Woodside Herald 5 11 12

To Advertise E-mail [email protected] or call 718-729-3772

FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2012 THE WOODSIDE HERALD PAGE 1

VOL. 78, NO. 19 WOODSIDE, L.I.C., N.Y. FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2012 FREE

SERVING SUNNYSIDE-WOODSIDE AND LONG ISLAND CITY

Rally To Save Our Libraries

On May 8th a rally was held on the steps of Queens Library at Flushing to advocate for restoration of a proposed budget cut of $26.7 million (31%). Queens Library is facing thelargest budget cut in its history, threatening library service across the borough, including the outright closing of community libraries and the loss of hundreds of library jobs. More than150 people attended including Borough President Helen Marshall, City Council Members Peter Koo and Jimmy Van Bramer, Assemblywoman Grace Meng, Queens Library President& CEO Thomas Galante, library staff and members of the community. (continued on page 2)

Photo Credit: Dominick Totino Photography

(See Page 4)

(See Page 5)

‘Scouts In Parks Day’A Huge Success

WOTM Youth FestivalTroop 390 Scouts Hongying H.,Kevin F. and a youth member ofTroop 427 (Glendale) prepare ahole for the planting of NyssaBlack Tupelo trees at the FMCPMeadow Lake site.


FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2012THE WOODSIDE HERALDPAGE 2

43-11 Greenpoint Ave., Sunnyside, NY 11104Telephone (718) 729-3772

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kimberly Clarry, Peter A. Ross, Rob MacKay

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERSJoe Gurrado, Robert Flanagan

Marlene Sabba ............................................................... Publisher

Sherilyn Jo Sabba ................................................................. Editor

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Rally To SaveOur Libraries

“A library is an importantresource for every neighbor-hood. It’s a place to learn, read,explore, and broaden new vi-sions and learn how to achieveyour goals and ambitions. Li-braries here in Queens,America’s most diverse county,also bridge the gap for new im-migrants to assimilate in amulticultural society, while pro-viding veteran visitors with thetools they need to build a betterfuture for a new generation.These threatened cuts must berestored to enable libraries to

stay open with full services andprograms for the hundreds ofthousands of visitors who comethrough their doors,” said Bor-ough President Helen Marshall.

“The Mayor’s Executive Bud-get, if enacted, would cut $26.7million in funding to vital servicesprovided by the Queens Library,”said Council Member Jimmy VanBramer, Chair of the New YorkCity Council’s Cultural Affairs andLibraries Committee. “These cutswould put over 600 librarians outof a job, close 18 libraries all to-gether, eliminate Sunday servicesat all branches and potentially keep30 libraries closed four or five daysa week. This cannot happen.Queens residents deserve a bud-get. One that preserves all of their

services as well as the free educa-tional, cultural and informationalprogramming that make this pres-tigious institution the strong cul-tural hub it is in over 60 neighbor-hoods throughout the borough. AsChair of the New York CityCouncil’s Libraries Committee, Iwill continue to fight to restore thisfunding for the millions of peoplewho visit the Queens Libraries eachand every day.”

Queens Library provides freeessential information, computer andinternet access, help with home-work, free healthcare information,job search services and so manyother community-based programs,plus the free loan of millions ofbooks and other library materials inevery neighborhood in Queens.

On May 2nd, CM Van Bramer joined the students and facultyof Aviation High School to cut the ribbon to unveil their newhandball courts. Van Bramer was able to work with the NewYork City Council to help allocate $200,000 in funding toresurface the entire schoolyard and handballs courts as well asmaterialized new walls for the courts.



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Trees Planted Along11th Street In LIC

On May 8th, CM Van Bramer and ParksDepartment’s Deputy Commissioner LarryScott Blackmon joined local residents andcommunity leaders to unveil newly plantedtrees along 11th Street in Long Island City.

Van Bramer was able to work withthe Parks Department to get nine Haw-thorn trees planted in the median along11th Street after local residents voicedtheir concerns about the need to replacedead trees along the corridor in LongIsland City.

“We have made 11th Street more in-viting and much more of a pleasant placeto live,” said Council Member VanBramer. “This street is more than just astreet for cars to get and from where theyare going. 11th Street is home to manyresidents of Long Island City – residentswho care about the beauty of their neigh-borhood. I want to thank the Parks De-partment for coming together with ouroffice to bring us these wonderful greenadditions to our residents.”




‘Scouts In Parks Day’ A Huge Successby Peter A. Ross

Saturday April 21st was a cooland breezy day which saw boththe sun trying throughout the dayto poke its head through theclouds as well as a mass of Scoutsboth in and out of uniform de-scend on upon a number of sitesthroughout the city for the 10thAnnual “Scouts In Parks” Dayservice event. The event plannedand organized by The GNYCCommittee on Outdoor Ethics &Conservation (formerly theGNYC Conservation Committee,the Greater New York Boy ScoutCouncil’s conservation think-tank and organizational arm) inconjunction with the “NY CaresDay” and with the assistance ofthe NYC Department of Parksand Recreation is a cleanup, beau-tification and large scale conser-vation event and project annu-ally set up by the Committee toassist Parks with identifying ofneeded corrective or improve-ment/beatification endeavors andcarrying out these via the Scouts

large numbers of manpower (orarguably boy-power) available byTroop and Pack units throughoutthe city and their friends and fami-lies. In recent years in continu-ing with the Committee’s hopesof making this a larger effort andmore inclusive of “Scouting” intotal, invitation to participate inthe event has been expanded toinclude local Girl Scout units andstaff throughout the city and re-sulted in over 35 Girl Scout unitsparticipating.

The event, which was heldcitywide, had units working at 28different locations throughout thefive boroughs where the boys,girls and adults performed amyriad of tasks from shorelineclean-up to invasive plant remov-als, native species replanting, gar-dening, planting, painting andmore. In total 1,533 participants(923 youth and 610 adults) repre-senting 112 units fanned out overthe city and performed 5,098 hoursof service to the New York CityGreen Community. Also assist-ing in the effort were member

Brothers of the Boy Scouts Orderof the Arrow, an honor serviceorganization within the BoyScouts which is dedicated to en-couraging camping, outdoor ac-tivities and cheerful service. In-cluded in these statistics werethose that participated in the ParksDepartment Mulchfest event inJanuary and those that partici-pated in the April 28thMillionTrees NYC Plantingproject. Locally in Queens therewere 4 sites where service wasperformed which included Flush-ing Meadows Corona Park(FMCP), Highland Park inRidgewood, and CunninghamPark in Fresh Meadows where403 youth and 252 adults from 47units worked a total of 2,180 hoursin the beautification efforts. In-cluded in that were 10 membersof our local unit Troop 390 wholead by Assistant ScoutmastersAlexander Rivas and Peter Rossgave service at the Meadow Lakesite at FMCP where under theguidance of site captains RoyRosenthal and John Sammon (in

absentia as he was deployed at thelast minute to Camp master dutiesat Camp Alpine) the volunteerswere involved in removal ofphragmites from the southwestsection of the lake front, the plant-ing of Nyssa Black Tupelo Treesand preparation and planting ofvarious flowers and groundcovergrasses in the cleared sections ofthe site. In all the efforts thereshould provide for a more aes-thetically pleasing view of thelake and lakefront in the area (nearJurassic Playground and the Base-ball fields) and accessibility inthe future for debris removal.

The Conservation Committeeand Event Coordinator ShawnSpencer (of the Parks Departmentand Cub Pack 255 scout leader)would like to thank all the agen-cies, groups, companies and indi-viduals who assisted in makingthis event possible and a successthrough their monetary donationsand supplies totaling over $ 38,000which included hand tools, 120trees, plants (perennials, shrubs,semi-aquatic and trees), paint,

paint supplies, gloves, first aidkits, trash bags, drinks, bug repel-lents, and more. A grant of $10,000 from UPS was also re-ceived which helped to provideevent banners at the worksitesand additional tools for the effort.Next year’s event, to be held onApril 27th, plans to be even big-ger as the Committee is workingto partner with the Arbor DayFoundation, The Home DepotFoundation, New York City Dept.of Parks and Recreation and theGirl Scouts of Greater New York.All assistance is appreciated andwill be used directly for the con-servation/beautification efforts.For additional information on theevent, planning, participation, todonate monetarily or in-kind tothe effort or for more informationon the GNYC Committee on Out-door Ethics & Conservation pleasecontact Shawn Spencer [email protected] or212-788-8079. For more infor-mation on conservation and Scout-ing efforts locally in regards visitwww.bsa-conservation-nyc.com.

Distinguished Parishioners Award Ceremony

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio presided at the ceremony at St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church, Jamaica, Queens in which he presented medals to the many individuals at the various Queensparishes who were nominated by their parish priests. This ceremony was to acknowledge the years of dedication and service these individuals provide to their parish communities.

The following people from the community were honored:

Frances Schmidt – Queen of Angels Church, Manny, Elizabeth Ciro – St. Raphael Church, Gavin Nichols – St. Raphael Church

(Back Row) Richard O’Connor, Pat Huber, Joe Gurrado, Gavin Nichols, Mrs GavinNichols, MaryAnn Gurrado. (Front Row) Francis Schmidt, Pastor Tom Pettie.

Joe Gurrado, Brooklyn Diocese Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio and FrancisSchmidt and MaryAnn Gurrado.

Several volunteers from Boy Scout Troop 390, 312 and Pack 96 posein front of the banner at the Flushing Meadows Corona

390 Scouts Rennie S., Randy C.and Jose R. discuss strategy forremoving a large rock from theirtree dig site at FMCP.



Sunnyside Woodside Boys &Girls Club

To Hold Fundraiser,Honoring Leaders

Gert McDonald, Frances Schmidt, Sister Maureen , Carol Masiello

The fundraiser will take place on May 19th from 7pm to 11pm at St. Raphael’sSchool Gymnasium.

The address is: 48-25 37th Street, Long Island City, NY, 11101Tickets: $60 per person; $100 per couple.

For tickets call: Mark Wilensky at 917-670-5666


WOTMYouth Festival

After a long absenceWoodside On the Move(WOTM) has brought back acommunity tradition, theWoodside Youth Festival! Spon-sored by The Fresh Air Fund,April 29th was a day of free ac-tivities including a bouncy castle,t-shirt painting, jump rope, three-legged races, face-painting andballoon animals; soccer, basket-ball and other games were pro-vided to over 300 communitymembers and children. The eventat Windmuller Park also includedthe participation and supportfrom the FDNY’s Fire SafetyEducation Unit, Sunnyside/Woodside Boys & Girls Club,Astoria Federal Savings, NYSPublic Service Commission, the108th Precinct and representa-tives from CouncilmemberJimmy Van Bramer and Assem-blywoman Cathy Nolan. A spe-cial performance by Thomas J.McCann Woodside IntermediateSchool 125’s Orchestra, com-posed of 60 students, delightedthe crowd with songs from TheLittle Shop of Horrors. Kids ofall ages were able to have fun,play in a safe and welcomingenvironment staffed by volun-teers from both organizations.Arts and crafts projects, popcorn,

juices, brochures, magazines,hats and raffled gift bags made itpossible for everyone to receivefree items.

This event was a result ofWOTM’S Afterschool programs,at P.S.11 and P.S.152, partneringsince 2010 with The Fresh AirFund to provide local childrenwith free summer experiences ata Fresh Air Fund camp in upstateNew York or with a volunteerhost family living in a rural orsuburban community. For up totwo weeks, the children learn newskills and often form long-last-ing friendships. The Fresh AirFund will be registering girls andboys ages 6-12 for the VolunteerHost Family Program (FriendlyTown) and girls eight to 12 year-olds and boys eight to 15 year-olds for the camping program. In2011, nearly 9,000 children vis-ited volunteer host families insuburbs and rural communitiesacross 13 states from Virginia toMaine and Canada and visitedThe Fresh Air Fund’s five campson a 2,300-acre site in Fishkill,New York. Learn how your childcan be part of The Fresh AirFund’s 136th summer by con-tacting Woodside On The Movea t a b e l t r a n @woodsideonthemove.org.



woodsideherald.com

Put Time - and Tax-Advantaged Investments

- on Your Side

Welcoming the SpaceShuttle Enterprise to

New York CityIf you’re relatively young,

and you’ve been investing only afew years, you possess an assetthat is invaluable and cannot bereplaced: time. And the moretime you spend contributing totax-advantaged investments, thebetter off you may be.

As an investor, time is yourally for two reasons. First, themore time you give to yourgrowth-oriented investments, thegreater their growth potential.And second, the effects of mar-ket volatility have tended to de-crease over time, though as youno doubt have heard, past perfor-mance is not a guarantee of fu-ture results.

Clearly, it pays to put time onyour side. And when you’re in-vesting in tax-advantaged ve-hicles, time becomes an evenmore critical component of in-vestment success, especiallywhen you are young and haveseveral decades ahead of youbefore you retire.

Suppose, for example, thatyou put $200 per month into aninvestment on which you paidtaxes every year. If you earned ahypothetical 7% return on thisinvestment, you’d end up withabout $324,000 after 40 years.But if you put that same $200 permonth into a tax-deferred invest-ment, such as a traditional Indi-vidual Retirement Account(IRA), and you earned that same7% return, you’d wind up withabout $513,000 after 40 years.Of course, once you starting tak-ing withdrawals, presumablywhen you’re retired, you’ll haveto pay taxes on your earnings, soyour after-tax accumulationwould be about $385,000, as-suming you took your IRA in alump sum (which most peopledon’t) and also assuming youwere in the 25% tax bracket.However, by the time you retire,you may be in a lower bracket.Plus, you have some control overhow much you withdraw eachyear, so you may be able to affect

the taxes you’ll pay. Further-more, depending on your incomelevel, your contributions to a tra-ditional IRA may be tax-deduct-ible in the years in which youmake the contributions. (Keep inmind that this hypothetical ex-ample is for illustrative purposesonly and does not represent aspecific investment or invest-ment strategy.)

While tax deferral is obvi-ously a nice feature for an invest-ment, tax-free may be even bet-ter. If you meet the income re-quirements, you might want toconsider investing in a Roth IRA,which provides tax-free earningswithdrawals, provided you’veheld your account for at leastfive years and you don’t starttaking withdrawals until you’reat least age 59Ω. This meansthat, in the above example, you’dhave accumulated that same$513,000 — but you won’t haveto pay taxes on your withdraw-als. Generally speaking, the RothIRA may make more financialsense for those who are eligible,but if you think you’ll be in alower tax bracket when you re-tire, and your income level per-mits you to deduct some of yourcontributions, you may want toconsider a traditional IRA. Con-sult with your tax advisor forguidance on the most appropri-ate approach for your situation.

When it comes to buildingresources for retirement, it’s al-most impossible to save and in-vest “too much.” So take fulladvantage of both time and tax-advantaged investments. By put-ting these investments to workfor you, and by keeping them atwork, you’ll be putting time onyour side as you work towardyour financial goals.

This article was written byEdward Jones for use by yourlocal Edward Jones FinancialAdvisor Vincent Renda, who islocated at 47-01 Queens Blvd.Suite 203 Sunnyside NY 11104.Phone him at 718-361-1306.

In a spectacular ceremonyheld on Friday, April 27th, As-sembly Member MichaelDenDekker (D/WFP-JacksonHeights) joined New YorkSenator Charles Schumer, NewYork City Council MemberJimmy Van Bramer, and StarTrek-star and screen legend,Leonard Nimoy, in welcomingthe retired space shuttle Enter-prise to New York City. Theceremony, which was attendedby thousands of guests andspectators, was hosted by theIntrepid Sea, Air, & Space Mu-seum at John F. Kennedy Inter-national Airport.

“I cannot fully describe howthrilling it was,” DenDekkersaid, “to be there when theshuttle Enterprise arrived outof a crystal blue sky and toucheddown in its new home. It wastruly an inspiring and patrioticsight.” Riding atop a convertedNASA 747 aircraft, the Enter-prise touched down at JFK at

approximately 12:00 noon, elic-iting a symphony of cheers andbest wishes from the spellboundcrowd. After welcoming com-ments were delivered, Assem-blyman DenDekker spoke ofthe new promise embodied bythe Enterprise.

“Once the Enterprise is ondisplay,” Mr. DenDekker said, “Iurge my fellow New Yorkers totake a moment of their time tovisit the newest exhibit on theUSS Intrepid. Visitors will havean opportunity to experience thehistorical and educational valueof this magnificent Americanengineering wonder.”

Assemblyman DenDekkerwas among the first New YorkState elected officials to advo-cate for the Enterprise to be per-manently displayed in New YorkCity. In June 2010, DenDekkerdrafted a resolution that wasunanimously approved by theNew York State Assembly, call-ing for the Enterprise to be allo-

cated to the Intrepid. “Donatingone of the shuttles to the In-trepid Sea, Air & Space Mu-seum would not only preservethis valuable space program ar-tifact for future generations,”DenDekker wrote to NASA di-rector Bolden, “but it will alsoeducate and inspire countlesschildren and tourist from all overthe world. It is a wonderful wayto pay tribute to the many NewYorkers who have, over theyears, either participated in orworked closely with the aero-space industry and will generatemuch needed revenue for boththe City and State of New York.”

Figures released by the In-trepid Sea, Air & Space Mu-seum provide some idea of justhow significant that economicboost will be. Placement of theshuttle at the Intrepid will gen-erate up to $71 million per yearin direct spending, in additionto $106 million in new eco-nomic activity.

Letters To

The Editor

Be Heard! Please send your Letters to the Editor to P.O. Box 7097

Long Island City, N.Y. 11101 or simply email them [email protected]



DIVORCE WITH CARE

THE LAW OFFICE OF

Jocelyn Ciechanov4141 41st Street - Suite 3E

or at a location convenient to you

Call: 917 995 5228 for an appointment

Vendors Wanted for All Saints’ Strawberry Fair onSaturday, June 9th

Please call 718 784-8031

Skillman AvenueMother’s Day Children’s Parade

Saturday, May 12th @ 11:00aFor more information,Call (718) 476-8449

Fine Food Market Will Pop-Up ForFour Hours In Sunnyside

by Rob MacKay

A “pop-up” food market willpop up in Sunnyside on Saturday,May 12, noon to 4 p.m., atSunnyside Community Services,43-31 39th St.

Organized by the QueensCounty Market, the bazaar will fea-ture diverse culinary entrepreneursfrom Queens and NYC. ExpectVeda’s Cakes & Catering to peddleher famous Guyanese chicken pat-

ties. Taste of Ethiopia’s outpost atQueens County Market makes itthe borough’s only place to enjoyEthiopian fare. The popular Astoriarestaurant Queens Comfort willoffer homemade donuts and icedStumptown coffee. Fresh off win-ning the Best Dessert award at therecent Queens Taste 2012, Tropisecwill sell flowers made from dehy-drated tropical fruits, such as man-goes, papayas and bananas.

The diversity will be tremen-dous as Chulita’s Famous sofritosand adobos, Black and Blanco’sMoroccan cookies, and Spicy ‘nSweet’s Calabrian sauces andpestos will also be on sale.

The market’s mission is to con-nect Queens communities with lo-cal food businesses by providing amarketplace for producers to selltheir goods and expand distribu-tion to Queens.

Outdoor Flea

Market(Indoors in the event of rain)

9AM TO 4PMJune 3, July 1, Aug. 5, Sept. 9, Oct. 7

St. Raphael’s Church, 35-20 Greenpoint Ave.,Long Island City,

For info: phone 718-729-8957.

NYPD And Center For Anti-ViolenceEducation Offers Advice: How ToRespond To A Street Attacker

by Tammy Blythe Goodman

As the so-called “SunnysideGroper” continues to elude in-vestigators and a string of ATMrobberies at gunpoint flood theneighborhood, local residents arebecoming increasingly alarmed.The most recent sexual assaultincident that made headlines oc-curred on Easter morning near46th Street and 39th Avenue.Sunnyside resident and Kung-FuMaster Mike Novak rushed out-side of his home at approximately5:45am in response to a woman’sscreams and successfully scaredoff the victim’s alleged attacker,but what should an average citi-zen do if they’re approached in athreatening manner and the Kung-Fu Master is not around?

“Comply, comply, comply,” saidan NYPD spokesman. “Do what-ever he says, then try to get a goodphysical description of the attacker

and call 911 as soon as possible.”When walking home at night,

residents should avoid shortcutsand try to stay in well-lit areas.The NYPD also suggests beingcognizant of your surroundings,staying in groups (particularlyfor women) and keeping yourelectronic devices like cell phonesor MP3 players secured. If yoususpect that you are being fol-lowed, walk towards a store thatyou know is open. If travelinghome by taxi, ask the driver towait until you are safely insideyour apartment building or home.

If your attacker shows aweapon, it’s a bit more compli-cated. “You want to do whateverwill be less dangerous for your-self,” said the NYPD spokesman.

Tracy Hobson, executive di-rector of the Center for Anti-Violence Education which held afree self-defense training course

in Woodside last year suggestsusing one’s voice. “Almost allthe women who were able to getaway from the recent gropings inthe South Slope, Brooklyn areawere able to get away by yell-ing,” said Hobson. “Do some-thing unexpected. Shout ‘911’over and over again. Really useyour voice and remember that anattack is never your fault.”Residents should be vigilant ifthey witness any suspicious ac-tivity and contact 911 to reporttheir findings. Additional safetytips can be found in the CrimePrevention section of the NYPD’swebsite at www.nyc.gov/nypd.The Center for Anti-ViolenceEducation (CAE) offers free self-defense, karate, and tai chi classesfor survivors of domestic vio-lence, sexual assault or child. Formore information on CAE’sclasses, visit www.caeny.org.

Boys & Girls Club of Sunnyside & Woodside Presents…

2nd Annual Recognizing Leaders FundraiserMay 19th from 7-11PM

Price: $60PP/ $100 per coupleLocation: St. Raphael’s School Gymnasium, 48-25 37th Street, LICIncludes: Dinner, Non-Alcoholic and Alcoholic BeveragesFor more information or to purchase tickets, call: Mark Wilensky (917) 670-5666Make checks payable to Sunnyside/ Woodside Boys & Girls ClubALL PROCEEDS go to the Boys & Girls Club of Sunnyside/ Woodside 501 (c) (3) Org.

Honoring:Francis Schmidt

Sister Maureen AhlemeyerCarol MasielloGert McDonald



The Little Church On The CornerGets Bigger And Bigger

Demetra Simos (right) poses with theminister (left).

Mihaela Georgescu (right) takes hervows with elder Staryl Casey (middle)and Pastor Neil Margetson (left).

Celebrating 50!by Sue Baldock

When her 40th came, Janet Ryan said she didn’t want anything special, husband Tomlistened, and boy did he pay for it! Fast forward ten years, and Tom went all out! A memberof the North Woodside Coalition, Tom Ryan tricked Janet. With a small family dinner onher actual birthday, Janet was left wondering why her 50th milestone was passing withoutbigger celebration.

Behind the scenes, Tom was organizing a gala at Sidetracks for forty plus friends andfamily. Everyone kept the secret, including Janet’s daughter Victoria, and their 7 year-oldtwins, Kay-Kay and Billy.

Janet’s older sister, Cheryl, who flew in from Chicago to assist Tom, reminisced abouthaving a sister seven years younger; I used to dress her up, and do her hair; “we had sucha blast”. That same joie d’ vive permeated the affair, with family and friends all having agreat time.

Tom orchestrated a night to remember with acoustic guitarist, Ben Smith, gamesgalore, party favors, and photography by yours truly, and even videos from Janet’sfamily in Illinois!

Janet’s eclectic group of friends blended well to make the evening unforgettable. Judy,Debra and Sasha have been fast friends after meeting Janet at a David Cook concert. Whendiscussing Janet they all agreed, “she is an incredible woman, warm, witty and all arounddelightful”. Based on the hugs and kisses that followed Janet around the room; it’s clearthat love flows in each of her smiles.

The piece-de- resistance of the evening was a three tier, four flavor masterpiece by JanetViana of Bloom Cakes. Beautifully enveloped in white icing and decorated with handmadedogwood flowers, it was an exquisite feast for eyes and pallet. Sated by good food, drinks,cake and joy, the party ended with a smile on everyone’s lips.

by Rob MacKay

Sunnyside Reformed Church held induction services for two new members recently.The Skillman Avenue house of worship is proud to have sworn in about 10 new parishionersover the past year.

Woodside Herald 5 11 12

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