FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010
SERVING SUNNYSIDE-WOODSIDE AND LONG ISLAND CITY
VOL. 77, NO. 5
NATIONAL CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK AT ST. RAPHAEL’S
St. Raphael’s Church was bustling with
pride on Sunday, January 30th at the 11am
mass as the parish community came together
to celebrate the opening of National Catholic
Schools Week.
“Catholic Schools A+ for America” is the
theme this year, which celebrates that Catho-
lic Schools are an added value to our nation.
St. Raphael school children participated in
readings, prayers, songs and carried impor-
tant symbols to show their teachers, family,
friends and neighbors the excellent example
this school is to the community.
Sister Maureen Ahlemeyer, Principal
of St. Raphael’s thanked Father Jerry
Jecewiz, Pastor, St. Raphael’s Church and
all parishioners for their continued support.
She thanked her teachers, staff and the
many parents and volunteers who through
their dedication and commitment make the
school an excellent example of how Catho-
lic Schools are A+ for America
Patrick O’Brien, Chairman, St. Raphael
School Advisory Board spoke of the hard-
SUNNYSIDE ASSOCIATED GOES GREEN
Is it just me or does something seem
different at the Associated Supermarket on
Greenpoint Avenue? The produce seems to
look fresher. The meat almost looks juicier.
It’s almost as if the food looks more entic-
ing. Well it’s not your imagination. Associ-
ated has gone green.
Now of course, the store going green
hasn’t changed the quality of the food, but
SUNNYSIDE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
LUNCH MEETING
Tuesday February 8th @ 12:30PM (sharp)
Dazies Restaurant (see inside for more info)
THE WOODSIDE HERALD PAGE 1
WOODSIDE, L.I.C., N.Y. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 25 CENTS
By Joe Gurrado
Teachers: Miss MaryLou, Mrs. Attard
and Sally Renda.
ships Catholic Schools are facing in these
tough economic times and encouraged ev-
eryone to spread the word about the many
benefits and programs St. Raphael School
offers and if we could enroll just three chil-
dren per grade it would help to sustain the
school for the future.
For more information about the school
please contact (718) 729-0482 or visit their (continued photo coverage on page 4)
website at www.straphaelschoollic.org
By Shannon Carlin
According to Freddy Restrepo, the Mar- out, allowing the produce to stay fresh for
keting Relationship Manager at GEE, 60% a fraction of the cost. Thanks to auto sen-
of the store’s energy use is on lighting. But sors the refrigerators in the frozen foods
it’s more than just changing a few light section are always at the perfect temp,
bulbs. GEE has added aluminum shades on which means no more struggling to find
it has changed how you see the food. With the open refrigeration cases that hold fruits your frozen peas through foggy doors.
help from Global Energy Efficiency (GEE), and vegetables. These shades are used over-
night keeping the cool air in and the hot air (continued on page 4)
a company that helps businesses reduce
their technology costs and become more
energy efficient, the supermarket has 850 TREES TO BE PLANTED
switched from halogen to LED lights on
everything from their deli counter to their
in Woodside, Sunnyside, Astoria and LIC!
(see page 7)
dairy section, making everyone’s shopping
experience a little easier on the eyes.
VFW POST 2813 LADIES AUXILIARY
MONTHLY MEETING
Wednesday, February 16th @ 6:00 PM
51-27 Queens Blvd. Woodside, NY 11377
For membership, Please call 718-937-2448
PLEASE HELP: We are in need of donations towards our Soldiers Care Boxes
UNITED FORTIES CIVIC ASSOCIATION
Monthly Meeting
Thursday, February 10th @ 7PM
GUEST: Dog Guru TOPICS Include: Eyes & Ears Program-Crime Fighting
St. Teresa R.C. Church (Parish Auditorium), 50-22 45th Street, Woodside, NY
(Entrance off 50th Ave, Parking Available on 44th St.) 917-535-0516
To Advertise E-mail SSabba@WoodsideHerald.com or call 718-729-3772
PAGE 2 THE WOODSIDE HERALD FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010

Keep Your Teeth for a LIFETIME! VAN BRAMER SHOOTS HOOPS

For a FREE Exam & Consultation
:
WITH SUNNYSIDE WOODSIDE
ILA BLE
REMBRANDT 1-HR. WHITENING
AVA BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB
DR. ARTHUR H. KUBIKIAN
DR. LOUIZA PUSKULIAN
DENTISTRY
Office Hours: Weekdays: 9:30 a.m.- 6:30 p.m.
Saturdays: 9:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.
IRT #7 BLISS STREET - 46TH STREET
REASONABLE RATES - CHARGE CARDS ACCEPTED
We are pleased to be participating members with the following Dental Insurance Programs:
• Empire Blue Cross/Shield • United Concordia • Horizon Health Care On Friday, January 28th CM
• Delta Dental USA • Dental Benefit Providers • Rayant Jimmy Van Bramer joined the
• First Ameritas • Aetna • Qualident Sunnyside Woodside Boys and
• MetLife Preferred • Guardian Dental • GHI-Pref Plus
Girls Club for their first program
43-34 43rd STREET, SUNNYSIDE, NY 11104 in Saint Teresa’s gymnasium.
More than 20 children from ages
Call: (718) 786-3842 11-14 participated in a night of
fun and games from board games,
basketball, a movie and even
pizza, the children had a range of activities to pick and choose from. Van Bramer secured $5,000 for the
THOMAS P. CASEY program, which will run every Friday from 6-10PM at Saint Teresa’s gym until May 27th.

CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT

SUNNYSIDE/WOODSIDE LIONS CLUB
SERVING WOODSIDE & SUNNYSIDE
OVER 35 YEARS MONTHLY MEETING
Wednesday, February 23rd @ 7:00 PM
ACCOUNTING • INCOME TAX Queens of Angels Parish Hall located at 44 St. & Skillman Ave.
For membership, please call: 1-347-239-5476
Don’t give AGENDA: Two Churches to Receive Food Pantry Donations

Uncle Sam Office Space to share in Sunnyside

GREAT Location! Reasonable Price
Professional ONLY
more than Please Call Mrs. Gonzales 718-361-0662

he’s due!
nd
PODIATRY MEDICAL AND SURGICAL SERVICES
43-05 52 St. • 718-478-3030
DR. DAVID GOLDHABER, DABAFS
Attorneys-At-Law BOARD CERTIFIED IN FOOT SURGERY
Marc Crawford Leavitt
JOSEPH N. YAMANER* – IN-OFFICE MEDICAL AND SURGICAL TREATMENT –
IRA R. GREENBERG • BUNIONS • HAMMERTOES • CORNS • INGROWN TOE NAILS • WARTS
• ULCERS • HEEL & ARCH PAIN • ANKLE SPRAINS • FRACTURES
Paul E. Kerson • SPORTS INJURIES • CHILDREN’S FEET • DIABETIC FOOT CARE
John F. Duane • GOUT • ARTHRITIS • SECOND OPINIONS • HOUSE CALLS

THE BENJAMIN SHAW PROFESSIONAL BUILDING LASER SURGERY NEW E. P. F. NEW

45-29 47th Street - Woodside, New York 11377 PROCEDURE FOR PAINFUL HEEL SPURS
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718-729-0986 USING A TINY ENDOSCOPE LENS
CONDITIONS – DECREASED PAIN INSERTED TO CORRECT THE CONDITION.
& HEALING TIME
MIDTOWN OFFICE: 228 E. 45TH STREET, 17 FL., NYC 10017
Serving the Community Since 1947 – MANY INSURANCES ACCEPTED –
*We speak Spanish, Hebrew & Turkish MAJOR MEDICAL PLANS:
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CARE, OXFORD FREEDOM PLAN, 32BJ, MDNY, MEDICARE (SURGICAL)

43-11 Greenpoint Ave., Sunnyside, NY 11104 43-15 46TH ST. Weekday, Evening
Telephone (718) 729-3772
Marlene Sabba ............................................................... Publisher
Sherilyn Jo Sabba ................................................................. Editor
SUNNYSIDE, N.Y. and Saturday
Hours by
718-729-2117
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Shannon Carlin, Kimberly Clarry, Peter A. Ross
CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS
Joe Gurrado, Robert Flanagan
Appointment
To Advertise E-mail SSabba@WoodsideHerald.com or call 718-729-3772
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010
Concerning High-Interest Tax Refund
Anticipation Loans (RALs) Warning
New York
Assemblymember Michael
State
DenDekker (D-Jackson
Heights) today urged residents
in the 34th Assembly District to
beware of high-interest tax re-
fund anticipation loans, com-
monly known as RAL’s.
“As tax season approaches,
many working families that have
been hit hard by the recession will
look to their tax return for much-
needed cash,” Assemblymember
DenDekker said. “Given the tough
economic climate, it can be espe-
cially tempting to seek a tax refund
anticipation loan, which provides
money up front in exchange for a
very steep fee. Fortunately, new
rules from the Internal Revenue
Service (IRS) and New York State
have made it easier – and safer - to
secure tax refunds quickly without
falling prey to a high-interest
RAL.”
RALs are short-term loans
made by banks through tax
preparers and secured against the
taxpayer’s expected tax refund. The
annual percentage rate tax
preparers charge for RALs can
range anywhere from 70-600 per-
cent. Taxpayers can also face addi-
tional charges if their refunds don’t
arrive when expected.
The IRS has taken action to
protect taxpayers by refusing to
provide tax preparers with certain
information used to determine RAL
amounts. These new rules will curb
this particular form of high-inter-
est predatory lending. However,
while the new regulations will
make RALs harder to come by, the
loans that are provided will still be
accompanied by sky-high fees.
“Moreover,” Assemblymember
DenDekker said, “New York State
– along with the federal govern-
ment – has taken additional steps
to decrease the prevalence of RALs.
In New York, state law prohibits
tax preparers from advertising
RALs as ‘refunds,’ and must state
in an obvious place that an RAL is
a loan and that a fee or interest will
be charged. This year, the IRS in-
troduced a pilot program –
MyAccountCard – to provide
600,000 low-income earners with
a no-interest, no-fee debit card
preloaded with their tax refund,
eliminating the need for an RAL.”
What you can do to speed-up
turnaround time on your tax re-
fund:
Check your mailbox. You may
have been selected as one of the
600,000 Americans to qualify for
the Treasury Department’s
MyAccountCard pilot program,
mentioned above.
File your taxes online using e-
file. By filing online, taxpayers’
returns will be processed within 7-
10 business days. Taxpayers can
also check their refund status us-
To Advertise E-mail SSabba@WoodsideHerald.com or call 718-729-3772
THE WOODSIDE HERALD PAGE 3
VETERANS LEND
ing the IRS’s “Where’s my re-
fund” tool at www.irs.gov/indi-
HELPING HAND
Submitted by Marie Carella
v i d u a l s / a r t i c l e /
0,,id=96596,00.html. If you do not The Catholic War Veterans, Post 1 in Astoria, Queens teamed
own a computer, local libraries up with the Immaculate Conception School, Astoria to collect
often provide free Internet access items for the troops serving in Afghanistan. Their biggest sup-
to community residents. porter was Edmar Cleaning in Woodside, who donated over 30
Indicate Direct Deposit on your cases of toiletries. David Simon and Anne Fitzpatrick lead the
tax return form. Taxpayers indi-
Edmar team.
cating Direct Deposit when filing
will have their return deposited The Catholic War Veterans was founded at Immaculate Con-
into their accounts within 10 days ception Church in 1935 by Reverand Monsignor Edward J. Higgins.
of filing. It usually takes the IRS There are many posts all over NYC because of this first post.
between four and six weeks to mail
your return in a paper check.
If you don’t have a bank ac-
count, open one today. Many banks
now provide free checking ac-
counts. Even if the bank charges an
account-maintenance fee, this fee
usually ends up costing much less
than the fees associated with direct
check cashing and RALs.
For more information, visit the
Internal Revenue Service at
www.IRS.gov; the New York State
Department of Taxation and Fi-
nance at www.tax.state.ny.us.; or
Assemblymember DenDekker’s
District Office at (718) 457-0384.
“Tough economic times have
forced working families to seek
more urgent means of securing
cash,” Assemblymember
DenDekker concluded. “But turn-
ing to an RAL can be a dangerous
approach to the problem. The ap-
peal of instant cash masks the long-
term effects of high interest rates,
fees and potential damage to your
credit score – all of which take
money out of your pocket. Today,
the government processes tax re-
turns much more quickly than even
a few years ago. The key is to be
patient and not pay needlessly to
get money that rightfully belongs
to you.”
PAGE 4 THE WOODSIDE HERALD FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010
(continued from front page)

NATIONAL CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK AT ST. RAPHAEL’S

By Joe Gurrado

Pat O’Brien, MaryAnn Gurrado Father Jerry Jecewiz

St Raphaels Teachers

Pat O’Brien

MaryAnn Gurrado (Advisory Board), Pat Sister Maureen Ahlemeyer

O’Brien and Deidre Feerick
(continued from front page)
SUNNYSIDE ASSOCIATED GOES GREEN
By Shannon Carlin
DEBRA S. Restrepo and his Green Squad passed out
reusable bags and hemp fliers that con-

GUTHRIE tained sunflower seeds for customers to

plant. “Always a good ice breaker,” said
Restrepo.

M.D. Rose Tibaldi who lives in Sunnyside

Gardens was one of the customers who
came to learn more. Though she admitted
it was a bit of a trek to get over to the
OPHTHALMOLOGY supermarket, it was well worth it.
“Everything is very nice looking and
- BOARD CERTIFIED - their prices are good,” she said while
checking out the cheeses. “This area has
exploded and they’ve kept up with it. I
MEDICAL 45-58 43rd Street In the end the supermarket will save appreciate the work they’ve put in.”
$50,000 a year or as Restrepo likes to say, Manager Samuel Collado, who also
Sunnyside,
AND N.Y. 11104
“It’s like taking 39 cars off the road.”
In hopes to educate the customers
manages a Key Food in Astoria, said that
he is happy with what’s been done and is
SURGICAL Phone
about the changes and show them how
they can “green” their own home,
looking forward to expanding his busi-
ness. And yes, those will be green too.
TREATMENT 718-786-0024
OF EYE
DISEASES 185 Madison
CLOTHING DRIVE
Many
Avenue
2nd Floor
FOR THOSE IN NEED By Peter Ross
Insurances th
(corner of 34 Street) The St. Vincent De Paul Society of Brooklyn/Queens will be holding a clothing
drive at St. Teresa RC Church this coming Sunday, February 6th, from 8:30 A.M. to
Accepted N.Y., N.Y. 10016 12:30 P.M. in the Church’s parking lot. Please bring any gently used or new clothing
Phone in good condition, which you may want to donate at that time (please bring directly to
the Society’s truck in the parking lot at the location, not into the Church area). Please
Hablamos español 212-685-2600 do not bring any items before or after this time as the Church does not have facilities
to store items brought outside of these times and they will be discarded. St. Teresa RC
“Celebrating 23 Years….” Church is located on 50th Avenue between 44th and 45th Street in Woodside. Entrance
to the parking lot is on the 44th Street side. Please be as generous as you can.
To Advertise E-mail SSabba@WoodsideHerald.com or call 718-729-3772
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010 THE WOODSIDE HERALD PAGE 5

Making A Difference: Don McCallian A Scout is Reverent,

United Forties president Don
McCallian opened a manila folder
and handed me a thin slip of paper.
Written on it was a quote from Dag
Hammarskjold, a Swedish diplo-
mat and the second Secretary Gen-
eral of the UN. It read, “When the
morning’s freshness has been re-
placed by the weariness of midday,
when the leg muscles give under
the strain, the climb seems endless,
and suddenly nothing will go quite
as you wish- it is then that you must
not hesitate.”
“It’s then that you must not
hesitate,” Don repeats. “I used to
keep this in mind to never stop
thinking of things to do.”
There’s no question that Don
has never hesitated. Just ask ten
different people and they’re bound
to give you at least ten different
things that he has done for the
community. When you start going
down the list, it’s not hard to un-
derstand why.
Currently Don’s the commu-
nity liaison for Assemblywoman
Catherine Nolan, representing her
at meetings all over. For ten years
he’s been the chairman of the
Ardsley Tenants Association, es-
tablishing a compatible relation-
ship with his landlord who just
happens to be a little company
called Lefrak and has even become
a mentor for others who are look-
ing to start their own association.
By Shannon Carlin
form didn’t have nearly enough
space for him to list his community
activities. His wife Eileen, along
with others in the community, have
asked him to slow down, but he just
thinks it’s funny. “People tell you
to slow down and then they give
you something to help with,” he
says. Which seems to be true, since
between 7 am and noon, he re-
ceived four calls and one visitor
looking to pick his brain.
The 76-year-old says his big-
gest problem is he’s a perfectionist
and if anyone asks him to do some-
thing, he can’t say no. “I might not
succeed, but I will try.” He admits
though that there may come a time
when he can’t do as much as he
does now, but that time isn’t now.
“A power greater than ourselves
decides that,” he says. “Let’s leave
it that way.”
Don grew up on E 86th Street in
Yorkville, better known then as
Germantown. Hearing his address
many believe he grew up with
money, but Don says it was much
different back then. As a young kid
he can remember trolley cars run-
ning outside his house and taking
the train outside his house from the
Bowery to the Bronx.
He was taught by “the pen-
guins” or the nuns who were scary,
but great teachers. Don was an altar
boy for 12 years at St. Jean Baptiste
Church on Lexington and 76th
Street, where it still stands today.
“People look at me like I’ve got 6
heads, when I tell them I was an
altar boy for that long,” Don laughs.
“But, you were either in the choir
or an altar boy or both so you could
be on their athletic teams.”
Don played everything from
basketball (his personal favorite)
to sandlot baseball on the fields in
Central Park by Belvedere Castle.
He admits neighborhood sports
helped shape his competitive na-
ture and earned him a lot of tro-
phies, but as he gets older those get
less important. “I am proud of those
Though he doesn’t give much
away about his “intermediate life,”
saying only he worked in govern-
ment mainly with Federal agen-
cies, specifically Defense, he will
gladly talk to you about his wife of
51 years. While Don says he can’t
buy a paper without people coming
up to him, it is Eileen who is the
real draw around town. “It will take
you four hours to get down the
street,” he says. “She knows every-
body.” All of his commitments
seem to eat into their time together,
but somehow, Don says, she deals
with him.
From 1958 to 1964, the couple
lived on 84th Street between Lex-
ington and Park Avenue. With 6 Ω
rooms, Don admits their apartment
was too good to be true and soon
enough there landlord was buying
them out to build studios.
Though Eileen wasn’t origi-
nally excited about the move to
Queens, they’ve lived in the same
Sunnyside apartment ever since.
With work often sending Don
to Washington D.C. he had little
time to devote to the community,
but in 1993 things got bad at the
108 Precinct and by 1997 Patricia
Dorfman and him had started the
Community Action Committee
(CAC), a non-profit, bi-partisan,
multi-denominational coalition
made up of residents, merchants,
organizations and churches that
were concerned with maintaining
safe streets and a high quality of
life. Many feel the committee was
a failure, but not Don.
“We wrote at least 20 letters or
memos to Mayor Giuliani and Po-
lice Commissioner [Howard] Safir
and for the longest time we got
nothing,” he says. But then they
began getting additional police re-
cruits and since then they’ve had
seven good captains. As Don rattled
off the names of all seven, he ex-
plained that though it wasn’t a quick
turnaround the community
wouldn’t have what they do now if
A Scout is Helpful
By Peter Ross
Boy Scout Troop and Cub Scout Pack 390 of the Sunnyside-
Woodside area will be holding its annual Scout Sunday Observation at
St. Teresa RC Church on February 13 at the 9:00 A.M. Mass. Although
being held at the Church specifically, boys of various faiths will be
attending in order to acknowledge and foster an understanding of the
twelfth point of the Scout Law which is “A Scout is Reverent” and to
offer the boys an opportunity for introspection and for any who practice
(religion aside) a time for prayer and genuflection. The church is located
on the corner of 44th Street and 50th Avenue in Woodside.
The Troop and Pack will also be holding a winter food drive on the
same day, February 13th, from 11 A.M. to 3 P.M. in front of Associated
Supermarket, located on Greenpoint Avenue between 44th and 45th
Streets, and Food Town Supermarket, located on Greenpoint Avenue
between 41st and 42nd Streets, both in Woodside/Sunnyside, Queens. The
boys and their leaders will be collecting for several local food pantries
right here in the neighborhood (at St. Teresa and St. Raphaels’ Churches),
which provide food-stuffs for families in need. It has been acknowl-
edged widely that local food pantries are in desperate need of supplies as
their stock supplies are dwindling and demand is greater than ever
throughout the borough and the city generally. The boys will be
collecting all non-perishable shelf stable items (e,g, canned fruit, veg-
etables, tuna, pasta, beans, peanut butter et. al.). Monetary donations will
also be accepted and remitted direct to the pantries for their immediate
use in acquiring additional items of need for distribution. For any who
prefer to donate by check, please make these out to either the “St. Vincent
De Paul Society at St. Teresa” or to “St. Raphael’s Food Pantry”. The
boys thank you in advance for your generosity in helping those neighbors
in need who may be struggling at this time.
OPTICAL
• EYES EXAMINED
• PRESCRIPTIONS FILLED
• DESIGNER FRAMES
• MEDICAID - MEDICARE
• INVISIBLE NO-LINE BIFOCALS
CLOSED WEDNESDAY
WE NOW ACCEPT MOST UNION PLANS & INSURANCE

DR. IRVING ROVIN

Don is on the Community Board’s
transportation committee and helps
out with the food pantry over at St.
Vincent’s. He’s not only a member
of St Teresa’s where he is an usher,
a handyman and often a financial
advisor, but puts in double duty at
St. Raphael’s too.
It is the United Forties though
that is nearest to his heart. “When I
think ‘united’ first I think of the
United States,” Don says, “and then
United Forties.” Since Don took
over two years ago, the group has
grown from having 15 people at
the meetings to often getting 50
people. One meeting they even had
120 people sign-in. While not ev-
ery week brings droves of people,
Don is happy to say membership
has risen tenfold.
As we sat together he talked
about reenlisting with Community
Board 2 and was sad to say that the
trophies, but the most pride comes
from the United Forties,” says Don.
While Don says he’s had a good
life, he admits it wasn’t always
easy. When Don was just barely
out of high school, his dad suffered
a life ending brain aneurysm and
says he can’t remember a time when
his mother, who suffered from
Parkinson’s disease, was healthy.
“She was very crippled and couldn’t
feed herself,” he says. “The doc-
tors told my father she wouldn’t
make it past 50, but she made it to
76.” Though she suffered physi-
cally, Don says her brain never
suffered. He lives by his mom and
dad’s words, “Thank you should
come before your next request”
and only now understand the influ-
ence the two of them had on his
life. Because of this he believes we
need to celebrate people while they
are still with us.
it was not for the CAC.
Don claims to have no new
ventures on the horizon, but is in-
terested in working with anybody 45-04 46th St., L.I.C., NY 11104 • (718) 784-2580
who has ideas to make this com-
munity better. He says he would
like to go on a cruise with his wife DEFENSIVE DRIVING COURSE
or maybe go check out Costa Rica.
“It’s the next Miami,” he says. For
(Insurance and Point Reduction)
now though he’s just working on a Corpus Christi Church
few things like, the Eyes and Ears
31-30 61st Street, Woodside
Program, the Queens Library Buy-
A-Book drive, fetal blankets for Saturday, February 19th from 9:00am-3:30pm
Elmhurst Hospital, looking into For information and registration call (718) 278-8114
bike lanes on Greenpoint Avenue
and figuring out how to get local
businesses and residents on the
same page. As Don rattles off more
things he’ll need to add to his re-
sume, it’s clear the Community
Board’s going to have to add an-
other page to that reenlistment form.
Then again knowing Don, they
might want to add two.

Last Chance To Taste A Sunnyside Great

41-08 Greenpoint Ave., Sunnyside

EIR DOORS!
TH
718-784-1305 CLOSING
To Advertise E-mail SSabba@WoodsideHerald.com or call 718-729-3772
PAGE 6
SUNNYSIDE
SWEETHEARTS
Eat, sing, dance and be merry at Sunnyside
Community Services’ Annual Valentine’s Day Party,
sponsored by the Kiwanis, on Wednesday, February
16, 11:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be prizes, a raffle,
special guests, and more! For more information
contact Richard McGrade at 718 784-6173, ext. 411 or
go to www.scsny.org. Sunnyside Community
Services’ Center for Active Older Adults is located at
43-31 39th Street, Sunnyside, NY 11104.
LGA College Foundation Launches
“Spring Into Action” Campaign
Community-wide effort to raise
money for $3,500 scholarships
At a time when the cost of tu-
ition is a pressing concern for many
college students, the LaGuardia
Community College Foundation
has launched its third annual
“Spring Into Action” campaign, a
multi-faceted fundraising drive fo-
cused on providing numerous, im-
mediate, $3,500 scholarships to
new and returning students.
From now through May 31, the
Foundation will be reaching out to
prospective donors to take part in
this effort to provide financial as-
sistance to LaGuardia students.
Contributions can be made online
at: www.laguardia.edu/
springintoaction. A printable
pledge form is also available on
the website.
“Last year, the Spring Into Ac-
tion campaign raised funds to pro-
vide full-tuition scholarships for stu-
dents who may have otherwise had
to discontinue their education,” said
LaGuardia Vice President of Insti-
tutional Advancement, E. Ramone
Segree. “Through a collaboration
of supportive constituency groups
who care about higher education,
deserving LaGuardia students who
are striving to improve their lives,
are provided with the means to stay
on track to complete their educa-
To Advertise E-mail SSabba@WoodsideHerald.com or call 718-729-3772
THE WOODSIDE HERALD
To Retire Comfortably, Know Which Moves
to Make — and When to Make Them
We all want to enjoy a com-
fortable retirement. But to do so,
we need to make different moves,
and consider different issues, at
different times of our lives.
To help illustrate this point,
let’s look at three individuals:
Alice, who is just starting her ca-
reer; Bob, who is nearing retire-
ment; and Charlie, who has re-
cently retired.
Let’s start with Alice. As a
young worker, Alice most likely
has four decades ahead of her until
she retires. Yet she realizes that
it’s never too soon to start saving
for retirement, so she has already
begun contributing to her 401(k)
and to an IRA. And since she has
so much time ahead of her, she has
decided to invest aggressively,
putting much of her contributions
in growth-oriented vehicles. The
market will certainly have its
“dips” in the future, and Alice’s
account values could rise and fall
from year to year, but the longer
she holds her investments, the less
of an impact that market extremes
should have on her 401(k), IRA
and other accounts.
Now let’s turn our attention to
Bob. Since he is within a few years
LGA Receives Grant to Provide
Services to Prison Population
LaGuardia Community
College’s nationally recognized
CUNY Catch, a program that serves
incarcerated youth attending high
school at Rikers Island, has re-
ceived a $50,000 grant from the
New York State Higher Education
Services Corporation to expand its
services to Brookwood Secure Cen-
ter in Claverack, New York.
The grant will allow the pro-
gram to offer career-counseling,
college preparation and transitional
services to some 60 inmates from
New York City who are completing
their senior year of high school at
the facility. At the 180-bed center,
which offers an academic program,
students are either working toward
their high school equivalency di-
ploma or already have their GED.
“Although youth do well while
in school in jails, many after re-
ceiving their GED, lose the mo-
mentum to continue their educa-
tion to the college level,” said Dr.
John Chiarkas, LaGuardia’s CUNY
Catch Director. “This project will
help these students stay on track
and go to college. It will make a
positive difference in their lives.”
Once a month, a counselor will
travel to the facility to conduct
career sessions. The students would
tion and fulfill their academic goals.
Spring Into Action scholarships help
to make that possible.”
LaGuardia serves a student
population that looks to the schol-
arship as a vital financial resource.
Over two-thirds of LaGuardia stu-
dents come from households mak-
ing under $25,000 annually, and
most require financial assistance,
even though the College’s tuition
is among the lowest in the New
York area. International and out-
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010
of retirement, he has some key
decisions to make. For one thing,
he must decide if it’s time to change
the investment mix in his IRA,
401(k) and other accounts. Because
Bob doesn’t have much time to
overcome market volatility, and
since he’d like to maintain the gains
he has already achieved, he may
decide to become more conserva-
tive with his investments. Conse-
quently, he may choose to move
some of his investment dollars from
stocks to bonds and other fixed-
income securities. Realizing, how-
ever, that he may spend two or
three decades in retirement, and
knowing that he will need to stay
ahead of inflation, he doesn’t aban-
don all his growth-oriented invest-
ments. Furthermore, Bob decides
that he may need to bolster his
retirement income, so he considers
whether an annuity, which is de-
signed to provide him with an in-
come stream he can’t outlive, is
appropriate for his situation.
Our final “life stages” investor
is Charlie. He has recently retired,
so his biggest concern is making
sure he doesn’t outlive his finan-
cial resources. Therefore, he may
need to consider a variety of moves.
be encouraged to look realistically
at their career options and the edu-
cational path they would have to
take to achieve their career goals.
Dr. Chiarkas said that through these
sessions the Brookwood students
will increase their assurance that
they can effectively compete with
other young men and women and
can complete the coursework re-
quired for college success.
When the students return to the
city, LaGuardia will serve as a re-
entry hub. Students who have their
GED can arrange for acceptance to
LaGuardia, while those who are
preparing for the GED exam can
take prep classes at the College.
Other services that are provided in-
clude placement on paid internships
and interview and job preparation.
“This continuum of shared sup-
port the young adult will receive in
moving from a secured environ-
ment to a campus atmosphere, com-
bined with a realistic career plan,
will greatly reduce barriers that
many encounter when they re-en-
ter the community,” said Dr.
Chiarkas. “The provision of post
secondary education, education,
career development and viable
employment options, will assist in
breaking a potential jailing cycle.”
of-state students, whose tuition is
double and are not eligible for fi-
nancial aid, look to the Spring Into
Action scholarships as a way to
help fill the financial gap.
“Tuition assistance not only
will make attendance possible and
much less challenging, but it will
have a huge impact on the stu-
dents’ lives,” said Angela
Wambugu Cobb, Director of De-
velopment, who added that data
shows that, upon graduation,
For starters, he should determine
when to start taking Social Secu-
rity and when to begin taking with-
drawals from his IRA and 401(k)
plans. [For a traditional IRA and a
401(k) or other employer-spon-
sored plan, Charlie, like all inves-
tors, must start taking withdrawals
no later than age 70Ω.] After de-
ciding when to start taking with-
drawals from his retirement plans,
he’ll also need to calculate how
much he can afford to take each
year without emptying the ac-
counts. Finally, he might need to
rebalance his overall investment
portfolio to provide himself with
more income.
For help in making the types
of choices described above, you
may want to work with a financial
professional, but in any case, you
need to be prepared to take the
right steps, at the right times, to
enjoy the retirement lifestyle
you’ve envisioned.
This article was written by
Edward Jones for use by your
local Edward Jones Financial Ad-
visor Vincent Renda located at
47-01 Queens Blvd. Suite 203
Sunnyside NY 11104. Call him at
718-361-1306.
CUNY Catch was among 49
programs selected from local and
community-based organizations
statewide to receive the
corporation’s New York College
Access Challenge Grant (CACG)
sub-grant award. The award al-
lows the program to apply for a
second six-month grant that will
extend to August 2011. Since
1992, LaGuardia’s transitional
program has provided adolescents
who have been incarcerated with
a pathway to their GED and col-
lege. The National Youth Em-
ployment Coalition and the Youth
Development and Research Fund
have recognized CUNY Catch as
one of the top 12 youth employ-
ment and development programs
serving juvenile offenders nation-
ally. “For close to two decades,
CUNY Catch has successfully
served this special student popu-
lation by providing the academic
programs, supportive counseling
services and career advisement
that ensure that these young adults
go on to live productive lives,”
said Dr. Gail O. Mellow, Presi-
dent of LaGuardia Community
College. “This grant will allow
LaGuardia to expand its reach to
this underserved population.”
LaGuardia students’ family income
increases by 17%. Since its incep-
tion in March 2003, the LaGuardia
Community College Foundation
has provided support to over 2,000
students. In addition to scholar-
ship support, the fundraising arm
of the institution has provided fund-
ing for textbooks, transportation
and state-of-the-art resources to
prepare students for life’s work
and leadership.
(continued on next page)
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010 THE WOODSIDE HERALD
GREEN QUEENS Western Queens will soon see an infusion of trees,
green jobs and youth environmental programs thanks to
$1 million in grants that will be distributed by North Star
Fund in February. The grants mark the beginning of a
three-year, $8 million initiative to create environ-
mentally sustainable neighborhoods in Woodside,
Sunnyside, Astoria and Long Island City.
According to Hugh Hogan, executive director of
North Star Fund, the first round of grants will give
way to 850 trees, support environmental education and
recycling programs, and help fund community gardens
and green jobs training programs. Grants will be awarded
to both Queens-based and citywide programs.
Grantees’ projects include:
· City Parks Foundation will work with local
residents to develop an urban forestry plan and
plant 850 trees.
· Sunnyside Community Services will create a
green jobs program for low-income, disaffected
immigrant youth.
· Damayan Migrant Workers Association, which organizes Filipino
workers, will plan a community garden; members will grow culturally familiar organic vegetables to sell
in the Filipino community.
North Star Fund will announce the grants when it brings together all 15 grantees on Thursday,
February 10, 2011, at the Woodside Branch of the Queens Library. Grantees will present their projects
and explore opportunities to collaborate, pool ideas and share resources.
To learn more about North Star Fund’s unique effort to make Queens green, the grantees or to speak
with Hugh Hogan, please contact Amy Sutnick Plotch (amy@amyplotch.com) at 201-703-4302 or Ivette
Morello (morelloivette@gmail.com) at 914-484-4804.
To Advertise E-mail SSabba@WoodsideHerald.com or call 718-729-3772
PAGE 7
REAL ESTATE FACTS
by RITA LOWRY
WELCOME HOME
REAL ESTATE
IF THEY SHOULD ASK
When you tell friends and family you’re going to buy or sell a
home, and they ask, “Why are you working through a real estate agent
when you can just use the internet,” how will you respond? Your first
answer should be to have a professional handle all the paperwork-
disclosure forms, inspection reports, deeds and titles, settlement
statements… they’ll get the picture.
You could describe your representative’s knowledge about the
area-schools, zoning, and property values. You want to know that the
neighborhood matches your needs, and that your home holds resale
value for the future.
Tell them there’s more to advertising than websites, and that your
agent will more likely find a buyer instead through their relationships
with other agents and past and current clients. Not to mention the fact
that you don’t want complete strangers visiting your home, and
you’re more comfortable knowing that your representative has
screened and qualified all potential buyers.
And once you’re on either side of an offer, you trust a
professional’s ability to negotiate successfully when it comes to
terms like price, financing, inspections and repairs, and other
contractual commitments.
Your final argument might be that most people may buy or sell a
handful of homes in their lifetime, but your agent has been successful
hundreds of times, on both sides of the transaction. Case closed!
(continued from page 6)
Spring into Action
Foundation board members, donors, alumni and friends are involved
in many aspects of college activities, including mentoring students,
serving on advisory boards, and speaking to student groups about their
professions.
Visit http://www.laguardia.edu/lagfoundation to learn more.
Public Legal Notices
SSabba@ WoodsideHerald.com
Phone: (718) 729-3772
PAGE 8 THE WOODSIDE HERALD FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010

FAMILY SCIENCE NIGHT QUEENS THEATRE IN THE PARK

Saturday, February 5th 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM PRESENTS
Immaculate Conception School, 21-63 29 THE SCHOOL OF AMERICAN BAL-
Street Astoria (718) 728-1969 LET: THE BEAUTY OF BALLET
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ February 27th @ 1pm & 3pm
Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing
THE LIONS CLUB OF RAVENSWOOD Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY.
Friday, February 11th, 7:00-9:00 p.m. Tickets are FREE.
Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens, 21- Reservations are required and can be made
22 30th Road, Astoria. by phone at 718-760-0064.
FREE EVENT. Door prizes,
entertainment and light refreshments. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
(718) 274-3487
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
QUEENS THEATRE IN THE PARK
PRESENTS
QUEENS THEATRE IN THE PARK ST. PETERSBURG
PRESENTS CLASSIC BALLET THEATRE
MADELINE AND THE BAD HAT Saturday, March 5th @ 2pm and 8pm
Sunday, February 13th @ 1pm and 3pm Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing
Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY.
Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY. Tickets Tickets may be purchased by phone at
are $12 ($10 multi-show) and are available by 718-760-0064 or online at
phone at 718-760-0064 or online at www.queenstheatre.org.
www.queenstheatre.org.

SUNNYSIDE REFORMED CHURCH PRESENTS

In Concert: David Shenton with Erin Shields and Friends Mrs. Christina
Performing a program of jazz, blues, ragtime and original
compositions, including selections from his new CD Spiritual Consultant & Life Coach
Sunnyside Blues , a jazz suite.
Advise on All Matters
Saturday, February 5th at 7:00 PM Such as Health, Marriage, Career, Family
I can help by getting to the root of your problems or questions through the power
LEARN BASIC COMPUTER SKILLS AT of Meditation, Chakra, Tarot Card, Palm and Full Life Readings.No Question turned
away or denied. Find out how you, yourself hold the answers to your life. Pick up
SUNNYSIDE COMMUNITY SERVICES Natural Ways to relieve Depression, Oppression, Anxiety, Headaches, Body Aches,
Low Self Esteem, Low Sex Drive. I Also Consult On Marriages and Relationships,
Learn to use a personal computer or laptop to write letters, compose and send e-mail, browse the
Don’t Let Your Insecurities Stop You From Finding Out About Your LIFE...
internet, use SKYPE, and more at Sunnyside Community Services Center for Active Older Adults.
The new “Intro to Computers” class runs on Mondays and Tuesdays from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., starting
February 7 and ending on March 7, 2011. The fee is $25(payable by check) for 16 hands-on sessions Call for Appt. & 1 free question! 718-709-1278
(8 weeks). The Intro to Computers class is one of many programs and services available for
individuals of all ages at Sunnyside Community Services. SCS is located at 43-31 39th Street,
Available Monday-Saturday 5115 43 Ave. 2nd Fl. Woodside, N.Y.
Take 7 Train to 52nd St. Lincoln Ave.
Sunnyside, NY 11104. For more information call Richard McGrade at 718 784-6173 extension 411. 10am-10pm

To Advertise E-mail SSabba@WoodsideHerald.com or call 718-729-3772