28 The Queens Courier • OCTOBER 3, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com Photo Courtesy of Assemblymember Aravella Simotas Local elected officials and residents gathered on September 24 at the corner of 31st Street and Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria to look for future plans to clean the streets. TALKIN’ TRASH Pol intros bill to keep Astoria clean BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] Residents and local officials want to take out the trash in Astoria. “We all want a clean living environment for our growing community and to help our small businesses thrive,” said Assemblymember Aravella Simotas at a rally on September 24 at the corner of 31st Street and Ditmars Boulevard. Her office has heard from an increasing number of residents in the recent months about how dirty the streets have become, she said. “Working together and with the support of our friends and neighbors, I am confident we can keep Astoria beautiful,” she said. In order to bring some ease to the problem of overflowing trash cans and large amounts of litter on the streets, Simotas will introduce a bill in the state legislature that will offer tax incentives to carting garbage removal companies who can work together with local business and business improvement districts in order to keep the neighborhood clean. “It is an outrage that the streets of Astoria and the outer boroughs have been trashed by the city,” said Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr., who has worked on the problem in the City Council. “While the population has increased, trash can pickups have decreased, which has resulted in overflowing cans and garbage on our streets. The city needs to immediately return to two pickups per week.” Along with Vallone, Simotas will also receive support from State Senator Michael Gianaris who will lead the push for the bill in the State Senate. “I have lived in western Queens my entire life and I have always taken pride in the beauty of our neighborhood,” said Gianaris. “As our community continues to grow it is vital that we preserve our quality of life, and the Astoria I know and love does not have streets covered with litter and overflowing garbage cans on every corner. As more and more people live and raise their families here, we need to work together to keep our community beautiful.” Help ‘Slice Out Hunger’ BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] Two Astoria pizzerias are joining the party to give back by the slice. Boston Pizza, located at 37-02 Broadway, and Rizzo’s Fine Pizza, located at 30-13 Steinway Street, will participate in this year’s Slice Out Hunger charity event on Wednesday, October 9 at St. Anthony’s Church, located at 154 Sullivan Street in Manhattan. For the past five years, Slice Out Hunger has held “New York City’s biggest pizza party” during national pizza month. Pizza pies are donated from shops around the city and $1 tickets are sold at the door for slices, drinks, desserts or raffle entries. This year, with over 40 pizzerias participating, all the money raised will go directly to the Food Bank For New York City. “New York City is home to the best pizza in the world and for many of us, we can easily enjoy the foods we want at any time,” said Scott Wiener, founder and organizer of Slice Out Hunger. “But we should be aware that there is a food poverty crisis and a whopping 2.6 million New Yorkers are having difficulty affording food for themselves and their families.” The charity event started as an Boston Pizza in Astoria will be one of the many pizzerias donating pies to this year’s Slice Out Hunger charity event on October 9 at St. Anthony’s Church in Manhattan. anniversary party for Wiener’s tour company called Scott’s Pizza Tour. When some pizzerias offered their pies for the celebration, Weiner decided to sell the slices for a dollar and donate the money. This year a total of 650 pies are expected to be donated and participating pizzerias will also volunteer their time at the event. “We love what Slice Out Hunger is doing,” said Turan Ayhan, co-owner of Boston Photo Courtesy of Valeriya Popova Pizza. “They are turning these pizzas into even more meals for people that need them. Everyone is coming and enjoying pizza from all over New York City, and we are so happy to be a part of that.” Every dollar raised will be matched by Scott’s Pizza Tours and other sponsors as well. The event begins at 6 p.m. and ends “when the pizza runs out,” said Wiener. For more information, visit SliceOutHunger.org MUSIC FOR THE MANSION BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] The music will play on to help the Steinway Mansion survive. The Friends of Steinway Mansion was recently created with the goal to preserve the icon that sits atop a hill at 18-33 41st Street in Astoria. In order to turn the mansion’s 27 rooms into museum space or a teaching and learning center for small concerts and workshops, the coalition has turned to music to help raise the $5 million needed to purchase the historic local landmark and its property. On Saturday, September 28 the group held the first of nine performances for The Friends of Steinway Mansion Music Festival at Singlecut Beersmiths in Astoria. The evening began with supporters rallying to save the mansion and was followed by a performance from indie rocker Dru Cutler. “This was something that our community spontaneously put together,” said Bob Singleton, coalition founder and executive director of the Greater Astoria Historical Society. “It was really nice to see people come to the brewery. It was like a festive occasion, it was almost like a party.” The traveling festival will bring together the community at local venues with music from local bands each week of October and into November. The next concert will take place on Friday, October 4 at Raven’s Head Public House. “Every person has their own unique taste in music but the love of music really unites us as a species,” sad Singleton. “Our community, not just Astoria and Queens but New York City and beyond, believe this place would be a great teaching facility.” The mansion was built in the 1850s by Benjamin Pike and was later sold to the Steinway family as a summer home around 1870. The Steinway & Sons piano factory was built decades later only a few blocks away. In the 1920s, the home was sold to the Halberian family and has stayed in the family ever since. It was later selected as a New York City Landmark in 1967. “Steinway & Sons has met with The Friends of Steinway Mansion and is fully supportive of their efforts to preserve this landmark,” said Anthony Gilroy, director of marketing and communications for Steinway & Sons. “The mansion predates even our Long Island City factory, which goes back to the early 1870s, and such a historic building deserves to be restored and made accessible to the general public – which is the goal of this newly formed group.” Although the last performance is scheduled for November 16, the group hopes to continue raising public awareness on the mansion and gathering funds to purchase the historic property. “Its fate really is going to be a reflection of our community. The Steinway Mansion is a place for all people of the world,” said Singleton. “The Astoria community is really the caretaker of what happens to this place.” If you are interested in hosting a future event email [email protected]. For more information on upcoming performances visit astorialic.org.
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