Councilman Speaks Up For Queens Against Con Ed

Councilman Calls On Con Ed To Sell Queens Property, Not Hike Rates

A Queens City Councilman called on Con Edison Sunday to sell what he says is an expensive piece of waterfront property, instead of having customers foot the bill for rising costs.

In the wake of a five percent rate hike and another increase potentially on the way, Councilman Eric Gioia said the company should sell its 11-acre property in Long Island City, estimated to be worth a half-billion dollars.

"New Yorkers right now are tightening their belts, trying desperately to make ends meet, the price of food has gone up, the price of gas, and now the price of our utilities,” said Gioia. “Con Edison should be asked to make to run their company more efficiency before they look to New Yorkers to ask us once again to pay more for really lousy service."

The property is currently used as a parking lot, office space, and a training center for Con Ed workers.

Finally a Councilman doing what he/she is supposed to be doing.

Aristotle Lives in Queens?

Aristotle Statue Unveiled In Queens Park

Elected officials and community members gathered in Athens Square Park in Astoria Saturday to unveil a bust of Aristotle, the famed Greek philosopher.

Those in attendance said the statue is a great honor for the city's large Greek population.


"Just like in history, Aristotle follows Socrates. We had the bust of Socrates, the statue of Athena, and now Aristotle comes to Astoria. It's a jewel for not just for this community, but for the entire city," said Queens Democratic Councilman Peter Vallone, Jr.

The statue is a gift from Greece.

We Actually need more statues in all of our city parks. Congratulations Astoria Park.

Queens Artists Displaced By MTA Expansion Hold Last Exhibit

Queens Artists Displaced By MTA Expansion Hold Last Exhibit

Some artists in Queens who will be forced from their studios are using an art exhibit to expres frustrations over the MTA's East Side Access Project.

Artists who work at the Flux Factory in Long Island City, which is being closed and demolished as part of the project, are holding one more show – called “Everything Must Go” - before the building’s doors are shut forever.

"We have an artist who is going to be making, no offense to any actual MTA workers, it's going to be an MTA worker pinata that we'll have at the final party," said Flux Factory director Stefany Anne Golberg.

Flux Factory began as an artist collective in the early 1990s and has been in this space in Long Island City since 2002. At the site, artists create, collaborate, and showcase their art. Many live at the site, as well.

But with the MTA getting ready to demolish the building, artists like Nick Normal need to find new places to live by the end of the month. The situation inspired his artwork.

Flux Factory

More Photos to come. It's a shame that the artists are being forced out, but at least they are going out with a bang.

Queens Crossing Art Gallery To Open

First exhibition showcased at Queens Crossing gallery

A hulking commercial and office complex hanging over Municipal Lot 1 in downtown Flushing, Queens Crossing is expected to open in its entirety sometime in April. Several aspects of the building, though, such as Crossing Art, have been operational for months.

"Back to the Garden" represents the first full exhibition at the 8,000-square-foot gallery, located on the fourth floor at 136-20 38th Ave. The exhibition, free of charge, features eight artists, each of whom Curator Lucchia Mei-Hua Lee said represented the theme of "back to the garden" in their work.

"It doesn't matter who you are. You could be the grumpiest old man. The moment you see a sticker you smile," Choi said of her piece, "Apple Juice Kisses and Champagne Farts."

"I wanted to capture some of that childlike joy. With the reflective materials, as you're looking at [the collages], you realize that you're looking at yourself. You find yourself in the work."

Crossing Art is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. or by appointment. For additional information, call Lee at 917-412-2831 or visit

www.crossingart.com.

Is it just me or is the Ledgers latest publication a little more positive than usual? Boy Spring must be in the air. Anyways, its good to see Queens supporting art and artists since all of the disputes in LIC about how the "yuppies" are being out priced of the neighborhood. But that will need another post.

Bard High School Early College II To Open In Queens

BHSEC II To Open In Queens In September

Bard High School Early College II will open in Queens this September. Like the original Bard High School Early College in Manhattan, founded in 2001, BHSEC II is based on the principle that many motivated students are ready to engage in college-level work during their high school years.
Operated in partnership between Bard College and the New York City Department of Education, BHSEC II offers highly motivated students from all five boroughs the opportunity to earn a Regents diploma from New York State, as well as 60 college credits and an Associate in Arts degree from Bard College in a selective, tuition-free, public school. BHSEC II is now accepting applications for this coming September from students currently in 10th grade (class of 2010).

Information sessions, featuring staff and students from BHSEC, will be held Tuesday, March 25, at 6 p.m. at 525 East Houston St. in Manhattan; Monday, March 31 at 6 p.m. at 30-20 Thomson Ave. in Long Island City; and Wednesday, April 9 at 6 p.m. at 30-20 Thomson Ave. in Long Island City.
To apply or sign up to take the admissions assessment, which is part of the application process, call (212) 995-8479, ext. 2042, or e-mail apply@bhsec.bard.edu. Assessments will be held on Saturday, April 12 and Thursday, May 1 at 30-20 Thomson Ave. in Long Island City. Students must bring a copy of their 9th grade and most recent 10th grade report cards.

What a double whammy, not only a new school, but a good school. Very good, more options and more opportunities for gifted children of Queens and New York City. The biggest kicker is that is tuition free, kudos for who ever put this into the works.

BHSEC

Queens Local Met Fans: What About Us?

First off, Lets apologize to Queens Crap for making a very similar post.

New York Mets Community Dates:

North Babylon - Friday May 9
Lynbrook - Tuesday May 27
Merrick - Thursday May 29
Mineola - Friday May 30
New Hyde Park/Garden City - Tuesday June 10
Half Hallow Hills - Friday June 13
Denville - Sunday June 15
Connetquot - Tuesday June 24
Lindenhurst - Thursday September 25

Bayside, Flushing, Long Island City, New Milford, Woodhaven - TBD

Apparently the Mets think there are only 4 towns in Queens worth setting a special date for, but they haven't done so yet. But if you live out on the Island, you're all set. Maybe this is part of their community benefits agreement...

http://queenscrap.blogspot.com/2008/03/queens-mets-fans-count-damn-it.html#links

Dare I suggest that with the ticket hikes and MTA and LIRR fare hikes that it is assumed that Queens Mets fans can not afford to attend Mets games anymore?

Top 5 Reasons to Listen to PULSE 87.7

Pulse 87

If you like Techno, Freestyle and Trance and live in the New York City Area you probably want to check out Pulse 87.7 ( The lowest station on the FM Dial).

Joel Salkowitz, the station's PD and a alumni of WQHT during their early days told the online website All Access about Pulse 87's musical direction: "The station is a Top 40/Rhythmic, leaning away from Rock and Rap and more towards Club and Dance sounds in their place. Familiar, rhythmic hits mixed with the very best new music. This is a current/recurrent-based radio station."

Its transmitter is on top of the Citicorp Building in Long Island City, Queens, and Pulse 87.7 IDs allude to it as "that big blue building in Queens" [1].

Reasons to Listen:

1. New beats to old songs
2. Less commercials and contests/ more music
3. New Music/ Underground remixes
4. It is KTU minus the over played disco stuff and the good beats that die into a mediocre vocals
5. Who doesn't want to hear all 12 (exaggeration) remixes of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing"?

It is pretty popular in Queens among teens and people in their early twenties. I haven't talked to enough people who have actually heard about the station to listen. Another problem is that some radios do go that low to reach 87.7.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Wikipedia

PULSE 87 Fan Board

Dorms to Be Built In LIC?

Queens Crap:LIC to Become Dorm Town

A developer is looking to build a dormitory and mixed-use building that will bring some 200 CUNY students to Long Island City.

The initial proposal, which called for a 13-story residential building on Fifth St. with 169 apartments, ground-floor retail and 220 grad-student dormitory units, was unanimously rejected by Community Board 2's land use committee in November.

As a CUNY Student myself I am for this project because CUNY in particular lacks dorms. Dorms are first starting to appear at sites such as Queens College (Due out in 2010). From a Community stand point I can understand they there will be critics of this proposal, for the same or similar reasons that Jamaica Estates is against the St. John's dorms. This project benefits Astoria/ Long Island City, Queens and New York City as a whole, it makes more jobs available, student life easier and better education options for prospective out of state students.