Sergey Kadinsky

6:15pm last night: The panel begins. Here they are and how the got here:

Azi Paybarah: Blogs for the NY Observer since 2006. QTrib-> NY Press-> NY Sun-> NY Observer
Fernanda Santos- Daily News-> NY Times
Grace Rauh- Oakland Trib-> NY Sun-> NY1
Liz Benjamin- Albany Times Union->Daily News

Top issues for the coming year: Azi: Bloomy Fernanda: Economy Grace: Bloomy’s budget Liz: Paterson, budget, and reelection Fernanda usually reads Azi and Liz’s blogs each morning. Works in a three-person City Hall team at the Times. Views the billionaire mayor as an enigmatic figure.

Enterprise reporting- some newspapers do more of this than others. The late NY Sun encouraged enterprise reporting. Television reporting requires stakeouts and plenty of visuals of people in the news. Find small tidbits within a press conference. Make a story out of this. “Pull out pieces,” said Liz.

Bloggers hit on certain themes. Bloomy mispronouncing names could be a story in itself, if he continues mispronouncing names. Fernanda sometimes prefers meeting a grassroots neighborhood activist than a well-connected insider, because the neighborhood figure provides a different perspective. Local stories are a result of a hyperlocal occurrence. It is then put into a national context.

City Council members are very accessible, Santos said. They also like being on camera. Even those who voted to overthrow term limits care more about bread & butter issues than the controversial term limits vote. pols like Melinda Katz and David Yassky do not want to be remembered for this vote, but also for other things they did.

On sources: Liz Benjamin says: “Why are they telling me this?” Describes this as a chess game. On Caroline Kennedy stories: Azi says: “what is the value of this attack to my readers?”

Underreported:

Fernanda- how are decisions at City Hall affecting citizens, detailed descriptions in which tax or fare decisions affect citizens.

Azi says that budget reporting does not get enough coverage, because it involves number crunching. Liz: News is very instant, and there’s little follow-up reporting going on. Hiram Monserrate is an example.

None of them feel tempted to run for office themselves. Put yourself in front of an editor. Take the person out, introduce yourself.

Fernanda says: Start at a small paper before applying to the Times.

Liz used to apply for jobs and used a headhuter, but recommends starting in the boondocks.

It’s so much harder to start in NYC.

When it comes to unfinished subway projects, the MTA’s alphabet has plenty of holes, including H, I, K, O, P, T, U, and X. The most famous of all, the Second Avenue subway, also known as the T train, has been on the drawing board since the 1920s.

It is never a surprise that Manhattan’s unbuilt transit projects get so much attention while commuters in eastern Queens patiently await their fair share, while standing in the long bus lines. Between the Q1 and Q113 buses, there are plenty of missing numbers awaiting their assigned routes.

Last week, our budget-challenged city announced a proposal to kill the Q74 bus, which connects Queens College to Kew Gardens. At the same time, work continues on the Second Avenue subway, scheduled to open in 2013. When the city asks to cut back, I’m daring to dream. (see graphics below)

A new line for central Queens, dark gray

The Route

Running east to west, parallel to Union Turnpike and Jewel Avenue, the 4.3 mile long 73rd Avenue is one of the oldest roads in Queens. Colored yellow on the must-have Hagstrom maps, it is a major artery running from Kew Gardens Hills to Oakland Gardens. Almost half of its route does not carry any bus lines.

For those living along 73rd Avenue, commuting to Manhattan often involves up to 10 minutes of walking to the Q46 on Union Tpke. or the Q64 on Jewel Ave. As an alternative, some of the local residents feel the tempatation to drive to the nearest subway station, if not to their offices. Believe me, I know- i live in Fresh Meadows.

I walk two blocks to the Q64 bus, which takes me to the nearest subway station in Forest Hills. The bus often fills up by its third stop, and stuck in traffic, too. As a result, I am often tempted to take the car to Forest hills, and search for a parking spot near the subway station.

My proposal

A Q73 bus would run between Cunningham Park and Kew Gardens, relieving pressure on the Q46 and Q64 buses. If the Upper East Side is getting a new subway line, give something to Queens- give us a Q73!

The Howard Williams Jazz Orchestra has been around for two decades, comprised of full-time musicians, music teachers, 18 members in all, a true Big Band. It performs every Monday night at the Garage Restaurant and Cafe on Seventh Avenue South.

7:15pm: Thelonious Monk’s Ugly Beauty

The Howard Williams organizes the repertoire.

Howard Williams

The interior of the Garage Restaurant and Cafe looks like a traditional jazz club, with posters of jazz legends behind the stage.

7:30pm The Scene is Clean by Ted Dameron

A warm, cozy venue for a jazz concert

Any musician can tell you that their income depends on their audience. While their average income remains confidential, band member tells of their most generous tip- an all-expenses paid flight to Amalfi, Italy.

A wedding performance

A wealthy Italian financier invited the band to play at his wedding in Italy. In spite of the jet lag, the concert was a hit. “And we told him that we don’t do wedding songs,” said Williams. After only three days, the band returned home.

The Garage offers a variety of views