ERDA set to expand public housing services
The East River Development Alliance (ERDA), an organization providing educational, social and other types of assistance to residents of the Queensbridge, Ravenswood, Astoria and Woodside Houses, is working on replicating its services to public housing developments in other parts of Queens and the city.
This effort is the focus of a national educational program that ERDA’s founder and president Bishop Mitchell Taylor recently got accepted into. The 18-month program is offered by the Harvard Kennedy School in Boston to senior leaders in community organizations that focus on affordable housing and community economic development.
Taylor is one of 50 leaders selected nationwide for the program, which started in October, said Anitra Gerald, vice president of ERDA, noting that Taylor’s acceptance is a testament to the services ERDA has been providing.
“I am honored to have been accepted to the [program],” said Taylor. “Drawing on the expertise of the other leaders in this program and my executive team, I plan to develop a comprehensive strategy for expanding ERDA’s services to other public housing neighborhoods.”
Author schedules discussion on Jewish history revelations
What does DNA reveal about the genetic bonds between Jews and Arabs? To what extent are most of today’s Jews descendants of converts?
Answers to these questions can be found in the recent book of author and former TV news producer Jon Entine entitled “Abraham’s Children: What DNA Reveals about Jewish History.”
Entine will discuss his book on Tuesday, December 9, at 1:30 p.m. at the Central Queens Young Men & Young Women Hebrew Association (YM & YMHA), a not-for-profit Jewish center in Forest Hills, at 67-09 108th Street.
Entine’s talk is one in a series of Fall Author Events sponsored by the Rabbi Simon Hevesi Library of the Central Queens YM & YWHA.
All events are open to the public with a donation of $4 requested.
Anti-drug contest for students
Students from grades between four and 12 can now submit essays on reasons why doing drugs is bad by December 1 to the 112th Precinct, at 68-40 Austin Street, Forest Hills, N.Y. 11375.
Several winners will be chosen and their modest monetary prizes will be announced on December 17, said Heidi Chain, president of the 112th Precinct Council. The contest, sponsored by the 112th Precinct and HSBC Bank USA, has the following rules: entries should be 500 words and they should include name, grade, school and contact information.
“We want kids to stop and think of reasons why they don’t want to drugs,” Chain explained.
Queens Community House gets new flag
The Queens Community House (QHC), at 108-25 62nd Drive in Forest Hills, retired its old, tattered American flag and put up a new one on Thursday, November 13.
Donated by Representative Anthony Weiner, the new flag has been flown over the Capital Building in Washington, D.C., explained Mike Zevon, assistant director of teen services at QCH.
During the flag honoring ceremony, Blue Steel, a U.S. Air Force band performing for troops around the world, provided entertainment with its high energy music from a variety of genres including pop and classic rock.
