From the outset, there were concerns and Community Board 1 overwhelmingly voted against a proposed 50-unit building for homeless people who have also been diagnosed with mental illness and/or substance abuse issues. “It’s unfair to house people in an area without basic needs—no supermarkets, drugstores, banks, and limited transportation,” said Jean Marie D’Alleva, chairperson of the health and social services/ […]
Paterson Budget Blasted From All Angles
Governor David Paterson was battered from every direction when he released his 2009 budget last week, by public officials, public education and senior advocates and the business community, and was urged by several to impose a tax on the wealthy or seek a bailout from Washington instead of cutting the schools budget. In response, the governor admitted at one point […]
1st Greek Honor Society In U.S. Formed At SJU
This month, a Modern Greek Language Honor Society was formed at St. John’s University, thanks to the determination and perseverance of St. John’s University Senior Veronica Georgiades. “I was inducted into the Italian Honor Society in May 2008 in an inspiring ceremony,” she said. “I realized then that it is time to form an honor society for students of Modern […]
Santoras Witness Terrorists’ Trial At Guantanamo Bay
Editor’s Note: Christopher Santora, a Queens College graduate who turned down permanent placement as a teacher at I.S. 10 in Astoria to earn a spot as a Fire Department “probie” after scoring 100 on the FDNY written test and a perfect score on the physical exam, had been on the job only eight months when just after 9 a.m. on […]
Dr. Bernie Siegel Keynoter At Annual Medical Ethics Symposium
The 23rd Annual Medical Ethics Symposium, “Mind, Body, and Beyond” was held on Thursday, December 18 at Stuyvesant H.S. in the Murray Kahn Theater. Many distinguished guest speakers appeared before the audience including Wendy Burton Brouws, professional photographer and author of Joy is a Plum Colored Acrobat; Stewart Apfel, M.D., founder and president of Parallax Clinical Research, associate professor of […]
‘Zero Tolerance’ For Drunk Holiday Drivers In The 114th Pct.
Astoria police officials last week issued a warning to motorists who party too hard and get behind the wheel over the Christmas and New Year holidays. Deputy Inspector Paul E. Vorbeck, commanding officer of the 114th Precinct, announced a “zero tolerance” crackdown on drunk drivers in the precinct area over the upcoming holiday season, including a series of undisclosed DWI […]
Monserrate Case Jeopardizes Career
A night of holiday partying for City Councilmember Hiram Monserrate and his girlfriend, Karla Giraldo, turned ugly last Thursday evening. Not only was Monserrate’s promising political career suddenly in jeopardy, but the balance of power in Albany was also left in disarray. The happy evening for Monserrate and Giraldo had begun at the Queens Democrats’ holiday party and reportedly came […]
Christmas: A Sprig Of Mistletoe For The Occasion
T he holiday known as Christmas arose in the fourth century A.D. as the Christian religion, still in its infancy, struggled for supremacy with the official Roman state religion, Mithraism. Over the centuries, customs and traditions from many different cultures came together eventually to result in the familiar holiday season. The date of the birth of Christ is still unknown. […]
The Story Of Chanukah
The story of Chanukah begins in the reign of Alexander the Great. Alexander conquered Syria, Egypt and Judea, but allowed the people under his control to continue observing their own religions and retain a certain degree of autonomy. Under this relatively benevolent rule, many Jews assimilated, adopting Hellenistic culture, including the language, customs and dress in much the same way […]