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Scenes from around the borough this holiday season: shopping for artisinal goods at the Queens Museum; lights and a Radio City moment in Jamaica; and the Corona-East Elmhurst neighborhood stopped to remember a favorite daughter, the late Borough President Helen Marshall.
Source: Times Ledger
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By Tammy Scileppi
TimesLedger Newspapers
Since embarking on her rocky, but awesome journey to fame, a dynamic vocalist from Queens has always kept it real, never forgetting her roots.
And no matter where the head-turning Latina entertainer performs, her diverse fans like it that way.
MARi from the block – in Elmhurst – says she feels like “music and tacos are an epic combo, inspired from back in the day when you’d come out of a club late at night with nothing else open but the taco stand on the street.” Rumor has it the singer and her crew have actually cooked tacos for fans after her performances.
Taking New York City’s music scene by storm, the relative newcomer has been rocking the Latin beats with her insanely infectious dance, reggae and R&B rhythms, and a voice that’s pure pop gold spiked with soul.
“I’d say I have old school soul and style like Mariah and one of my all-time favorites Celia Cruz, with modern day Shakira and J-Lo tracks. They all stay classy, but evolve with the day we’re in,” MARi points out.
Like millions of New Yorkers, the entertainer believes that a great way to get into that holiday spirit is by listening to music, and that somehow those traditional standards never go out of style. Especially if the songs are transformed into pop and soul, with a sprinkling of EDM (electronic dance/club music) to shake things up a bit.
The glammed up, energetic diva would like to wish everyone Feliz Navidad! with her just-released five-song Spanglish EP “Have Yourself a MARi Little Christmas.” Whether you’re a Latin music lover or just feel like adding a little extra flavor to your holiday playlist, the Latin vibe will rev up your celebrations and mood — even if you’re feeling a bit down — with tunes from her treasure trove of hits.
“This album is like no other because in classic MARi style, I decided to keep the beauty of the holiday but put my sabor on top,” she says. “When we were starting as per usual, my team thought I was crazy making tunes like Feliz Navidad into EDM, but it more than worked and I am excited to have a beautiful Spanglish Christmas project that is appealing to all cultures and ages.”
Coming from a place of hope and spirituality, MARi sings from the heart. At times, she belts out songs of empowerment and religious inspiration in the Christian and Gospel music genres, as well.
Whether it’s on her own solo headlining excursions, opening for multimillion album selling Grammy winner TobyMac with fellow trendsetter Hollyn, or appearing on major TV networks such as TBN and JUCE, MARi is always authentic and humble. It’s just how she rolls, even when walking the red carpet at award ceremonies.
“I’ll never get to the point where I’m cooler than anyone,” she says. “We all just have to band together and walk in love. A platform can be used just so we can look great, but that’s not what I’m going for anymore.”
Recording in Nashville with an amazing all-star team of industry bigwigs, she just finished wrapping up a year in the studio with minor touring in between.
The singer recently took part in two big parades, Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day and Nashville Christmas, promoting her new album. Finishing up the year doing radio promotions, she says in 2018 she will be “a gypsy on the road for sure, so please keep an eye out…
MARi hopes to perform in Queens sometime in the future.
For many years, life hadn’t treated the budding singer kindly, but her music and deep faith were her salvation, and eventually, she found peace and harmony.
Not one to sugar coat any of the bad stuff she endured, she recalls suffering terrible abuse at an early age and experiencing further abuse when she was first married. And recently, she had a harrowing near death experience. Having gone through a major healing process, she and her marriage and family (she has a daughter) are whole again.
“Even though you see all the glam and gaudiness, I’m honestly the poster child for ‘if she can make it, anyone can make it,” says MARi. “I’ve overcome so many dark seasons in my life, but I didn’t let any of them overcome me.”
A Boston native, the singer grew up in Elmhurst with her adoptive Puerto Rican familia, but her birth parents were Cuban.
“Growing up between my biological family that was very secular and an adoptive family that was very Christian, I had a balance between both musical worlds,” she recalls. “I’m half Puerto Rican and half Cuban, so I’m straight up Latina and that’s played a role as well. It’s actually an awesome combination that’s really given me the motivation, passion and fire to keep on going.”
These days, the singer commutes between New York and Tennessee, where she records her music, and says it’s the best of both worlds. “Country and city mix better than I thought.”
Young MARi started singing and playing her grandfather’s piano at the age of 9, “and it has been a vital tool in my writing and creative process,” she says.
Now that her career has taken off, she explains how she got here and says, “Keep your eye on the prize and never stop hustling.”
“Take the crumbs and love it, and make a cake! There’s so many talented people that always say you gotta know someone or have money and it’s mostly true, but you have to work and do more than your part, too,” she says.
Before she started singing and writing songs, MARi had a slew of jobs.
“I have pushed carts, worked behind a bakery counter, tarred roofs and fixed toilets as a superintendent in the city… I worked and paid my own way, and prayed to meet the right people. One door led to another, that closed another, but then again opened another,” she recalls.
“I grinded in the studio, wrote constantly, made as many contacts as possible and, played as much as possible. It’s not overnight or when we think we’re ready, so always keep working and it will happen when it’s time.”
She adds: “People make it look glamorous. It sucks and it’s not fun but that’s why even though many are talented, not many make it. Don’t let go of the rope, and don’t hate the process.”
The EP is available wherever digital music is sold, including Amazon and iTunes.
Source: Times Ledger
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By Mark Hallum
TimesLedger Newspapers
Veronica Chavez from Corona was one of the three victims who made it out of the Port Authority bombing alive Monday and said the experience conjured another traumatic memory: 9/11, according to a news report.
Chavez, who was pregnant at the time of the World Trade Center terrorist assault over 16 years ago, worried for her brothers who worked downtown back then and on Monday, at the time the tunnel shook, she only wished to see her children again, she told the Daily News.
“The Sept. 11 attacks are memories I can’t forget,” said Chavez before describing her experience at the Port Authority. “There was smoke everywhere and debris falling. My ears were ringing. They haven’t stopped ringing. All I kept thinking is, I want to see my children again. If something happened to me, who will care for them?”
Chavez works at a wedding dress factory and had just left the No. 7 train at 42nd Street – Times Square, she said, when Akayed Ullah, 27, allegedly set off a homemade bomb which was strapped to his torso.
The bomb, which malfunctioned, failed to kill anyone, including Ullah himself, and Chavez simply went home to be with her children, she told the News.
Ullah is a Bangladeshi immigrant from Brooklyn.
Her 16-year-old son, Alex Chavez, was born the day after the 9/11 attack, she said.
“I’m really happy she’s home. Yesterday I was thinking, I just hope she gets home,” Alex Chavez said. “When I saw her come through the door, I gave her a big, big hug. She was alive.”
MTA workers help Chavez evacuate the tunnel and she met with her Alfonso Chavez, 42, and Juan Chavez, 40, on 40th Street, the News reported. The helped her to Mount Sinai West.
“My ears are still throbbing. I can’t sleep. My head hurts,” Chavez said. “I’m still not OK.”
President Donald Trump used the opportunity to strike out against immigration and promote the travel ban he issued by executive order barring emigres from eight predominantly Muslim nations.
“Today’s attempted mass murder attack in New York City — the second terror attack in New York in the last two months — once again highlights the urgent need for Congress to enact legislative reforms to protect the American people,” Trump said, calling for an end to chain migration, which gives preference to people with family already in the country. “First and foremost, as I have been saying since I first announced my candidacy for president, America must fix its lax immigration system, which allows far too many dangerous, inadequately vetted people to access our country.”
Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) urged support for the Bangladeshi community to condemn the terror attack and to create a clear distinction between the Muslim community and terrorists like Ullah.
“I stand with my Bangladeshi colleagues in condemning this horrific act of violence,” Dromm said. “Akayed Ullah is an extremist. He does not represent the Bangladeshi community or the Muslim community, who soundly reject his hate. We gather together to proclaim with one voice that we will not cower from or be divided by such despicable acts.”
Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.
Source: Times Ledger
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By Mark Hallum
TimesLedger Newspapers
State Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing) joined campus administrators Monday for the dedication of the new Student One-Stop Welcome Center at Queensborough Community College.
Funds from Stavisky’s office were allocated to the facility in Bayside to complete the welcome center, which will help students work with staff for enrollment and other services the college provides.
“When you’re enrolling in college, it can be an overwhelming experience and students don’t always know where to turn,” Stavisky said. “This new center is a one-stop shop for assisting students that will hopefully be utilized by many of the 16,000 students Queensborough serves each year. I am a big supporter of our public institutions of higher education and QCC consistently provides some of the best educational and career services in the city. I was happy to help bring this welcome center to fruition.”
Stavisky’s office said the welcome center will be particularly beneficial for new students and recent immigrants who have no experience with higher education.
“Senator Stavisky has been a friend and champion of Queensborough, and the City University of New York, for decades,” said Dr. Diane Call, president of Queensborough Community College. “Her support of the college’s beautiful new Student Welcome Center is another example of her commitment to ensuring that New Yorkers have access to affordable, high-quality education.”
Stavisky serves as the a ranking member of the Senate’s Committee on Higher Education and has made contributions to the institution in the past.
Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.
Source: Times Ledger
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TimesLedger Newspapers
When is over-the-top not nearly enough? When it some to Christmas lights, that’s when.
Here’s what we found on a quick tour around Queens neighborhoods, including Hamilton Beach, where city worker Mike Giglio is using his house display to raise money for the volunteer fire department next door to a holiday display in Jamaica Estates that probably can be seen from outer space.
Source: Times Ledger
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By Zach Gewelb
TimesLedger Newspapers
At the beginning of the 2017 season, this column questioned whether New York City had become a Mets town. It was a logical question to ask, given the Mets success in 2015 and 2016 while the Yankees were clearly a step behind.
But, man, what a difference eight months has made. The Mets had a chance to seize New York with their homegrown pitching studs and veteran talent across the diamond. They entered the 2017 season with playoff expectations and World Series aspirations. The Yankees were breaking in a new, young and unproven core and had low expectations.
The Mets finished the season with a 70-92 record, while the Yankees were a win away from advancing to the World Series.
Additionally, the Yankees reclaimed their “Evil Empire” reputation after trading for Giancarlo Stanton, the reigning National League MVP, from the Miami Marlins. With their 2017 success and big-time trade, the Yankees have taken back New York — did they ever truly lose it? — while the Mets return to being the “little brother” of baseball in the Big Apple.
But it’s not crazy to think that they can be as good, if not better, than the Yankees. As currently constructed, the Mets are behind the Yankees in terms of talent. But the gap isn’t all that big.
The Mets’ biggest advantage is their pitching staff, which — when healthy — stacks up with some of the best rotations in the league. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better one-two punch than Noah Syndergaard and Jacob de Grom at the top of a rotation. Steven Matz is a solid No. 3 pitcher, while the team can fill out the rotation with arms like Zack Wheeler, Matt Harvey, Robert Gsellman or Seth Lugo.
The Mets also have some good options in the outfield, including former All-Star Yoenis Cespedes and 2017 All-Star Michael Conforto. Juan Lagares and Brandon Nimmo have a lot to offer as well.
In the infield, the Mets have Asdrubal Cabrera and Wilmer Flores to support youngsters Amed Rosario and Dominic Smith with Travis d’Arnaud behind the plate.
Now, this core may not be as elite as the Yankees’, which includes Aaron Judge, Luis Severino, Gary Sanchez and Didi Gregorious. But there is more talent in Queens than the Mets’ 70-92 season indicates. And there’s reason to believe things are looking up for the Mets.
The team imported a new coaching staff — led by new manager Mickey Callaway — and more importantly, a new training staff. The new staff will be more hands-on in terms of monitoring players during the offseason. While it should be an obvious thing to do, the Mets have not done so in the past, and the disconnect between the players and trainers led to another injury-riddled campaign. There is hope the new staff will help limit the amount of injuries moving forward.
The Mets are also looking to add some talent to their team during the offseason. They’ve been connected to free agent second basemen and relievers, two areas of need.
While the team boasts a solid bullpen featuring Jeurys Fmailia, Jerry Blevins and A.J. Ramos, the Mets have been looking to add another reliever to the mix. They missed out on one of their top targets, Bryan Shaw, who signed with the Rockies. But there are other solid arms still available.
The Mets have also been connected with second basemen Ryan Goins, Josh Harrison, Ian Kinsler, Jurickson Profar and Jason Kipnis.
Adding a reliever and a second basemen to a healthy pitching staff would put the Mets on the short list of contenders heading into the 2018 season.
And if all goes right, they might be in a position to take over New York once again.
Reach reporter Zach Gewelb by e-mail at zgewelb@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4539.
Source: Times Ledger
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By Naeisha Rose
TimesLedger Newspapers
Police were on the lookout for three male suspects armed with knives who may be responsible for a robbery, a slashing, and two stabbings in Jamaica, according to the NYPD.
Within the course of 21 days, from Nov. 19 to Dec. 10, the three men are suspected of robbing one man and slashing him in the face, then attempting to do the same to two others and stabbing them in the wee hours of the morning, according to authorities.
The first incident occurred Nov. 19 at 4:45 a.m. in front of an apartment complex at 90-39 148 St., where the three suspects allegedly approached a 28-year-old victim and one of them displayed a knife demanding property, said police. Afterwards they allegedly slashed him in the face, leaving a laceration. The culprits allegedly stole a cellphone, a wallet, headphones and a backpack estimated to be worth $280 all together, police said.
The second incident was near the JMW Grocery Corp. located at 148-06 90th Ave. Nov. 28 at 1:20 a.m. and the third was in the vicinity of Hillside Avenue and Sutphin Boulevard Dec. 10 at 4:30 a.m., according to police. Both attempted robberies involved three suspects approaching a man, with one person from the crew displaying a knife and demanding property from him, then the knife-wielding individual stabbed the victim only for the suspects to remove no properties, the police said.
In all three cases the suspects fled in an unknown direction, but in the second incident by the grocery police were able to get surveillance photos of the suspects.
All of the individuals are males in their 20s, the NYPD said. The first suspect, an African-American, was last seen wearing a white hoodie. The second suspect is Hispanic and was last seen wearing a red baseball cap and red shirt. The third suspect is Hispanic and was last seen wearing all black clothing.
Reach reporter Naeisha Rose by e-mail at nrose@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.
Source: Times Ledger
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By Naeisha Rose
TimesLedger Newspapers
Police deemed the Jan. 22 death of 5-year-old Michael Guzman from Jamaica a homicide Thursday, according to the NYPD.
Almost a year ago on that Sunday afternoon within the 103rd Precinct police responded to a 911 call at 109th Avenue near Inwood Street and discovered the young boy unconscious and unresponsive on the ground, according to authorities.
EMS later arrived at the scene and took the child to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, said police.
There have been no arrests and the investigation was ongoing.
Reach reporter Naeisha Rose by e-mail at nrose@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.
Source: Times Ledger
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By Gina Martinez
TimesLedger Newspapers
Two Long Island men have been charged in the 2015 fatal shooting of rapper Chinx and wounding of his friend in Briarwood, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.
Brown was joined by NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill Thursday to announce that a Queens County grand jury returned a five-count indictment charging 26-year-old Jamar Hill and 32-year-old Quincy Homere with the May 2015 shooting of rapper Lionel Pickens, 31, aka Chinx and the wounding of Antar Alziadi, 27, as they sat in Pickens’ car.
Brown said the two defendants are currently awaiting arraignment in Queens Supreme Court on a five-count indictment charging them with one count each of second-degree murder, attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon.
According to the charges, on May 17, 2015 Hill and Homere followed Pickens from a nightclub performance in Brooklyn into Queens before shooting at Pickens’ Porsche near Main Street and Queens Boulevard. Pickens and his passenger, Alziadi, were both struck multiple times, and taken to a local hospital where Pickens was pronounced dead and Alziadi was treated for his injuries, the DA said.
Brown said that such violence has no place in a civilized society.
“In another example of the mindless gun violence plaguing our country, a young, up-and-coming musician had his life and career dramatically cut short by a burst of senseless shooting that also wounded an acquaintance.” he said.
O’Neill thanked detectives for their hard work in indicting Hill and Homere.
“This indictment shows that the two defendants essentially stalked their victims before shooting them and making a getaway,” he said. “But through the talent and tenacity of the Queens South detectives, working closely with the office of the Queens District Attorney, they have now been brought back to answer for this violent act.”
The two men face up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.
Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmartinez@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.
Source: Times Ledger
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By Naeisha Rose
TimesLedger Newspapers
Just 26 years old, the newly elected state Assemblyman Daniel Rosenthal (D-Flushing) announced Tuesday he will jump right into tackling issues plaguing his community by joining five committees in the 2018 legislative session. He will join the Aging, Insurance, the Labor, Real Property Taxation and Social Services committees.
“It is truly exciting to be able to serve on committees that will help deliver essential services to my district and better the lives of all New Yorkers,” he said. “I look forward to getting to work on these committees and getting results for my constituents.”
Rosenthal, who represents the 27th Assembly District for residents in Kew Garden Hills, Kew Gardens, Electchester, Pomonok, College Point, Whitestone, Briarwood, Richmond Hill and Forest Hills, was sworn in as the new assemblyman on Nov. 16 after winning a special election on Nov. 7 to replace Michael Simanowitz, who died two months earlier.
Days after being sworn in he had announced the focus of his administration and legislation from his office would be on ensuring fair wages for working families, funding community schools and increasing public heath awareness, according to his office.
“I am honored to serve the people of the 27th Assembly District,” Rosenthal said. “Whether it is advocating for constituent needs, fighting to fund essential services, or sponsoring legislation to help families, my office will be on the front lines assisting our community. I look forward to hitting the ground running and getting to work for my constituents.”
Rosenthal’s office said he wants to use his membership in those committees to be a voice for minority and women-owned businesses, to help seniors in his district, discuss property tax reform and to make sure New Yorkers are insured and have the social services they need.
His office said it would be advocating for the increase of minority and women-owned enterprises in College Point and Kew Gardens as well as finding a fair and equitable solution to property tax reform throughout the city and maintaining protections for middle class families in the Electchester Houses.
With the senior population growing and becoming more diverse, he wants senior centers in his district to not only reflect diversity, but also to make sure the elderly are well cared for at these spots and at Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities.
He will be joining the fight to fully fund NORCs, a building or neighborhood where a substantial number of the residents happen to be 60 years old or more, according to nyc.gov. He also wants to make sure the aging community receives the essential services they need.
With the impending Congressional Tax Plan targeting the Affordable Care Act’s Individual Mandate, which he believes could possibly leave New York state with a $4 billion deficit in the upcoming budget, he hopes to fight and make sure New Yorkers receive the social services and proper medical coverage to which are entitled.
Reach reporter Naeisha Rose by e-mail at nrose@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.
Source: Times Ledger