This Sunday, May 8, will mark the 102nd time Mother’s Day has been celebrated in the United States. According to a survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF), total spending for Mother’s Day 2011 is expected to reach $16.3 billion. The average person celebrating Mother’s Day this year is expected to spend $140.73 on gifts, up from $126.90 in 2010, […]
Letters to the Editor
Pakistan Is A Threat To The Editor: Osama is dead. Long overdue and too many years have passed diminishing the effect of killing the monster. Al-Qaeda has diversified since 9/11 with affiliates throughout the world. The U.S. and other nations have seen the results of home-grown terrorists who came to age during the manhunt for bin-Laden. The terrorist threat unfortunately […]
Reverse Mortgages Have Become More Affordable
Dear Savvy Senior, What can you tell me about reverse mortgages? I was considering one a few years ago but decided against it because it was too expensive. But now I hear they are much more affordable. What can you tell me? Looking for Cash Dear Looking, One of the biggest drawbacks of reverse mortgages over the years has been […]
LIC Community Calls For Improved 7 Train Service
Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer, Congressmember Carolyn Maloney, state Senator Michael Gianaris and state Assemblymember Catherine Nolan, were joined by local businesses, transit advocates and residents at a rally on April 28 to demand that the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) expedite repairs to address the frequent unreliability of No. 7 train service and the long-term MTA infrastructure problems facing the rapidly […]
Gianaris: ‘Idling Trains Hurt Quality Of Life In LIC’
Continuing his fight to improve the quality of life in Western Queens, state Senator Michael Gianaris (D–Astoria) has called on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to cease immediately the idling of Long Island Railroad trains at the Long Island City rail yard in Queens. Gianaris charged that the idling trains pollute the air with the excessive amount of fuel they […]
L.I.C. Dorm Plan Scrapped; Could Become Greek ‘Satellite’ Campus
Plans to develop a 19-story student dormitory at 30-30 Northern Blvd. in Long Island City have been scrapped by developer North 30 Associates LLC. But the proposal to use the site for educational purposes may still be alive and kicking, thanks to Astoria developer, Alma Realty. Alma purchased the gritty industrial building from North 30 Associates in January for $21.5 […]
Board 1 Proposes Version Of Transit Riders’ Bill of Rights
Shortly after the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) proposed raising subway and bus fares again last year, an effort to organize outraged riders took shape in the form of a so-called “Rider Rebellion”. A Transit Rider Bill of Rights was created by Transportation Alternatives and circulated to the 59 community boards in the city for support. Queens Community Board 1 will […]
Blaze Claims A Piece Of Queens History
Fire officials have determined that a deep fryer in the basement was the cause of the fire at the historic O’Neill’s Restaurant in Maspeth. The five-alarm blaze that tore through the one-story brick building just after midnight on May 2 was first reported at 12:02 a.m. a fire spokesperson said. When the first firefighters arrived at the site less than […]
Simotas Tours Neighborhood Senior Centers
State Assemblymember Aravella Simotas began a tour of the senior centers in her district this week, reaffirming her commitment to protecting services for the community’s aging citizens. The visits followed a contentious state budget debate in which Simotas and her colleagues in the legislature successfully fought to restore $25 million in Title XX funding and prevent 105 New York City […]
Edward Jones Opens Astoria Office
On April 29, Edward Jones Financial Advisor Bill Manolopoulos held a grand opening and open house event at his new office. His family and Assemblymember Aravella Simotas attended the occasion. Manolopoulos moved his office from Manhattan to the current location, 29-20 23rd Ave., Astoria. “I am most comfortable in Astoria where I worked as a financial advisor with a major […]