FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com april 10, 2014 • THE QUEENS COURIER 3 Car Share service motors to Forest Hills BY LIAM LA GUERRE [email protected]/@liamlaguerre A Brooklyn-based car share company is rolling into Queens. Carpingo, a subset of All Car Rent-a-Car, opened its second location in Queens in Forest Hills on April 4, part of a plan to accelerate their business into the second most populous borough. The company, which opened in Brooklyn in 2012, has more than 40 locations in its home borough, but officials said they’ve had their eyes on Queens for a while and are thinking of expanding here because of the wide potential for more users. “Shared mobility is a big, big deal,” said Gladstone McFarlane, director of business development for Carpingo. “It’s something that is catching on. I know people who have owned cars, but are moving on, because they see a financial benefit or an environmental benefit.” Registered Carpingo members can reserve cars through the web or from their mobile devices at any time during the day. Then they can pick up the cars from local parking garages and use membership cards to access the vehicles. Carpingo’s Long Island City location opened last year, but since then the company has had trouble expanding in Queens while fighting rivals such as Zipcar. Now it’s moving forward cautiously with its new location. The Forest Hills site has just two cars in the Central Parking garage on Queens Boulevard, but McFarlane said based on its performance they’ll add more cars and different makes and models. “We’re a small company and we are trying to be the little engine that could,” McFarlane said. “Once we gauge activity then we will proceed.” Photo courtesy of Carpingo Car share company Carpingo opened its second Queens location in its ongoing plan to expand into the borough. UNITED ADULT MINISTRY TO HONOR ADVOCATES OF OLDER ADULTS BY KATRINA MEDOFF United Adult Ministries will present the Rose Kryzak Senior Leadership Award to three honorees at the Flushing House Gala at Flushing Town Hall on May 8. Honorees state Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky (D-Flushing), Steven Goodman, Ed.D., and Alan Weinberg, LCSW, “have all soldiered on in the tradition of Rose Kryzak, making major contributions of service and caring for older adults,” said Robert F. Salant, Flushing House director of community relations. The UAM Older Adult Ministry Award will be presented to Doris Walker, an elder of the Hollis Presbyterian Church, and Doris Ramsay, a deacon of the Valley Stream Presbyterian Church. Tenor Daniel Rodriguez will perform at the event and will be honored with a special award for his support of various nonprofits, especially those that serve older adults. All proceeds from the fundraising gala will support an endowment fund that allows Flushing House to remain affordable for many of the older adults who live there. For more info, call 347-532- 3025, email [email protected] or visit www.flushinghouse.com. Photo courtesy of NYPD NEW COMMANDING OFFICER APPOINTED FOR POLICE SERVICE AREA 9 BY KATRINA MEDOFF Captain Mark Simmons will replace Deputy Inspector Miguel Iglesias as commanding officer of Police Service Area 9. After 18 months of serving as commanding officer of PSA 9, Iglesias has been given a new assignment as the commanding officer of PSA 2. Simmons was appointed to the New York City Police Department in 1997 and has worked in the 101st, 28th, 34th, 24th, 33rd and 20th Precincts as well as Central Records and Patrol Borough Manhattan North. He also served as Deputy Commissioner of Equal Employment Opportunity. PSA 9 is located in Flushing, with the Ravenswood Satellite located in Long Island City. Battle of the Beards crowns champion BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] @aaltamirano28 Face fuzz from near and far made its way to Astoria to try and win the title of best of the beards. The Quays, a corner bar that has been located at 45-02 30th Ave. for over 40 years, hosted the western Queens neighborhood’s inaugural Battle of the Beards on Tuesday, April 8, during a night filled with local music and drinks. A total of 23 competitors tricked out their facial hair, from full-grown beards to mustaches. James Albertelli, 50, came representing the Gotham City Beard Alliance to take part in his first competition. “I haven’t seen my chin in 12 years,” said the Flushing native who now lives in Manhattan. “I hate to shave. It’s easier to grow it.” Other competitors included Adam Bierton, who has held titles for his stylish mustache, and retired journalist Robert Mullen, also known as “Hollywood Bob.” The concept of the event and contest came together after members of the local Astoria band The Green Gallows worked together with Tim House, who co-owns The Quays with Dee Flattery, to put together a show. The contest was inspired by band member Sean Ryan Donnelly’s beard. “Sean has such a great beard and it’s that time of year when people want to shave off their beards,” said Adam Steiner, lead vocalist for The Green Gallows. “It’s a great farewell to winter.” The other members of the band are Astoria residents Blake Adam “Double Wide” Smith and Cara Cooley. The night began with performances from Homesick Hound Dogs, Robbie Cook and The Green Gallows. After the performances, the first group of beards and mustaches was judged by audience applause. After two more rounds of judging, the final three came down to first place winner Dan Roberts, The Green Gallows’ Donnelly, who snatched second, and Guido Cappello, who took home third. “To win is great but to win in New York is even better. Here is home. It brings a lot of emotion. It makes me feel so good,” said Roberts, who is from Mattituck, New York, and is one of the founding members of the Long Island Beard & Mustache Society. “It’s not about having a beard. It’s all about having a good time.” Roberts, who has been growing his winning beard for almost three years and has taken part in various national competitions, took home an aged bottle of Jameson whiskey and a pair of Mets tickets. The owners of the Astoria bar plan to continue with the competition for the following year and perhaps also add a separate mustache contest to the list of events. “People came from miles around, and a lot of new blood came to the bar,” House said. “I want the talent to gravitate here.” The Quays has been the backdrop for a scene in 1993’s “A Bronx Tale” and, most recently, the pilot episode of CBS’s “Elementary.” For more Battle of the Beards photos, visit wwww.queenscourier.com. THE COURIER/Photos by Angy Altamirano Dan Roberts, one of the founding members of the Long Island Beard & Mustache Society, took home first place at Astoria’s inaugural Battle of the Beards.
QC04102014
To see the actual publication please follow the link above