as long as a baby is eating something the AAP & the WHO recommend until at least a year. The Starbucks employee is just ignorant, but I think a complaint is in order.

If breastfeeding bothers you, DON'T LOOK! And I'll promise not to tell you that I think soy lattes are gross.

There are very few places that you can go & sit in this neighborhood without fear of having a drunk sit in your lap. And there are a lot of moms in this neighborhood who would love a reason to spend their coffee money at The Grind, where the coffee is bad in a different way but it's on the south side so nobody takes shit for doing what they want to do. Like pee on the street or deal drugs in front of a school. Breastfeeding is the least of our social compact issues.

And you know that Nourish has a garden in back? And coffee? Good coffee, BTW. Boost sales so she can get some space heaters for winter so we can say SBUX SUX CYA.

Oh, and while I wrote this post? I was breastfeeding ewwwwwwwww.

Check out the flowers popping up in the neighborhood to the west...

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=117858920094816011111.0004451ea3a13ae6bc699

Sunnyside Gardens' Squirrel - Breaking, Entering, and Eating

Just a little warning for fellow Sunnyside Gardens' residents. A hungry, brazen, and resourceful squirrel has broken into at least 2 kitchens by eating/ripping through window screens to get at food sitting on kitchen counters (even sealed food) within the last week. Not quite sure how to put a stop to him seeing as he scaled a brick facade to get through a second floor window, but if you happen to have just baked something tasty you may want to close your kitchen window or risk having a visitor for tea!

Sunnyside Shorts Film Festival

From their site:

Welcome to THE SUNNYSIDE FILM FESTIVAL INC. web site. Teresa Ward and Sherry Gamlin, two long-time Sunnysiders, are continuing the summertime fun in 2008 with brand new and independent films from Sunnysiders and filmmakers from all over the world.
Our sponsor this year is Murphy's Bar! (49th St & Skillman Ave in Sunnyside) A BIG Thanks to Mike Murphy for his generosity and support.

On Saturday, Sept 6th
Location: The Sunnyside Gardens Park, 39th Ave and 49th St. Time: Sunset (around 8pm).
Come at 7pm and listen to traditional Irish music provided by Donie Carroll, Dan Neely and members of The Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra.

Rain Location (same date): The Sunnyside Community Center, 41-31 39th St. between Queens Blvd & 43rd Ave. (see DIRECTION page tab on left).
Time: 8 PM

Restaurant Month--Participating Restaurants

HT to Angus on the Sunnyside NY yahoogroup.

Here's how it works: pick up the Woodside Herald any week in September and look for the Restaurant Month insert. Cut out the coupons and bring them with you for the specials.

. Ariyoshi Japanese Restaurant Special: Cup of Saki or green tea ice cream with dinner
. Bliss Bistro Special: Glass of wine or champagne with dinner
. Bliss Street Station Special: Glass of wine with dinner
. Dazie's Restaurant Special: Glass of wine and dessert with Prix-fixe Luncheon
. Foxy's Diner Special: Glass of wine or dessert with dinner special
. New York Style Eats Special: Dessert with dinner
. P.J. Horgan's Pub Special: glass of wine with dinner
. Pete's Grill Special: Glass of wine and dessert with dinner
. Quaint Restaurant & Bar Special: Glass of wine, beer or soda with dinner
. Sidetracks Restaurant Special: Glass of wine with dinner
. Rose Restaurant Special: dessert and wine, tea or coffee with dinner
. White Castle Special: Cut out our ad and receive a free breakfast sandwich.

Every time you visit one of these restaurants (whether you bring a
coupon or not) you can enter a drawing to win a package of twelve dinners
for two (not including alcohol or tips), one at each participating
restaurant.

Just Trying to Get a Haircut

Today we were blessed by a visit from the grandparents so I was able to kiss baby Ruth goodbye and go get a much-needed haircut. Being that she can't go longer than 43 seconds without needing her BOOBIE!!!!! I decided that a venture to my beloved Will at Whistle in Manhattan was out of the question, so I headed over to Hue. I also decided to throw an eyebrow wax in there so I could feel like a sexpot again.

I've gotten my hair cut at Hue twice before, largely without incident, though the cut I got when I was 8 months pregnant was accompanied by a diatribe on the horrors of birth and the agonies of breastfeeding. Um, if I am turning the pages it's because I am reading a magazine so please stop talking, okay? I will still give you a tip, don't worry.

I showed up right at 12:45 for my eyebrow wax, and then sat there on the couch thumbing through a ratty Glamour for 20 minutes. When they called my name, I said that since it had been 20 minutes I could no longer get an eyebrow wax because I didn't have enough time to wait around. The woman up front was like, "But she can do it in like two minutes! Or you can come back for a free one tomorrow or Sunday." I wasn't sure I was brave enough for a two-minute eyebrow wax, but I reckoned that even spermy brows would be an improvement over the caterpillars that have hitched a ride on my face. Thankfully, two minutes got me natural brows--and no charge. I figure they forgot that I made the appointment.

Up next, the haircut. The woman up front hustled my over to the stylist where they proceeded to argue with each other over what kind of cut I wanted. I said, "Just a trim, clean it up, and I'm growing out my bangs," and when the stylist asked, "How about some face framing layers" the up front woman jumped in and said, "That's not what she wants." They went back and forth for a few minutes and I figure they came to some sort of conclusion that sounded like they weren't going to shave my head or give me a perm so why fight? It's not my nature.

Things started to get dicey in the shampoo seat, but that's really my fault because Wesley and I have joined the "no poo" movement and have been using only baking soda and apple cider vinegar on our hair for the last 3 months. It totally works, I'm so not even kidding about that. So I asked her not to use shampoo, just a little conditioner on the ends and she said, "Is it because you just had scalp surgery?" Why yes I have! Don't pull too hard, it'll come right off!

Once in the chair, she trimmed an inch off the very back across the bottom, then started to blowdry. I asked, "Are you going to trim the layers in the front?" She picked up the front and said, "You want me to cut this, too?" I said, "If you wouldn't mind. It's been 6 months since my last haircut and I would really like for it to look cleaned up while it grows out." She had this look on her face while she did it like I had asked her to shave a Rite-Aid logo into the side of my head.

I will say that I was quite pleased with the resulting cut & blow out. She did a nice job. But as she was finishing up, she goes, "I know what you're worried about. You just had a baby and you think your hair is falling out. Don't worry, it'll stop and come back."

And then she gave me her card and told me to ask for her the next time I come in. Roger that!

We Wanna Eat With Shauna

Seriously.

Lecture Aug. 8: Michael Pollan: Taking the Plant's Point of View

Date: Friday, August 08, 2008
Time: 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

P.S.1 courtyard
Doors open 7 p.m., $5 suggested donation
Rain or shine

P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, in collaboration with The Horticultural Society of New York, presents a lecture by the revolutionary food journalist Michael Pollan. For the past twenty years, Michael Pollan has been writing books and articles about the places where civilization and the natural world intersect. He is one of today's most influential investigators of what we eat and how plants impact our daily lives and culture. A long-standing supporter of The Horticultural Society of New York, the award-winning author will lecture on-site at P.F.1 (Public Farm One), a quarter-acre working farm currently installed in the P.S.1 courtyard. P.F.1 is the vibrant creation of WORK Architecture Company, winners of this year's MoMA/P.S.1 Young Architects Program competition. With this productive urban farm as a backdrop, Pollan will discuss the power of taking the plant's point of view, what that does for us, and why it is important to solving our environmental problems.

THE RED BALLOON & PERSEPOLIS- WED AUGUST 6 at 7pm!

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 6 FRANCE

PERFORMANCE: The "lush and sinfully beautiful" sounds of Clare and The Reasons.
http://www.myspace.com/claremuldaur


FILMS:
THE RED BALLOON

1956, 34 mins. Directed by Albert Lamorisse. A young boy and a red balloon wander through the streets of Paris in The Red Balloon, one of the most beloved children's films ever made.

PERSEPOLIS

2007, 95 mins. Directed by Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi. Persepolis is a coming-of-age tale about an Iranian girl's struggles with love, religion, and politics, based on Marjane Satrapi's popular graphic novel/memoir.

FOOD: French fusion cuisine by the French Café Bistro, 718 Restaurant in Astoria

In the event of rain, this film will be rescheduled to August 27.

Block Party this Sunday!

Have you heard? Sunnyside's hosting a block party this Sunday!

Join your friends, family, neighbors, and members of Transportation Alternatives, the New York League of Conservation Voters and other local community organizations at our "Sunnyside of the Block Party" this Sunday, August 10 from 10am to 3pm. The block party will be on 46th Street, between Skillman and 43rd Avenues, in Sunnyside.

Learn how to ride a bike*, get active in your community, learn about environmental issues, have your face painted, dance, eat, jump rope, or just relax in the shade with the Sunday paper. Festivities will also include a live jazz performance from 1pm to 3pm, a book swap (leave a book, take a book), giant chess, street art, and board games.

All are welcome - free.

For more information, email SunnysideBlockParty@gmail.com or visit www.blockpartynyc.org/parties/13/read.

See you on the block!

Race & Queens

A guest post by supermarket obsessed Brendan Mckenna:

Over the course of less than two hours this evening (July 31), I witnessed two "charming" Queens moments...first, I went to a local discount store situated at the Stop & Shop shopping center off of 48th Street and Northern Boulevard. While making my purchase, an unusually talkative sales clerk rung me up. I asked where she was from, and she said, "Maspeth." I noted it was a nice neighborhood, and she noted it was beginning to decline. She was not pleased with the new elements moving in, "I'm not prejudiced, but I am not happy with some of the new riffraff." She then proceeded to talk of her father witnessing a mugging set up underneath an overpass in that neighborhood - seemingly equating it with ethnic change. She was not happy one bit about the "new" Maspeth. It is always amazing what strangers are willing to share!

I then headed over to Stop & Shop and picked up some groceries. While in the check-out line, I witnessed another, even more vivid incident. An African-American woman was shouting at an Asian couple and young daughter. She didn't like how they were staring at her, and began to yell, "You really should go back to that trashy country you came from, go eat some rice." She continued with this tirade for the entire time I was in line, even as the management tried to calm her so that she would stop yelling. Meanwhile, the approximately seven-year-old daughter was shouting in defense of her parents (who barely spoke English), telling the lady to shut up. She was protecting her parents and their right to be there (and it seemed like she was accustomed to doing this). It was a truly sad thing to witness. All very disturbing, and I get the sense that Queens may not be handling its diversity particularly well.

Foodtown Intervention

INT. HOTEL CONFERENCE ROOM - MORNING

CLAIRE DEVERON, witty and poised and looking much younger than her 30-odd years, unfolds a crumpled piece of yellow legal paper. WESLEY DUMONT gives her hand a manful, sexy squeeze as she blinks back tears. In the corner, interventionist JEFF VAN VONDEREN nods his wise head.

JEFF
Go ahead. Foodtown needs to hear this.

CLAIRE
(clears throat)
This is hard.

Okay.

Dear Foodtown:

I want to start by telling you how important you are in my life You are more than just a little grocery store. You are the closest grocery store for those of us who live on the south side. You have a decent rewards program that netted me a blender and a bubbling foot spa.

We have had so many happy times, like the time I discovered you stocked quinoa. And even just the other day I saw that you are stocking all kinds of natural home products to go with the organic and natural snacks and desserts. Brands I only thought I'd find on the internet, or in Manhattan.

But it's no longer enough, Foodtown. Just because you have Fig Newmans and Manhattan Special doesn't mean it's okay for your produce to have fruit flies, your eggs to be cracked, and your dairy expired. I will no longer sit by and let you ruin your life.

Won't you please accept this help that's being offered today?

Safer Queens Blvd Press Conference

WHEN: Sunday 7/27 12pm
WHERE: Queens Blvd and 55th Rd at Asif Rahman's Ghost Bike
WHY: To make Queens Blvd safer for pedestrians and cyclists

Transportation Alternatives is joining Councilmember Jim Gennaro and other elected officials to call for a physically separated bike lane and pedestrian improvements along the length of Queens Blvd. Ped improvements include, but are not limited to, increasing pedestrian crossing times or even leading pedestrian intervals (LPI), mid block crossing and reducing turning conflicts between cars and people. This is going to be a huge iniative and I'm glad to see TA take the ball and run with it so quickly. Also thanks go out to CM Gennaro for having the foresight to support a measure like this. Although Queens Blvd does not run through his district, Asif Rahman the young man who was struck and killed awhile riding along Queens Blvd lived in his district, and the Councilman is answering pleas from Asif's mother Lizi to do something about Queens Blvd.

Doggie Meetup at Nourish--Wednesday

Wednesday, July 23, 6 - 8pm
Nourish NYC
43-15 Queens Blvd.
Sunnyside, NY 11104

FREE TREATS!

Stop by on your evening dog walk. and learn about healthy options for your dog - and yourself! Enjoy the garden, relax with other dog owners.

- Receive a Free Pet Newsletter
- Free Dog Treats
- Check out our new healthy pet products.

See you on Wednesday!

Angry Young Man Tells Foodtown What's What

From Brendan, an old man trapped in the body of a 32-year-old:

Hi there,

I feel compelled to write you again about the poor quality of staff and store! I no longer buy vegetables from Foodtown because of the rotten tomatoes with fruit flies all around. Your vegetable section is TERRIBLE. I worry that yogurt is spoiled, frozen food freezer burned, condiments gone bad. Every single time, right near the store entrance, fruit flies, really? Yikes, does no one working there notice or care?

Second, your teenage staff is running the place into the ground, spending more time schmoozing and rolling eyes than actually doing their jobs. Last night, I made my way to the store to attempt to buy kitty litter. I rushed to the store to get there before the 9 pm closing time (all the way from Elmhurst on the bus). When I arrived at 8:45 (just to buy kitty litter mind you), the door was locked. I waited until someone left the store and entered through the exit, where a snotty staff member told me it was already 9. I noted, "No, it is not" and then she insisted they close the store at 8:45. I again noted, no you don't, you close at 9, as posted at the door. Then she finally said, "We close 15 minutes early to get everyone out by 9." I wonder what good are store hours? I got out of there faster than people in the store before me since I was buying TWO items.

I only go to your "store" these days to buy kitty litter; your prices aren't any better than Associated or Key Food, your better maintained neighbors in the neighborhood. I can't help but wonder what sort of health code violations are occurring every day at your store, and have considered calling the health department.

May I recommend you hire better staff? Not the kids that run around acting childlike, but rather actual adults with a sense of responsibility? You should train your staff on customer service, so I don't feel enraged every time I go to your run-down store! You need to closely monitor food quality, because if I see one more spoiled tomato or another expired condiment I will contact the health department!

Note to management, you give Foodtown a bad name, and I wonder how much more the fine people of Sunnyside are willing to put up with this nonsense? I imagine you don't want a boycott organized against your store, so I recommend making significant changes.

Thank you,

Brendan

Free Film on the Water

Socrates Sculpture Park has free movies - and some really nice ones over the next three showings.

http://www.socratessculpturepark.org/Film_Series/Film_Festival.htm

JULY 23

CHOP SHOP - UNITED STATES

Introduction by the director.

2007, 84 mins. Directed by Ramin Bahrani. With Alejandro Polanco, Isamar Gonzalez. A deeply affecting slice of urban neorealism, this Queens-made film, set in the Willets Point “Iron Triangle” near Shea Stadium, follows a 12-year-old orphan who ekes out an existence with his teenaged sister.

PERFORMANCE: A mix of folk, rock, country and jazz, The Robe Crowe Situation will perform a blend of music and poetry.

FOOD: Homestyle American cooking by Josephine’s Soul Food Café in Queens

JULY 30

THE HOST - SOUTH KOREA

2006, 119 mins. Directed by Bong Joon-ho. With Song Kang-ho, Bae Doo-na. This satirical monster/horror movie about a rampaging mutant lizard that captures a young girl, The Host is Korea's biggest box-office hit to date. It is great fun and a timely spoof of rampant militarism and environmental recklessness.

PERFORMANCE: Song Hee Lee Dance Company

FOOD: Korean cuisine by Go Wasabi, Astoria

AUGUST 6

THE RED BALLOON - FRANCE

1956, 34 mins. Directed by Albert Lamorisse. A young boy and a red balloon wander through the streets of Paris in The Red Balloon, one of the most beloved children’s films ever made.

PERSEPOLIS - FRANCE

2007, 95 mins. Directed by Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi. Persepolis is a coming-of-age tale about an Iranian girl’s struggles with love, religion, and politics, based on Marjane Satrapi’s popular graphic novel/memoir.

PERFORMANCE: The "lush and sinfully beautiful" sounds of Clare and The Reasons.

FOOD: French fusion cuisine by the French Café Bistro, 718 Restaurant in Astoria

Gunshots on 50th between Skillman & 43rd

If you’ve been alarmed by the gang activity in front of our building the last several weeks, including:

• The setting off of fireworks and potentially firearms

• Yelling and screaming in the middle of the night

• Fighting with baseball bats

• Drug dealing and use

• Drinking alcohol in public

• Throwing of beer bottles at our building

• Destruction of building property (windows, air conditioners and entrance door)

• Parking illegally in the driveway next to the laundromat

• Intimidating and threatening behavior

then we encourage you to contact the police each and every time you notice the above actions.

We have spoken with Community Affairs Officer Juan Toro of the 108^th precinct and told him of our situation and he has told us to contact the police every time we notice these activities.

Use the numbers below to contact our precinct directly.

To report illegal activity in front of our building, call the 108^th precinct:

• (718) 784-5411 or

• 311 or

• 911 For emergencies, drug use, fighting, fireworks, gunfire, etc…

After calling 311, please email us at communityactionsqueens@gmail.com with your complaint number so that we can keep track of how many people are calling.

To report and express what’s happening to the police in general:

• Officer Juan Toro (718) 784-5420

To report illegal activity to our councilman contact Eric Gioia at

• 718-383-9566

*Let’s act together as a community so we can stop our beautiful neighborhood from turning into a haven for drug dealing and other illegal and criminal behavior.*

--Sincerely, Your concerned neighbors. Email us at communityactionqueens@gmail.com

HIS WEEK AT SOCRATES: OUTDOOR CINEMA and TRANSPORTS EXCEPTIONNELS

SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK

IN COLLABORATION WITH MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE AND PARTNERSHIPS FOR PARKS PRESENTS
OUTDOOR CINEMA 2008
AN ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF INTERNATIONAL FILM, MUSIC, DANCE & FOOD

WEDNESDAYS, JULY 9 - AUGUST 27, 2008
AT SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK
32-01 VERNON BOULEVARD @ BROADWAY IN LONG ISLAND CITY
TAKE N/W TRAIN TO BROADWAY IN QUEENS
PRE-SCREENING PERFORMANCES BEGIN AT 7PM
FILMS BEGIN AT SUNSET
FREE ADMISSION

On Wednesday evenings in July and August, Socrates Sculpture Park, Museum of the Moving Image and Partnerships for Parks will present the tenth annual international festival of open air cinema, music, dance and food. Visitors to the Park can sample regional cuisine from neighborhood restaurants, picnic on the grass as the sun sets over the city, enjoy performances by local musicians and dancers, and, as the sky darkens, see exceptional international films on a large-format screen, all set against the spectacular backdrop of the East River and the Manhattan skyline.

Pre-screening performances begin at 7:00 pm, films begin at sunset. All performances and screenings take place in the Park and admission is free.

Pre-screening performers and restaurants will be announced weekly and scheduling is subject to change. In the event of rain, the first cancelled film will be rescheduled to August 27. Please call to confirm programming or sign-up for weekly updates at www.socratessculpturepark.org.

JULY 9

PERFORMANCE:
African beats and rhythms by DJ Stone

BAMAKO AFRICA

2006, 115 mins. Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako. With Aïssa Maïga, Danny Glover. In an outdoor courtroom in Mali, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund are on trial. Far from polemical, this surprisingly lyrical movie is a poetic exploration of modern-day Africa.

FOOD:
Moroccan cuisine by Mundo Café in Astoria

ALSO THIS WEEK...
THE JOYCE THEATER in partnership with CITY PARKS FOUNDATION presents
TRANSPORTS EXCEPTIONNELS

FRIDAY, JULY 18 AT SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK
TWO PERFORMANCES: 1PM AND 7PM
FREE / RAIN OR SHINE

Transports Exceptionnels is a unique and whimsical outdoor duet between man and five-ton mechanical digger. Choreographed by Dominique Boivin.

The Joyce Theater, in partnership with City Parks Foundation, takes dance outdoors with DANCE OUT!, presenting three breathtaking performances in parks throughout the five boroughs. This special dance festival runs from July 16th - 20th and all performances are free.

Brown Can Do hahahaha. No really, though...

The UPS store in Astoria. 29th Ave and Steinway. It's a breeze and they don't charge much.
See, here in Sunnyside we have Post Office issues. As in thank the Lord for Gun Control type issues.
And then there's those guys running a racket on Greenpoint and 47th St. Man, oh Man, the medieval surcharges.
So, shipping a package on a Saturday without a line and without gouging me and with a parking spot for a quarter at 3PM. That and a foot massage is what Brown can do for me.
Whatever that means. I'm a corporate shill. I have no more wit.

Streetsblog on the Vernon Ave Bike Lane

Read here.

Wesley's buying a bike today & I fear for his life--particularly when I clothesline him for riding on the sidewalk. Queens is a cruel town.

Socrates Sculpture Park Outdoor Cinema begins July 9

SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK

IN COLLABORATION WITH
MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE AND PARTNERSHIPS FOR PARKS PRESENT
OUTDOOR CINEMA 2008
AN ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF INTERNATIONAL FILM, MUSIC, DANCE & FOOD

WEDNESDAYS, JULY 9 - AUGUST 27, 2008
AT SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK
32-01 VERNON BOULEVARD @ BROADWAY IN LONG ISLAND CITY
TAKE N/W TRAIN TO BROADWAY IN QUEENS
PRE-SCREENING PERFORMANCES BEGIN AT 7PM
FILMS BEGIN AT SUNSET
FREE ADMISSION

On Wednesday evenings in July and August, Socrates Sculpture Park, Museum of the Moving Image and Partnerships for Parks will present the tenth annual international festival of open air cinema, music, dance and food. Visitors to the Park can sample regional cuisine from neighborhood restaurants, picnic on the grass as the sun sets over the city, enjoy performances by local musicians and dancers, and, as the sky darkens, see exceptional international films on a large-format screen, all set against the spectacular backdrop of the East River and the Manhattan skyline.

Pre-screening performances begin at 7:00 pm, films begin at sunset. All performances and screenings take place in the Park and admission is free.

Pre-screening performers and restaurants will be announced weekly and scheduling is subject to change. In the event of rain, the first cancelled film will be rescheduled to August 27. Please call to confirm programming or sign-up for weekly updates at www.socratessculpturepark.org.

Cool Stuff for Families at the Queens Museum of Art

I should have been on the ball with this one, but you'll have to check out Mommy Poppins for family summer fun.

Biking Skillman--A Rejoinder

From faithful reader & Safer Skillman advocate Angus Grieve-Smith:

I and many of my neighbors are disappointed to see how seriously the complaints of a single neighbor are being taken by Queens Crap. The bike lanes on Skillman and 43rd Avenues are in fact very popular in the community. The main reason is that they slow cars down and make the street safer.

Far from imposing a radical agenda on Sunnyside, Transportation Alternatives was in fact called in by neighbors fed up with the dangerous conditions on Skillman and 43rd Avenues. Their recommendations to improve safety on Skillman have been widely accepted, receiving the support of local businesses, FDNY Ladder Company 163/Engine 325 and the PTA of P.S. 11.

The bike lanes in particular have been endorsed by the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce (not exactly a bastion of radicalism) and numerous local businesses, as well as Councilmember Eric Gioia and Assemblymember Cathy Nolan.

It is disigenuous of Al Volpe to complain about the bike lanes being planned without consulting the community board, since the Bicycle Master Plan is hardly a state secret. It was approved years ago and Skillman and 43rd Avenues were listed as "planned/proposed" on last year's bike map. The community board was notified in writing of this particular pair of lanes in February, and verbally in April.

Al is clearly frustrated that the Board was not asked to sign off on the bike lanes. What did he do in response? He asked the community board to vote on an anti-bike-lane resolution without placing it on the agenda. Many people in the neighborhood are frustrated that the community board voted on this without inviting input from the community. If they had known, they would have gone to express their support. Even without any notification, during the public comment period two residents expressed support for the bike lanes and Al was the only one to complain. Why should the community board be consulted if they in turn do not bother to consult the community?

Al's letter also contains numerous factual inaccuracies, which he has been repeating for weeks to anyone who will listen to him. I have repeatedly tried to correct him in person, but instead of listening he he has simply restated his erroneous interpretation of the facts. To clear things up, I have posted corrections on our website at saferskillman.org.

Free Kids' Reading Series

The Queens Library has a free summer reading in the park program for kids ages 3-8 at Atlas Park:

Tuesdays July 8 and 22, August 5 and 19

12-1 pm

Bring chairs and blankets, and it will take place rain or shine.

The bookmobile will be there those days as well, 11-5.

Queens Rocks LOVES the Queens Library! Holla!

New Summer Free Concert Series Live At The Gantries starts tomorrow!

New Summer Free Concert Series Live At The Gantries to Feature An Array Of Queens Artists

Queens, NY – Celebrating the rich musical and ethnic tapestries of Queens in boisterous style, Live at the Gantries, the borough’s newest free summer performance series, will kick off later this month in Long Island City on June 24th.

The free, outdoor performances will feature some of the borough’s most celebrated entertainers, from Afro-Brazilian jazz musicians to Japanese punk rockers, with acts for audience members of all ages. Live at the Gantries’ nine nights will take place on Tuesdays at 7 o’clock at Gantry Plaza State Park, a 2.5-acre waterside oasis between 49th and 50th Avenues along the East River. The series will run from June 24th to August 26th.

From the industrial zone-turned state park, audience members will be able to enjoy breathtaking views of the midtown Manhattan skyline, including the Empire State Building and the United Nations’ headquarters. The park boasts four piers, manicured gardens, a mist fountain and the restored, historical gantries that once loaded and unloaded railcar floats and barges.


Event Schedule:

June 24 - Corina Bartra, Afro-Brazilian Jazz

Corina Bartra is a vocalist-percussionist who has studied rhythms from around the world and incorporated various influences into her music. She is known for blending original jazz compositions with the rich, magical traditions of Afro-Peruvian and Brazilian music.

July 1 - The F# Miners, Irish Traditional Music

The F# Miners have been playing together for two years influenced by the likes of Planxty and The Bothy Band. Instrument line-up consists of uileann pipes, whistles, bodhran, banjo and guitar. They play every Thursday at Maguire's Pub in Woodside.


July 8 - Blue Pipa, Chinese Folk Music

Along with her accompanying musicians, Min Xiao-Fen of Blue Pipa is renown for her exploration of traditional and modern music from all cultures. Famed for her virtuosity and fluid style on the pipa, she has recorded and performed with Björk.

July 15 – Bliminal, Indie Rock

A self-described “band of vagabonds that gathers together to exchange thoughts of radical sound,” the Astoria-based group lists among its influences Pavement, The Darkside and Sergio Leone.

July 22 – Calpulli Mexican Dance, Traditional Mexican Dance

Calpulli celebrates the rich regional traditions of Mexico by telling stories through colorful dance pieces. Their fresh, vital repertoire honors not just Mexico's past, but also the lives of its emigrants in the United States. The performance-based program will include didactic information and interactive exercises for the young and young at heart.

July 29 - York College Summer Big Band

The student jazz ensemble performs annually at the CUNY Jazz Festival at City College and was featured in Weltreisen on the German television station ARD in April 2006. The members of the workshop perform regularly throughout the borough.

August 5 - Mahina Movement, Folk, Rock and Rhymes

Drawing on their African-American, Chicana and Tongan heritages, the members of this threesome fuse folk, blues, hip hop, poetry and dance in their performances. Through their music, they aim to address social and political injustices.

August 12- No event scheduled.

August 19 - Zikrayat, Arabic Music and Belly Dancers

This Long Island City-based ensemble considers improvisation a critical element of their performances. With a classical Takht lineup of oud, nay, violin, qanun, riqq and tabla, in addition to folk instruments like buzuq, mizmar and rababa, Zikrayat captures the original spirit of Arabic music. The group’s dancers focus on authentic Egyptian Raqs Sharqi.

August 26 - Noirceur and Uzuhi, Punk

Flushing-based Uzuhi is known as the Japanese acoustic punk rock band. Uzuhi means Sun in Japanese, a name chosen because of the band’s strong belief that music has no borders. Fellow punk rockers Noirceur describe themselves as wanting to let everyone know they’re around playing original songs and having fun.

Directions to Gantry Plaza State Park:

Via New York Water Taxi:

Take the New York Water Taxi from either the West 44th Street, Chelsea Piers, Greenwich Village, World Financial Center, Battery Park, South Street Seaport, Fulton Ferry Landing or East 34th Street piers to Hunter’s Point. Exit the Water Taxi Beach parking lot to 2nd Street. Make a left on 2nd Street. Make a left on 50th Avenue towards the city until you reach the river.

By subway, take the No. 7 train to the Vernon Blvd.-Jackson Ave. Station. Walk on 50th Avenue to the East River. The park is in front of the Citylights Building.

By car from the Queensboro Bridge or Queens Boulevard, turn south on 21st Street. Turn right on Jackson Avenue. Make another right on 48th Avenue and a left at the Citylights Building. Make a final right on 49th Avenue. (No street parking available at the park itself.)

Dagnabbit, This is a Nice Place

The Fam has been heading over here on days That The Man Lets Me Be and we've all had a real, heckuva good time.

Swings. Sprinklers. Refreshments. Nice Ladies with Good Kids.

Though, the walk over got me to thinking that a few stop signs on Skillman Ave. would stop a lot of speeding and a lot of through traffic spillage from The Boulevard Del Muerto.

Which would be a good idea on 48th Ave. too, damn it!

It might stop women with strollers getting hit by the park, it might discourage the kidnappers who try to abduct teenage girls at gunpoint. Then again, maybe we just need more cops.

Trying to put lipstick on a pig

They're back.

The people who tried to open a strip club in Sunnyside Gardens now say they want to open a "family restaurant" that stays open until 3am. Tonight, the owners of the notorious Punto G, now known as Calibar, also presented Department of Buildings approved architectural plans that include two DJ booths, though they promise there wont be any dancing.

At a community board committee hearing Wednesday night, Emilio Rubio and his accountant Jack Chang presented plans for the corner of 48th street and Barnett Ave. Rubio's wife, Lida Barona sat silently as they tried to sell the idea of a "family restaurant" to a disbelieving board and a standing room only crowd, unified in opposition.

Chang feebly offered up a brief biography of Mr. Rubio's and Ms. Barona's experiences at the Extravaganza dance club where Rubio worked as a security guard and another place called La Fonda.

The owners want to keep this "family restaurant" open until 3am on weekends and would close up at midnight on weeknights. When asked if the owners would be open to adjusting the hours, Chang snapped, "he's allowed to be open until 4am."

The best part came when Chang described my neighborhood as a "manufacturing area" and dismissed concerns about parking because "there's plenty of parking in the area at night."
The room erupted in laughter at the suggestion that parking is easy in Sunnyside Gardens.

The floor plans submitted tonight included two DJ booths. They want to blast tropical and Colombian music and envision two flat screen TVs on the walls of the windowless warehouse. They plan to hire a firm called Forte security, where Mr. Rubio worked for 3 years.

A letter in opposition from Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan was entered in the record. No mention of the LIRR east side access project that will cause major upheaval at this location in the near future.

These people are trying to put lipstick on a pig. They obviously want to open a sleazy dance bar and don't think we can stop them. The arrogant and blatant disregard for our community was clear in their presentation. We already have two round the clock businesses across the street from this place. There are plenty of nice places to buy alcohol in the area, we don't need another. They don't know or care that there is nowhere to park in this neighborhood. I hope they spend every last cent they have on shady lawyers, accountants, and architects. We will stop them. The battle lines are drawn.

Tour de Queens--VIDEO

From Street Films.

$$ SLASH TO LIBRARIES

From reader Tracy:

Had a question for you...I'm a fellow Queens resident and recently found out that the city council is proposing a nearly $7 million budget cut to Queens Libraries, and I decided to help residents petition this (this is 2nd year running for lib cuts, bringing the total to over $10 million if this cut goes thru!).

The libraries are collecting signatures at the branches, but no one had thought of the commuters, or those who get their info online, so I created an online petition.

I just gave to the Queens Library Foundation, so Let's Meet Up In Queens enthusiastically supports this campaign.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 3, 2008

No. 58

www.nyc.gov/parks

FIFTH ANNUAL GALA TO BENEFIT FLUSHING MEADOWS CORONA PARK

Unisphere, Inc., will host The Roaring 20’s Night In The Park, at the Ederle Terrace in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Thursday, June 19, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. and honor three distinguished members of the Queens Community. This event is open to the public.

Unisphere, Inc., is a not-for-profit public-private partnership established to support programs of and enhancements to Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The event is an integral part of its effort to provide meaningful endowments important to current and future generations of park users.

Flushing Savings Bank’s CEO John Buran, President of Anchor Contractors, Inc. Larry Guadagno and the Mattone family will be recognized for their contribution to Flushing Meadows Corona Park at the event.

“Our honorees are longstanding and generous contributors to the Queens community and we feel privileged to honor them,” said Assistant Commissioner Estelle Cooper. “We deeply appreciate their generosity and concern for our beautiful park, and we invite the community to join us in celebrating these outstanding individuals and promoting ongoing enhancements to the park.”

Unisphere, Inc. Chairman Bruce Bendell, who is also the President of Major World Auto, said, “Unisphere, Inc. was established in 2003 to help finance special projects and service enhancements at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. With the supplemental dollars we raise, the park is able to focus its own resources on local acquisition, upkeep and stewarding of capital projects.”

Sponsorships and tickets ($250 per person) are still available. Casual dress or 1920s costumes are appropriate. Please call Kathy Dallojacono at Flushing Meadows Corona Park for more information at 718-760-6565 or email: Kathy.Dallojacono@parks.nyc.gov

- 30 -

Media Contact: Jama Adams/Trish Bertuccio (212) 360-1311

Third Annual Southern Queens Gospelfest

Date: July 26, 2008

Start Time:3:00 p.m.

End Time:8:00 p.m.

Description: A festival of soulful sounds, this show will spotlight talented choirs and gospel singers from throughout the city and from as far away as Rhode Island. The event is a free family fun day filled with activities for people of all ages. Bring a folding chair or blanket.

Location: At Baisley Pond Park- On Rockaway Blvd. between Sutphin and Baisley Blvd.

Can You See Low, Low Prices, Sunnyside?

CN Vision Care on 46th St. between Greenpoint and 48th Ave has been putting lenses in my glasses for nine years now. The same lenses with all the fixins' for $95 a pair. UV, Glare, Scratch all that, installed on premises by a really nice guy. He even has a white coat to make you feel at ease.

Woman, 19 Challenges 6 Year Old From Queens on NY1.

Watching My NY1 this morning and caught the story of the woman in SoHo who was sexually assaulted last night at 330 while walking home from the subway. There was NY1 with a live report being filed, interviewing neighbors; there was the NYPD in their white suits, dusting for prints, yellow tape, lights going. It was, rightfully, being reported as a big deal.
Remember the 6 year old girl who was sodomized in broad daylight three weeks ago in a Woodside park? If you don't it's because it didn't merit that level of attention.
Perhaps we should get our own news channel? Our own Police Department? Oh, right. Nevermind.
Does anyone have the phone number to the 114th Precinct? Do they have a phone number?

Free Outdoor Fitness Classes at Socrates!

SOCRATES
SCULPTURE PARK


OUTDOOR FITNESS IN THE PARK
SPRING / SUMMER / FALL 2008

Yoga in the Park
Saturdays, May 10 - September 27 (rain or shine)
First session: 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Second session: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Socrates offers free Kripalu Yoga, a system of Hatha Yoga that integrates body postures, breathing techniques, relaxation and meditation. Taught by Monique Schubert, participants are encouraged to integrate their yoga practices with this very special waterfront environment of nature and art. Suitable for all experience levels. Participants should bring a mat or towel.

Pilates in the Park
Sundays, May 11 - June 29 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM (rain or shine)
Socrates Sculpture Park is pleased to introduce a fourth outdoor exercise class into its weekly repertoire. Classical Pilates encourages proper breathing, spinal alignment, core strengthening, muscle flexibility and balance in the body. Taught by Cortnie Vitali, participants will leave feeling empowered, and stress free.

Tai Chi in the Park
Sundays, May 11 - September 28 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (rain or shine) Socrates hosts free Tai Chi classes in the Park led by members of the Taoist Tai Chi Society. Participants will have the opportunity to relax and exercise among the changing exhibitions of contemporary outdoor sculpture. Classes are designed for all experience levels. Participants should wear comfortable clothing.

Capoeira in the Park
Saturdays, May 10 - September 27 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM (rain or shine) Capoeira is a lively martial art that originated in Brazil over 450 years ago. Self-defense techniques are concealed by graceful dance moves and spectacular acrobatics set to music. Taught by Professor Abará. Classes are designed for all experience levels. Participants should wear comfortable clothing.

OTHER EXHIBITIONS & PROGRAMS:

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT
MAY 4 - AUGUST 3, 2008
Curated by Robyn Donohue with Alyson Baker and Marichris Ty, this group exhibition explores interpretations and responses to the motivations, goals, realities, politics, and practices of recycling, with works by: Jonathan Allen, The Canary Project (Annie Murdock, Ed Morris, and Jussara Lee), Tony Feher, Lars Fisk, Miwa Koizumi, Rainy Lehrman, Carole Frances Lung, Julian Montague, Macrae Semans, Austin Shull, Courtney Smith, Shinique Smith, Jade Townsend & Michael Petersen, Paul Villinski, Letha Wilson, and Randy Wray.

SATURDAY SCULPTURE WORKSHOPS MAY 10 - SEPTEMBER 27
SUMMER SOLSTICE CELEBRATION JUNE 21
OUTDOOR CINEMA WEDNESDAYS, JULY 6 - AUGUST 27
LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE EVENTS HERE!

EVEN A SMALL GIFT
MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE:
A contribution of any size is a tremendous gift to the 72,000 people that visit us annually. Your donation to Socrates Sculpture Park helps us to ensure that all of the Park's dynamic exhibitions, artmaking workshops, film screenings, fitness classes, concerts, performances and annual events remain open to the public for FREE.

You can make your donation right here or mail a check to:

Socrates Sculpture Park
PO Box 6259, 32-01 Vernon Boulevard
Long Island City, NY 11106

TELL YOUR FRIENDS:
An exciting new season is now in development and we look forward to sharing the details with you and your friends. Like you, your friends can receive up-to-the-minute information about Socrates' upcoming exhibitions and programs by email:


ABOUT SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK:
Socrates Sculpture Park was an abandoned landfill and illegal dumpsite until 1986 when a coalition of artists and community members, under the leadership of sculptor Mark di Suvero, transformed it into an open studio and exhibition space for artists and a neighborhood park for local residents. Once a rubble-strewn lot, it now flourishes as an ever-evolving natural landscape.

Located in an industrial neighborhood in Long Island City, Socrates is a waterfront park that overlooks the Manhattan skyline; the site is an affecting and inspiring place for artists to work and a spectacular setting for the presentation of public art. To date, Socrates has hosted close to 700 artists and currently attracts more than 72,000 visitors annually.

Socrates Sculpture Park is the only site in the New York Metropolitan area specifically dedicated to providing artists with opportunities to create and exhibit large-scale sculpture and multi-media installations in an outdoor environment that invites interaction between artists, artworks and the public.

Socrates Sculpture Park is open 365 days a year from 10am to sunset. The Park is located at the intersection of Broadway and Vernon Boulevard in Long Island City.

DIRECTIONS:
BY SUBWAY: Monday through Friday take the N or W trains to the Broadway stop in Queens and walk eight blocks along Broadway toward the East River. On Saturday and Sunday take the N train to the Broadway stop. For driving, cycling and walking directions, please visit our website: www.socratessculpturepark.org.

Woodside Cafe:Esparks A-OK

Sunday I went to ESparks Café on Roosevelt Ave @ 59th Street. It turned into a beautiful day as I sat there grading papers. I left the house on a grey Sunday looking for a quiet place to get some work done away from the kids. I got a decent cup of coffee and was treated well by the "barrista" (an awful and pretentious name for a coffee-clerk). There were people in the café on a Sunday afternoon, which made me happy since it is the first "bourgeois" amenity in this part of Woodside. I want this place to thrive, because it is the first place like it in Woodside. Now, I've tried drinking Coffee at Mango Café on 61st St and Woodside Pizza on 60th and 44th Ave and, while they were kind enough the vibes were all wrong: they are restaurants not a cafés, where you can "camp." (La Flor Café, an excellent spot, is just a bit too far away for me to grade, and it is a brunch joint on Sunday afternoons.)
I asked the guy who came by cleaning the counter near me how to pronounce espark's: is ot "e-Sparks" or "Esparks?" Because all the workers that day looked latino I thought it might be that the addition of the "e" to the dipthong "sp," because in Spanish they don't usually start words with s-dipthongs, my brother's name often suffers from that and he becomes Estaffor (for Stafford). Rather, the name is because the Parks started the café to sell Espresso (where the extra "s" went to, I don't know). A Korean-American cafe, peopled by latinos and Asians, serving coffee and cakes to JOJ Irish people pushing fancy strollers, is exactly why I love Woodside Queens.
I had a great day scrapping through six student essays: sinceI only turned the page sideways to write SUMMARY alongside of three paragraphs it was a good day. I had a nice stretch of window counter facing out at Evangeline's Filipino bakery and restaurant. It is so-so according to the mabuhay cognoscenti: Tito Rad's over by PC Richards on Queens Boulevard and 59th is what my Filipino friends like. As I looked up there were almost always people out on the street, families and delivery people mostly, kids licking cones from Carvel and a couple of drunks staggering by with the colors of African Liberation wrapped in their blonde dreadlocks. I think I admire the working class whites that haven't fled the neighborhood as much as anyone, I'm glad I'm allowed to feel comfortable here now.
As I graded the third paper I looked up and jackets were suddenly tied around waists and the sun was streaming down through the Elevated, looking something like the venetian blinds in a noire film. But as the skate punks stood aside to let the families and retirees stream out of St. Sebastian's around the corner after mass I started to see why I am so happy to have moved to Woodside. I am glad to live in a neighborhood where EVERYBODY fits in.
I just have to say watching the three scooter delivery guys from the Chinese restaurant around the corner was a welcome diversion for me. It seemed each time I had to stop to write "¿thesis?" they'd be headed out or back or both. I love seeing delivery guys work out how to stack the goods on the scooters and joke between deliveries around the fur-mittened scooters with the duct-tape holding them together. It is a reminder of my younger days messengering. I miss the esprit de corps of delivery riders, even if they don't have the cachet of the track-bike-messenger I was in the 1980s; it is the same gig. (I'll bet we have the same brakes: none!)
The coffee was good and Esparks had the welcome and welcoming vibe of the corporate megafauna, but I was avoiding the corporatization of Queens. I have to say that when I lived in Sunnyside I liked the two Cafes there "The Grind" @ 39th Pl and Queens Boulevard and Café Aubergine on Skillman and 50th, but now they are too far away, so here is where I'll have to tipple my joe. Woodside lacks the intimacy of Sunnyside gardens with its painfully cute houses, gardens and trees, but Roosevelt Ave is as nice a "high Street" as there is in New York. Esparks is a damn fine addition with all of the comfort and ambiance of any café, well it is a bit bourgeois and neat, not like The Grind or the Mission Café's of San Francisco, but it is a great meeting place in Woodside.
59-02 Woodside Ave Woodside, NY 11377
http://www.yelp.com/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.esparkscoffee.com&src_bizid=5_S4tBhVm7s7kCgDslKmbw
I just learned that they have another branch that was favorably reviewed other places, And if I was a reviewer instead of a romantic I'd tell you the important things that those other reviews included like ireless access and baked goods and the like. I hear they are hiring. I'm glad I already have a job.

Jackson Heights Poetry Contest--Reading & Winners

Announcing the Winners of the First Annual Jackson Heights Poetry Festival Student Poetry Contest

Winners, listed at www.jhpfest.org, will receive awards and read their poems at the Jackson Heights Poetry Festival on Saturday, May 17

From May 15-17, 2008, Jackson Heights will open its doors to both the local community and NYC at large to celebrate the cultural diversity of Queens and the poetic talent of its students.

The Jackson Heights Poetry Festival is a 3-day event involving workshops taught by professors and poets, a poetry slam, and a series of readings at an all-day outdoor-poetry-extravaganza.

The poetry contest was held in all public and private middle and high schools throughout Queens for students in grades 6 – 12. A celebrity panel of judges, including Jonathan Galassi, Lynne Procope, and Roger Bonair-Agard judged the winners, announced May 1 and who will be featured at the Festival.

Events:

WORKSHOPS: Thursday May 15, 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

The Garden School 33-16 79th Street, Jackson Heights NY, 11372



POETRY SLAM & OPEN MIC: Friday May 16, 9:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Restaurant and Lounge Novo 78-23 37th Avenue, Jackson Heights, NY



THE FESTIVAL: Saturday May 17, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

The Garden School 33-16 79th Street, Jackson Heights, NY



Noted Poets and Educators Taking Part in the JHPF Events:

Patrick Rosal, Jai Chakrabati, Michael Dumanis, Samantha Thornhill, Bill Zavatsky, Richard Marotta, Lee Schlesinger, and the first woman to be named the Poet Laureate of Queens, New York, Ishle Yi Park.



Sponsors/Organizers/Supporters:

New York Council for the Humanities

Jackson Heights Beautification Group

NYS Senator John D. Sabini

NYS Assemblyman José R. Peralta

NYC Councilman Hiram Monserrate

Marina Yoffe, Co-Founder/Director

­Sarah Heinemann, Co-Founder/Director

Contact info: JHPFest@gmail.com or (347) 239-2243


For more information please visit www.jhpfest.org

Garden & Grub Potluck Picnic at Two Coves Garden

Bring your family, friends, and favorite vegetarian dish. Let's picnic and help beautify the largest community gardens in Astoria.

Saturday, May 24th 12:00 – 2:00 pm
Location: Two Coves Garden/Triangle at 30th Ave.,
8th St., & Astoria Blvd

Learn about indoor and outdoor composting

Want a garden? Plots still available contact twocovesgarden@yahoo.com for info.

Co Sponsor: Two Coves Garden Association

Area Mom Fed Up With Parks

Reader Marie Walnut writes in to share her hair raising experiences as a new mom out in the wilds of Sunnyside playgroundland:

Only recently I found myself venturing into the New York City parks and playgrounds now that I’m a mother. I have always taken walks in Central Park, but it’s really not the same as the local play spaces. Nothing like the play spaces we have here in Sunnyside – Lou Lodati and Noonan playgrounds.

I have spent more hours at Lou Lodati than I care to count on the few warm days we have had so far. I had no idea that I was going to encounter such unfortunate things there. Before I entered for the first time I referred to the rules that are clearly posted on gate. However, after sitting there for a few minutes I started to notice that many of the rules were broken. I noticed dogs, people lying on benches who were not in the company of children, and worst of all cigarette smoke was rampant.

I can forgive most wafting cigarette smoke, but when the blue haze makes way over my newborn’s face I find it totally unacceptable. On one of the first lovely spring days in Sunnyside, the smoke was heavy over at Lou Lodati playground. There were women pushing baby buggies smoking their super 110s. The kids were happily breathing in the thick blue haze when the wind blew in the right direction. Even the park attendant was puffing a butt close to the restroom facilities in plain view of all to see. I had to move to three different benches to save my baby from a lifetime of asthma just from one visit to Lou Lodati.

A few days later I decided that the weather was too nice and I needed to go back for another round of the abusive relationship I have entered into as a park sitter at Lou Lodati. Little did I know that the day would bring some interaction with the local adolescent boys? How does a group of young mothers with little babies get into a verbal altercation with tween boys? Well visit Lou Lodati after school lets out and you will see. After some young punks decided to kick their soccer ball ferociously around four young moms and their babies, one brave mom went to reason with them. They didn’t let up and decided to release as many uses of the F-word they could configure in their broken sentences. No park attendant was to be found though – probably out smoking…

I discovered that hanging out in Sunnyside’s playgrounds is more of a standoff than an enjoyable walk through the park.

Support for Dolce Vita Withdrawn

See original post. Sorry it took so long to respond to the hue-and-cry in the comments.

The First Annual Jackson Heights Poetry Festival

to Take Place this May

The Most Culturally Diverse Neighborhood in the U.S. brings togetherCommunity Schools and Organizations to Promote

Diversity Appreciation through Poetry

From May 15-17, 2008, Jackson Heights will open its doors to both the local community and NYC at large to celebrate the cultural diversity of Queens and the poetic talent of its students.

The Jackson Heights Poetry Festival is a 3-day event involving workshops taught by professors and poets, a poetry slam, and a series of readings at an all-day outdoor-poetry-extravaganza.

Leading up to the festival, a poetry contest will be held in public and private middle and high schools throughout Queens for students in grades 6 – 12, and winners will be featured at the festival.

Events:

WORKSHOPS: Thursday May 15, 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

The Garden School 33-16 79th Street, Jackson Heights NY, 11372

POETRY SLAM & OPEN MIC: Friday May 16, 9:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Restaurant and Lounge Novo 78-23 37th Avenue, Jackson Heights, NY

THE OUTDOOR FESTIVAL: Saturday May 17, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

The Garden School 33-16 79th Street, Jackson Heights, NY

Noted Poets and Educators Taking Part in the JHPF Events:

Patrick Rosal, Jai Chakrabati, Richard Marotta, Lee Schlesinger, Michael Dumanis, Bill Zavatsky, and the first woman to be named the Poet Laureate of Queens, New York, Ishle Yi Park.

Sponsors/Organizers/Supporters:

New York Council for the Humanities

Jackson Heights Beautification Group

NYS Senator John D. Sabini

NYS Assemblyman José R. Peralta

NYC Councilman Hiram Monserrate

Dime Savings Bank

Marina Yoffe, Co-Founder/Director

Sarah Heinemann, Co-Founder/Director

Contact info: JHPFest@gmail.com or (347) 517-1506

Online Contest submissions are due by Tuesday, April 22, 2008. Finalists will be announced online May 1, 2008.

For more information, please visit www.jhpfest.org