Sergey Kadinsky

Just a turn below Z100, a popular top 40 music station, sits WBAI, a non-commercial station devoted to alternative viewpoints. For almost 50 years, it has been “speaking truth to power,” supported entirely by its listeners. But with a tough economy and an expensive lease, the station finds itself begging for support in the midst of its month-long May fund drive.

WBAI’s Janet Coleman

The annual rent at WBAI’s studio totals nearby $340 thousand and its Empire State Building transmitter costs an additional $241 thousand per year, according to Local Station Board chair Mitchel Cohen.

Donations are down at WBAI

Why not simply leave 120 Wall Street for a cheaper space?

WBAI’s Tony Riddle

How does WBAI compete with mainstream news giants? By presenting alternative viewpoints to a story. In certain instances, stories picked up by WBAI were later picked up by mainstream sources such as the New York Times.

WBAI’s Jose Santiago

The station is also a forum for creative talent. Musicians can harp on social and political themes without fear of censorship or ratings.

WBAI’s Moogy Klingman

One neighborhood (College Point) reacts to another neighborhood’s (Willets Point) relocation, specifically regarding the site of an abandoned airport (de facto nature preserve)

Point to Point video

Below are maps of the site.

This map, provided by the city’s Economic Development Corporation shows the current zoning around the Flushing Airport site.The airport has been abandoned since 1984.

The other big white empty lot to the southwest of the big white Willets Point businesses.

A stream called Mill Creek once traversed these undeveloped lands, which comprises the 550-acre College Point Corporate Park.

The green-bordered lot is allocated to Sambucci Bros. Auto Salvage. To their right is a stream.

The race for the City Council seat representing Rego Park, Forest Hills, and Kew Gardens is a heated one. So far, seven candidates have thrown their hats into the ring, and that’s just the Democrats. Karen Koslowitz, a former councilwoman for this district has also hinted at running for her old seat. Mel Gagarin seeks to take President Obama’s message of change to the local level:

Here is my audio piece on Mel Gagarin’s candidacy

At this time, his funds pale in comparison to former Assemblyman Michael Cohen, attorney Lynn Schulman, and community activist Heidi Chain. Qhat Gagarin lacks in funds, he makes up by citing his work for Congressmen Jose Serrano, and Antony Weiner; as well as his current job at the NAACP, show considerable involvement in public affairs.

His former boss, Anthony Weiner, won his first seat- city councilman- at age 27. Weiner once worked for then-congressman Chuck Schumer at age 21, serving him for five years. Like Gagarin and Weiner, Schumer also entered politics at a tender age.

He was only 23 when he won his State Assembly seat. Neither of the three men come from political dynasties. A Schumer-Weiner-Gagarin chain would an accomplishment in itself, proving that youth is no obstacle in getting elected.

Even if Gagarin loses this race, don’t expect him to fade into the sunset. In 2005, immigrant advocate Bryan Pu-Folkes ran for City Council in Jackson Heights. His political experience includes work at the office of Alan Hevsi when he was a State Assemblyman. Though he lost to party-backed incumbent Helen Sears, he remains active in local public life as the founder of the 7 International Arts Express Jackson Heights Film & Food Festival.

Sunnyside resident Jimmy Van Bramer, 39, appeared in the public spotlight as a gay rights advocate. At 33, he led protests to demand that St. John’s University recognize a student-run gay rights organization. From there, he rose to become a reporter and editor at Gay City News. In 2001, he also ran against Helen Sears for City Council. At the time, he worked as manager of community affairs for the Queens Library.

Since then, he has risen to his current position as the library’s representative before community boards, organizing library advocacy groups in various Queens neighborhoods. After almost a decade of additional community organizing, Van Bramer is returning to politics, seeking to win this same City Council seat this November.

Gagarin may not have the support of the party bosses, but as the examples of Pu-Folkes and Van Bramer show, an upstart candidacy is just the beginning in a life of public leadership.

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

They hold state licenses, undergo detailed background checks, and wear uniforms. They undergo extensive training, but for much of the public, they are known as simply as “rent-a-cops.” With holiday crowds and a tough economy, the security guards of Middle Village’s Metro Mall are on the lookout for potential shoplifters and rampaging crowds.

Trained to keep the peace, many mall cops consider their profession to be a safer alternative to the official police force. “My vision kept me from the NYPD,” said Mall Manager Anthony Dones, referring to his vision. Instead, Dones patrols the lower floors of the massive Metro Mall in Middle Village.

His badge appears almost identical to the NYPD badge, as does his uniform. “In my 20 years of work, they never bothered me about the uniform,” said Dones. Initially, security guards were licensed by the state, after passing a mandated 24 hours of classes. “After 9/11, they got stricter,” said Dones. After it was discovered that private security guards at the Statue of Liberty had out of state crime records, the FBI stepped in. As a result, private security guards anywhere must submit to a federal background check before receiving their licenses.

On the upper levels of the mall, retailers contract private security guards, who work closely with their loss prevention departments in tackling thieves. “We catch hundreds of shoplifters,” said Shane Grella, 28, the loss prevention manager at K-Mart. “The biggest targets are electronics, health, and beauty,” said Grella.

Shoplifters are identified based on reasonable suspicion; they are then followed until they pass beyond the “last point of sale.” At that point, they are confronted by security and taken to the loss prevention office, a windowless room that contains a cell. The thieves are held there until police arrives.

The hazards of being a mall cop can sometimes exceed mere insults. “In the past year, a couple of our guys got punched,” said Grella. At this point, it is up to the storeowners to choose whether to press charges or take less punitive measures. “It’s based on a certain amount of money, we’re generally more lenient with teens,” said Grella. Whatever the legal ramifications, thieves are also barred from returning to the mall.

“I can recognize a face,” said Daniel Gedna, 28, a security guard for the Manhattan-based US Security Associates. For the holiday season, Gedna is working at Metro Mall’s Toys R Us. “I used to work as an auxiliary police officer,” said Gedna. “It’s like an unarmed peace officer.” In his career, Gedna served at a number of locations, including corporate buildings in Manhattan, the World Trade Center, and Saks 5th Avenue. In February, Gedna will face the NYPD entrance exam in hope of becoming a full-time police officer.

The toughest day for mall cops is the infamous Black Friday, when sleep-deprived shoppers crowd at entrances, eager to be the first 100 to earn a discount for certain items. “I had to wake up at 4:30 in the morning,” said K-Mart security guard Antonio Howell, 23. “I was kind of crazy, but not too much.”

In contrast to the fatal Black Friday rush at the Wal-Mart in Valley Stream, which killed temporary employee Jdimytai Damour, the staff of Metro Mall take pride in their security measures. “We have a bigger entrance gate, with more room to run,” said Grella.

Across the hallway at Toys R Us, security guard Rupert Medina, 55, describes a more elaborate procedure. “Everybody lined up against the wall,” said Madina. “They would be allowed in based on the line, in contrast to Wal-Mart “doorbuster” stampede. Medina ordered a row of shopping carts to act as a barrier, and threatened to call the police against line jumpers. “It was a bluff, but if worked,” said Medina.

Aside training for the real police, mall cops can also look forward to comedy, with King of Queens’ Kevin James starring in Paul Blart: Mall Cop, a comedy about a crime fighting shopping mall guard, which will make its theater debut in January. “He’s a real funny dude,” said Howell. But is he worth a movie ticket? “I’d rather wait for the DVD,” said Medina.

In true mall cop style, the film takes place during the holiday season in a state known for its malls- New Jersey, with the title character being an aspirant for the true police force.

 All of the jokes below were my own.

1. Will Fran Drescher and Al Franken create a Comedians Caucus in the Capitol?
2. Don’t we already have a nanny government?
3. America is already a laughingstock, so a comedian legislator just proves the point!
4. With her nasal accent, her colleagues will censure her, before she utters her first word!
5. When this country asked for a change, the Governor appointed a nanny!
6. The Empire State will be represented not by a Kennedy, but by true royalty- someone from Queens, that is!
7. Someone has to keep an eye on Sasha and Malia.
8. Hostile Republicans will subpoena The Nanny for constantly lying about her age as being 29.
9. What’s next? Ray Barone for Comptroller?
10. Drescher’s foreign policy experience- “The Beautician and the Beast.”

But seriously folks, at age 51, she still looks sizzling, too!

A Crap Sandwich

The house on 159th Street and 72nd Avenue in Fresh Meadows was built in 1935, making it one of the oldest in the neighborhood. At the time, its backyard faced the Pomonok Country Club. Even after most of the club’s land became housing projects, a small part remained as an undeveloped block into the late 1980s. For many years, a John Burns resided in it. By early 2008, a new owner, Brian Tsabari’s Alaska Group, Inc. became its new owner. The home became vacant and neglected, as the neighborhood around it continued to crappify. Today, the home is a “Crap Sandwich,” surrounded by taller neighbors.

To my surprise, last week, a sign was installed, announcing the sale of this house. Potential homeowners need not apply, because the sign targets either condo builders, schools, or temples. When I called the broker, Impact Homes, Inc., I was told it was worth $2.5 million and that it has been vacant for 3 and a half years. I was also told that the sale was not intended for potential homeowners. It is a land sale for investors or developers. But, “If you think you can afford it, stop by my office,” the broker told me, before ending the brief phone conversation.

Need a Condo built?

I also called the owner of Boulevard ALP, the massive senior residence that adjoins the old house. They said they have nothing to do with it.

As a neighbor, my question is- What is going on?

This story will appear in the Queens Tribune

Seminerio is facing serious charges, but fellow elected officials are not jumping the gun on his likely future. Charged with corruption, the 16-term assemblyman could face up to 20 years in federal prison. As he ponders a plea deal, no official contender stands to challenge him for his Assembly seat, which he has held since 1978.

“He is on trial and has not been convicted,” said State Senator-elect Joseph Addabbo, Jr. “The party has not commented on his future, pending results of the trial.” Much of Addabbo’s Senate district overlaps Seminerio’s Assembly district, in neighborhoods where Democrats and Republicans have recently faced off in tight contests for State Senate and City Council seats.

In contrast, Seminerio faced no opponents in his latest reelection on Nov. 4, two months after being charged with pocketing $500,000 in payoffs through a phony consulting company that offered favors to organizations doing business with the state. His candidacy was cross-endorsed by the Republican and Conservative parties. In contrast to his Democratic colleagues, Seminerio holds more conservative positions on topics such as abortion, capital punishment, and gay marriage.

Among the possible successors is lawyer Albert J. Baldeo, who narrowly lost to incumbent Serphin Maltese in the 2006 race for state senate. In early 2008, he ran again, but subsequently dropped out to support fellow Democrat Addabbo, who went on to defeat Maltese.

In his law office on Liberty Avenue, photographs show Baldeo shaking hands with a host of prominent elected officials, and awards testify to his experience in community leadership. For now, Baldeo has opted to wait out his options, pending the outcome of Seminerio’s trial. “I will answer the call if Democratic leaders call upon me to run at the appropriate time,” said Baldeo.

At the same time, considering Seminerio’s health and age, the prospect of imprisonment has garnered him some support. “An imprisonment for him would be much harder than for a healthy young man,” said his attorney, Ira Cooper, in an interview with the Daily News.

While the legal woes of an aging incumbent could be a godsend for a young upstart, Baldeo was having none of it. “My heart goes out to him and his family. He has a long serving record of 30 years. He is an institution,” said Baldeo. “I hope the allegations against him are untrue.”

At the same time, Baldeo reports that he has received numerous calls asking when he will declare his candidacy for Seminerio’s seat. “Some say that it is a natural seat for me, and that I am the strongest candidate for that seat,” said Baldeo. “I got 69 percent of the votes in Assemblyman Seminerio’s district when I ran against Senator Maltese in 2006, although Seminerio endorsed Maltese against me.”

Baldeo takes pride in receiving 25 percent of the primary vote against Addabbo even after dropping out, and using his clout to deliver the Senate seat for him in the general election. “That proves that I have a strong base in the district,” said Baldeo.

Should he run, he already has a head start in funding the potential race. “. I have the funds from the Addabbo race available to run against any likely competitors-over $400, 000,” said Baldeo.

“Many tell me that I will be the strongest candidate for this seat.”