Sheila E. at ‘Only in Queens Summer Festival’
“Queen of Percussion” headlines at free concert at Flushing Meadows Corona Park
BY BILL PARRY
The Glamorous Life is
coming to Flushing Meadows
Corona Park later this month
when pop star Sheila E.
headlines headlines a free
concert as the featured event
of Queens Borough President
Melinda Katz’s “Only in
Queens Summer Festival.”
Hailed as the “Queen of
Percussion” and regarded
as the best female drummer
ever when she performed
with Prince’s band before
going solo, Sheila E. tops
the SummerStage Concert
beginning at 5 p.m. on Sunday,
June 23.
Other featured acts include
soul artist Musiq Soulchild
and reggae and Dancehall
singer Kranium, who was born
in Montego Bay, Jamaica and
raised in Jamaica, Queens.
“There’s no better way
to kickoff the summer than
by welcoming the Queen of
Percussion for what will be
a great concert,” Katz said.
“Sheila E., Musiq Soulchild
and Kranium are sure to
put on a show that will get
everyone up and dancing.
Best of all, the concert will be
Sheila E. headlines the Only in Queens Summer Festival in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Sunday, June 23.
free for everyone to attend.”
This year’s Only in
Queens Summer Festival will
celebrate the 55th anniversary
of the 1964 World’s Fair and
the 80th anniversary of the
1939 World’s Fair. Both of
those historic events were
held in what is now Flushing
Meadows Corona Park.
“Music and cultural
programs provide New
Yorkers with opportunities
to enjoy the sights and
sounds of inspiring
artists,” Comptroller Scott
Stringer said. “Which will
undoubtedly be a fun time for
families. I encourage Queens
residents to come out on June
23rd and enjoy the great
music under the sun in the
world’s borough.”
Prior to the 5 p.m. start
of the concert, the Only in
Queens Festival will offer a
range of food, entertainment
and activities for people of all
ages including a scavenger
hunt, exhibitions of the World’s
Fair photos and memorabilia
and international food
vendors curated by the
Queens International Night
Market team.
“Every summer the Only
in Queens Festival brings the
funk to Flushing Meadows
Corona Park,” NYC Parks
Commissioner Mitchell
Silver said. “Showcasing
a range of artists who
represent the diversity of its
home borough, the festival
enlivens one of our city’s most
historic parks.”
Reach reporter Bill
Parry by email at bparry@
schnepsmedia.com or by
phone at (718) 260–4538.
Bills to help seniors, disabled, teachers & tech crime victims
BY BILL PARRY
With the legislative session
winding down in Albany at
the end of the month, state
Senator James Sanders Jr. had
three pieces of key legislation
passed in the Senate in a single
day last week.
The three bills approved on
June 4 make important strides
toward protecting seniors, the
disabled, teachers and victims
of tech crimes.
His bill, known as S.2475.
Pertains to computer-related
crimes and would update the
computer-related provisions
of the law. The bill would add
more detailed definitions
to cover a modern range of
circumstances, and would
include the definitions for
computer system, government
computer system, public
safety infrastructure
computer system, supporting
documentation, injury,
victim expenditure, computer
containment, internet
domain name, electronic mail
and profile.
“In today’s world of cyber
terrorism and technological
warfare, it is essential
to modernize the state’s
computer-related crimes law,”
Sanders said. “This includes
establishing definitions of
terms, expanding provisions,
establishing more specific
offenses and providing
civil remedies.”
The second piece of
legislation, S.3224, is
the SCRIE Rollback Act.
This measure provides
retroactively to the original
date of eligibility in certain
cases for the senior citizens
rent increase exemption
(SCRIE) and disability rent
increase exemption (DRIE).
If a senior did not apply for
SCRIE until they reached age
70, but they had been eligible
at age 62, this legislation would
provide them with a rent
increase exemption based on
their rent when they became
eligible, but only back to when
they were age 68.
“Many seniors and disabled
people are living on a fixed
State Senator James Sanders Jr. has three pieces of legislation
pass Tuesday that stands up for seniors, the disabled, teachers
and tech crime victims. Courtesy of Sanders’ offi ce
income and rents are very
high in New York City and
around the state,” Sanders
said. “This bill, which extends
SCRIE and DRIE, will be
enormously helpful to many
people struggling to keep a
roof over their heads.”
The final piece of
legislation, S.5410, relates
to the cumulative grade
point average admission
requirement for graduatelevel
teacher and educational
leader programs. The bill
would remove the requirement
that applicants admitted into
a graduate-level teacher and
leader education programs
have achieved a 3.0 minimum
cumulative grade point
average in the candidate’s
undergraduate program.
Advocates agree that
whether or not an applicant
obtained a 3.0 undergraduate
GPA does not serve as a good
indicator or an applicant’s
ability or potential to be a
great teacher or principal.
Under the current law,
students with these issues
would be prevented from being
admitted into a graduatelevel
teacher of leadership
preparation program.
This bill would instead
allow for the state’s teacher
colleges to have the authority
to accept students that fit
their program, including
those from minority and
underrepresented groups in
the profession.
“This legislation will
open up more opportunities
for those seeking to become
teachers as well as increase
the diversity of good quality
educators that we have in our
school system,” Sanders said.
Reach reporter Bill
Parry by email at bparry@
schnepsmedia.com or by
phone at (718) 260–4538.
4 TIMESLEDGER, JUNE 14-20, 2019 QNS.COM
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