LIVING IN | KEW GARDENS, QUEENS

Off the Grid, but on the Radar

Tina Fineberg for The New York Times

HILLSIDE A view of Audley Street in Kew Gardens, an architecturally rich neighborhood near two major airports.

By JAKE MOONEY

Published: February 24, 2010

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KEW GARDENS is compact — flanked on one side by Forest Park, on the other by Maple Grove Cemetery. A walk from the greenery on one side to the greenery on the other isn’t very far at all, as long as you don’t get lost.

Read the entire story HERE. 

Kew Gardens Haiti Fundraiser at Mood - 2/25 - TONIGHT!!!

It is not often that there is a social gathering which has the possibility to literally change and save peoples lives happening in Kew Gardens. Tonight will be one of those rare occasions. I am sure that many of the readers of this blog know that I have a history working with Haiti, and possibly even that I consider my first trip there in 1998 as the real catalyst to all that I have done in my life since then with international relations and global development issues. Now that this disaster has struck, it has made an almost intolerable situation a desperate and deadly one. These people are in more need now for our help than ever! 


We have already sent one team down who hosted a week long medical clinic and saw countless patients, found and registered the mission students from our school, and since then we have created a main distribution point for the local community to receive medical attention, water and shelter. 


When our team arrives on February 28, we will be kicking off a major food, water, medical clinic and supply distribution as well as working to secure a new building for the school to be housed either temporarily or permanently so we can get these children, who are sitting in the streets day after day with no food or activities, back into school as soon as possible. We will also be doing daily activities with the children with arts and crafts to get some smiles back on their faces. 


We ask that ALL of you, please call your friends and family and get everyone out to Mood tonight for a fundraiser that will benefit this amazing country that is in desperate need right now. Put your snow boots on and come out starting at 9pm for live music and raffles and juts a great party! See more info below. 

Event: Mood Restaurant and Lounge will sponsor a Kew Gardens HAITIAN RECOVERY FUNDRAISER 

Date: Thursday, February 25, 2010, 9pm-midnight

In the spirit of Edeyo, a Haitian-Creole word which means “Help Them” Mood Restaurant and Lounge (120-29 83^rd Avenue, Kew Gardens) will sponsor a Kew Gardens HAITIAN RECOVERY FUNDRAISER on Thursday, February 25^th. From 9:00pm-midnight, the kitchen will be closed; the bar open and the restaurant will be full of music, the sounds of friends enjoying $3 and $5 drink specials and a fabulous raffle! The performers; singers, songwriters, guitar instrumentalists and a three piece musical group have all appeared in several Queens and Manhattan venues and are favorites in the Kew Gardens area. The evening’s music will range from folk, to rock, to jazz and will include performances by Melissa Jillian Corona, Bobby Day, Peter Hack, Erin Lee Kelly, Stacee Mandeville and Howie Sydell. There will be a $20 donation at the door and 100% of the evening’s substantial proceeds will go directly to the Edeyo Foundation.

The Edeyo Foundation is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children in Haiti. In 2007, Edeyo opened the doors of its newly-renovated school in Bel Air, one of the poorest shantytowns of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince to its first group of students. Within months, it was providing free education and a daily meal to 300 girls and boys. The 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12 destroyed Edeyo’s school. All of the teachers have been accounted for but efforts continue to find unaccounted for children and their families. Edeyo is now working to rebuild and find ways to support the children and their families and as they do so; to continue--and improve--their educational programs; and to introduce mental health programs to help these families cope with the trauma they have experienced.

On February 2 and 28, Edeyo will send crews to Bel Air (the first non-profit aid group to arrive there) to do immediate assessment, offer support, rebuild the school and deliver monetary donations and supplies. These two crews will include Kevin Jamison and Mandy Gor from Kew Gardens (we are very proud of them!). For more information, please visit www.edeyo.org

We will also be participating in the “Phones for Haiti” cell phone recycling initiative during the fundraiser. If you donate your old cell phones at the bar, they will be mailed to Recellular and they will contribute the total value of the phone to benefit the American Red Cross. Thanks in advance!

In the spirit of EDEYO we hope that you will respond to your desire to help and will join us at the Kew Gardens HAITI RECOVERY FUNDRAISER on February 25^th.

For more information please call mood at (718) 849-mood.

FYI---upcoming Kew Gardens events

(in addition to the daily events at the KG Community Center)

Friday, February 19, 7:30pm.  The Golden Age of TV, a lecture and slide show by Brian Rose for the Richmond Hill Historical Society, at The Leonard Center, 112th Street and 86th Avenue, (Program provided by the NY Council for the Humanities.) Free.

Tuesday, February 23, 6-8pm, Orientation "open house" for prospective 9th grade students and families interested in the new Queens Metropolitan High School, opening for 9th graders in September at 91-30 Metropolitan Avenue in Forest Hills. Although Kew Gardens students are not zoned for the school, they may apply by February 25th for standby status. For more info: (718) 935-4082 or http://schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/High/default.htm  

Tuesday, February 23, 7:30-9:30pm, Rez Reading Series  (Deborah Emin, Director), Monthly poetry (and prose) readings at Church of the Resurrection, 85-09 118th Strreet. Free.

Thursday, February 25, 9pm to midnight. Fundraiser for Haitian Relief at Mood Restaurant, 120-29 83rd Avenue, Kew Gardens. The kitchen will be closed at 9pm, at which time the musicians will begin their show. Drinks will be greatly reduced ($3-$5), and there will be bar snacks. All of the donations will be going to Haitian Relief.  Donation at the door, $20.00.

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NOW AVAILABLE: FREE NYPD SECURITY SURVEY OF YOUR HOME.

For an appointment, call Detective Ronald Agunzo, 102nd Precinct, (718) 805-3217.

The Precinct Community Council meets the third Tuesday of the month for your participation.

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Mark your calendar now: KGCA's Annual Meeting will be on Thursday, May 6th.

Nice Shot of Forest Park in the Times

East Coast Confronts Storm’s Aftermath

Kirsten Luce for The New York Times

Forest Park in Queens. More Photos »

By ANAHAD O’CONNOR

Published: February 11, 2010

See the entire article HERE. 

Vantage Settles, and on Probation!

Cuomo’s tenant-friendly settlement with Vantage raises questions

February 11, 2010 06:30PMBy Adam Pincus

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's settlement agreement announced today not only forced landlord Vantage Properties to pay $1 million, but it put all residential landlords on notice that the state's top law enforcement officer wants property owners to be more tenant-friendly than the law demands. 

The deal struck with Vantage forces the controversial landlord to adhere to a three-year oversight program that will force the company to stop serving baseless legal notices and frivolous Housing Court actions, Cuomo said in the statement. 

Read the entire article HERE. 

Queens robber forgets to pull down mask in heist (video)

Comments: 8

By JAMIE SCHRAM

Last Updated: 7:52 AM, January 15, 2010

Posted: 11:49 AM, January 14, 2010

A not-so-clever bandit waving a gun barked orders at a Kew Gardens Queens deli clerk before he remembered to pull his ski mask down!

Read the entire article and see the video HERE. 

Flashback: Kew Gardens, Queens

There's an impressive effort to visually document the history of P.S. 99 in Kew Gardens, as pointed out byBoing Boing. The website hosting the archive of photos explains their project, saying: "The story of any community is mostly about its people, not its streets and buildings. The P.S. 99 class photographs taken over the years are one of the best records we have of the people who have grown up here over the past decades." Alumni are urged to share more photos—this is better than Facebook!

Read the entire story HERE. 

THE REZ 
READING
SERIES

Young Adult Night

7:30-9:30pm in the Pine Room, Church of the Resurrection, 
85-09 118th Street, Kew Gardens, NY 11415

Tuesday, February 23

Come and hear young people from our community read their work:

Theo Charlesworth, 8 years old, PS101QTricia Ramgadoo,11 years old, Immaculate Conception
Aniyah Smith,11 years old, Immaculate Conception
Tashanie Narain, Freshman, St. John’s University
Annemarie Bemberry, Freshman, St. John’s University
Anthony O’Reilly, Freshman, St. John’s University

And hear adults read from a young person's perspective:

John Attanas
John Attanas has lived in Queens for 41 years. His middle grade novel EDDIE AND THE JETS was published in hardcover by Darby Creek Publishing and in paperback by Scholastic Book Clubs.  He 
is currently working on a historical sports novel entitled '69 METS, from which he will read.

Deborah Emin
Deborah Emin is the Program Director of the Rez Reading Series and publisher of Sullivan Street Press. Her new novel, Scags at 18, will be published in November.

Q&A will be held after readings; autographed books will be offered for sale.  Refreshments available.  $5.00 donation encouraged.

For further information please telephone (718) 575-5417
Mandy Gor
Store Manager, Kew Gardens
TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank
116-24 Metropolitan Avenue
Ph:  718-847-6547
Fax: 718-847-6940 

Kew Gardens can Help Haiti!

Event: Mood Restaurant and Lounge will sponsor a Kew Gardens HAITIAN RECOVERY FUNDRAISER 

Date: Thursday, February 25, 2010, 9pm-midnight

In the spirit of Edeyo, a Haitian-Creole word which means “Help Them” Mood Restaurant and Lounge (120-29 83^rd Avenue, Kew Gardens) will sponsor a Kew Gardens HAITIAN RECOVERY FUNDRAISER on Thursday, February 25^th. From 9:00pm-midnight, the kitchen will be closed; the bar open and the restaurant will be full of music, the sounds of friends enjoying $3 and $5 drink specials and a fabulous raffle! The performers; singers, songwriters, guitar instrumentalists and a three piece musical group have all appeared in several Queens and Manhattan venues and are favorites in the Kew Gardens area. The evening’s music will range from folk, to rock, to jazz and will include performances by Melissa Jillian Corona, Bobby Day, Peter Hack, Erin Lee Kelly, Stacee Mandeville and Howie Sydell. There will be a $20 donation at the door and 100% of the evening’s substantial proceeds will go directly to the Edeyo Foundation.

 

The Edeyo Foundation is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children in Haiti. In 2007, Edeyo opened the doors of its newly-renovated school in Bel Air, one of the poorest shantytowns of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince to its first group of students. Within months, it was providing free education and a daily meal to 300 girls and boys. The 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12 destroyed Edeyo’s school. All of the teachers have been accounted for but efforts continue to find unaccounted for children and their families. Edeyo is now working to rebuild and find ways to support the children and their families and as they do so; to continue--and improve--their educational programs; and to introduce mental health programs to help these families cope with the trauma they have experienced.

On February 2 and 28, Edeyo will send crews to Bel Air (the first non-profit aid group to arrive there) to do immediate assessment, offer support, rebuild the school and deliver monetary donations and supplies. These two crews will include Kevin Jamison and Mandy Gor from Kew Gardens (we are very proud of them!). For more information, please visit www.edeyo.org

 

We will also be participating in the “Phones for Haiti” cell phone recycling initiative during the fundraiser. If you donate your old cell phones at the bar, they will be mailed to Recellular and they will contribute the total value of the phone to benefit the American Red Cross. Thanks in advance!

 

In the spirit of EDEYO we hope that you will respond to your desire to help and will join us at the Kew Gardens HAITI RECOVERY FUNDRAISER on February 25^th.

For more information please call mood at (718) 849-mood.