Woodside Herald 4 20 12

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FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012 THE WOODSIDE HERALD PAGE 1

VOL. 78, NO. 16 WOODSIDE, L.I.C., N.Y. FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012 FREE

SERVING SUNNYSIDE-WOODSIDE AND LONG ISLAND CITY

Community Board 2 Public MeetingTuesday, April 24th @ 6:30PMSt. Mary’s RC Church (Basement), 10-08 49th Ave. LIC

Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer Invites You To….Earth Day Celebration & Free “Gasland” Screening

Sunday April 22nd 1PM-3PMMuseum of the Moving Image,

36-01 35th Ave, Astoria. RSVP (718) 383-9566, ext. 4

The Honest Testimony OfA Past Coward

(Continued on Page 3)

Fantastic Food, Delightful Drinks,Nonstop Networking: Queens Taste 2012

Legislation To ExemptTrash Pickup Charges

For Nonprofits

(Continued on Page 5)

by Luke Adams

In the past, I have bitten a dentist, ran out of another’s office, andeven today I am sure my first dental professional, if still alive, whom Ivisited when i was age six, remembers me as much as I remember him.This post is a testimony to both Dr.Kubikian and Dr. Puskulian, intowhose office I now venture without fear or hesitancy. But please don’task them of my first few visits back in 1983. You could say we had tobreak each other in.

The doctors first came to Sunnyside in 1977 and opened their firstoffice on Queens Boulevard, close to where Pink Icing will be. Six yearslater, I remember well that I was having such a toothache that my friendand mentor, Joe Sabba, founder of the Woodside Herald and SabbaPrinting, took pity on me. He, too, admitted he had a fear of dentists andadvised me to go to Dr. Kubikian. He said to have no fear because thedoctor caused him no pain and also that he was a nice person. I remembermy early visits and how patient the doctor was with me.

I needed a lot of care, due to my history, and I needed to go on aregular basis. It took me awhile to calm down. I paced the floors, was ina cold sweat, yelped, jumped around the chair, and I needed many visitsto put away my fears. To give you and idea of what a terrible patient Iwas, my own sister also was a patient for two full years before she wouldadmit to him she was related to me. She feared he might turn her into thestreet, in case they had a one nut per family policy.

The reason I calmed down was that Dr. Kubikian never caused meany pain and was unfailing patient and kind, as well as being a trulyexcellent dentist. So when I say the two dentists are good, know that thisis a big compliment coming from me. I have recommended them overthe years to many, and I know that their practice includes patients notonly from the Sunnyside Woodside area, but from Manhattan andelsewhere. People will travel a long way for such care! Be sure to seethe Doctors ad on Page 2!

Council Members Jimmy VanBramer and David Greenfield cametogether with numerous non-profitleaders to fight the City’s effort tostart charging non-for-profits forCity garbage collection.

The Council Members an-nounced an amendment to new leg-islation which will exempt nonprofitorganizations from being chargedby the City for trash pick-ups.

Van Bramer helped alterGreenfield’s legislation to includenonprofits such as public libraries,museums, botanical gardens, ar-boretums, memorial buildings,

aquariums, zoological gardens aswell as similar facilities.

“This legislation, along withthe amendments I have proposed,will give many of the local culturalorganizations and nonprofit groupsthe ability to financially stay afloatat a time when so many have al-ready made cuts to their program-ming,” said Council Member VanBramer, Chair of the New YorkCity Council’s Cultural AffairsCommittee. “Many of these non-profit groups attract millions ofvisitors each year, to ask them tospend millions of dollars on trash

collection would cause a extremeeconomic hardship on those orga-nizations at a time when charitablegiving is at its lowest in four de-cades. I thank Council MemberGreenfield for introducing this leg-islation and allowing the institu-tions we all hold dearly to ourhearts to be included.”

Last year, the Department ofSanitation announced plans tocharge groups in buildings whichreceive property tax exemptionsfor non-profit use a service fee fortrash collection.

Dr. Kubikian photographed in the spacious new office at 43-3443rd Street, off of Queens Boulevard, standing in front of an oilpainting from their first office on Queens Blvd. The painting is bySimon Donikian.

by Rob MacKay

Various Western Queens res-taurants and artisan food, bever-age and crafts-makers will partici-pate in Queens Taste 2012, at CitiField’s Caesars Club from 6 p.m.to 9 p.m. on May 1st.

Woodside’s Ottomanelli willgive out chipotle, jalapeño-and-cheddar, roasted garlic and cara-melized onion hamburgers.

Mr. Met with workers from Pop Diner at the 2011 Queens Taste.Photo Credit: Dominick Totino.


FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012THE WOODSIDE HERALDPAGE 2

43-11 Greenpoint Ave., Sunnyside, NY 11104Telephone (718) 729-3772

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kimberly Clarry, Peter A. Ross, Rob MacKay

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERSJoe Gurrado, Robert Flanagan

Marlene Sabba ............................................................... Publisher

Sherilyn Jo Sabba ................................................................. Editor

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Boys & Girls Club of Sunnyside & Woodside Presents…

2nd Annual Recognizing Leaders FundraiserMay 19th from 7-11PM

Price: $60PP/ $100 per coupleLocation: St. Raphael’s School Gymnasium, 48-25 37th Street, LICIncludes: Dinner, Non-Alcoholic and Alcoholic BeveragesFor more information or to purchase tickets, call: Mark Wilensky (917) 670-5666Make checks payable to Sunnyside/ Woodside Boys & Girls ClubALL PROCEEDS go to the Boys & Girls Club of Sunnyside/ Woodside 501 (c) (3) Org.

Honoring:Francis Schmidt

Sister Maureen AhlemeyerCarol MasielloGert McDonald

Creation of NY HealthInsurance Exchange

Governor Cuomo issued anexecutive order creating a healthinsurance exchange in NewYork. Starting in 2014, Afford-able Insurance Exchanges willserve as health insurance “mar-ketplaces,” where individualsand small businesses can reviewand compare health insuranceplans and choose the best planfor their family and/or employ-ees. Consumers will also be ableto find information on options,such as health programs or taxcredits that will make coveragemore affordable.

“I applaud Governor Cuomo fortaking this critical step to ensurethat New Yorkers have access togood health insurance options. Statehealth exchanges are an importantpart of the Affordable Care Act,making it easier for individuals andsmall businesses to purchase qual-ity, affordable health coverage. Withthis step, New York can now moveforward with developing an ex-change that meets our state’s needsand helps the millions of uninsuredNew Yorkers and their families gainaccess to health care,” stated Rep.Joe Crowley (Queens, the Bronx).

Women’s Rights:

by Daniel Dromm

As we celebrate InternationalWomen’s Day and Women’s His-tory Month this March, we shouldreflect on the progress of women inthe United States and here in Queens.Many groups and individualsthroughout the borough have dedi-cated themselves to working forwomen’s rights. One important el-ement of this movement is ensuringthat women are free from violencebecause of their gender.

Over the past generation, thiscountry has made great strides ad-dressing gender-based violence.The Violence Against Women Act(VAWA), first passed in 1994, wasone groundbreaking step. With thepassage of my resolution this pastWednesday, the City Council hasjoined the chorus of voices acrossthe country calling for the reautho-rization of VAWA. Significantlyfor Queens, the proposed versionthat Congress is now debatingstrengthens protections for immi-grants who have survived gender-based violence. Much work re-mains, and we must continue toaddress retrogressive practices suchas blaming the victim.

Another serious issue facingmany immigrant women is sex traf-ficking in which criminals and theirnetworks illegally trade or sell in-dividuals into commercial sexualexploitation. Traffickers exploit

Progress and Challengesthe vulnerability of their victims,such as their youth, gender, orsexual orientation, and benefit fromthe language and cultural barriersthat prevent them from reachingout for help.

In 2007, an anti-trafficking stat-ute was passed by the New YorkState Legislature. Despite its laud-able intent, the current law must berevised and strengthened to ensurethat tough measures are in placeagainst traffickers and that survi-vors have access to the servicesthey need. I have joined with ad-vocates to introduce a City Coun-cil resolution calling on Albany toimprove the way New York ad-dresses sex trafficking.

One important way to improvethe law is to address the connectionand the distinction between the crimeof prostitution and the scourge ofsex trafficking. Sex trafficking,which is akin to slavery, should notbe conflated with prostitution, whichencompasses individuals whochoose to engage in commercial sexwork. The result of such conflationis that survivors of trafficking arebeing arrested and prosecuted forprostitution. Treating traffickingsurvivors as prostitutes is a deplor-able practice of police and prosecu-tors looking for easy, cosmetic salvesfor a complex problem. Calling forstronger laws to combat prostitutionin the name of combating sex traf-ficking is similarly misguided. The

psychological, physical, and sexualtorture endured by these survivors isdevastating enough. For our gov-ernment to arrest, fine, and imprisonthem is unconscionable.

Effectively combating traf-ficking requires an approach thattargets the traffickers and theircriminal networks, no matter howfar they reach. Most important,efforts need to be centered onempowering and rehabilitatingsurvivors. As a crucial first step,publicity campaigns should beaimed at reaching those ensnaredin trafficking.

Another key component is im-proving how the police address theissue. The police department needsto draft, with the input of experts intrafficking, and promulgate regula-tions that officers must follow whenthey make an arrest for prostitution.When an arrest for prostitution ismade, officers should be requiredto ask if the person is a victim of sextrafficking. I continue to exploreways to work with the police toensure sex trafficking survivors arenot labeled as criminals.

As invaluable and equalmembers of our community,women deserve to have theirvoices heard and their concernsaddressed. March gives us timenot only to consider the contri-butions of women to our greatcountry but also to reflect onways to advance women’s rights.



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(continued from front page)

Queens Taste 2012Meanwhile, The Dog and Duck, a new

Sunnyside gastropub, will serve duck confit,and Uncle Peter’s of Jackson Heights willpull out a pistachio-crusted monkfish inlemon butter sauce. Sunnyside’s Dazies andRiverview in Long Island City are also sched-uled to participate.

At the same time, about 20 clients of theEntrepreneur Space, a food-and-businessincubator in Long Island City, will providesamples of such artisan specialties as Mo-roccan cookies, pops, brownie lollipops andeven wasabi marshmallows. Beverages willinclude Turkish coffee percolated by theTurkish Cultural Center of Sunnyside, and

37th Road Public Plaza,Jackson Heights

by Munro Johnson, Board Member of the Jackson Heights Green Alliance

The 37th Road Public Plaza is the prod-uct of a sound idea and perhaps less-than-perfect execution, whose success is never-theless already visible and will become evenmore obvious with time. We wish to empha-size that, while this project is not of ourmaking, the Jackson Heights Green Alli-ance fully supports it.

The claim has been made that the 37thRoad Public Plaza initiative is being rammeddown the throats of the community with nopublic meetings or input. We find this claimnot only unfounded and untrue, but destruc-tive to the community dialogue. This was aroad, and therefore under the jurisdiction ofthe New York City Department of Trans-portation (DOT).

The decision to convert it to a plaza wasa direct outcome of the DOT’s JacksonHeights Transportation Plan which was yearsin the making and included a robust publicinvolvement process – with walkthroughs,open houses, public workshops, and severalcommunity board meetings. Our membershave attended many of the workshops, hav-ing come across flyers for them posted aroundthe neighborhood. The claim that the plazahad no public process is false and inflamma-tory, and we wish those who are making itwould, for the benefit of honest, civil com-munity dialogue, stop.

As to the merits of the plaza itself, theclaim is also being made that it has resultedin increased vagrancy, gangs, trash, and adrastic drop in business. We think this char-acterization is unfortunate in a neighbor-hood that prides itself on its diversity. And,with regard to this last claim, it is ourunderstanding that no data has been offeredto support it; therefore, the rest of the com-munity is being asked to simply take their

word for it. As local residents who haveobserved the plaza countless times and at alltimes of day, all we can say is that we, again,are troubled by this claim, as 37th Roadappears to us more busy and vital than ever.

Jackson Heights has one of the lowestpercentages of open space in the city, andfor that reason, the Jackson Heights GreenAlliance has successfully advocated for the78th Street Play Street, which is also be-coming a plaza this year. The key to asuccessful plaza is that it must be used, andtherefore it is helpful if it is located near toother activity. In that case, we have TraversPark. But, in many ways, 37th Road is evenmore fortunate in its location, nestled be-tween the busy 73rd and 74th Streets, andthe second busiest subway station in Queens.It is, by far, the busiest pedestrian locationin the entire neighborhood.

There was a lot of doubt and skepticismwhen the Times Square plaza was estab-lished, but a recent article in the Times RealEstate section said that the end result hasbeen to render the retail there some of themost valuable in the whole city. Regressingto the point of allowing motor vehicles backon the 180-foot stump of public space thatwas 37th Road, in this heavy pedestriancenter, would make no sense.

In summary, a lot of claims are beingmade with very little – or in some casescontrary – data in evidence. JacksonHeights needs open space, and 37th Roadis an excellent location for some of thatopen space. To many of us, this is anexperiment that is working. But we sug-gest that whatever decision gets made bemade on actual verifiable data, and notjust on a lot of claims, however passion-ately or frequently stated.

The Fresh Air Fund Presents….

The Jackson Heights Green Alliance is an entirely volunteer-run 501(c)3 non-profitorganization founded in 2007. Our mission is to expand, protect, and promote openspace in Jackson Heights, New York. Our recent successful initiatives include the award-winning 78th Street Play Street and the Grow A Park campaign to expand Travers Park.For more information, visit our website: www.jhgreen.org

Kombucha, a form of fermented tea, ladledout by Astoria-based Beyond Kombucha.The Queens Farm Museum will give awaycompletely local wine, and more wine willcome from the Castello di Borghese Vine-yard on Long Island (Don’t forget thatQueens is part of Long Island).

City Council Member Jimmy VanBramer will be there, too. “Queens Taste2012 is a fantastic event for peoplethroughout New York City to come ex-perience, and taste, the culinary and cul-tural treasures our fantastic borough hasto offer,” he said. “Not only do partici-pants get a chance to partake in cuisinefrom around the world, but they also geta chance to meet the individuals whomake Queens one of the premiere culi-nary destinations in the world.”

Registration CarnivalThe carnival will serve to help raise awareness of the Fresh Air

Fund’s summer programs, which includes its five summercamps and its invitations to children to spend time in sponsors’

homes outside of the five boroughs.Join in the fun with carnival games and activities, ring toss,

bean bag toss, temporary tattoos, etc.

Sunday, April 29th 12:00 - 5:00 p.m.For more information, contact Shari Schulner, (212) 897-8926



If we should have inclement weather, our rain date will be August 18th, same time.

Economic

The hearing, held by CM Van Bramer,CM Reyna and CM Gentile, explored thecontributions of public libraries to the City’seconomy at a time when to the Mayor’spreliminary budget proposal threatens tomake nearly $100 million in cuts to theCity’s three library systems.

“Libraries are a precious and affordableresource for all residents throughout our allNew York City’s neighborhoods,” saidCouncil Member Van Bramer, Chair of theCultural Affairs and Libraries Committee.“The threat of further cuts will only havedisastrous effects on the educational, cul-tural and economic development program-ming provided by these institutions. Wecannot stand by as these proposals threatenour libraries and the programming whichmillions of New Yorkers take advantage ofevery day. I will continue to fight the recordcuts in order to ensure that they are restoredonce again.”

Currently, the three New York City li-braries are reporting that people are turningto these facilities in record numbers to takeadvantage of the availability of such freeresources, such as computer access, books,video games, DVDs and CDs, job-searchassistance and health information.

New York City’s three independent li-brary systems; the Queens Library, theBrooklyn Public Library, The New YorkPublic Library; operate 214 local librarybranches, offering free and open access in-formation as well as career services andinternet access, along with educational, cul-

tural and job skills-building programmingfor city residents of all ages. A significantslash to the three library systems’ budgetswould threaten the essential services pro-vided to millions at a time when each libraryis experiencing a record number of visitors.

Currently, the NYPL system offers abroad array of services and resources for jobseekers and the unemployed. In the Bronx,the Bronx Library Center offers a Career andEducational Information Service to mem-bers of the public. This service includes one-on-one counseling, resume assistance, andcareer planning services. The BPL systemincludes a Business & Career Library at oneof its locations. Its purpose is to meet theneeds of entrepreneurs, business owners, in-vestors, jobseekers, students and communityorganizations through a suite of resourcesand services. The QPL’s two Job Informa-tion Centers, at the Jamaica and Flushingbranches, offer a variety of services for peoplewho are unemployed, underemployed orwould like to help with the direction of theircareer. These centers also sponsor work-shops given by career guidance profession-als throughout the Queens Library system onresume writing, job interview skills, and jobsearch techniques. The Flushing location hashelped over 2,000 people and facilitate over300 successful job placements. The QPLestimates that this one program has helpedgenerate $12 million as an economic engine.“All of these programs are at risk of reductionor even elimination should these cuts takeeffect,” said Council Member Van Bramer.

CM Van Bramer, Tom Galante (CEO, Queens Public Library), Linda Johnson (President & CEO,Brooklyn Public Library) and Tony Marx (President & CEO, New York Public Library).

12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Always Available

At Council Member Van Bramer’s second Mobile Office held last week in Long IslandCity, constituents in the 26th District had the opportunity to voice their questions andconcerns directly to the Council Member and members of his staff. Since taking office in2010, Van Bramer has made accessibility his priority. By getting out in to the community,he believes constituents who do not have the opportunity to visit his district office duringthe work week can have their concerns heard at their convenience.

Flea Market!Big Six Towers NORC Program

Vendors Wanted!Sat. June 23rd, 10a - 2:30p (Rain Date 6/24)

60-10 Queens Blvd.For Info call: 718-565-6569

Outdoor Flea MarketSunday’s 9AM TO 4PM

May 6th, June 3rd,July 1st, August 5th,

September 9th, October 7th

(Indoors in the event of rain)St. Raphael’s Church, 35-20 Greenpoint Ave., LIC

For more information: (718) 729-8957

ImpactOf NYC Libraries



Photo Credit: Daniel Finger

(continued from front page)

Exempt TrashPickup ChargesFor Nonprofits

Spring

Rummage

SaleSaturday, April 28th 10a-3pAll Saints’ Church, 43-1246 Street, SunnysideBooks, jewelry, clothing,knick-knacks and much,much more. Refreshmentsavailable for a small fee.

All Are Welcome!For more information,

call (718) 784-8031

The Bloombergadministration’s plan to charge fortrash pickup will cost non-profitgroups about $17 million. Thisnew policy proposal would haveadverse effects on thousands ofnon-profits around the city, in-cluding colleges, churches, muse-ums, social service groups, cul-tural institutions and athletic pro-grams in Queens as well as allothers throughout New York City.

“We need to do everything wecan to support our non-profit orga-nizations and cultural groups,which work tirelessly to providevital social services for countlessindividuals and families and helpmake New York City the amazingplace it is,” said Council MemberGreenfield. “This short-sighteddecision will have a major impacton these groups at a time they canleast afford it, and could easily endup costing the city in the long runwhen we have to replace the ser-vices we lose as a result. Thesegroups add to the fabric of this cityand should not be taken for granted,and my bill ensures the city doesn’tturn to them for revenue when itcomes to a basic municipal ser-vice. I thank my colleagues includ-ing Councilman Van Bramer forco-sponsoring this legislation andfor his advocacy on behalf of cul-tural groups throughout the city.”Proposed Int. No. 792-A:

Rates for collection and dis-posal. The commissioner maycharge for the collection anddisposal of ashes, street sweep-ings, garbage, refuse, rubbish,dead animals, night soil and of-fal, and all wastes and recyclables,including trade waste from busi-ness, industrial, manufacturing,or other establishments con-ducted for profit, at rates estab-lished by the council by locallaw, upon recommendation of thecommissioner, and on suchterms and conditions as thecommissioner shall prescribe andsubject to rules of the depart-ment governing such collectionand disposal. The commissionershall not charge for collection ordisposal of such materials from(1) any building owned by a not-for-profit corporation as definedin paragraph five or a foreigncorporation as defined in para-graph seven of subdivision a ofsection one hundred two of theNew York state not-for-profitcorporation law, except for por-tions of such buildings leased toor otherwise utilized by for-profitentities, or (2) any not-for-profitcorporation or institution, includ-ing, but not limited to, such acorporation or institution main-taining or operating a public li-brary, museum, botanical garden,arboretum, memorial building,aquarium, zoological garden orsimilar facility.



If you love to write, Woodside Herald

would love to hear from you!

Do you want to make a valuablecontribution to your community and to thelives of others living here?This is a perfect way to do it! We’re looking forvolunteer writers to assist with local news, humaninterest, non-profit news, school news, local schoolsports, events, specialty news, and photographs.

Student Overcomes ADisability To Pursue His

Love For ArtJuan Agudelo, a LaGuardia Com-

munity College student, has an art port-folio filled with an eclectic collectionof beautifully sketched still lifes, ani-mals and human figures. To draw withsuch precision and detail is a gift fewpossess. But what makes Juan’s gift soexceptional is that he creates these worksof art without arms.

The Colombian native was born witha birth defect that left him without armsand legs. Juan’s right arm ends at theelbow and at the end of his left elbow isa short, undeveloped forearm with onefinger. But although he does not havethe use of two functioning arms, he cannimbly place a pen or pencil betweenhis right arm and left finger and let hisone finger guide the writing utensil.

To the 20-year old with an easysmile, his drawing technique is nothingspecial because he developed his tech-nique at a very early age. By the age ofsix, Juan was already creating simplepaintings and drawings. After observ-ing the enjoyment her son got fromdrawing, his mother called upon anartist friend to give him art lessons,which he did for two years.

The lessons stopped when the fam-ily received a call from Healing theChildren, a non-profit organization thatprovides medical care for children inneed, saying that it had secured a six-month medical visa for Juan and hismother to travel to the United Stateswhere he would be fitted with his firstset of prosthetic legs.

For Juan, this news could change hislife. While not having the use of armsdid not seem to pose a problem, nothaving legs proved to be more difficultfor him. Although he was able to getaround on limbs that ended at the knees,there were times when he had to rely onhis mother. “I was pretty independent,but when I went outside I could not getaround on my own,” said Juan. “And asI got older I did not like when mymother had to carry me.”

Juan and his mother stayed withfamily members in New Haven andwent to the Connecticut Children’sMedical Center where doctors agreedto evaluate Juan’s medical conditionand fit him with prosthetics. Upon ex-amination, doctors discovered that Juanwould have to go through several sur-geries on his legs before he could be

fitted. While the hospital agreed to coverthe cost of the medical care, it wouldnot cover extended in-house cost total-ing $15,000.

Determined to get his new legs, Juandecided to raise the money by sellinghis drawing and paintings at a one-manshow he would hold at a New Havenspace. Selling over 15 pieces of art-work, Juan not only raised enoughmoney to cover his expenses, but hewas able to donate some of his earningsto the organization. “I was so apprecia-tive of what Healing the Children didfor me,” said Juan, “that I thought it wasonly right to give the rest of the moneyto the organization so that they couldhelp other children.”

With his new legs and his newfoundmobility, Juan and his mother stayed inConnecticut for two years and thenmoved to Astoria. Before resettling inAstoria, the family moved to Pennsyl-vania for two years. Wherever Juancalled home, he went to school wherehe struggled to learn his new languageand continued to draw his favorite sub-jects: dragons, still life, pirates and hisfavorite adventurer, Robinson Crusoe.“I love to draw from my imagination,”said Juan.

When the family moved back toAstoria, Juan completed his last twoyears of high school at Long IslandCity High School, and graduated thispast June.

He received an acceptance from NewYork City College, but decided to en-roll in LaGuardia. “I was not sure of mymajor,” he said, “and felt if I attended acommunity college I would have moretime to think about my career.”

Juan said that he may consider pur-suing a degree in architecture, a majorhe considered before coming toLaGuardia. Or maybe graphic design.Or maybe he will follow the advise ofan art professor who saw his portfolioand major in fine arts.

Right now Juan is busy taking fresh-man seminar, introduction to coopera-tive education and a developmentalreading course. He is also taking ad-vantage of the College’s Office for Stu-dents with Disabilities where he re-ceives additional tutoring and has ac-cess to computers.

“I have time to decide on my ca-reer,” he said with a smile.



DIVORCE WITH CARE

THE LAW OFFICE OF

Jocelyn Ciechanov4141 41st Street - Suite 3E

or at a location convenient to you

Call: 917 995 5228 for an appointment

Letters To

The Editor

Be Heard! Please send your Letters to the Editor to P.O. Box 7097

Long Island City, N.Y. 11101 or simply email them [email protected]

Goodbye To Skillman’s BIG TreeDear Editor:I walked past the spot where the big tree mentioned in your April 6th issue was located and, low and

behold, it was no longer standing! I don’t know if it fell down or was cut down. Assuming it was cut down,William Volker may well be responsible for saving someone’s life by bringing a dangerous situation tothe attention of the Woodside Herald.

If it fell down, I hope no one was nearby when it crashed to the ground. There were at least 80 ringson the tree’s stump, which is still visible. This means the tree had been planted on 48th Street (between43rd Ave. and Skillman Ave.) over 80 years ago.

Thank you,Paul Slapikas

Woodside

Letters To The EditorThe following letters are the opinions of its authorand not necessarily those of the Woodside Herald.

Earth Day Lessons CanApply to Investors, Too

April 22 is Earth Day. Startedin 1970 by Senator Gaylord Nelson,Earth Day is designed to createawareness of the Earth’s environ-ment and to encourage conserva-tion efforts. If you and your familyparticipate in Earth Day events,such as helping clean up a localpark or taking materials to a recy-cling center, you know the benefitsof doing your part to improve yoursurroundings. But are you doingeverything you can to upgrade yourenvironment for investing?

Actually, as an investor, youcan learn a lot from the lessonsof Earth Day. Here are just afew ideas:

Diversify. If you’re familiarwith Earth Day, you know that itinvolves multiple activities, includ-ing educational programs and do-it-now action steps. This variety isnecessary because protecting ourenvironment is a complex chal-lenge. Meeting your short- andlong-term investment goals can bechallenging, too, but you’ll have abetter chance of success by diver-sifying your investment dollarsacross a range of vehicles, such asstocks, bonds, government securi-ties and certificates of deposit(CDs). Diversification can helpreduce the impact of volatility onyour portfolio — and high volatil-

ity can be an obstacle for somepeople trying to follow an invest-ment strategy. (Keep in mind,though, that diversification, by it-self, cannot guarantee a profit orprotect against loss.)

Seek growth opportunities.Some people plant trees on EarthDay, hoping to watch them growover the years. As an investor, you,too, need to plant “seeds” today inthe hopes of growth in the future.That means, among other things,that when you purchase growth-oriented investments for the longterm, you need to try to stick withthem and not “uproot” them aftershort-term declines in price.

Develop good habits. If youattend an Earth Day program, youwill learn about many eco-friendlyhabits you can develop, from usingenergy-efficient light bulbs to re-cycling old computers and otherelectronic devices. To invest suc-cessfully, it’s important to de-velop good habits, such as stay-ing invested in all types of mar-kets, seeking tax-advantaged in-vestments and reviewing yourportfolio regularly to make sureit’s still appropriate for your risktolerance, time horizon and long-term objectives.

Avoid “toxins.” At some EarthDay events, you can learn about

“green” substitutes for toxic chemi-cals in common household clean-ers. When you invest, you mayalso want to avoid “toxins” — or atleast “toxic” behaviors, such aschasing after “hot” stocks that areinappropriate for your needs ortrading so frequently that you runup big fees, commissions and taxes.

Think long term. Above all else,Earth Day is a reminder to us thatwe all want to leave a healthy planetto future generations — whichmeans we need to make moves thatare beneficial for the environmentover the long term. When youinvest, you also need to focus onthe future. That means following along-term investment strategy andnot getting sidetracked by short-term events, such as political cri-ses and economic downturns.

Earth Day comes once a year,but its lessons can have a lastingimpact on our environment. Whenyou apply these same lessons toyour own investment environment,you may be able to achieve somehealthy results.

This article was written by Ed-ward Jones for use by your localEdward Jones Financial AdvisorVincent Renda, whose office islocated at 47-01 Queens Blvd. Suite203 Sunnyside NY 11104. Phonehim at 718-361-1306.



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