Queens Road Rage, pt. 1

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Local media have been dutifully reporting a recent spate of horrific road rage incidents. Let's take a look at some of them, shall we?

Arts & Culture

Make Paper at Home

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Like many other artists and freelancers, I've lost a lot of work since cultural institutions in New York City closed their doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic. For me, the jobs were mainly formal and informal papermaking workshops. Because many people are stuck at home, or teaching and learning from home, I thought it might be useful for me to share my process for other folks in similar circumstances looking for a creative outlet. If you're on lockdown and want to make your own beautiful, recycled paper to write, draw, or paint on, gather some supplies and follow the steps below. Basic supply list for home papermaking:

mould and deckle (1x1" molding, window screen mesh)vat (plastic bucket or storage bin)blenderplastic containers (for storing pulp etc)paint strainer (mesh bag, from hardware store)sponges muslin, canvas or pellon (aprox 9x12", or slightly larger than your mould and deckle)newspapers, newsprint or blotters (for drying)waste paper to recycleinclusions 

Step 1:

You can probably find most of the above supplies at home, but you will need to make a mould and deckle: 2 frames (same size) with some window screening stretched tight over one of them.

Arts & Culture

CUNY Graduate Neil Cohen premieres his new Children’s Book, AMERICAN GARGOYLES

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Neil Cohen, filmmaker, playwright, and City University of New York graduate has his first children's book coming out on June 11th, American Gargoyles in….Save the Wentworth!, a children’s picture book (that is sure to charm adults too, particularly preservationists and fans of all things in New York City) telling “the story of one building and its gargoyles.”

Featured in Category

Time to follow-through on Alzheimer’s

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I am a lifelong Queens resident & the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act was just passed in Congress. I also live in the district which will be represented by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. I've tried to get a response from her office to see where she stands on support for Alzheimer's research which disproportionately affects women and women of color. 

16.1 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias and for three years I was one of them. When my mother was at home, I had no support. Assisted living is extremely expensive and being an unpaid caregiver took a mental, emotional and physical toll. 

Eventually I was forced to make the difficult decision of placing her in Castle Senior Living.

Activism

At The End Of Years Of Storms, Afghanistan Finds A Rainbow

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At the Rainbow Cultural Diversity Summer Program, it’s all about tangible experiences—whether it be cross-cultural dialogues, attending panel discussions, taking part in group work with those who might be from backgrounds different than your own, or taking in performances of ethnic dance and music.

Image from petition
Featured in Category

Community Board 9 Does Not Support Safer Streets in Kew Gardens

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It was a sad day indeed in Kew Gardens, Queens when Community Board 9 Queens voted down safety measures proposed by the DOT. The members of CB9Q unanimously voted to support the single-family homeowners association (Kew Gardens Civic Association) in spite of hundreds of residents on 116th, 118th and the surrounding streets begging for any safety measures to make their lives safer.

Exterior shot of YB Sports Junction

YB Sports Junction: More than just a game, more than just a business

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The Queens Free Press spoke with Yousuf Rezaur Rahman on the occasion of the opening of his new sporting goods store. YB Sports Junction sells primarily cricket gear, including a wide selection of bats, balls, helmets, pads, and jerseys—everything needed to play the game of cricket. But really YB Sports Junction is selling more than just a game.