Queens High School Closings

How Are Queens High Schools Performing, Are They Being Evaluated Fairly & How Do Public Schools Perform Vs Charter Schools

April 21, 2012 / Education in Queens / Queens Buzz. Is the Mayor trying to improve NYC school system performance or is he trying to privatize the NYC public school system? When I began a journey to better understand the issues surrounding public school system performance beginning about a year ago, I had no idea I would end this segment of the journey pondering the question articulated above.

Over the course of the past year I’ve attended a number of meetings and rallies held at public high schools in Queens concerning the performance of public high schools in the Queens school districts. My last visit was on Tuesday, April 17, 2012, when I attended the public hearing at LIC High School regarding the Department of Education recommendation to close it.

As I entered the building I was surprised to see such a large turn out for the meeting. An auditorium that seats nearly a thousand people, was nearly full.

Click here to read our report about the public high school closings in Queens.

Finding Dr. Right - Doctors in Queens

Doctors and Healthcare in LIC, Astoria, Sunnyside, Woodside & Queens

February 16, 2012 / Long Island City / Queens Buzz. I attended a community lecture put on by Mount Sinai Queens entitled Finding Doctor Right. It was hosted at the Avalon Riverview, which is located down on 2-01 50th Avenue near the East River in LIC.

When I arrived, I took note of the audience demographics which had a female / male skew of about two to one; and the ages ranged from starting a family to planning retirement. Our speaker was Dr. Nierman, VP of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, and one of the people responsible for hiring doctors at Mount Sinai Queens.

Click here to read our report and view photos about finding Dr. Right – doctors and healthcare in LIC and Queens.

Queens Census 2010

For Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, Flushing & Woodside

October 25, 2011 / Jackson Heights Neighborhood / Real Estate in Jackson Heights / Queens Buzz. I just returned from a fascinating look into the Census data for Jackson Heights, Corona, Elmhurst, Flushing and Woodside.

Fascinating? Yes, fascinating. Fascinating because there have been significant demographic shifts in these neighborhoods over the past decade. And because Steven A. Romalewski, Director of CUNY Mapping Services, gave us a demographic map presentation, the likes of which I’d never seen before. Arturo-Ignacio Sanchez of Community Board Three added quite a bit of qualitative flavor to the presentation, reminding me of some of my best college professors [because he was knowledgeable and enthusiastic]. Danny Dromm, the NYC City Councilmember of Jackson Heights was the sponsor of this presentation.

But I digress. Click here to view our report on the 2010 Queens census [with exclusive emphasis on Jackson Heights / Corona / Elmhurst & adjacent neighborhoods], including slide show with many of Steven Romalewski’s slides and a link to an interactive mapping site.

Landlord / Tenant Rights In Queens & NYC

An Introduction Into the Legal Framework Governing Landlords' and Renters' Rights

September 23, 2011 / Elmhurst Neighborhood / Queens Buzz. I attended a seminar on Renters' Rights sponsored by City Councilman Daniel Dromm. The panel was intended to provide tenants and landlords with an awareness of their rights and guidance to the proper city agency in order to obtain resolution of one's grievance(s). One statement I'll make upfront, is that comprehending the statutes and determining who has jurisdiction with respect to a grievance, isn't simple. Hence in the report that follows, we will try to provide some insight into the process, but recommend that you contact the city using the 311 telephone number to initiate any claim or to seek reference in defending against a claim.

Click here to read our report about rights of landlords and renters in Queens. This report to be posted Columbus Day Weekend.

iVote In Jackson Heights

Legal Residency, Citizenship & Voting Rights In Queens

August 20, 2011 / Jackson Heights Neighborhood / Queens Buzz. I attended the iVote Festival in Jackson Heights on Saturday to see what it was all about. The event was sponsored in part by the Humanist Party, which wants to restore “an old practice” of allowing legal residents the right to vote in municipal elections where they work, live and pay taxes. According to sources at this event, there are currently 1.3 million legal residents in New York City who don't have any voting rights in NYC.

We were told that by some estimates, 60% of Jackson Heights residents are legal residents who have no representation in local government. Apparently obtaining U.S. Citizenship is far more difficult that just passing a test. Click here to read more about legal residency, citizenship and voting rights in Queens which were discussed at the iVote Festival in Jackson Heights neighborhood.

Queens College In Flushing

NYC Educators Making Things Happen

January 26, 2011 / Flushing / Queens Buzz. The following report is about a recent visit to Queens College in Flushing. The school is public, but only receives one third of its funding from the state. And so the school has sought help from alumni of the college who have supported many of the college’s efforts to enhance its facilities and programs through private donations.

The result is that Queens College provides NYC & Queens residents with a very good college education at affordable prices.

Click here to read our full report about Queens College in Flushing including a look at the Colden Auditorium, LeFrak Concert Hall and the Godwin-Ternbach Museum.

How To Start A Cultural Movement

Where Art & Culture Meet Immigrant Movement

May 1, 2011 / Jackson Heights & Corona / Ethnic & Religious Culture / Queens Buzz. I was out covering one story when I caught wind of another. The other was the Immigrant Movement which is an art / social experiment going on this year in the Corona neighborhood of Queens.

I happened upon it in late April when I noticed a large crowd standing outside of the Immigrant Movement building in Corona Queens. The crowd had an artsy look - a look I have happened upon in Corona only occasionally ... so far.

It seems the Immigrant Movement is a three party collaboration, lead by performance artist / social activist Tania Bruguera of Cuba. The project is funded by the Queens Museum Of Art which periodically takes avante garde art initiatives, as well as by Creative Time which is a modern art organization in the metro NYC area. This creative approach to art and culture was provocative enough to capture my curiosity, so I stepped through the doorway to find out more.

Click here to read more about the Immigrant Movement in Corona Queens.

Flushing International High School

America's Melting Pot - Alive & Well In Flushing

January 3, 2011 / Flushing / QueensBuzz. I had occasion to witness the success that one of the public high schools in Queens is having in helping the children of new immigrants adapt to their new homeland. Flushing International High School only accepts children of immigrants who have generally been living in the country less than two years and who do not speak the English language very well, if at all.

Within four years, about 65% of these students graduate, speaking fluent English. The graduation rate throughout the rest of the city for comparable schools is 35%. We visited Joseph Luft [Principal] and Lara Evange [Assistant Principal] to take a closer look at what has contributed to their success.

Click here for the rest of the story, including photos, of a report on one of the public high schools in Queens.

Landlord / Tenant Rights In Queens & NYC

An Introduction Into the Legal Framework Governing Landlords' and Renters' Rights

September 23, 2011 / Elmhurst Neighborhood / Queens Buzz. I attended a seminar on Renters' Rights sponsored by City Councilman Daniel Dromm. The panel was intended to provide tenants and landlords with an awareness of their rights and guidance to the proper city agency in order to obtain resolution of one's grievance(s). One statement I'll make upfront, is that comprehending the statutes and determining who has jurisdiction with respect to a grievance, isn't simple. Hence in the report that follows, we will try to provide some insight into the process, but recommend that you contact the city using the 311 telephone number to initiate any claim or to seek reference in defending against a claim.

Click here to read our report about rights of landlords and renters in Queens. This report to be posted Columbus Day Weekend.

iVote In Jackson Heights

Legal Residency, Citizenship & Voting Rights In Queens

August 20, 2011 / Jackson Heights Neighborhood / Queens Buzz. I attended the iVote Festival in Jackson Heights on Saturday to see what it was all about. The event was sponsored in part by the Humanist Party, which wants to restore “an old practice” of allowing legal residents the right to vote in municipal elections where they work, live and pay taxes. According to sources at this event, there are currently 1.3 million legal residents in New York City who don't have any voting rights in NYC.

We were told that by some estimates, 60% of Jackson Heights residents are legal residents who have no representation in local government. Apparently obtaining U.S. Citizenship is far more difficult that just passing a test. Click here to read more about legal residency, citizenship and voting rights in Queens which were discussed at the iVote Festival in Jackson Heights neighborhood.

How To Start A Cultural Movement

Where Art & Culture Meet Immigrant Movement

May 1, 2011 / Jackson Heights & Corona / Ethnic & Religious Culture / Queens Buzz. I was out covering one story when I caught wind of another. The other was the Immigrant Movement which is an art / social experiment going on this year in the Corona neighborhood of Queens.

I happened upon it in late April when I noticed a large crowd standing outside of the Immigrant Movement building in Corona Queens. The crowd had an artsy look - a look I have happened upon in Corona only occasionally ... so far.

It seems the Immigrant Movement is a three party collaboration, lead by performance artist / social activist Tania Bruguera of Cuba. The project is funded by the Queens Museum Of Art which periodically takes avante garde art initiatives, as well as by Creative Time which is a modern art organization in the metro NYC area. This creative approach to art and culture was provocative enough to capture my curiosity, so I stepped through the doorway to find out more.

Click here to read more about the Immigrant Movement in Corona Queens.

Vaughn College - Queens NY

A Step Back In Time & A Vision Of The Future

Jackson Heights / March 14, 2010.  I spent the better part of  a fascinating day visiting Vaughn College, which used to be the Casey School of Aeronautics near LaGuardia Airport. Vaughn College is one of the nation’s leading educational institutions dedicated to the arts related to flying. The arts include aviation [flight simulation and classroom training], engineering and technology [airframe, power management and mechatronics] and general management. I suppose these days it might be more appropriate to call it the arts of air transportation.

Click here to read about Vaughn College of Queens NY.

York College Commencement 2011

Graduates Encouraged To Pursue Their Aspirations In Math & Sciences

June 3, 2011 / Jamaica NY Neighborhood / Queens Buzz. On Friday June 3rd, the 41st commencement of York College took place. Aprille Ericsson, Ph. D. was the commencement speaker. Aprille talked about her life, growing up in the middle of 20th century America, when African Americans were still fighting for equality.

She grew up in Brooklyn, was bussed to public schools, and demonstrated a high aptitude for mathematics and sciences, which enabled her to gain acceptance into schools with strong math and science programs. When she graduated she went to work for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which is most frequently referred to as NASA. She spent the bulk of her career an Instrument Manager and Aerospace Engineer [aka rocket scientist] at NASA, working on various projects spanning nearly three decades.

Click here to read the rest of our brief report on York College Commencement 2011 in Jamaica NY.

York College - Jamaica Queens

Emerging Powerhouse In Central Queens

March 21, 2011 / Jamaica Neighborhood / Queens Buzz. I had occasion to visit York College to learn more about one of the four CUNY [City University Of New York] colleges in Queens.

The four CUNY colleges in Queens are geographically dispersed throughout the borough, including locations in Long Island City [LaGuardia Community College], Flushing [Queens College], Jamaica [York College] and Bayside [Queens Borough Community College].

York College and Queens College are four year Baccalaureate degree awarding colleges, which also offer several Masters degrees; while LaGuardia and Queens Borough Community Colleges are two year Associates degree awarding colleges. CUNY also has a Law School which will be re-located from Flushing to Long Island City [LIC] in the fall of 2011.

Click here to read our full report, including numerous photos, about York College and the York Performing Arts Center.

Safe Space In Jamaica Queens

 Program Attracts Many Celebs

September 13, 2010 / Jamaica / Queens Buzz. Story done in collaboration with Rob MacKay of Safe Space and photos compliments of Clyde Hamilton.

Safe Space is an institution dedicated to the simple premise that all children should be able to grow up in a healthy and safe environment. Unfortunately many children do not start life with those basics.

This is a brief story about a musical / theatrical benefit event sponsored by Safe Space to celebrate the organization's move to Queens [from Manhattan] this year. Click here to view the Safe Space In Jamaica Queens benefit event in September 2010.

What About The Debt Ceiling Deal?

Opinion & Perspective - Here's My Two Cents

August 3, 2011 / Queens NY / Queens Buzz. These have been a grueling two weeks for anyone watching the budget battles on Capitol Hill. The Senate, Congress and Executive branches of government got into the ring and slugged it out until they [and we] were exhausted.

Democracy is messy. It's about debate. It's about proposing ideas, listening to the ideas of others, and then rounds of endless repetitive rebuttals. It's not as clean as one dictator, king or self-anointed group of cronies, neatly deciding what to do, with no argument, no transparency, and no say by anyone else.

Click here to read the rest of the opinion on the debt ceiling deficit reduction budget deal of 2011.

Economic Development In Queens

Deputy Mayor R.K. Steel Talks About 2010 - 2011

February 24, 2011 / Kew Gardens / Queens Business / Queens Buzz. I attended an address given by the NYC Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, Robert K. Steel at Borough Hall in Kew Gardens today. The event was sponsored by Borough President Helen M. Marshall and the Queens Economic Development Leadership Council.

There were somewhere close to one hundred people in attendance, representing many of the Business Improvement Districts, Business Development Corporations and Queens based businesses. The business people asked some tough questions following Steel's remarks, some of which were directly answered, and some of which were not. Click here to read our report on economic development in Queens.

The State Of The Borough Address

Queens President Helen Marshall Talks 2010 - 2011

January 25, 2011 / Queens College / Queens Buzz. I attended Queens Borough President Helen Marshall’s state of the borough address which she gave at the Colden Center in the Queens College campus on Tuesday.

She structured the presentation in such a manner that it moved from issue to issue or in some cases from department to department, wherein she talked about what had happened over time periods ranging from last year to time periods which began when she took office in 2002.

Most of Queens prominent city council members and state representatives were in attendance – most of whom you can see in the slide show at the end of the report. There were also some former municipal government officials including Peter Vallone Sr who was once the city council speaker and Claire Schulman who was once borough president. Click here to read a full report on the State Of The Borough Address 2011 by Helen Marshall.

Supreme Court Re-writes Constitution

Gives Legal Entities Rights To Meddle In Electoral Process

Queens / January 21, 2010. This is an opinion piece about the Supreme Court campaign finance ruling in favor of giving legal entities the right to spend unlimited sums of money in support of political candidates. Our opinion is that legal entities should not be allowed to spend any resource whatsoever in support of a political candidate.

If the people governing a legal entity [regardless of whether it is a corporation or a labor union] want to donate money or resource to a candidate, let them do so as individuals.  But disallow them from reaching into the pockets of their shareholders, employees or membership to further their own special interests.  Let these people [shareholders, employees and members] speak for themselves.

We compare this ruling to what happens in the book 'Animal Farm' written by author George Orwell in the middle of the 20th century, whereby some of the pigs in the book are made more equal than others.  Our argument is that these people already have too much power vis a vis everyone else, and their unchecked influence will be harmful to the republic. We welcome readers to share their opinions at the end of the piece. Click here to read our opinion on the Supreme Court Campaign Finance Ruling.

Queens Jobs Market Bests NYC & U.S.

December 2009 / Updated  September 2010.  Queens Buzz. Unemployment has been declining this year in Queens. The unemployment rate in Queens is about 1 full point better than it was a year ago, at about 8 1/2 percent. We'll include more on this at a later date.

This report outlines the general dynamics of the Queens Jobs market. Included in this report is a look at the composition of Queens industries and labor market. It appears that the employment picture in Queens improved from the summer into the fall, but in the December report unemployment ticked back up again. Click here to read our full report about the jobs market in Queens NY. Click here to read the whole story about the Queens jobs market, including an overview of the size and diversity of Queens jobs market.

Sunnyside & Woodside Re-Zoning Plan

Proposal Moving Through The Process – Timetable Set

April 13, 2011 / Sunnyside & Woodside / Sunnyside Real Estate / Queens Buzz. Queens Borough president Helen Marshall highlighted the effort to re-zone Sunnyside and Woodside in her State of the Borough Address this winter. Following the release of the proposed zoning changes on February 28th, I spent time studying the proposal to re-zone the Sunnyside and Woodside neighborhoods and followed up with a representative of the NYC Department of City Planning to be sure I properly understood the proposed changes. It's worth mentioning that the rezoning changes were recently approved by Community Board 2, about two weeks ahead of deadline.

The thrust of the Sunnyside Woodside rezoning effort appears to be to standardize construction regulations within these neighborhoods in order to prevent out-of-character development, reduce commercial overlays, enhance street life through the allowance of sidewalk cafes and to set height limits on new buildings which is not specified in the existing zoning. Current Sunnyside and Woodside zoning only specifies how much you can build by way of limiting the Floor Area Ratio [FAR] – and doesn’t set limits on specific building dimensions, most notably building height.

Click here to view the timetable of the Sunnyside & Woodside Re-zoning proposal and to read the rest of our report, which includes a brief zoning history, and a summary of existing and proposed zoning changes including diagrams and photos.

East Side Access Project Moving Along

How Will This Project Affect Queens Real Estate?

Queens Real Estate / October 4, 2010 / Queens Buzz. Progress on the East Side Access Tunnel project has been visible in Queens since early Spring 2010. The MTA has been busy drilling a new tunnel under the East River from LIC / Astoria, using the Sunnyside Railway Yard as its staging grounds. The photo to your left shows the view of the new tunnel being built underneath the East River from an Astoria / LIC perspective. The tunnel connects into Manhattan around 63rd Street.

Meanwhile in the Sunnyside railway yards, many of the buildings that once dotted the landscape have been demolished. Thankfully this doesn't include an old train station which has been around for many years [see photos in rest of story / slide show]. They’ve also cleared away a number of old warehouse and garage like structures along 43rd Street between Northern Blvd and 39th Avenue.

Click here to get an update on the East Side Access Project impact on Queens real estate.

St Sebastian's Catholic Grade School - Woodside

One Of The Leading Grade Schools In Queens

Woodside / June 14, 2010 / Queens Buzz. I just returned from a tour of St Sebastian’s grade school in the Woodside neighborhood of Queens. The school is one of about 55 Catholic grade schools in Queens. St Sebastian’s has an enrollment of between 400 and 450 students from nursery through the eighth grade. And the school’s student body scores highly compared with the nation on standardized education tests covering math, reading comprehension and writing.

In this report we provide a brief history of St Sebastian’s, an overview of it’s academic, athletic and other programs, and include related information pertaining to Catholic grade schools in the Queens area. Included in this report is information about St Sebastian’s tuition, enrollment fees and a summary time line of the enrollment application process [scroll down / scan the headlines to find the information you’re seeking].

Click this link to read the rest of the story and view the photos of St Sebastian's Catholic Grade School in Woodside.