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QUEENS WEEKLY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020
BY MADDISON FARRIS
Twin sisters from Sunnyside are among
the stars of an upcoming TADA Youth Theatre
production coming to Manhattan.
Keep an eye out for 13-year-olds Mira and
Hallie Meola, as well as fellow rising Queens
actors, as they bring “How to Eat Like a
Child” to life at 15 West 28th St., between
Broadway and 5th Avenue.
The show was originally produced in 1981
as a TV special with none-other than Dick
Van Dyke and consists of a series of instructional
numbers that will inform you and
your friends on topics such as “how to torture
your sister” or “how to beg for a dog.”
TADA is the first-ever theatre to cast the
production with no adult characters, leaving
the attention of the audience solely on the
talents of the children.
Many now-famous actors have come
through TADA Youth Theatre, such as Jordan
Peele from “Key & Peele” and Ricardo
Zayas from the Broadway show “Hamilton.”
“Performing with TADA! has given me
more confidence, and when I grow up I want
to do something where I can be the boss, like
maybe become a movie director,” said Mira
Meola. TADA does not just want to teach
children about the fun and beauty of fine
arts, but also the skills that they will need
as they grow up and move on from the youth
theatre. TADA wants to build up the confidence
of each child as well as teach them
good communication and leadership skills.
You can catch the Meola sisters and her
fellow Queens residents — 9-year-olds Clauida
Fabella and Julien Jobson-Larkin, 10-
year-old Vivian Defalco and 12-year-old Jon
Luc Jobson-Larkin — on stage from Feb.
15 through March 8.
Visit www.tadatheater.com/buy-tickets
for a full list of performances.
BY BILL PARRY
With a statewide ban on plastic
carryout bags set to be enacted on
March 1, the city’s Department of
Sanitation announced that they will
be distributing some 100,000 free reusable
bags to city residents over the
next three weeks.
While businesses will begin collecting
a five-cent fee on paper carryout
bags in New York City, critics
of the ban are warning that an
acute shortage of paper bags will
add to the hardship consumers are
facing.
“City residents use billions of
single-use bags every year, and
they are frequently used for only
a few minutes at a time,” Sanitation
Commissioner Kathryn Garcia
said. “Plastic bags are particularly
troublesome as contaminants in our
recycling, as they often clog machinery,
and we’ve all seen plastic bags
stuck in city trees around the city.
This is not sustainable. Bring your
reusable bag every time you shop,
and help us keep the city healthy,
safe and clean.”
New York City residents, commuters
and visitors use and discard
approximately 10 billion single use
carryout bags annually. On average,
the Department of Sanitation collects
more than 1,700 tons of singleuse
carryout bags per week, totaling
91,000 tons of plastic and papers carryout
bags each year.
The Department of Sanitation
has already distributed more than
70,000 reusable bags since 2016. The
bags have been made available at
events, through elected officials and
community boards, from community
groups and to residents taking
the Zero Waste Pledge, among other
venues.
In Queens, the reusable bags will
be distributed at 183-02 Union Tpke.
in Fresh Meadows from 7:30 to 8:30
p.m. and again on Saturday, Feb. 29,
at 115-21 Farmer Blvd. in Jamaica.
To learn about additional reusable
bag giveaway, visit the Department
of Sanitation’s website.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by email
at bparry@schnepsmedia.com
or by phone at (718) 260–4538.
Hallie Meola, 13, (left) and her twin sister Mira
Meola, 13, (right) are starring in TADA! Youth
Theater’s production of “How to Eat Like a
Child.” Courtesy of TADA! Youth Theater
Collect free reusable bags ahead
of the statewide plastic bag ban
Sunnyside twins to
take the big stage
YOU MUST REGISTER TO ATTEND ANY WORKSHOP
To Register >Go To Eventbrite.com
type in Know Your Rights
Note: There are two locations
SOUTH JAMAICA MULTI-SERVICE CENTER
114-02 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., Jamaica NY 11434
Saturday, February 22, 2020 10:00 AM—12:00 PM
Saturday, March 21, 2020 10:00 AM—12:00 PM
Tuesday, April 7, 2020 4:00 PM—6:00 PM
Neighborhood Housing Services of Jamaica
89-70 162nd Street, Jamaica, NY 11432
Tuesday, March 3, 2020 10:00 AM—12:00 PM
Tuesday, March 31, 2020 4:00 PM—6:00PM
Saturday, April 25, 2020 10:00 AM—12:00 PM
Call NHSJ (718) 291-7400 Ext. 6325 or 6644 for
assistance
Neighborhood Housing Services of Jamaica, Inc.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!
RENTERS’ WORKSHOPS
Are you a tenant who has been:
Trying to get repairs? Worried about losing your security
deposit? Confused about the new tenant laws? Worried
about eviction?
The new law supports more affordable rental housing and
helps to prevent homelessness caused by escalating
rents.
Tenants will come away from this workshop with a
better understanding of their rights, current New
York landlord/tenant laws and housing resources.
Tenants will be empowered with information and
learn how to resolve their housing issues.
link
/buy-tick-etsfor
/buy-tick-etsfor
/buy-tick-etsfor
/Eventbrite.com
link
