Neighborhood News
COMPILED BY LIZ GOFF

Community Boards Go Cyber

Queens' 14 community boards have taken a step into cyberspace.

Borough residents can now click on www.queenscb.org to reach local community boards online and obtain meeting notices, agendas, public speaker info and other information pertaining to issues handled by the boards.

The Web site also contains a list of municipal phone numbers, maps of neighborhoods covered by the community boards and lists of local board members.

The newly launched Web site was made possible by Queens Borough President Helen Marshall through a grant from Con Edison.

Call For Domestic Violence 'Bracelets'

A Bronx Assemblymember has introduced a bill that would require anyone under an order of protection to wear an electronic monitoring device.

The bill, which is designed to protect victims and prevent domestic violence incidents from escalating, was passed by the state senate last year.

Sponsors said the bill would require offenders to be electronically tagged so police and law enforcement officials can determine their whereabouts and warn victims when offenders have violated orders of protection. The bill would also allow police to apprehend offenders before they can commit further acts of violence against their victims.

Urge Megan's Law For Net

A measure proposed by state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo would require child sex offenders to provide their Internet identities to New York state, which would share the information with personal networking sites such as MySpace.

The "eSTOP Act"- Electronic Security and Targeting of Online Predators- was developed by Cuomo as a means to control sexual predators who use Internet chat rooms to seduce unsuspecting minors, authorities said.

The measure would require offenders to list all e-mail addresses, chat and instant messaging names, screen names and pages they have posted on personal networking sites.

Under the measure, offenders who fail to report changes to their Internet identity within 10 days could be charged with a felony.

Escape To The Igloo

Parents of young children suffering from winter-induced cabin fever can head to the Shops at Atlas Park for some fun relief.

Youngsters can chase away winter blahs inside a 15-foot-tall, 30-foot-wide igloo that offers winter-themed games and activities, including an "ice" climbing wall, a reindeer toss game and stackable snowmen.

Children under 12 can enjoy activities inside the igloo daily through March 23, from noon to 6 p.m.

Admission fees are $2 on weekends and $1 on weekdays

The Shops at Atlas Park are located at 8000 Cooper Avenue at 80th Street in Glendale. For more information, call 718- 326-3300 or visit www.theshopsatatlaspark.com.

Tennis Lessons Available

Young tennis aficionados are invited to sign up for free tennis lessons through March 31.

The New York Junior Tennis League is offering early morning weekend and afternoon programs in Queens for players ages 6 to 18.

All classes are designed for beginners and intermediate players. Parents must register their youngsters in person.

For information and location call 347- 417-8157 or go online to www.nytl.org.

Call For School Text-Alert System

Queens lawmakers are calling on city Department of Education officials to adopt a text-message alert system that would notify parents in case of school emergencies.

A bill co-sponsored by Assemblymember Mark Weprin calls for a system similar to those adopted by colleges following a recent rash of campus shootings. Weprin said the system is necessary to inform parents of emergencies at their children's schools. "We are not asking for more than that," Weprin said.

The bill, which is currently in the respective Assembly and state senate Education Committees, would call for mandatory notification of parents, school staff and neighborhood residents. The messages would not be sent to students, who are prohibited from bringing cellphones into schools.