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By Zach Gewelb

TimesLedger Newspapers

Amed Rosario got his first taste of life in the big leagues last season. Now, he’s looking to take the next step in his career and become a consistent contributor for the Mets in 2018.

But what is a realistic expectation for Rosario this season? Can he become the star many expect he is capable of being? Or will he need more time to realize his potential? Spring Training may not tell us the answer, but it can help give us some insight on what we can expect to see from Rosario this season.

In 2017, Rosario’s biggest weakness at the Major League level was his patience at the plate. He only walked three times in 170 plate appearances, which translated to a .271 on-base percentage. He also struck out 49 times, or roughly 30 percent of his at-bats. Those numbers need to improve if Rosario, 22, is to become a star.

“Last year my strike zone was way too big,” Rosario said. “So I tried to put in a small one. Last year I was swinging at too many pitches out through the zone. This year I want to stay with my plan, only swing at good pitches.”

In the minors, Rosario showed a better eye at the plate, posting a .336 on-base percentage across five seasons. In 2016, he recorded a .374 OBP and followed that performance with a .367 mark in the minors last season before earning his promotion to The Show. So it’s not like he’s incapable of being more patient at the plate. He just needs to prove he can do it at the big league level.

Rosario has shown a small improvement in his plate discipline early in Spring Training. His on-base percentage is up to .306 after his first 34 Spring Training at-bats. That number is still not great, but it’s better than his .271 mark last season. He’s only walked one time, though, so there’s plenty of room to improve.

Aside from his plate discipline, Rosario has had a solid Spring Training. He’s shown a knack for driving the ball, slugging four extra-base hits — three doubles and one home run — and driving in five runs thus far.

He showed some power in his big league cameo in 2017, slugging four home runs in 46 games, but he’s at his best when he’s driving the ball into the gaps. His best season came in 2016, when he recorded 42 extra-base hits — 24 doubles, 13 triples and five dingers — across two levels in the minors. When Rosario is right, the Mets can expect to see him find the gaps and use his speed to leg out extra-base hits.

Rosario also needs to improve his play in the field. He was charged with six errors with the Mets last season and 25 total if you include his minor league numbers. But he hasn’t made an error yet in Spring Training and has looked smooth at short.

If Rosario can provide consistently good defense, find the gaps and be more patient at the plate, he has a chance to become the Mets’ next great homegrown star. I wouldn’t count on Rosario putting it all together to start the season, but there’s no reason to believe he can’t become a valuable contributor for the Mets before the end of the season.

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

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

In the aftermath of the Parkland, Fla., mass shooting, state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) says it time for action and is calling on Senate Republicans to support inclusion of his Effective Background Checks Act in the 2018-19 New York State Budget.

The proposal would extend the time for a background check to be completed from the current three days to 10 before a firearm can be transferred.

“More responsible gun laws will make our communities safer, keep firearms away from dangerous people and ensure preventable tragedies do not happen,” Gianaris said. “My Effective Background Checks Act has now been endorsed by the Senate Democratic Conference, the Assembly majority, and the governor. It is time for Senate Republicans to get on board and include this commonsense idea in the state budget.”

Earlier this month, Senate Republicans blocked an effort by Gianaris and the Senate Democrats to pass several gun safety proposals, including the Effective Background Checks Act. This legislation would close the “Charleston Loophole” in New York — where a prospective gun purchaser can buy a firearm in three days, whether or not a background check has been completed. That provision was what allowed Dylann Roof, who killed nine people in the Emanuel AME Zion church in Charleston, S.C., in 2015, to buy his firearm.

There is currently a three-day waiting period for a background check to be completed before a seller can transfer a firearm to a purchaser. If the check is not completed in that time, the firearm may be sold without any background check. Over 300,000 background checks were not concluded in the three-day period in 2016 alone, Gianaris said. His proposal would extend the waiting period to 10 days so that proper background checks would be completed in all cases.

Gianaris’ bill would also require firearms dealers to report to police any attempts to make illegal gun purchases and would require employees of gun manufacturers and dealers to also undergo background checks. The state budget deadline is April 1.

Meanwhile, state Assemblyman Brian Barnwell (D-Maspeth) introduced legislation that would establish a commission to study how to make schools in New York less vulnerable to school shootings and bombers through various technologies, including bulletproof glass and doors, lockdown systems, barricades and auto locking systems.

“Enough is enough. Our children are under attack,” Barnwell said. “This commonsense legislation will bring together pertinent individuals to study the effectiveness of different technologies that could be implemented in schools to eliminate and/or reduce casualties in a school shooter or bomber event. We cannot wait any longer for change. We must protect our children. If Congress will not act, the states must.”

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 Naeisha Rose

TimesLedger Newspapers

UniverSoul Circus is celebrating its 25th anniversary with another tour through the Tri-State area.

UniverSoul, a black-owned circus, is set to return to Roy Wilkins Park, a park in southeast Queens that has hosted it for years, to usher in its silver anniversary from March 22 through April 8.

“This has been an amazing journey and a fantastic ride,” said Cedric Walker, founder and CEO of UniverSoul Circus. “Generations have witnessed our growth and have evolved with us.”

Leading the entertainment is Ringmaster Lucky and his sidekick, Zeke, who will be performing along with Caribbean Dancers, clowns, comedy dogs and motorcyclists.

There are exciting acts on teeterboards, trampolines, poles, horses and a Quick Change performance.

The circus performers are from South Africa, Mongolia, Chile, Cuba, Russia Guinea, China, Trinidad and Tobago and all over the United States.

“Generations have witnessed our growth and have evolved with us,” Walker said.

The show doesn’t only feature diverse performers, but also music spanning several genres, including Pop, Classic R&B, Latin, Hip Hop, Jazz and Gospel.

UniverSoul Circus was considered the second highest rated circus in America, with Cirque du Soleil at No. 1, according to Ticketmaster, an entertainment distribution company,

According to Ticketmaster, UniverSoul Circus is one of its top 10 most requested family events.

Walker first started the circus 25 years ago in Atlanta. At the time, he was a concert and theatre promoter.

This year, the Circus Ring of Fame Foundation Incorporation in Florida selected Walker for the 2018 enshrinement to the prestigious Circus Ring of Fame, one of the highest honors reserved for circus arts and culture.

Roy Wilkins is located on Merrick Boulevard between 115th Avenue and 116 Avenue and stretches out to Baisley Boulevard.

Tickets are available for purchase at ticketmaster.com and people can call (800) 745-3000 for more information.

“We want our fans to know they will always be a part of the UniverSoul Circus family. Consider us a community-minded, family-oriented, spiritually-uplifting entertainment revival for families across America,” Walker said.

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

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

The city is moving forward with plans to acquire a one-acre parcel of land in Sunnyside Gardens that was abandoned in the mid-’80s and repurpose the private site as public park space, City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) announced Monday.

The lot at the corner of 39th Avenue and 50th Street was initially opened as a private playground for the children of tenants at the Phipps Gardens Apartments across the street, but Phipps closed the playground in the late 1980s and it has been abandoned since.

The formal public review, known as the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, got underway at Community Board 2 Wednesday after the application was certified by the City Planning Commission. Once the rezoning is complete, the site will be acquired by the city with the $3 million in City Council funds allocated by Van Bramer.

“This rezoning will be a great victory for Sunnyside and Woodside,” Van Bramer said. “Public space is a vital component of healthy, dynamic communities and we have been fighting for years to acquire this site. Ensuring that this private land is returned to public park space is really important to me and to the Sunnyside community.”

Developer DBH Associates purchased the lot in 2007 and, in 2013, proposed the Aluminaire House project, a controversial plan to move an all-aluminum, “architecturally significant” house built in the 1930s to the lot as part of a complex that would include a two-story, eight-unit apartment building. The proposal met swift resistance from neighborhood preservationists, residents and elected officials and was defeated.

“For years, I’ve worked with Councilman Van Bramer and community leaders to transform what remains of Phipps Playground into a vibrant public space for Sunnyside families,” U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) said. “It would be tragic to lose this historic site to private developers, and with each step we take towards restoring Phipps, I’m reminded of the concerted community effort that has brought us this far. This renovation is decades in the making, and I’m thrilled to reach the last phase of the planning process so we can finally break ground on a brand new park right here in Sunnyside.”

Construction of Sunnyside Gardens, a 16-block area with more than 600 residential buildings began in 1924 to alleviate stifling overcrowding in the tenements of Lower Manhattan. The community, with its single-family houses facing a dozen common courtyards, was landmarked as a historic district in 2007.

Once the rezoning is complete, the $3 million allocation will go to the purchase of the property and its renovation will be under the auspices of the city Parks Department.

“The Phipps property holds an important place in Sunnyside history, but for too long the space has been overlooked and inaccessible,” Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski said. “Parks is thrilled to move forward on purchasing and restoring this parcel, and give it back to the community for their enjoyment. With the support from our dedicated elected officials, and a little extra TLC, we can create a viable public space.”

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 Naeisha Rose

TimesLedger Newspapers

A five-alarm fire at the Royal Waste Services waste management facility in Jamaica required approximately 20 hours and 200 firefighters to put out last week, according to the FDNY.

The FDNY tweeted that one firefighter suffered a non-life-threatening injury while trying to put out the fire last Friday at the facility located at 187-40 Jamaica Ave., a waste management site where a wall collapsed on two men in November.

“It was a very stubborn fire to put out,” Queens Borough Commander Edward Baggott said at a news conference. “We had a wind condition here, which exacerbated the condition.”

The waste facility is 0.2 miles away from the Hollis stop for the Long Island Rail Road and the fire resulted in suspension of service during rush hour to four of the rail lines: Hempstead, Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson and Ronkonkoma, according to the LIRR.

Service later resumed shortly before 5 p.m.

The fire raged on March 16 from 1:10 p.m. to 8:54 a.m. the following day, according to the FDNY.

After 44 fire units put out the blaze, an FDNY spokesman tweeted the fire was accidental and caused by “improper disposal of [a] lithium battery.”

Firefighters remained on the scene despite the cold and used heavy machinery to remove the “accumulated burning rubbish and cart it out in heavy dumpsters,” according to Baggott.

The newspapers and cardboards piled as high as 15 feet at the plant WERE what made it difficult for the firefighters to stop the fire, according to Baggott.

Last year two men, ages 34 and 49 were taken to Jamaica Hospital after a wall from the facility collapsed on them, and one of the individuals was left in critical condition, according to the FDNY.

The Fire Department later requested a structural stability inspection from the Department of Buildings to address the issue at Royal Waste, and the DOB put a partial vacate order on the facility, according to nyc.gov.

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

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

The co-founder of the Chocolate Factory Theater in Long Island City was among the hundreds of borough business and cultural leaders who trekked to Albany Tuesday to take part in the second annual Queens Day for a chance to mingle with lawmakers while showcasing the products of more than 50 food and beverage purveyors.

In between presentations, Sheila Lewandowski was networking, a talent she has perfected during the past dozen years as executive director of the award-winning experimental performing arts space in the Hunters Point section of Long Island City.

“You have to put yourself out there and represent your community,” Lewandowski said.

But she was also on a mission to arrange grants for the renovations of The Chocolate Factory Theater’s new permanent home in Dutch Kills. Lewandowski and co-founder Brian Rogers acquired a 7,500-square-foot former industrial building at 38-29 24th St. for $3.8 million with the help of city funds, but they are currently in the process of raising $1.2 million to renovate the structure.

“We’re about halfway there. Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan has pledged $350,000 towards the upgrades, so while I’m here I’m trying to get some of the paperwork moving,” She said the former factory has “wonderful bones, it’s exactly what we’re hoping for” but it is in need of necessary building code improvements, the construction of restrooms, the installation of a main performance space, a rehearsal studio, a community space, a lobby and offices.

Lewandowski launched a successful Kickstarter campaign last month that raised $40,000.

“It was more than 400 different people, mainly fellow artists and neighbors that came through for us from $1 to $3,000,” Lewandowski said and while she has secured private grants for some of the work so far, Lewandowski will continue to network.

“It took nearly 2 1/2 years since we shook hands on the deal to actually become the owner and during that time many grants went to other organizations,” Lewandowski said. “It’s a very big state and there is a lot of competition.”

It was her knack for networking that created the opportunity to acquire the new space. Several years ago, Lewandowski accepted an invitation to speak at a real estate at the now defunct Water’s Edge restaurant.

Real estate broker Alfonso Hollorman of Lee & Associates, was among the business leaders in attendance and heard Lewandowski speak of the importance of art and the pressures artists and cultural institutions were under to fight for survival against the pressures of real estate in western Queens. The broker saved her business card. Then he learned a client, Robert Salerni, wanted to sell his former dye-making factory and specifically wished his building would be acquired by a local arts organization. Hollormon put Salerni in touch with Lewandowski.

“We had someone who wanted it to be a creative space. He knew exactly what he wanted it to be,” she said. “If he didn’t have that desire, his factory would have become just another hotel. He stuck with us throughout the entire 2 1/2-year process, from the handshake to the contract,” she said. “He’s a very honorable person.”

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 Merle Exit

TimesLedger Newspapers

Manager David Czegedi is turning Ben’s Kosher Deli in Bayside into a dinner theatre with “Latkes and Laughs.”

Czegedi teamed with the Wilshire Comedy Group — run by comic Alan Streisfeld, who hosts comedy shows such as this at restaurants across Long Island — to present the evening of theater, food and laughs.

“I think it brings something unique to the dining experience and offers our guests the chance to make a whole evening out of dining with us,” Czegedi said. “Dinner and then a show, all under one roof.”

Several comedy styles will be on display at the show.

Alan Kimbarow, one of the comics scheduled to perform, currently lives in Syosset and has been performing stand-up comedy since 2002.

“To command a room and make all those people laugh was way more intoxicating than I thought and I’ve been feeding the addiction ever since,” he said. “My comedy revolves around my life and the person I am — a morbidly obese, married for 34 years, father of two kind of guy.”

In 2003, he was named the winner of Jewish Week’s Funniest Jewish Comedian on Long Island contest and, at one time, was the exclusive emcee for all the fund-raisers of the Brokerage Comedy Club in Bellmore.

“I still find stage time whenever and wherever I can find it, which is how I got to Ben’s for this particular performance,” Kimbarow said. “When Streisfeld contacted me for this, he asked if I wanted to host and told me how much he was willing to pay, I graciously accepted. He then said, ‘you also get fed.’ Without missing a beat I told him, ‘You should have started with that and you could have saved the money.’”

Comedian Les Bayer will also take the stage and has been making audiences laugh for six years. He was crowned champion of an over-50 comedy competition last year sponsored, in part, by the AARP. He has also appeared at Governors and The Brokerage comedy clubs, Theater 3 in Port Jefferson and several comedy clubs in Manhattan.

“My comedy consists of a lot of one-liners woven around [my] ex-wife and dating,” he said.

Having played the banjo with a bluegrass band for many years, he uses the instrument in his act and does several song parodies.

“I totally enjoy making people laugh,” Bayer said. “There’s nothing better than hearing people having a good time.”

Peter Bales works as an Associate Professor of History and Political Science at Queensborough Community College as his “day job.” In addition, Bales teaches comedy with Stand-Up University at The Brokerage and will also be taking the stage at Ben’s.

“Latkes and Laughs,” scheduled for Saturday night, offers patrons a prix-fixe dinner with dessert and unlimited soft drinks, followed by performances from the three comedians at a cost of $45, including tax and gratuity. The show is set to begin at 7 p.m.

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Naeisha Rose

TimesLedger Newspapers

The city Parks Department will utilize New York’s fourth Nor’easter as a day of free winter fun in the city’s former greenspaces that have been blanketed in snow following Winter Storm Toby.

Juniper Valley Park — located in Middle Village between 78th Street and 6th Avenue — will be hosting snow activities Thursday from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Guests can borrow free sleds for supervised sledding and can enjoy complimentary hot chocolate while listening to music.

There will also be snowman-building contests, snow angel contests and snowball fights open to the public.

Cloves Lakes Park in Staten Island and Sunset Park in Brooklyn are also offering winter activities.

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

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Source: Times Ledger