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By Carlotta Mohamed

TimesLedger Newspapers

Samuel Torres was only 17 years old when he left his homeland of Bogota, Colombia, to pursue a music career.

He made his way to Miami, Fla., in 1999, where he performed with renowned Latin artists and bands before settling in New York City in 2002. The window of opportunities quickly opened for him here.

Today, the versatile trained percussionist, arranger, and composer of Latin jazz, salsa and Latin pop lives in Long Island City, where he has made a name for himself at home and abroad. His new forthcoming album, “Alegria,” which means “happiness” in English, is a fusion of classic American jazz with contemporary urban Latin dance sounds such as cumbia, boogaloo, and Afro-Cuban jazz.

Music lovers can see the Samuel Torres Super Band perform at a special concert entitled “Alegria, Urban Latin Jazz Portrait” at 7:30 p.m. next Friday at Aaron Davis Hall, presented by The City College Center for the Arts, located on campus at West 135th Street and Convent Avenue. The May 18 performance will include new songs such as “Raquel’s Bolero,” “Salsa, Jazz y Choke,” and “Barretto Power.”

“I’ve always been interested in the amazing music that has come out of New York City, especially the city’s history of welcoming Latin artists and giving them a base to push through new innovations in Latin music like salsa and Latin jazz,” said Torres. “This is one of the reasons I am so happy to bring these new songs to the people of Harlem.”

The Chamber Music America 2017 New Jazz Works Commissioning program with funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation made it possible for “Alegria” and the “Alegria, Urban Latin Jazz Portrait” concert. Torres said he is honored to be a two-time winner of the grant in 2012 and 2017, making him the firsthand percussionist to receive the grant. The grant also funds the Boston premiere of the work in concert at Scullers Jazz Club May 24, and the upcoming Alegria album to be recorded later this spring.

Torres grew up listening to music in a household of musicians, including his uncle, Edy Martinez, a pianist-arranger who established himself in the 1970s during the New York City salsa scene. After his career took flight working with the famed American-Cuban jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, Torres joined famous Latin artists, including Ricky Martin, Alejandro Sanz, Shakira and Tito Puente, among others.

“It’s very important as a musician to be open and play many different styles that reach your musical language,” Torres said. “All music can be great if it’s done well. I’m always open to playing with new artists, too.”

Torres’ 2015 album, “Forced Displacement,” was influenced by the violence and political unrest affecting his native Colombia. His new album is dedicated to the people of Colombia and other Latin American nations who are resilient and able to find happiness through any given hardships. For Torres, it’s about reconciliation, peace, love and forgiveness.

“I wanted to do something positive that inspired people to move through the language and Alegria does that,” Torres said.

When Torres is not on tour, he works as a music instructor at a private school in Manhattan, where he is developing the percussion program.

He hopes that people will enjoy the upcoming concert and leave with a feeling of love for life, dance, and happiness.

The Samuel Torres Super Band includes Torres (congas and percussion); Will Vinson (alto saxophone); Joel Frahm (tenor and soprano saxophone); Ivan Renta (baritone saxophone, bass clarinet and flute); Michael Rodriguez (trumpet); Alex Norris (trumpet); Marshall Gilkes (trombone); Luis Perdomo (piano); Rubén Rodríguez (bass); and Pablo Bencid (drums).

Tickets for “Alegria, Urban Latin Jazz Portrait” are on sale now for $30, or $20 for students and seniors with ID. Tickets can be purchased online at www.citycollegecenterforthearts.org, or in person at the Aaron Davis Hall box office Tuesday through Friday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more details visit the CCCA site or call the Aaron Davis Box Hall office at (212) 650-6900.

Reach reporter Carlotta Mohamed by e-mail at cmohamed@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4526.

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

The morning after the MTA announced it would begin a $45 million project for structural steel repair work and painting along the elevated 7 train line from Jackson Heights and Corona, elected officials and angry straphangers rallied in Sunnyside to demand more from the agency.

City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) and U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) blasted the MTA May 3 for continued poor service on the 7 line as well as its announcement that signal upgrade work, which has been underway for seven years will not be finished on time.

“We have endured horrible 7 train service for far too long,” Van Bramer said. “The MTA needs to set deadlines and stick to them. As they plan work, they need to consider this community and the repercussions of service changes. And Andy Byford needs to come to this community immediately for an emergency town hall so that he can fully understand the impact of this awful 7 train service.”

Byford is the new president of New York City Transit.

“People who live along the 7 need the train to get to work and to get home to their families and they shouldn’t be forced to dedicate additional commute time to stand on crowded platforms because the 7 train is so unreliable,” Van Bramer said. “This community deserves better”

The new technology, called Communication-based Train Control, will eventually allow the MTA to run more trains per hour on the 7 line, but that project has missed numerous deadlines. Work was supposed to be completed June 30, but it has been pushed back to November.

“The extended time lines and cost overruns on the CBTC project are completely unacceptable,” founder and executive director of Access Queens Melissa Orlando said. “Not only does this cause inconvenience for riders, the associated testing, train delays and signal failures create a real quality-of-life issue here in Queens. The economic impact of not having functioning mass transit in Queens cannot be overstated — all of this has a cost attached to it.”

The MTA explained the contractor Thales is asking for more time to complete the CBTC project, and Byford is challenging the request.

“President Byford told MTA Board members that he’s very unhappy about delays and is aggressively pushing the contractor installing the brand-new signal system on the 7 line to work harder and complete the job sooner than the contractor’s new projection,” MTA spokesman Jon Weinstein said.

City Councilman Peter Koo (D-Flushing) joined the rally and spoke of his constituents’ anger and frustration with frequent delays on the 7 line.

“Any 7 train rider can tell you that the only thing reliable about the 7 train is that it will inevitably be delayed,” Koo said. “At the end of the day, 7 train riders are sick and tired of being sick and tired. From Long Island City to Flushing, New Yorkers need the MTA to do better because New Yorkers deserve better.”

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

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Carlotta Mohamed

TimesLedger Newspapers

State Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) and state Assemblyman Michael DenDekker (D-East Elmhurst) were scheduled to meet with the commissioner of the city Department of Transportation Friday to discuss traffic lighting changes along Northern Boulevard after a 9-year-old boy was killed in a hit-and-run incident in Jackson Heights.

Giovanni Ampuero was crossing 70th Street and Northern Boulevard with his mother April 28 when an 86-year-old driver making a left turn struck and killed Ampuero, according to Assemblyman DenDekker. Just days after Ampuero’s death, the DOT implemented a Leading Pedestrian Interval at the intersection where he died, which gives pedestrians a seven-second head start before cars can turn.

“While that is not exactly what we wanted, it is a step in the right direction. But what about the rest of Northern Boulevard?” said DenDekker.

DenDekker said that after U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) and other elected officials from the city and state representing Northern Boulevard met WHEN?DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenburg in City Hall, the DOT agreed to walk along Northern Boulevard from 58th Street to Junction Boulevard to inspect every intersection.

“A study which began today will include local elected officials walking block by block with NYC DOT to review every intersection,” DenDekker said. “The immediate study will include LPI’s, All Pedestrian Phase Lighting, Split Phase Leading Pedestrian Lighting for the left turning lanes and other traffic turning calming recommendations.”

Ampuero is the fifth child involved in a fatal hit-and-run incident in Queens in less than 6 years along Northern Boulevard. In December 2012, Miguel Torres, an 11-year-old sixth-grade student at IS 145, was killed while crossing 80th Street and Northern Boulevard. In December 2017, Noshat Nahian, an 8-year-old third-grade student at PS 152 was struck and killed while crossing 61st Street and Northern Boulevard, according to DenDekker.

“They were all crossing in the crosswalk with a green signal when they were struck by drivers failing to yield to the pedestrians in the crosswalk,” DenDekker said. “We must try to prevent these terrible incidents. One way is to hold the drivers accountable for the terrible reckless operation of their vehicles and another is to try, by design, to make our roads safer.”

Zeeshan Anis, 35, of East Tremont in the Bronx, who attends the Baitul Ateeq Muslim Center every Friday on 62-17 Northern Blvd., said it is deadly for pedestrians trying to cross the road.

“I’ve been coming here for eight years now and the road conditions have not changed,” Anis said. “There are schoolchildren that have to cross these streets and sometimes cars don’t stop.”

Anis said there should be more of a police presence along the busy intersections on Northern Boulevard to make sure the children are safe.

Peralta said now is the time for the DOT to step up and put a stop to the unnecessary deaths on Northern Boulevard.

“We cannot allow Northern Boulevard to become the new old Queens Boulevard, which was known as the Boulevard of Death,” Peralta said.

Reach reporter Carlotta Mohamed by e-mail at cmohamed@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4526.

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By Merle Exit

TimesLedger Newspapers

Two Queens artists have their work on display at the Rainforest Art Foundation’s “Nature in Art By Young Artists” exhibit.

The exhibit, run by artist Marlene Yu, opened May 5 and will run through June 6 at 35-58 37th St. in Long Island City.

Midori Tanabe lives in Forest Hills and has a background in architecture. Her artwork is on display at the exhibit, including a drawing of the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, which shows off the area’s submerged trees.

“Some of my work includes drawings in pastels usually about things I find in New York City. Most of my work focuses on architecture and nature,” Tanabe said. “I like drawing on the site because it makes me pay more attention to the details. Being that this is the Rainforest Art Foundation, it is all about appreciating nature through art, so my art is based on the flowers and foliage of the city. Although I prefer drawing indoors as my comfort zone, the outdoor environment gives me a further dimension and can be less suffocating.”

Jenny Liu, of Long Island City, has two copper plate etchings on display at the exhibit, “I Found the Universe in My Backyard” and “Infinity.”

“All of my work tends to come back to nature in some way,” Liu said. “My artwork served as a culmination of my interdisciplinary studies and interests in undergraduate at University of Pittsburgh.”

Liu majored in philosophy and minored in studio arts, as well as chemistry. She is inspired by nature and the world around her.

“I try to better understand the significance of living organisms and what it means to be living,” Liu said.

With “I Found the Universe in My Backyard,” Liu said she tried to show off “the awe and wonder that is universally felt when we immerse ourselves in nature.” “Infinity” is “a study of the states of infinity that can be found in nature,” Liu said.

“After seeing Marlene’s art, I was inspired and felt further connected to these questions and curiosities regarding nature that we both share,” she added. “I am excited to see more of her work and get to know her more because it seems like our artwork comes from similar ways of thinking about nature.”

There are five other artists in addition to Tanabe and Liu who have their work displayed at the exhibit.

Catherine Chang flew in from Atlanta to provide a solo show within the exhibit. The fabric pieces included in her work are naturally hand-dyed with food scraps in order to honor “nature.” The pinks are made from avocados and the yellows from lemon peels. Chang said she is inspired by the spiritual feeling of being out in a naturalistic environment.

Receptive to both her own inner nature and nature’s wisdom, Chang said that she seeks “to explore universal metaphysics and internal feeling in my artwork through line, space, and color” and uses the medium to create a visual language of what she not able to put into words. “I wish that those who connect with my art will find a quieting of the mind and an opening of heart and soul,” Chang said.

Scarlett Chang, Catherine’s sister, also contributed to the exhibit with one drawing of pen on paper. She said her focus is simple and intricate line drawings of flower forms using both pen and watercolor. “The work I create is a product of self expression and creativity used as an outlet for the mundane,” Scarlett said. “Flowers are the main focus of my work and are detailed in the most simplistic nature of pen on paper in order to highlight the work with less emphasis on the medium.”

Ave Salzman, Jinge Xu and Alexander Yu also showed off their work at the exhibit, though they were not present at the opening reception.

Salzman considers herself to be a practicing graphic novelist, painter, and illustrator. She said that she is “deeply passionate about ecology, evolutionary biology and the conservation of species in the earth’s remaining niches of great beauty.” Her exhibit of her “Small Five” series came from volunteering in Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique, which is in Africa.

“I aim to capture that appreciation of nature coupled with the effortless inventiveness of a child, two qualities that are fundamental to human development and happiness,” Salzman said.

Alexander Yu is the youngest of the artists whose work is featured in the exhibit. “During my art elective at school we were instructed to paint a still-life painting using acrylic paints,” he said. “My choices were limitless but I settled on one of my favorite pictures of my dog, the scene setting a sense of serenity as Ella is deep in sleep on soft covers. She embodies still life and peace in oneself.”

Jinge Xu, from the northern Chinese province of Inner Mongolia, said she is inspired by the colors found in nature, though the art she has on display shows black and white line drawings of whimsical animals.

Those interested in attending the exhibit can stop by the Rainforest Art Foundation Tuesdays through Fridays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call the foundation at (917) 682-3630.

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

Elected officials in western Queens are united in staunch opposition to the de Blasio administration’s plan to build a deck over much of the 180-acre Sunnyside Yard and construct a small city with 24,000 apartments at a cost of $19 billion.

They were annoyed the city and Amtrak announced their agreement May 1 to formalize their collaboration and select a consulting team to lead master planning beginning this summer without having input in the process.

“I am opposed to the mega-development being proposed for Sunnyside Yards,” City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) said. “Sunnyside, Long Island City and Astoria are already underserved by transit and this proposal does nothing to assure me that transit infrastructure is being taken into consideration here. As the population of Long Island City continues to grow exponentially, the city is not doing enough to meet the needs of the residents and now the administration wants to add another 24,000 units with this proposal. Once again, this administration is imposing their vision for this community on us and it is not our vision. Moving forward with a plan to deck and develop Sunnyside Yards is outrageous and I will not support it.”

State Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) has watched the unprecedented development in Long Island City and is concerned with the lack of infrastructure.

“Western Queens is home to New York’s fastest growing neighborhoods and our infrastructure is already stretched to its limits,” Gianaris said. “I will not endorse any proposal for development at Sunnyside Yards that is not supported by the community and fails to include improvements for mass transit, schools parks, and other community needs.”

U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) also objected to the process that included little or no community feedback.

“Many of my constituents’ concerns about the impact this development would have on their lives and communities have not been heard or addressed,” Crowley said. “That must happen before the project could move forward.”

State Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan (D-Long Island City) was angered that the city and Amtrak announced the creation of a Steering Committee comprised of 28 community leaders that will spend 18 months hosting public meetings and workshops, attending civic meetings and canvassing to better understand the needs of individuals in western Queens. Nolan was not consulted on the makeup of the group.

“I am incredibly disappointed that Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen did not reach out to get my input as the elected representative of this district for over 30 years,” Nolan said. “I have worked closely with the mayor on many issues and it is shocking to me to see community voices denied in this process at the very beginning. I commend the many talented leaders on this group, but it must be more diverse and reflective of our western Queens community. I must insist that locally elected officials be able to recommend community leaders to this panel, that it be expanded to include more voices and that more residents and businesses, not just nonprofit groups, be included.”

Nolan announced she would be introducing legislation to give Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Legislature more input into the planning process. Meanwhile, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, which is overseeing the master planning effort, maintains that elected representatives will have a seat at the table.

“All local elected officials have been invited to participate in the Sunnyside Yard Steering Committee,” a NYCEDC spokeswoman said. “The master planning process will include many opportunities for elected and stakeholder engagement. It’s our goal to ensure that the many diverse communities surrounding Sunnyside Yard have a seat at the table in the planning and visioning process.”

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

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By Gina Martinez

TimesLedger Newspapers

One of the parties responsible for the Flushing lot said neighbors should be thankful to them for clearing out a lot that had been abandoned for more than 25 years.

Two weeks ago, neighbors celebrated the clearing of a Flushing lot that they said was being used illegally as storage for a tree service. The 40-24 149th St. residential lot was taken over Oct. 12 by Fresh Meadows-based Arnoldo’s Tree Service, according to neighbor Daniel Hollingworth. The lot has been under the management of Frank Camisi of Whitestone-based Camisi Construction LLC, since last year. Neighbors believed Camisi was loaning the lot to Arnoldo’s for storage of their trucks.

But one of the parties managing the lot, who did not want to be identified by name, said neighbors have the story all wrong. He is disputing neighbors’ claims that the company was using the lot as illegal storage and said the lot was being cleared out because it was unusable and disgusting after years of neglect.

“It was not storage,” one of the managers said. “The tree company cleared up all the mess that had been there for the past 25 years. They were there for three to four months because there was a lot to clean up. DOB contacted us. We were not completely aware of what happened, but once they contacted us we completely cleared it. I’m surprised the neighbors are complaining. That place was a complete disaster, it was horrible.”

The manager said it cost almost $50,000 to clean the lot because it was in such poor condition and the owners would not have gotten insurance unless it was cleared. He also added that they understood the neighbors’ complaints about the excessive noise Arnoldo’s would make and that they were there for longer than planned, but as soon as the owners received a notice from the Department of Buildings to clear the lot, the tree service crew left immediately.

“It took that long to cut all trees and shrubs and then they brought in a lot of dirt and gravel,” he said. The manager said when contractors first began the cleanup, they thought they would find dead animals. He said he expected neighbors would be happy that someone finally took the steps to clear the lot and was shocked that they complained.

Arnoldo’s crew left the lot on April 22, but neighbors said the remaining debris is still an eyesore

“We’re happy, yes, but not 100 percent because of the way they left it,” Hollingworth said. “It stinks. If you would take a look at it, there are holes all over the place with cement blocks everywhere and left-behind wood. The dirt is all messed up and I noticed there is this white crustation. I don’t know if that’s because of chemicals that were spilled.”

The manager said the neighbors complaining about left-over logs is nonsense and that they should be on cloud nine.

“How can they possibly even compare that property to what it was for so many years, I don’t get it,” hesaid. “There were weeds 15 feet high, trees 30 feet high. The lot is parallel to the Long Island Railroad tracks and LIRR sent notices to the owners to try to clean up in case of any maintenance. God forbid if there was an accident or any repairs to be made to the retaining walls. Engineers would not have set foot on the property. Now they’re complaining because of a couple of logs. You couldn’t even open the gate with the mosquitoes and animals. We cleared away a 30-yard-long container of trash, not even counting the trees.”

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

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By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

Several Queens lawmakers are relieved that Eric Schneiderman resigned as state attorney general just hours after his alleged violence towards four women were exposed in The New Yorker magazine Monday. Queens’ newest assemblywoman, Ari Espinal (D-Jackson Heights), who won her seat in the special election last month, supported the women who came forward against Schneiderman in the exposé.

“I am incredibly disgusted by Eric Schneiderman, the alleged violent acts against these brave survivors, and his hypocrisy,” Espinal said. “We must leave no doubt that any man who abuses, harasses, or assaults women should not be representing our state. In this era of #MeToo, it takes immense courage to speak up about something so personal and traumatic. I stand completely with these women and support them in their fight for justice.”

She added, “As a state and a country, we must do more to empower all victims of abuse to come forward so that we can hold perpetrators accountable and break the cycle of violence. I have complete faith in our law enforcement to investigate this matter fully.”

Schneiderman, who served the attorney general from 2011 to 2013 after 10 years in the state Senate, said the incidents involving the women were consensual.

State Assemblywoman Nily Rozic (D-Flushing) agreed with her fellow assemblywoman.

“Given the recent allegations of assault by four women, the resignation of Attorney General Eric Schneiderman was the only option moving forward,” she said. “It is imperative that the reports of these courageous women are taken seriously and that the investigations continue. New York women deserve an attorney general who champions their rights both publicly and privately and we should continue advocating and pursuing a more just New York.”

The revelations about Schneiderman were particularly disturbing because he had been a champion of the #MeToo movement and women’s rights.

Barbara Underwood, 73, was sworn in Tuesday as acting attorney general a day after Schneiderman’s resignation.

Underwood had been the state solicitor general since 2007 and she held an executive position at the Queens district attorney’s office in the 1990s.

“Barbara D. Underwood is a superb lawyer,” DA Richard Brown said. “She was a key part of my administration when I became the Queens district attorney in 1991 and is very well-respected. I brought Barbara in to oversee legal affairs, develop our training program and to manage recruitment. She excelled in all of these areas and continues to be an important member of our state’s legal community.”

Underwood will serve out the remainder of Schneiderman’s term unless the state Legislature selects a replacement. Among the names being mentioned are state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria), former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara and city Public Advocate Letitia James.

“The work of this office is critically important,” Underwood said. “Our office has never been stronger, and this extraordinarily talented, dedicated, and tireless team of public servants will ensure that our work continues without interruption.”

Several recent investigations in Queens will continue such as the attorney general’s probe into three buildings in Astoria once owned by Kushner Companies, formerly run by White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, for allegedly falsifying documents on rent-stabilized tenants. A lawsuit Schneiderman brought against 14 anti-choice protesters who allegedly harassed women who approached the Choices Women’s Medical Center in Jamaica between 2012 and 2017 is proceeding.

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

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