Groundhog Day came and went, and Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow, signaling another six weeks of winter, but Corona Kate and Flushing Phil saw their shadows, and spring will be arriving….
By Sabina Cardali
Welcome to the Point. The Point being College Point.
Groundhog Day came and went, and Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow, signaling another six weeks of winter, but Corona Kate and Flushing Phil saw their shadows, and spring will be arriving. They tossed their scarves but are wearing earmuffs.
Bernadette LaMagna, director of development and public relations for the Association for the Advancement of the Blind and Retarded, is looking for volunteers to work in their Thrift Shop, which is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The shop is a means of funding for her group. If you would like to volunteer, call at 321-3800.
Condolences to the family of Harriet Cootz.
Speedy recovery to Rev. Arthur Gillespie, pastor of St. John’s, and to MaryAnn Fanelli.
Speedy recovery to Desiree, granddaughter of Marilyn and John Tie, and to Larry Eivers.
Congratulations to Ray Haynes, a jazz drummer who played with Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker, who was the first Jazz Hall of Fame inductee.
Cub Scout Pack 18 will have their annual Blue and Gold Banquet on Sunday, Feb. 25 at 1 p.m. at St. Fidelis auditorium. They will be celebrating the anniversary of scouting in America. This year the celebration will include a potluck dinner, awards ceremony, raffles, dancing (music provided by a DJ) as well as performances by all our scouts. I’m looking forward to the event.
Troop 20 of the Boy Scouts of America will celebrate the Eagle Court of Honor ceremony on March 3 at the First Reformed Church for Michael William MacKay. Congratulations to our new Eagle Scout!
St. Paul’s children hold a fund-raiser Bowlathon at Whitestone Lanes for Tuller Hall on March 3. Sponsors are needed; please call St. Paul’s at 762-4100.
At Whitestone Lanes, Maureen Pupplo bowled 214 and 217.
Irish Candlelight Cafe Night at the Landmark Poppenhusen Institute, 114-04 14th Road, College Point presents Morningstar, performing authentic Irish ballads, love songs and folk songs. Saturday, March 3, 7 p.m. The $15 ticket includes pastries and beverages, and must be purchased in advance. Call 358-0067.
Workshops for Adults at Poppenhusen Institute: Sign language for adults . Six-week course begins Tuesday, March 6 and will be held on five consecutive Tuesdays. Instructor is Barbara Aliprantis. 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Fee: $50 for 6 two-hour sessions; pre-payment is required. Creative Writing for Publication begins Tuesday, March 6 and will be held for 5 consecutive Tuesdays, 7-9 P.M. Fee: $50 for 6 two hour sessions; pre-registration is required. Instructor: Frank Priore. Call 358-0067.
The 23rd annual Queens Half-Marathon and the Skaggs-Walsh 5K Run will be held on Saturday, April 14. Race will start on Poppenhusen Avenue (MacNeilPark) between 119th Street and College Place in College Point at 8 a.m. Please leave your car at home from 7:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m., since there will be traffic delays and traffic rerouting during this time. (Look for freshly painted Blue Line on Race Course). College Point Boulevard will be closed from 8 a.m. until 8:15 a.m. for the Skaggs-Walsh 5K Run. To volunteer, call Hector Moreno at 424-2478.
The Queens Half-Marathon will be run for the 23rd year along with the Skaggs-Walsh 5K Run. More than 3,200 runners from the tri-state area and from various foreign countries will compete for awards and prize money. The Skaggs-Walsh 5K run will start at 8 a.m. and the Queens Half-Marathon will kick off at 8:10 a.m. Check-in for both races is MacNeil Park 119th Street and Poppenhusen Avenue.
Borough President Claire Shulman will be the official starter of the Half-Marathon, assisted by Councilman Mike Abel. The Queens Half-Marathon has been selected for the New York Roadrunners Grand Prix Series, a year-long series in which local running teams compete against one another. Additional cash prizes of $2,000 will be awarded to the first three men and the first three women who finish the Queens Half-Marathon. The major sponsor for both races is the Skaggs-Walsh Fuel Company, which has sponsored this event for the last 16 years. Contributing sponsors are: The Queens Surface Corp., Science Bus Co., New York Police Department Precinct 109, city departments of Parks, Sanitation, and Highways, Community Board 7, Queens Borough President’s office, College Point Security Patrol, JM Tennis Court Maintenance, Metro Cash & Carry, Quantum Feet, College Point Board of Trade , General Fitness Center, College Point Ambulance Corps, NYC Emergency Medical React, The Abbey in Williamsburg, BJ’s Stores, College Point. The College Point Board of Trade has donated two $250 scholarships to the first male and female, full time students from College Point/Malba who finish the Skaggs-Walsh 5K Run. In order for the scholarship to be awarded there must be a minimum of three competitors in each of the age divisions. The 11th annual Skaggs-Walsh 5K Run/Walk is for those individuals who have not graduated to a distance of 13.1 miles, or a half-marathon.
Queens Surface Corp. has donated free bus service from 90th Street and 5th Avenue in Manhattan to and from the race starting at 6 a.m. Expect traffic delays in the College Point/Flushing/Malba/Whitestone area between 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 14.
Entry Blanks are available at the NYRRC at 9 East 89th St. in Manhattan; Quantum Feet Running Store 188 Street and Union Turnpike, Queens; The Abbey, 536 Driggs Ave., Williamsburg, Brooklyn; Phoenix, 447 East 13 St., Manhattan; and at Skaggs-Walsh Fuel Co., College Point. To register online, visit www.nyrrc.org. For more information call Leo Nicholas (718) 762-1519, (917) 317-0880 Beeper, E-mail: leorun@gateway.run
SABINA SAYS: February has been a big birthday month; Laraine Memola, May Pidgeon, Terrence King,. Eric McIntyre, Paul McIntyre and Rocky the canine. My grandson Brian read the birthday cards to Rocky the canine. Rocky barked in delight and couldn’t wait to eat his birthday treats.
