Congressmember Carolyn Maloney presented a check from the federal government for $500,000 to officials charged with creating the new Franklin Delano Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park on the southern tip of Roosevelt Island. Maloney made the presentation at the April 12 ceremony to Ambassador William J. vanden Heuvel, chair of the Four Freedoms Park Board of Directors, President and Chief Executive […]
Queens Proudly Celebrates Earth Day 2012
On April 22, Earth Day 2012 will be celebrated around the world. In some places, the day will mark the culmination of Earth Week observances; in others, the day will close a month of events stressing the importance of teaching about the environment. People of all nationalities and backgrounds will voice their appreciation for the planet. Forty-two years ago the […]
Letters to the Editor
Real Issues Sidestepped To The Editor: With Santorum suspending his campaign Mitt Romney seems assured to be the Republican nominee for president. Romney’s ads have already shifted as has his rhetoric attacking Obama. The 2012 Presidential race is on. Romney claims that Obama is responsible for women suffering the most during the economic downturn. The negative ads that will consume […]
Attrition Makes For Fewer Police, Firefighters In Bd. 1
At the April meeting of the Community Board 1 District Cabinet, 114th Police Precinct Commanding Officer Deputy Inspector Stephen Cirabisi reported a strong increase in crime during the first quarter of the year: 16 percent above the crime rate during the first three months of 2011. He said that grand larceny has made a strong comeback, attributing much of it […]
Huge Show Of Support For Plaza At Jackson Heights Town Hall
At a Town Hall meeting organized on April 11, by Congressmember Joseph Crowley and Councilmember Daniel Dromm at the Jewish Center of Jackson Heights, more than 200 residents turned out and showed strong support for the 37th Road Plaza. Although there were four people in the audience who held up signs opposing the implementation of the plaza (including former City […]
Bd. 2 Hears From Two Unions, 108th Precinct, Van Bramer
With much unfinished business at hand, the agenda for the April 12 meeting of Community Board 2 held a parade of speakers; presentations by two unions, one opposed to the Department of Education, the other a high-end housing developer in Hunters Point; a vote on three restaurant license renewal applications, and other topics. Dermot Smyth of the United Federation of […]
Queens Library Launches New E-Reader Program
Beginning on April 12 Queens Library started lending 50 e-readers pre-loaded with e-books at the Central Library in Jamaica. The pilot program marks the first time the service has been made available in one of city’s public libraries. The e-readers features books covering five different genres; bestsellers, romances, mysteries, teen’s or children’s books. There are also 50 works of classic […]
Friday The 13th Has Puzzling History
A few years back, in 2006, the Gazette wrote a piece on the superstitious origins of Friday the 13th. The actual definition of the word superstition is, “A belief, or system of beliefs, by which almost religious veneration is attached to things mostly secular; a parody of religious faith in which there is belief in an occult or magic connection.” […]
Delta Spreads $1.4 Billion Wings At LaGuardia
If you live in the flight path of LaGuardia Airport, the news is good and bad. LaGuardia Airport is Delta Air Line’s newest domestic hub, adding 100 new flights this spring and summer (for a total of 260 flights a day), creating 700 jobs. Since the carrier will be using larger planes, there will be less, not more congestion according […]
Constantinides On Possible Closure Of LIC H.S.
The following statement was made by Democratic District Leader Costa Constantinides on Department of Education’s plan to close Long Island City H.S. The Department of Education’s plan to close Long Island City H.S. is a mistake that will harm our community. Long Island City H.S. is an important Astoria institution that has served generations of Queens families. I am calling […]