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Astoria > News Astoria resident Shana Spalding, here seen singing in her death metal band "Divine Infamy," has been charged with a robbery and attempted robbery in Manhattan and is suspected of being the "Cat Woman" robber police have been searching for since April. Photo courtesy of MySpace An Astoria woman who fronts a death metal band based in the Bronx was arraigned last Thursday on charges of robbery and attempted robbery of two boutiques in SoHo, the Manhattan district attorney said. Police sources said the suspect may be the “Cat Woman” involved in two other heists in Queens.
Setting traps and sporting Hazmat suits, volunteers from the Bellerose-based SaveKitty Foundation have been rescuing cats trapped in the crawl spaces at the Ravenswood Houses in Long Island City. The cats had been caught underneath the buildings by accident because the New York City Housing Authority sealed up the crawl spaces, SaveKitty President Debi Romano said.
Hundreds of Astoria residents turned out to pay homage to Mother Teresa last week following the Empire State Building’s refusal to commemorate the humanitarian’s 100th birthday by lighting up its spire.
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Astoria community leaders turned out last week to dedicate a Long Island City post office to Geraldine Ferraro, who became the first woman to be nominated for vice president of the United States in 1984.
In the same month in which controversy has raged over whether a Muslim cultural center should be built two blocks from Ground Zero, in the same week a cab driver had his throat slashed after he told his passenger he was Muslim and on the same evening a man desecrated a mosque on Steinway Street, another mosque mere blocks away shared a night of peace with its neighbors.
City Councilman Danny Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) and state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights) urged residents to donate money and food for those suffering from the floods in Pakistan at a news conference at Pakistani restaurant Kabab King Diner in Jackson Heights last Thursday.
A 30-year-old man was arrested last week after he allegedly urinated outside an Astoria mosque during a prayer session, city Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said.
While the courts push to prosecute a 21-year-old filmmaker who allegedly stabbed a Muslim cab driver from Jamaica last week in Manhattan, the governor, mayor and activist groups are calling for an end to racially antagonizing rhetoric.
Incumbent state Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone) has solidified a strong fund-raising lead over her two Democratic primary challengers, but her lone Conservative opponent has not filed the most recent required financial disclosure form with the state Board of Elections.
U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills) has asked the United States Tennis Association to again use Forest Hills’ West Side Tennis Stadium to rejuvenate interest in the historic structure that once hosted the US Open and which tennis club members are considering selling.
More than 2,000 new classroom seats will be available in Queens this fall, when the city Department of Education opens four new facilities and three renovated buildings in a borough notorious for its overcrowded schools.
The city’s top leaders, southeast Queens activists and hundreds of residents who were impacted by Councilman Thomas White’s years of work gathered at the Greater Allen AME Cathedral Thursday for a final goodbye.
State Assembly candidate Nick Comaianni is running on a platform of reforming education, boosting small businesses, cutting wasteful spending and taxes and addressing quality-of-life issues in his primary election battle against Assemblyman Michael Miller (D-Woodhaven).
In the year since he replaced former state Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio in a special election, Assemblyman Michael Miller (D-Woodhaven) said he has restored the trust people have in the office following his predecessor’s guilty plea on corruption charges.
When LaGuardia Community College began offering affordable office spaces and other resources to design companies several years ago, school officials knew it would be a boost to small businesses. But only recently have they realized just what a lifesaver it was for the operations that probably would have closed their doors had it not been for help from the Long Island City school.
Sleep tight and don’t let the bedbugs bite — especially new residents.
The Queens Jewish Community Council handed out hundreds of bags of food to the hungry last weekend in advance of Rosh Hashanah next week.
The Category 4 Hurricane Earl that was churning its way through the Caribbean this week could endanger Queens homes and the Belt Parkway if it passes by New York over Labor Day weekend as forecast early this week, U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills) said. Ongoing events and notices in your community
Previous Astoria HeadlinesSeptember 2nd, 2010 Queens straphangers should shun the use of commuter vansSo-called commuter vans — unreliable, often unsafe and many more times than not operating illegally — fail to offer straphangers a true alternative to bus service cuts by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The best solution remains the restoration of service cuts. The MTA needs but $8,014,000 to restore its Queens lines.Obama right to back WTC mosqueThe Jamaica Muslim Center is proud of the positive leadership shown by President Barack Obama and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Obama vigorously defended Muslim Americans at a Ramadan dinner at the White House and supported the proposed mosque near Ground Zero in lower Manhattan.Support your local boro libraryOne of the most critical back-to-school needs is absolutely free: a Queens Library card.Flushing BID should open position to anyone regardless of backgroundThe Downtown Flushing Transit Hub Business Improvement District has run advertising for a new executive director that lists preferred skills for applicants, including knowledge of English and Mandarin Chinese — not Korean. Is this BID defined by geography or ethnicity? Whom does it intend to serve? Is it actually the Chinese Flushing BID? Does this mean no Koreans need apply?People should learn responsibility when they deal with mortgagesMore political, vote-getting nonsense.Teachers need a contract, pay raiseAs a new school year approaches, there is still no agreement between the United Federation of Teachers and the city Department of Education. This is very disconcerting. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has deferred layoffs of nearly 4,000 teachers, but he still is not budging on the important issue of a salary increase, albeit a minimal one.Monumentally StupidEveryone in his or her life makes a dumb decision on the spur of the moment. That is understandable, but standing by a dumb decision in the face of overwhelming criticism is not.Political Action: Primaries, petition challenges dominate politics in QueensThis year has turned Queens into a political battleground during the last several weeks, with petition challenges, court confrontations and primary races taking center stage.Dishing with Dee: Paladino makes appearance at meditation garden lunchThis was another busy, fun week. I can’t believe Labor Day is just a week away and summer will be over. Then again, we still have the beautiful Indian summer days to look forward to.Berger's Burg: Work proves more relaxing than a lot of people thinkWork banishes those three great evils: boredom, vice and poverty. — VoltaireDoctor opens cardiology practice in AstoriaAstoria’s Marios Gagos has opened a new business along Crescent Street to help members of the western Queens community deal with matters of the heart.Community mourns Councilman Tom WhiteThe city’s top leaders, southeast Queens activists and hundreds of residents who were impacted by Councilman Thomas White’s years of work gathered at the Greater Allen AME Cathedral Thursday for a final goodbye.Weiner wants tennis event in Forest HillsU.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills) has asked the United States Tennis Association to again use Forest Hills’ West Side Tennis Stadium to rejuvenate interest in the historic structure that once hosted the US Open and which tennis club members are considering selling.Volunteers rescue Ravenswood cats from crawl spacesSetting traps and sporting Hazmat suits, volunteers from the Bellerose-based SaveKitty Foundation have been rescuing cats trapped in the crawl spaces at the Ravenswood Houses in Long Island City. The cats had been caught underneath the buildings by accident because the New York City Housing Authority sealed up the crawl spaces, SaveKitty President Debi Romano said.Stavisky raises more funds than Democratic rivalsIncumbent state Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone) has solidified a strong fund-raising lead over her two Democratic primary challengers, but her lone Conservative opponent has not filed the most recent required financial disclosure form with the state Board of Elections.Comaianni pushes reform in race for Assembly seatState Assembly candidate Nick Comaianni is running on a platform of reforming education, boosting small businesses, cutting wasteful spending and taxes and addressing quality-of-life issues in his primary election battle against Assemblyman Michael Miller (D-Woodhaven).Astorians celebrate 100th birthday of the late Mother TeresaHundreds of Astoria residents turned out to pay homage to Mother Teresa last week following the Empire State Building’s refusal to commemorate the humanitarian’s 100th birthday by lighting up its spire.Astoria mosque opens its doors to diversityIn the same month in which controversy has raged over whether a Muslim cultural center should be built two blocks from Ground Zero, in the same week a cab driver had his throat slashed after he told his passenger he was Muslim and on the same evening a man desecrated a mosque on Steinway Street, another mosque mere blocks away shared a night of peace with its neighbors.Miller focuses on service after Seminerio scandalIn the year since he replaced former state Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio in a special election, Assemblyman Michael Miller (D-Woodhaven) said he has restored the trust people have in the office following his predecessor’s guilty plea on corruption charges.Ferraro post office dedicatedAstoria community leaders turned out last week to dedicate a Long Island City post office to Geraldine Ferraro, who became the first woman to be nominated for vice president of the United States in 1984.LaGuardia CC program boon to small businessWhen LaGuardia Community College began offering affordable office spaces and other resources to design companies several years ago, school officials knew it would be a boost to small businesses. But only recently have they realized just what a lifesaver it was for the operations that probably would have closed their doors had it not been for help from the Long Island City school.New schools arrive in boroMore than 2,000 new classroom seats will be available in Queens this fall, when the city Department of Education opens four new facilities and three renovated buildings in a borough notorious for its overcrowded schools.Army Corps should brace boro for effects of hurricane: WeinerThe Category 4 Hurricane Earl that was churning its way through the Caribbean this week could endanger Queens homes and the Belt Parkway if it passes by New York over Labor Day weekend as forecast early this week, U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills) said.Legislators lead drive for Pakistani flood reliefCity Councilman Danny Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) and state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights) urged residents to donate money and food for those suffering from the floods in Pakistan at a news conference at Pakistani restaurant Kabab King Diner in Jackson Heights last Thursday.Boro Jewish group holds Rosh Hashanah food driveThe Queens Jewish Community Council handed out hundreds of bags of food to the hungry last weekend in advance of Rosh Hashanah next week.'Cat Woman' may be in custodyAn Astoria woman who fronts a death metal band based in the Bronx was arraigned last Thursday on charges of robbery and attempted robbery of two boutiques in SoHo, the Manhattan district attorney said. Police sources said the suspect may be the “Cat Woman” involved in two other heists in Queens.Jamaica cabbie attacked during hate crime: DAWhile the courts push to prosecute a 21-year-old filmmaker who allegedly stabbed a Muslim cab driver from Jamaica last week in Manhattan, the governor, mayor and activist groups are calling for an end to racially antagonizing rhetoric.New law requires landlords to reveal bedbug infoSleep tight and don’t let the bedbugs bite — especially new residents.DA says man urinated on mosque in AstoriaA 30-year-old man was arrested last week after he allegedly urinated outside an Astoria mosque during a prayer session, city Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said.Holy celebrationSeptember is one of the holiest months in the Hindu faith, and for the next nine days Flushing’s Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapati Devasthanam Temple will be opening its doors to the public as it rings in the birth of the Lord Ganesha in a grand fashion.To keep city safe, don't build WTC mosqueNine years after the attack on the World Trade Center, which resulted in the deaths of almost 3,000 people, we are faced with a new Sept. 11-related controversy: whether a huge mosque and cultural center should be built close to the WTC site.Preservation group praises pols for supporting tennis stadiumAn open letter to U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, state Sen. Toby Stavisky, City Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz and state Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi:August 26th, 2010 Assembly newsletters promote pols: GroupOne of the advantages incumbents in the state Assembly have over their challengers is a printing budget that enables them to mail out quarterly newsletters to their constituents, which at least one good government group says is in need of reform.Air quality poor in parts of Queens: StudyIt has long been established that thousands of cars and trucks create major pollution along New York City’s boulevards and highways, but it turns out that even quieter places like parts of Queens endure a dangerous, smog-like ozone.Outrage over mosque misguided by prejudiceAt the outset, I should say that I am an American citizen of the Jewish faith. I am opposed on constitutional grounds — i.e., the First Amendment, which establishes the freedom of religion — to any government interference with the building of a mosque within two blocks of Ground Zero.City must hold Willets Point traffic meetingIn addition to the loss of hundreds of small businesses and the jobs of thousands of employees and their dependents, the proposed Willets Point project also involves the general public, whose daily lives will be affected by the huge increase in the volume of vehicular traffic on the Grand Central Parkway and the Van Wyck Expressway.Friedrich, boro residents protest Q79 group ridesSchool will be starting in less than a month and the stress being put on parents as a result of the loss of the Q79 bus is unconscionable. Besides being the only north-south public transportation link in our community, it is a critical bus link for our students who need it to get to school. Without it, they must walk miles or have parents take time off work each day to drive them to school.Save Queens Plaza millstones from onslaught of city developmentA fitting home must be found for the historic millstones that have languished for decades among the traffic and pollution at Queens Plaza. These millstones are connected to the grist mill of the first European community in Queens, in what was and is today Dutch Kills.Pesticides pose a danger to peopleA notice was e-mailed to me from the city Department of Health regarding the pesticide spraying to kill mosquitoes in an effort to stop the spread of the West Nile virus. Unfortunately, the notice had an error in terms of the location of the spraying.Unemployment must be reversed quicklyAs 2010 moves along, the unemployment rate still remains high at 9.5 percent. Many people who had been looking for employment have become so frustrated that they have stopped looking. Those who are still looking for work continue to face all kinds of roadblocks — too much experience, not enough experience, too young, too old.No Tolerance for IntoleranceThe World Trade Center was destroyed Sept. 11, 2001, because the Twin Towers stood as a powerful symbol of all that makes this nation great. The Muslim extremists who steered two airliners into the WTC had no tolerance for freedom of religion.QueensLine: Grand Avenue railroad extension connected Queens and BrooklynOn Aug. 1, 1876, a great event was celebrated in Elmhurst. The Grand Street & Newtown Railroad opened for service between the Grand Avenue ferry in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and Broadway in Elmhurst following Grand Avenue through Maspeth.Dishing with Dee: Queens Theatre begins work on legislative reviewThe sands of time in the political hourglass are rapidly shifting toward empty. There are only four-plus weeks left to Primary Day, which is Sept. 14. All the political types and their minions are scurrying around trying to squeeze four months of work into the four weeks left.Berger's Burg: Good riddance to heavy, unnecessary phone booksA rich gentleman was briefed by the private detective on what his wife was doing. “At this very moment, she is carrying on in your bedroom.” The furious man dialed his house and the butler answered. “I want you to get my shotgun, then go into the bedroom and blast the two people in bed.” Ten minutes later, he called the house and asked the butler if he did it. “Yes, sir.” “What did you do with the gun?” “I threw it into the pool.” “I don’t have a — is this 555-0437?”Court rejects bid to bar plan at Willets PointAn attempt by more than 20 Willets Point business owners and landowners to block the mixed-use development project the city has planned for the 62-acre area has been denied in State Supreme Court.Woodside senior center rings in 10th anniversary with laughsSome may think seniors just want peace and quiet, but at the 10th-anniversary party for the VNS CHOICE Adult Day Center in Woodside Friday, the 100 seniors assembled proved they could still be party animals.Over 700 city supermarkets violate pricing rules: StudyIn many supermarkets citywide, the cost at the checkout is different from the price tag — that is, if you can find a price tag.$700M in fed funds expected to boost boro schoolsQueens legislators cheered the federal government’s decision to award about $700 million in education funds to New York state, which officials said will help them create a statewide curriculum that will decrease the emphasis on test scores and boost teacher training.Queens College students call for action in DarfurQueens College students organized a vigil in Manhattan’s Union Square last week to urge people to advocate for President Barack Obama to create a more well-defined policy on the Darfur region of Sudan, with the hope of ending the violence that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions.Queens College gets high marks on Princeton listThe Princeton Review heaped accolades on Queens College in its annual schools guide that was released this week, citing its affordability and diversity.Two charged with murder of man at Ozone Park barA South Ozone Park man and a Jamaica livery cab driver who was called to drive a patron home from an Ozone Park bar were charged last week with the robbery and murder of the bar customer, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.Marshall budgets $85K for official photographerBorough President Helen Marshall’s office has requested that a borough photographer’s contract be renewed and authorized as much as $85,000 per year to pay him to photograph her at public events, according to a proposal published in the City Record.Turning voters into votesOnce the mailers have been sent out, posters posted, ads purchased and volunteers enlisted, the focus for campaigners shifts from getting a candidate’s name out there to actually getting voters into the polling booths.Liu establishes coalition to halt foreclosures by pressuring banksCity Comptroller John Liu is leading a coalition of government, civic and religious leaders in a charge to implore banks to change their practices in order to help stem the rising foreclosure crisis wreaking havoc on the New York economy.Little Necker bunkoed bingo: DAA Little Neck man who owns a Jackson Heights bingo hall has been accused of using licensed charitable organizations as a front to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars for more than three years, the Queens district attorney said last week.Girl, 12, among group in Rock drug sting: DAA 12-year-old girl was among 37 people arrested in a major undercover drug sweep in the Rockaways involving residents of two housing developments on the peninsula, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.Ciafone drops out, leaving Simotas unopposed in runState Assembly candidate Aravella Simotas will face no challengers in her bid for Assemblyman Michael Gianaris’s (D-Astoria) seat after John Ciafone dropped out of the race last week.Voters will weigh in on term limits in NovemberVoters will get a third chance to make their feelings known on term limits after the City Charter Revision Commission voted this month to put the contentious issue back on the ballot in November.Nonprofit takes to Citi Field to raise cancer awarenessMore than 600 people — many of whom were decked out in pink shirts, dresses or ties — gathered early in Caesars Club at Citi Field last week to raise spirits and cash for the American Cancer Society’s annual Queens Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk Oct. 17.NBA star from Hollis passes on life lessons at free clinicGrowing up in Hollis, Royal Ivey always focused on getting good grades at PS 118 and playing the sport he was best at — baseball — according to his father, Rod.Vallone will honor Mother TereresaCity Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria) and religious leaders of varying faiths from Astoria will celebrate the life of Mother Teresa at Athens Square Park this week following the Empire State Building’s refusal to commemorate her 100th birthday by illuminating its spire.Gator grabbed in Astoria gutterThe city provided some gator aid this week after an 18-inch alligator was discovered under a car in Astoria.Flights of stoneQueensborough Community College will open a new exhibit by a Brooklyn artist at its Bayside gallery next month that will feature four pieces — one of which nearly takes up an entire room and reaches the ceiling but only weights 200 pounds — inspired by aviation. |
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