Kew Gardens group uses grant to plant flowers By Anna Gustafson Thursday, April 29, 2010 11:11 AM EDT Comment (No comments posted.)     Email To a Friend Kew Gardens resident Tony Rodriguez prepares the soil around a tree for planting. Residents will plant flowers around a number of trees in Kew Gardens May 16. Photo courtesy of Kew Gardens Improvement Association When Kew Gardens residents hit the streets to plant brightly colored flowers around numerous trees May 16, it will be one of a long line of beautification efforts launched by a tightly knit community which has worked hard for years to ensure their neighborhood remains a desirable place for people to live, members of the Kew Gardens Improvement Association said. Read the entire story HERE.

Baskin Robbins 31 Cent Scoop Night is tomorrow - April 28th

Poetry Reading in Kew Gardens

THE REZ
READING
SERIES

Poetry Month 

7:30-9:30pm in the Pine Room, Church of the Resurrection,

85-09 118th Street, Kew Gardens, NY 11415 

Tuesday, April 27
 

Aaron Adler
Aaron Adler organizes community music events at a wide variety of venues throughout Kew Gardens. He may be retired, but he is tireless in promoting local musical talent.
 Liza Charlesworth
Liza Charlesworth lives in Forest Hills Gardens with her husband and twin 8-year-old sons.  Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Plum Review, Mudfish, Cover Magazine, Southern Review and Boston Phoenix. 
Andrew Colarusso
Andrew Colarusso is a poet born into a family of correction officers. His work has been published in The Broome Street Review, A Similar But Different Quality, and West 10th.
Mandy Gor
Mandy Gor is a published poet who graduated from Rice University with a degree in Literature.  She is currently working on a book of poems that explore the dynamics between men and women within a family.
Peter Hack
Peter Hack is an IT professional, chef, guitarist and songwriter who grew up in Kew Gardens. This is the first time he’s read a poem aloud since Mr. Tener’s 7th Grade English class.
Rajiv Mohabir
Rajiv Mohabir was named a "Poet of Note" by Pudding House Press, which recently published his chapbook na bad-eye me. He is currently pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing at Queens College.
John Todras
John Todras had been the featured reader at many Borders Books and Barnes & Noble poetry events. His work has appeared in Haiku Headlines, New Press Literary Quarterly, and the PPA Annual Collection.
Angelo Verga
Angelo Verga is the author of six collections of poetry, and has been widely published in leading literary journals both here and abroad. 
Ellen Wright
Ellen Wright’s chapbook, In Transit, was published in 2007 by Main Street Rag.  Her poetry has recently appeared in Cimarron Review, Margie, Water-Stone Review and The Paterson Literary Review.

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

For further information please telephone (718) 575-5417

Cleaning and Greening Kew Gardens!

A Blockbuster of a Day in Kew Gardens, Queens!

Residents join together to transform their block as part of Love Your (NYC) Block Campaign
On Sunday, May 16, 2010, from 9:30am-4:30pm (rain date May 20), the Kew Gardens community will unite for “The Kew Gardens Blockbuster Clean and Green Day”  and will focus their energies on both sides of Metropolitan Avenue from Audley Street to 83 Avenue.

Young and old, neighbors and business owners will work side-by-side to transform their block.  They’ll grab their brooms and dustpans, sweep away dirt and garbage to prepare for the planting of ten tree wells. Then volunteers will work in tree teams to plant red and pink begonias, peach impatiens and white petunias, a bright pattern of color that will line the block. After planting, the next step will be watering, mulching and the finale, the reading of original Root for Tree Poems, written by local children, to encourage the trees growth and instill a respect for nature. There will be opportunities for individual families to become tree stewards. They will watch the flowers that have they planted bloom and grow and will learn to nurture and maintain them through the seasons. 

May 16^th will not only be about cleaning and greening. The local businesses will welcome their neighbors and will offer special sales, discounts and giveaways. There will be live music and presentations by NYC environmental groups that will focus on recycling and how individuals can learn how to improve their own environment. For the children, face painting (flowers and trees of course!) and arts and crafts projects using recycled materials. 

The Kew Gardens Blockbuster Clean and Green Day will be a unique and successful hit!
The event will be part of the Love Your (NYC) Block Campaign, a partnership between NYC Service and Citizens Committee for NYC. The campaign provides each group with a $500 grant to cover project costs as well as direct links to services provided by City Agencies, including the Department of Transportation, Sanitation and Parks and Recreation. The Kew Gardens Improvement Association, Inc. was one of sixty neighborhood groups that were selected to take part in the campaign. The city agencies working with these groups are providing support services such as: graffiti removal, cleaning vacant lots, repairing damaged or missing street signage and street lights, ticketing illegal dumping and replacing worn-out or missing litter baskets.

Mark Sunday May 16^th on your calendar and be prepared to roll up your sleeves, get down in the dirt with your friends and neighbors and enjoy the pleasure of your efforts everyday that you walk “on the street where you live!” For more information or volunteer on May 16^th, please contact: kgblockbusters@gmail.com or call (917) 881-3358.

Yoga in the Park - 2010 Season

Hi All. Now that Spring is REALLY upon us it is time to get back to Yoga in the Park! We still don't have funding sponsors so it looks like it will be on donation basis. It will be every Saturday morning at 10am starting on the 1st of May at the same location - behind the baseball diamond at Sobelsohn Park in Forest Park (between Union Tpk and Park Lane which is at the most northeast section of Forest Park.) Rain days will be at Living Yoga :)

If anyone knows any local businesses that would like to sponsor anything from $50 - $100 we already have several sponsors that are willing to contribute the same so let me know. 


(Thanks to Peter Bragino for the above image!) 


KJ