Sunday, May 20, 2012
Interested in becoming an officer in the Army, Navy or Air Force?
One of the lesser-known honors bestowed on members of Congress is actually a big responsibility: selecting deserving young men and women to attend the nation's service academies. And according to U.S. Rep. Bob Turner, R-Forest Hils, it's that time this year. Are you or is your child interested in attending one of the nation's service academies? Now's the chance. “One of the great privileges as a congressman is having the opportunity to nominate young men and women from the Ninth Congressional District to our nation’s service academies," Turner said in a statement. "I encourage all those interested in applying to a service academy and building a foundation for an exciting career as an officer in our military to begin the process by sending …
Catch up on the stories that took place in your community this week.
This week's blockbuster story was a poll on whether Gov. Andrew Cuomo should allow hydrofracking in New York State. More than 1,600 people voted in the poll and nearly 40 readers added comments. There were several crime stories this week, including one about a 111th Precinct officer who was accused of providing police intelligence to a drug dealer and another on an armored car guard who was robbed on Northern Boulevard. Here is your Week in Review. Monday An armored car guard tells police he was robbed of $170,000 on Northern Boulevard in Little Neck. Read Walter Mugdan's latest Conservation Conversation blog post on northeast Queens's environment. Reviews in This Week at the Movies included "Dark Shadows" and Filipino thriller "The Road…
Saturday, May 19, 2012
This week's topic is which items to have around the house when bringing a newborn home from the hospital.
Each week, our Parents Council of experts takes your questions, gives advice and shares solutions. Moms, dads, grandparents and the diverse families who make up our community will have a new resource for questions about local neighborhood schools, the best pediatricians, 24-hour pharmacies and the thousands of other issues that arise while raising children. This week’s question is: What are some of the most important items to have around the house if you are a couple bringing home a newborn from the hospital? Judy Vincent I'm sure by the time the newborn comes home everything would be set up as far as the nursery. A good thing to have in the house is a ton of food. If possible, maybe some family members or friends can stock up the couple's…
111th Precinct's Capt. Huerta will talk about local crime patterns.
The Westmoreland Association will hold its last meeting before the summer on May 21 at the Community Church of Little Neck. Capt. Jason Huerta, of the 111th Precinct, will discuss crime trends, give crime prevention advice and discuss local issues, such as graffiti, drug dealing and crime in community parks. The meeting will begin at 8 p.m. at the church, which is located at 46-16 Little Neck Parkway. The civic group is also calling for its members to take part in the Little Neck Douglaston Memorial Day Parade on May 28. Westmoreland members will meet before 2 p.m. at Great Neck's Starbuck's on Northern Boulevard. For more information, call 718-224-7256 or email westmorelandassn@aol.com.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Troupe to perform three-act murder mystery at Zion Episcopal Church.
The Douglaston Community Theatre will debut its latest production, "Murder Takes the Stage," this weekend with three performances at Zion Episcopal Church. The three-act play, which was written by James Reach, is a mystery about a theater production during which a cast member ends up being murdered. The Douglaston troupe's show is directed by Kevin C. Vincent. This weekend's shows are May 18 and 19 at 8 p.m. and May 20 at 2 p.m. Next weekend's performances will be May 25 at 8 p.m. as well as May 26 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $13 for seniors and students with identification. There are also discounts for groups of 10 or more people. To order tickets, call 718-482-3332. Zion Episcopal Church is located at 243-01 …
Jobs, mail will remain in Whitestone.
The Whitestone postal facility, which has been in danger of closure since 2011, has been saved, according to U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman. If the facility had been closed, more than 700 jobs in Queens would have been eliminated altogether, with a small number of jobs being transferred to the post office’s sorting center in Brooklyn. “The decision to take the Processing and Distribution Center off the chopping block is great news for the residents of Queens and the many businesses that depend on the critical services provided by this facility,” Ackerman said. “The plan to move the center’s responsibilities to the Brooklyn distribution location was a horrible idea that would have reduced the borough’s accessibility to a critical facility that …
Queens residents are more likely than Brooklyn residents to put the blame on pedestrians.
A survey of New Yorkers found most fault drivers for the majority of traffic accidents, with Brooklyn residents judging motorists harshest, while those in Queens putting more blame on pedestrians. The poll was conducted by the Marist Institute for NY1. Issues such as distracted driving, headphones and cyclists' perceived behavior were cited as key issues in the report. Here is a partial listing of the results. The results are based on a telephone survey of 886 adults over the age of 18 during the month of April of 2012. The percentages of those questioned was based on the relative populations of the boroughs. The overall margin of error is 3.5 percent. Last June Patch reported that a pedestrian was sideswiped by an SUV in Bayside after she…
Riders will no longer be able to carry alcoholic beverages onto trains on weekend late nights.
The Long Island Rail Road's alcohol ban on late night weekend trains begins Friday. Passengers will no longer be able to carry alcoholic beverages - opened or unopened - onto trains leaving Penn Station on Saturday and Sunday between midnight and 5 a.m. Riders will also not be allowed to have alcohol on any LIRR trains between the same hours. Those caught will be issued a warning and their beverages will be confiscated, an LIRR spokesman said. Alcohol will also not be permitted on all LIRR platforms during the same hours. Police will be screening passengers boarding trains at stations across the LIRR's system. And signs explaining the new rule will be placed at city stations. The ban follows two incidents in March during which conductors …
But realtors are skeptical that there are not any streets listed from Douglas Manor.
A new report by a real estate search engine listed one Douglaston block and another in Little Neck among the borough's top 10 most expensive streets. The only Douglaston site listed in the study, which was conducted by propertyshark.com, was a block bordered by Depew Avenue in the north, Poplar Street in the south, 240th Street in the west and 243rd Street in the east. A Little Neck block bordered by Brattle Avenue and Leeds Road in the north, Thornhill Avenue in the south, Browvale Lane in the west and 254th Street in the east was also listed in the top 10. The borough's most expensive block is a beachfront site located between 145th Street and Beach 146th Street in the Rockaways' Belle Harbor/Neponsit. The second, third and fourth …
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Readers weigh in on controversial natural gas extraction process.
So, it appears that hydrofracking is a topic about which Douglaston-Little Neck Patch readers have strong opinions. As of this morning, a whopping 1,389 readers cast their votes in our poll on whether they believed Gov. Andrew Cuomo should allow the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing in New York State. For those unaware of the procedure, hydrofracking involves extracting natural gas and petroleum by drilling into rock layers. Those who support the procedure say it could be a source of energy and revenue for the state, while its opponents say it could pose dangers to the state's water supply. Currently, 65 percent of voters say that hydraulic fracturing should be allowed and 33 percent say it should not. Only eight voters are …
Stuart Hersh
12:08 pm on Sunday, May 20, 2012
I don't recall anything ever provoking more discussion and commentary than the discussion about hydraulic fracturing. Fascinating! more ›