News Of The Neighborhoods
COMPILED BY LIZ GOFF

No Bidders For Bonds' Historic Homerun Ball

Online bidders didn't storm the bases to scoop up Barry Bonds' record-breaking home run ball last week.

Bidding for the historic ball opened at $100,000 on August 29 at scpauctions.com Auctioneers said they expect the ball to be worth as much as $500,000- but as of late last week, there were no takers.

Queens College student Matt Murphy, 21, caught the historic ball while on vacation in San Francisco last month. Murphy said he was forced to offer the ball at the online auction after he was slapped with a huge tax bill following his lucky catch.

Offers for the ball can be placed through September 15.

ID Pass Speeds Boarding at LaGuardia, JFK Airports

The friendly skies over Queens just got a lot friendlier, thanks to new technology that speeds approved air travelers through security checkpoints at LaGuardia and JFK International Airports.

Port Authority officials recently announced the installment of a CLEAR enrollment station at LaGuardia Airport, under which passengers can purchase preapproved identification cards for use at airport security checkpoints.

The cards, which work like ATM cards, will speed passengers along "fast" security lines at LaGuardia and JFK, said CLEAR spokesperson Cindy Rosenthal. The first "fast" security line will open at LaGuardia later this month, Rosenthal said.

The system is fast and easy to use, Rosenthal said. The CLEAR card contains an encrypted fingerprint or an iris scan that provides an exact match to the cardholder. The cardholder simply inserts the card into a machine, then "taps" a touch screen or gazes into a mirror that scans his or her eye. If the machine matches the data, the cardholder is whisked through the security checkpoint without further delay.

Air travelers seeking complete information or who wish to purchase a CLEAR card should visit the enrollment station in the central terminal at LaGuardia or JFK Airport, open seven days a week from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.

All applicants must be pre-screened and approved by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). TSA-approved applicants must complete forms online at www.flyclear.com, then return to the enrollment station to complete the identification process.

The CLEAR cards, which carry an annual fee of $99.95, are accepted at more than 10 airports nationwide, Port Authority officials said.

Queens College Prepares 'Alert' System

Queens College officials are preparing to implement a Student Alert System that will automatically send voice mail or text messages warning students, faculty and administrators of emergency situations on campus.

Students will be able to list email addresses, phone numbers and other information with the system for use by officials in case of an emergency situation. In the case of a lifethreatening situation, students will receive instructions on how to proceed to protect themselves, college officials said.

The college is currently testing the system, which should be implemented during the current semester, officials said. Enrollment is strongly encouraged, but not mandatory.

Queens College is not alone in seeking a method to alert students and faculty members of emergency situations. Officials at the City University of New York (CUNY), along with other school and colleges in the metropolitan area, are in the process of exploring similar options.

Plans to implement the systems were sparked by recent, deadly acts of violence at universities across the U.S., including the April 16 murders of 32 people on the campus of Virginia Tech University.

Queens College officials are urging students with limited funds to opt for voice mail notification to avoid paying extra text-message fees on cellular phones.