Queens Free Press (http://www.queensfreepress.com/author/vsahadeo/)
Assemblywoman Alicia L. Hyndman of the 29 AD was seen with her Chief of Staff Andy Laine connecting with her constituents in Jamaica during Monday’s sweltering heat, taking time to visit one of her favorite spot while growing up: the Queens Public Library on Merrick Boulevard.
The much awaited Phagwah Parade brought out thousands of Guyanese, Trinidadians and other nationalities on a glorious sunshine filled Saturday to Liberty Avenue to watch the parade of numerous floats organized by various mandirs (temples) and businesses make their way along designated route to Phil Rizzuto Park at 95th and 125th street in Queens while others patiently waited in the park.
It appears to be getting more and more difficult for people to pay for their homes from the huge response at this week’s Hope Now event.
“There’s no democracy, no opportunity for new leadership in Southeast Queens,” says Scherie Murray, the Republican candidate for the 29th Assembly District.
In a nondescript house lies a preservation of hundreds of dolls from the seven continents accumulated over a period of forty years. This place is the Maria Rose International Doll House named after Saint Maria. The dolls are beautiful and only an avid collector would have such a variety of dolls, each representative of a particular culture.
Observing the ‘desnudas’ (naked women) one Saturday in Times Square, I couldn’t find anything vulgar or sluttish about them while they walked up and down the pedestrian plaza hoping someone will take a photo with them for a tip.
On Thursday evening the Harvest Room, at 90-40 160 Street, the only large scale event space in downtown Jamaica, hosted “Brew and Chew” to showcase fine eateries from the area.
Last Saturday passersby would have noticed a flurry of activities along the sidewalk and the sound of music dedicated to brothers in front of Skakti Saree and Spiritual store at 124-15 Liberty Avenue as women shopped for the right design of ‘Rakhi’ at Shakti’s store which carries the largest selection of the ‘sacred threads.’
A week of festivities by the Sri Chinmoy followers for their Guru and spiritual master’s birthday ended on a grand note at the Baruch Performing Arts Center with a free performance of ‘Songs of the Soul’ as a tribute.
This is the first summer Hindu audiences were treated to two ‘Ramayana in the Park.’ The Shri Surya Narayan Mandir Courtyard, at 92-17 172nd Street, Jamaica hosted one and the other venue was Arya Spiritual ground at 104-20 133rd Street, Richmond Hill, the birthplace of this event.
According to an American Community survey, Guyanese make up the 5th largest immigrant group in New York, of which a large percent are Hindus. So the event attracted several hundreds of devotees daily from Guyana, with a sprinkling of Trinidadians. The Hindu Pandits’ Parishad, which represent mandirs and pandits along with The Federation of Hindu Mandirs (USA), Inc. were involved in making the events successful.