Author: metanet

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Naeisha Rose

TimesLedger Newspapers

Hotel guests at the Paper Factory in Long Island City and at the SpringHill Suites, LaGuardia in Corona will have the opportunity to interact with artists as they produce artwork for both hotels next year, according to the Queens Council on the Arts.

Artists across the borough have a chance to produce work for a hotel and receive $3,000 in funding for the Queens Council on the Arts hotel residency program by submitting their proposal by Jan. 8 at 5 p.m..

Queens-based artists also have the chance to attend a QCA ArtHotel Residency open house on Wednesday to sign up in person for the program at the participating hotels — the Paper Factory Hotel at 37-06 36th St. and LaGuardia at 112-15 Northern Blvd. — according to QCA spokesperson Lynn Lobell.

The Paper Factory’s open house hours are from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., while LaGuardia’s hours are at 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to Lobell.

The two artists who are selected will receive $3,000 over the course of three months and must be able to dedicate 20 hours of open studio time for the residency, according to the QCA.

During the open studio time, artists get a chance to engage with the public, sharing their vision while putting their creativity on display.

The residency is intended to give artists a safe place to focus and work in the public realm, build an audience, and to be seen working within the Queens community, while in turn giving denizens a chance to see an artist at work. It is also meant to support working artists as they get displaced due to development and gentrification across the borough.

The residency program is made possible with funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the Greater New York Arts Development Fund, and the City Council.

The QCA is a non-profit dedicated to fostering artists and art organizations throughout Queens for the benefit of the community’s diversity, according to www.queenscouncilarts.org.

Reach reporter Naeisha Rose by e-mail at nrose@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.

Comment on this story.

Source: Times Ledger

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Naeisha Rose

TimesLedger Newspapers

A Queens Village man was found shot in a 2015 Mercedes Benz with another man in the vehicle Saturday morning near his home, according to police.

The deceased, who had a gunshot wound to the neck, was identified as Mohale Ralekhetho, 39, who lived near 104th Ave. and 207th Street, according to authorities.

Beside Ralekhetho in the vehicle was another man, 33, who was not injured, according to officers.

EMS later responded and pronounced Ralekhetho dead at the scene.

No arrests have been made and the investigation was ongoing.

Reach reporter Naeisha Rose by e-mail at nrose@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.

Comment on this story.

Source: Times Ledger

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

Citing economic hardships for businesses that have lost significant customer parking spaces from Elmhurst to the Rockaways to the newly-implemented Select Bus Service program, state Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) introduced legislation to require the city to provide alternative parking spaces to make up for those that disappear as a result of the SBS or other municipal capital projects.

“Since SBS went into effect on Nov. 12 on Cross Bay and Woodhaven boulevards, many small businesses along these roadways have found that nearby customer parking spaces have been sacrificed to the bus routes and newly created bus stops,” Addabbo said. “This directly impacts the economic health of our community and the local companies that are the foundation of our local business areas. If customers can’t get to these stores owing to an elimination of parking, they will certainly decide to take their business elsewhere — therefore placing our stores in jeopardy.”

Under Addabbo’s plan, when parking is eliminated under an SBS or other capital project, the city would be required to hold a public hearing to solicit community input and consider alternate parking sites, prior to the elimination of any existing parking spaces.

“I worked with city legislation, which required that alternate green space must be found when parkland is taken for other uses,” said Addabbo, who was the chairman of the City Council’s Committee on Parks during his tenure there. “If we can take action to prevent our rare green spaces from being lost to development, we can also find a way to ensure that customer access to our local merchants isn’t sacrificed to municipal projects.”

Addabbo is a frequent critic of the city’s SBS plan for Cross Bay and Woodhaven boulevards for the loss of parking spots directly in front of stores as well as the motor vehicle congestion the new lanes have created on the heavily traveled thoroughfares. The senator is also concerned for the safety of pedestrians waiting on medians between traffic lanes.

“We need to continue urging the city to better address all of these vital issues,” Addabbo said. “Our local businesses depend on customer foot traffic to succeed. The ‘No parking, no customers, no local business’ formula is bad for our city and its residents.”

In October, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced “Bus Forward,” an initiative that will bring as many as eight more SBS programs to Queens. State Assemblyman Michael Miller (D-Woodhaven) will introduce companion legislation to Addabbo’s bill in the lower house.

“This bill is being introduced to address the growing concerns of my constituents regarding the loss of numerous parking spots. The SBS project and other capital projects have taken away much needed parking in our districts,” Miller said. “This bill will ensure that any future endeavors by New York City which affect parking will require the city to replace these spots at a suitable location in the same community.”

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 Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

For more than half a decade, elected officials and community leaders have demanded the closure of Show Palace, an adult nightclub beneath the Queensboro Bridge on 21st Street in Long Island City.

The State Liquor Authority repeatedly denied the strip club a liquor license so it began operating as an all-nude establishment and after five women were arrested on prostitution charges following a sweep by the NYPD Vice Squad last Friday night, state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) called on the NYPD and the Queens district attorney’s office to shutter Show Palace under the city’s nuisance abatement laws.

“At a time when the debate in our country is so focused on preventing the exploitation of women, a place like this is especially unwelcome,” Gianaris said. “Our family-friendly neighborhood is no place for a sex-based business with a long record of violence, drug sales and prostitution. This place has been a thorn in our community’s side for years and I will continue to protest this unwelcome establishment until its doors are closed.”

Show Palace is just blocks away from the Queensbridge Houses, the nation’s largest public housing development.

“Three thousand children are subjected to this business right down the street from where they live and where they go to school,” Urban Upbound Co-founder and CEO Bishop Mitchell Taylor said. “This is more than a travesty.”

Taylor called it a “hotbed for criminal activity” where scantily clad women leave in the early morning hours.

“Long Island City is the gateway to Queens where more and more families are moving in by the day,” Gianaris said. “They’re breaking laws here on a regular basis.”

The club is owned by the same group that owns Sin City in the South Bronx, which was known for gang activity, shootings and prostitution before losing its liquor license last May.

The front of Show Palace is currently covered in posters protesting censorship.

“This has nothing to do with censorship or the Constitution and any attempt to make that argument is B.S.,” Former Community Board 2 Chairman Patrick O’Brien said. “Let’s not fall for that. It’s time for this blight to go away and we’re hoping in goes away soon.”

Motorists driving off the Queensboro Bridge heading for the Jackson Avenue exit come off the ramp at 21st Street directly across the intersection from Show Palace.

“We want people to come off the Queensboro Bridge and see this amazing community for what it is not to see a horrific, crime-ridden, prostitution-filled establishment with owners who don’t give a damn about this neighborhood,” City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) said.

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 Gina Martinez

TimesLedger Newspapers

The Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York’s new report revealed Flushing has the highest share of children without health insurance in the city.

The nonprofit’s report, “The Community Risk Ranking,”said that the well-being of city children continues to improve following the 2008 Great Recession, but those improvements are not reaching all children. The report ranks the city’s 59 community districts and highlights neighborhoods where children continue to face significant risks to long-term well-being.

CCC’s report measures 18 indicators across six domains of child well-being, including economic security, housing, health, education, youth, and family and community. The report found that from 2010 to 2015, New York City experienced citywide improvements overall, including declining child poverty rates, lower teen birth rates, and increasing median incomes and graduation rates. This year’s report focuses on the differences from 2010 to 2015 to show how community risk levels have changed in the years since the height of the recession.

According to the report, children in the southern Bronx, central Brooklyn, and Upper Manhattan still have the highest level of risk, but surprisingly, eastern parts of Queens, which include the neighborhoods of Flushing, Woodhaven and Queens Village, show elevated levels of risk, even in areas where citywide trends are positive. The report said that despite the fact that community districts in eastern Queens have fared comparatively well in terms of economic conditions and the overall indicators, there are troubling trends in the areas of health, housing and education that point to the need for more supports for children and families in some neighborhoods.

Flushing experienced the highest percentage of children without health insurance in 2015, as well as reductions in families using early childhood education services and shouldering increased rent burden. CCC classifies rent burden as those households that are spending more than half of their income on keeping a roof over their heads.

The report said Queens Village had among the city’s highest infant mortality rates and share of babies born with low birth weight . The community also experienced reductions in early education enrollment.

Jennifer March, executive director of CCC, said the city has the largest population of children in the country and local action addressing the needs of the most vulnerable children can combat disparities.

“When we look at the status of child well-being in New York City, we see clear signs of progress citywide since the economic downturn,” she said. “But not every community is benefiting from this rising tide. In fact, we see children in particular communities falling behind, so we need to build on the efforts already underway and enact policy solutions that will make New York City a fairer and more just city for its children and families.”

Apurva Mehrotra, CCC director of Research and Data Analysis, said the nonprofit’s hope is that this analysis will provide the foundation for conversations around what more can be done to make sure that children and families in every community in the city flourish.

The CCC proposed several solutions, including expanding access to affordable family-based and center-based child care for infants and toddlers and offering reduced-priced MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers as well as creating transportation alternatives in hard-to-reach communities.

Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmartinez@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.

Comment on this story.

Source: Times Ledger

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Gina Martinez

TimesLedger Newspapers

Councilman Rory Lancman’s (D-Hillcrest) fare evasion bill passed unanimously in the City Council this week.

The legislation will now require the NYPD to report the number of arrests and summonses issued for subway fare evasion on a quarterly basis and break down the data into three categories: the subway station where the enforcement action took place, transit bureau district, race and sex, and age group of the individual arrested or issued a TAB summons.

Lancman, who also serves as the chairman of the Committee on Courts & Legal Services, sponsored the bill in response to data from the state’s Division of Criminal Justice Services that showed that in the first six months of 2017, the NYPD made more than 30,000 stops for jumping a turnstile. According to the data, of those who were stopped, three-quarters were issued a civil summons for violating the MTA rules against fare evasion, but during the same period 8,625 individuals were arrested for “theft of services,” a misdemeanor offense under state penal law. Nearly 90 percent of those arrested for theft of services in 2017 were either black or Latino and Lancman said the data confirmed that the city’s prosecution of fare evasion as a crime disproportionately affects immigrants and people of color.

This new legislation is intended to fill in the gaps in the current system for reporting fare evasion arrest and summons data. Earlier this year, the NYPD refused to release data on where fare evasion arrests took place and the race of the individuals who were arrested, despite repeated requests made by MTA board member David Jones.

Lancman said his measure will provide the public with the data needed to understand the extent to which communities of color are over-policed when it comes to fare evasion.

“What we know is that the mayor’s insistence on using arrests and criminal prosecution for fare evasion, all while a civil alternative is readily available, has disproportionately impacted brown and black New Yorkers,” he said. “However, what we do not know is how the NYPD is focusing its fare evasion enforcement and which precincts are spending most time and resources chasing after fare beaters. Sound public policy is only possible with complete data”

In October, the Community Service Society released a report, “The Crime of Being Short $2.75: Policing Communities of Color at the Turnstile,” which detailed how the city’s prosecution of fare evasion as a crime disproportionately affected low-income communities of color in Brooklyn in 2016. A person arrested for jumping a turnstile can face serious consequences, including a criminal record, time in Rikers Island, or even deportation for legal immigrants with a green card or visa.

Jones, who also serves as CEO and president of the Community Service Society, said this legislation will finally provide the public with regular, accessible information on just who is getting arrested or given summonses.

“Reporting will reveal the full dimensions of what is happening citywide, the first step towards needed change,” he said. “But, fundamentally, we should not be arresting people for the crime of being too poor to afford a MetroCard. We should be ensuring transit affordability through half-price fares for New Yorkers struggling to get to work, get to essential appointments, and get home to their kids.”

Lancman introduced the measure in July and the Public Safety Committee formally considered the bill at a hearing in October.

Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmartinez@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.

Comment on this story.

Source: Times Ledger

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By John Amato

TimesLedger Newspapers

As we begin another holiday season, the pace of life changes from one of normalcy to that of abnormalcy, with shopping malls becoming jammed with frenzied shoppers looking for all those wonderful items for Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

While it is usually a hectic time of the year, we should really try to take some time out for ourselves and reflect on what this time of year truly means. All three holidays are holidays of reflection and being thankful for the things that we have in our lives: family, friends, good health and cheer.

We should remember all those people during this beautiful time of the year who are less fortunate than us — the homeless, physically disabled and mentally ill — and try to help them out via monetary donations to the various organizations that support the less fortunate.

We should also remember our first responders — our police officers, firefighters, EMS workers — as well as doctors, nurses and our emergency 311 and 911 operators, and be most grateful for their dedication and the hard work that they do each and every day to help us.

Let us also remember our nation, the most wonderful place to live in the entire world, because we have many freedoms here that people in some other countries do not.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and peace and goodwill to everybody this holiday season.

John Amato

Fresh Meadows

Comment on this story.

Source: Times Ledger

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Merle Exit

TimesLedger Newspapers

The Queensboro Symphony Orchestra has expanded its venue to include a series of concerts at Moakyang Presbyterian Church in Whitestone. “Classical Christmas” marks the debut the series on Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 8 p.m.

The orchestra will be bringing along their Symphony Choir to sing a medley of Christmas Carols with a to-be-announced soloist for “Oh, Holy Night.”

The program, chosen and conducted by Maestro Dong-hyun Kim will also feature two non-holiday classical pieces, the popular “Pachelbel Canon” and J.S. Bach’s festive “Brandenburg Concerto No. 4,” featuring Concertmaster violinist Kae Nakano with flautists Noriko Omichi and Ti Chung.

“Pachebel Canon,” composed by Johann Pachebel, features two violins and a bass. Excerpts from this piece have become popular at weddings and funerals. Trans-Siberian Orchestra is noted for using this instrumental composition entitled it, “Christmas Canon” and adding lyrics.

“I chose these two classical pieces simply for the sounds,” said Kim.

“Pachelbel Canon,” is both quite recognizable and soothing, while Brandenburg is a more lively arrangement that adds the woodwind instrument to the strings.

Founded in 2015, Composer-in-Residence Paul Joseph had added a new musical dimension with the creation of the Queensboro Symphonic Choir, which made its debut in May, 2016. The company regularly performs at Mary’s Nativity Church in Flushing.

Rev. Peter Song, Senior Pastor at Moakyang — located at 12-25 Clintonville St. — said that he had reached out to Kim a week ago.

“Although our church serves the Korean community, we want to share the music with our other neighbors as well,” he said.

Rev. Song said that they are planning to have a series of Kim’s concerts performed at his church, beginning with “Classical Christmas.”

The concert, set to begin at 8 p.m., is free to the public. Free-will offerings are accepted.

For more information, call 646-957-1241

Queensboro Symphony Orchestra will be returning to their venue — Mary’s Nativity Church, located at 46-02 Parsons Blvd. — for a Dec. 30 Pre-New Year’s Eve concert. The program includes Edvard Greig’s “Holberg Suite;” Richard Wagner’s “Seigfried Idyll;” and J. S. Bach’s “Concerto for Two Violins” featuring Mahi Omori and Saki Kaneko.

The concert is scheduled for 8 p.m.

Comment on this story.

Source: Times Ledger

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Naeisha Rose

TimesLedger Newspapers

Despite frigid temperatures and a snowfall, 400 parents and students went to the first-ever Charter Middle and High School Fair Saturday, which featured two Queens’ charter schools among the 40 at the event held at 555 Broome St. in Manhattan.

New Visions Charter High Schools located at 156-10 Baisley Blvd. in South Jamaica and Growing Up Green Middle School at 36-49 11th St. in Long Island City had representatives on site at Broome St. Academy Charter High School to speak with parents about enlisting their children in junior high or high school for the 2018-2019 school year, according to Mitch Schwartz, the spokesman for the New York City Charter School Center.

The fair comes a month after the charter school system in New York City launched the Common Online Charter School Application, which has already drawn 2,500 applications for the 20 charters located in Queens, according to Schwartz. The four-hour event Saturday produced 250 applications for the 40 charters that attended.

Charter schools are growing in popularity in the borough and currently have 9,000 students enrolled and 6,310 on waitlists, he said.

Overall, there are 227 charters across the five boroughs, 114,000 students enrolled in them and 47,800 on waitlists, according to data on nyccharterschools.org.

The event came at a perfect time for charters.

Three months ago the state Dept. of Education released data that showed charter school students outperformed their district school peers on statewide exams in both English Language Arts and math for grades three to eight in the 2016-2017 school year.

Charter students scored 48.2 percent in proficiency on ELA tests, while public school students had 40.6 percent proficiency scores. This is a 7.6 percent difference in skill. The gap in math scores was even wider. Charter students had a 51.7 percent proficiency score in the subject and district students had a 37.8 percent score. That is a 13.9 percent disparity.

In the city, charters improved scores by 5.2 percent in ELA exams, from 43 percent to 48.2 percent. In terms of math, city charter schools improved by 3 percent over last year, from 48.7 percent to 51.7 percent in 2017.

Approximately 76 percent of students in charter schools are from economically disadvantaged families, 17 percent are in special education programs, 54 percent are black minorities and 38 percent are Hispanic as seen on data at nyccharterschools.org.

Some of the key differences between public and charter schools are public schools are obligated to take children within the borders of their districts, whereas charter schools target gifted or high-risk students, and fill vacancies through a lottery system, according to centerforpubliceducation.org.

Another difference is that charter schools are only beholden to rules of the state where they are located and the organization or person running it, whereas public schools, financed on the local, state and federal level, are subject to scrutiny by school boards or boards of education. Charter schools can receive tax dollars and the organization running them can use private funding, too.

“Charter schools offer an important educational option for many families,” said CEO James Merriman of the New York City Charter School Center. “This event helps parents and students learn more about the many charter middle and high schools in their neighborhoods, ensuring they can find a great public school that meets their needs.”

Reach reporter Naeisha Rose by e-mail at nrose@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.

Comment on this story.

Source: Times Ledger

See this story at TimesLedger.com.

By Naeisha Rose

TimesLedger Newspapers

Investigators believe rage over a parking spot set the stage for a Far Rockway man to be accused of killing his friend when he drove his car into a crowd of onlookers, injuring five people, police said.

The rampage took place Sunday outside the XS Hookah Lounge at 127-10 Liberty Ave. in Richmond Hill.

Adrien Harry, 22, was charged with murder, attempted assault, assault, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon, the Queens district attorney said. He is being held without bail and could face 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

After a preliminary investigation, police discovered that Harry and the 23-year-old murder victim, Richardo Chattergoon, were neighbors who arrived at XS Hookah Lounge together, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce.

The young men lived three minutes apart in Far Rockaway. Harry is from Beach 67th Street and Chattergoon from Beach 68th Street.

Harry and Chattergoon went to the lounge around 4:30 a.m. when the defendant bumped the white Hyundai he was operating into a parked BMW with two people inside, authorities said.

The bump did not leave any damage on the BMW, according to the police, but the occupants of the vehicle confronted Harry and Chattergoon and the situation escalated.

A fist fight ensued among the four individuals and Harry responded by allegedly stabbing at least one of the males with a knife and fled the scene, police said. Chattergoon, however, ended up on the sidewalk at the end of the fight.

Individuals in a Nissan Rogue tried to intervene but were later allegedly mowed down by Harry, who mounted the Hyundai on a sidewalk half a block away on 128th Street and hit six people, according to police.

Chattergoon, 23, was pronounced dead at the scene, and five others were sent to an area hospital, according to the criminal complaint.

His injuries were consistent with being struck and dragged by a vehicle, according to the medical examiner.

Two victims were in intensive care. The first had a brain bleed and was in a medically induced coma. The other suffered a fractured pelvis and a frontal lobe bleed on the head, which will require surgery.

The third victim had a broken nose and contusions. The fourth victim suffered from swelling to the head and bruising and swelling to a leg. The last victim suffered bruising and swelling to both legs and arms, according to the complaint.

Harry fled the scene and his vehicle was later recovered on 95th Avenue near Richmond Hill, police said.

He was later found in Richmond Hill at Jamaica Hospital and claimed to be a stabbing victim, Boyce said.

“Detectives were quick to put him on the scene, bring him back, and he admitted to the entire event. So, right now he’s charged with murder-two,” the NYPD detective said.

The DA had a few choice words for the defendant.

“What allegedly began as a minor tapping of fenders turned into a deadly pre-dawn horror show that left a young man dead and others seriously injured,” Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. “The crimes alleged here are beyond senseless and the defendant now faces a lengthy term of incarceration if convicted.”

Harry is scheduled to return to court on Jan. 4.

Reach reporter Naeisha Rose by e-mail at nrose@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.

Comment on this story.

Source: Times Ledger