woodside herald 4 29 11

To Advertise E-mail [email protected] or call 718-729-3772

FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2011 THE WOODSIDE HERALD PAGE 1

VOL. 77, NO. 17 WOODSIDE, L.I.C., N.Y. FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2011 25 CENTS

SERVING SUNNYSIDE-WOODSIDE AND LONG ISLAND CITY

TEXT PRONTO 55678

Sunnyside Drum Corps Adds

United Forties Civic AssociationMonthly Meeting

Thursday, May 12th @ 7PMGuests: Officials from NYC Sanitation and Community Board 2

St. Teresa Parish Center, 50-22 45th Street, Woodside(Entrance off 50th Ave, Parking available on 44th St.) 917-535-0516

Volume To Opening Day

ANOROCMonthly Meeting

Monday, May 9th @ 6:30pm45-23 47th St. (Between Greenpoint & 47th Ave.) Public Welcome

See Page 5

More Trees ForSunnyside And

WoodsideAs part of Senator Michael Gianaris’ continued commitment

to improving western Queens’ quality of life, he sent a letter toMayor Bloomberg requesting the planting of trees along variousavenues in Sunnyside and Woodside. Senator Gianaris is request-ing trees be planted along Queens Boulevard, 48th Avenue, 47thAvenue and 43rd Avenues between 38th Street and 48th Street.

“New trees would beautify our neighborhood and help rid theair of dangerous pollutants, allowing our community to breathe a littleeasier,” stated Senator Gianaris. “I am hopeful the Mayor will moveswiftly to give Sunnyside and Woodside the benefits that scores of newtrees would provide.”

(continued on page 3)

Demand MadeOn MTA To Improve7 Train Service

Allow For Future Growth In Western Queens

Council MemberJimmy Van Bramer, Con-gresswoman CarolynMaloney, State SenatorMichael Gianaris, and As-semblywoman CatherineNolan, along with localbusinesses, transit advo-cates and residents, held arally Thursday demandingthat the Metropolitan Tran-sit Authority (MTA) expe-dite repairs to address thefrequent unreliability of 7Train service and the long-term MTA infrastructureproblems facing the rap-idly growing area of LIC.

Community membersare outraged over unbear-able delays, poor service,overcrowding, constant sig-

nal problems and the per-petual lack of communica-tion from the MTA to transitriders. Since January alone,there have been 106 disrup-tion notices.

But these problems havebeen going on for years with-out respite – and apparentlywithout a plan to solve theproblems. The communityis calling upon the MTA tocome up with a comprehen-sive plan, present it to thecommunity so that everyoneis aware of any servicechanges needed to completethe repairs, and do the workneeded to fix the problemsonce and for all.

“All too often, the 7 Trainhas proven unreliable and is

seemingly not equipped tomeet the increasing de-mands. The MTA needs todeliver a comprehensive,thorough solution for all rid-ers who rely on the 7 Train,or else today’s problem willbecome tomorrow’s crisis.Sunnyside and Woodsidecontinue to grow and withseveral thousand more unitsof housing planned for thegrowing Long Island Citycommunity, we’ll need the 7train more than ever, and weneed it to be a mass transitoption people can rely on,”stated CM Van Bramer.

“When last month’s rainstorm knocked out the sig-nal system and other equip-ment in the Steinway Tun-

nel, 7 Train passengers wereleft stranded. Heavy rainsshouldn’t paralyze an entiretrain line. The MTA’s engi-neers should come up with aplan to bring the 7 Train intothe 21st century, and elimi-nate the uncertainty from themorning commute,” said

Congresswoman Maloney. “Riding the 7 train has

become a never-ending pat-tern of delays, unreliableservice and impossible tohear announcements,” statedSenator Gianaris. “Queensresidents rely heavily on con-venient and safe mass transit

options. As necessary trackrepairs occur, the MTA mustwork with our community toidentify solutions that mini-mize the disruption for af-fected riders especially dur-ing morning and eveningrush hours.”

(continued on page 3)


FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2011THE WOODSIDE HERALDPAGE 2

Attorneys-At-LawMarc Crawford Leavitt

JOSEPH N. YAMANER*IRA R. GREENBERG

Paul E. KersonJohn F. Duane

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43-11 Greenpoint Ave., Sunnyside, NY 11104Telephone (718) 729-3772

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Shannon Carlin, Kimberly Clarry, Peter A. Ross, Rob MacKay

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERSJoe Gurrado, Robert Flanagan

Marlene Sabba ............................................................... Publisher

Sherilyn Jo Sabba ................................................................. Editor

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Cigarette Butt Recycling UnitsWine Garden Café on North-

ern Blvd in Queens was the focusof a press conference byAssemblymember MichaelDenDekker (D/WFP-JacksonHeights) to praise the installationof a cigarette butt recycling unit.The unit, produced by EcoTechDisplays is one of 20 already in-stalled in Queens.

The installation comes on theheels of legislation introduced bythe Assemblymember in May2010, entitled “Cigarette ButtRecycling and Waste Control Act”(A.11121), establishing a statewideprogram for the collection and re-cycling of cigarette butts.

This may not seem like a neces-sary item to many, but when you“factor in the costs of picking upand disposing of cigarette butts thatare thrown on NYC sidewalks,streets, as well as the cost to re-move cigarette butts from our sew-ers, water filtration plants, andparks, the actual costs to taxpayersgrow much larger. This legislationwill make it financially feasible foran effective, environmentally sen-sitive program for dealing withcigarette butts. This is the bottlebill for cigarettes,” AssemblymanDenDekker said.

The legislation tasks the com-missioner of the NYS Departmentof Environmental Conservation,along with the commissioner ofthe New York State Departmentof Health, with developing andimplementing the cigarette buttrecycling act. Under the law’s pro-visions, a cigarette butt redemp-tion center will be required in each

New York State county. The bill,which contains a number of provi-sions, imposes a 1 cent deposit oneach cigarette butt, as well as es-tablishing a public education andmarketing campaign to educateindividuals about the harm thatdiscarded cigarette butts pose tothe environment.

Clean streets is certainly anappealing thought- the sight of ciga-rette butts on the grounds of ourparks, beaches and common com-munity areas is a bit disgusting.“Over 176 million pounds of ciga-rette butts are discarded each yearin the United States,” DenDekkersaid. “These butts are largely com-posed of acetate fibers that cantake up to a decade to naturallybiodegrade in a landfill. It’s time tostamp out this environmental haz-ard. One way this can be accom-plished is through the establish-

ment of a cigarette butt recyclingprogram in New York State.”

Along with the legislationand installation of the units, we’llbe creating more jobs in NYS.It’s serving a dual purpose byhelping the job force as well asthe environment.

Mr. Nicholas Gabbidon,President of National InStoreMedia and Founder of EcoTechDisplays, agreed that numerouseconomic opportunities couldbe realized if New York Stateimplemented a cigarette butt re-cycling program.“

When I spoke to NickGabbidon, he advised that theunits are free. He does this byselling advertising on the unit it-self in order to pay for them.More information about the unitscan be found on their website,www.eco-techdisplays.com.



Costello ran to the towers tohelp those in need. Costelloreached the towers at 9AMthat day and was last seenby his co-worker who sawhim running into the Northtower. Costello never madeit out and his body was laterfound in the South Tower.Chuck is survived by hiswife Mary, his two daugh-ters Amanda and Mary Kateand his son Charlie.

9/11 HEROHONORED WITH

STREET CO-NAMINGCorner of 27th Street and 47th Avenue co-

named “Chuck Costello 9/11 Memorial Way”

Last Thursday, April 21stCouncil Member Jimmy VanBramer united with Officersand Members of the Interna-tional Union of ElevatorConstructors (IUEC) LocalOne at their headquarters in

To honor Costello andhis heroism on September11th, CM Van Bramer joinedCostello’s family and mem-bers of the IUEC Local Oneacross the street from theirheadquarters in Long IslandCity to unveil a street signco-naming the southwestcorner of 27th Street and 47thAvenue as “Chuck Costello9/11 Memorial Way.”

“Costello’s bravery on

September 11th symbolizeshis character and dedicationto helping those in need,”said Van Bramer. “I am hon-ored to be standing here withthe Costello family and hisbrothers from IUEC LocalOne as we memorialize a 9/11 Hero who lost his lifewhile trying to save others.”

“Chuck was the kindestperson you could evermeet,” recalled Freddie

McCourt, Chuck’s Friend.“He wasn’t even workingin the twin towers on thattragic day but when he sawall of the people runningout of the buildings, he ranin. He went into the build-ing to help the police andfiremen try to rescue thepeople who were trapped inthe elevators. He alwaystook care of others beforehe took care of himself.”

Long Island City for a streetco-naming in honor ofCharles Costello.

A native to Queens,Charles, known as Chuckby friends, was a 16-year-member of Local One. OnSeptember 11th 2001,Costello was scheduled towork at the Mercer Hotel inDowntown Manhattan, butwhen news broke that theTrade Center was hit,

Mayor Bloomberg’s initiative, PlaNYC, includes a plan to plant one million treesin parks and public spaces such as sidewalks and streets. The initiative started in 2007as an effort to prepare New York City for one million more residents, strengthen NewYork City’s economy, combat climate change, and enhance New Yorkers’ quality oflife. Senator Gianaris is calling on the mayor to consider the Sunnyside and Woodsidestreets as locations to receive trees as part of PlaNYC.

Increasing the number of trees in this area is one of the many initiatives SenatorGianaris has dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in western Queens. These treeswould increase beautification and clean the air by reducing pollutants that triggerasthma attacks and exacerbate other respiratory diseases.

Demand Made On MTA To Improve 7 Train Service“I share in Council Member Van Bramer’s concerns,” said Assemblywoman Nolan.

“As Western Queens continues to grow, I am hopeful that the MTA will come up with a planto address riders’ concerns.”

Marcia Bystryn, President of the NY League of Conservation Voters, said: “Mass transitplays a critical role in New York’s economy and environment, and is the main reason NewYorkers have one-third the average carbon footprint that the rest of the nation has. But asthe current problems on the No. 7 train underscore, there is a growing backlog of pressingtransit needs. Important discussions are going on in City Hall, Albany and Washington D.C.that will determine the future of the MTA and all other transit systems in the country. Weencourage our leaders at all levels of government to work collectively and make the rightinvestments that will improve New York’s economy and environment.”

“The recent problems on the 7 line show the importance of maintaining our subwaysystem in a state of good repair. Currently we face a crisis in capital funding, with at leasta ten billion dollar funding gap for the next three years of the MTA Capital Program, anuncertain outlook for federal transit funding, and a crushing MTA debt burden resultingfrom financing past capital improvements through borrowing. We need a commitment atall levels of government to ensure that adequate resources are available to meet transit repairand maintenance needs. This City and region can’t afford to have our transit system fallapart again,” said Executive Director, New York City Transit Riders Committee WilliamHenderson.

(continued from front page)

More Trees For Sunnyside And Woodside(continued from front page)

BE HEARD!Please send your Letters to the Editor

toP.O. Box 7097

Long Island City, N.Y. 11101 orsimply email them to [email protected]

Happy Hour With PurposeFor The

Sunnyside/Woodside Boys & Girls ClubThursday, May 12 @ 7:00PM

BAR 43, 43-06 43rd street, Sunnyside For Info: 646-284-6745Spring is that time of year when get togethers are a common way to release

much needed work stress and reunite with friends. What better way to takeadvanatge of a Happy Hour than to simultaneously give to a good cause! A not for

profit Club of Sunnyside/Woodside is hosting the “Happy Hour with Purpose” eventwhere $40 not only supports this great organization with needed funding but getsyou in the door and provides a pass for open bar with appetizers. Come visit and

find out more about this organization while enjoying company with friends!

“The vandals had a field day during the past winter. HoweverSUNN’s volunteers will help show them thattheir alleged “art” is not welcome in ourcommunity by eliminating it. But we needyour help. Please put on your worst clothes

and join us for an enjoyable three hours

The Cleanup will meet at 10:00 AM on Saturday, May 14 at the corner of49th Street and Skillman Avenue. The rain date is May 21.For further information please call SUNN at 646-298-8669.

making our community beautiful.”



Public Official of the YearAwarded To Rep. Maloney

-Earth Day NY and NRDC’s NYOffice Recognize Maloney’s Work

on 9/11 Health Bill and to DesignateNewtown Creek a Superfund Site-

Rep. Maloney andactor Mark Ruffalo.

On Earth Day, New York and the NewYork office of the Natural Resources De-fense Council honored U.S. Rep. Carolyn B.Maloney (D-Manhattan, Queens) with their2011 Public Official of the Year Award. Theaward recognizes Maloney’s work to desig-nate Newtown Creek a federal Superfundsite, and to pass the James Zadroga 9/11Health and Compensation Act – a billMaloney authored to provide health care andcompensation for 9/11 responders and lowerManhattan residents injured by the toxicaftermath of the World Trade Center attacks.

In their award letter to Maloney, thegroups stated that “your leadership as a U.S.Representative for New York’s FourteenthCongressional District has made it possibleto list Newtown Creek as a federal Superfundsite and pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Healthand Compensation Act. We are also grate-ful for your efforts to protect America’s wildlands, protect New Yorkers suffering fromenvironmental health problems, and for yourcontinued devotion to environmental pro-tection that has made our city healthier andmore sustainable.”

“Whether it’s responding to environ-mental disasters like those at Newtown Creekand in lower Manhattan after the 9/11 at-tacks, or standing against future threats likehydrofracking in our watershed – I am com-mitted to making our city a healthier place tobe and putting our nation on a more sustain-able path,” said Maloney. “The declarationof Newtown Creek as a Superfund site islong overdue and will be a huge benefit forthose who live, work, or play near our water-front in Queens. The Zadroga law, which Iworked for seven years to pass, will savelives and give support to the tens of thou-sands of Americans who are ailing becauseof the attacks on our nation. I’d like to thankPamela Lippe, Eric Goldstein, and everyoneat Earth Day New York and the NaturalResources Defense Council for this won-derful honor. It’s humbling to have yourwork recognized by such good friends.”

Mike Palladino and members of the DEA’s executive board present Rep. Maloney withan award recognizing her hard work.

NYC Detectives Honor Rep. Maloney forChampioning 9/11 Health Bill

LIC KidsEnrichment Center prides itself on being able

to hire real experts in their fields.

The center’s manager, Igor Postelnik(pictured here with World chess championGarry Kasparov) is a US chessmaster andtaught for years in schools around NYC.

The gymnastics coach, James Bobo, builtseveral gymnastics programs and hadimpeccable references.

For more information, please visitwww.lickids.com

2011 Kamp Kiwanis Open HouseThe annual work days and open house at Kamp

Kiwanis for 2011 will be Thursday, May 12through Saturday, May 14. Work sessionswill take place on Thursday, May 12, and

Friday, May 13. The Open House will takeplace on Saturday, May 14. On Saturday,dedication ceremonies will begin at 11:45

a.m., followed by lunch and a meeting of theDistrict Foundation Board of Directors. Schedules, registration forms, job

applications and any other information you may need about KampKiwanis’ 2011 season is now available here on the web site. There will

be one adult week and six weeks for children’s kamp this year.Two weeks will be safe for children with nut allergies.

Clubs can reserve spots at Kamp and begin to make arrangementsfor the summer. Telephone: (315) 331-6452 E-mail:

[email protected]



“Celebrating 23 Years….”

Hablamos español

45-58 43rd StreetSunnyside,N.Y. 11104

Phone718-786-0024

185 MadisonAvenue2nd Floor

(corner of 34th Street)

N.Y., N.Y. 10016Phone

212-685-2600

MEDICALAND

SURGICALTREATMENT OFEYE DISEASES

ManyInsurancesAccepted

DEBRA S.GUTHRIE

M.D.

OPHTHALMOLOGY- BOARD CERTIFIED -

Call for an

appointment or

stop by to

say hi!

Saturday Morning, May 21

Saturday Morning, May 21 sts t

We’re OPEN!

by Peter A. Ross

Sunnyside Drum Corps Adds Volume To Opening DayIt may have been overcast and a little chilly with the threat of rain but that did

not stop the ICYP Little League from forging ahead with its opening day plans.On April 16, the little leaguers, family and friends took to the streets meetingat their field and complex at 35-15 20th Avenue in Astoria, Queens for theiropening day parade and game schedule. After a few year absence our ownSunnyside Drum Corps was there to provide some volume and get the paradestarted as it led the parade-goers and caught the attention of onlookers along the

route. The procession ran through part of Upper Astoria’s business district inthe Steinway-Ditmars area as it began on 20th Avenue making its way along

Steinway Street, Ditmars Boulevard, 31st Street then back along 20th Avenue tothe field. The drum corps honor line played vigorously for the little leaguers and

girls softball members as they filed onto the field to get their games started beforeMother Nature watered the grass (and them as well). Spirits were high and the parents very vocal in support of their youngsters. A

great time was had by all the participants.

Noelanifrom theBell Line.

ICYP of Astoria has been serving the youth of Astoria and its surrounding communities for decades by providing asafe and clean environment to learn and grow through its sports programs (with leagues currently in baseball, softball and

football). League officials would like to thank their many sponsors, individuals, businesses and elected officialsalike for their support and participation. For more information regarding the ICYP of Astoria, call (718) 278-

9782 or check out their website at www.nyicyp.org . Next for the Drum Corps will be the annual patriotic parades for Memorial Day and Flag Day here inSunnyside and in Forest Hills with several local events also in the works. It’s not too late to get into the fun and action and learn some music along the way. Formore information on the Drum Corps call (718) 786-4141 or stop by their Tuesday evening rehearsals/practice sessions from 6 to 8 PM at All Saints EpiscopalChurch located on 46th Street between 43rd Avenue and Queens Boulevard in Sunnyside, Queens.Top right: Jose Luis, Alessandro, Brando, and Beatriz of the Drum Corps Tom-Tom line play strong for the parade-goers.Inset Drum: The Bell Line(Beatrice and Nejla) play patriotic and popular music ahead of the percussion section to the enjoyment of those watching the parade. Caption from frontpage: A very lively group of ICYP girls softball league players follows the Drum Corps Bass Drum Line (Julie, Luke, Daniel and Chrisjohn) and leads theICYP parade contingent.

LGA To Honor White Castle ExecutiveJohn Vogt and FormerMayor Edward I. Koch

Edward I. Koch, the 105th mayor of New YorkCity who served three terms, and John Vogt, Regional

Director of Restaurant Operations for White Castle,will be honored on June 7 at the LaGuardia Community

College Foundation’s 2011 Innovative LeadershipAward reception for their significant contributionsto higher education.

Both honorees have deep ties to LaGuardia.Mr. Koch, while in office helped the Collegecelebrate its tenth anniversary and launch itsTaxi Driver Institute. After leaving office, hechose the College’s LaGuardia and WagnerArchives to preserve his personal and mayoralpapers, memorabilia and images. Mr. Vogt, acommitted friend and supporter of LaGuardia,

was the former Foundation chairperson and founder of the LaGuardia Foundation’s WhiteCastle Scholarship, which has provided LaGuardia students with tuition assistance since 2006.

“It is a great honor for the LaGuardia Community College Foundation to acknowledge thecontributions made to higher education and specifically to LaGuardia, by Mayor Ed Koch andour Honorary Director and past Chair, John Vogt, with the 2011 Innovative LeadershipAward,” said E. Ramone Segree, LGA’s VP for Institutional Advancement and the Founda-tion’ Executive Director.

Mr. Vogt, who was born and raised in Queens, began his 40-year career at White Castleworking behind the counter one summer at one of its restaurants in Jackson Heights. Today,Mr. Vogt leads a management team that is responsible for 48 White Castle restaurants withover 1,500 employees. Despite managing a 24-hour operation, Mr. Vogt finds time to servehis community. For six years, Mr. Vogt served on the board LaGuardia Community CollegeFoundation, two of which were as its chair. In 2010, during his tenure as chair, the Foundationraised over $1 million in one year for the first time. He was also the chair of the SunnysideBusiness Improvement District, past president of the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce andis involved in a number of other civic and charity efforts.

The fundraiser will be held at the Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers on June 7, from 6 p.m. to8 p.m. Those who wish to attend are asked to contact the Foundation’s office at (718) 482-5610 or go online to www.lagcc.cuny.edu/lagfoundation/innovative.aspx All proceeds from the reception will providescholarship support for LaGuardia students for the 2011-2012academic year.Last year, the Foundation honored Lily Gavin, ownerof Dazies Restaurant in Long Island City, NY, and TaiWang, co-founder and vice president of WACLighting Company in Garden City, NY. Bothwere founding Foundation directors wholifted the awareness of the College and theFoundation and raised significant support forscholarships and College needs. The eventraised over $100,000 in scholarship supportfor LaGuardia students.

CITYPARKS SENIORS FITNESS IN QUEENSAstoria Park

FREE Tennis - Mondays/Wednesdays at 10 AM - Tennis Courts 21st St & Hoyt Ave

For more information about City Parks Foundation’s freeSeniors Fitness programs, please call the Sports Department at(718) 760-6999. All equipment and instruction is provided free ofcharge. Sessions are one hour, twice a week.



Get Your Questions AnsweredAbout Retirement and Social

SecurityYou’re Invited …

Tuesday May 3rd

10:30AM - 12:30PMSaint Teresa Parish

50-20 45 Street. Woodside NY 11377RSVP: by April 28th at 718-361-1306

Seating is limited, so reserve your place today.www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC

Vincent C Renda, AAMS®, Financial Advisor

4701 Queens Blvd Suite 203, Sunnyside, NY 11104

(718) 361-1306

What Happened at the April United 40’s Meeting?The first major mention is the

outpouring of support for the fe-tal blankets for the ‘Elmhurst Hos-pital Program.’ Since the programwas brought to the United 40’sattention around November ’10,approximately 400-500 blanketshave been received, with thanksto several constant contributors(specific names to be mentionednext month).

Visitors of this meeting wereplenty. Council Member JimmyVan Bramer was proud to announcethe one-year anniversary of the“Library Card Act” that was theresult of a bill he proposed. 23,000young people registered for a li-brary card- that’s over a third of the60,000 in the city! The Director ofGovernment and Community Af-fairs for the Queens Library Sys-tem, Jennifer Manley, was in at-tendance as well, and thanked VanBramer for his continued efforts tokeep the library open. She alsoencouraged members to consider

becoming a volunteer for your lo-cal library. Call (718) 990-8585for more information.

CM Van Bramer also re-minded the attendees that whilegraffiti is still an issue in the com-munity, arrests are way up overlast year due to the anti-graffiticampaign in association with the108th. Community membersshould call the Councilman’s of-fice or email for graffiti removal.Also note, U.F.C.A. will also bestarting their own program thisMay for graffiti removal. Let’skeep up the amazing work to keepour community beautiful.

Officers Wachter, Sorrentinoand Youssef of the 108th Pct. An-nounced that while police activi-ties for March and April are ac-ceptable, ‘grand larceny seems tobe the bane of our existence.’Remember, if you see something,say something.

Also in attendance was Shan-non Mancuso from the “Families

Building Communities” program.In partnership with Elmhurst Hos-pital, the program helps families inneed of counseling, food stampinformation or any governmentassistance information. The agencycan also assist with free or low costsummer camp programs. ContactShannon at (718) 887-1982 forfurther information.

S.C.O. Family Services wasrepresented by John Diamontes,who spoke of the 2,550 Queenschildren in Foster Care that needfamilies to open their homes. Ifyou’re interested in helping a childin need, call S.C.O. family ser-vices (516) 671-1253 ext. 108.

And finally, Jeff Gottlieffrom Senator JosephAddabbo’s office spoke of theSenator’s ranking member-ship on the Veterans Commit-tee and reminded those in at-tendance to continue to fightto keep the St. Alban’s Veter-ans Hospital facility open.

THE LIONS ARE GOING TONJ-SHOP ‘TIL YA DROP!

“BFF” (Best Friends Forever) Bus Trip to NJ’s Largest Outlet MallSaturday, May 21st

Jersey Gardens Outlet Mall in Elizabeth, NJ — the largest outlet mall in NJ and closer to NYC thanWoodbury Commons, with no sales tax on clothing! Jersey Gardens will provide each shopper in our groupwith money saving coupons, their own mall directory (to over 200 stores) and a Jersey Gardens mallshopping bag. Fun surprises from neighborhood merchants! Raffles! Shop your hearts out.

Transportation: Ride in comfort on a chartered bus. There is plenty of space to store your purchasessecurely for the trip home.

Time and place of departure/drop off:Departing @ 9AM from Dazie’s Restaurant, 39-41 Queens Blvd

Departs the Mall in NJ @ 6PMCost: $40/per person.

RSVP: to Sandy any time 718-937-2448 or Kris (evening) 718-786-0374.Checks should be made out to “Sunnyside/Woodside Lions Club” and mailed to:

Sandy Bigitschke, 48-30 40th Street. Suite 4J, Sunnyside, NY 11104.This is a fundraiser sponsored by the Sunnyside/Woodside Lions Club which will support projects

such as holiday help for our local food pantries, eyeglass collection, children’s holiday parties threetimes a year, visits of cheer to the extended care facility, park cleanups and assistance to other neighbor-hood non profit programs. The Sunnyside/Woodside Lions Club is a not-for-profit service organization.

For those who need rides to and from Dazies departure and drop off location, Pronto Car Servicewill offer a $1.00 off fares either way. Mention to the dispatcher at 718-457-5777 (when you reserveyour ride) that you are signed up for the “BFF Trip.”

MORTGAGE DECISIONS CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE INACHIEVING FINANCIAL GOALS

If you’re purchasing a newhome or refinancing your exist-ing one, you’ve got some mort-gage-related decisions to con-sider. And since your mortgagemay well be the biggest financialtransaction you ever make — andone that can affect your long-term financial goals, such as re-tirement — you’ll want to weighyour options carefully.

What types of choices mightyou face? Here are some of themost important ones:

Fixed or adjustable? With afixed-rate mortgage, your paymentwill remain the same throughoutthe life of your loan. However, ifinterest rates drop significantlybelow your mortgage rate, you maythen be paying too much for yourloan and will have to go through

the time, effort and expense ofrefinancing. With an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM), your initialrate is likely quite low, so you canafford a bigger mortgage. Thiscould be an advantage if you knowyour income will be rising or youare confident you’ll sell your housewithin the next five years. How-ever, your ARM payment and in-terest rate can rise substantially,even with caps in place, and theseadjustments can affect your cashflow. So, before taking out anARM, make sure you understandthe terms involved and how theywill affect you down the road.

15-year or 30-year? Thesearen’t the only mortgage lengthsavailable, but they are among themost common. The advantage of a15-year mortgage is that you’ll pay

it off quicker and, in the process,potentially save thousands of dol-lars in interest. The disadvantage,of course, is that you’ll likely needto come up with much biggermonthly payments than if you tookout a 30-year mortgage. And sinceyour mortgage payments will belower with a 30-year loan, you’llhave more money available eachmonth to invest for the future.

Over time, these extra invest-ments can really add up. Suppose,for example, that you invested $100a month to a tax-deferred vehicle,such as a traditional IRA, thatearned a hypothetical 7% averageannual return. After 30 years, you’dend up with a little more than$117,000, before you started pay-ing taxes on withdrawals. But ifyour 30-year mortgage freed up

enough cash for you to contribute$300 a month to that same IRA,earning that same 7% average an-nual return, you’d accumulate morethan $350,000 after 30 years, be-fore taxes. That’s a big difference— and the extra money could perkup your retirement lifestyle con-siderably. Keep in mind, of course,that these examples don’t reflectthe performance of any availableinvestments. Also, you will haveto pay taxes when you start takingwithdrawals from a traditional IRA,and any withdrawals you makebefore you turn age 59 might besubject to a 10% penalty.

Larger or smaller down pay-ment? The bigger your down pay-ment, the smaller your monthlypayments, and the more you mayhave available to invest each

month. But if you go with a smallerdown payment, you most likelywill initially have more moneyavailable for other purposes, suchas paying down debt or purchasinginvestments. You’ll have to com-pare the alternatives carefully.

In fact, you’ll have to comparethe options for each question we’velooked at because mortgage issueshave an emotional component aswell as a financial one, and onlyyou can make the decisions that fityour situation. So think about yourchoices today, as they can have abig impact on your life tomorrow.

This article was written by Ed-ward Jones for use by your localEdward Jones Financial AdvisorVincent Renda located at 47-01Queens Blvd. Suite 203,Sunnyside NY 11104.

Phone him at 718-361-1306.



WELCOME HOME

REAL ESTATE

REAL ESTATE FACTSby RITA LOWRY

Opinions WantedDo you have an opinion about something you’ve seen

in the Woodside Herald? Do you agree or disagreewith the way something has been depicted? Send us

your opinions and we’ll print them. It’s yourcommunity and we welcome your voice.

P.O. Box 7097 Long Island City, NY 11101 or simply emailthe editor at [email protected]. Names will be

withheld if requested, but must be sent with submissions.

FINAL EXAMYou’re ready to celebrate: your offer was accepted; you got your

dream home under contract, your financing has been approved, appraisaland inspections performed, and settlement and closing are only a handfulof days away. What important step have you yet to take? It’s the finalwalk-through.

It may seem minor, but this real estate tradition is critical before youtake possession. This is the last opportunity for you and your agent toverify all is prepared-and repaired-according to your contract.

Make a checklist and begin with the plumbing, starting the dish-washer and clothes washer upon your arrival. Check under sinks for anysigns of leaks, turn on the shower and kitchen and bath faucets, and flushall the toilets so you know all is in working order.

Move on to the electrical systems, by turning on all the light switches,starting up the clothes dryer, and making sure the oven and stovetopheating elements are working. Open and close the garage door whileyou’re at it. Be sure the sellers have left you any manuals and warrantiesfor the appliances.

Don’t forget to open and close all the windows and any sliding glassdoors. Sure, your inspector is supposed to check and report on all theseitems, but this is your last chance to avoid any oversights or surprises!

SUNNYSIDE/WOODSIDE OPEN HOUSE39-40 52nd St. #2B Sun, May 1st 1-3pm

Bright One Bedroom Co-op with renovated kitchen,living room and dining or office area. Low maint., pet

friendly, indoor parking (fee). 15 minutes to GrandCentral $229K

WELCOME HOME REAL ESTATE 718-706-0957

Hey Doctor Debbie,

Q: Are generic drugs okay to use?A:This is a question I have been asked quite a bit lately. I will

comment on a couple eye medications only. In the recent past and justlast month two Glaucoma medicines have gone generic. The Oph-thalmic community has some experience with Cosopt(MSD) goinggeneric a couple of years ago. There are about six new companiesmaking this eye drop. The generic is a timolol/dorzalomide combi-nation. Unfortunately, we as docs, have found some of our patientswho were previously in good control starting to lose some vision.Every point drop in eye pressure from the medicine counts in peoplethat already have visual field loss. Xalatan(latanoprost) just wentgeneric last month. We don’t know how this new change willgo....You see, generic just means that the drug has to have the samecompound in it. In eye drops it is so important what solution thatcompound is sitting in. The solution helps in the delivery of the druginto the eye. I am sure many of you that are now on the generic drugmay have experienced more burning? The good news is that there arestill alternatives to these new generics that are branded drugs.Companies that produce generic medications do not have to do all therigorous FDA testing. The take home point is “if you have been onXalatan brand for years now is the time to make sure you follow upand monitor your Glaucoma even more carefully”. I have beeneducating my patients very much about this topic. Glaucoma is real.It is a serious eye disease. Glaucoma leads to blindness if notcontrolled well.

Debra S. Guthrie, MD“eye care to the people”

Medical & Surgical Ophthalmology185 Madison Ave., Second Floor

New York, NY 10016212-685-2600 (v)212-685-0002 (f)

[email protected]

Woodsider Throws Strike at Mets Superstarby Rob MacKay

A Woodside resident is suinga Manhattan celebrity hangoutthat New York Mets baseball starCarlos Beltran partly owns.

Dayana Depena recentlyjoined a class-action lawsuitwhich claims that Sofrito PuertoRican Restaurant still owes her

money from when she tendedbar at the high-end East 57stStreet eatery. Sazon, a sister res-taurant located on Reade Streetin Downtown, is also named asa defendant.

Filed in Manhattan federalcourt, the 21-page complaintalleges that Depena and oth-ers regularly worked morethan 40 hours a week, but neverreceived proper overtime pay.The complaint also asserts thatthe plaintiffs’ tips were un-fairly distributed.

More than 50 other past and

current food service employ-ees – including waiters, bus-boys and runners – are plain-tiffs in the case, which seeksunspecified damages.

Depena allegedly worked atSofrito and Sazon from 2009 untilFebruary of this year.

Sofrito, which opened in2006, is a hotspot for A-list per-formers, especially those of Latindescent, such as Jennifer Lopezand Marc Anthony. It features aone-hour open bar for $70.

Beltran became a part-ownerof Sofrito in August 2010.

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AN EYE ON GUTHRIE

A QUESTION AND ANSWER COLUMNBY DEBRA S. GUTHRIE, M.D.

LGA Art Exhibition

The works of 16 LaGuardia Community Collegegraduates from the Fine Arts program will be exhibited atThe Experimental Space at Juvenal Reis Studios in LongIsland City from May 14 through May 22. A reception forthe artists will be held on May 20 from 5-9 p.m.

The gallery, located on 43-01 22nd Street, has createdan environment where emerging artists can show theirwork. The alumni art exhibition is a rich and eclecticsample of artists who work in such diverse mediums asphotography, sculpture, multi-media installation, paint-ing and video.



Sunnyside Reform Chuch Events

SPRING BAZAAR!Saturday, May 14th

11:00 AM to 4:00 PMNew and gently used merchandise

donated by Sunnyside area merchantsand friends of the church.

Sunnyside Reformed Church4803 Skillman Ave. (48th & Skillman) [email protected] or (718) 426-5997

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Betty’s Bus to Yonkers Casino

NEW DATE** May 10th, $20, $15 back-Ladies Day $7 extra for gamblingMeet at 57th St. & Woodside Ave. by 9am Sharp! 718-786-6885

Happy Hour With PurposeFor TheSunnyside/Woodside Boys

& Girls ClubThursday, May 12 @ 7:00PM

BAR 43,43-06 43rd street, Sunnyside

For Info: 646-284-6745

LOST-REWARD IF FOUNDOn Saturday April 16th a Heart Necklace was lost that is very

sentimental to me. A $500.00 reward for the return of theNecklace, no questions asked. It was lost in the vicinity of 43rdStreet and 46th Street Queens Blvd. and Greenpoint Avenue.

Please call 347-210-7799 to return. Thank you.

WRITING WORKSHOP!Tuesday, May 3rd / 6:30pm — 8:00pmThe Story You Always Wanted to Tell:

Writing about your life through fun,interactive exercises and discussion

Gathering material from personalexperience and family stories.

An Ageless Traditionby Rob MacKay

Members of the Sunnyside Reformed Church’s adult choir joined their colleagues fromthe youth chorus on Sunday. Together, the warblers filled the Skillman Avenue house ofworship with song in praise of Easter.

Vinny Voltage Science ShowFriday, May 6; Tuesday, May 17, Tuesday, May 31 @ 4:00pm

“Vinny Voltage makes science fun and exciting. This series is filled withdifferent experiments and new explorations in science fun. Join Vinny Voltage at

the Queens Library at Sunnyside and see science come alive.”For children and teens / No preregistration required.

Top 5 Requested Books at The QueensLibrary at Sunnyside, April 2011

FIC Game of Thrones by George R.R. MartinFIC Afraid of the Dark by James Grippando812 Albee Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward AlbeeFIC The Paris Wife by Paula McLainFIC I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Submitted by Abigail Goldberg, Senior Librarian, The Queens Library at Sunnyside

Barbara Michaels of Astoria who won $250,000 on the MegaMillions drawing of February 25th. Michaels’s winning ticket waspurchased at the Kapil at 29-20 Ditmars Blvd in Astoria.

Pawan Neupane of Long Island City who won $10,000 on theMega Millions drawing of April 19th. Neupane’s winning ticket was

purchased at the Liu & Chang at 51-03 Skillman Ave in Woodside.

Lucky Locals

The Best Of The TribecaFilm Festival On-Demand

As a Signature Media Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival, Time Warner Cable isbringing its Digital customers a collection of films being shown at this year’s festivalon Movies On Demand Channel 1000. With just the click of a button, you can be a partof the festival from your living room with everything from rom-coms and sci-fis to bio-pics and documentaries. In addition, Digital customers have access to behind-the-scenes footage and interviews at no additional cost.

Tribeca Film Festival category on Movies On Demand includes:The Bang Bang Club

Last NightNEDS

The Bleeding HouseThe High Cost of Living

Brother’s JusticeMr. Stache

Behind-The-Scenes and interviews footage from the following films:The Bang Bang Club

The High Cost of LivingBrother’s Justice

Last NightMr. Stache

The films are available in both Standard and High Definition. Customers can orderany of these titles by visiting the Tribeca Film Festival category located on the MoviesOn Demand channel. For more information on Tribeca Film Festival Movies OnDemand, please visit www.twondemand.com/tribecafilmfest

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WATERFRONT WALKING TOUREast River Walking Tour – Celebrate Earth

Day!Saturday, April 30 at 11:00 am

Greater Astoria Historical SocietyInformation & Reservations 718-278-0700

THE BRIDGES OF QUEENSCelebrate the 75th Anniversary of the

Triborough BridgeMonday, May 2, 2011 at 7:00 pmGreater Astoria Historical Society

Information & Reservations 718-278-0700

LIC ARTS SPRING KICKOFFFriday, May 6th, 6:00 - 8:30pm

The Riis Settlement ,10-25 41st Avenue,LIC (41 Ave. between 10 & 12 St)Cocktail hour and Hors d’oeuvres, Live

Music & Performances, Art exhibits featuringparticipant art, Dozens of Artists - Huge Space

An Inter-Generational CommunityCultural Celebration, Celebration of Life,

Community & Creativity.There will be a special Queensbridge

historical tribute.For more information, call Riis Settlement,

718-204-6797

“NO PROBLEMO, AMIGO”May 6th - June 19th Friday’s & Saturday’s

@ 8pm and Sunday’s @ 4pmThalia Spanish Theatre,

41-17 Greenpoint Avenue, LICCall 718-729-3880 or visit

www.thaliatheatre.org for more information

QUEENS…A TASTE OF THE WORLDTuesday, May 10th 6-9pm

CitiField, 126th St.& Roosevelt Ave, FlushingTo purchase tickets, visit

www.discoverqueensinfo or call 718-263-0546

INTO THE WOODSLGA Little Theater

May 6, 7 & 12 - 14 @ 7:30pmMay 10 @ 2:30pm,

May 11@ 2:30pm & 7:30pm Ticket: $5

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SHOP ‘TIL YA DROP!Trip to NJ’s Largest Outlet Mall

Saturday, May 21st

Time and place ofdeparture/drop off:

Departing @ 9AM from Dazie’sRestaurant, 39-41 Queens BlvdDeparts the Mall in NJ @ 6PM

Cost: $40/per person.RSVP: to Sandy any time

718-937-2448 or Kris (evening)718-786-0374.

woodside herald 4 29 11

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