Author: metanet

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

Divine Wisdom Catholic Academy in Bayside will close its doors to merge with the Douglaston campus only two miles away, a Brooklyn Diocese spokeswoman confirmed.

Students and staff will be fully accommodated by the Douglaston facility in the 2018-19 school year because of declining enrollment and demographic changes in the communities served by the schools, according to diocese spokeswoman Carolyn Erstad, and because of increased capacity at the Douglaston campus, at 45-11 245th St.

Divine Wisdom’s school secretary, Kathy Furlong, expressed a positive outlook for the change, saying that a 4,000-square-foot expansion completed in September will create a better educational environment for students who, Erstad said, travel to Douglaston weekly as it is.

A diocese press release said enrollment at the Bayside Campus, at 58-10 214th St., had declined by 10 percent in the past year, which Erstad attributed to people moving away from the city and new residents not sending their children to Catholic schools. One other school under the purview of diocese also shut its doors this week, St. Pancras School in Glendale.

A city Department of Education spokesman could not confirm whether or not there were plans to take over the Bayside campus to relieve some of the overcrowding in District 26, which is among the highest-performing in the city.

Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside) spoke of addressing this issue through using available land in College Point in September, but the idea also contended with the fact many students would have to be bused into area dominated by marshland.

The Brooklyn Diocese seems to be making changes not only to schools in Queens, with the former rectory at St. Anastasia in Douglaston to be rented out to Services for the UnderServed to care for developmentally challenged adults.

The move required approval from Community Board 11, which granted it with a nearly unanimous vote in December to allow the not-for-profit to operate out the building at 45-14 245th St.

Doris Figueroa, senior vice president of developmental disabilities services at SUS, said SUS has several similar facilities across the city. Figueroa said the eight residents are being moved from another facility that is larger but lacks some of the accessibility standards needed for the residents.

About $450,000 will be spent renovating the former church annex to make it ADA-accessible for the residents.

In 2015, St. Anastasia Church in Douglaston celebrated 100 years in the community by dressing in early 20th-century attire, holding outdoor festivities and conducting a service led by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of the Brooklyn Diocese.

Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.

Comment on this story.

Source: Times Ledger

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Linda Imhauser

TimesLedger Newspapers

I read with dismay that an 18,000-seat hockey and concert arena will be built at Belmont Park for the New York Islanders.

While this may benefit some people, it will create horrendous traffic on the overburdened Cross Island Parkway.

Beginning daily at 2:30 p.m., there is bumper-to-bumper traffic from the Whitestone and Throgs Neck bridges, plus terrible backups near the entrance to the Long Island Expressway.

Now we will have to deal with thousands of people going to and from this arena.

While there will be some improvements from the Long Island Rail Road, what is the city planning to do to alleviate increased traffic on the Cross Island Parkway?

New York’s motto seems to be “build, build, build,” without much thought for the problems it causes.

Linda Imhauser

Whitestone

Comment on this story.

Source: Times Ledger

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

Police were looking for two men responsible for a crime spree in numerous locations around the borough this month, striking most recently in Bayside.

The two suspects entered a bodega located at 150-09 Bayside Ave. just after 7 p.m. Thursday and removed $2,000 from the register and fled in a four-door silver Honda Accord, police said.

One suspect was described as a light skinned man between 5 feet, 8 inches tall and 5 feet, 10 inches tall who was last seen wearing a black mask covering his face, blue gloves and he was armed with a handgun.

The other suspect was described as a black man who was last seen wearing all black, a white mask and blue gloves.

Investigators believe the same silver Honda Accord was used last Monday in Woodside when the light skinned suspect entered a Pizza Hut at 51-02 Northern Blvd. just before 10 p.m. and flashed a gun before making off with $160 in cash.

This time, the suspect was wearing a white mask covering his face, a blue tyvek suit and blue gloves, according to authorities.

The two were believed to be the same men that robbed a 7-Eleven at 61-19 Northern Blvd. at gunpoint Dec. 17. They fled with more than $300 in cash, police said.

The duo’s first armed robbery allegedly took place Thursday, Jan. 4m just after 11 p.m., at a BP gas station located at 29-16 Francis Lewis Blvd. in Flushing. The suspects took off with $900 in cash, police said

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.

Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.

Comment on this story.

Source: Times Ledger

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Zach Gewelb

TimesLedger Newspapers

The St. John’s women’s basketball team continues to roll, earning its fifth straight victory by dispatching Villanova, 70-64, Sunday afternoon at Carnesecca Arena.

The Red Storm (12-7, 5-3 Big East) outscored their Big East opponent in every quarter to secure the victory.

“Great team win for us. I’m proud of how we played,” St. John’s head coach Joe Tartamella said. “Just a great win for us, and probably one of the bigger ones we’ve had this year.”

Senior forward Maya Singleton continued her strong season, tallying 16 points and 11 rebounds to record her 13th double-double of the season.

Alisha Kebbe (16 points), Tiana England (12 points) and Andrayah Adams (10 points) also eclipsed double figures to help St. John’s down Villanova (14-3, 4-3 Big East).

The Red Storm offense played one of its best games of the season against the Wildcats, known for being a strong defensive squad. The Johnnies shot lights out from the field (49 percent) and converted 6 of 11 shots from three-point range. Their 70 points scored mark the second-most Villanova has given up all season.

Neither team was able to pull ahead in the first quarter, but St. John’s would take the lead at the end of the frame when Akina Wellere drilled a three as the buzzer sounded to send the Johnnies into the second quarter with a 14-12 advantage.

The game remained close throughout the second quarter, but St. John’s once again finished the frame strong scoring six of the last eight points to take a 29-25 lead into halftime.

Singleton came up big in the first half, scoring 10 of her 16 points. She had some help early in the third quarter, though, when St. John’s came out of the break hot. The Johnnies came up with two three-pointers and a layup to build a 10-point lead just three minutes into the quarter. Their lead would grow to 11 later in the frame, but Villanova clawed back into the game, cutting the deficit to five heading into the fourth quarter.

St. John’s maintained the lead early in the fourth, but the Wildcats tied the game at 54-54 midway through the period. The Johnnies went on a 6-0 run and never looked back, making clutch free throws in the waning moments to secure the win.

After the game, Tartamella said he was proud of his team’s effort against a tough opponent.

“The way that we came out today, I thought we did a really great job throughout the game in controlling” things, he said. “It’s fun to watch when you can watch execution of the game plan and being able to execute down the stretch by making big shots and making plays.”

The Red Storm will look to keep its five-game winning streak alive when the team returns to the court to take on Seton Hall on the road Sunday afternoon. Opening tip is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Reach reporter Zach Gewelb by e-mail at zgewelb@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4539.

Comment on this story.

Source: Times Ledger

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

Three City Council members from Queens were chosen to lead some of the most important committees in local government following the election of Corey Johnson (D-Manhattan) as speaker.

Councilman I. Daneek Miller (D-Jamaica), re-appointed as chairman of the Civil Service and Labor Committee, said his committee has revitalized a faltering public-service job market under his leadership.

Years of decline, he said, were followed by a 20 percent increase in the municipal workforce after a campaign to educate people in the city on the benefits of working in the public sector.

“When I took office in 2014, a full one-third of the city’s workforce was eligible for retirement within a few years,” Miller said. “We engaged our partners in government and labor to provide Civil Service 101 workshops throughout the city. Additionally, the opening of a new testing center in Queens, as well as the streamlining of testing processes, has significantly improved the civil service exam experience for everyone. Through the enactment of worker retention and protection laws, we were able to save thousands of jobs across several industries in the city, including hotel workers, bus drivers and grocery workers.

“With the unqualified support of this administration, we championed the passage of an ambitious Paid Sick Leave provision that enabled working families to no longer choose between earning a living and caring for either themselves or a loved one.”

Miller was also appointed to the Committees on Transportation, Land Use, Public Safety, and Immigration and the Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Uses.

Paul Vallone (D-Bayside) became chairman of the Committee on Economic Development, which oversees the Department of Small Business Services and the Economic Development Corporation.

“It is a great honor to oversee a committee that has played a substantial and integral role in the New York City budget,” Vallone said. “I look forward to working with our new speaker and my fellow colleagues to sculpt NYCEDC’s vision to drive growth in our city and improve our quality of life.

“I’m also proud that the Queens delegation is once again united and strongly represented in our speaker’s vision for the upcoming legislative session. This will be a wonderful new opportunity for District 19 to finally have a seat at the table on true economic development for the City of New York.”

Vallone also serves on the Committees on Aging, Veterans, For-Hire Vehicles, and Public Safety as well as Sanitation and Solid Waste Management.

Greenspace champion Barry Grodenchik (D-Oakland Gardens) was appointed as chairman of the Committee on Parks and Recreation and touted his district’s expanse of parkland.

“As a lifelong New Yorker who grew up in city parks and the current representative of a district with over a thousand acres of parkland, I welcome the opportunity to work to improve the parks that are vital to every community in the city,” Grodenchik said. “I thank Speaker Corey Johnson for his support and look forward to working with my colleagues on the committee as well as with Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver and his staff.”

Parkland accounts for about 14 percent of the city, according to Grodenchik.

Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.

Comment on this story.

Source: Times Ledger

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Merle Exit

TimesLedger Newspapers

The Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small, stuffed yarn creatures is the subject of the latest exhibition at Resobox, a Japanese gallery and studio at 41-26 27th St. in Long Island City.

The art, known as amigurumi, will be featured through March 31 at the gallery, one of three Resobox locations in New York City. The other two are in Chelsea and the East Village.

The exhibition — titled “World Amigurumi Exhibition Vol. 4: Dolls for Daily Life!” — comprises 4,500 amigurumi dolls, collected from about 120 professional artists in 45 countries.

Resobox was founded in 2011 by Takashi Ikezawa, a Japanese native who said the name was a combination of the words “resonating” and “box.”

“I envisioned a culture center not only where Japanese art can be displayed but to give the opportunity for both Japanese born and ancestry to have a place to mingle and learn,” Ikezawa said. “This 700-square-foot space has an area for socializing, an event space, a separate classroom and a cafe. We are open to share our culture with anyone who cares to enjoy our space.”

His strong identification with Japanese culture stems from four years of his experience as a guide on Mount Fuji, a place that is historic as well as sacred to Japanese people.

The Long Island City location is open every day. “People can come here simply to view the art and perhaps have macha tea,” Ikezawa said. “In regards to classes, we teach the Japanese language, as well as creating bonsai, amigurumi, origami, Japanese dance and Japanese cooking.”

The cafe serves udon, ramen, rice bowl dishes, salads, appetizers, sushi, desserts and drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic. The gallery’s opening hours are noon to 4 and 6 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 10 Saturday and noon to 6 Sunday.

All locations are free to the public.

Comment on this story.

Source: Times Ledger

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

The East Elmhurst man responsible for lifting a rare tortoise from its Douglaston habitat was sentenced to six months behind bars Thursday on charges of fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.

Shawn Waters, 37, pleaded guilty last month to breaking into the confines of the Alley Pond Environmental Center by creating a hole in the pen holding the 17-year-old tortoise, Millenium, and was apprehended in Connecticut a week later.

“Millenium the tortoise’s summer escapade that included crossing state lines has drawn to a close with today’s sentencing of the defendant,” Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. “The rare reptile is safely ensconced in his habitat and now the defendant, who admitted to possessing the stolen tortoise, will be confined to Rikers Island for the next six months. This should serve as a warning to everyone that my office will pursue justice for all those in Queens County – whether they are warm- or cold-blooded citizens.”

According to Brown, the African spurred tortoise has a value of $2,500.

Waters created a post on Craigslist that Millenium was for sale and, after some bartering, exchanged the tortoise with a man at the Metro-North station in Fairfield, Conn., for $300 and a musk turtle.

Millenium’s new owner came to believe the tortoise was stolen after seeing a series of news reports before finally alerting the authorities that he had the tortoise they were looking for.

Millenium was turned over to the care of the 111th Precinct, which returned it to the environmental center.

Police tracked Waters by the cell phone number used to arrange the exchange between the defendant and the Connecticut man.

Queens Criminal Court Judge Gia Morris said Waters is looking at six months in Rikers upon sentencing on Jan. 18.

The theft of Millenium sparked strong reactions in Queens and beyond.

PETA even offered a $5,000 reward for information leading authorities to the whereabouts of Millennium in the hope the tortoise would be returned safely.

“Millennium was the victim of a brazen kidnapping and his fate now is unknown,” PETA Vice President of Communications Colleen O’Brien said at the time. “PETA is calling on anyone with information to come forward so that this tortoise can be safely returned and those responsible held accountable.”

Sasha Sicard, executive assistant at the Alley Pond Environmental Center, expressed grief at the loss of the animal and said many in the community shared her distress.

“We’ve had him for over 10 years,” Sicard said. “He was part of the community. We have some very upset children and adults who miss him. We would just like to have him back. Right now, we don’t have much information. For now, all we know is that it was a breaking and entering. We have damage to the gate. He lived in an outdoor closure. They left his friend ‘Mini-me’ inside — he stayed inside an outdoor garden.”

Thousands of school children make the trek to Alley Pond to see Millenium every, Sicard said.

Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.

Comment on this story.

Source: Times Ledger