4 The QUENS Courier • FEBRUARY 5, 2015 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com Pearl Jam’s manager says a Forest Hills Stadium show is unlikely BY ERIC JANKIEWICZ ejankiewicz@queenscourier.com/@EricJankiewicz They can’t find a better band than Pearl Jam. A group of Forest Hills residents who are fans of the ’90s rock band might not get the opportunity to see the band in the Forest Hills Stadium. For several months now, Daniel Sheffer and others have used crowdfunding to raise more than $125,000 in the hopes of tempting Pearl Jam to play in the historic venue. They’ve held a fundraiser at a Queens bar and even developed a podcast, all in the name of music. Despite all of this, the band’s manager indicated that a Queens performance is unlikely. “We love the passion and enthusiasm of the fans who have spearheaded Pearl Jam crowdfund efforts,” said Kelly Curtis, the manager for the band. “However, with more and more of these crowdfunded show proposals cropping up, we want to be clear before fans invest their hard-earned money into these efforts that they are unlikely to happen. “ Sheffer has heard this line before and it doesn’t deter him. “I think they just do that for themselves and they have to be cautious about all the offers out there,” Sheffer said. “We definitely want to work with them and since they haven’t given us a clear no, we think there’s still a chance.” The crowdfunding began back in November 2014 and as part of the deal, fans get a seat if they give $80 or more. Those who give $1,000 can expect four tickets, plus what the group calls a “mystery bunch of Pearl Jam goodies.” Sheffer thought of the idea after he heard that the band Foo Fighters played a crowdfunded set in Richmond, Va., in September last year. At first, contributions for a Pearl Jam concert were coming from Sheffer’s family and close friends, but the crowdfunded site now has 544 contributors. “It’s a new year, so I think there’s a really good chance that we could do this,” Sheffer said. “Or hey, we might just try for 2016. We’ll keep trying until we get that cease and desist letter from them.” The band Pearl Jam Danny Clinch/Flickr Creative Commons Mom teaches baby sign language to begin communication between child and parents BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO aaltamirano@queenscourier.com @aaltamirano28 Parents in Astoria will now be able to figure out what their babies want before they even learn how to speak. Rebecca Raymond is the instructor behind My Smart Hands NYC, the New York City franchise of a company started by Laura Berg in Canada, which aims to teach children and parents American Sign Language to promote communication early in life. Raymond, an Astoria resident, first heard about baby signing when her sister-in-law began signing with her nephew. With her interest in languages, majoring in Spanish and English in college, she then decided to begin teaching her then-5-month-old daughter how to sign. “I just love languages and I thought it would be fun to teach her,” Raymond said. “Every single day seeing her sign there were new things I was learning about her.” Her daughter took around two months to pick up the signs and realize that it was a way to communicate with her mother. Raymond taught her how to sign words such as “milk” and “light” and noticed her daughter was learning through her modeling. “Every time I would say a particular word I would sign it to her,” Raymond said. “It’s easier to pick up the word rather than the strain of sound.” She later also taught her second daughter how to sign. Raymond said that teaching children how to sign at such a young age reduces the level of frustration that comes from not being able to communicate with their parents or caregivers. She added that learning ASL increases the children’s self-esteem and self-confidence because their needs are met more quickly. “Once your baby starts to figure out what they are doing with their hands is actually helping you communicate, then they pick it up fast,” Raymond said. One important thing that parents have to keep in mind is being consistent in teaching their children, according to Raymond. Babies usually are not able to sign until they are 6 months old and begin picking up many signs between 7 to 12 months of age. Raymond teaches parents out of their homes in either Astoria or Long Island City, and also at local bookstores and shops. Starting in March, she will begin giving Saturday classes at Raising Astoria, located at, 26-11 23rd Ave., as part of an eight-week course. Parents who are interested in taking part in the course can register on www.mysmarthandsnyc. com. Registration comes with a book and CD. For more info visit www. mysmarthandsnyc.com or email rebecca@mysmarthands.com. Photo courtesy of Rebecca Raymond A My Smart Hands NYC class signing “I love you.”
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