FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com MARCH 17, 2016 • buzz • The Quens Courier 71 Photo courtesy of John McCarten/City Council Press Office WOODSIDE STREET RENAMED FOR LATE WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVIST The memory of a Woodside activist dedicated to women’s rights and Latina advancement will live on at a neighborhood street renamed for her on Saturday, March 12. City Council Speaker Melissa Mark- Viverito joined Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer and others to rename the block of 56th Street between Woodside and Skillman avenues as Alice Cardona Way. Cardona was involved in the city’s first Head Start program, an active member of the National Conference of Puerto Rican Women and co-founded HACER/ Hispanic Women’s Center, which helps Latinas achieve their professional goals. She also served as assistant director of the state Division for Women during the administration of Governor Mario Cuomo. She died of cancer in November 2011 at the age of 81. Joining Mark-Viverito and Van Bramer at the street renaming ceremony were Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan; Michelle Centeno of the National Conference of Puerto Rican Women; Diana Cruz, Cardona’s sister; and Debbie Quinones, a longtime friend of Cardona. SCOTT BARON’S STAR OF QUEENS Br yan J. Bloc k Chairman Comunity Board 13 Role as Chair: Chairman Bryan J. Block enjoys his role as chair of the most diverse community brought to you by star OF queens SCOTT BARON & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Attorneys & Counselors at Law 1-866-WAS-HURT (866) 927-4878 718.738.9800 board in New York. This diversity within the local communities allows him to have personal interactions with residents stemming from a variety of cultures. This is an experience he would not trade for anything in the world. P ersonal B ack g round : Block’s heritage derives from the Caribbean. His mother is from the island of Trinidad & Tobago and his father is from St. Thomas. He lived in Brooklyn until the age of 10 and has since then been living in Cambria Heights. Chairman Block is an active member of his local parish, Sacred Heart Church and has also been volunteering at St. Patrick’s Cathedral for over 20 years. Profesional Background: Before taking on the position of chairman, he worked as a paralegal at a major NYC law firm. Motivation: Nothing motivates Block more than his love for the community. His objective is to be a voice for the unheard within his district. Very often people in the community are unaware of where to go for help in terms of correcting problems within their neighborhood. Chairman Block enjoys being that liaison that allows people to breathe a little bit easier on a daily basis. Favorite Memory: His favorite memory was the night of his election six years ago. Upon being chosen as chairman, a feeling of elation came over him. Block was honored that so much confidence was being placed in him to represent the local communities. Biggest Challenge: A challenge Block addresses on a daily basis is meeting the needs of everyone within the community. He does his best to work alongside his board, in order to meet those same needs. However, he wishes that there were more time in the day to address the quality of life for all residents. Biggest Accomplishment: His biggest accomplishment has been to unite the board to vote against synthetic marijuana as well as assisting in the promotion of the last U.S. census. The synthetic marijuana problem is one that hurts everyone and Block is pleased with the fact that the government and state have continued to look into this issue. Aside from this, facilitating the completion of, and dispelling people’s fears about filling out the U.S. Census benefits the future needs of the community at large. FLUSHING HOUSE CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON QUEENS ECONOMY Flushing House is hosting a special conference on March 24 sponsored by Queens civic and business groups regarding the future of the borough’s economy. The conference is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Flushing House, located at 38-20 Bowne St. in Flushing. The conference sponsors wish to focus public attention on various proposals to mitigate the impact of escalating rents on Queens businesses and communities. Speakers will include elected officials; members of the Queens Civic Congress, which represents 93 community groups; Grace Shim, representing immigrant concerns; Sung Soo Kim, representing Korean and Chinese small business owners; and Quenia Abreu, representing women business owners and their female employees. The purpose is to raise awareness of the serious plight of Queens small business owners and their employees. All Queens elected officials have been invited to attend and report on what actions they can take to stop the rapidly escalating closing of long-established businesses, caused by sky-high rent increases. Sponsors include the Queens Civic Congress, MinKwon, Korean Times, New York Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Korean American Small Business Service Center, plus several arts and business groups as co-sponsors. The program is free and open to the public. Seating is limited; pre-registration is advised. To preregister, call Flushing House at 718- 762-3198 or 888-987-6205. Built in 1974, Flushing House is the largest, not-for-profit, Independent Living retirement residence in New York State. For more information, visit www.flushinghouse.com.
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