Alicia Venter, Author at Queens Ledger

Queens man indicted in fatal stabbing of FDNY EMS worker in Astoria

Alicia Venter on October 6, 2022

By Alicia Venter

aventer@queensledger.com

A man has been indicted for the fatal stabbing of FDNY EMS worker Alison Russo-Elling on Sept. 29, who was posthumously promoted to the rank of Captain.

Peter Zisopoulos, 34, has been charged with murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz on Thursday, Oct. 6.

According to the charges, the defendant approached the victim — who had been with FDNY for 25 years — near EMS Station 49 while she was in uniform and on-duty while walking down 20th Ave. between 41st St. and Steinway St. Zisopoulos lived on 20th Ave, only a short distance away from where he allegedly attacked Russo-Elling.

Allegedly, Zisopoulos knocked her to the ground without provocation and stabbed her repeatedly before fleeing the scene.

The fatal stabbing was caught on video surveillance.

After the attack, Zisopoulos ran to a nearby residential building where he barricaded himself into his third-floor apartment. NYPD’s hostage negotiating team and emergency service unit were able to talk the suspect out of the building, where he surrendered himself without further altercation.

Zisopoulos was arraigned via video on OCt. 6 via video from Bellevue Hospital. His court date is Nov. 29, 2022. He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

Volleyball at St. John’s Preparatory: How the sport is helping students

Alicia Venter on October 5, 2022

Growing in popularity, coverage and viewership across the United States, volleyball is quickly solidifying its position as a top competitive sport in the country.

As such, it is also becoming a top priority for young women as they deliberate their options for high school — where will they get the chance to play the sport they love at a highly competitive level as well as grow as a student?

According to a new survey from the National Federation of High School Sports, high school girls’ participation in volleyball ranked second in popularity in 2021-2022. It is the only top ten sport that has seen an increase in popularity since 2019-2020, with 454,153 students countrywide. It trails behind outdoor track and field by less than 3,000 students.

Stephen DeSalvo says such development is seen at St. John’s Preparatory School in Astoria, where he serves as the head coach for women’s volleyball. His team had 60 people try out, and over 100 people attended their summer camp — including St. John’s University volleyball head coach Joanne Persico.

DeSalvo played Division I football and volleyball while at Siena College in Loudonville, NY. His “real job,” he described, is as the Chief Development Officer at Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, a private college in East Elmhurst. After he graduated from college, he served as the volleyball coach at Manhattan College. This sparked his interest in the sport, but what kept it aflame was a sudden interest from his father-in-law in starting a youth program.

He started the youth volleyball program, which is a joint program between St. Stanislaus Kostka and Our Lady of Hope in Middle Village, 13 years ago. After years of growth, this season is set to have 12 teams in the league.

Coaching at the high school level, however, is an entirely different experience, DeSalvo explained. Competitive-level volleyball is intricate, complicated and requires a sophisticated offense.

“My playbook is two inches thick,” DeSalvo explained. “It is a very complicated sport. All I have to do is explain the five one rotation to somebody in the most basic form and they have no idea what I’m talking about,or just say the word libero.”

Most recently, St. John’s Prep held the annual Queens Invitational Tournament. The team won games over Christ the King and Preston High School, winning the tournament for the second year in a row.

There’s this notion, DeSalvo describes, that St. John’s Prep hasn’t changed in years; however, it is ranked in the top 25 of all Catholic schools in New York State, he says. Academically and athletically, he says, St. John’s Prep is a top school for students to attend, says DeSalvo, and that with the small class size and campus-like feel, the campus provides “the full experience.”

“You’re not only making that dedication and that commitment to the education side of it, but also to to get that well rounded education with the morals, values and ethics,” DeSalvo said. “And then, obviously, the more commitment to athletics and that well rounded experience.”

DeSalvo’s numerous teams throughout the borough have made him well-known regardless of where he is at.

“If you walk around anywhere in Middle Village or Maspeth, it’s a kid that either played for me or knows me,” De Salvo said.

It is not just girls’ volleyball that is growing rapidly. Boys’ volleyball saw a 4.6 percent increase in participation from 2019-2020, according to the survey from the National Federation of High School Sports.

Embracing this trend, St. John’s Prep also has a men’s varsity and junior varsity volleyball program.

Volleyball is growing at unmatched speed; there is even significant interest in the sport at the professional level. League One Volleyball, a professional women’s volleyball league that was first founded in 2020, has received 16.75 million in Series A funding from star-studded investors: Billie Jean King, Kevin Durant, David Blitzer, Chelsea Handler and others.

Volleyballs’ potential as a sport is ever-growing. Jon Patricof, CEO of Athletes Unlimited — a network of pro sports leagues that recently launched its U.S. professional indoor women’s volleyball league — told Front Office Sports that Indoor women’s professional volleyball was “probably the largest untapped opportunity in pro sports in this country.”

DeSalvo couldn’t agree more, though he may argue on what its potential is. For one, it gives them the opportunity to have direction at a young age and helps them choose where they may want to spend their high school years.

“If you look at some of the [Catholic Youth Organization] teams around this area, you see how it’s different. It’s for fun, everybody plays all this other stuff. But I’m teaching them to get ready for high school. Because all these kids want to go to high school, they want to keep playing.”

Furthermore, volleyball provides direction for young women academically and developmentally.

According to the University of Rochester, studies have shown that exercise increases blood flow to the brain, leading to increased concentration, enhanced memory, stimulated creativity and better-developed problem solving skills.

DeSalvo is proud to be the one providing this direction for his students.

It really is the most fulfilling when the players come back to you and say you were my favorite coach, or when I walk into a gym and a kid runs over and gives you a hug,” DeSalvo said. “ I personally believe there are some people that were born to be a coach, and kids respond to them.”

LAIKA:Life in Stop Motion

Alicia Venter on September 8, 2022

MoMI welcomes LAIKA for new stop-motion exhibit

Photo Credit: Christos Katsiaouni / Museum of the Moving Image

The Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) has begun its latest exhibition, “LAIKA: Life in Stop Motion,” which is set to run through Aug. 27, 2023. Housed on the second floor, the exhibit features the props and dolls used in the five stop motion films created by LAIKA, an award-winning feature film animation studio.

Inside the exhibit, puppets that were used in the production of each film are found tucked behind glass for admiration. For a hands-on experience, guests will find a table in the center of the room that allows them to create their own “stop motion” film.

The stop motion technology that is available for guests to create their own short clips was provided by LAIKA, and it is the first time anything of its kind has been made available for visitors of the museum.

What is Stop Motion?

Stop motion is a filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames is played back. This process takes a tremendous amount of time to create a film — from start to finish, it is around five years, according to LAIKA’s Marketing Production Manager Daniel Pascal.

Pascal has worked with LAIKA since it opened in 2005, and was involved in the production of its early films — including “Coraline,” their first film that has since become one of their most renowned. Since then, the studio has released four more films: “Paranorman (2012),” “The Boxtrolls (2014),” “Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)” and “Missing Link.”

What’s next for LAIKA

The studio is now working on their sixth film, “Wildwood.” The voice cast was recently announced, and there has been no release date yet announced. Pascal described how the movie has an “epic” scale, and that they will be building on their success and skills from previous movies in the newest film’s production.

“Every movie we have to learn a different skill set. For ‘Kubo and the Two Strings,’ we didn’t know how we were going to do long fabrics or long hair or fun — all the things you typically stay away from in animation,” Pascal said. “Being a full time studio, [you have to ask,] ‘How can I add to that box of tricks.’”

LAIKA is a full-time studio, working in a studio based in Oregon year-round to create different stop motion films. This dedication, Pascal describes, makes the studio a pleasure to be part of.

The Director of Curatorial Affairs, Barbara Miller, worked collaboratively with Pascal to create the interactive exhibit.

“It was always our dream to have stuff here like it is, and it’s finally happening,” she shared. “So we are very excited.”

The exhibit is complemented by screenings of LAIKA films throughout the duration of the exhibit.

“LAIKA: Life in Stop Motion” is part of the museum’s core exhibition, “Behind the Screen.” For more information on the exhibit or to purchase tickets, visit movingimage.us.

Put Away Your Phones and Enjoy Your Summer Vacation

Alicia Venter on August 12, 2022

Yours truly on summer vacation at the Catskill Game Farm, one of many fond memories of summers from long ago.

I was driving down the street and when I stopped at the stop sign, three young kids (probably teenagers) were sitting at the curb. It brought back memories of when my friends and I would pass the summer days sitting on a curb, or on a stoop, talking.

We’d talk, and eventually argue, about almost anything. Baseball. Movies. Girls. We’d talk and we’d laugh and I have wonderful memories of those summer days.

Except these kids weren’t talking. They were on their phones, probably texting with other friends, or watching videos. They were together, in-person, but they seemed so alone. They looked glum and miserable. That’s no way to spend your summer vacation.

Summer Vacation. What a remarkable pair of words when you’re a kid. By the time you’re 11 or 12 it feels like you’ve been going to school for years and the words summer vacation were enough to get you excited.

Summer was when you got to stay out a little later, playing wiffle ball in the street or tag. It was when you lost track of the weekdays, and you felt like you had a million days before your next school day. It was a big, giant taste of freedom.

We didn’t have a lot of money, but we didn’t need it. I remember going into Reap’s Candy, on 95th and Jamaica, and buying a small foam glider for 5 cents, it was shaped like a WW2 fighter.

We played with and battered that little plane around for days. We climbed the steps leading to the J and set it sail from up there, and watched it glide almost all the way to 96th Street.

That was the best nickel I ever spent.

I remember the excitement of packing the car and driving to the Catskills for a few days, the thrill of getting out, of going away.

It was fun seeing all the little differences in other places; the different newspapers; the strange new supermarkets and products. And all the television stations were on different channels.

We visited the local attractions, the Catskill Game Farm, Carson City, etc. And we got one of those bumper stickers that said “This Car Climbed Hunter Mountain!”

Then it was back home and back to the wiffle ball and chasing each other around the playground, and running through the sprinklers. We used to run through Forest Park playing Army, small sticks standing in for rifles and pistols

And some days, when it was really too hot to run around, you just sat with your friends and debated who would win in a motorcycle race, The Fonz or Evel Knievel. (The answer is The Fonz, because Knievel kept crashing).

It was such a wonderful time of our lives, a break from the routine and a chance to enjoy doing little or next to nothing.

And if you could go back and enjoy just one more summer vacation like that, you would cherish and savor each and every one of those summer days because you know that once you start working, it’s never the same.

It’s a subtle change in nomenclature, but everything changes when “Summer Vacation” becomes simply Summer. How would you explain that to your 12-year old self?

It’s like a working vacation. The weather is nice but you can’t enjoy it on weekdays too much because you have to get up early for work the next day.

You hope you can sit outside this weekend but only if it doesn’t rain. You don’t have the luxury of wasting your days off because you have so few of them. You’ve got a week off next month but you’ve already made plans to do work around the house.

You’ve got responsibilities. If you aren’t worrying about the bills you’re worrying about your health. Your body hurts and things don’t come as easy as they once did. It’s all part of being an adult.

If you’re not there yet, if you’re at the age where you still get Summer Vacation, brace yourselves, because things don’t get better from here. These are the best days of your lives.

So try to savor them, try to enjoy every day. Put down your phones, get out and enjoy your life. Laugh with your friends and run and jump and have a great time. Because before you can blink, it will all be over.

Two shot near Astoria Blvd. N and 35th St.

Alicia Venter on August 3, 2022

A shooting in the vicinity of Astoria Boulevard North and 35th Street left a 24-year-old male in critical condition and a 36- led to two people being transported to Elmhurst Hospital. The shooting was in the early hours on Saturday, July 30. According to a DCPI spokesperson, no arrests have been made for the shooting, and the investigation remains ongoing.

The shooting was within the confines of the 114th Precinct. At approximately 3:52 a.m., the police responded to a 911 call regarding a person shot. Upon arrival, the officers observed a 24-year-old man with multiple gunshot wounds to the body, and a 36-year-old woman with a gunshot wound to her abdomen. EMS transported both victims to Elmhurst Hospital, according to the spokesperson, where the male victim is in critical condition and the female victim is in stable condition.

According to sources with AMNY, it was three masked perpetrators that opened fire on the victims. After shooting numerous shots upon them, the gunman fled the scene inside a grey minivan, heading westbound along Astoria Boulevard North.

No information has been released regarding potential suspects or with images of the perpetrators of this shooting.

Glass art exhibit in Maple Grove Cemetery

Alicia Venter on August 2, 2022

One might not expect an art exhibit to be found inside a cemetery.

Naomi Rabinowitz, however, thinks she has found a superb location to display her glass work — The Center at Maple Grove Cemetery in Kew Gardens.

“Whenever people hear that I do all this work in the cemetery, they are like, ‘really?’” Rabinowitz said. “Then they show up and they are amazed.”

Rabinowitz’s exhibit, titled “Off the Page,” is scattered across the walls of the Center at Maple Grove, a space that features benches, stained glass windows, classrooms and an indoor waterfall.

Rabinowitz creates wall art and wearable necklaces from glass that is found in a range of colors.

Her inspiration comes from her favorite artists — abstract creators including Wassily Kandinsky and Georgia O’Keefe — crafting colorful blocks with “bold, bold colors” through doing multiple layerings of glass upon one another.

The exhibit is dedicated to Suzanne Bagley, a close friend of Rabinowitz’s who died in 2014 and is buried in the cemetery.

The center also allowed her to give a flute concert on July 16, which she dedicated to Bagley.

I’ve been looking for an opportunity to do something that was dedicated to her, because we always dedicate events to somebody,” Rabinowitz said. “When they said July 16, everything came together, because it was Bastille Day and she was French.”

Before she became a full-time artist and art teacher, Rabinowitz had a 29-year career as a journalist with Soap Opera Digest.

She moved to Kew Gardens from Long Island, partly to be closer to museums and other sources of art.

“When I was growing up, since I lived on Long Island, we spent almost every weekend in the city and my parents would take me to museums all the time,” she said. “So I had a pretty solid background in just appreciating art. I always enjoyed drawing. I always enjoyed making crafts.”

When Rabinowitz broke her leg in 2010 and was out of work for four months, she was searching for something to do.

In this free time, she began looking at blogs and YouTube videos for how to make jewelry. Soon after, she began selling her creations on Etsy.

“People actually started buying my work, which was really shocking,” she said. “People were buying things that I made.”

When she lost her job at Soap Opera Digest in 2012, Rabinowitz was conflicted about whether she should try and find something new.

Eventually, she decided to head in another professional direction, and take art more seriously as a source of income.

She began taking art classes full time at the 92nd Street YMCA and the Brooklyn Glass, falling in love with glassware and enameling.

“What I like about glass is that it is transformative,” she said, continuing to describe the qualities of glass that make it intriguing.

Rabinowitz layers the glass to create a multi-colored piece that may surprise even her.

“I don’t know what color it’s going to come out. I don’t know what texture it’s going to end up. It’s always a bit of a surprise. I like that after all these years, and all these firings, that I could still be surprised by the end result.”

In 2015, when looking for work in the arts, Rabinowitz began giving flute performances for senior homes.

While it is something she was doing voluntarily, it soon blossomed into an opportunity.

A senior citizen, Judith, at the center had purchased a necklace from Rabinowitz, and Helen Day, a member of the Center at Maple Grove, noticed.

“Helen saw Judith wearing the necklace that she bought from me and was intrigued, and asked her about it,” Rabinowitz said. “She told her, ‘Tell her to give me a call because we do art classes in the cemetery.’ When Judith told me, I thought it was a really strange opportunity. But why not?”

Rabinowitz began teaching glass classes in 2016. Now, her full time job is teaching glass classes throughout the tri-state area, primarily to senior citizens.

“Off the Page” is part of the Center’s “Friends of Maple Grove” exhibit series. Rabinowitz’s art will remain in the center through August 12.

For more information about the exhibits or the center, visit www.maplegrove.biz.

Richmond Hill drama group to perform “The Spongebob Musical”

Alicia Venter on July 28, 2022

“When the smallest of us are underestimated in the wake of a catastrophe, a town learns that it is the size of one’s heart that matters when dealing with grief and overcoming it.”

This is how Liam MacLarty, the director of Richmond Hill’s Holy Child Jesus Teen Drama Group’s performance of “The Spongebob Musical,” summarized their upcoming summer production.

The show will begin this upcoming week, and the performance — which MacLarty describes as “very timely and really, very heartfelt” — is designed for everyone to enjoy and appreciate.

“I’ve noticed a lot of times when I tell members of the community that we’re doing ‘Spongebob,’ everyone thinks it’s the cartoon, but it’s not,” MacLarty said. “It’s this unique animal of joy and love. This is a show for everyone. If you are 100 or if you are one; if you are young at heart or if you are old at heart.”

With the mission statement in the script being “to find and spread joy whenever possible,” the group’s 27 cast members, ranging from ages 13 to 19, and crew are creating a humorous yet meaningful and relevant production. Performances run from Sunday, Aug. 4 through Thursday, Aug. 7 at Msgr. Murray Hall. Tickets are $15.

“The Spongebob Musical” is the 42nd production for the HCJ Teen Drama Group, which began in 1972 with the goal to “get kids off the streets,” MacLarty said. They have hosted a production annually every summer, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the group created “QuaranTeen Drama: Theatre Workshops” to continue to encourage people in the arts. During this time, online workshops were held, with Broadway actors and other professionals in the industry making appearances. This is MacLarty’s second full show as director, after serving as assistant director since 2013.

“[Directing] is kind of like being the captain of a boat,” MacLarty said. “You can steer it, you can brace for impact, but at the end of the day, the wave is going to take you where you are going to go.”

The show’s leads are Niko Rissi, 18, who plays Spongebob and Jonathan Kamprath, 20, who plays Patrick. Kamprath falls within the age range for the production because his birthday happened during rehearsals.

For Kamprath, who is originally from Richmond Hill, this is his fifth show, and his second playing one of the lead characters. However, Rissi, who is from Manhattan, only joined this year due to Kamprath’s friendly persistence.

“Jonathan lived around the area, and had been telling me about these shows for a while, so finally I just said, ‘Screw it, I’m going to come out and do this,” Rissi said with a laugh.

Currently enrolled at SUNY Cortland and studying musical theater, this is hardly Rissi’s first time on the stage. However, he shared that he is among some of the nicest people he has ever met while with the HCJ Drama Group, and that it is clear that “they all want to be here and we are all excited to see what this turns into.”

His joy in playing Spongebob comes from his unwavering happiness in the face of adversity or hardship.

“No matter what is thrown at him, he’s going to overcome it, and he’s going to overcome it with a smile on his face, which I can’t say everyone will. He is going to do it all with a smile, no matter if the world’s going to end.”

Kamprath’s dedication to HCJ Drama Group can be seen clearly in his commute — he is currently living in Pennsylvania, and has been either commuting from the Keystone State via the Trans-Bridge bus line or temporarily with Rissi.

“I had been trying to get Nico to do this show for years, and he finally said he wanted to do it,” Kamprath said. “And, quite honestly, Spongebob is one of my favorite shows. I thought if I were going to do it, I better do it now.”

Despite the numerous shows he has been in “The Spongebob Musical” has been his favorite so far. He loves Patrick’s innocence, pointing out how the starfish makes a “very selfish, selfish decision,” in the performance, but that he doesn’t recognize it.

Most of the props were made by members of the drama group, as they creatively crafted costumes out of egg cartons, computer wives out of discarded keyboards and volcanoes out of jungle gyms. Despite the comical constructions fabricated by the crew, MacLarty emphasized that it does not limit the performance to a younger audience.

“A lot of people think that it’s a very silly cartoon show. But really it’s about everybody coming together after a cataclysmic event — they think the world is ending. There’s a subplot of the media, that everybody is angry at them, and then the mayor is cracking down on people,” MacLarty said. “It’s really very timely, and really very heartfelt.”

Both Nikki and Kamprath are hoping to continue their acting careers into their professional lives. Their dynamic will be clear on the stage, sharing a friendship that goes beyond sharing the spotlight.

“To have him be the Spongebob to my Patrick has just been great,” Kamprath said.

Tickets can be purchased outside Msgr. Murray Hall at Holy Child Jesus Parish at 111-02 86th Ave. in Richmond Hill before and after each mass on July 30 and July 31, as well as in the cafeteria of the parish from 7:00 – 9:30 from July 31 through Aug. 3. Seating is reserved. For more information, email hcjteendrama@gmail.com.

Queens College student athlete receives All-American honors

Alicia Venter on July 27, 2022

Queens College freshman Marc Cisco has made his mark in the college’s history during his first year with the Knights, earning All-American honors in baseball. He is just the second baseball student-athlete in the college’s Athletic Program Division II era, which began in 1985, to be recognized — and the first since 1998.

Cisco, a Long Island City resident, earned a vast collection of awards for his freshman year. These accolades include 2022 NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-American Third Team Honors — one of only four freshmen selected — being named to the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-American Third Team and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Second Team All-American honors.

The second basemean is one of only four players in the East Region to earn all-American honors, and is the first player since 2019 to be recognized in the East Coast Conference (ECC).

“We are absolutely delighted at Marc’s All-American honors and offer him and his family our warmest congratulations,” Queens College President Frank H. Wu said. “Marc’s success is a shining example of how well we combine the student-athlete experience with a rigorous course of academic study, as he attained these honors while pursuing a degree in actuarial studies.”

Cisco is the first All-American to be named to the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings Team since outfielder Justin Davies during the 1998 season.

“We could not be happier for Marc and the incredible season he had,” Queens College Head Baseball Coach Chris Reardon, who incidentally was the roommate of Davies when they played together during their college careers, said. “His numbers show that, but his impact on each game, our season, and program go well beyond numbers. He is an outstanding person and teammate, and we are thrilled that Marc is getting this recognition.”

During the season, the infielder earned ECC Player and Rookie of the Week honors on five different occasions, and became the second ECC player to be named Player and Rookie of the Year in the same season. To further solidify his position in the Queens College history books, he was named to the ECC All-Conference First Team, the Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-East Region First Team, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Second Team All-East Region First Team and American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-East Region First Team. He was ranked 12th nationally for his batting average — an impressive .435 — and tied for team home runs at 10.

Since 1998, only 10 student-athletes have earned All-American honors in softball, baseball, women’s basketball, and mens and women’s tennis. Cisco will join them, generating anticipation for the rest of his career with the Knights.

Brother-Duo to Lead St. John’s Lacrosse

Alicia Venter on July 27, 2022

Photo Courtesy / Red Storm Sports

As a first-year head coach of the St. John’s lacrosse team, Justin Turri has quite a job ahead of him. Following a season that generated only two wins from fourteen outings, the Johnnies have proven to be a team in desperate need of strong leadership and guidance. In a search for a partner to help him lead, Turri has turned to his brother Kyle Turri to fill the role of assistant coach for the 2022-23 year, serving as a defensive coordinator for the Red Storm.

“[Kyle] will fit in seamlessly with the identity we are building as a program and has proven through his stops at Binghamton and Hobart that he recruits at the absolute highest level,” Justin Turri said in a press release. “His addition is another major victory for our players and program.”

Turri spent the last four years as the defensive coordinator at Hobart and William Smith College, whose lacrosse team is the only Division I program at the college. While there, Hobart compiled a record of 28-15 and finished runner up in the Northeast Conference in two of the last three conference championships.

Justin Turri landed the role as head coach recently, being announced by the Red Storm Athletic Department on June 17. A New York native, he returned to his home state after serving as the offensive coordinator at Michigan.

Both Turri brothers were players themselves at Duke University, Justin being a two-time all American. While together, they won back-to-back national titles in 2013-14. Once again, the duo will take the field, but in coaching gear instead of jerseys.

“Having a tie as close as a brother in the profession is very unique,” Justin Turri said. “I have always admired Kyle’s work ethic, energy, and the way in which he installs and directs a defense.”

The announcement for Kyle to join his brother came on July 20, ten days before the lacrosse program is hosting their ‘Red Storm ID Clinic’ for prospective student-athletes. Hosted at DaSilva Memorial Field, the home to the Red Storm, the camp is open to all players going into grades 10-12 — the years in which recruiting is at its greatest for Division I schools.

As per NCAA regulations, Division I and Division II college coaches are not allowed to contact student-athletes prior to September 1 of their junior year. However, eyes on our players their sophomore year, and through this camp the Johnnies will be able to check out players they otherwise would not be able to interact with. Naturally, head coach Turri would want his brother at his side for this crucial part of recruiting — he will be coaching at the ID Clinic, according to graduate assistant Kevin Wehner.

The camp is from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., and costs $175. Each player will receive a reversible jersey to wear that day, along with a t-shirt upon departure. Registration can be accessed through redstormsports.com.

Newtown Creek Alliance demands action to open creek

Alicia Venter on July 21, 2022

‘Public Land for Public Use’

Hidden behind a chain link fence and construction sites in Long Island City, the beginning of Newtown Creek is easily forgotten by nearby residents. The shoreline on 29th Street at the Dutch Kills tributary is often overlooked. However, the Newtown Creek Alliance has made it their mission to ensure that its inaccessibility and unappealing, debris-filled appearance does not allow it to be ignored or disregarded.

Council Member Julie Won leads organizers in the chant “Public Land for Public Use”

In a press conference on Friday, July 15, organizers from the Newtown Creek Alliance called upon elected officials — specifically State Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams — as well as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the NYC Department of Transportation, and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, to address unsafe conditions of the bulkhead and adjacent roads, rebuild the shoreline, and incorporate public access to the water.

Newtown Creek stretches between Queens and Brooklyn, eventually flowing into the East River. It is nearly four miles long and is comprised of five small branches: Maspeth Creek, Whale Creek, the East Branch, the English Kills, and the Dutch Kills. The latter of which, the Dutch Kills Shoreline, is where the Newtown Creek Alliance and members of the Long Island Community, demand action for what has been deemed dangerous and deteriorating conditions around and in the water.

Currently, the street neighboring the Dutch Kills tributary in Long Island City is owned by the MTA, and it is used by DOT.

Among the elected officials who attended the press conference include Councilwoman Julie Won, Borough President Donovan Richards, and Assemblyman-elect Juan Ardila.

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. gives his full support for making the Dutch Kills tributary accessible, saying he is “not a fair weather friend.”

“As Frederick Douglass so eloquently put it, without struggle there is no progress,” Richards said under some heavy summer heat. “This is going to be a long struggle, but I want you to know that you have my 2000 percent commitment. I am not a fair-weather friend. As you can see, I will be with you when it’s hot, when it’s raining, when it’s storming and when the snow is out to make sure that we get this done.”

The bulkhead shoreline on the MTA-owned street is collapsing into the waterway, with the most recent taking place in February 2022. Following this collapse, the Newtown Creek Alliance sent a letter to the heads of the MTA, DOT, and the DEC to take action to restore the tributary.

“Given the ownership of the land by MTA (Block 115, Lot 86); the use of the property as a through street managed by NYC DOT (29th street); and NYS DEC’s regulatory authority regarding waterway pollution and shoreline construction, we firmly believe that all three agencies have an obligation to address this issue,” the letter reads.

The letter continues on to detail what the creek needs to be revitalized, placing further responsibility upon the MTA for the creek’s continued destruction. In the EPA’s Superfund investigation, the MTA/LIRR was named a “potentially responsible party” for the tributary’s decline.

“Given this potential liability that MTA/LIRR has in contributing to the historic contamination of Newtown Creek, we believe that DEC has an even stronger obligation to require a shoreline redesign that incorporates ecological benefits such as intertidal habitat, as well as public access to this historically damaged and inaccessibly waterway.”

LaGuardia Community College can be found directly next to the Dutch Kills, and leaders within the college’s community have expressed complete support for the demands of the Newtown Creek Alliance. Faculty and students do research on the waters of Newtown Creek, however, they currently have to travel several miles from campus to access the water and collect the samples, despite having the creek directly behind the college’s C building.

Kenneth Adams, the president of LaGuardia Community College, said he felt “extremely confident” that Newtown Creek would be transformed.

Representing the college at the press conference was its president, Kenneth Adams.

“Let me just recommit LaGuardia Community College as an anchor institution in Western Queens,” Adams said. “We recommit to this project, and to do all we can in partnership with our elected officials and all of [the] advocates to make it happen. It’s going to happen.”

Newtown Creek, however, is currently unsafe for any potential LaGuardia College students or local swimmers. Until the second half of the 20th century, industries would dispose of their unwanted chemicals or byproducts into the waters with little-to-no government regulation. The natural depth of the creek once was 12 feet, but now can be as shallow as four feet in some places.

In 2010, Newtown Creek was named a Superfund site by the Environmental Protection Agency. Through this designation, the creek became part of a program that works to mediate some of the nation’s most contaminated areas.

Hanging along the fence encompassing the creek were the community-led plans for the site, shown for the first time to the public. These plans include a salt marsh, terraced seating, and benches so the creek could be used and admired by residents.

For more information on the proposed future and further advocacy of the Newtown Creek Alliance, visit www.newtowncreekalliance.org.