On the brief side...
St. John's Prep Group New Orleans Bound

A group of some 30 teachers, staff and friends of St. John's Preparatory School in Astoria will be in New Orleans over the February break to help rebuild some still struggling neighborhoods in Katrina-stricken New Orleans.

The group has raised approximately $10,000 toward a goal of $28,000 for the journey. About $500 was contributed by the Judge Charles Vallone Scholarship Foundation from an internal fund for special causes. The funds will be used to purchase new furniture for the homes they plan to rebuild, which were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

City Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr. (D- Astoria) said the helping hand being extended by the Astoria school is in repayment of past favors from New Orleans. After 9/11, "this city helped us during our time of need and now we must return the favor" he said.

The group will be leaving February 17 and returning February 28. Cristina Varriale, campus minister at the prep is coordinating the trip and accepting donations at 718- 721-7200, ext. 630.

Speaking for the group, Varriale said, "We were deeply affected by what happened in New Orleans. To see that this happened in our own country really shocked us. We try to instill values in our students, especially the value of service. We hope this will be another opportunity to teach, setting an example for students to encourage them to go out and do the same type of thing."

While in New Orleans, the group will work with Community Collaborations International and Habitat for Humanity.

New Airport To Relieve LaG, JFK Congestion

Stewart International Airport, 60 miles north of New York City, is to be acquired by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PA) and will be expanded into the metropolitan area's fourth major commercial airport.

The $78.5 million acquisition and expansion is designed to relieve congestion at John F. Kennedy International and La Guardia Airports in Queens and Liberty International Airport in Newark. All three are operated by the PA and for half a century have been bedeviled by overuse. The new airport will also give many passengers and businesses a facility closer to home to reduce travel times and cut down on trips to pick up cargo.

The PA will take over Stewart in October with plans to make it into a major transportation hub by adding a new passenger terminal and more parking facilities.

Funds For Railroad Fencing

The death of Ari Kraft, a Rego Park teenager who was killed earlier this month when a Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) train struck him, has triggered a $500,000 grant from the federal government to erect fences along exposed LIRR tracks.

Congressmember Anthony Weiner (D- Queens/Brooklyn) and City Councilmember Eric Gioia (D- Long Island City), in announcing the grant, said it will jump-start a new interagency task force charged with limiting access to active railways.

To further protect children and prevent accidents like the one that took Kraft's life when he trespassed onto tracks near his home, Weiner will introduce ("Ari's Law)", legislation which will provide $20 million to municipalities for fencing and protective structures near railroad tracks close to residences and schools.

Friday Is Annual 'Wear Red Day'

State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky (D- Flushing) is urging everyone to observe "Wear Red" Day this Friday, an annual event when Americans wear a red article of clothing in observance of a national awareness campaign about the risks of heart disease, the number one killer of women.

"This simple effort is a statement of unity and strength," Stavisky said. "It also serves as a vivid reminder that women need to protect their heart health."

The lawmaker urged, "Women must learn to carve out time for themselves- including time for fitness, stress reduction activities and healthy nutrition." She said that doctors say that heart disease is largely preventable if one adopts a healthy lifestyle.