74 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • DECEMBER 19, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
buzz
Photo courtesy of Flushing Town Hall
The fi rst ever Global Arts for Global Kids benefi t is on Saturday, Dec. 14
JHS 189 performs at inaugural
Flushing Town Hall benefi t
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com
@jenna_bagcal
A Queens junior high school performed
at Flushing Town Hall’s fi rst-ever Global
Arts for Global Kids benefi t.
Th e Dec. 14 benefi t showcased and celebrated
the rich diversity of programming
that Flushing Town Hall off ers to thousands
of youth each year. JHS 189 and
their musical theater teacher Daryl Ware
shared the stage with several FTH teaching
artists to present performances celebrating
Colombian, Chinese, African and
Korean cultures.
“Flushing Town Hall’s Education and
Public Programs off er curriculum-based
arts education that celebrates Queens’
diverse communities through the arts,
enriching the lives of students not only
from Queens but across New York City
and Long Island,” said Executive and
Artistic Director Ellen Kodadek. “As we
have strengthened and broadened our
programming, we have been privileged to
off er a truly robust array of Global Arts
for Global Kids.”
All proceeds from the benefi t, including
a $1,000 pledge from teaching artist
Dr. Hsing-Liu Chou, went towards supporting
the venue’s family and public programming.
Adam Crescenzi emceed the event, which
features cultural songs, dances, theater and
art. Ware and Flushing’s JHS 189 presented
several musical theater favorites including
“New Day” from “Th e Wiz,” “He Lives
in You” from “Th e Lion King” and “Th is Is
Me” from “Th e Greatest Showman.”
Th e following is a list of other performers
and performances that took place at
the Global Arts for Global Kids benefi t:
• Chief Reggie Ceaser – Matinecock welcoming
song
• Martin Vejarano – Columbian music
• Angela Rostick and Ling Tang –
American tap and Chinese dance
• Robin Bady and Skip LaPlante –
Storytelling with music
• Sharif Kales – Jazz
• Vado Diomande and Song Hee Lee –
African and Korean drumming
• Master Yang Xiao Di – Chinese juggling
• Silent art auction featuring works by
Steve Palermo and Tina Seligman
and Matinecock jewelry by Tecumseh
Ceasar
Flushing Town Hall off ers educational
programs onsite, in schools and at senior
centers around Queens and throughout
the city. In the past year alone, more than
31,000 students, teachers and other community
members benefi ted from the nonprofi
t’s 150 programs including national
and international world music, theater,
dance, puppetry and visual arts.
Education-specifi c programs include
matinee performances for students, study
guides, personalized aft er school programs,
workshops and residencies, senior
workshops, weekend family programs for
English learners and more.
Th e organization also curates a roster
of 30 master teaching artists who off er
unique enrichment programs.
“We off er relevant arts and cultural
experiences that build the social and intellectual
skills needed for a connected planet,”
said Gabrielle Hamilton, director of
education and public programs. “Th is
benefi t will raise funds to keep our school
programs low-cost, and so we invite you
to show some love for our Global Arts for
Global Kids programs and join us at our
benefi t showcase.”
SCAFFOLD IN A HOLE
Q: On a construction site, I was standing on a scaffold, hanging sheetrock. The scaffold had been
placed on top of a plastic curing blanket that had been stretched over the newly-installed concrete floor,
including its drain. This drain was covered with a permanent ‘half grate’ – i.e. a grate half of which is normal
and half of which is one big hole. One of the scaffold’s wheels ripped through the plastic curing blanket and
fell into that hole, and the scaffold tipped over.
A: Under section 240(1) of the Labor Law, the owner and contractors were obliged to cause the
scaffold to be placed so as to give you proper protection. Your attorney will argue that you were subject to an
elevation-related risk, and that the defendants’ failure properly to place the scaffold was a proximate cause of
your injuries. He or she will seek testimony that, at this stage of the project, the drain should have had a
temporary cover that would prevent anything from falling into it. I am sure that your attorney can find
convincing witnesses to that effect – quite possibly including employees of the subcontractors that installed the
drain and floor, and placed the curing blanket.
Even if you were negligent in failing to observe the drain hole and in positioning the scaffold over
it, that would make you merely comparatively negligent – and the defense of comparative negligence is
unavailable under section 240(1).
As for section 200 of the Labor Law, which is a codification of common-law negligence, your
attorney will argue that neither the manner nor the method of your work created the subject open drain. Thus,
this matter involves a ‘dangerous or defective premises condition’. To prevail, it suffices that you prove that
one or more of the defendants exercised supervisory control over the general condition of the premises and
was, or should have been, well aware of this open drain.
O N T H E L A T E S T E P I S O D E :
Dimple Willabus talks about her journey to become C.E.O. of Rhythm
Nation Entertainment and her upcoming run for city council.
F E A T U R I N G :
Dimple Willabus
C.E.O. of Rhythm Nation
Entertainment
Tune in on podcasts.schnepsmedia.com and wherever podcasts are available.
/podcasts.schnepsmedia.com
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
link
